> Equestrian Vacation
>  by Dragonboy111
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: The Letters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Twilight.

I've completed the first task of the Tournament. They had us fight live dragons! Each one had a fake golden egg, which we had to steal. I elected to summon my Firebolt and outfly her. I think I understand why Rainbow Dash thought this was "awesome". Luckily the dragons were nowhere near Spike's level of awareness, I'm not sure how I would have been able to face them if they were as sapient as him, and no one was seriously harmed.

But I'm tired of this. This is my third year where my life has been under constant threat, fourth counting the end of my first. I have some downtime before the second event, and all I've got is a worthless clue. Doesn't help that the whole of Hogwarts seems to hate me, the whole school seems to hate me for "stealing" Cedric's spot. Even Hufflepuff hates me! It's like the previous three years combined: dangerous creatures, a distrustful school, and a shady teacher.

On the plus side, Ron and I made up. He understands how much danger I'm in, but he and Hermione can only do so much. This whole thing is weighing down on me. The attitude is bad, but the threat of death is too much. If it isn't a bother, I would like to visit Equestria again. I know Hedgewig would love to see Fluttershy again. Maybe you could use the spell, just for the weekend? It would mean the world to see everypony again.

With love,

Harry.

Harry set down the quill and ink, skimming over the letter. Had he been too pushy to ask to visit Equestria? Maybe he should rewrite... No. This was fine. Harry carefully rolled up the parchment, tying it up with red string. He tapped the letter with his wand, carefully reciting the spell in his head, and he watched the letter disappear.

It had been nearly five years ago that Harry Potter first received a mystery letter from a girl named Twilight Sparkle from a place he had never heard of before. Harry had first thought it was another of the "freakish" things Vernon said Harry did. Harry thought it was a cruel prank at first, that there wasn't a girl with that name, and she wasn't a unicorn from a magical place called Equestria. But when she talked about his freakish nature as magic, something just felt... right, like a puzzle was coming together. A puzzle that created a beautiful picture when Twilight brought Harry to Equestria. Sure, being a unicorn was a major adjustment, but it was great. Harry felt a sense of belonging there, more so than he did at Hogwarts. Twilight even taught him a scooch of magic.

Harry couldn't help but smile to himself as he looked at where the letter had been. Turns out practicing Equestrian magic, which had few (if any) incantations, had made him quite proficient at nonverbal casting. He could send his letters without speaking the spell's name, along with several unicorn spells, such as the common levitation charm they all used. Twilight's tutelage, though brief, was brilliant, and Harry actually found himself enjoying her lessons whilst he was in Ponyville. The grin on Harry's face slackened as the memories pulled at his heartstrings. He missed them.

He missed Applejack's honesty, Rainbow Dash's loyalty, Pinkie Pie's laughter, Rarity's generosity, Fluttershy's kindness, and almost everything about Spike. But, most of all, he missed Twilight's friendship. She was the first person- or pony- to offer friendship before she asked about "The Boy Who Lived". Her letters had been the light during his dark times as a student, where he confessed everything that happened at Hogwarts. And, in return for his sad stories, she had nothing but kindness to offer.

A sparkle of light in the darkness.

Sighing, Harry quietly levitated his quills, pen, and glasses to their proper place. He then tucked himself under the covers, and sleep claimed his mind.





In a faraway place, in the land of Equestria, a young unicorn named Twilight Sparkle was suddenly shaken awake by her assistant, Spike. She shook the sleepiness away, before realizing she was hunched over her desk.

"What? Oh, hi, Spike. Wait, did I fall asleep studying!? Or did I oversleep!?" Twilight glanced outside, seeing the recently set nightscape. She turned to Spike. "If I didn't oversleep, why did you wake me?"

The young dragon held up a letter in his hand.

"You got a letter Twilight." He held it closer to her. The official seal of Celestia wasn't on the face, but it was tied with a bright red string. "I think it's—"

Twilight grasped the letter in her telekinesis, fully awake.

"Harry! I was hoping to hear back from him after the tournament!" She quickly tore off the string, and read the letter out loud. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face.

"So, Harry wants to visit again?" asked a jubilant Spike. Twilight could only nod. "Sweet! He's really cool, and his adventures sure are too!" Twilight skimmed over the letter one more time.

"He said he wanted to visit this weekend. Spike, do we have anything on those days?" Spike reached for Twilight's calendar and began flipping through the pages.

"Let's see... Friday afternoon is clear, Saturday you have a picnic with our friends, and Sunday was reorganizing the library."

"I can reschedule my Sunday, right?" Twilight asked tentatively.

"Yup." Spike nodded.

"Excellent. Then our first order of business is to write back, and schedule the summoning spell. Then we should tell the others when Harry is set to arrive. Then we need to correct my schedule, clean up the library, and—" Twilight continued to list off her goals, while Spike sighed in resignation.

"I'm not going to get any sleep tonight, am I?"





Harry blinked open his eyes as a crack of morning light filtered through the dorm's windows. He stretched and reached for the glasses on his nightstand, only to feel something lying over them. It felt like a roll of parchment paper, which was odd. He hadn't placed that there last night.

Harry's eyes shot open. Of course! He hadn't placed the roll on his glasses last night, but someone else did. Harry sat up, put on his glasses, and looked at the paper in his hands. The material was right, and the same red ribbon tied around the center was right, it just had to be!

Twilight had written back last night! Harry slipped off the ribbon and opened the letter.

Dear Harry.

I'm glad to hear that you're alright. To be honest, you scared me for a moment! I mean, dragons!? That seems so cruel, to make you take an egg, albeit a false one, from them. But I'm glad to hear you got out just fine. Something about this whole "tournament" hasn't been sitting well with me.

I'm sorry about your schoolmates. I wish I could be there for you, physically. Sometimes a letter can only do so much. Maybe when this is all over things will calm down. It's hard to hold a grudge against someone like you. Just stay strong.

And you should know that you're always welcome to visit. Remember, Princesses Celestia and Luna said there'll always be a place for you here, in Equestria and our hearts. I'll cast the spell Friday afternoon, and give you some time to get adjusted to walking again. Can't wait to see you.

With love,

Twilight.

Harry read the letter once more, just to be certain. A warm feeling bubbled up in his chest. He was going back to Equestria! He couldn't wait to see everypony again.
> Chapter 2: Suspicion Arises
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, what's got you so chipper?" Ron asked. Harry internally grimaced. His levity at returning to Equestria couldn't be dampened or hidden. The problem was, no one else knew about Harry's correspondence with Twilight. So Harry refused to tell Ron or Hermione about why he was so happy.

"It's nothing," Harry deflected as he got dressed for breakfast.

"Are you still mad at me?"

"No. I told you to forget it, we're fine," Harry corrected.

"Does it have anything to do with that letter?" Ron inquired. Harry was quick to stuff Twilight's letter into his bag. "Is it from Padfoot?"

"No."

"Did someone ask you to the Yule Ball?"

Harry felt like a sack of bricks dropped onto him. He had forgotten to tell Twilight about the Ball! The Horntail was an easier challenge than asking a girl to be his partner. She might have had some advice, or at least her condolences.

"So it was a girl!" Ron declared at Harry's silence. He reached for Harry's bag, intent on grabbing the letter. Harry snatched his bag back.

"I told you, it's not that! Just leave it be Ron, and let's get through the week." Without another word, Harry was out of the dorms, and on his way to breakfast.





As he began to wolf down a healthy serving of eggs, Harry pulled out a spare piece of parchment and quill. He quickly began to scratch down a quick message.

Dear Twilight.

Thanks for responding. And yes, this whole tournament is strange. It seems like everyone could be a suspect. I can handle myself, for now. But there's one more "task" I forgot to mention. There's a Yule Ball on December 25th. The problem is that all the champions require a dance partner, and we have to ask them! I think I'd rather go face-to-face with the Horntail again. If you have any advice, that would be great.

I appreciate your offer to let me visit. Next Friday afternoon, when finals are done, would be splendid. I'll be ready and waiting.

With love,

Harry.

Quickly rolling and tying up the letter, Harry held it under the table as he sent it off to his friend in Equestria. And it just so happened it was at that moment Ron and Hermione sat down next to him, the former with a small grin.

"Honestly Harry, you can't keep a secret like this. So come on, who asked to be your partner, and are you going to accept?" Ron said. Harry suspected Ron was trying to be clever, asking the question with Hermione present. She, predictably, latched onto the question.

"Did someone ask Harry again?" she asked.

"No—" Harry was cut off by Ron.

"Harry got a letter, but he won't tell me who it's from," Ron blurted, obviously on purpose. Hermione sighed in response.

"Honestly Ronald, if Harry does have a letter, he has every right to keep it to himself." She sat up a bit straighter as Ron slouched. But she continued before Harry could thank her. "That being said, if Harry does have some girl asking him, and he's considering saying yes, then we have every right to know who's asking." She looked Harry in the eyes. He felt his throat dry up.

"Look, I'm not taking her to the ball. Besides, she—"

"So there is a girl!" Ron trumpeted triumphantly. Hermione ignored his outburst.

"Look, Harry, you need a partner for the ball," Hermione interrupted. "And how bad could she be? She's not a Slytherin-"

"No."

"She's not one of the Beauxbaton girls, right?" Ron pressed. Harry felt his anger flare up.

"No, she's not! I won't ask her, and even if I did, she can't come anyways, she's not allowed." Harry scowled. Ron and Hermione shared a puzzled glance.

"Not allowed?" Echoed a perplexed Ron. "How can she be not allowed?"

"Yeah. Harry, you can ask students under the fourth year, Mcgonagall said so."

"Are you concerned about what everyone will think? Imagine what'll happen if you don't have a girl to go with!"

Harry closed and rolled his eyes. These two weren't getting it! Twilight couldn't come, not because of any silly reason like age, house, or school. No, the reason was so much more simple, yet they were jumping to the most contrived solutions possible! He took a deep breath to steady his heartbeat.

"The reason she can't be here is that she's not in any of the schools. She's not a Slytherin, she's not under the fourth year, and she's not a Beauxbaton. And even if she was here, I wouldn't bother her with my problem, okay!" Harry sulked, seeming to sink into his seat. The looks on his two friends shifted from curious and demanding, to concerned.

"Not in the schools?" parroted Ron. "Then how's she sending you letters?"

"The owls Ron, like everyone else," Hermione reminded him. Ron shook his head.

"Harry had the letter this morning. He didn't go to the owlery. Maybe she apparates the letters in?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You can't apparate into the castle, Ron."

"The house elves can," he countered.

Hermione huffed, reminded of her failed SPEW effort.

"Well, for your information, the wards around the castle can only affect wizarding apparition, not the ones of magical beings. There's a difference." Harry and Ron let her simmer for a moment. "Still, getting past the castle wards is no small feat. You'd need a magical artifact, like a portkey or a floo, or a magical creature. If she has neither then she must be an exceptionally powerful witch."

"Hermione, she's my friend. Don't talk about her like she's plotting something," Harry spoke in defense of his friend.

"You never told us her name!" Ron protested.

"Because I don't want to talk about her."

"And why not? Have you ever met her face-to-face?" Hermione pressed.

"Once," Harry admitted. Twilight only used the summoning spell that one time, but the passage of time in Equestria was... different. Probably came from the sun being moved manually.

"And you're this defensive?" Ron added.

"She's my friend. Why is this bothering you two so much?" Harry countered.

"Because we're concerned for you." Hermione gently reached for his shoulder, only for Harry to shake her off.

"Look, I appreciate you being concerned, but why can't you just be happy I have another friend?" Without another word, Harry picked up his bag and left the great hall.

Harry couldn't wait for Friday afternoon.
> Chapter 3: The Spell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Harry, wait!" Hermione cried out. She and Ron ran to catch up to Harry.

Harry had been avoiding them both all day long. He refused to talk during charms, transfiguration, and care of magical creatures. He was still upset over their accusations. Twilight was a great friend, she cared about him, even when he had confessed to wanting to kill Sirius Black. She had always been there with advice to help him. But she wouldn't want him to stay mad at his few human friends. Harry turned around to talk but tripped halfway through. Luckily, Ron and Hermione caught him before he could fall. He supposed there was some subtle message about friendship in that.

"You okay Harry?" Ron asked as they pulled him back up to his feet. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about snapping at you two, I know you were only trying to help," Harry said. A month ago he wouldn't have forgiven them so easily, but living in Equestria could also make a person quite... sappy.

"It's all good. Come on, let's get to potions before Snape docks more points." Ron and Harry turned to continue their walk to the dungeons, with Hermione trailing behind.

Neither one noticed the letter in Hermione's hands.





In the land of Equestria, a young unicorn was making her final preparations. Twilight Sparkle read over the summoning ritual one last time, then looked out at the setting sun.

"Alright, Harry should be done with school by now, and the spell is ready." She looked at her assistant Spike, a young purple and green dragon. "We got everything else?" she asked.

The small dragon pulled out a checklist in return.

"Let's see... Spell preparation? Check. Friends alerted? Check. Unicorn Magic 101 is set out to teach Harry? Check. Ice cream supply restocked? Double check." He briefly wilted under Twilight's gaze after listing the final entry. "What? I'm hungry," he said. Twilight chuckled.

"Alright then. Here we go." Twilight closed her eyes as her horn lit up. A gentle breeze drifted through the library. She began to recite the incantation. "One so far away. Tired and worn..."





"Today you will show what little you have bothered to learn this semester," drawled Professor Snape. A long list of instructions was scrawled out on the blackboard behind him, the instructions for their final potion. "This test is a rather substantial portion of your grade, so do not think you can slack off." Small, panicked whispers ran through the class. Snape had sprung a surprise final on them!

"Is he trying to sink our grades to the ocean floor?" Ron grumbled under his breath.

"Tell me about it," Harry replied. He set his bag down, only to pause a moment later. The letter! It wasn't in his bag! Harry quickly dug through his bag's insides, looking for his letter. Normally he hid them in a secret compartment in his luggage bag, but he didn't get a chance to while Ron was looking this morning. He made it a personal mission that the letters were never seen by anyone. Harry began thinking back to his day. He had his letter during the previous classes, so he didn't misplace it then. The only time he hadn't checked was...

When he tripped in the hallway.

Hermione had been on the same side as his bag. Had she stolen the letter? But why? Didn't she trust him? Ron had forgiven him for the whole thing. Then again, this wouldn't have been the first time Hermione had done this. She reported the Firebolt to Mcgonagall during the fourth year. Was she going to—?

"Potter. If you're going to spend the whole class shifting through your bag, you should just ask for a zero on this test," Snape scolded from behind Harry. Surprised, the boy startled, nearly dropping his bag.

"Professor, I was looking for—"

"Your notes, no doubt. Five points from Gryffindor for looking up notes on a test. Anything else to say?" Snape sneered.

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but before he could do so, the boy started to glow. A pink, vibrant light surrounded the boy, and before anyone could say anything, the light disappeared.

And Harry was nowhere to be seen.





"I'm not cheating— Whoa!" Harry found himself floating in space upside-down, before falling headfirst onto a hardwood floor.

"Oh no, Harry! Are you okay?!" The voice of a girl reached his ears; a voice remembered well.

"Twilight?" Harry opened his eyes to see Twilight's library. He was in Equestria again! He locked eyes with the unicorn. "Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but I thought I said this afternoon," Harry said dryly, rubbing his hand-er-hoof against his head. Oh, right, I'm a unicorn over here.

"It is the afternoon Harry," Twilight said sheepishly. "Look outside." She gestured with a hoof towards the window. The sun, still plenty visible, was about halfway between noon and sunset. The young unicorn rubbed her chin. "Of course, there could have been some time dilation between your world and mine. Should have thought about that earlier." Harry blinked up at her as she was lost in thought. She looked exactly the same as when he left. A grin crept across his face.

"Well, I wasn't missing much anyways." Harry stood up, or, he tried to.

"Wait, you're on four—!" There was a resounding crash as Harry tripped over his front legs, bumping into a bookshelf and burying him with books. "—legs." A few books fell down the pile, revealing Harry's head. Twilight giggled. "I guess some things don't change."

"Laugh it up," Harry huffed good-naturedly. He shook the books off of his flanks, then stood up on all fours. It took him only a few moments to recall how Twilight had taught him to walk. "See? It's much easier the second time." He said as he slowly trotted about.

"Hey, Harry! It's great to see you again!" Spike said, waving. Harry waved back at the dragon. He turned to face Twilight.

"I missed you," she said. She reached out to envelop him in a big hug, which he reciprocated.

"Thanks for letting me visit," Harry said as they separated.

"When I said you could come anytime, I meant it. So, what'd I interrupt at Hogwarts?" A gleam sparked in her eyes.

"Oh, just a surprise potions final. Nothing important, really—"

Twilight's hooves grabbed his muzzle so she could glare directly into his eyes.

"'Not important'!? Harry, your schoolwork is important! What if you fail your final!?"

"I don't think Snape was going to let me get a good grade anyways. Besides, I'd rather spend time here." Harry looked out at the sun. "So, what did you have planned for today?"

"Well, I thought it would take a bit longer for you to get walking again, but afterward I thought of getting some dinner. I know a good place with some dishes I think you'll like."

"Sounds like a plan. Lead the way, Miss Sparkle," Harry said, bowing dramatically.

"Follow me, Mister Trotter," Twilight said in an equally posh voice. Harry's ears drooped.

"That nickname is never going away, is it?" he mumbled as he followed Twilight out, to which she giggled. He stopped to glance around at Ponyville.

It is good to be back.
> Chapter 4: A Day In Paradise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey everypony, Harry's back!" Twilight's voice rose over a hill, alerting the five ponies gathered on a red and white picnic cloth. All five sprang up and looked toward the source of the voice.

Harry and Twilight had crested the top of the hill and were now in sight of the gathered ponies. In the blink of an eye, Harry was tackled into a hug by a blue blur, otherwise known as Rainbow Dash.

"How're you doing Harry? It's awesome to see you back in Ponyville! We're going to have so much fun!" The two separated as Rainbow flew circles around Harry's head, causing him to get a tad dizzy. He was briefly stabilized when Applejack gave him a firm pat on the back.

"Well howdy, Harry. When Twilight told us you were coming back, Apple bloom was jumping for joy." Said the apple farmer with her trademark honesty.

"The same could be said for Sweetie Bell. I'm guessing Scootaloo's the same." A posh British accent said. Rarity, the other unicorn of the group, said to no pony in particular. "You know how they enjoy their unofficial crusader."

"Hi," a small voice whispered. Fluttershy quietly waved at Harry, causing him to smile and return the gesture.

"So," said a jubilant Harry, "where's Pink" He was cut off by a pink ball of energy, colloquially known as Pinkie Pie, bowling over him. Shaking the dust out of her mane, Pinkie looked down at the pony she had just tackled.

"Oh my goodness! Hey everypony, I found Harry!" she proclaimed with pride. Everypony giggled.

"Thanks, Pinkie," Twilight said with a hint of well-intended sarcasm.

"You're welcome!"

After Harry managed to dislodge Pinkie Pie, he and the others sat down on the picnic blanket. Rarity and Twilight began distributing everypony's lunch, with each person having brought something different.

"So, Twilight told us you passed the first trial. Mind telling us what happened? Heard you went for a flight," Rainbow Dash asked.

Harry smiled to himself. If he wasn't a unicorn, Harry would've wanted to be a pegasus, flying unrestricted through the sky.

"Well, it started when Professor Moody—"

"The crazy guy with the freaky eye?" Pinkie Pie interrupted.

Harry nodded. "Yes, that guy. Anyways, it started with him giving me an idea on how to get past the dragons..." Harry started retelling the story of the first task, sparing no details as he summarized his daring tale. The Equestrians laughed, gasped in terror, and listened as time passed without notice.

"And that brings us to today," Harry finished. The was a moment of silence as Harry's words sunk in. Everypony held various looks on their faces, from contemplative to excited.

Finally, Applejack spoke up. "Harry, I'm gonna be honest here. This whole Tri-whatever Tournament is—"

"Awesome!" yelled Rainbow Dash, zigzagging above the group. "You get to fight dragons, and who knows what else, in front of your entire school! How many ponies get to—"

"Rainbow! Stop that!" Yelled Applejack. She pulled the pegasus back to sitting down, then pointed a hoof at Harry. "You can't go and say something like that Rainbow! This Tournament could get Harry hurt, or worse! He wanted to be here 'cause the whole thing's tearing up his friendships!"

"Sorry, Harry." Rainbow looked at the ground shamefully.

"You apologized, that's all that matters." The two shared a small smile.

Rarity fake coughed. "Not that this isn't a lovely conversation, but I believed Harry said something about a 'Yule Ball'? Do tell, darling." She said in a voice that reminded Harry of the girls gossiping in the halls.

Harry stammered helplessly. "Well, it's an event held on Christmas, December 25th, and is supposedly a tradition they did during every Triwizard Tournament in the past. Each of the three, or four, champions are supposed to bring a partner for the dances."

"So, who's the lucky gal?"

"I, uh, I haven't asked one yet." Harry waited for Rarity to go into a freakout but was surprised when she took a sip of tea, her face still shockingly neutral.

"Have a lady in mind?" asked Rarity, a knowing smirk on her face.

Harry thought back for a few seconds before shaking his head. No, he didn't know who to ask. Well, there was Cho, but Harry still hadn't overcome his anxieties. There weren't many other options. Harry didn't exactly have many female friends. Most of the girls just wanted to go with the fourth Champion, the Boy Who Lived, not Harry Potter.

"What about that girl, Hermione?" Applejack tried.

"I think Ron wants to go with her. Not that he's asked, neither of us is brave enough." Harry shook his head.

Sounds of indignation rose up from the group.

"Not brave enough? Harry, you've had more adventure in three school years than most people have had in their whole lives." Twilight protested. "You might be one of the bravest ponies—"

"People."

"—people in your school. There's got to be somepony you can take."

After Twilight was done talking Rainbow Dash let out a snort. "You know, I seem to recall another unicorn who had a very similar situation not too long ago," she said in a taunting voice. Twilight and Rarity shuddered.

"You mean the Galloping Gala in Canterlot? I heard all about that one," Harry said.

"Did she tell you about how everypony wanted to be her plus one? It was hilarious! Everypony was doing favors, giving gifts, and kissing up to—"

"So were you, Rainbow!" Pinkie Pie said irritably. "You were giving her exclusively good weather that day."

"Seriously?" asked Harry. That story certainly hadn't been mentioned before. It must have been very embarrassing for Twilight to not mention it.

"Yup," The entire group said in perfect sync.

"Well, that doesn't solve my problem. I still have to pick."

"Oh, oh! I know! I know! I know!" Pinkie jumped up and down. She shook Harry with her hooves. "Why don't you take one of us with you?"

Harry was stunned. At a loss for good words, only one managed to make it out. "What?"

"I'm not so sure about that Pink. Our last fancy adventure was like trying to lasso a dragon," Applejack answered nervously.

"Yeah, I don't think 'fancy' and 'Rainbow Dash' are two words that go together, unless we're talking about my fancy flying," Rainbow Dash added.

"I'm still not good with crowds," Fluttershy said meekly.

"So that just leaves Rarity and Twilight. The Gala was super boring!" finished Pinkie Pie, but Harry was quick to intercede.

"Wait a second, everypony hold your horses. I don't want you going out of pity for me," Harry said.

"Harry, this ain't pity," said Applejack. "This is a friend looking out for their friend. Nothing to pity there."

"Applejack's right." Twilight took a step closer to Harry. "Although I'm not sure if we even can visit your... dimension."

"We can worry about that later. It does us no good to spend time obsessing over the future," Harry said with confidence, earning a laugh from the group. "What?"

"We'll tell you later."

"...Okay?"

"Come on everypony, let's have some fun in the sun!" Pinkie Pie held out a pink frisbee. Everypony jumped up for a game of catch. "You're first Harry!" The disk was launched at the colt, and Harry focused on his magic. His horn glowed an emerald shade, which soon enveloped the frisbee. The disk started to slow as it approached him. Harry smirked, confident in his magical focus.

"Hey, I think I got it— Woah!" In a brief lapse of concentration, his magic flung the projectile toward Applejack. "Watch out!" Harry closed his eyes, then peaked one open.

"You know, you need to get that magic of yours under control," said Applejack. Her hat had been taken clean off by the frisbee, which now sat perched in its place on her head. "You missed my mane by the skin of an apple!"

"Sorry."

"Just keep practicing, you'll get it right, sure as sugar you will." Harry beamed at Applejack. "Now catch!" And the disk came right back at him.

Today was going to be a great day.
> Chapter 5: The Crystal Empire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday was one of the most fun days of Harry's life. First off, Spike, despite his age, was an exceptionally good cook. Probably not better than the house elves, but far better than Harry's best meals with the Dursleys. It was delicious, even if Harry did find one ruby in his breakfast.

Lunch as a picnic was splendid. Meeting everypony again took a lot of weight off Harry's shoulders. Plus it gave him a chance to put his unicorn body through the wringer. By the time they had to go their separate ways, Harry had amassed a small collection of superficial scrapes and overtaxed muscles.

After lunch had wrapped itself up, Harry spent more one-on-one time with the group. He helped Fluttershy take care of some animals, though none were as exotic as what Hagrid exhibited in his class. Harry also had a ground race with Rainbow Dash, seeing as she constantly flew and Harry was still new to walking it seemed an even race, though he lost by a wide margin. Finally, he helped Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack set up for some event in the next week at Apple Acres. Surprisingly, chores and tasks with his Equestrian friends were a thousand times more manageable (and fun) than anything in the Dursley household.

Between that and dinner, Twilight had insisted Harry practice his magic. Of course, Twilight was a very good teacher. She taught him how to improve his telekinesis and some basic cantrips for daily life. One of the biggest differences between wizard and unicorn magic was how malleable unicorn magic was. A wizard knew half a dozen spells to float and move an object, and each one did something slightly different. Nearly every unicorn knew the same levitation slash telekinesis spell and could do a dozen things with it. A lot of Equestrian magic was intent-based. Knowing both was a bit odd, nearly opposing in many regards. Structured and predictable versus inventive and malleable.

By the time Harry was tucked into Twilight's spare bed, both his magic and body were tired, but it was a good kind, the kind that came from doing something he loved, like Quidditch. And he couldn't wait to see what tomorrow brought.





"What do you mean my visit to the Crystal Empire was today!?"

Harry was jostled out of his deep slumber by Twilight shouting at the top of her lungs. Groggily he rolled (literally) out of bed, and he opened his bleary eyes to a frazzled Twilight looming over a quivering Spike. Harry winced at the unexpectedly harsh lights.

"Well, when I said your Sunday was clear, we were looking at last week's schedule for this week. Celestia hadn't put you on the welcoming committee until later when we remade this week's schedule in advance," Spike said nervously. Twilight's mane got poofier as she started to breathe heavily. Harry realized something important was going on.

"What's wrong, did I miss something important?" he asked. Twilight noticed he was awake, and her mane miraculously returned to normal.

"Oh, Harry, you're awake. Did I wake you up?" she asked in a much softer tone, to which Harry shook his head.

"No," he lied through his teeth. "What's going on, did I miss something? I heard you shout." Twilight sat on the floor as Harry walked to the main room.

"I forgot something important about today. Celestia has me and the other five on the welcoming committee for the Equestria games inspector. We're supposed to present the Crystal Empire to be a host for the games," Twilight said as Harry sat down next to her. "The only thing is, I totally forgot you were coming here, and I can't send you back until this afternoon at the earliest. I should've rechecked my calendar," she said. Harry gave her a reassuring smile.

"If this committee is that important, then you should go. I'm sure I can find something to do in Ponyville." Harry tried to absolve her worries.

"Twilight, why not just take Harry to the Crystal Empire? I don't think Cadance would mind," Spike said as he pulled out a cookbook. Twilight did a double take.

"Repeat that."

"Just take Harry," Spike repeated. "I don't think he'd mind."

Twilight turned to Harry. "Are you okay with that?" she asked.

"Am I okay with a chance to see the Crystal Empire? Yes! You wrote about it nonstop for a month!" Harry smiled.

Twilight giggled at her friend's elation. She grabbed two sets of bags to start packing for the trip, one for herself, and one for Harry.

"Good, I'd hate to have ruined your day, but we can make do with this. Hey, I can introduce you to Shining Armor and Cadance!" She finished packing the bags, draping one over herself, and giving the other to Harry, who slipped it on himself. "Let's go find the others. I'm sure they're almost packed by now."

"Bet you two bits Rarity over-packed again," Harry said.

"Harry, you don't have bits to bet," she said skeptically.

"I'm joking," Harry said.

"Oh."

"Now come on we don't want to be late."





After finding the other, who had gotten the bright idea of lending Spike their pets for the day, Harry and Twilight rushed to the station.

"Oh, this is gonna be a real treat. Princess Cadance said she'd never seen the Crystal Ponies so excited," Applejack said.

"Duh!" Rainbow Dash said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course they're excited. They're up for the Equestria Games. It's only the biggest sporting event in all of Equestria."

"Didn't Cloudsdale host the Equestria Games one year?" Rarity asked.

"No. Cloudsdale should have hosted the games one year. I'll never forget when we got the bad news." Rainbow Dash looked into the air with a blank face, obviously recalling a memory from when she was a filly.

"Does she know we can't see whatever she's seeing?" Harry whispered to Twilight.

"No, but we just go with it whenever somepony does this. Happens more than you think," she replied.

"These Crystal Ponies lost a thousand years to an evil king's curse," Rainbow Dash said.

"Sombra, right?" Harry asked. The mane six shuddered. "Sorry. I'm used to saying the names of evil magicians."

"Don't sweat it. Sombra was a dark part of their history, there's no way we're letting them experience the pain of losing out on these games," Rainbow said with a mid-air loop.

"Exactly," said Twilight. "Princess Cadance is counting on us to do our part to convince the Games Inspector to choose the Crystal Empire. And we are not gonna let her down. Are we?"

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Pinkie Pie dramatically slid across the platform floor. When the other six looked at her questioningly, she looked back cheerily. "What? I was just answering Twilight's question." The whole group couldn't resist a good laugh, it was her specialty.

"Come on Pinkie, don't wear out your voice," Harry said, nudging her towards the train. "You've still got to practice your song and dance."

The whole group got up, piled onto the train, and took off toward the Crystal Empire.





Harry watched from a nearby seat as the girls ran through their preparations for the inspector almost eleven times over.

"Four, three, two, one! The Crystal Empire, that's the one!" The six sang out. They just finished their twelfth run-through and had the song down to a T. Pinkie Pie pulled out a megaphone, despite the fact she didn't pack one.

"Okay, everypony, great job! Sounds like we're ready," she said to cheers and applause.

Harry clapped his hooves together. "You know," he said, "that was the best one yet."

"But we can do better," said Twilight. "Alright ladies, from the top, one more time."

The rest of the group groaned.

"Harry's right, we sounded perfect," said Rarity.

"And we've run this, like, twelve times already. I think we've got it," protested Applejack.

"Cadance said the Games Inspector really puts folks through the wringer on her visits," Twilight countered. "There's no margin for error here. And this time we need to practice the steps."

"In a moving train?" questioned Harry. He moved to the middle aisle. "We're almost there."

"I agree with Harry," said Rarity.

"You heard her, get on your hooves!" said Rainbow Dash. Emboldened by her words, Pinkie and Applejack started at the bottom of a pony pyramid.

"Two, four, six, eight—" The train gave a horrible lurch as the brakes slammed on. The six ponies started to tumble and fall into a lump of entangled limbs.

"Crystal Empire! Watch your step leaving the train!" the conductor announced.

Applejack brushed Pinkie's tail off her face. "Probably should've watched our step while we were still on it, too."

"Hey, where's Harry? Pinkie Pie asked. True to her words, Harry was not in sight.

"Down here," his voice came. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight were piled on top of his prone form. "You know, you three are very heavy, kinda uncomfortable under here." The three climbed off. "Thank Celestia, I can breathe again." He laughed, then winced when his head lazily throbbed. Somepony must have hit his head. Regardless, he stood up and followed the six off the train.

And with that, the seven ponies went to get their first glimpse at the Crystal Empire in a long while.





One glance at the Crystal Empire surpassed all of Twilight's descriptions. Harry's first look at the gemstone city took his breath away, it was simply stunning. Every crystal in the city was gleaming from within. In hindsight, the Crystal Empire was probably worth more than a small country in the human world, but it was simply a natural marvel in Equestria. And the crystal ponies were so glamorous Harry might have mistaken a still one for a masterpiece of craftsmanship.

It took a few moments for Harry to realize he'd almost been left behind in his stupor, and galloped to catch up with his friends.

"This place is incredible Twilight!" Harry couldn't stop the child-like wonder from his voice. The other six forgot this was Harry's first time here.

"Just wait till you see the palace up close," Twilight said "And the Crystal Heart as well. Come one, Cadance is expecting us." The seven rushed off to find Princess Cadance, though Rainbow briefly stopped them to talk to a foal. When they reached the spa where Cadance instructed them to go upon their arrival, Harry skidded to a stop outside the doors.

"Am I allowed to enter?" Harry asked. Was he, a male, allowed to go to a spa? "I'm still new to social taboos and customs. And my 'family' never took me anywhere. Last time was a zoo and then I wasn't fed for a week." The others visibly recoiled from him. It was borderline unbelievable, the stories from Harry's world. "Sorry, did I say something wrong?"

He was quickly dogpiled (Or was it ponypiled?) by his six friends, all squeezing him in a tight hug. He could feel someone, probably Applejack, gently giving his mane a petting. It was... oddly therapeutic.

"I guess it's easy to forget how much you went through. Don't worry, you're fine," Twilight said. She and the others separated from Harry. "Remind me to find you some therapy, ten years of abuse is horrific."

"No- You don't need to-" Harry tried to protest. He didn't need them to worry over him.

"Harry, if Twilight's made up her mind this quick, you ain't getting out of it," Applejack said.

"Can we talk about this later?" Harry asked.

"If that's what you need," said Twilight. "But, before we get back to that, we should maybe check on Cadance. She's probably wondering where we are." She walked up the spa doors. "We're here," she said as she opened the doors. The spa was filled with multiple crystal pony stylists, many of them fretting over one pink alicorn. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, the ruler of the Crystal Empire, was quick to notice their entrance.

"There are my girls," Cadance exclaimed, nearly knocking her crown off. While her eyes were immediately drawn to Twilight, it didn't take long to notice Harry. "Who's the new guy? Did one of you finally go on a date?" she asked with a coy smile. Half the group, Harry included, blushed profusely.

"Cadance!" Twilight yelled, embarrassed at her foalsitter. The princess giggled for a solid few seconds.

"Sorry, princess of love here, can't help it," she said through her laughs. "But, my question still remains, who's your friend, Twilight?"

"This is Harry Potter, my friend," said Twilight with a heavy emphasis on the word friend. "We've been penpals for a while now, and decided he should visit for the weekend. Of course, I forgot about the Equestria games." She said sheepishly.

Cadance shook her head in mock disappointment and watched as the ponies looked around at the spa, Rarity looking like she was in paradise.

"Oh, my. This is spectacular. Please, everypony, stand back! I need air!" she said dramatically, looking seconds away from fainting.

After a quick giggle, Cadance composed herself and walked forward to greet the newcomer.

"Greetings Harry Potter, I'm Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but everypony calls me Cadance. It's a pleasure to meet you." She held her hoof out in greeting.

Harry, meanwhile, was comprehending the fact that he was meeting a third princess of Equestria. Most got to see one once a year if they were lucky. Harry now got to meet all three in a fraction of the time. It didn't hurt that they all held an ethereal sense of beauty. It was almost giving him a headache. It took a moment to realize that Cadance was speaking to him.

"Oh, uh, nice to meet you two. Twilight wrote a lot about her foalsitter." Harry reached his hoof out to mimic her gesture, the pony version of a handshake. But the moment their hooves got close, a spark of light jumped between them, and Harry's imagined headache became very real.

"ARGH!"

Pain bloomed forth from Harry's head, an all-consuming numbness to everything but the agony erupting from his forehead. His hoves tried to grab his head as darkness blackened the edges of his vision. He could faintly hear the others calling his name, while others' voices screamed in terror. The screaming pain in his head reached a violent crescendo as a twisted laugh and a green light flashed in Harry's mind.

Harry fell to the ground like a puppet without strings, lost to the world of the waking.
> Chapter 6: Shadow And Soul
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"ARGH!" Everypony jumped back at Harry's cry. Harry collapsed, hooves grasping at his head as he writhed.

Cadance was in a state of shock. Had she done something wrong?! She never put any other pony into a state like this!

Twilight was equally panicked. She rushed to Harry as soon as he dropped.

"Harry! Harry, what's going on?!" She tried to get his attention, but he seemed too far gone to notice his friends. She could only watch helplessly as her friend fell unconscious. "Somepony get a doctor!" Was he sick, or hurt? Why didn't he say something?

"Twilight, look out!" Cadance shouted, seeing something was terribly wrong with Harry.

His shadow was growing. Everypony backed away in fear as Harry's shadow enveloped his whole body, washing his tan coat away into a dull grey and his dark mane into a lifeless black. After the shadow blanketed his body, it crawled out of him in a dark circle. Wherever the shadows spread, the ground was quick to lose its color, and any crystals turned black. Everypony backed away in panic and fear.

"It's him!" one of the stylists cried in terror.

"He's returned..." another whimpered fearfully. As the crystal ponies backed away, it became clear their coats were losing their shine, just like they were when the empire first returned.

Cadance looked down at the colt on the ground. This darkness looked, and felt, so much like that of the twisted king Sombra, who once ruled the Crystal Empire. She had to fix this, to protect her people.

"Everypony, get away!" Cadance shouted. Her horn glowed its blue-green color.

A bright dome surrounded Harry, not all too different from the one she used when Sombra first returned. The shadows recoiled from the light, repulsed by the magic, the love, that powered it. The shadows tried to wrap around the dome's insides, creating a dark void, but couldn't escape the protective magic.

"Twilight, what's going on?!" Cadance demanded. Twilight would never willingly bring a threat to her friends, right?

"I- I don't know." Twilight's breathing became more ragged and stressed. "This has never happened before! Harry's never done this!"

"Whatever this is, I'm going to get rid of it! Stand back!" Cadance ordered.

Cadance focused again, and a beam of energy blasted from her horn. The magic empowered the shield, forcing it to shrink, compressing the shadows, and forcing them to retreat from the others. Cadance pulled her head up, dragging the shadows up into an orb, with Harry lying at the bottom, unmoving.

"Twilight, help me!" Cadance commanded. Together, the two pulled as one. Twilight grabbed Harry, and Cadance grasped at the shadows.

As they tried to pull the shadows free from Harry, his coat started to regain some of its previous colors as he exited the orb. But, as soon as his head was the last thing left in the bubble, the shadows turned violent. They thrashed harder against Cadance's barrier but still couldn't pierce it. The shadows retreated toward their host, crawling over Harry's head, before sinking into his head.

Into his scar.

When the last of the shadows faded, Cadance let her barrier vanish. Twilight rushed to grab her friend. She checked on Harry, seeing he was still breathing, albeit shakily.

"It's alright everypony, the danger's passed," Cadance said, trying to keep the ponies, the crystal ones in particular, calm and collected.

"Your majesty, was that... him?" one of the stylists asked.

Twilight wasn't sure if they were talking about Harry, the shadows, or Sombra. But whatever just happened, Harry wasn't responsible.

"No, it wasn't," Twilight said. "Harry's a good pony, he doesn't hold any evil in him." Twilight glanced at his scar. She knew Harry harbored no evil, at least, not willingly.

Cadance approached Harry slowly and cautiously. She held her glowing horn over him, keeping her eyes closed as she focused. What appeared to be faint wisps of black smoke wafted up from Harry's scar. Cadance closed her eyes as her horn glowed brighter.

"There's so much darkness here... Hatred and malice, evil the likes of which I haven't seen since Sombra," Cadance whispered just loud enough to be heard by Twilight. "I've never seen something like this before, its nature is antithetical to love, but so much weaker. It doesn't come from Harry, it orbits around him, clings to him like a bad odor. I can't believe I didn't sense it when he arrived," she said as the smoke coming from Harry's scar disappeared.

"Is he going to be okay?" Twilight asked, her voice filled to the brim with concern. She gently leaned into Harry's prone form.

"I believe he should recover. I'll see if I can wake him, give him some strength," said Cadance. Harry glowed for a brief moment before the human-turned-unicorn weakly raised his head. His eyes squinted against the sun, headache lingering.

"Uh, my head," Harry said weakly. He saw Twilight and the others looking down with concern, and a small bit of fear. "What... What happened?"

"I was about to ask the same," Cadance said in an uncharacteristically authoritative voice. "Shadows were coming out of you. It's never a good sign."

Harry placed a hoof against his head, thinking. When he first saw Cadance, his headache got worse, beyond normal. The only times they ever got that bad were... with Voldemort. But he wasn't here, so there had to be something.

"It's my scar, I think," Harry whispered. "It... reacted to something."

"Your scar?" Cadance said, confused. "Twilight, what's he talking about?" The unicorn looked deep in thought, recalling everything Harry had written or said about his scar.

"His scar is a one-of-a-kind mark from a dark wizard's attempt on his life when he was a baby. That's the only mark left by the curse" She recited. Twilight leaned into Cadance's ear. "That curse is the darkest one, at least in Harry's dimension." She whispered just loud enough for her sister-in-law to hear.

"The killing curse," Harry supplied quietly. "No one's ever survived it. Not even..." he paused for a moment, "not even my parents." Cadance's gaze softened.

"None except him have lived," Twilight said. "This kind of mark is unique."

Cadance took a deep breath. At least Harry's magic wasn't the direct cause of it, but something lingering over him. And the poor colt had lost his parents to it, to this 'dark wizard'. But that did another question to be answered.

"How did you survive?"

Harry was quiet for a few moments thinking. He had nothing but Dumbledore's theories to go off of. And those were based on hefty assumptions.

"I think it was love," Harry said after a moment. "My mother, she sacrificed herself for me. As far as we know, that sacrifice cast a protection over me that caused to curse to rebound."

"And these headaches? They're new?" Cadance again asked softly.

"No, not really. I get... pains or visions when he's near, or feeling something strong. It also imparted some of his talents onto me."

"Talents?"

"He talks to snakes," Twilight supplied.

"But my scar never did that before. I think it was trying to escape."

Pieces were beginning to fall into place now. Twilight and Cadance shared a look, understanding the start of another theory that could explain what just happened.

"I think I get it! The curse, or maybe your link to this wizard, must have reacted to Cadance, Princess of Love," said Twilight.

"And since our magics share the same source, the protection of love from his mother must have done the same, getting stronger near me," Cadance added.

"So, when Harry was near you," Twilight started.

"The darkness must have tried to escape!" Cadance finished. Harry groaned from the floor, and the five ponies from Ponyville exchanged nervous looks.

"Is Harry going to be alright?" Applejack asked.

"He's okay, right?" Fluttershy asked. The alicorn and unicorn exchanged a glance.

"Cadance's presence triggered this reaction, but she's best equipped to deal with it," Twilight noted.

"So, what do I do now?" Harry asked. The headache had settled down, for now at least.

"I think," started Cadance, "it would be best if Harry stayed here for now, while I get my ceremonial headdress done. I don't think I should attempt to tamper with whatever that thing was."

Twilight nodded in agreement. While she didn't like it, Harry would have to stay, at least until after the game's inspector left.

"Let's get you off the floor." Twilight said softly. Harry tried to stagger to his feet but was held down by her. "Don't move, I'll do it." As gently as she could, she levitated Harry off the ground and placed him on a massage table. "Just relax for a minute." Once she was certain he was comfortable, she moved to the rest of the group.

"Ceremonial... headdress?" asked Rarity excitedly. Cadance nodded.

"When meeting with important guests, it was tradition for rulers of the Crystal Empire to weave crystals into their manes in a very specific way. The Games Inspector is known for doing her homework. She'll certainly be expecting my look to reflect the importance of her visit," Cadance explained. "Even if something else of importance occurs," she said, looking at Harry's prone form.

Suddenly, a golden mare burst through the front doors.

"Princess, if I may have a word... I- I have two pieces of news for you. First, your mane stylist has the flu and won't be able to make it for fear of you catching it, too," the mare said. The stylists and Cadance shared nervous looks.

"Oh. Well... I hope she's better soon. Do any of the other stylists here know how to do the traditional royal ceremonial headdress?" When no pony said yes, Cadance took a deep breath. "Just a... small detail," she said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" interrupted Rainbow Dash. "You're trying to land the Equestria Games here. There is no such thing as a small detail!"

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight scolded.

"I suppose... I could give it a shot," said Rarity.

"Oh, Rarity, you would do that for me?" said Cadance. "Fortunately, I have all the precise instructions right here." She unrolled a large piece of paper. "You sure you're up to this?"

"Working on the hair of royalty on such an auspicious occasion is the opportunity of a lifetime! I will give it everything I've got!"

"See? No worries!" said Twilight.

"That's one problem taken care of," said Harry. "What about the inspector?"

"The Games Inspector isn't expected for several hours," said Rarity.

"Good. Now," Cadance addressed the messenger, "you said you had a second bit of news?"

"Yes, quite. The Games Inspector, Ms. Harshwhinny, will be arriving on the... next train." Everypony gasped in shock.

"This day just keeps getting better, doesn't it?" quipped Rainbow Dash. "That's ten minutes from now!"

"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Fluttershy. Twilight took a deep breath.

"How long before Cadance is ready?" she asked. Rarity began to scroll through the list.

"I should be able to find some shortcuts."

"Good. Cadance?" Twilight turned to her former foalsitter. "I know this is a lot to ask, but—"

"Harry will stay put. The only safe place in the empire for him is here, with me." The princess replied.

Twilight let out a breath of relief. She grabbed the letter from the messenger about the inspector, read it over twice to be safe, and then handed it back. She then walked over to Harry.

"Sorry for the trouble," he said. "If I didn't come—"

"Then this might have gone unnoticed for years. We caught it before it got serious. Whatever this thing is, I give you my word we can figure it out, together. We'll take care of this as soon as we can, I just need you to stay with Cadance. Please?" said Twilight. Harry reluctantly nodded. "Thanks. Rarity, can you have Cadance back at the castle when we're done?"

"Done," Rarity said curtly.

"Okay, we'll be fine." She led her friends, minus Harry and Rarity, to the front door. "Everypony, just be on the lookout for the pony with the flower print luggage."

The five ponies were quick to rush to the train station, leaving Rarity, Cadance, Harry, and several stylists to themselves.

"So, is there a shorter list, or is this the only one?" Rarity asked.
> Chapter 7: A Talk With Cadance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So..." said Cadance. She was having her mane done but had to stay as still as possible, which was boring beyond belief. So, she decided to talk to Harry. "How long have you and Twilight known each other?"

Harry thought back. The letters on his end started when he was ten, and for Twilight the letter started arriving just after she arrived in Ponyville.

"Not sure. Time between here and Equestria doesn't seem to work normally. It's about four to five years on my end." Harry replied.

"It's always good to see Twilight making new— Ow!" Rarity pulled Cadance's hair a bit hard.

"Sorry! These instructions are quite complex," Rarity apologized.

"Just be gentle with my mane at least, okay?" Cadance requested. "Anyways, as I was going to say, it's good to see Twilight making new friends."

Harry smiled.

"If we were any closer, I'd call her family. She's been nothing but nice to me. And, unlike back home, our friendship didn't start with 'You're Harry Potter?!' or something."

"Oh, are you— ouch!— famous or something?"

Rarity was working up a fever over Cadance's hair. Harry was no expert, his hair refused to stay short, but Rarity's styling looked anything but ceremonial. The gems were asymmetrical, and stray strands were all over the place.

"Little bit of both. My 'claim to fame'," Harry waved his hooves in air quotations, "is 'vanquishing' the dark lord as a baby, then vanishing for..." Harry did some quick math. He was just over a year old when his parents died, and got his letter at age eleven, which left about... "nine and three-quarters years." Funny how that worked out. "People can tell who I am just by my scar. And this year, someone put me in a highly dangerous magical tournament as the fourth champion out of three. I can't go anywhere without rumors following me."

"Sounds arduous," Cadance remarked. "I understand a lot more than you think."

"Really?"

"Yes. You see— Ow! Rarity, the mane!" Cadance yelled as the unicorn pulled on another strand. Rarity was checking the notes and trying to get Cadance's mane to work with her. "So, uh... how's it going so far?" Everypony but Cadance cringed, not wanting to disturb her with the news.

"Oh, I'm so sorry... It's just... oh so complicated." She ran through the instructions once more, laughing nervously all the while. "I can fix it!" Rarity's words got Cadance concerned.

"Fix what?!"

Harry decided he needed to intervene. If Rarity was to fix Cadance's mane, she needed the princess to stay still. He jumped off the massage table, nearly stumbling on his legs. Thank Celestia he had four and not two. His attempt to move didn't go unnoticed. The stylists backed away, and Rarity and Cadance looked scared for him.

"Harry, go back, you're recovering," Cadance said in a voice reminding Harry of Madam Pomfrey.

"I can walk," he said before he decided to stop and stand still as a wave of vertigo hit him. Okay, maybe he had moved too much. "You said you understood something?" Harry said in an attempt to distract Cadance. Though she recognized the effort, she ultimately went along with it.

"Yes. You see, before Celestia raised me as her niece, I was an orphan. I never knew my parents," Cadance said sadly, and Harry began to understand why she could relate to him. "And when I ascended to an alicorn, I became a very public figure."

"Wait, ascended?" Harry asked. You could do that? Despite Twilight's efforts to teach him about Equestria, Harry felt like he was missing something.

"Yes, ascended. I can't tell you all of the details, but I was the subject of a lot of royalty and their politics after my ascension. As an alicorn who wasn't several centuries older than them, they wouldn't leave me alone," she said.

Harry winced in sympathy. Sure, he wasn't royalty, and he wouldn't be 'rich' for a few more years, but the nagging was relatable. If everyone went on for a week about how Harry was a champion, Canterlot's aristocrats must have bothered her endlessly on how... she was...

"Wait, are you immortal?"

"I don't like to talk about it." Cadance looked at the ground quietly.

The conversation was saved by Rarity quickly dragging Cadance away for a 'conditioning rinse' to get her hair back in order.

"Oh my, I'm terribly sorry about this, I'll get this fixed in time, I promise!" Rarity declared. Unfortunately, no one else could do much to assist her, aside from taking direct instructions. "I'll get your hair back in shape, undo the knots, remove the gems and ribbons, and start over. I can save this!" Unfortunately for her, she couldn't prevent Twilight from entering. The bell rang as the purple unicorn walked in.

"W-What are you doing here?" Rarity gasped. Harry jumped in front of Twilight if only to save Rarity's dignity.

"We finished the welcome committee song and we just wanted to introduce Ms. Harshwhinny to—"

"Can't do that, she's not ready!" Harry said. "Rarity is trying to fix her hair—"

"Her own, or the princess's?"

"Cadance's mane of course!"

"Harry, I need to speak to the Princess." Twilight tried to step around him, but Harry was quick to mirror her movements.

"She's in the middle of a delicate conditioning rinse that must go perfectly if there's to be any hope for her hair!" Rarity said from behind the princess.

"Come on, how bad can it be?"

"Do you remember the 'Hairity' incident?" Harry asked.

"Twilight, did you tell him about the Poison Joke!?" Rarity screamed.

"Okay, okay, I get it, bad hair," said Twilight. "I'll see if I can stall for time."

"I'll join, I feel much better," said Harry.

"No, you should stay here." Twilight countered.

"I'm fine, I can take care of myself," Harry said hotly.

"You nearly die once a year."

"You can't protect me from that."

"But I can protect you here!"

"What if I don't need-"

"TAKE! IT! OUTSIDE!" Rarity yelled.

Stunned by her outburst, the two unicorns stepped outside the spa. Once outside, the two tried and failed to make prolonged eye contact, both a little ashamed of their own actions.

"Harry—"

"Twilight—"

The two responded simultaneously, but couldn't bring themselves to say anything. After an awkward silence, Harry managed to speak.

"I- I'm sorry," Harry stammered. "Can we talk about this later? I don't think I'm ready."

"Me too," Twilight said. "I need to go check on Ms. Harshwhinny and the others. If you want—"

"I'll stay near the spa. I just- I just need some air," Harry said.

He turned and walked off, away from the castle. Twilight sighed. She would need to take care of this, but for now, Ms. Harshwhinny demanded her attention.

Harry was walking off in a random, direction, trying and failing to distract himself. He had just argued with Twilight, his oldest friend. Maybe coming to Equestria was a mistake, maybe he should've—

"Ow!" A mare yelped.

In Harry's state of mind, he hadn't looked where he was going, causing him to collide with an earth pony. When Harry looked up from the ground, he saw she was dressed in a tailored suit and had a flowered suitcase, the latter of the two was on the ground. He also noticed her mane was soaked.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" he said. "Here, let me get that for you." He levitated her case back up. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."

"At least somepony apologized," she grumbled.

Harry noticed her grumpy mood easily. It reminded him of McGonagall on her bad days.

"Bad day?"

"Dreadful. First off, I'm not greeted at the station so I have to wander this place, then somepony doused my mane. Do you know how long it took to style it for today?" she said crossly. "Honestly, this might be my worst trip yet."

"Well, I can't do anything about your mane, but I know somepony who can," Harry said helpfully. "There's a spa and manicure building a block down."

"Oh, are you a resident?"

"No, just got here today, but my friend's working there for the afternoon. I don't think it's too busy right now. I can take you there," Harry said. The mare seemed to deflate slightly.

"I have been looking for somewhere to sulk over this fiasco. Lead the way," she said. Harry picked her bag up and started to guide her to where Rarity was.

"You know, I never got your name. I'm Harry, I'm visiting the Empire with some friends." Harry tried to break the ice some more.

"You may call me Ms. Harshwhinny, I'm the Games Inspector for this year's Equestria Games." She said. Harry nearly tripped.

Oh, ponyfeathers.
> Chapter 8: The Inspector
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh, ponyfeathers.

This was the actual games inspector. But, then, who were Twilight and the others with? And worse yet, she was in a terrible mood! No welcoming committee, a bad hair day, and Cadance was still being prepared! At this rate, the Crystal Empire would lose their pick for the Equestria Games!

"You seem put off," she remarked. Harry internally panicked.

"No- not at all," Harry stammered. "Just, had a hard day is all."

"You too?"

"I had an argument recently. She's had a lot on her plate recently, I don't want her to worry over me."

"Sounds like a family problem."

"Friend, actually, but she might as well be, she's helped me through a lot."

"She preparing this place for the games?"

"Yes, but I think I'm getting in the way," Harry said. "I'm... not from around here, and I don't have a lot of friends back home, no real family either. Sometimes the isolation gets to me, so she let me visit for the weekend and cleared her schedule to make time.

"But preparing for the games was too important for me to hold her back. I know I worry her a lot, so I wanted to help where I could, but it hasn't worked out so far. She's trying to juggle her responsibilities and me, but she's doing her best."

As strange as it was, just talking about his problems was lifting his heavy heart. Maybe Hogwarts should get a counselor or an on-site therapist. Now that Harry thought about it, trauma and emotions were things both the magical and non-magical communities struggled with.

"Let me tell you, in my line of work, you see a lot of ponies crack under pressure. This friend of yours sounds like she's doing her best, even if the supposed 'welcome committee' isn't," Ms. Harshwhinny commented. "Now, where is that spa; I need to relax."

Harry led Ms. Harshwhinny around the next corner, and the spa was now in full sight. He led her up to the front doors before turning to address her.

"Here we are. I'd like to apologize for your time here."

"You weren't involved. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need to attend to something."

She grabbed her bag from Harry and entered the spa. Harry took a glance inside. He could see Rarity next to a screen door, a familiar silhouette behind it. That must have been Cadance, the inspector couldn't see her! If he could find Twilight, maybe they could salvage this! But where—

"Oh gosh, a spa! Haven't been to one of these in a while!" said a mare's voice with a heavy country accent. Harry turned to see a tan-yellow earth pony with green hair and a beat-up bag with flower prints.

"Were you going in?" Harry asked, holding the door open.

"Thanks. You folks here at the Crystal Empire are so nice!" She said as she walked past Harry. Suddenly, a small piece of memory flashed through his head.

"Everypony, just be on the lookout for the pony with the flower print luggage."

Wait! If Ms. Harshwhinny was here, Twilight and the gang didn't welcome her, and this pony fit their only description of the inspector. They might have mixed the two up!

"Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to have met a purple unicorn, would you?" Harry asked. The earth pony paused to think.

"Why, yes I did. Such a nice girl, and her friends as well. Gave me the best gosh-darn welcome I've ever had. Turns out they thought I was some fancy-schmancy inspector or something. Took off towards the station in a flash," she explained. Harry's eyes widened in response.

"They did!? Thanks!" Harry turned and ran as fast as he could towards the station.

If he could tell the gang, they might be able to save the Empire's chance at recovering their chance to host the games! He ran as fast as he could, looking left and right for the gang.

"Hey, it's Harry!" Came a shout from Rainbow Dash. Harry planted his hooves, skidding to an abrupt start. The gang was running at him from the right, moving from a gallop to a trot.

"Harry, we messed up bad!" said Applejack. "We gave our big song and dance—"

"To the wrong pony, I know," Harry said. "I just saw her go to the spa."

"Harry, did you see Ms. Harshwhinny?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, I saw—"

"Where!?" Rainbow Dash grabbed Harry by the face, staring down with an intense glare. "We need to find her before she sinks the Crystal Empire's chances!"

"She's at the spa!"

"THE WHAT!?" All five of the girls yelled, nearly sweeping Harry off his feet.

"I ran into her not long after I left the building. I didn't know she was the inspector until after I promised to lead her to the spa! She didn't notice Cadance, so we still have a chance! I was looking for you!" Harry said as quickly as he could. All six shared a look.

"What are we waiting for, let's go!" Twilight declared. Then all six were off as fast as they could go. When they got there everypony pressed their face against the glass to peek inside. Ms. Harshwhinny was getting her hooves filed and had cucumbers over her eyes. Cadance was (presumably) the one behind the curtain.

"Oh, there she is!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash "We're in luck! I don't think either of them knows yet that the other one's here!" The six apprehensively entered the spa, cringing at the loud bell. Rarity excitedly noticed them.

"Wonderful news, look! Princess Cadance, better than new!" she said proudly, oblivious to the looks on everypony's faces.

"Ponyfeathers," Harry cursed.

"Princess Cadance?" Ms. Harshwhinny said, plucking the cucumbers from her eyes. "So, this is where you've been! I will have you know this is by far the worst welcome I've had in all my years!" she scolded. Harry had a bad feeling about this.

"I- I can't believe it... What was wrong with your welcome?" Cadance stuttered.

"There wasn't one!" the inspector replied. Between this and the cursed headache, Harry would take the headache.

"What is going on?" Cadance demanded in a stern voice. The five cowered under her gaze, even Pinkie Pie. Twilight was about to speak, but Rainbow Dash flew in front of her.

"Princess, we gave our welcome to the wrong pony, left the right one waiting at the station, and completely ruined everything." Rainbow Dash paused while Cadance looked over the group. "When I was a little filly, I wanted so badly for Cloudsdale to win the Equestria Games. But it didn't happen. So I thought I could make up for that disappointment by helping the Crystal Empire win the chance to host the Games. But it looks like I ruined your chances instead," She said shamefully.

"Not so fast, speedy," said the green-haired earth pony.

"You see, I was considering throwing this place out of the selection process, but one young stallion inadvertently convinced me to give it a second thought." Ms. Harshwhinny looked straight at Harry with the smallest smirk. "And I just finished hearing about how this pony was just treated to the warmest, finest, most fabulous reception she ever had—"

"Darn tootin'!"

"Courtesy of these fine ponies right here. Which, in my expert opinion, amounts to the first ever unvarnished, unrehearsed, and unbiased appraisal of a potential host of the Equestria Games. Which can only mean one thing..."





"The next host of the Equestria Games is... the Crystal Empire!" declared Princess Cadance from the castle. "Congratulations, crystal ponies!"

A wild cheer went up from the crowd below. Their emotions caused the ground to glow, the light shining beneath the Crystal Heart before exploding into the sky in a brilliant display of light.

Harry was staring into the Crystal Heart in wonder. He was standing only a few paces away from the Heart, basking in the harmony of its power. Harry could feel the thing in his scar doing something akin to whimpering, repulsed by the feeling of this magic, this joy, but ultimately lacked the power to do anything but sulk in the presence of what had rendered it powerless in the first place. The magic of the Crystal Heart felt like the opposite of his scar: warm, inviting, and full of hope. He didn't even notice Cadance sneaking up behind him.

"You're certain It won't bother you again? Your scar?" she asked. Harry startled.

"I've been giving it some thought," Harry replied. He'd realized that the reaction to Cadance was a one-time thing, it had used up too much power trying to escape her. It wouldn't be able to harm him, not while he was in Equestria. He turned to face Cadance directly. "When it lashed out, it rendered itself almost powerless. Whatever power this... thing has left, it can't harm me, not really. Not anymore. Especially not near my friends."

"I could try to remove it, or ask aunt Celestia. One of us could-"

Harry shook his head.

"Thanks for the offer," Harry said sincerely, "but I need to figure out what it even is, it might be too risky otherwise. The only clues to the nature of this... thing... lie back in my world."

"Then at least allow me to put some of my magic over your mother's protection," Cadance offered instead.

"I'd be honored if you could, I'm certain my mother wouldn't have minded," Harry said fondly. Cadance quickly waved her horn over his scar. A tingling sensation tickled his forehead. "Thanks. If I discover it's serious, I promise you I'll come right back."

Shining Armor exited the castle only a few seconds behind his wife. He managed to catch on to the latter end of their conversation.

"You'd better," Shining Armor said in a more serious tone. "My little sis cares about her friends dearly, so you should take care of yourself back home," he said in a 'big brother' sort of tone that left no room to argue. Harry smiled.

"Equestria is as much my home as anywhere else, but I'll take your words to heart." Harry trotted over to the rest of the group, leaving the princes and princess behind him. "I would never hurt any of them."





"All aboard!"

The gang walked onto the train back to Ponyville, victorious at last. Sure there were some minor hiccups, but they got the job done in the end. Twilight and Harry hung in the back of the group.

"Twilight, I'd like to apologize," Harry said.

"I should too," said Twilight.

"I was worrying you and you had a lot on your plate. I should have been more aware of the stress your job had, considering I almost derailed it," Harry confessed.

"And I shouldn't have obsessed so much. You're younger than me, but you can take care of yourself. I should have considered your feelings," she replied. The two finally made eye contact, smiling.

"We both made some mistakes."

"We did," answered Twilight. "So, how about we put this behind us, and move forward?" She held her hoof out.

"Like you had to ask." Harry clicked his hoof against hers, and the two walked inside the train car. Harry couldn't wipe the dopey grin from his face.

If paradise existed, Harry was certain it looked like Equestria.
> Chapter 9: The Return?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was during the evening of Harry's third day, after he returned from the Crystal Empire, that he felt odd again like something was tugging on his soul. Harry knew exactly what it was. It was the Goblet of Fire, it wanted Harry to come back to fulfill his "contract" between them. He needed to go back to Hogwarts, even if his heart urged him to stay here, in Equestria. Whatever bothersome magically binding contract he had been ensnared in meant business.

"Twilight, I think I need to go back," he said solemnly.

He and Twilight were in the middle of a new magical lesson. She was trying to teach him the basics of her teleport spell. Harry understood the concept, just not the execution. It was very different from a portkey or the floo, but that was beside the point.

Twilight looked up from her book on unicorn magic. She had read it at least a dozen times but found many tricks she thought Harry might benefit from while away from Equestria.

"Already? It's only been three days. It took much longer for this last time." Twilight sounded concerned.

"I think that stupid goblet is getting mad at my 'vacations'," Harry grumbled in response, stamping his hoof. Leaving was becoming an increasingly disheartening prospect.

"Well, you should go knock some sense into it!" Spike said from across the library, chewing on quartz crystals like popcorn.

"Spike, it's a cup. What do you expect me to do?" Harry countered as Twilight flipped through another book, this one on magical artifacts.

"You said Moody thought someone used a 'confundus charm' on the goblet to enter you into the Tournament. Can you un-confundus it?" Twilight asked hopefully. Harry shook his head.

"I think Dumbledore would have thought of that by now. If it was within his power he would have. It's the contract that's the problem, we can't remove it."

"Not in any way that you know of." She dropped her book and started sifting through the shelves for anything else that might pertain to the situation at hand.

"Being a minor by law doesn't change anything?"

"Nope."

"Can the judges disqualify you, make it impossible to complete tasks, but count as competing?" She picked up another set of books.

"Doubt it."

"What happens if you break the contract?"

"Unknown. I've heard about unbreakable oaths, and those mean certain death. No one wants to risk that. This has never happened before, or at least I don't think so."

"Right, the two-hundred-year gap." Twilight set another stack of books down. "Argh, there's nothing in here about magical contracts! Spike, write a letter to Canterlot, and ask for anything regarding magical contracts, with an emphasis on breaking them. Then—" Harry stopped her by placing his right hoof on her shoulder.

"Twilight, please stop worrying. I'd rather spend my time here doing something we can enjoy, not get nervous over something we can't control." A sad grin was shared between the two.

"You're right. But I will worry over you regardless, you're my friend. I'll keep looking for solutions while you're away." She floated all the books back to their proper locations. "Now come on, you've got some goodbyes to say." She stood by the door, waiting for Harry to go first.

His head hung a bit lower as they exited the library. He was going to miss this.





By the time the two assembled their friends, the sun was hovering over the horizon. Twilight's friends sat in the large semi-circle around Harry. Each one had said their goodbyes, and now Twilight was preparing to send Harry back to his school. Harry waved his hoof and Hedwig hooted sadly from his shoulder. Fluttershy had almost spoiled her rotten here.

"Goodbye everypony. I can't wait to visit again soon."

"Just stay safe over there, you hear me?" Applejack said, to which Harry managed to nod.

"I'll be sure to throw you a welcome-back party next time!" Pinkie Pie jumped up and down.

"It was nice seeing you," said a quiet Fluttershy. She looked at the snowy owl perched on Harry's shoulder. "Hedwig, you tell the other owls to play nice with Errol, they should respect their elders." The owl hooted in return.

"Alright everypony, stand back," Twilight warned as her horn glowed. Her eyes locked with Harry's. "Remember, you can visit any time you need to, you got that?" Harry nodded again. "Here it goes. I return you back to—"

"Watch out!" a grey pegasus called out.

Everypony looked up to see Derpy Hooves, carrying a large bulging cardboard box, flying on a collision course with Harry. Harry could see the obviously heavy box falling towards his head in terrifying slow motion. With naught but a second to react, the two crashed into a plume of smoke.

And Harry was out like a light.





"Missing?! What do you mean Mr. Potter is missing?!" McGonagall demanded.

After Harry's surprise disappearance, several teachers, including McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, and Dumbledore himself had assembled in the headmaster's office. Each one had been called out of their classes for the concerning matter of a student, a Triwizard champion no less, having vanished into thin air. It was causing quite a stir. Eventually, Snape responded.

"Yes. Mr. Potter, as I have clearly said, vanished in front of me," he drawled.

"And you're certain?" McGonagall pressed.

"Perhaps," interceded Dumbledore, "it would be best if we hear Severus's story from the start?" he suggested, to no objections. "Very well." He gestured for the potions teacher to talk.

"I had just announced the class's final when I caught Mr. Potter looking for something in his bag, presumably his notes. When confronted over his blatant rule-breaking, Potter suddenly started to glow light purple."

"He glowed purple?" Mcgonagall said in a tone mixing skepticism and disbelief.

"I could not have been more clear. He was surrounded by some bright purple energy, then vanished with no trace. Several mistakenly believed he had apparated. And some unruly students said I 'vaporized Potter via stare'."

"Both we know to be impossible, or at least unlikely," McGonagall said.

"At least by any wizarding means. We must consider that there may have been other factors at play here," Dumbledore countered sagely.

"There's still the matter of that pink—"

"Purple—"

"—pink light," reminded McGonagall. "So far, that remains our only clue to the boy's disappearance."

"That is, of course, assuming he was even moved at all," suggested Flitwick. The assembled teachers looked at him with confusion and, in Dumbledore's case, curiosity. "This could have been an illusion or invisibility charm at work here. Potter has been practicing some fairly advanced magic this year."

"If that were true, it still doesn't explain why he left my classroom."

"Both of you bring up valid points," Dumbledore admitted. "Which is why I asked Trelawney for her opinion before this meeting. "She said young Harry had 'passed out of her sight', although she believes him to be in no immediate danger."

"How relieving," Snape sneered. "We need to—" Snape was cut off by a girl's voice. Hermione Granger rushed into the room, unaware of the assembled teachers.

"Headmaster! I have something—" Hermione cut herself off as she realized she had barged in on some meeting. "Oh- Uh- Sorry. I didn't mean to- I was here to- uh-" she stammered.

"Spit it out, Miss Granger! I sure hope you'd have a good reason for barging in here," McGonagall scolded. Hermione startled.

"Well, I'm not sure, but I think I might have something, a clue, maybe," she gushed. Several teachers shared a glance.

"Well, what is it?" asked Sprout. Hermione paused before digging into her bag. She pulled out a roll of parchment tied with a red ribbon. She placed it on Dumbledore's table.

"Is this Harry's?" Dumbledore inquired. Hermione nodded. "Do explain, Miss Granger." Hermione wrung her hands together nervously.

"Well, I suppose it started this morning, at breakfast. Ron said that Harry had received a letter this morning, before the owl mail was due to arrive, and he hadn't visited the owlery."

"There's nothing odd about receiving mail," said a cautious Flitwick. Hermione nodded.

"That's what I thought, too. But Harry was acting... weird. He was defensive, yet elated about something. We, Ron and I, thought he had a letter about a date to the Yule Ball, but something wasn't matching up. Timing aside, this was the first time we had heard of this mysterious sender. When pressed, Harry revealed that this girl doesn't go to Hogwarts, he had only seen her in person one time despite a longstanding correspondence, and he refused to say her name out loud." The teachers were a little warier about this. "This was the letter he received earlier." She placed the parchment on the headmaster's desk.

"Well, under normal conditions, this would be a serious violation of student privacy, not to mention theft on your part, Miss Granger, regardless of intentions," McGonagall said. "But, given the circumstances, I think it might be prudent to take a look."

"Agreed," said Snape.

"If we have no alternative," said a tentative Sprout.

Flitwick simply nodded.

Albus reached for the letter, carefully untying the ribbon. He cleared his throat as he read the letter's contents to the room.

Dear Harry.

I'm glad to hear that you're alright. To be honest, you scared me for a moment! I mean, dragons!? That seems so cruel, to make you take an egg, albeit a false one, from them. But I'm glad to hear you got out just fine. Something about this whole "tournament" hasn't been sitting well with me.

I'm sorry about your schoolmates. I wish I could be there for you, physically. Sometimes a letter can only do so much. Maybe when this is all over things will calm down. It's hard to hold a grudge against someone like you. Just stay strong.

And you should know that you're always welcome to visit. Remember, Princesses Celestia and Luna said there'll always be a place for you here, in Equestria and our hearts. I'll cast the spell Friday afternoon, and give you some time to get adjusted to walking again. Can't wait to see you.

With love,

Twilight.

The room was silent for a few moments.

"Well," said Dumbledore slowly. "That is something, isn't it?"
> Chapter 10: Stolen Clues
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

hat is something, isn't it?"

Everyone was shocked. They had expected something at least. A thinly veiled death threat, a cry for help, possibly even a romantic love confession, but certainly not whatever this was. It felt like hours before McGonagall spoke up.

"At least we have a name now," she said halfheartedly. Snape snatched the paper up.

"Most likely an alias," he said skeptically. "I can not recall any student with this name."

"Assuming Miss 'Twilight' is a student," Flitwick reminded. "These 'princesses' are odd, too."

"Are you suggesting the crown kidnapped him?" McGonagall said with heavy sarcasm.

"No one in the royal family has those names," Hermione said, oblivious to McGonagall's tone.

"Being an insufferable know-it-all helps no one, Granger," Snape said with a biting tone. "You think we wouldn't know that?"

"Wizards don't seem to care much for muggle politics. Several can't seem to count muggle money, although that could be because no one is taught math outside of arithmancy," Hermione countered. She was right, partially.

Dumbledore chose this moment to speak, stopping what would have otherwise been a fascinating battle of the wits. He cleared his throat, making sure to both end the conversation and get everyone's attention.

"I think you have given us a great deal to consider, Miss Granger. Thank you for coming forward with this. You may return to your remaining classes," he gently dismissed her, and Hermione slowly walked towards the door. "However," he said, "if I hear that you've made a habit out of stealing your classmates' personal effects again, miss Granger, there will be much more severe consequences." Dumbledore thought for a moment. "The fact remains that you did steal from a student. Until a proper punishment is decided, your Hogsmeade privileges are revoked, and you will be spending time in detention for an unspecified period of time. You are dismissed."

Dumbledore leveled a look at the girl that said less of "I'm mad" and more of "I'm just disappointed", which was more than enough to make her wilt like a flower in the desert. Hermione took this as her signal to leave, albeit with much reluctance. Once she was out of the room, Dumbledore took off his half-moon glasses, a grave look about him.

"This letter is our only clue to Harry's whereabouts. We must decipher any hidden messages it may possess." He set the letter down for inspection. Snape was the first to speak.

"Potter was not unfamiliar with enchanted parchment. I caught him with one such item last term." Several wands were suddenly waving and tapping the paper as each teacher looked for some trace of magic.

"No transfigurations."

"No charms."

"There appears nothing magical about this letter," said Dumbledore. "Whatever it hides is in the words alone. I'd be happy to hear suggestions." The teachers pondered for a few moments.

"Well, the tone is friendly and considerate, which isn't out of place," McGonagall noted. "However, this bit about getting adjusted to walking is bizarre. I can't make heads or tails of it."

The teachers nodded, thinking of what that line could mean.

"Long-term disorientation, perhaps?" Flitwick suggested. "Unregulated portkeys are well known to be disorientating, especially amateur ones."

"That idea contradicts itself," interrupted Snape, shaking his head. "If this person is a novice they wouldn't have been able to evade the wards, and an adept caster wouldn't disorientate Potter enough to merit a warning."

"But, regardless of the side effects, I think we're all in agreement that the spell mentioned is obviously what our writer is talking about," said Sprout.

"That spell is also most likely tied to whatever happened to Harry," McGonagall added.

The teachers shared reaffirming looks or nods.

"Yes. Possibly a summoning or banishment spell," Flitwick deduced. "Most likely centered on this..." he grabbed the paper, skimming the words, "...Equestria place."

"Certainly nowhere I've heard of," said Sprout.

"I don't think any of us have," McGonagall replied. "What do you make of this, Albus?"

"I have not heard of this 'Equestria' before. Frankly, what concerns me more is not where Harry is, but whom he is with." Dumbledore reached for the list, tapping out the three listed names. "Twilight, Celestia, and Luna. While odd on their own, the names' thematic similarities imply an important connection between these people. And the use of the word 'Princess'. I have not heard of any magical royalty in Europe who use such titles, and Miss Granger has ruled out the muggles. So this title means that these people might be a group with some form of structure or hierarchy, and these two 'Princesses' are at the top," He surmises.

"I don't mean to make a conspiracy of this," started Sprout. "But I have heard rumors of young students getting involved in strange groups, cults if you'll call them that. Seems to be all the rage with rebellious kids. Perhaps Mr. Potter found himself the subject of one by mistake?"

"Harry Potter, involved in a cult? Preposterous!" came the outcry from McGonagall.

"I do not believe that is what Pomona was implying," said Dumbledore. "I think she is merely suggesting that this mysterious group had an interest in Harry, and has targeted him for that reason. How such a feat was accomplished remains unclear."

"As it is stated here, Potter was clearly aware of the spell, yet did not tell us. Perhaps he knows more than we think," said Snape.

"He could have been subject to the Confundus charm or similar curse. It would explain his allegedly odd attitude, and why he never told his friends," Flitwick pondered out loud.

The teachers were all silent for a while, each one thinking hard. Harry had been kidnapped, that much was clear, but what came next was completely unknown.

"I believe," stated Dumbledore, "if we cannot locate Harry as of now, then we must play damage control. This incident must be contained, lest we create panic. I will write up something to abate the public, you must redirect the rumors. The truth cannot be known. We don't know what will happen if the Tournament is paused on Harry's account, so we must do our best to keep this incident on the down low, and hope we can find young Harry before it is too late."





Meanwhile, in Equestria, six friends were staring in a panic at their unconscious friend.

"Harry!" They all cried out, rushing towards the downed colt. Twilight got to him first, gently prodding him, looking for any sign of consciousness. She noticed a steady, if slightly ragged, rise and fall of his back.

"He's breathing!" she said, fears partly abated.

"What do we do now?!" Pinkie Pie said in a panic. Harry stirred again. "Ah!" Harry lifted his head an inch off the ground.

"Did anypony get the number of that train?" Harry said before collapsing again.

"He's delirious and unconscious! Oh, Celestia, this is bad," Applejack said.

"Shouldn't we get him to a doctor?" asked Rarity.

"We can't move him ourselves, not physically anyways. Rarity, lend me a hoof and help me get him to the doctor." Twilight's and Rarity's horns glowed as Harry's body slowly levitated off the ground. As quickly (and safely) as they could, the six friends rushed Harry to the doctor.





The first thing Harry noticed was how quiet it was. It was like a thick blanket was draped over his head, muffling noises from the outside to mere whispers. The second thing he noticed was the headache. A dull throbbing sensation was centered just behind his eyes. Harry didn't want to open them. The third thing he noticed was the voices. Quiet, faint voices who, despite the volume, sounded urgent and... excited? Maybe anxious was a better word.

"When is he expected to wake up?" There, a voice. Harry couldn't quite put a name to it, but it sounded like somepony he knew. Especially that familiar hushed sound, like the speaker was scared of her own voice.

"Today, hopefully. The doctors said he was showing signs of consciousness," another voice said. This one sounded the same age, and more recognizable. It sounded like...

Twilight!

Harry's eyes shot open and immediately closed when the bright lights blinded him. His mild migraine took a turn for the worse.

"Ow..." he moaned miserably. The voices, thankfully, quieted down.

"He's awake," came Fluttershy's voice, somehow quieter than before. The lights were dimmed as somepony walked next to him.

"Thank Celestia, you had us all so worried," said the voice of a very well-known purple unicorn.

Harry dared to open his eyes ever so slightly. He was in what looked like a hospital room, with the lights dimmed and the windows shuttered. Harry himself was lying on a bed, with a baby blue blanket draped over him. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight were gathered around him. He looked at the purple mare standing next to him.

"Hey, Twilight."

"Hey yourself. How do you feel?"

"Like I picked a fight with Nightmare Moon. What happened?"

"Derpy accidentally hit you with a box of industrial steel shoes," Twilight confessed. "The doctor said you have a concussion."

Harry rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the dull aching behind his eyes.

"I can feel that. How long was I out?"

"Forty-two hours," added Rarity. "Quite the shock really. We're delighted you're alright." She trotted to the door, pushing Fluttershy along with her. "Well, I suppose Fluttershy and I ought to go find the doctor and get you dismissed. We'll leave you two be," she said with a devious smirk.

And the two left Harry and Twilight alone. The two unicorns waited to speak for what felt like an hour, just listening to the silence between them. Eventually, Twilight spoke up.

"I'm glad you're okay, we all are. I was so worried for you." She looked him square in the face. "If that had happened any later, I might have sent you back unconscious." She let out a mirthless chuckle.

"Glad I'm still here," said Harry.

"Well, I'm not," a new voice said. Harry and Twilight were startled, looking about the room. There was the sound of a finger snap, and somebody appeared before them in a flash of light.

A hodgepodge of other creatures, he looked like an incorrectly assembled jigsaw. Fur here, scales there, claws and hooves, the list of bizarre details went on. But, nevertheless, it was a form well-known to Twilight and her friends. Even Harry, who had only seen the murals in Canterlot, knew who he was looking at.

"You're—!"

"Discord, 'reformed' spirit of chaos and disharmony. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Potter."
> Chapter 11: Chaotic Return
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Discord!" the two unicorns shouted in unison. The embodiment of chaos reached for a hat that appeared on his head, and he took an overly dramatic bow.

"Nice to see my reputation still precedes me. Oh, and hello to you too, Twilight," he said. Harry and Twilight shared a nervous glance.

"What do you want, Discord?" Twilight said standoffishly. "You wouldn't be here without a reason."

"Me? Have a reason?" Discord pointed to himself dramatically. "Whatever do you mean?" When Twilight had no retort but to glare harder, he eventually relented. "Fine, fine. Yes, I do have a reason to be back here.

"You see, for the past few weeks, I've become increasingly aware of some cross-dimensional 'leakages'. Nothing bigger than say, perhaps, a letter. But somepony has been making more dramatic changes recently, and I was hoping you might have a clue," he said in a knowing tone. The unicorns understood what he was talking about. Harry.

"Is it bad?" Harry asked tentatively.

The draconequus picked his big tooth out of his mouth to inspect it, then used it to pick at his other teeth.

"Well, I don't think so. It's not exactly the first time something of this sort has happened. What is a first, however, is something trying to reach across our barriers." He popped his tooth back into place. Harry gulped.

"The cup. It's trying to drag me back again," Harry whispered.

Discord perked up at Harry's words. A detective's cap and a monocle dropped onto his head

"'Back again'? What an interesting choice of words. Do you mean to suggest that you're the dimensional anomaly?" Discord tried to take a step closer to Harry, but Twilight blocked him off.

"Harry's from another dimension. He was struggling with neglect and bullying, so I brought him here."

"You brought him here? I suppose I should compliment you on such an accomplishment. Reverse-gravity sundae?" Discord held out an upside-down ice cream bowl, but when no one took it he let it fall up to the ceiling. "Right, it's all business with you. Well, I'm not sure what this 'Cup' of yours does, but I would appreciate it if weren't tickling the rules of the universe." Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't that your whole thing?" Harry asked.

"Yes, and I dislike anyone or anything else that thinks they have a right to do it. And so, I'll have to send you back." Harry fell out of the bed in surprise.

"What!?"

"Discord, you can't send Harry back, he's recovering from a head injury! I was going to return him earlier, but I wasn't sending him back alone and unconscious!" Twilight protested. Discord rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then a lightbulb appeared over his head. He was quick to grab it and blow it out like a candle before eating it.

"Oh, of course! Dear Twilight, you're right. We can't have him going back like this, so I suppose I'll just have to send both of you back together."

"What!?" they shouted in unison.

"Oh, this'll be so much fun!"

"Discord, don't you dare-!"

The draconequus paid them no heed as a very volatile-looking magic circle formed under his influence. Various runes, symbols, and... graffiti?... traversed the air as chaos magic filled the room.

"Have fun you two!" he yelled with a wave. There was a bright flash, and Harry and Twilight were gone. The draconequus brushed a comical amount of dust off his hands. "This cameo had better be worth my time."

A creak sounded at the door.

"Twilight, Harry, I couldn't find the doctor. I—" Fluttershy entered the room. The first thing she noticed was that Harry and Twilight were gone. The second was Discord, who was poorly disguised in an oversized lab coat, rubber gloves, and a surgical mask. "Oh, uh, where are Twilight and Harry?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, they just checked out." Discord fumbled for an excuse.

"Really? I didn't see them on my way back. I must have missed them." She turned to leave the room, and Discord breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, and, Discord?" Discord froze up under her gaze, literally. "Thanks for checking in on Harry." And she left the room. Discord sagged in relief, his outfit melting off him.

"Ugh, I need a vacation."





Back at Hogwarts, things weren't looking good. Some time had passed, yet they were no closer to finding Harry. Dumbledore had done his best to keep Harry's disappearance a secret, having orchestrated several "appearances" from the Boy Who Lived in the form of an illusion of him on his broom in plain sight of everyone. Luckily Harry had vanished on the last day of the semester, which made things significantly easier to manage. But still, Harry remained unfound. In the time since then, all the teachers, the heads of the other schools, the Triwizard judges, and even the Minister himself had gotten involved.

Harry's disappearance was a serious break from protocol. If they couldn't find Harry by the time the Yule Ball rolled around, the Daily Prophet and every other media outlet would have a field day with them.

As of now, all the relevant parties were assembled in Dumbledore's office, which included the Ministry's judges for the tournament, the Minister himself, and several trusted aurors. They had been briefed on all the important information about the disappearance, with the exception of Harry's letter. They were currently reviewing anything and everything they knew.

"The fact of the matter remains," said one auror. "How Harry Potter was kidnapped—"

"We don't know that," interceded Bartemius Crouch Sr.

"If it were anything less we would have heard from him by now," the same auror continued.

"If it truly were a kidnapping, then where are the demands?" questioned Fudge. "Harry Potter is a celebrity. A target as high profile as him would gain any group notoriety, members, or a sizable ransom. If it is a kidnapping, as you are blatantly suggesting, what's their goal?"

"Minister, might I suggest something?" Dumbledore asked. "Perhaps this group's goals are not getting something from Mr. Potter, but ensuring there is something he can not get?" he said cryptically.

"Stop speaking in riddles! Tell us plainly!" Bagman demanded.

Dumbledore straightened up, sitting a little taller.

"The magical contract, that must be their goal. If Harry cannot compete, the Cup may find him in violation of the magically binding contract. After that, we don't know what will happen," Dumbledore concluded. Whispers and grumbles spread amongst the group.

"Then we must find Potter before February 24th," said Kingsly Shacklebolt, one of the assembled Aurors.

"We only have but one clue of what happened to Potter: a possible location of where he may be," Dumbledore said. The group grew uneasy. This was the first time such evidence had been mentioned. "However, I have encountered a problem. I have been scouring every book and map in the school, yet there has been no mention of the location's name anywhere."

"What was it called?" Asked Crouch.

"It is a rather odd name—" Dumbledore started before Fudge interrupted.

"Does that matter? You have a lead! Whatever the name, we must have the Ministry archives examined for any mention of this place, if it exists. Then we must—" Fudge was cut off by the sharp ringing of some magical object on Dumbledore's shelves. "What's that?" The school Headmaster picked up the device, silencing it.

"Something just slipped past the castle's anti-apparition wards, at the front gate," he said gravely. "We must hurry. Fawkes!" The red phoenix appeared beside him, engulfing the whole group in a red light. It felt remarkably like using the floo. When the light cleared, everyone was standing at the front gates of the castle. Those who were unfamiliar with phoenix fire stumbled. Dumbledore whispered to his familiar for a moment, before Fawkes vanished and returned with a rather startled Professor McGonagall.

"What is the meaning of this, Albus?!" Bagman demanded indignantly. Dumbledore had only to point forward to silence him.

There, floating in front of the group, centered in the courtyard was a dark void. A swirling mass of a black abyss that seemed to have been cut from the primordial nothingness that preceded the very universe. It pulsed in a sick imitation of a heartbeat, growing more erratic with each second.

"Albus... What is that thing?" Fudge sounded terrified.

"I don't know." Dumbledore drew his wand. "Be prepared for anything."

Everyone else followed suit, reflexively whipping out their wands, ready for the worst. But they couldn't have been ready for what came next. Twisting in on itself, the void spit something out onto the cobblestone. Or, rather, someone. A human boy, one with dark hair and glasses, dressed in Hogwarts robes. A boy everyone knew the name of.

Harry Potter had returned.
> Chapter 12: Back To School
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note to self: Interdimensional travel via chaos magic feels terrible.

Whenever Harry was summoned and returned by Twilight's spell, it was gentle. The sensation reminded Harry of flying on a broom at ludicrous speeds but without the harsh winds. Discord's spell felt like plummeting through a turbulent, dark, and unpredictable void. As Harry fell through the hole in reality he became aware of light at the bottom. Harry reached for it, hoping it would let him out.

When he passed through it, he was roughly tossed onto a cobblestone floor. A very cold cobblestone floor. Harry shivered, it felt like a blizzard out here. Harry tried to pull himself up, but his brain seemed to disagree very strongly.

"Oww..." Harry grabbed his (once again) throbbing head, only to realize that he had fingers, not hooves. He was human again! Harry looked up to the sky, recognizing the iconic spires and towers of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He resigned himself to accepting he was stuck with this headache and tried to pull himself up. As he looked back, he could see the dwindling void that Discord had cast him out of.

Where was Twilight?

"Harry, is that you?" a wizened voice asked. Harry spun around, much to his head's chagrin. In front of him stood Dumbledore, McGonagall, Bagman, Crouch, several aurors, and the minister of magic. All of them held their wands out defensively, as though Harry might be some rabid beast. "Harry, is it really you?" implored Dumbledore.

"Yes sir?" was Harry's simple reply. Who else would he be? To be fair, Harry was still processing the past few hours.

"I must be certain. Harry, who gave you your broomstick?" Harry was rather puzzled by Dumbledore's question but answered him regardless.

"McGonagall gave me the Nimbus, and Padfoot gave me the Firebolt," said Harry. He wondered why everyone looked so on edge.

Dumbledore sighed in relief, lowering his wand, and everyone followed suit.

"He's back! Thank Merlin, Harry Potter is—" Fudge was cut off by the void behind Harry.

Thrum...

Thrum...

THRUM...

The cut in the fabric of the universe gurgled, twisting in on itself. And, as it gave its last horrifying twist, one more body was thrust out of its domain, and the void vanished with an echoing pop.

Something in Harry commanded him to rush over and help this person, this girl, who was unmoving face-down on the stones. Harry rushed to the girl, who appeared to be roughly the same age as him, or at least a few years older. Her back was slowly rising and falling in ragged breaths. She was unconscious, obviously, but unharmed.

Harry took a closer look at the girl who had been dropped out of the portal. Harry turned her onto her back to see who she was. She was dressed in a light blue shirt, a purple knee-length skirt, and deep blue-purple shoes. While her clothing choice was somewhat normal, her physical appearance was anything but.

First off, her skin was purple. A light hue of purple, but purple regardless. Second was her hair. It reached past the small of her back, splayed out behind her. It was a much deeper shade of purple, with twin streaks of pink and dark violet. Of course, colored hair wasn't that unusual, but the style was similar to somepony Harry knew.

As Harry inspected her face closer, a strange sense of familiarity came over him. He knew this girl. He knew this color, this hair, her face, even her very presence was familiar. A strange emotion flickered in his chest.

"Twilight?" Harry whispered, more to himself than anyone else.

The girl's— Twilight's— eyelids fluttered briefly, squinting in Harry's shadow. Her eyes locked with Harry's, and the confusion slowly shifted to realization.

"Harry?" Twilight asked. Her body felt so shaky as if it had been rearranged. But her attention was quickly claimed by the figure— Harry— standing over her.

He looked so different to her. Was this what a 'human' looked like up close? Harry's face looked... squished. His nose and mouth looked like they were pushed back into his face. His ears were on the sides of his head, unmoving. But the eyes, hair, and scar were the same. Twilight knew this was her friend.

Harry launched himself to grab her in an embrace. Twilight tried her best to reciprocate the hug, but her limbs just moved about aimlessly. Harry chuckled as he corrected her arms to hug him properly.

Not too far away, the group of adults watched in utter confusion.

Harry pulled Twilight into a sitting position, trying his best to keep her steady as she struggled with balance.

"Where are we?" She looked up at the nearby architecture.

"Hogwarts. Discord must have dropped us off at a random location here," Harry supplied.

"Incredible. This is where you learn how to use your magic? It looks so... old."

"Nearly a thousand years old now, like Canterlot."

Twilight scoffed. "Could've fooled me. Canterlot still looks new by comparison." They shared a chuckle.

"Think you can stand?" Harry asked gently. Twilight nodded. Harry slung one of her arms over his shoulders and grabbed the other with his hand. "On two. One, two." Harry pulled her back to her feet. Harry let her put her weight on him as she got control of her shaky legs. Twilight's hands grabbed Harry's with a death grip. He noticed she was unbalanced and trying to stand on her toes. "Careful. You're not used to balancing on two legs. We walk on our heels and toes, the same as Spike does." Twilight slowly corrected herself. "You good?"

"I should be asking you, you're the one with the concussion." Her hand brushed against Harry's forehead, but he shied away from her touch.

"I'm not the one in a whole new body. So, are you okay?"

"I just need a second." The two simply stood as Twilight got a good grasp on her new form, uncaring for their audience. "I feel much better now." After a moment she looked up at the ancient walls. "I can't believe we're here. Can we go inside?"

"Okay, I'm sure you'll love it. I'd be happy to show you around." The two started with slow steps. "Just like Spike walks, heel then toes."

Twilight looked down at her feet as she tried to mimic Harry's footsteps. They walked in steady, careful unison. By the time they had walked half the distance separating them from the castle gates, McGonagall finally found her voice.

"Mr. Potter, would you care to explain whatever this is?" she demanded, gesturing vaguely towards him and Twilight. "Who is she?" Harry and the Equestrian shared a look and a nod.

"Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore, I would like you to meet my friend, Twilight Sparkle." Uneasy looks passed between Dumbledore and McGonagall in response, and several wands were raised.

"Hi, everypony. This place is really cool. Are you all teachers here?" Twilight asked innocently. But the wands didn't waiver.

"I'm afraid we'll be asking the questions here. Ms. Sparkle, you are going to be questioned for the kidnapping of Harry Potter. You will come quietly, or the aurors will use force," Fudge demanded.

Twilight and Harry stepped back in shock. Of all the reactions, this one they had not expected. The two shared scared glances as the aurors raised their wands and approached the two.

"What should we do?!" Twilight whispered to Harry.

"We need to get you out of here. Can you teleport?"

"I don't know, I just got here!"

"Can you try?" Harry demanded.

"Give me your hand."

Harry complied, and Twilight could feel his magic reaching out for hers. Twilight closed her eyes and focused on the magic within her. It was there, and it responded to her call. The two's magic hummed in the air. Twilight's eyes flashed purple, and the two were briefly coated in purple and green energy.

"Stop her!" One of the aurors shouted. But it was too late. Before any of them could let a spell loose the two vanished with a crackle of energy, leaving no trace of having been there.

"Merlin's beard, she took him! Again! They could be anywhere by now!" shouted Fudge.

Dumbledore inspected the ground where the two had stood. There was some light singeing on the grass, so this wasn't a normal apparition, which would have just cut the grass caught in transit.

"Not necessarily, Minister. This wasn't a disapparition. They may still be on the grounds."

"Then we must lock down the castle, and secure the grounds! Potter's life could depend on it!" exclaimed McGonagall.

"We will conduct a search once all of the students are in their common rooms. There's not a moment to lose." As soon as Dumbledore said this, and the aurors and McGonagall turned to alert the staff at once, Fawkes appeared on Dumbledore's shoulder.

"What is it Fawkes, did you find Harry?" The phoenix moved his head to look at some place within the castle with an uncanny confidence. Dumbledore followed his bird's gaze, thinking of where the phoenix was looking.

First floor, obviously. Maybe just past the marble staircase?

"The hospital wing," he said under his breath. And, with speed betraying his age, Dumbledore was off to find his missing student.
> Chapter 13: The Alibi
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

All was unusually quiet in the hospital wing, empty for the holidays. That was until two rather troublesome teenagers teleported five feet above the floor.

"Well, that wasn't— whoa!" said Twilight as the two teens fell in a tumble on the ground. The two lay there on the cold ground for a moment, listening to their heartbeats slow. Twilight turned her head to face Harry, who was lying down next to her. "You know, for your first assisted teleport, that wasn't too bad."

Harry held a hand up to his hair, which was frazzled and sizzling, his clothing was also letting off some smoke. He let out a mirthless laugh. "Not bad?"

"For your first time under stress, yes. I provided the magic, you selected the location, we arrived." Twilight picked herself up and looked about the room. It had multiple beds with blue sheets. She dusted her clothes off. What a weird sensation, clothes. She wasn't unfamiliar with wearing them, but humans wore them all the time. "Where are we?"

"The hospital wing. Didn't think anyone would look for us here." Harry affixed his fallen glasses back over his eyes but stayed on the floor. "I'm sorry about how everyone reacted. I don't know why they did that."

"They said something about 'kidnapping', which is weird."

"They must have thought you kidnapped me when I disappeared. But why did they think it was you? You were bringing me back. And did you see McGonagall's face? She recognized your name, I saw it!" Harry exclaimed, before rubbing his head. "Ow..."

"How bad is it?" Twilight asked, kneeling next to Harry.

"I'm fine. Trust me, this is nothing next to the Crystal Empire incident."

"If you insist." Twilight reached down to pull Harry up to his feet, although she nearly got taken down in the process. "Does anyone else know about Equestria?" Twilight asked.

"No, they couldn't have. I never told anyone anything. All of your letters are hidden... except..."

"Except what?"

"Except for the last letter you sent me! I didn't have time to hide it, and it went missing from my bag when you summoned me. I think Hermione stole it before you cast the spell," Harry deduced. He was furious that Hermione would go behind his back like that again!

"But that doesn't explain the time," Twilight said. "The first time I summoned you, you were asleep in bed. You spent several more days in Equestria than this time. We even had time to visit Canterlot! When you returned, you were in bed on the same night. But now everyone's acting like you've been gone for a week! What's with that?" she pondered aloud.

Harry was silent for a moment. What was different between this time and last time? The time spent couldn't be inversely proportional, right? Discord was a distinct possibility. Harry had stayed as long as he could last time, before-

"The Goblet," he said, receiving an epiphany. "The first time, I returned as soon as I felt the Goblet trying to call me back. This time, when I tried to go back—"

"You were knocked out!" Twilight finished. Harry winced at her volume.

"Careful, concussion over here."

"Oh, sorry." Twilight's volume dropped a little. "Discord said something was trying to reach you. That must be the reason time is messed up, the magical contract!"

"Then we should get moving. If the Ministry arrests you, things will spiral out of control," Harry said.

"Celestia will come for me, I'm sure. But if they make assumptions about her, as they did for me, it will be a disaster." Twilight paced back and forth. "I have no doubt she's more powerful than any wizard here, and if she moves the sun or moon too much..." She trailed off.

"It might expose the wizarding world," Harry finished. "We need to figure something out."

"Like an alibi? Something to redirect suspicion?"

"Exactly!" Harry exclaimed, before covering his ears. "Bloody headache."

"We can take care of that soon. We just need a story to tell..." Twilight thought to herself. "Foreign student?"

"Considering the other two schools here, it's believable, but it doesn't explain what happened," Harry countered. "What if you 'accidentally' summoned me?"

"Accidental foalnapping is still foalnapping."

"The word is kidnapped," Harry corrected.

"Same meaning. However, that still leaves me as the perpetrator. What if, instead, you were the one to cast the spell?"

Harry shook his head.

"Twilight, no one will believe that. I'm not that good at magic-"

"Hold your horses. Harry, you're plenty good at magic. Remember the Patronus? A hundred dementors and you repelled them, saving both your life and your godfather's. I've seen you practice your magic, you should be proud of yourself." Twilight placed her hand on Harry's shoulder.

"You really think I'm that good?" Harry smiled.

"I know you're that good. Besides, your transportation was an 'accident', wasn't it?" she said in a sly voice. Harry chuckled.

"Let's just hope we don't need that story. Now come on, let's go before Madame Pomfrey—"

The doors burst open.

"Goodness, what happened to you two?" came a voice from the hospital wing's entrance. Harry and Twilight turned and froze like deer in headlights. Madame Pomfrey, a kind but strict woman, walked into the room in a frenzy. "I step outside for thirty seconds, and already I have two new patients. What is the world coming to?" She inspected the two children. "Goodness, Harry, you're back! No wonder you're here! It's a miracle you haven't made yourself a permanent resident." She looked at Twilight. "My dear, you look horrendous. Did you get hit with one of those color jinxes? Honestly, the things they teach at this school." She grabbed the two by the arms and dragged them to adjacent beds.

"Hey, hands off! I'm fine, really! I'm pretty sure this is my normal color." Twilight protested.

"You're pretty sure? You're purple, dear, and clearly delirious. Now sit on the bed before I drag you to it." Came Madame Pomfrey's no-nonsense counter. Twilight reluctantly followed the nurse's instructions, sitting on the bed next to Harry's. Looked like their plans would have to wait.

"Now, let's see what can be done about that skin." Madame Pomfrey waved her wand over Twilight's skin, only to frown. "You said this was natural?" she asked. Twilight nodded. "I'll choose to believe you, for now. Now, Mr. Potter, are you aware of any injuries?"

"He has a concussion, and was out for nearly two days," Twilight said for him. Pomfrey nearly dropped the tray she was holding.

"A concussion! Why didn't you say so? Merlin's beard, you're gone for nearly two weeks, and you come back with a severe concussion!" She rushed off while her words sunk into the teens' minds.

"Two weeks!" they screeched. The last time Harry had been in Equestria, it had barely been a second later when he got back!

"That's why everyone was so on edge, what was four days for us was over a week for them! It must have been from me staying too long, that's why Discord sent us back!" Harry exclaimed.

"Hopefully we can get this whole 'kidnapping Harry Potter' cleared up. This has been one terrible misunderstanding after another," Twilight added.

Harry cringed. That was going to be very difficult to explain to Dumbledore.

"On that, we would agree." Harry and Twilight snapped to watch as Dumbledore burst through the hospital wing's doors, McGonagall close on his heels. "Hello again, my boy. And you must be Twilight Sparkle. Hopefully, we can start our talks on better terms this time, wouldn't you agree?" said the old man. "I see you've found yourself in the hospital wing, and Pomfrey has gotten a head start on her job." The aforementioned lady returned with a bottle of clear liquid.

"No thanks to you always bothering my patients. Potter, drink this, it'll help." She held out the vial, which Harry reluctantly gulped down. Thankfully, he noticed it lacked most of her medicine's unpleasant flavor, so he drank it down gladly. He still would have preferred a potion from Zecora, they at least tasted good. Almost immediately, the fog on Harry's head lifted.

"Now, Mr. Potter, I believe proper introductions and explanations are due," Dumbledore said as he walked up to the two teens. "I believe there's been a lapse of information. For the past week and a half, we've been under the impression you've been abducted."

"First off, I didn't 'abduct' Harry," corrected Twilight, climbing out of the bed. "We were planning a weekend visit, I just got the time wrong. He stayed because he wasn't in any condition to travel with a head injury. No foal- er- kidnapping, just a visit between friends." Dumbledore's left eyebrow raised.

McGonagall stepped forward.

"You must understand, Ms. Sparkle, that Harry's removal from Hogwarts in the midst of the Triwizard Tournament is a serious event. Especially as he left no note about his whereabouts."

"Sorry about that, professor. We thought no one would notice. We believed I would only be gone a second or two here, like last time," Harry apologized.

"Last time? So you've done this before? And no one noticed your disappearance? How does that work?" the old man inquired.

Harry realized he might have said a bit too much. Thankfully, Twilight decided to bail him out.

"We tried the summoning spell before the first task. He spent a few days with me and my friends, then I returned him. Turns out, for your... location... it was only a second or two. I believe the difference between the last time was Harry's concussion, which delayed his return. Between that and Discord, the time difference makes some sense."

"'Location'? Well, this is certainly interesting. Equestria, I'm guessing?" Harry's and Twilight's eyes opened wide. This was going to ruin their alibi!

"How did you—"

"It was the letter, Hermione stole it!" Harry yelled. It had to be her! His letter was missing, and Hermione was on the same side as the bag!

"Miss Granger had only the best intentions, I assure you. When you disappeared she brought it straight to me. The only ones who know its contents are myself and the heads of the houses."

"Considering Snape is included, I'm not relieved," deadpanned Harry.

"I get you trust him, but he hates Harry. It's unprofessional," Twilight added in a cold tone.

"As... unyielding as Snape may seem, he has sworn to keep this secret-"

"Like he did Lupin's lycanthropy?" Twilight rebutted. She had thrown quite a fit when she had learned Lupin's fate the year prior, something about 'judging by the cover of the book'. "Snape cost him his job, possibly ruined his life!"

