A/N: at least some are trying :-p again check out this RPG site, everyone! We're getting lonely since ours went down, so now we're heading to this one. Hope to see you there! http://www.expage.com/cigamacademy
Chapter Eight
"Oh, its Merlin!" Kori cried, and Merlin did soar into the room at the call. He circled overhead of them, and didn't come down to Diana's offered arm.
"Open the bag I gave you and get out your glove." Diana said after a moment.
Kori did, and pulled out a black leather glove that went up to about her elbow. She slipped it on and imitating Diana, stretched out her arm. Merlin floated gracefully down and landed on the glove.
"He's rather light." Kori said stroking the hawks neck. Diana merely smiled.
I ran along a memory, Merlin's voice said telepathically to Diana, who glanced at Kori to see if she'd heard.
She cannot hear still, Diana 'thought' back to him.
In time, Merlin reassured.
***
Harry didn't fidget in his seat as he watched Dumbledore carefully. He'd just finished telling the story of the Dursley's and the man who'd saved him. Dumbledore's face, however, didn't show anything that could reassure Harry's worries. Harry turned slightly to the right and studied Professor McGonagall. She had her hands clasped in front of her, head bowed, her face unreadable as well.
"So..." Harry prompted. Dumbledore stood from his chair and peered down at Harry, his eyes sad.
"I should have expected..." Dumbledore trailed off. He turned away from Harry and moved toward the large window behind his desk. He stood there, looking out, seeming to forget Harry's presence.
"Do not worry about it right now, Harry." Professor McGonagall said suddenly, her eyes meeting his.
"But-" Harry started.
Professor McGonagall raised her hand, silencing him. "Your friends are in the Gryffindor Tower, I'm sure they'd be overjoyed to see you." she said.
Harry sat there a moment, mouth open still from being interrupted. He closed it with a snap and left the room quickly.
As he made his way to the tower, he paused and looked back, wondering about the pair in the Great Hall. He stopped himself from going to investigate, he needed to talk to Hermione and Ron.
***
Kori flexed her fingers and glanced back upwards. Merlin had flown through the open windows in the Hall, leaving the two rather quickly. She glanced over at her friend, who's head was tilted upwards slightly, her gaze locked on the ceiling. Kori tilted her head back, and grinned at the sight of the enchanted ceiling.
"I remember one of these in the astronomy room." Kori mused, her grin fading a bit as she thought of her old school. "That was back at home."
"Do not dwell on the past." Diana said. Kori looked at her, a annoyed frown crossing her face. Diana didn't notice, her head was turned toward the door of the Great Hall.
Just as Kori looked, the doors opened. The woman who had greeted them in the entrance entered, a very tall, old man beside her. Despite his age, he looked very healthy, his silver hair and beard nearly brushed the floor as he strode toward them. He wore half moon spectacles, intelligent blue eyes studying them from behind them.
"Albus." Diana greeted, stepping foreward, her cowl falling to her shoulders.
"Diana Déessedestirée," Albus smiled, she hugged him at those words. "it has been a long time."
"Ja." Diana agreed, she looked back at Kori. "She is my apprentice, who will be here for a time. Kori."
Kori's eyes widened slightly as being described as an apprentice. But then, logically, she was being taught Diana's magics, she just never thought of it as an apprenticeship.
"Hello." Kori said, offering her hand. Albus took it, and instead of shaking it as she had planned, kissed her knuckles quickly.
"A pleasure." he smiled, blue eyes twinkling. His eyes grew serious as he turned them back to Diana.
"So you have heard." He said.
"It is why I came." Diana said, she tilted her head to the side and added, "and for other reasons."
He didn't question the other reasons, instead he looked them pair over carefully.
"You had a long journey." He said. Diana nodded.
"I do not need to stay, just Kori. The others will be arriving soon." Diana said.
"Nonsense, you are welcome. You can get your rest in your old tower." Albus waved his hand. Diana looked as though she were to refuse, but didn't say anything.
