Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter belong to J.K Rowling. I don't own
any of this and as much as I love reading HP, wouldn't want to be in charge
of writing the real thing so cheers! (yes I said cheers)
Thanks so much to Aragorn821, Romm, and kateydidnt – encouragement or even simple interest is always nice, hope not too dissapoint and Romm, if anything seems too close just tell – I haven't read much fanfic so I won't really know.
My bad – it been a lil longer than I thought it would be till I updated, but I had a hard time finding all of my chapters – its been a while since I looked at them (a few years really) and I wanted to use them first, then see where the story goes. So here's chapter two, possibly chapter 3 as well, though I'm not sure if ill finish it tonite, and I hope to have checked over chapter 3 and/or 4 in the next few days.
Hope y'all like it:
*********
"regular speech" ~ telepathy/mindspeech ~
***Last Chapter***
So together in mind and voice they chanted the spell given to them, and as a power surge greater than that created by Voldemort's defeat exploded around them, a portal opened below...and they fell.....
Chapter 2
The moment the three began to fall, battle instincts took over and the three tried to erect a shield, only to find they couldn't use the magic, and their mental connection blocked.
So there they were, with no magic, no usable bond, falling into an unknown portal, until suddenly, as suddenly as the portal had appeared below them, they exited landing hard but crouched on their feet in seemingly the exact spot they had just left only surrounded by the trees that had been decimated in the war. The shields they had attempted to form before sprung into existence as if there had been no problem in the spell casting, a wall of shimmering silver, crimson and ice – a perfect blend of their combined magics.
~What in the NINE CIRCLES OF HELL was THAT! ~ screamed Ron through their bond, causing the other two to wince visibly at the level of his shout.
Hermione straightened up, looking cautiously around through their shield at their surroundings and rolled her eyes ~ I just fell through a glowing portal where magic apparently doesn't work after saying a spell which was in a language I have never even heard before. Of course I know exactly what happened. I don't know Ron and I doubt Harry does either, but why don't you tone it down so we can find out hmmm? Honestly, whenever you two shout like that it make me almost wish I had never agreed to this silly bond in the first place.~
Harry, who had by now determined their surroundings were of no immediate threat and was watching in amusement as the two grumbled back and forth in an almost comfortingly familiar way, took this opportunity to add in his two cents, looking truly hurt ~ 'Mione, does it really bother you that much? Now that Voldy's gone we don't really need it and we could always...dissolve it...though it would take a lot of power and LOTS of pain...I just thought...~
With each word Hermione's emotional signatures more and more horrified before she interrupted him ~ Oh Harry, no! I never really meant that, you know I didn't Ron was just being stupid..~ Suddenly she saw his growing smirk and realized he was just needling her.
~Oh you ~ (trying to cuff him on the back of the head) ~I can't believe you just tricked me like that. How on earth do you mask your feelings from me like that? I'm an empath! Really. You both know I love you,~ sending them both a mental smile and sisterly caress which quickly turned into a real mock glare as she saw them laughing at her, poking Ron in the ribs ~and you need to stop mind shouting. And why on earth did you swear by the nine circles of hell? What with we've been through they can't be that bad, after all, Voldy would be right there sharing in the fun.~ before collapsing into laughter as well.
After a few minutes they finally gained control again, shocked at their own mirth. They hadn't really laughed since Dumbledore's death, and even though the shield was still up and their senses alert, that was the most and longest they had let down their full guard since their fourth year, just before Voldemort's return. Granted it was slightly morbid and hysterical, but it was good to laugh.
Finally dispelling their initial panic and worry and assured that there was no immediate threat, they each drew their shields back towards themselves so as to not be so conspicuous and allow them to get on with figuring out just what had occurred. There was a definite, very familiar, and VERY large magical pull coming from what they believed to be the edge of the trees. It felt like Hogwarts had when ....and the trees were just as they would have been if they hadn't been burned away when.... But that was impossible. Wasn't it?
Without another word, silent or otherwise, the three started to rapidly move towards the magic pull, Harry taking the lead with Ron and Hermione following up side-by-side just behind. They quickly navigated the well- known forest, carefully noting the small differences from the forest they had once known, as well as the similarities.
Aragog's hollow was still within their sensing range, and there was clearly a herd of centaurs and several unicorns nearby, but the forest had little recognition for them who had spent so much time there. Much had changed in the four years since Voldemort had returned, only one of which being the understanding they had come to have with the forest and its inhabitants. That connection was gone now, but the three hurried on knowing little here could pose too great of a threat without sufficient warning, and if what they sensed was true...well the return of the forest and its lack of recognition would be the least of their questions.
