A/N: I bet you're all disgusted with me! :P I haven't updated for nearly two weeks! Here's all of my excuses, first- I was really tired and took a break, second- then I got ill, and then some unexpected stuff came up, and then, I went to Canada. So there. Let me assure you, I do not have writers block!
For those of you who check for review responses at my site, I won't be updating for the latest reviews for at least a day or two.
As for good news, the next chapter is nearly done!
Harry stood holding his broomstick Wednesday evening and surveyed the students that had shown up for Quidditch try-outs. He reckoned that he needed to bring on two Chasers, excluding Ginny. Harry had previously decided to merely reassign her position on the Gryffindor House team to Chaser so that she wouldn't have to try-out again.
Ron was still the Keeper, and Angelina had already taken on Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper as Beater replacements for Fred and George before she had graduated owing to the fact that they had been banned from Quidditch and would never come back.
Harry sized up the team as it stood minus two Chasers. Sloper and Kirke were average; Ginny was slightly above average, perhaps that could be improved with a little practice; Ron had great potential, once he overcame his shyness in public it would be no problem at all; and Harry himself. Harry reckoned that the team would do fairly decent with him. Basically they needed two really good Chasers and they would have a fair shot at the Quidditch Cup.
Turning towards the Gryffindors who had came to try-out, Harry scanned the rather large bunch for some people who looked like, or he knew had talent. Seeing no one in particular Harry began to give out instructions. "This is how we'll run it. We need two Chasers. During a game, all the Chasers have to work together to score. Therefore, we'll have you try-out in random groups of two. Ron will guard the posts and Kirke and Sloper will act as opposing Chasers. The two students trying out will work with our only current Chaser to try and score as many times within ten minutes. Any questions?"
A Gryffindor that Harry was not familiar with raised his hand. "Could we pick our first partner? Part of working together is knowing that you'll get along."
Harry shifted his feet and sighed. "All right then, you may pick your first partner. After everyone's tried once I'll start assigning partners until I make a decision. Who wants to go first?"
The rest of the evening was spent cycling through different partners and all the students trying out. Harry watched in a bored manner the whole time. They were all eager. The problem was that there was no talent.
Abruptly one pair caught Harry's attention. They were working excellently with Ginny. He watched them dart around on their brooms as they expertly passed the quaffle between each other, dodging Kirke and Sloper, and skillfully scored getting past one of Ron's best save attempts.
Harry glanced down at the tryout roster to check for their names. He quickly found them and chuckled. They were second year and twins just like Fred and George. Katherine and Charlotte Fairfax, Kate and Chary for short. With a little training and practice they would aid the Gryffindor House team to victory very easily.
As soon as the last cycle was finished Harry gathered them all together and announced the new members of the team. "Thank you all for trying out. I would like to welcome Katherine and Charlotte Fairfax to the team," Harry said.
Kate and Chary who both had light brown hair, and stood at an average height, shouted with joy and hugged each other.
The rest of the students who had tried out slowly filtered away back to the castle. Harry held up his hands to get the teams attention. "I've booked the pitch for Friday evening," Harry announced. "Everyone needs to be there. If we all work hard and train for their positions I seriously believe that we will win the cup. It won't be easy but it certainly is possible. That's all, until Friday evening then."
Everyone but Ron and Ginny left. "Harry," Ginny said, "remember about what you were talking about? This Seilftrist person. . . you promised that you would explain about it."
Harry nodded. Now was a good time as any. "Sure, why don't you and Ron go up to Gryffindor Tower, put your stuff away, grab Hermione and meet me in my office?"
"Sounds good to me mate," Ron said. He was already excited about the possibility of winning the Quidditch cup again.
They left and Harry stood out on the field alone already planning for the upcoming matches. Kirke and Sloper were definitely not the best. They would improve over time. However, Harry decided that he and the Chasers were good enough to make up for that. Ron would also do superbly.
Harry smiled as the sun set slowly. They had a chance. He absentmindedly turned his attention to the ring and it transported instantly to his office. Harry laid his Firebolt against one of his bookshelves and sat down in his desk. Noticing that there were only two chairs for visitors he quickly conjured up a third chair like he had seen Dumbledore do years before.
There was a knock at the door and Ron, Hermione, and Ginny entered and sat down. "Ginny says that you're going to explain to us what V-Voldemort is trying to do," Hermione said.
Harry sat back in the leather chair and nodded as Hermione, Ginny, and Ron leaned forward curiously. "Has anyone here heard of ruler named Lord Seilftrist?"
Ron and Ginny shook their heads and Hermione frowned thoughtfully for a moment before shaking her head as well. "Who was he?" Ginny asked.
"Supposedly he ruled England long before King Arthur and Merlin came along," Harry replied.
"What does that have to do with You-Know-Who?" Ron said.
"Voldemort Ron," Hermione pointed out.
Harry carefully framed his answer before replying. "It seems that Voldemort is interested in Seilftrist. Apparently Seilftrist reigned with total and absolute power. The thing is that the power he ruled with wasn't necessarily an army, or his sheer will. There was some sort of key to this power and Voldemort wants the key."
Hermione gasped, "Do you know what the key is to this power?"
