Harry eventually went to investigate the portal. Eventually. He was not rushing. The physical world had survived perfectly well without Harry so far, and Harry had spent enough of his life charging directly toward mysterious magical objects to recognize that a cup of tea before doing something questionable represented measurable personal growth. Fox disagreed with Harry's interpretation of events.
"Slow."
"I'm being sensible."
"Slow."
"I waited fifteen years to learn patience. Let me enjoy it."
Fox landed on Harry's shoulder and reminded him, "You told time to fuck off."
"Exactly. It can't complain." Iroh laughed into his tea, which Harry chose to interpret as support. Harry finished his tea, stood, and transformed. Six paws settled beside the waterfall as his body expanded into the blue-black shape known throughout this part of the Spirit World as Many-Paws. His two tentacles uncurled behind him. Harry left his displacement suppressed. The two false bodies were useful in combat, evasion, or situations where confusing everyone present was strategically helpful. Walking around as three separate Displacer Beasts during an ordinary visit struck Harry as unnecessarily theatrical. Fox flew onto his back.
Harry looked back over one shoulder. "You are not coming."
"I am," Fox replied.
"The physical world feels strange even from here."
"Then we come back."
Harry considered arguing, recognized the expression on Fox's face, and gave up before wasting the effort. "Fine." Fox settled victoriously between his shoulders while Iroh smiled over the rim of his cup.
"Enjoy yourself."
"I am going to investigate an interdimensional portal, not attend a festival."
Iroh's smile widened. Harry sighed.
"Fine. I'll try."
He followed the current. The portal dominated the Spirit World around it, a towering column of blue-white energy toward which some spirits traveled eagerly while others kept their distance. Harry slowed as he approached. The physical world beyond felt dense and quiet. Fox shifted.
"I don't like it."
"We haven't crossed yet."
"I don't like it early."
Harry understood. The constant currents Harry had lived inside for so long weakened drastically beyond the boundary. Still, curiosity won. It usually did. Harry stepped through. The cold surprised him.
Actual cold. Snow compressed beneath his paws without reacting emotionally. Wind pushed through his fur with no spiritual intention behind it. Mountains stood beneath a blue sky that appeared deeply committed to remaining blue. Harry stopped. The physical world felt wrong, not hostile so much as muted.
The spiritual currents were still present, but buried beneath matter. Harry could sense them only faintly compared to the Spirit World. Fox flattened himself slightly.
"Everything is quiet."
"Yes."
Harry breathed in salt, snow, smoke, animals—and humans. Living humans. His ears rose. That was enough to make him continue. He found them near the portal. Several people stood watching him. Harry understood immediately why.
From their perspective, a large six-legged creature with two tentacles had just walked out of the Spirit World carrying a small winged fox on its back. Harry did not consider changing forms. Many-Paws felt perfectly normal. That itself probably should have warned him how Spirit World acclimated he'd become. Harry examined the humans spiritually as much as physically. He had long ago learned to perceive the spiritual self living beneath physical bodies. It wasn't mind reading. Harry couldn't see morality, secrets, memories, or convenient labels telling him whether someone was trustworthy.
He could simply see that there was more to a living thing than flesh. Most of the humans looked approximately as Harry expected. Then he looked at the young woman standing in front. Harry stopped. Her spirit was powerful, but something else was joined to it: something ancient, vast, and luminous. Harry stared. He had spent a very long time asking spirits about the Avatar. He had searched for old incarnations, followed stories, visited places associated with them, and learned enough about the reincarnation cycle to recognize the most obvious explanation.
Avatar. The ancient spirit intertwined with the woman had to be the one Iroh described. Harry looked down at himself. Many-Paws. Fox. Spirit Portal behind him.
Every human in front of him was clearly assuming he was a spirit. Harry's ears tilted forward. A terrible idea arrived. Fox knew that expression.
"What?"
Harry ignored him. The young woman stepped forward.
"Hello?"
Harry sat in the snow and curled his tail around his paws.
"Hello."
Several people reacted. One dark-haired young man immediately shifted into a fighting stance. Another stared. The woman recovered first.
"You can talk."
"So can you."
The second young man laughed. Harry liked him immediately. The woman folded her arms.
"What are you called?"
"Many-Paws."
Fox raised his head proudly.
"I named him."
Harry resisted sighing.
"Yes, he did."
"I'm Korra."
Harry looked at the ancient presence within her again. Then remembered Kyoshi. He had been trying unsuccessfully to find that woman for an unreasonable portion of his Spirit World life. The prank became irresistible.
