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Chapter 35 (Song of Ice and Water), Chapter 36 (The Wardstone's Song), Chapter 37 (The Boy Who Saved), Chapter 38 (A Ball and A Veela), Chapter 39 (Teacups and Homecomings), Chapter 40 (Golden Eyes in the Darkness), Chapter 41 (The Twelfth Summer), Chapter 42 (A Warning from An Elf), Chapter 43 (Potter Talismans, Severed Ties, and an Idiot), Chapter 44 (Luna Lovegood and A Nundu), Chapter 45 (Another Greengrass), and Chapter 46 (Whispers in the Wall) are already available for Patrons.
Harry leaned forward in his seat, mesmerized by the shimmering patterns of light dancing across the coral walls of the Abyssantica Grand Concert Hall. Beside him, Itisa curled contentedly in her enchanted dry-bubble, while Newt scribbled notes about the unique properties of underwater acoustics.
"Fascinating how they've adapted the bubble-head charm for the cat," Newt whispered, his eyes twinkling. "Though I suspect our feline friend hardly needs it, eh?"
Harry smiled but kept his eyes on the performance. The Shell Orchestra was unlike anything he'd seen at Hogwarts. Royal Sea Horses, their iridescent scales gleaming in the bioluminescent light, manipulated massive spiral shells with precise movements of their tails. Each shell produced notes that vibrated through the water with crystal clarity.
"The water pressure regulation in this section is remarkable," Newt continued, touching the barrier that kept their seating area at surface pressure. "Notice how they've integrated it with the acoustic properties of—"
"Shh," hissed an elderly witch two rows ahead. "Some of us are trying to hear the Moonshell Sonata."
In the royal box above, Crystal-Harmony sat beside her father, King Anden. Unlike the other Royal Sea Horses who swayed gently with the current, she remained perfectly still, her eyes closed in concentration. Harry had noticed she often seemed to experience music differently than others.
The conductor, Master Wave-Singer, raised his coral baton for the crescendo. The music swelled, shell-notes resonating through the water in perfect harmony. Harry felt the vibrations in his chest, and for a moment, he thought he could almost understand the ancient magic woven into the melody.
Then the first tremor hit.
The water shifted unnaturally, sending ripples through the careful harmonies. One of the younger musicians dropped his shell, creating a discordant note that echoed painfully through the hall. Master Wave-Singer's tail flicked in agitation as he tried to maintain the performance.
"Something's wrong," Harry muttered, noticing Itisa's fur standing on end despite being in her bubble. The cat's eyes were fixed on Crystal-Harmony's box.
In the royal section, Crystal-Harmony had gone rigid. "Father," she whispered, but in the strange acoustics of the water, Harry could hear her clearly. "The water... its memories are wrong."
King Anden frowned. "What do you mean, daughter?"
"The currents... they are changing, it's as if someone is rewriting their paths."
A second tremor rolled through the hall, stronger than the first. The bioluminescent patterns on the walls flickered erratically.
"Remarkable," Newt murmured, pulling out a small notebook that had been waterproofed with an impervious charm. "The magical resonance patterns are completely disrupted. Harry, are you sensing anything with your particular talents?"
Before Harry could answer, Master Wave-Singer's voice cut through the chaos. "Esteemed guests, please remain calm. We are experiencing some minor current disturbances. The Royal Guard will escort everyone—"
A third tremor hit, and this time several of the massive shells tumbled from their stands. Guards streamed in through the side entrances, their armor gleaming as they moved to secure the exits.
"The ward boundaries," Crystal-Harmony said suddenly, rising from her seat. "Father, these aren't natural currents. Someone's interfering with—"
"Not here," King Anden interrupted sharply, placing a webbed hand on her shoulder. To the guards, he called, "Escort our surface guests to the pressure-stable chambers. Captain Swift-Current, secure the perimeter."
Harry felt an odd resonance in his chest, similar to when he used his voice magic. Beside him, Itisa's tail was now fully puffed out.
