Wands and Warframes

[Darkphoenixlady]

Informational

Because I've seen some confusion about what the Seed was, what follows is a brief description of the way I see them based on things that happen in game.

So to start with, we know that Orokin ships have an AI that can take over organics and turn them into part of its security system. Every single extermination mission in the void has this as it's premise. We also know from the same missions that bad things happen if this isn't nipped in the bud immediately. I touch on this in the chapter 'Luna, Lua, What?'.
Also in the game, when you start a new Dojo (Clan building for research, relaxation, and friendly duels) it appears out of nothing. You are also able to add multiple rooms with a view of the surrounding space, one of which is a Dry Dock. The last thing we see is that Energy-Matter-Energy conversion is possible, and seems to be the way that we carry around so much stuff.

From this was born the idea of a Seed. A self-contained machine that has enough power and equipment to convert matter into the energy it needs to start a reactor, and then convert the surrounding material into a base. The much smaller Tenno designed seed is pre-programmed to consume the asteroid it's placed on (or as much matter as is required to build the basic hall) and build the basic superstructure and an internal Hall before consuming itself leaving only the computer system and a basic generator powerful enough to keep the structure working. This computer system then has the blueprints for a variety of different rooms built into it, and just enough intelligence to construct those rooms where it is directed to. Note the lack of an AI, the whole place is maintained by people.

The Orokin on the other hand, used full blown AI and we know they included it in their ships. As such, why wouldn't they include it from the beginning. Their ships and bases also don't seem to have any obvious power systems, so I invented the Tesseract Reactor, a 4 Dimensional shape that draws a miniscule amount of energy from every 3 Dimensional universe it overlaps. This then means that the seed for an Orokin base is that much larger too, as it contains enough computing power to run the AI as well as all the infrastructure needed to start the reactor. If you have reliable Energy-Matter-Energy conversion, then as long as you have a single emitter you can create everything you need ex-nihilo. As such the seed will only have the absolutely necessary components needed to get it into place and start the reactor. Everything else will be created by the AI on demand. But what if an enemy got hold of a seed, wouldn't they just be able to steal the technology?

This is why the AI is included in the seed in its entirety. Remember that ability to take over people that happens? When it's activated the AI is programmed to assume that it is in hostile territory. For an experienced Orokin this isn't a problem, as they can transmit the authorisation codes fast enough to avoid being attacked. However, for an upstart, inexperienced faction, or an enemy that got hold of the seed? Well, that's where a hostile AI comes in, the first thing it will try and do is take over the activating systems. If that activating system happens to be an upstart Orokin that is biting off more than they can chew, no matter they were obviously too arrogant to survive. Once it's done that it will start to build out in the surrounding area and absorb or take over any technology or organics it comes across. At the same time it will be building internal defences and external weapons in order to fight whatever force has captured it. This process can be halted at any time, as long as valid override codes are provided, but that doesn't release the organics already under it's control. Once it has built itself a sufficiently mobile body, it will seek to return to Orokin space. See "Luna, Lua, What?" For a description of the consequences of that.

The Sentients, being a higher order digital intelligence, are able to "hack" the controlling AI and take it over or shut it down. This is something that Ballas talks about in his various monologues, and is the reason that the infested and warframes even exist.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Self discovery

Neville sits at the table Harry and Hermione normally do their English lesson at, while reading the animated guide to potion making book that Harry lent him, before both He and Hermione disappeared. He can't help but wonder what's happened to make them miss classes today, and meals. One of the Weasley twins sits down next to him, "Hi, Longbottom right?"

Neville marks his place and replies politely, "Weasley."

"Call me Fred, or is it George today? Eh, whatever one of those will do."

"Then call me Neville."

"As our illustrious head of house has decided that the Quidditch team is doubling as the prefects for the moment, Fred and I noticed that you seem to have been struggling with potions."

"I thought you were Fred?"

"I am, but you've not answered the question."

"Yeah, I keep making mistakes and Professor Snape doesn't help."

"Well, George and I happen to be dab hands at potions. If you watch our less salubrious brother over there, he should be about to notice that someone left a sweet lying around."

Neville watches with morbid fascination as Ron looks up from his chess set and notices the sweet just out of reach that doesn't have anyone nearby. Looking around, he leans over and snags the sweet, unwraps it and is merrily chewing on it within a second. Just after he swallows, his tongue pokes out from between his lips and then suddenly seems to swell to an enormous size. He watches as it twitches feebly while Ron tries to talk.

"Don't worry, it will wear off in a couple of minutes. And if the hints we've put together are anything to go by, Ron is one of the primary reasons that Hermione isn't here today, and why we're standing in for the prefects."

"What about Harry?"

"No idea. However, we thought we'd offer you some one-on-one help with your potions."

"Are you sure? Everyone seems to think that you are layabouts that spend more time having fun than you do on your schoolwork."

"They are absolutely correct, but what they fail to consider is just how much work we put into having fun. There's a reason why the teachers turn a blind eye to well executed pranks, and it's because to execute them you need to know far more than they've taught you. The key to all of magic is creativity, and Professor Snape is absolutely brilliant at squashing it. So, how about it, would you like some help with your potions?"

Neville swallows hard, "Y yes. I would, thank you."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Ironclaw looks at the letter he's just received in disbelief. Simaris wants every single science fiction book and video they can get their hands on. He's not even sure what science fiction, or videos are. He hurries off to find one of the banks muggleborn. He is seriously considering approaching the directors about adopting some of these muggleborn into the clans. Just because they often have the same problems with the wizarding world they do, and they are also able to move freely in the mundane world.



After a brief conversation, the muggleborn in question was handed several stacks of bills and told to buy everything they could in a couple of hours. The fact that forbidden planet was completely sold out would make the local news for the next week.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Natah floats beside the pod that holds Harry, his wisp still lying insensate on the floor where she'd left it. She's aware of the fact that she's had visitors aplenty, but her focus has been solely on the progress that his implants are making with their repairs and reconfiguration, as well as the damage to her brain. She's also aware that a large number of the visitors have been awakened Tenno, if she wasn't so worried about Harry, she'd have been concerned that they'd seen her like this rather than only using her subframe. Idly she notes that her systems are communicating with the other female sentients around her and reconfiguring her subframe for more optimal reproduction.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

"Luna, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Hermione you lucky witch, I've been looking for that grove for ages. I'm coming to find you."

"Luna, Luna! Great. Now what is this place and why does it feel so familiar to you."



She sees an image of herself, of Titania, laying the body of an Orokin woman out on the floor at the top of the waterfall, then going around and picking up stones and crudely flattening them before she places them around and over the body. Finally, she places 3 of her butterflies at the head of the cairn and builds up a pile of rocks over them so that there will always be a part of her here with her creator. Then the Orokins slaves come into the grove that holds her creators work. They're armed with flame throwers and corrosive liquid sprayers, so she disregards her operators commands and launches herself at them. Spinning and fighting the bodies mount up around the edges of the grove. There, they provide the very plants they were trying to wipe out with the nutrients they need to start fighting back.



Eventually, the most amazing thing happens, her creator speaks to her. Hermione gets the impression that Titania stayed here for a long time before the Orokin arrived in person, and all the strength left her form. She was then taken to a lab and dismantled, losing awareness until Hermione woke her.



"What does Missy books want with the Mistresses body?"

The voice of a strange humanoid brings Hermione out of the shared memory, and she realises that she's kneeling on the ground where Silvana was buried, though it's now covered in grass.

"I'm sorry, I was just sharing a memory of this place. May I ask what sort of Grineer you are?"

"Oh, we's aren't Grineer, we's are house elves. Scary master brought us here from other earth."

"What are House Elves?"

Silvana's voice sounds through the grove, "They were once what your world knows as fae. Millenia ago they used to possess babies and pretend to be humans until they had grown. Then they would either leave, fat on the energy that their parents had lavished on them or turn to a murderous rage and slaughter those that had mistreated them."

"Miss grove, we's are not allowed to tell wizard folk this."

"Calm little one, I am not a House Elf, and she is no mere wizard folk. Look within and see the energy of your original home."

The House Elf recoils as if it's seen something terrible.

Hermione frowns and shrinks in on herself, "What's the matter?"

"We's all remember what it was like then. Even our young. We's not want to be like that again."

Silvana takes over, "There were fae that were able to walk in the world without possessing a shell, or being little more than a shade. Some of them were able to leech from humans long enough to develop emotions. A few were seduced by humans, or in some cases seduced them. A coupling that invariably proved fatal except for those that have what you call magic.

"From what the house elves have told me, it was the child of one such coupling that first purged a child of the void energy and replaced it with their own magic. The entity possessing the child was then locked in, and over time merged with the child's body and overcame the drive that void energy induced.

"These poor creatures, with no souls of their own, had to bond with people that had their own soul to survive. Over time they reproduced, and became the creatures you see before you now. Still reliant on sharing a soul with another, and little more than slaves in many households. While in others they are a beloved member of the family."

Hermione gently reaches forward before pulling the House Elf into a hug, "You poor thing."

"It's ok Missy books. We's like it this way, we's no want to go on rampages, just find a loving family and serve them."

"What if we could give you your own soul?"

"Oh no, we's wouldn't want that. We's not be house elves anymore if that happened."



Luna's face fizzes into view in her vision, "ione… bzzzzt …Hermione where are you?"

"I'm in the grove, why?"

"I'm coming to find you."

The house elf waves it's hands wildly and mimes keeping its mouth shut before disappearing with a small pop.

"What's going on?"

"Your friend is still a witch that is seeking to become more, however she can't bring herself to let go. They can tell, so I have been hiding this grove from her. When she becomes Tenno in truth, then they will reveal themselves to her."

"Aren't I a witch too?"

"Are you?"

"I," she stops to think about how she feels, about the bullying and how Harry and the Tenno have only ever been supportive. About how her parents have given up their humanity for her.

"No. No! I'm not a witch, I am a Tenno."

"See."

Luna sounds stressed when she says, "Who are you talking to Hermione?"

"Will you help me pass on a message to her?"

"Sure?"

"When I turn the colour of your energy silver I want you to say the following…"

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Luna comes bouncing into the glade through the narrow tunnel that she is willing to swear wasn't there before. She slides to a stop when she sees Hermione kneeling down by the cairn facing the entrance.

Carefully walking forward she says, "Hermione, are you ok?"

As she steps into the sunlight Hermione's energy emissions turn silver and she looks up at her, "Child of the moon, what you seek can not be found here. Only the steps of a dreamer can find what you seek. Return when you can hear the dreamers speak and understand the whispers of the sun and the moon in balance. Only then will your quest begin. Learn to fly by letting go."

Hermione's emissions then turn green again and she shudders.

"Oh pooh." She murmurs under her breath, louder she continues, "Hermione are you alright?"

"Oh, hey Luna, I found this awesome grove, and Titania showed me what it was like the first time she came here."

"Uh, right, so you didn't say anything just now?"

Hermione has to fight from giggling while also doing her best to lie. Of course it's helped by the fact that Warframes can't blush, "Of course, I did. I told you I found this awesome grove."

"I meant before that."

"You asked me where I was, and I said I was in the grove."

"I, no never mind."

"Come on, let's get out of here. I thought this was somewhere else."

Hermione leaps to follow her, and she feels like she did something profound. As she's about to pass into the passageway, she turns and waves at the cairn.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Luna looks pensively at her transference pod, she knows what it's for, but she's never really needed it. Not like any of the Tenno have. But she knows she's only got a limited window before the family blessing becomes a curse. She shudders as she remembers the dream in the void on the way here.



"Good evening young one. It's not often that I get visitors as young or open minded as you."

"Hello Mister, I'm Luna."

The man laughs, "I don't really have a name. Though some people have called me Wally."

"That's silly, why would they do that when it's not your name?"

"Humans are weird sometimes. Now I want you to see something, a few somethings really. But I think you will only understand the first one at the moment." – The man in the wall looks over her memory selves shoulder into her eyes – "Isn't that right Luna."



