• Published 5th Dec 2011
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The Wizard and the Lonely Princess - Harry Leferts



We all have imaginary friends when growing up, right? Harry's turns out not to be so Imaginary...

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Chapter 15

Sorry that it took so long to update. Real life interfered with writing the fic.

Disclaimer: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is owned by Hasbro and Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling.

"Hello"-Normal Speaking

"Interesting..."-Nightmare Moon speaking

'Huh.' -Normal thoughts.

'All mine...' Nightmare Moon's thoughts
__________________________________________________________________________________

Flopping back on his bed with a sigh, Harry shakes his head as he rotates his shoulder. "Ugh. This has been a long bloody bucking day."

Rolling her eyes, Luna taps him on the shoulder. "Language Harry."

From where she's laying beside him, Nightmare scoffs. "He's perfectly right Little Princess, it has been a long day."

Grumbling, Luna crosses her forelimbs. "Not the point..."

Lips twitching in amusement, Harry looks between the two. "By the way... I was wondering what you two think of them." Seeing the slight confusion, he clarifies. "The team that is."

Luna becomes deep in thought alongside Nightmare as they think over the encounter. Finally, Luna sighs and shakes her head. "While this Wood fellow seems like an okay person, he's too much like those football fans we've seen. Completely and totally obsessed with the game."

Harry slowly grimaces. "I noticed that too." He then gives her fake puppy dog eyes. "You'll make sure that I never get that bad, right Luna?"

Snorting to hold back her laughter, Luna nonetheless shakes her head as a smile of amusement stretches across her face. Her smile becomes a grin as she shakes her hoof at him. "And don't you forget it mister." Laughter bursts out of the two before Luna leans back with a sigh. "I needed that."

Harry chuckles as he shakes his head. "After today, you're not the only one."

Nightmare just rolls her eyes as she lays her head on one hoof. "Yes, yes. Laughter is the best medicine and all that."

Luna also rolls her eyes before frowning. "But really Harry, I don't know how to feel about you being on a team with a fanatic as a captain." She then slowly shakes her head. "I can understand loving a sport, hay, I loved going to Tourneys for example." Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she sighs. "But the single-mindedness some have for such things still boggles. It's a game and thus meant to be enjoyed. So how could you enjoy it if you're obsessing over every single detail?"

Harry just shrugs. "Don't ask me. I haven't the foggiest."

Nightmare rolls her eyes and gives Luna a look. "And yet whom was the one who was making the argument that he should join the team? Kind of late for this type of thought now don't you think?"

Luna rolls her eyes some. "One person. That's all."

Nightmare snorts a little. "More like most of the Wizarding world if some of the reactions we got were anything to go by." Ignoring Luna's grumbling, Nightmare sighs. "Those three mares though..." Nightmare scowls a little as she crosses her forelegs. "I suppose that they're somewhat attractive by some colts' standards... But that did not give them the right to throw themselves at you!"

Harry facepalms a little and sighs. "Nim, I already told you, they were happy to have me on the team. The most they did was hug and ruffle my hair, which is not in any way 'Throwing themselves at me' Nim."

Nightmare's scowl, if anything, just grows. "They shouldn't be laying their hands on you anyways!" She then grumbles. "Going to be keeping an eye on those three in case they try to take advantage of you."

Harry rolls his eyes for a moment and sighs. Luna on the other hand frowns a bit before turning to her friend. "Harry, I'm in the mood for some reading before we go to sleep, mind getting me a book?"

He gives her a look before shaking his head. "Sure." Getting up, he looks back at her. "Anything in particular?"

She just smiles. "A Sherlock Holmes one please." She waits until he's gone inside the trunk and closed it before turning to look at Nightmare with narrowed eyes. "Okay, what is going on exactly with you?"

Nightmare gives her a glare, only to look away when she gets one in return. "There's nothing going on with me Little Princess."

Luna narrows her eyes for a moment before jabbing Nightmare with a hoof. "The bucking hay there's not!" She then leans towards a defiant Nightmare. "Ever since we came here, you've done your best to try and drive people away from him and I want to know what the problem is right bucking now."

Nightmare meets glare with one of her own. "[i[I have not as per our agreement. Or have I done so with Neville?"

Luna opens her mouth, only to shut it as she thinks it over. 'She's right... she hasn't really tried to drive Neville away except for her usual personality... but...' She then gives Nightmare a raised eyebrow. "True..." Nightmare gives her a triumphant look, only for it to vanish with Luna's next words. "However, you have when it comes to girls..." Seeing Nightmare stiffen, Luna glares. "So what exactly is the problem?"

