After the Second Rise
By: Red
Disclaimer: I do not own rights to the story or characters of Harry Potter.
Blood Price
Hermione Granger was normally a very patient young woman. She was considered one of the cleverest witches of her age and tended to trust authority to a point of near-blind loyalty. Every Professor she'd ever met had been treated with the utmost respect by Hermione. Only once had she ever questioned the merit of a professor, and that one time had been a rather special case. That professor had been a fraud and didn't actually know what he was talking about.
Hermione generally didn't argue with her elders. As was previously stated, she was a very patient girl and tended to give each teacher his or her due allowances for mistakes. Yet this was not currently the case. The bushy haired brunette found herself fuming in her seat as she silently listened to the very first person of authority to ever truly test her patience.
"You've been teaching at Hogwarts for…forty two years?" The high pitched voice laced with fake happiness pulled at Hermione's precarious sanity causing the usually passive young woman to want to stab a knife into her hand and drag it along her fore arm.
"I have." Professor Sinistra nodded calmly her cold eyes regarded the toad before her with an unblinking confidence that was slowly wearing on the small round woman.
The class room was completely silent as every youthful ear was trained to the conversation taking place at the front of the classroom. Heads were bowed carefully staring at their Runes text books though not a single youthful soul was actually reading.
"Why is it you have been periodically leaving school campus Madam Sinistra?" Professor Umbridge asked.
"I was attending to my apprentice," She stated strait faced, "He is too ill to be taught in the cold dank walls of the school. I am helping him gain the instruction he needs in order to re-join me here."
"If you had an apprentice why haven't you registered him in the ministry files?" Umbridge asked sweetly.
"Because I was not aware the ministry had the authority over who I choose my apprentice to be." Sinistra stated icily, "I believe that authority can only fall to me."
"You have never taken an apprentice before so why would you choose to do so now?" Umbridge challenged.
"Obviously my time on this earth is running short madam, and I thank you for reminding me of this fact." Sinistra stated calmly.
Her students winced. Sinistra's icy calm was a warning. It warned her students that her patience was beginning to run thin. Many of the students in the first row of seat scooted back as far as they could go in their seats raising their books up to protect they're faces instinctually. Hermione dared a careful glance at the two women as they danced their verbal battle.
"Is it true you lived outside of Ministry jurisdiction for twenty years of you're life?" Umbridge asked digging for a weakness in what was becoming a battle of will.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees and all of the children in the classroom no longer pretended they were not watching. There was a unanimous sound of desks scraping against the cold stone of the floor as each student pushed themselves further away from the front of the classroom.
"I do not believe that you're question holds any relevancy to what I am doing in my classroom." Sinistra stated quietly her face was serene and even kindly but her eyes were hard and unforgiving as she stared at the amphibian in front of her.
Her patience had snapped.
"As High Inquisitor it is my duty to check upon all of the professors of this institution." Professor Umbridge squeaked, "This includes background resources. I need to make sure you're background will not hinder you're mental capability for the job."
"Professor Dippet knew all about my background and…'mental' capabilities when he hired me." Madam Sinistra intoned, "And Professor Dumbledore is more then aware of my background in Runes study and Astrology. I spent more then half my life studying ancient runes and am a master of the highest Wizarding level in practical use and knowledge of the subject. This mastery in Runes pales in comparison only to my mastery of the subject of Astrology! If you found a more qualified professor to replace me I would leave this castle without complaint. But seeing as how I am this county's foremost expert in the subject I do believe that, mentally, I am more then able to teach a couple of school children."
Madam Sinistra stood up gracefully and made her way to the door, "I do believe that those twenty years I lived outside of Ministry jurisdiction is a piece of my personal past that is not at all relevant to my job and therefore does not need to be addressed." She opened the door graciously for Professor Umbridge as the toad automatically stood to leave, "Thank you for coming to my classroom Madam but I fear I must get back to giving my full attention to my students."
Professor Umbridge waddled out of the classroom with a frown on her face. She had been kicked out of the classroom in a rather elegant manner. It galled her to realize that the Mysterious Madam Sinistra was correct on every point she'd made. Deloris Umbridge had never felt so powerless in her life and she did not like the feeling at all. She knew; however, that Madam Sinistra was not a woman she could cross. The French born witch was incredibly influential in many circles, foreign or otherwise…and she was right. There was not another witch as skilled and knowledgeable in runes as she. This was not a battle Deloris could ever hope to win so she gathered her notebook and swallowed her pride to march on to the next unsuspecting victim of her eradication of the professors of Hogwarts.
