Chapter 13: Of Experiments and Exposure
Hermione was pulled from her precious studying time for a few hours on Sunday following the Quidditch Final; Theo wanted them to venture into the Forest so they could experiment with their elements and try magically boosting each other.
To avoid detection, the six opted to leave at dawn. They ran across a few early-morning wanderers and the slightly sniffling Professor Switch but were lucky enough to avoid Filch on their way outside. When they approached the perimeter of the grounds, they Disillusioned themselves before Hermione led them across.
Despite a bit of protesting – primarily from Draco – the group temporarily split up. Blaise wanted to study his ability to track Hermione and try to strengthen it. Ron went along; he intended to see how far he could get from the others before he could no longer feel their auras. Meanwhile, Theo knew Draco would need his and Harry's patient coaching to interact with the earth.
Theo felt his own element should boast a strong connection to Draco's, so the three of them set off into the Forest in search of a stream.
After a half hour of fruitless searching for a larger body of water, Theo resorted to working with a puddle leftover from the light rain the night before. Reminiscent of Dumbledore's Army, Harry flexed his teaching instincts and patiently described the feeling of engaging his elemental energy. He equated it to conjuring his Patronus; it required visualization and focus on something besides what the eyes were seeing. Harry and Ron had talked about accessing their elemental powers and both agreed that it required a kind of reach.
With Harry's guidance, Theo patiently reached for the water in the small puddle and commanded it to spread, providing hydration to the nearby trees. It wasn't long before the volume of water nearly doubled in size.
Impatient but encouraged, Draco tried to convince the roots of a nearby oak to extend themselves towards Theo's puddle. Wandless he had little effort, but at Harry's suggestion Draco gripped his wand to try again. Though he wasn't contemplating specific spells, he quickly noticed the difference.
As though the core of his wand encouraged the reach of his own soul, Draco felt his magic growing. He poured his energy into the oak tree at his fingertips, and one of its roots began to slowly stretch towards the puddle, which neared the size of a small lake.
At the indicated nod, Harry reached out to touch Theo's hand. Theo gripped his wand tightly in his other hand and immediately felt different. It was suddenly easier to understand the water. He could feel every individual droplet in the large puddle. He became acutely aware of minute drops of dew on the surrounding blades of grass and even residual moisture in the air. It was as though Harry improved his very perception. Theo took a long breath and wondered if he'd be able to feel rain coming from miles away–
"I think, er–" Harry began slowly as his brow furrowed. "I think I can feel something … like some kind of energy. Might be your soul?"
Theo tightened his grip on Harry's hand and opened his eyes. He watched Harry's soul intermingling with his own, as Hermione's had done.
"You're enhancing my soul," Theo murmured. "I can see it."
Harry closed his eyes and focused. Whatever he felt from Theo right now was strong and solid. When he healed Draco on that awful night at the Manor, Harry recalled feeling damage as though something was fundamentally wrong with their friend's energy. When Harry pushed his healing magic into Draco, he felt the damage slowly vanish as though a cloud of smoke evaporated to leave behind clean air.
Yet, though Theo had said Draco's soul was broken, Harry had also detected damage in Blaise and Hermione, whose souls were intact … it clicked.
"It's not your soul – I can feel your aura," Harry confirmed aloud. Theo's eyes opened wide.
"Try with Draco," he demanded enthusiastically.
Harry released Theo and extended a hand to Draco. Draco touched the nearby oak again and encouraged its branches to grow; with Harry's touch, it was much easier than before.
Draco stared in wonder. He felt the very life within the tree, and suddenly he became aware of everything about it. He knew exactly how long its roots were, how many branches it had, how many leaves … he could feel the tree pulling its energy from the sunlight and nutrients from the soil below. For a moment the tree wasn't a separate entity, but an extension of his own body.
Theo watched their interaction excitedly. He'd seen their souls mingle on the night they healed each other, but Draco's hand in Harry's had been tentative. Their souls still mixed, but now they blended seamlessly together to the point that Theo almost couldn't tell them apart.
"This is brilliant," Theo breathed when the other two dropped hands. "Hermione was absolutely right; we needed to trust each other more! The two of you have a better relationship now, even from last week, and your souls are more open to each other."
