Young Celestial Wizard [Celestial Grimoire, Harry Potter]

ATLA Universe, Fire Nation Capital

Avatar Timeline: 98 AG (After Genocide), 11 months before Aang's awakening

Universal Time: November 5rd, 1988

Time until Elder Blood Teleportation is available: November 26th, 1988

Time until Hun and Po souls are deemed suitable by the laws of the Harry Potter Universe to learn structured HP magic: July 31st, 1991

Harry's Physical/Mental/Emotional Maturity: 13 years old

---

The sun barely peeked over the horizon when Harry stepped onto the royal training grounds. Chrysa walked next to him, her silent footsteps matching his pace. The morning air held a pleasant chill that would soon vanish under the Fire Nation's heat.

"Eleven days," Harry whispered to Chrysa. "I've learned quite a bit, haven't I?"

Chrysa's tail flicked in response. She moved to a shaded spot near the training ground's edge, settling down to watch.

Harry rolled his shoulders and took a deep breath. Flame shot out from his soles, lifting him several inches off the ground. The flames roared as he added more power, pushing himself higher into the air. His hands thrust behind him for extra speed, bending concentrated azure flames from them.

"This is more like it." Harry grinned as he hovered ten feet above the ground. The heat from his flames warmed his face while he adjusted the power output.

He reduced the flames from his feet, dropping closer to the ground. The moment his toes touched down, he channeled chi to his soles again. Fire exploded outward, launching him forward in a controlled burst. Each step left a small scorch mark as he jet-stepped across the training ground.

Another surge of power sent him soaring upward. He cut the flames from his feet and hands, hanging suspended for an instant before igniting them again. The ability to bend without movement made everything easier - no wasted energy on unnecessary micro-gestures.

A smirk crossed his face as he hovered above the training ground. Five minutes wasn't long, but it would be enough in a serious fight. Ozai might be the most powerful firebender in the world, but mobility had been Harry's only real weakness against him. Not anymore. Fire Lord Ozai was no longer a threat to him.

Harry fell towards a massive boulder, bending azure flames from his palm. He focused the fire, compressing it until it formed a thin, blazing edge. The boulder split cleanly in two as he brought his hand down, both halves settling onto the ground with a heavy thud.

He extended his fingers, bending smaller blades of fire at their tips. Another boulder crumbled as he traced lines across its surface. The cut edges glowed faintly from the heat.

Seven blades of azure fire were bent into existence from the flames still pouring from his hands, spreading out in a rotating circle around his body. Harry glanced over at the training ground's entrance to see Azula watching him with narrowed eyes.

The blades shot forward at his mental command. Seven boulders the size of elephants split apart simultaneously, cut edges still smoking. Harry lowered his hands and turned to face Azula properly.

"Something wrong?" Harry asked, seeing the tension in Azula's shoulders.

"Father needs to speak with you." Azula straightened her back. "He mentioned an urgent issue that you might be able to help him with."

Harry blinked. "Lead the way then."

Chrysa rose from her spot, but Harry shook his head. "Stay here and practice your pouncing. Those rocks should make good targets."

Chrysa let out a short growl of protest, but settled back down as Harry followed Azula into the palace.

"What's this about?" Harry asked as they walked through the corridor.

"Someone broke into the Dragonbone Catacombs one month ago." Azula glanced at him. "They stole a very important scroll that needs to be retrieved as soon as possible."

Harry nodded slowly, remembering what he'd read in his Hero's Journal about a powerful firebending technique connected to a volcano. The scroll had been stolen from the Royal Family... This might be the lead he'd been waiting for.

"After you," Harry gestured for Azula to continue leading the way.

They walked through the palace corridors, red tapestries lining the walls between golden sconces. Azula kept glancing at him as they walked.

"You know, the way you split those boulders was quite... murderous. I especially liked how the rocks smoked afterward. Very deadly."

Harry couldn't help but snort at her attempt at a compliment.

"What?" Azula spun around, a faint red tinge appearing on her cheeks. "Why are you laughing?"

"You need to work on your compliments." Harry walked past her, still chuckling.

A sound between a growl and a huff escaped Azula's throat as she hurried to catch up. She took the lead again, turning down a corridor Harry hadn't visited before.

The passage opened into a study filled with maps and scrolls. Fire Lord Ozai stood behind a large desk, studying a detailed drawing of what appeared to be underground tunnels. He looked up as they entered.

