The Power Known Not
Chapter Ten
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"You mean that he's here now?" Harry asked, looking at Claudia with wide eyes.
"He's here now, and I have as little warning as you do. Thank you for coming Lucille, but I think you should leave, as Hurstien might not appreciate your presence." Claudia chose her words carefully.
"I understand completely." Lucille said, getting up. "After all I have children to keep out of mischief."
"Thank you for coming." Harry said, giving Lucille a hug.
"I don't mind at all." Lucille replied. "Same time next week?"
"Of course." Jason agreed. "Now you best be on your way." He told Lucille who nodded, and to Harry, "You best be getting changed into something niceish."
"Will do." Harry said.
-0-
"So you're Harry Potter." Hurstien said walking around Harry, who turned his head, keeping him in his line of sight.
"I am." Harry said watching the elderly man, whose hair was a wispy white, cropped short to his skull. Something that was rather unusual for a wizard.
"Well then let's get down to business. I'll be needing three drops of your blood in this vial, and two strands of hair in this dish. And if at all possible, a garment that you've worn recently." Hurstien said, watching Harry through aged eyes.
"I'll go and get the shirt he was wearing earlier." Claudia said, rising.
"No!" Hurstien exclaimed. "He needs to be the last one that touched it. Go and get your shirt Harry." Hurstien told him.
Harry got up and went to get his shirt.
"Grab a bit of parchment on your way, boy!" Hurstien called after him.
"Will do!" Harry replied, going into his room, picking up his shirt and grabbing a scrap of parchment as he walked past his desk.
"Good. Now, prick your finger and get the three drops of blood in the vial please." Hurstien said. Seeing the puzzled expression he sighed. "Do it with a pin or something, one that you either transfigured or conjured."
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Because something tainted with your magic comes into contact with your blood it contaminates your blood, but in a good way. The blood is better. Just follow directions, please?"
"Maybe." Harry said pricking his finger with a transfigured pin and watching as the three drops hit the vial.
Hurstien snatched the vial away "Draw a picture of yourself in your blood on the parchment, just your face, and no, I'll not tell you why."
Harry shook his head and began drawing. It wasn't very good, just a circle, with a lightning bolt and the basic features. "I'm finished." He told Hurstien.
"Fine. The two hairs in the dish, now." Hurstien said demandingly.
Harry winced as he pulled two hairs from his head. He set them in the dish and looked on, waiting for the next command.
Hurstien pulled out a small, old looking trunk. He opened it, and there in the lid was secured a set of small wooden blocks, the bottom was filled with vials. "Pick a block of wood and a vial."
Harry rolled his eyes and chose a block and a vial.
"Thank you." Hurstien said, pulling the block and vial out and setting it in the dish. "Maple wood, and almond oil. An unlikely combination." He dumped the vial out over the wood, and a sweet scent permeated through the room. "Now, do you think that you could put a few drops of blood in here? Your finger should still be bleeding a bit, just give it a squeeze."
"Of course." Harry muttered, and followed directions.
'That's enough." Hurstien said. "Now, go outside, and get some water from the stream, and a few plants, whatever seems to call to you."
"Okay." Harry said, "do you want me back quickly?"
"Take your time, but be back before the hour's past." Hurstien said.
"Of course." Harry replied, shutting the door behind him quietly.
-0-
"Hermione!" Fred called.
"We know you're in here!" George added.
"What!" Hermione said, emerging from a darkened row of shelves.
"There you are!" Fred exclaimed.
"Just the girl we were looking for!" George said, grinning.
"What is it now?" Hermione asked, irritably.
"We've come to you with a proposition."
"A fine proposition that should not be turned down."
"A proposition that prosper within the grasp of your lovely hands."
Hermione backed away a little but was pulled back by the twins.
"Not really a proposition really though. Right, Fred?" George asked.
"Yes, I'd say more of a" Fred started and George chimed in. "A proposal."
"No. I don't accept. Never." Hermione said, shaking her head.
"That's not it. We just thought that you should know-"
"That our dear brother Ronnikins is thinking that you are-," George started.
"Hopelessly in love with him and are playing hard to get," his twin finished.
"May I kill him? Please?" Hermione asked, lightly banging her head against a bookcase. "How does he not get that I don't like him. It's not that hard of a concept."
"Of course it is; he's hopelessly in love with you. Which is why you get our very first Portable Housekey."
"Your what?" Hermione asked.
"You are familiar with the normal Portkey, takes you one place, and is useless, can be programmed to touch, time, or word activation."
"Yes." Hermione replied.
"We've managed to tinker with them, to make them voice and touch activated; it needs both, to prevent accidental deployments, and to make them essentially reusable. The spell should be reinforced once monthly, to make sure that it still works, but what they will do is get you from anywhere, to once set location an infinite amount of times."
