Susan and Harry returned from the perfect evening and entered the castle. There was a sigh of relief when there was no forth coming ambush of students. Harry escorted Susan before leaving again outside the doors of Hogwarts. His body turned silver for a moment before he disappeared.
Harry reappeared in his room and threw some floo powder to his fire. "Susan Bones Office." The fire turned green before he walked through and found Susan had already changed into something more comfortable. "What did you think of the dance?"
Susan walked up to him in wearing a night gown. "It was lovely, thank you for taking me." she kissed him before she stifled a yawn. Harry snorted before he began to outright laugh. "Jerk." she said elbowing him.
"Sorry, but after all that time tonight where you declared you were not tired, you look like you are about to pass out in my arms." Susan smiled leaning into him. It was true, and she wouldn't mind falling asleep standing there with him holding her up.
"Thank you for tonight, it was wonderful." Harry nodded and led her to her sleeping chambers. It was late and they both decided that Harry should stay the night to end their perfect evening.
Chapter 14 Continuing Effects
Harry stood in his class room amazed.
"No Mr. Williams, your trying too hard. You learned Occlumency for a reason. Try those techniques to relax and try again." repeated Argent patiently.
It had been over a month since that night with Susan. It had also been only just over a month where his students were in the struggling stages of performing their summons to a hand full of them able to summon a distinct animal. He was not surprised by Miss Kee's falcon, or Miss Johnson's turtle. Although the class did find the turtle amusing.
Harry looked around his class. Harry constantly tried to put their progress in stages, that he would have to redefine every time someone made another step. Miss Kee's falcon Gelus, and Miss Johnson's turtle, Trass, had recognized their summoners instantly and had gained their markings signifying the link between summon and summoner. No one else's animal had the distinctive markings like his or Susan's had. But he also knew that none of the students summonings have recognized their summoners as anything other than animals that were near them. He remembered encountering the same problem when Susan summoned her spider. Harry knew that some students would be able to only go so far in his class. Susan herself could summon Shen, he had his own markings, but he could not speak or share much of his thoughts with Susan at all. The ability was just beyond her. He suspected it would be the same to some people in his class. But he silently prayed that many of them would be able to be on par with him. He wanted at least half a dozen students to be able to compete on his level. Harry had not forgotten why he was here, to guide Alice, but he also wanted to teach these students to protect and guard the world from himself if the need every were to rise.
"You can do it Alice, just concentrate." Pam repeated. She sat watching Harry's daughter who just puffed out a long wind of air. She and Owen were the youngest and consequently the slowest of the class now. Harry thought it was likely the condition and the lack of control of their own magic made it exceedingly difficult. But they both easily handled the Patronus charm. So he decided to hold off any ideas until later.
"Professor Potter!"
"What is it Mr. Logan?" Harry turned to the seventh year Slytherin who had been able produce a house cat summon. He just now gave up trying to hold him down.
"I was wondering how I are supposed to get my summon to recognize me. He just kinda goes off on his own after I bring him out." He gestured to the cat who was running around the class chasing after the tail of a large raccoon summon. The cat was stopped by Arvalis who hissed at the silver cat chastising it.
"I am sorry. It is something you have to figure out yourselves. Each summon is a personal idea. Each of my own summons was a different experience." the whole class had stopped to listen hopping for a clue. They all sighed and resume their work.
"Professor, how many summons can you bring out?" Asked a sixth year Hufflepuff. Arvalis and Argent both looked over to Harry. It silenced the rest of the class again.
"I can only summon three, Arvalis, Argent, and Phor." A silver bird appeared on his shoulder. All three of his summons were looking at him expectantly. Harry just shook his head, 'no'. The two land summons resumed their work among their students. Harry sat on his desk again watching. "out with it Phor."
"Do you plan on telling them about Rain?"
"I will, but not just yet. I think they need to have an appreciation of the link between summon and summoner." Phor nodded before he disappeared.
Alice dropped to the couch to take a breath. Pam chuckled. "Come on Alice try again."
