Scott scratched his chin thoughtfully. Normally he would've simply said to go with his plan, but he'd been learning lately that other people really did have some good ideas from time to time, and had started to take Harry's advice about how a leader needed to take his team's opinions in mind to heart. It wasn't natural to him yet, but he was getting there. Jean's idea of moving forward and disrupting the mage soldier's prepared positions was a good one even if it meant she would draw Storm's assault down on her, he just needed to trust that Jean could hold the older woman off until they reached her.
He looked around thoughtfully then pointed ahead at one particularly large rock spire with what looked from this distance like four rope bridges leading from it to other nearby spires. "We'll use that as a reference point, but instead of taking one of these two rope bridges, Jean, you'll carry us to a random location then you can go wild and the two of us will move forward in tandem. That should throw off any of the defenses the mage soldiers have set up."
"Never do what your enemy wants you to," Evan said, nodding agreement. After a moment of thought Jean nodded as well, and after the boys indicated they were ready grabbed them both in a telekinetic grip and flew forward carrying them.
As little as a month ago something like this would've been impossible for her, but now it was almost second nature, and Jean smiled a little at how easy it was.
They zoomed past two positions where they saw mage soldiers below them, and Evan and Scott fired down with their respective powers taking them out before they could realize they were under attack from the air.
A moment later, Jean set the two boys down on a random spire to a diagonal from their original position by the door and grinned a little wildly. "I'll see you two boys later!" With that she jumped into the air again and sped off throwing fire and telekinetic blasts everywhere.
Scott gaped a moment at the sheer destruction she was raining down on the crags, watching some of them collapse in ruin, others simply bursting apart somehow. He was still having issues with the fact that Jean had bonded with his Phoenix thing, but the power up having her own mind be solely her own again had given her was something to see. After a second however he shook it off his surprise and got down to business. "I'll go first," he said indicating the rope bridge in front of them. "We'll leapfrog, trying to make for the target spire for now, but keep loose we might have to double back and around to flank the opposition."
Evan nodded, having already forced his bone armor out encasing his body as well as a sword he held in one hand, his other hand empty but with his fingers splayed so that he could fire off his small bone shards at will for a long a range weapon. He'd never joined his aunt's target lessons of course, not having any need of them since his time on the basketball team had given him excellent hand eye coordination.
The two teens moved swiftly for the next two bridges, then, as they were moving toward the third spire in their target direction, one that was about two stories taller than the one they were on, they ran into an intact prepared defensive position with four mage soldiers holding the high ground.
Evan used his sword to cut into the floor of the spire they were standing on it and use it as cover while Scott backtracked and running to the last spire and from there made his way around their position to take them from the side. Once the mages turned to fire on him Evan shot out from his defense and ran up the bridge to take them on in hand-to-hand. Between the two of them they made short work of the four mage soldiers.
This was not going to be the last time they ran into trouble and within an hour both boys were battered and sore. Evan was limping from a cutter that got through his armor and his bone armor was dented, scorched even missing in spots. Scott was protecting one arm, the Danger Room having downgraded his shoulder, his ribs were bothering him, and the back of his suit was missing, his back scorched by a low powered bombarda that went over his head.
They backtracked a little away from the spire that was their target to rest for a bit. "Evan," said Scott as he wiped the blood off his shoulder. "Don't take this the wrong way, but your aunt can sometimes be a bit of a bitch."
Evan shrugged tiredly. "You won't get any arguments from me, man. I'm just glad we haven't run into her yet."
Scott was about to nod fervent agreement with that idea when a crackle of lightning and a blast of telekinetic force rocked the Danger Room and they turned and stared at the spire they had chosen as their target position. "I think we just saw why we haven't." Evan nodded ruefully and the two wearily pushed themselves to their feet and started to move forward again.
OOOOOOOOOOO
Jean had blasted about seven or eight defensive positions to rubble and ruin before she had to duck out of the way of a lightning bolt that nearly clipped her in the head. She was able to keep flying and looked around trying to find where the bolt had come from then dodged to the left as another bolt of lightning sizzled past her former position, then another and another.
