Bab 21: Chapter 021 Fly me to the Moon
"And Angelina Johnson scores! It's 50-30 in favour of Gryffindor. Is it just me or Ms. Johnson is looking mighty fine today on her broom?"
"MR. JORDAN!"
"Just kidding, Professor."
Everyone laughed at Lee's antics as Professor McGonagall was getting ready to throttle him. It was the first season of Hogwarts Quidditch and everyone was jubilant especially after the Monster Attack fiasco.
"The quaffle is now with Syltherin Chaser Pucey who…whoa…that was a close call with the bludger, everyone. The Weasley twins are on fire today. Pucey passes it to Captain Marcus Flint! Look at him go! The Slytherin beaters are flanking him steering away the bludger from Flint. Will he finally score? ….And Captain Oliver Wood failed to block it! Ten points to Slytherin!!"
From the Slytherin stands the crowd went wild but the Gryffindors booed. Harry saw the small form of Freddie jumping up and down and waving a large banner depicting a roaring lion which he helped his friend animate.
On and on the game continued and it was brutal. That bludger really was dangerous, Harry thought, as it hit Alicia Spinnet, a Gryffindor Chaser, on her back making her spin in the air. Fortunately she had a firm grip on her broom and was able to stabilise herself and continued to pass on the quaffle to Angelina.
"That must've hurt! But that won't stop Spinnet, everyone. It's now 80-50 in favour of Gryffindor! That serves you right Crockett, you dirty, no good, horrible…"
"Mr. Jordan! If you don't stop this instant I will make you scrub the toilets with a toothbrush, you hear me?!"
"Geez, Professor McGonagall. It was just a joke. You should lighten up a little."
"LEE JORDAN!"
"Sorry…"
Harry snickered. Lee really was the best at commentary. The Gryffindors were in high spirits but the game wasn't over yet. Up in the air Harry noticed something interesting. Neville Longbottom, the youngest Seeker in a century, was languidly looking for the snitch when his broom suddenly lurched. No one noticed yet but as the seconds passed his broom became more violent, trying to toss him off. He narrowed his eyes. Someone else in the stands was trying to control the broom. People shouted as they finally noticed what was happening.
"What's this? What is Longbottom doing with his broom? Merlin, he's going to fall off!" Lee shouted in alarm which only added to the growing alarm.
Longbottom's broom gave a big lurch and the pudgy boy was unseated. Thankfully he managed to grab onto the handle with his right hand but just barely as the broom continued acting like a bucking stallion.
"Longbottom! What are you doing? Control your broom!" Fred Weasley shouted as he batted the bludger away from Neville. Fred widened his eyes as the speeding ball swerved and made a U-turn and went straight again directly at Neville's head. George swiftly intercepted and whacked the ball away. It wasn't done however as the bludger relentlessly aimed again for the pudgy boy.
"What's that?! Even the bludger is acting strange. Did someone jinx it?"
While the Gryffindors were scrambling to control the situation the Slytherin team took advantage and scored multiple times in a row, turning the game in their favor. Seeing the situation, Rolanda Hooch blew on her whistle and called for a time out. It was too late however as Fred failed to hit the bludger and it collided with Longbottom's arm with a loud crack. The boy let go of his broom and cried out in pain. The crowd watched in horror as he plummeted down to the ground.
"Arresto Momentum!"
Professor Hooch pointed her wand and Neville slowed to a stop before he could impact the compact sand. While most were sighing in relief that no one was critically injured, at the Ravenclaw stand the students watched in horror as two bludgers aimed for them barreling at high speeds. The terrified students scrambled away in panic but Harry remained seated in place.
"Harry! Get out of the way!" Anthony stopped as he noticed his friend nonchalantly sitting there as if two balls of death weren't seeking to break his bones. Just as he was about to tackle him out of the way he watched as Harry took out his wand and incanted calmly.
"Fulmen"
A lance of lightning erupted from the tip of the wand and impacted one of the rogue bludgers with pinpoint accuracy.
BANG!
