---Three Weeks Later, May 1988---
Harry carefully adjusted another Artisan's Crystal on the shelf, angling it so the fire-painted phoenix within would catch the light coming from the windows perfectly. The magical artwork continued its endless flight, azure flames flowing smoothly through the preserved loop. Next to it, a lightning-sculpted dragon wheeled through its own crystal sphere, each flash creating the illusion of continuous movement.
His room in the Flamels' cottage had become quite the gallery over the past months. Some pieces were early experiments - simple fire paintings of magical creatures they'd encountered during their travels. Others showed his progression into more difficult works, like the three-dimensional flame sculpture of the Tembo-anga they'd seen in Africa, its trunk perpetually spraying stars into the air.
The latest additions were his lightning works from Brazil. Harry was particularly proud of how he'd captured the Beija-cor-de-luz birds, using precisely timed lightning bolts and various gradients of flames to recreate their rainbow-shifting dance. The crystalline structure of their feathers had been challenging to recreate, but the end result was amazing.
Chrysa watched from her cushioned window perch as Harry worked, occasionally batting at the lights cast by the crystals. Despite being a magical creature of legendary status, she had developed distinctly kitten-like obsessions - particularly with the enchanted yarn ball Perenelle had given her. The golden ball would hover and dodge just out of reach, providing hours of entertainment for the growing cub.
"Just one more," Harry muttered, placing a crystal containing his latest work - a Brazilian rainforest scene where lightning-drawn butterflies flitted between flame-painted trees. He stepped back to admire the overall arrangement when Chrysa dropped her yarn ball at his feet, looking up expectantly.
Harry laughed. "Alright, you win." He picked up the golden sphere and tossed it across the room. Chrysa immediately jumped after it. Despite being able to easily crush stone with her paws, she was always very careful during their games.
They were in the middle of a game of catch - made more interesting by Chrysa's tendency to leap off reinforced walls - when a knock came at the door.
"Harry?" Perenelle called. "We have a visitor you'll want to meet."
"Coming!" Harry called, heading for the door with Chrysa padding along beside him. Her golden yarn ball forgotten, she was now fully alert - she always seemed to know when something important was about to happen.
Following Perenelle downstairs, Harry caught the familiar scent of lemon drops before he even reached the sitting room. His face lit up immediately.
"Grandpa!" Harry rushed forward to hug Dumbledore, who was rising from his armchair with twinkling eyes and open arms. Even Chrysa gave an approving purr - she'd taken to Dumbledore during his previous visits.
"Harry," Dumbledore smiled warmly, returning the hug. "I see you've grown quite a bit since my last visit." He gestured to the various crystals visible through the sitting room doorway. "And your artistic talents have certainly flourished as well."
They settled into the comfortable chairs, Harry directly taking his favorite spot near the fireplace where he often practiced his flame control. Nicolas appeared from the kitchen with a tray of tea and biscuits, along with a bowl of milk for Chrysa.
"I learned so much in Brazil!" Harry began excitedly. "The magical creatures there were amazing, and Professor Santos helped me understand how to work with light in completely new ways-" He paused, noticing the meaningful looks passing between the adults. "Oh. This isn't just a normal visit, is it?"
"No, Harry," Dumbledore said gently. "Though I very much enjoy hearing about your adventures, we need to discuss your return to Hogwarts."
Harry's enthusiasm dimmed slightly. He'd known this conversation was coming, but that didn't make it easier. The past months traveling with the Flamels had been wonderful - full of discovery, art, and fun. Just thinking about not seeing them anymore made his eyes water slightly…
"I..." Harry looked between the Flamels and Dumbledore, patting Chrysa's furry head anxiously. "I miss Hogwarts. I miss Aunt Min and Uncle Filius, and my friends, and my room in the tower..." He trailed off, glancing at Nicolas and Perenelle. "But I don't want to leave here either."
Nicolas and Perenelle exchanged a look, having clearly anticipated this reaction. "Albus," Nicolas said, setting down his teacup. "Perhaps we could arrange something more flexible? Harry could split his time between Hogwarts and here - the best of both worlds, as it were."
"That would be... complicated," Dumbledore muttered, stroking his beard in thought. "The Ministry has certain expectations about Harry's care and education. They've already expressed concerns about his extended absence."
Nicolas waved his hand dismissively. "The Ministry's concerns are easily managed. You and I both know that, old friend." There was a slight edge to his tone that made Harry sit up straighter. "Unless you have other reservations?"
