Hope you liked the previous chapter, and this one! On to the story,
straight away!
Chapter 7 – The Elemental Guardians
"Kathryn?" A voice murmured.
"Go 'way, Mum, it's not school today." Kathryn muttered, pulling the covers over her head.
"Kathryn?"
"'M sleeping!" Kathryn responded.
"Kathryn Orenda, get your lazy ass out of bed!" Another voice ordered.
She flung the sheets from her body and stood, a ball of flames dancing in one hand.
"Bloody hell, that's impressive." Sirius whistled.
Kathryn stared at her hand.
"Mr. Black, please watch your language." Professor Dumbledore reproved.
"Oh, sorry, Professor."
Kathryn's eyes were wide with shock. "W-what happened?"
"What do you remember?"
"I was telling the professor that Avada Kedavra could be repelled by a protection of love and rebound on the caster. He said something about it being a theory, and then I was furious, like I lost control. I don't remember anything else."
"Well, it appears Voldemort tried to leech your magic from you. You used the other magic you have to stop him, with a spell. You then fainted." Dumbledore explained.
"Oh." She looked at her hand and then balled it into a fist. The fire disappeared. "This is scaring me."
"It may well do. You have extremely strong magic, and magic that is especially rare. But you are not the only one."
"I just show it more because I've been in a coma, right?"
"Yes."
"And I have that famous ancestor, Mystique, right?"
"Yes. There are others with similar powers though. And these powers will mean a lot. Voldemort will want all of you dead."
"Well there's a surprise." Kathryn muttered. "Now he's learnt he can't get me to give it to him, or steal it, he'll just want me, and the others, dead."
"Yes."
"Who are the others?"
"You can't guess?"
Kathryn looked into those very blue eyes and nodded. "James, Lily and Sirius."
"Correct."
"What, you mean we've got this magic too?" Sirius wanted to know.
"Yes."
"How?"
"Each of you has a different way."
Kathryn suddenly realised that by her bed sat James and Lily. She also noticed she felt weak, and sat back on it.
"Oh? How?" James wanted to know.
"Kathryn has it by being the predicted descendant of pure and magic name and her mother's prophetic magic. James, yours is part of your family line, descending from the oldest son to oldest son. You are the Heirs of Gryffindor, and you all hold the potential for this magic. It is part of the great good your family do, once you reach a certain age, of course, and awakened by meeting the others of this magic. Sirius, yours is also part of your family line, but it is different. It is blessed on the child who takes his original ancestor's ideals and truly is part of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. You show the true heart of your family. Lily, you are the Muggle-born, pure and simple. Born of non-magical parents, the girl completing the four with powerful heart and mind."
"What does this mean?" Lily asked.
"You four are the Elemental Guardians. The Heart," he pointed to Lily, "the Soul," he pointed to Kathryn, "the Mind," he pointed to James, "and the Life." He pointed to Sirius. "You make up the four parts that bind a human together, and while one of you live, you all live. In fact, you cannot truly die until you all die."
"What?" Kathryn murmured.
"It is true. But the knowledge to bring back the others to true, breathing life is unknown. There are scripts, for the Elemental Guardians have come together before, but these are hidden away in Ancient Worlds and places, not found by wizard."
Kathryn frowned. 'What does this mean?' She wanted to know.
"What time is it?" Kathryn asked instead.
"Six o'clock."
"I was out for nearly four hours?"
"Yes."
"No wonder I'm hungry. God, I hate hospitals." Kathryn sighed. She looked round. She saw a boy in the opposite bed. "Oh, how is he?" She asked as Madam Pomfrey approached.
"He's fine. Hopefully he'll be able to attend lessons tomorrow."
"That's good." Kathryn smiled.
"Are you alright?" Madam Pomfrey asked. "Two visits in one day is not what I expected."
"I'm fine. Got any chocolate?" Kathryn asked.
"Yes." Madam Pomfrey handed her a massive slab.
Kathryn grinned. "Thank you." And began to eat.
Sirius burst out laughing.
Kathryn glared at him accusingly. "What? It's a well known fact that chocolate cures everything, except obesity, an allergy to chocolate and illnesses where you'll throw up if you eat." She paused as if considering her words. "And over-eating." She added finally.
Madam Pomfrey looked pleased. "Finally someone else realises the medicinal properties of chocolate!"
Kathryn stared at her. "Really? I just say it because I'm an addict."
"Well, make sure you eat it in moderation." Madam Pomfrey advised.
Kathryn grinned. "I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm very active and I've got a really fast metabolism. I can eat anything I want!"
"What's metabolism?" Sirius asked.
"Science, Sirius, Biology. It's the process of digesting your food and grabbing all the nutrients you need from it. The faster it is, the quicker you burn off fat and such. I'm so lucky to have a fast one. I didn't in my coma!" (A/N: Yeah, I don't have a fast metabolism either...)
"Biology? Science?" Sirius was confused.
"I keep forgetting you're wizard-born. Biology is the study of life, how it functions and suchlike. I got top marks in it in my coma, never mind that the biology I know is like eighteen, nineteen years more advanced than what they teach in schools now. Muggle schools, I mean."
Madam Pomfrey smiled. "I suppose that includes the study of human anatomy?"
"Yep. I'll never find out my GCSE results!" Kathryn looked appalled. "I did all those exams and I'll never know what I got!"
"As and A-stars, I'm sure." Dumbledore smiled.
"How can you get an Acceptable star?" James asked.
Kathryn rolled her eyes. "They use letters of the alphabet to grade you. And A-star is top mark, like an O to us. A C is a pass, equal to an A to you. And D to G vary in marks compared to your P to D. And U, unclassified, probably corresponds to T." Kathryn smiled.
Sirius shuddered. "You think way too much."
"It's just as well you're the Life part of this group then, and not the Mind, isn't it?" James teased.
"Yeah, what've the elements got to do with us?" Kathryn wanted to know.
Dumbledore looked up in a gesture that was suspiciously like rolling his eyes. "Each of you has power over an element. The Soul pertains to fire, the Heart to air, the Mind to water and the Life to earth."
"What about the fifth element?" Kathryn quipped.
They all stared at her.
"Oh, yeah that film hasn't come out yet." She murmured. "Though I did hear that in ancient mythology the fifth element was spirit."
"That is what binds you all together."
"Well, I know that this is all fascinating, but can I leave, y'know, I hate just staying in bed."
