Hey again. Here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy it.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were so excited about being able to control the elements. They couldn't wait to find out what they were going to learn. So they sat close to the front of the classroom and waited for the teacher to arrive.
While waiting for the professor, Harry watched who walked in. Harry noticed he didn't really know any of the other students who were chosen in Light except for a hand full of students. Then he saw Ginny walking in with Luna and the little girl, Camille, and right behind them was that girl, Lauren and Malfoy.
"Why would that girl be with Malfoy?" Harry said to himself. "She's probably evil!" Ron said who apparently heard Harry. "Anyone who can be friends with Malfoy has to be evil." Ron continued. "I wouldn't say that Ron." Hermione said. "And why not?" Ron asked with an attitude. "Because it looks like Ginny likes her." Hermione said as she pointed to where Ginny was sitting.
When Harry looked where Hermione was pointing to, she looked liked she was right. Ginny was sitting in the middle of Neville and Luna in the front row on the left side of the classroom. Ginny was introducing Neville to Lauren and Camille who was running towards the group with Malfoy walking behind the little girl. Lauren and Neville looked like they would get along great, and when Malfoy reached the table, Neville froze. Lauren saw that it was Malfoy that had caused the tension and gave Malfoy a nudge. Malfoy said something to Neville and then held out his hand. Neville looked unsure but then looked at Ginny and Luna who both nodded. Neville took Malfoy's hand and shook it.
Harry looked at Ron, and saw that Ron saw what just happened and he was fuming. He was about to say something but that's when Professor Thomas came in.
"Welcome students to the Light house. Please take your seats." Professor Thomas said. Draco and Camille walked to the back of the room and sat with each other and Lauren walked to the front of the room and sat in a chair next to the desk. Then when the professor thought everyone was ready and paying attention, she began.
"The Light house is as you saw the other day, the house that can control all of the four elements. Those elements are water, earth, air, and fire. Every person in this room can control all of those, however very few can control all of them evenly. What I mean is that you may be able to control all of the elements but you have more control over fire while your friend has more control over water."
"My class will teach you how to control the elements to an extent. Then at the higher level of classes will show you a combination of spells that only Light house students can perform. It is your choice to expand your powers with practice and other teaching from other professors. Since you are all on different levels of teaching, I will teach you on 1st level work, and it is up to you if you wish to go beyond that. Each month I will ask if you believe you should be in a higher level and I will test you and but you in the next level. This is how it will be for the entire year. If you believe you can go to the next level earlier then at the end of the month you will be tested in your free time. However you do not need to be in a rush because I do not expect a 4th year in Hogwarts to be able to do years of Merlins work in a month."
"I guess you all will be the first to find out, but I am also going to teach the Hogwarts students there Defense Against the Dark Arts class. I also know that Merlin's Academy students will also be placed in Hogwarts classes but I do not know how they are putting people by grades or knowledge."
Harry was shocked. Professor Thomas was his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She must be good, at everything if she was in charge of the Light house and a Defense teacher. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Professor Thomas talking about Lauren.
"I would like to reintroduce your elder Lauren." At the mention of her name, Lauren got up and stood next to Professor Thomas. Then the professor started to continue.
"I also wanted to introduce your Prefect but I guess she is coming to a later session. Lauren will be your teacher for most of the time, until you reach her level. She is helping me because I have more classes then expected this year. You can ask her for help inside or outside of class."
Professor Thomas looked at her watch. "Well this ends the first session. You are now able to spend the rest of your day as free time or visit the other teachers. Well I hope you enjoy the next year with me as your Professor."
She dismissed the room of students. Harry was about to turn to talk to Ron, but Ron wasn't in his seat; he was walking towards his sister who was talking to Luna and Neville. Hermione and Harry gave each other a look and then ran after him. When Ron reached where the small group was, he looked like he was going to explode.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Asked Ron. Ginny, Luna, and Neville turned around to face him, all of them have a confused look on their faces. "What was what?" Ginny asked her older brother.
"The hand shake with Malfoy and the nodding of heads, like an agreement with Malfoy. You make some evil plot from inside the Gryffindor, huh Neville?" Ron said angrily. "What are you talking about? He asked for a truce." Neville said. "Yea and he even apol…" Ginny started to say but was interrupted by Ron. "This has nothing to do with you Ginny. A truce? Malfoy's don't know the meaning?"
"Um…Excuse me." Lauren said. Everyone looked at her. "I'm sorry to interrupt but I need to talk to Ginny for a few minutes." Ron saw her and said, "What ever you have to say to her you can say to all of us." "Ooook," Lauren said raising her eyebrow as if saying in her mind 'What wrong with him?' but then continued "Ginny I was wondering if you wouldn't mind watching Camille while I go see some of the teachers, and if there are any teachers you wanted to go visit I promise I'll bring you to see them and I'll pay you if you want, but you really don't have to if you don't want to."