"Korra," Harry repeated. "The Avatar."
Her expression sharpened.
"You know about the Avatar?"
"I've been looking for Avatars for quite a while."
That was completely true. Harry tilted his head.
"Perhaps you can finally make this easier. I'd like to speak with Kyoshi again."
The silence was exquisite. Korra stared at him. Harry remained composed. Fox remained silent. Good Fox.
"Again?" Korra asked.
Harry had, technically, wanted to speak with Kyoshi many times before. He did not clarify this.
"Yes."
"Avatar Kyoshi?"
"Do you know another?"
The young man who had laughed covered his mouth. Korra looked baffled.
"How am I supposed to bring Kyoshi out?"
Harry's confusion became genuine.
"You're the Avatar."
"I know."
"She's your previous life."
"I know that too."
Harry waited. Korra stared.
"Then bring her out."
"I can't just bring her out!"
Harry blinked.
"You can't?"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"Because that's not how it works!"
Harry had honestly assumed it would be considerably easier for the current Avatar than for a random wizard wandering the Spirit World.
"Huh."
Harry looked back at the ancient spirit inside her. That was when she noticed him. Awareness turned toward Harry. He felt it settle on him with impossible age. A gentle presence brushed the edge of his mind. Harry's Occlumency responded automatically. Defenses rose without conscious effort.
The presence immediately withdrew. Then one thought appeared against the surface of Harry's awareness. Quiet. Harry froze. No threat. No pressure.
If anything, the thought felt like an elderly woman placing a finger against her lips while hiding a smile. Then amusement reached him. Warm. Gentle. Deeply entertained. Harry stared at the spirit inside Korra.
You know what I'm doing. Amusement deepened. Harry nearly laughed. You're encouraging me. Another warm pulse. Harry suddenly understood that the ancient spirit within the Avatar had the spiritual demeanor of an indulgent grandmother watching a child attempt a harmless prank.
Wonderful. Korra frowned.
"What?"
"Nothing."
The spirit laughed again. Harry thought, You are not helping. She clearly disagreed. Korra crouched closer to Many-Paws.
"So did you know Kyoshi?"
Harry selected his words carefully.
"I know a great deal about Kyoshi."
"That's not the same thing."
"No."
Harry liked her. She noticed wording. Good.
"I have been looking for her for ages."
That was true enough to sound more mysterious than any actual lie. Korra's suspicion eased into curiosity.
"Why?"
"She sounds interesting."
The ancient spirit laughed again. Harry felt vindicated.
A tall man introduced himself as Unalaq. Harry could tell immediately that he possessed considerably more spiritual practice than the other humans nearby. Harry could also tell the man was studying him. The look was not frightened; it was assessing. Harry had met enough adults with that expression to dislike it.
He turned back toward Korra.
"You bend."
Korra blinked.
"Obviously."
"Iroh told me the Avatar can use all four."
That changed the entire group's reaction. Korra's eyes widened.
"Iroh?"
Harry tilted his head.
"Yes."
"General Iroh?"
Harry stared. Another person added, "The Dragon of the West?" Harry thought about the old man beside the waterfall.
"Apparently he left several things out."
Korra stepped closer.
"You know General Iroh?"
"Quite well."
"He died decades ago."
Harry looked toward the portal.
"That tends to be less inconvenient over there."
The shorter young man laughed. Harry continued, "Round. White beard. Excellent tea. Firebender. Has a monkey who keeps fighting Fox for cups." Korra stared.
"That's General Iroh."
Fox leaned forward.
"He was important?"
"Apparently."
Iroh had told Harry about war, family, mistakes, and Firebending. He had never once said Dragon of the West. Harry found that extremely characteristic. Korra looked fascinated now.
"He showed you Firebending?"
"Frequently."
Harry had watched Iroh bend fire for so long that Korra producing flame wouldn't surprise him in the slightest. What Harry wanted was something else.
"Show me the transitions."
Korra frowned.
"Between elements."
Her expression changed.
"You've only seen Firebending."
"Mostly."
Korra grinned. Harry immediately knew she enjoyed showing off. Excellent. She moved. Harry watched. The fire itself wasn't particularly important to Harry; the way her energy changed was. Fire came through breath and direct motion, forceful without being uncontrolled. Water changed her completely. Her movement became continuous, guiding rather than striking. Earth rooted her. Air lightened everything. Harry circled her slowly on six paws. He barely noticed the humans watching him.
