The Heralds decided to wait for a weekend that Hermione was allowed to go into the village to have a guide.
Corina was on her way to the bathing room, with a clean uniform on one arm and her bathing supplies in the other hand. Along the way, she met up with a few of the others girls from the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
"Heyla." Corina greets, as she stood aside to let them move ahead of her.
The girls waved and slowed so that she could join them. "Hello, Herald Corina." Katie Bell greeted back.
Corina tilted her head trying to figure out why they would want to walk with her.
"Off to the baths, we are to just got done with practice come join us." A dark skinned girl asks
"Yes, my skin is crawling, and a Herald well all of us has a fetish for cleanliness. Dasher might be a Companion, but he still smells like a horse." Corina answers
The girls laughed at that "I can imagine I never could ride like that." Angelina added
Corina shrugged, "It's just part of my studies when I was a Heraldic student."
"I rather have my broom." The third girl added.
"According to my mother, everything that I thought was fun was unladylike." Corina snorted almost as her Companion would do.
"My mother feels the same way about me playing Quidditch she thinks me playing would lose me a boyfriend." Angelina moaned
"My mother's just happy to have a daughter, I have five older brothers. I'm Ginny." The red haired girl commented
Corina shook her head, "I have three older siblings, by older I mean, they were already married by the time; I was born."
"Wow that had to be a lot of pressure to live up to." Katie commented
"I don't know what you mean." Corina replies, "Father is slightly upset that I was Chosen, but he got over it, once he realized that he can claim Privilege Tax. Mother on the other hand, is completely against my choice of life, I just hope, I don't have to tell her face to face about my plans once, I return home."
"Do you mean with Herald Harry; I thought that knew you two were engaged?" Angelina asked tilting her head in confusion.
"Father and Mother do not have the slightest idea that I am not single." Corina replies, as she and the other girls entered into the bathing room, Corina was slightly in awe at the large circler tub in the floor, but as she thought about it, she had shared the hot spring with other trainees, and spent her final year with her year-mates, who were mostly males except for Rowena.
The girls quickly undressed and entered the tub all leaning against the sides soaking in the warmth of the water.
Corina thought that these girls did not realize that she was technically their teacher as well, but they were looking at her and only seeing her physical age.
"So Herald Corina, what was your schooling like?" The third girl asked
"Before or after I was Chosen?" Corina questions, she shuddered at the memories before Dasher came for her. Hours upon hours at sitting with her mother, learning how to embroider or with her other tutors aside from the arms tutor, she admired.
The third girl thought about the question.
Corina blinked, "Only time that was I was ready to go mad, was when I was in arms practice with my private tutor before I was Chosen."
While Corina was bathing, Harry found himself staring wide-eyed at a flame-red haired boy with bright blue eyes.
"You're welcome." The boy states, grinning.
Morgan was lying down, after her Chosen groomed her, and was watching the interaction between the two.
"Why me?" Harry questions
"I suppose you already know who I am. So I will overlook that, as to why you, there was a Prophecy, which is a pile of rubbish in my eyes." Kantis replied, he had appeared when the Heraldic-Mage was alone except for his Companion, as the other Companion stallion was off grazing or eating the strawberries. Either way it was a prime chance to speak with the transplanted Herald. "I only planted the seeds, you are your own person, and if I had not chosen to intervene on your behalf, you wouldn't be a person with a mind of his own."
:What Prophecy?: Morgan asks looking at one of the deities that answered King Valdemar's call.
"The Foreseer of this world, which they are rare here than in your world. But it goes; the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies; and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not; and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..." Kantis replies, "As you can see, you fit into the prophecy, I don't know what gave the foreseer that line but I am working on it and believe me, whoever did, will be polishing my throne for all eternity."
Harry nods unable to speak.
"I only came to tell you that, also I have frighten that old wizard, he will answer my questions when the time comes. Your birth parents are special and someday will return, I will make sure you of that." Kantis replies, "Also I will be watching to be certain you are ready to return to Valdemar." He skipped off into a patch of sunlight and disappeared.
Corina ducked under the water to rinse her hair out, she came back up.
The girls were just talking and finishing up as well. Some of the girls asked more about Corina's life and of her home but for the most part was spent in idle chatter.
Corina listened and found that mostly these girls were young, inexperienced, and untried. She got out of the bath and started to dry off with her towel, and proceeded to get dressed in her uniform.
The girls said their good-byes as Corina left to go back to her tent.