Everyone flinched at the loud explosion and watched as pieces of the bludger rained down on the ground. Harry calmly returned his wand to its sheathe and yawned, subtly gesturing with his other hand and redirecting the other bludger towards the Faculty Stand. Harry smirked behind his hand as Quirrel widened his eyes and dove out of the way. Underneath his sleeves Harry swirled his finger and the bludger continued to harass the DADA Professor as if it was a shark that tasted blood, wood chips flying every time the rogue quidditch ball almost hit. Sadly, nearby Professor McGonagall blasted the bludger into pieces and helped the quivering Professor stand up. Harry pouted at having his fun interrupted.
"Excellent aim, Mr. Potter! Bravo! 10 points to Ravenclaw!" The diminutive professor clapped proudly.
The Ravenclaws cheered as Professor Flitwick awarded them points. They crowded around Harry and asked him what spell he used. He smiled and answered calmly but inside his mind he was thinking. He looked at the Faculty Stand and narrowed his eyes. Quirrel was getting bolder, targeting him in broad daylight and in front of witnesses. Of course he would be targeted as Harry knew he was the bigger threat. He didn't miss that the stuttering professor had not in fact been stuttering and had been muttering continuously, probably a hex of some sort. To the side Snape had also been mouthing off words in latin. Between the two, Harry would believe that the Potions professor was the one casting the counter-hex.
"Harry! Are you alright?" Freddie ran up to him and tackled him.
"Oof! Urg. Yeah, Freddie. I'm fine. Now get off me you big hippo."
"Hehehe. Sorry."
"Everyone! Terrence Higgs has done it! Just before the whistle blowed the Slytherin Seeker caught the snitch! It's now 210 to 90 in favor of the Snakes. Slytherin team wins!" Lee Jordan announced on his microphone.
Green and silver sparks erupted in the air as the Syltherin House celebrated their win. Meanwhile the Gryffindors groaned in dismay.
"What?! How's that possible!" Freddie clutched his face in horror and Harry chuckled patting his friend's shoulder.
"I'm sure the lions aren't out of the count yet. They can still lose to Ravenclaw next time." He smirked as his tall friend glared at him. It was so easy to rile him up.
After the game things went back to normal and Neville Longbottom wasn't blamed for their house's loss, which the boy was thankful for if the relief on his face was any indication. His broken arm had been easily healed by Madame Pomfrey and he was released that same night.
Investigation on the bucking broom and the rogue bludgers resulted in nothing and the culprit remained unknown.
Harry already knew it was Quirrel and the wraith at the back of his head. If the foolish turban head wanted to play games with him he better be prepared for a retaliation from just like with the bludger.
—-
It was the last day before the Christmas Break and Harry was excited as the space suits were ready. He can't wait to show Freddie the spaceship!
The Hogwarts Express whistle sounded and Harry and his companions unboarded the red train onto Platform 9 & 3/4. They waved goodbye to their classmates and Harry and Freddie went over to where Sirius and Remus were waving to the side.
"Pup! Freddie! Come here."
Sirius hugged them enthusiastically which they returned. Remus simply smiled and patted them on the shoulder.
"Are you boys ready? Forgot anything?"
"We're all set, Remus. Let's go home."
Everyone smiled at the thought and Harry teleported them all to Potter Manor.
When they arrived Harry dragged Freddie to the laboratory to show him the spaceship. As the doors opened Freddie gaped at the futuristic-looking space vehicle.
"It's so sleek and it looks so…so alien, Harry! It's so awesome. You made it yourself?" Freddie caressed the smooth metallic surface and marvelled at it.
"Yeah. It's called the Tear of Midas or simply TM-01. Want to go see what's inside?"
"Yeah!"
Harry showed Freddie all the ship's amenities. He was smug that his friend was suitably impressed with everything especially the Command Centre where he introduced him to Lily, the ship's AI.
"Lily, this is Frederick Leighton. Freddie, meet Lily."
"Welcome aboard, Sir. I hope you enjoy your stay." The pretty hologram lady smiled welcomingly at him and Freddie blushed.
