Young Celestial Wizard [Celestial Grimoire, Harry Potter]

"I'm ready," Harry said, watching Dumbledore raise his wand toward the bracelet.

But before the Headmaster could tap it, Harry felt that familiar shift in his awareness. His eyes darkened as the words formed in his mind, clear as crystal:

[Three Hun and Seven Po - Chinese Mythology] – Costs 0CP, 175CP available to spend.

The dualism of existence is seen in all things, and this is all the more evident in the soul. A soul in this mythos is divided into two main parts, the hun and po. The hun is the ethereal/yang soul, tied to consciousness and existing independently of the body. The po, also known as the dense/yin soul, governs and is tied to the function of one's physical vessel. The effects of possessing this combined soul is twofold. Your mind is no longer affected by the ills and failings of your body, for it is divorced from such by the hun. Your body's condition is now affected by the state of your po, or physical soul; a healthy soul will help maintain your physical vessel in its prime condition, barring the interference of outside forces.

"Grandpa," Harry said quickly, "it's happening again. Another offer."

Dumbledore lowered his wand immediately. "What does it say exactly?"

Harry recited the words appearing in his mind: "Three Hun and Seven Po, from Chinese Mythology. It costs nothing, and I have 175 CP left." He paused, and then continued. "It talks about souls being split into two parts - hun and po. The hun is like... the thinking part that exists separate from the body, and the po is connected to the physical body. If I take it, my mind won't be affected by what happens to my body, and having a healthy soul will help keep my body healthy too."

Dumbledore's usual composed demeanor cracked. His mouth fell open slightly, and for once he looked genuinely shocked rather than just mildly surprised. The reaction made Harry nervous - he'd never seen his grandfather figure look so startled before.

"Could you... repeat that description one more time?" Dumbledore asked carefully, holding a hand against his forehead. "Word for word, if you can."

Harry did so, his enhanced memory making it easy to repeat the exact phrasing. As he spoke, Dumbledore sank back onto his purple cushion, looking thoughtful and slightly troubled.

"This is extraordinary," Dumbledore said finally. "The ancient Chinese wizards wrote extensively about the hun and po souls, but most modern scholars dismissed their work as metaphorical rather than literal." He stroked his beard, lost in thought. "To think they might have been right all along in some fashion..."

"Is it dangerous?" Harry asked, remembering how quickly Dumbledore had warned him away from the zombie offer.

"No, quite the opposite," Dumbledore said slowly. "If I understand correctly, this would grant you a form of protection that most Chinese wizard-scholars spend many decades trying and failing to achieve through meditation and study."

"Will it interfere with the Occlumency training?" Harry asked, fiddling with the red bracelet on his wrist.

Dumbledore leaned back on his cushion, considering the question. "Most likely not. Even if this 'hun soul' separates your mind from physical limitations, it shouldn't put your thoughts out of reach. The mind would still be there to protect, just... less bound by bodily constraints."

Harry nodded slowly. He could grasp the concept - it wasn't that his mind would float away or become untouchable, it would just work independently of things like being tired or hurt. Like how his eagle form could still think clearly even when the brain was clearly not that of a human. This hun soul actually resembled the Animagus transformation quite a bit, in fact, but on a more permanent basis…

"Should I take it then?" he asked, looking up at Dumbledore. The offer still hung in his mind, clear and waiting for his choice.

"Yes, you should take it," Dumbledore said softly. "From what I understand, it will only be beneficial."

Harry nodded and accepted the offer. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then he felt it - a deep, intense sensation starting in his chest and spreading outward. It wasn't painful like when he first got his chi paths, but it was strong. Like someone was carefully restructuring his entire body from the inside out.

The feeling moved through him in waves. His chi paths, which he'd mapped so carefully over months of practice, suddenly felt different. Stronger. Where before they'd been like small streams of warm energy, now they felt solid and stable, like channels carved in smoothened stone. The energy flowing through them changed too - becoming denser, more refined.

"Something's happening with my chi," Harry told Dumbledore, his voice quiet with concentration. He held up his hand, wanting to test this new feeling.

Harry focused on the simple exercise he'd done hundreds of times before. He started by gathering energy below his heart, where the main warmth lived. He guided it down his arm, following the path he knew led to his palm. Usually this took careful control to keep the energy flowing smoothly, but now it moved like water through a perfectly carved channel.

When the energy pooled in his palm, Harry noticed another difference. The chi felt more... complete somehow. More perfect. He let it spark into flame above his hand, and his eyes widened at what he saw.

Instead of the usual orange flame, a bright blue fire hovered over his palm. It was hotter - he could feel that immediately - but also more controlled. The fire didn't waver or flicker like normal. It stayed perfectly steady, like a bright blue star floating above his skin.

