A/N: Damn, sorry again guys, but I'm on vacation, a short one mind you, now, so I should be able to get back up to speed.

Unfortunately I've been really really tired recently.

Now then.

Clow and blood.  How could Neville do all that he did in his first flying lesson and only get a broken wrist?

Needing magic to activate an item to see the future.  If you want to get right down to it the first type of Foresight requires magic because it is magic.  It's just not " wizarding magic."

As for needing magic to use tarot cards to truly see the future and past.  Look at what Clow does with his foresight, the Wilds.  He tossed himself out to get the raw stuff needed to make souls for his guardians.  All souls are connected to it to a certain extent, all things are connected to it.  Thus intent and direction from the mind can effect how things will fall.  Am I making sense?  I'm tired and my eyes itch.

"…so alike it made every nerve dance with aching hurt."  That is Yue seeing the sameness between Clow and Sakura and it is so pointed and poignant to him it is physically painful to him.

The Obi guy seems to be a one shot.

Fear not, I will describe Tomoyo's masterpieces in detail.

Nothing planed with the Patils.  Trelawny is going to be HITTING on Clow for a while, the man is every seer's wet dream.  I don't LIKE Ginny, at all.  Neville is going to have a part simply because he's in Harry's year and he's useful, now that I'm writing him I find I rather like him.  I did drop a serious hint in an earlier AN which it seems has been missed.

By the way.

You have my official permission to pity The Twins.

No obsession with pocky.  If you were paying attention you would have caught on, likewise to spiking the pocky.  Clow spiked himself so to speak.

As for everything else, the explanations of lineage, the protections.  Well, y'all are assuming WAY WAY too much.  Protection can take many forms, as can harm.

And lineage.  THINK PEOPLE!  First person to figure out the two ways that they are going to deal with the lineage issues by the next Wednesday...  Hmn...  I can't draw, I can color and alter pics…I can write…OKAY!  First person to figure it out by the Wednesday (and hasn't been told!) gets a Clow/Snape lemon written by me!  Or a Clow/Yue.  Choice is yours.

Chapter Seven, Finally.

Or, In Which We Get Back To Hogwarts And Eriol And The Hogwarts Gang Make Appearances

"Oh Hell."

Golden flatware clattered against plates, tables and the stone floor.  Goblets crashed to the floor along with several students.  All eyes, save for the ones that weren't glazed from shock or closed from fainting and receiving a concussion were focused on the Headmaster.

Dumbledore had just *cursed.*  Professors simply did not curse, it just wasn't done, Snape came close to it, but he managed to be insulting without being crude.  Dumbledore of the friendly twinkling eyes most certainly did not.

But he just did.  In a quiet, matter of fact, "By Merlin what my eyes are telling me simply cannot be true, I would restart my brain but I know it won't do any good," tone of voice.

In short an "Oh Hell," tone.

Before fire could rain from the skies and people running mad in the streets/corridors and the four horsemen mount up Dumbledore stood up and made an announcement.

"Classes are cancelled for the day."  Before there was joyful students running mad in the corridors he continued, "So is today's Quidditch game, which will be rescheduled," that calmed the protest that had started to rise in the collective throats of the students.  "Seventh years will aide the Professors in preparations while Prefects will guide the rest of their Houses to the Dormitories and guard the exits.  Any student," he paused and gazed around gravely, not a twinkle in his eye, "And I do mean any, found outside the Dormitories will share punishment with their Prefects which can go up to, and includes expulsion."

Murmurs rippled outwards like a still pool disturbed, whispers, shock.  Dumbledore continued, "House elves will place refilling plates in the common rooms, they will be slow as the kitchens will be operating with the bare minimum.  They will be up to clean the rooms in the morning during breakfast so make sure your personal possessions are stored."

He glanced down at the paper in his hand.

"Dress robes are not required tomorrow, but they must be clean and pressed, am I making myself clear?"

