Once inside, Harry looked around at the main entrance. It was
huge with a colorful round rug on the floor in the center. The walls were
brick. On the walls, there were pictures around with people in them that
moved. Harry smiled up at the portraits.
"Ok, that door there," Ashley said pointing to the far wall, "leads to the eating quarters. This place has the best food. You'll love it. That hall there, leads to all of the classrooms."
Harry looked at the hallway where she was pointing. "Classrooms? What do you mean classrooms? You don't go to school?" he asked.
"We learn everything we need to know here. There's a classroom for everything we need to know. It keeps our learning organized. I think we're attending a regular school this year. I just came here a few weeks ago so I don't know." Ashley responded. "Come on. This way is a staircase we'll take up to the bedrooms." Ashley took his hand and led him toward the stairs.
"What school are we going to?" Harry asked walking up the stairs. The stairs weren't moving. Harry was happy about that. He didn't like moving staircases especially after what happened in his first year. He didn't fully trust staircases, unless there muggle of course.
"I don't remember the name of the school we're going to but I heard the headmaster is really great. I think his name was Albus something. I don't quite remember his last name or the name of the school."
Harry stopped dead in his tracks and looked at her in surprise and excitement. "Was the last name Dumbledore?" he asked.
Ashley thought about it. "I think that was it. Yeah, it sounds familiar."
"Was the school perhaps Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"
Ashley's eyes lit up. "That's it! I remember now. That was definitely it. We're starting in September and I know I'm beginning in my fifth year."
"Ashley, that's my school!"
Her eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked excited. "Fifth year?" Harry nodded. "That's great! Now I don't feel so bad about going into a new school."
The two started climbing the stairs again. "You'll love Hogwarts. It's the best. I love it."
"Can you tell me about it?" Ashley asked as they reached the top of the long staircase. Harry started explaining about the four houses, what it looks like, his friends and enemies, Quidditch matches, classes, and teachers when Ashley stopped in front of a door. At the top of the door said her name. "This is my room. You might be surprised when you see it but it's the best." Ashley said opening the door and stepped inside. Harry followed her in and shut the door after him. He looked around her room in surprise. It was so unusual. The bedroom looked as if it was in the clouds. The walls, ceiling, and floor were covered with clouds that moved around the blue sky. Her bed and furniture looked like it was floating on air.
"Do you like it?" Ashley asked laughing at Harry's face. "You can walk around you know. You're not going to fall." Harry slowly put a foot in front of him and stepped. His foot stepped on solid ground.
"This is amazing!" Harry exclaimed.
"Thanks. I love this room. It has no walls so I could walk around for as long as I want just thinking. This room suits me a lot because of all of its open space. I'm claustrophobic so I hate small spaces," Ashley said taking paper, a quill and ink out of her desk.
"You're claustrophobic? So am I," Harry responded walking over to her carefully.
"Really?" she asked surprised. Harry nodded. She handed him several sheets of paper as well as the quill and ink. "You can write to your friends with this. If you want, you can write to your relatives," she said letting him sit at her desk.
Harry was about to write to his aunt and uncle until he realized that he would have to return there to get his things. "Ashley, I have to get my stuff there eventually. Do you think it would be better if I told them then?" he asked.
Ashley thought about it. "That way you can see their reaction first hand. I like it." Ashley looked at her watch and whistled softly. "You know what? Don't write the letters now we don't have time. We need to meet with Stacy. She teaches us what we need to know even though she's not a shapeshifter herself. She's really great though. She wants to talk with us and you." The two of them headed toward the door. Ashley walked out but before Harry did, he put his hand up to try to feel the wall until he discovered that there wasn't a wall there. Confused, he walked out and down the hallway to the stairs but not before feeling the solid walls on the other side of her room. Harry followed Ashley down the stairs and through the hallway that held the classrooms. They stopped in front of a door that said Conference Room on the top. Opening the door and walking in, Harry saw Jake, Caroline, Matt, and Liz sitting at one of the several chairs seated around a desk. At the desk was someone who Harry didn't recognize. The woman was older than they were. She was perhaps in her mid to late 20's. She had long brown hair and brown eyes. She smiled as Ashley and Harry walked in and took a seat.
