Lesser Evil

Chapter 62. Lesser Evil

Harry flinched awake, feeling like he'd been just shoved off a cliff and was left freefalling to his death.

His heart still hammered, trying to jump out of his ribcage, stimulated by the sudden ejection. The first thing he saw when his eyes snapped open was the mass of red hair near his face. The familiar scent clogged his nostrils and grounded him in reality. Then the pleasant heat of his sister's body made itself known, chasing away his grogginess and panic.

He relaxed a little and sighed in relief, taking a moment to organise his muddy thoughts.

That was incredibly rude of Creator. First the hurtful threats, and then the violent banishment from the dream. Sometimes, he felt the man intentionally tried to be so hateable. Or why else would he antagonise him all the time?

He didn't think he was going to get any sleep after that nightmare. Creator's words had yet to stop ringing inside his head.

The demand God had made was going to break something inside him, he mused grimly.

'Kill Eos or I'll kill your family.'

That was the ultimatum. He had to choose between saving his family and Eos. While it was obvious who he'd choose, he didn't want to break his morals and kill an innocent.

Because that was what Eos was. After her creation, she hadn't done a single thing to warrant death. So, his rule to never harm an innocent should protect her.

But now the situation demanded that he make some exceptions. Otherwise, Iris, his mum and everyone else would probably die. And he didn't want to test if the Creator was cruel enough to torment people who had the same faces as his loved ones.

It almost seemed like a test. Either be a benevolent hero and sacrifice your family, or be a selfish villain and kill an innocent instead. Unfortunately for Eos, Harry had never been a hero. If push comes to shove, he'd rather sacrifice everyone than let his family die. Because his people were more important to him than anything else in the multiverse. Morality and rationality be damned.

Maybe he was destined to fail this test and end up like Isis.

Wasn't this uncertainty fun?

He couldn't know what would happen to him if he chose either of these options. Would he be considered a failure as a God candidate if he sacrificed Eos to protect his family?

But the quest was clearly telling him to kill her. Did that mean it was okay to be a selfish bastard in this instance and murder Eos without any reason? Or was it just another convoluted test where he had to disregard the quest and be a better person? Did that mean he had to stand up to Creator and do the right thing?

Fucking hell, he didn't know what he had to do. He wanted to pull his hair and scream his throat raw in frustration.

Why did it feel like he was going to be just another Isis trapped in a system?

It's not that bad. While I'd love to regain my body and freedom, having your soul trapped in a gaming system isn't as horrible as you're fearing. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say it ranks number 8. It's very bad, but not the worst thing that can happen.

He rolled his eyes at her reassurance. 'Don't worry. If I become a God, I'll free you and give back your body.'

Aw, I knew you loved me. Well, if you're successful in that endeavour, I'll join your harem. That sounds like a good incentive, doesn't it?

Harry stifled an amused snort, not wanting to disturb his sister's sleep. 'I don't even know how you look.'

Should it matter how I look?

He smiled wryly at the question. 'No, it shouldn't. Though I reserve my judgement until I see you. Even my love has its limits.'

Hmph. Here, I'll show you how I look.

An image formed in his head, and his eyes widened. 'Damn.'

Hehe. See, you needn't worry about my appearance.

She wasn't lying. The image of the pretty red-haired girl remained inside his head even after she willed it away. The smile on the girl's face was sunshine personified. And her very being radiated joy and kindness. She seemed like the girl everyone would like to be friends with. And her slight resemblance to Iris only enhanced her beauty and appeal in his eyes.

A sudden bout of anger flared inside him. And his dislike of Creator evolved into fiery hatred for daring to destroy that smiling girl and turning her into this: a mere disembodied voice.

It's fine, Harry. Don't waste your sympathy on me. Focus on your own problems. I just happened to join the wrong gods at the wrong time. And I'm now paying for it. Believe me, the punishment of those gods was far worse than mine. It was only because of my resemblance to his dead sister and the pleas of his wife, Jasmine, that I was prevented from joining them.

The anger seeped off just as suddenly as it came, and he released his breath. 'What happened? You never told me the full story.'

Er— I don't like talking about it.

He was going to take back his question when she continued.

