Chapter 5 – Magic Command

(A/N: I might've told you about this, but the flashbacks ARE NOT IN ORDER) Flashback

"Sir, you wanted to see me?" he stepped into Dumbledore's office, looking at the familiar objects that were scattered around the room. As he looked into the headmasters eyes he felt the usual overwhelming sense that he was not alone echo through his body. Dumbledore nodded in confirmation.

"Yes Harry. I have something to discuss with you, please take a seat" Harry sat.

"Harry, something very serious is about to happen and I am going to need your full co-operation in what is about to come" he paused looking at Harry, waiting for affirmation. Harry nodded curiously... something serious?

"Yes, Harry, I can see what you are thinking and the answer is yes. Something very serious. I am going to need your help" he paused again, this time to pull something out of a drawer in his desk. Harry watched it avidly, wondering... wondering...

"Inside this envelope is something very important Harry. Do now open it just yet, you will know when to open it" he handed it over and Harry felt it up and down, trying to find out what was inside, but willing to do as the headmaster commanded. He looked up, expecting to see the ever-present twinkle in his headmasters eyes, instead, a grave look replaced his normally sparkling eyes.

"Harry, this is very important. What is inside that envelope is yours and yours alone. No one else will be able to open it and no one else can claim it. It is yours. It is something that cannot be taken from you. Be careful." He absently opened the tin of lemon drops that was on his desk, still deep in thought.

"Sir, Can I come and see you tomorrow? I wanted to ask you about the Dark Arts homework we have, but it's sort of late now..." he trailed off, waiting for an answer.

"Better do it now Harry, I may not be around tomorrow" Harry looked scandalised by the mere idea and scowled at his professor, but pulled his bag out anyway. Dumbledore smiled a small sad sort of smile at him, which he slowly returned.

"Lemon drop?"

End Flashback

Silence filled the ward.

It was, oddly enough, the silence that comes just before a war; the calm before the storm; deaths last decision and life's last hope. It was, however, peculiarly satisfying for Sebastian.

It might have been the surprise that had melted onto Hermione's face, the way all colour drained from her face as she looked at him, the way her mouth had fallen open into a perfect O shape, and the fact that her hands had fallen limp to her side. Or it might have simply been the almost-pain he saw in her eyes.

"Never?" her voice was small and suddenly he saw the old Hermione pocking through. His lips curled in a show if disdain.

"Never" tears slowly formed on her cheeks and rolled down, dripping off the end of her nose onto the floor. Harry laughed.

"You're gonna have to take better classes than that Hermione. Do I look like an idiot?" almost a foot taller than her, with short blond hair and furious blue, almost grey, eyes he didn't look like and idiot at all. She gulped and took a step backwards, shaking her head quickly in denial.

"Good, I don't particularity feel like one either. That won't be changing anytime soon" there was only nodding for the stunned Hermione; it seemed all she was capable of. His eyes narrowed in obvious dislike and he glared at her.

"I hate you" Hermione held in a laud sob and Harry's eyes, if possible, narrowed even more.

"Now, if you wouldn't mind leaving while I talk to Ron?" no, she certainly didn't mind. She left.

"How did you do it mate?" Ron's voice was chocked, emotional.

"Do what?"

"You know mate"

"Make Hermione go? I asked her to le – "Ron interrupted him, looking surprisingly angry.

"Please Harry. Just tell me, how would be nice, but what I'd really like to know is why" there was silence, and for a moment Ron was sure that Harry was not going to answer.

"My name is not Harry now, it's Sebastian" a slow tear trickled down Ron's cheek, he hurriedly wiped it away, not wanting Sebastian to see that his answer had hurt him. But Sebastian was observant however. He saw.

"It's called magic Ron, a little thing you might have heard of" Ron blinked stupidly at Sebastian and the aforementioned sighed in resignation, taking a seat on an empty bed.

"Ummm... magic, well, I might have guessed that" Sebastian looked pleased.

"You're further than I thought you were, well, that's good, you know that magic exists. Next, have you heard of a sort of magic called war magic?" Ron nodded, fascinated.

