Hermione and Daniel met the other Guardians in the Great Hall. The other students had already gone on to their various Sunday pursuits. The Guardians and their kits were still at the Hufflepuff table, Ron had challenged the Emmortal twins to a game of wizard chess, two against one, to make it fair. The Weasley twins had their heads together about something, Neville was playing with Andra and Erian while Ginny watched. Harry, Rhia, Rose and Alaster were talking, until Hermione and Daniel arrived.
"What happened to you?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione's pale face.
"Draco was unconscious on the floor of his room when we found him," Daniel said. "We'll tell you the rest once we're in the classroom. Dumbledore said that everything is to continue as planned."
When the others would have erupted with questions Rose stood up and raised her hand for quiet. "If he says everything should go as planned, then we had better get moving. We're supposed to be in the clearing before ten. It's half past nine already."
In the bustle of gathering their things, no one noticed Reggie's queen approach Ron's and knock it off the board. Until Lynne yelled, "Checkmate!" Ron paused in the act of scooping Fianna off the table to stare at the board. As the two girls grinned at the tall redhead, his brothers started laughing. Soon Harry joined them, then Ginny even Hermione smiled just a bit.
"They beat you!" Fred crowed.
"The Mighty Chess Master has finally been beaten, by two first years!" George laughed. Reggie and Lynne blushed and Reggie muttered something. "What was that girls?"
"He was distracted. We could tell. And there were two of us. So it doesn't really count." Reggie said.
"Of course it counts," Ron said with a rueful grin. "You were the better players." He put an arm around Hermione and started for the doors.
Rhia leaned over to Harry, "Do you think we should point out that he could have beaten them at least three times, but didn't?"
Harry smiled at her. "If you saw that, maybe you should play him," he whispered back, "No I don't think we should. This way is more fun." Ka'lina tried to get onto Harry's head, but she'd grown too much to fit. So with Rhia's help he draped her over his shoulder. She rested there limp and relaxed even as they climbed the stairs to the third floor classroom.
After carefully checking the hallway, Rose motioned them one at a time through the window into the classroom. Once they were all inside, she spelled the door to only allow Monica and Draco through before locking up again. Everyone was just standing around, the Weasley twins still ribbing on Ron. Alaster cleared raised his hand above their heads whistled shrilly for their attention. "Would you two mind explaining what happened, before we go through the portal?" he asked Daniel and Hermione.
This took about fifteen minutes. When Hermione said that Draco thought his attacker had taken the Phoenix Book, Alaster turned white. "Is he sure it's gone?" he asked shakily.
"Well no, but he wasn't in any condition to look for it when we were there, Alaster." Hermione said. "I thought you told us that that book was only an incomplete copy of mine, and that it was indecipherable to anyone but me."
"I did say that yes… but that was when we had it in our grasp…" his voice faded. Then he snapped out of it. "We have to get to work immediately. If the Serpent now has access to that book, he may break the code before we're ready for him."
"But you said he couldn't. Only Hermione could read it." Rose said.
"But it is an incomplete copy of the true Book. It doesn't have as much protection as the true Book, and thus it may be possible for him to read it." Alaster said. He went to the blank wall of the room and opened the portal to the clearing in the Forest. "Get your things." He ordered and stepped out of the room.
Rose looked at the others. "Do as he says. We really do have a lot of work to do." She scooped up her little box of flammables and headed for the portal. Everyone else hurried to do the same. The dannikits all bounded into the clearing and started rolling around in the grass. As soon as they all were through the portal, it closed and they were in their private clearing, with no evidence to show how they arrived. They started to set up as they had the day before. Everything was going smoothly, except for one thing. They had an audience.
"Great Caesar's Ghost! What's that animal doing here?" Alaster exclaimed. He was pointing at the large black dog sitting at the edge of the clearing, seemingly beyond the Unplottable curtain, yet staring directly at them. Everyone turned to look.
"Can it see us?" Lynne asked softly.
"Nothing can see through an Unplottable curtain unless…" Ana started.
"Unless they know it's there." Daniel finished.
Hermione and Ron were staring at Harry, panicked looks on their faces. Harry in turn was staring at Rhia, who was looking at Rose, who was looking at the dog. "Now I understand," Rose muttered. She nodded to Vestan. He had been watching her for a signal. When she nodded he dashed to the edge of the clearing directly in front of the dog. Stretching up a claw, he started to tear the curtain.
