Equestrian Education

by Dragonboy111

First published 2nd of March, 2024

Harry Potter is back from his vacation in Equestria, and this time he's got more magic and friends than ever on his side.

Harry's time in Equestria has given him a lot. New friends, new magic, and new problems were guaranteed. But now Harry must deal with his inevitable return to Earth. Harry knows Voldemort will try to return to power, and this time he's ready to fight back. He must uncover the secret to the Dark Lord's immortality, and find a way to stop him before it's too late.

Chapter 1: Farewell, Equestria

Author's Notes:

Hello everybody! I am back with the sequel to Equestrian Vacation. I've been sitting on how to start it for ages, and I have to say, the Harry Potter aspect of the story is much harder than the rest. Nevertheless, I like to deliver quality work.

First, minor news. This story will update more slowly than its predecessor. And second, a fair warning. I wrote the prototype of this story under the impression I might change certain characters. If anything seems completely out of character (OOC), please reach out to me. That is all.

Have fun. Read, review, and come back soon!

A peaceful day in the magical land of Equestria was nothing special. The weather was scheduled to be light clouds, sunshine, a cool breeze, and a chance of rainbows if the weather team felt like it. Celestia's sun shone brightly, perfectly timed to the seasonal calendar. And few places exemplified it better than the town of Ponyville. Despite the former library being turned to cinder a week prior, the whole town looked peaceful Ponies went about their daily hustle and bustle, sharing goods or gossip merrily.

The most unusual part of the town was the giant crystal tree castle that sprouted out of the ground not a week before. Six ponies and one dragon wandered the new castle's halls. One of them was Harry Potter, an unusual unicorn, if only for his lack of a cutie mark. He had pale fur with a black mane and tail that had a matching turquoise stripe. His eyes mixed both emerald to turquoise. And right now, he sat in one of the castle's eight thrones, reviewing a pile of charred items before him.

During her battle with Tirek, Twilight's library was incinerated. Thankfully, the owls escaped unharmed. Unfortunately, this destroyed nearly all of Harry and Twilight's personal items. Harry's school supplies were burnt to a crisp; the family album he'd been given was reduced to a few unburnt pages, the most important contained a picture of Harry and his parents. Thankfully, most of his letters to and from Twilight survived. Of course, that was only the second worst thing that happened.

Harry looked at the broken wand before him. Holly and phoenix feather, made by one of the best wandmakers on Earth, and Tirek snapped it in two. Twilight, for all her gifts, didn't know the first thing about wizard wands. Breaking it further was unacceptable. "Surely someone back on Earth can fix it?" she had said. For some reason, the words weighed heavy on Harry.

Harry snapped out of his trance when Twilight asked, "You okay over there?"

Harry shook his head. "Yeah, just zoned out." Harry returned his focus to the paper in front of him, and the clock.

Harry had been so close to finishing Discord's puzzle clock before Tirek's attack, which set Harry's progress back. Just one or two more dates, and he could figure out the current date on Earth. If what Discord implied was right, no more than a few months could've passed, but it still made Harry nervous.

Harry looked at his notes and the clock again. So my last day on Earth was the end of July. The clock stops at random points. The only correct times are when the hands freeze at two-thirty every two days, except for the third occurrence, at which point stops at noon on the third day. The backward hands measure days. If I assume when the clock freezes incorrectly the time is set to Earth then the date is...

Oh...

"I... I think I need to visit Celestia," Harry said. "Hey, Spike?"

The little dragon looked up from his comic book. "Yeah?"

"Can you send Celestia a letter for me, or is that an improper use of resources? I need some advice, and she's the only pony who can really help."

"Sure, I can send her one right now." Spike pulled a quill and parchment from somewhere behind his mini-throne and looked at Harry expectantly. Harry instead took the quill and wrote the message himself then gave it back to Spike.

"Sorry, this one's kind of private," Harry said apologetically.

Spike shrugged, not really bothered by it. He sent the letter off and the two waited for a response. Harry wasn't expecting one soon, Celestia had an entire country to run—

Spike belched out a rolled-up paper. The young dragon opened the letter.

"She says you can visit, today!" Spike said. "I think you might be able to catch the train if you leave now."

"Really?" Harry said, surprised. He wasn't expecting to get a reply so soon, much less one that said they could visit today. How does she have time for this, a school, and a country? "I, uh, guess I'll get going then."

Twilight looked up from one of her books. "Oh, you going somewhere?"

"I need to visit Celestia. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Harry summoned his bag, stuffed his notes and clock in, and exited the throne room. He had a train to catch. Harry opened the castle door and almost bumped into a pony standing there. The earth pony stallion wore a blue uniform and hauled a wagon stacked tall with books. A mailpony, likely from Canterlot.

The mailpony startled briefly before saying, "I have a delivery from Princess Celestia for Princess Twilight, is she here?"

"Yes, just go down the main hall into the throne room, can't miss it," Harry replied. He moved around the mailpony and continued his rush to the station. Of course, the first of Twilight's mail is a stack of books. Because if there's one thing she needs more of, it's books.

---

A few hours later, Harry walked into Canterlot Castle at the end of her day court hours, about an hour before Luna officially took over. The throne room was empty, sans the guards on the threshold and Celestia herself. The princess smiled from her throne as Harry approached.

"Harry, glad to see you've arrived on time," Celestia said. "I was afraid you might miss me before I set the sun."

"Glad I could be here," Harry replied with a small bow.

"Now, you wanted to talk about going home, yes?" Celestia asked, holding up Harry's letter.

"Yeah, home," Harry muttered. "I figured out Discord's clock. I'm not the best at math, but I've counted how long I've got until Hogwarts starts again. Two weeks," Harry said. The words still didn't feel real on his tongue. Two weeks.

"I have two weeks to decide if I want to return to Hogwarts. I assumed I would, one day. But... now part of me is afraid that I'll never come back."

At first, Equestria had been a home away from home for Harry. But ever since Twilight's coronation, all thoughts of Earth were put on hold. Despite the instability and chaos, adventures in Equestria were... fun. Hogwarts was a nice place, but next to Equestria, it didn't feel like it used to. At Hogwarts, he was less of a freak than at the Dursleys, but in Equestria, Harry felt like he had a future. Everything was so confusing now. He had so many friends here. How could he give that up?

Celestia must've noticed Harry's indecisive expression. "I understand the difficulties of being pulled between two worlds. Long ago, I too walked into other worlds with my mentor, Star Swirl the Bearded."

Celestia's comment caught Harry off guard. Celestia previously seemed to understand the concept of other worlds, but to have walked them with Star Swirl? That was practically ancient history! Celestia walked up to Harry with a sad smile. Her posture, though regal as ever, radiated an aura of tiredness.

"I haven't told anypony this in centuries. Star Swirl used to be fascinated with other worlds. When I visited one of these worlds, I met and befriended a stallion there. We grew closer as time passed; he was... special. I told myself not to get attached, as the distance could only bring pain; it proved true. I never got to say goodbye. When Twilight first brought you here, I put my worries aside when I saw how happy you two made each other. But fate has other plans for us. You are reaching a point of no return. If you stay too long, you will not be able to continue your studies at Hogwarts."

"Earth has a lot of bad memories and a few good ones. If I don't want to stay, I'd still want to say goodbye to what few friends I have there," Harry said.

"That is to be expected. Saying goodbye is a difficult process."

"The more I think about it, Equestria feels like my home. I'm not even sure why I want to go to Hogwarts anymore. It used to be a way to be myself, away from my 'family'. But I can be myself even in Equestria without the 'Boy Who Lived' stuff. The only thing left there are my friends." Harry sighed, realizing his dilemma. "That being said, I feel responsible for my old world."

"Perhaps there is something you should know about your old world," Celestia said.

Harry tilted his head in confusion. "Huh?"

"The day I brought you here, I visited Dumbledore," said Celestia."I might have frightened the old man; he reminds me of Star Swirl in a few ways. In any case, Dumbledore told me something about your world, Harry, something he kept hidden. He wished for you to never know, but I will not withhold the information if you ask. You have a right to decide if you wish to hear it." Celestia lifted her head and magically closed the doors to the throne room. "There is a prophecy."

"There's a prophecy, about me?" Harry asked, dumbfounded.

"Two, actually," Celestia answered. "I want to give you to option to hear them. A warning, however. Prophecies are not to be taken lightly, but never to have absolute faith in. I will tell you only if you wish to know."

Harry stopped moving, going deep into thought.

If there was a prophecy about Voldemort, it likely involved Harry. It could say anything, from how Voldemort could win to how he could lose. That knowledge could prove a powerful tool against Voldemort if used correctly. And, yet, Harry was reminded (as weird as it sounded) of the Darin Do novels Rainbow Dash owned. Villains tried their hardest to avoid the prophecy or destiny, only to meet it on the way there. And those weren't mere stories, Daring Do was a real pony. What if Harry didn't like the prophecy? He would spend the rest of his days trying to avoid it. What if he sealed his fate? On the other hoof, merely knowing the prophecy could change its outcomes. And that was to say nothing of if Harry's newfound Equestrian magic changed things. Equestria might have busted the prophecy completely.

Harry paused as he made his decision.

"There's nothing specific in it? Names or dates?" he asked.

"None."

"Then I don't want to know," Harry decided.

Celestia smiled like she knew he would say that. "May I ask why?"

"It doesn't matter whether the prophecy is true or not," Harry said. "I can't unhear it. It's better to leave my free will unbothered. My actions will be my own."

"A wise choice," Celestia said. "But, knowing of the prophecy, will you return to your home world?"

"I think so..." Harry said slowly. "When I left, Voldemort was without a body. I guess I have to know what's happened. I could start packing my bags tomorrow," Harry said, feeling a little lost. "I can figure out where to go from there."

"You have my blessing to go if ever you are ready," Celestia responded. "However, you sound uncertain of your decision," Celestia noted. "Perhaps you would like a second opinion? Luna's night court hours are frequently open."

"I... I think a second opinion would be appreciated," Harry said. "Not like packing will take long, anyways. Just a cloak, a key, an amulet, a busted wand, maybe my broom, and whatever I can pull together." Harry chuckled mirthlessly. "Guess I could go to Gringotts first. But I'd like to talk with Luna."

The princess nodded. She removed herself from her throne, told Harry to wait, and left the throne room. Harry waited a few minutes before the afternoon sunlight faded quickly. Celestia and Lune must be swapping posts, Harry thought. Now that I think about it, Luna's duties are at night, but most treaties and events are during the day. How does she manage a sleep schedule?

Silver beams of moonlight trickled in, giving the room an ethereal glow. The throne looked completely different in the dim light. Harry glanced back at the throne room doors, waiting for Luna's arrival. Harry yawned, increasingly aware of the late hour. Harry stood upright, but let his eyelids drift close. He'd hear if Luna walked in, and there was no way he'd fall asleep standing up.

---

Harry awoke to somepony nudging him.

"Harry Potter, thou should be more cognizant of sleeping whilst standing upright, least of all in our presence."

Harry jolted awake. Princess Luna stood above him with a teasing smirk plastered on her face. Luna held a hoof in front of Harry's face before he could talk.

"There is no need for an explanation, young Harry," she said gently. Luna's smirk broke when she giggled lightly. "Though I was surprised to find a stallion standing asleep in my throne room, I'm not offended. It was certainly one of many firsts. Truth be told, I was rather worried. Have thou not been sleeping well?"

"I thought you were looking over my dreams," Harry replied.

"Not as of late," Luna said, looking embarrassed. "Though you suffered worse than many at Tirek's hands, there are many who responded worse." Luna shook her head slowly before rubbing her temple. "And to think, I solved the last night terror on the Island of the Returned."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Harry said. "And you're right, I haven't been sleeping well. I feel like I could've done more to help against Tirek. That day keeps coming back in my dreams. I keep seeing things that didn't happen. Sometimes I win, others I don't. The worst ones are where—" Harry shuddered and cleared those thoughts. He didn't want to remember those. The nightmares of Tirek were bad, but they were just dreams, nothing more. Dreams shouldn't hurt.

"Dreams can be very painful, I assure you," Luna said. "I will see if I can help yours later."

Harry cringed, realizing he said that aloud. "Sorry," he apologized. Harry focused on what he wanted to talk about here. He summoned his notes about how much time was left and laid them before Luna. "I wanted to talk about this. With Discord's clock, I've learned I have less than two weeks to decide if I should return to my world. I've asked Celestia for her advice, but I want yours too."

Luna picked up Harry's papers and read them over before setting them back in his bag. "I am touched that you feel the need for my advice, even though you already have my sister's." Luna placed a hoof on Harry's shoulder and beamed down at him. "But I think we both know that this is a question only you can answer.

"You're looking to wiser people for answers you don't have, as I once did with my sister. But at the end of the day, this is a decision only Harry Potter can make, not Luna or Celestia. Know that, whatever you decide, you will have our support."

Harry said nothing, shuffling his hooves in the pale light. Luna was right, of course. This was ultimately his choice, he couldn't let anypony else make it for him. Harry didn't have to go back, but he felt he needed to. As much as he loved his new home, Earth would require at least a goodbye. His education at Hogwarts couldn't arm him to fight Voldemort, especially with the inconsistent staffing. But maybe he could do some there, or make sure everything was in good hands.

"Then I've decided," Harry said. "I'll go back to Earth."

Luna nodded at him, and the edges of her mouth turned upwards. "If that is you decision, then perhaps you should wake up and tell your friends tomorrow."

Harry froze.

"Wake up?" he echoed. "You mean I'm asleep? Since when?"

Harry looked at his sides and again was shocked to see he had wings. He only had wings in his dreams! How did I not see those before!? Luna chuckled again, probably at the look on his face. She lifted her horn, and the throne room quickly dissolved into the dark starry night sky of Luna's dreamscape. The throne room had just been a figment of Harry's imagination, a very vivid one at that. Luna tapped the "floor", causing the stars to ripple outward.

"Since you fell asleep in the throne room. I thought it best if you rested and we converse in your dreams. You are, as you said, struggling with sleep." Luna looked into the distance of her dreamscape, which started to shift with the images of other ponies, other places, and other dreams. "Your body is resting beside my throne as we speak. I'll have you moved to a guest room and let you rest. You can head back to Ponyville tomorrow. Is that agreeable?"

Harry yawned. He didn't think he could yawn in a dream. Maybe he was tried?

"I think that'll be nice," Harry said.

"Then enjoy a dreamless sleep," Luna said as the dreamscape faded away into a comforting darkness.

---

Harry woke up the next morning on a plush bed in Canterlot Castle. Well, "morning" was a loose word for eleven o'clock. He got a chance to say a brief goodbye to Princess Luna before taking the train back to Ponyville. The town was the same as always, so nothing abnormal happened in his absence. Harry entered Twilight's castle and found Twilight in the main hall. She was writing in a large book with a familiar sun-shaped mark.

