Disclaimer: Not Mine!

A/N: No matter how much time I have on my hands I always seem to be busy. This story is getting harder and harder to write. I've started a live journal to rant on things that irritate me. If anyone is interested in that you can find a link on my profile page. As Vincent and Phoenix are off doing other things I think I'll get straight through to the review replies....

??????? - "Now see here!"

Kev - "Not now! Can't you see I'm trying to write here?"

??????? - "I know what you're doing and that's what I'm here for."

Kev – (Turning around in frustration finding a group of disgruntled looking Harry Potter characters.) "Uh oh....."

Hermione - "We want bigger parts."

Ron - "All of us."

Kev – (Sighing in exasperation) "We agreed during negotiations that you would be in the story. We never specified how much you were in the story."

Remus J. Lupin - "We all have a part in this story and we need to be shown. I'm barely even mentioned and you said yourself that I'm one of your favorite characters."

Kev – (Grunting in defeat) "Fine. What do you want?"

All (Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Moody, and Remus) – "Let our thoughts be heard."

Kev - "Fine. But you know I'm uncomfortable with writing from more than two perspectives at once."

Dumbledore – "I think it is detestable the way I treat Harry in this..." (Stops abruptly) "Whoops. I seem to be yelling at the wrong author. Terribly sorry, carry on."

Slimpun – Thanks for the advice but I'm very fond of the way I've chosen to deal with Ron and Hermione. To use a Monty Python joke, they're getting better.

Penname2004 – I know that the chapters could be longer and I wish I could make them longer and get them out faster as much as you do. However, I'd like to see you try working a night shift job, helping your elderly grandparents out around the house, putting up with your three year old cousin, AND worrying about the neighbor kid who always wants to play board games with you. This is the most "real life" I've ever experienced and it's kinda time consuming. So you're gonna have to wait just like everyone else.

Exystence – I have grown up knowing only what I was taught in school and what my mother let me find out. When I finally got out on my own I found that my family could have done more than they did to prepare me for the "real world". I hated that I had been left in the dark, much as Harry did during the beginning chapters of OotP. Information is one of the terms most difficult to define. It is more than just knowledge; Hermione has knowledge and she still doesn't have much more information than Harry does. Information is a combination of knowledge, opinion, and understanding. If you don't understand the knowledge that you are receiving or can't understand other's opinions on that knowledge, you're not going to get the most out of your information now are you?

Fsl – Please refer to the above response to Penname2004's question and the authors not at the end of chapter 11.

ShibiChicken – (Smiles devilishly) Wouldn't you like to know?

Sugarnspice3729, Gurlsboy, Phoenix King, & El-permanente – Thanks for your reviews.

Chapter Twelve: Revelations Rhapsody

It was well after dark and Rai Warren sat perched in the 'v' of a crossbar below the professors' box on the quidditch pitch. Gryffindor Team practice had ended long before dusk yet one Harry Potter zoomed around the pitch executing many dangerous moves and just flying. Rai watched as Harry preformed a dangerous move... What had they called it? A Wronski Feint? Yes, that was it. By the young man's movements he was nervous and apprehensive about something. Probably wondering if he had alienated his friend earlier. Rai knew that Harry was hoping he hadn't made a mistake by using a guilt tactic. He had used these underhanded tactics before and he had no reason to want to use them again. However, the boy needed his friends, and he couldn't have them bickering with him constantly over such a pointless thing as a girlfriend.

Rai had sat through the entire practice. It was a truly marvelous sight to see men high in the air with only a bit of wood and twigs holding them up. The elves had no need for such games. They preferred the amusements of old; jousting, arms tourneys, and the treetop race. The elves needn't fly to gain freedom from the ground. They were adept at bounding from limb to limb of the high Maningoth trees. True, each of these sports was intended to keep the populace in good health and battle trained. For the elves had many enemies. There were the Drow, the wicked offspring of Dark goddess Mil'echet, the undead legions of the Necropolis, and the power hungry machinists from the ancient cities just to name a few.

Harry seemed to become weary, landed, and began to head in the general direction of the broom shed. Rai thought that maybe, just maybe, he had something that would cheer the young man up.

