Everything Changes

by T.K. Yuy

Chapter 17-  In the Field of Dreams

Harry walked Draco to the Hospital Wing, where Poppy met them at the door.  He'd called up and explained the dream to her, and she wanted to make sure that the baby was alright.  It seemed, however, that a certain set of Crimsons and a Headmaster had beel listening in on their conversation.  Albus had concern written all over his face, and Harry had never seen Severus quite so… broken. 

He leaned on his sister, his eyes blood shot as he attempted to make eye contact with the green-eyed boy.  Harry let Poppy get to work, and as he left the room, turned to them.

"Severus, what's wrong?" he asked, sitting them down.

"Potter, I don't think this is a discussion we should be having without Draco."

"I think you need to start talking."
"Harry, please." Severia interupted, pulling her twin closer, "if Severus says it's not-"
"You'll be going into the Hall without him."

Emerald-eyes narrowed at the Potions Master, and Severus looked away.  He knew exactly what Harry was thinking, and as he felt another hiccup from the baby, there was little he could do to stop himself from telling him what he knew.  Severia, however much she cared for Draco, wasn't quite as attuned to the boy, and thus was unable to feel the child's nudge of approval.  That much was evident in the way she gripped his arm as he moved to stand.

"Sev, don't."

"I have to.  It better that he know before they leave then to find out there."

"Will one of you please tell me what's going on?"

"Only Powers, Gods, Spirits, and Necromancers can enter the Hall of Kings without severe repercussions."

"Draco is my Mate, Severus, and I doubt there is little that can be done to change the fact that part of me is inside him.  He'll be-"
"He's been to theValley once already, Harry, and that's the reason Madam Pomfrey wanted to look him over.  For Merlin's sake, it doesn't matter if he's carrying your child or not, he's not allowed into the Hall, and Smyra has already warned him."

"Who?"

"She's the oldest living being in existance.  She's the only one who knows how exactly to open the Door to the Valley, and from there, she needs the Key and the Seal to open the Gate to the Hall of Kings.  If Draco journeyed to the Field of Dreams and found her, then whatever she told him, it is imperitive that he follow it."

"She's a born Power then?"
"No. She is everything and nothing all at the same time." Severia said, taking over for her brother.  "No-one knows exactly what she is, they can only guess.  Legend says that she was once a Queen among the Kings in the Hall, and when they cast Lucifer out, she went after him, taking the massive Change he caused as it came.  She followed him through the world after the Hall was destroyed and upon his Exorcism from human form, was sent by the Powers that Be to guard the Door to the Valley of the Sun, to wait for his return to the world.  Other legends say that she was his mortal mistress, and that she bore his son, which you would be decended from, and yet another says that she is his sister, crazed by the Kings decision to remove him, and envoked the Powers to destroy the Hall while they were still in it.  No-one knows the truth."

"Then how do we know she exists?  Has anyone ever seen her?"

"The Spirits see her.  All those who have died for the Light, and even some who have died for the Dark, have seen her.  She can walk amongst mortals if she so chooses, and has the ability to over ride even the oldest of magics."

"So if she wanted, she could apparate into Hogwarts, like Draco and I?"

"She could remove every ward on this very castle with a blink.  You thought Voldemort was bad, imagine what someone as old and powerful as Smyra could do."

"But she can't leave the Field."

The three looked to the door, only to find Kain and Teek walking in, the blonde man with a sad look on his face.  Harry knew Echo had left, but he had no idea it would affect the Necromancer like this.

"Smyra cannot leave the Field of Dreams, as her Power is what keeps the Seal sane, and keeps the Spring of Ages flowing."

"And you know this how?" Harry's voice was dark, and he felt Draco's Power reach out to him, the baby right beside him.

"Because," answered Kain, rolling his right sleeve up to reveal a large gold tatoo on his arm in the exact design as that of the pendant the Blood Stone had become, "I am the Seal, and water from the Spring of Ages is the only thing that can open the Door.  It is her blood, if that makes it easier for you to understand."

"I understand just fine."

Harry stood, his eyes shifting and becoming Snitch.  Kain had yet to figure out how he could choose how big he was.  His wings rippled with Fire, a hint of electricity flowing with it, and Teek backed up.  She knew what that meant, and as he flexed his claws, the stone under his feet bled.

Persephone, we've got a problem. she called out mentally.

Problem, Teek?

Oh yeah.  Harry can make stones bleed.

Hm… He's a born power, so why does this shock you?

Because he's not in human form at the moment, and his ability to call upon those Powers is limited to his human form.  Or has that changed with all that's happened as well?