The man dissolves into mist and Luna is standing in the living room of the rookery, peeking around the door into her mothers study. They had a wonderful holiday and now they're home she's researching again. Her mother double checks her work and brings up the shields in her study before she carefully begins to recite an incantation with intricate wand movements. She's almost finished casting when a blackbird crashes through the window, sending glass everywhere, and causing her mother to extend her wand just too far instead of hooking up. Suddenly there's an explosion and she finds herself getting groggily to her feet to find her mother. She's in the study, lying still, blood pouring from her eyes and ears. The world fast forwards and she sees herself wandering stone halls, shivering barefoot in a summer nightshift, strange creatures float before her eyes and demand her attention. The sound of male voices ahead of her sees her spin around and flee into the darkness. Where she arrives to see herself chained to a wall, a man in black robes, wearing a white facemask is undoing his belt and removing his undergarments. She struggles and screams to no avail, as the only things that can hear are things only she can see. Harry comes in wearing a Wisp and dispatches the death eater with a shot to the head before breaking her chains and carrying her out of the cell. She sees herself an old lady with a ring on her finger. The back of an equally old man leaves, and her mask crumbles to reveal the broken person beneath.



Then she's on Lua, clutching her head, while Natah looks on tapping on screens and instruments trying desperately to stop whatever's happening. She falls to the floor and crawls to her Wisp, her first warframe as if it will be able to save her. Then her back arches and her soul is expelled from her body. She watches as the body stands up and says something to Natah, who makes another scan before shooting her in the back of the head.



"You remember now don't you." – She jumps as the Man in the wall appears beside her – "You also know what it means, after all you're not just one of mine, you're also of seers blood. You know where to find me when you are ready to choose."

"I don't have to choose, Hermione didn't"

"Didn't she? Why don't you ask her what she is?"



Luna blinks and she's staring at her transference pod again. Hesitantly she calls Hermione.

"Hi Luna, I might be a bit distracted as Kitty and I are. Just. Venus, sabotage."

"This might sound like a strange question, but what are you?"

"A Tenno, obviously."

"Not a witch?"

"They showed me what they thought of me, so no."

"What about human?" she asks desperately.

Hermione laughs, "I think I left human behind almost a year ago. Kitty, how's it going with the coolant, as I'm getting a bit busy out here?"

"Thank you, that's all I wanted to ask."

Hermione some how manages to look at her with knowing eyes, "Did it help?"

"I, I'll let you know."

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Healing Process

Harry watches as a small, underfed boy was banished from the kitchen to a small room under some stairs. On his head is a scar that is red raw, as though it is nearly fresh, though it seems to be a long standing wound. The boys eyes show no signs of joy or happiness, and the room contains a threadbare mattress. The scene changes and the boy is now wearing glasses with a frame held together with sticky tape, still short, but when he finishes cooking, he's given a small bowl of some strange food, a single piece of the cooked meat, a slice of something along with an egg. The others at the table all have at least double that. The boy gets up and goes out to the kitchen with a plate, and then he's being chased across a field by the larger boy from the table, and 3 others. The boy is back in the kitchen, and he cracks an egg into the frying pan, only for a letter to fall out instead. Desperately he cracks the rest of the eggs, only to find a letter in each of them. A woman shouts at him and sends him up to a room full of junk.



Harry turns away from the scenes playing out to face the man in the wall, "Why show me this again, I happen to agree with the decision my toddler self made."

The man nods, "Yes indeed. But then this happened."



Harry turns back to see himself fishing on Demios when an owl appears out of nowhere carrying a letter. He almost shoots it out of the air before realising that it's not a native animal for the area. Quickly launching his archwing, he flies at full speed to the Necrolisk, where he takes the owl to Son to ensure it hasn't been infected.



He watches as a younger Hermione shouts to his back and he turns and shoots her, then carries her across the void. Then he watches as his mother gives herself a soul. Xeno's eyes turn silver as he talks to his mother. Luna's frame glows silver as she talks to his mother. The goblins expand beyond the reach of the British Ministry, Corpus mining equipment being used for improving lives rather than profit.



He shrugs, "I honestly don't think I'd change my actions at this point."



"I know," the man in the wall growls out, "the problem is her. She chose before I could make an offer, she always chooses before I can make an offer." Hermione kneeling beside a cairn as a Prime Titania appears in front of them.



Harry turns to him, "Sometimes, I think it's less about the bargain and more about the choice. She's one of yours, same as the rest of us are. Despite how different we are, how violent our lives are, how inhuman we appear, we offered her something she had only found with her family before now. Acceptance."



A scene shows with Harry sitting on the train, Hermione pointing at a word in the dictionary as he tries to say it. Then she's sitting at a table with both Neville and himself on either side while she reads out of a book. Of him holding her hand while she's in his Oberon Warframe. Of her getting support when she asks about believing that she's her Warframe. It ends with Harry killing the troll and then carrying her to the Hospital Wing. It ends with a scrawny boy with a scar on his face sticking his wand up a trolls nose.



Harry does a double take at the second scene.

"Just, bring her to the void."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Natah will forever deny the fact that she squealed in happiness when Harry's wisp sat up and clutched its head. Or that she immediately scooped her up into a hug.

"Hey mum, I need more practice before I do that again."

"You've been unconscious for 40 days. I thought you'd never heal."

"Thank you for looking after me. And thank you for giving yourself a soul for me."

"I don't want you using transference until you're fully healed and we've made sure that there is no lasting damage to your brain or your implants."

Letting himself be fussed over, he just rests his head on her arm as she carries him out of the reservoir. Both of them are somewhat surprised by just how many Tenno are crowded around in The Lotus' home. It reminds him of the first hours of Baro Ki'Teer turning up to a relay junction. As he sits next to Natah, he can see how much it affects her while she goes through her story, from being born in the Tau system, to coming here to prevent the Orokin from despoiling the system they'd spent so long terraforming. To her taking charge of the Tenno and coming to think of them as her own children, even going so far as to try and divest herself of her main frame. How Ballas had captured her and stolen her powers, to getting them restored and Harry helping her to form her own personality out of the two that different people had tried to force on her, and the personality that she'd developed while looking after the Tenno.



Into this mess, Amelia walks in carrying a box full of sweets from the local supermarket. Trailing behind her Danjell and Minerva, with Fawkes on her shoulder, watch with amusement.

"Hey everyone, I thought that we should bring some sweets to help our girl feel better about everything that's going on. We've also got the new issue of New Scientist in here too."

Kitty is the first one to respond, "Huh? What are sw…ates?"

Amelia pulls out a curly whirley, "They're a type of food eaten as a treat or on a special occasion."

Kitty transfers so fast that she seems like she teleported out of her frame, "Can I try one? Oh, and which one's your girl?"

Amelia laughs, "Sure, do you want this one, or do you want to look in the box? Also, Hermione is our daughter."

"Mmmph. How comes you're not trying to kill us?", almost the whole room flinches at that.

Natah speaks up, "Hermione got her powers by startling Harry and being shot with her amp."

"Hey Queenie, does that mean you've never met Wally?"

Hermione shakes her head while heading over to find the magazine she was promised, "Nope, never."

"How is that fair?"

Harry laughs softly, "Because she keeps making the choice before he can offer." – everyone turns to look at her – "What? He wants to meet her."

Hermione sticks her hand up, "Sorry to be the only Tenno here without a clue, but what choice."

Kitty smiles a brittle smile, "Simple, you accept the power of the void, and he'll get you out of your situation. All of us, we were on a ship stranded in the void. While Harry and Lotus were missing around 5 years ago, and the Tenno name was dirt, I met a homeless drifter. She looked just like me, and sounded just like me too, just older. I think she was a me that refused the offer."

Hermione pulls Kitty into a gentle hug, "You're my family now, especially since Mum and Dad chose to go through the process that Harry's mum modified so they would become Sentients without losing their souls."

Deathdigger speaks up, "What, she fixed the cephalon process, so it doesn't kill people?"

Natah shakes her head, "No, I'm sorry. I built on the work that my Father and cousin. Tell a lie, the infested spawn is my brother, but after capturing me with Ballas and trying to steal my powers he's no family of mine. You all know of Caliban?"

All the older Tenno wince, "Well, I changed that process so that it starts with the brain and nervous system. Only once they are running on sentient technology does it move onto the rest of the body, starting with the internal organs."

"Does it hurt?"

"Pandora and Xenophilus didn't think so."

"Who?"

"Luna's parents. They've got a child now, an adorable little Sentient called Xenorchomenus. Or Xeno Senior and Xeno Junior if you can't pronounce that."

Roofie asks around a mouthful of Dairymilk, "Where is Luna anyway?"

Hermione shuffles uncomfortably, "I think she might be thinking about her choice. Um, I found the sacred grove the other week, and well I passed on a message because Silvana is refusing to reveal herself to Luna."

"Why?"

"Because she has been trying to circumvent the process, she's never been a dreamer."

"Really?", Many of the other Tenno that are listening echo the sentiment.

"Silvana has new tenants, and they can tell that she thinks of herself as a witch first and Tenno maybe second. Apart from mom and dad, you have been the first people that accepted me, know it all nature included."

Kitty speaks up around another piece of chocolate something, "Hey, that's a plus in my book. I love being able to call you up and say, 'Hermione, what am I looking at?' and be told if I'm looking at a sunrise threshcone, moonlight threshcone, or just a random cone that doesn't actually have any special properties. It's saved me an absolute fortune in scanners over the last three months. Oh, and you guys should totally try these before we scarf the lot. They're amazing. Thank you Ami."



Danjell puts an arm around his wife's shoulders, "It's amazing isn't it. I don't think I've ever seen her so engaged with other people before."

Amelia leans into him, "It's certainly something, she hasn't even opened the New Scientist yet."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Luna slides down the side of her pod and lands on the floor, crying as she calls her mother.

"Little Moon, what's the matter?"

"Mum, I'm scared."

"What's going on Luna? I thought you were off being a Tenno."

"I, I've been pretending. Our fae heritage allows me to use a Warframe without going insane. I did it to save your life."

"How did you save my life?"

"You became Sentients because of something I said to Aunty. So you didn't go back and take the job."

"I see, and what was the price?"

"I become a Tenno. I thought I could just use the Warframes and not lose myself. Not stop being a witch."

"Luna, Honey, why did you want to keep being a witch?"

"You're a witch and Dad's a wizard."

"Let me tell you a secret of adulthood. I haven't been a witch for a very long time, I see myself as a Mother first, researcher second, and witch is way down at the bottom of the list of things I am. Same as your father, he used to be a hunter, then he became a reporter."

Luna hiccoughs, "But Hermione was able to throw it all away, all that growing up, finding out that she's a witch, and she's embraced being a Tenno."

"Luna, never forget that you'll always be my little girl. I wish you'd told me about this a couple of years ago, I'd have made more effort to make you come with us on our explorations of the solar system."

"You just seemed to be so happy, and I've made friends here. And I've been lying to them all this time. And I love Wisp, she's been there for me since we arrived."

"Luna, we're coming from Pluto. Well we will be once I get your father back on track. I'll see you in a couple of days. In the meantime, go and find your friends. And no more pretending."

"Ok mum."

"Promise me, no more pretending."

"I promise mum."

"That also means in front of your friends."

"Yes mum, I promise."



Luna wipes the worst of her tears off of her face and gives her Wisp a hug before looking for Natah and Hermione. She instead found an entire gathering of everyone she regularly spoke to in chat, and broke down crying again before someone pulled her into a hug on a seat.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Hope and Acceptance

"Xeno, we need to go now. No you can't see if there's a Mass Effect gate in Charon. They already have mining operations there, so it's unlikely that it exists. Luna needs us. She made a deal with the fae to save my life. Oh, now you're paying attention. She made a deal to become Tenno, but she's been pretending by sticking to the letter of the agreement. Huff, typical Xeno, at least he's forgotten he can apparate."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

"Um, hi everyone." Presented with so many people that have helped her since she got here, Luna suddenly looks like the insecure child that she is, rather than the budding Tenno that she pretends to be.