Corina sat down on her bedroll and wanted to scream, she started to work on a breathing exercise to calm down. While she was calming down, she glanced up as she felt a fiery beacon of loss and anguish. Corina stood up, left the tent, and ran up the steps and through the turret that lead from the tents and Hagrid's hut back to the castle.
The empathic Herald kept on her path, in her rational mind; she knew that the one suffering didn't want anyone to know, so she walked in calm purpose in the castle itself. She neared the stairwell leading to the lower levels of the castle.
"Lord of Light the rumors about him are true, he is a dungeon bat." Corina mutters to herself.
As she neared the door to potions lad a wall of hate and loathing hit her.
Corina paused to firm up her shields, and knocked on the office door.
"Blasted it all can't get any real work done with all these interruptions." The door was opened to show the scowling face of the potions master. "Yes, Herald Corina; what may I do for you?" His voice dead with annoyance.
"More to the point, is what I can do for you, you are attacking me emotionally." Corina replied, "So either stand aside and allow me to help, or I will make you relive your worse fears."
Snape's scowl deepened "Young lady, I do not want nor need your help as for reliving my worst fears I do that already, now good day." He turned to leave.
"He's not his father, and not at fault for her falling in love with someone else." Corina states
Snape froze at those words as he quickly turned Corina was hit by a wave of pure anger. "You have no right to enter my mind nor to voice my private thoughts now leave this conversation is over."
"No, it's not and I am not in your mind. I am in your heart." Corina replies "And I do not have to listen to you." She projected her determination to help the suffering man.
Snape felt her rebuttal and stared in to her eyes "What does it matter to you anyway save the headache I must be giving you."
"Because it's my duty to help those who need it and I do not have allegiance to anyone other my queen and the Heraldic Circle." Corina answers, "Your mind is protected and I would never break those protections, but your heart is not as protected."
Snape slowly sat down at his desk once more and with a deep sigh. "Fine, so what do you want to do about it?"
Corina pulled up the chair, "Allow me to help you."
With a deep breath, he looked at her once more his face looking very aged and unguarded. "Fine, do what you have to do."
"You will feel my presence. Just talk about it and I will help you face it down." Corina instructed, she closed her eyes and unshielded and pushed her empathic sense out to wrap Snape in rapport.
Snape closed his eyes "I still remember the first day I met her, I fell in love with her right then and there." He started and just continued talking.
As the potions professor talked, Corina began working to chip away the negative emotions. Two hours later the both of them stood exhausted by the drain.
Corina held her head in her hands as she had a reaction-headache. :Dasher, get Harry, please.:
Within seconds, a set of boots running on the stone floor of the dungeon could be heard echoing.
:He's on his way already.: Dasher sent back.
The door opened and Harry walked in, "Great gods!" he knelt by Corina and put a shield over her empathy. Corina stared up with pained but grateful eyes. "Dearheart, are you trying to use up our supply of willowbark tea?"
Snape looked at the both of them. "Thank you Herald, as for the tea you have no worries there, I have plenty."
Harry blinked "I doubt it. We never gave you anything."
" I have my own supply of willow bark thou most don't use it much anymore." Snape replied
Corina shook her head, "Ours is different."
He nodded "Very well then." He turned to face Harry "And to you Herald Harry, I own an apology to you, I'm sorry." He slowly stood and left the room.
Harry was torn but his loyalty to Corina won out, he lifted her up and carried her to the hospital, once his mate was in Poppy's care, he went back and hunted down Snape.
The Herald-Mage found the Potions Professor in the potions storeroom, "What do you have to apologize for?"
He turned to Harry "For my behavior since you arrived here, I took my anger at you for no real reason."
Harry blinked, "I don't understand."
:He knew your birth parents, Chosen.: Morgan informed
"Any way I should have never behaved that way I was becoming something I hated and your partner showed me that." Snape states
Harry shrugged, "I will honor their sacrifice, but I will not have it hung over my head. So you're a spy, huh?"
"Yes I am keeping an eye on the Death eaters and their petty plan for Voldemort return to power." Snape replies
"You're an idiot, he's already returned to power. I've been doing something that only Adept mages do." Harry snapped
"Yes he did but for now he's trying to pull all his followers back to him and pool his resources." Snape said while rubbing is arm.
"I know that, I've been courting him, sending power presents to him, power calls to power." Harry states, "I believe the Quibbler's articles then I would believe the Daily Prophet's articles." He then shrugged "But then I don't enjoy being described as white ghost."
"As much as I hate to say it I agree since the prophet is mostly controlled by Death eaters and those they bought."
"Really? Since you're in the know, how about we strike a deal?" Harry questions, he felt Morgan's chuckle.
