KHfan22: Welcome to Touching Our Souls: Brushing. I'm actually so happy to finish this because this story is actually THREE years old and has gone through SO many alterations and construction. Anyways, Touching Our Souls is a new trilogy project like my old Kingdom Hearts trilogy, except for Harry Potter series! Obviously this is the first part of the trilogy called Brushing. I do hope, like all of my other stories, that this get's good reviews! Please Read, Enjoy, and Review.
Disclaimer: I thank the lovely J.K. Rowling for entertaining us for many years with her lovely stories and plots. I can't imagine how my childhood be without my favorite wizards and witches.
Dedication: This trilogy is dedicated to my good elementary friend, Cecilia, and her best friend, Haley!
Chapter 1
As Harry was walking down the streets of Privet Drive and thinking of all the letters he had received and the birthday present he had gotten for his birthday, he remembered a letter and a present from another of his friends. He could remember the crystal stag with hoof raised and its head held high. It held the gaze of bravery, honesty, and loyalty. He hoped every day that his round cousin, Dudley Dursley, would not snoop into his room and steal the magnificent stag figurine for it meant a lot to him.
On the first of August morning, Harry was surprised to find the mystical and ancient Indian Spotted Eagle, named Nike, sitting outside on a clear tree branch that was closest to his window. Harry opened the window for Nike to fly in and she landed on the window. She leaned in with the wrapped package hanging from her beak. Harry took the package gratefully and offered some owl treats as an apology for having her wait for such a long time. Nike refused the treat and gave a peck of annoyance at his finger before flying out into the morning air.
Harry watched the grand eagle disappear out of sight, hurrying back to her master Fayt Amelia Lupin, daughter of Remus John and Lina Esther Lupin. He met Fayt (and her "brother", Arion Black, son of Sirius and Phoebe Black) during his third year when he pursued his godfather, Sirius, and found out that Remus was a werewolf. On that particular night he also gained the knowledge of creatures called the Dragon Walkers.
"The Dragon Walkers are a very ancient and noble half-breed race. They are creatures of half-wizard and half-dragons." Fayt explained reluctantly the morning after that full moon. "I'm sorry that you'll be learning some history. Well, long ago there was a huge war between the wizards and dragons. The wizards and witches wished to claim land to expand their civilization while the Dragons fought to protect their rightful land. For decades they fought until finally the Great Wizard and the Elder Dragon looked at each other and called for a treaty. The Wizards admired the Dragon's strength and wisdom while the Dragons acknowledged the Wizards intelligence, cunning, and heart of will. The Great Wizard and the Elder Dragon merged their whole beings and formed the Dragon Walkers. The Treaty was simple: Wizards and Witches will conceal the dragons from being hunted while the Dragons lent their strength and wisdom and both will share the land they desire.
"However, the Dragon Walkers suddenly noticed some side effects of the merge and pure Wizards and Dragons shied away from the production of the Dragon Walkers. The Dragons Walkers were able to shift forms at will but they slowly begin to lose strength until the night of the full moon. On the night of the full moon, the Dragon Walkers are forced to transform into their dragon form and bathe in the moonlight to recover the magic that slowly fades each month. They were suddenly seen as monsters like the werewolf. Slowly, Dragon Walkers begin to die away until today where only a few, if not one, family of Dragon Walkers walk the Earth."
Fayt is one of the members of the Dragon Walker family; her mother being a Dragon Walker herself. She is the same year as Harry and lives under the same house, the Brave Gryffindors. She is only a friend like Neville today along with her best-friend-who-is-so-close-he-could-be-her-twin-brother, Arion Black. The two were named the Lupin-Black siblings and have known each other ever since they were at the age of one.
Harry turned the letter reading the elegant script, "Harry J. Potter" and opened the letter:
Harry,
We may not be the best of friends as you are with Ron and Hermione but I figured after our fourth year you might want some comfort. I think the present in the small package will brighten your spirits and help you move forward. Have a magnificent holiday and see you in the school year. I'm at the dog's house with Ron and Hermione but there isn't much going on. I ask you to endure the summer as long as you can. I feel sooner or later you will join us here so don't fret!
Fayt A. Lupin
P.S. Don't worry about the present breaking, it looks fragile but it's tough as the force of a rampaging Dragon!
P.P.S. Don't bother feeding Nike owl treats. If you're lucky she'll just fly away and leave you. If not then watch out for her beak!
Harry couldn't help but to take Fayt's words, after reading Ron and Hermione's letters, to heart and gasped at the beauty of the stag. He decided to test out its toughness and hesitantly threw the figurine hard onto the ground and walls until his uncle yelled at him to stop. It didn't chip or reveal a fracture. He didn't dare throw it out the road to see if it would survive being run over a car as well.
Only once did Harry, Ron, and Hermione see Athena, the dragon inside Fayt, clearly with nothing to distract them.
"Ready?" Fayt asked while watching Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She smiled at Arion who returned a smirk. She closed her eyes and let Athena take over.
Harry gasped as the black haired girl slowly changed into a small black dragon compared to the Hungarian Horntail he had to fight for the Golden Egg. He stepped back as Athena approached him with a few large steps without any warning.
Athena's body and face is a lot smoother and rounder with barely any spikes besides the line down her spine. Her scales were shining black which gave her the advantage during a clear night sky. Her eyes were green with black round pupils when she's calm and curious. The pupils turn into slits only when she's angry or alert.
"Athena, look what we have!" Arion said pulling out a dead fish from the house elves we visited.
Athena left Harry and gave an excited hop towards Arion. She opened her mouth and Arion held the fish out.
"She doesn't have any teeth?" Hermione gasped. She screamed as the teeth suddenly appeared out of Athena's gums and she lunged for the fish.
