Chapter 25: Going Solo.
Harry felt a lot more at ease since he had sent the letter to his friends, assuring them of his safety, and eagerly awaited the time when he could start the physical training program he had made out for himself. But the wounds on his back were taking a long time to heal, unlike the ones he had recovered from when he had first arrived at the school. He put it down to the fact that he hadn't had any of Kat's help with the wounds inflicted by his duel with Orson, and in the evenings after his classes he spent his time divided between the library and the potions laboratories in the buildings behind it, working on healing potions and muscle relaxants that he believed he might need once he started his training.
He particularly became interested in researching the magical properties of the phoenix, and how wizards could use them for their own devices. In one library session, he found a book that identified a large number of magical ingredients used in potions and spells, and spent that evening lying on his bed reading it, ignoring the movements of the other boys around him as they readied themselves for bed. He was surprised to find so little written about the properties of ingredients obtained from the phoenix and supposed that this was due to the fact that the fiery bird, like so many other magical creatures, steered well clear of anyone who might be likely to cash in on their powers. It made sense that the more the magical creature distanced itself from wizards, the less people would know about them and the less likely they would be hunted.
Most of the entries he found concentrated on phoenix tears, which were used primarily for healing potions, but the only relevant piece of information that the books seemed to give other than detailed descriptions of the colour and texture of the tears was that the more phoenix tears in a potion, the stronger the healing properties of that potion, with pure phoenix tears being the most potent. He also found a small number of entries on the properties of the phoenix feather, but again, these were limited mainly to descriptions and their use in the making of wands. One entry did catch his eye, though, and that was on the properties of phoenix blood;
"The magical properties of phoenix blood are unknown, primarily due to the fact that a phoenix becomes very unwilling when asked to donate some, and betraying a phoenix's trust to take some by force can cause the phoenix to retaliate physically, going to the extent that it would willingly give its own life in the effort to defend itself, and the bonds of trust can never be repaired. It can be assumed, however, that phoenix blood can be just as potent as its tears, though whether this is also in the arts of healing, or another field is not known. The small samples of phoenix blood that have been collected – most probably from forceful means – have been known to react significantly with phoenix song, suggesting that there is a relationship between the two. But whether it is the song that triggers the magic in the phoenix blood, or if it just increases its magical potency is unknown."
Harry mused on this entry for a while. It made sense that the song affected the blood, as phoenix song had the same effect on wizarding blood to some extent, enabling a warm feeling to flow through their veins, and calming the wizard or giving them strength as needed. Harry supposed the type of song was what triggered the specific reactions. He thought back to when he had sent the phoenix feather with his song. All he had done was use his will to send the parchment away, and the song had come naturally. He concluded that phoenix song was the equivalent of wizard's wandless magic, where you silently willed whatever it was you wanted to happen to such an extent that incantations were seldom needed. Of course, there were limits on how much you were able to achieve by this method, and much of it relied upon the strength of the wizard. If a whole army of Death Eaters attacked, Harry mused, it would be wishful thinking to be able to get rid of them all in one blast of wandless magic; that would take a colossal amount of power. Rather you would have to take them down individually, or two at a time.
He marked the page in the book as the last light in the room was turned out and promised himself he would find someone to take a sample of his blood whilst he was in phoenix form so that he could examine its properties further. He didn't assume for one moment that his blood would be as pure as that of a real phoenix, but he figured that he must have some of its properties due to the increase of his skin temperature, his healed myopia and his amazing abilities to heal when he had first arrived at the Marcello school.
He frowned slightly as he settled on his side in the dark, thinking back to when Kat had taken the bandages off him a couple of days after he had arrived. She had seemed surprised when they had found the wounds were healed, indicating that the miracle hadn't been due to anything she had applied to the wounds or soaked the bandages in. Harry scratched the back of his neck, wincing slightly as the stretch across his shoulders started off another bout of irritation from the tight wound, and his eyes opened wide with the introduction of a thought. The twenty-four hours before they had taken of the bandages, Harry had been subjected to a large amount of discomfort from the itchy feeling as his wounds mended themselves, and he had been fidgeting around the bed, trying to find a comfortable position to lie in and wishing that the annoyance would go away.
"Surely it can't be that easy?"
Harry quickly held his breath when he realised he had spoken his thoughts out loud. The other boys in the dormitory were fast asleep by this time, their deep and constant breathing reassuring Harry that he hadn't woken anyone up.
