Author's Notes: I've had such fantastic reviews from everyone, thank you!
I didn't think this was such a great fic…but it's going places (I hope!).
Anyway, here's the new chapter. Chapters, as you may have noticed, will
either come very frequently or at intervals of about a week, depending on
how busy I am. Sorry if anybody is on tenterhooks.
Disclaimer: See part one for full disclaimer: as always, stuff you recognise is the property of the Mistress of the Universe, JK Rowling.
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Thor was beginning to get a headache. He lifted his face from his hands – he had, several minutes before, resorted to burying his head in them in an attempt to become invisible – and glared at Snape.
"No," he snapped. "There is no way that I am getting Draco involved in this. Not only is it not his problem, but he has also just become my apprentice! I'm not about to risk him dying, he has a good deal of power, but until it's trained, he's of no help. And again I say that it isn't his problem, it's mine."
"And again I'm telling you that we need his help," Snape ground out. "He's a powerful wizard –"
"no," Thor over-ruled coolly. "He relinquished that title the moment he was Named as my apprentice. He is a novice Mage; wizarding skills have no place in the Circle, and I follow the creed of the Circle." He looked back at Dumbledore, who was watching the two of them argue with an amused smile. "And that brings me back to my original point, Professor. I am certain that sooner or later the Council will show up, demanding to know what I'm doing. I need your permission to make certain…" he hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Certain precautions," he finished finally. "I know what the Council will do, in a general way, and if I set up wards and protective circles beforehand, I can be certain that the castle will actually still be standing by the end of it."
"When do you think they will arrive?" Dumbledore inquired. Thor shrugged. "It could be any time from now until the time I return," he observed. "I don't even know if they will come, not for certain; some members of the Council feel it's best if they just leave my to break the rules and then deal with me afterwards, but others will want to come and chastise me instantly." He allowed himself a smile. "I imagine that the debate will last long enough for me to set up enough protection for Hogwarts to survive a full-scale Mage fight."
"And where does Draco fit into all of this?" Snape demanded silkily. Thor refused to look at the man; he kept his gaze firmly on a wall, and smiled pleasantly. "I hope he won't," he admitted. "He wasn't involved in the spell I performed, even if he was the reason for it, so the Council should be primarily concerned with me."
"Ah yes," Dumbledore mused. "Last night's spell. Some kind of Summoning, was it not?"
Thor nodded. "A Dragon Summoning," he explained. "There are ways to summon dragons, but most of them hurt like hell, which is why I was knocked unconscious." He rubbed his scar, which was beginning to throb a little – an unfortunate side-effect, he had discovered long ago, of headaches. "Is there anything else you want to know, Professor? Only I have to get back to Draco, apprentices have a nasty habit of trying to spontaneously self- combust when they're reading about Chimaera Moons, and he's about there now, I should think."
"Of course," Dumbledore nodded. "You will keep us informed of any significant information?" Thor raised a sardonic eyebrow. "Possibly," he said dryly. "It depends on the information; I can't go giving out my secrets, now can I?"
He rose; to his surprise, Snape rose with him. "You've changed," the other man said abruptly. "And I can't quite work out how." Thor half-shrugged. "I've grown up," he said honestly. "I am no longer a pawn with which people hope to defeat Voldemort…although I have accepted that none but I *can* deal with him. Now, if you'll excuse me…" He walked away quickly, and left Dumbledore's office. He really and truly detested that man, he thought whimsically. Even after ten years, he really and truly loathed Snape.
He reached the door of Draco's room, and opened it. Draco was still reading, but his hair was beginning to smoke.
"Draco, please don't set yourself on fire," Thor said, in as disapproving a voice as he could manage. Draco glanced up, surprised, and stopped smoking. "Thank you." Thor glanced at the window; the sun was beginning to sink in the sky, and he was mildly surprised to find that time had flown so swiftly. "You can stop reading now, Draco, you must be exhausted."
"No, it's fascinating," Draco murmured, stifling a yawn and closing the book. "Only a little confusing." Thor removed all his various weapons, pulled off his boots, and dropped onto the bed. "Well, it will be," he agreed. "You've completed your training as a wizard, now you need to unlearn all of that. What exactly is confusing?"
"Well, it says that Mages don't need to use words or wands to do magic," Draco said, leaning backwards in his chair. "But I've seen you say words; last night, for example. And then in another place it says that Mages DO need to use wands and incantations. But you don't speak or use a wand for everything. It's bloody confusing, and it's pissing me off."
Thor opened his eyes and looked carefully at Draco. "You're exhausted," he pronounced finally. "There's no point me telling you the answers to your question until you've had a proper night's sleep."
"I want to know," Draco said quietly. Thor sighed. "Fine," he said shortly. "Whether Mages use a wand or not depends on what type of magic they're performing; most Mages need incantations for Dragon Magic, for example. I don't for most areas of Dragon Magic, but I do for other types of magic; I can't do a single spell with Griffin Magic without an incantation, and no Mage can use a wand or words for Beast Magic, simply because beasts don't either. It depends on the Mage and the type of Magic, and I'll be heartily surprised if you remember any of this in the morning. Go to bed, Draco." He rolled off the bed, moved over to Draco, and propelled him towards the bed. Draco didn't protest when Thor undressed him efficiently or moved him into the bed. In fact, he was asleep so quickly that Thor was certain he hadn't been sleeping properly at all; learning about the Moons from a book simply did not do this to a person.
With a small sigh, Thor pulled his uniform off. His wand was placed under his pillow, and then he slid into the cool sheets. He was careful not to touch Draco – he knew he wouldn't be able to pull away if he did – but all through the night in his sleep he could sense Draco next to him through the rapidly-strengthening student-teacher bond that had formed between them on Draco's naming. At some point during the night Draco turned so he was facing Thor, and their bodies were almost touching. Thor did not wake, and neither did Draco. In fact, nothing disturbed them until just after dawn, when several shadows fell across the bed.
Thor was awake and alert instantly, his wand in his hand. Then he saw who it was and relaxed somewhat. Draco opened his eyes, then sat up, swearing under his breath.
