A/N: I just finished reading A Swiftly Tilting Planet today. I enjoyed it. I missed Calvin, however. He's pretty cool, y'know? Kinda like Ron in that way that you just take one look at him and you can't help but think he's adorable and cool.
I am so pathetic.. I have a Rupert Grint Shrine on my HP site... I'm gonna have to put up some of the doujinshi that I find on there for people to look at so they don't have to look everywhere for it. Like I do.... which actually isn't as hard as it sounds. You just have to know what it is you are sifting through the various grains of information to find the gold hiding there waiting to be found.
I'm gonna start reading An Acceptable Time soon... Can anyone tell me when the Cos Soundtrack is coming out? And when Book Five is comin' out as well? I'm holding out for those in particular, but I'm holding out for CCS: mistress of the Clow book 2 and Angelic Layer #3.
Chapter Thirteen
Harry woke up in the middle of the night and sat up in bed. He was at Sirius' house for the Christmas Holidays. He was in his room with Ron and Draco sleeping on the floor in cots that he and Sirius had erected.
He walked around Ron's cot and walked out the door to his room. He had woken up because of a dream he was having. In the dream, he was walking around a strange cave with Astra behind him. She touched a stone on the wall of the cave and it opened up and showed a chamber. He was suddenly back in the Chamber of Secrets except it was caved in with rock and rubble. Then, he woke up and here he was now.
He walked down the stairs to the living room and sat down. He sighed at his own head. His scar was burning, but it wasn't. It was weird how it was happening. He knew something was going to happen, was happening, but he didn't have a clue what.
He glanced around the darkened room. He looked at the window. There was something going on outside. He walked over to the window and saw a house burning. A building at the least.
He ran out the door toward the flaming structure. There were people screaming and running. He wasn't in the small village where Sirius' house was. He was in someplace that looked a bit like Diagon Alley.
He stopped and watched the flames grow higher. It was like being stuck in the great time wind back in his sixth year. Like being rooted to the spot as Cedric was killed. He couldn't move.
He heard something behind him and he was able to whirl around. He saw Astra, but he wasn't sure it was Astra. She didn't have shoulder length hair anymore. She had long, waist length silvery blonde hair that was flowing around her, like a breeze was blowing through it. There was a blankness to her blue-grey eyes.
She was wearing a bright silver thing around her neck that hurt Harry's eyes to look at. When she spoke, it was like her voice was carried on the wind. "Do you want to live...?"
"What did you say?" Harry asked as he squinted at her brightness. She spoke in a voice that had no accent to it. He now saw that she was wearing white and silver robes.
"Do you want to live....?" she asked again.
"I don't understand... what are you talking about...." Harry found that he was on his knees now. There was a screaming in his head.
He heard something behind him and he glanced. Avalon was behind him in a black Gothic styled dress that reached to the ground. The bell shaped sleeves went over her slender hands. Her long black hair swirled around her much like Astra's.
"The countdown has begun, Harry...." she said in a voice carried on the wind. Then..... Harry woke up.....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry played a game of catch on his broomstick with Ron and Ginny. He was having fun. Sirius had a field behind the house with tall trees to hide them flying, as long as they flew closer to the ground.
It was warm for December, no snow was on the ground except a little bit of frost. Harry was wearing his Weasley sweater with a coat on over it.
"HEY! HARRY!"
Harry concentration was broken and an apple from Ginny hit him in the face. He fell to the ground and rubbed his jaw where the fresh apple had hit him. "Harry! Are you all right?" Ginny said as she clambered off of her broom to get to him. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hit you...."
"And so the accidents start to happen...." Harry said with a smirk. "I thought you would wait 'till we were married to start that..."
Harry suddenly realized what he had said and felt the heat creep into his cheeks. Ginny was blushing as well, although it wasn't as bright as it usually got. "Sorry..." he mumbled. She kissed him gently and shook her head.
"Don't worry about it..." she said quietly. She helped him off the ground and he glanced around.
"Who the hell called me..." Harry said as he glanced around. He saw no one around.
"HARRY!"
He heard Astra's voice, but couldn't see her. "Where is she..." Harry said. Ginny shrugged.
"Harry! Get up on your broom and look. I think I see her over there!" said Ron from above.
