Hey, luvs. Sorry about the long wait, but all the computer I used for uploads was down, and I couldn't get anything up for you. Gomen. There wil be another chapter up in a few days to make up for this too, and maybe even the get together of Draco and Harry. Forgive me, luvs.
Miaka
The Guardians and The Past, Part Two,
The Doors
The group of pilots reached the seventh floor without much incident (the Hogwarts students went to the library to study), and Duo led them to a deserted corridor. Quatre told him all about the episode downstairs. Apparently Duo had gone into a sort of trance while he was calling for his pixie, and he began glowing, then rose up into the air. Black wings had burst from his body, and a life sized form of Ilfirin had sort of torn itself from Duo. As soon as Ilfirin was free, Duo lost the wings and fell from the air. And into Heero's arms. Duo regreted not being conscious for that part.
Wufei looked up and down the corridor, seeing no portal to lead them to this Room of Requirement they were meant to go to. "Well, Maxwell, where is it?" he demanded, leaning against a wall and folding his arms. Duo grinned and walked up to Wufei. He paced in front of the Chinese pilot, back and forth three times, then closed his eyes, a crease forming on his forehead as if he was thinking really hard. A moment later, the other pilots gasped, Wufei completely oblivious. He looked confused as the others stared at something behind him. "What?" he snapped.
"Behind you, Wuffie," Duo said, smirking. Wufei turned around, and gasped. There, where he had been standing, where the wall had been clear, was a tall mohagony door with a golden handle. In small embossed letters it said: The Roome of the Requireth, Entere if thee requireth something. Bad, old English grammar, but still a kick ass room.
"Wha..when..." Wufei stuttered.
"Allow me to explain," Duo said, moving in front of the small group. "This is the Room of Requirement. To open it, you must come to the east corridor of the seventh floor, walk back and forth three times, and wish really hard for the thing you want. In response, the school's magic will provide this room for your use. Please do not pass this information around, because not many know of this room." Duo gestured toward the door. "Now let's get this show on the road."
The other pilots nodded, Heero grunting noncommitically, and entered the room. Another round of gasps were heard when they viewed what was inside. It was like a paradise, the perfect place to relax and reflect. Tall green grass spread as far as the eye could see, a clear blue stream flowing through it in the same way. Directly in front of the pilots was a hill, covered with sparse but beautiful flowers, and five rocks. Around these rocks were the Guardians.
Kiaarah lay in the center, her majestic golden brown wings spread out around her. On her back sat Kokatsu, full sized and grinning. Fluttering around the two was Alecea Greenleaf, who let out a cry of delight upon seeing Quatre. Akha-banakh lay near a blue rock, ignoring them all. And finally, Ilfirin, the mischievous dark pixie, hopped from rock to rock, stumbling and righting himself every few leaps. He stopped on the green rock and winked at Duo.
"Heru!!" Alecea cried in her high, squeaky voice. The little faery flitted up to them and landed on Quatre's shoulder. She tugged on his golden hair, trying to drag him to where the other Guardians were. "Come on! We're all here." Obeying, Quatre and the other's headed for the circle of stones and their guardians. Kokatsu backflipped off of Kiaarah and landed in front of Heero, immediately chattering something in Japanese. Heero responded, and the two sat on a patch of grass.
"What'd he say, Hee-chan?" Duo asked, heading over to them. Though all the pilots knew a bit of Japanese, there were times when Heero talked too fast even for them. And Heero didn't make any effort to slow it down for them. He was still kind of miffed about the fact that they could now understand his insults.
"Ko said that we took a hell of a long time and he was growing mold just waiting for us," Heero answered. "He also made a derogatory comment about your braid."
"What?! Why that little..." Duo began.
"I told him that your braid was impractical, but in no way ugly," Heero interrupted. Duo was about to continue ranting, when what Heero said finally registered.
"Heero..." he whispered, staring at Wing's pilot as if he'd lost it, and at the same time as if he'd hung the moon. Heero just grunted and went back to ignoring Duo. Unbeknowest to the braided boy, a mini-sized Kappa resided beside Heero's ear. Ko had shrunk down when Duo wasn't paying attention, and now sat in Heero's hair.
{Tol' ya it would work, Master} Kokatsu said, laughing.
{Hn} Heero responded.
{All that boy needs is a lil' love an' affection, Boss man. Ya give it ta him, and he'll never leave you. Remember that.} Kokatsu jumped out of Heero's hair and scurried away.
