Hogwarts Castle…
It was the middle of the night. The moon hung full in the sky, its light illuminating the castle grounds with ethereal beauty. Stars twinkled in the sea of black that hung above. And a figure, cloaked in shadow, shielded by darkness, walked the halls of the castle, alone. No magic, no sense could penetrate this moving wall of black. The shrouded figure approached a wooden door, and turned the handle. The door remained shut however. The figure pointed at the door, a tendril of darkness leaping from the figure to the obstruction. The door swung open with nary a sound. The figure walked through the open portal, and the shadows weakened, receding greatly.
A lone transparent being watched as this familiar looking shadowed presence stood in front of a sink, making strange sounds. The object sunk into the ground, and opened the way to a large hole. The shadowed figure turned to the Ghostly Girl, for the Spectral entity was indeed a female, and held a finger to its lips. Staring in shock, and no small amount of fear, the ghost nodded, adhering to the figure's request to not tell anyone of its actions. The shadow vanished into the hole.
Hogwarts Castle: Underground…
The shadow flew from the large pipe it slid down, landing gracefully. The darkness around it faded and vanished as magical torches lining the walls flared to life.
Damn that took a lot out of me."You did good."Of course. But still, using that much Dark Magic to keep you hidden..."It'll be fine Tom. We've been doing things like that for weeks and we haven't been caught." If you say so.
The female, for this was a woman as well, approached an obstruction. A large wall of stone and boulders blocked her way.
Seems like you were right. Nobody's been down here since that day."Yes…but that will change." That Snape…he'll be surprised when youshow up with those things…"It'll cost him though. And I'm not just talking money. There are people who would literally KILL to get their hands on some of this stuff." Indeed. So…shall we get started?"We aren't doing anything. From now on I'll be doing all the work remember?" Well I DO have to monitor your status. That's no easy task, since of course you still won't let me deeper into your mind. "Sorry Tom, but until I'm sure you won't flip out and end up like last time…" I know, I know. I'm not complaining. Just stating fact.
The girl glared at the wall in front of her. She reached into her vest pockets and pulled out a pair of black fingerless gloves. She put them on and cracked her knuckles. Tapping the wall in various places, she mapped out in her mind the weak points of the obstruction. This was her final test. Not only would she have to face her fears of being down here…in this horrid place. Not only would she have to deal with the slowly rotting corpse that lay far behind this wall, but she would also have to use the precise amount of strength to get this done in one shot.
Pulling out her wand, she tossed a few silencing and cushioning spells at the ceiling and floor. It wouldn't do for the whole castle to wake up from this. She replaced her wand and approached the wall again. She placed her left palm at the point where she found the obstruction to be weakest. Nodding to herself, she stepped back a pace, and drew back her right fist. All within the span of a few moments, she gathered her magic from her core and placed a good deal into her fist. She then launched forward, fist first, into the wall. The punch collided, and she released the hold she had built around her magic. For a moment nothing happened. At least, it would seem like that. To her eyes, she saw the ripples of energy course through the wall, when finally it exploded outward.
The girl coughed a bit as the dust settled. Shaking the dust off her hands and out of her hair, she stepped past the broken remains of the stone wall, and approached the gateway leading to her goal. She smiled to herself.
"Finally…I'll no longer be a burden…I'll be able to share his love…and be worthy…"
Harry Potter and the Twilight Bracelet
Chapter X: Darkness of the Heart
Dream Realm: Mindscape…
(Play Kingdom Hearts: End of the World)
Once again, Luna was on what she dubbed the Lunar Isle. But she wasn't just with the enigmatic Xenmaru, but her heart's desire, Harry Potter. The two of them had been training, for their bodies somehow retained a good deal of the workout their minds got when they were in this world. There were a few…awkward moments, at least for Harry. Luna however didn't care…she wished to be touched, and he was…well…touching her. Not of his own will however, it was all accident. But what was strange, was how Xenmaru was simply…staring off into space.