"Yes, that was a rather unfortunate event. I promise this will be different. However, I currently find myself more interested in hearing the whole truth of the matter," Dumbledore deflected. "Such as: where you took my student, and how you and Harry met."

Harry and Twilight shared a look. This was a moment they had dreaded when they would have to risk the exposure of the (somewhat) peaceful land of Equestria to the chaotic human world. Both had preferred to avoid that topic at all costs, but now it appeared they had no choice.

Harry cleared his throat.

"Well, I guess it's best that we start at the beginning."
> Chapter 14: Two Truths, Two Lies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It started before I got my Hogwarts letter, when I started paying attention to the weird things around me. I was ten, I think. I was having a bad day. I accidentally outscored my cousin on a big test, and he was jealous. I was forced to play 'Harry Hunting' with my cousin and his gaggle of bullies. After I got away, I wrote down how bad the Dursley family was, then hid the paper under my pillow. It was a way for me to vent, I guess. When I woke up the next day, it was gone. I thought my aunt had found the letter and was going to punish me for it. Hopefully just a day without food. But nothing happened, the letter was gone," Harry stated, nervously rubbing his hands together. It was a well-known secret that Harry hated talking about his muggle life.

Twilight placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She was definitely going to force him to attend therapy.

"That same day, I received a letter from someone I didn't know," Twilight continued. "I wrote back, one thing led to another, and we tried to send letters when we could. I suppose that's where our friendship started. Harry's ability wasn't strong enough to consistently reply to my letters, but we managed. When he told me about Hogwarts, I realized Harry had magic that could cast spells. I started looking for a spell that could help him. I sent instructions to teach him a spell to send small items, like paper, through a stable teleport."

"Since then, we've been in regular contact. Unless something special occurs, we usually write to each other once or twice a month. I like to tell her about my magical studies and misadventures."

"And I do the same with my letters. I tell him about many of my adventures in Ponyville," Twilight finished. She and Harry shared a look, silently agreeing that was enough information.

Dumbledore and McGonagall looked silently at the two, thinking.

"You didn't recognize Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, had magic?" McGonagall inquired.

"I had never heard of Harry before. And I know many... people... who have more innate connections to magic. I didn't think much of it at first. I do live very far away from here."

"Ponyville, right?" Dumbledore questioned.

"The town I live in." Twilight answered.

"So Equestria is not a single location, but something larger?"

Twilight and Harry nodded.

"Equestria is my homeland, Ponyville is where I lived after I moved from the capital, Canterlot," Twilight explained. "Outside contact is... complicated."

Twilight was starting to form the beginning of her cover story. Equestria would be a foreign land that intentionally stayed hidden. It would explain cultural differences easily enough, along with magical abilities and physical appearance. It also conveniently provided a cover for where Harry had been.

"And speaking of contact, when and how did you two first meet in person?" Dumbledore asked.

"Before the first task," said Harry.

"It took me a while to find the right spell, the Star Swirl the Bearded section on extraplanar travel is very incomplete. But, through hard work and study, I managed to find a spell to transport Harry to Equestria. When I heard about the Tournament, we decided to test out the spell. He spent a while in Ponyville with me and my friends. However, he did have to return."

"How strange we never noticed," Dumbledore pondered aloud.

"When I came back, no time had passed from when I left. We suspect is to be an effect of the spell," Harry elaborated.

"Some form of time dilation as a side-effect," Twilight explained. "It's why Harry vanished mid-day." Harry nodded.

"Anyways, we continued our letters until last Friday. I was planning to come back before things got out of hand, but I was delayed by my concussion. Discord had to send me back. I'm still not sure how the time part works, but we're working on it."

"How interesting. Time is always such a fickle thing, I'm certain you would remember, Harry." A gleam sparked from within Dumbledore's eyes. "This place, Equestria, what is it like?"

Harry hummed to himself for a moment, thinking heavily. Equestria was surprisingly difficult to describe, there was nothing on Earth to compare. Even Twilight's descriptions fell short of the real thing.

"First off, there's magic. Like, a lot of magic. The clouds, plants, animals, even the dirt, it all overflows with magical energy. More magic than I thought existed. Everyone knows about it. And those who live there, magical or otherwise, each have their own branch of magic unique to them. Not everyone casts spells. Some control the weather, and others influence the earth and plants. Second, it's relatively peaceful. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of dangerous stuff, but little of it is truly malicious in nature. A significant conflict only occurs every few thousand years. It's incredible, all of it."

"Fascinating. An entire country filled with magic. The Ministry would call this the discovery of the millennia," Dumbledore said, stroking his beard.

"Which is exactly why we must keep my home a secret for now, please," Twilight pleaded, moving to take a seat next to her friend. "I'm only here for Harry's sake."

"I understand, my child. We will... fabricate the proper explanation," Dumbledore said with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "For now, Mr. Potter's disappearance is a result of his training for the tournament, a magical mishap. Ms. Sparkle here is a longtime friend of Harry's and was nursing him back to health after his latest... misadventure."

"Oddly enough, that's not too far from my plan," Twilight said. "Not to say I'm a good liar or anything."

"Excellent. So, this sounds agreeable?" The old wizard paused, waiting for them to speak, and smirked as the two teens nodded and winked. "Ah, splendid. I'm certain we'll have to make use of that cover soon."

As if by some prophetic power, the minister and his aurors walked into the hospital wing at that moment. They were quick to spot the headmaster.

"Dumbledore, where were you? We're trying to start the search for— oh. I see you've found Potter and apprehended the perpetrator. Well done. We'll take it from here."

The minister gestured for his escorts to grab Twilight, whose hand started to spark with energy behind her back, unseen by the aurors. The minister's security stopped when Dumbledore stepped between them. He raised a placating hand, silently asking them to stop and listen to him.

"I'm quite afraid that won't be necessary. For you see, I've been having a lovely conversation with these two, and it would appear that our assumptions were entirely wrong. There was nothing malicious in Harry's disappearance, only a magical mishap. Isn't that right?" Twilight and Harry nodded eagerly, the former letting her magic dissipate.

"Why the sudden disappearance then?" Fudge demanded.

"Lack of practice with the spell. Harry's been training very hard for the tournament," Twilight countered. A technical truth.

"Why he never returned for a whole week?"

"I got a concussion. I landed on my head when I arrived at Twilight's home." Both of Harry's claims were true, just not together. "Ask Madame Pomfrey, she was just treating me for it."

"It's true." The old lady, who had wisely chosen to keep quiet, spoke in Harry's defense. "That boy had the nastiest headache walking in here. Fixed him right up." Fudge blanched.

"Albus, clearly you can see this is fabricated. A string of coincidences?"

"A concussion is not a coincidence. I was unconscious, nothing suspicious," Harry said.

"So, this was just one of the biggest overreactions in wizarding history?" Fudge asked.

The two nodded in unison.

"Eyup," they said in their best Big Mac impression.

"I can't believe how much sleep I lost over this! Mr. Potter, you seem to have made it your personal mission to force me to retire early. I need a vacation." Fudge stumbled for a moment, before latching onto a bed. The aurors looked to be a mix of exasperation, irritation, and relief.

"I believe that concludes your business here, minister," Dumbledore said. "You should probably return to your duties at the Ministry, no?" Fudge numbly nodded his head.

"So that's it? We all just walk away?" asked Kingsley. When no one objected he tucked his wand away and turned to leave. "I guess we can leave then. I think I'll be visiting Hogsmead for a drink on my way out. You all feel free to join, might do you some good." And with that, he waved goodbye and left the hospital wing with the other aurors trailing along. Fudge was only a few seconds behind them, with a distant and tired look in his eyes. When they had all left the room, McGonagall was quick to turn to Harry.

"Mr. Potter, one of these days you're going to give someone a heart attack! You should have been more thoughtful before practicing such advanced magic! I'd give you detention if I weren't so relieved to see you," scolded the transfiguration teacher, who looked about ready to faint.

Twilight leaned in to whisper in Harry's ear. "I told you they'd believe you. Have a little faith, okay?"

McGonagall resumed talking. "But, I'm glad that you're back safe and sound, and I'm certain your friends will be too." At McGonagall's words, Twilight realized something else.

"Oh no, I didn't get time to tell the others! Discord banished us before we could tell them!" She vanished in a pink flash of magic, reappearing across the room to pace. "They're probably so worried, or what if they don't know, or what if they think-"

Harry was quick to interrupt.

"I'm sure they're fine, Twilight. Besides we just need to send a letter to Equestria, then Spike can send a letter to Princess Celestia asking her to cast the spell to return you. Or you could message her directly. No big deal."

Twilight deflated at Harry's words.

"You put a lot of thought into that, didn't you?" she said dejectedly, visibly slouching.

"Sort of? I've been thinking about that since Pomfrey cured the concussion."

McGonagall cleared her throat.

"As riveting as this is, I would like to know who this 'Princess Celestia' is. We all thought it was an alias, along with 'Princess Luna' and 'Twilight Sparkle'," said the transfiguration professor.

"As would I. It seems there are many more things we're missing here," Dumbledore said.

Harry and Twilight nodded in understanding, the latter moving back to stand next to her friend.

"First off, my name is Twilight Sparkle. It took me a week to convince Harry, is my name that unusual?"

"It is a little odd," McGonagall confessed.

"It's a perfectly normal name," Twilight replied. "And as for Princess Celestia, she's the monarch of my homeland," Twilight supplied.

"She is Twilight's teacher, and the ancient ruler of all of Equestria, along with her younger sister Luna. I got to meet them once," Harry added with certainty in his voice. Twilight face-palmed herself, frustrated that Harry might have revealed Celestia's age. Dumbledore merely quirked an eyebrow.

"I doubt this Celestia is truly ancient, perhaps merely long-lived. Nothing lives forever, Harry. Even powerful artifacts such as the philosopher's stone were not perfect solutions to aging."

Twilight snickered behind Dumbledore.

"So says the man with a pet phoenix. Celestiais thousands of years old, and has ruled Equestria longer than most of my history books can detail." She whispered to herself.

"If I'm not mistaken," continued Harry, oblivious, "there might be a small sect that worships her as their goddess."

"She doesn't approve of them," Twilight corrected Harry. "She has actively denied the title of 'Goddess of Equestria', 'Diety of the Sun', and every other title that proclaims divinity in her name."

Dumbledore looked surprised.

"Still, she is fairly old, nothing next to Discord, but looks great for her age," Twilight finished.

"And Discord is...?" McGonagall asked. Harry sat up a little taller in bed. He thought back to his one-time meeting with Discord, and the many more times the Element bearers had talked about him, Fluttershy in particular. He could be... troublesome to explain. He had to break this slowly. If he kept calm this would be easier.

"Discord is the physical embodiment of the primordial spirit of chaos and disharmony. The most powerful being in all existence, far as I know. He can throw the balance of nature into turmoil on a whim as a joke. He's reformed now, but he can still rewrite reality on the fly, thinks it's fun or something. I think he's currently living in some outer dimension of his creation." Harry said nonchalantly.

Harry looked at Twilight's exasperated face and realized that might have been a bit too much information. Twilight slapped her hand over her face.

"Too much, Harry, way too much."

McGonagall and Dumbledore looked at each other, dumbfounded. Harry was describing a previously unknown kingdom, filled with magical royalty and personified aspects of reality. It sounded rather like a fairy tale to them. And yet, something about their stories just made a little too much nonsense to be completely fabricated. McGonagall sat down on another bed, processing the earth-shattering information.

"Well, Mr. Potter, that's one more thing for you to worry about, on top of the ball and tournament." She said mirthlessly.

A weight dropped in Harry's stomach. A whole week passed and he still had no girl! If today was Friday, he had less than a few days left! What was he going to do!?

"You do have a partner, don't you?" McGonagall looked Harry deep in the eyes, despite his best efforts to avoid them. "Merlin's ghost, you're going to embarrass Gryffindor."

Harry blushed in shame.

"I could go," Twilight said.

Everyone turned to look at Twilight in shock and, in McGonagall's case, joy.

"It can't be too different from Celestia's Grand Galloping Galas. I'll see if my friend Rarity can make a dress for my human self, and I'll need to learn to dance, but I can go with Harry." She shared a glance with her friend. "Is that okay?"

And while the two adults were pondering over the fact that Twilight just revealed she wasn't human, Harry was dumbstruck. Finally, he spoke.

"Thank Celestia, I won't be going with Parvati Patil!"





Once Madame Pomfrey had given the two a clean bill of health, Dumbledore and McGonagall had taken their leave. The two walked down the hallways toward Dumbledore's office, pondering the day's many surprises.

"At least Fudge is off their backs, for now. That story might not hold forever, especially if the Ministry decides to investigate," McGonagall said next to Dumbledore.

"I trust Fudge will not dig into the matter if cares about his career. Any information leaks would reveal Harry's disappearance, which he wanted to keep hidden. Their cover will hold." The two walked for a minute more in the silent halls.

"I don't know what to think of it," McGonagall said abruptly. "Harry seems unharmed, at least physically, but the things he talked about..."

"They are quite unbelievable," Dumbledore finished her sentence. He too had pondered the nature of Harry's return. "And, yet, Harry believes what he said with a strong conviction. He is not lying."

"About a magical country that no one knew existed? It can't all be true, Albus. He must be mistaken. What they describe is not possible. Ms. Sparkle's homeland stretches the imagination beyond realistic."

"I find it concerning," Dumbledore said.

The two eventually reached the griffin that served as the door to Dumbledore's office. Once they entered the room the two took a seat as Dumbledore poured out a drink.

"Concerning, how?" McGonagall asked the headmaster.

"While they never lied, they weren't telling the full truth. Ms. Sparkle tried to deflect from her ruler's age, and that she was worshiped as a goddess. I suspect we heard a watered-down version. Whatever their reason to lie, whatever they left out, must have scared them to reveal. Sometimes a convenient lie is easier to tell. What Harry and Twilight described is nothing short of impossible. And where the impossible is concerned, great power always follows. This... Discord creature aside, the sheer volume of magic available in Equestria is cause for concern."

"Miss Sparkle was performing wandless magic," McGonagall noted. "Wands are powerful focusing elements for wizards, we both know this. Few witches and wizards can perform at a substandard level without one. But Ms. Sparkle, you saw what she was doing, she was using magic without a wand on her person. To cast that apparition and lightning, all without verbal components or a wand, means she must be very powerful."

"My our measures, yes. But clearly not by Equestria's standards," Dumbledore stated. He was silent for a moment longer before speaking.

"Harry said Twilight was a student, a learner. She clearly has yet to reach her full potential. All that skill gained under the tutelage of a princess whom Harry accidentally described as ancient. To be regarded as a deity by her subjects, she must be frighteningly strong, possibly more so than me," Dumbledore confessed.

McGonagall looked like she had been hit with a stunning spell.

"Please do not say that, Albus."

"But it may be true, Minerva. Ever since I defeated Grindelwald, I have been regarded as the most powerful wizard alive. Perhaps we were wrong. As much as Harry believes he speaks the truth, I hope he is wrong."

"To think, all that power and worship as a god. To rule an entire country as its monarch on top of it."

"And, if what Harry implied was correct, everlasting life. He described Princess Celestia as ancient. One can only hope he she is not immortal."

"Many would kill for that kind of power."

"One has," Dumbledore said ominously. "It would be wise to keep this information limited to the two of us. I dread to think what the Dark Lord could do with such information. He has craved power since before the start of the war. If he discovers a potential source of immortality, whether it exists or not, he will stop at nothing to have it."

"So what do we do, Albus?" McGonagall asked.

"There is very little we can do. I fear what will happen if the wizarding world and Equestria come to blows. For now, it's best we keep Sparkle away from the other students, and keep her home secret. This is a secret the Dark Lord must never discover."

McGonagall nodded solemnly.

"For all our sakes."
> Chapter 15: Friends Old And New
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the two professors opted to leave, Harry and Twilight let go of the breath they had metaphorically been holding in.

"Did we overdo it?" Harry asked.

"I don't think so. We kept secret the fact that I foalnapped you, Equestria is in a parallel dimension, Celestia is an alicorn and I'm a unicorn, and the extent of my spell's time dilation," Twilight said.

"So that's good. We played it safe," Harry replied.

"But you also might have revealed Celestia is immortal and Discord, well, exists. So, six out of ten," Twilight deadpanned.

"Ponyfeathers." Harry cursed. "I can't lie to save my life."

"I prefer to think of it as an endearing quality," Twilight teased, her serious tone disappearing. She pushed Harry to the side to sit on the bed better. "I'm not much better. Besides, I'm just glad to be here, with you."

"Thanks, Twilight. I don't think I tell you that enough."

"You tell me plenty, I have a ton of letters to prove it. Speaking of, I believe we had one to write—" Twilight cut herself off, her head tilting slightly. It was a shame humans couldn't move their ears like ponies. "—Someone's coming."

"Probably Ron and Hermione," Harry guessed. "You should leave. There might be some things Madame Pomfrey needs to tell you about being human," Harry suggested.

The two waited until the footsteps reached the door; Twilight waved goodbye as she vanished in a ball of pink light.

Well, time for a second round of lies.





"Harry!"

Ron and Hermione rushed themselves to the hospital wing as soon as they heard their friend had returned. After rushing up the marble staircase, they barged into the hospital wing as fast as possible. They saw Harry there alone, with Twilight out to discuss some important details about the human, and more so the female, anatomy. Not that they were aware of that last detail, of course.

"We're so glad you're okay!" Hermione said. The two ran at Harry to envelop him in a crushing hug, only to trip and fall when he vanished in a flash of emerald light. The two looked panicked from the floor.

"He's gone again! We need to tell the headmaster!" Ron shouted.

Harry, who had just teleported behind them, audibly chuckled and twirled his wand. His hair and clothes might have looked like they were on the wrong end of a Blast-Ended Skrewt, but Harry didn't mind at the moment. He could teleport.

"I'm right here, Ron. And I'm fine, it's just teleportation," Harry said. He sat down on a nearby bed as the two got up.

"You mean apparition," Hermione tried to correct him.

"Nope, teleportation. It's a surprisingly different and neat trick a friend taught me."

"How does it work?" Hermione asked curiously. Harry frowned.

"Maybe I'd tell you if you weren't stealing from me, Hermione." Hermione's head dropped in shame. "There were half a dozen different things you could have done, and yet you somehow chose the worst one of all. You stole from me, and you infringed on my and my friend's privacy. I know you were concerned, but I want you to trust me!" Harry glared down at his friends.

"I thought it was a bad idea," said Ron.

Harry quirked an eyebrow.

"So you knew." It wasn't a question.

"Not at first, she didn't tell me until Snape left the room when you vanished," Ron replied.

"So Hermione went behind both of our backs for no reason, again?" Harry said in a harsh voice. "Hermione, you're making it hard to stay friends. The Firebolt was rude, but I will not tolerate my letters being intercepted, Dobby can attest to that."

Harry turned away from Hermione. Seriously, who did she think she was?

"I'm sorry Harry. It's just, well..." As Hermione fumbled for words, Ron stepped forward.

"We hate not being able to help you. We can't do anything about this blasted tournament, we thought you might have been in trouble. Sorry."

Harry sighed. These two were quite the class act, weren't they? In hindsight, Harry realized he should have been more selective with whom he associated, but not everyone has the luxury of choosing friends, did they?

"I'm not mad at you Ron, just Hermione. She stole from me, that's not something I can forgive in a day. I just... I just need some time, alright? Magic of friendship or not, I need space," Harry said slowly. The two looked at him weirdly.

"So, you're not mad at me?" Ron asked again.

Harry facepalmed. What was he going to do with him?

"Equestria's making me soft. Just try not to do that, Ron."

"Oh, uh, good," Run stuttered. "Then- Well, I guess we'll head back to the common rooms. We were told to go back there for some reason, but we snuck away."

"All of the students going to Hogsmeade have to wait another half hour," Hermione interjected.

"So, we'll be back there waiting, if Pomfrey lets you out today, that is."

"Alright, I'll see what happens," Harry said noncommittally. He waved, signaling that they had overstayed their welcome.

Harry watched as the two left with a small hunch in their steps. He wanted nothing more than to open his arms for a hug and be reciprocated by his reconciled friends. He wished the three could be like that forever, bundled in friendship, but it wouldn't happen, not now anyway.

Friendship had to be earned sometimes.





When Hermione and Ron left the hospital wing, reassured yet disappointed, Harry let out another sigh of relief.

"Okay, they're gone!" he said to the open air. A second later, a flash of pink magic signaled Twilight's reappearance in the hospital wing. She looked unreasonably smug.

"Well, that went well," she said.

"You were listening?" Harry asked.

"Of course not. I'm making an educated guess. You're looking better," Twilight replied. "So, how did it go? Are you glad to see your friends?"

Harry grimaced in response.

"I think I just trashed my two best human friendships. Today has been... strange, tiring," Harry said, sitting back down.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Twilight asked. She moved to sit next to Harry, shoulder to shoulder with the younger teen, placing a reassuring hand on his opposite arm. Harry leaned into Twilight's embrace, thinking.

"This whole day is a mess, Twilight. I poured out a lot of emotions today. Equestria, the Dursleys, you, there's so much to go through," Harry confessed. Twilight had a bittersweet smile on her face.

"Next time you visit, I'm dragging you to the nearest therapist. You need one. There's a nice one in Ponyville, and I will not take no for an answer."

"You can't order me to therapy. You may be Celestia's most faithful student, but you're not a princess," Harry said flatly.

"Then I'll ask Cadance to do it. I'm sure my dearest sister-in-law wouldn't mind writing an official order mandating your attendance," Twilight threatened. "Harry, what the Dursleys did is abuse, it's called neglect. Your needs were intentionally not met. Over nine years of that, you are going to therapy whether you want it or not."

"No one else seems to care. You saw the professors, they were asking about Equestria, not my well-being."

"Not to play Nightmare Moon's advocate, but Dumbledore was asking those questions. McGonagall thought I foalnapped you," Twilight countered. "The way you described the magical and non-magical people of this world being separate, a magical problem is more familiar to your teachers than non-magical human behavior."

"That doesn't excuse it," Harry grumbled. Twilight nodded.

"No, it doesn't. But, you admitted there's a problem that needs to be addressed." Twilight said. Harry realized she'd boxed him in. He hated that she could read him like one of her books sometimes. But, it meant she understood him.

"Why is therapy such a big deal to you?"

"Because I care, Harry." Her grip on him tightened, but nowhere near the point of discomfort. "I want to be here, to help." Harry let his head drop a bit.

"I can't keep dragging you into my problems, Twilight. I got you dragged into my world. And until we get a letter to Celestia, you're stuck here."

"You're deflecting from the problem—"

"We got our work cut out for us," Harry finished speaking.

Twilight took a deep breath, frowning slightly.

"We will continue this later, Harry, make no mistake. But, I suppose there are other things to consider, like the age gap," Twilight added. Harry looked at her confused.

"Age gap?" Harry asked. What did she mean by that?

"Yeah, the age gap. I was talking to Madame Pomfrey about the human body, which is really weird by the way. Turns out, while I'm a full-grown pony in Equestria, I'm barely an adult here. Biologically, I'm younger in this world. I suspect the gap closes with age."

"Huh, weird. You know what, I think we can safely ignore that for now," Harry said, not wanting to unpack that can of worms. "That issue aside, we should get out of here, somewhere less prone to distractions." He eyed the doors, almost expecting someone to come bursting through.

"Alright then, have any ideas? I believe you promised me a tour. Maybe your common room?" Twilight asked, but Harry shook his head.

"I'd rather not explain to the Gryffindors why I'm with a purple girl." Harry quipped.

"Is purple an uncommon skin tone? Or is it like Zecora's coat, in that people don't have it?" She replied innocently.

"Yeah, kind'a?" Harry said awkwardly. "Humans are rather... monochromatic."

"Big word." Twilight teased.

"Laugh it up." Harry playfully pushed her. "Anyways, humans don't have a varied array of colors compared to ponies. Purple is not a color humans naturally have. My skin tone here is the same as my fur in Equestria, and my mane's color became my hair's. The latter you don't have to worry about, some people dye hair with colors, like purple." Harry said, flicking a stray strand of Twilight's hair.

"I'll find a proper disguise then."

"How about my invisibility cloak?" Harry suggested.

"I can't spend all day under that thing. A simple illusion spell should suffice."

"Then I know the perfect place." Harry jumped off the bed, spinning around to face Twilight. "How about the library?" Twilight was off the bed quicker than Harry could blink, nearly nose-to-nose with the boy.

"Library!? For Celestia's sake, yes! Why didn't you open with that?" Twilight said, practically vibrating with energy. She bolted to the doors. "Well, come on!"

"Actually, we should avoid the hallways." Harry said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "I was hoping we could teleport there. I kind of like it." Twilight rolled her eyes.

"You seem to like teleporting. Let me guess, you tried a line-of-sight teleport while I was gone?" She said with a roll of her eyes. "Going to the library from here is much more difficult. You've teleported, what, twice? You're a talented wizard, but you probably can't make it past the doors," Twilight lectured gently. Harry nodded.

"Then how about an assisted teleport? Please?" Harry held his hand out to her, hopeful.

"Fine, just this once. However, we will be walking everywhere else. Let's go."

Twilight and Harry shared a smile before she held Harry's hand in her own. There was a shimmer of emerald and pink light as the two disappeared into the air.





When Harry and Twilight appeared in the library, they were relieved to find it empty of all occupants. Thankfully, only a few Ravenclaws ever came here during the break. Twilight looked up and down the rows of thousands of books in awe.

"That's a lot of books," Twilight said. She held out a hand, and several nearby books from a table floated up at her command. She flipped through the pages rapidly, swapping from book to book. She closed them after a moment. "Oh, good, I can read these. That would make its own host of problems. So, what would you recommend I read first?"

Harry tapped his chin thoughtfully. Before the tournament, he hadn't spent much time here for anything but studying for his classes.

"I think the reference section is a good place to start, unless you want to go to the invisibility section." Harry pointed in the general direction of the two sections.

"You have a whole section on invisibility?" Twilight asked.

"No, the section and all the books in it are invisible. It makes finding things easier, not that I use it," Harry explained. Harry felt weird, having to be the one doing the explaining.

"Reference section it is."

"This way." Harry led her toward a nearby row of shelves. "This is the reference—"

"And who might you be?" a voice said. Harry turned to see the librarian, Madame Pince, standing behind the two. "More unruly students?" Her judging gaze landed on Twilight, who seemed relatively unfazed.

"Twilight, this is Madame Pince, the librarian," Harry said.

"We're here to read some books. This is a really cool library, lots of really good books," Twilight said excitedly, eying the books. Pince merely quirked an eyebrow.

"I am the caretaker of these books, I will know if any of my books are damaged, stolen, or defaced," said Pince in a serious voice.

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Twilight protested, shocked Pince could suggest such a thing. "I care about books, I really do. Where I live, I'm actually a librarian myself," she said proudly. She stretched out her hand and several books floated from their shelves to hover next to her. She checked the titles before putting them back on their shelves. "Harry suggested the reference section to start, so, here we are."

Madame Pince raised an eyebrow.

"If you're looking for a book on more wandless magic, it would do you well to know all books pertaining to the subject are in the restricted section." She pointed to the line separating said section from the rest of the library. "It is not a subject taught in class."

"Wandless magic is a thing?" Harry asked. "I thought that was just one of Twilight's skills."

"A rare and rather unused ability, few have the skill or patience to practice it," Pince corrected. "The invention of the wand made it obsolete in the eyes of most wizards. The school of Uagadou in Africa is the only school known for teaching it as an elective. If you wish to read about it, you will need my or a teacher's permission."

"Well, I'll be sure to check it out later. I love learning for the sake of knowing," Twilight mused. "But we're looking for spells to put an illusion over this." She gestured to her skin. Madame Pince had the strangest reaction, a weird look on her face. She was smirking.

"Then might I recommend Eye of the Beholder: Magic and Color? It might have what you are looking for." Madame Pince waved her wand, and a new book floated down. Its cover was an eye-bleeding technicolor rainbow and each page was a different color. "I will admit my eyes have trouble reading it, but it should suffice. And remember what I said about how you treat my books, it would be a shame to lose a fellow librarian." Madame Pince gave another cursory inspection of Twilight before she disappeared to return to her desk.

"I think that went well. We found our book," said Twilight as she sat down with her book.

"It was weird. She's never that helpful to us. She's always looking at us like we're going to eat her library or something," Harry said, sitting down.

"Maybe she just requires an academic perspective?" Twilight guessed.

"Favoritism, you're both librarians," Harry deduced. Twilight rolled her eyes as she started reading.

"I'm recognizing some of the basics here, but a lot of the magic is foreign to me. Spike, could you fetch me a book on magical basics, spell construction, wandlore, and possibly a history of magic?" Twilight said as she stood up to browse the shelves. Harry raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Twilight, it's me, Harry. We left Spike back home," he deadpanned. Twilight paused, mind catching up to her mouth.

"I'm going to have to get used to that."

"I'll help since your number one assistant can't." Harry got up and began browsing alongside his friend. "Standard Book of Spells?" Twilight plucked the book from Harry's hand.

"Yes."

"History of Spell Creation?"

"Absolutely."

"Rune Reading for the Illiterate?"

"I'm sorry?"

"That's the book title," Harry said. He dropped the last book down as Twilight read the rest, all sitting open in front of her. "What do you need all this for?"

"I'm trying to figure out how to cast the spell. It's different than how we learn spells in Equestria," Twilight explained. "Do you remember the first time you visited, and I tried to teach you some magic? You asked for incantations and 'horn movements' of the spell."

Thinking back, Harry distinctly remembered that event. He had spent what felt like hours trying to explain that spells needed incantations and wand movements, while she had insisted there was no such thing for unicorns. The whole day had been wasted on Harry unlearning to cast Wingardium Leviosa to make an object float. If Harry had to guess, Twilight was going through the opposite problem, trying to work around the need for a wand.

"It's like trying to read in another language. I have to find out why the words and actions make the spell 'go'. When I get that figured out, I can isolate the magical properties of the spell, and replicate it with magic I'm familiar with."

"So you're translating magic," Harry surmised Twilight's explanation. "You're probably one of the greatest magic users I've met, doing that. Only a few minutes of study, and you're practically inventing new magic."

"Don't discount your achievements, Harry." Twilight looked up from her books to face him. "You've been translating magic subconsciously, using both this whole time. You can teleport, that's an Equestrian spell I taught you. You're basically bilingual in magic." Harry blushed at the compliment.

"High praise from a student of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. You finish your studies, I'll find a quill."

Harry stood up again while Twilight read further. He drifted from row to row, picking up a stray quill, some ink, and a spare roll of parchment along the way. When he returned, Twilight was knee-deep in study, books orbiting her as she read further into the nature of wizarding magic. Harry placed the spoils of his search on the table and sat down next to Twilight.

"Hey, Twilight, I got us some parchment. We can send a letter back," he said proudly. "What do we tell them?"

"The truth, I guess. We're in your world, safe and sound. I'll tell you to write instructions for sending Celestia the spell to bring us back."

"Alright, how about this." Harry dipped his quill and wrote a quick message down.

Dear Spike

It's me, Harry. Twilight's here with me, we're both fine. Discord sent me back to my world, and Twilight got caught along for the ride. Twilight's a human now, but she is adjusting. We're at my school and, for now, everything is fine. There was a minor mix-up, someone thought Twilight foalnapped me because I've been missing for nearly two weeks in this world. Thank Celestia everything's cleared up now. We're doing well.

"How's that?" Harry asked.

"Good. Now we just need to tell him what's next. Write down exactly what I say." Twilight commanded. Harry wrote down her next words diligently.

Spike, Twilight needs you to send her notes on the transport spell to Princess Celestia with this note attached. The notes are next to her bed in a small saddle bag. Take the notes that say 'Transport and Summoning' and tie them together. When that's done, place this letter on it and send it to the princess.

Signed,

Harry Potter and Twilight Sparkle.

P.S.

Princess Celestia, if you are reading this, please do not be alarmed. We are okay. I'm in Harry's world. I'm a human, but I still have my magic. I promise we will update you as often as you permit.

Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.

Harry put down the quill letting Twilight read over the letter.

"Looks good. I think you can send it," she said. Harry held up the letter, wand in hand, and tapped the paper twice. The two watched it disappear as he cast the spell. "You know, that's the first spell I've seen you cast with your wand. Holly and Phoenix feather, right?"

"Yes."

"Curious," she said, to which Harry rolled his eyes. Luna have mercy if Twilight met Ollivander.

The two fell into a cozy silence as Twilight returned to her books and spells.

Harry leaned back in his seat, waiting for her research to finish. He suppressed the urge to yawn, tired from a trying day.

I'll just rest my eyes until she's done.

Harry's eyelids slowly drifted downward as wakefulness slipped away. He never noticed when his head rolled onto Twilight's shoulder, falling fast asleep.
> Chapter 16: Shopping Trip
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Twilight noticed Harry had fallen asleep, she couldn't bring herself to move him, he deserved his rest. Plus, he wasn't bothering her. She smiled fondly at Harry.

You know, for being one of the most unintentionally paranoid boys in this school, he looks so peaceful when he sleeps. It's kinda cute.

Twilight blushed as she realized how closely she was paying attention to Harry's sleeping form.

He's struggled so much, he deserves something nice in his life. If I can supply a happy memory or two, who am I to deny him friendship? Besides, it's not like I'm asking him to be my special somepony for Hearts and Hooves Day.

Twilight quickly brushed those embarrassing thoughts away as she returned to her books. Harry had earned his rest, for now, she should focus on the spell. She was positive she had the spell done right this time. She had already cast it on the quill Harry brought, which now was lime green instead of black. She was ready for pony- er- human testing.

"Ah, I see you've found yourself in the school library," said an old voice. Twilight tried not to jump and disturb Harry; luckily, his gentle breathing remained unchanged. Dumbledore let out a very soft chuckle. "Sorry to disturb you two, but I would feel like a poor host if I left our new arrival in the library past curfew."

"There's a curfew?" Twilight whispered. Was she in trouble!?

"Yes, there is. I'm surprised Madame Pince didn't remove you from her library when she closes it at eight o'clock."

"What time is it now?"

"Nearly midnight. I was about to start another search for you two. You seem to be forming a terrible habit," he said humorously.

"Sorry, I just got caught up in my work," she said, floating one of her books up to Dumbledore. He squinted as he tried to read the title.

"Eye of the Beholder? An interesting choice, if a bit harsh on the eyes."

"I suppose it is, but I was done with these anyways." Twilight sent the books back to their proper spots with a wave of her hand. "So, you mentioned curfew?"

"Yes. I was going to request Harry return to his house's dormitory for the night, and there are several guest rooms I believe you may find satisfactory," Dumbledore said. Twilight gently rocked Harry's shoulder.

"Harry, wake up," she said softly. Harry stirred awake.

"I'm up, I'm up." Harry stretched out. "Oh, professor, hi."

"Good night, Harry. I'm here to escort you both to bed. If you're ready, we can go now." Dumbledore gestured toward the door, waiting.

"I think I'm ready to test my spell," Twilight said as she and Harry stood. Twilight closed her eyes as she waved a hand over her face. Her skin shimmered like a heat mirage, the color slowly becoming undeterminable. When the haze faded, Twilight's skin was not purple, but a perfectly normal color for a human. Her hair had not changed a bit, but Harry thought it looked great, beautiful, even. "That should do it. How do I look?"

"Brilliant," said Harry.

"I believe you will be able to join the students for meals without raising suspicion, with the Beauxbatons here you will fit right in," Dumbledore commented. "Now, I believe you ought to be off to bed."

Dumbledore exited the library, Harry and Twilight close behind him, all ready to get some rest.





"Harry..."

Harry was sound asleep in his dorm room. It was so comfy, he hadn't gotten a good sleep in a while.

"Harry..." the voice said again.

Harry shifted in his covers more. Why was Twilight bothering him? He was having a good dream. He and Twilight were at Hogwarts, and Harry had a nice study session with her in the library.

"Harry!"

Wait, that wasn't a dream!

Harry shot up, awake. His sudden awakening scared Twilight Sparkle, who was standing next to his bed. Remembering he was back in Hogwarts, Harry shook the sleep away as he looked about the dormitory. The room was mostly empty, the only person left was Ron, who was still snoring loudly. Harry looked at Twilight next to him. Her skin still had the illusion from last night placed over it, and she was wearing a longer skirt and shirt.

"Morning, Twilight. How did you get here? The Fat Lady won't let you through without the password," Harry asked.

"I teleported. I wanted to see you before we start the day," she explained.

"Good thing too, if I woke up I would have thought yesterday was a dream," said Harry.

"I suppose so," Twilight admitted. "But it can't be weirder than your first visit to Equestria. Anyways, McGonagall dropped by earlier, she wants to see me before breakfast."

"I'll get up."

"Oh, and one more thing," Twilight said absent-mindedly. "I found these under my pillow last night." Twilight waved her hand, and six pieces of paper dropped into her hand. Letters.

Harry jumped out of bed in the blink of an eye. He was about to start changing when he remembered an important fact: Twilight was in the room. He felt heat flare up in his face.

"What's wrong?" Twilight asked, confused.

"Oh, well, you see..."

"Yes?" she asked innocently.

"I need to get changed...

"..."

"...and humans normally don't do it with someone who's..." Harry gestured at her. Twilight's cheeks turned scarlet.

"Oh, right, nudity taboo. Sorry...! That's going to take time to get used to," she gushed, blush slowly receding. "I'll, um, be outside." She disappeared out of the dorms.

Harry smiled to himself, a little embarrassed. He had almost forgotten that detail too, it really showed how comfortable he was being a unicorn. Good thing he had remembered when he had, and not midway through the process of undressing. Harry was quick to change into more casual clothes than the school uniform he had fallen asleep in. When he was done he grabbed his bag before exiting the dorms, waving hello to Twilight.

"Oh, good, that was fast," she said. Harry nodded.

"So, letters or McGonagall first? I think letters."

"I was going to say teacher. It may be something important," Twilight argued.

"True, but you said she wanted to see us before breakfast. I don't think she told you, but we have some time before it starts," Harry reasoned, looking out a window. Breakfast probably wasn't for a little while yet. "Why don't we read them now?"

"The common room was empty when I walked in, we can read there." Twilight and Harry walked down to the empty room, where a fire was roaring in the fireplace. Twilight and Harry sat next to each other on the large sofa. "We've got six letters. One from Celestia and each of our friends. It would be polite to start with the princess's." Twilight opened the letter marked with Celestia's royal crest. She read its contents aloud for Harry.

Dear Twilight Sparkle.

My words cannot express my relief to hear that you are safe and sound. I was afraid I had lost another student. Your friends have expressed similar sentiments. I have reassured them that I will bring you home. I have read the notes sent by your assistant and can now replicate your mailing spell, it is rather impressive, well done. I will forward you any letters your friends send me until you can be returned to us. I will inform you when I feel it is safe to test the summoning spell to return you home.

For now, stick with Harry as best you can, I trust he will not lead you astray. A familiar face can go a long way in strange places. Remember to conduct yourself accordingly as my pupil. Be safe, my most faithful student.

Your teacher,

Princess Celestia of Equestria.

"You're going home!" Harry exclaimed.

"I can go home!" said a relieved Twilight.

"That's good, Celestia is working to get you home!" Harry said. "And we can send letters whenever we want. That's wonderful."

"Let's read the others." Twilight spread the other five letters out between her and Harry.

Applejack's was first.

Dear Twilight and Harry.

Thank Celestia you two are alright. When we heard Discord banished you, I thought Fluttershy was going to lose her mind. I sure hope you two are fine with staying there for a while. Stay safe you two.

Your friend,

Applejack.

Fluttershy's letter was next.

Dear Twilight and Harry.

I do hope you two are okay. I was so scared when you two didn't turn up yesterday. Discord said you two checked out, I should have seen his mischievous look. I'm going to give him a stern talking-to tomorrow, he should know better! I'll make sure he won't do it again, and try to convince him to bring you back.

With kindness,

Fluttershy.

Next was Pinkie Pie's letter.

To my dimensionally displaced friends. (That's you!)

What's it like over there? Did someone throw Twilight a welcoming party yet? Do they have balloons there? Oh, what if you threw each other a big party! I'll see if I can mail balloons to you! Have fun!

With jubilation,

Pinkie Pie.

The next one had the messiest hoofwriting, Rainbow Dash's.

Dear Harry and Twilight.

I'm glad you two are okay. Can't say I'm not a little jealous. Twilight, you are the first pony to visit Harry's world. On the other hoof, I don't know how much I could stand not having wings. The time Discord took them was enough to last a lifetime. Have an awesome time you two.

Your fastest friend,

Rainbow Dash.

The last letter in the pile was also the longest one, Rarity's.

Dear Twilight and Harry.

I must say I was rather distressed, hearing you two got banished back to Harry's world. Knowing Twilight is now a human must be disturbing. I couldn't imagine not having my glorious horn and luxurious coat. But I'm sure you two can manage, Harry adjusted just fine.

On a FAR more important note, if I'm not mistaken, the Yule Ball is only a few days away. I distinctly recall discussing the potential of Twilight or myself being Harry's partner. But, seeing as Twilight is already there, I'm presuming she has already proposed to go. Twilight should start practicing dancing, and finding something to wear. Speaking of, seeing as Twilight most likely has none on her, I'd be more than happy to make her a dress robe for such a unique opportunity. And Harry must have a matching set. It will be a wonderful opportunity to practice my craft with non-pony customers.

Please send the requirements for the clothes, both your measurements and anything of note for a seamstress making clothes for humans.

Sincerely,

Rarity.

Harry and Twilight set down the notes and looked at each other. It was a minute before Harry spoke.

"Discord is going to get a tongue-lashing from Fluttershy." Harry held up Fluttershy's letter, trying to contain his laughter. Twilight joined in a second later, imagining Discord cowering under 'the stare' from Fluttershy.

"I guess he won't be bothering us for a while." Twilight picked up Rarity's letter. "Now Rarity's offering to make me a dress robe. And she wants to make you one."

"Mrs. Weasley already got me one," Harry said.

"I doubt she'll take no for an answer."

"We can worry about that one later. There's no negotiating with her sometimes. Come one, let's go."

Harry rolled up all the notes and stuffed them in his bag. They could reply to everyone later. For now, McGonagall was probably waiting for them. Harry stood up, walking to the portrait with Twilight close on his heels. They exited the portrait and walked down the many halls of the castle. Twilight was very impressed by the moving staircases, if a little concerned for student safety. The halls were empty enough for Harry and Twilight to walk without drawing attention to each other. There were some odd glances directed toward her, but most of those were from older Hogwarts students. It didn't take long to enter McGonagall's office. The room was absent of living things except for a cat sitting on her desk.

"Wasn't McGonagall supposed to be waiting for us?" Twilight asked.

"She is," was Harry's reply.

The cat jumped down from the table, and in her place stood Professor McGonagall, looking slightly amused at Twilight's dumbfounded look.

"Good morning, Miss Sparkle. I see Potter has been kind enough to direct you to my office." She took a seat at her desk and pulled out a single sheet of paper. "Dumbledore has tasked me with ensuring your needs have been met for the duration of your stay, or at least until you may have the necessary items transported from your homeland. Some clothes, perhaps. And seeing your arrival was... impromptu, I guess you'll need a dress robe, correct?"

"Yes, I will need one of those. I have a friend back home who can make one in a day, she'll just need my measurements. Harry's too, she'll want to make him one," Twilight said. McGonagall nodded slowly.

"Does Mister Potter not have one already?"

"Oh, I do. However, Rarity's insisting." Harry answered. "She's not the Element of Generosity for nothing, but she does take the title a bit too seriously at times." McGonagall looked like she wanted to ask about the last sentence but instead, reread her paper.

"I received notice Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions should be open all day today, the number of last-minute purchases has shot up. Normally we don't allow students to leave school grounds, but I think we can make an exception with Potter for extenuating circumstances. We want Hogwarts to make a good impression," McGonagall said. She made a quick note in her paper before folding it up and stashing it in her robes. "If you two are ready, we can go before breakfast and beat the crowds." When neither Harry nor Twilight said anything in opposition McGonagall stood up to exit the classroom. "Follow along, we will be using the floo network to save time."

The three moved through the castle until they returned to the Gryffindor common room. There she explained that all the fireplaces were connected to the floo network, but required express permission from faculty to use. She had Harry go first, as Twilight was unfamiliar with the method of travel. But eventually, all three manage to stand in the Gryffindor fireplace, say "Diagon Ally", and disappear in a burst of green flame.

Twilight wondered if this was what Spike's fire felt like to paper.

When Harry reappeared from the fire, he was back in Diagon Ally. It was less busy than the last time he was here, but there were still plenty of comers and goers. Snow was lightly dusting the ground between the cobblestone pavement. Twilight wasn't far behind him, stumbling around at the sudden transport. She shivered at the cold but looked too curious to care.

"So this is where you got all your school supplies?" she asked, looking from shop to shop.

"Yes. But we're here for robe measurements, so we'll need to visit that building." Harry pointed to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Now, one thing before we go, try to not look at the shops, there are some items you and I may find... disturbing."

"Like what?" Twilight looked over Harry's shoulder and paled immediately upon seeing an item. "Dragon hide gloves...?! I think I'm going to be sick..." Twilight doubled over, hands on knees as she tried not to dry heave. Harry gently rested a hand on her back.

"I know, it's okay, I don't like it either. Just take a breath, we don't have to go until you're ready," Hary said. Both stayed where they were until McGonagall appeared behind them.

"Oh, you don't look good. The first floo use can be... disorientating," McGonagall said, to which both shook their heads.

"Twilight saw the...um, gloves." Harry said, pointing at the dragon hide gloves. McGonagall looked confused at Twilight's reaction. "It came as a shock."

"I don't understand, wizards across the world use a dragon's parts for many things. My own wand uses a dragon heartstring core. I didn't know you had an aversion for them."

"My Spike is a dragon!" Twilight said savagely, before having to hold back another gag. Thankfully, her stomach was empty of anything to regurgitate.

"Your what?" McGonagall sounded extremely perplexed by Twilight's dislike of the items. Even wizards who worked with dragon colonies allowed for the collection of some necessary items. Heartstring collection required a large number of dragons to be available at any given moment. Harry turned his head to the professor.

"Spike is a dragon Twilight hatched. He's her best friend and assistant, he's family to her, like a son or brother. He's a good kid. Wouldn't cat skin clothes disturb you, at least a little?" Harry countered.

McGonagall started to understand. Not long after becoming an animagus, she had nearly lost her lunch when she saw a muggle animal control worker. And if this dragon was like family to Miss Sparkle, it would explain her reaction.

"Do you need more time, Twilight?" Harry asked gently, rubbing her back. Twilight weakly reached out for Harry's hand, which he took without hesitation.

"We can go," she said, keeping her eyes firmly on the ground in front of her. Harry turned back to nod at McGonagall, and she and Harry guided Twilight to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

When they entered the store McGonagall requested Malkin take Harry and Twilight's measurements for a "foreign designer" Twilight knew. Said girl also requested the measurements have notes as though the seamstress had never made human clothing. Madam Malkin didn't question further as she continued to measure the two. She continued measuring and writing until she had a small set of papers ready. The notes contained both humans' measurements, and some basic things of note for a seamstress. Harry took them and sent them off to Rarity almost immediately. When they were done Harry paid a small fee before they exited.

"We'll be side-along apparating back to Hogsmeade then walking to the castle." McGonagall said when they left the shop. Harry spotted something as he left the store.

"I'll be right back." Harry vanished with a jade glow, much to McGonagall's irritation.

"Mister Potter!" Harry didn't return at McGonagall's call. "Where is he going?"

"Beats me if I know, Harry's been impulsive since the day we met. Probably saw something he deemed important," Twilight guessed, still looking at the ground. A few seconds later, Harry reappeared next to her.

"Alright, good to go," he said. McGonagall frowned crossly. "I saw a perfect Christmas present, I couldn't refuse," Harry explained.

"That'll be five points from Gryffindor, Potter," she said crossly. "Come along, we need to get back without any more delays."
> Chapter 17: Christmas
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Harry and Twilight returned from Diagon Ally, they went straight to the great hall for breakfast. They sat down at the ends of the Gryffindor table, mostly out of sight. Twilight looked at the food in front of her, curious. Harry explained humans were omnivores, unlike ponies, who were herbivores. He helped point out items without meat, telling her that some humans chose not to eat meat. Eventually Twilight selected some items and tentatively dug in, opting to grab her utensils with magic over her fingers. The two ate with a comfortable silence between them.

"So, do you have a plan for today?" she asked as she finished her last few bites.

"I had a few ideas. First, we need to teach you to dance like a human. After that, we can explore the castle, or just the library if you want," Harry said, already guessing the answer.

"How about we spend the morning practicing, then we spend the afternoon in the library. There are so many books there! I think I saw a section about dragons last night, that should be fun," Twilight gushed.

"Sure, fun," Harry groaned. Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Look, I know you're not a fan of studying, but I know you love the practical application. Maybe we try to teach you some cool magic for the tournament?" she said thoughtfully.

"Oh Celestia, I almost forgot about that," Harry said, already feeling tired.

"Then we should get a head start. Let's go." Twilight set her utensils down to stand up. Harry followed suit. They walked side by side out the hall, avoiding most students' notice.

Keyword: most.

"Oh, look, it's Potter. Back from the dead, are we?" came the mocking voice of the worst Slytherin of Harry's class: Draco Malfoy. "Trying to escape the tournament? What's wrong, was it too much for you?" he taunted.

"Back off, Malfoy. I'd rather not ruin a good day," Harry scoffed. Seriously, of all days, why the one where he had time to spend with Twilight!?

"A good day? Oh... I see," Draco drawled. "Look everyone, Potter's got himself a girlfriend!" His shout drew laughs from a few Slytherins behind him and the eyes of many other passing students. Harry grit his teeth.

"Just another rich jerk, ignore him," Twilight tugged on Harry's hand, trying to pull him away. Draco snickered.

"Oh, look, she cares. Let me guess, her blood is just as filthy as Granger's?" the Slytherin jabbed. Harry's fists clenched. He'd resort to verbal attacks, for now.

"Shut up, Malfoy. One drop of her blood has more magic than your whole family tree, inbred as it is," Harry verbally slapped back.

"My family is not inbred! Besides, marrying a half-blood is preferable to marrying a mudblood like your mother." Draco snarled.

"Don't, he's egging you on," Twilight warned quietly. She wrapped her arm around Harry's, holding him back.

"Oh, would you look at that. Poor parentless Potter has to be held back by his girl- Ahh!"

Draco was suddenly flung back with the force of a cannon. He flew down the long hallway, spinning and screaming. He finally stopped when he bowled over Crabbe and Goyle at the end of the hall. Harry looked at Twilight, whose hand was outstretched and her hair was floating freely in the air. There was a flash of pink as she teleported the two to stand next to Mafloy.

"Don't mock my friends. Mess with Harry, and you deal with me," she threatened. There was a shimmer of green as Harry teleported the two away. They reappeared in a random hallway.

"Well, that went well. What happened to 'Don't, he's egging you on'?" Harry said in a very sarcastic tone.

"He was insulting your parents. Personal vendetta aside, that's a terrible line to cross," Twilight replied immediately. Harry chuckled, his upset facade fading.

"Honestly, I would've done the same, so I can't be mad. Come on, I think we can find somewhere to practice."

And that was exactly what they did. Harry and Twilight practiced dancing the whole morning till their toes were sore from being stepped on by their partner's feet. After that, they decided to spend the rest of their Saturday in the Library. They walked, as Twilight insisted Harry was relying on teleports too much.

"You know, I think Astrology, Divination, and Arithmancy are complete garbage," Twilight said, buried up to her neck in books. "I mean, Arithmancy relies on numbers, which just seems like gambling with more steps and superstition. And Divination is an even worse offender. Don't get me wrong, the future can be predicted, to a degree."

"Like Nightmare Moon's return," Harry added. "You knew about that one well in advance."

"Yes, exactly. And don't even get me started on Astrology. It can't work in Equestria, Princess Luna changes the night sky herself, but even here it seems so... weird." She closed her books and sent them all back to their shelves.

"Can we focus on more practical magic?" Harry suggested, rereading his page. "Maybe you can translate more spells while I practice?"

"Oh, then I'll be right back." Twilight vanished around a corner and returned a few minutes later with a book in her hands. She held the book for Harry.

"Wandless Magic? Twilight, I thought this was in the restricted section?"

"It was. Pince let me borrow it," she said proudly.

She opened the books and started to read while Harry tried to figure out how she garnered the favor of one of the strictest faculty members. Eventually, Pince asked them to leave, and the two separated for the night. But Harry wasn't planning to sleep.

Harry had a Christmas gift to make.





Christmas morning found Harry standing nervously in front of the room Twilight was staying in, holding the package he had wrapped in the constellation-themed paper he had used last night. He knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"Hello?" came Twilight's voice. She poked her head out from the threshold. She noticed Harry standing right in front of her and then opened the door completely. Her hair was a mess and the illusion over her skin had faded. "Harry? What are you here for, is it time for the ball?"

"I came to say Merry Christmas, Twilight. This is your first holiday in my world, so I made this. From me to you." Harry held out the present to her, smiling. "Merry Christmas, Twilight."

Twilight became noticeably more awake, stunned. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish, unable to find the words to speak. Her fingers wrapped around the present, slowly taking it from Harry.

"For me? You didn't have to buy me something, really." She said, inspecting the box. Harry could tell she was curious.

"What can I say, Rarity rubbed off on me. I spent nearly two galleons and several hours making this, just for you. Come on, get in the Christmas spirit, open it," Harry suggested.

"Well, if you insist. Come on in." Twilight motioned Harry in, closing the door behind him. The room looked similar to the Gryffindor dormitory, albeit for one person. She sat down on the bed in the room and gestured for Harry to sit down next to her. She inspected the package once again. "So, uh, anything special before I open it, or do I tear into it like foals on their cute-ceañeras?"

"Cute-ceañera?" Harry asked, obviously confused.

"Oh, right, you don't have a cutie mark yet. A cute-ceañera is a celebration of earning your cutie mark. Most have their party around the age of the Cutie Mark Crusaders." Twilight explained. Harry hummed to himself; he wouldn't mind that.

"Yes, feel free to open it however you wish."

Twilight tore the paper apart savagely. What was left was a plain-looking medium-sized book. The spine had Twilight's cutie mark at the top. The purple and green cover held yellow letters written in Equestrian.

"A Compendium on the Nature of Magic," Twilight read the cover aloud, her mouth open in shock. She looked at the small inscribed text at the bottom. "Translation to Equestrian by Harry Potter!? Harry, when did you have time to translate an entire book? Was this all last night?" she asked in surprise. Harry smiled and blushed.

"Actually, I've been working on this for a while. I bought the first edition before the second year when I was buying supplies. I thought I'd give it to you as a gift. But after a while, I wanted to make it more personal. So I started to translate the text to Equestrian so anyone back home could read it. I found this blank book while at Diagon Ally, and I knew it would be a perfect fit. I spent all last night finishing this book." Harry cut himself off with a massive yawn.

Twilight's smile threatened to split her face, full of genuine appreciation. She set the book down so she could hold Harry in the tightest hug possible.

"Thank you! I mean it, I really do," she said. After a moment, a metaphorical lightbulb lit up over her head. "Oh, I also have something for you. It's no Christmas gift, but I found them next to my bed this morning." Twilight reached under her bed and pulled out two boxes. Both had a very familiar cutie mark displayed on their lids: Rarity's three gemstones. "Rarity finished our dress robes!"

"That's—" Harry yawned again— "great! I'm sure they'll look—" another yawn— "brilliant, as always."

"Harry, you look tired," Twilight noted, poking under his eyes. "You clearly did not get enough sleep. You have a big night ahead of you! You should go back to bed, now," she commanded.

"Fine, fine. Miss bossy hooves."

Harry was shooed out of Twilight's room and forced to return to his common room. As he trudged through, he shared cursory glances with Ron and Hermione. Ron and Hermione, of course, thought Harry was spending his time away practicing or keeping his distance to not stress their repairing friendship. Either way, neither party minded as Harry went back to bed.

Harry was asleep the moment he touched the bed.





Ron woke Harry several hours later, telling him the boys were getting dressed for the ball. Ron seemed to have something on just mind, something he deemed very serious: Harry's Yule Ball date.

"Harry, did you get a date? You never told us before you vanished," Ron asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes, I do have a girl to go with," Harry said slyly. Ron's jaw practically fell off.

"Who!? When?! How?!" he asked in response to Harry's bombshell reveal.

Harry's smirk widened.

"Don't worry Ron, you'll get to meet her for the ball, you should be worrying about not embarrassing yourself. Who were you going with again?" he replied.

Harry hadn't yet introduced Twilight to anyone, he hadn't gotten time between the dance and magical practices. For now, no one knew the identity of Harry's date. Now Harry just had to make sure the robes were good. Rarity said she had the time of her life, designing for a non-pony race. Frankly, Harry was terrified of her dressing him and Twilight up in nothing but gems.

Hopefully, Rarity kept his robe simple.





It was decided, Rarity did not keep his robe simple. While she claimed she had "toned down the extra details" in her notes, it was extraordinary by anyone's standards. Well, anypony's standards except hers.

As Harry looked down at the box with Rarity's cutie mark proudly displayed on the lid. Inside was the most well-crafted set of dress robes Harry had ever seen. Harry's mental state of shock was comparable to when he got his brooms.

The robes must have cost a fortune by wizarding standards, but for Rarity this was a Tuesday. The fabric was a lightweight velvet-like material, with golden stitching that probably used Rarity's gold fabric. Small spots of light twinkled in the many small gemstones inlaid in the cloth, visible from all angles. The robes themselves were a stunning mix of deep crimson with dark green accents, to "draw out your eyes, darling" as Rarity had explained in her lengthy note about the tailoring.

"BLOODY HELL, Harry! What is this!?" Ron was infinitely more surprised than Harry, seeing as he had never witnessed Rarity's handiwork. Then again, the Weasley family was notoriously, well, poor. Seamus, Dean, and Neville were similarly awestruck. "This is probably worth more than anything that git Malfoy owns. Where did you get this?" Harry couldn't hide the grin nearly splitting his face in two.

"A good friend made this for me just for this occasion."

"Made it? Is this from your pen pal? Blimey, why didn't you say she was loaded? Is she from an old pure-blood family or something?"

Harry scoffed.

"No. This was made by one of her friends, one of the best in the business. I was scared she would overdo it," Harry said nonchalantly. Ron looked ready to drop unconscious. "Since I won't need it, you can have my original dress robe for the ball." That seemed to snap Ron into focus. "Now come on, your date's waiting."

"What about yours?"

"Just get dressed, Ron."





When the boys eventually got dressed, all looking equally self-conscious, they made their way down through the common room. The room was a collage of various colors and fabrics, each student trying to stand out and look their best. Gryffindors were pairing up with their partners, whilst those who had partners in other houses (or other schools in some cases) were awkwardly glancing at the exit. Harry couldn't seem to not attract everyone's eyes, his robes being a bit... much. The guys were shocked, and most of the girls looked either envious of Harry or disappointed by their dates. Harry decided he needed to get some air, even if Ron was rooted to the ground. Once Harry had managed to convince Ron that the horrors were all in his head and that Hermione was probably already down at the Great Hall, the two walked to the portrait hole that separated them from the rest of the school.

"Seriously, last time I'm asking, who and where is your date?" Ron demanded as they left the common room.

Just as they were halfway down the first staircase, a small pop signaled the appearance of a small piece of paper. Ron grabbed it out of the air.

"I can't read this, it's all scribbles," Ron said simply.

Harry grabbed the note. It was no surprise Ron couldn't read it, the letter was written in stylized Old Equestrian. While Harry could write in Equestrian, he was a novice at the older language, but even he could read the two-word message out loud.

"Behind you."

Harry and Ron made an about-face as Harry felt the air vibrate with unicorn magic.

In a flash of pink light, Twilight teleported a few stairsteps up from Harry. It was the same Twilight that Harry knew, but she held herself with such grace she might have been mistaken for a royal duplicate. Her skin was lightly charmed this time, allowing for small amounts of her original skin to influence her appearance. The illusion was weakest around her face, creating a natural yet exotic blush. Her purple hair was styled and done so it didn't hang over her back as much, obviously inspired by Cadance's ceremonial headdress, given the gems present. There were only the slightest hints of any makeup on her.

Her dress robes were just as immaculate and regal as Harry's, but bearing a royal blue and turquoise color. Sparkling pink-and-silver stars adorned the edges of the fabric, stylized to match the six-point stars on her cutie mark. As was Rarity's calling card, gemstones galore were littered across her robes and in her hair. She was bedazzling, bejeweled, bewitching, and beautiful in every way, at least in Harry's opinion.

Ron was slack-jawed at Twilight's appearance, too stunned to speak. Harry noted it was very similar to Ron's reactions to Fleur, prior to his public embarrassment. He chuckled as he walked up to stand beside Twilight. The two smiled at each other.

"Ron, may I introduce to you my very good friend, Twilight Sparkle." Just as they'd practiced, Harry and Twilight intertwined their arms as they made their descent down the stairs. Ron followed them, sputtering and failing to find words for several minutes as they walked at a leisurely pace.

"You look great," Harry complimented, blushing slightly. "I think Rarity's outdone herself again, those robes looked incredible."

"Oh, so the robes make me look good?" Twilight snarked.

"No- no- not at all! You look beautiful, dress robe or not," Harry stuttered. Twilight giggled.

"Harry, this is the second time you've seen me in clothes. I wasn't wearing anything the first time we met," she teased. Behind them, Ron looked ready to pass out.

"I forgot about that," Harry said, blushing furiously. When he landed in Equestria for the first time, getting used to casual nudity had been... weird. "I couldn't stop blushing. Thank Celestia for fur, brain chemistry, and social norms. I probably looked like an idiot."

"You did. It was cute," Twilight said, patting his hand. "To be fair, I'm still getting used to clothes. I mean, they're on your skin all day, every day." Her blush became a little less fake.

"Yeah, humans don't have fur," Harry said as Twilight looked a little less comfortable. "You'll adjust."

"I'm sure I will. But these robes do look good," she said, gesturing to the little gems. "Now, the mane is a different story altogether. This took forever to style on my own," she said.

"I don't get why girls style it so much."

"Do you deny it looks good on us?" she countered. "Of course, your mane is a jungle."

"My hair is fine, it's no worse than Rainbow Dash's," Harry protested.

"Her mane is a full-on rainbow. She keeps the colors and knots in line. Yours is a mess." She reached up to flick a strand away from his head.

"A handsome mess."

"It sure is." Twilight quietly. She looked back over her shoulder. "Harry, I think we broke your friend."

Ron was still slack-jawed at Harry and Twilight. Harry reached out to snap his fingers in front of Ron's face, breaking him out of his self-induced trance.

"Harry, wherever did you meet her?" Ron said once his brain recovered enough to ask. Twilight rolled her eyes.

"I thought you'd have figured it out, considering your friend stole from us," same the biting, but non-threatening, retort from Twilight. She and Harry continued as Ron stood confused for a moment.

"Wait, you're Harry's letter sender! But I thought you lived outside the country or something."

At Ron's words, the two shared a glance. They had practiced their cover a dozen times over. Twilight Sparkle was a foreign student Harry Potter met when muggle mailing services mixed up their addresses. They became penpals, and then proper friends after a while. Harry's magical disappearance sent him to her house, they came back, and the rest was history.

"I don't live in the country," Twilight answered Ron's question.

"She's just visiting for the occasion," Harry explained.

"That does explain the accent," Ron mused.

"I try my best," she said.

Ron could only shake numbly his head as he caught up. This was ridiculous. Harry and his mysterious girl friend (or was it girlfriend?) were walking in the most expensive clothing he had ever seen, and being so casual about it. In fact, they were borderline flirting with each other. The Weasleys were far from affluent, but this surpassed even his wildest dreams of wealth. Of course, that comment about the clothes still made no sense, but that could be addressed later. Ron continued to trail behind until they reached the Great Hall, where he fell behind even further when his date, Padma Patil, ambushed him.

All eyes were on Potter and Sparkle as they approached the Great Hall. Gasps and whispers followed the two as more people gained sight of them. Many of the guys were staring absent-mindedly at Twilight's beauty, while many of the girls had envy in their eyes. Harry and Twilight felt self-conscious, but a firm grip on each other stabilized their resolve.

"Is that Harry Potter?"

"Who's the girl?"

"She's beautiful."

"I'm so jealous."

"Where did they get those clothes?"

"Must be richer than Malfoy—"

Harry tried to tune the voices out by looking for familiar faces. Unfortunately, the first group he recognized were some formerly smug Slytherins, Malfoy among them, who were in shock and awe at the two. Figures, the house known for power and blood purity was in awe at a boy with a 'mudblood' parent and the transformed unicorn at his side. The irony was not lost on either of them. Draco and his date, Pansy Parkinson, walked up, recovering their shattered pride.

"So, who died and gave those to you Potter? Another set of parents?" Malfoy sneered while Twilight stood taller next to Harry, the latter subtlety holding her back from a repeat of earlier.

"They're a gift from someone with more class than a worm like you," Twilight snarked.

"Oh, look, Potter's girlfriend. You're going to regret what you did, make no mistake," He threatened although the bravado was obviously fake. "I'm Draco—" Malfoy immediately reminded Twilight of several Canterlot's royals, the bad ones. Maybe she should play along?

"Draco Malfoy, I've heard. Now, back off you classless catastrophe. I wouldn't willingly associate with someone as rude as you."

Malfoy ground his teeth. "Wait till—"

"—your father hears, blah blah blah. Heard it before. Now if you don't mind, I'm tired of seeing my reflection in your greasy hair." Without another word, the two left Malfoy to join the other champions. Malfoy and the other Slytherins were stunned and speechless. Twilight smiled at Harry. "That was fun."

"It was fun watching. I was not expecting that. Who knew the great student of Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, could act like a haughty Canterlot aristocrat," Harry said sarcastically.

"When your teacher is the most powerful aristocrat in the world, you tend to learn a thing or two."

The two shared a laugh.

"Well, he's had that coming for a while." Harry couldn't keep a grin off his face.

Then Professor McGonagall's voice called. "Champions, over here please!"

"Ready to dance, Mister Trotter?" Twilight said playfully.

"Of course, Miss Sparkle."
> Chapter 18: Dances And Departure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Mr. Potter, and Ms. Sparkle, I see you've both dressed appropriately," said McGonagall dryly, to which the two shrugged. The head of Gryffindor sighed. Harry and Twilight looked a little embarrassed. "You don't work in half-measures. Well, I suppose there's nothing I can do about it. Follow along momentarily." McGonagall turned, leaving the champions alone for the moment. Harry looked at the other three champions and their partners. Cedric was with Cho, Fleur was with the Ravenclaw quidditch captain, and Victor was, to everyone's surprise, taking Hermione with him. Harry turned to address Krum's partner, Hermione. The two shared uneasy looks.

"Hey, Hermione."

"Hey, Harry. That's an expensive-looking robe. Where did you get that?"

"Can people stop asking about that? The guys are glaring daggers at me, and I think I saw a girl faint already," Harry bemoaned.

"Rarity's best might have been too good for this event. I should have known she would go overboard," Twilight added. "We both could do with fewer gemstones."

Hermione took notice of the girl at Harry's side.

"Harry, is she your date? I don't think we've met," she asked, gesturing to Twilight. Twilight reached out her hand, which Hermione shook.

"I'm Twilight Sparkle."

"Hermione Granger."

"Harry told me about you. You're the letter thief?" Twilight said dryly. Hermione had the decency to look ashamed.

"Why can't you all let that go? I said I was sorry."

"It's always good to apologize, but when your actions hurt people, it takes time to heal," Twilight said sagely. To Harry, it sounded like an excerpt from her letters to Celestia.

"Sounds like something from a kid's story."

"And what if it does?" Twilight countered. "We learn how to live our lives from the day we're born, and there's no age limit to learning wisdom."

"I suppose," Hermione agreed reluctantly.

"Then, let's start over," Twilight said. "Hi, I'm Twilight Sparkle. Harry told me you almost rival my studious attitude," Twilight remarked. Hermione almost had the heart to look offended. "Almost."

Hermione offered her hand in return.

"I'm Hermione Granger."

The two shook hands and went back to their respective partners. Harry looked at her, confused.

"How can you forgive her so easily?" Harry demanded. Twilight shrugged.

"I guess it's not in my nature to hold grudges. Remember what I told you about Trixie and the Alicorn Amulet? She did a lot of evil with that thing, but I forgave her because she sincerely asked for it. I'm not asking you to forgive your friends right now, you should do that at your own pace."

Twilight smiled at Harry, who could only shake his head. The magic of Friendship was something powerful, even if Harry still couldn't understand it. Just another thing that made Twilight the most special person he knew.

"Champions, follow me!" McGonagall called. The eight people followed her into the Great Hall.





The dance was better than Harry expected. He and Twilight moved in sync (more or less), competing with Fleur and her date for everyone's attention. Harry would lead, Twilight would be in step, and vice versa. It took a few minutes, but once all the champions and their partners got comfortable, other pairs joined together. The Weird Sisters took the music through multiple tempos and themes, but they danced together regardless. Harry was having the time of his life. He wasn't perfect, but spending time with a friend made it worth it. He should write a letter to Celestia about that.

That's not to say it was picture-perfect, Harry might have stepped on Twilight's toes once or twice, and vice-versa. But neither particularly minded if both were a bit clumsy. It just made it more... personal. And that was to say nothing of the numerous attempts by other attendees to steal them from each other. Fortunately, the people involved were so star-struck they could barely formulate their invitations.

As they finished another dance, Harry noticed he was the only champion left. Silently gesturing, the two took a seat to take a breather.

"That was fun. These dances are the only interesting part of Canterlot social gatherings." Twilight smirked.

"I didn't take you for a dancer," Harry said, surprised.

"I'm not," Twilight said with a laugh, then hid her smirk (and maybe a blush) behind a glass of punch.

Smiling, Harry began to think to himself; he had been doing that a lot lately, thinking. The constant threat of death didn't give him much time to reflect, but with Twilight he felt safe enough to think freely now. Every year he had been mere seconds away from death, and the Dursleys were still the scum of the Earth during the summer. He had run away his third year, and they weren't in any mood to actually care. If there was a place Harry could go in the summer instead of the Dursley's, Harry would gladly go.

But there was a place he could go.

Equestria.

"Twilight."

"Yes, Harry?"

"You're aware of my... living arrangements for the summer. I was wondering, after this year is done, when I have to leave Hogwarts for the summer, could I... could I stay in Equestria?" Harry asked, wringing his palms anxiously.

Twilight froze, and Harry panicked. Had he asked too much? "I know I'd have to get a job, a place to stay, and clear it with the princesses, but for the summer I'd rather take that over the Dursleys any day—" He was cut off by Twilight wrapping her arms around her neck in a warm embrace. Her lips pulled close to Harry's ear so she could whisper.

"Of course, you can stay the summers. You're my friend, Harry. I'd be honored if you could stay in Equestria with me."

Harry felt tears pricking at the edges of his eyes. He had been trying to build up the courage to ask since she first brought him to Equestria. It felt more like home than anywhere else. Harry fought to keep his tears from falling as they separated.

"Thanks, Twilight. I've been meaning to ask, but I couldn't find the right time. You have no idea what this means to me." Harry managed to keep a smile on his face, blinking to keep tears from falling.

"It's nothing, really. Let's just enjoy the momen," she said. However, that moment didn't last long because she started tugging at his arm after a few seconds. "Actually, on second thought, you should talk to Ron and Hermione, before they start something they'll regret," she suggested, pointing across the hall. True to her words, Harry could see Ron and Hermione in a heated discussion. Looked like their friendship needed another intermediary. Harry rolled his eyes.

If he had to guess, Hermione was mad Ron didn't ask her out, and he was mad or jealous she was with Victor. It was just a hunch though. Harry caught them in the middle of their quarrel.

"What is up with you?" Hermione asked.

"If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you," scathed Ron. Hermione looked at Harry pleadingly. Harry took his chance to talk.

"Ron, what's going on-"

"I'll tell you what, he's from Durmstrang!" spat Ron. "He's competing against Harry! Against Hogwarts! You're- You're fraternizing with the enemy! He's just using you to get to Harry, to get an edge!"

"Don't be so stupid!" Hermione scolded. "He hasn't asked anything about the tournament! I want Harry to win just as much as you, you know that, right Harry?" Harry felt indignation rise from his chest.

"Ron, Hermione, I don't want to win, I don't care about winning. I'm trying to survive!" Harry's outburst seemed to have caught their attention. "And this tournament isn't about competing, it's unity. Why do you think the Department of International Magical Cooperation is here? Laughs and giggles?"

"It's not about 'meeting other wizards', it's about winning!" Ron yelled. People were starting to stare.

"'It's about winning'?" Echoed Twilight. "Now, what house does that sound like? Oh, right, Slytherin." Her words cut deep. She knew it was a low blow, but Ron needed to realize how childish he was.

"Big talk from someone who doesn't go to this school. Actually, you're not part of any of the schools, are you? What, with those fancy clothes? Can't imagine you've done anything but ask your mum and dad for money. You're just some rich person hanging off Harry!" Harry clenched his fists. The air grew tense, everyone was scared of what this would lead to, and rightfully so. "You're a—" Harry pushed Ron roughly.

"Don't you dare finish that!" Harry roared.

"What's she to you?" Ron muttered.

"My best friend."

"Fat chance."

"You should be more careful about how you talk to people you don't know," Twilight growled. Her eyes briefly shone pink as she restrained Ron with a strong levitation spell. Pink lightning started to spark on her fingers. Ron was now hovering off the ground, less than a foot away from an angry unicorn. But the use of nonverbal wandless magic wasn't what shut him up, but the glare in her eyes, full of righteous fury. "I'm Harry's friend because he is a good person.

"I don't care if he's famous, I don't care if he's rich, I don't care whether he has magic or not! He's my friend and that's all that matters to me." Twilight dropped Ron to the ground, letting her magic dissipate. Realizing the scene she was making, she turned away from Ron and Hermione. "I'll be in the library," she said to Harry as she left. "Sorry for ruining the night," she said as she teleported out with a sparkle of magic. The room came alive with excited chatter. The teachers in the back were glancing at each other, trying to decide on a proper course of action.

Harry glared down at Ron, who looked like he had seen his own ghost. He reached down to roughly pull him up to his feet, which Ron did numbly.

"Let's go for a walk," Harry scowled.

Ron seemed too stunned to disagree, so Harry slowly led him out, whispering an apology to Hermione along the way.

When the two reached the entrance hall, Harry let go of Ron.

"You can't keep doing this Ron."

"Doing what!?" Ron demanded. "Caring about this tournament?"

"Yes. Twilight was right, you—"

"She called me a Slytherin!"

"Did every bad thing come out of Slytherin? Quirrell and Lockhart were in Ravenclaw, look how they turned out. And is Gryffindor the house of heroes, because last I checked Peter Pettigrew was in Gryffindor! Just admit you're taking this too far!"

"Maybe you're not taking this far enough! This is an opportunity to show off what Hogwarts can do! Why are you—" Harry cut off Ron.

"Because I hate it! I never asked for my parents to die, never asked for everything that has made my education so hard! Is peaceful too much to ask!? Or is fame and fortune all you see, like the mirror showed you?"

"You're rich!"

"I'm starved by my only biological family and treated like dirt!"

"Then why don't you like being hailed as a hero!?"

"Because I'm tired of almost dying every year!" Harry shouted as loud as he could. "Ron, I've been attacked by Voldemort three times, poisoned by a basilisk, and attacked by dementors and werewolves. I can't pretend my luck will last forever."

Harry paused to catch his breath, nearly collapsing down on the ground as his brain caught up with what he said. His heartbeat was fast and hard. Harry's breath was fast, too fast, but he couldn't bring himself to slow down. Why was his vision so dark? Ron stood beside Harry as he kept talking.

"One of these years I might die. I can't— I can't live my life burning every bridge I build with my friends." Harry stared down at the ground. "I never had a friend for almost ten years. I want us to be friends, you, me, and Hermione. I can't live my life completely isolated. I just want some normal things in my life for once." Harry trailed off, his energy completely spent.

Ron kneeled down next to Harry, watching and listening. He placed his hand on Harry's shoulder.

Harry raised his head, breathing slowly.

"I'm sorry, mate. You're right. I- I didn't mean to go that far." Ron sat down next to Harry. "I suppose I am a bit jealous. You have a lot of things I want, but you lost a lot of what I have."

Despite everything, Harry smirked.

"I'd ask if you'd want to trade, but..."

"No thanks. Some of my family's rough around the edges, but they're still family," Ron said with a grin. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have insulted Twilight. I would've lost my cool, too."

"Friends?" Harry asked, holding his hand out.

Ron hesitated, weighing everything before him, but shook Harry's hand eventually.

"Friends."

"Good. Now, I need to go apologize to Twilight for dragging her here, and you need to apologize to Hermione, now. You can apologize to Twilight later. I'll see you back at the common room." Harry pulled out his wand and focused on the image of the library. He felt a sharp jolt, and the familiar feeling of unicorn teleportation overtook him. When he opened his eyes, he was in the library. "Twi? You here?"

"Over here," her voice softly called from behind one of the shelves.

Harry followed her voice, navigating the maze of shelves and books. Eventually, he found her sitting at a table, gazing over a piece of parchment.

One with Celestia's royal crest on it.

"Twilight, is that...?"

"Celestia. She's bringing me back after I say my goodbyes. Terrible timing, but it's not her fault. She couldn't have known." Twilight quickly torched the paper to ashes. She took a moment to steel herself, before rising from her seat.

"I've really enjoyed my time here, truly. But we both know my place is in Equestria." At Twilight's words, Harry felt his heart drop. He knew this was coming, their goodbyes.

"I know. Friendship means making sacrifices for those you care about. You'll still write, won't you?" Harry asked.

"Not once you get there for the summer." With Twilight's upbeat tone, Harry felt his spirits lift. She was right, this wasn't a goodbye forever. It was just a few short months.

"Yes, I suppose I won't have to. I'm sorry Twilight- I just- I don't have the words for this."

"It's alright, you don't have to." She went in to give Harry a gentle hug. "Just remember, you are a very remarkable person, famous wizard or not."

"I'll keep it in mind," Harry whispered with a blush, pulling himself tighter into the hug. They stayed like that for a few seconds, savoring the moment, until the silent hum of magic signaled her imminent return.

"And one more thing," Twilight said. "Of all the magic in this world or any other, the truest one of all-"

"Is friendship, the bonds that tie us together. I'd be daft to not know this by now," Harry finished, smirking. The two shared one last look as Twilight faded in a soft white light. Harry stared at the space she had occupied. The weight in his chest was lighter now, eased by one important fact.

He was going to see Twilight and all her friends, his friends, very soon.

"You know, all things considered, tonight wasn't too bad," he said to himself.

Friendship truly is magic.





Dear Twilight.

I hope you made it back to Ponyville safe and sound. Everyone must have been so worried. I wouldn't wish to be Discord when Fluttershy finds out what he did. I'm glad you still have the elements to keep him in check, "reformed" or not

Also, Hermione, Ron, and I are starting to make up. Snape has us shoved in the same detentions over "attacking a student", so we'll have time to work out our problems. She's promised never to steal from us, and tell her friends of her concerns before going behind anyone's back. That's about as good as I'll get, I suppose.

In other news, this adventure has given me a lot of time and examples to reflect upon the nature of friendship. I don't think Celestia would mind if she read this one.

I've learned friendship is more than being close to someone. Sometimes you can get separated by distances, physical or emotional. But that doesn't mean to give up on them. Friendship isn't a one-time commitment, and that's a good thing.

And sometimes that commitment calls for you to give up something you want for what's best for your friend. Friendship is one of the most valuable treasures in life, and it should be treated like such, not smothered or kept to oneself. I learned that sometimes friendship requires compromises. But when both sides are willing to make these sacrifices, that's how you know your friends are ones worth treasuring in your heart.

With all my love,

Harry.
> Chapter 19: Dream Away
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The night after the Yule Ball was... trying, to say the least. It felt like ages before Harry got any sleep, his mind too restless to sleep, but too tired to do anything else.

The events of the night plagued Harry non-stop. The dance, the argument, Twilight... leaving, it weighed down on Harry. Make no mistake, the Ball itself was alright, all things considered. He had just been glad to forget about the whole tournament for once. But, seeing Twilight return to Equestria had been a challenge. When Harry had to explain where Twilight had vanished off to after the ball, most of the teachers, sans Dumbledore and McGonagall, looked sceptical at best. Thankfully the headmaster vouched for Harry, and the "issue" of Twilight's appearance had been solved.

But that now meant Harry was at Hogwarts without her. He, Ron, and Hermione had a long way to go to fix up their friendship. Fortunately, Harry now had only to wait a few short months before he could return to Ponyville. And for now, that was enough.

Harry closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep.





Harry was flying through the dark, cloudy night sky. It wasn't like flying a broom, but felt more like a hippogriff, wings flapping up and down. Harry glanced down at the ground far below him and realized he lacked hands.

He was a pony.

Harry realized he must have been dreaming because he couldn't fly as a unicorn...

Harry inspected his flanks and noticed with surprise that he wasn't being flown, but that he was flying himself. He was an alicorn!

Harry wondered why he would dream of being an alicorn. He was a unicorn, not an earth pony or pegasus, certainly not an alicorn!

Before he could ponder the meaning of this, Harry's dream took him lower and lower, approaching an old decrepit house. Harry felt the winds guide him through a dark and broken window in the upper story of the house and entered. Now he was trotting down the hall, the clip-clop of his hooves sounding muffled. He could see a barely open door at the end of a long and gloomy passageway... through the door, he went, into a dark room with boarded-up windows...

Harry crept through the door... he was studying the room about him, his eyes drawn to a large chair with its back to him... there were two dark shapes on the floor, beside the chair... both of them were stirring slightly.

One was a snake... the other a man... a short, balding man, who Harry could only vaguely recognize for some reason.

"My lord! I have news! Good news!" the man on the floor gasped out, his eyes fearfully darting anywhere but the chair.

"It had better be, Wormtail," said a cold voice. "You know how we hate disappointments..." The tip of a bone-colored wand became visible from the person in the chair.

"Yes, my lord... It is the boy, he has returned!"

There was silence from the chair and Wormtail.

"How fortunate. It would appear that the old fool wasn't able to take the boy out of the game... But, I can't help but wonder what he did with the boy, where he went," the voice rasped.

"My lord, the headmaster might be protecting the boy, he might be suspicious," Wormtail whimpered.

"Possible, but it matters not, the old fool will not risk removing him from the tournament. I still require him. Harry Potter must compete, and he will be mine!"

Two hundred miles away, one Harry Potter woke up with a start.





"Ah!" Harry shot out of bed, tumbling out in a tangle of limbs and blankets.

Breathing heavily, Harry grasped at his scar. A bad reflex, really, one he had grown accustomed to by now. But, unlike the last time, Harry's scar didn't hurt. Harry rubbed the jagged mark on his head, a reminder of the night his parents died. Normally, dreams and visions felt like a white-hot iron was pressed to his head. Now, it felt more like someone was weakly pressing on it with a finger. Harry reminded himself to thank Cadance later, her protections were working.

"Harry, you alright down there?" someone whispered. Harry looked up to see Dean Thomas looking down at him from the other side of the room. Harry must have woken him when he fell.

"I'm fine, just a bad dream, go back to bed," Harry said simply as he untangled himself from the bedsheets.

Dean tucked himself back under his covers, and Harry waited until he heard his breathing even out.

Once Harry was certain everyone in the dorm was sound asleep, he quietly swung his feet over the bed, scanning for his writing supplies. Any sound might wake up the others.

Harry held out his wand, closed his eyes, focused on the magic lying deep in his soul, and willed his materials to come to his hand, just as he would in Equestria. Harry kept his eyes closed, not daring to open his eyes all the while. Harry kept this up until he felt something brush the tip of his fingers. Opening his eyes, Harry's parchment and quill dropped onto his hands. Harry immediately began to scribble on the letter.

Dear Twilight.

Sorry for sending another letter so soon, but something important just happened.

I had a dream, again. It was that same old house, the one from my first vision. Wormtail was there again, and so was he. He knows I'm back. And I think he was the one who planned to put me in the tournament, he said I "must compete" or something similar. Thankfully, he didn't seem to know where I was. The two of them believe Dumbledore hid me away somewhere. They don't know the truth about what happened. Thank Celestia. Maybe Luna can do a dream interpretation?

Anyway, my scar was acting differently as well. It wasn't anything like the Crystal Empire's incident. Every time I got a vision in the past, or felt his emotions, it hurt me. But, this time, I hardly felt a thing. Whatever Cadance did to me, it's working! I'm not sure how, but this curse must be losing its power.

I'll write again with any updates on my scar. I'll look for anything in the library about it. If I find out what it is, we can decide how to deal with it later.

With love,

Harry.

Harry double-checked his work before sending it off to Equestria. Harry chuckled upon realizing how many letters he sent this year. This year was hectic, requiring constant updates. At this rate, Harry would use all the parchment he had on letters.

"I hope next year is calmer."





When Celestia summoned Twilight back to Equestria, the trip was, in a word, gentler than Discord's method. The swirling vortex dragging her back didn't cause nearly the same headache.

When Twilight arrived, she was in Celestia's private study in Canterlot. The princess had immediately wrapped her in a crushing embrace, proclaiming her relief at Twilight's return. Twilight had never seen her so... affectionate. She had checked Twilight's health personally, and both were relieved when nothing was out of place. Though it was midday, the princess bid Twilight stay the night in Canterlot before returning to Ponyville. It did give Twilight a chance to say hello to her parents, who hadn't had a good chance to talk with her since Shining Armor's wedding, which had nearly resulted in the overthrow of the country's monarchy. The last thing Twilight did that day was retell her whole (mis)adventure to the princess.

The day ended (obviously) when Celestia lowered the Sun and traded her post off to Luna for the night. Celestia walked with her student to one of the many rooms in the castle where she would stay the night, giving them some time to talk before bed. Twilight described each event in excruciating detail, even Diagon Ally, which plenty disturbed the both of them.

"I must say, this last adventure of yours might be the most bizarre story yet. This world and those who inhabit it are so strange. They lack the innate connection to nature many of us take for granted," Celestia said lightly. Harry's letters were levitating next to the two as they walked down the castle's halls. "I'm glad you found a trustworthy friend in such a place. Harry is a good colt- or boy. I could tell he had a good heart when you brought him here the time before last, when you first brought him to Equestria. He is lucky to have you."

"Thank you, princess," Twilight said. "Harry didn't have a happy childhood, and I want to do my best to fix it."

"Is that why you brought him here again, to ease the pain in his heart?" The princess asked.

"That was the main reason," Twilight explained. She pulled another note from her satchel. "The first time was so we could meet face-to-face, and because of this tournament he's in. Despite his celebrity status, he's lonely and only has about two friends. But one of them has stolen from him twice and betrayed his trust multiple times, while the other lacks trust and is full of jealousy.

"And that's to say nothing of his relatives. I've never heard of worse people. I could barely belive what Harry wrote about them! They STARVED him over things he can't control! They locked him in a cupboard as a punishment for 'upsetting' them! They hate him! I couldn't stand it! I- I was hoping Equestria might give him some peace..." Twilight finished, her head drooping.

Celestia sighed, a sad yet proud smile gracing her regal face. She draped a wing over her student, wordless affirmation passing between them.

"I understand completely. Your friend needed help, and you did your best. Is that why you offered to let him stay here more often?" The princess inquired.

Twilight's eyes widened slightly. She hadn't told Celestia that yet!

"How did you know—?"

"I took an educated guess," Celestia quipped back, smirking. "Though the details are different, you are not the first pony in the last century to be in a similar position. You recall Cadance, don't you? I adopted her as my niece not too long before you became my student. You offered to help Harry without a second thought."

"I'm sorry, princess, I should have asked first," Twilight apologized. Celestia gave a gentle shake of her head.

"I do not mean to demean your efforts, Twilight, I am complementing your willingness to lend your aid."

"I just wanted to help—"

Celestia's wing tensed a little, silently asking Twilight to stop.

"I understand, my student, and you are in the right. Neither of us can stand injustice. So, from here on, if ever the need arises, you have my blessing to cast that spell," Celestia said with a smile on her face. Twilight's mood lifted immediately.

"Really?! Oh, thank you, Princess Celestia!" Twilight dropped to a deep bow as Celestia chuckled.

"Think nothing of it, my most faithful student. Now, you'd best be off to bed. Your friends will be expecting you back in Ponyville tomorrow."

With that, the teacher and student bid each other goodnight and went their separate ways for the night. Celestia smiled as her student walked away.

"I expect great things from you, Twilight."
> Chapter 20: Rita Skeeter's Scoop
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

All was calm on the day after the Yule Ball. Most of the houses were sleeping in, even the Ravenclaws, whose studious tendencies normally kept them in check. When Harry woke up, it was to a risen Sun, and most of the dormitory was still fast asleep. He had a feeling that it was the same on the girl's side, possibly worse.

After dressing into a casual pair of clothes, Harry slowly made his way into the common room. Only Seamus Finnigan was awake, hunched over a copy of The Daily Prophet. Harry plopped himself down onto a nearby couch.

"Morning, Seamus," Harry said groggily.

"You mean afternoon. Someone spiked the punch last night with a batch of delayed sleeping potions," Seamus said dryly. "I heard even Snape got it. I doubt anyone remembers half of what happened last night."

Harry took a moment to realize that Seamus wasn't joking. Harry, of course, hadn't drunk much punch but did spend most of the night lying awake after Twilight's departure, so his drowsiness was expected. After collecting himself, Harry looked at the paper in Seamus's hands.

"Anything interesting?" he asked. Seamus folded the paper to the front page and handed it to Harry.

"See for yourself."

Harry read the front cover.


Harry Potter: Tragic Hero or Vicious Ladykiller?


"What the— What is this?"

The article was an image of the Yule Ball, with a strong focus on Harry and his partner, Twilight. They were dancing together, showing off Rarity's best (and only) human clothing. Rita Skeeter's name was proudly displayed as a "special correspondent".

"Someone snapped a picture of you and your mysterious friend. Read it," Seamus insisted.


A lot more than just dancing happened at last night's Triwizard Yule Ball. This year's champions, especially the mysterious fourth entry of Harry Potter, surprised everyone with a night to remember at the Yule Ball. The Yule Ball is a formal event that is traditionally hosted during the Triwizard Tournament. As was expected of a gathering of this magnitude, students were dressed to impress in their finest dress robes and formal wear.



However, two people stood out amongst the rest. Harry Potter and his mystery date, whose true identity remains unknown. Their appearances alone gathered the envy of all. Potter was displaying a robe so fine it outshone all of the richer guests and students. His robe was decked out in gold, fine fabrics, and gemstones. One can only imagine how he produced the galleons to purchase such clothes, though an anonymous source has suggested he used the old Potter family vaults. The Potter family, prior to the death of James Potter, was still a very influential and well-off family. Although he is not of age, it is possible Harry manipulated some loophole to obtain his family's vast fortune.



That is to say nothing of Mr. Potter's date, who never revealed her full name throughout the entire event. However, she was referred to as "Twilight" by Harry. It is unclear if this was a real name, an alias, or a pet name the boy gave her. Her dress was even more extravagant and expensive, with even more jewels and gold in her clothes and hair. An ensemble worth a small fortune, no doubt. But it undoubtedly made her the most alluring lady of the night, rivaling Triwizard Champion Fleur Delacour, a one-fourth Veela hybrid. "Twilight" stayed with Harry the whole night and never left his side, reportedly looking uncomfortable all the while. She rarely talked unless spoken to, and even less when Harry wasn't involved.



The events of the night came to a head in a heated, but undisclosed, argument between the girl and two of Harry Potter's other friends, resulting in a violent altercation. Harry Potter struck first with a common muggle attack using one's hands. The rest of the fight cannot possibly be described by words alone. However, the brutal attack from Harry against his classmate ended when "Twilight" joined his side to end the conflict with a frightening show of wandless magic.



As is common knowledge, all wizards use wands or similar magical trinkets for everything except the most paltry of tricks. Few can cast full spells without one. In regards to wandless magic, many government officials often are concerned with the danger such volatile magic poses to the Statute of Secrecy, with wizards performing magic in broad daylight. Performing advanced wandless magic shows either raw talent or extensive training. "Twilight's" impressive display no doubt shows Harry intentionally chose a partner possessing significant talent and if common pure-blood beliefs are to be held true, powerful magical heritage.



The conflict ended with the girl strangely apparating out of the building, a feat previously thought impossible. Hogwarts's wards, constructed by some of the most talented wizards in recorded, are well known to prevent all unauthorized wizard transportation. Undermining them must require substantial cunning or raw power.



After her surprise disappearance, Harry dragged his fellow student, who was revealed to be Ronald Weasley, out of the ballroom, and they were heard fighting later. Weasley later returned to the ballroom with several scrapes and a bruised ego. But as for Harry and his partner, neither of the two were seen or heard from for the rest of the ball. No one knows where they went or what they were up to late that night.



One can only speculate the true identity of The Boy Who Lived's date and her choices in clothes. The girl in question reportedly attends none of the three schools and is from another country. Another source who was at the party accused Potter's date of being "some rich girl hanging off Harry". If this is true, one must ask if she was drawn in by the boy's tragic history or his family inheritance. Was her appearance her choice, or his? Did she entrance the young man to her side with her enchanting looks, or something else?



What can also be speculated is the nature of Harry Potter's choices. Was his excessive show of money an attempt to impress upon this young lady? Does he have a secret love for lavish displays of wealth, especially toward beautiful women? Was this an attempt to show off to his peers?



Many things about last night might remain hidden from all of us. But what is certain is that the Yule Ball has revealed a hidden dark side of this enigmatic young man.


Harry read the news in shock and no small amount of anger. Rita Skeeter!? AGAIN!? Harry tossed the paper across the room.

"I was reading that!"

"How does she keep doing this!?" Harry yelled. He'd been mocked almost every year by various parties, but he wouldn't tolerate his friends being insulted. And that wasn't all. Skeeter was insinuating Twilight, his first friend, was some sort of floozie! This was the last straw by that woman!

"Dumbledore got rid of her! She's banned!" Harry yelled.

"Beats me if I know, blasted insect." Seamus picked up the paper and folded it up nicely. "She's bashed the reputation of almost every teacher here. Why, what I wouldn't give to slip her some of the twin's stuff. A good toxic prank. Good for nothing charlatan," he said while he flipped to another article. Harry paused, thoughtful.

"What did you say?" Harry said, an idea coming to mind.

"I'd like to slip her some of the twin's stuff?" Seamus said awkwardly.

"No, after that."

"Good for nothing charlatan?" Seamus tried.

"No, before the last one, after the first," Harry demanded.

"A good toxic prank?" Seamus guessed.

Harry was silent, an idea having sprouted out of the depths of his mind. If he really wanted to get back at Skeeter, he'd have to be subtle, but profound. Something she wouldn't be able to trace, track, or report. He did have one method to do just that. And the punishment, whatever it was, would hurt her where it stung worst.

"Toxic prank... toxic... poison... prank... joke..." Harry muttered to himself. He giggled childishly.

"Harry, you're not thinking of poisoning her, are you?" Harry continued to mutter past Seamus's confused questions before speaking up.

"It means this plant does not breed wrath. Instead this plant just wants a laugh," Harry said in a sing-song rhyme. Without another cryptic word, he sprung off the couch, and up to the dorm room.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?"

Harry rushed up into his room, grabbing his wand, quills, and parchment. He dabbed his quill in ink and started to write.

Dear Twilight.

I want to start by saying it was great to have you in the human world, even if it was only for less than a week. Honestly, with Quidditch canceled, I needed something to do. I'm still sad to see you go, but I think we both know we should remain in our respective domains, at least until this whole tournament thing is settled. Can't wait to see you again. The worst days in Equestria are better than my best ones with the Dursleys. Please tell everyone how much I miss them.

Also, can't believe if forgot to mention this, but there are some details about last night I should share. Cedric tried to give me a tip about the egg last night. Was very subtle about it, frankly I almost didn't realize what he was talking about. Then I remembered he was telling me how to solve the egg's clue. Shame that we've already cracked it, he went out of his way for nothing. He seemed to think it was making us even for the whole dragon thing, but I told him I wanted to survive, and I didn't care about winning. Honestly, I think this tournament's cursed, everyone's so competitive.

Secondly, about my dream. I forgot to mention this, but I was an alicorn in my dream. Normally I'm human or a unicorn when I dream. I don't feel any different and my magic is still the same, so it might be all in my head. My sense of self is usually askew in these visions, I'm not sure.

Finally, I have a small request to make. There's this nasty reporter, Rita Skeeter. I've told you about her. She's horrible, slandering everyone with libelous articles about how Dumbledore is a manipulative old fool and how our teachers are dangerous. And while Dumbledore is a little manipulative, note my first year, he's well-intended. But that's not the worst of it. She wrote about us, about you. She suggested you were only there for my fortune and that I was trying to "impress" upon you with money, as though our friendship was bought! And the worst part was what she called you. I won't repeat it, but I won't stand my friends being insulted like this. So, I want a small amount of payback.

I'm asking you to go to the Everfree Forest at your soonest convenience, and pluck a particular flower for me, I think you know which one, so I can send it to her. I'll send the flower with a banishing or burning charm to destroy the evidence, and she'll be out of commission until she can clear the effects. I'll admit, it is a low blow, but she deserves so much worse for what she does to people as her "hobby".

Hoping to hear form you soon.

With love,

Harry.





Rita Skeeter was having the time of her life. Her fame at the Daily Prophet and the Weekly Witch was only going up, each submission gathered more of her well-deserved recognition.

"I wonder what's next? Perhaps the animagus teacher? Or maybe that half-giant would make a good subject. Oh, the scandal of a part giant living on campus, it'll make such a stir," she pondered aloud. Suddenly there was a loud pop, and a package dropped into her lap. "What's this?" She opened the package to find a beautiful exotic blue flower and a note. She placed her reading glasses on.


To Rita Skeeter



For inventive reporting and storytelling.



Signed:



A follower of your work.


Rita almost squealed as she put the blue flower in her hair. It bobbed up and down in a funny way. She got fan mail! Finally, someone was getting the purpose of her work! Things were looking up!

Such was her elation that she failed to notice the flower disappear an hour later. What she did notice the next day were the effects of one Poison Joke flower.

Her skin became stiff and turned black with small polka dots, like an insect's shell. That alone nearly caused her to faint at the sight of herself. But the effects didn't stop there. Furthermore, with every sneeze, Skeeter would shift into her unregistered animagus form and vice versa. Unable to find a cure, and unwilling to expose herself to find someone who could, Skeeter would be forced to take a much longer holiday, postponing her plans on the half-giant's article indefinitely.
> Chapter 21: Charmed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rita Skeeter wasn't heard from for the rest of the holidays, which was a total win in Harry's book. Skeeter was a menace and deserved whatever affliction she was suffering from, not that Harry officially knew anything about that.





The first day of term was unusually calm, at least by Hogwarts standards. Term started late, due to the concerns of whoever spiked the punch bowl on Christmas. So the first day was on Wednesday, which meant Harry had Charms that morning, which was preferable to History of Magic and Double Potions.

However, entering the classroom, Harry was greeted with the bizarre sight of green robes. For some obscure reason, Slytherin was occupying half of the room. Harry was quick to spot Ron and Hermione, and he took a seat next to them.

"What's Slytherin doing here?"

"Apparently their schedules got shifted around. We'll be sharing class today with them." Hermione eyed the Slytherin class warily.

"Worse yet, Malfoy and his cronies are here." True to Ron's words, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were sitting on the exact opposite side of the room. Professor Flitwick cleared his throat.

"Alright class, settle down. First off, I'd like to welcome you all back from winter break," said a rather jubilant Professor Flitwick. "Your schedules are out of place today, and I know Gryffindor hates sharing classes with Slytherin, but please manage for today. Secondly, about today's lesson. I was planning on new spells to teach, but have instead opted for a more practical lesson." Whispers spread through the class. "Do you all remember first year, when you were all taught the spell Wingardium Leviosa?" The class slowly nodded. "Today we will focused on a more advanced method of spellcasting. Anyone care to guess?"

Several hands were raised in the air, Hermione noticeably first.

"Miss Granger?"

"I know we're not supposed to learn it until sixth year, but are we learning nonverbal spells?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Good guess, but no. Anyone else?" Flitwick pointed to another student.

"Advanced counter-charms?"

"Nope."

"Defensive charms?"

"Try again."

"Wandless magic?" Draco sneered sarcastically.

"Certainly not. Good guesses, all of you. Today will be much simpler. You will practice dividing focus between spells today." Flitwick walked to stand in the middle of the classroom, where various objects from boxes to fruits were placed. "For example, when casting Wingardium Leviosa," a single box floated up, "I must keep my concentration on the spell or else—" the box dropped to the floor with a loud clang— "the spell fails. This is easy with one spell, but as the number of spells increases, so does the difficulty. So today you will be taking turns holding multiple spells active at once. You will not be graded on success, only effort. So, let's get started."

At random, Flitwick took volunteers to demonstrate their ability. Many students opted for simple levitation of an object, though many couldn't manage an attempt at more than one instance of the same spell. The result was, more often than not, both spells failed. Some, like Hermione, managed to get two different spells active with manageable difficulty. But some ended up trying too much, like Malfoy.

"Wingardium Leviosa! Wingardium Leviosa!" Malfoy said. It appeared to work for a second, with a box and one stack of papers shakily floating. "Ha! Look at this every—" His concentration lapsed, and the box he was floating dropped, harshly on his foot. The papers fluttered about, as they hadn't actually been levitating, but flying in the breeze. "OW!"

Harry snorted. Classic Malfoy. Apparently, Malfoy took offense to that.

"What, think you can do better, Potter?" he challenged.

Harry smirked.

"Yes, yes I can," Harry replied. "Anything you can do, I can do better."

Harry asked if he could try, to which Flitwick had no objections. Harry walked to the center, briefly crossing eyes with Malfoy, both smirking all the while. Harry looked down at the pile of items, suddenly insecure. What if this didn't work? Harry was quick to stomp out those fears and took a deep breath. He'd practiced plenty.

Harry held out his wand and hands, and for the briefest of moments, his irises reflected an emerald shade. He called upon the magic Twilight had taught him as he lifted his wand hand up like a conductor. Several boxes of various sizes were lifted, and Harry started moving them to be sorted by size. Harry could feel the looks of his classmates on him as he cast the magic, unaware he wasn't done. When Harry's left hand raised, Malfoy's stack of spilled papers rose to match, fluttering around him like a whirlwind. Whispers followed the stares, but Harry didn't care, he was having fun. Harry stacked all the papers in a clean stack off to the side, and he deposited the boxes in a nice pile, sorted exactly by size. Harry stepped back to admire his work.

The class was uncharacteristically silent.

"Well done Mister Potter! Twenty points to Gryffindor for exemplary magic! Give him a hand!" Flitwick declared in an uncharacteristically loud voice, the class not far behind in a round of applause. "A masterful example of not only multiple charms, but nonverbal magic as well! Let's review this." Flitwick walked up to Harry. "Now, can you tell that class what spells you used?"

Oh ponyfeathers, Harry hadn't counted on Flitwick asking for an explanation.

"A levitation spell, professor."

"Which one? Would you mind repeating the incantation?"

Harry was beginning to sweat.

"It... Uh... Doesn't have one."

"Mister Potter, all spells, even one intended for nonverbal use, have an incantation."

"I was never taught it," Harry said numbly. "It's casting has no verbal components."

"Than how does one know what spell they are casting?" Flitwick asked. Harry drilled himself on what Twilight had said about unicorn magic.

"It's less about the spell itself, and more of the intended effect. Normally you wave the wand and say the words and the spell does its job. This magic is more like the 'spell' is merely knowing what I want and how my magic does it," Harry said, trying his best to explain the phenomenon of Equestrian magic.

