Chapter Ten*~~
It was one day before Harry awoke. Ginny was lying with her head in her arms at his side, asleep. He looked to his other side and saw Ron and Hermione, arms around each other, leaned against his bed. 'They shouldn't be out of bed yet,' he thought. He tried to sit up but sighed.
"Harry?" asked Ginny softly. Harry smiled at her.
"Mind telling Aotnics to get his ass in here to I can yell at him? I prefer it when he doesn't use body bind spells on me."
"Mind telling Prongs that I don't care?" asked a light voice. Harry looked over to the doors opposite of his bed, across the stone room. Dumbledore and Aotnics were walking towards him.
"He heard you just fine. Why aren't these three in bed? And where are Sandra and Madame Pomfrey?"
"Right to the point, as usual," Dumbledore said, eyes dancing happily. "You gave me quite a fright, Harry. I'd advise you not to do that again."
"Yes, sir," Harry replied, amused.
"Now then, Poppy has returned home. Sandra is presently getting a tour of the house from Kigali and Mitra. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny requested to be allowed to stay until you awoke. We will all be departing tomorrow afternoon. All lessons back home have been post pones, so you don't miss anything," Dumbledore said. Even in a place that was under the command of another, Dumbledore had a sense of power and a leading tone in his voice.
"Thanks, Professor," Harry said, smiling. "Atonics, I suggest you remove this now or else I'll have to use my own magic and hen you'll face the wrath of many people." Atonics sighed and removed the spell.
"What exactly happened, Harry?" asked Hermione.
"Follow me and I'll explain," Harry said. He stood up and snapped his fingers. His clothes changed. The three others looked down to see they too had changed. Now they wore Elvish robes. Ginny in emerald green, Ron in deep blue, and Hermione in pale blue.
"Nice color choice," commented Hermione. Harry was wearing deep forest green. They all were wearing soft breeches and soft leather boots. Their shirts were white cotton tunics. All was visible because the front of their robes were open.
"Come on," Harry said. They left the stone room and started walking down a stone hall way. Eventually hey had gone up about six flights of stairs. "My room's up at the top." So they ventured to the top floor of the large house. Harry opened his closet and pulled out some cloaks.
They were all black. Hermione's lining was midnight blue, Ron's red, Ginny's deep purple, and Harry's emerald green. He motioned them to follow him. They walked out onto his balcony. With another hand motion he got on the other side of the railing and jumped under it.
The girls bit the lips to keep from screaming but rushed over to the side. Harry had jumped onto a terrace and was climbing down. He motioned them to come down. Ginny gulped and swung over the edge. Then she hopped down. The other two closely followed.
Stealthily and silently they moved away from the house and up a hill. Eventually when they reached the top Harry spoke. "Sorry, Atonics would have gone ballistic if he found out I was leaving."
"Where is this?" asked Hermione. She and Ginny were staring around with wide eyes. Ron had found fascination with a little shadow that you could see on the surface of the pond.
"This is where I arrived the first time I was here. You can see all of Sishida from here. It's my favorite spot," Harry explained. He made sure to leave out the fact that he came here to think about Sirius, back when he hadn't known what his fate had been. Or that he had often came here to devise plans of fixing Ron and Hermione up. Or the fact that he had thought about Ginny up here, back when he hadn't known what his feelings were.
"This is amazing," Ginny breathed. She sat on a large rock near the tree. Her eyes were fixed past the little village that seemed to be part of the earth and soil. They were locked on the mountains in the distance. A place Harry had come to love after months of hard training there. And a place he had learned to hate within the same breath.
"It is the most sacred place in this entire realm. Not any elves know that, let alone humans. Animals do though. Here animals are called the Matika- the knowing people."
"Than how do you know?" asked Ron, coming to sit on the soft grass next to the rock. Harry was leaning against the tree, eyes following Ginny's gaze. Now it returned to his friends. Hermione was leaning against Ron now, enclosed and safe in his arms. Harry felt jealousy tug at his heart, his eyes resting momentarily on Ginny. She returned his gaze.
"I am no ordinary wizard- you know that. But what you don' know is that there is Elvin blood in my family. It rests I my great-grandfather. I can't tell you who he is, I don't even know for certain myself. I don't want to tell anyone until I know I am right. But there are sometime selves with a natural magic. A magic to talk to the Matika. I possess it."
"Is that why I found all of those animal sketches of yours?" asked Hermione softly. "They were good. But compared to our famous Gryffindor artist, they were dwarfed."
"Thanks," Harry said lightly. Hermione shrugged. "No, those are my Animagus forms, so to say. I can shape shift into any animal. It was hard at first but I figured it out." Hermione gaped for a second. Ginny was staring hard at Harry, whose gaze had moved to the ground.
"Th-there were so many," Hermione stuttered. Harry gazed at the mountains.
"Yes, there were," he said distantly. The other three exchanged worried glances. Something told them Harry was no longer thinking of his animagi forms.
"Harry?" Ginny's soft voice brought Harry back to the present and out of the past. He smiled reassuringly at them.
"Sorry, got caught up in my own mind. A dangerous thing. Anyways, there was a reason why I brought you here. That dust that I blew on the Gryffindors made you glow if you had the necessary amount of power to be an Elvin warrior.
"I needed you because I needed your healing magic. If you can be a warrior you can heal. Humans with that power are extremely needed for that disease. You simply needed someone to call forth your power, for you to want to lend aid to someone. That was why you saw those memories. You needed to save, to heal. I called that power and controlled it with my own."
"Does that mean we can be Elvin warriors?" asked Ron carefully. Harry ran his hands through his hair.
"It is not that simple. I spent five years under harsh training. That is why I am good at what I do. I will not pretend I don't know it. There are... ways for things here. Rules were bent and broken for me, because of a. legend- or prophecy , per say," Harry explained.
"What are you on about?" asked Hermione.
"We are mainly human. For what you know, you may be part elf. That is highly unlikely though. There were only three elves to live among the humans for most of their lives. This would mean that none were married into the same blood or together, for us to all be of Elvin heritage. It is, however, possible."
