The Awakening of a Royal Chapter 13: Late for Class..., a harry potter fanfic

All Disclaimers Apply… How I wish that Harry Potter and co. belonged to me... They have a world that I would LOVE to live in.

P/S: Can someone please help me think of a better summary than the one I usually post up??? Thanks!

SilverDawn

The Awakening of a Royal

Chapter 12: Late for Class…

Morning came far earlier than everyone hoped, and though many students had trudged into the Great Hall grumbling about yesterday night, the atmosphere was rather subdued. Perhaps the arrival of the dragons had scared them, or perhaps it was due to the fact that the rain was still falling as heavily as ever, enveloping the castle in a creepy gloom. In spite of everything, it was an acknowledged fact among the professors that once the Headmaster announced the news at breakfast, the students would definitely be freaked out.

"What's up with you guys, and where's Hermione?" Ginny, now a fifth-year prefect, asked curiously. She had been down with German Measles since two weeks ago, and for the past three days, was under Madame Pomfrey's care in one of the separate wards to prevent the virus from spreading. In that ward, she was totally oblivious to what had happened, which was the reason why she asked.

"I'm about to ask the same question, Harry." Ron piped in meaningfully, causing the black-haired boy to wince. Ron had waited up until Harry returned to their dorms, which was approximately 1:30 a.m. And contrary to what Harry had thought, Ron did not blast, hit or whack him. Instead, the fiery-haired boy just asked if Hermione was okay, threw him to the bathroom to wash up and got him to sleep. For this, Harry was grateful, but he knew that he could not tell him much… Apologetically, Harry answered in a tone that only the two could hear, "'Mione's in one of the dragon's room last I saw her."

"She's what?" Ginny sputtered out her milk whilst Ron went wide-eyed. At this, Harry motioned for them to keep quiet, saying, "Later."

"Man, this is getting bad." Ron muttered to no one in particular as he followed Harry's gaze to the five empty seats that were Hermione, Amber, Azrael, Hideaki and Tristan's. Inwardly, the two boys sighed, hoping that they were alright, leaving Ginny with more unasked questions. The younger girl looked at her brother and former crush with a questioning look, but they gave no explanation whatsoever. Agitated, Ginny asked Neville, "Neville, why are there so many empty seats? Who's absent?"

"Oh! You weren't here for the last few days. There was an exchange programme held in Hogwarts. Those seats are for four of the UWIM students plus Hermione."

"UWIM?"

"United World Institute of Magic." Colin Creevey piped in.

"Wow! That college?" Ginny asked in surprise, receiving affirmation from Lavender, "Yeah! The prince of the Universal Royal Family is here too!" Lavender and Parvati had hearts in their eyes, causing Ginny to grimace, "Figures… No wonder the two of you look so lovesick."

At this, everyone laughed, easing up the tension. Harry and Ron joined in the laughter, but when they eyed one another, it was obvious that they were still worried. After all, there weren't only five empty seats in the hall, there were another five vacant seats at the Slytherin Table, and six at the Head Table.

Many people noticed this too, both Professors and students alike. Severus Snape frowned at the bare seats at the Head Table as he speared a cherry tomato, popping it into his mouth. But his younger brother Salazar was sitting next to him, not even bothered by the amount of vacant chairs in the Great Hall. Frowning, he asked Salazar, "Where are Lucifer and the others?"

"Lucifer has to attend to some problems, but will be back soon. The dragons are probably still in their rooms. As for the children? I've got no idea." Salazar said smoothly after finishing his scrambled eggs. This answer did not satisfy Severus, and he proceeded to speak to Silverdawn. Coal black eyes went a little unfocused at the space in front of him as he started, ::Silver?::

A sleep-filled voice came through at the other end, causing the stern professor to chuckle silently.

::Uncle?:: Silverdawn asked through a thick haze of sleep.

::Where are the ten of you? Your friends are worried.:: Snape chastised her, but the girl seemed to doze off while he was talking. Wryly, Snape barked, :: Silverdawn Serafina Langford Kadamon!::

::Yes sir?:: Silver mumbled dreamily, ::Everyone are still in their rooms sleeping. Please sir, give me five more minutes? Good night.::

::Don't blame me if you're late.:: Snape mind-spoke in a sardonic tone, but received no answer. Apparently, the girl had gone back to lala-land and this left Severus rather amused. It was seldom that the child would ask for extra sleep, and the way she answered him was pretty out of her usual character, indicating how sleepy she was. Dumbledore caught the Potions Master's wry smile, and asked, "Severus, what's so interesting?" The elderly man's voice seemed to startle Snape, and he collected his thoughts before answering his mentor, "The children are still sleeping in their rooms."

"Oh! Then I'd better sent some house elves up to bring them some food."

"Albus," Salazar interrupted, "No one without permission is allowed in that suite, house elves included."

"Leave them to get the food themselves." Lucifer – who had just returned – said idly as he helped himself to some cereal.

"If you say so…" Dumbledore complied albeit unwillingly, "Can one of you ask the dragonkin to enter? I'll be announcing the news now." The three professors nodded solemnly before Severus called upon Shadownight.

::Shadow, would you mind getting the other dragonkin to come down here? We're at the Great Hall.::

::Not at all.::

Simultaneously, the five dragonkin (in human form) appeared out of nowhere in front of the Head Table, along with a silver phoenix. All the students were startled by this sudden appearance and murmurs arose from the entire Hall. Lightbringer went over to the Gryffindor table, circling around it several times before perching on the shoulder of a bewildered Ginny. Quietly, she shed three pearly drops of tears on the girl's head, under the shocked stares of the entire table. Then, as if by magic, the measles scars' disappeared from the girl's body, fading into nothingness.

"Thank you." Ginny said in surprise as she ruffled the phoenix's feathers. Giving a soft croon, the phoenix lightly nipped Ginny's neck in an affectionate manner, before going back to the Head Table, perching at a blue-haired lady's shoulder. When everyone's attention was on the Head Table, Dumbledore stood up, eyes no longer twinkling, "I have a serious announcement to make. As you all know, Voldemort –", many students gasped at the Headmaster's use of the Dark Lord's name, "—has regained power two years ago. Now, he has gotten the aid of the Dementors of Azkaban and they have left the jails yesterday."

