Celestial Guidance
by: FlyingPixie
Disclaimer: Everything in this fic that you recognize does not belong to me, and it never will. If you have yet to realize this after reading twelve chapters of my fic, then you need help. I repeat: I AM NOT JK ROWLING! Now that you know this, you can go read my fic!
A/N: Hey everyone! Do you realize how long this chapter is? Over 10 000 words! Yes, all of your pressuring finally made me realize that chapters need to be longer so that the story can finally progress beyond the fifth day of Harry's summer! The next few chapters are important, and will not have much progression, but I expect that once the fundamentals of my story are set that the days will pass quickly! In the interim, I hope that everyone stays will me and enjoys the ride!
IMPORTANT: I was re-reading the last chapter of my story, when I realized that, in my author's note, I asked for a certain amount of reviews. I am SOOOOOOOOOOO sorry about that. I really don't like threatening people, and had taken it off the final copy. I must have posted the wrong version, however, as it still appeared in the chapter! I love reviews sooo much, but I don't want to force them. If you really like my story, and have gotten so far, then you should review and that is that. So I apologize for my mistake. Forgive me?
Now go on, and read the fabulous chapter I have written! Consider it a gift for the holidays!
Trainers from Hell and Beyond
Pain is temporary. Giving up is forever.
- Lance Armstrong
"Remus, glad to see you've come down," Dumbledore called. His twinkle-less eyes, however, knocked down his falsely jovial voice, and it was obvious that the elderly wizard had a lot on his mind. At his words, all the Order members stopped what they were doing to look at the newly arrived member. All the yelling was hushed to a barely audible whisper, as everyone wanted to see what was about to happen.
Had Remus not already seen first-hand what had been going on in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, he would surely have wondered what the disarray was all about. Remus was sure that he would have laughed, despite the fact that he had been in mourning...
Remus turned his thoughts away from such dark places. Sirius was back, and there was nothing more to say about it. Remus was not one to live in the past when there was a bright future to come. He did not want to have to re-live the past dark months that had been filled with such pain and misery.
Remus stood, lost in thought, as Dumbledore pondered about how best to phrase his next question. Remus turned his thoughts towards the situation before him. There were many ways this prank could play out, all depending on how he played his next move. He could pretend not to see Sirius at all, and act as if the Order members had gone insane. He shot that aspect down almost immediately, as it would force him to play the part of a mourning friend. That was something he did not want to do, as the wounds were still fresh in his mind.
He could always pretend to see Sirius floating up above him, and act really terrified by it. Remus gave out a mental sigh. Though better than the previous option, it would still require much emotional acting from his part. He had been through enough of an emotional roller coaster for one day.
That left one last option. This would play out perfectly, just as long as he didn't die laughing first. Remus' musings were cut short by Dumbledore's next words.
"Remus," he said tentatively, so unlike the old man. When one is dealing with a mourning man, one always has to be careful. "Remus, please look up and tell us if you see anything floating above our heads?"
Remus complied, looking towards Sirius, who was still holding the Dreamless Sleep Potion.
"Why of course I do," he answered Dumbledore's query, knowing that he must have been frustrating people, as he was not being very specific.
Dumbledore tried once more, "What is it that you see?"
"Why, Sirius is floating lazily above all of our heads, holding a Dreamless Sleep Potion in his hands," Remus answered, as though this were the most obvious thing in the world (and it was to him), and that they were all wasting his time by asking such trivial questions. Remus nodded towards Sirius, and smiled at him. "Why do you ask?"
At his words, the Order members were even more confounded. Something wasn't right here, but they simply couldn't find the missing link. Sirius, Remus' best friend, had recently passed away. Remus had become distant as he fell into mourning, but now was seeing Sirius' ghost and acting as though he didn't have a care in the world. Since most of the people in the room could not see Sirius in the first place, this proved very difficult to understand.
Tonks and Shacklebolt nodded their heads in unison, happy to have another person agreeing with them. Snape, however, stomped towards Remus and yelled before anyone could stop him.