Standing up, she walked over to Harry and held out her hand. "My name is Stacy Miller. I will be teaching you everything you need to know." Harry shook her hand. Stacy walked back to her desk and sat down. "This year is going to be a little different then other years that I've been teaching. Harry, you will learn a lot in a short time. I need to get you up where everyone else is, but don't worry. It's not as hard as it seems. I have a schedule made for you that I will give to you at the end of the meeting. I also want to talk to you alone after the meeting. I take it you know everyone else in the room?" she asked Harry. Harry nodded his head. "Good." Stacy turned to face the whole group. "As I said, this year will be a little different. This year, even though you have learned everything here, on September first, we will be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This is because we can add more protection to the castle. We need as much protection as we can get now that Voldermort is back." No one flinched when they heard the Dark Lord's name.
Harry thought about what she just said. "Wait a minute. We're just going to Hogwarts to provide protection?" Harry asked.
"That's right. You learn everything they teach you in school here as well as what you need to know due to special abilities, which I'll explain later." Stacy answered.
"Will we be at Hogwarts the whole school year?" Harry asked practically sitting at the edge of his seat. He had to go back to Hogwarts. It was the only home he had. It was the only place he could see his friends. Well, except for seeing the Weasley's and Hermione at the Burrow at the end of summer.
"Yes, we will be at Hogwarts all year. You attended Hogwarts right?" Stacy asked. Harry nodded. "Well that's great. Now we have someone to help us make our way around the castle."
"Castle?" some people asked surprised.
Harry looked at them confused. Didn't they ever go to a magical school before? "Yes a castle. You've never been to a magical school?" he asked.
"We've been to schools but I guess they weren't castles," Caroline said. "What does Hogwarts look like?"
Harry started to answer her but Stacy cut him off. "Later you can tell them about it. I've never been there myself so I'd like to hear about it also. Maybe during dinner." Stacy said looked off into space. Finally looking back at the group, she continued. "Okay, now back to the original topic. This year, you will be learning techniques that will help you in the battlefield. You might not like the idea, but dark times are ahead. We are going to Hogwarts to provide protection and it wouldn't be smart not to know much about fighting. Everyone will be learning techniques in dueling, martial arts, and sword fighting as well as your regulars."
"Will we have that much time in our schedules?" Liz asked.
"This summer, you will be learning what you need to know being shapeshifters. Once we get to Hogwarts I'll start teaching you those extras. Any questions?" Everyone just looked at her confused. After no one asked a question she said, "Okay then. Go back to your rooms or where ever you want to go. Lunch will be in half an hour." Everyone started to get up and leave. Harry stayed behind. He remembered that Stacy wanted to talk to him. Once everyone left the room, Stacy motioned him to pull up a seat in front of her desk.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Harry asked.
"I take it that Ashley told you that you were a shapeshifter?" Stacy asked. Harry nodded. "Do you know what shapeshifters can do?" Harry shook his head. "Shapeshifters can do a lot. They can turn into any animal they want at any time. They can even change their appearance. Shifters have the gift to do wandless magic as well. Most develop photographic memory, which is why I told you that you wouldn't have problems learning the material needed in a short amount of time. And this might make you happy. I don't give tests."
Harry looked at her in surprise. "Why?" he asked. It was strange for a teacher not to give tests.
"Well, I know you'll remember everything and why should I waste valuable time with tests?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders "That makes sense" he said.
"I knew it would. Did Ashley mention to you anything about elementals?"
Harry nodded his head. " Yeah. She told me what everyone is and what I was. She said I controlled the element of mind and that I could do telekinesis. What does she mean?"
"You are very unusual. You can do telekinesis, which is moving things with you mind. You can also do a lot more such as teleporting, flying, and empathy, which is knowing emotions of people and animals. Its very helpful in normal life actually." Stacy said leaning back in her chair. Reaching into her desk, she pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Harry. Harry looked at it. "That is your schedule. I'll be working with you on Mondays. I have to split up the days so I can teach all of you.
Harry looked down at it and saw:
Mondays:
9-11 telekinesis/ empathy/ telepathy
11:30-12:30 teleporting
1-2 flying
2:30-3:30 shapeshifting
4-5 wandless magic
"These are all of my classes?" Harry asked after reading them.
"That's most of them. Extra classes might be offered after dinner. Breakfast is from whenever you wake up to 8. Lunch is 12-1. Dinner is from 5-7. After that is free time or extra class time. There's no homework to do because I trust you will practice and know what to do. The classes that are covered in a regular school are covered on Wednesday nights at 7-11. Is that clear?"
Harry nodded his head still a little confused. "I think so."
Stacy got up from her desk and looked out one of the windows overlooking the Quidditch field. "Just as I expected. They're playing Quidditch. Or should I say trying to play. Take a look," Stacy said motioning Harry over.