"Draco," Thor said, a little groggily, "this is Zodiac, my old teacher, and Seraph and Coyote. They're all members of the Council of Mages. Zodiac, Seraph, Coyote, this is my new apprentice, Draco Malfoy. I was hoping you'd give me at least another few hours to set up wards." He yawned. Somehow, he realised with some part of his brain, Draco had managed to press himself up against his back.
"This is why you did the spell?" Zodiac inquired curiously. "We thought is was because of that Voldemort you keep going on about." Thor's jaw tightened, and he radiated intensity. "It's none of the Council's business, Zodiac," he said dangerously. "It's my business, and my responsibility. You know that." His face cleared suddenly. 'I assume they're doing a trial by one of the tests?"
"Trial by earth," Coyote said curtly. "Since you've chopped at least a dozen laws into pieces in the two days you've been here. Memosyn and Tryx are setting up wards outside now. Get dressed. You have ten minutes." The three turned as one and left the room. Thor dropped back down onto the bed with a groan. Draco raised an eyebrow at him.
"Shouldn't you be getting dressed?" he inquired. "What's trial by earth, Thor?" Thor pulled himself up onto his feet and began dressing. "There are four types of trials, for when mages break laws or requirements. Most of the laws, by the way, are completely ludicrous, but since I'm not on the Council I can't do a damn thing about it. Trial by fire is for breaking any laws concerning the security of the Mages and sharing of our abilities." He tugged on one leather boot, then the other. "Trial by air is for any of the laws concerning harming innocents, doing more damage than necessary, things like that." He started sheathing all his various weapons. "Trial by water is if you break any laws about misuse of powers, and trial by earth, what I'm about to do, is if you break any of the laws about performing spells." He ran a hand through his hair, decided there was no way it would ever lie flat, and looked back at Draco. "As I said, it's all bloody stupid, but the laws have been in place since the beginning of the Circle of Mages – they made a lot more sense back then – and so we have to obey them."
"Do the trials actually have anything to do with their names?" Draco inquired, pulling his clothes on. Thor laughed. "Not a thing," he said cheerfully. "Well, maybe a bit. Trial by earth basically means I have to do a complete duel with someone on the Council. They'll probably make me fight Zodiac, since he knows me best – he was my teacher." Draco's eyes glinted strangely for a moment, then he nodded.
"So how do you pass this…trial?" he asked. Thor slid his wand into his belt. "By beating my opponent," he replied. "And, hopefully, not losing my temper at the old bats." Draco grinned at the term, and Thor stretched. "Right," he said. 'Come on, you'd better come and watch this; you need to know what happens." Draco nodded, and followed Thor from his room. There was hardly anyone about in the halls…for which Thor was profoundly grateful. Trials could be at times extremely humiliating, and he hoped that this wouldn't be one of those times.
"You look worried," Draco observed as they reached the entrance hall. Thor half-smiled, and nodded. "I have done all the trials before," he admitted. "You remember me and rules?" Draco nodded fervently. "But before, I was in the Circle and I didn't have to think about the repercussions of my magic…and I knew who I would be fighting, because they gave me warning. Now, I don't know who…" He broke off, and forced a light smile onto his face. "I'll be fine."
"Just make sure that you are," Draco grumbled. Thor couldn't miss the opportunity to tease his student. "Why, Draco," he said in mock-surprise. 'Was that concern for me?" Draco frowned, but Thor caught an exposed look in his eyes before Draco's cool exterior came up again.
"I don't like my teachers dying on me," Draco told him calmly. "I don't like anyone dying on me." Thor gazed at him levelly for a moment, then nodded, and held the door open for Draco, who stepped through it. When Thor followed him, he balked.
"Bloody hell," he muttered, just loud enough for Draco to hear. "The whole Council is here." He gazed, completely disarmed, at the thirteen silent Mages who stood waiting for him in a semi-circle. "Draco, whatever you do, don't move off this step," Thor warned his student. "This is definitely not going to be nice." He walked down the steps slowly, a dangerous look in his eyes that was belied by the laziness of his actions.
"Hello," he said calmly, when he was standing in front of the Council. "What a nice surprise." His eyes flicked from one member of the Council to another, carefully gauging who might be on his side and who wasn't. He grimaced inwardly. Most seemed furious with him – including, Thor realised, Zodiac. "Well, let's get on with it," he said briskly. "What's the charge this time?"
"Use of a summoning spell without permission, performing said spell alone, and involving the dragons in your personal business," said one of the Mages curtly. "Trial by earth will commence against Coyote."
Thor met Coyote's eyes curiously. "I might point out," he remarked, not looking away from his opponent, "that it is common knowledge that I don't need a triumvirate to do a summoning spell, and it wasn't entirely a personal reason; I was asking them to acknowledge my new apprentice." He jerked his head back to where Draco was standing watching the proceedings with interest. "But, if you insist I take the trial…"
"We do," Coyote snapped. "Get on with it, Thor; the wards have been set up in the usual pattern." The Council of Mages, apart from Coyote, moved backwards, out of the protective wards that would keep the battling Mages from harming anyone else. Coyote and Thor bowed to each other, then began silently circling each other, watching for any weakness in the other's defences.
Thor wasn't worried. He had fought and beaten Coyote before, even if it had been in the Circle, where the magic was more potent than here. He knew the Mage's fighting style, whereas Coyote did not really know Thor's style, and he had the distinct advantage that he wasn't angry at the other Mage – anger, the Mages were taught, clouded judgement in fights, and should be avoided at all costs. Coyote, unfortunately, was always furious at Thor, just because Thor lived.
Coyote made the first move, flinging a freezing spell at Thor. Thor ducked it, not bothering to try and reflect it back – it was novice-level magic, after all – and increased his shields. Coyote, he remembered, always tried to weaken his opponent with spells first, then go into hand to hand combat. It was a technique that never failed to annoy Thor, who much preferred mixing his skills. He reflected a barrage of Beast spells, then cast a Unicorn spell, flinging it at Coyote as he rolled away to dodge another spell. Coyote hadn't learnt Unicorn Magic, he knew, so he used it to his advantage; his spell hit Coyote in the stomach, and the Mage doubled over in pain.