Shocked exclamations echoed in the entire hall as panic soared everywhere, causing Dumbledore to sigh. The old wizard muttered, "Sonorus." Before starting, "SILENCE!" His voice, now amplified several times, stopped the frenzy, "Everyone, get back to your seats." The students did as they were told, still alarmed. Among the students, only several 7th year Slytherins, the UWIM students and Harry looked calm.

"Students, rest assured that the Dementors will not be able to enter Hogwarts grounds. However, I urge all of you once again, DO NOT ENTER the Forbidden Forest under any circumstances."

Dumbledore gestured to the five new strangers, continuing, "These five wonderful ladies and gentlemen are the dragons you have seen last night. They have kindly agreed to strengthen the ward placed at Hogwarts and stay until the crisis at hand is solved. Thus, there is no reason to fear any attacks. On the other hand, Hogsmeade trips are cancelled until further notice."

Groans were heard from all four tables, but none of the Professors bothered to stop it. After all, Hogsmeade trips were very much anticipated by students, especially the current 3rd year students, who has, as of yet, not been there before. As the grumbling slowly subsided, a student shouted out the worry in everyone's minds, "What about the Quidditch matches?" Obscurely, Shadownight nodded to Dumbledore, an unspoken pact saying that security measures would be observed during the season.

"The Quidditch Season will resume as per normal." Dumbledore replied, blue eyes twinkling once again as cheers erupted from the Hall, loosing the fore tension. Lastly, the Headmaster said, "Now, news aside. It's time for your first lesson. Remember, do not be late! We can't have points deducted now, can we?" He ended the announcements with a light tone as the students slowly trickled out of the Hall, staring at the Dragonkin now and then.

Back at the Gryffindor table, Harry motioned for Ron and Ginny to wait for a while. As the last Gryffindors went out of the Hall, Harry said to his friends, "Ron, Gin, let's go." The two Weasleys followed Harry to the Head Table where several professors were still eating. Ron pulled at Harry's robe, whispering urgently, "Harry, what are you doing?"

"Bringing you to see someone." The ruly-haired boy said non-committedly. They reached one end of the Head Table, to the place that the dragonkin were seated, along with Professors Dumbledore, Kadamon and both Snapes.

"I fell like an animal in the zoo when they kept staring." Sapphire made a face, causing Foreststar to chuckle richly. In a light tenor, he spoke to his friend, "It's not the first time, nor will it be the last." He trailed off when he saw the trio arrive. Pearlsong – who was previously engaged in a conversation with Lucifer on Hermione – saw them and gave a genuine smile.

"Good morning, Harry." Pearlsong greeted him cordially, at the same time smiling at the other two students behind him.

"Morning, Pearlsong." Harry returned the greeting, continuing, "These are my friends, Ronald and Virginia Weasley."

"Ah, these are whom Hermione had talked to me about! Ron and Ginny, isn't it?" Pearlsong said in understandment. The black-haired Gryffindor nodded, before asking, "Is 'Mione alright?"

"Yes, she is. She's in Silver's room… oh! I forgot to introduce him to you yesterday." She gestured to Shadownight, who was currently deep in discussion with Dumbledore, continuing, "Harry, Ron, Ginny, this is my husband, Shadownight." The black-haired man gave them a curt nod before resuming his debate on the politics in Britain, a frown apparent on his face. Apparently, the Season in Britain's Court will start after the New Year, and this year, it seemed that he was doomed to go too. Unfortunately, he was, by default, Silverdawn's guardian when her Father wasn't around (which was rather often), and his ward had been urged by the International Parliament to go socialize, something that both girl and dragonkin dread doing. This had led him to be in a bad mood.

Pearlsong seemed to sense this, and smiled apologetically to the students who were more than a little uneasy. Hesitantly, Ginny asked, "Er… Do you know the language of the phoenix?" Pearlsong arched an elegant eyebrow as she thought back to Lightbringer helping her just now. She seemed to know what the girl was asking about, and replied gently, "I do know how, but why don't you thank her yourself? What do you think, Lightbringer?"

The phoenix gave a slight inclination of her head before flying to the front of the table, a soft silver glow emanating from her body. Slowly, she materialized into her human form, under the astonished gapes of Harry, Ron, Ginny, and the students that were still in the Hall. Golden eyes met Ginny's caramel-brown ones, and by some instinct, Ginny knew that this was the phoenix.

"T-thank you." Ginny said shyly to the silver-haired lady while Harry and Ron openly gawped at her beauty.

"You're welcome, Ginny. As Pearlsong had said, I am Lightbringer." The phoenix started, noticing with satisfaction that the remnants of the sickly green aura no longer tainted the girl's pure, pink one. Ginny was about to start speaking again, but Professor Salazar Snape interrupted in a strict tone, "Miss Weasley, DADA starts in 15 minutes." The redhead, having not gone through a lesson with Professor Salazar, blanched at the thought of another Snape scolding her during class, bade a quick farewell to the phoenix, and sprinted to the DADA classroom at a breakneck speed.

::Do come by for tea.:: Lightbringer mindspoke the girl, causing Ginny to nearly trip over the stairs that she had been climbing, two steps at a time.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley. Dueling starts in 13 minutes. I trust that you know the way there…?" Lucifer said in a silky tone that belied a threat that the two boys wished not to know. Fearful as to what he might do, the duo nodded nervously, gave a polite 'goodbye' to the adults, and ran to the Dueling classroom as fast as their legs could bring them, causing Sapphire to chortle at their apprehension.

The Hall, now finally void of students, became more quiet than usual. Amused, Severus said dryly, "Lucifer, I know that you are notoriously strict, but even Salazar had became stern? Luce, where did you kidnap my brother?" The silver-haired professor gave his uncle a bland expression, saying in a sour tone, "Speak for yourself. Salazar is currently in a bad mood."

"Why?" Nightshade asked curiously, raven-black eyes sparkling under those lavender bangs with something akin to mischief.