This went on for a few minutes, then hurricane force winds began to batter her, making her have to try far harder to stay in the air, nearly pushing her into the path of another bolt of lightning. A particularly powerful blast of wind almost pushed her head first into one of the rock spires if she hadn't ducked and rolled, and as she came to a rest she shook her head. "Okay," she muttered to herself "No more Miss nice redhead."
With a thought she encompassed herself in a telekinetic shield they could absorb the hammer blows of the wind and lightning, then began to use her telepathy to try and find storm. Should've done this sooner she castigated herself. Find her quick, knock her out and then join the boys to wipe out the mage soldiers. Get your head in the game Grey, you're not just a telekinetic. Acting like a brute force idiot isn't going to get you anywhere.
One of her arms snapped out, and telekinetic force reached out in the form of a hand, shattering the top off one of the spires of rock and throwing it in the direction where she thought Ororo was. The makeshift rock spear hit nothing, and after a moment almost freezing rain began to pelt the area around her.
Jean scowled a little, then, secure in her telekinetic shield, she pushed off the rock spire she had been standing on and into the air again, hammering down at any likely spot where her telepathy was telling her Ororo might be hiding. Eventually she came upon an spire, thin but even taller than the one that Scott had designated as their target point. She zoomed up the side of it to land on the top and stare at Ororo, who was simply sitting there calmly, her legs crossed underneath her.
Storm opened her eyes and smirked at the younger woman. "So you have found me. The question is what are you going to do now?"
Jean frowned a little wondering where the other woman's confidence was coming from, and took a step forward. She was stopped as she realized that her breath was puffing in the air. Why is it so cold up here? Oh sh-!
Before she could even finish that thought a hammer blow of even more powerful wind, far more powerful than any of the ones she had dealt with before this, slammed into her shield pushing her back and off her feet, the ground slick with ice underneath her. Before she could recover another blast of lightning slammed into her shield and she was nearly pushed off the spire's edge. She crouched down, reinforcing her shield and digging into the ground to keep on her feet.
Ororo came out of her kneeling posture like a striking snake, wielding her power with both hands against the younger woman. Caught flat-footed from this sudden and almost overwhelming onslaught Jean was hard-pressed to counter and with the air around her growing ever colder was forced to use more of her power to keeping herself warm and able to move.
She jumped back off the cliff edge allowing her to put some distance between them. Ororo flew after her and the two exchanged telekinetic and lightning blasts, as well as wind shots, spires of rock, and anything else the two could bring into play.
If Scott or Evan had been able to take any time out of their own battles to watch this clash it would have been a magnificent sight to see. One woman almost at the height of her powers using guile, cunning and misdirection as well as brute force against a younger woman, who while not as experienced was even more powerful and versatile.
As the fight between the two women went on Scott and Evan slowly overcame their opponents. It wasn't easy by any stretch of the imagination but none of the groups they met could put them down alone, and without an overarching commander to direct them none of the groups moved to one another's aid. They fought their way through the room to the target spire that the two of them and Jean had selected in about three hours only to stop and stare at the amount of carnage that had been wreaked by the two flying women.
Even as they watched a final flurry of ice cold rain hit Jean, going through her telekinetic shield and freezing as it hit her, causing her to gasp in shock and her control to slip just enough for a blast of lightning to slam into her midsection. The impact tumbled her out of the air to land heavily on rock spire below. Before she could recover the rock face she had landed on was reduced to gravel by a massive hurricane 5 force pressure front.
Jean emerged from this, a little bruised and bloody but still game. Seeing the two boys Jean flew over to join them. When she landed she frowned heavily at how badly battered they were, matching her own bloody and bruised form.
