The quartet arrived by large library, as Raven ushered them around, to a courtyard right outside of it.
"Okay, Harry, your powers," said Raven, as she held out a hand. "Your mother sacrificed herself so you could live. Yet, it was not a passive act of just getting herself killed. She made sure you were stronger and more durable. See that lightning bolt on your forehead."
"What about it?" asked Harry.
"I found a reference to it, just a few days ago," said Raven. "It's not a lightning bolt, but rather a mark of protection."
She paused, and then clarified. "The symbol indicates a great sacrifice. It must be done by a party who has no regrets about what they had to do. It's a rather tricky piece of magic to get right. Yet, the result is sitting right before me. You have great powers, but the magic requires a great deal of fuel."
"And by that you mean…" started Harry.
"Sexual intercourse," said Raven without preamble. "Naturally with your upbringing and the traditionalist values of that community, that might not be forthcoming or prompt. The protection nearly died out. It would have turned you into a normal wizard, without intervention."
"See, Kara, you saved me," said Harry. "Wait, what do you mean, I'm not a normal wizard?"
Raven just remained patient and spoke, as she got out another book. "What you are, Harry, cannot strictly be classified. If you were normal, you would not be able to experience your wife's talents without certain precautions. In fact, with your full powers, if she was normal, you wouldn't be able to get satisfaction. I trust you both are lasting much longer."
Kara and Harry nodded, at the awkward direction this was going.
"The rings would not have accepted just anyone, but the perfect match," said Raven. "And Kara was your perfect match. I'm still researching the rings, I only found general references. Only you could stumble upon the one person in the world, who could help you access your full powers."
Harry just smiled, as Kara slid into his lap.
"Granted, you are a long way from accessing the full scope of powers," commented the half demon. "But, each and every day you get stronger. Your mother's protection has kept a dark and malevolent force inside your head at bay for the past fifteen years. Dumbledore corrupted them further, using them to protect your relatives. Naturally, it would have mattered little. The protection is not in the blood, but in the heart. Your mother loved you very much, and died so you could live the best life you could, with longevity beyond those of even witches and wizards."
Raven remained silent, as this all sank in right away. Harry thought about all of the things that had happened. Magic came more naturally to him, he had limited flight powers, and his head was a lot clearer.
"Dumbledore's interpretation of the prophecy was what he believed it to be," she concluded after a time. "However, he thought it was an abstract concept of love. Yet, he was mistaken, as it's not simple concept, but a person, and that person is sitting right in your lap."
Kara's mouth opened in surprise. "So, it was a good thing I came along when I did then, or Harry would have been finished."
"Well, I couldn't say, I suppose he could have survived against Riddle," said Raven. "The objects I had Hermione collect were called Horcruxes. They are the darkest, of dark magic. Very few people have performed the magic correctly. One must sacrifice a life, so they can tear their soul. It's not just any murder, its murder without remorse. You can kill to save a life or to protect a loved one, and it would not damage you."
Raven looked at Harry. "The evil that lurks within you would have long since twisted you, had it not been for what your mother did. You saw what the diary did. And Dumbledore's current mental state indicates he's suffering right now. He put on another Horcrux, and it warped his mind."
"So can this thing be removed?" asked Harry.
"If I could do it, I would do it in a heartbeat," said Raven with a slight smile, before she remained stoic. "But, it wouldn't work. I've calculated everything. My magic, the Horcrux, and your mother's protection would not mesh well at all. It could cause a cataclysm that could wipe out everything."
"Oh, well thanks for looking," said Harry.
"I feel that when Riddle took your blood, he may have doomed himself, "said Raven. "His Horcruxes keep him alive and intact. If he inherited the protection, it may be a disadvantage."
"Okay, now what?" asked Hermione.
"Hermione, the Horcruxes," said Raven.
The three Horcruxes in the bags were placed out. Raven levitated them out, careful not to touch them.
"Kara, blast them," said Raven.
The Kryptonian aimed a heat blast at each and every Horcrux. The diadem, the locket, and the cup all melted from a well-placed heat vision blast. The dark shades released into to the air, and were drawn into the afterlife.
