Darkness and Light

Chapter 14

Updated as of 6/21/10

Harry stared at Ron's clock. Nearly midnight and he couldn't sleep. Again. This was becoming an annoyingly common theme.

It had all come back to them - that they had learned Occlumency once before. Snape had told them on Monday that he would, reluctantly, resume teaching them Occlumency, to try and block Voldemort from entering their minds. On Tuesday, Cosmos had told them to try and remember everything they had learned, and to use it that night. Just clear your mind before you fall asleep.

Clearing one's mind was very hard, Harry thought, when there were so many things on his mind to get rid of, one of these things being Occlumency itself. Last year, lessons with Snape did not go very well at all and Harry was sure they would be equally awful this time around, and that the older man would know if Harry did or did not try this night. Those very thoughts, along with everything else, made it more and more hard to sleep, mind cleared or not. But he needed this sleep, he had two tests tomorrow and couldn't afford to sleep right through them, and after that lessons with Cosmos that would surely drain all the energy from him. Wy, why, why did he have to be involved in this?

The only comforting thought in all of this was that he was sure everyone else was feeling the same way, scared and unsure. Well, maybe not Draco, but still...

Harry rolled over quickly and decided to just forget all of it. Occlumency or not, he needed his sleep. He tried distracting his mind by remembering a rather complicated Quidditch formation, his mind letting a game go on inside his head until eventually the teenager was asleep.

Harry was overlooking a living room...'overlooking' would have to be the best way to put it, as he was, more thoroughly put, suspended in midair in the corner of the room. None of the people, Harry was relieved to see, made no sign of acknowledgement that he had entered. It would be a bit odd to explain how he was just floating there suddenly. Had he fallen into a pensive?

Looking back on the people in the room, there were seven aside from him, and most of them looked very familiar. He spotted Sirius, his clothes clean and proper and his face smooth, sitting in a very laid-back manner on one of the chairs facing three of the others that were on the opposite side of him. On Sirius's right was a chair that held two people; The first was a woman slightly younger than Sirius with short black hair and alert, yet kind, blue eyes also staring at the people in front of her. On her lap was the second occupant of the chair, a five-year-old girl with unnaturally long lilac hair that flowed down just below the knees, the girl pulling strands out from under her that she had accidentally sat on. On Sirius's left in the other chair was a man with very neat and pressed back brown hair and round brown eyes to match. He too was looking and talking to the others, but Harry saw his eye dart to the shelves every now and then just to look more closely at the various magical instruments such as a sneakoscope, a broken remembrall, and an invisibility cloak...HIS invisibility cloak!

Harry looked at the final three, who were talking with the others. The first, a woman Sirius's age with red hair and green eyes, his eyes, wearing a kind smile, though with a bit of worry traced on her face. In her arms, she held a baby, dressed in red. The other had unkempt black hair, brown eyes, and wore glasses which looked like they were almost broken. His parents. Harry looked closely at the baby that Lily held, it was himself, not even a year old. If this was a pensive, he was very glad to fall into it.

"How many agreed?" Sirius asked Lily and James.

"McGonagall, of course..." Lily said, thinking. "Hagrid, Flitwick, Laykee...Binns said he'd rather not take sides as did some of the others...a few weren't there...and Severus - yes, James, that's his name, - said he'd get back to us." Harry didn't miss the look James had given Lily when she had said Snape's name.

"A fair amount." Said the other woman. "At least no one just said no. What about Sybil, James?"

"Trelawny?" Harry's father said questioningly.

"As much as we dread her," Said Sirius, a small smirk appearing and quickly disappearing onto his face, "she can be useful at times." James looked at Sirius, removed his glasses and wiped a bit of invisible sweat off his brow, and replaced them.

"She said that we want to use her, just to know what moves the enemy is going to take, the old-"

"James," Lily said quickly, reminding him there were two small children in the room. Baby Harry laughed and cooed and babbled in her arms.

Maybe, the unnoticed Harry thought, he might have met Trelawny before. Even Snape, he might have encountered all these people when he was a baby.

"Andromeda," Said James, speaking to the dark haired woman next to Sirius, "How did it go by you?"

Harry recognized the name, Sirius had mentioned her once or twice, said she was a cousin or something of the like. The man sitting next to Sirius must have been her husband, then...which would make the small girl Nymphadora Tonks!

"Just as I expected." Andromeda said. "They didn't listen, didn't show me a sign of any hospitality, and then shoved me out."

