Author's Notes: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. If I did, I would have Remus tied up to my bed and Sirius cooking in the kitchen while James plays with my daughter. Peter would be running from my cat. I don't own any of the Marvel Comic book Characters either. If I did, Logan would be out in the yard hurting my husband while Scott and Alex are arguing about how to hurt my husband. I don't own any of the Inu-Yasha characters. If I did, Sessho-Maru would be joining Remus in my bed. Inu-Yasha would be with James playing with my daughter and Kagome and Sango would be helping Lily and Ororo beat the tar out of Miroku. I don't own any of the Star Wars characters. If I did then Qui-Gon would still be alive, Obi-Wan would not have had to train Anakin, and Anakin would not have gone to the Dark Side. I don't own the Mystic Force Power Rangers. If I did, do you really think Leanbow would have become Korag? I don't own Charmed or anyone from them. If I did, do you really think I would have them fight all those stupid demons that seem to think that they can take them out? I was just laughing at the thought of owning Lord of the Rings or even Pirates of the Caribbean. It's just so flipping funny! Enjoy!


October 14, 1996

Regina leaned heavily against the wall with Ron and Hermione as they rested from their training bouts with Will, Sessho-Maru, and Inu-Yasha. She watched as Harry was repeatedly attacked by them. Tori and Aragorn stood to one side while Veronica rested in the chair that the other teachers had insisted that she have in the room with her.

"Remember to bend your knees, Harry!" Tori shook her head slightly. "It lowers your center of gravity! It'll also make it harder to…Damn it, Sessho! Be gentle with him! He's not like our pups!"

Sessho-Maru barely turned and growled at his mate who just rolled her eyes. "I know how to train boys, my love."

"Enough!" Veronica slowly climbed to her feet. Tori and Aragorn hurried over to her side and helped her. "I'm fine. Harry and Regina need to learn the other part of their training." She pulled the ancient necklace from a pocket in her robes. "Esmeralda has decided that it's time to learn how to use the necklace."

"How is she going to tell us?" Regina put her practice sword into the barrel next to her. "As far as we know there aren't any portraits of her."

"There is one." Veronica nodded to the door that had appeared. "Godric told me where to find it in my sixth year."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Aragorn laid a hand on her shoulder.

"My memories are still coming back to me. Eighteen years is a long time to forget your real life." Veronica gave him a soft smile before she disappeared through the door

Regina looked at the others before she hurried after her mother. Tori grabbed Harry and Ron and slipped through the door while Hermione, Aragorn, Sessho-Maru, Will, and Inu-Yasha followed. By the time everyone had caught up with Veronica she was standing in front of a portrait of a woman. Her dark brown hair was unbound, unlike the portraits of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, whose hair was bound, and flowing down her back to her knees. Her crystal blue eyes shone like blue diamonds in the candlelight. Her skin was a creamy pale white. Her hands were slender and graceful as she turned the pages of the book that she was reading. Aragorn quickly dropped to his knees when she looked up from the book.

"Rise, Aragorn. You are a king and I am just the wife of a Founder." Esmeralda Eversole Gryffindor dropped a curtsy as Aragorn rose to his feet. "I trust that the young ones are ready to learn their destiny?"

Veronica smiled softly. "They are. The final battle is approaching quickly and they need to learn all they can."

"First you must destroy the Horcruxes that the heir of Slytherin has created. Harry…" Esmeralda turned to look at Harry. "…You have already destroyed one of them. The diary of Tom Riddle."

"The diary was a Horcrux?" Harry stared up at Esmeralda. "What exactly is a Horcrux?"

"A Horcrux is something that a person makes when they divide their soul." Dumbledore stepped into the room. "I believe that Tom Marvolo Riddle did exactly that."

"Why would anyone want to divide their soul?" Tori looked between the portrait and the headmaster.

"I believe that he did such a thing so that he may live forever. If he had retrieved the Philosopher's Stone in your first year, Harry, he would have most likely retrieved those missing pieces." Esmeralda moved to the chair in her portrait. "Please be seated, everyone."

Veronica took the seat closest to the portrait. "What other artifacts did he use besides his diary?"

"A locket with an S on it. It once belonged to the woman that eventually won Salazar's heart. There is also Salazar's ring though I believe Albus has destroyed it." Esmeralda nodded slightly as Dumbledore dropped the charm hiding his dead hand.

"Yes. I destroyed it. However this was the side effect." Dumbledore sighed softly at the hand that was once a warm tan color.

