"No, he hurt me. Slashed at my chest then disappeared back into the trees, growling. It was odd behavior for an animal, I realize that now. Once I'd patched myself up I made my way here. The rest you know." Alaster finished.

"But that still doesn't explain why you don't seem to really [I] know [/I] anything," Daniel said.

"I know plenty, young Emmortal. Your line like only a few others came down from your fathers side, and thus the surname has not changed," Alaster gave a little smile. "Or only a bit. For they were once known as the Immortals. For the line never faltered or died out. There were always many healthy children and they had many more. They had long lives as well. Is it not true that your great-great grandfather is still alive and kicking around at nearly one hundred and six?"

Daniel and his sisters gaped. Alaster went on. "I know the family history of every one of you. Some more than others, that's true, but only because the powers of some were more easily hidden."

Suddenly Starlight leaped into the room, a black streak. She yowled, startling them and then turned and stared at the doorway. A second later, Cora bustled through. "Blessed Hell that's tricky. Almost didn't think I'd make it inside." Her eyes lit on Alaster and she frowned. "Oh. You're here."

"Make yourself comfortable Cora," Rose said. "Raine here," She motioned her head to Alaster. "was just about to explain what he knows about us all." Her tone was wary and waiting.

"I see. That's good, as that's exactly what I came here to find out." Cora said. With a casual ease, she sat on the floor, tailor fashion, directly in front of Alaster. "We didn't get to discuss it previously, due to unfortunate interruptions of a Potion Master sort."

"That's what started the discussion for us actually," George said. "Snape's been meeting a woman outside this room, and giving her information about us. He," meaning Alaster, "has an idea who she is, and apparently she's someone he wasn't expecting to find here."

"I see," Cora hummed a moment under her breath then said, "Well don't let me stop you Mister Alaster Raine. Please continue." She fastened her blue eyes to his face and waited. So did the fifteen other people in the room. Alaster cleared his throat, frowned at himself and began again.

"As I said, some of your powers were more easily hidden. Like," he thought for a moment. "Neville's gift with growing things." He smiled, proud that he'd managed to use the correct name. "That's a common enough gift to go reasonably unnoticed over the centuries. Except when it gets out of control of course." They all looked at him, mystified. He frowned. "Jack and the Beanstalk… the fairy tale. One of your ancestors had a hand in that one. I told you already, Muggles aren't all as blind or as stupid as some wizards seem to think. That actually happened. Course there wasn't really a giant in the clouds… I don't think. I mean that'd be,"

"Alaster, you're rambling." Cora said, in her Professor Jameson voice.

Alaster came back to the room with an almost audible thud from where ever he'd been. Making Ron and Harry smile. Hermione had done the same thing from time to time. He blinked owlishly at her down on the floor for a moment before picking up where he'd gotten side tracked. "Ginny's is also easy to hide as magic. The women with your gift were merely talked of as having an affinity for animals, often they were caregivers, and in these more modern times, veterinarians. Of course, being witches, there was more often than not a bit of a potion mixed into the medications they prescribed." He smiled at Ginny. "I'm personally convinced that the man who wrote about a Dr. Dolittle met one of your ancestress and made the character a man because of societies rules." He beamed at a shocked Ginny.

"Alaster." Cora said again, in her Professor voice.

This time he barely paused before going on. "Others, like Rose's are harder to hide." He glanced at the girl in question. "Someone who throws fireballs about is bound to be noticed." He smiled then. "It was always devilishly hard to clean up afterwards. Granted most of your predecessors managed to hold their tempers most of the time, but they wouldn't have the true gift if it didn't get away from them every once in a while. And when it did, Raines cleaned up. For there was not always a Ministry of Magic around for memory wipes or abuse of magic laws. Even now that there is, we still tried to handle your family ourselves, as your gifts were rather unusual." He looked at Rhia then, an eyebrow raised in silent question, but she said nothing.