"Lucifer and I are due to participate in the Season this year, under the… ah, invitation of Headmaster Haldorne." Salazar said sullenly, "The reason he gave was that this could encourage international friendship… But basically, he had ordered us to go." Lucifer looked a little glum, and Severus swore that he 'felt' his younger brother, Salazar, sulk at the back of his mind.

"I thought that I could sneak out of it, but Father ordered Mikael and I to go, saying that our presence will be able to back up several someones who is to be introduced to Britain's Social Court this year." Lucifer muttered moodily, violently spearing his asparagus, mutilating it into a green heap of pulp. Dumbledore, Snape and the others chuckled at the looks on their fellow professor, not bothering to cover it up under some façades… especially Severus, After all, it was seldom that he could see his younger brother so… down in the dumps.

Regaining his composure, Severus started, "Well, if you don't wish to be late for your classes, better head to them now." The professors slowly stood up, going to their respective classrooms while the dragonkin and Lightbringer headed to their assigned areas to strengthen the wards, and add some more special ones of their own. After all, it was better to be safe than sorry.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Unknown Location,

Hogwarts Castle.

Kadamon Suite

4th floor – Silverdawn's room.

Rubbing her eyes, Silverdawn groaned as she stretched her stiff body. Beside her, Hermione was still sound asleep, hugging a soft cushion to her chest. Silverdawn smiled at this, mentally noting that she'd have to get a room for Harry, Ron and her, and put loads of soft, feather cushions in Hermione's room. Those three were inseparable, and since there were plenty of empty bedrooms on both this floor and the one above (about forty odd), it doesn't pose much of a problem. Leisurely, the black-haired girl got out of the bed, intent on having a nice soak in the tub. She vaguely remembered talking to Uncle Severus, but could not remember the details. Nonchalantly, she shrugged, glanced at the clock… and froze.

::All of you. WAKE UP!!!:: She screamed mentally to her friends, all of whom were still asleep in their private rooms. Hermione set up bolt straight at the ringing command in her head, eyes alert. Several of them fell out from their beds at the mind-speech that blasted through their minds. In just seconds, all ten of them were standing at the corridor where all of their rooms were connected to, clad in only boxers and nightgowns, save Hermione and Draco (who were in their crumpled uniforms).

All of them looked dreamy, save Silverdawn, and Hermione blushed at the boys' attires whilst the other girls looked unfazed by the bare legs and chest. Hideaki ran a hand through his dirty-blond hair, asking in a voice hoarse with sleep, "What happened? You don't have to holler at us like that!" Several of them agreed, ears still ringing from that scream, but Silverdawn looked worried.

"We have eight minutes before the first class starts!" Silverdawn said frantically, ignoring the blonde's comment.

"Skip it." Ashteroth said decisively, stifling a wide yawn. He massaged his neck gracefully, blissful that the sore ache on his neck was receding whilst he thought only of going back to his warm, fluffy, bed. However, Silverdawn stared at him as if he'd grown a pair of horns.

"What?" he asked in an irritated manner, feeling himself doze off again…

"Are you mad? Our first class is Dueling under Luce!" The black-haired girl yelled in frustration. ::God, he's gonna kill us!::

"Shit!" All the sixth-year students cursed in unison, causing Lawrence to laugh, saying, "You guys go ahead. I'm heading to bed."

"Law, you're having Potions with Uncle Severus for the first period." Azrael reminded in a cynical tone.

"Bloody Hell!"

This earned laughter from everyone as they rushed back to their separate rooms to change. Silverdawn passed a worn down shirt and snug pair of pants to Hermione as they changed hurriedly, explaining that there's no use in wasting a perfect set of uniform in Dueling. All of them met at the common room where plates of toast and muffins were placed at the coffee table along with bottles of juice. Each of them grabbed some food, and dashed to their classrooms, hurtling through the corridors with speeds that muggle Olympic athletes would envy.

::Damn.:: Azrael swore, ::I need coffee!::

::Sorry, I took the one and only cup.:: Silverdawn said wickedly as they ran along the hallway.

::Why couldn't you have magicked another cup for me?:: Azrael took to a whining tone as his twin cut him off, ::Who asked you to do that to me early this morning?:: The silver-haired boy regretted his former actions immediately, and pleaded, ::Just one cup.::

::Nope, you'd have to make one yourself.::

::But you make better cappuccino that I do!::

::That's your problem.::

Azrael grimaced, before finally swearing, ::Freakin' Hell.::

At this, Silverdawn laughed before concentrating on getting to the salle.

4th Floor, North Wing, entire stretch

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

6th year Dueling class: Gryffindor and Slytherin (…as usual)

Teacher-in-charge: Professor Lucifer Kadamon

Silverdawn, Azrael, Draco, Hermione, Nikolai, Amber, Ashteroth and Tristan ran into the Dueling classroom as if they were being chased by some sort of dangerous creatures, – example: Fluffy – panting heavily when they finally entered. Lucifer eyed them in mild amusement as he uncrossed his legs with the fluid grace of a cat, still sitting at one end of the desk. The class was silent on seeing them, and Harry inwardly thought of what the Professor might do to them.

"The eight of you are late by…" Lucifer eyed his watch before continuing dryly, "thirty-seven seconds. Twenty points from each of your House." The eight of them groaned, causing Lucifer to continue in a dangerously smooth tone, "Be thankful that I did not order all of you to run all the stairs of Hogwarts Castle for an extra three times." The late-comers shuddered at this, and was about to proceed to their seats when the silver-haired professor addressed them again, "Since the eight of you are late, choose one who is to assist me in showing the class what true Dueling is like, not the mock one that Gilderoy Lockhart had demonstrated in your second year." Lucifer had spat out the former (to the power of four) DADA Professor's name in utter contempt and the class remembered that awful year when several students had gotten petrified due to some unknown cause. They then thought of Professor Salazar's warning of how dangerous Professor Kadamon was, and of how superb a Duelist he was too.

The eight of them looked at one another, contemplating whom to be the next guinea pig. Slowly, sly smiles flickered on seven of their faces, causing the last person to become wary.

::I suppose all of us have chosen the one…:: Silverdawn mind-spoke to everyone, grinning at the same time.

::It's pretty obvious, isn't it?:: Hermione replied in mind-speech with the ease of one who had used such form of communications since young.

