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Not a trace of emotion showed through, even when he smiled. But such marble-like, impressive eyes...like that of a statue formed by the hand of Michaelangelo. Perfect. Too perfect.
|HPTC-Midnight Star|
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Part 11- Visions of Destiny
The Vidya Institute for the Gifted...
The group of five stood outside the Principal's door uncomfortably. Jay was inside talking to Vidya and she would come out in a minute. Padma seemed especially tense.
"For Slytherin's sake, Padma, don't get your knickers in a twist, stop worrying." Padma narrowed her eyes at Draco.
"I didn't know the aristocratic Lord Draco Malfoy used commoner slang." She said mockingly.
"You didn't need to bite my head off." Draco replied, a whiny tone entering his voice.
"No, that's your job." She crossed her arms. "What the hell is my mother going to say when she sees I'm here?"
"I'm sure she'll be pleased." Harry offered.
"Bloody hell she will!" Padma hissed. "Why do you think she sent me to boarding school in England with Parvati when she's a wizard? She can't stand the sight of us!"
"Oh, come on, Padma, you must be exaggerating."
"No. She hates Parvati and me, we're not 'special', you see."
"I should think everyone iz special, Padma." Fleur said, suddenly. "Besides, you are so good at ze schoolwork and such..."
"But I don't have a talent. Both my parents were gifted and they started the Institute especially to teach their wonderful offspring, but unfortunately Nature dissented and we were born normal." Padma sounded bitter.
The door swung open. A short but pretty woman opened it. She looked uncannily like Padma.
"Welcome to Vidya Institute for the- Padma!." Her expansive gesture stopped midway. "Javed! This is my daughter. She doesn't have a whiff of talent in her, you've been tricked." Javed glanced accusingly at the group.
"Hello, mommy." Padma replied, sarcastically. "So nice to see you again." A stunned silence prevailed. "Um, this is where you tell me how much you've missed me and that I've grown since you last saw me. Incidentally, that would be true since you last saw me- when? Oh, yes, seven years ago when you shoved me in Hogwarts."
Vidya Patil bit her lip. "Come in, Padma, I see you've brought some friends with you. Are you going to Introduce us?"
"Fine. Mother, this is Harry Potter, Fleur Delacour, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, everyone, this is my mother." Vidya smiled round.
"Quite a star cast you've brought along, Padma. Now, what do you want?" She had turned away from her daughter and addressed Harry.
"Uh, we are looking for someone." Vidya opened a file.
"Who? Students come and go, you know."
"I'm sure you'll remember this one- most probably a girl. A Healer." The file dropped with a clang.
"She told us people would be coming here for her. She said we should only let the person who could answer a riddle know the password to her home." Vidya's brow creased into a typical Padma expression as she rummaged in her drawer for the riddle. "Ah, here we are." She handed it to Harry.
Just perfect. First that Sphynx and now this. Harry thought exasperatedly. "I've never seen a riddle like this before. She's given us all these clues to different people." Harry showed the others the loopy writing.
"She told me to tell you that the group which the prophecy foretells will know of all these people. She said that the place where she lives is hidden in the answer."
Those who seek me first must answer
These questions that I do set before.
First tell who is the golden-tongued necromancer
And then the name of the infamous Sorceror.
After that we require the name of the alchemist
And the persona of the Divinator true
Then the Dragon met in a frightening tryst
Ending with the lady of the house of Blue.
"The golden tongued necromancer is Parthenope Czyren." Draco said, uncomfortably. Hermione glanced at him. "I didn't tell you, but her Voice is used to call upon the armies of undead. The Sorceror is Daemersgrale Argentus Mortragen."
"Um, the alchemist is Celeste LaSeule...and the Divinator true must be Sylvoren- Sylvoren Trelawney." Hermione added.
"The Dragon's definitely Blacknight." Harry said.
"The last'd be Rowena Ravenclaw." Padma glanced up at Vidya, who was studying her lists.
"Quite- quite right. Here is the password. But what about the place she lives?"
"It could be anything." Said Fleur, in despair.
"We do actually have a student...very good at solving these riddles etcetera. Do you want to meet her?"
Harry nodded. "What's her name?"
"Sanna. Sanna Swan."
---
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At Hogwarts, the dungeons of Severus Snape...
Severus Snape glared into the crimson face of his potion and stirred it once, clockwise. He could still hear Celeste's voice echoing in his head '...I need some help'. Four and a half gruelling months ago. He had accepted, most probably out of guilt. Guilt for rending her fragile psyche and venting his own bitterness on her.