A resounding yes answered him from the assembled student body, like soldiers.  It dimmed his heart, spell fodder and warriors, too young all of them for the up coming war, but at least now it was only a battle to get Hogwarts into top shape for tomorrow.  Honestly, it was like dropping a notice his school would be hosting the TriWizard Tournament the day before the other schools arrived.

"Good, now get along now," he smiled to reassure them and made a gesture, and the Prefects herded them out, leaving only the Seventh years behind.  Dumbledore was very glad that the Weasley twins were only in the Sixth year.

"We must get Hogwarts into tip top shape for tomorrow, every stone cleaned, every crack repaired.  So bone up on your cleaning charms everyone, we have work to do."

And they did, cleaning and shining, de-squeaking, and repairing side by side with they army of Hogwart's house elves.  Dumbledore himself spent several hours altering the spell in Great Hall's ceiling.  First fixing it at a cloudless midday before slowly edging the moon in for a total eclipse to honor their 'guest' and from where he drew his power.  The stars shone bright as the rim of the sun in the artificial midday midnight.

P.S.  Don't bother with dress robes Albus-kun.

~*~*~*~*~

"Who is this Clow Reed guy anyways?"

Harry looked up at Lee Jordan who had asked the question.  He then looked expectantly at Hermione who always had the answers, interest sparking in his eyes over who could get Dumbledore, bloody hell, the entire Hogwarts staff to jump like that despite the tired smudges under his eyes.

"I don't know, he certainly wasn't Great Wizards of the Century.  I think, maybe, a Reed was mentioned in connection to the Founders in Hogwarts, A History, but I don't know which one, and my copy is in the library!"

Ron smiled laughingly at her and teased her gently, "You mean you haven't memorized it yet 'Mione?"

She slapped his shoulder smiling, though, "Oh shush you!"

Harry nibbled on a sandwich from the magically refilling plate Dumbledore promised and looked at Neville who looked like he had something to say but was afraid to.  He briefly met Harry's eyes and was strengthened by a small smile, and still looking at the timid boy, "I'm curious as to who it is too."

"Yeah!  What if he's some sort of Dark Wizard or something?!"  There were many answering affirmative calls agreeing with Ron's sentiment.

Neville finally screwed up his courage and spoke up, "He's not a Wizard!"

He shrunk back as everyone's eyes focused in on him.

It was Hermione that encouraged him, "Go on Neville."

"Uhn...T-thanks Hermione.  I-I read about him in a book Professor Sprout suggested to me."

Everyone crowded around Neville as the new source of interesting information.  Neville seemed to be heartened by this, even growing slightly proud.

"He was famous for bringing Medical herbs from the East to the West which were used to cure the several diseases in Wizarding world a few years later."  There were some mumblings about this, the most common one being, "So?"

Neville quickly went on to try and regain some of his newfound popularity, "I uh was curious so I looked up some more stuff on him and he's really really famous, but it can't be him you see."

"'Course it's him Neville, no one ruffles Dumbledore's feathers, so he has to be really really bloody famous!"

Neville looked unsure but educated his brethren, "His Da was from Britain and his Mum was from some really big Wizarding clan in China.  He was famous for making a whole new kind of magic and for being the best Seer since the Oracle at Delphi."

There were snorts from all around, "Oh come off it Neville, you've seen Trelawny, you can't seriously tell us you believe that tripe!"

"No it's true!  He didn't use stuff like she does.  He simply told people what was going to happen, in plain English.  You know those cures I was talking about?  He told people how to make 'em and what was coming!"

"So he is a Dark Wizard!  He brought diseases over so he could peddle false cures!"

Hermione tuned the boys' bickering out and considered, a new kind of magic?  That sounded familiar.

"Neville!  What did you say about a new kind of magic?"

Neville looked relieved as he had been getting nervous around the verbal beat down he was getting from his housemates.  He nodded rapidly, "Uh huh!  Clow Reed made a bunch of cards."

There was a collective blink from all the wizard born, and all the muggle born who studied compulsively.