::'Mione! You understand mind-speech!?!:: Ashteroth asked in surprise, receiving a smirk from the brunette's mind.

::Oh goody, then I can speak to Mya much easier now!:: Amber said in glee, but Nikolai's mind-voice, a tone that tinged the pale yellow of her aura, interrupted smoothly, ::That's not the point Amber.::

::Yea. We had better hurry up before Professor Kadamon intercepts our conversation.:: Tristan cautioned.

::So Magician, it's been a long time since you've dueled with my brother, eh?:: Azrael asked wickedly. Realization dawned into the Slytherin, and he shook his head empathically to the others.

::Oh no no no, guys, you can't do this to me!:: Draco sounded very panicky, causing the seven students to grin toothily, a look that none of the students could decipher. Lucifer 'felt' that they've already sabotaged some, and snickered mentally. Casually, he acted as if he was impatient, growling, "Hurry up! I haven't got all day!"

This warning startled all of them, and in unison (with the exception of Draco, who was accepting the fate of getting pounded today) chorused, "Draco." Lucifer felt a grin tug at his face, as his expression took on an amused one. Smoothly, he said to the pale boy, "Don't worry. I'll go easy on you today."

"That's what I'm afraid to hear…" Draco mumbled aloud, slapping a hand on his forehead in resignation. This caused the class to break out into peals of laughter as the remaining seven went back to their seats.

"Now that my opponent is set, Mr. Kadamon, would you mind setting up the shields." Lucifer asked.

"No problem sir."

"Class, notice the way the different shields are being set up. I expect you to go back and find out the reasons why." Lucifer spoke to the class before nodding to his brother. On his nod, Azrael took out his wand, muttering, "Socratus Postradamus." A golden beam shot to encircle the class that was seated, shaping itself into a sphere. Oohs and aahs were heard as he muttered another, "Potentio Krystalia." This time, a pale blue beam wove itself around the entire salle area, which was to be the battleground where Lucifer and Draco were already standing. Azrael tested the dome-shaped barrier with a few attacks before giving his brother a thumbs-up sign.

"The dome shields prevent the attacks from going further than need be, thereby protecting the innocents. Of course, the Dark Wizards will never bother to set it up, so, it's up to you." Lucifer cautioned seriously, staring at the class in a way that kept the entire class alert. Pleased that the students were vigilant, the silver-haired professor continued, "Now, all of you. Move to just where the pale, blue light glows, and anyone of you, touch it."

The UWIM students did not try, leaving the chance to some other. This caused the Hogwarts students to turn apprehensive as no one was willing to try. Hermione knew that the shield was harmless but told no one, anticipating to see someone courageous enough to touch it. Finally, Neville walked up, and showing a rare Gryffindor courage, closed his eyes, approaching the blue dome cautiously. Everyone held their breaths as he slowly reached for it… and touched it. When nothing happened, they led out sighs of relief whilst Lucifer nodded in approval of his student.

"Five points to Mr. Longbottom for his daring."

The Slytherins sneered at this, one even remarking, "Maybe toad-boy finally gathered some Gryffie courage." The Gryffindors scowled at the boy who insulted Neville, and Lee Jordan was about to punch the malicious Slytherin's face when Lucifer interrupted in a sleek tone that sounded fairly similar to Professor Snape's.

"Mr. Pereira, ten points from Slytherin for you cheek. I will not tolerate impertinence in my class." All of a sudden, the temperature in the class dropped several degrees whereas the Professor's eyes turned a very light purple. Silverdawn saw this, and swiftly spoke in Mexican, "Temper, Lucifer." The girl's voice seemed to curb the decreasing temperature, and it gradually went back to normal. In a low voice, he drawled, "Class, I will only warn you once. Never test my patience or temper. I've got none to begin with." He then returned to the usual tone, speaking, "The Duel will last for approximately twenty minutes. The dome will dissipate by then. Watch carefully and examine the moves."

Turning back to face Draco, the two of them took off their outer robes (a burden when dueling) to reveal fitting black pants and comfortable, cotton shirts. This had been the first word of advice when Draco had started Dueling during his 4th year (aged 10) when Lucifer had just started teaching – Never wear loose costumes during practice, for it will hinder movement, and never wear new clothes if possible. You'll just ruin a perfect piece of garment. It had been a pretty good piece of advice, one that Draco followed closely even after leaving UWIM.

Lucifer looked at his former protégé's attire approvingly, saying in Slovak, "Glad you still remembered my advice."

"How could I forget?" Draco grinned, brandishing his wand at the same time.

"Well then, let's start."

The professor and student saluted in the fencing style before taking into the mode of defense. Azrael started timing, eyes still fixed on the Duel. The opponents stared at one another for a moment, gauging each other's body actions – this frequently betrayed what the opponent might do. They took out stare-for-stare, until Lucifer grinned, yelling, "Aurelius Rendez-vous."

"Dagliso Entroplis!"

Dozens of black arrows shot from Lucifer's wand in the direction of Draco just as silver daggers with emerald hilts attacked Lucifer at astounding speeds. In just seconds, the dome was filled with all sorts of weaponry flying from one end to another while the two Duelists flipped, turned, ducked and literally flew from the sharp artillery.

"Aqua Cysteria!" Draco hollered after narrowly missing one of the poisoned black arrows. Torrents of water shot from the nearby vase to attack Lucifer in the form of a sea monster.

"Fira Mirium!" Lucifer countered just in the nick of time. The pouring water drenched him, but the wild flames vaporized most of them. Then, he directed the balls of fire, hurling them in the direction of the platinum-blond haired boy. Draco did a series of back flips, reached one end of the wall, and jumped to another corner. The fire was diminishing as he drove another distraction curse to the Professor, "Regalia Illusion!"

The professor went a little busy by this, but closed in onto Draco for combat after he got out of it. The latter knew that he could never win the professor in a fist-to-fist contest, which made him transfigure his wand into a broadsword. Lucifer raised a finely sculpted eyebrow at this, but said nothing. Instead, he transfigured his own wand into a double-edged sword and hurtled at the boy.