"Well, that doesn't quite make sense, Potter," Flitwick replied, obviously confused.

"I'm sorry professor, that's how the spell works," Harry apologized.

The class chatted excitedly.

"Professor, Potter's clearly lying. Obviously the attention from the first task is getting to him," Malfoy sneered. "Next he's going to say he can cast wandless magic, like his fake ball partner. Arrogant Mr. Chosen One," Malfoy mocked. Harry's anger flared.

"Bet." Harry replied hotly.

"Excuse me?" Malfoy said.

"I bet I can."

"Bet five point you can't!"

"Double or nothing!"

"Professor!" Protested Hermione. "They can't do that, can they?"

"Ordinarily not, but I can't deny my curiosity. I'll allow it, just this once." Flitwick turned to the two boys, missing Hermione's horrified look. "Potter, if you can do even the slightest bit of wandless magic, I'll award you an additional twenty points, and deduct five from Slytherin. If you can't, ten from Gryffindor and five to Slytherin." Flitwick held out his hand, into which Harry deposited his wand. Harry backed up a few steps.

"Harry! What are you doing!?" whispered Hermione. "Wandless magic is far beyond our lessons! It's not in the books! Most wizards can't do it!"

Harry paid her no mind. He needed to focus.

Unicorns didn't use wands for powerful spells, their bodies naturally channeled it through their horns. Wizards used wands instead of horns. Elves and goblins could easily cast spells on their own. Madame Pince had confirmed that wandless magic was a feat some wizards could do. Twilight had done it easily enough, and she was using Equestrian magic. Harry just had to concentrate on his spell without his wand.

Harry closed his eyes and focused on one item small enough to be easy to lift. His hand stretched out, eyes focusing on an item behind closed eyelids. Harry moved his hand up and opened his eyes.

Nothing on the pile had moved.

"Ha! All bark and no bite, Potter! Looks like I win!" the Slytherin declared triumphantly. Harry smirked.

"Check again, Malfoy."

Harry dropped his hand, and Malfoy's thick, heavy, potions book slammed down on his head. Everyone had been too focused on Harry and the pile they hadn't noticed he was actually aiming for the book in Malfoy's bag. Once everyone realized exactly what transpired, hushed whispers perforated the room.

"Oh... Uh, well done Harry. Uh, twenty points to—" The bell rang, signaling the end of class.

Harry was quick to dash out of the classroom.





Harry ran, though he wasn't sure where he was going. Charms was his last class of the day, so he was free to go. Harry continued to rush through the castle, randomly teleporting throughout the building in an attempt to find a quiet place. Eventually, he arrived in one of the quietest places in the school.

The restricted section of the library.

Harry quickly sat himself down and took deep breaths. He forgot how heavy the class's eyes felt to him. He could feel the envy and ire seeping from those who felt like Harry had shown them up. It felt so much worse here, worse than normal.

This was so much easier in Equestria. There was no Boy Who Lived, the scar meant nothing, and Harry's skills were his. His magic was nowhere near Twilight's level and (in his humble opinion) probably below average by unicorn standards, but his achievements felt real, they were his own. But in this world they were strange, abnormal. How ironic. Even amongst wizards, he was different.

Why was being normal so hard!? It wasn't like Harry wanted to be average, but the animosity that came with attention was less than desirable.

"I thought I might find you here," an old voice said. Harry looked up to see Dumbledore enter the library's restricted section. "I was told you left your class after a rather impressive display of magic."

"I let my ego get ahead of me," Harry sighed. "At first it was just the nonverbal magic, but then I got prideful because I wanted to show up Malfoy with wandless magic. The class is jealous of me and that's my fault."

"Not necessarily. There is no shame in using your skills, it happens to the best of us. I wasn't called the greatest wizard of the century for nothing." Dumbledore let out a little chuckle. The headmaster moved to stand next to Harry. "We cannot always control every skill we have, but we can always choose how to use them." He sat down in a nearby chair. "I take it this was a skill learned from your vacation spot?" Dumbledore asked. Harry nodded. "That place clearly has had a positive affect on you, not just magically."

"Yes sir." The edges of Harry's mouth curved upwards.

Suddenly, Harry was reminded of some very important facts.

"Headmaster, I have a few questions."

"Of course, young Harry, what is it?"

"I've been thinking about my scar. I always thought it was a mark left by the killing curse. But... The more I learn about it, the less sense it makes," Harry said, tracing the mark. A curious, yet grave, look came over Dumbledore.

"Ah, yes. I too have been thinking about that particular part of you. It's my theory that you two are connected by the curse that failed."

"Professor," Harry protested, "how could a killing curse forge a mental connection? Why was Voldemort's body destroyed when the spell rebounded? Nothing about what happened that night makes any sense. It's just, the more I think about it, the more I believe that theory can't be right."

"What prompted this questioning?" Dumbledore asked, a concerned look about him.

"While in Equestria, I visited a place called the Crystal Empire. It's an entire city made of gemstones that recently reappeared after over a thousand years. It's absolutely gorgeous." Harry reached up to rub at his scar, content to feel it as no different than normal. "I got to meet the ruler, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. And then..." Harry spaced off. He was unconscious for the whole thing and delirious for even longer, but Twilight was kind enough to fill him in.

"I take it something happened to your scar. Did it give you a vision again?"

Harry looked puzzled at the oddly specific question.

"How did you—?"

"You are not Sirius's only contact. I am aware of your previous dreams. Now, about your scar, did it hurt?" Dumbledore put his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Yes, it did. When we touched, there was a spark, and my scar felt like it was on fire. I passed out in seconds. While I was unconscious, Twilight said a shadow... thing came out of me."

"A shadow?" Dumbledore sounded very concerned, the closest Harry had ever heard Dumbledore to being scared.

"Apparently, its magic acted like the former dark king of the empire. I was lucky Cadance was there to subdue it."

"Cadance?"

"The princess, it's the name she prefers," Harry explained. "Anyways, after she stopped it from spreading the shadows retreated into my scar. It's been too weak to do anything since. We think it reacted to Cadance's unique magical source, love. My mother's protection, formed from love, must have gained power from Cadance's aura, and tried to expel the darkness left behind." Harry was silent as Dumbledore began to think deeply.

"So the magical protections tried to expel the remains of Voldemort's curse."

"With all due respect, professor, whatever this thing is, it doesn't feel like a curse, it feels alive, or at least not-dead. It tethers me to Voldemort's mind. I've see through Voldemort's eyes, felt his emotions, stolen his skills. Professor, what is this thing in my scar?"

Harry watched as Dumbledore's face contorted through numerous emotions, ranging from contemplative to concerned. The familiar shine in his eyes had been snuffed out. Eventually, his face became impossible for Harry to read.

"I... I don't know." Dumbledore placed a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder. "But I promise you, I will find out."
> Chapter 22: Meeting A Unicorn
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight Sparkle, as a student of Princess Celestia, was always welcome in Canterlot. This was especially true when the news she had was very important, too important to be sent by mail.

Twilight trotted through the castle corridors, hoping to find Celestia at the tallest tower, the place where she rose the sun every day. If she was late, the princess might get caught up in a bunch of official business. And as she rushed through the halls, it wasn't Celestia but another alicorn Twilight literally ran into. She bounced back, then looked up at the pony she had run into.

"Princess Luna?" Twilight said, surprised.

The princess of the Night looked down with equal surprise.

"Hello, Twilight. You surprised me, were you not just returned to Ponyville? I thought you would have liked to see your friends, you do dream of them," The princess noted.

"I just got back from Ponyville, I need to show the princess something important before she gets busy with her duties," Twilight explained.

"I understand. My dear sister does get burdened with her work," Luna said, nodding. "Might I inquire what it is you may ask of my sister?"

"It's about my friend, Harry. He's been blitzing me with letters all day, and he just sent me another one, there's something important I need to ask Celestia," Twilight said, holding up Harry's latest letter.

"Your otherworldly friend? Well, I suppose this might be important. Come, I just handed the day shift off to 'Tia, we may yet find her in the tower." Luna turned about, gesturing for Twilight to follow her.

"Thank you, your highness," Twilight said.

"Think nothing of it. You cleansed me of the darkness that separated me from my sister, one small favor is nothing," the princess replied. "'Tia did tell me a little of this boy. I heard he has unusual dreams."

"Visions, but only recently. He says he dreams as a unicorn, and his last vision was as an alicorn."

"An alicorn? Unusual, but not unheard of. My sister and I still dream of a time before we were princesses, and I have met many fillies who have dreamed as other creatures. But these dreams are sometimes markers of things we cannot see with our eyes alone. As Princess of the Night, things that do not meet the eyes are of interest to me," Luna explained as they walked up a set of stairs.

"Celestia told you about the visions? What do you think Harry's dream meant? His last dream was as an alicorn."

"Content of the dream aside, Harry's form might be an indicator of his image of self, what he thinks others see in him. Some fillies who grew up in terrible storms dream of being pegasi who could fight the storm. Some who revere magic might dream of being unicorns. And some who respect nature dream of being earth ponies.

"If Harry believes others expect him to live up to a grand destiny, perhaps he dreams of the form that could fulfill that destiny. If deep in his heart he believed being an alicorn can help, then his unwaking mind tried to craft a solution. That is the true nature of dreams: doing what we cannot while awake. Of course, if these are true visions and not dreams, their meanings might be different. I would much like to see them for myself. Dreams and visions are such a rare thing, even for ones such as my sister and I."

"You have an interest in visions?" Twilight asked, a little surprised.

"Of course. After all, it was one such vision that lead to my freedom, and I watch over the dreams of Equestria. But such a discussion can wait, we are here." Luna stopped at the door that led to the tower. "I wish you luck. Now, I must get some sleep, it was a long night." Luna walked away, her sleep deprivation becoming more apparent.

Twilight nudged open the door and saw Celestia still on the balcony, horn aglow as the Sun slowly rose.

"Um, princess?" Twilight said meekly.

Celestia turned away from her work, a little surprised.

"Twilight? I thought you were back with your friends in Ponyville," the princess noted.

"I was," Twilight affirmed. "But something I think you'd like to see was sent by Harry."

"Harry Potter? He has been mailing you nonstop since your return," Celestia remarked.

"I did leave suddenly. Guess he's trying to cope. He was really happy when I was in his world."

"So I've heard. But I doubt you came this way to tell me Harry was lonely. If I may guess, did he have another vision?" Celestia asked.

Twilight shook her head.

"No, actually, it's about the relationship between our two worlds," the young unicorn said. She pulled out Harry's most recent letter.

"Dear Twilight

Something incredible happened to me earlier today. It could change how we view the similarities and differences between Equestria and Earth. It started completely by accident this morning, but I want to share what happened while it's fresh in my mind.

It started when I went to my Care of Magical Creatures class...





Aside from the incident at Charms and Harry's conversation with Dumbledore, the first few days back at school were mostly uneventful until the Care of Magical Creatures class came around on Monday.

An old witch by the name of Grubbly-Plank had taken over that day for Hagrid, whom she said was "indisposed" for the day. She was strict and curt. After her brief introduction, she led the class around the paddock, towards the Forbidden Forest, and past the shivering Beauxbaton pegasi. It was here Harry's day went past ordinary.

"It's too cold out," said one pegasus. Harry did a double take as he heard them.

"I miss the paddock back home. Less drafty," said another.

Harry couldn't believe his ears. Sure, the ponies back in Equestria could talk, but they spoke in the same language as Harry. Well, unless there was some translation as a byproduct of the transport between worlds. Maybe it was because a part of Harry's brain had spent time as a unicorn? Probably another question for Twilight, or maybe McGonagall considering the latter was an animagus. They knew more about magic and the mind. Harry decided to ponder on it later.

Grubbly-Plank led the class past the horses, where Harry could see another equine tethered next to the forbidden forest.

A unicorn. Whiter than the snow with gold hooves and a majestic horn atop its head. It was a far cry from the Equestrian unicorns and looked more like Celestia without wings. This was only the second time he'd seen a unicorn from Earth. That brought back some memories.

The first year had been rough for Harry, seeing a unicorn dead. For crying out loud, his best friend was one. It was after those events that he saw the thestrals pulling the "horseless" carriages, though everyone believed otherwise. Something pulled at his heart seeing one tied up.

"Oh, it's so beautiful!" whispered Lavender Brown. "How did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!"

Harry noticed the unicorn was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head. The body language was telling a story to Harry.

"It's not beautiful, it's scared, that's what," Harry said as he approached the unicorn, only for Grubbly-Plank to catch him hard in the chest with an arm.

"Boys, keep back!" she said.

Harry scowled to himself. Who was she, keeping a unicorn tied up like that? He felt indignation bubbling forth at the unicorn's treatment. Harry crossly but stealthily reached for his wand. He focused on an open spot next to the unicorn in his mind, visualizing the location.

"They like the women's touch, unicorns. Girls to the—" Grubbly-Plank stopped when Harry teleported in a flash of green magic, appearing next to the unicorn. "Potter!"

Harry pocketed his wand and approached the unicorn, keeping his hands visible but lowered at all times, just like how Fluttershy told him to address a scared animal. The unicorn was understandably surprised.

"Back off!" came a woman's voice. Apparently, she was a mare. "First you tie me to this pole, now your foals are space-shifting!" Her voice was layered in anger. Harry stopped moving.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You looked lonely," Harry said in a soft voice. The unicorn flicked her mane in irritation.

"And worst of all, they treat you like some dumb animal! Arrogant humans!"

"You're not a dumb animal. I should know better," Harry said. The mare stopped moving, looking at Harry in shock.

"Did you just understand me?" she asked. She lowered her head to match his eye level. Her anger turned to curiosity. Harry's lips turned upwards just a little.

"Potter, get back here!" Grubbly-Plank yelled as she slowly marched toward them. Harry ignored her.

"Sorry about her, she's a replacement for Hagrid. And, for the record, I can understand you," Harry said. "Believe it or not, you're not the first unicorn I've had the pleasure of meeting."

"Potter, get back with the rest of the boys!" said Grubbly-Plank, who was only a foot or two away. "Unicorns prefer—" Grubbly-Plank was cut off from her scolding when the unicorn rose to her back legs briefly before coming down between her and Harry.

"Back off!" the mare said, sounding cross. She sounded protective, like how Twilight sounded with Spike or Applejack with her sister. Harry felt a wave of confidence wash over him.

"She prefers people who don't tie her to a pole." Harry turned his back on the professor, attention directed at the unicorn. Harry pointed to the ropes tethering her. "Would you like those removed, or at least loosened?" he asked politely.

"Yes, please. It's humiliating." She stood still waiting for Harry to approach her, but the boy stayed rooted to the ground.

Instead, Harry raised a hand and concentrated on the standard unicorn telekinesis spell.

If one could see magic, one would notice his eyes and the rope were briefly surrounded by the same green aura. The knots untied themselves under the influence of his magic. Harry took the rolled-up rope in hand and dropped it next to the tree.

"No stick-magic?" she asked.

"Didn't need it. It's unicorn magic," Harry replied simply. Seeing Grubbly-Plank's stunned expression, he moved closer to the mare.

"We don't cast spells, little colt." Her words were like those given to a foal.

"Equestrian ones do," he countered. The unicorn gave him a strange look.

"Equestria? That's an old mare's tale," she said. Harry was genuinely surprised unicorns knew about Equestria.

"Potter, get back from the unicorn," Grubbly-Plank whisper-shouted.

"She's not dangerous, professor," Harry insisted. Harry held a hand up to the unicorn's mane, silently asking if he could stroke her hair. A polite flick of her neck was enough for him to move his hand down her mane. Grubbly-Plank grumbled, then faced the class.

"Alright, class. Normally, they prefer the women's touch, so girls up front and approach it slowly." She left the two to slowly guide the class's girls towards the unicorn.

A thought came to Harry. Grubbly-Plank said it, and Harry didn't know what to call her besides what she was.

"You know, I never asked what to call you. Do you have a name I can use?" The unicorn paused for a moment.

"You may call me Moonpool," she said in a melodic voice.

"I'm Harry Potter," he said when the class arrived.

"All right girls, and Harry, what do you know about unicorns?" the teacher asked. The girls whispered amongst themselves for a moment.

"The horn and hair of a unicorn are used in potions and wands respectively, but never the blood," Hermione said.

"It's creepy. What if I used your ground up teeth in the river I clean in?" Moonpool said. Harry stroked her mane comfortingly.

"They should at least ask."

"Harry, are you talking to the unicorn?" Lavender Brown asked.

"What of it?" he countered.

"First he's a parselmouth, now he talks to horses. Great," Parvati snapped. Moonpool pawed at the ground irritably.

"You ignore the filly, she's too loud." Harry couldn't resist chuckling.

"Anyways, unicorns are..." Grubbly-Plank continued on with her lecture while Harry continued to talk with Moonpool.

"As I was saying, Equestria is an old mare's tale. We tell it to fillies and colts in the spring."

"Not really, I've been there twice now," Harry whispered. Moonpool huffed.

"Let's assume you're correct, and I assume it exists and assume you've been there. What's it like there? Is it as harmonious as the stories say?" she asked, curiosity seeping out of her voice, overriding any previous skepticism.

"More than you can imagine. There are no people there, first off. Second, the ponies there are really nice as well. I've met unicorns, pegasi, ponies, zebras, and even three alicorns." Moonpool almost jumped in place, startling the students.

"Now I know you jest. Alicorns are more of a myth than Equestria! And yet you say you've met three!"

"Potter, if you continue to disrupt the class, you will be removed!" the teacher scolded. Harry glared but kept silent.

"I don't know whether to believe you or not," Moonpool said in a significantly quieter voice, though it was completely unnecessary. "But I would love to continue this later, maybe introduce you to a few old mares and their fillies," she said.

"Sounds lovely."

"Potter!"





Overall, despite her personality, Grubbly-Plank was a competent teacher, but she lacked Hagrid's enthusiasm. The day's lesson felt like enough to warrant a short letter to Twilight about the unicorn meeting, and that they somehow knew of Equestria. But the rest of the day went on without incident until the three visited Hagrid. They figured out why he had been missing before. His advances on the headmistress of Beauxbatons had gone badly when Hagrid assumed she was part giant. He was sulking in his hut, hence the substitute. For a moment Harry was afraid Rita Skeeter had something to do with it, but it would appear Harry's gift had left her... indisposed. They were about to leave when Harry reminded himself of something.

"Hey Hagrid, how many unicorns live in the forest?" Harry asked. Hagrid looked perplexed.

"Not sure about that one Harry, they keep to themselves, those unicorns. Never seen more than a look or two. Only ones I saw for more than that were, well, you remember the first year," Hagrid said sadly. Harry nodded as the group left Hagrid's hut.

"What was that about?" Ron asked when the door closed. "Since when were you interested in unicorns?"

"Since he learned he could talk to them," Hermione guessed. "I haven't read of a wizard who could do that before."

"Moonpool invited me to meet her later."

"Moonpool? You named her?" asked Ron.

"Of course not. She told me. And we're going to meet her," Harry said with a sense of finality.

"No, we're not," Hermione said crossly. "Harry, it's forbidden. We're not allowed in without special permission or a teacher."

"Stealing is forbidden too, last I checked. Besides, she invited us, I'd think that counts as 'special permission'. She lives there," Harry corrected. "No one attacks a unicorn because of the blood, and they are fast enough to outrun werewolves. We'll be safe." Harry continued to walk towards the forest assuredly.

"You're going to get me expelled," Hermione grumbled as she followed him.
> Chapter 23: Humans And Unicorns
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the three walked a few paces into the Forbidden Forest, it seemed to be lacking in its signature dark, oppressive aura. It seemed more tame, calm. Less... forbidden. By the time they could no longer see the edge of the woods, Harry was beginning to feel an almost magnetic attraction pulling him through the forest. It was like his heart was pushing against his ribcage in a specific direction.

"This way, I think we're close," Harry said as he spotted a clearing a small distance ahead. "I think she's meeting us just up ahead." He could see something glowing up ahead.

As the group passed another tree, the glimmering item became more apparent. It wasn't a unicorn, but a glowing mote of light.

"That's not a unicorn," Ron said. "I think."

The spark of light pulsed once, then twice, then three times before it grew to about Harry's height. Once it stabilized, a human figure walked through the orb, now revealed as a portal. A familiar purple head of purple hair poked through.

"Twilight?!"





"Harry?!"

Twilight pulled herself out of the portal. She stumbled for a second before Harry caught her. She had to get used to walking like this.

"You good?" Harry asked.

"Just fine. But thank Celestia, I thought I was in a random forest," Twilight said. "I went to Cnaterlot to present your letter to Princess Celestia. She was very interested in the prospect of the unicorns here knowing about our home. Everything was so fascinating! The pegasi and Moonpool, I didn't know you could do that. I mean, the unicorns of your world know about Equestria, if only as a fairytale myth. Celestia was curious about the nature of the unicorns in your world. They might not be her ponies, but still, it's such a discovery!

"She so wanted to be here, but with a Princess summit and the Summer Sun Celebration upcoming in a few weeks, she just couldn't. She sent me to join your meeting if you don't mind," Twilight explained. "This could go down in history books or a reference in an academic study!" she squealed.

"Merlin's ghost, there's two of them," Ron groaned.

Harry smiled.

"Why would I mind? Moonpool was very curious about Equestria; who better to talk about it than you?" Harry said. The two exchanged a hug before looking at the other two students. "Ron, Hermione, I'm sure you remember my friend, Twilight Sparkle," he introduced her.

"How do you—" Hermione was cut off.

"You're purple!?" Ron exclaimed, confused.

"It's my natural skin tone, thanks for asking," Twilight deadpanned. Hermione coughed loudly.

"As I was going to say, how do you keep getting in and out of the castle grounds?" Hermione demanded immediately. "I mean, Harry can teleport, he won't tell me how, but he's already within the grounds. How are you getting in?"

"Rude," scoffed Ron. "She just got here."

"Last time you two saw each other you were fighting, Ronald," Hermione snapped back.

Twilight moved between them.

"The wards don't stop everything, plus the last few times were powered by magic users with unique magical natures," Twilight said simply. "And you can stop worrying over the fight, I've been in worse."

"Princess Celestia, right? Well, I've gone through the library and found nothing on her. For being so powerful she's very nonexistent. Honestly, I doubt she's real," Hermione said dismissively.

Twilight turned to Harry, confused. She thought he might have talked to them, even with their watered-down alibi.

"You never told them?" Twilight asked.

"Told us what? asked Ron.

"It's your secret," said Harry.

"What secret?" said Hermione.

"They're your friends," said Twilight.

"HEY!" shouted Ron and Hermione. "What's going on!?"

Harry and Twilight looked back and forth between each other and the two.

"I've got a lot to explain. I'll talk on the way, I think there's another clearing just up ahead," Harry said. He and Twilight walked ahead, shoulder to shoulder, as Harry began to explain the whole story between him, Twilight, the letters, and his disappearance.

"It started when I wrote a letter five years ago..."





Harry recounted how he and Twilight had become friends, starting with his first letter. He then described the ins and outs of Equestria, in more detail than what he told Dumbledore. He talked about their magic and the Princesses, everything except the fact Equestria was in another universe, Discord, the Elements, and the powers of the Princesses.

By the time he wrapped up the story, the next clearing was just barely in view. When Harry finished, Ron and Hermione were shaken. Harry analyzed his friends, gauging their reactions.

"So, let me get this straight," Ron started slowly. "She's a unicorn in disguise from a faraway country filled with ponies who sing songs and have access to magical powers. You two met when Harry accidentally sent a letter through a hole in the fabric of the universe that cannot be explained, and have been talking behind everyone's back. Additionally, she becomes a human when she visits, and the opposite for him. And the country she's from is ruled by two immortal pony goddess sisters. Did I miss anything?"

Harry and Twilight shared a look.

"Nope," the two said as they walked, Ron and Hermione stumbling along numbly.

"It sounds unbelievable, what you two describe," Hermione confessed. "I mean, a place with more magic than we could imagine, where you don't have to hide from the mundane world? It sounds so—"

"Fantastic?" Twilight gussed.

"Unrealistic," Hermione corrected.

Twilight hummed to herself.

"It may seem that way to you, but it's normal for me and Harry. It's the truth, whether you'll accept it or not."

The two humans followed along silently after that.

Eventually, they entered the next clearing. It was a medium size, probably big enough to fit a dozen or so Earth unicorns. The ground was firm enough to not sink but was a far cry from packed dirt.

"We're here," Harry said, stopping.

"Harry, I don't get it, where are the..." Hermione trailed off as a unicorn entered the clearing. Harry looked closely, recognizing the unicorn.

"Moonpool, you're here," he said. The mare shook her mane.

"Yes, of course I am." She flicked her nose towards the group behind Harry. "And I see you're not alone."

Twilight stepped forth. She looked very curious about these unicorns. If Harry had to guess, she was slightly confused about why they were larger than most ponies but lacked the ethereal appearance of the Princesses, who grew larger than others.

"I'm Twilight Sparkle. Princess Celestia sent me," she said with the slightest bow. Ron and Hermione nervously realized they were the only two who couldn't understand unicorns here.

"So you are from Equestria then? I was told humans don't exist here." Moonpool said suspiciously. Twilight nodded.

"Moving to and from Equestria changes our physical forms. Harry is a unicorn in Equestria, and I'm a human here. The Princess wanted to learn more about unicorns over here, see what connects us," Twilight said with her trademark studious tone.

Moonpool was silent for a moment.

"Then I think there are a few someones you'd like to meet." At Moonpool's words, six more unicorns entered the clearing. "Meet Dusk, Starfall, and Shine." Three mares entered, one old, and two recently of age. "And Albedo." A stallion followed, standing tall amongst the three mares. Finally, two golden fillies followed, hiding behind the legs of the younger mares, presumably being their foals. The assembled teens felt their hearts melt.

"Oh, hello, what are your names?" Twilight asked with a smile. One of the fillies peaked her head out.

"I'm Aurora," she said, her voice carrying an accent that reminded the two of Apple Bloom.

"I'm Chime," the other spoke in a more refined voice. The unicorn fillies walked out from behind their mothers. "Mother says humans are scary. You seem nice."

"Well, we're not exactly normal," said Harry. "Would you like to meet our friends?" He gestured for Ron and Hermione to get closer.

The two approached the seven unicorns, and while they were slightly wary of Ron, it wasn't long before they were encircled by a ring of white pelts and golden foals.

"We learned a lot about unicorns today, and now we get to meet two foals. Harry, if I didn't know better, I'd think to could talk to every animal," Hermione said.

"I think just equines and serpents, I overheard the Beauxbaton pegasi talking earlier, it's why I tried to talk to Moonpool. Twilight's friend, Fluttershy, can talk to most animals," Harry explained.

"It's confirmed then, Harry's a... um... a horse-mouth?" Ron fumbled for a word to fit.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Ronald, you can't make words up. The words parselmouth and parseltongue are derived from a French word meaning 'incomplete or forked tongue', like those of a snake," Hermione corrected.

"Hermione, all words are made up. When did you become an expert on this?"

Harry laughed at the two good-naturedly.

"She read it, Ron, like everything else. Besides, it's more of a condition or side effect than a skill," Harry said before he turned to the unicorns. "So, how do you know about Equestria?"

The stallion stepped forth.

"It's an old legend dating back to the first unicorns," said the stallion. "It's been passed down for generations; I still remember my mother telling it to me when I was a young colt," he reminisced. "She said that long before we unicorns roamed this earth, there was a distant land of perfect harmony called Equestria. It's our oldest myth, a tale for foals who are too young to know the dangers of this world. "

"What did he say?" Hermione whispered in Harry's ear. Harry briefly summarized the explanation. "This is so interesting. Unicorns have cultures, myths, legends. The Ministry has no idea, do they?"

"What's next, S.P.U.D.? Society for the Protection of Unicorn Dignity?" Ron joked but was shushed by two elbows to the ribs, courtesy of Hermione and Harry. "Ow! Alright, I get it."

Twilight, meanwhile, was wrapping her head around the implications of this revelation.

"I can't believe it. Unicorns of this world are descendants of Equestria! Harry, do you know what this means?! You're not the first person or pony to cross between our universes!" Twilight said excitedly.

"I suppose that is important. Equestria was a myth of our origins, partially," said the stallion, Albedo. Harry and Twilight translated his sentence.

"Partially?" Harry asked.

"According to the legends, there were others who came to this world: a pegasus tribe, a group of griffons, and others. But time has eroded our noble heritage, we are becoming more like lesser animals. I fear we will succumb in time," Starfall said. Harry translated this time, but left out the "world" part.

"What does she mean, eroded?" Hermione asked.

Harry was quiet, thinking.

"Do you remember what I said about my zoo trip? I talked to a snake. He could talk to me, express gratitude, but his words felt... different. He had intellect, but not— what's the word?" He asked.

"Sapience? The ability to collect wisdom with higher thought?" Twilight suggested.

"This is getting a bit much, don't you think?" Ron interrupted. "We came here to learn, not stumble upon ancient conspiracy theories."

"These aren't conspiracy theories, Ron," Harry scolded.

"But what about your magic? We unicorns of Equestria can cast spells, but you don't seem to do that. Why was that?" Twilight asked.

The assembled unicorns looked at each other for a moment before the old mare spoke up.

"We unicorns have much magic, but we cannot use it like you humans can. Legend says we used to, but our decline has left us unable. Some believe our condition is the result of a blood curse, and that same curse still runs through our blood today," Starfall said. Everyone knew what they were talking about: the unicorn blood Voldemort drank. "Because of that curse, we are prey with no predators and abnormal in the natural balance. Some believe our magic was stolen." Twilight was quick to translate for Ron and Hermione.

"Stole it?" echoed Hermione. "That's impossible, you can't steal magic from anyone."

"I think we passed the line of what defines possible a while back," Harry rebutted. "Besides, when I go to Equestria I'm a unicorn, and Twilight becomes a human over here despite the fact unicorns already exist here."

"I don't know what having magic would feel like, but I would have loved to have it," Moonpool said. "Besides, there is much more to learn. Could we hear about the alicorns? They are legendary, and Harry suggested he's met three," she said. Harry translated again.

"The Princesses? Okay, sure." Twilight said. "There are three. The sisters, Princesses Celestia and Luna, and my sister-in-law, Princess Cadance," she said before she began recounting the stories of Equestria to the unicorns.

Ron leaned over Harry's shoulder.

"Wait, her sister-in-law is a Princess? She's royalty?! Was that how she afforded her clothes?"

"Why didn't you tell us you knew actual royalty?" Hermione added.

Harry chuckled at the two.

"Twilight's not royalty. Her brother just married the Princess of the Crystal Empire, and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was her foalsitter as a filly."

"Harry, you lost us there," Hermione said. "I thought the Princess was named—"

"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Princess Cadance are the same pony," Harry interrupted. "She's the adopted niece of Princess Celestia. She was also Twilight's babysitter, technically her foalsitter. I suspect it was so she could be near Twilight's brother, whom she married later. After the wedding, she took responsibility of the Crystal Empire, an empire in the frozen north of Equestria."

Ron and Hermione looked even more confused.

"So you don't know any royalty?" asked Ron.

"Oh no, I absolutely do," Harry countered. "I've gotten to meet all three Princesses on separate occasions. Twilight introduced me, she's Celestia's personal student," Harry tried to explain.

"A student of a monarch? What I wouldn't give for that," Hermione whispered to herself.

"So she's not royalty? Then, what about the fancy robes?" Ron asked.

"Twilight's friend, Rarity, is one of the best in the business. She has a natural affinity for gemstones and fashion. She practically invented a spell that can find gemstone deposits as a foal. But those robes were a gift, she's not the Element of Generosity for nothing," Harry explained.

The three stayed silent before Ron started to laugh about something. Everyone, unicorns included, looked at him.

"Look at us. I know more about the magical community, Hermione knows more about muggles, and Harry knows about Equestria," Ron said between laughs.

Harry allowed himself a brief laugh, then joined Twilight to talk to the unicorns.

"I have something to ask of you. I know it is not my decision, but I must ask it nonetheless," asked Skyfall.

"What do you want?" Twilight replied.

"We know Equestria is distant from this world, it remains a myth even to us. But I must ask, is it safe?" the unicorn asked.

"Safe? Why do you ask?" Harry said.

"Because there is a growing darkness, we all feel it. The murder of even one of our kind is a tragic loss, but someone has been killing many of us recently. We are rare as is, we are afraid of disappearing forever," Moonpool revealed.

"Voldemort. He's still using your blood to stay alive," Harry realized.

"If you are safe in our ancestral homeland, than I am relieved."

"Don't sound so defeated," said Twilight.

"That is how we have lived. For generations, our blood has been used as a poison and our hairs stripped for weapons, every part of us is used to benefit others. We are barely more than animals, but we are prey with no predators, we exist with no purpose in this world," said the oldest mare, Dusk.

Harry and Twilight looked at each other, then back at the unicorns.

"I'm so sorry," was all Twilight could say.

"Thank you, little one. Life is cruel, but I hope it can get better."

"I can talk with Celestia, maybe she can help," Twilight said.

"If it helps, I can come back to visit, maybe I can try to show you some of Equestria's magic," Harry said.

It was starting to become more clear to Harry that Voldemort was a threat to more than just wizards. If he returned, the pain would be felt by everyone, not just humans. These unicorns, they didn't deserve this.

"Thank you for your kind words. But let us enjoy happier topics, while the young ones are here." Dusk said, looking at the two foals, who were prancing around Ron and Hermione.





The group stayed in the Forbidden Forest 'till late in the afternoon, exchanging bits of folklore from unicorns, Equestria, and humanity. Hermione and Twilight blitzed through their papers, recording everything learned, while Harry took the chance to give his condolences to the unicorns about their losses in the first year. They were saddened by the reminder of the loss but appreciated Harry's attempts to console them.

But, sooner than anyone would have liked, the Hogwarts curfew cut their meeting short. Hermione and Ron ran ahead of Harry, giving him time to say goodbye.

"That was... strange. These unicorns, we all thought they were less than sapient," Harry said awkwardly. He clenched his fist, emotions shifting towards frustration. "I should've known better when I saw the thestrals."

"It can't be changed, that's how you were taught. Besides, we can help them now," Twilight reasoned.

"Help? Twilight, they're animals to the Ministry. I don't even know where to begin with this."

"I'll ask Celestia, maybe she'll have some ideas—"

"Such as?" Harry retorted. "On the one hoof, Celestia would have to fight for the rights of entire species. On the other, she might have to abandon some of them here, which will make things worse in the long run."

"I don't know!" Twilight shouted. "I just feel bad for them. They're animals here, but can't prove otherwise. They're treated as lesser because of that they are, doesn't that sound familiar?"

At Twilight's words, Harry was filled with great shame. The Dursleys treated him as dirt because he was magical, was this so different? He would be a hypocrite if he said the unicorns and him were different. For Celestia's sake, he was a unicorn! He should be sympathizing more, not less!

"Then we'll figure something out. I'll visit them when I can. For now, I'm glad you stopped by," said Harry.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world," replied Twilight.

"I'm glad. The last three weeks have been dismal," commented Harry.

Twilight looked confused.

"Three weeks? Harry, it hasn't even been two days. I just got back to Ponyville when your last letter arrived," said Twilight.

Harry slapped his forehead.

"Two days? Oh, Celestia, here we go again," Harry groaned. "Let me guess, time dilation?"

"With our luck? Yes, and I think it's getting worse. But at this point there's nothing we can do about it. We can induct a proper study during the summer." Twilight shrugged.

"It's the weirdest part of our friendship," Harry said. "I mean, I've known you for five years, but you've known me for significantly less. That doesn't feel off?"

"Well, it is a little strange. But considering I de-age when on this side of the portal, it's not that weird."

"It absolutely is. My body doesn't age up over there," Harry reminded her.

"And speaking of your body, about your scar, how are you holding up?" she asked. She placed her hand on Harry's forehead, running a finger over the mark.

"I'm alright. I haven't had any dreams since the one in the letter, and my scar doesn't hurt anymore. I'm trying to learn anything I can, but the library doesn't have anything on magical scars," said Harry. He pulled Twilight's hand away from his head.

"Okay, so there's some good news and some bad news. But Cadance's magic is working, so that's a win. I promise that once we get you back to Equestria, I'll help find a solution. I'm not leaving you out in the rain on this.

"Oh, before I forget; I have something for you." Twilight reached into her satchel, retrieving a thin book from within. The cover had half of Twilight's cutie mark displayed on the front, the other half blank. "I wanted to thank you properly for the Christmas gift. When you told me about the charms incident, it gave me an idea. If Equestrian magic draws too much attention, why couldn't I write up some verbal components? I can translate your magic to Equestrian, why not the other way around? A lot of your spells share roots with words of similar meanings. Lumos and luminate, Bombarda and bomb, Leviosa and levitate, et cetera." She flipped to a random page, showing off a spell or two. "I have spells you already know, plus one or two extras, already written in with some incantations. It should help you blend in," she said, pushing the book into Harry's hands. Harry was stunned.

"Twilight, I can't accept this—"

"Yes, you can. You're always so stingy about these things. Consider it a late Christmas and birthday gift," insisted Twilight.

Harry took the book reluctantly.

"Oh! I almost forgot, Celestia gave me her blessing to use the summoning spell," said Twilight, grinning practically ear to ear.

"That's great! I can't wait to see you. Just a few more months, right?"

"For you, yes. Probably less for me. And one more thing. Rainbow Dash wants to watch the final task. You wouldn't mind if we dropped by?" she asked.

"Of course not. You're all welcome to watch. But I'm not here to win," Harry warned. Survival was his goal here.

"We're here for you regardless."

A hum of magic echoed through the forest. Twilight glowed white for a second as the spell took hold of her.

"I'll see you when term ends to bring you back, good luck!" And with Twilight's last words, she vanished in a spark of light, leaving Harry alone in the forest.

"You know, maybe I will win, just for Rainbow's sake."





"Celestia, we need to talk."
> Chapter 24: Origin Of A Species
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight hopped out of the portal from Harry's world with both a smile and a heavy heart. It was nice to see her friend if only she hadn't been burdened with such grim news. These unicorns needed her help. If what they said was true, many of the other animals had once been sapient. But now... Twilight shuddered to think about the idea of becoming less aware, less intelligent. It must have been a nightmare for these unicorns. And what was said about the others, pegasus, griffons, and whatever else had come to Harry's world, they were now on the edge of "regressing" to a state of lesser awareness. If Twilight couldn't convince Celestia to do something, they might be doomed to a terrible fate.

"How was the meeting?" Celestia asked.

Twilight nearly jumped to the ceiling.

"You scared me!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Sorry, my student. How did your meeting with these unicorns go?" Celestia asked again.

Twilight rubbed her neck awkwardly. She took a deep breath and pulled out her notes on the unicorns from Harry's world.

"Not as well as we'd hoped. It's bad news. Celestia, we need to talk," Twilight said.

"Is there something wrong?" Celestia said with concern. She gestured at a nearby table. "Come, sit down. I've cleared the next few hours, I could tell this might take a while."

"Thank you, Princess," Twilight said as she sat down.

The next half-hour was spent reviewing everything about the unicorns, from biology and habitat to culture and mythology. Twilight might have let her nerd side take over regarding the former, but she was tempered by the sadder news of the latter. Twilight specifically chose to keep the mental state of the unicorns unsaid until the end. When Twilight was finished, her notes covered the table, and the Princess inspected each one with a keen eye.

"These unicorns, they have it rough. To be recognized as lesser, they have nopony to help," Celestia noted.

"But that's not the worst part, Celestia. They're degrading," Twilight said.

"Degrading?" Celestia asked.

"They believe other species came through to Harry's world, but they didn't transform like I do. Over the generations, everybody who went through this started to act more animal-like. From what Dusk told us, these unicorns might not retain sapience much longer," Twilight explained.

Celestia was silent. Her expression was solemn and sad. If Twilight hadn't known the Princess for years, she wouldn't recognize Celestia was on the verge of crying.

"How long have they been like this?" she finally asked.

"Thousands of years. One of the other mares, Shine, said the unicorns, pegasus, and thestrals lost their magical abilities in the first few centuries. And only a fraction of griffons and hippogriffs have retained their sapience."

"Such a fate is one worse than death. To think, these might have once been one of my little ponies," Celestia said remorsefully. "Who came from our world?"

"Albedo said unicorns, pegasi, hippogriffs, griffons, centaurs, and thestrals came through. He also said the hippogriffs and griffons have started to lose their minds first, and something terrible is happening to the thestrals. The majority of those three have lost their sapience," Twilight admitted with a grave tone.

"So only the unicorns and pegasi remain?" Celestia implored.

"Yes, but the descendants of the pegasus tribe are fading faster. Dusk suspected they have two, maybe three generations left before the damage affects the majority."

"And what of the centaurs?"

"Surprisingly, they have retained their intelligence," Twilight revealed. "Harry told me about an encounter he had in his first year. Firenze, I think his name was. The centaurs live in isolated tribes from humans and despise their magic. They haven't degraded, at least mentally."

Celestia hummed contemplatively. "Why do you think they have retained their sapience?" she eventually asked.

"If I had to guess, it is because of the nature of the other world. Whenever Harry and I travel, we change our forms. Humans are the dominant species in that world, no animals are sapient and some have lessened sentience. The centaur's upper body is similar to humans, which may be why their minds are unchanged. Of course, this could explain the others' decline. They are being forced to follow the 'rules' of Harry's universe."

"If that is the truth, then there is only one solution: to bring them back home," Celestia declared.

Twilight stayed silent. That was the only course of action or at least the most obvious one. If the summoning spell could be used en masse, they might be able to drag everypony back to Equestria. The only issue was the logistics. Where would an entire nation's worth of unicorns and pegasi go? Twilight looked through her bag once more for any notes she might have forgotten about. An unfamiliar scroll fell out of her bag.

"What's this?" Twilight wondered aloud. She opened the scroll and recoiled when the words were written in a collage of bright colors. "My eyes, it's like reading Eye of the Beholder!" she exclaimed.

"May I see it?" Celestia asked. Twilight handed over the note. "To whom it may concern, He-Who-Makes-No-Sense. What?"

There was a bright flash, and Equestria's one and only draconequus appeared.

"You rang?" Discord asked, holding a little bell.

"Discord! What are you doing here?!" Twilight demanded.

"Why, I thought it'd be obvious." Discord chuckled.

"You know about the unicorns," Celestia growled. Twilight had never heard her so upset. "You knew they were in Harry's world!"

"Right on one count, wrong on the next!" Discord declared like he won a guessing game. "Yes, I did know about the disappearances, but I didn't quite know where they went. After all, it was so long ago."

"Explain," Celestia demanded.

"Well, it went a little something like this." Discord snapped his fingers. There was a flash of light, and the castle halls were transformed into a blinding void. Images were flashing by them in a rush. Most of them were of Discord during his time as the chaos bringer of Equestria.

"What's going on?" Twilight asked.

"Why, we're taking a trip down memory lane! It's been so long since I've done this trick, so keep all hooves, horns, and wings inside the vortex at all times. Side affects may include nausea, vomiting, and questioning your free will. Thank you for flying with Discord airlines." Discord giggled.

There was a lurch, and the blinding vortex vanished. Twilight and Celestia looked around, noticing they were in the middle of grass fields and a large mountain nearby. It was familiar, but certainly nowhere Twilight had ever been.

"Where- where are we?" Twilight asked.

"I believe," Celestia sighed. "the question is when."

"An astute observation." Discord's body posture went lax, and a large couch manifested beneath him. "Oh, can you feel that in the air!? All the chaos, almost makes me regret being reformed." He yawned.

"Discord! Tell why you brought us here!" Twilight scolded.

"Ugh, fine!" Discord said with a scowl. "Since you asked so nicely, we are few years shy of my original tour of Equestria. You know, the one where I was turned into a garden ornament. Follow me!" Discord said.

Discord teleported a few feet away, holding a giant sign reading "tour guide". Princess Celestia and Twilight shared a wary glance before following him. Discord skipped along a dirt path into the forest separating them from the base of the mountain. Twilight followed along with a mix of curiosity and fear, whole Celestia looked resolute.

"Princess, where are we?" Twilight asked.

Celestia looked up at the mountain. "It has been a long time since I visited myself, but I believe we are at the edge of Equestria's borders. I recall something unusual happened here long ago, but my sister and I were unable to investigate immediately. Now, judging from Discord's upbeat mood, I regret not inspecting sooner," she said.

They walked through the forest to the mouth of a cave hidden at the base of the mountain behind several vines. Discord brushed the plants away with an overdramatic bow and a childish grin. Celestia went in first, her student how far behind. They walked deeper into the cave, and Celestia lit her horn to show the path ahead. The path was well worn, obviously frequented by ponies. The walls and roof were covered in twinkling gems. Twilight couldn't help but stare as she walked through the cold mountain.

"Did you know about these caves?" Twilight asked.

"No. When I investigated this part of the mountain looked vastly different. I never suspected these tunnels were here," replied Celestia.

"We're here," Discord called out from deeper in the cave.

Twilight and Celestia walked out of the tunnel and into a large cavern. There was a ramp leading down to the bottom where several creatures were. A closer inspection revealed the creatures to be: a unicorn, a pegasus, a griffon, a hippogriff, and a centaur. They were standing around a large circle of runes inscribed on the stone floor. None of them seemed to notice Celestia's arrival.

"I'm just saying, you're sure this'll work?" the female griffon spoke up.

"Stop being such a drag, Gret," the male hippogriff said.

"I'm sorry, dear brother," the griffon, Gret, spat back.

"Hans, Gret, stop fighting! We have not come this far on chance alone!" the pegasus mare shouted.

"Nimbus is right, we have been researching interdimensional travel for years now. We are ready to test the spell," the unicorn stallion spoke.

"I know, I know. I just feel like one more look into Star Swirl the Bearded's notes would be beneficial," Gret confessed.

"His theories are sound. I believe this portal will work. And besides, we need you and your adopted brother if we make contact with the other side," the centaur spoke with an impassive voice.

"They're making a portal?" Twilight echoed. "These must have been the ones to come to Harry's universe. But why only these five?"

"Why don't you ask?" Discord suggested.

"Hey! Hello! Can you hear me?" Twilight shouted, but no one answered. She waved a hoof in front of the unicorn's face but was surprised to see no effect. Her ears flattened against her head when Discord chuckled from behind her. "You knew that was going to happen, didn't you?"

"It was worth the laugh," the draconequus replied. "You can't affect anything here."

"Stop bickering, all of you," a powerful voice demanded. Everypony turned back to see a pony emerge from a nearby tunnel. A pitch-black thestral walked into the cavern's center, just outside the circle of runes. "We have spent so long researching the fundamentals and holding control tests, we can't not be ready." The thestral walked over to the unicorn and centaur. "Orion, start the spell."

"Yes sir, Night Chaser," The unicorn, Orion, sighed. With a nod, the centaur placed an odd crystal ball in the center of the circle and the rune lit up. "Let this be known as the day of the most important discovery in Equestria, or the day we sent it to ruin."

Orion's horn glowed as magic vibrated in the air. Lightning sparked between the marks on the ground and the ground shook. The magic coalesced in a tiny spec above the crystal ball.

"Hey, Orion, are we supposed to be doing this?" Gret asked.

"Of course we are," he said dismissively.

"No, I mean this!"

Everypony looked up to see where Hans and Gret were standing. Or, rather, where the Hanss and Grets were standing. A male Griffon, almost identical to Gret, was standing next to the original. The opposite was true for Hans, a matching female next to him.

"What in Celestia's name?!" Nimbus cried out. "This is wrong! Orion, shut it down!"

"I- I can't! The portal is drawing magic from the other side!" Orion shouted.

The cave shook violently, stalactites falling from the roof of the cavern. Celestia placed her wing over Twilight, shielding her. Twilight watched in abject terror as the afflictions of the hippogriff and griffon started to affect the centaur and thestral. Soon more copies of the affected species appeared, each one diverging farther from the original. The wind howled as the orb sucked in the surrounding atmosphere. Nimbus clung tighter to Orion as the two tried to back away from the portal, but found themselves going nowhere.

"The portal is drawing us in!" Orion shouted over the raging wind.

"Then I'll destroy it! Without the anchor the portal won't be able to hold itself together!" one of Night Chaser's copies, or maybe the original, shouted.

The thestral ran at the portal and smashed his hoof on the crystal ball. He screamed with pain, and the cave exploded in light. Celestia erected a golden barrier around herself and her student as the shockwave hit them. Despite the barrier's strength, Twilight and Celestia were flung out of the cave. When they crossed the threshold, the cave and a substantial portion of the mountain collapsed. Twilight and Celestia picked themselves off the ground, thankfully no worse for wear.

Twilight crouched and tried to wave the dust away. "What was that?" She coughed.

"A spectacular light show, that's for sure!" Discord said from behind the two. He plucked off a pair of solar eclipse sunglasses before eating them. "I regret not watching this sooner. Had I known what they were doing, I would have performed my grand tour of Equestria sooner."

"I take it that was the portal that brought my citizens to Earth?" Celestia asked Discord.

"But how? There were only six of them, one for each species," Twilight said.

"My, my, weren't you paying attention?" Discord said mockingly. He pulled out a scroll that unfurled to show a selfie of him in the cavern just before Night Chaser smashed the crystal. "Each one of those ponies were blasted into a gazillion pieces and rebuilt as several hundred unique individuals. Wasn't it obvious?"

"No it wasn't!" Twilight shouted.

"Twilight, calm down," Celestia insisted." Despite Discord's... methodology... we now know how those ponies came to be in Harry's universe. They were once one of us, I cannot abandon them now," she said, resolute. "But first, we must return to our own time." She looked up at Discord.

"Yes, a wonderful suggestion," said Discord. He snapped his fingers and the terrain morphed into Canterlot Castle.

Twilight took a moment to orientate herself and process the last few... hours? minutes? Whatever. If Celestia didn't intervene on their behalf, that could mean the end of a sapient species, forever.

"So, what next?" Twilight asked.

"First, we need to investigate the state of the other species. If the situation is the same for all of them, then we act. I should go to Harry's world and see these ponies for myself," Celestia decided.

"Wonderful, yet I seem to have gotten a better idea. Why not just bring them all here? Of course, I suggest you find a place to put these refugees," Discord said. He pulled out a map several times his size and placed it on the ground. "There's a lovely little island just off the coast of Maretime Bay."

Twilight looked over the map, seeing a crudely drawn island right where Discord had indicated. Wait, did Discord just create a whole new island for them? That's awfully... nice...?

"Hey, wait a minute! You're never this nice!" Twilight accused.

"Who, me? Why, I thought our lovely friend Fluttershy reformed me. Or am I mistaken?" Discord said. A wonky halo floated above him.

"Much as I don't want to agree, this is very nice of you. What's your angle here?" Celestia demanded.

"Well, if you insist I have an angle." Discord twisted his head ninety degrees. "The realm they're trapped in is utterly boring, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemies. So I'd be happy to help, I just want one small teeny-tiny itty-bitty little thing in return," he said, staring Twilight down.

"What do you want? Because if you want my Element—"

"Psh! Oh no, nothing like that! Fluttershy has already promised to withhold hers, two would be redundant."

"Then what is it you want?" Celestia implored.

Discord smirked. "Next time that either of you see Harry Potter, tell him he owes me. Auf wiedersehen!"

Discord vanished.





Dear Harry.

Celestia and I figured out where the unicorn, pegasus, thestrals, and the rest came from. There was an experiment into portals thousands of years ago, but something went wrong. The ones involved got sucked in and split into multiple individuals. These six created the races from Equestria that live in your world. We also have a working theory on why they're degrading. The reason for their mental decline is that their bodies are not following the "rules" of your universe.

Thankfully, we have a solution: we're going to move them all to Equestria. But to do that, we need information. Celestia is giving us a week so she can get things ready. Well, a week for us, I don't know how long that is for you. Regardless, if we want to help them, we need to talk with them. I know Hogwarts has a temporary pegasus population and several thestrals. If you have a free weekend or afternoon, I'd be glad to visit and help.

I can't believe all this started with one little letter from a scared young boy. You've grown up so fast. You've gone from preteen to mid-teen, and I'm still a young adult. Just don't go getting old on me, and we'll see each other soon.

With love,

Twilight.





"So, uh, why are we here, again?" Ron asked.

Harry rolled his eyes. It was Saturday afternoon, a few days after Twilight's visit. Harry had replied to her letter and arranged to meet the pegasus and thestrals. Hermione insisted on coming, and Ron had nothing better to do.

"Because, Ron, we need to know if the pegasus have sapience. If they don't, then saving them is a lost cause," Harry explained.

"Okay, but why is she here?" Ron asked, gesturing to Twilight.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "I'm here to represent Equestria. People know me over here, and I'm a better choice than somepony like prince Blueblood."

"Prince Blueblood?" Hermione asked. "Are one of the Princesses married?"

"Oh, Celestia, no! I don't think Celestia or Luna could spend the rest of his life with him. He's a bit self-absorbed for them," Twilight said.

"Hey, look, the pegasus," Harry said. They had arrived at the paddock that held the pegasus from Beauxbaton. They were much larger up close. "Hello, can you understand me?" he announced.

"Oh, look, another one," one of the pegasus said in a lofty voice. "Wants to pet the pretty pegasus."

"Well, our coats are beautifully unblemished," another pegasus, a mare, said.

"I mean, they're nice, but they're nothing special," Twilight said.

The mare looked offended. "That was uncalled for— wait, you understand—"

"Yup," Harry said.

"Oh, well now I feel rather silly," she said.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on!?" Hermione demanded.

"Oh, the pegasus was just talking about her coat. nothing much," Twilight said.

"How do you understand us?" one of the stallions asked.

Twilight cleared her throat. "My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I'm here of behalf of Princess Celestia of Equestria."

From there on, the conversation was fairly straightforward. Twilight did most of the talking so Harry could translate for Hermione. The pegasus were surprised Equestria was real, much less interested in them. Twilight said Celestia wished to return all sapient species that originated from Equestria back to their rightful home. The Pegasus were slightly reluctant, saying they felt guilty leaving their jobs as the transport of the Beauxbaton students. But when Twilight told them Equestria could cure their species' mentality decline, they accepted the offer readily. One of the mares, Glint, believed the other pegasus populations would agree once told this. But with the dozen pegasus told of Celestia's plan, Harry and the others went to find the next group.

Thestrals.





They walked to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Harry could see black wings and led them until they were before a small herd of thestrals.

"Here they are," Harry said.

"I don't see anything," Twilight said, confused.

"What do you mean? They're right here, can't you see?" Harry pointed at the thestrals.

"Harry, there's nothing there," Hermione protested.

"Do not blame them, it's not their fault we cannot be seen," a voice said.

Harry turned around quickly, scanning the herd.

"Who said that?" Harry demanded.

"Who said what?" Ron asked.

"Shh!" Harry shushed him.

A thestral stallion walked through the group. This one was taller than the rest, less "skin and bones" than the rest of his kind. Harry looked up at him.

"Why can't they see you?" Harry asked.

"You can understand me? So unicorns were right, there is a human that can understand us. They have been saying many things recently," he mused.

"But why can't they see you?" Harry demanded.

"Harry?" Twilight asked. She placed a hand on his shoulder, but this went unnoticed by him.

"Only those who have seen death may see us. Who did you lose?" the stallion asked.

"One of the unicorns from my first year, during the attacks," Harry said absent-mindedly.

"Humans don't usually see from the death of one they consider a beast."

"My best friend is from Equestria, I know better."

"Equestria? Yes, the unicorns were talking about that too. Is it true that she is from there?" he pointed at Twilight.

"There's something really there, isn't there?" Twilight said, tightening her grip on Harry's shoulder. "A thestral?"

"Yes."

"Then talking by proxy will have to work."

Twilight gave the same introduction as the pegasus. The thestrals were enthusiastic about returning to Equestria to be reunited with their kind. After all, humans had no love for creatures they considered to be omens of death. Twilight was deeply disturbed when the thestral mentioned an attempted genocide of his kind out of fear.

"That just leaves the centaurs of the forest," Twilight noted.

The thestral rose on his back legs, flinging dust into the air. "No! Do not see them! The centaurs do not care for human life! I will find a unicorn to go in your steed, they wouldn't dare to hurt one," the stallion warned. Harry repeated his words.

"If you really think so, then we'll leave them alone. We just want to help," Twilight said.

"And I thank you for that. Many would like to see our ancestral home once again. You have given us a gift beyond measure. Thank you." Harry again translated for his friends.

Harry and Twilight looked at each other. This was going to be much more complicated than they thought. They had no griffons or hippogriffs to talk to, but this proved so far beyond any shadow of a doubt the dangers of Harry's world. But Celestia could fix this, Harry just knew it. She would help them, even if she had to do it with her bare hooves.
> Chapter 25: There And Home Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sister, must you do this?" Luna pleaded.

Celestia paid her sister's remarks no mind as she packed her bags with items for her journey. After Discord's revelation, Celestia canceled all meetings with Canterlot's aristocracy for the following week. On the first day, Celestia began compiling centuries of Equestrian history, legal rights, and politics. When that was done, she wrote a letter to Harry, informing him of her plans: she wanted to meet these ponies herself before summoning them. The next five days were dedicated to preparing Discord's island gift and making it habitable in the coming weeks. Infrastructure needed to be built in advance to ensure everything would be comfortable for the newcomers. Once the Summer Sun Celebration was over, Celestia planned to oversee that project personally for a while.

Celestia placed documents, treaties, and notes on foreign diplomacy in her bags as a precaution. Her armor and weapons, which she had not used in hundreds of years, would not be necessary. Her trip to Harry's universe would hopefully remain discrete enough to not warrant them.

"Yes, Luna, this journey is completely necessary," Celestia insisted.

"The Princess summit, tis but a few weeks away. Surely you can wait to share this issue with Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?" Luna countered.

Celestia sighed. Her sister was concerned, true, but she was also scared. A trip like this was bound to concern her sister. It would be the first time since Luna's return that she would be solely responsible for Equestria's day, even for a short while. "Cadance will agree with my decision, and I know you do as well. I understand how you feel, sister, but this is something I must do now. We do not yet understand the extent of the time dilation between our realms. But I promise, I will return in time to set the sun," Celestia reassured her little sister.

The two shared a tender goodbye hug, the kind they hadn't shared in over a thousand years. It was almost enough to make Celestia postpone her trip. She had missed one thousand years they could have been together. Celestia didn't want to leave her sister, but she knew Luna would understand.

"Before the Sun must be set?" Luna asked.

"I promise," Celestia answered.

The two stepped away from each other. Celestia levitated a scroll off the table and handed it to her sister. A list of duties, should her sister forget. Yes, Luna was an alicorn Princess, but Celestia was her older sister, she had the right to worry. With everything arranged for, Celestia started the spell to send her to Harry's universe. The last thing Celestia saw was her sister waving goodbye.





Celestia opened her eyes. She was lying on her back, facing up. The sky hung above her, clouds flying by under their own power. And there was the Sun. It was in the sky, moving little by little. It was so small nopony would notice it normally, but Celestia could feel it.

"Princess Celestia!" Harry called. His face appeared at the edge of her vision. Or, at least she assumed that was his face. Nopony in Equestria had seen a human before except her student, Twilight. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm alright," she said.

Celestia lifted her right arm and stared in confusion at her limb. It looked like a centaur's arm, which made sense considering their apparent similarities to a human's upper body. The arm was white with the slightest pink undertone. There was a golden bracelet on each arm, along with sleeves that went about halfway up her forearms. Celestia placed her hoof- hand- against the ground and pushed herself up a little. She looked down at the rest of her human body.

A pure white dress wrapped around her body. Her cutie mark was emblazoned on the sides and the edges of the dress had golden details. Golden shoes covered her hooves- feet. There was a weight on her head and chest, presumably her crown and necklace. A single lock of hair fell over her eyes; it was the same as her alicorn mane.

"Celestia, can you stand?" Harry asked.

"I may need some help with that. Can you lend me a hoof?" Celestia replied

"Hand, the term is lend a hand," Harry corrected. He held out his hand, which Celestia grabbed. She mimicked how his fingers wrapped around hers and pulled herself up. She was substantially taller than Harry.

"Thank you," she said. Celestia inspected the ground, looking for her bag. Seeing it, she called it to her with magic. "Now, I assume you have read my plan in its entirety?"

Harry nodded. "It's not the first time I've busted someone out. I broke the paddock, every pegasus is already in the forest," he said.

"I'm sorry I had you do that," Celestia said to the boy.

She felt guilty, asking him to jailbreak the pegasi, but it was the right thing to do. Harry merely shrugged his shoulders, seemingly unbothered about the rules he had broken on Celestia's behalf. He did what was right without hesitation. It was no wonder he and Twilight were such great friends. Harry guided Celestia into a nearby forest. She was amazed by the stillness in the air. The forest was untamed, like the Everfree, but it wasn't chaotic or wild.

"Harry, before we find these ponies, there's something you should know. Discord has offered to help us. However, in order to do so, he said that you would owe him." Celestia confessed.

"Me?" Harry started. "But why? I'm not anything special."

"I don't know, but those were his conditions."

"I suppose it can't be that bad. He's reformed, sort of," Harry grumbled. "The rest should be up ahead."

"Then I'd best get changed for my introduction," Celestia said cryptically.

She raised a hand and felt her magic come to life. Her whole body shifted as she cast her spell. Within moments Celestia was back to her original alicorn body. She still stood taller than Harry, who jumped back in surprise.

"You can transform?" he asked, incredulous.

"It is a simple spell. I thought an alicorn would be more appropriate than a human. Come along."

The two walked until they entered a large clearing. In it were over a dozen equines. Unicorns, thestrals, pegasus, and a few hippogriffs.

Celestia stopped. These were the ponies of this world? They looked so different! They were almost as tall as her, but they had not the regality often associated with ponies their size. Their appearances were almost identical. No cutie marks were on any of them, all "blank flanks". Their eyes and faces looked less expressive than most ponies, similar to some of the ancient statues in her old castle. Worst of all was the thestrals, they looked dead on their hooves!

"Princess Celestia, meet the descendants of Equestrians in the Forbidden Forest," Harry introduced them.

Celestia stepped forward, maintaining her calm face. One of the unicorn stallions stepped forth from the group behind him. He was a head shorter than her and his eyes gleamed with wonder. They stopped just short of each other.

"Are you real?" the stallion asked.

That startled Celestia said little. His voice, it didn't sound normal.

"Yes, I am real," she said softly. She looked up at the rest. "I am Princess Celestia of Equestria," she announced.

The stallion backed away. The equines whispered to each other. Some were in great awe, others curious, and a few fearful. Two golden foals suddenly separated from the group, trotting up to Celestia. The Princess smiled down at the two little ones. The two fillies were star-struck like students in her school when they first met her.

"Woah," said the first.

"You're so pretty!" exclaimed the second.

Celestia giggled. Children were so simple at times, it was endearing.

"Are you really a Princess?" the first filly asked.

"Aurora! Of course, she's a Princess, remember what Twilight said? She has wings and a horn! That makes her an alicorn, therefore she's a Princess," the second filly corrected her friend.

Celestia couldn't help but chuckle. She knelt to match their eye level. "You are correct. I am an alicorn and a Princess of Equestria."

"What's that funny mark on you?" Aurora asked. Her friend was quick to shush her. "Chime!"

"This in my cutie mark." Celestia turned to show off her wings and mark.

"Cutie mark?" Chime asked. "What's a cutie mark?"

"A cutie mark is a mark of your destiny. When you find that one thing that makes you special, it appears right there." Celestia touched her hoof to Chime. A slight glow was left behind on the young foal, which faded soon after.

"Cool...!" Aurora whispered.

"Aurora! Chime!" A mare walked up to Celestia and the fillies. "Aurora, your mother is looking for you! You two should know better than to bother the alicorn," she scolded them.

"Yes, mother," Chime said.

The three left to join the others, and Celestia smiled. A unicorn mare and stallion walked forward. They bowed their heads as they approached the princess.

"Your highness," the stallion said.

"I'm Lybra," the mare introduced herself.

"I'm Caelum," the stallion said.

"I confess, I didn't believe Dusk when she said that Equestria was real and that a princess would be coming to see us," Lybra spoke.

"My only regret is that I didn't learn you were here sooner," Celestia looked at the crowd once more. "Unicorns, pegasi, thestrals, and hippogriffs are here, yet no griffons or centaurs," she remarked.

Caelum's head drooped slightly. "There are no griffons in these woods, not anymore. And the centaurs have rejected your offer; they believe themselves unworthy of your pressence. They feel they have abandoned us to this fate."

Celestia felt her heart drop a little. She never interacted with centaurs much, they stayed clear of Equestria. But they must have felt terrible being the only ones to retain sapience. "If that is their wish; my offer will still stand. The rest of you are free to come back home with me."

"Do- do you mean—"

"Yes." Celestia stood tall, facing the crowd. "It is time your kind were returned to their rightful home, Equestria!" she announced.

The gathered species looked surprised, then excited.

"You- you mean- you mean we get to go to our homeland? After all this time?" Caelum asked.

"Yes, if that is what you desire," Celestia said.

"We have dreamed of returning home for generations." Lybra looked ready to faint.

"Then dream no longer. I will alert the wizard government, as a courtesy, before summoning every one of our long-lost kin to their new home," Celestia said.

"The humans will not listen to you." Caelum warned.

"I do not plan to give them a choice," Celestia responded. Her horn glowed and Celestia reverted to the human form she had arrived in. The unicorns were surprised at her transformation but calmed down when she waved goodbye and repeated her promise to send them home. She and Harry walked through the forest toward the castle. "I need to contact the governing body of the wizards," she said.

"The Ministry? If you want to meet the Minister, I'm sure Dumbledore would help," Harry said.

Celestia nodded reluctantly. See as he was the headmaster, she had trouble respecting him. After all, he was sometimes incapable of keeping students safe. He left a cerberus separated by a door any first-year could unlock and he guarded a limited form of immortality so poorly students bypassed his defenses. He almost got students killed in Harry's second year when he did nothing to stop it. And that was to say nothing of the dementors' attacks on students under his watch the year after.

"I think it would be best if I didn't appear to him as Celestia," Celestia decided.

A transmutation spell came to mind, one she had used whenever she wished to see the state of the nation unobserved by others. She cast the spell and felt herself shrink a few inches, though she was still a head taller than Harry. Her skin tone became a little more like Harry's and her hair turned pink. Her crown turned into a hairpin, her necklace shrunk, and her dress turned into a white-gold robe.

"Will this suffice?" she asked Harry.

"Uh, yes, that should do. But you'll make Fleur jealous. I can teleport us to Dumbledore's office if you want," Harry offered. "I might need some help with this distance, though."

He held his hand out, and Celestia took it. They vanished and reappeared in a room. It was strange. Various magical devices were packed on the many shelves of the room. It was very old and possessed a lot of magic if the moving portraits were anything to go by.

"Headmaster?" Harry asked.

There was a sound of grinding stones from behind them. An old man rushed up a pair of stairs that led to the room. He was old, very old, given his beard and wrinkles. An unusual stick was clutched in his hand. The old man seemed to deflate a little when he saw Harry.

"Ah, Harry. I was wondering who could have entered my office without permission," he said in a slightly humorous tone. "And I see you have a new friend. From Equestria, I presume?" he asked.

"Yes, this is..." Harry trailed off, clearly waiting for Celestia to introduce herself.

"Celeste. Princess Celestia sent me to talk with your Minister of Magic, but I'm afraid I got lost along the way," "Celeste" said.

"Ah, I see. Is this about her wayward student? No trouble, I hope?" Dumbledore asked.

"None at all. I just require to talk to your Minister about a possible point of contention between him and the Princess, nothing major," Celestia explained.

"Is that so? I hope you know the Minister is a very busy man, you may not be able to talk with you today," Dumbledore said. "May I ask what this issue is?"

"It is to remain between myself, the Princess, and the Minister. I'm certain he'll make time," Celestia insisted.

"If you insist. Harry, why don't you let me escort Miss Celeste to the Ministry? The second task is in a few days, some practice might do you some good," Dumbledore said.

"Good luck," Harry said as he followed Dumbledore's instructions.

Once they were alone Dumbledore walked to the fireplace and threw some powder into it. He muttered a few words and the furnace lit up with green flame. Celestia watched in fascination. Was this how wizards moved vast distances? It looked like Spike's fire. Dumbledore gestured for Celestia to follow him as he walked into the flames. They emerged in a massive chamber humans were rushing all around them, dressed in robes and pointed hats.

"Welcome to the British Ministry of Magic, Miss Celeste," Dumbledore said. He walked down a few corridors, clearly with a destination in mind. Celestia followed behind. "Might I ask about that name, Celeste? It sounds close to Celestia, doesn't it?" he asked with a gleam in his eyes.

Celestia gave a pleasant but fake smile in return.

"It's not unusual. Many po- people get named after Celestia. She is inarguably the most important figure in our history," Celestia said. It wasn't boastful to tell the truth.

"So I've heard. Although I have yet to hear why."

Celestia let out a forced chuckle. "Oh, the list of reasons is extensive, I wouldn't have time to name all the reasons. Speaking of time, how far are we from the Minister's office, or whatever fulfills a similar purpose?" Celestia asked.

"Here," Dumbledore said, opening a door with the words "Minister of Magic" written above. Celestia entered and stopped in front of an older female. She looked up when Celestia let out a polite cough.

The secretary looked Celestia up and down with a scrutinizing look.

"Do you have business to conduct with the Minister?" she asked.

"The world's unicorn, pegasus, thestral, griffon, and hippogriff population." Celestia answered.

The secretary rolled her eyes. "Great, another bloody conservationist. Look, lady, take it to the Beast Division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures on level four."

Celestia clenched her fists, her anger almost boiling over. Celestia hadn't felt anger like this in quite some time. How dare they be so heartless to her little ponies! What gave them the right!?

Calm down, Celestia. Put up with her and you can get this over with.

The secretary continued her little rant. "The Minister has more important issues than the breeding status of horses."

And that crosses the line.

"Fine. Have it your way," Celestia said, then teleported into the room behind the next door.

She was surprised, having expected to have to force her way past magical barriers, but there didn't appear to be any against teleportation. The room she appeared in was rather large, its biggest fixture the large desk stacked with papers. A human sat behind it, the top of his balding head was just visible over the parchment he was reading. Celestia walked up and waited for him to notice her. When that didn't happen, she let out a polite fake cough.

"Oh— what?" the man started. He looked up at "Celeste". "Pardon me, I mustn't have heard you come in," he apologized.

"No problem, I didn't exactly announce myself," Celestia replied.

"Yes, I suppose that's true. What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't. I'm Celeste. I came to see you about an urgent matter," she said with a pleasant smile.

"Everyone seems to be these days. Did we have a meeting scheduled?" he asked.

"I'm afraid we didn't, but I was hoping to keep this brief," Celestia said.

The Minister got up from his seat. "Then why did my secretary let you in?! I'm sorry, but I've had a very busy day, so I must insist—"

"Sit down," Celestia commanded. In the blink of an eye, the Minister was back in his seat and the papers on his desk disappeared. Celestia conjured a golden chair to sit in. "I came here as a courtesy, nothing more, nothing less. I am not here to ask for your permission, I do not need it. So I will talk, and you will listen," Celestia commanded. Fudge meekly nodded in response. "Excellent.

"I was sent here on behalf of a foreign government. If you do not know of it, then it is of no consequence. I am here regarding the unicorn, pegasus, thestral, griffon, and hippogriff population. We have heard that the Ministry has registered them as beasts."

"And what of it? They are incapable of sapience," Fudge blustered.

"Silence! We have recently discovered them to be of Equestrian descent, which changes a few important matters."

"Meaning what?" Fudge replied.

"That they are not here by choice. And it is for this reason that we are planning to remove them, permanently," Celestia said.

"Remove them? That is theft, to remove them from every magical citizen who owns a license to handle them. And besides, assuming you go through with this threat, they are responsible for very important resources in magical—"

"They are NOT resources!" Celestia boomed in the royal Canterlot voice. "They are under our protection! We do not care for your claims! By tomorrow there shall be none left in this world! Mark our words, this is the last day any human shall see them ever again!" Celestia's booming voice echoed throughout the room and beyond. As she spoke parts of her transformation unraveled. Her crown appeared on her head and her hair was filled with starlight. White flames formed a circle around Celestia.

The door to the Minister's door burst open and humans stormed through. Each one brandished a stick at her like a weapon. A dozen spells fired from the sticks at Celestia but were nullified against a golden barrier. Celestia made a grand sweeping motion with her hands, and the sticks in the humans' hands turned to ash. Without their weapons, the humans backed away in fear. Several silver hairs drifted down from the sticks' remains. Celestia scowled. Unicorn hairs.

"You have our decision, it will not be changed!" Celestia decreed. The flames around her swallowed her up, and Celestia vanished from the Minister's office.

Celestia opened her eyes back up. She reverted to an alicorn. She had reappeared in the forest surrounding Hogwarts. The unicorns were still gathered in the clearing. Harry Potter was also there, knelt by the two foals from before.

"Celestia! You're back," Harry exclaimed.

"Princess, Princess! Harry's been showing us cool magic!" Chime shouted.

"Has he now?" Celestia said.

Harry shrugged, a bit shy.

"Just some levitation. Nothing bigger than a rock, I'm still not used to wandless magic," Harry said.

"Nuh-uh! You made me float!" Aurora said.

Harry blushed a little.

"That is impressive progress. Learning can be hard, but unlearning is a difficult process." Celestia said, her principal side eking out. Celestia turned to the rest of the crowd.

"If you are all ready, I can take you all home, to Equestria," Celestia announced.

Everypony practically jumped for joy. Celestia pulled an item out of her bag, a gem Discord left behind with a note explaining it would take the Equestrians back home. She didn't ask where or how he acquired such a powerful artifact but decided to trust his word. She was the one who wanted to redeem Discord anyway. The chaos magic in the gem activated, and tendrils of light branched out and up. Some passed through those nearby like spirits, and thousands more reached up and shot out over the horizon. It continued its light show for a minute more before ringing like a bell. All at once, everypony in front of Celestia vanished. Brief flashes of the affected flashed past her face as the lights retreated back into the gem. The stone clattered to the ground, blackened and cracked.

"That's it? They're all gone?" Harry said.

"Every last one. I'll have a hundred or so new citizens to care for."

"Hundred? I thought there'd be thousands."

"Due to how they were brought here, the first to lose sentience were the farthest splinters from the original ponies. Those ones, those who have lost too much to recover, were 'mixed' with others to repair the damages. Like a faded masterpiece, restored to its original glory."

"That means...?"

"They're all home now," Celestia said, smiling. She knelt to put her at Harry's eye level. "Harry, I want to thank you. If you and Twilight had never met, this would never have come to my attention. You saved them from a terrible fate, you have my gratitude for that. I think you will do great things one day," she said.

"Thanks, I guess," he whispered, a little self-conscious.

"Until we meet again, Harry."

Celestia cast the spell to send herself to Equestria. When the dazzling lights receded she opened her eyes to see she was in the Canterlot Castle. Her sister was sitting at a table, drinking a cup of tea.

"Sister!" Luna cried. The two were enveloped in a warm hug. "I was worried, the sun has but four hours left to set. Was your mission successful?"

Celestia chuckled. Four hours was plenty of time.

"Yes, sister. We now have an island's worth of little ponies waiting to be reconnected with the rest of their kind. Would you like to see?" Celestia asked.

A moment later, Canterlot vanished, replaced by an island. At its center stood a single building, tall and regal. On the edge of the balcony, Celestia and Luna surveyed the scene below. Dozens of unicorns and pegasi appeared randomly on the ground, along with a few thestrals, griffons, and hippogriffs. Unlike their inexpressive Earth counterparts, these creatures had the appearance of true Equestrian beings. Most lacked cutie marks, but they were still Equestrians. They were intelligent creatures who deserved a chance at happiness. However, some differences might set them apart from others. The unicorns' manes, tails, and hooves were very reflective, but nothing out of the ordinary. The griffons' and hippogriffs' colors were dulled greatly, but that was merely cosmetic. The thestrals, also known as bat ponies, looked quite underfed but that could be easily fixed.

Celestia flew off the balcony, the setting Sun contrasting her form. Those below her looked up in awe and surprise and some with wings fluttered in jubilation. Celestia smiled as she looked at them all. They would be happy here, she knew it.

"Welcome, my little ponies, to Equestria!"
> Chapter 26: The Third Task
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Beastly Thief!



Magical creature populations vanish worldwide!



Officials at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures (DRCMC) are baffled as the population of multiple magical creatures disappears overnight. The Ministry's Department of Magical Law Enforcement (DMLE), the DRCMC, and the International Confederation of Wizards (ICW) are now vying for jurisdiction over this crisis. As of now, no official response has been released.



Officials are greatly concerned about these disappearances, but the unicorn is the cause of great worry due to their vital role in magical society. Powdered unicorn horns possess potent healing and anti-poison properties. However, the horns can only be collected post-mortem, making a full one rare. A unicorn's horn grows continuously, making the best time for harvest after an adult's death. But even the horns are of secondary interest to their greatest asset: unicorn hair.



As famous wandmaker Mr. Garrick Ollivander says, unicorn hairs are one of his three "superior" wand cores. His opinions on them are as follows: "Unicorn hair generally produces the most consistent magic, and is least subject to fluctuations and blockages. Wands with unicorn cores are generally the most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts. They are the most faithful of all wands, and usually remain strongly attached to their first owner, irrespective of whether he or she was an accomplished witch or wizard." Unicorn hairs form the backbone of wizarding society in Europe. While other wand cores exist worldwide, none have the same reputation as unicorn hairs. Before the three "superior" wand cores, inferior materials were not uncommon. The Prophet was unable to interview Ollivander.



The disappearance of these beasts marks a significant loss for the wizarding community, and no one has come forward to demand ransom or claim responsibility. But an anonymous whistle-blower in the Ministry has released a lead. On the day of the disappearances, a woman barged into Minister Fudge's office, ranting about the legal beast status of the missing creatures. There has never been a case for them to be qualified as beings, thus they have remained in the beast category. When several aurors confronted the intruder all spells were rendered ineffective, she disintegrated their wands, then apparated out. As is well known in the security business, apparition within the Ministry is impossible outside of level eight, the Atrium. The investigation is still ongoing.



The truth of what is happening is under fierce debate at the Ministry, and until an official statement is issued, we may not know more about this heinous crime.


Harry put down his copy of The Daily Prophet, smiling. "Well, isn't that something?"

"Whatcha got there?" Ron asked. He plopped himself down next to Harry in the Great Hall. Harry handed over the paper. "Beastly thief! Blimey, when did this happen?"

"Yesterday," Harry whispered, "Celestia made a visit, sent every last Equestrian back home."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ron demanded.

"Tell us what?" Hermione asked. She sat herself down next to Ron.

"Harry kidnapped every unicorn on Earth!" Ron whisper-shouted.

"Well don't yell it!" Hermione shushed him. "Besides, it's hardly kidnapping of it's voluntary."

"See? She gets it. Besides, I didn't want to say I aided in the crime of the century," Harry reasoned.

"You told me about saving your godfather," Ron replied.

"That's different and you know it. I just wanted them to be safe, alright? They've been through enough. I was going to tell you after things cooled off a bit," Harry apologized.

"Right, right. Just tell a guy when you do exciting things, okay? Can't let you have all the fun," Ron said.

"Sure, I'll keep that in mind."

"I can't believe you helped move several thousand magical creatures across international borders. How?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged. "Celestia and Discord did the heavy lifting; he made a stone with the spell. Every sapient creature from Equestria was returned, and those that weren't sapient were congealed together to create sapient individuals. The centaurs chose not to go, something about feeling unworthy. The actual number is about a hundred."

"Celestia won't be mad, will she? About her people's treatment on Earth?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged. "She won't take it personally, humanity didn't know any better. She wants her ponies to be happy, simple as that."





Dumbledore immediately became aware of the rumors; the disappearances were the talk of the entire school. The Beauxbatons were the most distraught, their method of getting home (the pegasus) had vanished. The rumor was someone broke them out, everyone assumed it was the mysterious thief in the papers. Dumbledore suspected Harry knew the truth, but the boy kept it close to his chest. Dumbledore also knew he was the only one who could link Celeste to Harry. He couldn't stop himself from taking suspicious glances at Harry from time to time. Harry intended to keep silent, but Dumbledore had a different idea and "invited" Harry to his office.

"Harry, come in, sit down," Dumbledore said politely. Harry obeyed. "Now, I'm sure you've heard the rumors. But I'm more interested in the truths, aren't you?"

"Yes sir," Harry responded.

"Than might you indulge me in a mystery? The International Confederation of Wizards is meeting a few days after the second task to discuss some of the past week's... surprises. Half a dozen species disappeared overnight. All I ask is for anything you know that could help smooth things over," Dumbledore spoke politely.

"I'm afraid I don't know much more than you do," Harry replied. "I only know about the five that were moved."

Dumbledore quirked an eyebrow. So, Harry knew the exact number of species? "Surely you must know something more. Harry, this is the International Confederation of Wizards getting involved. The theft will reflect poorly on Equestria."

"Headmaster, to my understanding Celeste never threatened anyone. Her anger was not directed at us for our actions, it was at how long it took to fix the problem. Neither she nor Celestia holds it against us. They have no interest in wizarding affairs. Besides, they have no means to locate Equestria, it's all hot air."

"That is relieving to hear." Dumbledore smiled lightly to reassure Harry. "However, I wish you had come to me with this information first. As the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, it would have been easier for Celeste's actions to be explained to me before such... drastic actions were taken."

Harry tilted his head. "Supreme Mugwump?" he echoed.

Dumbledore nodded. Of course, Harry didn't know much about the ICW, not many kids his age did. Harry's muggle upbringing had left him disconnected from wizard politics. "The Supreme Mugwump is the acting chairman for the ICW, an important posistion. Celeste should've come through me first."

"Sorry, professor. That was my fault. Celestia doesn't know much about the outside world, most of what she knows is from me and Twilight. Celeste's shortcoming was my mistake," Harry replied.

"It is not your fault. The actions taken by these Equestrians would never have been supported, the part you unwittingly played in this theft is unimportant," Dumbledore said. Harry shouldn't blame himself, he was manipulated into this theft. He must see their faults are not his. It is for the best.

"No, I supported Celestia's decisions. She was right about the five species. They are somewhere better, wherever that is," Harry revealed the truth.

Dumbledore hid his surprise. "I see." It didn't seem like Harry to agree to such an action. Sure, the boy was impulsive, but he wasn't gullible enough to agree with Celeste's claims of unicorn sapience, or mass theft. The ICW was more likely to be concerned about the strength of the perpetrator than the actual theft. Instant transport on this scale was unheard of. But whenever Equestria got involved conventional understanding of magic seemed to disappear. Thankfully, the theft didn't pose an immediate problem. Wandmakers like Ollivander had stocked up on hairs for a while, a viable substitute could be found, eventually. "I still must ask if you know how these magical creatures were moved and why."

"Discord did it, somehow. He made an artifact that grabbed onto the missing creatures," Harry replied. Dumbledore could sense another half-truth.

"Discord? That 'spirit of chaos' you mentioned?" Dumbledore said. Though he doubted Harry's testimony, the idea of something like Discord chilled him to the bone. Ultimate power and no morality are a terrible combination. "Do you know anything else?"

"I don't know anything useful. We can't exactly explain Discord or Equestria to the international community. They'd never believe us about a hidden country discovered by a ten-year-old boy or a creature capable of rewriting reality." Harry replied.

"Alright. You can go to class now." Dumbledore said.

Dumbledore thought hard. If he brought forth testimony from a teen saying a god displaced populations of creatures he would be kicked out. Harry was right, Dumbledore had no evidence to present. But that wasn't the full truth. Dumbledore watched as Harry left, a sinking feeling growing. Harry was withholding information. That was new. The more Harry grew closer to Equestria, the larger Dumbledore's fears loomed.





Harry was quick to notice the rumors faded from the spotlight as the Triwizard Tournament recommenced.

The second task wasn't too difficult. Harry and Twilight had decoded the egg's secret well before Christmas, and Harry had been left to find a way to work underwater. The bubblehead charm was an easy option, but Harry guessed he needed to do more than breathe. He needed to move as if he belonged in the water. Human transfiguration was a bit difficult, so Harry asked around for ideas. Twilight's studious tendencies must have rubbed off on him because one day Harry noticed a book of Neville's about magical water plants. An extended study session with Neville and Hermione unveiled a plant called Gillyweed, which could do the transformation for him. Dobby had given him the plant the next day, which simplified the process. Harry wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth- that sounded weird.

When the time came for the task, Harry took the Gillyweed and started teleporting through the water in search of whatever he required. As it turned out, four people had been "kidnapped" for this task. For a brief moment, Harry thought about trying to rescue all four but instead came up with a better idea. He grabbed Ron and teleported him to the surface, then retreated to the rest of the hostages. Harry stayed down to ensure the others arrived. When Fleur never appeared, Harry took the girl, presumably her classmate, and teleported them back. And just in time, too, because the Gillyweed ran out almost immediately afterward.

Harry passed with flying colors, aided by exceptional scores from all but Karkaroff, propelling him to first place, with Cedric in a close second. He even got a kiss from Fleur.

When the last task and end of term came around the corner, Harry decided to make the best of his last days on Earth. In hindsight, phrasing it like that made Harry sound like he was dying. Instead, he was studying up on his scar and preparing for the third and final task. Hopefully Rainbow would enjoy watching.

When the day of the last task arrived, McGonagall collected all the champions after breakfast to greet their families. Luckily for Harry, the Dursley family did not show up, Mrs. Weasley and Bill took their place.

"Surprise!" Mrs. Weasley said excitedly as Harry smiled broadly and walked over to them. "Thought we'd come and watch you, Harry!" She bent down and kissed him on the cheek.

"You all right?" said Bill, grinning at Harry and shaking his hand.

"This is really nice of you," Harry muttered to Mrs. Weasley. "I thought for a moment— the Dursleys—"

"It's great being back here," Bill said, looking about the chamber. "Haven't seen this place for five— Merlin's beard!" Bill's reminiscence was cut off by the loud popping noise.

A white orb of light manifested itself in the chamber, far larger than the one in the Forbidden Forest. As everyone backed away in shock, Harry approached with a grin on his face. He looked into the white void, elated that not one, but six forms were darkening the background. As they gained more definition and some color, Harry's smirk turned into a full smile.

"About time you showed up," Harry said into the void. The six silhouettes jumped before they broke into a run toward him.

"HARRY!" Six jubilant girls ran out of the portal, crashing into Harry in a group hug. Sadly, their overzealous embrace toppled the seven over in a pile of tangled limbs.

"You're all here! I thought you were all just coming to see the task." Harry chuckled a little.

After all seven managed to get back on their feet, Harry took a moment to observe everyone's appearance. Like Twilight, their skin tones matched their previous coats and their hair colors and styles were nearly identical to how they were in Equestria. Otherwise, they looked completely human. And, somehow, their clothes completely matched their personalities.

"Well, we were planning to do that, but Celestia insisted we arrive early. So, here we are," Twilight said.

"Well, welcome to Hogwarts," Harry said proudly.

"It's rather dreary, isn't it?" commented Rarity. "I mean, the cracks in the walls, oh, this place must be utterly ancient."

"I'd think it's well-worn," countered Applejack.

"Ooh, is it haunted by creepy-cool stuff?!" Pinky Pie bounced on her feet. "Or maybe a secret passage?!"

"Calm down Pink, we're not here to sightsee. We're here to support Harry in the last task, remmeber?" Rainbow Dash said.

"You can do both, actually. Each champion's family, or what passes for it," Harry pointed to the Weasleys, "were told to come early. And I'm exempt from exams to greet."

Twilight looked ready to faint at the words "exempt from exams". The group was cut off from further conversation by a harsh cough from Mrs. Weasley.

"Are these— friends of yours, Harry?" she asked stiffly.

"Yes," Harry replied. He pointed to everyone in the group. "Mrs. Weasley, Bill, these are my friends: Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle," he introduced his Equestrian friends.

"Hey, what about me?!" a small voice yelled.

Everyone looked down, seeing a purple and green dog standing next to them.

"Spike?!" Twilight said. "Why are you— well..."

Spike idly scratched behind his ear.

"I have no idea. You all are humans, I should at least be a dragon!" he said. Twilight reached down to scoop him up.

"You have a talking dog?" Bill asked incredulously.

"Technically he's a dragon. This is Spike, Twilight's number one assistant," Harry supplied.

"Oh, yes, wasn't she the girl who was with you at the Yule Ball?" Mrs. Weasley asked stiffly.

"What of it?" Twilight replied.

Harry looked between them, becoming annoyed. "Mrs. Weasley, you didn't believe that rubbish Rita Skeeter wrote, did you? Twilight is not my girlfriend or whatever else she was implied to be."

"I'm years older than him anyways," Twilight added quietly.

"Well, he's only a few years below your minimum dating age. You know, divide by two and add seven and all that. Give him some time." Rarity had a devilish grin on her face.

"RARITY!" Harry and Twilight glared and scowled in perfect sync.

Rarity giggled. "Sorry."

Harry turned back to Mrs. Weasley.

"I'll say it once more, Twilight Sparkle is not my girlfriend. You've been reading Skeeter's gossip, haven't you?"

"Oh!" said Mrs. Weasley. "No— of course I didn't!"

She became considerably warmer toward Twilight after that.

"Maman, why is that girl pink?" a small voice was just able to be heard saying. Fleur's younger sister was talking to her mother in a hushed voice. The eight-year-old girl was staring at Pinkie Pie, who was quick to return the look.

In the blink of an eye, the Element of Laughter was crouched down next to the young girl. "Oh my goodness! Aren't you just the cutest little thing!?" She couldn't resist giving the young girl's cheeks a small squish. "What's your name? I'm Pinkie Pie! Hey, do you like parties?"

The girl giggled. "You're funny. I'm Gabrielle Delacour." The two shook hands with a smile. "Why are you pink?"

Pinkie Pie barely paused before responding. "Well, why is your hair that silver-white? Oh, it reminds me of snow! Vanilla ice cream!"

Gabrielle tilted her head like a bird would, thinking. "I was born with it?"

"Me too! I gotta go see my friends, nice talking to you!" Pinkie said as she returned to her friends. "What? She's adorable," she defended her actions. "Are all humans like that?"

"No, she's one-fourth veela. And trust me, human children have attitude problems a mile high. You just got lucky," Harry said.

"Fancy giving us a tour, Harry?" said Bill.

"Sure. We just need to fix one thing. Twilight, disguises?" Harry pointed at the less-than-subtle group. Twilight nodded.

"How about you do it? I wrote the illusion spell in the book, you should be able to do it," she challenged. Harry groaned as he pulled out his wand.

"Velo pigmentum." The mane six's skin suddenly changed to match more human colors. Rarity looked ready to faint. "Sorry, but you need to look more... normal. It'll wear off when you return. Come on." Harry led them through the, thankfully, empty Great Hall. They also passed Amos Diggory, who was looking at them.

"There you are, are you?" he said, looking Harry up and down. "Bet you're not feeling quite as full of yourself now Cedric's catching up to you on points, are you?"

Harry looked utterly perplexed.

"What the hay are you going on about?"

"Ignore him," said Cedric. "He's been angry since Rita Skeeter started blabbing on about you being a champion."

"Never bothered to correct her, did he?" Amos said loud enough to be heard by the group.

Rainbow Dash turned on him. "Now you listen here, Harry doesn't want to be here, and people have died in these tournaments before. Don't you think for even a second that Harry cares about winning or the prize money. He doesn't need to prove how good he is to a jealous, spiteful, self-righteous jerk like you!" Without another word, she turned around to walk past the group. "Come on gang, we've got better things to do."

They walked about the castle grounds after that, and Harry showed a few places of interest such as the Whomping Willow, which was of interest to Mrs. Weasley and the Equestrians.

"The Whomping Willow still has a temper, let me tell you. Nearly killed me once or twice," Harry said as they passed the tree. Applejack perked up.

"Is that so? Well, I oughta teach it a lesson. No tree is gonna to beat up my friends and get away with it." Applejack rushed at the tree.

"Applejack, wait—" Harry tried to dissuade her, but the pony was too stubborn to take "no" for an answer.

"Harry, shouldn't we stop her?" Bill asked nervously.

"Depends."

"On what?"

"If you want to get in her way."

Applejack ran until she was within the tree's range. She ducked under one branch, jumped over another, and then caught the third one aiming for her chest. She then pulled out a long lasso, to everyone's surprise. The next five minutes devolved into a wrestling match between Applejack and a sentient tree. Despite the tree's size, Applejack seemed right at home dodging the branches and tying several together.

"Well, that should teach ya to play nice," Applejack said as she jumped down from the tree. The Whomping Willow had several of its brambles in knots and was sagging tiredly.

"Hey, Rainbow, think you can wrestle a tree?" Harry quipped. The competitive pegasus simply huffed in response. The group then decided to turn away from the tree and its... predicament.

"Harry, I'm going to make this crystal clear to ya, this place is weird," Applejack said as they walked away from the Whomping Willow. "I mean, the plants grow—"

"The animals care for themselves—" Fluttershy said.

"And the clouds move—" Rainbow Dash added.

"All by themselves," Pinkie Pie finished.

"It's as though the whole world is a giant Everfree Forest. Absolutely dreadful, that's what it is!" Rarity exclaimed. This got an odd look from the two Weasleys.

"Well of course the clouds move!" Mrs. Weasley said incredulously. "What, did you think someone does it themselves?"

"Of course I do, it's kinda my job," Rainbow Dash answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. At Twilight's command, a misty vapor appeared behind Rainbow. The pegasus jumped backward, transforming the mist into a solid cloud beneath her. She slowly guided it away from Bill, like a broom or magic carpet.

"Your job?" Bill echoed, watching her float on the cloud. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Where my friends are from, things work a little differently. They're in charge of the weather, plants, animals, and even the changing of the seasons. Something as simple as a rising Sun is foreign to them," Harry explained.

"You must live somewhere strange to be changing the seasons. You can't be subtle with the weather. How do you hide from muggles like that?" Bill inquired.

"What's a muggle?" Pinkie Pie said, a bit too loud.

"What do you mean 'what's a muggle'?" Bill said in shock. "The no-mag, can't spells, non-magic folk."

Harry stepped between the two.

"As weird as it may sound, they also don't have a Statute of Secrecy in Equestria. Everyone is aware magic exists, even if only some of them can cast spells." Harry pointed at the two former unicorns. "Twilight and Rarity are the only two who can cast spells, but the others have their own brands of magic. Like I said, things are different where they come from."

"So, everyone knows about magic, and you all get along? They're not scared of witches and wizards?" Mrs. Weasley trailed off in thought.

"Now why would I be scared of my best friends?" Applejack asked. "Twilight and Rarity are some of the best palls I could ask for, even if one of them is a neat freak."

Bill and Mrs. Weasley looked at each other, confused beyond understanding. A place where muggles and magic lived side by side, it must have sounded like a fantasy. Wizards had always been prosecuted for what made them different, and the muggles feared them. The idea of an entire community, possibly a whole country, having melded the two was almost beyond belief.

After a moment or two, Bill spoke up.

"Harry, could you have a normal year for once?"





Eventually, Harry was instructed to go to the Quidditch field with Mr. Bagman. The Weasleys left first, leaving the seven friends alone.

"I'll see you all later, okay?" Harry said. The others looked around nervously.

"Harry, if you ever need help, we'll be right here," Twilight said in a cautious voice. Her tone confused Harry.

"Why do you sound so scared? I'll be fine, I promise."

"It's not you that's worrying us," Fluttershy said. "Before we came here, Discord wanted to warn us about something."

"Discord warned you?" Harry said incredulously. If Discord went out of his way to help, this could be bad.

"He said 'There's a chance nothing tonight will go as planned' then asked we take these with us." Fluttershy reached into her shirt and pulled out a very familiar necklace, the others mimicking her. Harry's eyes widened.

"The Elements of Harmony? Why would Discord want you to use the Elements for anything?"

"We don't know, and that's what concerns us," Twilight confessed. "We'll keep an eye on the final task, but if anything looks out of place, we're getting you out."

"I'll do my best," Harry said. "Just don't put yourselves in danger."

"We'll be fine," interrupted Pinkie Pie. "Besides, what's the worst that could happen? Just don't touch any magic portal thingies and end up in some super spooky graveyard with an evil wizard, and you should be fine."

"Yeah, sure..." Harry wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.





Harry followed the other champions to the quidditch field, which had been reconstructed into a giant labyrinth over twenty feet high with one entrance. In five minutes the stands were filled to the brim with students and teachers. Twilight and the rest were there too, skin tones still magically adjusted to hide their inhuman nature.

Once the crowd settled and the teachers left to patrol the maze's edge, Bagman announced the points, and who would be going first. Harry was in first, followed by Cedric, Viktor, and Fleur.

"So... on my whistle, Harry!" said Bagman. "Three— two— one—"

With a quick blast of his whistle, Harry charged into the maze.
> Chapter 27: The Maze
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the whistle blew, Harry lit his wand and ran as fast as he could. He wanted to put as much distance behind him when he reached a fork in the path.

"Good luck!" Harry called back before he teleported to the other side of a hedge.

Teleportation was going to get tiring fast, but if it got him past whatever dangerous barriers stood before him, Harry was all right with that. After all, no one could see him. Harry sped on forward when he heard the second and third whistle blow, signifying all champions were now in play. He sped through the maze, the compass spell helping him get a general idea of where to go. Harry didn't want to exhaust himself with excessive teleports, so he would have to navigate manually for now.

He could briefly see a glimpse of Cedric at one point, his robes scorching and muttering about Blast-Ended Skrewts. When Harry ran to the fork in the road, he turned the corner to see... a dementor! Over twice his height, hidden by long black robes, a rotting hand outstretched in a clutching motion, it advanced hauntingly towards Harry. Harry could sense the despair it oozed, feeling a deep coldness try to penetrate his bones. Harry remembered exactly what he had to do.

Harry called forth the happiest thought imaginable: he centered his mind on getting out of the maze, back to his friends, and then spending his summer in Equestria. Harry cast his spell.

"Expecto Patronum!"

It was like a star exploded out of his wand, nearly blinding Harry. This was brighter than it had ever been before! A white aura surrounded Harry as the dementor tried to flee, tripping over its robes. Harry knew dementors didn't trip.

"Wait a second, you're a boggart! Riddikulus!" The boggart exploded into black ink. Harry relaxed, dimming the blinding light of his patronus so he could see it. "What?"

Harry's patronus had changed. Before, it looked like a white stag, similar to his father's animagus form. Now his patronus looked like a unicorn stallion. Or rather, Harry's unicorn form. It was like looking in a mirror, even the hair was the right shape. He watched as it slowly faded away, wishing the company could stay, even if holding the spell was impractical. But the fact he patronus was different was... something interesting.

Harry couldn't help but ponder it further, the fact was something called out of his memories had changed. Maybe it was a sign he belonged in Equestria, or perhaps just a side effect of his visits? Either way, he should investigate after he escaped.

Harry continued along the maze, following his wand's compass directions. He followed until he met a strange mist, and decided to teleport past it, not willing to take undue risks. He moved on through the maze, pausing when he heard a distinctly female voice scream.

"Fleur?!" Harry yelled.

Harty redoubled his speed. He didn't know where Fleur was, he couldn't help her. There were no sparks, meaning she could be fine, had lost her wand, or was unconscious. Despite the Ministry's assurances, Harry knew the dangers were far too real. If he could reach the cup now, the teachers could grab Fleur before anything else happened. But at the same time, Harry couldn't help but think, one champion down.

Harry ran for five more minutes before encountering another challenge. It was an enormous Blast-Ended Skrewt, ten feet long. Harry didn't give it a moment before he leveled his wand at the thing.

"Stupefy!"

The blast rebounded off of the skrewt's armor; Harry dipped to the right to avoid getting his hair singed. The skrewt spewed fire as it prepared to attack. Harry realized its armor was resistant to his spells and opted for another method. He pointed his wand at the ground below the skrewt.

"Bombarda!" Harry shouted as the ground beneath the skrewt exploded upwards, taking the creature with it. Harry stumbled away as the skrewt reached the apex of its flight. Harry held his hand up as his unicorn magic came to life. "Stay down!"

Harry slammed his free hand down, using telekinesis to crash the skrewt into the dirt, heavily disorientating it, before he flung it far away with a final push. Panting, Harry picked himself up as he watched the fiery beast vanish over several rows of hedges. Unicorn magic was very nice in a pinch.

Harry ran again, opting to teleport through walls rather than risk more time here. He kept an eye on his wand's four-point spell, making sure he was still moving in the right direction. He ran until he could hear something in the lane next to him, a person's voice.

"What are you doing?" yelled Cedric's voice. "What the hell d'you think you're doing?"

And then Harry heard Krum's voice.

"Crucio!"

The air was filled with Cedric's screams of pain. Harry panicked, running in a sprint to the other side. When the hedge was less than a foot away, Harry teleported through it, landing on solid ground. Less than a meter to his right was Cedric convulsing on the ground, Krum standing above him.

Harry didn't stop to think as he balled his fists, unleashing a devastating left hook to Krum's unfortunate nose. While the older boy stumbled, Harry followed up with a potent Equestrian spell Twilight had "translated" for him. To put it simply, sun fires.

"Solaris Flamma!"

A burst of firey green energy released from Harry's wand, sending Krum flying through the brambles. With the threat neutralized, Harry ran to get Cedric, who had stopped screaming and writhing.

"Cedric, you all right?" Harry asked roughly, steadying Cedric by his arm.

"Yeah." Cedric panted, a little tired. "Yeah... I don't believe it... he crept up behind me... I heard him, I turned around, and he had his wand on me..."

"I thought he was good," Harry said.

"So did I."

"Then you heard Fleur earlier?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, you don't think Krum got her too?"

"I think we can assume he did."

"Think we should leave him?" Cedric muttered.

"No, we can't," Harry reasoned. "He'll be attacked if we don't alert the teachers."

"It's no less than he deserves."

"No it's not." Harry stood silently, thinking over what had just happened.

Harry walked over to where Krum had been blasted through the bushes, keeping his wand up. The boy was slumped backward, his face turned away from Harry and his body embedded in the hedge. Some of Krum's clothes were instantly incinerated by the spell, the rest were smoldering harmlessly. Harry turned Krum's face to a better look. There was a light burn on the older boy's face but otherwise appeared unharmed. Unconscious, yes, but mostly unharmed. Harry listened for the other's breathing: it was faint and ragged, but he was at least breathing. Harry laid Krum on the ground, out of the maze wall.

"Something about this is wrong. Krum, he's competitive, but a Cruciatus curse? That's life in Azkaban, he couldn't have gotten away with it. Something's amiss here. This whole thing, this tournament, has been rotten from the start. First my entry, then Crouch's mysterious disappearance, and now this? It can't all be a coincidence. I'm willing to bet something else is going on. Send up sparks. We're telling the teachers and getting out of here."

And so, with some reluctance, Cedric shot a shower of red sparks upwards to signal the teachers. The sparks hovered over where Krum had been propelled through the bushes.

"Nice shot by the way."

"Thanks."

The two stood in silence and darkness for a moment, recovering from what had transpired.

Finally, Cedric spoke.

"Well... I'd suppose we'd better go on."

"What?" Harry said. "Just- just stay here."

"Why?" Cedric asked.

"Isn't it obvious? This is a trap," Harry said. "Whoever or whatever did this to Krum attacked Fleur, and they were going to get you. Krum might have been under the Imperius curse. And only a dark wizard would use an unforgivable curse," Harry explained his train of thought.

"I suppose you're right," Cedric admitted. "But we can't forfeit. That magical contract—"

Harry scowled. "Of course. That. Look, we don't even know how it works, it's hundreds of years old. So let's just get this over with, both of us. We're so close. No matter which of us wins, Hogwarts gets the cup; there's no reason for us to compete." Harry offered his hand up. "Friends? Or at least, allies?"

