Everything was black. Harry couldn't feel, see, smell or hear anything but blackness and it was disconcerting. At first his mind had been foggy, swimming in the darkness, unable to work out the reason for the strangeness, and then it began to clear.

He remembered Evangeline smashing in to him and kicking his broom and then the blackness came. It had happened too fast for him to use his flame to reach the ground safely, he didn't even think, and it had been too late to catch himself with his air. He knew when he hit the floor because there had been a lot of pain before he had ended up where he was.

It was weird in the blackness, he didn't like it much because he was used to being active and not being able to do anything was horrible.

There was a change, at one point. A light had appeared, it sang with soft magics and he had tried so hard to pull himself towards the light that he could see but something was holding him back. He fought hard, the calling of the magic so strong to him, and when he finally got right next to it someone pushed him back away roughly. Harry growled, spinning to face them and he nearly had a heart attack when Merlin appeared in front of him.

"Are you insane? Do you know Salazar is having a breakdown thinking your going to jump in to the after life early? It is not your time to go yet Harry, why are you trying so hard to come through?"

All Harry could do was gape. "Harry?" Merlin snapped and the boy shook his head.

"Merlin?"

"Of course, have you forgotten me already?"

"No, no, of course not! But what are you doing here and what are you talking about?"

"I'm trying to stop you from dying. When you fell, nasty fall as it was, you sustained horrific injuries, too painful for any mind to bare, which is why your consciousness shut down to deal with the pain. You ended up here where you can't feel, hear, see or smell anything from your consciousness, and I am using some highly forbidden magics to stop you from making a terrible mistake. The light you fought so hard to get to is on," Merlin explained and Harry's eyes widened.

"As in dying on?"

"Yes, Harry" He confirmed. "I don't know about you but I don't think you are ready to die."

"Oh Lady Magic no." Harry said.

"Well come with me there is some people who would like to speak to you." Harry followed Merlin's juster and a saw a new light apear one he didn't notice before.

Merlin led him up a hill, down it, and the stone path widened into a circle. There was a table there, and a lake that looked very much like the lake next to Hogwarts. His home, his true home. A castle, Hogwarts in the Inbetween, could be seen further along the shore of the lake, but Harry's attention was on the four people at the table.

Godric was already up. Salazar and Helga followed. Rowena stopped Harry and embraced him, he was stunned still. Harry hugged back with a fierceness. Rowena's quiet laughter could be heard.

"Did you miss us that much?" she asked, Harry nodded with tears in his eyes. "Don't think I'm the only one who will hug you."

"No worries, I am just shocked to see you all," he told her.

Godric and Salazar reached him before Helga did, and Rowena drew back just as the two men pounced him. Harry lost his balance and down they went.

"You bloody oaf!" Godric wheezed at Salazar.

"You're the oaf" Salazar replied.

"Both of you are the oaf" Harry said.
Godric grinned, and turned to Salazar.

As one, they pulled him up but Godric bent down and wrapped his arms around Harry's legs. Harrison couldn't stop the yelp as he was lifted over Godric's shoulder, and then Godric was running away like a madman.

"Put him back down, I want in on that hugging business!" he heard Helga yell. "Godric, don't make me bind you and have you thrown into the lake again!"

Godric laughed. Helga pulled her skirts up with a very determined face, and chased after him. Salazar put his arms around his midriff as he began to laugh, and eventually he stomped the ground, his laughter wheezy as he watched them.

"This can't be that funny" Harry told Godric.

"I can make it funnier!"

And then Godric threw Harry into the lake. Spluttering, Harry got his head over the surface, and had his magic latch onto Godric. Godric went flying in next to Harry, and Helga didn't seem to care about the water as she was already waist-deep by the time Harry got close enough to her.

"You are such a child!" Helga chided at Godric. "And you, Harry, you aren't any better!"

"I know; you have spoiled me rotten over the years."

They got out the water, half-drenched, Salazar stumbling over to them while Rowena followed more gracefully.

It was like old times. Just like old times. Harry didn't realize how much he had missed the old times.

