Chapter 4

"I dun get it," Hagrid said the image in the pensieve faded out. Dumbledore had devised a rather ingenious way of showing the contents inside of it while someone jumped inside the memory.

"It's quite clear," Dumbledore said in a calm fashion. "Harry has no idea who he is, but he has interacted with Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy, who seem to be awake, so I have no doubt they will figure out what's going on."

"But why are they stuck on a pirate ship?" Mcgonagall asked puzzled.

"That i'm not quite sure Minerva," began Dumbledore, "I'll have to see more students before I determine if it has to do with their minds, Trimegistus, or Voldemort's."

They all had crowded around the pensieve as Dumbledore vanished to check out the memory again and watched as he followed Hermione and Draco into the captains cabin. He was able to hear everything that was going on, but that's one thing the others outside couldn't do. He had devised a way for them to watch, but not to listen.

He smiled. Hermione and Draco may be at each others throats all the time but even they recognized when to put hatred aside to escape something they had no control over. If anyone could figure out how to get of out the dream state it would be them, and if they 'woke' Harry up they'd have even more of a shot. Hermione may be highly logical and Harry may be highly instinctual when it came to magic but Draco had the best of both worlds.

Draco had a different kind of intelligence, where as Hermione was bookish, he was street smart and able to adapt quickly without the need to think it through. His father made him train his mind and body from an early age, sometimes it paid off, sometimes it was just a nuisance, but that's one thing he hated his father for – he stole his childhood. One thing that he never told anyone was the fact that he was taught how to survive without the use of his wand.

Dumbledore fell back out of the pensieve after the conversation. He wasn't overtly surprised at what he'd heard, even he knew it was bound to happen eventually between them even if it was just a dream.

"It seems," he said after dusting himself off, "That Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy are married." This caused gasps from the remaining teachers that had crowded around.

"Tha' could never happen," Hagrid said in a surprised tone. "They despise each other."

"Opposites attract, however, one main thing to note is neither have a wand, they will have to figure out how to get out without one unless we can interrupt the dream."

"How will they survive in that place without a wand?" Flitwick asked.

"Both Ms. Granger, and Mr. Malfoy are very sharp." Dumbledore said in his usual calm tone. "They are two sides of the same coin so I'm positive they will survive."

Hagrid gently picked Harry up and carefully carried him over toward the cot that he had been laying on. Carefully he laid him back down.

"Hagrid, can you bring up Ms. Susan Bones?"

"Right away." Hagrid walked over and scooped Pansy up, carrying her over to the makeshift ward, and placed her gently down on the bed.

They all watched as Dumbledore disappeared for the third time into the Pensieve.

"We should try to get into his mind." Flitwick said pointing to Voldemort.

"Hush now," Mcgonagall cut in. "Albus knows what he is doing."

Dumbledore dropped into Susan's memory, He noticed it to be completely different from Harry's. He stood at the foot of a large, dark, jagged cliff. The first thing he noticed was a massive cave opening. A pole stood fixed in place in front of the cave, adorned with shackles, in which, was clasped, Susan Bones. Susan was wearing a rather ornate dress, her hair was pulled up into a bun. She was struggling to get free.

He would have normally helped her out if he could, sadly all he could do was watch. Susan's hands, at this point, were covered in bruises from her constant struggle to get free. He heard a loud, booming roar, he knew could only be a dragon. Another sound caught his attention, he turned towards it. The sound was the sound of hove beats approaching. A horse came into view, the rider he did not recognize for the fact that his face was covered, but upon noticing the rider was in full plate armor he made an educated guess as to the time period.

The rider stopped and dismounted. He was of medium size and build and his stance gave the impression of not only a slouch; but a proud man. His plate armor shone in the area's where the light seeped in through the massive tree canopy overhead. He unsheathed his sword and cautiously approached the girl, looking, making sure not to let his presence known to the creature inside. The rider paused and looked at the girl for a few seconds, sighed, and removed his helmet.

