Disclaimer: I own nothing!!
A/N: Thanks for all the encouragement on the last chapter; it is really helpful!
The Ancestor's Call
By Princess Hermione
Chapter 8
Training - Part One
******* Change of scene/time*******
====== Dream =====
+Mind talk+
^twin thought speak^
Harry and Sapphire were sitting in the armchairs by Harry's fire, about to begin a brother/sister chat.
"Why were you named Sapphire? You don't have blue eyes?" Harry inquired.
"Our parents knew who we were, they had found out on accident who the royal family really was. Mum tested me to find out what my other side would look like," she shrugged, "and I ended up being named Sapphire because I have blue eyes."
"Other side? Different looks?" Sapphire drew her wand, pointing it at herself, and she changed. Sparkling sapphire eyes shone like lamps from beneath her long lashes, her hair was still as black as night but it trailed only to just past her shoulders. Her skin was still rather fair, but she had more of an imperial air about her. On her forehead was an unmistakable image of a golden crown, it was small but obvious.
"We have different personalities. I am Claire Potter, brother to the boy who lived, I am also Crown Princess Sapphire Lily Potter of the English Empire, I am also Sapphire, the founders apprentice, and Duchess Sapphire of Scotland. You on the other hand are Prince Alexander James Potter, Harry Potter The-Boy-Who-Lived, Duke Alexander of Wales and Alexander, the founders apprentice," Sapphire shrugged.
"Hold it, you are both Claire and Sapphire, and I am both Harry and Alexander?" Harry was utterly confused.
"Yes, you were actually named Harry, but Alexander is your 'true' name. I was named Sapphire as I truly am, but Clare is a name I will use if it is not announced who we are when we return," she explained. She suddenly grinned and pointed her wand at him, before conjuring a mirror and passing it to him. Harry looked into it and gasped. Looking out at him from the mirror was not the boy who was associated as Harry Potter, but a startlingly different boy. His black hair was straight and neat in his haircut from before, green eyes still watched him, but on his forehead was a silver crown in place of his trademark scar. He stared at his reflection.
"Where has my scar gone?" he inquired.
"It is not part of Prince Alexander so it is not there, it is part of Harry Potter however so it will be there whenever you return to your 'Harry Potter' image," Sapphire smiled.
"So, why did Godric call me 'Prince Harry James Potter'?" Harry asked,
"He wanted to make it easier on you to accept, without tossing away your entire concept of who you are," Sapphire shrugged, "but I think you have the right to know who you really are." Harry nodded. (A/N: I will still refer to him as Harry, unless he is taking on 'Prince Alexander' as a role.)
"Why is it us who rule England?" Harry asked, knowing his sister knew very well their lineage.
"It all begins with Merlin," she began, "at the end of the war he was named 'King of Magical Britain'. His descendants have ever since ruled Britain." Harry wondered why he had never been told. She caught the look on his face, and answered the unspoken question,
"Our great-great grandfather sits on the throne now, when he dies, I shall ascend the throne, our other relatives shall be bypassed in favour of the youngest crown princess. No-one is told except the next in line to the throne, and our great-grandfather, and grandfather were never in any danger of ascending the throne, as the present King ascended at the age of 15, and has spent the last 187 years on the throne. Our family never dies except by murder for over a hundred years. The King had his first children by the age of 20, and his sons by 20, everyone down to our parents have had at least one child before 20. We are the fourth generation, three generations will be skipped over, unless, he dies after I have my first children."
"Is Albus Dumbledore our great-great grandfather?" Harry's mouth was very dry.
"Oh, no," she reassured him, "he is our grandfather, meaning he will never ascend the throne."
"Right, the headmaster is passed over in favour of his 15 year old grandchildren," Harry muttered.
"As far as he is concerned, he doesn't know that he is an heir to the throne, or that I am alive. When I disappeared, it was assumed I had died," she laughed bitterly, "unfortunately for them, I am well and truly alive and will ascend the throne."