"Well hopefully we won't need all these people." Her husband said.

"You've got me!" The small Tonks said cheerfully. "When I grow up I'm going to be in the Order with you!"

Harry could assume that this was a makeshift meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. They continued talking for quite some time, but Harry wasn't really listening. He was observing everything carefully, recording it into his brain; His mother and her long red hair, how she smiled constantly, how his father and Sirius joked around with one another. It was perfect.

Eventually, Lily conjured up a tray of tea. Taking their glasses, the group drank and continued their conversation, though they were quickly running out of things to talk about. Sirius took that moment to clear his throat. Everyone's attention, even baby Harry's, was now on him.

"I need to tell you all...Wormtail agreed." He said.

"Agreed to do what, spy on Snivelly?" James asked.

"...No." Sirius said, not smiling. Harry knew what was coming. "Agreed to be...well, really I forced...but agreed to be your Secret keeper." Someone, Harry didn't see who, dropped their glass. At this, baby Harry started crying. Lily handed him off to James, Lily then taking out her wand and cleaning the mess. Baby Harry was still crying.

"Can I hold him?" Tonks piped up. Sirius, Andromeda, and Andromeda's husband looked a bit hesitant, but James handed him over. She took him and held him gently as if she was holding a bombshell, but carefully enough so he wouldn't fall. The girl slowly rocked him back and forth and he stopped crying.

"It's okay." She said softly. "It'll be all right."

Harry was right in thinking that he wasn't the only one who was scared. Hermione was tossing this way and that in her bed. Occlumency wasn't something one could read about and master, she hadn't fully gotten it last year. Also plaguing her mind was the thought that someone close to her would soon be attacked, all for the selfish reason of giving her power. Would it be Harry? And what if it didn't happen, and she never gained this other power? What if she really wasn't supposed to have earned the powers of Mercury, and it was all just a mistake?

Times like these when she felt like she couldn't go on, there was one thing she thought of, one reason she had to go on. It was such a blurry memory, she couldn't actually remember it well at all. As Hermione's mind went hazy and she drifted off to sleep, her subconscious seemed to unlock the memory from deep inside her.

Four-year-old Hermione was in the London Underground, and quite alone at that. She had been here several times, but it was the day before Christmas and it was very busy and loud. She had gotten separated from her parents and older sister, Melantha, in the crowd. She knew you should stay where you are when lost, but it was hard, what with all the people bumping into her and the laughter and chatter that seemed to make her go crazy. She had seen three trains leave already. What if her family didn't realize she was gone until after they got onto the train? She realized that tears were blurring her vision, making it impossible to see. Hermione leaned against the barrier and sunk down, curling up into a cat-like ball.

"What's your problem?" She heard someone ask her. She looked up into the face of a boy her age with flaming red hair.

"W-What?" Hermione stuttered, wiping her face with her sleeve.

"I said, whatsa matter." The boy said.

"I...I don't know where my family is." She said. "I got lost and I don't know if the train left yet."

"Oh." The boy said. He thought for a minute.

"Are you lost, too? You're alone." She asked.

"What? Oh, no." He said. "If I get lost, mum can summon me...What time does your train leave?"

"Uh...2:00, I think." Said Hermione.

The boy turned to the clock, but being only four, he could not tell time. He tilted his head slowly on his side, as if this would help. "Oi! Fred, George!" He called out. At this, identical twin boys ran up to them, accompanied by a little girl who was toddling behind.

"Mummy said Wonny." She said in her childish voice.

"Not now, Ginny!" The boy dubbed 'Wonny' said. He turned to the twins. "What time is it?"

"1:30." The twins said after a second.

"So it's not gone, yet." Hermione said, standing up. "Thank you, Fred, George, Wonny."

"Ron!" The boy exclaimed quickly, turning red.

"Wass your name?" Ginny asked.

"Hermione." She said. The twins blinked in unison.

"Well, um, okay, Herminny." Fred, or maybe George, said.

"It's Hernione." Ginny said.

"Hermione." Ron said at the exact moment someone yelled, "'Mione!"

Hermione spun around to face a fourteen-year-old with long bushy brown hair tied back at the nape of her neck.

"Melantha!" The four-year-old cried. The girl ran over to Hermione, bent down, and hugged her. Over her shoulder, Hermione saw her mother and father coming towards them.

"Methe-what?" The twins said. They cocked their heads, turned around, and walked off towards a family of redheads, Ginny following.

"And who's this?" Melantha asked her sister.

