Chapter 4
The great hall was buzzing with chatter; even the terrified first years were talking among themselves about the wild rumours flying around.
All noise stopped as six students walked in, five wore the standard black Hogwarts robes and insignia marking them as four Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw, but the sixth wore red and gold robes that eclipsed any even the richest of them had dreamed of having.
"Potter, is uniform not good enough for you" Snape sneered.
"I am Lord Gryffindor, in this place that Godric built, I can and will wear what denotes my lineage" Harry said holding the gold ring on his wand hand.
Snape looked intensely at Harry; suddenly he was knocked back as if he had bounced off a wall. Stumbling back he went pale.
"Don't try that again, Professor" Harry said.
"Potter, you and your friends to your seats, I will see to Severus" McGonagall said and lead Snape out of the Great Hall.
Harry was bombarded by questions when they sat down, he looked at each person in turn and answered calmly and normally, but it carried clearly to everyone at the table.
After the sorting and a short speech by Dumbledore, the feast began.
"Is the DA continuing this year?"
"Yes, in fact they will be given official status."
"What like? Can we take house points or something?"
"No, but all members will be given access to the Restricted Section as long as they give a good reason and permission to walk the school at any time both regulated by me, or either Ron or Hermione if for some reason I am unreachable."
"Cool."
"The bad news is that members must be fifth year or above, no exceptions unless approved by Dumbledore."
Most people groaned.
"However, Remus, Myself or the DADA alternate Marik are available in the DA room or DADA office to assist those below fifth year."
"That's cool."
"Yes, Dumbledore thought so."
"So, what does your status mean?"
"Basically, I have authority over just about anyone except Dumbledore or another Lord, but there are only three other lords alive today."
"Who?"
"Tristan du Lac of Avalon, Arthur Ambrose, and Set Defar."
"What about Slytherin's heir?"
"The last heir of Slytherin died on October 31 1981, it was his image that lived briefly in 1992 but that too was destroyed."
"What about the others?"
"Avalon was sealed magically from intrusion before the founders time, I can't break it without unleashing what it guards the world against, Ambrose and Defar are helping us though."
Soon the feast was over and they all went upstairs to the common rooms and for most sleep.
Ginny awoke early and was surprised to find Harry already in the common room, fully dressed.
"Did you sleep at all, Harry?" Ginny asked concerned
"I haven't slept a full night since July 25th, I don't sleep at all now" Harry continued "one of my teachers over the summer is fond of saying and I quote 'Sleep is for those with nothing better to do' unquote" Harry used a hard guttural voice during the quote that Ginny didn't think could be human.
"I wish that I could do that, I may need it this year, Sixth year is supposed to be Hell"
"The Dreaming unlocked high magic inside you just as it did me, you don't have the number or strength of sources that I do but all branches of witchcraft are open to you if your twin natures are stabilized."
"What would that take?"
"I must enter your mind and separate out the second life from yours, it will then settle into place further back in your mind but separate, ready when you need its power and knowledge."
"What is the risk?"
"For a Psi-Mage it could hardly be easier, if a witch or wizard attempted it there is a risk that the second mind would block them, destroying all three people."
"Alright, what do I do?" Ginny asked.
"Relax, you might even enjoy it" Harry said as he placed his right hand on her forehead.
Ginny found herself in a jumbled landscape, familiar buildings were half merged with structures that couldn't possibly exist in the world she knew, but at the same time were achingly familiar to her.
The Burrow stuck out of the wall of a white marble tower, Hogwarts sharing space with a massive palace with a huge stone tower rising from the centre, Diagon Alley with farriers in place of the ice-cream parlor.
Harry floated in the middle of it all, surrounded by an aura of red-gold flame, it flared.
Ginny shielded her eyes automatically.
The familiar buildings from her were pushed away to the right and the others to the left, fire raced between them and solidified into a wall shining with golden light.
'Like it?' Harry said smiling.
"Of course, let's look around?"
Ginny summoned up an image she had seen briefly before and concentrated on it.
A scene appeared around them, a huge stone Hall hung with banners, on two thrones in front of a red banner with a roaring gold griffin sat a King and Queen in crimson armor, beside them in high backed chairs sat several men and a woman in heavily embroidered black robes, and gold washed chain mail, a huge, massively muscled red-brown skinned creature with a bulls head, a woman in dark leather and green cloak with dark green eyes and pointed ears.
In front of them was a sea of men and women, warriors in mail, robed mages of a half dozen colours, other pointed eared people, winged people, centaurs, grey skinned Trolls and other even stranger beings.
'The Coronation?" Ginny asked.
"Yes, but can you recognize them?" Harry said pointing to the dais.
"Yes, like old friends" Ginny said "Raymar the Minanian," the bull headed person "my first non human friend, and second friend after my family" Ginny turned to the green clad woman "Certia, princess of the wood elves" "Edaius and Stiwyn, my brother and your dearest friend, finally wed" "Zamoon, spymaster superior, we couldn't have won without him."
"We could but we would had to destroy a lot more."
"True,"
Suddenly the scene began to pitch,
'Someone is shaking us' Harry said and vanished in a blaze of light.
Harry returned to his body, to find himself face to face with an angry Ron Weasley.
"What is the problem, Ron?"
"PROBLEM, THE PROBLEM IS WHAT YOU WERE DOING TO MY SISTER, SHE WAS STARING INTO SPACE, LIKE SHE WAS POSSESSED AGAIN."
"Ron, calm down you are going to hurt yourself."