"I don't know what spell you've cast but you HAD BETTER TAKE IT OFF BEFORE I CURSE YOU INTO THE NEXT WEEK! I WANT BLACK OUT OF HERE NOW!" Snape yelled at the werewolf, positive that it was Remus who had called upon Sirius' ghost.
Dumbledore tried to diffuse the growing situation. "Remus, may you please share your insight as to why Sirius' ghost is floating above us."
"Why don't you ask him yourself? I'm sure he would be able to provide a much better insight on the matter than I would, don't you agree?" Remus returned.
Dumbledore didn't know what to answer. Though he was not able to see Sirius' ghost, it was apparent that something had to be floating above everyone. Wondering why he had not thought of it sooner, Dumbledore tapped into his magical core. Pulling on his Second Sight abilities, he looked at the Dreamless Sleep Potion. Sure enough, there was a great source of energy lying near the potion. Tapping into greater amounts of his power made the energy take on a human form. Sure enough, it was Sirius' form. Dumbledore did a final check to make sure he was correct and that Sirius was not an imposter, before sighing audibly.
Harry, meanwhile, had been amusing himself watching the events unfold when he noticed what Dumbledore was doing, using his own Second Sight. Harry sighed. His first prank with the Marauders had been fun while it had lasted, but now he had some serious explaining to do.
Harry was glad that, in all the confusion, Dumbledore had forgotten to use his magic to investigate the claims made by Snape, Tonks and Shacklebolt. Harry wondered why that was. Perhaps his dual with Voldemort had tired him more than he let on? He shrugged; it would take a lifetime to understand the workings of that man.
Harry stood and walked up to Remus. "Pro – Moony, I think Dumbledore is on to us."
Remus pretended not to notice Harry's slip, but rather moved his gaze to Dumbledore. One look at the aged wizard's twinkling eyes proved Harry's point.
Dumbledore was the next to speak, "Sirius, please come down now. You two have serious explaining to do." When Dumbledore looked back at Remus, he noticed Harry for the first time. His eyes twinkled with even more ferocity. Harry simply nodded in his Headmaster's direction, fierce emerald orbs staring into Dumbledore's blue ones, as if in challenge.
Harry had yet to forget what the old wizard had done to him, and would not be quick to forget. Dumbledore's eyes lost their mirth, and Harry once again sensed how old Dumbledore truly was. Dumbledore sighed, and turned away from Harry, no longer able to keep his gaze. They would have to talk later; both of them knew it.
Sirius floated down, releasing all the spells on him with a quick wave of his wand and a few choice words. He walked into the large sitting room and sat down on the nearest couch. Mad-Eye made to stun him on the spot, but Dumbledore shook his head, and followed Sirius into the sitting room. He took the couch opposite him, eyes twinkling ever brightly. Remus followed their examples and sat beside Sirius. The remaining people were shocked senseless for a few moments before hurrying into the sitting room to hear the explanations.
Harry followed Sirius' previous example and removed all the spells on his person. One united gasp was heard in the room as the spell was lifted. Molly Weasley ran across and enveloped Harry in an all-encompassing hug. When she noticed he couldn't breathe properly, she gave him some space. His blushed softly at the motherly affection he had yet to get used to. Mrs. Weasley noticed this and tutted softly under her breath, no doubt ranting mentally at the Dursley's' lack of attention.
Smiling at him, she walked back and joined her husband, wanting as eagerly as everyone else to hear the explanations. Noticing that no one was ready to speak up, Sirius spoke first.
"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated," he started, his statement arousing laughter among many people. "To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how everything happened. The last thing I can remember was dueling Lestrange," he spat the name out like a curse before continuing. "I can vaguely remember falling through the veil. The rest is blank, and the last thing I can remember is waking up weeks later in an empty Department of Mysteries, having no idea what had happened.
"When I found out how much time had passed, and realized that everyone thought that I had passed away, I decided to pay Harry a little visit. After which point the two of us decided that Remus should find out as well."
Sirius was interrupted immediately by Moody. "What have I continuously warned you about? CONSTANT VIGILANCE! You could have been seen. Even worse, someone could have recognized you!"