"Again."
Korra laughed. She repeated the sequence. Harry watched more carefully. Iroh had already changed how Harry approached elemental magic, but seeing one person shift through four different disciplines demonstrated something Harry had only understood abstractly.
"Your energy changes before the element."
Korra stopped. Harry continued, thinking aloud.
"Fire starts lower. Breath drives it. Water follows movement differently. Earth commits before it moves. Air..." Harry tilted his head. "Air seems offended by commitment."
Korra laughed.
"That's not completely wrong."
Harry liked that. Korra pointed at him.
"Can you bend?"
"No."
Harry raised one paw. A flame appeared. Korra stared.
"That's Firebending."
"No."
Harry extinguished it and drew water from the snow. It spiraled around one tentacle, froze, melted, and returned to the ground.
"Spirit magic."
The name came easily. Calling what Harry did British wizarding magic felt almost dishonest now. He had spent so long shaping magic without a wand, learning from spirits, borrowing principles from Iroh, recovering knowledge through meditation, and building techniques of his own that Hogwarts spellcasting felt like something he'd once practiced rather than the defining form of his power.
"Spirit magic," Korra repeated.
"Close enough."
"You can use all the elements."
"Every element I understand well enough."
"That's cheating."
Harry laughed.
"Iroh said something similar."
Korra immediately wanted more. Harry showed her earth next, then a brief current of air. He resisted doing anything complicated. The physical world was spiritually uncomfortable, and Harry had no idea how much of what he knew behaved differently here. Korra still looked impressed.
"What else can spirit magic do?"
Harry considered Voldemort's accumulated knowledge, his own experiments, enchantment, ritual work, transformation, elemental manipulation, wards, mental magic, conjuration, phasing principles he hadn't yet rediscovered, and countless techniques he hadn't practiced enough to trust.
"A rather unreasonable number of things."
Korra grinned. Harry suspected future demonstrations were inevitable.
At some point Harry sat cross-legged in the air because standing had become boring. Bolin—Harry finally learned the laughing young man's name—pointed beneath him.
"You're floating."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Harry looked at the perfectly serviceable snow.
"I don't feel like sitting in that."
Bolin accepted this. Korra did not.
"Can I do that?"
"Probably."
Harry stood without descending. His paws rested against nothing. Then he walked upward. Korra's eyes widened.
"That's Airbending."
"No."
"What are you doing?"
"Energy manipulation. I make something underneath me resist my weight."
Korra attempted it. She jumped. A burst of air carried her upward before gravity reclaimed her. Harry watched.
"Different."
"I noticed."
"I taught Iroh a version."
Korra stared.
"You taught General Iroh how to walk on air."
"In the Spirit World. It's easier there."
Korra looked as though she wanted to immediately dedicate her life to learning this. Harry approved. Then the physical realm pressed against him again. The muted currents, the density, and the sense that half the world had become difficult to hear pressed against him again.
Fox felt it too.
"Home."
Harry looked toward the portal.
"Yes."
Korra's expression changed.
"You're leaving?"
"I wanted to see your world."
"And?"
Harry considered.
"Interesting."
Bolin smiled.
"Uncomfortable."
Korra frowned.
"Cold?"
"Spiritually quiet."
Unalaq understood first. Korra took a little longer. Harry tried to explain.
"The Spirit World has currents everywhere. Everything is more exposed. Here, the same things exist, but they're buried beneath matter. It feels like losing part of my hearing."
Fox shifted against Harry's back.
"Too quiet."
Korra looked toward the portal.
"You live there?"
Harry almost laughed at the question. He looked like a spirit. He had introduced himself with a spirit name. Of course they assumed he lived there.
"Yes."
The answer meant more than the prank. It was simply true. The Spirit World was home. Korra seemed to hear something in his voice.
"Are you coming back?"
Harry looked at her. Then at the immense presence joined to her. Now that Harry had seen that spirit clearly, he could feel something else: a signature, a faint spiritual impression leading toward the portal. Harry focused.
The ancient spirit's energy had crossed between worlds enough to leave something recognizable within the current: a trail. Harry's curiosity surged.
"Oh, definitely."
Korra smiled. Harry added, "Preferably after you've figured out how to bring Kyoshi out." Korra groaned.
"You are never letting that go."
"Not likely."
The spirit inside her laughed. Harry turned toward the portal before Korra noticed his shoulders moving.
The relief on returning home was immediate. Currents rushed back into Harry's awareness from every direction. Fox stretched across his back.
"Better."