"Amazing," Harry whispered, quickly understanding what had happened. The improved chi paths meant better energy flow, and better flow meant hotter, more efficient flames. It was like upgrading from a rickety old Cleansweep Four to a brand-new Comet 260 - everything just moved more smoothly and powerfully.

But before Dumbledore could say something, Harry felt another shift beginning. He closed his eyes, focusing inward on the strange new sensations flowing through him.

The refined chi paths from his Po Soul were just the start. Something else was happening, something deeper and harder to grasp.

A sudden warmth at his hip drew his attention - the Hero's Journal was reacting. The leather-bound book grew warm against his side, then seemed to lose physical substance. Harry felt rather than saw it dissolve, flowing into him like water soaking into soil. But that wasn't quite right either. It wasn't flowing into his body, but into something else. Something that felt vast and ethereal, yet was undeniably him.

His Hun Soul, he realized. The part of him that thought and dreamed and existed beyond mere flesh. The Journal wasn't just bound to him anymore - it was becoming part of his very essence.

The enchantments that had been placed on the Journal before he entered the Vault of Fear shifted and changed. He could feel them integrating into this deeper part of himself, like paint mixing with water until you couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. The protections against poison and disease, and the resistance to magic - they weren't just enchantments anymore. They were innately part of him, flowing from his Hun Soul into his Po Soul and finally into his physical body.

Harry paused when what he'd assumed was Alchemy twisted and revealed itself as an affinity for Potions instead, this talent settling exclusively into his Hun Soul as a crystallized drop of knowledge.

And there was more. The Journal's ability to record and hint wasn't gone - it had evolved. Instead of just writing in a book, Harry could feel gentle nudges in his mind. It resembled having a friend tap your shoulder to point something out, except the friend was part of your soul and the shoulder was your thoughts.

When the transformation settled, Harry opened his eyes and held out his hand. The Hero's Journal appeared in his palm, solid and real. But he knew better now. This wasn't the real Hero's Journal - not anymore. The true Journal lived in his Hun Soul, and this book was just how it chose to show itself in the physical world.

A warm certainty rose up, confirming his understanding. This feeling had a distinct flavor to it - not his own thoughts, but the Journal's way of saying yes.

Harry opened his eyes once more and looked at Dumbledore, wondering how to explain what had just happened. How could he describe feeling his own soul split and reform? How could he put into words the way the Hero's Journal had become more than just an enchanted soul-bound book, but had rather become an innate part of him?

"The Hero's Journal changed," Harry said, running his fingers over the leather cover. "It's not just a book anymore. It's... part of me now. Like how being an eagle isn't just something I do, it's something I am."

Dumbledore leaned forward on his cushion. "What do you mean, my boy?"

"Before, it was like having a special book that only I could read. Now it's more like..." Harry scrunched up his face, trying to find the right words. "Like having another part of myself that can give me hints. And all the special enchantments put on it, they're part of me too now."

He closed his eyes, focusing on the new sensations. "I can feel them. The protection against poison and disease, and the magic resistance - they're not just spells on a book anymore. They're mixed into my soul." He opened his eyes and looked at Dumbledore. "Both parts of my soul. The hun and the po."

"And your firebending?" Dumbledore gestured to Harry's hand, where traces of blue flame still flickered.

"It's better now. Stronger. The chi paths feel different - more solid." Harry demonstrated by creating another small blue flame. "See? The fire's blue now because the energy flows better. I had already mapped all of my chi paths before, but I can feel now that my control had still been lacking."

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "This is quite remarkable, Harry. These changes seem far more involved than any of your previous... gifts."

"And what did it feel like, Harry? The soul transformation?" Dumbledore asked, leaning forward with undisguised curiosity. His blue eyes sparkled behind his half-moon spectacles.

Harry thought about it for a moment. "Kind of like... when you're drawing and you can see the picture in your head, but then you actually start putting it on paper and it becomes real? Except instead of drawing, it was like something was drawing me. Making me more... me."

Dumbledore's eyebrows shot up. "You can actually feel both aspects of your soul?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded, "but I think it's because of the Journal and my chi paths. The Journal went into my hun soul - the thinking part. And my chi paths feel like… a reflection of my po soul - the body part. So I can feel both of them changing and working."

He shifted on his cushion, trying to put his thoughts in order. "Plus, I think I can feel them because they just changed. Like how I learned to map my chi paths because I didn't have them before. If I was born with chi, it would just feel normal, and I wouldn't know what was chi and what wasn't."

"A remarkably astute observation," Dumbledore said softly. "Most wizards who study soul magic spend decades trying to achieve such awareness of the soul."

Harry shrugged. "It's like when you get new shoes. At first you really notice them because they feel different from your old ones. But after a while, you stop noticing them at all. I can feel my souls right now because they're new and different, though I feel I won't forget because of my perfect memory…"

"Speaking of noticing things," Harry said, bouncing a bit on his cushion, "can we try the bracelet now? I want to see if the bracelet will work after this transformation of my soul!"