Sirius simply laughed. "Don't worry, I took the necessary precautions. Almost identical to the ones taken last summer, so no need to worry. Now, where was I," he paused several seconds for effect. "Yes, I remember. We had arrived at Grimmauld Place and were about to enter when we realized that it would be more efficient to have Remus realize the great news first, before having everyone else find out. We cast the Illusion Spell on ourselves so that no one would notice our presence until we reached his room." Several people in the room (those that were aware of the amount of practice and magic it took to get that spell to work) were visibly impressed, and gasped audibly. Harry noticed that Moody had gone pensive, as though reviewing the last few hours in his mind.
"When we finally managed to convince Remus that we truly are who we say we are," Sirius shot Remus a smile and winked, "I, or rather we, decided to play a ... prank of sorts to have everyone else know the truth." Sirius smiled unashamedly, beaming openly at the success of his prank. Of their prank.
During Sirius' speech, Harry noticed Dumbledore looking at him oddly, casting curious glances his way every so often. Could Dumbledore detect his unleashed magic? He hoped not. Harry's thoughts were interrupted by Moody's next question.
"Am I correct in saying that you used the Illusion spell on yourselves during the prank?" Moody asked.
"Yes we did."
Moody nodded, as though everything had suddenly become clearer to him. "That would explain why I was not able to see through the spell. My eye allows for me to see completely through most spells and enchantments. For more powerful ones, such as the Illusion spell however, I am not able to detect any changes. This explains why I couldn't see Sirius floating." Moody looked relieved. It was obvious that he had been worried that he had not been able to see Sirius due to a defect in his magical eye.
"Don't worry, all of us were too caught up in trying to get the Potion back and trying to figure out what was going on that none of us thought to form a good plan. We are all partly to blame," Dumbledore said, becoming serious again. Everyone's mood decreased considerably; they all understood the underlying message in his words. They all had to work harder now that the Second War of Voldemort was upon them.
"So there you have it. Now what do we do? I propose that I live with Harry for the remainder of the summer," Sirius said.
Dumbledore was the first to reply, "We must bring Harry home immediately. When we return we can decide where you will be staying for the summer." There was a certain finality in his voice that none but a few Order members would ever contradict. Sirius was not known to stand by rather than fight for what he believed in.
Sirius stood up, glaring at Dumbledore with as much anger as he could muster. Both Remus and Harry showed equal looks of anger, but decided to let Sirius handle this battle. The three of them knew the contents of the fateful prophecy, and knew that Harry had to begin making his own decisions.
Sirius gave Dumbledore a look that showed that he did, in fact, know the 'big secret'. "We are no longer going to exclude Harry from anything concerning him in any way. Harry is mature enough now to help in making decisions, and should no longer be excluded. Wouldn't you agree? Especially now that he has so much on his shoulders."
The room had taken on a deadly silence during his rant at Dumbledore. Few would dare talk to Dumbledore in that tone of voice. What surprised everyone even more, however, was Dumbledore's reaction. He nodded once, and led the way into the Order's meeting room.
"It's about time that I learned from my mistakes. I believe that Harry is ready to join the Order, so that he can help make decisions."
Snape and Mrs. Weasley both shouted out in unison, "He can't join the Order. He's much too young!" They looked at each other, taken aback at the other's words.
"I have waited much too long to have Harry join the Order. He is ready, there is nothing more to be said."
Mrs. Weasley looked ready to run up and hex Dumbledore herself. She would have, were it not for Mr. Weasley's hand gently stopping her. She looked up at him, and he nodded. They both knew that it was time for him to join, for it was obvious that he would be – was – one of Voldemort's primary targets, judging from Voldemort's actions the past few years. Though they both considered him their son, they understood the need for Harry to be well informed. They simply did not want to lose another innocent child to the effects of the war, as the twins had joined the Order at the beginning of the summer.
Harry himself looked completely taken aback by Dumbledore's words. He had, of course, always wanted to join the Order. He felt he was ready to help in the decision making, and to take part in the fights. The prophecy further fueled the need for him to be part of the Order. However, would their meetings affect his training? He could always get the information he needed from Sirius.