"Interesting." Hermione said. "Now why are you giving me this?"
"Because we figure that since you are hiding out in here so much, you won't want to leave come September. So we've made a necklace." Fred held up a necklace with two charms on it. One was a lion and the other a house.
"Now, that awfully attractive lion will take you to the Gryffindor girls dorm, and the little house you can program to take you to wherever you're living in here." George said tossing the necklace to Hermione.
"I like this, thanks." Hermione said, fastening the clasp. "Now what are the activation words?"
"You choose those yourself. It tells how in the pamphlet that comes with the necklace." Fred said helpfully, pulling out a pamphlet and handing it to Hermione.
Hermione flipped through the booklet and smiled. "Thanks. I think I might have to invest in a few more charms for some other places."
"That'll be lovely,' the twins said, beaming, 'we're not going to have them available to the general public, just to select people."
"That sounds wise." Hermione said, tucking the necklace under her shirt. "Will concealing charms have any effect on the necklace?"
"We don't think so, but you're welcome to be a test bunny."
"I'd rather not. But, I'll research it to see if there's any possible effects." Hermione said. "Thanks again. If I do decide to work at your shop, these will come in handy, won't they?" Hermione asked.
"Never considered that." Fred said.
"Using them for employees." George added, grinning.
"Well, Hermione, we've got to go and do some more work." Fred said, saluting her, and leaving the library.
"Wait just a minute!" Hermione exclaimed, dragging Fred back into the library.
"Yes, milady?" Fred asked, bowing to Hermione.
"I remember Harry telling us that Fudge raised a stink about the portkey that took all of us here last Christmas. Aren't portkeys regulated by the ministry?"
"They are. But we, being a business and all, are allowed, due to meeting shipments and other things. We just have to register the portkey."
"Are these registered?" Hermione asked.
"Of course not. But they are untraceable, and they just need to be programmed the rest of the way." George told her.
"We'll leave you to that, and if you need more, just owl us!" Fred said, shutting the library door before Hermione could call them back.
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Harry dumped a small pile of plants in front of Hurstien. "That enough?"
"The water?" He asked, absently.
Harry dropped a stoppered flask on top of the plants.
"Good, coujured that yourself?"
"Of course." Harry replied.
"You're learnin' boy, you're learnin'." Hurstien said. "Now, dump the water into the bowl, and stir it with one of the plants."
"Of course." Harry said again, and did so. "Any specifics?"
"No, just stir it until it starts bubbling, and then drop your self portrait in." Hurstien said, sliding the scarp of parchment towards Harry.
"My arm is tingling." Harry said.
"That's how it's supposed to be." Hurstien said. "When your whole body is tingling, it's nearly ready for the parchment. After you drop the parchment in, stop stirring."
"Okay." Harry said, stirring the mixture gently, it was starting to bubble, and it was a deep shade of green.
"Stop stirring!" Hurstien exclaimed, looking at the concoction with wide eyes. "Drop the parchment in!"
Harry did so, and there was a plume of orange smoke and a loud explosion, throwing Harry back, and causing Claudia to swear viciously from her study.
"If you've messed up my living room, you'll wish that you had never been born!" She called out."
"He told me to do it!" Harry shouted back, standing back up.
"That's never happened before." Hurstien said, wobbling slightly as he made his way to the copper dish that was still in one piece.
"Interesting." He said.
"What's interesting?" Harry asked, coming closer.
"Something that you'll find out soon enough, I'm sure." Hurstien said, pulling a much larger piece of parchment out of the dish than had been put in. "Don't touch anything." He cautioned Harry, and going towards Claudia's study.
The door was shut firmly and Harry felt them erecting wards. "Might as well read that book on potions." He muttered, summoning it from his room.
-0-
"Lovely, just absolutely spiffin' lovely." Claudia said glaring at the piece of parchment.
Jason peeked over her shoulder and gasped. "Are you sure of the results?" He snapped.
"Of course I am. This is my job. The results are always accurate to the slightest fluctuation of powers in the subjects life or set amount of years, and in this case I set it for his entire life, beginning at the very start." Hurstien said.
"How am I going to tell him?" Jason groaned, head against the wall.
"I can tell him." Hurstien said hopefully.
"No!" Jason and Claudia said in unison.
"Why can't I?" Hurstien said.
"Because Jason is Harry's guardian and therefore it's his responsibility to tell him." Claudia said. "Now I think it'd be best for you to go.
-0-
"Severus? Any news from the Dark Lord regarding Harry?" Dumbledore asked, the twinkle in the blue eyes slightly dimmed.
"Nothing that results in positive progress for either side Albus," Severus said, sipping from the cup of tea.
"So what's happened that didn't result in positive progress?" Albus asked.
