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CHAPTER 15: Training Commences

Harry woke suddenly. It was still dark out but the clock over the right of his bed glowed, showing the time to be 11:30. A loud noise came from the left. Harry looked over, cautiously. What was next to him? It was Sirius, snoring. Harry stifled a laugh. He poked his godfather less than gently. There was no response from the log known as Sirius. Harry tried again, still no response. Grinning wickedly, Harry got out of bed and conjured a bucket of ice water. He jumped it over Sirius. The thirty-four year old jumped up with a start. Sirius looked around wildly to see who or what had woken him. His eyes landed on Harry.

"You're going down," Sirius said in a quiet voice that reminded Harry eerily of Snape when he was in a really bad mood. Harry gulped nervously.

"S-Sirius, I'm your god son, remember? Surely you wouldn't want to hurt me!" Harry protested feebly. He backed up into the wall and closed his eyes, ready for the worst. A minute later Harry was every bit as cold and wet as Sirius.

"Ha!" Sirius cried victoriously. "That'll teach you not to wake me up again." Harry scowled at his godfather and cast as charm to dry himself. Sirius did likewise. Once dry, both were fully awake.

"You know, we have a couple of problems," Sirius said slowly, holding up his hand. "First, we have no clothes other than what we came in and these pajamas they provided us with last night. Second, we have no way to get around this house by ourselves, and third we only know the bare minimum about what's happening in this time. That's dangerous." He counted off the things on his fingers.

"Hey Sirius," Harry said.

"What?" Sirius asked.

"Look!" Harry said, pointing to the pillows. Sirius reached over and grabbed the two objects and a note.

Dear Sirius and Pops, (Harry scowled)

These are your apparation charms. The dog head ring is for Sirius and the lightening bolt bracelet is for pops. Not too original, but oh well. Anyway, how they work is once you put them on you either imagine a room or person you would like or need to visit. Once you're dressed, come to me and I'll give you a map of the house, or at least what you can see of it.

Artemis

P.S. When you go in the bathroom you'll find clothes waiting for you. Just leave your pajamas there.

"Well," Sirius remarked. "That's interesting." Harry slipped on his bracelet and headed to the bathroom.

"No fair!" he heard Sirius yell. "I wanted to go first!"

"I, er, um, well, you see," Hermione stammered. Time seemed to stop as Severus looked at her intently. She took a deep breath and started again.

"I was having a nightmare you see," she began. Severus nodded, that was something he could understand all too well. "And then I woke up and looked over at you and you seemed to be have one yourself so I guess I got into your bed on a compassionate impulse so we'd both sleep better." Though he looked almost hurt, Severus didn't reply for at that moment something appeared on the pillow. Wordlessly, he picked up the note on top while Hermione picked up the two other things. They were both thin, silver chains that had a single charm on each of them. One was a gold dragon, the other a square with a strange design. Severus read the note aloud.

" Dear Hermione and Severus,

These are your two apparation charms that will allow you to get around in the house. The dragon is Hermione's and the other is obviously Severus's, since it's the Snape family crest."

"That's the Snape family crest?" Hermione asked, interested.

"Yes," Severus answered, looking hatefully at the object.

"- Once you're wearing these, and make sure you have them at all times, just think of a person or place you need or want and you'll go there immediately. Once you've dressed, just think of me and when you get here I'll give you a map of the house, the parts you can go in anyway. I hope that'll help.

Artemis

P.S. As to clothes, just go in the bathroom and you'll find some laid out for you. Just leave what you're wearing there.

"So," Severus asked. "Do you want the bathroom first?"

"All right," Hermione agreed. As she got up Severus grabbed her arm.

"Don't tell anyone about the Hall of Time," he said in a low voice. Hermione nodded, she hadn't planned on dong so anyway.

"All right," Severus said once they were both dressed, he in his normal black robes but Hermione in clothes exactly like what Artemis or the other girls wore, her top a semi-dark brown and her earring a skull (A/N: can anyone guess what determines the earring?). "Let's go." Hermione nodded and they both concentrated on Artemis. The next thing they knew they were in a kitchen. Artemis looked up from her plate and beckoned for them to come sit down.

"Okay," she began once they had seated themselves. "Here are your maps, keep them safe and on your person all the time you're in the house, which I suspect will be the entire time until you're sent back to the present. I've highlighted the room you need to go to today." Severus looked at his map.

"The training room?" he questioned. Artemis nodded.

"To stop Voldemort from completely the ritual, you'll need training to stop him. He has an entire plan worked out and we don't know what it is entirely, so you'll have extensive training until you're sent back," she told them both.

"I thought you knew exactly what was going to happen," Hermione said softly. Artemis looked away, seeming almost ashamed.

"When Selina went back, she altered it enough so that things have changed. You're parents death, for example, was one key thing. Do you remember how she said that Voldemort came to 18 Hollow Ave June 21st? Well your parents have already been killed, and Voldemort's entire strategy changed," Artemis admitted. "So we don't know what to expect. We hope that this is a good sign, that things will change for the better, but we can't be certain. Now why don't you eat breakfast? You have about half-an-hour before you need to be there." Hermione nodded, but Severus had already begun to take food.

Half-an-hour later Hermione and Severus appeared in the training room. It was a room, entirely black save for a single light in the middle of the ceiling. Gathered beneath it was Harry, Sirius and Draco.

"Where's everyone else?" Hermione asked, she and Severus walking over to them.

"Good, you're here. Now we can begin."

"Salazar," Severus greeted him. His future son stepped into the light.

"None other," Salazar replied.

Ginny, Padma, and Ron were gathered around a small table in a room that had no specific name. Cherie stood at the head of it. She laid out a map. The people from the present saw it was one of Hogwarts, even more detailed than the Marauders' map, because not only did it have excruciating detail of the castle, but also all of the surrounding land for about ten miles.

"The castle is where the battle will take place," Cherie said, dead serious.

"I thought you said you didn't know what was going to happen anymore," Ginny said, equally as serious. Cherie smiled grimly.

"We don't know what fate has in plan, however we know exactly what we want to happen and so it shall," Cherie said. "If none of you ever leave Hogwarts than Voldemort will have no choice but to come to you. You are here to help me plan the best defense possible, and learn the best techniques and far as strategizing go. I have a list of all your fighters, down to the very last goblin and vampire. The entire fight counts on how it is carried out, so the entire fate of your time, and mine, is resting on your shoulders. Can you handle it?" One by one the three nodded. "Then let's get to work."

Selina lay on the hard, cold floor of her cell, barely conscious and still losing blood. Her hand tried to grip something feebly, as if she were looking for a way out. Lucius kicked it and spat on her.

"Pathetic," he snarled.

"You still don't have any information!' Wormtail hissed, maybe she's not so pathetic. The dark lord will be…displeased." Lucius paled.

"You bitch," he whispered horrifyingly. "I'll be back." But she didn't hear him, she was unconscious.

Shocked, gasp, no way! 80! Thank you all so much! Next Chapter: You'll see Salazar's and Cherie's training and then once the day is over, it's back to the Hall of Time! Now everyone guess who the traitor is! You can do it! Don't you want everyone to see your name online when we find out who it is? Normal comments: girl for Harry, etc. still apply.