Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
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A.N. J This story is getting along great. Anyway, just as a little side note, the Hail Mary plan would be something like this. In order to siege a castle, you would wheel a giant catapult up to one wall, and fling people over the sides of the battlement. You could also fling flaming corpses. J Mmmmm. Dead ppl.
Willow26- Thanks. Great reviews keep me writing. J
HpFan#1- Thanks. You know, I have considered that, but then I realized the darkness later on would cancel it out, and it wouldn't be as funny later on. Unless, of course, you've very sadistic and enjoy the suffering of others, which would pretty much describe me. J
linky2- J Here's your update.
Leah- Mmmmmm. Blood. Oh, look. Now you've set me off. J Anyway, blood is good. Blood is very good. J Well, I hope it gets bloody. I hope I can write in
all the gore… Thanks 4 the review.
Please Review.
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It was midnight; the shadows at Hogwarts were their darkest. The power pulsed around the school, filling every crevice. Its familiarity teased Harry like hell, but until it revealed itself, or until the wards were off, he couldn't do anything.
Harry James Potter was currently sitting on the windowsill of the Griffendor tower, his legs dangling outside.
The cool night air brushed his face as he sat with his eyes closed, meditating.
His glasses were pushed up into his hair, a futile attempt to keep them out of his eyes, and his scar was revealed to the world.
This night strangely had no stars. The moon was currently in its "new" phase, so the world was dark.
The quietness of the world seemed to calm the boy-who-lived, allowing him to access his powers a bit more freely.
He knew calling to Kira, a midnight phoenix who had taken a liking to him, would strain the wards, but he had no choice. He needed the book of Merlin's wards that the Synticate had in its library.
As Harry softly called out to the world with his power, he could feel the wards start to resist ever so slightly.
Pushing ahead, he could feel his power like rippling muscles, but it could no longer be unleashed.
Sighing, he waited, hoping to hear the wing beats of his friend.
Suddenly, a quiet cry of a midnight animal sounded in the air, and Harry's heart soared as Kira flew closer.
She was already clutching a familiar volume in her talons, and as she landed in Harry's lap, she nuzzled his chest, almost purring.
"Yeah. I missed you too."
Harry said as he ran his hand through the plumage on her head.
As he quickly placed the book on a table inside the room, he smiled sadly at her.
"You're going to have to stay in the hall for awhile. They might capture you if you keep coming to Hogwarts."
Kira warbled sadly, but he could tell she understood. She was smart, smarter than most people he know.
As she turned, ready to fly back, he hugged her as best as he could a bird.
"I'll be back soon enough. Just stay out of trouble, and don't annoy Alex too much, alright?"
As she flew into the dark night, he almost felt like sniffing.
Pushing the thought out of his head, he pulled the book back into his lap, and opened it.
He cursed himself as she remembered that the book was written in Atlantian.
Sighing, he put the book back down on the table, and stared out at the sky, wondering what wanted to keep him at Hogwarts. Whenever the thought of sneaking out of the school came into his mind, something tightened in his chest.
Looking out in the night one last time, he pulled his legs into the dorm, and walked over to bed, carrying the large book.
As he slid between the covers, his last thought was to Nyx, the only person who could translate the book.
**Next Morning**
Dawn had barely arrived when Harry was jolted awake. The strange power was on the prowl. It pulsed around the school, feeding on the excess magic left around the building.
Harry sat up in his bed, and concentrated, trying to feel where the power was coming from. It, however, blocked his less than best attempt, and when he finally gave up, he shook his head.
He had more important things to worry about. Like who was going to help him translate the book.
If he attempted it himself, he would by 30 before he got through the book, and he wasn't planning on waiting that long.
Quietly dressing, Harry sneaked out of the room with his bag, the large ruins book tucked into an extra pocket.
He made his way down to the great hall, and down the stairs to reach the great doors.
Opening them just enough for him to slip through, he quietly picked his way toward the hidden garden near the greenhouses.
As he snuck in, he dropped his bag on the ground, and sighed. He hadn't stretched in ages.
As he pulled off his school robes, revealing his t-shirt and baggy pants, he summoned a small trunk into his hands.
With a flick of his wrists, it grew to a normal size, and when he opened it, he pulled out two sharp katanas.
Closing the trunk, he stepped away from it, and after gripping one in each hand, he started to whirl.
The movements seemed almost like a dance as he fended off imaginary opponents, jumping and moving gracefully.
As the blades cut through the air, it hummed with an invisible power as they flashed in the light.
Finally, after about an hour, as the sun was slowly making its way to morning position, Harry placed the katanas back in the trunk and shrunk it.
Hooking it to a chain, he slipped it around his neck, under his robes, and slipped out of the gardens.
He never noticed Draco Malfoy hiding between the trees, watching silently, like a lethal predator.