"Riddle's snake is the final one, but there's something you must learn before you fight Riddle," said Raven, as she looked Harry. She looked at him, a stern expression on her face. "You need to lose the wand, it's a liability."
Harry blinked.
"Right," said Harry slowly, as he wondered if he could overcome five years of being told "you need a wand to perform all magic."
"Just start practicing simple spells without a wand, and work your way up," said Raven. "That's the easiest way. If you lose your wand or have it destroyed, you will be finished. I would invite you to browse any of the books I have acquired, but until you ditch your wand dependency problem, the magic is beyond you."
"I assumed that all magic needed to be done with a wand," said Harry.
"Well, the Ministry does need a way to track you, and they can't really track real magic," replied Raven. "The wands have caused the life expectancy of witches and wizards to go down. You may notice yourself to be a lot better without the wand once you re-trained yourself. Keep it around for now, but don't rely on it."
Harry nodded, as he vowed to do what he could. If learning magic without a wand would help him defeat Riddle, then that was what he have to endeavor to learn.
Dumbledore sat in his office, as he pondered what had transpired. There had been no attacks, but he remained on his guard. The office door swung open, and Professor McGonagall walked in, in a towering temper.
"What is it, Minerva?" asked Dumbledore.
"Several students dropped out of school this morning," said McGonagall. "They cited an unsafe educational environment, and a Headmaster who seems unable to protect them."
"Did you deter them?" asked Dumbledore.
The Deputy Headmistress sighed. "They gave their notices right after they were gone. They all gone to Hogsmeade, and never came back. Hermione Granger was one of them, so was Susan Bones, and there were many others. I have the complete list."
Dumbledore leaned back. He had a dilemma. At that moment, he had been able to keep a lid on the situation, so it did not reach the Board of Governors. Now with several students who walked, he would have no choice, but to come up with reasons for why he had been unable to do anything. The entire attack situation did not add up at that moment.
"Dumbledore, I resign, I can't take this anymore," said McGonagall in an abrupt fashion.
"I'm afraid I cannot allow you out of your contract, Minerva," replied the Headmaster. "The students of Hogwarts need people like you here, until the bitter end."
The old woman did not reply. The end would be rather bitter at the rate they were going.
At the library, Harry, Hermione, and Kara sat around outside. Kara and Harry sat on the same bench, and Hermione sat adjacent from them.
"I really thought I could handle it," said Hermione. "Harry, you make it look so easy. Every year, you do what is right, stand up to everyone, but not even three months in I cracked."
"Hermione, you tried," said Harry. "The rules of the game have changed. It used to be simple, stick a wand up a troll's nose, and all that."
"What caused you to leave?" asked Kara.
Hermione remained silent. "Harry, there's someone dangerous at Hogwarts, someone who has been killing a lot of people. Dumbledore and Snape think it's me, but I swear it isn't. I didn't hurt anyone, I might have thought about it, but I never would have."
"I believe you Hermione," said Harry.
"If Harry believes you, then so do I," added Kara with conviction.
"That's not my problem anymore, what happens at Hogwarts," said Harry. "Do you have any idea who it is?"
"I think it's….all of the attacks have been based off of magical plants," whispered Hermione. "I think it's…Neville Longbottom."
"Neville…isn't he supposed to be in St. Mungos?" asked Harry.
"He's supposed to be, but he might have checked himself out," said Hermione, as she tried to regain her composure. "He was a friend, but I can't…Bellatrix did this to him, drove him around the bend."
"It might not be him, though, it might be someone framing him," suggested Kara. "The best way to cover your tracks is to make it look like someone else did it."
Kara stopped, and realized. "And now I'm thinking like him. I've spent way too much time in that cave."
Harry remained silent. He had no idea what he wanted to believe these days. Hermione seemed to believe Neville was behind it, and the pieces fit. Yet, Kara raised a good point.
"I think its Ginny," said Harry.