Cedric shook Harry's hand firmly. "Friends. We've saved each other too many times for just allies."

At Cedric's nod, the two calmly walked on, together. It was... odd. With Krum, the two were united, but the tournament pitted them against each other. And, yet, a budding friendship kept them together. They continued down the path until it diverged, at which point Harry reactivated his four-point spell. Harry guided the two to the path that looked closest to the center. He and Cedric crept through the maze, alert, but Harry's thoughts kept drifting off. There was something bizarre about Krum. To risk life in Azkaban for a stupid cup made no sense. Krum was already successful, he was already one of the youngest and most talented seekers in the world. He had to be under someone's control, but who? There were two former Death Eaters at school, but surely they were too obvious to get away with it? Harry's resolve only strengthened the more he thought about it.

He would find that cup, and he would find the truth. Whoever was pulling the strings was about to be tangled in their threads.

Harry and Cedric navigated the dead ends, making their way through the maze to bypass the twists and turns. When they hit a long straightaway, Cedric's light caught movement up ahead. A large creature was ahead of them, one Harry recognized only from the pictures in his Monster Book of Monsters. That and one of Rainbow Dash's Daring Do books had one, albeit with wings and a different face.

It was a sphinx. It had the body of an oversized lion: great clawed paws and a long yellowish tail ending in a brown tuft. Its head, however, was that of a woman. She turned her long, almond-shaped eyes to look down at Harry and Cedric. Harry raised his wand tentatively, unsure of what to do. She wasn't poised to pounce or strike, but simply pacing back and forth, blocking the path forward. She then spoke in a very deep, coarse voice.

"You are very near your goal. The quickest way is past me."

"So will you move, please?" said Harry, who already knew what the answer was going to be.

"No," she said, continuing to pace. "Not unless you can answer my riddle. Answer on your first guess— I let you pass. Answer wrongly— I attack. Remain silent— I will let you walk away from me unscathed."

Harry's stomach took a troublesome tumble. Hermione was better at riddles, mind games were her forte. Harry weighed his options. If he guessed right, he was in the clear, but if he ran or guessed wrong, it might take too long to get out.

"Give us a minute or two," Cedric asked of the Sphinx. He and Harry backed up a few feet, thinking. "You have any ideas? I'm not looking for a fight."

"Neither am I."

But what if we didn't have to? A small, cunning, piece of Harry's mind was already at work. Harry raised his wand and traced several letters into the air before Cedric.

Stay close, and follow my lead.

Harry and Cedric turned back for the sphinx, and Harry formed a new sentence for the creature to see.

If I'm quiet, will you let me walk away from you?

The sphinx raised one of her slender eyebrows at Harry, a grin pulling at the edge of her face.

"Clever boy. Yes, if you do not speak, I will let you walk away."

The sphinx's eyes sparkled with a challenge. She wanted Harry to guess her riddle, but Harry had other ideas. He raised his wand, and with a sparkle of emerald magic, teleported both himself and Cedric behind the sphinx. Harry began to slowly inch backward, his wand etching another message in the air.

I did not approach you, and I'm walking away, just as you said I could.

The sphinx read the message, confusion momentarily written on her face, before it morphed into a wicked grin. She threw her head back in a booming laugh.

"Well done, boy! Caught me in my own words, how cunning. I half expected you to run, but this is surprising! You've earned your passage, good luck!" the Spinx sounded proud. She sat on her haunches watching the boy and imitated a wave goodbye.

Stunned at his quick wit, Harry barely could manage a "Thanks!" before he rushed down the path.

"What was that?" Cedric asked as they rounded another corner.

"Teleportation, Twilight taught me. It's similar to apparition, but different enough that Hogwart's wards don't block it. That, or because it's Equestrian magic."

Cedric made an odd face as he slowed down. "Okay, what is this 'Equestrian' magic you talk about? I'm not one for gossip, but I've heard you've been doing some wierd magic lately."

"I was hoping everyone forgot about the wandless magic incident," Harry groaned. "Well, to put it simply, Equestrian magic is just a different type of magic, like elf or goblin magic. I'm starting to enjoy it."

Harry didn't offer any elaboration, but Cedric nodded along. As Harry and Cedric continued to navigate they took a right turn and could see a bright light at the end of the row, barely a hundred yards away. It was the Triwizard Cup, Harry knew it. It was sitting on a plinth, gleaming ominously. They ran as fast as they could, trying to keep themselves aware of any last-minute traps.

Cedric's longer legs gave him a slight advantage in the sprint, putting some small distance between them. Then, out of nowhere, a large creature burst out from the hedges. It was on a direct collision course with Cedric, but the Hufflepuff's eyes were solely on the cup.

"Cedric, look out! On you left!"

Cedric was able to spot the thing and dive away from being crushed. Unfortunately, in his haste to dodge, Cedric's wand was dropped to the ground. Harry could see the creature, a giant spider bearing down toward Cedric.

"Stupefy!"

Harry sent the spell at the spider, but it only seemed to irritate it further. Harry might as well have thrown a small rock at it; the thing only decided to become more aggressive. It turned from Cedric and instead ran at Harry.

"Stupefy! Impedimenta! Stupefy!"

All of Harry's spells simply reflected or had no effect. The thing was either too large or too magical for the spells of Harry's level. As it got closer, Harry could see its beady black eyes and massive pincers snapping at him.

Harry was lifted by its massive front legs, struggling in desperation. He could see Cedric casting several Stupefy spells, but they were barely any more effective than Harry's. As the creature opened its pincers, Harry had an idea, a very stupid one.

"Expelliarmus!"

It worked— the disarming spell forced the spider to drop him, but that still left Harry with a twelve-foot drop. Harry dropped to the ground, roughly landing flat on his back. The spider, still leaning back, prepared to drop onto Harry.

Harry raised his wand, but rather than pointing at the spider, he looked at the hedges next to it.

Grow! Harry mentally commanded the bushes, forgoing the false incantation. The branches spiraled up and out, reaching for the spider. They grasped at the arachnid, branches entwined around it. With a thrust of his wand, Harry sent the spider back, the hedges wrapping around the creature completely in a mimicry of a cocoon. Harry calmed at the bundle of leaves and twigs stopped thrashing.

"Bloody hell, where'd you learn that one?" Cedric said in surprise. He walked over to offer Harry a hand up.

"A friend taught me that one," Harry said as Cedric pulled him up. Harry felt a bout of dizziness and exhaustion wash over him. "Might have overdone that."

"I'll say."

Harry looked at Cedric and the cup that rested only a few feet behind him gleaming in the darkness.

"Go on," Harry said to Cedric. "Take it. It's your win."

But Cedric didn't move. He just stood there, looking between Harry and the cup. It was clear, the emotions on his face. Longing, regret, and conflict. Cedric took a good look at Harry, who was still hunched over, breathing heavily from magical exhaustion.

"You should take it. You've saved my life twice now. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here."

"That's not how this should work," Harry said with a smirk. "But we're hardly playing by the rules now. But let's be quick, Fleur is still out there. The sooner we win, the sooner they can get her out of here."

Cedric walked back a step, looking down at the brambles ensnaring the spider. Cedric looked at Harry, who steadied himself against the hedges.

"All the same, you deserve that cup more than me."

"Stop thinking that," Harry scolded. "You put your name in the goblet, you wanted to be here, to win for your school! I'm not taking credit for what's rightfully yours. Either we win together, or I will stun you and drag you to the cup myself. You deserve this as much as I do, if not more."

"You told me about the dragons, I would have gone down in the first task if it weren't for you."

"Everyone else already knew, you were the only one following the rules, the rest of us cheated!" Harry snapped. "You helped me with the egg, we're square."

"Except you already solved the egg, didn't you?" Cedric rebuked. Harry was shocked. "You were trying to hide it, but you already knew about it. You've been ahead of me this whole time. You got more points in the second task—"

"Because I was the only one thick enough to take the riddle seriously! Cedric, you are the Hogwarts champion, this is your victory! We're taking it together, or I won't take it at all!"

Cedric looked unsure. "Harry, you're the only reaon I'm able to win. I know you want both of us to finish the task, but you deserve it more."

Harry looked at Cedric, then the cup. Hufflepuff hadn't achieved anything in years. No quidditch or house cups, he was walking away from all the glory the house could ever want. Then again, Hufflepuff was never the house of ambition or adventure. Cedric was being true to himself, to his house.

For a traitorous moment, Harry could see himself winning. He saw himself emerging from the maze, cup lifted high in the air. The crowd was cheering, roaring a proclamation of his victory over all others. He could see Twilight and the others, watching as he got swept up by the crowd... He could see relief on their faces, but not pride... The vivid picture faded, leaving Harry again stuck between Cedric and the cup. This wasn't his victory, not really. By all rights, Harry shouldn't be here. It wasn't fair for him to take this victory.

"Neither of us is much for fame and glory, are we?" Harry staggered for a moment before Cedric caught him. "Truth is, I want to win, so bad. And if we both take it, I still win. I have more points than you, but at least you'll be tieing for the third task. We'll both take it, together, at the same time. It's still a Hogwarts victory."

Cedric looked down at Harry.

"You're- You're sure about it?"

"Yeah. I mean, what have I got to win?" Harry shrugged. "My name's already in the history books, I've got a mountain of gallons in my family's vault, and I have the respect of my friends, what more do I need? All the galleons in the world can't buy me the magic of friendship."

Cedric laughed. "You sure you're not a Hufflepuff?" he asked sarcastically.

"The hat might have mentioned it," Harry snarked back good-naturedly.

For a moment, Cedric looked to be in disbelief; then a massive grin stretched across his face.

"Alright then, let's finish this."

"Together."

Cedric supported Harry enough to stagger towards the cup and its plinth. When they were within distance of the cup, each one held a hand over one of the cup's gleaming handles.

"You sure this isn't too easy?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I mean, the task was the maze, not the cup. Why would they jinx the cup without a proper counter-curse? First one here wins, there's no need to anything more."

Harry shrugged. "If you're sure. On three. One, two, three—!"

He and Cedric grasped the cup.

Instantly, Harry felt a familiar jerk behind his navel. The ground disappeared beneath his feet. Harry's hand couldn't unclench itself from the Triwizard Cup. He and Cedric were pulled along in a vortex of howling wind and swirling colors.
> Chapter 28: Friendship Finds A Way
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Harry charged into the maze, Twilight could feel the excitement in the air. Everyone was cheering for their favorite champion, the atmosphere was alive. And no one was cheering harder than Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

"Woo-hoo, let's go Harry!" Applejack shouted, waving her hat.

"Let's go Harry, you can win this!" Rainbow Dash cried out.

They watched as Harry ran down the maze's first pathway until they disappeared. The cheering died down a little, until Bagman called for the other boy, Cedric, to go on his whistle. Hogwart's students got very excited again for their second champion. When the next student, Victor Krum, came up to run, the Durmstrang got very rowdy. A few minutes later, the same happened with the Beauxbatons, albeit much more restrained and composed. Once all four champions were in the maze, the crowd resorted less to cheers, and more to whispers and gossip.

A few long, arduous minutes passed without any excitement. Only the faintest light from some spells illuminated the maze. Dull, all things considered.

"So... Twilight, what's next?" Rarity asked. "Do we wait for the winner to exit the maze or something?"

"I'm not sure," said Twilight. She summoned a paper, a letter from Harry inviting her to the task. "Harry never said how we would be watching them. The first task was an open field, and the second was monitored by the sea people. I guess the judges must have a way to see who gets the cup."

"What happens then— whoa!" Applejack exclaimed. As she was speaking, an incredible pillar of white light rose from the maze. Just looking at it gave everyone the odd sensation of joy, like this light was a beacon of hope. "What was that? Did someone find that cup?"

"No, that was too close to the entrance, it just have been a spell. Harry's patronus, I think. He described a similar light when he used it," Twilight noted.

"So Harry's still out there? I guess we'll just just have to wait more." Fluttershy started twiddling her thumbs. "Oh, I do hope there are no innocent animals involved. This is so scary, and I'm not even watching!" The pegasus looked ready to start biting her hooves—no—fingernails to relieve stress.

"So we just sit here and wait? Ugh, I'm going to loose my marbles!" Spike said. "Twilight, you've got to have a way to watch, right? A spell, or something?" The dragon sounded hopeful.

"Yeah Twilight, if anypony could make this interesting, you could!" Pinkie Pie added joyfully.

Twilight tapped her chin with her finger, thinking. A way to watch the task? That would require being able to find Harry in the first place, then using some vision or scrying spells. If there was a way to trace him...

"Of course!" Twilight exclaimed. Magenta magic glowed between her hands as she began to construct a spell. "In this country, the wizarding government, the Ministry, can detect the underage use of magic. It can't work on us, but I started making a counter-charm for Harry before the Ball; I can reuse parts of that spell. Provided Hogwart's wards don't block the trace, I might be able to pony-back off of its properties. This should allow us to be able to locate the only underage wizard in the maze: Harry."

Twilight continued to pull on the magic between her hands until it formed a vibrant orb. This magic was pretty delicate, however, as it didn't seem to be cast on a single object, the whole spell kind of free-floated in the atmosphere. Just a few tweaks here and there, and Twilight should be able to track Harry's position.

"What'cha doing over here?" two voices asked.

Twilight turned her attention away from her spellcasting for a moment. Two human boys were standing behind Twilight and her friends. Both had matching hair, matching eyes, matching height... okay, matching everything. Twins, obviously.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Twilight asked the twins.

"He's Fred."

"He's George."

"Oh, I'm—" The twins were quick to cut Twilight off.

"Harry's date to the dance—"

"—everyone's heard of you."

"You gave our brother quite the scare."

"Good work on that one, by the way."

The twins talked in unison, forcing the Equestrians to alternate looking between the two. Pinkie Pie looked dizzy.

"Please stop doing that! This is weirder than the time I made an army of myself using the mirror pool!" Pinkie Pie shouted. The twins looked at each other mischievously.

"So, what are you up to?"

"Come on, give us a look."

"For your information, I was trying to make a spell to track Harry so we can watch," Twilight said irritably.

The twins scoffed. "Good luck with that. But, in the meantime—"

"—we're taking any and all bets if you're interested."

The two again disappeared into the crowd, selling bets and predictions.

"Well that was weirder than apples in the winter." Applejack said. "Reminded me of those Flim-Flam brothers."

"Who were those two anyways?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"I think they're brothers of Harry's friend, Ron. Identical twins," Twilight answered.

"Yeah, we could tell," Rainbow Dash added sarcastically. "Now hurry up on that spell, please! It's getting very boring over here."

"Okay, okay, stop rushing me!" Twilight scolded. "This magic is very old, delicate, and fragile. It stops working the day a wizard turns seventeen; if I'm not careful, I might break it." Twilight manipulated the magic a moment more, before the held up the magenta orb. "Done!"

"Oh, really? That was fast," Fluttershy said. "So, uh, how does it work?"

"Like this."

Twilight reached into the orb with one finger, and the tip of it was coated in magic when it returned. She then dragged the finger under her eyes, leaving glowing marks behind.

"This should allow us to see the trace charm being triggered by Harry's magic, the more he casts a spell, the more frequently his position appears to us," Twilight said proudly. She repeated the process on her friends, marking their faces with twin pink stripes. "Now we just look for Harry's magic."

The seven looked out over the maze for any sign the spell was working, anything at all. After a minute or two it did get rather boring.

"Twilight, I don't mean to insult your magical prowess, but are you certain this will work?" Rarity said as she squinted her eyes.

"I mean, it should, but I've never tried anything like this. A trace spell like this can't function in Equestria, there's simply too much ambient magic for it to work," Twilight said. "Of course, I—"

"Oh, oh! Over there, over there!" Pinkie Pie shouted, pointing strongly at the maze. "It's working!"

Everyone looked into the maze and was surprised when they could see something. There was a faint wisp of illusory smoke rising from the maze, constantly on the move. It appeared Twilight's spell was a success!

"It's working alright. That has to be Harry. He's getting closer to the center. Good job, Twilight," Applejack complemented Twilight's work.

"He should take a left next!" Rainbow said, noting how the left path looked like a more direct route, from the stand's view, at least. "Left, left, left..." Harry's magical trail took a right. "No, left! Left! Horseapples, he's going the wrong way!"

Fluttershy covered her ears.

"He can't hear us, Rainbow." Rarity said. "He can't see what we see."

"What you see?" a voice said behind the group. The seven turned around to see Ron and Hermione behind them. Ron had a pair of binoculars over his eyes, while Hermione was looking at the Equestrians. "What's with your eyes?" she asked curiously.

"Twilight invented a nifty tracking spell so we can watch Harry! It's so cool! Twilight is so good with magic, probably better than anyone I know!" Pinkie Pie couldn't resist bouncing up and down as she said this.

"Pinkie, stop, I'm blushing." Twilight hid her face behind the orb. "This is a magic school, I'm sure someone here could have pony-backed off the trace spell."

"Yes, well, none of them are Celestia's student, are they? Admit it Twilight, it is rather impressive, even if this shade of magenta is contrasting with my eyes," Rarity said, nudging her friend with an elbow.

Hermione was understandably confused.

"How did you do that?'

"I modified your people's tracking charm for underage wizards. We can see everything magical Harry does now, and—more importantly—where."

"Dad said the ministry can detect anything we kids do." Ron said suddenly. "They don't exactly do much if you're below school age, and many old wizarding families can get away with ignoring it. It's very powerful magic, lots of old magic is."

"But how did you do it? I read the Trace is an incredibly complex spell—"

"Like the wards?" Twilight countered. She pointed to the magical stripes on their faces. "These marks allow us to see the trace. It's outdated, if I'm being honest." She didn't mean to brag, but it was obvious that the spell hadn't been altered in several centuries. Even Celestia upgraded her magical defenses every few years, especially after the whole Discord fiasco had proven they were insufficient.

"So you're spying on him?" Hermione said pointedly.

"Of course not, he asked us to keep an eye out. Besides, we can only see him when he's casting magic. Speaking of, how's he doing, Pinkie?" Twilight brushed off the comment. She looked back over the maze, only to realize she had lost track of Harry's magical trail.

"He's getting close to the center! I think he's going to—" Pinkie Pie stopped talking.

"Going to what?" Fluttershy asked.

Pinkie didn't respond. Instead, she stayed rooted to her seat. Then, her ears wiggled, her body vibrated, and her hair stood on end, all at once. Everyone knew what this meant.

Her Pinkie Sense was tingling.

"Oh no, what now?!" Applejack said, looking up and covering her head.

"I-I don't know! This combination is only when really bad things happen! Really really really bad things!" Pinkie stuttered.

"Everypony, keep an eye on Harry!" Spike shouted. They all searched the maze, eventually locking it onto Harry's location: the center of the maze.

"He's made it! That should mean he can get out, right?" Applejack said hopefully.

"Unless it's booby-trapped," added Rainbow Dash.

"It couldn't be all that bad. Harry said they were being careful," Rarity countered.

Twilight rapped her knuckles against her head. What was she missing?! Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense hadn't registered once before now! Maybe the tournament itself wasn't the threat? But if there wasn't a trap, what was it!? Twilight thought back to every warning and sign she had received this year.

Discord said nothing would go as planned. Harry was warry of this from the start, he assumed he was entering because it could kill him because it was dangerous. But what is the danger that didn't come from the tournament?

Harry said he had a dream where the wizard, Voldemort, had said "Harry Potter will be mine" and that he "still requires him", but he couldn't have been on campus, right? Then how could he get Harry like this?!

"It's a trap," she said. "He wanted Harry to win. We've been going about this all wrong!"

"Twilight, what are you talking about?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"This whole time we thought the tournament was the danger, that it was a ploy to end Harry's life, but we were wrong! It was to keep him out of out sight! He's trying to get Harry!"

The whole group gasped aloud, finally realizing what was going on.

"Look!" Rarity yelled, pointing at the maze.

Everyone followed her gaze. The mist that showed Harry's magic was in the center of the maze, he had made it to the cup! But after of moment of elation, Harry's magic went up in the air and vanished. The trail disappeared completely! In mid-air!

"Where'd he go?" said Applejack. "He was right there!"

"Something is wrong! Spike, find Dumbledore! Come on girls, let's go!" Twilight commanded, getting out of her seat, the other Equestrians followed behind.

"Where are you going?!" demanded Hermione.

"We're getting Harry out of there!"





Spike weaved between the feet of the people to get to the judges' box as fast as possible. He called out more than a few "excuse me" and "sorry"s while trying not to bump into anyone. He arrived and took note of the four humans inside. One was a very old and wrinkly male with a long grey beard, there was a slightly younger human with a stern look about him, a very tall human female, and a human with a bowler cap. Spike ran straight for the oldest. That made sense, right?

"Hey, you! Sir!" Spike shouted.

The four adults turned back to look at Spike.

"A dog?" the woman asked.

"I should be a dragon," Spike said, then shook his head. He had more important things to do. "I need to say something important! Harry's in danger!"

"Danger?" the eldest man echoed. "How do you know?"

"Twilight was tracking Harry from the stands. He was going fine, then he just disappeared! He got to the center, then vanished!" Spike revealed.

"Vanished? Are you certain?" the old man asked.

"Albus, are you talking to a dog!?" the man with a bowler cap demanded. "This is obviously a student's prank to get us all riled up."

"A very poor prank," the stern man replied.

"Karkaroff is right, this would make a very poor prank," the tall woman said.

"Does Twilight know where Harry is?" the old man, Albus, asked.

"No, but she's going to go after him," Spike said. "She's probably gone already."

"Then someone is already interfering with the task," Albus said. "Regardless of whether he is right about Harry, someone else is already interfering with the third task. We must contact the teachers, they have to find the champions before anything else goes wrong."

"Agreed," Karkaroff said.

"I agree," The tall woman said.

"Fine," The bowler cap man said.





The six girls ran until they were far out of sight of the assembled audience. They formed themselves into a loose circle. Five necklaces were revealed, and Twilight pulled out her crown-tiara thing.

"Alright, what's the plan?" Applejack said.

"We use the Elements, get to Harry, and bring him back." Twilight placed the Element of Magic on her head. "Ready?" Everyone nodded. "Here goes nothing." The Elements activated.

Light erupted upwards, engulfing the six. They could feel the magic of the Elements of Harmony surrounding them, changing them. The illusion over their skin shattered. Their ears changed into pony ears, they gained tails, and the two pegasi regained their wings. When the light faded, the six took note of their appearance.

"Whoa," Applejack said.

"I've got wings again! Yes!" Rainbow Dash fluttered in the air.

"Focus! We need to find Harry!" Twilight interrupted. Her eyes began to glow with magic beneath her closed eyelids. "Hang on, I have an idea." Twilight's crown glowed, tendrils of magic sparking out of it. If I can summon with that spell, could I send myself to him? There was a tense minute of silence as her magic did its job. "I found him!"

A rainbow stretched from one Element to the next, creating a magical circle. The group was lifted off the ground and surrounded by a rainbow of magic, then vanished.
> Chapter 29: Blood, Bone, And Flesh
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry's feet slammed into the ground hard enough to knock him off his feet; his hand finally allowed itself to release the cup at long last. The Triwizard Cup was flung out to someplace outside of Harry's vision. The world kept spinning for an agonizing few seconds.

Harry lifted his head. "Where... Where are we?" he asked.

Nearby, Cedric shook his head. He got up, pulled Harry to his feet, then took a look at their surroundings. The place looked nothing like the Hogwarts grounds; they were miles— possibly hundreds— off of the campus. Even the ever-present mountains and forests were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the two were standing in an old decrepit graveyard. Graves lay about in various states of decay, some simple while others grand. A few dead trees littered the grounds. Off in the distance sat the black outline of an old church. A hill rose to their left. Harry could just make out the outline of an old house on the hillside, it looked oddly familiar.

Where have I seen that mansion before? Maybe from above?

Cedric looked around for the Triwizard Cup, then back at Harry. "Did anyone tell you the cup was a portkey?" Cedric asked.

"Nope." Harry shook his head. He looked about the graveyard; the place was eerily quiet, even for a graveyard. "Cedric, I don't think this is part of the task."

"What makes you think that?" Cedric said, pulling his wand out. Harry did the same, but far more tense.

"We're not at Hogwarts anymore, the teachers can't keep an eye on us. If the Ministry was so careful this year, why would they make a portkey to an unsupervised graveyard of all places? Something's wrong, Cedric, very very wrong." Harry turned around rapidly, searching the graveyard. "I mean, isn't it odd that Krum used an unforgivable curse? He'd never get away with that, he should've known better. Isn't it odd that I was put in the tournament on purpose? I, the Boy Who Lived, got placed here. Isn't it odd that unicorns, whose blood can sustain those on the verge of death, started slowly disappearing?" Harry's eyes darted about, the feeling he was being watched only increasing in strength. "Something's coming."

Sure enough, a short, hunched figure was making its way through the graveyard. They squinted as it walked towards them steadily, shuffling between the graves. Its face was concealed, but it was clear it was carrying something in its arms. The person was short, every part of them was covered in a dark cloak that hid every detail but the bundle in its arms. Harry watched the closing gap between them and was soon able to see the bundle of robes more clearly.

Harry kept his wand up, just shot a wary look to Cedric, who likewise kept his wand raised.

"Stop right there!" Cedric shouted.

"Who are you?!" Harry demanded.

The figure stepped next to a large headstone, and the three looked at each other.

And then, without warning, Harry's scar felt warm. A wave of vertigo nearly cost Harry his balance. Cedric reached over to stop Harry from falling. Harry's muscles tensed, recognizing exactly the feeling that he had become familiar with since his last visit to Equestria. But this was worse, this was a warning.

No...

No...

The bundle in the figure's arms spoke in a cold, high voice; a voice Harry recognized from his dreams. "Kill the spare."

No no no no!

"Cedric!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

The world moved in slow motion, yet too fast to process. The wizard raised a wand and pointed at the Hufflepuff. Harry didn't stop to think as he tackled the older student, the two being consumed in a flash of green light.

The curse hit empty air.

Harry and Cedric teleported across the graveyard, behind a grave large enough to hide them. They pressed their backs to the cold stone, breathing hard and fast. Neither boy dared to move. Harry's scar still felt warm, like it was seething in anger.

"Find them!" the same voice screeched. Harry's scar seemed to vibrate in tandem with it.

Harry and Cedric looked at each other, fear written across their faces. Both were alive, though for how long remained uncertain.

"What the hell was that?!" Cedric whisper-shouted. He tried to peak over their hiding spot, seeing the short figure, a man if his voice was anything to go by, dashing about the graveyard. Harry remained rooted in place.

It all made sense now. The tournament, the Goblet, the dreams, the portkey. Harry wasn't entered to die, he was entered to be abducted. This was why his scar was acting up. More and more pieces started to fall in place. A Death Eater put in Harry's name under a fourth school (placeholder name: Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns) so he had to participate. The unicorns were disappearing because someone was hunting them before Celestia sent them home. Whoever it was was on the brink of death, and Harry could only think of one person that desperate. Harry had seen him in his dreams, obsessing over him. How had he not seen it before?!

"It's him."

"What?"

"It's him, Cedric, it's Voldemort."

Cedric paled.

"You-Know-Who? How, why?"

"I don't know everything, but we have to get out of here, now." Harry peeked over the gravestone. The figure had put down the bundle and was searching the graveyard.

"Got any ideas?" Cedric asked.

"Can you apparate?" Harry questioned.

"Failed my tests. How about you? You can do it, right?"

Harry shook his head.

"I never got past short-range teleports, I'm too tired to get more than a few good jumps left in me, I can't take both of us for long. That can only buy us time if he can apparate. We need another way out."

Cedric and Harry looked back over the gravestone. The figure was getting closer to finding them with each second. He (Harry assumed it was a man from the voice) was getting more frantic by the moment, fear emanating from his body.

Cedric pointed to where the two had landed in the graveyard. "The portkey. Most have a return function; you touch it a second time and get sent back to wherever it came from. We find the portkey, we might be able to get sent back to Hogwarts."

"Alright." Harry nodded. "I'll distract them, you get the cup."

Cedric gripped Harry's arm, keeping him in place.

"Harry, you can't—"

Harry scolded Cedric in a hushed voice, "I'm the one he wants, Cedric! He said to 'kill the spare' immediately, that's you! The moment he sees you, he'll kill you!" Harry locked eyes with Cedric, neither breaking contact. The severity of the moment was sinking in. "Here's what we'll do. I get his attention, I can dodge whatever he hits me with. You move towards the cup, and I'll teleport to you when you get there. We grab it and get back. Simple as that."

Cedric seemed reluctant to agree with Harry. Eventually, Cedric, nodded, agreeing on the plan. "Good luck," Cedric said.

Harry felt fear try to grasp his heart. This was serious, possibly more so than any year yet. No one was coming, they had one shot to survive.

"On three." The two nodded. "One, two, three!"

The two broke off in different directions, Harry loud and Cedric silent.

"Stupefy!" Harry yelled.

Nonverbal casting would have been more practical, but Harry needed the man's attention away from Cedric. The man blocked the spell with a shield charm and returned fire with a hex of his own. Harry vanished in a flash of green, reappearing across the graveyard so that the man was between Harry and Cedric. The two exchanged another blast of spells. The stunning spell narrowly missed the dark wizard, and the curse sent at Harry impacted a nearby tree, causing it to shrivel and die.

"I need him alive!" the same voice said. "Kill the other boy!"

The figure looked over his shoulder to Cedric. Taking advantage of the man's distraction, Harry cast petrificus totalus with all his might at the wizard. A hastily-cast shield spell tried to block it, but the spell was deflected to strike the wizard's legs. Harry's opponent's legs locked up, but not the rest of his body. Harry sent a strong swarm of levitation charms at nearby statues and stones, picking them up and flinging them at his opponent. Another weak shield shattered the first projectile but not the rest. Dirt and stone were piled over the man, who lost his wand in the ensuing attack. Harry teleported above his opponent, dropping squarely on the trapped man's back. Harry pointed his wand at the base of the man's skull.

"Stupefy!"

The spell knocked the man out cold. With his opponent neutralized Harry looked for Cedric, seeing the sixth-year just a few steps away from the cup. The two locked eyes, and nodded. Harry vaulted over the pile of stones covering the wizard and engaged one last teleport. He emerged in a flash of green magic next to him, staggering.

"The cup, Cedric, now!" Harry heaved.

Cedric raised his wand at the cup. "Accio cup!"

The cup wobbled for a moment before it bolted towards Cedric. Harry felt his hopes rise, just a little.

His scar was getting warmer.

"Avada Kedavra!"

From the bundle on the ground, a jet of green lightning shot forth. Harry reflexively covered his eyes against the light. It raced against the speed of the cup, catching up quickly. Luckily, Cedric's summoning spell placed the cup between himself and the bundle of cloth. The cup was almost within Cedric's grasp when the curse hit it and rebounded. The spell flashed past Harry's face, blinding him as he fell back. Harry could faintly see the cup touch Cedric, the sixth-year's eyes wide with fear as he looked at Harry. Someone screamed in agony. A split second later, both Cedric and the cup were gone.

Harry felt feelings of dread and hope bubble in his chest as he collapsed. Cedric was safe, he'd gotten out alive, hopefully unharmed. But, at the same time, that left Harry trapped here with whatever was in that bundle of cloth, and he had no way out. He was exhausted and out of tricks.

"Stupefy!" the cold voice shouted.

Harry was knocked clean off his feet, soaring through the air. His vision clouded, and Harry lost consciousness before his body could return to the ground.





When Harry started to regain consciousness, it was to a throbbing headache the likes of which he hadn't had since the Crystal Empire. Thankfully, it seemed to be a very nonmagical headache. Harry moved his head around, trying to come to terms with his environment.

Harry first noticed that he was tied to a marble headstone, neck to ankles.

The stone read Tom Riddle.

What Harry noticed next was the massive stone cauldron, far larger than any Harry had used. A roaring flame crackled underneath it. The liquid inside was bubbling and spewing violent sparks, and a pillar of steam was rising above it.

Harry heard the same cold high voice speak from the bundle lying at the base of a grave.

"Hurry!"

Harry knew that whatever was in the bundle, he didn't want to see it.

"It is ready, master."

"Now, Wormtail..."

Harry suddenly recognized the man. Wormtail, the man who had betrayed his parents. If Harry were more conscious he'd blast him then and there.

Wormtail untied the robes, unveiling what lay inside. Harry felt his heart clench. The thing Pettigrew had been carrying had the shape of a crouched human child, except that Harry had never seen anything less like a child. It was hairless and scaly-looking, a dark, raw, reddish black. Its arms and legs were thin and feeble, and its face- no child alive ever had a face like that- flat and snakelike, with gleaming red eyes. Harry had expected something, but this was worse, a thousand times worse. It looked feeble, weak, but Harry knew better. He had just seen it cast the killing curse on its own.

Wormtail picked up the thing, carried it over to the bubbling pot, and dropped it in. It hit the bottom with a dull thud.

Harry's scar felt like it had a heartbeat of its own, whaling against Cadance's reinforced spell.

Please let it drown. Harry wished in his head. Let him drown.

Wormtail raised a shaking wand, and his voice sounded terrified beyond all measure.

"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"

The grave beneath Harry cracked, and a fine white powder floated out, which was dropped into the cauldron.

Harry struggled against the bonds tying him down. Harry had a terrifying idea of what Wormtail was doing and knew it had to stop. Harry searched the ground. Where is my wand? If he could get his wand, he could do something, anything. A teleport, a cutting charm, anything to get out of here!

Wormtail pulled a long, thin, shining silver dagger from inside his cloak. His voice broke into petrified sobs.

"Flesh... of the servant... w-willingly given... you will... r-revive... your master."

Harry realized what was about to happen a second early, and he managed to close his eyes before Wormtail's screams pierced the night. There was a sickening plop as something landed in the bubbling liquid. Harry opened his eyes as Wormtail stalked towards him. Harry looked back, towards where Cedric had disappeared. There! Harry's wand was lying in the grass, undisturbed. He tried to grab it in his magic, to summon it, but it was just a little too far to comfortably focus on, not when Wormtail was getting so close.

"B-blood of the enemy... forcibly taken... you will... resurrect your foe."

Though it couldn't prevent the inevitable, Harry struggled harder against his bonds. He saw Wormtail pull out the silver knife again, and pressed it to Harry's arm, letting a trickle of blood flow out. Harry hissed as the blade cut him. The blood was collected and brought over to be dropped in the cauldron.

It turned violent, sizzling and bubbling over. Sparks flew everywhere and a thick plume of steam and smoke rose from its surface.

Harry struggled ever harder. He focused on calling his wand to his hand. It was wobbling around, making little jumps toward him. Please, just a little bit more...

Suddenly, all the liquid evaporated in a giant plume of smoke. Harry watched wide-eyed as a skeletally thin figure rose from the depths of the cauldron. An overbearing feeling of dread threatened to swallow Harry.

"Robe me," said the high, cold voice from within the steam, and Wormtail, sobbing, moaning, and still cradling his mutilated arm, scrambled to pick up the black robes from the ground and pulled them one-handed over his master's head.

The man stepped out into the cold air, and Harry finally got to see the face that had plagued his life for so long and had been the cause of so much suffering.

Lord Voldemort had returned.
> Chapter 30: Harmony Arrives
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lord Voldemort's appearance was more monster than a man's. He looked like a person had transfigured himself to take the features of a snake, particularly in the face. Harry couldn't help but wonder, was this the price of cheating death?

Voldemort slipped his hand into a deep pocket and retrieved a bone-white wand. He used it to pick Wormtail up and throw him against another headstone, a sadistic smirk twisting his face.

"Ah, how good it feels to have a proper body once more. After so long, and so many... complications... I am restored," Voldemort spoke in his cold high voice.

Harry's anger boiled over. Complications!?

"Accio!" Harry's wand flew up from the ground to his hand. As soon as it did he swung his hand up, cutting the ropes binding him with a quick cast of Dififndo. He pointed his wand at Voldemort's new body, foregoing his translated spells. Just burn! The same sunfire spell triggered with plenty more bravado. A burst of energy magnitudes larger than Voldemort spewed out from Harry's wand.

Voldemort simply waved his wand, and Harry's attack passed over him to disintegrate a nearby tree. The Dark Lord's eyebrow, or what passed for one, raised in mild fascination. With a flick of his wrist, several tendrils of stone grasped Harry's wrists in a crushing grip, causing him to drop his wand. Another gesture brought Harry down to his knees, immobilized. A moment later his mouth was clamped shut. The Dark Lord held a finger up in a mocking "shush" motion. He once again inspected his arms and wand as though it were the first time he had seen them.

"It is so nice of you to provide me a chance to test my magic. Though, not much of a challenge," Voldemort said in a mocking tone. He drifted to stand next to Harry and Wormtail, a sick grin on his face. He laughed, cold and mirthless.

"My Lord.." Wormtail choked out on the ground, grasping at his bleeding stump of an arm. "My Lord... you promised... promised..."

Voldemort commanded his servant with a smirk. "Hold out your arm."

"Thank you, master." Wormtail extended the stump, but Voldemort only laughed.

"The other arm, Wormtail."

"Please, no..."

Voldemort reached down and pulled up the sleeve of Wormtail's clothes. Harry could see a mark there, the same one at the Quidditch World Cup: the Dark Mark. Voldemort pressed down on it with his finger, and Harry could feel his scar throb in response. Wormtail howled in pain, and Harry guessed everyone who had that mark must be in similar pain. The mark was now jet black and a similar one formed in the sky.

Voldemort stood up, a cruel grin on his face as he looked about the graveyard, as though expecting guests.

"I wonder, what will my so-called faithful followers do now? Run, or face their fate?" Voldemort said absent-mindedly, turning to face Harry "Nonetheless, it will be worth it as they watch me kill you, Harry Potter. As you are now, you can't possibly pose a threat to me. Your muggle-born mother isn't here to die for you this time, no friends to protect you, no Dumbledore to play the guardian angel, no one left but you and me."

A sinking feeling filled Harry. This was getting worse with each moment. Surely if Cedric had returned he would have told the teachers, and someone had to be coming to help... Harry thought about Cedric for a moment. They had been so close, the cup was right there, within their grasp. Both of them could have escaped. The plan had been Harry's, and so was its failure.

"And soon, my audience to witness your demise will join us," Voldemort mused.

There had to be someone coming, right? Twilight was keeping an eye on me, she had to know! She needs to get here soon. I have to buy time. Harry looked down at his wand, sitting just in front of his knee. Harry tried to summon the wand again but was only rewarded with it rocking back and forth. Come on, just a little more...

"Trying to escape again, I see." Harry's focus was drawn up to Voldemort, who was looking down at Harry's wand with a look mixing distaste and morbid curiosity. "Wandless magic. A feat few wizards can claim. It would seem you have slightly more than witless luck on your side, not that it matters anymore." A long finger hovered over Harry's head. "For you see, Harry Potter, there was a reason I chose you to provide blood. I could have chosen anyone else, but I wanted you. Your blood holds the power that could return me to full strength. And that power was from your filthy muggle-born mother; she left the traces of her pathetic sacrifice upon you... This was old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it... but it matters not now. I have overcome such weak magic, for I can touch you now."

Voldemort stabbed at Harry's scar, and for the first time in a long while, agony radiated from his scar. That feeling of raw pain made Harry grit his teeth to prevent himself from crying out, refusing to give Voldemort the satisfaction of hearing him scream. Harry could feel something within him shouting, pushing against this foreign invader. Voldemort chuckled darkly, watching Harry squirming in pain, an evil grin stretching across his snake-like face. He pressed down harder, and Harry could feel like something inside him was about to snap.

"Heh heh, what a pitiful protection, love. I have conquered it, just as I have conquered death," Voldemort gloated. He pressed with more of his body weight. Something was happening to Harry's magic. It hurt so bad. "And you, Harry Potter, have nothing— Agh!"

Voldemort flung himself backward with a shout of pain. Harry pulled his eyes open. Voldemort was on his knees, clutching his left hand like it was falling off. Harry took a closer look at the hand to see what had caused such pain. Voldemort's hand was smoking. The skin looked sunburned and dry. It reminded Harry of the first year when he tried to steal the stone. Voldemort clutched his hand as the skin slowly started to regain its previous color. When he had recovered fully, Voldemort stood back up.

He approached Harry again, cautiously. His hand hovered over Harry's scar before he pressed on Harry's head again. There was still plenty of pain this time, but Voldemort was quick to retract his hand. His finger looked significantly less burned than his hand had been, but there was an effect. Voldemort scowled.

"It burns, still. Not as bad as before, true, it cannot kill me like last time. But it burns me all the same. All I have done, and yet your filthy mudblood mother's protections still persist. I chose your blood to take that power into myself, how does it still deny me?" Voldemort hissed. The stones covering Harry's mouth dropped, allowing him to stare down the Dark Lord. "Explain," the Dark Lord demanded.

Harry glared back at Voldemort. Harry himself wasn't sure what was going on, but pieces were falling in place. Cadance had protected him from his scar with her magic, her love, which had empowered his mother's charm. Voldemort had used Harry's blood to counter his mother's protection, but maybe it still lingered. Cadance's magic wasn't bound to Harry's blood, unlike his mother's charm. Perhaps that was the key.

"It's not just my mother's protection," Harry said, gaining confidence. Voldemort recoiled. "It's a power greater than all your magic and schemes."

"What, what is it?" demanded Voldemort. His hand grasped Harry's face, both ignoring the burning sensation. "What power out there is greater than I, one who can not die?"

Despite the ongoing pain, Harry felt his lips turn upwards. His eyelids drooped down further as he fought to keep a defiant gaze turned to the Dark Lord.

"What power? What else, but love? Love, friendship, and Harmony. I don't expect you to understand," Harry snarked. He stared weakly but defiantly up at Voldemort, each one glaring at the other, waiting to see whose pain would give out.

It was Voldemort who was the first to give, stepping away from Harry. Harry could barely keep his eyes open anymore.

Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry's face. "I was planning to kill you before my followers, but I will skip the pleasantries and kill you here and now. Farewell, Harry Potter."

Harry panicked. There had to be something Harry could do, anything! Harry reached out with his mind, searching. Maybe he could get his wand? Or maybe some wandless magic? Harry focused his senses on magic alone. The graveyard was full of darkness, there was no magic around but that which the Dark Lord had conjured. His wand wobbled feebly.

Darkness.

"Avada—!"

Light.

Harry's eyes opened. The Dark Mark which hung hauntingly over the graveyard was torn asunder, and an array of light poured out of its remains. A pillar of rainbow light burst through the clouds, slamming into the ground with enough force to throw Voldemort and Wormtail up and away; Harry's crumbling restraints barely held him in place. He looked at the orb of rainbow light in front of him, smiling. He knew this magic.

Harmony.

The light faded, and six girls stood in its place. Harry didn't stop the tears of relief falling from his eyes.

"Harry!" Twilight yelled. Instantly, Harry's restraints fell away and he was pulled into a crushing hug by the unicorn. "You're okay!" she said in relief as the two sunk to their knees. Her hug tightened, desperate but relieved. "When you disappeared, I was so scared, I thought you were gone." The other five engulfed Harry in a similar hug.

Harry looked up at his friends. They looked... different; their human features had been blended with more equine ones. A transformation, likely triggered by the Elements of Harmony. It looked good on them.

"You're all here," Harry said, his mind slowly catching up to his surroundings. "You're here! You shouldn't be here, it's not safe!" he warned.

"Harry, what in tarnation happened to you?" Applejack placed a hand on his shoulder, pleading for answers.

"It's Vold—"

"Crucio!"

Pain as he had never experienced laced through Harry. He collapsed to his knees, screaming in pain. It felt like a thousand needles were stabbing his skin. This was different than how his scar burned, this was a pain he couldn't fall unconscious to escape. Harry could hear his friends screaming in fear. He focused on them, it was all he could do to stay aware.

"Stop it!" someone shouted.

An iridescent bubble covered Harry's prone form. The pain cut off abruptly, but Harry was left shaking uncontrollably, muscles spasming in phantom pain. He looked up to see Twilight standing over him protectively, placing herself between Harry and Voldemort. The Dark Lord stalked toward Harry and his friends. Behind him, a small number of Death Eaters were apparating into the graveyard, surrounding the younger group. Voldemort's face showed a mix of disgust and fascination.

"And what might you be?" Voldemort hissed at the Equestrians. "Harry Potter's rescuers?" he said mockingly.

"Yes. We're getting him away from you, and we're not going to let you stop us!" Twilight shouted.

Voldemort laughed, high and cold. The Death Eaters behind him followed suit.

"You? A small band of girls, against me? Harry Potter has made poor choices in allies."

"We're his friends," Rainbow Dash growled.

"Even better!" Voldemort shouted. He turned to address his followers. "Look how the great Harry Potter cowers behind his friends, as though they are a substitute for real power!" The Death Eaters laughed again. "Look at them, they hardly seem to be of wizarding blood. Nuisances!"

The Death Eaters sneered. "Kill them!" one yelled.

"They are hardly worth the effort of the Dark Lord!" Voldemort proclaimed. One of the Death Eaters stepped forward.

"Then allow me to rid us of these... mongrels... so you alone may have the boy." said the Death Eater. Voldemort waved his hand dismissively.

"That will not be necessary, Lucius. If they wish to fight with Harry Potter, then they will die with Harry Potter, by my hand," said Voldemort.

"You don't scare us," Applejack said. Her ears flattened against her head as she glowered at him.

"Your first mistake," Voldemort chuckled.

"We won't let you touch him," Twilight said. Her Crown and the other Elements glowed a little bit brighter. Purple energy crackled at her fingertips, and her body was coated in a translucent rainbow. Harry wasn't sure if the Death Eaters could feel it, but sensing The Elements' magic felt like looking into the very sun. This felt like a power that could shape mountains. "We won't abandon our friends. Harry is under our protection!"

"Your second mistake," Voldemort mocked. He drifted away from his followers. "And such a pity, too. I can see much magical potential in you. It is wasted with the likes of him," he said, gesturing to Harry. "The other magical creatures align themselves with us, even the brutish giants see the truth of our cause. Harry Potter is not worth your kind's aid," he said. Harry realized Voldemort thought his friends weren't human but some other race or breed.

"Not happening," Rainbow Dash stood firm.

"Your last mistake. You are a waste of my energy," Voldemort scoffed. "Barely worth my time."

"Friends don't abandon each other. Now, step away before you get hurt," Twilight threatened.

Voldemort scowled before raising his wand at Twilight Sparkle.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Harry watched, frozen, as that jet of green lightning flooded out of Voldemort's wand. The same light that almost killed Cedric, that killed Harry's parents, and murdered anyone who got in the Dark Lord's way. Harry couldn't move as it struck Twilight in the heart. He couldn't see her face— didn't want to see her face. He didn't want to see what happened to her, what he couldn't stop. She was dead, because of him.

The Death Eaters cheered as their master displayed his power. Voldemort cackled aloud.

And Twilight...

Twilight...

"Is that all you got?"

What?

The laughter stopped, and Harry blinked the tears from his eyes. Voldemort and his followers were dead silent.

"I said," Twilight Sparkle spoke, alive and well, "is that all you got?"
> Chapter 31: Statues
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Is that all you got?"

Twilight stood, defiant and unharmed by the most dangerous spell from the most dangerous wizard. She barely appeared to be fazed. The Elements' magical aura glowed brighter, pulsing like a strong heartbeat. She looked ready to take on the world and win.

Voldemort and his followers were a different story altogether. A range of different emotions could be guessed by their posture and body language, the most common being shock, confusion, and, most of all, fear. Fear of the impossible, that which no one could defeat.

The impossible and the unknown were ancient fears. Just as people aren't afraid of being in the dark, but of not being alone in the dark. The fear of the unknown, which takes all that you have learned, and ignores it is a frightening thing. Muggles feared magic because it ignored science. Wizards fear dark magic because it ignores many magical protections. Everyone feared death because it could not be stopped.

And here was Twilight Sparkle, having been struck by the killing curse, and lived.

"You hurt my friend, and I gave you one chance to back down!" Twilight scowled.

Voldemort looked even less pleased and, dare Harry think it, afraid. "Avada Kedavra!" the dark lord shouted.

Twilight watched calmly as the lightning came at her. When it was within arms reach, she raised one hand and brutally slapped it away. The Death Eaters were silent as they watched this display.

"What was it you said?" Twilight asked darkly. "That was your last mistake?" she said mockingly.

Voldemort scowled.

"Kill them all, but stun the boy! He is mine!" he commanded.

Several Death Eaters stepped forward, firing curses and hexes at their master's behest. A wave of Twilight's hand coated the seven in a large magical bubble, causing the spells to rebound. More Death Eaters appeared, and they were quick to join their comrades. But all their spells were rendered useless against the Elements of Harmony.

"Harry, who are they?" Rarity asked.

"Death Eaters, followers of Voldemort. Dark wizards, all of them," Harry supplied. The six shuddered at the thought.

"Then we need to take them down," Rainbow Dash said. "I don't think Discord would have asked us to use the Elements for nothing."

"Agreed. I'll keep the protection spell over us. I'm going to get us out, but I need time. Rainbow, Fluttershy, get us some cloud cover, now. Everyone else, stay near Harry, keep him safe."

"I can take care of myself!" Harry protested. It was his fault they were here, his fault Voldemort was back, it was all his fault!

"Stay safe," Twilight said.

Almost immediately, the group broke. Twilight opened the top of her dome, and the two pegasi raced up to the cloud layer, nimbly dodging spells. Taking advantage of the distracted Wizards, Harry and Twilight flung spells to take down several Death Eaters. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy scrambled what remained of the Dark Mark. The clouds began to descend ominously, surrounding Harry and the others in a thick layer of fog that obscured them from sight. Despite the attempts of the wizards, the blinding fog refused to budge, their influence worthless next to two pegasi. Spells were blindly fired through the clouds, most missing, but a few curses hit their comrades. Rainbow and Fluttershy touched down on the ground.

"How's that?"

"Perfect," Twilight said. "Now—"

"Duck!" yelled Pinkie Pie. Everyone wisely listened as three curses flew overhead.

"I found them!" Four Death Eaters walked through the cloud, pointing their wands at the group.

"Bugs to be crushed beneath my boot—" Faster than he could process, the first Death Eater's face was smashed in by a high kick, courtesy of an outraged Fluttershy. Said Death Eater was catapulted back through the mist, unconscious. Everyone looked at Fluttershy, who was breathing heavily like an enraged bull. The other two Death Eaters were seemingly unbothered as they raised their wands.

Applejack was the first to respond. She swept her legs low, knocking two flat on their backs, one of them losing their wand in the process. She aimed a high kick at the standing Death Eater, shooting him far away with the sound of cracking bones. Rarity leveled her gaze at one of the Death Eaters Applejack knocked over. She grasped him in her magic and performed the closest thing she could to an over-the-shoulder throw with magic, launching the Death Eater far away into another gravestone. Another spell had him tied up by his clothes. The last Death Eater tried to point his wand at Rarity, deeming her the closest threat.

Rainbow Dash went into action, flying faster than the remaining Death Eater could even blink. She drop-kicked him in the sternum, pushing him back. She followed up by swinging her right fist in an imitation of an uppercut punch. As her fist passed through the mist that made up their cloud cover, dark clouds and red sparks trailed her fist. When the blow connected there was a resounding crash of thunder, and a flash of red lightning blasted the last Death Eater. The receiver of said punch instantly vanished into the clouds, and the only sign of him hitting the ground was the sickening crack that followed. Rainbow Dash looked at her fist, shocked.

"Lightning punch?! Cool!"

"Rainbow, focus! Twilight, use the Elemetns, now!" Harry shouted, eyes darting about their cloud cover.

"You will not escape me, Harry Potter!" echoed Voldemort's voice.

There was a red glow from one side of the clouds, and then a plume of crimson fire broke through their cover. Twilight stopped her mass teleport spell to raise her hand, generating a vibrant shield. The fire was scattered around, and Harry could hear the screams of Death Eaters being burned. Harry looked at the others as the fire lit up the area. They had brave faces on, but they were scared, like him. They were here because of him. They were in danger because of him. Harry tightened his grip on his wand as he stood back up.

"Twilight!" Harry yelled. She glanced back to see Harry with his wand raised, and they shared a look that explained everything. They waited until the flames subsided. "Now!"

Twilight dropped her barrier, and both Harry and Twilight flung their spells forth. The flames had left a clear line of sight to the dark lord. Harry's stunning spell was deflected by Voldemort, but he disapparated when Twilight's spell got close. A second later the whole area where Voldemort had stood was turned into a crater the size of a mansion. The echoing bang! that was released from the blast cleared half of their cloud cover away, and the cries of fear from the Death Eaters became louder than ever.

Harry looked around wildly, searching for Voldemort. His scar itched as he looked behind him. Pinkie Pie had the same idea.

"Twilight, behind us!" both Harry and Pinkie Pie shouted. Everyone turned around as a curse whipped past Harry's face. A large gash was cut across his face. The curse hit a gravestone, which exploded in spiked shards. Voldemort stood on the hillside, wand at the ready.

Voldemort made a grand gesture with his wand, and a stream of lightning shot forth. Twilight replied with a beam of her own, creating a clash of blinding light. The force of the two spells blasted the rest of their cloud cover away, revealing the group to the assembled Death Eaters. Twilight's attack was overpowering Voldemort completely, forcing the dark lord to disapparate away again. By sheer instinct alone Harry turned to where Voldemort had reappeared. The dark lord raised his wand and a jet of green light shot forth. Harry raised his wand to release the sunfire spell again, contesting Voldemort's might against his own. The two spells met in the middle, their jets of light pushing against one another. Harry's wand began to shake as the two began a battle of will. Unfortunately, the other Death Eaters were taking notice of them.

"Twilight, you need to stop them, now!" Harry roared. Twilight faced the other girls, leaving Harry to withhold Voldemort's offense. His wand started to vibrate violently, the spells between him and the dark lord no longer acting as they should. A golden thread stretched between their wands. Harry's spell pushed against Voldemort's, and Harry heard the strangest sound start to flood his ears: a phoenix's song. The golden string splintered, casting a dome of light around him and Voldemort. Harry looked back at Twilight and the others as he fought to keep whatever strange event was happening stable.

"Girls, the Elements!" Twilight called. The six gathered next to Twilight in a circle behind Harry. A rainbow arched from one Element to the next until all six formed a glowing ring. The light grew in intensity until it was almost blinding. Every spell directed at them either missed or was cast aside by the power of the Elements of Harmony. Twilight opened her glowing eyes to look back at Harry.

Harry and Voldemort's wands were tied by a string of gold light, orbs of power flowing from Harry's wand to be forced into its brother. His feet were anchored to the ground, and he guessed Voldemort was experiencing the same thing. Voldemort couldn't leave, and that's what Harry wanted. Harry grasped his wand with two hands till his knuckles turned white. More orbs raced down from Harry's wand into Voldemort's. The yew wand echoed with sounds of agony. Golden veins pulsed beneath Voldemort's wand as his wand started to regurgitate the images of the last spells it cast. Voldemort was resisting, but Harry wouldn't let the connection break. He held on, phoenix song ringing in his head.

Ghostly figures crawled out of Voldemort's wand. The first was an older man, one whom Harry had seen killed by Voldemort in a past vision. The second was a witch whom Harry didn't recognize. But the next two were heart-achingly familiar. Harry had seen them twice before, in a mirror and a photo album. Ghostly figures of Lily and James Potter rushed past the other two phantoms to get to their son. Behind them, Voldemort looked on in a mix of rage and fear.

"Harry... My little boy... You've grown up..." Lily whispered. She held a hand up to Harry's face, palm almost touching. "You've done so well... just a little longer, my son."

"Harry... Hang on a little more..." James said, mirroring Harry's mother. "I am so proud of you... just a little longer..."

"We love you, son..." Lily and James said.

Tears flowed from Harry's eyes. We love you. For years he had wished to hear those words. James moved to stand at Harry's side, looking with silent fury at the man who had killed him and his wife.

"Harry, you mustn't break the connection... Keep fighting... We're here for you..."

Harry blinked away the tears and focused on Voldemort. More and more echoes of spells and people spat out of his wand. They cheered for him and told him to keep going. Harry wouldn't let them down. This was a battle of will, and Harry held an overwhelming advantage. He was fighting not just for his sake, but for his friends and everyone Voldemort had hurt. Harry wasn't going to lose. His wand had stopped shaking, a calming wave of power steading Harry's hand. Just a little longer, Harry reminded himself. He could feel the energy of the Elements at his back, ready to finish this fight.

"Harry!" Twilight shouted from behind him. "Get ready!"

The magic collected by the Elements exploded outwards. The nearest Death Eaters had no time to react as the magic slammed into them. The dark wizards were petrified in pale stone, a mimicry of Discord's punishment. Those who were farther away only had time to scream in abject terror as the magic swept toward them. Some looked like they were trying to disapparate, but they were met with the same fate. Harry could hear Voldemort shouting, screaming, and pulling harder against his wand, but Harry never relented. The wave of rainbow-colored magic swept past Harry on its way to Voldemort, giving the dark lord the same fate as his followers.

The ghost-like figures that had emerged from Voldemort's wand looked down at Harry, many of them smiling as they faded away. Some whispered words of appraisal but were lost as they too slowly faded away. Harry's parents were the last to disappear, a proud look on their faces.

When the light faded, the only moving people were Harry and his friends, the rest all turned to stone. Harry crumpled to the ground like a sack of bricks. Twilight rushed over to pull Harry to a sitting position. She gently relieved his hand of his wand, tucking it into a pocket. Harry leaned into her, weak and shaky. His limbs were so very tired, he had been running on pure adrenalin since Twilight's arrival and the aura of the Elements was so soothing he could fall asleep right there. Harry glanced to the nearest Death Eater, captured in a prison of solid rock. It was both disturbing and satisfying, seeing them frozen in time. Harry looked at the statue of Voldemort. The not-so-great dark lord's statue showed him mid-scream, holding onto his wand. This wand, the brother of Harry's wand, looked like charred wood now; whether from the Elements or its duel with Harry's, he couldn't be sure.

Voldemort's statue cracked, fissures spreading across the black surface. Then, with the sound of crumbling stones, Voldemort's statue collapsed inward to dust. Harry and Twilight watched as the powder from Voldemort's statue was slowly swept away by the winds until there was nothing left. Voldemort had schemed to regain a body, and now it was dust.

"Is that it? Is it... over?" Harry whispered.

"Maybe. I can't be sure. But the rest won't unfreeze anytime soon," Twilight replied. She brushed away some of his hair to sweep a gentle thumb across Harry's scar. Whatever was in it quivered with fear. "We still have this to figure out, but right now, you're safe, and that's all that matters to me." Twilight hugged him tight. "Come on, let's get you out of here," Twilight said softly.

The other five circled the two. Twilight held a hand up as her Element glowed again. There was a pleasant humming in the air, and Harry and his six friends vanished from that graveyard, never to return.





Twilight's spell made all seven of them reappear just a few feet into the maze. As the power of the Elements receded, the girl's changes disappeared and the illusion reasserted itself over their skin. Twilight helped Harry stagger to his feet and limp forward as fast as they could, out into the open air. There was a small crowd gathering just beyond the entrance to the maze. Harry could see Dumbledore kneeling over something. People were screaming behind them. Spike was sitting a few feet away from Dumbledore, facing away from the crowd.

"Professor!" Harry yelled, limping at the assembled group. They all looked back as Harry stumbled toward them.

"Harry?" Dumbledore asked. He took stock of Harry's various cuts, bruises, and general appearance.

"I told you he disappeared!" Spike shouted at the old man.

"What happened?" Dumbledore demanded.

"Voldemort, it was him, he's back, but he's gone!" Harry shouted. The adults looked shocked. "He rigged the cup! Cedric had it last, where is he?" Harry demanded. Concerned glances passed between the adults. "Where's Cedric?!" Harry pleaded. Dumbledore stepped aside, allowing Harry to see what he had been kneeling over.

It was Cedric.

He was injured, badly. A pool of blood stained the grass below him. Though he had never seen them himself, Harry recognized the injuries from a book from the school library he had accidentally read not too long ago.

"He arrived a few moments ago. He got splinched, badly," Dumbledore said gravely. Harry felt his heart drop. Splinching, when parts of you got left behind in disapparition, could be lethal. "Madame Pomfrey is tending to him now, but the wounds resist her healing."

True to his word, Madame Pomfrey was standing over Cedric, applying salves, liquids, and a multitude of spells to him. But it looked so bad. Parts of Cedric looked like they had been cut or scooped out. Most of the skin on his right arm was gone, along with most of his left shoulder. The gouging on his chest had exposed bone, muscle, and organs. All over him, pieces were missing, lost to the damaged cup. Behind Harry, Twilight and the others caught sight of Cedric, their reactions were either to gasp or gag.

"Albus, I'm doing what I can, but I never prepared for splinching this bad. They refuse to heal," Madame Pomfrey said.

"He needs to be moved to the hospital wing," Fudge said. "Away from these people!"

"I can't move him in this condition!" Pomfrey shouted back. Harry felt sick again. If Cedric couldn't be moved, then...

"Twilight! Get them to the hospital wing!" Harry shouted, gesturing towards the group. "Hurry!" Twilight rushed forward until she was standing next to Pomfrey.

"If I can safely get him there, can you save him?" Twilight demanded. At Pomfrey's nod, and bubble of magenta magic expanded out of Twilight's tiara.

"Harry, stay here," Twilight and Dumbledore said simultaneously. A second later Pomfrey, Cedric, Dumbledore, Amos Diggory, and Twilight vanished in a flash. The yard was silent as they vanished.

Almost immediately after, Professor Moody approached Harry. "Come with me, Potter, we need to get you out of here. It's not safe for you."
> Chapter 32: Death Eater In The Halls
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moody dragged Harry through the crowd when Twilight teleported Cedric back. Several students screamed in panic and many looked close to fainting (several did). Harry glanced back, saw his Equestrian friends getting lost in the crowd, and tried to pull back against Moody.

"Twilight said I should stay," Harry protested as Moody continued to drag him.

"Your friend thinks you're in shock, come on." Moody pulled him along.

"But—"

"Harry, there is a Death Eater on the loose, on the castle grounds! Hasn't it occurred to you that in this crowd, in this chaos, you are the perfect target? Dumbledore is too concerned with Diggroy's life to focus on yours! Move!"

Harry stumbled along as Moody pulled him, reeling from the information. There's a Death Eater? Here? How? Who?

Moody dragged Harry through the courtyard that led to the castle gates. "Now tell me, what happened?"

"The cup was a portkey," Harry gushed as they crossed the entrance hall. "It took me and Cedric to a graveyard, Voldemort was there."

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Moody's prosthesis hit noisily as they went up the marble staircase.

"The Dark Lord was there? What happened then?" Moody demanded.

"Wormtail tried to kill Cedric. We fought, and I managed to get Cedric to the portkey."

"You escaped through the portkey?"

"No, just Cedric. I was stuck there. It got hit with the killing curse, that's probably why..." Harry trailed off, shivering at the thought of Cedric's injuries. Dark magic and portkeys were clearly a poor mix.

"What happened next?" Moody demanded as they entered his office.

"Voldemort made a potion to regain his body."

"The Dark Lord has his body back? He's returned?" Moody guided Harry into his office and pressed him to a chair. He pressed a vial to Harry's lips. "Drink it," He commanded. Harry gulped it down, almost gagging at the peppery taste, but as soon as he did much of his previous exhaustion faded. Harry got a good look at Moody, who was now sitting next to him; he was pale as a sheet. Emotions Harry couldn't place flickered across Moody's face.

"He was. I tried to fight him, but—"

"You dueled the Dark Lord?"

"I tried."

"Voldemort's back, Harry? You're sure he's back? How did he do it?" Moody demanded. He looked... excited?

"He took blood from me, bone from a grave, and Wormtail's hand. There was a cauldron, the potion made him a new body. It was hidious." Harry raised his arm, showing the mark from the silver knife.

"What happened next?"

"He was going to kill me, but Twilight stopped him." Harry's mind was going a million miles an hour, the last hour already blurring the minutes together.

"Your friend found you, how?"

"Twilight tracked me, I don't know how. She and the others teleported in, I still don't understand everything. But she fought him and his Death Eaters to save my life."

"Your friends fought him?" Moody demanded.

"She beat him," Harry confirmed.

Moody looked like Harry had turned into a demon. "How? So few have crossed the dark lord in a such a manner and lived, much less won. You're certain Voldemort has his power back? He has never outright lost a duel before." Moody licked his lips, an undeniable look of anxiety passing over him.

"I'm certain. Twilight is a very powerful witch, more talented than almost anyone I know. Voldemort couldn't harm her, his killing curse failed- failed to kill her."

"Failed? No, no, that can't be right. He is stronger than that. He's always been stronger," Moody muttered. "It must have been a trick. What of the Death Eaters, what did they do after that? Did they question him? Were those slime still loyal?"

"Voldemort told them to attack us. We fought them off, together. Twilight and the others turned them all to stone. Voldemort was no exception."

"That's impossible. The dark lord couldn't have been beaten buy some girl. But those Death Eaters; it's no less than they deserve." Moody scowled. "I told you Harry, if there's one thing I hate, it's a Death Eater who walked free. Cowards, all of them."

"We need to tell the minister! The game was rigged, someone made the cup go to that graveyard!"

"I am aware, Potter. And I already know who it was. I told you, there's a Death Eater at Hogwarts," Moody scowled.

"They must have put my name in!" Harry shouted. "Snape and Karkaroff were both Death Eaters."

"Karkaroff?" Moody let out an odd laugh. "No, he didn't. It was I who did that."

At Moody's words, Harry went rigid, processing. Moody? But... he's an auror.

"No... No, that doesn't make sense," Harry said.

"I assure you, it does," Moody said. "Who else would have put your name in? Who scared off everyone who was a threat to your success?"

"You were manipulating everything, weren't you?" Harry demanded. Moody raised his wand to point at Harry's heart.

"Of course I was. I had to use every scrap of cunning I possessed to not arouse the old fool's suspicion. But so long as you managed to get to that graveyard, it would be made worthwhile. It was I who nudged Hagrid toward telling you about the dragons. I told you how to win. I told Cedric how to open the egg, trusting he would tell you to make things fair between you two, not that you needed it. I gave Neville Longbottom the book that contained Gillyweed, I let that miserable house elf overhear its location, which you used to win again.

"Everything was going to plan when you went into that maze. I kept a close eye on you and your competition. I stunned Fleur Delacour in the maze and placed the Imperius curse on Krum. I was about to rid you of Diggory when your blasted heart got in the way. But, seeing his condition, I doubt he'll make it through the night. Magical wounds, especially those from dark magic, are so diffcult to heal. They all served their purpose tonight. And tonight you have served yours: to bring back my master so I may rejoin after years in Azkaban."

Harry mentally scrambled to process these facts. Moody was a Death Eater! And Harry was stuck here with him, defenseless. Twilight had his wand when she left for the hospital wing. Neither she nor Dumbledore would know something went wrong until they checked for him. Moody's wand pressed into Harry's chest.

"The Dark Lord didn't manage to kill you, Potter, and he so wanted to," whispered Moody. "Imagine how he will reward me when I return to his side. I gave you to him- the thing he needed above all to regenerate- and then I killed you for him. I will be honored beyond all other Death Eaters. I will be his dearest, his closest supporter, closer than a son..."

Harry laughed. It wasn't funny, but a mad, barking laugh. Moody thought he could still rejoin Voldemort!

"You're mad!" Harry shouted between his hysterical laughs.

"Mad, am I!? Well, we'll see who's mad when you are dead, and I rejoin the Dark Lord at his side!"

"They won't let you escape! And if you did, he's dust! There's nothing to return to! You've lost!" Harry cackled deliriously.

"LIES! MY MASTER IS THE GREATEST WIZARD TO EVER LIVE!" Moody shouted hysterically. "He can not be beaten, do not lie to me! But as for you, Dumbledore will never know until it is too late. He's busy with poor, poor, Cedric Diggory." Moody's eye swung backward for a moment. The man seemed to startle at something before he placed himself behind Harry.

"Stupefy!" There was a blinding flash of red light, and with a great splintering and crashing, the door of Moody's office was blasted apart. Moody was able to just barely avoid the stunning spell.

In the blasted Doorway stood Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and Twilight. The latter had transformed again, purple skin contrasting the dark walls. The wizards had their wands drawn on Moody, who pressed his wand harder to Harry's neck. Twilight held a dangerous orb of magic in her palm.

"Not another step!" Moody growled.

"Don't you dare hurt Harry!" Twilight shouted. Moody seemed to get more irritated in response.

"Ah, the girl Harry insisted beat the Dark Lord. Not feeling so mighty now I bet." Moody moved his wand up and down Harry's neck, taunting her. "Send me to Azkaban for all I care, for tonight I have done a great service to my master! I know he is returned, you cannot lie to me!"

Harry panicked. If I had my wand I could hit him, but Twilight has it. I can't do anything... Unless...

Harry thought to himself, scheming. There was one last-ditch attempt to be had, provided it worked. He focused on the magic deep within himself, the power that lay in his soul. It was there, just like Twilight had taught him. When he was ready Harry looked back at Moody, eyes blazing with righteous anger. He didn't need anything fancy, just effective.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry roared. To everyone's surprise, Harry's palm shimmered as a green spell released from his hand. Moody's wand was flicked up into the air. It wasn't much, still within the Death Eater's reach, but it was enough.

Still using Harry as a living shield, Moody made an attempt to grab his wand. Unfortunately for him, a familiar blue blur got there first, and Moody's wand vanished into thin air.

"Looking for this?" quipped Rainbow Dash, who was flying next to Dumbledore, twirling Moody's wand in her fingers. She had flown through the air fast enough to steal his wand without risk, ensuring Moody was weaponless for good.

"Catch!" Twilight threw Harry's wand at him. The moment he caught it he vanished in a flash of green light. When Harry teleported next to Twilight all three teachers unleashed their spells on Moody.

Moody was thrown into the wall, thick ropes binding his arms as he dropped unconscious. Dumbledore stepped forward first, his wand still raised. It was then that Harry understood why Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort feared. While he couldn't hold a candle to Twilight or Celestia in terms of power, the wizard had a stone-cold exterior that made up for it. There was no wise twinkle of light in Dumbledore's eyes or benign smile on his face as he looked down at Moody. His ancient face held nothing but a silent fury, an intangible aura that threatened to burn his foes to ash. Dumbledore kicked Moody onto his back, revealing he was truly unconscious.

Not a moment later, Twilight crashed into Harry with a desperate hug. No words were needed as they hugged, Twilight conveyed her relief and fear through, as Pinkie Pie would say, the "subtle language of hugs". Harry could feel something wet staining his shirt, Twilight was crying. He had never seen her do that before tonight; it just made him lean harder into her embrace, answering her relief with his gratitude and reassurance he was okay. Her transformation faded as she relaxed. The two separated with bittersweet smiles, relieved beyond belief at the other's survival. Harry wiped a tear off her face, whispering that he was alright again and again.

Professor McGonagall went straight to Harry afterward. "Come along, Potter," she whispered. The thin line of her mouth was twitching as though she was about to cry. "Come along to the hospital wing."

"No," Dumbledore said sharply.

"No? Albus, the boy can barely stand on his two feet, he has seen enough tonight."

"He will stay, Minerva, because he needs to understand," said Dumbledore curtly.

"I think I understand plenty," Harry replied, still in some form of shock. "Moody's an impostor, isn't he?"

"Correct," Dumbledore confirmed Harry's suspicions. "The moment your friend here," he pointed at Rainbow Dash, "told us Moody had taken you, I knew something was wrong. I followed not long after you passed the marble staircase." Dumbledore fished out Moody's flask and keys.

"Severus, please fetch me the strongest truth potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and bring up the house-elf called Winky. Minerva, kindly go down to Hagrid's house, where you will find a large black dog sitting in the pumpkin patch. Take the dog up to my office, tell him I will be with him shortly, then come back here." If either teacher was confused, they didn't show it when they left. As they did, Dumbledore started searching the impostor's pockets.

At the same time, the rest of the mane six (plus Spike) made their appearance. Cries of "Harry!" and "Twilight!" surrounded the two as their friends joined in.

"What happened to you?" Applejack asked. "Rainbow got ahead of us to warn the teachers."

"Moody's the Death Eater impostor," Harry said.

"An impostor?" Fluttershy echoed.

"Oh, great, it's the wedding all over again," said an exasperated Rainbow Dash, rubbing her forehead. "How'd he do it? Let me guess, shape-shifting?"

"My guess? Polyjuice Potion," Harry guessed. "Snape was missing ingredients from his stores that could make it. Enough juice, and whoever he is could stay as Moody the whole year," Harry said, gesturing to Moody.

"An astute observation, Harry." Dumbledore said. He flipped over Moody's flask, and a glutinous fluid poured out of it. Polyjuice Potion. Dumbledore went back to putting keys into Moody's trunk.

"What was he after?" Twilight asked.

"My blood. To resurrect his master, Voldemort," Harry said gravely.

"Oh, I think I'm going to be sick," Rarity said, looking paler.

"Voldemort? Was that the snake-looking guy Twilight was kicking around?" Pinkie Pie said.

"Yeah, that was him," Harry said.

"Harry, come here please," Dumbledore requested. He was peering into Moody's trunk. Harry approached and was shocked to see the real Alastor Moody lying in the bottom of the trunk. Dumbledore dropped down to check on the man. "Stunned and controlled by the Imperius curse. Harry, throw down the impostor's cloak— he's freezing. Pomfrey will see to him later." Harry was about to reach for imposter Moody's cloak when Rarity stopped him.

"Here," Rarity said, holding out a thick purple blanket. "He obviously needs it more." Harry took the blanket, not questioning where Rarity got it, and passed it down to Dumbledore, who barely seemed fazed as he tucked Moody in. Dumbledore got out of the trunk and pulled out a chair to look at Moody.

"Now, we wait to see the truth," Dumbledore said.

They all waited for the Polyjuice Potion to wear off and for Snape and McGonagall to return. When they did, the identity of the impostor was revealed as none other than Barty Crouch Jr. The next few minutes were spent interrogating him with a truth potion, learning how Barty escaped and how he had planned out the events of the tournament. The house elf Dumbledore summoned formerly served the Crouch family. She helped them understand how Barty Crouch Senior had broken his son out and controlled him, which backfired down the line. They then learned how Barty Crouch Jr. planned to have Harry killed in the graveyard.

All the while, Twilight had her arm wrapped around Harry's, keeping him close. The other Equestrian girls were standing close behind the two, horrified by the events of the night. When Barty was done talking Dumbledore instructed McGonagall to guard the office, and urged Snape to fetch the minister. When that was done, Dumbledore led Harry and the others up to his office.

"Come on, Harry, I'm afraid we are not done tonight. There is much we don't know," Dumbledore said softly. Harry nodded.

Twilight squeezed Harry's hand, and he squeezed back. He was so, so tired. He wanted to collapse into the other six right now and sleep. But he would endure long enough to explain what happened.
> Chapter 33: Explanations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Twilight entered Dumbledore's office, she was greeted with the sight of a man who looked as gaunt as Equestria's frozen north. In a swift movement, he crossed the room to stand closer to Harry, but Twilight pulled back on Harry's arm, pulling him away from him. She didn't know him, she wasn't going to let anyone near Harry unless he wanted it.

"Harry?" she asked, looking at the man questioningly.

"Twilight, it's okay. This is Sirius, my godfather." Harry, realizing Twilight's confusion, was quick to explain. "Sirius, this is Twilight. She's a friend of mine."

"Your ball date? Looks like you inherited some of your father's charm," Sirius said, trying to lighten the mood. He seemed to realize the context of his comment a little too late. "Sorry, that was in bad taste. Please, take a seat, you look exhausted."

Twilight guided Harry to sit down. Dumbledore recounted what Moody— Crouch— had said in his office. Twilight could tell Harry was barely listening at all. His eyes looked faded— drained. Harry was so exhausted that Twilight was surprised he was still awake. Maybe once he slept he would be able to process the last... however long it had been since the third task. Whatever burst of energy he had in Moody's office was wearing off.

There was a soft rush of wings as a phoenix left his perch to land on Harry's knee. Twilight was surprised phoenixes existed on Earth and Equestria. Convergent evolution, perhaps? Fluttershy let out a quiet gasp.

"Oh my, is that a phoenix?" Fluttershy asked curiously.

Harry smiled at her as he reached for the bird. "Yes. Fluttershy, this is Fawkes," Harry said, stroking the phoenix's gold-and-scarlet plumage.

Fawkes puffed out his feathers proudly.

"Oh. Hello Fawkes, it's nice to meet another phoenix," Fluttershy said gently. Fawkes squawked back at her. She nodded her head and brushed a strand of hair back. "Oh, why, thank you. I think your plumeage looks great, too. You must take great care of it," she said, reaching over to run a hand down his spine, leading to a happy trill from the bird.

Harry chuckled. Despite the events of the night, everyone found themselves laughing with him. It was... comforting.

Dumbledore stopped talking to Sirius. He sat down opposite Harry, behind his desk. He was looking at Harry, who distracted himself by keeping his eyes on Fawkes, who was practically melting under Fluttershy's hand.

"Harry, I need to know what happened after you touched the portkey in the maze," said Dumbledore.

"Can't this wait till morning, Dumbledore?" Sirius said seriously. "Let the boy sleep."

"No, I'm fine. This is more important than me," Harry said.

"No, it's not," Twilight interrupted. She placed a hand on his shoulder; his body felt too cold for her liking. "You're barely awake."

"I can manage," Harry said with a firm tone.

"If you insist," Twilight conceded. She would have to watch Harry torture himself a bit more before she could see him cared for, but she would watch over him, for now.





Harry took a deep breath and began to recount the events of the night. Harry told them of Krum's attack, and how he and Cedric decided to take the cup as one. He told them how it had taken them both to the graveyard. He talked about how he had managed to save Cedric from Wormtail's killing curse and get him back to the cup. Harry briefly theorized how Voldemort's killing curse must have damaged the cup, which was why Cedric got Splinched and took so long to return. At several points, Sirius looked like he wanted to speak, but Dumbledore stopped him. It was a good thing too, just talking was making Harry more tired. He stopped when the ritual was brought up, rolling up his sleeve to expose his arm, the one Wormtail drew blood from.

"Voldemort wanted my blood to make himself stronger. He wanted to absorb my mother's protection, and he succeeded, sort of. He can touch me, but it hurts us both. I think Cadance empowered it beyond what he could manage." Harry reached up to rub at his scar. He briefly saw an odd emotion in Dumbledore's eyes, triumph, perhaps?

"Very well," said the old wizard. "Voldemort has overcome that particular barrier, at least partially."

Rainbow Dash huffed. "Not anymore. I'd like to see him try."

Harry turned back to the tomboyish pegasus. "Do you want to sit here and tell the story?" When Rainbow Dash shrugged and stepped back, Harry continued, describing the three ingredients Wormtail added, and how Voldemort had returned to life.

"I got my wand at one point, I tried to fight him. But I wasn't- I wasn't strong enough," Harry admitted shamefully. He clenched his fists, angry with himself for being so weak. "He beat me so easily. He told me his plans, he was going to kill me in front of his Death Eaters. But when he discovered the enhanced charm he thought he conquered, he was going to kill me right away. He was going to cast the killing curse, but..." Harry trailed off, a smile on his face. "someone wasn't keen on seeing me die." He looked directly at Twilight and the others. "Although, I'm not sure how you found me."

"She went to the graveyard? How did she know you were there, or that you were gone?" Sirius asked with ill-concealed suspicion in his voice. Twilight's eyebrows lowered.

"If you're suggesting I had had anything to do with it, you're dead wrong. We were tracking Harry during the whole tournament," Twilight said. She held out her hand and conjured a pink orb. "I modified your government's trace charm to visually track Harry. When we could no longer see him, we knew something was wrong. We left to go find him."

"See? It's just like I told ya," Spike said from the ground. "Listen to the dragon every once and a while."

Dumbledore looked at the orb in Twilight's hand, as though he could see the value of what she held in her hand.

"An impressive feat. That charm has been around as long as the Ministry, conjured by some of the greatest wizards of all time. It's a small wonder you found Harry," Dumbledore complimented, looking surprised and impressed.

"But how did she find him?" Sirius demanded, his hand plunging into a deep pocket. "It does seem a little convenient, doesn't it? Harry disappears for several days, shows up with a girl he's never mentioned before, whom then disappears again just as mysteriously after causing a public scene. Now all of the sudden she's playing savior to him? Bullocks."

"She's my friend and I trust her," Harry said as he shakily pulled himself up, placing himself between his godfather and best friend. "Twilight's been studying magic her whole life, I know no one better at it. I'd risk my life for her, as she did for me tonight." Harry and Twilight shared a look that encapsulated her appreciation and his sincerity.

"Sirius, I know you are concerned for Harry, but I do not believe Twilight poses a threat to him," Dumbledore said, beckoning Sirius to see reason. After a few tense moments, the latter of the two eventually backed down. "Thank you. Now, seeing as all of you were directly involved, please continue," Dumbledore said. Harry cleared his throat.

"Well, Twilight's arrival bought her time to free me. We were about to leave when Voldemort's Death Eaters arrived. He tried to curse her for interfering, tried to kill her. I thought he succeeded," Harry explained grimly. Twilight placed a hand on his shoulder, a reassurance of her presence. Seeing that green light scared him unlike anything before. Harry cared about Twilight more than anyone else; he thought he lost her.

I won't let that happen.

"Are you alright, my dear? His curse didn't hit you, I hope?" Dumbledore asked, concerned.

"I had a magic barrier up, his curse failed. Felt weird, though," Twilight commented reassuringly.

"Sounded like a fool, doing it," Rarity spoke. "What was it he said?"

"Abracadabra or something," Pinkie Pie said. "You should've seen the look on his face when nothing happened, he was all like 'What?', and then, when she slapped the second bolt, he was all like 'Bwah?'; it was so cool," she said, making a silly face.

"Avada Kedavra?" Dumbledore sounded like he was going to be the one to drop dead. "The killing curse?"

Horseapples.

They were boxed in. As far as anyone knew, you don't survive a curse like that, not without what his mother did.

"I can explain," Twilight said.

"I don't think you can," Sirius rebutted.

"I'll explain later, can we please finish?" Harry pleaded.

When Dumbledore warily nodded, Harry continued.

"Voldemort set his Death Eaters on us when he realized he couldn't use Avada Kedavra through her barrier. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy made us some cloud cover to hide. We were going to escape when Voldemort attacked again. Twilight and I fought him off, and put him on defense. I distracted him long enough for her to use—" Harry cut himself off. "—long enough to turn all of the Death Eaters to stone, Voldemort was no exception. Twilight brought all of us back to the maze, that's where we ran into you," Harry finished.

There was a good moment before Dumbledore spoke. "A harrowing tale, Harry. I believe we all owe a debt of gratitude to your friends. They saved your life."

"You don't have to tell me twice, professor. I'm just glad no one died tonight. But Cedric got hurt, and that's my fault," Harry said.

"He will survive, though his injuries may persist. It is because of you that he is even alive," Dumbledore said as Fawkes moved off Harry. "You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected out of you tonight. You and your friends showed great bravery, fighting Voldemort where many have fallen before you. You have shouldered a terrible burden. Harry, you can go to the hospital wing when Cedric's condition stabilizes. I do not want you to return to the Dormitory tonight. However," Dumbledore looked more serious now, "there are still a few matters to attend to. First, what of Voldemort? Did he escape?"

"Dead, maybe," Harry said.

"Maybe?" Dumbledore echoed.

Twilight nodded. "Something happened between Harry's and Voldemort's wands. They were anchored down, their wands tied together."

"It started creating images of his spells," Harry said. He thought back to the ghost-like things that had appeared. "And for a second I saw my parents. They told me to hold on, to keep the link between our wands. I managed to hold Voldemort long enough for Twilight to catch him with her spell. They all got turned to stone."

"How long will that last?" Dumbledore asked.

"Forever, hopefully," Twilight said.

"You mean you defeated Voldemort!?" Sirius exclaimed.

"For now," Harry answered, still a little unsure himself. "His statue crumbled to dust, all on its own. Maybe it was a result of his resurrection or his dark magic, but his body is gone. But I can still feel him." Harry rubbed at his scar. The emotion behind felt close to fear. "Worst case: he is back at square one to returning."

Dumbledore sighed in surprise. "Let's hope he stays that way for a while. But regardless of Voldemort's state, I must ask how your friends managed such a rescue. I understand things are very different when they are from, but I must know how Twilight survived the killing curse without the same protections afforded by your mother," the old man said.

Harry and Twilight looked at each other, then briefly at where her crown was in her bag.

"I think he can know. We've revealed enough and I think we can trust him," Harry said.

"Everyone back home knows, so I don't see the harm," Twilight responded, shrugging. "But why don't you tell them?"

Twilight reached into her bag, drew out the Element of Magic, and handed it to Harry, who was shocked. Though he had seen them before, Twilight never let him touch the Elements. Holding it, he could feel the magic within pulsing like a heart, a flood of unimaginable power lying just beneath the surface that dwarfed his own. It was a roaring furnace of power. Harry could feel Dumbledore's and Sirius' eyes inspect the item in Harry's hand.

"I suppose this is what started it all," Harry said, idly tracing the gems in the crown.

"A girl's tiara?" Sirius asked, incredulous.

"A magical tiara," Harry corrected. "I'll explain this one last. But, for now, you need to understand that there is more about Equestria that I don't know. Equestria's magic is ancient and alive, more so than anything I've experienced at Hogwarts. But with that magic comes magical threats. When I said it was peaceful, I meant it. The chances of being robbed, mugged, or shanked are practically nonexistent. Most of Ponyville's dangers come from the Everfree Forest. But many of their biggest threats are the kind that make Death Eaters look like children. Immortal or undying threats that can warp reality or level cities, few as they may be." Harry looked closer at Twilight's Element. "That's why things like this exist.

"This is how Twilight found me, how she survived Voldemort's power. This is an Element of Harmony, one of six magical artifacts that possess more power than anything I've heard or seen. Each Element represents an aspect of Harmony, this one represents the most illusive Element of all: the Element of Magic." Harry held up the Element, which glinted in the light. The others revealed their Elements, still fastened around their necks. Dumbledore looked disturbed at this information.

"An artifact? Made by whom?" Dumbledore asked.

"No one knows," Twilight explained. "Princess Celestia suspects they've been around as long as Discord, as his thematical mirror. They've only occupied myths before the Age of Discord."

Harry nodded. "And they possess the power to defeat him. The last individual to wield all six was Princess Celestia when she banished Nightmare Moon to the Moon for a thousand years. With these, my friends have more power than Voldemort— or any wizard— could ever wield. The killing curse's power can't hurt them," Harry finished.

Dumbledore looked shell-shocked. For a moment, Harry caught the old wizard glance at his wand, concerned. Dumbledore was quick to tuck it away as he looked closer at the Element in Harry's hands.

"You mean to tell me she has an all-powerful magical relic, and she just happened to have it on her?" Sirius, however, looked suspicious.

"We've had them for a while now, ever since we defeated Nightmare Moon. Celestia tasked us with holding onto them, seeing as we represent the spirit of our Elements. Discord recommended we take them tonight, he seemed to believe we would need it," Twilight answered.

Harry handed the crown back to Twilight, who took it back and placed it in her satchel.

"And, given what Harry said about this Discord, I am willing to believe you, for now," Dumbledore said. "But I disagree with the ownership of them. Six young ladies do not seem to be proper owners of such power."

"Our personalities perfectly embody the spirits of each Element, it was not a decision made lightly," Twilight countered.

Dumbledore nodded. "I will only ask you to keep them far away from magical Britain when you leave."

"Dumbledore, you can't be buying this! Elements of Harmony? It sounds like a myth given life! You can't seriously—" Sirius's rant was promptly arrested by Twilight.

"Would a demonstration help?" she said sarcastically. When Sirius gave no sign of relenting, Twilight sighed irritably. "Fine, if it'll convince you." She picked up the crown with her magic, placed it on her head, and allowed her transformation to take place. Sirius was shocked to see a purple girl with pony features. "Believe me now?"

"It's a neat trick. Transfiguration and illusions. Aren't you supposed to be the great and powerful Twilight?" he responded, unconvinced and sarcastic.

Twilight practically growled at Sirius.

"And he flicked the Trixie switch." Applejack muttered.

Twilight stomped to the window, flung it open, and looked at something in the distance. There was a dangerous gleam in her eyes, the kind that came from her getting a very dangerous idea. Harry had a sinking feeling build in his gut.

"Twilight, what are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Proving a point. Headmaster, how attached are you to these mountains?" she asked out of the blue.

Dumbledore seemed confused for a moment. "Not terribly attached. I can't say the same of the creatures that live at the base of them, but the peaks are unihabited." He said, not quite grasping what the Equestrian was planning.

"That's perfect," Twilight said.

She held out her right hand in a tight fist and an orb of volatile-looking magic formed around her hand. When she opened her hand a blinding beam of pink magic blasted out of her. The beam traveled out into the distance, eventually becoming a small line as it traveled miles away. There was a bright twinkle and crackle as it hit the largest mountain.

Harry blinked. "Well, that wasn't too bad-"

CRACK!

Fissures spread up the mountain's top. The earth shifted as gravity seemed to cease functioning, lifting pieces of rubble the size of houses to float. The remains of the mountains went up and up, then hovered over the air, suspended by Twilight's magic. Magenta sparks flickered from each fragment of the mountaintop. The reverberating air carried the earth-shattering sound for miles away in a concussive wave. The castle itself shook, dust falling from the ancient ceiling of Dumbledore's office. Everyone was looking in shock at the image of the mountain, seeming frozen in time. But Twilight wasn't done with her "demonstration" yet.

With a resounding snap of her fingers, the mountain rubble spun through the air, slowly returning to the ground. The mountain's peaks reformed under Twilight's command, but with noticeable changes. The mountain no longer held one clear peak, but many, giving it a jagged look. Additionally, little sparkles of light glinted in the moonlight from large gemstones left behind by Twilight's "redecorating". Everyone was in shock or awe (Harry and the girls belonged to the latter). Twilight had destroyed the mountain peak, then rebuilt it from the ground up. And that girl was calmly placing her Element back in her bag as though she had done the simplest of tasks.

"How's that for a 'neat trick'?" she said with visible frustration. While Harry and the girls looked at Twilight with awe, the older adults were staring in abject fear.

"Twilight, don't you think that might have been overkill, just a little?" Harry demanded.

Twilight waved her hand in a so-so manner. "Well, I'm not boasting. This isn't like Trixie and the ursa minor incident."

"I wasn't there for that," Harry chimed. He wished he could've seen the ursa minor attack and how Twilight removed it from Ponyville.

"But you remember my letter. I am showing an example, not showing off."

Sirius, however, wasn't paying attention to their playful banter. "How— What—" Sirius fumbled for words.

Harry turned to his godfather, noting the stupefaction on his face. "Twilight represents the Element of Magic. Believe me when I say magic in Equestria is vastly different than ours. I have seen incredible things during my time there, you'll just have to accept it as what it is," Harry said.

"Accept it? Harry, this isn't some girl's plaything—"

Sirius was cut off by Dumbledore. "If you truly believe that, then feel free to try and take them. However, I believe you will find Twilight's mastery of wandless magic far exceeds your dueling skills, even without her 'Element'. In the past few months, Harry himself has shown a talent for it. She has surpassed the castle wards and bent the trace charm to her will, in addition to what we just witnessed. Her normal magic is beyond that of most, I am willing to believe her after what I have witnessed these past few months." Dumbledore sighed tiredly. Dumbledore waited for Sirius to do something, only for the fugitive to scowl angrily. The old man rose out of his seat, checking one of the various devices about the room.

"I cannot condone the use of such items, but I recognize I cannot stop you from using them, so I will ask you keep them hidden when possible. Harry, I believe Cedric may be stable enough to send you down for a sleeping potion."

Dumbledore stood up, gesturing that they could leave. Twilight supported Harry in getting to his feet, helping him walk the way to the hospital wing, the others following behind. Applejack took Harry's other arm as he staggered along. Harry leaned into them as they helped him walk down the stairs out of Dumbledore's office. Just knowing everyone was alright made him feel lighter, or maybe that was the exhaustion talking.

"You were really brave tonight, I hope you know that," Twilight said suddenly.

"It wasn't enough. Cedric almost died tonight, and if it weren't for the Elements, you would have too," Harry said solemnly. "I was the reason it all went wrong. If I was alone, I might have made it back, but I dragged Cedric with me."

"And it was because of you he's alive. Crouch might have killed him through Krum, as might've Voldemort and Wormtail," Twilight replied softly.

"You did well, sugercube," Applejack reassured Harry.

Rainbow Dash jogged up to walk backward in front of the two. "It was a trap. But we didn't save Cedric, you did. You held Voldemort in place, not us. That was you being your awesome self." Rainbow Dash complimented.

"It was heroic," Twilight said.

Harry smiled. "Thanks, all of you," he said. "I won't let this happen again," he whispered under his breath.





Twilight guided her friend to the hospital wing without him collapsing. When they arrived, Madame Pomfrey had stabilized Cedric's condition. The Hufflepuff was resting in a bed, numerous bandages wrapped around him to cover the effects of the splinching. True to Crouch's and Dumbledore's words, the wounds had resisted Pomfrey's skills. Twilight handed Harry over to Madame Pomfrey. Madame Pomfrey set Harry down and gave him a goblet full of a sleeping potion, but Twilight had something to share with him before he drank it.

"Harry, I know you won't like it, but I and the others have to return to Canterlot soon. But I promise, I'll be back as soon as I can, the Princess needs the hear about tonight. Just drink, and I'll be back before you awake, alright?" she said regretfully.

Harry nodded slowly. "I understand. Goodnight, Twilight," Harry said before he took a sip of the potion.

Before he could finish the rest, he was out like a light. Twilight took the goblet from him before he spilled the rest of it and set it on the nightstand.

"So, uh, how do we get back home?" Spike asked.

Twilight scooped the dog up in her arms, keeping her gaze on Harry. "We'll know when Celestia summons us. For now, we wait."
> Chapter 34: Dreams and Visions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a calm evening in Canterlot when Twilight and the others were pulled back to Equestria by Celestia. They stepped out of the portal with as much grace as they could, if such a word could be used to describe their awkward attempts to rebalance themselves from two to four legs. Instead of elegantly landing on all fours, the seven friends landed in a tangle of limbs.

"Oof!"

"Ow!"

"Hey!"

"Somepony's stepping on my wing!" Rainbow Dash said from the bottom of the pile.

"Sorry, Rainbow," Applejack apologized. "I'd get off if Rarity would get off me first."

"Well, Twilight should untangle her horn from my mane! I'm not going to pull my hair unless Twilight moves."

"I will if Fluttershy moves off me first," Twilight responded.

"Well, then who's stopping Fluttershy from getting us out?" Rainbow Dash demanded.

"Uh, that would be you, Rainbow," Fluttershy admitted. "You're sitting on top of my hair."

"So who's getting us out of here?!" Twilight shouted. Spike, who was not involved in her predicament, could only laugh at their misfortune.

Suddenly, a warm golden glow encapsulated the ensnared ponies, and before they could say "horseshoes", the six were untangled. They took a moment to reorientate themselves before looking at their savior. Princess Celestia stood before them, a humored smirk gracing her regal lips. Her horn returned to normal as she released the mane six from her magic.

"Hello again, my little ponies. I trust your time in Harry's world was well spent?" the alicorn asked. Twilight gulped audibly.

"Not as well as we had hoped, your majesty. It turned out that Discord was right, we did need the Elements. May we speak in private about it?" Twilight responded, looking at the open doors of the hall.

Celestia nodded slowly. "I'm guessing this is about that dark wizard from Harry's dreams? Very well." Celestia motioned for her guards to leave the throne room, which was done without question or hesitation. "You may speak freely, all of you. Tell me what has transpired in the other world, spare no details"

Twilight and the others began to describe their adventure from the time of the third task's start. They took turns describing the events that had tipped them off to something being out of place, namely Twilight's tracking spell and Pinkie's Pinkie Sense. Twilight told them about how the Elements had changed them to regain some of their previous features, to which Celestia looked pleasantly surprised. They then took turns retelling everything that had taken place at the graveyard with Voldemort and the Death Eaters. After Twilight explained that she had left Harry to take Cedric to the hospital wing, Rainbow Dash talked about how she had rushed to warn everypony about Crouch. The story finished with Twilight recounting the conversation in Dumbledore's office. When the tale was complete, Celestia was quiet, pondering everything her student and her friends had revealed. It was rare for Twilight to see such a grave look on her teacher.

"Twilight, I commend you and your friends on their bravery tonight. You have all faced a great darkness, I only wish it had been avoided altogether," Celestia said, proud yet solemn. "For now, I'm glad you are all safe and sound."

"Princess, not to sound unhappy, but one of us isn't," Twilight said quickly. "Harry is still back there. His school year will end soon, and I don't know what will happen now. I don't want to leave him," she said quickly, as though her sentence could incite her teacher's wrath.

Celestia spoke in a firm tone. "Twilight, we will discuss this later. The rest of you, you are dismissed. You are my guests at the castle tonight, you may return to Ponyville tomorrow." The girls all bowed before they followed their directions, leaving Twilight and Celestia alone. The student-teacher duo stood in silence.

"Twilight, walk with me," Celestia said. She and her student walked to the other side of the room, where a balcony allowed them to look over Canterlot. "Twilight, when you first told me you discovered a whole world separate from ours, I was equally proud and concerned. Proud in that you had made friends across dimensions and concerned in that you might lose sight of this world because of it." She looked out over the rest of Canterlot. "If what you say is true, then your friend was in great danger."

Twilight shuffled her hooves nervously. "This wizard is evil, but his magic is weaker by your standards. What he lacks in power, he makes up for in cruelty and malice. When we were in the graveyard he cast a spell that caused unimaginable pain, and he was laughing. He's a monster, more evil than Sombra or Chrysalis," Twilight said gravely.

"I know, I have seen it," Celestia revealed. When Twilight looked at Princess Celestia with confusion and surprise, her teacher let out a long exhale. "The night after you first returned from Harry's world, I had a vision."

"A vision?" asked Twilight. Celestia was rumored to have visions from time to time, but she often kept them close to her chest.

"Yes. My vision showed an army led by evil with a heart blacker than the night and opposed to it was an army fueled by an even greater power. I saw Harry at the head of one army. He and the darkness are to fight and decide if his world will be ruled by evil for all time. He and this evil fought with incredible magic and willpower, neither would give in. I saw their great battle would shake the earth and test the might of their armies.

"But I saw more than just the battle. Before I could foresee the outcome of the battle, my vision split in two. As you know, Twilight, the future is so difficult to predict with certainty. I saw two fates for your friend. One vision showed Harry with wings of light behind him, a beacon of life and Harmony. However, the second vision showed Harry wielding darkness greater than that of his foe," Celestia confessed warily.

Twilight was shocked. She took a step back, disbelieving. Celestia couldn't be right about this!

"Harry? But- but he's a good person, he wouldn't willingly—"

"And I'm not saying he would," Celestia countered. "My sister never wished to become Nightmare Moon, and Harry might not have a choice either. However, there is always hope. I saw something more," divulged Celestia.

"What was it?" Twilight pleaded to know.

"I glimpsed more than Harry's heart in my vision. I saw others around him. The vision of Harmony had many individuals behind Harry, supporting and protecting his heart. His evil counterpart stood alone, consumed by his darkness. It is my belief that you may be one such pony, my most faithful student. You may be the one to keep his heart safe," Celestia reassured Twilight.

"Thank you for believing in me," Twilight said.

"Of course I believe in you, I always have. Now, you should get some rest. I sense we will be needed back with Harry soon."

"We?"

"If you are to follow through with your plan, I'm certain there will be some paperwork required."

"Paperwork? For what?" Twilight questioned.

"You'll find out soon enough," Celestia replied with a playfully devious smile. "Now, one of the guards will take you to a room for the night. I will fetch you myself when the time comes. You will be the first through the portal; I have other places to visit."

"Of course, Princess." Twilight bowed, still a little shocked at the recent events. She was about to leave the room when Celestia spoke one final time.

"Twilight, it would do you both well if Harry remained unaware of my vision, for now. In time, I will ask if he wishes to know for himself. But for the time being, nothing good comes from somepony knowing too much of their own fate."





A while earlier in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Dumbledore and Sirius watched diligently as Harry was gently escorted out by Twilight and her friends. When the door closed completely behind the two, Sirius collapsed into his chair, shivering. The convict hadn't felt a sense of terror like this since Azkaban. An overbearing weight in his heart kept him on the ground. Nothing about that girl felt threatening, but that scared him more. Everything about her was serene, peaceful, it made no sense. He should feel more threatened by power like hers.

Dumbledore was another story altogether. Though he had kept himself composed while the girl was still present, his facade broke the moment she was out of sight. His hands were clutched tight around the Elder Wand— so tight it hurt— but his hand refused to relax. Dumbledore looked down at the wand and the hand holding it. His own hands looked so shriveled, so weak. The Elder Wand made him the strongest wizard alive, but even it paled in comparison to whatever relic she wore. He realized he should have seen something was amiss when he first saw her, something was off from the beginning, he just hadn't known what.

But now it was all too clear to the old man why she kept so much a secret. Dumbledore knew the story she and Harry told him was a lie, she knew something else. Further, she grasped new magic nearly instantly, faster than others, and had several magics the likes of which no one had seen before. Those Elements were everything the stories of the Deathly Hallows promised and more. And it was obvious Twilight was tied to the kidnapping of every unicorn, pegasus, thestral, griffon, and hippogriff on Earth. The "Celeste" that had talked to and subsequently threatened the Minister was connected to Princess Celestia, just like Twilight. And people from her homeland clearly had incredible power.

With her connection to a seemingly immortal princess, a creature of chaos, and her power, it was starting to paint a picture. Twilight was hiding something bigger. She defied too much and was too strong to be as simple or kind as she appeared. Even Dumbledore was far from a perfect man with his power. Power and morality weren't a perfect mix. Dumbledore prided himself on restraining his powers, knowing it would corrupt his morals. Yet, somehow, she acted like an innocent girl.

"Dumbledore, what- what was that? How did she—" Sirius trailed off, lost in a downward spiral of thought. "She destroyed a mountain like it was nothing... What kind of person has that kind of person has that magic?"

"No one," Dumbledore said, thinking similar things. "That is, of course, assuming she is a human. You saw her transformation, we all did. It is highly possible her home country isn't populated by humans. I thought to dismiss it along with the assumption that she kidnapped Harry, but I might have to revisit those theories."

"That girl is a danger to Harry," Sirius said.

"Quite the contrary, it would appear she has taken an interest in him, though I can't discern the reasoning," Dumbledore said. He pointed at the mountain Twilight had reformed. "She did that to prove she would literally move mountains for the boy. She cares greatly for Harry's well-being. The true danger lies in whoever gets between them."

"Where does that put us?" Sirius asked.

"On thin ice, my friend, very thin ice indeed." Dumbledore sighed. "If Tom took bone from his father's grave, I know where the battle might've taken place. I can investigate that later, but I think keeping an eye on Harry for the night might be the better move, for now. We must be careful with the company he keeps."





As Harry dreamt deeper and deeper, his mind's eye drifted away from Hogwarts, away from his body.

He was an alicorn again, flying high above the ground. The sky was still dark, the moon still high above him. Harry idly wondered if Luna could see his dreams now, or if she had ever seen his dreams in Equestria. He wasn't left much time to think this over as his dream carried him down. He could recognize the location below him, it was the graveyard. The land was scored his burns and smoke from Twilight's power, including a massive crater that had accidentally collapsed a small portion of Riddle Manor. And that hole in the building just so happened to be where Harry's wings took him next.

Harry landed with a clip-clop of his hooves on the old floorboards. He took note of the building as he walked further in, its state of disrepair all the more obvious as he passed peeling paint, creaking floorboards, and a rodent infestation. He continued to tiptoe as well as a creature without toes could, creeping through the old house. Eventually, Harry walked past a room lit by dim candlelight.