"Thank you then, my friend," Diana said finally. Her small hand patted his before she slipped the cowl back over her face. Kori only managed a small smile to the man and followed quickly after Diana's form.
"Darien's daughter." Minerva said, her voice had the tone of awe and sadness.
"She's here," Dumbledore chuckled. "She will help."
"Harry!" Harry heard Ron's voice call as he approached the portrait. Harry turned to see Ron and Hermione hurrying up from behind him.
"What are you doing here? The others aren't suppose to be here until at least an hour." Hermione asked after she hugged him.
"I'll tell you about once we get inside," Harry said motioning back to the portrait. "Is anyone else here?"
"No, Hermione and I were the only ones until, well, you showed up." Ron said, then to the Fat Lady, "Tinderbox."
As Harry stepped into the Gryffindor common room, a sense of familiartily swept over him. He hadn't realized how much he loved this place. The sound of ruffling wings caught his attention. Hedwig and a blue gray hawk sat on one of the tables in front of the fireplace.
"Is that yours Hermione?" Ron asked, spotting the birds on the table.
"Oooh!" Hermione cried rushing toward them. Hedwig stepped back a few paces, glaring at Hermione, but the hawk just watched her, not at all unnerved. Harry followed them, his eyes not on the hawk, but at Hedwig.
Hedwig stuck out her leg as he approached, but he ignored it and ran his hand slowly across her left wing. She flinched and hooted softly in annoyance as he did so. Harry sucked in a quick breath and then extended Hedwig's wing, examining it. A shallow cut ran diagonally along her wing. Normally it wouldn't have done much harm, but she had been flying while it was injured, and dried blood coated her feathers.
"What is it?" Hermione asked, looking up from the hawk.
"Hedwig...her wing." Harry muttered as he let her draw her wing back to her body. Ron and Hermione moved quickly, studying her wound with sympathetic looks.
"Madame Pomfery maybe?" Ron suggested.
"I don't know if she can heal animals," Harry said doubtfuly, "but its worth a try."
Forgetting the hawk, they made their way back out the portrait. The hawk gliding silently above them.
Chapter Eight
"Oh, its Merlin!" Kori cried, and Merlin did soar into the room at the call. He circled overhead of them, and didn't come down to Diana's offered arm.
"Open the bag I gave you and get out your glove." Diana said after a moment.
Kori did, and pulled out a black leather glove that went up to about her elbow. She slipped it on and imitating Diana, stretched out her arm. Merlin floated gracefully down and landed on the glove.
"He's rather light." Kori said stroking the hawks neck. Diana merely smiled.
I ran along a memory, Merlin's voice said telepathically to Diana, who glanced at Kori to see if she'd heard.
She cannot hear still, Diana 'thought' back to him.
In time, Merlin reassured.
***
Harry didn't fidget in his seat as he watched Dumbledore carefully. He'd just finished telling the story of the Dursley's and the man who'd saved him. Dumbledore's face, however, didn't show anything that could reassure Harry's worries. Harry turned slightly to the right and studied Professor McGonagall. She had her hands clasped in front of her, head bowed, her face unreadable as well.
"So..." Harry prompted. Dumbledore stood from his chair and peered down at Harry, his eyes sad.
"I should have expected..." Dumbledore trailed off. He turned away from Harry and moved toward the large window behind his desk. He stood there, looking out, seeming to forget Harry's presence.
"Do not worry about it right now, Harry." Professor McGonagall said suddenly, her eyes meeting his.
"But-" Harry started.
Professor McGonagall raised her hand, silencing him. "Your friends are in the Gryffindor Tower, I'm sure they'd be overjoyed to see you." she said.
Harry sat there a moment, mouth open still from being interrupted. He closed it with a snap and left the room quickly.
As he made his way to the tower, he paused and looked back, wondering about the pair in the Great Hall. He stopped himself from going to investigate, he needed to talk to Hermione and Ron.