"Lauren I would love…" Ginny started to say but for the second time that day Ron interrupted her. "No she will not!" "Ron, it's not your choice, I want to watch her." "I'm your older brother, and she just wants you not to meet the teachers and give a bad impression."
"Ron, she just said she would introduce me to the professors' one on one! Why would she let me give a bad impression?" Ginny asked. "Well anyone whose friends with the ferret is evil." Ron answered.
"I'm still in the room." Lauren said. "And it's no problem, Ginny I'll continue to watch to Camille, and I'll see you at dinner."
"She's not ever sitting with you." Ron screamed at Lauren as she walked out of the classroom. Ginny was starting to get really angry "Ron, where was I sitting at lunch?"
"Uhhhh….."Ron said, trying to think. Ginny gave him a look as in 'I dare you to prove me wrong'. "You were sitting at the end of the Gryffindor across from Neville." Ron said in a way that said 'Ha' to Ginny. Harry was about to tell Ron that isn't where Neville sat, but Neville beat him to it.
"I was sitting next to you at lunch." Neville said in a way of disappointment and then Ginny said, "And I wasn't even at the Gryffindor table. Come on Luna, Neville, let's go." They walked out of the classroom together.
Ron was left with his mouth open in utter surprise. Harry could tell that he couldn't believe what just happened. "Did you see that?" Ron asked. "Well, she has a point, Ron; you can't tell her what to do or who to hang out with." Hermione said. "Well that girl is EVIL!!!!!!!" "Ron you don't even know her, I bet you can't even remember her name." "Yea I do! It's ….um….it's…"Ron stuttered.
"Guys, let's just go back to the tower and not see any of the other professors. We'll meet them all another day since we probably won't be able to meet them all anyway, I think we all need a little stress relief time." Harry said. The other two nodded their heads and headed off to the tower.
Meanwhile upstairs in Dumbledore's office was Professor Dumbledore and Professor Florence.
"Well, as you can see Dumbledore, I told some of the students involved with the Prophecy already because well once each one started gaining these new powers, it hard to keep it a secret. Especially when their hand started glowing their sign on their palm." Professor Florence said.
"Yes, so their powers are shown when the spirit of the old soldiers think they are indeed ready to take the challenge." Professor Dumbledore. "But Dumbledore, the numbers don't make sense. There was one student who showed extraordinary powers. However I didn't know what part she had in the prophecy, so I told her when I find out I will tell her immediately." There was a pause between the professors, and then Dumbledore smiled. "You are forgetting something, Florence, you are correct in the number of soldiers, and founders, but there was something we miss calculated before." Florence raised her eyebrow but stayed silent so the Professor could continue.
"The Prophecy does not only talk about the soldiers and founders, they also talked about guardians." "But Dumbledore, I thought the guardians were made once the soldiers and founders found each other. That is was some force field of protection." Florence said. "Yes, Florence, but what we didn't take into consideration that the fields of protection are people as well." "Wait, then how can the equal balance be formed if its people. You can't get an equal balance from all the soldiers and founders if they are people, no one can be a little bit of personality from 12 people."
"Florence you are correct in that statement. However did you ever hear of a saying yin-yang?" Florence nodded and professor Dumbledore continued. "The equal balance is not between the 12 people, it's by two. Two opposite people who collide to make one, shall we say force." At this Florence's eyes started to go wide when she realized what he was saying. "Yin-yang" she said softly. "Yes, maybe the protective field is actually the balance of two guardians, two students whose bond is strong."
"So the student, who showed powers that were the same as the other students, is not the powers of the soldiers, but of a guardian." Florence stated. Dumbledore started to say "So instead of trying to find just four other students who are the founders, we have to find five students." "Four founders and the other guardian." Florence said. "Correct Florence."
"Dumbledore, should we start training the ones that we know have a part in the prophecy?" "Yes we should but different types of training until the rest of the members are found, and that is when the real training begins." Florence smiled at the mention of this but then frowned. "What's wrong Florence?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well, we only have an idea of who the founders are but now we have to search for a guardian, and how will long will it take for the founders' heirs to come across there full power." "I believe," Dumbledore started to say, "that since the soldiers have come to their full power already, the founders should be right behind them."
"So you think they will be found soon, Dumbledore?" "Yes, of course especially since everyone is learning more magic, the determined will stay on top." Dumbledore stated. Florence paused. "So I guess time will only tell." "I guess so Florence, I guess so."
"Laaauuurrreeennnnn" Camille whispered. "Are we almost done? I want to go play."
