OLD MAGIC

Chapter 71: Interlude at Hogwarts

Hogwarts Castle Monday afternoon..

"Wait up Harry," Hermione called to her friend's back as it strode in a hurry down the hall.

Harry Potter turned and paused so Hermione and Ron could catch up.

"Oy, what's your hurry mate," Ron asked as the three continued on down the hall.

"Oh, nothing urgent, I just don't want to be late to my workout with Draco," Harry said offhandedly.

"What workout? What kind of workout would that be and why with Draco?" Ron asked, careful not to show any of his distaste of Malfoy. He still wasn't ready to be friends.

Harry smiled. "We don't have classes for another two hours so I wanted to get back to my training that Draco had just begun taking with me during Christmas."

Ron and Hermione nearly halted in their tracks. "But I thought Draco was kidnapped by the forest people. How did you and he see each other...OH!... he wasn't kidnapped for real," Hermione realized.

"Well, he was kidnapped. That was real enough but he didn't know I was behind it," Harry grinned like a devil, glad to be able to finally reveal what really happened at Christmas. He looked around them before quickly heading to the main doors and pushing one side open and stepping out into the bracingly cold air. He kept moving away from the castle, making a beeline toward Hagrid's cabin.

"Wait, Harry! What are you talking about," Hermione begged the boy. Ron grimly kept up with the fast moving dark haired boy.

"It's simple. I knew what Draco faced at home from his father so I and Hagrid planned to kidnap Draco and Professor Snape to give them both a chance at a decent Christmas and New Year. It was wonderful. Also, it gave them time to learn just why muggles are a threat to wizarding kind. Now they are my allies in the war against the ignorance of the wizarding world. I plan to drag our world into the future and give them a new purpose."

Both Ron and Hermione stared at each other over Harry's head in confusion and worry.

"What are you talking about, Harry?" Hermione tried again.

"I'll explain when we get to Hagrid's barn. Be patient," Harry said as he hurried down the hill, then walked swiftly past the cabin to the barn set further back in the trees. Reaching the small building, he pulled open the door and stepped in.

Like most magic, the inside of the building didn't match the outside. Within it was huge. Horse stalls lined one side though they weren't normal stalls. It appeared they were designed to house centaurs and the occasional Hippogriff visitors because besides hay, there was a normal type sink with cups in some of the stalls and in others there was a type of small fountain that fresh water recirculated upward constantly. Another part of the barn was apparently used for all manner of animal husbandry and farm equipment.

Harry walked down a wide corridor that separated these two areas and made for a door at the back. When he opened this and stepped through, Ron and Hermione could hardly contain their surprise.

Inside was a gym on one side and what Hermione recognized as a dojo for martial arts training. On the wall were the typical weapons used for this type of training. Waiting there in a strange wrap around white uniform was Draco. He smiled at them. Not the least surprised to see them.

"Draco, glad you got my message," Harry said grinning at his friend.

"Are you mental, I wouldn't miss this for the world. And I have missed our workouts something terrible since we returned to school. I feel rather rusty," Draco said.

"I know how you feel and can't wait to work out the kinks from all this inactivity," Harry agreed halting near the other boy. But instead of going into a changing room, Harry simply passed a hand over himself and was now dressed in a black outfit that matched Dracos.

"Since we must wait for our Sensi, I thought I'd use the time to bring Ron and Hermione up to speed on what happened Christmas and New Years. You game?"

"Sure, if that's what you wish though I thought you still wanted that under secrecy for a bit longer," Draco said, dropping into a lotus position on the floor with Harry doing the same.

Hermione and Ron frowned at each other before dropping to the floor as well though the robes made a lotus position impossible. Once comfortably seated they stared at the other pair waiting to hear what they had to say. It was growing obvious that neither knew the two boys as well as they had thought.

"With the enemy as good as taken out for those of us at Hogwarts, I thought I would use this time before Dumbledore returns and the school gets more back to normal to brief them since they are to be a part of the group we are forming," Harry answered Draco's question.

"Oh, yes I guess that would be a good idea and I agree now is the best time to do it so you starting first?" Draco asked.

"Sure. You drop in when you want to add what your experiences were like," Harry said then launched into a long debriefing of events that was the beginning of the changes he was going to institute.

Ron and Hermione stared at Harry open mouthed at all that had happened before with the killing of Voldemort, the kidnapping, Christmas briefings and training, and what was truly going on around the wizarding world right now. It took more than thirty minutes and by the end of it both Ron and Hermione were shaking their heads in disbelief and uncertainty. Taking sympathy on them, Harry made two glasses of pumpkin juice appear. Ron gulped without thinking about it while Hermione frowned at hers before taking a more normal sip of the drink.