Grimacing, Nightmare scowls. "I am only doing the same thing as you should be Little Princess and protecting him."

Luna blinks at this. "What?" She then shakes her head. "What the hay are you going on about now?"

Sneering, Nightmare shakes her head. "Don't pretend that you do not know. I've seen the looks he's garnered from the mares here, even a few of the younger teachers." She then snorts with a small smirk. "While he may yet be a colt, our Harry will become a fine example of stallionhood once he grows into an adult." She then snarls. "And more than a few of those wenches are already planning to sink their talons into him."

Luna just raises an eyebrow. "Don't you think that you might be over reacting just a little He won't have to be concerned with that for a few years yet."

Nightmare scowls as she folds her forelegs across her chest. "No." She then shakes her hoof at Luna. "Most of them would act all nice to him only to try and grab him later on. And I, for one, am not about to let that happen!" She then begins to pace on top of the bed. "Most of those mares are not interested the true him, but rather the fame and fortune attached to him! It would be just like when-"

Seeing Nightmare cut herself off, Luna blinks. 'Just like when...?' Suddenly another piece falls into place. "Nightmare, we're not dealing with a medieval culture like we had to when me and Celly became rulers of Equestria you know. No nobles are going to trick Harry since there are none outside of pretentious titles. And outside anything that his parents might have set up, there's no arraigned marriages for him."

Nightmare scowls a bit. "No, but the culture itself seems like something from the Victorian Era with trappings of the modern day attached. And with the Victorian Era comes all the romanticism that was a part of it." Stopping her pacing, she looks at Luna. "And when you add the fact that he's rich, famous, and going to be quite attractive for his species-"

Luna just looks at her scandalized. "NIGHTMARE!"

Nightmare gives her a bored look as Luna looks back at the closed trunk. "What? It's true after all."

Looking back at her, Luna hisses. "Nightmare!"

Rolling her eyes, Nightmare looks at her dryly. "Look, I'm not afraid to admit, and there's nothing wrong with admitting, that by at least humans standards that he's going to be a very attractive stallion." Ignoring the still gaping Luna, she scowls. "And that makes matters worse as they don't see our Harry for who he is, but rather just see his looks, fame, and money." She then pokes Luna with a hoof snapping her out of it. "And those are the ones that we need to keep away from him because they're unworthy of him." She starts grumbling. "Far too many like that..."

Rubbing her forehead to ward off the gathering headache, Luna welcomes the slight mumbling she knows is coming from Harry. "Harry's coming, so we'll finish this later." She then glances at the still closed trunk with a frown. 'Maybe we should put a better sound-proofing charm on it, the one we have doesn't seem to be working.' Later, as she's reading before heading to bed, she glances over at Harry with a thoughtful frown as she thinks over what Nightmare had said. 'Maybe she's right, he has been getting some odd attention from some of the females here. Perhaps it might be a good idea to keep an eye out.' She then looks at her book with a chuckle causing Harry to look at her. 'At least there are no worries about someone creating an arranged marriage...'

******************* Flashback **********************

Closing the book on Wizarding Law, Luna rubs her eyes before looking at a glaring Nightmare. "Well, seems like we were worried over nothing really."

Nightmare merely raises an eyebrow in curiosity before tilting her head. "Oh? How so?"

Luna just chuckles as she leans back into the recliner, Nightmare jumping up and situating herself on the arm of said chair. "While there are arranged marriages in Wizarding Society and they might be common among some families, there's a number of laws regarding and limiting how they're created. Ones that mean that we have nothing to worry about."

Curious, Nightmare blinks before resorting to her usual sarcastic tone. "You mean to tell me that a wizard or witch actually came up with reasonable laws?" She leans over the side and looks down. "Using the human expression 'Hell must have frozen over'."

Knowing the derision that the two of them share for some of the laws they've found, Luna nods. "Quite amazing actually. Guess that even a broken clock can be right once in a while." She shares a slight smile with Nightmare before tapping the book on the side table where she placed it. "The biggest one, and the one you and me were most worried about, is the law regarding magical guardians creating them."

Nightmare nods with a frown. "And?"

Luna sighs as she shakes her head. "Roughly translating the legalise involved, what it comes out to is that the only if the magical guardian is immediate blood kin, no farther than a uncle or aunt, or grandparent. The only exception is that the family head can create one. Other than that, if you're not related, you can't do anything."

Nightmare nods. "That's a relief." She then frowns. "What if his family has outstanding contracts though? Or, considering how our research has shown how interrelated families are, if he was the recipient of a will could he be roped into one that way?"

Luna shakes her head. "Once more, nothing but good news on that front. First, there's a two generation limit on marriage contracts. So anything older than his Grandfather's generation is null and void. And he can still refuse to accept the contract being male."