"Are there any ways for us to find out?" asked Hermione, excited.
"You must become and Elvin warrior. Not a true one," Harry said quickly. "I mean, you must work to train your most avid points. You'd study more those and less others. The normal warriors simply train to be good at all, and perhaps slightly better at one thing than others. You'd have to train your special abilities hard."
"But they're there," said Ginny slowly. "You said the dust revealed that they're there. I... I want to do this. I have a dreadful feeling, war is coming."
Harry's gaze went back to the mountains. He let memories flood trough him before he turned back to his friends. Ron and Hermione were wearing their determined look. He looked at Ginny- the girl who had captured his heart.
"You can be trained. Atonics and Kilala would have to come back with us," said Harry. "That can be arranged, Dumbledore loves them. And some guards will come with. Ricatone, obviously. And Migra. There will be one more too. I'm guessing Ricu, he's one to lighten moods."
"You mean it?" breathed Hermione.
"We are going to train with elves?" Ron said, perplexed.
"Apparently so," said Harry, grinning like mad.
"Harry?"
"Yes, Ginny?"
"You didn't discover anything about your father, did you? Him and his friends?" asked Ginny.
"Well, yes." The three stared at him He was grinning even more now, excitement showing in his eyes. "You see, I know a lot about the magic they used with their things. I had these devious plot. I may be able to let you in on it."
"Tell us, now, Potter," Ron ordered. Harry laughed.
"It's simple. I believe that we should be our own pranking group. Carry on the name of the Marauders. We can even use their name."
"That how special we are?" asked Ginny. Harry nodded solemnly.
"But first, you all need to find your animagus forms. Then you'll get names and then we can work on you becoming Animagi."
"Then let's get back to Atonic's home and get a move on!" Hermione exclaimed. The four rushed back. Ginny noticed that once, Harry looked back towards the mountain, eyes filled with pain. She looked away quickly as he turned back.
Harry told them to head back to whatever rooms they had been given, whilst he went to speak with Atonics. Following the familiar hallways, Harry made his way to the second floor.
Outside the large double doors into Atonics room there was a statue on either side. One was of a beautiful cat with amazingly sharp claws and eyes that were lighter than the rest, and completely smooth. The other was of a proud wolf, a lightning jagged on his forehead.
Harry ran his hands along the lightning bolt. Then he moved to the cat and gently felt her sharp claws and ran his hands along her eyes. He shook his head and knocked on the doors.
From inside came a reply. "You can come in, Prongs." Quickly opening the doors, Harry found Professor Dumbledore and Atonics seated at a chess set. Kilala and Rocatone were on the floor, playing with one of the house cats, Lightfoot.
"Hello," Harry said.
"Harry," Dumbledore said patiently.
"What do you wan, snot face?" asked Kilala. Harry glared and shot a little lightning bolt at her. She yelped and prepared to fight back. But Atonics sent a shield up between them.
"Enough! What is it that brings you here, my Jistone?" Harry was used to that name, so he ignored its use.
"I have a proposition to make. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny should be trained to be Elvin warriors. I know they should. The decision is up to you and Kilala mainly. But I know you'd have to inform the Head. We're on good terms, however, and I believe he will agree.
"Also, that would mean you'd have to come back to Hogwarts with us. Where you go, I am well aware your twin goes. And both of you would need a guard and a superior guard. I'm guessing Ricatone, Migra, and Ricu.
"But, you, Professor Dumbledore have to agree to it. You run our school," said Harry. Dumbledore smiled.
"Any of the elves are welcome within Hogwarts," he said warmly.
"You know Aotnics," Kilala said. "He never passes up an opportunity to train humans or elves. As for the rest of us, Ricatone?"
"Do I have to hit you really hard, or do you get the message we're coming, no matter what you say?" smirked Ricatone.
"I get it," Harry said, grinning widely.
"I believe that you could teach a class," Dumbledore said, looking thoughtful. "You could teach Elvin History. I believe many students would attend."
"Then it's a plan," Atonics said. "But of course, Sala will be coming as well."
"That's a given," Harry said, rolling his eyes.
"Get ready," Dumbledore said. "We leave tonight, in time for dinner at Hogwarts." Harry nodded and left.
Harry paused at the statues again, eyes skimming them over. He shook his head and continued.
He walked down more halls until he found two more large doors, leading to Kilala's chambers here. In front of them were two more statues.
One was a beautiful eagle, looking full of knowledge, a feather at her talons, perfect and beautiful. The other was an owl, beautifully molded with long droopy ears, unusual on an owl. His eyes seemed piercing, ready to see through the inky darkness of night.
"What do they mean," Harry asked himself softly. He knew they were the legendary statues of the four warriors. And he knew that his first and truest animagi form was a wolf. One with a lightning bolt patch of fur, like all his animal forms had.
Harry sighed heavily and walked to his room and stood out on his terrace. "There will be no white flag upon my door," Ginny soft voice filled his ears. It took him a moment to notice he had shifted his ears into bat mode. He was hearing Ginny sing, down in her room, the floor under him and to his right.
His mind slid out and relaxed. Harry slipped out of consciousness.
*************
"Dammit! WHY does he DO this!" yelled a voice. Harry knew it had to be Kilala. Only she could be so crude and worried all at once.
"Mind stopping that, Ki? My head hurts," Harry muttered.
"I WONDER WHY!"
"That's even louder," moaned Harry.
"YOU-"
"KILALA JIHIVASTON!" Kilala shut up when Atonics used their last name. Something very few elves had.
"Thanks."
"I didn't do it for you. She was giving me a head ache. You deserve to be yelled at. How many times have we warned you! Do NOT push out sounds like that! Whatever you were trying to listen to better was not worth your life. You silence your mind hum- AGAIN! You're just lucky we've made it so you hear that before you hear your heart. You'd be DEAD otherwise!"
"Calm down!" Harry snapped, sitting up. He was on his scarlet sheets, in his bed. Everyone was clustered around it. Everyone who'd be going back with them, at least, was there.
