[An. And I'm back with the next chapter of PoS.  I'm so sorry about the long wait I was working like crazy this summer to save up for university and then moving in and getting into a schedule for my classes……………..sigh I've had no time to write, or type, or even creatively think!!!!

Reviewers:

Guardian of the Moon ~ thanks for the double update it really motivated me to update.  I'm glad you're enjoying this story.

TheCycoONE ~ thanks for the review it's nice to see a new person in the review box

kitty254781 ~ thank you for the compliment kitty.  To begin with Snape will not be treating Harry any differently any time in the near future, and yes once Wormtail is captured Harry will go to live with Sirius.

Lily Skylo ~ yeah raising an elementals no picnic when there a child but when they're grown up its kinda worth it.  It's a balancing act just like with any child.  Yes poor Padfoot it's not the only torture he'll have to go through hehehehehe

Kemenran ~ here you go.

Ostrov M Kaziklu ~ the books are really good I think you'll enjoy them.  Hope you like the new chapter.

Disclaimer: the characters of Leilani, Junko, Kiara Braeden, Anastasia Kou Cosmos and Rosaline Kou Cosmos are mine everything else belongs to J. K. Rowling. Also the Heaven's Gate potion is an idea of my own creation.  If you wish to use it please ask and I'll be happy to let you make use of it.

"           "-Talking

'           '-Thinking

Chapter 14 ~ The Child of Shadows

            The two days remaining before the potion reversed itself were filled with more laughter and pranks than any before.  By mutual agreement Rose and Sev teamed up with Gred and Forge to pull pranks on the entire student body.  The morning after the potion was to have reversed itself was greeted by silence as the students waited for their professors to enter the Great Hall.  When Professor Snape entered in his usual black robes the students mourned the lost of the open and fun loving teen he had been.  However the professor did something unexpected of him as he walked up towards the staff table that morning.  As Snape was walking past the Weasley twins he stopped and handed them a note before continuing on his way.  The twins refused to tell anyone about what the note said, however when there next attempt at a prank on Professor Kou was successful she stared long and hard at Professor Snape before congratulating them on their cunning.

            When Professor Kou entered that morning after having spent three days as a 15-year-old, she spoke nothing until she stood before Leilani at the staff table.  Conjuring up a list she handed it to Kiara while looking at Leilani.

            "She's to do every task on this list alone with the exception of the potions in which she'll need Destiny's help.  If I hear even a whisper that you've gotten help from any of your friends it will be a longer list next time.  Have I made myself clear Leilani?" Rose asked as she stared at the young girl in front of her.

            "Crystal, your Majesty," Leilani before she and Kiara left the Great Hall for Cosmos.  DADA lessons got interesting as the magical lessons picked up speed and began teaching shield and defense spells.  While the physical training sessions now involved learning basic blocks and hits for hand-to-hand fighting.  Rose began traveling back and forth from Cosmos and Hogwarts more and more often.  While available during the day for extra help, Rose was never available after dinner or on the weekends as she was a t the beginning of the year.  No one questioned this new aspect of Professor Kou's life as the homework from DADA and their other classes began to pill up.  The most interesting of all the DADA lessons occurred a week before Halloween.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Harry flopped to the ground after his laps around the pitch to begin his cool down stretches.  As he stretched he saw a red haired girl, a blonde boy with dark blue stripes in his hair, and a brown haired girl with green stripes in her hair each pass two wrapped up packages to Rose and Ana who placed them on a table Ana had conjured.

            "Thank you Miyako, Takeru, Leah.  You'd best be heading back to the academy before you miss anymore of your classes," Rose told them as she placed the last package on the table.  The three teens bowed to Rose and Ana before making their way out of the Quidditch pitch.  When the class was done with their laps and stretches Rose called them over to sit in the stands she had conjured.  In the time it had taken the remaining members of the class to finish their exercises, Rose and Ana had unwrapped the six packages.  Laying on the table now were six weapons: a sword; a trident; a crossbow; two staffs, one green, the other white; and a pair of daggers.