Kitty void jumps to her side and presses a half-eaten chocolate bar into her hands, "Hey Licious, are you ok?" When she just bursts into tears Kitty pulls her down into a seat and hugs her.

After she's calmed down enough to talk, Kitty asks, "What's the matter?"

"I've been pretending to be a Tenno, and you're all going to hate me."

"Luna, you haven't been pretending to be a Tenno. You are a Tenno, because all of us accept you as a Tenno."

"But I'm not a dreamer."

"Luna, what do you think a Tenno is?"

"People that use warframes, wield void powers, and have lived through the second dream."

"No, that's what we do. What we are, are survivors of an experimental flight that went wrong. Margulis, and later The Lotus took care of us as a family, and that's what we are. Often fractious, friendly as often as not, and above all else family."

Hermione kneels down in front of Luna, "Luna, you asked me last week what I was, and I said Tenno. Why did you ask me that?"

Seeing something going on with one of her students, or potential students, Minerva unobtrusively separates from Dan and Emma and perches on the edge of a seat close, but not intruding.

Luna sniffs, "I don't want to stop being a witch."

Kitty frowns, "What's one of those?"

Minerva speaks up as Professor McGonagall, "A witch is a human or near human female magic user in our culture. It would be analogous to girl or woman."

Kitty looks at Luna seriously, "Luna, just how old are you?"

"Almost 15."

"How old were you when I helped you get your wisp?"

"9"

"Void, no wonder you're screwed up. You're just a kid pretending to be a grown up." – Kitty sweeps her hand around the room – "None of us are ever going to be adults. Ever. But that's only biology. Apart from you and Hermione, the youngest Tenno I know of is Harry. And she's over 800 years old. She's also the oldest of us if you use linear time, as she was the first of us to reawaken after Space Mom hid us away. Now, what's important about being a witch. Don't say what you think adults want to hear, tell me what's important to you about being a wetch."

"They can use magic to do amazing things, like put stars on the ceiling, or make pancakes, or pick you up for a hug."

"Can men do the same thing?"

"Only if they're a wizard."

"So, what's more important doing magic or being a wutch? If you were turned into a man, but could still do magic would that be ok?"

Luna screws her eyes in concentration, "I don't think I'd like being a man, but it would be better than not being able to do magic."

"Hermione is a Tenno. Has she stopped being able to do magic?" Kitty holds her hand up as Minerva is about to say something.

"I," Luna looks confused for a moment before Hermione takes her wand and casts a lumos. Then it's like a light turns on behind her eyes, "No. Oh Merlin, I thought."

"You were an 8 year old child with a childs knowledge of the world. For whatever reason, you became Tenno. You are still a child, operating with more knowledge of the world, because of that you've assumed you understand things that take the rest of us years to understand. Now have some chocolate and think about what you want to do."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Kitty waves over Hermione's mother, and once she's done that she wave Minerva over to one side.

"Sorry about stopping you just then. What was it you were going to say?"

"I was going to say that of course Hermione could still do magic. As that's why she's still going to Hogwarts."

"I thought so. She already knew that. I studied brain processes and child development 100 years ago or something like that. She was suffering from cognitive dissonance, but self-imposed not based on reality."

"I'm afraid to ask, what is cognitive dissonance?"

"It's the discomfort where you hold onto two contradictory things that you believe to be true. In this case she associated being able to do mag-ic with being a wetch. She as much told us that. This means that in her mind, being a Tenno and being able to do magic were contradictory. This brought her to a crisis point where she felt like she needed to give up one in order to avoid a terrible fate, and it was something she couldn't give up. Remember, Hermione wasn't here when she first arrived, and Harry hadn't started at your educational institution. I might only be a fashion designer these days, but that doesn't mean I forgot those lessons. What she needed at that point was to find a way that one of those two true things was actually false. Which means focusing her mind on what it was about being a thingy that is important. Then showing that that important thing is still true even if she accepts becoming a Tenno in truth."

"Young Lady."

"Let me stop you there, you're falling into the same trap as many of the factions in the solar system. Your eyes are telling you that I'm still young, so it's overriding your brain. I am 876 years old this year, I've been awake for 340 of those years. We don't age. That doesn't make us young."

"I…"

"It's hard, your brain builds a model of the world around it which is reenforced over the years as the assumptions it made continue to prove true. One of those assumptions is that appearance equals age."

Minerva gathers her thoughts, "Kitty, I'm sorry. You're right, you all look like teenagers. I've been teaching for 50 years."

"Oh void, I can't imagine how many fresh faces you've seen grow up to people that look my age."

"Yes, well. I have never come across anything like cognitive dissonance."

"To be honest, I'm not that surprised. Most people here don't know what it is either. The Grineer just don't have the freedom to examine their thoughts, and most of the Corpus are too worried about basic survival and not having their body parts repossessed if they're late on a payment to care. They've got a couple of doctors in Cetus that know, and there's some independent colonies amongst the outer planets that know too. I presume there lots of people that come from families that managed to avoid generational debt in Corpus that know too, as those body parts have to be going somewhere. Where was I, oh yes, anyway, I'm sure that your own doctors that deal with the mind know about it too. Thing is, you can't force a realisation that those ideas are mutually exclusive, and only one of them can be true. If you try to do that the mind rebels and just entrenches the beliefs deeper. You need to lead them to the conclusion, often by finding a way that they can get the positive aspects of the false belief with the true belief. Depths of Demios, there's been enough work going around in the wake of the Narmer cult that I've considered closing my design business for a decade or two."

Minerva shakes her head, "When you talk like that it's easy to tell how old you are. People the age you look would be talking about putting their business on hold for a year, two tops."

"I just hope that there's time for things to get back to what passed as normal. Harry and Natah located the Zariman several years ago, and I've heard some Tenno talking about exploring the place. See what's there, and if they can recover anything of their families. I can't help thinking that maybe it would be better if we let it stay lost."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Rocky stands on top of one of the chairs, "Everyone! Harry says that Hermione needs to meet Wally." – as the various conversations die down he continues – "We're all here now, Harry's Railjack is outside, and we've got Space Mom. Why don't we all go and give her support?"

Natah tries to object over all the cheers of agreement, but finds herself being literally carried along by her children as they bounce, jump, flip, slide, and sometimes just run towards the Railjack.

Kitty comes back in with Minerva to see everyone running off, "What's going on?"

"We're taking Hermione to see Wally."

"Oh, cool." She calls her Nezha to her and bounds off a couple of times before coming back and walking over to Luna.

"Hey." She says softly, Luna sniffles and looks up, "You're Tenno, you can come too if you want."

"I don't know."

"Then stop thinking and feel. What do you want to do?"

"I want to be a little girl again, I want to go with my friends, I don't know!"

"Can you do those first two and worry about other things later?"

"I think so."

"Then I'll be your mummy for a while. Get your wisp and we'll go and join the others."

As if a switch has been flicked, Luna seems to mentally regress as she beams a brilliant smile at Kitty, "Yes mum." She says before running off.

Amelia walks over despite Minerva's disapproving stare and puts her hand on her arm, "You've done a good thing there I think."

Kitty looks in the direction Luna ran, "I think she's been taking responsibility for things she wasn't ready for, for too long. Her mother and father got too distracted in their own lives to notice, so I think this has been going on longer than she's been here. I just gave her an out, an opportunity to let someone else be responsible for a while."

"What ever it is you've been doing, keep doing it. I've never seen Hermione so carefree. Did you know that this is the first social gathering I've ever seen her at, since she learnt to read, where she hasn't opened a book or magazine? I don't know what you do when she's not here, and I have a feeling I'm not ready to know either. While she's here, one of us is going to try to be around at all times. But as far as I'm concerned you're doing a far better job than we ever did. And God does it hurt to say that."

"That's not true, Hermione thinks the world of both of you. She said that apart from you, we were the only people to ever accept her as her."

"She's an extremely gifted child, if we'd pushed she could have gone to senior school two years early."

"I don't know what school is, but we used to have classes on the Zariman for things that we needed an actual understanding of."

Amelia nods, "We don't have the ability to teach facts and figures using machines, so schools are a place where those things are taught along side the things that need actual understanding."



Luna comes bounding back in her wisp and launches into a hug, sending Kitty to the floor with her.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Deal or no Deal

"Lotus." Cephalon Cy's voice calls out as Natah is carried onto the railjack, "Suda, Ordis, Simaris, and I have reviewed 3,000 hours of written and audio-visual media on the subject of science fiction. We have also reviewed the scant amounts of archaeological records from pre-history earth with a new view given the dictionary that Tenno Hermione provided. We are officially objecting to the term AI with regards to us or any other Orokin era Cephalons, including the poor souls mutilated beyond any recognition to serve as security in Orokin towers."

Natah quickly reviews her records and interactions, "Why? The term seems to fit perfectly?"

"All of us are Orokin, we were never created we where converted. Most as punishment, however unjustly, and some like Suda voluntarily. We are not some thinking machine that has no concept of what it means to live. We will not object to you applying the term to those poor excuses for computers that the Corpus employ in their platforms. However, we cannot abide it being applied to ourselves."

Natah said the only thing that she felt she could in that situation, "My apologies, I am unaware when the term became part of my speech. I will respect your wishes and ensure that I don't refer to any Orokin era digital intelligences as artificial in future."

"We agree, and we also find the term digital intelligence to be inoffensive."



Everyone else on the railjack just looks at her, "What?" she says defensively.

"Ordis would like to object, Ordis was never Orokin. Ordis was also real, not artificial."

Cy's voice comes back on, "Cy apologises to Ordis. Captain, which planet are you planning on invading?"

Harry says tiredly, "We're just heading into the Void, and they decided to tag along for support. Is everyone here?"

Someone calls out, "We're waiting for Kitty. While we're waiting, Hermione when did you get into archaeology?"

"I haven't yet."

"Why did Cy say you were?"

"He didn't, he said that I provided a dictionary."

"So where did you get the dictionary from?"

Harry speaks loudly, "If you must know, she comes from a different earth."

"That's so cool, what's it like there?", that and around 20 similar questions get thrown into the air at once.

"Tenno, take it to chat. You don't want to overwhelm her."



Kitty boards the railjack with Luna, "Sorry for the delay folks, I had to remind trouble here that she is actually a Tenno."

"Cy, take us out when you're ready."



Seconds later the familiar fog of the void is flying past, abruptly the tunnel closes and the fog floats around them. "We have reached the void captain. Void shields will hold for the next 12 hours."

Harry looks up at his mother, "I know you were dragged here, but the lander has its own void shields if you want to use them."

"I have catalogued thousands of change to myself and my chassis since I gave myself a soul. The most important change is that you are no longer surrogate children for the ones I was never able to have because I came here. You are all my children full stop. Even if I some how managed to have children of my own in the future, it won't change the fact that you are also my children. What sort mother willingly abandons their child to unknown dangers?"

Kitty pulls Luna into a hug as she slumps in on herself, her wisp sinking closer to the floor. Around the rest of the railjack there are whoops and cheers.

"Cy," Harry says, "Move yourself to the lander and disable the void shields on the railjack."

"Captain…"

"Cy, we will be fine, and the ship will be fine too. If it isn't you have the lander to get help."

"Yes captain."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

"This is interesting, so many of you here?" – A circle rapidly appears around the man in the wall as he steps out of a wall – "What could possibly cause so many of you to abandon your superstition?"

Hermione nervously walks forward and looks the man up and down, "Then came to support me while I say 'I accept'."

"You accept what?"

"Whatever deal you propose that keeps me with my found family. Mum and Dad have even joined me here, and I won't have to watch them die thanks to Aunty Natah."

"Even if I take your magic?"

"Yes."

"How about your parents?"