"...Not the, Clow Cards, is it Neville?"

A nod and mummers swept though the common room.

Harry jerked on Hermione's robe to get her attention and hissed into her ear, "Clow Cards?"

She whispered back, "Very powerful magical items which are also spells, you have to have magic to use them.  Said to be one of the most potent magical items in the whole world."

Harry was about to open his mouth to ask a question but Neville started talking again.

"They say he knew Merlin personally, some people think he might even *BE* Merlin.  He was over thousand years old, without the Elixir of Life 'coz he outlived his wife.  But ya see, the books all say he *died* a couple of Centuries ago looking not a day over thirty, if that."

Well, at least now they knew why he wasn't in Hermione's book.

~*~*~*~*~

Clow Reed was feeling slightly winded.  Even for him four transcontinental Aparations, and one from Hong Kong to Japan was a bit much.

It was late now, he had allowed Tomoyo to take notes one his robe before going to Scotland to drop Yue off to deliver the messages.  Now he had left the guardian in China to deal with his family while he himself now leaned against the shrine's cherry tree.

Tomoyo was asleep he could tell from here, it was after all very late.  Sakura was awake, and he could tell, without scrying, that her sun guardian was trying to convince her to sleep.  It was all well and good that she wakeful during Britain's daylight hours save for one thing; she rarely slept at all, it wasn't healthy.

The Kami of the cherry tree stirred under his fingers.  Not physically, magically, yes, but also spiritually.  It did so in recognition of the one who had planted it and placed so much magic into it, enough for it to become a kami spirit.

It wasn't sentient, not even to the extent that the cards were, even the book itself.  It was benevolent though and it embraced him.    He would have had any of his guardians here, but he was in a delicate position, neither living nor dead, and outside the balance he had so carefully crafted.  He could not have them here, it was not his magic any more, all that was left was this tree.  It would be enough, more than enough, he would not need it he simply slept and worked in the morning.  But he did not have the time, he had to ensure everything went right and perhaps he could repair the balance.

So he pressed his back flat against its bark and shrunk his staff to its key state and hung it about his neck.  Both hands were at his sides, palms to the bark, fingers curled lightly against it.  He had a brief second thought and pocketed his glasses.  He laughed nervously to himself as he dropped his hand back to its place.  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he carefully released the bonds he had placed on his "Gift" and bound it to the tree with utmost delicacy.   It was chilling how his "Gift" was stronger than ever because he had been dead.  So every bind to keep the visions away was in truth a protection for those around him and his own sanity.  So he undid his wards one at a time and bound himself to the tree with equal precision; the world did not need another Time Tree.

And without further ado he slipped into the time stream.

~*~*~*~

The Tree was still to his back, rising up and up though the levels of time to join somewhere above in the realm of the Wild, just as his own thin silver thread joining to his own soul did.

He wasn't that far "out," about the level automatic speakers got their voices from.  He looked around and saw each thread of someone's soul, glints of magic and some twining together.  He recognized some, touched more in his previous life.

He also saw Time.  It was, twisted, broken, but healing, like a bone knitting together, though some strands did not match up in some places.  It looked as if some strange and perverse god had ripped them free of their moorings and deposited them down in another place that did not quite match up.

It was the first time he had ever seen anything like this, even his own thread had been altered.

Clow could touch the unifying existence, or at least come close to it and drag some of it back down with him, but he was not a god.  He had learned long ago to let things go if he could not change them, if he didn't he would go mad.

So he let it pass over him, indeed, he even embraced it, his foresight shouldn't be too far off if at all.  Hopefully the god that had hijacked them would put them back unharmed when it was done.

He stepped up to a core of magic, as there were many and not just one, and came face to face with a surprise.

Apparently his foresight wasn't working properly.

"Hello Clow," Eriol greeted.

=====

A/N: YES I KNOW I CHANGED THE TWIN'S YEAR.  But I want them in Hogwarts.