"Most irregular," Newt commented, still taking notes. "The last time I saw something similar was in the Mariana colony during the great current shift of '32. Though those disturbances were preceded by—"
"Mr. Scamander," Captain Swift-Current's voice cut through the water as he approached their section; the translator quickly translated back to them. "The King requests your presence in the emergency council chamber." His eyes narrowed at Harry. "The young surface-dweller may attend as well."
As they rose to leave, Harry caught Crystal-Harmony's eye. She was still standing in the royal box, one hand pressed against the coral wall. For just a moment, he thought he saw frost patterns forming beneath her fingers, but they dissolved so quickly he couldn't be sure.
"Come along, Harry," Newt said cheerfully, tucking away his notebook. "I suspect this evening is about to become far more interesting than a simple concert."
Itisa meowed in what Harry could have sworn was agreement, though how she managed it through the bubble-charm was anyone's guess.
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The ancient runes on King Anden's coral throne pulsed with an unsettling rhythm, their usual steady glow disrupted by the same disturbance that had ended the concert. Harry stood with Newt in the surface-dweller alcove, while Crystal-Harmony hovered near her father's position, her tail making small, sharp movements.
Captain Swift-Current burst through the entrance, his armor gleaming. "Your Majesty, the attack patterns are unmistakable." He thrust forward a shimmerstone that projected images into the water. "Surface vessels, clearly marked with French Ministry seals, deploying detection charms along our border currents."
The translator translated to Newt, and he quickly decided to intervene. "Those are standard research vessels," Newt interjected. "Their detection charms are meant to track—"
"Silence!" Swift-Current's tail cut through the water sharply. "We've had enough surface-world excuses."
King Anden raised his hand, and the chamber fell quiet. "Master Scamander, you've been a friend to our people for many years. But even you must acknowledge things have changed."
"Changed, Your Majesty?" Newt's usual cheerful demeanor sobered.
"For centuries, we've been allies with the French Magical Community." King Anden's voice carried the weight of his position. "But this past year..." He gestured to the ward stones visible through the chamber's walls. "The very wards they helped us create no longer function as they should. We've suffered attacks—small ones, yes, but growing bolder."
"Attacks that coincidentally target our Aqualis stores," Commerce-Master Deep-Trader added, his massive bulk shifting forward. "The surface world grows greedy for our resources."
King Anden nodded gravely. "We've found a new location. Deeper, more secure. A place where Aqualis—the lifeblood of our people—can belong solely to the creatures of the sea, as it should."
Murmurs of approval rippled through the chamber, but Crystal-Harmony suddenly moved to the center floor. "Father, please. Council members, think about what you're suggesting."
"Crystal-Harmony," King Anden warned, but she continued.
"You speak of building a new city as if it were a simple thing. Have you told the council how long it would take? Decades. Perhaps a century." Her voice grew stronger, and Harry noticed the water temperature beginning to drop. "And what of the cost? Not just in resources, but in magic itself?"
She turned to address the whole chamber. "Look at the other underwater cities that chose isolation. The Midnight Depths, the Twilight Colony—their magic grows older, weaker with each passing generation. Why? Because they rejected the very thing that once made them strong: alliance with the surface world."
"Pretty words," Swift-Current scoffed, "but they don't address the attacks—"
"Don't they?" Crystal-Harmony challenged. "Our greatest defense has always been cooperation. The ward system that protects us? It's a fusion of surface and sea magic. The healing pools that saved three dozen of our children last season? Enhanced by surface potion techniques."
Harry felt a strange resonance in his chest as she spoke, his voice magic responding to something in her words—or perhaps to something in the increasingly cold water around her.
"When the poison-current crisis struck two years ago, who helped us? Surface researchers." Crystal-Harmony's tail moved in emphasis. "When we needed to strengthen the nursery caves, whose architectural magic did we use? Surface engineers."
