Version 1.03 of Editing
Versions postings have been added to all chapters and future chapters will have them as well. When I update a chapter I will put a next higher marking on the "Version of Editing" The marking system will go in increments of one starting at 1.00, 1.01 and so on. This is done so that people may look back at old chapters that have been read and see if they have been updated or if the post was for a new chapter.
I have lowered the rating to pg-13 because I have not yet come to the parts that are R yet so when it does become that rating I will change it. The cause of the rating change later on will be because I will be killing things through several characters be it human, animal or whatnot.
Authors note: All chapters have been re-uploaded to this point because I got an awesome beta reader. Round of applause to Another from Portkey.org, thanks for the great Beta-ing.
A/N P.S. Sorry but I haven't got it to upload right still for some reason even converting it to html or htm format isn't working. (This is for portkey.org only fanfiction.net I've got it to work, for the most part. Shrug, I don't know why.)
Eternal Fighter
By Emerald Pseudodragon
Chapter Three
Cleansing Lighting, A Much Needed Chat
On the other side of the portal they came into a field outside a castle. At the moment Harry came out of the portal, he fell to the ground in exhaustion. The weave of magic he had around himself to mask his identity fell along with him. Hitting the ground his hood flapped away allowing the Grangers to see who he was. Hermione's shock was evident on her face as this was the first time she had seen Harry in the past two months since the train ride. It was also the first word or whatnot that she had heard of him, or from him, since the beginning of when he disappeared. He parents were in less shock because they did not know him as well nor did they recognize him because of his change in appearance. Hermione had told them how he looked but the changes that had occurred in him had changed him enough so that they couldn't recognize him.
To the side, another figure came through a second portal dressed in the same type of cloths except for the color was a midnight blue instead of the emerald their rescuer wore. He walked over to Harry, knelt by him, and shook his head.
"My dear boy, you have gotten yourself into a fine mess with declaring your anger toward the deatheaters and telling the good that you will fight for them." Matt looked briefly at Harry and then to the Grangers before he address them again.
"I do not know who you are but Harry must trust one of you so I best tell you to step back from him," to emphasize this, Matt stepped back, as well.
"He's going to cleanse himself of the evil he had to temporarily absorb from blocking the killing curse. As well as replenish some of his energy so that he is not critical," Matt said to the Grangers mainly Hermione as he thought he recognized the girl. No, he corrected himself young women, from Harry's description of her. He assumed it was she but would ask to make sure that it was in fact her later.
The clear sky began to crackle with lighting and thunder. Lighting struck inches away from Harry five times, one for each limb and one for his head. A bolt of lighting forked one time and stuck once for each side of the fork on each of his hands, as that was where he had taken the blunt of the killing curse. Screams of agony reverberated through the air. Lighting coursed over his body well screams continued to come forth from his tortured body.
Hermione stood starring horrified at the pain Harry was willingly taking, unable to take her eyes from Harry while he was cleansing himself. Tears streamed down her face even after it was done, although it was not that long of a period to watch.
Scooping Harry up into his arms, Matt spoke again to the Grangers without looking back.
"Follow me to my wing of the castle, my wife will make you comfortable while I take care of Harry."
"NO, I am going to stay with Harry," Hermione said forcefully not caring who or what Matt was. Staying close to Harry was her only thought she was able to get across her mind well she walked close to Harry. This was evident, as she did not even bother to take in the sight of the beautiful castle that stood there as she walked up or the insides when she walked through it.
Matthew introduced himself to Hermione's parents and had a friendly chat, mostly reassuring them that nothing was going to happen to them well they were Harry's guests, while they walked to the wing that he shared with his wife and the occasional guest or guests.
"Love," Matt called out as he entered the main living space of his residence in the wing, "we're back from Diagon Alley and there are a few guests with me. Must be at one of the others having a chat," saying the last sentence in afterthought and not as loud as the rest, more than a mutter but mostly to himself. Matt turned and addressed the Grangers, "Let me put Harry to bed for some rest and I will get you some dinner going after that."