Both her and Nightmare scowl at that before the plush Alicorn shakes it off. "I suppose that in this case since it's Harry we should be thankful." Luna nods as Nightmare continues. "And the will situation?"

Luna chuckles. "Marriage Contracts are one of the few things non-transferable via wills. If all members of a family die, then all marriage contracts with them are automatically null and void. So once again we have nothing to worry about. And within families, a contract between two specific people is also on-transferable."

Nightmare sighs in relief. "Good. That means that Harry's safe... from that direction at least."

Slowly nodding her head, Luna also sighs. "That seems to be the actual purpose." She sees Nightmare turn to her and continues. "These laws from what I'm reading were created specifically to prevent families gaining control of other families unless all participants agree. The one about contracts between two specific people seems to be to prevent one member of a family from killing another in order to get the contract."

Nightmare rolls her eyes a little at that before once more sighing as she smirks. "Guess all we need now is to find out exactly how much influence a magical guardian has and when Harry could emancipate himself..."

************************* Flashback End *********************************

Shaking her head free of her thoughts, Luna sighs. 'Well, that was one thing down anyways...' She glances at Harry and slowly smiles as she turns back to her book. 'But somehow I don't really mind so much...'

The days pass and one evening as he's heading back from the Library close to his curfew, Harry suddenly stops drawing Nightmare's attention. "Something the matter Harry?"
He shakes his head before bring out his wand. "Not really, Tempus." Looking at the time,
Harry nods as he sees he has forty minutes. "Do you two mind if we make a stop on the way?"

Luna and Nightmare look at each for a moment in confusion before turning back and shaking their heads as Luna replies. "Of course not Harry."

Harry lets out a breath and nods. "Thanks you two." They start walking as Harry shakes his head. "I've been meaning to do this for the past few days, but just haven't found the time to do it in."

Nightmare raises an eyebrow from where she's trotting beside him. "Oh?"

Harry just nods. "Yeah"

They soon reach their destination and Luna blinks away a small bit of mistiness from her eyes. "The Trophy Room, huh?"

Harry nods a bit before licking his lips. "Yeah..." He then looks at them and shakes his head a little. "I just need to see this for myself."

Luna hovers in the air behind him and places her hoof on his shoulder. "I know Harry. We're here for you."

Harry just nods and taking a breath, steps into the room and makes his way over to where there's a large trophy on a pedestal. Around it as handles are each of the Four Houses' animal mascots and on top a wizard flying a broomstick. Nightmare raises an eyebrow and snorts a bit. "Could you make it any more obvious what it is I mean really!?" With a deadpan expression, Luna points at the bottom which causes Nightmare to facehoof as its inscribed with "Hogwarts Quidditch Cup". "Ask a stupid question of the Wizarding World..."

Harry snorts in order to not laugh before he starts looking over the plaques on the pedestal until he comes across the one he's looking for. "Here it is..." Both Nightmare and Luna come over and look where he's pointing to see his father's name. "She's right..."

Luna just rubs his shoulders some as Nightmare taps him on the leg. Both him and Luna just look at it as Nightmare walks off only to look in her direction a few minutes later. "Harry, I think that you should see this."

Looking at each other, Harry and Luna head over as Harry cocks an eyebrow. "What is it Night..." He trails off as he notices where she's pointing, right at a wall full of plaques. The one she's pointing at in particular causing a lump in his throat.

'Lily Evens, Headgirl.
James Potter, Headboy.
Class of '78.'

Licking his dry lips, Harry reaches out with his finger and slowly traces the words. "Mum... Dad..." As Luna nuzzles him, he turns and looks at Nightmare. "Nim... thanks."

Looking away, she grunts some. "Well, I remembered something about them being Headboy and Headgirl so I figured that they might be over here is all."

Reaching down, Harry picks Nightmare up and holds her while nuzzling the plush Alicorn. "Thank you Nightmare."

Grumbling, she looks away to Harry's and Luna's amusement. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Luna looks over at Harry who's still looking at that one plaque. "You okay Harry?"

He slowly nods with a slight smile. "Yeah, I think I am." Shaking his head, he lets out a sigh. "It's just that... I know my parents existed because I'm here and I hear stories about them, but this..." Harry gestures at the plaque. "Everywhere else I've seen them mentioned besides that one trophy is in relation to me. But this..."

Nightmare looks up from where she is in his arms with a single raised eyebrow. "People have told you stories you know."

Looking down, Harry shakes his head. "But that's all they are. Stories." He then gestures at the plaque. "This is something though that I can hold in my hands and say 'My parents accomplished this.' This is proof that my parents did far more than just give me life. It makes them..."

