Young Celestial Wizard [Celestial Grimoire, Harry Potter]

The small black-and-white cat ran through the halls of Hogwarts, taking shortcuts through passages that most students didn't know existed. Years of exploring the castle had taught her all the best routes, and right now speed was more important than stealth.

She needed to see if Beatrice was really free.

The Hospital Wing doors were already open when she arrived, and she could hear her friends talk inside. She ducked behind a suit of armor and transformed back to human form, smoothing down her robes and trying to look like she'd walked here normally instead of sprinting through the castle as a cat.

Charlotte took a deep breath and walked into the Hospital Wing.

"Charlotte!" Penny called out, looking up from where she was sitting beside a bed. "You're here early."

"I wanted to check on Beatrice," Charlotte said, walking over to join the group. She noticed Tonks pacing quietly near the window while Chiara was in another chair on the other side of the bed.

"How are you feeling, Beatrice?" Charlotte asked as she sat down next to Chiara.

Beatrice looked pale and tired, but she managed a weak smile. "Better than I was yesterday. Madam Pomfrey says I should make a full recovery."

"What was it like?" Charlotte asked gently. "Being trapped in the portrait, I mean. If you don't mind talking about it."

Beatrice stared at her shaking hands. "It was... terrifying. I could see out into the corridor, watch students walk by. I tried talking, but it was getting more and more difficult."

She took a shaky breath. "The worst part was feeling myself getting less stable as time went on. Sometimes I'd forget things like what I'd eaten for breakfast that morning, or what class I was supposed to be in. I was so scared I'd disappear completely."

Penny reached over and squeezed her sister's hand. "But you didn't. You're here now, and you're safe."

"Thanks to all of you," Beatrice said, looking around at the group. "Penny told me how you risked your lives to find me. I don't know how to thank you."

"You don't need to thank us," Charlotte said. "We're just glad you're okay."

Tonks stopped pacing and turned toward her. "Any word from Harry on what's happening with Rakepick?"

"Last I heard, she was still unconscious in Dumbledore's office," Charlotte replied. "I'm sure the Ministry will want to question her once all the evidence has been gathered and she wakes up."

"Good," Tonks said firmly. "What she did was unforgivable. Literally, in some cases."

That was when the Hospital Wing doors opened again, and Harry walked in with Chrysa beside him.

Charlotte felt her heart do a little flutter in her chest.

Merlin, he was handsome. Charlotte was pretty sure Harry Potter was the most good-looking person she'd ever seen in her life, and she suspected she would never see anyone more attractive even if she lived to be a thousand years old. It was almost impossible to believe, but he seemed to get more handsome every week. His features were becoming more perfect, like he was slowly transforming into some kind of fairy tale prince.

No, he was already way past that level!

He was taller than her now. When they'd first met, she'd been the older one, the one who felt more worldly. Now, she had to look up slightly to meet his eyes, and despite being technically younger, he carried himself with a confidence that made her feel like the child sometimes.

She found herself remembering how it had felt when he'd hugged her last night in the corridor. His arms had been so strong around her, holding her with a gentle firmness that made her feel completely protected. She'd tried to pull back at one point just to test it, and realized she couldn't move even an inch against his strength.

The thought sent a little thrill through her that she tried not to explore too closely.

Harry was so fast too. When Rakepick had cast the Cruciatus Curse at Merula, Charlotte hadn't even had time to blink before Harry was there, blocking the curse with his own body.

She'd seen him move quickly before, but never that fast and it especially never stopped being amazing to watch.

He'd saved her life multiple times now. First with the cursed ice, then with the Boggarts, and now with Rakepick. He'd also healed the cursed scars on her body that she'd been dreading having to live with forever. Harry was a world-renowned healer who could cure people that even St. Mungo's had given up on.

And he was guided by Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard alive. He treated the two Immortals, Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel, like family. He had a Nemean Lion, a creature that was supposed to be extinct, as his pet.

How could someone so perfect possibly exist in real life?