"Another question, why is nothing ever said about a King of Magical England?"
"Most wizarding families know about them, although you don't because you were raised by muggles. It was assumed by all that you didn't need to know. After all, who would expect Harry Potter to be a descendant of Merlin, except grandfather. He knew you were the descendent of Merlin, but he didn't realise that it was Merlin's heirs who were the royal family," Sapphire replied.
"And why wasn't I taken in by the royal family?" Harry asked.
"No-one is told about it before their 15th birthday, unless it is pretty much certain that they will become King/Queen. And another thing, the King/Queen has control over the minister of magic, except he is so sickly now, he can't control Fudge at all," Sapphire added.
"So, in other words, when you ascend the throne you shall be able to control Fudge?" Harry asked, his eyes lighting up.
"Yes, and I'll be able to give the truth on the Third Task," seeing Harry's quizzical look, she elaborated, "I watch over you through a bowl of water, which shows me everything that happens to you when I want, I can also replay past events." Harry nodded. The lift buzzed, and Harry whirled wand out and facing the lift. He relaxed as Rowena came in, smiling when she saw Harry's stance.
"Are you two finished, it is time for bed, you have classes tomorrow?" she wanted to know. Sapphire nodded, and stood up, skirts swirling. She gently kissed Harry's cheek and then walked out, followed by a silently laughing Rowena.
"See you tomorrow, dear brother," Sapphire called as the lift doors shut.
+I love you, sister, goodnight+ Harry called out silently.
+I love you too+ his sister called back. As Harry collapsed onto his bed, and relaxed against the soft mattress, his last coherent thought was 'I have a sister!'
========================================================================
Harry was in a cloud, and walking through it. From the side, appeared Sapphire, still in the same outfit she had worn at dinner. Two figures appeared.
"Mum, Dad," Harry breathed.
"I see you discovered your sister," Lily smiled sadly.
"Do you know of your heritage?" James asked. Harry and Sapphire nodded.
"Good," Lily said, briskly, "We'll have to go soon, but listen to me. There are prophecies about both of you, and we need to you to search for them, it'll give some instructions about what you are to do when you return to your normal time."
"We can give you one of them," James said, as he seemed to struggle to say. The both began to sing fluently,
"The Children of Light
The product of the Stag and the Flower
Darkness shall strike, when they are young
Leaving the sign of the sky
A terrible loss,
A heartbreaking sorrow
The two children suffer
Unmerciful pain
Power and Glory they hold in their fists
Though neither trait is their strong desire.
Love and kindness strengthen those around them
Bravery and strength embedded in their frame
Princess of Power is her call
Lord of Peace is his name
Mistress of Love is her beckon
King of Life is summons
They fight in two times
The first as apprentice
The second as master
Before the age of 18
Keepers of the Staff of the Phoenix Lord and Queen
Holders of the Swords of Might and Power
Controllers of the Daggers of the Dragon Lord and Master
Users of the Bows of Love and Peace
For the good of the world
The two of light shall fight the one of darkness
For the sake of the world
They shall defy the darkness"
They began to fade out,
"Never forget that we love you," was Lily's parting phrase as they vanished totally.
========================================================================
Harry woke up when a loud mental yell came bursting into his mind.
+UP sleepy head! Breakfast is in ten minutes! Bring your things for the first four periods!+ Sapphire's voice echoed through his mind. Harry quickly jumped out of bed and into the bathroom. After a 2-minute shower, he changed into tight pants, and shirt, pulling a formal robe over the top. He quickly grabbed all the books on potions and staff fighting and shrunk them before stuffing them in his pocket. He grabbed his wand and stuck it in his pocket, before racing to the lift and hurrying into the hall. Sapphire was already seated, also in robes.
"Harry, how on earth did you get up on time?" Godric asked, "no-one else has ever gotten up at the right time on the first day."