Dumbledore chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Are you certain? This has been quite an eventful afternoon already."

"Yes!" Harry looked at the red bracelet on his wrist in anticipation as the wand came closer and closer.

"Very well," Dumbledore said, tapping the red bracelet with his wand.

At first, nothing happened. Then Harry felt it - like someone had poured static noise directly into his head. Not painful, but very strange, as if trying to think through many thoughts at the same time. His first instinct was to fight against it or push it away.

But he remembered Dumbledore's advice about letting it happen. Harry took a deep breath and tried to stay calm, letting the static buzz through his thoughts without resisting it.

That's when he noticed something interesting, though not unexpected. The static seemed to only affect his hun soul - the thinking part. His chi paths and physical sensations remained clear and unchanged. It was like having noise in an upstairs room while the downstairs stayed quiet.

"I can feel where it's affecting me," Harry said, keeping his voice steady despite the weird sensation. "It's only in my hun soul, not the po soul."

"Hmm," Dumbledore leaned forward. "The bracelet was designed to create general mental interference. The fact that you can distinguish which aspect of your soul it affects suggests your new dual-soul nature is already providing benefits."

The static grew stronger, becoming more like a loud buzz than gentle white noise. Harry focused on his breathing, remembering his meditation practice. He could do this. Just stay calm and let it pass...

After about a minute, the static faded away. Harry blinked a few times, adjusting to the sudden quiet in his mind.

"How did that feel?" Dumbledore asked.

"Weird," Harry said honestly. "But not as bad as I thought it would be. It's easier when I can tell exactly where it's happening instead of it just being all mixed up in my head."

Dumbledore nodded approvingly. "Shall we increase the intensity and try again?"

Harry straightened up on his cushion. "Yes please!"

Dumbledore tapped the bracelet again, and this time the static hit much harder. Where before it had been a gentle buzz, now it felt like thousands of voices all speaking at once, creating a deafening roar in Harry's hun soul.

He tried to stay calm, to let it pass over him like before, but the sheer intensity made it impossible to focus. His thoughts scattered like startled birds, refusing to settle. Even with his perfect memory, he couldn't hold onto a single clear idea - each attempt at concentration shattered under the overwhelming noise.

"I- I can't-" Harry stammered, his hands gripping the cushion tightly. His po soul remained steady, chi paths flowing smoothly, but his hun soul felt like it was drowning in chaos.

"Breathe, Harry," Dumbledore's voice came from somewhere far away. "Remember, you don't need to fight it."

But Harry couldn't find the calm center he'd maintained before. The static was too loud, too overwhelming. It was like trying to meditate in the middle of a thunderstorm. His mind, recently so clear and precise, felt muddled and confused.

Just when he thought he couldn't take anymore, Dumbledore tapped the bracelet again and the static vanished. Harry slumped forward, breathing heavily.

"Well," Dumbledore said gently, "I believe we've found your current limit."

"That was..." Harry shook his head, trying to clear the lingering echoes of chaos. "It was overwhelming."

"Indeed. Having separate souls may help you identify where the interference occurs, but it doesn't automatically grant immunity to its effects." Dumbledore conjured a glass of water and handed it to Harry. "This is why we practice - to gradually build tolerance to such mental intrusions."

Harry took a sip of water, noting how his hands were still slightly shaky. "At least my po soul stayed stable. My chi paths didn't get disrupted."

"A significant advantage," Dumbledore agreed.

Harry nodded, already thinking about how to improve. "Can we try again? Maybe if I start with meditation first..."

Dumbledore held up a hand. "I think that's enough for now. Remember, Harry - the goal isn't to master everything at once. Progress takes time, even with your remarkable gifts."

"But-"

"No buts," Dumbledore said firmly, though his eyes twinkled. "Besides, I believe you have a painting session scheduled with Professor McGonagall this afternoon? It would be a shame to miss it because you've exhausted yourself with Occlumency practice."

"My session with Aunt Min is the day after tomorrow at 2 PM," Harry corrected automatically. "Though I suppose I could use the free time this afternoon to practice capturing what the static felt like in my sketchbook."

"An excellent idea," Dumbledore said, standing up and vanishing the purple cushions with a wave of his wand. "Sometimes expressing these experiences through art can help us understand them better."

He was already imagining how he'd capture that chaotic feeling on canvas - maybe with swirling patterns in greys and silvers, or abstract shapes that seemed to change when you looked at them...

"Thank you, Grandpa," Harry said, getting up and heading toward the office door. He paused with his hand on the handle. "Do you think... do you think my parents would be proud? Of how I'm learning all this?"

Dumbledore's expression softened. "Without a doubt, my boy. Without a doubt."