The sound of metal clanging arose as their swords sparred, sparks flying as they battled out with pure physical strength and tactic. Knowing that he could not hold on further, Draco jumped back, feeling his left side go numb at the impact of Lucifer's sword.

::Man! Luce's a brute!:: Draco growled as he brought his sword into a butterfly sweep towards the lean professor. Lucifer had not thought that the boy would come up with such a daring stunt, and barely prevented the attack, resulting in a slash from elbow to hand. Then, he circled Draco agilely, moving his sword into an abrupt maneuver, startling the Slytherin. The move drew blood, causing Draco to grimace slightly. This continued on for several minutes, swords slashing back and forth in a synchronized manner, both of them sustaining more sword injuries.

Quickly, the pale-haired boy let his sword revert back to its original form, bellowing, "Densetsu Midnight!"

"Solaris Destructo!" Lucifer roared simultaneously, before groaning, ::Shit, these two curses cannot be used together!:: Draco had the same idea, but had no time to regret. The Earth beneath started to crack apart, forcing Draco to leap swiftly from one end to another whilst beams of dark, Prussian blue light beams shot at Lucifer like rockets. Both of them had to avoid the spells they themselves had cast, causing their attention to be distracted in all directions. They had to run at full speed, dodging the earth and the twelve beams of light until the lights collided with one another, bursting into the sparkles as they met. The earth finally stopped moving when it hit something solid, leaving jagged edges everywhere.

The two opponents, now panting heavily, stood on those up heaved rocks, eyes wary of any next attack. There was silence for a moment, before both uttered the same spell, "Sentinel Manipulus!"

When the duo heard each other's spell, the same thought ran through their minds.

::Uh-oh…::

They did not have time to react after this, cos' the ethereal woman that appeared from Draco's wand and the image of an angel appeared from Lucifer's wand, pausing as they reached the center of the two people. Hands touched one another as the two images smiled, and got sucked into the two bodies, the woman into Lucifer and the angel into Draco.

"Time out!" Azrael yelled and took down the shields. The two contenders were still standing, but barely and Nikolai rushed to their sides, uttering healing spells on their wounds whereas the silver-haired professor grinned, albeit wickedly.

"Good job, Mr. Malfoy. I can see that you've improved."

"Thank you sir."

"I hope that you understand what happens after you get hit by that." Lucifer said meaningfully, causing Draco to lament on why he used that spell. Mentally, he gave a reply, ::If the illusion that Sentinel Manipulus creates gets sucked into you, it will cause the person to have parts of the opponent's power.::

::Yes, but it will fade away soon, maybe sometime next month.:: Lucifer said.

::Merlin's beard! Surely Professor, you have a faster cure?::

::Ask from Severus.::

Relief flooded into Draco, but when he saw all sorts of lines treading his vision, he groaned aloud, asking his former mentor, "Sir, how do you get the lines out?"

"Shield your mind, dummy!" Lucifer scolded as he continued smoothly in mind-speech, ::Now you understand what pains I go through.::

::Thank Merlin that I'm not a Kadamon.:: Draco replied sarcastically. Lucifer gave a choked laughed at this, but recovered quickly as he addressed the students, "This is what happens in a true Duel. You cannot predict what your enemy might cast, and sometimes, two hexes aren't suitable to be cast together, or simultaneously. That's what so dangerous about Dueling."

Many of the students gulped at this, knowing what he meant… Dueling was a serious subject, not some child-play. Satisfied that he had drilled this in the minds of the children, he ordered, "For the next two periods, we'll be engaged in physical conditioning. Take off your robes, and put them aside."

Moans sounded from the entire class, but they complied, ending up running up and down the Hogwarts stairs before running the boundaries of the school for two full periods.

Doubtless, by the time they actually learning the fundamental stances when dealing with wooden staffs and poles, all of them were exhausted.

Thankfully though, classes ended quickly for the day, with dinners coming up in five minutes. Totally deadbeat, Draco settled into his seat between Lawrence and Si Muo, cursing something about seeing lines and auras. Silverdawn snickered at this, knowing full well that he was still suffering from the side effects of the Dueling session. Apparently, he had not seen the Potions Master yet. Many of the 6th year Slytherins were complaining about sore muscles, causing many UWIM students to guffaw.

Only Blaise Zambini, a black-haired Slytherin who was sitting beside Silverdawn, stared at them impassively, feeling totally at ease with the training. Curious, Ashteroth asked, "Blaise, why aren't you complaining?"

"I don't see the need to." Blaise said indifferently, giving a shrug. This caught the attention of those nearby, and the girl continued at their unspoken plea to know why, "It was only two periods of physical conditioning!" The students gave her incredulous looks, and Nikolai thought back to the effortless way Blaise had performed the required tasks. She had never grumbled throughout the entire class, managed to keep up with the UWIM students (they were used to such training, but the Hogwarts students' aren't. Only five managed to catch up – Hermione, Ron, Harry, Kristopher Avery, and Blaise) and execute the steps and stances perfectly.

"You've been trained in the ways of Dueling, haven't you?" Silverdawn asked, remembering that, unlike the others, she had on worn clothes suitable for working out. Slytherins would never wear such stuff unless told to. Blaise smiled at her friend's perceptiveness, replying, "Yes."

"No wonder." Draco murmured as he thought back of how Lucifer had focused on fine-tuning her steps. The basics had already been ingrained in the girl's mind, thus when the Dueling Master had launched an attack on her suddenly, instincts took over, triggering a series of defenses that blocked all the Professor's assaults. This, of course, had left the silver-haired teacher very pleased. No doubt that Lucifer was already contemplating of a way to keep her as his protégés in Hogwarts.

"Who was your master?" Lawrence inquired, wondering if he had heard of the person before. Blaise went thoughtful for a moment before shaking her head. A pale pink blush materialized on her pale face, and she looked a little sheepish, "Actually, I've got no idea… you see, he taught me a full year before I entered Hogwarts, and I've always called his Sir or Master. He's quite a handsome guy, and was like… eighteen years old then? He continued to teach me during the summer holidays until my third year, when he no longer had the time. Quite apologetic then… said I'd make a wonderful Duelist. Can't be blamed though… he was supposed to teach me for a year upon invitation by my father, but he was kind enough to continue for three years."