Harry shot Draco a half-amused grin, but Draco was baffled. "That's daft …"
"No, it's perfect!" Theo countered excitedly as he almost stepped into his huge puddle. "You trust each other more … the legend was absolutely clear that the Guardians could only work together united. If we were five separate people bonded only to Hermione, we wouldn't be nearly as powerful. We each carry part of her soul, so we're connected already, but as we share parts of our own souls, we grow the bonds with each other even more! This is how we defeat the Darkness; we all have to work together …"
Harry suddenly understood. Ginny once opened her heart and shared her inner thoughts with a horcrux, and it created a bonding of their souls. This was the same idea, with much less Voldemort.
"Harry," Theo continued breathlessly, desperate to learn more. "Tell me what you feel when we're using our magic?"
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Ron held Hermione's hand as they ran briskly through the woods away from Blaise. When they reached two minutes by Hermione's watch, they stopped and waited.
For the fourth time, Blaise jogged up behind them mere seconds later, but this time his eyes were shut tightly.
"You could run into a tree!" Hermione chided him.
"Nope," Blaise grinned. "My inner wolf can definitely follow your scent, so to speak, 'cause I could feel my way around every obstacle to get to you."
"You mean smell your way around," Ron teased. "So, can you smell me, or just Hermione?"
"Just Hermione," Blaise replied. "But I was focused on her. And I'm not literally smelling …"
"Give me two minutes alone this time."
Ron waited for Blaise to close his eyes before casting Muffliato and soundlessly dashing off into the trees.
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An hour later the six followed each other's Patronuses to regroup in the Forest. Blaise still had difficulty sending messages with his Patronus, but Theo had mastered it, to nobody's surprise.
"I found Ron eventually, but I needed Hermione to boost me," Blaise was saying. "I couldn't reach him by myself."
"I felt you three blokes and your auras for a good fifteen minutes after we split up," Ron said proudly. "And I could feel Hermione's from even further away. I reckon if someone boosted me, I could find her across the Forest."
"This is incredible," Theo marvelled. "It seems any of our individual powers are enhanced by more of Hermione's soul. I wonder what the limits are, if any–"
"I think this is like any muscle," Blaise observed. "We have to stretch it, train it. Eventually we should be able to do things by ourselves that we normally need help with."
"Draco could start an everlasting fruit orchard," Hermione teased. Draco grinned back.
"Theo could redirect the Thames, just for kicks."
"Blaise could burn down Azkaban," Ron joked.
"It's such a shame that we needed so much evil from Voldemort in order to gain these powers," Hermione observed with a sigh. "If only we had these two years ago, the war might've never happened."
"I think about that a lot," Harry admitted, squeezing her hand. "But I remember everything we fought for, and we can make sure it doesn't happen again."
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They'd almost returned to Hagrid's hut by the edge of the Hogwarts grounds when Hermione suddenly froze and clutched her chest.
Blaise felt the danger, but Ron saw Hermione's reaction and had his wand out first.
"Dementor!"
He spun round and aimed his wand, Harry immediately at his side. Their Patronuses leapt into existence and charged forward.
Draco stared in shock. There were at least twenty hooded figures approaching through the distant trees. It was now mid-morning, yet the monsters were gliding towards the group with nearly the speed of a Summoning Charm, not at all bothered by the patches of bright sun.
"Get her back inside!" Draco shouted to Blaise.
His friend cast his own Patronus quickly to join Harry's and Ron's, then stooped to sweep Hermione into his arms as she lost consciousness and raced across the border enchantments.
When Hermione came to a moment later, she wasn't happy.
"Let me go back!" she cried.
Blaise held her tightly in place and violently shook his head. They were near the front doors of the castle, but there was nobody in sight to call for help.
"If you go back out there, you'll only collapse again! You barely held out for ten seconds, Hermione!"
"Take me to the edge so I can reach over–!"
