"You're very up to date on curses," said Professor Flamewinged, "not to
mention your dangerous magical creatures. So I won't go over those."
A very large sigh released itself from sixth-year throats.
"My specialty," said Flamewinged, walking out from behind her desk, "is Templa Weapons. Does anybody know what those are?"
A single hand shot up from the sea of heads.
"Yes, Miss Granger?"
"Templa Weapons are weapons that are bespelled. The charms are usually for strength or sharpness, and almost all of the weapons have rudimentary personalities."
"Very good, Miss Granger. Five points to Gryffindor." Professor Flamewinged walked forward among the desks just as Neville raised his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Longbottom?"
"I don't understand," he said awkwardly. "What does Hermione mean by rudimentary personality?"
Professor Flamewinged paused for a moment. "It means that they - the weapons - have certain thoughts or desires of their own."
"But they're just metal, or wood, or whatever they're made out of," said Seamus Finnigan incredulously. "How can metal have feelings?"
Again Professor Flamewinged paused, then reached behind her desk and pulled out a sword. A number of students gasped at the beautiful engravings upon the leather scabbard.
"This is my sword, Espyn," she told them. "Can you all remember exactly how you feel right now?"
Heads nodded.
"Good." And with that she pulled the sword out of the sheath.
Erin had a quick glimpse of shining iron before the wave of feeling struck her. It was like nothing else she had ever experienced - strong, serene, and above all, powerful. Then the feeling diminished, and she was free to look at the sword once more.
It was very plain, compared to the elaborate sheath. Only a single line of engraving ran down the middle, and the handle was wrapped in simple black leather. But the sword still gave that feeling of power she had felt so strongly before. Faintly, so faintly that Erin thought she was imagining it, she could hear a ringing about the sword.
"Different weapons have different - shall we say auras? - about them," Flamewinged told her students. She took her blade expertly and made a few mock parries. Immediately Erin heard the ringing grow stronger, and the aura of power turned to one of pleasure and just the faintest hint of bloodlust.
Flamewinged sheathed the sword, and the ringing and the aura vanished. "You will each receive weapons of your own," she said. "We will start with basic, un-enchanted ones to find out what weapons suits you best and to learn basic manuevers. Then, you will be able to enchant your own weapons."
The bell rang, and everybody left reluctantly. Nearly everybody.
"Ms. Kristoff, Mr. Malfoy, and Ms. Chang, if you will follow me."
Puzzled but willing, the students fell in behind their beautiful professor and followed her to Dumbledore's office. On the way, Erin caught a glimpse of Felicity talking with a strange little blonde boy dressed in ragged pants. She waved, and Felicity waved back. The boy looked at the students curiously as they entered the Headmasters' office.
Dumbledore was waiting for them. So were McGonagall, Flitwick, Severus, and Sprout. Severus nodded his head in greeting to his daughter, and she smiled back. Sitting in chairs were Harry, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Erin Macmillian. Erin slid next to Harry as the others sat down. He smiled briefly, and somehow Erin knew without asking him that he was nervous.
It's all right, she tried to tell him with her eyes. All she got back was a wry look of disbelief. Erin shrugged and Harry grinned. Abruptly Erin felt a very strong desire to lean forward and kiss those smiling lips. She squashed the thought and turned to the Headmaster.
"In the beginning of Hogwarts," he told them, his blue eyes serious, "there were four creators - Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw. So much history tells us. What people usually don't know is that all four possessed Templa Weapons."
Immediately Erin straightened up. This was getting interesting. She glanced over at Malfoy, who was also listening intently.
"One of these has already been discovered," said Dumbledore, and he waved his hand to the wall. Mounted upon the stone was a shining sword with a ruby in the hilt.
"Harry pulled this out of the Sorting Hat in his second year," continued Dumbledore. "There is only one thing we need to know. Harry, can you tell us the name of the sword?"
For a second bewilderment crossed Harry's features, but then he turned away and closed his eyes. Erin could feel the current of his thoughts, stretching out to the sword that hung upon the wall. Harry got up and touched the shining blade, eyes still closed. Then he turned and smiled at the waiting audience.