"What the hell did you DO, mate?" asked Ron.
"What do you THINK he did?!" screamed Kilala.
"Mishtinu!" cried Ricatone. "Shut your mouth, Ki!"
"I am the High Fighter of the Elvin Realm! YOU shut-up!"
"BOTH of you shut up!" Harry yelled.
"Calm down," Dumbledore's voice commanded. Silence fell. "What happened?" Harry fidgeted.
"I can push sounds out of my head. I once pushed the sound of my heart out of my head, causing it to stop beating. I was rather dead for a while," Harry said quickly. "So, Atonics made it that I'd have to push the hum of my brain out before my heart. That way, I'll fall unconscious if I try to do so and can't die again."
"You've KILLED yourself?!" exclaimed Hermione.
"I didn't MEAN to!" Harry defended. "Look, we have to get back. It's almost time for dinner."
"You're lucky one of us doesn't bloody slaughter you," Ginny snapped.
"Don't spend so much time with your brothers. You're beginning to sound like them," Harry advised quietly to her as they left the room. Ginny elbowed him in the ribs.
"Snuff off," she hissed. He smiled sweetly.
Kilala opened the portal. They all walked through, finding themselves in the Head Girl room in Gryffindor Tower. The Head Girl was in Hufflepuff, so it was unoccupied. Quietly, Dumbledore led them down to the Common Room and out of the portrait.
"Why were we so quiet?" asked Ricu.
"Because," came the reply from the rest. He kept his face empty.
"Relax a little," Harry whispered, nudging him. Ricatone nodded. Ricu looked away. Ricatone shot Harry a worried look and Harry sighed sadly.
"Follow me, please," Dumbledore said. They walked through the corridors and stopped near where Fluffy had been in their first year. There was a portrait of Helen Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Godric Gryffindor. It looked as if Salazar Slytherin had walked out of the portrait.
"Neat," murmured Sandra.
"Your rooms are located behind this. You can replace to picture with anything you like, just tell me. To each of your bedrooms there is another picture and password. The main password is 'Royal Guard.' "
Ricatone and Migra grinned at each other. Ricu looked blank as though he hadn't heard. "When we change the picture, obviously we have to change the password," teased Kilala.
"Micru," snapped Migra. Kilala smiled innocently.
"Come along," Dumbledore said. He had opened the door. There was a large sitting room and a few other rooms. Then there were seven doors.
"Seven? There's only six of us," Atonics said. Dumbledore smiled.
"Yes, but I figured it you ever want to have a guest come and stay, you could." One door was unlabeled. The rest had golden names written on them Under that there was the position of them in Elvin Society.
"Your passwords are presently your full names in Elvish."
"Thanks you, Al," Atonics said to Dumbledore. The students exchanged looks.
"My pleasure, Nics," replied Dumbledore, clearly amused. "I must say, I missed being called Al in these past many years."
"At least no one's bowing to you right and left," Atonics muttered peevishly.
"Now," Dumbledore said softly and distantly. He shook his head slightly. "The pictures on your doors can't be changed. I need to see to a few things. There will be another table in the Hall for you six. And your lesson times will be Tuesday and Friday, for the fifth and sixth years. I have ot go arrange a few more rooms. We're having more guests soon. You students go get ready for dinner, you can't wear those robes."
"Yes, sir," Ron said. The Gryffindors headed quickly to their rooms.
Half an hour later they came out with everyone else and headed to the Great Hall for dinner. In front of the Head Table, on a lower platform than that table, was another one. It stretched just as long but had only six places set.
Whispers spread through the hall. Everyone noticed the missing students and Dumbledore were back. Through the doors came six people. They quickly took their seats and the new table.
"Ricu," Harry said sadly and softly. His three friends looked at him oddly. He shook his head.
"Students! I am pleased to inform you that lessons will begin again tomorrow" groans and cheers "and that there is a new class added to all of your curriculums. First and second years have it together, third and fourth, fifth and sixth, and then the seventh years have it alone. It is History of Elves. We have six visitors from the Elvin Realm. The Head Magician, Atonics; the Head Fighter, Kilala; the Liquid Healer, Sala; and the Royal Gaurds, Ricatone, Migra, and Ricu. Please welcome them all. Tuck in!"
Harry began eating with the rest of the table. He ignored looks from fellow students. It wasn't until the deserts appeared that he said anything to anyone besides his three closest friends. He glanced up at the new table to see that they were all grim and in silence. Quickly he stood and walked up to them.
"What is wrong!" he cried. The whole population in the hall watched him.
"Stuff," snapped Kilala.
"WHAT stuff?!"
"MISHTANOSHTI! IGRALA MUHI JUSTRAK, JISTONE!" yelled Ricu. He stood and stormed from the hall.
"Nice job," Migra hissed.
"Sod off," snapped Harry. "What crawled up your butts and died?! You all need t relax. It didn't used to be such an alien concept!"
"Someone tried breaking into our rooms," Sala said quietly. Harry looked at her.
"What?" he asked dumbfounded. Sala sighed and looked away.
Atonics spoke. "There were two people with red hair that were trying to break into our rooms. They were identical."
"Helloooooooooooo! Ring any bells? There's no need to drag out a war party of elves, it's Fred and George," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "Now I know how much you listened to me."
"WHY were they trying to break in then?" asked Ricatone, oddly serious.
"Because, that used to be their laboratory," Dumbledore said. He had vacated his seat to come by them. "Once they left I cleared it out and put all of their things down in the dungeons. They must have been looking for something."
"Oh..." trialed off Migra.
"Not everything is an attempt on our lives," Harry said quietly. He turned abruptly and left the Great Hall. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny followed him.
When he stopped by a statue of Merlin they caught up to him. "Harry?" questioned Hermione.
"Oh, hey," Harry said. "I've been meaning to come here." He gestured to the statue. "Why be good when you can be a Marauder?" The statue smiled wickedly and moved aside. Harry motioned them inside.