Sinistra closed the door quietly and turned to her frightened students. She raised a single eyebrow causing each pupil to turn back to their reading in sudden guilt at being caught eavesdropping. Only one student remained staring silently at her professor. She was the only student in the classroom that truly understood the art that required manipulating runes and she was Madam Sinistra's favorite student of the year.
"Did you have a question Miss. Granger?" She asked the intuitive girl, "If it concerns anything other then the lesson then I would ask that you please keep it to yourself until the end of class."
Hermione nodded to her professor and went back to her work while inside questions and fears whirled within her active mind. She was furious about the self proclaimed "High Inquisitor" of Hogwarts and sick from missing the third member of her little trio of friends. It had been nearly two months since she and Ron had seen Harry and lately his letters were becoming less and less. The days at Hogwarts were becoming stifling and confining. Professor Umbridge's hold over the castle was tightening further every day and more then one student suffered under her punishing torments. It was all Hermione could do not to run to the increasingly busy Dumbledore and demand some action be made against the toadish tyrant.
When Runes class ended Hermione waited at the door for Ron to enter the classroom before closing the door. The two young Griffandors walked swiftly to Professor Sinistra's desk with barely contained hope.
"Professor Sinistra," Hermione began.
"He's fine Miss Granger," Madam Sinistra stated all ready predicting what her question was going to be, "It is not wise to come to me asking about my apprentice while in the school. You should know this."
"I do professor," Hermione quickly amended, "it's just…"
"We miss him." Ron supplied for his friend, "And he hasn't written in a while so we thought that something may have happened."
Madam Sinistra regarded the two children before her carefully, "If he has not written then I apologize as I have kept him to busy to do so." She stated seriously, "Much has happened to the boy since the three of you were last together. Be patient, I believe he is working as hard as he is so that you three will be together again soon."
Ron and Hermione nodded only a little satisfied by her explanation. They left the classroom in contemplation.
"He's been gone longer then I thought he'd be." Ron pouted, "I suppose it's because he can't use magic correctly right?"
"Perhaps," Hermione sighed, "But the extent of his injuries were severe Ron…" She stopped in the middle of the corridor her eyes downcast as she thought over how stressful this year had truly turned out to be.
What with the Prophet's slander of Dumbledore's name defiling his credibility at the ministry and the High Inquisitor's rule affecting everything that was happening in the castle. Then there were the defense classes themselves. Hermione despaired at ever being able to pass her OWLs with no way to practice the content that would be tested. She looked up as Ron stopped and turned his questioning gaze upon her and she sighed resolving to write another letter to Harry to express her emotions better. Perhaps writing it down would help clear her head even if the first draft of the letter never actually reached her best friend.
Harry sat silently in his made up reality. The scenery of this exercise had changed drastically since the first time he had tried creating it. He sat upon cool dew-kissed grass beneath one of the large oaks that sat beside the Hogwarts Lake. The Whomping Willow swayed serenely to his left at the entrance to the Forbidden forest and a rough cabin sat proudly several feet behind Harry. The Castle towered in the distance to Harry's right back and the Owlry rose up behind that.
The castle was still just a backdrop but he could walk around in Hagrid's cabin even going so far as to pick up random artifacts scattered across the one room dwelling. The grass beneath him was as real as it could have been. The wet stalks even dampened his bum long after he'd left his thinking place. Harry had come a long way within the past two months.
He still could only walk with his cane but the training he'd been through had enabled him to run by forcing fire into the very bones of his legs. His control and knowledge over his magic had jumped drastically since the summer. Harry breathed in the subtle scent of autumn as he meditated. His ability to change his area's seasons was a gift Sinistra had said came from his second element, air. Sinistra had given him loads of books on the development of weather and he had studied them so that he could mimic weather patterns almost perfectly with this born gift. This ability over the weather only extended to his place of meditation. He would not be able to create a storm or even a small gust of wind outside this personal place. Weather mages were extinct and Harry's gift for fire was far stronger then his gift for air.