However, he knew that there was more to him joining the Order than what met the eye, more than just the information aspect, and the fact that he would be allowed to give his own input. Not only would he be further surrounded by other Order members for increased safety, but he would have an increased status position.
Harry knew that sooner or later the Order would have to find out about the Prophecy (though Harry preferred later rather than sooner) as its contents were consequential. The Prophecy affected every Order member, as Harry was the only one who could take down Voldemort (the biggest threat to the wizarding world). He knew that everyone still considered him a child, and thought that Dumbledore would be the one to Voldemort. That last thought made him pause. He had been so caught up in the thought that he, Harry Potter, would have to be the one to kill Voldemort that he had not stopped to think before that moment of how others would take the news.
If, when they found out, they already regarded him with respect, than the news would come easier to them. Not simply regarding him with the respect of being the one to stop Voldemort when he was a baby, but the earned respect he hoped he could achieve if they saw the maturity he had gained, that most children did not have.
In fact, it was a maturity that even many adults had yet to achieve. He had faced Voldemort one-on-one more times than many of the people in the room could imagine. Though it had been sheer luck, coupled with other people's help and his ability to think on his feet that saved him, he had still learned much from those encounters.
Harry had lost his innocence at a very early age, one of the prices he had to pay because of the Prophecy, and because Voldemort had chosen him over Neville. If he could help out in the Order, than perhaps he could truly become their leader. Harry laughed internally. He was taking his thoughts way too far. He could never even dream of becoming their leader. For all his maturity, he would always be seen as a child in their eyes. He sighed; perhaps he could still be very influential.
Harry looked up at Dumbledore, and nodded his assent. He would join the Order. Dumbledore seemed taken aback by the look of sheer determination to prove himself that he saw in Harry's bright eyes, but quickly got over it and nodded as well. However, Harry could still sense that Dumbledore was puzzled, though Harry couldn't understand why.
Suddenly, he saw a few solitary threads of Dumbledore's magic separate from his core and travel directly at him. Stunned, Harry's primary instincts took over. Having neither the time nor the necessary practice to sort through his magic in time, he took many tendrils of his own pure magic and sent it out to deflect Dumbledore's magic. Dumbledore's eyes widened immensely.
Not wanting to get into how he was able to do that, Harry looked at the older man as though nothing had happened. His acting skills were adequate enough (after all those years of practice with the Dursleys), and Dumbledore did not comment. Harry knew, however, that this was not the last he would hear of this. Already he could picture the gears in Dumbledore's mind turning, trying to find a logical explanation for what had occurred. In the meantime, however, he would simply let it go. They had more pressing issues to deal with, for which Harry was thankful. It gave him time to think of an excuse.
Dumbledore was about to lead them into the Order's meeting room when he noticed the time. During the big commotion in the kitchen, and the great news of Sirius' return, no one had realized quite how much time had passed. The sun had set long ago, and shadows covered the world.
Sighing, Dumbledore realized that his plans would have to wait for the next morning. He voiced his thoughts, and everyone agreed that it would be best to wait for the following day to make the important decisions that had to be made, allowing for everyone to sleep on it.
Sighing, many of the Order members left for home, promising to return in the morrow. The Weasleys offered to have Harry over at their house, but Dumbledore insisted that it would be much safer to have Harry spend the night at Grimmauld Place. Even Mrs. Weasley could not argue with that logic, and she and her husband left for the Burrow.
Seeing no other choice, Harry resigned himself to spending the night at Grimmauld Place. He would have given almost anything to have spent the night at the Burrow. He desperately wanted to spend some time with the Weasleys, even if it wouldn't have been for very long. Harry missed Ron and, he realized suddenly, Ginny.
Shaking his head, Harry climbed several steps and reached the second floor landing. Sirius showed him into a room he had never before entered, whose layout was very similar to the room he had slept in last year.
Without warning, Sirius hugged his godson with all his might, obviously not wanting to let go any time soon. Harry returned the hug, happy to have his godfather back with him. His time without Sirius had been filled with misery and pain that he had been forced to keep at bay so that it would not overwhelm him. The events of the day coupled with the raging emotions within him caused several tears to trail unbidden down his cheeks.