The room was a pranksters dream. Technically it was many rooms. There was a sitting room with a fireplace and then doors with engraved lettering. 'Laboratory' 'Library' 'Experimental' and 'Store Room' were what was written.
"Excellent," Hermione said admiringly.
"This is Marauder's Layer. The books we nee don becoming animagi are in the library. Hermione, mind getting them? Ron, you go with her. Take this." He tossed them what looked like a compass. The needle pointed to destination in replacement of North. There was also Back, Danger, and Teacher. "Ginny, come help me find something in the store room."
They all went their ways. "Wow," breathed Ginny. The walls were lined with hundreds of experiments and pranks. Harry found a cauldron and some potions ingredients.
Once they were all seated in a circle on the soft, red, shag carpet of the experiment room with the cauldron in the center, Harry began throwing ingredients into the cauldron. Soon, he was done.
"Each of you have to drink this. It will turn you into your animagi form for five minutes." Ginny drank first, transforming into a pure black cat with amethyst eyes and incredibly sharp nails. Hermione became an eagle and Ron a droopy eared owl. Harry swallowed.
He transformed himself into a wolf with a lightning patch of fur. After five minutes they were seated again. "Now we need names," Harry said.
"You should be Lightning," Hermione said.
"Yeah," agreed Ron. Ginny nodded.
"You should be Quill, Hermione," Harry suggested. "Because your feathers would make perfect quills." Hermione blushed and smiled.
"You should be Nightly," Ginny told Ron. "For your night vision." The others nodded.
"And you, Ginny, should be Amethyst, for your eyes. I've never seen an animagi who changed her eyes color before," Harry said.
"It's my birthstone," Ginny said, blushing.
"With that settled, start reading," Harry said.
**************
The next day, Harry awoke early. He then took the liberty of waking Ron. "Get your arse up. I'm going to get the girls." He dumped water on Ron and then ran to the girls' stairs. He tapped a few bricks and rushed up the stairs.
"Hermione," Harry whispered. He prodded her side. She whacked his hand and rolled over. Harry rolled his eyes. He shook her shoulders.
"Harry?" she hissed. "How on earth did you get up here?"
"Marauders' trick. Get up."
"Whatever," Hermione said. She tried to go back to sleep but found it impossible, because until she got out of bed, loud music played in only her ears.
Harry was already on his way to get Ginny. He opened her door. There was Cressida Hollands and Miranda Gretchins. He slipped past Ginny's friends to Ginny. Her hair was spilled all over her pillow. Her hand looked elegant and fragile, lying gently by her face.
He brushed a piece of her hair from her face. Then he ran his fingers along her lips. Biting his own he gently awoke her. "Ginny?" he whispered softly into her ear. She slowly opened her eyes.
"Harry?"
"Come on, get up."
"Alright. Just a second," Ginny said softly, already fully awake. Harry nodded and left the room to run into Hermione.
"Jesus! Mione!" She rolled her eyes.
"You TOLD me to get up!"
"Come on," Harry said. They went down to the Common Room. Ron and Ginny arrived a few moments later.
"What is this all about?" Ginny asked, leaning against the couch.
"You said you wanted to train. This is when you train. Come on," Harry said impatiently. They walked through the castle until they came to where the statue had once stood.
Now there was a statue of an elf. His eyes were narrowed and he had his long bow drawn. On his back were a quiver of arrows. In his belt was a sword and dagger. "They must have changed the password," Hermione said when she said the old one.
"Don't worry, I know it. Ashizu Miktari," Harry said. The warrior lowered his bow and moved aside. They went into the rooms.
"Who is Ashizu Miktari?" asked Ginny.
"My deceased wife," said a voice form behind. They turned around to see all of the elves dressed for training in Elvish robes.
"Oh," Ginny said. He smiled lightly.
"We were just on our way to retrieve my daughters. Care to come along?" asked Atonics.
"No," Harry said. "We'll take everyone else to the quidditch field. Come on."
Harry led the way across the grounds and to the stadium. He flicked his hand and his three friends wore Elvish training clothes. Atonics arrived with Kigali and Mitra in toe.
"Now then," he said. "Ki and I will take Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Mitra, Kigali, you two train with Ricu and Migra. Sala, you make sure they don't hurt each other, but be ready to heal if they spill blood. Harry, you and Ricatone spar."
"Damn!" Ricatone said. "He's GOOD!"
"Thus the point," Atoncis said as though she were thick.
"And then work on your archery," Kilala called. They soon began. Harry and Ricatone squared off. Soon they were moving fast, sparring with no weapons- unarmed combat.
Ron, Hermione, and Ginny began developing their muscles. They started running laps around the field. They did push ups and sit ups. Their sweat went through their shirts.
Mitra and Kigali put the Royal Guards to it. Mitra battle magic against Migra and Kigali sword fought with Ricu.
Harry had beaten Ricatone three times at unarmed combat. Not he was helping her with a few moves. He sensed it was time for breakfast. It was easy when his stomach was rumbling. "Atonics! Time to go!"
"You heard him," Atonics said. They all headed back to their dorms.
Lavender and Dean were making out on the couch when they walked in. "Get a room!" Harry told them. This caused them to pull apart.
"Why are you all sweaty?" Lavender asked.
"Because," came all the replies.
"See you at breakfast, Lav," Hermione called. They all went to shower.
In the Great Hall Harry sat down and glanced at the Elf Table. Ricu smiled once in a while. Harry grinned. Things were better here, away from their usual surroundings.
"I think," Ron said. "As our first act as Marauders we should prank the OLD Marauders."
"Brilliant!" Harry exclaimed.
"Yeah, they're coming. That's who Dumbledore prepared the rooms for," Hermione said.
"How do you know that?" Ron asked her.
"We have our ways, us girls," Hermione said, buttering her toast. She and Ginny exchanged smiles.
"They'll be here for dinner," Ginny said.
"Which means, we have work to do," Harry said. It was Thursday. They had Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology and Hermione had History of Magic. Ginny had Herbology, Transfiguration, and Astrology.
The Marauders high fived and parted for class.