Harry walked over to her and looked out the window. He saw Matt and Ashley in the air on their broomsticks. Caroline kicked off the ground to join them and Liz was picking up her broom from where it was laying. They seemed to be arguing with Jake about something. Jake kept on waving his hands in the air as if he was refusing something. It seemed as if Jake wouldn't go up on a broom and the others were trying to persuade him to play. "Jake doesn't like to fly?" Harry asked looking up at Stacy.
Stacy shook her head. "Sometimes they act so much like their element. For instance, Ashley is great with flying and loves it while her element is air. Jake, on the other hand, hates flying and his element is Earth. Ironic huh?" Harry shrugged and looked back at them. "Come on. I can see it that you want to play but first I'll show you your room to get that done with. Ashley didn't show you yours right?" Harry shook his head.
Stacy then led him out the office door and up the stairs to where Ashley's room was but instead of stopping, they kept going. On the other doors, Harry saw the names of the other shapeshifters before finally stopping in front of a door with his name shinning in gold letters.
"This is your room. If you decide to live here," Stacy said before opening the door and letting Harry walk in first. The walls and ceiling were plain white and the room looked really boring until Harry took one step into the room. Instantly the walls and floor changed colors. When the walls stopped, it looked like Harry's room was in the middle of a dream world. It had the blue/pink/purple fog surrounding the place.
"Think about Hogwarts," Stacy suggested and so Harry did and was amazed by what happened. The walls changed colors again to reveal the grounds at Hogwarts. "Just what I thought. Since your element is the mind, so is your room. IF you think about something, such as Hogwarts, it will appear. Best of all, there are no walls stopping you so you can go anywhere you want here but still be in your room. Just remember that you're in your bedroom. I think this room can actually teleport you to places that you want with your room, just be careful," Harry nodded his head while staring at his room. "Oh and two more things, Harry. First, don't tell anyone that you're a shapeshifter until Hogwarts. We need to keep you and everyone else a secret. Secondly, here, all you have to do is think about what you want to wear and snap your fingers. It's that easy to change clothes in a short amount of time. Now come on, I have an idea. I believe that you need to get back your things from the Dursleys?" Harry nodded again still looking at his room. "You can take the others and head out there to collect your things. Well, that is if you decided to stay."
Harry's head snapped to Stacy. "Are you crazy? I would trade for this place in a heartbeat! I'm going to definitely live here."
Stacy laughed. "I thought so." She led Harry this time to the Quidditch field and in no time Harry and the others, except Stacy, were making their way to the Dursleys.
"Ok, that door there," Ashley said pointing to the far wall, "leads to the eating quarters. This place has the best food. You'll love it. That hall there, leads to all of the classrooms."
Harry looked at the hallway where she was pointing. "Classrooms? What do you mean classrooms? You don't go to school?" he asked.
"We learn everything we need to know here. There's a classroom for everything we need to know. It keeps our learning organized. I think we're attending a regular school this year. I just came here a few weeks ago so I don't know." Ashley responded. "Come on. This way is a staircase we'll take up to the bedrooms." Ashley took his hand and led him toward the stairs.
"What school are we going to?" Harry asked walking up the stairs. The stairs weren't moving. Harry was happy about that. He didn't like moving staircases especially after what happened in his first year. He didn't fully trust staircases, unless there muggle of course.
"I don't remember the name of the school we're going to but I heard the headmaster is really great. I think his name was Albus something. I don't quite remember his last name or the name of the school."
Harry stopped dead in his tracks and looked at her in surprise and excitement. "Was the last name Dumbledore?" he asked.
Ashley thought about it. "I think that was it. Yeah, it sounds familiar."
"Was the school perhaps Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"
Ashley's eyes lit up. "That's it! I remember now. That was definitely it. We're starting in September and I know I'm beginning in my fifth year."
"Ashley, that's my school!"
Her eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked excited. "Fifth year?" Harry nodded. "That's great! Now I don't feel so bad about going into a new school."
The two started climbing the stairs again. "You'll love Hogwarts. It's the best. I love it."
"Can you tell me about it?" Ashley asked as they reached the top of the long staircase. Harry started explaining about the four houses, what it looks like, his friends and enemies, Quidditch matches, classes, and teachers when Ashley stopped in front of a door. At the top of the door said her name. "This is my room. You might be surprised when you see it but it's the best." Ashley said opening the door and stepped inside. Harry followed her in and shut the door after him. He looked around her room in surprise. It was so unusual. The bedroom looked as if it was in the clouds. The walls, ceiling, and floor were covered with clouds that moved around the blue sky. Her bed and furniture looked like it was floating on air.