Hermione followed him up the stairs to the right of the door and came into a room that of one you would find in the Gryffindor tower. It had a small shelf of books, a little nook that had a desk with a cage next to it, on top of the cage sat Hedwig, Harry's pet owl. Matt laid Harry down on the twin size bed and muttered a quick charm to change Harry's clothes from those to night clothes.
"If you would like you may stay with Harry `til he wakes, but I assure you that he is fine and will wake up in about 2 to 3 hours' time." Seeing that she was going to stay with Harry he brought the chair from the desk over to beside the bed for her to sit on and left her in peace to watch over him.
" " "
Matthew walked back downstairs to join the rest of the Grangers and set about making one of the few meals that he took joy in cooking, because he could actually cook it. When this was done, Matt felt, after much talk with Mrs. Granger, that he knew Hermione better. Hermione to him seemed to be a very strong young lady of the magical arts but also of strength of will and was slightly taken aback when he was told how she had reacted to Harry's disappearance.
For this he took a moment to ponder and thought about the many things that Harry had told of her, coupled with the new knowledge her parents had provided. He came to the assessment that Harry and Hermione were of one mind about each other but would not openly admit it or in Harry's case, it seemed that he did not fully realize what it really was and just dismissed it for love of friendship. As he had not known what true love was after he had been separated from his real parents. Sigh. In time they will either know or hurt each other by not letting it out to the other. However, in the end they will find each other, as it is inevitable for Harry to win without that love inside of him burning. Like today he proved himself that he had the love to win by stopping the killing curse from hurting the one he loved.
The Grangers looked over from the sofa that they sat in and saw a beautiful woman of the about the same age, they assumed, as Matthew was walked into the room. She had soft silvery blue eyes with shoulder blade length honey brown hair, longer if it had been down, and came up to about three inches shorter then Matthew was. Upon her interring the room Matthew smiled while he briskly walked over to her and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead and then on her lips whilst he bent down slightly to draw her into his arms for a loving embrace.
If his wife had not walked in at that point in time he probably would have forgotten to check on the food and would have burnt it. Luckily she had brought him out of his train of thoughts by her entrance. He mentally thanked opportunity for the day he found his wife because there after, she had always been there for him when he needed reminding of his direction. As well as helping to keep him sane in times when he had to do too much too fast to the degree that it took a ridiculous amount energy to do the simple tasks.
"Have a good day Rema?" Matt said to his wife.
"Don't `Good day' me, what happened? I can tell you got in trouble somehow. So what did you do, where is Harry and who are our guests?" Rema said with her hands on her hips looking sternly at Matthew.
`How does she always know when I have done something?' Matt thought to himself. "Harry is upstairs, these are the parents of one of Harry's friends, Hermione Granger, and we went to Diagon Alley nothing too big, love". Matthew finished with a smile.
Rema looked at him for a second. "The full truth now, Matthew."
"Blast, how can you always do that? Fine. Harry and I went on a mission to Diagon Ally because it was getting attacked. Harry took the Grangers away from the Deatheaters and killed six, even though I had not told him to kill them, then again I didn't tell him not to either, well burning a number more. After that he stepped in front of a killing curse that would have killed Hermione and brought them back here. Once he was out of the portal he made he collapsed on the ground cleansing himself. Then I carried him up to his room." Matthew said in one lungful of air to his wife, knowing that it was no use to even try to put a good spin on it to try and hide anything from her.
"Much better, I trust that you made sure he's all right or will be. Next time you try and sugar coat it, you will be sleeping on the couch. By the way your food is burning," Rema said smiling the whole time. "Let me cook this time, you clean up the mess you made though."
(A/N and how many wives would let their men go out with the boy they hold as their own, fight a battle, and kill the enemy nonetheless. Hum not many. Ah well this one does :)'
" " "
An hour later after the above.
Harry smiled in his sleep as he felt his hand being caressed by another, but smaller, hand then his own. Hermione had not left the room for anything other then using the restroom and when she was in his room she sat with him and caressed his hand closest to her.
