Authors Note: Thanks to everyone for the reviews. This is a revised Chapter. I wasn't completely happy with the old version as I left out some important little details. I am much happier with this one. PLEASE REVIEW!! I still think Dean Thomas could be the HBP though. I guess we will see won't we.
Chapter 7: Lessons
Four Days had passed since Phoenix Darklighter had been sorted into Slytherin. Draco Malfoy was extremely irritated.
How dare Phoenix come to his school and take over the evil regime of Slytherins that he had been building for seven years. He would pay dearly. Ever since Phoenix had come to Hogwarts, Draco had been shoved aside, basically forgotten. No one forgets Draco Malfoy.
Draco watched as Phoenix threatened, bullied, and hexed his way to popularity. Anyone who dared to stand up against him mysteriously went missing. They hadn't been seen or heard from since. He watched as the whole House became fearful and subservient to Phoenix's every command. Draco himself dared not speak out, after all he was angry, but not stupid. He didn't want to find out what happened to the others.
Little did he know that Phoenix was watching his every move, waiting for him to make a mistake, so that he could get across a message to Draco's father, one of Voldemort's most faithful followers.
"It is only a matter of time." Phoenix thought with an evil snicker.
While Harry and Rayne were playing follow the leader, Phoenix had been very busy putting his plan into action. He was aware of the fact that Rayne knew him better than anyone else. He knew she would be able to anticipate his next move before he made it.
He hadn't expected her to be at Hogwarts, he had only gone there himself to start rebuilding his army. He wanted to start fresh in a place where Voldemort started his evil empire. He swore that by the time he was done, no one would even remember his loathed fathers name. Being able know where Rayne was only made his job easier. Instead of hunting her down, she had unknowingly delivered herself on a silver platter to him. He couldn't wait to destroy her and the best part was that he really didn't care one way or the other about the consequences. He could work around the few setbacks her destruction would present. After all, what are a few dead people to someone who doesn't possess any conscience?
Phoenix felt that the Slytherins needed someone who would tell them exactly what to do and if they should fail, would punish them accordingly. He was right. Within a matter of hours, he had scared every single Slytherin in the house into agreeing to help him destroy Harry Potter and his new found friend. Even Draco Malfoy was put in his place. No one dared to speak out against him for the fear he instilled in them kept them silent. It didn't hurt that the few people who did dare to question him were no longer a threat. He would not take any chances this time. Phoenix knew he would not fail twice. First he would take out his pesky sister, whose fault it was that he was in this predicament to begin with, and then, he would continue where he left off 16 years ago.
After their classes Rayne and Harry headed for Lunch. There they sat together and began discussing different methods of mind reading. Their pattern continued for the next week. Everyday they were constantly together. Every night Rayne would fend off Harry's dreams, and he had no idea how she did it, only that she said she used Voldemort's greatest weakness against him. Every time, he felt stronger after she had defeated him. They had been correct in assuming that people would notice that they were always together. Harry was still having trouble accepting the looks he and Rayne had been receiving lately. Every witch in Hogwarts hated Rayne because she was always with Harry. Many of the guys gave Harry looks that would silently say "The-Boy – Who- Lived gets everything." Harry followed Rayne everywhere. And Rayne never took her eyes away from him as he talked to his friends. Harry's friends were getting worried about the amount of time they were spending together.
Hermione was the first to confront the pair. She saw them eating lunch together and walked up to them. She slammed her hands down on the table and looked Harry straight in the eyes.
"Ok. What is going on? Everyone is talking about you two, even the Slytherins. Why are you two following each other around the school? Why are you avoiding us?" She practically screamed at Harry.
"What are you jealous?" Harry replied a little more rudely than he intended.
Hermione became flustered at that remark.
"NO!" She shouted.
She looked ready to jump over the table at Harry, and then Ron jumped in to the argument.
"But if our best friend has an interest in a girl, I would think he would tell us and not parade around in front of the whole school first. We have been your friends for seven years, you know her for two weeks and suddenly we never see you anymore? It is almost as if you are to good for us now." Ron said, once again letting his temper get the best of him.
Ron was not about to let Harry treat him and Hermione that way. They had been through so much together, and all of a sudden this girl shows up and steals Harry away from them in less than two weeks. Harry was now at his boiling point. They just didn't understand. He tried his best to remain calm.
"First of all, what makes you think I have an interest in her?" He asked as calmly as he could.
"Because the entire school is talking about how you are in every class with her, you are always together and you never let her out of your sight." Hermione said exasperated.
"How can we not think you two are interested in each other." Ron added.
"I think you are just jealous because I am spending more time with her than you and Ron. I can't help that my schedule happens to match hers. I didn't plan it that way, and so what if I was interested in her, it is no ones business who I date, or who I am interested in. If I want to spend time getting to know a brand new student, who has no friends and no clue about our country or culture, then I will, and it is none of the entire schools business." He stated coolly and calmly to Hermione.
