Hello all….

So, I have not met any untimely end, just had life happen and my writing took a side seat.

I do occasionally come back and write this, and I still have a desire to update and finish this story. I love this world, even though I started writing it over a decade ago and it's been five+ years since I updated it.

I'm avoiding looking at the Last Updated section out of guilt.

I have another chapter of this done as well, and one more in the works.

Rather than promising updates, I will say that I don't plan to abandon this story. It's a comfort piece I come back to and write on, enjoying the ridiculous and fantastical world I dove into when creating it.

Thank you, all of you, for all your reading, your comments, likes, subscribes, kudos, lurking, whatever you may be doing when you come to my story, thank you for coming.

And on with the adventure!

~~~~~~In Which Gred and Forge Might Just Get Harry…Maybe~~~~~~

"Dad, we have some unexpected guests." Harry's calm, amused voice felt out of place considering the situation.

Gred and Forge opened their eyes, and Harry grinned at them, crouching down is if checking for injuries.

"Do we? Who?"

"The Weasley Twins."

"Oh! They're good students, I rather like them. Did you invite them? You didn't tell me you were inviting your friends!" The Doctor bounded into the room.

Harry shook his head. "I didn't invite them. They were hiding behind the coral strut near the door, but the turbulence sent them into the wall."

The Doctor looked at the two redheads slumped against said wall. "Well, we can't bring them back unless we want to waste a perfectly good time stream ping, it's hard to maneuver around in a time stream within a few weeks of a ping. How do you feel about having a couple guests for this adventure, Harry?"

Harry grinned, eyes alight. "Oh, this is gonna be fun!"

Gred and Forge looked bewildered. "What's going to be fun?"

"You two are in for an adventure!"

From the light in Harry's eyes, Gred and Forge wondered what a kid like Harry considered an 'adventure'. "We can't just go back outside? I mean, we didn't really mean to be in here…"

"Ah, sorry boys. We can't take you back just yet. Complications and all. You're stuck here with us for a bit."

"But...I mean, what about the professors? We signed on to stay at Hogwarts for Winter Break, they'll notice we're gone…" Forge said, eyes nervously glancing between them and the door.

Harry waved a hand. "I'm sure we can cover it later. It's not too big a deal." He looked over at the Doctor. "A small time stream cross when we're ready to head back take their names off the list would work, right dad?"

The Doctor peered at the twins for a moment, before he grinned. "I'm sure we can manage something like that. McGonagall leaves the list in her office, we can get in while everyone's at dinner and add your names on."

"But..but that list was finalized on Monday! And besides, everyone's already left the castle!" they protested in unison.

"Well, might as well start with the obvious. Welcome to the TARDIS." Harry paused.

"We do know the name of your home-box-thing, Harry."

Harry gestured around himself. "No, you really don't. TARDIS. Time And Relative Dimension In Space. T-A-R-D-I-S. It's an acronym."

Forge and Gred mouthed the words a few times. "Time and relative dimension? In space? Is that the name of the spell that makes all of this work?"

The Doctor sighed. "You're talking to magicals, and magically raised magicals, Harry. You'll have to spell it out."

For a moment, tense silence filled the console room, then Harry grinned, looking just this side of manic. "This isn't a box, not really. It just looks like a box in the dimension we tend to occupy. The Tardis, on the other hand, occupies multiple dimensions simultaneously. The inside is a separate, relative dimension, connected by the door. It isn't magic, not in the sense that you're used to, though there's an Earth writer that I've always loved that said any technology sufficiently advanced basically is magic, but since you all are actual human magicals, it isn't that kind of magic."

The Twins stared at Harry, eyes wide. "was...was that supposed to make sense?" Gred asked, hesitant. "Because if so, missed all of it."

"I mean, you sort of implied you aren't from Earth, but that's crazy." When Harry snickered, the two exchanged looks. "You are though, from Earth. I mean, the whole wizarding world knows about you!"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, you're right about that, but I'm only from Earth insomuch as I was born on the planet. Otherwise, well, not so much. I don't spend much time on Earth, it's hardly the most interesting planet out there." He reached a hand out, helping up one twin then the other. "The Universe is full of life, from one end to the other, top to bottom, side to side, in multiple dimensions, from near the start all the way to the end. Why stay on one planet when there's so much out there?"

Gred and Forge looked at each other, then at Harry. "Uh, cause you can't travel to different planets?" Gred said, wondering if Harry had gone batty.

By the manic grin spreading across Harry's face, he just might have. "I have some news for you!"

The Doctor chuckled, tugging his possibly-crazy son away from the twins. "Boys, welcome to the Tardis. As unexpected as this is, we can't really drop you off at Hogwarts for a bit, we'll lose our ping and you can only ping a certain section of time once before it becomes unstable. And if we lose our ping, well, no telling when we'll pop back up again, and we really don't need anyone late for classes at the start of term." The Doctor clapped the twins on the shoulder. "So, you two up for an adventure? Harry here demanded something exciting with lots of running. And there's all of time and space out there to explore."

"You...you aren't mad at us though? I mean, we weren't supposed to be in here at all. I forgot my bag in the room out there, and I remembered the password, so we just came to get it back, and then we panicked, and ended up in here, and now you said we can't go back to Hogwarts just yet, and it's just, you aren't mad at us, right?" Forge said a single breath.

The Doctor shook his head. "Nah, no reason to be upset. Figured we were due for a visitor anyway. Haven't had any since Harry's little group ended up on the Tardis back in November. And you two, despite being pranksters, would probably listen a bit better when I say something may actually explode if you touch it. Since you tend to handle things that explode on a semi-regular basis." He sent them a significant look, and both boys put their hands out, palms up, as if to show how empty they were.

"So, where are we heading?" Harry asked, grinning. "I didn't have anywhere specific in mind."

"Figured we could do it the old fashioned way. Just let the Tardis decide. More fun that way!"

"A lot more dangerous that way too," Rose said, emerging from the hallway. "And since you've got a couple tagalongs, you sure you wanna get into the kind of trouble we stumble onto with the twin terrors over there?"

"Hey!"

"Don't deny it, you two've tried to sneak into the fitness room half a dozen times to plant somethin that would most likely cause a good deal of chaos." Rose raised an eyebrow at them.

The two were attempting their best innocent and affronted look, but the sparkle in their eyes that most definitely indicated some form of mischief had been attempted. "Why, we would never sneak into the hallowed Fitness Room!"

"Only 'cause you couldn't make it past the door," Rose said, a smirk curling one side of her mouth. "I was amused though, you did try a number of inventive methods, most'a which would'a fooled even a halfway decent security system."

Forge pouted. "How come they didn't fool yours?" he grumbled.

"We tried everything!" Gred added. "Even the map couldn't get us in…"

Harry snickered. "You went up against Rose and Uncle Jack, I'm not that surprised you failed. I don't win against them half the time!"

"You cheat," Rose said.

"So what? I can't exactly fight fair against the two of you!"

"You have the Tardis on your side more often than not. I'd say that negates any reason for you to cheat," Rose pointed out.

"Enough, enough, you can have it out later. For now, we've got an adventure to get to!" The Doctor grinned, a mirror of his son.

"Don't you think we should get those two less plastered against the wall and more on board with what we're doin?" Rose said, looking at the twins. "I mean, unless you two like your current position."

Gred and Forge shook their heads. "No, um, no. It's just...we don't really…"

"We don't really know what's going on," Gred finished. "You've said something about space travel and time travel and lots of other things but it all just sounds…"

"too unbelievable, to be honest," Forge finished for him.

Harry just laughed. "Well, you wouldn't be the first to say that, and you're not gonna be the last. Let's go drop your stuff off in the library, safest place in the Tardis, then we can start our adventure!"

The twins spent the entire trip to the library gaping.

"This is impossible!"

"You can't stretch the inside of something this much! Not without blowing it up!"

"How is it so big?"

Harry shook his head, wondering at the denseness of magicals. "It's not magical, this is the Tardis. The interior is in a separate dimension, so it can be infinitely big, though the Tardis actually does have a limit. Can only stretch out so far, poor girl, before she starts getting fuzzy at the edges." Harry waved a hand through the air as he turned through a door and gestured for them to follow. "Not to worry though, you won't run into that. Gotta go way far out to find the fuzzy bits, and if you end up out that far, no guarantee you'll ever find your way back. Might just fall into the unstructured dimensional plane and vanish."

The casual way Harry said "and vanish" had Gred and Forge looking at each other in mutual agreement to not wander. At All.

They'd ended up in the Library, as Harry had said, but it wasn't like any library they knew.

For example,

"Why is there a pool in the Library?" Forge asked, eyebrow raised at the obvious lap pool stretched out in the middle of the room, winding under and around bookshelves and chairs.

"A good swim helps you digest what you've read. Alright, leave your bags here, the Tardis should have sorted out somewhere for you to sleep while we're gone. Let's get on that adventure!"

Harry waited a scant moment for the twins to leave their bags on a chair before grabbing their hands and yanking them down the winding, twisting hallways, back to the console room.

"Harry! There you are! So, what do you say to Helioxoplis?" The Doctor spun around when Harry dashed in. "You remember that documentary?"

"Helioxoplis? The planet with the giant Jade pyramid, highly isolated cities, and some sorta hive-mind as a governing body? Lots of staring eyes in those vids." Harry shuddered.

"That pyramid is rather fantastic, and the Collective is mostly a social body. Since The Jade City is the only one technologically advanced enough for space-travel, they're the center for trade and tourism. The Heliox are so isolated from the rest of the planet, the other Cities are basically unknown. Don't mention them," the Doctor warned. "Pretty sure there's some sorta Taboo about all of it, and we don't have time to deal with you all breaking something as serious as Taboo.

Harry pondered, looking at the twins then at his dad. "Well, I've always wanted to see the Jade Pyramid. The vids I watched said it was ten times as big as the Earth pyramids." He flapped a hand at the somewhat baffled twins. "And it'll be a good place to take them."

Rose clucked her tongue. "How safe is Helioxoplis?"

"Well, if we hit the right time, Heliox is a huge tourist hub - a giant market promenade, tours of the Pyramid, all the things that come with tourist ports. Not much conflict, if we time it right," The Doctor offered.

Rose shrugged. "Alright then. I'm up for a giant jade pyramid and a spot of shopping."

"Um...question," one of the twins said, and Harry spun around to look at them. "You're saying there's people living out on a planet called...Heli...whatever?"