It was one day before Harry awoke. Ginny was lying with her head in her arms at his side, asleep. He looked to his other side and saw Ron and Hermione, arms around each other, leaned against his bed. 'They shouldn't be out of bed yet,' he thought. He tried to sit up but sighed.
"Harry?" asked Ginny softly. Harry smiled at her.
"Mind telling Aotnics to get his ass in here to I can yell at him? I prefer it when he doesn't use body bind spells on me."
"Mind telling Prongs that I don't care?" asked a light voice. Harry looked over to the doors opposite of his bed, across the stone room. Dumbledore and Aotnics were walking towards him.
"He heard you just fine. Why aren't these three in bed? And where are Sandra and Madame Pomfrey?"
"Right to the point, as usual," Dumbledore said, eyes dancing happily. "You gave me quite a fright, Harry. I'd advise you not to do that again."
"Yes, sir," Harry replied, amused.
"Now then, Poppy has returned home. Sandra is presently getting a tour of the house from Kigali and Mitra. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny requested to be allowed to stay until you awoke. We will all be departing tomorrow afternoon. All lessons back home have been post pones, so you don't miss anything," Dumbledore said. Even in a place that was under the command of another, Dumbledore had a sense of power and a leading tone in his voice.
"Thanks, Professor," Harry said, smiling. "Atonics, I suggest you remove this now or else I'll have to use my own magic and hen you'll face the wrath of many people." Atonics sighed and removed the spell.
"What exactly happened, Harry?" asked Hermione.
"Follow me and I'll explain," Harry said. He stood up and snapped his fingers. His clothes changed. The three others looked down to see they too had changed. Now they wore Elvish robes. Ginny in emerald green, Ron in deep blue, and Hermione in pale blue.
"Nice color choice," commented Hermione. Harry was wearing deep forest green. They all were wearing soft breeches and soft leather boots. Their shirts were white cotton tunics. All was visible because the front of their robes were open.
"Come on," Harry said. They left the stone room and started walking down a stone hall way. Eventually hey had gone up about six flights of stairs. "My room's up at the top." So they ventured to the top floor of the large house. Harry opened his closet and pulled out some cloaks.
They were all black. Hermione's lining was midnight blue, Ron's red, Ginny's deep purple, and Harry's emerald green. He motioned them to follow him. They walked out onto his balcony. With another hand motion he got on the other side of the railing and jumped under it.
The girls bit the lips to keep from screaming but rushed over to the side. Harry had jumped onto a terrace and was climbing down. He motioned them to come down. Ginny gulped and swung over the edge. Then she hopped down. The other two closely followed.
Stealthily and silently they moved away from the house and up a hill. Eventually when they reached the top Harry spoke. "Sorry, Atonics would have gone ballistic if he found out I was leaving."
"Where is this?" asked Hermione. She and Ginny were staring around with wide eyes. Ron had found fascination with a little shadow that you could see on the surface of the pond.
"This is where I arrived the first time I was here. You can see all of Sishida from here. It's my favorite spot," Harry explained. He made sure to leave out the fact that he came here to think about Sirius, back when he hadn't known what his fate had been. Or that he had often came here to devise plans of fixing Ron and Hermione up. Or the fact that he had thought about Ginny up here, back when he hadn't known what his feelings were.
"This is amazing," Ginny breathed. She sat on a large rock near the tree. Her eyes were fixed past the little village that seemed to be part of the earth and soil. They were locked on the mountains in the distance. A place Harry had come to love after months of hard training there. And a place he had learned to hate within the same breath.
"It is the most sacred place in this entire realm. Not any elves know that, let alone humans. Animals do though. Here animals are called the Matika- the knowing people."
"Than how do you know?" asked Ron, coming to sit on the soft grass next to the rock. Harry was leaning against the tree, eyes following Ginny's gaze. Now it returned to his friends. Hermione was leaning against Ron now, enclosed and safe in his arms. Harry felt jealousy tug at his heart, his eyes resting momentarily on Ginny. She returned his gaze.
"I am no ordinary wizard- you know that. But what you don' know is that there is Elvin blood in my family. It rests I my great-grandfather. I can't tell you who he is, I don't even know for certain myself. I don't want to tell anyone until I know I am right. But there are sometime selves with a natural magic. A magic to talk to the Matika. I possess it."
"Is that why I found all of those animal sketches of yours?" asked Hermione softly. "They were good. But compared to our famous Gryffindor artist, they were dwarfed."
"Thanks," Harry said lightly. Hermione shrugged. "No, those are my Animagus forms, so to say. I can shape shift into any animal. It was hard at first but I figured it out." Hermione gaped for a second. Ginny was staring hard at Harry, whose gaze had moved to the ground.
"Th-there were so many," Hermione stuttered. Harry gazed at the mountains.
"Yes, there were," he said distantly. The other three exchanged worried glances. Something told them Harry was no longer thinking of his animagi forms.
"Harry?" Ginny's soft voice brought Harry back to the present and out of the past. He smiled reassuringly at them.
"Sorry, got caught up in my own mind. A dangerous thing. Anyways, there was a reason why I brought you here. That dust that I blew on the Gryffindors made you glow if you had the necessary amount of power to be an Elvin warrior.
"I needed you because I needed your healing magic. If you can be a warrior you can heal. Humans with that power are extremely needed for that disease. You simply needed someone to call forth your power, for you to want to lend aid to someone. That was why you saw those memories. You needed to save, to heal. I called that power and controlled it with my own."
"Does that mean we can be Elvin warriors?" asked Ron carefully. Harry ran his hands through his hair.
"It is not that simple. I spent five years under harsh training. That is why I am good at what I do. I will not pretend I don't know it. There are... ways for things here. Rules were bent and broken for me, because of a. legend- or prophecy , per say," Harry explained.
"What are you on about?" asked Hermione.
"We are mainly human. For what you know, you may be part elf. That is highly unlikely though. There were only three elves to live among the humans for most of their lives. This would mean that none were married into the same blood or together, for us to all be of Elvin heritage. It is, however, possible."