"I will when I get some air." She took in a few deep breaths. Harry watched the exchanged and then noticed the others. Even Owen how has been having trouble with his summons. Alice was the only one exerting physical energy on this.
"Alice can you come over here?" Harry said quietly. Pam backed up and Alice walked over embarrassed and disappointed in herself. "What is the idea you are using to summon?"
Alice ducted her head. "Anger."
Harry nodded. He understood that was a likely idea to pull on for her. But if she was trying this hard and having this much trouble… "Alice? I think you need to go and meditate again." She looked up at him. "Your expending too much effort on this idea. You shouldn't be exhausting yourself." Alice nodded feeling a little more light hearted. If it was because the idea of anger wasn't the basis of her summon or the fact that she was not able to do the summoning because she had the wrong idea, Harry wasn't sure.
-o-
Late that night Harry sat with Susan sleeping against him on her couch. The hospital wing had been busy the past few days with an outbreak of the cold. She was exhausted when he joined her the evening and he just let her sleep in his arms. Harry just smiled thinking how much he had cared about this woman. She had been more trouble that she seemed to be worth at times. Sometimes she was more overbearing and at the same time more caring, forgiving and understanding than anyone else he had ever met. Through all his arguments with this woman in his arms he never once regret the love he gave to her. Harry gently ran his hand over her cheek and through her hair. Susan murmured in contentment. The professor had to chuckle and kissed her forehead. He pulled back a few inches and looked at her sleeping face. "I love you." She merely continued to doze.
-o-
The next day Harry entered Diagon alley and strait to Gringotts. Several people pointed and whispered behind his back. Harry ignored them and entered the bank. He quickly placed his key on a goblins desk and said, "I need to access my storage vault."
After ten minutes in the cart traveling through the goblin caves, Harry found himself in the storage vault that held many of his family's belongings. The cave was as wide as it was tall and held portraits, jewelry, books, furniture, weapons, and account books. It also held a small amount of raw ore. It was something the Black family had started when the Goblins started their third revolt. The market was in an economic depression, and Cornelius Black always held a small amount of raw ore to barter with.
Harry found the raw ore and picked up one small rock of gold, and one small rock of silver. He looked around and saw several un cut gems and took three medium sized ones and five small ones. When Harry left Gringotts, he was satisfied the he took the first step in something he should have done years ago.
It was three hours later that he was able to get away from Susan and search the lower half of the castle for a room to work in that met his requirements. In the lowest dungeon Harry stood in front of the pieces of ore and gems that he had collected from his vault. Harry sat there concentrating before nodding in agreement. Arvalis, Phor, and Argent appeared next to him. All three waiting for him to give them orders. Since they were apart of his own mind they already knew what he planned to do and heartily agreed with him. Harry smiled at the three animals and said, "Ok guys, lets get this started. Arvalis I need a flame, Phor I'll need a cooling water basin, Argent I need u to shape the smallest diamonds. Alchemy nor crafting are my best subjects so we may have to do this several times." Harry took off his most outer robe and rolled up his sleeves preparing for the work ahead of him.
They all nodded and went about their tasks. Harry concentrated on both the gold and silver ore until the two metals were floating I the air. Arvalis purified the two metals with a metal melting hex. Impurities in the metals were burned then fell away from the two floating pools of liquid metals. Harry sat there forming individual circles with the silver and gold.
The work continued through the day and Harry almost completely missed teaching his class that night.
-o-
Fleur had just finished her breakfast when she took in a sudden gasp of air. The Potions Master may not be a full veela, but she had enough blood to recognize when love is radiating off a person. She began looking around curious as to why it was so strong all of the sudden. Things like this usually build up slowly. The sudden shift threw her off slightly. She looked around the dinning hall and saw no one was emitting the aura she was feeling. She felt a little disappointed until someone walked through the front doors. She jerked her head up and saw Professor Dursley. Fleur couldn't help but giggle. It was him! And the feeling was directed towards Susan. The veela turned to Susan who ate her food blissfully unaware of Harry's sudden change. Fleur knew Susan was absolutely devoted to Harry, and that was the real reason why she never tried to pursue Harry herself years ago. Only testing the waters as she called it. The two had just become too inseparable by the time Fleur was able to see Harry after the Tri-wizards tournament. Fleur looked back to her plate smiling. She didn't mind who Harry had grown attached to as long as he and who every he connected with were happy. Fleur was relieved that Harry still cared for Susan earlier in the year. Susan was her closest friend, and the veela desperately wanted to see her happy. What ever Harry did that made him feel this way, was a major step for him with his love of Susan.