That was a thing Severus Snape did often and he felt guilty for it all. Only when it's effects were most obvious or painful did he make amends. Or when he felt he had been unfair. Under the greasy exterior, a keenly tuned sense of fairness had evolved. Warped slightly, perhaps, by his own experience.
"What about the lacewing, Severus? I can't find it." Celeste asked from accross the room, holding a huge tome in her hands.
Severus swore under his breath. "The lacewing! It's been stewing since last full moon. Celeste, this just isn't working, there's simply too much to do." Severus said, feeling a tone of whinyness creep into his voice. He hated that, as he hated forgetting an important task.
"True...are there any students, Severus, that may help us? Honourable ones. Sixth or Seventh year, maybe?"
A frown alighted on Snape's brow. A momentary creasing of skin which was gone in a flash. "I- I do know of one. Not a sixth or seventh year, however. A fifth year. Ginnarel Weasley- a Gryffindor."
Celeste almost smiled at Snape's expression. "Ginny Weasley, you mean, Severus."
"Ginnarel. All the Weasley brood have longer names. Fred is Frederick, George is Georgian, Percy is Percival, Bill is William, Charlie is Charles, Ron is Ronald and Ginny is Ginnarel."
"I'm surprised you take so much notice."
"Arthur Weasley is a good man. He helped me after I...defected." Severus clenched his jaw. "His brood, however, are another matter."
"So you'll ask Miss Ginnarel Weasley for help, then? Since you're in so tight with the family and all." Celeste's mouth twitched.
Snape swallowed. "You need not mock me, Celeste."
"Oh, but Severus, it's so easy."
---
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Draco's room, the Institute...
Draco looked in the mirror. As usual, his eyes raked his appearance and his fingers quickly smoothed his mussed hair. This time, though, Draco had another errand. He reached into his backpack for a crystal sphere. He found it and hefted his wand out as well. The sphere was a enchantment container, perfect for carrying complex magic over distance.
With a tap he broke the delicate shell. A pulsing light escaped from it, and with his staff, Draco edged it into the mirror. A delicate flash of light and Galatea was standing before him.
"Hello, Draco. You look cool today." She purred. Draco sighed in contentment. "Why ya still here?"
"We have to solve this riddle and the kid supposed to help us has night classes today. The tight-ass Principal said we have to wait. What the hell does she think we're doing- having a tea party?"
"There's ages of time Draco. And anyway, you can do it. I believe in you."
"You liked Mia?" He glanced at her apprehensively. She laughed, a tinkling, lacy noise.
"She was...'nice'. Different from the other ones, isn't she?"
"Much."
"She's pretty too. And real smart." Draco smiled. He had molded Galatea more American than British and she used their slang. "The only other really smart one was Parry Czyren, but she's scary."
"Yah. I told you you'd like her."
"I know, I know. Hey, where's the red-head? He was kinda cute." Draco could almost feel the bubble-gum pop as the star-spangled banner waved overhead.
"Weasley's in his room."
"Aw, he's real depressed, though, innit, Draco? Poor kid." Galatea smiled gently.
"Don't get sweet on him, Tea. He might fall in love or something." Draco laughed. "That would be bad."
"Naw...not that bad." Galatea whispered, too soft for Draco Malfoy to hear her.
---
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Hermione's room....
Hermione stared at the dagger in her hands. It glimmered in the pale light of the window-filtered sun. For a ethereal moment, she felt like slicing her own throat. She imagined herself doing it, the gentle swoosh as the knife bit into her skin. The wet, dark crimson droplets sliding down her white neck.
She hurled the dagger accross the room and fell to her knees. She started to sob with the shock that she was capable of such gruesome thoughts.
Of course, she knew why she was thinking of suicide. She didn't want to know, but she did. The problem could be summed up in a word. Draco.
Her love for him. His destiny. Their nigh impossible life. He scared her, scared her when he was so cruel and powerful and scared her when he was vulnerable and gentle. It terrified her that a person could be so heartless, yet so loving. He could be compassionate to her, she knew, but he could never be like that to the masses. Life had made him too distrustful.
And yet she loved him.
A knock. Hermione jumped up and opened it. Her gait, to amend for the wearing of her large, stylish sandals, had lengthened into a casual swagger. She opened it and stared into the eyes of the person outside.
As always, they were unreadable. Not a trace of emotion showed through, even when he smiled. But such marble-like, impressive eyes...like that of a statue formed by the hand of Michaelangelo. Perfect. Too perfect.