Kiaarah approached Trowa and bowed to him. ~Welcome, young Beast Master. We are honoured that you have come~
"It is no trouble, Kiaarah. We only wished to hear the reason you have been chosen as guardians for us, and maybe what you know of our families in this time," Trowa said.
"If it isn't too much trouble," Quatre said, coming to stand beside Trowa.
"No trouble, Heru," Alecea squeaked. "We are here to help you adapt, and protect you. If divulging your pasts will assist in this, then we'll do it."
^And it is Guardians, with a capital 'G'. We might be your servants, but we are not common magical creatures^ Akha added.
"What'd he say?" Duo asked from his place beside Heero.
"Akha says that the word 'guardians' is capitalized," Wufei translated. He looked at Akha. ^No disrespect, Noble One^
^This One takes none, Master^ Both nodded to each other, then turned back to the group.
"So, is there a special process to this, or do we jump right in?" Duo asked. "Are we supposed to chant or something?"
"No, Shinigami, this is not a pagan ritual," Ilfirin piped up. "You simply sit on one of these five rocks, the correct one, mind, and let the rest take its course."
"Sit on a rock, eh?" Duo wondered. All five pilots got up and moved toward the rocks. They chose them at random, and sat down. A split second later they all lay flat on their backs with their Guardians looking down on them in amusement. Duo had been thrown from the blue rock, Trowa from the black, green with Wufei, white with Heero and red with Quatre.
{Beep! Wrong! Please choose again} Ko said, laughing.
"What--" Duo began.
"He said try again, Maxwell. By Nataku, you're taking language lessons before the day is out!" Wufei snapped mildly. Duo shrugged and turned back to the rocks.
"Choose wisely, Shinigami. See with your heart and your past, not your eyes," Ilfirin suggested.
"My heart and past, not eyes," Duo mumbled. "Hm." He carefully examined each rock, then stepped toward the white one. The other pilots stared at him in surprise, sure he would go toward the black one. He grinned sheepishly at them and turned to Ilfirin. "This right?"
"Only one way to find out," the dark pixie said, blue eyes swirling. Duo shrugged and sat on the white rock. Nothing happened and Ilfirin grinned. No one noticed Heero's sigh of relief. "Now tell us why you chose the white rock when your eyes chose the black."
Unsure, but without an immediate escape, Duo let out a breath, then looked at the Guardians. "Heart and past, ne? Well, though not many people know this, chaos is best represented by white, and order by black. Black is a uniform, completely nonviolent color. It is used to represent death and mourning simply for the fact that it is such a calming color," he said. "White, on the other hand, is chaotic and disordered. Misunderstood to be pure, white is the color most susceptible to corruption and deceit. Also, any stains made, sins commited, chaos performed, can be seen clearly on white. The antithesis of order and normality. Exactly as am I."
The other pilots stared at Duo as if they'd seen a ghost. Everyone but Heero. He'd always known that Duo was that deep. Didn't mean he would admit it, though. Wufei wasn't as shocked as the others either, but he was still surprised. He didn't think Maxwell was an idiot, per se, just a little rambuctious. Quatre tried hard not to judge, but Duo had never really given him a reason to think he had a mental capacity larger than a field mouse. As usual, Trowa said nothing. No one could accurately know what went on in that head.
"Correct, Shinigami," Ilfirin said. The dark pixie flew over to Duo and did some quick hand movements over him. A moment later, a large black door appeared before the braided boy. "Go through that when you are ready." Duo nodded and remained where he was. He wanted to hear what the others said. Besides that, Quatre hadn't said he could go yet.
~Your turn, Master~ Kiaarah said, moving away from the rocks and settling down to watch. ~Choose wisely~
Trowa nodded and moved forward, his brain working overtime to choose the right rock. Finally, he settled on the green one, and immediately began talking. "Silence, the forest, the trees, the animals. All are silent to appreciate the life a forest holds. A true forest, one with many secrets, is silent," he said, then sat on the green rock. Nothing happened, and Trowa allowed a smug smile to curl the corner of his mouth.
~Well done~ Kiaarah said. She stood over Trowa and roared, a spell woven into her roar. A dark green door appeared in front of him.
Quatre stepped forward next. "I will go now," he said. He moved toward the black rock and sat down. When nothing happened, he spoke. "The opposite of chaos, order is needed to balance the world. Just like Heaven and Hell, there cannot be one without the other. More like complete emptiness, than any purity imagined."