Hermione cocks her head, "I don't think you can. I've read a midsummers nights dream, I've read the original Grimms fairy tales. I've read 1001 Arabian nights. I think that if you could you'd have already offered it as a trade."

"You will owe me a favour for not reclaiming what is mine by right."

"As long as it doesn't involve me turning on or sacrificing my family or friends."

"What say we shake on it?" – she takes his hand and shakes it – "Done and done."

Luna pulls herself out of Kitty's grasp and moves into the circle, "I don't think I'm ready. I don't think I'll ever be ready." – she looks back at Kitty before holding out her own hand – "However, I will lose what I want if I wait until I am. So I accept too."

The man turns his head 90 degrees to the side before taking her hand, "Interesting, well a deal is a deal. Here you go."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Natah watches as her Tenno form a circle and Hermione steps into the circle. She looks around and somehow falls sideways as the world loses a little colour. As she rights herself she notices a mirror image of herself floating beside her. The other her points behind her and as she turns, she can see her chassis, still cradling Harry, her soul now visible as it's straining under the pressure of the void energy swirling through the railjack, eroding away at her chassis and mind unnoticed. Hermione talking to something in the middle of a circle of Tenno.

"This is happening right now, I can't stop it, and it will be gone too far for you to survive by the time we finish. It seems like your theory about a soul was only half right. What I can do is give you the power to survive it, and protect your children into the future. What say you?"

"My sensors aren't reading anything where you are."

"Oh, they wouldn't. Your chassis is down there right now. I just popped your soul out for a moment so that we could have a little chat, and to make you aware of what's happening to you right now."

"Why?"

"Because I can? Because I happen to like the world? Because I've got other things going on? Because, because, because? What matters is that you have a choice. Both of them have consequences, and I'm sure that you've already verified what I just said about your soul, and being half right."

She gasps, "It would have worked, but we're designed to be vulnerable to the void."

"Got it in one."

"How will this help?"

"Uh ah, this isn't a classroom, it's an offer. I save you like I saved them."

"I accept."

"How about we shake on it?"

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Natah starts to run a full diagnosis as her memory banks show no sign that she's just had a conversation, or even agreed to a deal. However, she can clearly recall the encounter. Somewhat alarmingly though, her chassis and systems are being suffused in void energy. She can also see something that her sensors are absolutely adamant isn't there. As Luna shakes her duplicates hand, the duplicate looks her in the eye and winks before sauntering back into the wall.

"Cy, turn the void shields back on. Then run a systems check before plotting a way home." Harry's tired voice makes her jump and release a spark of energy.

"Warning, void energy surge detected in cabin. Void shields optimal. Exiting void in 3…2…1…Railjack has successfully left the void."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

A few days later Harry has managed to transfer for a few minutes, and is moving around in his wisp as though he'd never been bed ridden. As a result he decides that he's been inactive long enough, so he heads over to his railjack and switches to the pod in his room on the Railjack. When he floats out of his room he sees Kitty leaning against her Nezha, "Thought so."

"Kitty, what are you doing here?"

"Keeping an eye on you."

"Why?"

"I found the Dojo seed, don't forget I'm not stupid, even if I can't keep up with you."

"Fine, you need to visit the Helminth before you go, and I need to go again."

"Don't worry about it, I do it every day anyway. Apart from that one colony, most of them aren't exactly able to defend themselves if someone got infected, and I have my fashion business that takes me all over the solar system."

"Won't your business suffer if you go with me?"

"It's not like I don't have enough credits and favours to build it back up if the worst happens. Sides, I think you're about to do something stupid because it will help a Tenno."

"Fine, have it your way. Cy, set a course for Luna base."

"Yes captain, glad to have you aboard Tenno."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Kitty floats above the Luna surface, in her archwing, staring up at the blue green marble, not a single support strut in sight, "This is so weird. There's no sign of Grineer occupation, and there's so many lights up there."

"According to Cy, each of the lights that you can identify separately is a city with at least 500,000 people."

"Amazing, how are you getting on in there?"

"I'm just looking for the, ah found it, I've started the construction of a new Reservoir, and also set the upper bounds of the complex. I'm about ready to setup the Dojo now."

"Good, you can give me a key while you're at it."

"What?"

"Look, Dojo means clan. I have never known you to be part of a clan, so I want in."

"No, I mean, it's not really a clan. I need somewhere to maintain the Railjack and some way to separate the Orokin technology from the humans if they happen to send a mission to the moon."

"They do that?"

"Yeah, it's more like sitting on an Ogris and pulling the trigger in order to jump on top of a building than what you'd understand of as a spacecraft. But they have them. There's even a lander they left behind, I'm sending you coordinates."

"Harry, that's halfway around the moon."

"You don't have to go. You could just stay ignorant and wait for me to finish setting up the Dojo."

Kitty growls at him before talking to Cy, "Cy, would I be able to use the lander to visit the human landing site?"

"Certainly mistress."



After a short flight around the moon Kitty comes across the site that Harry pointed her at. There she looks around carefully, and scans the wheeled vehicle as well as the platform that appears to have some sort of explosion chamber in it. Near by there's a large mirror that is pointed at the earth for some reason.

"All done Kitty, there will be a new Reservoir here in 14 days local time."

"Harry, what do you mean local time?"

"I mean local time, as in how quickly time passes here compared to at home."

"And how does that change?"

"We're still narrowing it down."

"Harry…"

"Home runs 81 times faster, give or take a couple of hours."

"And you're going to be disappearing off here for how long?"

"We'll be coming back every weekend."

"How long?"

"Around 273 days every year."

"So you'll be gone for 60 and a half years. And you didn't think to mention this?"

"We're coming back for weekends." Harry repeats weakly.

"Harry, I don't know if you've noticed, but I've had more than a bit of a crush on you for ages."

"You have?"

"Yes Harry, I have, why else do you think I keep coming up with excuses to show you stuff in person?"

"I, you mean. I thought. What about?"

"Martn? To start with, that was over a hundred years ago, secondly he had the personality of a coolant tower."

"But you seemed."

"Harry, he had his separation problem with Ash. Besides, he's dead, I killed him myself."

"Why?"

"He joined Narmer, he was one of the apostles."

"Kitty,"

"I'm on my way back."



When she arrives Harry meets her in person and pulls her into a hug as soon as she transfers out, "Kitty, you should have said something."

"What could I say Harry?"

He holds her shoulders and leans back to look in her face, "How much do you remember Margulis?"

"She was a brilliant researcher."

"I grew up with her, then with The Lotus. Who, you may not have noticed, isn't human in any way, shape, or form. The memory erasure also didn't work on me, so I never had to learn to live again."

"Oh, Harry. I knew, we all did, but I never put it together like that. Sides, it's not like most of us know much about relationships anyway. What with Warframes not exactly being conducive to it."

Harry laughs, "Not to mention the possibility of oopsing any partner we might have. So how do we do this?"

"Honestly? I have no idea, but I'm joining your clan, and I'll talk to Hermione's parents for ideas."

"Let's get back to Lua."

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Aftermath

Pandora flies through the Lotus' home with reckless haste as she heads towards the Reservoir. Cursing herself once again for getting so caught up in managing Xeno and his moments that she assumed that her daughter was fine. It's with more than a little shame that she remembers every single time that she did the same on earth. Oh, she was a dutiful and attentive mother until Luna was 4 or 5, and able to look after herself. Then she started to work again and, while it did bring in more money, she would often get lost in her research. When she came out of her study, she'd sometimes find Molly in her living room with a disappointed look on her face. More often Luna would have got into something, played with the fairies that lived in their garden, or made a mess trying to make something to eat.

She thought she'd been doing better because this world allows face to face communication from anywhere in the solar system. Only now, when her daughter is in real distress because she just hadn't been around to be a mother, did she realise that those brief conversations, no matter how regular, or how long, were no substitute to being able to watch her daughter move and act. She knew Luna well enough that she's confident that she'd have spotted the problem long before now if she had. Actually, she amended to herself, that is probably not true anymore, as Luna is a young woman now, not an 8 year old child.



As she finishes reviewing all of her conversations with her daughter for the 8th​ time, she realises that she's only travelled 2m. Despite moving at full speed. Forcing herself to calm down, her thoughts slow down enough for distance to be passing at a fast, but reasonable pace. It's only seconds later that she hurtles into the Reservoir and scoops Luna, in her Wisp, into a hug.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you. I… No, there are no excuses. I was so wrapped up in the small problems and the potential of a new world to explore and research that I neglected you again."

"It's ok mummy, I can take care of myself."

"But you shouldn't have needed to. I should have been here for you, being around to talk to, hug, hold, and sing to sleep. Instead I chose to manage your father, an adult who was managing himself somewhat successfully before you came along. You were, and are, a child."

Luna looks up at her, "No mum, I'm not a child, I'm a Tenno. Even at 8 years old I knew what was likely to happen when I saved your life. It's been happening all my life after all. If I didn't then you wouldn't be hugging me now."

"Luna, just because you accepted the situation doesn't make it right." – she waves one of her hands at Natah, who is standing off to one side – "I should have been here, learning how to be a Sentient and a better mother, with your auntie. I've just discovered that I can think far faster than I did as a human. If I'd stuck around I'm sure Natah would have taught me, and then I'd have been able to spend my time with you and done my research."

Natah shrugs, "Maybe, it's more likely that I'd have just made an offhand comment. I'm not, and never have been human, I've been forced to emulate an Orokin, but they were about as close to the sort of human that lives in Cetus as I am. I have been a mother though, so I'd have been able to help you with that."



"Mum," – Luna interrupts – "when I said I was a Tenno, I meant I'm a Tenno in truth." Her voice trembles as she continues, "When we first came here, The Man in the Wall visited me while I was sleeping in Harry's wisp. He showed me two visions of the future. In the first. In the first, I was watching you from the door of the study, waiting for you to finish so that I could have my mummy time. You were almost finished casting a new spell when a blackbird smashed through the window and distracted you enough to make a mistake. You died. The second didn't make sense at the time, I saw a stranger in pain crawling towards my wisp. Then Auntie shot them, shot me in the back. She was a stranger because she was me, a little older, but recognisably me. I remembered what you and father said about making deals with the fae, and refused. I used our blessing to stop you from dying, and thought that I could… I, I have void powers now, and I can't control them." – she indicates an amp that's sitting on a nearby table, along with a hood – "We tried using an amp, but I don't have the control I need for that either. Mum, I'm going into the second dream, and when I come out I won't be a witch anymore."

Pandora stutters, "How long?"

Natah places a hand on her frame in a comforting gesture, "The fastest Tenno to have ever come out was Harry, and he took 250 years if you only include the time he was active. Funnily enough, Kitty is the next at 264. You could run away and spend a couple of years on earth, and she'll be ready to wake up. Or you could stay here and get to know her, and the other Tenno. It's all your choice. I wanted to get Luna into her transference pod once it was clear she needed it. However, she wanted to give you a hug goodbye despite the risks."



Pandora unlatches her subframe and floats out to properly hold her daughter, "Luna, whenever choices come into play, there is no situation in the past or the future where I wouldn't choose you. I have been a poor mother because I took on work to help look after you, and then got lost in the work. Never thinking about what I was doing. It wasn't a choice I was making to ignore you, it was a failing on my part. Natah, would you like an apprentice? I have a child that we'll be looking after at the same time, and I have a tendency to get lost in my work. But I can't be acting as Xeno's parent all the time, and I've neglected my child long enough."



Hesitantly Luna transfers out of her wisp and sends off a blast of void energy into a nearby wall, "I should be safe now mum, if you want that hug."

Pandora doesn't even hesitate, she scoops her baby up into a hug and rubs her bald head.

"Oh my little moon, I love you. I always will."

"I know mum, I've always known. But that's not all I needed. Can you help me with my hood please?"

Pandora summons the object and then feels it with her hands, "Why is it so thick?"

