[1990 Pt.24]

Time passed uneventfully after Nathan's first encounter with Dumbledore. The initial feeling of Dumbledore breathing down his neck quickly disappeared as the man seemed content to hang back and watch.

After a few days, Nathan again started to train in the sanctuary. Nathan also made sure to invite one of his friends to some of the times he trained on the cliffs. He, of course, made it a point to train away from the sanctuary. It quelled their worries and allowed Nathan more flexibility with his schedule. How long the dance of his lies and deceptions about the sanctuary would last was a question Nathan asked himself almost every day but Nathan also knew that his young friends would not be ready to know about it for quite some time.

Nathan during these months also picked up the habit of placing himself under a self-hypnosis charm that allowed the caster to focus on a task without distractions. The spell was something he had found in one of the few medical books in the ROR that dealt with the interaction between life and magic.

The spell was a boon for a wizard who relied on mental focus and intention to cast magic. The strength of Nathan's spells and his concentration, whenever he placed himself under the charm, were massive. However, Nathan still used it sparingly because the spell seemed to numb any but the most important of emotions required to cast the spell it needed.

Most of the books that dealt with such matters often deviated towards the soul and the mind, but never actually studied and looked at life as a whole. Magicals were stronger than non-magicals in many ways but they were also more backward when it came to understanding the world around them in a more non-magical and purely material manner.

The effects of magic on biology rather than metaphysical extensions, like the soul and the mind were uncommon areas of study, but could also prove to be greatly useful for a plan that Nathan had conceived during the creation of the Stag ring that he had gifted to Harry Potter.

However, Nathan believed most of the books were based on conjectures and assumptions that had little evidence to support them. The books still had been amazing reads that deviated from his normal leisure reading that was often in the form of magical history and law.

"The summer club is going to be amazing this year." Nathan nodded at the excited chatter from Alan absentmindedly even as they entered the Hogwarts Express preparing to leave for the summer vacation.

"Mr Watson will be so shocked with your abilities. Maybe he will even allow us to duel for real this year." That statement from Alan gave Nathan a pause and he couldn't help but say, "Maybe he will."

The idea of finally gauging his abilities against the man was a good one since this would allow him to actually measure how the average auror compared to an average seventh-year and how Nathan compared to both.

The thought of fighting someone who had seen Voldemort fight was an exciting one since Nathan would be able to get a good idea of where he stood in combat capability.

"You are right Waynewood, this summer vacation is going to be a blast."

[July 1, 1991.]

[Little Whinging, Surrey.]

Harry Potter found himself out of the Dursley Household again, as had often happened for the past few months since he found his first and best friend in Orys Baratheon, a spiritual being created for the express purpose of guiding and aiding Harry as both boy-who-lived and a wizard.

His meeting with Orys had opened Harry's eyes to a whole new world that had been hidden beneath the surface of what had been his original reality. A new world of magic. Magic that Orys told him was both great and terrifying.

Harry had been amazed and giddy when Orys had told him about his parents. About what little his creator had gathered about the lives of James and Lily Potter and deigned to share with his creation. And finally, Harry had felt rage and hatred. Orys had told him about their deaths. The story of their deaths had put one of Harry's most persistent nightmares into perspective. The green flash of light, the laughter, the begging and that one final scream before a thud all seemed to make so much sense after Orys' story.

Voldemort. Oh, how Harry hated that name. The name that was the cause of his suffering. The name that was the cause of the death of his parents.

'You shouldn't think about him so much.' Orys voice rang out within his mind even as Harry trudged towards a swing in the public park.

Harry replied only after he took a seat on the chained swing seat, 'Sorry, but the thought just pops into my head randomly.' It wasn't like Harry wanted to always think about the murderer of his parents but Harry often found himself mentally cursing the tosser.

'Can't blame you for that really. If I had to spend ten years with Dursleys thanks to the actions of a dark wizard, even I would want to kill the bastard.'