Voldemort had almost completely undone the knot that Professor Sinistra has tied in their link and Harry could feel that it was only a matter of time before the tyrant re-established his link with the young Mr. Potter. Harry both dreaded the inevitable fact and accepted it. He felt he was as prepared for the mental encounter as he would ever be and he was desperately restless. He felt that he had a good enough grasp on his magic and enough confidence to return to Hogwarts. Sinistra did not agree with him on that fact and even Dumbledore's frequent visits and praise did not hinder her judgment. She felt he was too arrogant to return.
Harry frowned and his concentration slipped. The magic in the air swirled creating storm cells above his head as his frustration made itself known in his physical space. He stood gracefully and held his cane as he walked. The limp in his step was obvious and he did not walk quite as fast as he'd like but Harry knew now that this gait would be with him forever until the day he died. The bones had become too brittle after so many severe breaks. His muscles were strengthening nicely but the bones in his legs simply could not hold his weight properly.
He'd been saddened and angry at the fact that his legs could not progress any further without magical help but he'd accepted the deformity after realizing he'd receive no mercy for having it. It was either live with the fact comfortably or give up. Harry had never been one to give up. So he learned how to strengthen his bones with the molten fire that lived within him. It was tiring, and magically draining so it was not a technique he could always use…but in a tight spot he'd at least be able to flee for a short time. Hopefully it would give him the edge and the time he would need.
He hadn't lost everything after all. He still had people who loved him and more then one secret weapon that made up for his legs.
Harry stood and tilted his head back allowing a calming breeze to brush across his skin. He'd gotten to the point where he loved meditation. It calmed his mind and chased away the nightmares that were commonplace with Harry. The control it gave him over his body and mind was a definite plus and Harry was growing in his grasp of Occlumency. Harry walked serenely across the wet grass feeling lighter then he had when he'd entered his sanctuary earlier that morning.
He walked toward the Whomping Willow watching the swaying branches wave threateningly just as the real Willow did on the true Hogwarts grounds. Harry smiled thinly at the memories this tree held for him, both good and bad. He eyes the distinct door that sat at the base of the tree, a difference that Harry had created as a physical exit and entrance to his realm. Sinistra had frowned when he placed the door within the trunk of such a violent tree. Harry thought she didn't like it because it tried to whip her every time she walked in to his place. Harry simply liked the illusion of security placing the door brought to him and the challenge it gave him every time he wanted to leave.
Harry grinned pulling out a key from the loose jeans that he wore; he'd abandoned hospital gowns a month ago. The key he held was an old fashioned looking key with a thin round shaft and three different teeth located around the shaft in a triangle. The head of the key was a three sided pyramid with intricate runes carved into the metal. Harry flicked the key into the air as his eyes locked onto the key hole in the door. The key hovered beside Harry as the branches thrashed toward the young boy. Harry waited watching the pattern of the branches and deciding how best to get his key into the keyhole without one of the branches hitting his key and sending it flying off course.
The pattern began to reveal itself and Harry slowly grinned. He'd made this game for himself when he first decided to place his door in the tree. Sinistra had laughed when she'd witnessed it stating that he was technically fighting his own mind by fighting the branches. Harry had taken those words to heart using the tree to hone his mind for Occlumency. The tree's patterns got increasingly difficult every time Harry encountered it. He had a suspicion that Sinistra might have placed a bit of herself into its leaves to continually challenge Harry.
There, an opening. Harry grinned as he pushed the key into a dart forcing the small object forward and guiding it with a finger as he would have guided it with his old wand. The Key dodged the quickly moving branches weaving in and out of the pattern Harry had recognized easily with Harry's eyes and magic to guide it. The small piece of metal jammed itself into the keyhole in the small door and turned to the right after a push from Harry. The tree stilled and seemed to sag as though realizing it lost this small battle. Harry grinned brilliantly stepping through the now serene branches and turning the small metal knob opening the door and stepping out into the busy hall way of the hospital. A few nurses looked up, saw it was Harry and looked back to whatever they were doing. Harry waved to a few of them as he pulled the key out of the gnarled wood of his sanctuary door closing the hospital door with a soft click.