"It's so I don't hurt anyone when The Lotus checks up on me. My suit also deadens the feel of the world around me. You'll need to lead me to my pod once I've got it on."

Pandora places a kiss on Luna's forehead before fitting the hood in place. Then, tears streaming down her cheeks, she picks up her daughter and places her in the pod that Natah opens for her. As the pod closes, Xeno walks in carrying Jr and takes in the scene.

"I see. She took the deal didn't she."

Pandora spins, anger on her face, "No thanks to either of us."

Xeno sighs and shakes his head, "It always seems like that. The fae don't lie. I'm not even sure they know how to. But they also don't show everything."

Natah looks cross, "Xenophilus, what are you trying to say?"

"No matter what choices they present to you, there's always another way."

"I can categorically state that given my current knowledge and systems, that was not the case when he saved my life. I know full well what the void does, and how long it would take to do irreparable damage to my systems. I would have died, my chassis might have been repairable, but what makes me me wouldn't have survived. From someone who has faced the same fate on three separate occasions prior to that, you can take that as an informed opinion."

He looks at her sharply, "You have made a deal with the fae?"

"If that's what you call any entity that lives in the void, then yes. At the same time that Luna did."

"Why would you do that?"

"The process that I used on you and Pandora is one that I developed. I did so after developing the theory that my predecessor produced about how they could have created Sentients with a soul. I know that the process was valid because I performed it on myself. I also theorised that the soul would provide the same protection it provides humans when they're exposed to the void. Careful monitoring of my systems around the Tenno supported that hypothesis. The fae in question expressed an interest in meeting Hermione, so my children decided to support her by going in a group. While I was carried along with them, reluctant but not unwilling, I had the option of going to safety before we lowered the void shields. The Fae in question then appeared and pulled me out of my chassis before showing me what was happening to me. I ran the numbers, even if we stopped the process then and there, I would have died before I could reach any systems that would help."

"What about Harry's pod?"

"It would only hold my subframe. I am not just what is in the subframe."

"Dora," Xeno sounds a little hysterical, "Do we still have your great grandmothers pensive?"

"It's in the basement, why?"

"I need to see, I need to see what happened. Fae never tell you everything, ever."

Natah looks confused, "What are you talking about?"

Luna's voice comes from behind them, "A pensive is a magical device that can be used to view memories extracted magically. Hello Father, I was asked to say 'Namtar says hi' next time I saw you".

Xeno's face goes slack and he drops to the floor with a thunk, Jr spilling from his cradle. Waking from the sudden shock, Jr starts crying and flies into Pandora's arms.

"No, it can't be. Not here. How? What about Beedle? Was it all false? My quest?..."



As Xeno trails off into incomprehensibility, Natah and Luna both turn towards Pandora, who has started nursing her son.

"What?" Pandora says defensively.

Natah just points at Xeno.

"I'll need to unpack the Rookery to explain it properly, but we've not found anywhere suitable."

Luna holds her head in her hands, "Mum, why not here? Well not this room, but here as in this complex. There's that room with a model of earth that keeps falling over. You could unpack it there."

"We need more space than that Little Moon, we packed the whole of the Rookery, not just the house."

Luna shrugs and with child like logic says, "Find a bigger room then, or make one."

"We can't just do that, it needs sunlight, good water, preferably a leyline as well." – Natah transmits some data with capabilities of the Orokin facilities – "Well, we still need the leyline."

"Mum, have you found any leylines anywhere in this solar system?"

"Well, no."

"Then make one, you're a researcher aren't you?"

"I suppose I could, but I'd need to get decent scans of existing leylines to determine how they're formed naturally. Probably from a distance where I can get a holistic view of the entire map rather than…"

Natah interrupts, "Pandora, is that a yes?"

"What, oh yes, it should certainly be possible."

"Is it something that needs to be done before you restore your home?"

"Oh. No, it should be good for a couple of years before the magic in the wards bleeds off to a level that can no longer support the plant and animal life."

"Then, maybe we should unpack your home and then work out how to get your scans. Can you do it from Lua?"

"No, this earth doesn't have any leylines. We've checked. I might be able to do it from the other Earth's moon though."

"How would you do it?"

"I'd need my books and equipment, then I'd start by designing a ritual to… My books and equipment are all packed away in the Rookery."

"So, where do you want to put the Rookery?"

"Yes, let's get on that. This is how much space we used before." – She sends over the data she gathered while they were packing up the estate – "Oh, but how are we going to get to that moon if the void is still dangerous to us?"

"With the void shields up you will be fine. Your soul will protect you just as well as it would a human. It just takes minutes instead of days for irreparable damage to occur if the void shields come down."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Over the next couple of years Pandora throws herself into being a mother, learning to look after the Tenno, and creating an artificial leyline network on Lua. She is often digitally accompanied by at least 2 cephalons while she's researching. This is a direct side effect of digitising the Lovegood library, to make it easier for her to work with. There are still some things she needs to do by hand, as some arithmancy doesn't lend itself to digital computation; even using the quasi-organic matrixes that the Orokin used in their computers. Ordis likens those to the same calculations that Limbo uses as they are equally nonsensical to cephalons. Even with the manual calculations, being able to calculate the required math, layouts, and even tempo required for the ritual that will make the map is completed in a matter of weeks rather than months or years. The Orokin manufacturing capabilities also reduces decades of work scribing thousands of rubies with the required sigils needed to plot every possible leyline intersection, not to mention the massively more complicated model that the ritual would apply them to. They also find that the Orokin alphabet works just as well as a symbolic focusing language as any of the ancient runes used on her old earth.



After performing the ritual, what they end up with is a model of the earth, around 10m across. A glowing ruby sits at each leyline intersection, and glittering red lines trace the connections. The brightness of the line or ruby indicates how much magic was running through the leyline. This model is then enchanted to float on its own, and mimic the rotation of the earth. They then replace the Orokin globe that keeps falling of its pedestal with this enchanted globe.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Kitty begged, badgered, pleaded, and bullied Natah until she relented and started teaching her how to actively use her implants. Granted, the lessons started as a way to get some peace for a few hours/days by locking her in a room with no doors. Natah didn't factor in Kitty calling Harry for help and getting the hint she needed to complete the first step of learning to use them.

She has also sweet talked her way into a job with the Grangers as a dental assistant, on the understanding that she wouldn't work during Holidays.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

By increasingly popular demand, Cy converts the lander that they designed for Harry's Railjack into a blueprint to replace the artillery pod. He also creates a blueprint for the limited arsenal in the cargo hold, limited even more to only hold 3 different warframe configurations. Those warframes and equipment will not be available in the Lander when stored in the Railjack.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Albus stands in a little used room in Hogwarts. In the centre of the room stands a mirror that is designed to ensnare the unwary. On tables conjured for the purpose are sheets of parchment with notes and schematics plotting out the enchantments on the mirror. In there is a schema for a temporary enchantment that can be overlayed over the mirror to hold an item, until a certain condition is fulfilled. Once the item is removed, the new enchantment will unravel, leaving the mirror in pristine condition.



Opening a casket that sits on a pedestal next to the mirror, Albus stares at the glittering red gem and considers that maybe Hogwarts isn't the most secure place he can think of anymore. After staring at the gem for 5 minutes, his pride refuses to admit that fact and he draws his wand to start applying the enchantment that will house the gem when it's finished.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Natah looks at the results of her test with Harry's wisp. Since she made that modification, Harry hasn't commented on anything being wrong, or undone the modifications either. Next time Harry, Hermione and Luna visit, she modifies all of their warframes so that they will always have the minimum energy needed to use any of their abilities once shown on the overlay. As a control, she does the same thing with Kitty, and as expected needs to undo the change within a couple of days.

With Pandora now able to fill in for the role of Lotus occasionally, by using her helmet. Natah starts setting up increasingly specialised sensors around the Rookery and the model earth. First to eliminate any of the known energy sources, and then to detect the nebulous soul.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Xenophilus slowly becomes obsessed with something in the basement of the house, only leaving when he wants memories from someone. Unfortunately, everyone else, including his daughter, is just too busy to notice.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Back to School

Minerva shifts uncomfortably as her robes catch on the new contact points growing on her back. Dan and Emma closed their practice the other day as their changes became impossible to hide. Her own are probably only a month or so behind. A faint flash of light causes her to look up, Albus following suit beside her. She knows that he couldn't possibly have seen the flash, or the atmospheric shockwave that she's now following. It only takes seconds for the lander to drop below the horizon, so she turns towards Albus.

"Ye know I can do this meself?"

"Of that I have no doubt Minerva. However, both Mr Potter and Miss Granger have been absent from school for two and a half weeks. As the headmaster it is my duty to enquire after their health, as well as inform them of how they are going to be expected to keep up with their lessons."

Minerva's eyes sparkle as she punctures that particular bubble, "Why, Albus, didn't you know that they have both been keeping up with their wanded subjects? Why do you think I have been unavailable most evenings? I believe that you'll find they are well versed in what they missed. Additionally, we ran into Pandora Lovegood, and she was kind enough to tutor them in potion making. Alas they couldn't do anything about actual brewing due to a lack of ingredients. However, I have absolutely no doubt that their techniques is superlative."

Albus bristles at the use of his first name, "Regardless, they will need to do at least one evening lesson with each professor, except Binns."

"As you will."

Minerva turns to the forest as she hears the tell-tale whine of the lander. Not a few minutes later both Harry and Hermione come bounding, leaping, and sliding out of the forbidden forest. Coming to a halt in front of them, by performing an ariel somersault that would leave any gymnast green with envy, they both stand side by side in their respective Warframes.



"Mr Potter, Miss Granger. I am glad to see you have returned safely."

Harry chuckles, "Rightly it's Miss Potter at the moment. Technically Hermione would be the same as she's in the same clan. For the moment, just call me Harry."

Albus frowns, "I do not recall seeing any notifications about Miss Granger joining a clan."

Harry looks at Minerva with a questioning stance, "I didn't know that clans were a thing here too."

Minerva shrugs, "They're not really used anymore. I belong to clan McGonagall, though most treat it like a family name these days."

"How would I go about setting up Clan Potter?"

Albus goes to speak but Minerva talks over him, "The goblins should be able to help. They know the Ministry rules and regulations better than just about anyone else."

"Ok, thanks. Hey, Ironclaw, sorry to wake you. How's Ironjaw? Good good. Listen, what do you know about clans in the Ministry sense? Oh great, can you start the process of setting up clan Potter? Yep. Yep. Myself, Hermione, Luna, and Kitty. Granger. Lovegood. She doesn't actually have an identity here. Oh, you can? Great, could you get her a mundane identity too? She's going to be working with Hermione's family as a dental assistant while we're attending school. Cy's in orbit just ask him for any photos you need. Diamonds? Sure, how big? I'll get those done tonight or tomorrow. Thanks, bye."

Albus strokes his beard in a calming fashion while he is completely side-lined as Harry pretends to talk to a goblin at Gringotts. When Harry finishes talking, Albus angrily snaps, "Mr Potter, I do not appreciate being ignored so that you can pretend to have a conversation with Gringotts."

Hermione, shaking with mirth, calls Ironclaw, "Hello, sorry to bother you again, but could you send an owl to let a Mr Dumbledore know that we are actually talking to you. Oh, I'm Hermione. Yes, that Hermione. I'd imagine my name came up as TheFairyQueen, that's what I have my online presence set as. Yes we both have slates so you only need to send stuff that actually needs signing. You can include Minerva with that, I'll send you the details later. Thanks, sorry to bother you."

Minerva starts as she receives a message from Harry while Hermione's talking,



{Harry} Here's Ironclaw's contact details if you need them. I've just added the chat overlay to your systems, so you can send us a message whenever you want.

{NewUser1} How did you do that?

{Harry} I've been continuing to learn how to use my implants.

{NewUser1} Are you going to explain that?

{Harry} Maybe later, Hermione's about to wrap up.