While Storm wasn't exactly fresh as a daisy, she was in much better shape than her opponent or the two other teens, and with a graceful flourish of the cape that was part of her uniform she landed delicately on the same spire as the three youngsters and nodded affably at them. "I believe that is enough for today, computer end session." The two boys sags to their knees relief and Jean was so exhausted she would've fallen forward onto her face if Ororo hadn't strode forward and caught her by her shoulders.
"Besides the points I mentioned at the beginning, this session was supposed to teach you all how to pace yourselves, to always use maneuverability against your opponents when you can as well as how terrain can factor into any battle, plan or mission." She said crisply gathering Jean to her with one arm around her waist and leading the way out of the danger room. She nodded at her nephew. "It was also meant to let you showcase to your team leader here," she nodded her head towards Scott, "your new abilities."
Scott nodded firmly. This had been the first time that Evan had used his new bone armor to such fantastic effect (in the last few team exercises he always went down too quickly to show off much), and he was impressed by that as well as the speed and amazing accuracy of his long range attacks, something Evan had been working on to make his bone shots more devastating. He reached out to slap Evan on his shoulder. "She's right, I saw a lot of your new skills Evan, great stuff."
Storm smiled faintly, happy to see that some of Harry's leadership lessons had taken hold.
Evan grinned back at him and nudged Scott in the ribs with an elbow. "What about you, I thought you could only keep blasting off like that for an hour at best, we were in there for four or five." Scott did indeed become exhausted from continually using his eye blasts for long amounts of time, but he had been working on his endurance a lot lately.
You too can keep patting yourselves on the back later," said Storm shooing them off. "Showers for all three of you I think. You two can go to yours and I will take this exhausted young lady to hers."
Jean frowned as the two boys left still talking animatedly about their fights against the mage soldiers complete with waving hands and rude gestures. "This was also for my benefit in another way wasn't it?" She said softly trying to stand on her own and failing before falling back, not that leaning on Ororo was any hardship. "Was I getting too blunt or too big for my britches or both?"
"Not quite yet," Ororo said gently, leading her out of the Danger Room. "I wanted to nip those two things in the bud actually. Remember that you have two powers to call upon Jean, and always remember that your mind is your most dangerous weapon. A telekinetic is as dangerous as she can imagine herself to be, don't get so involved in trying to simply brute force everything like you did in the last team exercise. I also wanted to remind you of something else: do not let your power define you, it is what you do with it that matters."
Jean nodded thoughtfully. "Subtlety is often better than brute force, I'll have to remember that. And as for your other point, I've known that for a while, that's why I put as much into my studies as I do. If I've been acting like I felt my newfound strength made me more important or something, that wasn't my intent."
"I know that my friend." Ororo replied leaning her head against Jean's for a moment. "I just wanted you to be aware of it. Now, let's get a bath hmm?"
Jean nodded wearily and let the older woman lead her off. It was only when they stumbled out of the elevator and up two flights of stairs that Jean realized Ororo was taking them up to the female teacher's bathroom (in other words her personal bathroom) rather than the girl's bathroom on the second floor.
This bathroom was actually a little smaller than the girl's bathroom downstairs, but it was far less cluttered, with none of Kitty's shampoo products or Rogue's makeup anywhere. The bath itself was also larger.
She chuckled wearily as she felt Ororo's fingers at the zipper of her uniform. "I can do this myself you know."
"I know that," Ororo said smiling a little. "But this is what good girlfriends do for eachother yes?"
"I suppose so," Jean muttered as her uniform fell to the ground. "I've just never been that close to any other girl really."
"Nor I honestly, but I also wanted, well I wanted some advice, and you were the first I thought of."
Jean looked at the older woman, and was surprised to see worry there. She shrugged and started the water in the bath, then pulled off her sports bra, letting her perky, C-cup breasts bounce free. "Well, I don't know what help you think I'll be but I'll be happy to listen."
Ororo smiled and stripped out of her own uniform quickly then sighed in pleasure as she sat down at one end of the bath, the water falling down her back. Jean moved to the other end, sighing in turn as the water began to work its magic on her legs. The two girls sat silently as the water slowly filled the tub then Jean looked over at the older woman, nearly preening a little at the approving glance the beautiful black woman sent her way. "So what's bothering you?"