It had been a few weeks since they returned from the Dream Realm. In that time, they noticed one of their number, Ginny, had been disappearing frequently. Other than classes, and a few moments at lunch and dinner times, nobody saw hide nor hair of her. To be truthful, Luna was worried. She knew the redhead had eyes for Harry. And to be totally truthful, Luna, in some small part of her heart, also had eyes for Ginny. Of course, the majority of her affections went to Harry, but, Luna wasn't picky…not to mention, Ginny was one of her first true friends. Luna would have no qualms of sharing the young Mister Potter with her red-haired friend.
But that's not what is truly important right now. Sharing a look, Harry and Luna plopped down next to Xenmaru, who was still staring into space, a far-away, lost look on his face. His eyes regained their focus…only to be obstructed by the face of Luna. She had crawled over to kneel in front of him, and had slowly been moving her face closer to his, eyes staring wide into his. To her, his eyes were glowing a soft red, shimmering in the moonlight, completely unfocused. So she stared and moved closer and closer…until their noses were touching. She watched him blink, eyes returning to their normal brown.
When the big blob that was Luna's face appeared in his view, Xenmaru's first instinct was to release a noise of surprise, and fall backward. However that impulse was taking too long to reach his brain. So he stared. He stared at the face that reminded him so much of someone he knew.
"Hello Luna."
"Hi Xen."
"Is there…a reason your nose is touching mine?"
"Wanted to see how close I could get before you snapped out of it."
"Right…uhh…"
"You want me to move?"
"Something like that…"
"Okay."
And so she did…right onto Harry's lap. The poor boy blushed fiercely as she squirmed around, trying to get comfortable. Still, he wrapped his arms around her, something that made her give an inward cheer. Xenmaru looked at the two of them, and smiled sadly.
"So…what's up Sensei? You seem kinda out of it."
"Yeah…sorry. You two…just remind me of someone I knew."
"Who?"
"The one I loved."
"Oooh, you've never told us about her."
"Yeah Sensei, take a load off. Spill, we wanna know."
"You want to know what she was like?"
Both of them nodded.
"Very well…"
He stared off into space again.
"She was…a lot like you Luna. Quiet…lonely…beautiful…and a fearsome side that would rend the offender asunder within seconds. She was…well…perfect. As the daughter of the blasted woman who made the Twilight Bracelet, she grew up…oddly you might say. After she reached around your age, her mother began ignoring her…for that was when the woman had finally made it. Originally, the bracelet was made to re-write the DNA of living beings, in order to fix genetic mutations and the like. But eventually, like all beings with power over others, Morgana was corrupted. Back in this age, magic was everywhere. People would even hold contests to see, who could cast the flashiest spell, who could blow up the biggest amount of crap, or who could construct the greatest building. Monsters, bounty hunters, mages…hell even Ninja were commonplace in my time."
"Ninja?"
"Warriors of shadow, the ultimate assassins. Swift, silent and deadly. They could kill you before you even realized you had been touched. Some even combined their skills with the magic of a Black or White mage, creating even more devastating warriors…when they needed to fight in the open. Of course, Poison spells; Petrifaction spells…even sleeping and silencing spells were part of a mage's arsenal. So when their target couldn't simply die, they'd poison them…or encase them in stone. Silence them so they couldn't scream, or put them to sleep for a quick, painless death."
"Sounds like what we can do."
"Yes…however my magic is more potent than yours, but generally takes a bit longer to cast. Rarely would a mage travel alone. Few mages had anywhere near decent physical attributes, and only Time mages, or very VERY skilled White mages could cast the Time magics."
"Time Magics?"
"Yes, Quick, Slow, Stop…and finally Reverse."
"What did they do sensei?"
"Quick, sometimes called Haste, would increase the movement speed of the target. Later on, mages learned how to increase the firing rate of electrons in the brain to increase reaction time, and also how to manipulate muscles in the body to push to limits…however those particular spells only worked on themselves. Quick worked on whoever they targeted, ally or enemy."
"Sounds useful."
"It was. It was one of the first skills a Time Mage learned. Rapists, something that was around even then, but far less common than now, could be thwarted by even a low skilled Time mage, or any class in general. Of course, that was assuming said rapist wasn't of any class. Anyway, Slow, would decrease the movement speed, and increase the casting time of the opponent. A Quick spell on you, combined with a slow spell on your opponent, would basically give you the ability to end a battle quickly."