But I'll give you a short summary. Just like you were offered the gaming system from the Creator, I was given the same power from a deceased god whose name is now lost to every mind, mine included. And just like you, I too grew strong beyond my limits. Though my system was far inferior to yours, of course. But to me, I was the strongest. The most powerful witch in my world. I became arrogant and self-assured, thinking no one could defeat me.

That sounded awfully familiar, he thought with a wince.

So, when a group of my favourite gods gave me their blessings and powers and told me of this great evil tyrant hidden away in the multiverse, I immediately went after him, hoping to bring him to justice and get showered in compliments.

He knew where this was going. And it made him scared even when it had already happened.

In hindsight, I always liked when others praised me. I'll go as far as to say I was addicted to that feeling. Maybe because I was never appreciated by my relatives during my difficult childhood.

He could hear the wistfulness in her tone.

Was it just him who had been blessed with a good family? Because even the Harry Potter from the other world had complained about his relatives, the Dursleys, if he was remembering the name correctly.

It seemed he was an exception to a general rule when it came to family, which he was immensely thankful for. He couldn't picture his life without his mum and twin.

Unfortunately, the man I tried to fight was Creator himself. And I lost even before I raised my wand.

He grimaced, wanting to stop her right there. Not wanting to listen anymore.

I was later told that those hateful gods only wished to hurt him and that they knew I'd die trying to kill the King of Gods. It was their plan to pit someone like me against him. That was the only reason they showed me kindness and improved my life.

A scowl marred his face, having thought of those deceased gods as some martyrs who wanted to take down Creator. But it seemed they were no better and hadn't loved Isis like a family, as he had imagined. They just used her to get back at Creator. If they weren't already dead, he didn't think he would've been able to stop himself from killing them.

You see, when I sought Creator, his sister had recently died. He was mourning and had left his divine kingdom behind to be alone in his grief. So, those gods thought it would be a devastating blow to his morale if someone resembling his sister tried to kill him.

Harry froze. Just like that, his hatred for Creator turned into immense pity. He had experienced it firsthand in the other world, when the Necromancer's Shapeshifter pet took his sister's form and tried to kill him. So he indeed knew how brutal that would be to the God's emotional state.

The plan worked. But instead of falling to the depths of despair, Creator went on a bloody rampage. And since then, he has become crueller and crueller. According to his wife, Jasmine, that incident was the trigger that made him so evil. While he had always been a psychopath, his sister and wives kept him in check. But once most of them were gone and those gods dared to stain his sister's memory, he allowed himself to freely indulge in his darker side.

That gave him a new perspective on Creator. And while all his sadistic actions since then weren't justified, Harry was at least able to understand him.

It pains me to say that I was a part of a group that was responsible for turning him into that.

'It's not your fault. You were manipulated. Don't blame yourself.'

I know. But sometimes… I just can't help but think of what would've been if I had acted differently.

He had nothing more to say, knowing what she felt. He had gone through that when he led his sister to her death. And the days following that were tormented by what-ifs.

What a strange turn of events! She had tried to comfort him, but their positions changed by the end of the conversation.

She chuckled at his thoughts.

True. But I just wanted to say that I trust you. I know you wouldn't end up like me. And while I can't help you with this quest, I believe you'll come out on top anyway.

Harry nodded, mulling over her words. 'Thank you.'

~xXxXx~

The next day, Harry decided to go home. And it wasn't even the weekend. He just wanted to see his mother and talk to her about the ultimatum. He had obviously discussed the deadline with his sister and friends the first thing in the morning, but their responses had been lacklustre.

Their advice basically amounted to, "We don't know what you should do, but what we know is that you shouldn't hurt Eos if she's innocent. You'll regret it for the rest of your life."

But they were just naive thirteen-year-old girls, right? He shouldn't have expected them to not be wishy-washy. Even Iris, who had killed thousands, had only dealt with white and black. Not grey.

And this situation was anything but white and black. There was no right or wrong here. But just wrong and lesser wrong. Just evil and lesser evil.

Maybe his mum would give him a more sensible suggestion. She was an adult after all; she must have faced situations like these before where one needed to make difficult choices, where one needed to make a selfish decision even if that meant death of some innocents.

He teleported to the living room.

His mum wasn't there.