As soon as he reached the edge of the forest, Harry came to an abrupt halt. Outwardly, he showed little to no emotion. To the careful senses, he was frozen in shock, and something bordering on wonder. Hermione and Ron, who had arrived not even seconds after, frozen exactly as he was.
There, in all its glory, was Hogwarts. Not only was it Hogwarts, but it was a Hogwarts with all of its walls and towers unscathed and the battlements created to reinforced the hard pressed defenses were absent. Around it there were no makeshift houses, the walls and grounds were not stained with blood, nor did they ever look as if they had been. Hagrid's hut was still standing with the pumpkin patch flourishing, smoke slowly escaping the chimney, and pens of all assortments of animals scattered around. But that wasn't all.
The most incredible thing, were the wards. They were standing as if they had never been touched. And not the ones the three of them had recreated and reinforced on a daily basis. These were the old and ancient wards that had stayed with Hogwarts since the founder's time. The ones that had grown so thin from constant attack they had to be retracted so that the new ones could draw on the power nodes more effectively. Even more incredibly, they were no longer the holders, although after the war they had been the only ones with enough remaining power and knowledge to hold them.
~Bloody hell~ Ron deadpanned finally. This time neither winced at the volume. Hermione didn't even bother to correct him or berate him for his loud tone, because she was thinking exactly the same thing. What was going on? What had Dumbledore done?
They all knew they should have noticed the lack of the wards as soon as they had arrived, but each was on the point of magical exhaustion still, not having had enough time to recuperate from the final battle, trying to save anyone they could find and repair and rebuild as fast as possible. Then the shock and drain of Dumbledore's spell, which, although most of the power had come from the talismans, drained even more of their dwindling power. True, together they had more power than at least very strong wizards, but they were running on reserves and a wizard (or witch) can only take so much. Not holding the wards was just a relief, one that, on top of everything else, had had yet to be registered.
The question was who was holding them then? There was on possibility that with each moment here was becoming more possible, and had a fervent hope slowing building within each of them, but they dared not give into it until they knew for sure. False hope had only ever led them astray and less prepared, a state that when in war is deadly.
Shaking himself out of his stupor, Harry spoke aloud, slowly but steadily, for the first time in days, not ready to deal with full the emotional overtones of his two friends that were already echoing across the bond while he himself was still trying to sort out his own feelings.
"I think we should try and go in to find out exactly where we've landed, cuz Toto, I don't think were in Kansas anymore," drawing from an old muggle movie that was just too fitting for the situation to not be used. They had all developed something of a passion for the muggle music and movie industry in an attempt to confound the enemy with passwords and code phrases. They had started using famous athletes and brand names, etc, but apparently there were more crossovers there then they had anticipated, and the brighter Death Eaters had soon caught on. However, they figured none of them would ever lower themselves enough to indulge in muggle entertainment, and it would take a VERY thorough immersion indeed for them to break the new code system. That's also ignoring how much superior the muggle versions of entertainment were to their wizarding counterparts. Even the staunchiest pureblood had to admit that the muggles had that aspect, from creation to distribution, down to a fine art that was hard to top.
Still too stunned to speak but acknowledging his very wise decision to wait until their individual turmoils were settled before trying to work out the particulars together they simply nodded their respective consents, this time with Hermione in the front, while and Harry held back slightly to stare one last time at the sight in front of him before approaching it.
Ron, ever the strategist even in a crisis, was playing over all the possible scenarios of what could happen and trying to prepare for whatever was to come. Over the past few years, with the help of Harry and Hermione, he had learned to used his tactical genius in controlling his emotions and reactions so as to be less rash and fire-tempered. He had yet to encounter many a situation where he was not adequately prepared, excepting death which few were prepared for but he had learned to deal with, but today was proving to be a special challenge.
They reached the steps up to the Giant doors of Hogwarts, and together they ascended the stairs, almost fearful inside, but exuding a grace and power that those alive had only ever seen from Dumbledore on a smaller scale. A strong and confident image was the most important thing when dealing with a new situation and unknown people. One must exude capability if one is to be followed and respected. That was one of the first things Dumbledore and Moody had taught them when preparing them to take lead in the war, and now it was second nature.
Together they raised their right hands to the giant door of Hogwarts and eased them open with a careful exertion of a finesse of power, long practiced. They strode forward to the closed doors of the Great Hall, and, after ensuring their robes and auras were in order, repeated the gesture, entering onto a squabble of teens in the normal disarray of a dinner at Hogwarts, suddenly all fallen silent.
*****
Please review, tell me what you think, give me new ideas to incorporate/add, tell me if its too close to another fic, too much/little dialogue/character development, anything (just don't flame pleassssse () and if any one's interested I still would like a beta-reader. I'll try to take some polls later once the story gets goin a lil more if I have enough ppl interested.