"You didn't wake up 'til I brought you all the way here! We can't get close enough–"
She watched the Forest desperately through the shimmering enchantments as the Patronuses barely managed to keep the oncoming Dementors away from her struggling Guardians. Even after Theo conjured his owl, it wasn't enough. Without Hermione to get them across, the border enchantments became a solid wall against which the four of them were trapped.
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Draco's chest felt frozen solid. He heard his mother's screams in his ears as Voldemort tortured her for Draco's failures, and Hermione's screams as Bellatrix tortured her for existing. His hands clenched into fists at the memory
… I used to hate her so much, and why? Dirty blood? She's purer than I am …
There were more screams … caused by his wand–
You became a monster … you were your father's pawn, then the Dark Lord's servant boy … she doesn't deserve you–
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Harry fought to stay conscious. His old nightmares and the screams of his loved ones pierced his mind, but he was still utterly confused.
I once sent a hundred Dementors away with a single Patronus … there's four of us now and they're barely affected!
Harry watched their Patronuses start to flicker as the monsters drew closer. But the solid enchantment behind him shielded Hermione, and he knew Blaise wouldn't let her return.
She's safe …
It was the happy thought Harry needed. His focus suddenly increased, and he realised they were one Patronus short.
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Draco's eyes closed. I can't fight anymore.
He barely cared. Maybe the screams would finally stop–
Suddenly he was aware of warm fingers grasping his own.
Hermione? She was the only one whose hand always felt warm to him, but she shouldn't be there …
It was Harry. Draco managed to turn his head to look at his old enemy in confusion and saw the intensity with which Harry looked at him.
Like before with the oak tree, Draco felt Harry's energy pouring into his own body, and suddenly he wasn't afraid anymore. His eyes shot open wide as he understood.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
The silver light erupted from Draco's wand like a cannonball and formed a massive, winged shape between one blink of his eyes and the next. The stag, wolf, terrier, and owl became clear once more, and the five Patronuses attacked the Dementors, driving them back with fierce rage.
Harry pulled Draco to his feet quickly and grabbed Ron's hand. Ron grabbed for Theo; Blaise released Hermione and she tore back across the boundaries to bring them home.
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Ginny was predictably furious that they went off to learn more about their magic without her and would only be consoled by the six of them telling her everything that happened. Despite the close call with the Dementors, the Guardians were buzzing with adrenaline and felt even more confident than before.
"So, you can feel auras like Ron?" Ginny asked of her boyfriend, who sat on the floor next to her legs.
"Not exactly," Harry replied. "Ron can actually see them … at least, I think I'm feeling auras and not souls. When we were injured before, I could feel something healing and I thought it was our souls, but Hermione's and Blaise's souls weren't damaged."
"It takes a lot to damage a soul," Hermione answered. "Remember when we talked about Voldemort's horcruxes? They're the opposite of a human. If I injured a person, I wouldn't damage their soul because it's not dependent on its body, but the horcruxes were entirely dependent on their container."
"My soul was damaged," Draco said quietly. "Potter fixed it."
"No!" Ron realised. "When Harry took Theo's energy and pushed it into you, I watched the Darkness get pulled away from you; 'cept I can't see your soul– so he healed your aura!"
"You healed your soul," Theo told his friend with a grin. "You broke it by pushing Hermione out, and after Harry healed you – healed your aura – you had the strength to let her back in."
"Brilliant," Ginny breathed. "I can't wait to tell Luna she's right about auras being real!"
Harry and Ron laughed, and Theo studied Harry.
"When you connected with us out there, you said you felt our energies? That's how Ron described the auras at first, like energies surrounding a person."
Harry and Ron simultaneously nodded, and Theo beamed at them.
"This is brilliant. Among the five of us, the two of you had the closest relationship before we bonded. I believe your powers are connected on a fundamental level."
The Gryffindors exchanged amused looks.
"I can see the auras, and you can heal them," Ron summarised with a grin.
Hermione smiled. "You two are good partners. You've had eight years of practice."
"Draco and Theo've known each other longer," Blaise pointed out. "But they weren't as close, I reckon." Collective nods ran around the group.
"Our powers are connected as well though," Theo pointed out with a sideways smile to Draco. "I see our souls, and you can feel emotions from them."
"I can't heal the soul though," Draco said flatly.