Dumbledore sighed, distractedly offering a lemon drop to Chrysa, who sniffed it politely before declining. "No, you're right of course. The practical matters can be arranged." He turned to Harry, giving him a warm smile. "Is that what you'd like, Harry? To divide your time between both places?"
"Yes!" Harry almost jumped in his seat, nearly knocking over his tea. "I could show everyone at Hogwarts my new art, and then come back here to practice with Uncle Nick and Auntie Nelle, and-" he gasped suddenly. "Can Chrysa come to both places too?"
"Of course she can," Dumbledore chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Though we may need to adjust some of the castle's policies to account for a Nemean Lion cub."
"Two weeks at each location might be a good starting point," Perenelle suggested, rescuing Harry's wobbling teacup. "That would give Harry enough time to maintain his routines in both places."
"Speaking of routines," Dumbledore glanced at the lightning-filled crystal on a nearby shelf. "Professor Santos sent quite the interesting report about your artistic breakthroughs in Brazil to the ICW."
"Oh yes! She was brilliant!" Harry grinned, completely missing the knowing looks exchanged between the adults. "She helped me understand so much about working with light and color, and-"
"Quite the coincidence," Nicolas commented dryly, "having Brazil's Head of Magical Security personally oversee your visit."
Harry blinked. "She was what?"
"Politics," Perenelle explained gently, seeing his confusion. "Many people are interested in your development, dear."
"Though some are more subtle about it than others," Dumbledore added.
Harry wrinkled his nose. "Is this like when MACUSA wanted to study my fire?"
"Precisely," Nicolas nodded. "Though I must admit, the Brazilians handled things far more elegantly. Presenting everything through an artistic lens was quite clever."
But Harry didn't really want to care about such things right now, there were more important things going on! "Can I go back to Hogwarts tomorrow? I want to show Charlotte my lightning paintings! And I bet Tonks will love the rainbow bird crystal, and-"
Harry's eyes suddenly darkened. Everyone immediately noticed the change, recognizing the signs of another offer.
[Flexible Soul - Bibliomania] – Costs 100CP, 350CP available to spend.
Souls are both flexible and rigid, and now your soul is considerably more flexible, allowing it to better endure and evade soul-targeting effects, though this isn't complete immunity. This enhanced flexibility enables soul damage to heal remarkably fast; even if reduced to a mere shred barely clinging to life, it would only take a year of rest to recover fully without treatment - a process that would be accelerated by healing methods. Your soul can now endure triple the damage and pressure compared to before, and negative soul-effects are one-third as effective. Due to your soul's evasiveness, soul-harming effects are only one-tenth as effective as they should be, to the extent that even the Avada Kedavra curse from Your Universe would merely push you back and cause significant pain unless struck by multiple curses.
Harry didn't hesitate long before accepting. The offer seemed perfectly aligned with his existing soul structure - there were no downsides like with that zombie offer long ago.
The moment he did, a strange feeling originated within his Hun and Po souls. It felt like stretching after being still for too long, but on a much deeper level.
His Hun Soul, already ethereal and yang in nature, became even more fluid and adaptable. The part of him that housed consciousness, spirit, and thought gained a quicksilver quality that made it naturally slip away from harmful influences. Like smoke refusing to be grasped, his Hun Soul could now instinctively evade attempts to bind or harm it.
His Po Soul, tied to his physical body and yin in nature, gained a different kind of flexibility. Instead of becoming elusive like the Hun, it developed a significant resilience. The dense, corporeal aspect of his soul could now bend without breaking, absorbing and dispersing harmful energies that would previously have caused damage.
"Another offer?" Dumbledore asked gently, noting Harry's distant expression.
"Yes," Harry nodded slightly. "It's called Flexible Soul. It changed both my Hun and Po souls in different ways."
He took a deep breath, organizing his thoughts. "My Hun Soul became more... slippery? Like smoke that can't be grabbed. And my Po Soul got tougher, able to bend without breaking."
"But the most important part," Harry continued, looking directly at Dumbledore, "is that soul-harming effects are only one-tenth as effective now. Even the Killing Curse would just knock me back and hurt a lot, unless multiple hit me at once."
The room went completely silent. Even Chrysa stopped cleaning her paw to stare at the sudden silence.
"Mon Dieu," Nicolas whispered. "You've already survived one Killing Curse from Voldemort as an infant, but this... this is unprecedented in magical history."
Harry frowned, fidgeting with his teacup. "Actually... Voldemort never managed to hit me with the curse that night."
Dumbledore's teacup clattered against its saucer. "What do you mean, Harry?" His voice was very gentle, but his eyes were intensely focused.