Alecea clapped, then did the quick spell-weaving Ilfirin had done. "You are right, Heru!" she cried happily, as a pure white door appeared before him.
"It is my turn," Wufei said, bowing to Akha-banakh. He moved toward the red rock and confidently sat down. The others were surprised when the rock threw him off. Standing, Wufei stared at the rock, confused. "I do not understand. Why has it not accepted me?" he whispered.
^This One suggests you take the pixie's advice, Master^ Akha said. Still confused, but obedient, Wufei nodded and moved toward the blue rock. Hm, he thought, heart and past. Heart and past. After a moment, he nodded decisively and sat on the blue rock. Nothing happened (obviously) and he sighed softly in relief. A serious look descended on his face, and he closed his eyes as if remembering something extremely important.
"Life is not always easy," he began. "I myself am proof of that. My existence has been wrought with pain and anguish. But over the years I have learned to calm my anger and thirst for revenge. I have learned to accept everything that comes at me, and move with the tides of change. The blue of this rock upon which I sit signifies the cold calm of the waters, of life, of time. Years of meditation can lead to an absolution of self and peace of mind." Remembered pain could be seen under the thin veil of Wufei's contenance.
^This One regrets the pain Master has had to endure. But Master must remember that Master's pain is what brought This One forth. This One commends Master's strength^ Akha said. The firedrake blew out a thin stream of flame, forming a dark red door. Wufei nodded in acknowledgement.
"Time to see what Hee-chan has to say!" Duo said eagerly. It was really too obvious how much he liked Wing's pilot, always so excited about anything involving him. "Maybe he'll say more than one word this time."
"Hn," Heero muttered in response. He sat on the red rock, the only rock left, and...said nothing.
"Master, ya gotta say something or I can't authorize the manifestation of the Door," said Kokatsu.
"You can speak English?!" Duo gasped.
"Of course. Whaddya think I am, stupid?" Ko retorted. He turned back to Heero. "Come on, Boss man, get this show on the road."
Dispensing with formalities, Heero just dived right in. "Red. The blood on my hands, spilled on the battle field. The blood of innocents, of that little girl and her dog. Red tears shed for a cause, a cause maybe not as worthy of our devotion as we once thought. All I remember before I began working with Odin Lowe is red, fire, pain, anguish. Nothing but the suffering of people. I am the world's suffering. All the Gundams are."
"That doesn't exactly make us feel better, Heero," Quatre said, tears welling in his kind eyes. Being told that he was part of the people's problem wasn't something he could handle without sadness. Trowa immediately reached a hand across the expanse of the circle of stones and patted Quatre's knee. His pale gold engagement ring flashed, causing Quatre's pain to vanish in the face of their impending nuptials.
"Harsh it may be, but true enough," Ko said. {Are your friends ready to deal with their pasts, Master? Many seem too weak to handle the emotional baggage.}
{We have handled it before, I am sure we can handle it again} Wufei answered in Japanese. Ko nodded to the Chinese teen, then performed the complicated hand movements required to summon the Door. A dark blue door appeared before him, the exact shade of Ko's scales.
"Okay, so we passed the first test. Now what are these things?" Duo asked, gesturing at the doors.
~They are the Doors of Past Occurence. Generality would demand that they be called portals to the earlier days. You will see your pasts in them, and at the same time, the pasts of your Guardians.~
"Oh. Well that makes perfect sense," Duo said sarcastically.
"Want us to break it down for you, American? How about this? Go through the door, see the past, come out. Simple, ne?" Ko said. Duo glared at the blue Kappa and Ko grinned back. He turned to the other pilots and saluted them. "So, who's first?"
Silence reigned for several moments, until a rustling sounded and Wufei stood up. "I will go," he said in his usual straight-forward way. Nodding to Akha, he put his hand on the knob of the red room. He scanned the faces of the other pilots, accepted the encouraging nods of Heero and Quatre, and stepped through the door.
***
"Chimaera tales are valued for the Luck Potion because its bad luck properties, combined with lace wings, null each other, allowing the four leaf clovers picked on the night of the new moon to have more room to work its magic. Also, these ingredients are used to thicken the potion, since four leaf clovers are too weak to create a proper consumable substance..." Harry recited dutifully. Hermione nodded and turned the page of the Potions tome. After lunch the Gryffindors had Potions with the Slytherins. It would no doubt be an interesting period, but it would be even more entertaining if Harry could counter every question Snape asked.
"Good. Now what are the properties of burnwort, and how is it different from blisterweed?" she asked. Harry groaned.