Harry mounted his broom and flew above the trees. He searched where Ron had indicated. He saw Astra waving at him from someplace near a rockface. Draco was near her as well.
He flew over to he position, making sure that he didn't go above the line of trees. He flew through branches and a few vines here and there. He came upon the rockface and he saw Astra jumping up and down to get his attention.
"Harry! I've been calling to you for nearly ten minutes! Where have you been!" Astra said as she ran over to him and threw her arms around him.
"I was playing catch in the field, the question is why you have been calling to me...." Harry said.
She let go of him and ran over to the rockface. She suddenly disappeared into the rock. "Astra? Where the blazes...."
"Right here! It's a spell, see?" Astra said from the rock. Her head suddenly appeared from the rock. "It's a cloaking spell, much like what my mother taught me when I was little or sort of like that invisibility cloak you've got."
"You have an invisibility cloak? Interesting....." Draco suddenly spoke. Harry had forgotten that he was there. He was grinning evilly at Harry.
"Oblivioso Temporium Word!" Astra had her wand raised at Draco and he was hit with a flash of light. She smiled at Harry. "He won't remember anything about that invisibility cloak you've got....."
Harry sighed and smiled at her. "You startled me, you know that? Where did you learn about a spell like that? I thought you had a bad memory for spell work."
"I do... but Nevaeh told me about it when she went rampaging through the library." Astra said with a smile. "Come on... It's really cool in here... let's see what this place is hiding."
Harry walked through the rock and found himself inside a cave. He looked around and saw stalagmites and stalactites everywhere. The long stalactites were hanging down in a sort of menacing manner.
They walked through the cave and Harry shivered. The chill was more than his coat could manage. They walked through until they found a dead end. Harry recognized this place.
"I know this place.... but from what..." Harry mumbled.
"So do I, Harry... there is severe magic here...." she said in a cautionary tone.
Harry looked at the wall in front of them. There was a painting on the stone. It was of a giant black bird. Astra touched the painting and the wall disintegrated. She fell through.
"What the hell?!" Astra said in surprise.
Harry walked through the area where the wall had been. He walked over to a torch lit wall and stared at it. "It's as though we were expected."
"You were...." said a low voice behind them.
Harry turned and saw a woman with long black hair pulled into a braid and large black eyes that had no hint of white in them. She wore a black dress with see-trough fabric feathers along her sleeves and the hem of her skirt. "I am Zillia.... now... where is the eye... I am looking for it..."
"What are you talking about?" Astra said as she got to her feet.
"The all seeing eye... the one eye... The Raven's Eye...." Zillia said as she cocked her head to one side in a questioning manner. "If you please... I will take it now and kill you quickly for my master..."
"The only person that is going to die is you, trespasser..." came a second voice. It sounded similar to Astra's, but it had a Scottish accent to it.
Harry turned and saw a tall woman with long red hair pulled into a long crimped braid with gold laced into it. She had violet eyes that were boring into Harry like lasers. She wore armor and leather with a brilliant red stone set on her breastplate with two dragons encircling the formed metal holding the stone in their claws.
"Who the bloody hell are you?" said Zillia indignantly.
"I am Devnet the Dragon, infidel.... and you will have to take the stone from me if you are the one to do so...." Devnet said with a sneer.
Zillia smile cruelly. "Then I shall have to kill you as well...." she said with a cold laugh.
Suddenly, Zillia was flying through the air with two sets of cruel claws outstretched, waiting to tear through flesh. Devnet swung out her sword and Zillia was thrown away. Harry watched in awe at the blade. It looked a lot like Godric Gryffindor's although there were dragons on the blade itself.
It had a long handle and the blade itself was long and furious. It looked like a cleiborn, almost, except it was slightly smaller. Astra noted the size differences. Devnet wielded it like it was a samurai sword, however. She didn't heft it like it was a heavy thing.
Zillia stared at her arm when she got to he feet. The fringe was cut off. "This is my favorite dress, you heathen!" She growled.
"I told you... you have to take it from me... if you are a coward, I'm sure that whatever master you serve is one as well." Devnet sneered.
Zillia growled and charged again. Devnet dodged Zillia's attacks easily. She didn't even make her mighty sword slash at Zillia. Then, Zillia, panting and furious, charged at Devnet again. Devnet sliced the blade against Zillia's side, spattering blood onto the wall.