"How... How was this possible...?" a cold, raspy voice whispered.

Harry crept in slowly, looking around. He was in some dining room, a long table before him. A spectral copy of Voldemort's body stood there, talking to himself. Harry cursed to himself. How is he still here!? When his statue crumbled, he should have gone away! How is he alive? Did Twilight miss something? Perhaps he really has a way to keep himself from dying?

"All of my schemes, all of my power, and yet I could not kill a filthy half-breed!" Voldemort shouted. He swung his hand at a nearby candle but was rewarded with nothing more than the candle rocking mockingly in the drafty air. "I had his blood, I should've absorbed the power of his mudblood mother, but it remained and rejected me. And he mocked me with that belief that it was love that shielded him! But how? It couldn't have been that simple! There is no way love on its own has that power. Dumbledore was foolish enough to believe it was love, but I know better. The girl invoked ancient magic, powerful magic. But how did this happen?"

Voldemort swung his arm at an old vase, but it didn't even rock enough to fall. Voldemort strode up and down the room, obviously pondering.

"Perhaps the old fool saw through Crouch's disguise; yes, that must have been it! He must have seen Crouch's plan and tampered with Potter's blood! He must've sent those girls, a personal army hidden behind a weak facade. He saw through everything! And what do I get for the sacrifice of needing tainted blood? Almost every one of my cowardly followers is stone! Lucius, Avery, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Macnair, nearly all of them are statues. Even Wormtail is a stone rodent! And those who were late have no doubt fled again!

"I have to start all over! I must find Nagini, she is my only link to the world of the living." Voldemort said, fuming.

Being alone in a room with Voldemort felt so weird, dream or not. Harry tried to back away from the room until his hoof stepped on a very creaky floorboard. Which made no sense, neither he nor Voldemort were physical! Instantly, Voldemort's head snapped to Harry. But his eyes were unfocused like he was looking through Harry. The not-alicorn held his breath, trying to hide in plain sight.

"Who is there? Come out, I can perceive you're hiding. You can see me, I can sense that." Voldemort said as he stalked closer to Harry.

Voldemort reached a hand out blindly, grasping for Harry's face. Harry backed away faster, only to bump into a corner. Voldemort was less than a foot away from him now.

Please don't see me, please don't see me.

Harry blinked, and suddenly Voldemort was gone. The manor was gone too, replaced by a shining night sky with stars beneath Harry's hooves. His body was no longer that of an alicorn, but his regular unicorn self.

"Thou art a most unusual pony, Harry Potter," a voice declared from behind him.

Harry spun around to see none other than Princess Luna standing before him. He had only met her on one occasion before today's (tonight's?) dream. Like her sister, Luna's mane and tail waved in the air hypnotically. The princess looked at Harry with both curiosity and another emotion Harry couldn't identify. It wasn't an unpleasant look, but one that reminded Harry of whenever he talked about the Dursleys in front of an Equestrian. Sympathy, perhaps?

"Princess Luna? What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

"As Princess of the Night, we have a responsibility to watch over the dreams of others. We traveled here to offer you our condolences for tonight's trials, but 'twould appear that more than our words are necessary," she said, looking at something in the distance.

Harry blinked, confused at her words before he remembered she used the royal "we" when talking. "I meant what are you doing here, in my dreams? I'm not in Equestria," Harry corrected himself.

"True, yes, but tis a simple matter. Our dearest sister has opened a portal between our worlds, allowing us to briefly walk in your dreams."

"Does that mean Twilight's coming back?" Harry asked. Luna nodded, and Harry allowed himself a smile.

"Yes, but there are other things that require your attention. You will wake soon, but there is much to discuss."

"My vision," Harry realized, "you saw that."

"Yes, we did. We pulled you out of the vision before your presence was detected. We may freely walk into other's dreams, but tis rare to find one who roams in the waking mind of another."

"I don't control it, it just happens. I don't even understand how I do it," Harry tried to explain.

"Then perhaps this will explain."

Luna stretched out a hoof, and the night sky they occupied shifted. Harry looked down from his perch in the sky and saw the stars swirl nauseatingly.

A jagged lightning-shaped void gapped in the "wall" of the dream. A vaguely humanoid silhouette loomed in front of the crack, faceless but hauntingly familiar. Wordless whispers wafted out from behind the figure; it sounded like Voldemoirt's voice. Inside the void was an image of the Riddle Manor, just like in every vision that year. Harry inspected this fissure in the dreamscape, along with the figure and the voices.

"What is this?" he asked fearfully.

"Dreams often show things the waking mind cannot comprehend. We are in your dreams, and this fissure," she pointed at the crack, "represents your connection to this dark wizard. It runs deep in your mind, but is not a part of it, tis tethered to you as a parasite would be to its host," she revealed.

Harry shuddered, looking at this... fissure inside himself. The way Luna described things, this link to Voldemort was worse than Dumbledore considered.

"What should I do about it?" Harry requested.

"For now, there is nothing you can do. We will converse with our sister, she may know what to do. This is no mere psychic link, a part of this wizard's mind has attached itself within you. If the worst comes true, and our sister cannot create a solution, the bearers of the Elements may be able to expunge this, just as Nightmare Moon was cast out of us." Luna waved her horn, and the stars weaved over the crack like stitches, pulling the figure back into the void. Luna's magic bound it closed but did not remove it. "You will not dream anymore tonight, but you will awaken soon."

"Thank you, Princess Luna." Harry bowed to the princess.

Luna held up her hoof. "Thank us in person. Take care, young one." With her parting words, Luna vanished into the moon, leaving Harry alone in his dreams.

Harry looked down at the faded crack in his dream. This thing scared him. A connection this deep, or any connection for that matter, was nothing to scoff at. It could put Harry's friends in danger if left unchecked. And the way Luna described it like a parasite disturbed him. Hopefully, Celestia could fix this before something terrible happened.
> Chapter 35: The Minister's Fear
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Twilight emerged from Celestia's portal she found herself in a random place in the castle. The halls were eerily quiet, and Twilight found herself unnerved by the silent castle. She quickly cast her skin color spell before she started walking.

"Hello?" she called out.

Twilight wandered down the halls, trying to find some stairs that would lead to another floor, or at least something she recognized. She eventually rounded a corner, only to nearly scare herself half to death when she walked through a white phantasm.

"My goodness!" said the offended ghost. "Another student out of bed? You're the third one I've seen tonight."

Twilight looked up at the ghost. He was dressed in old clothes, and a jagged line marked his neck.

"Sir Nicholas?" Twilight said.

"I don't believe we've met. Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, miss..." the ghost trailed off.

"Sparkle, Twilight Sparkle," she responded. "Sorry to bother you, but I lost my way to the hospital wing."

"You and every other student, apparently. I'm sorry, but as I've said before, the castle is on lockdown, and I've been ordered to not allow anyone to disturb Cedric Diggory."

"Lockdown?" Twilight echoed. "Why?"

"Why?!" shouted Nick. "Didn't you hear? Multiple students are hurt, and someone blasted a mountain! All students are to be in their common rooms."

Twilight blushed and dipped her head at his panicked words. Harry was right. Maybe I did overdo that.

"But I'm not a student of Hogwarts," Twilight said suddenly, getting an idea. "I'm looking for Harry Potter. He's in the hospital wing," she pleaded with the ghost.

"Wait a second... You're that girl he brought to the Ball!"

"I'd prefer if you all forgot about that. But, yes, that's me. Now, if you could direct me towards the medical wing, I would be grateful," she said.

That seemed to do the trick, as Nick turned around and motioned for her to follow. She walked past many more hallways and paintings, trying to map out her way until she reached the marble staircase. She thanked Nick and told him she could manage from here, and walked up the stairs herself. When she climbed at them she walked towards the doors to the hospital wing. She slowed her approach when voices were heard behind her. She turned around to see Snape, McGonagall, and one other man storming forward.

"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" yelled an outraged Professor McGonagall. "When Dumbledore finds out—"

"Did something happen?" Twilight demanded of them. The three looked shocked to see her.

"Miss Sparkle, I thought you and your company left the grounds," Snape drawled.

"My friends have been returned home. I'm here to make sure Harry's alright, we're all concerned about his condition. Sir Nicholas was kind enough to lead me here," Twilight explained.

"I don't have time for this," Fudge muttered as he barged past McGonagall, through the doors of the hospital wing. Twilight and McGonagall shared a look and followed close on his heels. "Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded.

The hospital wing was mostly empty. The only occupants were the Diggory family on one side, Harry and the two Weasleys on the other. Seeing her friend, Twilight rushed past Fudge to tackle her friend in a hug. Harry, who was still half asleep, sputtered in surprise.

"Twilight?! Luna said you'd be back soon, but not this soon," he mumbled. The Weasleys jumped a little, not realizing he was awake.

"Princess Luna told you? When? Celestia just sent me to check on you," Twilight said.

"It was a busy dream," Harry said. A sudden realization dawned on Harry's face. "Dumbledore! I have to tell him! Voldemort's still—"

The hospital's doors swung open again, this time allowing a cross-looking Dumbledore to walk in.

"What has happened?" he took note of the Minister. "Why are these people being disturbed? Cedric is in a delicate state, and Harry is exhausted. And Minerva, I told you to stand guard over Crouch—"

"There is no need for that! The Minister has seen to it himself!" McGonagall screeched.

Twilight backed away a little. In the few days she had known McGonagall, she appeared as a strict but well-intentioned woman. Now she looked fit to strike out at Fudge herself.

"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," Snape said in a low voice, "he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch—"

"A dementor?" Twilight whispered to Harry. "Aren't those—"

"The guards of Azkaban, yes," Harry whispered.

Twilight shuddered. Those things, dementors, sounded like an old Equestrian myth, the kind that Star Swirl or Celestia would have thrown in Tartarus or banished forever millennia ago. The idea of something sucking out your happiness reminded her too much of the Crystal ponies and the trauma Sombrea inflicted on them.

"I didn't think he'd bring one, they're so—"

McGonagall's scathing voice cut Harry off. "The moment that- that thing entered the room," she screamed, pointing at Fudge, trembling all over, "it swooped down on Crouch and- and-"

Twilight felt a chill swoop down her spine when he realized what had happened. Crouch had been victim to the dementor's kiss, he was as good as dead or worse. His soul had been sucked out of his body.

"By all means, he is no loss!" Fudge exclaimed.

"No loss? The dead cannot give testimony, Cornelius," said Dumbledore. He was staring hard at Fudge, as though seeing him plainly for the first time. "He cannot give the reason about why he killed those people."

"Reason? Well, that's no mystery, is it?" blustered Fudge. "He was a raving lunatic! He cursed the cup! Potter was lucky to be unaffected! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, you seem to believe he did it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!"

"Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. "The deaths and disappearances this year were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. That plan almost succeeded; Voldemort was restored to his body tonight."

Fudge staggered as though someone had just swung a heavy weight into his face. Dazed and blinking, he stared back at Dumbledore as if he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. He began to sputter, still goggling at Dumbledore.

"You-Know-Who... returned? Preposterous... Come now, Dumbledore..."

"He's not believing it," Twilight whispered to Harry.

"It's Nightmare Moon and the wedding all over again. We're going to need more proof to pin this down," Harry replied. "Luna visited me during a vision, Voldemort escaped but it cost him his body, again. Fortunately, there are several other bodies still there."

"The statues! Good idea, Harry. He can't deny that! I can teleport us," Twilight exclaimed.

"Will the aurors be able to remove the spell?"

"Should be simple enough. A simple change will allow it to reverse. The spell isn't as strong as what we used on Discord, I should be able to change them myself. I made them, after all," Twilight explained. The two tuned back into the conversation with Fudge.

"You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a child who... well..."

"Well, what?" Twilight said skeptically, looking at Fudge.

"You read Rita Skeeter's Yule Ball gossip, didn't you," Harry said flatly.

"And what if I did?" Fudge replied, looking at Dumbledore. "You're fond of them, oddities and all."

"If by 'oddities', you mean we saw him return, then yes," Harry scolded. "And we can prove it."

"How?" countered Fudge. "Unless you can resurrect the dead, I doubt you can provide meaningful evidence."

Harry scowled. What he wouldn't give for that power.

"I can take you to where the portkey took Harry and Cedric," Twilight declared, stepping forward. "There are serval Death Eaters petrified in stone. That should prove it," she challenged.

Fudge was silent for a moment, silently fuming. Eventually, a small smirk painted his face.

"Alright, let's assume you're correct, and you can take me. You will be transporting the Minister of Magic to the location of several Death Eaters, which cannot be allowed," he said in a victorious tone.

"Twilight and Dumbledore should be safe enough for you," Harry protested.

"And why is that?"

Twilight channeled every bit of pretentious aristocrat attitude she could for what came next. "Besides the fact that you will be with Dumbledore, you'll be with the only person to beat Voldemort one-on-one," Twilight chimed slyly. It was a gamble, mentioning that, but it could pay off.

"What are you—" Fudge cut himself off, freezing up. His mouth opened and closed like a fish. "Y- You- You-"

"Yes, I did. He's gone for now, but his followers remain. Now, will you come along and see the truth or not?" Twilight demanded.

When Fudge barely reacted, Twilight stepped away from Harry. Twilight walked over to where Dumbledore and Fudge stood. Fudge backed away in equal measure, fear present in his eyes.

"You- You will n-not be taking me anywhere!" he stuttered fearfully. "This is coercion of a Ministry official, I will not stand for it! I will not tolerate being intimidated into following your commands!" Fudge sounded hysteric.

"We are not trying to strong-arm you, Cornelius! We are trying to warn you!" Dumbledore roared. "The Dark Lord is coming back, whether you'll believe it or not! You must see reason."

It seemed Fudge could think of no answer to this. He stumbled backward on his small feet for a moment and fidgeted with his bowler hat in his hand.

Finally, he said, with a hint of a plea in his voice. "He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be..."

"The proof is there, if you will allow yourself to see it. Action must be taken," Dumbledore demanded.

Fudge's anger exploded. "All I see is a child convinced his parent's murderer is running amok!"

"He was alive! I saw it, Harry saw it, my friends saw it! We fought him to get back here, Harry's telling the truth," Twilight shouted back.

"And- and she's claiming to have fought You-Know-Who! This is outrageous! Do you hear me? Outrageous! Dumbledore, I'm clearly the only one who can see reason here!" Fudge declared.

Snape rolled up his sleeve, showing his Dark Mark. Swirls of darkness flowed in the dark mark, neither faded nor black. Fudge visibly recoiled from it. "The Mark is getting darker, surely you cannot deny that. It has been doing so for the past year. Karkaroff fled because of it, even he knew what it meant."

Fudge stepped back from Snape too. He was shaking his head. He seemed terrified by every word Snape said. He stared, apparently repelled by the ugly mark on Snape's arm, then looked up at Dumbledore and murmured. "I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry."

Fudge turned to leave before he dropped a heavy sack of what sounded like coins. "The winnings. If the two tied in grabbing the Cup, Harry wins by points alone. We should have a closing ceremony, but under the conditions..." Fudge trailed off, leaving his sentence open-ended. He crammed his hat on his head and stormed out the door. Dumbledore turned back to the group around Harry.

"There is work to be done," the old man said.

"I'll help however I can," Twilight announced. "I may not be a part of this, but my friend is. What can I do?"

Dumbledore looked at her warily. "I will not draft you into this war. But, the Death Eaters you turned to stone, are they still there?" he asked. Twilight nodded, as did Harry.

Harry sat himself up. "Voldemort's statue broke and left nothing behind, but his spirit remains; he's going to try and come back. I saw it in another vision," Harry revealed. "The others all remain in the graveyard, it's deserted of living people."

"But I can change the spell," Twilight said. "After that, you can turn them back."

"Not yet," said Dumbledore. "I have several connections with reputable aurors. I can arrange for them to arrive at the graveyard at a later date—"

"Where they'll find the statues! I'll go fix them soon and weaken the enchantments enough to allow for your counter-spells to work." Twilight finished.

"If Minister remains unconvinced, the Wizengamot can still put them in Azkaban, or at least under suspicion," Snape said as he rolled his sleeve back over the mark. "The dark lord's servants will not deny his return a second time."

"For now, that is all we can hope for," Dumbledore said grimly. "The next few days are crucial, let's use them wisely."

"I want to help," Harry said firmly.

"Absolutely not," Mrs. Weasley said. "This isn't a place for children to get involved."

"Voldemort won't care!" Harry rebutted.

"No, he will not care," Dumbledore agreed with Harry. "However, it would be ill-befitting of my position if I allowed a child to join his parent's war. Your time will come, don't be so eager to grow up."

"Yes sir," Harry muttered.

Twilight sat down on the edge of Harry's bed. She reached for one of his hands and felt how cold he still was.

"In the meantime, Harry, you should get some more sleep," Twilight said, looking down at Harry.

Harry sighed heavily. "No objections there, Twi." Harry let his head fall back onto his pillow. It was less than a minute before Harry's breathing leveled out as he dropped into sleep again.

Twilight stood up and drew her crown out. She turned to face Dumbledore.

"I can take you to the graveyard now, if you want," Twilight said, holding her hand out.

"Do that," Dumbledore said swiftly, taking her hand. "The rest of you, we'll reconvene in my office in ten minutes."

Twilight cast her teleport spell, and the two of them were whisked away from the castle.





"Here we are," Twilight said as she stopped the two of them off in the graveyard.

Dumbledore looked around the place in shock. It looked less like a graveyard and more like a battlefield. Smoke was rising from nearly every patch of grass left and several large holes pocketed the land. The most obvious feature was the numerous stone statues all over the place. Several were in the midst of casting spells, but some looked terrified beyond measure. The largest detail was the massive crater that looked like a meteorite of immense proportions had struck with devastating force. The ditch stretched far beyond the graveyard, ending where it had disintegrated part of a nearby manor.

"If I might inquire, what happened here?" Dumbledore found himself asking.

"This was where Harry and Cedric were summoned," Twilight responded. She moved over to the only unburnt patch of grass. "This is where we were standing when we arrived."

"Did the Death Eaters do all of this?"

"Oh, no, that was mostly me and a little of Voldemort. Any lightning marks you see are probably Rainbow Dash's work. I will admit, I might have gone overboard. I incorrectly scaled Voldemort's power to Nightmare Moon's or Sombra's level. I didn't know what he could do, so I went full blast at him. That," she pointed at the largest crater, "was my first attack," she said, sounding rather embarrassed.

Dumbledore turned around in circles, looking at the damage. It was like an image taken from muggle warfare propaganda of the two wars. It was simply unimaginable how much damage this little girl had inflicted in a matter of minutes.

"So what do we do with these guys?" Twilight shouted from a few feet away.

Dumbledore walked to stand next to her, looking at the same statue she was inspecting. This statue was beyond perfect. The details were hidden by the terrible light, but Dumbledore was sure that this was Lucius Malfoy.

Twilight pulled out her tiara and waved a hand over the nearest statue, and the surface seemed to warp before settling. A similar change rippled across the other statues.

"Okay, you should be able to change them back. What's the next step?"

"The aurors arrive to arrest them soon," Dumbledore said simply.

"Shouldn't we, I don't know, pose them or something? Make it look like they were actually doing something illegal? Some of them are casting spells, sure, but most of them looked scared witless," Twilight noted. Dumbledore thought quietly to himself. Yes, that was a devilishly simple idea that would be useful. "Just looking suspicious isn't enough, else I would have gotten Queen Chrysalis arrested way before her wedding," she commented offhandedly.

Dumbledore looked at her, confused. She tried to arrest royalty, and succeeded? How does one do that, and why? Power? Twilight said she served Princess Celestia, so perhaps this "Queen Chrysalis" had been overthrown at her wedding, and the princess had taken her place. This might explain why the monarch was called "Princess" instead of "Queen". That could also explain Twilight's tutelage under royalty, raw talent aside: loyalty for a coup against the crown.

Dumbledore stopped that train of thought to focus on the statues. That can be addressed later.

"Form some of them in a circle with runes," he suggested. Twilight moved six of them into said shape. After a quick gesture, she changed how the statues stood so they appeared to be amid a chant.

"Use seven," Dumbledore said.

"Why?"

"It's a magical number."

"So is six."

"Only in your country, apparently. Voldemort is superstitious, even by wizard standards."

"Fine." Twilight added one more Death Eater to the circle. "I'm not a fan of the idea of curses, but how about some form of summoning circle?" she asked. Already she began to form a solid stone platform beneath the Death Eaters' feet. She scratched out several symbols on the ground inside the ring of petrified dark wizards.

"What do those symbols mean?" Dumbledore chimed curiously.

"Oh, absolutely nothing, they're just scribbles. But, pour a little of Sombra's shadow magic over it, and your aurors won't spot a difference," she responded slowly. "Although, it feels like desecrating a graveyard, doing this."

"We do what is necessary, even if we don't like it," Dumbledore said.

"I suppose. That doesn't mean I like it," she said reluctantly.

Dumbledore watched with morbid curiosity as Twilight's hand glowed black, green, and purple. The magic from it weaved around the Death Eaters, sinking into their clothes and the stone around them. Little black crystals sprouted from the statures. Dumbledore was shocked. She has access to dark magic, as well as that tiara?

"There, that should work. Now we just need to clean up." Twilight tapped her foot against the ground twice and the landscape slowly shifted to how it looked before Harry and Cedric arrived via portkey. The craters and burns healed and the grass regrew. With a flick of her wrist, the gravestones were repaired to a pristine state, probably better than when Harry arrived. "I'd feel bad leaving graves in this state."

Dumbledore looked at the Death Eaters. Several were gathered in a circle, wands raised above their heads. A ring of unidentifiable runes was laid in the ground with unknown magic heavy in the air. Yes, this would do nicely. Once Kingsley and the other aurors found this, the Death Eaters would be under heavy investigation. It might not convince Fudge that Voldemort returned, but the public would grow wary, especially after the Quidditch World Cup. Deadlock at the Ministry was preferable to denial.

"Alright, we can go," Twilight said, dusting her hands off.

She took off her Element, placing it back in her bag. She held up her right hand and reached her left hand into her bag, still touching the Element of Magic. Dumbledore placed a hand on her shoulder as her spell was weaved. There was a flash of light as she returned the two to the safety of Hogwarts. Dumbledore realized Twilight dropped them at his office.

"Alright, that's done," Twilight said, dusting her hands off again. She turned back to the door, before she stopped herself, seeming to have forgotten that Dumbledore was still there. "Headmaster, I'm going back to check on Harry before asking Celestia to send me back. And speaking of Celestia, she has a request to make."

"The princess?" Dumbledore asked, surprised.

"Celestia wants to make a visit on the last day of the term. Is that agreeable?" Twilight asked.

Dumbledore was a little stunned. The princess was requesting an audience with him? Sure, many members of the Ministry requested his presence every once in a while, but this was the sovereign of an entire nation. Why would she talk to him? There was no doubt she had heard Twilight's news about Voldemort, so perhaps the princess was choosing a side.

"I— Yes, that's agreeable."

"Thanks. I'll be sure to tell her when I get back," Twilight said as she opened the door to leave Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore waited a few minutes, then plopped down in his chair.

These Equestrians were unlike any people, magical or otherwise, he'd ever met. Having unique magic wasn't too surprising, every species had their brand of it, but Twilight had more than any wizard he'd ever met. Dumbledore couldn't tell if she was above average or if this was normal for her people. Further, two of her friends gained wings when they transformed, which posed questions as to whether that was by choice or if there were sub-types of Equestrians. Of course, that hardly mattered right now.

Dumbledore pulled out his wand and spun it in his hand idly. He would be fighting a battle on two fronts: Voldemort and the Ministry. He would need allies, and Equestria's magic had already set back Voldemort once. Dumbledore looked over to a shelf, where the last copy of Secrets of the Darkest Art rested. There was a race against time to stop Voldemort.

Harry needed to be ready; but for now, he was a child, and he deserved his rest. Dumbledore, however, had much to prepare for.
> Chapter 36: Headmaster Meets Princess
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The days leading up to the end of term passed as a blur to everyone, Dumbledore included. Cedric was swiftly moved to St. Mungo's. Splinching was a nasty thing, and Cedric had gotten the worst of it, especially with how dark magic slowed the healing process. Thankfully, none of Cedric's brain had been damaged in the process, not that it fixed the rest of the damage. Madame Pomfrey had voiced concern over the boy's nerves, citing how he may not be able to walk or hold a wand properly for a long time, if ever. Dumbledore planned to inform the students of Cedric's condition fully on the end-of-term feast. But Cedric wasn't the only thing on his mind.

When Twilight returned him from the graveyard, Dumbledore contacted Kingsley immediately to direct him to the imprisoned Death Eaters. By dawn, the place was swarmed with aurors, who rounded up every last statue and imprisoned them. Each statue took days, possibly weeks to free, despite Twilight's weakening of the spell. It would probably be months before everyone was unfrozen. However, those Death Eaters who were freed first were thrown in Azkaban less than a few days later. Almost all of those who were restored swore Voldemort had returned, but they were silenced in Azkaban. Those who would likely plead innocence were to be released later.

Thankfully, suspicion would put them under too much pressure to serve Voldemort for now. The headlines of "Pardoned Death Eaters Under Arrest" had been the talk of the school all day. As Dumbledore had suspected, the Ministry repressed the truth on the matter, scrubbing Voldemort's influence from the events. According to the papers, Barty Crouch Jr. orchestrated a meeting and dueled several "accused" Death Eaters under the banner of working for a "supposedly" revived dark lord.

The Slytherins had taken the news worst, having already started fights with anyone who had asked about the arrests. Dumbledore secretly pitied them, knowing those who weren't sent to Azkaban would eventually tell their family the story of that night. Seeing the results of Twilight's power up close was... frightening, even six days later.

Twilight had been stuck in his head, always coming back. The longer he thought about explanations to her, the less sense she made. Everything she said suggested she wanted to help Harry, to defeat Voldemort, but Dumbledore knew that someone with so much power had to have an ulterior motive. But Dumbledore couldn't think of one that made sense. And the worst part of it all was Twilight's connection to Harry. Twilight had known him longer than anyone else, her words held more value to him than Dumbledore's, Sirius's, or even his other friends. If Twilight told Harry to betray them, Dumbledore had no doubt he'd do it. Dumbledore wanted the best for that boy, but he wouldn't deny that he was paranoid about what she meant for the Boy Who Lived. Harry and Voldemort were entwined by fate and prophecy, their futures were still undecided. Twilight Sparkle could shift their fates in a way Dumbledore couldn't foresee.

Dumbledore was brought out of his musings by a loud knocking on the door. He was briefly startled and looked outside the window to see the sun had crested the horizon. He then looked at the calendar, seeing the date to be the first day of July, the last day of term. He must have been in his office all night, again. And the feast would be starting soon.

The knocking was at the door again, and Dumbledore waved his wand, opening the door. Twilight Sparkle walked through, alone. She had stayed at Hogwarts until the Sunday after the task came around, with a promise to return on Friday. As of now, her bag wasn't on her, so neither was her Element. She was walking carefully with measured steps. Her entrance to the Ball was elegant, but this was cautious.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, do you have a moment?" she asked stiffly.

"Yes, I suppose I do. I ought to be at the end-of-term feast soon, but I have some time. Do you require something?" he replied.

Twilight straightened her back, standing with a little more authority.

"Princess Celestia wishes to talk to you before school starts," she declared quickly.

"Is she available to talk now?" Dumbledore asked. "My responsibiliteis will require me elsewhere very soon."

"Now is a fine time," a melodious voice chimed from the spiral staircase.

A tall adult woman walked up the spiral staircase. Like Twilight, her skin was an odd color. It was white with a faint pink hue, but not in a way that looked unhealthy or haughty. Her hair was a multi-colored collage of light cerulean, turquoise, cobalt, and heliotrope; it flowed in the air like a river. Her eyes were a wise and piercing purple. She wore a long sleeveless white dress with golden edges that seemed to drift in a nonexistent breeze, like her hair. A stylized image of the Sun was displayed on the sides of the dress. Golden bracelets decorated her wrists, along with sleeves that ended before her shoulder. A golden necklace with a purple gemstone hung from her neck. And, topping it all off, was a golden crown with a matching gem. Celestia looked every part the royal Twilight had claimed she was.

"My apologies for inconveniencing your day with my arrival, but I needed to talk before this school year ends." Princess Celestia said. Her voice sounded young for one who might have been very old.

Dumbledore rose from his seat to look the princess in the eyes.

"How fortunate that you caught me on the last day to do so. We have time to converse before my duties as headmaster take me," Dumbledore replied.

"Excellent. This shouldn't take long at all," Celestia commented. She turned to her student. "Thank you for the directions, Twilight; you may leave us now. Why don't you go wait for Harry to wake up before he heads to the end-of-term feast?" the Princess commanded. Twilight left the room with a little bow, leaving Dumbledore and Celestia alone. The two walked to Dumbledore's desk and sat down.

"You had something to discuss, your highness?" Dumbledore inquired politely. Politics wasn't a fun game, but he could play it well enough.

"Yes, I did. First, I would like to apologize on Discord's behalf. He overstepped his bounds in sending my student to you. He has been informed of his error," Celestia apologized. "Secondly, I must apologize for Celeste's... overzealous mindset. She takes her responsibilities very seriously. Visiting your government might have proven a mistake after all."

Dumbledore squinted slightly. The debacle with Celeste had thrown the Ministry into a frenzy. Dumbledore wisely kept his accidental involvement unsaid. As of now, the DMLE was scouring all over for any clues. As Supreme Mugwump, Dumbledore had to attend an emergency meeting in which the international community had tried to turn inside out to accuse everyone else of the disappearance. It was regarded as the greatest theft since Gringotts was broken into in nineteen-ninety-one. As far as he could tell, Celestia was the one responsible, with Celeste acting as her voice.

"Your representative has caused quite a few headaches with her stunt. The disappearances only made it worse," Dumbledore said.

"Yes, I suppose that was to be expected. However, we took their safety very seriously. Their relocation was for their own good. I assure you, they are much happier in their rightful homes."

Dumbledore quirked an eyebrow in response. "Their rightful homes? My lady, these species have been around for thousands of years. The wider wizarding international community has not taken kindly to this kidnapping."

Celestial shook her head. "On the contrary, unicorns and the rest are descendants of Equestrian species. Their ancestral home is Equestria, which is why they were returned. The spell did not affect centaurs, who rejected our offer for their own reasons. The choice was present. They are returned to a place where they can be sapient creatures again. They came here through an unstable method, they lost a part of themselves as a result. We were merely rectifying it. There was nothing malicious about my actions," she said with measured words.

"Not very popular actions," Dumbledore countered.

"Is permission needed to save innocent lives? Firefighters do not ask if you want a fire put out, they do it," Celestia declared sagely, yet firmly. "But I didn't come to discuss those actions, there are more vital details to review. There is an important matter to discuss regarding one of your students. I believe you know which one."

"You mean Harry Potter? I hope he hasn't caused any trouble for your people," Dumbledore said. Internally, he was a little nervous at another person from Equestria asking about the boy.

"As we both know, a wizard attempted to return. And while he poses no immediate danger, least of all to my people, he will always pose a significant threat to Harry. My most faithful student has become quite attached to him, and there is a certain charm about him," Celestia noted. "It is for this reason that Twilight requested I offer him protection for the summer," she revealed.

Dumbledore started but recovered his form. Was that her motive? To have another watch over Harry instead of the Dursleys during the summer, thus ending the blood wards he had so carefully constructed to protect the boy?

"I assure you, Harry is safe from harm. There is powerful magic that safeguards his home. So long as he is underage and that magic remains intact, he cannot be harmed," Dumbledore explained.

"By Voldemort, you mean. He cannot be harmed by Voldemort," Celestia countered. "I don't know how aware of this you are, but Harry is never safe with that wretched family. While they may refrain from physical injuries, Harry's emotional state is nothing short of a miracle." Celestia waved her hand and several pieces of paper popped into existence. "Twilight was kind enough to lend me her letters from Harry. These tell a different story. His harm is from neglect. He has had food withheld from him, been locked in a cupboard, forced to degrade his personal value, and demeaned for years on end. By all accounts, Harry should have crippling depression. This is a serious matter." She held up one particular piece of paper, handing it to Dumbledore. "And I think you knew about it."

Dumbledore looked down at the paper, a letter.

Mr. H. Potter

The Cupboard under the Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

"Cupboard under the Stairs?" Celestia echoed the words with mild fascination. "What an odd place for a child to live; wouldn't you agree?"

Dumbledore reread the envelope again. This was Harry's first Hogwarts letter. How did she—

"When Harry couldn't keep ahold of the letters for long, he managed to send one to my student. Needless to say, I was shocked to know he lived in a cupboard, how about you?" she scowled with thinly veiled anger. Another set of papers was set on his desk, letters between Harry and Twilight. "On at least one occasion he was threatened with no food for a week. A week. An eleven-year-old isn't meant to survive that. Now tell me why Harry is 'safe' there," Celestia demanded coldly.

Dumbledore sighed. He should have known this confrontation was inevitable. Molly Weasley had been expressing a similar argument since Harry's second year, and Sirius had been insisting Harry be moved to Grimmauld Place since he and Dumbledore started talking. Even after he had explained that Mrs. Figg was keeping an eye on him and the purpose of the wards, both of them had been reluctant. But, hopefully, as a head of state, Celestia would see reason for making difficult decisions.

"Did no one check on the boy in ten years to confirm he was safe, that he was happy?" Celestia demanded with rising anger.

"On occasion, yes Mrs. Figg, a squib, is charged with ensuring no harm came to him. She regrets being callous with the boy, but it is the only way she could be near him."

Dumbledore recognized the restrained anger in Celestia's posture. She was upset; she didn't understand why Dumbledore did what he did. A dangerous gleam lit in Celestia's eyes.

"Then you are complacent in his mistreatment! I demand to know why he still lives with these monsters!" Celestia roared with tremendous volume and authority.

"I assure you, there is no other option!" Dumbledore justified his words with as much volume and bravery as he could muster. "The reason Harry lives with his relatives is the powerful blood wards in place. So long as he stays with a blood relative, Voldemort and his followers cannot harm him there," Dumbledore insisted.

Celestia went silent. The fire in her eyes dimmed slightly and her hair's movements slowed.

"These wards make some sense, though I do not like that they require a relative," she said after a long moment. Dumbledore felt a wave of calm wash over him. "However, that is no reason to allow such brutality to go unchecked," she scathed.

The wave of calm was washed away.

"Your majesty, try to understand the necessity of my actions. Harry needed protection no one else could offer. No one else can guarantee the boy's safety."

"Yet all I can see is how little has been done to curb their behavior. It's for this exact reason that Twilight and I wish to have Harry relocated to Equestria for the protection and care that I can offer," she decreed.

Dumbledore's eyebrows shot into the air. Of all things, he had not expected her to say this. Demanding Harry Potter be transferred to her country and jurisdiction? It was outrageous!

"I'm afraid that's just not possible. Harry wouldn't be safe there, I cannot allow it. Transferring him would be illegal. You would incite the full power of the Wizengamot court, of which I am Chief Warlock," Dumbledore issued his ultimatum. He wished it hadn't come to this, but he couldn't allow Harry to be moved away from the only protective measure available.

Across from him, Princess Celestia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I understand your reluctance, but I guarantee you Harry will be safer in Equestria. There are threats there, yes, but he will have friends who can protect him. Voldemort cannot harm him there," Celestia said softly. "But I do understand your fears."

"Then you understand why I cannot let him go," Dumbledore replied.

Celestia stood up suddenly and walked over to the window, arms clasped behind her back. She gazed straight at the sun, the bottom of which had already passed far over the recently reformed mountain. Celestia sighed sadly.

"Loss is a powerful thing, but it won't grant you clarity. I lost my sister once, many moons ago, to an evil called Nightmare Moon," Celestia revealed. "As Princess of the Day, I take responsibility for the kingdom when the sun is risen. My people celebrated the defeat of Nightmare Moon during the Summer Sun Celebration, the day I lost my sister. And yet, whenever I saw the sunrise I was reminded of what I lost. My sister loved her beautiful night skies."

Dumbledore nodded solemnly behind her, understanding the impact of losing a sister. Even now, Ariana's death haunted him and Aberforth. Losing family was a terrible loss.

"It is hard to deal with loss when you are confronted by something as inevitable as the sunrise," Dumbledore said.

He noticed an odd look overcome Celestia's eyes.

"Tell me, Headmaster, what time does the sun rise here?" Celestia asked out of the blue.

"About six o'clock," Dumbledore said. "It should be about half-past eight." He then glanced at a small magical clock on his wall and read the time.

Six thirty.

Dumbledore blinked owlishly at the clock, certain he had misread the time. The sun was high in the sky, there's no way it could've been half past six.

"Then it is as I suspected," Celestia said. "My presence here created a disturbance in the natural balance of your sky. Do not worry, I have already prevented the rest of your world from seeing what we are witnessing, and I will correct it," Celestia said off-handedly. The princess gently raised a hand to reach out to the horizon.

"Prevented the world from seeing what?" Dumbledore asked warily.

"You'll see. But, as I was saying, some days I could barely stand to watch the sun rise, despite my duties. Some days, I wished the sun would never rise."

Celestia lowered her hand, and Dumbledore's world shattered with what followed.

The sun moved backward. It dropped from its rising perch over the mountains, dipping lower over the horizon. The sky darkened as day turned to dawn, and dawn turned to night as the star glowed above them. Celestia's hand stopped moving, and the night sky's rapidly shifting ground to a halt. Celestia absent-mindedly flicked her hand, reversing the sun's direction and raising it to the position Dumbledore's clock would've suggested, just at the horizon.

"But, alas, I had to be the one to raise and set our sun and moon, and I alone. I wanted to make the night longer, in memory of my sister, but I had to let go. My loss was less important than their happiness." Celestia let her head drop, just a little. "Believe me when I say I will do everything in my power to keep Harry safe, I wouldn't let my most faithful student feel the same pain I once did. You can let him go," Celestia spoke.

Dumbledore, meanwhile, found there was nothing he could say. His body was tense, frozen solid, hand clenched around his wand in shock. Twilight's display was astounding, but this, moving the sun itself, was unfathomable! And what she said about her mere presence causing the sun to move out of place and how she had corrected the appearance to all but the immediate area spoke magnitudes.

Harry's claim that some called Celestia the 'Goddess of Equestria' and 'Diety of the Sun' made considerably more sense. Control over the Sun, what power! But that only begged more questions to be answered. How does one obtain the power to change the sky and time? Was it natural to her or learned? Why had someone this powerful never been heard of before?

Most wizards didn't believe in deities or higher powers, but could Celestia be one? A goddess among mortals? Were there others like her?

Such was Dumbledore's downward spiral that he failed to notice when the Elder Wand fell from his hand. It bounced once, twice, then rolled away from him. It tumbled down the steps, coming to rest at Celestia's feet as though by a will of its own. The princess took notice of this and picked the wand up, inspecting it with an unnaturally keen gaze. Dumbledore froze as she held it.

"Hm... interesting. Elder wood and... thestral hair? For its age, it's in pristine condition. And there's some power behind it, too. It doesn't just channel magic, it enhances it. Potent, but that does explain its hunger. An interesting item. I wonder what made it," Celestia said, inspecting the craftsmanship. She then walked over to Dumbledore's table and placed his wand back on the table.

"Oh, and about the sun," Celestia said, pointing out the window, "sorry about that. You needn't worry, no one outside the castle saw it."

Dumbledore wasn't paying any mind to that. He picked his wand— the Elder Wand— back up. The wand still felt as it always had in his hands. But that was even scarier; for in the briefest of moments his wand had abandoned him. The Elder Wand craved for a stronger master and yet, in that fleeting moment, it had forsaken him for another of its own vocation. Was the gap between him and Celestia that vast? But with Celestia's handling of it, the wand seemed to have scampered back to him once she rejected it. Dumbledore knew she was aware of its power, and she dismissed it like a toy, a plaything.

"You are a wise man with experience. In many ways, you remind me of my old mentor, Star Swirl," Celestia spoke calmly and with authority. "But surely you are wise enough to know I speak the truth. Will you allow Harry to be with his friends or not?" she demanded.

Dumbledore sighed tiredly. He realized now that Celestia asking was but a formality, like Celeste at the Ministry. She fully intended to take Harry with her from the start. No one knew where Equestria was, and no one could rival this power over the sun. Now the only course of action was to remain on the princess's good side.

A thought occurred to Dumbledore. Could I trust her? Her student was the reason Harry lived that night. If she is to take Harry in, perhaps I can trust her with more information...

"Can you promise he will be safe?" Dumbledore asked.

"Safer than with his 'family'? Without a doubt," Celestia promised.

"Alright," Dumbledore agreed. He had conceded this fight, and Celestia had won. "When school is over, you may take Harry to Equestria."

"Perfect. His friends will be so happy," Celestia smiled.

"But," Dumbledore made one last request, "there are things you must know about Harry and Voldemort. I tell you this because I think you will understand just how vital this is. Voldemort and the boy are connected in ways few others could be. It starts with the prophecy—"

"A prophecy," Celestia corrected. "It would appear Harry has a lot more to live up to."

"You've seen his future?" Dumbledore asked, surprised. Apparently, Celestia knew more about Harry than she let on.

"I plan to tell him if he wishes to know," Celestia said. "So let's talk."

"One secret for another," Dumbledore said. "Ones Harry will not know."

"That will always remain his choice. When you live as long as I have, you learn that honesty serves better in the long term."

"On that, we disagree. I'm willing to put that aside, for the boy's sake."

"Agreed. Let's start with that prophecy of yours..."
> Chapter 37: The Closing Speech
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry stared up at the ceiling of the Gryffindor dormitory. He had been lying here since the sun rapidly rose in the sky, fell until night covered the place, and then rose again. With that in mind, it meant Celestia was also on Earth. If he was being honest, the idea scared Harry just a little. A small cynical part of him suggested that Celestia had changed her mind, that Harry wouldn't be allowed to visit for the summer because of Voldemort. But the hopeful part of him stamped that thought out promptly. He had been looking forward to spending time with his best friend for months now.

It might have been a full hour that Harry lay down, doing nothing but look up at the ceiling. He was broken out of his musings by Ron entering the room.

"Harry, are you going to sulk all day?" Ron asked from the doorway. "You look ill. You alright over there?"

"I'm fine, Ron, just anxious, that's all," Harry explained, still looking at the ceiling.

"About term being over with You-Know-Who still alive?"

"Actually, no. That's my second concern now."

Ron looked at Harry, confused as to what he meant. Harry raised his head to talk directly at Ron.

"It's about my summer break. I want to spend it in Equestria, with Twilight," Harry revealed.

Ron's mouth dropped open. "What? She wants you to live with her? Blimey, you lucky bloke."

Harry repressed a shudder. "Please, never talk about us like that. She's not my marefriend— I mean girlfriend," Harry corrected his use of Equestrian terms. He shifted to sit properly in bed. "Besides, it's not her I'm worried about, it's the princess. I'm nervous Princess Celestia won't allow me in. She gave Twilight her blessing to bring me over for visits, but that was before Voldemort attempted to return. I don't want to face her. What if she doesn't allow me to return?" Harry said.

"Well, she's in a different country, you can go to breakfast without seeing her," Ron commented with a little sarcasm.

"That's just it, Ron. She's not; she's here, in the castle," Harry sighed.

Ron looked at Harry, perplexed. "How can you tell? You haven't left bed."

"Someone had to move the sun," Harry revealed.

Ron looked confused, but realization slowly dawned on him. The Weasley looked outside, back at Harry, back to the sun, then back to Harry again.

"She did that? Blimey, I thought the twins were feeding me some of their strong stuff. You're telling me she moves the bloody sun?!" Ron ranted.

"Regularly, yes. But looking at it now, there's not much I can do about her. I need to get up and deal with this," Harry said.

Harry pulled himself out of bed, coming to terms with the fact that avoiding Celestia was a fruitless endeavor. After a quick moment to collect his thoughts, Harry and Ron made their way down the Gryffindor common room. There was a surprise waiting for them at the bottom. Twilight and Hermione, the former reading Harry's gift and the latter reading something else, were sitting in the main common room.

"About time you got out of bed, Harry," Twilight said with a small grin. "You're never going to survive Equestria if you can't rise with the sun."

"Pony-who-oversleeps-says-what?" Harry quipped.

"Pardon?" Twilight asked, with a smirk. She dropped it a second later.

"So..." Harry said awkwardly. "I saw the sun."

"Yeah, that. When Celestia arrived, she said her magic caused the sky to shift. She was probably correcting that. She's up with Dumbledore right now."

"Oh," Harry said, a little disappointed already. "So she decided about my summer?"

"She fully intends for you to stay!" Twilight said with jubilation.

Harry's mood instantly matched hers when he heard the news. Harry couldn't resist jumping up in the air. Finally! Harry could have a happy summer unburdened by wizard and muggle affairs! And he got to spend it with his best friend in all of Equestria!

"I'm sorry, what's going on?" Hermione asked, looking up from her book.

"Apparently, Harry's staying with Twilight for the summer," Ron said.

"That's great, right? You don't have to go back to the Dursleys now," Hermione said.

"Exactly. Now, come on, one last meal at Hogwarts before we go on the train," Harry said as he walked toward the portrait.

The four walked out the portrait entrance, Twilight and Harry in the front. As they walked, they all chatted about their plans for the summer. But, as neither Ron nor Hermione had anything of interest to present, the topic drifted back to Equestria. Harry talked a bit more about what life in Ponyville looked like, what little of it he had seen in his two visits. The most interesting topic was, of course, Twilight's academics.

"So, let me try to understand this," Hermione spoke as they waited for the moving staircases. "Once a week, you had to write a report to your mentor, the head of state, about a lesson in friendship?" she demanded.

"Yep. Once a week, or whenever I learned something new. The Princess assigned me to Ponyville to study the Magic of Friendship not long before I met Harry," Twilight replied.

"What do you mean 'the magic of friendship'? Friendship isn't magic, magic is magic," Hermione protested.

"I used to believe the same thing," Twilight said in response. "I didn't care for friendship. I did nothing but study all day, every day. But when I moved to Ponyville and saw my new friends wield the Elements of Harmony, I knew friendship was and is magic. Generosity, Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, and Magic. Together, they make the Magic of Friendship."

"She's right, Hermione," Harry added helpfully. "Remember, Twilight and the others used the Elements on those Death Eaters in the graveyard. I don't understand it, but it is magic."

"Well, I don't believe it. There has to be a more reasonable explanation," Hermione huffed, annoyed. "I've never heard of magical friendships. Maybe your magic is enhanced by emotional feelings for your friends, rather than fueled by 'friendship'? If friendship were magic, muggles could use magic, and there's no evidence of that."

"Maybe you're in denial," Ron snarked.

Harry patted Hermione on the shoulder. "We've seen magic in all sorts of places, why not friendship? Besides, Equestria is full of magic that doesn't quite make sense. Cadance is the Princess of Love, she's used her magic to disintegrate a semi-immortal shadow unicorn after he banished an entire empire out of existence for a thousand years. Love makes her magic stronger, or can make the magic of ponies she loves stronger."

"I'm sorry, what—?"

Harry continued talking. "Of course, that's to say nothing of Discord, Lord of Chaos and whatnot, or Pinkie Pie and her Pinkie Sense."

"Please, can we not talk about that? There's a reason Laughter was Discord's favorite Element," Twilight pleaded.

"Pinkie Sense?" Ron asked.

Harry smirked as Twilight glowered. "Pinkie Pie can detect if certain events are going to happen based on bodily reactions. For example, her tail twitches when things are about to fall. It was how she knew I got kidnapped."

"Like divination?" Ron asked.

"Probably closer to Arithmancy, if it's consistent and predictable. Maybe she has a talent for that?" Hermione suggested.

Twilight huffed. "That's the problem, there's no magic involved. I've studied it in-depth, and there is no conscious or subconscious magic active in whatever she does. And it has nothing to do with her cutie mark! Earth ponies don't get that kind of magic, she shouldn't be able to do half the stuff she does!"

"Okay, so magic is weird there. Does that have anything to do with the sun here?" Ron asked.

"Did I miss something?" Hermione asked.

"Harry said Celestia moved the sun or something," Ron answered.

Hermione immediately jumped in surprise. She looked at Ron, then at Twilight.

"What?! When?! How did I miss that? You can't move the sun in a geocentric system, and moving the earth would create noticeable changes in momentum! How does she—"

"Don't look at me, I don't know how it works. I've only read the history," Twilight said quickly. "Celestia and Luna have been managing the sun, moon, and stars for generations. It's been thousands of years since the unicorn tribe did it."

"Slow down. Are you suggesting that your people are fully capable of moving the sun?" Hermione shouted.

"The whole of the unicorn tribe did it before Celestia took responsibility. But that was many millennia ago, I doubt anypony knows how to do it anymore."

"I- I'm going to need a moment," Hermione murmured, falling silent.

"I'll rest my case. Equestria's built differently from anyplace else," Harry said, shrugging. He'd given up trying to understand the place ages ago.

The four fell into a less comfortable silence as they walked the last few steps to the Great Hall. They chose to sit further down the length of the table, away from everyone's eyes. Unfortunately, the twins had a similar idea.

The twins spoke in a rush.

"Hey, Harry. We've been looking for you all day," George said.

"Well, us and half the school. You've barely been seen all week," Fred added.

"You're getting too good at your disappearing acts."

"So, have you heard the big news?"

"What news?" Harry asked.

"Well, it's not news."

"More like gossip."

"But it's got everyone talking."

"Oh, just tell us already," Ron demanded.

"Well, rumor has it some Ravenclaws saw the sun move backward, but that's quickly becoming old news," George said, or maybe it was Fred.

"The real news is the lady sitting next to Dumbledore," said the other twin.

Harry and the rest looked at the teacher's table, seeing a strange-looking human seated to Dumbledore's right. Her abnormal skin tone signaled her out as an Equestrian. But Harry recognized her immediately: Princess Celestia's human form.

"No one knows anything about her. Word has been flying about faster than the rumors have time to stick around," said Fred.

Harry could hear all the students nearby chatting about her, whispering about her appearance and if she was a Ministry official. He could also catch some (not so) far-fetched theories of her being some foreign dignitary. The conversation ended when Dumbledore stood back up.

"The end," Dumbledore said, looking around at them all, "of another year."

Dumbledore paused to cast a long sad glance at the Hufflepuff table.

"There is much I would like to say, but there is something many of you need to hear first. Let's start with the good news. Cedric Diggory was admitted to St. Mungo's the day after his tragic injury. His family has permitted me to share this news with you all. Cedric will survive his injuries, though recovery is a long way away. Magical wounds are always the hardest to heal. Cedric has sustained extensive nerve damage from the splinching and has been paralyzed in much of his body. However, he shall eventually recover the use of his limbs. Your professors and I are relieved to hear of his survival."

Dumbledore paused to let the news sink in. The class let out a quiet sigh of relief. Harry seethed as he saw Malfoy and some of the Slytherins sulk and whisper to each other. Twilight wrapped her hand around Harry's, calming him down a little.

"However, you all have the right to know what happened. Cedric Diggory was attacked by Lord Voldemort."

Hushed but panicked whispers perforated the Great Hall. Many were looking at Dumbledore in disbelief, others in fear. The headmaster looked calm and collected as the whispers died out.

"The Ministry of Magic does not wish for you to know this, to know what happened that night. I suspect many of your parents will feel similarly, whether because they do not believe it or because they think you are too young. I, however, believe truth is preferable to lies. And so, I will tell you what happened.

"Cedric and Harry both grabbed the Triwizard Cup, therefore securing the Hogwarts victory. However, that cup was enchanted to take whoever touched it straight to Lord Voldemort. I'm certain you've all seen the news of the Death Eaters found in a graveyard on Saturday. But between their arrival and escape, they had to face a terrible evil. But, when each of us finds our darkest hour, it is our allies who brighten our path. Cedric and Harry both managed to escape the events of that night alive, which is a miracle on its own. They showed a bravery few wizards can when facing Voldemort, and for that, I honor them."

Dumbledore raised his goblet, looking sadly at Harry. Nearly everyone followed suit, murmuring Harry's and Cedric's names, drinking to both. A few Gryffindors looked at him and Twilight oddly, probably guessing she had something to do with Dumbledore's words. It was a quiet moment before Dumbledore spoke again.

"Let us all eat together on this last day, and remember good times."

The hall was filled with chatter again, this time much more solemn than when Harry and his friends arrived.

"Huh. I thought he'd introduce that lady. He usually likes his kooky introductions," George commented.

Harry shrugged. "Likely she didn't want an introduction. Celestia's not one for pomp and circumstance in an informal environment. Probably didn't want to step on Dumbledore's important announcement," Harry said.

The twins looked at him, surprised.

"You know her?" they asked in unison.

"We've only met a few times. Twilight introduced us. Celestia is Twilight's professor."

"Well, that is true. But she's more of a mentor than a professor. Plus, her duties as royalty come first anyways," Twilight explained.

"Royalty?" Ron echoed. "That's the princess? She's... pale." Hermione jabbed Ron in the side for his comment. "OW! What? She is!"

"A princess? Well, don't tell Malfoy," George said.

"He'll have his father kissing her feet all day," Fred said with a dry smirk. The twins shared a devious look.

"Actually, please tell Malfoy."

"We would pay to watch that," the twins pleaded.

"Please, she gets enough of that back home," Twilight laughed. "You should've seen her when we accidentally wrecked her annual Grand Galloping Gala. Apparently she hated all the stuffy introductions. Said the one we 'ruined' was the best one she's had in years."

"You crashed a party?" George asked.

"Well, more like everyone else did. I was greeting po- people with the princess, as I am her student."

"I wish I could have seen it," Harry remarked. "Apparently Pinkie Pie found a party she couldn't have fun in, Applejack found Apple family products weren't popular in Canterlot, Fluttershy found animals she couldn't befriend, the list goes on."

"I think you would've had more fun with Spike, provided be didn't overeat on donuts, again," Twilight remarked. "Actually, it would've been better if you were there to stop him."

"Still, with how much Malfoy's father kisses up to the Minister, you can't deny it wouldn't be funny," Fred said.

Harry couldn't resist a chuckle at their antics. He smiled more. He wasn't going to miss Earth that much, but he might miss these moments, the ones with his friends. One train ride and he would have a new home. It felt so surreal. Just a few more hours and his summer began.
> Chapter 38: A Portal To Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the last meal in the Great Hall, it was time for the foreign guests to leave. The Durmstrang students were, thankfully, capable of guiding their boat back home without their former headmaster. Unfortunately, the story was vastly different for the Beauxbaton students. Harry felt bad, knowing exactly how the Beauxbatons had "misplaced" the pegasi. Lucky for them, the Ministry was willing to provide transport back to their school until they could track down the missing creatures. Harry doubted they would succeed in that endeavor.

Before they left, Harry did have a chance to say goodbye to his fellow champions. Harry insisted on apologizing to Krum for giving him some nasty burns, and Krum insisted on apologizing for what he did while under Crouch's control. Fleur said she wished to return to England at some point to work on her English. Harry wished them both luck in their futures. After those farewells, Twilight joined to walk to the train to follow Harry back to King's Cross. She said Celestia would meet them later and help Harry collect his items from the Dursleys. Everything was calm and quiet until they loaded into their train compartment.

"Is there a spare seat in this compartment?" a voice asked. The four looked at the door to see none other than Princess Celestia standing outside the door. "Train rides are such a rarity for me these days. You wouldn't mind if I sat here?" she gestured next to Twilight.

"Of course not," Harry said politely. He moved himself to sit on the other side with Ron and Hermione, allowing Celestia to sit by the window next to her student.

"So, you're really a princess?" Hermione asked.

"Last I checked, I was," Celestia said with a teasing smile.

"And you're in charge of your country? Most muggle county's monarchies have collapsed or turned into public figureheads," Hermione inquired.

"I am in charge, yes. I have ruled as Equestria's sole monarch for nearly a thousand years, but my sister has recently returned to some of her royal duties."

"Fascinating," Hermione said. "I've never heard of a monarch government lasting that long."

"Well, I've had to make changes over the centuries. Earth ponies elected a chancellor, unicorns had royalty, and pegasus had a meritocratic stratocracy. It took my sister and I years to get it right," Celestia remarked lightly. "I do not believe we have been properly introduced. You're Harry's two human friends, correct? Might I ask for your names?"

"I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione said with a dip of her head.

"Ron Weasley," Ron said.

"Pleasure to meet you. Twilight told me you were friends of Harry's, though ones with questionable trust in him," Celestia said.

"I don't get why everyone makes such a big deal over it," Hermione protested. "Your majesty," she corrected herself.

Celestia merely raised an eyebrow. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted when the compartment door slid open. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle stood outside, looking as smug as ever, though they looked angrier than normal.

"Oh, look, Potter and his merry band. I see you brought your girlfriend back," he sneered.

"I see you got your smug face back. What, is your father going to pay another bribe to stay out of Azkaban with the rest of his group? Last I heard, he's between a rock and a hard place at the Ministry. Or, just a rock," Harry bit back. His hand clenched tightly, a spell forming in his mind.

Draco's smirk turned to a scowl in a blink.

"You're on the loosing side, Potter! Know this, I warned you!" Draco scathed. "I told you you ought to choose your company more carefully, remember? I told you not to hang around with riffraff like this!" he jerked his head at Ron and Hermione.

Celestia stood up tall in the compartment. Her expression was hardened, disrupting her serene face.

"Well then, all things considered, Harry has made far better choices than you. Friends are perferable to minions," she scolded the boy.

Draco backed off slightly, a little intimidated. His hand was in his robes, likely reaching for his wand. But his hand emerged empty, a shocked expression painted on his face. Celestia unfolded her arms, revealing a wand resting in her hand. She looked at it curiously.

"Unicorn hair? How odd. To think, a mere hair and sliver of wood is the defining factor in your power," she remarked.

"That's my wand!" Draco shouted. "Who do you think you are, pickpocketing a pure-blood?!" Draco demanded arrogantly.

Celestia put on an aloof smirk. She tossed the wand back to Draco, who fumbled the catch.

"You may call me Celestia. My student has told me about you and your father. Don't think I haven't seen your brand of arrogance before. I pity your upbringing," she said coldly.

"Pity? Don't patronize me," Draco snarked angrily. "Just more of Potter's pretend pals, the lot of you. You're not of pure blood like I am. Make no mistake, you'll be the first to go, now the Dark Lord's back! Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first! Well, second, after he comes for your worthless frie-"

It was like a box of fireworks exploded from the compartment. Spells flung about the place blinding and deafening most of the present company. When Harry blinked to rid his eyes of the afterimages, the results were obvious.

Crabbe and Goyle were on the ground, unconscious. Malfoy was plastered to the wall in a block of ice, but similarly unconscious. Ron and Hermione had their wands raised; Harry and Twilight had their hands raised. A golden barrier rested between them, courtesy of Celestia.

The Weasley twins walked down the hall to the downed boys.

"Quite the light show you got down here," George quipped as he stepped over Crabbe.

"Who iced Malfoy?" Fred asked.

"Me," Twilight supplied.

"I was trying to petrify him," Harry said.

"Without a wand?" asked Ron.

"Well, I thought it was worth a shot. You all had my back anyways," Harry noted.

"Well, it didn't work that well," George commented, poking Malfoy with his wand. The boy's head moved with some resistance. "Less petrified and more stiff, don'tcha think?"

"Yep. Well, we wanted to ask if you wanted to play a game of Exploding Snaps, but it's clear the compartment is full," Fred said.

"By the way, you never introduced us to your friends, formally," George said.

"Oh. This is my friend, Twilight Sparkle, and this is Princess Celestia." Harry pointed at the transformed unicorn and alicorn.

Fred and George made a show of an overly dramatic bow, grinning.

"Your highness."

"He's George."

"He's Fred."

"We're the Weasley twins," they said at once.

"Oh no, it's the Flim Flam Brothers all over again," Twilight groaned into her palms.

"Add pinstripes, a bow tie, and a hat, you couldn't tell the difference," Harry joked.

Twilight sunk further into her seat and Celestia merely chuckled.

"Well, if you're busy, we have some things to check on," George said. He and Fred stepped back before Harry stood up.

"Fred, George, wait, I have something for you two." Harry pulled out his wand and his Triwizard winnings floated out of his trunk. "Here, have it. Consider it an investment in your joke shop," he said.

The twins looked at the bag of galleons and Harry in disbelief.

"You're mental," Fred said.

"Nope, take it. I sent some of it along with Cedric's family to pay for his treatments, but it's barely a dent in this thing. The rest is yours, for your joke shop," Harry said as he thrust the bag into their hands.

"He is mental," Fred said in an almost awed voice.

"Just take it," insisted Harry. "I'll never use it, and we could all use a few good laughs with what's coming. Take it, buy your family something nice, and get that shop up and running just like you talked about."

The twins left the compartment in a daze, still processing what Harry had just given them. And, to be fair, Harry himself had very little understanding of the value of wizard money, so he had even less idea of what he gave them. Not that Harry cared about that.

"You should be careful, Harry," Celestia warned. "At this rate you'll replace Rarity as the Element of Generosity," she said teasingly.

Everyone shared a quick laugh at that. The rest of the train ride was occupied by small talk and conversation, most of it centered on Equestria. Unfortunately, the train arrived at the station exactly on time, leading to heartfelt hugs and goodbyes. All those events lead Harry, Twilight, and Celestia to the gateway back to King's Cross Station.

"So, what do we do now?" Harry asked Celestia.

"You have to go with the Dursleys to collect any personal items before Twilight and I collect you shortly thereafter. Then we will travel back to Canterlot to finalize a few details. After that, everything is up to you," Celestia said. "I hate sending you back even for one second, but it is an unfortunate side effect of the legal process."

"Well, if it's only for an hour or so, I think I can manage," Harry said with less enthusiasm.





When Harry exited Platform Nine and Three-quarters, absolutely no words were exchanged between him and the Dursleys. Harry loaded into the back of the car and arrived at Privet Drive without incident. When Harry unpacked his stuff he collected any items he left at the house in his bags, not that there was much there anyway. His enjoyment and anxiousness increased with each passing minute.

"Boy! Why haven't you unpacked yet? You have chores to get started," Aunt Petunia fumed at the boy.

Harry smirked at her attitude. "Well, you see—" Harry was cut off by the doorbell ringing. His smile widened, already knowing who was at the door.

"Petunia, would you get the door? I'm busy!" Vernon demanded from the floor below, probably watching the telly.

"Stay here," Petunia huffed. She turned to tread down the stairs, leaving Harry behind.

Harry, of course, didn't care as he left the room a few seconds later. He looked down the stairs where Petunia was standing at the door, giving herself a once-over to make sure she was presentable. She opened the door and let out a screech at the two people standing before her. Two humans, one with purple hair and the other with multicolored hair, stood before the threshold. Harry bounded down the stairs gleefully, rushing past his aunt to hug Twilight. Vernon appeared next to his wife a mere second later.

"What the— Who are you people!? Are you- are you one of them?!" he demanded angrily.

Celestia folded her hands and stood tall before Vernon.

"Ah, the Dursley family, I presume? I've been waiting to meet you all week," she said coolly. "I'm here concerning the living conditions of Harry Potter whilst away from school."

Vernon and Petunia exchanged terrified glances.

"So- you're- you're one of his people, aren't you? What are you doing here? You're- you're not welcome," Petunia stuttered.

Celestia waved a hand, and several sheets of paper manifested out of thin air. The Dursleys looked even more scared, if possible, at a comparatively simple feat of magic.

"You may call me Princess Celestia. I am here on behalf of the Equestrian government to retrieve Harry Potter from you, permanently," she commanded.

"You people are in government?" Vernon rambled. "Oh, that explains everything, no wonder—"

Celestia cut him off.

"You misunderstand. I'm not a member of the Ministry of Magic or your human government. My reason for being here is tied to neither governing body."

"Celestia, can we, um, skip the pleasantries? Please?" Harry asked.

Celestia nodded. "Of course," she said. She turned to face the Dursleys. "I have with me the necessary papers to transfer his guardianship from your 'care' to be a ward of the Equestrian government. So here is the deal: sign and he will leave and never return, or I will take you to court over child neglect and abuse to take him by force!" she commanded in a volume just beneath the royal Canterlot voice.

The Dursleys shrank back in fear, their faces losing all color. Celestia held the papers out in her hands, a stern expression covering her serene face.

"If- if we do this, we'll never have to see- see him again?" Vernon whimpered. "What of the other freaks?" he hissed.

"The relevant magical parties have been notified of his transfer. It is in your best interest to sign and pray charges won't be pressed," Celestia spoke as her eyebrows lowered, approaching a scowl.

She handed the papers over to Vernon, who grabbed them as though they were set to explode. He fished a pen out of his pocket and scanned through the documents with a salesman's eye. Petunia urged her husband to read faster, but Vernon continued all the same, muttering something about selling his soul. When the documents appeared satisfactory, Vernon scribbled his signature on them and told Petunia to do the same. The moment after he was done the papers vanished in a flash of magic.

"That concludes our business. Harry, Twilight, it is time we returned home," Celestia declared. A flash of magic preceded Harry's belongings being summoned in front of the house. "Is that everything?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Harry replied.

"Good."

Celestia swung her hand, and the door separating them from the Dursleys slammed shut. For Harry, it symbolized a new beginning, one where he wouldn't have to dread the summer months. He was finally free of that wretched family and was going to find a new home with friends.

"You won't be seeing them ever again," Celestia said. "And I don't suspect their neighbors will be, not anytime soon."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"I had some things to do before visiting Hogwarts. One of those was collecting the guardianship documents, the other was extensive research of your non-magical laws. I found a few of interest." Celestia pulled out two packets of paper. "For example: Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and Children Act 1989. These lay out the terms for how children are to be treated and what violates those terms. I believe the Dursleys to be in violation," Celestia said with a cunning look. She vanished the papers again.

"You read all those laws?" Harry said, surprised.

"I've been in politics longer than any government on Earth, this is a drop in the bucket," Celestia said dismissively. "Anyways, I left an anonymous tip with a social worker. Some well-placed evidence will be enough to start a formal investigation without you. We can let the law do the rest."

"You mean they'll be investigated?" Harry asked. He was stunned; the Dursleys had always gotten away with being horrible people, and now it was being brought to light. Celestia just went above and beyond. "What do you think will happen?"

Celestia placed a slender finger on her chin. "I suppose they will be investigated and sentenced for child abuse. After all, the government knows you exist, you went to a public school, and you completely disappeared when your guardianship was transferred the day after the report was filed. That's suspicious on its own. I made a few redacted copies of your letters, and made a list of humans who know you based off of that, including a squib named Arabella Figg."

"What about Dudley? He's a minor."

"I suspect he'll be handed off to another guardian. I hate separating families, but it's better for him this way," Celestia said with some regret written on her face.

"Better?" Harry echoed.

Celestia nodded. "I don't like to judge based on upbringing, but who raises you is an important part of growing up. You being a good person in spite of that upbringing is remarkable. Your cousin, however, was raised to believe you were a freak, deserving of being punished, demeaned, and abused. What would happen to him if he grew up and was put in the same situation as his parents?" she asked gently.

"He'd be just like them," Harry realized. He suddenly understood Celestia's motives. Dudley would continue a cycle of bad habits if nothing changed.

"You ready to go?" Twilight asked, grabbing Harry's hand.

"I've been ready for months," he replied.

"Then let's go," Celestia said. "It's time we all return home."

She raised her hand and a halo of lights surrounded them. Harry closed his eyes as the light reached blinding levels. Harry felt himself being pulled along by the magic calling him to Equestria. He felt his body shift to an equine, everything changing to fit an Equestrian unicorn pony. He felt no wings on his back like his dreams. When Harry opened his eyes he was greeted not by the houses of Privet Drive but the halls of Canterlot, windows lit by the light of Celestia's setting sun. He was back in Equestria.

"Harry!"

"Twilight!"

The two were steamrolled by six bodies of five ponies and one dragon piling on them in a massive hug. Behind them, Celestia let out a small laugh at her little ponies' expense. Harry and Twilight laughed as their friend's embrace engulfed them. Harry was finally somewhere he felt he belonged, with his friends.

There was nothing worth more than that.
> Chapter 39: Epilogue Of Fire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Harry and the rest separated, Celestia took her chance to get their attention by walking close to their group.

"I'm glad to see you are all happy, my little ponies, but I'm afraid there are a few small details I must discuss with Harry before I can send you back to Ponyville," she said gently.

"Details? What do we have left to do?" Harry asked.

"Well, first off you need a proper apology."

"Apology? From who?"

"Why, from me, of course," said a more unfamiliar voice. Everypony turned to see Discord appear in the room.

"Discord?" Harry said incredulously.

"Yes, me. You see, I have been informed that catapulting teenagers through multiversal barriers without their consent is a frowned upon practice. So... I'm sorry, I guess," Discord said quickly.

"Wow. Discord apologized. Didn't think I'd see the day," Applejack commented, looking as stunned as anypony else.

"It took a while to convince him," Fluttershy whispered.

"And, to make up for my apparent slight, I got you this, enjoy." Discord reached into his ear to draw out a clock.

It wasn't like any clock Harry had seen before. First off, it had a few extra hands. Second, the extra hands were moving in a manner that made no sense. One hand was spinning backward at speeds too fast to track, and another was slowly moving inward instead of rotating. Similar abnormalities were present throughout the device.

"Uh, thanks, I think?" Harry said. "Uh... what is it?"

"Why, it's a clock, couldn't you tell? One that tracks time in both this universe and your own! This whole multiversal fiasco was caused by your little time-dilation problem. Your world naturally experiences time faster than ours, but the relationship inverts while you're here, as you've spent time in both. This can help you tell time if you can read it!" Discord pushed the clock to rest next to Harry. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a- um- a golf game to catch!" Discord snapped his fingers and was dressed in golfing gear; another snap and he vanished completely.

"Well, that was..." Twilight started.

"Weird?" Rainbow guessed.

"Kooky?" Pinkie Pie said.

"Nice," Fluttershy declared quietly.

"Yeah, let's go with that," Harry said. He floated his "gift" over to his bags and put it away.

"Well, that's one of our topics of discussion taken care of," Celestia noted. "Why don't you girls go wait outside? I have a few last things to discuss with Harry before you return."

The mane six, plus Spike and Hedwig, exited the room, leaving Harry with Celestia. Twilight and Rarity took Harry's luggage with them. With just the two of them here, Harry shuffled his hooves awkwardly.

"Celestia, why did you do that? I know letting me visit Equestria isn't a big deal, but what you said about being a ward of the government? What does that mean, and why was all that necessary?" Harry asked.

The monarch took a deep breath before she smiled gently.

"It was necessary because I despise people like your family. Nothing should excuse child neglect. Making you a ward of Equestria permanently removes you from their reach. And, seeing as you have no safety net to care for you over here, I thought it was appropriate," Celestia explained. "Being a ward of the state places the government as your legal guardian, meaning it provides some stability for a time. There is some paperwork for you to read in Ponyville, but that can be done later."

"So, the government is acting like an orphanage for me?" Harry inquired.

"Yes, but that brings me to my second point of discussion," Celestia said. A piece of paper and a quill appeared between the two. "Though you have visited twice and are a ward of the government, you are not yet a citizen of Equestria. That is a detail we could rectify immediately. Normally, this would take longer, but with the recent population influx, I've been able to bend a few rules. By signing here, you accept a second nationality as a full-fledged citizen of Equestria, if you want to be."

Celestia held the paper out for Harry to read. Harry looked at the sheet of parchment hovering in front of him, not really paying attention to the words written. The question was a no-brainer. The unicorn didn't even think twice when he took the quill in his magic and scribbled his name on the dotted line.

"I'd be honored to be a part of Equestria," Harry said without hesitation.

Celestia smiled sweetly. The paper and quill vanished as quickly as they appeared.

"Than that covers almost everything we have to discuss for today."

"Today?"

"Yes, there are some important items to take care of, your scar being one such item," Celestia said. "Did you ever discover it's nature?"

"No," Harry grumbled. "I couldn't find anything, Dumbledore doesn't know or isn't telling me something, and Cadance's protection broke when Voldemort returned. It hasn't done anything yet."

"That is most unfortunate. May I see it?" she asked.

Harry walked forward so Celestia could pass her horn over his head. Her horn glowed gold as Harry's scar turned black. Celestia's face contorted as she concentrated.

"Cadance and Luna were right, there is something in here. I cannot believe I never sensed it before, it must have hidden its presence. There is a terrible darkness inside. It is full of malice, hatred, and an unwillingness to move on. This is more than a simple curse. It runs deep, it clings to your very soul. That is most concerning." Celestia withdrew her horn, serious contemplation written on her face.

"You know what it is?" Harry asked.

"Perhaps. Even in my many millennia of existence, I have encountered so very few that look anything like this. This thing is tied to you, mind, body, and soul. The soul is normally a very intangible construct contained in our bodies. Whatever is in you is made of similar stuff."

Harry felt a wave of revulsion.

"That thing is a soul?"

"Or something similar. I cannot be certain without a deeper study, but I will not risk hurting you by being hasty. However, there may be a solution I know of. It's ancient and takes time to prepare, but it may be able to remove this thing safely."

"You think so? How?" Harry asked.

"It is a long process, but it can separate this thing from you by channeling powerful alicorn magic. Thankfully, your scar is inactive." Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. "I won't tolerate one of my citizens being cursed. The next few weeks will be regrettably busy, but we can begin the process very soon. You could see Cadance during the Princess Summit."

Harry was stunned.

"I- I don't know what to say. Why are you doing so much for me?" Harry sniffed.

Celestia gently wrapped a wing around Harry. Even though she was a centuries-old monarch, the embrace felt personal and even motherly. Harry had never felt an embrace like this from an adult. It felt nice, this feeling of being cared for. Tears started to dot his eyes.

"I do this because I care," Celestia said softly. "You're one of us. A princess's ability to lead is only as good as her ability to serve. I want you to remember the ponies around you care and your friends won't hesitate to help you."

Harry separated from the Princess and wiped his eyes dry.

"Thank you for your help. These past few hours have been life-changing," Harry said, bowing his head.

"For the better, I'd hope," Celestia spoke. "For now, you may return home," she declared.

Harry bowed again and turned to leave the room with a smile on his face. Home. It felt weird, hearing the word home, and being happy about it. Harry liked that feeling. He liked it a lot. He was going to spend his summer somewhere nice, where he wasn't a freak of nature.

"One last thing," Celestia said suddenly. "I want to give you some advice. Twilight's life is going to change soon, and I want you to be there for her when it does," she said cryptically.

Harry nodded slowly, confused but accepting the request nonetheless. What does Celestia mean by changes? Harry pushed that thought away when he left the room. His friends were waiting for him.

"What did Celestia want?" Twilight asked.

"She made me a citizen of Equestria," Harry said. "I'll have to visit Cadance for a checkup on this," Harry tapped his scar, "but otherwise we can go back to Ponyville."

"But you're here to stay, right?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I'm here until school starts back up. When that is, I don't know, but we'll figure it out eventually," Harry said.

"All right!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "Hey, maybe we can try to make that sport you play, Quidditch. That ought to be fun!" The pegasus flew a few circles around Harry excitedly.

"You two can get started tomorrow, we have a train to catch," Twilight said. "Today has been hectic enough."

They walked through Canterlot, idly chatting about their days. Everyone had been making the best out of their day at Canterlot. When they made it to the train station they loaded Harry's items and boarded the last train to Ponyville. Twilight sat next to Harry in their train car. Their train route had a few extra stops, so it would take longer than usual. Thankfully, that gave enough time for Harry to drift off to sleep as Celestia lowered the sun.





Harry was dreaming, again. Well, either that or Twilight had secretly relocated him from the train in his sleep and turned him into an alicorn. So yes, he was definitely dreaming. He was in a large building, given the extensive and ornate hallways, but this building was better cared for than the Riddle Manor had been. It was without dust or rot in sight.

Harry was trotting down the halls as quietly as he could, fearful of being discovered like last time. All the doors Harry passed were closed and locked, except for one at the end of the hallway. Taking this as a sign, Harry crept closer and peeked in. It was a dark room, but Harry's eyes adjusted easily enough.

Voldemort's spirit was there. A large mirror floated before him as the only item in the room. The Dark Lord's spirit was tracing symbols through the air, whispering words Harry couldn't hear, concentrating on something in the mirror. His snake, coiled on the ground and holding Voldemort's wand with her tail, was pressing different symbols on the mirror with Voldemort's wand in response to his commands.

"I may not have a body or its magic anymore, but I still have servants to do my bidding. Now, show me Harry Potter," Voldemort commanded the mirror.

Harry watched in a mix of fear and curiosity as the mirror's image turned cloudy. Something beneath the surface twisted as a new image replaced the fog. It was Harry's dream form, the alicorn, as though the viewer were standing right behind him. The background was muddled and unrecognizable, leaving Harry the sole subject of the mirror. Harry froze, his mirror image doing to same. Voldemort tilted his head.

"What is this...?" Voldemort whispered aloud. "An illusion to hide the boy? But why such a form?" Voldemort pondered.

The Dark Lord's spirit reached out, toward Harry's mirror image. His hand was a mere inch away from the mirror when the image of Harry in the mirror moved.

The pony in the mirror no longer had Harry's head, but Discord's with a golfing cap.

"Greatings, how are you?" Discord said with a wicked grin. There was a flash of light as Harry's image was replaced completely by Discord's. "I ask because you look dreadful."

Voldemort floated back in surprise. "Another illusion?" he said.

Discord shook his head and wagged a claw mockingly. The draconequus snapped his fingers and the mirror disappeared entirely. In its place stood a man in the middle to late age range. His eyes were yellow and red, the same as Discord's. His skin was a dark grey. He had white eyebrows and a beard to match, though his hair was black. He was dressed in a brown vest, the shirt underneath having mismatched sleeves. His pants were similarly mismatched, one leg green and another a light brown.

"Talking to disembodied voices is dull, so I can loan you a body for now." Discord snapped his fingers again, and Voldemort dropped to the ground, his phantasmic body suddenly solid again. The dark lord drew his wand from Nagini's coils, pointing it at Discord. Harry was beyond shocked Discord would do that.

"So, you're that wizard Harry's been making a fuss about. Moldywart or whatnot. Can't say I'm terribly impressed, but I wasn't expecting much," Discord said.

"I am Lord Voldemort," Voldemort corrected.

"Right, whatever. I can't remember names I don't care about. You may call me Discord, name, occupation, and title." Discord gave a mocking bow.

"I take it you are the one preventing me from finding Harry Potter?" Voldemort hissed.

"Well, more or less. You aren't going to find him anyway. It's not my fault you're looking in all the wrong places."

"Then you know where he is?" Voldemort demanded. "Tell me!"

"Oh, now where's the fun in-"

"Crucio!" Voldemort shouted.

Discord doubled over.

"Ah! Ah! Stop it! Stop! That tickles!" Discord said. He stopped laughing and stood up straight. "Okay, that was a lie. Try feathers next time," he said in a deadpan voice.

Voldemort took another step back, shocked. He looked down at his wand, still blackened from its duel with Harry's.

"How... How is my magic so weak? I am feared as the most dangerous wizard alive, how do you people resist me so?" Voldemort demanded.

Discord chuckled and shrugged. "I'm afraid we're just built differently. I suppose we should get onto business," Discord said. He snapped his fingers and reclined back on an ornate lopsided throne he conjured. "Anyways, I normally wouldn't care what you do; I'm reformed, not heroic. However, I would greatly appreciate it if you could not be stalking a minor during his summer break."

"What are you? Another one of Potter's friends?" Voldemort scowled.

"I wouldn't say friend, more like we share six mutual acquaintances," Discord said.

Six more Discords showed up, each one the color of one of the Element bearers. They looked at each other before vanishing.

"Those girls," Voldemort realized. "They chose Potter's side. They and their friends will die like the rest for standing in my way," he declared.

Discord closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"And you just had to suck the joy out of it," Discord said. "I try to have a little fun, but you're worse than old Sunbutt—"

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort shouted.

A jet of green light blasted at Discord, striking him in the chest. Discord dramatically grasped his chest and crumpled to the ground. A second Discord walked into the room and looked at the first one, much to Voldemort's surprise.

"Glad I'm not that guy." Discord chuckled. "You know, I can't decide if you're boring or not. But if you want me to be serious, here are my terms and conditions."

Discord reverted to his draconequus form as he hovered off his throne. The room around them gave a great lurch as it started to tumble in circles. Voldemort and Harry were left floating weightless. Voldemort raised his wand, only to find he was holding a rubber chicken which squawked as he tried to cast a spell. Then the rubber chicken fell through Voldemort's hands, his body incorporeal again.

"Allow me to make one thing clear, Tom," said Discord in the most serious tone Harry had ever heard from him. "What you do or try to do to Harry during his school year is none of my business, I'm not particularly fond of him. But don't ever, ever, look for him or his friends during the summer. Find something else to do. Keep looking for him, and I will turn you into the largest jigsaw puzzle in this universe."

Discord and the room seemed the grow by several magnitudes until Harry and Voldemort were mere bugs by comparison. A large crystal ball appeared in Discord's avian claw, and a blue flame lit over his paw.

"But if you dare to hurt the first friend I've had in my eons of existence, prophecy or not, I will end your existence, personally!" Discord declared in a booming voice. The crystal ball in his claw was crushed into shards. Harry flapped his wings in an attempt to retreat. He had never seen Discord be anything other than nonchalant or mischievous. This was beyond terrifying.

And then Harry woke up.





Harry fell out of his seat with a shout, tumbling onto the train car floor. He picked himself up quickly, noticing everypony else was still asleep. Harry took a moment to breathe and calm down.

"Do you think I went overboard?" Discord's voice said.

Harry jumped and turned around, high on adrenaline. Discord was sitting in Harry's seat, a clipboard held in his paw.

"I'm giving myself a nine out of ten for presentation, but a seven out of ten for enjoyment. Does that seem fair?" The draconequus asked.

"That- that was scary," Harry stuttered.

"There's a box for that."

"Full marks. Please don't do whatever that was again," Harry said.

Discord shrugged and took a bite out of his clipboard.

"Well," Discord swallowed the clipboard in his mouth, "I was going to have some fun with him, turn his snake into a balloon animal, turn the room inside out, give him a nose, et cetera, et cetera. If I can pilfer a furby for a scavenger hunt, I'm sure I could have come up with something good."

"The rubber chicken was nice," Harry said awkwardly.

"Yes, it was. But he just had to go and ruin the fun—"

"When he threatened Fluttershy," Harry realized.

"Well, yes, there's that, I suppose."

"Thanks for that," Harry said. "I'm sure she'd be proud of you, I know I appreciated it."

Discord looked a little surprised at the praise.

"Oh- well- yes," Discord stuttered. "Well, it's not like I did much, it's unlikely he can do much to you here anyway."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

Discord vanished, reappearing with a large blackboard marked with mathematical jibber-jabber.

"Well, you see, your original letter made it through to our dimension around the time of Nightmare Moon's defeat and the awakening of the Elements of Harmony. Twilight repurposed the mailing spell for interdimensional communication, it's Equestrian magic by nature. And ever since you were brought here, both you and the passage between our words has been saturated with Equestrian magic. I find it highly unlikely your people could create a stable portal, the passage is so used to our world's magic, yours might not work," Discord explained.

"So Voldemort can't get to me?" Harry asked.

"He doesn't have the body to try it. And if he did, it's unlikely. He doesn't know you're in another universe. He's looking for the desert in a forest. You're so far removed from your own universe and its parallel timelines that almost nothing you do here can impact its universal balance."

"So I'm safe?"

"In a relative manner of speaking," Discord said with another smirk.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at the other ponies in the train car, all asleep. Harry hadn't dragged his problems with him. But that meant his problems were still running loose in his old world. He couldn't rely on them alone.

"I should learn combative magic," Harry declared.

"A nice idea. Everypony needs a strong leader." Discord nodded along.

"Leader?" Harry asked.

Discord looked surprised, quickly checking something on his half-eaten clipboard.

"Ponyfeathers, wrong one. Bye!"

Discord vanished in a flash. Harry cocked his head to the side, confused. He shook it off as Discord being Discord and sat back in his seat.

"Okay? You know what, that probably wasn't important anyway."

He looked out the window to see that Ponyville was in sight. This was his new home, one with friends, magic, and care. He was going to love it here.
> Chapter 1: Magical Mystery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight was woken up by Harry telling her they were arriving in Ponyville. After disembarking the train, she and the others all bid each other goodnight. That meant Twilight, Harry, Spike, and Hedwig were left to walk to Twilight's home, sharing Harry's luggage between them. When they got to the treehouse, there were two packages on the front step. Harry picked one up.

"Ward of the State. Hm, must be that paperwork Celestia talked about," Harry said.

Twilight peered over his shoulder, reading the rest of the package herself.

"Looks like an info packet. You should read it tomorrow, it's late," Twilight said.

"No argument there," replied Harry.

Twilight picked up the second package as they walked inside. She took a book and paper from within the box. She held the paper up to the dim light and read the words aloud.

"Dear Twilight Sparkle, the spell contained on the last page of this book is Star Swirl the Bearded's secret unfinished masterpiece," Twilight gushed over the words. A spell written by Star Swirl the Bearded himself?! "Ooh! He was never able to get it right, and thus abandoned it. I believe you are the only pony who can understand and rewrite it. Princess Celestia." Twilight set down the note and opened the book.

"What did Celestia send you?" Harry asked.

"A spell book, one belonging to Star Swirl the Bearded! And she wants me to finish one of his spells!" She giggled. "Oh, but it's so dark. Can one of you light a candle?"

"I'll try," Harry said. His horn flickered for a second, then a nearby candle lit up. Harry levitated the candle over Twilight's shoulder.

"Thanks, Harry. Now, last page, last page..." Twilight flipped through the book. "From one to another, another to one. A mark of one's destiny singled out alone, fulfilled." Twilight chanted. "That doesn't make any sense. It doesn't even rhyme!"

Why would one of the greatest unicorns ever make a spell that doesn't even sound good to cast?

"What does it do?" Harry asked.

"It doesn't say," Twilight said with a shrug. "I can retry Star Swirl the Bearded's spell tomorrow morning."

"Good, I don't want magic going off at three AM," Spike said.

"Ditto," Harry agreed.

"Fine. Let's get you set up for the night, Harry," Twilight said. "Welcome to your new home: Ponyville," she said with a smile.

Harry smiled back. What could go wrong?





The sky was bright, the birds were singing, and the breeze was just right. It was a perfect morning in Ponyville, and nothing could ruin that for its newest resident.

Harry hopped out of bed with a mighty stretch and a yawn. On the opposite bed, Twilight was doing to same. Harry looked out the nearby window, seeing the risen Sun and clear sky.

"A perfect morning, wouldn't you say?" Harry said to Twilight.

"Just another charm of mornings in Ponyville," she said.

Twilight walked towards the nearest window, and Harry noticed she had a little more... bounce in her steps. A weird sensation was bubbling up in Harry like his heart was matching a melody. Twilight opened her window to let fresh air and sunlight into her home, a smile on her face. Her voice rang out, clear and confidant.

"Morning in Ponyville shimmers

Morning in Ponyville shines"

Harry realized she was singing. He followed her as she left the house.

"Are you really singing a morning solo?"

"You can make it a duo," Twilight said. Harry shook his head, deciding to give it a try.

"And I know for absolute certain

That everything is certainly fine"

The two walked on, Harry following her musical leads. He didn't even know he could sing!

"There's the Mayor en route to her office

There's the sofa clerk selling some quills"

"Morning, kids!"

"Our Ponyville is so gentle and still

Can things ever go wrong?

I don't think that they will"

Twilight performed a quick dance on a nearby table, another pony mimicking her. Harry offered her a hoof to get down as they continued on side by side.

"Morning in Ponyville shimmers

Morning in Ponyville shines

And I know for absolute certain

That everything is certainly—"

A large douse of rainwater cut the two off at the apex of their song.

"Rainbow Dash, that's not funny!" Twilight shouted.

But instead of Rainbow Dash's proud voice, a refined accent replied. "Terribly sorry, darling. I'm afraid I'm... I'm not good with the thundery ones," Rarity said.

Harry's jaw dropped and Twilight gasped. Why was Rarity controlling the weather? Twilight and Harry realized the moment they saw Rarity's cutie mark, it was Rainbow Dash's!

"Something tells me everything is not going to be fine," Twilight exclaimed.

Harry and Twilight approached Rarity, still stunned by her cutie mark's bizarre change.

"What are you doing? What happened to your cutie mark?" Twilight demanded of her friend.

"Whatever do you mean, Twilight? I'm simply doing what I've done since the day it first appeared. Does my sky look fabulous or what?" Rarity gushed over her patchwork of clouds. Several ponies started voicing very vocal complaints. "Too last season?"

Harry and Twilight shared confused glances.

"Where is Rainbow Dash? Why isn't she handling this?" Twilight demanded angrily.

"Excuse me," Harry turned to a nearby stallion, "do you know where Rainbow Dash is?"

"She lives in the cottage at the edge of town. Start towards the path leading to the Everfree Forest, you can't miss," the stallion said.

That's the location of Fluttershy's hut. Why's she there?

"Thanks!" Harry said. "Twilight, I know where Rainbow Dash is! Come on, we're going to Fluttershy's."

Twilight and Harry rushed out of the crowd, sights set on Fluttershy's cottage.

"I don't get it. Why does Rarity have Rainbow Dash's cutie mark?" Twilight pondered.

"Are cutie marks not supposed to change?" Harry asked, glancing at his blank flank.

"No, they don't. A cutie mark is an immutable symbol of our identity. Once is appears it can't be changed by anything, and no two marks are completely the same," Twilight explained.

"Then how bad is this?"

"We can discover that once we find Rainbow Dash. You're sure that stallion said this was Rainbow Dash's cottage?" Twilight said as she knocked on the door.

Rainbow Dash peaked her head out, a cacophony of animal noises following her.

"Hey, guys," the pegasus said.

"Rainbow Dash! Why is Rarity doing your job?" Twilight asked.

There was a crashing noise and Rainbow Dash disappeared inside before she could answer.

Twilight opened the door. "And what in Equestria is going on in... here?" she said in shock.

The place was a mess! Animals were moving about in a frenzy, so unlike the normal serenity of Fluttershy's cottage. Rainbow Dash was zipping about, expressing her panic in song. Just one of those days, apparently.

"These animals don't listen, no, not one little bit

They run around out of control and throw their hissy fits

It's up to me to stop them, 'cause plainly you can see

It's got to be my destiny, and it's what my cutie mark is telling me"

Harry and Twilight shared terrified looks as Rainbow Dash sang. She had Fluttershy's cutie mark!

"We need to get the others!" Harry exclaimed. "Let's find them."

He and Twilight ran as fast as they could to Sugarcube Corner. When they looked inside, it was Fluttershy throwing a party. The shy pegasus was singing to herself, looking ashamed as she was unable to get a giggle out of anypony.

"I try to keep them laughing, put a smile upon their face

But no matter what I try, it seems a bit of a disgrace

I have to entertain them, it's there for all to see

It's got to be my destiny, and it's what my cutie mark is telling me"

"Pinkie Pie's mark," Twilight said as they rushed away.

After some help, the two found Pinkie down at Sweet Apple Acres. Her poofy hair was flat, and her expression less than cheery.

"I don't care much for picking fruit and plowing fields ain't such a hoot

No matter what I try, I cannot fix this busted water chute!

I've got so many chores to do, it's no fun being me

But it has to be my destiny, 'cause it's what my cutie mark is telling me"

"Let's find Applejack," said Twilight.

"Let's check the Boutique," said Harry.

Applejack was found at Rarity's house, trying to do Rarity's job of dressmaking. It was... less than pretty. fabrics were strewed about the building in an absolute mess.

"Lookie here at what I made, I think that it's a dress

I know it doesn't look like much, I'm under some distress

Could y'all give me a hand here and help me fix this mess?

My destiny is not pretty, but it's what my cutie mark is telling me"

And Rarity was exactly where she was found earlier, unable to make the weather right.

"I'm in love with weather patterns, but the others have concerns

For I just gave them frostbite over top of their sunburns

I have to keep on trying, for everyone can see"

It's what my cutie mark is telling me!"

Harry and Twilight looked at each other. This was so much worse than they could have imagined. They ran as fast as they could back to Twilight's house. Twilight rushed through the door in a nervous fit.

"This is bad. This is very, very bad," she said.

"What's going on?" Spike asked.

"I don't know if you've been paying attention, but Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity all got their cutie marks swapped!" Harry replied.

"What, how?" the dragon asked.

"It must have been the spell I cast," Twilight realized. She pointed at the glass container for the Elements of Harmony. They were all the wrong colors. "I cast the spell so I could find out what it was, but nothing seemed to happen. But now I know something did happen. The spell has changed the Elements of Harmony! That must be why their cutie marks are all wrong!"

"So just cast a counter-spell to switch them back," Spike said.

"There is no counter-spell!" Twilight protested.

"Why don't you just use that memory spell you used to fix everypony when Discord was here?"

"It's not their memories, Spike. It's their true selves that have been altered!"

"Zecora's cure for the cutie pox?"

"That won't work either..."

Twilight started to move up the stairs while Harry remained in thought.

"I have an idea," Harry said. "If the spell mixed up their cutie marks, why don't we just recast the spell a few more times? We go until the Elements are back in place," He suggested.

Twilight rubbed her chin with her hoof, then shook her head.

"I don't know, I messed it up pretty bad, I don't want to make it worse," Twilight said hesitantly.

"Come on, how does it get worse?" Harry said, opening the book himself, horn aglow. "From one to another, another to one. A mark of one's destiny singled out alone, fulfilled."

The two waited for something to happen, but nothing did.

"Maybe Twilight should do it?" Spike suggested.

"No, I won't. Their destinies are now changed, and it's all my fault," Twilight said.

Twilight continued up the stairs, leaving Spike and Harry alone. The dragon and unicorn watched and listened as a sad song drifted from Twilight's room.

"We need to fix this," Harry said, pacing.

"But how? You heard Twilight, she doesn't know how to fix the Elements," Spike protested.

"Then we do our jobs as friends, and we help her. Even if that means we just stand there while she fixes this herself, we will be there for her," Harry declared.

"How does that fix our problem?"

"It doesn't, but Twilight knows more about the Elements— and her friends— than anypony. We're not going to let her give up on our friends," Harry said. "She didn't give up against Discord, and we're not letting her stop now. Come on."

Spike followed Harry as he marched right up the stairs to where a dejected Twilight sat on her bed.

Harry sat next to her. "Hey, Twilight. How you feeling?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Awful. What have I done?" she bemoaned.

"An honest mistake, nothing more," Harry said gently.

"Aw, come on, Twilight, you'll figure out a way to fix this. These are your friends." Spike tried to cheer her up.

"I don't know," she said.

"That doesn't sound like the Twilight I know," Harry replied. He stood in front of her defiantly. "When Nightmare Moon kidnapped Celestia, who didn't give up?"

"Well, my friends—"

"You. You started that, and your friends followed you," Harry counted her words. "When Discord forced your friends to be the opposite of their true selves, did you give up on them?"

"No—"

"Then why stop now?" Harry demanded. "You know them best, you can fix this, you can help them," Harry reassured Twilight.

A spark seemed to light up in Twilight's eyes. She hopped out of her bed, energy refilled.

"Harry, you're right. They mean more to me than anything." Twilight trailed off, looking at a photo of her and her friends. "My friends..."

Twilight stiffened, and her form started to shine with magic. Harry and Spike covered their eyes.

"Twilight? Are you alright?" Spike asked.

The unicorn turned around, radiating confidence with a smile. Her cutie mark briefly appeared in her eyes. She grabbed the box that once held the Elements, placing them back in.

"I may not be able to remind them of who they are, but I can show them what they mean to each other. They'll find the part of themselves that's been lost so they can help the friend they care about so much! Come on!" she announced, giving the box to Spike.

Harry and Spike shared a smile as the former human levitated the box and the dragon took a spot on Harry's back. Twilight was back in business. They ran across Ponyville, looking for the first friend they would find. And the first pony they found was Fluttershy, who looked ready to leave town on a balloon.

"Fluttershy, wait!" Twilight shouted.

"Oh... Hey, Twilight..." Fluttershy whimpered.

"Where are you going?" Twilight asked.

"I'm moving back to Cloudsdale. I don't know what's wrong, but I can't seem to make anypony laugh," the pegasus said.

"Before you go, I was wondering if you might be willing to help Rainbow Dash. She's really struggling with her animals," Twilight suggested.

"But... I don't really know anything about animals..." she protested.

"But you do know something about Rainbow Dash."

"I... know that she's a true friend, and I'll do anything I can to help her," Fluttershy agreed reluctantly.

The four friends made their way to Fluttershy's- no- Rainbow Dash's— or was it Fluttershy's?— cottage with haste. The home was a mess, the animals in full revolt!

"Rainbow Dash!" Harry yelled.

"Help, I'm in here!" came Rainbow's voice from a large cauldron.

"Harry, Twilight! Don't one of you have some sort of spell to get her out?" Fluttershy pleaded.

Harry and Twilight shook their heads simultaneously.

"No. Fluttershy, you're the only one who can help! Rainbow Dash needs you!" Twilight insisted.

Fluttershy approached the animals nervously.

"Um... Hello? Little... woodland creatures? I know that you're all very upset and feel like giving Rainbow Dash a hard time, but we'd all really appreciate it if you'd calm down and, um, maybe... rest for a bit?" Fluttershy asked tentatively. The animals paid attention to her, and Fluttershy grew nervous but kept going. She flew off before returning with a bowl of plants and nuts.

"Oh! Uh... look! Here's some nice, juicy leaves for you to munch on. And some crunchy, munchy acorns too. Uh, wouldn't you like to take a break and have a little snack?" The animals dropped their utensils to grab some food. "Aww, look at that. I guess you were all just cranky because you were hungry." Some of the animals chattered at her, saying things Harry didn't understand. "Oh, you are very welcome, little friends."

The bear in the room scooped her up in a big hug and placed an equally large kiss on her head. The other animals crowded around her excitedly.

"Goodness, it's like I can understand them!" Fluttershy whispered excitedly.

The yellow pegasus started to glow pink. Harry held out the Element of Kindness and rushed at Fluttershy.

"I... I feel strange, like... like this is what I'm meant to do, like this is who I am! My destiny! "

Harry clamped the Element on Fluttershy. The Element's color reverted to pink, and Fluttershy's gaze became unfocused as if reliving a potent memory. When the light faded Fluttershy landed on the ground.

"Wha... what happened?"

"Fluttershy, look! Your cutie mark!" Twilight exclaimed, pointing.

True to Twilight's words, Fluttershy's was once again three pink butterflies, not balloons. It was back to normal!

"You did it, Twilight!" Harry said.

"It worked! It worked! Oh, I'm so happy you're back to normal! Now we need your help!" Twilight said. She took a step back, smiling. Fluttershy smiled back.

"Um, hello? Friend trapped inside, remember?" Rainbow Dash complained.

Harry untied the blue pegasus from her rope, smiling. Everyone had their work cut out to return their friends to normal.

But they could fix this, together.





It took a while, but through effort and determination everypony's cutie marks were put back in place and the damages had been reversed. Everypony was back where they belonged. The farm was fixed, dresses were selling, the weather was back, animals were happy, and Ponyville was cheery again. And seven friends were bundled in a group hug, everything back in its proper place.

"Wait a second, that's it! I understand now! I know how to fix the spell!" Twilight said, breaking the levitating group hug.

"Well, it's a bit late for that, we already fixed everything," Harry said.

"I can recast it to unfix it and let you have a go," Twilight snarked good-naturedly.

"Nope, go right on ahead."

The eight friends rushed back to Twilight's house. Twilight pulled out the large book that contained the troublesome spell. She pulled out a purple quill and started to write another line.

"From all of us together, together we're friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end!"

Twilight put the spell book away smiling. Then something unexpected happened.

The Element of Magic glowed brightly, the others matching it. Bright beams of light fired out of the necklaces, engulfing Twilight in a sphere of light. The intensity grew, blinding the room's occupants. Then, as soon as it happened, the light vanished. Harry peaked his eyes open.

Twilight was gone!

A patch of burnt ground was the only evidence of anything out of the ordinary.

"What happened?" Fluttershy murmured.

"The spell! It did something to Twilight!" Spike shouted.

"Yeah, we noticed!" Harry yelled back.

Harry grabbed the book back, turning to the last pages. He looked for some form of a description of the spell, already knowing Twilight hadn't found one.

"No! Who writes a spell without a description!? We don't even know what it did to her!" Harry yelled out loud, slamming the book on the ground.

"There has to be some counter-spell, right?" Rainbow Dash demanded.

"There isn't one!" Spike protested. "And Twilight clearly didn't write one!"

"Can we use it to follow her? Take us wherever the hay it sent her?" Applejack asked.

"I- I don't know!" Harry yelled back. "Why are you asking me?!"

"Because you know more about teleporting spells than us, and you study magic," Rarity reasoned.

"I'm not that good, and I'm a student in human magic! Twilight wrote the interdimensional mailing spell and the summoning..." Harry trailed off. An idea formed in his head. "Spike, does Twilight still have her notes on those spells?"

"Yep," Spike replied. The young dragon vanished up the stairs and returned with a set of papers, already having guessed Harry's plan.

"Alright, somepony write a letter to Twilight now, and I'll try to figure out summoning. Spike, inform the princess, please," Harry said.

Rarity grabbed a paper and quill, Spike doing the same. Harry started speed-reading the notes.

"Where are you, are you safe?" Rarity said as she wrote the message out.

"Dear Princess Celestia, Twilight finished Star Swirl the Bearded's spell, but disappeared! We need help as soon as you may be able to offer it," Spike wrote quickly.

When Rarity handed the note back. Harry looked up at Spike, both nodding as they sent the papers off.

"Good, now we see if anything comes back. Hopefully, Celestia can bring back Twilight," Harry said.

"And if she can't?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"My spell only works when the subjects are separated by some dimensional barrier. If we're lucky Twilight can send back a letter, but hopefully—" Harry was cut off by two sounds at the door.

Harry rushed to the door as fast as he could. Two letters lay on the ground. The same letters Harry and Spike sent. Rarity picked the one she wrote up, inspecting it.

"Nothing, it's the exact same," Rarity said.

"So, your spell didn't work?" Applejack asked.

"Look at the sun, it's moving!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

Everypony looked up to see the setting sun take a dramatic plunge into the horizon. The evening sky darkened to a faint purple. They stepped outside as the sun continued its unusual path.

"Why is Celestia dropping the sun so quickly?" Spike asked.

"Could it be Nightmare Moon again?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"That doesn't explain Twilight's disappearance," Harry countered. "We can't mail Twilight, we need a plan B."

"Unless we go straight to Canterlot, we can't contact Celestia," Spike said. "And she's the only other pony who can use the summoning spell."

"What about Discord?" Harry said.

"Yeah, he's unreliable at best, he's plan D by default," Rainbow Dash said flatly.

Harry shook his head nervously. This can't be happening! Everything should've been fine! I'm supposed to be here with my friends, away from all my bad luck! This is all wrong! And now Twilight's gone, and there wasn't a thing I could do about it!

"So, what's the plan for a giant light in the sky?" Pinkie Pie asked, pointing up.

"What are you—"

Harry's question was cut off as a big bright star exploded into existence far above Ponyville. Its appearance exactly matched that of Twilight's cutie mark. The large star pulsated with a life of its own, descending slowly to the ground. Harry's throat tightened with apprehension and several emotions he couldn't place.

The star hit the ground, glowing so bright Harry could see it through his eyelids. But as the light faded, Harry could see somepony at the epicenter.

Twilight.
> Chapter 2: Magical Cure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Twilight opened her eyes back up, she had reappeared in Ponyville. It felt remarkably like her summoning spell, the returning journey from wherever she was before. Her body was so different, she had wings now! And her magic felt strange, a good strange, but strange nonetheless. And now she was back in Ponyville, with her friends—

Somepony slammed into Twilight, engulfing her in a crushing hug. It was a firm and desperate embrace. Said pony was a tan-yellow with a dark mane that had a single turquoise stripe. Harry.