"Why do we have to study on the first day, Hermione?" he whined, turning away from the large textbook. "It's the first day of summer term, for Merlin's sake!"
"Better early than never, Harry Potter. You had better study. If you want to become an Auror you will have to get better at Potions. Right Draco?" Hermione said, turning to look at the smirking blond. Draco waved his hands in protest.
"I'm not part of this argument," he said. "But Hermione is right, Harry. Aurors need potion-making skills. You have to do good in Potions. It is N.E.W.T. level, even if it didn't say it on your schedule. You must have at least gotten an Exceeding Expectations on your O.W.L.s."
"I got an Outstanding," Harry muttered. "But that doesn't mean anything. Even Neville got an E without Snape breathing down his neck."
"Point," Draco conceded. "But you still have to study. I'm sure you don't want to lose House points the first day. The way you Gryffindors act, you'd most likely be alienated for a week for every 50."
"Not all Gryffindors are that narrow-minded, Draco," Hermione said. She shot the Slytherin a sly look. "About a lot of things." At that moment, Blaise came back from the Restricted Section with the book he'd been looking for, something about Morphmaguses and their role in Dark Arts over the centuries.
"I wonder how those foreign students are doing?" he said, dropping the heavy tome between Hermione and Draco. "It's already been half an hour and they aren't back yet."
"I don't know. They went with their Guardians, but to do what, I don't know," Hermione answered.
"Something about the reasons they have Guardians in the first place," Draco said. "Duo told me that he was sure most students didn't gain a Guardian when they select a wand."
"True," Blaise said. "But then again, not many students come from a time long ahead of us just to protect the wizarding world's savior."
"What is there relationship to Harry, anyway?" Hermione asked. Harry looked up curiously as Draco opened his mouth to answer. After all, he had been there when Dumbledore explained it all.
"Dumbledore told us an interesting little story about a man named Kamui Lowe, and a boy named Odin," he began. "Apparently, Kamui Lowe's real name is Kamui Potter, and he was the half-brother of James Potter. That would make Odin Potter-Heero, to us- your cousin, Harry."
Harry stared at Draco, disbelieving. He couldn't possibly have family. It just wasn't possible. He was meant to be alone, always.
"You aren't meant to be alone, Harry," Hermione said. He realized he had been talking aloud, and blushed. "I'm beginning to think Dumbledore isn't the man we believed him to be. He has put so many ideas in your head, done so many things that harm you more than help you."
"Like what?" Blaise asked, curious. Harry turned away and hid his face, afraid of what Hermione might say. It was true, he was coming to trust these two Slytherins, but the truth about his life could be used in so many ways.
"Well, in truth, Harry is the only one who can tell you this," Hermione said, looking to her raven haired friend. This surprised Harry. Usually she told his secrets 'for his own good'. Looks like he wasn't the only one who had changed over the summer.
"You can tell them, Hermione. Tell them the little things. The rest will be kept for another time." The message was clear. You will hear more when I trust you. Hermione nodded and turned back to the Slytherins.
"Well, first off, Dumbledore sent Harry to live with Muggles that hate him and his magic above anything in their tiny, close-minded world," Hermione began.
"Really? I always thought Potter grew up in a house where everyone adored him. Where he was treated like a king," Blaise murmured, confused.
"Many believe that even now," Hermione said. "But it isn't true. There's more to it, but that story is for another time. Anyway, Dumbledore comes in again when Harry is eleven, manipulating him to his every whim at all times. Remember that Philosopher's Stone incident and all the others that followed? All Dumbledore's little tests to build pluck and courage to fight a losing battle at a young age. And the final straw..."
Draco and Blaise leaned forward, breath held in, anxious to discover something else the illustrious headmaster of Hogwarts had done.
"The last straw can be kept for another time also," Hermione finished with a grin. "Right now we have to study. Now Harry, answer my question from earlier. The properties of burnwort and its differences from blisterweed."
Harry groaned but answered dutifully. "Burnwort is a plant used to feed baby dragons, with little red veins in its leaves that can be punctured and the juice harvested for feeding. It can be used in potions to cancel out the cold feeling one sometimes gets, or to intensify it to the point of non- consumption. It is different from blisterweed in the point that it does not burn when touched, and because blisterweed is fed to full grown dragons, the only animals that can stomach it. Both plants are said to give third degree burns..."
While Harry recited from his Potions text, somewhere in a little room high in a tower, a teenaged boy passed through a door and entered a world of fire.