"What's he doing?" Ginny asked.
"He's letting it in." Rose said.
"Why?" Alaster asked, slightly panicked.
"You'll see," Rose said mysteriously.
Hermione and Ron were desperately trying to get Harry's attention. When he finally looked their way, he merely shrugged at their questioning glances. Turning back to watch the dog, Harry bit his lip. He had an idea what was going on, and he wasn't sure he liked it. As soon as the tear in the curtain was large enough, Vestan leaped out of the way and the great shaggy Grim climbed into the clearing. "Everyone, meet Snuffles." Rose exclaimed to the group.
Just as Harry was going to ask what Snuffles was doing there Sirius Black took his place. Everyone stepped back in shock. Nearly groaning aloud, Harry managed to say, "Otherwise known as my Godfather, Sirius Black."
This statement brought pandemonium. The Emmortal twins grabbed a hold of Daniel. Neville nearly fell over in shock, The Weasley twins were seemingly calm, their eyes assessing. Ana turned pale, but managed to stay upright. Alaster's mouth fell open and he merely stared.
"Hello," Sirius said. "I'm here to train the boys in weaponry. Dumbledore sent me. That's how I knew where this place was." He smiled at them. No one moved.
Harry stepped forward to defend his godfather, but Rhia beat him to it. "The rumors are false. Sirius isn't a murderer. He was framed and falsely imprisoned. He's here now because he's the only one left of the allies my mother had that knew of the Shards, who wasn't a Guardian himself."
"She's right," Ron said. "He didn't do it. The true murderer was Wormtail… otherwise known as my former pet rat, Scabbers."
"We heard the whole story third year, from the rat's mouth, as it were." Hermione said.
No one else spoke as they all assimilated this new information. Harry smiled at Sirius as the looks of fear faded from the faces of his fellows. Of course the hardest to convince would be Draco, and he wasn't there yet.
***
"This should bring down the swelling, and help with the pain." Madame Pomfrey said, handing a small vial to Draco. "Drink it all."
When he made a face at the taste Monica said, "If it tasted it good it wouldn't work as well."
Madame Pomfrey gave her a surprised smile. "Exactly what I was going to say dear." The medi-witch thought, but did not say that young mister Malfoy was handling his injuries with much more control and less self-pity than he had ever before exhibited. She looked at the boy, her well-trained eye noticing the color coming back into his cheeks and noted with satisfaction that the pain was already clearing from his eyes. She frowned sternly at him. "Now I want you to take it easy today. Absolutely under no circumstances are you to even think about Quidditch. Before you retire for the night, I want you to come see me in the Infirmary so I can check on that bump of yours. The Headmaster informed me that you two have some sort of session to get to. I suggest you do so only if you feel able."
"Don't worry Madame Pomfrey. I'll keep an eye on him." Monica assured.
"Of that I have no doubt," The medi-witch murmured at she left the room.
As soon as the door shut behind her, Monica turned to face Draco. "I want to look at your back right now," she ordered firmly.
"Why?" he asked, his face and voice devoid of any expression.
Monica merely looked at him. He sat up slowly and angled his body so that his back was towards her. She moved to sit on the bed so she could look closely. She moved his Shard from where it hung down his back so she would have an unobstructed view. She stared. Thin white lines criss-crossed his back. Scars. She reached out to trace them with a fingertip. Draco tensed, but didn't move. After a long silent moment, Monica asked, "What this an initiation, or a punishment?" Her voice was as soft as her touch on the scars.
"A bit of both actually," he said ruefully.
Monica was silent again as she continued to trace the scars. Most of them were so thin that they were barely raised above the rest of his skin. At first glance they seemed random, but a closer look showed a different picture. "They make a shape."
"What?" Draco asked, trying to look over his own shoulder.
"I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but if you trace them this way, there's a dragon in the scars." She demonstrated by tracing it again.
"Are you kidding me?" Draco asked.
"No of course not." She touched one of the lines under his left shoulder blade. It was thicker than the others, and still a healing pink. "This one finishes it." She was quiet a moment. "There are others that are not connected with the dragon, but it's almost as if they are there only to hide the true shape."
"This is my skin we're talking about here," Draco muttered.
"Yes I know," Monica said smiling and giving his shoulder a caress with her hand. "I think we should talk to Alaster about this, Rose too."