"Do you like it?" Ashley asked laughing at Harry's face. "You can walk around you know. You're not going to fall." Harry slowly put a foot in front of him and stepped. His foot stepped on solid ground.
"This is amazing!" Harry exclaimed.
"Thanks. I love this room. It has no walls so I could walk around for as long as I want just thinking. This room suits me a lot because of all of its open space. I'm claustrophobic so I hate small spaces," Ashley said taking paper, a quill and ink out of her desk.
"You're claustrophobic? So am I," Harry responded walking over to her carefully.
"Really?" she asked surprised. Harry nodded. She handed him several sheets of paper as well as the quill and ink. "You can write to your friends with this. If you want, you can write to your relatives," she said letting him sit at her desk.
Harry was about to write to his aunt and uncle until he realized that he would have to return there to get his things. "Ashley, I have to get my stuff there eventually. Do you think it would be better if I told them then?" he asked.
Ashley thought about it. "That way you can see their reaction first hand. I like it." Ashley looked at her watch and whistled softly. "You know what? Don't write the letters now we don't have time. We need to meet with Stacy. She teaches us what we need to know even though she's not a shapeshifter herself. She's really great though. She wants to talk with us and you." The two of them headed toward the door. Ashley walked out but before Harry did, he put his hand up to try to feel the wall until he discovered that there wasn't a wall there. Confused, he walked out and down the hallway to the stairs but not before feeling the solid walls on the other side of her room. Harry followed Ashley down the stairs and through the hallway that held the classrooms. They stopped in front of a door that said Conference Room on the top. Opening the door and walking in, Harry saw Jake, Caroline, Matt, and Liz sitting at one of the several chairs seated around a desk. At the desk was someone who Harry didn't recognize. The woman was older than they were. She was perhaps in her mid to late 20's. She had long brown hair and brown eyes. She smiled as Ashley and Harry walked in and took a seat.
Standing up, she walked over to Harry and held out her hand. "My name is Stacy Miller. I will be teaching you everything you need to know." Harry shook her hand. Stacy walked back to her desk and sat down. "This year is going to be a little different then other years that I've been teaching. Harry, you will learn a lot in a short time. I need to get you up where everyone else is, but don't worry. It's not as hard as it seems. I have a schedule made for you that I will give to you at the end of the meeting. I also want to talk to you alone after the meeting. I take it you know everyone else in the room?" she asked Harry. Harry nodded his head. "Good." Stacy turned to face the whole group. "As I said, this year will be a little different. This year, even though you have learned everything here, on September first, we will be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This is because we can add more protection to the castle. We need as much protection as we can get now that Voldermort is back." No one flinched when they heard the Dark Lord's name.
Harry thought about what she just said. "Wait a minute. We're just going to Hogwarts to provide protection?" Harry asked.
"That's right. You learn everything they teach you in school here as well as what you need to know due to special abilities, which I'll explain later." Stacy answered.
"Will we be at Hogwarts the whole school year?" Harry asked practically sitting at the edge of his seat. He had to go back to Hogwarts. It was the only home he had. It was the only place he could see his friends. Well, except for seeing the Weasley's and Hermione at the Burrow at the end of summer.
"Yes, we will be at Hogwarts all year. You attended Hogwarts right?" Stacy asked. Harry nodded. "Well that's great. Now we have someone to help us make our way around the castle."
"Castle?" some people asked surprised.
Harry looked at them confused. Didn't they ever go to a magical school before? "Yes a castle. You've never been to a magical school?" he asked.
"We've been to schools but I guess they weren't castles," Caroline said. "What does Hogwarts look like?"
Harry started to answer her but Stacy cut him off. "Later you can tell them about it. I've never been there myself so I'd like to hear about it also. Maybe during dinner." Stacy said looked off into space. Finally looking back at the group, she continued. "Okay, now back to the original topic. This year, you will be learning techniques that will help you in the battlefield. You might not like the idea, but dark times are ahead. We are going to Hogwarts to provide protection and it wouldn't be smart not to know much about fighting. Everyone will be learning techniques in dueling, martial arts, and sword fighting as well as your regulars."
"Will we have that much time in our schedules?" Liz asked.
"This summer, you will be learning what you need to know being shapeshifters. Once we get to Hogwarts I'll start teaching you those extras. Any questions?" Everyone just looked at her confused. After no one asked a question she said, "Okay then. Go back to your rooms or where ever you want to go. Lunch will be in half an hour." Everyone started to get up and leave. Harry stayed behind. He remembered that Stacy wanted to talk to him. Once everyone left the room, Stacy motioned him to pull up a seat in front of her desk.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Harry asked.
