Dumbledore looked out over the students his grandfatherly persona plastered over his face, while also wearing one of his more colourful outfits. Inside he was glum and seething, yes he felt lots better for the enforced sleep he'd had at St Mungo's, but when he gets back he can't find Minerva, and the books he was researching had vanished from the restricted section. Madam Pince was currently on the warpath as she didn't know where the books were either, and was tearing the library apart looking for them. The house elves were no help either, as all they would say is that they'd moved them to the correct part of the library. So here he was watching over the students enjoying their feast rather than furthering his research. He had taken the Mirror to a near by mountain and destroyed it with Fiendfyre, reasoning that it's influence is probably what kept allowing Nyarlathotep, no HIM, must stop thinking HIS name, to invade his dreams. He'd find out later tonight he guessed. But he's also had no luck finding Minerva either, so he couldn't even beg off due to not feeling well, as one of them had to be here. He was sure that there was something wrong with the elves, as they kept telling him that she was in the library when he asked.
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Tracey poked at her food listlessly, the Halloween celebration seemed pointless given everything that she'd learnt today. She looked around at all the happy faces, even the ones in her own house that were more calculating than happy. Yesterday there was only one world, the earth, and what she learnt here was just to get the grades and ability to use her wand before going into the family business, getting married, or going into politics. She supposed that for many, that's where it would stay. Sitting bolt upright as she had an epiphany, it took everything she had not to run to the nearest crest and find Daph to share her revelation as it would only put her in danger. Warlocks were the same as everyone else, except with a larger world. That's why there was the distinction between warlocks and mages. And that's how she could sell this to her dad. Quickly pulling out her wand she transfigured a napkin into some parchment with as much magic as she could and also transfigured a quill and ink. Ignoring the feast going on around her she carefully wrote a letter to her father that would tell him what she'd be able to do, that someone they were in friendly competition with could already do it, and then ask for the permission slip to be signed.
Father,
I have learnt some news today that I felt that you needed to know now rather than later. The meditation that I'm learning, will allow me to visit places that have rare potions ingredients that we haven't been able to supply for centuries. Daphne Greengrass has already passed the Intermediate level, and is now able to visit those places in Hogwarts that require the control of our magic that the meditation club is teaching us. They appear to have discovered it quite by accident last night, and Daphne invited me along to see today. Professor McGonagall was also there with us if you wish to verify what I've said.
Please would you expediate my permission to attend the intermediate club despite the slight risks that are out of the normal scope of the school.
Your dutiful Daughter
Tracey Davis
Folding up the letter she slipped it into her robe and carried on with pretending to enjoy the feast. A couple of other Slytherins noted that she'd written something important and assumed it was due to Greengrass' absence. Making a mental note to keep an eye on that they turned back to their own meals.
As soon as she saw people starting to get up and leave the feast she was up and gone to the Owlery to send the letter tonight. As such the missed the kerfuffle as Filch mourned the loss of his cat as she was found petrified by 3 first year Ravenclaws returning from a Death Day Party, and the unholy light in the headmasters eyes as he found out that someone was accessing the Chamber of Secrets again.
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The next morning Tracey was up and dressed ready to leave the moment curfew was lifted. She was joined in the common room by a couple of NEWT students that were taking Arithmancy or Runes. They looked at her strangely as all of her year mates were still asleep, and only some of the older years had even stirred. Given today was a Sunday it was very out of character for anyone that didn't need the extra study time to even be awake now. As soon as the snakes on the door turned their heads into a sleeping pose Tracey was out of the door and raced from junction to junction until she found a Hogwarts Crest. Placing her hand on it she struggled to supress her magic, and once she had she let it rise until she felt it yank her into The Library.
"Well done young witch, you did it on your own today. Though I saw you struggled to get your magic into the right place to start with. Considering that you've not yet fought against the pull of the dream, you did very well indeed. Your companions have not yet woken for the day as getting into their rooms was rather more trying than they expected. But they did all manage it in the end. While we're waiting I could walk you through what you're doing and then you can try it a few times again."
Slightly overawed that she'd be getting one on one tutoring on this from someone that lived in Ancient Greece, she responded in the only way she could.
"I would like that, thank you."
"Then follow me child, there are a few rooms that are very near a crest we can use. Now what are you using to visualise your magic?"
"Huh?"
"Ah! I see. You've made a common beginner's error, one that is often knocked out of you the first time you face the dream. You are trying to get your magic to do stuff without having any way to visualise what it is. You could go far without ever learning this lesson, but you're not really able to finely control your magic without it. You see the core of freeform magic is being able to visualise what you want your magic to do. If you can't even visualise your magic you are hampering yourself as you can't fit that image into what you're going to do. Especially at the beginning. Once you've got a few decades under your belt you probably won't even notice the visualisation except when you're crossing the realm boundaries. Give it a few centuries and you won't even notice it then unless you're pushing yourself."
They arrive at a nicely appointed study with a chair and desk, a fireplace and a couple of armchairs along with a small bookshelf.
"Take a seat and we'll begin."
Tracey sank into one of the armchairs and it was as comfortable as it looked.
"Close your eyes and drift into the state where you can feel your magic, but don't reach out for it."
Hogwarts voice took on a melodic, soothing tone as Tracey followed her instructions, the process coming far easier than it had before.
"Now I want you to imagine that there's a light in there with you, it's illuminating the world around you… Take your time and don't force it, it's ok if it doesn't come immediately… Just relax and be patient it will happen in it's own time."