"Camille in just a little while, ok? This is the last teacher I'm going to see today, I promise." "Fine, I'm going to sit next to Steven."
Lauren sighed and watched the little girl sit next to one of her closest friends, and probably her longest friend. She and Steve went everywhere together; they even slept in the same room. This wasn't difficult, them both being in an adoption agency for most of their lives. I mean it wasn't until after they had already started Merlin's Academy that she and Steven had both left the clinic. She thought about the past couples of years, and it felt like all the pain was rushing back and she was going to cry.
However, all the students started getting up, apparently as Lauren was going through memory lane the teacher had dismissed them. Steven and Camille walked over to Lauren. Steven was the only one who wanted to see as many teachers as Lauren did, while Draco and the rest of them had very serious jetlag and needed a nap.
Once she arrived at Merlin Academy is when she meet her best friends. She couldn't believe that a big group of people can be best friends with each other and not fight. Of course, we all argue but most of the time it's just to annoy the others and it lasts around five minutes long. Well for most of us anyway, Steven and Anna always "fight" with each other.
Honestly, Lauren thought, they should just date already.
"Lauren!" Camille screamed at the doorway holding Stevens hand. "Come on." Lauren saw they were waiting, and ran to her as if to tackle her and Camille screamed and ran behind Steve.
"You know Lauren you should really stop day dreaming in class." Steven said. Lauren rolled her eyes and said, "You know technically that wasn't a really class." "Excuses, excuses."
"Steven give me a piggy back ride!" Camille looked at him holding her arms up and jumping up and down. "Well, I don't know. I'm really tired, and hey, you know what? How about you give me a piggy back ride, I always give you one." Camille started laughing. "I can't pick you up! You're too heavy!"
Steve gave a looking of mock hurt. "Fine, what do you say though?" "Please!" "Get up here!" Steve said while throwing her up onto his back. Lauren was holding Steven's book. Lauren was about to go through memory lane again, when red headed girl was walking towards them.
"Ginny!!!!!!!" Camille screamed and jumped up and down on Steven's back. Steven gave a wince every time she did that.
Ginny walked up to the three of them, and said hi and apologized for Ron. "It's no problem Gin, you mind if I call you that?" Ginny shock her head. "Uh, who's Ron?" Steven said.
"Ron is one of my older brothers. He was being a snob to Lauren. He so pig-headed sometimes." "Why did he give you a bad time?" Steven asked with a little authority. "I honestly have no idea all I did was walk in Professor Thomas room and talked to Ginny and Luna, and their friend Neville. Ginny why did your brother flip on me?"
"Honestly, it wasn't really you that he flipped on. He flipped on your friendship with Mal….Draco." 'I have to get use to saying his name,' Ginny thought.
"Oo, well that's understandable." Steven said. Lauren hit him playfully. "What? I can't hate him because he's stealing my best friend." Steven said. "He's not stealing me; you know how important you are to me."
"Draco is so nice! He always would play with me." Camille said. "Uh..." Ginny said. "You are wondering how we know him and became…" "The man he is today!!" Steven said interrupting Lauren. Ginny started to laugh and nodded.
"Well, he wasn't always like this, well I'm sure you know. But when we met him, he was very quite, and was always locked in his room. Then one night I saw him playing with Camille. He didn't realize I had walked in, and apparently this wasn't the first time he and Camille were playing together, but when he realized I was in the room. For a moment, I saw vulnerability, and I took the chance. I told him, I would never tell anyone of this to anyone. He nodded, and as I made my way to the door, Camille ran to the door and stopped me. She told me, he didn't want me to leave and I looked at him and he looked at me with the most painfully eyes I have ever seen. I ran to him and hugged him, and started crying. I didn't ask what or why he was crying. I just sat there holding pretty much a stranger in my arms. Camille sat down with us, and she understood nothing was to be said. After awhile I remember falling asleep once he stopped crying. Then I remember waking up in my bed, with a note next to my bed saying 'Thank you, D.M.'."
"Wow. Is that what happened?" Steve said. "Wait," Ginny said. "You mean you didn't know." "Well Draco told us about the note and the midnight meetings with him and Lauren, but I didn't know what specifically caused the friendship." Steve told Ginny.
"Well, I told him I would never tell, and since he told you guys I didn't think it was necessary to go into details." Lauren said. "So was that it?" Ginny asked, "Instant friendship?"
"Well, I guess to an extent. The next couple of days went by, I think he was worried I would tell people, but once he realized I wasn't going to, he started to relax. It wasn't much, but to us, it was. I met him other nights with Camille, and Camille would do the same thing almost every night, but little by little Draco started to talk to me. By the end of our training, Draco and I knew everything about each other."
