I do not own Harry Potter or his universe. These belong to J.K. Rowling. I do, however, own the story and my original characters, all of whom I am very fond of....

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Chapter 35: In Battle

        It was the last week of classes before the Holidays. The school seemed to be teeming with holiday cheer and a vast impatience for classes to end so they could once again see the families that they had left behind at the start of term. Harry was feeling no such anticipation. The approach of the holidays reminded him all too sharply of last Christmas. When he had heard a couple students singing 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' as they skipped down the hall he had to find a place to sit and collect himself for a few moments.

        Harry shook his head, occasioning a questioning look from Ron as the two of them made their way out of the Great Hall and onto the grounds for Care of Magical Creatures. He was looking forward to the class; and to the distractions that it offered.

        They hadn't gone far when they heard someone else walking behind them. Ron turned his head to see who it was.

        "Professor?" He asked.

        "Good afternoon, Ronald." She replied cheerfully as she caught up to them. Harry spared a brief glance at her odd hat, which looked like an upside-down bowl with a short brim. As usual, wild tendrils of her hair had escaped the constriction and were curling every which way around the bottom. She was twirling what looked like a pair of goggles in her hand. "And you as well, Harry." She added. "How is your DA, lately?"

        "Going splendidly, Professor." He replied with a little smile.

        "Glad to hear this." She smiled back.

        "So..." Ron asked hesitantly, "Going for a walk?"

        Lanya chuckled. "In part. Professor Hagrid asked me to come down today...ah?" She looked ahead, "Listen."

        They two boys fell silent, straining their ears to hear. What floated to them a moment later was the unmistakable sound of an angry horse, or perhaps more specifically, an angry Pegasus.

        "Is that Tilt?" Ron asked.

        "I guess so." Harry nodded, "Professor Lanya?" He looked to her but she had already trotted on ahead while they were listening.

        Ron shrugged it off. "I wonder what Tilt's problem is."

        "Could be that," Harry answered as they crested the rise above Hagrid's hut. Standing before it, and quite nearly as large, was another Pegasus. It stood there swishing its long black tail placidly, one hind leg cocked as it munched on a mouthful of hay. It looked quite unconcerned with the noises of challenge that Tilt, who was being restrained by Tainn a short distance away, was making. Hagrid stood at the head of the giant Pegasus, looking up at it rapturously.

        "Hey you two!" He greeted Harry and Ron. "Where's Hermione?"

        "She's coming along, Hagrid." Ron replied.

        Tilt continued to scream challenges, dragging Tainn several feet along the ground as he attempted to lunge towards the huge Pegasus. It was easily three times his size.

        "Whoa, easy there!" Tainn was calling at the shaggy little Pegasus. His attempts to soothe him were ineffective. Several others in the class filtered in, watching Tainn's battle with Tilt curiously.

        "Lejtes!"

        Tilt stopped, a shudder passing through his body. He turned his head, his ears tipped forward eagerly. Then he shrilled again, flapping his wings and freeing himself from Tainn's grasp.

        Harry's eyes followed the pegasus's gaze and found that he was charging directly towards professor Lanya, who was standing some distance away, her arms folded across her chest. Tilt skidded to a stop directly in front of her, pushing his nose into her cloak. He looked positively delighted, his wings twitching out form his back.

        "Lejtes." She said again. "You ridiculous little pony. You already know you're the most spectacular creature with two wings, hmm?" She laughed and cuddled his long face.

        "Tilt belongs to Lanya?"

        "Of course he does, Ron." Hermione replied from where she had come up behind them. "I looked it up, and 'lejtes' means 'tilt' in Hungarian. Plus, there are large herds of Monglians in the mountains of Hungary, where Professor Lanya is from..." She might have gone on with all the reasons that they should have realized that Tilt belonged to Lanya, but Hagrid had started class.

        "Good mornin' class." He announced, beaming. "As ye can see, I have here an Abraxan fer studyin' today, but firs' I asked Professor Lanya here," He nodded his head towards the woman, who was now taming Tilt's mane into a long plait while he butted her shoulder with his nose. "To give us a demonstration of th' skills o' a trained Pegasus an' rider. Hope this'll settle the lad down a bit, as well." He added. "Are ye ready, Professor?"