"This is Ron. He made me feel better." Hermione said.

"Well, thank you, Ron." Melantha said, smiling warmly.

"Yeah, thanks." Hermione said, beaming.

"Er - okay?" Ron said, a little uncomfortable.

"Ronald! Mum wants you over here!" One of the many redheads shouted.

"Well..." Hermione said. "Bye, I guess."

"Bye." Ron said, turning and running through the masses of people.

"We were so worried about you!" Melantha exclaimed, squeezing her sister again. "Come on," She stood to her full height, turned around, and started walking in the direction of their parents. Hermione followed behind, everything happier, listening to the sounds of the people in the Underground. Now that she was no longer lost, it was all much more amusing.

"The stations aren't open tomorrow?"..."Happy Christmas!"..."Put that wine away!"..."Are you SURE the stations aren't open tomorrow?"..."One forty-five, now boarding! Hurry, hurry, trains leaving any second!"..."I found the back to my earring!"..."One forty-five, about to leave!"..."Move it, kid!"

With that last gruff yell, someone ran right into Hermione, making her stumble and fall down into the tracks. All the wind had left her and her back and legs were screaming with pain. Distantly, she heard Melantha shout her name. Maybe she would rescue her. It seemed no one else realized she was there. Hermione coughed and tried desperately to get up but that only put black spots in front of her eyes.

Suddenly, someone had her wrist and seemed to throw her right into the barrier. And then there was a sickening sound, one she could never forget. This was followed by gasps, shrieks, and her mother calling in a choky voice, "Melantha!"

Hermione did not have to see it to know what just happened. Her sister had just given her life for her. She could see now, but she was still dizzy and sick, she wanted to throw up. Slowly, she turned her head to look at the train that was quickly stopping as about five guards came running and shouting towards couldn't see anything but blood that had splattered along the tracks. the tracks. It was all becoming blurry again. Tears came pouring out and a burning lump formed itself in her throat, she couldn't stop crying even if she tried. Everything was just a blurred mess of browns and blacks, and the vibrant red that was Ron's hair coming closer to her.

"Hermione...I..."

But Hermione threw herself against him before he could get the rest out. He didn't really know what to do, so he put his arms around her, letting her sob onto him.

Chibiusa may have been the only one who was getting a bit better sleep then the rest of them. She already had unlocked her powers, from the strength her friends and family had given her. But still, she was nervous about what was to come. In the past, she battled alongside Sailor Moon and her friends. They were always there to defeat anything that came their way. And now, she had Pluto and Cosmos, and her new friends who were only still learning. She missed her mother and father terribly.

She was the leader of these new warriors. What if she wasn't strong enough? Always, Chibiusa felt this way, having to compare herself to Sailor Moon. But now that she was alone, she didn't know if she could defeat these enemies.

It was a feeling...pain, sadness...It wasn't like her!

"Chibi Moon!" Her friends called after her.

Nothing would change no matter how far she ran.

It hurts.

'Maiden...it felt so good when he called me that.' She thought to herself.

But there's no way.

"I'm too tiny and powerless!"

She had yelled this aloud, and at that, there was a soft 'ring' as the bell fell. And then he appeared. Beautiful, white and magnificent, Helios.

"Helios...will there be a day when I am needed, too?"

Even in her head, it sounded silly.

"I hope...my dreams will come true one day."

And then he appeared in his full form, stretching out his magnificent wings. He wiped away her tears as he nuzzled her face, then kissed her. But it wasn't him. It was a man with whitish-blue hair, the horn identical to the Pegasus's in the middle, in an elaborate costume.

"Don't cry little maiden. You are always needed. There is love all around you."

She felt her face turning red.

"This is my limit. I can't stay this way any longer. Little maiden, I'll come see you again. So don't cry..."

Ginny, Cho, and Draco, however were not having any dreams at all.

Ginny had used up most of her energy by fighting the creature that attacked Ron. As soon as her head hit the pillow that night, she was out and didn't remember anything even if she had dreamed.

Cho was down in her common room, studying for a test she had the next day, and studying harder then she had in quite some time. During the Quidditch match where she had turned into Sailor Chibi Mars, Draco had sneaked into the changing tent when she had fainted. He had a vial in his hand that he said Setsuna had given him.

"It makes it not hurt all the time," He told her in a hushed tone. "Some moon-cure thing."