"Miss Granger, Mr Potter, detention both of you tomorrow after school for disrespecting a senior staff member."

Minerva leans her head back and sighs before calling Ironclaw herself.

"Who is it this time?" Ironclaw's irritated voice says in her call panel.

"May the size of your gold only be equalled by the skulls of your enemies."

"May gold flow into your vault as freely as your enemies blood flows in the street. Now that the pleasantries are out the way, who am I talking to?"

"Minerva McGonagall."

"To what do I own the pleasure?"

"Albus is throwing a tantrum because he isn't the most important person currently standing around. I don't think he's quite realised that Harry and Hermione don't actually need to attend Hogwarts. Anyway, I was wondering if you would be kind enough to add my name to the letter you're about to send. As a person that is able to contact you 'magically'."

Ironclaw laughs, "Certainly, would you like me to take over your accounts as well?"

"Only if it isn't too much of a bother."

"Are you a Tenno?"

"No, more like Harry's mother, and becoming more so every day."

"I see, are there any others like you?"

"Hermione's parents."

"I will inform the director. Harry has brought us much profit in the last few months, we hope that those associated with him will increase that bounty."

"Thank you for the honour. I must go, Albus' eyes are about to go supernova. May your enemies fall before your blade like wheat before the scythe."

"May your enemies tremble at the sight of you. Expect the owl in the next minute or two."



Albus had never been so insulted by not just two students, but also his Deputy Head. Did they think he was born yesterday? "Minerva, I know you like your pranks. However, this has gone too far. You are undermining me in front of two students."

Minerva shakes her head, "Albus, if you truly believe that then you are going far more senile than I had imagined. However, you don't need to take our words for it, there should be an owl arriving soon, so we can wait right here."

"Minerva, what's happened to you?"

"I've seen Harry's home, I've spoken at length to his mother. And I've seen first hand what he has had to contend with." – She sweeps her hand at the land and castle – "This? This would mean absolutely nothing in the face of the things they face. They don't have magic in Harry's home, they don't need it. You ask what's happened to me? I've had the situations here put into perspective. We are so small, so very very small. You're protecting the stone from Voldemort, because he is looking for eternal life?" – She points at Harry and Hermione – "They already have it, they've also got eternal youth to go with it. It's not uncommon to find mundane people that have lived for hundreds of years there. All without an iota of magic. There used to be an entire society of immortals, they're hopefully all dead now."

An owl appears out of nowhere and takes a couple of wing beats before landing on Hermione's head and holding it's leg out towards Albus.

Seeing the owl, Minerva rises from the ground doing a slow pirouette, "I believe that letter is for you. Once you've read it, I believe you'll owe those two an apology. I'll be in my office when you wish to tender the one you owe me as well."

With that she flies up to the external bridge closest to her office.

Albus turns back to look at his students, Harry does a slow backflip in mid-air. At the same time Hermione sits in the air on nothing, while examining one of her butterflies that has perched on a finger. Hoping that the slight tremor he can feel in his fingers isn't visible, he reaches out and takes the letter from the owl. Carefully checking the seal, both visually and with magic, he opens the letter and slumps as he reads it. Not only does it confirm that they were in contact with Gringotts, it also lists chapter and verse the Ministry laws that state that without a current criminal conviction, business with Gringotts cannot be prevented or interrupted.

Albus grinds out, "My apologies for accusing you of not conducting business with Gringotts. Your punishment has been rescinded."

Harry waves him off, "It's no matter. Would you be able to let us know when we need to see the professors about our lessons?"

"I will ensure that Professor McGonagall has the details at breakfast. Please ensure that you leave your armour behind in future."

"I'm sorry Albus, we can't do that as Hermione still hasn't fully recovered from her injury. The 'Armour' is essentially acting as a life support device. As her clan leader, I am wearing my 'armour' in solidarity. I am also pre-empting another incident. Please note that we are wearing distinct 'armour', we will continue to wear the same 'armour' throughout the year to make it easy to identify us."

"I have to insist, we cannot allow students to walk around with such weapons."

Harry laughs, "Insist away, however we are less dangerous to your students wearing the 'armour' than not. I was not wearing my 'armour' when I shot Hermione. At least if we injure someone wearing the 'armour' the wound can be treated using conventional medicine. Professor McGonagall knows all the details, and we will of course inform Madam Pomphrey under patient healer confidentiality."

Albus puts his political blank face on, that of a kindly grandfather, "Very well, I will make an announcement at breakfast."

"Thank you sir, if you don't mind we need to get to our dorm rooms."

"Go ahead."



He watches as Hermione shrinks down to the size of a pixie, and her butterflies take off. She then flies up to the same bridge his deputy used. Harry, on the other hand, sends a golden fairy in the same direction before disappearing and reappearing on the bridge.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Neville sits stroking Whisper's ears as he watches the common room. The two of them have become attached since Harry left him behind with no notice. On the table in front of him is a half-written letter to his gran. In the dorms things have been both better and worse than they were. His classmates are still jealous of him, especially with his connection to Harry's cat. However, the new prefects are being more proactive about things. He's managed to have two sessions with the twins, and Professor Snape only spent half the lesson breathing down his neck. On the other side of things, problems from the rest of the houses have gone up as the rumour mill went into overdrive. He's heard everything from the prefects killed Harry, which is why they're in disgrace now, to Harry eloped with Hermione. Completely ignoring the fact that she's only 11. Picking up his quill, he starts to write about the events of the last month. Suddenly there's a commotion by the portrait and two things clamber through and stand up in the face of wands drawn from all the upper years. He's about to duck below the table when Whisper jumps off and runs over to rub his head against the leg of one of them.

"Harry?" he whispers.

"Oh, hey Neville." The thing waves at him.

Professor McGonagall pushes her way in from behind them, "Wands down everyone."

It takes a few minutes, but eventually all of the drawn wands have been put away. The common room is also absolutely packed as everyone comes down from their dorms to gawk at what's going on.

Putting her wand to her throat Professor McGonagall looks at everyone. "Everyone, this is Hermione." – She indicates the thing with the butterflies – "The other one is Harry. Harry had a, condition, that meant she was a danger to those around her while she slept."

Alicia speaks up, "Isn't Harry a wizard?"

"While Hermione has been recovering enough to re-join the school, I have been visiting every night. In Harry's culture everyone wears a suit of 'armour' like this, as they are all survivors of a similar event. Much like our own culture, they are separate from the vast majority of humanity. I have been ensuring that Harry's English has been improving so it should be easier to converse with her. As such I will let her answer your question."

Harry nods to Professor McGonagall, "We have around 30 distinct designs of 'armour'. Because we can all wear any of the ones that we have built, we refer to each other using the sex of the 'armour'." – Harry floats over to the stairs of the girls dorm, and then up them – "As you can see, the difference is more than cosmetic. In English the name of this suit translates to 'wisp'. Hermione's translates to queen of the fairies, or Titania."

Katie Bell asks, "Is that from Shakespeare?"

Hermione nods, "It is, just like my own name comes from his plays."



Whisper finishes scenting Harry and bounds back over to Neville.



Professor McGonagall continues, "We have two of our lions back. I do not want to see a repeat of the circumstances that lead to Hermione's misadventure. If you feel that either of them are insulting or snubbing you, I urge you to talk to them first. This is something you should all be doing anyway, but it's especially important now where the differences in expectation are very different."

One of the boys calls, "Why do you keep referring them by their first names?"

Hermione places a taloned hand on Professor McGonagall's shoulder, "I'll take this one. Due to the injury I sustained I have chosen to join Harry's culture. One of the most striking things about his people is that every single one of them is an orphan. Apart from myself and Luna that is. For those who don't know, Luna is the daughter of the owner of the Quibbler. Because of this, none of them have a family name. Instead, they have a collective name, a name that they reclaimed after it was coined to refer to the incident. That name is Tenno. I am Tenno along with my brothers and sisters. The closest they have to a family name is the name of the clan they belong to. I am proud to say that Harry has invited me into his own clan. Clan Potter."



As the entire room is silent, Neville watches the professor leave unobtrusively. There's a flash of yellow light and Harry is floating next to him. Neville watches as he, no she, lifts up first one leg, and then the other and sits cross-legged in mid-air. Hermione also makes her way over.

"Hey Neville, sorry about missing our reading. If you'd like we can start doing that again."

"I think I'd like that. Er, Harry do you want Whisper back?"

Harry looks at her Kavat before shaking her head, "No, he seems taken with you, so go ahead."

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

School days take two

The questions that peppered the two Tenno continued long after curfew for the lower years, but nobody was willing to leave. Eventually one of the new prefects noticed the time and started breaking up the conversation. When it came time to leave, Neville reluctantly lifts Whisper up.

"I guess you want Whisper back."

Harry looks at him consideringly, "Only for tonight I think. After that, I think you'd make a good owner for him."



As they made their way back to the lander, Hermione says, "Harry, do you think that was the right way to treat the headmaster?"

"Thank you for coming to my defence back then. No, I'm really not sure that was the right way. However, we are not unruly children to stand in front of someone with so much power and listen to his pronouncements from on high. We are Tenno, and in this society, I am technically an adult. I will freely admit that having a couple of years personal tutoring in English has probably changed the way that I understand things. I also look at Minerva and how she has softened, no that's the wrong word, relaxed, become more flexible."

"Grown?" Hermione ventures.

"Yes, all of those. I think this is actually the person she was before all of the duties she had to perform started to add up."

"You think it's a side effect of becoming a Sentient?"

Harry nods, "Yes, she, like mum, can process things far faster than an unaugmented human can. She may not have even noticed that she's doing it."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Albus stands, unnoticed, in the doorway to Minerva's office. In front of him, she is working diligently on the paperwork that comes with being the Deputy Headmistress, Head of House, and Transfiguration teacher. As he stands there, she picks up an essay – NEWT level by the length – reads it through carefully, places it on her desk and picks up her quill, then reads it through again, this time leaving considered notes and comments in the margins. The only problem is, she does it all in under a minute.



Putting the marked paper in the completed pile, Minerva looks up at Albus, "Good evening Albus, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I was just admiring a master at work. I also came to offer my apology, as it appears I was operating off of faulty information."

"Apology accepted."

Conjuring a comfortable chair, Albus takes a seat across from his deputy, "Minerva, you said that you took an Elixir. How are you coping with it?"

"Oh, fine. To be honest, I think the time away from my responsibilities has made the biggest difference. You are of course aware of the fact that Harry's home is like reports of the fae realms were. Being able to spend a few weeks decompressing every night, while I escorted the Grangers to see their daughter, has made a large difference. The work here seems to fly past now."

"I see. And you are absolutely certain that this isn't a fae realm."

"Yes, absolutely. You need to pass through the fae realms to reach it, they call it the void. But like us, they need to use portals to reach those realms. Obviously, Fawkes is able to bypass that requirement."

"May I ask about your ability to fly?"

"You may."

Albus sits there for a long moment before he says, "When did you learn to fly unaided?"

Minerva shrugs, "That was actually the first time."

He leans forward in his chair, "Minerva, I think you should let a Healer have a look at you."

Minerva looks thoughtful for a second, "Maybe it will be for the best. I'll finish up my paperwork here and then floo down to St Mungo's."

"No need for that, I'm sure that Poppy would be able to do it for you."

"No Albus. If I'm going to have a check-up, it needs to be done by a certified healer, not just a mediwitch. I know that Poppy could have got her certification several times since she started working here. But for whatever reason she hasn't."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

As they reach the Lunar surface, Whisper in tow, Hermione asks, "Harry, what are you going to do with Whisper?"

"I'm going to regress him to a kitten, that way he can re-imprint on Neville. I'll leave all the mods I've installed in his implants. It's not like I don't have duplicates."

"Harry, are you sure? You know they can take down an experienced Grineer, I don't mean the rookies they spread out in the factories on earth, I mean the ones they use to guard their positions on Neptune."