***Tsuzuku or TBC***
Anyone who wants to draw a piece of fanart for this fic, please contact me at the mail address in my profile. I will be hosting a fanart contest for my fic at my ML. ^_~ Hope to see some mail from you!
Miaka
The Guardians and The Past, Part Two,
The Doors
The group of pilots reached the seventh floor without much incident (the Hogwarts students went to the library to study), and Duo led them to a deserted corridor. Quatre told him all about the episode downstairs. Apparently Duo had gone into a sort of trance while he was calling for his pixie, and he began glowing, then rose up into the air. Black wings had burst from his body, and a life sized form of Ilfirin had sort of torn itself from Duo. As soon as Ilfirin was free, Duo lost the wings and fell from the air. And into Heero's arms. Duo regreted not being conscious for that part.
Wufei looked up and down the corridor, seeing no portal to lead them to this Room of Requirement they were meant to go to. "Well, Maxwell, where is it?" he demanded, leaning against a wall and folding his arms. Duo grinned and walked up to Wufei. He paced in front of the Chinese pilot, back and forth three times, then closed his eyes, a crease forming on his forehead as if he was thinking really hard. A moment later, the other pilots gasped, Wufei completely oblivious. He looked confused as the others stared at something behind him. "What?" he snapped.
"Behind you, Wuffie," Duo said, smirking. Wufei turned around, and gasped. There, where he had been standing, where the wall had been clear, was a tall mohagony door with a golden handle. In small embossed letters it said: The Roome of the Requireth, Entere if thee requireth something. Bad, old English grammar, but still a kick ass room.
"Wha..when..." Wufei stuttered.
"Allow me to explain," Duo said, moving in front of the small group. "This is the Room of Requirement. To open it, you must come to the east corridor of the seventh floor, walk back and forth three times, and wish really hard for the thing you want. In response, the school's magic will provide this room for your use. Please do not pass this information around, because not many know of this room." Duo gestured toward the door. "Now let's get this show on the road."
The other pilots nodded, Heero grunting noncommitically, and entered the room. Another round of gasps were heard when they viewed what was inside. It was like a paradise, the perfect place to relax and reflect. Tall green grass spread as far as the eye could see, a clear blue stream flowing through it in the same way. Directly in front of the pilots was a hill, covered with sparse but beautiful flowers, and five rocks. Around these rocks were the Guardians.
Kiaarah lay in the center, her majestic golden brown wings spread out around her. On her back sat Kokatsu, full sized and grinning. Fluttering around the two was Alecea Greenleaf, who let out a cry of delight upon seeing Quatre. Akha-banakh lay near a blue rock, ignoring them all. And finally, Ilfirin, the mischievous dark pixie, hopped from rock to rock, stumbling and righting himself every few leaps. He stopped on the green rock and winked at Duo.
"Heru!!" Alecea cried in her high, squeaky voice. The little faery flitted up to them and landed on Quatre's shoulder. She tugged on his golden hair, trying to drag him to where the other Guardians were. "Come on! We're all here." Obeying, Quatre and the other's headed for the circle of stones and their guardians. Kokatsu backflipped off of Kiaarah and landed in front of Heero, immediately chattering something in Japanese. Heero responded, and the two sat on a patch of grass.
"What'd he say, Hee-chan?" Duo asked, heading over to them. Though all the pilots knew a bit of Japanese, there were times when Heero talked too fast even for them. And Heero didn't make any effort to slow it down for them. He was still kind of miffed about the fact that they could now understand his insults.
"Ko said that we took a hell of a long time and he was growing mold just waiting for us," Heero answered. "He also made a derogatory comment about your braid."
"What?! Why that little..." Duo began.
"I told him that your braid was impractical, but in no way ugly," Heero interrupted. Duo was about to continue ranting, when what Heero said finally registered.
"Heero..." he whispered, staring at Wing's pilot as if he'd lost it, and at the same time as if he'd hung the moon. Heero just grunted and went back to ignoring Duo. Unbeknowest to the braided boy, a mini-sized Kappa resided beside Heero's ear. Ko had shrunk down when Duo wasn't paying attention, and now sat in Heero's hair.
{Tol' ya it would work, Master} Kokatsu said, laughing.
{Hn} Heero responded.
{All that boy needs is a lil' love an' affection, Boss man. Ya give it ta him, and he'll never leave you. Remember that.} Kokatsu jumped out of Heero's hair and scurried away.