"I thought so too, but she was knocked out the night of Halloween," replied Hermione. "No one can be that convincing."
"Exactly, she beat herself up, to make it look like she was a victim," said Harry. "What Raven said about the Horcruxes, Ginny wrote in the diary for a year. It might have messed her up, and caused her to develop a split personality."
"Harry, you're not thinking about going back," said Kara.
"No, I'm never returning to Hogwarts," said Harry, and she rewarded his intelligent behavior with a nice kiss. Hermione sat, and checked her watch. She took a book, and read it, before the two concluded with their activities.
When the couple finally broke apart, Hermione had finally put down her book. "So, if the job offer that you gave me is still on the table…"
"Hermione, of course it is, you don't even need to ask," replied Harry.
"I was also thinking about setting up a Patronus Branch, over here, I have the money, my parents left me a lot," said Hermione.
"I didn't know your parents were dead," said Kara. "I'm sorry."
"Yeah, when did this happen, Hermione," replied Harry.
Hermione just looked at them. She paused for a while, before she decided to speak up.
"Just after my fifth year, we had a fight, and I left for a while," said Hermione in a somber voice. "I came back, and the Dark Mark was over my house. I left immediately to go to the Burrow, the Ministry was already swarming around the place. I doubted they cared I lived there. It was just a couple of Muggles, and they were too busy erasing memories."
"What was the fight about?" asked Harry.
"My parents…well Dumbledore wrote to them about what happened, my injuries, they wanted to pull me from Hogwarts, put me in a private school to learn how to be a proper lady," said Hermione bitterly. "I don't think they were mad about me almost getting killed, as much as the, me being getting in a fight with someone. They never really felt at ease with Hogwarts, they only let me go because Professor McGonagall put the fear of God into them about the dangers of an untrained witch."
Hermione just sighed.
"Your parents seemed okay when I met them," said Harry.
"They always seem okay in public, it's a mask of deception they wore," said Hermione in a bitter voice. "They had my entire life planned out from the moment I was born. When I went to Hogwarts, it really screwed up their plans. Did you really think I spent so much time at the Burrow because I enjoyed hanging out with the Weasleys? No, I wanted to avoid my parents as much as possible. They tried to micro-manage my life. They tried to squash every creative impulse out of me they had."
Hermione's voice raised in anger, as Kara and Harry just listened. They let her go.
"Little girls aren't supposed to be a fan of super heroes and read comic books, it just isn't proper behavior," said Hermione in a bitter voice. "Little girls are supposed to play with dollies, learn to bake, and obsess over fashion. And we're supposed to find some nice boy we're going to spend the rest of our lives with that we can look good with in public."
"That's why you were so bossy during our first year," muttered Harry.
"Yes, Harry, that's why," agreed Hermione. "I wanted to be your friend, but Ron just drove me nuts. When I saw his mother, she reminded me a lot of both my parents. I tried to get along with the Weasleys for your sake. When Mrs. Weasley talked about that love potion she made in such a flippant manner, it might have sounded like I was giggling, but in the inside, I was wondering what kind of messed up person talks about something that dangerous so casually. And the way she treats everyone like five year olds who need discipline it really drives me nuts!"
Hermione took a deep breath.
"So, it was good to get it out of your system," muttered Kara. "Just like Harry, he was in a lot better place after he vented, after he stopped holding it all in. Our emotions aren't something we should hide from; rather we should embrace them, and who we are."
Hermione shifted guiltily for a moment, as she remembered the weird dreams she had been having. It was almost like she was visited by echoes from a past life. The Grangers did give her a place to live, but not a home. It was always an artificial environment of what they thought a perfect home life should be.
"My family's gone," said Hermione.
"How can you say that, with Harry sitting right here?" demanded Kara, as she looked the girl right in the eye. "Harry and you, you're siblings in all but blood. I see that clearer than ever. You'd do anything to protect him, no matter what."
"Yes, if it meant protecting Harry, I'd burn entire villages," muttered Hermione.