His hand was upon her cheek. The chill of his fingers made her flinch, but he didn't withdraw. Slowly, always looking into her eyes, he leaned closer and kissed her. His right arm encircled her waist and the other closed the door.
Hermione pulled him closer as she moved away from the door. Her shins hit the edge of the bed. Draco eased her onto it, supporting her back. He kissed her neck and looked up, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear with a smile. Hermione shivered at his touch. He was unfailingly romantic yet unpredictably intense.
He kissed her more passionately and his hand moved up her leg. "Stop, Draco.....stop, okay?" She whispered, her voice getting steadily louder.
He didn't. Hermione tried to jerk away and placed a hand on his. Draco lifted his arm and moved away from the bed as if he had been burned. He pushed his hair back in a nervous gesture.
"I'm- sorry."
"That's okay...I mean-..." The romantic mood had been dispelled. An uncomfortable sort of silence descended.
He muttered a few words and a bouquet appeared in his hand. Six pale white aurum lilies with stems of the most intense green tied with a silver bow. "To make up for my adolescent behaviour." He smiled and offered them to her. "They remind me of you." Hermione brushed a petal with the tip of her finger. "Why?"
"They're elegant and strong...very contrasting. They remind me of- truth." Draco opened the door and nodded his head at her. "Goodnight, Mia. I'll see you tomorrow."
He started to walk out of the door. He felt Hermione's hand on his. In a second, her lips were on his. She drew away.
"Goodnight Draco." She smiled and closed the door.
It was a moment before Draco could move, himself.
---
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Vidya Patil's bedroom...
"But Padma, how could you not inform me of your coming?"
"You wouldn't have let me come. You're missing the point, this isn't about me or Parvati, this is about the whole Wizarding World, mother." Padma's face had twisted into a Malfoy-like sneer.
"Ah yes, this quest for the Healer. Do you even know why you are seeking such a one? They are a fearsome bunch, Padma, she nearly killed Jay." Vidya said, gravely.
"Oh, so you actually care, mother? I'm touched."
"Can you imagine the scandal if you or your friends were hurt? Our privacy woud be blown to bits." Padma bit her lip. So she doesn't care, after all. She thought.
"Besides, Padma, she's a very strange girl...she doesn't fit in, even here. Too solitary and solemn."
"Oh, mother, you're so pitiful. You make high-brow speeches about how uniqueness should be encouraged and not discouraged. But finally, when someone really different turns up, you behave like a bigoted ignorant." Vidya pretended not to hear her, but her neck coloured a faint pink-beige.
"Since you're here I'll ask your aunt what to do. Really, Padma, you just couldn't stay at school...."
"Daddy wouldn't have wanted me to." Padma hissed acidly. "Daddy loved us."
Vidya looked stricken. "You- you both think I don't love you?"
Padma smiled sweetly. "Of course we don't think so, mum." Her expression hardened. "We know so."
Padma stalked out of the room, nearly colliding with her aunt, who was on the way in. "Vidya, you're having trouble."
"Oh, Vina, don't I know?" Vina Deshpande smiled. "How did the Meet of Mages go?"
"I'm going back tomorrow, it's a continuous process, Vid. How's Padma?"
"Oh, fine."
"Did you ask her?"
"No- but, I can see-"
Vina interrupted gently. "I know you can, Vidya, but can she?"
"I never meant to hurt them, Vina. It's just, after he died, all that's left is our work. This institute...and they don't fit in here."
"And you resent them for it. You've built the perfect haven for them...but they can't utilise it."
"But I still love them."
"Do you, Vidya? Do you?"
---
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The next day, outside Vidya's office...
Draco, Harry and Fleur stood outside Vidya's office. Vidya opened the door and motioned for them to come in. Inside stood a tall, pretty girl with light brown almost gold eyes. Her face was marred by an apprehensive pout which dispelled as soon as the trio walked in. She had obviously thought she was in trouble.
She tucked back a strand of dark brown hair and glanced at them. Her face lit up with recognition. "You're Harry Potter...and you're Draco Malfoy...and Fleur Delacour!"
Harry blushed and Draco smiled suavely. Fleur was unpeturbed. "How'd you know it's me and Fleur? I mean, Potter's got the disfigured face and all..." He cast a grin at Harry.
"I'm a MensaMage...I can control minds and read basic thoughts." The girl blushed. "I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? I'm Sanna Swan."
She held out her hand and had it shaken by Harry, Draco and Fleur in turn. A knock sounded at the door and Vidya opened it. Hermione and Padma were outside. Padma looked in a black mood, but Hermione came in with a smile.
"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger. Her-my-oh-nee." She said, laughing. "Everyone get's it wrong."