Harry chuckled. "Peoples, yes, so long as we are discussing living beings. But people as you think of them refers to humans. I very much doubt the Helioxians would appreciate being compared to humans. If they even know what you are." He glanced over at the Doctor. "They did evolve concurrently with humanity, didn't they?"

"More or less. Same galaxy, similarly aged star, though there are only two inhabited planets in their solar system, unlike Earth's." The Doctor grinned. "Humans grabbed onto certain kinds of technology a bit faster, but they did eventually meet up when you all figured out how to circumvent the light speed barrier. We'll be hitting a point after the spread of humanity through the galaxy, so they do know what humans look like." A quick glance at Gred and Forge. "And luckily they aren't a species that has any special attachment to twins."

Gred and Forge blanked on words for a moment, uncertain of how to process that information. "Um...you're seriously talking about aliens, right?" Gred said.

"Like, you're not joking, you're actually being serious?"

Harry blinked. "Are you forgetting the fact that you're currently in what you all call a spaceship? And to others, you're the aliens. It's all about perspective."

"This is a box, Harry."

"Despite it being much bigger on the inside than magic actually allows, that doesn't exactly mean we're buying the whole space and time thing." Forge waved a hand around. "You have to admit, it's a bit out there."

Rose laughed. "You two are gonna have quite the trip then. I'm lookin' forward to this. We've never had magicals on the Tardis for a proper trip, and no, you don't count, Harry."

Harry pouted but had to concede to her point. "Well, if you two end up getting into trouble because you don't listen to the rules, I reserve the right to let you sit in a jail cell for a full cycle before we come rescue you," he stated, face set.

Gred and Forge's laugh sounded a bit uncertain. "Jail?"

"There's usually a jail cell involved in our adventures," Harry said, offhanded. "Wouldn't be a proper adventure without some danger, after all."

"In an effort to avoid getting our young, inexperienced, magical guests locked in a jail cell, what should we know about Helioxoplis?" Rose looked over at the Doctor.

The Doctor hummed in thought. "Well, Helioxoplis, home of the Heliox, is one of about five giant cities on the planet - rule one is Do Not Mention Any Other City. As I said before, Taboos are not something we need to deal with. Rule two, No stealing. They're known for their anti-theft tech, and the results aren't very pretty." The Doctor pondered a moment longer. "Stay in designated tourist areas, we're guests. Have fun." He grinned brightly.

Gred and Forge exchanged looks. How much of this should they believe, if any? They weren't sure, but they were about to find out. The wheezing, groaning sound subsided, the whole room shook slightly, and then everything went silent.

Harry rushed to the door, sticking his head out before shouting back "It's warm! You don't need a jacket!" Then he vanished past the door frame.

Hesitation in every move, the twins stood up and looked between the still open door and the Doctor. "Um...so we can…leave now?"

"Well, I wouldn't recommend just running off, Harry's a bit of an odd one but I can find him again. You two, well, I don't want you two getting lost, I am now somewhat responsible for you." He grimaced, as if he wasn't sure he liked how that sounded. "I'll go catch up with Harry, he has a penchant for getting into trouble. Stick with Rose, she'll make sure you don't get lost, yeah?" Without waiting for an answer, the Doctor strolled out the door and disappeared from view.

One of the twins decided that he would be the more valorous of the two and looked outside. "Um…Gred, we…aren't at Hogwarts anymore...We aren't…I don't…where are we?" He walked out, face a mask of confusion and awe, Gred following behind.

Outside the TARDIS doors, Gred and Forge abruptly realized that the Doctor and Harry hadn't been yanking their leg.

Dozens, hundreds, if not thousands, of domed roofs filled a slow incline sloping upwards away from them, ranging in size from small, maybe single-room affairs to multi-floored terraced extravangas. While all the domes were black, jewel tones shimmered from windows set into the domes until a veil of color hung over the entire slope, beckoning onlookers to peer just a bit closer.

Clusters of the same color formed patterns amidst the colorful, enticing chaos, probably holding some significance.

But what had both twins gaping in astonishment was the absolutely monstrously huge deep green pyramid rising far above the domed roofs, carving out whole sections of the soft blue sky, rising to a point so far above their heads it hurt to crane their necks up to see.

"Gred, I think...I think Harry was telling the truth," he whispered.

"I'm starting to get that Forge," came the muttered reply.

"Well, you two gonna just stand there blocking the door all day?" an amused voice said, startling them into action.

"Pro-professor Rose! It's true! It's really true!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Did you think we were all lying to you?"

"Wouldn't be the most elaborate lie," one of them pointed out.

"Space travel is hardly the weirdest lie we've ever told," the other added.

Rose shook her head, amused. "I'm sure. Well, stick close to me, himself might actually forget about you and that wouldn't do." She waited till the two boys fell into step beside her, looking around.

They'd landed just off what seemed to be the main walkway, a huge, well paved road raised almost a full meter off the ground and covered by a long, colorful tent, a shield against the light from the planet's star.

A star, Gred and Forge noticed, twice as big as the Sun.

It finally drove home the truth - they weren't on Earth anymore. They knew what the Sun looked like. Whenever the sky decided to ditch the grey theme, the Sun would brighten up Hogwarts and lure most of the students out to the grounds. This Sun…it was NOT their sun.

"Professor Rose?"

"Hmm?"

"That...is that the sun?"

Rose blinked, turning to look up at the sky. "Well, it's their sun, though I'm sure they have a different name for it. Why?"

Gred and Forge gaped at her. "Can't you see?!" they exclaimed in unison.

"It's a star. A bit bigger than yours, but still fairly average" she said, smiling at their shock. "What, you thought every star looked like yours?"

"It's huge!" Gred exclaimed. "How is it so big?"

Rose laughed. "Stars come in a huge variety of sizes and colors. Stars like this one and your Sun are the kind of stars you'll often find life around, they're not so big as to burn their satellites to crisps, but they're not so small to fail to keep their satellites warm enough to support life. There is a balance needed between star and satellites for life to thrive. Some of those stars too extreme for life have some interesting societies built around them, for some insane reason." She made a face expressing her distaste. "Good for some interesting resorts, but not so good for actual planetary colonization, despite some brilliantly foolish attempts."

Gred and Forge looked between her and the not-sun, unsure they really understood what she said. "Uh-huh."

For a brief moment, Rose wondered if this is how the Doctor felt when he explained things to people. Then she shrugged - not worth it. "Well, you can stare at the local star all day, which I don't recommend, your eyes won't thank you, or we could catch up to Harry and the Doctor." She nodded her head in the direction of the Doctor, who tailed after his wayward son.

The twins looked at a loss for what to do, but the sudden realization that they may, in fact, be left to fend for themselves on a planet they were rapidly accepting wasn't their own had them scrambling after Rose, sticking as close as they could get without tripping over their, or her, feet.

She laughed. "We won't leave you here," she assured them. "The Doctor's never lost a passenger...well, not deliberately, anyway." She paused, a sudden thought making her face twist. "Well, none that didn't deserve it," she finally settled on.

"That's not reassuring," Forge grumbled.

"It's an adventure! Come on you two, if you grump the whole time, you'll miss out on all the fun, and possible explosions." She herded them away from the Tardis and towards the raised and covered walkway.

The moment they stepped onto it, the twins were thrust into the lively atmosphere of a planet full of life, tourism, and the raucous shouts of a dozen different languages.

The chaos sent the twins staggering; they were used to the organized chaos of the wizarding world, as madcap as it may be; this rush of shapes and bodies and languages and sounds -

Within the span of only a handful of breaths, the two were jostled and pushed and almost knocked over by four different species from far flung parts of the galaxy. A large, thin being with four spindly arms, two legs, somewhat purple in color, brushed past first, as if they didn't even see the twins, sending the two to stumble into a pair of much smaller, fur covered little beings -"Watch your feet two-legs!" "No consideration, two-legger-types!" "Worse than Slimers!" - who squeaked insults at them before scampering off in a blur of grey and black.

Next, a humanoid being slipped between them, sporting possibly too many eyes and a pair of twisting horns that sparkled in the light. Then, just as they reached out to grab onto Rose, a slithering being that resembled possibly a giant snake-humanoid hybrid nipped in the gap between them.

Rose didn't bother helping the hapless duo, humor lighting her face as she watched them stare around with huge eyes. "You'll get used to it, boys. Helioxoplis is a thriving tourist and trade planet."

Gred and Forge clutched to the back of her jacket. "Why do we understand them?" Gred whispered. "They can't all be speaking English and we're pants at languages."

Rose pointed a thumb back towards the Tardis. "Tardis Translation Matrix. Makes it so you understand practically any language in the Universe. Handy when you travel through it." She grinned at their startled looks. "Don't worry too much. And try not to stare too blatantly. It's not polite."

The twins whipped their eyes back to her, fear flickering across their faces. "Okay," they gulped.

She shook her head in exasperation. "Just stick close by, you two. I guess I don't need to worry about you wandering off yet?" An eyebrow raise garnered her some headshakes, and she snorted. "I guess I'll worry more when you stop panicking every time a new species walks by," she commented as they both started when a lumbering behemoth, taking up almost half the wide causeway, forced them to move to the side.

Gred and Forge pressed in closer, their heads brushing against her shoulder as she started to weave through the crowds, pointing out different species, goods, wares, and odds and ends.

"What's that, professor?" Forge hesitantly asked, pointing at a device that seemed to constantly spin without any outside force. "Is it magic? Is there magic here too?"

Rose shook her head. "No, but you're about ten thousand years in your future, you know? Lots of new kinds of tech and all sorts of weird ways to make it into novelty toys."

Gred blink. "Ten thousand years? Wot?"

"Well, Helioxoplis evolved concurrently with Earth, and you all discovered most of the major space-age milestones around the same time. So of course we had to hop into the future to get here when it's a functioning tourist planet." She tilted her head. "Also we couldn't travel within your own time zone because of the time ping. The Doctor hates wasting those, and we couldn't lose this one, it's sorta important you all get back when you need to be."

"Time travel too? Harry wasn't lying about that either?"

"You will find that Harry doesn't lie," Rose pointed out. "He might be evasive, or he might just not answer, but he never lies." She shrugged a shoulder. "He never needs to. The truth always gets him farther."

Gred and Forge huffed. "So he's just bonkers?"

Rose laughed. "He's a good kid, but he is his father's son," she acknowledged. "Smart, creative, and just a bit bonkers, yes." She saw them glance over at the spinning toy again. "You want it? It's not that expensive, it's a bit of a kids toy nowadays."