Fleur finished and dragged Remus who was still protesting about not being finished out the side door. The students didn't notice the exchange but Harry looked to Remus as he passed by. The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher shrugged. Harry smiled then looked to Susan. She smiled at him and his heart soared. He felt the small box in his right pocket and wonder when it would be a good time to ask her.
-o-
Fleur had been speaking so fast in French, Remus reached and took a hold of her face with his warm hands to make her look at him. She beamed and kissed him. As soon as it happened it stopped. She still smiled and began interrogating him about Harry and Susan's relationship. She had heard from Susan's side that it was going well but nothing else. Remus numbly answered her questions but had no clue why she was asking them all of the sudden.
She kissed him again still beaming. It was enough to stop his own questions and he sighed in defeat. The two took off for their own classrooms it was close to their first class. Through the rest of the day Fleur wondered if there was anything she could to help the two along. Despite the charms in the classroom and her own control she was feeling so good that some of the veela charm still leaked out from her and most of the class sat there with a glazed look in their eyes.
-o-
It was the end of March and Owen and Alice both left the class room feeling depressed. No matter what anyone else did to encourage them or to give them tips, they were still the only ones not only to have a summon recognize them but to even get a summon. Harry had given them another graft to work by of Arvalis and Phor but the aid did little to help them. Harry had considered if he should actually teach them the skill rather to just graft it onto them. But he finally decided against it.
Owen thought back to the last class. The Alice and himself had been sitting in the back of the class trying to perform their summons while the rest of the class chatted aimlessly with their own summons. Many of the students had been surprised that a summon takes on a personality of someone who they once knew. Harry smiled and pointed to each of his summons, "Arvalis takes after Potions Master Severus Snape." There were several snorts from the seventh and sixth years. "Phor takes after Ronald Weasley, and Arvalis takes Professor Remus Lupin." There were many oo's after that. Next to professor Dursley, Professor Lupin was many students favorite teacher. It was little wonder now that Argent was so well liked in the class.
Owen and Alice tried to think of a person who their summons might take after, but that did not work either. Professor Potter had said that it was working backwards through a problem. Owen nodded still feeling dejected. Owen looked to Alice who walked next to him. He reached for her hand and she took his, squeezing it slightly. "It's ok Owen, Professor Dursley said it might just be because it's a level of control that we just can't reach yet."
Owen nodded. That might have been the case. Alice was only a second year, and Owen was a very young third year himself. That bit of information made him relax. "Thanks Alice." She smiled at him and they separated going to their own common rooms for the night.
-o-
Breakfast time for Fleur Delacour had become a onerous affair. It had been almost two months since Harry came into this same hall with the sudden change of intention rolling off of him. It was still there as strong as ever buy with no action taken by the wandering professor. Fleur gritted her teeth which made her look like she was smiling widely. Fleur was frustrated that he still hadn't done anything yet. Since she began hinting that she knows he was planning something, he had been avoiding her like the plague. He would smile at her then wave before leaving quickly. Fleur figured it had to be a ring. He kept reaching into his pocket and fingering something when ever he was near Susan.
Fleur didn't want to pressure him to give it to Susan already, but this was ridiculous. Its been months since he had probably got it. And Remus was no help. When she asked for his help, he started laughing. Remus said that Harry will find the balls soon enough and to leave him be. Fleur flushed at the memory. It reminded her how much younger she was than him. It wasn't that she minded, but after all of his insecurities over it, she began to get doubts about their relationship. Fleur huffed then, she was insecure over something as stupid as age. The French Potions Master laughed inwardly. Her, a veela worried about age…
Fleur turned back to the matter at hand. She was tired of waiting for Harry to do something. She loved them both and wanted to make sure that Harry asked before he would take off to god knows where. She started formulating plans to do to Harry if he hadn't done anything in the next month. With that thought settled in her head, she resumed eating and not looking at Remus who still had the laughter in his eyes whenever he looked at Susan, Harry or Fleur.