Charlotte watched as Harry greeted their friends with easy smiles and gentle questions about how they were feeling.

He made sure everyone felt included.

Then he turned to Beatrice. "How are you doing, Beatrice? Really, I mean. Not just physically."

Beatrice's cheeks turned pink, and she looked down at her hands. "I'm... I'm doing better. Thank you for asking. And thank you for helping to rescue me."

Charlotte felt a spike of something that might have been jealousy watching Beatrice blush at Harry's attention. Which was ridiculous… Beatrice was Penny's little sister, barely thirteen years old.

Of course Harry was just being kind to a child.

She blinked when she felt something nudge her arm. Chrysa had walked over and was gently bumping Charlotte's elbow with her massive head.

"Hello, beautiful," Charlotte whispered, reaching up to pet the Nemean Lion's golden fur.

Chrysa purred softly, the sound rumbling through her chest like thunder.

It was hard to imagine that Harry was truly so young. Not even nine years old yet, technically. When Charlotte really thought about it, he should still be a little boy playing with toys and learning basic math.

Instead, he was...

Charlotte froze mid-pet.

Harry was almost nine years old. Not even a teenager yet. And she was having romantic feelings about him.

Oh Merlin. Oh no. What was wrong with her?

She was a fifteen-year-old girl with a crush on a child. An eight-year-old child.

That was... that was completely inappropriate. Disgusting, even. What kind of person was she?

Charlotte's hands started shaking as the full horror of what she'd been feeling hit her. Last night in the corridor, she'd been looking at Harry with romantic feelings. She'd wanted him to take the initiative to kiss her. She'd been thinking about how handsome he was, how strong, how mature...

But none of that changed the fact that he was eight years old.

Eight. Years. Old.

Charlotte felt sick to her stomach. What kind of horrible person developed feelings for a child? Even if Harry looked older, even if he acted more mature than most adults she knew, even if he was more powerful than anyone she'd ever met... he was still just a little boy.

She was a predator. A monster. She looked at this boy who was all light and virtue and saw only the reflection of her own darkness.

Charlotte's breathing became shallow and rapid. She could feel panic rising in her chest, making it hard to think clearly. Her vision started to blur around the edges, and she gripped Chrysa's fur tighter to keep herself steady.

How could she have been so blind to what she was doing? How could she have let herself develop these feelings without realizing how wrong they were?

And Harry... oh Merlin, Harry had been so kind to her last night. He'd comforted her when she was crying, held her when she needed support. And the whole time, she'd been taking advantage of his kindness to feed her own inappropriate feelings.

She was disgusting. Absolutely disgusting.

Charlotte's hands were shaking so badly now that she had to let go of Chrysa's fur. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold back the wave of self-loathing that was threatening to overwhelm her. What was she supposed to do now? How could she ever look at Harry again without feeling sick about what she'd been thinking? How could she continue being his friend when she knew what kind of person she really was?

Maybe she should transfer to another school. Maybe she should just disappear entirely. Harry deserved better friends than someone who would...

"Charlotte."

The quiet voice made her look up. Harry was looking down at her with his green eyes filled with concern.

"Calm down," he said gently. "Don't fear anything."

Charlotte stared at him in shock. How could he possibly know what she was thinking? How could he know that she was afraid, that she was disgusted with herself?

But she nevertheless felt herself starting to calm down. The panic that had been building in her chest began to ease, her breathing slowed, and the shaking in her hands gradually stopped.

Harry's presence was somehow soothing her fear and self-disgust just by being near her.

How was that possible?

Harry reached over and took her hand in his, staring directly into her eyes. He didn't say anything, just held her hand and looked at her with those terribly green eyes.

They sat like that for several minutes, Harry holding her hand and looking into her eyes while Charlotte's breathing returned to normal. She could hear their friends talking quietly in the background, but their voices seemed unimportant.

Harry seemed to make up his mind about something and stood up while still holding her hand.

"Everyone," Harry said, turning to address the group. "Charlotte and I have something to discuss regarding the Vault. We'll be back later, okay?"