Ororo pulled at her white hair for a moment then looked back at the redhead. "I have been thinking. Harry has done so much for me, and has put so much into our new relationship, I'm wondering what I should do to even things up. Or is that even important? I just don't know enough about relationships to know. I was thinking of doing something sexual for him, but would that send the wrong message so early in our relationship?"
Jean blushed a little at how blunt the other woman was being, but shook her head. "You're asking the wrong person for relationship advice Ororo. I've only had the one boyfriend you know, and lately, lately I'm wondering why the hell Duncan and I are together anyway."
"Because it was expected of you," Ororo stated shrewdly. "You're dating him because it was expected of the most beautiful cheerleader to date the school quarterback, and he is of a social status that fits that image of you. Why you are still together is the question."
"Truly," Jean sighed, ignoring the compliment, even if it came from her friend. "I've been thinking of breaking up with him, but I haven't found the right time to do it. And honestly he has been doing better lately." She frowned then leaning back and letting her hair fall into the water of the bath. "Alright that sounded lame even to me. I think on the whole, I might just be using him as a shield. Everyone knows the two of us are going out so no one bothers me for dates, either at school or here."
"Scott?" Ororo asked turning to grab a bar of soap and slowly working it into her arms.
Jean nodded, her wet hair splashing against the water. "Scott. I don't know how he developed this crush on me that he has, but I, I don't feel that way toward him, not the way he seems to want me to. Maybe once I would have grown to, but not now." She then smirked at the older woman, splashing her a bit with one hand. "But this is supposed to be about you, not about me. Honestly I think you're right, pushing things too far would be bad this early, though I doubt that Harry would think any less of you if you did, if that's what you're worried about. My advice would be to do something spontaneous, like just grab him out of the blue and, what's the British term, Snog? Yeah Snog the hell out of him, or organize the next date yourself or something like that."
Jean frowned a little as a spurt of jealousy went through her at the thought of Ororo and Harry together, but she suppressed it. It isn't like I haven't ever seen them together or have any real hold on Harry, it's just a little crush, I'll get over it eventually right? Right?
Ororo hummed thoughtfully, then smiled. "That could work, thank you my friend. Now, back to your troubles," She smirked as Jean groaned and the redhead in an effort to change the subject splashed her again, starting a bit of a water battle that stopped that line of conversation.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Elsewhere two lunches were occurring entirely different from one another. The date between Kitty and Lance was going pretty well, neither willing to talk about their groups or beliefs or the future, simply talking about normal stuff like sports and TV and actors and having a good time despite that hanging over their heads. On the other hand, in another little pizza shop on the other end of town the conversation and atmosphere was quite different. The conversation was stilted as the three individuals involved tried to figure out what to say to one another that didn't touch on certain topics that one or the other didn't want to talk about.
Kurt in particular was having trouble, wanting to ask about his father and his mother's past, but Mystique was a closed book on that topic, only saying that if he ever showed up that the best thing Kurt could do would be to be near Potter.
Instead she shared several stories of the past, little incidents of his childhood. So the atmosphere around the table oscillated wildly between stilted awkwardness and humor.
Rogue, other than blushing a little at the stories about her as a child, had been studying Mystique since they had sat down, and after about an hour blurted out "You're worried about something."
Mystique frowned and looked at her, then at Kurt was also now watching her. She sighed sadly and shook her head. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you saw something Rogue. You're right there is something bothering me. I realize," she said slowly, looking at them both. "That we just sort of started to get to know one another again, But something's come up and I'm going to have to go away."
"Another new mutant?" asked Kurt questioningly.
"Trying to recruit them for the Brotherhood or something," Rogue said disapprovingly, narrowing her eyes but mystique shook her head.
