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Having the world go blurry and hazy, even a handspan away, had been a gradual process over the eleven years of her life. It wasn’t as if she could help it. James’ eyesight was not good either, but her genetics must have just been especially unlucky. Usually, she didn’t even mind it that much. People always said that other senses were heightened when one was muted. When her feet were were on the ground, and she retreated to that part of herself deep inside that was almost a meditative state, she was so sure of where everyone and everything was that strangers were always startled to discover she was practically blind. Poor girl, they'd say. To see and then be blinded so young, and have her life forever changed.
In her head though, Harriet Potter would attribute the first time her life changed to a moment when she was six years old, wearing those childish pigtails, grinning mischievously at Archie and Neville, who had been visiting Gaoling with his mother Alice Longbottom.
She had said: “Let’s go play in the hills.”
Archie had said: “We’re not allowed…” lingering over the words. Just he always did. Then, as he always did, he smiled and relented. “Dad won’t look for us so soon anyway.”
So they had gone to the hills. Walking with purpose, it was easy to sneak out from the well-paved streets of the rich families to the more humble homes that lined the roads to the city gates, and then just slip out, walking purposefully. They turned their faces up to the bright earth kingdom sun and ran through flower fields and to the entrance of the endlessly twisting caves, settling next to a little stream that opened into a little pond where they could trace pictures into the soft dirt.
At that point, she only remembers fragments.
The kids from the village had come upon them, and she remembers cruel laughter. They had thrown stones — she had a little zigzag scar on her forehead where one had scratched her and then gotten a bit infected. She had been so angry. She remembers digging her fingernails into her palms until they bled. She remembers the water coming out of the pond. She remembers the water coming over the other children's heads as they thrashed, and how it only had stopped when she had heard a muffled sob from Archie and a whimper from Neville. How had their faces looked? They were too far away for her to make out, and she abruptly didn't want to know.
She can remember running. Running and running faster, into the tunnels until she was taking big gasping breaths and tears blurred her vision and she had tripped. She had sat there for a long while, trying to figure out what had happened. Was she a waterbender? She didn't want to be. It was scary, how the water responded to her whim. How it didn't want to let those children escape.
Another thing from her parents she didn't want, she thought bitterly. Bad eyesight from her dad, and terrifying waterbending from her mother. Lily was always using it at home, using it to wash the dishes, pick things up, move her tea from pot to cup. She said it made her feel more connected to the Southern Water Tribe, which she had left so long ago. But Harry hadn't known it could feel like this — a thrill of power, of dark satisfaction. She hated that feeling. What kind of monster was she?
Better to just wait here in this dark hole for weeks, until no one came for her and she wouldn't be a danger to anybody. She sniffed miserably and went back to crying a bit more.
Eventually the tears dried up, and she became aware that she was being watched. In front of her was a large, slightly twitching snout, covered in brown and white short fur. Paws that ended in curved claws for digging. It was a few times her size, and she stared at it in awe, too tired to be scared.
A badgermole. The original earthbenders! All the stories said they were gentle creatures, and protectors of earth kingdom children. When it nudged her with it's snout, she gave it a big hug, burying her face in the soft fur on its face. When it moved off into the tunnels, she had followed.
It was in those dark tunnels, deprived of even the blurry vision she relied on, that she really learned how to feel the minute vibrations and air currents that let her know where the badgermoles were in the tunnels. It was too bad she wasn't an earthbender, there would be so much she could learn from them. Still, though, pressed close in those dark tunnels, she felt like her awareness was all around her, just like the badgermoles. Maybe the water in the air and in the soil was singing to her. The awareness buzzing around her was... not bad. Though she didn't want to ever bend again, not when she had seen what her bending could do.
But she was curious in spite of herself, and paid close attention whenever the badgermoles shifted the soil. One paw would hit the ground hard, with a solid force of cracking stone. Utter conviction that the earth would move, and not the badgermole. She repeated the movement, imagining she could reshape the earth like them, then laughed at herself. Who needed bending? The badgermoles would take care of her.