Arion tossed it into the mouth and pulled back his hand for safety. He gave a barking laugh. "Nice job Athena! You certainly scared her!" He said.
Athena rolled her eyes while swallowing the fish. Don't speak to me as if I'm your pet dog, canine. She sent the thought towards Arion but relayed it to the other three.
Arion hugged her head. "You know you love me, Athena! You can't resist the puppy eyes!" He cooed.
Athena gave a large lick and Arion spluttered. That's for licking Fayt while you're a dog, canine. She gave a laugh with Harry, Ron, and Hermione chuckling.
Fayt also has a pest problem. A certain Slytherin named Draco Malfoy. The two met on the same year Harry met Draco but they didn't pay much attention to each other. Their relationship only grew because Fayt is Arion's "sister". Draco hated Arion as much as he did Harry.
The first years were gathered around the Giant doors of the Great Hall waiting for Professor McGonagall to return. An atmosphere of nervousness and excitement hung in the air.
"I'm going to be Slytherin. My family's been in that house for ages." Malfoy said proudly.
Arion rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I bet your dad is so old that he's Salazar Slytherin himself." He joked and smirked as nearby first years chuckled in amusement. He watched as Malfoy glared at him while saying, "Watch it or else my dad can remove you from this school. He works at the Ministry." Arion gave a fake shudder and waved his hands. "Ooooh… I'm sooo scared! Try me." Arion hissed.
Fayt placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Ari, please stop." And stopped Arion from advancing the blonde boy.
Malfoy looked at him with disgust. "Who are you anyways?" He asked.
Arion held his chin high. "Arion Black, got a problem?" He asked.
Malfoy recoiled at the name "Black" and gave a hateful glare. He turned away from Arion and settled his eyes on Neville Longbottom who recently found his toad, Trevor. He seemed to give up on Arion and decided to pick on Neville.
Harry, who had decided that Malfoy was a snobby bully, stood up to defend Neville. He narrowed his eyes as Malfoy turned to him.
"Well, well! It's Harry Potter! The boy who lived!" Malfoy laughed causing a few whispers to go around. "Come on, you don't need to defend him. He'll probably end up in Hufflepuff or something. He looks like he's about to—"
"Oh shut your trap, will you? I'm trying to ignore you but it looks like you won't even give me that." Arion snapped.
Malfoy was furious for Arion to interrupt him and insult him. He abandoned insulting Neville and went straight back to arguing with Arion. "Just because you're a Black, doesn't mean you can boss me around." He hissed.
Arion gave a laugh. "So you're saying my name is not as important as yours? I don't even care if I'm a Black. From what I heard from my guardian, they're a load of gits! All of them are stinky Slytherins, but not my father. He was a proud Gryffindor!" He crossed his arms. "Why don't you tell us who you are? Mr. Anonymous?" He asked.
Malfoy glared. "Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." He answered.
Arion looked at him surprised. "Blimey! Your name is Malfoy Malfoy? Hear that sis? I thought my name was weird! Sorry, mate, but I hate to be you right now!" He wrapped an arm around Fayt for support as he burst out laughing.
Fayt covered her mouth to prevent herself from laughing but she couldn't help at her brother's humor. In fact many of the first years laughed with Arion.
Since that day, Malfoy was hell bent to ruin Arion's reputation. He plotted pranks on Arion but Fayt was always there to ruin his plans. It was as if she knew his every plan. Harry could see the confusion Malfoy had when he looked at her and Harry actually understood him to a certain extent.
Fayt was a girl of their age, raised in the same time and grew up in a normal life with family members who cared for her. However, Fayt gave an odd sense of calmness to those around her and when she spoke it was usually answering questions or giving wise advice. She joins Arion in his seemingly never-ending quest for laughter but she also holds back to not create so much harm to others.
And how is Malfoy a pest to Fayt? Well oddly and for some unknown reason to Harry, Malfoy showers Fayt with his presence during fourth year. He reaches out for her touch and speaks to her as if she was a Slytherin girl he's trying to impress.
Fayt, taken by surprise of Malfoy's sudden change of behavior, had dropped her calm and wise mask and constantly pushes Malfoy away. She snaps at him to leave her alone and gives him glares of warning as if she's not afraid to stun him to the next century. "Or millennia if he provokes her enough…" added Arion. "Malfoy's clearly asking for it. Her grandmother and mother are teaching her magic used by their ancestors and Fayt's always complaining about Malfoy. She wants to give him a huge surprise if it wasn't for the policy of no magic use in the corridors and the fact that she has to keep her Dragon Walker identity a secret." Arion told Harry as Fayt stormed her way towards the Gryffindor Common room after a Potions lesson with Snape and the Slytherins.
On the day of learning how to waltz for the Yule Ball she was forced to pair up with Malfoy since he immediately took her into his arms and Professor McGonagall was rushing the students to find a partner. Malfoy was left with an aching, and possibly swelling, foot while Fayt was left with a sour mood the whole afternoon.
Harry frowned at the thought of the night of the Yule Ball. He had a horrible time with Parvati Patil and Ron's jealousy of Hermione and Viktor Krum didn't make it any better. However he was surprised when Hermione, when tensions weren't high and they all tolerated each other's presence, showed Harry, Ron, and Arion a moving picture she took of Malfoy and Fayt dancing together and they actually seemed to be having a wonderful time in each other's arms.
"Draco and I had a truce that night. Pansy left him for my date and the idiot, Alekzander, had his eyes on her. We wanted to show them that we were fine without them." Fayt simply stated and took the picture from Hermione. Fayt's mood towards Draco didn't change after that and it seemed as if the Yule Ball night had never occurred.
Harry found himself at the edge of the park and gave a sigh as his lonely problems came back to him. He continued on his day not knowing of what is to come a few hours later.