Harry was slowly heading out of the quidditch pitch. Even though he was becoming tired he was reluctant to leave. The moon was waxing slowly over the horizon drinking all of the color from the landscape. He stopped for a moment to look at the great plaque that hung at all times over the entrance to the pitch. The old copper plaque had been left forgotten as men left the use of Latin, favoring Saxon and then Old and Modern English. It's message forgotten and now incomprehensible. 'Otium Aequalitas Aequitas'. For some reason when Harry read that inscription, even though he hadn't a clue as to what it stood for, he felt at ease, or as much as one could in these dark times.

After pondering the meaning of the ancient inscription he resumed his trek toward the broom shed to stow his Firebolt away. As he came closer to the huddled outline of the small shack where the students and school alike stored their broomsticks he noticed a person leaning against the wall. Harry pulled out his wand and muttered lumos under his breath. The small light shone on the broadly smiling face of Professor Warren. "Oh..." Harry said. "Professor. What brings you out this late."

"I've been watching your team practice and thought you looked rather down." Harry felt him watching as he put his Firebolt away. "I think that maybe I have something that might cheer you up a little."

"I'm fine Professor, really." Harry knew all too well he couldn't hide much from his friend but he was too much a creature of habit not to try.

"Harry my friend," Rai began, "your slipping back into old habits again. After classes are over I'm Rai and I know your not quite as fine as you seem."

Sighing, Harry gave up and told Rai just what was bothering him. "I see," the Elf said. "I think that what I'm going to show you was a good idea indeed." The two entered the castle walking in a comfortable silence. The trip to Rai's quarters wasn't a long one and when they arrived they found the Princess portrait snoozing lightly. "Sorry to wake you Elizabeth," Rai apologized after rousing her, "But I need into my quarters."

"Quite alright Rai." Princess Elizabeth turned to Harry and smiled. "So this is the great Harry Potter I've heard so much about?"

"Yes he is. Pine Grove" Rai smiled merrily.

"Pleasure to meet you Harry." He blushed as she giggled and the portrait swung open. He could have swore she heard her saying he was handsome. Rai moved to one side of the apartment and found a small wooden box.

"I thought this was lost to me when I found myself in this world. One day I was meditating on some of my happier memories. When I came to the day that this was given to me I felt something warm in my palm. I awoke from my meditation immediately to find I had somehow summoned it." He opened the box and revealed a light. It didn't seem to be radiating out from something, it just seemed to be there.

"This is the Iubar Intellectus, The Light of Understanding. It can be very dangerous if not used correctly. I daresay it would be very harmful to your friend Hermione. She is so desperate to be accepted into wizard society she yearns for knowledge that will help her do so." Rai closed the box and looked Harry in the eyes. "Only those who pose serious questions to the light may wield it and come away unharmed. To use it for self gain or anything other than to understand something completely will result in either severe physical damage or madness." His face was grave, "Do you understand Harry?"

Harry tried his hardest not to be afraid. He knew by the look on Rai's face as well as his tone of voice that he was very serious. He would have been tempted to use the light to understand his friends, but he knew that there were a few questions more important than those, and he sought understanding of them. He nodded slowly and Rai opened the box again. Harry instinctively knew what to do. He reached into the box with his right hand and the room was immediately engulfed in a blindingly brilliant light.

And he understood.

Ron sat in the Gryffindor common room, slumped on one of the couches in front of the fire. It was late and the only movement was the wavering of the fire accompanied by a low crackle and an occasional pop. He sighed as he basked in the radiating heat. His eyes closed, he could see the orange light dancing across his eyelids. Opening his eyes he Ron sighed again. He had promised Hermione that he would talk to Harry that afternoon at quidditch practice. Harry, however, ended up doing all of the talking.

Ron rubbed his eyes in frustration. Nothing had gone right since that stupid day. He and Hermione had just finished their prefect duties and had been heading to the Great Hall for lunch with Harry. Harry had been training with the Defense professor. They were halfway down the stairs leading to the entrance hall when they saw Harry being pulled around a corner in the direction of the dungeons. Naturally Ron had assumed the worst. Thus they had gone hurrying after him and his unknown assailant. The two followed the echoing footsteps of their friend and found them leading to the Hogwarts kitchens. Confused they walked in on something that had shocked them.

