Harry's POV
Unaware of McGonagall's less than nice thoughts, the gang happily chatted and laughed as they finished their meal. When they were full and reenergized, they decided to call it a night. All of them, bar Harry and the twins, would meditate on what kind of animal they were. Since they were now all proficient in Occlumency it should be easy, right?
When they separated, and went to bed, Harry dropped into his mindscape and talked to Picard. "So, I talk to Sirius and he said to give the… horcrux to him and he'd deal with it. Or he'd find someone who could. I'm just glad it is one less thing on my plate," he said casually as he sat in his chair. "I mean I could destroy it, but then we'd never know if there were more. So, I'm going to let those that know about this stuff deal with it." He shrugged it off as not a big thing. He had faith in his godfather, which is more than he could say for the rest of the adults in his life.
"That sound like a reasonable solution. You are probably correct in thinking that the Dark Lord made more. From the analysis that we have run on the stories of your years at this school, we are sure that the diary in your second year was one as well," the Captain stated, looking at something on his handheld.
"Yeah, I figured. I told Sirius that as well. I wonder how many times one can split their soul. No wonder the bastard is batshit crazy," the teen said with a look of disgust on his face.
"Nevertheless, it is now dealt with. We have a few more important things to worry about. I have the report from the science team about your own… horcrux. They have examined it and now know how to remove it. They are ready to begin whenever you are. We were simply waiting for you to relax, so that we can proceed," Picard said, handing over the handheld. He was ready to get that soul piece out of his… creator.
"Why do you need me to relax? Is it going to hurt?" the wary teen asked. He had no idea how well he dealt with pain. From what he had been told, he handled it quite well, but since he'd been back he hadn't tested that.
"We do not know. This is uncharted territory for us. If you recall we only know as much as you do, though we can expand on your knowledge, it is only as much as you allow. We are your mind, after all. At any rate, the crew do not believe you will feel anything. However, it may need your support, hence the need for your complete relaxation," the bald man stated as he pushed a few buttons on the arm of his chair. "It might be best if you go to sickbay where Dr. McCoy can monitor you," Picard suggested pointedly.
"Right, okay, sounds like a plan," Harry said as he stood and made his way to the lift. He nervously played with the hem of his shirt as he waited to get to the sickbay. This was a completely new experience for him, and as much as he was confident that he could handle it, he was still concerned about the pain. The music playing did nothing to calm his nerves as the lift drew nearer. Soon enough he was at his destination.
"Change in to these," Bones said, handing him some hospital scrubs. "They'll be far more comfortable than your jeans. When, you're done, hop up on the biobed and we'll get started. Make sure you keep all your magical items on the other side of the screen."
"Right," the dark-haired teen said and went behind the screen and changed. Minutes later, he was laying on the bed. His hands were in fists as he looked at the doctor. "I'm ready."
"Just relax, Harry, we're just going to keep a close watch on you," the older man said, pushing a few buttons on the bed, which then had a glass like dome slide over the surface, incasing Harry inside. "I don't want anything to interfere with the monitors, so you need to clear your mind as much as possible." He took out his medical tricorder and passed it over the teen a few times to get a baseline. "This will be done in no time, and then you can get back to dreaming about naked girls dancing in the moonlight," the man teased to lighten the mood.
"Right," the dark-haired wizard said, thinking that maybe he'd think of those girls now. It would help him relax. While he fantasized, soothing music started to play, and a fine lavender smelling mist filled the air in the dome, making Harry relax further. He smiled at the scenes playing in his mind and drifted off into a heavy meditation. The girls disappeared, and his core came into view. That sight always made him relax. To know that he had this much magic at his disposal was a calming thought. He knew that no matter what, he had this to back him up.
