Chapter Nineteen*~~
"There was an attack yesterday."
"By You-Know-Who?" asked Collin. Harry smiled slightly and nodded, Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Call him Voldemort and who else would it be?" she said. Collin shrugged.
"Anyways," Harry said in a tone that quickly made the conversation stop. "They killed Adam and Regina Turner. Now, there was no Dark Mark, meaning it wasn't direct work of Voldemort. However, it was work of elves. The Dimukai elves. You've all learned a bit about the War of Royal Blood from Atonics and Kilala. Well, currently, the Dimukai are holding Prince Laohan in Crypt Castle where they're dishonoring and burning Princess Aika who committed suicide."
"What?" asked Zacharias after a few moments. Harry sighed and quickly explained the war between the elves and what Dumbledore had told him.
"What are you trying to tell us?" asked Luna.
"We're doing really well with our magically stuff but you all intend to be a big part of this war, right?" After Harry saw nods from every person gathered, he continued. "That means you have to learn at least basic defense it you loose your wand. And you need good dodging skills. They'll have arrows. What you want to work towards is being able to magically shield your back while using martial arts to fend off an elf."
"Then why are we talking?" asked Cho, grinning. "Michael, don't you dare run away, you're my partner." Michael groaned and Ginny laughed at him. Ron gave him a look that clearly said he thought the boy deserved it.
Soon, the adults were in the room again and Harry began teaching a group basic moves and meditation while the elves took a group as well. Harry had Luna, Neville, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Raanan, Draco, Collin, and Susan Bones.
"How come we didn't learn meditation before?" asked Hermione as Harry told them to sit on the floor and cross their legs.
"I'd forgotten about it," Harry said absently while he made a shimmering blue wall come up around them. "But it's a good thing to learn. I just forgot not everyone knew it. It helps center your magic and your physical energies. It has a bit to do with the mind organization but more to do with your individual centers."
"So, what do we do, oh Great One?" asked Collin. Harry had been surprised to find that Collin was a lot less fussy around him. He kept forgetting to ask Ginny about it but he was afraid to be alone with her since their kiss. He couldn't trust himself not to grab her and make her know just how much he cared.
"Breath in on the counts of seven," Harry instructed. "Hold for three and then release it through seven." They practiced the breathing for a long while. After Harry was sure everyone had it, it spoke again. "Now, clear your mind of all thoughts. Think nothing. Just let your mind go blank."
Harry could feel them struggle with this development. "Just relax," he murmured. He didn't notice when he himself slipped into a deep meditation. Memories flowed through him. He saw Crypt Castle. A group of tattered and bloody villagers rushed inside and barracked the doors.
The voice of Neville calling his name jerked him to reality. "Sorry," he murmured. "Got in a bit deep. Keep meditating." Harry checked the shields around them.
"Harry?" Luna said a while later. "Is there anything else?" He felt the others slip out of the meditation and look at him.
"Yes, go back to that. Now, somewhere inside you, you should feel something. It's like a center or a core. Focus on it. It's your magical spirit's center. Call all of your power to that place. Okay, envision something that you know well and calms you. It should be a single object. Think of being that or filling it with you. Contain yourself within it."
Harry felt and saw their radiating powers form a firm glow around them. He used his willpower to stop from penetrating the walls of their minds. After a while longerâ"€ convinced they had mastered meditation well enoughâ"€ Harry told them to stop.
"What now?" asked Hermione, stretching out her cramped legs.
"Well, I'm going to show you basic disarming," Harry said, ignoring the murderous looks given by his friends already in training.
~No one need know you've already done this,~ Harry said.
~I loath you right now,~ Hermione said. Ron mentally nodded. Ginny simply shut him out.
~Be that way,~ he said, breaking through her block. She glared at him and the others gave her a weird look.
"Gin, come here. Hold your wand and prepare to bat-boogey me," Harry instructed.
"With pleasure," she muttered darkly. She did as asked. Before she had finished her words, Harry twisted her wrist and her wand clattered to the floor at Harry's feet. He raised his foot and went down to smash it to bits but halted his foot a millimeter above it.
"Wrist." When Ginny limply brought her hand up, Harry healed it. Ginny blinked and Harry ignored her. "Here, I'll show you what to do. Everyone up."
**
It was the next day at supper when the elves returned. Harry stood up, worried. They smiled weakly at him. They immediately left the hall. "What's happened?" asked Harry.
"They killed our prince," said Atonics softly.
"Damn!" yelled Harry. A few glass items shattered. Distantly, the Royal Gaurds fingered the chains at their throat. Harry focused on his own. The silver medallion was engraved with the Royal Guard Symbol. He had received it when he had first met the Head. Memories flooded back.