-o-
The class was busy with the summoning work that many didn't notice the sudden disappearance of Argent, and Arvalis. Alice looked to her dad and raised an eyebrow to his rapidly changing aura. He just smiled and called the class to settle down. "I am sorry that a few of you have not been able to catch up yet, but I need to move on with class. Know that none here should feel bad with the status of their summons. From what I understand with me and Miss Bones, that the level of the summons is simply a reflection of the summoner. While I have 3 fully capable speaking summons, Miss Bones is only able to attain one summon who can not speak." a few students looked at each other. A few had signs of relief others showed signs of disappointment.
"Know that it does not limit your ability or skill you or your summon can do. Both myself and Miss Bones are able to do this next skill I am going to teach you now." Harry smiled to the class before his body turn into silver and he appeared behind the group of students. "We will starting integration." Phor flew out of Harry's chest and settled on his shoulder. The students watched wide eyed for a moment before they all began to get excited. Alice and Owen sat close together knowing it would be a long way off for them to do anything on that level.
"Integration is when you allow yourself to be enveloped by the energy your summon is made of. I found that each of my own summons lends me my different abilities. The skill I use most from Phor here." He nodded to his bird. "Is the ability to teleport and it allows me to pass through anti-apparation wards among other things." Harry conveniently left out the information that teleporting lets him pass by all wards. Not just a few specific ones.
Harry closed his eyes and every student suddenly felt dizzy while the class was spinning around them. When the class room stopped moving Harry smiled at the few ill looking students. Arvalis slither out from his back and took his place at Harry's left side. "Arvalis has many illusion abilities as well as controlling the bodies of people he chooses."
After the class was settled Harry continued. "And finally Argent does a few interesting things aside from the increase of my physical strength." Harry didn't glow silver but he disappeared again. The professor chuckled when he gestured to the desk that held each of their wand. "Argent allows me to change my perception of time. It tires be out fast since my body isn't used to it. I can only do it for brief moments. Remember what I said earlier. Your magic may have limits you can bend or break, but your body doesn't."
The class looked at each other excitedly. Harry nodded them to all move out into pairs. He slowly walked through with each student regardless of their level of how integration was done. Finally he walked over to Alice and Owen. It still puzzled him about those two. They were easily the best at controlling conditions and their auras. Owen surprised him the first time he had to substitute Remus's class. But when they shifted to summoning, neither of the two were able to solve the issues they had within themselves. They both sat on mats against the far wall well away from the groups who were trying to integrate with their summons. There was a few laughs from behind Harry from a student who was knocked over by his summon running into him.
Harry knelt in front of the two students who were quietly mediating. Harry assumed his own meditation and matched their breathing. After a few minutes he said quietly. "Are you both willing to accept my guidance through your own mind?" They both said a quiet yes. Neither opened their eyes but quietly resumed their meditation. Harry opened his eyes and looked to Owen first. "Owen, open your mind. 1, 2, 3, Legilimens."
An hour passed while Harry explored both Owen and Alice's mind. Neither was so much of a sum of a few emotions as much as an equilibrium of all of their emotions. He finally pulled himself out of Alice's mind and waved for both of them to stand up. Owen and Alice stretched the stiffness out of their rears and necks. There was a sudden thud in the classroom and Harry turned to the class to see Miss Kee glowing a shimmering silver light. He smiled and walked up to her. "Congratulations. You're the first person to integrate other than me." Angela smiled brilliantly.
"This is interesting…" Angela looked at her hands that were still glowing. "So what am I supposed to do?" "Don't know" Angela's eyes widened and turned to Professor Potter.
He smiled and said, "Integration skill is keeping your summon separate from your mind while you are both in the same body. That means you are both using your mouth to talk."