Silverdawn sat quietly, listening to her talk, her mind digesting the information as some gears worked in her mind. Summer training… a year of teaching at the age of eighteen.

::No… It can't be him…:: The black-haired girl thought skeptically. Still, her calculations made sense, causing her to ask aloud, "Blaise, how was the training like?" At this, the Slytherin girl shuddered a little at her past memories, shaking her head, "Silver, you don't want to know."

"Try me." The princess replied mildly.

"Right, here goes. Practices took about nine hours each day, inclusive of three hours of physical conditioning. Swimming through cold lakes, running alternating with sprints through one of my manor house in Edinburgh for about a dozen times before I get a ten-minute break, crunches, sit-ups, one-handed push-ups… muggle training, you know, the likes of it. He even took to making me climb mountains for special conditioning, or sitting under rushing icy water meditating – a Japanese style he undertook. Mind you, that's for physical training, actual teachings notwithstanding."

Everyone winced at this, Silverdawn included as she thought back to her own training in the Angelic Academy, which was similar in style but much worse (angels have a higher endurance level). Si Muo whistled on hearing this, saying, "That was killer. Now wonder you have such a great body." Blaise managed a small smile at his joke, but defended her mentor, "It's not that bad. He follows me through the workouts all the time as some sort of encouragement. The actual teaching was the worst part. Learning how to fall properly took me a week to learn, and he was a strict taskmaster. I had to hold a stance for days until I got it correct, drilling it repeatedly, plus learn swordsmanship, fist combat, equitation lessons and several other stuff!"

"Merlin's teeth! You were only ten!" Pansy Parkinson said in horror while Millicent Bulstrode chimed in, "You ought to sue him." Blaise gave a dry laugh at what they suggested, saying, "His father is my father's good friend. Do you think that it's possible?"

"But your father's the Duke of Havenburst! Surely, he can do it!" Pansy argued vehemently. This time, Blaise did not bother to give a polite answer, but helped herself to some soup.

"Blaise," Silverdawn asked carefully, "can you describe to me what he looks like?"

"Why?"

"Just curious."

"Hmm… He is rather tall, taller than 1.8m, and has an excellent physique. Beautiful blue eyes, cute smile, and… oh! His hair! It's of a very weird combination; black and silver."

On hearing this, all of the UWIM students there who took one-on-one Dueling with Professor Lucifer Kadamon (save Silverdawn) choked on their food, Draco included. Blaise eyed them oddly as Nikolai hurriedly gulped down some chilled water.

"Blaise, you were able to survive one year with him?" Lawrence asked incredulously. Confused, the black-haired Slytherin nodded her head, and Ashteroth gasped out, "We were almost dead by a fortnight!"

Draco knew who Blaise's mentor was, but what he did not understand was why Ash had said that they did not survive his training. His curiosity sparked, Draco asked, "What happened? I thought that he doesn't teach?"

"Professor Kadamon had to attend to some private matters two years ago… I think it was because of Tracy…" Ashteroth started, but received a sharp glare from Silverdawn. Hastily, he added, "But that's another matter entirely. His Royal Highness took over for that month, and for the results, all of us practically dropped dead by the end of two weeks. Only Silver and Az survived. And we thought that Professor Lucifer was harsh, His Royal Highness was a thousand times worse. No offense, Sil'."

"To think that we got up at three in the morning each day to patrol the evil part of the Death Forest after running its perimeter," Nikolai spoke wryly, "I ended up healing more people than I can count." Draco cringed at this… The Death Forest surrounding UWIM was practically endless, and the creatures inside were totally… to put it lightly… exotic. From simple, harmless creatures like unicorns, pegasi, hares, wolves, to centaurs, griffins, lethal serpents, dragons… and even the Krishaki – a type of creature that feeds on the magical core of wizards. It had been the deathbed of countless wizards, humans, and other creatures, thus the name – Death Forest.

"That's excluding the Dueling part, he was merciless." Si Muo said solemnly, shuddering at the thought.

"Yeah, it totally wiped out my first impression of him as a friendly, affable and absolutely harmless person." Lawrence added, reminiscing his first encounter with the Prince when he was merely four.

"He looks harmless, but that doesn't mean that he is harmless. Azrael and I weren't taught by him since young for nothing." Silverdawn reminded them; eyes twinkling merrily. Blaise did not understand their conversation, but it seemed that they knew who her mentor was.

"Silver, do you know who he is?" The girl asked, gray eyes brightening up. Silverdawn smiled, albeit wryly, at this, mind full of thoughts, of why her brother had agreed to teach.

::Oh yeah. Jeremiah Zambini is Daddy's good friend, it's pretty surprising that he had remained neutral throughout the years during the war against Voldemort… Maybe that's what makes him such a wonderful duke; being fair and all.:: Aloud, Silverdawn answered her friend's question, "Actually, your mentor is Prince Mikael of the Universal Royal Family."

"What!?!" Several students gasped. Silverdawn laughed at this, and Blaise smiled a little. Turning to Pansy and Millicent, she asked casually, "Aren't you glad that I did not sue him?"

With that, everyone bowled over with laughter.

At the Gryffindor table, everyone was puzzled as to why the Slytherins were laughing so whole-heartedly. Curious, Azrael mind-spoke his twin.

::Sherry, what's up?::

::I've found out where Mike had gone off during those summers and that one year when he was missing.::
::Where?:: Azrael asked, piqued.

::He had been teaching Blaise Dueling.::

At this, Azrael's jaw dropped, and he almost lost that thread that linked their mind-speech conversation. Frantically, he groped for it before he had to re-establish the link.

::She managed to survive one entire – bloody – year with him? Wow, that's rich!::

::Yea, she really surprised me. I thought that we'd never find a person who'd be able to stand his training.::

::Even Rosiel and Fidelius had said that the devils were almost dead – again – by one month!::

::Goes to show that she is strong.::

Azrael laughed at this, linking out when he heard someone complain about the Dueling class. It was one of the 6th years, Parvati Patil, who said, "I had thought that Professor Salazar was bad, Professor Kadamon's worse!" Several of the Hogwarts students felt inclined to agree, and Hermione tried unsuccessfully to relax her sore back.