Zillia was still alive, though. She stood up and growled. "Damn you..."
"Go little weakling.... you are not the one to take the stone... go back to your master!" Devnet said in a booming voice.
Zillia growled and turned into a giant black bird. It cawed angrily and flew through the entrance. Devnet the Dragon turned to Harry now.
"How about you... are you planning on taking the stone?" she asked his with a wide grin. "You're awfully adorable...."
Harry paled, but stood his ground. "I didn't come in here for trouble... we just stumbled on this place...."
"That's right... you've got a problem with him, you take it up with me...." Astra said. She took a familiar Tae Kwon Do fighting stance and glared at her.
"Astra... what the hell are you doing! Stop that! Get back before you get yourself hurt!" Harry hissed at her.
"Just trying to defend a guy! We all know how much men are useless when it comes to fighting a girl...." Astra said with a cheerful smile. "Relax.... I won't get hurt..."
"Indeed... you have my face.... and you bear the star...." Devnet said.
"Huh?"
"What?"
"You are the one who was foretold..... I was to told to only let this stone be taken by the star...." Devnet said. Astra relaxed her position and stared hard at Devnet. Devnet began to sing.
"The star will be with friend
and will be ready to defend....
The star of white is the one
to whom the stone belongs....
The star is light
find the star and surety is right....."
She finished and Astra stared at her. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Which was an overstatement since Astra had no clue what was going on. She looked to Harry and he just shrugged. Devnet sighed heavily. "What's wrong?"
"I have been locked up in here for a very long time... I was asleep until now. I miss my dear sons....." She gave a small sob and dried her eyes on the back of her gloved hands.
"Boy, you have been in here a long time haven't you..." Astra knelt down next to Devnet and patted the woman on her back.
"Astra? Harry? Are you in there?" came Draco's voice from outside of the entrance. He suddenly appeared at the cave door. "What the..."
Devnet stared at him. Harry watched as she stood up and walked over to him. He was a good bit taller than her, but he looked rather paler than normal. She poked and prodded him, pinching and looking at his coat and sweater. "Amazing.... my youngest is here and isn't...."
"What?" All three of the teenagers said in unison.
"You are the spitting image of my dear little Kierren.... but it isn't you...." she said as she held his face. Harry fought the urge to laugh. Draco looked like he was fighting the urge to run away.
"Um... miss Devnet... that's my boyfriend...." Astra said with a sheepish smile.
"This lad? Hm... seems fitting...." she said with a grin. She walked away from Draco toward Astra. "Now... take the stone from me... I now know where my lineage has gone... I am happy that my youngest was able to live happy without me there..."
"....."
"He was only six when I was called to do this job.... I lost track of time when dear old Godric put me to sleep...."
No one answered this time. Harry saw a sad light coming from Devnet. She started singing again.
"Mighty star of the west....
You have passed thine test....
Take what is yours and leave...
And save the one who is in need...."
Astra reached forward and took the stone from Devnet's breastplate. There was a great wind that swept through the cave. Astra held onto the stone even through the massive shaking she felt racking her body.
Devnet was disappearing. Her body was becoming light and fading. Astra watched as Devnet smiled and a tear flowed from her eye down her cheek. "Take care of my little one, dear star...."
Harry crouched down to the ground and tried to watch. Devnet disappeared into the wind and Astra glowed brilliant white as the stone floated up and made a place on her gold chain that held the locket that he and his friends had given her on her birthday back in his fifth year.
Suddenly, she fell to the ground and the light disappeared. Harry rushed to her side and found that Draco was beside him. Draco lifted her up and brushed a few wayward strands of silvery hair from her pale face.
"Are you alright, Astra?" Harry asked.
Astra opened her eyes and gazed up at Draco, then at Harry. She smiled. "Yes.. I am fine...." Draco helped her up.
There was a rumbling and rocks started falling on the inside of the cave. "It's going to collapse! We have to get out of here!" Draco shouted above the rumbling.
Harry led Draco out of the cave as he carried Astra in his arms. The cave collapsed as Draco put Astra down on the ground. They watched as the spell to the main entrance disappeared and Harry was able to see the rocks the blocked the cave.