Just then Ron's fist hit Harry's nose, breaking it with an audible crunch.
Less than a second later the blood stopped, Harry grabbed his nose and snapped it back into position, he passed his hand over his face and all trace of blood vanished.
"That was stupid, Ron, must we go over you jumping to conclusions again?"
Ron had go wide eyed when Harry had healed himself.
He now looked embarrassed.
"What were you doing?" Hermione asked, Harry dismissed the question.
"How many people have left since you first saw what I was doing?"
"Only Colin, we're the only ones who have seen it, I ordered all the others to stay upstairs, until Professor McGonagall arrives."
"Good, who woke you two?"
"Colin followed you, he contacted us through the DA coins, when you did what ever that was."
Professor McGonagall entered with Colin "Yes, what was it, Mr. Potter?"
"I will not answer that here, too many could hear, but if you would come to the DA office?" Harry said taking a key from his pocket and opening a door in the wall that hadn't been there before, He walked through and the others followed.
Harry took the desk and they sat in armchairs.
"First, you handled that beautifully Hermione, isolating the common room was exactly what I would have done"
"You knew that Colin followed you? And you planned the 'threat' yourself?"
"Double yes, I used this situation to test you, you are the vice leaders of the DA, I needed to see you react and even more, others needed to see you react."
"What were you doing?"
"Ginny experienced The Dreaming just as I did, she needed help to cope with it, I helped, and that is more than I should be saying."
"Very well, and the door we came in?"
"Works only with this key?" Harry held it up "Remus, Dumbledore and I have the only copies and mine is the only master that opens the other doors as well."
"Good, then we will go back through the door and start our mornings." McGonagall said.
They returned to the common and separated to get dressed.
Harry wore dark red robes and black dragon-hide boots, He walked up to where Ginny was sitting and sat down. Ginny turned to look at him and smiled.
"Thanks, and sorry my brother is such a prat."
"That took a lot less than six years to realize" Harry said kissing her hand "and besides, I wouldn't be much of a Lord if I didn't stop to help the most beautiful woman in the world, now would I?"
"Flatterer, if you keep that up you will get a reputation."
Harry laughed, "I already have one of those."
"Harry, are you flirting with my sister." Ron said.
"Why? Did you want a go?" Harry said and burst out laughing at Ron's horrified expression.
Hermione was saved from deciding whether to laugh or scowl by the arrival off the timetables.
"Jaeda." Harry said in a whisper. Ginny looked up
"What?"
"Double Potions."
"What else? I have Double Divination." Ron said.
"Double DADA, and Transfiguration last, Ginny what have you got?"
"Charms, Transfiguration, Care Double and Potions."
"That bites."
"Yeah."
"I'll walk you to Charms?"
"Sure."
"How were things, over the summer?"
"Alright, I lay awake sometimes wondering where you were and wishing you were with me."
"Ron would have loved that" Harry said and looked in Ginny's eyes "but I wished you could have come with me, Ginny but there were things I had to do alone, you understand that?"
"Of course, Harry we are Ta-Dai-Ma, and I wish the world could see it."
"They will, when we win."
They walked in silence for a while, hand in hand until they reached the Charms classroom, Harry greeted the students he knew and left.
Hermione hurried to Potions, she starred when she reached it.
Harry was deeply engrossed in a conversation with Blaise Zabini of Slytherin.
"Harry, how long have you been here?"
"I met Harry half an hour ago down here, he's helping me with DADA."
"I also asked Blaise and Daphne Greengrass to the DA meeting."
"I'd love to come, it would be nice to be welcomed by someone at Hogwarts."
"I guess your House doesn't do welcoming very well?"
"No, down here curse practice involves getting hit with them and being left there till you escape or Professor Snape finds you."
"Speaking of." Harry, said as the teacher in question glided up and ordered them into their seats.
"Now it truly amazes me how some students like Mr. Potter, remain in this class despite their pathetic skills in the subject."
Harry stood "Professor Snape, I have proved before that I am good at this subject but I will make you a deal."
"What kind of deal, Potter?"
"Ask me to make any potion possible that can be made in two hours and I will complete it on time or leave this course, but if I win, you must stop your slandering of my potions skills, me or any other Potter past or present."
"Agreed. Wolfsbane, Caligus Version."
"Agreed" Harry said and quickly wrote a list, which he handed to Snape, who looked annoyed but left and brought the requested items.
For two hours Harry worked in complete silence, watching the potion turn blood red, silver and finally inky black.
Harry presented a vial of inky black potion to a startled Snape, who nodded and wrote something down.
Harry placed his cauldron on the stone floor, placed the used equipment inside and cast a spell causing them to flare white and vanish.
Hermione cornered Harry outside the classroom.
"What is that you made?"
"Wolfsbane variation."
"I have never heard of it."
"The last know brewer Deterius Slytherin died in 1347, the Wolfsbane potion was lost in any form until 1976."
"Didn't you use him in your trial at the Ministry?"
"Yes, he was Potions master at Hogwarts for over thirty years and wrote several books on potions and alchemy."
"Wow, I have never heard of him."
"The Ministry classified all knowledge of his work."
"Sounds like something Fudge would do?"
"Actually it was Nathaniel Malfoy, during his brief reign as Minister."
"Didn't he die?"
"Yes, he was executed by an agent of the Wizengamot after his dark arts were revealed."
"Cool, we can only hope the current Malfoys suffer a similar fate."
"Agreed."
They both went to the great hall for lunch.