The Shadows Solace Book I: The Growing Years Prequel

Chapter XVI: Time's Patience

The next few days were calm and without anymore major occurrences; Petunia and Vernon spent time with Dudley and let themselves integrate to this as best as they could. Vernon had decided to quit his job and was now full-time at the villa with Petunia; who was happier now than she could say. Internally, both knew this wouldn't have been possible for them if they hadn't decided to raise their nephew or if Petunia hadn't spoken out for Harry and became the Potter Regent.

Raising two children with no parents working; unless already wealthy was not logical, and nearly entirely impossible and improbable.

Vernon was now also settling down with the idea of magic; though he still had his nervous moments. Which was to be expected. Harry had tried to ease his uncle somewhat; to which caused many moments of awing and cooing from various residents of the villa.

However, Harry preferred to spend his time with Tom when he wasn't with his cousin or Draco and Neville. When he wasn't with Healer Moon, Victor, or his aunt and uncle. Adrianna was a little worried over how Harry would react when Sirius and Remus arrived to stay; Harry not wishing most times to be pulled from his bonded without due reasons.

Adrianna knew that this was a very important time for the two; the bond needing closure and to begin to really seal together after healing. Harry needed a lot of interaction and time with Tom to ensure his magic reacted well and strongly to Tom. And Tom needed this in return for the same reasons, but also because of other types of closure; ones that only their bond could provide to him emotionally even as Harry couldn't really talk.

They had seen and witnessed now that Tom was also very protective of Harry; going so far as to get into the middle of Harry and some manner of merperson without thinking of the consequences to himself for it; only to find out Harry was speaking to them.

Harry had managed to somehow bypass the wards Tom raised about them and to crawl his way to the edge of the ocean water while Tom was napping. Startling him to awareness when Harry loudly laughed at one point.

His talking; it was rather more like his magic was conveying his words to them because of his inability to articulate and talk. But it only acted up in certain ways or instances, and only at times when it felt it was needed. It then was realized that Harry did indeed have Beast-speech and that it applied to the humanoid races. Harry would have no trouble with learning languages of any kind; a diplomat for all intents and purposes.

Though; most of the adults had a...difficult time seeing Harry as a diplomat and someone who was passive or neutral to things. The child was far too temperamental and opinionated; he loudly didn't let them forget that. He didn't hold back when upset or otherwise emotionally distraught or stressed for any reasoning, and that could be detrimental to things later if not curbed or taught how to properly utilize in certain situations.

The merperson had halted its dialogue to the child and went to a stance of defense for itself and Harry as it had eyed Tom warily. Tom; he stood before the child and scowled at the intruder, and then the merperson smiled softer as their yellow eyes noticed the bond's tendrils of mana coiling between them.

It then sang as magic washed over them.

'Blessings to the Heir of the Peverell and his Bonded; let no waters disrupt his path with ill intent. Tidings of great abundance to him and to his; may each new day be one of prosperity and happiness.'

Tom semi-untensed to this; remembering how Sirius mentioned that the races would know of the bond between them and what it meant. To respect it; and he eyed the Merperson before he gently picked Harry up and watched as they swam away and deeply into the waves.

It was the first time that they all realized how dangerous yet precious the gift Harry had was; to be able to commune to these races and to be able to ally with them. Even if Harry didn't fully understand what he had done.