"Hello." He waved shyly.
"Come here, Fred. This stone right here basically controls the ship. I want you to put some blood on it. Go on."
Harry lead him to the Mystic Diamond and instructed him to slash his hand. Freddie reluctantly did as told and when the stone had enough it glowed a bright pink.
"Confirmed signature of Frederick Leighton. Designation?" Lily promptly asked.
"Designate Frederick Leighton as a Vice Commander, please."
"Affirmative. Vice Commander Leighton has now 2nd-Tier authority over the TM-01."
"Second tier means I'm still the highest authority but you can now command the ship as well just like with Sirius and Remus. Isn't that neat?" Harry smiled.
"What? But Harry, I don't know how to fly a spaceship!" Freddie asked worriedly.
"Don't worry. Sirius and Remus have been practicing on the smaller drones and you can join them. Besides, think of it like a racing broom. It follows what you will it to do."
"Oh. Well if you put it like that…" He breathed a sigh of relief and then got excited at the thought of flying…but this time on a spaceship!
"We're not going anywhere until we finish with homework. Come on, I'll help you." Harry dragged a whining Freddie out of the laboratory.
"What?! That's so lame!"
"No buts."
"Noooooo…"
Harry snickered.
———
It was a day before Christmas and it was finally time.
"All systems are working perfectly, Captain."
"Excellent. Is everyone strapped in?" Harry asked from the Command Chair and the others nodded in unison.
"Yeah pup. We're good."
"We're ready."
"Yeah. Let's go!"
He smiled at the enthusiastic responses. Even the elves and Midas, who was very smug that the ship was named after him, were excited. He willed his chair to face forward towards the viewing panel.
"Lily, activate Stealth Protocol." He commanded.
"The Sound Canceller, Invisibility, and Detection Wards are activated, Captain."
If someone were to look from outside, the teardrop-shaped spaceship suddenly became silent and disappeared from view.
"Excellent. Open the hatch, please."
Immediately a loud groaning sound was heard and outside the house's exterior wall slid down and inserted into a slot just beneath it.
"It's show time."
Harry relaxed in his seat and what was previously an ordinary high-backed chair glowed, runes painstakingly carved into it softly lighting up in unison. The chair was the link between the pilot, ship, and the Mystic Diamond and Harry made it so that it will read the intentions of the one sitting in it seamlessly. It also helped that he intrinsically knew the inner workings of the mind and he was probably the only one in the world who could work this kind of advance mind magic.
It was strange as sensations he hadn't felt before existed in his consciousness. He could feel every move, shift, and shudder of the TM-01 as it lifted off the ground. He could feel the wind caressing the ship's metal frame and he could sense what the ship's Detection Wards could sense. It was bizarre but not unpleasant.
Everyone gasped as they felt the ship lift off gently and slowly float above Potter Manor. Once the mansion's wall closed, Harry announced in his mind, the ship automatically projecting his voice.
"Prepare for take off in T-minus 10 seconds."
The ship tilted slightly upwards and in exactly 10 seconds the ship accelerated almost ten times the speed of sound. However, no one noticed their departure as the sound silencing and air friction canceller runic arrays worked perfectly in tandem, the ship not even making a whisper. Inside everyone was amazed as they zoomed through the air no racing broom could ever match and also didn't even feel the ship lurch. In about 30 seconds the ship finally slowed to a stop and Harry allowed everyone to unstrap their safety belts.
"All systems are stable, Captain. Invisibility and Sound Canceller, deactivating." Lily announced.
"Woah! I'm floating! Wohoo!" Freddie shouted in glee as he swam in the air, mimicking a frog. Even Sirius joined in on the fun and tried to chase the boy. The elves surprisingly were twirling and spinning in the air expertly as if they were fish in the water. Midas though didn't like that he couldn't fly correctly and kept squawking in irritation. Harry let them enjoy for a moment but eventually pulled them down to the floor with telekinesis.
"Activate Artificial Gravity."