Having figured it out, Luna nods. "It makes them real people. More than people that just happened to have you as a child. It gives them dreams and expands on their lives."

Harry slowly nods. "Yeah..." He stands there for a few minutes before smiling as he traces the names. Nodding once more, he turns to the other two. "Anyways, we should be getting back now."

Nightmare raises an eyebrow at this as she cocks her head to the side. "Oh? I would have thought that you would want to stay here for a little bit."

Harry chuckles a bit before looking at the plaque. "Nightmare, I love my parents and always will, but you know what?" He then turns back and looks at her. "It's my past. And while I want to know more about them, nothing will change the fact that they're gone." A sad smile on his face, Harry tilts his head up to the ceiling. "And somehow, I don't think that they would want me obsessing over them."

Luna smile as she lays her hoof on his shoulder. "That's a very mature way of looking at it Harry."

Harry swallows the lump in his throat and grasps her hoof. "Thanks." He then takes a breath before nodding. "Come on, we don't want to be late after all."

Nightmare just nods. "And I know just the way to go in order to shave off some time." She takes a few steps and then stops to look back. "Well? You two coming?"

Harry mumbles some to Luna as he starts following Nightmare. "I got the feeling that Nightmare is up to something..."

Luna just whispers back. "When isn't she up to something?" Harry just gives her a nod at that as the lunar Princess looks around. "I must admit that I like some of these armors here."

Nightmare looks back with a small snort. "I Prefer the Teutonic Knight ones myself."

Harry and Luna share a look before looking back at her with identical deadpan expressions and saying the same thing at the same time. "You would."

Nightmare huffs a little before holding her head up causing the other two to snort. It doesn't take them long to realize what Nightmare is up to causing Harry to facepalm. "The hall near the Third Floor Corridor Nightmare? Really?"

Nightmare raises an eyebrow and smirks. "What? Don't say that you're not curious about what it is."

Rubbing the bridge of her snout, Luna sighs. "Nightmare, does the words 'A most painful death' mean anything to you?"

Nightmare sniffs a bit. "And him saying that in front of a school full of children as well as the fact that it's forbidden is not asking for students to have a peek?" She then gestures at the door. "No one is stupid enough to put something deadly in a school full of children and teens and then all but tell them to go have a look."

Harry rolls his eyes as he continues walking down the hall with Luna who's shaking her head. "Just because they're not that stupid, doesn't mean that there isn't a reason to go looking." Harry then looks back to see Nightmare casting what he recognizes as an unlocking spell most young Unicorns know. "NIGHTMARE!"

Beside him, Luna facehoofs. "Aw, horsefeathers Nightmare, how do you know that they're not watching the door. They could be trying to catch troublemakers using this."

Nightmare just grins as she telekinetically opens the door. "And? I'm a doll, not a student." She then sticks her head into the open door and stays there for nearly a minute before closing it with an odd smile and wide eyes. "Well, I came, I saw, and now it's time to head back to the tower." Both Harry and Luna look at each other and take a step towards the door, only for Nightmare to show that she has quite a bit of magic to her as she grabs hold of them and floats them beside her as she trots back to the Tower. "Sorry, but no time left. Need to get back before curfew ends and all that."

Now the two are really worried as Nightmare is behaving way out of character. Clearing his throat as soon as he can walk again, Harry gives her a confused look. "Something the matter Nim?"

She just shakes her head, her eyes still wide as she hums a happy little tune. "Of course not!" Harry and Luna share another look before trying to needle out more info, but Nightmare keeps her mouth shut or deflects the questions. Until, that is, when they're on the moon. Looking up at the orb which is Equestria, Nightmare has this weird smile on her face before she looks at the two. "Remember how I said that no one could be as stupid as to place something that can kill children in a school full of children?" They slowly nod. "I was right. They're not that stupid..." Her face then warps into a complete snarl. "BECAUSE THAT WOULD MAKE THEM SMART!"

Looking on as Nightmare descends into a fit of swearing and cussing (and noting that besides the pony and human ones that she's also using a few from other species including on that sounds like a dragon's swear word), Harry blinks. "I think that something's angered her big time."

Luna just rolls her eyes. "You think?" She raises an eyebrow as she notices Harry move behind the still ranting Nightmare. 'Now what is he doing...'

She nearly laughs as she sees him reach up and start massaging the black Alicorn's muscles stopping her mid rant as she whines. "No... Uh.... That's not... *Whimper* Fair..."

Harry just smirks. "Maybe not, but we'll never find out what the problem is if you keep ranting."