She gestured to the chamber around them. "Even this council chamber bears the marks of both magical traditions. And you would have us abandon all of this? Doom future generations to magical isolation because we're afraid of solving problems that can be fixed?"
"You speak of surface achievements," Elder Coral-Voice said, shifting uncomfortably in the chilling water, "but what of surface threats?"
"Yes," Crystal-Harmony nodded. "Let's speak of threats. Real ones, not shadows. If our wards are failing, we find out why. If there are corrupt elements in the French Ministry, we work with our allies to expose them. We don't abandon centuries of progress because the path forward is difficult."
Harry noticed Battle-Storm watching Crystal-Harmony intently, the veteran warrior's scarred face showing unusual interest. Around Crystal-Harmony, tiny ice crystals had begun forming and dissolving in the water, though she seemed unaware of them.
"The new location," Swift-Current pressed, "offers natural defenses that would make us invulnerable to surface interference."
"Invulnerable?" Crystal-Harmony said with a keen look. "Like the Midnight Depths? They thought depth would protect them. Now their magic barely sustains their basic needs. Like the Twilight Colony? They believed isolation would preserve their traditions. Now they can't even maintain their own ward stones without help."
The water had grown cold enough that Harry could see his breath inside his bubble-head charm. King Anden leaned forward, concern evident in his expression.
"You would have us stay," he said softly, "knowing the risks?"
"I would have us fight," Crystal-Harmony replied. "Fight to preserve what makes us strong. Fight to build on our achievements instead of running from our challenges." Her voice carried an unusual resonance that made Harry's voice magic tingle. "Fight to give the next generation more possibilities, not fewer."
Battle-Storm suddenly moved from his position near the wall. "The princess speaks wisdom about magical fusion." His tail moved in a formal gesture of respect. "And demonstrates... unexpected potential. With your permission, My King, I offer to train her in advanced defensive arts."
A shocked murmur ran through the chamber. Battle-Storm hadn't taken a student in decades.
"You would train my daughter?" King Anden's voice carried equal measures of honor and wariness. "Why now?"
"Times change, My King. Old ways meet new currents." Battle-Storm's scarred face remained impassive, but his eyes flicked to the rapidly disappearing frost patterns in the water around Crystal-Harmony. "The princess shows... unique abilities that should be properly channeled."
King Anden studied his daughter for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "We will consider all that has been said today. About our future, our alliances, and our traditions." He turned to Battle-Storm. "And yes, you may train Crystal-Harmony. Though I trust you will keep me informed of her... progress."
As the council members began to disperse, Harry overheard Elder Wave-Speaker whisper to her neighbor: "Did you feel the cold? When she spoke of magical fusion? Most peculiar..."
"Most peculiar indeed," Newt murmured beside Harry, somehow having produced his waterproof notebook again. "Though perhaps exactly what both our peoples need right now."
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The ancient ward stones loomed like silent sentinels at the edge of Abyssantica, their rune-carved surfaces glowing with a faint, pulsing light. Harry settled into the surface-dweller observation bubble, while Itisa curled up beside him, her eyes fixed on the training area below.
Battle-Storm circled Crystal-Harmony, his scarred tail cutting efficiently through the dark water. "Water-shaping begins with understanding," his deep voice resonated. "The currents are not your servants, Princess. They are your partners in the dance."
The warrior demonstrated, his webbed hands moving in precise gestures. The surrounding water responded immediately, forming a perfect spiral that gleamed with bioluminescent particles.
"Your turn," Battle-Storm commanded. "Start with a simple current-twist."
Crystal-Harmony's tail moved nervously as she attempted to mimic his gestures. The water stirred sluggishly, refusing to form any distinct pattern.
"Pathetic," whispered one of the young guards watching from above. "My little sister has better control."
"Quiet in the observation ring," Battle-Storm snapped, not even turning to look at them. "Princess, again. Feel the water's memory. Let it guide your movements."