"We took care of the Emmortal sisters as well. For they are always sisters and most often twins. And have been responsible for some mighty storms in days past. The powers of Wind and Water are not altogether pleasant when angered." He turned to Ana then. "Only two times in the past, during a Gathering of the Guardians, have your ancestors ever been angry enough to lose control. And I for one am grateful for that. The power of the Earth is even harder to hide than that of Fire." He very nearly shuddered then and Ana looked worried. Daniel flashed a smile at her.

"And what of us?" Daniel asked. "Fred, George, Ron and I? We have no monumental powers." He gave a wicked grin. "At least none I'm aware of."

"Ah but you do. You were always fascinating warriors. My father used to tell me tales of your deeds…" Alaster smiled ruefully, "I'm ashamed to say that I sometimes wished to have been of your lineage, rather than my own. For yours didn't have to be wary of glory, or hidden in the shadows. I'm fairly sure Lancelot, the true one, was a relative of yours, and Finn MacCumhail of the Fianna is a sure bet as well." At Ron's startled glance at his brilliantly red dannikit, Alaster added. "The Fianna were the famed warriors of Ireland, and Finn the most famous of all." This time, before Cora could drag him back the present, he brought himself. "But that's not really important."

"Of course it is. But if you don't get to the rest of them soon, you're going to have a bunch of starving Shard Guardians on your hands Raine. It's nearly supper." Cora said.

"Perhaps we should wait then," Alaster said.

"If you stop there, skipping five of us, you'll have more than starving Guardians on your hands, they'll be furious as well." Monica said.

Alaster grinned. "Your family Miss Reed was one of the hardest to follow, for it jumped around and vanished many a time. In fact I thought it had faded from the world a century or two ago. All it did was move to America."

"And what's wrong with that?" Monica asked, her violet eyes looking a bit dangerous.

The many staunch Brits in the room managed not to comment. Alaster's grin wobbled. Draco finally managed to say, "Nothing I'm sure." His tone seemed to mollify her, though it had also rendered Harry and the Weasleys into gaping fish. They stared at him, and Harry thought dizzily that this… former… snob had previously held American witches and wizards only slightly above Muggles on the social scale.

"Anyway, your ancestress were probably making brilliant healers and doctors while we thought them lost. It was another gift easily hidden." Alaster told her. Then he turned to Draco and his eyes grew shadowed. "Your ancestors were easy to follow, for except in the generations where a Gathering was needed, they were… closely associated with the Serpent. And [I] He[/I] was never one for hiding." Draco's eyes went cold and Alaster went on. "The two times a full Gathering has come to pass, your true name has crept out in the family. And so your name is that of your Atlantean ancestor. The one who carries the name of the Dragon is a Guardian. Regardless of his own past, or that of his family."

Heedless of the turmoil he left after a remark like that, Alaster turned back to Hermione. "Your gift Hermione was once common enough that your ancestress needed little protection. Then the world changed and smart women were ridiculed, and hidden. Even as it was debated in some circles whether or not they even had souls, these women worked to hide themselves, and make sure that your gift, a thirst for knowledge, did not die. Not only do you thirst for learning, but everything you learn you keep. A talent learned is never lost with you." He smiled at the stunned expression on her face. Then turned his attention to Rhia and Harry.

To Rhia he said, "Your gift is a mystery to me. All I know of it is that you hide it well, for not a single member of my family has ever known it. In all the centuries we've guarded the Guardians, only one thing is known of you. As you know it already, I won't say it here." He looked at Harry for a silent moment. "You, were easier to follow than some, harder than others. Your gift varies with the times. Sometimes the rods are needed, sometimes not. They are an instrument of control. Without them your power, at full strength, is deadly to you and to others. It seems, since they have come to you during this Gathering, that you will need them. That in turn means that this time you are very important. You have already met and defeated the Serpent four times. And this means that you are the heart of this whole affair. Again."

"What does that mean, exactly?" Harry asked, his mind perfectly blank of all thought. It merely waited, as they all did.