"Let's head back..." Harry said. He picked up his broom and motioned for Draco to pick Astra up again. They headed back to Sirius' house.
I am so pathetic.. I have a Rupert Grint Shrine on my HP site... I'm gonna have to put up some of the doujinshi that I find on there for people to look at so they don't have to look everywhere for it. Like I do.... which actually isn't as hard as it sounds. You just have to know what it is you are sifting through the various grains of information to find the gold hiding there waiting to be found.
I'm gonna start reading An Acceptable Time soon... Can anyone tell me when the Cos Soundtrack is coming out? And when Book Five is comin' out as well? I'm holding out for those in particular, but I'm holding out for CCS: mistress of the Clow book 2 and Angelic Layer #3.
Chapter Thirteen
Harry woke up in the middle of the night and sat up in bed. He was at Sirius' house for the Christmas Holidays. He was in his room with Ron and Draco sleeping on the floor in cots that he and Sirius had erected.
He walked around Ron's cot and walked out the door to his room. He had woken up because of a dream he was having. In the dream, he was walking around a strange cave with Astra behind him. She touched a stone on the wall of the cave and it opened up and showed a chamber. He was suddenly back in the Chamber of Secrets except it was caved in with rock and rubble. Then, he woke up and here he was now.
He walked down the stairs to the living room and sat down. He sighed at his own head. His scar was burning, but it wasn't. It was weird how it was happening. He knew something was going to happen, was happening, but he didn't have a clue what.
He glanced around the darkened room. He looked at the window. There was something going on outside. He walked over to the window and saw a house burning. A building at the least.
He ran out the door toward the flaming structure. There were people screaming and running. He wasn't in the small village where Sirius' house was. He was in someplace that looked a bit like Diagon Alley.
He stopped and watched the flames grow higher. It was like being stuck in the great time wind back in his sixth year. Like being rooted to the spot as Cedric was killed. He couldn't move.
He heard something behind him and he was able to whirl around. He saw Astra, but he wasn't sure it was Astra. She didn't have shoulder length hair anymore. She had long, waist length silvery blonde hair that was flowing around her, like a breeze was blowing through it. There was a blankness to her blue-grey eyes.
She was wearing a bright silver thing around her neck that hurt Harry's eyes to look at. When she spoke, it was like her voice was carried on the wind. "Do you want to live...?"
"What did you say?" Harry asked as he squinted at her brightness. She spoke in a voice that had no accent to it. He now saw that she was wearing white and silver robes.
"Do you want to live....?" she asked again.
"I don't understand... what are you talking about...." Harry found that he was on his knees now. There was a screaming in his head.
He heard something behind him and he glanced. Avalon was behind him in a black Gothic styled dress that reached to the ground. The bell shaped sleeves went over her slender hands. Her long black hair swirled around her much like Astra's.
"The countdown has begun, Harry...." she said in a voice carried on the wind. Then..... Harry woke up.....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry played a game of catch on his broomstick with Ron and Ginny. He was having fun. Sirius had a field behind the house with tall trees to hide them flying, as long as they flew closer to the ground.
It was warm for December, no snow was on the ground except a little bit of frost. Harry was wearing his Weasley sweater with a coat on over it.
"HEY! HARRY!"
Harry concentration was broken and an apple from Ginny hit him in the face. He fell to the ground and rubbed his jaw where the fresh apple had hit him. "Harry! Are you all right?" Ginny said as she clambered off of her broom to get to him. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hit you...."
"And so the accidents start to happen...." Harry said with a smirk. "I thought you would wait 'till we were married to start that..."
Harry suddenly realized what he had said and felt the heat creep into his cheeks. Ginny was blushing as well, although it wasn't as bright as it usually got. "Sorry..." he mumbled. She kissed him gently and shook her head.
"Don't worry about it..." she said quietly. She helped him off the ground and he glanced around.
"Who the hell called me..." Harry said as he glanced around. He saw no one around.
"HARRY!"
He heard Astra's voice, but couldn't see her. "Where is she..." Harry said. Ginny shrugged.
"Harry! Get up on your broom and look. I think I see her over there!" said Ron from above.
Harry mounted his broom and flew above the trees. He searched where Ron had indicated. He saw Astra waving at him from someplace near a rockface. Draco was near her as well.