Crystal-Harmony tried again, her frustration evident in her jerky movements. The water remained stubbornly uncooperative, though Harry noticed the temperature dropping slightly around her.
"Perhaps she should stick to surface politics," another guard muttered, earning snickers from his companions.
"I said quiet!" Battle-Storm's tail cracked like a whip through the water. "Princess, ignore them. Focus on the current's natural flow." His voice softened slightly. "You're fighting it. Don't force the water – invite it."
"I'm trying," Crystal-Harmony's voice wavered. "But it feels... wrong. Like the water wants to do something else."
"Then you're not listening properly," Battle-Storm demonstrated again. "The water knows its path. Watch closely – see how my movements follow its natural—"
He stopped abruptly as Crystal-Harmony's next attempt sent a chaotic surge through the training area, scattering the few bioluminescent creatures that had been providing light.
"Well," one of the guards called down, "at least she managed to move something this time. Even if it was just the light-fish."
Harry felt a familiar resonance building in his chest as Crystal-Harmony's shoulders slumped. Without thinking, he spoke up. "Maybe I could help?" And the translator translated for him to the old RSH.
Battle-Storm turned his scarred face toward the observation bubble. "Surface-dweller magic is different from ours."
"But it's all connected, isn't it?" Harry pressed. "Like Crystal-Harmony said in the council chamber about fusion magic?"
The warrior studied him for a long moment. "Interesting theory. Very well, approach the training circle. Carefully."
Harry slipped out of the observation bubble into the colder water, his bubble-head charm adjusting to the pressure change. Itisa watched intently from her own bubble, her tail twitching with unusual agitation.
"What do you propose?" Battle-Storm asked, moving aside slightly.
"Well," Harry began, "when I use voice magic, it's about finding the right resonance. Maybe water-shaping works similarly?" He turned to Crystal-Harmony. "Try again, but this time, I'll try to match your rhythm with my voice."
Crystal-Harmony nodded uncertainly. As she began the movements, Harry hummed softly, letting his voice magic seek harmony with her attempts. The water stirred, and for a moment, it seemed to be working.
Then everything changed.
The temperature plummeted. Tiny ice crystals began forming around Crystal-Harmony's hands, spreading outward in delicate patterns. Her eyes widened in shock and fear.
"I can't... this isn't..." she stammered, trying to pull back, but the ice followed her movements.
"Don't fight it," Battle-Storm said sharply, his eyes gleaming with sudden understanding. "Let it flow naturally, just as I said before."
For a brief moment, Crystal-Harmony relaxed, and the ice responded by forming a perfect spiral – similar to Battle-Storm's water pattern, but crystalline and glittering. Then panic overtook her features, and she clenched her fists. The ice shattered, dissolving back into the dark water.
The young guards had fallen completely silent, their tails no longer moving in disdainful flicks.
"Most illuminating," Battle-Storm said quietly. He turned to the guards. "What you have witnessed remains in this training ground. Am I understood?"
They nodded quickly, their earlier arrogance replaced by something closer to awe – or fear.
"Princess," Battle-Storm continued, "your training will need to be... modified. Surface-dweller, your assistance may prove valuable." He glanced at Harry's bubble-head charm. "Though we will need to work within your limitations."
"I don't understand what's happening to me," Crystal-Harmony whispered, staring at her hands. "The water... it's always felt different, but this..."
"Understanding will come with training," Battle-Storm assured her. "But for now, we've done enough. Rest. Tomorrow, we begin properly." His scarred face softened slightly. "And Princess? You did well today, even if not in the way we expected."
The training session dispersed, the guards swimming away in tight formation, still casting wary glances back at Crystal-Harmony. Harry noticed they maintained a noticeably wider distance from her than before.
"I'll escort the surface-dweller back to his chambers," Battle-Storm announced. As they swam through the darkening waters, the warrior spoke quietly. "Your voice magic... it triggered something in her. Something that's been waiting to emerge."