The tension that had marked their first meeting was gone, replaced by something closer to respect. Harry suspected his demonstrations of flight over the palace grounds had contributed to that change. Well, he was sure of that considering the dense fear that he could sense from Ozai nowadays...

"The Capital cannot be left undefended during these times." Ozai stroked his beard, eyes moving between the maps and Harry. "I would like to request your help with an urgent matter concerning the safety of the Fire Nation."

Harry leaned forward to examine the tunnel diagrams on the desk. "Tell me about these thieves."

"The leader is Onomu, a former Fire Army General." Ozai's fingers followed a path through the mapped tunnels. "She attempted to defect to the Earth Kingdom with sensitive information. A skilled firebender capable of breathing fire, and rather... proud of that fact."

Azula moved closer to the desk. "Father wants us to go together. It will be a good test of our combined abilities."

"The thieves have been tracked to these tunnels on the far side of the island." Ozai tapped a specific location on the map. "Kill her and retrieve the scroll. The Fire Nation will compensate you well for this service."

Harry stayed quiet, closing his eyes to think. Did he want to help the Fire Nation on this issue? Not really. Was he going to do it anyway for the firebending technique he could memorize at a glance and learn at his leisure? Yes.

"Well?" Azula shifted impatiently beside him. "Are you going to help or not?"

Harry opened his eyes. "I'll do it. Give me the details, and we can leave right away."

"Excellent." Ozai pulled out a smaller map. "These markings show the most recent sightings. My scouts believe they're using this entrance here..."

The Fire Lord continued explaining while Harry memorized every detail. This mission might lead him to exactly what he'd been looking for.

--- Three Days Later ---

"Another dead end." Azula kicked a fallen stone across the tunnel floor. The sound echoed through the empty passage. "Three days of searching, and all we find are cold campfires."

Harry crouched next to the most recent campsite, running his fingers through the ashes. "They're moving east. Look at these marks on the wall - someone's been dragging equipment against the stone."

Chrysa sniffed the ground near the ashes and sneezed. The sound bounced off the tunnel walls, making Azula jump.

"Must you bring that beast everywhere?" She glared at the Nemean Lion.

"Chrysa's tracking abilities have kept us on their trail." Harry stood up, brushing ash from his hands. "Without her, we'd still be searching the western tunnels."

The tunnel network lay beneath the island's surface, countless passages carved by centuries of volcanic activity. Most paths led nowhere, ending in collapsed sections or underground pools. But these thieves knew where they were going.

"The air's getting warmer." Harry touched the tunnel wall. Heat radiated through the stone. "We're getting closer to the volcanic chambers."

A distant rumble shook loose pieces of rock from the ceiling. Azula steadied herself against the wall. "The volcano's been more active lately. But the Fire Sages said an eruption won't happen for five more years..."

"Perfect place to hide a scroll." Harry pulled out the map they'd been marking. Fresh lines showed their progress through the tunnels, each campsite marked with a small 'x'. The trail led steadily toward the volcano's core.

"Why would they come here?" Azula peered over his shoulder at the map. "The heat will only get worse the deeper we go."

Harry knew exactly why - the scroll contained a firebending technique meant to be used with a volcano. But he couldn't reveal that knowledge. "Let's keep moving. They must have a reason."

The tunnel curved sharply downward, heat rising from below in visible waves. Each step brought them closer to what seemed like a dead end, until Azula grabbed Harry's arm.

"Look at the ground." She pointed to disturbed earth near the wall. "These marks... an earthbender covered their tracks."

A deep rumble shook the tunnel, stronger than before. Cracks spread across the walls with sharp snapping sounds. Harry's eyes widened as bright orange light seeped through the fissures.

"Move!" Harry shouted as the wall burst open. Lava poured through, filling the tunnel with searing heat. He pulled out Chrysa's Premier Ball, recalling her in a flash of red light. Dark mist poured from his hand, forming into a concentrated ball in front of him as he scooped Azula into his arms.

"Put me down!" Azula struggled against his grip.

Harry ignored her protests, focusing on the mist ahead. The air rippled as a black portal formed, leading into a shadowy version of the same tunnel. He burst through, sealing the portal just as lava splashed against it.

"What..." Azula stared at the tunnel around them. The walls looked wrong, like a painting left too long in water. "Where are we?"