"See, Hermione, you're like the cool older sister I've always wanted, but never thought I could have," said Harry, as he looked at his best friend. "Blood doesn't really matter that much, it's what's inside that counts."
Again, Hermione felt subliminal guilt she squashed out.
"I found my family, both of you," said Hermione, as she hugged both Harry and Kara. "I'll leave you two alone, you deserve it, both of you, I need to do some thinking."
"So, how about we try some of that magic without your wand?" asked Kara.
"Go in the library to practice, there's plenty of room," said Raven. "I permitted you to touch the books."
Lucius Malfoy kneeled before Lord Voldemort. A gesture gave him permission to speak.
"My Lord, it is merely a relic from a Muggle Space Exploration program, nothing of value to you," said Lucius. "It is my regret to report that most did not make it out alive, they froze to death."
"Well, that is most unfortunate, but not unexpected," replied Voldemort in a dismissive voice. "Lucius, you may depart until the moment I have further use for you."
Lucius left without a question. He passed Snape who entered the room. Snape kneeled. Voldemort looked down at him, and indicated for him to rise.
"My Lord, I bring you interesting news from Hogwarts," said Snape.
Voldemort inclined his head, to give Snape his full attention. Snape explained about the recent attacks at Hogwarts, and Dumbledore's nonresponse to them.
"Very interesting, and I'm certain Dumbledore is hoping they cause his golden boy to return home," said Voldemort. "Dumbledore would sacrifice an entire school full of children, to achieve his ends. In some way, I nearly admire the man."
Voldemort gave a high cold laugh, as Snape stood before him to await the Dark Lord to speak.
"Dumbledore may find his grip on his sanity and his job slip further before too long," said Voldemort. "Do nothing for right now, Severus. Then after the first of the year, visit Aberforth Dumbledore, and register your concern. Have him sign the papers to have Dumbledore committed to St. Mungos for evaluation. I will have my contacts leak information to the Board of Governors prior to that point."
Snape gave a nod. He would have to inform the Headmaster of these plans.
"Do you know anything about the flying man?" asked Voldemort.
"No, my Lord," answered Snape.
"Depart, then, return to your post," said Voldemort, as he waved Snape off.
Voldemort returned to his search. He gained more hints, but they raised further questions. He had no idea about this Hogwarts killer either. Yet, it would serve to be a useful diversion for the time being.
In a nice library, Kara sat right on a table. She wore glasses, and a silk robe. Harry faced her, with a simple glass on the table.
"Okay, Harry, try and levitate the glass," said Kara.
Harry closed his eyes, and concentrated. He should be able to pull off a levitation charm, but the glass would not budge an inch.
Kara sat, and racked her brain. "I read something, something about magic, that I'm pretty sure applies. My father confiscated a lot of forbidden books, and I took a peak at them. To fully embrace your gifts, you need to be at ease with who you are. You need to put all of what you learned about how wands are needed to perform magic out of your mind."
Harry nodded, as Kara explained it.
"Let it flow in naturally, don't try and force it," continued Kara. "It's all about channeling your emotions, and using them to achieve your goal. I think that the same principle applies for your Patronus Charm. Just focus on something happy. If you levitate this glass Harry, I'll reward you. There will be more rewards, the more spells you master. Just close your eyes, and just do, Harry. Your hand is the only thing you need; the wand was just training wheels."
Harry closed his eyes, and levitated the glass several inches off of the table. It dropped. Kara smiled at him. He set it down, and levitated the glass again off of the table. This time it floated in the air, right above his head.
He suddenly lost his focus, and the glass crashed.
"You had it, but…" said Kara, as she looked at Harry, who looked rather worn out.
"Levitation is the simplest easiest type of magic, yet it drained me like a really advanced spell," said Harry.
"Harry, you did great," said Kara, as she flew over, before she wrapped her arms around Harry, and pulled him up, to kiss him. "Rachel said there's a bedroom for us right in the other room if we need to rest, but we can do more later."
Harry smiled, as he tried to unlock the door without using his wand. After some concentration, he managed it.
Kara smiled, as she placed Harry down, where there was a bathroom adjacent to them.