She looked in his eyes and said
"That's not all they are saying."
"Enlighten me." He stated.
"Well I heard that Rayne's stuff disappeared from her room. Her roommates say one minute it was there and the next it was gone. They haven't seen her since. Where has she been staying, you must know since you are always together." Hermione was getting very irritated, and Harry could see that.
"Well," Harry replied, "She is right next to me you know, why don't you ask her instead of pretending she can't hear every word you are saying to me."
Harry was getting impatient with them now.
"Because we want to hear it from you. Not her!" Ron said angrily.
"Fine, I will ask her." Harry said turning to Rayne and giving her a exasperated glance.
"Rayne, where did you move to? Why did you move? What is going on?" Harry asked her knowing she would have a better way to answer their prying questions than he would.
Rayne smiled and looked at Hermione and Ron and said in a very patient voice.
"Hermione, I must admit, I was removed from my roommates due to the fact that if I stayed with them they would have been in grave danger. Apparently Voldemort feels that I am a threat to him. As Harry is also in the same position I am in, he offered to escort me to my classes, it just so happened we had the same classes, so it has worked out splendidly. As for where I am being housed, I am afraid I am not allowed to tell due to the high security risk. Professor Dumbledore instructed me to tell no one. I am afraid I must comply with his wishes as he is the Headmaster. Harry has been kind enough to try and befriend me as I have no one and being in a new school that is a very precious thing for me as I am not very social. I was sent here because my guardians thought that American schools were spoiling me, I was forced to leave all my friends and everything I know. Please do not be upset or angry at me for being friends with Harry, I do not have a lot of friends and he has been so kind to me."
She looked at Hermione with big innocent doe eyes.
Hermione's angry glare softened a little. Ron just rolled his eyes.
"Blah, blah, blah" he thought, not daring to speak aloud, knowing Harry would probably fly into a rage. Little did he know that Rayne had caught his fleeting thought, and was about to give him a good scare by shouting something mentally back at him when Hermione started speaking again.
"Of course I am upset, but if Harry had just explained the situation to us instead of keeping it secret we wouldn't have been forced to question you two." Hermione stated as if she were talking to a five year old child.
Now Rayne was getting irritated. She had never been the patient type, but she had always been respectful of other people. She was getting very close to saying something regretful. She struggled to hold herself in check.
"I asked Harry not to tell anyone about it, just in case some of the girls would threaten me or get jealous considering from what I hear he is the most eligible bachelor at Hogwarts." She gave Harry a wink as his face turned red. "Being new, I do not think the threats would help me make friends." Then Rayne smiled at Harry's friends.
Ron and Hermione sat silently for a moment staring hard at her and then at Harry, and back again.
Harry knew he had to break the awkward silence.
"Please understand you guys. You have each other. You two belong together; I can see it when you look at each other. Your eyes sparkle and your love shines in your faces. I have been through so much with you guys by my side. I just need time to sort things out on my own. The final battle is drawing near and I need to focus on getting to know myself right now." Harry said sadly.
"We will always be there for you mate." Ron said reaching across the table and patting Harry's shoulder.
"I know that," Harry said, "and when I need it, I will ask for your help, but right now, I just want to go through this on my own."
"You mean on your own, with Rayne." Hermione said tears forming in her eyes.
"Yes." Harry replied.
His tone was so final, that Ron and Hermione knew that there was nothing more to be said. They simply looked at each other and walked away.
"You didn't have to do that." Rayne told him in a comforting voice.
"I know, Harry replied softly, "but they will be safe, and I will be able to focus on destroying Voldemort better knowing that."
Rayne nodded in understanding. Harry just continued staring at the table, deep in thought.
Rayne and Harry went to the library after lunch. Rayne went into the Dark Arts section and pulled out a book called Dark Lords of Past Present and Future,
"Here Harry read this, you will find that you can't believe everything you read." Harry began to read a section titled "Great Battles". It told the story of how a great and powerful witch took on her brother and destroyed him and then killed herself. It was a very misguided history of Rayne's battle against Phoenix, or Merrick as the book called him. It did not do her justice or explain what really happened and on top of all that had her commit suicide. Harry smiled.
"I see that even the best history book can get it completely wrong," He said. Then suddenly a realization dawned on him. "Wait a minute, Rayne, you were asleep for 14 years?! How did you manage to remain 17? Shouldn't you be 30 something?"
"Actually," she said, "I was frozen in time. I froze myself when I was 15. I awoke when you finished your 5th year battle, still 15. I spent two years getting to know this time and culture and then I came to you. I never aged because the spell I did never allowed me to. Unfortunately it also had the same effect on Phoenix. I am actually still 17. When you are frozen in time, it is as if you just took a nap for an afternoon. It goes by so fast."