"Bloody hell, all that happened beneath our bloody noses?" Ron exploded, nearly spilling what was let in his glass.

"And no one realized it?" Hermione said at the same time.

"You-know-who is really dead? You swear it?" Ron asked, worriedly. Anxious eyes studying his friend's face for any sign of deceit but then realizing he wouldn't know if Harry lied or not as he was like the bloody Sphinx when it came to keeping secrets.

"I swear by my magic that every word I said was the unvarnished truth," Harry said solemnly. Magic shimmered briefly showing the oath had been accepted, proving the seriousness of his intentions.

That made Ron go silent, his mouth gaping. "Blimey I didn't expect you to do that, Harry!"

"You needed to know that I was telling the truth … no," he held up a hand to forestall Ron's denial. "...I have been keeping secrets and you had no idea. I can't lose your trust, things are about to get more serious in the years to come."

Hermione frowned. "That's the second time you have warned us that many things about our world will be changing. I'm beginning to think you don't mean the peace we should be enjoying as we get back to normal finally."

"You are right, Hermione. I am not talking about going back to the so called normal way wizards have been living all these decades. That so called normal was a world growing stagnant and not moving forward. I'm talking about the muggle world having moved centuries ahead of ours in ways Ron wouldn't understand but you would."

"I'm not sure what you are getting at, Harry," Hermione said, uncertainty in her eyes.

"When I point it out you will. You and I have lived within the muggle world. What are the major differences between there and here?" Harry asked her. He wasn't going to make this easier on her as it was important she reach the conclusion he had.

"I don't...wait, are you talking about the fact muggles are technologically more advanced than wizards? But that means nothing, Harry, when magic can do so much more and without all the hardware."

Harry shook his head. "Hermione, it is because of that technological advancement that they are a danger to wizards."

She started to argument that wasn't true before she finally clicked to what Harry was trying to get her to understand. She paled. "Ohhh, I see what you mean. Because they have so many things capable of almost doing what we do, they might advance far enough to actually be a threat to us."

"You are almost there, 'mione, but it means so much more. Think about muggle wars, especially the second world war. The bombs that fell on Japan. Think about how those bombs, now more advanced than that time period, could harm the world we all live on."

Hermione nearly dropped her cup in horror. Ron was quick to catch it but not to understand what had upset her so. "Oh my God, Harry, I...I just never thought about it but you're right they could bomb the world out from under our very feet and there would be nothing we could do except perhaps move to the Moon but many will die before we could save ourselves."

"Yes Hermione that's exactly it. But there is a more immediate danger. Muggles have developed many types of surveillance equipment much of it in space which means they may be able to pierce our veil that hides us."

"NO!" Ron shouted before getting a hold of himself. "No, there's no way they could."

Harry and Draco shook their heads. "Ron, they might not actually see the wizarding world but their systems could see voids that shouldn't be there. It's very possible that magic leaves these sort of blank spots or images that don't match the surrounding area...I don't pretend to know exactly what their equipment is capable of doing but I plan on getting familiar with it before they do see us, if it's not too late already. I'm hoping by the time I do know how far they have come, the muggles haven't gotten suspicious enough to mount an investigation of what those voids are."

"And don't forget you two, muggles aren't totally oblivious to our existence. I learned nearly all the countries governments have a few people in key positions that are in the know and they are the ones who insure our existence remains hidden from the general populace. The stupid things Grindelwald and Voldemort have done in full sight of muggles had to be hurriedly covered up just to maintain that fragile peace between our races," Draco informed them.

Ron looked shocked. This he hadn't known about and wasn't certain if his father did either...though it was possible he did but was sworn to secrecy. It was a sobering thought. Perhaps it was time to ask his father just what secrets he might be hiding.

Harry continued, "So as I was saying, their surveillance systems are already so advanced that our precious secrecy may already be danger of discovery. I pray that isn't the case. We are lucky that muggles can be very skeptical and slow to check things they want to pretend doesn't exist."

"However, there are also other dangers that muggles are causing to the planet itself that will affect us as well. Pollution of the air, water, and grounds is widespread and only our veil seems to keep it out. Then there are their interminable wars. There are several hot spots out there where peace never comes and the people suffer. One day one of the handful of tyrants out there might take it into their stupid heads to bomb another country for purely stupid reasons like grabbing more land or fighting over food and water. Slavery actually still exists as does the more horrifying aspects of it like, sex trafficking and child abduction. There are also labs out there inventing deadly biological weapons and poisons that could kill all life. Who's to say we are immune? And how does one survive the total destruction of the world's resources?"

"The world outside our veil is hard and unforgiving. Population has exploded, food and water is in short supply due to wars, exploitation, uncontrolled mining, pouring of chemicals in water systems, factories dirtying the air … the list goes on and on," Draco added.

