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!)