Theo shrugged. "No, but I don't believe anybody can. Anybody besides themselves, that is. Our magic and our souls are connected, and it's not like somebody else could heal our magic …"
"Hermione gave you more, though," Ginny pointed out with a grin. "But then, she's kinda special."
The Mage rolled her eyes in response and ducked as Blaise leaned over to tousle her bushy hair.
"I wanna know why we couldn't fight off the Dementors with four Patronuses," Harry said as he messed his own hair. "I used to be able to drive them off with one."
"That bugged me too, when we ran into them the night we bonded," Ron commented. "It's like they were stronger or something."
Blaise groaned, "If one of us hadn't been there we could've lost."
"You managed a happy thought?" Hermione asked her boyfriend gently. Draco shook his head.
"I couldn't, but Potter boosted me; I reckon he managed it."
"Either way, we got to see your lovely dragon," Blaise simpered. Draco rolled his eyes.
"'Course my Patronus would be a bloody dragon."
"At least it wasn't a ferret," Ron teased.
"Anyway, if Dementors are tools of the Darkness, maybe a Patronus is the Light version," Ginny guessed. "They're conjured from souls, right? And that's why they work against Dementors; they're the opposite because they feed on happiness instead of fear." Ron looked at his sister, impressed.
"I wish I could've cast mine," Hermione said in a small voice.
"I have a theory–" Theo began.
"The word theory literally has Theo in it, is anyone surprised?" Blaise joked.
His friend ignored him and kept talking. "I don't believe for a moment that we happened across Dementors again; I think they were sent after us. But because the Darkness targeted us specifically, perhaps it takes the Mage's entire soul to fight them? Hermione's Patronus fought them off alone when Ron broke her crystal the first time, but now that her soul is split among the five of us, it took all of us."
"That makes sense, but couldn't Harry have fought them on his own?" Ginny asked, confused. "I mean, if he can heal auras, could he heal a Dementor somehow? Like with Malfoy, he forced out the Dark–?"
"Impossible," Ron muttered. "Dementors have no aura."
A few eyebrows went up.
"That's interesting," Hermione murmured. "I just assumed the Dementors would be all Darkness–"
Ron shook his head. "I thought so, too, but they literally had no aura at all. I think because The Legend of Draco said they gave wizards Light and Dark, it's just wizards that have the ability for magic. Dementors can't use magic, right?"
"So, you believe you can only see the auras of magic-users?" Theo clarified. Ron shrugged, unsure.
"I haven't exactly been around any Muggles. I saw Firenze across the Entrance Hall the other day though, and he had an aura."
"But the legend goes that that we share a common ancestor, which means centaurs could have magic, in their way–"
"Animals don't, but I can see their auras too," Ron rubbed his neck. "Last night I watched Trevor bouncing around the dormitory while I was trying to get to sleep. 'Cept he didn't have Light or Dark, his aura's just sort of one solid colour."
"Well, Trevor doesn't exactly have the moral ability to choose Light or Dark," Ginny joked.
"Neville's toad," Harry clarified to the confused Slytherins. "So, all living creatures have auras, but Dementors technically aren't living, right? That's why they don't?"
"Yeah, that makes sense," Ron agreed. He grinned suddenly and reached for Hermione. "Lend me your crystal?"
When she handed it over, he turned to his old rival.
"So, Malfoy, trust me yet?"
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It was the final week of classes before NEWTs began, and Hermione's Guardians didn't speak to her unless they were reminding her to eat. Her anxiety levels were about as high as they could go, and she had no tolerance for questions or chitchat. Theo could talk with her about their subjects, but the others didn't dare try. Even Draco remembered the state she'd been in before OWLs and didn't try to sneak kisses from her except to say goodnight.
Tuesday morning Draco filled Hermione's plate and periodically nudged her to remind her to take bites as she flipped frantically through her Herbology textbook. The others were studying as well – even Ron – but Blaise took a break to peruse his Daily Prophet.
Ginny noticed first when Blaise's eyes went wide in panic. He took a sideways glance at Hermione, who was much too absorbed to notice his sudden worry.