Angela nodded. She closed her eyes and disappeared with a flash. She reappeared on the other side of the room. There was a sudden crash and a few students gawked at the damage she did. When she moved, she took several pieces of her surroundings with her.
Harry looked at the damage and nodded. He walked over to her still thinking. Harry stood next to her and looked to the class. "Give us some room. Miss Kee move us next to my desk" She nodded not daring to speak. Harry felt his body tingle for a split second before the thud of his feet to the ground. When he looked over to the Ravenclaw, she was leaning against him breathing heavily. He moved her to a chair and told her to rest. She nodded gratefully blushing for leaning on the handsome professor. Harry explained to the class that she was able to move anything in her field range from one spot to another.
Angela could barely listen being so tired from the exercise. She never would have thought doing anything would tire her out this much. A glass appeared in front of her and she took it thankfully. She looked up to see Alice. "Looks like you need a drink."
"Thanks. It was crazy." she said in staggered breaths. "It was like. I could see where I was. Then when I close I eyes. I am there." Alice nodded and watched while Pam finally successfully integrated with her turtle. Several students were through into the air from the sudden lash of magic whipping around Alice's friend. Professor Potter stopped the flying students before they were hurt and Pam gave a weak 'sorry'. Both Angela and Alice looked at Pam's face and laughed in good company.
-o-
Harry felt all of his hopes dashed. Albus had asked him to meet with the headmaster's office to talk about his curse. Harry had silently hoped that there was some progress made by Tonks and Severus. "So there is no way then?"
Severus sighed. "This is it, I am sorry Harry. From the history of the branch of spells we been looking for, none of them matches yours before the exorcism. With out the true curse we can't find a way to lift it. The best we can offer is the seal." Harry nodded. Tonks had already talked to him about sealing off the curse. But Harry had still held out hoping to find a permanent lift of the damnable hex.
"So the side effects really go that far as well?" Asked Harry desperate. Albus nodded solemnly. "O.k. I'll do it." Arvalis, Phor and Argent all appeared next to him. Harry looked to the three sadly. "Did you all get that?"
They all nodded. None showed any emotion. Finally Argent spoke. "We understand Harry. Good Luck." Then they all disappeared.
"There is still something that I need to do first."
Tonks turned to him. "What's that?"
Harry ran his hand through his hair. "I need to tell Alice and Susan." Harry suddenly felt the weight of his gift to Susan press against his leg.
-o-
Harry entered the Headmasters Office with Alice and Susan right behind him. It was three days before Easter Break that Friday and Harry had wanted the group to be present when he spoke with Alice and Susan. The headmaster, Tonks, and Severus were waiting for them in furniture that sat in front of the Headmasters' fireplace.
"Please sit." Albus gestured to the small family that entered. "I called Tonks and Severus here as requested by Harry."
Harry leaned forward and looked to the two ladies of his life. "I have decided to have Tonks and Severus perform a sealing ritual." The two girls looked at him blankly. He sighed before continuing. He felt it hard to speak. "It means, that I will be permanently sealing off my curse. Well, we are pretty sure its permanent right Tonks?" Harry turned to the woman Auror.
Tonks nodded. "I think Severus and I worked out the errors we would run into. But this is a very specialized ritual we are going to perform." She paused before looking at the two girls who had accompanied Harry. "This isn't with out risks. His life wouldn't be in much danger, but if the ritual goes wrong during the sealing, we might unintentionally seal off a large portion of his magic, if all of it." Tonks took a deep breath and dived into the facts. "Worst case scenario, there is a fifty-fifty chance he would be a squib and loose most of his memories of the past six or so years."
Susan felt her hands pressed to her mouth and gasped. Alice didn't know what to think but she felt a tear sting her eye. The two girls looked to Harry expecting to explain. Harry wrapped an arm around both Alice and Susan and said slowly. "My summons are as much apart of my mind as of my magic. If they are sealed off, everything that I have experienced up to the point where I first started showing signs of being able to summon would be erased. And since they are memories, the rest of the memories are likely going to be erased as well."