She got two sets of brown eyes staring at her in imploring shock. "Really professor?"

"But we don't have any money…" Forge said, trailing off.

Rose shook her head. "Any Earth money, much less magical money, would be useless. Besides, the Doctor doesn't really care much about money. We have currency from countless planets and timezones just lying around." She rolled her eyes. "Harry and the Doctor aren't the best with money, so I've taken to keeping track of it all. Don't worry, it's on me." She saw them about to protest. "Would you two like to try and negotiate for it with whatever you have in your pockets?" she offered. "They do accept barting here, it's a staple of markets like this."

Gred and Forge immediately started patting down their pockets, pulling out a few odds and ends but nothing of any real value. A stray quill, their wands, some parchment, a few pieces of candy (they looked hopefully at Rose with these, but she quickly shook her head, telling them human-norm foods weren't always edible to others) and an ink-away stone, before sighing. Their shoulders slumped in defeat.

"If you want it, the Tardis had a bunch of Helioxoplis money just lying around. It's not being used, might as well spend it on some cool toys," she pointed out, holding out several oddly shaped objects. "It's not like we made this money. The Doctor and Harry just sort of collect it whenever they travel."

For a second, she watched the twins struggle with the decision. She knew the Weasley's weren't well off financially. Just as it had from so many of her trainees, freely offered money tugged grimaces and reluctant resignation from the two.

"How do you get money then? If you don't make it with a job?" Forge asked, hesitant, curious.

Rose snorted. "The Doctor usually steals it, though he won't say it that way." Their eyes widened in shock. "He tricks the machines that dispense money into giving him some without the right information," she clarified. "I suppose it would be like fooling one of the goblins at the bank to take you to their main vault, except far simpler."

Gred and Forge weren't sure what to make of that. "Wouldn't you get in trouble?"

"We don't exactly live on any planet or in any time long enough for it to be a problem," she remarked, offhanded and unconcerned. "And it ends up back in the economy."

Their desire for the cool, alien toys must have won over their ingrained reluctance, as they accepted the money, turning to go buy the toys, only to be stopped by Rose's hand on the back of their shirts. "What?"

"Do you even know how much I just handed you?" she asked, humor in her tone.

"Um….a couple star-shaped ones, some ovals, and a bunch of spiky triangles?" Forge hazarded a guess.

Rose sighed.

After a brief rundown of the local currency, Gred and Forge set out on a spree of gift buying and knick-knack collecting, having also been supplied a rucksack by Rose to store their purchases in. Rose hadn't quite told them exactly how much she had given them, knowing they would probably outright refuse if she knew she had handed off something akin to a small fortune.

But what would keeping it on the Tardis do? She certainly wouldn't be spending it, and the Doctor cared little for money, Harry even less so. Letting some of her students buy cool alien toys with it beat letting it collect dust in a drawer.

She chivvied them along, keeping an eye on the tall figure of the Doctor in the distance, making sure he never got too far away from them. Harry must be distracted by something, as the Doctor hadn't moved in nearly ten minutes.

When the three of them drew closer, they realized Harry had, indeed, been distracted by something.

A something involving a very large, multi-limbed, angry-looking merchant selling things Rose couldn't make heads or tails of.

"You are but an unfinished human! How dare you come here and accuse me of sabotage and price gouging!" the merchant bellowed.

Harry glared back, furious. "Those are sub-standard connectors, cores, and links salvaged from outer-rim junk asteroids," he shot back. "You've not even bothered to scrape the old ID numbers off them!" He picked up something complicated and spiky, turning it over in his hands. "I can clearly see that the manufacturing date was years ago! How did you get this past inspection? Bribery? Or…" he squinted, staring at something, before he turned a judging stare on the literally steaming merchant. "You're using an aural net manipulation field," he said, anger growing colder. "Those are illegal in this sector of the galaxy."

The merchant flailed several of their long arms(?), multiple eyes all glaring at the young boy. "I will call the authorities down for false accusations and lost business revenue!"

"Do it! In fact, if you won't, I will. ANMFs are outlawed in markets precisely because it allows substandard and dangerous materials to be sold to unsuspecting buyers!" Harry replied, fury in every word.

Gred and Forge tugged on Rose's arm. "Um, what...what's going on?"

Rose shrugged. "Not sure, but it looks like Harry's about to get arrested," she said, with far more calm than Gred and Forge thought that statement deserved.

"He's what?!"

Rose pointed over towards two lithe, tall beings, their skin pitch black and with far too many eyes for Gred and Forge's comfort. They wore bright orange sashes over white robes and were cutting a swathe through the crowd, everyone moving aside to make room for them and closing in behind them. "They're the local law enforcement here. The orange denotes them as crowd control and safety, and they've obviously been alerted to the current situation."

"And you two are just going to let Harry get arrested?" Forge demanded.

The Doctor had spotted them and walked over to join, resting an arm around Rose's shoulder. "Harry'll be fine. He's both correct and he's the one who started arguing in the first place. Besides, if he wanted help, he would have asked already. He seems content dealing with our swindling merchant friend on his own."

"But…" Gred sputtered, looking perplexed. "Arrested. Your son!"

"Wouldn't be the first, won't be the last." The Doctor shook his head in amusement as the two tall officers joined them. "Besides, Harry's still underage, even here. They won't let anything happen without me there standing with him, even if he complains about it."

Gred and Forge had no idea what to make of this casual approach to Harry being arrested on a strange planet filled with strange beings they could have scarcely imagined. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, arrested! Multiple times!

They thought detention was bad, and here Harry was about to be arrested with no concern!

"What is the situation, Merchant Vistho?" one of the tall officers said, voice raspy and echoing slightly, as if a second voice spoke milliseconds after the first.

The now named merchant, Vistho, huffed steam as they poured accusations out. "This child has accused me of manipulation, lying, cheating, and fraud! With no proof! My business will suffer because of these baseless accusations! My income and my livelihood!"

Harry snorted. "They're using an aural net manipulation field," he scoffed, pointing over towards something that looked like a poorly placed lamp, green and aqua in color. "All this is junk from a scrap heap on an asteroid from the outer-rim. And selling it under false pretenses is grounds for fines and banishment from the marketplace on all habitable worlds in this sector, isn't it?" His voice, just this side of sweet, made Gred and Forge shudder.

"What is he doing?" one whispered.

"Threatening the merchant, by my guess," the Doctor said with little, almost no, concern. "I mean, he's right. If he can prove it, our merchant friend will be out of a job."

Forge furrowed his brow. "But...if what he's saying is true, why is it an issue? Why is that merchant even allowed here? I mean, I can see that weird green and blue thing."

The Doctor sighed. "Well, you're a magical human, which means the Field won't affect you. Doesn't affect me or Rose either, but it's something the Helioxians are, in particular, very susceptible to. So Harry's words might not even register properly. Depends on how this Vistho programmed the Field." The Doctor glared over at the device. "It's strictly forbidden to bring onto the planet, or even into the sector. I am curious as to how they managed to smuggle it through the Psi-sensitive border guards." He hummed, pensive, and Rose sighed.

"Your son's already causin' a stir," she started, raising an eyebrow. "Are you about to kick up a fuss too? Cause if so, I need to make sure you don't damage these two in the process." She tilted her head towards Gred and Forge.

"Nah, I'll just follow after Harry. He can handle a bit of smuggling and a lying merchant or two. Possibly some bribes." He sighed, leaning against Rose. "I'll just be following along. If it gets too big for Harry to handle, I mean, it's not like it's dangerous."

"Not dangerous?!" Gred was sure his voice cracked a bit on that. "He's…" his eyes went wide as Harry reached out to pluck the weird Not-Lamp thing before he was put under some sort of weird sphere of light. "He's...being lighted?"

Rose laughed. "That's a containment field. And, yep, he's been arrested. See, it's turned red at the top." Rose pointed out the lights. "Now they're looking around for a guardian, since Harry's officially underage." She nudged the Doctor. "You're up, dad."

A small bubble of calm had formed in the midst of the busy market as hundreds of beings streamed around the two authorities, making the group of humans stand out starkly; the police peered at them with their multitude of eyes, making Gred and Forge shrink behind Rose even more. "I seek the young Human's guardian," they intoned in their multi-layered, harsh voice. "Underage Beings must be represented by their Guardian or will be appointed a designated Guardian."

With a jaunty wave, the Doctor stepped forward. "That'd be me," he said. "Though he's doing just fine on his own."

The other Helioxian police stepped forward. "Please affix this to your outer wear," they said, faintly echoing. "It will allow you access to the cell and grant you Guardian Rights over your Young."

The Doctor took the small circle and pressed it to his lapel, raising an eyebrow at Harry. "I thought we were aiming for not being arrested," he said calmly, amused if anything at his son's predicament.

Harry scowled. "Vistho is a lying, cheating scam," he bit out, shifting to glare at the merchant now chatting up the guard as if they were long-time friends. "And besides, I'm not really under arrest yet, just contained. Scammer over there knows the local guard." His arms tightened around the tech he had pilfered. "This thing must be programmed to have anyone who sees or hears about it forget or disregard it," he muttered, tempted to see if he could take it apart and fix it.

His dad, well familiar with the look in his son's eyes, shook his head. "Leave it alone, Harry. The authorities have their own divisions to handle such things, and if you mess with it now, who's to say you won't be accused of planting it?" the Doctor said off-handedly.

Though he grumbled at this, Harry did stop fiddling with the device. "If they refuse to listen to me-" he started.

"I'm sure you'll have no problem making them believe you," the Doctor interrupted, grinning. "Alright, well, you ready to head up and face central command?"

Harry squared his shoulders. "They better be ready for me," he said viciously.

Gred and Forge followed them, hovering behind Rose and more baffled with every passing second.

"How can they be so calm?" Forge muttered to his twin. "Harry's being arrested!"

Gred looked over at Harry, stuck in the beam of light underneath the little floating sphere. "He doesn't seem concerned," he started out. "Maybe...it happens often?"

Rose snorted from ahead of them. "Don't worry too much about it boys. It's just a minor dispute. This Vistho must be well connected if the authorities are willing to arrest a minor."

"What's gonna happen to him?"

A shrug. "If anything, Harry'll kick up a fuss and our merchant friend will get kicked off the planet," Rose said.

Gred and Forge blinked in confusion. "Huh? How?"

Rose nodded towards Harry, or more specifically what he was carrying. "He managed t'snag the device the merchant is using to sell sub-par equipment. If he can convince the authority to have someone psi-sensitive look it over, the merchant is in trouble. Most markets frown upon active use of such technology."