"He has tried to summon the boy through blood magic. As it is Potter's blood that he survives with, he thought to summon the boy and control him through the blood."
"And it did not work Severus?"
"No, he did not have any success." Severus said.
"What are your theories on that?" Dumbledore asked.
No theories at all Albus, except for that Potter no longer has Lily's blood, and no longer shares a blood connection with the Dark Lord. "Nothing at all. Except for possibly it could be that it is Potter's blood, so the Dark Lord was not successful."
"Interesting Severus. And what of the vampires? Is Voldemort recruiting from them?"
"I have no news about the vampires, and I'd rather not go on a mission to convince them of the light."
"I wasn't asking you to." Albus said. "I do wish to have someone find them, but I do not wish for one of the members to be killed."
"What makes you so sure that an envoy would be put to death? Vampires are rumored to be intelligent creatures." Severus said, brow furrowing. There is something in this tea. Something that is not sugar. Thank whomever is in charge that I regularly take a neutralizer.
"Intelligent, but ruthless. I fear that they have been excommunicated from wizard-kind and would not react well to an envoy." Albus said, pulling a small tin out of a drawer. "Lemon drop?"
"No thank you. I believe that I must be going." Severus said, nodding to the headmaster and leaving the room, heading for the library.
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"Neville, listen. Send an owl to Claudia. Tell her that Alice and Frank are finally coming 'round, ask for her help. She should be able to get Frank and I out of here. Can you do that for me, honey?"
"Claudia who?" Neville asked, grabbing a piece of parchment and scribbling it down.
"Just Claudia. Does your Gran still have my old owl?"
"Yes." Neville said.
"Well, send it off with her, she'll be able to find her." Alice said, hugging her son again. "My baby's getting so big. I remember when you were so tiny…" She started.
"Mum, someone's coming." Neville whispered.
"Well then, best appear to be insane then, shall I?" She asked, and propped herself up on a few pillows.
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"Dad!" Dudley exclaimed, hugging his father. "You're awake!" He grinned.
"Dudley, I'm sorry to disturb you, but we need to go over some things with you father, could you give us some privacy?" Healer Dopplewithe asked.
"Of course." Dudley nodded. "Is it okay if I go up to the tea room?"
"Go ahead, how are your galleons holding out?" The healer asked.
"I'm running a little low, but I should be fine." Dudley said, disappearing from the ward.
"Well, Mr. Dursley, I'm Healer Dopplewithe, and I'm the primary healer involved in your case. Now, we're not quite sure what precisely attacked you and your wife, but do you have any ideas?"
"I was attacked?" Vernon asked, furrowing his brow, thinking, trying to remember.
"What do you remember?" Prompted the Healer.
"I remember pain... lots of pain and then nothing." Vernon said, running a beefy hand through his hair.
"Well then. Magic can fix most things, but by the time you arrived it was too late in your case." The Healer said.
"What do you mean?" Vernon asked.
"Mr. Dursley, are you familiar with the word 'castrate'?"
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A few minutes later, patients and Healers alike looked around for the source of the high-pitched scream that echoed throughout the building.
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"Hermione?" Madeleine asked.
"Hello Mum." Hermione said softly, edging into the kitchen. "Is Dad around?"
"He's somewhere. I believe that he's found himself a new project. Something about building a shelf…somewhere."
"Oh." Hermione said.
"So are you out of hiding?"
"I think so. I fell really guilty for pulling both of you into this." Hermione said, looking down at the floor.
"It's okay dear, I've made some friends." Madeleine said.
"Really?" Hermione asked.
"Of course, There's 'Dung, he smells terrible, but he tells the funniest stories, and Tonks, she knows nearly every beauty trick that there is, and Molly, she had some of the best recipes. She's enchanting the kitchen so I can work in it." Madeleine rambled off.
"I'm so glad that you haven't been all alone." Hermione said, hugging her mum.
"It's okay, you just needed some time off to your own to think. I knew that you were safe. Now where have you been hiding all this time?"
"I fund the library." Hermione said.
"Where is it!" Madeline exclaimed.
"I cleaned it up and stuff, and it's warded, so if you want to find it, I'll have to go with you."
"You? Cleaning when you could be reading?" Madeline asked. "Lead the way."
"Of course." Hermione said, going back to the library with her mum in tow.
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Claudia looked at the letter and sighed. "Lovely. Just perfect. I don't have time for this." She muttered. "But I have to do it, I promised Alice that I'd look out for them. And now that they're awakening, there's going to be consequences." She added, once more under her breath, pulling out various weapons from a very large closet and putting them on.
She looked around, and faded away silently with a smirk on her face. She was much better at traveling the winds now, using shadows to her advantage, Harry still had slight problems, but he managed.
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Claudia was crouching between two beds. Slowly she stood up, looking around, and not seeing any healers, she shook her head, flicking her hair over her shoulders.