"Hey, Twilight," greeted Harry. "Are you writing a new journal?"

Twilight greeted him back and held the book out, showing off the cover. Harry now recognized the mark as Sunset Shimmer's cutie mark. The book vibrated once, and then new words were written on the page. Harry's eyebrows furrowed. He didn't have a good track record with magical books, especially not ones that could write themselves.

"I know what you're thinking, and no, it's not evil," said Twilight. "It's one of Sunset's journals. This one is connected to the one she has in the mirror world. That mailpony you sent in had the book with him. Sunset was trying to reach out for us."

"Let me guess, something went wrong?" said Harry with a rhetorical undertone.

"Apparently, the mirror world was used to contain some old evils by Star Swirl," said Twilight. "Sunset found them, and I had to go fix it while you were in Canterlot. I can tell you the whole story if you want." Harry nodded and asked for her to continue.

Twilight spent the next half-hour talking about her adventure in the mirror world. Sunset was doing much better now, having made a complete turnabout against her former ways. Twilight's human friends (Harry still hadn't gotten over the fact that they were identical to Twilight's equestrian friends) had befriended Sunset. Some creatures called sirens were stirring up trouble in the mirror world, causing anger in people who listened to their songs. Twilight and Spike went over to help fix the problem. In a bizarre twist of fate, Twilight was unable to make a magic spell to counter the sirens' songs. She eventually came to the realization the sirens were feeding off their conflict and Equestrian magic.

Twilight then said that Sunset was able to help provide the extra magic needed to defeat the sirens. Harry was rather surprised, not expecting a pseudo-seventh Element to appear, much less in Sunset of all people. Harry couldn't help but look at the throne the castle had "gifted" him. Maybe he wasn't much of an outlier after all?

"I just got back before you arrived," Twilight placed her book down, "but I know you would've wanted to go."

"Probably best you went alone," Harry muttered. "I probably wouldn't have done much, seeing as I can't do magic."

"I'm sure you would've found a way, you always do," Twilight replied. She read Sunset's message and scribbled down a reply before closing the book. "So, how'd your meeting with Celestia go?"

Harry explained the situation in detail. He had less than two weeks before school started, and he hadn't decided if he wanted to continue his wizarding education.

"So we have less than two weeks?" reiterated Twilight.

"We?" asked Harry.

"Of course. You don't think I'm letting you go alone? I might be too educated for Hogwarts, but until you decide what you want to do I'm not letting you out of my sight," Twilight said.

"But you're the Princesses of Friendship; you can't abandon your duties," Harry protested. Twilight couldn't just drop everything for him!

"I know, but this is important, too. Besides, Equestria handled itself for thousands of years without me, a few days won't matter. Discord said that time is experienced faster in whatever universe you're in. If you decide to go to school, I'll head home," Twilight said. She pulled out her traveling bags. "Now, do you need anything?"

Harry patted the bags he was already carrying. "I can pack almost everything for the trip today. If I return to Hogwarts, I'll have to visit Diagon Alley again. Sorry, I know you hate it," Harry said. He could clearly remember Twilight's reaction to seeing the dragon-hide gloves. She'd nearly heaved her stomach out. If she heard about the sale of unicorn horns she'd probably faint. "Are we going to bring Spike with us?"

"I don't think we should. Diagon Alley might be too much." Twilight shuddered.

"Yeah, no arguments there," Harry murmured. He couldn't imagine the fear of seeing your own species' skin used for gloves. Spike was best kept away from all that. "Celestia can send us whenever we're ready."

A metaphorical lightbulb lit up above Twilight's head. "Why don't we use my portal?"

"I'm sorry, your what?" Harry asked. Since when did Twilight have a portal?

"Did I not mention that?"

Twilight told Harry to follow her. She led Harry through her castle halls to the third door to the right, her library. The room was full of books, no surprise there. What was surprising was the large mirror in the back of the room. A large apparatus was built behind the device, with several items attached to it. A book with a familiar sun-shaped cutie mark sat atop the machine.

"When did you have time to build this?" Harry asked.

"Ten minutes after you left. I might've forgotten to mention I built this to travel to Sunset. We can ue it to go to Earth."

"Wait wait wait! You mean you built an interdimensional portal in less than an hour?! That's incredible!" Harry exclaimed.

"Thanks," Twilight blushed.

Harry nudged her shoulder with his own. "You need to fix that blush. Once we get to Earth, it's going to be nonstop compliments with how much cool magic you can do. We have two weeks, so a few days to plan should be all right. I need to say goodbye."

---

Twilight's friends all wanted to say goodbye. Despite Harry's math (double-checked by Twilight) that they would experience time faster on Earth, their friends were still teary-eyed with their goodbyes. Spike, understandably, wanted to come along, but Twilight shut him down quickly. Exactly four days later, all eight of the group assembled in Twilght's castle to wish them well.

"Do try to stay safe, won't you? You don't have the Elements this time around," Rarity said as she threw a few items into Twilight's bags.

"I still wish we could go along. I don't see why we can't, this isn't Sunset's world," Rainbow Dash said.

"We don't know if anything's changed on the other side," Harry said. "If everything's going right, Voldemort hasn't regained his power, body, or followers. The two of us will draw less attention than all eight, just in case."

"Don't mean we have to like it," Applejack said.

"I know, neither do I," Twilight said. "But this is something the two of us need to do. But, hey, you'll barely notice a thing. We'll be gone for a few days, tops," Twilight said as she slipped on her bags. She looked over to Harry, who had finished packing his saddle bag. Twilight thought the expansion charms she and Harry learned were impressive, though somewhat unstable. But that meant the both of them were packed. "You ready to go, Harry?"

"We can go whenever you say," Harry replied. He tapped the mirror's solid surface curiously. "So, how does the portal work? Is there a switch of some sort to flip? How does it find my world?"

"Oh, it's pretty simple actually," Twilight said. She pointed a hood at the large blackboard behind her with various magical formulae and proofs. "The portal to Sunset relied on two books linked between our worlds. To find yours, I just used the summoning spell. The apparatus will then reach to the other side and open a stable portal through this mirror. Once we get there, I can reopen the portal whenever I need to. I'll admit, it was harder to finish it without a proper anchor, but by utilizing the law of—"

A blue hoof was nearly shoved in Twilight's mouth.

"Okay, okay, I'm going to stop ya there, princess, because the only thing I'm hearing is a load of boring," Rainbow Dash said.

"Thank you," Twilight heard Harry whisper to the pegasus.

Twilight turned on Harry. "What, was I being boring? I just made a portal, and that's boring?!" Twilight scolded her friend.

"Not at all! It just kinda, you know..." Harry waved a hoof over his head, trying to send a nonverbal message. Twilight tilted her head in confusion. "It's way above my level of magic."

Twilight scoffed. Surely it couldn't be that hard? "Well, you're never too young to learn for the sake of learning. I'll teach you on the way."

"Lucky me," Harry quipped. Harry waved goodbye to their friends. "I can't wait to see you all again," he said before facing the mirror.

Twilight walked to stand next to Harry. "You ready?" she asked, nudging him gently.

Harry took a deep breath. "No. But, we can't always be prepared for what life throws at us."

Hedwig and Owlowiscious flew the portal.

"Okay, they were ready. Let's do this," Harry said before creeping toward the mirror.

Twilight watched as his hoof was gently put in and pulled out, testing the waters as it was. Then, Harry took a deep breath and plunged himself into the mirror, vanishing. Twilight jumped in immediately after. The space between the worlds was again a swirling void of colors, but much nicer on the body as it changed. Twilight felt her human term returning to her.

The portal spat out Twilight very gently, allowing her to get on her feet as she landed. She orientated herself and familiarized herself with her surroundings. She was standing in a crooked, dimly lit alleyway. Just past it was a larger pathway, bustling with humans in robes. Harry stood near the end of the alley, with the two owls perched on his shoulders. He looked back at Twilight with a smirk. Owlowiscious jumped to Twilght's shoulder.

"Well, we're back to Diagon Alley," she said.

"Um, where am I?" a voice asked from behind the two.

Harry and Twilight turned around to see who spoke. A girl stood further in the alley, with yellow skin, flaming yellow-and-red hair, and cyan eyes. The three of them shared nervous glances before Harry and Twilight shouted.

"Sunset!?"

Chapter 2: Artifacts and Alleys

"So, this is Harry's world?" Sunset Shimmer murmured.

Sunset Shimmer was having a relatively good weekend, all things considered. Especially after the... less-than-stellar reception of the festival's events not too long ago. The last thing she remembered was being atop the school building, singing her heart out where no one could hear her. She had felt something inside her, it felt like her old magic. And then she blinked and appeared... wherever "here" was. After being dropped into this strange place, the first faces she saw were Twilight Sparkle and Harry Potter, who kindly explained precisely what happened. She was in Harry's home world, a place with humans and magic. Even now, only a few minutes after arriving, Sunset could feel her once-dormant magic flowing through her again, as though it had never left in the first place. She didn't even notice when Twilight tried to get her attention.

"Earth to Sunset Shimmer, hello!" Twilight shouted, waving a hand in front of Sunset''s face.

Sunset Shimmer snapped out of her stupor. "Sorry, I was just... surprised. This is where Harry's from?"

"Yeah, this is my home world. Try not to be too impressed," Harry deadpanned.

Sunset scoffed. "It has magic. Honestly, I'm glad the old me never ended up here. And speaking of, how did I get here?" Sunset looked just beyond where they stood, to the bustling street behind the two. The humans beyond were oddly dressed in robes.

"What was the last thing you remember?" Twilight asked.

"I was at school," Sunset thought back to the sight of the sunset from the school's roof, "I was singing."

"Maybe you accidentally used your magic? You haven't used it in a while, right? The last time was—" Harry suggested.

"The Fall Formal, yes, I remember." Sunset Shimmer frowned. She was used to people bringing up the Fall formal and now Harry was, and he wasn't even there!

Harry shook his head. "Actually, I was talking about the Musical Showcase. Twilight told me you transformed to help with the sirens. But that was the last time you had magic. Maybe you reactivated it when Twilight and I crossed over?"

"Oh," Sunset said, more than a little embarrassed. She paced up and down the alley for a second. "Uh, sure, that could be possible. Of course, that would depend on how you managed to get here. If you used Twilight's portal, a three-way link could've formed. If my book was still connected to Twilight's portal, then I might've been caught in your transit."

Twilight joined Sunset in pacing the alley's width. "I never considered the repercussions of reusing the same portal to link three locations. With your book removed, I didn't think anything from your side could leave," she confessed. "But the portal over here isn't bound to a mirror, it's like a moving door, you just need the right key. I should be able to send you back easily enough."

Twilight held her hands out, obviously trying to perform some sort of spell. The space in front of her let out magenta sparks, but nothing happened. Twilight narrowed her eyes and focused harder on the air in front of her. A glowing orb formed for a second then fizzled out. Eventually, she dropped her hands with a groan.

"I can't open a portal." Twilight huffed. "I don't know why, but the portal refuses to activate. I'm sure there's a workaround."

"Hold on, I've got the spell somewhere in here," Harry muttered, sifting through his bag. Eventually, he pulled out a thick book. "Here,"

Twilight grabbed the book and flipped a few pages. Sunset leaned over to look at the pages. Dozens of spells littered the book, mostly in Equestrian. Many of the spells were ones Sunset didn't recognize, which was rare. She noticed utility spells, a few combat-orientated ones, and, eventually, that portal spell Twilight mentioned. Impressively complex, but well-designed. A few of the details were woefully outdated, but by all means, it should've worked.

"I learned your spell, not that I can use it yet," Harry said. "Maybe you and Sunset could use it? All three of us could try. An alicorn and two unicorns should have plenty of power, right? If we spread out, we could imitate a..." Harry tapped his forehead, thinking. "...I remember this... Oh! A six-point ritual."

Sunset understood Harry's idea. Six was a powerful magical number, so three unicorns (or two plus an alicorn) spreading their power could "fake" six total casters. There were, of course, a few flaws with that plan.

"Looks like somepony's lessons are paying off. Maybe you're smarter than you're giving yourself credit for?" Twilight spoke, poking Harry's arm.

"Well, I had the best teacher," Harry said.

Twilight blushed in response. Sunset, despite the circumstances, smirked.

"Well, it's a nice gesture, but the problem isn't power," Twilight said. "Too much and we punch a hole into more than our three worlds. No, whatever's stopping me is different. I'll send a letter to Celestia, see if that works"

"So I'm stuck here?" Sunset exclaimed. Oh, Celestia, this is bad! First the mirror world, and now this! Why does this keep happening to me?! What am I supposed to do now!?

"We're all stuck here," Twilight corrected.

"Of course I know that!" Sunset shouted. She grabbed a fistful of hair over her forehead, where her precious horn should've been. "You two wanted to be here, I didn't!"

A hand crossed Sunset's back to rest on her shoulder gently. Susnet's head spun to see Harry standing behind her, with a calm expression. Sunset didn't know if it was a spell or something, but the erratic thoughts and panic slowed down for a moment.

"Calm down, Sunset, please," Harry said, face still serene. "I know you want to get back to your friends, I understand. I promise we'll try our best to get you back. Until then, focus on the bright side, you won't be gone for more than a minute." Harry's reassuring smile didn't fade.

Sunset nodded to herself. Yeah, that made sense. She just had to think of this as a vacation. A long vacation. Yeah, that would work. No pressure.

"So, what's the plan?" she asked.

"First, I think we should get some rooms in the Leaky Cauldron, so a withdrawal from my vault at Gringotts is needed," Harry said. Harry raised his hand to the turquoise strand in his hair, then paused. "Right, underage magic," he groaned.

"What's age got to do magic?" Sunset asked incredulously. That seemed oddly specific.

Twilight shrugged, waving her hand in a so-so manner. Twilight and Harry quickly explained the state of wizards. The magical and non-magical were separated, Humans under seventeen can't do magic outside of school, and they were "traced" to enforce it. Even with Harry's warning from their first meeting, Sunset struggled to understand why humans couldn't share magic, or why they tracked their young.

"However, Harry's magic is Equestrian now, so the trace might not work," Twilight said. "But, best to be cautious; I made a counter-spell last year." She reached out and tapped Harry on the forehead, allowing a storm of magenta lights to swirl around him and disappear. It looked like impressive spellwork to Sunset, the invisible barrier against one spell. Afterward, Twilight waved a hand in front of her face, changing her skin tone. Harry did the same, but only to hide the turquoise that mixed with the green in his eyes and the stripe of color in his hair. Sunset felt rather out of place with her yellow skin.

Harry looked at her and said, "Humans here have less unique skin tones here. You'll need to disguise yourself. You can keep the hair." He offered the spellbook to her and flipped to the page with the spell needed.