They were right in front of him, laughing and Godric was spraying Salazar down with water. Rowena got caught in a wave, and promptly got her revenge. Helga told them they were all children. He knew in once he officially come of age he could see them when ever but now.. he decided to not think about what was happening, and just enjoy the moment for as long as he could for now.

So he dragged it out. He was an expert at denying the truth, and ignoring it as well. He learned from the best and could drag things out like no other; one time he dragged out an argument with Salazar for three months before resolving it in five minutes.

Okay, so not all of his decisions were sound and wise. In fact, most of them weren't he was still learning. But he was who he was.

Until Salazar put a stop to his wallowing. By kicking him. Literally kicking him.

"Ow! What did you do that for?"

"You got places to be;" Salazar said, nursing his own foot. "What are your legs made out of?"

"What's wrong with your feet, more like;" Harry replied, hobbling away from him. "It's like being hit by a sledgehammer!"

"Well, don't make me do it again!"

"Nothing's normal with you," Rowena said. "Now, follow Merlin, don't do any stunts like that again." She smiled looking down to him "hurry back home."

"That is definitely how a mother sounds like" Godric said.

"Well, I was a mother" she replied.

"Know that we are all proud of you Harry" Merlin said getting nods from them all.

"I am especially happy with my blood heir and yourself. I had a heck of a laugh." Salazar said getting a punch from Godric.

"Harry dear we are proud of you just know that and come back when you can in a few years."

"And no death defying tricks I don't want to hear you are about to walk into the veil again."

Harry felt a pang of something deep within himself, but he still found himself smiling brightly.

"Thank you." Harry said to him, "and I will get my revenge on you for not telling me about his blood Heir."

Merlin and everyone released a full laugh at that, shaking their head fondly at the boy and Merlin patting his shoulder.

It wasn't as painful as he thought it would be. Sure, the hugging helped. They weren't shy about that now. And he knew they were there, in the Inbetween when he would like to see them.

"I better get going then," he said at last but not really moving as Merlin walked a head.

"Go!" she said with a laugh.

It was like a normal goodbye, and that he would see them again the next day. That felt better than any tears and drawn-out farewells. He was shoved onto the path by Salazar and Helga, Godric yelled at him to get revenge on him to his twin, and Rowena shouted he better keep his clothes clean before bursting into giggles with the rest of them.

"You are children!" he yelled back. "I'm out of here!"

They waved, and he waved back, before he moved on. He didn't look behind him. He didn't steal another glance, a last glance. He knew he could see them latter and he knew he had people who were waiting for him to come back.

So he took off running down the path after Merlin, with a wide grin on his face. When they made it back to the black space Merlin turned to him,"You need to go back to your consciousness to heal." Merlin informed him. Harry wrinkled his nose.

"How?"

Merlin motioned to something and Harry looked around, there was another light, one he had not noticed before he left, as it was not as bright at the first. When he reached out for it he found it was riddled with pain and he cringed back from it.

"There's a lot of pain over there." He pointed out but Merlin looked at him blankly.

"I will not tell you what to do, Harry but I am confident that you will work out why you need to get back to your consciousness to heal." Merlin told him and Harry nodded, it was the way the man worked. "I will leave you now." Merlin said softly and Harry nodded, "Just remember, do not go in to the light Harry, it is not your time."

The ancient warlock disappeared and Harry was left alone again. Suddenly the darkness was all the more imposing. He didn't know how long he was there but he was planning on making sure Evangeline wished she never came to school. He honestly couldn't believe what she had done, and why she had done it. He had gone out of his way to ignore her, stay as far away from her as possible and then she had tried to kill him! Harry wondered how everyone was, how everyone had reacted to his fall. The Slytherins were probably going mad, they didn't take an attack on their own lightly so maybe he wouldn't have to curse Evangeline after all. He hoped they had avenged him, the thought made him want to cackle, if they had then Evangeline was probably going to be in hell.

*Happy New Year's! Good luck this year, 2021!!! Surprise...*