Once the feast was finished, several valets scooted around the great hall to gather the silverware, china, and goblets and returned them to the kitchen. "Antonidas, my friend, that was a most satisfying meal. Thank you again for your generous hospitality," said Dumbledore, rubbing his rather full belly.
"It was rather satisfying, if I say so myself," chuckled Antonidas. "And I must admit, I have developed quite a taste for those custard tarts you have sent me."
"I quite agree. I have developed quite the taste for them," agreed Dumbledore. "I feel that we are long overdue to have you as an honored guest at Hogwarts. We shall certainly send you an invitation to one of our great feasts. Perhaps Halloween or Christmas, if we carry out this mission with expedience."
"I would be most delighted, Albus," replied Antonidas. "Would you care to join us for a little after-dinner entertainment? I have arranged a special showing of Romulo and Julianne in our opera hall this evening. It starts at seven thirty. You and your students may join me in my private suite."
Dumbledore nodded in appreciation. "We would be most delighted to join you." Antonidas smiled. "Very good, Albus. I shall have one of our valets inform your students of the event, and he or she will escort them to the suite. In the meantime, I'll also arrange for our valets to provide a fresh set of quality pajamas for you and the boys, and comfortable, luxurious nightgowns for the girls. A change of clothing for tomorrow will also be provided. You may leave your Hogwarts clothes and your current outfit in the basket for our staff to pick up for cleaning. Finally, I'll also place a request for our finest soaps, shampoos, and other such toiletries. If you or your students need anything else from our staff, please ring the bell and an attendant will arrive shortly thereafter."
"I cannot thank you enough for your generosity, Antonidas," said Dumbledore. "Let us go then to your suite for the performance and wait for the children to join us." The two wizards then left the great hall and went up the stairs to the second floor. They traversed several long corridors and then suddenly Antonidas stopped. "We shall wait here for your students to arrive. Our valets will know where to find us, it should not be long."
A dark-complected human female with short, wavy black hair strode purposefully to the long table where the Hogwarts students sat. "Good evening, students. Archmage Antonidas has humbly requested that you join him and your Professor upstairs for some after-dinner entertainment. If you could kindly follow me, please." The seven Hogwarts students followed the valet upstairs to the second floor, where the followed the same winding path as the two wizards did just minutes before. "It feels like we're just walking around in circles," Ron muttered to himself. "And I thought the Grand Staircase was confusing."
The group then caught up with Antonidas and Professor Dumbledore. The valet smiled to the group of wizards, and said, "Have a magical evening. Enjoy the show." She turned heel and departed.
"Ah, very good, everyone's here," said Antonidas. He turned toward a large blank patch of wall, and placed both hands on it. He uttered a spell – a spell rather exotic to the Hogwarts students save Jaina - sounding something like "menivachi hericuli musipa veyra ktulos", and suddenly the outline of a doorframe glowed on the wall panel. Antonidas then took his hands off the wall, and spread them out. Two wooden doors swung inward, revealing a hidden passageway to a private opera hall balcony.
The two elder wizards took their seats on two very regal-looking silver armchairs with blue plush cushioning. There were two similarly-regal looking booths for the students. Harry, Luna, and Draco took sat in one booth, and Neville, Jaina, Hermione, and Ron took their seats in the other.
It didn't take long for Neville or Ron to make a move. Neville gently took Jaina's left hand, their fingers interlocked. Ron casually put his left arm around Hermione, and she rested her head on Ron's shoulder. Luna, ever the perceptive one, wagged a finger at Harry and Draco. "Don't either of you blokes get any funny ideas," she said with a note of admonishment. Harry simply gave her a silly grin, while Draco threw her a look of mock innocence, mouthing, "what?"
When the show was over, the same human female attendant waited in the hallway for the Hogwarts guests. "Please follow me back to your quarters," she said cheerily. "Bed clothes and various toiletries have been provided for each of you, along with clean clothes for tomorrow. If you have any questions, just ring the bell and someone will be here to assist. Have a magical evening!" She turned and returned to her regular duties.
Dumbledore then addressed the students. "Ladies and gentlemen, we will meet in the foyer with the Archmage tomorrow at seven o'clock sharp. I would like to have everyone waiting here in this hallway at ten till. I will retire for the evening momentarily, and I suggest that everyone do the same. Please rest up, everyone - we have much to do tomorrow. Have a good night."
Dumbledore then opened the door to his room and shut it behind him quietly. Harry, Ron, Draco and Neville then retired to their rooms. However, the girls – particularly Jaina and Hermione – were simply too giddy. The three of them went into Jaina's room and talked about anything and everything under the sun. About dinner. About the show. About how much they adored their much-more-feminine Dalaranian attire. About Neville and Ron.
Draco's room was next to where the girls were chatting, and he couldn't help overhearing the nonstop giggling of the three girls. "What in Merlin's name are they chattering about?", he thought to himself as he brushed his teeth. The girls were whispering so he couldn't eavesdrop, but the giggling was definitely audible. He was too exhausted to truly care, as it didn't take long for him to nod off to sleep.
Jaina, Hermione and Luna chattered on for a good hour. Luna yawned, and then noticed the clock on the wall. "It's nearly ten-thirty. I really need to get to bed. Good night, Jaina. Good night, Hermione."
"I'm feeling rather drowsy myself, Luna. It was really good having some girl time with you two. Good night, both of you," replied Hermione.