"Spirit World." Harry kept moving, carrying her despite her attempts to break free. "Stop squirming."

"The Spirit World?" Azula went still. "How did you-"

"Made a portal. Obviously." Harry rolled his eyes. "Remember that spirit that attacked us? Turns out eating one gives you some interesting abilities."

Azula's mouth opened and closed without sound. Harry cut off her response before it could start.

"Something's wrong with the volcano. We need to get back to the physical world." He picked up speed, jet-stepping through the twisted tunnel. The walls blurred past as he pushed himself faster.

Two minutes of running brought them to the exit. Harry burst out into open air, immediately igniting flames from his feet and hands. They shot upward, Azula's arms tightening around his neck as the ground fell away. Harry made another shadowy portal and darted straight through it and into the Physical World.

The volcano was not far ahead, smoke already rising from its peak. Eight figures stood around the crater's edge - five wearing Fire Nation armor, two in Earth Kingdom green, and one in Water Tribe blue.

The firebenders moved in perfect sync, left hands drawing heat from the volcano from all fingers in an odd manner while right hands pushed it back through all fingers. Each cycle agitated the lava below, building pressure in the mountain's core.

Harry landed on the volcano's rim, setting Azula down beside him. "Stop this now!"

The figures turned. A tall woman in Fire Nation armor rose to face them, flames flickering between her teeth as she spoke.

"Princess Azula." The woman - Onomu - grinned. "And the foreign firebender everyone's talking about. Come to stop us from destroying the Capital and ending the Hundred Year War?"

"But you don't understand, do you?" Onomu spread her arms wide. "I was raised believing we were liberating the world. The Fire Nation taught us we were spreading civilization, bringing prosperity. But it was all lies! We're not-"

A thousand knives were conjured in the air, cutting off her speech as they shot forward. The waterbender pulled moisture from the volcanic steam to form a shield while the earthbenders raised volcanic stone barriers. Metal clanged against water and rock.

Harry sent a horizontal blade of azure fire toward all eight benders. They scattered, breaking formation to dodge. Two more blades of fire streaked in from the sides, forcing them to dodge again.

But Harry had already aimed his fingers. Lightning crackled from his fingertips, striking the waterbender in the heart. She screamed, body convulsing as the electricity coursed through her. The force threw her backward into the volcano's mouth.

Twelve blades of fire spun around Harry, each moving independently. He launched them in sequence - two low, three high, four at chest level, three more curving in from behind. The benders tried to defend, but Harry's control was too precise. Each blade found flesh, and bodies fell in clean halves.

Harry kicked the remains aside, except for Onomu's upper torso that he deliberately left at the edge of death. She coughed blood onto the black rock as he lifted her by the collar.

"I don't listen to someone planning mass murder." Harry's voice was cold. "Where's the scroll?"

Onomu spat blood at him. The red droplets sizzled on the hot ground.

"Wrong answer." Harry reached into his pouch and withdrew a small vial. Three clear drops fell onto her bloody tongue. "Let's try again. Where is the scroll?"

"Hidden in the lining of my pants." Onomu's voice came out flat, emotionless.

Behind Harry, Azula stood frozen. Her eyes were wide as she watched him dispatch the rebels in a cold-blooded manner.

Harry walked to the volcano's edge, holding Onomu's torso over the bubbling lava. "You shouldn't have provoked Justice. Everything I did to you was appropriate."

Her screams echoed off the crater walls as he dropped her. Harry tore open the bloodstained pants, retrieving a tightly rolled scroll from the sewn lining.

Azula coughed, a deep red spreading across her cheeks. She trembled slightly. "That scroll... we're not supposed to read it."

Harry raised an eyebrow, saying nothing.

"Do whatever you want." Azula sighed, looking away.

Harry smiled and unrolled the scroll. The technique described precise movements of core muscles, chest positioning, and finger placement to manipulate heat from extreme sources. Used properly, it could calm a volcano. Twisted wrong, it could trigger an eruption.

He attempted the technique several times, memorizing each detail. The micro-movements proved tricky until he found the right rhythm. Once he understood the principles, he replicated the effect without physical movement.

Harry reached out one hand toward the churning lava below, and the other to the sky above. The air temperature began to drop as he drew heat from the volcano through five fingers, dispersing it safely into the atmosphere in the form of massive plumes of smoke.