He flew over to he position, making sure that he didn't go above the line of trees. He flew through branches and a few vines here and there. He came upon the rockface and he saw Astra jumping up and down to get his attention.
"Harry! I've been calling to you for nearly ten minutes! Where have you been!" Astra said as she ran over to him and threw her arms around him.
"I was playing catch in the field, the question is why you have been calling to me...." Harry said.
She let go of him and ran over to the rockface. She suddenly disappeared into the rock. "Astra? Where the blazes...."
"Right here! It's a spell, see?" Astra said from the rock. Her head suddenly appeared from the rock. "It's a cloaking spell, much like what my mother taught me when I was little or sort of like that invisibility cloak you've got."
"You have an invisibility cloak? Interesting....." Draco suddenly spoke. Harry had forgotten that he was there. He was grinning evilly at Harry.
"Oblivioso Temporium Word!" Astra had her wand raised at Draco and he was hit with a flash of light. She smiled at Harry. "He won't remember anything about that invisibility cloak you've got....."
Harry sighed and smiled at her. "You startled me, you know that? Where did you learn about a spell like that? I thought you had a bad memory for spell work."
"I do... but Nevaeh told me about it when she went rampaging through the library." Astra said with a smile. "Come on... It's really cool in here... let's see what this place is hiding."
Harry walked through the rock and found himself inside a cave. He looked around and saw stalagmites and stalactites everywhere. The long stalactites were hanging down in a sort of menacing manner.
They walked through the cave and Harry shivered. The chill was more than his coat could manage. They walked through until they found a dead end. Harry recognized this place.
"I know this place.... but from what..." Harry mumbled.
"So do I, Harry... there is severe magic here...." she said in a cautionary tone.
Harry looked at the wall in front of them. There was a painting on the stone. It was of a giant black bird. Astra touched the painting and the wall disintegrated. She fell through.
"What the hell?!" Astra said in surprise.
Harry walked through the area where the wall had been. He walked over to a torch lit wall and stared at it. "It's as though we were expected."
"You were...." said a low voice behind them.
Harry turned and saw a woman with long black hair pulled into a braid and large black eyes that had no hint of white in them. She wore a black dress with see-trough fabric feathers along her sleeves and the hem of her skirt. "I am Zillia.... now... where is the eye... I am looking for it..."
"What are you talking about?" Astra said as she got to her feet.
"The all seeing eye... the one eye... The Raven's Eye...." Zillia said as she cocked her head to one side in a questioning manner. "If you please... I will take it now and kill you quickly for my master..."
"The only person that is going to die is you, trespasser..." came a second voice. It sounded similar to Astra's, but it had a Scottish accent to it.
Harry turned and saw a tall woman with long red hair pulled into a long crimped braid with gold laced into it. She had violet eyes that were boring into Harry like lasers. She wore armor and leather with a brilliant red stone set on her breastplate with two dragons encircling the formed metal holding the stone in their claws.
"Who the bloody hell are you?" said Zillia indignantly.
"I am Devnet the Dragon, infidel.... and you will have to take the stone from me if you are the one to do so...." Devnet said with a sneer.
Zillia smile cruelly. "Then I shall have to kill you as well...." she said with a cold laugh.
Suddenly, Zillia was flying through the air with two sets of cruel claws outstretched, waiting to tear through flesh. Devnet swung out her sword and Zillia was thrown away. Harry watched in awe at the blade. It looked a lot like Godric Gryffindor's although there were dragons on the blade itself.
It had a long handle and the blade itself was long and furious. It looked like a cleiborn, almost, except it was slightly smaller. Astra noted the size differences. Devnet wielded it like it was a samurai sword, however. She didn't heft it like it was a heavy thing.
Zillia stared at her arm when she got to he feet. The fringe was cut off. "This is my favorite dress, you heathen!" She growled.
"I told you... you have to take it from me... if you are a coward, I'm sure that whatever master you serve is one as well." Devnet sneered.
Zillia growled and charged again. Devnet dodged Zillia's attacks easily. She didn't even make her mighty sword slash at Zillia. Then, Zillia, panting and furious, charged at Devnet again. Devnet sliced the blade against Zillia's side, spattering blood onto the wall.