Harry waited counting to ten before inserting the key again turning it back to the left. The sound of something mechanical moving inside the door clicked and snapped then grew silent. Harry smiled nodding to a Wizard healer as he passed discussing something with a Muggle nurse.
The boy winked at his neighbor, an old woman who sat scowling at Harry every day he left his room to enter his or Sinistra's sanctuaries. He was sure the old woman found him to be odd as he would walk out of his room several times a day only to seemingly re-enter it. She couldn't see what he was doing so he doubted she thought anything of him other then that he might be a bit daft. At his wink the old woman pursed her lips and frowned more deeply looking away from Harry in a huff.
The-boy-who-lived smiled amused and opened his door again to enter his hospital room. He wasn't surprised to find Remus Lupin and the young Nymphadora Tonks sitting at his bedside playing a game of Muggle chess.
"Wotcher Harry," Tonks greeted looking up from her game, "Hope you don't mind the intrusion. I brought food." The young auror looked up grinning at Harry as she held up a white paper bag with a restaurant logo stamped across the front.
"You brought food," Harry stated grinning, "You aren't intruding at all."
Tonks smirked at him knowingly holding up the bag in offering.
He walked across the room grasping the bag she offered him and sat down slowly next to her. He grinned at Tonks in thanks when he found some Indian take out and picked up the plastic fork that had been left for him in the bag digging into the food happily.
Tonks and a few other Orders members had begun appearing in Harry's room as rumors of him being alive escalated and mutterings of where he was became increasingly accurate. Dumbledore had felt a bit of extra protection wouldn't hurt Harry though Sinistra disagreed. The old Runes Master was severely unhappy to have strangers in his room while they trained. Secretly Harry agreed with the sorceress. He didn't like having to scan each individual's magic for a taint of dark. He also felt that so many witches and Wizards going to and from a well known Muggle hospital would be like painting a sign for the death eaters proclaiming "Here be Potter"!
He smiled at the young metamorphosist taking the bag of sandwiches from her eagerly. He did have to admit that Tonks was by far his favorite guard as she always brought something from the outside world for him to eat. He also liked the fact that she kept Remus in high spirits as he had been down a lot as late.
"So how is you're projection project going?" Remus asked taking Tonk's last knight.
"Terribly." Harry sighed miserably, "I just don't have the mind power that Dumbledore expects of me. At this rate I'm not sure I'll be able to repel any of Timmy's mind tricks with any of my own. The wall I get, but this projection of memories for confusing an attacker…I just don't think I'll be able to get it anytime soon."
"You'll get it," Tonks grinned, "I don't get any of it, but I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out."
Harry grinned, "Yeah like you got Lupin's furry little problem? It took you ages to realize that he wasn't talking about animagi training."
Lupin grinned, "Or that time Sirius pranked you're hair to always change the opposite color you envisioned."
"Yeah, yeah." Tonks rolled her eyes at the two men and quickly moved her king across her board tagging Lupin's king and proclaiming "Checkmate" with a huge grin plastered across her lips, "But I can still beat both of you're arses at chess, Wizard or otherwise."
Lupin chuckled and Harry pulled out the text he'd been studying for Sinistra. For a while all was silent in the room except for various exclamations of triumph from Tonks and a few crunching noises from Harry as he ate and studied. A Nurse walked in and quizzed Harry about his health before leaving and Harry started on his theory essay for his Potions study.
Finally as the sun began to set Harry set his work down and rubbed his temples trying to ease away the cobwebs that had overtaken his mind. He looked up at Tonks and Lupin. Tonks was now going through some sort of Wizard kata and Lupin was pretending to read while watching the female dark-wizard catcher. Harry sighed rubbing his arms which had become lean with thin muscle over the past two months. He didn't appear buff at all. His arms still held their scrawny shape to them but Harry was happy to point out that there was a little bit of shape to them now. The muscle training Sinistra put him on was paying off.
"Lupin?" Harry asked casually, "Do you think I'm ready? To go back to Hogwarts I mean." He winced realizing he wasn't at all subtle in his question.
Lupin set his book down and looked at Harry carefully, "Do you believe you're ready Harry? Can you face what will happen when you re-enter the Wizarding world? Can you face the children of death eaters in you're on school?"
