The Coming of Change

The Coming of Change

By Greencat

A/N1: Ooh bad formatting on parts 1&2 (Sorry peops!) Grrr. The dream part was supposed to be italicized. ::grumbles:: Sorry 'bout that too.

A/N: Ooh I'm getting reviews! So far all five of them are raves! (P.S. to Bubble: Wow. You really think so? Thanks! J 3 of the reviews asked for more. There fore I bring you...

Part Three: Inner Struggles

"The Forbidden Forest?" said Ron, paling. "Why?"

"You are to learn Projection. Your instructor lives in the forest, and it would be very inconvenient for her to come to the school." said Dumbledore with a small grin on his face.

"I wonder why?" muttered Ron to Harry as they set off across the grounds.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" said Hermione with an annoying look of superiority.

"Well, Hermione, you've always had a stronger grasp of the obvious than me or Ron, so perhaps you'd enlighten us," said Harry grinning mischievously at her.

"Well how many humans do you know of who live in the Forest?" she said glaring at Harry.

"None, how many do you know?" he replied.

"Exactly. My point is, our instructor is probably not human."

"So what? They're a centaur or something?" said Ron as they entered the silent rows of trees.

"Maybe. But I think they deal more with Divination than Projection." said Hermione.

"Well which creature who lives in the Forest does deal with Projection."

"No." said Hermione, looking slightly miffed that she didn't know an answer. "But I don't think anyone knows all the creatures that live in the Forest." She looked uneasily at the dark, strange shapes of the trees, made even stranger looking by the light of a near-full moon.

"Just as long as it's not Aragog, or some other thing that would like to eat us, I'll be happy." Said Ron, looking slightly nauseated at the possibility of having a teacher who considered them a tasty snack.

"I wonder where we're going?" said Harry.

"I don't know. This wasn't the way we went when we were looking for that dead unicorn," said Hermione. "Do you remember any of this from your little visit with Aragog?"

"Well, let's see: Considering that for most of the journey I was being carried by a giant spider or riding around in a living car, I'd say no, I don't remember all that much." said Ron slightly sardonically.

"Hey, ye three quit yer bickerin'; we're here." said Hagrid.

They had arrived in a small clearing, with small paths leading off from it in all directions. They heard the sound of flowing water on their right and turned to see a pool of water, created by a spring, and a small stream running off into the woods, presumably towards the lake.

"Welcome, to the Spring of the Unconscious." said a soft voice, like chiming bells, behind them. They turned to see a tall unicorn, whose flanks and horn were so lustrous, that they seemed to glow with a light other than that of the moon. Harry thought it was the most majestic creature he had ever seen.

Dumbledore bowed to the unicorn. "Good evening, your Highness. I've brought you your pupils. These are Harry, Ron, and Hermione." He pointed to each of them in turn.

The unicorn gave them an appraising, but kindly look. "I am called Niamh, Queen of the unicorns."

Harry, uncertain of what to do bowed hesitantly and said, "We're glad to meet you."

The unicorn gave them an amused look, as if she were waiting for something.

"Um, your Highness."

"The pleasure is mine, young one. Indeed, it is an honor to teach he who defeated the Dark Lord, and those who go in his company. But come, court manners are unnecessary if we are to be teacher and pupils."

"So, um," said Ron, "if we aren't going to call you you Highness, what should we call you? Professor Niamh?"

"Simply Niamh will suffice." she replied complacently.

"I believe that this is where we take your leave," said Dumbledore. "Good evening, your Highness. Good evening Harry, Ron and Hermione. Come, Hagrid, I think some of that excellent pudding from desert may still be waiting for us in the Great Hall. We will return at midnight."

"Alrigh' Professor. 'Night you lot. 'Night yer Queenship." replied Hagrid and they walked out of the clearing and back to the castle.

"Now," said Niamh, "Come and look into the Spring and tell me what you see."

"Water?" said Ron hesitantly.

"No," said Harry, "there's something else in there too: Lights." And so there were. There was the normal moonlight in the spring, certainly, but there were other lights, flowing throughout the rippling pool of the Spring. Silver lights, blue lights, and gold lights.

"Yes. Concentrate on the gold lights. They are the key to learning projection."

Harry looked at the gold lights, and tried to block the blue and silver from his mind. The gold lights made him feel warm, like they were little miniature suns. The danced in his eyes and as he watched them he felt a most peculiar rippling sensation go through his body. He lifted up his hand to look at it, but it wasn't really his hand. Well it was his hand, but it was translucent, and he had the feeling that if he tried to touch anything his hand would pass through it. He could see his physical hand resting on his knee just like it had when he was looking into the Spring. He stood up, but his body didn't. I bet this is what it's like to be a ghost. He thought. Weird.

"Well done, young Potter," said Niamh, coming over to him. "How do you feel?"

"Odd. It's like, I can still feel myself sitting down, but I'm not; it's like the feeling's muted."

"Yes, it does take awhile to adjust to not being within your physical body. Ah, it seems your friend, Hermione, has also managed to Project herself."