        "Yes," She called. She walked over, guiding Tilt with a hand on his neck. Tainn followed close behind, a look of admiration on his face. Tilt followed her meekly and stopped when she did, no longer paying any attention to the huge Pegasus now standing not ten feet away.

        "I thank you for this opportunity." She said with a small bow in Hagrid's direction. "I am afraid I have been neglecting my Lejtes recently, but I have never seen his coat so shiny and his mane so free of tangles. Good work."

        The students grinned at each other.

        "Now," she continued, "I shall be brief." She removed her cloak and handed it to Hagrid. "This is a standard kit for Pegasus riding." She was clothed in a very thick wooly turtleneck, over which was a felt vest. Her wand hung on her hip, and she wore very snug breeches, tall dragon-hide boots and long gloves. "See the patches on the inside of the legs and the...rear..." She smiled slightly, "It is dragon suede, and gives very good grip on all surfaces. The gloves are the same material on the palm," She stripped one off and handed it around.

        "The hat is for protection." She rapped her knuckles on the crown and it gave a solid thunking sound.

        Harry, standing on the edge of the group, was the last to examine the glove, and he found it felt very pliable in his hand. He ran his own gloved fingers over the palm and found that there was a definite feel of resistance to it. He nodded, and stepped forward to give it back to Lanya. She took it back with a smile, and Harry glanced at her hand when she reached out.

        The skin of her right hand was scored with what looked to be old burn scars. He saw them only for a second before she slipped her glove back on.

        "Now then." She continued, oblivious to Harry's scrutiny. "I do not use harness, as I don't need it and my Lejtes doesn't like it." She took a hold on her pegasus's mane and swung herself lightly up onto Tilt's back, fitting her knees snugly behind his wing joints.

        The Pegasus pranced a few steps, obviously eager. "Now then, I will show you a few maneuvers." She told them, sitting easily on his back. "Lejtes, go." She said softly.

        The Pegasus gave another full-body shiver, unfurled his huge, sooty-gray wings, and leapt into the air. Lanya sat him with an enviable ease, not bothering to grab his mane or throw her arms around his neck for balance, as Harry remembered doing.

        The Pegasus made a large circle, rising higher and higher, then folded his wings back with a snap and dove, Lanya leaning low over his neck. Just when Harry was sure they were going to crash directly into the crowd of students, all of whom seemed to share his opinion and were scattering, she sat up and Tilt pulled himself out of the dive, gliding over their heads.

        Harry saw Lanya reach out and touch his neck, and the Pegasus executed a sharp right turn, then he came in low. "Hagrid, apple!" Lanya called out as they passed over.

        Hagrid reached into a sack that had been sitting near his feet and pulled out a glossy green apple, which he hurled into the air.

        Lanya and Tilt executed another neat turn and dove after it. Lanya snatched it out of the air before it had even begun its descending arc. Harry applauded, hearing the students around him doing the same.

        Lanya reached out and fed the apple to Tilt. Then they banked and swept low again. "Hagrid, apple!" She called again. This time the hulking Gamekeeper pulled out an apple and held it above his head.

        Harry heard Hermione gasp.

        Lanya brought Tilt in very low, sweeping in a straight line towards Hagrid. As they came very close, she took a grip on his braided mane and leaned out almost impossibly far, her opposite leg almost coming completely over Tilt's back. They reached Hagrid just as Tilt's wings swept back and she snatched the apple out of Hagrid's hand.

        The half-giant beamed broadly as woman and Pegasus took to the sky once more. Hagrid turned to Tainn and said, "Ready?" The man grinned, winked at the class, then took off running across the clearing.

        "What's he doing?" Ron asked shrilly.

        Lanya brought Tilt around again, and they dove after the running man. They pulled alongside. Tainn reached out his hand, and was pulled in one quick movement onto the Pegasus behind Lanya. Tilt didn't even change his pace as he ascended once again.

        "Brilliant." Harry yelled, as they swept across for one more pass. Then they came into a landing, Tilt galloping along the ground before coming to a stop in the precise place from which they had started.

        Tainn slid off; then bowed to Lanya, who nodded at him.

        "Thank ye, Professor." Hagrid boomed.

        "It was a pleasure, to be sure." She smiled. "Any questions?"