Alice and Susan looked at each other not sure what to say. Alice finally said, "Is there any other way?" She leaned against her dad. She didn't want to think of loosing her father after just getting him. Alice sniffed and looked at both the Auror and Potions Master. They booth shook their heads.
Severus's deep voice said quietly, "Unfortunately Miss Potter, we found that the curse Harry has is indeed a water mark of a much older curse. But that is as far was we could muster. We have no information of the incantation, origins or the original purpose to the curse. With out these there is not much we can do to manipulate the magic in Harry's body."
Harry hugged to two girls tighter. "Its not so bad. The worse, I loose some memories. I'll have the mind of a battle weary eighteen year old again. You both can place some memories in a pensive to show me if we have to." Both girls nodded and entangling their arms around him. "I also need to tell you both something that I haven't really told anyone else. About how the curse affects my body. While I was learning how to seal it off from the rest of my magic, I found it could also feed off my body's energy as well."
Both girls looked up at him. This was hard to take in all at once and he was still telling more.
"When I sealed off the curse with my wards, the curse has been feeding off my body. In doing this, its shortening the length of time I am going to live."
Both girls began to sob. It was too much.
"Its ok." Harry repeated softly to them. Harry held both of them. His cheek against his daughter and voice soothing his girlfriend. Albus, Severus and Tonks just watched calmly. Harry had to tell them everything that would happen if he lost his memory. And now was a good time to come clean with it. "I will just live as long as a muggle. I'll probably die when I reach seventy or eighty. Its still a good long life." He kissed both of his girls heads. Neither one moved from their clinging position. Harry smiled then let out a silent laugh. Both girls caught it and looked at him. "Sorry, I just think its funny…" Albus nodded in silent agreement. Harry looked down to the two girls. "I'll die as my magic gets into full maturity." Neither girl said a word. They had no words for this, they just needed to be as close to him as possible. Harry stroked each girls hair with his hands. He finally said. "I already knew when I was gong to die, so its not news to me." Harry could feel Susan's head nod against his chest. Alice just clung to his arm. Harry sighed and comforted the girls for a long time after that.
Albus, Severus and Tonks bore silent witness. All three of them had expected it to be hard. But facing so much in one sitting was indeed hard for even them to just accept it as Harry has.
-o-
"We will get the necessary work ready for the ritual. We should do it on Monday night Harry. We need the moon to be full and at its zenith when we start the ritual." Harry nodded numbly. After telling the girls, Harry decided they should stop there. He led them to his own personal room and they all just sat together on his couch. Spring break would start in two days and the time was perfect. Harry didn't know how long he would take to recover. But he had hoped that one week would be enough. It was late now, and coming to the end of a long night. Harry decided the day before to tell the class that he would be making an attempt to sealing the curse and had done so a few hours ago in his class. Harry leaned back in his chair in Albus's office. Tonks fell silent when she saw Harry wasn't listening. Harry thought back to his class and their reaction.
"Everyone gather here." The whole class walked up to Harry's desk. The several people in his class said good bye to their summons as they disappeared and a few were still integrating with theirs and just walked up to them while getting a handle on that aspect of the summon. "I have something I have to tell you all." Alice sat next to her father on his desk. Owen was at her side holding her hand and giving side glances to the father and daughter. Alice still looked sad, and Owen had done his best to comfort her when she wasn't next to her dad. "First I want to say that I am proud to have you all in my class." All of the students smiled at him. "I can't really teach you much more than what you have learned already. You have all seen the various degrees of integration and it is my hope that one of you may find a new skill that I have not discovered using summoning magic." The class smiled. A few looked over to Alice and Owen who still hadn't been able to perform a summon yet. "Its with this that I say that I might not be here when you all return to class after vacation." There were several gasps at that. Harry raised his arms to silence the class. They all quieted and Harry continued. "I am going to go through a ritual sealing that will permanently cut off my curse. But there is a chance that it might also cut off my magic and my linked memories." The class was silent when Harry looked at each student still smiling. "So that's why I am doing this." Harry waved his left hand over his right. All of the girls felt their hands go warm before the image of the lily faded from blue to normal black ink. The few boys who had a mark noticed the same. "I have released you all from the contract that I had you all signed at the beginning of the year. I am doing this now because if the sealing goes wrong, you would all be trapped in this contract. I trust you all to keep what you have learned here well enough a secret with out the conditions I have imposed on you." Harry looked tired when he said. "Thank you. All of you. I may have left the wizarding world years ago with the belief that the world could not change, but you all gave me hope that some people will." He dismissed the class with the impression that there would be no more classes. When the student filed out of the class they all felt the sudden shift in magic and looked around the hall. They all noticed the sudden change and the lack of wards in the halls and to the classroom itself. Harry could hear them all talk to each other about what they would do now.