Hermione walked over to them, looking slightly unsteady. "This is too weird." She said, and she put her hand through the trunk of a nearby tree. "Ooh, incredibly weird. I can't feel the trunk." She shuddered and then grinned pulling her hand out of the trunk.

"Niamh, I have a question." Said Harry cocking his head to one side. "Why haven't I heard of anyone who can Project themselves?"

"Because it is much harder for humans to Project themselves; they have lost the close bond with nature and natural forces necessary to do it easily. Also your Ministry does not allow people to learn how to Project unless it is for a specific reason."

"So we don't have to worry about Voldemort or his minions knowing how to Project?" asked Harry.

"Say You-Know-Who, Harry, please." said Ron, who had just stood up, and walked over to them.

"Yes, and the Dark Lord and his followers are further hindered by the black evil that lurks in their hearts. Evil is contrary to the natural order of things. Certainly, you must have noticed that good triumphs more often than evil?"

"So the fact that You-Know-Who and his people choose to be evil, makes it harder for them to learn to Project?" asked Hermione.

"Actually it makes it nearly impossible." replied Niamh.

"So, um, now that we can get out of our bodies…how do we get back in?" asked Ron timidly.

"Simply look into any pooling of water. You will see there the blue and silver lights. Concentrate on those and you will be transported back to your bodies." The unicorn replied.

"Harry looked down into the water and saw that he could no longer see the gold lights, just the blue and silver. He concentrated on these and felt a pulling sensation, somewhat like the feeling of using a Portkey, but more pleasant. The world seemed to blend and shift, like a watercolor put under a running faucet. When the world solidified again he was kneeling by the spring.

* * *

"Channel your anger, your hatred. Use it to seek vengeance on those you hate. Use the power of your hatred." (A/N: I know cliché evil-speak. Deal.) hissed the pale man with red eyes.

"I can't get it to obey me, Master." Said Draco, nearly choking on the word 'Master.'

Voldemort made a noise of annoyance. "Then let us end our session for today. Hopefully, when we meet again you will have stronger will. Or else. Now, go!"

Draco went back to his room, gladly. Little does he know, the one I want to seek vengeance on is him, thought Draco bitterly. Vengeance for encouraging the hatred and wrath of my father. Vengeance for Jade's death. He shook his head. Even though he knew that Voldemort was not directly responsible for Jade's death, he still blamed him. Wasn't it Voldemort who encouraged the hatred and execution of Muggles, Mudbloods, and Squibs? Wasn't Voldemort the reason he lived all of his life surrounded by stone? The stone walls of Malfoy manner, the stone walls of the Slytherin Common room, the stone hearts of the other boys he was forced to associate with. They were all either slow-witted louts whose wills could be bent and twisted like wire, or conniving sinister little members of the Future Dictators of Britain club like…me. He lay back on the bed, thinking over what a waste his short life had already been. He had fooled everyone so completely that he was just like his father. Even the Sorting hat had whispered to him just as it touched his head "Just like your father…Slytherin." He moaned. Maybe I am just like him. Maybe the only one I'm fooling here is myself. Jade's two-year-old smiling face flashed in his mind. She wouldn't say I'm just like Father, she would never say that. Oh, but what's the use? She's dead! He killed her! And if I don't what he and Voldemort tell me to do they'll kill me too. He laughed coldly to himself. That might not be so bad. No more games, no more lies, of course I'd probably go to Hell, since that's most likely another Malfoy tradition I can't escape from.

He sat up on the bed and took the Rod from his bedside table. He had actually been telling Voldemort the truth, he couldn't get the Rod to work. Of course he hadn't been concentrating on working the Rod so much as how much he hated Voldemort pale, snake-like face.

The rod was actually a very beautiful thing. Two feet long, and made from some sort of bluish metal, it had designs carved into it at both ends. He studied them, trying to make out what they were. At last he realized what they were, flames at one end, drops of water at the other. Nice looking, but not much use to me.

He got up went to the window, opened it and leaned out. The view out his window was of a clear starry night, but the soft breeze, flying into his face carried that sharp smell that means it will rain soon. Malfoy liked that smell and stood breathing it in and looking out at the night sky. He found his favorite constellation, Draco, naturally, and stood there, letting all of his thoughts drift off into the night air.

His right hand suddenly felt very warm. He looked down and saw the engravings of the rod blazing with light. It was like firelight except it did not flicker. I wonder, he thought, could I? He raised the Rod and concentrated on that sharp smell of the impending storm.

BOOM! Clouds burst over the castle releasing their rain. Malfoy stood there, listening to the rain, and smiled.

A/N: Ooh both Malfoy and the trio have new abilities…how will they use them? Is Malfoy like his father? Do you want to know the correct way to pronounce Niamh?

I can only answer the last one : NEEV or NEE-uv, your pick. (I prefer NEEV.) For the other two to be answered you'll have to wait for future parts! Review or I shall wield the Rod against Thee! (And I know how to use the fire part too! Mwhahaha!)