Sunset nodded. "Uh, yeah, sure! I think..."

Sunset focused on her magic. She hadn't done this in years, how hard could it be? She hadn't been one of Celestia's students for nothing! Sunset focused on what was needed to disguise her skin tone, just like Twilight. To her frustration, nothing happened. I saw her cast it! So why is it so hard!? Come on, Sunset, you can do this!

Sunset's control over her magic wavered, not acting like it used to. Her skin turned pink for a moment, then sickly green. It took her a good minute before her skin was to what she thought was an acceptable color not too far from her normal yellow. That was... pathetic.

"There, did it work?" she asked, checking herself over.

"Perfect," Harry said. He gestured for them to follow him to the end of the side alley. "Welcome to Diagon Alley."

Sunset Shimmer drank in the sight before her. The street bustled with many humans dressed in many different robes. Various shops displayed magical knickknacks and items. There were magical household items, sports, and even toys and candies. She couldn't help but stare as she passed many stores; these humans relied on magic for everything! Sunset's previous experience as a human kept her attention away from some items best left unseen by a unicorn.

"Come on, we'll need to visit the bank first," Harry said.

Harry led their group through the doors of a large white building labeled "Gringotts". The inside was filled with small, humanoid creatures, hunched and rather unpleasent-looking. Harry called them goblins. To Sunset, they looked like they came out of some fantasy novel in the non-magic human world. Harry led the group and saw one creature who could help him with his withdrawal, at least, Sunset assumed it was a withdrawal. After presenting his key and asking for a withdrawal, they were led down a passage by a different goblin. The new goblin escorted them to a cart that would navigate the tunnels beneath Gringotts.

"You might want to hang on, these things go pretty fast," Harry warned them.

"Is that safe?" Twilight asked.

"One speed only," was the only thing the goblin said.

Harry leaned into Twilight. "I can hold your hand," he said with a sing-song teasing tone. Twilight didn't bother to respond as she grasped his hand. Behind them, Sunset chuckled at the two.

"You know, I never thought about how cute you two—"

The cart hurtled down the tracks before Sunset could finish her sentence. The wind whipped by as they dashed left, right, and down at random. It felt like a rollercoaster, all speed and twists and turns. Sunset giggled madly at a particularly violent dive. In front of her, Harry was quick to snatch some necklace that had floated out of his shirt during the dive. Eventually, the cart came to a stop near vault seven-hundred-something and the goblin told them to get out.

"That reminded me of a rollercoaster. Does this place have those?" Sunset asked.

"Uh, yes," Harry said, still looking at the object in his hands. Sunset peered over his shoulder. He was holding a locket of some sort, and something swirled beneath the surface.

"I don't think I've ever gone that fast on the ground," Twilight said as she swayed. Sunset resisted another giggle as Harry let her hold on to him for stability.

Harry kept his eyes pointed down at his amulet. The locket flipped open, revealing the crystal inside of the artifact. The clear stone had a faint grey-and-pink lightning bolt-shaped streak in the center. The bolt spun wildly before the pink end pointed in one direction, like a compass. Harry twisted the thing, but it kept pointing in the same direction. When Harry tilted the thing sideways, the tip pointed diagonally down. Through a brief spout of trial and error, They discovered it was pointing in a direction below them, deeper into the bank's tunnels. Sunset wondered why Harry's amulet looked like a compass.

"What's it doing?" Twilight said, pointing at Harry's amulet.

"I don't know, it's acting like a compass for... something."

"Key, please," the goblin said, startling them. Harry put his amulet back and handed over his key, which was promptly used to unlock Harry's vault. Harry stepped inside keeping himself positioned between his friends and the vault. Sunset looked past him as he tried (unsuccessfully) to hide the mountains of gold and silver from her and Twilight's sight. Wow, I bet that's worth a lot of bits.

Sunset let out a low whistle. "Wow. Didn't think to mention your friend was loaded, princess?" Twilight and Harry let out matching shouts of indignation, causing Sunset to chuckle and shrug. "I'm just teasing, you two make it too easy. Seriously, how much is all this worth? It must be a small fortune by anyone's standards, magic or not."

Harry glanced back at his coins before he walked out of his vault. "I, uh, don't actually know? I prefer not to think about it. This is what my parents left for me after they, well, you know. I'd rather not put a number on what I got."

Sunset ended her questions there. Harry didn't pry about her life, she wouldn't pry about his parents. Orphan honor code or something, I suppose.

A few minutes later they returned to the surface, laden with a few extra pounds and ready for the next step. Harry led them to the end of the alley when he stopped short, looking at one of the shops. Sunset followed his gaze to the little shop, labeled Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. Personally, Sunset thought the place looked very run-down. But, given the happy pair of young wizards that stepped out of the shop, Sunset was inclined to believe that there was more to this place than appeared.

Sunset remembered Harry's wand when he first "visited", a pale foot-long stick. Evidently, it was important for wizards. Maybe these "wands" are magical artifacts important to humanity's culture? wondered Sunset. I've seen Harry cast spells without it. Maybe it is more cultural than functional? A relic?

Harry turned back to Sunset and Twilight.

"I know I said we'd go to the Cauldron," he said, gaze flicking towards the shop, "but—"

"We've got time," Twilight replied.

Sunset learned to Twilight. "Why are we going to a dusty old shop?"

"Harry... lost something important to him when Tirek attacked," Twilight answered. "Hopefully, Ollivander can repair it."

Harry opened the door and gestured for the two girls to go first. Sunset looked around with curiosity. Hundreds of boxes were lined up on shelves like shoeboxes in a department store, but it was so dusty and gloomy, like no one had cleaned in years. But Sunset could feel the magic in the air, something old, but refined, like Canterlot's library.

"Hello again, Mister Potter," a soft voice spoke. An old man entered from the back of the store, eyes gleaming in the light.

"Hello, Ollivander," Harry spoke.

"How nice to see you again. Holly, phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. Still works, I trust?" The old man, Ollivander, asked.

Harry fidgeted slightly. "Not as well as it used to, sir. My wand, it was broken, snapped."

Ollivander paled. "It was such a good wand. A rare combination, of holly and phoenix-feather. Might you still have the pieces?" Ollivandar asked, eyes somehow growing wider.

Geeze, this guy is kooky, Sunset thought. She looked at the dozen of boxes. Are these all wands? Why so many, and are they all the same?

"That's why I'm here, I was wondering if it could be fixed," Harry said as he opened his bag. A small bundle of cloth floated out, which seemed to surprise the old man.

"Wandless and nonverbal magic? You are full of surprises, Mister Potter," Ollivander said with a mirthless chuckle. "I was right to think we must expect great things from you. It makes me wonder why you wish to have your wand repaired at all, seeing as you don't need it as badly as others who would want a replacement."

Sunset tilted her head in thought. Does magic in this world require wands to work? Can Harry perform magic "wandless" because of pure skill or by using Equestrian magic? We definitely apply to both categories, so that's a question for later.

"This wand meant a lot to me. Can you fix it?" Harry asked.

Ollivander shook his head. "Wands are fickle things, and that is beyond anyone's ability to control. But may I see it? It was such a fine wand."

Harry unwrapped the end of the fabric, opening the end to slide his hand in, gripped the wand, and pulled it out. He took it from the cloth and gasped.

---

Of everything that should have happened, this wasn't one of them. What Harry drew from the cloth wasn't broken. He drew out a long piece of wood, unbroken and in pristine condition. The wood was as pale as holly with veins of darker material, the handle was smoother, and the length a little longer. By all accounts, this wasn't his wand. Yet how did I get it?

"That is not the wand I sold you," Ollivander said, sounding as perplexed as Harry.

"I- I know. I- This- It doesn't make any sense," Harry stuttered. "I had it with me when I got here." Harry sifted through his bag, looking for where his wand should have been. I packed the wand myself. No one in Equestria could've possibly replaced it! And why would someone on Earth swap a perfectly good wand for a broken one? But the cloth I wrapped it in is the same! HOW!?

"May I see that wand?" Ollivander asked, stretching out his hand. Harry numbly followed Ollivander's directions, still looking through his bags. The moment the wand touched Ollivander's hand, the old man's face contorted in confusion. He held it up, inspecting it from all angles. He gently applied some pressure here and there and ran his hand up the wand's length.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, but this is not one of them, nor does it bear a resemblance to the works of any wandmakers I know." Ollivander waved the wand about, as though testing its balance like a sword. He tapped it with a lithe finger. "Roughly thirteen inches. The wood is not like any I've held before. In many ways, it reminds me of holly and oak, but not a perfect mix. It is supple to a point, then firmly unyielding." Ollivander lifted the wand to the light. "This is a curious mystery," Ollivander said, wide-eyed and curious. "I... must investigate..."

The old man vanished into the back of his shop in but the blink of an eye.

"Well, that was..." Twilight fumbled for a word.

"Weird?" Sunset suggested.

"Let's give him a minute," Harry said. "I'm sure he means well."

Harry waited ten minutes before he dared to venture into the back of the shop. The place was a mess, more so than the rest. Several more boxes littered the floor, and papers and books were strewn about. And at the center of this storm was Ollivander himself. The man looked like he had aged another ten years in the time he had gone. His attention was completely absorbed by the wand in his hands. He didn't even seem to notice Harry and his friends.

"Mister Ollivander...?" Harry tried to get his attention.

Ollivander spoke with slow, tired words, "Few wizards appreciate the subtlety of wandlore, Mister Potter. But for those of us who do, we see something unique in every wand. But the wand... yes, this wand... the core is unlike any I've seen. I don't know what it is, but it is unique." Ollivander stood up, still staring intently at the wand. He walked a little closer to Harry before looking at him with wide eyes.

"Whatever the core is, it's not exclusively loyal like a unicorn's hair, but it longs for connection. It does not boast strength like a dragon's heartstring, but it is willing to display that power. It lacks the detachment found in the phoenix's feather, but asks for growth. Even outside of my three wand cores, this one is bizarre." Ollivander held the wand up to his ear. "But wh-when I listen to this wand, I-I hear some-something different than any other core. This wand has six— seven— no— six unique sounds, all wound together like a— a—"

"Harmony?" Twilight suggested.

"Yes! It sounds like a beautiful harmony with six distinct voices— sounds—."

"Elements?" Sunset inquired.

"Exactly!"

"But will it work?" Harry asked.

Ollivander's gaze turned to Harry. "Will it work? Well that's the big question, isn't it, Mister Potter? Who is this wand's master? I've always stood firm in my belief that the wand chooses the wizard. Loyalty is different in each wand, but this one is peculiar. It isn't asking for a master, it seems content to look for partners, equals, or—"

"Friends," Harry realized. He looked over his shoulder at his friend, who was clearly having the same epiphany.

The Tree of Harmony gave me this wand. It's my bracelet!

"I suspect this wand is not won but befriended. It might work for any with equal loyalty." Ollivander's next words were spoken softly. "A word of warning. There is a strange power beneath this wand, Mister Potter."

Ollivander handed Harry the wand back with quivering fingers. When Harry gripped the wand he felt a swirl of energy flow through him, like when he picked up his first wand. The wand felt perfect in his hand.

"Thank you," Harry said as he and the rest left Ollivander's shop. He waved the wand around, confused.

"Well that was... informative?" Twilight said.

"At least we know where this came from. But why would the Tree of Harmony's bracelet transform?" Harry wondered. He glanced at Twilght's wrist, where her bracelet was unchanged.

"Can someone fill me in? What 'tree' and 'bracelet' are you talking about?" Sunset asked.

Harry spun back to face her. He'd forgotten she hadn't been around for the tree's discovery. "The Tree of Harmony is where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna got the Elements of Harmony to defeat Discord. It's what gave Twilight her castle, and me a bracelet. I think it transformed into a wand."

Harry held the wand in his left hand, curious. He tapped it once against his right wrist, where the bracelet used to be. Suddenly, it wrapped around his wrist like those silly slap bracelets and transformed into its bracelet form, with all seven of its marks.

Realization dawned on Sunset's face. "I suppose that does make sense, The Elements had to come from somewhere, they couldn't have been made by anypony."

"Yeah, but I still don't—" Harry was cut off when he bumped into someone behind him. He turned around to see who he bumped into. "Hello, Professor McGonagall!" Harry said. The Transfiguration teacher startled a bit at Harry's greeting. She blinked owlishly in surprise. "Twilight, Sunset, this is McGonagall, the transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts."

"Good afternoon, Mister Potter. I'm surprised to see you. I heard your living conditions were changed, how are you?" McGonagall said.

"I'm great. I've been out of the country. I came back to see about attending Hogwarts another year."

"Well, I should sure hope so. Despite your propensity for trouble, you are a fine student. Were you getting supplies?" McGonagall asked.

"Sort of?" Harry admitted, not sure how to tell his professor that he wasn't sure about coming back. "Professor, if you don't mind me asking, how are things here, since I left? Is he—"

McGonagall glanced around nervously "I don't think I'm the one to talk with about that, not here. Why don't we go to the Leaky Cauldron, you have a few days before you need to buy that stuff. It's not safe for you here, not even in broad daylight."

"Has something happened?" Harry asked.

"There are people and places that are better suited for answers, Mister Potter. The Ministry has its eyes and ears everywhere these days. Follow me."

Author's Notes:

Okay, and we are back. I'm sorry it's taken this long, but this chapter and the following ones are much harder to write. This is because I've introduced elements that can easily derail Harry Potter, so I need to be careful in how I navigate a story that doesn't follow the same events. In any case, Sunset and Twilight are here, so enjoy the moment.

And, that's where I'll end this chapter, it's already long enough as is. Since I'm in the Harry Potter universe, the story inevitably follows the slower pacing, something I despise. But, in any case, Sunset and Twilight are here to stay! I wanted them to want to stick around, but, knowing Sunset, I can't think of a good reason that was willing on her part. Who knows, maybe they'll figure it out later and Sunset stays. You'll have to wait til the next part. Bye!

Chapter 3: The Order of the Phoenix

McGonagall grabbed Harry's shoulder and directed him to Diagon Alley's exit. Hedwig and Owlowlicious came down to land on their respective human's shoulders. He gestured for Twilight and Sunset to follow. They walked into the Leaky Cauldron and sat at a table in the corner of the room.

"Did something happen while I was gone?" Harry asked.

"No, not yet," McGonagall said quietly. "But Dumbledore is convinced that danger is coming. He has a safe place set aside. Do you have a safe location picked out for the night?" McGonagall asked. Harry shook his head. "Stay here where you can be seen, I will get someone to move you somewhere safer."

"Can't we apparate? You can side-along apparate, right?" Harry asked.

"We could, but apparating with an underage wizard triggers the trace, and the location we're going to is best kept secret," McGonagall said.