Cho was, of course, reluctant to trust it, but it did indeed really work. Every now and then it would still hurt suddenly, and if the Dark Lord wanted it to hurt then it definitely would, but for the most time it was like it wasn't there, and Snape now was making it for the two students regularly. She could concentrate on things much better and was able to laugh again. She took one vial every other day, and life was almost normal. Her decision not to sleep that night was not related to Occlumency or troubling thoughts, but because, for the first time in her life, she really enjoyed studying in peace.

Draco, on the other hand, was indeed having troubling thoughts. He had to admit it to himself, but he was scared.

Though Snape was regularly giving he and Cho a potion to ease the pain of the Dark Mark, it no longer seemed to work on Draco. He tried taking more then one dose, that only made his stomach ill.

The members of the Five-Point star had a dream, one that was very much real. His father had found out that he was a part of the group of warriors that was fighting against him, and the Dark Lord had found out that he no longer wanted anything to do with the Death Eaters. He told his father to make him want to be a full-fledged Death Eater again. And that was what scared him.

More then once, he thought he saw his father's face among the students at school. Earlier that day, Professor Snape called him into his office. He showed him a crumpled, brown package that sat smoldering on his desk, and told him that his own aunt Bellatrix had tried to send him the package which was covered in a corrosive potion.

"The Dark Lord has indeed told me that Lucius is planning something," Snape told him in hushed tone. "I don't know what it is, but...he's almost boasting about how he's disowned you." For once, Draco couldn't quite read the expression on Snape's face. He almost looked concerned, like these words would greatly hurt him.

"I've disliked everything about my father for quite some time," Draco told him. "He's slept with other women and didn't even try to hide it. I don't care if he's disowned me, I don't want to be his son. But...his power..."

"Lucius does indeed possess great magical ability as well as having his hand deep in politics." Snape nodded. "But I do not think he will try anything within the castle. He fears Dumbledore greatly."

"I have to leave sometime." Draco mumbled.

"...I'll make sure you're kept safe." Snape said, after a bit of reluctance.

"And my mother?" The boy asked. "She just puts up with the yelling and the abuse because she's afraid to be shamed-"

"I'll make sure." Snape nodded. "Even if the two of you stay at my manor this summer, I'll make sure."

Harry was almost pleased to see that Hermione and Chibiusa both looked tired when he entered the Great Hall the next morning. At least he wasn't alone. He sat down in between the two, looking across from him at the empty seat where Ron usually sat.

"He's supposed to be out later today," Hermione told him, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"And we were supposed to be preventing dreams." Chibiusa mumbled sighing loudly.

"Did you have weird dreams, too?" Harry asked.

"Well...it wasn't really a dream..." Hermione said, placing a finger to her lip. "Or at least not mine. It was more of a memory. A memory I didn't know I still had."

"Mine too, but there's no way I could've remembered it, I was too little. It was just like I was watching it." Harry told them. Ginny had come in then and took Ron's empty seat.

"So was mine!" Hermione said.

"Mine was a memory that only happened a few years ago," Chibiusa said. "Ginny, did you have a dream last night?"

"No, I passed out right when I got into bed," Ginny said with a small smile. She sat up straighter and looked through the sea of black for someone.

"Well, you did use your new powers yesterday for the first time," Hermione said. "I bet it takes a toll on you."

"Maybe that's it..." Ginny said, not really listening. "Where's Malfoy?"

"Why?" Harry asked, wondering what Ginny would want with him.

"Well, what with that dream we had before with his father...he's seemed really out of it lately..." Ginny explained much too quickly. He and Hermione shared a glance, it was like she was hiding something.

"Oh, look!" Hermione exclaimed, Harry quickly forgetting all about Ginny's current wondering about Malfoy. The brunette was pointing at the head table, where not only Cosmos was sitting, but Setsuna as well.

"That's good." Chibiusa said. "I was getting worried."

"Wasn't she only at the time gate?" Harry asked. Chibiusa started and looked down, as if she had said something she shouldn't have.

"Well, you know..." She said, looking at her empty plate, "What with everything that's going on, I just hate how she's always alone...and if anyone were to try and attack her..." She trailed off. Harry was suddenly very glad that he was always surrounded by friends when inside of Hogwarts's walls.

Ron did indeed get released from the Hospital Wing later that day, but was told to go back to his own bed and rest, an order he gladly followed. At supper, he ate everything in sight, saying how dreadful the food was in there. Ginny looked like she might be sick just watching him.