"But that's out there! What they do shouldn't matter to us nor affect us," Ron stubbornly asserted.

"Can you breathe in space, Ron?" Draco demanded, his tone flat and harsh. "Because if they blow up the planet what do you think happens to us, eh? Oh sure we could form magical bubbles and possibly move to the moon like Hermione suggested but then what? You have to have the earth's magic to perform magic Ron. We have no idea if we can live in space away from earth. No one has had the desire to find out. Meanwhile, as we remain safe behind this veil the earth is being destroyed bit by bit. I don't know about you Mr. Weasley but I happen to like traveling and seeing different parts of the world. But that might end if the world becomes so polluted, crowded, and unlivable we dare not visit them at all. How would that feel being confined to only our sealed little worlds of magic, hmm? So tell me again how what they are doing doesn't affect us?" Draco demanded, not really expecting an answer.

Ron could only gape at Draco. The scenario the boy was painting didn't sound so palatable at all to him. And he did like going to Egypt and Ireland and other places with his family. It would suck if what Draco said was true. But it can't be true. He refused to believe it. He turned to his best friend.

"Come on, Harry. Since when have you become an alarmist?" Ron scoffed, wanting the boy to say it wasn't that bad.

But Harry simply pointed at Ron and said to Hermione. "That is what we face, Hermione. Fear, ignorance, bigotry, and a refusal to change their ways enough to at least be prepared for muggle intrusion into this world. Ron is a prime example of why we, the young people of this world, must face change head on and not run from it because if we continue to let the adults go on as they have we won't have a world to raise our own children on. So we must convince our fellow students first then push to educate the adults if we are to ensure our very survival."

Hermione swallowed hard and shivered. "You paint a dire picture Harry and yes, I can see where it could lead to the death of everything we know including the world itself." She shook herself, raised her chin and demanded, "So what are you planning to do about it? You didn't just drop this on us and expected us to do nothing, I'm thinking."

Harry smiled at her. "No Hermione, I didn't scare you deliberately. But you who were born in the muggle world would understand far more quickly than Ron and everyone like him don't. What has to happen is a revolution. One driven by the youth and the forest beings of the wizarding world to teach, train, and force if necessary the adults of this world that change is necessary to prevent that future from happening at all. And it will take all of our live times to accomplish that."

"So you are planning a training and recruitment goal that will be made up of all the youth and like minded adults and other beings to change the minds of thousands of wizards. You aren't asking much, Harry," she snorted.

"I do know that Hermione but the prophesy says this is exactly what I must do," Harry said gravely.

Ron gaped at them both. "You both are serious about this danger? Why? How can you think we kids can make such a massive change when no one believes there is a danger at all?" He demanded.

"It will take years of persistence, Ron. But children are just that persistent and pushy and it only takes a small number of people spreading the lesson for change to finally convince people you are serious. And, of course, never giving up. That's how major change happens … a few people with an idea and a cause and getting others to see it, grasp it's gravity, and feel the urgency for it to spread the word."

Hermione slowly nodded as her mind rushed ahead with all that needed to be done and feeling nearly daunted by the task but staring at Harry's grim, and implacable face, she knew deep inside that Harry would succeed. He would be the one leading them to that new future.

"So we have to begin a reeducation program … convince everyone just how dangerous muggles have become. But then what? Wont that cause a panic, perhaps even more hatred and racial bigotry against the muggles?" She asked cautiously.

Harry's face softened. "No, Hermione. We have to be smart with our reeducating. We need to make wizarding kind understand what muggles are capable of, yes, but we also must push careful and slowly what wizards can do to make it so our worlds can remain peaceful."

"But how? People are people and they will act in fear to this kind of change? What could you possibly say or do to keep that behavior from happening?" Hermione asked, now very afraid disaster could befall all of them in the form of a different kind of war … one that pits wizards against the overwhelming number of muggles and their tech.

"First, we teach our people about muggles … how far ahead they are from us technologically, how much damage they are doing to our world we share, then we push how wizarding kind can prevent them from destroying this world."

"But how?" Hermione insisted.

Harry smiled. "Why by becoming guardians of the world."

Both children stared at him in confusion.

"Say what?" Ron blurted, still skeptical about all that Harry and Hermione were planning on taking their lifetime to accomplish.

"We become watchers, Ron. We, wizarding kind, watch the muggles and with carefully trained operatives, we take action unseen by the muggles. For example, when some CEO plans to build a new type of rocket or weapon or destroy a valuable resource with more building or mining, our watchers will step in and insure those plans fail and that there will be no repeat. When governments plan harmful wars, we defuse them," he explained

His friends frowned at him.