"You should stay the night here, Miss Orenda, just to be safe." Madam Pomfrey ordered.
Kathryn sighed. "Fine! At least I did my Herbology essay earlier. Was there any work from Defence Against the Dark Arts?"
"Nah. After you collapsed, Professor Johnson started lecturing us on the spell he used to reveal the cord leeching away your magic. You just need to learn that." Lily informed her.
"Great. Uh, what happened to my wand?"
Sirius handed it to her.
"Ahh, thanks, Sirius." Kathryn grinned, mockingly sweet.
Lily giggled. "You are such a flirt."
"I am not a flirt!" Kathryn protested.
"Are."
"Am not."
"Are."
"Not."
"Are."
"Not."
"Uh, Lily? She wasn't flirting with me." Sirius told her.
"Yeah, Sirius, but you wouldn't recognise flirting that doesn't involve falling at your feet or into your arms if it danced in front of you naked wearing a pink bobble hat." Lily responded.
"I was not flirting. I was just teasing him. Besides, it's not like you never flirt with anyone!" Kathryn cried. "And you stare at James for the brief moments he isn't staring at you!"
Now both James and Lily complained. All of them seemed to have forgotten Professor Dumbledore's presence.
"Thank Merlin I'm not your age anymore." Dumbledore smiled. "I'd forgotten how tangled love lives and teasing can get."
All four blushed.
"Uh, sorry, professor. It's just, uh, we, er..."
"Got side-tracked. We always do."
"Can't help it. Slaves to hormones and all."
"And *some* people think merely looking in someone's direction means you're in love!"
"Do you know where the Room of Requirement is?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes." Lily, Sirius and James responded in unison. Kathryn shook her head.
"Well, if you all go there on, say, Monday night at eight o'clock, we shall look at your powers and the ways to use them then. Understand?"
"Yes, professor." They replied in agreement.
Dumbledore left.
"Y'know, you guys don't have to stay." Kathryn informed them as her three friends gathered round the bed.
"Want to. Anyway, the others'll probably come soon. And then Madam Pomfrey will kick us out."
Kathryn laughed. "Ah, but I've got the goods on her."
"Oh, do tell." James grinned, it was always helpful to know something about the new School Nurse. The boys were in there more often than the rest of the school put together.
"Ah, I don't know if I can do that."
"Aww, go on."
And laughing, the group continued talking into the evening, having fun.
* * *
The Room of Requirement:
It was Monday night, and the four students were getting restless as Dumbledore grew later, minute by minute.
"Well, we can always try looking at our powers without him." James decided.
"May as well. Me, obviously, fire, prophecy, though that might turn out to be clairvoyance..."
"What's the difference?"
"Clairvoyance shows the past, present and future, not just the future." Kathryn explained. "And, of course, saying spells, but most likely that'll work for all of us. I don't know about anything else. You guys?"
"Only what Dumbledore told us. We haven't really experienced anything too strange."
"Nothing?" Kathryn frowned.
"Nope."
"Not when you... you-know-what?"
Sirius and James both frowned.
"Well, we did learn to do it abnormally quickly. In fact, we learned to do it way before Fifth-year, we just didn't show it so as not to upset Peter, or scare him and Remus." James mused.
"Lily?" Kathryn asked.
"I don't know. I mean, I seem to be able to do some scary things, but I just assumed that was my magic being really powerful."
"Okay, James, we'll try you. You've got water, right?"
"Yep."
"Well, try turning this into ice." Kathryn poured a glass of water.
James raised a brow. "You sure?"
"Just try it."
Concentrating, James placed his fingers to the glass. He imagined the water hardening, freezing, becoming cold and breakable. Then he opened his eyes. A blue light flowed from his fingers and the water had become ice.
The others cheered.
"Wow, I... Wow." Was all James could say.
"Lily, try creating a wind, to blow this over." Kathryn set up a tower of small building blocks.
Lily bit her lip. Emerald light pooled at her hands and flashed in the emerald of her eyes. She saw a wind, blowing the tower over, but then ceasing, blowing only the tower. And was amazed when the air shifted, doing exactly what she asked.
"I don't believe it." She smiled.
"Sirius?" Kathryn grinned.
Already Sirius had his hands on a small stone statue, a white light bathing it. A second later, the statue of a dog sprang to life as though it were flesh and blood.
"Cool." Sirius grinned.
Kathryn shuddered as they looked at her expectantly.
"What?"
"C'mon, we've all tried our powers. Your turn to try yours."
"I don't want it to get out of control. Fire is the hardest element to control."
"Then make sure it doesn't."
"Fine." Kathryn snapped.
She sat cross-legged on the floor, closed her eyes and began to breathe slowly. In for a count of four, held for a count of four, out for a count of four. As she did so, crimson light bathed her hands and she brought them up slowly. Between them, a fireball slowly formed, twisting and turning, shaping itself to become a symbol. The pentacle on her collarbone.
Kathryn's eyes widened in shock and she slammed her hands together, killing the fire. She touched her fingers to the scar, shown by the boat-neckline of her top.
"What's wrong?" Lily asked.
"I-I don't know." Kathryn whispered into silence.
"Kathryn, y-you're scaring me." Lily told her, eyes wide.
Kathryn was breathing slowly, trying to stop her temper from flaring up. "Why?"
"Y-you're so angry. You don't understand what this means, and you want to know." Lily replied.
"Wha– Oh!" Kathryn's eyes became very round. "Lily, one of your powers is empathy!"
"What?"
"Sensing others' emotions and feelings. It means you can also influence them. You can cause them to feel anger, or blindness, or confusion." Kathryn explained.
"Oh." Lily frowned. "Wow."
"Just be careful, you'll need to learn to control it."
"Ya think?"
James stared at a vase. "Where is Dumbledore? We need help and he's not providing any and..."
The vase suddenly shattered.
"What the...?"
"I think you caused it to explode." Sirius frowned.
"This is so 'Charmed'." Kathryn grinned.
They stared at her again.
She sighed. "TV programme, three sister witches, their magic is more like this than the usual. One of them had the power to freeze time and explode things."
"Okay, whatever." James shrugged.
"But the explosion may be the same kind of thing. Speeding up particles to the point they explode. Maybe you can also freeze them to the point you freeze time."
James shrugged again.
"Try it." Kathryn flung a vase at him.