They had been so stunned that they watched as both Cho and Harry bolted from the room, Cho blushing to rival a Weasley and Harry looking very angry. Later, Ron now admitted, he had been all to eager to jump to the worst conclusions, take sides (Hermione's side of course), and planning a speech on Harry being more careful of people getting too close to him. Ron hadn't thought things through.

Now, Ron was determined to think. He had gone his whole life without really thinking about anything but quidditch, food, and Hermione. He thought back, ash hard as he could about the last five years. Things came rushing back to him. Meeting Harry and Hermione on the train, the fight with the troll, the Sorcerer's stone and Professor Quirrel. His father's flying Ford Anglia came to mind, followed by Gilderoy Lockheart, and the Chamber of Secrets. Next were the Dementors, the Marauders map, and Sirius Black. Then the Triwizard Tournament came rushing back, the Wold Cup incident, Victor Krum, the fake Mad-Eye, and poor old Cedric.

Finally, he remembered the articles in the Prophet proclaiming Harry stark raving nutters. He remembered hearing about the dementor attack in Little Winging. He could recall how moody and angry Harry was during all of last year. He imagined what it must have felt like, not knowing anything about what was happening outside of the muggle world. Seeing the closest thing Harry had to family being confined to a place he hated and forced to stay safe. That fat cow Umbrige and her stupid rules. Occlumency lessons with that greasy git Snape. And worst of all, seeing Sirius fall through the veil. Ron hadn't seen it himself, but he could just imagine.

Ron felt something wet slide down his face. Reaching up he wiped away a lone tear. He realized now how horrible he was being to Harry, not thinking about what he thought was important, not hearing his side of the story. Harry must have known full well that his two best friends would jump to conclusions, for they had only seen him during classes and sometimes at meals. The noise of the portrait swinging open to admit someone broke Ron's revere. He looked up to see Hermione walking in, her arms filled with books and a forgotten quill tucked behind her ear.

She spotted Ron and worked her way over to him. She dropped her books on a side table and placed the quill on top of them. She looked at the expression on his face and asked, "What's wrong? Did things not go well with Harry?" Ron merely opened his arms, beckoning her to come to him. She slid over to lay in his arms and he closed them snugly around her. They sat in silence for a while Ron thinking even more and Hermione slightly confused. After a moment she asked again, "What's wrong?"

"You know that feeling that you get when we sit like this together?" Ron asked her in return.

"Yeah," she said dreamily.

"Do you remember what it felt like to watch someone sit like this and wish you had someone to snuggle with too?" he asked.

"Yes. It felt so lonely. Why are you asking me these questions? What about Harry?" Hermione was clearly getting frustrated.

"I don't think we're being very fair to Harry," Ron said quietly, "or Cho for that matter."

Hermione turned to face him, more puzzled than ever. "What do you mean? Do you know what you're saying?"

"Yes Hermione," Ron whispered, "For the first time in my adult life, I really and truly know what I'm saying." She placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him waiting for an explanation. He grimaced, "I don't really know how to explain it. Harry said some things at practice earlier that got me to thinking." Ron looked at Hermione seriously. "It got me thinking that I don't think enough. I rush into things head first, even more than Harry does, and that some of the things I've believed in for the longest time are wrong or changing."

Hermione stared at him in a moment of hushed silence. She opened her mouth to speak but Ron placed a finger over her lips to stop her. "I know exactly what you're going to say. The next sentence out of your mouth was going to start with 'I think', and that is your problem. You think too much and I hardly think at all." He smiled ruefully, "What a pair we are." Ron reached down and took her hand.

"What do we really know about Cho anyway? This time, Hermione, use your heart instead of your brain. Have we even asked Harry about how he feels about this?"

For once, Hermione was at a complete loss for words.

A/N: Anyone who owns a PS2 and a tv can figure out what happened to me this past month. Really sorry for the delay and everything but when you are a gamer and you get a new game, you tend to get gameritis.

Vincent – "Yeah and let me tell you he bought a lot of games in the last month or so."

Phoenix -"That last one was sooo cool though. Who knew rocket launchers could be so much fun?"

Kev - "I told you it was fun."

Kev & Vincent - "Women."