Kiaarah approached Trowa and bowed to him. ~Welcome, young Beast Master. We are honoured that you have come~
"It is no trouble, Kiaarah. We only wished to hear the reason you have been chosen as guardians for us, and maybe what you know of our families in this time," Trowa said.
"If it isn't too much trouble," Quatre said, coming to stand beside Trowa.
"No trouble, Heru," Alecea squeaked. "We are here to help you adapt, and protect you. If divulging your pasts will assist in this, then we'll do it."
^And it is Guardians, with a capital 'G'. We might be your servants, but we are not common magical creatures^ Akha added.
"What'd he say?" Duo asked from his place beside Heero.
"Akha says that the word 'guardians' is capitalized," Wufei translated. He looked at Akha. ^No disrespect, Noble One^
^This One takes none, Master^ Both nodded to each other, then turned back to the group.
"So, is there a special process to this, or do we jump right in?" Duo asked. "Are we supposed to chant or something?"
"No, Shinigami, this is not a pagan ritual," Ilfirin piped up. "You simply sit on one of these five rocks, the correct one, mind, and let the rest take its course."
"Sit on a rock, eh?" Duo wondered. All five pilots got up and moved toward the rocks. They chose them at random, and sat down. A split second later they all lay flat on their backs with their Guardians looking down on them in amusement. Duo had been thrown from the blue rock, Trowa from the black, green with Wufei, white with Heero and red with Quatre.
{Beep! Wrong! Please choose again} Ko said, laughing.
"What--" Duo began.
"He said try again, Maxwell. By Nataku, you're taking language lessons before the day is out!" Wufei snapped mildly. Duo shrugged and turned back to the rocks.
"Choose wisely, Shinigami. See with your heart and your past, not your eyes," Ilfirin suggested.
"My heart and past, not eyes," Duo mumbled. "Hm." He carefully examined each rock, then stepped toward the white one. The other pilots stared at him in surprise, sure he would go toward the black one. He grinned sheepishly at them and turned to Ilfirin. "This right?"
"Only one way to find out," the dark pixie said, blue eyes swirling. Duo shrugged and sat on the white rock. Nothing happened and Ilfirin grinned. No one noticed Heero's sigh of relief. "Now tell us why you chose the white rock when your eyes chose the black."
Unsure, but without an immediate escape, Duo let out a breath, then looked at the Guardians. "Heart and past, ne? Well, though not many people know this, chaos is best represented by white, and order by black. Black is a uniform, completely nonviolent color. It is used to represent death and mourning simply for the fact that it is such a calming color," he said. "White, on the other hand, is chaotic and disordered. Misunderstood to be pure, white is the color most susceptible to corruption and deceit. Also, any stains made, sins commited, chaos performed, can be seen clearly on white. The antithesis of order and normality. Exactly as am I."
The other pilots stared at Duo as if they'd seen a ghost. Everyone but Heero. He'd always known that Duo was that deep. Didn't mean he would admit it, though. Wufei wasn't as shocked as the others either, but he was still surprised. He didn't think Maxwell was an idiot, per se, just a little rambuctious. Quatre tried hard not to judge, but Duo had never really given him a reason to think he had a mental capacity larger than a field mouse. As usual, Trowa said nothing. No one could accurately know what went on in that head.
"Correct, Shinigami," Ilfirin said. The dark pixie flew over to Duo and did some quick hand movements over him. A moment later, a large black door appeared before the braided boy. "Go through that when you are ready." Duo nodded and remained where he was. He wanted to hear what the others said. Besides that, Quatre hadn't said he could go yet.
~Your turn, Master~ Kiaarah said, moving away from the rocks and settling down to watch. ~Choose wisely~
Trowa nodded and moved forward, his brain working overtime to choose the right rock. Finally, he settled on the green one, and immediately began talking. "Silence, the forest, the trees, the animals. All are silent to appreciate the life a forest holds. A true forest, one with many secrets, is silent," he said, then sat on the green rock. Nothing happened, and Trowa allowed a smug smile to curl the corner of his mouth.
~Well done~ Kiaarah said. She stood over Trowa and roared, a spell woven into her roar. A dark green door appeared in front of him.
Quatre stepped forward next. "I will go now," he said. He moved toward the black rock and sat down. When nothing happened, he spoke. "The opposite of chaos, order is needed to balance the world. Just like Heaven and Hell, there cannot be one without the other. More like complete emptiness, than any purity imagined."
Alecea clapped, then did the quick spell-weaving Ilfirin had done. "You are right, Heru!" she cried happily, as a pure white door appeared before him.