Twilight smirked beside Harry. "Well then, it's a good thing I have a counter-spell. I removed the trace from Harry when we got here, as a precaution."

McGonagall's eyebrows shot up. "A counter-spell? For the trace? One of the most potent charms in the country, and you had a counter-spell ready? If Albus hadn't told me about your tracking charm, I wouldn't believe it. Does it work?"

"So far, yes," Harry said. "Alicorn magic's nothing to scoff at."

McGonagall appeared to ponder Harry's proposition for a moment, before slowly making up her mind.

Eventually, she decided and said, "Alright, we can go, if you're ready. All of you."

McGonagall held up her arms for the three to grab, which the Equestions did only after Harry did it without hesitation. There was that familiar twisting sensation as the spell squeezed them through space to spit them out somewhere else. The place they were spat out was a row of old houses, broken windows, aging paint, heaps of rubbish, and decrepit architecture.

McGonagall searched her robes for something, before handing a slip of paper to Harry and the others. Harry looked down at the piece of paper. The narrow handwriting was vaguely familiar. It said:

The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.

---

When Twilight reread the words on the paper, the row of houses in front of them shifted. The houses were numbered, but the number twelve, the number on the paper, was missing. The new left was eleven, and to the right was thirteen. As she thought about this, a new house seemed to inflate between the previous houses, this one labeled as number twelve. McGonagall walked to the front door, quickly shooing Harry, Twilight, and Sunset into the building.

The insides were dark and smelled like decay. Twilight heard a soft hissing noise and then gas lamps sputtered into life all along the walls, casting their light over a gloomy hallway. There was peeling wallpaper, a cobweb-filled chandelier, blackened portraits, and general signs of mismanagement. She was pretty sure she heard something scuttling through the walls.

There was a rush of footsteps, and Mrs. Weasley barged through the hallway. She looked thinner and paler than when she and Twilight first met at Hogwarts. She rushed past Twilight to hug Harry with a force that looked almost painful.

"Oh, Harry, it's lovely to see you!" she whispered before holding him at arm's length and examining him critically. "You're looking healthier, but I think a nice dinner would suit you. I'll get that started in a bit, there's a meeting going on." She turned to Twilight and Sunset. "Afternoon, Twilight, and..."

"Sunset Shimmer, a mutual friend of these two," Sunset introduced herself.

"...Sunset. McGonagall, wherever did you find them?" Mrs. Weasley asked the teacher.

"In Diagon Alley," McGonagall supplied.

"Diagon Alley? How did you get there?"

Twilight shrugged. "Portals. Honestly, I was just as surprised as you. The last few weeks have been turbulent for everyp- everyone back home," Twilight said.

"Yeah, and I'm still stuck here," Sunset groaned. "No offense, I'm sure this place is great and all, but I miss my friends."

"You're stuck?" McGonagall asked.

Twilight nodded. "We can only access Equestria via portals, but right now we've been experiencing some troubles. I'm going to see if Celestia can fix it from her side, but until then, we can't send Sunset back home. She's an accidental tagalong, for now."

"Oh, that's... unfortunate?" McGonagall said.

"That's one word for it," Sunset said.

"Well, in the meantime, would you like to say hello to Ron and Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "First floor, second door to the left." Mrs. Weasley gently pushed Harry along. "You can come down for dinner in thirty minutes, no sooner. We'll talk later."

Harry, for his part, was a bit slow to respond. Something beneath his shirt vibrated, the amulet Celestia made for him. Harry pulled it out, looking absolutely absorbed in observing. Twilight took his spare hand to drag him along, breaking his focus. The three made their way up the stairs, leaving the two human adults behind.

"Why are you staring at that amulet again?" Twilight demanded once the two were out of sight.

"It's doing that thing again, look." Harry held up the amulet to show to Twilight and Sunset. Once again, the locket's center pointed in one direction, regardless of how it was shifted.

"Well, I doubt it's pointing north. Has it done that before?" Sunset asked.

"Never. Gringotts was the first time," Harry said. He continued down the hallway when the needle started wavering wildly. "And even that's new." When he tilted it sideways the needle still pointed forward.

Twilight held the amulet, and it stopped pointing in one direction like the needle had lost its "magnetism". Sunset did the same thing, only to be met with the same results. When she handed it back, the needle pointed directly at the door Mrs. Weasley told them to go through.

"I think it only works for you," Twilight speculated. "Maybe it's tracking something in the house."

"Like what? What could a bank, a house, and a compass have in common?" Sunset asked.

"No idea, but we can check—"

"Harry!" A head of bushy strawberry-blonde hair nearly pushed Harry over in a hug. Hermione only let go of the hug when Harry returned it for no more than half a second (Twilight counted). "Ron, Harry's here!" Hermione shouted back. Ron emerged from the same room again.

"Harry! When'd you get here? How've you been, mate?" Ron said.

Harry smiled at his two friends. "I'm doing great. Life in Equestria is one big adventure, I'm loving it. I've made plenty of friends and learned some magic."

"They let you do magic!?" Hermione gushed. "What about the International Statute of Secrecy and underage magic?"

Sunset scoffed. "Please, the only secret in Equestria is Celsetia's budget for cake. Whatever magic we have can be used as we please. It's our birthright."

Twilight couldn't hold in a chuckle. Yeah, not even I know how much cake Celestia eats daily. The two humans looked at Sunset strangely.

"Yeah, I've been learning Equestrian magic during the summer," Harry said with pride.

"Come on, tell us all about your summer!" Ron said, gesturing them into the room he emerged from.

The five shuffled in. The room was just as dusty as the rest of the house but in marginally better condition. The olive-green walls weren't moldy, and the couches and desk looked to be in respectable condition. Sitting on one of the couches was a short redhead girl, possibly Ron's sister, Ginny. Ron and Hemione sat down with the younger girl whilst Twilight, Harry, and Sunset sat on the opposite couch.

"Harry!" the girl said jubilantly. (A bit too excitedly for Twilight's taste.) "Who are they?" the girl asked, pointing at Twilight and Sunset.

"This is Sunset Shimmer, a former student of Princess Celestia, we met not long after I came to Equestria," Harry supplied, pointing at the red-and-yellow-haired girl. "And this..." Twilight caught a mischievous gleam in Harry's eyes. Twilight's eyes widened when she realized what Harry was about to say.

"Don't—"

"I would like to introduce Her Royal Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, Princess of Friendship," Harry said grandly.

Twilight blushed and tried to hide her face behind her hair. Harry knew she was embarrassed about her new title. She knew he wasn't boasting about her title, but teasing her. It was flattering from her friends but now was so not the time!

All three of the human's jaws dropped. Sunset cackled madly. Twilight glared at the two.

"PRINCESS!?" All three of them shouted.

"Don't go yelling it, please," Twilight shushed them.

"Just make it an order," Sunset jested. Twilight merely scowled, feigning outrage.

"I thought you weren't royalty?" Ron asked, looking halfway between deciding to bow or not.

"She was coronated a princess just after the school year ended," Harry said. "I was there for it; over half the country wanted to attend. Her brother cried."

"How? Did she have to marry a prince if she had no blood claim to the throne? " Hermione asked.

Sunset laughed at the theory. "Twilight, marry some prince? That's not how true Equestrian royalty works; well, unless you're a descendent of Princess Platinum or Princess Amore, but they're not real royalty. Twilight has a claim to the throne by right of ascension. The highest of merits, it's only occurred once before in all of Equestrian history. She ascended to the throne on her own, no dashing prince involved."

Twilight sighed. Great, now both of them were teaming up to embarrass her.

"What the bloody hell is the right of ascension?" Ron asked.

Twilight covered her face with her hands. She didn't want to be a part of this.

"Twilight turned into an alicorn not two days after I arrived," Harry's hand gently rested where her wings would've been, "then was coronated as a princess. As an alicorn, she has a right to the throne, the same as Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. It's not given, it's earned."

"Okay, but what's an alicorn?" Hermione asked. "Is it related to the unicorn? I remember something about Twilight being a unicorn. Is it a meritocratic rank? Was she promoted?"

Sunset sat up a bit taller, shrugging. "Exactly what an alicorn is is a complicated question. The short version is that they are the combination of the three tribes' magical and physical abilities. They have flight, magic, and strength. This makes each one powerful, among the strongest magical beings in the world. Nobody knows Celestia's or Luna's origins, that's up to speculation. What we do know suggests they are ageless."

"I- I'm sorry, could you, uh, could you repeat that? I could've sworn I heard you say ageless," Hermione said.

Twilight dropped her hands. Of every aspect of her alicornhood, that was the one she never wanted to think about. "Please stop talking about this," Twilight pleaded. "Can we not talk about that part? I don't like to think about that."

"Sorry, Twi," Harry said, cringing and dropping his jovial tone instantly. He wrapped an arm around Twilight. "I went too far with that, didn't I?"

Twilight scooted closer to Harry, returning the hug. "No hard feelings, friend."

"You can't just reveal something like that and drop the subject!" Ron blurted.

"We can and we did. She's not discussing that, and neither will I. End of story," said Harry harshly.

"Alright, alright, fine... But is there anything else we should know?" Ron asked.

"Oh, uh, I got a new wand," Harry said. He raised his arm, and his "gift" from the tree unrolled into a wand again. "I got it back in Equestria. Ollivander has no idea what it's made of, or what the core is, but he thinks it should work."

"What happened to your old one?" Ron asked.

"Broken. A centaur snapped it in half."

"Oh, well that's a shame," Ron said, awkwardly. Twilight recalled Harry mentioning something about Ron's broken wand in a letter once. "You will have to tell us about that. Any other news?"

"A load, but those stories can be saved for later, I want to know what's happened here. First off, what is this place?" Harry asked, gesturing at the building, or whatever the dusty abode they occupied qualified as.

"We're at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization made by Dumbledore to fight Voldemort," Hermione said.

"Then he's back?" Harry said.

Twilight felt her gut drop. The chances Voldemort got a body back wasn't zero. Harry had revealed Voldemort's survival after the tournament, but it'd taken fourteen years to recover the first time. But every second he stayed around, body or not, was a second that he posed a threat to Harry.

"They're not sure. Mum seems to think so," Ginney said. "The whole country's on high alert ever since the arrests. Most of the Death Eaters claimed he was back, but a few still pleaded innocence. There are rumors of new wizards entering their ranks. Cedric's story in the paper pulled people toward Dumbledore early on."

"What's the general opinion? Do the people think he's back?" Harry demanded.

Ron waved his hand in a so-so motion. "I think they're leaning to Dumbledore's side. The Minister won't let a peep out. The Prophet retracted the story of the arrests and hasn't printed a thing about them since then. Cedric got an interview, but it was in the Sunday post, no one reads that," Ron said.

"Fudge probably knows something's happening but is scared to do anything. He's not listening to anyone," Ginny added.

"And Dumbledore?" Harry asked.

"Deadlock," Hermione said. "Dumbledore's lost his government positions in the Ministry and the ICW, no thanks to last year's disappearances. But the Ministry won't even print that. I doubt most know he was fired. He's got plenty of pull left."

"Complete blackout," Sunset said. Twilight looked at her as she leaned over the couch's armrest. "They're not letting a conversation start. It's the easiest solution to keep everyone in the dark. If they oppose Dumbledore, then people who dislike the government and Death Eaters rally behind him. Agree with him, and they're back to fearing war. Opposition creates enemies. They're too scared to let the truth out, so they're taking an aggressively neutral position."

"That's... clever," Twilight admitted. Sunset had a point. A blackout on the media slowed rumors. It kept people separated and confused.

"It's what I would've done before, well, you know..." Sunset tapped her forehead, where she had worn the Element of Magic.

"So we don't know if Voldemort's back, great. But he hasn't made any big moves, which is also great," Harry said. The amulet rattled beneath his shirt again. Harry pulled out his amulet and opened the locket. It practically bounced in his hand. "Why is this thing being such a bother all of a sudden?"

"What's that?" Hermione asked.

"Princess Celestia made Harry an amulet to help with his scar," Twilight said. "But ever since we came back, it's been acting weird. The crystal inside is acting like a compass to something, but we don't know what it's pointing at." She looked over Harry's shoulder at the locket. It was spinning erratically, not sticking in a direction for more than a moment. "I think there's something in this room."

Harry stood up. "Then who's up for a tresure hunt? I don't got anything better to do."

"Beats cleaning this mess," Ginny said.

The six of them separated and wandered about the room, looking for anything Harry's locket might be pointing to. Twilight went to the shelves first, which were full of broken panes of glass and various items, none of which looked like anything significant. A bit of snakeskin, a bottle of dark liquids, and several boxes of powders. Nothing in the place was mildly important. Twilight next looked for any secret compartments, sliding her hands along the wood surface for anything irregular. Unfortunately, no secret shelves or hiding places popped up.

"Hey, I think I found something!" Hermione announced from the fireplace. Everyone crowded around her. Hermione knocked on the wood above the hearth, which gave a hollow echo. Harry held up his locket to the fireplace. The needle, which had been spinning, now strongly pointed exactly where Hermione pointed. "There's a hidden chamber. There must be some way to open it."

"I got a better idea," Sunset said. She flicked a finger at the fireplace. A wave of fire rippled out, incinerating the wood. "The place is already a dump, what's one more mess? Let's see what we got."

Inside the fireplace's hidden compartment was a small golden locket with a matching golden chain. Inlaid to the locket were several green gemstones in the shape of a serpentine "S". It was in pristine condition, untouched by the ravages of time. Twilight watched as Harry reached in to grab the locket. As soon as his hand closed around it, her bracelet shivered. Harry withdrew the item, looking at it closely. He held his amulet up, which pointed directly at the locket.

"That's it? Another locket!? Bloody hell, if I wanted to collect these things, I'd just ask Rarity!" Harry scowled irritably.

"No need to overreact, Harry, it's just a piece of jewelry. No harm done," Sunset reasoned.

"It's still a waste of my time—"

Harry's eyes closed and he fell. Ron caught Harry before he could hit the ground. The locket Harry's been holding fell to the ground. Its impact echoed louder than it had any right to. A wave of paralyzing fear and revulsion rippled through Twilight, directed at that thing on the floor. Or rather, coming from that thing on the floor, clouding the air with its mere presence.

As suddenly as he'd fallen, Harry shook his head and looked up at everyone, as though nothing had happened. "What the— What just happened? How'd I get on the floor?"

"You passed out, Harry," Hermione said.

"Passed out?" echoed Harry. "No— I was holding the locket a second ago— I couldn't have..." Harry looked down at the locket on the floor. He reached toward it, but Twilight held his arm back. "Twilight? What is it?"

"Harry, I don't think we should touch it," Twilight said. She reached a hand out to the locket, trying to get a feel for its magic. It felt twisted and slimy, like reaching through oil or mud. "Do you remember exactly why Celestia made that amulet?"