Now Thor pulled out his daggers, twirling them elegantly around his fingers, letting Coyote get a good look at him, to realise what he was about to do. Coyote, to his credit, pulled out his own two daggers, and moved easily into a fighting stance, which Thor mirrored.
Then Thor flung himself at Coyote, moving so quickly and fluidly that it was almost impossible to see what he was doing. The daggers locked together; Thor used the position to flick the weapons from Coyote's hands, sending his to join them where they stuck into the earth. Coyote aimed a punch at Thor's stomach, but Thor danced around Coyote and swung his foot into the Mage's stomach, making him double up again. He muttered a spell to pin Coyote to the ground. After a moment, Coyote leapt to his feet again, and managed to get in a hard blow to Thor's head that sent Thor stumbling back a few paces, almost tripping over the daggers in the earth. Thor decided to make a strategic move, and, bending his knees slightly, jumped into the air.
Sitting on the steps to the castle, Draco anxiously watched Thor as he and Coyote exchanged a flurry of spells and blows. He was sure Thor could take care of himself, and he wouldn't admit to anyone else that he was worried about the man, but still, he couldn't help biting his lip in concern as Thor ducked another spell.
"Don't worry about him," came an amused voice from next to him. Draco glanced up; the man Thor had named as Zodiac was standing next to him. "Thor's the best War Mage in the entire circle."
"I'm not worried," Draco said defensively, looking back at the battle. He could feel Zodiac watching him amusedly. "I'm not," he said hotly.
"Of course not," Zodiac agreed, a little sarcastic. "No apprentice ever is for their teacher when their teacher is involved in a trial. Or not, as the case may be." He relented, and jerked his head at his former apprentice. "Thor doesn't realise it, I've never been put through a trial, but my teacher was several times, and then Thor's been put through all the trials at least a dozen times, idiotic boy that he is."
The corner of Draco's mouth curled. "You call him an 'idiotic boy'?" he inquired. "Of course," Zodiac agreed. "that's what he is…ooh." He suddenly got a dismayed look on his face. "I probably shouldn't be saying that to you. Sorry, it's just I'm not used to Thor…"
"I understand," Draco said quickly. "Or at least, I think I do. He was your apprentice, wasn't he?" Zodiac nodded. "Well, knowing him, I don't envy you." Zodiac chuckled. "Well, considering how he always was at Hogwarts…"
"Oh, that's right," Zodiac murmured, his eyes sharpening and fixing on Draco's. "You were in the same year as him when he was learning here, weren't you?" Draco silently nodded. "Now I remember…he talked about you a lot, you know."
"Oh?" Draco inquired innocently. Zodiac rolled his eyes, and looked back at the fight. Thor's right arm was now hanging limply at his side; Coyote had been forced back down onto the ground.
"Strange," Zodiac murmured. "Thor usually ends fights before this, especially in trials and with Coyote." He sat down next to Draco and leant forward slightly. "Hmph. That spell must have been hard, he's not as good as he usually is."
"This is not as good as usual?" Draco asked faintly, watching as Thor's movements became too fast to see clearly. Zodiac nodded distractedly. "And he said he was fine from the spell," Draco muttered.
"Maybe he wasn't telling you everything," Zodiac frowned. "It was a summoning, wasn't it?" Draco nodded. "I wonder…do you know if anything odd happened?"
"Well, he was talking to the dragon for a while," Draco said slowly. "And afterwards he said that he hadn't expected something to happen…I don't know what, sorry." Zodiac glanced at him, a brief smile on his face. "Don't be," he told the apprentice. "you've only just started learning, how could you know? Considering that it's Thor, I doubt I would have known, and I've been living with him for eleven years." He thought for a moment. "Well, the dragon aspect isn't so odd," he said slowly. "Thor has always talked to dragons more than he ought to – it's another thing that pisses Coyote off – but I wonder…"
"Wonder what?" Draco demanded. Zodiac didn't reply, for at that moment Thor shot a spell at Coyote that bowled the other Mage over onto the ground. He lay there twitching, then stilled. Thor dropped back onto the ground, glanced Coyote over, then looked at the Council of Mages.
"There," he said mildly, not even out of breath. "Have I passed again, or do you feel it necessary for me to return to the Circle?" One of the Council members, Seraph, came forward. "Don't be like that," she said lightly. 'You knew when you performed the spell that you'd have to undergo trial. Of course you don't have to come back with us. Now, are you going to introduce me to that handsome apprentice of yours?"
Thor caught her tone of voice and the glint in her eyes – he had not been her friend for ten years for nothing. "No, Seraph," he said warningly. "Not while he's my apprentice you don't." Seraph met his eyes curiously, then raised one eyebrow. 'Not ever, if you have anything to say about it," she said softly. Thor blinked in surprise. She laughed gently at him. "You're so naïve sometimes, Thor," she said fondly. "It's quite funny, really." She walked past him towards Draco and Zodiac, and he stared dumbly after her for a full minute before sprinting to catch up.
"What do you mean?" he demanded as they reached the steps. She glanced between him and Draco, then smirked at him. "Seraph, explain!"
"You can't order her around," Zodiac pointed out mildly. "She's Council, you aren't." Thor glared at his former teacher. "If I'd wanted your opinion, Zodiac," he smiled pleasantly, "I'd have asked you for it." Zodiac guffawed, and Thor turned back to Seraph, who was still smirking and looking between him and his apprentice. "Seraph?"
"Il est très beau, Thor," she said silkily. "N'est-ce pas?" (He is very handsome. Is it not so?)
"Oui, je sais," Thor agreed unthinkingly. "Pourquoi tu l'as dit?" Then he realised what her point was, and he groaned as he realised that he had well and truly stepped in it. "Seraph, tu ne sais rien. Il est mon élève, et nous n'étions jemais amis." (Yes, I know. Why did you say that? Seraph, you know nothing. He is my student, and we were never friends.)
"Merde," Seraph told him sharply. "Tu lui veux." (Shit. You want him.)
"Oh, shut up," Thor complained, feeling uncomfortably exposed. "it's none of your business anyway."
"Si tu veux," Seraph shrugged. "Mais je pense qu'il tu aime." Thor blinked at her, then looked sharply at Draco, who was watching them curiously. With a peculiar smile on his face, he asked, "Tu penses vraiment?" (If you like. But I think that he likes/loves you.) (You truly think so?)
