Everything Changes

by T.K. Yuy

Chapter 7- The Clock Strikes Midnight

Ron looked up at the clock, for the umpteenth time that night, and scowled. It hadn't moved much since he last looked at it. Hermione flipped the page in her book, which she had nearly finished, and Ginny yawned from her place on the couch.

"I *yawn* am soooo goin' up ta bed. Ron, 'Mione, I'll see you at breakfast."

"G'night Gin." Ron said, not looking up from his game against the enchanted chess board.

"Good night Ginny." hermione smiled, briefly looking up from her book.

The red-haired girl left and now it was Hermione's turn to look at the clock.

"Bloody hell! It's only 10:45!" she groaned, stretching and moving to the couch.

"Believe me," Harry said as he walked in from his room, "I did intend on making you wait, but things have gotten a bit complicated."

"Harry!" Ronn shouted, so involved in his game that he'd heard not a word, "I thought Malfoy was meeting us?"
"Draco's not doing so well, I'm afraid. Both of you, follow me."

He lead them through the torch lined passage, through the inner doors, and smiled as they stopped once inside his flat.

"Wicked…" Ron breathed, walking through every room, save the bedroom which was locked.
"It's very… different." commented Hermione, "Nice, but different."

"It feels like everything's come together." added Ron, checking out the book cases. "These lead some where, don't they?"
"The left leads to my storage closet, the right will take you to the Slytherin dungeons. There are exits to elsewheres in the castle off it as well. Potions room included."
"Snape's gotta love that."

"Severus uses it quite a bit, actually. He's due here at about 12:30."

"Severus? You actually call him by his given name!?"

"Ron, he is a member of the Order. In private, you could do the same."
"Could, but won't!"

"I told you he'd be the difficult one."

Ron's eyes narrowed as Draco walked out of the bedroom, dressed in just jeans. His eyes were slightly red and puffy. Hermione gasped as she noticed the marks on his shoulders, and Harry took his seat in the recliner, Draco on the floor in front of him. The blonde motioned for the other two to take a seat.

"'Mione, by that blush on your face, I'm assuming Ginny's told you about her question?" Harry grinned, absentmindedly playing with Draco's hair.

"Yes, but she won't say who else was involved."

"That's not what you're here to talk about so can we please get on with it?" interupted Draco, eyes fixed on the crackling fire.

"Of course. 'Mione, have you ever heard of the Hall of Kings?"
"I read about it, in a book in the Restricted section, why?"
"Do you remember the title of that book?"
"The Power of Fallen Gods." Draco supplied. "You found it while researching Wizard's puberty last year."
"H-how do you know that?"
"I checked it out after you did, your name was still on the tag, along with a page of notes."

"Well, then it's safe to assume that this has something to do with our Changes, amd I correct?"
"Our changes are already complete, but it's something along those lines."

They were silent for a while, before Draco looked up at Harry, eyes almost pleading. The dark haired wizard smiled and nodded, and the Slytherin jumped up next to the fire, pulled out the book, his ink and quill.

"Take it in the bedroom, I'll finish this."
"You sure?"
"You need to talk to them, so don't argue."

Ignoring the other two in the room, he kissed Harry hard, then bound off into the bedroom. Hermione's cheeks were flushed, Ron looked like he was going to be sick, and all Harry could do was smirk.

"Can I get either of you something to drink? A Butterbeer perhaps?"
"Got anything with alcohol?" Hermione asked, a mischievious glint in her eye.

"Butterbooze alright?"
"That's fine. I have a feeling this is going to take awhile to explain."

"Maybe, but I think it should be easy enough for you both to understand, considering what I am and what I've done."
"Does being the Heir have anything to do with it?" asked Ron, walking into the kitchen to help Harry carry their glasses.

"Some, but not much. Why don't you sit down and I'll get started."

"First," said Hermione, sipping her drink, "what's up with you and Malfoy? It seems to me like your rivalry and hatred for one another has just been tossed aside."

Harry laughed and started his explainations.

~!*!~

Hermione finished her 4th drink and stretched out on the couch, her hair falling over the edge as she looked up at the chandelier.

"So what you're basically telling us, is that the Powers Changed this Lucifer guy when he was thrown out of the Hall of Kings, then brought about the Change in every magical creature, and destroyed the Hall in the process?"
"That's it in a nutshell, yes."

"And this Lucifer, he was dubbed the God of Change by Wizarding folk?"
"Well, not so much by title, but he was credited for the Change."
"Why exactly?"
"Because if he hadn't been exiled from the Hall, and become a mortal, he would've never Changed. A Wizard or Witch would have had to live for hundreds of years before reaching even half of the potential brought about by the Change. Most people will find their near fullest magical capabilities about a year after graduating Hogwarts, or any magical school for that matter."

"But," Ron added thoughtfully, "doesn't the Change occure once or twice more after that?"

"Most of the time, yes, because the physical body changes so much between teenage years and middle age. The 2nd, and sometimes 3rd, Changes are much less noticable, and magical abilities grow much more slowly as they get older after that. Dumbledore has had 3 Changes thus far in his life, and his magic is probably close to being at its maximum."

They were silent for a bit, before a loud crash came from the bedroom. Harry was across the room and bursting through the door before Ron could even get to his feet.

"What happened!?"
"Fucking bitch!"

"Malfoy, calm down, and tell me what happened?"

"God damned fucking BITCH!!"

"Alright, enough! What. Happened?!"

"Said I was an accident! That I was a disgrace to the Malfoy name since the day I was born! I was the best damn thing to ever happen to the Malfoy name!"