"To remove— oh... oh no..." Harry realized.

"Can somebody please explain what just happened? You two are scared witless by a locket," Ron said. He reached down to grab the thing but was stopped when it was levitated out of his reach, courtesy of Harry.

"We'll explain when we're safe," Harry said. He floated the locket in front of Twilight. "Twilight, can you put a barrier around this? Like the one Cadance used on me at the Crystal Empire?"

"I can try," Twilight responded.

Harry has the right idea. I don't know what this locket is, but his amulet thinks it's bad news. If Celestia made it to contain an evil wizard's soul, what does that say about this? Twilight summoned a magenta barrier around the thing but struggled to keep it contained. Its influence was subtle, threatening to slip past her defenses. If I had my old crown this would be so much easier. Wait, I do have something...

Ever since Tirek's attack, and the chest unlocked that "rainbow power", Twilight and her friends had felt their Elements' magic at all times, albeit dormant. It was different from when they were gems, but they were there nonetheless. She called on her Element, focusing on the accursed artifact before her. Twilight traced a circle in the air over the locket. The barrier flashed magenta briefly, then the locket dropped, bouncing in its new confines. The invisible miasma in the air cleared instantly Twilight held up the orb for everyone else.

"Finished. It can't affect us."

Harry held up his amulet, which still pointed strongly to the locket. "We need to tell the order," Harry said. "That thing is dangerous; we need to destroy it."

He grabbed the orb and made a mad dash to the door. Twilight and the other shared a shocked look at HArry's abrupt change of pace. As quick as they could, they ran after Harry. Twilight and Sunset teleported down a flight of stairs, just to catch up with Harry's breakneck pace. The others were mere moments behind them. They were almost to the bottom of the stairs but stopped when Hermione shouted.

"Harry, wait! You can't just leave like that!" Hermione shouted.

"What did she mean, 'it can't affect us', what is it?" Ginny asked.

Twilight grabbed Harry's shoulder, grinding his pace to a halt. Thank Celestia for earth pony strength. Twilight paused long enough for everyone to catch their breath. Twilight noticed Harry's hands were balled tightly; he was tense, very tense. And a tense Harry was an impulsive one.

"If Harry's thinking what I think he's thinking, and I hope he's not, that locket is dangerous," Twilight warned. "It might be the same as his scar, the same thing his amulet was designed to protect him from: a piece of a soul. We have to tell the order, and we can explain the rest, I promise."

Author's Notes:

Yep, they found the Horcrux. I checked, and to the best of my knowledge, it was hidden in the drawing room. Where was unknown, so I made a place up. And now you know what the amulet does now! I've been sitting on that since I wrote it up in the first story! I can't wait to show you more! in the next chapter!

Chapter 4: Horcruxes

Harry ran down to the basement, the others close behind. Of course, they're surprised; you just told them Voldemort was literally in your head and something similar in this random locket. And I just so happen to have something that can track that, for some reason. Harry jumped the last few steps and marched to the dining room's door, where this "meeting" was.

Harry's hand clutched around the shielded locket tighter. Some part of him wanted to destroy this thing, grind it down until the dust blew away in the wind. Kill it... that part of him demanded, though Harry was unsure how. But that was a problem for later. He grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door, but it refused to budge.

"Harry, it's locked," Hermione said. "Order members only, they won't let us in. Harry, just slow down, you're not making sense."

"I'll explain later," Harry replied stiffly, lifting his free hand in a clutching motion and wrenching it back.

The door followed, pulled out by his magic. He dropped the door and marched inside with a grim expression on his face. If the order wanted to fight Voldemort, they could start with whatever this was. The room he walked into had several people seated around a long table. Harry recognized Lupin, Moody, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Snape, McGonagall, Sirius, and others Harry didn't know. And most of them were pointing their wands at the door. Ripping the door off wasn't my brightest idea.

Sirius lowered his wand first; the others followed suit slowly.

"Harry!? What are you doing?" Mrs. Weasley shouted.

"I'm taking care of a safety issue," Harry said as he tossed the locket onto the table. The locket and its bubble rolled until it came to rest in front of Moody. "We found this upstairs."

"Potter, couldn't this wait until afterward or are you going to insist on barging into every meeting?" Snape drawled.

"If I wanted your opinion—" Harry was cut off as Twilight grabbed his shoulder.

"Harry, calm down, take a deep breath." Twilight took a deep breath, and Harry followed suit. "We need to explain everything in detail, we don't have to rush. You're not in danger, and neither are we. Calm down, please."

Harry closed his eyes and took another breath with Twilight. He reminded himself what he needed to say. Twilight's right. Just tell them the truth; ignore Snape.

"Right. We were upstairs and found this locket. We don't know what it is, but we do know it's very cursed."

Moody's magical eye focused on the locket. "How'd you figure that out? Hopefully, none of you tried to wear it. Several aurors have lost their lives to such a rookie mistake!"

"Of course not," Sunset said. "Harry only held it for a second, and the effects wore off when he dropped it. It seems to cause severe irrational anger."

"That's a rather mild effect for being as cursed as you think. How'd you find it anyways?" Lupin asked. The man looked more threadbare than he usually did; tired, to boot. He glanced at Sunset. "And if you don't mind me asking, who are you?"

"Her name is Sunset Shimmer, a friend of ours in Equestria. And as for how we found it, that was my amulet." Harry removed his amulet and tossed it to Moody. The auror caught it out of the air and inspected it with his magical eye. The amulet flipped open, revealing the crystal and its compass-like mark. "This was made for me by Princess Celestia before the Summer Sun Celebration. It was designed to sever my link to Voldemort, the link that kept giving me headaches and visions. I planned to open it outside of Equestria and let its magic fade away. It didn't work out as planned, and now it's acting like a compass. It's what led us to that locket."

Kill it...

"Fascinating," Moody said. He tossed the amulet back to Harry. "And what of this shield?"

Twilight shuffled forward. "That was my doing. I mimicked a ward Cadance used to contain Harry once. If this thing is like Harry's scar, love and Harmony magics are antithetical to it."

"I'm sorry, what was that about containing Potter?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes, I feel like we're missing some details here," Arthur said.

"It ought to be more fun than our meeting anyways," one of the other wizards said.

"Shove it, Mundungus!" the pink-haired witch scolded.

"We should wait for Dumbledore," Lupin remarked.

Harry agreed. Despite Dumbledore knowing (and not telling) about a prophecy that could be important, Harry trusted him enough to solve this problem. Surely in the course of trying to solve Harry's scar, something like a split soul was not unfeasible?

"Why should you have waited for me?" an old voice spoke. Everyone turned around to see Albus Dumbledore enter the room. The old man seemed to look everywhere except Harry. "I'm sorry for my tardiness, but there was an urgent matter at Hogwarts to attend to." Dumbledore looked around the room. "I do have two questions: why are the children here and why is the door missing?"

"Potter has been spinning whimsical stories," Snape said.

"I expected you to take this more seriously, Snivellus, but your grudge is getting in the way again. Or maybe it's that ugly mop of hair in your eyes," Sirius accused.

"If you two cannot get along, we will continue this without you; you don't have much to contribute," Moody scowled. He flicked his wand, lifting the locket. "Potter has made some grave claims. I'm inclined to agree, but I think you ought to hear this."

Dumbledore moved to take a seat at the head of the table, still avoiding eye contact with Harry. "Continue," he said curtly.

Harry tried to look at at Dumbledore's eyes, but he seemed insistent on not sharing eye contact. Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes. He could already tell this was going to be a long afternoon. He sat at the opposite end of the table, and the other teens sat down nearby.

"Where do I start with this?" he whispered to Twilight.

"Start with the Crystal Empire, then the amulet, then Tirek, in that order," Twilight whispered back. "If you need any help, I'm right here."

Harry took a deep breath. He didn't want to talk about Tirek. He still had dreams about his fight. bad dreams, even though Luna helped quell what she could.

After a moment to collect himself, Harry said, "I suppose I should start by answering McGonagall's question. During my second visit to Equestria, the one where you thought I was kidnapped, Twilight's friends and I traveled to the frozen north to visit a place called the Crystal Empire. When we arrived, we got to meet Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Twilight's sister-in-law. When we touched, her magic and my scar reacted. As the Alicorn of Love, her power is highly synonymous with love, the reason my mother's sacrifice could protect me from Voldemort. Due to the magic in Equestria, the dark magic tried to escape and take a physical form of its own. Cadance contained it until it weakened and retreated. That was our first hint as to what my scar was."

"Take physical form? You mean to suggest your scar has a will of its own?" Lupin asked. Harry nodded. "When— I mean— How did you figure that out?"

"That's where my amulet comes in." Harry held Celestia's gift so everyone could see it. "Princess Luna, Princess of the Night, was able to use her power over dreams to observe my mental link to Voldemort. The three princesses created this amulet to break the link, and then Celestia gave it to me before the yearly Summer Sun Celebration. That was how we came to learn the truth of my scar: it contained a portion of Voldemort's soul."

Everyone's eyes widened in astonishment. Some looked beyond skeptical, others were fearful. Harry couldn't tell if they were scared of him or for him, but at least he had their undivided attention. Some, such as Snape and Moody, had their hands deep in their robes' pockets. Sirius, Lupin, McGonagall, and the pink-haired witch looked concerned for Harry. The Weasley couple were confused. Harry couldn't get a read on Moody's face, but skepticism seemed likely.

Dumbledore, however, looked deeply troubled, more so than Harry had ever known the man to be. Still, he refused to meet Harry's eyes. Harry grew cross at Dumbledore's lack of input.

"Voldemort was possessing you?!" Moody demanded furiously.

"Not anymore, he's gone," Harry said quickly.

"How can you be sure!? The dark lord is a cunning manipulator, how can we be certain you are even the one talking to us?" Mood scowled. He walked around the table, staring down at Harry.

Twilight and Sunset moved between Harry and Moody.

"Because I believe him," Twilight said firmly. "I've known him longer than anyone, I'd know if my friend was possessed."

"You have a problem with him, you go through us," Sunset added. A small fireball ignited in her open palm, a threatening and protective message.

The stare-down continued until Sirius said, "Mad Eye, back away from my godson. If he says Voldemort's gone, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt until we hear the rest."

"Yes," Dumbledore spoke slowly, "we can validate Harry's identity later."

Moody backed off and Sunset extinguished her fireball. Harry breathed a sigh of relief; that meant the hard part was done. At least Dumbledore had spoken in his defense.

"Harry, I need you to understand how serious this is," Dumbledore warned. "If you have something to tell us, now is the time. How did you get ahold of his soul?"

Harry nodded and began to explain. "I only carried a piece of it. Princess Celestia and I believe that when Voldemort first tried to kill me, his soul was fractured when the killing curse rebounded. A small piece of it latched on to me. When Princess Celestia gave me this amulet, it removed his soul fragment and trapped it. Once again, the plan was to open it away from Equestria, where it should fade without a host."

"Does your amulet still hold a piece of that soul?" Lupin asked.

Harry shook his head. "Not... not anymore. Not long before I returned, there was an... incident." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Harry felt Twilight wrap a hand around his. "This is where things get confusing, even for me. My memories are smudged, I don't remember the full picture. I'm still trying to piece everything together, but I'll try.

"When I was in Equestria, there was an attack by a centaur named Tirek. He tried to conquer Equestria thousands of years ago, but his brother, Scorpan, betrayed Tirek after Scorpan befriended a unicorn in Equestria. Tirek was imprisoned for his crimes. Not long ago, he escaped with the sole purpose of stealing every bit of pony magic in Equestria."

"Pony magic? I'm pretty sure there'd be a market for such a thing if they had magic," Mundungus said.

Harry rubbed his eyes. "I'm talking about Equestrian ponies; they have loads of magical properties. Tirek rampaged across Equestria, stealing all the magic he could. Even the capital was attacked. The last place he visited was Ponyville, the place I've called home since the end of school last year. That's when he... he..." Harry shuddered. He could remember the feeling of his magic draining vividly, even if everything after was foggy. "He stole my magic."

Looks of confusion passed between the adults.

McGonagall looked terrified and confused. "That's impossible. Magic can't be stolen, that goes against everything we know about it. It's something we're born with, it can't be removed by anything. Even muggle-borns and squibs are born with and without magic, they don't lose or gain it."

"She's right. Harry, that doesn't make sense," Hermione commented. "We've all seen you do magic, how's that possible if your magic is gone?"

Harry shrank a bit as the adults continued their litany of questions. This was much harder than he thought it would be. Why was it so hard to talk about Tirek, it wasn't like he hadn't almost died before. Except that time my friends were closer to death than ever, and I couldn't do anything.

"I'll take it from here, Harry," Twilight said to him.

Harry muttered a quick thanks and stayed quiet.

Twilight continues Harry's story by saying, "As unbelievable as it sounds, Tirek did learn to steal magic thousands of years ago; it's why he had such an unnatural lifespan. That brings us to the last part of the story. I wasn't there, but my friends told me what happened. After Tirek drained Harry of his magic, the magical imbalance around Tirek caused Harry's amulet to fail. Voldemort's soul fragment escaped and entered the nearest host: Harry. After possessing Harry, Voldemort used a spell to learn Tirek's ability and steal magic for himself, challenging Tirek. Voldemort was no match for Tirek, who managed to recapture Voldemort's soul in the amulet with Discord's advice."

Harry found his voice, saying, "As I understand it, Voldemort got his— our— my? He got my body hurt, badly. Disapperation was the only thing that saved me from being turned to ash, not that it mattered."

"I'm just glad Tirek trapped him instead of the alternative," Twilight said.

"So where is this 'soul fragment' now?" Moody demanded.

"Gone," Twilight said. "Tirek used Voldemort's magic against him and destroyed the soul fragment. Whatever part of Voldemort that was in Harry is gone, forever."

Everyone in the room (sans Harry and Twilight) took a moment to take in everything that was said. Harry could only take wild guesses as to what they were thinking. They were likely comprehending that Voldemort's soul was splintered, and pieces of it existed outside his body, one of which used to be in Harry for over ten years. He had (briefly) returned to power by possessing Harry. Voldemort was the most dangerous wizard of the modern era, and he was demolished by a centaur older than modern civilization after a significant power-up. That centaur also violated their conventional understanding of magic. And then, there was the amulet Harry placed before them, claiming it was the same.

Kill it...

"That's... quite the tale," Arthur said slowly.

"A rather unbelievable one at that," Snape snarked. "It violates rules of magic, highly unlikely. Potter doesn't understand what he is suggesting."

"So says the man who can't get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job," Harry muttered.

"You are still exceedingly arrogant, like your father, spinning tales of grandeur."

"Has anyone told you you have an unhealthy obsession with a dead man?"

"Enough, both of you." Dumbledore snapped.