Forge leaned over to whisper to his twin, "Did you understand that?"

"Nope," Gred replied, still wide eyed.

"That is a sincere lack of concern to an eleven year old being arrested," Forge whispered again.

"I mean, you've heard the stuff he does in class. He talks back to McGonagall and Dumbledore and Snape!" Gred said just as softly. He looked up towards the young boy being escorted by beings they hadn't even contemplated existing. "If he's not afraid of being arrested by aliens, I doubt anything Snape can do will ruffle him!"

"He's certifiable," Forge muttered. "I thought he was bonkers at Hogwarts, but he's out here getting arrested. In a market. On an alien planet. Because he argued with an alien."

Gred looked contemplative. "No one would believe us," he finally said.

"His friends would," Forge pointed out. "They wouldn't even be surprised."

Gred would have responded, if a shadow hadn't suddenly blocked out the much bigger sun, startling them both with the sudden darkness.

They looked up, and then up. And up. And up.

The looming pyramid they had seen from a distance now loomed over their heads, and it reached so high into the sky their necks started to hurt.

"How do they see it all?" Forge asked. "It's so huge!"

"Their eyes are more flexible than human-norm eyes," Rose answered from in front of them. "Pay attention, their eyes are on stalks of various sizes and allow them to look in several directions at once."

The twins blinked, before looking at the Helioxians around them.

Indeed, they hadn't noticed it before but the numerous eyes were on slender stalks raised above the Helioxian's mouth in several layers, and were constantly in motion.

"How…?"

"Evolution. Here, survival favored flexibility in sight, so the dominant species evolved to have such features," Rose said, grinning at the fascination on their faces. She felt a bit like she imagined the Doctor feeling whenever he brought a companion somewhere new and got to explain something to them.

Gred and Forge just nodded as if it made sense, when it clearly didn't, not really. (Magical education didn't really cover sciences)

The closer they drew to the bottom of the pyramid, the more those surrounding them were dressed in increasingly elaborate garments; jewels sparkled on hems and collars, layers fluttered in the light breeze, and colors exploded in riotous exuberation. Gred and Forge tucked themselves closer to Rose to avoid being lost, afraid they'd never get back home if they were separated.

"Where are we going, professor?" Forge whispered.

Rose brought them both around to see their destination clearly. "Central Authority Building. They'll sort out what's gone wrong here," she told them.

The twins could clearly see the great stone door, light green and somewhat translucent, opening at barely a push from those entering and exiting, always in constant motion. "Is it magic?"

Rose sighed, amused. "No, this isn't a magical planet. It's technology."

"Like the toys?" Forge mused.

"In a way, though far more complex." She narrowed her eyes as one of the Helioxian's dressed similarly to those that arrested Harry came closer. "Yes?"

"You are not a Guardian of the accused," they said, voice softer but echoing. "What is the reason for your presence?"

Rose smothered a frown. "I'm not his primary Guardian, but I am one of his Guardians," she said. "I'm sure you're aware of those species who have multiple Guardians."

"We are. Are you declaring yourself as one?" they asked. "And are these also of your brood?" The Helioxian peered over Rose to look at Gred and Forge, who waved, trying to be as friendly and innocuous as they could.

"They are," she said. "Which is why I cannot fully declare my Guardianship of Harry." She pointed towards the boys half hiding behind her. "I have to watch over them as well."

"Understood. We cannot provide you with Guardian Rights, but you will be given Advocate Rights, and these two of your brood shall be given Family Rights." Their long, thin arms shuffled with something in their jacket, procuring three pins.

Rose affixed the large blue pin, then helped the twins attach two smaller green pins. "Keep these affixed to your outer garments," they said. "If you stray where you are not allowed, the pin will let out a warning sound to alert you. If you continue, you will be detained," they said to Gred and Forge, all their eyes affixed on the twins. "Stay with your Guardian, young ones."

Gred and Forge nodded in agreement, the prankster spirit that thrived on rule breaking quailing slightly in the face of alien rules and alien authority.

"I will make sure they don't stray...I'm sorry, I didn't get your name, or title," Rose said suddenly.

The Helioxian blinked several times, refocusing to look at Rose properly. "I am known as Enforcer Lixion, Advocate."

"Thank you, Enforcer Lixion, for taking the time to see to us," she said cheerily, smiling. "I'll make sure these two don't break any rules while here."

For a second, they just looked at Rose, a curious tilt to their eyes, before they nodded in acknowledgement. "Then please proceed, Advocate."

Rose placed a hand on Gred and Forge's shoulders, guiding them towards the door and in, moving them along without a word. When she had scooted them through the doors, she nodded towards the Doctor, who had been keeping an eye out for them, before pulling the twins off to the right.

"You two, I know you'd love nothing more than to run off and explore, but no-" she cut off at their wide eyes. "Yes?"

"No, no, we're good, sticking with you, professor," Gred muttered lowly, eyes darting around. "I mean, one kid getting arrested in a day is enough, isn't it?"

"Yeah, professor, it's okay for now, if we stay with you. If we get in trouble here, it's not like our mum can come help us or anything," Forge added.

Rose sighed. "I won't let anything happen to you two," she promised them. "Besides, who d'you think would have to write a letter to your mum if you two got in trouble here?"

"That is true. It would be a bit hard to explain how we got arrested on a different planet thousands of years in the future," Gred acknowledged, looking at his twin.

"That is not permission to do anything foolish," she warned them. "Stay close to me, yeah? Once Harry gets sorted, we'll go do some touristy things, maybe find some food."

Forge picked at the badge on his shirt. "What is this for? They said something about Family?"

Rose nodded. "I claimed you as mine, and since I'm also Harry's Advocate, you two are part of his Family. It's part of the judicial process in this sector of the galaxy."

Gred just blinked. "I don't understand."

For a moment, Rose frowned, trying to think of an explanation. "The Doctor is Harry's Guardian," she started. "That gives him the right to oversee anything that may happen to Harry and intervene on his behalf, make sure he is treated fairly, and that the opposing party doesn't threaten him," she started out.

"So his dad," Forge replied.

"Yes, but also legally. No sentence can be given without the knowledge of the Guardian." She shrugged. "It prevents minors from being harshly punished for things they can't control."

"The Doctor has a yellow badge, and you have a blue one, and we have green ones. Why so many different colors?"

"Different privileges," Rose responded. "Mostly what we can say, where we can go, and for the officials to recognize our right to be here." She pointed to several others, some locals some clearly visitors, who wore different colored badges. "They have a color code system of some sort, and because their vision is probably far more advanced there might even be instructions on the badges that only Helioxians can see." She eyed her badge closely, as if squinting would make some hidden symbol appear.

"Professor, the Doctor is waving us over," Forge said, pointing towards a pair of large doors. "I think we have to follow?"

Rose nodded. "Yeah, best hurry up boys. Wouldn't wanna get lost."

Gred and Forge made all haste towards the Doctor.

"So, you two've been badged as well." He looked at Rose, quirking an eyebrow and snorting at Rose's significant look. "Yeah, alright. I don't expect this'll be a quick affair, but let's hope they don't drag it out too long. Yes, Harry?"

Harry, still standing under the beam of light, had demanded his dad's attention. "Do they know about magic here?" he asked.

The Doctor frowned in thought. "It's just before the Great Surge, but this sector of the galaxy has an extensive Magical Trade Network. You studied it before, Diagon57 isn't actually too far from here so magical trade sectors do exist. Helioxoplis isn't magical and never developed a magical species, but it's an essential trade stop, and trade and commerce brings in all sorts." He narrowed his eyes. "Don't start bringing the peaceful magical traders into your dispute, Harry," he warned.

Harry waved a hand in mild dismissal. "No, I just wanted a reason for why I'm able to detect the Field." He smirked.

Ahead, a far more extravagantly dressed Helioxian parted the crowd between Harry and their approaching party.

Gred and Forge felt very out of their depth; they were used to magic staircases, irate professors, perpetually cloudy weather, and, most importantly, humans.

At a stretch, they could say they'd interacted with non-human magical creatures. But even they were humanish, or familiar animals with magical qualities.

Right now, though, the only humans in a room full of living beings were the two of them, Professor Rose, the Doctor, and Harry.

Maybe just the two of them, though, Gred and Forge thought, sharing a glance.

"Don't start being belligerent, Harry," the Doctor warned in an undertone. "That's not just a senior officer. That's the head of The Jade City's Law and Order branch, specializing in Psi-sensitivity and second only to the Collective. In practice, they are the ruler of this City. The Collective concerns themselves with spiritual and social measures."

Harry blinked, taken aback. "Why would someone so important be here for this?"

"I can only guess, but this could be good or bad. Don't make it bad."

When Harry nodded in acknowledgement, Forge had a startling moment of clarity - a shining flash of insight into the strange boy named Harry. For all that the teachers endlessly complained about this eleven-year-old magical prodigy and his disregard for all their rules and guidelines, Forge realized they didn't truly get it.

"Gred, I think I get it," he whispered at his twin in a harsh undertone as this ruler drew ever closer. When Gred raised an eyebrow, he scooted closer. "Why Harry doesn't seem to care about Hogwarts' rules, I think I get it."

"Yeah, Hogwarts isn't arresting tweens and dragging them before a court," Gred replied, huffing when Forge wrinkled his nose at him. "Harry didn't even bother arguing with his dad, just agreed. When it's serious, Harry knows how to listen. Hogwarts….Hogwarts is just a school." He shut his mouth with a snap as the official drew to a halt in front of the.

"Young Human, you have brought a heavy accusation to the Jade Courts." This Ruler, decked out in layering shades of green and blue, stood before Harry's containment cell, a myriad of eyes peering at Harry from every angle and authoritative voice carrying that odd doubling.

"Yes, Honored…" Harry frowned. "What should I call you? I've never been to Helioxoplis before and I'm uncertain about titles."

The Ruler made a humming sound, almost one of approval. "I am the High Judge of The Jade Courts, Judge Prioxil. May I inquire as to your titles, Young Human?"

"I'm Harry, son of the Doctor and Ward of the Tardis." Harry titled his head towards his father. "My dad is right there, Judge Prioxil."

The Judge flicked a couple eyes towards the Doctor, looked him up and down, focused on the Guardian Rights badge, before seeming to assent. "Yes, I see. Follow me, Harry, Accusing." Judge Prioxil turned towards Vistho and the two officers still flanking the merchant. "Merchant Vistho, Accused. Follow as well. Officers Xioliy and Exxiva, return to your positions."