"I woke Alexander up, not everyone has a sister who would do that," Sapphire smiled. Godric's eyes narrowed,
"So you told him his true name," he said, frowning.
"You would have had to today anyway, he is Alexander the founder's apprentice, not Harry the founders apprentice," Sapphire smiled again, perfectly in control. Godric shook his head with a sigh as Rowena smiled. Helga and Salazar swept in.
"Your highness," Salazar bowed deferentially, as Helga curtsied. Sapphire nodded, before smiling. Godric clapped his hands as Helga and Salazar took their places. Food appeared on the table in terms of sausages, waffles, toast, cereal etc. Harry took one sausage and a piece of toast, looking up strangely, when someone dumped another two sausages and an apple in front of him.
"You need your strength," Sapphire said, in answer to the inquiring stare he sent her. He shook his head,
"Girls," he muttered, before attacking the food.
Once they had finished, Rowena stood up,
"Come, I have you for potions first," Sapphire and Harry rose, and followed her out of the hall and into a corridor.
"Have you done potions before?" Rowena asked over her shoulder, as she led the way down.
"Yes," Harry admitted.
"No," Sapphire chimed in.
"You haven't?" Harry looked at her in amazement, "what have you been doing the past fourteen years?"
"I couldn't do much till I was eight, and I've been learning all about politics, managing countries and estates, as well as being a Queen," Sapphire replied, "I haven't done any of this stuff, it all waited till you arrived. You too will learn politics, and about managing your estates." Harry rolled his eyes. Rowena turned into a room, which, as Harry and Sapphire followed her into, they noticed, was full of shelves with ingredients and spare cauldrons. There were three desks with writing implements, two of them also had cauldrons. Rowena took the one without the cauldron, Sapphire took the right cauldron, so Harry had to take the left one. Rowena turned to face them. A flick of her wrist shut the door,
"In this class you do not learn about all potions in general, you learn specifically about healing potions, how to make them and how to use them," she said, "not that that means I will be allowing any slack." She fixed her gaze on them, until they nodded.
"Open 'Beginners Healing Potions;' to the first page, and do the small cuts potion," she ordered crisply, "the ingredients are on the shelves." Harry quickly un-shrunk his book and opened it. He quickly moved the writing implements aside, and moved around the room locating different ingredients. As he took down the ingredients he made a mental checklist of the places and items so he could quickly find them again.
As he added the ingredients one by one as he stirred. Once all were in, he left the potion to simmer for twenty minutes, meanwhile writing down a plan of the classroom with the location of different potions and ingredients. Once it was finished, Harry quickly bottled it up with little glass bottles from the shelves. He left them by his desk, and went to gather more ingredients.
Three batches of potions later, Rowena looked up and told them to stop.
"Well done, now we test them," she pulled a dagger from her waist and lightly cut their wrists. They took a vial of their potion and dropped it lightly onto their wrists, where it was soaked up by the cut. As the cuts healed without pain or scars Rowena smiled,
"Good, next lesson we will move onto a slightly harder potion," she nodded to them, "what is your next class?"
"Sword fighting," Sapphire said quickly.
"Come with me," Rowena got up and swept out of the classroom, followed by her descendants. She led them out to a field, where Godric was waiting a box at his side.
"Thank you, my love," he said as he kissed her. She smiled and swept off. Godric turned to his students.
"50 sit ups, and 50 push ups," he snapped. They dropped to the ground and quickly completed them.
"Stretches for all parts of the body," was the next command. They began stretching, loosening up and warming up their muscles.
"Choose a staff from here," he barked. They hurried up to the box and picked up a staff each Harry picked a staff with an emerald at the base. Sapphire took one that had sapphires in it. Godric drew his own,
"Staff fighting is the basis for sword fighting, let's get down to business." He showed them the correct way to hold a staff, and how to stand when holding one. The learnt to draw it from their hip fast, as well as a low block and a high block, which they repeated for the entire lesson, learning to correct grips instantly and block very fast. Their hands and arms were aching by the end of the lesson. Harry was extremely fast, but Sapphire seemed to have trouble keeping steady and moving fast.