"It means… that we have a LOT of training to do. And we must all have nourishment and rest to do it. So let's go to supper." Alaster said finally.

He started out of the circle and nearly fell on his face after tripping over Starlight. She'd purposely blocked his step. He tried to step over her and got a foot long scratch on his calf for the trouble. "I don't think you're going anywhere Alaster," Cora said. "You can't just stop like that. It's rude."

"She's right. You can't tell a guy he's the heart of something that spans centuries and then expect him to calmly go and eat his dinner," Ron exclaimed. Harry was staring at Alaster, green eyes wide.

Alaster sighed. "Not centuries. Millennia." He turned back to Harry after Starlight gave him a warning hiss.

"What?" Ana asked.

"The Shard you wear Harry, is the heart of the Sunstone. When the Serpent has become aware of that fact in the past, Gatherings of the Guardians were needed to protect it and you. The other Shards are powerful, but if yours falls into his hands, the whole of it will turn evil. For the Sunstone was only as good as those who Guarded it. And it's heart… the heart is what turns it. Just as our hearts drive us to Good or to Evil." Alaster paused.

"That's why Lianna Shattered the Sunstone, to get the Heart away from the Serpent." Rhia said softly. "With the Shattering, Atlantis was lost, but without it, the world would have been lost."

"She knew the cost. As did all who followed her. The other Guardians, Your ancestors." Alaster said.

"But then, how did the Heart get to Harry's Ancestor? Why didn't it stay with Lianna? And how is it that Her five daughters weren't even born until after the Shattering, but two of the Guardians come from her? And why aren't the other sisters Guardians as well? For that matter, why are some siblings Guardians and others are not? And why don't the father's lines seem to have any effect on the family at all?" Hermione asked in one breath.

"The bloodlines of the father's had effects, just not magical ones, unless of course the Ancestor was a man. Which is the case for every man in the room." Alaster answered her.

"But all the siblings? They have the same ancestor. How does that work?" Neville asked.

"Bloodlines have crossed at Gatherings past. Others were destroyed and alternates brought in, until the alternates were the primaries, or there were no alternates. The crosses meant that siblings would be born with Guardian gifts, or without them. This is true for the Weasley line, and for that of the Emmortals. The Jamesons were never crossed with any other and it never seemed to matter who they married. There are always five daughters. No more, no less, and no sons. One daughter with the Shard line on her right palm, always has the Fire in her. Rose. Another is the secret one, Rhia. The others support them in their tasks, themselves guardians of the Guardians, as I am. Though some are more open about it." He smiled at Cora, who nodded. "And others… others have to be hidden."

"Like Moira," Hermione said, "Who we haven't met, but who we know has been here."

"Who?" Draco asked.

No one heard him because both Reggie and Lynne erupted with, "Who is the fifth sister then?"

"She is working, and that works keeps her from being here to help us." Cora said. Alaster caught her eye, questions evident on his face. After a moment, a light bulb seemed to flash behind his eyes and he nodded, then frowned down at the floor. Starlight had followed him around so that she was once again on the floor in front of him. He stared at her as Harry spoke.

"But in the painting, there was no one at the Spire but Lianna at the end. Where did there rest of us come from?" Harry asked. "It doesn't make sense to me that I have the Heart when Lianna carried the burden."

"Painting?" Alaster asked, looking up hurriedly. "What painting?"

"The one in Dumbledore's office of the Fall of Atlantis. It's like watching a film of the events." Reggie said.

"It actually exists?" Alaster asked. He looked amazed.

"Now don't start that again Raine, " Rose exclaimed.

"I never saw such a painting." Draco said.

"Neither did I," Monica added.

"Rhia didn't see it either. None of them were Guardians then." Harry said.