When Harry was completely in the zone, the science crew got busy. They worked for hours doing the delicate work of removing the soul piece from the scar. They contained as they went, shoving the tentacles in the construct they formed. Just as ordered it was a magical container that happened to look like a rubber ball. Its walls were fortified with scientific and magical force-fields, mostly magical. There was no way this horcrux was getting out. If it tried, it would bounce around the inside of the ball for hours? Days? Months? Years? or perhaps until it died. They were unsure if it could stop itself. However, they were hopeful that it would be too damaged be of any good to the Dork Idiot.
Dr. McCoy kept an eye on his patient, who seemed to be helping the crew along. He was concerned about Harry's state of mind. What did it take for someone to come up with such a realistic mind-palace? Just how awful were those memories? And when he got them back, would they cause such stress that he and the Enterprise disappear? These were very real concerns held by all the crew, which was the reason why the away team was taking their time in returning the memories. They wanted to get it right, and not traumatize the teen.
As Bones watched, recorded and fretted, Harry's eyes moved as if he were watching something, and every now and then his fingers would twitch like he was reaching for an object. His heart rate would increase and then decrease, if the removal was close to the brain. Then he would stabilize, and the team would move on to the next strand.
The horcrux continued to fight, but it was weak now that it wasn't attached to Harry's magic. The emotions that were rolling off it were fear and anger. Over and over again it would attempt to reconnect to the boy's magic, soul, or brain. Anything to prevent it from dying. Electric shocks, from a large stick like weapon, kept it at bay. The crew was very careful not to touch any of Harry's anatomy.
It was early morning when they were done. It seemed a good thing they removed the leech, the boy was much healthier than when they started. After running his reports, Bones woke Harry. "You're fit as a fiddle. Get dressed, then you should go to the bridge. The Captain is waiting for you," the tired man said as he helped his patient up.
"Great," Harry said as he jumped off the bed, and changed his clothes. He grabbed all his stuff and put them in their proper places. He felt better knowing that his things were back on his body, even if he was in his own mind. His mind was clear, and he was feeling better than he had in a long time. He had no idea the parasite was draining his energy so badly, but now that it was gone he felt he could take on the world. He went to the turbo lifts and made his way to the bridge.
"Any news?" he asked Picard, looking at the darkness that was his brain. He wondered if he should make stars again, since the first ones were his memories, which were now in the databank. He shrugged, waved his hand, and the outside lit up with a multitude of bright twinkling lights.
"The science team should return in a few hours. They did not want to transport the… pod since they were unsure as to what effect it would have on the magical containment," the bald man said from his chair. He punched a few buttons and looked at Harry. "They will be back soon enough, until then perhaps I can interest you in a game of Raumschach."
"Sure, but you'll have to teach me. I'm pants at chess, so I don't expect to be much better at this," Harry stated looking at the three-dimensional board. It was weird that part of his mind knew something he didn't, or maybe he did, and he was simply remembering it. Still, weird. As they played, the teen broke out with a huge yawn. Sure, he felt great physically, but mentally he was exhausted.
While the teen was being beaten soundly at the game, the science team arrived.
"Here you go, sir," the red shirted person said, handing Harry the ball.
"Thanks, you guys were great. Well, I'm off to dreamland. Ladies, here I come," the teen said and put his words to action, visions of naked ladies dancing in the moonlight filled his vision, and he was content. Now that he didn't have that vile thing in his head, his dreams were much smoother. He danced and played the rest of the morning, waking in a very good mood.
After getting dressed, Harry bound down the stairs with a smile radiating on his face. Even though he got to sleep late, he woke early and he felt great. Not to mention the wonderful feeling he had from his dreams. He only hoped that mood lasted.
In his TARDIS pocket was a pink rubber ball, which he was sure was screaming in fear and anger. Just to be vindictive, he threw it at the walls a few times as he made his way across the common room. He chuckled at the thought that the soul piece was being bounced around in there. Served it right for making him sick all these years. He'd give it to Padfoot today while the others were in class.