"Oui," she said firmly. (Yes.)
"Oh, speak English, for crying out loud," Zodiac complained at last. "Now I remember why I didn't want to let you teach him French, Seraph," he muttered. Draco stifled a laugh. "Are you alright?" he demanded of Thor. Thor nodded reassuringly. "What about him – Coyote?"
"Who cares," Thor muttered. He caught the look Zodiac and Seraph both gave him, and tried to look suitably apologetic. "He'll be fine, Draco. Don't worry about him." He winced as he gently rotated his right shoulder. "Damn."
"Heal it yourself, you let the spell get by you," Zodiac said complacently. Thor closed his eyes for a moment, obviously trying not to explode. "Would you mind not trying to humiliate me in front of my apprentice?" he inquired mildly after a moment. "I would appreciate it. Thanks."
Seraph glanced back at the other Mages, and tugged Zodiac to his feet. "We have to go," she said briskly. "Thor, try and come back soon? Draco, it was nice meeting you." She again looked at Thor. "Je comprend quoi tu es ici, Thor. Mais ne fait pas quelque dangereux, oui?" (I understand why you are here, Thor. But don't do anything dangerous, yes?)
"Biensur, Seraph," Thor nodded gravely. "Et toi…je te vois a bientôt." Seraph nodded, and returned to the Council. (Of course, Seraph. And you…I will see you soon.)
Zodiac looked seriously at Thor for a long moment. "Thor, I looked up that date – March the second, nineteen forty-three. I was right, it was a Basilisk Moon in the year of the Chimaera, and Thor…" He hesitated. "I found out that one of the Mages a while after that was sent in disgrace to the dwarves for several years because he taught someone Mage powers who had been born in that year. Tom Riddle, the name was." Thor paled. "I hope that helps."
"It does," Thor answered grimly. "It really, really does." He looked at the horizon for a moment, then back at Zodiac. "You'd better go." Zodiac nodded, then pulled him into an embrace. "Take care of yourself," he muttered roughly. "And take care of that apprentice of yours, from looks of it he's had a bad lot in life so far."
"I will," Thor promised. "Don't worry about us. I'll be back before you notice I'm gone." Zodiac gave him an odd look. "People have already noticed you've gone," he said, overly-patient. "There haven't been any explosions." He followed Seraph, and soon all thirteen Mages had moved from sight. Thor turned back to Draco, who had risen.
"That," he said solemnly, "was a Trial by earth. I hope you learnt how entirely pointless the whole thing is." He grinned. "Come on, we're starting your training properly."
"Now?" Draco complained. "It's before breakfast." Thor raised a sardonic eyebrow. "There won't be any breakfast if you aren't finished," he warned. Draco paled. "Five laps around the lake, if you please, Draco," Thor ordered. Draco set off slowly, clearly unwilling to go at a faster pace. "Running, not walking, Draco!" Thor yelled after him. Reluctantly Draco broke into a run. Thor watched him go with a smirk, then retrieved his daggers and removed the wards which the Council had so thoughtlessly left erect. He turned back towards the castle; Dumbledore, Snape and Hermione were standing there. Hermione's mouth was open in wonder. Thor raised an eyebrow.
"Careful, you'll catch flies," he teased. "I take it you saw the fight, then." Hermione nodded dumbly. Thor frowned slightly. "it wasn't all that brilliant, 'Mione," he said cautiously. "I usually do better than that; the spell I did the other night took a bit out of me…"
"You mean that's a bad day?" she croaked. He nodded silently. "Merlin's beard, Harry…"
"I think we can safely say that you will have no problems defeating Voldemort," Dumbledore said calmly. Thor met his eyes gravely. "I'm afraid not," he said quietly. "According to one of my friends on the Council, Voldemort received some Mage training in the sixties. Since I don't know what magics he learnt, this is going to be infinitely harder than I thought, especially since Mages are forbidden to kill anyone trained with Mage powers. I can't go against that law, it's the most ancient –" he broke himself off. "Like I said," he completed softly. "This is going to be harder than I thought." He turned back towards the lake, where Draco was still running his first lap. "And I have other obligations and concerns now," he murmured, so quietly that no one heard him.
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"Harry, for the dragons' sake get down here!"
Thor peered down at his teacher from the ceiling. "But it's so fun," he exclaimed. "If I'd known it was going to be this fun, I would have learnt Griffin Magic years ago!"
Zodiac took a deep breath, trying to be patient with his trying apprentice. "Thor, please. The Council wants you." Thor dropped to the ground with a thump. "Thank you."
"What do they want?" Thor demanded suspiciously, as Zodiac ushered him through the Circle buildings. "They don't want me to call the Dragons again, do they, because I won't do it, not even for them, the Dragons are starting to get annoyed with me, and I hate it when the Dragons are annoyed with me."
"Sometimes, Thor," Zodiac remarked easily, "you're still so much a child." He pushed open a door and ushered Thor through. The young Mage halted as he was faced with a huge, silvery dragon.
"Oh," he breathed. 'Ygrivaine-Morpugra. I haven't seen you in so long.' He remembered the Dragon courtesy he was supposed to show, and bowed to the dragon.
'No, my little one,' the dragon reproved. 'You should not bow, not to me. I have come to give you your destiny, little dragon. Will you face it?' Thor lifted his chin defiantly. 'I face all challenges,' he reminded the dragon. 'This is no different.'
The dragon regarded him gravely. 'It is different, my dragon babe,' she said sadly. 'It is so, so different…I would not speak this prophecy if I had any alternative.' She sat back on her rear legs. 'As it is…Dragon Child, born of Dragons and for Dragons, shall rule with Unicorn born by his side. He shall be the greatest of all, and all shall be peace.' She sank back down onto all fours sorrowfully as Thor digested the strange words. 'I am sorry, my dragonling," she crooned. 'I must leave now.' Her scaled nose nuzzled his cheek for a moment; he leant into the strange caress, and then she drew back, and with a flash of light she was gone. Thor felt a touch on his arm.
"What did she say?" Zodiac inquired. Thor looked in surprise at his teacher. 'You couldn't hear her?" he demanded. Zodiac shook his head. Thor felt the insane urge to laugh. "I'll write the prophecy down," he forced himself to speak calmly. "I just…I just think I need a glass of water first."