Harry and Snape broke eye contact, but tensions remained high in the room. The adults appeared to still be mulling over the tale. It felt like an eternity before anyone else spoke again.

"So he's gone, or at least, that part of him is?" Lupin asked.

"Near as we can tell, yes," Twilight answered. She pointed at the locket on the table. "That's why we were so alarmed by this, we think it might be similar. WE don't know if it's Voldemort's or something else, but we know it's cursed."

"Why would someone split his soul? To what end?" a tall black wizard at the end of the table spoke.

"I can guess, and none of them are good," Sunset said.

Dumbledore drew his wand and pulled the locket closer. "A fragment of a soul?" he muttered, inspecting the locket.

"Then it's possible, what Harry says?" Hermione asked.

"I don't think so, Miss Granger. I daresay it's impossible," Dumbledore said.

Disbelief mixed with outrage in Harry. That thing held a soul fragment, he knew it!

Dumbledore looked at the locket once more before saying, "The fragmentation of Voldemort's soul upon killing Harry was a unique event. However, caution is always a good policy with cursed objects, its properties are likely similar. I would like to talk with Harry alone in the drawing room."

"I'm coming with," Twilight said.

"I'm afraid these matters are for Harry's ears only," Dumbledore said.

"Well, too bad. The Dursleys transferred Harry's legal guardianship to the Equestrian government, he's under my authority," Twilight declared.

"Hold on, I'm Harry's godfather, don't I get a say?" Sirius asked.

"You're a fugitive, you can't legally claim him," Twilight countered. "Harry has Equestrian citizenship and is still a ward of the state until he ages out."

Sirius swore.

"Your ward?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Try loyal subject. It's a weird power dynamic," Sunset said.

"Sunset!" Twilight yelped.

"Sweet Celestia, you're all almost as pushy as Rarity," Harry grumbled. "I don't care if it's about that blasted prophecy or my link to Voldemort, Twilight gets to hear what I get to know. If you don't tell her, I'll do it anyway," Harry said firmly.

"Who told you about that!?" Mrs. Weasley shouted, practically jumping out of her chair.

Harry spun around, baffled. Did she mean to say—

"You all knew?!" Harry exclaimed. The adults glanced at each other, their posture said it all. "Since when, and why wasn't I told?!"

Dumbledore's mouth pressed in a thin line at Harry's tone. "I see Celestia told you, just as I said not to. If you can't be persuaded, Twilight, and only her, may follow."

Dumbledore gestured for them to leave with him, still holding the orb. Harry and Twilight exited the dining room, went up the stairs, and into the drawing room where they found the locket. Dumbledore stood and pointed to the couch, asking Harry and Twilight to be seated. Dumbledore sat on the opposite couch.

"First off, I'm appalled Celestia told you about the prophecy," Dumbledore said. "I told her the prophecy only because she took you in over the summer; I needed her to understand the implication of taking you in. I suppose you want to know more now."

"Headmaster, I don't know what the prophecy is," Harry said quickly. "I told Celestia I didn't want to know, I thought it was better not to know an uncertain future. But I am upset that you never told me; I want to know why."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, looking surprised.

"I thought you might obsess over it, as Voldemort did."

"That was my choice to make," Harry insisted, "not yours."

"Yes, and I hope you'll forgive an old man for his doubts," Dumbledore said. "Many would do anything to know their future. I am pleased you've chosen the wise decision. However, there are more pressing matters," Dumbledore said. Dumbledore held up the locket in its bubble and didn't speak for a long while. "Harry, what I tell you must never leave this room. Every person who knows risks Voldemort learning the truth, and his ignorance is our advantage."

Harry and Twilight shared a look. Dumbledore had been serious on the night Voldemort returned, but now he looked paranoid. Harry realized this was more severe than Celestia might've realized.

"Now, Harry, you must understand that what you are suggesting is possibly the foulest of magics to ever be conceived. The soul was never meant to be damaged, much less split into pieces. If you believe this locket to hold a piece of a soul, then you have found something known to very few: a horcrux. A horcrux is a word used for an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul, tethering themselves to the living world. I suspected Voldemort might've created one, but I couldn't find evidence of any; that was until you handed me one in your second year."

A memory from Harry's second year came to mind— A memory, preserved in a diary for fifty years.

"Tom Riddle's diary! He put a part of himself inside it; that was his horcrux!" Harry exclaimed.

"That was his first," Dumbledore said gravely. He held the locket between them. "If your hunch is correct, it proves he's done the unthinkable and made multiple. Each one split his soul and kept him from staying dead. So long as they exist, he cannot die."

"That must've been why his body crumbled when we used the Elements!" Twilight exclaimed. She brought the locket to herself and started pacing around the couch. "If we can destroy this one, we'll be one step closer to stopping him! The only problem is how many he's made."

Harry held up a fist. "Well, let's count. First, there's the diary." He held up one finger.

"The locket," Twilight said. "But the amulet pointed to something in that bank, that might be another." Harry raised two more fingers.

"Then it is out of our reach, for now," Dumbledore said. "Are there any more suspicions?"

"His snake is probably one too," Harry said. "When I got to Equestria, I had one more vision, with the snake. That makes four so far, not counting me." Harry raised his fourth finger. "We just don't know how many he's made."

Twilight sighed. "If Voldemort's soul was damaged enough to break off a piece during his attempt to kill you, the snake could be his last one. We need to destroy this one."

Kill it...

Dumbledore shook his head. "I doubt it will be easy. Horcruxes are powerful in their own right, but so important that they will undoubtedly possess additional protections. Until a proper path can be determined, I will take the locket for safekeeping." Dumbledore held out his hand and Twilight deposited the locket in his palm, shrinking the bubble to barely be bigger than the object it concealed. Dumbledore put the horcrux in his robes. "For now, there is still work to do," Dumbledore said. "There will have to be a change of faculty this year. There is someone who may have the key to what we need."

"I wonder if the Dark Arts position is still jinxed," Twilight muttered, still inspecting the locket. "Harry's told me no one can keep that job more than a year. Have you considered swapping teachers halfway through the year so no one can keep it?"

"I have not considered that approach, though I have adapted many others. I have changed the classroom, syllabus, and class name several times. I can work something out before school starts."

"Sir, there's one more issue," Twilight said. "I know this is going to sound weird, but Sunset and I are kind of... stuck here. We can't open a portal home for some reason. I'm going to ask Celestia to open a portal, but for now, we can't go home."

"Yes, Celestia and I talked about a lot of things while she was here last year. One of those was the alibi that Equestria is a country." Dumbledore spoke calmly when he said, "Celesita told me the truth, that you exist in a world separate from ours."

Twilight and Harry shared a surprised glance.

"I understand you'll want to get home," Dumbledore said calmly. "Until you do, I have a proposition." Dumbledore pulled out two letters with a familiar seal on them and handed them to Twilight. "I don't think the board would object to the proposal. That is, of course, if you'll accept."

Twilight held the papers out for her and Harry to read.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Teaching Assistant Application."

"Oh, and this was delivered to me earlier today, addressed to the three of you," Dumbledore said, handing over one more piece of paper. "I was wondering if you might know them."

"Good luck.

—D."

Harry and Twilight looked at each other. Discord.

Author's Notes:

Okay, so a lot happened.

First Horcrux identified, and more to come. Dumbledore will need some help and this time Harry can be involved! And Harry seems to have some very... loud thoughts about them.

Teaching assistant. Think for just a second, there is one teacher for each subject, with a school that has likely had an increasing number of students for the last 1000 years. The math rounds out from 300 to 500 students. How you grade 300 essays in one week is completely beyond me. Sunset and Twilight are way too old or experienced to be students. So, Discord may have messed a few things up in the background, where he belongs.

Bye!

Chapter 5: Readjusting

After Dumbledore pocketed the locket and gave Twilight the applications, he went to the basement to relay a cover story for the locket with the Order. Everyone was shunted upstairs until the ordeal was over. When the meeting was done, all but Sirius, the Weasleys, and Lupin had gone their separate ways. After everyone left, Mrs. Weasley invited the kids to the dining room for some dinner, which led to the most awkward conversation of the afternoon.

---

"Alright kids, come take a seat in the dining room," Mrs. Weasley said with her motherly-yet-too-sweet tone. "Mrs. Sparkle can sit at the head of the table."

Twilight, who had arrived late, stuttered. "Mrs? I'm not married."

"Oh- I assumed—"

Sunset facepalmed behind Mrs. Weasley. "Ginny told her mom about your promotion, and she assumed it was because you married up. I was trying to correct them."

Twilight's face flushed scarlet. "Married?! Celestia, no! I've even dating anyone yet! Why would you think that?!"

Twilight felt immensely mortified at Mrs. Weasley's idea. Her? Married? No, not anytime soon. She hadn't even started dating anypony. Who'd she even consider trying to date? The guard from the Crystal Empire? No way!

"As I said, I'm trying to correct her," said Sunset

"Mrs. Weasley, my position was earned, not given. I'm not that important, there are still three other princesses, I've barely hit my stride!" Twilight said. Mrs. Weasley looked a little embarrassed at her presumption, although Twilight didn't blame her. Human royalty didn't function like Equestrian royalty, and that was understandable.

"Okay, this is great and all, really, but I'd like to eat, so can we shift focus?" Sunset said.

Dinner was a relatively quiet affair after that. Twilight noticed Sunset was significantly less apprehensive about eating meat, so she ate without complaint. Due to the meeting and impromptu discovery of these "horcruxes", by the time dinner was over the sun had already begun to set. Hermione and Ginny showed Sunset and Twilight where they would be sleeping for the night. The room was less dusty but would require more cleaning in the morning, but it wasn't worse than the castle in the Everfree, so Twilight didn't mind that much. Sunset seemed more at odds with her surroundings, and Twilight felt a pang of guilt. Sunset had her life uprooted so many times, even if the first was self-inflicted. Hopefully, she'd cheer up if she found a way home.

---

The next day, Sunset woke up and found Twilight alone in the dining room, reading over some papers. When she asked what Twilight was reading, the princess responded by saying Dumbledore gave them papers for teaching assistant positions.

"I'm sorry, we got what?" Sunset demanded angrily.

"Dumbledore found two piles of paperwork for teaching assistant, addressed to us." Twilight handed a paper over to Sunset.

Sunset grabbed the letter and tore it open irritably. A teaching assistant application?!

"This is ridiculous. We weren't even here a full day, how did this happen?" Sunset scowled. She crumpled the paper and threw it across the room.

"Sunset, calm down, there's no need to get so upset about this," Twilight insisted.

"No need?!" Sunset shouted. "Twilight, I had friends for the first time in my life, I've finally moved past the Fall Formal, and all of a sudden I'm here, with no way back. My whole life just got turned inside out again, you can't tell me to calm down!" Her magic sparked irritably, igniting her hair in a wreath of flames.

"Uh, Sunset, your hair—"

"I know. It did that back in Equestria." Sunset sighed, letting her flaming hair go out. She collapsed on a chair, moaning miserably.

"Sunset? Do you want to talk about it?" Twilight asked, laying her hand over Sunset's.

Sunset nodded slowly, closing her eyes. How do I phrase this? Twilight is in the same position as me, both of us are far from home, but she is the more willing traveler.

Sunset fumbled for a word to describe how she felt. "I don't like it. Everything feels upside-down, again."

"Sunset, are you... scared?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Sunset admitted. "When I left Equestria, I wanted to be someplace with magic away from Celestia. When I arrived, I nearly broke when I couldn't use magic. So I reverted to what non-magical skills I had. Cunning, manipulation, lying. I feel sick just thinking about who I was back then. I wanted power, I felt I deserved what Celestia kept from me. All that negativity festered because I didn't see the value of friendship. Then I went back to Equestria to steal that crown. At last, I had magic again. And I used it to endanger everypony back home. And when I got my hands on the crown in my human world, I... you know, turned into a demon.

"For all the time I've had magic, I've been a bad person. I don't want to back to how I was before we met. I have magic again, and I just had to lose contact with every friend I have back at CHS. They saw me for more than my mistakes. I miss them, and I'm stuck here." Sunset felt choked up as a tear slid down her face.

Twilight moved closer to Sunset, wrapping an arm in a side hug. "I know, I miss my friends in Equestria too. But until we can get you back, I'll be there for you. I know Harry will be as well. And you have nothing to worry about being who you were. That part of your past isn't who you are today. You used that magic for good against the Dazzlings. I promise you, once we can send you back, I'll do it."

Twilight slid one of the papers to Sunset: a letter addressed to Celestia.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Harry and I made it to Earth safely. We're staying in a safe house Dumbledore set up. However, there is a small problem. My portal accidentally dragged Sunset Shimmer with us. I tried to send her back, but I can't get the portal to open from this side. The spell isn't working. Until it can be repaired on Equestria's side, we're stuck here. We're hoping for an expedited repair so we can send Sunset back to the mirror world.

Your faithful princess,

Twilight Sparkle.

Another tear trickled down Sunset's face as she looked at another reminder that she was stuck there. But, maybe, things could get better. Perhaps attending that school would make things more bearable.

"When were you going to send that?" Sunset asked.

"Right now." Twilight rolled up the paper and tapped it once with her finger. The paper flashed white, then disappeared.

"I think I need a moment to think this over, maybe get some fresh air," Sunset said.

"Yeah, you do you. Take some time to get used to here," Twilight said, patting Sunset on the back.

Sunset stood up after thanking Twilight for her words. The formerly magicless human walked to the front door, intent on doing a little walking and planning a surprise for her two friends.

---

Harry decided 12 Grimmauld Place was... marginally better than the Dursleys. The sleeping situation was better by default, beating his old cupboard by a wide margin. Mrs. Weasley's cooking was fantastic. But after a hearty breakfast, they all fanned out to start cleaning the house. The morning was spent cleaning the bedrooms. After that, they spread out a bit more. Harry chose the drawing room, as it was often used. Harry cleaned with Ron and Hermione, the other three Weasley were on another floor, and the two Equestrians were somewhere else.

Mrs. Weasley probably wouldn't know what to do with Twilight. Harry laughed imagining Mrs. Weasley telling a princess to clean a room like a maid. And at the moment, Harry was cleaning the dining room like said hypothetical maid.

"So, Harry, what was it like to learn magic during the summer?" Hermione asked as she dusted off the old piano.

"Amazing. Twilight's a brilliant teacher, taught me loads of spells. Her brother trained me to fight with magic proper," Harry said, recalling his studies and training sessions. It was distinct from anything in Hogwarts. "Equestrian magic is very different from wizards'. Their magics have few incantations and no wand movements, like this." Harry lifted his hand, and several items floated out of the shelf he was cleaning. They orbited around him as he sorted through the items, from junk to unknown to potential danger.