Instinctively he flung a hand out. The vase stopped dead in its path.
"See, I told you." Kathryn grinned. "Manipulating particles is the best term for it."
"I don't know about your gift of prophecy, or clairvoyance, Kat. That could just be the gift from your mother's family." Sirius mused.
The girl shrugged. "Doesn't really matter. Anyway, maybe you have telekinesis." She grinned wickedly. "But then there are lots of powers to choose from."
"Such as?"
"Invisibility, without a cloak. Glamour. Healing. Teleporting, which is like Apparating, but it wouldn't have the possibility of being splinched or kept an eye on by the Ministry. Intangibility, the ability to change the density of one's own body. Levitation. Transfiguration without a wand. Shape-shifting. Psycometry, learning the history of an object or person by touching them. Manipulation of the weather. Shooting electricity bolts. The list goes on and on."
"How many do we have?"
"No idea, but you can guarantee the ones we do have will be linked somehow. Like Empathy and Telepathy. Or Invisibility and Glamour." Kathryn shrugged.
"You have a very keen grasp of magic, Miss Orenda." James told her in a very good imitation of Professor McGonagall.
"The Internet is a great source of info." She grinned.
"My magic!" Sirius complained. "What's my magic?"
"Why don't you try and figure it out yourself, likkle Sirius?" Kathryn mocked.
"Ah, Mystique, never short of a teasing word." James grinned.
"Or sarcastic one." Lily added.
"Lily and James, never short of an argument, trying to cover up the fact they fancy each other like hell." Kathryn retorted.
"Teenagers, never keeping their noses out of other people's love lives." James shot back.
"Hypocrite!"
"How so?"
"I know you and Lily are planning to set Sirius and I up. Mind you," she pursed her lips thoughtfully as Sirius giggled, "if it helps *you* two get together I suppose it's worth the pain."
"Hey!" Sirius protested. "It wouldn't hurt *that* much to go out with me!"
"Really?" Kathryn smirked.
At that moment a dagger sprung from nowhere. Sirius flung a hand out, instinctively averting it.
Kathryn, who had been thrown to the floor by the same movement, looked up. "Well, well, well, I guess Sirius has telekinesis."
"It'd be cool if we had telepathy." Lily grinned, sitting down.
"Who says we don't? Maybe we can't read each other's minds, but we might be able to communicate with our thoughts." James suggested.
"Okay. Let me try." Lily grinned.
James is an idiot. She thought.
"Hey!" James protested as Sirius and Kathryn dissolved into giggles.
"Okay, so Lily can. What about the rest of us?" Sirius asked.
Lily fancies James. She decided in her mind.
"That is not funny!" Lily screeched while James and Sirius laughed.
Kathryn is pure wickedness. Sirius thought, even in thinking it he sounded amusingly malicious.
Kathryn batted her eyelashes. "So true."
Sirius fancies Kathryn. James thought, an evil grin on his face.
"Not funny, Prongs." Sirius responded.
"So we can communicate with each other using our thoughts. Cool." James grinned.
Can we just do it to specific people though? Lily asked Kathryn.
Neither boy made any motion of hearing. I guess so.
"And it seems we can also speak to specific people. Kat and I just worked that out."
"Oh, good." James grinned. "This is going to make lessons so much fun."
Kathryn, meanwhile, had approached the bookcase of books. "What time is it, guys?"
"Half eight. You'd think Dumbledore would have arrived by now." James frowned.
Kathryn frowned. "What's to say he hasn't? I bet you anything he's watching, invisible."
"What makes you say that?"
"He did – rather, will do it, to Harry, when he finds the Mirror of Erised." Kathryn explained. "What was the spell Professor Johnson used, again?"
"The Seeing spell. You need to learn it, Kat." James informed her.
She stuck out her tongue. "I know. What was the incantation?"
"Videre."
"Right. On three, everyone." Kathryn grinned as they all took out their wands. "One, two, three..."
"Videre!" Four voices yelled in unison.
There was a flash of light and Dumbledore appeared.
"I was wondering how long it would take. You were better than I expected."
"That's because I read the books, like, sixty times." Kathryn grinned. "I've got whole chunks still memorised."
"That *is* sad." James commented.
"Hey! It was obviously my subconscious telling me I needed to read them!" Kathryn protested.
"Anyway, it appears you have begun to find your powers. Kathryn is correct in saying that you will all be able to use spells such as the one she recited to defend yourselves, but normal magic is always important. You may well gain other powers as you get older, and some of you currently have powers you do not know of. You've just got to learn how to control them." Dumbledore explained.
"Great." James murmured.
"As it is, some will not be controlled. Kathryn's dreams, for instance, they will not show you the future you necessarily want to see. Most likely it will be of us, but they will not always show you the future you want to see, or need to see. And your belief that it will become clairvoyance is most likely true. It may even develop further, until you get visions while awake, but dreams will be most accurate."
"So do I have any other powers?"
"Probably, you just need to find them."
"Great."
"Do not get disheartened, Kathryn. After all, you helped your friends discover some of their own. And your manipulation of fire is impressive. You are learning to control it easily."
She shrugged. "It seems to be part of me. Like my very soul is fire."
"It probably is. I want you all to regularly practise your powers, but do not display them to the entire school. It is also unlikely that particular powers will work on each other. For instance, James will not be able to freeze or blow you up, Lily will not be able to influence your emotions or actions."
Kathryn breathed a sigh of relief. "You have no idea what a relief that is."
Lily scowled. "Thank you, Kathryn."
"Anytime."
"How about Sirius? Will he be able to fling us into a wall?" James asked.
"Yes."
"Crap."
"James! You hypocrite!" Kathryn accused.
He shrugged. Dumbledore always pretended he didn't hear bad language.
Kathryn sighed. "Uh, professor, can we go? Professor Swindale assigned us a four foot essay about the variety of Truth potions and their uses."
Dumbledore smiled. "Of course. If you want extra marks, don't forget the Hallar potion."
"Hallar potion?"
"Can be used as Truth potion and a Discovery potion. Very effective, as good as Veritaserum."
"Cool." Sirius grinned.
"Definitely." Kathryn agreed.
"Be back here next week, we'll see if you have progressed any further, and this time you will not have to use a spell to find me." Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled as he left.
Kathryn sighed. "I hate potions." She decided. "But the sooner I get it done, the better. At least I did well in Transfiguration. And Auror Studies was great."