The translator translated for Harry.
"Is that bad?" Harry asked, watching Crystal-Harmony's distant figure being led away by her own escort.
Battle-Storm's tail moved in a gesture Harry hadn't seen before. "Different isn't always bad, surface-dweller. Sometimes it's just... unexpected." He glanced at the ward stones they passed. "Though I suggest you stay alert. Change makes some Sea Horses uncomfortable, and discomfort can be dangerous."
They reached Harry's guest chambers, where Newt was already absorbed in his notes about the day's events. Battle-Storm departed with a formal tail-gesture, leaving Harry to settle in for the evening.
Hours passed. Harry tried to sleep, but his mind kept returning to the image of ice crystals forming in warm water, to Crystal-Harmony's face when she realized what she could do. The bioluminescent patterns on his chamber walls pulsed slowly, their rhythm usually soothing but tonight somehow restless.
That's when Itisa suddenly perked up, staring intently toward the door...
The deeper levels of Abyssantica were eerily quiet during what Harry assumed was night, though it was hard to tell so far beneath the surface. He'd been restless, watching the bioluminescent patterns pulse slowly along the coral walls of his guest chamber, when Itisa had suddenly perked up, staring intently toward the door.
Following his disguised Nundu's instincts, Harry recast his bubble-head charm and ventured out. The cat swam beside him in her own bubble, leading him toward the ancient ward stones where they'd trained earlier.
That's where he found Crystal-Harmony.
She was practicing alone, ice crystals forming and dissolving around her hands as she moved through the exercises Battle-Storm had taught her. But something was wrong. Her movements were jerky, frustrated, and when she turned at Harry's approach, he could see her eyes were red. Even underwater, he knew she'd been crying.
"Oh," she said, quickly wiping her eyes. "I didn't think anyone would be here at this hour."
"Neither did I," Harry replied softly. "Couldn't sleep?"
Crystal-Harmony's tail moved in a gesture he'd learned meant negative agreement. "I thought if I practiced enough, maybe..." She formed another ice crystal, larger this time, then let it shatter. "Maybe I wouldn't feel so..."
"Different?" Harry offered.
She nodded, sinking down to rest on an ancient coral formation. "I've always been the odd one. Look at me." She gestured to her more humanoid features. "Most RSH children have full scaling by my age, they don't have human faces. But I'm too human-looking. Can't even do proper water-shaping like everyone else. And now..." Another ice crystal formed between her fingers. "Now I'm even more of an anomaly."
Harry settled beside her, Itisa curling protectively around his bubble. "Want to know something about being different?"
Crystal-Harmony looked up, curious despite her sadness.
"When I was just a baby," Harry began, "there was this dark wizard—Voldemort. He was terrorizing the magical world, killing anyone who stood against him. One night, he came to my house." He took a deep breath. "He killed my parents. Then he tried to kill me."
"Harry..." Crystal-Harmony's hand moved toward him, then pulled back uncertainly.
"But something happened. The curse rebounded. He vanished, leaving me with just this." He touched his scar. "Every witch and wizard knows about it. 'The Boy Who Lived,' they call me. They stare at my scar and whisper when they think I can't hear them."
"That must be awful," Crystal-Harmony said softly.
"Sometimes. But mostly, it's just...lonely. Everyone thinks they know who I am because of something I can't even remember. They look at the scar and see what they want to see, but despite that, I still made friends, people who see me as Harry Potter, not as The Boy Who Lived." Harry said fondly, remembering all his friends back at Hogwarts. Hermione, Tonks, Susan, Daphne, Neville, the Weasley Twins (He wasn't sure if they made it to that list), Sebastian, Anna, Lady Andromeda, Mister Ted, and Professor Minerva
Crystal-Harmony's tail curled thoughtfully. "Like how they look at my human features and see weakness? Or now, with the ice magic..."
"Exactly. Everyone's so quick to judge what's different, they don't bother looking deeper."