Harry breathed deeply and snuggled further under his blankets. What if he had just wished the wounds away that time, in his eagerness to start his training and the discomfort they had given them when he was trying to sleep? He supposed that it could be interpreted as a type of wandless magic, similar to the time he wished he was somewhere safe from his cousin, Dudley, and had ended up on the school roof, though he didn't recall ever hearing of a wizard being able to heal himself in such a way. After all, if all wizards were able to get better with such ease, why were there wizarding hospitals like St Mungo's?
He decided it wouldn't hurt to try, especially if it meant that he was able to start training sooner, and closed his eyes, concentrating on the feel of the wound that stretched across his shoulder blades and wishing to himself that it would disappear.
After a few moments of nothing happening he became impatient, calling himself stupid for even thinking that it was even possible to do such a thing, and instead pushed himself to fall into his centre to rid himself of all thoughts before he drifted off to sleep.
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In the morning, Harry woke to the noise of the other boys moving about the room. He slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning, before pulling his arms above his head to stretch out his stiff back.
He froze in mid-stretch, not breathing and for the briefest of moments was unaware of what it was that was wrong with the situation. He quickly realised that there was no longer any pain in his shoulders, and all his thoughts from the night before rushed back to him as he let his arms drop to his side and he raced into the bathroom, pulling up his night-shirt and spinning so that he could see his back in the mirror above the sink.
He earned a few stares from his dorm mates at his actions, but ignored them as he examined the vivid red, recently healed scar that ran across his back. A smile broke across his face as he examined his other, smaller wounds over his arms from when he had first been beaten and was elated to find that they, too, had healed to an extent, though it was clear all his wounds would leave some sort of scarring.
With a light feeling in his chest, Harry quickly washed his face, ran his hand through his unruly hair, quickly tying the longer strands into a short tail, and gave his reflection a quick smile before rushing back to his bed to get changed and follow the other boys to breakfast, silently working out what he would do that afternoon to start his training.
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The day passed slowly, as it always does when in anticipation for something. As soon as Orson let his class out, ignoring Harry as always, the former Hogwart's student discretely followed the boys back out into the corridor but headed away from the dining hall, instead choosing to walk out into the hot summer's sun to plan out his running route and to find a place to train.
He followed peacefully along the animal paths that ran through the wood, keeping an ear out for anything dangerous that might attack him and occasionally practising his wandless magic by moving branches and levitating rocks out of his way.
The large wood was light and calm, with birds singing high in the trees and the sun sending bright beams down through the branches to highlight the path Harry was walking along. It was a brilliant contrast to his past experiences of walking through the Forbidden Forest back at Hogwarts, and Harry doubted he would come across a nest of Acromantulas or wild Ford Anglia's here. Instead, the atmosphere brought a smile to Harry's face, and he started hunting for a place to practise his swordsmanship, keeping half an eye out for creatures he suited more to this place, like squirrels, deer and possibly even unicorns.
He walked for over half an hour before he came to the banks of a lake. It was about the same size as that which fronted his old school, and was as calm as a mirror, easily reflecting the bright blue of the sky with the occasional cotton-puff of cloud hanging from it. He stood for a few moments, just watching and listening to the calm sounds of nature before making his way to the left, following more animal paths around the circumference of the lake.
He vaguely remembered Leo telling him that he had been found by a lake when he had arrived, and he supposed he must've been found somewhere around here. As he strolled along, he realised that the track he was following seemed pretty level, and smiled to himself, thinking that a couple of laps of the lake every morning before breakfast, and the occasional evening before bed, would soon increase his fitness in the way that Sheridan had suggested. From the lack of human-shoe prints on the path he was walking he assumed that not many of the boys had explored this far, and what could be more pleasant than running through scenery such as this?
Before long, Harry had reached the opposite side of the lake, and had come across a large clearing the trees that lined the lake, with a large rock that overhung the water. Harry quickly climbed up onto the rock and sat down, letting his feet dangle inches above the still water and breathed in deeply, taking in the smells of the forest around him.
Since coming to the school, Harry had discovered that he had changed a lot from the broody and irritable boy he had been during his fifth year. He found himself to be a lot calmer, and less likely to get frustrated or angry about his thoughts, or the irksome stares he was getting from his peers in his dormitory and at meal times.