Every time she was tempted to push out of frustration, Hogwarts soothing voice interrupted her and she settled back. Slowly she saw something starting to become visible in the darkness that she didn't realise was darkness until just now.
"Don't rush it, it's coming in it's on time and to push now will take you back. Just relax you can see it's happening."
Hogwarts voice stilled her urge to do something to make it happen faster, and slowly ever so slowly she could see a forest clearing appear, a stream feeding a small pond before flowing out the other side over some rocks. Then she heard the sounds of birds calling from the trees.
"There you are, you've found it. Now I want you to slowly, very slowly do what you were doing before and see how it changes."
She started to reduce her magic, then slowed down again, and again, and frustratingly again as Hogwarts told her she was going to fast. Once she was going at a crawl she could see it, the leaves of the trees turning brown, and the level of the pond dropping slowly. Then the leaves started to fall, and the stream feeding the pond dried up. Finally, the outward stream dried up as the water froze over. She stared with awe at her own inner landscape in the depths of winter.
Daphne's voice jerked her out of her reflection, "Harry you were brilliant when you were trying to explain what I needed to do, but looking at Tracey's face I wish it was Hogwarts that was teaching me."
"I'm sorry that I don't have centuries of experience teaching people how to do this."
"It's ok, but I think that this is the first time she's got it. I've tried to explain it before."
"With that look of awe on her face I'd say she has. You looked just like that when you found your flower."
Tracey opened her eyes as she gave into the fact that she probably wouldn't be able to do that again while they were talking.
"When did you get here?" she asked.
"Oh, about half an hour to an hour ago. Minerva and Hermione are both exploring the library that's just down the hall and Lavender and Parvati are talking about the rooms and the view out of the window while doing each other's hair. But I got here just after curfew finished."
"I'm not sure of the time because my watch has stopped."
"Tempus, it's half past 8." Daphne casts the tempus spell to find out the time.
"Oh that's a useful spell, do you know how it works?" Hogwarts asks.
"Sorry, no, it's one of the charms that my father made sure I knew before I came back to school this year. Apparently, it's very important to know exactly how late you are to something."
"But how? How did it take that long without me noticing?"
"It's because you found stillness inside you child. Once you found stillness your magic could settle and form into a shape that you'd recognise. This is also one of the reasons why house-elves can't travel the dream on their own, as they don't have their own magic it can never still when they do, they can only hold it down and release it to do what they need to. It makes them very strong and very weak at the same time, as they can channel as much magic as they need to cast their spells, but they are also extraordinarily susceptible to disruptions of the magic around them. On earth, they also have to seriously restrict the amount of magic they expel otherwise they suffocate due to lack of magic. When we rescued them shortly before Rome marched on Britain, their condition explained why we occasionally had otherwise healthy magical babies die within seconds of being born, or if a mage was attending once the mage left.
"Anyway, the elves are setting up for breakfast now, so you should take yourself back to The Nest and then try to come back using that technique. You should have the privacy you need for this, as these classrooms are in the unused wing on the 3rd floor. While you're doing that, I'll let Hermione and Minerva know about breakfast and suggest that she accompanies you all to the Great hall, as there have been some seating changes."
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Tracey slipped into the great hall and took her seat at the Slytherin table, looking slightly wistfully as the other houses all mixed freely now. The first year Moody being the only exception amongst the Slytherins sitting next to a first year Gryffindor and opposite the three Ravenclaws from the meditation club. Not that she blamed her, Draco and his, well his father's lackeys had done a good job of isolating her from the first years before Professor Vector took over, and even now it only took a couple of harsh words and a veiled threat to keep it that way. Merlin she was looking forward to getting out of that hellhole.
"Where did you get to this morning?" Notts cultured voice brought her attention back to the table and she struggled to tamp her magic down as it rose with her surprise. Merlin, it's wrong that someone like Nott had a voice like that.
"I went to the library", she answered honestly, if misleadingly. Only keeping from laughing due to who she was talking to as she appreciated Ravenclaw's subtle genius in giving her level that name.
Nott harrumphed and turned back to his breakfast.
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Minerva led the young warlocks to the Great Hall after looking over the changes to their uniforms, which consisted of gold piping where their house colours used to be along with a crossed sword and dagger below the Hogwarts Crest.
When she entered she stopped for a moment as she saw a new table set out in front of the teachers table. Rather than metal plates this one had places settings of white porcelain with the Hogwarts crest in the centre. Arrayed in at the front of the table were different foodstuffs. Pausing for only a moment, she led the 5 students to the new table.
"May I have your attention please."
The last few conversations that hadn't already stopped came to a halt.
"I would like to present to you the rediscovered Hogwarts house. Through the use of the techniques they learnt in the meditation club they found their way to a location in The Library. According to the charter their house was automatically changed to be the Hogwarts house." Ron looked up with a slightly jealous look on his face, which was wiped away with her next statement.
"As members of this new house they have a couple of new classes that they need to study in addition to the standard Hogwarts curriculum. Be aware that this will apply to everyone that qualifies to join this new house, there are no exceptions."
With that she went to the teachers table and took her seat, and needed to converse with Albus about where she'd been yesterday and last night. She could honestly say that she'd been in the Library, and that she'd show Irma how to get there later. Halfway through eating and being interrogated by Albus an owl delivered a note to her. Reading the note and the included letter she smiled, and added a note to the bottom of the inner letter before making her excuses and going to talk to Tracey.
A few days later, both she and Irma publicly joined the meditation club as beginners.