~*~*~
Harry silently followed Atonics, Kilala, Sala, and Ricatone through the Head's castle. At his sides walked Kigali and Mitra. Servants bowed and stared at Harry. He avoided their eyes and focused on the path in front of him. They halted before giant brass double doors with a large symbol on them. The knowledge of their ancient language had long since been lost but they were aware of a few symbols.
Atonics raised his hand and knocked sharply. The door opened slowly and two Guards bowed to the heads and Sala. They nodded their heads to the Royal Gaurds that escorted them. To Ricatone, they bent in a bow.
"Atonics, Kilala." Harry looked up at the tall elf in elegant dressings. He seemed sturdy and calm. Harry was reminded a bit of Dumbledore but more so of Arthur Weasley in extremely nice clothes.
"Head Jinkario, why is it that you've summoned us?" asked Atonics after he had bowed. The others had done so as well.
"It is-" but he broke off when he looked at Harry. "Atonics, I knew that your daughters would be coming as well as Sala and Ricatone, but who is this? It is rumored you are training a human but I was not sure if the rumors were true."
"They are," Kilala said. "This is Harry. His elf name is Prongs."
"It is a pleasure to meet you," the Head said. "I suppose that if these elves have so much respect for you, you must not be as bad as most humans." Anger bit through Harry's shell of emotionless ness.
"Humans are not bad, simply misunderstood," Harry snapped. "We are not all power-hungry. A great deal of us fight against such humans. Like myself and my friends and my professors."
"I do not mean to offend you," Head Jinkario said. "I simply speak from what I know of humans."
"What you know?" Harry asked. "Or is it rather what you've heard?" There was silence. Not many dared to speak in such tones to the Head.
"You are quite the character," the Head told him.
"Why is it you've summoned us?" asked Atonics, hoping to stop any ill thoughts passing through Head Jinkario's mind.
"There is another group of distant royals hoping to regain the throne," the Head replied.
"So?" asked Ricatone. "There are such groups often."
"But this group is much closer to the throne than usual. They are willing to declare war. They've gathered enough followers from the far side of the kingdom," Jinkario stated.
"Who are they?" asked Harry, ignoring the warning looks of his mentors.
"They are the Dimukai," Jinkario said.
"Interesting," Harry muttered. He did not realize that he knew more Elvin history than most elves. Especially when it came to royalty.
"Harry, Sala, Kigali, Mitra," Atonics said. "Would you go see about finding our rooms?" They four knew it was their dismissal. Sala gave the others a searching look and they nodded to her. She smiled slightly and followed the others out.
It was an hour later that Harry was summoned to go to Head Jinkario's chambers again. When he arrived he found it devoid of his mentors. He bowed respectfully.
"Harry, please, take a seat." Harry did so. The Head sat across from him and poured him some ale from a jug. Harry drank it absently while studying the man in front of him.
"What is it, exactly, that you wanted me for, Head Jinkario?" he asked after a few moments.
"How long have you been training?"
"About three years now, sir," Harry said easily.
"Kilala, Atonics, and Ricatone tell me you are making great progress and show a lot of talent," Jinkario said casually. Harry shifted uncomfortably.
"Look," Harry said. "I don't want to insult you or anything, but I heard that you used to visit Atonics and Kilala a lot. Then, suddenly, when rumors of a human boy being there begin, you stop going to see your friends. It doesn't add up to me."
Head Jinkario smiled a bitter, self-remorse smile. "You are very perceptive. By human and by elf standard. As much as I wish not to admit it, you are correct. It was because of those rumors I stopped seeing my friends. I did not wish to meet you or see you or have any contact with you. But it did not take long for me to see my errors."
"Why is it you care to see me now?" asked Harry shortly.
"I am hoping to make up in part my fault. I have something to give you," Jinkario said. "Something, I believe, you deserved to have long, long ago."
Harry took the redwood box offered to him. He opened it to find a silver medallion on dark blue silk. His eyes flew quickly back to the Head. "Is this...?"
"Yes," Jinkario said, smiling. "It is a Royal Guard pendant. Welcome to the team, young human."
"No," Harry said, looking up and smiling. "I'm just a trainee." Jinkario laughed softly. He knew, however, who Harry was and who he was destined to be. He knew Harry's grandfather quite well. And he knew that things were about to change.
~*~*~
It was that next Friday in Transfiguration that Harry soaked up his last moments of normalcy.
As the class was about to end, a piercing scream echoed through the corridors of the castle. Professor McGonagall dropped her book and drew her wand. She flew down the corridors, her class at her heels.
As they rushed through the corridors, they slowed. Harry focused determinedly on the floor in front of him. Other teachers and classes could be seen doing the same as them.
A/N I'm sorry it's so short, but I haven't updated in ages. I know it's really bad of me, but our computer is seriously screwed up. You may not believe me, but we just went through three keyboards and the problems still here. I swear, the next chapter will be longer.