Zillia was still alive, though. She stood up and growled. "Damn you..."
"Go little weakling.... you are not the one to take the stone... go back to your master!" Devnet said in a booming voice.
Zillia growled and turned into a giant black bird. It cawed angrily and flew through the entrance. Devnet the Dragon turned to Harry now.
"How about you... are you planning on taking the stone?" she asked his with a wide grin. "You're awfully adorable...."
Harry paled, but stood his ground. "I didn't come in here for trouble... we just stumbled on this place...."
"That's right... you've got a problem with him, you take it up with me...." Astra said. She took a familiar Tae Kwon Do fighting stance and glared at her.
"Astra... what the hell are you doing! Stop that! Get back before you get yourself hurt!" Harry hissed at her.
"Just trying to defend a guy! We all know how much men are useless when it comes to fighting a girl...." Astra said with a cheerful smile. "Relax.... I won't get hurt..."
"Indeed... you have my face.... and you bear the star...." Devnet said.
"Huh?"
"What?"
"You are the one who was foretold..... I was to told to only let this stone be taken by the star...." Devnet said. Astra relaxed her position and stared hard at Devnet. Devnet began to sing.
"The star will be with friend
and will be ready to defend....
The star of white is the one
to whom the stone belongs....
The star is light
find the star and surety is right....."
She finished and Astra stared at her. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Which was an overstatement since Astra had no clue what was going on. She looked to Harry and he just shrugged. Devnet sighed heavily. "What's wrong?"
"I have been locked up in here for a very long time... I was asleep until now. I miss my dear sons....." She gave a small sob and dried her eyes on the back of her gloved hands.
"Boy, you have been in here a long time haven't you..." Astra knelt down next to Devnet and patted the woman on her back.
"Astra? Harry? Are you in there?" came Draco's voice from outside of the entrance. He suddenly appeared at the cave door. "What the..."
Devnet stared at him. Harry watched as she stood up and walked over to him. He was a good bit taller than her, but he looked rather paler than normal. She poked and prodded him, pinching and looking at his coat and sweater. "Amazing.... my youngest is here and isn't...."
"What?" All three of the teenagers said in unison.
"You are the spitting image of my dear little Kierren.... but it isn't you...." she said as she held his face. Harry fought the urge to laugh. Draco looked like he was fighting the urge to run away.
"Um... miss Devnet... that's my boyfriend...." Astra said with a sheepish smile.
"This lad? Hm... seems fitting...." she said with a grin. She walked away from Draco toward Astra. "Now... take the stone from me... I now know where my lineage has gone... I am happy that my youngest was able to live happy without me there..."
"....."
"He was only six when I was called to do this job.... I lost track of time when dear old Godric put me to sleep...."
No one answered this time. Harry saw a sad light coming from Devnet. She started singing again.
"Mighty star of the west....
You have passed thine test....
Take what is yours and leave...
And save the one who is in need...."
Astra reached forward and took the stone from Devnet's breastplate. There was a great wind that swept through the cave. Astra held onto the stone even through the massive shaking she felt racking her body.
Devnet was disappearing. Her body was becoming light and fading. Astra watched as Devnet smiled and a tear flowed from her eye down her cheek. "Take care of my little one, dear star...."
Harry crouched down to the ground and tried to watch. Devnet disappeared into the wind and Astra glowed brilliant white as the stone floated up and made a place on her gold chain that held the locket that he and his friends had given her on her birthday back in his fifth year.
Suddenly, she fell to the ground and the light disappeared. Harry rushed to her side and found that Draco was beside him. Draco lifted her up and brushed a few wayward strands of silvery hair from her pale face.
"Are you alright, Astra?" Harry asked.
Astra opened her eyes and gazed up at Draco, then at Harry. She smiled. "Yes.. I am fine...." Draco helped her up.
There was a rumbling and rocks started falling on the inside of the cave. "It's going to collapse! We have to get out of here!" Draco shouted above the rumbling.
Harry led Draco out of the cave as he carried Astra in his arms. The cave collapsed as Draco put Astra down on the ground. They watched as the spell to the main entrance disappeared and Harry was able to see the rocks the blocked the cave.
"Let's head back..." Harry said. He picked up his broom and motioned for Draco to pick Astra up again. They headed back to Sirius' house.