He didn't think about the sword again for a few weeks. The loss of his Godfather had shaken the boy, even without it being his fault. The only thing that helped pull him out of his depression was the dreams. They had evolved from fire and death, to fighting and magic and other soldiers. Two were at the forefront, a tall broad man with the same sword over his shoulder, but unlike the other two, Harry felt no true fear from him. The other was a thin red-haired and clad man, with intelligent green eyes and a love of fire. And in every dream, he would catch a glimpse of himself, in mirrors or windows or the bright mirror-polish of that beautiful sword. A glimpse of silver and green eyes and high cheekbones.

Harry gasped as he awoke, jolting so hard out of the dream that he felt himself jumping on the crappy mattress. The dreams this time was a more pleasant one, a dream of flying. Strange thing was, that he couldn't tell what was keeping him in the air. He hadn't seen a broom, or the now familiar shape of a helicopter. But for some reason, his right shoulder ached, like he had been exercising the muscles on that side.

He rubbed his eyes as he sat up, groaning at the early morning heat. At least his family was mostly leaving him alone this summer, which was a mixed blessing. For one, no harassing comments or being called a freak. On the other hand, he would have liked something to do to take his mind off of his dreams, both the good and the bad.

He shook his head as he rummaged through his trunk, pulling up a shirt and pair of pants. Only to pause at the bloodstains on the jeans. It was the same pair he'd worn in the Department of Mysteries. Curious, he held the pair, only to blink at the weight in the pocket. He reached in, only to gasp lightly at the disorienting sensations that flooded him at the touch of the orbs. Of shrinking and growing and a crackling dry heat and the snap of breaking ice and a familiar song of life and flame and strength ringing in his ears.

The orbs clattered noisily as he dropped them to the floor, Harry shaking his head to clear the songs from his ears. Green and red and purple twinkled innocently up at him from the wooden floor, but the young man knew better now. These things were obviously magic, and had been in the Department of Mysteries for a reason. Slowly, he reached for one of the green orbs, tee shirt wrapped around his hand as he picked it up. This seemed to be enough of a barrier, because the song was silent this time as he head it up to eye level.

It seemed like a normal green marble, same size as one too, even with the inner light that seemed to dance within the orb. Curious, he looked into the other green orb, noting that the light seemed to flicker like it was coming through a sheen of ice or frost. Gingerly, he rolled the second onto the bed so he could examine the first one, the one with fire dancing within it. The dance was hypnotizing, and slowly, his hand drifted up to gently touch bare crystal again.

The song was less overbearing this time,as if the orb knew it had Harry's attention, a quieter refrain of heat and crackling and life. It was soothing, and Harry smiled as he allowed the shirt to fall to his lap, marble directly against his skin now. It was a comforting sound, a memory of quiet nights alone in the Gryffindor Common Room. Coupled with the second green orb that he grabbed after a minute, it became the sounds of a quiet night during a snow storm, flakes cracking against a window as logs of cedar wood crackled in the fireplace.

Slowly, he forced himself to put the orbs down, smiling now. These two seemed harmless enough. Next to fall under his curious eye was the purple one, the more confusing-sounding of the quad. It was less of a song and more of the sensation of growing and shrinking. 'Is this like an early form of a shrinking charm?' he wondered. Curious, he pointed his hand at the broken shelf up on the wall, trying to focus on the thought of making one of the books shrink. He doubted it would work, it had taken him a week to figure out the normal shrinking charm while at Hogwarts.

It was to his complete surprise that the book immediately shrank to the size of a size of a matchbook. It was only afterwards that he panicked. Misuse of Magic! No magic during the summer! And he had already gotten in trouble about that a few summers ago!

It was only after the passing of a few tense hours and no owl appearing on the horizon that Harry relaxed. Did the Ministry not know how to follow this type of magic? Or were the tracking spells placed on his wand only? But that can't be it, because Dobby'd gotten him in trouble second year, and that was Elf magic, not wizard-based magic. It must be whatever the magic that the orbs were based on that they couldn't follow.

A grin slowly spread over his face. This needed more testing! For Science!