The class left except for Alice and Owen. Most of the things left in the class room were sent to Harry's muggle home. Harry turned to Alice. "Don't look like that Alice. I'll be alright. I am not going to die." He said reassuringly.
"No you won't, but the memories of you being my dad will." She sniffed and Owen let her go to hug Harry.
"Its ok. I may forget who you are. But never forget that I love you."
Harry snapped out of his memory when Severus opened the Headmasters door and entered carrying several star maps. The maps were necessary in how to position Harry and in which direction Tonks and Severus would have to face when performing the ritual. The ritual itself had to be done in very specific ways. It was why it was so dangerous to Harry. If Severus, Tonks or Harry make one slight mistake and it could mean Harry loosing all his magic into the seal… if the seal even worked. Harry reread what he would have to do and say during the ritual. It was only after he reread the same line five times that he set it down and exhaled loudly. It was hard for him to memorize it when his thoughts kept going back to Susan and Alice.
-o-
The next morning found Alice still in her dorm room. The rest of the girls had gone down to breakfast. They knew something was wrong but Alice wouldn't say. Alice pulled the blankets off her and dressed. There was no sense in missing breakfast because she was upset. Alice walked through the common room noting that everyone was already gone and Alice was tempted to go back up to her room and just let her self cry. She had tried to rationalize that her dad wasn't going to die, if it goes bad that she could rebuild anything that was destroyed. But the same irrational part of her mind that was upset with Owen was telling her that she should be upset with her father and everyone that had made him do something so scary. Alice sighed and cleaned herself up and headed down stairs to the common room and out the portrait. "Hey Alice." Alice heard Pam's voice but didn't look at her. Alice mmm'ed and continued walking with Pam following her. "Are you ok?"
"I am fine, just the things in Professor Dursley's class upset me is all."
"Want to talk about it?"
Alice shook her head. "I just have to figure it out myself." Pam nodded and they continued their walk. Alice suddenly yawned. She knew she didn't get any much needed sleep the night before. When she yawned again. It didn't feel right. Her body suddenly felt heavy. She had enough concentration to do one spell. "Sight." Alice looked around and saw what looked like white snow falling in the corridor. She look to Pam and gasped.
Pam smiled and said in another woman's voice. "Good night Alice." Alice fell to the ground and was already asleep when the sudden tug to her navel pulled her into a portkey.
-o-
Harry sighed. Both Alice and Susan had been miserable since he had told them what he was going to do. Harry grimaced that he didn't even give them the option to object. Maybe that was why it was so hard for them. Thought Harry. Susan silently ate her breakfast while trying to not look at Harry. Harry promised himself to talk to her after the ritual was performed. It was unfair to ask her now until he knew what his life would be like after the ritual. Harry looked down to his class. Yesterday was indeed his last class. He would miss teaching it, but aside from what they would need to learn to stop him, there was little else to teach them. Harry silently thanked what ever gods there were that he would never need to tell them what they were being trained to do or what he had to do to Rain. Harry noticed Alice wasn't down for breakfast and sighed. She was taking it harder than Susan was. Harry had tried his best to console her but to no avail. She believed that she was going to loose him. And there was little Harry could do to convince her otherwise.
Harry blinked. He noticed something was being cast on him and looked around and noticed it wasn't just him. The whole hall were suffering from the effects of what ever the spell was. Several students fell asleep and a few classmates around them chuckled before they fell asleep. Harry looked to Susan, Remus, Fleur and Albus. They all nodded. They quickly repelled the spell against them.