"Alice. Frank. It's time to get up." She said softly, infusing the words with a bit of magic.
"Claudia?' Alice asked, sitting up and coming awake.
"Who else?" Claudia asked cheerfully.
"You." Frank said, glaring at Claudia.
"Yes me. Now get over your grudge, and lets go, or would you rather be stuck here for the rest of your lives?" She snapped.
"Claudia, don't be too hard on him, he has problems adjusting." Alice said soothingly.
"Of course he does." Claudia said, grabbing their hands, and standing in-between them. "Anything you'd like to grab?" She asked, looking around once more.
"No, I don't want anything that reminds me of here." Frank spat out, glaring at his bed.
"No, nothing." Alice said.
"Well then, you know the drill. Breathe deeply, calm yourself, give your mind over to me, be calm, focus on the black.." Claudia felt a slight breeze on her face that rippled through her hair and she smiled. "Open your eyes, you're here!" She exclaimed.
"Thanks. I hate to be a bother, but do you have any spare robes?" Alice asked.
"Oh! Of course." Claudia said. "Just a moment, now, are you going to live here staying in hiding, fight the war, or something else?"
"I'd like to stay here if that is allowed." Alice said.
"Stay with vampires! Alice, sweetie, why?" Frank asked.
"Frank, Alice, I have to tell you something. A young vampire in dire need of blood took some of yours, both of yours, and gave you some of his own. It wasn't very much, but it was enough to bring you back. It is entirely allowable for you to stay at the house. You will be safe and have no obligation, except for to help out once in a while." Claudia said.
Frank glared at the wall, before opening his mouth, "Is it common practice for vampires to take the blood of the insane?" After saying that he stormed out of the room, and Claudia heard the door to the balcony slam.
"I'm sorry." Alice said, deep brown eyes betraying the worry she felt.
"He'll be fine, not everyone likes to know they have some of the blood, but it's not enough to really do anything, although you might have a slight fascination with blood." Claudia explained.
"Oh." Alice said, looking towards the direction Frank had taken.
"Go after him, I'll pull out the sofa bed and lay out some spare robes for you." Claudia said, lightly shoving Alice towards the door.
-0-
N.-
All is well. Hold the pendant and think of them. It will bring you to them.
-C.
Neville looked at the scrap of parchment and smiled, tears beginning to course down his cheeks. They were safe. That's all the mattered, and he could see them and be whole again. He put the pendant on, and thought of his parents, and the world disappeared.
-0-
Harry instinctively caught the person who appeared in front of him. His green eyes widened and before he could stop himself, "Neville? What are you doing here?"
"Harry?" Neville asked. "But you're missing."
"How did you recognize me?" Harry snapped.
"You look like you've always looked." Neville said.
"Of course, the charms aren't activated." Harry smacked himself on the forehead. "Sorry for snapping, I was a little surprised."
"Of course you were." Neville said. "Do you know who Claudia is?"
"Of course. Who doesn't know Claudia?" Harry laughed. "Obviously you don't. C'mon, lets go find her."
"Do Ron and Hermione know that you're here?" Neville asked, following Harry towards a closed door.
"No they don't and they can't find out. It's supposed to be a secret." Harry said, knocking on the door.
-0-
"Dudley, apparently you have magic, now you have a choice, you can be tutored privately, just ignore it, or go to a number of magical schools." The counselor said.
"I have magic?" Dudley asked, eyes wide.
"Yes. Your power levels are that of an average wizard. You're perfectly normal." The witch said, smiling at him.
"I'm a freak." Dudley whispered, staring at the floor.
"No you are not a freak. Magic is a beautiful thing, you should consider it a blessing. Remember you don't have to learn." She said, looking at him, while reinforcing her words with magic.
"But why me? My dad will murder me." Dudley whispered.
"No he won't. You've been given a pendant, one that all of our patients, and people who send much of their time here are given. Yours has been changed, it acts as a protection, and you can call for help on it."
"Why have I been given a pendant?" Dudley wanted to know.
"Because the hospital has a large amount of magic in it, and your body has become accustomed to it, and will go into shock if removed from the magic, wizards can handle it easier, they just feel tired for a few days, but you, newly into your powers, would have some trouble, so you have the pendant."
"Okay." Dudley said, feeling more calm and rational. The counselor smiled, there really was a benefit to some simple charms.
"Do you think I could do the private tutoring and then go to a school?" Dudley asked.
"Of course, but we'll have to discuss it with your parents first."
Dudley's face fell; suddenly his tentative hopes were crushed.
"We'll see what we can do, if we talk to them in the ward, the charms will help, won't they?"
Dudley smiled; maybe there was a chance after all. And if there wasn't, there was always force, the wizarding world would need as many able fighters as possible for the upcoming war.
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