        Hermione raised her hand, and Lanya smiled at her, "Hermione?"

        "How does he manage that with his eye being like it is?" The girl asked.

        "Good question." She replied. "If he had an inexperienced rider, he would not be able to do those maneuvers. It is up to me to make sure he keeps on the right path." Hermione nodded her head thoughtfully. "Anyone else?" Lanya asked.

        "I have one," One of the Hufflepuffs spoke up. Lanya nodded at him. "Have you ever ridden him into battle?"

        Lanya looked at him thoughtfully, "Twice, I have. Neither time was it in intention, and neither time did we exit unscathed." She flexed her right hand. Tilt flipped his head in what almost looked like agreement.

        Lanya looked at Hagrid. " I will take him out for a ride," She told him with a smile. "Perhaps that will work out some of his high spirits."

        "It'll be appreciated." Hagrid agreed, patting the head of the Abraxan, which had trotted over for some attention.

        Lanya waved her hand, murmured something to her Pegasus, and the two took off, soaring towards the castle, then beyond.

        "All righ', you lot!" Hagrid announced, and the students who had swiveled to watch Tilt and Lanya's progress jumped to attention. "Like I told ye, this is an Abraxan, borrowed 'im from a friend o' mine in France."

        That Wednesday evening, Harry found his way blocked halfway up the stairs to Texi's apartment for his lesson. The obstruction was Texi herself, who smiled at him in fine spirits as she announced that the two of them were going to join Snape in the dungeons this week.

        "Again?" Harry protested as she steered him around. "I had a lesson with him last week."

        Texi patted his arm compassionately. "I know, and he knows...but the time has come to find out what exactly you've learned with the two of us helping."

        "Dumbledore hasn't taken ANY of my lessons." Harry grumped.

        "He's a busy wizard, as you know." Texi told him implacably. "We're pretty isolated here, but there has been a lot going on outside the walls of Hogwarts."

        "Huh?"

        "Don't you read the newspaper, Harry?"

        "Not since last year." Harry shrugged. "Hermione is still getting it." He decided not to add that she was constantly trying to read things to him, but he tended not to listen.

        "Well, the Ministry is still in relative turmoil, and Fudge's position is precarious. There seems to be little doubt that you'll get a new Minister soon."

        Harry nodded, his eyes hard.

        "Ron's father is getting a lot of support." She added offhandedly.

        "Mr. Weasley?" Harry asked, his eyes wide. "That would be...fantastic."

        "I thought as much." She agreed. "What else...?" She mused as they turned into the entrance to the dungeons. "There has been more activity with the death eaters, muggle targeting, and the muggles, poor things, are getting confused and very afraid."

        "Deaths?"

        "A few." She said sadly. "The dementors have vanished, and we're certain that they've joined up with Voldemort. The giants..." She shrugged. "The goblins are still wavering."

        She turned to Harry as they reached the door to Snape's office. "I suggest, Harry, that you read the Daily Prophet when Hermione gets it. There is too much to tell you." She knocked, and the sound reverberated through the dank halls, "And be sure to read between the lines."

        "Between...?" He started. But just then Snape's office door opened and she and Harry entered.

        Texi pulled out her wand and touched it to her forehead. "Good evening, Professor."

        Snape nodded, regarding her with his glittering black eyes. "I assume you have come to me for assistance."

        Texi's eyebrow lifted. "Kind of." She said levelly. "The Headmaster felt that it might be good for us to try combining our lessons."

        "I don't see how that would be of any assistance." Snape sneered. "Potter has all the mental receptivity of a block of wood."

        Texi's eyebrow lifted further. "I have found him to be making much progress." She disagreed.

        "In your opinion, perhaps." Snape told her dismissively.

        Texi's eyes narrowed, and Harry recognized what may have been real anger smoldering in their emerald depths. "If this has been your attitude, Professor Snape, I would be surprised if you HAD made any more progress." She took a deep breath as Snape shot her what may have been a startled look. "As it is, Harry has been improving. And we need to build on that."

        Snape squared his shoulders. "This much is true. Potter!"

        "Yes, sir." Harry replied.

        "Had any peculiar dreams lately?"