"Good, well war magic isn't just magic to do with war, well I guess it is, but healing is as much a part of war as the killing bit is. But, the catch is, it takes a lot of power to control war magic. A lot. And, of course, it takes a while to learn it, the quickest anyone has completed the training is after two hundred and sixty-eight years, so like I said, it's hard to learn. But, if you have the right materials, then you can do it" he looked at Ron, checking the red headed boy was still with him.

"There are different branches to complete, and when I say different I mean diverse, and when I say that, I mean diversity, and when I say that, I mean a lot of diversity. It takes about a Century to complete one branch, so, out of the several million there are, not many have managed to get that far. It's understandable, no?" Ron nodded; yes.

"Voldemort has those powers. He has two of the most common and, of course, most powerful there are; Control and Increase, as well as that he knows a little elemental, but that's all he has – "he was interrupted however by Ron.

"ALL HE HAS?" Sebastian looked completely non-plus and nodded, looking almost confused.

"Mmm, but anyway –"

"ALL HE HAS?" it looked as if red and white were battleing on Ron's face, it was a splotchy red in some patches and paper white in others. Sebastian simply looked annoyed.

"Yes Ron. All he bloody well has! Now if you will let me continue I can finish the story!" Ron looked down, still muttering slightly under his breath.

"But, he can't use the elemental until he has at least one hundred years experience, or until his tutor lets him, it's sort of like using magic in the hallways; you end up either getting a detention or some punishment or other. Anyway, Tom seems sort busy at the moment so I doubt that he'll be able to start controlling elemental any time soon. Still, best to be prepared" he looked at Ron, who seemed to have forgotten that he was meant to be spluttering over the fact that Voldemort had control of two branches; he was immersed in the story.

"So, anyway, that's it" Ron looked disappointed, then confused and after that mildly angry.

"That's it? Don't I get to ask questions?" Sebastian nodded reluctantly.

"Ok, well, first question, how did you heal me?"

"Later"

"Fine. Second question; why did you heal me?" Sebastian looked at him as if he was stupid.

"You really don't want me to answer that"

"Yes I do"

"Fine"

"Tell me! Wait... what did you say?"

"Fine"

"Wonders never cease"

"I was bored" he said it so blandly Ron almost choked. Sebastian looked over at him with his arms folded.

"Why else?"

"Oh, I don't know"

"Then what's wrong with my answer?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all"

"Riiiiight... Well, on with your interigation"

"Great. Third question; have you, or have you ever had Battle Magic?"

"Yes and yes" silence greeted this statement.

"What 'branches' do you have"

"I think you might mean 'what's the answer to life the universe and everything'"

"No, I mean what branches do you have?"

"No, you mean 'what's the answer to life the universe and everything'"

"Fine! I mean 'what's the answer to life the universe and everything!'" Sebastian smirked.

"Now, that I can answer, well at least, I know the answer, I can't take credit for it, only one man deserves that and his name is Douglas Adams, great guy"

"Yes, now, what's the answer?"

"42"

"42? Oh right, I should have known, 42, I mean how obvious"

"You asked for it" Ron sighed.

"Yeah, I suppose I did"

"Yes. You did"

"Still, I want to know what branches you have, I'm curious, that's for sure, but that's all thanks to you, so don't go trying to change the subject on me!" Sebastian looked down at his own bed, the white sheets so perfectly pulled and the pillow fluffy, but not excessively, and sighed in resignation.

"Ok Ron. No interrupting though, some if this, actually, most of this, is going to come as a surprise to you" Ron nodded his understanding and pretended to seal his lips.

"Ok, these are the braches I've got, ready?" Ron nodded again.

"You really don't want to tell me this do you?" It was Sebastian's turn to nodd.

"Not at all mate. Not at all"

"Go on"

"Ok, ok, I have Necromancy, Telepathy, Elemental, Sight, Wandless Magic, Increase, Evaluation, Knowledge, Truth, Silence, Shifting, Fault and my strongest, as should be obvious, Healing" Ron only just managed to get his jaw off the floor.

"Told you. 42 divided by 3. Life. The Universe. Everything. 14 x 3. That should have been obvious" Ron shook his head sadly.

"It wasn't. Trust me. It wasn't"

"I make a habit of not trusting anyone who says 'trust me'"

"Good to know"

"Yeah"

"So, that's it, really?"

"Really really. On this, you just gotta trust me"

.