"Erchamion," he said triumphantly.
"Thank you, Harry," said Dumbledore gravely, and Harry sat down. Dumbledore got up and lifted down the Sorting Hat. He handed it to Cho Chang, who put it on with a puzzled look. The next minute there was a muffled 'ouch', and Cho pulled the hat off. A bow slipped to the floor, every inch of the polished wood gleaming. Cho picked it up, closed her eyes briefly, and said aloud, "Kelsii." Dumbledore nodded.
The hat came to Ernie Macmillian. He put it on, but nothing happened. Disappointed, the boy handed it to Justin. Justin put it on, then hastily pulled it off as a staff clattered to the floor. It was at least six feet long and made of strong oak. Justin put his hand down and came up looking excited and surprised. "Dovyss," he said, picking up the great staff and leaning it against his chair.
Malfoy put on the hat, but almost immediately took it off and handed it to Erin. His face was blank, and Erin winced apologetically as she put the hat on. Two hard thunks hit her head, and Erin pulled off the hat. Two heavy objects landed in her lap - twin daggers, one with gold wire wrapped around the hilt, the other with silver. Both had an emerald at the base, just where hilt and blade met. Erin touched one, then the other, and looked up into Severus' glittering black eyes.
"Anor," she whispered, touching the gold one. "And Ithil," she said, with her fingers upon the silver.
Dumbledore rose, and instinctively all the others stood as well. As if on cue Ernie and Draco left the room, followed by the Professors. Only Dumbledore, Cho, Harry, Erin, and Justin were left.
"You four have been chosen," said Dumbledore, "as the Guardians of your Houses. These are now your weapons, just as they were the founders. Use them. Know them. I fear that the time we shall need them is coming soon."
All four students bowed instinctively, and Dumbledore also nodded his head. "You may go now," he said quietly. "Put your Templas someplace safe, and do not show them to anybody but Professor Flamewinged and each other. Professor Flamewinged will tutor your in their use."
"Sir," murmured the four students, and like one they all left. Cho went down one corridor, Justin another. Erin and Harry stayed for a second, looking at each other but saying nothing. Then they, too, turned and left for their Houses.
A very large sigh released itself from sixth-year throats.
"My specialty," said Flamewinged, walking out from behind her desk, "is Templa Weapons. Does anybody know what those are?"
A single hand shot up from the sea of heads.
"Yes, Miss Granger?"
"Templa Weapons are weapons that are bespelled. The charms are usually for strength or sharpness, and almost all of the weapons have rudimentary personalities."
"Very good, Miss Granger. Five points to Gryffindor." Professor Flamewinged walked forward among the desks just as Neville raised his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Longbottom?"
"I don't understand," he said awkwardly. "What does Hermione mean by rudimentary personality?"
Professor Flamewinged paused for a moment. "It means that they - the weapons - have certain thoughts or desires of their own."
"But they're just metal, or wood, or whatever they're made out of," said Seamus Finnigan incredulously. "How can metal have feelings?"
Again Professor Flamewinged paused, then reached behind her desk and pulled out a sword. A number of students gasped at the beautiful engravings upon the leather scabbard.
"This is my sword, Espyn," she told them. "Can you all remember exactly how you feel right now?"
Heads nodded.
"Good." And with that she pulled the sword out of the sheath.
Erin had a quick glimpse of shining iron before the wave of feeling struck her. It was like nothing else she had ever experienced - strong, serene, and above all, powerful. Then the feeling diminished, and she was free to look at the sword once more.
It was very plain, compared to the elaborate sheath. Only a single line of engraving ran down the middle, and the handle was wrapped in simple black leather. But the sword still gave that feeling of power she had felt so strongly before. Faintly, so faintly that Erin thought she was imagining it, she could hear a ringing about the sword.
"Different weapons have different - shall we say auras? - about them," Flamewinged told her students. She took her blade expertly and made a few mock parries. Immediately Erin heard the ringing grow stronger, and the aura of power turned to one of pleasure and just the faintest hint of bloodlust.
Flamewinged sheathed the sword, and the ringing and the aura vanished. "You will each receive weapons of your own," she said. "We will start with basic, un-enchanted ones to find out what weapons suits you best and to learn basic manuevers. Then, you will be able to enchant your own weapons."