"We'll get it from Dumbledore tomorrow then. If it is what I think it is, we'll need to see it several more times, and from several different angles before I can explain everything. Including how Barak, I mean Harry, ended up with the Heart of the Sunstone. But that really does have to wait until tomorrow. It takes careful phrasing and I'm going to need the night to get it right. Now, can we please go to supper? We're late already and if someone happens to notice that all of us are together so much, the information could get to the wrong ears." Alaster said to the room at large.

"Though my curiosity is not wholly satisfied, I suppose you're right," Rose said. "We'll leave scattered. It wouldn't do for the 17 of us to pop through a window into the hall all at once."

Cora stood up. "That's a fine idea. Alaster and I will go first. I need to speak with him about a class schedule. And we need lesson plans. We'll see you at dinner." She took a surprised Alaster by the hand before he could say a word and headed for the door. As she stepped through it she called back, "Rose and Rhia, I'll be wanting to talk to you later this evening." Then she pulled Alaster after her.

"That was odd," Rose said.

"After all that information that just got flooded at us, that was what you found odd?" Fred asked.

Rose looked at Rhia. They both had the same slightly puzzled expression in their eyes. "You have no idea how odd that was." Rose said. She shook her head slightly, then added, "All right next pair out the door."

Erian gave a yowl and climbed from Ginny's lap to her shoulder. From his perch, he trilled down to Andra, who with a lazy stretch, made her way to Neville's shoulder. "I guess we're next," Ginny said with a grin. She stood up, sent one complicated glance to her three brothers and headed for the door. A slightly nervous Neville followed her, as he was getting three steely blue glares at the back of his head.

"I'm not sure how I feel about that…" Ron said.

"You don't feel a thing Ron, because there's nothing wrong. Let's go. I want to stop at the library on the way to supper. I've got a few books I want a glance at," Hermione pulled Ron out of his seat and towards the door.

He sent a beleaguered look to Harry, who shrugged. Ron dug in his heels before they went through the door. "You're not really going to make us miss the first course of supper are you?" He asked Hermione plaintively. She smiled, but didn't say a word as she pulled him through.

"That would be an interesting argument to watch," Fred said to no one in particular.

"Yes, trying to separate Hermione and books, or Ron and food…" George added.

"They'll probably yell and bicker all the way down the hall," Fred guessed.

"More likely, they'll argue all the way to the Library," George said, "Where she'll manage to get one book before Madame Pince boots them both out for being too loud."

"Then they'll argue about who's fault is was that they got into trouble all the way to the Great Hall," Fred said.

"Where they'll sit in a huff for a few minutes, while Ron fills his plate and Hermione skims her book."

"And finally, he'll grin and offer her something from his plate, which she could just as easily have gotten herself, she smiles, takes what ever it is and the argument is over and all's forgiven." George finished, grinning at them all.

"Done this before have they?" Monica asked.

"Only enough times to keep the memories fresh," Fred said with a grin of his own.

Rose looked at the twins, then at the door. "Okay, I have to see if you're right. I'm going. Remember, leave scattered, no big groups." She stood up, scooped up Vestan into her arms and started for the door.

"We'll go with you," George said. "To see if we're right." Fred gave his brother a surprised look, but he followed as Rose and then George went out the door.

"Are they all acting as strangely as I think they're acting?" Ana asked, "Or is it just because I don't know them that well?"

"I think it might be a little of both," Harry said. He still had a smile on his face from the twins' perfect description of his two best friends.

~

"So who's next?" Rhia asked. Reggie and Lynne stood up and stepped toward the door. Neither of them said a word. Both looked tired and thoughtful.

"I hope they're all right," Ana said.

"They'll be fine," Daniel said. "Just the same, I'd like to leave next. I want to keep an eye on them at dinner."

"I'll go with you." Ana stood up, Segan curled in her arms. "We'll just keep with the pairings."

"Good idea," Daniel said, draping Phantom over his shoulder. "See you all at dinner."

Then it was just Draco, Monica, Rhia and Harry left behind. Monica looked at Rhia, then at Draco. "Rhia, would you walk with me? I've got a few questions…" Monica asked.