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To be continued.
Disclaimer: See part one for full disclaimer: as always, stuff you recognise is the property of the Mistress of the Universe, JK Rowling.
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Thor was beginning to get a headache. He lifted his face from his hands – he had, several minutes before, resorted to burying his head in them in an attempt to become invisible – and glared at Snape.
"No," he snapped. "There is no way that I am getting Draco involved in this. Not only is it not his problem, but he has also just become my apprentice! I'm not about to risk him dying, he has a good deal of power, but until it's trained, he's of no help. And again I say that it isn't his problem, it's mine."
"And again I'm telling you that we need his help," Snape ground out. "He's a powerful wizard –"
"no," Thor over-ruled coolly. "He relinquished that title the moment he was Named as my apprentice. He is a novice Mage; wizarding skills have no place in the Circle, and I follow the creed of the Circle." He looked back at Dumbledore, who was watching the two of them argue with an amused smile. "And that brings me back to my original point, Professor. I am certain that sooner or later the Council will show up, demanding to know what I'm doing. I need your permission to make certain…" he hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Certain precautions," he finished finally. "I know what the Council will do, in a general way, and if I set up wards and protective circles beforehand, I can be certain that the castle will actually still be standing by the end of it."
"When do you think they will arrive?" Dumbledore inquired. Thor shrugged. "It could be any time from now until the time I return," he observed. "I don't even know if they will come, not for certain; some members of the Council feel it's best if they just leave my to break the rules and then deal with me afterwards, but others will want to come and chastise me instantly." He allowed himself a smile. "I imagine that the debate will last long enough for me to set up enough protection for Hogwarts to survive a full-scale Mage fight."
"And where does Draco fit into all of this?" Snape demanded silkily. Thor refused to look at the man; he kept his gaze firmly on a wall, and smiled pleasantly. "I hope he won't," he admitted. "He wasn't involved in the spell I performed, even if he was the reason for it, so the Council should be primarily concerned with me."
"Ah yes," Dumbledore mused. "Last night's spell. Some kind of Summoning, was it not?"
Thor nodded. "A Dragon Summoning," he explained. "There are ways to summon dragons, but most of them hurt like hell, which is why I was knocked unconscious." He rubbed his scar, which was beginning to throb a little – an unfortunate side-effect, he had discovered long ago, of headaches. "Is there anything else you want to know, Professor? Only I have to get back to Draco, apprentices have a nasty habit of trying to spontaneously self- combust when they're reading about Chimaera Moons, and he's about there now, I should think."
"Of course," Dumbledore nodded. "You will keep us informed of any significant information?" Thor raised a sardonic eyebrow. "Possibly," he said dryly. "It depends on the information; I can't go giving out my secrets, now can I?"
He rose; to his surprise, Snape rose with him. "You've changed," the other man said abruptly. "And I can't quite work out how." Thor half-shrugged. "I've grown up," he said honestly. "I am no longer a pawn with which people hope to defeat Voldemort…although I have accepted that none but I *can* deal with him. Now, if you'll excuse me…" He walked away quickly, and left Dumbledore's office. He really and truly detested that man, he thought whimsically. Even after ten years, he really and truly loathed Snape.
He reached the door of Draco's room, and opened it. Draco was still reading, but his hair was beginning to smoke.
"Draco, please don't set yourself on fire," Thor said, in as disapproving a voice as he could manage. Draco glanced up, surprised, and stopped smoking. "Thank you." Thor glanced at the window; the sun was beginning to sink in the sky, and he was mildly surprised to find that time had flown so swiftly. "You can stop reading now, Draco, you must be exhausted."
"No, it's fascinating," Draco murmured, stifling a yawn and closing the book. "Only a little confusing." Thor removed all his various weapons, pulled off his boots, and dropped onto the bed. "Well, it will be," he agreed. "You've completed your training as a wizard, now you need to unlearn all of that. What exactly is confusing?"
"Well, it says that Mages don't need to use words or wands to do magic," Draco said, leaning backwards in his chair. "But I've seen you say words; last night, for example. And then in another place it says that Mages DO need to use wands and incantations. But you don't speak or use a wand for everything. It's bloody confusing, and it's pissing me off."
Thor opened his eyes and looked carefully at Draco. "You're exhausted," he pronounced finally. "There's no point me telling you the answers to your question until you've had a proper night's sleep."
"I want to know," Draco said quietly. Thor sighed. "Fine," he said shortly. "Whether Mages use a wand or not depends on what type of magic they're performing; most Mages need incantations for Dragon Magic, for example. I don't for most areas of Dragon Magic, but I do for other types of magic; I can't do a single spell with Griffin Magic without an incantation, and no Mage can use a wand or words for Beast Magic, simply because beasts don't either. It depends on the Mage and the type of Magic, and I'll be heartily surprised if you remember any of this in the morning. Go to bed, Draco." He rolled off the bed, moved over to Draco, and propelled him towards the bed. Draco didn't protest when Thor undressed him efficiently or moved him into the bed. In fact, he was asleep so quickly that Thor was certain he hadn't been sleeping properly at all; learning about the Moons from a book simply did not do this to a person.
With a small sigh, Thor pulled his uniform off. His wand was placed under his pillow, and then he slid into the cool sheets. He was careful not to touch Draco – he knew he wouldn't be able to pull away if he did – but all through the night in his sleep he could sense Draco next to him through the rapidly-strengthening student-teacher bond that had formed between them on Draco's naming. At some point during the night Draco turned so he was facing Thor, and their bodies were almost touching. Thor did not wake, and neither did Draco. In fact, nothing disturbed them until just after dawn, when several shadows fell across the bed.
Thor was awake and alert instantly, his wand in his hand. Then he saw who it was and relaxed somewhat. Draco opened his eyes, then sat up, swearing under his breath.
"Draco," Thor said, a little groggily, "this is Zodiac, my old teacher, and Seraph and Coyote. They're all members of the Council of Mages. Zodiac, Seraph, Coyote, this is my new apprentice, Draco Malfoy. I was hoping you'd give me at least another few hours to set up wards." He yawned. Somehow, he realised with some part of his brain, Draco had managed to press himself up against his back.