Blaise discreetly folded his paper and slipped it to Ginny, who read the article with Harry and Ron leaning over her shoulders.
Draco narrowed his eyes. Just weeks ago, he could only feel emotions from the other Guardians when they were touching Hermione, but his perception had improved. Right now, worry practically radiated off the three wizards.
Theo carefully reached for the paper next. Draco itched to read it, but Hermione was pressed into his side, and he didn't want her to see anything unpleasant.
But after Theo read the article, he exchanged a look with Blaise, who looked devastated.
"She has to see it," Theo said softly as he handed the newspaper to Draco.
Hermione finally looked up from her book and glanced at the paper in Draco's hands.
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BELOVED WIZARDING LEGEND TRUE?
The Department of Mysteries has spent months searching for a nineteen-year-old witch of immense power, supposedly one who could save the world from Dark magic. Sources confirm the witch in question has finally been located, and she is suspected to be none other than the "Elemental Mage," a great sorceress featured in children's stories and rhymes for centuries.
"I told that story to my kids," says Mrs. Hestia Pinkett of Greensborough. "The Mage created magical bonds with the five elements – magic is an element too, you know – and she saved the world from monsters of Hell."
"This is Thestral dung," replies Thomas Easterly of Niffleton, father of six. "Those kinds of stories belong in nurseries and no grown wizard in their right mind would take them seriously."
The Department of Mysteries has refused to comment, but Seer Ruthie Twinnick of Edgebrook spoke up: "It was prophesised by ancient Seers that the Elemental Mage would appear after great evil was destroyed, but it's not like You-Know-Who was the only Dark wizard to ever be defeated."
The Daily Prophet reminds readers, however, that magical historian Charlie Q. Sinclair wrote that the recently-defeated "Dark Lord" actually damaged old magic itself – which some call "elemental magic" – something even Grindelwald failed to do. Perhaps You-Know-Who was, in fact, dark enough to trigger the birth of this Elemental Mage? For more information, see Sinclair's recent publication The Rise and Fall of You-Know-Who.
Whether or not the Mage exists only in children's stories, an anonymous source from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has confirmed there IS a witch in the castle actively sought by the Unspeakables. If the progression of the legend is to be believed, this powerful witch "could very well hold enough power to save the world OR destroy it," according to an Unspeakable last fall.
The exact identity of the young witch is unconfirmed, but since the legend of the Elemental Mage suggests she is powerful beyond her years and widely beloved, the most likely candidate is Muggle-born Hermione Granger, top witch of her class and close friend of Britain's own saviour, Harry Potter–
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The noise Hermione emitted was somewhere between a gasp and a sob. Draco's arm tightened around her, and he whispered, "Don't react."
She didn't seem to have a choice. She'd barely set down the paper before a barrage of owls suddenly surrounded the Gryffindor table dropping letters. Three or four landed on Hermione's plate and one bounced off the top of her coffee mug. Several more were dropped onto her head and into her lap.
When a letter nearly poked Draco in the eye, he was forced to release his girlfriend to swat the envelope out of harm's way and glare at the offending owl. Hermione took advantage of his missing arm and ran for the doors.
"Wait–! Ugh …" Theo groaned.
"They would've figured it out anyway," Harry muttered as he glanced around the Hall. He was accustomed to the unwanted attention that accompanied a sudden onslaught of owl post.
Sure enough, most of the Hall had curiously watched Hermione get attacked by envelopes and witnessed her abrupt departure. Not many students subscribed to the paper anymore, but there were enough suspicious glances from students with Prophets in their hands.
Draco and Blaise quickly exchanged a look, and with a nod, Blaise left the Hall, not breaking into a run until he was past the doors. Ron discreetly glanced at the head table. Professor McGonagall had just set down her copy of the Prophet and returned his glance, her lips set very thin. Theo gathered most of the envelopes, and Harry helped retrieve the last few, which they stashed in his bag.
"What do we do?" Ron hissed under his breath. They tried to ignore the lingering curious and worried glances up and down the Gryffindor table. "Do we go after her?"
Draco shook his head dejectedly as he stared at his hands. "Blaise has to get her out of here. It's not safe anymore."
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