She held out her hand, but as Sanna's fingers brushed hers a deafening noise shattered the stillness. Sanna moved back with an alarmed look on her face, clutching her arm, whereas Hermione looked worse. Her fingers shook and she suddenly closed her fingers over her ears. She dropped to her knees and started making soft moaning noises. Draco was beside her in a trice.
"What the hell have you done to her?!" He demanded to Sanna, who just shook her head. "Hermione, Hermione, what's wrong?"
"Thoughts...I can hear people's thoughts...they're hurting- oh God, Draco- make it stop-..." Her face contorted and a tear trickled down her face.
"Mr. Malfoy, move, I know what's wrong." Vidya immediately assumed command. "She's been Triggered."
"What?"
"Miss Granger is obviously a Mensamage, a telepath, if I'm not mistaken. Contact with another of her kind 'triggered' her." Vidya was muttering something. "I've never seen anyone this powerful before..."
"Just frickin' make it stop!" Draco yelled, losing his cool. "What the f-" He stopped. Hermione had stopped jerking.
Instead she quickly lifted to her feet. Her movements had a dream-like quality to them. She moved gracefully to the door and opened it. Her eyes were open but glassy, she looked as if she was somnambulating. Draco followed her quietly.
She stopped finally, at the edge of the school grounds. With unnatural swiftness, she drew out her wand and began performing an elaborate ceremony. She cast a beacon spell using three large trees as the perimeter and raised her head.
"Equina WrathStorme." She cried, in a voice unlike her own.
For a second, nothing stirred. As if in slow motion, the breeze started to blow. Gently at first but faster and harsher by the second. A far off galloping sounded. Harry looked around, but no horse or hooved creature could be seen.
The galloping was upon them. Hermione raised her hands heavenward and Draco followed her gaze. Silhouetted in the morning sun was a large, gleaming horse. It was brightly white, two large, feathered wings beat slowly in the air. They were like Buckbeak's, but more plentiful. The feathers shone a violet-iridescent white, reflecting the light. The horse's eyes seemed almost human, a shimmering violet-blue.
With one graceful trot the horse had reached the ground. It bowed it's regal head to Hermione, who stretched out a hand and stroked it.
"Arion." She said, her voice normal once more. She horse raised his head. Hermione touched the base of the wings and with a seemingly effortless heave, hoisted herself onto the back.
Her riding style was perfect as she trotted to the crowd.
Draco's mouth twitched. Harry thought he was about to say something nice.
"How come she's allowed to bring her flying horse, but I can't bring my dragon?"
Hermione smiled. "Because Arion controls my Abilities. I don't hear thoughts unless I want to when he's around."
"Mia, what were the words you said when you summoned him?"
Hermione's face clouded. "WrathStorme." She whispered. "Remember, Draco, I'm Helaine WrathStorme's heir..."
---
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Back in the office...
Vidya eased back into her chair. "Back to the issue at hand...rather an anticlimax, I'm afraid."
Harry smiled. "Yeah, well, it's important, though. Right, Sanna, you're good at solving these puzzle things?"
"You bet." Sanna grinned. Harry gave her the clues and her face clouded. "What are we looking for?"
"A place- somewhere she lives." Draco said, looking away from the window. Hermione was fine, getting to know Arion.
"Then it has to be famous...okay..." Sanna squinted at the paper. "This is going to take me a while." She looked up.
"Okay, we'll be in our rooms." Harry said, walking out. "Thanks, Sanna."
Draco glanced at Harry's departing back and turned to her. "Where do you stay?"
"Um, in the student's dorm rooms. Kinda like Hogwarts, but bigger." Sanna replied. "So who're you lookin' for?"
"A Healer." Draco said, shortly. Sanna's eyes widened.
"Chaos? Why?"
"Chaos?" Draco said, with a questioning look.
"Oh, um, that's her name. She came here and freaked everybody out. Looked kinda cool." Draco and she were inside the student dorms by then.
"What did she do?"
"Sanna! There you-...ah." A petite, wispy witch squealed as Sanna came in. "Um, hi."
Sanna laughed. "Draco, this is my best friend Eleanor- Nora, this is Draco Malfoy."
"Hey Nora, how're your parents?" Draco smiled. Sanna did a double take.
"You know each other?"
"Yeah, we used to go out." Nora chirped. She shook out her blonde hair. "Draco, you look different."
"I've changed. So how's life in the Institute?" He asked Sanna.
"Pretty cool." She was too busy deciphering the riddle to give a longer answer.