"This is why you did the spell?" Zodiac inquired curiously. "We thought is was because of that Voldemort you keep going on about." Thor's jaw tightened, and he radiated intensity. "It's none of the Council's business, Zodiac," he said dangerously. "It's my business, and my responsibility. You know that." His face cleared suddenly. 'I assume they're doing a trial by one of the tests?"
"Trial by earth," Coyote said curtly. "Since you've chopped at least a dozen laws into pieces in the two days you've been here. Memosyn and Tryx are setting up wards outside now. Get dressed. You have ten minutes." The three turned as one and left the room. Thor dropped back down onto the bed with a groan. Draco raised an eyebrow at him.
"Shouldn't you be getting dressed?" he inquired. "What's trial by earth, Thor?" Thor pulled himself up onto his feet and began dressing. "There are four types of trials, for when mages break laws or requirements. Most of the laws, by the way, are completely ludicrous, but since I'm not on the Council I can't do a damn thing about it. Trial by fire is for breaking any laws concerning the security of the Mages and sharing of our abilities." He tugged on one leather boot, then the other. "Trial by air is for any of the laws concerning harming innocents, doing more damage than necessary, things like that." He started sheathing all his various weapons. "Trial by water is if you break any laws about misuse of powers, and trial by earth, what I'm about to do, is if you break any of the laws about performing spells." He ran a hand through his hair, decided there was no way it would ever lie flat, and looked back at Draco. "As I said, it's all bloody stupid, but the laws have been in place since the beginning of the Circle of Mages – they made a lot more sense back then – and so we have to obey them."
"Do the trials actually have anything to do with their names?" Draco inquired, pulling his clothes on. Thor laughed. "Not a thing," he said cheerfully. "Well, maybe a bit. Trial by earth basically means I have to do a complete duel with someone on the Council. They'll probably make me fight Zodiac, since he knows me best – he was my teacher." Draco's eyes glinted strangely for a moment, then he nodded.
"So how do you pass this…trial?" he asked. Thor slid his wand into his belt. "By beating my opponent," he replied. "And, hopefully, not losing my temper at the old bats." Draco grinned at the term, and Thor stretched. "Right," he said. 'Come on, you'd better come and watch this; you need to know what happens." Draco nodded, and followed Thor from his room. There was hardly anyone about in the halls…for which Thor was profoundly grateful. Trials could be at times extremely humiliating, and he hoped that this wouldn't be one of those times.
"You look worried," Draco observed as they reached the entrance hall. Thor half-smiled, and nodded. "I have done all the trials before," he admitted. "You remember me and rules?" Draco nodded fervently. "But before, I was in the Circle and I didn't have to think about the repercussions of my magic…and I knew who I would be fighting, because they gave me warning. Now, I don't know who…" He broke off, and forced a light smile onto his face. "I'll be fine."
"Just make sure that you are," Draco grumbled. Thor couldn't miss the opportunity to tease his student. "Why, Draco," he said in mock-surprise. 'Was that concern for me?" Draco frowned, but Thor caught an exposed look in his eyes before Draco's cool exterior came up again.
"I don't like my teachers dying on me," Draco told him calmly. "I don't like anyone dying on me." Thor gazed at him levelly for a moment, then nodded, and held the door open for Draco, who stepped through it. When Thor followed him, he balked.
"Bloody hell," he muttered, just loud enough for Draco to hear. "The whole Council is here." He gazed, completely disarmed, at the thirteen silent Mages who stood waiting for him in a semi-circle. "Draco, whatever you do, don't move off this step," Thor warned his student. "This is definitely not going to be nice." He walked down the steps slowly, a dangerous look in his eyes that was belied by the laziness of his actions.
"Hello," he said calmly, when he was standing in front of the Council. "What a nice surprise." His eyes flicked from one member of the Council to another, carefully gauging who might be on his side and who wasn't. He grimaced inwardly. Most seemed furious with him – including, Thor realised, Zodiac. "Well, let's get on with it," he said briskly. "What's the charge this time?"
"Use of a summoning spell without permission, performing said spell alone, and involving the dragons in your personal business," said one of the Mages curtly. "Trial by earth will commence against Coyote."
Thor met Coyote's eyes curiously. "I might point out," he remarked, not looking away from his opponent, "that it is common knowledge that I don't need a triumvirate to do a summoning spell, and it wasn't entirely a personal reason; I was asking them to acknowledge my new apprentice." He jerked his head back to where Draco was standing watching the proceedings with interest. "But, if you insist I take the trial…"
"We do," Coyote snapped. "Get on with it, Thor; the wards have been set up in the usual pattern." The Council of Mages, apart from Coyote, moved backwards, out of the protective wards that would keep the battling Mages from harming anyone else. Coyote and Thor bowed to each other, then began silently circling each other, watching for any weakness in the other's defences.
Thor wasn't worried. He had fought and beaten Coyote before, even if it had been in the Circle, where the magic was more potent than here. He knew the Mage's fighting style, whereas Coyote did not really know Thor's style, and he had the distinct advantage that he wasn't angry at the other Mage – anger, the Mages were taught, clouded judgement in fights, and should be avoided at all costs. Coyote, unfortunately, was always furious at Thor, just because Thor lived.
Coyote made the first move, flinging a freezing spell at Thor. Thor ducked it, not bothering to try and reflect it back – it was novice-level magic, after all – and increased his shields. Coyote, he remembered, always tried to weaken his opponent with spells first, then go into hand to hand combat. It was a technique that never failed to annoy Thor, who much preferred mixing his skills. He reflected a barrage of Beast spells, then cast a Unicorn spell, flinging it at Coyote as he rolled away to dodge another spell. Coyote hadn't learnt Unicorn Magic, he knew, so he used it to his advantage; his spell hit Coyote in the stomach, and the Mage doubled over in pain.
Now Thor pulled out his daggers, twirling them elegantly around his fingers, letting Coyote get a good look at him, to realise what he was about to do. Coyote, to his credit, pulled out his own two daggers, and moved easily into a fighting stance, which Thor mirrored.