"Of course," Penny said, though she looked curious about what they might need to discuss privately.

"Take your time," Tonks added. "We'll keep an eye on Beatrice."

Harry nodded his thanks, then gently tugged Charlotte to her feet. She followed him without question, too confused and emotionally drained to do anything else.

They walked out of the Hospital Wing together.

"Where are you leading me?" she finally managed to ask as they walked through the empty corridors.

Harry glanced at her. "Would you be okay with me transporting us to a place under my control so we can have a private discussion?"

Charlotte didn't hesitate. "Yes."

She trusted Harry completely. Whatever was happening, whatever he wanted to discuss, she knew he would never hurt her.

The instant she agreed, the world around them disappeared.

Charlotte blinked, disoriented by the sudden change. They were no longer in Hogwarts. Instead, they were standing in the most beautiful oak forest she'd ever seen. Even the air smelled cleaner somehow, with the rich scent of earth and growing things. Charlotte could hear birds singing in the distance, and the gentle sound of wind rustling through leaves.

Then she heard a loud dragon roar from somewhere above them.

Charlotte looked up and gasped. The Hungarian Horntail from yesterday was flying freely through the air above the forest. It looked completely at ease, like this was its natural habitat.

She could even spot that its injuries were completely gone, presumably healed by Harry…

"Where are we?" Charlotte asked, staring around at the ideal forest in wonder.

He didn't say anything at first. Instead, translucent angel wings sprouted from Harry's back. They flapped gently, creating a soft whooshing sound that somehow reminded Charlotte of church bells from her trips to the Muggle world.

"This is my world," Harry said simply, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Hold on."

Before Charlotte could ask what he meant, they were flying. Actually flying, rising up above the treetops with Harry's wings carrying them both effortlessly through the air. Charlotte's stomach fluttered as they lifted off the ground, but Harry's grip was firm enough.

"Your… world?" Charlotte managed to gasp.

"Literally my world," Harry said as they hovered above the forest. "I created all of this."

Created it? How could someone create an entire world? That was impossible, wasn't it?

Even the most powerful wizards could at most create a dimensional space, but there was a limit to how big they could get...

Harry suddenly whistled sharply.

The Hungarian Horntail they'd seen earlier came swooping toward them. Charlotte tensed, remembering how dangerous these creatures were, but the dragon seemed completely docile as it hovered nearby.

Harry reached out and gently touched the dragon's snout.

The creature rumbled contentedly, like a giant cat being petted.

"I need a small sample," Harry told the dragon, as if it could understand him.

To Charlotte's amazement, the dragon extended one of its claws. Harry carefully pricked the tip, collecting a single drop of blood on his finger.

He held the crimson bead up to the light.

Then it vanished.

"What just happened?" Charlotte asked, staring at Harry's hand.

Harry gave her a mysterious smile and held his other hand out, palm up. "Watch."

A pure white light began to grow above his palm. The light did not just get brighter, it gained weight and presence, twisting and folding in on itself as it grew larger and more solid. She could see the ghost of a shape inside it, a promise of form taking root in the heart of the light.

"Harry," she whispered, not sure if it was a question or a prayer.

The light peeled back like a flower blooming in reverse, revealing what it had nurtured within.

Charlotte's mouth fell open. She stared at the creature that was undeniably female, with sleek scales and intelligent eyes, the color of molten gold, that blinked slowly as they adjusted to the world.

The newborn dragon lifted her head not to the sky, but to the Heaven that was her origin, and roared.

"You just..." Charlotte couldn't finish the sentence, unable to comprehend what was happening. "You made true life. Out of nothing!"

Harry shook his head gently. "Not from nothing, Charlotte. I made her from me."

The male dragon in the distance heard the roar and immediately started showing off, doing loops and dives in the sky. Charlotte might have laughed at his obvious attempts to impress the female if she wasn't still trying to comprehend that the God who had just created a life was standing right beside her.

