Chapter 7

The first week or so after Halloween was tense. Younger students and some of the older students were scared of the fierce Jolen Ra, who were patrolling the grounds and village.

Although not all of the Hogsmead residents agreed.

"What do you think about the Jolen Ra, Rosmerta?" Harry asked as she placed their drinks on the table.

"I ran out of strong drink the first night a party of them came in." Rosmerta said

"Hard to dislike a race that drinks like them."

"Any trouble?"

"They have too be at least half drunk to pick fights, and on wizard alcohol that's not happening, as you know, Harry."

"Your right, the fumes from their strong stuff would put this whole place under."

"Can't even have any of that in Hogsmead, because kids come to the village."

"I know, Dumbledore and I made that rule."

"You got any, Harry?" Harry nodded and pulled out a flask with griffin emblems on the sides.

"Jarkan 37, the General introduced me to it on my Birthday."

"I thought you were in Egypt on your birthday?"

"I was, I just didn't tell where else I was."

"Oh, you are getting very secretive Harry, I am not sure I like it."

"Ron, this is the most important thing anyone has done for thousands of years, if Tom wins it will be the end."

"Of what?"

"Life."

"I guess put like that, I can take it but this isn't what I expected to be doing at seventeen."

"Which part? Planning a war, or sitting in a pub with the two most beautiful women in Hogwarts and the most powerful wizard ever?"

"Either, and I never thought I would meet the most powerful wizard ever and not get expelled and or killed seconds later."

"You wouldn't get expelled and I trust you not to die on me, although if you do I will never speak to you again." Harry said.

"From anyone else that's a given, but you probably could…"

"Twins, get ready." Ginny said. Sure enough two redheads in wildly flashing robes walked their way.

"Fred." Harry shook his hand "George." and his twins.

"How Can you tell which one is which, Harry."

"I could tell you but then I would have to kill you."

The twins laughed.

"You did get the robes to work." Harry said

"Yes, and that friend of yours finally clued us in on the clown charm and some other stuff, can I say 'General Orders' Harry."

"That spell, you're doing that as a wheeze?"

"Yup, when I heard the story I thought it to good to miss."

"Definitely." Harry said and took Ginnys hand, seconds later she laughed.

"That was priceless, his face." Ginny said still laughing.

Harry and the twins started laughing too, Ron and Hermione looked puzzled.

"What are you laughing at?"

"A prank, over the summer."

"How do the twins and Ginny know?"

"The twins heard from my co-conspirator, and their new business associate, Ginny learnt about it from me?"

Ron looked like he wanted to know more but changed his mind.

The first post Halloween meeting of the DA

Several people including Seamus, Dean, the Creeveys and curiously Ron were nervous of the Jolen Ra.

Harry and Ginny weren't, Hermione had finally found a book (belonging to Torian and 'liberated' by Miri) that detailed all that was known of their history.

"Their City has the biggest magical library in the world." Hermione told everyone.

"But surely if its so old then bigger libraries will have been built since."

"No, the Royal Jolen Ra Library has every magical text ever written save one."

"What?"

"None of the copies of the Encyclopaedia Arcana have ever been there."

"That book that Hermione has."

"Yes, one copy was made for each of the Founders, in 1543 the then Lord Slytherin sent his to Septimus Black, then Headmaster of Hogwarts, who sent it to Marik at Gold Heaven Tower, the last Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Lord and Lady willed theirs to the Tower also."

"But they are still pretty intimidating."

"Yes, but are also sworn to me."

"Are you afraid of me?"

"No."

"Then don't be afraid of them."

The DA at least stopped fearing them after that.

Harry mediated later that night; his mind was easily drawn back to the summer.

He had mage-jumped blind from Privet Drive, only wanting to be away, he had been started to appear in a courtyard.

Two men came towards him.

"Your lordship, come this way, I have been expecting you."

Puzzled Harry followed them inside.

They entered a cosily lit room, the lead man gestured to armchairs

They sat

"Who are you?"

"Mr. Tarses, caretaker of Ravens Reach" the other man said "I have been looking forward to meeting you."

"Thank you."

"I am Nathaniel Findor, I have waited for this moment for more than twelve decades." the old man said

"How could you have…?"

"Not all with the gift of foresight tell fortunes," Nathaniel said saying the last word with distaste

Harry another mind enter the dream realm where he stood.

"Ginny, come in I hoped you would find your way here?" Harry said a large armchair appeared.

How

In the realm of dreams, everything is possible

You can hear my thoughts

We are Ta-Mai-Dai, even in the waking world; I can hear you whenever you wish it

Good, what are these memories?