"I understand." He said to her. They studied in silence for about a half hour.
"Hey Rayne," Harry said getting her attention.
"Yeah" She replied.
"I have just one more question." Harry said.
"Go ahead." Rayne replied looking up from the book she was studying.
"If you were 15 when you battled Merrick, How can you be related to him? Wasn't he 15 when you defeated him?" Harry asked knowing he wasn't going to like the answer.
"Easy," Rayne said calmly turning her eyes back to her book.
"We are twins." She stated.
"But you two are as different as night and day. You are light and he is dark." Harry said taking it in.
"Not all twins are identical, Harry." Rayne said looking at Harry with a grin on her face.
They got up and headed toward advanced charms class. Professor Flitwick had household charms on the agenda and after they left that class they had the one class Rayne dreaded.
Transfiguration.
"I don't feel well," she whined at Harry.
"Rayne, you are an ace at every other class. Why does Transfiguration bother you so much?" Harry asked with a grin.
"I don't know, maybe it is because I just can't seem to get it right. I once turned a rat into a very furry goblet with a tail, but that was the best I ever did. I just don't have the vision to transform things." Rayne replied.
"I can help you then. I am very good at it." Harry smiled.
"Good, because it is probably the only class I will be absolutely useless in." Rayne replied.
They proceeded into the class and Professor McGonnagal began class.
"Now class," the professor started, "This year we are going to focus on transforming ourselves into animals. I know you are all now in your seventh year, and by now you are old enough to appreciate the seriousness of becoming an animagnus. When this year is over, you will have the choice to register as an animagnus, or choose not to be one. Please consider this decision carefully."
She paused and looked around the class.
"Will you all please take out your text book and read Chapter 1 "How To Choose Your Perfect Form". I expect that by the next class you will all have an idea of which form you want to take." She said.
Finally there day was over. They headed back to the common room. Harry went up to his room with Rayne in tow. Many people noticed that they had gone up the boy's stairway together.
Including Ron.
He decided to go visit Harry later that night and see if he could find out why Rayne was going up the boys stairs. After Harry and Rayne entered their room they began to change out of there school clothes. After they were both dressed more comfortably, they began to start studying for there first DADA duel which was the next day. As they sat on the bed together reading different ways to disarm their opponents, they heard a soft knock on the door.
"Who could that be?" Harry said with a worried look.
"It is probably Ron or Hermione." Rayne replied. "I will go hide."
Harry waited until Rayne was out of sight and went to answer the door. There stood Ron.
"Hey Harry, whatcha up to?" Ron said trying hard to act casual all the time trying to get a look behind Harry into his room.
"I was just reading up on dueling for DADA tomorrow, and I wanted some peace and quiet." Harry said hoping Ron would take the hint. Sometimes he was so thick. Harry could have sworn he had told him he wanted to be left alone that afternoon.
"Oh," Ron replied. "I was just passing by and wanted to see if you were Ok."
"I am fine thanks." Harry said shortly.
"Alright Mate, I just was worried about you, you don't seem to be yourself lately. Has Rayne brainwashed you?" Ron said while examining Harry with his eyes.
"No that is not it at all, I am just really focusing on studying DADA especially since the battle is drawing near. " Harry said irritated.
"Oh, I understand. I don't blame you. But I was wondering if you new where Rayne was. I wanted to apologize to her for the other night and this afternoon. I can't seem to find her anywhere, and none of the girls seem to know where she went." Ron said sneakily.
"Well, I don't really know where she is. She meets me downstairs in the morning and we spend the day together." Harry lied.
"You have been spending an awful lot of time with her lately, do you like her or something?" Ron tried to get something out of Harry other than a short answer.
"You know Ron, I have never really thought about it. I guess I just see her as someone I can relate to." Harry replied honestly.
"Really, someone you can relate to, and that is why you spend all day with her?" Ron questioned.
"We have a lot in common, we are Voldemorts most wanted after all." Harry pointed out.
"Good point, well, Ok I will leave you to your studying. Goodnight Harry." Ron finally gave up.
"Night Ron" he said as he shut the door.
"Rayne you can come out now, he is gone." Harry called to her.
"I know," she said coming out of the bathroom.
She had to admit she had been a little hurt by his comment about her just being someone he can relate to, but she knew she couldn't expect much more than that. She thought about her mission, to teach Harry about Voldemort's greatest weakness and use it against him. She was able to protect him with her love for him; one he didn't even know existed; one that was growing stronger each day she spent with him. But she couldn't protect him forever. He needed to feel that same love back. She knew she couldn't force the issue, but if Harry couldn't summon that love for someone, he was in big trouble. She knew she had her work cut out for her. As for Harry, he only knew that he was safe in his dreams while she was next to him, but that was all he knew. He did not have the faintest idea why she fought for him in his dreams every night, only that she was always there and that she knew exactly what he needed.