"Nothing like that. I know I haven't done anything to really prove trustworthy in your eyes, quite the opposite really," she said shaking her head. That was a sentiment that neither child could gainsay so simply stayed silent, as she went on. "But something else has come up and I will be out of touch with the Brotherhood or anyone else around here for a while. I don't know how long yet."
Rogue looked at her for a moment noting the real concern in her voice. As good as Mystique was at dissembling and outright lying, especially considering the fact that she was a shapeshifter, something had bled through there, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what could have come up with her that was so important.
Kurt frowned a little. While he was in no way close to Mystique, he had hoped to have more time getting to know her as his mother. The two teens shared a look then as one decided to change the subject. It was obvious that Mystique wasn't going to be talking about it, and they had already gotten more information than they had honestly expected from her.
The three of them turned the conversation to less serious things, including how badly Kurt was doing and some of his classes at school. The look of disappointment on Mystique's face was hilarious to Rogue, who despite being known as one of the few Goth girls on campus was actually a pretty decent student. The Mystique laid into her about a crush she had on a actor, but Rogue turned it back to Kurt, who had a crush on a new girl at school named Amanda. With that the conversation was permanently changed, and thoughts of whatever serious problem that would soon be taking Mystique away from Bayville, the Brotherhood and the X-Men was forgotten.
OOOOOOOOO
The next day Harry woke up early as was his wont and joined Ororo in her arboretum. He was surprised to see her already there and watering her plants the light rain falling on her and making her already gorgeous skin almost luminescent, the water glistening wetly on her skin. Harry gulped a little as she pirouetted to smile at him, her body moving like a dream. Some look in her eyes told him she wanted him to look in a certain way now, and he let his desire for her show in his emerald eyes, letting his gaze move over her body.
Ororo smiled and raced up to him as fleet as a gazelle. She grasped his head, pulling him into a kiss, then moved away, laughing as she disappeared into the surrounding foliage.
Harry gaped after her for a moment then chuckled. "So hide and seek is it? Alright Ororo, we can play." Harry swiftly divested himself of his cloths and then raced after his girlfriend on quiet feet.
He hunted her through the plants faster than she seemed to anticipate, and Harry leaped on her from behind, bringing them both down gently onto the manmade 'forest' floor. Harry's body was on top of her but she was still able to twist around and Harry suddenly found himself flat on the floor, Ororo hovering over him. She swooped in for another kiss but this time Harry caught her and held the kiss for a time, running his hands down her smooth back, keeping well away from her naked rear but enjoying the feel of her breasts pressing into his chest.
She suddenly ran her hands down his sides tickling him and with a whoop he let go and she jumped away again. Harry lay there for a moment stunned at the sudden turn around, then got up and chased after her.
The game continued for a time, with Harry catching Ororo or vice versa from ambush to steal a kiss. Eventually they had circled all the way around the arboretum and wound up back near the door. There Harry burst out from among the plants to find Ororo sitting down at the table serenely smiling wickedly at him. Before her was a small but decent breakfast of bagels and fruit. "Care to join me Harry?"
Harry laughed a little, shaking his head, but he sat down, taking one of her hands and kissing it lightly. "That was pretty fun Ororo, but where in the world did that come from?"
Ororo laughed a little, tracing his hand with her fingers. "I often liked to run when I was younger, first through the slums and over the roofs then over the savannah. I just thought it would be fun." And it had been, oh my, had it ever. It was only the fact that they hadn't been going out that long that kept her from allowing Harry to take her like a lion would take a female after a chase. It had been exhilarating, and it was obvious by his continual reaction to her that Harry had enjoyed it too. I must thank Jean for the suggestion to be spontaneous. That was most exhilarating!
Harry nodded. "I can see that of course." He prepared a bagel for her handing it over to which she nodded gracefully. "So, how did your exercises with the trio go yesterday? I'm sorry I missed them."
Ororo chuckled a little as the sexual tension left the air, thankful beyond words that Harry had such control over himself and falling for him even more because of it, while Harry was falling further for her because of her wild yet gentle nature. The two continued to talk about this and that until they had to get up and prepare breakfast for the others, something they did together, moving around and blending their cooking styles together seamlessly.