He didn't wait for the gang; he was just too hungry, and energetic. So, he made his way to the Great Hall and joined his little blonde friend at the Gryffindor table. He sat next to her and looked at her plate. He quirked an eyebrow at her latest creation, which seemed to be a park of some sort. With trees, bushes, benches and pathways. There was even a lake off to the side. He shook his head in amusement and poured himself some tea, adding a heaping spoonful of sugar, and then taking a deep sip. He gave a deep sigh, that was just what he needed.
"You look better," Luna commented as she made another tree. Then she added a lake of whipped cream. There were ducks made of strawberries and people made of bananas.
"I feel better," he said, giving the weird girl one more curious glance, and then scooped up some scrambled eggs and cheese. No matter what her quirks, he still liked Luna just as she was. She certainly made life interesting.
"I think this is the first time I've seen you without Wrackspurts," she acknowledged with clear eyes. She cut her pancakes into many bite size pieces, ruining her work of art. She hummed in delight as she at her creation.
"That's one way to put it," Harry said with a nod. He settled into his breakfast, and soon enough the rest of the gang joined him and Luna. He looked up and greeted them with a smile. "Hey, guys. How was your night?"
"Great, Harry," Neville said, sitting next to him, while the twins and Hermione sat across.
They all looked at the boy hero with different expressions. The twins were just happy to see him in a good mood, even better than when they parted last night. Neville was glad that his mate didn't seem as bitter or angry with the world. Hermione looked carefully at his face to see what was different, and then she gasped.
"Harry, where is your scar?" the bushy-haired witch asked, keeping her voice low, nevertheless making all of his friends look at his forehead. They all had a wondering expression on their faces.
"I'll tell you later, yeah?" the dark-haired teen answered, giving her a 'drop it for now' look. There was no way he wanted anyone to know what had been in his head. If the staff found out they'd make him leave for sure, or throw him in the dungeon, and then he'd have no way to protect his friends. Which was the only reason he was staying in this godforsaken castle to begin with.
"Okay," she said slowly as she served herself up some porridge. She had gotten used to Harry keeping secrets and was more than happy that he shared some with her. It was a long way from when they first started after he lost his memory.
"So, did you guys find your form?" Harry asked as he changed the subject. He put back on his smile and gave them each an encouraging look. While they bounced ready to tell him about what they discovered, he ate his eggs.
"I'm a brown bear. It's very bizarre to have such a large form," Luna chirped with a slightly vacant look, which her friends knew meant she was thinking out a puzzle. "Though, thinking about it, the personalities match, for the most part. I'd like to think I am just a gentle, yet fierce a bear." She hummed under her breath as she thought about the likeness of a bear, and how it compared to her.
"I think I'm a badger," Neville stated a bit disappointed that he wasn't a lion, but happy enough with an animal that was depicted as loyal by one of the founders. "I'm going to have to look it up to make sure, seeing as to how I've never seen one. Well, other than the Hufflepuff banner, but I don't think that is an accurate description."
Harry turned his head to Hermione. She blushed and mumbled, "I'm a great spotted woodpecker."
"I'm trying very hard not to make a comment on that," her best friend stated as he held back his mirth. He knew he would hurt his friend if he laughed, so his cheeks were turning red with his attempts. She could tell by the redness on the other boys' faces they were holding laughter in as well.
"Oh, go ahead and laugh, before you burst a blood vessel or something," Hermione huffed as she pushed her bowl away. She knew they would give her flak over this. Stupid boys. Always thinking with their penises.
The four boys fell to laughter, and it took a few minutes to get under control. Words like, 'wood' and 'pecker' filled the air, until Hermione had enough and sprayed them with water from her wand.
Harry, still chuckling, waved his hand and dried them off. "Sorry, sorry. It had to be done." He gave her a smile that said he meant no harm.
"Pervert," Luna accused with a smile, when they were down to just wheezing.
"Guilty," Harry agreed, looking at Neville's bright face, making him break down in laughter again.