Lily's glowing form nodded and immediately gravity returned to the ship.
"Thats was fun! Do it again!" Amusingly it was Dobby who said that as the little elf clung to the wall in dizziness.
"Dobby! Behave!" Shelley reprimanded him but Harry only chuckled.
"Later, Dobby. Everyone look outside." Harry pointed towards the wide glass panel and everyone gasped at the majestic view. In the vast darkness of space, the stars twinkled and the light of the yellow sun shone brightly like a big ball of fire, the glass panel protecting their eyes from the harsh glare. It was right in front of them though that made even the elves tear up. It was Earth, their home.
"It's so pretty. Like a huge gem." Moppy sniffed emotionally and held her son, little Tippy who also stared at the blue planet, as for the first time in their lives they saw Earth's magnificence. It was like an out of body experience for them. Who could say among the billions of people down below that they have been in space? Surely only a handful and right now this eclectic group of people which consisted of wizards, elves, and a phoenix was now part of that number. Harry smiled as he hugged his friend's shoulders who he could see crying. It must be overwhelming for everyone but hopefully it was a good overwhelming. Harry reluctantly broke the silence.
"Ahem. What do you say, everyone? It's Christmas Eve. Our elven friends prepared for us a huge banquet earlier and we wouldn't want to waste it right?" He grinned as everyone nodded their heads. He told them to strap themselves again and when everyone was firmly seated he gave his next command.
"Lily, power up the Warp Drive!"
"Destination, sir?"
"To the moon!"
"Of course, calculating distance…calculation complete. Warp Drive activating in T-Minus 5 seconds."
Outside, if Earth's manmade satellites had been looking, they would have witnessed an amazing phenomenon. Alas, they weren't and entirely missed it as a clearly advanced alien spaceship suddenly blinked out of existence. Inside, the ship's passengers only blinked once and outside they saw a spherical whitish-grey rock with huge craters on it. It was only half illuminated by the sun, the bright half facing Earth. It was a full moon. Remus widened his eyes in fright as he suddenly remembered he forgot to take his dose of Wolfsbane but it turned into confusion and then shock as nothing was happening.
"I…I don't get it. Why am I not turning into Moony?" The not-werewolf took off his seat belt and patted himself as if making sure. Sirius was also pensive as he thought but shrugged.
"Can you still feel Moony, Remus?"
"Yeah, but he's…quiet." He murmured unsurely. Remus closed his eyes and felt his other half who should be howling in agitation from the moon's light right now. Remus gasped as his body twisted and morphed. Everyone was shocked as there in front of them was a huge silvery wolf with eyes the color of amber, Remus's eyes. Usually a werewolf looked half-man and half-wolf but clearly this wasn't the case right now.
"Remus? Moony? Are you alright?" Sirius took out his wand and cautiously walked towards the huge canine who only looked at them, confusion evident in his eyes. The elves and Freddie crowded behind Harry who held out his hand ready to subdue if it became aggressive.
Finally the wolf nodded his head indicating that it understood Sirius and the dog-man sighed in relief. The wolf closed its eyes and after a few seconds it turned back into a human.
"That was…weird. Sorry for scaring you." Remus said sheepishly.
"It's alright, Remy. That was bloody awesome though! It looked like you just turned into a wolf animagus! How the hell did that happen?" Sirius, the man-child, glomped his best friend on the shoulders like a limpet.
"Yeah. That was interesting. Maybe the wizards had been wrong this whole time about what lycanthropy really is." Everyone nodded at what Harry said.
"Anyway, your furry problem won't bother you anymore, at least until we get back on Earth. Let's shelve that for now and eat!" Freddie cheered and Harry teleported them all to the Common Area where a huge table groaned with all the food arranged spectacularly on top of it. The elves had gone all out as they also decorated the huge Willow tree with festive bits and baubles, the small floating lights looking like small fairies that flitted in and out of the branches.
Everyone enjoyed their food, even Midas who attacked his bowl of fresh fruit with gusto. It was a fun-filled Christmas Eve.