Xioliy and Exxiva saluted (so the twins thought) the Judge before turning and leaving the Jade Pyramid.

The Judge's own retinue of officers surrounded the group, Rose, Gred, and Forge included.

"Us too?" Gred squeaked, mayhaps a bit too loud when the Judge's eyes turned to peer at him.

"Yes, Young Human. You wear Family Rights badges, and with your Guardians you must remain. Broodlings may not be alone." The Judge hummed at the twins. "Remain with your Guardian, Broodlings."

Gred and Forge made sure they nodded in mute agreement, and both released a huge breath the moment the imposing Judge's eyes were no longer on them.

"Broodlings?" Forge muttered.

"It's the closest word English has for what this world calls children," Rose answered as they moved forward with the Judge's retinue.

Two pairs of blue eyes blinked, confused, at her. "Huh?" Gred asked.

"The Judge isn't speaking English, you already know that. The Tardis is translatin' the Helioxian language to English for you. Not every society has the same concept of children, so they won't use the same words."

Gred and Forge huffed, not sure they understood and not sure what they didn't understand.

But as they headed into an opulent, jade-green room with pyramidal walls, vaulted skylights, and a variety of seats, they decided now was not the time to figure it out.

All the seats were aimed at a central dias, raised up half a foot. A podium, somehow also pyramidal, marked the centerpoint.

"Harry, Accuser, stand rightwise. Guardian, behind your broodling. Vistho, Accused, stand leftwise."

Vistho grumbled and muttered uncomplimentary things as everyone sorted themselves out, but the smug superiority faded when Judge Prioxil approached Harry and gestured to the raised podium. "Place the device on the platform, Accuser Harry."

Harry, now freed from the movable prison, stepped forth and set the Aural Net Manipulator on the podium. "Here, High Judge. I discovered this among Merchant Vistho's wares."

"Lies, Honored Jade Court Judge," Vistho denied, rage spiking an already high voice higher. "This…unfinished human lacks the experience to tell joke from harm." Several limbs flailed in exasperated irritation.

Judge Prioxil leveled several eyes at Vistho. "If this were a joke, Merchant Vistho, I would not be here." The judge approached the odd lamp-like machine. "We are not so lacking of crime." The imposing High Judge flicked several eyes towards the many subordinates guarding the doors and lining the walls. "Bring the evidence and projector."

Vistho lost color rapidly and an audible rumbling filled the room. "High Judge, surely this is unnecessary. On the words of an unfinished human?"

"This broodling has leveled heavy accusations, provided proof, and is complying with the orders of the Court." A strange basin and a well organized box of clear stones were presented. "This is not the only evidence of your misdeeds, merely the first that can be actively pursued due to the presence of an outside Accuser."

At this, Vistho tried to back off the platform, but the Helioxian Guard must have anticipated this; the flailing, struggling merchant got no further than the edge of the raised platform before being forced back.

It didn't take long to finalize Vistho's sentence - clearly the merchant had been under observation for quite a long time. Harry had just given them an easy path to kicking the lying merchant off the planet.

As Vistho, steaming and furious, fought the guards dragging them out the room, the Doctor commented with faux cheer, "That was easier than expected."

Judge Prioxil twitched. "Having an Accuser made the process expedient."

"Ah, but surely that can't be the main reason you allowed a child to be detained and brought all the way to the Jade City's High Judge."

Harry frowned, looking between his dad and Judge Prioxil. "I…what's happening here?"

"The good Judge here has become more involved in a simple swindling merchant case than the highest authority of Jade City aught to." The Doctor crossed his arms, clicking his tongue as he joined Harry on the Dias. "Strange that we were brought to the Apex of the Central Pyramid."

Harry huffed. "I'm sure threatening the Highest Authority is a really good way to get answers, dad."

"In most cases, yes. But you are his target, Harry."

At this, Rose yanked Gred and Forge backwards, muffling their yelps of surprise. "Don't yell, the last thing we need is himself over there learning that this judge means to use Harry and you two bein' in the middle."

The twins frowned. "Why?"

"Because the Doctor is not someone to anger, and the quickest way to anger him is to target his son." Rose watched the tension rise on the dias as the Doctor placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "And anyone with sense figures that out pretty quick."

The Judge folded long, spindly arms on top of the podium. "You are not unfamiliar here, Doctor and Harry. And you are correct, Doctor. Your Broodling is, at this moment, the only being I believe capable of preventing a war from engulfing the Jade City two days hence."

The silence following this rang in everyone's ears. Then,

"A war?"

It was one of the twins - Forge possibly, as Gred had a hand slapped over his brother's mouth.

Harry laughed, disbelief and amusement twined together. "A war? But there are no preparations, trade and trading ships continue, I didn't hear even a whisper of…" he trailed off when Judge Prioxil set another crystal into the odd projector.

Flickering into life, a scene of war.

"Those are not the Helioxians of the Jade City," the Doctor said, eyes narrow.

Indeed. Though the many eyes, wiry, spindly limbs, and tall frames were identical to the Jade City's residents, they were deep, vivid red in color, not the obsidian black of every Helioxian within the Jade City.

"They are…they are of the Wild Others, among the Blood City dwellers living far from here."

The Doctor's eyebrows winged up - the Judge spoke of Taboo; such things weren't even known among the general populace. "The Jade City is on the verge of war with a subjugated and technologically inferior populace marked Taboo and unknown to nearly every Heliox?"

Judge Prioxil growled. "They have been…sponsored by some greater power and use weapons far stronger than even the great mysteries brought by magical traders. There may not be many Wild Ones, but with such weapons, they threaten the borders of the Jade City."

Harry peered at the projection. "These Wild Ones, why are they Taboo?" Harry glanced at the Judge, eyes sparkling with curiosity. "We've heard of the extreme isolation between the different peoples on this planet, but the why escapes me."

Judge Prioxil shifted, somewhat uneasy. "It is…the Jade City must stand apart from the Wild, the Lost, the Bright, the Hidden. The Blood Poisoning is but myth now, but we cannot allow it to return."

The Doctor squeezed his son's shoulder when Harry went to ask more questions. "Later, Harry. Suffice to say, the original intentions may have been…well, not good, but understandable. But the truth of the isolation policies have been mostly lost by this time." He waited until his son sighed, subsiding. "Right now, though, I want to know why you think my child can help." His eyes hardened. "And if you know who we are, why you thought it would be a good idea to try and trick him into it."

Judge Prioxils eyes drooped. "Yes, Doctor, I know of you and your son. And I know this is a risky move, but we have exhausted all other options, and I believed we would have to activate the Pyramid as the Moons rose. I did not want to do this drastic action." Several eyes flicked between Harry and the Doctor. "Then our Psy-Monitor went haywire, before exploding. Before we lost the signal, we traced it to your blue box, and several of our psy-capable enforcers were able to follow the faint trace to your Broodling. When they found Harry under Guard, accusing a merchant we were already following closely, it was the perfect opportunity to bring you all here."

The Doctor sighed. "Yes, I can see that. Now, what do you think my Broodling can do that your psi-division cannot?"

The Doctor's restraining hand kept Harry silent.

Prioxil looked directly at the attentive, powerful child. "Harry, your power is twice that again of anything the Wild Ones can use. Our planet is not Magical, our Psi-Division is not able to combat pure magic. We have lost over a dozen squadrons to the scouting forces already, and I do not wish to exterminate the Wild One's Blood City. They are Taboo, but they are alive. I hope your strength and magic can counter, disarm, and resolve this situation so the Pyramid's devastation may never have to stain this planet again."

Harry's eyes took on a dangerous twinkle. "You don't want me to kill anyone or destroy homes? You just want me to….out-magic and neutralize their ill-gotten weapons?" At the affirmative hum, he turned to the Doctor. "Come on, dad, I can out-magic some illegal weapons. The Judge doesn't wanna kill anyone, right?" The plea had yet to fail, especially when used in service of saving people.

The Doctor considered. "The High Judge covering up a burgeoning war, the Taboo broken, and a request to a child. This is becoming a day of firsts on Helioxoplis."

"I will make use of any resource available to avoid death, Doctor. A broodling would not be my ideal choice in any circumstance, but given my options, I cannot afford to ignore even a broodling if the other one is genocide." Judge Prioxil walked to a translucent wall panel. Overlong fingers spread spider-like on the jade, every eye looking out onto the endless sprawl of the Jade City. "This is my home, my mate's home, my broodlings home. Home of the millions of my brethren."

Harry shook his dad's hand off and joined Prioxil at the window. "And of these Wild Ones? The solution you don't want to use?" Harry made sure to look at the eyes now fixed on him with steel. "What makes me the better option?"

For several long moments, silence answered. Then, Prioxil hummed. "You are as your father, Harry. Come, walk with me as I tell you the tale of this Jade Pyramid and why it stands so tall above the Jade City. Of a history where once we lived with the Wild, Lost, Hidden, and Bright, until we no longer could."

Gred and Forged had relaxed as Rose had, and when their oddly young-looking exercise professor huffed a laugh, the tension winding their shoulders up to their ears flowed out their feet, leaving them swaying.

"What's happening?"

"Why is Harry so important here?"

Wide, baffled blue eyes looked to Rose for something resembling coherence regarding their current situation.

Rose, on the other hand, shrugged. "Harry's about to go stop a war, from the looks of it," she said, far too casually.

The twins didn't know how to respond. They tried to speak several times, the words dying in their throat. Then - "Why?"

"Why is there a war or why is Harry being asked to stop it?" Rose asked, hiding her amusement well.

"Both? Neither?" Gred huffed. "I don't get any of this - especially how come Harry's so…calm? Eager?"

"And how could there be a war? Nothing's even closed or prepared!" Forge gestured wildly around.

Rose made an 'I dunno' expression. "Well, if you catch up with the three of them, maybe you'll get some answers." And she nudged them after the three who were moving to a smaller, less formal side room.

They hurried after Harry and his dad and the Judge, the twins skidding to a halt when the Judge flicked several eyes towards them as they joined the group. "Your fellow broodlings, Harry, look very similar. Unusually similar, even for humans."

Harry's smile only brightened. "They're called twins, Judge Prioxil."

"Are these twins common?"

Gred and Forge mustered their flagging courage. "Um…we're identical twins - not really common…"

"I don't think it's super rare though." The two glanced at each other. "Do you all not have twins?"

Prioxil hummed. "Broodlings of the same clutch do not share their features so closely. You are also magical, though yet young in its growth. You may not join your broodmate, little twins."