        Harry's mind traveled back over the past week. A blonde woman, a book, an arch, voices murmuring and high pitched laughing. "None more peculiar than usual...sir."

        "A guarded answer." Snape said smoothly, turning to his desk. "If you are ready, Potter, clear your mind." He turned back around, holding his wand. Harry hurriedly summoned his Receiver and poured all his emotions into it.

        Beside him, Texi, still looking a bit put out, perched herself on one of the worktables.

        "Legilimens!" Snape snarled.

        Harry closed his eyes, feeling Snape's spell probing at the front of his head, seeking an opening, a weakness. He pulled up all his resolve and resolutely kept him out. The spell became more insistent, probing deeper and deeper.

        Vague, blurred memories began to swim into his consciousness. He heard disjointed voices, some filled with laughter, some with fear, some with indifference. Harry decided that he wasn't going to hold out much longer when he got a rather clear vision; they had taken off from Mrs. Figg's house, he had looked back and... "Expelliarmus!" He shouted. He opened his eyes just in time to see Snape's wand fly from his grip.

        He closed his eyes again, breathing hard, listening as Snape retrieved his wand. It hadn't been, had it? It couldn't have been...

        "Marginally better, Potter." Snape said grudgingly. "But I still managed to break through your guard." He raised his wand, "Again."

        They went through the same process three times, and by the end of the third Harry had spots swimming in front of his eyes, but he had still managed to keep Snape out completely.

        Snape had no words of encouragement or praise aside from a grunt that could have meant anything.

        "May I, professor?" Texi asked. She had apparently reigned in her temper during the intervening time.

        Snape nodded, striding to his chair and sitting. He leaned back, tenting his hands before his mouth and looking like he was preparing to observe something darkly amusing. Texi shot him a glance. As she spoke, she left her wand at her forehead for Snape's benefit, as with Harry she didn't need it.

        "Harry," she began, "I see you are using your Receiver. Now, for the moment I want you to let it go."

        Harry acceded reluctantly, and the dog vanished as he let his emotions and memories flow back into his conscious mind. Texi stared into his eyes.

        "Now, I want you to try to keep me out without using it."

        "But..." He protested.

        "Harry, I think you can do it." She said kindly. "Try."

        Harry saw Snape looking at him, an amused sneer crossing his mouth. "Of course." He agreed stoutly, locking eyes with her again. Harry concentrated, bringing himself to a feeling of strict neutrality.

        He felt her presence like a weight against the back of his eyes. He shoved against her, trying to visualize an invisible barrier around his mind. The pressure eased, and he felt her thoughts receding. Her face was locked into concentration, her eyes boring into his, but he kept that barrier up, denying her.

        The dueled like that for over ten minutes. Every time she pushed her thoughts at his, he strengthened the barrier, moving the force of his mind in response to her probes. It was like a deadly serious staring contest.

        Finally, Texi found a weak point and with a thought that had much the effect of a poniard stabbing through the gaps in a coat of chain mail she shattered his shield. Harry gasped as her thoughts and emotions flooded through his previously blank mind.

        "You held up very well, Harry." Her voice sounded approvingly in his head. "And much longer than I had expected." Her thoughts were warm and comforting to him. "Now that I'm here, let's work on selective memory recall."

        Harry nodded silently.

        They moved to pull a couple of chair close together and sat down facing each other. Harry straddled his chair and leaned his arms across the back. Then they locked eyes again, and began the arduous process of shifting through their memories as Snape watched in silence.

        Harry and Texi were laughing as they examined a memory of Genner begging Sarven to reverse the Truth-Speak hex, his nose so long that he had to support it with one hand, when something changed.

        Harry felt their joined minds rock as if at a sudden invasion. His mind was suddenly filled with shouting and pain.

        "PULL OUT, HARRY!" Texi's mind screamed at him. But it was happening too quickly.

        "Report, status!" Texi was demanding. She stood so suddenly that her chair upset with a clatter, startling Professor Snape, who jumped up.

        "Lion reporting, we need backup, Mother Bird! Backup!"

        "Get Dumbledore!" Texi snapped at Snape, "We need agents to location 312! Immediately!"

        Harry was astonished that Snape didn't argue, but instead rushed to the fireplace and tossed in a handful of floo powder. "Dumbledore's Office." He exclaimed, then he stepped in and vanished.