Then Thor flung himself at Coyote, moving so quickly and fluidly that it was almost impossible to see what he was doing. The daggers locked together; Thor used the position to flick the weapons from Coyote's hands, sending his to join them where they stuck into the earth. Coyote aimed a punch at Thor's stomach, but Thor danced around Coyote and swung his foot into the Mage's stomach, making him double up again. He muttered a spell to pin Coyote to the ground. After a moment, Coyote leapt to his feet again, and managed to get in a hard blow to Thor's head that sent Thor stumbling back a few paces, almost tripping over the daggers in the earth. Thor decided to make a strategic move, and, bending his knees slightly, jumped into the air.
Sitting on the steps to the castle, Draco anxiously watched Thor as he and Coyote exchanged a flurry of spells and blows. He was sure Thor could take care of himself, and he wouldn't admit to anyone else that he was worried about the man, but still, he couldn't help biting his lip in concern as Thor ducked another spell.
"Don't worry about him," came an amused voice from next to him. Draco glanced up; the man Thor had named as Zodiac was standing next to him. "Thor's the best War Mage in the entire circle."
"I'm not worried," Draco said defensively, looking back at the battle. He could feel Zodiac watching him amusedly. "I'm not," he said hotly.
"Of course not," Zodiac agreed, a little sarcastic. "No apprentice ever is for their teacher when their teacher is involved in a trial. Or not, as the case may be." He relented, and jerked his head at his former apprentice. "Thor doesn't realise it, I've never been put through a trial, but my teacher was several times, and then Thor's been put through all the trials at least a dozen times, idiotic boy that he is."
The corner of Draco's mouth curled. "You call him an 'idiotic boy'?" he inquired. "Of course," Zodiac agreed. "that's what he is…ooh." He suddenly got a dismayed look on his face. "I probably shouldn't be saying that to you. Sorry, it's just I'm not used to Thor…"
"I understand," Draco said quickly. "Or at least, I think I do. He was your apprentice, wasn't he?" Zodiac nodded. "Well, knowing him, I don't envy you." Zodiac chuckled. "Well, considering how he always was at Hogwarts…"
"Oh, that's right," Zodiac murmured, his eyes sharpening and fixing on Draco's. "You were in the same year as him when he was learning here, weren't you?" Draco silently nodded. "Now I remember…he talked about you a lot, you know."
"Oh?" Draco inquired innocently. Zodiac rolled his eyes, and looked back at the fight. Thor's right arm was now hanging limply at his side; Coyote had been forced back down onto the ground.
"Strange," Zodiac murmured. "Thor usually ends fights before this, especially in trials and with Coyote." He sat down next to Draco and leant forward slightly. "Hmph. That spell must have been hard, he's not as good as he usually is."
"This is not as good as usual?" Draco asked faintly, watching as Thor's movements became too fast to see clearly. Zodiac nodded distractedly. "And he said he was fine from the spell," Draco muttered.
"Maybe he wasn't telling you everything," Zodiac frowned. "It was a summoning, wasn't it?" Draco nodded. "I wonder…do you know if anything odd happened?"
"Well, he was talking to the dragon for a while," Draco said slowly. "And afterwards he said that he hadn't expected something to happen…I don't know what, sorry." Zodiac glanced at him, a brief smile on his face. "Don't be," he told the apprentice. "you've only just started learning, how could you know? Considering that it's Thor, I doubt I would have known, and I've been living with him for eleven years." He thought for a moment. "Well, the dragon aspect isn't so odd," he said slowly. "Thor has always talked to dragons more than he ought to – it's another thing that pisses Coyote off – but I wonder…"
"Wonder what?" Draco demanded. Zodiac didn't reply, for at that moment Thor shot a spell at Coyote that bowled the other Mage over onto the ground. He lay there twitching, then stilled. Thor dropped back onto the ground, glanced Coyote over, then looked at the Council of Mages.
"There," he said mildly, not even out of breath. "Have I passed again, or do you feel it necessary for me to return to the Circle?" One of the Council members, Seraph, came forward. "Don't be like that," she said lightly. 'You knew when you performed the spell that you'd have to undergo trial. Of course you don't have to come back with us. Now, are you going to introduce me to that handsome apprentice of yours?"
Thor caught her tone of voice and the glint in her eyes – he had not been her friend for ten years for nothing. "No, Seraph," he said warningly. "Not while he's my apprentice you don't." Seraph met his eyes curiously, then raised one eyebrow. 'Not ever, if you have anything to say about it," she said softly. Thor blinked in surprise. She laughed gently at him. "You're so naïve sometimes, Thor," she said fondly. "It's quite funny, really." She walked past him towards Draco and Zodiac, and he stared dumbly after her for a full minute before sprinting to catch up.
"What do you mean?" he demanded as they reached the steps. She glanced between him and Draco, then smirked at him. "Seraph, explain!"
"You can't order her around," Zodiac pointed out mildly. "She's Council, you aren't." Thor glared at his former teacher. "If I'd wanted your opinion, Zodiac," he smiled pleasantly, "I'd have asked you for it." Zodiac guffawed, and Thor turned back to Seraph, who was still smirking and looking between him and his apprentice. "Seraph?"
"Il est très beau, Thor," she said silkily. "N'est-ce pas?" (He is very handsome. Is it not so?)
"Oui, je sais," Thor agreed unthinkingly. "Pourquoi tu l'as dit?" Then he realised what her point was, and he groaned as he realised that he had well and truly stepped in it. "Seraph, tu ne sais rien. Il est mon élève, et nous n'étions jemais amis." (Yes, I know. Why did you say that? Seraph, you know nothing. He is my student, and we were never friends.)
"Merde," Seraph told him sharply. "Tu lui veux." (Shit. You want him.)
"Oh, shut up," Thor complained, feeling uncomfortably exposed. "it's none of your business anyway."
"Si tu veux," Seraph shrugged. "Mais je pense qu'il tu aime." Thor blinked at her, then looked sharply at Draco, who was watching them curiously. With a peculiar smile on his face, he asked, "Tu penses vraiment?" (If you like. But I think that he likes/loves you.) (You truly think so?)
"Oui," she said firmly. (Yes.)