"I take it that Ashley told you that you were a shapeshifter?" Stacy asked. Harry nodded. "Do you know what shapeshifters can do?" Harry shook his head. "Shapeshifters can do a lot. They can turn into any animal they want at any time. They can even change their appearance. Shifters have the gift to do wandless magic as well. Most develop photographic memory, which is why I told you that you wouldn't have problems learning the material needed in a short amount of time. And this might make you happy. I don't give tests."
Harry looked at her in surprise. "Why?" he asked. It was strange for a teacher not to give tests.
"Well, I know you'll remember everything and why should I waste valuable time with tests?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders "That makes sense" he said.
"I knew it would. Did Ashley mention to you anything about elementals?"
Harry nodded his head. " Yeah. She told me what everyone is and what I was. She said I controlled the element of mind and that I could do telekinesis. What does she mean?"
"You are very unusual. You can do telekinesis, which is moving things with you mind. You can also do a lot more such as teleporting, flying, and empathy, which is knowing emotions of people and animals. Its very helpful in normal life actually." Stacy said leaning back in her chair. Reaching into her desk, she pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Harry. Harry looked at it. "That is your schedule. I'll be working with you on Mondays. I have to split up the days so I can teach all of you.
Harry looked down at it and saw:
Mondays:
9-11 telekinesis/ empathy/ telepathy
11:30-12:30 teleporting
1-2 flying
2:30-3:30 shapeshifting
4-5 wandless magic
"These are all of my classes?" Harry asked after reading them.
"That's most of them. Extra classes might be offered after dinner. Breakfast is from whenever you wake up to 8. Lunch is 12-1. Dinner is from 5-7. After that is free time or extra class time. There's no homework to do because I trust you will practice and know what to do. The classes that are covered in a regular school are covered on Wednesday nights at 7-11. Is that clear?"
Harry nodded his head still a little confused. "I think so."
Stacy got up from her desk and looked out one of the windows overlooking the Quidditch field. "Just as I expected. They're playing Quidditch. Or should I say trying to play. Take a look," Stacy said motioning Harry over.
Harry walked over to her and looked out the window. He saw Matt and Ashley in the air on their broomsticks. Caroline kicked off the ground to join them and Liz was picking up her broom from where it was laying. They seemed to be arguing with Jake about something. Jake kept on waving his hands in the air as if he was refusing something. It seemed as if Jake wouldn't go up on a broom and the others were trying to persuade him to play. "Jake doesn't like to fly?" Harry asked looking up at Stacy.
Stacy shook her head. "Sometimes they act so much like their element. For instance, Ashley is great with flying and loves it while her element is air. Jake, on the other hand, hates flying and his element is Earth. Ironic huh?" Harry shrugged and looked back at them. "Come on. I can see it that you want to play but first I'll show you your room to get that done with. Ashley didn't show you yours right?" Harry shook his head.
Stacy then led him out the office door and up the stairs to where Ashley's room was but instead of stopping, they kept going. On the other doors, Harry saw the names of the other shapeshifters before finally stopping in front of a door with his name shinning in gold letters.
"This is your room. If you decide to live here," Stacy said before opening the door and letting Harry walk in first. The walls and ceiling were plain white and the room looked really boring until Harry took one step into the room. Instantly the walls and floor changed colors. When the walls stopped, it looked like Harry's room was in the middle of a dream world. It had the blue/pink/purple fog surrounding the place.
"Think about Hogwarts," Stacy suggested and so Harry did and was amazed by what happened. The walls changed colors again to reveal the grounds at Hogwarts. "Just what I thought. Since your element is the mind, so is your room. IF you think about something, such as Hogwarts, it will appear. Best of all, there are no walls stopping you so you can go anywhere you want here but still be in your room. Just remember that you're in your bedroom. I think this room can actually teleport you to places that you want with your room, just be careful," Harry nodded his head while staring at his room. "Oh and two more things, Harry. First, don't tell anyone that you're a shapeshifter until Hogwarts. We need to keep you and everyone else a secret. Secondly, here, all you have to do is think about what you want to wear and snap your fingers. It's that easy to change clothes in a short amount of time. Now come on, I have an idea. I believe that you need to get back your things from the Dursleys?" Harry nodded again still looking at his room. "You can take the others and head out there to collect your things. Well, that is if you decided to stay."
Harry's head snapped to Stacy. "Are you crazy? I would trade for this place in a heartbeat! I'm going to definitely live here."
Stacy laughed. "I thought so." She led Harry this time to the Quidditch field and in no time Harry and the others, except Stacy, were making their way to the Dursleys.