I'm still working on my other projects, but this happened.

Many thanks to the lovely InsaneScriptist!

Petunia Dursley knew that the so-called Blood Wards that were erected around Privet Drive would keep out people who intended to harm her or her family. It was the major reason why she had taken her nephew in when she'd found him on her doorstep that brisk November morning.

(After all, she was a muggle and if the freaks came after her because of her freakish sister- well, she could let the boy live with them if it would keep Dudders and Vernon safe.)

However she was not overly fond of her nephew and often turned a blind eye to the more less-than-tender mercies that her husband and son bestowed upon the boy.

Oh, Vernon never did more than give the boy a good cuff 'round the head. Dudders could get away with far more cruel behaviors under the guise of 'boys will be boys', but Petunia knew that nothing horrid actually happened to her nephew, despite these behaviors. Petunia herself had whacked him with the frying pan once or twice, but he was not overly abused.

Besides, his freakishness always healed him overnight. Just as Lily's unnaturalness had always done.

So, despite it being nearly nine o'clock in the evening on a sultry summer night, Petunia wasn't particularly concerned as she locked the door, barring her nephew entrance to the house for the night. Yes, the boy was only seven, but the shed was unlocked and she had threatened to make him sleep there enough times he would know to do so.

Having to sleep in the shed for a night would teach him to be back before she and Vernon decided to go to bed! The nerve of that brat!

However, there was something Petunia Dursley didn't know.

The Blood Wards only kept out those with the intent to cause harm to Harry, and were specifically designed to be geared towards magicals.

Therefore when Luigi Mancini offered the boy a drink of water from a sealed water bottle, Harry had hesitantly accepted and the Wards didn't activate. They stayed dormant as the man caught the sleeping boy and put him in the man's awaiting car, and by the time Luigi intended to cause Harry harm the boy was too far from where the Wards were anchored to react properly.

That isn't to say they didn't try, but they could only do so much as they were anchored to a dwelling. A dwelling which was far away from where the boy they were supposed to be protecting was at.

Thus, Harry Potter disappeared from England on a warm summer's night and no one noticed.

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Luigi was an Estraneo scientist. He has been a part of the team that had devised the Possession Bullet. So he was inordinately curious when his experimental device picked up on a possession nearby when he was visiting family in England.

He was even more surprised when it led him to a child. A child who, from what he could uncover, had no ties to the Mafia. There were discrepancies with his parent's records, however, but Bertram always handled those sorts of cases.

Luigi had honestly not thought that he'd get an opportunity to spirit the intriguing child away, but then an opportunity presented itself and he was a pragmatic man.

Being a Mist is incredibly handy sometimes.

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Harry Potter- better known as Experiment 73180P- had been stuck in the Estraneo labs for nearly five years.

He could honestly say that he missed his cupboard.

When he wasn't 'on the table' it wasn't so bad. He was used to small, cramped spaces and being made to do an inordinate amount of tasks. Instead of a cupboard he had a cell- though his cell did have a window, as opposed to his cupboard- and instead of chores he had tasks.

He couldn't remember much about the first few months after he came here, as it was all blurred from the drugs and the haze of pain that he was in, but he knew that they had done a bunch of procedures on his scar. (Though his eyesight had been fixed during that time as well, and all he could remember from those procedures were a blur of intense pain.) It was because of whatever had been inside it- the lab techs liked to discuss things while he was in 'recovery' and he had learned that if he stayed calm and pretended to still be asleep that he could get information that way- that the scientists had him in his own cell. They also expected him to learn quickly and his 'tasks' were whatever curriculum they decided that he needed to learn for the day.

He'd learned early that it was best if he applied himself fully, as irritating the scientists tended to make them 'forget' the anesthesia during his next round of procedures.

The tasks weren't always academic, some were physical. They always gave him a handicap when he performed the physical tasks though- like a poison that made him extremely sick or actually breaking a bone or two- so that he couldn't entertain the thought of trying to escape.

The worst tasks were always the ones that involved the Dying Will Flames.

The theory was actually really interesting and enjoyable, but the experiments were the worst.

Some of the scientists who worked for the Estraneo Famiglia were also magic users, but Harry was the only magic-capable child that they currently had to test out their theories on. While they had to be careful to keep to the Statue of Secrecy- the magical version of Omertá- lest the Vindice come down on them for breaking it, (since they were Mafia they fell under Vindice jurisdiction), the scientists were still able to spend a great deal of time on him.

(It was only the interference of the Blood Wards that kept the scientists from linking Experiment 73180P to the Harry Potter. A small mercy, but a mercy nonetheless.)