He joined them for their second lesson with both Cosmos and Setsuna on the pitch, a lesson that Malfoy was noticeably absent from. Cosmos continued on, though, and set up that evening's lesson: patronuses. Harry had already mastered the complicated spell in his third year, so he helped teach alongside the two older women. Chibiusa was actually the first one to have an actual form come from her wand rather then just light. A small white rabbit hopped around her, the small girl giggling.

Hours later, they headed to Snape's office, where he invited them in, though not without a bit of hesitation and a snide remark of, "You're late."

Cosmos led the group in to the office, which was much more spacious then usual. The desk had been pushed to the wall and there were no chairs to be seen.

"And where is Draco?" Snape asked in a quiet voice, looking at Harry from the corner of his eye.

"I didn't see him earlier today." Cosmos said. "If he didn't want to come today-"

"No, I believe he needs to be here for this part of the lesson," Snape said. Harry could tell from his tone that Snape thought whatever he could teach was infinitely more valuable then anything Cosmos could.

"Well, one moment, then," Cosmos said. She held her wand up in the air and muttered something, her eyes twitching slightly. She then left, promising to be back in a few minutes.

"While we wait," Setsuna said, trying to break the very present uncomfortable mood in the air, "Shall we see what you remember?"

Harry dearly wished they had just stood around and talked about the weather instead. Snape, thankfully, said he would wait until everyone was present to actually begin teaching, but it didn't stop Setsuna. It seemed none of them remembered a thing about Occlumency, and each one of them was sent stumbling back as she penetrated their minds. Harry wasn't sure what was worse; seeing the scowl that he expected from Snape when he invaded his mind, or seeing Setsuna's smile waver only slightly. He felt like he let her down in a way.

Draco came in later, being gently shoved by Cosmos. "Mister Malfoy, these lessons may not be on your schedule but they are in no way optional. Twenty points from Slytherin, and detention with Professor Snape tomorrow night."

"What authority do you have to give him detention with me? You're the one who assigned this group." Snape said, raising an eyebrow. Harry nearly gasped, that black flash entered Cosmos's eyes yet again. She pulled out her silvery wand from her robe and held it before her face.

"Do you see this wand? Do you know what it's made of? It is Moonwood filled with the souls of those who, when sent into the Galaxy Cauldron, did not want to be reborn, and it is covered by the silver blood of those ghosts who have only chosen to become one to protect the ones they love. That is my authority."

No one was quite sure how to respond or act, even Snape looked a bit dumbfounded, though that was probably due to the wand right in his face. Setsuna stepped forward and places a hand on Cosmos's shoulder, causing the silver-haired woman to startle. She looked here and there for a second before returning her wand to her cloak. Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared a look. Was Chaos really inside of her?

"Now, on with Occlumency..." She said very quietly, moving into a corner to let Snape talk.

Bth Snape and Setsuna went about using the powerful "Legilimens" spell upon them, and continue to prove that Occlumency was not something that would be mastered that night. As time went on, the group only got more and more frustrated and Snape's comments more and more snide. Harry got so fed up at one point that he, without thinking, used the spell upon Snape and saw a glimmer of a very unpleasant memory from the older man's life. Harry wasn't quite sure what to do, he stuttered an apology of some sorts but the look Snape gave him was quite terrifying.

But two very powerful witches were in the room, and Harry was spared from being torn limb from limb. As amusing as it was for Snape to constantly insult and criticize him, Harry was sent to practice with Setsuna, and Malfoy was called over.

He looked more confident when he stood opposite of Snape, but Harry saw that, after a second of looking paralyzed, Malfoy too was shot back roughly, colliding with the wall.

"Um, what is it exactly that everyone's having problems with?" Setsuna said as sweetly as possible. It was quite obvious that she too was getting a little irritated.

"Well, how do we block our minds?" Ginny asked simply. "And even if we did, what would happen?"

"Look," Cosmos said. She got up and took Hermione's place in front of Setsuna. "Go ahead," she told her friend.

"Legilimens!" Setsuna exclaimed. It seemed to hit Cosmos in the very same way it hit the others; she closed her eyes slowly and seemed to be concentrating. After a second, the spell repelled itself from her and went right back to Setsuna, whose eyes were also closed. What seemed like strands of thread were going in between the two.

"This is what happens. It's impenetrable, for now." Cosmos said very calmly, keeping her concentration. "But usually the person trying to invade one's mind is not expecting their spell to be repelled...in which case..." Cosmos opened her eyes and the full power of the spell hit her, causing her to stumble back. "Now, shall we continue?"