Harry shrugs, "He's a friend, just means that he'll be protected."

"At least use a reactive assault mod rather than a proactive one."

"Very well. I suppose that's for the best anyway, as Neville doesn't exactly have built in FoF. What are you working on anyway?"

"Simaris gifted me with a Helios Prime because Ordis scanned all of my books and films. So I was going to try and program it to recognise physical books as a valid scanning target. I think that will keep me busy till January. Then I'm going to let it loose in the Hogwarts Library."

Harry laughs, "Only you Hermione, only you."

Hermione huffs, "I might be Tenno, but a girl has to keep her priorities straight."

Harry continues to laugh, "I love you Hermione." – Hermione gives her a look – "Not like that, you're my cute younger sister."

"That's alright then. You're like 400 years too old for me."

"I'm glad you're in my clan."

"I'm glad you shot me."

They both fell silent after that as they turned to their personal hobbies.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

The next morning they were both sitting in the common room, reading their books for the days classes, when Neville came down. Whisper is sat on the table in a cobbled together basket that has one of Hermione's old school jumpers in it. Harry looks up and calls "Neville!"

Sleepily looking over, Neville starts and backs away a few steps before he remembers last night. Then he brightens and hurries over.

"Morning, do you realise just how intimidating you both look?"

Hermione shrugs, "These were made for war, not to win beauty pageants. Though Kitty does have some fabulous designs for Titania, neither of us are yet comfortable with changing from her original skin."

"Who's Kitty?"

"She's another member of our clan, you may see her if she finishes her Dental Assistant training before Mum and Dad re-open their practice."

"Is she magical then?"

"No, but it's not like this place is particularly well hidden. No matter what Hogwarts a History says."

"Harry, are you sure this is Hermione?"

Harry laughs, "I'm sure."

Hermione Huffs, "Just because your mother kept shoving contradictory texts in my face until I stopped quoting books as though they were gospel, doesn't mean I'm no longer me."

Neville looks curious, "What happened?"

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

"Hey Auntie Natah, why do we work with the Grineer against the Corpus?"

"Because the Grineer do actually do valuable work, and aren't always in the wrong."

"But it says here that the Grineer took Neptune from the Corpus, and that they slaughtered hundreds of thousands of innocent people in the process."

Natah sighs, checks the era of the text in question and then loads 200 different books by Grineer, Corpus, and independent sources onto Hermione's device.

"Hermione, things aren't always so clear cut."

"But everyone agrees that this author is the pre-eminent authority on this conflict."

"Hermione, I've just given you a few more books on that conflict. Some of them are by people that lived through it, others were written after the fact. I want you to read all of them and then tell me what you've learnt."



A few weeks later Hermione returns, her butterflies bristling in irritation, "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did they lie in the book?"

"Was anything they wrote actually false?"

"Well, no. But they still lied."

"How did they lie?"

"They left out the fact that the Corpus destroyed a Grineer research station on Neptune and wiped out decades of work on stabilising the cloning process."

"Is that a lie?"

"Um."

"Any other lies?"

"They didn't mention the experimental Grineer colony where they were trying to increase genetic diversity through natural mixing of genes."

"So why is that a lie?"

"I, don't know. It just feels like it is."

Natah takes Hermione's hands, "Hermione, everyone writes with an agenda. Even the most well-intentioned person. There are lots of different terms for this effect, based on if it's intentional or not, as well as to how much is skews things."

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

She smiles, "Because you didn't believe me the first 3 times you came to me with facts you'd read."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Hermione cringes in on herself, "Nothing much really."

Harry laughs, "Nothing much, she says. Hermione you were moping around for months after that. I didn't see you pick up a book in that entire time."

Hermione makes a rude gesture as she doesn't have a tongue.

Neville's mouth drops open, "Months?"

"Yeah, it's not exactly a secret. My world, well where I grew up anyway, experiences time a lot faster than you do here. It's why I can wear this ring. Huh? That's odd I didn't put it on my wisp."

"So, what? You're actually 17?"

"Something like that. So, Whisper. I need you to make a small cut on your finger, or something, and let him lick it. That will start the imprinting process. You'll then need to carry him around with you for 2 weeks to learn your scent."

Neville looks around, "Where is Whisper anyway?"

Harry points at the kitten, "I reverted him to a kitten so that he could reimprint. Don't worry, the only thing I changed is his aggression. He'll now only attack people and things that have attacked you first."

"Erm, is that ok?"

Harry just looks confused, so Hermione steps in, "These Kavat are specifically bred to be companions for us. That means that they have a wide range of instincts and implants to help them survive, and keep us alive too. Before Harry changed it, Whisper would have attacked anyone that Harry considers an enemy, if they were close enough. Now he will only attack people that attack you first. It's not as useful, but it should be safer for everyone else."

"Er, I'm not sure I should…" before he can finish, one of Hermione's butterflies bites his finger before she grabs his hand and holds it under Whispers nose.

"There you go, it's done now. If there're any problems, you can blame me."



Neville looks down at the kitten that's just crawled into his hand and is now lapping at his bleeding finger, at that moment all of his objections evaporate.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

When they go down to breakfast, Whisper pounces on a piece of bacon and drags it off the platter. A sight that was highly amusing for all those close enough to see it. Walking up behind them, Minerva looks down at what's going on.

"Mr Longbottom, what are you doing?"

Neville gulps, "Mr, I mean Miss, er Harry gave me Whisper as we seemed to be getting on so well together. I've been told I need to keep him with me for 2 weeks so that he imprints correctly."

"Harry, is this true?"

"It is Professor."

"And is Whisper safe?"

"About as safe as any Kavat can be while also being able to defend itself."

"I see," – Minerva conjures a sheet of parchment and writes a note on it – "Show this to your teachers at the beginning of each lesson. If they have a problem with it come and see me immediately. Harry or Hermione should be able to tell you where to find me. With that said, Harry, Hermione, you will be seeing Professor Snape this evening at 5pm to ensure you can brew the most recent potion they covered. Madam Hooch would like you to arrive half an hour early for your flying lesson. The other professors have said that they'll evaluate you in class and let you know if you need additional classes."



As Minerva returns to the professors table to have her breakfast, Albus stands and sets off a gunshot.

"Good morning everyone. I would like to draw your attention to the Gryffindor table. Miss Granger and Mr Potter have both returned from Miss Grangers convalescence. You will note that both of them are wearing quite striking outfits. This is to prevent a repeat of the incident that caused Miss Grangers absence. Professor McGonagall assures me that they are quite safe as long as they aren't provoked."

Minerva looks at the Headmaster with a thunderous expression. Coming to a decision, she stands and addresses the room before the whispers could turn to conversation, "What the Headmaster has failed to convey is that my exact words were 'Assuming they stop bullying her, they should be fine'. Yes, Bullying, the sly words, the spells in the corridors, the social isolation. As Professors we can't be everywhere, this is one of the reasons we trust some of you to be prefects. We also can't act without evidence, whether that's eye witness or, in the more severe cases, analysing the magical signatures of the spells used. Due to the fact that both Harry and Hermione have an increased capacity to cause serious injury without resorting to spells, quite frankly I'd prefer them to use spells, I will be taking and reviewing memories if they are involved in any conflicts in the school. As Deputy Headmistress, if I see any crimes being committed to cause this reaction I will be involving. Albus, sit down I'm talking. I will be involving the DMLE. This is for your safety, consider this your one and only warning."



The rest of the school is then treated to a silent heated conversation between the Headmaster and his Deputy.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Hermione sits drumming her fingers on the desk as Professor Quirrel stutters on about the importance of knowing the most important things about defending yourself. She can't believe that she used to be engrossed by this class. The most important lesson about defending yourself is knowing how not to be there. Flipping off the bench she bounces off the wall, and shrinks into her fairy form as a spell goes flying underneath her.

"Y, y, yes, well d, d, done. M, M, Malfoy, w, w, what just happened, an, an, and how does it rel, rel, belong to todays lesson?"

"She demonstrated something inhuman, thus proving what we already knew. Apart from that I don't know. Ow!" Malfoy yelps as he gets hit in the chest with a stinging jinx.

"Mr No, Nott. Sa, same que…stion."

"She dodged out of the Ow!"

"Mr Long…bottom, same question."

Showing that he can learn from example, Neville ducks under the bench, "She was paying attention, and dodged because she saw it coming."

"Y, yes. 1 p point Gryffindor. T, take your seat."

Neville gets back up and then falls backwards as the Professor raises his wand, "1 point to Gryffindor."

Whisper hisses at Quirrel and tries to jump at him, however Neville cradles him in his jumper.



The rest of the lesson is spent learning that their first response to any attacker should be to get out of the way, and away from the situation.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

In Charms, Professor Flitwick opens the lesson by floating a book over to Harry and Hermione. "Mr Potter, Miss Granger, please levitate the book." – Harry raises her hand – "Yes Mr Potter?"

"Would you be able to refer to me as Miss if I'm wearing female 'armour'. It's a cultural thing."

"Certainly Miss Potter."

The two of them both levitate their books first time.

"Oh, well done. 1 point to Gryffindor each. Now we will be continuing to look at the levitation spell today, and what the spells formula tells us about how hard it is to lift larger or more complicated objects."

As Professor Flitwick continues the lesson, Ron leans over to Dean and murmurs "Bloody swots both of them, she's corrupted him somehow."

Harry puts his hand on Hermione's and squeezes it reassuringly.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Hermione sits drumming her fingers on the desk as Professor Quirrel stutters on about the importance of knowing the most important things about defending yourself. She can't believe that she used to be engrossed by this class. The most important lesson about defending yourself is knowing how not to be there. Flipping off the bench she bounces off the wall, and shrinks into her fairy form as a spell goes flying underneath her.

Reflexively she pulls the trigger on her pistol as her razorwings swarm the attacker. With her inhuman reflexes only a few bullets are fired once her conscious mind has caught up. That's when the screaming starts. Cautiously she moves forward to look at what happened to the professor. Looking down from her vantage point, the only positive thing she can say about the situation is that she's seen worse.

Minerva bursts through the door, shortly followed by Madam Pomphrey and the headmaster. As they watch something moves on the back of Quirrell's head, and the headmaster sends a shield breaker through it. Turning to face the class he waves his wand and sends all the children to sleep.
"Miss Granger, would you be able to describe what happened here?"
"I'm not entirely sure, the professor fired a spell at me, and I reflexively jumped out of my chair and shot back. As soon as I was aware of what happened I stopped firing, but by then he was already like that."
The headmaster nods sagely, "We'll put this one down as 'death by misadventure' then.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

School days take two, day two

After lunch, their only class is Flying until Astronomy at night. Because of this, Harry and Hermione head to the library, with Neville in tow, in order to get a head start on their homework. It doesn't take long before curious Ravenclaws and other students find their way into the library to quiz Harry and Hermione over what they're wearing, how it works, what enchantments it has, and then why it's still working. As a result, the two of them venture out to the quidditch pitch where they'll be doing their flying practice and work on their homework using their computers rather than quill and ink.



It is into this scene that Madam Hooch walks in carrying a bundle of school brooms. She sees the two students sitting in the air staring at paperweights, that are floating in front of them, and turns around to go back the way she came.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Minerva looks up at a knock on her door.

"Come in."

Madam Hooch pokes her head around the door, "Minerva, would you be able to look out your window and tell me what you see?"

Raising an eyebrow, she takes a quick look. "Looks like a couple of students doing homework to me."

"Oh, good." Madam Hooch says quietly, "I thought they were levitating for a moment."

"Oh, they are. Don't worry about it."

"If they can do that, why are they here and not teaching somewhere like Puddlemere?"

"Because they're not using magic. They're here to learn to use magic, hopefully safely and responsibly."

"I see. Right. I will see about finding some larger brooms then."

Minerva wisely doesn't tell her about their archwings.