            "The weapons you see before u are the weapons you will be learning to use.  These particular weapons are enchanted so that if you possess even the slightest bit of the ability needed to learn how to wield the weapon it will glow.  I'm going to call you up one at a time and you will touch all six weapons.  Just because one weapon glows does not mean it is the only one you can learn to use," Rose told them while Ana sat down behind the table, quill and parchment ready to record the results.  "Ron if you will come up and touch any one of the weapons but the crossbow please," Rose asked.

            "Why can't I touch the crossbow professor?" Ron asked as he approached the table.

"I'll explain it in a minute Ron.  For now touch the other five in which ever order you please before you touch the crossbow please," Rose told him.  Ron sighed before doing as she asked.  He touched the two staves, then the sword, the daggers, and the trident last before moving his hands to touch the crossbow.  As his fingers made contact with the surface of the weapon a shock ran up his arm, and the weapon began to glow a brilliant light blue.

            "That Ron is the reason why I wanted you to touch the crossbow last.  The crossbow and the traditional bow and arrows are the weapons favored by air elementals.  The sword is used by fire elementals, the staves by earth and light, the trident by water, and the daggers by shadow elementals," Rose told the class before turning to face Ron once more.  "You can return to your seat now Ron," Rose told him.  Ron reluctantly removed his hands from the crossbow and returned to his seat in the stands.  "Harry, if you will please," Rose said, indicating with her hand the weapons spread across the table.  Harry approached the table and began touching the weapons at random.  When his fingers brushed over the sword it began to glow with a bright red light.

            "Thank you Harry," Rose told him before calling on Terry Boot.  When he reached the table Terry reached immediately out to touch the sword, which began to glow.  He then continued touching the other weapons.  When the fingers of his right hand brushed over one of the daggers they began to glow a black colour.  Both Ana and Rose looked at Terry in surprise before called Morag up.  Like Harry and Terry before him when Morag touched the sword it began to glow.  He continued placing his fingers on the other weapons until his fingers brushed over the green staff.  The staff began to glow a bright green.  Rose called Adrian up next.  Adrian touched first the crossbow, which began to glow, and then the other five weapons ending with the sword, which also glowed.  Rose looked at Adrian before dismissing him back to his seat.

            "Looks like I made the right choices when I picked your group leaders," Rose commented as she looked out at the assembled students.  "I've told you that the sword is the favored weapons of fire elementals.  Can anyone of you tell me a quality of fire mages?" Rose asked.  "Yes Hermonie."

            "Fire elementals are natural born leaders, in the absence of the Royal Family to give commands a fire mage will always take control and lead the rest," Hermonie answered.

            "Very good Hermonie, that is correct.  When I picked who was to the leaders of your groups I asked your other professors and the heads of each house who they thought would be capable to leading a group of individuals.  I took there comments and my own observations into account when I choose who would be the leaders.  With that said let us continue," Rose said as she called down the next student.  The rest of the class was spent testing what students would be suitable for which weapon.  When completed the list that Ana was completing looked like this:

Group 1: Leader ~ Harry Potter – sword, Healer ~ Neville Longbottom – staves (green and white), Healer ~ Blaise Zabini - – staves (green and white), Mandy Brocklehurdt – crossbow, Justin Finch-Fletchley – trident, Ronald Weasley – crossbow, Draco Malfoy – daggers

Group 2: Leader ~ Terry Boot – sword and daggers, Healer ~ Lavender Brown – staff (white), Healer ~ Selena Moon – staff (white), Hermonie Granger – trident, Ernie Macmillian –staff (green) and crossbow, Millicient Bulstrode – trident and staff (green)

Group 3: Leader ~ Adrian Nott – sword and crossbow, Healer ~ Pansy Parkinson – staff (white), Lisa Turpin – crossbow and daggers, Susan Bones –staff (green), Dean Tomas – daggers, Gregory Goyle –  trident and daggers

Group 3: Leader ~ Morag MacDougal – sword and staff (green), Healer ~ Hannah Abbot – staves (green and white), Padma Patil – trident and staff (white), Vincent Crabbe – crossbow and staff (green), Pavati Patil  –  trident and crossbow

            "We will spend the next couple of days continuing our exercises and then we will begin learning how to use the weapons that have chosen you," Rose told the class before dismissing them for lunch.  Harry, Ron, and Hermonie stayed back as their classmates headed for the change rooms.  "Did you three have a question?" Rose asked as she and Ana began to wrap up the weapons.