"I think it would be refreshing to have a nice warm soak right now, wouldn't you?" asked Kara.
Harry thought that was a nice idea, as Kara helped him out of his clothes, and turned on the taps. Then she slipped out of her robe, to reveal she had not been wearing anything underneath the entire time Harry was practicing.
Smut/Lemon Begins.
Both climbed into the tub. Harry slid back to soak, and Kara leaned back against him. Her bottom brushed against his growing erection, as Harry moved his hands around her shoulders, and back, washing it. His hands pinched, and rubbed her breasts, swirling around her nipples. Kara grinded back against him, as Harry moved down to her toned midsection. Her breaths began more labored, as Harry moved underneath the water, and began to soap her nether regions.
"Harry," breathed Kara, as he touched her. She spun around, so they sat side to side. She saw Harry's penis throbbing underneath the water.
Kara stroked Harry's body, and washed him. She massaged his muscles, and he reached over, to work over her smooth legs. They washed each other, touching their bodies. Then they got out of the tub, and dried off. They returned to the bedroom, and sank down on the bed.
She grabbed Harry's hardened member, before she grasped it firmly in her right hand. The blonde woman began to stroke it, as she hovered over the bed. It felt so good pulsing in her hand, and Harry laid back to enjoy the work.
"Super tit fuck," whispered Kara, as she held her breasts.
"Please," begged Harry.
Kara grabbed his penis, and placed her between her tits. Harry's eyes glazed back in pleasure, as she rubbed it in between her mounds. She fondled his balls, and gave the head of his penis little licks every time it poked out.
Harry felt himself near release.
"Like that, Harry, like how I'm fucking you with my tits," cooed Kara.
"Yeah, you're the best, so strong, so firm, powerful, I could fuck them all day," groaned Harry, as he continued to slide his penis in and out of her breasts, as she licked his penis.
After several moments, Harry's balls tightened, and he let his release come. Kara managed to catch the splatter of cum in her mouth. She sighed in pleasure, as she dropped down onto the bed, her tits splattered with Harry's seed.
The girl leaned down, and began to lick them dry. She watched as her husband drew back to life. The moment she was done, Harry grabbed her, and threw her onto the bed. They kissed, running their hands through each other's head, and all over their bodies.
Harry moved down and kissed her body. Kara moaned, as he sucked on her neck. Then her right shoulder, and he moved down, to worship her tits. Then right down, until he reached her belly button, and began to give it a little love. She liked having her belly button played with by Harry, it made her feel so good.
"Don't, tease me, fuck me," whispered Kara, but Harry just slowly licked at her wet vagina. He managed to tease her. He sucked, licked, and moved down into her, deeper, as he gave faster licks with his tongue.
Kara whined, as Harry went down on her, as she bucked her hips up, to meet his tongue. Harry's tongue continued to vibrate into her, and it drove her wild. She lost count of the times he brought her to the brink of pleasure.
"Are you ready, my Kryptonian goddess?" asked Harry.
"Fuck me already, I'm losing it," breathed Kara, as she grabbed him tight.
Harry lined up his penis with her center and slid it inside her. Kara wrapped her legs around his waist to lock him into place. His wife's tight powerful pussy always made him grow the hardest. He trusted into Kara, and Kara met his movements,. She wanted him deeper into her than ever before.
Kara lost control and began to float off the bed, but Harry kept up the tempo. He felt Kara clench, and she gave a powerful orgasm. His wonderful wife continued to moan again and again, muttering his name under her breath, to cheer him on.
Harry stroked her breasts, and she moaned in ecstasy. It was not too long, before Harry reached the point where he needed release.
"Cumming, my love," said Harry.
"Yes, do it, Harry, cum into me cum, fill me up!" she yelled, and Harry felt his balls tighten at her encouragement. Harry exploded right into her. He continued to unload his seed into her. Kara felt herself get filled up, as she milked every last drop out of him. Once again, she drained his balls. They remained airborne as Harry pulled out.
Smut/Lemon Ends.