Lat that day Harry, after spending a few hours with Logan and Scott left to head to New York, leaving Scott l in charge of the team exercises with Logan and Ororo as spotters in the observation room. Scott continued to show his progress toward being a well rounded leader, and led the team successfully through several exercises designated by the spotters. While they weren't as tricky as Harry's they were still good team and personal skill building exercises. He ran into issues with Jean unwilling to remain on the defense even when it was a good idea, but the team kept learning and growing in skill.
Harry however was busy elsewhere.
OOOOOOOOOO
Harry decided that the next time he had to travel to New York he'd do it by teleport. The amount of traffic was horrible, and the looks his Huayra was getting were irritating. It wasn't like anyone could steal it after all, not after he'd placed so many protective wards and charms around it, but it was still irritating.
After he finally found a parking area that had a free space he made his way by foot to the area he remembered Dr. Strange's place was. When he rang the door it was answered by the Sorcerer Supreme's manservant Wong. Harry bowed politely having heard more about Wong from Steven when he stopped by, more than enough to respect the mild mannered and self-effacing man. "Greetings Wong, you might have heard of me from Steven, I am Harry Potter and I was wondering if the doctor was in." He smirked a little at the line. "He mentioned some items he wanted me to look at and I have something I want to talk to him about."
A voice over the bald mans shoulder answered him before Wong could. "I'm here Harry, though I didn't think you would come and seek me out so soon after our initial discussion. Has something come up?"
"You could say that." Harry shook his head as Wong ushered him in. Steven stood at the top of a flight of stairs leading down, while behind him a woman with white hair much like Ororo's but done in wild spikes rather than in an untamed main of hair, wearing a nearly skintight suit of purple and dark blue. "I ran into a situation I'd like your help with, and I figured this way we could kill two birds with one stone."
"A most descriptive turn of phrase," the woman said, as if she had never heard it before.
Steven smiled over his shoulder at her than bowed slightly out of the way. "Harry Potter, this is Clea, my … acquaintance." The way he said the last word made the word mean more than it normally would and Harry nodded understanding the message. "Now, what was this situation you wanted to talk to me about?"
He turned and Harry and Clea followed him down into what turned out to be his magical study. Three doors led off to other rooms, two of which were storage rooms for magical devices, and the third led to his viewing room with the Eye of Agamotto set onto a central pedestal.
Harry looked around interestedly, seeing several runes that he didn't recognize off hand, many of them looked like a mix of styles, but the result of them was obvious. This room was as magically defended as his host could apparently make it. Not quite up to his own runic lab's defense in terms of power, but there were some wards here he hadn't even thought of putting up. Despite his sudden desire to examine the runes he saw he kept his mind on the discussion at hand. "It might be best if I show you, I don't suppose you have a memory viewing device of some kind; in my world we called them pensieves."
Steven nodded, and with a gesture a small device flew from one of the shelves along the western facing wall. It consisted of a central clear crystal suspended by what looked like leather (but Harry was prepared to bet it wasn't normal leather) in the center of a circle or gray stone etched with glowing runes. Harry recognized most of them, and had seen them on the pensieves of his home dimension, though of course the style was very different. "Hold this up to your eye and recall the memory you wish to share. It will be projected through the crystal out the other side. Tap the rune at the top of the circle to stop or hold the image."
Harry nodded, wondering how the view of this would be different than the pensieve he had used once in his old dimension. Held the object up to his eye and remembered his time talking with Wanda from beginning to end. "This is a young woman named Wanda, who seems to be suffering from at least one, maybe more magical ailments due to her core being incredibly… chaotic. She is being kept at the Vault, a high security penitentiary/sanitarium upstate."
The two older magic users watched, then as Harry turned on his mage sight in the memory gasped in unison. Clea immediately said "Stop."
Harry did as Steven had said and stood back, watching as the two moved around the still image of Wanda in her chair, her aura flashing through a riot of colors even though the rest of the image had paused.