He at first thought this may have been due to the death of his godfather making him more subdued, though he realised that he hadn't really been in control of his emotions at the beginning of the summer, rather he was just numb from the shock of losing the chance to be part of a normal wizarding family. He then thought the change may have occurred during his time with Voldemort and his henchmen, where he had soon found that the more he fought back, the harder they laughed and the more painful the torture had become. He had soon leant to bite his tongue, though his Gryffindor spirit had refused to let him give in to Voldemort's requests of uniting with him against the rest of the wizarding world. Now he figured it was more due to his taking on of his animagus qualities. Like he had explained to Kat before his vision of the attack on the Burrow, it was almost as if he was becoming part of the phoenix, rather than the phoenix form taking on his own characteristics.
He brow creased slightly in thought as he watched a kingfisher race across the calm waters like a bolt of blue light. What if the ability to turn into a phoenix was the power mentioned in the decree? The way Dumbledore had spoken of it, Harry had assumed that his power had had something to do with what was locked up behind that door of the ministry. And, seeing the other rooms were dedicated to the fundamentals of existence like time and death, that the room in question was dedicated to the ability to love. Wasn't that what had dispelled Voldemort from his body when he had possessed him? His love that he had felt for Sirius?
Harry swung his legs a little bit, causing a doe and her fawn to raise their heads in alarm to assess how dangerous he was before dropping their heads once more to quench their thirst. He tried a new approaching to thinking about the problem. He had never heard nor read of a phoenix that had a bad nature or had trusted a person who was known to be involved with dark magic. Dumbledore's book had certainly indicated that the phoenix was an epitome of light magic, and this was probably the reason the headmaster had chosen it to represent the fight against Voldemort. So maybe the two ideas went together and the phoenix was a symbol of empathy and love. That would mean that his ability to transform into a phoenix indicated that he had discovered the "power the Dark Lord knows not".
Harry frowned again. Even if his ability to turn into a phoenix was the power he was looking for, how was he supposed to use this to his advantage? It seemed to him the only things that phoenix were good for was to heal injuries after they had happened, pass along messages without fear of interception, and renew themselves once every couple of months in a ball of flames. He screwed his face up at the thought of a burning day. What if he was expected to go through such a procedure? The idea of being immortal was appealing, but to spontaneously combust and emerge from the ashes as a naked babe?
He snorted and shook his head slightly, thinking how stupid the concept was before pulling himself from his thoughts and getting to his feet. He climbed back over the rock and jumped lightly to the ground before carefully walking around the glade, examining its appropriateness to be used for his private training area.
As he neared the line of trees set back from the water's edge, he became aware that his feet were following a straight white line that stretched across the glade. He fell to his knees and gently brushed some of the forest debris away to discover a chalked line marking the boundary of something. He quickly moved around the clearing, sometimes brushing away the dead leaves and dirt with his hands, at other times using his wandless magic to levitate larger stones out of the way. Before long, his eyes opened wide as he realised the significance of what he was uncovering; the markings were the same as those on the floor of the training halls and amphitheatre, designed to help with balance and footwork as you practised.
Harry immediately shot to his feet, his eyes warily examining the trees behind him, and suddenly very self-conscious of the fact he was infringing on someone else's private training area.
After a couple of moments where nothing moved except the branches in the slight breeze, he laughed to himself, his fears passing. The glade had obviously been neglected for sometime, hence the chalk pattern work on the floor had been covered over by the leaves that had fallen from the trees. He smiled to himself, and the determination that had flowed through his veins since he had arrived at Marcello renewed with a greater fervour, as he perceived Fate to be playing on his side for once.
…….
Hello folks, sorry about the delay for the update, but you might have to expect them more often for the next few weeks. I have finals coming up and though I am planning on continuing to write through them, I don't want the quality to slip, as I am beginning to feel it is at times. So that means writing as much as I can in one evening, and spending a lot more time editing and making sure all the info and details are correct and present. I'm relying on you guys to let me know if I start to slack. Anyway, onto the reviews!!!! Thanks to you all again!!! Mwah. Xxxxx
Ferdia: Yep, the idea of a different school is very much similar to them, but my story takes a different approach to the rest of the story line. Hope you stick with it and like it. xx
FrozenWings: I don't really know why he hasn't told them. From a writers POV it leaves something for those left at Hogwarts to talk about, gives a bit more substance to their part of the story. From Harry's POV I guess it is because he feels this is his chance to do something, and its his choice to do it. Guess it makes him feel like he's being useful in some way…mmm, might have to include that in future chapters…cheers!