The twins were hugging Hermione in a form of apology and telling her they would help her along. She seemed uncomfortable with the attention.
"I'm going to class," the embarrassed Hermione huffed as she scooped up her books and bounced away.
"We'd better go too," Neville said, picking up his bag and following the bushy-haired girl.
"I hope the new DADA teacher is worth all the fuss," Luna said as she finished her breakfast.
"Well, he can't be worse than a Death Eater," Harry pointed out, not that he knew anything about how the fraud had taught, but the man had been an enemy. How good could he have been?
"We'll see. Besides, Crouch Jr. actually taught us some really good spells, and how to protect ourselves. I think it was part of his cover, but we did learn," she said as she finished off her pancakes. She wiped her mouth, and then took up her supplies. Getting up from the table, she kissed her 'friend' on the top of the head and skipped out of the Hall.
After they left Harry looked at the Staff Table and noted everyone's expression, most weren't even paying attention to him, but the Heads of the Schools were. Maxime had a sympathetic look, while Karkaroff had a worried face, McGonagall was glaring at him.
He shrugged and ate his meal. When he was finished he made his way outside. Getting past the violent tree and going to the Shack was child's play now. He still did it stealthy, making sure that the new Headmistress didn't see him. Even though Sirius was no longer wanted, she would drive the poor man away. Right now, he needed his godfather to be near. He was still concerned about how he was going to handle his memories returning and would need the support of family and friends.
"Sirius, Mr. Lupin, you guys here?" he called as he entered the house.
"In the kitchen," Sirius yelled back.
Harry followed the voice and when he found them they were sitting at the table, eating Scotch eggs and sipping tea. They looked up, gave a greeting, and then resumed their meal. The teen joined them, and Winky set a cup in front of him, which he thanked her for, making her blush and pop away. Pouring himself some tea. "So, what are you guys doing today?" he asked as he sipped.
"I've got nothing planned, but Moony's going to the Room to work on his magic," Sirius stated, looking at his old friend with a smile. He was just glad the werewolf finally got it. "Luna said he's finally far enough along that he could probably do what we do, if he doesn't get pigheaded again. Well she said infested, but I knew what she meant." He smirked at his best mate.
"So, Harry, did you discover what animals you are?" the greying-haired man asked, turning the conversation away from him. He hated it when Sirius teased him about how slow he learned this new magic. "I know the twins were going to tell you guys yesterday. They wouldn't stop talking about it."
"Yeah, it's great. I'm disappointed that I didn't think of it first. However, it's okay, because we all found our animal," the multi-Animagus stated, and then proceeded to tell them who was what. He laughed at the shocked look on their faces when he got to his forms.
"You have three forms," Sirius said in awe. He knew the kid was powerful, but damn.
"It's really not that big of a deal," Harry said with a shrug, playing it off as if it were nothing, not wanting the attention. Well, not from these guys anyway. When he was ready, he'd tell whoever he wanted, but for now it might just give him a tactical advantage. "Don't brag about it either, remember you're both under a vow," he said pointedly. "Nothing I do can be told to anyone."
"Alright, Harry, but you do know that it will get out one day," Remus warned with a firm look, and then finished off his eggs.
Winky popped in and with a snap of her fingers, the dishes were gone, leaving only the cups behind. The three then went to sit in the living room, bringing their unfinished tea with them.
"I never would've figured Luna for something that large," the dogman said, complying with Harry's wish and dropping his forms as he stroked his goatee, which he finally could get on his own. All it took was a bit of concentration. He was now able to change his looks to whatever he wanted.
"She didn't either, to hear her say," Harry agreed with a nod.
"I hope you didn't tease Hermione too badly. I'm sure she was hoping for something a bit more noble," Remus fretted a bit, knowing from past experience that kids could be cruel. He liked the bookworm and if the boys did tease her, he hoped she got them back.