She reached out again, this time letting her fingers gently touch his scar. "Life would be easier if you were born an RSH like me." She paused, then added with a small laugh, "Though I suppose I'm not a very typical RSH either."
"That's what makes you special," Harry said. "You're not just another Royal Sea Horse. You're Crystal-Harmony—the princess who stands up to the council, who thinks about the future, who's discovering amazing new magic that nobody's seen before."
"But what if I can't control it?" Ice crystals formed around them as her anxiety spiked. "What if I freeze something important? Or hurt someone?"
"That's why we practice. That's why Battle-Storm's training you. And..." Harry grinned, "that's why you've got a friend with weird voice magic to help."
Crystal-Harmony smiled slightly. "You make it sound so simple."
"It's not simple at all," Harry admitted. "But you're stronger than you think. I've seen it. In the council chamber, standing up to Swift-Current. In training, not giving up despite those guards. You might be different, but that's what's going to make you an amazing Queen someday."
She looked at him, startled. "You really think so?"
"I know so. You see both sides of things—surface and sea. You understand different kinds of magic, different ways of thinking. That's not weakness, Crystal-Harmony. That's exactly what a good leader needs."
Tears welled in her eyes again, but different this time. "The surface world is lucky to have you, Harry Potter. You're wiser than many council members three times your age."
As she spoke, something extraordinary happened. The scales on her upper body began to fade, seeming to melt away like frost in sunlight. Within moments, her torso appeared fully human, a striking contrast to her magnificent Royal Sea Horse tail.
"Crystal-Harmony," Harry breathed. "Your scales..."
She looked down, eyes widening. "I... I didn't mean to..." But there was no fear in her voice this time. She moved her arms through the water, watching the play of light on her now-human skin, but then the scales started growing back, except for her human cheeks and lips.
Itisa made a sound of approval in her bubble, and Harry noticed the water temperature had stabilized. No more erratic ice crystals formed around them.
"Battle-Storm's going to have to create whole new training exercises," Harry joked, trying to lighten the moment.
Crystal-Harmony laughed, the sound carrying beautifully through the water. "Can you imagine Swift-Current's face when he sees this? He'll probably claim it's more 'surface world corruption.'"
"Let him," Harry said firmly. "You're not just surface or sea. You're both. And that's your strength."
"Thank you, Harry. For understanding. For helping me understand." She paused, then added with a mischievous glint in her eye, "Though I still think life would be easier if you were an RSH. You'd make a decent Sea Horse."
"With my luck, I'd probably end up with ice magic too," Harry grinned.
"Now that would be something to see." She glanced toward the city's dimmed lights. "We should probably head back before the guard patrol comes through."
As they prepared to leave, Crystal-Harmony created one last ice crystal—a perfect spiral like the water-shaping pattern Battle-Storm had demonstrated. But this time, she held it stable, letting it catch and reflect the bioluminescent light.
"Different isn't so bad," she said softly, watching the crystal glitter. Her eyes met his through the bubble-head charm, and something shifted in the water between them.
"No," Harry agreed quietly, suddenly very aware of how close they were floating. "Different is just the beginning."
Crystal-Harmony moved closer. Harry's heart beat faster as she reached toward his bubble-charm, her expression soft and uncertain. Her hand touched his cheek, and he could feel her scales sinking into her skin again, and now she appeared human again as she leaned closer.
Then Itisa let out a loud, pointed meow that echoed through her bubble, making them both jump. The ice crystal shattered, and Crystal-Harmony darted backward, her tail swishing in embarrassment and the scales growing back in her upper body.
"I should... we should probably head back," she stammered, her cheeks flushing a deeper blue. "Before the guards..."
"Right," Harry managed, equally flustered. "The guards. Good thinking."
Itisa looked entirely too pleased with herself as they hurried back toward the living quarters, carefully not looking at each other but somehow managing to swim closer together than strictly necessary.
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