Whenever she got tired she would lean against the badgermole that had found her first, and even rode it for a while. Being an exile wasn't so bad, she thought optimistically.
She kept this resolution up until the world went white.
One moment, she was following the badgermole through one tunnel, it abruptly disappeared. She was alone, and the world was blinding. The light hurt her eyes. Where was she? Her knees buckled and she sat hard on the floor.
The spirit world, child
The voice felt like it came from inside of her, but it was not her voice. Confident, smug, and undeniably male.
Who are you?
I am Dominion. You will be my vessel, and I will control you.
He paused.
You do not have any choice in this matter.
Harry bristled. “Don't I?” she asked out loud. What was with this guy and talking in her head?
The badgermoles brought you to me so I could be rescued, don't you trust them?
She did trust them… but did she believe him? Spirits often lie… but spirits also keep their word. She looked around, casting about for what to say. Then she jumped. In the corner of the white expanse there was a skeleton mummified in a white shroud.
That's what happens to people who never leave the spirit realm. He was weak. You are not. I can lead you out.
Harry forced herself to look away from the mummy. She felt sick, and very small. “I don't want to be controlled. I just want to be free. I don't want to be scared anymore.”
I have been trapped here for centuries. I want to be free too. A sniff. But I am never scared, the voice postured.
“Dominion… Dom… I want to help you, if you are a good spirit. But I don't want to be a vessel, or to be controlled. Can't we just do it as friends and help each other?”
Friends…?
Harry almost wanted to laugh, but she held it back. He sounded so confused. She thought to her and Archie's friendship, the truest thing she had ever known, and felt a sudden pang. Archie. Archie had been so scared, and she missed him. Was he alright? But first she had to explain friendship.
“Being friends is like an agreement. We agree to help each other as much as we can, but also agree not to take advantage of each other. We always work in the best interests of the other person, and don't go against their wishes.” Harry paused, trying to think of how to substantiate her point. “This counts even if they don’t really know what their best interest is or only sort of asks! It works because friends really love each other. My best friend Archie always wants to wear these ridiculous clothes in my closet, and I think it's silly, but it makes him happy so I let him do it whenever he wants. When I'm sad Archie will come sit with me and comfort me, and read me my invention manuals ever since its become harder for me to read”
You… want a contract with me to be your friend, and to read you instruction manuals. And in return…
“In return I'll be your friend, and I'll promise to help you how I can within reason.” Harry beamed, and tried to look as innocent and earnest as possible, which was very innocent and earnest. Idly, she thought that maybe she could practice that more with Archie — he was very good at being convincing. What would he say? “I’ll promise to keep your secrets if you keep mine! And you won’t have to be alone anymore! Surely it would be more boring if you just controlled me like a puppet. Plus if you haven’t been out in centuries, won’t it be awfully stressful to have to do it on your own? We could work together!”
Hmm. Dominion, someone’s friend? Harry had the impression of a catlike creature tossing its mane. Or some form of lizard? She had the impression of some kind of colorful fire, so bright she couldn't look at it. She wondered if that was Dominion’s true form, and waited anxiously for a response. She vaguely remembered that spirits couldn’t leave on their own most of the time, and made a mental note to try to look for more information on the spirit world. There was so much she didn’t know!
She had been waiting for a long while, and her thoughts had started to wander to other memories. No… her memories were being called up from inside of her, and examined by that catlike creature. She shivered.
And you'll be at my service as well?
"Yes. Friendship goes both ways."
I agree. I have much I can teach you, and we will be so powerful together. You have so much potential.
Harry swears she could taste the avaricious tone in that voice, and hastily tries to shoe away the thought. "Er, I'm not very interested in power. But learning is great! So... Friends?"
Friends.
And suddenly something rushes into her body. All her muscles seize, and Harry remembers nothing else until opening her eyes to her family worriedly shaking her awake.