"How is he doing Hermione?" asked Rema from behind her, as the two had become instant friends. Their love for books brought them together and talking. Moreover, their caring for Harry brought them into a deeper friendship then two people would normally have right off. Though they both loved him they did in different ways one as a mother the other as a girlfriend, but alas Hermione was not his girlfriend she was only his best friend. Yet, hope remained in her as he never took on a relationship and kept it more then one date, in point and fact he had only, to her knowledge, ever been on one date with anyone.
"The same as he's been for the past hour. Asleep but not really responding to anything trying to wake him, but I haven't tried much because you told me to let him sleep till he woke on his own." Hermione said to Rema as she brushed hair from Harry's eyes.
"How are you dong Hermione, how are you taking this all in?" Rema asked Hermione about what she thought of what Harry had become. As she got to know her new friend that she had found in Hermione, and brought to gather by Harry indirectly, she found that Hermione was resourceful but at times could be rather intolerable to accept things the way they were. Hopefully she would be able to better accept things once Harry explained them to her, she had only given a brief description of his duties as an Eternal Fighter and rather broad outlook.
"I don't know what to feel about this to be honest. There are so many things that I need to ask him about. It " she paused trying to find the right words to properly describe her dilemma without betraying her feelings. "I don't know what to think of it right now. When he wakes I'm going to have to talk to him."
Hermione was confused by it all because she did not know what to make of her feelings for Harry. Before he saved her and her parents, her feelings for him were hidden from him because she just did not know if he returned them or not, but they were known to her and known to be more then just a crush. At that time, she knew nothing more then that. Now they where evident to her and Rema on the outside and she was not able to contain them as she did in the past. For the sheer fact that the feelings for him had tripled when he saved her. She didn't know if her love for him had grown because he had saved her, adding on not only her love for him but also the love for a hero, or simply because he had been the one to step out in front of her instead of some unknown person. She had let her feelings flow out instead of being locked away.
"Don't worry child, you will find out all you need from Harry. You might even find a pleasant stay here after you get used to the idea that Harry has advanced, in a manner of speaking, beyond what he used to be both in mind and body. Hem, well we will know once you have bee here a few days. Oh and between you and me, you have my permission to give him a few smacks upside the head for frustrating you so," Rema finished a little frolicsome-like.
(A/N frol-ic-some adj. Full of gaiety or high spirits; playful; merry. ~ Webster's New World college dictionary. Didn't want to give the wrong impression to people. Thanks.)
Maybe Rema was able to see her feelings because she knew something that Hermione did not know but that thought was, once again, brought on by hopeful thinking more so then deep thought. However, she was putting this behind her until she was able to talk to Harry and see what he felt for her. She had to know what he felt for her or she would just have to find some way to move on with her life and accept that he would not be with her in the way that she wanted. She would never be less then his best friend and that she knew for sure, he was too noble for anything less.
Harry started to stir from feeling the caressing of his hand from another. Memories came flowing into his mind showing him the last moments before he blacked out and then on back words to saving Hermione and the fight. Shooting strait upright into a sitting position, Harry found the two women in his room and the fact that he was in his room, then flopped back down onto his mattress with a groan.
His eyes closed he greeted them, "Hello Hermione, and Rema you don't need to tell me that it was a foolish thing that I did; the headache is enough to confirm what I did was a bit dumb."
"First off, I am glad that you are alright and that you know what you did was stupid without me telling you. Second, DO IT AGAIN AND I WILL HURT YOU WORSE THEN YOU GOT FROM THAT," Rema screamed at him, "not to mention that you scared the hell out of Hermione here".
"Please don't yell. My head is already pounding without it," Harry moaned.
"If you didn't already have a headache I would smack you upside the head for that wisecrack. Instead, you get to explain to Hermione what is going on after your headache is gone and that I think Hermione would be able to get rid of for you. Any way I think it best that I see what Matt is up to otherwise he might get himself burnt again." Rema said to the both of them and walked out leaving them in peace to sort their problems out for themselves. That she knew that they would be able to find common ground somewhere and maybe in time find each other.