When everyone had tucked in after hours of merry-making, Harry appeared again in the control room and sat on the central chair. As soon as he was seated the runes lit up and he commanded the ship to land on the moon's surface. As the vehicle landed on a small crater, some dust was disturbed but eventually settled.
"Lily, I'll be going out for a bit while everyone sleeps. Please look out for the ship for me while I explore."
"Of course, Captain. Keep safe."
Harry nodded appreciatively as a side panel opened up for him and small white boxes were arranged neatly in rows. Harry smiled as he picked one out and removed his glamour this time. He pressed the rectangular piece of metal to his chest, noticing that the Mewtwonite stone was almost gone, just a speck on an otherwise pink expanse of short, fine hair. The mysterious metal of his necklace also gleamed, reflecting the sun's soft glow coming from the window. Harry had decided to put the Gaunt Ring's stone inside it some time ago as he didn't really have any other use for it, the black stone clinking softly inside it as he moved.
As the white rectangle touched his chest it wobbled and expanded covering his entire body, even his head-tail. Harry designed it so it conformed naturally to the wearer's body, using a veritable array of runic charms and transfiguration to achieve it. There was also an extension charm added so that the suit would fit in the tiny rectangular space. Finally the fabric spread over his head and covered his eyes like a helmet, transparent glass making it possible for him to see clearly. The suit had all the protective runes Harry could think of and a modified bubble head charm. He made the suit out of the strongest synthetic fibres available on the market as magical materials such as dragon hide or actomatula silk made for poor canvas for runic arrays especially dragon hide's magic-resistant properties as it interfered with the magic flow.
"Perfect." His muffled voice sounded out.
Harry teleported to the hangar and commanded Lily to open the hatch. Behind him, a huge bubble of air sprang up, keeping the ship's air from leaking out and finally the huge doors of the hangar opened letting him see the barren and dusty lunar landscape.
Harry landed gently on the ground. The gravity was so weak that dust particles flew up and floated back down gently. He probably was the first ever wizard to have set foot on the moon. Harry took out his M-Phone and took pictures of the incredible sight of Earth, appearing small and only half illuminated. He also took a picture of the spaceship parked inside the small crater.
Tucking his phone inside his suit, Harry floated and began exploring the pock-marked surface. It really was barren and lifeless. The entire reason for this space voyage was to see if it was possible to terraform a planet other than Earth. Unsurprisingly, he circumnavigated the moon in just a few hours at a leisurely pace, such was its small size. All he saw was just rock, sand, and craters which was disappointing. The atmosphere was also non-existent, not a conducive environment for life to flourish. Arriving back where the ship was he decided to explore the moon's poles and headed towards the northern direction first.
Harry burst with his fastest flight speed and quickly made his way to the north pole. After a several moments he finally stopped and looked at the frozen patches of water down below. Floating a bit closer, he was disappointed that there wasn't much. Harry sighed and tried his luck down the southern end. Having travelled already halfway he just teleported back to the ship and flew his way for the rest of the distance. The southern lunar pole was dark as it was on the other side of the moon where the sun's rays don't reach. He conjured a ball of light to illuminate his surroundings and what he saw impressed him a bit. It seems that most of the water were frozen here where the shadows and freezing temperatures protected it from evaporating. Imagine a whole sea just frozen over, that's what Harry was seeing right now. Sadly, it was still not enough. Also, if he decided to evaporate the ice it would just be sucked out into space as the moon's non-existent atmosphere wouldn't be able to hold it in. The weak gravity also played a huge part. It seems the Earth's moon just wasn't an ideal place.
Harry sighed and teleported back to the ship having had enough of the desolate wasteland. Appearing inside the hangar, the huge doors closed with a hiss and he took off his clothes, the white spacesuit going back to its original rectangular shape. Having a few more hours before the others woke up, he decided to read up more on taking care of magical plants. He was going to need all the knowledge he can if he wanted this project to work.