My life, what do you want to see

The Jolen Ra city

Done

He had left Egypt yesterday; a guide had met them and taken them deep into the desert.

Like a mirage the veiling magic's of the city disappeared and Harry saw the most beautiful buildings he had ever seen.

The City walls were half a mile high, made of shining white stone glittering with layers of magical fire.

The domed buildings inside are also of white stone, the gate is a hundred feet tall, seventy wide and seven thick made of a single piece of black wood.

A squad of mounted Jolen Ra rode out to meet them.

"Come, the King awaits you." the lead rider said.

"Good."

They strode into the Hall, Harry walked past the Statures of past rulers, at the end of the hall, a great stone throne sat.

The King was standing on the dais, in front of the throne.

"Lord Gryffindor, I am King Faq'wn, ruler of the Jolen Ra."

"Greeting, your Majesty, I come seeking help."

"I know you were drawn here, for a reason you do not know." Faq'wn said

"Yes."

"Contact with the otherworldly King has awoken the fire in your heart."

"Why?"

"Because it is your destiny to reunite the armies of empire or doom the world."

"Tom."

"If he wins he will destroy all life but his own."

"How do I stop him?"

"By becoming a warrior the likes of which men have not had for a hundred centuries."

"Show me."

Harry looked at Ginny; he felt her pride and love for him.

"And train I did, in everything that I could possibly need."

"The day I left, I went to the King again."

"Ten millennia ago, the King of this city swore an oath in blood and magic that one day, they would heed the call to arms."

"I Lord Gryffindor descent of Ozarion, call on you here and now to aid me in war, till victory or death."

"And I King Faq'wn of the Jolen Ra, will answer."

"It has been to long since our peoples marched into war together."

"Yes, it has."

The King gestured to a guard "Blow the Horn."

All over the city people were talking, laughing, fighting, eating, drinking and other stuff, a sound washed over them, a loud, low horn call with a rumble like an avalanche.

They all stopped what they were doing, a single thought in their minds "the Horn of Ternathia"

By the time Harry reached the courtyard, a crowd had gathered.

Turning to the royal advisor the King spoke the words everyone had waited their long lives to hear "Van'ta, call the Vanguard, they ride for Britain and WAR."

The crowd roared cheers.

They seemed happy, how could that be? Ginny thought

Although the who and why is lost to legend, the Jolen Ra exist for a single purpose.

Which is.

War, nature made them masters at it.

Three eons of blood and rage made them unparalleled.

Not to sound like my brother but wow.

No chance of that. Harry said and they kissed passionately.

Draco Malfoy crept down a passageway, lit wand in hand.

"I know Potter keeps something down here, I have seen him going down, when he is meant to be in lessons, I am going to find what he's hiding."

He stopped suddenly, a wall blocking his path.

"Why would a wall be here?"

Familiar maniacal laughter echoed.

"Peeves." Malfoy muttered and saw a door then he walked through it.

Finding himself in a different part of the castle, he turned round to go back to find a picture of a landscape, muttering he set off in a new direction.

After several dead ends. Malfoy was beginning to think that the castle had it in for him.

Laughter echoed again, as if in agreement.

"No, I must have forgotten the way, that's all" Malfoy said.

Laughter was heard in the distance

Followed by low footsteps, two pairs of feet.

A light shone on Malfoys face.

"Put that out." He snapped.

The light faded to reveal Blaise Zabini and a Ravenclaw girl both pointing their wands at Malfoy

"It's you." Blaise said

"What you doing down here, Malfoy?"

"None of your business, I am a prefect."

"No one wanders alone at night, even prefects, you would know this if you actually listened at the meetings."

"I would think carefully before walking around at night, not all those patrolling are as friendly as we are, okay Malfoy."

"Got it, Zabini."

"Good, after all we want you to try and catch the snitch tomorrow" Zabini said, the Ravenclaw laughed, Malfoy stormed off.

Hermione blinked awake to see Ginny coming in through the portrait hole, looking insanely happy.

"I wish I felt like you look."

"I might be able to help you there." Ginny place a hand on Hermione's shoulder, suddenly she was filled with energy.

Hermione jumped to her feet "this is amazing, I wish you could bottle this, students and scholars everywhere would buy it."

"It has been tried, it's addictive and unhealthy to use it too much."

"What is it and how often?"

"Pure magic, a mix of the strengths of air, water and earth"

"I like it, should you be playing with that in you."

Ginny smiled wolfishly "No rule against it."

"Where did it come from?" Hermione asked although she had a suspicion.

"Harry shared it with me, last night." Ginny said, grinned and sped up the stairs.

"I figured as much." Hermione muttered.