TNIW,
**Flaming*Waters**
"There was an attack yesterday."
"By You-Know-Who?" asked Collin. Harry smiled slightly and nodded, Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Call him Voldemort and who else would it be?" she said. Collin shrugged.
"Anyways," Harry said in a tone that quickly made the conversation stop. "They killed Adam and Regina Turner. Now, there was no Dark Mark, meaning it wasn't direct work of Voldemort. However, it was work of elves. The Dimukai elves. You've all learned a bit about the War of Royal Blood from Atonics and Kilala. Well, currently, the Dimukai are holding Prince Laohan in Crypt Castle where they're dishonoring and burning Princess Aika who committed suicide."
"What?" asked Zacharias after a few moments. Harry sighed and quickly explained the war between the elves and what Dumbledore had told him.
"What are you trying to tell us?" asked Luna.
"We're doing really well with our magically stuff but you all intend to be a big part of this war, right?" After Harry saw nods from every person gathered, he continued. "That means you have to learn at least basic defense it you loose your wand. And you need good dodging skills. They'll have arrows. What you want to work towards is being able to magically shield your back while using martial arts to fend off an elf."
"Then why are we talking?" asked Cho, grinning. "Michael, don't you dare run away, you're my partner." Michael groaned and Ginny laughed at him. Ron gave him a look that clearly said he thought the boy deserved it.
Soon, the adults were in the room again and Harry began teaching a group basic moves and meditation while the elves took a group as well. Harry had Luna, Neville, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Raanan, Draco, Collin, and Susan Bones.
"How come we didn't learn meditation before?" asked Hermione as Harry told them to sit on the floor and cross their legs.
"I'd forgotten about it," Harry said absently while he made a shimmering blue wall come up around them. "But it's a good thing to learn. I just forgot not everyone knew it. It helps center your magic and your physical energies. It has a bit to do with the mind organization but more to do with your individual centers."
"So, what do we do, oh Great One?" asked Collin. Harry had been surprised to find that Collin was a lot less fussy around him. He kept forgetting to ask Ginny about it but he was afraid to be alone with her since their kiss. He couldn't trust himself not to grab her and make her know just how much he cared.
"Breath in on the counts of seven," Harry instructed. "Hold for three and then release it through seven." They practiced the breathing for a long while. After Harry was sure everyone had it, it spoke again. "Now, clear your mind of all thoughts. Think nothing. Just let your mind go blank."
Harry could feel them struggle with this development. "Just relax," he murmured. He didn't notice when he himself slipped into a deep meditation. Memories flowed through him. He saw Crypt Castle. A group of tattered and bloody villagers rushed inside and barracked the doors.
The voice of Neville calling his name jerked him to reality. "Sorry," he murmured. "Got in a bit deep. Keep meditating." Harry checked the shields around them.
"Harry?" Luna said a while later. "Is there anything else?" He felt the others slip out of the meditation and look at him.
"Yes, go back to that. Now, somewhere inside you, you should feel something. It's like a center or a core. Focus on it. It's your magical spirit's center. Call all of your power to that place. Okay, envision something that you know well and calms you. It should be a single object. Think of being that or filling it with you. Contain yourself within it."
Harry felt and saw their radiating powers form a firm glow around them. He used his willpower to stop from penetrating the walls of their minds. After a while longerâ"€ convinced they had mastered meditation well enoughâ"€ Harry told them to stop.
"What now?" asked Hermione, stretching out her cramped legs.
"Well, I'm going to show you basic disarming," Harry said, ignoring the murderous looks given by his friends already in training.
~No one need know you've already done this,~ Harry said.
~I loath you right now,~ Hermione said. Ron mentally nodded. Ginny simply shut him out.
~Be that way,~ he said, breaking through her block. She glared at him and the others gave her a weird look.
"Gin, come here. Hold your wand and prepare to bat-boogey me," Harry instructed.
"With pleasure," she muttered darkly. She did as asked. Before she had finished her words, Harry twisted her wrist and her wand clattered to the floor at Harry's feet. He raised his foot and went down to smash it to bits but halted his foot a millimeter above it.
"Wrist." When Ginny limply brought her hand up, Harry healed it. Ginny blinked and Harry ignored her. "Here, I'll show you what to do. Everyone up."
**
It was the next day at supper when the elves returned. Harry stood up, worried. They smiled weakly at him. They immediately left the hall. "What's happened?" asked Harry.
"They killed our prince," said Atonics softly.
"Damn!" yelled Harry. A few glass items shattered. Distantly, the Royal Gaurds fingered the chains at their throat. Harry focused on his own. The silver medallion was engraved with the Royal Guard Symbol. He had received it when he had first met the Head. Memories flooded back.