"Are there any ways for us to find out?" asked Hermione, excited.
"You must become and Elvin warrior. Not a true one," Harry said quickly. "I mean, you must work to train your most avid points. You'd study more those and less others. The normal warriors simply train to be good at all, and perhaps slightly better at one thing than others. You'd have to train your special abilities hard."
"But they're there," said Ginny slowly. "You said the dust revealed that they're there. I... I want to do this. I have a dreadful feeling, war is coming."
Harry's gaze went back to the mountains. He let memories flood trough him before he turned back to his friends. Ron and Hermione were wearing their determined look. He looked at Ginny- the girl who had captured his heart.
"You can be trained. Atonics and Kilala would have to come back with us," said Harry. "That can be arranged, Dumbledore loves them. And some guards will come with. Ricatone, obviously. And Migra. There will be one more too. I'm guessing Ricu, he's one to lighten moods."
"You mean it?" breathed Hermione.
"We are going to train with elves?" Ron said, perplexed.
"Apparently so," said Harry, grinning like mad.
"Harry?"
"Yes, Ginny?"
"You didn't discover anything about your father, did you? Him and his friends?" asked Ginny.
"Well, yes." The three stared at him He was grinning even more now, excitement showing in his eyes. "You see, I know a lot about the magic they used with their things. I had these devious plot. I may be able to let you in on it."
"Tell us, now, Potter," Ron ordered. Harry laughed.
"It's simple. I believe that we should be our own pranking group. Carry on the name of the Marauders. We can even use their name."
"That how special we are?" asked Ginny. Harry nodded solemnly.
"But first, you all need to find your animagus forms. Then you'll get names and then we can work on you becoming Animagi."
"Then let's get back to Atonic's home and get a move on!" Hermione exclaimed. The four rushed back. Ginny noticed that once, Harry looked back towards the mountain, eyes filled with pain. She looked away quickly as he turned back.
Harry told them to head back to whatever rooms they had been given, whilst he went to speak with Atonics. Following the familiar hallways, Harry made his way to the second floor.
Outside the large double doors into Atonics room there was a statue on either side. One was of a beautiful cat with amazingly sharp claws and eyes that were lighter than the rest, and completely smooth. The other was of a proud wolf, a lightning jagged on his forehead.
Harry ran his hands along the lightning bolt. Then he moved to the cat and gently felt her sharp claws and ran his hands along her eyes. He shook his head and knocked on the doors.
From inside came a reply. "You can come in, Prongs." Quickly opening the doors, Harry found Professor Dumbledore and Atonics seated at a chess set. Kilala and Rocatone were on the floor, playing with one of the house cats, Lightfoot.
"Hello," Harry said.
"Harry," Dumbledore said patiently.
"What do you wan, snot face?" asked Kilala. Harry glared and shot a little lightning bolt at her. She yelped and prepared to fight back. But Atonics sent a shield up between them.
"Enough! What is it that brings you here, my Jistone?" Harry was used to that name, so he ignored its use.
"I have a proposition to make. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny should be trained to be Elvin warriors. I know they should. The decision is up to you and Kilala mainly. But I know you'd have to inform the Head. We're on good terms, however, and I believe he will agree.
"Also, that would mean you'd have to come back to Hogwarts with us. Where you go, I am well aware your twin goes. And both of you would need a guard and a superior guard. I'm guessing Ricatone, Migra, and Ricu.
"But, you, Professor Dumbledore have to agree to it. You run our school," said Harry. Dumbledore smiled.
"Any of the elves are welcome within Hogwarts," he said warmly.
"You know Aotnics," Kilala said. "He never passes up an opportunity to train humans or elves. As for the rest of us, Ricatone?"
"Do I have to hit you really hard, or do you get the message we're coming, no matter what you say?" smirked Ricatone.
"I get it," Harry said, grinning widely.
"I believe that you could teach a class," Dumbledore said, looking thoughtful. "You could teach Elvin History. I believe many students would attend."
"Then it's a plan," Atonics said. "But of course, Sala will be coming as well."
"That's a given," Harry said, rolling his eyes.
"Get ready," Dumbledore said. "We leave tonight, in time for dinner at Hogwarts." Harry nodded and left.
Harry paused at the statues again, eyes skimming them over. He shook his head and continued.
He walked down more halls until he found two more large doors, leading to Kilala's chambers here. In front of them were two more statues.
One was a beautiful eagle, looking full of knowledge, a feather at her talons, perfect and beautiful. The other was an owl, beautifully molded with long droopy ears, unusual on an owl. His eyes seemed piercing, ready to see through the inky darkness of night.
"What do they mean," Harry asked himself softly. He knew they were the legendary statues of the four warriors. And he knew that his first and truest animagi form was a wolf. One with a lightning bolt patch of fur, like all his animal forms had.
Harry sighed heavily and walked to his room and stood out on his terrace. "There will be no white flag upon my door," Ginny soft voice filled his ears. It took him a moment to notice he had shifted his ears into bat mode. He was hearing Ginny sing, down in her room, the floor under him and to his right.
His mind slid out and relaxed. Harry slipped out of consciousness.
*************
"Dammit! WHY does he DO this!" yelled a voice. Harry knew it had to be Kilala. Only she could be so crude and worried all at once.
"Mind stopping that, Ki? My head hurts," Harry muttered.
"I WONDER WHY!"
"That's even louder," moaned Harry.
"YOU-"
"KILALA JIHIVASTON!" Kilala shut up when Atonics used their last name. Something very few elves had.
"Thanks."
"I didn't do it for you. She was giving me a head ache. You deserve to be yelled at. How many times have we warned you! Do NOT push out sounds like that! Whatever you were trying to listen to better was not worth your life. You silence your mind hum- AGAIN! You're just lucky we've made it so you hear that before you hear your heart. You'd be DEAD otherwise!"
"Calm down!" Harry snapped, sitting up. He was on his scarlet sheets, in his bed. Everyone was clustered around it. Everyone who'd be going back with them, at least, was there.