"Twilight! You're okay!" Harry shouted, still latched to her. "I was so worried!"

"Harry, I'm fine, seriously," Twilight said.

"But we didn't know!" Harry protested. "You vanished without a trace!"

Twilight felt something wet on her shoulder. Tears. Harry was... crying?

"I thought... I thought you were... were..." Harry broke off, unable to finish the sentence.

Gone. Twilight knew that was the word he couldn't say. Harry didn't know what happened. To be honest, Twilight didn't understand everything that just happened to her, but Harry understood even less. Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Harry, returning the hug.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you," Twilight apologized softly. It wasn't like she could control the spell, but she didn't do it to worry anypony.

"Just, please, never do that again. I don't want to lose my best friend," Harry pleaded quietly.

Twilight held a little tighter to Harry, the ache in her chest getting worse. Making him nervous was the last thing on her mind.

"I promise," Twilight said with a sad little smirk.

The two separated after a moment. Twilight and Harry kept eye contact a moment longer, as though to reassure each other that they were both here. She could see the remains of streaks of tears on his face and felt that odd pain in her chest lift, just a little. She hadn't meant to worry him so much.

"Wha... I- I've never seen anything like it!" Applejack said, approaching the two.

Twilight lifted her wings to inspect them better.

"Ha! Twilight's got wings! Awesome!" Rainbow Dash said, poking Twilight's new appendages. "A new flying buddy!" she said jubilantly.

"Why, you've become an alicorn. I didn't even know that was possible," Rarity remarked.

"Alicorn party!" Pinkie Pie shouted, swinging from a swing. Twilight wouldn't ask where that came from.

"Wow... You look just like a princess!" Fluttershy said.

"That's because she is a princess," a voice declared. Everypony looked to see Celestia descending from the sky.

"Huh?" said most of the group in confusion.

"Hold on a second!" Pinkie Pie took a drink of water, and then spit it out.

Twilight was similarly shocked. Did Celestia just say what she thought she said?

"A... a princess?" echoed Twilight.

Celestia smiled proudly at Twilight. "Since you've come to Ponyville, you've displayed the charity, compassion, devotion, integrity, optimism, and of course, the leadership of a true princess."

"But... does this mean I won't be your student anymore?" Twilight replied.

"Not in the same way as before. I'll still be here to help and guide you, but we're all your students now, too. You are an inspiration to us all, Twilight," Celestia said.

Then the Princess did something nopony expected. She bowed to Twilight, everypony eventually following suit. Twilight stepped back, a little surprised.

"But... what do I do now? Is there a book about being a Princess I should read?" Twilight asked, more than a little overwhelmed and confused.

Harry tried (and failed) to hide a laugh behind his hoof; Celestia merely chuckled.

"There will be time for all of that later," Celestia said sagely. "For now, there will be things you must adjust to, your coronation being one of them."

"Coronation?" Twilight echoed. I'm getting a coronation? Well, I guess that makes some sense, Celestia did say I'm a princess.

"You are now a Princess of Equestria. There are some... traditions and ceremonies you will partake in," said Celestia "If you are ready and able, I can take you all to Canterlot now. I suspect the ceremonies will take no longer than a week."

Of course, there are things to do, I should've known that! Twilight turned back to her friends, feeling sheepish.

"So, um... yeah," she said slowly, not sure what to say.

"You're a princess," Harry said as though he were still wrapping his mind around it. "That's... that's going to change some things."

"But our friendship won't," said Applejack.

"Yeah, we're here for you, Twilight. Besides, somepony's got to teach you to fly," said Rainbow Dash.

"Being a Princess is such a responsibility. I can't imagine how busy you'll be, especially with the Princess Summit and the Summer Sun Celebration coming around the corner," said Rarity.

"That's why I'm not sure about this," Twilight said. She started to pace back and forth, anxious. There was so much for her to think about. "It's an honor, but I've never studied to be a Princess, I don't know the first thing about—"

Twilight's nervous rant was cut off by Harry placing his hoof on her shoulder.

"Then you'll learn how, like you always do," Harry said.

Twilight smiled at Harry. He was right. At one point, everything was new to her, so she learned. Being a princess would be no different. Okay, maybe a little different. No, very different. But she could do this.

"Alright then, let's go to Canterlot."





The journey to Canterlot was... quiet. Celestia had several pegasi carriages sent to take the group back. The eight friends were paired up in each carriage, with Harry and Twilight sharing one. Harry couldn't think of anything to say, the emotions within couldn't be expressed in any words. This entire day was just too much.

"Twilight, what happens now?" Harry said.

"What do you mean?" Twilight replied.

"Well, with you officially becoming a Princess in a few days, what happens to me?"

"You say that like I'm going to dump you with estranged relatives."

"It's already happened once on Earth," Harry grumbled. "I mean, once you become a princess, you'll have royal duties. And we were planning for me to stay in Ponyville until school started again. I haven't even read the packet on being a ward of the state yet," he explained.

"Well, I suppose that's true," Twilight admitted. "But we'll figure it out as we go. We've played it by ear this far, what's a little more?"

Harry didn't respond to Twilight. This wasn't just about his summer plans, but his friendship with Twilight. She was a princess. The others were bearers of the Elements of Harmony and Spike was her faithful assistant. What was Harry? A penpal who had only seen her a handful of times?

"Harry, whatever you're thinking, stop it. I know what that silence means," Twilight scolded lightly. "You tried to ghost me the third year when you thought you were burdening me with your 'tragic story'. Our friendship isn't going to change because of my position."

Harry stiffened a little bit. Why did his best friend have to be so perceptive? Hermione was attentive, but Twilight bordered telepathic when reading him.

"I wasn't thinking that," Harry lied irritably.

"Yes, you were," scolded Twilight.

"So what if I was?! It's not like my whole life has been turned upside down several times this year!" scathed Harry.

"Your life? I got turned into an alicorn!" retorted Twilight.

"Excuse me?" one of the pegasi pulling the airborne carriage asked.

"What!?" Harry and Twilight demanded.

"I know it is not my place to say, but do you really want your first act as Princess to be a fight with one of your subjects?" asked the pegasus.

"We're not fighting!" Twilight and Harry shouted in unison.

They blushed shortly after, embarrassed. Both were silent for several more minutes as they flew towards Canterlot, choosing to look at their hooves or the clouds. Harry berated himself for starting an argument with Twilight, again. Eventually, he managed to get his act together.

"Are we going to say it again?" he asked.

"Say what?" replied Twilight.

"The same apologies we made at the Crystal Empire. You know, I'm sorry for not respecting your responsibilities, and you're sorry for forgetting my turbulent life story," Harry surmised their last argument.

"We're getting predictable, aren't we?" Twilight chuckled rhetorically. This got Harry to laugh. Predictable would be an amazing change of pace for him. "But, believe me when I say I won't let anything change what's between us. I know how much I mean to you, and I know it doesn't feel right for things to be changing this fast, but we'll manage," she said with a smile.

Harry smiled back. Yeah, Twilight hadn't been writing lessons about friendship to allow for it to be thrown away.

"So you're not quarreling anymore?" The pegasus asked.

"Just fly," Harry and Twilight commanded.

They had to stop speaking in unison.





The preparations for Twilight's coronation happened surprisingly quickly. At this point, Harry suspected Celestia had known Twilight would ascend. Canterlot was abuzz with news and ponies who were eager to see the new princess. Twilight, of course, had kept herself out of public view until the official ceremony. Her friends and family were able to see her, obviously, but there was so much to do.

Well, so much for Twilight to do, not Harry.

There was only so much he could do while in Canterlot. Harry had gotten himself a nice suit to wear for the event and then waited for anything interesting to happen. The other Element Bearers were expected to stand next to Twilight. Spike, Harry, and even Shining Armor were to be somewhere else in the room; not that they minded much. After all, this was Twilight's special day, not theirs. So Harry decided to take a walk through Canterlot the morning of the coronation, to clear his mind and burn some time. He was walking past a café when somepony addressed him.

A very posh voice asked, "Excuse me, young colt, you wouldn't happen to be one of the new Princess's friends, would you? Rumor is you were with her when she arrived."

Harry stopped and turned around. There was a white unicorn with a blonde mane standing behind him. The stallion's cutie mark was something like a compass, or an over-stylized sun if he squinted and twisted his head.

"Excuse me?" Harry asked, having forgotten the question.

"I asked if you were one of the ponies that arrived with the new princess. I've been trying to ask, but the guards won't let the rest of us in," the stallion said.

"Oh. Well, yes, I did come here with—"

"Then you must know her!" the stallion interrupted. "I'm Prince Blueblood, a distant nephew of Princesses Celestia. I've been trying to get in to see the new princess, but even us royals have been having some... difficulties. You must let me meet the new princess!" the stallion, Blueblood, said.

This pony was starting to look like a less malicious Malfoy to Harry. Not evil, but merely believing himself above others.

"Well, that's unfortunate," Harry deadpanned. "Guess you'll have to wait, like everypony else."

"But you don't. Word travels fast in Canterlot. You've been walking in and out of the castle all week. The only others who can do that have an affiliation with the princess. Come on, how do you know the princess?" Blueblood insisted strongly.

"He knows the princess?" asked a nearby mare, having overheard them.

"Can he introduce us?" asked another stallion.

Before long, a small crowd was gathering around Harry, battering him with questions and false pleasantries. They all wanted to see Twilight for themselves. Harry was constantly backpedaling, trying to get out of the amassing crowd.

"What's going on here!?" somepony shouted.

The crowd went still as a familiar white stallion in royal guard armor walked forward. Prince Shining Armor trotted toward the large group, focused on the center of it.

"Prince Shining Armor! What a pleasant surprise," one of the mares exclaimed.

"Wish I could say the same. What's with this crowd?" Shining Armor pushed through the crowd, which parted before him. Shining Armor eventually ended up next to Harry. "Harry? What are you doing here?"

"Going for a walk, what else?" said Harry flatly.

"Come on, let's head back to the castle," said Shining Armor.

Making sure Harry was sticking close to him, Shining Armor escorted the younger pony back to the castle. Harry realized why they were following the prince's commands. Unlike the other "royals", Shining Armor was actual royalty because he married Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. He had bonafide authority over the guards and government, albeit less than the alicorns.

"Let me guess, those vultures ambushed you the moment they saw you?" Twilight's brother asked.

Harry nodded along.

"Yeah. Being the friend of a princess draws more attention than I thought," said Harry.

"Been there, let me tell ya," Shining Armor laughed. "Now try being married to one. It's hectic, but Cadance is worth it."

"You're a prince, but you're also a captain of the guard. You have authority by merit," Harry rebutted. "And yeah, the attention is weird, but it's worth it for the ponies we care about."

"Talking about my sister?"

"Maybe," Harry said lightly with a smirk.

"Careful. She may be a princess, but that's my sister," Shining Armor said teasingly. "But, as her friend, you should get ready to be seen as the friend who stands next to the princess."

"Believe me, that would be a nice change of pace. I can finally be Harry Potter, not 'The Boy Who Lived'. A chance to earn recognition is preferable to fame by childhood accomplishment. I have a blank slate to be myself in Equestria," Harry replied.

Of course, being second fiddle to someone was... weird. Harry had been the center of attention, not that he tried to be because he was famous for something he didn't do. Twilight earned everything she had by her merit and effort alone. In Harry's mind, that put her on a higher pedestal than himself, who was famous for not being dead.

"I think we're going to get along just fine," Shining Armor said. "In the future, if you need anything, feel free to ask."

"It's nice to finally talk to you, properly. My last visit wasn't exactly convenient," Harry replied.

"Likewise. My little sis' speaks highly of her friends, but you—"

"Are you about to suggest we're in a relationship? It's getting old," Harry deadpanned. "I promise you, she's my best friend."

"No, not at all." Shining Armor laughed. His face suddenly became serious. "But if you are, you had better treat my little sister like she is the most special, important, and loved pony alive, princess or not."

Harry was taken aback by Shining Armor's sentence. It didn't feel like a threat, but there was power behind his words. Shining Armor stood back to his full height, back to his normal demeanor.

"See ya at the coronation, Harry!" the older stallion said as he trotted away.

Harry was practically rooted to the ground. He had no idea what that was about.





The ceremony was held in a grand hall in the Canterlot Castle. Ribbons, flowers, and decorations made the extravagant halls feel alive and joyous. Ponies filled out two aisles in the hall. Harry stood in the front row of the aisle, not far from Twilight's parents. Twilight's five Ponyville friends stood at the front, off to the side. Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance stood front and center in the hall, all three dressed in extravagant dresses.

Celestia stepped forward to speak.

"We are gathered here today in celebration of a momentous occasion. My most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, has done many extraordinary things since she's lived in Ponyville. She even helped reunite me with my sister, Princess Luna." Celestia shared a tender look with her sister.

"But today, Twilight Sparkle did something extraordinary. She created new magic, proving without a doubt that she is ready to be crowned Equestria's newest princess. Fillies and gentlecolts, may I present for the very first time, Princess Twilight Sparkle!"

The doors to the hall burst open, and Twilight strode in. She was also wearing a dress befitting of the occasion, looking gorgeous, as usual. Several ponies followed her, guards and singers. A choir sang as Twilight walked up to the other princesses.

"The Princess Twilight cometh

Behold, behold

A Princess here before us

Behold, behold, behold"

Spike lifted a pillow that held the Element of Magic, the crown remade for the ceremony. Celestia placed it on Twilight's head, and a light shined from within.

Harry looked at Shining Armor, who was standing nearby. Liquid dotted the edges of his eyes.

"Shining, are you crying?" Harry asked quietly.

"Can I be honest with you, one stallion to another?" Shining Armor whispered. Harry nodded. "Yes, I'm so proud of my little sister."

"Me too," Harry whispered back.

"Behold, behold

The Princess Twilight cometh

Behold, behold

The Princess is

The Princess is here!"

Twilight, Celestia, and Luna stepped out to a balcony that overlooked the crowd.

There was a moment of silence before Twilight spoke. "A little while ago, my teacher and mentor Princess Celestia sent me to live in Ponyville. She sent me to study friendship, which is something I didn't really care much about." Twilight looked back at the other five Ponyville residents, waving for them to walk over. Harry and Spike chose to stay back, letting those five have their moment.

"But now, on a day like today, I can honestly say I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for the friendships I've made with all of you. Each one of you taught me something about friendship, and for that, I will always be grateful. Today, I consider myself the luckiest pony in Equestria. Thank you, friends. Thank you, everypony!" Twilight announced.

The crowd erupted in cheers. Twilight and the rest turned away from the crowd. Harry, Shining Armor, Spike, and Cadance made their way up to Twilight.

"Twilight! I'm so proud of you!" Shining Armor declared.

The two shared a moment of silence. Twilight eventually noticed the liquid in her brother's eyes.

"Are you crying?" she asked, both teasing and surprised.

Shining Armor wiped the tears away.

"Of course not. It's... it's liquid pride. Totally different thing," he claimed.

"He cried rivers," chimed Harry.

Both siblings laughed and hugged. Shining Armor and Cadance backed off a bit.

"Way to go, Princess!" Applejack declared.

"Best coronation day ever!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

"We love you, Twilight," Fluttershy said.

The group went in for a hug. Harry stood by awkwardly.

"I love you too, girls!" Twilight replied. She then noticed Harry standing off to the side. "Get in here, Harry, you're our friend too, you know!"

Harry threw himself into the hug. He wasn't usually a "hug" guy, but he would make an exception for his best friend. A lot of exceptions. Eventually, they all separated.

"Come on, the rest of Canterlot awaits!" Twilight announced.

The mane six and Spike trotted off to exit the hall. Shining Armor leaned down to whisper in Harry's ear.

"You better go with them, before Twilight orders you to follow along," Twilight's brother whispered.

"But she's—"

"Your best friend. Trust me, go," Shining Armor urged.

"Hey, Harry, come along! We're not leaving without you!" Twilight shouted back, standing at the doorway.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Harry quipped as he trotted to follow his best friend— no— best friends. They were all friends here.

Harry galloped out to trott in line with his friends.

"So, what's next?" Harry asked.

"Didn't you read the schedule?" Twilight asked.

"There's a schedule? I thought it was just the coronation today."

"Are you kidding me?" said Rainbow Dash. "This is an awesomely important moment, the whole kingdom is going to want to see Twilight."

"This is a historic day," Rarity explained "The last time the royal balance of power shifted like this was Cadance's coronation—"

"And her wedding. I don't think Princesses Celestia or Luna ever married," Applejack added.

"Then how in Celestia's name is Blueblood a prince?" Harry demanded.

Everypony stopped moving for a second, thinking. Twilight opened her mouth to respond, only to close it and say nothing.

"I... I have no idea. The royalty have been saying stuff like this for so long, I think we all last track of why or how," she said.

"Questions for later, I don't want a headache at two in the afternoon," Rainbow said.

They all continued down the hall and some stairs. Eventually, they saw a large carriage pulled by royal guards. It was how Twilight was to be pulled around the kingdom, present for all to see and adore. The image of a purple eight-point star was emblazoned on the front, with a similar mark over the seat. In Harry's humble opinion, they should have used a six-point star.

A few minutes later, Twilight was being pulled in that royal carriage, Harry and the rest following close behind. Twilight's voice rang ahead of them.

"Life in Equestria shimmers

Life in Equestria shines

And I know for absolute certain"

Twilight jumped out to walk in step with the rest of them. Everyone joined in to sing.

"That everything

that everything

Yes, everything

yes, everything

Yes, everything is certainly fine

It's fine!"

Harry looked down from the castle tower the group stopped at, listening to the cheers and seeing the smiles on his friend's faces. Yes, life in Equestria was going to be great. It wasn't perfect, but it didn't need to be. After all, when you have people who look out for you, what could go wrong that couldn't be fixed together? The moment Harry realized this, he froze.

I just jinxed it, didn't I?
> Chapter 3: Cloudball
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the coronation and all the celebrations that followed ended, things settled to relative normality. Twilight returned to Ponyville a few days later, along with a veritable mountain of paper about what being a princess meant, royal expectations, and all that. Harry considered himself lucky that his only homework was his status as a citizen and a ward of the state. To simplify the latter, there was a monthly "allowance" of sorts and a bunch of stuff that detailed things he already knew about, like the age of adulthood and whatnot.

It was very boring stuff.

"Done!" Harry proclaimed proudly.

He slammed the completed Ward of the State forms on the desk he was working on. He had been working on it in between making modified quidditch gear and learning magic. He slipped the paper into an envelope and commanded it to go to the mailbox. Harry smiled as he watched it float away.

"I'm glad you're making progress," Twilight mumbled tiredly. She was slumped over her desk, another pile of paper stacked neatly. "I was up all night finishing these papers. Spike was taking a—"

"Seven-hour bubble bath, I know," Harry chuckled. "He fell asleep in the tub."

Twilight jerked her head up.

"That's not safe at all! Spike!" she scolded the dragon, who was scrolling through the shelves.

"Sorry, Twilight," he said meekly, plenty embarrassed.

"Don't worry, I put him in bed myself," Harry said.

"Thanks for that," Twilight said. She stood up to stretch, then winced once her wings cramped up. "Ow! Ow ow ow! Oh, these wings are so much trouble."

"You need to give them a stretch, take a flight, hover, do something with them," Harry suggested. "Rainbow said she was relieved of cloud duty today, she and I were planning to test the new quidditch gear."

"I suppose. But I thought you were teaching her that wizard game today?" Twilight asked.

"We can do both. It'll be good practice, and you can land on the clouds like a pegasus. I just need to get my Firebolt and some gear, and then we can go," Harry reasoned. He summoned a small chest to himself. Twilight had helped him put a minor expansion charm on the inside.

"Your what?" Spike asked.

"My Firebolt, my broomstick. You know, the thing wizards use to fly?" Harry reminded Spike.

That seemed to ring a few bells with the dragon. Spike jumped down from the ladder and ran across the library. He scanned the shelves, then pulled one book down.

"Here, page twenty-seven. The spell allows earth ponies or unicorn ponies to fly for three days— more or less. Just use this," Spike suggested, pushing the book forward.

Harry scanned the spell quickly, then winced.

"I don't know, this is probably way too advanced for me," Harry said, flipping through the book. "This cloud-walking one could help. I don't think I could cast this wing spell, it's too difficult."

"Not for me," Twilight countered.

Her horn glowed and Harry felt magic flicker across his frame. When the glow subsided, Harry looked at his sides, seeing a pair of sparkling multicolored dragonfly wings on him.

"Wicked," Harry breathed.

Harry hovered up gently, watching the wings buzz about. This was very different from a broom or Buckbeak. He was flying under his own power! Harry dashed left, right, up, then up again into the ceiling. He crashed into the floor a second later and a few books fell on him from their shelves.

Twilight laughed. She picked the books up and put them back in their place.

"Looks like Rainbow Dash is going to have two students today," she quipped between laughs.

"Laugh it up, egghead," Harry said.

"That's Princess Egghead to you," she replied.

"Alright, Princess Egghead, let's go," Harry said before he buzzed out the door.





Harry and Twilight made their way to Rainbow Dash's home, trying to stay on the ground for now. Rainbow Dash was there with several other pegasus ponies. Once Equestria's fastest flier noticed Harry and Twilight, she flew down to greet them.

"Twilight, Harry! Nice to see you. Here for flying lessons?"

"Yes, we are," Twilight said.

"We?" Rainbow took a second to notice Harry's fake wings. "Awesome! That's two new flying buddies! Hey Harry, you can teach me that game now! What's it called again?"

"Quidditch. But first, Twilight needs the basics; I've got those down," Harry said. He hovered above the ground just to prove he could. Turns out the wing spell instilled the most basic instincts imaginable in them. Plus they were weightless, so bonus.

"That's great! Go talk to those pegasi over there, I talked them into joining the game. I'll have Twilight flying like a pro in no time," Rainbow Dash boasted.

Harry nodded and flew up to the other pegasi. There were four mares and three stallions. They gave him some odd looks as he hovered with his magic wings.

"Morning everypony. Did Rainbow Dash tell you about the game?" Harry asked.

They all shook their heads.

"Nope. Most of us had weather duty off for today, so she convinced us to come along last-minute. She just said it was going to be 'awesome'. Not much of a description coming from her," one of the stallions said.

"Sounds about right for Rainbow Dash," Harry replied.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" one of the mares asked. She had a grayish-lilac coat, mint mane, and a cutie mark of blue and white dragonflies. "How did you get those wings. They are so shiny and I've always liked dragonflies, the way they flitter about. Are they magic?" she asked.

"Yep. Twilight made them for me," Harry explained.

"Wait, Twilight? As in Princess Twilight?! You know her?" the same mare asked. She had a white-pink coat with a green and red mane.

Harry nodded. "Twilight's one of my best friends. She and I have been pen pals for years, sort of," Harry said. In hindsight, figuring out the clock should've been a higher priority. The pegasi looked at Harry, surprised.

A white-pink mare flew closer to Harry, almost nose to nose with him.

"You know, you're kind of cute; you single?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm fifteen."

"Oh, sorry," the mare said, an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. "I guess it's the scar, makes you look older, more adult," she confessed. "I am so, so sorry!"

"Well, no harm, I guess," Harry admitted. Harry sighed, rubbing his scar. You know, I'm getting the impression this thing wants to make my life difficult. Another pony gently pushed the mare away.

"Ignore Blossomforth, she likes to chatter," one of the stallions said. He had a dark grey coat and a blue mohawk. He approached Harry with a smirk. "I'm Thunderlane. So, you're this mysterious stallion Rainbow had been telling us about. I'm not one for games, but she insists that it'll be worth it."

"Trust me, quidditch is fun. It's even better when you can fly on your own. I can teach you the rules now if you'd like," Harry offered.

The pegasus nodded and voiced their approval.

"Alright, so quidditch is a game in which the goal is to finish with the most points. Points are collected in two way: scoring and the snitch. There are four positions for players: chasers, keepers, beaters, and seekers. There are three balls in play." Harry levitated up the pony gear. "The quaffle is the main ball. The players who are chasers pass and fly the quaffle to one the of the other team's three hoops. The one player who is the keeper of each team defends their hoops at close range. Get it through the enemy's hoop, and you get points."

Harry stashed the quaffle back in the box. He pulled out two smaller balls. These were supposed to be like bludgers, but with some changes. They were no longer glorified metal cannonballs with an attitude. First, they were made of something like rubber or plastic and wouldn't shatter bones on impact (a painful lesson learned in Harry's second year). Second, Twilight was teaching Harry a method to turn their enchantments on and off when the game started and ended, as an extra precaution.

"These are bludgers. Normal ones chase players around in an attempt to knock them to the ground. But since this game wasn't meant for a pegasus, these ones will merely bat you around a bit before moving on. The beaters can keep them away from other player, which is what these are for."

Harry pulled out several dozen horseshoes. Touching his hoof to one stuck it to him. These horseshoes were the analogs to the beaters' bats.

"These stick to your hooves and repel bludgers on contact. Normally only beaters would have them, but since we don't have a full team we can give them to the chasers. And that wraps up all but one of the positions."

Harry returned the bludgers and horseshoes. He pulled out a small golden orb, which hovered next to him.

"This is the golden snitch. Only the seeker can catch this bugger. Catching it gives you points and ends the game. Each team only has one seeker, who is normally the fastest and most precise flier."

Harry returned the gear to its box.

"Any questions?"

Thunderlane spoke up, "Yeah, um, why is the snitch so important?"





It took a while, but Twilight managed to get her wings to flap properly, mostly. Aerial acrobatics was still way above her skill level (both figuratively and literally) but she could fly, and that was the important part.

"Alright, good job Twilight! I think you're ready to take this seriously!" Rainbow Dash said proudly.

"Oh no, I can barely fly straight. Please don't-"

"Eh, you'll be fine, trust me. You're good enough to play a game with us," Rainbow Dash insisted.

"Are you sure-"

"Yes! Now come on, have some fun!" Rainbow pushed Twilight up to the other pegasi.

They had crafted the clouds to resemble the basic elements of a Quidditch field. Three hoop-shaped clouds floated on either side of the field. The pegasus ponies had laid out a "safety net" of additional clouds beneath the arena. A handful of fluffy clouds drifted lazily through the center of the arena. Twilight reminded herself not to be so easily impressed by how easily pegasi manipulated clouds; after all, she could do it herself now. Twilight and Rainbow landed on the cloud "ground" to wait for the others. Above them, Harry continued to issue instructions to the ponies.

"Alright everypony, I think that looks good!" Harry shouted to the seven other ponies.

The group went down to where Twilight and Rainbow sat. When Harry tried to land he fell through the clouds. Twilight giggled.

"Oops. Sorry, should have cast that cloud-walking spell," he apologized, looking at the hole in the floor.

Harry's horn glowed for a second before he tentatively landed on the clouds. Satisfied he wasn't plummeting to the ground, he helped cover his hole. He pulled up his chest of gear and set it down.

"Okay Rainbow, is Twilight good to go?" Harry asked.

"Pfft! Of course. Just let her have some fun, and she'll be flying like the rest of us in no time!" the cyan pegasus replied.

"I can't believe you get to teach a princess how to fly! What an honor!" Cloud Chaser said.

"And we get to play a game with one!" Flitter squealed.

"It's not that big a deal," Twilight protested, feeling shy. At this rate, she was never going to get used to being a princess. Everypony else was already calling her princess and whatnot, even if she wasn't wearing her crown.

"You're a princess, accept it, Twi. Now, lets play a game!" Rainbow said.

"Speaking if, what position would you like to play?" Harry asked. "I'm a seeker, and I know Rainbow Dash would be. We have no beaters, so you can be a chaser or keeper," Harry said.

"Which one has the least flying involved?" Twilight asked.

"Keeper it is. Keepers defend the hoops from chasers. You'll do fine. If it gets hard to fly, we set out some clouds in the arena. The bludgers aren't allowed to touch the clouds, which makes them good hiding spots, or a place to relax if your wings hurt or get hurt," Harry said, pointing at the wispy clouds in the center of the field.

Harry pulled out all of the pony gear, handing out the magic horseshoes to everypony except himself, Rainbow, Twilight, and the last keeper, a stallion named Star Hunter. Harry activated the bludgers and snitch, sending them careening up. Twilight felt an iota of pride as her "student's" projects worked as intended. She might make a fine magician out of him yet.

"Let's play!" she shouted.

Harry tossed the quaffle up, and the game began.





Harry looked down at the field as the two teams played the game. The fact that Twilight's defense was awful was mostly offset by her team's stellar offense. So far the bludgers had succeeded in knocking the quaffle out of several ponies' hooves and keeping them away from clear passes. Some were taking advantage of the bludgers' cloud avoidance and used them as hiding spots to sneak the ball around. The score was roughly tied as well, making the snitch the deciding factor.

"So, uh, what are we supposed to do?" Rainbow asked. She was squinting at the air, looking for the snitch.

"We wait, mostly. Seeker is a bloody boring position 'til you see the snitch," Harry said.

"Well that's dumb, we're playing a whole separate game to them," Rainbow said, pointing at the others. "I mean, we basically win the whole game here."

"But we can catch the snitch and still loose," Harry reminded her.

"But why would you ever do that?"

"I... don't know," Harry said. A glint of gold reflected at the edge of his vision. "Speaking of snitches..."

Harry dove down quickly, eyes locked in on the snitch. Hopefully, his experience would balance the scales against Rainbow Dash's unrivaled speed. The snitch dove down till it was skimming the clouds that made the "floor" of the field. He reached a hoof out for the snitch, intent on hitting it to the clouds below.

"Nice try, Harry, but this one's mine!" Rainbow Dash said.

The blue pegasus was dropping from above, planning the dive-bomb the golden orb. Harry and Rainbow Dash pushed themselves harder, Rainbow Dash devouring Harry's head start. Harry and Rainbow reached for the snitch, both mere inches away.

The two crashed in a cloud of— well— clouds. The safety net prevented the two from plummeting to the ground. Harry and Rainbow went head over heels— do ponies have heels?— until they stopped in a tangle of limbs.

"Ugh... that hurt. Did ya get it?" Rainbow Dash asked from atop Harry.

"Nope. But I can't deny this was my softest crash. Clouds are fluffy," Harry groaned.

The two untangled themselves as the other players made the descent down to land.

"Oh my gosh, are you two okay?" Flitter asked.

"Brilliant," Harry responded.

"So who won?" Cloud Chaser asked.

"Won?" Harry echoed.

"Yeah, look," Twilight said as she landed. On her hoof was one of the bludgers. The other bludger fell out of the sky, magic disabled. "Somepony caught the snitch."

"Hey, what's that in Rainbow's mane?" Blossomforth asked.

Rainbow Dash shook her mane, and a small gold ball rolled to the clouds, inert. She had caught the snitch, just not the way it was intended.

"I caught it! Yes!" Rainbow Dash whooped, flying into a loop. "First quidditch game in Equestria won by yours truly."

"It's a team sport Rainbow. The snitch ends the game, you can still catch it and lose," Harry reminded her.

"Yeah, but why would you? The snitch is a massive advantage. The seeker chooses when the game ends, they'll never grab it when it won't end in victory. Depending on how good the seekers are, the snitch wins every game," Cloud Chaser argued.

"Maybe we can add a countdown next time?" Harry said. "I can workshop the rules later; I think this game went well."

"We are going to a need better name," Blossomforth added. "Quidditch just doesn't roll off the tongue."

"Air hoops?" suggested a mare named Clear Skies.

"No offense, but that's a basic name. How about cloudball?" Rainbow Dash countered.

"Cloudball? I kinda like the sound of that," Twilight said.

"Well, if the princess likes it, then it's official. Cloudball," Cloud Chaser said.

"Oh no, I didn't—"

"Twilight, don't argue it. I think cloudball is a fine name," Harry said.

"This was fun," Cloud Chaser said. "Can we borrow your gear sometime soon? Who knows, maybe one day this might catch on in Cloudsdale."

"Of course. Anytime," Harry said.

They played another game after that, this time with some more modifications to the rules, such as the timer. Harry caught the snitch in the second game but lost due to a few last-second goals by the other team. After that, it took only a few minutes for everypony to say their goodbyes and for Rainbow Dash to take down the field on her own. Harry and Twilight walked back home, deciding they'd done enough flying for today. They practically collapsed when they walked inside, tired but laughing all the while.

And that was the first game of cloudball played in Equestria, though certainly not its last.
> Chapter 4: Back In The Empire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Being a Princess wasn't all fun and games. It came with its own set of responsibilities and duties. One of the most important duties was the Princess Summit, an event that hadn't been anything of interest until recently. Cadance now ruled an empire of her own, Luna was back with her sister, and Twilight was now among their ranks. The next summit, held in the Crystal Empire, was guaranteed to be one for the history books.

If only Twilight could keep her head on straight.

She was sitting amongst a pile of other lists and bags that had been packed a dozen times over. Her mane and tail had been brushed so many times Harry half expected her to start pulling them out.

"Crown? Check. Papers for notes? Check. Official documents? Check." Twilight buzzed through her list.

"Twilight, you'll be fine, trust me." Harry tried to calm her down. "You've been ready for this summit since last night. I doubt packing, unpacking, and repacking will help. What's the worst that could happen?" he reasoned.

"Yeah, it's not like this is only one of your many super-important Princess roles," Spike said.

Harry glared down at the dragon who was only trying his best to help.

"What's the worst?" Twilight echoed. She turned on the two of them with a wild look. "What if I lose something super important, or forget to pack something I need? And what if something goes terribly wrong while at the Crystal Empire? I might disappoint Celestia!" she ranted.

"Twilight, you'll do fine," Harry said. "I doubt there's anything you need that bad beyond forgetting your crown. That alone proves you deserve to be there. But if you think something could go wrong, I could always take the Elements with me. That way you can take care of a problem beyond four alicorns and the Crystal Heart," Harry reassured Twilight.

Harry picked up the Elements and deposited them in his bag.

"There, see? Now nothing can get in your way."

Twilight slumped over a little.

"Thanks for trying to help, Harry. I guess I'm just really anxious over this whole summit. You're the best," she said. She reached over to give Harry a hug, which he accepted reluctantly. Physical contact was a... learning process for him. "I'll check it over one more time, and that's it," she promised.

"Only once. You keep going and we might miss our train," Harry said. He and Spike left Twilight to her packing. "You know," Harry said, "at this rate Celestia should give me a stipend for being Twilight's helper."

"Hey, what about me?" Spike demanded. "I have senior- seniorite-"

"Seniority?"

"Yeah, that!"

"Well, I'm sure we can split it sixty-five/thirty-five, in your favor," Harry joked.

"Who," hooted Owlicious.

"Fine, sixty/thirty/ten. How's that?" Harry quipped. He and Spike shared a laugh. "Now come on, the others are probably at the station by now. Let's make sure her highness gets there on time."

"Yes, sir!" Spike said with a sharp faux salute.





The train ride to the Empire itself wasn't anything noteworthy. Just another long train trip up the formerly frozen north. It was the afternoon when their train stopped. Twilight was so anxious to visit. She hadn't seen her brother or sister-in-law since the coronation. And now she was here on official Princess business.

The train pulled into the station right on time. The party departed the station to make a beeline towards the palace, the place of the summit. They stopped beneath the palace itself.

"Hoo-wee! Your very first Princess Summit. You must be over the moon, Twilight," Applejack said.

"Oh, I am excited. But, to be honest, I'm a little nervous, too," Twilight confessed.

Of course, who wouldn't be nervous at a time like this? Twilight's whole body felt abuzz with tingly energy.

"You're 'nervicited'!" shouted Pinkie. "It's like you wanna jump up and down and yell "YAY ME!" But you also wanna curl up in a teeny-tiny ball and hide at the same time! We've all been there!" Pinkie Pie said, unfolding herself from her curled-up position with an oddly metallic sound.

"I'm there almost every day," Fluttershy said meekly.

"You've got no reason to fret, Twi. Everything's gonna be just—" Applejack was cut off by Rarity.

"TWILIGHT! Oh, sorry, darling, but I just realized you're not wearing your crown. You haven't forgotten it back in Ponyville, have you?" Rarity gushed.

"She packed it, don't worry," Harry said "It's in her bag. I've got the other Elements with me, just in case," Harry added.

"I just feel a little self-conscious about wearing it. Haven't really gotten accustomed to these yet, either," Twilight said, flapping her wings.

"You are a princess now, Twilight. Embrace it! I'm telling you, if I had a crown like that, I would never take it off. Why, I'd sleep in the thing," Rarity declared.

"You can always wear your Element," Harry said.

"Well, yes, but it's just a necklace."

The conversation was cut off when the eight friends entered the castle. Six crystal guards let their instruments blare out, announcing Twilight's arrival. Twilight, a little shocked by the fanfare, didn't even notice when she bumped into the only non-crystal pony in uniform, a gamboge-colored pegasus. If he was bothered or surprised, he hid it well enough.

"Her Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle!" the guard announced.

The other three Princesses walked toward Twilight and her friends.

"Twilight! I haven't seen you since the coronation!" Cadance exclaimed.

Shining Armor entered the room a second later.

"Hey, little sis! Good to see you," he exclaimed. He hugged her tightly.

"Great to see you, Shi. It's been too long," Twilight replied as she was let out of the bear hug.

"We have so much to discuss," Celestia said. "But it can wait until tomorrow. You all look tired from your journey. Now, off to bed, all of you."

Twilight was a little relieved Celestia was allowing her another night to prepare for the summit. The group turned to leave just as fast as they had arrived. Each pony was escorted to their room. Twilight yawned, despite having done little all day. Maybe the stress was getting to her.

Before she closed the door Twilight noticed Cadance knock on the door of the room Harry occupied. Twilight watched with curiosity as she walked in.

"I wonder why she wants to talk with Harry."





When Harry heard a knock at the door, the last thing he expected was for Princess Cadance to ask if he was available to talk.

"I'm glad you're okay, I heard about the Tournament," Cadance said when she closed the door behind her. "You have no idea how relieved I am to know you all got out safe and sound."

"Most of us," Harry mumbled. "One of my classmates got hurt, he almost died."

"Oh no! Is he okay?"

"We don't know. He's in a hospital back in my world, recovering. And he only got hurt because of me," Harry said.

"I'm certain that's not true," Cadance said.

"Well you're wrong. The whole thing was a trap, and I let Cedric walk into it with me. I helped him escape, but he nearly died; I got out without a scratch. Twilight and the others had to save me, I hardly did anything," Harry bemoaned.

"Don't be like that. Twilight is older than you, she's had more practice with magic, and she has different experiences. She's trying to help you," Cadance tried to console Harry. She placed a wing on Harry, but he shrugged it off.

"That's the problem," Harry said. "I don't want to keep relying on her, putting her in danger. I want to help, I want to be able to defend myself. I just feel..." Harry struggled to find the right word.

"Inadequate?" Cadance asked.

"Yes," Harry said with a sigh. Inadequate.

Cadance placed a hoof on her chin, thinking.

"You know, you could go talk to Shining Armor about that. He was part of the Canterlot guard before the wedding. If there's anyone who can teach defensive magic, it's him. I'm certain he wouldn't mind. He's not exactly doing much tomorrow, aside from organizing security," Cadance suggested.

Harry stood up a little taller.

"You really think he'd help?"

"Of course, he would. He'd be ecstatic to teach any of Twilight's friends self-defense, he's been pushing to have at least one guard assigned to her since her coronation. He's very protective of her," Cadance said.

"Wish I could say I knew what it's like, having family that cares."

Cadance shook her head and titled Harry's chin up.

"That's where you're wrong, Harry. Some say blood is thicker than water, but there are two types of family in the world: those we're born with and those we choose. You have people that care for you, never forget that," Cadance replied sagely. "Remember to talk to Shining Armor tomorrow, I'm sure he'll understand," she said.

Harry smiled back at her.

"Now, in the meantime, let me look at that scar," she said.

Harry set back obediently as she inspected the scar. She closed her eyes and let her horn hover over the mark. Harry watched a nearby mirror, watching his scar intensely. He felt fear race through him when his scar turned black as Cadance's glowing horn came close. A black mist hung over the mark, contrasting the calming aura of Cadance's magic. Cadance furrowed her brow in concentration.

"Harry, you need to calm down. Your negative emotions are feeding it," she warned.

Harry closed his eyes tightly and tried to calm down. He took deep breaths and focused on his friends. Sure, they were adults, but they were nice, nicer than the Dursleys ever were, and they treated him like anypony else. They loved him.

Harry opened his eyes, and was relieved to see the cloud of darkness over his scar had withered away. As Cadance's horn got closer the scar seemed to writhe in pain.

"It's more active than last time, stronger too. And the charms in your blood feel weaker, stretched," she said.

Magical threads weaved over the scar like stitches. The inky blackness faded away, leaving Harry's forehead looking exactly as it had the day before.

"There, it be should contained until Aunt Celestia can give you her permanent solution."

Somepony knocked on the door. When Harry responded that the pony could enter, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna walked inside. Harry gave a small bow as the two rulers stood next to Cadance.

"Aunt Tia! I was just enhancing Harry's protections. His scar, it's becoming restless."

"I overheard you talking, niece. If Harry wants, we can try that 'permanent solution' right now," Celestia said.

"You finished it?" Cadance said in surprise. "I thought it would be another month!"

The Princess of the Sun turned to face Harry. A necklace materialized in the air. A small amulet hung from the thin silver chain. The amulet itself was a golden locket with six small gemstones of different colors. The outer casing covered a clear gemstone center. Strange markings circled the outside edges. Celestia held the necklace out to Harry.

Celestia smiled. "I was planning to have this finished by the Summer Sun Celebration, but the allure of such a challenge drew me in. I will admit, I was stuck until a student by the name of Dream Catcher offered a solution. If Luna met her, my sister might take up a student of her own."

Luna blushed. "Sister—!"

"I'm only teasing, little sister," Celestia chuckled. She walked up to Harry. "But, Dream Catcher's studies provided me an idea of how best to proceed. So, I crafted this pendant to deal with your... parasite." She reached to part Harry's mane, revealing his scar.

Harry looked numbly at her. "Really? You mean it's done?"

Celestia nodded. "Yes. I planned to give it to you after the Summer Sun Celebration, but sooner is better than later. This amulet will absorb your mother's protection, and draw the soul into itself; it will be rendered inert. After that, we can deal with it properly."

Celestia deposited the magical charm on Harry's outstretched hoof. Harry looked down at it. This thing would finally remove whatever was connecting him to Voldemort. Harry would finally be able to get rid of the headaches, the visions, and everything he had "stolen" from the man who murdered his family. He thought back to the others, who willingly became friends with him, despite the danger around him.

Harry took a shaky breath. "Alright, let's do this." Harry slipped on the charm.

The locket opened up. Harry's whole body glowed a light pink as the protection from his mother's sacrifice was pulled out of his blood. The pink light was drawn from his body as a faint mist-like substance and funneled into the locket. The gems and writing glowed as the magic was powered. Next, Harry's scar leaked black smoke, also being pulled toward the locket. Harry grunted in pain as the thing fought to stay attached to Harry. The young stallion staggered as more black smoke poured out from his head. A distorted scream filled the air, full of malice and agony. The final plume of the smoke left Harry's scar and was sucked into the charm; when the last of it entered, the locket sealed close.

Harry staggered to regain his balance, feeling exhausted. Cadance steadied him as he fought a wave of vertigo. Harry rubbed his head, expecting to feel pain but felt nothing, just a faded old scar.

"Did- did it work?" he asked.

Celestia lifted the pendant with one hoof, inspecting it. The gemstone center, once clear, now swirled in a mix of black and pink. "It did. My theory was right, this was a soul fragment, a small one. Thankfully, its magic is powerless in the amulet." She dropped the amulet, letting it hang.

Tears pricked the edges of Harry's eyes. He dipped into a low bow. "Thank you, Celestia! You don't know how much this means to me."

The princess smirked. "I can guess."

Harry lifted the necklace with his magic. Celestia seemed to be surprised by something.

"How odd," the princess noted.

"Sorry?" Harry said, confused.

"You've undergone a change," Celestia said. The air in front of Harry shimmered, casting a reflection. Harry could see something about him had changed. His eyes weren't emerald-green, but emerald-green and turquoise. He also noticed a strand of his mane and tail was this new color.

"Along with these physical changes, your magic is no longer the green it once was, but turquoise. Most unicorns have magic color matching their eyes, though many exceptions exist. It is uncommon, but some unicorns' magic undergoes drastic changes with emotional or spiritual shifts. For you, it may be a side effect of the soul," Celestia guessed.

"The soul was effecting my body and magic?" Harry said, surprised.

"Minimally. That would leave one thing left to notice, that cutie mark."

Harry looked at his side, surprised to see something other than a "blank flank". Six white stars decorated the edge of the mark in a circle, but the center was empty. But the stars' appearance faded slowly, like a mirage. Eventually, the mark couldn't be seen unless you looked closely.

"Fascinating, I have never seen a cutie mark do that before. It looked almost incomplete; something is missing," Luna said.

"What does it mean? Did I not get a cutie mark?" Harry asked.

"Cutie marks are an innate part of pony magic, but this feels different," Celestia stated. "Stars and the number six are often symbols of magic, which you have proficiency in. But it is odd to have no centerpiece. You never had the chance to stretch out and learn what makes you special. Perhaps your cutie mark is discovered in parts. In any case, it is as unique as you, and it will be discovered by you alone.

"But for now, our amulet worked. Once it is opened, the spirit inside will fade without a host. However, I'm not sure if opening it here would be wise," Celestia's tone gained a wariness to it. "Its enchantments are stronger than any of us have the power to break, but I wouldn't trust an evil spirit around us, not after what Nightmare Moon did."

"I can hide it until I return to Earth. That should be safe enough," Harry offered.

"Is that a risk you want to take?" Luna questioned.

"This is my battle. I can hide it away," Harry promised.

"It is terrible, for one so young to carry such a burden," Celestia said

"Keep it hidden. Regardless of how powerful the enchantments are, dark magic is dark magic," Luna warned.

"Don't get this stolen, broken, or lost, note taken," Harry replied grimly.

"And stay away from changelings, my magic went into that, and it's a walking buffet for them. So be careful," Cadance said. "And enjoy your stay." With a smile and a wave, the Princess of Love left Harry's room.

Celestia nodded. "Excellent. We bid you goodnight, Harry." Celestia and Luna turned to leave the room, leaving Harry alone to his thoughts.

Voldemort's soul was gone; it couldn't hurt him anymore; it couldn't hurt his friends. Harry was well and truly free. The younger stallion thought to himself about what Cadance said, about family. Harry knew she was right, Twilight was near and dear to him. But that was why he needed to find Shining Armor in the morning, so Harry could learn to defend his friends— his family. But that could wait until morning.
> Chapter 5: The Thief
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Stop! Thief!"

The sound of shouting jolted Harry out of his peaceful sleep harshly. He tumbled out of bed and rushed for the door. He opened it just in time to see a cloaked figure dash across his vision.

"She's stolen my crown!" Twilight shouted.

Harry bolted out the door, chasing this mysterious thief. The others weren't far behind him, and the guards were rushing to arrive. Twilight teleported behind a corner as Harry galloped to keep up. As he rounded the corner, he saw the thief rush at Twilight before teleporting behind the Princess in a flash of cyan, blinding her with her cloak. It was then that everypony got a good look at the thief. She was a yellow mare with yellow and red hair and cyan eyes. A twisted smirk was painted on her face.

Everypony chased after her again, Twilight still the closest. When Twilight was close enough she jumped on the thief, tumbling through a nearby door. Amid their scramble, Twilight's crown was sent flying. Harry teleported into the center of the room, watching the crown bounce around.

"I got it!" he shouted. Harry dove for the crown as it flew at a mirror, but was unable to correct for one important detail: the mirror wasn't solid.

The crown passed through the mirror's surface, which rippled like water. Harry wasn't too far behind the wayward Element. The moment he touched the mirror, he felt like he was stuck in a swirling vortex, blinding him with flashes of light. He didn't get any time to look back as he vanished within this mysterious mirror.

Harry felt he was being stretched and pulled like dough or clay. He could only wait for the sensation of eternal falling to cease.

Harry was catapulted out of the blinding lights and into relative darkness. He collapsed on the warm pavement. Harry could feel his glasses digging into his face. He lifted a hand to—

Hands?

Harry's eyes shot open and were met with five human fingers. Harry picked himself up and looked at his body. He was his regular human self, albeit with a slightly more saturated skin tone. The oddest part was that he was wearing the same clothes he was wearing when he entered Equestria, clothes he knew were back at the library. Said clothes were jeans, a pale blue shirt, and a black jacket, but even those seemed too perfect, too new to be the old clothes the Dursleys gave him. Maybe Twilight was right with one of her theories, and the portals constructed clothes based on the new world's requirements.

Harry felt something in one of his pockets and drew out his wand. Strange, did he have that on him when he went through the portal?

"Alright, I got clothes, that's good. But where am I?" Harry asked himself.

He was in an open area, a human city by the looks of it. There was a large building in front of him, a school perhaps. There was a statue behind him, and beyond that was a road and neighborhood. Harry inspected the statue. If the mirror was the portal, maybe the statue was on the other side of the portal. He reached a hand out and the base of the statue shimmered as his hand passed through. Harry retracted his hand quickly.

"Woah. A portal. Then, is this my world?" Harry wondered aloud. He stepped back and looked up at the buildings around him. Harry fought a wave of vertigo, a migraine starting to form. "Something doesn't feel right. Maybe I'm in a different universe?"

Harry's musings were cut off as the portal shimmered. A girl with bright yellow and red hair and yellow skin jumped through the portal. She looked about the age of Twilight's human form. She didn't look like any human Harry had ever met, she must have been the thief from the castle!

"Stop!" Harry shouted, raising his wand at the girl, less than a few inches from her face.

She seemed rather surprised.

"Oh, I see you've adapted quickly. Getting used to walking should've taken longer," she noted offhandedly.

"I have experience. Now where's Twilight's crown?" he demanded.

The thief had a contemplative look on her face. "Experience. An odd word choice. Let me guess, you're from another world?" she guessed correctly. "But as for the Element? I don't know, but I'll find it before you." The thief chuckled. "Even with your 'experience'."

"I'm not letting you get the Element. Stupefy!" Harry shouted.

But nothing happened. There was no light from his wand, no shield conjured by his opponent. Harry flicked the wand once more, commanding the same spell again, verbally and silently. But just like the time before, there was no spell. Harry reached within himself, expecting to feel the buzz of magic he had been sensing since his first visit to Equestria, but there was nothing there.

There was no magic.

"Oh, would you look at that? No magic. Must sting," the thief laughed.

Taking advantage of Harry's surprise, she swatted his wand away and planted her elbow in Harry's gut, robbing him of his breath. She followed this up by swinging Harry over her shoulder, right at the portal. Harry's body hit it and started to be sucked in. Thinking quickly, he managed to grasp the edges of the portal. The girl approached him mockingly.

"Sorry it had to be this way, kid. But when you get back, tell the new princess her predecessor says hello," she taunted.

"Don't think we'll let you get away with stealing from Twilight!" Harry exclaimed.

"I already have."

With her part said, she reached out and pushed Harry's head into the portal and Harry lost his grip on the edge. He went back into the blinding vortex of colors. And when he emerged, he was too slow to react when his head harshly crashed on the ground. Darkness took his mind.

When Harry and the thief vanished into the mirror, the only thing stopping Twilight from barging through the thing was all five of her friends holding her back. They shouted her down, demanding she stay calm and not do anything foolish. When they were certain she wasn't going to dive for the mirror, Twilight demanded the guards to fetch the Princesses. The guards were understandably wary of waking any of the Princesses but relented the moment Twilight made it an order. From there, very little time passed before the three other Princesses arrived in the room.

"Twilight, what happened?" Celestia demanded.

"Somepony stole my crown! I woke up and she was running away with my crown! Then it fell through the mirror," Twilight pointed at the said item, "then Harry went through the portal by accident!"

"The mirror?" Celestia echoed softly. "Harry went through it?"

"Yes, but he hasn't come back yet. I'm getting worried about him, he—"

Twilight nearly jumped to the ceiling as the mirror glowed again. The others readied themselves for the thief to come out with the Element, but were shocked when Harry shot out of it. The younger colt slid on the ground face down and didn't rise.

"Harry!"

"Oh my goodness!"

"Is he alright?!"

Everypony crowded around the colt, checking his condition. She put her ear near his mouth, listening to his breath, just to be sure. Twilight gently shook his shoulders, trying to rouse him from his unconscious state.

"He is having a dream, a vivid one," Princess Luna said. "It would be wiser to it pass."

Harry was walking down Privet Drive. The whole street was dark, the lampposts much dimmer than they should've been. The clip-clop of hooves was enough to tell Harry he was a pony, and the weight on his shoulders told him he was an alicorn, again. So, obviously, this was a dream.

He trotted along until he walked past 4 Privet Drive, the Dursley family home. Harry should have walked past it, he wanted to walk past it, but his hooves had a mind of their own as Harry was marched up the front door of the home. The door opened of its own volition. The inside was filled with darkness, Harry could barely see more than a meter inside. Harry reached out and was surprised when a barrier met his hoof. A black cloth-like barrier stood between him and the interior. Harry brushed the magical fabric that separated him from the inside. This wasn't here before.

Harry's next movements happened by instinct alone. His horn glowed green and he swung his head down. There was a terrible ripping noise, and the barrier tore from top to bottom, the edges burning like parchment. The ground shook, rumbling and growling in a mockery of a hungered animal. Harry stepped inside. Before he made it in more than a few paces, the door to Harry's first room, the cupboard under the stairs, trembled as a pounding noise emanated from within.

Harry jumped back.

"Who's there?" he demanded. When no one replied, Harry stepped closer to the cupboard. The pounding got louder, faster. "Hello?" he asked.

When Harry was within reach of the door he stopped. The pounding of the door was reaching a fever pitch, and Harry could've sworn he heard muffled screams from behind the door. He hesitated, unsure if the door should be opened. What if it's dangerous? Harry couldn't help but wonder if that might be true. But, at the same time, he had once been trapped in there, this was cruelty. He needed to open the door. Harry grasped the handle in one hoof and pulled.

Darkness.

The cupboard's inside was a black void. There was nothing, no scared little boy, no desperate teen, nothing. Just a black void with nothing but...

Two red eyes. Two red eyes, pinpricks in size, were looking at him. When they looked at each other, the eyes widened and rushed at him. They grew larger am larger as they tried to escape the black abyss Harry had unwittingly freed it from. Harry couldn't move. He couldn't scream or shout. There was nothing to do as these horrifying eyes bared down on him.

"You cannot hide from me!" a high voice screeched.

That seemed to snap Harry into action if only to fall back in fear. He scrambled to gallop away as the eyes caught up to him. He bolted out of the home, running down the street as fast as he could. As the eyes followed him, the rest of the street turned as dark as the void they came from.

"You cannot escape!"

The ground beneath Harry gave way and his wings failed to guide him away from the monster behind him. He fell into darkness.

A few seconds later, Harry's eyes shot open. Twilight sighed in relief.

"Harry! Ya gave us all a mighty fright there!" Applejack said.

Harry shakily rose to his hooves, rubbing his forehead.

"Ugh, my head. What- what happened?" he asked.

"You went through the mirror, don't you remember?" Twilight asked.

What if his memory is damaged, or he has amnesia?! I mean, the summoning was always safe, but what if this portal is unstable? Twilight couldn't keep her intrusive thoughts in line. Harry had done something very foolish, not that it was his fault.

"The mirror..." Harry looked back at the glass. "Yes, I remember the mirror. It's a portal, a portal to some sort of..."

"Parallel world," Celestia finished his sentence. Everypony looked at the princess in surprise. "The mirror leads to another world. There is much to discuss," she said. Celestia turned to the guards to issue a few orders and commanded another to wake the prince and princess.

The six mares looked between Harry and the mirror.

"Who was that?" Fluttershy asked.

"I don't know, but this had better be as crazy as it looks, I'm too tired for anything less," Harry mumbled.

"Right with you," Spike agreed.

Twilight shook her head, glad Harry's sense of humor was intact.

It was a few minutes before Cadance and Shining Armor were rushing into the room, the latter's appearance miraculously well put together for being summoned in the dead of night. When She entered the room, Celestia turned to address everypony in the room.

"That was Sunset Shimmer: a former student of mine," Celestia said. "She began her studies with me not long before Twilight. But when she did not get what she wanted as quickly as she liked, she turned cruel and dishonest. I tried to help her, but she eventually decided to abandon her studies and pursue her own path. One that has sadly led to her stealing your crown," Celestia said, remorse in her voice.

"She replaced Twilight's with this one," Spike held out a fake crown, a very fake crown. Celestia barely spared it a glance.

"I suppose Sunset Shimmer thought you wouldn't notice right away that this was not yours. And by the time you did, it would be too late to go after your crown and Element of Harmony."

"But I don't understand. Where did she go? Where did she take the crown?" Twilight asked. Sure, that was a portal, but where it led was a complete mystery.

"You'll soon know more about this place than even I do," Celestia replied.

"As you now know, this is no ordinary mirror," Luna revealed. "It is a gateway to another world. A gateway that opens once every thirty moons."

"Sparkly!" Pinkie Pie said, dipping her hoof in the mirror. Luna gently moved the excitable mare back.

"Is it a portal to Harry's world?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"No, it can't be," Harry replied, shaking his head. "I'm human over there, but something about the other side was different. My magic wasn't working, I couldn't cast any spells. Sunset knew this, magic doesn't exist there. Wherever it goes is completely different from Equestria or Earth."

"Which was why it has always been kept in the throne room of Canterlot Castle," Luna explained. "But when Princess Cadance took over the Crystal Empire, we sent it here for her to watch over."

"I had always hoped that Sunset Shimmer would someday use it to return, to come back to Equestria seeking my guidance," Celestia said. "Obviously, this is not what has happened."

"Twilight, you must use the mirror to go into this other world and retrieve your crown," Cadance said. "Without it, the other Elements of Harmony have no power and Equestria is left without one of its most important means of defense."

The others looked at each other nervously.

"Your crown does not belong in the place Sunset Shimmer now calls home," Luna said gravely. "And in her possession, your Element of Harmony will no doubt be used to bring harm to the inhabitants of this other realm. They will not have the power to defend themselves."

Celestia placed a bag on Twilight's back.

"You understand the importance of your task?" Celestia asked.

"Of course," Twilight said with a nod.

"Good. Then you must go at once," Celestia commanded.

Twilight sighed and took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She took a step toward the portal but was stopped when Rainbow Dash appeared in front of her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! She's going, we're going with her," The pegasus declared. The others lined up beside her. "Right, girls?" she said.

"Oooh! I'm so 'nervicited'!" Pinkie squealed.

"You do realize that's not a real word, right?" Applejack asked.

"I'm afraid I can't let you go," Celestia said.

"What?! Why not?!" Rainbow demanded, stomping a hoof. Celestia retained her calm and wise exterior.

"Sending all of you could upset the balance of this alternate world, creating havoc that would make it impossible for Twilight to get the crown back from Sunset Shimmer. This is something Princess Twilight must do alone."

"Then, could I go?" Harry asked. "I'm not from this universe, maybe I can go along."

"I'm afraid even that is a risk, for you and for others," said Celestia.

"But I know more about being human than any of you!" protested Harry.

"And I know more about other worlds than you, Harry," said Celestia in a firm tone. "Your world is not the first we have encountered. There is a delicate balance between worlds, and interactions can cause unnatural occurrences in both. I have allowed contact between our worlds because of the history they unintentionally share. While you are from a universe that is vastly different from our own, that may make the balance worse, like an invasive species outside of its habitat. I know you want to go with Twilight, but I cannot allow it, and for that I'm sorry."

Harry's shoulders sagged and irritation flared in him. It wasn't fair, he knew more about being human! If Twilight was going to go somewhere without magic, he should have been allowed to go!

Luna stepped forward. "And there's another reason," she added. "You said the mirror world has none of your kind's magic. We don't know if the amulet was completely effective. That is to say nothing of your dream."

"My dream?" Harry asked. "What about it?"

"Do not be coy with me, I saw the dream you had," the Princess of the Night said. "Whether it is a vision or not, I do not know. But it's for the best you stay here, just as a precaution."

Harry's anger simmered but stayed contained. Luna is right. I might pose a danger to Twilight there, I can't risk that yet. That doesn't mean I have to like it.

"Time is of the essence," Luna announced with urgency. "On the third day, when the moon reaches its peak in the night sky, the gateway will close. And once it does, it will be another thirty moons before you will be able to use it to return."

Twilight stepped towards the portal, and everypony gave her their best wishes and encouragement. Her brother was the last pony to stand between her and the mirror.

"Be careful over there. Please?" Shining Armor pleaded in a whisper.

"I promise," was all she said.

Knowing that was the best he would get, the prince stepped out of Twilight's way. The young princess walked through a portal, the mirror rippling as she disappeared. It was not a second later that Spike ran after her at full speed.

"Spike, NO!" Everypony shouted. It did nothing as Spike ran through the mirror after Twilight.

"Ponyfeathers, what are we going to do about that?" Harry demanded, not even realizing he cursed in front of the princesses.

"Nothing," Celestia said. "If Twilight commands it, she will send Spike back through the portal. What happens on the other side of the portal is her mission now."

"So... we just wait here for however long it's going to take?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"For three days," Harry added. "If I weren't so sure of her abilities I'd jump in there after her. I still want to."

"Right with ya, Harry. I don't like the feeling of this either. We've always been stronger together," Applejack said.

"She's probably super lonely over there," Fluttershy said.

"Are you kidding? She's probably going to make a buncha new friends!" Pinkie Pie declared.

"I'm not leaving 'til she gets back!" Rainbow Dash declared.

"Me neither!" Rarity said. "Well, until I need to get some rest, Twilight wouldn't want us to tear ourselves apart worrying."

"Much as I don't like the idea, I have to agree. I want to sleep off this bloody headache," Harry said with a yawn.

"That might be for the best," Celestia said. "Twilight's mission may take longer. I will have guards posted outside immediately, just in case."

"We could do the same if you all wouldn't mind," Fluttershy said. "No pony has to stay or leave if they don't want to."

"If that's the case, I'll stay here for a while," Harry said.

"I think we all will," Luna said.

Harry sat himself down in front of the mirror, wishing Twilight would come out of it. But, despite his desire for vigilance, the drowsiness from the night's fitful sleep dragged Harry's mind under. And Harry dreamt again.

"You cannot escape!"

"Harry!"

Harry's eyes shot open. It was that same stupid nightmare again! He was still in the same room as before. Somepony was standing over him.

"Harry, are you alright?" Princess Luna asked. She was the pony standing above him.

"I'm fine, just a bad dream," Harry said, brushing her off.

"I am the Princess of the Night, I know better," she corrected.

"Cadance, do you know where Shining Armor is? I think I'll go talk to him," Harry said.

"Just below the palace, but—"

Harry rushed outside the room before she could finish. Luna looked at her older sister. Celestia nodded.

Harry walked through the halls of the palace, distracted. That was not a normal dream, but that wasn't like any of his visions of Voldemort. Whatever it was gave him more problems on top of Twilight's mission. Why did he have to have such bad—

"I have been looking for you. You should know it is rude to walk out on a Princess," Luna said. Harry stopped to look at her.

"Sorry, your highness, I was—"

"All is forgiven. You were stressed by your dream," Luna said. "I saw the phantasm you're afraid of."

Luna walked by Harry, and the stallion trotted along to match her pace as she guided them through the palace.

"Princess Luna, do you know why that happened? Celestia removed my scar's soul fragment, why does it haunt me?" Harry asked.

Luna was silent, thinking. Her next words were careful, measured.

"Let's assume the best-case scenario. You've had this thing for so long that the imprint is slow to fade, like a hoofprint in the sand. The entity within you has been exorcized, it cannot harm you, you only have to heal."

Harry felt hope bubbling up in him.

"If that's true, do you think Celestia would—"

"No," Luna declared. "It is for the best. You should say here while your mind recovers. Just promise—"

"Stay away from dark magic, changelings, magic draining items, et cetra, Cadance told me," Harry said. "Your majesty," he added quickly, seeing some displeasure on Luna's face after he interrupted her again.

"At least you understand the concept of safety. Now, you were looking for Shining Armor?" Luna asked.

"Yes. I can't stand not being able to help, so I want to learn combat magic."

Luna stopped in her tracks.

"I redact my previous declaration."
> Chapter 6: Shining Armor's Training
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, Shining Armor!" Harry yelled. He trotted up to the prince, who was ordering a pair of guards around.

"Just make sure the doors are guarded, and nopony is relieved of duty until he's replaced," the prince ordered. The two guards saluted and left. Shining Armor turned to face Harry.

"Harry! Good to see you. Honestly, I didn't think you'd leave the mirror room," Shining Armor said.

"I just needed some air," Harry confessed. "I can't stand sitting there, waiting for something to happen."

Shining Armor sighed. "Right with ya. The guard's been on high alert since the break-in. Honestly, it's about the only thing I can do now."

"At least you can do something," Harry grumbled.

"There are three alicorns guarding the mirror; if Sunset can get past them, the guards won't be much use," Shining admitted. "I learned early on how difficult security is. My talents made things easier, but I don't want to take chances with Twilight."

"Speaking of, I want to ask a favor," Harry asked. "I don't want to have to rely on her, I need to be able to hold my own. Do you—"

"Have free time to teach you self-defense?" Shining Armor interrupted. "I'd love to! I was in charge of guard training once, you'd—"

Harry backed up, shaking his head. "No, no, no, that's not what I was asking! Well, sort of. I was going to ask if you could show me some defensive spells."

Shining Armor seemed to deflate a bit. "Spells? That's it? You just want to cast a few more spells, and that's it?" Shining Armor asked.

"Uh, yes? I mean, that's how duels work, right?" Harry questioned cautiously.

"No! Good grief, no duel is solely determined by that!" Shining Armor paced around Harry, thinking. "Alright, I've got a better idea. While we wait for my little sis, I'll give you a crash course on fighting with magic!" he declared proudly.

Harry felt his stomach drop. Ponyfeathers, is he serious? Oh, Celestia, he's serious. How do you fight a unicorn that can throw you into the next continent?

"Alright, first off: what spells do you know?" Shining Armor asked.

Harry blanked. "Um, do you mean every spell, or—"

"Every spell you can fight with," Shining Armor demanded.

Harry paused to think. That would be an extensive list. "Uh, stunning spell, disarming spell, impediment spell, one or two binding spells, a few explosion spells, tickling spell—"

"Tickling spell?" Shining Armor asked, chuckling.

"I was twelve, I thought it would be useful," Harry insisted. "There's also a fire spell, a cutting spell, and a shield spell."

"A shield?" Shining Armor quirked an eyebrow. "Not bad; that's a good list. However, I know you missed a few."

"What do you mean, Shining Armor?"

"First off, just call me Shining. Second, you've got a good base of spells, but I know you have more than that. Remember, basic levitation can be used to control the battlefield, and change it in your favor. And I know you can teleport. Teleporting can fulfill similar purposes, dodging or relocating with less risk. A quick wit is just as valuable as a large arsenal of spells." Shining stood a few paces away from Harry and put a large shield between them. "Now hit me."

"Hit you?" Harry said.

"Yes, hit me, and as quick as you can."

Harry considered his options. Expelliarmus was worthless against a unicorn. Shining was known for his powerful shield magic, it could probably take a bombarda head on. Maybe Harry could teleport—

"Too slow!"

Shining's shield suddenly exploded, slamming headlong into Harry. The younger stallion was thrown tumbling back.

"I said to be quick," Shining said. "Your first attack is important, but don't waste your time thinking." The shield manifested between them again. "If you want to learn how to fight, your reflexes will be what saves your life first, not your spells or intellect. Go again," he commanded.

Harry didn't need to be told twice. He teleported behind his opponent and launched an impediment spell. Shining turned and ducked beneath the spell, moving the shield between him and Harry. Harry decided to try his luck against the shield and blasted it with the sunfire spell. The fire flowed over the shield like water, obscuring Shining in a plume of smoke.

"Not bad! I can't see you but you can't see me. Now, defend yourself!" Shining Armor shouted.

A purple light was flung at Harry through the smoke. Thinking quickly, Harry cast the shield charm. The spell hit his shield and detonated, causing Harry's shield to fail and the younger pony to get knocked back. Harry was quick to get back on his hooves. Shining Armor cleared away the smoke as he stepped forward, smirking.

"That's good enough, I think we got a good baseline," Shining Armor said. "You're better than I expected, given your lack of proper training. Now, what was that spell you used, the one I dodged?"

"Impediment spell. It slows my opponents for a second or two," Harry replied.

"Why not the stunning spell you mentioned, is it harder to cast?"

"Not really," Harry said, unsure of what Shining Armor was suggesting.

"Why slow me when you can stop me? Unless you were trying to bait me into wasting energy, don't settle for a less effective spell." Shining Armor walked up to stand next to Harry with a smile. "You have a lot of options in a fight, but you have to pick the best ones. Come on, I'll show you some tips at the training grounds."

Harry followed Shining Armor out of the castle to a nearby field. Nopony was there, leaving the two alone. Shining Armor picked a small section of the grounds and stood on the opposite side as Harry.

"Alright, show me your strongest shield," Shining Armor commanded.

Harry's horn glowed as a thin white barrier appeared between the two, then faded.

"That's it?" Shining Armor exclaimed. "That's your strongest shield? Dude, that barely lasted a full second!"

"That's how protego works," Harry protested.

"That's barely a shield, it looks more like a parry. Is that as strong as you can make those?"

"The strength varies. If I want a stronger barrier, I need a stronger spell," Harry explained.

Shining Armor's hoof met his face a second later in exasperation. "No wonder you asked for help. Okay, watch me." A larger purple dome enveloped Shining Armor. "You see this? This is a proper shield. I can dismiss it or strengthen it at will. I can cast other spells while keeping it up. It protects me from all angles. And most importantly, it's tough. Think you can do anything like this?"

Harry shook his head. He was, as Twilight said, "magically bilingual" in that he could cast Equestrian and wizard magic, but he was still getting better at learning the magic. He didn't have Twilight's innate ability to absorb and regurgitate magic nor her years of experience.

"Okay then, today is going to be much harder than I thought. No worries, I can make a competent fighter out of you yet, or at least one with a respectable shield," Shining Armor said with confidence.

"If you say so, Shining," Harry said.

The next few hours were a blend of invigorating and torturous. It was invigorating in practicing magic, and torturous in that someone was teaching him magic. On the other hoof, Shining Armor's practicality-based crash course in magical combat proved to be what Harry needed. He showed Harry how to construct a forward-facing magical barrier, one stronger than protego could build. He then started flinging little spells to poke and prod at the shield, instructing Harry to keep the barrier up at all times. Within the first hour of practice, Harry was exhausted but managed a shield that wasn't disappointing. Then came the hardest part: altering the spells.

As Harry understood, wizard spells were rigid. A specific set of movements and words to achieve a specific effect. You could pump more power in, but that was the limit. If you wanted a variation of that effect, you needed a different spell. Hence nearly identical spells like confringo, bombarda, and expulso existed. Equestrian magic was more open-ended and malleable. Harry and Twilight's running theory for why was the connection ponies had with magic. Ponies lived with the world's magic. Humans, by contrast, made things fit some design, and thus their magic was rigid. Given the creative potential, Harry was starting to prefer Equestria's method.

Why was this important? Shining Armor's next lesson was getting Harry to slowly make changes to his barrier. Just holding it was hard enough, but moving it? Harry was weak and tired by the third try. Between this and the patronus training, Harry was hard-pressed to pick which was more exhausting.

"Shining, can we stop? I don't think I could stop a feather right now," Harry said.

Shining Armor helped Harry back to his hooves with a proud smile

"Sure thing. You've got the basic principles down, now you just need the other two 'M's of combat magic."

Harry looked at the prince, confused. "The what?"

"The three 'M's? They're a little reminder I made up in basic training. Mind, magic, and muscle. All three are important in combat. Mind is your memory and wit, how you think in battle. Magic is your proficiency with spells and your ability to perform them under pressure. Most unicorns focus on those two, especially those in Celestia's school."

"What about muscle? What's that got to do with magic?" Harry asked.

"Here's the neat thing: remember what I said about how reflexes will save you first? Well, when you can't block a spell, dodging is your best alternative. Sometimes you have to get physical in a fight. The third "M", Muscle, represents your body's ability to skeep fighting. Endurance and reflexes, ya know? Some spells take a physical toll, but staying healthy can help. You don't have to be a prime specimen such as myself, but taking care of yourself pays off," Shining Armor said.

Harry tapped his chin. Shining Armor did have a point. Just brains alone didn't make a good wizard, or else all Ravenclaw (plus Hermione) would be the best at everything. Twilight had mind and magic in spades and her brother balanced all three out to be crown guard.

"Prime specimen?" Harry deadpanned.

The prince puffed up his chest. "Yeah, how do you think I married the third highest profile bachelorette in Equestria?" Shining Armor said with a joking tone.

"Good looks and a wonderful personality?" Harry quipped.

"Correct. And we'll call that your final lesson. If your stay gets extended, we can have another practice sesion tommorrow. But right now, I'm starved, how about you?"

"I could eat," Harry said sheepishly.

"Good. You look like you could put some muscle on. I can practically see your ribs."

"I'm not that skinny," Harry protested.

"Uh-huh, sure. Come on, you stay away too long and they're going to think you snuck through the mirror."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, imagine that..."





Harry and Shining Armor left the training fields to eat in the castle. As it turned out, everypony else had the same idea. It was a little awkward, eating in the same room as three princesses. Granted, Harry ate with Twilight, who was a princess, but she wasn't really royalty. When that was done, Harry and the rest returned to the mirror for a few hours. None of them had any plans, they hadn't expected the summit itself to last more than a day or so.

Everypony has their ways of dealing with stress. Shining Armor was occupying himself with the guard, it helped him stay focused. That led to where Harry was now, pacing the floor anxiously.

"I don't get it! How hard could it be to find one Element? Sunset doesn't have magic or the Element. She should be back by now!" Harry exclaimed as he paced back and forth.

"Harry, would ya sit down? I know Twilight's not back yet, but ya gotta give her time, sugarcube. Have some faith in our friend," Applejack insisted.

Harry plopped down next to her. "I have faith, I just worry. Twilight gave me a home. If it weren't for her, I'd be on Earth with my abusive family. Of course I'm worried. Twilight's my friend and the closest thing to family I got."

"We understand. Twilight's always been there for us whenever we needed her help," Fluttershy said.

"She helped save the family farm," Applejack said.

"She helped get me into the Wonderbolts academy," Rainbow added.

"She freed me of Nightmare Moon," Luna said. "Your apprehension is understandable, but this is something Princess Twilight must do alone. And you do not need to be concerned yet, she has until tomorrow night to return," Princess Luna said sagely.

"And if she doesn't?" Harry whispered.

"She will, darling. There's no force on Equestria or anywhere else that could stop Twilight from helping her friends," Rarity said.

"That's right. Twilight's probably making friends right now," Pinkie Pie said.

"Yeah, you're right. Twilight can take care of herself," Harry relented.

But if she's not by tomorrow morning, I'm going after her.





The second day passed much like the first. After a second night of fitful sleep, Harry was forced to wait for Celestia to raise the sun. Of course that had been a sight on its own, he had caught a glimpse of her on a balcony, overlooking the Sunrise. It was awe-inspiring to watch somepony do something people took for granted as a natural phenomenon. Any nonmagical human would have had a heart attack on sight. Were it not for Harry knowing and trusting Celestia's benevolence he might have been fearful. But after the day officially began, the first thing was breakfast. This gave Harry time to hear the day's plans. The other five Element bearers would be sitting next to the mirror, waiting for Twilight to return. Nopony could bring themselves to do anything else, not with Twilight in such a difficult spot. It reminded Harry of when Twilight told him about Rainbow Dash's acceptance to the Wonderbolts Academy. Pinkie Pie never left her mailbox the whole time.

However, today was a different case. Twilight was gone and risked never returning. Yet, Harry couldn't bring himself to stand and watch for the whole day. He knew everypony wished to be with Twilight, including himself, but he needed to get rid of the nerves. He couldn't make Twilight return any faster, so that led him to another morning training session with Shining Armor. The two met up after breakfast, and Shining Armor offered to give him some more training during the guard's warmups.

"Come on Harry, you call that a shield? I know you can do better!" Shining Armor encouraged.

Harry merely grunted as he held his barrier in place. A hazy turquoise shield floated between them, a little more solid than last time. It hurt so badly to keep it up, but less so than the day before. Harry could feel how much stronger his barrier was. However, going from nothing to a little of something didn't mean much to him.

"I'm trying! Not all of us have shield cutie marks, Shining," Harry growled. His barrier fizzled out. "Ponyfeathers!"

Shining Armor approached Harry to give him a firm slap on the back. "Hey, that was a great attempt. You're making progress. You're showing some real talent, a talent that's hard to come by. Keep practicing and you'll have an impressive barrier to show off at school."

Harry grinned. "You think so?"

"I know it. I mean, yeah, your theory could use some work, but on the practical side you're making progress."

"So I got magic, but not mind or muscle?"

"Yup. Mind is important to knowing what you can and can't do, and you've only known how to cast spells one way for years. All three get better with time." Shining Armor rubbed his chin. "Speaking of, do you have plans for after school? I know it's a bit early to ask for you, you don't have a cutie mark—"

"If I ever get one."

"—but do you have a plan for your future?"

Harry stopped to think. Most people don't figure out their life's purpose, they didn't get a confirmation in a magic mark. Harry, despite being older than the Cutie Mark Crusaders, still had no (real) cutie mark. But, mark or none, Harry could feel something like destiny weighing down on him. Harry felt like everyone expected something out of him, and now that Voldemort was back Harry wanted to help in any way he could. On Earth that meant auror. In Equestria that probably translated to the royal guard.

Harry shrugged noncommittedly. "Magical law enforcement. I can't see myself doing anything else. Defense Against the Dark Arts is my best class. But that's the class with the worst teaching. We get a new teacher because no one can stay longer than a year. The rumor is it's jinxed."

"How? I mean, how can an educational institution tolerate that?" Shining Armor demanded.

"Twilight said the same thing, word for word. As far as I can tell, it can't be removed or it's just bad luck. I still like the class, most of the time. It depends on the teacher."

"Well, what does it teach about?" Shining Armor asked.

"Magical threats. We learn about dangers and other times we learn spells to deal with them." Harry replied.

Shining Armor seemed to get an idea from that. "Well then, we'll just call these meetings your Equestrian Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Harry tilted his head, confused. "Meetings? As in plural?"

"Well, if you want to continue them. I've got duties, but I can make time to meet every now and then to talk and teach some magic if you're interested."

Harry was surprised. Shining Armor, former captain of the guard, Prince of the Crystal Empire, and one of the best magical duelists in Equestria, was offering to give him lessons. How could he say no to that!? Just learning how to defend himself better would be invaluable back on Earth for when Voldemort made himself known. Harry felt tethered to that. After all, it was his fault Voldemort returned, he shouldn't be hiding in some distant universe, idly twiddling his hooves.

"Of course, I'd be honored."

Shining Armor smiled. "Good. Now, put up your best shield before I break it down!" he commanded in a strong voice.

Harry hastily put up a barrier between them. A laser blasted the barrier and bounced off to impact a nearby crystal. But the next blast of magic was much stronger, leading to his shield failing miserably and knocking Harry off his hooves. Shining Armor marched forward, closing the gap between them.

"Pick yourself up! You're better than this, I know you are!"

Harry put up the shield again, just in time to block the chunk of gemstone Shining Armor threw. Harry backed up. If Shining Armor got too close, then that was game over, he would be too close for most spells and Shining Armor was far stronger than Harry. Harry poured as much power into the shield as he dared, allowing it to hold up for a second or two longer on its own if needed. When Harry was certain it was strong enough, he made a very stupid decision: he charged headfirst at Shining Armor. To Harry's surprise, it seemed to catch Shining Armor off guard enough for Harry to slam the shield into his muzzle and push the Prince back, removing all the distance Shining Armor had covered between them. Harry followed this up with a small blasting spell at the ground and a stunner to where he knew Shining Armor was.

I'm finishing this, NOW!

Forgoing any thoughts of conserving his energy, Harry teleported behind Shining Armor in a last-ditch attempt to surprise the Prince. When Harry teleported he saw the Prince deflect his stunning spell into the ground just before it could hit him. Pressing his advantage, Harry fired another stunner at his opponent which seemed to catch him by surprise. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough of a surprise to stop the prince from throwing a hasty barrier up to reflect the spell to Harry. Harry tried to put up a shield to block but had stretched his energy too thin to bring up enough of a barrier to stop the spell. It broke through his barrier and struck his legs. The next thing he knew his legs gave out and Harry was looking up at his victorious opponent, whose horn glowed dangerously.

"Yield," Shining Armor said.

Harry collapsed his head on the ground. "I yield," he groaned.

Shining Armor pulled Harry back to his hooves. "You had me on the ropes there. You got a lot of spirit, Harry."

"Lot of good spirit does, I was never giong to win."

"Today's not about winning, it's about making progress." Shining Armor reminded Harry. "Your spirit pushes you to make your own decisions, and you make the best of your choices. I think we've done enough, you should go back to your friends."

As Harry walked through the castle, something that Shining Armor said stuck with him. Your spirit pushes you to make your own decisions. Less than a few hours remained before the portal closed, and neither Twilight nor Spike had returned. But Harry knew what lay beyond better than anypony else. It was a human world, one without wizarding magic. The best-case scenario was that Equestrian magic existed over there, the worst-case was Twilight had nothing but her wit to save her. Sunset Shimmer knew this other world better than either of them. But she was a teenage girl on the other side, how much power could she possibly have? Harry was certain the large building was a school, so Sunset Shimmer might have been a student there. Which was weird, she and Twilight were full-grown ponies in Equestria. All in all, Twilight was either in serious trouble or was taking her sweet time.

You stay away too long, and they're going to think you snuck through the mirror

Harry sighed. "Celestia is going to throw me in the dungeons if Twilight doesn't kill me first." Harry pulled his Invisibility Cloak out of his bag and pulled it over himself. By whatever magic gave and removed clothes, the cloak fit him perfectly. Harry broke into a gallop through the castle halls, his mind made up. The mirror faces away from the door. I bank right, and I can make it before anypony can stop me.

Harry galloped as fast as he could through the halls, occasionally passing a guard or servant. He saw the mirror room ahead, with two guards blocking the entrance. Of course, they knew Harry and the rest were allowed in, but they couldn't see him. Harry hugged the left side of the wall before dashing right, where he knew a straight line to the mirror would go through the wall.

As soon as Harry reached the door he barged through it. He ran straight past everypony and into the mirror. He disappeared into the vortex of light.

Yes!
> Chapter 7: Redeeming The Sun
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry opened his eyes to be greeted with the other side of the mirror. He noticed he was in the same clothes, with his Invisibility Cloak over his shoulders, hiding him. Harry quickly looked back. He was at the statue, again. The smell of smoke hung heavily in the air, and Harry could feel some magic in the air.

Harry turned around. To his shock, there were six girls on the ground. Harry noticed five girls who looked nearly identical to the five Element Bearers. What? Did they follow me? No, they would've gotten here after me. Then how— Twilight!

Harry noticed the sixth girl. Lavandar skin with indigo hair that had twin streaks of color. And like the others, she too was unconscious. Harry rushed to her at the same time as a purple-and-green dog standing at his feet; Spike.

"Spike, what happened!?" Harry shouted.

"Harry?" the dragon said, puzzled. Harry pulled off his cloak so Spike could see him.

"Spike, what happened to..." Harry looked at the crater in front of the school, "this!"

"Twilight fixed everything, I think," Spike said. "Sunset had the crown, turned into a demon-thing, then Twilight beat her."

Harry blinked owlishly at him, a little surprised. I didn't know the Element could do that.

"You have got to be kidding me!"

Harry's loud outburst seemed to startle Twilight awake. Her eyes blinked rapidly.

"Harry!?" Twilight shouted. "What're you—"

"I'm well aware of what I was told, but my friends are more important," Harry countered. "I thought you were in trouble. But I guess you didn't need me," he said, a little disappointed in himself.

Harry held his hand out for Twilight to help stand up. Harry followed her to the crater in front of the school. As the smoke cleared, Harry could see the thief, Sunset Shimmer at the bottom.

Twilight's words were firm when she spoke, "You will never rule in Equestria. Any power you may have had in this world is gone. Tonight, you've shown everyone who you really are. You've shown them what is in your heart."

Sunset's face tilted up to look at Twilight; was only then Harry realized she had been crying.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Sunset sobbed. "I didn't know there was another way."

"The magic of friendship doesn't just exist in Equestria." Twilight turned around to look at the other girls, eyes glistening. "It's everywhere. You can seek it out, or you can forever be alone. The choice is yours."

Sunset crawled to the edge of the crater, still sobbing.

"But... But all I've ever done since being here is drive everyone apart. I don't know the first thing about friendship."

Twilight reached down to pull Sunset out of the crater.

"I bet they can teach you," Twilight said, gesturing to the other girls.

A taller adult stepped forward. She looked like a pinker version of Princess Celestia's human form

"I believe this belongs to you. A true princess in any world leads not by forcing others to bow before her, but by inspiring others to stand with her. We have all seen that you are capable of just that." The duplicate Celestia placed the crown on Twilight's head. "I hope you see it too, Princess Twilight."

The crowd erupted into cheers. Twilight and Harry were startled, not expecting the uproar. A boy with gamboge-colored skin and blue hair walked up to Twilight and offered her his hand.

"Would now be a completely awkward time to ask you for that dance?" he asked. He looked at Harry. "Unless he's—"

"Don't finish that sentence," Harry said firmly. Twilight glanced at Harry, and he gestured for her to go on without him. "Twilight, go. I'll be here. I... want to talk with Sunset."

She followed Harry's eyes to Sunset. "Go easy on her, please. I think she'll do better this time."

"You really think so?" Harry asked.

"She asked for another chance, I couldn't say no," Twilight countered.

"Alright," Harry conceded reluctantly.

Twilight and her friends went back inside the school. The crowd of teenagers slowly migrated back in until it was just Harry and Sunset Shimmer outside. Harry walked to the girl, who hadn't moved from where she stood at the crater.

"So..." she said awkwardly, "sorry for hitting you?"

"You kicked me through the portal," Harry said flatly.

Sunset Shimmer threw her hands in the air. "I just said that, and I said I'm sorry! What else do you want!?" she shouted.

"Just the apology, that's all," Harry replied in a kinder tone.

"Oh, really!? I kicked you through a portal yesterday! I should—" Sunset cut herself off. Her hands went up to cover her face, still wet with tears. "I'm- I'm sorry. I don't know the first thing about friendship, much less apologies. How do I do this?" she whimpered.

Sunset Shimmer sat down on the edge of the crater. Harry followed behind her, a little unsure of what to do. This was weird and new to him. How could this have been the girl who stole Twilight's crown and put Equestria in danger? All that, and for what? That's a good question. Why did she do that?

Sunset cupped her face in her hands. "I've spent years evading and tearing down friendships; I can't even apologize for pushing someone. So much for the great Sunset Shimmer."

Harry felt something tug at his heart. Harry couldn't quite put it into words. A nudge of some sort that told him to not berate Sunset and to give her the chance Twilight believed in. Harry followed that nudge and sat down at the edge of the crater, next to Sunset. He looked at her puffy eyes and felt a well of pity open up.

"Twilight thinks you've got a second chance. She wouldn't give you that if you didn't deserve it."

Sunset scoffed. "You wouldn't be saying that I you were here five minutes ago," she groaned, largely to herself.

"I saw the aftermath."

Sunset sighed. "I put on the crown and turned into a demon. Celestia, it hurt, I felt like I was dying, turned inside-out. But had everything I thought I wanted. Then I started flinging magic before the princess intervened. I almost killed her." She gripped her hair in a pit of panic, hyperventilating. "Celestia, what was I thinking!? I never meant to go that far! This is a mess- I'm a mess!" The tears in her eyes flooded down her cheeks and she was racked with sobs.

That strange sensation seemed to push him to act again. Harry knew he wasn't the best at helping people, Twilight always seemed to know what to say. Harry feared making it worse. If Twilight believes in her, then I might as well try. Harry placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder.

"But Twilight thinks you've got a second chance, that's what matters," Harry said. "I doubt she'll hold it against you. She doesn't hold Nightmare Moon against Princess Luna."

"You make it sound so easy," Sunset chuckled mirthlessly.

"When you've got the right friends, sure. Some steal, are dishonest, insensitive, miserable, or disloyal."

Sunset Shimmer counted the attributes listed on her fingers. "Generosity, Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, and Loyalty. Five out of six. Do they all do that?" she asked, partially inquisitive and remorseful.

"No. They're good people, but no one's perfect. They don't understand friendship like Twilight does. We're strange, Discord finds us boring."

Sunset's head jerked up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up. Did you say Discord? As in Discord, the spirit of chaos and disharmony?" Sunset demanded, her arms waving around widely. Harry remembered that Sunset Shimmer hadn't seen Equestria in several years.

"Yeah, a lot's happened recently. Nightmare Moon returned and was turned back into Princess Luna by the Elements. Discord freed himself and was turned back to stone. Changelings invaded Canterlot. The Crystal Empire returned after a thousand or so years. Most recently, Discord was reformed," Harry explained.

"Reformed? How the hay did Celestia reform Discord?"

"She didn't; Fluttershy did."

Sunset's jaw dropped open. "Fluttershy? As in Fluttershy, the girl who can barely hold a conversation? How in Tartarus did that happen?"

Harry shrugged. "I have no idea. I was only Twilight's penpal at the time. Things like that just happen around her. It's better than being me."

"Speaking of, I never got your name," Sunset asked. "I didn't ask when... you know."

"Harry Potter." Harry held out, which Sunset shook.

"Harry. When I... kicked you... you dropped this." Sunset pulled a long holly stick from a pocket. "You left your... whatever this is, here. It didn't do anything more than let off some sparks."

"My wand!" Harry exclaimed. With all the commotion, he almost forgot about it. He plucked it from Sunset and inspected it before pocketing it. No damage, thank Celestia. "Thanks, humans kind of need it to do magic back home."

"I wonder why it didn't work," Sunset pondered aloud.

"Wands don't work for non-magical humans," Harry said.

"Oh, I get it!" Sunset said. "The Element gives its user magic through channeling Harmony, whereas the wand channels the user's innate magic. No wonder it didn't work for us! I initially assumed this world was devoid of magic by nature, but I might have to rethink that. Maybe humans lack magic here and this world can sustain it, but there's so little magic it functionally doesn't exist. That would comply with magical equilibrium and the density-power theorem."

Harry tilted his head in confusion. Yep, she's Celestia's former student.

"I'll be honest, that's over my head," Harry admitted. "My studies are not that advanced. But I prefer those over life-threatening adventures."

"Okay, I'll bite. Those sound interesting." Sunset leaned back until she was lying on the ruined pavement. She wiped the remains of her tears from her face. "I'm still... processing everything that happened, but would you mind just, I don't know, talking?" Sunset asked.

Harry nodded slowly. I suppose even evil people— formerly evil— can have a bad day.

"Well, people in my world either have magic or don't, and I'm one of the former. Even by their standards, I'm abnormal. I should start with the fact that I am— was— a cursed child. It's this scar." Harry parted his hair so the lightning-shaped scar was visible. "Until a few days ago, my scar contained a terrible curse. Celestia removed it before your theft. I got it when I was a baby; a dark wizard tried to kill me after he murdered my parents. I was found not long after; having survived the magic used against me, a dying gift from my mother."

"An orphan? You too?" Sunset asked, propping herself up. Harry looked at her, surprised. "I was an orphan when I got into the school. Celestia was the closest thing I ever had to a mother. Family wasn't the biggest part of my life."

"I'm guessing it was better than my fate. I was dumped to live with my abusive relatives. They hated me for my mother's magic, then for mine. I never even knew what she looked like. I was locked in a cupboard under the stairs, and I stayed like that for nearly ten years."

Despite the circumstances, Harry smiled. "Well, that's where friends come in. Twilight's letters pulled me out of my dark spots and helped me see some good in life. Princess Cadance once told me there are two types of family in the world: those we're born with and those we choose. Here, or in Equestria, I'm sure you'll find someone or someone to connect with."

Sunset flopped backward, chuckling tiredly. "You sound as sappy as the princess. Would you mind continuing?"

Harry nodded again. He continued to tell various stories as the remaining hour ticked by. He talked about the Hogwarts letters, and how he was given a bigger room because his relatives were afraid. Harry talked about how paranoia consumed his uncle until they were holed up like rats. Harry described in detail his first encounters with wizarding magic. Sunset seemed interested in learning about other worlds. At one point he could have sworn he heard her mutter about how she "ended up in the wrong universe". Harry trudged on with his story. Diagon Ally and the misadventures of his first year. Harry continued to bleed out more and more of his life story to Sunset Shimmer., and she responded on occasion. He talked about the stigma of parseltongue and how he had come within inches of dying to basilisk venom. He talked about the dementors and their numerous attempts to eat what little happiness lived within him. Harry finished his tale by recounting the Triwizard Tournament. By the end of his tale, Harry too was lying on his back, feet dangling over the edge of the crater. Both he and Sunset looked up at the night sky.

"Wow." Sunset Shimmer said. "That's... a lot."

"I've heard that before."

"I'm serious. Life wasn't easy after I... left Equestria. But I don't have words for that."

Harry chuckled mirthlessly. "I wish things were easy. They've only gotten worse back home. Twilight is the only reason I'm in Equestria."

"Those little princesses really change ponies— people." Sunset chuckled.

"This was before she ascended."

Sunset sat up quickly. "Wait, how long ago did she ascend?" she asked.

"Less than a month, I'm not sure. I've got the worst case of jet lag ever."

"She hasn't been a princess for a month?!" Sunset sounded shocked.

"Is that surprising?" Harry asked.

"I... I thought Celestia would have replaced me faster than that." Sunset Shimmer hunched over, her head hung low. "I wanted to be a Princess; a part of me still does. Celestia always said I was so special, destined for so much. I thought she was trying to hold me back. I felt like I deserved more. And when she showed me that mirror, I saw myself as a Princess: regal, mighty, and immortal. I wanted what she had. That's where I... I failed."

"That reminds me of a mirror that showed my desires." Harry said, thinking of the Mirror of Erised.

"Really? What'd you see?" Sunset asked.

"My parents," Harry said sadly. "I never knew what they looked like, my aunt didn't keep photos of her sister. The mirror showed me what my parents looked like. I saw us as a family, being happy. Nothing more."

"All things considered, that doesn't sound too bad." Sunset chuckled. "You could have desired anything in the world, and you wanted a family."

"It was the happiest I was in years. Those memories powered my first patronus." Harry smiled at the memory. "Though thoughts of my friends make stronger ones now."

"Patronus?" Sunset tilted her head.

"A magically conjured guardian made of positive thoughts. Apparently it's a very advanced spell for my kind."

Sunset smiled at that. "Not bad, kid. You know, you're a nice guy. Shame we don't have more time; you have to go, the portal closes soon." She stood up to look at the statue and its hidden portal back home. She walked towards it until she was a hair's breadth away.

Harry walked up behind her. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"You could come back, I'm certain Celestia will forgive you."

"I don't think I can forgive myself," Sunset whispered numbly. "I've hurt people here, I need to fix it before I can even think of coming home."

Harry nodded, understanding Sunset's motives. She was taking responsibility. He felt similar about Voldemort, but Harry knew he couldn't be of use yet. He was sure he would be strong enough to help once he returned.

"If you're sure. If I can find a way to stay in touch, I will," Harry said. "Whenever you're ready, I have no doubt Celestia would move the heavens to get you back."

"Thanks," Sunset replied. "I think you deserve that life in Equestria."

"So do you. Just don't vanish for over a decade," Harry replied.

"Wait, 'decade'?" Sunset looked very confused. "How long have I been gone? It hasn't been that long over here."

Harry chuckled. "Really? Twilight's been Celestia's student for years. I find it better to ignore what time does."

Sunset let out a full laugh this time. "Oh my Celestia, I should be almost thirty!"

Harry laughed with her. "Good luck with that, I guess. Anyways, I should be heading back."

"Yeah, you should," Sunset said. "Just don't take Equestria for granted while you're over there."

Sunset and Harry shared a smile. With their goodbyes said, they waited for Twilight and Spike to arrive, which wasn't long.

"You'll look out for her, won't you?" Twilight asked the girls.

"Of course we will. Although I do expect some sort of apology for last spring," the Rarity lookalike said.

"I have a feeling she'll be handing out a lot of apologies," Twilight said.

Harry looked to see someone who looked like a human version of Princess Luna handing a trowel to Sunset Shimmer. Harry felt a twinge of irritation; that job was for qualified workers, not students. Granted, that could be a symbolic gesture, and she was just on cleanup.

"Just make sure you don't apologies turn into petty revenge," Harry added.

"Who are you?" Rainbow Dash inquired.

Harry held out his hand. "Harry Potter, I'm a friend of Twilight," he looked down at the purple dog, "and Spike."

"Then you'll try and keep her out of trouble?" Applejack asked.

Harry shrugged noncommittally. "No promises; trouble finds us all the time."

"We better get going." Spike reminded them.

"I know we've only been friends for a short time, but I'm gonna miss all of you so much," Twilight said to her new friends. Harry shook his head. Of course, Twilight had time to make new BFFs. When Twilight and Spike said their goodbyes they walked up to the mirror.

"That crown really does suit you, Princess Twilight," Spike commented.

"It always did," Harry said.

"You know what? I am starting to feel a little more comfortable wearing it," Twilight said.

"About time, princess," Harry said.

"And the wings?" Spike asked.

Twilight scoffed. "Harry taught me to walk on two legs and pick things up with fingers! Wings? It'll be easy!"

"Well, let's go!" Harry said. He waved back at Sunset and jumped through the portal, Twilight and Spike right behind him.





As soon as he exited the portal Harry realized he had made a mistake in jumping through the mirror. The moment the trio exited the portal, they collapsed in a jumble of pony and dragon limbs.

"Twilight!"

"Ah, you're back!"

"You've got your crown!"

"I knew you could do it!"

"Oh, we were so worried."

Harry, Spike, and Twilight untangled themselves. Somepony grappled them all with a hug.

"Wait, Harry!?"

Suddenly, Applejack pinned Harry to the ground.

"You went through the portal!? Why?! If I could ground you, I would!" Applejack scolded Harry. "Whatcha ya got ta say for yourself?"

"Twilight's all I've got here. Spike went, and I don't see you criticizing him!" Harry exclaimed.

"Twilight practically raised Spike, she can deal with him herself," Rainbow countered.

Harry shook his head, reminding himself they were rightfully concerned. "I'm not apologizing for going, but I am sorry for making you worry."

Celestia stepped forth. "Make no mistake, we will discuss this later." She looked down at Harry, who shamefully averted his eyes. The princess's glare felt worse than Molly's or Dumbledore's. "But what happened to Sunset Shimmer, is she alright?"

Harry looked up at the princess. "She's fine; we talked before I left. I think she's going to be a much better person now. She wants to try and fix her mistakes before she feels her return is earned."

Celestia relaxed as soon as she heard the good news.

"I'm glad that she wants to make amends."

"We left her in good hands," Twilight said. Harry rolled his eyes at the usage of "hands". Luna, Cadance, and Shining Armor looked confused.

"Hands?" Shining Armor asked.

"Picture griffon talons mixed with squid arms," Harry said. Everypony who had seen a human chuckled at the others' reactions.

"I believe there are some things we ought to be informed of," Luna commented.

"We can do that tomorrow during the summit, sister," Celestia decided. "None of us have slept well as of late. We shall reconvene when we are well-rested."

Celestia and Luna left the room first. As soon as they were out of sight, Shining Armor barreled over his little sister with a shout of her name.

"I'm so glad you're back safe." His hug was so tight Harry could see Twilight contort around her brother's limbs like putty. Everypony covered their mouths to conceal their laughter. Letting go of his sister, Shining Armor turned his ire on Harry.

"And you!" Shining Armor scolded. "I should throw you in the dungeons for disobeying Celestia! If you ever, ever, pull a stunt like that again, I will rescind my invitation to train you!" Shining Armor threatened. However, his anger dissipated when Cadance placed a hoof on his shoulder. "I know what you're going to say, Cadance: just get some sleep and work it out tomorrow. Still, don't pull that again, Harry, please."

"Come on, let's go," Cadance said gently.

They all walked away from the inactive mirror together. And, despite Celestia's suggestions, the girls could not stop demanding answers. The young princess was too tired to properly answer. She was so tired she didn't notice when she bumped into a familiar pegasus guard.

"We've got to stop bumping into each other like this," he said, before walking away.

Harry watched the guard walk away, confused. He looked familiar.

"Who was that?" Twilight asked.

"He's an addition to the castle guard, just passed training," Shining Armor said. "Flash Sentry."

"Why? Do you know him?" Cadance asked.

"Not exactly," Twilight said.

"Oooh! Somepony's got a crush on the new guy!" Applejack chimed.

"No. No, I don't! Harry, back me up," Twilight pleaded.

"No thanks, Twi," Harry said.

"She does! She absolutely does!" Rarity declared. "Harry's got competition!"

"Excuse me—!"

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't even know him," Twilight fumbled for an answer.

"So you're blushing because...?" Rarity said slyly.

"I'm not blushing!" Twilight deflected.

"Oh! Oh!" Pinkie Pie blurted. "He totally reminds you of a guy you met who—" Pinkie Pie was cut off by Harry covering her mouth with a hoof.

"We're all too sleep-deprived to deal with whatever you are going to say. We can do this tomorrow, we need sleep now," Harry grumbled.

The rest mumbled tiredly in agreement. Everypony separated to go to bed.

"Good night, princess," Harry yawned.

"Night, Harry. Thanks for having my back," Twilight said.

"I didn't do anything."

"You tried, and that's what counts in my book," Twilight gave Harry a brief hug. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Harry could barely stay on his hooves as he stumbled to bed. His friends were safe, maybe he made a new one, and that's all that mattered.
> Chapter 8: The Summer Sun Celebration
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After their next misadventure in the Crystal Empire, Harry and the gang returned to Ponyville to prepare Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration. During the train ride back, Harry showed everypony his amulet and told them what Celestia had discovered. Revulsion, shock, and fear were the most common reactions when Harry said it was a soul fragment that was attached to him. Twilight demanded Harry hide it deep in the basement, and Harry had no objections to that plan.

When the group got back to Ponyville, Harry helped out where he could between studying the clock and getting used to Equestria. Turns out, there was a pattern to the clock. If Harry's guess was right, time was currently faster in Equestria, but it cycled between faster, much faster, and backward randomly. If Harry timed a portal right, he'd know when he'd emerge. But until he figured out when that was, he would remain in Equestria.

With his biggest concern on pause, Harry was eager to help around town. He'd never had any real hobbies before now, or time to grow any. Once again Harry found enjoyment in seemingly monotonous tasks that would have carved away at his soul on Earth. He was a few years older than the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but he was made an "honorary member" due to lacking a cutie mark. Of course, it gave them an older person to keep an eye out for, which Rarity and Applejack thanked him for.

But the Summer Sun Celebration was fast approaching, and Celestia selected a special task for Twilight during the ceremony. Everypony cleared their schedule to say goodbye and travel to Canterlot and back. Of course, said special task required Twilight to learn to fly. Fast.





"You gotta really flap 'em hard," Rainbow Dash shouted. High above everypony, Twilight fluttered in the sky, flapping her wings harder. But the princess lost control and collided with a tree. "Uh, maybe not quite that hard."

Twilight dropped down to the ground.

"Looking good up there, Princess Twilight," Applejack said happily.

"Applejack, you know you don't have to call me that," Twilight insisted.

"Why do you protest so?" Rarity asked, "You've already given up wearing your crown all the time. The least you can do is embrace your new title."

