When the heroes are leaving to continue on a long journey, people send them off on a grand scale. Especially if all the villagers can be called heroes. Tables are bursting with food, houses and streets are decorated with ornaments, and people around are having fun from the bottom of their hearts. They are celebrating: they won, they're alive!

But not all heroes want this celebration. After a long battle, where any mistake can cost you your life, and many others will follow after your death... Some people just prefer to relax in silence, the celebration can wait.

And other heroes escaped under the cover of night, as one enderman and a werewolf were doing right now. 

Walking as quietly as their magic and their skills would allow, Danil and Remus made their way to the outskirts of the village. They knew, if people heard about their departure, almost everyone would come to wish them good luck. But their efforts were in vain, because they had been waiting for a long time.

Danil stopped abruptly, seeing a head full of white curls in front of him.

"Danny, are you going to run away from us without even saying goodbye?" Sarah puffed out her cheeks in displeasure.

Restraining himself from squeezing her to death, Danil got down on one knee to at least slightly reduce the difference in their height.

"Yes." He replied without a shred of shame. "I can't stand long and tearful goodbyes, forgive me for being a fool."

The girl looked at the monster with displeasure for a couple more moments, but then jumped on his neck, hugging him with all her might.

"I'm going to miss you..." she muttered. "You're going to visit us, aren't you? Comrades-in-arms do not leave each other, and after the full moon, we are definitely comrades-in-arms."

No matter what, Sarah was still a child in a small village where half the inhabitants were killed by merciless monsters. She easily found a common language with other people, and she became friends with Danil quickly enough. She didn't want him gone. 

"Of course, I will, you can be sure of that. And I will write letters if the owls can get through the new barriers." He grinned. The wizards of the pack have done a colossal job with the protective Wards around the Iron Haven.

Sarah nodded, burying her face in his shoulder and trying not to cry. Finally, the girl loosened her grip on his neck and Danil lowered her to the ground.

"Then goodbye, Brightest One. We will be waiting for your next visit."

"Goodbye, Sarah, wait for my letters."

Sarah watched the backs of the men walking into the woods until they were out of sight. Sniffling, she went to her new house, so much like her parents' house. But it was different. It didn't hold the same warmth that the last one had. 

Even magic can't give you some things.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Pushing a branch away from his face, the monster boy frowned. "They are great people, but they can be so annoying... I still don't understand why they gave me special attention after the battle. What did I even do? Melted the head of one freak?" He snorted. "If there was a banquet for every freak, then I would have solved the problem of world hunger long ago."

Remus laughed in response. Danil complained rarely and about the strangest things. His fantasy at such moments were enviable.

The werewolf wasn't bothered by Danil's words about murder, he knew what his student was doing in his free time inside the catacombs of Hogwarts. The fewer creatures there were, the better for everyone, especially for the rest of the students. With his campaigns, Danil slowly but surely cleansed them of filth.

Suddenly, Danil stood, rooted to the spot, his eyes glued to what had previously been hiding from his senses.

"Oh, so you finally see them? That's good, the Forest has recognized you as one of its own." Remus said with a smile.

But the monster boy was not listening to him, he was looking at hundreds of small lights that flashed between the trees. They were Fairies – with fireflies circling around them – leading a column of all kinds of animals. Danil thought that this is what he looks like when animals start following him in the Dark Forest.

A little further on, emerging from behind the trees, was a small pond with a mirror-smooth surface. Griffins gathered around it and lapped up the water with long tongues. Golden snakes crawled by their feet, which the majestic animals didn't seem to notice. And right in the middle of the lake sat a large and fat toad, holding on to the surface only by force of will.

Danil could have sworn it was Trevor.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? That's why don't want to leave. Every time it's the same dance and song." Remus confessed. "This was my third home, although it will not surpass Hogwarts. Maybe when I'm gray and old, I'll settle down here, raise a couple of brats and lie down in a coffin after seventy."

There were so many colorful animals and plants around that Danil's jaw dropped down by itself. Flowers growing upside down, trees whose leaves shone like silver, bore blood-red dew drops. And when one of the leaves hit an insect that landed on it, Danil suddenly realized that it was not dew at all.

"Wizards live longer than normal people, just like werewolves." Danil answered automatically, finally looking away from the lake.

"That's right, but magical werewolves don't belong on this list. You've already seen what ordinary werewolves look like after transformation and what I look like." Remus turned towards several wolves that were following them closely. Danil again attracted the interest of wildlife. "Non-magical werewolves, although they rarely undergo transformation, but they turn completely. They are difficult to distinguish from normal wolves, except in size. But magical werewolves walk on two feet. They look sick, twisted, wrong.

"For us, transformation is torture, because our magic is fighting against it at every turn. A few days before the transformation, malaise begins, followed by body aches. During the full moon, all I feel is hunger and pain. But the fur is worse. You can't imagine how it itches the next day."