——
That morning the crew opened their gifts under the willow tree and ate a late Christmas breakfast. After the hearty meal that the elves made, Freddie insisted that they explore so now Harry watched from the command chair as the others explored the moon on their brooms. All of them of course wore protective suits even the elves and Midas, the suit conforming to their bodies comfortably. He chuckled as he watched Remus and Sirius transform into their canine forms and played tag with the elves. Freddie was flying just a few feet in the air as he advised all of them that straying too far from the ground might just launch them into space as the gravity was very weak here. That suitably horrified them and promised not to fly too far. After a few more moments Harry sent a telepathic message to everyone and told them to come back onboard. Freddie took some last couple of photos and joined the others inside the hangar.
It was later after all were strapped in securely that Freddie asked about their next destination.
"We're going to tour the Solar System. Are you guys ready?" Harry grinned.
"Yeahh!! Let's go!" Freddie shouted excitedly. This was the best Christmas ever!
"Alright. First stop: Venus. Say goodbye to the Earth and Moon for now. Lily, protective runes at full power. It's going to be really hot soon." Harry teleported the entire ship just outside the moon's gravitational pull.
"Powering runes…power at 100 %. Calculating distance. Destination - Planet Venus. Coordinates determined. Engaging Warp Drive in t-minus 10 seconds." He smiled at the efficient AI.
"Everyone, hold tight."
Exactly on time, the shipped blinked out of space and appeared at their destination. Everyone watched wide-eyed as Venus came in their field of view looking beautiful in its golden color.
"Venus's atmosphere is very corrosive and extremely hot so it's unwise for anyone to go out and explore. The spacesuits would probably hold but to be safe just take a couple of pictures for now." They nodded in understanding. They too wouldn't want to be melted alive. Harry directed the ship towards the planet below and entered the atmosphere without any trouble, the ship's protections enough to shield them from the corrosive elements. Interestingly, the planet's atmosphere was very cold, ice particles forming, and steadily got hotter the closer they got to the surface.
Venus's surface was rusty in color and peppered with numerous mountains and volcanoes. Harry manoeuvred the ship towards an active one and they witness it spewing lava and debris into the air. It was an amazing sight. Freddie crowded the glass window and took numerous pictures. Eventually, they got to see most of what Venus had to offer and they left the hellishly hot planet.
"Everyone alright? Great. We're going closer now. Lily take us to Mercury." Harry commanded.
"Certainly. Destination locked. Please fasten your seat belts."
In the blink of an eye, Mercury appeared in the horizon. It was pretty much like the Moon, small, grey in color and full of craters. Mercury has no atmosphere and during the day the sun's rays practically baked the surface to smouldering. There was nothing much to see though and they soon left.
"Next, the Sun. Are you guys ready?"
"Harry, are you sure? I mean, it's the bloody sun! Won't we get cooked to death?" Sirius asked concerned.
"We're just going to take a closer look. At the first sign of danger we're going to teleport out of there. Alright?" Harry assured them and they reluctantly trusted him. He was the one who made the ship after all.
"Alright. Here goes. Lily, system status?"
"The ship is fully operational, Captain, and the protections are running at full capacity."
"Good. Get us closer to the sun, please, and further darken the windows."
Lily nodded and slowly the glass windows darkened until only the light inside the ship illuminated them.
"What gives, Harry?"
"Looking at the sun directly will blind you, hence the dark windows. Don't worry you'll still be able to see it."
The Warp Drive activated and they appeared closer to the huge ball of fire. Despite the black tinted windows, the sun glared through it harshly and they could see it in all its fiery orange magnificence. Harry stopped the ship from getting closer, he felt the sun's gravity pulling them in but he steadied their ride in place. They stared at the huge star, feeling humbled compared to its great existence.
It was several minutes of silence that Harry became alarmed. He detected a huge solar flare. Although it wasn't directly coming towards them it was still dangerous. He concentrated with extreme focus and teleported the ship and the entire crew hundreds of miles from their previous location. Everyone was surprised at the sudden movement but watched wide-eyed as they witnessed the solar flare blast into space in seconds, close to where they had been a second ago. The huge arch of fiery energy reached thousands of miles in seconds, incinerating anything in its path, including a couple of space rocks that immediately disintegrated from the intense heat. Some of the heat still reached them but the Mystic Diamond glowed brightly and conjured a large protective dome that shielded them from harm.