Susan looked dumbfounded, this was the last person she expected to find in this place, where ever it was. She had a good idea of the period she was in; problem was, she had no idea why or how she was here, for some reason she arrived as the daughter of a king. According to law a lottery was held. Every eligible, unmarried, maiden had to apply. Each one was given a number, when that number was called out the unlucky girl had the honor – or horror – whichever way you wanted to look at it, of sacrificing herself for the good of the realm to keep the dragon at bay.

She struggled again. "Well are you just going to stand there all day and stare or are you going to get me out of this?"

The rider broke off his stare as she spoke, he was more dumbfounded by her beauty more than anything. He had never realized just how beautiful she was. "Susan?"

"Ron?" she answered back in a sarcastic tone.

"So you recognize me?"

"Of course I recognize you, you twit, we've only been going to Hogwarts together for the last six years."

"Sorry, it's just that I'm glad to find that someone knows me." he said, excitement in his voice. "I just came from the kingdom, there are quite a few schoolmates there but no one seems to know me."

Ron walked over to her and held up his sword.

"You're not seriously going to use that are you?" she said in horror. "You'd have a much easier time with your wand."

"Don't have it, that was the first thing I checked when I got here. Where's yours?"

"Does it look like I can reach it if I had it." she spat.

"Jeez, sorry, hold still."

He raised up his sword again. She closed her eyes tight and lowered herself as far as the shackles would allow. Susan had nothing against Ron, she was just annoyed, confused, and didn't want her hands to be chopped off. In one swift motion the shackles that held her to the pole were no longer bound to it. Susan opened her eyes, surprised she still had both of her hands. She ran over and jumped into Ron's arms embracing him in a very tight hug.

Dumbledore drew back out of the Pensieve, just before exiting he noticed a castle in the sky sitting on clouds, he couldn't quite make out what the castle looked like but thought it best to check for it the next time he entered a mind, he had a feeling it played an important role.

"Albus?" asked Mcgonagall as Dumbledore shook off the effects of being inside the Pensieve.

"This may be a little bit harder than we thought Minerva." He paced around.

'If Trimegistus wanted unity so badly why would he throw everyone in different worlds' he said mostly to himself.

Dumbledore began walking toward the great hall doors. "I'm going to my office for a while, I need to check something." He said with urgency. "Hagrid, can you prepare Severus while I'm gone."

Hagrid nodded. Mcgonagall followed him out leaving the two teachers behind to puzzle over why they left.

Chapter 5

Snape was stalwart. His legion was the best they were at what they did and proved it every time they engaged in battle. They had been marching for days to somewhere, but no where in particular. Actually he knew exactly where they were headed; however, he was taking his own sweet time. Snape was the most loyal and second in command of Leonidas's spartan soldiers. Dumbledore looked on in curiosity as he lead the soldiers, he noted, however, that Snape was not awake at all and if he were a betting man he'd put money down that the three teachers he left behind were laughing at his predicament.

He didn't have his usual black robes on, he wasn't even frowning, it was like he was an unwillingly willing participant in a play, he was not in his usual fare at all. He wore a form fitting breastplate, golden, but faded with years of use; a leather skirt wrapped around his waist extending to mid thigh; leather boots, extending a little above the ankles then wrapped, mid way, up the calf; golden shin protectors and a crimson leather cape to hid blood if he ever got a cut. In his left hand he held a full length dory, in his right a shield with his late wife's doe crest painted on the front. His side carried his ever faithful companion; his sword.

"Come on men," he spoke in his usual monotone voice. "The Persians will know of our might." His voice held no inflection, but, at the same time, commanded attention; when he spoke everyone listened. "Let it be known that we three hundred will win the day."

Oh no! Thought Dumbledore. He looked up and noticed the castle in the sky again. The castle sat on a cloud, shimmering as if it were a bright star. He wanted very much to get a closer look at it but he knew that was impossible, at least for the moment, he'd have gather more research.