They both floated down onto the bed, in a passionate embrace, as they kissed each other. It was like nothing else mattered at the moment, only the love they had for each other.
The scene at the Ministry of Magic was complete chaos, as Percy Weasley looked up from his work. He saw several Ministry workers move towards the Department of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office.
"Weasley's down, he's not responding!" shouted a frantic voice.
Percy quickened his steps as his heart beat faster, but the young man retained a mask of indifference. Umbridge stood in the office, along with Yaxley, as Scrimgeour arrived a moment later.
"What happened?" demanded Scrimgeour. "Arthur Weasley down in his office, is he…"
"Yes, Minister, he is no longer among the living," said Yaxley in an indifferent voice. "It appears his heart has stopped. His wife's cooking might have been the culprit, too many unsavory foods."
"Did anyone see anything?" asked Umbridge, but the Ministry workers shook their head.
"If you have seen anything, please report to my office, where we will discuss the matter," said Yaxley, as he cleared up the stiff corpse of Arthur Weasley.
Percy watched his father be carried past him. He could not afford to show any emotion. That resolve cracked slightly, but he shook his head.
When the cobwebs were cleared, he pulled out the galleon, and sent a message. He needed to talk to his contact, because he was certain his father's death was not an accident.
A hand pulled Percy into another room, and Percy turned, wand out, but he saw a brown haired woman with blue eyes stand before him.
"You wanted to see me, Percy," muttered Tonks. "I heard about your father…they said he had a heart attack."
"Yeah, there was an attack on him alright, and Yaxley was the first person on the scene," said Percy. "You know, Yaxley was accused of being a Death Eater, but he claimed the Imperius Curse…."
"Percy, don't worry, just stick to the task, your cover hasn't been blown yet," said Tonks.
Percy drew in a deep breath, and spoke.
"I have something for you, Tonks. It was a report from the Ministry of Magic, something they covered up that happened three months ago. It was an attack on St. Mungos. No one knows who did it, but several healers and patients were found dead. Several patients were missing, including all three Longbottoms."
"I didn't hear about this through the Ministry, or through either of my contacts in Voldemort's Inner Circle or in Dumbledore's Order," muttered Tonks. "Are you sure it's Death Eaters?"
"I don't know who it was, it might have been an inside job," said Percy. "You've heard the same shady rumors about St. Mungos over the past few years…"
"I have, and now we must part ways, too many people lurking around," muttered Tonks, as she looked over her shoulder, as she took the report, and tried to figure out what to do next.
A scarred sixteen year old wizard stood at the Longbottom ancestral home, or whatever was left of it. He stood, dressed in Muggle attire. Neville Longbottom stood and sighed. The blood stains were still here from when he fought those Death Eaters months back.
He was sent to St. Mungos for medical treatment, yet he could have been out in time for Hogwarts. Instead, the Healers kept him there, for his "own protection." It was a gambit to suck every single Galleon out of his vault dry, to line the pockets of the corrupt management at St. Mungos.
Neville walked into the next room, as he peaked in on his parents. They might have been helped years ago, but some Healer decided to give them a treatment that caused a violent reaction, numbing their nerve endings.
For the past three months, Neville traveled night after night, to look for a cure for his parents, as they clung onto life. They were too far gone, and he blamed the Ministry of Magic for it. From what he found out, when he combed through some old letters in his vault, the Ministry ignored the distress signal for an hour, allowing the Lestranges and Crouch Junior time to play.
He escaped the healers, making it look like it was an attack by the Death Eaters. He had to make it convincing, so several other patients died, including Gilderoy Lockhart.
The young wizard stepped outside for his nightly journey, but he heard a crash inside of the house of his neighbors, the Zabinis. Neville rushed to check. He wondered if Mrs. Zabini had decided to move in for the kill, given her past with all of her husbands. It was known what she did, but she denoted a sum of each inheritance to the Ministry, so they were not inclined to look into it too much.
Neville opened the door, and sure enough, he saw Archibald Zabini on the floor, already dead. Yet, Sophia Zabini, the woman who had killed so many of her husbands, had also been poisoned.