"What the hell did you DO, mate?" asked Ron.
"What do you THINK he did?!" screamed Kilala.
"Mishtinu!" cried Ricatone. "Shut your mouth, Ki!"
"I am the High Fighter of the Elvin Realm! YOU shut-up!"
"BOTH of you shut up!" Harry yelled.
"Calm down," Dumbledore's voice commanded. Silence fell. "What happened?" Harry fidgeted.
"I can push sounds out of my head. I once pushed the sound of my heart out of my head, causing it to stop beating. I was rather dead for a while," Harry said quickly. "So, Atonics made it that I'd have to push the hum of my brain out before my heart. That way, I'll fall unconscious if I try to do so and can't die again."
"You've KILLED yourself?!" exclaimed Hermione.
"I didn't MEAN to!" Harry defended. "Look, we have to get back. It's almost time for dinner."
"You're lucky one of us doesn't bloody slaughter you," Ginny snapped.
"Don't spend so much time with your brothers. You're beginning to sound like them," Harry advised quietly to her as they left the room. Ginny elbowed him in the ribs.
"Snuff off," she hissed. He smiled sweetly.
Kilala opened the portal. They all walked through, finding themselves in the Head Girl room in Gryffindor Tower. The Head Girl was in Hufflepuff, so it was unoccupied. Quietly, Dumbledore led them down to the Common Room and out of the portrait.
"Why were we so quiet?" asked Ricu.
"Because," came the reply from the rest. He kept his face empty.
"Relax a little," Harry whispered, nudging him. Ricatone nodded. Ricu looked away. Ricatone shot Harry a worried look and Harry sighed sadly.
"Follow me, please," Dumbledore said. They walked through the corridors and stopped near where Fluffy had been in their first year. There was a portrait of Helen Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Godric Gryffindor. It looked as if Salazar Slytherin had walked out of the portrait.
"Neat," murmured Sandra.
"Your rooms are located behind this. You can replace to picture with anything you like, just tell me. To each of your bedrooms there is another picture and password. The main password is 'Royal Guard.' "
Ricatone and Migra grinned at each other. Ricu looked blank as though he hadn't heard. "When we change the picture, obviously we have to change the password," teased Kilala.
"Micru," snapped Migra. Kilala smiled innocently.
"Come along," Dumbledore said. He had opened the door. There was a large sitting room and a few other rooms. Then there were seven doors.
"Seven? There's only six of us," Atonics said. Dumbledore smiled.
"Yes, but I figured it you ever want to have a guest come and stay, you could." One door was unlabeled. The rest had golden names written on them Under that there was the position of them in Elvin Society.
"Your passwords are presently your full names in Elvish."
"Thanks you, Al," Atonics said to Dumbledore. The students exchanged looks.
"My pleasure, Nics," replied Dumbledore, clearly amused. "I must say, I missed being called Al in these past many years."
"At least no one's bowing to you right and left," Atonics muttered peevishly.
"Now," Dumbledore said softly and distantly. He shook his head slightly. "The pictures on your doors can't be changed. I need to see to a few things. There will be another table in the Hall for you six. And your lesson times will be Tuesday and Friday, for the fifth and sixth years. I have ot go arrange a few more rooms. We're having more guests soon. You students go get ready for dinner, you can't wear those robes."
"Yes, sir," Ron said. The Gryffindors headed quickly to their rooms.
Half an hour later they came out with everyone else and headed to the Great Hall for dinner. In front of the Head Table, on a lower platform than that table, was another one. It stretched just as long but had only six places set.
Whispers spread through the hall. Everyone noticed the missing students and Dumbledore were back. Through the doors came six people. They quickly took their seats and the new table.
"Ricu," Harry said sadly and softly. His three friends looked at him oddly. He shook his head.
"Students! I am pleased to inform you that lessons will begin again tomorrow" groans and cheers "and that there is a new class added to all of your curriculums. First and second years have it together, third and fourth, fifth and sixth, and then the seventh years have it alone. It is History of Elves. We have six visitors from the Elvin Realm. The Head Magician, Atonics; the Head Fighter, Kilala; the Liquid Healer, Sala; and the Royal Gaurds, Ricatone, Migra, and Ricu. Please welcome them all. Tuck in!"
Harry began eating with the rest of the table. He ignored looks from fellow students. It wasn't until the deserts appeared that he said anything to anyone besides his three closest friends. He glanced up at the new table to see that they were all grim and in silence. Quickly he stood and walked up to them.
"What is wrong!" he cried. The whole population in the hall watched him.
"Stuff," snapped Kilala.
"WHAT stuff?!"
"MISHTANOSHTI! IGRALA MUHI JUSTRAK, JISTONE!" yelled Ricu. He stood and stormed from the hall.
"Nice job," Migra hissed.
"Sod off," snapped Harry. "What crawled up your butts and died?! You all need t relax. It didn't used to be such an alien concept!"
"Someone tried breaking into our rooms," Sala said quietly. Harry looked at her.
"What?" he asked dumbfounded. Sala sighed and looked away.
Atonics spoke. "There were two people with red hair that were trying to break into our rooms. They were identical."
"Helloooooooooooo! Ring any bells? There's no need to drag out a war party of elves, it's Fred and George," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "Now I know how much you listened to me."
"WHY were they trying to break in then?" asked Ricatone, oddly serious.
"Because, that used to be their laboratory," Dumbledore said. He had vacated his seat to come by them. "Once they left I cleared it out and put all of their things down in the dungeons. They must have been looking for something."
"Oh..." trialed off Migra.
"Not everything is an attempt on our lives," Harry said quietly. He turned abruptly and left the Great Hall. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny followed him.
When he stopped by a statue of Merlin they caught up to him. "Harry?" questioned Hermione.
"Oh, hey," Harry said. "I've been meaning to come here." He gestured to the statue. "Why be good when you can be a Marauder?" The statue smiled wickedly and moved aside. Harry motioned them inside.