"No way am I showing my scars to that lunatic." He turned to face her, shaking his head vehemently.
"Which one?" she asked.
"Either!"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Has anyone else ever seen them?"
"No one, but my old nurse, and now you," he said.
"How have you hidden them all these years?" she asked curiously.
"I've got a concealing potion. I just hadn't taken it yet this morning, what with being unconscious and all." He said, smiling a little.
Monica smiled back. "Well you'd better get a shirt on, we've got a training session to get to."
"I'm not about to get dressed in front of you," he said grinning a very male grin.
"But I'm not supposed to take my eyes off of you," she protested.
"I don't think that's what she meant," he said.
She laughed. "Alright, but if you get dizzy call for me. Head bumps can be serious."
Yes nurse," he said. She smiled and blew him a kiss, then went to stand outside the door.
*
After a few moments, Draco joined her in the stairwell and they headed down to the Snake Pit and out into the school proper. Snape had somehow managed to get the entire house away from the dormitory, so they weren't seen. Their trip to the third floor classroom was un-interrupted. They were quiet, each lost in their own thoughts. And yet, their hands clung to one another. Once through the window and into the room, they quickly gathered their implements and headed for the blank wall. A tap from Monica's wand opened the portal to reveal their fellow Guardians already in the clearing, hard at work.
Draco and Monica stepped through the portal together. They were just in time to see Sirius lunge at Fred with a tree branch. Before it hit him, Fred's staff blocked the tree branch. A second later, it was shattered by a blow from Ron's club. "Wicked." Daniel said from behind Fred.
Sirius turned to Ron. "You weren't supposed to get involved," he said with a grin. Ron smiled back sheepishly.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" Draco asked, brushing wood chips from his shoulder.
Sirius stopped smiling immediately. Harry had told him Draco was a Guardian, but years of hatred for all Malfoys in general kicked in and he was unable to make the first move. So Draco made it. "Do I know you?" he asked, curious. "I assume you're another trainer for us."
"This is Sirius Black, sent to us by Dumbledore." Rose said. "He's here to train them in Weapons."
Draco looked at Sirius for a moment. "I see. An ally of the Guardians would have been an ideal subject for false imprisonment." Ignoring the shock his statement had generated, Draco asked Alaster, "Where should I set up my things?"
"That's all you're going to say?" Ron asked, as surprised as the rest of them.
Draco turned cold eyes to him, raising one perfectly groomed eyebrow. "What should I have said?"
"We expected more of a reaction from you, that's all." Hermione said, looking a bit embarrassed for Ron.
"Why? What's the big deal?" Monica asked.
Sirius turned to her. "You don't know about me?" Monica shook her head. Sirius smiled. "I'm Harry's Godfather."
"Oh. That's great. Welcome to the group." Monica smiled at Sirius.
His smile became a grin. "You're the healer then."
"How'd you know that?" Draco asked as he set up his potion-making equipment on the other side of the clearing. He'd just pulled a book from his bag.
"She has empathy," Sirius said. "And she's got the eyes."
"What do you mean?" Monica asked.
"The woman in your position always has violet eyes. It's a sign of her power." Sirius explained.
"Good to know," Monica said.
"Okay everyone back to work," Alaster said. Everyone turned back to what they had been doing before the interruption. Alaster turned to Harry. "Harry I want you to concentrate this time. Focus the energy."
Rose snapped her fingers again, lighting the tips on fire. She waggled the flames at Reggie. "Put them out. Without blowing on them yourself."
"Now Ron, why do you suppose you interfered and struck the branch before it hit you brother?" Sirius asked.
"Because he's my brother." Ron said, his tone stating the obvious.
"You're wrong." Sirius said. Then he smiled. "Well yes he is your brother but that is not the only reason. You struck out at the danger because that is what you do. The four of you are the protectors. Even when I told you not to get involved, you did, to protect your brother."
"I didn't need it by the way little brother." Fred said with a grin.
"Well, no. But I didn't think about it. It just happened." Ron replied.
"Exactly!" Sirius cried. "That is what you have to reach in yourselves. You already have the abilities and the instincts. What you have to do is pull them out and utilize them. Your Shards will help you. And so will I."
"No offense meant Sir, but what makes you qualified to train us? I know you're an ally of the Guardians but…" Daniel stopped.