Thanks so much to Aragorn821, Romm, and kateydidnt – encouragement or even simple interest is always nice, hope not too dissapoint and Romm, if anything seems too close just tell – I haven't read much fanfic so I won't really know.
My bad – it been a lil longer than I thought it would be till I updated, but I had a hard time finding all of my chapters – its been a while since I looked at them (a few years really) and I wanted to use them first, then see where the story goes. So here's chapter two, possibly chapter 3 as well, though I'm not sure if ill finish it tonite, and I hope to have checked over chapter 3 and/or 4 in the next few days.
Hope y'all like it:
*********
"regular speech" ~ telepathy/mindspeech ~
***Last Chapter***
So together in mind and voice they chanted the spell given to them, and as a power surge greater than that created by Voldemort's defeat exploded around them, a portal opened below...and they fell.....
Chapter 2
The moment the three began to fall, battle instincts took over and the three tried to erect a shield, only to find they couldn't use the magic, and their mental connection blocked.
So there they were, with no magic, no usable bond, falling into an unknown portal, until suddenly, as suddenly as the portal had appeared below them, they exited landing hard but crouched on their feet in seemingly the exact spot they had just left only surrounded by the trees that had been decimated in the war. The shields they had attempted to form before sprung into existence as if there had been no problem in the spell casting, a wall of shimmering silver, crimson and ice – a perfect blend of their combined magics.
~What in the NINE CIRCLES OF HELL was THAT! ~ screamed Ron through their bond, causing the other two to wince visibly at the level of his shout.
Hermione straightened up, looking cautiously around through their shield at their surroundings and rolled her eyes ~ I just fell through a glowing portal where magic apparently doesn't work after saying a spell which was in a language I have never even heard before. Of course I know exactly what happened. I don't know Ron and I doubt Harry does either, but why don't you tone it down so we can find out hmmm? Honestly, whenever you two shout like that it make me almost wish I had never agreed to this silly bond in the first place.~
Harry, who had by now determined their surroundings were of no immediate threat and was watching in amusement as the two grumbled back and forth in an almost comfortingly familiar way, took this opportunity to add in his two cents, looking truly hurt ~ 'Mione, does it really bother you that much? Now that Voldy's gone we don't really need it and we could always...dissolve it...though it would take a lot of power and LOTS of pain...I just thought...~
With each word Hermione's emotional signatures more and more horrified before she interrupted him ~ Oh Harry, no! I never really meant that, you know I didn't Ron was just being stupid..~ Suddenly she saw his growing smirk and realized he was just needling her.
~Oh you ~ (trying to cuff him on the back of the head) ~I can't believe you just tricked me like that. How on earth do you mask your feelings from me like that? I'm an empath! Really. You both know I love you,~ sending them both a mental smile and sisterly caress which quickly turned into a real mock glare as she saw them laughing at her, poking Ron in the ribs ~and you need to stop mind shouting. And why on earth did you swear by the nine circles of hell? What with we've been through they can't be that bad, after all, Voldy would be right there sharing in the fun.~ before collapsing into laughter as well.
After a few minutes they finally gained control again, shocked at their own mirth. They hadn't really laughed since Dumbledore's death, and even though the shield was still up and their senses alert, that was the most and longest they had let down their full guard since their fourth year, just before Voldemort's return. Granted it was slightly morbid and hysterical, but it was good to laugh.
Finally dispelling their initial panic and worry and assured that there was no immediate threat, they each drew their shields back towards themselves so as to not be so conspicuous and allow them to get on with figuring out just what had occurred. There was a definite, very familiar, and VERY large magical pull coming from what they believed to be the edge of the trees. It felt like Hogwarts had when ....and the trees were just as they would have been if they hadn't been burned away when.... But that was impossible. Wasn't it?
Without another word, silent or otherwise, the three started to rapidly move towards the magic pull, Harry taking the lead with Ron and Hermione following up side-by-side just behind. They quickly navigated the well- known forest, carefully noting the small differences from the forest they had once known, as well as the similarities.
Aragog's hollow was still within their sensing range, and there was clearly a herd of centaurs and several unicorns nearby, but the forest had little recognition for them who had spent so much time there. Much had changed in the four years since Voldemort had returned, only one of which being the understanding they had come to have with the forest and its inhabitants. That connection was gone now, but the three hurried on knowing little here could pose too great of a threat without sufficient warning, and if what they sensed was true...well the return of the forest and its lack of recognition would be the least of their questions.
As soon as he reached the edge of the forest, Harry came to an abrupt halt. Outwardly, he showed little to no emotion. To the careful senses, he was frozen in shock, and something bordering on wonder. Hermione and Ron, who had arrived not even seconds after, frozen exactly as he was.
