Riddle of the Chapter:
Chapter 9: He is lying. Even though he's lying when he says "everything" he says is a lie, some of the things he says can be a lie, and this is one of them.
A Family for the Dragon
Chapter 10: Another Picnic?
Things always seem to happen during them…J
By: Madame Moony
"Severus? Hermione? Remus? Draco?" called the headmaster walking into Severus's rooms.
"Albus! What a pleasant surprise!" said Hermione running out of the potions lab attached with Severus's rooms. Her hair was messed up and her clothes were ink stained and rumpled, but her eyes shone with excitement.
"Hello, dear. Is Severus or Remus here? I would like to explain all at once instead of three different times," said Albus smiling.
"Yes-"
"Albus! How are you?" cut in Remus as he walked out of the potions lab.
Like Hermione, his clothes were ink stained and rumpled, his eyes didn't show excitement, but raw hope that maybe that the curse of his life would finally be lifted.
"Fine, fine! Now is Severus here or is it-"
"Albus! What happened?" said Severus walking into the room.
"My boy, I hope you don't think I always visit you for bad news. No, I have good news this time. Why don't we sit down?" said Albus his eyes twinkling.
"So what is this good news?" asked Hermione curiously.
"Well, I was consulting my calendars, and asking around when I realized that everyone mostly has off tomorrow. No plans or anything of that sort. Therefore, I decided that tomorrow would be a wonderful day to have a PICNIC! So am I here to ask you to join Minerva, Marthie, Edward, and me on our picnic. I must insist you stop research for a day at least," said Albus.
"Oh that would be wonderful...but we would lose one whole day of research," said Hermione.
"Now, my dear, are you close?"
"Yes, quite. We just need to do some more research then we can create the incantation!"
"Then one day of rest won't hurt you. It might even help by clearing your mind."
"I agree with Albus, Hermione. Draco would also probably enjoy some time away from the castle and us," said Remus after some deep thought.
"You go, I will stay and research," said Severus abruptly.
"No! I must insist you come, my boy," said Albus.
"I will not waste my time with such idiocy," said Severus scowling.
"Severus, do you remember our agreement at the beginning of the summer?"
"What that order that you bestowed on me about two hours of potions, etc."
"Yes, now as you know, you have been spending way more time here then just two hours. So you have to make up that time, by coming tomorrow. Please, Severus," said Albus. Severus sighed knowing there was no way for him to escape. Albus rarely ordered Severus out, but when he did, he made sure that Severus would go outside.
"Good, good. Now I will see you all at breakfast tomorrow at the Great Hall. I must go ask Prof. Louver if she would like to join us," said Albus and waltzed out of the room. After a minute or so of silence, they all went back to their business.
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"Hermione, Severus," said Remus as Hermione, Severus, and Draco entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next day.
"Hey what about me?" said Draco making an adorable sulky face.
"Of course, what was I doing forgetting the almighty King Draco?" kidded Remus ruffling the six-year-old's hair. The next half an hour passed by fast as they all made small talk while they ate. Then as the clock struck nine, Albus cleared his voice for silence and started talking.
"I am glad to see that we are all here. Does anybody have any ideas about where they want to go?" asked Albus.
"How about Lover's Arc this time?" said Minerva.
"Or we could go to the Meadow of Willows," remarked Marthie.
"Yes, but I think Lover's Arc would be a little more fitting don't you?" said Remus jokingly.
"Yes, I think it would," said Severus dryly. After a little arguing, everyone put a finger on the portkey.
"Wow!" said Hermione and Katrina looking around at the flowers and woods that surrounded a little road.
"Yes, it is quite beautiful. Shall we, Minerva?" said Albus holding his hand out for his ladylove.
"Edward?" asked Marthie before also setting off with the tiny man.
"I guess that just leaves us? Doesn't it, Hermione?" said Remus laughing at Hermione's awe-struck expression leaving Katrina, Severus, and Draco alone.
"Well Draco?" said Katrina smiling tightly. Draco just laughed and ran off. With a little shrug, Katrina started walking after him. Severus stared after her for a second, before following. After passing many beautiful blooming flowers and huge shady trees, the group soon arrived at the perfect picnic spot. Sitting down under a tree, Remus and Hermione were soon joined by Severus then Katrina.
"So Katrina how was Draco this week?" asked Remus lightly.
"Oh, he is such a lovely boy," said Katrina happily.