"I see." Harry jumped to his feet. "I think I know where we might be able to find the locket!"

Veronica's eyes widened slightly. "Where? Where is it, Harry?"

"At Grimmauld Place. We were cleaning up last summer and found a locket that wouldn't open and we…I forgot. We tossed it out." Harry groaned slightly as he flopped back in his chair.

"Wait! Remember when we took that blanket to Kreacher's den for Christmas last year? We found all that stuff that we threw out in there. The locket might still be there!" Hermione gripped the arms of her chair tightly making her knuckles turn white.

"I'll have three members of the Order go and retrieve it." Dumbledore climbed to his feet.

"I will go too." Sessho-Maru rose gracefully from his seat.

"Take Kagome. She'll be able to create a barrier around everyone." Inu-Yasha lounged in his seat as his brother nodded once before slipping out the door.

"Now let us discuss the rest of the Horcruxes. He may have something from Helga, Rowena, and even my darling, Godric."

"From what I understand of Horcruxes is that usually they are divided into seven pieces." Veronica looked up at the nodding portrait.

"Yes. Tom Riddle is the last Horcrux. I also believe that his snake is one of the Horcruxes." Esmeralda held up a hand to stop the questions. "I know that most would not use an animal but this man is a madman so we must …how do you say it?… Think outside the box."

"Right." Veronica summoned a pad of parchment, a quill, and an inkbottle. She quickly wrote out the Horcruxes that they knew about. "Let's see the ones destroyed are the diary and Slytherin's ring. We still have to find the locket, which we know where it might be, the snake, Voldedork, something of Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaw's, and maybe something of Gryffindor's. I doubt he would be stupid enough to mess with any of Gryffindor's things. Godric had many spells on his stuff."

"Very true. Now enough about the Horcruxes. I'm sure you will learn more about them as time passes. Regina and Harry, come to my portrait please." Esmeralda had gotten up from her chair as Harry and Regina moved as close as they could to the portrait. "The spell you are going to perform today is very dangerous. I have already done it once to give my powers to someone that I love. Repeat after me. Power of love, cross the skies…"

Harry and Regina looked at each other for a second. "Power of love, cross the skies…"

"Settle in my heart and core…"

"Settle in my heart and core…"

"To defeat the evil of the times."

"To defeat the evil of the times."

A bright light filled the room causing everyone, except Veronica and Esmeralda, to turn away from Regina and Harry. The ruby necklace shattered and seven different colors surrounded the two teens. The seven colors lifted the teens off the stone floor and slowly circled them. Veronica watched as half of the green, all the lavender, sky blue, and yellow filled her daughter and the other half of the green, all the indigo, red, and orange filled Harry. Slowly they floated to the floor as the bright light dissipated. Veronica slid from her chair and knelt between the two teens. She smoothed the hair back from Harry's forehead as Sessho-Maru and Aragorn knelt beside her.

Aragorn held two of his fingers to Regina's throat. "They're alive."

"Of course they are. If they wish to merge the powers that I have bestowed upon them, they must join hands and merely say 'Powers of love UNITE'. To give them an even greater strength of love, they are to join hands with their families, friends, and lovers. This was how the remaining Founders finally defeated Salazar." Esmeralda started to move out of the portrait.

"Wait." Will stood at Regina's feet and looked up at Esmeralda. "When will they awaken?"

"In the morn." Esmeralda bowed slightly before she moved out of the portrait.

Sessho-Maru gently lifted Regina into his arms as Aragorn did the same with Harry. "Where do we take them?"

"We'll put them in the rooms on either side of mine." Veronica accepted Will and Jack's hands and allowed them to pull her to her feet.

"You know we're going to lose half a day of training, don't you?" Inu-Yasha crossed his arms and glared at the empty portrait.

"Stuff it, dog breath. They now have all of Esmeralda's training, which included swords. She even bested her teacher, Godric Gryffindor." Veronica thumped the back of Inu-Yasha's head as she passed him.


Author's Notes: Inu-Yasha sure is getting hit an awful lot lately. Not to worry more undead monkey coming up.

Can I hurt the monkey?

No Vee. Little Jack likes you.

Shut it, Sirius, before I remove all parts of your anatomy that makes you a male.

Huh?

She just told you that she's going to neuter you, Padfoot.

If she neuters me then how am I suppose to mark my territory around Snivellius?

You're not, you prat. Merlin help keep me from killing Sirius. On a more personal note. My daughter has just finished her biography report on the great J.K. Rowling. I hope she makes an A on it. Wish her luck.

Carey Ann Lupin