"It is my turn," Wufei said, bowing to Akha-banakh. He moved toward the red rock and confidently sat down. The others were surprised when the rock threw him off. Standing, Wufei stared at the rock, confused. "I do not understand. Why has it not accepted me?" he whispered.
^This One suggests you take the pixie's advice, Master^ Akha said. Still confused, but obedient, Wufei nodded and moved toward the blue rock. Hm, he thought, heart and past. Heart and past. After a moment, he nodded decisively and sat on the blue rock. Nothing happened (obviously) and he sighed softly in relief. A serious look descended on his face, and he closed his eyes as if remembering something extremely important.
"Life is not always easy," he began. "I myself am proof of that. My existence has been wrought with pain and anguish. But over the years I have learned to calm my anger and thirst for revenge. I have learned to accept everything that comes at me, and move with the tides of change. The blue of this rock upon which I sit signifies the cold calm of the waters, of life, of time. Years of meditation can lead to an absolution of self and peace of mind." Remembered pain could be seen under the thin veil of Wufei's contenance.
^This One regrets the pain Master has had to endure. But Master must remember that Master's pain is what brought This One forth. This One commends Master's strength^ Akha said. The firedrake blew out a thin stream of flame, forming a dark red door. Wufei nodded in acknowledgement.
"Time to see what Hee-chan has to say!" Duo said eagerly. It was really too obvious how much he liked Wing's pilot, always so excited about anything involving him. "Maybe he'll say more than one word this time."
"Hn," Heero muttered in response. He sat on the red rock, the only rock left, and...said nothing.
"Master, ya gotta say something or I can't authorize the manifestation of the Door," said Kokatsu.
"You can speak English?!" Duo gasped.
"Of course. Whaddya think I am, stupid?" Ko retorted. He turned back to Heero. "Come on, Boss man, get this show on the road."
Dispensing with formalities, Heero just dived right in. "Red. The blood on my hands, spilled on the battle field. The blood of innocents, of that little girl and her dog. Red tears shed for a cause, a cause maybe not as worthy of our devotion as we once thought. All I remember before I began working with Odin Lowe is red, fire, pain, anguish. Nothing but the suffering of people. I am the world's suffering. All the Gundams are."
"That doesn't exactly make us feel better, Heero," Quatre said, tears welling in his kind eyes. Being told that he was part of the people's problem wasn't something he could handle without sadness. Trowa immediately reached a hand across the expanse of the circle of stones and patted Quatre's knee. His pale gold engagement ring flashed, causing Quatre's pain to vanish in the face of their impending nuptials.
"Harsh it may be, but true enough," Ko said. {Are your friends ready to deal with their pasts, Master? Many seem too weak to handle the emotional baggage.}
{We have handled it before, I am sure we can handle it again} Wufei answered in Japanese. Ko nodded to the Chinese teen, then performed the complicated hand movements required to summon the Door. A dark blue door appeared before him, the exact shade of Ko's scales.
"Okay, so we passed the first test. Now what are these things?" Duo asked, gesturing at the doors.
~They are the Doors of Past Occurence. Generality would demand that they be called portals to the earlier days. You will see your pasts in them, and at the same time, the pasts of your Guardians.~
"Oh. Well that makes perfect sense," Duo said sarcastically.
"Want us to break it down for you, American? How about this? Go through the door, see the past, come out. Simple, ne?" Ko said. Duo glared at the blue Kappa and Ko grinned back. He turned to the other pilots and saluted them. "So, who's first?"
Silence reigned for several moments, until a rustling sounded and Wufei stood up. "I will go," he said in his usual straight-forward way. Nodding to Akha, he put his hand on the knob of the red room. He scanned the faces of the other pilots, accepted the encouraging nods of Heero and Quatre, and stepped through the door.
***
"Chimaera tales are valued for the Luck Potion because its bad luck properties, combined with lace wings, null each other, allowing the four leaf clovers picked on the night of the new moon to have more room to work its magic. Also, these ingredients are used to thicken the potion, since four leaf clovers are too weak to create a proper consumable substance..." Harry recited dutifully. Hermione nodded and turned the page of the Potions tome. After lunch the Gryffindors had Potions with the Slytherins. It would no doubt be an interesting period, but it would be even more entertaining if Harry could counter every question Snape asked.
"Good. Now what are the properties of burnwort, and how is it different from blisterweed?" she asked. Harry groaned.