"If other ponies want to address me that way, I suppose it's fine, but... not my friends. It just doesn't feel right," Twilight sighed heavily. "And neither does all this flying business. The Summer Sun Celebration is only two days away, and I'm never gonna be ready to perform my part."

"Not if you spend all your time down here, you won't!" Rainbow Dash said. "Now get up there and show everypony the big finish!"

Twilight took off into the sky, starting slow but building speed.

"She's going to crash, isn't she?" Harry asked rhetorically.

"Yup," Applejack cringed.

A second later Twilight crashed into the ground, dirt piling up as she made a crater in the ground. Everypony rushed over to their friend. Twilight was unharmed, just a bruised ego.

Pinkie Pie knelt into the hole. "Wow! That was a big finish!"





After Twilight's spectacular crash, they all took a break to visit the stained-glass windows in the castle, including one made in Twilight's honor. She was still getting used to the art of her as an alicorn, but she'd admit it was very well-made.

"You look amazing, darling. They've really captured your regality," Rarity said.

"I suppose," Twilight mumbled.

"Oh, don't be so modest. It's everypony's dream to someday wear a crown and have their coronation ceremony preserved in stained glass for all to see," Rarity remarked.

"I don't know if it's everypony's dream," Rainbow Dash said.

"Most of my dreams are about frosting!" Pinkie Pie started to salivate. Twilight wisely chose to ignore that.

"We'd better get going. We don't want to miss our train," Fluttershy said.

"Fluttershy's right," Applejack said. "Don't know about y'all, but I've still got bushels to do to get ready. The official celebration may be here in Canterlot, but hoo-wee, has the mayor put us in charge of one heck of a party back home," Applejack stopped when she saw Twilight's downtrodden face

"Aw, don't look like that, sugarcube. You get to be right there with the other princesses when Celestia raises the sun."

"And I'm honored. Really, I am. It's just that the Summer Sun Celebration is what first brought us all together. It just doesn't feel right not getting to spend such a special day with my Ponyville friends," Twilight said.

"It doesn't feel right to us either, darling. If the Mayor wasn't so desperate for our assistance, we'd most certainly stay here in Canterlot. And of course, we do understand that your royal duties must come first," Rarity replied.

"The Summer Sun Celebration may have brought us together, but it's something much bigger that'll always keep us connected," Applejack pointed at the stained-glass mural of the six mares with their Elements. "Exhibit A: The six of us are united by the Elements of Harmony. No amount of royal duties is gonna change that. Right, everypony?"

Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy hummed in agreement.

"Right, Pinkie Pie?"

"Creamy, creamy frosting..."

Fluttershy dabbed at Pinkie Pie's mouth with a napkin. "You should take that as a yes."

"Well, except for me and Harry. The Elements have nothing to do with us," Spike said.

"Eh, not really," Harry interrupted. "Their defeat of Nightmare Moon opened the rift that sent my first letter, kickstarting our friendship."

"Wait, really?" Twilight said. "How'd you know that?"

"Discord."

That was all Harry had to say for Twilight to stop asking questions.

"Well, that just further proves my point," Applejack exclaimed. "The Elements were what brought us together, even if indirectly. That's special, nothing changes that."

Everypony smiled in agreement, Twilight included. They're right, our friendships are special, one of a kind. We can survive the most important holiday in all of history being apart.

After visiting the murals, the group had to head to the station to get on the train back to Ponyville.

"We're gonna write you and give you so many details, it'll be like you're in Ponyville with us! Right, girls?" Pinkie Pie said. "Oh, and Harry!"

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," everypony echoed, doing the motions.

"And you will be with us right after the Celebration. We already have an appointment on the books to discuss the royal upgrades to your loft decor," Rarity gushed.

Twilight's friends turned to get on the train, which had just arrived at the station. Twilight spoke suddenly.

"Harry, you'll be alright, won't you?" Twilight asked him before they all managed to get on the train.

Harry smiled. "Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just, I've got so much to do here, and—"

Harry finished her sentence for her. "You don't want to worry about me?"

Twilight sighed with a chuckle. "You know me too well."

Harry smirked.

"Well, how about this: you come back after the Celebration in one piece and we can celebrate by going out for ice cream or something. "

"I might take you up on that," Twilight said to herself. She hadn't had a good chance to relax since becoming Princess—

Rarity, in what must have been a personal record, rushed between the two, grinning madly. "Is that a date I hear?"

Twilight blushed angrily; she could see the same reaction taking place with Harry. That wasn't a date offer, it's just friends getting ice cream! Besides, I said I might take Harry up on his offer, an offer that wasn't a date!

"RARITY!" the two shouted.

"Only kidding!"

"Why does she keep doing that?" Harry asked.

"I don't think she's serious at this point," Twilight said. "But it's getting more annoying to ignore."

"I'll talk to her on the train."

By some miracle of Harmony, the train whistle blew.

"All aboard for Ponyville!" The conductor announced.

Harry and everypony else filed onto the train just before it left. Twilight watched them all wave goodbye from the train as it pulled away.





When Canterlot was out of sight, Harry sat down. "This feels weird. Anypony else feeling weird?"

"Right with ya there. Twilight's still getting used to being royal and whatnot. I feel weird, leaving her in Canterlot," Applejack said.

"Twilight's a princess, she can take care of herself. She was doing fine before we met. It'll just be... lonelier," Rainbow Dash said.

"Speaking of lonely, Harry's being left home alone," Rarity said.

Harry scoffed. "Please, I can take care of myself until Twilight comes back. She almost made me stay with her in Canterlot."

"Just you and her in the big city, what an opportunity," Rarity noted.

"Rarity!" Harry huffed. "Can you please just lay off on that!? I want to be able to count the number of stable friendships on two hands!"

"Alright, dear," Rarity said. "You do know I'm only teasing. I don't intend for you two to date, you know."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Harry said. "Anyways, I basically raised myself on Earth. I can handle a day or so of being 'home alone' in Ponyville of all places."

"Speaking of, what're you going to do between now and the Summer Sun Celebration?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Harry tapped his chin. "Probably finish my second set of cloudball gear. I think I can do that without Twilight."

"How's that game going, dearie?" Rarity asked.

"Very good. Cloud Chaser has my first set on 'permanent loan' while visiting Cloudsdale, I think I might sell him a full set. Who knows, if it gets popular I could build and sell them for a profit, make a proper game out of it."

"Professional cloudball. I like the sound of that," Rainbow Dash said.

Harry shrugged. "On that note, I might practice the wings spell. I want to be able to cast it before I return to Earth."

"That reminds me; did ya figure out that clock Discord gave ya?" Applejack said.

Harry shook his head. "I'm close to solving it, I just need to know one or two days on Earth compared to here, then I can guess the date. I'll review my letters for dates, then I'll crack the code!"

"Well, I wish you good luck!" Pinkie Pie said.

"Thanks, Pink."

Pinkie Pie gasped. "Is that a nickname!? Harry used a nickname for me! We've moved from friends to best friends!" She nearly strangled him in a hug.

Harry chuckled awkwardly.





When the train to Ponyville arrived, everypony went their separate ways to prepare for the Summer Sun Celebration. Harry walked through the door to Twilight's house, alone. Wow, that feels weird. Harry was well and truly home alone. He wasn't left with some old lady or tucked away somewhere out of sight, he was at home, and he was alone. Harry smirked as he pranced about the house.

"What to do... what to do..." he muttered to himself. "I could start that second set of cloud ball gear... Or I could eat a whole tub of ice cream, and no one can stop me!" Harry giddily pranced over to the kitchen. He'd never gotten the opportunity to indulge in the wonders of childhood, he had some things to make up for losing with the Dursleys. Harry was going to eat non-stolen desserts from the freezer!

Somepony knocked at the door.

"Oh, come on!" Harry groaned. He trotted to the front door.

With Twilight and Spike gone, I have to answer the door. I never got to do that on Earth. Still, I wonder who it could be. The library is public but most of Ponyville is working on their Celebration preparations. Maybe the others are checking in to make sure I haven't burned the house down or something. Probably Applejack or Fluttershy.

Harry opened the door and saw, to his surprise, no adults but three fillies who were a few years younger than him. The "Cutie Mark Crusaders": Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. Harry smiled as he waved them in.

"Hey, girls. Off doing more crusading before the Summer Sun Celebration starts?" Harry asked.

"You betcha!" Scootaloo said, buzzing her wings. "Holidays are only once a year, we only get one shot to try everything we can."

"I did all my chores while my big sis and y'all were up in Canterlot. We have the whole day to ourselves," Apple Bloom said.

"Rarity wouldn't let me touch anything she's working on," Sweetie Belle grumbled.

"I'm sure Rarity's just working herself hard. She likes things done in her own meticulous way," Harry replied. "You have family that cares, that's worth a whole lot more than you think."

"Oh alright," Sweetie Belle conceded.

"Okay, let's stay on topic," Scootaloo reminded everypony. "We're crusading!"

Harry nodded. "Speaking of, why are you here? I'm an honorary memeber but I don't crusade with you."

"We were hoping Twilight was around. We wanted to ask if she knew anything special about the Summer Sun Celebration," Sweetie Belle said.

"Sorry, but Twilight's in Canterlot. She's got royal duties to attend to," Harry said.

"Well that's a bummer," Scootaloo said.

"Maybe I could help," Hary said.

"Really? Ya can help us?" Apple Bloom said.

"I've helped rearrange the books before. I can probably find a book here." Harry said. He stepped back to scan the shelves. "Let's see... Summer Sun..." He plucked a book about common Equestrian traditions from the past few hundred years, followed by one about the history of Celestia's time as Equestria's sole monarch. He looked closely for one last book. "This'll be perfect!" He pulled out one more book: Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide. Harry plopped the books down. "This should help."

Scootaloo groaned. "Ugh, reading."

"Sorry, but I don't know much more than you," Harry apologized. He opened the book on the Elements. "If I remember correctly, the Summer Sun Celebration celebrates both the start of summer and the defeat of Nightmare Moon at Celestia's hooves with the Elements of Harmony. I overheard at the Summit that Celestia wants to commemorate Luna's return."

"Everypony knows that," Apple Bloom said. "There's got to be something special we can do to earn a cutie mark."

"Celestia raises the sun, everything else is a big party. Party planning is all I can think of," Sweetie Belle said.

"Sorry girls, I know you want to get your cutie marks," Harry said sheepishly.

"I don't know how you've managed to go this long without yours," Scootaloo said. "You're older than us, and we're super late bloomers."

Harry looked at his unmarked rump. It briefly held an image when his amulet's magic expunged Voldemort's soul, but nothing since. At this point, there was little hope for him getting one.

"Humans don't have cutie marks; Twilight doesn't know if I can even get one. But I can see the appeal. A mark unique to you, and you alone. I still struggle with having some unknown destiny."

"Well, if you could get one, what do you think it'll be?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Probably something with magic. I can't fly without it, and I like flying. I know stars are common symbols of magic," Harry guessed.

"Like Twilight's cutie mark?" Scootaloo asked.

"I was thinking more like her brother's. He's all magic and shields. But I'll never know till I get one, so there's no point in fretting over it."

"I wish I had your confidence," Apple Bloom said.

"I'm just content to be happy, I guess. I never had a good summer before now, I'll just enjoy my time doing things here, in Ponyville. Speaking of..." Harry levitated a box of gear and spare parts out of the basement. "How would you feel about cutie marks in some craftwork?"

Harry and the Crusaders worked on Harry's spare set of cloud ball gear until the afternoon. By then, Harry had placed all but his more complex enchantments on the gear. To the Crusaders' disappointment, no cutie marks were gained. Harry congratulated them on the attempt. They trotted out when he suggested they ask Pinkie Pie for something else to try, celebrations were her specialty. When they left the library, an idea came to Harry. He walked to a list of magical books from Twilight's pile of study material.

Harry hummed as he skimmed through the books. "Magical artifacts... Magical artifacts..."

Harry knew Equestria had no shortage of powerful items. The Elements were arguably the greatest, but there were others. Speaking of... Harry flipped the page to a well-known item: The Alicorn Amulet.

"The Alicorn Amulet is one of the most mysterious and powerful of all the known magical charms. Whoever wears it is blessed with untold powers, said to rival a true alicorn." Harry flipped the page, looking for other items. He read a few more entries. "Unicharm... Book of Inspiration... Staff of Sacanas... Possessing any one of these could tip the scales against Voldemort. I could have saved myself instead of puting Twilight in danger."

Harry spent the rest of the day absorbing little bits of Equestrian magical knowledge. He told himself he would get stronger, and he intended to keep that promise. When Harry felt he had made substantial progress he retired to bed early. With a yawn and a smile, Harry slept with eager expectations of his first Summer Sun Celebration in two days.





Harsh sunlight pulled Harry out of slumber. Feeling sleep-deprived, Harry groggily rolled out of bed. Celestia, what time is it? Harry trotted to a nearby window to gauge the time and froze up.

The Sun and Moon were out. It was day and night.

"What the hay..."
> Chapter 9: A Magical Infestation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry stared at the sky, shocked. The Summer Sun Celebration was tomorrow, why were the sun and moon out?! Harry turned and galloped toward the front door, grasping it in magic. He pulled it open and ran, but the door suddenly slammed shut before he got out, causing Harry to run headfirst into the door.

He fell back with a shout. "Ow! What the hell?"

Harry tried to open the door again, but the door suddenly started to slam open and closed uncontrollably. Harry tried to get his magic under control but the spell resisted him at every turn, refusing to stop. Realizing he wouldn't be able to use the door until his magic returned to normal, Harry ran for one of the windows, opening the next one with his hooves instead of his magic. He was about to jump out when something heavy swept Harry off his hooves. He looked up to see his two unfinished bludgers rushing at him. Harry cursed under his breath. He tried to summon up a magical shield, but the spell refused to activate. Another round of hits was scored on him by the bludgers. That's going to bruise.

Harry muttered a storm while dodging the two orbs. "Come on, think. How do I get rid of two evil bludger that I can't use magic on?" He looked for any way to trap the things. He spotted the door to the basement. "Of course!"

Harry galloped toward the door, jumping, ducking, and dodging the bludgers until he was standing in front of the door. He glanced up at the malfunctioning bludgers, which were zipping about the house, knocking books off their shelves. Harry let out a sharp whistle, drawing their attention. The rouge orbs refocused on Harry, blitzing across the room. Harry waited until they got close enough before he opened the door to the basement and jumped to the side. The bludgers flew inside, pinging around as they flew about. Harry slammed the door shut and barricaded it shut. He sighed in relief as he allowed his lungs to catch up with his racing heart. Harry stood up, noting the front door had returned to normal.

"Okay, somepony has to know what's going on here," Harry said as he rushed out the door. Harry skidded to a stop when he caught a glimpse of the town. "What in Equestria..."

Massive black vines with turquoise thorns covered the village. All over, ponies were either fleeing or trying to control the infestation. Harry jumped back as another one sprouted up next to him. I need to find the others. They have to know what's going on! Harry thought. He ran toward the town center, where everypony would likely be in a disaster like this. The first pony he ran into was Rarity. The fashionista was swerving around the vines like they were the plague.

"Rarity! Do you know what's going on?" Harry demanded.

Rarity shook her head. "Something very strange is going on, and— AH!" A vine latched onto her hoof, which she kicked away. Another large one spiraled up from the ground. "I for one would appreciate an explanation!" She and Harry ran to the town hall, away from the vines and towards their friends.

Rainbow Dash circled overhead, occasionally kicking dark clouds with unnatural spikes in them. "All I know is the sky's split in two, and these clouds moving in sure aren't from around here."

"Neither are all these crazy plants!" Applejack exclaimed as she tried to uproot one of the vines. "They're coming from the Everfree Forest! And try as we might, us earth ponies can't do anything to get rid of them! Don't suppose you know any magic that might stop them from spreading?" She pointed at Harry and Rarity.

"Alas, this whole raging forest situation seems to have left my horn on the fritz!" Rarity said.

Harry shook his head. "Same here. None of our magic is working," he apologized.

"We have to figure out something! I don't know how much more of this Ponyville can take!" Fluttershy said. "AH!" A vine grabbed at her leg, which Rainbow Dash managed to sever with a kick. "I don't know how much more I can take!"

"The forest is expanding, y'all, and judging by how fast it's moving, it doesn't seem content just taking over Ponyville... I reckon before long, it'll cover half of Equestria!" Applejack said.

"Not to sound like our resident bookworm, but maybe the library has something?" Harry suggested. "And, failing that, the Elements of Harmony are there as a backup."

"Let's go!" Rainbow Dash said.

The group took off as fast as they could to the library, dodging the vines as they went. Along the way, they managed to pick up Pinkie Pie, who seemed to be the least encumbered by the plants. When they entered the Golden Oaks Library, Harry slammed every window and shutter he could get his hooves on. Harry then summoned the chest that held the Elements of Harmony and passed everypony their respective Elements.

"Oh, yeah, just like old times," Rainbow Dash said as she put hers on.

"A-boo-yah!" Pinkie Pie hoof-bumped Harry.

"Alright let's hope we don't need them. Everypony, find anything that looks relevent and start reading. We can worry about organization latter, just find something!" Harry said.

Everypony grabbed books and started skimming through them as fast as possible. Harry and Applejack scrolled through as many about plants as they could, looking for anything that looked like the mysterious weeds that had taken over the town. Rainbow Dash was looking into a book about the weather. When Harry finished skimming through his book he moved on to a book about magical accidents and afflictions, hoping to find something about whatever was affecting his and Rarity's magic. Unfortunately, nothing in any of the books so far had anything about the plants, the day and night sky, or magical disruptions.

"Found anything?"

"Nope."

"Nu-uh."

"Nothing."

Harry rubbed his face. Twilight always seemed to have a book for everything. She could probably think of something.

"Whoa! Aah!" In a flash of light, a purple cartwheeling alicorn barged into the library, tumbling into the piles of books. A second impact could be heard on the window.

Twilight!

"Oh, thank goodness!" Rarity exclaimed. She placed a hoof over her heart like she had received a real fright.

"Oh, I hope you know we wouldn't normally go through your books without permission," Fluttershy said.

"Wait, where's Spike?" Harry asked. A second later, the front door opened.

Spike crawled into the library. "Sweet ground!" He kissed the floor. "Sweet, sweet, wonderful ground!"

"Okay, I get it! I need to work on my flying!" Twilight exclaimed.

"I dunno if you've noticed, but the Everfree Forest is just a teeny-tiny bit out of control," Pinkie Pie said. Her tail started to quiver uncontrollably.

"Everypony, duck!" Harry said.

A large vine shot through a window Harry left open, smacking Rarity in the face.

"Guess it turned out you were missing something here in Ponyville after all," Applejack said. She slammed the window shut, cutting the vine.

"But perhaps you already know what's causing all of this calamity," Rarity said. "Has Princess Celestia sent you to dispel it posthaste?"

"Not exactly. You see, Princess Celestia is, well... she and Princess Luna are both..." Twilight trailed off, looking concerned.

"Something happened, didn't it?" Harry guessed.

"Yes! They're missing!" Spike confirmed everypony's fears. A collective gasp of fear ran through the group.

"I don't know who has taken them, but I've got a hunch we're going to need the Elements of Harmony to get them back," Twilight said.

"Way ahead of you," Harry said. "I think you'll be needing this." He summoned the Element of Magic and placed it on Twilight's head.

"Thanks, Harry," Twilight responded.

"I told ya we'd always be connected by the Elements," Applejack sighed. "Now we just gotta figure out who to aim these bad boys at so we can get Celestia and Luna back and keep the rest of Equestria from becoming plant food! Any ideas?"

"I haven't found squat in the books I've been looking through!" Pinkie Pie said, looking at a coloring book." Oopsies! Missed a spot!"

"How in the world are you a functioning adult?" Harry whispered. "I mean, it's impressive, but how?"

Twilight walked up to the window. "Half day, half night... strange weather patterns... out of control plants. I think I'm starting to get a pretty good idea of who we're up against."

"Discord," Harry said.

"Let's go get him," Applejack said.

Harry quickly rushed to go get his Cloak of Invisibility, just in case, while the six Elements walked outside to get some room. Harry made it outside just as the six of them gathered in a circle. Magic hummed in the air as they floated up. A rainbow stretched between each Element as Twilight's crown glowed brightly. A rainbow spiraled around something and when it faded a familiar form was left behind.

Discord, the spirit of chaos, was in the middle of a bath.

"Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap-ooh!" Discord laughed awkwardly, wrapping himself up with a towel. "Now, Twilight, you know Princess Celestia said that you were to give me a heads up before you summon me with that little spell she gave you. In case you haven't noticed, I was in the middle of a particularly invigorating shower." Discord rubbed himself down with his towel to emphasize his point.

Twilight shoved him back. "Enough! Release Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and stop the Everfree Forest from invading!" she demanded.

A vine snaked around her, then swapped places with Discord. "Why, whatever are you talking about?" he chuckled.

"Don't you play dumb with us, Discord! We know you're the one behind all of this!" Applejack said.

"Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love what you've done with the place, but I couldn't possibly take responsibility. I'm reformed, don't you remember?"

"I'm reformed, not heroic," Harry quoted. "That was what you said, right?"

Rainbow Dash flew into his personal space. "Yeah, right! This has got your cloven hoofprints all over it!"

"I'll have you know that I have only one cloven hoof." Discord's leg detached itself to kick Rainbow. "Such accusations. And here I thought we were friends."

"Drop the act, buster! We're onto you!" Pinkie Pie scowled.

"Ladies, ladies, I'm innocent. Would I lie to you?"

"Yes!" Five of the six girls shouted.

"Um, maybe?" Fluttershy whispered.

Discord shrugged. "Well then, it seems we've reached an impasse. I'm telling the truth, but you think I'm lying. What do friends like us do in a situation like this, Princess Twilight? Congrats, by the way, on the promotion. You totally deserve it."

"I say we blast him back to stone!" Applejack decided.

"Works for me!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Hear, hear!" Rarity agreed.

Their Elements glowed with power, but Fluttershy flew between them. "Hey! We can't do that! What if he is telling the truth?"

"Well, finally!" exclaimed Discord. "Somepony willing to give me the benefit of the doubt. The rest of you could learn a lot about friendship from my dear friend Shutterfly here." Discord grabbed Rainbow Dash around the shoulders.

"Um, it's Fluttershy," Fluttershy whispered.

"Oh, right, whatever." Discord swapped the two out.

"This isn't the 'benefit of the doubt', Discord," Harry said. "If you foalnapped Celestia and Luna, you could have stolen any of the Elements while they were unguarded, or taken one of the six ponies who can use the Elements. Fluttershy is the weakest and easiest to capture, she would have been a perfect target. No offense, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy shook her head. "Oh, no, I understand. I am weak and helpless, and I'm grateful you accept me for that."

"My point exactly," Harry reasoned. "Since everypony's here and their Elements are intact, I think there's a chance Discord might be telling the truth." He turned to face Discord. "And you can prove it by helping us."

Discord smiled at Harry's deduction. "Well done, boy! However, that's not getting you out of owing me one. All that hoof pointing and besmirching of my good name. I just don't know if I'm up to it." Discord started a ball of yarn from the plants, knitting a large arrow. "Why don't you ask your zebra friend if she knows anything?"

A zebra emerged from the Everfree Forest, pulling a large wagon. Everypony rushed over to help, lightening her load.

"Zecora!" Twilight shouted.

"From my home, I have had to flee! The forest has grown too wild, even for me!" Zecora said.

"Any idea why all this is happening?" Applejack asked.

"I'm afraid it is a mystery to me as well, but I may have something that, if combined with a spell..." Zecora retreated to her wagon and pulled out a bottle with a purple liquid inside. "I do not dare to use it myself, the results would be tragic. It only responds to alicorn magic. Princess Twilight, you can turn the potion from purple to white. After a sip, you may see why the sky is day and night."

Twilight eyed to drink warily. Eventually, she closed her eyes and allowed a cloud of purple magic to cover her horn. Everybody watched as the drink turned a milky-white color. After a moment Twilight picked the bottle up and took a gulp. Everybody waited for something to happen.

Twilight shuddered. "Doesn't seem to be worki—" Twilight cut off, staring blankly into space, her eyes glowing.

"I think it's working just fine," Harry remarked. "Um, Zecora, what does this thing do again?"

"The potion has a vision to show. What Twilight sees, I cannot know," Zecora said sagely.

"Great, divination," Harry deadpanned.

"So we wait for her to snap out of it?" Applejack asked.

Zecora nodded. The group waited and watched Twilight. Said alicorn mumbled to herself. Worried glances were passed around when tears started to flow from her eyes, and Twilight's frame was rocked with violent sobbing.

"Can't we make this go any faster?" Rainbow Dash demanded.

"I second her opinion," Harry agreed.

"I vote to sit and watch," Discord said.

"You're not involved anymore," Pinkie Pie said.

"I'm feeling pretty involved," Discord countered.

"Hey!" Rarity shouted. "Look, Twilight's back!"

True to her words, Twilight's eyes fluttered open, a little poofy from the tears.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Twilight asked.

"It's just... you were mumbling to yourself..." Applejack said.

"Ooh! And don't forget the uncontrollable sobbing!" Pinkie Pie added.

"We were scared for you," Harry said.

Discord laughed. "I for one found it delightful. Sort of a one-pony theater piece, if you will." He held out a scroll that held a moving image of Twilight crying. "You should really consider taking it on the road."

"Did you find out whose rump we need to kick and where we can find them?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I saw something from a long time ago. But it didn't explain what's happening now." Twilight said regretfully.

"Perhaps farther back still are the answers you seek. Another sip of the potion will give you a peek." Zecora held up the potion.

Twilight grabbed the potion again. She looked at it with trepidation.

Spike walked up to her. "You sure about this?

Twilight nodded and took another sip of the potion. Her eyes glowed white as she was overtaken by another vision.

Discord appeared with a large film camera and a set of stylish clothes. "Oh, I do hope she breaks into a song this time!"

Harry shook his head. "Time and place, Discord. Time and place."

Discord scoffed. "Oh, don't be like that. There's always time for a laugh. Right, Pinkie Pie?"

"A good laugh. Like making yummy chocolate milk rain without a sinlge dollap of whipped cream in sight, not a single dollap!"

The draconequus rubbed his chin. "Whipped cream? Now that sounds like a wonderful idea."

Harry walked between the two. "And that's enough. Let's not give the draconequus any more ideas."

"Hey everypony, Twilight's coming out of it," Spike announced. True enough, Twilight blinked rapidly, eyes returning to normal. "So what did you find out?"

"I still don't know what's happened to Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, but I think I know why the Everfree Forest is acting this way. Something's happened to the Tree of Harmony."

"The tree of what now?" Rainbow Dash demanded.

"Could you explain that for everypony who hasn't read everything under Celestia's Sun?" Harry asked.

"It's where Celestia got the Elements of Harmony," Twilight explained. "I think it's in danger."

Applejack marched forward. "Well, all right then! Let's go save a... tree. Uh... where is it exactly?"

"Let me guess..." started Harry, "it's in... there." He pointed at the wild Everfree Forest.

Twilight nodded nervously.

Discord laughed, looking into the distance. "Ooh-hoo! I'm going to need more popcorn!"

"Who are you talking to?" Harry asked.

Discord shrugged. "Nopony, or shoud I say no pony?"

Harry decided to leave the chaotic creature to his plants. The eight friends marched to the edge of the forest that was overflowing with vines.

"Seems like only yesterday we were heading into these woods to find the Elements of Harmony," Rarity said.

Twilight marched forward, the rest following her lead. "Seems like only yesterday I was foolish enough to think I should go after them on my own. I don't know what we're going to face in there. But whatever it is, I know we need to face it together."

The group trudged in, careful to avoid the ensnaring vines. Now that he had time to think more, Harry realized how much it reminded him of the devil's snare from his first year. They continue along the marshy grounds, Twilight at the front. The marshy pathway suddenly ended in a bubbly pool of green liquid. Twilight inspected the rocks sticking above the water.

"We can use those to cross," she said and jumped forward. The rock came alive beneath her, revealing itself as a massive crocodile-like creature made of stone.

"A cragadile! Run for your lives!" Rarity cried.

The group split in separate directions, trying to put some space between them and the creature. The cragadile singled out Twilight and charged at her. It backed her and Spike to a rocky ledge. Twilight was unable to escape, her wings unwilling to follow her commands. Coming to their senses, the others scrambled to help their friend. Just before the cragadile could get close to Twilight, six ponies pulled on it with a rope fashioned from the vines. A few seconds later, more vines tangled the cragadile up so it couldn't take a bite out of the Princess or anypony else.

"That was close," Twilight sighed.

"A little too close, if you ask me. You sure you're all right?" Applejack asked.

"I'm fine. I just can't seem to get these new wings to do what I want them to do when I want them to do it," Twilight said.

"Aw, you'll figure it out eventually," Rainbow Dash said.

"'Eventually' isn't soon enough," Twilight grumbled.

Applejack stepped up, a somber look on her face. "You have been having an awful lot of trouble with those things. And, well, who knows what else is gonna to come after us? You know, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea for Twilight to go back to Ponyville and let us look for the Tree of Harmony without her."

"What? Why?" Twilight said, surprised.

"For starters, you just about got eaten by a cragadilly," Applejack replied.

"We all did. He wasn't after just me," Twilight countered.

"Sure, but... well, the rest of us aren't princesses," Applejack reasoned.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Twilight growled.

"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are gone," Applejack placed a hoof on Twilight. "If something happened to you, I- I just don't think Equestria can risk losing another princess."

"Applejack does make a valid point," Rarity said. "Even if we manage to save the Tree of Harmony, it won't necessarily mean Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will return. Equestria will need somepony to lead in their absence."

"But the Tree of Harmony! I'm the only one who has seen it and knows what it looks like," Twilight protested.

"Huge tree, cutie marks on the trunk, probably being attacked by something hideously awful? Yeah, I'm pretty sure we'll know it when we see it," Rainbow Dash deadpanned.

"All of you feel this way? Feel like I shouldn't be here?" Twilight whispered, tears building up.

Harry stepped forward, standing next to his friend. "Twilight, it's not that you shouldn't be here, it's just that you could be the only pony that holds Equestria together. I know you want to be here with us, we feel the same. However," Harry faced Applejack. "if Twilight goes, we have a problem on our hooves. Twilight has the Element of Magic, without it the others are worthless. If she leaves, we can't defeat whatever we're facing."

"Well, I can go back for her," Rainbow Dash said.

"And if that's not fast enough?" Harry countered.

The others frowned in contemplation. Twilight looked the most pained by this decision. Eventually, she bowed her head in defeat. Her crown floated off her head, hovering in front of her face.

"Then Harry can bear my Element." She placed the crown on Harry's head. "If anypony else can use it, he can."

Harry was too stunned to speak. He looked numbly at the crown— Twilight's crown— that rested on his head now. Harry quickly pulled it off his head.

"No. I- I can't. You don't even know if I can use it," Harry protested.

"Sunset Shimmer did," Twilight responded.

"And she turned into a demon!" Harry shouted. Harry pointed at the others. "They are the spirits of the Elements, just like you. I am not the spirit of Magic. I am not their friend in the same way you are. We're friends because of you."

"But you are our friend, that's all that should matter," Twilight replied. She maneuvered so her and Harry's faces were mere inches away. "Sunset didn't understand or want friendship, that's why it corrupted her. But you value friendship, even if you don't represent it. My Element is magical, yes, but that's not all that it is. Our friendships bond the Elements. Our friendship is magic. " A reassuring smile crept across Twilight's face, which soon infected Harry's face.

Harry raised his head. "If you think I can—"

"Harry, I know you can do this. You've always stepped up to do what's right. I believe in you." Twilight pointed at the others. "And our friends, your friends, believe in you too. That's got to be worth something, right?"

"Twilight's right," Applejack said. "If there's anypony else I'd trust to hold Twilight's Element, it'd be you."

Harry looked down at Twilight's crown on his hoof. She was giving him something personal, important, and powerful. Harry looked down to see his reflection on the Element's surface, then up at his friends. They believe in me, The least I can do is try. Harry placed the crown on his head, feeling the magic within stir. The others gathered around as Harry stood up taller, the crown glimmering in the light.

Harry felt confidence stir within him. "Don't worry, Twilight, this thing will be back on your head by the end of the day, I promise." Harry turned away from Spike and Twilight, facing the other five. "Alright girls, we got a tree to save!"
> Chapter 10: The Tree Of Harmony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, uh, what do we do once we find this tree?" Rainbow Dash asked.

The group trudged deeper into the Everfree Forest. The further they went, the thicker the foliage grew, which (hopefully) meant they were getting closer to the source. Where that place was would hopefully be the Tree of Harmony or the origin of the plants. Either way, the Elements would be unleashed to their fullest extent to save Equestria. Once Harry figures out how they worked, of course.

"We blast whatever thing is there, and then we get back to Ponyville," Harry replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Speaking of blasting, how does this thing work?" He pointed at Twilight's crown.

"Not sure," Applejack admitted. "Whenever we use these things Twilight has most of the control. So long as we stay true to ourselves and our friendship it just seems to work."

"It is distinct from my own magic, maybe that'll help?" Rarity noted.

"Hey, Harry, do you think a unicorn has to be the one to use it?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Why're you asking me? I got this thing ten minutes ago," Harry remarked.

Fluttershy flew next to Harry. "I'm certain you'll do great. We got it right on the first try, and we didn't know anything about the Elements."

Harry thanked her for the reassurance. The group wandered deeper still, hoping to find something— anything— that might give them a clue. But they came up with nothing. The only thing they found was a winding path that led to a decaying old castle. Harry remembered Twilight's story about the Castle of the Two Sisters hidden deep in the Everfree Forest.

"Anypony else starting to think this is a lost cause?" Rainbow Dash drawled. "We're almost at Celestia and Luna's old castle. Maybe whatever Twilight saw when she took that crazy potion wasn't real. Maybe there is no Tree of Harmony. Maybe—"

Applejack looked over the edge of the cliff. "Maybe it's right down there." She pointed to something deep in the ravine.

The vines seemed to have come out of a cave within the ravine. A weak cyan glow emanated from the cave.

Rainbow Dash gasped. "It can't be!"

"How are we supposed to get to it?" Rarity asked, gesturing at the faraway ground.

Several crashing noises came from the group's left. Pinkie Pie was tumbling down an ancient set of stairs. "Whoa! Oof! Ugh! Take the stairs, silly!" She giggled.

"You heard her, we're taking the stairs," Harry said.

The six friends walked into the ravine to inspect the source of the vines. There, in the cavern that the plants came from, lay a beautiful tree. Shimmering in crystalline beauty, there was no doubt this was the Tree of Harmony. But its light was dim and vines curled around it like weeds.

"The Tree of Harmony, we found it," Harry said.

"I think it's dying!" Fluttershy exclaimed, noting the tree's condition.

Applejack charged forward. "So let's save it already!" She grabbed onto one of the vines and pulled as hard as she could. But the plant didn't budge and Applejack was sent flying and landed on her butt.

"Nice try," Rainbow commented. She flew at the plants in a flying high kick, but the plant had other ideas and sent her spiraling with a swing of its vines. "Whoa! Oof!"

"Valiant efforts on both your parts, but the tree remains in jeopardy," Rarity said.

"And I suppose you've got a better idea?" Applejack countered.

"We try the Elements," Harry decided. "We've got nothing else in our arsenal. Circle up, we're taking this thing down."

Five mares and their Elements formed a circle with Harry. The stallion closed his eyes and focused on the crown and his friends; the magic in it seemed to be growing stronger. The group was suddenly lifted into the air. Their Elements glowed and released their magical energies. A rainbow emerged from each Element, connecting in a line that spiraled up to the Element of Magic.

When the connection was made, Harry winced as serious vertigo and a small portion of pain manifested behind his eyes. It felt like every fiber was overflowing with energy, it hurt. Harry opened his eyes and looked at his friends, who were looking past him at the tree. He focused on the vines around the tree. Get rid of the vines, get rid of the vines, get rid of the vines, Harry pleaded. A flickering beam of rainbow light blasted out of the Elements. The magic washed over the Tree of Harmony, pulling at the vines. With one final push, the plants were shredded off. With their task completed the Elements became inert, and everypony drifted to the ground. The plants no longer covered the tree.

"We did it!" Fluttershy cheered.

Harry sighed as they were lowered to the ground, his headache still present. He removed the Element of magic from his head. "I guess that was—" Harry fell silent as he doubled over in pain as soon as he touched the ground. The dull throbbing turned into a spike of pain that lanced through his skull, right over his scar. Twilight's crown fell from his hoof, bouncing away.

Applejack held Harry back from collapsing. "Harry, what happened?!"

Pinkie Pie tapped Applejack on the shoulder. "Uh, don't look now, but—"

"The tree!" Rarity cried.

Harry looked up to see the plants grow back over the Tree of Harmony. All their work was undone in mere moments as the tree's light faded again. The Elements had removed the vines, but it couldn't stop them from coming back.

"Our Elements didn't do a thing!" Rainbow Dash huffed.

"Then we hit it again," Harry decided. He shook his head and walked to the crown. The headache vanished after a long moment. I can deal with this later. "We don't have any other options."

"But what about you?" asked Fluttershy.

"Yeah, I don't like the looks of what happened to ya," Applejack said.

"I'm fine," Harry insisted. "It's probably the plants affecting my magic."

"But you are the only one afflicted with pain," Rarity remarked. "And Twilight's magic was affected the least."

"I thought Celestia fixed that there scar?" Applejack said.

Harry sighed. "It's something different... I'm not sure, maybe the plants are messing with my magic specifically. Maybe the Element thinks I'm more like sunset than Twilight believes. But what I do know is the sooner we get rid of these plants, the better." Harry put the crown on his head, and the pain returned to what it was before.

"Yeah, round two!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

The Elements fired up again just like the first time. The beam of Harmony magic shredded the plants and reinvigorated the tree. However, as soon as the Elements stopped, the plants regrew, just as aggressive as before.

"Argh!" Harry shouted. He lifted the crown up but nearly collapsed as the pain flared up. "This isn't working. We need a better idea."

"I'm more concerned about you," Applejack said. She moved the crown away from Harry's grasp. "I'm telling ya this ain't normal. The Elements of Harmony shouldn't be causing you pain. I don't know if this is a good idea."

"I know who would know what to do. But we sent her home," Fluttershy said.

"It was your idea, Applejack!" Rainbow Dash accused.

"We all agreed it was the best thing, Rainbow Dash! We were trying to protect her," Applejack countered.

The argument was cut off when somebody literally fell into the ravine. Spike tumbled down the stairs in a heap, covered head to toe in scrapes. Everypony rushed to him; Applejack lifted his body off the ground.

Spike opened his eyes. "Twilight! Trouble! Help!" he gasped before falling unconscious.

Everypony looked at each other. Harry felt his blood run cold. Twilight was in trouble, and they had sent her away. Harry grabbed the Element of Magic and ran into the forest, everypony else right behind him. They ran as fast as they could to find Twilight. They barged through the foliage, desperately looking for any sign of the princess. The group spread around the area, looking for anything that could lead to Twilight.

"Anypony found her?!" Harry shouted.

"I heard something!" Fluttershy gasped. She pointed to another bush. Surely enough, there was some sound from the other side. It sounded like a mix of growling and leaking gas.

Harry and the rest barged through the bushes. The first thing that was noticed was an unconscious Twilight. The second detail was the several very aggressive-looking plants, spraying some gas on the Princess and scowling menacingly. Anger flooded everypony in the group. Applejack threw together a makeshift lasso before Harry could even blink and strangled one of the plants. With that plant tied up, Applejack spit out her rope.

"Listen here, ya rabid rhododendrons! You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!"

One plant roared as it closed in. Harry returned with a scowl and incinerated it with a blast from the sunfire spell. He was getting fond of that spell. Everypony charged forward to get rid of the plants. Harry chose the direct route: He teleported next to Twilight, summoning a strong wave of magic to form a powerful barrier.

"Back off!" Harry shouted and flung the barrier outward in a blinding mix of turquoise and magenta. The plants were blasted away from Twilight and several were destroyed on contact. Wild blasts of magic erupted from his horn, striking many of the plants and turning them to ash. The others moped up the remaining plants, tangling them up in heaps.

With that problem taken care of, everypony gathered around Twilight, who was regaining consciousness from the plants' gases. Harry lent her a hoof to get up. Twilight said nothing as she took his hoof to stabilize herself. Harry breathed a sigh of relief; Twilight was okay, she was safe.

"I sure am glad you came looking for us," Applejack said.

"Not as glad as I am that you found me," Twilight replied.

"We shouldn't have sent you away," Harry said. "We were wrong. I'm sorry."

Rainbow Dash spoke up. "Yeah. Equestria may need its princess..."

"But we need our friend," Fluttershy finished.

"So let's go save that tree already," Pinkie Pie announced, bouncing away.

Harry turned to Twilight. "But first, there's something I need to do." Harry plucked the crown from his head, ignoring the migraine. "This belongs to you." Harry placed the crown on her head.

Twilight smiled reassuringly at Harry. "Thanks, Harry. It was a bit unfair to ask you to carry in my steed."

Harry just shrugged. "It's your Element and crown, it's only fitting." Internally, however, Harry felt conflicted about giving up the crown. He knew it was strong enough to defeat someone like Voldemort easily; it had done so before. But the crown wasn't his, he would find another way to get the power needed to fight Voldemort.

For now, they had to lead Twilight down to the Tree of Harmony so she could figure this out.





Twilight looked up at the tree, confused. "So, what's going on with it? Did the Elements not work?"

Harry held up a wavy hoof. "Yes and no. As you can see, the Tree of Harmony is covered by these plants. The Element of Magic didn't work like we thought."

"What happened?" asked Twilight.

"Well—"

"It's causing Harry pain," Applejack said.

"That shouldn't be happening," Twilight said, looking very concerned at Harry.

"Well, yes," agreed Harry. "Anyways, the plants kept regrowing no matter how many times we hit them with the Elements."

Twilight realized Harry was deflecting and chose to address that later. When this is over, we'll talk. Twilight flew up closer to the tree and almost got snagged in the process. She inspected the vines and tree closely, then quoted what Celestia had said in the past. "Even without these Elements, the Tree of Harmony will possess a powerful magic. As long as that magic remains, it will continue to control and contain all that grows here."

Twilight flew down to the rest of the group, a plan already formed. "I know how we can save the tree. We have to give it the Elements of Harmony."

Everypony reacted with shock.

Rainbow Dash flew up to Twilight. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, heh. How are we supposed to protect Equestria?"

"How are we meant to rein Discord in if we can't use the Elements to turn him back to stone?" Rarity said.

"Twilight... the Elements of Harmony... they're what keep us connected no matter what," Applejack pleaded.

"The fate of Equestria is at stake!" Harry countered. "Unless somepony has a better idea, this is the only option."

"Of course it makes sense to you. These things are what brought us together. You wouldn't get it," Rainbow Dash said.

"Excuse you!?" Harry yelled. Twilight watched as he marched up so he was face-to-face with the blue pegasus. "They're a bunch of magic rocks! Those Elements on your girls' necks saved my life. They may not work for me, but they mean just as much!"

Twilight grabbed the two in her magic and pulled them apart. Keeping them pinned with her magic, Twilight dropped down in between them.

"Both of you, stop it! We shouldn't be fighting like this. Applejack's right. The Elements of Harmony did bring us together. But Harry's also right. It isn't the Elements that will keep us connected; it's our friendship. And it's more important and more powerful than any magic. My new role in Equestria may mean I have to take on new responsibilities, and our friendships may be tested, but it will never, ever be broken."

"Sorry, Twi," Rainbow said.

"Sorry," Harry said.

"It's fine. There's no time to lose. Everypony ready?" Twilight asked.

"Ready!" Came their instant reply.

Twilight grabbed the six Elements and floated them around her. They formed a ring of light as they orbited around the alicorn. However, as Twilight got closer the vines tried to grapple her. The plants held her aloft in the air, far away from the tree.

"Twilight! Rainbow, help her!" Harry shouted from the ground.

A high kick from the speedster severed the vines. Twilight pushed the Elements forward to insert themselves into the Tree of Harmony. The last Element to go in was her own Element of Magic.

The branches and trunk folded in around the Elements so they would stay in their rightful place. The tree glowed as the magic of the Elements rushed through it. In a flash of light, the plants ensnaring the Tree of Harmony were torn asunder. A wave of rainbow energy engulfed the cavern and spread beyond, incinerating the plants like a firework fuse.

All that remained were two tightly bound bundles of vines. A wave of magic unraveled them from top to bottom, revealing the two alicorns everypony feared were gone for good. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna walked forward from their former prison. Twilight rushed to give her teacher a hug, tears leaking from her eyes. Twilight had been so worried about the Princess. She wasn't ready to lead Equestria yet! Equestria would be utterly lost without the leadership of its two greatest leaders. She felt Celestia reach a foreleg around her to return the embrace.

"We know how difficult it must have been for you to give up the Elements. It took great courage to relinquish them," Celestia said.

Before Twilight could respond the Tree of Harmony glowed. Magic from each Element flowed down the trunk, illuminating both of the cutie marks on the tree. The colors flowed down to one of the roots, which sprouted a large flower. It opened to reveal a locked crystalline chess with six keyholes. The three princesses walked closer to inspect it. A chest? Twilight wondered.

"What's inside it? How am I supposed to open it?" Twilight asked.

"Six locks, six keys," Princess Luna noted.

"Six Elements," Harry added.

"It cannot be a coincidence. I do not know where the keys are, but—" Celestia trailed off, looking up at the tree again.

Twilight follows her mentor's eyes. A dimmer second bead of light traversed the tree's length. It rushed along the roots and vanished underground. After a long moment, a tree limb sprouted out of the ground, right beneath Harry. The glowing wood latched onto Harry's right foreleg.

"Harry!" Twilight shouted.





Harry watched the three princesses inspect the chest. He too was confused when Celestia stopped talking to look at the tree. And like Twilight, he watched in confusion and wonder as the tree glowed again. The glowing wood latched onto Harry's right foreleg, surprising the young stallion. Harry heard Twilight shout his name.

"Hey! Let go!" Harry yelled at the tree. The branch did nothing but glow a little brighter. Harry gasped as his migraine returned.

A series of bizarre images flashed in his eyes, like the afterimage of a bright light. The incomplete cutie mark from the Crystal Empire was the first, six white stars with a blank space in the center. a hazier image flashed in the center of the stars. The missing piece! Harry realized. But, try as he might, he couldn't get the image to stick in his head, leaving nothing but a strange sense of familiarity and emptiness behind. Next, a triangle, then a circle, and finally a line. These three swapped places rapidly until they appeared as one image. This trio was suddenly replaced with the image of a turquoise flame. As fast as this vision arrived, it vanished.

Harry blinked rapidly, seeing the tree limb looped around his leg, still glowing. Harry tugged against the branch with all his strength. Eventually, with a mighty snap, the glowing portion of the branch around his leg broke off from the rest of the tree. The part that emerged from the ground retreated back out of sight. The glowing circle on Harry's limb shifted until it formed a circle, and then the light subsided. Twilight walked to Harry, surprise written on her face. A silvery bracelet rested on his foreleg, the same texture as the tree. A turquoise star was the bracelet's only marking.

"What happened?!" Twilight demanded, concerned.

"I don't— I don't know!" Harry exclaimed, still processing. "I— I think the Tree of Harmony was trying to show me something."

Celestia approached Harry and held her hoof out. Harry placed the foreleg with the bracelet on her hoof. The Princess of the Sun looked at the item with a practiced eye. After a long moment, she released Harry's limb.

"I have no idea what it is," Celestia said.

"What!?" Twilight and Harry shouted.

"I have never seen an artifact such as this," Celestia said. "I can only offer my theories. Perhaps the tree has chosen Harry for something, as it did for the rest of us. But what I do know that it is a mystery you will not be solving alone."

Chosen? Harry thought. Why would the tree choose me for anything? I'm Harry, just Harry. What makes me special?

Harry and Twilight shared a look, a brief message passing between them, mostly confusion.

"I'll do my best to solve this," Twilight promised.

"You mean we'll do our best," Harry said.

Celestia smiled. "I know you two will. Now, I believe we have a country to run. Thank you for all that you've done."

In a flash of light, Luna and Celestia vanished.

"Well, I suppose we go back home for cleanup," Rarity said after a long moment.

"Eyup," Applejack said.





The gang walked back through the (comparatively) harmless forest. Harry and Twilight hung back a little.

"You had me scared for a moment," Harry confessed to the alicorn. "The Elements didn't work right, and it would've been my fault."

"No, you did fine," Twilight said. "Maybe the Element of Magic wasn't your perfect fit, but it was working. We needed a different approach. And you saved me when I came back, that's gotta count for something."

"Thanks, Twi," Harry said.

At that moment they stepped out of those woods. Confetti and banners shot up from nowhere.

Discord appeared and waved a flag with each of their colors. "Bravo, bravo! How ever did you save the day this time?" He mockingly waved his talons. "Blast the beastie with your magic necklaces, I presume?" He vanished and reappeared on Applejack's back with a western cowboy outfit. "Where are those little trinkets of yours? You know, the ones you use to send me back to my extremely uncomfortable stone prison?"

"Gone," Applejack said.

"Gone? Gone?" A wicked smirk painted Discord's face.

Fluttershy flew up to the draconequus' face, stone-faced. "But our friendship remains. And if you want to remain friends, you'll stop thinking whatever it is you're thinking and help us clean up."

Discord vanished and reappeared in a maid outfit. "Fine. But I don't do windows."

"One thing I don't get. Why did all this happen now?" Applejack asked.

Discord shrugged. "I have no idea. Those seeds I planted should have sprouted up ages ago."

Everypony stopped in shock.

"What did you say?!" Twilight demanded.

Discord had the gall to look offended. "Oh, why should I try to explain it when you can see for yourself?"

Discord offered up that white potion to Twilight. The alicorn reluctantly took another gulp of the potion. Everybody waited for her to come out of the trance.

Eventually, Discord did speak up. "Well, obviously things didn't go according to my original plan. My plunderseeds should have stolen the magic from the Tree of Harmony and captured Princess Celestia and Princess Luna thousands of moons ago. Alas, it seems the tree had enough magic to keep the seeds from growing up big and strong. Until now, that is."

Twilight shook off the potion. "You realize this is information we could have used hours ago?!"

"And rob you of a valuable lesson about being princess? What kind of friend do you think I am?" Discord countered.

"Let's just clean up already, I'm not missing tomorrow's sunrise," Harry said. Discord, you're going to be the death of me, I swear.





The rest of the day passed in a great hurry, ponies dashing about to repair the damages inadvertently caused by Discord. However, with the help of that draconequus, Ponyville was ready to celebrate the Summer Sun Celebration, although there were a small number of unwelcome "renovations". Ponyville was back to normal before dinner time. This also provided a perfect excuse for Harry and his friends to go to Canterlot to witness Celestia raise the Sun.

When the dawn of the day came, all of Canterlot looked eagerly up at Celestia as she stepped forward to take her place next to her younger sister.

"Citizens of Equestria, it is no longer with a heavy heart but with great joy that I raise the summer sun. For this celebration now represents not the defeat of Nightmare Moon, but the return of my sister, Princess Luna."

Everypony watched in awe as, for the first time in a millennium, Princess Luna lowered the moon for all to see. Celestia raised her radiant sun and Twilight Sparkle, protege-turned-princess, dazzled everypony with a magenta star just as the sun appeared. Though very few knew what Equestria lost that day, everypony felt joy in their hearts knowing there was a bright future ahead of them.
> Chapter 11: Island Of The Returned
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the month following Harry's first Summer Sun Celebration, many new adventures awaited him with his new friends. Adventures that didn't equate to certain death were surprisingly fun in hindsight. If Harry were to name the strangest part, he would say being the youngest of the group (not counting Spike) was odd. Harry was a little younger than the mane six (as Harry hadn't stopped calling them). Back at Hogwarts, upperclassmen didn't talk to younger students too often. But that was hardly a concern.

Harry's free time was normally occupied with a small list of things: learning and practicing magic, checking Discord's clock, helping his friends, and (secretly) researching Equestrian relics. Oh, and of course, messing with his new bracelet. Ever since it'd latched onto him and given Harry that vision, it had remained inert. He'd kept it on as a sort of good-luck charm. Between that and the mysterious chest, he and Twilight were completely stumped by the Tree of Harmony's actions.

But aside from those activities, there was one other thing Harry did frequently. Once every week or so, Harry traveled to the Crystal Empire to practice combative magic with Shining Armor. Those days were mostly Harry maintaining a shield while Shining Armor hit him with everything he had. The excess time on those days was dedicated to training on how much strain his magic could take. No surprise, Harry was in very poor shape. And when Harry wasn't up north, there were also the numerous adventures the gang got themselves into at random. Some days were mundane, such as when Harry sold his completed set of cloudball gear to Cloud Chaser, while some days were adventurous. A few of those adventures included:

Going to the castle in the Everfree Forest. After Twilight and Harry had read through every book in Ponyville for clues on the chest and bracelet, Twilight decided to ask for any clues in Canterlot's library but was directed to Celestia's old castle. Somehow the entire gang ended up in the Castle of the Two Sisters simultaneously for different reasons. Harry went with Twilight to perform personal research and spend time with her. Rarity and Fluttershy were looking for old tapestries. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were there on a dare. And Pinkie Pie, well, accidentally pranked everypony with an organ that operated every trapdoor in the castle. The group shared a good laugh over this "haunted" castle. That was worth the laughs, even if Harry didn't find anything in the library.

Another day, Rainbow Dash went hysterical because her favorite author was delaying her next book. After a lot of begging, the group went to find the author. That was the least fun part, Harry didn't think he had ever walked so far in his life. They did find the author, a mare named A. K. Yearling. (Something about that name sounded familiar to Harry.) After a stern telling-to by the author, the gang left the house, only to return when they realized that A. K. Yearling was Daring Do. That led to an entire adventure involving ancient ruins, gold, and whatever Daring Do's rival was. That was the most dangerous adventure Harry had since Discord's plunder seeds, but it was far from the worst thing he had experienced. It was the kind of adventure Harry could laugh at down the line, better than Hogwart's dangers.

Despite Daring Do's dangerous adventure, the "Power Ponies" incident was much stranger. Spike bought some super cursed comic book and it sucked all but Harry in. After a moment of panic, Harry realized the cause was the comic itself. Upon opening the comic, Harry found his friends had replaced the characters within. With no alternative, Harry was forced to read as his friends went through the comic. For being Harry's first comic book, the story wasn't half bad and the art was well drawn. His friends were all ponies with superpowers, which seemed a fun alternative to magic. After several minutes of reading, the girls and Spike were kicked out of the book. They agreed to never discuss these events with anypony.

Arguably, the most recent event was plenty bizarre. Thanks to Rarity, it became known as the "Flutterbat" accident. A cauldron of vampire fruit bats infested Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack wanted them gone, and Fluttershy thought they could be helpful. After debating via song, the gang was convinced to "evict" the bats using Fluttershy's stare and a spell. The bats left after that, to Applejack's relief. However, when the apple orchards kept getting sucked dry, Harry took part in the stakeout to find the culprit. It turned the spell out Fluttershy was a pony-bat hybrid! Twilight was able to reverse this, though Harry could've sworn he still saw hints of fangs in Fluttershy's mouth. It was another event they agreed to not mention outside of those present.

So, all in all, nothing too dramatic by Twilight's standards and thrilling by Harry's.





Knock, knock.

Harry looked up from his notes as somepony knocked on the door. He was reviewing his past letter with Twilight, looking for specific dates to compare. Leaving his notes, Harry walked to the front door of the Library. Twilight was out at Sweet Apple Acres for the day, helping Applejack with something, probably something that wandered from the Everfree. While she was away, Harry kept to himself whilst reviewing his notes and letters. Spike was cooking something in the kitchen, so he was busy. In short, Harry was left to tend to the library.

What was I doing again?

Knock, knock.

Right, the door! That was a new experience for Harry. The Dursleys never let Harry answer the door for anyone. He opened the door to see a unicorn royal guard, gold armor and all, standing outside.

A royal guard? Did I do something wrong? Does Celestia need Twilight's help?

Harry fumbled for words "Oh, uh, hello. Princess Twilight is out at the moment—"

The guard interrupted Harry. "I'm not here looking for Princess Twilight. I'm looking for Harry Potter."

"I'm Harry," Harry replied, a little shaky.

"I'm here with orders from Princess Celestia to escort you to the Island of the Returned," The guard said curtly."Your presence has been requested by several denizens and the princesses. The visit will be no longer than a day, but you may have time to pack accordingly."

"The Island of the Returned?" Harry asked.

The guard cleared his throat. "It's the placeholder name for a newly discovered island. Somepony forgot Fillypines and Gallopinghost were taken names. Princess Celestia awaits your arrival as soon as possible."

"I'll— uh— I'll be right out!" Harry said as he slammed the door. Harry paced across the floor.

Celestia asked for me specifically, and she wanted me to go to a new island. Why? The guard called it the 'Island of the Returned'. Maybe it's that island where Discord and Celestia dropped off everypony from Earth. But why am I needed?

Harry opened up a saddlebag and threw in a few base necessities for a one-day road trip. Harry was very nervous, he had never been on a trip by himself. Maybe Equestria was doing him more good than he thought. Harry shook his head.

Come on Harry, grow up. You're fifteen, you can leave the house for a day; just tell Spike, leave a note, and everything will be fine.

"Hey, Spike!" Harry called.

Spike leaned around a corner, a large chef hat atop his little head. "Yeah?"

"I need to go out for a bit. There's a guard from Celestia, so I'll be gone for a while. Can you manage things here?" Harry asked.

"I wouldn't be Twilight's number one assistant if I couldn't," Spike boasted. "But why is there a guard?"

"Celestia wants to see me for something," Harry explained.

"Well, good luck! I'll tell Twilight you're out."

"Thanks, Spike," Harry said. I should leave that note anyway, in case he forgets.

Harry quickly picked up a paper and scribbled a message down.

"Dear Twilight, Princess Celestia has summoned me to the Island of the Returned. I'll be back by the end of the day, so don't worry about me. See you later. With love, Harry," Harry mumbled as he wrote. "There, that should be good." Harry set the note down, checked his bags, and went back to the front door. The guard was still standing at the door when Harry exited. "Good to go."

"Then follow me to the station. It's a direct route to the coast, then a pegasus carriage to the island itself. The bridge will not be finished for a few weeks, so boats and pegasi are the only reliable method. I hope you're not prone to air or sea sickness."

"No, sir," Harry replied.

"Excellent," The guard said. The unicorn turned and marched toward the train station.

Harry tried not to hold his breath as he followed the guard. This was to be Harry's first "solo adventure" in Equestria. What could go wrong?





"What do you mean, the guards are sick?!"

The train ride to the coast was relatively calm and uneventful. Conversation with Harry's escort revealed more about the island itself. Celestia started a massive infrastructure project a few weeks prior, even going as far as to offer her and Luna's considerable magical talents to expedite the process. As things stood, the island's village was around the size of Ponyville. The only problem was the griffons and hippogriffs, who technically could be claimed as refugees by the griffon and hippogriff kingdoms at Equestria's borders. Thestrals, also known as bat ponies, were still under Equestria's jurisdiction. But among this wealth of information, the guard (named Solar Flare) was unable to tell Harry exactly why he was being summoned.

But that wasn't the most important detail when they arrived. What mattered was that when they got off the train, they were told by one of the guards stationed there that the pegasi who were going to fly them across the water had fallen ill that morning by a terrible stroke of misfortune. One pegasus guard remained when they arrived, a copper-colored stallion. The guard informed Solar Flare that he was not enough to fly Harry across as per regulations. Which meant that they would have to wait for the current guards to return from their patrols, or wait two hours for a ferry. Neither option was desirable to Harry.

"Celestia is goiong to have my coat for this!" Solar Flare panicked.

Harry thought to himself, I have to get across. Boats aren't an option, and they've only got one guard who can fly. I'm guessing locals are out of the question. So, I need to find a way to fly across the ocean... An idea came to Harry.

"I could fly myself," Harry said.

Solar Flare looked surprised. "You- what?"

"I know a spell that can give me wings, but it doesn't last long. Maybe I can fly myself over."

"Wait, unicorns can do that?" the pegasus asked.

Harry waved his hoof in a "so-so" manner. "Sort of. Princess Twilight taught me the spell. We've both practiced it, although I've yet to cast it on myself. It gives somepony magical wings for three days."

The pegasus guard seemed conflicted. "Well, if Princess Twilight taught you the spell, I suppose I could permit you to try," he decided. "You can only enter or leave if escorted by the local garrison, so I'll permit that."

Harry closed his eyes and envisioned the wing spell. Most of its complexity lay in the ability to cast it on others and be sustained for three full days. Hopefully, casting on himself for less than an hour would decrease the difficulty. Harry's horn glowed turquoise as he focused on the spell. Equestrian magic was more open-ended and prone to alterations. Perhaps shortening three days' worth of magic down would make it easier? Regardless, this was the most advanced Equestrian spell he had cast so far. But if Harry was half the unicorn Twilight insisted he was, he might as well try. Magic sparked around his horn as Harry kept pouring magic into the spell. Then, suddenly, it felt like something clicked.

"Oh my goodness," Solar Flare murmured.

Harry opened his eyes, observing his sides with elation. He had wings! Dragonfly wings, sure, but wings nonetheless! He did it! Harry buzzed about, feeling the freedom of flight. He glanced down at the guard.

"Unicorns can fly now," the pegasus said. "Well, now I've seen just about everything."

Harry couldn't resist a little chuckle. "Can we go now?" he asked.

The guard nodded and took off, Harry following close behind. They flew high above the ocean, up near the cloud layer. Harry waved a hoof through the clouds, smiling as he felt the misty clouds. His escorting guard chuckled amusingly at Harry's wonder. Harry almost missed when the guard yelled over his shoulder.

"So, I never caught your name," the guard said. The stallion slowed to keep pace with Harry and offered his hoof to shake. "Name's Copper Wings."

Harry shook the offered limb. "Harry Potter."

"Bit of an odd name, don'tcha think?"

"It's a common name where I was born," Harry responded.

"Probably nowhere I've ever been," Copper Wings remarked. "So, Harry, what's your story? It's not everyday somepony comes to this island, much less is requested by Celestia. You've gotta be something special to get an escort out here."

"Who, me?" Harry replied, incredulous. "I'm not— I'm just Harry. I don't know why Celestia asked for me. I mean, I knew some of them from before they came to the island, but that hardly seems to be the reason."

"Wait, you knew them?" Copper Wings asked.

"A few," Harry admitted. "From before they ended up on the island. We're from the same— uh— area."

"Maybe she wants you to mentor them?" Copper Wings guessed. "Everypony knows those foals need one. Most of the unicorns can't cast spells without blowing something up. You've got a good grasp on magic. And you seem qualified, what with being mentored by an alicorn and whatnot."

"I can't be that good," Harry protested. There were plenty of unicorns with years more experience in magic than him.

"Well, in any case, the princesses will be expecting you down below." Copper Wings gestured to the island below. "The princesses are at the town hall. It's straight beneath us."

Harry got his first look at the island beneath them. He hadn't even noticed they had flown over it! There were white sandy beaches, forests, and some plateaus. Near the center of the island, a little closer to the shore facing Equestria, was a small cluster of buildings. Harry was in awe, knowing that Discord of all people had built this on a whim. A whim that now put Harry in Discord's favor.

"Wow," Harry muttered.

"Welcome to the Island of the Returned!" Copper Wings shouted.

Copper Wings dived from the cloud layer. Harry followed behind as they flew down towards the island. Copper Wings took them down from the lower cloud layers. Harry beat his fake wings to slow his descent.

Abruptly, the magical dragonfly wings flickered. Harry came to the grim realization that he hadn't put enough magic into the spell when he'd cast it. Harry started to decline faster and faster, hoping to reach solid ground before the spell gave out. Harry targeted the mostly empty courtyard. But just before reaching the ground, his wings disappeared in a flash.

Harry stared at the ground in fright, momentarily frozen in midair. It wasn't far enough to kill, but it would hurt a lot. Strange, what haven't I started to—

Harry plummeted past Copper Wings as gravity kicked in.

—fall!
> Chapter 12: The Boy Who... Saved?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry tumbled through the air, spinning out of control. He stared wide-eyed at the approaching cobblestone courtyard.

Harry desperately tried to recall a spell to save him from the situation. What was it, apprehend moment? Arrest movement? Come on Harry, slowing charm! he berated himself. Wait, that's it!

"Arresto moment—!"

A blue aura surrounded Harry before he could finish his spell, slowing his descent to a crawl. A moment later, two pairs of hooves grabbed Harry under his forelegs.

"Whoa there, dude," said a voice just over Harry's left shoulder. "We gotcha."

Harry looked back to see Copper Wings and a charcoal pegasus holding him aloft.

"I swear, there's more of these incidents every day," the second pegasus said to Copper Wings. "These ponies don't have a grip on their magic. It's been weeks and we still have active patrols for magic surges. Most foals on the mainland have better control than some of the adults."

"First off, I'm not a foal, I'm fifteen!" Harry protested loudly. "Secondly, I can control my magic, thanks. I just lost the spell. And third, I live in Ponyville!"

"Sure you do," the second guard said, unconvinced.

"He's right, Headwind," Copper Wings said. "Celestia asked for him by name, apparently."

"He's the visitor that's gotten everypony in a buzz?" the second guard, Headwind, said.

"Don't ask why, I don't know," Harry said. "...Can you put me on the ground now?"

The guards swooped down to drop Harry off at the far end of the courtyard. Copper Wings and Headwind touched down a moment later. Harry looked around, seeing multiple ponies that had to have been from Earth. They looked slightly different from the ponies in Ponyville, while dissimilar to their former appearances. Their new body proportions matched the Equestrians'. The unicorns had shinier manes and the pegasus had paler colors than their Equestrian counterparts. The thestrals, however, looked far healthier than Harry had ever seen them on Earth. Harry could spot a few hippogriffs, sporting manes with their feathered heads. And, to Harry's surprise, there was a distribution of ponies with and without cutie marks.

"Princess Luna would've had my wings if you hurt yourself," Copper Wings said after a moment.

"On that we agree," said the familiar voice of Princess Luna.

All three of them jumped in surprise. After a quick turn, Harry found himself face-to-face with a smirking Princess of the Night.

"Princess Luna!" Copper Wings and Headwind bowed low for the princess. "We're sorry—"

Luna held up a hoof, silencing them. "All is forgiven. You may return to your duties. I will escort Harry from here."

"Right away, your madjesty!"

The two saluted before shooting off into the air. Luna sighed as they flew away.

"All this time, and some of the guard still fears us— me," Luna whispered.

"I'm sure they'll come around," Harry responded. "They saved me from getting flattened."

"I know," Luna admitted. "I was going to carry you down if they didn't. Still, the fear in their eyes was real." Harry realized that the brief blue aura was Luna's.

"Can you blame them?" Harry asked. "You're a living legend to them. You and your sister are."

"And what am I to you?" Luna asked.

Harry didn't have to think long for a response. "Everything Twilight said you were: Celestia's long-lost sister who wants to connect with her people, even if she's a few hundred years behind. You help ponies in their dreams. You like Hallow— I mean Nightmare Night festivities. And you helped me with my problems, even though I'm not from Equestria."

"So you're not scared of me?"

"I never was."

Luna's mouth turned upward.

"How rare, to meet somepony who wasn't scared at our first meeting," Luna remarked. "I will endeavor that these ponies see me as benevolently as you do, Harry Potter."

"Just Harry, Your Highness."

"Well then, 'Just Harry'," Luna said teasingly, "we should greet my sister. We all have waited long enough." Princess Luna walked away, motioning Harry to follow. "We weren't sure when was the best time to extend our invitation. The tasks posed have been... difficult."

Harry looked across the courtyard, seeing a building getting its roof finished by construction workers. A little farther away, a small group of thestrals, pegasi, griffons, and hippogriffs were learning how to fly. Harry cringed when they bumped into each other and low-hanging clouds. A little past that were unicorns levitating small children's blocks with trouble.

"Difficult?" Harry implored.

"They have to relearn how to use their magic, I'm sure you can attest to the difficulty of such a task. Only a small fraction of your life has relied upon magic. They must relearn a lifetime of instinct, even the foals." Harry noticed Luna looked tired. In hindsight, being Princess of the Night had to be awful for midday events. "That is to say nothing of their minds. The transition was... jarring... for some. I have no shortage of nightmares to soothe and night terrors to quell."

"Is there anything I can do?" Harry spoke before he realized what he said. Luna smirked down at him. One of her dark blue wings patted Harry on his back reassuringly.

"Thanks for your concern, Harry. Unfortunately, there's little you can do. Precious few can touch the astral plane, and fewer still can traverse dreamscapes, much less manipulate them. Your dreams have been clear since you returned to Ponyville. For now, that is enough."

"You watch out for my nightmares?" Harry asked. "You don't need to worry about me," Harry insisted.

"And yet I do," Luna said softly. She stopped in front of the town hall. "We are expected inside." Luna guided Harry to follow him into the largest building, a town hall, or something similar. Inside was a circular room with an ornate door in the back, flanked by two guards. The two guards pushed open the doors for Harry and Luna to enter.

Harry stepped through the threshold, and the door slammed shut behind him. Harry looked about the room. It was a grand hall, obviously made to hold many ponies. The hall also had a long table, at which several different species were seated, at least one for each species that came from Earth. Celestia sat at the head of the table on an elaborate throne, with Luna joining her side moments later. The elder sister smiled as she eyed the younger stallion.

"Harry, welcome. I'm sorry about my abrupt summons, but these are time-sensitive matters," Princess Celestia said apologetically.

"I think I understand, Your Highnesses," Harry responded. "Sort of."

"Everybody, I formally introduce to you, Harry Potter," Princess Luna announced.

Murmurs rose between the assembled species as they whispered to each other. Some just stared at Harry with looks he couldn't quite understand. Harry felt scrutinized by the attention, unsure of what was happening. Eventually, the hippogriff awkwardly coughed and removed himself from his seat. The hippogriff was silver-grey, speckled with black specks. His mane was short but well-groomed, grey with black at the tips, his tail was similarly styled. Harry felt a weird sense of déjà vu. The hippogriff stood taller than Harry, staring down with his golden orbs. Harry stepped back a bit.

Why is he staring at me like that? Is he waiting for something?

An idea came to Harry, pulled from his third year. The unicorn took a slow bow to the hippogriff. The hippogriff watched passively, smirked, and then returned the gesture.

The smile widened as the hippogriff spoke, "You remember your greetings, Harry Potter."

Harry instantly recognized the hippogriff. "Buckbeak!?"

Buckbeak smirked. "Hello, Harry. I never thanked you for saving my life, now I owe you twice over." Buckbeak bowed deeply one more time. "Come, the others desire to meet their savior." Buckbeak returned to his seat and gestured to the empty one next to him.

Harry followed with a little more pep in his trot. He couldn't believe it! Buckbeak was here! Harry knew the hippogriff must have been here, the others were, but he hadn't expected to meet him on equal footing— hoofing?— before now. Harry looked around the table, trying to see if the others were familiar.

"Fillies and gentlecolts," Celestia grabbed everybody's attention. "Harry Potter, the stallion responsible for your return," she introduced him formally.

The unicorn mare spoke up. "You know, when you said you transformed into a unicorn, I wasn't entirely convinced. I mean no offense, of course."

Something about the unicorn mare conveyed familiarity. Moonpool, perhaps? But it was hard to tell, her mane was done in an elaborate braid of silvery hair and had an undertone of blue not found on Earth.

"None taken," Harry responded. "It's Moonpool, right?"

Moonpool nodded. "Great to see you again."

"It's an honor to meet you," the griffon said. "I'm Gaius, the representative of the griffons."

"Representative?" Harry queried.

"Harry's arrival was rather impromptu," Luna spoke, as though that explained anything. "We haven't informed him of the island's state of affairs. He is, after all, a human child." She directed her next words at Harry. "Those seated here are representatives chosen by their species. We thought it improper to summon you before the entire delegation of representatives so soon."

"Well, what changed?" Harry asked.

"Envoys from the griffon and hippogriff kingdoms will be arriving in a week's time to evaluate the island's condition," Celestia revealed. "We wanted to introduce you before they arrived, which was sooner than hoped."

"But why? I'm not anything special," Harry said.

"We don't see it like that," the thestral representative said. "It might not seem important, but you started something that means everything to us."

"I suppose that's right," Harry admitted.

"Worry not, we are all learning," Buckbeak said. "But do not underestimate the respect you have here. I was elected representative because of our adventure two years ago."

"Oh," Harry said, a little disbelieving. Now he was famous in two worlds. Great. Now I'm the Boy Who Saved... or something.

"You mean a lot to them, Harry," Luna said.

"But we must get back on topic," Celestia said. Nods and murmurs of agreement were passed around the table. "You are here for two reasons. First, to greet those who live here, many wish to see their savior. Second, my sister and I want you to reassure them that this is real. Some believe this whole island to be an illusion, it's too different from Earth for them. They need to feel welcome here."

"You want me to talk to them?" Harry asked.

"If you don't want this, we can arrange for your return to Ponyville," Luna replied. "I know you don't crave attention, Harry. Yet, despite our efforts, your name has spread like a wildfire amongst the inhabitants. This choice remains entirely up to you."

Up to me? Harry thought. He contemplated for a moment. The task didn't sound too hard. It couldn't be that different from his first trip to Diagon Alley. These ponies were, understandably, still confused. Harry could attest to the strangeness of visiting another world. A sensation amplified by being summoned abruptly, without warning. After these thoughts had passed, Harry made up his mind.

"I'll do it, Your Highness," Harry said. He didn't think that sounded too hard. "I can do that. Just smile and wave, maybe a few hoofshakes, right?" Harry looked up the table at the princesses, who nodded in agreement at his words. The representatives looked excited now.

The pegasus representative breathed a sigh of relief. "Wonderfull! I'm certain the others will be thrilled to meet you."

"Speaking of others, there is a crowd gathering outside," Moonpool said. Her horn glowed silver, and sparkling lights covered her eyes. Divination or scrying magic was Harry's guess. "News of your arrival has spread fast. They are very eager. You must've made quite an entrance."

"Can I not be famous for ten minutes?" Harry whispered under his breath.

Celestia smiled knowingly. "Then it is time Harry got to see the fruits of his goodwill."

Celestia rose from her seat, everybody else following her example. She and Luna flanked the boy as he walked forward, keeping him at the front of the group. The doors outside were thrust open, revealing a crowd of ponies, griffons, and hippogriffs. Noticing the princesses, the crowd hushed and backed away from the building in awe and surprise. Many turned their eyes on Harry, and whispers of "Is that him?" and "Do you think?" passed from creature to creature. Harry stepped forward, but found his tongue unable to form words, leaving him gaping at the crowd. Harry couldn't do a thing. Before Harry could manage a word, two small fillies barged through the crowd, bumping into him. All three staggered and the crowd went silent.

"Harry!" The two fillies screeched.

"Aurora? Chime?" Harry sputtered, recognizing the fillies' voices. "How did you—?"

"We knew," Aurora says. "We recognized you, you have the same hair, the scar, we just knew."

"Well, the hair's a little different, good different," Chime said. "But we knew."

"Plus, you're carrying Twilight's bag," Aurora added.

Harry looked at the bag he was carrying, realizing he had accidentally grabbed the one with Twilight's cutie mark. He shook his head at the mistake.

"Well, you got me there."

Aurora and Chime turned around excitedly.

"Hey everypony! This is our friend, Harry!"

Almost instantly, the crowd pressed in. Hooves and talons were practically shoved in Harry's face to shake. It reminded him of his first trip to the Leaky Cauldron. Dozens of hoofshakes and excited faces. A few ambitious foals asked for his autograph (rather strange in hindsight, when did they learn to write?) and Harry was too stunned to refuse.

The next few hours or so were filled up with each of the island's representatives officially introducing Harry to each of their represented species, an affair which was always met with cheers or applause. Almost every thestral just kept repeating how glad they were to be seen normally. The unicorns jabbered on about how great magic was. Pegasi, Hippogriffs, and Griffons said over and over again how surprised they were by their magical flight. Harry could only smile and wave, trying to comprehend that he was an even bigger celebrity on this island than in wizarding Britain. Harry tried to keep a pleasant smile up but stopped when a young mare swooned midair in response. She was alright, but that kept Harry from feeling comfortable smiling at any more mares his age for the rest of the day.

Eventually, Celestia decided Harry had endured enough of this unique torture and brought him inside for a nice cup of tea on the balcony. A very nice cup of tea. She talked about her infrastructure plans for the island, and how she hoped to start a school here to get the adults jobs and the children schooling. Harry admittedly didn't pay close attention and kept looking out over the island. His eyes were repetitively grabbed by the ponies below, going about their new lives.

"I can tell I don't have your full attention," Celestia said abruptly.

"Sorry—"

"Don't apologize. I'm a teacher and former sole monarch, I should've kept your attention better." Celestia looked over the island with Harry. Below the balcony, Harry's eyes caught on a couple of foals playing a simplified game of buckball. A little beyond them were some mares, probably their mothers, conversing under the shade of a tree. It looked very... provincial, simple, unburdened, like the daily comings and goings in Ponyville. Once Harry looked a bit farther, he could see the boat of workers leaving the island for the day. He had seen them throughout the day. Some treated it as any other job, but others were very kind to the island's inhabitants. When Celestia's teapot was empty, she decided one last piece of misery would fall upon Harry.

"I saw that mare faint earlier. I'd consider that an accomplishment." Celestia smirked with a teasing gleam in her eyes. "Famous and handsome, you're going to make a lot of mares jealous one day. Just don't tell Twilight about that, she might get jealous."

Harry dropped his head on the table. "This is my life now..." A bright red embarrassed flush covered his cheeks.

Celestia chuckled humorously. "You should've seen Luna some thirty-odd years into our rule. I believe you'll get used to it by the third time. In any case, I think you ought to head home before I set the sun." She picked up their tea cups and floated them down the halls. Harry looked at the sun, which Celestia had started its descent to the horizon.

"Yes, Your Highness," Harry said, before stifling a yawn.

"If fate were different, you would've made a fine student at my school," Celestia said, "maybe even one of my personal stuents." A kind, motherly smile graced her features. "Just know one thing: we're proud of what you did."

Harry felt the exhaustion ease from his bones as his spirit lifted. Proud. He liked that word, he liked it a lot.

"Thank you," Harry said as he left the building.





Harry trudged through the door to Twilight's library. The two residents were surprised when Harry walked through the room, heading straight for bed.

"Harry!" Twilight said in surprise. "You were going to be gone all day, and didn't tell me!?"

"I told Spike and left a note. Besides, Solar Flare said it was too important to wait," Harry replied tiredly. "Celestia wanted me to meet the ponies from Earth. I got to see Moonpool, her friends, Aurora and Chime, and I also got to see Buckbeak again."

Twilight's mood flipped at the explanation.

"Really? How was it? Are they doing better now?"

"Loads better. And I got to experience my first swarn of 'fanmares'," Harry said as he flopped down on his bed. It felt so much more comfortable than normal, sleep was already creeping up on him.

"Wait, fanmares?!" Twilight exclaimed in surprise. She trotted up to Harry, who was already half-asleep. She held a hoof up to shake him but decided against it. Instead, she pulled the comforter over Harry's shoulders. "We can talk tomorrow about it, if you want."

"Thanks, princess" Harry murmured before drifting away to a peaceful slumber.
> Chapter 13: Three's A Crowd
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today was an exciting day by Twilight's standards. Hopefully, she might get some very important mail today. Harry going to the Crystal Empire later today, so Twilight had the whole day to herself and one other pony if she could make the journey. She had been eagerly awaiting a chance to "hang out" with her sister-in-law-slash-former-foalsitter, Cadance. And with Harry up north and Spike having plans for (most) of the day, Twilight could dedicate her whole day to sisterly bonding and friendship!

"Mail's here!" Spike announced, holding a stack of papers.

Twilight yanked the mail out of Spike's claws, sifting through the pile of letters. Twilight scanned the letters, skimming the actual contents, looking for a royal seal.

"Please be a yes, please be a yes, please be a yes..." She opened the one with the royal seal in read the latter as fast as she could. A grin split her face. "Yes! She can make it, she can make it!" She jumped up and flew around Spike in circles, dragging the dragon along for the flight.

"Going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing that Princess Cadance said she can come this weekend!" Spike shouted as he started to lose his balance.

"I'm finally gonna get to spend some quality time with my sister-in-law! This is the best news ever!" Twilight declared.

Twilight's energetic rant was interrupted by a quiet knocking at the door.

Fluttershy peeked her head in. "Um, so sorry for barging in like this... but I'm so excited, I just couldn't wait to tell somepony!" Fluttershy pulled out a letter of her own. "The Equestrian Society for the Preservation of Rare Creatures have given me permission to observe the rarest, tiniest, most adorable magical creatures in all of Equestria: the breezies!"

"Wow, Fluttershy, that's fantastic!" Twilight congratulated her friend. Everypony knew Fluttershy loved little animals, even those she was scared of, like dragons.

"Oh, it's not just fantastic; it just might be the best news ever!"

There was a resounding crash as Pinkie Pie busted down Twilight's door. The pink mare bounced about excitedly. "I just got the most incredible mail anypony's ever received in all of recorded pony postal history!" She pulled out a flyer, an advertisement. "It's a flyer about a one-day sale on used patio furniture! Could this day get any better? Woo-hoo!"

Twilight and Fluttershy rolled their eyes.





Not long after the sudden announcements, Twilight, Harry, and their friends met up at the train station to say their goodbyes to Fluttershy. In the process, Harry had jokingly stated they had separation anxiety, which was nervously laughed off.

"Here's a wrap, in case it gets cold," Rarity said. She deposited the rolled-up item in Fluttershy's bag.

"And I packed you a basket of nice fresh apples in case you get hungry," Applejack offered the basket forward.

"Have a great time!" Twilight said.

"Oh, I will. And I hope you have fun with Cadance," Fluttershy replied.

The train whistle blew and the conductor stepped out. "All aboard!"

Fluttershy boarded the train and looked out the back of the caboose. "Goodbye! Goodbye, everypony!" she shouted (as loud as Fluttershy could shout) as she waved.

The train started moving. Pinkie Pie suddenly broke into a full gallop after the train with a cry of "Fluttershy!"

Everypony stared, a little confused, at Pinkie's antics.

Twilight sighed a bit. "Oh, I'm a bit nervous about Cadance's visit!"

"What could you be nervous about, Twilight? Cadance just loves you to pieces!" Applejack said.

"I know, but I really want her visit to go without a hitch!" Twilight insisted.

"Oh, why wouldn't it?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"You just had to say that, didn't you?" Harry deadpanned. "Do I have to mention the last four visits? I was only here for two, and both went sideways."

Twilight nodded. "Harry's right. So far, all of our visits haven't exactly been worry-free."

"The fate of Equestria has hung in the balance during most of your visits with her," Rarity noted.

"Exactly," Twilight agreed. "Cadance and I haven't really had a chance to just enjoy being friends again. Which is why it is so important that this visit be about the two of us having some real quality time together."

"I'm guessing you've gotta plan that'll keep it that way," Applejack said.

"The timing couldn't be more perfect," Twilight announced, pointing at a poster of Star Swirl the Bearded, only one of the most famous unicorns in all of history. "For one day only, right here in Ponyville, the Star Swirl the Bearded Traveling Museum! Cadance and I can spend the whole day looking at Star Swirl the Bearded artifacts!"

"Sounds like a perfect drama-free way to spend the day with Cadance," Rarity agreed.

Twilight saw Harry lean over to Pinkie Pie out of the corner of her eye.

"Why do we keep jinxing this?" Harry whispered. The excitable mare just shrugged. Twilight chose to ignore Harry's pessimism.

"Not counting the drama surrounding which of the bells from his cloak they've chosen to put on display. Spoiler alert: it's this one!" Twilight pointed at the rightmost bell on the drawing's hat. Of course, who wouldn't know which bell was on display? It was obvious.

Rainbow Dash gagged. "Uh, sorry. Something in my throat... like a big ball of 'lame'!"

Harry scoffed. "Rainbow, if it was a Wonderbolts Traveling Museum, you'd be just as excited. I'm sure Twilight will have fun."

"Yup, definitely sounds like you two will have some real quality time together," Applejack said.

"Exactly. Just quiet time," Twilight said.

"Strike three," Harry sighed.

A train whistle claimed everypony's attention. A crystal train was bearing down the tracks at high speed. The wheels froze up, creating a terrible sound reminiscent of nails on a blackboard. The trains ground to a halt. A blast of horns preceded a red carpet being rolled out.

"Your Highness," Candance said unexpectedly, bowing to Twilight.

Twilight responded with a bow. "Your Highness."

Cadance laughed. "I'm only teasing, Twilight. We're sisters-in-law. We don't have to be so formal." She nodded back at her guards, who returned to the train. She turned to Harry. "The train will be back this way in half an hour, you can take it to the Crystal Empire. Shining Armor tells me he's got something special for you today."

Harry nodded with a quick "thank you" before the train took off again. The two sisters-in-law walked away, ready for a fun, stress-free day. Twilight quickly moved away from Cadance to dash over to the group. "You guys—"

"Now, now, don't you worry about a thing! We will make sure that nothing—but nothing—interferes with your visit," Rarity promised.

"Go on, have a hootenanny with your kinfolk." Applejack insisted.

"You really are the best friends a pony could ever have. Coming, Cadance!" Twilight called as he galloped away.





Pinkie Pie sighed happily as the two princesses walked away. "Two sisters-in-law bonding. Well, I for one am gonna make sure that nothing spoils their day!" she declared.

As soon as this was said, Harry noticed a swirling thing rapidly approaching the train station. He hadn't seen anything like that before, but what did he know?

"Hey, um, is that normal?" Harry pointed at the thing.

"Whatever it is... duck!" Rarity shouted. Everypony dove for cover.

"Rarity, that doesn't look anything like a duck!" Pinkie Pie said.

Rarity was quick to drag Pinkie to the ground before it hit her. The thing missed the group and flew into a nearby tree.

"What is that?" Rainbow Dash said.

"No, not a 'what', but a 'who', dear," a voice said.

"Oh, no..." Rainbow Dash realized. "That sounds like..."

"Achoo!" The tree was incinerated in a blue flame, revealing the only draconequus in Equestria.

"Discord!"

"What in tarnation are you doing here?" Applejack shouted up at the draconequus. "And why the jumping June bugs are you blue?"

"More like a shade of cerulean, to be precise," Rarity corrected.

"Whatever color you are is the color of trouble!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash, I've changed, surely you remember? I was reformed by lovely little—" Discord started sniffing. "F-F-Fluttershy—" Discord sneezed, and some poor pony's home floated off its foundations. Harry cringed, knowing that somepony was going to have to reverse that, likely Twilight.

"What are you, sick or something?" Applejack asked.

"Well, of course I'm sick. The blue skin? These sneezes? Could somebody find me a fainting couch?"

Everypony looked at Rarity.

"What?"

Pinkie Pie dragged a pile of luggage for Discord to rest against. The blue creature rested against it tiredly.

"How charming, thank you. I can't stop sneezing and wheezing. In short... I need help."

"If you're so 'sick', why have you come here instead of, y'know, staying home in bed and getting over your weird illness?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Because this condition has left me helpless, simply helpless! Why, I can barely lift a spoon." As though to prove his point, Discord fumbled for a comically small spoon. Harry felt an eyebrow quirk up. "I came to find the one pony who truly understands me and could nurse me back to health. Where is that dear, sweet Fluttershy? I need attention! I need some care! I need—"

Rainbow Dash shoved her hoof in his face. "You need to chill. Fluttershy's out."

"Oh, of course, her trip to see the Breezies," Discord said, sounding disappointed. "Ah, yes, I had forgotten that was today."

"How do you know about her trip?" Applejack asked suspiciously.

Discord held out a letter from his bag. "Well, she told me about it in her last letter."

"You and Fluttershy write each other letters?" Pinkie Pie said, surprised.

"Why's that surprising?" Harry asked. "Discord has a total of..." He held up a hoof. Shame he didn't have fingers. "...one friend."

"Harry's right. We're friends!" Discord reappeared in an open-back hospital gown. "It's just such a shame that today of all days is when I really need her. Oh, well, I know what to do."

"Good thinking. Head on home; put your feet up." Rainbow Dash shoved Discord back to the station and gave him a hat and suitcase. "I'm sure eventually you'll have the strength to make yourself soup or something," she said as he flew away.

Harry turned around, and Discord was right where he stood before. Can this guy stay still for five seconds!?

Discord shook his head. "Oh, no-no-no-no-no-no! I mean, while she's gone, you ponies can take care of me! Isn't that what friends are for, taking care of each other?" He laughed as he pulled the five ponies in a group hug. "Let the healing begin!

Rainbow Dash wormed her way out of the hug. "Not it!" she shouted as she vanished over the horizon.

"Well, so much for the Element of Loyalty," Harry remarked as Rainbow's trail vanished.

Discord scoffed. "Right with you, Harry, that's some way to treat a suffering friend."

Pinkie Pie bounced up to the draconequus, throwing her hoofs around him in a hug. "Don't you worry, Discord! I'll give you cuddles, and read you stories, and tell you all about me! I was born on a Tuesday—"

Discord literally split himself in two to avoid the pink pony. "Oh, you're so sweet to offer, but Rarity, Applejack, and Harry already volunteered to be my own personal nursemaids."

"We did?" Rarity and Applejack said.

"I so hope you don't mind, Pinkie Pie," Discord said with the fakest sincerity Harry had ever heard.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I most certainly- Hey! Who keeps throwing away these perfectly good balloons?"

"Sorry, I'm heading out of town," Harry said. He turned to the unfortunate two ponies. "Sorry, but there's no way I'm not getting involved in this. He's going to sneeze and send me to the Island of the Returned or something, and I'm not dealing with my fanmares today. I have plans."

Applejack leaned in so only the three of them could hear her. "That's alright, Harry. Rarity, that joker's up to something, and whatever it is, the two of us are gonna keep it as far away from Twilight and Princess Cadance as possible."

They looked over to Discord, who was now in a hospital bed with a loud EKG beeping at his bedside.

"You're right," Rarity said. "We promised we wouldn't let anything ruin their visit... although I do so wish that 'anything' had turned out to be something else!"

The tree they were standing next to morphed into Discord. "Did I hear you two talking about Princess Cadance's visit with Princess Twilight?"

"Maybe," Applejack replied stiffly.

"Fluttershy had mentioned that those two were getting together today. Mm-hm. How wonderful for them both. It is so rare that those two get to see one another. I don't know about you, but I sometimes wonder how close they could actually be. All those years apart before being reunited?

"They're close enough," Harry answered firmly. He didn't like where this was going: downhill.

Discord nodded. "And if they're not, this rare opportunity to focus on their friendship will certainly bring them closer. Unless..."

The three friends looked at each other, panic settling in at the implications.

"Don't even think about it! They mustn't be disturbed!" Rarity insisted.

Discord looked offended. "Disturb them? I wouldn't dream of it. Not when I have two such dear friends of my own who have already offered to take care of me. And at such peril!"

"Peril?" Harry asked.

"Why, yes! This flu of mine is highly—" Discord sneezed all over the three "—contagious."

The three of them shuddered as their fur shifted into the same sickly blue as Discord. Harry took a shaky breath. He felt sick, really sick. He hadn't felt this bad in years, and the Dursleys had kept him locked up to keep him from "infecting Dudley with a freakish disease." Oh no, I was going to train with Shining Armor today! Now this guy's gone and gotten me sick with "blue flu".

"ACHOO!" all three sneezed with great force, flinging themselves backward.

"Oh no, I've gotten you all sick," Discord said.

"You did that on purpose you misshapen jigsaw puzzle!" Harry shouted, which spiked a headache.

"I said it was contagious, no need for name-calling," Discord said. "But with you three sick, whomever shall I turn to now in my time of need? "

"Discord! I'm going to—!" Harry sneezed and his head throbbed. He felt awful. "...go lie down."
> Chapter 14: The More The Merrier
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight happily walked alongside Cadance at the traveling museum. This whole place was chock full of items about, made by, and used by Star Swirl the Bearded himself! Harry wasn't exactly interested (a real shame) and neither were any of her friends. But Cadance? She was raised by the pony who was taught by Star Swirl! How could the two of them not be having the time of their lives?

"A whole day to celebrate Star Swirl the Bearded. What could be better?" Twilight asked aloud.

"Absolutely nothing," Cadance agreed. She glanced at some of the stalls, all decorated with items from Star Swirl's journeys or partial recreations of certain discoveries. One of the stalls caught Cadance's eye. She pointed it out to Twilight and said "Twilight, this is a new one."

The two walked up to a pedestal, on which sat a book in a glass box. It wasn't a book Twilight recognized, which said a lot. Like many magical students, Twilight knew almost everything about Star Swirl that there was to learn. This was new. The book was decorated with Star Swirl's cutie mark and a decorated wooden staff. Wait, it's not a staff, Twilight realized. It's a wand.

"Hey, I recognize that thing. The book's cover has a wand on it," Twilight said.

"A what?" Cadance asked.

"It's a magical tool for human wizards, from Harry's world. Like our horns, in a way. I wonder why Star Swirl's book—"

Twilight's speculation was cut short when the book vanished, and a small, blue, shrunken-down draconequus replaced it.

"Discord! What are you doing here?!" Twilight demanded.

The glass cube tilted over, and Discord poured himself out.

"Oh, dear, dear Princesses, I'm sorry to say that I'm sick," Discord said, before hacking into his elbow. "Blue flu," he moaned.

"Blue flu?" asked Cadance.

"Yes. Unfortunately, I've already passed it around to some of your friends." Discord reared back, ready to sneeze. Cadance tilted her head forward and cast a spell. When Discord did sneeze, a blue-green bubble shimmered around them, protecting them.

"Magic health bubble," Candace explained.

"Good thinking," Twilight replied, glad for her sister-in-law's quick reaction and proficiency in healing magic. Twilight never had a gift for healing and it would've taken time out of studying more magic.

"Indeed. How would Twilight nurse me back to health if she were sick too? You will be letting me stay at your place until I'm all better, won't you?"

"Stay? With me?!" Twilight shouted, shocked. She and Cadance shared an anxious glance, taking stock of the situation. It wasn't like Discord planned to get sick... "Uh, now is not really the best time, though I'm sure you already knew that..."

"But taking in the sick and the desperate— isn't that what Fluttershy would do?" Discord pressed himself against Cadance's barrier, his eyes enlarged like a foal's. "Isn't 'helping' something that friends do for friends?" Discord seemed to come to a realization and back away from the barrier, pouting. "Unless, of course, you're really saying that you're not my friend."

"No, that is not what I'm saying," Twilight scowled at the draconequus. The last thing her day needed was a draconequus that was sick and moody.

Discord turned around, practically beaming. His arms and legs vanished, and his serpentine body coiled around the health bubble. "Oh, how elated I am to hear that. Shall the three of us head back to your place? I don't want to get anypony else sick."

"Guess we don't have much choice," said Twilight.

"Carry me?" Discord asked, his wings falling off his body pathetically. Twilight resisted the urge to roll her eyes. How he could effortlessly manipulate his body and be sick confounded her.

"It isn't far. I think you can manage," Cadance replied.

The three of them made their way to Twilight's house; one anxious princess, one angery princess, and one smug-looking draconequus.





Twilight scowled as she opened the door to her home. She and Cadance were having fun at the traveling museum, even seeing a new exhibit Twilight knew nothing about. But then Discord decided to intrude! He looked sick and all but guilt-tripped her into convincing her to help with his "blue flu". Of course, Discord had to choose now of all times to show up! He had to have known Cadance was visiting today, he was trying to ruin their reunion! Twilight stomped over to her spare bed, Harry was gone for the day, after all.

Except, well, the bed was already occupied by a very sick and very blue unicorn.

"Harry!?" Twilight sputtered. Harry was lying face-down over the covers of his bed. His whole body was the same shade of cerulean as Discord. Twilight felt her stomach drop.

Harry rolled over in the bed so he could face Twilight. "Oh, hey Twilight." He hacked and coughed.

"Harry, what happened to you?" Twilight demanded. She put a hoof on his head to feel his was practically burning up.

"Well, Discord sneezed on me, gave me whatever this is," Harry informed Twilight.

"Blue flu," Discord said from Twilight's bed. "Twilight and Cadance have offered to take care of me, although I guess you're included."

"Why didn't you tell me you got Harry sick?" Twilight demanded of Discord.

"You never asked," Discord defended himself.

"I'm sorry, Twi," Harry murmured. "I know today meant a lot to you."

Twilight turned away from Discord and shook her head. "Harry, this isn't your fault." It was, after all, Discord who got Harry sick. The thought irritated her to no end. She and Harry had plans, and Discord had to have known!

"I was going to rest here while you were with Cadance." Harry sneezed. "The Dursleys always left me in my cupboard when I was sick. I can take care—" Harry broke into a fit of coughs.

Twilight smiled softly. "Well this time, I'm taking care of you. Just rest up, okay? I'll be right back," she said as she pulled the covers over Harry and fluffed his pillow.

"Thanks, Twi. You're the best," Harry whispered as he buried his face into his pillow.

Twilight looked down at Harry. Twilight had taken care of a sick Spike, but never another unicorn. She felt the need to coddle the sick Harry. She made sure the blanket was tucked snugly around Harry before she turned to Cadance and "patient zero".

Cadance had Discord tucked up in Twilight's bed, as her spare was occupied by Harry.

"Need anything else?" Twilight demanded. She wanted to get back to Harry, pronto.

Discord gave a smile and rudely rummaged through Twilight's nightstand. "Just knowing that I have a good friend like you to take care of me has made me feel better already. I'll be fine here on my own," he said. Twilight turned around to go back to Harry's bedside. "Oh, just before you go, just a little small request," Discord said.

Twilight groaned.

Cadance patted her sister-in-law's shoulder. "It's going to be fine. I'll get Discord what he wants, you go help your coltfriend."

"Thanks— Hey, I thought you agreed not to—"

"Sorry, I can't help it," Cadance said. "It's kind of my whole thing. Besides, you make it too easy." The Princess of Love turned back to Discord. "What was it that you needed?"





Harry couldn't be having a worse day. He missed his train, he was sick, he was tied but couldn't sleep, Twilight's day was being ruined, and now...

...is Discord singing?

Through the fuzzy cloud of exhaustion, Harry could hear Discord singing his list of demands to the mares. All the while, reality itself was turned inside out to the draconequus' whims. Harry tucked himself tighter under his sheets, covering his head under the comforter and another pillow. If Discord could sing, do magic, and travel from wherever he lived to Ponyville, he should've been fine! But no, he just had to get me sick!

Harry's line of thinking was cut off as a literal tidal wave of water rushed crashed over his bed, catching him in a cold, wet, swirling vortex. Harry's sheets were soaked, and the cold seeped into his bones. Harry lowered the sheets to see the whole room looked soaked. His teeth chattered as he tried to cast a heating spell. Rarity had taught him a few "household spells", but they weren't coming out. The "blue flue" must've disrupted magic if it could get Discord sick.

Correction: this day can get worse.





"Alright, this is ridiculous!" Twilight scowled as she stormed away from Discord. His impromptu musical number was wrecking her house! She went past Harry's bed as she did so, the poor stallion had also been caught up in Discord's musical number. He and his sheets were soaked, and Harry was clearly trying to cast a spell. Rule number one for sick unicorns: don't do magic.

"Great, now I'm sick, wet, and cold," Harry muttered, shivering.

"I'm so sorry about this," Twilight said to Harry. She cast a quick heating and drying spell on the area. A layer of steam rose as the water evaporated.

"Not your fault," Harry replied with a sigh as he readjusted in his bed.

With Harry taken care of, Twilight returned to her shelves. She pulled out some nearby books. A few about herbs, diseases, and even "Supernaturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-alls That Are Simply Super", but they had nothing on this "blue flu" at all!

"There must be some way to just cure you two," Twilight said as she pulled out another book. "There has to be a spell or remedy in one of my books!"

"There is one way," Discord added. Twilight took a frustrated breath and set her books down.

"And you didn't think to mention it earlier?" Cadance asked, slightly irritated.

"Let me guess: he forgot?" Harry muttered from under the covers.

"Precisely. You know me too well, Harry," Discord replied. He waved his claw in the air, manifesting a cloud with an image of a flower with magenta petals in a desert. "On a hill at the very edge of Equestria, there grows an exquisite magic flower." The image changed to a petal being used on some tea, which an illusory Discord drank to return to normal. "Pick the flower as it drops its petals at sunset. Then you can make a magical soothing elixir to cure the blue flu."

"I suppose you have a good reason you didn't bother to get this flower as soon as you realized you were sick?" Twilight demanded

"Well, I couldn't travel that far in my condition. By the time I got there, I'd be too weak to even attempt to retrieve the flower." Discord wrapped himself in blankets, shivering.

"So where exactly are Cadance and I headed?" Twilight asked. She wanted to go get that flower, cure Harry, and get Discord out of their manes so she could have a calmer day.

Discord held up a needlessly complicated map. "Well, you'll want to head north, turn left, th— Oh... You know, it'd be much easier if I took you there myself." He folded the map into a hat to give it to Twilight.

"I thought you were in no condition to travel," Cadance noted with an air of suspicion.

"I'm not. We'll need to make some arrangements." Discord had a wicked grin plastered on his face. Twilight felt her stomach drop.





How does this day keep getting worse!?

Harry had never been airsick before, but this came very close. Discord had manifested a comically (had Harry said that before?) elaborate gold chariot and placed himself and Harry on it. The two alicorn sisters-in-law pulled the cart for what felt like hours. By the time the sun started going down, both were sweating and tired. Harry's exhaustion was a different kind, he barely felt he could move at all. Whatever disease Discord had was putting him through the wringer. Hopefully, this elixir could cure the disease before the end of the day. Harry hated sleeping while sick— dreaded it.

"You girls okay up there?" Harry called out.

"To be honest, I'm a little out of practice when it comes to flying," Cadance confessed.

"Same here," said Twilight.

"Well, then lucky for you; we're here," Discord announced. Twilight and Cadance went down to the ground. Discord pointed a blue paw at a hill. "It's just at the top of that hill."

Twilight and Cadance walked away to retrieve the flower. As soon as they went around a corner Harry decided to rest his eyes, they would be back soon enough—

"WOO-HOO!" Discord shouted.

Harry shot awake to see the lord of chaos dancing around, without blue skin. He looked as healthy as ever. Harry realized exactly what this whole adventure had been. He shakily rose to his hooves, anger flaring.

"You were faking!" Harry accused, then coughed.

"I was!" Discord said proudly. "But I a good reason."

"Then why am I still sick?" Harry demanded.

"Well, I had to make it convincing. Blue flu's not common, so neither's the cure. Plus, it was adorable to watch the little princess fawn over her favorite little pony." Discord snapped his fingers, and Harry felt the disease fade away, along with the blue skin. "Now, all we do is wait for their return. They should be back any second now."

Harry's anger simmered at the draconequus. If Twilight decided to encase Discord in stone, that wasn't Harry's problem. He'd support it, at this point. Harry and Discord sat and waited until Twilight and Cadance appeared with the (now useless) flower. The two looked very confused as they approached, shocked at their "miraculous" recovery.

"Harry!? You're cured?!" Twilight said in shock.

Harry pointed a hoof at Discord. "This over-sized Rubix cube was faking the whole thing!"

"I find that term offensive," Discord replied.

"Good, because you've ruined the days of five ponies today, three of them with your fake disease!" Harry shouted.

Discord looked offended. "Ruined? This was a test of friendship between me and Twilight. I said I had a good reason, after all." A large purple tree sprouted from the ground, with Dsicord atop it. "Well, I was in my thinking tree – that's where I do most of my really deep thinking – I was there, and I said to myself, I said, 'Discord, your friend Twilight says that she's your pal, but she never writes as she does with her friend Harry. She and her friends never bother to pop in for a visit.'"