"Much."
Harry stopped. The trail remained faint, but now that he knew Raava's spiritual presence, Harry could distinguish it from everything else flowing around the portal. Harry followed it only a short distance. Not enough to learn anything.
Just enough to confirm it existed. Fox looked at him.
"Where are we going?"
"We aren't."
Harry turned toward home.
"I need tea."
Fox approved.
Iroh was beside the waterfall. The monkey was there too. Several older spirits had gathered nearby, including one of the serpent spirits Harry had questioned about old Avatars long before the portal opened. Harry transformed back into human form, conjured his elaborate blue-black cup, and floated down beside Iroh.
"The physical world is unpleasant."
Iroh poured tea.
"That was quick."
"It's too quiet."
Harry drank. Everything improved.
"Also, apparently you're famous."
Iroh's expression became carefully neutral. Harry pointed at him.
"General Iroh."
Fox looked at Iroh.
"The Dragon of the West."
Fox's eyes widened.
"You had a dragon?"
Harry choked on his tea. Iroh closed his eyes. Harry coughed.
"Not what it means."
"It should mean that."
"I agree."
Iroh waited until Harry stopped dying. Harry glared at him.
"You could have mentioned the titles."
"Would they have improved the tea?"
"No."
"Then they seemed unnecessary."
Harry hated how reasonable that sounded.
"I met the Avatar."
That caught Iroh's attention.
"Already?"
"Her name is Korra."
Iroh repeated the name softly. Harry realized immediately that he didn't know her. Of course he didn't. Iroh had been here long before Korra became Avatar.
"Confident," Harry continued. "Very enthusiastic. Excellent control over all four bending disciplines."
Harry took another drink.
"And the spirit joined to her can see me."
Iroh's expression sharpened.
"Raava."
Harry repeated the name.
"Raava."
That felt right.
"She noticed me looking at her."
"What happened?"
"She touched my mind. My defenses rose. She backed away immediately."
Iroh remained serious. Harry smiled.
"Then she told me to be quiet."
Iroh stared. Harry's smile widened.
"That requires context."
Fox began laughing before Harry even explained. Iroh looked suspicious.
"They assumed I was a spirit."
Iroh looked Harry over. Spirit clothing, floating, a talking fox, and the fact that Harry had apparently entered the physical realm as a six-legged magical predator all made the misunderstanding quite reasonable.
"Understandable."
"So I introduced myself as Many-Paws."
Fox looked pleased.
"And I told Korra I'd like her to bring Kyoshi out because I've been wanting to speak with her again."
Iroh stopped pouring. Harry waited. The old man's mouth slowly curved.
"I have never met Kyoshi."
Iroh began laughing. Harry leaned back triumphantly.
"I knew you'd understand."
Fox laughed too. Iroh eventually managed, "And Raava?"
"That was when she noticed me."
Understanding made him laugh harder.
"She knows."
"Yes."
"And said nothing."
"She told me to be quiet."
Harry took another drink.
"Then laughed."
One of the old serpent spirits lifted its head.
"You convinced the current Avatar that you knew Kyoshi?"
Harry answered in Parseltongue.
"I encouraged an interpretation."
The serpent made the rattling sound Harry recognized as laughter. Another older spirit nearby turned toward them.
"I knew Kyoshi."
Harry froze. Slowly, he looked at the spirit.
"You did?"
The spirit nodded. Harry set his cup down. Iroh recognized the expression immediately.
"Harry."
"What?"
"Do not make this worse."
"I am learning history."
Fox nodded.
"History."
Harry leaned forward.
"What was she actually like?"
The spirits began talking. Some stories Harry had heard before during his long search. Others were new. Kyoshi had possessed more patience than history generally credited her with, right up until someone finally exhausted it. One spirit remembered she became terrifyingly polite when genuinely angry. Another recalled her sitting silently beside a lake because she knew she was too furious to speak responsibly. The old serpent claimed its elder sister had once watched Kyoshi terrify a corrupt official without raising her voice. Harry listened to everything.
Partly because the prank would become much funnier. Mostly because he had always wanted to know. Eventually Iroh handed him another cup.
"You intend to go back."
Harry looked toward the distant portal. The physical world was heavy, quiet, and uncomfortable, but Korra, bending, and Raava were there. More importantly, Harry now knew Raava left a trail.
"Eventually."
Iroh smiled. Harry drank. There was no need to hurry. The physical realm wasn't going anywhere. And for once, Harry had something far more interesting to investigate at home.