"That was close. Everyone alright?"
"Yeah…" Freddie slumped in his chair and wiped his brow. That was scary. He looked at his phone and replayed the terrifying scene, the solar flare caught on camera perfectly. He grinned. Man, what a perfect shot.
"Let's get out of here Harry. I think we've had enough of the sun to last for a lifetime."
Harry agreed and instructed Lily to warp them to their next destination.
—-
Over the next few days they were able to visit all the planets in the Solar System. Everyone enjoyed the experience as they took pictures of the Asteroid Belt where Harry enjoyed dodging huge space rocks. Mars's rusty colored surface had been interesting and they took some time to explore the red planet. Harry also took some soil samples and he was pleased that Martian soil had some potential. The TM-01 went up close and personal towards Jupiter's massive storm and they also took pictures of the biggest planet's numerous moons. Saturn's magnificent rings up close were made of icy rocks. Uranus's single ring and icy-blue exterior had been interesting and Harry voiced that maybe Atlantis was secretly hidden there. When they dived into the blue depths however they were disappointed that there was nothing to be found. Neptune's ocean-like appearance was like Uranus's twin although it had thin six planetary rings which was hard to see from afar. Lastly Pluto's heart-shaped icy plains had been perfect for taking pictures. Pluto definitely was everyone's favourite. It was a surreal experience for all of them. They were certainly the first earthlings to have ever explored the planets and Harry was proud that the TM-01 had held up beautifully and successfully ferried them across the vast empty space. Maybe someday he would be able to cross other galaxies. Were there other life forms out there aside from humans? He could only speculate.
After going back to Earth and to the Potter Mansion, Freddie got permission and enthusiastically shared all of his photos and videos to his friends and classmates. Everyone was shocked as the numerous photos of Freddie and Harry posing with earth in the background became viral. The Daily Prophet also got wind of their little adventure and featured them on the news the next day as a Special Edition. A waving Harry and Midas atop his shoulder had their picture taken with the huge spaceship in the background was featured on the front page.
"The spaceship aptly called the Tear of Midas was named after Harry Potter's pet Phoenix, Midas. It is the first of its kind and as you can see, the space vehicle is exactly designed to micmic the shape of a teardrop. It is incredible that Mr. Potter, an 11-year-old and still studying in Hogwarts has been able to do what Wizards and Witches have been striving to achieve for centuries or even millenia: space exploration. It is unclear if Mr. Potter will mass produce the Tear of Midas, or TM-01 for short, in the near future. We at the Daily Prophet would love to ride a spaceship and the masses surely would as well. The Wizarding World could only anticipate and hope."
Remus's moving photo of him turning into a wolf animagus had also stunned the populace and made everyone think of the implications this will make on those suffering from lycanthropy. Could there finally be a cure? Scholars and Potions Masters scrambled to learn about the phenomenon. It is certainly a great time for potioneers and intellectuals to study the effect of the moon in outer space.
Their mails have also been flooded with requests to see the ship or maybe take it for a ride. Some bold idiot also claimed that they stole the ship from him and demanded to get it back. Harry scoffed and burned the compulsion-laced letter to ashes. People nowadays. He shook his head.
Because of this, he had to upgrade the security in the mansion and also permanently removed access to the floo network. He didn't want idiots from the ministry getting any ideas of confiscating his ship. Anyone who dared trespass with malicious intent on the Potter lands would get a blast of potent lightning to the face, courtesy of the new, more expansive wards. Darkwood Town's security has also been tightened as suspicious characters have been lurking about and Harry was only happy to oblige.