"That's because you know martial arts. You're used to them. And that's the first unit of work. Purely learning martial arts." James groaned.
"Have a bath and relax the muscles. Keep reasonably active until you go to bed, don't stay in one position, otherwise the muscles'll seize up. You'll be sore tomorrow, but as you get used to it, you'll get better." Kathryn advised, grinning.
"I can't believe you chucked Professor Longworth over your shoulder." Lily giggled.
"She got too sure of herself. Wasn't expecting me to do it. That's always the key." Kathryn explained as they headed to Gryffindor Tower. "Do whatever your opponent is least expecting, provided it won't kill you."
James snorted. "Professor Longworth looked like she would for a minute there."
"And then she looked very impressed. She's only what, twenty-five or something. Pure muscle."
"She's new. Here for a reason. I bet you anything it's to keep an eye on some of the Slytherins." Kathryn decided. "They are prime Death Eater material. And notice how none of them are taking Auror Studies?"
"You know summat we don't?" James looked at her.
"Probably." Kathryn smirked.
They arrived at the portrait ten minutes later. "Othello." James told the Fat Lady.
"If you said so, dear." She murmured sleepily.
As they entered, something very like a miniature bullet flung itself at Kathryn.
"Christ Almighty..." She began, then looked down. "Leila? What's wrong?"
"A-a-a boy." The girl sobbed. "H-h-he said I w-was stupid b-because I-I-I was a M-Muggle-lover. A-and then h-he called m-m-me a-a M-Mudblood."
"Who was it?" Kathryn asked, her voice steely.
"I-I don't know. He was big, tall. And black hair. Very greasy..."
"Snape." James and Sirius decided together.
"It doesn't surprise me." Kathryn sighed, massaging her. "Leila, honey, Snape's a prat, okay? An idiot, a dolt, a fool. He's not worth tears wasted on him. Don't worry about it. Please, don't. Anyway, have you met a young Mr. Gareth Jackson?"
"Yes, he's in my classes."
"Good, introduce me. I haven't met him properly yet."
Smiling, Leila dragged her sister over to where several nervous-looking First-years were sat. They stopped talking as Leila and Kathryn, flanked by Sirius, James and Lily, approached.
"Gary!" Leila grinned. "Gary, this is my sister, Kathryn."
He looked pale.
Kathryn grinned. "Hey, Gary. We've met, you know."
"When?"
"I found you."
"In the corridor?"
"Uh-huh. Helped Madam Pomfrey wash all your wounds, an' all. How're you doing?"
"Great! I'm really much better."
"Good. Y'know, you lot, you don't have t'be nervous. I'm not gonna hurt ya or anything."
"Everyone said the Marauders..." A First-year began.
"James!" Lily shrieked. "See what you've done! You've turned the First- years into nervous wrecks!"
Kathryn grinned at the terrified First-years. "Don't worry. Sit down, grab some popcorn, enjoy the show. This is so funny."
She, Leila and Sirius promptly sat down, watching the argument between Lily and James unfold.
"I'll have you know none of us have done anything to any of the First-years this year!"
"But your reputation from other years precedes you! The present Second- years are so worried that they've warned this year's First-years!"
"And so you've automatically assumed we'll do something this year? I can't believe you, Evans! Even when we haven't done anything wrong, you blame us!"
"Ah, now it's getting good." Sirius grinned, having seen many such arguments over the years.
"So I'm at fault, am I? I like that!" Lily shrieked. "You always prank and hex First-years! You don't seem to understand that they have feelings too!"
"Well, funnily enough, Evans, I've grown up! I know what I've been doing is stupid! Yeah, pranks are funny, but people can get hurt! So don't ever lecture me on feelings! I've had enough of them!" James yelled, furiously.
Lily, sensing what James felt, stopped. "James."
"DON'T YOU 'JAMES' ME!" He yelled. "YOU NEVER STOP TO THINK BEFORE YOU SAY SOMETHING, DO YOU? YOU AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME EVERYTHING IS MY FAULT. NOT SIRIUS', NOT REMUS', NOT PETER'S, *MINE*! I'M NOT THE STUPID JUVENILLE YOU KNEW LAST YEAR! I'M DIFFERENT, AND MERLIN HELP ANYONE WHO TRIES TO MAKE ME DO THE STUPID THINGS I USED TO!"
James stormed upstairs, leaving a stunned Lily in his wake.
"What just happened?" She asked.
Sirius grinned. "James grew up."
"How? Why?"
"We were brewing a potion. It was supposed to be a transformation potion, but something went wrong. It was intended for a prank. Anyway, while James fetched some ingredient from the pantry, his mother walked into the kitchen and smelt it. When she got near, it blew up unexpectedly. She was in hospital for a couple of days. James hasn't wanted to do pranks since. He's realised how much they can hurt someone, and that wasn't even a completed prank." Sirius explained.
"That's why she was in St. Mungo's." Kathryn murmured. "Poor James."
Lily looked incredibly upset. "I ought to go and apologise."
She did so. Knocking on the boys' dorm door, she murmured, "James?"
"Who is it?"
"Lily."
"Go away. You'll just yell at me again."
"I'm sorry. I-I didn't know."
"About what an idiot I was? You did. You said so, remember? After the DADA OWL?"
"I was angry, I didn't mean..."
"You did. And what's more, you were right. I was so confident nothing could go wrong, but my Mum ends up in hospital, all for a laugh. I suddenly realised you were right. I had to stop pranking people." James explained. Lily had entered by this point. "But Snape and his cronies are an exception. I'm sorry, but they do too much wrong to just leave them alone. I bet you anything they put that poor kid in the hospital wing."
"I expect they did." Lily sighed.
James looked sober. "I didn't mean to yell at you, Lily. Really, I didn't."
"It's okay. I struck a nerve, I always do."
"Friends?" James asked, holding out a hand.
Lily smiled. "Finally. Yes, friends." She shook the hand, cementing their friendship.
Both ignored the hot rush of fire that spilled from that touch.
* * *
A/N: Ha ha ha! I really suppose I should've kept up the bickering and rivalry longer, shouldn't I? Never mind. Besides, *they* aren't getting together for a while yet. Mega clue dropped!
Next chapter: Snape's Curses. How Snape *really* found out about Moony, and the reason why Kathryn comes to hate him so much (important for later on in story).
Oh yeah, and REVIEW! It isn't that hard, honestly.