The novelty of experimenting on poor Harry was compounded by the fact that Harry had a rare Flame- he was a Sky.

So not only did the scientists get to play around with a magic user, they were able to manipulate the rarest Flame in the Mafia world!

Harry had learned all about Guardians, and Soft Flames versus Hard Flames, and Inverted Flame Users versus Classic Flame Users.

The theory behind it all was fascinating.

The tests- the ones where they forced him and another person into a position to achieve Harmony and then broke the Harmony, or where they pumped him full of drugs that manipulated what type of Flame he could use and made him perform tests to see if the drugs worked properly- were agonizing, mentally, emotionally, and physically.

To feel a moment of enveloping another person and providing them with a sense of home, only to have that feeling ripped away in a clinical, calculating manner hurt. Most of the Elements who suffered during these experiments fell into Dissonance, even as Harry tried to absorb as much of the damage he could in a valiant struggle to save them.

Harry hated that feeling. The hurt and rage at being gifted with Elements to fill up the empty expanse that seemed to linger somewhere around his chest, only to have them ripped away was intense.

The twelve-year-old had bided his time, waiting patiently for them to make a mistake in handling him.

And finally, they did.

Harry burned through the lab techs mercilessly, his time there having taught him what cruelty they were willing to partake in and robbing him of any sense of empathy for these monsters.

He kept going, kept fighting, until he made it to the cages where the other- general purpose- specimens were kept. By then the scientists had starting pumping gaseous tranquilizers into the air, but Harry was using his Sun Flames to burn through the tranquilizers faster than he was inhaling them.

Harry melted the locks off of the cages and kept moving.

Eventually he made it to an exit and burst outside, not being foolish enough to stop and enjoy the feel of the sun on his skin after being kept underground for so long.

He heard shouts and alarms behind him, yelling for him to stop, that he'd never make it past the grounds and to give up now before he was in even more trouble.

Harry ran.

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One of the things that he had learned under the Estraneo's tutelage was languages- he was surprisingly gifted in them, actually.

He was in Italy, so the name 'Harry' would have to go, as it would be memorable here. Not that it overly stood out, but was different enough to be noticed.

That is, if he had to give his name to anyone. He'd have to put something on his soon-to-be-forged travel papers, though.

The Estraneo were also looking for a twelve-year-old boy, so making himself androgynous was another way to avoid suspicion.

(He was never going back there. To the needles and pain and broken bonds-)

The boy took a deep breath and braced himself against an alleyway wall. He needed to be careful. A single misstep could land him right back in the Estraneo's clutches and there would be no second chances.

Okay, there was, like, three scientists named 'Antonio', so that will be my cover name. Well, how about 'Toni', with an 'i' at the end, so people question my gender. Harry thought as he mentally called up all of the things that he'd need to do to get out of the country. There's two Mafia Sanctuaries in Japan, but Japan is ridiculously hard to get into. If I can make it to a Sanctuary, though, the Estraneo can't try to kidnap me- again- without causing an incident. Flame users who take refuge in a Sanctuary are considered untouchable unless the Vindice are after them. And the Estraneo can't risk it as they're already on thin ice with the Vindice.

Harry slipped out of the alleyway, wanting to keep in motion so he could cover more ground, and started walking, doing his best to look like he belonged as he merged with the crowds. I need money, but I should be able to steal some.

Where once upon a time Harry would have opposed doing such a thing, his years as a specimen had rearranged many of his priorities.

He had paid special attention to the information in his geography books about which countries required visas before entering them. (His escape had been a long time in coming and the Estraneo had been pretty secure in their security. They had let him have access to more information than was wise, (on their part), but they wouldn't make that mistake a second time so he had to get this right.)

One of the benefits of his enforced education was that he knew how to pull out his Mist Flames, which would be useful in helping convince or suggest to people that he had the required paperwork. Though he had to be careful not to use his magic as magic could be traced by the magical ministries, (some of whom monitored nonmagical transportation for hidden magicals), and he didn't want to run into them either.

Harry saw an employee coming out of the backdoor of a business to take a smoke break, and so he covered himself in Mist Flames and slipped behind the man. It was an upper-level franchise store, so he wouldn't feel too badly about robbing it tonight. He might have to steal to survive, but he wanted to try to steal from those who wouldn't be crippled by it, he did have some morals left!

The more countries and aliases they have to track me through the better. He thought as he waited for the employee to finish so he could follow them inside. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is only recognized by Turkey, but it doesn't require a visa to enter, you can get one on arrival. That's a pretty easy option to get out of Italy. The less Flames I have to use, the better off I'll be, and countries that require a visa before entering usually have tighter security and Mafia oversight, to look for Flames users who are trying to enter illegally.