Why did he let Freddie share those photos of their adventure if it would give him so much headache, you ask? Well, Harry wanted to ease the wizards and witches that things are slowly beginning to change. At first it was his new inventions. The M-Phones had been a great success as well as the introduction of other advanced magic-technology hybrids. He knew that some of the more close-minded magicals would protest to too fast a change so he introduced them gradually over the years. The spaceship was a pretty big leap already and he was sure that there would be some critiques coming from the bigots and the purebloods.
Change was inevitable and he needed the Wizarding World to be prepared. He had a foreboding feeling that sooner or later their luck would run out and the muggles would strike back in fear of the unknown. Harry only hoped that by then he had prepared enough contingencies. The future was uncertain and some things are still left unclear but one thing was for sure. He would do everything in his considerable power to protect his family.
Harry sighed and shook his head. The holidays have gone and it's finally time to go back to Hogwarts. He wondered if anything would surprise him this time.
——
It's been a few months since the boys got back to Hogwarts and as expected, the moment they boarded the train their compartment was swarmed with students and they have been bombarded with questions about their little adventure. Freddie fielded the questions and Harry let him answer as he sat back and watched.
It was funny how Freddie was such a good storyteller, a talent he didn't know the boy possessed. His tall friend masterfully retold the sights he had seen and the perils they encountered while in space. The audience oohed and aahd captivated by the fantastical scenes he painted with his words. It also helped that by that point everyone had seen the pictures and the video footages so it wasn't much trouble for him to make the people believe him. Harry was happy to see his friend enjoying being the centre of attention.
Nothing has changed much in school and no new trouble arose. It was afternoon and Harry had a bit of time to explore the Forbidden Forest. He had been wanting to visit the local centaur herd but he'd just been so busy with his projects. Harry took off his glamour and flew beneath the canopy, not worried that he'd be seen by the castle residents. He'd long ago accepted that he wasn't human anymore, or at least not fully. Even though that was the case he wouldn't change anything and he was happy.
Soon, the light dimmed as the trees and vegetation grew thicker. Denizens of the forest curiously peeked out from their hiding places as his pink form flitted to and from the huge branches of holly, oak, pine, and sentinels. Harry smiled as various species of pixies and fairies joined him in the air as they chittered and danced to a non-existent tune. Magic was thick here, he thought. Even the spiders were curious such as acromantulas and thornbacks as they stared at him with their numerous eyes up in the trees, though they knew not to attack a powerful creature like him. Just as he passed a herd of thestrals, Harry smiled as he heard the telltale sound of galloping. It was a male centaur that had a pale-golden pelt and bright golden hair that appeared past the trees. The half-horse and half-man was much taller than most men. Its naked torso rippled with lean muscles and its other half looked like it could gallop miles non-stop. A well-crafted long bow and arrows were strapped on his back. Two more centaurs appeared from the trees, one of them Harry recognised.
"Honoured One, I am called Firenze and these are my brothers, Bane and Arkatosh." Firenze bowed his torso in respect.
"Humans call me Harry Potter but in this form I am simply Mewtwo. Arkatosh! It's been so long, my friend."
Arkatosh grinned as Harry floated towards him and gripped their arms in greeting.
"Honored One, it was with your benevolence that my mate and son, now grown healthy and strong, survived that day. I am forever in your debt."
"You're welcome, friend. I am glad to hear it. And you are Bane?" Harry asked the last centaur.
"Wise One, I am indeed called Bane and a warrior of our herd. If it pleases you, we would be honoured to escort you to the meeting place." Bane was the tallest among them with dark skin and even darker fur. He stood imposingly in the middle but bowed low showing his respect.
"I have Seen that my presence is needed so I came. You may lead the way."
With that said Harry was lead deeper into the forest where humans seldom, if ever, venture.
——
Author's Note:
Hi all! So sorry for the late update. It's been two weeks! T.T Actually I wanted this chapter to be longer but the words didn't seem to want to come out right so I had to cut it short. I saw some of you kept sending me power stones and I'm really grateful. So thank you so much for your continued support. I've also been sick this past week, my left eye is really swollen and stuff and I need to heal. But hopefully I could write more. Again thank you, everyone. You're all amazing! Peace out.
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