You have to pay for every advantage, Danil thought as he looked at his hands. That in a previous life, that in this one, there was no such thing as a free meal, you have to pay for everything, sooner or later.

"I don't remember the moment of my transformation." The boy confessed. "One moment my sister and I are walking through a park in Moscow, and a second later I wake up in a Forbidden Forest in Scotland. Apparently, I can consider myself lucky."

Remus frowned. There was something wrong with Danil's words. "Your sister... she–"

"Will never see me again. Whoever did this to me–" he pointed to his face,"–made sure I was out of reach. A puppet with the face of Danil Khromov has been living in my place for a year now."

Remus stumbled, his face pale with horror. To do something like that to an innocent child, you have to be a truly disgusting scum. And to completely pretend to be another person, you need more than just knowledge of black magic. It takes madness, which only a few can cope with.

"Merlin's beard... Danil, why didn't you tell us about this earlier, Dumbledore could have helped you."

The monster boy only smiled sadly in response and fell silent. Lying dirties the soul, he learned that from Luna. If you don't want to say something, it's easier to keep silent.

'What can Dumbledore do against the Wanderer? The old man hardly has a way to harm God. What am I thinking, he wouldn't even stop him for a couple of seconds!' Danil exhaled noisily, several sparks of purple flame fell from his nose, scorching his cloak. 'No need to be angry. I can't do anything anyway. At least right now.'

"There are only a hundred meters left before leaving the forest, are you sure you haven't forgotten anything? We won't be able to return." Remus asked, looking at the place where the path became much wider.

"My God, you sound like an NPC from an old quest." Danil smirked. "Let's get out of here before I decide to stay."

Nodding, Remus put his hand on Danil's elbow and walked the remaining few steps. As soon as he felt that the Forest was no longer holding them, the Werewolf and the Enderman disappeared into the apparation vortex.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Harry was once again thrown into the wall by an invisible fist. He didn't have time to put up a shield to protect himself and as a result, something in his chest crunched unpleasantly, but the boy was too high on adrenaline to notice it. 

Today he sparred with Bellatrix again. Ten times he crossed Sticks with her and all ten ended with him flying into the wall. Harry didn't know why Bella decided to send him to the wall at the end of their fights, but it helped him. He knew what to expect, at least roughly. But Bella knew a lot of spells that could send someone flying.

"Eight minutes, forty-six seconds. A new record, Harry!" His mostly sane mother said with a smile. "Narcissa, help him, please."

Sighing wearily, Narcissa went up to her nephew and began to conjure over his windows. Even she had gotten tired in the last hour and a half, and Harry looked like he hadn't slept in a week. 

"It was the last round for today, it's not up for discussion." Narcissa said sternly in her 'healer voice,' looking in Bella's direction. "The boy has a cracked rib, give him a break."

Harry's pain was slowly going away with each wave of her wand. No matter what people said about his family, each of the Blacks was a professional in their field. 

"Aunt Cissa, did I tell you that I love you?" Harry muttered, but got a slap on the back of the head in response. 

"You'd better keep quiet, young man. Why am I always the last to know about your adventures? What possessed you to sneak into someone else's room like a common thief? Grandfather Arcturus raised you better than that." Narcissa muttered something under her breath and the bone cracked in Harry's chest again, his torso was wrapped in tight bandages in the next second. "Don't strain yourself too much, drink some skele-gro before going to bed and you'll be as good as new in the morning."

Potter's head fell powerlessly to the floor, this was not the first time he had heard that over the summer. 

"Get up already, it's time for dinner. After that, you're free for today. Narcissa is right, you fight worse without rest." Bella stroked the boy's head and kissed him on the forehead before leaving. Even with all her flaws, she genuinely loved her son. But she showed it in strange ways.

From the very beginning of the holidays, Bellatrix's bi-polar nature showed itself in all its glory. At one moment she was a loving but strict mother, and at another she was a lunatic with experience of a professional Hit-wizard. Harry thanked Merlin for the fact that Grandfather Arcturus took part in his life, otherwise he would have grown up to be just like her.

After a short dinner, during which no one said a word – the Blacks had conversations only during tea, after everyone had finished eating – Harry struggled up to his room and fell on the bed. His... everything hurt. Even those muscles that Harry had only suspected existed did.

The boy groped blindly under the pillow and pulled out a square mirror with a silver border. Hesitating for a moment, he just stared at his tired face in the reflection for a couple of minutes, but then decided to say one name.

The mirror immediately turned frosted and Harry froze, waiting for an answer. The boy didn't know what to expect, he had not had the opportunity to talk to his friends since the beginning of the summer. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait for long, Hermione answered almost immediately. 

What Harry not expected was to see Hermione in pajamas. And after a moment, Harry realized that it wasn't pajamas, but a bathrobe. Apparently, he called her as soon as she got out of the shower. The bathrobe fell off her left shoulder, giving the boy a chance to see a lot more than some Purebloods see before the wedding.