Harry flinched a little before he replied to Orys in a softer tone, 'I don't want to kill him. I just wouldn't hate it if he did die.'

'Honestly lad, I can't make sense of why you don't want to finish off the bastard that killed your family. If it happened to me, I would have tortured the evil twink before giving him the most painful death I could.'

Harry found himself subtly resisting the urge to roll his eyes at Orys' viewpoint. While they shared a strong relationship, Harry couldn't shake his head enough at the fact that Orys exhibited a certain level of….barbarism whenever he dealt with someone he considered an enemy. His proclivity for resorting to violence drew unsettling parallels to the PIRA activities frequently discussed in the news.

Recent news of the Air Force's ambush, resulting in the demise of three PIRA volunteers, purportedly to quell their rebellious inclinations against the Crown and the United Kingdom added to Harry's befuddlement. The ease with which lives were ended by most people puzzled and annoyed Harry something severe.

The media, too, delivered reports of fatalities with an indifferent tone, treating the deaths as mere numerical entries. The nonchalant attitude towards such events felt as though human lives were being reduced to mere numbers.

Harry harboured a strong aversion to adopting such a callous stance towards life, one that involved taking lives with ease and then dismissing their significance. This dehumanizing perspective, whether embodied by Orys, the news broadcasters, or even Voldemort, clashed with Harry's own respect for life.

This reason for his respect for life extended to the fate of his own parents. Instead of being remembered as Lily and James Potter—people who had led meaningful lives— they had been relegated to the status of casualties in a historical event. While significant, Harry knew that their memory was overshadowed by the legend of the boy who lived. Eventually, they would be forgotten by the very society that they had fought to protect.

'.…I don't know Orys. The idea just feels so wrong.' Harry admitted to his friend in a frustrated tone as he kicked his feet to push the swing backwards.

'What? Wanting to kill Voldemort?' Orys asked in a neutral tone and Harry sent the ring an equivalent of a mental nod.

'Why?'

'I don't know, Orys but it feels like I will be acting exactly like Voldemort and that is not something I want. The very idea that I am similar to Voldemort seems like an insult to my parent's memories.'

'Hmmm….but aren't you already like him?'

Harry frowned in confusion at the unexpected insult and asked, 'What? How am I anything like him?'

'Well, both of you are wizards for one.'

'That is not what I meant, Orys and you know it!'

'I know. And that's the point Harry. You and Voldemort are human. And by the very virtue of that similarity, you will share at least some traits. Hating someone and wanting to kill someone for revenge are very natural reactions for human beings. Don't try to deny yourself your anger and hatred in an effort to distinguish yourself from Voldemort. You are not evil for wanting to kill someone that murdered your family.'

Harry sighed at the logic but could not come up with anything to argue against its reality. His mind nodded at the logic and yet his stomach twisted at the idea of killing someone.

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Author Notes:

First of all, Happy Boxing Day to my eastern audience and Merry Christmas to my western audience, I hope all of you have a nice end of year lads and ladies.

Secondly, I hope all of you enjoyed the chapter as this is the wrap-up for the class year of 1990. The early years volume will also be ending soon. And the majority of 1991 will be in Volume Two of the fic.

On the chapter itself, I wanted to take this chapter to show that the first meeting between Dumbledore and Nathan didn't have much impact on how either operated. They both have very different priorities to take care of for now. And while both of them are a little more aware of each other, neither sees any reason to do more than wait and watch.

Then finally the most important part of this chapter- Harry isn't a goody two shoes who doesn't want to kill because he is the good guy. No, he does not want to kill people because it makes him feel similar to the Irish Republican Army, the Crown, the military and Voldemort. Killing and then shrugging as if the death they have caused isn't anything important just because the lives they ended were of their enemies. 

Harry hates the cruel reality of the world that took away his parents and yet he knows that this reality is the one he has to accept.

A bit of a spoiler: The Russian arc is up from here on and the story will deviate from the main timeline a little to explore the effect of the magical world and the fall of the Soviet Union.

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