-o-
Pam had been eating breakfast with Bruce and Owen while talking about Alice. "We got to do something. She is going to drag herself into the ground like this."
Owen nodded still nibbling on bacon. "I think she needs a group party. Just us. It might cheer her up and reminder her that we are still here and can help."
Bruce nodded when he suddenly felt his head drop for a second. He looked around and noticed that many of the other students were the same. "Guys." They all felt the drowsiness too and saw the professors looking around the hall.
A girl on the other side of the room shouted. "Use sensation and condition to repel!" Immediately the every single one of Harry's students performed the actions. No one was surprised that it was Angela who figured it out first.
Bruce looked around and saw snow like magic falling into the great hall. With the repel condition the snow pushed away from them in a large sphere. He saw Professor Dursley nod to him and Bruce ran to the entrance of the hall and looked out the door. The snow was all over the halls on his right and outside the outer gates on his left. He ran back shouting, "Its in the whole castle and outside!" Harry nodded and closed his eyes.
Harry's class felt a sudden wave of pressure building in the room. The snow was pushed away from Harry and was pushed away from the rest of the room. Pam sighed in relief when it was gone, along with the sleeping spell.
Harry looked over to Albus. "That couldn't have been a prank, it was too powerful." Albus nodded. Harry looked around and noticed Alice wasn't in the room. Fear gripped his stomach.
0
Alice woke up a few minutes after she fell asleep. She opened her eyes painfully aware that she was on the ground with a bump on her head. She rubbed it looking around. She heard voices in a joking manner before she noticed the others in the room with her. Two women and two men wearing deep red robes stood watching her patiently wake up. Alice looked around. One door that was the only exit laid behind the four people. She didn't see a quick way out and said calmly. "Why was I taken?" She sat up on the floor but made no move to stand.
There was a round of laughter. "Why do you think?" Said the man who must have been only a few years older than Pam. He removed the hood of his blood red robes and looked down at her. His flawless face was only marked with surprising age and experience.
Alice looked at the other three who removed their hoods with him. The three others ranged from her Dads age to somewhere around Professor Lupin's age. "Because I am an heiress then?"
The eldest woman walked up to her and knelt to get to eye level. "That is one of many reasons little one. I heard you're a smart girl. You figure it out." The woman had jet black hair that laid across her head limply. She wasn't so much pale as light or fair skinned and Alice wondered why this woman seemed to be the one that would walk up to herself when the others didn't move a step forward.
"You're the leader then?" The woman smiled and nodded. Alice thought about it quickly and remembered that dad had told her that a few people escaped. She understood some of the motives and said carefully. "You are survivors of Cyan's army"
There was another round of real laughter. The three in the back calmed and smiled at the girl and the woman ahead of them. The woman smiled at Alice and leaned next to Alice' ear saying, "I am Cyan."
-.,.:''-.,.:''-.,.:''-.,.-.,.:''-.,.:''-.,.:''-.,.:
Author's note: sorry to say something that I have been adamantly trying to avoid since starting my fic has happened. I am going to miss next week's post. I been working on the next few chapters and scrapped and am rewriting them. The next I'd say two chapters at least are really one long continuous chapter that I plan to split. Meaning that I am writing those chapters as one right now. And those aren't going to be ready by next week. Sorry. I don't even have a teaser to give you none of it is in a place I would feel comfortable to put up as a teaser since it will probably change so much in two weeks.
DarkHuntress: I will be a little disappointed in myself if I am that predictable. But everyone can see a little of where the story is going. I just hope my writing isn't so transparent that everyone already see's the end.
methoslover: thank you for the review.
zero-skillz: After the deluge of letters last time I think that's a safe assumption.
atlantis-rob: yes this was a busy chapter and this one is just as. The busyness of story will keep flowing through the next few chapters.
koboe23: thank you for the review
CoolWeirdo: Thank you for the review, much of what happens to Harry and his curse will not be settled by the end of the story but I have a few ideas of what I want to see done in the sequel I am planning.
Kary-ster687: Thanks for the review and glad you were able to find my story again.