Fuck no!  Should I call the Council?

Nathalie probably already knows, and I'm sure they're arguging about it as we speak.

True.  What do you want me to do?

Echo left this morning, as we expected, but I have a feeling that she knows something we don't.  Is there any way you can find her?

She human or Dragon?

Dragon.

Give me a second; I'll see what I can do.

Thanks.

She focused her attention back on the conversation between Harry and Kain, and knew that it was not good.  Harry's eyes were glowing, and Kain had let his wings unfold, canines elongated.  She placed a hand on the older Necromancer's shoulder, and he looked back at her.

"You don't want to do this, Kain." she said darkly, feeling Persephone back in her mind.

She's in the Field of Dreams, with Smyra.  I take it we're gonna be leaving soon?

Contact Nathalie, and see if she knows anything.  The Powers may have talked to the Council before they let us know anything on the matter.

And Kain?

I'll take care of him.  Seph, have you noticed that he's been… darker, lately?

Yes.  He knows the Seal will be broken, and that means we're all out of a job.

Not necessarily, but it's the only guess we've got.   Let me know what Nat says.

Sure.

"And why would I not want to hurt him, Teek?  It's not as if I could actually land a punch." laughed Kain, his cainines dripping.

"Break the Seal here, and you endanger not only Smyra, but your mother, and all of us."

Harry noted that it was a growl, and the Snape twins clearly understood the threat.  Madam Pomfrey opened the doors to the exam room at that moment, with Draco next to her, as Omega, and slightly smaller than Snitch.  She crossed her arms and nodded towards the door.

"Harry, Draco is fine, but I would get him to a nuetral ground as soon as possible.  The energies in Hogwarts are not agreeing with the baby."

"Albus told us that we'd be doing more harm than good by disrupting the little balance we'd made." Snitch chuckled, laying his head on Omega's neck, "Shall we head to the Field?"

"Now?" asked Omega, his silver eyes wide.

"Yes, now.  The balance of Power there will do us both good, and we can get this business with the Hall done and over with.  Severus, Severia, will you be joining us?"

Severus said nothing.  He stood and then kneeled before Omega, taking his head in his hands, staring the Dragon in the eye before kissing his forehead.  A bright star flashed once, and then again as Severia did the same.  They shifted to their Crimson forms, and walked out, Severus making sure to step on Kains foot as he passed, and Severia smacking him with her tail.  Teek chuckled and walked out after them.  Snitch just blinked at Kain, and Omega snorted as he followed Teek.

"I take it you know how to get them to the Field?" Snitch asked Kain, little flames rising up down his neck like a mane.

"How are you and your Mate getting there?"
"Flying, of course."

~!*!~

"THEY ARE HERE."

"I know.  Echo, are you ready?"

As ready as I can be, Smyra.

As the Necromancers shimmered into the Field of Dreams, Echo stood up tall, her massive form towering over them.  The twin Crimsons made their way through the tall grasses, their blackness quite out of place among the lush colors of the Field.  Kain stepped forward, drawing a long dagger from his cloak.

"WAIT FOR THEM, SMYRA."

Smyra took the blade from Kain, and nodded to the other Necromancers.  Teek's eyes narrowed as she felt a flux in the Powers in the Field, and as Snitch and Omega landed, rolling in the tall grasses, chirping as Ormand's silver and gold pets joined them, she felt Necromantic powers change.  Looking around, she saw that Chimera's power was a bit more reactive to the Powers in the Hall than the rest of them, and she knew Echo had sensed it, because her eyes never left the dark haired Necromancer.  Harry and Draco walked over, dusting their robes off, and as they reached the others, Draco stopped.

What is it luv?
I can't go in the Hall, Harry.

The baby?

Yeah.  My body doesn't take the attack of Powers the way yours does.

Then wait here, and when I get it open, I'll come back for you.

Will you… will you be able to do that?

I'm Lucifer's heir, I can do what ever I please.

Kain smirked, and locked eyes with Smyra.  She looked at him, eyes confused.

"HE'S NOT PURE ANY MORE, SMYRA.  WATCH HIM."

She felt eyes on her, and looked up at Echo.  The elderly Dragon seemed to know what was happening, and she nudged Smyra towards the stream.  The pale woman faltered for a second, and then picked up her pots.

"If you would all follow me please, I'll take you to the Door."

Harry linked his fingers with Draco's, and they followed the large group through the long grass.  He could feel his lovers pulse racing in his hand, and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Harry, something's not right.