"Was he a Dark Lord?" Ron asked, intrigued.
Harry sort of shrugged, "I don't know exactly what he was, as to the key. . . this might help." He stood up and pulled the book he had read earlier from one of the bookshelves and opened it to the page that described the power of magical artifacts. He then sat back down and handed it across the desk to Hermione.
Hermione quickly pored over the text with Ron and Ginny looking on from the side.
"It looks like that this Seilftrist was as mage or sorcerer," Ginny commented.
"Most likely a sorcerer," Hermione said after finishing.
"What do we have to worry about?" Ron asked. "These artifacts work for the family's they serve. If Voldemort was descended from a pure family with those in it's background he wouldn't exactly have to seek for it would he?"
"I wish it was that way," Harry sighed. "I'm afraid that if Voldemort gets his hands on one of these artifacts, more specifically, whatever powered Seilftrist, then he'll be able to make the power work for him."
"That's a good point," Ron said after considering it.
"Does Dumbledore know about all of this?" Hermione questioned.
Harry nodded, "Yes, that's how I found out, mostly."
"Of course Dumbledore knows," Ginny said absently as she pondered the matter. "The robbery in Camelot! What if he already has the artifact or artifacts?"
"What robbery?" Ron asked.
Ginny quickly explained about how Harry had read the newspaper article. "Do you think V-V-Voldemort has the key to Seilftrist's power already?"
"Let's hope not," Hermione whispered.
"He doesn't," Harry said reassuringly. "If he did we'd know by now. Besides, the museum doesn't know what exactly was stolen because it came from a storeroom that had not been properly cataloged. The only things Voldemort has is very old documents and books because that's the only thing that was in the storeroom."
"That still gives him a lead over us or anyone trying to stop him," Ron pointed out.
Hermione regained her composure. "Yes, he has a lead. That means that we need to get on the ball and do some of our own research. This is what I propose. Ron, you do some research on ancient magic that was connected with Camelot in the time before King Arthur. Ginny, you research on magical artifacts. Find out what they can be, how they can be used, how they generally exert their power, anything you can dig up. Harry, you need to try and figure out how Voldemort could force a magical artifact to exert power against its general will. I will try to find all I can about this Lord Seilftrist."
"Sounds good to me," Harry said in agreement.
Ron and Ginny nodded. "We'll do that then." Ginny answered for them.
"I can start now I suppose," Harry said. "Everything I'll need is right here."
"Don't you have homework?" Ginny asked.
Harry shrugged, "I finished it all already."
Hermione, Ron, and Ginny gave Harry an odd look. "Already? It usually takes you the whole amount of time allotted." Hermione said suspiciously.
"I don't know, I just found the time to finish it," Harry said evasively. He didn't tell them the real reason. Ever since he had gotten the ring from Dumbledore all his classes seemed easier. He was able to hang onto and remember more clearly all of the stuff the professors said in their lessons. In potions especially he suddenly seemed to have a sixth sense as of what to do for the potion. Homework had become rather easy since then and Harry had no problem completing it.
"All right then," Ginny replied. "We'll see you later then."
They all left and Harry sat back and relaxed. With their help they would be able to find plenty about Lord Seilftrist in no time. Harry finally stood up and began to research the forceful control of magical objects.
* * * * * * *
Harry stood before his most advanced HADADA class on Thursday evening. All of these with the exception of Elizabeth Fawcett had been a member of Dumbledore's Army the year before. The class had shrunk considerably in size due to the graduation of several of the older members.
After he quickly finished going over the roll he stood up and addressed them. "Welcome to HADADA class," he began. "I'm pleased that you all decided to sign up for this class." With the exception of Cho's treacherous friend, Harry noted wryly. "Due to the fact that you've all, or at least nearly all of you have learned all of what I'm going to be teaching to my other classes you will be even more advanced than them."
"What will we be learning this year?" Cho asked.
Harry looked back at her without getting butterflies in his chest. "Odds and ends," Harry replied. "For the first couple of weeks I'll just be reviewing last year's spells, and then we'll make sure that we have down all of the stuff that you were supposed to learn in your previous DADA classes. That'll take about a month and then we'll go on to the really advanced material."
"What kind of advanced material?" Ernie MacMillan called out.
Harry grinned devilishly, "You'll see when the time comes. Now, form pairs and review the Patronus Charm, which the exception of Elizabeth and Neville, who I need to see up front."
Everyone paired up and Elizabeth and Neville approached Harry's desk. "Neville, Elizabeth," Harry began, "I've called you two up because you are both in this class because you want to learn but aren't quite up to speed. Now Neville, you know all the spells and what we did last year right?"
Neville nodded, "I think so. . ."
"Good," Harry said. "I would like you and Elizabeth to be study partners for this class. Neville remembers the spells that you need to review and you Elizabeth, can assist him and learn at the same time. If you two work together I believe that you can be brought up to speed a lot more quickly than I can do individually for each of you."
"That sounds fine to me," Elizabeth said.
Neville and Elizabeth moved off into a space to begin to practice. Harry watched them for a few moments and then pulled out a book titled "The Use and Control of Magical Objects." He had yet to find anything that gave hints as to how Voldemort could control a magical artifact, but there was time yet.