"It's so-...Muggle." Draco supressed a shiver.
"Well, ESP- extra sensory perception- is often prevalent in Muggles. It's a remnant of when the world was filled with Wizards and Magic- strains often appear. ESP is just a manifestation of suppressed genetic Magical Skills. So we're a sort of halfway house." Sanna looked up.
"Cool."
Sanna was muttering under her breath. She suddenly gave a cry of triumph. "Oh my God, I got it!" She jumped up. "Wynnet."
"Eh?"
"I took the last letters of every person and rearranged them- it forms Wynnet. Wynnet was the name of the old Seer...she lived in Amethyst Palace, it's abandoned now..." Her voice lifted. "And it's rumoured that it was a Healers Palace thousands of years ago. I don't know why we didn't think of it sooner."
"Wow, that was fast...you're good." Draco flashed a smile. "Amethyst Palace, here we come." His smile faded once more.
"Draco, you're troubled somewhat...I can tell." Sanna suddenly pronounced. "Anything I can do?"
"Not unless you can rewrite Destiny."
"My mother used to say that you make your own Destiny." Sanna stopped. "Maybe I can help, Draco. I'll give you a piece of advice. Follow your own advice and at least the mistakes you make will be your own. There's nothing worse than making another persons errors."
"No." Draco agreed. "There isn't."
---
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The grounds of the Institute...
Hermione stroked Arion one last time. She didn't understand how she was so comfortable with the horse- especially since it was a flying horse. Anything that moved fast gave Hermione motion sickness. She'd never been the 'need for speed' kind of person.
Hermione felt a dull, throbbing sort of ache in the back of her head. It felt like liquid nitrogen was seeping through her body. An odd compulsion was overtaking her and she quickly opened her bag. She took out the black box Dumbledore gave her and opened it. The surface of the scrying pool was glittering.
Hermione started to concentrate on the surface. The harder she tried, the more murky the surface would become. She put the box down with a clang and relaxed, frustrated. The surface cleared and an image formed.
"Sylvoren!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Hello Hermie. Thank Gryffindor you stopped closing your mind or-"
"What?"
"By concentrating you project your conscious over your sub-conscious. You, in effect, close a door over your Inner Eye which I don't have the key to. I can slip into your mind if you let me, but not if you're trying to let me." Sylvoren pronounced, sounding like Sybill.
"So what's up with this....?"
"Hermie, I want you to stay calm. I'm going to- I must, show you some images...disturbing images. I'm sorry." Hermione started to say something but Sylvoren was dissipating.
The surface of the pool rippled and a very different scene appeared. It was a snowy, wind haunted plain...multitudes were lying abandoned on the frozen tundra. Dark blood stained the pristine snow. The scene shifted.
Draco Malfoy was riding towards a huge archway carved of ice. He's different, somehow. His skin is paler and more translucent and his features harder. A perennial crease adorns his forehead and his lips are drawn into a cruel, half-mocking expression. His eyes are the same.
He swung a foot over his dragon and dismounted with grace. He glanced at her for a second and her wings started to beat. A second later, she was silhouetted in the pale sun. With one last glance and a terrible, mournful cry, she disappeared into the sky.
Draco's visage turned from Alyewn to another approaching figure. It's steps can be heard, but the face cannot be seen. As it comes closer, the pool reflected only Draco. A slender hand pulled the sword from Draco's scabbard. A thick metal bracelet was wrapped around it's wrist, very unisex in it's looks. A scarlet cuff could be seen. The fingers grasped the sword firmly, but with a quiver. A moment of indecision passed.
"I knew you would come." Draco said, his voice is different too. Weighted down by maturity and by grief. By experience.
The figure didn't reply. Instead it swung the sword back and plunged it into Draco's chest. Draco drew his breath in sharply, his face ashen. The fingers grasping the sword released it, the fingers were shaking. Draco wrapped his own round the crystal haft of his sword and with his other hand, grasped the figure's arm..
One drop of ruby blood falls onto the snow like a teardrop. It glitters, gem-like, for an instant, before spreading it's poison into the soft frost. Draco looked at the figure who had slain him. There was no anger in his eyes. No emotion, as ever.
He closed them for an instant. When he opened his eyes again a solitary, crystalline droplet cascaded down his cheek.
It fell from the tip of his chin onto the ground. Imperceptibly, it mingled with the blood already spilled. Blood like tears.
"Goodbye." The figure whispered. It was impossible to tell to whom it belonged. The word had been whispered with such hoarse melancholy.
The scrying pool dissipated. Hermione Granger, WrathStorme's heir, screamed.
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