Everything will be fine, luv, I promise.

"SMYRA, I HAVE A FEELING THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO GET VERY UGLY, VERY SOON.  YOU MUST WATCH THE NECROMANCERS."

Smyra changed her vision so that she was watching over the whole group, and what she saw shocked her.  All of the Necromancers, with but two exceptions, were shouded in darkness, which seemed to crawl out of the very Field itself to them.  The blackness attempted to reach the two lone Necromancers, only to be held at bay by a small bit of white Power.  She shifted her vision again, this time looking at the two Crimsons and Harry and Draco, who brought up the rear of the group.  Draco was glowing beside his Mate, which made her smile, and the red bit around Severus and Severia was comforting.  It was the fact that Harry was nuetral that bothered her.  With his status as a born Power, Gryffindor and Lucifer's heir, he should have shown some sort of  Power.  But there was nothing.  Not so much as a flicker.

"Kain.  Mr. Potter.  If you would both-"

Before she could finish, the dagger Kain had handed her was in Harry's hands, and thrust down through the mark on Kains arm over the stone with the crack in it.  Draco could feel power leeching out of the old Necromancer, out of every Necromancer, and he knew he heard a Dragon hiss.  But Echo stood next to him, her white scales shimmering in the sunset, making her look purple and pink, with a twinge of orange.

"Pour it." Harry demanded, his eyes glowing brightly as Kain tried to pull away. "Pour it and let him feel what it's like to burn."

Smyra didn't argue, and poured the first pot over the stone.  Kain's blood mixed with it, and the design shimmered gold.  As she poured the second, he screamed, his arm turning to ashes as it flowed into his veins.  Harry smirked and let him go, the dagger finding itself clean and in his belt as they were taken into the blinding white of the Valley of the Sun.  Teek and Persephone looked at one another, and stayed back while Smyra lead them through the blinding white.  Draco had already clutched his stomach in discomfort, and they knelt down beside him. 

"He'll be back soon, Draco." Persephone said, her black hair pulled back in a long braid.

"It won't take long for him to open the Hall and Change it." added Teek, looking up to the Crimsons that stood over them.

"It's going to get worse before it gets better." Draco said, his childs glow coming out to surround him. "Where's Echo?"
"She's with them.  She's part of the Key."

Draco looked over his shoulder as the Necromancer, Dragon, and his Mate disappeared into the blinding nothingness.  There was something not right, and he couldn't place it.

Harry?

No answer.

Harry, I know you hear me.

No answer.

Damn it Harry!  Say something!

No answer.

HARRY!

No answer.

Draco doubled over, his wings bursting free, covered in blood and electricity sparking.  Teek and Persephone backed up, each hiding behind a Crimson.  He let out a deafening roar, crystaline tears rolling down his face as the glow from beneath his hands reached out and touched each of them.  They were back in the Field, and there was no sign of Harry or the Necromancers.  Severus and Severia quickly shifted back to their human forms, and looked at the Necromancers.

"Somethings's happened inside the Hall." stated Persephone. "Something bad."

"Any ideas what?" asked Teek, laying Draco back against the split stone, his stomach still glowing.

"Give me a second."

A black marking appeared on Persephone's forehead, and her eyes hazed over.  Severus grabbed her hand, knowing the dangers of doing so, and watched as everything faded to black and white, moving as super fast speeds, until all they could see was the hazy forms of what looked like people.

"They're Spirits." she told him, "They've been gathering in the Valley for weeks now, but none of them knew really why."

"Do they know now?" he asked, watching as massive black doors came into view. "is that the…"

"The entrance to the Hall of Kings, yes.  It's already been opened."

"How can you tell?"

"The Hall's doors are invisible to those without the blood or Power to see them from the Valley of the Sun.  They turn black as night when opened."

They were quiet for a moment, before the Spirits erupted in a fit of rage.  Some tried to storm the doors, others flew into the air, screaming.  Persephone moved them closer to the doors, and what they saw was not something they had expected.  Echo stood outside the doors, her great claws trying to tear through it, while two Spirits that Sirius would have known any where beat on them.  Lily and James Potter.

"Harry!  Please!  Open the doors!" Lily screamed.

"Harry!  Harry!  No!  Not again!!" cried James, falling to his knees beside his wife.

"They're locking the Gates!" Snape shouted, watching as the massive black doors started to shimmer out, becoming solid white in the nothingness that was the Valley. "We have to stop it!"

"There's nothing we can do, unless we can physically get back to the Valley, Professor Snape.  Without Smyra, there is no way to do that."
"There must be!"