Before Harry could warn them, Draco, or rather Omega, stormed out of the bedroom, and straight into the now raoring fire. He flopped down right in the middle of the hearth, snorting, and flicked his tail angrily. Hermione was on the floor behind the couch, while Ron just stood there. Harry walked out calmly and ran a hand through his already messy hair.

"Guys, meet Omega, Draco's Dragon form."

"Bloody hell, he's a Slytherin in any form!" laughed Ron, finally able to move, "gorgeous lightning effect in the wings, Malfoy."
"A compliment? I'm beside myself with shock, Weasely." Omega chuckled. "Has he told you yet?"
"Told us what?" asked Hermione, back on the couch.

"About the other half of what I am." Harry supplied, "Ron, sit down."

Ron sat and Hermione sat up.

"I am the reincarnated form of Lucifer, and a born Power."
"So you're the guy who started the Change?" Ron asked, eyes wide and blinking at his friend.

"Not Lucifer himself, but his powers, in a physical form."

"And a born Power…" said Hermione, "That's bigger than big, isn't it? Bigger than the Council of Change, which is meant to look over the Elemental Changes in strong Witches and Wizards."

"Yes. I can –and will- be granted audience with the Council of Power at any given time."

"And Malfoy fits in this… how?"

"First, he's the Dragon King's Great Grandson, and second, he's my grounding force. Without him, I cannot hold Lucifers powers without severe reprecussions."
"I see…"

"Well," snorted Ron, "Then let me on it, 'cause I'm bloody lost!"
"Lucifer wasn't allowed to live in a mortal body for very long, so it only logical that his Heir, if it can be called that, cannot truly use his powers without another being to ground them to the Mortal world. Make sense yet?"
"Maybe in the morning, but I think I'm too tired to give a damn."

"Ronald Weasely, this is important!"

"You're not going to try and blow us up, are you Harry?"
"Not unless you become a Dark Lord."
"And Malfoy, youre not going to eat any Gryffindors, right?"

"No, I prefer Dragons and-"

"I think I've heard enough!" interupted Hermione, face a lovely shade of red, "I don't need to know about your sex habits!"

Both humans looked at each other, and then at Omega, who smirked ans shifted back. Walking out of the fire, he grabbed harry and dragged him back to the recliner, lips meshing over his as he straddled his hips. Ron full out laughed and took his glas and Harry's to the kitchen, while Hermione could only 'meep' as Harry growled and held the Slytherin's hips.

"Dear. Sweet. God." she breathed, putting a hand to her chest, "Please, stop. you'll kill me!"

"Hmmm." moaned Harry, Draco's head laying on his shoulder, "Then when, 'Mione? We'd gladly show you what we're capable of."

"I'll have to get back to you on th-"

Before she could finish, the clock in the corner rang the first toll of midnight, and a yellow ball of light appeared in the fire, floating ever so slowly to the middle of the floor. With a slight *pop* a girl (well, she didn't look much older than them) with choppy shoulder-length black and blonde hair and a magnificent pair of gold, blue-violet and black wings appeared. She was dressed in a pair of capris and a tank top, tennis shoes on her feet. Ron's head popped out of the kitchen, and his eyes widened.

"Bloody hell," he whispered, looking at the glass of Butterbooze in his hand, "I think that I've had a bit too much to drink tonight."

"Harry Potter." the girl said, voice very airy and clear as her yellow eyes started to glow, "Your presense is requested before the Council of Change."

"For what reasons?"
"Reasons that cannot, and will not, be discussed here."

"If I don't know what you four want with me, I'm not leaving. Despite my standing, I am still a student, and I have every intention of attending my classes. You can tell the others I said that."

"I wasn't sent here to negociate, Potter, I was sent to inform you that you must be there. October 31st."

"Sorry, I have plans."

Harry pulled Draco closer, kissing him soundly. The girls eyes narrowed, and in a great rush of air, Malfoy found himself on the floor. Harry's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"It's not a request, it's an order, Mr. Potter, and if you would like to stay in the Council's good graces, you'll do well to show up."
"You," growled Harry, wings bursting free in a swirl of glittering red light, "are this *makes small size with his index finger and thumb right in her face* close, Fala, to losing those pretty wings of yourse, and if you don't tell the Council that I could give two fucking shits abou their damn orders, You'll find them gone come morning."

"How dare you threaten me!"

"It wasn't a threat, it was a promise." Draco said darkly, his wings stretched to their max as he walked up behind Harry, placing a hand on his shoulder as his eyes glowed electric blue, "And trust me, I am fully capable of it. Chaotic Change, remember?"

She growled deep in the back of her throat before disappearing in a flurry of black feathers. hermione let out the breath she hadn't even realized she was holding, and Ron collapsed onto the couch. Draco's wings disappeared in sparkle of electricity, while Harry's looked as if they were burning from the tips in. Quite a nice effect, if the Slytherin had an opinion on the matter. They sat down, and Harry again raked a hand through his hair.

"That," he said with a sigh,"was Fala, the Air Change Guardian. She represents Ravenclaw."

"Draco's on the Council?!" Ron sqeaked, not yet in full control of his voice.

"Guardian of Chaotic Change." they Slytherin said with a smirk. "Or more specifically, Harry's Guardian."

~TBC~

I didn't mention it before, but the Elemental Guardians are the same thing as the Council of Change. Well, they're the members of the Council. How they're representatives for the Houses, that'll be mentioned later.

Liona=Lion=Fire=Gryffindor

Ormand=Serpent=Earth=Slytherin

Fala=Crow=Air=Ravenclaw

*SPOILER* Brock=Badger=Water=Hufflepuff

Expect the next chapter some time this weekend. And also, keep your eyes open for the return of Dark!Harry, and the coming of a few changes in other characters. Until the next chapter!

TK