Lol, Tanydwr
Chapter 7 – The Elemental Guardians
"Kathryn?" A voice murmured.
"Go 'way, Mum, it's not school today." Kathryn muttered, pulling the covers over her head.
"Kathryn?"
"'M sleeping!" Kathryn responded.
"Kathryn Orenda, get your lazy ass out of bed!" Another voice ordered.
She flung the sheets from her body and stood, a ball of flames dancing in one hand.
"Bloody hell, that's impressive." Sirius whistled.
Kathryn stared at her hand.
"Mr. Black, please watch your language." Professor Dumbledore reproved.
"Oh, sorry, Professor."
Kathryn's eyes were wide with shock. "W-what happened?"
"What do you remember?"
"I was telling the professor that Avada Kedavra could be repelled by a protection of love and rebound on the caster. He said something about it being a theory, and then I was furious, like I lost control. I don't remember anything else."
"Well, it appears Voldemort tried to leech your magic from you. You used the other magic you have to stop him, with a spell. You then fainted." Dumbledore explained.
"Oh." She looked at her hand and then balled it into a fist. The fire disappeared. "This is scaring me."
"It may well do. You have extremely strong magic, and magic that is especially rare. But you are not the only one."
"I just show it more because I've been in a coma, right?"
"Yes."
"And I have that famous ancestor, Mystique, right?"
"Yes. There are others with similar powers though. And these powers will mean a lot. Voldemort will want all of you dead."
"Well there's a surprise." Kathryn muttered. "Now he's learnt he can't get me to give it to him, or steal it, he'll just want me, and the others, dead."
"Yes."
"Who are the others?"
"You can't guess?"
Kathryn looked into those very blue eyes and nodded. "James, Lily and Sirius."
"Correct."
"What, you mean we've got this magic too?" Sirius wanted to know.
"Yes."
"How?"
"Each of you has a different way."
Kathryn suddenly realised that by her bed sat James and Lily. She also noticed she felt weak, and sat back on it.
"Oh? How?" James wanted to know.
"Kathryn has it by being the predicted descendant of pure and magic name and her mother's prophetic magic. James, yours is part of your family line, descending from the oldest son to oldest son. You are the Heirs of Gryffindor, and you all hold the potential for this magic. It is part of the great good your family do, once you reach a certain age, of course, and awakened by meeting the others of this magic. Sirius, yours is also part of your family line, but it is different. It is blessed on the child who takes his original ancestor's ideals and truly is part of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. You show the true heart of your family. Lily, you are the Muggle-born, pure and simple. Born of non-magical parents, the girl completing the four with powerful heart and mind."
"What does this mean?" Lily asked.
"You four are the Elemental Guardians. The Heart," he pointed to Lily, "the Soul," he pointed to Kathryn, "the Mind," he pointed to James, "and the Life." He pointed to Sirius. "You make up the four parts that bind a human together, and while one of you live, you all live. In fact, you cannot truly die until you all die."
"What?" Kathryn murmured.
"It is true. But the knowledge to bring back the others to true, breathing life is unknown. There are scripts, for the Elemental Guardians have come together before, but these are hidden away in Ancient Worlds and places, not found by wizard."
Kathryn frowned. 'What does this mean?' She wanted to know.
"What time is it?" Kathryn asked instead.
"Six o'clock."
"I was out for nearly four hours?"
"Yes."
"No wonder I'm hungry. God, I hate hospitals." Kathryn sighed. She looked round. She saw a boy in the opposite bed. "Oh, how is he?" She asked as Madam Pomfrey approached.
"He's fine. Hopefully he'll be able to attend lessons tomorrow."
"That's good." Kathryn smiled.
"Are you alright?" Madam Pomfrey asked. "Two visits in one day is not what I expected."
"I'm fine. Got any chocolate?" Kathryn asked.
"Yes." Madam Pomfrey handed her a massive slab.
Kathryn grinned. "Thank you." And began to eat.
Sirius burst out laughing.
Kathryn glared at him accusingly. "What? It's a well known fact that chocolate cures everything, except obesity, an allergy to chocolate and illnesses where you'll throw up if you eat." She paused as if considering her words. "And over-eating." She added finally.
Madam Pomfrey looked pleased. "Finally someone else realises the medicinal properties of chocolate!"
Kathryn stared at her. "Really? I just say it because I'm an addict."
"Well, make sure you eat it in moderation." Madam Pomfrey advised.
Kathryn grinned. "I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm very active and I've got a really fast metabolism. I can eat anything I want!"
"What's metabolism?" Sirius asked.
"Science, Sirius, Biology. It's the process of digesting your food and grabbing all the nutrients you need from it. The faster it is, the quicker you burn off fat and such. I'm so lucky to have a fast one. I didn't in my coma!" (A/N: Yeah, I don't have a fast metabolism either...)
"Biology? Science?" Sirius was confused.
"I keep forgetting you're wizard-born. Biology is the study of life, how it functions and suchlike. I got top marks in it in my coma, never mind that the biology I know is like eighteen, nineteen years more advanced than what they teach in schools now. Muggle schools, I mean."
Madam Pomfrey smiled. "I suppose that includes the study of human anatomy?"
"Yep. I'll never find out my GCSE results!" Kathryn looked appalled. "I did all those exams and I'll never know what I got!"
"As and A-stars, I'm sure." Dumbledore smiled.
"How can you get an Acceptable star?" James asked.
Kathryn rolled her eyes. "They use letters of the alphabet to grade you. And A-star is top mark, like an O to us. A C is a pass, equal to an A to you. And D to G vary in marks compared to your P to D. And U, unclassified, probably corresponds to T." Kathryn smiled.
Sirius shuddered. "You think way too much."
"It's just as well you're the Life part of this group then, and not the Mind, isn't it?" James teased.
"Yeah, what've the elements got to do with us?" Kathryn wanted to know.
Dumbledore looked up in a gesture that was suspiciously like rolling his eyes. "Each of you has power over an element. The Soul pertains to fire, the Heart to air, the Mind to water and the Life to earth."
"What about the fifth element?" Kathryn quipped.
They all stared at her.
"Oh, yeah that film hasn't come out yet." She murmured. "Though I did hear that in ancient mythology the fifth element was spirit."
"That is what binds you all together."
"Well, I know that this is all fascinating, but can I leave, y'know, I hate just staying in bed."