He huffed a noiseless laugh. Criminals looking for criminals. Sadly, they are usually better than the police because they know exactly what to look for. They'd turn me back over to the Estraneo, too. Best avoid countries that don't allow on-the-spot visa apps.

The man finished his smoke and went back inside, Harry slipping soundlessly in behind him and finding an out-of the-way place to hole up until the store closed.

One he was comfortable behind some boxes, (after swiping some paper and a pen), he started jotting down his options. He was incredibly grateful for his memory as he sketched out a crude map to help him keep track of his possible routes.

From the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus I could go down to Africa. Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, and Mozambique are all pretty easy to get into but they're all right by Somalia. Jordan doesn't require a visa, either, but the Middle East isn't somewhere I want to be alone. Madagascar and Mauritius, the islands just off Africa's west coast, is also pretty easy to get into. There are two islands that would take me back towards the Arabic countries- Seychelles and Maldives.

Harry tapped his pen against his lip thoughtfully. Actually, it would be easy to take a flight from Maldives to Thailand, Myanmar, or Cambodia. You apply for a visa upon arrival in those countries. Same with Laos, Bhutan, and Nepal- going west- and Macau and Hong Kong- going east.

The green eyed boy's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Indonesia and a whole bunch of islands in the Pacific don't either, but the smaller the population, the harder it will be to disappear. The Triads are also a concern in mainland Asia, but even they would be an upgrade from the Estraneo.

Harry sighed softly and looked over his notes. Here's hoping I don't screw up my one chance at freedom.

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Harry was undeniably exhausted.

Exhausted and out of options.

He was currently in Indonesia, and he'd nearly gotten caught robbing a place. To make matters worse he'd heard rumors of the Estraneo asking questions in the area when he'd gone to one of the local underworld watering holes and done some proactive eavesdropping.

Harry had been country-hopping for nearly four months at this point, and was even more determined to not be taken back to his cage. However strong his will, however, he was still only a twelve year old and despite all the procedures he'd undergone during his time with the Estraneo, he still was very much a human boy.

So, when the darkness that had been dancing around the edges of his vision finally claimed him, he barely had time to internally curse before he hit the ground.

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When Trident Shamal had gotten a call from his favorite informant about a young girl passing out in front of their shop, he'd quickly finished his lunch and gone to treat the young female.

By the time he had arrived, his associate had the girl on a couch in the backroom, a cold compress on her forehead.

Of course, he'd quickly realized that the child in question was male instead of female, and he'd nearly thrown a tantrum and refused to treat the boy before something happened that hadn't happened to him in nearly twenty years.

The child's magic reached for his own, and his magic reacted.

There were a ridiculously small number of reasons why his magic would react to the child's. They were either a close family member by blood, or they were a close family member by oath.

Considering that he and his brother were all that was left from their branch of the family tree, (because he was well aware of the fact that their mother hadn't released his brother from the Infecundus Curse that all male heirs were placed under at age twelve, purely out of spite), that pretty much ruled out blood.

Shamal's eyes narrowed as he considered the alternative options.

An Oath relation, on the other hand…..

…..that was entirely possible.

Looks like I'll have to brew the Oath-Link Potion. Shamal decided as he continued to treat his patient.

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Regulus Black had realized that he was wholly on his own the summer after his Third Year of Hogwarts.

That was the summer when Mother had put Sirius under the Cruciatus Curse, causing the elder Black brother to flee to the Potters. Father had done nothing to help or hinder Wallburga, instead he'd merely quietly put the Black Heirship in contest, instead of disinheriting Sirius or installing Regulus as the Black Heir, despite Wallburga's demands.

After Regulus had been Marked, he'd seen what he'd always, (secretly), suspected serving the Dark Lord was like, and he knew he had to make a plan. He had been even more disgusted to learn that his new 'Lord' had created those foul abominations called Horcruxes.

Regulus had thrown himself into finding an alternative path for his life to take, and by the time the Dark Lord had asked for a House Elf's service and Kreacher had been volunteered by his simpering fool of a Mother, he'd finally come to terms with the idea of never using a wand again.

That was the cost of removing the Mark, he'd found. Voldemort wanted to give his followers the harshest punishment imaginable, and for the Purebloods who espoused 'magic is might' it wasn't losing their magic entirely, or even dying- it was having their ability to use a wand or any type of traditional focus destroyed.

So, when Regulus had gone to the cave, he'd already destroyed his Mark and was prepared to die, which is why he'd given Kreacher the orders that he had. When the Inferi had grabbed him, he'd thought that that was the end, but after Kreacher had disappeared as he'd been instructed, indigo fire had flared to life around Regulus, and he'd managed to make his way back to the entrance of the cave and escape.