"I think the reason the core is changing shape like that is because she hasn't been trained and her magic is acting up. I could help with that I suppose, but I have absolutely no idea what the changing colors mean."
Clea frowned heavily. "The only time I have seen something so chaotic was in my uncle's realm." When Harry looked at her quizzically she elaborated. "My uncle is Dormammu, the rule of the Dark dimension." Harry's eyes widened at that, but she went on calmly, "Yet this wasn't from one of his followers, it was at some kind of diplomatic reception once. I cannot place it, but I knew it was from someone who even my uncle was wary of."
She smiled suddenly. "How this child came to be imbued with the same essence I cannot say, but I will take her on as my apprentice if I may. She should be taught by one who knows what she might be capable of, and that is I."
Strange nodded while Harry thanked her, but knew that his lover was holding something back, though why and what eluded him. "Well, I will endeavor to have this young woman's release into my custody. I am certain it won't be hard with Charles backing me. Now Harry, I believe you said you would be willing to destroy certain items for me?"
Harry nodded and Steven went through one of the doors, which Harry only now noticed was made of lead, motioning Harry to follow. Inside he waved an arm at a sarcophagus laying along one wall. "That is one of the items I mentioned in our earlier meeting."
Harry ran a spell over the thing grimacing at what he saw. "It's a horcrux alright, an extremely old one, but it doesn't have any of the compulsion charms or other traps on it old Riddle's had, just something linking the soul shard to the container's well being. Shows a lack of imagination I feel. Well, here goes nothing." Harry reached forward placing his hands on the top of the stylized decoration along the top of the sarcophagus.
Almost immediately the soul shard stuck in the thing began to attack him an attempt to take him over, but at the same moment it began to lose power, his mutant ability draining the magic away from the soul shard and strengthening his core. It took several minutes, but in the end the sarcophagus suddenly crumbled into dust, the dust spilling out everywhere under Harry's hands. He wiped his brow and turned to Steven. "Well, that was, unpleasant. I am going to seriously need a shower after this. Bleh, it was like my soul was being dipped in a sewer, gah."
Steven nodded gravely. "I understand Harry, and I wish you didn't have to do it this way. But I must ask you to help with one other item."
Harry nodded and Steven moved to a shelf on the far wall. There he bit his thumb and cancelled out some heavy duty wards that Harry only briefly saw before they winked out. Yet again he reminded himself not to underestimate the good doctor just because he didn't know things Harry took for granted. That Sorcerer Supreme title was not just for show.
Steven walked back to the center of the room carrying a small box with the lid open. Inside he saw a pendant, with a large bright emerald cut into a rectangle set into a gold setting inside. It looked like a part of a necklace or something like that. And the thing was giving off more magic than anything else in the room.
Harry quickly reinforced his occlumency and ran several scans over it. "Okay now this is something that Riddle would have loved to have done. I've got compulsion charms, three of them at least with different targets, and another dark charm that'll prey on a person's base desires, something like 'oh put me on I can fulfill all your dreams' kind of thing. All of them are extremely powerful I can feel them trying to find my mind even now. Thanks to my occlumency I can't feel what the charms are supposed to compel but I'd guess one of them is to make you want to wear or use it, the other to think it important and keep it safe, the third I don't know. I've got a fear aura, low key, that'd only effect weak willed individuals or non-magicals, I've got one other spell I can't seem to tell what it does and I've got the soul shard itself and some underlying enchantment that is actually native to the stone. Any idea what this was before it was corrupted?"
"It was part of the Queen of Brittan's regalia, said to imbue the gift of true sight to those of the royal line. She was supposed to be able to discern lies and see through all disguises while wearing it." Steven replied sadly, knowing that Harry was going to destroy it. Yet even knowing what vile purpose it had been twisted to it seemed a precious thing now, perhaps… Steven Strange suddenly shook his head, and swiftly put the box on the floor, moving back slightly to join Clea where she stood in the doorway. "Powerful indeed Mr. Potter, it almost got through to even me just then."
