I have decided to write a new before chapter blurb. It is mind-boggling no? Anyhow, as before, I don't own Harry Potter obviously, but any original characters are MINE and if you steal them…I will find you. And then things will get painful. Fortunately, I don't anticipate anyone stealing them. So, without further ado, the next chapter.
Harry couldn't sleep that night, and contemplated the enigma that Professor Kiora had become. The pieces didn't seem to fit. Something was at the back of his mind too. The crystal tears were vaguely familiar, but he could not remember from where. And the eyes. Harry had forgotten the strange occurrence at the end of the duel that had left Snape in a coma. Harry rolled over and wistfully eyed his slumbering roommates. He really wished he could get to sleep. He stared idly out the window at the softly falling snow. Christmas break was drawing very near. The back of Harry's neck tingled.
The windowpane, and indeed the whole room, rippled, and Harry simultaneously become rather nauseous. His roommates moaned in their sleep, some curling into fetal positions. Something odd had definitely just happened, and Harry had the sense that it was another even that no one else would believe. He cursed his luck. After more angry moping, Harry eventually sank into an empty sleep.
Students where greeted by an odd sight the next morning as the passed into the great hall for breakfast. A monolithic object stood in the middle of the hallway. It was easily twice the height a the tallest students, and seemingly crafted of black stone, one so dark that is seemed to absorb all light that touched it. Dumbledore stood guard to ensure that none of the students touched it, explaining that it was not yet known what it was or where it came from. It gave Harry the creeps, and he made sure to point this out to Hermione and Ron.
"Well of course it does. Its huge, it appeared overnight, and its so black it looks like a hole that goes forever." Hermione's reply was entirely serious.
"Don't know why Dumbledore needs to stand there. I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to touch it. You might fall in." Ron shivered at the end of his sentence. Apparently Harry was not the only one getting odd vibes from the obelisk shaped abyss.
"Hermione, do you know of anything that cries crystal tears?" Harry inquired.
"That sounds familiar…but I can't remember at the moment. I'll check later. Why?" Harry pondered whether he should reveal Sinavre's crystal tear or make up another reason. Banking on the other major strange occurrence influencing his friends, he opted for honesty. He leaned close so that no one would overhear his response.
"Sinavre. He cried one, at the very end of the duel. I have the pieces." Harry's two companions sat back in their chairs, faces betraying their doubt, and then realization that perhaps it was really true, as Harry was not wont to lying to his friends.
"I'll check-"
"It's High Dragons. High Dragons cry crystal tears, supposedly," Ron interrupted Hermione, "Charlie told me at some point. No ones seen High Dragons in a long time though. But Sinavre is no dragon."
"That's for sure." Hermione agreed.
"But then how do you explain Sinavre?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Well," Hermione said slowly, clearly trying hard to recall something, "there is a legend about a society of humans that lived in harmony with the High Dragons. Perhaps that could lead us somewhere. Its worth checking at least."
"So, Professor, do you know what this is?" The anxious headmaster fidgeted as Kiora circled the object.
"It seems very familiar…though I do not know why." Kiora reached out tentatively, and ran a finger down the obelisk. It was smooth, perhaps the smoothest surface he had ever encountered.
"And, perhaps more importantly Kiora, is how did it get here?"
"Ah…I think…" Kiora's eyes unfocused as his mind traveled the path that the object had, "I believe I can answer that. The method is quite ingenious actually. A combination of time distortion and something akin to a reverse summoning spell. I'm surprised we didn't feel it come. Perhaps if we had been awake. We should not attempt to move it yet I think. I'll put a shield on it so that it cannot be meddled with, either by students or whoever sent it." Kiora held up his right hand, closed his eyes and bowed his head. A blue glow, its texture similar in appearance to water, spread from Kiora's hand and began to engulf the obelisk. Soon, the object was encased in a faintly glowing blue ellipsoid. The glow slowly faded away, until the barrier was no longer visible, at least to the normal eye. Kiora tapped it with his hands, and blue ripples spread along its surface. "I need some time to think about this, Dumbledore. There is something, an aura, about it, that is familiar."
"That, I am quite in agreement with you about." Dumbledore gave Kiora another one of those disconcerting looks. But how much could he possibly know?
I wouldn't underestimate him dear.
Well, he may well know more than I…
I hope not…why would we forget this, whatever it is?
"Here it is: 'There is a society of High Dragons and humans that live together peacefully (They are often referred to as the same race due to the extreme level of cooperation between them; they share the same government, laws, customs, etc) in the depths of the eastern mountains of Europe. They are highly reclusive, and do not generally welcome outsiders. The humans of the group are often longer lived then the average human. Little else is known about them, save that they were involved in the Shadow War and are said to practice….unorthodox….methods of magic.' That's all." Hermione looked a little disappointed as she relayed her find to Harry and Ron.
"Well…it almost fits. The weird magic, old age, general oddness…" Ron trailed off.
"Except for that one slightly important detail of a crystal tear." Harry pointed out sardonically.
"There is that." Ron conceded.
"Are the High Dragons shape shifters?" Hermione asked.
"Nope. Or at least, not as far as Charlie knows, and I daresay he knows dragons better than anyone else I've met." Ron's reply was quick and confident.
"Well then, this information does us little good. Does this society even have a name?" Harry inquired, exasperated.
"Um…no. At least, not here."
"Alright then, what about the Shadow War Hermione? Do we know anything else about it?" Hermione paused before answering.
"Not…really. It could be the same thing as that other record I found that mentioned the shadows…but that doesn't tell us much."
"Well," Harry spoke to the air, "it would seem that we have gotten basically nowhere. We now know where Sinavre might be from. We still have no idea what he is!"
"Not a dragon?" Ron offered meekly. Harry just glared, and then sighed.
"I suppose we'll just keep looking. Perhaps we can find out more about this Shadow War."
And now- a chapter break. Next one coming soon, because I feel inspired….or at least, I hope its coming soon. Please R&R, I want to know what you think!