Gred and Forge shook their heads, fully agreeing. "We…we still don't get what's happening…like-"

"A real war?" one finished when the other floundered. "But it's so…normal out there?"

"I mean, normal for a market on an alien-" "to us, alien" "planet, not that we've been to many-" "our first time, actually-"

Harry laughed, cutting the twins short. "You've calmed down a lot," he commented, eyes sparkling. "And yes, I do believe there is a possible war - one that would devastate the Helioxians."

Judge Prioxil hummed, discontent. "The residents of the Jade City are being kept…unaware by The Collective. In truth, they are unaware of the existence of any other city. To reveal not only the truth of that to the general population, but also that we are on the verge of war would only cause panic, confusion, and injuries. It is far too late to do anything as logical as informing an ignorant populace. It is many hundreds of years too late for that."

Gred and Forge frowned. "Forced isolation?" To them, it sounded far too familiar. "And now a war?"

"One you need Harry for?"

"We do not have the means to defeat magical weapons, not without disastrous consequences for every city. Young Harry is a chance to resolve the situation without resorting to such measures." Prioxil flicked several switches on a panel, and the far wall flickered to life. "More years ago than any can name, the various peoples on this planet lived together peacefully, and prosperity kept trade and communities thriving. Until a strange illness spread through the new broodlings. Whole clutches would die before they saw their First Light. While we now know it to be a genetic disease caused by incompatible parents, those alive then had no such knowledge. Devastating battles erupted from the accusations, and the Jade Pyramids, once a place of pilgrimage and worship, became the focus of the fighting until the Heliox took control. They used its mysterious power to utterly destroy entire swathes of those they battled against."

As the Judge spoke, images of the same story played out on the far wall, including the horror of thousands vanishing in a wave of blinding light.

Gred and Forge weren't sure how to begin processing any of this information.

Harry didn't have the same problem, though. He merely shifted his shoulders and looked straight at the Judge. "You don't want to use that weapon, and you think I'm strong enough to end this uprising without causing any unnecessary deaths?"

"I would hope for no deaths, the Wild Ones are few enough in number and I do not wish to subtract any more from it. We of the Jade City have done more than enough damage to their numbers in the many long years of enforced isolation. Now that they are proxies in someone else's war, I want to impact their numbers even less."

Harry grinned. "Well, Judge, I just so happen to specialize in death-less resolutions!" he announced cheerfully. "I'm pretty sure we can figure something out, right dad?"

The Doctor huffed a laugh. "Well, Harry, if you have a plan for this mess, we can make an attempt. Provided I agree with whatever you've planned."

Harry's glee was palpable. "So, you use the Tardis to track down the actual source of the weapons, since you're far better at handling deranged idiots without destroying things than I am. I can handle the actual weapons the Wild Ones have before they hurt themselves or anyone else with them. Since we don't know ow these weapons are powering themselves, there's a non-zero chance the weilder's life force is being used to activate the spells."

Judge Prioxil moved in to listen as this broodling laid out his thoughts. "What would that mean for those using these weapons?"

Harry glanced up at the Judge. "When they have no more life force left to give, they will die," he said bluntly. "You can't just give such weapons to non-magical peoples - their bodies can't handle the strain."

The Doctor caught the flicker of panic flash through the Judge's eyes. "You may want to pass that warning on to your own fighters," he advised.

"I…yes, yes, I must send a warning with my Seal affixed with you."

Harry frowned. "You aren't coming?"

Prioxil sighed. "I cannot leave - as the only one capable of activating the pyramid, I am needed here until the conflict is…resolved. However that may be."

The Doctor nodded. "Then may I leave the twins and Rose in your care?" He looked over at Rose. "While Rose is more than capable, those two are not, and they are my responsibility. I would not presume to leave them alone with you - that would be unfair to you and them. Rose would stay to keep an eye on them and to make sure they understand some of what's happening. They have been sheltered for much of their lives."

Rose had already given her approval when the Doctor glanced at her, and she laid a hand on Gred and Forge's shoulders. "I will make sure they stay out of trouble."

Judge Prioxil hummed. "Of course. The young broodlings should be protected. I will welcome Rose's presence in the care and supervision of the twins. I do not know much of human needs." The Judge looked over at the two young and scared children. "I hope you will find your stay here not as terrible as it seems to have become. This City is usually and beautiful and friendly place. I hope you will see this side before you leave."

Forge smiled awkwardly. "We saw that market on the walkway, before everything happened. That was fun." He sounded like he wanted to reassure the Judge.

It seemed to work, as the air around Prioxil relaxed. "That is good - I hope you will see more of these sides of the Jade City."

"We better get going, like, not - there's a war looming on the horizon and some idiot magical breaking a couple dozen laws," Harry declared, springing to his feet and bounding to the door. "Gred, Forge, stay safe, Rose, keep them safe, Judge Prioxil, don't worry- we'll make sure you don't need to push any big red buttons." Without waiting for a response, Harry dashed out the door.

The Doctor shook his head. "Impatient child. Judge, do you have a map of some kind, and that note for your people?"

The exchange of information took a bare few minutes, and then the Doctor followed his son out the door.

Judge Prioxil turned several eyes towards the remaining three humans. "Is there anything I can provide you?"

Rose took charge. "If you have any snacks and water, that would be wonderful."

Judge Prioxil called for several of the previously present retainers and directed them to Rose.

"Honored Guest, is there anything you would prefer?" One dressed in soft blues asked, voice soft and eyes lowered. "I am not familiar with human norm foods."

While Rose engaged with the helpful Helioxians, Gred and Forge gathered their courage and definitely didn't stumble over to Judge Prioxil.

When the Judge turned multiple eyes on them (and only them), they resisted the urge to run back to Professor Rose. "Um…well…Judge...Leader…" Forge stuttered, before Gred elbowed him.

"I'm sorry about my brother, High Judge," he said, ignoring his twin's grumbling. "I…we just wanted to know more about what's going on and Harry and the Doctor and…well, anything you can tell us." Gred shrugged, lost for how to ask for what he wanted - or even knowing what exactly he wanted in the first place.

"You are broodmates with young Harry, are you not?" Prioxil turned fully to face them, long spindly fingers playing idly with a circular disk.

Forge frowned. "What do you mean by 'broodmates', exactly?"

Prioxil made a considered 'Hmmmm'. "We call all those born within the same year and region Broodmates, regardless of of parents."

"Harry is two years younger, and we didn't meet him until, like, three months ago," Forge replied.

Prioxil's hum shifted up a pitch. "I see. How did you come to know Harry, then?"

Gred cut in. "At school He's a new first year. The Doctor and Professor Rose teach us, too."

"Ah, learning nestmates. A time of strong bonding. You are being educated by two of the most powerful beings in the Universe, and learning alongside the strongest magical to trek among the stars. It is quite an honor for you two."

"You are extremely well informed," Rose commented, walking over. "I wonder where you heard so much?"

Judge Prioxil almost became deferential. "The stories of the Time Lord, Bad Wolf, The Immortal, and the Eternal Mage are well known to those who study at Emerald."

Rose sighed. "Ah, yes, their Magical Education program for non-magical planetary leaders. Planets close enough to Diagon57 to get a lot of magical tourism have to be prepared, so they take the initiative to educate those who rule them," she muttered ruefully. "I do caution prudence with these two, they're from Hogwarts, during the pre-everything age."

Prioxil hummed again. "So long ago. I wonder how one such as Harry can live in such a time." The Judge seemed to squint at the twins with many many eyes. "I am also curious as to two identical humans. Magical humans, at that. So unusual. And to also be Nestmates with one such as Harry, and students of the Doctor and Bad Wolf. What is it you want to know, young ones?"

The twins turned towards Rose. "You've been given permission, boys. Ask away. If the Judge doesn't want to answer, you won't get an answer."

Gred and Forge, wide eyed, turned in unison back to Prioxil. "You'll tell us why Harry's gonna stop a war?" Forge pressed.

Prioxil hummed a laugh. "You're nestmates with Harry. Do you not know his strength?"

They shrugged. "We don't share classes, Harry's younger so he's in the firsty classes. We hear about it, but honestly…" Forge frowned.

Gred picked up the story. "It doesn't sound real, frankly."

"So we wondered, since you aren't his parent or anything…you aren't even from the same planet," Forge continued.

"If you could tell us more about him," Gred finished.

Prioxil's eyes bobbed. "Yes, I can see. I only know stories, but in them, Harry is, by every measure, the strongest magic user the Universe has ever seen to this point. To think that he arrived in Jade City right on the eve of a war - and that he could stop it, prevent the mass deaths I so feared." Prioxil moved to the wall and, with the touch of several long fingers, the transparent screen returned. "Here we can monitor the progress of Harry's plan. Would you like to watch?"

The twins were already moving before the Judge finished the question. Rose, chuckling, followed.

Awestruck, the twins watched Harry, lithe, barefoot, inhumanly powerful Harry, barge straight into a clearing full of Wild Ones, dodging several beams of light, and sending out a wave of visible magic, disarming his attackers all at once. He twirled his wand around, dragging the weaponless attackers into a single place, and with one more spell, he wrapped them in some sort of netting.

When he finally stopped moving, they could see a deep cut running from his chin to his forehead, a sheet of blood covering half his face.

Gred gasped. Forge's hand made an aborted move towards the screen. "Wait…did….is that….did Harry really get hurt?"

Rose winced. "Yeah, that's pretty real. If he doesn't get it looked at soon, it'll scar." She shook her head. "Reckless fool. If he'd been one of my trainees, he'd be doing remedial training for six months for that stunt." Still, as Harry summoned all the ill-gotten weapons and began destroying them in front of the captured Wild Ones, she nodded, approving. "A bit messy, but decent. No major injuries, no deaths, and they're out of the fighting."

Forge couldn't believe it. "That's real? That's really Harry out there fighting and getting hurt?" It boggled the mind. "How can you let an eleven year old kid go out and fight and get hurt?" Forge couldn't wrap his head around Professor Rose's seeming lack of concern.

Gred voiced his own internal crisis. "Harry…he really got hurt…that's real blood," he whispered, horrified. "I didn't think, like, I didn't really think…"

Rose's heart went out to the twins; despite their mischievous nature, they were very innocent yet. "You two don't have to watch. We can go sit and wait for them to come back." She gestured towards a table set up off to the side.

Gred whirled to look at her, disbelieving. "Why are you not more concerned? You're not even phased!"