"Wow, it seemed Draco really did change." Ginny said. "Yea he did, he told all of us how he was in school, especially to your brother and Harry." Lauren said. Ginny then said, "Eh, sometimes he deserved it."
"Finally someone agrees with me." Everyone turned around and Draco was right behind them. "Draco!" Camille said and ran right up to him, and he picked her up. Steven pretended to be hurt. "Draco, you first steal Lauren, and now you steal my little one."
"Steven, if anything she was my little one first, Lauren was just was a plus." Draco smirked playfully. "Hey!" Lauren said. "Anyway, I thought you were taking a nap."
"I was, but unlike you guys I live in Europe, so jetlag for me isn't bad." "Well we were going up to the common room to get ourselves a snack before dinner." Lauren said. "Snack?" Camille said smiling. "Yes," Lauren said, "a healthy snack." "Oh." Camille said. Everyone laughed at this.
"You want to come, Gin?" Lauren said. "Yea come on!" Camille said. "Well…" Ginny started to say. "Come on weasel." Draco said, but it wasn't like the insulting way he usually would say it. 'I think he's joking with me,' Ginny thought. "Lead the way ferret!" Ginny said. Draco smiled a little embarrassed.
"Wow, I totally forgot about that story." Lauren said. "Yea, I like this girl!" Steve said. Then they all laughed, and headed for their common room.
When they arrived, Lauren said the password, and the group walked in. When the others were running out almost as if they were running away from danger. "What's going on?" Steve asked. As the others were running, Anna stopped. "The alarm just went off; we will be outside waiting for you."
Everyone looked like in a rush; Lauren pushed Draco, Ginny, and Camille into the room, while Steve ran upstairs to get something.
"Steve! Grab mine too." Lauren screamed after him. "Ok, you know what to do. You will stay in here until we come back; we should be back in less then an hour." Camille nodded, "Draco watch her." Draco nodded and you can see a little resentment. "Give it time Draco. I can't deal with this right now." "Uh…can someone please explain to me what the bloody hell is going on?" Ginny asked.
Lauren and Draco looked at each other, and then at Ginny and then back. To Ginny it was like they were having a conversation with their minds, and then Lauren looked at Ginny again and nodded to Draco.
"Draco will explain when I leave." Lauren said. At this point Steve came down with these two chains with a charm on them each. They looked like the charms on the Merlin's academy stuff, but she knew she saw them before, she just couldn't place it. Steve through it across the room and Lauren caught it. "I got to go, bye." Lauren said while kissing Camille on the head and running with Steve.
Once they left, Camille asked Draco to cut an apple for her. For the first time since she arrived in the room, she looked around. It was huge, like a mini house. It was a common room with a fireplace, a couple of couches, chairs, bookshelves, table, and not only was it a common room, it was also connected to a small kitchen with a small table in it. In the common room part, there was three doors. "What is this place?" Ginny said
"Well, it's their home." Ginny looked at Draco. "What?" "It's their common room, the groups. We all live here." Ginny looked surprised at Draco, "You all nine live here?"
Draco looked at Ginny while handing Camille her cut up apple. "Well, with this little one, it is ten people who live here, but we can have more if we wanted to. They have a guest bedroom. You hungry?" At that moment Ginny's stomach had just rumbled, and Draco and Camille laughed and Ginny smiled. "I'll take that as a yes." Draco said and tossed an apple to Ginny and she caught it.
As he went to get another apple when Ginny asked, "And the different bedrooms are in those three doors?" Draco answered, "Well only one of them." "One of them?" "Yep" Draco said "The other doors are the bathroom, and the hall to the other rooms, such as creative room, weight room, another bathroom, and other cool stuff."
"This place is wicked cool!" Ginny said, "Agreed" Draco said. There was a pause between the two and Camille then started to "Draco, you got to tell her!" "Oo, oh yes. Well I believe a picture is worth a thousand words, and got up and walked over to the pile of books and newspapers." Ginny was wondering what he was doing?
"You were there right? During the attack on Diagon Alley?" Ginny nodded and allowed Draco to continue. He put a newspaper clipping titled 'Mysterious nine. Friend or Foe?' The article had a picture of the fighters and Draco set it on the table. Ginny looked at the picture seeing the figures dressed in the clothing that Ginny personally thought was wicked cool. Then little Camille leaded on the table across from Draco, so the three made a triangle, and Camille then said. "Guess who they are."
Ginny looked closer at the picture, and then found it. Each one of the students had a string with their symbol attached to them, either around their neck or wrist or anklet. A small piece of clothing that would usually mean nothing and tossed to the side, now made all the difference in the world. It finally clicked to Ginny.
"It's….It's…" Ginny stuttered. At this Draco pulled out another picture, it was a picture of Lauren and her friends probably a year younger.
"Us?"
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