"This might take a while." Harry glanced at Azula.

She stood at the volcano's edge, eyes bright with an intensity he hadn't seen before. A smile played at the corners of her mouth as she looked at the scattered remains of the rebels. The precise cuts, the clean kills - everything about the execution had clearly impressed her.

But beneath that admiration, Harry noticed she didn't feel well. She hadn't moved since the fight ended, hadn't contributed anything to the battle. For someone who prided herself on combat prowess, being reduced to a spectator must have stung.

"How did you..." Azula started to ask, then pressed her lips together. Her eyes flickered to the pouch on Harry's belt, then to where the conjured knives had appeared. She shook her head, clearly deciding the question wasn't going to be answered.

"The vial contained Veritaserum." Harry kept drawing heat from the volcano while he spoke. "Truth serum. Three drops forces anyone to tell the truth."

Azula's eyes widened slightly. "And the knives?"

"Just another technique." Harry shrugged, not elaborating further. The lava below had started to calm, the violent bubbling reduced to occasional ripples.

"You didn't even give them a chance to fight back." Azula smirked, adjusting her hair with trembling fingers. "Father would approve of your efficiency."

Harry continued drawing heat from the volcano, watching Azula from the corner of his eye. The girl put on a stoic face, but her hands kept shaking as she tried to look composed. She hadn't moved from her spot since the fight began.

"We should head back soon." Harry said.

"Already?" Azula stepped closer to the edge, peering down at the cooling lava. "But you haven't finished stabilizing the volcano."

"I've done enough." Harry lowered his hands. The lava below had settled into gentle ripples, no longer threatening to burst forth. "The pressure's back to normal levels."

Harry walked toward the scroll, careful not to step in the blood pooling between the rocks.

"What will you tell Father?" Azula followed him, still maintaining a careful distance from the carnage.

"The truth." Harry picked up the scroll from where he'd set it down. "They tried to destroy the Capital. We stopped them. Simple."

"And the scroll?"

"Also simple." Harry tucked it into his belt. "Mission accomplished."

Azula opened her mouth to respond, but Harry cut her off by scooping her up again. She yelped in surprise, arms automatically wrapping around his neck.

"Not again!" She tried to push away. "I can walk perfectly fine!"

"Flying is faster." Harry ignited flames from his feet, launching them into the air. The volcano shrank below as they rose higher.

"Did you see how you cut them apart?" Azula burst out, eyes shining with excitement. "The way those fire blades moved - it was perfect! And that lightning strike, right through her heart! No wasted movement, no dramatic speeches, just..." She made a slashing motion with her hand.

Harry blinked, caught off guard. He'd sensed no real fear from her during the fight, but this level of enthusiasm was unexpected.

"The knives were a nice touch too." Azula continued, practically bouncing in his arms. "You didn't even give them time to finish talking. Just knives, fire, lightning - dead! Father always says efficiency in combat is crucial, and that was the most efficient killing I've ever seen!"

"You're... not bothered by what happened?" Harry adjusted course slightly, aiming for the palace in the distance.

"Bothered?" Azula scoffed. "It was beautiful! Clean cuts, precise strikes - like watching a master painter work. Except with blood." She paused. "A lot of blood, actually. Do you think the lava will wash it away, or will it bake into the rocks?"

"And that truth serum!" Azula grabbed his shoulder. "Where did you get that? Can you imagine what we could do with more of it? The intelligence we could gather, the traitors we could expose!"

"It's not something I can share." Harry steered them through a cloud bank. "Family secret."

"The way you sliced through them reminded me of when Father executed those Earth Kingdom spies last year." Azula beamed up at him. "Except he burned them slowly. Your method was much cleaner. I've never seen what happens to people who fall into lava, how quickly they burn…"

Harry remained quiet as she continued describing various execution methods she'd witnessed. The deaths of those benders had been necessary - they'd planned to murder an entire city. Whether Azula took joy in watching them die didn't matter to him. Justice had been served.

The city came into view through breaks in the clouds. Harry's meridians were beginning to become strained as he approached the five-minute limit of his sustained flight. He flew down toward a clear stretch of road leading to the capital.

"We'll walk from here." Harry set Azula down.

"Father will be pleased." She fell into step beside him. "The scroll recovered, the traitors dead, and the volcano stabilized. A perfect mission!"