"Oh, speak English, for crying out loud," Zodiac complained at last. "Now I remember why I didn't want to let you teach him French, Seraph," he muttered. Draco stifled a laugh. "Are you alright?" he demanded of Thor. Thor nodded reassuringly. "What about him – Coyote?"
"Who cares," Thor muttered. He caught the look Zodiac and Seraph both gave him, and tried to look suitably apologetic. "He'll be fine, Draco. Don't worry about him." He winced as he gently rotated his right shoulder. "Damn."
"Heal it yourself, you let the spell get by you," Zodiac said complacently. Thor closed his eyes for a moment, obviously trying not to explode. "Would you mind not trying to humiliate me in front of my apprentice?" he inquired mildly after a moment. "I would appreciate it. Thanks."
Seraph glanced back at the other Mages, and tugged Zodiac to his feet. "We have to go," she said briskly. "Thor, try and come back soon? Draco, it was nice meeting you." She again looked at Thor. "Je comprend quoi tu es ici, Thor. Mais ne fait pas quelque dangereux, oui?" (I understand why you are here, Thor. But don't do anything dangerous, yes?)
"Biensur, Seraph," Thor nodded gravely. "Et toi…je te vois a bientôt." Seraph nodded, and returned to the Council. (Of course, Seraph. And you…I will see you soon.)
Zodiac looked seriously at Thor for a long moment. "Thor, I looked up that date – March the second, nineteen forty-three. I was right, it was a Basilisk Moon in the year of the Chimaera, and Thor…" He hesitated. "I found out that one of the Mages a while after that was sent in disgrace to the dwarves for several years because he taught someone Mage powers who had been born in that year. Tom Riddle, the name was." Thor paled. "I hope that helps."
"It does," Thor answered grimly. "It really, really does." He looked at the horizon for a moment, then back at Zodiac. "You'd better go." Zodiac nodded, then pulled him into an embrace. "Take care of yourself," he muttered roughly. "And take care of that apprentice of yours, from looks of it he's had a bad lot in life so far."
"I will," Thor promised. "Don't worry about us. I'll be back before you notice I'm gone." Zodiac gave him an odd look. "People have already noticed you've gone," he said, overly-patient. "There haven't been any explosions." He followed Seraph, and soon all thirteen Mages had moved from sight. Thor turned back to Draco, who had risen.
"That," he said solemnly, "was a Trial by earth. I hope you learnt how entirely pointless the whole thing is." He grinned. "Come on, we're starting your training properly."
"Now?" Draco complained. "It's before breakfast." Thor raised a sardonic eyebrow. "There won't be any breakfast if you aren't finished," he warned. Draco paled. "Five laps around the lake, if you please, Draco," Thor ordered. Draco set off slowly, clearly unwilling to go at a faster pace. "Running, not walking, Draco!" Thor yelled after him. Reluctantly Draco broke into a run. Thor watched him go with a smirk, then retrieved his daggers and removed the wards which the Council had so thoughtlessly left erect. He turned back towards the castle; Dumbledore, Snape and Hermione were standing there. Hermione's mouth was open in wonder. Thor raised an eyebrow.
"Careful, you'll catch flies," he teased. "I take it you saw the fight, then." Hermione nodded dumbly. Thor frowned slightly. "it wasn't all that brilliant, 'Mione," he said cautiously. "I usually do better than that; the spell I did the other night took a bit out of me…"
"You mean that's a bad day?" she croaked. He nodded silently. "Merlin's beard, Harry…"
"I think we can safely say that you will have no problems defeating Voldemort," Dumbledore said calmly. Thor met his eyes gravely. "I'm afraid not," he said quietly. "According to one of my friends on the Council, Voldemort received some Mage training in the sixties. Since I don't know what magics he learnt, this is going to be infinitely harder than I thought, especially since Mages are forbidden to kill anyone trained with Mage powers. I can't go against that law, it's the most ancient –" he broke himself off. "Like I said," he completed softly. "This is going to be harder than I thought." He turned back towards the lake, where Draco was still running his first lap. "And I have other obligations and concerns now," he murmured, so quietly that no one heard him.
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"Harry, for the dragons' sake get down here!"
Thor peered down at his teacher from the ceiling. "But it's so fun," he exclaimed. "If I'd known it was going to be this fun, I would have learnt Griffin Magic years ago!"
Zodiac took a deep breath, trying to be patient with his trying apprentice. "Thor, please. The Council wants you." Thor dropped to the ground with a thump. "Thank you."
"What do they want?" Thor demanded suspiciously, as Zodiac ushered him through the Circle buildings. "They don't want me to call the Dragons again, do they, because I won't do it, not even for them, the Dragons are starting to get annoyed with me, and I hate it when the Dragons are annoyed with me."
"Sometimes, Thor," Zodiac remarked easily, "you're still so much a child." He pushed open a door and ushered Thor through. The young Mage halted as he was faced with a huge, silvery dragon.
"Oh," he breathed. 'Ygrivaine-Morpugra. I haven't seen you in so long.' He remembered the Dragon courtesy he was supposed to show, and bowed to the dragon.
'No, my little one,' the dragon reproved. 'You should not bow, not to me. I have come to give you your destiny, little dragon. Will you face it?' Thor lifted his chin defiantly. 'I face all challenges,' he reminded the dragon. 'This is no different.'
The dragon regarded him gravely. 'It is different, my dragon babe,' she said sadly. 'It is so, so different…I would not speak this prophecy if I had any alternative.' She sat back on her rear legs. 'As it is…Dragon Child, born of Dragons and for Dragons, shall rule with Unicorn born by his side. He shall be the greatest of all, and all shall be peace.' She sank back down onto all fours sorrowfully as Thor digested the strange words. 'I am sorry, my dragonling," she crooned. 'I must leave now.' Her scaled nose nuzzled his cheek for a moment; he leant into the strange caress, and then she drew back, and with a flash of light she was gone. Thor felt a touch on his arm.
"What did she say?" Zodiac inquired. Thor looked in surprise at his teacher. 'You couldn't hear her?" he demanded. Zodiac shook his head. Thor felt the insane urge to laugh. "I'll write the prophecy down," he forced himself to speak calmly. "I just…I just think I need a glass of water first."
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To be continued.