Instead of blindly searching for her in the big manor, he closed his eyes and felt for the silver necklace that he had gifted her. After successfully finding where she was, he strolled out of the living room and approached her bedroom.

The door was open, and he didn't bother announcing himself.

With how careful (read: paranoid) his mum was, she'd already be aware of his arrival thanks to her connection to the wards.

"Harry," she said softly, her tone brimming with fondness.

His lips twitched at the purr in her voice. This was the same woman who previously felt guilty for having sex with him. And here she was now, wearing just knickers and seeming ready to pounce on him. The ridiculousness of the situation pushed his grim thoughts away, and he allowed himself a smirk. He couldn't help but feel smug for breaking down all her walls and getting her addicted to him.

"Mum."

She was sitting on the edge of the bed with one leg crossed over the other, and her bright crimson hair fell in waves behind her, framing her beautiful face. Her torso was bare, exposing her large, plump tits. And her pink nipples were already stiff, her areolas stretching over her peaks in perfect circles.

"Are you here for another quest? Because I was going to take a long, relaxing bath. I'll postpone it if we're in a hurry," she said, leaning back on her hands and smiling at the way his eyes wandered over her mostly-naked body.

Harry shook his head, feeling tight in his pants. "Not a quest. Just wanted to talk to you. A relaxing bath sounds nice before that talk. You won't mind if I tag along, will you?"

"Of course not. Is something wrong? You look worried," she said, standing up and walking over to him.

"Later. For now, don't let me stop you from enjoying your bath." He sighed, kissing her cheek and leading her to the en suite.

Closing the door behind them, she watched him as he peeled off his clothes and got into the small tub. He sprawled into the bubbly water, his head resting against the edge. Then he turned his head to the side and glanced at her, leering at her nude body, his eyes gleaming with growing desire.

Bending down, she slid down her knickers, aware of how her breasts hung alluringly. Then, dropping her underwear in the laundry basket, she stepped into the bathtub and sat between his legs with her back facing him.

She leaned back, placing her head against his chest.

A blissful sigh escaped her; the temperature of the bubbly water was perfectly warm and cosy.

Harry adjusted a little to get more comfortable and wrapped his arms around her stomach while perching his chin atop her head.

His hard cock pressed against her lower back didn't go unnoticed. But for the moment, she restrained herself from focusing on it and just cuddled with him, revelling in his embrace.

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling when he gently gathered her hair and pushed it over her other shoulder, exposing her neck. Without any further prompting, she tilted her head and invited him to do as he pleased.

Lily hummed when his lips met her skin. And she couldn't stop the smile anymore. The way he nibbled on her neck and the way his tongue scraped against her flesh were just too pleasant to hide her joy. She pulled her knees in and arched her back, pushing her neck against his mouth. But when he locked her knees with his legs and parted her wide open, she let out a gasp.

"Harry," she moaned, his hand wandering down her stomach and clutching her core.

He rubbed his knuckles over her pussy before spreading her labia and pushing his finger in. She whined and rubbed her spine against his erection. Her insides were swelteringly hot and tight. Not ignoring her clitoral area, he rubbed it with the pad of his thumb while his finger further sank in. She grabbed his wrist and pushed it harder between her legs.

Harry didn't forget his favourite feature of hers and put his idle hand to work. While trying to leave a permanent hickey over her neck, he squeezed her breasts and flicked her nipples. The sensation of touching her bare, pillowy chest would never get old, however many times he played with it.

She cried out in pleasure a few minutes later and slumped over him, her hips quivering but unable to close since he was keeping them open with his legs.

"That was good." Lily chuckled, feeling mellow.

"Hmm." He smiled, kissing her hair and hugging her close, loving the way she was laid on top of him and enjoying the warmth of her skin flushed against his.

But he was soon distracted when she pushed up a little and wiggled her arse against his shaft. He groaned and clutched her boobs once again, squeezing them to show how she was affecting him. He made a dissatisfying noise when she suddenly stopped and rose from the bathtub, water dripping from her voluptuous body. Though his complaints were easily silenced as she promptly retook her place. Although this time she was facing him. And the way his cock was buried under her butt, and her tits squashed against his chest was both torturous and delightful.