There, in all its glory, was Hogwarts. Not only was it Hogwarts, but it was a Hogwarts with all of its walls and towers unscathed and the battlements created to reinforced the hard pressed defenses were absent. Around it there were no makeshift houses, the walls and grounds were not stained with blood, nor did they ever look as if they had been. Hagrid's hut was still standing with the pumpkin patch flourishing, smoke slowly escaping the chimney, and pens of all assortments of animals scattered around. But that wasn't all.
The most incredible thing, were the wards. They were standing as if they had never been touched. And not the ones the three of them had recreated and reinforced on a daily basis. These were the old and ancient wards that had stayed with Hogwarts since the founder's time. The ones that had grown so thin from constant attack they had to be retracted so that the new ones could draw on the power nodes more effectively. Even more incredibly, they were no longer the holders, although after the war they had been the only ones with enough remaining power and knowledge to hold them.
~Bloody hell~ Ron deadpanned finally. This time neither winced at the volume. Hermione didn't even bother to correct him or berate him for his loud tone, because she was thinking exactly the same thing. What was going on? What had Dumbledore done?
They all knew they should have noticed the lack of the wards as soon as they had arrived, but each was on the point of magical exhaustion still, not having had enough time to recuperate from the final battle, trying to save anyone they could find and repair and rebuild as fast as possible. Then the shock and drain of Dumbledore's spell, which, although most of the power had come from the talismans, drained even more of their dwindling power. True, together they had more power than at least very strong wizards, but they were running on reserves and a wizard (or witch) can only take so much. Not holding the wards was just a relief, one that, on top of everything else, had had yet to be registered.
The question was who was holding them then? There was on possibility that with each moment here was becoming more possible, and had a fervent hope slowing building within each of them, but they dared not give into it until they knew for sure. False hope had only ever led them astray and less prepared, a state that when in war is deadly.
Shaking himself out of his stupor, Harry spoke aloud, slowly but steadily, for the first time in days, not ready to deal with full the emotional overtones of his two friends that were already echoing across the bond while he himself was still trying to sort out his own feelings.
"I think we should try and go in to find out exactly where we've landed, cuz Toto, I don't think were in Kansas anymore," drawing from an old muggle movie that was just too fitting for the situation to not be used. They had all developed something of a passion for the muggle music and movie industry in an attempt to confound the enemy with passwords and code phrases. They had started using famous athletes and brand names, etc, but apparently there were more crossovers there then they had anticipated, and the brighter Death Eaters had soon caught on. However, they figured none of them would ever lower themselves enough to indulge in muggle entertainment, and it would take a VERY thorough immersion indeed for them to break the new code system. That's also ignoring how much superior the muggle versions of entertainment were to their wizarding counterparts. Even the staunchiest pureblood had to admit that the muggles had that aspect, from creation to distribution, down to a fine art that was hard to top.
Still too stunned to speak but acknowledging his very wise decision to wait until their individual turmoils were settled before trying to work out the particulars together they simply nodded their respective consents, this time with Hermione in the front, while and Harry held back slightly to stare one last time at the sight in front of him before approaching it.
Ron, ever the strategist even in a crisis, was playing over all the possible scenarios of what could happen and trying to prepare for whatever was to come. Over the past few years, with the help of Harry and Hermione, he had learned to used his tactical genius in controlling his emotions and reactions so as to be less rash and fire-tempered. He had yet to encounter many a situation where he was not adequately prepared, excepting death which few were prepared for but he had learned to deal with, but today was proving to be a special challenge.
They reached the steps up to the Giant doors of Hogwarts, and together they ascended the stairs, almost fearful inside, but exuding a grace and power that those alive had only ever seen from Dumbledore on a smaller scale. A strong and confident image was the most important thing when dealing with a new situation and unknown people. One must exude capability if one is to be followed and respected. That was one of the first things Dumbledore and Moody had taught them when preparing them to take lead in the war, and now it was second nature.
Together they raised their right hands to the giant door of Hogwarts and eased them open with a careful exertion of a finesse of power, long practiced. They strode forward to the closed doors of the Great Hall, and, after ensuring their robes and auras were in order, repeated the gesture, entering onto a squabble of teens in the normal disarray of a dinner at Hogwarts, suddenly all fallen silent.
*****
Please review, tell me what you think, give me new ideas to incorporate/add, tell me if its too close to another fic, too much/little dialogue/character development, anything (just don't flame pleassssse () and if any one's interested I still would like a beta-reader. I'll try to take some polls later once the story gets goin a lil more if I have enough ppl interested.