"And how!"
"Stop, like its name, completely stops time around the target, freezing them in place. Time still flowed around the stopped area however. It's like…putting someone in stasis for a short period of time. Giving you the chance to either kill them, or save their life."
"Save their life?"
"Using Stop on say…someone who was dying from blood loss, would freeze them, blood and all in place. That would give people time to find the wounded, and heal them, before they died."
"Wow…that sounds REALLY useful."
"Indeed it was. However Time Magic had a few drawbacks. One: it could only be used by those with the most concentration. Meaning only the most powerful of mages could use time magic…unless they were born with the ability hidden within. Two: the effects didn't last very long, about a few minutes at best. Three: like all 'Status Effecting Spells' Time magic could be resisted, or even completely blocked, if the opponent had the potential to."
"You were a Red Mage right?"
"Yes…I was a red Mage…she…well, I never learned what class she was. It seemed she could use all forms of magic, as well as a decent amount of physical attributes."
"Big boobs?"
"Uhh…no. Well…kinda…I'd say a bit bigger than you Luna."
"Oh…that's nice." Harry looked at her.
"What is?"
"That Xen's not one of those guys that only likes huge breasted women."
Xen scratched his head. "What lead you to the conclusion that I was?"
"Kira."
"Oh. She dresses like that for battle. Freedom of movement or whatever. Can't say I blame her. With her fighting style, she NEEDS movement…not to mention most humanoid males get stuck staring at her nearly naked body…"
"If you've got it…"
"Use it. That's what I told her."
"Good. Now, what did she look like?"
"Aura?"
"Aha! We have a name now!"
"It's in the legend Luna."
"Oh…I only heard about the bracelet…not the people who used it."
Xen smiled. "Your color skin…deep dark blue eyes…long REALLY long silver hair…though it would change to your color once in a while for some reason…I think it had to do with her mood. She would constantly wear this big, flowing dress…but I finally talked her into wearing something more fitting, for incase we had to run like pussies to get away from a very powerful attack…"
"What was the second outfit?"
"Well…if I remember right…a really tight shirt...blue skirt that reached to her knees…a white cleric's jacket…and for occasion, a long white cloak with a hood…only instead of the hood's ornament being red, it was black, to match my outfit I guess. She was a caster mostly…but when we went close range…she was really good with her staff…custom made for her."
He held out his hand, and in a flare of sparkling white lights, a long red cross shaped staff appeared.
"This…was her staff."
"So that's where it came from." Luna turned her head to look at Harry."
"I'd seen him pull that thing out of nowhere occasionally. I wanted to ask…but every time I was about to…I felt like I shouldn't."
"Yeah, that'd be my fault…I'm not…one to talk about my past much. Rather not remember the details…"
"You start missing her don't you…"
He hung his head. "Yeah…"
"She died…against Morgana?"
Xen said nothing, but nodded.
"That's why you sealed yourself away?"
"She told me to live on. She told me to protect the bracelet. I wanted to go with her…but my damn sense of honor wouldn't let me. So…here I am. Teaching the new wielders and those that ally themselves with the wielders how to do battle of the old ways."
Xen scoffed. "I miss her like fuck. No doubt about it. But…she'd want me to move on. Problem is, I have nobody to move on to. Arietta's way too young, even if she is fifteen, and Kira…well she's too loyal to be a very good girlfriend…"
"What do you mean?"
"I saved her life. Kira's a Kitsune. She pledged a life bond to me in return. So basically I'm her master. It's almost like she's my pet…well, that's how it was in the beginning. Now, we're just really close friends…I'm like royalty to her…and she's my guard."
"Ahh…yeah that'd get in the way."
"Anyway…it's getting late…you two should go. It'll be time for breakfast in a bit. And weren't you going to Hogsmade?"
"Yeah…we'd like to take Ginny with us…but…"
"Yeah about that…"
They stopped. "What?"
"I tried locating her through this realm…I found her…but…"
"But…"
"The gateway to her mind is surrounded by black."
"Black…what?"
"Just black. Pure darkness. It's not writhing or pulsing, and it has an undertone of her essence, meaning it was put up with her consent, and perhaps even of her will…but…"
"She's not supposed to have that?"