Harry wasn't given much time to think when she smashed her mouth on his and kissed him like there was no tomorrow. Dragging his hands down to hold her arse cheeks, he kissed her back just as intensely, already too familiar with her to not know the way she liked it. Their tongues writhed together, and their lips found different and unique ways to clamp at each other.

She raked her nails over his chest and shoulders while he dug his own into her curvy bum. And soon, they were humping erratically, splashing water everywhere. She didn't even stop kissing him when he roughly picked her up and dropped her on his cock. As he speared through her tight entrance, she bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. Releasing it a second later, she moaned over his mouth when he began thrusting slowly.

Pulling back, she gripped the rim of the bathtub on either side and moved her hips, allowing him to plunge deeper. Allowing him to move a lot faster. Allowing him to pound harder.

Lily threw back her head and screamed his name while he grabbed her waist and pistoned into her like a well-oiled machine. The fog of pleasure clouded their minds as they focused on where they were joined. She clenched around his girth while he tried not to bust early with the way she was clamping around him. Her inner heat was slowly overwhelming him, and he didn't think he would last much longer.

Water splashed everywhere as they danced the primal dance, already too deep in throes of pleasure to worry about the loud mess they were making.

Her rocking breasts didn't remain free for long, and Harry latched onto her teat and began his feast.

Lily cradled his head against her bosom while he fed greedily. This heartwarming gesture was ruined by their frantically moving hips.

But the primal dance had to end soon. And it ended when Harry grunted loudly and soiled his mother's womb. His sizzling release triggered her own, and she came with a muffled scream, grinding her butt on his crotch as hard as she could until her insides stopped spasming.

"We need a shower," she said dryly as he slipped out, allowing his semen to gush out into the tub.

But Harry was simply too busy drinking her milk to voice his opinion. She rolled her eyes and ran her fingers through his wet hair while he sucked on her nipple. Seriously, her son's obsession with her breast milk would've been worrying if they hadn't already crossed so many lines.

Taking a last gulp, he released her teat and looked up at her, giving her a gentle squeeze. "We indeed need a shower." Announcing that, he stood up with his mum still snuggled in his arms.

Lily wrapped her arms and legs around him as he carried her to the shower and offered him short, searing kisses on his neck and shoulders.

Unsurprisingly, they stayed in the shower for far longer than they should have since they got easily distracted.

~xXxXx~

After the shenanigans in the bathroom, the duo moved to the living room.

Lily quickly put on a white baggy t-shirt in the bedroom before hurrying after him, noticing how his smile disappeared as he prepared to get right to business. The only reason she even bothered to cover herself was so she wouldn't become a distraction for him.

Once reaching the living room, he took his seat on the couch. And while she wanted to plop down in his lap and snake her arms around his head, she opted to sit on the settee facing him instead. It seemed the upcoming discussion would be serious, and she didn't want to give him any reason to stall or get sidetracked. Because that was exactly what would happen if she decided to be in his immediate vicinity.

Pulling down her t-shirt to cover her bare buttocks, she folded her hands in her lap and crossed her legs to make up for not wearing any underwear. Then she patiently waited for him to talk. And talk he did, revealing his dream, telling her about his unpleasant meeting with the Creator, revealing the new deadline, and the threats that might not be bluffs if he failed to complete his quest.

Lily made an annoyed face, unable to picture a different version of her son who'd be so needlessly cruel. She couldn't hate Creator, of course. That man was just another iteration of her precious son. Hating him meant hating her own Harry. And she couldn't do that. She could never hate her son, no matter how cruel or evil he became, no matter whatever vile things he did.

But that didn't mean she wouldn't put him over her lap and spank his bum red before he started on that path. Thankfully, she never had to discipline her children. They had always been good, kind, and perfect.

She really thought this Creator was a spoiled brat who needed a good spank; he seemed like a man who'd gotten everything without much effort. Although she did sympathise with him when Harry revealed how some gods tried to use his dead sister as a weapon to destroy his psyche. Still, that didn't give him any right to torment the innocents on a whim. That was grossly unreasonable.

"So, what should I do?"

"That's an easy one. You shouldn't kill this Eos," Lily answered, giving him a flat stare.

