Impartial Security

Chapter 13

"First place." Jazz said. "Congrats. Of course, it was my suggestion that got you those points from Bagman, fucking prick." 

Harry gave a startled laugh. "Yeah. Thanks for that." 

Jazz grinned before her eyes narrowed, yanking Harry into the shadow of a large oak and throwing her cloak over them both, the fabric enlarging to cover them both just as Dumbledore passed by. 

He looked around, and seemed frustrated. "Harry?" 

Harry unthinkingly went to reveal himself, to see what Dumbledore wanted, but Jazz rubbed his arm and he stilled. 

If Jazz felt the need to hide them, well, he trusted her judgment a hell of a lot more than Dumbledore's right now. 

"Harry, my boy, we need to talk. I know you're there." 

"He's not here, old man. Have you gone senile?" A voice said. A guardian emerged from the shadows, hood down but mask on. "Nobody here but us, wizard." 

"If you see Harry, send him my way." 

"I don't take orders from you." The guardian said in a thick London accent. "Skive off and stop bloody shouting, by the gods." He then vanished. 

Dumbledore seemed pretty pissed and Jazz had to clap a hand over Harry's mouth to keep him from laughing as the headmaster stalked further down the hall. 

"Illusions never get old." Jazz whispered after a few more minutes. "Scouting says that he's pissed you blew off that redhead after the Task." 

Harry's expression darkened. 

Ron Weasley had attempted to pretend that he had believed Harry all this time as soon as Harry had landed next to the judges after the task. 

"Mate, I said 'Sorry.'" 

"And I said 'Leave me alone." Harry snapped before mounting his broom and taking off. 

Harry hadn't heard Ron's response but knew from the snatches of conversation he heard in the hallways that Ron had redoubled his campaign to discredit Harry, although Gryffindor house had backed off, seemingly not wanting to mess with someone chummy with the people who hogtied a dragon in front of most of wizarding Europe. 

Hermione didn't know what to think, Harry thought. On one hand, she was trying to talk Ron down, on the other side, she was too scared of the Kidemonas to actually try to talk to Harry. 

To be fair though, only the other champions and strangely Luna Lovegood, who seemed to have as much free reign of the Guardian camp as Harry did, liked being around the guardians. 

Which was ridiculous because these people were awesome. 

"Yeah. I don't think I'm gonna like what he has to say." Harry agreed. 

"Hurry up and turn 15 so you can apply already." Jazz teased. "Travis and I are already fighting over you." 

It was joking, the mage knowing Harry was still undecided but it made Harry feel better that the head of the mages and the scouting division both wanted him.

Clarrisse had outright laughed when he asked her about her division. "Kid, come back in a few centuries. You might live for more than a  minute in my division then." 

It was probably a bad thing Harry was legitimately considering saying adios to the wizarding world, but now that he had some independence and options, he really didn't want to give that up. The Kidemonas treated him like a normal person, didn't walk around eggshells or treat him like a budding dark lord or their savior or a weapon, but a person, who was dangerous when provoked, yeah, but weren't they all? 

"Yeah. It can't come soon enough." 

Jazz beamed. 

______________

"Come on, come on, come on, come on." Skylar said, tackling Harry and Jazz as they crossed the border. "Aditi got into an argument with Markus and now they're dueling." 

"Aditi and Markus?" Jazz said, eyes widening in glee. "Come on, come on, come on!" 

"What's going on?!" Harry asked. 

"What's a Guardian Duel like?" 

"Oh, they just air the argument and/or fight it out." Skylar said, grabbing Harry's hand and dragging him. "It's what happens after that's fun. We get to take sides and then duke it out ourselves in a melee."

Skylar stopped walking. "Do you think Annabeth allows it so resentment doesn't fester and affect missions." 

Jazz grinned. "Now whatever gave you that idea?" 

"Do you have to participate in the Melee?" Harry asked nervously. "I don't feel like spending a week in the infirmary." 

Skylar gave him a look and Harry realized he had forgotten he wasn't actually a guardian. "No. There is a spectator section. But it's boring." 

___________
"Idiots. Every last one of them." 
Harry looked to his left to see a familiar but not quite acquainted with female guardian. 

"Lady Annabeth." He said, nodding his head. 

Annabeth gave him an appreciative look. "Look at them. Any chance to fight and they are all for it. It doesn't help that Clarrisse eggs them on." 

"I think that's just what happens when you hand teenagers weapons."
  
"Fair." Annabeth said, acknowledging his point. "At least, letting it out here provides both entertainment and therapy." 

Harry was quiet. This was therapy? That actually explained a lot.

"What do you want to do after you finish your education, Mr. Potter?" The Lieutenant asked, pulling Harry from his musings. 

Schist. It's the heavy questions. "I've been considering either an auror or a professional Quidditch player."

Annabeth nodded and spoke without looking away from the dueling guardians in the arena. "Both goals one needs to work for, both high profile and will bring a certain amount of fame. Admirable and understandable. Now, answer me as  Harry Potter would and not as The-Boy-Who-Lived would." 

Harry opened his mouth to protest that he did want that but closed it abruptly when Annabeth finally turned to him and gave him a look. 

"I...I want to see the world." He admitted, speaking words he had barely acknowledged himself. "To travel anywhere I want, to be able to walk down the street and have no one recognize me, to only fight when I want to, not because the public expects me to save them." 

Annabeth nods. "And therein lies the root of the problem you face. You can't see what Harry Potter wants because The Boy Who Lived is in the way. There is a reason credit is only given to a guardian within the guard. Their identity is kept a secret from the outside. To protect them when they just want peace. I'd like you to really think about what Harry Potter wants, and how he might go about getting that. I also recommend you raise a shield and a silencing charm." 

Harry's wand snapped out and cast as Protego Maxima before she finished speaking as Lightning struck the arena, the resulting thunder rattling his bones as Annabeth looked completely unruffled, headphones in as she studied the fight. 

Harry was only able to really think about what he wanted that night, but the only thing he figured out for sure is that he wanted nothing to do with a Guardian Melee.