"Aww… it hasn't gone that bad. Imagine what he do to us in UWIM. Those with one-on-one Dueling has thirty hours with him a week, and half of it is spent of training our endurance levels." Amber pointed out delicately, cutting her fillet.

"And remember that time with Prince Mikael? I thought that I was finally able to go to heaven and Rest In Peace." Tristan added, leaving many intrigued.

"What do you mean by that?" Ginny asked with a slight frown. Hideaki managed a weak laugh as he thought back to that dreadful one month. He looked at Ginny, feeling a jolt of something pass through him when he stared in those brown eyes, explaining, "There was this year when Professor Kadamon was away for a month and Prince Mikael took over. At first, we had thought that Mikael would let us off easy cos' he'd always been so friendly. Merlin knows how shocked we were when he made us undergo training and practices that could literally break a person…"

"Hell… Lucifer… er, Professor Kadamon was practically a slavedriver, but when Mikael appeared, all of us were hoping that he would find Trace and come back soon. Conditioning aside, he was strict in his teachings, and very meticulous of each and every stop we take. There was once when he went through a chain of martial arts' styles, every step had to be firm and he tested it with ruthless kicks until he makes us understand the exact way it's supposed to be. But, the skill was useful, cos' you learn to utter spells while doing back flips and hurtles. However, all of us were about dead in two weeks time." Tristan muttered.

Ginny blanched at this, as did many others were listening.

"Still," Azrael spoke in Romanian, "someone managed to survive his trainings, and Mike is really proud of that person."

"WHAT!?!" The UWIM students, Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny responded incredulously. Azrael laughed at their flabbergasted expressions, asking curiously, "Ron, Harry, Gin, how did you know what I'm talking about?"

"My brothers, Bill and Charlie, taught me some languages when they come back for holidays. Ginny learnt more than me. You?"

"Just learnt it." Harry said non-committedly, buttering a scone.

"How did that person survive anyway? Is he human?" Kyle, a 5th year student, asked in Latin.

"The young lady survived a year and three consecutive summers. Plus, she's here, in Hogwarts." Azrael replied offhandedly in plain English, causing many of them to turn and glance at the other tables.

"Who?" Ginny asked, no longer able to contain her curiosity. Many others looked pretty interested too, looking at the Prince eagerly for answers.

"Blaise Zambini, 6th year Slytherin."

Jaws dropped at this as they stared at the slender girl, disbelief written all over their faces as they stared at her eating her steak leisurely.

::How could she stand it?:: Many thought.

"Man, she inhuman." Tristan grumbled in French whilst Hideaki gave a whistle. Wryly, Harry answered in Hispanic, "You can say that again."

At this, all who understood laughed out loud.

"So, what's up next on the agenda?" Azrael asked in Creek.

"SLEEP!" The members of the Court of Twelve, Hermione and Harry, spoke in unanimity, causing them to lose themselves in peals of laughter… again.

At the Head Table, Dumbledore was mildly interested in what had happened to have cause two Houses to laugh so heartily. Many of the Professors were amused too, and Salazar commented, "The 6th year students must be comparing you and me, Luce." The silver-haired man nodded his agreement, causing Severus to laugh silently whilst saying straight-faced, "I've a feeling that my reputation is at stake here if the two of you continue to be so… infamous."

The professors who heard this laughed, as did Dumbledore, whose blue eyes twinkled at his colleague's seldomly-shown-humor. A cheerful dinner went by in such a solemn period of time and the Hall started to clear off, many people returning to their rooms for a good night's rest. Snape was about to proceed to his room at the Kadamon suite with Salazar and Lucifer when a sharp pain seared in his left forearm.

::Oh great. Just what I needed. Another meeting with Voldemort.:: Snape thought contemptuously as the pain started worsening at a swift pace. His sallow face went even paler and the two accompanying him noticed it.

"Severus, are you all right?" Salazar asked in concern as Snape sank his teeth into his lower lip, narrowly drawing blood. Lucifer saw with his mind that the Dark Mark was glowing, and spoke, "I'll inform Albus." Severus nodded a weak thanks as Salazar realized that his brother was being called again. The two Snapes hurriedly went to a deserted room where the Potions Master took out some Floo powder, throwing it into the newly kindled fire.

"Brother, be safe." The DADA professor spoke quietly as his brother gave him a grim nod before saying to the fire, "Riddle Manor." Salazar watched him go, walking out of the room with a heavy heart after banking the fire.

He knew what his brother went through in those meetings, how his heart went colder after every Revel. Most importantly, he knew that his brother would not be able to take the pressure anymore… twenty years was a long time, too long to not be worried.

::I'm becoming a sentimental freak.:: Salazar mocked himself as he thought back to the last prophecy, :Let's hope that what Silver said was true…::

End of Chapter.

Hehe, this chapter is considered far longer than any others that I have written, but I know that I will not attempt such a piece anytime soon. Okay okay, I lied. I thought that I would write more about Snape in this chapter, but as usual, the plot bunnies went haywire… again.

Sigh, but next up, there's definitely some more on Snape. So, you guys want him to be under Cruciatus again??? Review soonie 6_^

Most of the spells used in this chapter has been used before, but I will write it out again =)

1.) Socratus Postradamus – This is a shielding that protects the people inside from any external harm. It is moveable, meaning that when the person/persons inside it moves, the shield will go along. This shield also allows people to enter, making it rather versatile

2.) Potentio Krystalia – This is more of a warding dome than protective shield. A war could go on inside the shield and yet, the places outside the shielded dome will experience nothing, though the people could see what is happening inside. However, they cannot enter this dome once it is being set up, thereby making a total blockage against people who might attempt to enter. In short, they can feel and touch the dome, but they cannot enter.

3.) Aurelius Rendez-vous – Originated from the angels. From the caster's wand, a bow is formed and a minimum of a dozen energy arrows is shot from it in random directions. Due to the multitude of arrows, it is usually difficult to dodge.

4.) Dagliso Entroplis – Illusions of small, lethal daggers (at least two dozens but this depends on the caster) shoot at the opponent, but though illusion, they can do drastic damage.