***
Kori flexed her fingers and glanced back upwards. Merlin had flown through the open windows in the Hall, leaving the two rather quickly. She glanced over at her friend, who's head was tilted upwards slightly, her gaze locked on the ceiling. Kori tilted her head back, and grinned at the sight of the enchanted ceiling.
"I remember one of these in the astronomy room." Kori mused, her grin fading a bit as she thought of her old school. "That was back at home."
"Do not dwell on the past." Diana said. Kori looked at her, a annoyed frown crossing her face. Diana didn't notice, her head was turned toward the door of the Great Hall.
Just as Kori looked, the doors opened. The woman who had greeted them in the entrance entered, a very tall, old man beside her. Despite his age, he looked very healthy, his silver hair and beard nearly brushed the floor as he strode toward them. He wore half moon spectacles, intelligent blue eyes studying them from behind them.
"Albus." Diana greeted, stepping foreward, her cowl falling to her shoulders.
"Diana Déessedestirée," Albus smiled, she hugged him at those words. "it has been a long time."
"Ja." Diana agreed, she looked back at Kori. "She is my apprentice, who will be here for a time. Kori."
Kori's eyes widened slightly as being described as an apprentice. But then, logically, she was being taught Diana's magics, she just never thought of it as an apprenticeship.
"Hello." Kori said, offering her hand. Albus took it, and instead of shaking it as she had planned, kissed her knuckles quickly.
"A pleasure." he smiled, blue eyes twinkling. His eyes grew serious as he turned them back to Diana.
"So you have heard." He said.
"It is why I came." Diana said, she tilted her head to the side and added, "and for other reasons."
He didn't question the other reasons, instead he looked them pair over carefully.
"You had a long journey." He said. Diana nodded.
"I do not need to stay, just Kori. The others will be arriving soon." Diana said.
"Nonsense, you are welcome. You can get your rest in your old tower." Albus waved his hand. Diana looked as though she were to refuse, but didn't say anything.
"Thank you then, my friend," Diana said finally. Her small hand patted his before she slipped the cowl back over her face. Kori only managed a small smile to the man and followed quickly after Diana's form.
"Darien's daughter." Minerva said, her voice had the tone of awe and sadness.
"She's here," Dumbledore chuckled. "She will help."
"Harry!" Harry heard Ron's voice call as he approached the portrait. Harry turned to see Ron and Hermione hurrying up from behind him.
"What are you doing here? The others aren't suppose to be here until at least an hour." Hermione asked after she hugged him.
"I'll tell you about once we get inside," Harry said motioning back to the portrait. "Is anyone else here?"
"No, Hermione and I were the only ones until, well, you showed up." Ron said, then to the Fat Lady, "Tinderbox."
As Harry stepped into the Gryffindor common room, a sense of familiartily swept over him. He hadn't realized how much he loved this place. The sound of ruffling wings caught his attention. Hedwig and a blue gray hawk sat on one of the tables in front of the fireplace.
"Is that yours Hermione?" Ron asked, spotting the birds on the table.
"Oooh!" Hermione cried rushing toward them. Hedwig stepped back a few paces, glaring at Hermione, but the hawk just watched her, not at all unnerved. Harry followed them, his eyes not on the hawk, but at Hedwig.
Hedwig stuck out her leg as he approached, but he ignored it and ran his hand slowly across her left wing. She flinched and hooted softly in annoyance as he did so. Harry sucked in a quick breath and then extended Hedwig's wing, examining it. A shallow cut ran diagonally along her wing. Normally it wouldn't have done much harm, but she had been flying while it was injured, and dried blood coated her feathers.
"What is it?" Hermione asked, looking up from the hawk.
"Hedwig...her wing." Harry muttered as he let her draw her wing back to her body. Ron and Hermione moved quickly, studying her wound with sympathetic looks.
"Madame Pomfery maybe?" Ron suggested.
"I don't know if she can heal animals," Harry said doubtfuly, "but its worth a try."
Forgetting the hawk, they made their way back out the portrait. The hawk gliding silently above them.