"Harry," she whispered. "What are you?"

"That's... a complicated question," Harry said, watching as the two dragons began circling each other in the sky above them. "The simple answer is that I'm not just a normal wizard."

Charlotte stared at him. "Not normal? Harry, you just created a dragon from nothing! That's impossible!"

"For most people, yes," Harry agreed. "But I'm what you might call a... well, I have abilities that other wizards don't."

Charlotte felt like the world was spinning around her. First she'd been panicking about her feelings, and now Harry was casually creating life like it was nothing. "What kind of abilities?"

Harry began flying them toward a clearing in the forest. "The fire and lightning you've seen me use? That's not really magic like you know it. It comes from something else entirely."

They landed gently in a meadow filled with wildflowers. Harry's wings folded against his back but didn't disappear.

"I can travel to other worlds," Harry continued quietly. "I get stronger when I do good things. And lately..." He gestured around them. "My soul became this place."

Charlotte looked around at the forest surrounding them. Everything was so perfect, so beautiful. The colors seemed more vivid than real life.

"This world... it's really yours?"

"It's part of me now," Harry nodded. "This whole place exists inside my soul. It's bigger than London, and it keeps growing."

The enormity of what Harry was telling her made Charlotte feel dizzy.

She sat down hard on the soft grass. "I don't understand. How is any of this possible?"

Harry sat down beside her. "I know it's a lot. Dumbledore knows about all of this. So do the Flamels. And now you're the only other person who knows."

Charlotte's cheeks burned. He trusted her with secrets this big? Secrets that he'd only shared with the most powerful wizard alive and the most famous immortal alchemists in history?

"Harry," she whispered, "why are you telling me this?"

"Because I know what you're really afraid of," Harry said quietly. "You're scared because of how young I am. Right?"

Charlotte felt her face go pale. She nodded, unable to speak.

The disgust started creeping back into her chest. She was still a horrible person for having feelings for a child, wasn't she? Even if Harry could create dragons and had his own world, he was still-

"Charlotte, look at me."

She forced herself to meet his eyes.

"You're not a monster," Harry said firmly.

"Yes, I am!" The words burst out of her. "You're eight years old, Harry! Eight! And I wanted to..." She covered her face with her hands. "I'm disgusting."

"Stop," Harry said, and something in his voice made her hands fall away from her face.

"You're panicking over something that isn't real."

"It IS real!" Charlotte protested. "Your birthday is July 31st, 1980! You're eight years old!"

Harry moved closer to her on the grass. "You're right about when I was born. But Charlotte, when you look at me, do you really see an eight-year-old boy?"

Charlotte stared at him through her tears. Harry was taller than most boys her age. His shoulders were broad, his face looked nothing like a child's. His voice was deeper than some grown men she knew.

"No," she whispered. "But that doesn't change-"

"It changes everything," Harry interrupted gently. "Charlotte, a birth certificate is just a piece of paper. It tells you when a body was born. But it doesn't tell you anything about the person inside that body."

"What do you mean?"

Harry took her hands in his. "I have memories from another life. Another version of myself who lived in a completely different world. All of those memories, all of that experience... it's part of who I am now."

Charlotte's eyes widened. "You're saying you remember being older?"

"I'm saying that the person you have feelings for isn't a child," Harry said. "You're not attracted to some eight-year-old boy, Charlotte. You're attracted to me. To who I am when I talk to you, when I hold you, when I choose to stay with you even when things get difficult."

Charlotte felt something break loose in her chest. "You're not just saying this to make me feel better?"

Harry's expression became serious. "Charlotte, I just created a living being in front of you. I brought you to a world that exists inside my soul. Do you really think I would lie about something this important?"

She shook her head slowly. "No. You wouldn't lie."

"The feelings you have," Harry continued, "they're not wrong. They're not sick. You're responding to who I really am, not some number on a piece of paper."

Charlotte felt tears starting again, but this time they weren't from shame. "I thought there was something wrong with me."