Wizardmon92: Phew, glad you couldn't find anything bad to say. Lol. Keep reading, hope you still enjoy it!!! xx
Lady Connor: Thank you for the compliments, M'lady. I haven't read the pendragon series, though might keep an eye out for them. Hope you enjoy the rest, and I'd appreciate more reviews. Xx
Padfoot: What can I say? I'm glad you are enjoying it, but I'm beginning to feel guilty that I haven't finished it yet. I know how annoying it is to wait on tender hooks for the next instalments, and I apologise in advance for the time it is taking to write this story. Haven't really thought about Percy – he doesn't really play an important role in this story… though I think I've just come up with an idea… that's why I like reviews, they always remind me of things I've forgotten to include. I don't know how JK does it! Term begins in next chapter, btw, though I might just rewrite a few bits of it… Cho is already in it, but I don't think I've portrayed her character very well. And as for Lupin… still working on that chapter!! Lol!! Hear from you soon. Xx
Zorro: I appreciate your concern about Hogwart's perspectives, its something that JK doesn't do. I have noticed everything in the original books is from Harry's POV, which is fair enough, and I probably could've included more visions and dreams, etc, into my Harry's POV and cut out their plot completely. However, I don't know what you think, but I feel it is slightly more balanced this way, especially since Harry is away from Hogwarts – something I doubt will happen in the real book 6 when it comes out. . To give you a little hope, however, I do enjoy writing about Harry more, so the Hogwarts chapters are just one offs, just to make the reader aware that life still continues outside Marcello. I'll try and keep them interesting and to the point though. Review again soon. Kit. xx
NoAlias: You're probably right. I think it's a case that I have read to many fanfiction stories that have had Harry calling the Big V "Tom", and it's probably just got into my head. I think maybe the one off is okay – but you're probably right about over usage… mmm, might have to rewrite one of the future chapters now… thanks for pointing that out!! xx
Chocoliciouz: Ah, well, that doesn't really happen; he doesn't get found, as such. But keep reading to find out what does happen! I could give you a hint, but I don't want to give the story away.
SPASH Panther: Sorry, Spash, not for a while yet. Though I promise he'll return before the end of the school year!!!
Elvenears13: Lol. You two are a right pair aren't you!! Glad you can share fanfiction with each other, most of my mates think I'm nutty. Though that may be for other reasons, as not many of them actually know how many hours I actually spend on this site!! Lol. Thanks for the support, anyway, its much appreciated. Xx
CountessMel: Are you against sentimental, or just mush? I have a bit of romance later on, I'll limit it to a couple of chapters though; One chapter max between Ron and Hermione… and maybe a bit of other pairings. There is a brief mention of slash as well – but don't fear, no main characters…I don't think I'm brave enough to write anything like that. And there are no intimate details involved if you know what I mean. The Snape comment – fair enough. I can see where you are coming from. He only said it the once though, it isn't going to happen often. If anything, he's probably going to use the "mister potter" thing as a tease to rile Harry, but no longer really mean it, if you know what I mean. If you don't then let me know, I don't think I explained that very well. Not looking very hopeful for getting the next chapter finished and posted tonight. It probably wouldn't make sense. Lol. Try it like this; they've both shared similar experiences, Snape now respects Harry because of the way he acted in V's circle, and Harry in turn respects Snape for what he did to help him. All animosity has gone now, though they both keep up the "tough boy" image against one another. Hope that makes more sense. Keep reviewing, I appreciate your thoughts. Xx
Gaull: Have to find out. ;-)
Thanks also to one-word reviewers (Meant in a really nice way. I appreciate every little thing you send!!!! I'm glad you take the time to send me anything, and I'm glad you are all enjoying it!!!): Moodyboy66, TigerLily Padfoot, Candidus-Lupus-full Moon (a regular!! Special thanks for continuous reviewing!!), Solarl, Jill, Pink-fogg, Blip-dragon, J, Hunta (slightly more than one-word, but I don't know what to say other than thanks...!),and FroBoy. Thanks, y'all!!!