"It is her Power that activates the Spring of Ages.  Should she die, or be present elsewhere, it will not work.  I'm sorry."

Just as she started to pull them out of the Spirit Realm, four bright lights appeared, and the Council of Change stood before the fading Gates.  Nathalie was the first to create a large sphere of her energy, and it connected to the Gryffindor Lion engraved there.  Brock followed, then Ormand and Fala.  Light of red, yellow, blue and green flowed through the Gates, returning them to their solid state.

"Harry Potter, I swear to the Creator, if you don't find a way to open these doors!" Nathalie screamed, her wings extended fully, just as Ormands were.

Persephone couldn't sustain them any longer, and they went rushing back to their bodies.  Severus collapsed, unconcious, and Persephone was on her knees, drinking the water Teek gave her.

"Well?"
"The Council…" she breathed, "They're holding the Gates solid, but unless Harry opens it from the inside, there's no way for us to connect with them.

Severia glared at the split stone, and shifted to her Crimson form.  With a scream she reared and slammed her hooves down on it.  A small flash of white emited from the crack.  Again, she brought her hooves down, and again it flared.  The light grew brighter each time, and Teek got an idea.  She and Persephone shifted to their Dragon forms, one blowing fire at the stone, the other beating it with its spiked tail.  Draco watched through blurry eyes, two heartbeats in his chest.

"IT WILL BE TOO LATE, YOUNG DRACONIS MALFOY.  BEHIND THE GATES, THE HALL OF KINGS HAS COMPLETELY COLLAPSED.  THEY WILL JUST RELEASE YOUR MATES TRAPPED POWER WHEN THE STONE BREAKS."

"Who are you?!"

"I AM EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING AND NOTHING, ALL AT ONCE."

"I'm dying, aren't I?"

"YES.  WITHOUT YOUR MATE, YOUR POWER HAS BECOME UNSTABLE, AND WILL LEAVE YOU."

"And my son?  He will die with me?"

"TAKE FROM THE EARTH WHAT YOU NEED TO SAVE HIM."

"What will keep people from finding the Valley of the Sun?  Will it be destroyed as well?"
"NO, IT CAN NEVER BE DESTROYED, BUT IT CAN BE GUARDED.  LET YOUR POWER ROOT ITSELF IN THE RUINS OF THE HALL, AND LET IT REACH UP TO THE HEAVENS TO OFFER ITS RESERVE TO THE FALLEN KINGS BEFORE YOU."

Draco stood, walking to the center of the swirl in the design burned into the Field, and reached his hands to the sky, wings arched almost painfully upward.  He locked his gaze with the Crimson and Dragons, and then closed his eyes.  His body became transparant, his Power reaching deep into the earth where he could feel Harry's own Power pulsing.  He felt the great surge of power as the stone was broken, and with an anguished cry, his own erupted.  A bright flash passed over the Field of Dreams, and when it died, a massive Weeping Willow stood where Draco had, its roots destroying the trough like design, and the rubble of the stone was dull, as opposed to the bright gloss it had once been.  Severia laid across her brother, sheilding him from the blast, and both Dragons had folded their wings over the two humans. 

"Is he…" Persephone asked, shifting back and sitting down.

"He destroyed it." Severia whispered, "there's no way into the Valley of the Sun now!"

"It wouldn't have mattered."

They both turned to look at Teek, who had sat behind Severus and brough his head to rest in her lap.  He coughed and she soothed him as best she could.

"Kain and Chimera destroyed them all once inside the Hall.  They drew upon the darkness that followed them in, and then pulled the Powers that had gathered there, destroying everything.  Not even Harry's Powers would've been enough."

"And Smyra?"

"I don't know.  Kain loved her once, but we all know how much Darkness changes some one."

They were quiet then, just staring up at the night sky, listening to the light breeze make its way through the great tree before them.

 "Enin shtnom morf won, emoc kcab dna ekat ym nos emoh, Nosmirc." a voice whispered on the wind.

It rustled through the tree, and a familiar hiccup of Power reached his senses, and he saw the faint glow at a knot in the trees trunk.  Severus let a single tear slide down his cheek before taking Teeks hand in his as he fell into a dreamless sleep. 

~TBC~

Well, technically this was supposed to be the last chapter, but it's not.  There will be an epilogue.  Comments, questions, death threats, they will all be well received.  And yes, if you take that line of gobbly gooky words and turn each one backwards, you'll figure out what it says.  If you can't do that, then wait until the next chapter, and you'll understand.