"Charlotte." Harry whispered. "The only thing wrong here is a world that would rather you hate yourself than question its rules."

She couldn't help herself anymore and threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around Harry's neck.

He caught her easily, pulling her against his chest.

"I was so scared," she sobbed into his shoulder. "I thought I was sick."

"You're not sick," Harry said softly, stroking her hair. "You're one of the kindest people I know."

"…you really care about me?"

"Of course I care about you," Harry said immediately. "I've cared about you since the moment we met, when you were investigating that cursed ice."

Charlotte felt her heart flutter. "Really?"

"Really," Harry confirmed. Then his expression became more serious. "But because I care about you so much, I need to tell you something else. Something important."

Charlotte wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "What?"

Harry took a deep breath. "Remember when I told you I could travel to other worlds? Well, I did travel to one. About six months ago."

"What was it like?" Charlotte asked.

"Very different from ours. They didn't have magic like we do. Instead, some people could control the elements. Fire, water, earth, air." Harry gestured, and a small flame appeared in his palm. "That's where this came from."

Charlotte nodded. She'd always wondered why Harry could do wandless fire magic, though she wasn't sure how he could do it before he traveled to that other world...

"While I was there," Harry continued, "I met someone. A girl a bit younger than you. Her name is Azula."

Charlotte felt something cold settle in her stomach. "A girl?"

Harry nodded. "She's the princess of the Fire Nation. I taught her some advanced fire techniques, and we... we grew close."

The cold feeling was spreading through Charlotte's chest now. "How close?"

"We kissed," Harry said quietly. "And Charlotte, I need you to know that I still have feelings for her."

Charlotte stared at him. Harry liked someone else. Another girl. A princess from another world.

"I see," Charlotte whispered.

She tried to pull away from Harry's embrace, but his arms tightened around her.

"Charlotte, please let me explain-"

"There's nothing to explain," Charlotte interrupted. "You have feelings for someone else. That's... that's fine. You can't help who you like."

But it wasn't fine. It wasn't fine at all.

Charlotte felt like she was drowning. First Jacob had abandoned her again the moment he was free. Now Harry was telling her that she had to compete with some beautiful princess from another world for his attention.

Why wasn't she ever enough for the people she cared about?

"Charlotte," Harry said gently. "Look at me."

She didn't want to look at him.

She wanted to disappear into the ground and never come back up.

"I know this is hard to hear," Harry continued. "But I needed to be honest with you. You deserve to know the truth."

"The truth," Charlotte repeated bitterly. "The truth is that I'm not special. Jacob would rather chase treasure than spend time with me. And you would rather be with some princess than-"

"That's not what I said," Harry interrupted firmly. "I said I like both of you. That's completely different."

Charlotte finally looked at him. "How is that different? You're going to have to choose eventually, aren't you? And when you do, you'll choose her. She's a princess, Harry. I'm just... me."

"You're not just anything," Harry said. "You're brave and determined and kind. You've always been there for me when I needed support."

"But she's a princess," Charlotte muttered. "From another world. She must be incredibly beautiful and powerful and-"

"She is beautiful," Harry admitted. "And she is powerful in her own way. But Charlotte, that doesn't mean I care about her more than I care about you."

Charlotte felt tears starting to form in her eyes again. "Then what are you saying? That you want both of us? That's not how relationships work, Harry."

Harry nodded. "Maybe not in this world. But I'm not exactly a normal person, am I?"

"What do you mean?"

"The rules of one world cannot define a being who is becoming a world unto himself. My heart doesn't have the same boundaries as my body once did."

Charlotte stared at him. "You're talking about having multiple girlfriends."

"I'm talking about caring for multiple people and not having to choose between them," Harry corrected. "In some worlds, it's completely normal for powerful people to have more than one partner."

"But not in this world," Charlotte whispered. "Here, it's called cheating."

"Is it cheating if everyone knows about it?" Harry asked. "If everyone consents to it?"

Charlotte didn't know what to say.

She'd never heard of anyone doing relationships that way.