"You mean I should allow Creator to torture and kill you all instead of sacrificing Eos? What great advice! Thank you so much for the great wisdom." Harry scoffed, feeling irritated and disappointed that even his mum was being so naive and obtuse.

Why couldn't they understand? There was no other fucking way! He had to murder Eos if he wanted to protect his family! Was that so difficult to understand?

"You've already made up your mind. You just need someone to approve of your action so you'd feel you are doing the right thing. But that's not how it works, Harry. You will feel the weight of your wrongdoings even if everyone approves of your actions. You will feel guilty. Because, in the end, you'll have to answer to your own conscience. And at that moment, no amount of our support will help you," Lily said sadly, knowing what he was thinking and knowing he just wanted someone to tell him that he was in the right.

Harry scowled deeply and pushed his fingers through his hair, unable to unhear her observation. "Then what should I do? I have to choose between these two wrong choices. And you already know which one I'll choose."

"I don't know. But I'm sure you'll find some way to do both: spare Eos and protect us." She shrugged helplessly.

While his heart warmed at the sheer confidence she had in him, he couldn't help but feel his visit here had been a failure. He was still just as clueless as he was before, not knowing how to proceed forward. Maybe he should stop seeking help and do something on his own.

"Fine. I'll try to think of some other way. Now I've got to go back," Harry said, remembering that he had volunteered to be Fleur's guide in Hogsmeade. A relaxing stroll with the pretty Veela might be the thing he needs right now to forget about his worries and just relax.

"Good. I'm glad that you aren't taking the easy way out." Lily smiled, pushing off the sofa and getting to her feet. Halting before him, she leaned down and cupped his face. Then she kissed him softly. And Harry melted into a puddle, forgetting Fleur and everyone else when his mum was right there.

He gripped the helm of her t-shirt and pulled her into his lap, moaning as her warm core pressed onto his crotch.

She suddenly giggled when he sneaked his head under her shirt and buried his face between her breasts. He wrapped his arms around her and embraced her tightly, digging his face further into her perky boobs. Humming amusedly, she returned the gesture and cradled his head, biting her lip when his lips found her erect nipple.

Though she wasn't given a moment to appreciate his lips and tongue on her teat. Because the next instant, Harry was naked and was raising her waist to feed his bulbous crown to her moist nether lips.

She groaned as she swallowed him whole, his cock filling and stretching her insides. Then they began moving. Instead of the usual long and hard thrusts, these were slow and shallow, his cock hardly pulling out before driving back in. Her pleasure then just kept on intensifying as he alternated between biting her full breast and sucking on her teat.

~xXxXx~

"That pink monstrosity right there is Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. Usually, two types of people go there. First are the types who want to show off being in a relationship and like chewing out their partner's mouth in front of an audience, meaning shameless exhibitionists. And the second type of people are lonely teenagers who get off on staring at kissing couples, so basically voyeurs. We're none of those fuckers, so we will avoid it like the plague."

He and Fleur were meandering through the village arm-in-arm. Since it wasn't a weekend, there weren't any students milling around, and they didn't need to be secretive about their relationship. Well, the shopkeepers might start a rumour that the infamous Harry Potter was adding a third girlfriend to his ever-expanding catalogue. But he didn't think that would happen. These people must have better things to do than discuss his love life. Right?

Presently, Harry was grimacing and pointing at the gaudy shop across the road.

Fleur chuckled and squeezed his hand before giving him a serious look. "You never know. Maybe I am an Exhibitionist."

"If you're an exhibitionist, then I'm a girl with three boobs," he quipped, knowing she was anything but that. If she really was into showing off, then she wouldn't go to such lengths to hide her beauty and wear modest clothes. Even today, she was wearing a white flowy dress that didn't try to accentuate her gifted curves but rather covered her from neck to ankles. Yet she was like a beacon in the dark, shining brightest and overshadowing everyone.

Just like always, her attempt to diminish her otherworldly beauty failed.

She gave out a full-belly laugh, imagining him with three boobs. That was certainly an interesting image. He tugged her away from the curious eyes, their bantering attracting the passersby's attention.

They took a small break at Three Broomsticks, where Madam Rosmerta shot him an eye-roll at seeing him with another girl who definitely wasn't his girlfriend.