"Harry!" Hermione scolded, sounding like she'd seen him kick a puppy. "Underage magic, Harry! You can't do that!"

"I can't get caught doing it," Harry smirked. The objects around him swirled in a wave, almost tauntingly. "When my magic was restored after Tirek, it was replaced. I might not register as a 'wizard' by magic." Harry shrugged with air quotes. "We don't know if the trace is active on me, but Twilight removed it just in case."

"Bugger me, is there anything that girl can't do?" Ron said in disbelief. "Fred and George always said they'd figure out how to do it. She's probably better than half the teachers."

"Funny you should say that," Harry said. "Twilight and Sunset got applications to be teaching assistants. They'll be at Hogwarts as long as they can manage."

"Why Hogwarts?" Hermione asked.

"Two reasons: our way back to Equestria is down indefinitely and Twilight never misses the chance to learn or teach magic," Harry said. He set down his sorted items and picked up the nearby broken glass, arranging them back in place over their panes. A quick spell later and the glass was restored as good as new. Of course, that spell was taught by Rarity, who said something along the lines of "mares like a stallion who can make a place presentable" or something. But, if Harry wasn't doing chores at the Dursley house, it was an improvement.

"I shouldn't be surprised anymore," Hermione sighed. "But I'm so jealous you can learn and cast spells." The witch looked at the duster in her hand longingly, probably wishing it was her wand.

"I could ask her to try," Harry said. "There's no guarantee. As I said, after Tirek ripped out my human magic and the Tree of Harmony stored everypony's magic, mine could be unicorn magic for all I care."

"How did that feel? I mean, you were more or less turned into a squib," Ron asked with a shudder. Harry shuddered as well. "You have to admit, it's a terrifying thought, losing your magic."

"I'm not going to lie, it hurt like hell. After my possession was reverted, I just felt sore, but that might've been my injuries. When my magic was replaced I felt better, like a part of me was put back in place."

Someone knocked on the doorframe. Twilight Sparkle walked into the room.

"Hey, has anyone seen Sunset?" Twilight asked. "She said she was going for some air, but I haven't seen her for a while."

As though she'd been summoned, a bright flash of light signaled Sunset Shimmer teleporting in a moment later. A small bin rested at her feet. "I was out getting some fresh air, what's I miss?"

"For three hours?" Twilight asked.

"We've been cleaning for three hours?" Ron exclaimed. "No wonder my arms hurt."

"Well, who wants to take a break?" Sunset asked. She lifted the bin in front of her, loaded with pieces of muggle technology. "I was thinking of a movie night. Is that alright?"

"Yes!" Harry, Hermione, and Twilight said, the former two out of the desire to avoid cleaning.

"What's a movie?" Ron asked.

Sunset walked through the room and put down her bin of stuff. "I took a walk to clear my head and found this broken old VCR player sitting around. I thought if I could find a tape or two and a projector, I could fix it up to watch a movie. It took a while, but I found an old pawn shop three blocks down the road. I offered to fix some stuff in return for a broken projector and then bought a tape. Pretty good deal." She pulled out a few tapes and set them aside.

"You can do that? Fix those, I mean?" Harry asked.

"Of course, a little bit of magic doesn't hurt my odds." Sunset held up the power cords, but there were no outlets in the room. Sunset held out her hands above the cords. "Of course, this would be a problem if I couldn't generate electricity with magic."

A yellow orb lit up between Sunset's hands, which she jabbed the power cords into. "I've still got to repair the projectors, it's a little more complicated. While I fix this, why don't you all move the couches and pick a movie." Sunset sat down and tinkered with the devices, repairing them in short order and connecting the two devices.

"Seriously, what's a movie?" Ron asked, picking up a VHS tape.

"Moving pictures, Ron," Hermione said. "Sounds and images. Muggles produce films for entertainment."

"Muggle entertainment?" Ron said. "I don't know anything about that."

"Neither have I; I never got to go to the theaters," Harry said. He picked up a film made by an American company. "But I heard good things about this one. It's fiction, all made up for fun."

"Oh, yes!" Hermione said. "An animated film about animals who—"

"Don't spoil it!" Sunset shouted from across the room.

"It can't be that good," Ron grumbled.

"Go get your siblings, I'm sure they'll enjoy it," Hermione insisted. "Unless you'd rather clean?'

"And get some popcorn!" Twilight yelled back.

"Already got some." Sunset said.

Sunset tossed out several microwave popcorn bags. Ron rushed out of the room as Sunset and Twilight set out their movie setup. There was a crackle of magic as the projector spit out an image onto an illusory rectangle that floated in the air.

"Magical blackboard?" Twilight asked.

"Means I don't have to use a screen," Sunset explained.

"Why not project the image directly? It'll get better resolution."

"I didn't want to. I don't think the resolution is that good."

Harry and Hermione moved the couches to face the projector. Harry sat down on the far right of the first couch. "Okay, who's sitting where?"

Twilight sat down on the right of the second couch. "I got my spot."

"Are you sure you don't want to sit next to him?" Sunset teased, pointing at Harry.

Harry huffed in faux indignation, a petty revenge plan already formed in his head. Harry flexed his wrist, transforming his bracelet into a wand. He then pointed it at Sunset. He recalled the transformation spell Twilight found in the Castle of the Two Sisters. There was a flash of light before Sunset was replaced by her original unicorn body. Sunset looked surprised by the transformation, stumbling on her old hooves. Harry blew on the tip of his wand before snapping it back on his wrist.

Sunset glowered. "Really? Well, how's it with the shoe on the other hoof!" She blasted a spell at Harry, who was unable to dodge. Before he realized it, Harry was back in his unicorn form.

"Hey!" Harry shouted. He jumped off the couch, stalking toward the yellow unicorn. "Why I ought'a—"

A different redhead abruptly tackled him. Ginny squeezed Harry's neck in her arms, squealing. Harry couldn't find the words to speak or the strength to get out of the headlock. Harry couldn't get a full breath to cry out for help from anyone. He could hear Ron and Sunset cackling madly. The twins followed behind Ron and joined in mocking Harry's misfortune from the doorway.

"Oh, why didn't you tell me there was a unicorn!?" Ginny gushed. "He's so cute! His mane is so fluffy and his fur is so soft!"

Sunset couldn't stop laughing and fell to the ground as her laughter overpowered her breathing.

"Could you let go of Harry, please?" Twilight asked.

Ginny's arms slacked for a moment. Harry managed to get a breath in.

"Ginny, stop! It's me! Harry!"

Ginny dropped Harry, red as a tomato. Harry rubbed his throat and greedily took gulps of air.

"Harry!?" Ginny squeaked, blushing. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know it was you! You just looked too soft and cute—" Ginny cut her sentence off, embarrassed.

"I don't think we look that cute," Twilight said. She floated Harry to sit next to her on the couch, then cast the spell on herself, transforming into her alicorn body. "Find a seat, we have a movie to watch."

"You can talk?" Hermione asked. "Animagi can't speak while transformed."

"Well of course we can talk. How else do we hold a conversation?" Sunset snarked. She sat on the same couch as Twilight and Harry while the other humans sat on the other couch or the floor. Sunset pointed her horn at the popcorn bags she'd brought in, instantly popping them. "Have to say, I missed being a pony. I should've transformed earlier. I missed my horn."

Sunset reached up to caress the appendage before saying, "I guess what I should be saying is thanks, Harry. Now, movie time!"

Harry leaned back as the group watched the projector play the movie. He could get used to this.

---

"Well that was unrealistic." Ron said when the credits rolled.

"Ron, it's an animated film, it's not meant to be realistic." Hermione said.

"It was about talking animals." Ron insisted.

"Is that a problem?" Sunset said in a deadpan voice. Harry and Twilight looked at him with equally scrutinizing eyes.

"Don't lie, you cried when the father died," Ginny said.

"I wasn't crying, it's the dust in here." Ron protested, crossing his arms and huffing.

"Must have been a lot." George noted.

"For that many tears? I'm surprised we aren't choking," Fred added.

"Of course, I did clean the dust away, so I don't know where it came from," Harry chuckled. Nearly everyone in the room cried at that scene, and Harry knew Ron wasn't an exception.

Before they could pick on Ron more, Mr. Weasley poked his head into the room. Evidently, he was back from work.

"Hey, kids." Mr. Weasley said. "Molly said—" his eyes caught on the projector— "what'cha got here?" he asked.

"Watching a muggle movie," Fred said.

"Oh really? I've always wanted to go to one, but never figured out how. How do they move an image without magic? And what about sounds?"

"It's simple, really," Sunset said. She ejected the VHS tape and held it up. "This tape is sensitive to magnets and holds imprints from the image and sound. A VCR can play back the recorded message by detecting the magnetic material."

Arthur picked up the VHS tape like he'd been handed the holy grail or a royal artifact.

"Incredible. To think Muggle can achieve so much without magic."

"Please, this thing's archaic. If you want to see something advanced, you should see the internet," Sunset said.

"The what?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, I don't think I've heard of that," Harry said, equally puzzled. The "Internet" didn't sound familiar.

"Seriously?" Sunset asked. "I thought you lived with nonmagical people?"

"I haven't been keeping up with muggle news as well as I should," Hermione confessed. Harry voiced similar sentiments.

Sunset sighed. "Well, I guess it'd be hard to explain without a reference. Just think of it as an invisible intangible cloud that contains the sum of all modern knowledge that anyone, anywhere, at any time can access, and you get the barebones idea."

"Incredible," Mr. Weasley said, awed. "The things those muggles can come up with. Now, where might one find this 'cloud'? What kind of weather should I expect from it?"

"You said Mrs. Weasley said something?" Harry asked, knowing that Mr. Weasley wouldn't stop if he was allowed to keep asking questions.

"Oh, Molly said to come down for dinner."

Everyone stood up to rush to the dining room. Harry packed Sunset's film equipment onto a shelf he cleaned and turned to leave.

"Harry, Twilight, wait a second, would you?" Sunset asked.

The three stayed behind as the others left to get their food. Sunset summoned the papers Dumbledore had delivered the day before, now uncrumpled.

"I... I think... I'll give this teaching assistant thing a try," she said reluctantly.

Twilight let out a squeal of excitement. "Now all three of us can go! Come one, let's go tell the others." She flapped her wings in the air, exiting through the door, Sunset trotting not far behind.

Harry then remembered that he hadn't learned the counterspell.

"Wait!" Harry shouted after them. "How do I turn back!?"

Author's Notes:

I'm sorry this took so long. I hope this can make up for it. A lot more "fluff" and comfort in the chapter, with a small measure of humor. We'll get to some real plot soon, so stay tuned for that. Big changes are coming, be prepared for those.
Also, can anyone guess which film they selected to watch? Bye!

Chapter 6: Tribulation and Trains

After Sunset and Twilight figured out how to transform Harry back, the three went to dinner. They then announced they were joining Hogwarts as teaching assistants. This was welcomed with plenty of cheers from the younger people and a concerned look from the adults. Two unknown staff from out of the country were sure to draw attention. That "unknown factor" was guaranteed to draw even more if they showed off their magical skills. Harry was less worried, they would be safe enough at Hogwarts.

The next day, the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione bought school supplies. Harry took the opportunity to shuffle around the money he had with the galleons in his vault. Once again, Harry's amulet pointed to a lower vault; Ron suggested it pointed to an older family vault. After collecting the money, they visited Diagon Alley to pick up supplies for Harry's fifth year. It was uneventful, the only thing of notice was a drawn-out discussion between Sunset and Twilight as to whether their hair could be used in wands, considering they were technically unicorns.

For the rest of the week, Harry and the others were left out of any further conversations about the Order. From what the twins gathered with something they called "extendable ears", the order was grasping at strings to figure out what Voldemort's next move was, seeing as he (likely) hadn't regained a body. According to Twilight and Sunset, who were privy to more information than anyone else, Voldemort's lackeys were leaderless now, but they weren't going to give up as easily as Halloween all those years ago.

Then came the most unexpected mail of the year. By some strange stroke of luck, Ron and Hermione were named prefects. Harry got nothing. He wasn't expecting to be the quidditch captain, but he was... less than ecstatic.

---

In the wake of the big announcement, Harry was sulking in the drawing room, absent-mindedly flicking his amulet open and closed. His mind was consumed by thoughts about what had just happened. Ron and Hermione were the new Gryffindor prefects. Sure, someone would've been left out, but Harry felt dejected it'd been him.

I mean, why did they get it? Hermione's one of the best in her year and a strict rule-follower, but why Ron? Ron isn't exactly prime material, he'd bully Slytherin if Hermione can't rein him in. Hermione thinks I would've gotten the position if Dumbledore wasn't being cautious. But that means Hermione and Ron are there because they're close to me, which is worse. They didn't earn it, it's favoritism! So why not me then?

Harry was dragged out of his musings by Twilight knocking on the doorframe.

"Hey, Harry, are you alright?" She asked, walking to take a seat next to Harry.

"I'm fine."

Why couldn't I get to be a prefect? What did Ron do that I haven't done?

"You're not. Don't try that with me, I know you better. Why don't you tell me what's bothering you?"

Everything.

"A lot. Now that I'm back to Earth, I'm having a... I don't know, an identity crisis? I mean, there's the issue of being a pony, being stuck here, where I want to stay in the long term, and this prefect stuff. I didn't care about it until today. I feel like I got targeted. You know I hate that. I feel awful for being jealous."

"Feeling jealous doesn't make you a bad person," Twilight corrected. She scooched in to wrap an arm around his. "Do you remember when I wrote about Rainbow's time at the Wonderbolt Academy? She didn't get the top position. Sure, she was jealous, but it didn't make her a bad pony."

Harry put his locket down. "I know, I know. I just don't understand why they were picked above everyone else. I can't help but think it has something to do with me, which makes me compare us. Do I sound crazy?"

"No, not one bit. Remember, you are incredible, you don't need to prove that to anyone. Nothing can change that," Twilight said. "Feeling better?"

Harry smirked. "A little. Thanks, Twi."

"If you get all sad about anything else, you know we're here for you. Your concerns aren't a burden to us."

Twilight gave one last hug to Harry before leaving him to give him the space to think things over.

Harry closed his eyes and sighed. As usual, his best friend was right. At this point, I'm pretty sure she has more magical friendship powers than the Elements.

The sound of shuffling feet startled Harry out of his musing. A second person walked into the room, Sirius. An old, rolled-up tapestry of some sort floated next to him.

"Hey, Harry," Sirius said as he moved to sit next to Harry. "I heard about the prefects."

"You did?" Harry replied.

"Yeah, don't get too worked up about it," Sirius replied. "Your father wasn't a prefect. Sure, he was Head Boy and your mother was Head Girl, but you've got—"

Harry sighed and said, "More things I didn't know about my parents. It's not fair."