"I know it sounds strange," Harry continued. "But Charlotte, I'm not exactly a normal person anymore. I have my own world. I can create life. I might live for thousands of years. Normal rules don't really apply to me."

Charlotte looked around at the ideal forest surrounding them. Harry's world. His soul.

"What are you asking me?" she whispered.

"I'm asking if you'd be willing to try something different," Harry said. "Something where you don't have to compete with Azula, and she doesn't have to compete with you. Where we're all honest with each other about what we want."

Charlotte felt overwhelmed. "I don't know if I can do that. Share you with someone else."

"Then we stay friends," Harry said immediately. "I would never force you into something you don't want, Charlotte. Your friendship means too much to me."

Charlotte buried her face against Harry's shoulder. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't," Harry promised. "No matter what you decide, I'll always be here for you."

Charlotte closed her eyes and tried to think. Everything was so confusing. A few hours ago, she'd been panicking about having feelings for a child. Now she was being asked to consider sharing Harry with a princess from another world.

"Can I think about it?" she asked quietly.

"Take all the time you need," Harry said, still stroking her hair. "There's no rush."

Charlotte nodded against his shoulder. She needed time to process everything. Harry's true nature, the relief that her feelings weren't wrong, and now this completely new way of thinking about relationships.

"Harry?" she said after a while.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for telling me the truth. About everything."

Harry squeezed her gently. "You deserved to know."

..

Half an hour later…

Harry sighed deeply once he was left alone in his Heaven-Earth Soul. Charlotte had left a while ago, needing time to think about everything he'd revealed to her.

He shifted his consciousness away from his Human Avatar back to his physical body in the real world.

In the empty corridor, Chrysa waited exactly where Harry had left her. Golden eyes looked at him with concern. She never missed the shifts in his emotions, and right now Harry felt emotionally drained from the conversation with Charlotte.

"Hey, girl," Harry said quietly, reaching out to pet her soft fur. "Want to take a ride around the Forbidden Forest? I need to clear my head."

Chrysa nodded immediately, lowering herself so Harry could climb onto her back. She understood without words that he needed movement, needed the wind and the freedom that came with speed.

Harry held onto her fur. "Alright, let's go."

Chrysa took off like the wind itself.

The world became a blur around them as she raced through Hogwarts. She was always three times faster than Harry's own maximum velocity, which meant she could cover over 130 meters in a single second. The hallways and stairs flashed past them so quickly that they looked like streaks of gray and brown. Students would have seen nothing more than a golden blur if any had been in their path at this hour.

They burst through the main entrance and into the grounds. The castle fell behind them in seconds as Chrysa's powerful legs carried them across the grass toward the Forbidden Forest.

Harry could feel the wind whipping through his hair, could hear the thunder of Chrysa's paws against the earth. This was what he needed.

Pure speed, pure movement, and leaving everything behind!

They plunged into the Forbidden Forest without slowing down. Chrysa was easily able to navigate between the trees, dodging branches and leaping over fallen logs without breaking stride.

Harry trusted her completely, letting her choose their path while he focused on his thoughts.

It wasn't easy, what he'd just done with Charlotte. By revealing most of his inner secrets to her, it placed him in a vulnerable position, sharing knowledge that only Dumbledore and the Flamels knew.

But if he didn't do it, how could she possibly ever trust him?

How could she make an informed decision about their relationship if she didn't understand what he truly was?

Harry had been awake the entire night thinking about this problem. Normal relationship rules didn't account for someone like him. They were designed for normal people with normal lifespans and normal abilities.

But Harry wasn't normal, and he never would be again.

The truth was, he could probably live for countless billions of years. Once he drank the Elixir of Life that came every ten years, he would have a truly unending lifespan. His body was being continuously purified by his growing power, and his soul had been transformed into something that existed beyond normal human limitations.

Age wasn't really a meaningful concept for him anymore.