"We don't know where you li—" Twilight's protest was cut off by Discord pinching her lips shut.

"Get to the point, Discord," Harry demanded.

The draconequus huffed.

"Fine. I wanted to see if one of the most important ponies around could prove our friendship by going to the ends of Equestria for me, of course. Which you did, literally. Congratulations, Twilight, you passed my friendship test!"

Discord placed one of those two-part lockets around her neck, which matched with the one in his claws. The image was Discord and Twilight, though she was mostly obscured by the former.

Everypony glared at Discord for wasting their day. Harry knew Twilight was upset she didn't get to spend time with Cadance, and he both missed a training session and wasted Twilight's time by having her take care of him!

"What's with the pouty glare?" Discord asked. "Surely my little exam didn't put a damper on Twilight's visit with Princess Cadance, did it? Made it so that there was no time for those two to focus on their friendship?"

"You didn't put a damper on our visit at all," Cadance said.

"He didn't?!" Twilight and Harry said.

"I didn't?" Discord said, equally surprised.

"Spending the day at the Star Swirl the Bearded exhibit would've been more relaxing," Cadance confessed. "But to be honest, relaxation is the last thing I need."

"It is?" Twilight asked.

"Don't get me wrong. Life in the Crystal Empire is wonderful, but it's become a little... predictable. I enjoy a little excitement now and then. Getting to face all these challenges today was just what I needed. And facing them with you just made me realize even more how lucky I am to have somepony like you as a friend. We may not see each other very often, but I know you'll always be there when I need you. Just like she was there for you, Discord."

Discord scowled. "Yes, she's a real sweetheart. We're all so lucky to have her in our lives."

A rumbling shook the ground. A large worm-like creature burst forth, roaring violently to the sky

"What in the world?!" Discord exclaimed, grasping Twilight.

The worm collapsed in front of the four of them. The worm reared back and sneezed at Harry and Discord, covering them in slime. Cadance's health bubble protected the alicorns. The worm slithered back into the ground, looking tired and sick.

A sickly green color and spots spread across Harry and Discord. Harry felt like he was going to spew.

"Discord..." Harry sneezed. "You owe me."





Twilight and Cadance's trip back was no better than the one there. Upon arrival in Ponyville, Cadance had to say her goodbyes to Twilight when her train arrived. Thankfully, Fluttershy was back from her trip so she could take Discord off of Twilight's hooves. Twilight floated Harry back to her house (much to his protest) and tucked him in bed. She then asked Spike to make Harry a warm bowl of soup while she cast an inverted magic health bubble on Harry.

"So, how was your day with—" Harry sneezed, lighting the bubble— "Cadance?"

"Not what I expected," Twilight admitted. "That's not to say it was bad, even a chaotic day ended up being a great experience that brought us closer."

"Good to hear," Harry said.

Spike walked in with a steaming bowl of soup. "Here's that soup, just how your mom makes it." Spike handed the bowl over to Twilight.

Twilight took the bowl with thanks and turned to Harry.

"Please don't spoon-feed me," Harry pleaded.

"Sorry Harry, but until you get your strength back, I'll be seeing to your health myself." Twilight smiled. She offered up a spoonful of the soup to Harry, who begrudgingly took it. He seemed less upset after the first spoonful, Twilight Velvet's recipe for soup was fantastic. She had used the same recipe on Twilight Sparkle when she was sick.

Twilight's smirk turned a little mischievous. "Get used to this, because I'm going to be your nurse for the duration of your recovery."

"Great, the princess is a nurse now."

Harry violently sneezed again, making the bubble glow.

Twilight's smirk turned a little mischievous. "Get used to this. If you ever get a marefriend, she's going to take any chance to coddle you."

"Like you're doing right now?" Harry mumbled slowly.

Twilight's cheeks flushed. Maybe she shouldn't tease Harry while he was sick. He clearly wasn't in a clear mindset.

Spike chortled. "I'll leave you two be," he said as he left. Twilight rolled her eyes and held another spoonful of soup to Harry.

"And why do you have to spoonfeed me?" Harry grumbled.

"Sick unicorns shouldn't do magic," Twilight said. She held another spoonful for Harry, which he begrudgingly ate.

"Thanks, Twi— I mean, Princes Nurse Egghead," Harry said with the smallest of smirks.

Twilight rolled her eyes. What was she going to do with him?

"Just eat your soup, Harry."
> Chapter 15: Inspiration Manifested
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a terrible week spent recovering from Tatzlwurm Fever (yes, it had a name) Harry was clear to roam about Ponyville without the Twilight hovering over him; in some cases, this hovering was quite literal. The timing wasn't terrible either. The next few weeks were fairly eventful by Harry's standards. Rainbow Dash's birthday party was very exciting, a celebration made even crazier when a stallion named Cheese Sandwich offered to plan the party. He and Pinkie (literally) had a whole song and dance about who was the best party planner, which ended up with Pinkie Pie conceding to Cheese. But Harry couldn't shake the feeling he'd heard Cheese's voice at some point in his life, it was weird.

Harry returned to his regularly scheduled sessions with Shining Armor after a full recovery was made. Harry was much more proficient in magical combat than ever before. Harry and Twilight had adapted nearly every spell Harry learned at Hogwarts to an Equestrian equivalent; a good thing because replicating wand movements with a horn was tedious, to say the least. Eventually, Harry felt he'd be able to "transcribe" spells instinctively, like Twilight. This gave Harry a formidable arsenal for a human his age. Harry was beginning to impress Shining Armor, who started to take his lessons more seriously. Unfortunately, "serious" meant rigorous, but nothing good ever came easily.

But, magic aside, Harry also got to participate in several unique social events. Harry had rarely seen a non-magical gathering in his life. It was a little overwhelming, all the energy in the air and the happy faces. The annual Ponyville Days Festival, the Breezies, and the Rainbow Falls Traders Exchange were just a few of those events. He'd never been to anything like this in his life! In hindsight, Harry said that a lot. Every experience in Equestria was a completely new adventure. And that brought him to his newest one: the Foal and Filly Festival. Harry was (obviously) too old to participate, but he was able to help Twilight prepare the for festival. Everypony had expectations for the newest princess, paperwork notwithstanding. Everything was going just fine, games and activities were set up and even Pinkie Pie said it was perfect.

That was until Spike asked Harry to take a quick visit with him to the Castle of the Two Sisters, of all places.





"Hey, Harry. Are you busy today?" Spike asked when he walked into the library.

Harry shook his head. "I just finished helping Twilight, I'm done for the day." He left the library to take a trott around the town. Hedwig perched herself comfortably on his back for the ride. Spike followed along, but he had an anxious look, which was concerning. Spike never knew his limits.

"Oh, good, because I was wondering if you would help me check for something in the old castle in the Everfree Forest."

Caught by surprise, Harry tripped on a tree root. Hedwig flew off with a disgruntled "hoot" and perched on the tree that dislodged her. Harry shook his head as he regained his hoofing. I'll find an earth pony to fix that root later.

"I'm sorry, did you say the Everfree Forest?" Harry asked. "As in, the place we all nearly died in a few weeks ago? Spike, I'm trying to stay out of trouble in Equestria. I can't do that by walking into an unnatural forest."

"I know you are, but I'm looking for anything in there that can help Rarity," Spike explained. "She really needs help, I mean it."

Harry raised an eyebrow."Rarity? What's going on with Rarity?" he inquired. Spike was willing to help others, with Twilight, Rarity, and Harry at the top of his list. However, he did try too hard sometimes. Harry could recall Twilight telling him about the incident with Spikes's hoarding.

"The puppet theater she made didn't impress the puppeteer. She's having a total breakdown, she feels awful. Please, I just want to find something there that might help her," Spike pleaded.

Harry rubbed a hoof on his chin. The castle may have many ancient magical artifacts hidden within. It was untouched for nearly a thousand years, thanks to the Everfree Forest and the "Pony of Shadows" scaring away adventurers and thieves alike. Plus, Harry had been researching many magical artifacts that might help him. Just looking for ideas or spells couldn't hurt, right? And if he was helping Spike and Rarity, what was the harm?

"Alright, we can go. But I want Owlowiscious and Hedwig to come along, just in case." He looked at Hedwig, still perched in the tree. "Could you go find Owlowiscious and join us at the edge of the Everfree?" Hedwig hooted and took off toward the library. Harry smiled; Hedwig seemed a lot smarter in Equestria, not that she wasn't a clever bird before.

"Sweet! Rarity is going to be so excited when we find something," Spike declared.

"If we find something," Harry corrected. "A lot of it could be dark magic, locked away for good reason."

"We'll be fine." Spike waved off Harry's concerns.

Harry shook his head at the dragon's high-energy attitude. He lifted the dragon and deposited him on his back, then took off to the Everfree Forest.





Less than an hour of travel found Harry and Spike digging through the castle's library.

"Argh, there's gotta be something in here somewhere," Spike exclaimed.

Owlowiscious hooted.

"It's not 'who", it's 'what'!" Spike said, seemingly oblivious to the fact that "who" was a sound owl made. "Like, what can help Rarity make something in time for the fair? She really, really, really wants to make a creative contribution. She said I'm her favorite dragon, so it's up to me to come through for her in her time of need. There's gotta be some kind of spell that'll do the trick."

"Have you considered a spell won't help?" Harry asked. "Rarity lost her confidence. She'll pick herself up eventually, sooner if you're there for her. Plus, you're the only dragon she knows."

"I know that, but I want to do more. Wouldn't you do the same for Twilight?" Spike reasoned.

"Sure, but—"

"Then you have to understand. We're both into mares way out of our league–"

"And we're ending this conversation, right now," Harry said, walking to another shelf.

Spike dropped down from the ladder. "What? It's not like I mind, you obviously make her happy."

"As a friend, yes. Can we not talk about the relationships we don't have?"

"Come on, you're the only stallion in Ponyville I can talk to," Spike pleaded with a hint of desperation. Spike inspected a lower shelf. "Big Mac's too shy for advice and I can't ask the Cakes," he said while pulling on another book. Suddenly, the wall slid away with the sound of grinding stones, revealing a hidden metal gate. Past the door was an old stone staircase leading up to a stone book hoving over a pedestal.

"What is that?"

"A distraction— another secret passage. This place has no shortage of them," Harry noted.

Spike investigated the lock, then breathed enough fire on it to liquidate it.

"Spike!" Harry scolded.

"What? I don't have a key."

"That's not what I meant. You don't think you're taking this too far. stealing from Celestia?"

Spike opened the door and walked into the chamber. Harry hung back, watching Spike walk up the stairs and grab the book, just in case he needed to grab the dragon to get them both out.

"Well, I'm sure she took everything important after Nightmare Moon," Spike reasoned. "Besides if I wasn't supposed to have it, it wouldn't be so easy to get," Spike said he he removed the book from the pedestal. As Spike walked back the stairs started to collapse, but Spike wasn't paying attention. "And it's covered in spikes, like me."

"Spike, get back here before this place collapses!" Harry shouted from the base of the stairs. Harry levitated Spike, pulled him to the other side of the gate, and slammed the bookcase back in place, just for good measure. "You okay, Spike?"

The dragon didn't notice the danger as he read the title of the book, "Inspiration Manifestation: Instantly brings ideas to life," Spike read the cover, pleased. "I'm liking the looks of this one."

Harry sighed in exasperation. Once again, Spike was acting like, well, Harry, albeit slightly younger and with worse tunnel vision. "May I see?" Harry asked. He picked the book up, glancing over the inside. He read it in his head, not wanting to risk what happened with Star Swirl's spellbook.

From in the head to out in the world... ...projecting forth whatever beauty you see... ...will you finally be set free?

"Spike, I don't like the phrase 'will you finally be set free' being in a spellbook," Harry admitted

"It's probably a metaphore, like a muse."

"Spike, a muse can also describe being trapped in thought," Harry replied. He closed the book and put it in his saddle bag. "This seems like dangerous magic, more than what Rarity needs."

"Which is why you can help," said Spike. He plucked the book from Hary's bags. "We'll let Rarity use the spell to make her contribution to the festival. If it goes sideways, we'll give it to Twilight for safekeeping. She's the Element of Magic, what's the worst that could happen?"

Harry looked up to Owlowiscious and Hedwig. "Yeah, what could go wrong?" Harry deadpanned.





Upon seeing Rarity's state, however, Harry decided maybe Spike wasn't exaggerating. Multiple containers of vanilla oat swirl ice cream coated the floor. Rarity herself was a steaming mess. Her hair was frayed and out of its perfectly brushed curls. Her mascara was flowing freely with her tears as she sobbed loudly. Harry couldn't help but pity her and, at that moment, understood Spike's desire to help.

"Rarity!" Spike rushed up to her excitedly.

Rarity, however, was too upset to listen. She gestured for them to leave her to wallow. "Leave me be! Can't you see how distraught, disappointed, and downtrodden I still am?"

"Come on, Rarity. Spike went all the way to the Everfree Forest to get you something," Harry insisted.

"Unless it's another carton of vanilla oat swirl or word that the festival has been canceled, I don't think I'm interested," Rarity bemoaned, still crying. A carton of said ice cream came to her side. How does she eat this much?

"But it's magic!" Spike said.

"Spike, precious scales, I already have magic," Rarity countered, levitating several chocolates up to stuff her face with.

"But not the kind that can help you create something in time for the fair!" Spike removed the book, holding it for Rarity to see.

"The book states it can manifest thoughts to reality," Harry explained. "It's your choice."

"I... I suppose it's worth a try." Rarity held the book up. "From in the head to out in the world, every thought to action. Hold close this book and through its spell, you'll start a chain reaction, projecting forth whatever beauty you see. Only when true words are spoken will you finally be set free."

Unseen by any of the three, the magic of the book escaped and covered Rarity's horn. They waited for a few moments for anything to happen, but nothing did.

"Was that it?" Harry said.

"Hm, there's only one way to find out." Rarity gave the book a scrutinizing glare. Instantly, the book's scary stone cover was transformed into an ornate book. "Oh, my! I thought about making this a much more beautiful spell book, and I have!" There was another flash of magic, which converted Rarity's infamous fainting couch into a grander design. "Dear, dear Spike! Here I was about to give up, but like a true friend, you've come through with flying colors!" She congratulated the now blushing dragon. "Come! We must find the puppeteer right away, so that I may provide him with the most fabulous theater he's ever imagined!" Rarity turned back to Harry and Spike, a gleam in her eye. "Or, should I say, that I've ever imagined," she declared as he left the boutique.

"That's not ominous," Harry stated flatly.

"I'm sure she's only excited," Spike said. "You weren't there when she made your human dress robe, she was just like this. She'll get over it."

"If you say so," Harry relented. "Listen, Spike, I have a package from Cloud Chaser to pick up today. Promise to return the book by this afternoon, after Rarity finished that theater. This book seems a bit powerful to be left unchecked."

"I'll keep an eye on it," Spike promised. The young dragon went out to follow Rarity.

"Good. See ya!" Harry said.

Harry walked through Ponyville, glad he had been able to help, although indirectly. But now his thoughts drifted to that book. If what Rarity showed was the book's unfetter potential for fashion, what else could it do? An architect could build a fortress in a matter of days, a blacksmith could forge an army's worth of equipment in a few hours. And a warrior... would have but to picture the defeat of his opponent, and so it would be. Perhaps that's the power I've been searching for.





Harry heard Spike walk through the door to the library a few hours later, after the festival.

"Spike! How'd it go? Did Rarity impress the pupeteer?"

"It went great! He was impressed, so the Foal and Filly Festival has its puppet show!" Spike answered.

"And what about the book?" Harry asked.

"Well... you see... about that book..."

Harry facehooved. "Oh, Celestia. What did you do, Spike?"

"Well... Rarity was so impressed with the book, she wanted to keep it just a bit longer."

"Bloody— Spike, you said you would return the book," Harry scolded. He wanted to get a look at that thing at some point, not that he wanted to use it.

"I know. But what's the harm of keeping it for a few more hours?" Spike insisted.

Harry sighed. "None, hopefully. Spike, was Rariy acting... odd?"

"No."

"Did she refer to herself in the third person?"

"Nuh uh."

"Did she say anything out of character?"

"Not really?"

"Did she talk about the book like it was alive?"

Spike hesitated. "Uh, maybe? It might have been a mistake. Where are you getting these ideas from anyways?"

Harry floated the book he was reading so Spike could read the cover. "Ancient Curses and Ensorcellments: A Reference Guide. I knew Twilight made me read something about a similar book somewhere, I'm just hoping the one Rarity has isn't cursed." Harry returned the book to himself. He had even found the Alicorn Amulet mentioned here, along with a few other cursed items. Nothing about a book, yet.

"How will we know if it is?" Spike asked.

"With this." Harry summoned a particular magic item from his trunk. A silvery cloak with fabric that waved like silk drifted over Harry's shoulders—the Invisibility Cloak. Whatever magic changed Harry in Equestria meant the Invisibility Cloak was now perfectly tailored to cover Harry as a pony. "Tomorrow, you and I will find the truth of this book."
> Chapter 16: Troublesome Reading
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rarity's house was dark the next morning, but flashes of light shone from the inside like lightning. Harry, hidden by his cloak, was starting to regret waiting.

Spike knocked on the door. "Rarity?"

No response was given but for the flashes of light to increase in frequency and intensity. The door rumbled like thunder, then burst open with a tidal wave of clothing. Harry managed to dodge the onslaught in time, but Spike was less fortunate. Rarity emerged a second later, but she didn't look like herself. There was a haughty look to her. Perhaps it was the unkemptness of her normally pristine mane or the tired bags under her eyes. Neither feature was one Rarity would dare be seen with. Harry thought that could just be how Rarity was in private.

"Spike, I'm so glad you're here!" Rarity declared.

Rarity levitated Spike into her house, and Harry placed himself by a window. Harry opened the window to take a look incognito. The inside was worse than he thought, covered with stacks upon stacks of fashion.

"Whoa! Are... you okay?" Spike asked, looking about the room.

"Oh, I've never been better!" Rarity declared giddily. She held the book proudly in the air. "This book you've given me is amazing! Why, I- I- I- I've been up all night just creating and creating and creating and creating! I've completed my fall line for the next fifteen seasons!" Rarity gushed. From Harry's vantage point at the window, Spike was wowed. "But then I started thinking, 'why stop there'? Oh, Spike, I've always thought this town of ours could use a few beautifying upgrades, and with this book, I can make that happen with such ease! You will support me in this endeavor by letting me keep the book just a little longer?"

Harry, Owlowiscious, and Hedwig watched from outside with growing concern. She doesn't appear malicious, maybe the book doesn't make her evil or possess her? Her fashion obsession is just more... pronounced. Maybe that's it? Still, best to find a way to get it from her. But how? Even while invisible, I'm not undetectable. Who knows what she can do? I'll have to wait for her to drop her guard or get her to give it voluntarily.

Harry conjured a piece of paper and quill. He might need some help on this.

Dear Twilight.

I have a problem. Spike and I found a book that might be cursed and gave it to Rarity. We're trying to get it, but things are getting out of hoof. Some help in finding her would be appreciated.

Harry rolled up the paper and offered it to Hedwig, requesting she "Get this to Twilight, fast." The snowy owl grabbed the paper and took off toward the library. A few seconds later, Rarity and Spike exited the shop. Rarity must've cleaned up and combed her hair because she looked normal when she opened the door. Harry trailed behind them and tugged Spike backward.

"Hey, Spike," whispered Harry. The little dragon looked around for the source of Harry's voice. "We need to grab the book. If I can't get it, I'll trail behind and you grab the book. She's had it too long."

"But what's the problem with her using it?" Spike replied. "She's just making some small changes."

Harry stomped his hoof. "Her house is flooded with clothes, that's not small. I allowed you to give it to her for one thing, and I should've corrected my mistake from the start. We're taking it before she does something somepony didn't ask for or doesn't like."

"Who doesn't like Rarity's fashion?" Spike asked.

Harry stopped in his tracks. He grabbed Spike and turned him to face Harry. "That's not the point!" Harry said fircely. "We're lucky Rarity's fashion obsession holds her back from knowing how powerful this book is! We don't know its limits, or hers. It was a mistake to hand it over. We have to undo it before things go south. Understand!?" Harry demanded.

Spike nodded numbly. "Alright, I guess." He turned around to speak. "Rarity—"

Only to find the fashionista had vanished.

"Come on, we got to find her," Harry said. "I alerted Twilight, so we have some help. Let's find her before this gets worse."

The duo raced through Ponyville, trying their best to find the crazed unicorn. All that remained was a trail of extravagant damages. The first place they checked was the markets, as it was one of Rarity's favorite places in town, aside from the spa (that place was untouched). The first oddity in the market was Applejack's cart, or rather the golden, jewel-encrusted cart that stood in its place. The two looked for further changes nearby.

"What in the—?!" Rainbow Dash shouted from above. Harry and Spike looked up to Rainbow Dash in a dress, of all things. Harry had never known her to wear dresses, ever. "Get... it... off... me!" The pegasus tumbled in the air before crashing onto somepony's house. She looked down from her vantage point at Spike and Harry. "Morning, Harry! I don't suppose this is your work?"

Harry shook his head. "We're looking for Rarity, have you seen her?"

Rainbow Dash huffed before jumping to ground level. She pulled at the dress, muttering "Of course it was her." Rainbow Dash fought to get the dress off but to no success. Somehow, it got her even more ensnared by the fabric. "Little help here?" Harry cast an engorgement charm on the dress, allowing Rainbow the wiggle-room to escape before he reversed his spell.

"Did you see where she went?" he asked.

Rainbow Dash kicked the dress away in disgust. "No. Do you need me to find her?"

Harry rubbed his forehead, trying to ease what might turn into a headache. "Alright, I can work with this. Rarity's gone fashion-crazy, so we'll search accordingly. Rainbow, head toward Sweet Apple Acres, look for Rarity or anything... weird. Spike, we'll split the town. Go where you'd think she'd go. If we can't find her, meet up near the Gazebo. That work?"

"On it!"

"Yep!"

Harry watched Spike and Rainbow Dash take off in different directions. "Why does everything weird happen to me?"





Harry galloped across Ponyville, looking for any sign of Rarity. Unfortunately, all he could find were the after-effects. He spotted Apple Bloom and Applejack, both suffering from Rarity's "vision." The poor filly had a bejeweled bow weighing her down, and Applejack's cart was still solid gold. All around, excessive jewelry, fancy clothes, exotic colors, and extensive refurbishings, all reeked of Rarity's fashion taken to an unnatural extreme. If Harry didn't know better, he'd suspect the book allowed her to teleport freely. Harry returned toward the town center, hoping the others had better luck than him.

And from the looks of things, Spike had found Rarity. The dragon was covered head-to-toe in gemstones. Spike couldn't even move his arms, much less walk, so he was stuck on his back. Harry set Spike back on his feet.

"Spike! Did you find Rarity?"

"More like she found me," Spike said. "Gave me this thing. It'd make a better snack than outfit."

"Then you didn't get the book, did you?" Harry asked. Spike shook his head. "Spike! Rarity is completely out of control!"

Spike waddled backward and shook his head. "I tried! But I just can't tell her—"

"There you two are!" Spike and Harry turned to meet a very upset Twilight. "What's this about a cursed book!? And why did you give it to Rarity!?"

"Spike thought it was a good idea, and it didn't seem harmful until now," Harry admitted. "It allowed her to redesign her puppet theater in time for the festival yesterday."

Twilight's features morphed into a light scowl. "Give me one reason it didn't seem harmful."

"How about three?" Harry replied instantly. "One: Celestia had a thousand years to remove it from the castle. Two: the first thing Rarity did with it was make her couch fancier, that's normal transfiguration by human standards; I've turned birds into goblets! And three: you all got trapped in a cursed comic book and laughed it off. I didn't think it was harmful until today. Besides, Rarity hasn't caused physical harm yet, nothing that can't be undone."

"Undoing that you will be a part of," Twilight commanded.

Harry sagged a little. He deserved that. "I know, I know, I'll help, but we need to find Rarity."

"Great, now—"

Mayor Mare ran around the corner and, spotting Twilight, shouted "Princess Twilight! The gazebo has been turned into solid crystal, and two ponies are now trapped inside its walls!"

Twilight looked at Harry and Spike. "Find her and get that book before Luna and Cadance get here to clean up!" The alicorn spread her wings and launched toward the now-crystalized Gazebo. Harry watched her fly off to undo more of the mess. Disappointment hurt.

Harry sighed. "Spike, as I was saying, I'm not a relationship guru like Twilight; maintaining two friendships on Earth was hard enough. But sometimes what's best for those friendships are things we don't like. If you want to help Rarity, you need to put your claw down and help me take the book." Harry used his magic to doff Spike's gemstone outfit. A weight unrelated to the gems lifted from Spike's shoulders.

"You're right, Harry. I guess I can forget Rarity thinking of me as her most supportive friend... or as a friend at all..."

"Don't be like that. I can't believe I'm suggesting we steal from the Element of Generosity, but it won't ruin what's between you," Harry reassured Spike. He looked around for Rarity, only to find nothing but the aftermath of her "creative genius". Harry pointed to the center of town. "Besides, we'll have to find her first."

Spike shook his head. "But—" Spike's face lit up. "The spellbook! If we can get it away from her, I bet she won't be able to use its magic anymore!"

Harry shook his head. "You forgot one thing. The book says 'Only when true words are spoken will you finally be set free.' If it's literal, then one of us should seperate her from the book, and the other talk her down. I'll get the book."

"Why do I have the hard part?"

"Because," Harry straightened to look down at the dragon, "I'm invisible, and you're the one who couldn't put his claw down the first time. We're doing this my way. Now, let's find where Rarity went."

"I can't see!" a stallion yelled.

Harry and Spike looked to see entire sections of Ponyville's streets had been turned to solid gold. The two looked at each other knowingly.

"Rarity?"

"Rarity."

They followed the path of chaotic renovations to the edge of Ponyville, to the top of a hill where all of Rarity's changes were visible. It looked horrible from this view if Harry was being honest.

Harry looked at Spike. "Remember, disctract her, then give it to me so I can hide it away in the Everfree." Harry pulled up the hood of his cloak, vanishing from sight.

Spike walked up to Rarity, reaching for the Book of Inspiration. However, Rarity noticed his proximity and turned on him with a mean snarl.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

Spike stammered. "Uh, me? I was just, uh... basking in your creative radiance."

That seemed to snap Rarity back to "normal", at least for now. "Oh, Spike, you do say the nicest things."

"Thanks."

Rarity turned to look over the rest of Ponyville. "Now, where was I? Oh yes! Gold-plated rooftops for everypony!"

Harry pulled his hood back and looked at Hedwig and Owlowiscious. He pointed at Rarity aggressively and winked before pulling his hood back up. The two owls rushed down at Rarity, and she ducked down and waved a hoof to try and keep them away. While she was distracted, Spike crept up next to the crazed mare, quickly swiped the magic book, and passed it to Harry. Harry grabbed the book and hid it under his cloak.

Goal accomplished, Harry made a mad dash to the Everfree Forest. Hopefully, Spike could talk Rarity down now that the book was gone and Spike was willing to tell the truth. Of course, that was assuming Spike followed through on his promise. In any case, Harry had to hide this thing where no pony else would ever find it again.





Harry knocked on Zecora's front door. He hadn't been here before, but Apple Bloom was kind enough to tell him the path. Zecora opened the door and was shocked to see Harry's floating head; he hadn't fully removed the Cloak.

The Zebra took a step back in surprise. "What bizarre trickery do this be? That a floating head appears to me?"

Harry glanced about nervously. "Hey, Zecora." Harry offered his hoof, removing it from the invisibility. "I'm Harry, we haven't been properly introduced yet. I was with Twilight when the Everfree drove you out."

Zecora nodded. "Ah, yes, I remember you now. But why are you here, and why now?"

"Can I come inside?" Harry asked nervously.

Zecora nodded and held the door open for Harry to trot inside. "It's lucky I made tea, freshly brewed. Have a drink, we can talk whilst you brood."

Harry thanked her and walked inside. Once he was passed the threshold Harry threw off his cloak and stuffed it in his bag. He took a moment to absorb himself in the strange, exotic decorations in Zecora's home. Strange potions, masks, and trinkets decorated the room. Twilight had mentioned that Zecora didn't come from Equestria, but a faraway land. The place gave off a wild, yet magical vibe, but that just could've been the Everfree playing trick on his mind. Harry shook those thoughts off, pulled out the book, and placed it on Zecora's table. He sat down while Zecroa poured two cups of tea.

After Harry took a sip of the (very good) tea, he started to explain. "Spike found this book in the Everfree Forest. It turns thoughts into reality. Rarity used it and got obsessed with its magic. She's turned half of Ponyville to gold and crystal already. Spike and I separated her from the book. I was wondering if you could help me hide it with the Alicorn Amulet?" He saw Zecora looking at the book warily. "I know this thing is dangerous, I want to keep it away from prying eyes," Harry said, straight to the point.

Zecora was silent for a moment, sipping her tea. "I agree, you are making a grave request. Such magic should be hidden, I can attest. Follow."

Zecora stood up and walked out of her house, Harry following close behind. Zecora walked for a few minutes until her home was barely visible through the trees. Spotting a rocky outcroping, Zecora gave it a strong kick, moving the rock. The zebra swished her tail to dust off the ground, revealing the dirt covered a wooden plank. Harry wouldn't have noticed it if Zecora hadn't shown it. Zecora pried a section of wood from the ground, revealing a shallow cavity. Inside was a small chest, presumably holding the Alicorn Amulet. This must have been Zecora's hiding spot.

"In here, we will conceal the cursed tome. But promise to never let this be known."

Harry nodded, promising to never show where this was to another soul. He then lowered the book into the hiding spot. He and Zecora then closed the lid and covered it back up. When their task was completed, she invited Harry to retell the entire tale of how Rarity got the book over a cup of herbal tea. Harry stayed until the tea ran out, and he had to excuse himself.

"Thanks, Zecora. I wish we could talk more, but I probably need to head back to help with the damages," Harry apologized.

Zecora nodded. "I understand what concerns you have for your home, my friend. It appears Ponyville always has damage to ammend."

Harry waved goodbye, put his cloak back on, and galloped back home. Hopefully, this is one of the many dark secrets of Equestria that would remain buried. That book is something awful. I don't think it's something I'd ever use, even against Voldemort.





When Harry returned to Ponyville, he was surprised to see not one, not two, but three alicorns undoing the effects of Rarity's crazed spellcasting. Princess Cadance, Princess Luna, and Princess Twilight were removing every trace of dark magic, with understandable difficulty. Harry trotted to Twilight, who was undoing more of the golden roads.

"How's it going?" Harry asked.

Twilight was startled, but her exhaustion showed through a slow reaction time. "Oh! Harry! Yeah, I'm good."

"You don't look it," Harry noted. "Maybe leave the hard parts to Cadance and Luna? You're still getting used to being an alicorn."

"I don't know—"

"Princess Luna!" Harry shouted up to the princess, who was repairing the gazebo top-to-bottom. The Princess of the Moon looked down from above. "How're the repairs going?" Luna lowered herself to the ground. She too looked a little winded. Not as bad as Twilight, but still.

"Harry," Luna greeted. "Repairs are going well. I heard you were removing the source from Princess Twilight's assistant. Is that taken care of?"

"The book is hidden in the Everfree," Harry answered. "If you don't mind, I think Twilight's exhausted."

Luna looked at Twilight, who tried to look like her usual self.

"I think Princess Cadance and I can take it from here," said Princess Luna. "The young princess deserves some rest." Twilight met Harry's eyes. There was gratitude in her look, enhanced by her sagging posture. "However," Luna fixed her gaze on Harry, "I believe you are yet to provide recompense for your mistake."

Harry shrunk a little under her gaze. "I didn't mean for things to go wrong," Harry protested.

Luna held up a hoof. "I understand, and I know you didn't intend this. You did prevent this from getting worse. So your punishment shall be simple: you will help reverse the dark magic. As I've heard, your magical lessons have been lacking in practical defense against dark magic. Twilight can take her rest, you will finish her job, there's not much left."

"I understand, princess."

"Don't look so down," Luna said. "This is far from the worst Ponyville's had. I seem to recall an incident from a 'want it, need it' spell a while back."

Twilight chuckled nervously next to Harry. "An incident we probably don't have time to explain, right?" Twilight's voice was strained like she wanted to avoid this at all costs.

Luna smirked. "So young Harry doesn't know this tale? Well then, he must know if he is to learn. I believe we will have plenty of time to talk about it." Luna moved between Harry and Twilight, nudging Harry toward the Gazebo and away from Twilight. Twilight simply sulked next to a tree. Luna turned her eyes back to Harry. "Now, alicorn magic is more adaptable than unicorn magic, so this may be difficult." Luna's horn shone brightly as the Gazebo reverted to its non-crystal state. Harry didn't have the slightest idea where to start with that. "But, I think I have a great motivator. For every item we revert, I'll tell you more about Twilight's magical mishap. Do we have a deal, Harry?"

Despite the looming challenge, Harry smirked. The challenge wasn't fun, but the reward was promising. "Deal."

Luna lifted her hoof triumphantly. "Huzzah! We will much enjoy the friendly gossip!" Luna summoned another jewel-encrusted item. "Now, onto the magic. First, you must identify the item's true form, what it was before the change. Follow my lead—"





It felt like an eternity later, but Harry, Twilight, Luna, and Cadance reverted every last change Rarity made. That included the solid gold streets and gemstone trees. It was by far the most exhausting magical task Harry had undertaken. On the plus side, Luna shared the gossip Celestia told her about some of Twilight's... less-than-proud adventures. Bewitching the whole town by accident? Only Twilight could have done something so brilliant yet absurd. By the time everything was repaired, Harry's horn was sore (he didn't even know that could happen) and his mind was full. All four of them went back home right after.

"Ugh, my everything aches," Harry moaned.

"Mine too," Twilight agreed. "I haven't done anything like that in a long time."

"Come on, we don't want to get sick, again," said Harry. "Maybe I can make us some tea. I think we have some herbal tea leftover from when I had Tatzlwurm fever."

"I wonder how Spike's doing," muttered Twilight. "Why didn't he tell us? And why didn't you?"

"He insisted Rarity was okay," Harry replied truthfully. "He didn't want to hurt her feelings, it's only natural. But he did help get the book back from Rarity. As I said, it seemed tame at first. I thought it was a transfiguration book, I didn't notice the personality shift until later. I've spent all day correcting that. And you keep telling me there's nothing to be scared of there."

"One cup of tea and we'll call each other even. Sound fair?"

"Absolutely."





Harry opened the door to the library and entered. The library, thankfully, was untouched by Rarity's rampage. Spike sat with the journal the girls had been keeping, the one with friendship lessons. Harry walked past the dragon and went to the kitchen to start a kettle. He knew there was one here, even if the other two residents had filled the shelf with hot chocolate. He found the one he was looking for, magically heated the water, and put the tea bags in. Harry left the kitchen with two warm cups of tea, not a minute after he entered.

Twilight entered a few moments behind Harry's return from the kitchen, glaring at Spike. Twilight slammed the door behind her.

"Spike. Never, ever, ever, ever take another book out of the library at the castle without asking! Princess Cadance and Princess Luna have much better things to do than help me clean up Ponyville!" The alicorn stormed to her bed and collapsed on the plush covers. She rolled over to glare at the dragon. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to reverse that much dark magic?!"

Harry answered for Spike by saying "Not fun." Harry offered one mug to Twilight. She accepted it with a quick "thanks" and sipped the tea.

"You two don't look so good," Spike said. The two glared at him, but Spike merely shrugged. "What? I'm just being honest! It's what good friends do!" Spike chucked and exited Twilight's room. Harry and Twilight looked at each other once he left.

"Should I tell him he has community service?" Twilight asked.

Harry took a long drink from his tea. "And ruin his day? Tempting." Harry stretched out his muscles. Using magic didn't tax them, but it felt good. "Luna's a tough teacher."

"Maybe a review session would help?" Twilight said, pulling a book from under her bed. A part of Harry's mind questioned how she always had the right book on her, but the rest could not say no.

"Sure," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

Twilight gestured for Harry to sit on the bed and she laid the book between them. Twilght's words came out in a jumble, or maybe that was all Harry could interpret. In either case, both were too tired for learning to have been at the forefront of even Twilight's mind. In less than a minute after starting, Harry and Twilight had droopy eyes, and Harry wasn't sure who fell asleep first, not that he could care, he was asleep.





Spike peeked inside Twilight's room. He was doing some cleaning to make up for his blunder and remembered Harry and Twilight were enjoying some herbal tea. The curtains were still open, so he assumed Twilight hadn't gone to sleep. But instead of two studying unicorns, Spike found two slumbering ponies with a book and two empty mugs between them. Twilight did fall asleep studying, but doing it while teaching? And for both at the same time?

Spike tiptoed to the curtains and drew them shut. He carefully grabbed the mugs and left the room. The last thing he did was quietly shut the door. He'd let them sleep, they'd earned it. Plus, it was perfect teasing material.
> Chapter 17: Princess of What?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight woke up slowly that morning. She was normally quicker at getting up, but maybe her body being diagonal in bed had something to do with that. She was just so tired and the bed was so comfy. She could hear the birds chirping vigorously outside; Fluttershy must've given them that imported bird feed from Farasi. The light didn't shine through her eyelids, so Spike or Harry must've shut the blinds. Twilight stretched, pushing against her large pillow. The large, warm, moving pillow.

Twilight's eyes open, taking in the sight before her. Harry was lying belly-down, stretched over the short side of the bed. The "pillow" was one of his forelegs, placed beneath her head. What Twilight pushed against were his ribs. Twilight tensed. How did— oh right, late-night study session, she thought. Best not to wake him up.

As stealthily as she could, Twilight slipped out of and away from her bed. She crept back quietly, to not disturb Harry's sleep. When she reached the door, Twilight quickly dashed outside, closed the door, and pressed her ear against the door to listen for any sounds of Harry stirring. Hearing none, Twilight turned to get started with her day. After all, her sleeping-in undoubtedly put her behind schedule, and Twilight liked her schedule. After all, the Equestria games were in a few days, and everypony was excited to do their part. Hopefully, Sike could light the torch.

Twilight glanced back at her room. He'd more than paid for his "mishap" with the book by cleaning up. She'd let him sleep in.





Only a few days after their "incident" with the Inspiration Manifestation book, the Equestria games were right around the corner. Everypony participating was training to succeed. In all honesty, the Crystal Empire needed this. Hosting the Equestria Games always promised powerful economic and morale boosts, things the crystal ponies (a thousand years behind the times and still recovering from Sombra) needed a lot.

Due to her princess status, Twilight was expected to sit with Celestia during the opening ceremony. It was an honor, but it did lead to one tiny change in her plans for the games. She asked Harry to keep an eye on Spike while she was with Celestia. While Harry had a small number of years on Spike, the dragon looked up to the stallion more and more.

When the games started, Harry promised to keep an eye out, even if he needed to use his cloak. This led to a small... incident, during the opening ceremony. As Harry explained, Spike was too nervous to light the flame himself. Twilight was going to intervene on his behalf before the fire lit abruptly. However, it hadn't been from Spike. As Harry explained after, he had been hidden under his Invisibility Cloak and lit the flame for Spike, to save him from public embarrassment, something everypony Spike feared. When Spike met up with the group later, Harry didn't wait to expose his actions. Spike had been devastated. Spike didn't cry often, and this was one of those moments.

Twilight tried her best to console him, but his self-confidence remained shaken as he tried to prove himself through ridiculous means (including a musical number in front of thousands). Needless to say, it didn't help, and Spike wore a trenchcoat when she forced him to get out. Then came the ice arrow incident. Some unlucky pony shot their freezing arrow into a cloud, nearly crushing the crowd. It was only Spike's quick thinking and fire that stopped the ice. (Twilight suspected Celestia had some plan B, but she wasn't going to tell Spike that.) After that incident, and magical security was relaxed, the games continued as normal. Many events won, some lost, but the games were an event to remember. Spike and Harry repaired their friendship, and everypony went home happy.

Now, if only she didn't have to come back to welcome dignitaries from Maretonia in less than a month.





Twilight was more than a little nervous today. Celestia had summoned her to the Crystal Empire to be a part of welcoming dignitaries from Maretonia. It wasn't Twilight's first official outing as a princess, but it was significant. She was glad her friends decided to visit the empire to provide moral support, she would need it. By the time all eight reached the empire, Twilight was feeling better about the visit.

Spike excitedly walked around the empire, it was quickly becoming his second favorite location. "Seems like only yesterday I was saving this place from being totally destroyed. Hey, you guys remember that?" he asked, oblivious to the giant crystal statue of him.

"You only mentioned it about fifteen times on the train here," Rainbow Dash replied.

"Yes, and we never hear a peep out of you about your exploits," Rarity quipped

Rainbow Dash blushed bashfully, rubbing her head. "Heh, point taken."

"I'm glad you all wanted to come, but I don't think it's gonna be that exciting. I pretty much just have to smile and wave as the dignitaries arrive," Twilight said.

"Yes, but you get to smile and wave like a princess," Rarity said.

"I think that's her problem, Rarity," Harry said.

"How exactly is that different than smiling and waving like not a princess?" Applejack asked.

Twilight sighed dejectedly. Harry and Applejack were right. "It isn't."

"What's wrong, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.

Pinkie Pie teasingly stretched Twilight's face out. "Why the looooooooong face?" she giggled.

Pinkie's antics failed to cheer Twilight up. "I've just been feeling a little unsure about things lately. It doesn't seem that my new role as a princess equates to all that much," Twilight confessed.

"That's just silly. You've got a real important role in Equestria," Applejack said.

Harry walked up to Twilight. "A mare of your talents and position wouldn't be here for nothing. I'm certain Princess Celestia knows that."

"I guess you're right," Twilight admitted.

"Of course we are," Rarity said. "Now hurry along! You don't want to risk having that important role diminished because you were tardy for your regal meet-and-greet."





Twilight looked over the balcony of the Crystal Palace as the four dignitaries from Maretonia arrived. A guard (what was his name?) announced the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Maretonia as the trumpeters blew their horns. Just as the Duke and Duchess walked up to greet the other Princesses, Twilight played her part in the ceremony. She walked to the edge of the palace's balcony, igniting her magic.

And unfurled a banner.

Twilight waved awkwardly as she watched the dignitaries and the Princesses walk inside the castle. Truthfully, Twilight felt a little discouraged. She hadn't chosen to become an alicorn or a princess, but she felt like there was something... missing. Like she could be doing more with her role than smiling and waving.

"That was it? Princess Celestia had you come all the way to the Crystal Empire just to do that?" Spike said incredulously.

"Mate, not cool," Harry scolded, pointing at Twilight's crestfallen expression.

"I mean, whoa, really regal and important!" Spike over-corrected himself.

Applejack lightly swatted the dragon.

"You are a princess," Harry reminded Twilight. "You're practically a politician."

Twilight laughed awkwardly. Her, a politician? Twilight looked back over the castle courtyard. This was the biggest letdown in her career (did this count as a career?) as a princess. Even the Rainbow Falls Traders Exchange felt more regal. Anypony in the guard could fulfill the same task.

"Well, now that my important job is done, you don't have much reason to stay," Twilight said.

"We're sorry this didn't turn out how you expected," Fluttershy said.

"I'm sure Princess Celestia will come to realize your royal potential, eventually," Rarity remarked.

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up girls," Twilight paused for a moment, "and Harry."





Harry felt awful as he and the others returned to Ponyville. Twilight was unsure about her place in the world, and there was nothing he could do to fix it. Scratch that, there was little Harry seemed to do about anything, like his time in Equestria was building up to... something. He went to bed that night wishing he could do more to help his friends, something that seemed more common these days.

The next day, Harry, Spike, and the others waited by the train station for Twilight to return from the Crystal Empire. When the train finally arrived, they eagerly rushed to greet Twilight.

"How did the meeting go?" Rarity asked with zeal.

Twilght shrugged a looked away. Something was bothering her.

"The meeting went fine, but..." Twilight bit her lip, and Harry felt his heart sink. Something definitely went wrong at the empire. "I think Equestria's in danger again," Twilight said.

"Great, what's it this time?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"One month. Can I go one month without danger?" Harry grumbled.

"What's happening, dearie?" Rarity asked.

"Celestia had a vision last night," Twilight said. "A centaur named Tirek escaped Tartarus. Tirek has the power to steal magic, and now he's running loose again, getting more powerful as he goes."

"I swear I've heard that name before," Harry muttered.

Twilight nodded and summarized Celestia's words about the centaur. "Thousands of years ago, Tirek and his brother, Scorpan, came to steal Equestria's magic. Thankfully, Scorpan betrayed his brother after making friends with ponies. He warned Celestia and Luna, who banished Tirek to eternity in Tartarus for his crimes. Tirek has escaped and regained the strength to steal magic. He poses a threat to Equestria, one Celestia has already acted upon. However, she decided to use an... unorthodox solution. She's sending Discord."

"Discord!?" Everypony shouted in shock.

"...As in Discord Discord?" Applejack asked.

"Yes!" Twilight exclaimed

Fluttershy shook her head. "I don't think it's that big of a surprise. He can be very helpful."

Harry fake-coughed loudly. "He gave me Blue Flu and Tatzlwurm Fever in less than twelve hours," he deadpanned. "If that's 'helpful', I'd hate to see what defines a nuisance." Twilight nodded in agreement. That was rude, though Harry would be lying if he said Twilight's care while he was sick wasn't a good change of pace. It felt... nice.

"He can sense when there's a magical imbalance," Twilight admitted. "The next time Tirek steals magic, Discord will be able to track him down."

"So what are you supposed to do in the meantime?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight sighed. "Nothing. Unless of course one of you needs me to smile and wave," she said, mimicking the motions she had wasted her day on. Twilight turned to walk away from the group. Harry moved to walk beside her.

"Twilight, where are you going?" he asked.

"To the Castle of the Two Sisters. I'm not really needed anywhere else. Might as well catch up on some of my reading."

Rainbow decided to break the awkward tension. "You want some company?"

When Twilight didn't object, everypony followed Twilight as she walked to the Everfree Forest.

"It has been a while since we visited the castle. Might be fun!" Applejack said cheerily, trying to lift everypony's spirits.

Twilight smiled. "Maybe I could use a little company right now."





The group walked through the Everfree Forest, briefly making a stop at the cliff overlooking the Tree of Harmony. Twilight looked down, remembering how they had given the Elements up to save the tree. It felt odd, knowing that the Elements had brought them together, and now they were gone.

"I still can't believe we had to give back the Elements," Rainbow commented.

"It had to be done or the Tree of Harmony wouldn't have survived," Rarity countered

Fluttershy nodded. "But Twilight was right. Even without the Elements, our friendship is as strong as ever."

"I just hope another 'friend' of ours never makes us sorry we had to give them up," Applejack said.

"Oh, you're talking about me, I presume?" Discord's voice said.

Everypony looked up to see Discord floating down to them, wearing a hat and holding a suitcase and umbrella. Twilight saw Harry's jaw drop.

"Is that bloody Mary Poppins? How in Tartarus do you even know about that?" he demanded.

Discord laughed. "You should know a thing or two about magicians and their secrets," Discord said as the items vanished. His ears were on fire. "Besides, my ears were burning. Somepony was talking about me." Discord splashed water on his face, dousing his ears.

Rainbow Dash got in Discord's face. "What are you even doing here, Discord?"

Discord pulled out Twilight's friendship journal, flipping through a few pages. "Oh, just a bit of light reading before I head off on my extremely important mission. I suppose you all know that I've been tasked to capture a certain escapee," he said, pulling out a pipe full of... bubbles?

"Big deal," Spike scoffed.

"You're right, Spike. It is a big deal."

Discord's pipe trapped Spike in a large bubble, sending the poor dragon up in the air. Thankfully, Rainbow Dash grabbed him before he could fall.

"Seems I possess a magic that gives me quite an important role in Equestria. Maybe they should make me an alicorn princess." A pair of pink wings, a pink horn, and a massive crown appeared on Discord, as he blew large kisses to the air. He must have heard about the dignitaries from Maretonia.

Rainbow Dash knocked the crown off of Discord's head. "In your dreams!"

Discord frowned. He pushed down on his fake horn and his original horn and antler reappeared. "Oh, I never dream of such things. Ask Princess Luna."

Twilight frowned. Discord was just staling at this point, wasting everypony's time.

"Don't you have a creepy magic-stealing villain to track down?" Applejack asked, clearly thinking the same thing as Twilight.

"Yes, yes, yes, of course." Discord grabbed everypony and teleported them to the Tree of Harmony. "It's just that I couldn't help but notice that Twilight hasn't yet opened this little chest of hers."

Everypony looked at Twilight with a mix of pity and curiosity. Twilight shrugged. There was nothing she had been able to learn about this thing. Nothing in any book she had read before mentioned anything about such a chest.

Discord continued to talk from the chest. "I-I-It got me thinking, what if what's locked inside is something that could help her prove her royal worth? I only bring it up because she said that she's been feeling like her role as a princess doesn't equate to much," Discord said, pulling Twilight's face into a pout.

Twilight merely stared back, not going to add fuel to the flame by lying or agreeing.

"Wait a minute! How do you know how she was feeling?!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed with an accusatory tone.

"Oh, my. Is eavesdropping, not the way you're supposed to find out what your best pals are up to? Woe is me. Will I ever learn the intricate nuances of being a good friend?" Discord said with mock sadness, hanging from the tree melodramatically before smiling whimsically.

"You tell me, patient zero," Harry said, looking as skeptical as everypony else.

Nopony was believing a word Discord said, except maybe Fluttershy. Twilight knew Discord was just being dramatic and she knew he knew it.

Discord coughed awkwardly. "You're never going to let me live that down, Harry. Well in any case, I suppose now is as good a time as any for me to make my exit." Discord hopped on some vehicle that spewed out bubbles, then vanished.

"And good riddance!" Applejack shouted.

Discord reappeared behind them, smiling and holding the journal.

Discord leaned over and showed off the book. "Oopsie-doopsie, I almost left with the little journal you've all been keeping. What a fascinating read. Haven't you girls just learned so much? I've bookmarked a few of the more interesting passages. You really should take a look!" He said, balancing the book on Twilight's horn.

Twilight tried to keep the book's delicate balance before she grabbed it. Doesn't Discord understand how important this is to us? No, he probably knows how much it means, and is messing with it because of it.

Discord leaned over the Fluttershy, whispering something to her.

"I wouldn't miss it," Fluttershy responded.

Discord smiled and waved as he walked to a doorknob that appeared out of thin air. "Well, I'll bring the cucumber sandwiches!" He said as he vanished through a door that vanished as soon as it closed.

"Sometimes I think the 'reformed' Discord is more obnoxious than the 'before-he-was-reformed' Discord," Applejack said.

"Indeed," Rarity agreed.

"But he could be right, couldn't he? What if there is something important in that chest?" Fluttershy spoke in defense of her friend.

Twilight rubbed her chin, and an idea came to mind. "There's only one way to find out. The castle library."





Harry was not a bookworm. He had learned this the hard way in his first year at Hogwarts when he was looking for the stone. But, hey, if Rainbow Dash was going to read a book, Harry wouldn't object to helping Twilight. Harry had elected to read through the passages Discord had highlighted in the journal. Call it a safe bet, but Discord always seemed to know plenty more than he let on. Harry flipped through the five bookmarked sections. Each one had something in common, he just knew it. Each entry was written by one of the ponies who held the Elements, except Twilight. There had to be some connection there.

Let's see. Applejack had to be honest, Rainbow Dash chose her friends over winning, and everypony else dealt with something about their Element. Perhaps Discord's trying to give us a clue to unlocking this thing. That's... nice?

"Anything?" Twilight asked, flipping through another book. Various "no"s rang out from the other six.

Harry stood from his seat.

"I think I found something," Harry said. He levitated the book up with his turquoise magic, depositing it in front of Twilight. Everypony gathered around Harry as he flipped between the bookmarked sections. "Each one of these sections is about you being true to your Elements. Applejack and the tonic, Fluttershy and the breezies, Pinkie Pie and the party, Rainbow Dash and the Equestria Games, Rarity and the fashion show, every entry here is about embracing the Element you represent. And when you did that, you helped somepony else who gave you an object. Point is, these are too similar to be mere chance." Harry pushed the book over so Twilight could read it.

Twilight flipped through the pages rapidly. "Harry's right! There is a connection. It sounds crazy, but maybe there's something special about those objects that could lead us to the keys. The chest is connected to the Tree of Harmony, the Tree is connected to the Elements, and the Elements are connected to all of us. That must be the connection! It sounds weird, but maybe Discord was trying to be a good friend after all," she said with a smile on her face.

Harry felt a swell of pride that he had contributed something to this adventure.

"Then we'll all go get them, and book it over to the Tree!" Rainbow Dash declared.

"Let's go unlock that chest!" Pinkie Pie declared.





"So, how do we unlock a chest with a rubber chicken, a thread, a pin, a flower, and a bit?" Applejack asked, looking down at the five items.

Twilight felt the same way. Applejack was right. These items were completely mundane, with nothing inherently magical about them. "I don't see anything on them that would give us a clue as to where the keys might be. They're just... ordinary, everyday objects," Twilight noted.

Pinkie Pie picked up the rubber chicken. "Come on, Boneless! Give us that key!" She shook the toy like it owed her bits.

"I don't think that's going to work," Twilight commented. She ducked as Pinkie Pie threw the chicken as hard as she could.

The chicken hit the chest and then was suspended in a magical bubble. Twilight looked intensely in surprise as the chicken twisted and shifted in a wavy with a handle that looked like three balloons. key. And that key fit itself nicely into one of the keyholes. Twilight looked at the other objects. These items don't lead to the keys, they are the keys!

"I think that is going to work," Harry smirked. "Put the keys in."

The other four placed their items on the chest and stepped back. The chest levitated the items and reshaped them into different keys that resembled each Element. One after the other, each new key was inserted into a keyhole until one remained. It was this keyhole Twilight looked at with growing apprehension. Of course, the sixth is missing. Why is the sixth always missing?

"There's still one key missing: the key that represents the Element of Magic, my Element," Twilight said with disappointment. Everypony else had done exactly what they needed to, except her.

"Oh, but I'm sure that if we've gotten our keys, you have too, Twilight," Fluttershy reassured.

Rarity walked up to Twilight, looking her in the eyes. "Think, Twilight. When have you completed a difficult magical task, and in doing so encouraged another pony to do the same?"

Everypony looked between Twilight and Harry.

"What? Why are you all looking at me like that?" Harry asked.

"Well, you are the closest thing Twi has to an apprentice," Rainbow Dash said.

"She does teach you an awful lot of magic," Applejack agreed.

"Twilight does teach Sweetie Belle from time to time, but not like she teaches Harry. He's practically your protégé!" Rarity commented to Twilight.

Harry shook his head in disagreement.

"Twilight teaches me magic all the time, but I'm not sure if any of it counts as a task," he countered.

"What about the... you know," Spike spoke reluctantly, "the book thing?"

"I don't think so," Twilight said.

"That wasn't a task for Twilight," Harry said, shaking his head. "You all learned an important lesson about your Elements and passed it along. But Twilight and I haven't encountered anything like that, not by a long shot. She's taught me plenty. Spells, magical theory, and manipulating pre-existing spells; she knows everything she teaches like the back of her hoof. Nothing has challenged Twilight, she's too good at magic to be challenged by that."

"Besides," Twilight blushed at the praise, "if something had been a challenge, I would have written about it in the journal."

"Unless it was quite personal," Rarity said in a sing-song voice.

Twilight blushed again. Rarity had fallen back on her habit of teasing them.

Spike placed a claw on Twilight's shoulder. "Don't worry, Twilight. I'm sure you'll get your key eventually."

No sooner than Spike spoke, the dragon covered his mouth like he was going to puke. But what came out was a whisp of green fire that manifested into a scroll from Celestia. Twilight grabbed the note and opened it hastily. What if this was important?! The note was brief, and in the worst hoofwriting Twilight had seen from Celestia. Which said a lot, her writings were always in the same pristine language.

Twilight Sparkle, you are needed in Canterlot, at once. Please, hurry.

"What's in the letter?" Harry asked,

"That I'm needed in Canterlot at once!" Twilight exclaimed.

"What? Why?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Who cares, just go!" Harry said. "There's a centaur on the loose, get moving!"

Twilight waited for not a second more, flying away as fast as she could. Hopefully, Celestia had some good news.
> Chapter 18: New magic, new troubles
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry watched his friend fly out over the horizon. He couldn't shake the feeling that this would go downhill. From the sounds of things, Equestria hadn't faced a threat like Tirek since Discord. The latter required the Elements of Harmony, but those were in the Tree of Harmony so they were as good as dead weight. And Twilight, as a princess, would be front and center for whatever came next. Harry hoped against hope Twilight would be safe if things went south.

"I guess we'll have to shelve solving this mystery until she gets back," Rarity said.

"Right when we were getting to the good part, too," Pinkie Pie exclaimed with faux frustration. She bucked the chest as hard as she could. "Do we have to wait?"

"Some surprises are best waited for," Rarity answered.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Pinkie Pie pouted.

Harry shook his head. These girls made their friendships into something extraordinary, didn't they? "I'm heading back to Ponyville. I have a few things to check, and I'll bet Twilgiht's visit will be an all-day thing."

"Yeah, no point sticking around here," Rainbow Dash said. "Welp, see ya later!" Rainbow flew out of the cave like the Wonderbolts were waiting for her, vanishing before anypony could blink.

"In the meantime, we should keep an eye out for trouble. Tirek could be anywhere," Applejack said.

The seven walked out of the cave, filled with intrigue and anxiousness.





A fact known to few was that Harry didn't rise with the sun for nearly eleven years. Back when he lived in a cupboard Harry used to be woken by his aunt or uncle expressly to make breakfast. Considering he wasn't "allowed" out without either of those two, Harry used to do nothing but wait. But never had Harry awoken before the sun rose. So of course Harry was very confused when he woke up to the moon still high in the sky. Harry checked his clock (not the one from Discord) to see it should be mid-day in an hour or so.

Harry walked over to Spike and poked the little dragon until he awoke. He waited for the little dragon to rub the sleep out of his eyes before speaking.

"Spike, does Celestia ever forget to raise the sun?" Harry asked.

"Not usually," Spike yawned. "Why are you asking, and why are the lights out?"

"Because the sun isn't up and it should be noon in, like, two hours," Harry pressed.

"Maybe Celestia is sleeping in for once," Spike groaned groggily.

"For once? Spike, there's a magic-stealing centaur out there! And who uses their magic to raise the sun?"

Realization dawned on the little dragon's face. He was getting what Harry meant. Why would Celestia miss the sunrise? The last times it had been like this were with Discord, Plunder seeds, and Nightmare Moon. Celestia was also with the other three princesses, the most magical beings on the planet. If Tirek was there, they basically hoof-delivered him a buffet!

Harry's train of thought was interrupted as the door to the library was thrown open. Twilight walked in, trying to look as stealthy as possible. She stood tall as soon as she noticed Harry and Spike were awake.

"Oh, hi you two," Twilight said with a smile.

"Don't 'oh, hi' me, why is the sun not up!?" Harry said.

"The sun's not up?" Twilight inquired. She jumped, as though startled. Lightning danced on her horn. "The sun's not up!"

"Yes, we just said that," Spike said.

"Did something happen to Celestia?" Harry asked.

"Nope! Everything's fine!" Twilight responded, far quicker and louder than necessary. "I'm sure the sun will be raised soon. Why don't you two go get ready for the day, I've got to, uh, do something," Twilight stammered as she vanished up to her bedroom.

Harry turned to face Spike. "That was weird, even for her."

"I'm sure she's just tired, long night and whatnot," Spike looked outside. "Hey, Twilight was right, the sun is up!"

Harry looked outside to see sunlight streaming in through the windows. Odd. Something strange is going on here. Harry looked back for Twilight; she was walking to the front door, muttering to herself about magic. She grasped the door handle in her magic when her horn started to let off a blinding amount of light. The glow increased as Twilight's magic built up more and more.

"Hit the deck!" Spike shouted.

Harry raised a shield as the front door was blasted into charred splinters. Twilight looked downright appalled. Harry was equally surprised; he'd never seen Twilight lose control of her magic like this.

"I have to gain better control. I sure can't practice here," Twilight muttered as she walked away.

Harry and Spike shared a concerned glance as they chased after her.

"Uh, Twilight, where are we going?" Spike asks.

Twilight glanced around nervously. "Oh, uh, hi, Spike, Harry. Uh, gotta go... somewhere... else."

The alicorn braced her hooves, raised her wings, and shot up with a thunderous crack! of air as she launched herself. A sparkly purple trail followed her as she vanished into the sky. Harry skidded to a stop in shock. Twilight was never that fast. He'd practiced the wings spell with Twilight and flown with her and Rainbow Dash enough to know Twilight couldn't fly that fast. He watched as Twilight careened across the skies above Ponyville, vaguely heading towards the Everfree Forest. Shouting at Spike to get on, Harry grabbed the dragon and placed him on his back, galloping after Twilight as fast as possible. Along the way, he galloped past the others, who were also chasing after the wayward princess. Eventually, Twilight crashed into the ground with far more force than necessary, leaving a crater as she skidded to a stop. She was miraculously unharmed and still standing when all was said and done. Harry and the rest crowded around their friend as she shook off her hooves.

Fluttershy was the first to speak. "Oh, my goodness, are you all right?"

"Jumping junebugs, Twilight! When did you learn to fly that fast?" Applejack asked.

Twilight smiled sheepishly. She briefly convulsed like she had been hit with the worst static shock imaginable. "I must have caught a particularly strong breeze..." Twilight vanished in a flash of magic, teleporting behind Rarity. "...or something."

"Must have been 'or something', because there wasn't any breeze up there," Rainbow Dash said skeptically. Harry had to agree, Twilight's newfound speed didn't make sense. Even if her talent with magic extended to her wings, she was magnitudes faster than last week.

"I don't know what happened, but I don't really have time to figure it out right now," Twilight said. Her horn sparked with rogue magic again.

"Another visit to the Castle of the Two Sisters, I presume? We'd be more than happy to accompany you!" Rarity said with a smile.

"Not today!" Twilight responded. Her horn sparked once again. "Tirek may still be a threat. I need you all to stay here and encourage everypony to remain inside." Twilight braced against the ground to fly, but then looked at her wings awkwardly before continuing on hoof.

Harry looked at Twilight's retreating form. Nothing was adding up to Harry, and it scared him. Twilight was hiding something. She rarely hid anything from her friends. Twilight was showing strange magical surges, something a unicorn her age should have outgrown by now. She was also flying so fast she was leaving a color trail in her wake, something only seen in the fastest pegasi. Additionally, she was stronger than normal, having left a crater on take-off and landing in a second crater. The sun only rose when she realized it should've been done hours ago. And all of these new developments happened after a visit with the other princesses. This was beyond strange.

"Is anypony else seeing the red flags?" Harry asked as soon as Twilight was out of earshot. He pointed to Twilight, who had just entered the Everfree Forest. "Twilght's hiding something from us."

"I agree, but what can we do about it? If Twilight's dealing with something, she might need to do it alone," Applejack said. She turned away from the forest, facing the town. "In the meantime, we need to keep everypony indoors and hidden."

"Yes, Twilight is right, Tirek is still out there," Rarity said.

"That being said, I don't like leaving Twilight alone while a threat is still out and about," Rainbow Dash argued.

Harry pondered a bit. Twilight being alone was a terrible decision. She was clearly in the wrong mind state to deal with anything.

"Then I'll follow her and ask one more time what's bothering her. If she really doesn't want to talk, I'll come back," Harry decided.

He cast a quick summoning spell for his Invisibility Cloak, wand, and amulet; he had never removed his bracelet. He wasn't going to leave these things out of his sight if he could help it, not with someone as dangerous as Tirek around. Mind made up, Harry turned and galloped to catch up to Twilight. He treaded through the forest toward the castle, hoping to find Twilight along the way. All he had to do was follow the sounds of volatile explosions and other magic.

Eventually, Harry did find her, spotting her standing in a clearing about halfway between Ponyville and the castle. She looked... Harry couldn't place his hoof on it, somewhere between stressed and anxious. Harry slowed his approach when he heard her muttering to herself about "control" and "alicorn magic". Magic was sparking from her horn at random and various rocks and branches were flying about aimlessly. Harry knew she should've had better control with levitation.

"Twilight?" Harry whispered by accident.





Twilight startled, jumping away from the voice. The rocks and twigs nearby dropped to the ground. When she realized just who had spoken her name and snuck up on her, she turned her head away in embarrassment. She hadn't realized Harry had followed her. Wait, why is he following me? I said she wanted to be alone.

"Oh, hey. What are you doing here?" she asked. Her horn sputtered again and Twilight uncontrollably teleported to the other side of the clearing.

"I'm checking on my friend," Harry replied. He walked across the clearing to stand in front of Twilight. "You've been acting all weird today. Twilight, is something going on?" Harry pressed her for an answer. "You know you can tell me anything."

Twilight ducked her head to avoid Harry's eyes. He was right. Celestia, Luna, and Cadance had transferred their magic to her as a failsafe against Tirek. Celestia had insisted Twilight tell none of her friends about the new magic overflowing within her. She had a responsibility to keep her word to the princesses. But Twilight wasn't sure if she could lie to Harry to his face. She had enough conflict in herself, not telling Harry about Celestia's vision.

Harry moved so they were practically shoulder-to-shoulder.

"Twilight, I care about you, and you know that. I'm asking because I'm concerned, as are our friends. I need to know if you're okay. You're brilliant with magic, but I've never seen you struggle to control it like this before. What's going on?"

Twilight sighed in defeat. Why was she keeping this secret anyway? She could trust Harry. After all, if she couldn't trust him, then who? Twilight sat on the ground, Harry mimicking her. Her horn send another shock down her body, a little less painfully this time. She had to start getting this under control.

"Alright, I guess you deserve the truth," Twilight finally spoke. "When I went to Canterlot, all of the princesses were there. Celestia thinks Discord's betrayed us. She also told me Tirek's growing strong enough to take flight from pegasus and the strength of earth ponies. Princess Celestia thinks he will go after their alicorn magic next. He'd be unstoppable if that happened. So, as a last resort, they got rid of their magic."

Harry's jaw dropped. "Got rid of their magic? But if their magic is gone, why do you still have..." Harry trailed off mid-sentence, coming to terms with the truth. "Wait, you don't mean—"

"Alicorn magic can't disappear, but it can be moved. To keep Tirek's hands away from their magic, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance poured their magic into somepony else: me. They all believe I can control it. Celestia didn't want me to tell any pony else."

Harry looked at Twilight in shock.

Twilght's shoulders sagged as she said, "I know what you're probably going to say—"

It was Twilight's turn to be surprised when Harry spoke. "That's incredibly brave," Harry said. Harry wrapped a foreleg around Twilight, pulling her into a gentle embrace. Twilight subconsciously sunk into Harry's shoulder. "Taking on all that magic, it's quite the responsibility. It can't be easy, holding the power of four alicorns, but Celestia couldn't have chosen a better princess than you."

Twilight turned away to hide the creeping blush on her face. "You're just saying that."

"And I've always believed every word, every time. If anypony can control this magic, it's you. You're born for these things!" Harry exclaimed, smiling.

Twilight's face went crimson at the compliment.

"Thanks. I needed to hear that."

A full-body shudder rippled from the tip of her horn to the end of her tail, quite different from her magical surges. A similar reaction overtook Harry. His bracelet glowed turquoise and a misty wisp of magic stretched out to Twilight. The tendril wrapped around her hoof, shifting from turquoise to raspberry-magenta as it encircled her limb. The tendril snapped in two, leaving the coil on Twilight. The mist congealed and condensed into another bracelet, though different from Harry's. Rather than a single solid band, this one was more like a homemade friendship bracelet. A large charm with both ends tied on made up the "face" of the bracelet. The charm was an oblong shape, with Twilght's cutie mark displayed on the face.

Shocked, Twilight and Harry looked at the new bracelet, then at each other, and then at Harry's bracelet. The single turquoise star was now joined by a raspberry-magenta six-pointed star, like Twilght's cutie mark. Harry held his bracelet toward Twilight's, and Twilight could swear the two shimmered in response.

"I didn't know it could do that," was all Twilight could say. Questions buzzed about her head. Why did the bracelet do that? Does it have something to do with my key? If so, why give Harry one? Can it do this more than once?

"Let me guess, this isn't normal?" Harry asked rhetorically. "Do you think this has something to do with Tirek?" he asked.

Twilight inspected her bracelet. Like Harry's, it felt magical, but not in an active way. It had magic, and that was it; no spells or effects.

"I can't sense anything."

"Can we afford to ignore this?" Harry asked, lifting his bracelet. "You got four alicorns worth of magic in you."

"I hope so. I can barely handle this much magic." A bracelet connected to the Tree of Harmony was hers, and she hadn't mastered her magic yet!

"Do you want me to go back to Ponyville," Harry stood up, "so you can practice? Maybe these bracelets can wait."

"Yes, that might be best," Twilight said. In truth she wanted nothing more than for Harry to be here, it made her feel better about controlling her magic. However, Twilight knew Harry would be safer away from her magic.

"Alright, if that's what you need, I'll go back and wait for you," Harry said. "I'll keep an eye out for our friends in the meantime, I promise." He stretched before leaving, flexing the muscles her brother's training was bestowing him. Twilight idly noted he looked healthier than when he first arrived in Equestria. If she could control this magic, she could stop Tirek now, and save everypony from suffering, including him.





Harry trotted out of the forest, feeling better. Twilight had a lot on her shoulders now, that was to say nothing about the bracelets. Harry archived those thoughts for later as he entered Ponyville. Speaking of, the town looked completely deserted, devoid of its charm. Harry glanced down the streets, seeing the other six were gathered up near the town square.

Rainbow Dash spoke first. "So? Did ya find Twilight?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, I found her. She's having trouble controlling her new alicorn magic; she needs time to control it."

"Thank Celestia for small blessings," Rarity sighed.

"How's everything going in town?" Harry asked.

"Calm before the storm. We've warned everypony to stay inside," Applejack said.

"I'm sure Discord will catch Tirek and this will all be over soon," Fluttershy said.

Harry bit his lip and cringed. "Yeah, about that... Celestia thinks Discord's... not helping us," he said, dropping the metaphorical bomb on Fluttershy's world.

"WHAT!?" Everypony screeched.

There was a bright flash of light as Discord teleported right behind Harry.

"Well, it took long enough," Discord said.

"You're back!" Fluttershy shouted as she hugged Discord. "Did you bring the cucumber sandwiches?"

Harry looked at Discord distrustfully. He inspected the draconequus up and down. Nothing was out of the ordinary, as far as the word "ordinary" could apply, but there was an odd golden amulet hanging from a string around Discord's neck. Where did he get that? Harry wondered.

Discord held up a plate of cucumber sandwiches. "I did!" He dropped the plate and his voice lost its cheerful demeanor. "I imagine they'll be your last decent meal for quite some time."

A bright flash blinded the seven, who found themselves trapped in a large metal cage. Harry swiftly donned the Invisibility Cloak while the others shouted their confusion, surprise, and outrage at Discord. Harry made the split-second decision to teleport out of the cage. Apparently, Discord didn't teleport-proof his prison. An arrogant oversight, but expected from someone as powerful as Discord. Harry backed away, noticing a large shadow's approach. A massive red centaur stomped up to Harry's trapped friends, smiling sadistically all the while. Tirek.

"Ta-da!" Discord said proudly.

"You've gathered up all of them?" Tirek demanded.

"And her little dragon, too," Discord said, pointing at Spike. The dragon snapped his teeth at Discord.

Fluttershy sobbed, clinging to Applejack as tears flooded her eyes. "Why are you doing this? I thought we were friends!" she cried.

Discord shrugged. "Oh, we were. But Tirek offered me so much more than just tea parties. Surely you saw this coming."

"I didn't. I really didn't," Fluttershy sobbed into Appleajck harder.

Harry felt a well of anger rise at Discord. Sure, the guy was a jerk and a prankster, but Harry didn't expect this to happen. They had trusted him with Equestria's protections, and he double-crossed them! If it weren't for the fact Harry knew he couldn't hold a candle to Discord, he'd blast him right now! I've got to get Twilight, she's the only one who can help! Harry thought. He turned to sneak to the Everfree, occasionally looking back.

Tirek grabbed the cage and opened his mouth to devour their magic, energy crackling around him ominously.

"Wait, hold on a second!" Discord shouted.

Tirek dropped Harry's friends, scowling. "What is it now!?"

"One of them's missing. There's one less of them than before," Discord said. He counted up to six on his four-fingered claw, which was now seven-fingered. "Where's the boy?"

Harry gritted his teeth in anger. Discord ratted him out! He had to get out of here! Harry galloped away as fast as he could.

"You there, trying to hide from me?" Tirek chuckled.

Harry tried to continue his gallop into the forest but abruptly found himself unable to move. He couldn't budge a muscle! Harry was lifted into the air, his cloak falling off him as he was dragged to face Tirek.

The centaur chuckled. "Trying to escape with invisibility? Nice try, but I've seen a thing or two in my days. I know plenty about using underhanded tactics." Tirek turned to Discord. "You said this pony is one of her friends?

"Everypony knows she'd do anything for him, even if it cost her her magic," Discord said cheekily. "Well, she'd do it for any of them, but the more, the merrier."

Tirek smiled. "I will enjoy ridding her of every last drop of magic she possesses."

Anger engulfed Harry. "Don't touch her!"

A blast of turquoise fire poured over Tirek's face. The flames continued and sputtered out, revealing no damage done. Harry released a second attack, but Tirek devoured the spell. Harry's attacks had done less than nothing to him.

"That tasted different," Tirek said with a prying look. "Your magic isn't like theirs. A rare delicacy."

Tirek opened his mouth, and the turquoise magic swirling around Harry's horn was sucked into Tirek's mouth as red flame. Strength fled Harry's body. He strained to move, but it was futile as his magic disappeared.

Tirek dropped Harry to the ground like a sack of bricks. Harry shivered, vulnerable and weak. Harry could barely move, much less stand, and consciousness started to elude him. A deep feeling of biting cold grew in Harry's chest. The last thing he saw before darkness took him was his friends, huddled in a cage, terrified for their lives.

I'm sorry, I couldn't help you.





The trapped ponies and dragon watched in terror as they watched Tirek devour their friend's magic. They backed away as far as the cage would allow when Tirek approached. Tirek's sadistic smile increased as he opened his maw to suck the magic away from the defenseless creatures. Red wisps of magic came out of them, and the five girls could feel their energy leaving their bodies. Further horror set in when their cutie marks faded away as Tirek took the last of their magic. Tirek chuckled as he grew larger, his hair and horns lengthening. The cuffs on his arms shattered, unable to contain his arms as they bulged from the power coursing within him. Tirek laughed, dropping the caged ponies on the ground, their purpose to him served.

"Crucio!"

Tirek staggered in a brief moment of agony. He twitched on the ground briefly before shaking off whatever affected him. Tirek stood up to cast his eyes on whoever attacked him.

It was Harry. The same unicorn Tirek had drained of magic stood tall, excreting arrogance. But now he was... different. His amulet hung open, allowing a black smog to escape and engulf his horn. His eyes glowed an ominous crimson instead of emerald and turquoise. Twilight's friends shivered. Despite a matching body, this unicorn was nothing like their friend.

"How!? I took all of your magic!" Tirek shouted.

Not-Harry chuckled evilly. His mouth opened, and though the body spoke with Harry's voice, there was an unnatural ice-cold undertone to it.

"You took all of Harry Potter's magic. I am Lord Voldemort, and I bow to no one."
> Chapter 19: Twilight's Kingdom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Voldemort and Tirek stared each other down menacingly. A towering red centaur and a unicorn; they couldn't have been more different in appearance, yet similar in malice.

Eventually, Tirek spoke, "What are you, some spirit?"

Harry's voice responded with a cackle, saying, "I am one who conquered death, loathsome half-breed."

Tirek scowled. "Worthless blustering." Tirek opened his mouth to consume Voldemort's magic.

"Legilimens!" Voldemort shouted.

Tirek froze stiff. He and Voldemort ceased moving for a few seconds before Tirek grasped his head and shook it. His glare at Voldemort was fierce enough to melt metal.

Voldemort laughed and opened his mouth. To everypony's surprise, wisps of red magic were pulled from the caged ponies and even Tirek himself. The magic was brought to Voldemort, orbiting around him like a black smoke. It became clear exactly what happened: Voldemort copied and stole a piece of Tirek's magic.

"Enough!" Tirek shouted. He swiped a hand through the magic being pulled from him, severing it and returning most of it to him. Not much must have been lost because he shrunk only an inch or so, but that was inconsequential to the unmatched wrath etched on Tirek's face. "Mind magic... You dare to steal from me!? I spent years learning that magic, mastering it!"

"I dare to take whatever I desire!" Voldemort declared.

Voldemort pulled an item out from beneath Harry's cloak with his hoof: Harry's wand. He waved the wand about in the air as his magic poured through the wand instead of his horn. Harry's body warped and shifted unnaturally. His legs' cannons shrunk as the rest of the limb grew. His hooves faded as smaller appendages bulged out from the ends. His coat, mane, and tail grew in reverse until they vanished completely; the skin beneath was a sickly bone white. The horn atop his head, a symbol of pride for any unicorn, retracted and faded.

The girls in the cage gagged at the grotesque morphing of Harry's body. The changes and transformation continued until Harry's body was replaced by that of Voldemort's. Voldemort's human body was cloaked in shadows that formed robes over his remade body. The once-again-human Dark Lord stood arrogantly, his transformation complete. Voldemort held up Harry's wand, and in a flash of light, it was bleached bone white. He rolled the wand between his fingertips absently.

Voldemort smirked to himself and muttered under his breath, "The irony that it is the boy who restores me. To think his death would've been the last step to immortality, and yet his life has proven much more useful." Voldemort raised his wand and voice toward Tirek. "Once more I return, and all will bow before me."

"You are as arrogant as you are stupid if you think a weakling like you can rule Equestria. You live off another's body as a parasite," Tirek sneered.

Voldemort cackled. "You weakened Potter, he lacks the strength to fight me. Magic is might, and he has none. I will control this body forever. His pathetic attempts to contain me were in vain." He swished his wand in a zig-zagging motion. "And I suppose I have you to thank for that. Your gift is a swift death. Avada Kedavra!" A massive jet of green light blasted out of the wand.

The girls recognized the light as what Voldemort used in the graveyard, the one Dumbledore described as the "killing curse". Tirek leaned away, narrowly dodging death by inches. The spell hit a nearby tree, and the plants and nearby flora withered instantly. The girls looked in shock at the death this bolt caused, greater than when they had last seen it.

"Death magic?" Tirek mused. "I guess you'll make decent practice for when I pulverize Princess Twilight. I'll entertain you."

Voldemort raised his wand and Tirek ignited an orb between his horns. And their battle began.

Voldemort opened with another cast of the killing curse. The green lightning flew at Tirek, who opened his mouth as though to eat the spell. The jet of light impacted Tirek's mouth and, rather than causing a swift death, flowed like a river down his throat.

The centaur seemed to struggle with holding the spell for a brief moment. Then, smirking, Tirek held up a hand, summoning a green orb of light. He raised the green orb and turned it to red before flinging it back. Voldemort, frozen by this turn of events, barely had time to raise his wand and form a silver shield between him and Tirek. The orb impacted the shield and exploded with a deafening blast, the sound of shattering glass, and a plume of smoke. Voldemort launched out of the dust cloud, his shield shattered.

"A killing spell," Tirek sneered. "I devour dark magic as easily as any other! You shouldn't rely on cheap tricks!" Tirek stomped forward, popping his knuckles and neck before readying another magic orb. Voldemort scrambled up to his feet and replaced his barrier. "You thought you could imitate my magic-stealing spell? You lack the experience! It will tear your body apart, and I will harvest what remains. Then I will make you wish you were dead."

"Nothing is worse than death," Voldemort replied.

"Let's test that." Tirek angled his horns down, leveling a massive beam of energy to destroy his challenger.

Voldemort vanished just before the attack hit, reappearing behind Tirek. Voldemort waved his wand above his head, conjuring a fiery snake. The serpent coiled around Tirek; its flame was ineffective in burning the centaur but managed to hold him in place. Voldemort hurled another killing curse at the immobilized Tirek. Before the curse could hit, Tirek teleported out of the way, appearing above Voldemort. The Dark Lord dove out of the way when Tirek crashed into the ground.

"You think I can't do that, too? Don't think I haven't noticed you haven't attempted to steal my magic again. Perhaps you aren't as powerful as you proclaim? Either way, you're going to have to do much better than that against me!" Tirek proclaimed before he made another rush at Voldemort.

"You mean us, right?" Discord said from his spot by the cage.

"I'm busy!" Tirek shouted as he and Voldemort exchanged another blast of spells.





The girls watched from the confines of their cage. A dark wizard possessed their friend, and they couldn't do anything to stop it! Harry was supposed to be safe, and now he was front and center of the danger! Twilight was the only one who could stop either of them, and she was still in the Everfree!

"This just went from bad to worse. Instead of one bad guy, we got three!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"And one of them's Harry! How do we fight that?" Applejack scowled. "I don't understand, how did this happen?!"

"Celestia made Harry's amulet to contain that spirit, maybe Tirek's magic broke it?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah, sure, let's go ask Celestia right now," Rainbow Dash huffed.

"She's tring to help," Fluttershy sniffled, before crying again.

The girls recoiled from the fight as Discord squeezed his head between the cage's bars. "I'm sorry, did I hear something about his amulet?"

"You're not involved here, buster!" Pinkie Pie screamed, looking ready to erupt in fury. Apparently, draining her magic didn't make her any less... Pinkie.

"I know you ain't gonna want to help us," Applejack spoke, "but I know you helped Harry once. Celestia made the amulet to protect Harry, and your 'friend' just broke it. Are you just going to watch?"

Discord, however, looked amused. He chuckled and said, "Yes. I already guessed about the amulet; it's not rocket science. I was going to let this fight pan out in Tirek's favor, but..."

Discord looked over to the fight, watching as Tirek fired another blast at Voldemort, who was wise enough to evade it by disappearing and reappearing elsewhere. The two then exchanged another blast of spells, which erupted in a plume of black smoke. Voldemort was again knocked back, lacking the mass to stand his ground. A second exchange of magic ended with Voldemort barely blocking Tirek's attack and Tirek absorbing Voldemort's.

"...Well, it's not exactly fun anymore. I mean, Moldywort or whatever his name is doesn't have a trump card when Tirek can eat magic. I was expecting... I don't know, more. I have better things to do." Discord waved and vanished, reappearing next to his ally. "So, Tirek, how're things going over here?"

"Splendid," Tirek growled with heavy sarcasm. He launched a bolder at Voldemort, only for the dark lord to dodge, again. "This worm won't stay still and die. Do you have other information you've been withholding?"

"No, but I might have a solution," Discord said. He leaned in close to whisper in Tirek's ear.

Tirek grinned deviously when Discord stepped away. He stood to his tallest height, dwarfing Voldemort.

"So, Lord Voldemort, you think you can defeat me?" Tirek drawled in a mocking tone. Red bolts of magic flickered around Tirek, a testament to his absorbed power. "Even with the fraction of my power you've squandered, you are but a worm."

"The fact that I live speaks otherwise, creature," Voldemort spat. Despite his bravado, it was becoming clear Voldemort was outmatched. Burns and scrapes decorated Voldemort, close calls with Tirek's spells. Fatigue oozed from his posture.

"The only reason you exist is because I can't keep you down," Tirek said with devious glee in his eyes. "But I'll find a way, eventually."

"You're bluffing," Voldemort said. "I cannot die. Potter was to be the last piece to my ascension to immortality. You can't kill me."

"Can't I?" Tirek grinned.

A burst of aquamarine-and-pink energy formed between Tirek's horns. Tirek lobbed the magic at Voldemort. Voldemort opened his mouth to devour the magic; this only caused the centaur to grin more. The magic flowed to Voldemort's mouth before changing course to strike Harry's amulet, reinvigorating it.

Tirek sniggered. "You see, Discord told me that when I absorbed this 'Harry Potter's' magic, that amulet around his neck broke, and its magic was consumed with his. Discord told me that it trapped your spirit. So, loath as I am to say it, I'm giving some magic back."

Voldemort sneered back at the centaur. He lifted the glowing amulet, slipping the thin chain over his head. It sparkled with power, but nothing was happening to it. He tossed it up before catching it, as a child might play with a toy.

Voldemort cackled and said, "Foolish creature. This was made to contain me when I possessed but a sliver of my current strength. Did you honestly think it could contain me as I am now? It's only a matter of time before you die, followed by all of Potter's friends. Nothing—"

Magenta magic sparked from Voldemort's right wrist, rippling over his arm. Harry's bracelet, his gift from the Tree of Harmony, shined with new magic. Voldemort's right hand dropped Harry's wand, seemingly out of Voldemort's control. The arm grasped the amulet and pried the case open. Its gemstones glowed brighter than ever, and dark smoke leaked from Voldemort's arms, repulsed by the light. Voldemort's other hand grasped at the amulet, intent on throwing it away, but his insubordinate hand refused to yield.

Black smoke gushed from Voldemort's mouth. Little wisps of black smoke, Voldemort's soul fragments, rose, being sucked into the amulet. Voldemort staggered, falling to his knees in silent agony. Voldemort gaped at his rebellious limb.

"What's happening?" Voldemort demanded to himself.

Voldemort's head jerked violently like he had been struck, and he looked at the ponies trapped in the cage. One red eye and one emerald eye looked at Harry's friends.

Voldemort's mouth opened, but it was Harry's voice that spoke, "You shouldn't have threatened my friends; I won't let you hurt them."

"No, you can't do this to me! You don't have magic," Voldemort howled.

"No; I've got something better," Harry's voice proclaimed.

Voldemort's free hand grabbed Harry's wand from the ground and pointed it at the defiant limb.

"Diff—"

Voldemort's hand dropped the wand, no longer under his control. His other hand, the one holding the amulet open, slammed into his chest. The smoke trickling out exploded into a cloud that was sucked into the amulet. Voldemort reeled as the last of his spirit was siphoned into the amulet. Harry's body fell forward, shifting back into a battered and bruised unicorn as he hit the ground. The closed amulet rolled away from Harry's hoof, silent once more. A long moment of silence followed.

"Well, that was dramatic," Discord noted.

Tirek raised a hand and summoned the amulet. When it arrived in hand, Tirek grasped the still-glowing trinket and pried the case open. A black flame flickered from within, confined by the amulet's many protections. It was obvious the flame was Voldemort's soul, or what small piece remained. Tirek smirked as magic crackled in his palms.

"Now, I recall you said nothing was worse than death..." Orange magic crackled over Tirek's hands, glowing brighter and more volatile. "Farewell, your lordship."

The soul fragment in the amulet screamed as Tirek blasted it with dark magic. The amulet glowed like the sun as Tirek's magic overwhelmed it. The magic built up until, with the sound of shattering glass, the soul fragment exploded. The amulet dropped to the ground, inert.

The soul fragment was dead.

Tirek straightened his back, standing triumphant over his foe's remains. "Well, that was entertaining."

"I'll say. The two of us make quite a team," Discord said.

Tirek chuckled mirthlessly. "Team? Who said anything about a team?"

"You did," Discord said, confused. An orange glow ensnared the draconequus, dragging him to Tirek.

"You've helped me grow strong, you've provided the means by which I can obtain Princess Twilight's magic, and now you are no longer of any use to me," Tirek growled. He opened his mouth, and a stream of green-and-purple magic was drained from Discord's mouth into Tirek. Tirek grew even taller, dwarfing every building in Ponyville. He turned to walk over to Harry Potter.

"But you said this was a sign of your gratitude and loyalty," Discord held up the golden amulet around his neck. "A gift from someone close to you," Discord pleaded, still unable to believe the situation.

"My brother who betrayed me. It is as worthless as he is," Tirek spat.

"Surely you saw this coming," Applejack pleaded to Discord.

"I didn't. I truly didn't," Discord said in despair.

Triek stomped over the Harry Potter. He stomped on Harry's wand on the way, snapping it in half.

"Now, let's see just how much Princess Twilight values your life—"

"Expulso!"

A blast of fire obscured Tirek. When the centaur cleared the smoke, Harry vanished from his place on the ground. "Why you little— where are you!?"





Harry galloped to the cage holding his friends. All he could think about was getting them out of here, getting them somewhere safe, somewhere away from Tirek. Then, getting Tirek away from Ponyville was next on the list. His chest burned from within. Whether it was a side effect of the possession, the fight, or the stolen magic, Harry didn't know. What he did know was the soothing coolness his bracelet seemed to provide, along with a burst of energy. Harry swung his horn down, unleashing a modified box-blasting spell to shatter Discord's cage.

His friends looked at him warily; Harry didn't blame them.

"Harry?" Applejack spoke first. "Is that you in there?"

"I'm as honest as you when I say yes," Harry replied. He pointed his hoof toward the Everfree Forest. "You have to find Twilight, she's the only pony who can stop Tirek."

Rainbow Dash looked concerned and said, "But what about—"

"There you are!"

Harry turned around and instinctively threw a barrier toward Tirek's voice. A massive shield, larger than Harry had ever conjured, formed between them. And not a second late as a torrent of fire washed over his barrier. The fire in Harry's chest burned, but the cool embrace of the bracelet soothed it over again.

As Tirek's attack faded, he and Harry stared directly into each other's eyes. A standoff for who would move first.

"Go, I'll be right behind you," Harry promised quietly. A promise that might never come true, but one he could try to keep. All six of his friends reluctantly turned and bolted toward the Everfree. Harry's eyes darted to the last person remaining. "Discord, go with them. Keep them safe as best as you can." Something on Discord's face shifted, betraying surprise and appreciation. Like the rest, he too took off toward the Everfree.

With his friends out of harm's way, Harry took a step toward Tirek.

Round two.





Twilight looked down at the ledge below her. She had gotten all of her basic-to-intermediate magic under control, but some of it was still... troublesome. Teleporting, for example, was random and erratic. If she could just teleport to the ledge below her...

"I can do this," she said to herself. She closed her eyes and focused on teleporting to the next ledge, and felt her magic respond. The telltale sensation of teleportation encompassed her, then released. Twilight opened her eyes and looked around. She was right where she wanted to be!

"See! Ha! Perfectly controlled teleportation—"

Another full-body shudder went down Twilight's spine. Her eyes went to a faintly shining light on her foreleg. Twilight's bracelet's copy of her cutie mark glowed magenta. Twilight tried to cast a spell to investigate the bracelet before something else came to her attention.

Her magic was different again. It felt like the immense weight of four alicorns had been... lessened, somehow. Odd. "Does Harry's bracelet somehow share a connection with mine? Perhaps our bracelets are tied directly to our magic. I suppose that could explain why it chose now to make one for me." Twilight shifted the bracelet on her arm, pondering. She dropped to the forest floor and paced lightly. "But why make one for Harry? His magic... isn't natural by unicorn standards? Maybe the bracelets were some form of... I don't know, foci? No, Harry's never had much trouble controlling his magic, no more than most at his age. I wonder what happens if—"

Twilight slipped the bracelet off. Her horn sparked as the full weight of her magic returned. She put it back on, and the weight of her magic returned. Twilight kept it on, deciding some control was better for practicing. Now, onto complex—

"Twilight!?" somepony shouted.

"Where are you!?" called a voice Twilight recognized as Rainbow Dash's.

Twilight galloped towards their voices. They wouldn't have come to the forest without a good reason. Twilight caught sight of the group not moments later. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Spike, and Discord dashed toward Twilight. Twilight noticed they looked awful. Their eyes were dull and... their cutie marks were gone.

Tirek got to them.

"Twilight!" Applejack shouted. "Thank goodness we found ya! It's bad, really bad."

"Wait," Twilight did a head count, "slow down. What happened, where's Harry, and why is he here?" she asked, pointing at Discord. The draconequus ducked his head, looking ashamed.

It was Applejack who spoke up, saying, "A lot's happened, but what's important is that Tirek stole Discord's magic, and Harry's out there, facing him alone!"

Twilgiht's heart rate skyrocketed. "Where?!" she demanded quickly.

"The edge of Pony—"

A large explosion cut off Rainbow Dash's response. Understanding what happened, Twilight launched herself up and raced toward the explosion's source. She wasn't going to let Harry sacrifice himself, not if she could help it!





Harry blocked another fireball from Tirek, barely managing to reflect it into the sky. Tirek forced Harry further from Ponyville throughout their battle. Harry knew he couldn't beat Tirek, but he could buy time for his friends to get away. He had pestered Tirek with stunning, sticking, and binding charms, as direct damage was outside of Harry's power. Even with what Voldemort had stolen and whatever the bracelet was doing, Harry didn't have the power to keep Tirek down.

He just needed to buy time for Twilight to take over. Her magic might be enough.

Tirek grabbed Harry in a telekinetic hold, lifting them face-to-face. His fist glowed red before he swung it at Harry. Harry formed a small protective field around himself like a suit of armor. The armor shattered on impact, and Tirek's fist struck Harry in the chest. Harry's lungs spat out air as Harry struck and tumbled on the ground. Harry struggled to take in gulps of air, his lungs uncooperative.

"You know," Tirek said, "the parasite was cunning, but you're much more fun to knock around. You've lost," Tirek grabbed Harry again, "and I want that magic back."

Tirek opened his mouth to use his magic again, this time to absorb Harry's magic. The same weakening sensation overcame Harry, but the burning went away. When Tirek was finished, he lit an orb between his horns, intent on striking Harry again, only to stop when a loud shout pulled his attention from Harry.

"Let go of my friend!"

A blinding wave of light and colors slammed into Tirek, pushing him away from Harry, who dropped from the air. Harry watched as the beam of energy blasted Tirek away, leaving a crater in its wave. A sky-shattering explosion erupted from the end of the crater. A far more gentle levitation spell finished lowering Harry to the ground. Harry looked at the spell's caster, Twilight Sparkle. Despite the anger heard in her voice just a moment ago, her eyes were nothing but soft and concerned as she held him aloft.

"Twilight," Harry murmured. "They found you. I—" Harry winced in pain. "I wasn't sure if..."

Twilight floated Harry closer. "I was terrified you'd sacrificed yourself. I'm not ready to lose you, not now, not ever." She held him as close as she could without touching his battered body.

"PRINCESS TWILIGHT!" Tirek bellowed. He strode through the crater Twilight dragged him through, looking royally peeved. "You have something that belongs to me!"

Twilight and Harry looked at each other. Harry opened his mouth to say, "I can still—"

"No," Twilight decided. "I'm getting you away from here."

There was a flash of light as Twilight teleported Harry and herself away. She had brought them back to the Everfree Forest. Her friends were pacing about in a clearing. As soon as they noticed the two, everypony rushed over. Twilight set Harry as gingerly on the ground as she could, but Harry still groaned at the contact.

Fluttershy was the first to ask, "Is Harry—?"

"I don't know," Twilight answered solemnly. "But we can't do anything for him while Tirek is still around, his injuries will require magical assistance. And I'm the only pony who has a chance at stopping him. Keep him as comfortable as you can, I'll be back."

Twilight launched up and over the treeline, and Harry stared at the fading color trail. Please, come back safe. Harry's mind sunk into the sweet unawareness of sleep as his exhaustion tugged his eyelids down.





The first thing Harry realized was the temperature. His chest felt cold and his skin was uncomfortably hot. Next was the sound of muffled voices. There were many, panicked, hushed, and tired. He definitely felt the last one. His body ached so badly. And finally, the third thing he felt was a gentle hoof on him. Harry opened his eyes wearily. Eight figures came into focus. Six ponies, one dragon, and one draconequus. He focused on the one in front of him. Purple, with a horn and a pair of wings.

"Twilight?" Harry moaned.

"I'm here," Twilight responded.

"What— what happened?" Harry asked.

"Tirek and I were fighting," Twilight said. "He didn't have the power to beat me outright, so he vanished. He captured all of you. He— he threatened to kill you all if I didn't give up my magic," Twilight said.





Twilight dusted the rubble off her shoulders and looked up at Tirek. She and Tirek had been hitting each other hard, but neither had enough power to finish the other off.

"It appears we are at an impasse," Tirek said. He snapped his fingers, and several bubbles appeared behind him. "It wasn't hard to find them, not with the power I hold. So how about a trade, Princess Twilight? Their release for all the alicorn magic in Equestria," Tirek demanded.

"Don't do it, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash shouted from her bubble.

"We aren't worth it!" Fluttershy said.

Discord shook his head and said, "Oh, but you are, Fluttershy. You're the pony that taught me that friendship is magic. I had magic and friendship, and now I don't have either."

"Enough! I want an answer, and I want it now!" Tirek roared. He held out a hand, and one of the bubbles floated down to him. Twilight felt her heart sink, seeing Harry trapped in this bubble. Tirek's grin grew at the look on her face. He popped the bubble and grasped Harry by his neck, leaning down so he could taunt her with him. "I wonder how much this one's life is worth. Let's start with him, shall we?"

Equal measures of terror and fury gripped Twilight's heart.

"Fine! I'll give you my magic, but let my friends go!"

"As you wish," Tirek said with a smug grin, knowing he had just won. He dropped Harry unceremoniously on the ground and popped every bubble except Discord's.

Twilight reiterated her request. "All of my friends."

Tirek pointed at Discord in surprise. "After the way he has betrayed you, you still call him a 'friend'?"

"Release him!" Twilight demanded.

"If that's what you want." Discord was dropped to the ground just like the rest.





"Twilight, I'm sorry..."

Twilight dropped her head, burying it into Harry's shoulder. Harry wrapped a hoof around her, whispering that it was all okay, he was safe. Harry looked at Twilight's side. Her cutie mark was gone. Twilight backed up a bit, regaining her composure.

"I did what I needed to save my friends. Tirek took my magic, it's all gone," Twilight said.

"You shouldn't have had to make that choice," Harry moped.

"It was mine to make. You're my friends," Twilight replied.

Discord stepped forward. "Tirek tricked me into believing that he could offer me something more valuable than friendship. But there is nothing worth more. I see that no.," He held up the medallion he had been wearing. "He lied when he said that this medallion was given as a sign of gratitude and loyalty. But when I say that it is a sign of our true friendship, I am telling the truth," Discord placed the medallion around Twilight's neck. Everypony looked at the small item.

"Do you think..." Harry said, pointing at the medallion.

"We have to get to the chest," Twilight said.

"I'll only slow you down. Get moving," Harry said.

"You're coming with us, whether it's slow or not," Applejack said. "Magic or not, we ain't leaving you here."

Discord leaned down to hoist Harry up, as he was the only one who could walk on two legs and carry Harry.

"Then let's get to that tree."

The group went as fast as they could to the Tree of Harmony, panic overriding their lack of energy. They managed to make it to the tree in good time, but they could still hear the thunderous footsteps of Tirek rampaging through the forest.

"Let's hope this works," Harry whispered.

Twilight's placed the medallion next to the chest. The medallion glowed before transforming into a key that fitted itself into the last notch. But they could still hear Tirek's footsteps getting louder.

"Together! I think we have to do this together!" Twilight declared.

She and the others approached their respective keys. Then, a ray of light from the box latched onto Harry's bracelet. The light bounced off, attaching itself to Twilgiht's. The magic jumped from Twilight's hoof to Rainbow Dash's, then to Rarity's, then Fluttershhy, then Applejack, then finally to Pinkie Pie. The magic formed five more bracelets, each one styled uniquely to the pony. Five more marks appeared on Harry's bracelet, each colored to their Elements.

Five more bracelets? Why?

A second rainbow arced from the chest into the tree, which in turn showered the six girls with the light of their Elements. An orb of light formed around them, transforming them and lifting them out of the cave. Harry ran outside of the cave to watch them float high into the air, above even the height of Tirek. Harry watched in awe as Tirek blasted them, but the Elements completely overpowered Tirek! The Elements had made them too strong for Tirek to hurt!

Even from the valley, Harry heard Twilght's voice proclaim, "I may have given you my alicorn magic, but I carry within me the most powerful magic of all!"

Their Elements' magic swirled around the six, blasting at Tirek. His yells echo down to the cave below as he vanishes in a glint of light. Harry watched as the girls floated higher and higher until they separated in a massive wave of light that covered Equestria. Harry could feel his magic returning to him as the light washed over him. A minute later, six rays of light returned to the cave, which revealed themselves at the mares. Their manes were free and floating, full of streaks of other colors and glowing marks. Their transformations faded away as the box glowed brighter. A rainbow shot out of it, arching up and away, carrying the box with it. Harry approached the six mares.

"Did you do it?" Harry asked. "Everything's back to normal?"

"Well," Twilight said, holding up her bracelet, "I wouldn't say normal but—"

The seven of them vanished in a flash of light, a teleport.

Harry looked up in surprise at their location. Behind him was Ponyville, and there was a freaking castle in front of him! It looked like the Tree of Harmony if the tree was also a castle with Twilight's cutie mark all over the place. There were windows, balconies, and roofs on top of the tree. All seven of them stood in awe.

"Sweet Celestia!" Rarity exclaimed. "Are you all seeing what I'm seeing?"

"But... whose is it?" Twilight asked.

"I believe it is yours, Princess Twilight." Harry turned around to see Princess Celestia approaching. Behind her were Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Spike, and Discord. She walked forward into the castle, gesturing for everypony else to follow. "You've been wondering what you are meant to do as a princess. Do you know now?" she asked.

Twilight nodded. "As a princess, I believe I have the power to spread the magic of friendship across Equestria. That is the role I am meant to have in our world! The role I choose to have! But I didn't defeat Tirek on my own— it took all of us to unlock the chest!"

"Then it is unlikely you are meant to take on this task alone," Celestia said, opening the door at the end of a long hallway.

The hall was a large space without decorations, sans the eight thrones and a table decorating the center.

Wait, eight?

Harry counted the thrones in the room once more, just to be sure. Six large thrones had a cutie mark emblazoned on their top. Next to Twilight's throne was a small throne, possibly for Spike. And finally, situated between Twilight's and Applejack's thrones, was a seat that held no cutie mark. Harry walked up to this last throne, surprised. Was this for him? He wasn't one of the Elements, why would he ever get a throne? No, this couldn't be right. Maybe it was—

"Why does he get a throne?" Discord asked.

"Wait, this is mine?" Harry said.

"You're one of us, I wouldn't have it any other way," Twilight said. She turned around, looking around at the castle's walls. "Besides, this place is too big for just me and Spike. You're sticking around here until you decide if you go back to Hogwarts."

"Thanks, Twi," Harry said. Recently, the thoughts of returning to Hogwarts had been forgotten, with all the adventure.

Twilight smiled. "No problem." Twilight sighed, tired. "You know, we should go on a group picnic when this is all over."

Harry sighed. "Really? We almost died and your first thought is a picnic?"

The others, Celestia included, rolled their eyes. But before they could do that, they had to fix up town. Harry twisted the Tree of Harmony's bracelet on his arm, looking at the seven marks adorning it. It didn't give him access to their new "Rainbow Power", but it reacted to it. Harry wondered if it might've had something to do with the looming threat of Voldemort. Equestria may be my home, but I've still got a commitment back there.

Harry watched as his friends explored the new castle. The bittersweet joy on Twilight's face caught Harry's eye. His friends had been put in danger, sure, not everything was perfect, but... it could always get better.

There's never a dull day in Equestria. And I get to spend them all with my friends. I may not have been born here or be an Element, but they've made me their friend. That's worth more than all the magic on Earth. Whatever comes our way, we can make things right.

I love my home.
> The Sequel Has Been Published!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey, the sequel, 

The sequel, Equestrian Education, is is now out! I repeat Equestrian Education has its first chapter published. I hope you'll all enjoy reading it as much as I will. See you all over there, and I hope you can enjoy it as much as it's predecessor.

Goodbye!