The bell rang, and everybody left reluctantly. Nearly everybody.
"Ms. Kristoff, Mr. Malfoy, and Ms. Chang, if you will follow me."
Puzzled but willing, the students fell in behind their beautiful professor and followed her to Dumbledore's office. On the way, Erin caught a glimpse of Felicity talking with a strange little blonde boy dressed in ragged pants. She waved, and Felicity waved back. The boy looked at the students curiously as they entered the Headmasters' office.
Dumbledore was waiting for them. So were McGonagall, Flitwick, Severus, and Sprout. Severus nodded his head in greeting to his daughter, and she smiled back. Sitting in chairs were Harry, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Erin Macmillian. Erin slid next to Harry as the others sat down. He smiled briefly, and somehow Erin knew without asking him that he was nervous.
It's all right, she tried to tell him with her eyes. All she got back was a wry look of disbelief. Erin shrugged and Harry grinned. Abruptly Erin felt a very strong desire to lean forward and kiss those smiling lips. She squashed the thought and turned to the Headmaster.
"In the beginning of Hogwarts," he told them, his blue eyes serious, "there were four creators - Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw. So much history tells us. What people usually don't know is that all four possessed Templa Weapons."
Immediately Erin straightened up. This was getting interesting. She glanced over at Malfoy, who was also listening intently.
"One of these has already been discovered," said Dumbledore, and he waved his hand to the wall. Mounted upon the stone was a shining sword with a ruby in the hilt.
"Harry pulled this out of the Sorting Hat in his second year," continued Dumbledore. "There is only one thing we need to know. Harry, can you tell us the name of the sword?"
For a second bewilderment crossed Harry's features, but then he turned away and closed his eyes. Erin could feel the current of his thoughts, stretching out to the sword that hung upon the wall. Harry got up and touched the shining blade, eyes still closed. Then he turned and smiled at the waiting audience.
"Erchamion," he said triumphantly.
"Thank you, Harry," said Dumbledore gravely, and Harry sat down. Dumbledore got up and lifted down the Sorting Hat. He handed it to Cho Chang, who put it on with a puzzled look. The next minute there was a muffled 'ouch', and Cho pulled the hat off. A bow slipped to the floor, every inch of the polished wood gleaming. Cho picked it up, closed her eyes briefly, and said aloud, "Kelsii." Dumbledore nodded.
The hat came to Ernie Macmillian. He put it on, but nothing happened. Disappointed, the boy handed it to Justin. Justin put it on, then hastily pulled it off as a staff clattered to the floor. It was at least six feet long and made of strong oak. Justin put his hand down and came up looking excited and surprised. "Dovyss," he said, picking up the great staff and leaning it against his chair.
Malfoy put on the hat, but almost immediately took it off and handed it to Erin. His face was blank, and Erin winced apologetically as she put the hat on. Two hard thunks hit her head, and Erin pulled off the hat. Two heavy objects landed in her lap - twin daggers, one with gold wire wrapped around the hilt, the other with silver. Both had an emerald at the base, just where hilt and blade met. Erin touched one, then the other, and looked up into Severus' glittering black eyes.
"Anor," she whispered, touching the gold one. "And Ithil," she said, with her fingers upon the silver.
Dumbledore rose, and instinctively all the others stood as well. As if on cue Ernie and Draco left the room, followed by the Professors. Only Dumbledore, Cho, Harry, Erin, and Justin were left.
"You four have been chosen," said Dumbledore, "as the Guardians of your Houses. These are now your weapons, just as they were the founders. Use them. Know them. I fear that the time we shall need them is coming soon."
All four students bowed instinctively, and Dumbledore also nodded his head. "You may go now," he said quietly. "Put your Templas someplace safe, and do not show them to anybody but Professor Flamewinged and each other. Professor Flamewinged will tutor your in their use."
"Sir," murmured the four students, and like one they all left. Cho went down one corridor, Justin another. Erin and Harry stayed for a second, looking at each other but saying nothing. Then they, too, turned and left for their Houses.