"Neville…Neville Longbottom," rasped Sophia, as she clutched her throat and gasped for breath. "You survived…there's a killer…someone's snuffing out old pureblood families, she's…"
Who she was never known, as Sophia Zabini died, and Neville ran. He could not be near a murder scene.
'If someone is knocking off wealthy heirs to old pureblood families, then Harry might be on that list,' thought Neville. 'I have to go back to Hogwarts, sneak inside, and warn him, before it's too late.'
Back at the Daily Planet, Clark Kent returned to work. He walked by Lois Lane, who regarded him in a cold manner.
"Good morning, Lois!" called Clark warmly.
"Oh, now it's good morning Lois, now, is it?" she asked. "It was for the last couple of months, Lois, please leave me alone, I'm working, or Lois, sorry I can't talk to you now, or Lois, please get out of my way or Lois…"
"Yeah, I've been acting a bit off, there's just a lot on my mind," said Clark.
"What, bad crop of corn or something this year?" asked Lois, as she looked at him. "Now, I don't know what you're trying to pull, thinking you can act like the last two months didn't happen, but I wasn't born yesterday. I thought we might be friends, but I guess we should just keep our relationship to a professional rivalry, given that's been the way you're acting."
Lois waved her arm, and before Clark could stop it, she knocked his glasses off of his face. He picked them up, and put them back on. He did so before anyone could see.
Anyone but Lois that is, as she looked at Clark. All of the pieces clicked in her head.
"Perry, I've come down with something, I need to take a sick day!" yelled Lois, as she rushed off, without another word.
"Lois Lane, take a sick day," muttered Jimmy in shock. "She'd pull herself out of bed to get the story if she was on her death bed, something must be serious."
"Oh, you aren't kidding, Jimmy," muttered Clark, as he wondered how to best explain this to Lois. He had cleared the air with his parents, and apologized, but he did not want to burden them.
Asking Lana for advice on how to deal with this would be several degrees of awkward.
Kara wasn't really speaking to him right now. Harry didn't seem the type to get involved in other people's business, especially with relationships.
Asking Bruce for any advice on relationships would be a big no.
Clark sighed; this was one where he would have to figure out on his own. Things would be awkward between Lois and Clark, not to mention Lois and Superman from now on.
Raven and Hermione sat outside a few days later, and watched as Harry and Kara had gone off to go flying together.
"Harry's making progress," said Raven, as she flipped through several books. "Granted, its first and second year spells that he has to relearn, but he's doing it."
"Kara's giving him the proper motivation," replied Hermione with a smile.
"Well, whatever gets him that point the fastest," said Raven. "I just hope Harry can grasp this skill by his seventeenth birthday. He doesn't have much time left…"
Hermione stopped, and looked at Raven. "What do you mean Harry doesn't have much time left?"
"Well, he's not going to die, he'll just become mortal," said Raven. "The Horcrux will overwhelm the protections at 12:00 AM on July 31st of this year. I calculated it."
"Rachel, please tell you know how Harry can get the Horcrux out," said Hermione.
"Well, the Horcrux has go out the same way it went in," said Raven.
"Killing Curse, no problem, I'll just blast him the moment he gets down," said Hermione, as she held her wand.
"No, Hermione, one, you're not capable of doing it, especially to Harry," cautioned the half demon. "And two, it will bounce the killing curse back at you. Unless you've made a Horcrux…"
"No, I haven't," said Hermione.
"Then, you fire that curse on Harry, and the Horcrux will protect itself, by killing you," said Raven with a grimace. "It has to be Riddle who does the deed. The Horcrux won't register the source body as a threat. Once the Horcrux is out, Harry's full powers will be unlocked and permanent. If it lingers one second later than his seventeenth birthday…Harry's just an ordinary wizard. Then our happy couple goes blissfully insane, because Kara can't be with Harry without hurting him."
"Raven, you're scaring me now, we've got to tell him," said Hermione, frantically.