Forge gestured wildly at the screen where Harry laughed, shaking hands with several Helioxians dressed for fighting, before he disappeared and the screen jittered, shifting to a whole new scene where Harry immediately engaged another group of Wild Ones. "You don't have a problem with him out there, fighting and getting hurt?" he half demanded, half queried. "He's eleven!"

Rose sighed, dragged a chair over to face them, and sat down, putting her on a more even level with the teens. "I have no control over Harry's actions, only his father does. What I think he should or shouldn't do is only a suggestion. The Doctor knows what Harry can and can't do, and this isn't even close to the worst situation Harry has been in."

Gred and Forge glanced at the screen, where Harry had finished wrapping this batch of Wild Ones up and had started destroying their weapons. "It isn't?"

"No. The Wild Ones are poorly armed and don't want to hurt a child at first. Harry is not killing or injuring. This is not a fight or a war. Not for someone like Harry. This is damage control - he wants to prevent anything worse from happening." Rose looked up at the screen as he handed control of these Wild Ones to another small group of Helioxian warriors. "He's enjoying this."

Forge followed her gaze, saw what she saw; Harry reappearing in another clearing, smiling widely as he dodges a poorly aimed spell and disarms the group. "How can he…"

"He's the son of the Doctor. He's known nothing else. Fighting, helping, exploring, living, learning. Making the Universe safer for someone, whenever he can."

Gred scowled. "He was born on Earth. He's human. A human kid."

Rose smiled at the confused teen. "Be that as it may, but he's not a kid the way you imagine - he's the Doctor's kid, and there is no one in the Universe, in any time, on any planet, in any dimension, who can be compared to Harry. To be the son of the Doctor is to be a protector of the entire Universe. Harry has known nothing else his whole life."

"That's mental," Forge breathed. "He's eleven - that-"

Judge Prioxil interrupted. "Harry may be seen as a broodling on any world he visits, but to be the Doctor's Heir means Harry is not a broodling the way you are, the way my broodlings are."

They watched Harry deal with yet another group of Wild Ones. "Then, where can he be a kid? Like us, I mean?"

Rose tilted her head, considering. "You see this as some kind of responsibility that takes away his childhood, but that's not what's happening. Harry is a kid, he's just the Doctor's kid. He's so painfully smart and so extraordinarily headstrong, he doesn't seem like a kid. He doesn't know what it means to hear "You can't do it because I said so", he doesn't understand the idea of listening to someone just because they're an authority figure." Rose raised an eyebrow, her eyes glittering.

"The firsties all say he's argued with every teacher, and he got kicked out of astronomy for taking over the class," Forge said, nodding.

"In Harry's world, the Doctor is the only absolute authority, though I don't think the Doctor really understands what that means. For Harry, teachers, judges, kings, queens, generals, emperors, none of them are a blip on his Authority Meter. He will fight, argue, debate, and defy those he disagrees with. If they don't measure up to his idea of authority, if they cannot explain their actions to his satisfaction, he will ignore them." She snorted. "It's why your teachers are constantly frustrated by him. They're measured against the most unfair ruler in the whole of the Universe, the Doctor. If they can't meet those expectations, well, you've heard what's happened."

Gred flinched as Harry's shoulder took a hit, blood staining his jacket even as he took another five Wild Ones down. "And the Doctor just lets him do this?"

Rose pulled the twins around to look directly at her. "The Doctor knows little else than fighting for the sake of others, no matter the cost. He instilled this in Harry the moment he took custody of the baby all those years ago. You cannot think of Harry as a normal preteen - he's not, in so many ways. But, Gred and Forge, he isn't an adult. He needs friends close to his age, he needs fun and play and the simplicity of school. Because that," he pointed at the child who, again, lectured Wild Ones on their poor choices - "that is all he's really known."

Forge's eyes went wide. "You want us to teach him how to be a kid?"

Rose snorted. "I think that's impossible. But I'd like you to be his friend, to not treat him differently after this. To plan pranks and be stupid trying to get away with something you shouldn't."

The twins took this in, processing. Rose waited - she had plenty of time to do that.

"Just…be his friend?"

"Yes."

"I…We can do that."

Rose beamed.

Though snacks were provided by the Judge's subordinates, Gred and Forge stuck by the screen watching Harry systematically take down dozens of groups of wild ones, lecturing them as he turned their weapons into confetting, before handing them to the Helioxian soldiers.

For several hours, Harry bounced around the forest, repeating this takedown/lecture/confetti-weapons process with every small group of Wild Ones he found, until he ended up back in the original clearing.

"What…" Forge asked, baffled. "Is he…done?"

Rose chuckled. "Looks like he's made a full circuit of the City. Any remaining Wild Ones aren't near enough to be causing a problem, and the Doctor has probably tracked down whichever magical decided to use them as proxies by now."

Indeed, as she finished speaking, the Tardis' distinct wheezing started to fill the room, and the blue box set down several meters away. The Doctor's head popped out the door. "Found our miscreant - nothing really special there. Angry, unstable, magical, exiled. Though considering this angry, violence seeking criminal is Factrily says they were rejected by a very open minded species. Since they decided to commit magical crimes on a non-magical planet, I'll be taking this one off to the Shadow Proclamation's Special Magic Division for War Crimes. You have your phone, Rose?"

Rose waved her ancient mobile at the Time Lord. "Yep. I'll ping you if you're gone more than a few hours - though you might wanna make it back sooner, your son and his safety spells had a bit of a miscommunication somewhere, and he may end up with a very lovely scar down the center of his face, 'specially if his magic heals him too quickly."

The Doctor groaned. "That child of mine," he muttered. "Alright, thanks love. Ping me if I'm not back in ten minutes." He shook his head. "Just what we need, Harry going back to Hogwarts with a giant scar on his face." He slammed the door behind him, then the Tardis dematerialized, its sputtering protests fading into the vortex.

Gred and Forge exchanged wide eyed looks. "He…he's not worried?" Forge asked, voice soft in shock and looking so very young.

Rose sighed. "He's worried, but he and Harry have several conditions in place - if Harry had truly been in danger, he would have teleported to the Tardis. Since he didn't and since Harry never breaks this rule, he knows the injury can't be serious. Harry will be made to account for his actions and mistakes, but the Doctor knows the risks, and so does Harry."

Judge Prioxil hummed. "This is a high standard to hold a broodling to. As I am unfamiliar with human broodling customs, is this common?" The Judge looked at Gred and Forge, expectant gaze full of curiosity.

The twins hurriedly denied this. "Uh-uh. We just get detentions and lectures."

"Then it may be a Time Lord custom."

Rose laughed. "It's probably just the Doctor." She looked over at the screen, where Harry had gathered Wild Ones and Helioxians alike around himself as he spoke (they didn't know what he said, but both sides listened intently) "The Doctor always wants to understand - anything and everything, no matter how ridiculous it may seem to us, he wants to know all he can about it. When he took Harry in, he tackled child-rearing much the same way. And he raised Harry the same - learn all you can about everything you can. Mistakes are opportunities to learn, and they thrive in the spaces where others struggle." She looked at the Judge. "You may end up with some intra-city alliances," she told Jade City's defacto ruler, thumbing at the screen. "Judging by what Harry's pulling off there."

Prioxil hummed again. "Maybe it is time to end our isolation policies," the Highest Authority in the Jade City mused. "I will speak with my warriors on the morrow regarding their impressions."

Before anyone could reply to this, the Tardis wheezed into the room once again, and the Doctor ambled out. "The SPMD will be looking into the Factrily's actions, so you'll be hosting a few council members within the next few days," he told Prioxil. "Harry won't be present for their investigation - they have some sort of 'Apprehend on Site' order for him right now, so I'll have him submit a report to you on the matter you can use instead."

Judge Prioxil nodded. "Of course, Doctor. Will you be leaving soon?"

"Yeah, can't be around when the SPMD shows up - don't need to cross timelines. I'll go get Harry after I scoot the twins here back into the Tardis, and we'll be off." The Doctor slung an arm over Rose's shoulder. "Thank you for entertaining them."

Prioxil hummed a negative tone. "You have de-escalated a near-war situation. It was the least I could do. They were no trouble."

The Doctor raised disbelieving brows at the twins. "No trouble?"

Gred bristled. "We watched Harry fight and get hurt and use more magic with ease than we've seen our professors use!"

"And he kept getting spells shot at him! But…but..he just…he looked happy…" Forge trailed off. "I just - he's the same age as our little brother-"

"And Ron isn't dumb, but he's a kid, and we're kids, and Harry's a kid, but Harry…"

Rose nudged the Doctor, a question on her face. The Doctor sighed, hugging her tight for a brief moment before walking over to the teens and resting a hand on their shoulders. "You'll have plenty of time to talk with Harry later. You can ask him anything you want, and you can even try asking me. But right now, we need to go collect him before he starts forging peace trea-" the Doctor trailed off at Rose's amused laugh. "Too late, huh?"

Rose gestured towards the screen.

Harry had, somehow, turned his lecture into a meet-and-greet, with Wild Ones and Helioxians mingling in the clearing, chattering away avidly and a few even using (probably transfigured) pens and paper to share ideas.

The Doctor sighed. "I can't leave him alone with oppressed species for three hours," he muttered, shooting an amused/apologetic look at Prioxil. "I'm sorry for my son's reckless disregard for-"

The Judge cut him off with a hand. "It is fine. Harry is well within a warrior's right to diffuse the situation as he sees best, as the strongest on the field." Prioxil watched as Heliox and Wild spoke to each other. "Harry may finally have brought an end to the isolation policy on Helioxoplis."

"Will you face any repercussions?" the Doctor wondered.

"Unlikely. With such footage, the Council cannot blame my warriors for the Broken Taboo." Prioxil waved a long-fingered hand through the air. "It is time to let a four thousand year policy crumble. We will survive the subsequent cultural and social upheaval."

"And the Blood Poisoning? You may know the truth, but the myths remain," the Doctor pointed out.

"It is time for the Future to come to Helioxoplis. We have ways now of understanding and healing affected hatchlings, and ways of spreading reliable information widely. We cannot remain fixed in the past, time comes for all, isn't that so Doctor?"

The Doctor smiled. "Yes, Judge Prioxil. Yes it does."

WIth the gratitude of Helioxoplis' Highest Authority, the Doctor herded Gred and Forge into the Tardis, Rose bringing up the rear.

"Bye Judge Prioxil!" Forge shouted as he boarded the Tardis.

"Thanks for everything!" Gred added.