Harry looked at the scared hands in his lap. Callused and strong Harry barely recognized them from the deformed hands he'd had to bare when he'd come to the hospital. Spending the equivalent of days inside Sinistra's reality and then every waking hour in the true reality training had made him strong. Not simply physically but mentally and magically as well. What was really only two months in this world had become four when combined with all of his training in Sinistra's garden. Hours spent there were minutes spent in his hospital room. He felt older then just two months passage of time and he felt ready for whatever the Wizarding world was ready to throw at him…
Yet, he still feared that day at the Tri-wizard tournament. All of those months running for his life, surviving had taken their toll on his mental state. He knew he could handle allot more then he could during those hellish times but Harry also did not know how he would react if any threat were sent his way this time. The fear was still there, and it caused his power to lash out at who ever or whatever was around him. What if Harry mistook a simple prank as a threat? He shivered think about how he might act.
Harry had also become claustrophobic after being forced into small spaces by his captors. Harry couldn't be in a place without knowing he had direct access to a door or window for escape even if he didn't need it. The thought of being crammed inside the corridors with all of those students without any way to move around them quickly terrified him.
"I think I am…" Harry muttered thoughtfully, "But I'm not sure. There's still a lot that intimidates me when I think about going back to Hogwarts."
Lupin nodded, "But you know the teachers and Dumbledore will help you out if you need it."
"I know that." Harry stated, "But I feel like…like if I asked them to baby me I'll never get over my fears."
Lupin frowned, "They wouldn't baby you Harry." He said, "I don't want you being afraid of asking for help if you really need it." He closed his book to look at Harry more fully, "Just because you ask for help doesn't mean you're weak. Sometimes it takes more strength to ask for help then it does to avoid it."
Harry nodded, "I know that." He rolled his eyes, "Merlin do I know that."
Lupin leaned back nodding his head, "Then maybe you are ready." He stated, "Talk to Madam Sinistra. She doesn't teach astrology tonight so she'll be here soon right?"
The door to the room clicked for a moment as though someone were locking Harry, Tonks and Lupin inside.
"Speak of the devil." Lupin grinned.
"That's my que." Harry smirked, "I'd better get in there. The last time I was late she had me copying runes again." He grimaced as he stood remembering the hours he spent copying and re-writing each rune thirty times.
Tonks chuckled and Remus smirked ruthlessly at Harry as the boy pouted and walked toward the door.
Harry inserted the unusual triple key Sinistra had given him a month ago and the same one he had used earlier to leave his sanctuary into the door handle. He turned the key to the right twice this time listening to the mechanical clicks and then the silence. Harry turned the handle and opened the door. On the other side of the door a serene bamboo garden enveloped the young man as he stepped through the frame walking with his cane confidently into the warm sunlight Sinistra liked to bathe her garden in. In the middle of the garden by the stream Harry watched his professor seemingly dance with a strict grace and precision Harry envied as she ran through tai-chi exercises.
"You're late." Sinistra stated without pausing in her slow graceful movements.
"I could say the same to you," Harry smirked, "I'm not the one showing up after dinner time."
Sinistra ignored the boy as she finished up her kata bowing to the garden around her before regarding her pupil. He was grinning at her cheekily and his eyes were completely trusting though still a little defiant. His aura was strong and balanced. The fire and air elements wrapped themselves around and within Harry fluctuating in a pattern that Harry had constructed after a great deal of meditation. Her experienced recognized his scarred aura flicker against his skin showing his irritation and restlessness. After so much work one would think the boy would obtain some control over his emotions.
"I take it you still can not project consciously." Sinistra stated disappointed in her pupil.
"I can't," Harry grinned easily back at his professor, "I guess I'm just too thick-headed to figure it out."
Sinistra's expression darkened at her pupils mock joy, "Too stubborn is more like it," She frowned, "You're slacking and giving up too quickly."
"Yep," Harry admitted, "But my stores are building just like you taught me and I can execute those katas you taught to me almost perfectly."
Sinistra frowned darkly at her pupils attempt at humor. He was trying to distract her from his failure and it wasn't working. The boy had learned to make light of what he couldn't get to work so that he didn't despair over it. He'd done so with his poor ability at walking.