"Well…it kinda just appeared one day. I tried going past it…but I kept getting repelled. Not forcefully, but kinda like a warning. So I'm guessing she's got some mental wall up, knows I'm trying to get in, and would rather I not. Either way, I'm gonna just phase through it tomorrow night. Just don't expect me to be able to tell you anything, alright?"
"Sure…just make sure she's ok."
"That's what I was gonna do anyway."
"Alright…come on Luna. We'll talk at breakfast ok?"
"Ok." She ran back to Xen and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Chin up 'Kay? You'll find someone eventually."
Xen just smiled and shook his head. Luna and Harry vanished.
I only wonder how long I'll have to wait again…
Hogwarts Castle: Great Hall…
(Play .hack GU Vol 1: Sakubo – Big sis and me)
Luna sat next to Harry at the Gryffindor Table. She and Ron had gotten into a food eating contest…and well…she won…but was still going. Even Ron was staring at her. Harry was watching her just shovel stuff in her mouth, swallow, take a drink, and start shoveling again. Hermione was disgusted, Neville was laughing at the look on Ron and Hermione's faces, and the other Gryffindors decided to stay away from the crazy girl and her food shoveling. Finally she stopped eating. Not long after she stopped she got a strange look on her face, and her cheeks puffed out. Thinking she was going to throw up, Ron scooted out of the way, only to have himself, and Hermione blown back by a very loud, and very POWERFUL belch from the smaller blonde.
Neville couldn't help but roar with laughter as Ron and Hermione struggled to get up with their legs caught under the table. Harry pat Luna on the back gently as she panted from the lack of air that her belch caused.
"Do you people always start weekends like this?"
Turning around, Harry and the others spotted Draco Malfoy standing a few paces behind their position on the table. Ron let out a growl, and glared at the offending blonde. Surprisingly, Malfoy held his hands up as a sign of peace.
"Easy there. I just wanted to ask Potter something."
"Speak Malfoy."
"Right…uhh…oh Dammit why is this hard…"
Harry raised a single eyebrow in confusion.
"Oh bugger! Look Potter…have you seen the Weaselette lately?"
"What the hell would you want with my sister?"
"Quiet Weasel! I'm talking to Potter not you!"
"Ron, back off. Malfoy…no, I haven't seen Ginny lately at all."
That's when a voice carried over.
"Looking for me?"
They all turned, and what they saw made their mouth's drop.
Ginny Weasely, the quiet but fierce redhead, and only female child of the Weaselys…was wearing something…quite unexpected. Seeing as it was a Hogsmade weekend, and thus, no classes, she had opted to wear a very tight red shirt with black letters saying "Is that a Wand in your pocket or are you happy to see me?" The shirt barely reached her stomach, which to Luna's keen eyes looked quite toned, as if she'd been working out lately. Where normally she'd wear pants, or the Hogwarts issue skirt, she opted to wear a checkered black and white skirt that reached just above her knees. Long black socks adorned her legs, and she wore a pair of black sneakers.
"What?"
Ron stammered. "Wh-what the hell are you wearing?!"
"Clothes. Would you rather I take them off?" She made as if she were about to lift her shirt… "NO!"
"Then don't bitch."
Harry…activate your Mage Sight. Alright…
Harry's eyes flashed, something that didn't go unnoticed by Ginny.
Mage Sight…a very rare ability. What's it do? It allows the user to see auras, along with energy trails…among other things. X-Ray? No…but he'll be sure to know that something's changed. As if my attire couldn't prove that. Point.
Look at her aura. It's…got black in it. Not just that, I noticed that was normal; however how the blackness has spread is slightly bothersome. But no, look how solid it is now. She's been doing something.
The green ring of the bracelet appeared on Harry's wrist. Should I…No…leave that to me. I'll find out what it is. Something tells me its fine…natural…for her at least.
Luna was the first to voice her feelings. "Wow Ginny! You look hot!"
Ginny smiled. "Thanks Luna. Judging by the boy's reactions I'd say they thought the same."
Draco recovered. "Well…The Loon's right. You do look…pleasing…to the eyes."
She got a smirk on her face. "I'm pretty sure I look pleasing to other things as well."
