Impartial Security

Chapter 16

Harry turned the coin over in his fingers, studying it intently. 

It was both relieving and terrifying to have an official offer. 

He had an out from the wizarding world, one that would leave him with people who treated him as one of them, each with their own deeds to their names, ones who only cared what you had done with your own hands and understood fearing for your life and taking a vow to stop children from experiencing it. 

On the other hand, he would be bound to them for eternity, a group so secretive, even though they strived to include him in everything they could, there were somethings they just couldn't tell him, not yet, and Harry didn't know if their secrets were worse than the wizarding world's or not. 

Not to mention how he still hadn't  actually met who was in charge. At least, not knowingly. Annabeth was Lieutenant but at Yule there had been a man sitting next to her, fingers entwined but his face hidden by smoke and magic. 

He had a suspicion of course, how couldn't he, with the shrine that never stopped burning or become barren of gifts, or the stories cut off half way through telling when they noticed Harry's presence, hushed whispers of Him in the wind. 

But was Harry really ready to swear his life to a god just to escape a man who thought himself one? Dumbledore wasn't even being subtle in his attempts to control him anymore. Why was the Headmaster his Magical Guardian and why hadn't Harry known he was until the man used the title to try and order him away from the Guard. 

Someone had pulled strings to get him to stop though, and Harry suspected it was a high-ranking guardian with connections in Gringotts, as the title had been suspended until a trial date could be set.

And Jazz. 

When he had looked through the scrapbook Sirius had sent him for Christmas (along with a letter urging him to hear Dumbledore out at the very least that Harry set on fire accidentally), he had realized Jazz and young Lily Evan look very similar. With all that had happened, he felt the resemblance was far too strong to be a coincidence. 

He hadn't asked Jazz about his mother, but he had caught the mage looking at him sadly sometimes, just like Remus and Sirius tended to do when they thought he wasn't looking. A lot of the mages did actually. 

Answers were just within reach, and he wanted them so badly it hurt. 

Dammit! He was fourteen for crying out loud! He shouldn't have to make these kinds of decisions. He should still be trying to figure out that girls are interesting and sneaking treats behind the adults back and anticipating the next quidditch game, not decoding his fate while halfway through a death tournament. 

He had too much on his plate right now. 

Tucking the coin into his glove, he made the decision to wait until after the tournament was over to make a decision about the guard. It wouldn't do to just die during a task a week after saying his oath anyways.