Sirius noticed this. He led Harry to the bed and quickly wiped the tears away, as a parent would for his child. Harry had been through so much, and both knew that the worst was yet to come. Sirius cried mentally at the injustice of it all to any gods listening. Harry should not have ever had to endure the pain he had gone through. Sirius knew that Harry had reached a high level of maturity already, and had lost his innocence at a very young age. He wished more than anything that he could give those lost childhood years back to his godson, but knew that, despite all the magic in the world, his wish could never be granted.
Sirius hugged Harry once more. "We've both had a difficult day. Why don't you get some sleep, and I'll see you in the morning."
Harry, however, was not about to let his godfather go that easily. While Sirius remembered next to nothing about his time away, Harry's time had been filled with mourning and grief. Now that he had his godfather back, the closest person he had to a real father, he was not going to let go.
Sirius, realizing that he was never going to win (especially since a large part of him wanted to stay) told Harry that he would spend the night in this room as well. Harry smiled, happy that he would have his godfather close by.
"You know, we should get Remus as well," Harry said, getting used to calling his old Professor by his first name.
It was to these words that Remus entered the room. He smiled as he heard them, happy not to have been excluded from the small sleepover party that had gathered. Remus transfigured a bed on the opposite end of the other two, and undid the sheets. He smiled at the two closest people he had to a family. As horrible as the next few months would be, Remus was happy that he could share a few moments of peace with them, at least for the time being.
As Harry unmade the bed, his thoughts drifted to what would happen at the Order meeting the next day, and whether or not he would be allowed to join their members. As for Sirius... Harry hoped that he would be allowed to stay at Privet Drive for the remainder of Harry's time there. It would be nice to have someone other than the miserable Dursleys occupying that house with him. Even better, having Sirius around would mean that Harry would have a real dueling partner.
Harry climbed into bed. Bidding the other two occupants of the room good-night, he emptied his mind as best as he could before falling quickly asleep, the day's events getting the better of him. Harry vaguely wondered what was in store for him in the Dream World before he entered Morpheus' lands, and sleep engulfed him completely.
Harry entered the Dream World for the fifth time in as many days. He looked around the room, and was happy to see that he was able to see the brilliant lights of the magic around him without water gathering at his eyes. As always, Merlin was correct. He had gotten used to his Second Sight abilities.
Mind swirling with questions, Harry decided that he would finally ask Merlin questions, and would make sure to get his answers once and for all.
Merlin appeared shortly after Harry's arrival, looking slightly flustered. His eyes, however, shone brilliantly none-the-less as he motioned for his young charge to follow him. Merlin smiled internally as he saw how happy his charge was. The Fates had, of course, informed him as to how Sirius had come to life. Merlin spoke before Harry even had the time to open his mouth.
"We have much to discuss Harry. Please take a seat."
With a wave of his hand, a bench appeared before them. Harry knew that Merlin did not have to wave his hand to perform the magic, and only did so to add a flourish to his works.
Merlin took a seat, and Harry followed swiftly. The aged wizard sighed softly and began.
"I must apologize to you Harry. Things around here have been rather – hectic, and not as organized as I would have wanted. Now that everything is under control for the time being, however, I hope that your training can be much more fluent than in the past. The Guidance Council and I have created a training schedule for you, that you will follow every time you enter the Dream World."
Harry nodded, ready to begin his training. He still had, however, several questions he wished to ask of the ancient wizard.
"Am I still going to get visions from Voldemort while in the Dream World?" he asked, curious. Harry had yet to get any nightmares up until that point, but that did not mean that more would not come.
"Yes, it is still possible for you to get these nightmares. Even when you learn Occulmency, you will not be able to fully eliminate them. Nalani and Mandara will be able to explain it better than I will, so I will give them the pleasures of doing so. As your visions usually only occur when you dream, you will have them before entering the Dream World. The Dream World is a misnomer, and I must confess that even I am a bit confused as to how it works. While on this Plane, you are neither sleeping, nor are you awake. You do not actually enter the Dream World while you are dreaming, but before you are about to wake up, or before you enter another cycle of sleep. Usually, however, this period of time does not last as long as we would like. Therefore I have tampered with your sleeping cycle."