Harry nodded grimly then with a brief twist of one hand was suddenly holding the sword of Gryffindor. He didn't want to drain this things magic if he could help it the first one had been bad enough. "Yeah well, it hardly matters now." Without further ado he brought the blade down and an overhand swing impacting on the gem. Yet instead of shattering as it should have Harry was thrown backwards slightly. "Huh."
Harry looked at his sword and found it unmarked then looked down and ran another scan on the gem. Steven frowned a little as he watched the other magic user work, but didn't interrupt him. "Well it seems as if the spell I couldn't figure out is a defense spell, it looped all of the other spells together and it's now protecting the gem from contact with anything." He gestured and looking closely Steven and Clea could see that the gem was actually slightly off the velvet cushion of the box and was giving off a slight reddish glow.
Harry sighed and un-summoned his sword, something that both Clea and Steven watched curiously, wondering where the weapon had come from. Summoned items should not have been able to pass the wards of this place after all, and another ward would have warned them he was carrying a weapon long before this.
"Only one way forward I suppose," Harry muttered then reached out one hand to touch the glowing sphere around the gem. Immediately his mutant power went to work, and slowly the sphere died out and he was touching the gem itself.
The soul in this horcrux was stronger, more powerful than the last, more powerful even then all of Riddle's save the first, and Harry grimaced as the thing tried to invade his soul, scrabbling at his magical core with fingers of death and trying desperately to find his mind. Yet even as it did, his mutant power began to weaken it. Harry stood there stoically simply letting the thing keep trying to take him over as his power sucked it dry. It took a long twenty minutes but eventually the soul gave a last despairing cry and vanished forever.
In a remote mountain town in Europe a woman sitting alone in a tall castle tower collapsed, screaming aloud in more agony than she had ever felt before, so much that she was thankful that not seconds after the pain hit, she lost consciousness. The three magic users would not know it for some time, but when she discovered what had happened they would find they had gained a new and implacable enemy.
Steven and Clea knew nothing of this just then, instead more concerned with catching Harry as he fell to his knees. "Are you alright Harry?" Asked Steven, helping the younger man to his feet as his lover ran what few medical spells she knew on him.
"I'm fine," Harry said, standing up on his own after a moment, shaking his head. "But I so do not want to do that again. That thing put up one hell of a fight."
Steven nodded then cast his own version of mage sight, both curious and wary of any change that might have occurred to Harry after absorbing the power of such evil things. Luckily it seemed that none of the taint had crossed over, yet Harry's magical core was now at least a fifth stronger than it had been. It would appear he can indeed power himself by touching something else magical, fascinating and very dangerous at the same time. "I think," he said aloud, leading the way back out the door, "you could use some tea my young friend, and then we should sit and talk, not just about Wanda but about other things as well."
Harry grinned a little as he followed the older man out, with Clea bringing up the rear. "I have nowhere to go today, so that definitely sounds like a plan."
The trio of magic users talked for two hours, mostly talking shop about magic and their own exploits before Harry decided it was time to go.
The moment Harry left Steven turned to Clea. "You know something else about that young girl's aura that you didn't want to share with him, what is it?"
Clea frowned a little. "I didn't want to say anything because I am not certain but it looks as if young Wanda was touched by a god of chaos somehow, and not just any god but the Elder god of chaos, or as he is better known the Demon Lord Cthon."
Strange frowned at that. Cthon was one even he would not wish to cross save in dire circumstances. "When we are certain we will have to tell Harry this. He will not like it, but for now I will start the process of getting young Wanda released to our custody.
Clea nodded. "That would be an excellent idea."
Outside Harry had made his way back to his car, pausing momentarily as he got in it. For just a second he thought he saw something red and dark blue zooming past overhead. He looked around then shrugged it off and continued on his way, ignoring the groaning and moaning would-be thieves around his car, whistling a little as he drove off.
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