"You should stay the night here, Miss Orenda, just to be safe." Madam Pomfrey ordered.
Kathryn sighed. "Fine! At least I did my Herbology essay earlier. Was there any work from Defence Against the Dark Arts?"
"Nah. After you collapsed, Professor Johnson started lecturing us on the spell he used to reveal the cord leeching away your magic. You just need to learn that." Lily informed her.
"Great. Uh, what happened to my wand?"
Sirius handed it to her.
"Ahh, thanks, Sirius." Kathryn grinned, mockingly sweet.
Lily giggled. "You are such a flirt."
"I am not a flirt!" Kathryn protested.
"Are."
"Am not."
"Are."
"Not."
"Are."
"Not."
"Uh, Lily? She wasn't flirting with me." Sirius told her.
"Yeah, Sirius, but you wouldn't recognise flirting that doesn't involve falling at your feet or into your arms if it danced in front of you naked wearing a pink bobble hat." Lily responded.
"I was not flirting. I was just teasing him. Besides, it's not like you never flirt with anyone!" Kathryn cried. "And you stare at James for the brief moments he isn't staring at you!"
Now both James and Lily complained. All of them seemed to have forgotten Professor Dumbledore's presence.
"Thank Merlin I'm not your age anymore." Dumbledore smiled. "I'd forgotten how tangled love lives and teasing can get."
All four blushed.
"Uh, sorry, professor. It's just, uh, we, er..."
"Got side-tracked. We always do."
"Can't help it. Slaves to hormones and all."
"And *some* people think merely looking in someone's direction means you're in love!"
"Do you know where the Room of Requirement is?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes." Lily, Sirius and James responded in unison. Kathryn shook her head.
"Well, if you all go there on, say, Monday night at eight o'clock, we shall look at your powers and the ways to use them then. Understand?"
"Yes, professor." They replied in agreement.
Dumbledore left.
"Y'know, you guys don't have to stay." Kathryn informed them as her three friends gathered round the bed.
"Want to. Anyway, the others'll probably come soon. And then Madam Pomfrey will kick us out."
Kathryn laughed. "Ah, but I've got the goods on her."
"Oh, do tell." James grinned, it was always helpful to know something about the new School Nurse. The boys were in there more often than the rest of the school put together.
"Ah, I don't know if I can do that."
"Aww, go on."
And laughing, the group continued talking into the evening, having fun.
* * *
The Room of Requirement:
It was Monday night, and the four students were getting restless as Dumbledore grew later, minute by minute.
"Well, we can always try looking at our powers without him." James decided.
"May as well. Me, obviously, fire, prophecy, though that might turn out to be clairvoyance..."
"What's the difference?"
"Clairvoyance shows the past, present and future, not just the future." Kathryn explained. "And, of course, saying spells, but most likely that'll work for all of us. I don't know about anything else. You guys?"
"Only what Dumbledore told us. We haven't really experienced anything too strange."
"Nothing?" Kathryn frowned.
"Nope."
"Not when you... you-know-what?"
Sirius and James both frowned.
"Well, we did learn to do it abnormally quickly. In fact, we learned to do it way before Fifth-year, we just didn't show it so as not to upset Peter, or scare him and Remus." James mused.
"Lily?" Kathryn asked.
"I don't know. I mean, I seem to be able to do some scary things, but I just assumed that was my magic being really powerful."
"Okay, James, we'll try you. You've got water, right?"
"Yep."
"Well, try turning this into ice." Kathryn poured a glass of water.
James raised a brow. "You sure?"
"Just try it."
Concentrating, James placed his fingers to the glass. He imagined the water hardening, freezing, becoming cold and breakable. Then he opened his eyes. A blue light flowed from his fingers and the water had become ice.
The others cheered.
"Wow, I... Wow." Was all James could say.
"Lily, try creating a wind, to blow this over." Kathryn set up a tower of small building blocks.
Lily bit her lip. Emerald light pooled at her hands and flashed in the emerald of her eyes. She saw a wind, blowing the tower over, but then ceasing, blowing only the tower. And was amazed when the air shifted, doing exactly what she asked.
"I don't believe it." She smiled.
"Sirius?" Kathryn grinned.
Already Sirius had his hands on a small stone statue, a white light bathing it. A second later, the statue of a dog sprang to life as though it were flesh and blood.
"Cool." Sirius grinned.
Kathryn shuddered as they looked at her expectantly.
"What?"
"C'mon, we've all tried our powers. Your turn to try yours."
"I don't want it to get out of control. Fire is the hardest element to control."
"Then make sure it doesn't."
"Fine." Kathryn snapped.
She sat cross-legged on the floor, closed her eyes and began to breathe slowly. In for a count of four, held for a count of four, out for a count of four. As she did so, crimson light bathed her hands and she brought them up slowly. Between them, a fireball slowly formed, twisting and turning, shaping itself to become a symbol. The pentacle on her collarbone.
Kathryn's eyes widened in shock and she slammed her hands together, killing the fire. She touched her fingers to the scar, shown by the boat-neckline of her top.
"What's wrong?" Lily asked.
"I-I don't know." Kathryn whispered into silence.
"Kathryn, y-you're scaring me." Lily told her, eyes wide.
Kathryn was breathing slowly, trying to stop her temper from flaring up. "Why?"
"Y-you're so angry. You don't understand what this means, and you want to know." Lily replied.
"Wha– Oh!" Kathryn's eyes became very round. "Lily, one of your powers is empathy!"
"What?"
"Sensing others' emotions and feelings. It means you can also influence them. You can cause them to feel anger, or blindness, or confusion." Kathryn explained.
"Oh." Lily frowned. "Wow."
"Just be careful, you'll need to learn to control it."
"Ya think?"
James stared at a vase. "Where is Dumbledore? We need help and he's not providing any and..."
The vase suddenly shattered.
"What the...?"
"I think you caused it to explode." Sirius frowned.
"This is so 'Charmed'." Kathryn grinned.
They stared at her again.
She sighed. "TV programme, three sister witches, their magic is more like this than the usual. One of them had the power to freeze time and explode things."
"Okay, whatever." James shrugged.
"But the explosion may be the same kind of thing. Speeding up particles to the point they explode. Maybe you can also freeze them to the point you freeze time."
James shrugged again.
"Try it." Kathryn flung a vase at him.
Instinctively he flung a hand out. The vase stopped dead in its path.