It was just… try explaining that to the general public. Try explaining that to Ministry officials who would see a fifteen-year-old girl dating someone who looked like a teenager but had a birth certificate saying he was eight years old.

They wouldn't understand. They couldn't understand.

Harry was pulled from his thoughts by a new offer. His green eyes darkened as he went over the description.

[The Tyrannical and Oppressive Presence – Against the Gods] – Costs 200CP, 400CP available to spend.

For all the cultivation you might do and achievements you can attain, can you really be considered powerful unless you've reduced a grown and experienced, battle-hardened adult to a blubbering mess with nothing more than your aura and the look in your eyes?

Seems not. Good thing you have both, now! You can generate a massive, immense aura far around you, a humongous thing that stands above and beyond anything possible for people, even several times more powerful than you. It can be a fear aura, wherein you appear as something out of ancient legends, a devil or demon of utterly nightmarish power, or it could be a 'good' aura, or perhaps it could appear as either to people, depending on your mutual feelings and intentions towards each other.

In either case, you can do a lot with this, including making it semi-visual with your shadows or a heat haze or just an illusionary presence around you or so. It reflects your power in relation to the world around you, and you can fine-tune it to reflect or not reflect anything and everything about you. Sky's the limit, really.

Harry slowed Chrysa down to a walk as he considered the offer.

An aura that could make experienced, battle-hardened adults break down just from him looking at them?

That was... significant. His Soul Resonance Mist could achieve the same effect, but it required that the target was utterly engulfed in the mist for an extended period of time. And whether it could achieve the same effect on a hardened individual was… doubtful without extreme accumulation of mist.

In the world of Snowdragon Mountain, where his alternate self had grown up, the concept of an "experienced, battle-hardened adult" meant something entirely different than it did here. There, such a person would have survived countless life-or-death battles, witnessed the rise and fall of tribes, and faced down Diremonsters that easily exceeded the speed of sound and could level small mountains.

They would have seen horrors that would drive normal people insane and triumphed over opponents who would seem like gods.

Such a person would have an iron will forged through decades of struggle and pain.

And yet this aura that also came from a world of cultivation could reduce even someone like that to a "blubbering mess" with nothing more than Harry's presence.

That was terrifying power.

But what did that mean when applied to his current world? Here, the most "experienced, battle-hardened adult" might be someone like the famous Alastor Moody, who had survived the war against Voldemort and countless dangerous missions as an Auror.

Or perhaps someone like Grandpa Dumbledore, who had faced Grindelwald and lived through multiple dark wizard uprisings.

But they would be considered very weak compared to those in worlds that practiced cultivation. If Harry's aura could break someone who had survived such threats, what would it do to someone whose greatest challenge was facing down a few Death Eaters?

Nobody would stand a chance.

Harry had never shied away from using fear when it served a purpose. The Slytherin bullies who'd tormented him had learned to avoid him after experiencing his mist. Those who couldn't stop insulting him learned their lesson and never did so again. Even Rakepick, for all her experience, had failed to resist under the weight of his chi lightning and the certainty of what he could do to her.

Each time, he'd made a conscious choice to use fear to protect himself.

In the Avatar world, Harry had seen this principle in action. When he'd created that thirty-meter-tall Lightning Avatar with Sharingan eyes, entire squads of Fire Nation soldiers had fled in terror. They hadn't even tried to fight back.

No, they'd taken one look at what he could do and decided that running was their best option.

That was the power of intimidation. It could end conflicts before they even began.

More importantly, it could save the lives of both the foolish and his own.

Harry's thoughts drifted to his Heaven-Earth Soul and the Textures within it. Right now, only Dumbledore, the Flamels and Charlotte knew anything at all about his true nature. But that wouldn't last forever. Eventually, Harry would need to open gates between his world and the outside world.

They could hide who truly controlled the gates, but the secret would be exposed eventually.

The magical governments of Earth would discover that Harry had control over access to an entire world. They'd realize that he could create true life, manipulate time within his domain, and transport people across vast distances instantly.

Would they be okay with one person having that much power?