5.) Aqua Cysteria – This is a spell, which starts on the basics of water magic. The water will start increasing in amount to form a serpentine creature that attacks the opponent with a force so fatal that it forces the wind out of the person.

6.) Fira Mirium – This spell is a fire-based hex. From the wand, balls of pure fire (number and strength depends on caster) appear and shoots at the opponent. This spell can be used to deflect the Aqua Cysteria spell, and vice-versa.

7.) Regalia Illusion – This is purely a spell used to distract the opponent, no other. It isn't an offensive or defensive spell, but it can really cause the opponent's brain to spin if he is not mentally strong. The time it takes to get out of the spell depends on the victim, ranging from a few seconds to a few years (one instance was in 1972, when a victim of this spell was unable to get out for about 8 years 4 months).

8.) Densetsu Midnight – From the wand comes twelve beams of light that will shoot at anything and everything which are in their way, including the caster himself. These energy beams are as fast as laser missiles, and can disintegrate the thing in their way. The only thing that can make them disappear is when the twelve beams meet one another, and form into one large one that slowly disappears.

9.) Solaris Destructo – The caster focuses the magic into the ground, and in turn, the ground acts like a radar, shooting towards the opponent no matter where he goes, until it hits something solid, eg. A wall. Furthermore, the caster must be careful, for he himself might get hit too.

10.) Sentinel Manipulus - Not a spell that an average wizard can master. In this spell, you practically don't use the wand at all. The magic isn't enhanced by the wand, but instead, the wand acts as a channel for the user's own magic to flow through to form a shape that best suits themselves. The shape then attacks the opponent, and this spell practically *cannot* fail. HOWEVER, if the two opponents cast Sentinel Manipulus at the same time, very weird things happen. The two ethereal shapes will meet one another at one point of the battlefield and exchange some unexplained waves before getting sucked into their opponent's bodies. This hit will cause the opponent to experience the caster's power for a temporary amount of time, usually for about two months.

Okie, that's all for spells today. Now, for reviews!!!

Madame Padfoot ~ *apologetic* I'm sorry, but there isn't much of Severus in this chapter. I'll try to wrap up this story soon, but I have a feeling that it's gonna go pretty long…

Hudine ~ hehe, *sweatdrops* this is supposed to be HG/HP, and Snape is more or less, closely related to Hermione. Hope ya dun mind!

Colibi ~ Thank you! I've got this chapter out rather early, but the problem is the fanfiction.net went down, so… sigh, it's still late. However, the length should make it up!

Orange ~ *copies the dopie grin* A little more about Ms. Tracy in this chapter. As for Severus and Athena, that is definitely blackmail. But I won't be using it so soon. *snickers*

Tracy ~ Thanks for your constant reviews!!! I really am delighted that someone took to reading this story so many times!

Becky ~ This one is out already. I just wonder when you will see this though… the server is kinda down, and when it comes up, there's definitely gonna be so much traffic that I doubt I'd be able to post it up so soon.

Mary Potter ~ *sheepish* Sorry about that part on Snape, and I know that he's really a clever guy. *Someone smirks behind me* But still, the story had only progressed for max, five days, so is that considered long…? Still, we'll see more of him next chapter. Hope you don't mind!!!

LilyAyl ~ I'm still getting the descriptions and all up, so you'll have to wait for a while. So, do you want just the nicknames to the names or something else? The Notes is at chapter 5.

ilovespike02 ~ Okie, maybe I let Azrael off too lightly, but all of them were having a lack of sleep, so Silver can't get much out of her still-groggy brain =) As for when someone else will find out that she's visiting the past, maybe later… *smiles so wickedly that Lucifer blanched* Expect Snape to blow when he finds out who Hermione actually is. I'm kinda looking forward to writing that =þ Currently, only the Kadamons know whom Hermione's father is. Dumbledore and Salazar know that Hermione's mother is Athena, and no one else in Hogwarts know. Therefore, the birthday bash would be very interesting! As for if he faints again, I'm not so sure though. One important thing that you ought to know, Silverdawn is aliased as a muggle-born in Hogwarts, so imagine Lucius' face when he finds out the Draco likes Silver!

Helena ~ I hope that this chapter is much better, after all, it's virtually about 7800 words alone with the footnotes etc. I almost fainted when I saw the number… Guess I outdid myself! *someone throws a pillow at me shouting, "Stop flattering yourself, peacock!"*

Tracy ~ So, how did you find this chapter? Up to your liking? I do hope so! Well, the next chapter will have a little more of you perhaps, so keep your fingers crossed!

Starbrite ~ Thanks! I'm glad that you like it, cos' my sis said that it positively sucked… *gives a sigh*

arcee ~ I had some problems with it too, so I hope that this time, the server won't give way again… *prays fervently* I haven't had my fill of fics, and I'm waiting for several fics that it totally awesome!!! P/s: Can you give me a time when she is born? Preferably in the afternoon to evening!

bubblegum*girl ~ there are still quite a lot of gaps that's to be filled, but those will come up later! =)(=

mow wow ~ All right! I do hope that I won't get writer's block, cos' this fic has been delayed far longer than I like!

EclypsCC1 ~ Haha! It's rather true, I myself get to the fics before checking my mail. So hope you see this, cos' I have a tendency not to mail people about when it has come out. No offense though…

Li-chan ~ I think that I'll put this in the SS/HG area… cos' it's still far easier to find =) Hermione might be shocked to find out the Athena is her mother, but that will come much later, until her birthday, when memories come in.

Loves_Kiss ~ *Curious* What came are you in? Leadership camps? Or some personal camp? You mean that you can bring a laptop to camps? *whines* That's unfair! My electronic stuff, including my MD Walkman, was confiscated by the camp masters!!!

Ameal Kensig ~ Thanks! I'll post this up as soon as fanfiction.net is up. So, by the time you see this, it means that I've succeeded. I must say though, I still feel that your nick is cool!

Well, that's all for the reviews…

Yippee! Brazil won England, 2-1!!!

No offense to you English fans out there, but I'm so happy!!! Can't wait to see tonight's Germany vs. USA!!!

Review soon! Tata!

Love,

~~@SilverDawn@~~