"Harry! I'm so happy to see you!" The girl exclaimed and Harry realized that he was openly staring. But he distracted himself, because if she could be happy with a simple call, then everything was so bad. "Oh my, you look like you got chewed out by a bear, what happened?" 

"Hi, Hermione." He said with a smile on his face. "I'm fine, I'm just the only one at Bellatrix Black's training camp right now. After our last adventure, she said that her son had no right to lose. So now my every day consists of constant training and reading books."

Hermione looked at him sympathetically. Bellatrix was a well-known witch, so the young Grager found out about her existence in her first year. And about her cruelty and madness – on the second. 

"If they gave me a break more often, I would even be glad." Harry continued to say, frowning. "It feels like I'm being prepared for war. Even my breakfast, lunch and dinner are scheduled for a month in advance! And do you know what the worst part is? There are no treacle tarts!"

Hermione giggled, covering her mouth with a slightly tanned palm, which made her nightgown slide even lower. Her wet curls bounced with every breath she took. When she finally calmed down, it was her turn to talk about her punishment. 

"My parents were also unhappy. Mom grounded me for the whole summer, but at least we have a backyard... Dad canceled our trip to France and the tour of its magical part." Hermione frowned. "So, I'm alone with my books again. I got them to keep me company."

Now it's time for Harry to laugh. "Who's talking about what, and Hermione's talking about books."

"Well, I'm sorry! If my books were taken away from me, it would be like you were banned from playing Quidditch." Hermione was indignant. 

"Hey, why go to such extremes? Quidditch is sacred!" 

This was the last straw. The teenagers laughed out loud at the same time; all the tension accumulated over the past months slowly leaving their bodies. But when the laughter died down, Hermione decided to bring up a problem they had forgotten about.

"I'm still mad at myself for revealing Khromov's secret," she said quietly. "Should I apologize to him and Luna again?" 

She had a lot of time to think this summer. Both about her actions and thoughts. As much as she wanted to blame her irrationality on fatigue due to constant time jumps, she knew that wasn't true. Even fully rested, she would have gone looking for answers.

It was more difficult with Luna. Hermione was a bad friend for the blonde, it was hard to argue with that. Only, she realized it way too late, when the bridges had already been burned.

"It looked like he didn't really need our apologies. Remember what he said when we met him after Herbology?"

Hermione frowned even more at his words and reluctantly took an envelope from her desk, Harry managed to see Truman's signature before it disappeared beyond the boundaries of the mirror. 

"I wrote to Gabriel Truman, the Hufflepuff who helped Khromov calm down and then went with him to the Medical Wing. He refused to answer my questions about... you know... but said that if Khromov had looked or stayed with us long enough, he could've attacked again. It looks like something similar has already happened to Professor Lupin."

Harry shuddered. Right now, and especially when he was injured, he wouldn't be able to defend himself. And with Khromov's ability to apparate freely, no one would have been able to stop him. The-Boy-Who-Lived had no illusions that he survived their fight only because Khromov wanted him to.

"It's unpleasant to think about it." He confessed. "Then it's worth putting it off until he calms down. I don't want any misunderstandings to arise, we don't need a second Malfoy."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "We should also tell Ron; he would want to come with us to clear the air... If Khromov wants to do anything with us, that is."

"Don't tell me, he definitely could have gone to apologize himself without even telling us about it. Sometimes I think he's twenty years older than us." Harry scratched his chin thoughtfully.

Ron has always behaved much older than his age. As he himself said, the reason for this was their former neighbor, who moved before his admission to Hogwarts. Captain Sam Vimes – a former auror, he said –Sybil, had been looking after the Weasley children since they were little. When Molly and Arthur needed a break, he was there. The only one who could get the twins to fall in line. And for some reason, Ron became attached to him the most.

Vimes always walked around with a pipe in his mouth, was extremely grumpy and sarcastic. Arthur said that the former Aurors were either like that or six feet underground. But his most memorable feature was his scarred stone-cold face. One day Ron found an old photo of Vimes in his uniform. The man stood still, as if he was frozen in place, and moved only if someone was going to poke him.

Sibella in the same photo looked like a giant bodybuilder compared to her husband. Harry wouldn't be surprised if he heard that she had some creature heritage. Although, maybe all dragon handlers needed to be that strong. 

"I'm not arguing, Harry. Now go to bed, your eyes are closing." Hermione said softly. 

"Mhmn... I'll call you tomorrow if I'm lucky." He said, yawning. "Good night. Love you."

Before he even had time to understand what he said, Harry laid on the pillow and fell into a dead sleep. Meanwhile, Hermione was gasping for air like a stranded fish.

The girl panicked and decided to resort to the only source of help available to her right now. 

"Mum!"