"Why do we have to study on the first day, Hermione?" he whined, turning away from the large textbook. "It's the first day of summer term, for Merlin's sake!"
"Better early than never, Harry Potter. You had better study. If you want to become an Auror you will have to get better at Potions. Right Draco?" Hermione said, turning to look at the smirking blond. Draco waved his hands in protest.
"I'm not part of this argument," he said. "But Hermione is right, Harry. Aurors need potion-making skills. You have to do good in Potions. It is N.E.W.T. level, even if it didn't say it on your schedule. You must have at least gotten an Exceeding Expectations on your O.W.L.s."
"I got an Outstanding," Harry muttered. "But that doesn't mean anything. Even Neville got an E without Snape breathing down his neck."
"Point," Draco conceded. "But you still have to study. I'm sure you don't want to lose House points the first day. The way you Gryffindors act, you'd most likely be alienated for a week for every 50."
"Not all Gryffindors are that narrow-minded, Draco," Hermione said. She shot the Slytherin a sly look. "About a lot of things." At that moment, Blaise came back from the Restricted Section with the book he'd been looking for, something about Morphmaguses and their role in Dark Arts over the centuries.
"I wonder how those foreign students are doing?" he said, dropping the heavy tome between Hermione and Draco. "It's already been half an hour and they aren't back yet."
"I don't know. They went with their Guardians, but to do what, I don't know," Hermione answered.
"Something about the reasons they have Guardians in the first place," Draco said. "Duo told me that he was sure most students didn't gain a Guardian when they select a wand."
"True," Blaise said. "But then again, not many students come from a time long ahead of us just to protect the wizarding world's savior."
"What is there relationship to Harry, anyway?" Hermione asked. Harry looked up curiously as Draco opened his mouth to answer. After all, he had been there when Dumbledore explained it all.
"Dumbledore told us an interesting little story about a man named Kamui Lowe, and a boy named Odin," he began. "Apparently, Kamui Lowe's real name is Kamui Potter, and he was the half-brother of James Potter. That would make Odin Potter-Heero, to us- your cousin, Harry."
Harry stared at Draco, disbelieving. He couldn't possibly have family. It just wasn't possible. He was meant to be alone, always.
"You aren't meant to be alone, Harry," Hermione said. He realized he had been talking aloud, and blushed. "I'm beginning to think Dumbledore isn't the man we believed him to be. He has put so many ideas in your head, done so many things that harm you more than help you."
"Like what?" Blaise asked, curious. Harry turned away and hid his face, afraid of what Hermione might say. It was true, he was coming to trust these two Slytherins, but the truth about his life could be used in so many ways.
"Well, in truth, Harry is the only one who can tell you this," Hermione said, looking to her raven haired friend. This surprised Harry. Usually she told his secrets 'for his own good'. Looks like he wasn't the only one who had changed over the summer.
"You can tell them, Hermione. Tell them the little things. The rest will be kept for another time." The message was clear. You will hear more when I trust you. Hermione nodded and turned back to the Slytherins.
"Well, first off, Dumbledore sent Harry to live with Muggles that hate him and his magic above anything in their tiny, close-minded world," Hermione began.
"Really? I always thought Potter grew up in a house where everyone adored him. Where he was treated like a king," Blaise murmured, confused.
"Many believe that even now," Hermione said. "But it isn't true. There's more to it, but that story is for another time. Anyway, Dumbledore comes in again when Harry is eleven, manipulating him to his every whim at all times. Remember that Philosopher's Stone incident and all the others that followed? All Dumbledore's little tests to build pluck and courage to fight a losing battle at a young age. And the final straw..."
Draco and Blaise leaned forward, breath held in, anxious to discover something else the illustrious headmaster of Hogwarts had done.
"The last straw can be kept for another time also," Hermione finished with a grin. "Right now we have to study. Now Harry, answer my question from earlier. The properties of burnwort and its differences from blisterweed."
Harry groaned but answered dutifully. "Burnwort is a plant used to feed baby dragons, with little red veins in its leaves that can be punctured and the juice harvested for feeding. It can be used in potions to cancel out the cold feeling one sometimes gets, or to intensify it to the point of non- consumption. It is different from blisterweed in the point that it does not burn when touched, and because blisterweed is fed to full grown dragons, the only animals that can stomach it. Both plants are said to give third degree burns..."
While Harry recited from his Potions text, somewhere in a little room high in a tower, a teenaged boy passed through a door and entered a world of fire.
***Tsuzuku or TBC***
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