"Do you want to talk about them?" he asked. "I know we haven't had much time to talk before but..."

"I'm not sure," Harry said. "Everyone talks about them, but I never feel like I knew them. I don't even have my memories." Harry pulled out the surviving photo from his album. He'd kept it close since Tirek's attack, magically preserved to the best of his abilities. "I remember their deaths, but they're through his eyes. I don't know how much about my parents when I never got to meet them. I love them, and I think I always will. But I can't— I can't know them."

Harry pulled two more photos from his jacket, also magically protected. The first was taken after the coronation, and the second was taken on the day of the Summer Sun Celebration. The first was of him, Twilight, and Spike. The second was of all eight of them, smiling. Sirius looked closely at the photos.

"I don't see you in these," he said.

"I'm that one," Harry pointed to himself, then cast the transformation spell. "Yeah, we're all ponies. But they're my friends, and I love Equestria. I feel awful, now that I'm back. My parents knew so many people. All they talk about is how much I'm like them. Yet some days I'm more comfortable as a unicorn than a human. Is that wrong?"

Sirius was silent for a long moment, contemplating. Then he waved his wand and laid the tapestry he'd been moving on the other couch.

"I don't think so," he said after a long moment. "I suppose it's a bit cruel, to keep comparing you three. If it's any consolation, I felt the same way about my animagus form. I didn't exactly... get along with my family, having a body not related to them felt... therapeutic." The tapestry unrolled itself on the floor. "If you'll take a look."

The tapestry looked immensely old; it was faded and looked as though doxies had gnawed it in places; nevertheless, the golden thread with which it was embroidered still glinted brightly enough to show them a sprawling family tree dating back (as far as Harry could tell) to the Middle Ages. Large words at the very top of the tapestry read:

THE NOBLE AND MOST ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK

"TOUJOURS PUR"

"You're not on here!" said Harry, after scanning the bottom of the tree.

"I used to be there," said Sirius, pointing at a small, round, charred hole in the tapestry, rather like a cigarette burn. "My sweet old mother blasted me off after I ran away from home— our house elf's quite fond of muttering the story under his breath."

"You ran away from home?"

"When I was about sixteen," said Sirius. "I'd had enough."

"Where did you go?" asked Harry, staring at him."Your dad's place," said Sirius. "Your grandparents were really good about it; they sort of adopted me as a second son. Yeah, I camped out at your dad's during the school holidays, and then when I was seventeen I got a place of my own, my Uncle Alphard had left me a decent bit of gold — he's been wiped off here too, that's probably why— anyway, after that I looked after myself. I was always welcome at Mr. and Mrs. Potter's for Sunday lunch, though."

"But . . . why did you . . . ?"

"Leave?" Sirius smiled bitterly and ran a hand through his long, unkempt hair. "Because I hated the whole lot of them: my parents, with their pure-blood mania, convinced that to be a Black made you practically royal... my idiot brother, soft enough to believe them . . . that's him."

Sirius jabbed a finger at the very bottom of the tree, at the name Regulus Black.

"He was younger than me," said Sirius, "and a much better son, as I was constantly reminded."

"Were tehy, you know?" Harry asked, not wanting to imply.

"Death Eaters? Only my brother. My parents got cold feet, but they believed everything he said. They thought my Regulus was a right hero, before he did, that was. On Voldemort's order, probaly."

Sirius flicked his wand, rolling the tapestry up.

"I don't care for most of the people on here," he said. "I don't have a 'noble' family, but your parents were. If nothing else, remember that your parents loved you. You can live your life as you want, they would love you regardless."

Sirius ruffled Harry's mane playfully, causing Harry to huff and shake his mane back to normal. This got a little laugh out of Sirius, which then got Harry to chuckle. The two of them went their separate ways to "wage war" on the house's filth.

---

That left one thing between the group and Hogwarts: King's Cross Station. Getting there posed to be something of a challenge, as there were too many students to side-along apparate and the car held too few people. The issue was resolved by Twilight transforming everyone into small animals for the duration of the trip, but the drive there was packed regardless. They even had room to fit "Padfoot" in the car, to say goodbye. The whole group crossed through the wall with plenty of time before the train left.

"So, this is the famous Hogwarts Express?" Twilight asked.

"Yep. Come one, let's find a compartment," Harry said.

"About that..." Ron said.

"Students are required to take the train to Hogwarts," Hermione said. She pointed to a compartment near the front. "But Prefects, Head Boys, and Head Girls are the only ones allowed in that compartment. That's where Ron and I will be. Sorry, Harry."

"Eh— it's fine," Harry said begrudgingly. He looked down the boarding platform and by chance spotted a glance of someone's face: Cedric Diggory. "Twilight, Sunset, why don't you two go find a compartment; I'll join up later, I've got someone to talk to," he said.

If either seemed confused, they shrugged it off as Harry rushed down the platform to find Cedric. Hedwig hooted in complaint as she and the rest of Harry's luggage floated behind him like a boat in a troubled sea. Harry was still having trouble with keeping objects levitated with his subconscious. When Harry caught up to the prefect he noticed Cedric wasn't walking on his own. He had a pair of crutches under his arms, which kept him up as he directed students. Evidently, he hadn't quit his responsibilities as a prefect.

"Hey, Cedric!" Harry called out. Cedric turned to look at Harry.

"Harry! Good to see you, how're you doing? You know, with... everything," Cedric said, gesturing vaguely at the air.

Harry waved a hand dismissively. "I'm fine. I should ask about you. If you don't mind me asking, how is recovery?" Harry gestured at Cedric's crutches.

"Oh, these? I'm getting better. Whatever that cup did, it messed me up. The splinching didn't heal right. It took days to get me moving again. The healers think I'll have these for the rest of the year if I'm lucky. Truthfully, I'm glad I get to go through my seventh year. After what happened that night, I should be a goner. I owe you for that."

"No, you don't. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been there."

"And Crouch would've killed me. These," Cedric tapped his crutches. "are better than another second under the Cruciatus Curse. You saved me. It's my last year, but I'll be there for you if you need any help from Hufflepuff's head boy."

"Head boy?" Harry said in surprise before he noticed the badge on Cedri's clothes read "Head Boy" instead of "Prefect". "Congratulations."

"Yeah, surprise, right? Well, if you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Thanks, I guess," Harry said. Something Cedric said came back to him. "Wait, how did you know about Crouch? The Ministry—"

"Dumbledore told me about what happened when I recovered. He said your friend, Twilight, saved you when you got left behind. I oughta thank her if I see her again."

"Well, she's staying at Hogwarts as a teaching assistant. Drop by sometime, she loves to make new friends."

"Sounds like a Hufflepuff," Cedric said.

"We'll see about that. She's one of the bravest people I know," Harry countered.

"I suppose we'll never know. I'll see you later, I need to get to the prefect's compartment," Cedric said.

The boy hobbled along with his crutches toward the front of the train as Harry said his goodbyes to Sirius. Harry knew Sirius couldn't say goodbye as a dog, but it felt good to have one last goodbye before he jumped on board. It took a few minutes for him to find Twilight and Sunset, but he got there without any problems. He put his stuff in the compartment and sat down next to Twilight.

"So, how's the train?" Harry asked as the train took off from the station.

"Not much to say, it's a train," Sunset said. "You've seen one, you've seen them all. But if you want an opinion—"

Sunset was cut off as Neville Longbottom poked his head in the compartment, his round face shining with the effort of pulling his trunk along and maintaining a one-handed grip on his struggling toad, Trevor.

"Hi, Harry. Sorry, but every compartment's full... can't find a seat," Neville said.

"Go on, take a seat," Twilight said. She waved a hand, opened the sliding door, and levitated Neville's trunk.

"Whoa," Neville said. He took a seat, still trying to keep a grip on his toad. "So, how was your summer, Harry?"

"I spent it abroad. Met some new friends, learned some magic, the best time of my life," Harry said.

"Really? Can you— you know— show me? Are we allowed to do magic on the train?"

Harry shrugged. "Probably, Hermione's done it plenty of times." Harry snapped his fingers (a bad habit from Discord) and transformed into his unicorn form. Harry stretched out his legs and pranced about the compartment for a second. "You have no idea how good it feels to be back in this body."

"You're an animagus? Blimey, where were you that allowed to do that?"

"I'm not an animagus, it's just a spell I learned," Harry said.

"Yeah, all of us can do it," Sunset said. She transformed into her unicorn form, and Twilight followed behind a second later.

"That's brilliant," Neville said in wonder. "By any chance, were there any interesting magical plants?" Neville asked.

"Well..." Harry thought back to the plunder-seed incident. Those were plants, and they were without a doubt magical. The only other ones Harry could think of were the Apple family zap apples, but they hadn't been in season. "There were these evil plants that tried to destroy the town I was staying in. Caused magic to go haywire nearby. I couldn't cast a spell."

"Wow, that's interesting. A magical defense against spells? I've never heard of a plant that could do that before. I wonder if there's something like that in the forests at school?" Neville wondered aloud.

"Let's hope not. The ones back home had to be eradicated, lest they destroy the country," Twilight said.

Neville looked frightened and ready to ask why. At that moment, someone pulled their train compartment's door open.

"Excuse me..." a nervous voice spoke. A girl with long, shiny black hair was standing in the doorway: Cho Chang, the Seeker on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. "I was looking for—" Cho cut herself off as she saw the two unicorns and one alicorn. "Oh! They're so cute!" She reached down for the top of Harry's head. Harry swiftly ducked away, not wishing for a repeat of his experience with Ginny.

"Hey, please ask before you do that!" Harry exclaimed. The girl was taken aback by Harry's outburst.

"You can talk? I've never met a talking unicorn. I thought the normal ones were all gone!" Cho exclaimed.

"And now you've met three. Why are you here again?" Sunset asked bluntly.

"I was just... looking for Harry," she said.

"Oh, really?" Harry said. He quickly transformed back into a human, blushing in embarrassment. "Sorry, that's probably awkward."

"Um..." Cho said, pink in the face. "Well... I'd wanted to say thanks, for Cedric... Bye then." She closed the door again, rather pink in the face, and departed.

"Huh," Harry said, rather confused.

"Who was that?" Twilight questioned.

"Cho Chang, Ravenclaw's seeker," Harry said.

"I wonder what she wanted," Twilight pondered.

"I guess I can ask Cedric later. I think they were dating," Harry said, deciding whatever Cho was talking about was unimportant for now.

When the food trolley came by, Harry took the time to introduce his Equestrian friends to the bizarre candy of the wizarding world, which unfortunately included every-flavor beans. Twilight occupied herself with the safe choice of a licorice wand while Sunset tried her hand at chocolate frogs. (She got unfathomably rare cards.) The three waited for nearly an hour in silence before Ron and Hermione joined in, having made their rounds. By then the food trolley had already come and gone. At this point, the four of them were swapping chocolate frog cards around.

"I'm starving," Ron complained as he stowed Pidwidgeon next to the open cages of Hedwig and Owlowiscious. He grabbed an unopened chocolate frog and threw himself down next to Neville. He tore off the frog's head and collapsed like he had a full day of work done.

"Well, we found the other prefects," Hermione chimed. "There's two from each year above fourth, one boy and one girl, so six from each house."

"Let me guess the Slytherin prefect, Malfoy?" Harry deadpanned.

"Got it in one," Ron said.

"I have to wonder what their standards are, letting him in," Harry mused.

"What's Slytherin?" Sunset asked. She and Twilight transformed back into human form.

"We never explained houses?" Hermione asked, looking a little surprised. "Well, each one of the houses represents a quality the four founders of the school wanted in a student. The sorting hat decides which house you fit best into."

Neville tuned into the conversation.

"I never understand it. I wanted Hufflepuff but it gave me Gryffindor. I've never felt brave and that's what they're about," he said.

"I guess that is what we're most known for, true," Hermione agreed with Neville's assessment. "Gryffindor is the house of the brave, Ravenclaw is full of clever students, Hufflepuff is the loyal one, and Slytherin—"

"Is full of gits like Malfoy," Ron grumbled.

"That's not exactly true. Slytherin is the house of cunning and ambition, almost all of them are pureblooded," Hermione corrected.

"I'm still correct," Ron countered.

"Ambition?" Sunset echoed. "Yeah, I don't know about that. I had that, but I've moved on."

"What makes a pureblood?" Twilight asked.

"Most of your family has to be other pureblood or half-blood wizards," Neville said. He pointed between himself and Ron. "We are pureblooded, for example. Both parents were magical. Half-bloods have one magical parent, and one not, but a muggle-born is as good as a muggle for purebloods. And muggle-borns have two non-magical parents."

"Does it make wizards stronger, having 'pure' blood?" Sunset asked, raising her fingers in air quotes.

"Only if you ask Slytherin," Ron said. "No one's ever proven pure blood is stronger."

"Interesting," Sunset murmured. She stretched, stood up, and walked to the door. "I don't know about you, but I don't like being cooped up. I'm going to go for a walk, save my seat, will you?" She left the compartment with a smile.

By what must've amounted to sheer poor luck, Sunset exited only a few moments before the door opened for the third time. Harry observed the new "visitors"; he had expected this, but that did not make the sight of Draco Malfoy smirking at him from between his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, any more enjoyable.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry growled before Draco could open his mouth.

"I'd watch your manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," drawled Draco, looking more than ever like his loathsome father. "Because, unlike you, I was made a prefect, which means, unlike you, I can hand out punishments."

"True," Harry admitted. "But you, unlike me, are a git with an ugly widow's peak."

The rest chuckled at Harry's insult at Draco, who looked fuming.

"Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?" Draco scowled.

"You want to know how it feels?" Harry's bracelet reappeared as a wand in his hand. After a brief moment of concentration, he teleported to stand in front of Malfoy, startling the Slytherin. "Feels like I don't care, because I don't need status to uphold my fragil ego." Harry flicked his wrist, magically slamming the door in Malfoy's face. A second spell locked the door shut. Harry sat down, in far worse of a mood. He watched Malfoy scowl and leave down the hallway. "I hate that guy."

Harry turned back into a unicorn, deciding he wouldn't get much time to be one during school.

"I still can't get over you using wandless magic," Hermione asked.

"I still use a wand, or at least the bracelet most of time," Harry replied, showing off his wrist. "Besides, it's not that important. Twilight never needs one, neither does Sunset—"

There was a knock at the door as Sunset returned to the compartment. Twilight undid Harry's lock to let her in.

"So, what'd I miss?"

Author's Notes:

Hey, I'm back. For anyone who asked, yes, the reference in the last chapter was The Lion King, so congratulations. I can't tell you how excited I am to get one chapter closer to Hogwarts. 

Also, Cedric's alive and back to school! When I wrote Equestrian Education, I debated for hours whether to keep Cedric around, and, well, here he is! Alive and well, and Head Boy to boot!

See you all soon!