"No, Hermione, he will relapse and all will be lost," said Raven. "It took Kara a long time to get Harry to the point where he is now. If Riddle hasn't forced some kind of battle by the final day of June, then I'll do what I can get him in front of Voldemort. Harry has to sacrifice the Horcrux unknowingly, otherwise he sacrifices the full scope of his powers, and we're back to the blissfully insane thing I just mentioned."
"What if they can hear us?" wondered Hermione.
"I have spells around that prevent anyone from listening in," said Raven. "You need to swear to me, that you won't breathe a word. There are far greater forces out there, that Harry must one day have to face, but he needs his full powers to do so. He and Kara, they'll be around for a long time. If this fails, all is lost."
Hermione nodded sadly. She hoped she could look Harry in the eye.
"They're so happy together," whispered Hermione as she watched them fly.
"And they will remain so," said Raven. "We have one Horcrux to go, and then the final battle. By June, we can put Harry in front of Voldemort, and he'll beat him."
"What if this fails?" asked Hermione.
"Hermione, I'm not going to consider that," said Raven. "Once Harry reaches his physical prime, he will remain that for the end of time. So will Kara, which means that the world has protectors after all of us are long gone."
The woman continued to flip through her books. She wanted to learn more about the rings, and get a definite origin on them. "So, have you come to terms…about what you are…"
"Raven, this is getting tiring," said Hermione. "We're just going around in circles, like a hamster on a wheel."
"Hermione, you know, stop lying to yourself," said Raven. "I felt two minds…"
"Enough, Raven, Harry and Kara are coming back," said Hermione.
The half demon sighed, as she continued to read up to find a reference to the rings. Hermione got her skull cracked open like an eggshell during her first year on Halloween five years ago, and didn't understand the truth.
Harry and Kara touched down right there.
"Perfect timing, because I found what your rings are," said Raven in triumph before she proceeded to finally enlighten them. "They are…"
A loud beeping sound echoed before Raven could enlighten them on the rings.
"And that was someone trying to break into the library," muttered Raven, as she rushed forward. A loud explosion echoed, and Kara, Harry, and Hermione made their way up the stairs.
Raven found herself in intense battle with a sorcerer dressed in blue.
"Just who are you," demanded Raven.
"Faust, Felix Faust," muttered the sorcerer, as he blasted Raven back. The two engaged in a short, but intense duel with each other. "Little demon child, let's not kid yourself, you are no match for my powers…"
Faust was blown off into his feet right into a shelf. He stood to face, Kara, Harry, and Hermione. Harry fired a cutting curse at his hand, but the sorcerer blocked it.
"Children, amusing," said Faust, as he held a hand up. "I shall banish you from this plane and you will never return."
He prepared the spell. Raven moved in, and sent a spell at him. The two spells ricocheted off of each other, and repelled back, to send Kara, Harry, Hermione, and Raven off.
"It matters little where they are sent, as long as they are out of my hair," said Faust, as he turned around, with a sadistic grin, as he pulled out a dusty tomb. "Now, off to Slaughter Swamp to rouse the creature and put it under my command."
Faust vanished.
Harry, Kara, Hermione, and Raven laid sprawled out, wiped out by the teleporting spell. Kara was the first to get to her feet, revived by the yellow sunlight.
"Harry, wake up!" yelled Kara, as she looked at him, and began to shake him. Harry gave a cough to indicate he returned back from his unconscious state.
"It's okay, my love, I'm awake" muttered Harry, as he pulled himself to his feet. Being transported against ones will was never a fun experience.
"Rachel, where did it send us?" asked Kara.
"I don't know, I managed to alter the spell, he was going to send us to some kind of nightmare world," muttered Raven, before she looked around. "I think we ended up on some kind of remote island."
Suddenly, Harry looked up, to see a group of armored women stride towards them, spears pointed towards all four of them.
"And of course, the natives don't look too friendly," said Harry, seeing the situation before him.
Kara, Hermione, and Raven stood with him, as they were surrounded by several rather angry Amazonian Warriors.