Harry's cheeks reddened slightly. "I... didn't really think to mention it before. It seemed so long ago, and then there were all these other things happening that day..."
He described what he remembered - how after his parents died, but before Voldemort could cast the Killing Curse at him, a mirror had reflected the spell back. Then someone who resembled either his father or an older version of himself had appeared, bearing a strange mark on the back of his hand.
"It looked like a triangle with a circle and a line inside it," Harry explained, watching Dumbledore's expression grow increasingly grave. "The older me said something about an unfulfilled prophecy being a source of power in the future, and that's all I can remembered after Tonks chased the Dementor away."
"The Deathly Hallows," Dumbledore murmured, so quietly Harry almost missed it. The old wizard's hand twitched slightly toward his wand.
Nicolas and Perenelle exchanged worried glances. "Albus," Nicolas started, "you don't think-"
"I think," Dumbledore interrupted gently, "that we should be very careful about discussing certain matters right now." He turned back to Harry. "Can you remember anything else about that night? Anything at all about what the older version of you said?"
Harry shook his head. "No, that's all I remember. The Dementor made me hear my mum..." he swallowed hard, "but nothing more about the older me."
"Would you allow me to copy the memory?" Dumbledore asked, looking Harry directly in the eyes. "It might help us understand what happened that night better."
"Of course." Harry nodded, then glanced at Nicolas and Perenelle. "Will it hurt?"
"Not at all, dear," Perenelle assured him. "Just focus on the memory when Albus touches his wand to your temple."
Dumbledore pulled out a small crystal vial and moved his chair closer to Harry's. "Think about that moment, Harry. Just that specific memory."
Harry closed his eyes, concentrating on the fragments he could recall - the mirror, the older version of himself, the strange mark. He felt something cool touch his temple, then a strange feeling like a strand of spider silk being gently pulled away.
When he opened his eyes, Dumbledore was carefully storing a silvery strand in the vial.
"There we are," Dumbledore said softly, sealing the vial. "Thank you, Harry."
Chrysa bumped her head against Harry's hand, sensing his unease. He scratched behind her ears, grateful for the distraction. "Is it... important? The triangle mark?"
"Perhaps," Dumbledore answered. "But not something you need to worry about right now." His eyes twinkled again, deliberately lightening the mood. "I believe we were discussing your return to Hogwarts? Professor McGonagall has been quite eager to see your new artwork."
Harry brightened immediately. "Can I bring some of the crystals to show everyone? And maybe set up a small gallery in my room?" He turned to Nicolas and Perenelle. "Could we go shopping for more preservation crystals before I go back?"
"Of course," Nicolas chuckled. "Though perhaps we should count how many you have first. Your collection has grown quite impressive."
"Speaking of collections," Perenelle added with a knowing smile, "shall we tell Albus about your earnings from the art commissions?"
Harry jumped up excitedly, nearly dislodging Chrysa. "Oh yes!" He darted to his room and came back with his enchanted pouch, pulling out several smaller pouches that clinked with coins.
"I've been doing commissions!" he announced proudly. "Magical families in Brazil wanted fire paintings of their favorite creatures, and then in Africa some merchants commissioned shop signs, and even some people in MACUSA ordered a few pieces even though they were weird about my fire at first! Some preservers of art in Japan wanted a few pieces too!"
He spread the pouches on the coffee table. "Uncle Nick helped me keep track of all the different currencies. If we convert everything at Gringotts, it should be around 280 galleons!"
Dumbledore's eyebrows rose appreciatively. "That's quite impressive for someone your age, Harry."
"The Magical Art Guild in Brazil was particularly interested in his lightning art," Nicolas added. "They've offered to sponsor an exhibition next summer."
"Though we'll need to discuss that carefully," Perenelle interjected, shaking her head gently. "Some of the attention has been... politically motivated."
Harry wrinkled his nose. "Like Professor Santos?"
"Exactly like that," Dumbledore smiled, standing up. "But those are concerns for another day. For now, shall we say you'll return to Hogwarts next week? That should give you time to organize your artwork and say proper goodbyes."
"And return in two weeks to continue your studies here," Nicolas added firmly.
Harry beamed, hugging each of them in turn. "Perfect! I can't wait to show Charlotte and Tonks the lightning paintings, and tell them about Brazil, and-" he gasped suddenly. "Do you think Uncle Filius would let me demonstrate the new fire control exercises in the courtyard?"
"One thing at a time, dear," Perenelle laughed, ruffling his hair. "Why don't you go start sorting which crystals you want to take first?"