"See, I told you." Kathryn grinned. "Manipulating particles is the best term for it."
"I don't know about your gift of prophecy, or clairvoyance, Kat. That could just be the gift from your mother's family." Sirius mused.
The girl shrugged. "Doesn't really matter. Anyway, maybe you have telekinesis." She grinned wickedly. "But then there are lots of powers to choose from."
"Such as?"
"Invisibility, without a cloak. Glamour. Healing. Teleporting, which is like Apparating, but it wouldn't have the possibility of being splinched or kept an eye on by the Ministry. Intangibility, the ability to change the density of one's own body. Levitation. Transfiguration without a wand. Shape-shifting. Psycometry, learning the history of an object or person by touching them. Manipulation of the weather. Shooting electricity bolts. The list goes on and on."
"How many do we have?"
"No idea, but you can guarantee the ones we do have will be linked somehow. Like Empathy and Telepathy. Or Invisibility and Glamour." Kathryn shrugged.
"You have a very keen grasp of magic, Miss Orenda." James told her in a very good imitation of Professor McGonagall.
"The Internet is a great source of info." She grinned.
"My magic!" Sirius complained. "What's my magic?"
"Why don't you try and figure it out yourself, likkle Sirius?" Kathryn mocked.
"Ah, Mystique, never short of a teasing word." James grinned.
"Or sarcastic one." Lily added.
"Lily and James, never short of an argument, trying to cover up the fact they fancy each other like hell." Kathryn retorted.
"Teenagers, never keeping their noses out of other people's love lives." James shot back.
"Hypocrite!"
"How so?"
"I know you and Lily are planning to set Sirius and I up. Mind you," she pursed her lips thoughtfully as Sirius giggled, "if it helps *you* two get together I suppose it's worth the pain."
"Hey!" Sirius protested. "It wouldn't hurt *that* much to go out with me!"
"Really?" Kathryn smirked.
At that moment a dagger sprung from nowhere. Sirius flung a hand out, instinctively averting it.
Kathryn, who had been thrown to the floor by the same movement, looked up. "Well, well, well, I guess Sirius has telekinesis."
"It'd be cool if we had telepathy." Lily grinned, sitting down.
"Who says we don't? Maybe we can't read each other's minds, but we might be able to communicate with our thoughts." James suggested.
"Okay. Let me try." Lily grinned.
James is an idiot. She thought.
"Hey!" James protested as Sirius and Kathryn dissolved into giggles.
"Okay, so Lily can. What about the rest of us?" Sirius asked.
Lily fancies James. She decided in her mind.
"That is not funny!" Lily screeched while James and Sirius laughed.
Kathryn is pure wickedness. Sirius thought, even in thinking it he sounded amusingly malicious.
Kathryn batted her eyelashes. "So true."
Sirius fancies Kathryn. James thought, an evil grin on his face.
"Not funny, Prongs." Sirius responded.
"So we can communicate with each other using our thoughts. Cool." James grinned.
Can we just do it to specific people though? Lily asked Kathryn.
Neither boy made any motion of hearing. I guess so.
"And it seems we can also speak to specific people. Kat and I just worked that out."
"Oh, good." James grinned. "This is going to make lessons so much fun."
Kathryn, meanwhile, had approached the bookcase of books. "What time is it, guys?"
"Half eight. You'd think Dumbledore would have arrived by now." James frowned.
Kathryn frowned. "What's to say he hasn't? I bet you anything he's watching, invisible."
"What makes you say that?"
"He did – rather, will do it, to Harry, when he finds the Mirror of Erised." Kathryn explained. "What was the spell Professor Johnson used, again?"
"The Seeing spell. You need to learn it, Kat." James informed her.
She stuck out her tongue. "I know. What was the incantation?"
"Videre."
"Right. On three, everyone." Kathryn grinned as they all took out their wands. "One, two, three..."
"Videre!" Four voices yelled in unison.
There was a flash of light and Dumbledore appeared.
"I was wondering how long it would take. You were better than I expected."
"That's because I read the books, like, sixty times." Kathryn grinned. "I've got whole chunks still memorised."
"That *is* sad." James commented.
"Hey! It was obviously my subconscious telling me I needed to read them!" Kathryn protested.
"Anyway, it appears you have begun to find your powers. Kathryn is correct in saying that you will all be able to use spells such as the one she recited to defend yourselves, but normal magic is always important. You may well gain other powers as you get older, and some of you currently have powers you do not know of. You've just got to learn how to control them." Dumbledore explained.
"Great." James murmured.
"As it is, some will not be controlled. Kathryn's dreams, for instance, they will not show you the future you necessarily want to see. Most likely it will be of us, but they will not always show you the future you want to see, or need to see. And your belief that it will become clairvoyance is most likely true. It may even develop further, until you get visions while awake, but dreams will be most accurate."
"So do I have any other powers?"
"Probably, you just need to find them."
"Great."
"Do not get disheartened, Kathryn. After all, you helped your friends discover some of their own. And your manipulation of fire is impressive. You are learning to control it easily."
She shrugged. "It seems to be part of me. Like my very soul is fire."
"It probably is. I want you all to regularly practise your powers, but do not display them to the entire school. It is also unlikely that particular powers will work on each other. For instance, James will not be able to freeze or blow you up, Lily will not be able to influence your emotions or actions."
Kathryn breathed a sigh of relief. "You have no idea what a relief that is."
Lily scowled. "Thank you, Kathryn."
"Anytime."
"How about Sirius? Will he be able to fling us into a wall?" James asked.
"Yes."
"Crap."
"James! You hypocrite!" Kathryn accused.
He shrugged. Dumbledore always pretended he didn't hear bad language.
Kathryn sighed. "Uh, professor, can we go? Professor Swindale assigned us a four foot essay about the variety of Truth potions and their uses."
Dumbledore smiled. "Of course. If you want extra marks, don't forget the Hallar potion."
"Hallar potion?"
"Can be used as Truth potion and a Discovery potion. Very effective, as good as Veritaserum."
"Cool." Sirius grinned.
"Definitely." Kathryn agreed.
"Be back here next week, we'll see if you have progressed any further, and this time you will not have to use a spell to find me." Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled as he left.
Kathryn sighed. "I hate potions." She decided. "But the sooner I get it done, the better. At least I did well in Transfiguration. And Auror Studies was great."