'Just like his father.' She thought wryly before taking their orders.

"This is the best establishment here if you want to enjoy a drink with friends," Harry explained while Madam Rosmerta went to the counter to bring their butterbeers.

Fleur nodded slowly, examining the mostly empty inn. It was cosy if nothing else.

After that, they wandered aimlessly through the village, exploring the unexplored.

"What is that?" Fleur asked as they rounded a corner and came up short before an abandoned shack.

Harry's eyes gleamed mischievously. "That's the famous haunted house. None of the villagers dare come near this hovel. It is said that a Necromancer lived here briefly, but even after he was kicked out, he left the tortured souls behind to terrorise the village people. There are still occasional howls of pain that ring throughout Hogsmeade."

She raised her eyebrows in intrigue before climbing up the fence and dropping into a crouch on the other side.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?" Harry asked, jumping over the low fence and following after her.

"Exploring." She smirked, absolutely sure that he was lying.

He rolled his eyes and crawled after her in the shadow of the fence, not wanting the villagers to know that they were breaking in. They could've easily used Invisibility charms, but then where would be the sense of adventure?

"You better not be staring at my arse," Fleur warned, mirth clear in her voice.

"I was not. But now I will," he muttered and huffed.

"Pervert." She gasped when he bumped his head against her butt.

"Sorry, didn't see you there," he said with a shit-eating grin.

Fleur mumbled exasperatedly in French before continuing crawling, ignoring the weight of his burning gaze.

Once they had crawled along all four sides of the fence, she turned around and gave him a disbelieving look. "There are no doors or windows. 'Ow will we go in?"

"It is said that the banished Necromancer had the power to appear anywhere with a mere thought. Why would he need doors and windows?"

Her eyebrows twitched. "'Ow will we go in?"

"Fiiine. I'll teleport us there. Iris and I have already explored it." He pouted and grabbed her hand before disappearing.

They reappeared in a small, dingy room bereft of any furniture. Only the light spilling through the cracks in the roof—exposing the glowing dust particles floating around—prevented it from being too dark. And the musty smell of the rot added another layer to the gloomy atmosphere.

"No ghosts or undead. I declare myself disappointed, little 'Arry." Fleur chuckled, looking around the room with a critical eye.

For a moment, for a very brief moment, he thought to introduce Fleur to his army of dead. And see how she'd react once the horde began filling in through the door and crowding the room with their groans and screams.

Then rationality won, and he abandoned the foolhardy stunt.

He followed her as she illuminated her wand and opened the door before climbing down the stairs.

"A tunnel? Where will it take us?" She questioned, getting more intrigued by this mysterious shack.

"Maybe a parallel dimension? Or maybe the Underworld?" he mused out loud excitedly, laughing at her deadpan expression.

"Will you finally tell me what this place is?"

"Alright. It's my Uncle Remus' emergency room. When he was in school, he used this place to transform into a werewolf so he would remain alone and wouldn't infect anyone. And this is a secret tunnel that leads back to Hogwarts," Harry answered honestly, causing her eyes to widen.

"Are you even allowed to tell me that?"

"It's fine. Firstly, I trust you. And secondly, he isn't a werewolf anymore. So you can't get him in trouble if you're the untrustworthy kind."

"I 'ave never 'eard of anyone getting cured from Lycanthropy," she mumbled in disbelief.

Harry merely shrugged. "When you have as much power as me, the impossible just becomes a myth that needs to be debunked."

She didn't waste time acting shocked that he was the one who cured his uncle's Lycanthropy, already aware that he had more power than even her teacher.

"Should we teleport back to the Carriage?" he offered.

She shook her head. "I noticed a big tree earlier that can be a nice picnic spot. I want to check it out."

He nodded and took her hand in his.

Then he teleported outside.

Harry smiled when they walked up a slope where an old tree stood alone. Fleur rummaged through her purse and pulled out a blanket before spreading it on the ground under the tree.

He slumped against it and looked fondly at the silver-haired girl as she took out a picnic basket from the bottomless purse.

Would she be a target too if he failed to kill Eos? The unwanted question soured his happy mood, and he sighed, looking up at the morning sky. The weather was good today. A clear sky and warm sunlight. A pleasant reprieve from the usual snow and rain. But it failed to cheer him up.