The room was a pranksters dream. Technically it was many rooms. There was a sitting room with a fireplace and then doors with engraved lettering. 'Laboratory' 'Library' 'Experimental' and 'Store Room' were what was written.
"Excellent," Hermione said admiringly.
"This is Marauder's Layer. The books we nee don becoming animagi are in the library. Hermione, mind getting them? Ron, you go with her. Take this." He tossed them what looked like a compass. The needle pointed to destination in replacement of North. There was also Back, Danger, and Teacher. "Ginny, come help me find something in the store room."
They all went their ways. "Wow," breathed Ginny. The walls were lined with hundreds of experiments and pranks. Harry found a cauldron and some potions ingredients.
Once they were all seated in a circle on the soft, red, shag carpet of the experiment room with the cauldron in the center, Harry began throwing ingredients into the cauldron. Soon, he was done.
"Each of you have to drink this. It will turn you into your animagi form for five minutes." Ginny drank first, transforming into a pure black cat with amethyst eyes and incredibly sharp nails. Hermione became an eagle and Ron a droopy eared owl. Harry swallowed.
He transformed himself into a wolf with a lightning patch of fur. After five minutes they were seated again. "Now we need names," Harry said.
"You should be Lightning," Hermione said.
"Yeah," agreed Ron. Ginny nodded.
"You should be Quill, Hermione," Harry suggested. "Because your feathers would make perfect quills." Hermione blushed and smiled.
"You should be Nightly," Ginny told Ron. "For your night vision." The others nodded.
"And you, Ginny, should be Amethyst, for your eyes. I've never seen an animagi who changed her eyes color before," Harry said.
"It's my birthstone," Ginny said, blushing.
"With that settled, start reading," Harry said.
**************
The next day, Harry awoke early. He then took the liberty of waking Ron. "Get your arse up. I'm going to get the girls." He dumped water on Ron and then ran to the girls' stairs. He tapped a few bricks and rushed up the stairs.
"Hermione," Harry whispered. He prodded her side. She whacked his hand and rolled over. Harry rolled his eyes. He shook her shoulders.
"Harry?" she hissed. "How on earth did you get up here?"
"Marauders' trick. Get up."
"Whatever," Hermione said. She tried to go back to sleep but found it impossible, because until she got out of bed, loud music played in only her ears.
Harry was already on his way to get Ginny. He opened her door. There was Cressida Hollands and Miranda Gretchins. He slipped past Ginny's friends to Ginny. Her hair was spilled all over her pillow. Her hand looked elegant and fragile, lying gently by her face.
He brushed a piece of her hair from her face. Then he ran his fingers along her lips. Biting his own he gently awoke her. "Ginny?" he whispered softly into her ear. She slowly opened her eyes.
"Harry?"
"Come on, get up."
"Alright. Just a second," Ginny said softly, already fully awake. Harry nodded and left the room to run into Hermione.
"Jesus! Mione!" She rolled her eyes.
"You TOLD me to get up!"
"Come on," Harry said. They went down to the Common Room. Ron and Ginny arrived a few moments later.
"What is this all about?" Ginny asked, leaning against the couch.
"You said you wanted to train. This is when you train. Come on," Harry said impatiently. They walked through the castle until they came to where the statue had once stood.
Now there was a statue of an elf. His eyes were narrowed and he had his long bow drawn. On his back were a quiver of arrows. In his belt was a sword and dagger. "They must have changed the password," Hermione said when she said the old one.
"Don't worry, I know it. Ashizu Miktari," Harry said. The warrior lowered his bow and moved aside. They went into the rooms.
"Who is Ashizu Miktari?" asked Ginny.
"My deceased wife," said a voice form behind. They turned around to see all of the elves dressed for training in Elvish robes.
"Oh," Ginny said. He smiled lightly.
"We were just on our way to retrieve my daughters. Care to come along?" asked Atonics.
"No," Harry said. "We'll take everyone else to the quidditch field. Come on."
Harry led the way across the grounds and to the stadium. He flicked his hand and his three friends wore Elvish training clothes. Atonics arrived with Kigali and Mitra in toe.
"Now then," he said. "Ki and I will take Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Mitra, Kigali, you two train with Ricu and Migra. Sala, you make sure they don't hurt each other, but be ready to heal if they spill blood. Harry, you and Ricatone spar."
"Damn!" Ricatone said. "He's GOOD!"
"Thus the point," Atoncis said as though she were thick.
"And then work on your archery," Kilala called. They soon began. Harry and Ricatone squared off. Soon they were moving fast, sparring with no weapons- unarmed combat.
Ron, Hermione, and Ginny began developing their muscles. They started running laps around the field. They did push ups and sit ups. Their sweat went through their shirts.
Mitra and Kigali put the Royal Guards to it. Mitra battle magic against Migra and Kigali sword fought with Ricu.
Harry had beaten Ricatone three times at unarmed combat. Not he was helping her with a few moves. He sensed it was time for breakfast. It was easy when his stomach was rumbling. "Atonics! Time to go!"
"You heard him," Atonics said. They all headed back to their dorms.
Lavender and Dean were making out on the couch when they walked in. "Get a room!" Harry told them. This caused them to pull apart.
"Why are you all sweaty?" Lavender asked.
"Because," came all the replies.
"See you at breakfast, Lav," Hermione called. They all went to shower.
In the Great Hall Harry sat down and glanced at the Elf Table. Ricu smiled once in a while. Harry grinned. Things were better here, away from their usual surroundings.
"I think," Ron said. "As our first act as Marauders we should prank the OLD Marauders."
"Brilliant!" Harry exclaimed.
"Yeah, they're coming. That's who Dumbledore prepared the rooms for," Hermione said.
"How do you know that?" Ron asked her.
"We have our ways, us girls," Hermione said, buttering her toast. She and Ginny exchanged smiles.
"They'll be here for dinner," Ginny said.
"Which means, we have work to do," Harry said. It was Thursday. They had Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology and Hermione had History of Magic. Ginny had Herbology, Transfiguration, and Astrology.
The Marauders high fived and parted for class.