He'd managed to a make it to a nearby village, and grab some fresh clothes, food, and medical supplies. Once he was able to travel he had made the journey to Gringotts Paris, where he'd cleared out his accounts and had his Will executed to further the perpetuate the myth of his death.

He, as a Pureblood of proper breeding and a friend of Barty Crouch Jr., spoke Spanish, French, and Latin, which suited his plans of disappearing into the ULE until he could figure out what he was going to do with his life just fine.

The Unified Magical Nations of Lower Eurasia didn't search for someone unless they were wanted by the Internation Confederation of Wizards. The UMNLE- or ULE for short- had been formed after the First Hegemony War, when Grindelwald's first attempt to conquer the magical world by conquering the small, city-state like governments of lower Eurasia fell just short of his goals.

The ULE was formed as a way for the smaller city-states to retain their traditions and independence, while being able to defend themselves from cases such as Grindelwald's attempted hostile takeover. The independent states' fierce stance on independence was why they ULE didn't bother with anyone who wasn't wanted by the ICW, as if the independent states accepted someone, that was good enough for them.

The ULE's authority ran from the nonmagical areas of Spain and Portugal, and the lower parts of France along its eastern borders. From La Rochelle, France, it stretched to the west, skirting around the borders of the Swiss Magical Empire sloping up to the north to include Slovakia, (the Swiss Magical Empire included Austria), and splitting the Ukraine in half. From the half-way point in Kyiv, Ukraine, it ran south to include Cypress. All the islands of Mediterranean were included, and the Strait of Gibraltar was where the ULE officially ended.

So, Regulus headed south once he finished his business in Paris.

The next few years of learning to live in the muggle world had been some of the most difficult of his life, and without his newfound abilities with his indigo fire, he probably would have ended up incarcerated or worse.

As it was, he'd put his talented mind to work and had enrolled in a muggle Healer's program, as he'd always wanted to be a Healer, but it wasn't a profession that was 'becoming' for a Black Heir. Regulus had enjoyed college life as a Pre-Med student, channeling some of Sirius' personality as he'd relaxed and began to truly let go of his past. His rather androgynous looks for the first year or two on the run had left him with a deep loathing towards males, and he'd declared while he was drunk one night that he would only treat females, and it had stuck.

Once he'd graduated, he'd been accepted to the Università degli Studi di Pavia, or the University of Pavia, (UNIPV).

It was while he was in Italy that he'd discovered the Mafia and the true nature of his indigo fire. He had started taking side jobs to help pad his bank accounts, (medical school wasn't cheap!), and had developed his unique assassination technique. He'd even found ways to integrate his magic into the technique, much to his delight.

(Truthfully the first disease had been the result of a lab accident while he'd been a Pre-Med student. He had found out that his magic would hold to contradicting diseases in flux, and when he'd gone to brew the potion that showed who was attempting to use magical means to track a person, he'd discovered that the anomaly had thrown off the potion, which is why he'd repeated the process deliberately- over and over again, until he couldn't be tracked at all.

Just because he'd had his Will executed didn't mean that his family fully bought the idea of his death. They were masters of misdirection, after all. Regulus had no intention of returning to his former life.

Ever.)

Just after he'd graduated- he'd graduated early- he'd been approached by Reborn the Sun Arcobaleno, because the Sun hadn't been able to read his thoughts. After he'd sealed Reborn's memories, the Sun had taught Regulus- who had been known as 'T. Shamal'- how to remain a successful independent assassin as payment.

Truthfully, they were each other's only friend.

Reborn liked to feel important and boss him around, but Shamal had lived with Wallburga Black and rather enjoyed the sadistic Hitman's rants.

And that was how Regulus Black became Trident Shamal.

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Shamal was broken from his trip down memory lane by the timer he'd set.

Getting up and walking over to the table, he removed the potion-soaked parchment and smoothed it out on the table before he tipped the small vial of the boy's blood on it.

The blood was immediately soaked up by the parchment and it was only a moment later that the information appeared.

Dammit. Shamal cursed in his mind.

For there on the parchment was the name of his brother and his brother's Godson.

By the potion, his brother was listed as 'indisposed', which meant that Shamal now had a magical obligation to look after the boy as the bond had defaulted to him, due to the boy's magic unconsciously reaching for him and his magic responding.

He could refuse, and it probably wouldn't hurt him too badly, but from what he'd heard lately this was the boy who had escaped the Estraneo Famiglia and Shamal was insanely curious how his brother's Godson had come into the custody of the Estraneo, of all people.

What to do, what to do.

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