"Good night Hermione and Luna," said Jaina. "I'll see you in the morning." Hermione and Luna then returned to their rooms for the evening, and then Jaina washed and changed into her nightgown. It was nearly eleven before she settled down in her luxurious four-post bed. She was drained, but had a very difficult time going to sleep. When she finally fell asleep, she soon had a strange dream. It wasn't exactly a nightmare, but the environment and the people she dreamt about were definitely unfamiliar to her. She tossed and turned all night, murmuring phrases like "Kalimdor", "world tree" and "Mount Hyjal" in her sleep.
When she awoke at six, she did not feel very rested at all. Her eyes were somewhat glazed and her eyelids were baggy from a lack of good sleep. She cleaned herself up and got dressed for the day in a pressed, crisp purple Dalaran dress and slipped on her purple flats. At six forty five, she stepped outside her room as instructed by Dumbledore. Hermione was already outside her door, who gasped when she saw a tired-looking Jaina. "Oh Em Gee, Jaina," Hermione exclaimed. "What's wrong? You look like you didn't get a wink of sleep last night."
"I didn't sleep well at all, Hermione," Jaina said. "I had a really strange dream last night. I was in a strange land and I saw this very powerful demon lord. He seemed to possess some sort of terrible power, and had a legion of minions at his beck and call. The sky was raining fire and brimstone and… I'm just not sure what to make of this."
Hermione wrapped her arms around Jaina in a warm hug. "I don't know what it means either, Jaina. But it was just a dream, try not to think about it too much." Jaina's tired face wrinkled with worry. "I hope you're right, Hermione. But what if it's not just a dream – but a vision?"
Hermione smiled at her friend. "If you feel that worried about it, tell Professor Dumbledore and Archmage Antonidas. They're much more qualified to interpret dreams than I am. They should be able to put you at ease." Jaina returned the smile and nodded at Hermione.
Over the next few minutes, the rest of the Hogwarts contingent met Hermione and Jaina in the hallway. Luna took a look at Jaina and shook her head. "Oh dear, Jaina. You look dreadful. What happened?"
"I had a very strange dream last night, Luna. I don't know the significance of it, but whatever it was, I couldn't sleep well because of it. Hermione suggested that I talk to Professor Dumbledore and Archmage Antonidas about it for possible interpretation."
Luna embraced Jaina gently. "I'm so sorry, Jaina. Yes, that would be a good idea. I would imagine that your dreams are of some significance, but it would take a much more experienced wizard to properly interpret them."
When Dumbledore and all of his students were all accounted for, they made their way down to the foyer on the first floor, where Archmage Antonidas awaited them. "Ahh, good morning, my friends," Antonidas said. "I trust everyone had a good night's sleep? Come, let us get some breakfast."
The unmistakable scents of hot oatmeal, freshly-baked cinnamon rolls, and eggs floated lazily from the kitchen to the foyer. "Are those… cinnamon rolls that my olfactory senses detect?" mused Dumbledore. "Your nose does not deceive you, good Professor," said Antonidas. "One of Jaxi Sparkshine's specialities. You absolutely must sample them." The group of wizards made their way to a dining room smaller than than the great feast hall, but luxurious nonetheless.
As the wizards sat down waiting on their breakfast, Professor Dumbledore noticed Jaina's weary demanor. "What is troubling you, Jaina?" he asked. "Professor, I had a dream last night that might be more than just a dream," she replied. "It might be a vision."
Dumbledore saw the look of concern in Jaina's tired eyes. "Can you elaborate for me? It's obvious something has unsettled you. Depending on what you saw in your dream – or your vision – it may have some significance regarding our task at hand."
Jaina nodded at Dumbledore. "We may need Master Antonidas to listen to me as well. I trust you with my life, Professor, but Antonidas has a much deeper knowledge of Azeroth. I really need both of you to hear me out." Dumbledore smiled at Jaina. "I wouldn't have it any other way, my child."
Antonidas, who had been listening in the whole time, prodded Jaina. "The more details you can tell us about your dream, the better. You have nothing to be afraid of, so please tell us all that you can."
Jaina took a deep breath. "I dreamed that I woke up in another land. I think it's somewhere on Azeroth, but it was strange to me. A land called Kalimdor. I was sitting under this extremely tall tree – I think it was called Nordrassil – a tree of life – which is located on top of a mountain called Mount Hyjal. I saw this really powerful demon was intent on stealing the energies of this tree. It's a tree so tall that it can be seen for many, miles away. I am not sure of the significance of this tree's power, but it's clear that this demon lord desires it for himself and his armies. I tried to stop him but I wasn't powerful enough."
Antonidas' eyebrows furrowed, deep in thought. "I do not believe this to be a mere dream, Jaina. This indeed appears to be a vision. Kalimdor is a continent on the other side of Azeroth, a land very few humans have ever visited. I must consult the other Kirin Tor mages to interpret this dream of yours, but if I had to surmise, Kel'Thuzad departed for this Mount Hyjal that you mentioned. This demon lord you described, may be behind Kel'Thuzad's corruption."
A few minutes later, several servers arrived with trays holding bowls of oatmeal, plates holding cinnamon rolls and eggs over easy, and goblets of moonberry juice. "Enjoy your breakfast," she cheerfully told the diners.
The wizards had finished eating their breakfasts. Archmage Antonidas wiped his mouth with his napkin. "That was a most satisfying breakfast, if you don't mind my saying so." Professor Dumbledore chuckled. "You must send me some more of those cinnamon rolls, Antonidas. They were quite tasty indeed."