"Go change and be down for lunch in fifteen minutes," he ordered. They bowed to him, and slid their staffs into their belt, before running inside.
Fifteen minutes later, Harry was once again dressed in trousers and a shirt, with a formal robe thrown on top. In a bag he carried his books for his next classes which were dagger fighting and the martial arts.
When he entered, everyone rose, except for Sapphire who simply grinned at him. Rolling his eyes, he sat down quickly. Lunch consisted of lamb racks, with steamed vegetables. Bread was a side dish, along with fruits.
After lunch they headed to another hall, where Salazar got them to stretch and exercise for half an hour, before they were allowed to choose two daggers, and practice drawing them from their sheaths quickly.
They learnt how to avoid chopping their fingers off with the other dagger as they attacked with a few slashes. Needless to say, there were a few accidents, which were healed with a vial of the healing potion that both Sapphire and Harry carried in their pockets.
After that, there was the martial arts class, which was once again taught by Godric. In this they had to limber up and stretch, before they were taught a punch. Harry demonstrated what he had learned in the summer. They covered one punch and two blocks that day, which were repeated over and over again, along with rather frequent commands to do push ups and sit ups.
After that, they had fifteen minutes to shower and get back to the hall. They were there on time and had a slower dinner then the night before. Sapphire and Harry were in deep discussion over Hogwarts and studying magic. Rowena tapped them on the shoulder,
"You won't learn magic here," she pointed out, grinning at their dismayed faces.
"We have to learn at the pace they will in Alexander's time?" Sapphire was horrified, "but we have elemental powers, which they don't teach in that time!"
"They do, but that is not the point, after you have completed your training here, you will be sent back to the time of Merlin," Helga interrupted, "where I believe you will be known as his personal apprentices. In Harry's time you will attend Hogwarts as usual for Harry. I believe that your great-great-grandfather will apply to Hogwarts for your entrance." Sapphire nodded, only her eyes betraying her surprise. Harry, however, let his jaw drop,
"Personal apprentice," he muttered, "she must have known about it."
Half an hour later, Sapphire and Harry were her room. She had her things done in different shades of purple.
"So, Harry," she said leaning forward, "you did know that magical twins have soul bonds?" Harry shook his head, wondering what on earth was going on. Sapphire spotted his look,
"Twins in the magical world have a deep bond. They can communicate with each other on a link no-one else can hear unless you want them too," she explained, "therefore, we should have that bond. We should also be able to sense what the other is doing and feeling." Harry nodded slowly.
"Shut your eyes," Sapphire instructed, shutting her own eyes, "now search you mind for a area or link that represents the magical me(A/N: Not Lockhart)." Harry searched through his mind, very quickly finding the link.
"Now, simply direct any thoughts or feelings through the link," Sapphire said. Harry said into the link,
^I'm utterly confused^.
^You managed it^ Sapphire sent back, sending a mental image of her clapping back. Both opened their eyes,
"If we keep practising we should be able to talk without closing our eyes," Sapphire said, "Simply locate our link, without shutting your eyes and respond to my thought.
^See!^ Sapphire's mental voice said, her physical eyes still open.
^Yes!^ Harry said back a moment later, as he located the link.
"Right, now that we have mastered that, it'll be easier to locate one another," she said in a business like tone.
"Now what?" was Harry's plaintive question.
+Bed time+ Helga's voice roared through their minds.
+Sure+ Sapphire called out, ^not^. Harry smothered a smile. Sapphire got up and headed into the lift
^love you, little bro^ she called as she stepped into the lift.
^likewise^ Harry replied, as he slid into his bed.
A/N: There, this chappie is finished. Please review!!