~*~*~
Harry silently followed Atonics, Kilala, Sala, and Ricatone through the Head's castle. At his sides walked Kigali and Mitra. Servants bowed and stared at Harry. He avoided their eyes and focused on the path in front of him. They halted before giant brass double doors with a large symbol on them. The knowledge of their ancient language had long since been lost but they were aware of a few symbols.
Atonics raised his hand and knocked sharply. The door opened slowly and two Guards bowed to the heads and Sala. They nodded their heads to the Royal Gaurds that escorted them. To Ricatone, they bent in a bow.
"Atonics, Kilala." Harry looked up at the tall elf in elegant dressings. He seemed sturdy and calm. Harry was reminded a bit of Dumbledore but more so of Arthur Weasley in extremely nice clothes.
"Head Jinkario, why is it that you've summoned us?" asked Atonics after he had bowed. The others had done so as well.
"It is-" but he broke off when he looked at Harry. "Atonics, I knew that your daughters would be coming as well as Sala and Ricatone, but who is this? It is rumored you are training a human but I was not sure if the rumors were true."
"They are," Kilala said. "This is Harry. His elf name is Prongs."
"It is a pleasure to meet you," the Head said. "I suppose that if these elves have so much respect for you, you must not be as bad as most humans." Anger bit through Harry's shell of emotionless ness.
"Humans are not bad, simply misunderstood," Harry snapped. "We are not all power-hungry. A great deal of us fight against such humans. Like myself and my friends and my professors."
"I do not mean to offend you," Head Jinkario said. "I simply speak from what I know of humans."
"What you know?" Harry asked. "Or is it rather what you've heard?" There was silence. Not many dared to speak in such tones to the Head.
"You are quite the character," the Head told him.
"Why is it you've summoned us?" asked Atonics, hoping to stop any ill thoughts passing through Head Jinkario's mind.
"There is another group of distant royals hoping to regain the throne," the Head replied.
"So?" asked Ricatone. "There are such groups often."
"But this group is much closer to the throne than usual. They are willing to declare war. They've gathered enough followers from the far side of the kingdom," Jinkario stated.
"Who are they?" asked Harry, ignoring the warning looks of his mentors.
"They are the Dimukai," Jinkario said.
"Interesting," Harry muttered. He did not realize that he knew more Elvin history than most elves. Especially when it came to royalty.
"Harry, Sala, Kigali, Mitra," Atonics said. "Would you go see about finding our rooms?" They four knew it was their dismissal. Sala gave the others a searching look and they nodded to her. She smiled slightly and followed the others out.
It was an hour later that Harry was summoned to go to Head Jinkario's chambers again. When he arrived he found it devoid of his mentors. He bowed respectfully.
"Harry, please, take a seat." Harry did so. The Head sat across from him and poured him some ale from a jug. Harry drank it absently while studying the man in front of him.
"What is it, exactly, that you wanted me for, Head Jinkario?" he asked after a few moments.
"How long have you been training?"
"About three years now, sir," Harry said easily.
"Kilala, Atonics, and Ricatone tell me you are making great progress and show a lot of talent," Jinkario said casually. Harry shifted uncomfortably.
"Look," Harry said. "I don't want to insult you or anything, but I heard that you used to visit Atonics and Kilala a lot. Then, suddenly, when rumors of a human boy being there begin, you stop going to see your friends. It doesn't add up to me."
Head Jinkario smiled a bitter, self-remorse smile. "You are very perceptive. By human and by elf standard. As much as I wish not to admit it, you are correct. It was because of those rumors I stopped seeing my friends. I did not wish to meet you or see you or have any contact with you. But it did not take long for me to see my errors."
"Why is it you care to see me now?" asked Harry shortly.
"I am hoping to make up in part my fault. I have something to give you," Jinkario said. "Something, I believe, you deserved to have long, long ago."
Harry took the redwood box offered to him. He opened it to find a silver medallion on dark blue silk. His eyes flew quickly back to the Head. "Is this...?"
"Yes," Jinkario said, smiling. "It is a Royal Guard pendant. Welcome to the team, young human."
"No," Harry said, looking up and smiling. "I'm just a trainee." Jinkario laughed softly. He knew, however, who Harry was and who he was destined to be. He knew Harry's grandfather quite well. And he knew that things were about to change.
~*~*~
It was that next Friday in Transfiguration that Harry soaked up his last moments of normalcy.
As the class was about to end, a piercing scream echoed through the corridors of the castle. Professor McGonagall dropped her book and drew her wand. She flew down the corridors, her class at her heels.
As they rushed through the corridors, they slowed. Harry focused determinedly on the floor in front of him. Other teachers and classes could be seen doing the same as them.
A/N I'm sorry it's so short, but I haven't updated in ages. I know it's really bad of me, but our computer is seriously screwed up. You may not believe me, but we just went through three keyboards and the problems still here. I swear, the next chapter will be longer.
TNIW,
**Flaming*Waters**