"Where is our lovely boy right now anyway?" asked Hermione.
"Oh he was running around some where," said Katrina looking around for Draco.
"There he is!" said Remus happily laughing at the boy running around. Soon after, they fell into comfortable silence. Severus slyly looked at the other people sitting near him.
'Remus certainly looks happier now. I wonder if it is the break or the fact that we are so close to the cure. Hermione has definitely changed, for the better. Two years ago, she would have been talking about school chattering on and on, but she doesn't any more does she? Why is she (Katrina) smiling like that? She is obviously not having fun. What, is she missing her boyfriends?' thought Severus glancing repeatedly at the Arthimancy professor. Suddenly the world started spinning out of control. Severus felt as if he was falling into a vortex of white bright light mixed with the blackest of black. Suddenly the world righted itself, leaving Severus in a white room. (If anyone has seen the Matrix, then remember the white room in the beginning of the movie! Just like that)
"Where am I? Who are you?" snapped Severus at the man sitting in a leather chair in the room. The man smiled indulgently before gesturing to another chair in the room.
"Do sit down, won't you. I am Edward, Magician Supreme, King of the Cosmos, in Merlin's Council of Six, etc. I am here to inform and train you."
"What? But aren't you dead?" asked Severus thoroughly shocked.
"Yes, my body has passed away. But my spirit stayed in this dream world to train you to succeed me as the King of the Cosmos."
"Oh," said Severus, which was obviously not one of his more brilliant answers.
"Yes, now I have to tell you much. You are the next King of the Cosmos or the wielder of the powers of the Sun, Moon, Planets, and Stars. I will teach you in the next two weeks about your powers and how to control them..." started Edward.
Slowly Severus started learning more and more the he thought possible. He learnt how to throw balls of burning ice and freezing fire. He learnt how to stop time and change day to night and so on. He worked hard training physically, mentally, and magically. Being pushed to the limits, he became better then a Master Dueler and learnt how to throw curses worse then the Unforgivables. Two weeks later, Edward called Severus back into the white room.
"Severus, my boy, I have taught you all I can. It is time you go back to the real world and put a wrong to right. You must not judge people so fast my boy, there is always more then seen by the eye. Remember if you need me, I will always be inside you, the Sun, the Moon, the Planets, and the Stars. Now go!"
Meanwhile in the real world only ten minutes had passed. The others believed that Severus had gone into a shock and worked hard to revive him, but to no avail. Suddenly Katrina moved away from the others and sat down in the woods. Raising her hands to the sky, she called out in her mind,
'Rowena, former Queen of the Mystics, guide me!'
Suddenly everyone heard a voice out of nowhere.
"Yes, my daughter, he is one of us. Let him be, he shall come back to you and yours."
As these words were heard, Albus also went into a type of shock. Before Albus realized he was also in a white room facing Merlin!
"Merlin! Aren't you supposed to be dead?"
"Yes and no. You are just seeing my spirit; my body has passed away. I am still here only to inform you and train you. You are to be the next Protector of the Elements."
"But where am I?"
"You are in a dream world."
"I suppose I am here to be trained?"
"Yes, now the first part of your training is wielding and using the elements...."
For Albus it seemed like two weeks passed by as he trained with his new powers. After a talk that was similar to Severus's, Merlin soon sent Albus back into the real world. In the real world, another ten minutes had passed as neither Albus nor Severus had woken up. Suddenly a beam of silver light surrounded Severus's body. Slowly he rose as light erupted from his body. As he floated down, everyone noticed how he was dressed in dark blue robes lined with silver and spotted with little moons, stars, planets, and suns. In his hand appeared two small, but deadly knives of intricate workmanship. As this was happening, a red light surrounded Albus' body causing him too to rise into the air. As he floated down, he was adorned with beautiful red robes lined with little symbols of Water, Wind, Fire, and Earth. Next to him a great staff carved intricately made with symbols appeared. As they touched the ground, they opened their eyes and looked on to the real world. Severus turned around and looked at Katrina, gasping out a faint "you" before falling to the ground in a dead faint. Albus only stared at Katrina wondering.
"I suppose we should go back to Hogwarts, I trust everything will be explained then."
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A relatively short chapter, but definitely filled to the brim. Who is Katrina, and what is her secret? What happened? All will be found in the next chapter, Chapter 11!
♥ Madame Moony
p.s. Read and REVIEW!