She felt that the main reason he would never be able to walk properly wasn't just because he'd damaged the bones in his legs too severely. It was also because of how she taught him to channel his energy constantly through his body without thought. Doing this built up the boy's magical and even physical reserves so that when he needed to move efficiently he'd be able to do so within a second by pushing that built up energy into his muscles. No amount of tissue or bone damage would be able to slow the boy down once he tapped into that reserve, but the minute the reserve was used up he wouldn't be able to move for days.
Sinistra hoped to avoid a burn out like that by making him build up the technique by constantly using and expanding the reserves she had him create. So far it was a huge success as Harry's body had a full range of motion when he practiced with it. It was a risky technique, but it was necessary.
"None of that will matter if you can't control your emotions or memories." Sinistra scolded, "Voldemort will not be attacking you face to face any time soon. When he does attack you it will be a battle inside your mind. No kata or weapon can help you in there."
"I know," Harry sighed, "But I'm tired of this hospital…I'm even tired of this reality. I miss my friends and the stone walls of Hogwarts. I'm sick of not knowing what's going on in the world! What's Voldemort up to? The ministry? I hate this feeling! It's like I can't do anything! I feel trapped! I can't help that I'm restless!"
Sinistra smiled slightly to herself, "Patience," She commanded, "I'll talk to Dumbledore and see what he thinks about the matter. In the mean time tap into you're reserves and sink into that cane of yours. I have a feeling that we may get a reaction this time."
The two of them had been using every means they thought possible to try to understand the mysterious cane that had been given to Harry by his god-father. Sinistra used it to try to help Harry understand and learn the importance of Runes. She made Harry feel the magic of the cane with his aura caressing the canes aura and sinking his own aura into it every day in order to try to recognize its peculiar magical signature. Harry had become rather attached to the cane but hadn't yet used it other then for walking.
Harry nodded and sat down on the dirt pulling his knees with his hands into a cross legged position. He placed his cane on his lap laterally and wrapped his fingers around the top and bottom of the cane. His back straitened and his eyes stared unblinkingly down at the cane in his lap with his head erect. If anyone were to look at him in passing they'd think his eyes were closed.
Harry looked closely at the length of ivory and obsidian. His golden eye traced the runes that flowed inside and out of the object making up its aura. Harry allowed his magic o flow into the runes closing up the gaps in the patterns. His eyes rolled to the back of his eyelids as only the image of the magic surrounding the cane filled his minds eye. He felt and watched as the magic of the cane welcomed and even embraced his magic. It felt as though gentle arms encircled Harry's magical core. The runes whispered of secrets that Harry understood but couldn't reach like a thought forgotten at the edge of his mind. He strained to reach the gentle ruby glow that danced in and out of his subconscious. His fingers tightened around the handle and the bottom of the cane restlessly.
Sinistra watched her pupil's aura tango with the cane with a careful eye. The Canes ruby aura lifted a thin thread of power away from the cane that traveled tentatively up Harry's arms, down his shoulder, through his chest and into his stomach where it attached itself to the blazing center that was his magical and spiritual core.
Harry's brows furrowed, "Sensei?" He asked quietly, "There's something…I think the cane is sending me images of something…or saying something. I can't make it out."
"Open you're mind to it." Sinistra instructed her heart racing, "You can trust it Harry. The cane does not have a sentient mind and you know it well enough by now."
Harry nodded pushing more of his magic into the cane and opening himself up more fully to the magic of the cane. He could feel it as it attached himself to his magic but still staying a separate entity from his own magic for which Harry was grateful. The last time his magic merged with a foreign magic he'd blown up several acres of land without thought.
An instruction. That's what the image/message was. The cane was instructing Harry to--.
"Professor," Harry stated, "I'm going to do something…I can't explain it but I think I know what the cane is sending to me."
Sinistra nodded, "Then do it." She stated eager to see what it was the Cane was gifting her pupil.
Harry fidgeted shifting his weight several times as his face was wrought in concentration. His hands rubbed the cane in his lap feeling the length of the ivory ad pausing as he touched each point of ruby that was imbedded in it. He pushed fire into his magic allowing the flame to run down his fingers towards the ruby.