Harry snickered at the thought of his mentor burning himself again. He seemed to be notorious for burning himself when cooking or well his attempts at what he called cooking. He had to admit though, when it did come out right it was better then what Hogwarts' house elves make.
Hermione got up from where she sat and enveloped him in a hug that would rival that of Mrs. Weasaly's famous bone crushing hugs. "You scared us all out of our wits and you owe Professor Dumbledore one big apology for making him rack his brains trying to find you. Oh, just don't ever do that again ok, at very least leave us a little note saying you will be back." Hermione sat back in the bed that Harry had previously been laying on and now sat up in lazily facing Hermione who was resting her back on the headboard of the bed.
"I guess your wanting me to explain what I am doing here?" Hermione crossed her arms under her chest waiting for him to continue. "Where do you want me to begin?"
"How about you just tell me all that you can, because one way or another I will get it out of you and you know it," Hermione said in a matter-of-factly manner to Harry while still waiting.
Harry opened his eyes and looked at Hermione finding there across from him an extraordinarily beautiful woman sitting there instead of what he last saw of her. He had last seen a confident young woman in Hogwarts robes that concealed any attainable knowledge of her form that he could have seen without being perverted. Now she was clothed in jeans and a shirt letting him see that she was no longer a girl and in a year or two she would cease to be a young woman but then be a beautiful woman. Alas Harry knew that she had, unknown to her and for the most part himself as well, him trapped by her balance of brains, bookworm, and beauty.
Closing his eyes so that he could concentrate on what she asked of him he spoke to her from his mind's own world. "I know you would find out anyway. I am part of a group called the Eternal Fighters. When called upon, we head to the foe and do as best as we can keep them at bay and if possible stopping them even if it means killing them. Everyone here is a wizard or a witch unless they are married to one of us. Even then, they are trained to defend themselves to some extent against ones of the magic craft. At the age a person is considered a young adult we agree to leave the place we call home to come here and train. Normally people would end up here around the age of fourteen and complete their training around the time they are twenty years old."
Harry shifted his body into a more comfortable position that was being sprawled out with his head by Hermione's lap and his legs crossed at the ankles. Harry stared strait up at the ceiling with his eyes unmoving but instead in deep thought keeping his mind directed at trying, as best as he can, to explain what he can to Hermione without getting into things that were of sensitive nature.
Now comfortable he continued on, "My training started a day after I got here, as the first day was spent in rest and learning the castle and the grounds so that I wouldn't have to ask of where to go for anything. I started my training with muggle weapons and martial arts so that I would have a good background for dueling and sword-splay. Plus it's a good way to fight and not need to spend magical energy on spells that I could easily end the fight without using. Once I learned a good deal of that, I went on to choosing the best muggle weapon for myself by selecting my favorite useful weapon then crafting one with modifications to fit my size and use. I chose the Twin Ninja double bladed sword with the modification of a slight curve at the end of the blade. At the same time, I learn ancient and modern forms of magic from wand-less magic to animagus and dueling." Harry paused for breath and asked if there was any water in the room. Hermione in response gave him a glass of water from a pitcher that Rema brought up earlier with Hermione's lunch.
Returning to his previous position with the minor variation of that his head was now in Hermione's lap instead of on the bed, Harry continued talking after intensely blushing. "I have almost completed my animagus training and I know that you are about to ask what I am so I will just tell you. I am a Leskylor. " Harry stopped talking as Rema walked into the room and looked at the two.
"Well actually, I'm not an animgus yet I haven't completed the training for it. Really I haven't hardly even started on it yet," Harry stated before Rema interrupted him to ask a question.
End Chapter Three
A/N: Once again thanks for the exceptional Beta reading that you're doing for me Another. It defiantly makes it easier to read.
Next chapter we get reading for a tournament hosted by and for the Eternal Fighters, and you get to meet two new characters. (Both ladies and both important.)
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