Rhia blinked and glanced over at Harry. "Uh… Sure Monica. Let's go then." The two lovely ladies swept from the room, leaving Draco and Harry alone. They exchanged uncharitable glares.

"Look Malfoy, I don't want," Harry started.

"Thank you," Draco interrupted.

"You're welcome. Why are you thanking me?" Harry asked.

"Because you could have told Monica the real reason I don't have a dannikit. But you didn't." Draco said.

"Consider that the favor I owed you." Harry said after a moment.

"Right. We're even then." Draco stated.

"Right." Harry responded. Kali'na waved a paw at Draco. "You go first. It wouldn't do for the two of us to be seen leaving a room together."

"No. It wouldn't." Draco said, with a slight smirk.

In perfect accord since the first time they met, Harry smirked back. As soon as Draco was out the door, Harry shook his head dazedly. "At this rate we'll be friends before the first Quidditch match," He told Kali'na as he waited.

***

Outside the classroom, Draco was staring at a door. He'd gone a little beyond the window into the Guardian Room. And was now looking at a particular… familiar looking closet door. It was slightly ajar. He stepped closer to it. And heard the unmistakable sound of a purring cat coming closer. He froze. Sure enough, Filch's voice soon followed, calling to Mrs. Norris. He had only a few seconds to decide. He pulled his Slytherin tie off his neck and tossed it through the window, then dived for the closet door. He pulled it all the way shut behind him and listened.

The shuffling footsteps of Mr. Filch were joined by the faint sound of breathing. Except… that breathing was coming from his side of the door. Two fingers suddenly covered his lips to keep him from talking. Draco smelled lilacs. As Filch muttered to his cat about students hiding in the hallways during meals, Draco stretched out his hand to touch a face that was really quite close to his own. Filch's voice and footsteps faded as he went on down the hallway.

The two fingers on his lips disappeared and two hands moved to either of his shoulders. "I knew we'd get that broom handle in the right place," Monica whispered.

"What?" Draco whispered back.

"The broom handle you've got for a spine is back where it belongs. In a broom closet," Monica answered softly.

"I see," Draco murmured. The smell of lilacs was stronger as Monica moved closer.

"Actually, it's doubtful you can see anything considering how dark it is in here," she whispered.

"Hmmm…" Draco responded. He leaned in and kissed her, there in the dark broom closet.

***

Harry was just about to step through the door when a Slytherin tie smacked him in the face. "What the…?" He picked it up from the ground. "Why would Draco…" Starlight growled softly at his feet. She was staring out the door. Harry couldn't see anything, but that was normal. "Okay… must be someone I don't want to meet out there." He looked back at the cat. "You don't know me, so you don't know how strange it is that I'm trusting Malfoy's rather vague signal. Then again, you're a cat." He shook his head and Kali'na trilled from her perch there. "I wonder how long I should wait?" Harry asked her. Neither the dannikit nor the cat replied. Harry pulled his shard out from under his shirt to look at it. It had become a deep green color that matched Kali'na's eyes, and he supposed his own as well. "They must change to match the eyes of the Guardian." Kali'na trilled again. Harry looked up in time to see a big gray dog step into the room. "What the…"

The dog looked at him a moment, there was a flash of light and Rhia stood in front of him. "Would you mind not thinking about that dog quite so hard Harry? I had to hide from Filch and the only thing I could turn into was that dog, you were thinking about him so hard." She told him. "I'd love to know why that dog is so important to you."

"Just a… friend I have. Did you say you had to hide from Filch?" Harry asked her.

"Yeah. He and that demon cat of his were strolling around in the hall for quite a while. Do you have any idea how hard it is to stand perfectly still, in dog form, while a cat sniffs your feet?" Rhia asked with a grin.

Harry laughed. "Can't say I do."

"It's very difficult. Those whiskers of hers tickle." Rhia added. They both laughed then.