One index finger each rested on the two middle rings of thin ruby pushing his fire into the stone. Sinistra watched interested as the fire sunk into the stones causing the stones to glow brilliantly. The fire ran into the rest of the cane jumping from one obsidian checker to the next causing the obsidian to glow for a scant second and cool. When the fire reached both tips of the cane the Ruby handle and foot shined like miniature red suns.
Harry moved his hands to grasp both ends of the cane. He twisted his right hand forward and his left back the Ruby turning in his fingers with a small click. Harry's brows furrowed more deeply and he slowly pulled both ends away from the cane. Fire erupted from the spot where the ruby met the ivory and obsidian and a red-hot glow grew away from the cane.
Sinistra watched fascinated as the obvious forms of hot metal grew longer and longer. Harry pulled to his entire arm length when the shaft of the cane fell and steam rose from the two newly forged thin blades that extended from the ruby in Harry's fingers. Harry sat posed with the blades held in front of him. His face was blank as he raised his arms higher turning the blades to rest the points upon his stomach just below his ribs.
Sinistra's eyes widened and she reached out with her hand and her magic as she uttered, "Harry!" In alarm even as Harry plunged the blades into and through his abdomen.
Sinistra lunged at Harry as a gale of heat and fire whipped around him lifting his limp form off the ground. His head fell backwards and his black hair danced around his skull like feathers made of flame. Harry's face showed no pain or even awareness as his fire danced along his body burning away his clothes as his hands continued to clutch the blades. His blood flowed down the blades soaking into the metal.
Sinistra couldn't reach past the gale of fire even as she threw her magic at it in desperation. She had told Harry to trust the damned object! What a fool she had been to allow him to enter into the magic without preparing his mind first!
The Gale began to slow down and cool. Harry still floated there his toes limply brushing the top of the grass. He seemed suspended in time for a moment as his arms slowly pulled out the swords that impaled him. Sinistra was shocked to notice that the metal came out clean without any blood dripping from the sharp edges. When they came out of him more fully Sinistra was also surprised to see only thin red scars that glowed quietly and then faded from his stomach.
A dark red rune sat where the short swords had entered. The Rune was not one easily recognized and held element of the runes for fire and wind combined with a third rune she definitely couldn't recognize though she felt she ought to. The rune too faded until it was just barely darker then Harry's pale skin. She had a suspicion the rune would be mirrored on Harry's back as well.
Sinistra ran toward Harry as the blades dropped from his fingers and his body dropped from the air. She fell to her knees as she just barely caught him.
"Of all the foolish--!" She growled shaking the unconscious boy in her arms, "Harry! Wake up!" She was beginning to shake fear consuming her thoughts.
Lupin and Tonks jumped up when Madam Sinistra holding an unconscious Harry Potter appeared like smoke in the middle of the room. His cane and two blood-colored blades lay on the floor beneath him and Sinistra looked up at the two with a panic-stricken face. Remus immediately ran over to help Madam Sinistra lift the unconscious and unclothed boy while Tonks turned on the spot apparating to a place she could safely contact Dumbledore.
Sinistra frantically slammed her palm upon the call button yelling angrily into the receiver and Medi-witches and Muggle nurses streamed into the room within minutes. Dumbledore was in the room with Tonks three minutes later and the hospital room was filled with a chaotic sort of order. Vitals were checked as tests were being taken and medical spells flew through the room as frantic Healers and doctors tried to understand what had happened. Madam Sinistra talked quickly to explain what had happened to Dumbledore. Remus sat holding the Harry's abnormally warm hand watching Harry with unblinking fear and concern.
I will be honest, this chapter did not turn out as I origonally intended but it fit into the plot so well i decided to go with it. as to reviewers who called Sinistra a "MarrySue" character I must confess I have never heard the phrase. Sinistra is not all powerful. She is going to make allot of mistakes, nor will Harry be all powerful. he has his limits. Don't worry, there will be plenty of wizards and witches who can use most of the magics Harry is continuously displaying and more. Magics will be explained as time goes on. I have many plans to twist and play with the magics and the plot. It is getting harder to write as I near the parts of the story I am most excited about so I apologize for the delays. They are due to a need to make the chapters less...rushed. And thank every one who reviewed with constructive criticism for me. You're words are helping a great deal. I really appreciate it. Keep them coming please! still working on a finding a Beta I trust though. I'm working on it, I swear.
Ja for now!
-Red