            "I did professor," Hermonie told Rose as she watched the two pack up the weapons, taking note that each weapon glowed as one of the sisters picked it up.

            "So ask your question Hermonie," Rose told the Griffindor girl.  "You know I've always encouraged my students to ask questions, it's the only way you learn anything," Rose said as she wrapped up the last weapon.

            "Why did you look so surprised at Terry when the sword and the daggers chose him?" Hermonie questioned the professors.

            "To understand that Hermonie, you must first understand how these weapons work.  What I told you in class about how the weapons will glow is true, but it is not the ability to wield the weapon that causes the glow," Rose answered.  "I'll take the example of the three of you to try and explain it.  It's your character traits more than anything that decides which weapons you will be able to use.  Certain character traits are associated with certain elements.  Let's start with you Ron since you're a known elemental, air.  There is a good reason why the house of air mages is the House of Storms.  Air elementals are as unpredictable as the winds and weather.  They can be calm one minute and then raging the next," Rose told them as her eyes locked with Ron's.  As she spoke Ron remembered all the times in which he had lost his temper over little things and blushed.  Rose smiled at him before continuing.

            "Next you, Hermonie.  As I before the trident is used by water mages.  Their patron house is the House of Kenda.  Water mages are seen as reliable, unchanging, or in the face of change they flow with it instead of resisting it.  They are also extremely smart with a never ending thirst for knowledge," Hermonie ducked her head blushing.

            "That leaves us with you Harry.  The sword as I said earlier is the weapon of fire mages.  The House of Ember is there home.  As Hermonie said earlier they are natural born leaders, often leading in battle when the royal family is unavailable.  They are loyal, trustworthy, and skilled at dueling.  They have tempers but it takes long for them to build, and once they give there trust or loyalty they never take it back.  It is not often that a fire mage is wronged, but when they are there desire for revenge begins to grow.  It grows slowly at first, much like a blazing fire which can begin with a single tiny spark."  Rose locked eyes with Harry and he suddenly knew what she was talking about.  His desire to defeat Voldemort once and for all had started when he learned that it was him who had murdered his parents, and it had only grown as the years passed.

            "But that still doesn't answer my question professor," Hermonie stated, dragging Harry from his silent contemplation.

            "I'm getting there Hermonie," Rose assured her before continuing.  "Now shadow mages, like those from the House of Braeden, are sneaky, cunning, and ambitious, in other words Slytherins to the core.  It's why they make such good assassins," Rose told them.  "Trait wise fire and shadow mages are complete opposites.  There is also the fact that fire and shadow elemental magics are explosive when mixed together.  Shadow magics also can be considered dark magics.  The pure fire that fire elementals can summon feeds off of dark magics and purifies them, however it is extremely painful for the one in which the dark magics have resided."

            "How do you know professor?" Harry asked.

            "I've used shadow magics Harry," Rose told him, looking him in the eye.  "The little spells don't leave a mark but the big ones do.  To leave the dark magic traces within my magic would slowly kill me so they have to be removed, be purified."  The trio paled, glancing at each other.

            "And you willingly put yourself through that professor?" Ron asked.

            "Of course Ron," Rose smiled at him.  "I have no desire to die, … at least not yet," Rose told them, before shooing them away with her hands.  "Now get going you three or you'll miss lunch."  That said Rose and Ana picked up the bundles that held the weapons and began to walk back up to the school.  The trio looked at each other before following Rose's advice and heading into the school for lunch.  Each one of them was thinking about the strange enigma that was their DADA teacher.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Halloween arrived and with it the disappearance of Rose and Ana.  Any student who had DADA found themselves with a free study period with there classes cancelled.  Hermonie bullied Ron and Harry into spending the period studying for the potions test Professor Snape was giving that day.  With the extra studying the trio had done even Ron was feeling confident that he had at least passed the test when they exited the dungeons for dinner.  The Halloween dinner was going smoothly and even the Slytherins were on their best behaviour.  No one noticed the small portal beginning to open in a hidden alcove near the Slytherin table.  At the Griffindor table Hermonie leaned over to talk with Harry and Ron who were sitting beside her.