"Not really, we may have laughed a bit, but we left it mostly alone," the teen said, waving it away. "Anyway, Padfoot, if you're not busy, I've got something for you." He then pulled out the rubber ball. "Behold, the Great and Wonderful Voldemort," he exclaimed grandly, holding it for all to see.
The two men had no idea how to react to that. They had been trained from a young age to fear the evil man, this small part of him in a rubber ball, well that wasn't scary… much. They went through a series of emotions, and finally settled on cautiously curious. Remus leaned forward to see if he could detect the vileness of the supposedly dead wizard in the child's toy. Nothing. There was nothing Dark coming off the object, which made him glance at Sirius. He gave a subtle shake of his head, indicating that he didn't detect any evil.
"Are you sure, Harry?" Sirius asked, then backpedaled when his godson glared at him. "What I mean is, we can't feel anything 'evil' coming off that." He waved at the toy and squinted his eyes as if that would make the 'evil' appear.
"Well, of course not. It's contained and made to be unescapable, we wouldn't want it to cause problems. That and I don't want it to influence anyone with its negative emotions," the boy explained, bouncing the horcrux against the wall, making the men flinch. "I don't know much about horcruxes, but I know that it had a bad effect on me. So, I figured I'd put it in something that would prevent that."
"That sounds like a good plan. Now that you have it trapped, what do we do with it?" his godfather asked, watching the vicious look on his godson's face as he played catch with the toy.
"Don't know, don't care. I leave it in your hands now. You said you'd check if there were more. I'm going to leave it to you to get rid of any you find. I know that the wanker can't be killed until they are gone. So, I hope you don't find any," Harry replied as he caught the ball and handed it over to Sirius. "Oh, by the way, don't melt it, unless you have it contained. If you do, then it will just escape and who knows what will happen. Just know that fire, unless it's really hot, won't kill it," he warned not wanting them to get caught flatfooted.
"Right," the older man said sheepishly as he held the ball gingerly. "Do you think the soul piece is aware? If I bounce it around, will it feel it?" he asked with a mischievous grin.
"I'm not sure. It seems to have emotions, but I'm not sure on if it has thoughts or physical feelings. When I examined it, it didn't seem to contain any memories, and it didn't communicate. So, either it's being very stubborn or it's just a blank piece of soul. I wouldn't take it out of that container to find out though," he warned again, wondering if he was making the right decision leaving it with the immature man.
"I'll take that," Moony growled, grabbing the ball from Padfoot's hand, making the glamored man pout. "You can't be trusted with something like this. I'll take it to Amelia, maybe she can do something with it." He figured that if they worked together they could put an end to You-Know-Who once and for all.
"Moony," Sirius whined, even though he knew what his friend said was true.
"No," the other man said firmly, putting the ball in his pocket and charming it six ways to Sunday.
"Fine," Black pouted, folding his arms like a petulant child. Then his mood shifted again, and he looked at his godson. "What say you and me go to London and check out the birds""
Harry shook his head and gave Sirius an indulging look. Sometimes he wondered who the adult was. Sure, Padfoot had loads of knowledge, but he was just so childlike that it was all Harry could do to keep him out of trouble. "Sure, Padfoot, I've got until classes end. I have to be back by then to help the others transform. But, we've got a few hours to kill," he agreed, getting up and donning his outer-cloak.
"Great," the dogman said and went to get his outwear. The two spent the day as truant teens chasing skirts. They even ran from the Bobbies once, which was great fun.
Remus' POV
Remus made his way to Amelia's office. He was careful not to tell why he was here, making sure to stay vague, yet firm in his need to speak to the head of the DMLE. He knew corruption ran deep in these halls, and he didn't want this to get out. He kept the ball in his charmed pocket, and finally reached his destination.
"Greetings, Madam Bones," he said, after he was directed in. He sat in a chair and looked at the harried woman. He was loath to add more to her burden, but it couldn't be helped. "How secure is your office?" he asked politely.