        "Lion! Lion, report!" Texi demanded again, going for the fireplace herself and beckoning Harry to follow.

        Very quickly they were in the Stepenwolv apartments. Harry stepped out a few moments after Texi, finding the room full of activity. Tainn was waiting to floo out, which he did almost before Harry's feet left the stones of the fireplace. Sarven came running down from upstairs. Texi glanced at him, and nodded. He ran for the fireplace as well.

        "Lion! What is status of Scarecrow and Soda?"

        "Soda is safe, under stone." The voice returned, hushed, panicky. "Scarecrow...he's still inside! But he was right behind me!" The voice rose. "It was a trap, Mother Bird! They were waiting for us!"

        "Scarecrow, respond!" There was no answer from Scarecrow. Harry, get out!" Texi shouted at him. But he found he couldn't; whatever was happening had pinned him there, unable to escape.

        "Aid to Location 312, who is available?" Texi demanded.

        "Jester proceeding with all possible speed," came a different voice.

        "Goldenboy responding!" Came another.

        "Any and all aid to 312 immediately. Lion! Get out of there!" Texi shifted.

        Harry watched her, horrified.

        "I can't Mother Bird!" Came the terrified response. "He's my brother!"

        "Lion, I repeat and command, GET OUT OF THERE!" Texi's face paled.

        "I'm going back for him." The voice exclaimed.

        "No, Lion, NO!" Texi called impotently. "ETA, respondents!"

        "10 seconds, Jester was in unsafe area."

        "Three minutes!" Came the other voice. "Coming as quick as we can, Mother Bird."

        Then a change passed over Texi's face, and Harry felt his stomach flip over and seem to fold in upon itself. A sickening sensation passed through him, and Harry tried to contain the bile that rose in his throat. He collapsed backwards onto a couch, feeling his head reel as cold sweat broke out on his body.

        "LION! It's too late, Scarecrow has been...compromised..." Texi finished in a wobbly voice. "Retreat, retreat NOW!"

        "Noooo! My brother! No! Colum!"

        "No! JESTER! GET THERE NOW!" Texi's voice was strident, grieving, horrified. "Lion! LION!"

        Then the sickening sensation passed over Harry again, and he knew that it was too late for Lion as well.

        It was only a few moments later that Jester announced her arrival at the scene. And she summed up what she saw. "Oh...Mother Bird...may they be at peace." Her voice cracked, and Harry felt her mourning.

        Goldenboy responded soon after. "I've just arrived, Mother Bird, damage is extensive. One civilian casualty, you already know about Scarecrow and Lion."

        "Soda?" Texi asked, and Harry felt her sink onto the couch beside him.

        "Jester has located her."

        "I've located Soda, Mother Bird. Only a few bruises." They heard the voice coaxing her, and comforting Soda. "Oh...his violin..." There were tears in the voice. "Mother Bird. Situation is in hand."

        "Acknowledged."

        It was only then that Harry was able to tear his mind away from Texi's.

        He reeled back again, marveling that while he felt like hell warmed over, she sat pale and composed. She glanced up at him then looked back down at her hands.

        "I didn't want you to experience that." She said quietly, and a few tears trickled down her face. "I didn't want you to know."

        "What...was that?" Harry asked, badly shaken.

        Texi fumbled at her neck, pulling out a stone wrapped in wire.

        "I've seen one of those before. Tala has one."

        "We all have one." She told him. "They're all connected. And this one is the master key. They visit occasionally to make sure the connection is still strong enough. We can contact each other, as you have seen. But as mine is the strongest..."

        "You can feel them."

        "Yes." Now the tears were rolling in earnest down her face. "I know if they still live, if they're hurt, if they..."

        "Die." Harry finished for her.

        There was a rush of green fire in the fireplace, and Tainn appeared. He saw Texi and Harry sitting on the couch and he took a few running steps, pulling Texi up and enveloping her in a comforting embrace.

        "Sis." He murmured. "Oh, sis..." Tears began to run down his own contorted face.

        Harry stood, trying not to attract their attention. He made his way over to the window and leaned against it, pressing his burning forehead to the glass.

        Outside, the unconcerned stars burned on, and the world continued to spin as he felt the tears come.