Harry seriously doubted it.

They'd probably try to control him. They'd want to regulate his abilities, monitor his activities, probably even attempt to force him to share his power with them in some way.

They'd claim it was for the safety of the wizarding world.

But Harry knew better. It wouldn't be about safety. It would be about fear.

And when that happened, what were his options? He could submit to their demands, let them cage him with their laws and regulations. He could fight them directly, which would mean utter bloodshed. Or he could show them exactly what they were dealing with, let them feel the weight of his true nature and make their own informed choice about whether to press forward.

Which option actually caused less harm?

Harry thought of Charlotte's face when she'd realized what she was feeling. The terror in her eyes hadn't been caused by a dark wizard or a cursed vault.

It had been caused by society, by simple, everyday rules that had no place in his life.

Their 'justice', designed to protect children, would be used to tear him away from someone he cared for. It would be used to brand her a monster. Their well-meaning morality, when applied blindly to a truth it could not comprehend, would become the cruelest form of injustice.

What would happen when their relationship became public? Because it would, eventually. Harry wasn't the kind of person who was willing to keep such a thing secret forever, and he knew Charlotte wasn't either.

The wizarding world would lose their minds.

A fifteen-year-old girl dating someone with an eight-year-old birth certificate? The Daily Prophet would have a field day.

Rita Skeeter would probably write a dozen articles about it, if she had the guts.

They'd call Charlotte a predator. They'd call Harry a victim. They'd demand investigations and interventions and probably try to separate them "for Harry's own good."

None of them would know his true situation. They would see the numbers on a piece of paper and make their judgments based on that. They would try to fit him into their tiny box, and when he didn't fit, they would try to break him until he did.

Harry closed his eyes and leaned his head against Chrysa's warm, furry neck.

Was it more merciful to let ignorant people attack him and be destroyed by their own foolishness?

Or was it kinder to let them feel the truth of what he was, so they could choose to walk away while they still could?

When Fire Lord Ozai had met his eyes at the end of his stay there, there had been a moment of recognition. The older man had looked into Harry's eyes and seen something that commanded respect. An acknowledgment of the natural order between someone who would win and someone who would not.

Wasn't that the most pure form of honesty?

Harry was no longer human in any meaningful sense beyond the most fundamental. He was a nascent world, a being who contained entire realities within his soul. The old rules, the old expectations… they were written for creatures who lived and died within a single lifetime, who could be caged by mortal laws.

They were not written for him.

This aura wouldn't be about making people afraid. It would be about communication. About showing them exactly what they were dealing with so they could make informed decisions. When someone felt the weight of his true nature, they would understand the stakes. They would know that this wasn't a game they could win through politics or manipulation or force.

And then they could choose. Submit to wisdom, or be broken by their own ignorance.

Harry opened his eyes and stared up at the blue sky.

What is Fortitude, or the will itself, truly?

It is the inner fire. The core of a person. Some let their fire be smothered by the opinions of others. They live in the cold ashes of what they could have been.

Others protect their fire. They feed it. They let it burn so brightly that the world has no choice but to step back.

Harry had always thought of himself as someone with a strong inner fire.

Even as a young child, he'd been determined to become powerful, to never be helpless again. Even when the Flamels or Grandpa Dumbledore disapproved of his ways, he hadn't truly changed his mind. No matter what they said or felt deep down, he had stuck to his own principles.

But lately, he had been letting the cold seep in. Worrying about whispers and fearing judgments. That was not the path of a strong will. It was the path of a coward.

A will that bends to the ignorance of the crowd is not a will at all. It is a cage built of fear.

And he will never live in a cage.

In the end, hadn't he made his decision?

He would take the Tyrannical and Oppressive Presence.

Not to be a tyrant, but to ensure he would never be oppressed. It was a shield forged from presence, a declaration that could end wars before they began. A mercy that would save both the wise and the foolish from the consequences of their own ignorance.

I will be what I am. Let the world learn to look away, or let it burn its eyes.