            "Remember to keep your eyes open for any clue as to the identity of the child of shadows," Hermonie whispered to them as she glanced around the hall.

            "We will 'Monie, now relax and enjoy yourself," Ron told her as he slipped his arms around her.  Hermonie flushed, while Harry hid a smile for his two friends in his glass of pumpkin juice.  Harry's eyes danced over the students seated in the Great Hall, wondering which one of them would be revealed as the Child of Shadows.  Out of the corner of his right eye Harry caught a flickering of movement by the Slytherin table, but when he turned to face it straight on nothing was there.

            "Something wrong Harry?" Ron asked as he caught sight of the puzzled expression on his friends face.

            "No, I just thought I saw something," Harry replied as he glanced once more at the place where he had seen the movement.  This time instead of seeing nothing he saw a young man with shoulder length, pitch black hair, standing there looking out over the students.

"Ron, do you guys see that guy standing over there?" Harry asked as he pointed at the man whose black clothing made it nearly impossible to distinguish him from the shadows which surrounded him.  Hermonie and Ron looked over to where Harry was pointing, both doing double takes as they noticed the man.

"Yeah what about him Harry?" Hermonie asked.  Harry looked over at his friends before answering.

"He wasn't there a minute ago."  The couple was saved from answering by a shot from the Slytherin table.  The trio's eyes swung to the table just in time to see Draco Malfoy stand up from his chair and swing what looked like a scorpion off his hand towards the wall behind the Slytherin table.  The trio watched in shock as the scorpion hit the wall and changed into an over sized, rainbow coloured chameleon.  Before the chameleon shaped creature could even hit the floor the man Harry had seen caught it in his hands, being careful of the spikes protruding from its back.

"Your not welcome here changeling," the man ground out through his clenched teeth.  "Return once more to the shadows from which you crawled.  Nemesis has no power here."

"That is where you are wrong my prince," the chameleon shaped creature hissed.  "My poison already flows through his veins.  The boy will die before two days have past."  The man let out a roar of fury as Professor Snape dashed around the staff table and to Draco's side.

"Severus?" the man said tot eh potions master, never taking his eyes off the creature in his hands.  Snape grabbed Draco's right hand from where he was cradling it to his chest, paling as he saw the bright red welt upon the back of it.

"It speaks the truth," Snape answered the man.

"Do you have any….," the man began, only to be cut off by Sev.

"No, Rose and I have not had the opportunity to brew any, but the potions stores at Cosmos always have some," Sev told the man as he drew a vile and a cloth out of the pocket of his robe.  After pouring the potion over the cloth the potions master then began to wrap it around Draco's hand.  Draco hissed as the potion covered cloth touched the welt on the back of his hand.  "It's okay Draco, it's supposed to hurt.  It will draw out the majority of the poison," Sev murmured to the terrified Draco.  When Sev finished wrapping the cloth around Draco's hand he turned to face the man, who was still staring at the creature held in his hands.  "We need to get to Cosmos quickly," Sev informed him.

The man nodded his head before glowing a black colour and letting go of the changeling, who was now in a transparent bubble.  The man waved the bubble through the portal in the alcove closing the portal after it was through.  He then turned and began walking towards Sev.  Just as he reached Sev and Draco a bright light flashed throughout the hall.

"So she's begun," the man murmured, before touching Severus and Draco.  In a shimmer of light the three disappeared from the Great Hall.  The hall was silent for all of three seconds before Ron's voice could be heard to exclaim, "Bloody Hell!!  Does that mean that Malfoy's the Child of Shadows?"  His outburst was quickly followed by Professor McGonagall's sharp reprimands for his language.

[and another one bites the dust.  Once more I'm very sorry about how long this chapter took to come out.  I tried to get it out in time for Halloween but it didn't work.  Next chapter could take a while as I'm only 1/3 of the way through the rough draft.  Hope to have it out sooner than I did this one though.

Thanks for continuing to read my story,

Silver Tenshi]