"Very, however it wouldn't hurt to check. Constant vigilance, and all of that," she replied with an arched eyebrow. They communicate silently for a few seconds, then she drew her wand and secured her office. The poor overworked woman fumed when she found a few listening charms and one scrying tool. With a violent wave of her wand, they were banished. She mumbled under her breath for a few moments, threatening people that weren't there. She then took some deep breaths and turned to her guest. "What can I do for you today, Mr. Lupin?" she asked warily, knowing full well he was about to add to her workload.
"How versed are you on the archaic?" the werewolf questioned softly, not wanting to offend, but he needed to know how much he was going to have to teach her.
"While the Bones' are Light affiliated, I had to learn the Dark for this position," Amelia answered, wondering just how much trouble he was bringing to her doorstep.
Remus reluctantly brought out the ball and placed it on her desk. "This is a horcrux. Voldemort's. Harry came across it, and he doesn't know how many more there are. Going by the gossip of Hogwarts, there were at least two more that have been destroyed. Now, if the… man went with magical numbers, that may be all there is; however, he might have felt seven or eleven were better," he explained with an empty-handed gesture and a shrug.
Amelia got a vexed look on her face, this was the last thing she needed. She just didn't have the manpower to go horcrux hunting. She was greatly tempted to march to the Department of Mysteries and make them deal with it. However, she didn't trust them to not do 'tests' on it and let He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named return unhindered. She was going to have to be very careful who she picked to help her, and they'd have to do it on their off-time.
"Is it contained?" was the first question she asked, after she concluded that this would be her responsibility.
"Harry says it is."
"And you trust the word of a child?" she inquired, looking doubtful.
"I trust Harry," came the firm reply.
She still doubted that a teen could contain a horcrux, so she waved her wand over the object and was relieved when it did come back as unbreakable. In addition to that, were a few more security measures she never would have thought of. There also seem to be some sort of electrical field around it, which she had no idea what it did, but, was wary about removing.
"Okay, I'm satisfied that it is held for now," she said, putting her wand away. She took the ball in her hand and rolled it around, thinking about what to do with it.
"Harry said not to melt it, unless fire it as hot as Fiendfyre, or it can't escape the room you're in," the greying-haired man warned, and then shrank back at the look he got.
"We are not novices," she snapped, and then taking a deep sigh she held up her empty hand in apology. "I'm sorry. You must understand, I've had a long couple of weeks. And now to learn that You-Know-Who is not gone, well let's just say, I'm on my last bit of patience."
"I understand. If you need any help, Sirius and I will be more than willing to lend a wand," Remus said with a patient smile. "He has the Black library, and I have a few friends who would not want you to know their names." He was very good a protecting people who counted on him. That and they were werewolves, so if she needed the help it would be under the cloak of darkness.
"I might just take you up on that," she said, wondering who else outside the Ministry could be of help. As she made plans in her head, she idly bounced the ball on her desk. Names and books circled through her head. She knew she might have to work harder at capturing Dumbledore. She was positive that man knew about this, and he might have more information.
"I'll just be going then," he said, watching her carelessly play with Voldemort's soul piece, glad that the ball was unbreakable. However, he was wondering if he left it in good hands. Then he shook his head, he knew Bones was a good woman, and a good Auror. No, he did the right thing bring that here.
Amelia seem to realize what she was doing, stopped and huffed. "Thank you, Mr. Lupin, for bringing this to my attention. I'll do my best to make sure that it is taken care of," she said as she waved the man out of her office. When he was gone, she picked up the ball, opened a painting of a baby badger, and put it in a Muggle safe. It was one of the safest places in her office, since the other staff had no idea how to work it, or what it was. They all thought it was a sentimental painting.
Attempting to clear her head, she took a few deep breaths, a Calming Draught, and meditated on who could help. Names ran through her head, but she had to discard many due to who they were affiliated with. The only name that repeated itself was Dumbledore. This was going to be tougher than she thought.