Nightmare tries glaring at him only to shut her eyes as she groans. "Curse you and your fingers..."

Harry chuckles. "Yes, yes. I've heard that from you a lot." He then frowns. "So what's the issue then?"

Nightmare just gestures at Luna with her hoof as she lies down, Harry coming down with her. "First... I want the... Mmm... Little Princess right here..." She taps a spot right beside her and Harry. "Because... oh yeah... She's going to need you to... Ohhh.... do this to her..."

Luna raises an eyebrow, but nonetheless gets into position and lays there as she looks at Nightmare. "Well?"

Nightmare opens one eye and looks at her with a slight sparkle of amusement. "There's a Cerberus in the room... Hmm... full sized one too..."

Both Harry and Luna stare at her. "WHAT!?"

Nightmare growls a bit at Harry having stopped before he restarts with an eyeroll. "Oh Yes... Ohhh... there's a massive three headed dog... *Groan* and it's guarding a trap door... Mmm..."

Luna grits her teeth and starts snarling. "Of all the stupid, idiotic, bucking dangerous things to- HARRY... Ohhh..."

She gets cut off and trails off her rant as Harry reaches over with one hand and starts working his fingers. 'At this rate, my hands are going to fall off...' He then glances from one Alicorn to the other and rolls his eyes skyward. "Sometimes I have to wonder if my hands are the biggest benefit here."

Nightmare just rolls onto her back so that Harry is now rubbing her belly. "Oh nooo... just a... Mmm... major one..."

Harry once more rolls his eyes in askance as Luna gives Nightmare as questioning a look as she can. "What... Ohhh... spell did you... Ummm... use?"

Nightmare sighs as she stretches. "The cookie cupboard... Oh yeah... one..."

Luna smirks a bit. "The one we made to... right there... to unlock the cookie cupboard?"

As Nightmare answers, Harry stops to snort in laughter as the image of a filly Luna inside a cookie jaw eating cookies comes to his mind. He stops as both mares glare at him. "Sorry. Funny image." They both keep glaring until he restarts using his hands as he rolls his eyes. "So you opened the door and looked in..."

Nightmare glances at him a bit. "And there it was..." She takes a deep breath and holds up a hoof. "As much as I enjoy this... Oh, and do I ever... Please stop so I can fully tell... Mmm... tell what I saw." Harry stops and uses the time to flex his hand as Nightmare sighs. "Thank you."

Harry glances up from his aching hand and gives her a glance. "Okay, so there was a Cerberus there?" He then looks up with a confused frown. "And I still don't understand how the hay you guys have a place called Tarterus which is used to lock away horrors that's guarded by a three headed hell hound... Way too big a coincidence right there."

Luna sighs as his fingers continue to work their magic. "Perhaps a long time ago... Um... There was somepony else who had a... uh... a connection like we do..."

Nightmare just shrugs. "Maybe." She then sighs. "Back to what I saw." She gives a glare to Harry (who holds up his free hand with a smile) and Luna (who mumbles) before continuing. "Yes, well, the Cerberus in question is a full sized one. And considering that the lock in question was easily unlocked by magic..." Seeing the other two shudder some, she nods as Harry slowly stops massaging Luna. "Quite. It's a death or deaths waiting to happen." She then narrows her eyes. "And there was one last thing I noticed..."

Now sighing as Harry fully stops, Luna looks at the dark Alicorn with a frown. "And what was that?"

Nightmare grimaces and shakes her head. "The Cerberus was sitting on a trap door."

Harry and Luna share a look before Harry turns back to her. "So it's guarding something? What the bloody hay could possibly need a Cerberus guarding it?"

Luna starts scowling as her brows furrow. "And why would you have it in a school full of children with a door that was so easily locked? And then tell the whole school that something was there?"

Nightmare nods with a thoughtful expression "And that is the one million bit question right there."

Harry crosses his arms as he thinks before cocking his head to the side. "You think that it might have something to do with whatever it was that Hagrid was sent to get from Gringotts?"

The other two look at him in surprise before thinking it over. Nightmare then shares a look with Luna. "And he did say that Hogwarts was the safest place outside Gringotts..."

Luna slowly nods. "And later that day there was that break-in..."

At that point Harry scratches his chin. "And If that was not safe, then that means that the Cerberus is likely the first of a number of such protections."

Nightmare slowly takes a breath and lets it out with a scowl. "That still does not answer the question of why you would tell the students about that hallway or give it such a lousy lock..." She then frowns. "Could it be a trap of some kind and whatever it is elsewhere? But... that makes no sense either as anyone else might assume so..." The three lapse into silence as they think it over...