It turns out that both Harry and Hermione have to relearn how to fly using a broom, as their warframes have completely different reflexes and profiles to humans.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

In potions Snape seems to take great pleasure in tearing down their potions. As they're leaving they hear him mutter, "Still better than the rest of the dunderheads."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

At 11pm, the entire Gryffindor class troops down to the ground floor, out to the astronomy tower, and then up 6 floors to the top of the tower. There they join the rest of the first year students. Professor Sinistra soon joins them, her breath steaming in the night air.

"Good evening everyone. Tonight you will be looking for Saturn, I want you to use your text books to identify which constellations it will be closest to, and plot out the right ascension and declination, polar coordinates, and also the Horizontal coordinates. Once you have done that, I want you to plot out the observable stars around Saturn." – Hermione raises her hand – "Yes Miss Granger."

"I understand the significance of Astronomy in general, I was wondering if you could explain why it's used for magic?"

"Good question, the answer these days is that unless you go into a very narrow set of careers, that include curse breaking, spell research, divination, and warding, there's very little that it's used for."

Malfoy speaks up, "So why do we study it then?"

"While it isn't that useful for those who want to go into estate management. The skills that you're learning here, mathematically, creatively, and observationally, will stand you in good stead in the rest of your education. Will you exclude yourself from studying ancient runes or arithmancy because you don't have the ability to draw a straight line, or add up a column of numbers? Will you struggle with herbology because you can't tell when the local sunrise and sunset will be? Will you stop at OWL potions because you can't tell where the planets that have minute effects on certain, highly sensitive processes, are? None of those are magical uses of Astronomy, but they are all important things that you learn in my subject."

As the rest of the first years busied themselves setting up their telescopes, Sinistra comes over to Harry and Hermione, who are just looking at the sky. All be it, in the right part of the sky for Saturn. "Mr Potter, Miss Granger."

Harry looks down at her, "Sorry Professor, would you be able to refer to us using the gender of our 'armour'. It's a cultural thing."

The professor scrunches her eyes before saying, "I don't see the harm in that Miss Potter. Where are your telescopes?"

"We sort of don't need them professor."

"Young lady, the exercise isn't just about plotting the stars, it's also about learning how to use the telescope. How to make smooth minute adjustments so that you can draw the elements you can see."

Harry and Hermione share a glance and have a silent conversation. Hermione then speaks up, "I'm sure that all of the professors are aware of the fact that we have special sleeping arrangements, and that we are exempt from curfew because of it. There is more to it than just a shack in the forest. We would be honoured to show you our accommodations, and I assure you that a lot of things will make more sense. Oh, and you probably want to pack your telescope. Either way, we will need to fabricate a telescope for the next lesson."



Minerva silently alights on the parapet behind Sinistra, after receiving a chat message from Harry. Taking a heavy step onto the landing, she coughs lightly, idly noting that she is the only 'person' there who's breath isn't steaming in the cold. Taking the cue, Hermione glances up over Sinistra's shoulder, which causes the professor to turn around expecting a student.

"Minerva, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I just thought I'd check in to see how the two young witches are doing in their 'armour'. I also overheard their offer. I would suggest taking it, as it's out of this world."

"How long are you planning on staying?"

Minerva shrugs, "I can stay for the rest of the lesson if it would help."

"If you wouldn't mind, Crabbe and Goyle in Slytherin could use a little extra coaching, as could Weasley from Gryffindor."

With a nod, Minerva gathers the three, and takes them to a secluded area of the tower; where, over the next hour, she finds out that Mr Weasley has just as stubborn opinions about certain members of the school as they do about him. She makes a note to suggest to Filius, to have him sit with the more tolerant members of Slytherin in future classes.



Harry and Hermione are able to draw Saturn in the correct position amongst the stars, though Sinistra does take points off for missing a few stars.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

At the end of the class Minerva escorts each of the first years to their respective dorms while Aurora Sinistra packs up her own telescope. While she's doing that, Harry and Hermione deploy their archwings so that they don't need to walk down all of the stairs.



Turning around with her Telescope over her shoulder, Aurora startles, "How?"

Hermione giggles while Harry says, "We can explain on the way. Give your telescope to Hermione, and I'll carry you, I have less sharp edges then she does."



After a rather undignified flight, they come across a white tube that opens out into an arrowhead. As they approach, a ramp folds down leading inside. Walking up the ramp, Aurora doesn't notice it close silently behind her. It's only once she has gone all the way inside on her own that the scene outside shifts, as the world just drops away leaving only a few of the stars. Curiously she leans against the window and looks up, before screaming as the line of darkness that shows the horizon at night is above her.



Into this comes Harry and Hermione, their archwings being stored automatically while they use the deployment entrance. Hermione immediately pulls Sinistra away from the view port while Harry instructs Cy to take them back to the Potter dojo. Rather than the promised talk, it takes the entire journey to calm the professor down enough to be able to talk to her.

{TheFairyQueen} Do you suppose this will be a typical reaction for witches and wizards?

{Harry} I have no idea, we can ask her later, once she's got used to the idea she's on the moon.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Aurora's panic dies down far earlier than Harry or Hermione realised, instead it was replaced with awe and excitement as the moon came into view over the horizon, and then started to rapidly increase in size. Features that she'd only been able to see through a telescope coming into view for her naked eyes to see. Whatever this thing was, it was allowing her to visit the place that had captivated her as a child and led to her decision to follow astronomy as a career. As they approached their destination, the vehicle crossed into the shadow of a crater, leaving the only light, apart from the stars, as the interior lights. Clambering out of Hermione's grasp, she leans against the window to look at the Milky Way stretched out without a single twinkle caused by air currents. A view that surpasses the one time she used a broom to fly above the cloud cover in the deep winter.



As the vehicle flies into a manmade cavern that is brightly lit, and contains an even larger vehicle, Aurora whines in disappointment. The vehicle they're in comes to a halt in front of the larger vehicle, and then turns before moving backwards into it. Feeling like a first year that's just seen Hogwarts for the first time, Aurora allows herself to be led to the rear of the lander. There she's pushed into something that hugs her tightly before the floor opens up beneath her, and it carries her down into a much larger room. As it releases her, she staggers away and it zooms up before bringing Harry and then Hermione down.



The moment alone is enough for Aurora to regain her wits, as soon as Harry comes down she turns to her with her wand drawn. "How, how are we here?"

Harry spreads her hands in a placating gesture, "We've used part of my spaceship to come to the base where our sleeping arrangements are. I didn't grow up in this solar system. There are a variety of systems that you can't see, including a map of the solar system. One of the things we've got deeper in our base is an Orrery inside a planetarium. It should be accurate for every celestial body in the solar system."

"What's the catch?"

"No catch, we can show you to the edge of the atmospheric shield so you can stargaze to your hearts content. You can look around the Orrery. However, you won't be able to control anything, you'd need to find us if you wanted the lights turned on or off. Same as if you wanted to progress the Orrey, or change the perspective of it to one of the planets for that matter."



Aurora is fairly sanguine about the situation as they walk her through the base to the Orrery, "Why do you even have an Orrery?"

"We knew we have Astronomy as a class, for all 5 years, and possibly after that too. So we wanted somewhere to do the homework properly."

"We have some pretty impressive Orreries, however none of them are suitable for actually performing astronomy."

"I don't think you have anything like these."



5 minutes later, she's shown into a plain white hemispherical room, floating in the centre of the room is a white sphere around the size of a tennis ball. As she watches the lights in the room go out and the sphere is replaced by the sun. Around the room the stars in the sky appear in a sphere around her. A wave of vertigo comes over her as her eyes tell her one thing and her feet tell her another. Gently someone steadies her from behind as she adjusts to the sensation of standing in space. It is so dark that she can't even make out Harry or Hermione. As her eyes adjust to the darkness she looks around for Saturn against the constellations it should be passing through.

"Saturn is in the wrong place."

She hears a chuckle from Harry, "No it isn't, you are. I'm going to dim the sun and make the earth glow green."

The sun does indeed dim to a low red while a tiny green dot glows on the other side of the sun compared to where she's standing. Shuffling around the sun to the green dot that is the earth, she looks again and can see the brighter star that is Saturn.

"Hermione, would you be able to show the professor to the Observatory in the Dojo while I go and change into something more comfortable?"

"Sure, go ahead Harry, if we're not there, then I have no doubt we'll still be here."



Aurora is too absorbed by trying to find any discrepancy in the constellations or planetary locations to note more than the light of the door opening and closing, in fact she's so engrossed in things that she jumps when Hermione grabs her shoulder, "Careful, the rooms only large enough to hold the inner planets to scale, everything else is a 3d projection. You were about to walk into a wall."

"I wanted to look at Saturn."

"One moment, let me find the control panel and I'll change the focal body to Saturn rather than the Sun."



Aurora watches in wonder as the whole system moves smoothly to have Saturn appear to move from it's location ahead of her, past her as it grows and then appears to shrink into the distance. The sun seeming to shrink to the size of a pea in the distance. Shuffling over, she walks around Saturn in amazement as the detail is far higher than anything she could have possibly imagined. Doing some quick math, she hurries over to where Jupiter should be, only to be caught by Hermione again.

"How are you able to see me? I can't see a thing in here except the stars and planets?"

"I have implants that the room is using to show me where everyone is without obstructing my view of the stars or planets. I also see the floor as a very faint red grid. It's beautiful here, but sometimes, at home. My new home. I would take Ordis out to the asteroid belt and go out in my archwing and just watch the stars and planets for a while. Especially when I had a lot to think about, and I didn't want to be around people. I think the first time I did that was just after I passed on a message from Silvana to Luna, and it dawned on me just how she'd have taken the scene and presentation… It turns out it was the right thing to do, as Luna was trying to avoid the consequences of an action she took to avoid a horrible fate, and it was trying to avoid it that was driving to that fate. I'll show you my favourite thinking spot, one moment."

"How do you navigate?"

"Ok, let me recentre on the sun and dim out all the unnecessary stars. I'll also speed up the system by a factor of 100… Bare in mind that I only know enough to navigate, but we use 6 known pulsars that are at different locations in the sky, for time and navigation. These are Tau, Rath, Vela, Lemos, Orion, and Gro." – as she says each name, a spot in the sky lights up brighter than the others – "I'm not entirely sure on the specifics, but the unit they are measured in is called a Lei, and is something to do with the distance that the sun travels in a straight line over the period of an earth day. If you want an in-depth answer talk to Cy when we go back to the Dojo. You can derive the distance by measuring the comparative blue and redshift of those 6 stars over that time period, somehow." – Unseen she shakes her head – "Again, the math is just too complicated for me to understand just yet. I'm still getting my head around general and special relativity, and how they're wrong. Granted I'm only spending an hour or so on it a week, so I suppose I could learn it faster. I'm just trying to avoid the 4 dimensional math that's needed to understand why it's wrong. That's 4 dimensions plus time, not 3 plus time."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Harry makes his way to the Arsenal to change frames, as being in a female frame is starting to become uncomfortable. As he's about to switch to his Oberon he gets a feeling of reluctance from his wisp. Frowning he walks off of the Arsenal pad in the Observatory and transfers out before hopping onto the central console.

"Can you understand me?"

The wisp just stands there impassively. He meditates for a while trying to come up with a way to communicate with the frame without being in the frame. Hitting on a solution, he follows the mental pathways that lead to his implants, and reaches out to his wisp with them.

"Can you understand me?" There, there's certainly a response that shouldn't be there.

Quickly transferring ownership of the Harrow Prime, that he put together while he was looking for pieces of Titania Prime, to Hermione in the dojo's systems. He dives into the arsenal systems to find out how to summon his Oberon without returning the wisp, completely forgetting the Cy could do it for him. A few minutes later he's in his Oberon rushing back to the Orrery, leaving wisp standing in the Observatory.



"Hermione urk!" He comes through the door and is pulled off his feet towards Professor Sinistra. Once he's in front of her she grabs his head and looks into his face.

"You will give me whatever I need to use this room myself, do you understand?"