"That's because you know martial arts. You're used to them. And that's the first unit of work. Purely learning martial arts." James groaned.
"Have a bath and relax the muscles. Keep reasonably active until you go to bed, don't stay in one position, otherwise the muscles'll seize up. You'll be sore tomorrow, but as you get used to it, you'll get better." Kathryn advised, grinning.
"I can't believe you chucked Professor Longworth over your shoulder." Lily giggled.
"She got too sure of herself. Wasn't expecting me to do it. That's always the key." Kathryn explained as they headed to Gryffindor Tower. "Do whatever your opponent is least expecting, provided it won't kill you."
James snorted. "Professor Longworth looked like she would for a minute there."
"And then she looked very impressed. She's only what, twenty-five or something. Pure muscle."
"She's new. Here for a reason. I bet you anything it's to keep an eye on some of the Slytherins." Kathryn decided. "They are prime Death Eater material. And notice how none of them are taking Auror Studies?"
"You know summat we don't?" James looked at her.
"Probably." Kathryn smirked.
They arrived at the portrait ten minutes later. "Othello." James told the Fat Lady.
"If you said so, dear." She murmured sleepily.
As they entered, something very like a miniature bullet flung itself at Kathryn.
"Christ Almighty..." She began, then looked down. "Leila? What's wrong?"
"A-a-a boy." The girl sobbed. "H-h-he said I w-was stupid b-because I-I-I was a M-Muggle-lover. A-and then h-he called m-m-me a-a M-Mudblood."
"Who was it?" Kathryn asked, her voice steely.
"I-I don't know. He was big, tall. And black hair. Very greasy..."
"Snape." James and Sirius decided together.
"It doesn't surprise me." Kathryn sighed, massaging her. "Leila, honey, Snape's a prat, okay? An idiot, a dolt, a fool. He's not worth tears wasted on him. Don't worry about it. Please, don't. Anyway, have you met a young Mr. Gareth Jackson?"
"Yes, he's in my classes."
"Good, introduce me. I haven't met him properly yet."
Smiling, Leila dragged her sister over to where several nervous-looking First-years were sat. They stopped talking as Leila and Kathryn, flanked by Sirius, James and Lily, approached.
"Gary!" Leila grinned. "Gary, this is my sister, Kathryn."
He looked pale.
Kathryn grinned. "Hey, Gary. We've met, you know."
"When?"
"I found you."
"In the corridor?"
"Uh-huh. Helped Madam Pomfrey wash all your wounds, an' all. How're you doing?"
"Great! I'm really much better."
"Good. Y'know, you lot, you don't have t'be nervous. I'm not gonna hurt ya or anything."
"Everyone said the Marauders..." A First-year began.
"James!" Lily shrieked. "See what you've done! You've turned the First- years into nervous wrecks!"
Kathryn grinned at the terrified First-years. "Don't worry. Sit down, grab some popcorn, enjoy the show. This is so funny."
She, Leila and Sirius promptly sat down, watching the argument between Lily and James unfold.
"I'll have you know none of us have done anything to any of the First-years this year!"
"But your reputation from other years precedes you! The present Second- years are so worried that they've warned this year's First-years!"
"And so you've automatically assumed we'll do something this year? I can't believe you, Evans! Even when we haven't done anything wrong, you blame us!"
"Ah, now it's getting good." Sirius grinned, having seen many such arguments over the years.
"So I'm at fault, am I? I like that!" Lily shrieked. "You always prank and hex First-years! You don't seem to understand that they have feelings too!"
"Well, funnily enough, Evans, I've grown up! I know what I've been doing is stupid! Yeah, pranks are funny, but people can get hurt! So don't ever lecture me on feelings! I've had enough of them!" James yelled, furiously.
Lily, sensing what James felt, stopped. "James."
"DON'T YOU 'JAMES' ME!" He yelled. "YOU NEVER STOP TO THINK BEFORE YOU SAY SOMETHING, DO YOU? YOU AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME EVERYTHING IS MY FAULT. NOT SIRIUS', NOT REMUS', NOT PETER'S, *MINE*! I'M NOT THE STUPID JUVENILLE YOU KNEW LAST YEAR! I'M DIFFERENT, AND MERLIN HELP ANYONE WHO TRIES TO MAKE ME DO THE STUPID THINGS I USED TO!"
James stormed upstairs, leaving a stunned Lily in his wake.
"What just happened?" She asked.
Sirius grinned. "James grew up."
"How? Why?"
"We were brewing a potion. It was supposed to be a transformation potion, but something went wrong. It was intended for a prank. Anyway, while James fetched some ingredient from the pantry, his mother walked into the kitchen and smelt it. When she got near, it blew up unexpectedly. She was in hospital for a couple of days. James hasn't wanted to do pranks since. He's realised how much they can hurt someone, and that wasn't even a completed prank." Sirius explained.
"That's why she was in St. Mungo's." Kathryn murmured. "Poor James."
Lily looked incredibly upset. "I ought to go and apologise."
She did so. Knocking on the boys' dorm door, she murmured, "James?"
"Who is it?"
"Lily."
"Go away. You'll just yell at me again."
"I'm sorry. I-I didn't know."
"About what an idiot I was? You did. You said so, remember? After the DADA OWL?"
"I was angry, I didn't mean..."
"You did. And what's more, you were right. I was so confident nothing could go wrong, but my Mum ends up in hospital, all for a laugh. I suddenly realised you were right. I had to stop pranking people." James explained. Lily had entered by this point. "But Snape and his cronies are an exception. I'm sorry, but they do too much wrong to just leave them alone. I bet you anything they put that poor kid in the hospital wing."
"I expect they did." Lily sighed.
James looked sober. "I didn't mean to yell at you, Lily. Really, I didn't."
"It's okay. I struck a nerve, I always do."
"Friends?" James asked, holding out a hand.
Lily smiled. "Finally. Yes, friends." She shook the hand, cementing their friendship.
Both ignored the hot rush of fire that spilled from that touch.
* * *
A/N: Ha ha ha! I really suppose I should've kept up the bickering and rivalry longer, shouldn't I? Never mind. Besides, *they* aren't getting together for a while yet. Mega clue dropped!
Next chapter: Snape's Curses. How Snape *really* found out about Moony, and the reason why Kathryn comes to hate him so much (important for later on in story).
Oh yeah, and REVIEW! It isn't that hard, honestly.
Lol, Tanydwr