G'd. She friggin G'd him. Hardcore…
Draco was flustered. "I…well…Dammit Weaselette!"
Ginny laughed. "What is it you want with me Draco?"
"Well…I was wondering actually if I could buy some Potion ingredients off you. I hear you've gotten a few…rarities."
She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I may have. Why, looking for something to…increase from fun size perhaps?"
Oh snap! Double G! Damn…she's getting good!
Malfoy was stunned again. "I-you-what?!"
Even Ron was laughing. Ginny went for the finisher. "Oh come now Draco, you should know it's not the size of the wand that matters, but how you use it!"
Triple fucking G. My god, she just owned him something harsh! A fucking triple!
Malfoy was completely silenced. His mouth was gaping, it's owner amazed.
Ginny laughed again. "Sorry Draco but it was too easy, and I DO owe you four years of torment."
He snapped his mouth shut, blushed and simply nodded. "Anyway, I know why you're asking. So just go tell Snape that if he wants the booty, he's gotta come up with something better than what he offered originally. Come to think of it are you sure he's not just trying to get at it to up his booty?"
Holy fuck a G on someone who wasn't even part of the fucking conversation! God DAMN! You better land this girl Potter!
Luna, who had heard every word Xen said, jumped in. "Yes, you'd better! I don't feel like working on her myself you know!" Harry whirled to Luna and stared at her in disbelief. She looked right into his eyes, and flicked her tongue rapidly. Harry's eyes widened.
If you fuck this up…No way in HELL am I buggering this one up!
Harry rose from his seat, confidence within him. "Well my dear Ginny, we've got a town to go to…if you would be inclined as to grace us with your beauty?"
Nice, chatting her up old school.
He's…inviting me? When he has Luna? Ginny moved her gaze to Luna, who winked and made a clawing motion. A light blush appeared on Ginny's cheeks as she realized what Luna was indicating.
"Very well. I accept your invitation."
Harry held out a hand to assist Luna to stand…who took it and rose. Holding out his other arm to Ginny, she linked arms with him and the three of them went off to the village.
None of them knowing…that Ginny's true test…was about to begin.
Been forever. Finally I got my thoughts together enough to write this chapter. I already have the next one halfway mapped. Can anyone guess what Ginny's new ability is?
The-Resident: Why thank you. It may take a while, but I tend to keep going once I've started. I hope this is long enough for everyone.
D&SMaster: I've always been a fan of Card Captor Sakura. And it has been a while since I wrote a story that involved the Clow Cards. I'm glad you found the chapter interesting, and I hope you find this one the same.
Ranger Dragen: Gabrielle will show up from time to time. She's kind of an unwilling watcher of the important moments in Harry's life. And of course, she had a crush on him, but she realizes that it won't go farther than that. She might however end up Luna's apprentice…
Bishop2420: glad you like it.
Now, I'm sure all you non-Malfoy fans are gonna hate me because I'm making him not an asshole. Well, tough. I tend to prefer stories where Malfoy gets his ass handed to him, but I also like stories where he's believably changed. Not instant: oh I'm good now ha ha ha it was all an act. No. More like: My fucking father was a fucking dick who keeps bowing at the feet of a fucking half-blood and I'm joining you Potter because you seem like you can kick his mother fucking ass. I don't like you that much, but that can change cause you seem like a decent fucking bloke.
Or something like that. Oh by the way, a G is when someone gets on someone else, twisting their words or so to make good fun of them. Or when someone makes an ass of themselves. Example: When someone hasn't seen someone they know for a long time and "Re-introduce" themselves. (Order of the Phoenix by Ruskbyte). That is considered G'ing oneself.
To G someone else, you basically have to twist their words around, not straight out pull something out of your ass insult, but mostly take what they said, twist it around and fire it back at them in a way that would embarrass them. Example: how Ginny took Malfoy's request, and perverted it in a way that would completely fluster him.
Also, an involuntary G is when someone G's someone else, because the recipient made a mistake. Example: (personal example) My friend mentioned he had a full wallet. Me, being who I am, started rattling off games for him to get. His response: "…I have 300 out of 300 rupees."
Thus ends the guide to G'ing.