Prioxil hummed several notes of pleasure. "I am glad the Jade City could provide for you, Twin Broodlings. May your lives be fulfilling."

"May yours be prosperous and peaceful," Rose and the Doctor returned in tandem, to Prioxil's amused chuckle.

Then the four let the door shut and the Doctor whizzed them off to pick Harry up.

Harry's head had started swiveling, eyes searching the clearing as the Tardis door opened and the Doctor strode across the clearing towards his son; groups of Heliox and Wild Ones moved out of the way with his exasperated "Harry!"

"Hey dad!" Harry waved, beaming, his new friends turning many of their eyes to see who this child called 'dad'.

"What happened to engaging the safety spells on your jacket?" the Doctor demanded, yanking a damp cloth out of a pocket and holding his son's face still so he could wipe at the still tacky blood.

Harry huffed. "They were active. The weapons weren't anything special, but they were designed to demolish shield spells. Didn't realize it at first, until one spell caught my shoulder." Harry swiped at his dad's fussing hand. "It's already healed, dad, you know that. I'll get the blood off in the shower!"

"How are you explaining the brand new scar bisecting your face?" the Doctor asked wryly, letting Harry take the washcloth from him.

Harry's hands flew to his face. "Scar?" He felt around for one. "I don't…" he trailed off as his fingers stumbled over the faint, slightly raised white line running the length of his face - bottom right of his chin to just below the hairline above his left eye. "Why…?"

"Magical injury healed rapidly with magic rather than purging the wound of the curse. You healed the mark into your skin - forever." The Doctor sighed, running a finger over Harry's new scar, eyes sad. "You should have waited for me, Harry. We'll see if the dermagen can minimize this, but you'd better start thinking of a good excuse."

Harry groaned. "This sucks," he complained, grumpy. "You think the dermagen can fix magical scars?"

"Maybe a bit." The Doctor tilted his son's face, examined the new scar. "You know it doesn't do well with magical injuries."

"Maybe I'll just learn a glamor spell," Harry huffed. "Or something. You think there's anything in the magical world that'd work?"

The Doctor considered, frowned. "Maybe. You might ask the Weasley Twins, they'd know better what's common, especially during the 1990s."

Harry perked up, peering around his dad. "Hey, Gred, Forge!"

The twins edged out the door after the Doctor, eyes widening as the scale of the near war finally sunk in - more Heliox and Wild Ones spread out around them than they had seen on the screen. They were surrounded by aliens (to them) covered in wounds and dressed in strange clothes, some with odd weapons slung across their backs.

They felt so far out of their depth the surface of normality may as well have been miles above them. They had traveled straight past terror and into dream-like detachment.

Which may have been why they didn't scream when the Heliox and Wild One Harry had been chatting with grabbed their attention. Crimson and Onyx fingers twice too long for their comfort, on hands too slender by half, at the end of arms with one too many joints, waved gently but insistently at them, until the twins gave the two their attention.

"Are you broodmates with Harry Green Eyes?" The Wild One had that same voice doubling.

Gred and Forge shook their heads. "Judge Prioxil called us…" Gred glanced at his twin. "Learning Nestmates," Forge offered. "Yeah, that."

The two nodded. "Harry Green Eyes is fearsome. You are privileged to be taught alongside such a great leader," The Heliox said, passion resonating through every word.

"Um…" Forge scrunched his nose, unsure what to make of this statement. Harry was not seen so reverently by those at Hogwarts. "Yeah…he's something."

This satisfied the two well enough though. "Harry Green Eyes has shown us the error of our ways, opened up a future for Heliox and Wild to forge a strong bond."

"The thousands of years of isolation between the Peoples of this world may be at an end."

The two hummed several notes of ecstatic joy, eyes looking at Harry. "We shall pass the story of Harry Green Eyes to our broodlings and peoples."

"Long may Harry Green Eyes prosper."

Gred and Forge wondered if this happened to Harry often. Then they wondered what Harry thought of it all. Then…

Well, any other line of thought spiraled into madness and neither of them had time for that. Not with madness so clearly all around them.

Not when Harry sported a new scar, a wide grin, and tacky blood smeared across his face and soaking the left sleeve of his jacket.

Harry's eponymous green eyes finally found them. "Hey, Gred, Forge!"

"Hey, uh, Harry…" Gred and Forge nod awkwardly at the two aliens, who part to let them scoot over and join Harry on his rock.

The cheer on Harry's face seemed wildly out of place - except, no, it didn't, not if you considered who Harry was.

"Do you know any potions or spells that are good for scar reduction?" the younger boy asked, digging into a pocket and pulling out a small, circular object before popping it open and revealing a mirror the twins had seen some of the girls carrying.

It felt so strange, the casual nature of this conversation, but Forge and Gred struggled for a reasonable answer. Finally- "Maybe? Mum might?" Forge offered.

"Wood'll know," Gred threw in. "He's been a quidditch player for years and he's got, like, no scars."

Harry levered himself up off the rock, still peering into the mirror. "You'll have to introduce me, if the dermagen doesn't help." He pulled the cloth out of his jacket pocket and started wiping at the drying blood.

"You…you really okay, Harry? Forge asked after a few moments.

Harry looked over at them, confused. "Yes, I'm fine. Why?" Clearly he didn't understand the twins' concern.

"You got hurt….fighting."

"Like, really hurt, and it was all real."

"And if you should back up at Hogwarts with a scar like that…" Forge trailed off, imagining the insanity of Harry returning after Winter Break with a white, raised line dividing his face in half and no explanation.

This didn't seem to concern Harry. "Well, I'm gonna try to find ways to reduce it, but in any case the teachers don't actually need to know anything - dad is my legal guardian and he's the only one who actually needs to know."

The Doctor sighed. "You are talking with Dumbledore and Madam Pomphry about it. You're the one who didn't think of the consequences to healing a cursed wound with magic." The Doctor didn't budge despite Harry's wide, betrayed eyes. "And no, no side stops."

Harry grumbled to himself, looking back at the mirror and wiping more blood off his face. "Yeah, cause that'll be fun. I love trying to talk to the headmaster and dodging his ridiculous questions." As he finally scrubbed the last smears of blood away, he could see the scar fully.

Though thin, the scar could not be passed off as anything but a quickly healed magical injury - a solid, raised line of white barely a millimeter thick clearly and cleanly bisected his face.

For a brief moment, Harry frowned at his reflection, before his face lit up and he fingered his new scar. "Actually looks pretty cool - not giant but still pretty obvious. And it's got a cool story!"

"Are you telling that story to those at Hogwarts? Cause if so, you're gonna be paying out the betting pool Rose and your Uncle have goin'," the Doctor interjected.

Harry wrinkled his nose. "Fine, I'll figure out some kind of…normal story," he gave in. "I'm not gonna be the reason our secret's blown to Dumbledore."

Gred and Forge couldn't help but laugh. "You're crazy!"

"But pretty awesome."

Harry grinned, snapping the mirror closed and shoving it in his pocket. "Gotta keep people on their toes," he replied. "So, how did you pass the time?"

"We watched you," Gred said, eyebrow winging up as everything he'd watched flooded back. "I didn't…I didn't know you could do that."

"All that dodging and stuff-"

"And you just used magic so easily-"

"And you weren't scared-"

The two bounced the sentence back and forth between them, trying to sort out how to tell Harry the exact level of insane he was.

Harry didn't look perturbed in the slightest. "Well, you've been taking Rose and Uncle Jack's class for, what, a month? Ish?" he replied, getting two nods. "I've just had games like that since I was little."

"Ronniekins said you only got hit, like, twice, but the paintballs," Gred mused, seeming to understand a bit better.

"I'm not as good as Rose is yet," he huffed. "Obviously." He fingered the long scar on his face. "Wouldn't've gotten this if I'd been that good."

"We'd be worse off," Forge offered, awkward and unsure. "So, like, you're really awesome."

"Yeah, totally. You'd be wicked for some pranks we've wanted to do-"

"Don't go blowing up the castle, boys," the Doctor warned from where he and Rose conferred with the two leaders. "Or if you do, you're fixing it."

Harry adopted offended outrage. "Would I really leave someone else to clean up my messes?" he exclaimed.

The Doctor frowned in thought. "Well, don't start now, and make sure the twins know," he conceded. "Now, we have to get going - apparently you've got an 'arrest on sight' warrant out with the current Shadow Proclamation and you've still an incident report to write up for Judge Prioxil, since you can't stick around for the MPD to show up this time. Magical Planet, Magical fight, you know the drill." The Doctor mimed writing.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Arrest Warrant?" he asked, long suffering. "Why?"

"Not a clue - you were older in the pic-holo, so I'm guessing you kick up a fuss later." The Doctor snickered. "I've had multiple kicking around in any given era."

Gred frowned - that phrase again. "Arrest warrant?"

Harry waved a hand. "Not something to worry about now." He hauled himself up and brushed some dirt off his jacket. "Xuryx, Fiyf, it was a pleasure to meet you! I hope you'll be able to start all those projects you were talking about!" he said to the Wild and Heliox leaders.

The two looked reluctant to let Harry Green Eyes leave, but they couldn't really stop him - Harry had proven his superiority over them all already.

"Goodbye, Harry Green Eyes. May you walk a path of prosperity and peace for all your days."

Harry grinned. "May your futures be fulfilling~" he replied cheerfully, and with that, he skipped off for the Tardis, saying his farewells to every Heliox and Wild he passed.

"I'll remind him of that report after he's gotten a shower," the Doctor said, a smile tipping his lips up. "Let's get going, we can figure out what we're doing next."

The meaning of that registered as Forge and Gred were at the Tardis doors. "Wait…doing next?" Forge protested, eyes wide.

"We're only a day into Winter Hols," the Doctor said, far too cheerfully as he bounded up the gangplank to the Tardis console.

"...wot?" Gred and Forge felt their brains stutter and stall.

Rose laughed and pushed them into the Tardis. "We've got plenty of time for another adventure," she said, eyes sparkling.

"...wot?" the twins repeated in baffled confusion.

The Tardis doors swung shut gently behind them.

~~~~~~~~In Which There is an Ending~~~~~~

And another loooong chapter has come to a close.

Thank you, all of you, for coming and enjoying this piece of fanfiction.

I do not plan to ever abandon this story, and I have been writing on it more and more. Updates will be occasional. This is my comfort story, so I write this primarily for my enjoyment. That I have entertained so many of you for so long brings me so much joy.

Thank you, everyone who has ever come to this story and enjoyed it in any part.

Kuroi