"Don't you get it? We will secretly interfere with all the destructive plans and mechanization's muggles attempt preventing them from destroying our world's environment or the start of a war that ruins the peace which leads to more destruction, starvation and death. But there is a second part to our duties."

"Isn't that enough?" Ron choked, shaken by the enormity of what Harry planned.

Harry smiled and shook his head. "No, we also need to guide and support those muggles who are working hard to bring about changes for the better and fighting against the destroyers. We give them just a little bit of magical assistance where and when needed to aid their causes. It might even be money. In doing this we save the world for us and we save the world for them. And perhaps, if we are truly successful, we might even see our worlds finally cross and mingle."

Hermione looked thought at that but Ron still looked rather gobsmacked.

Harry went on," But at first, the only thing we can do is begin changing the perceptions of wizarding kind about muggles. Also we must gradually push our world to be more modern … no … not to the degree where muggles have gone which causes no end of stress, depression, and noise. No we need to catch up a bit in the tech arena but keep our more simple way of life despite modernization. Our way is much more peaceful and should remain that way."

"Then what kind of changes do you mean, Harry," Hermione asked. Wondering just how far he meant changes to go.

"Oh simple things like using paper instead of parchment, pens instead of quills, real lights instead of candles which are hard on the eyes and air quality though I daresay the house elves and Hogwarts seem to keep the air in the castle rather clean. Learning to use a small number of electronics like computers, calculators, and more importantly TV so we can see the world as muggles see it. Anyway, we need better methods of communication, do something about the needs of the poor, we definitely don't want to mirror the muggles in how we take care of our children, the poor, elderly, and disabled, and the disenfranchised. Muggles struggle daily to survive but we have magic and that shouldn't be the case here. We can't fix all the ills of the muggle world that's on them to turn around, but we can work harder to improve the lot of our magical people and squibs … they shouldn't be left out. So wizard kind needs to be better, smarter, and use our magic for the betterment of all not just a few," Harry said passionately.

"Oy, Harry, you aren't asking much are you?" Ron said, shaking his head at the scope and scale of Harry's dream.

Harry blushed and shrugged his shoulders. "We keep it simple and begin with our friends first the rest will happen as we go."

Hermione's eyes rolled at the obvious and sighed at the enormity of the task before them. She thought this war was bad enough but this … this topped it all. But it was a different kind of war. This one was for the better future for them all and wasn't that what every human on the planet wanted? Yes, a new kind of war and one she planned on helping Harry win or at least get it up and running for the next generations.

As they went silent, a stranger, at least to Ron and Hermione, appeared. He wore a white uniform in the same style of Harry and Draco. He smiled politely then bowed.

"Are you ready for a lesson, Harry-sun?" He asked in a soothing voice. His face was expressionless, his body poised and waiting.

Draco and Harry had sprung to their feet as soon as their Sensi appeared and both bowed to him.

"Yes Sensi, we are ready. These are our friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They are just watching."

The Sensi glanced at the other two children, staring at them appraisingly before nodding at them but saying nothing as he returned his attention to the pair before him.

"I wish to see how much you have retained from our sessions. I am certain circumstances have kept you from continuing your training as you should have, so let us see how rusty you are. Begin!" He commanded.

Draco and Harry parted from each other, taking a stance some ten feet apart on the mat. Their Sensi moved to stand just off the mat, watching them closely.

With a strange cry, each boy suddenly lunged toward each other in a way Ron had never seen before and that Hermione had only ever seen on TV. The two launched a series of kicks and hand strikes in rapid succession that were as beautiful as a dance and as dangerous as fighting cobras. It was fascinating and amazing to see this kind of fighting. Even without any knowledge of this type of fighting the two could quickly see that Harry was the most skilled.

Draco and Harry sparred for some fifteen minutes before their Sensi called a halt. The two stopped immediately, bowed to each other then stepped back several steps.

"Step out Draco. Harry, you and I will spar," Sensi said moving to exchange places with Draco. The white haired boy came over to where Ron and Hermione were still seated on the floor and gracefully dropped into a lotus position without any effort. His skin and face were lightly covered in sweat which he negligently swept a hand over his body to clean off. His eyes remained glued to the two now on the mat.

When the two moved it was a blur of motion so fast that the watchers could barely discern what was going on. It was obvious the Sensi was very skilled but it was equally obvious that Harry could nearly hold his own against his teacher. In the end the Sensi pinned him but it had taken quite a bit of time.

The two stood immediately, bowed, then stood in a relaxed stance. "Excellent, Harry. You have learned well and despite not having time to practice much you have done well to maintain what we've done so far. Now I want you and Draco to practice more of the Hung Gar style of fighting we had begun."

Draco got up and bowed to Harry before they were once again lunging at each other.