"'Arry?" Fleur asked, kneeling before him and sporting a concerned look.

"Don't worry. It's nothing." He returned with a carefree grin.

But she wasn't fooled and cupped his face, her palms soft and warm. "You can tell me anything. We promised each other that we'd open up to make this relationship work. So please tell me what is worrying you?"

Harry exhaled, deciding to tell her about the problem in a roundabout way. "You know how my Aunt Alice offers me personal lessons?"

"Yes?"

"Well, she gave me a test, which I have to solve if I want to continue the lessons."

Fleur smiled sadly, detecting that whatever he was telling was a lie. Still, she humoured him, feeling disappointed that he was making up a tale instead of directly refusing her. "What is this test?"

"The story goes this way. There was a dark lady who terrorised a small country in ancient times. To end her tyrannical reign, a god divided the dark lady's soul into two parts and trapped the two new dark ladies in a fort. And the god put a condition on them that the only way they could leave that fort was by killing each other.

"Surprisingly, the two dark ladies fell in love and decided to give up their freedom for it. But something happened a few years later, and the newly created dark lady killed the original one and escaped the fort to enjoy her freedom.

"Thankfully, this new dark lady didn't have any ambitions and just revelled in the base pleasures of life rather than work to conquer the world. Now Aunt Alice asked me whether this new dark lady should be given the freedom to live her life as she pleases when she has already killed and destroyed so many people. The question is whether this new dark lady should be held accountable for the deeds of the old one since they were born from the same soul."

Harry ended his explanation and looked at her expectantly.

Fleur was confused by the mess of lies and half-truths. But instead of expending her energy to try and filter it, she took it at face value. "Before I answer it, can you tell me whether this new dark lady identifies 'erself as the old dark lady? Are they the same personalities in two bodies?"

He shook his head. "No, they have different names and personalities."

"It's a simple test then. The new dark lady shouldn't be 'eld responsible for the sins of the older dark lady. 'Onestly, she shouldn't even be called a dark lady when she 'asn't done anything wrong."

"Is there any logical reason we can use to say that the new dark lady hasn't just turned a new leaf? Maybe she's the same as the previous dark lady, but she's realised that her ambitions aren't feasible and she should live a simple life instead," Harry argued back.

"Well, there is logic there. Do you know what constitutes a person?"

Harry hid his surprise at finding that she was aware of the truth about souls. "Yes. A living being is made of three things. Body, Mind, and Soul."

On the other hand, Fleur couldn't hide her shock that he knew about it. "That makes this discussion far easier. You see, Soul is just an unexplainable energy that binds the Body with the Mind. It's the Mind that creates the ego and gives people their personalities and identities. So it doesn't matter that the old and new dark ladies 'ave the same soul. Because just 'aving an identical soul doesn't mean they are the same person if their bodies or minds are different. You can make the argument that every soul is unique and this single similarity should make them the same person, but again, it's the mind that creates the sense of self, so she's still not the same as the old dark lady."

By the end, Harry was left gaping at her. "Marry me."

She snorted and blushed. "Too early. Ask me some time later."

But he didn't respond, his mind racing with this new revelation.

'So Eos was never Voldemort. Meaning, my Observe Perk is lying to me. Meaning, it is indeed a test. Meaning, now I have a solution. Meaning, fuck yeah!'

There had always been only one Voldemort since the beginning.

But he was already dead.

Very dead.

But when did death ever stop him from completing his quests?

Fleur gave him a weird look as he began cackling like an evil Necromancer.

Though she accepted his enthusiastic hug and kiss.

"I know you sensed my emotions and have deduced that I was lying. But that was the only way I could've talked about it with you. But soon I will tell you the entire truth. Soon, there'd be no secrets between us. Just wait a little longer. And thank you, Fleur. You don't know how important this discussion was to me."

She smiled against his chest and gave him a squeeze, glad that she was able to help him and brighten his mood. "You can thank Madam Blanc. She was the one who taught me this."

Harry's lips twitched at the irony. The woman who he was referring to as the new dark lady, the woman who didn't know how close she was to the doors of death, inadvertently prevented her murder and stopped him from killing an innocent.

"I will."