"Don't worry," Merlin assured Harry hastily as he saw the looks he was receiving from the boy. "The alterations are perfectly harmless, and will simply allow you to spend more time in this World, thus preventing you from waking up in the middle of one of your lessons. I need not remind you that your lessons and training periods are of the utmost importance, and I felt it necessary to alter your sleep so that you do not depart during your lesson as you did with Hufflepuff last week – I mean yesterday.
"Sorry, it does sometimes become a bit confusing, as time travels so much faster here than it does in your world. I only saw you last week in my time, but for you it was only yesterday. I have altered the World to heal your body and replenish your energy every time you leave, so each morning you will awaken replenished and refreshed. I also realized that your training will also quickly deplete both your magical and physical reserves, and thus after every person you finish training with, your reserves with replenish again," Merlin said.
"If I am forced to have constant spells and potions given to me day after day, won't there be negative consequences to my body?" Harry asked, remembering what Hufflepuff had warned him about ingesting too many healing potions.
"True, but I altered the Dream World again to counter the negative affects of ingesting too many potions and undergoing too many spells."
To eradicate the effects of too much magic, the solution lay with using more magic!
"Now, as I am sure that you are wondering, your training schedule is as follows. I realize that you have already begun your training with several people, while you have yet to meet many others. Rather than have you train with those that you have never met before using this schedule, we all felt that establishing it now would have the best results. Nedra, followed by Kael will be the first two to train you. Nalani and Mandara will be the next two. The four Hogwarts founders will be the next four in the schedule. Ravenclaw will begin, followed by Gryffindor, continuing with Slytherin and ending finally with Hufflepuff. Ryder will be next after the Founders, and I will be your last trainer before you leave the Dream World. I realize that this may be a lot to digest, but you will quickly become accustomed to the changes.
"I would also like it if you expended as much energy as possible during the day, which I am assured will not be a problem with the rigorous training schedule the Council expects you to follow while you are awake. This way, your body will automatically sleep for a longer period of time, allowing us to train longer with you."
Another question flitted through Harry's mind.
"Nedra mentioned that the Dream World is not a very versatile Plane, and that is why we travel to an alternate dimension to train under increased gravity. If the Dream World is not so versatile, then how are you able to make so many changes?" Harry asked.
"What Nedra said is exactly correct. However, while the Dream World itself is not very adaptable, all entrances and exits to this Plane are, which is why I chose this as the ideal Plane on which to build the Dream World."
Merlin's eyes twinkled ever brightly. Harry had to hand it to him however: the man truly did manage to think of everything. Merlin realized that Harry had more questions, and allowed his young charge to reorganize his thoughts. While he waited, he examined Harry. He was Merlin's youngest charge in history, save Arthur, whose training had started at birth because his father had hired Merlin.
Harry, however, was faring better than expected. He bore his burden without too much complaining, and had enough determination to carry out his tasks to the fullest without ever letting down. Merlin knew that this would take Harry very far, and he had no doubt that Harry would soon be able to have full control over his magic. He did not voice his thoughts, however, as he did not want to get his charge's hopes too high. Merlin looked down at Harry and noticed that he was ready.
"Are other people with Second Sight able to see the change in my magical potential, now that I've unleashed it?"
Merlin had to hand it to Harry. He sure knew how to ask pertinent questions.
"Yes, they will be able to see them. I have, however, spelled your magic so that the newly unleashed parts are not visible, until you learn how to disguise your magic without my aid."
Harry nodded, only slightly peeved at the fact that Merlin had placed another spell on him without his consent. He knew that Merlin only had his best intentions at heart, and it was obvious that the older wizard would have told him in due time. He probably would even have informed him sooner had he not been so preoccupied.
"Was it your doing to change my room into my own personal library and ultimate training area?"
Merlin's eyes twinkled even more at the memory.
"Yes, it was I who cast the spells. However, you can thank your individual trainers for each of the objects they decided to put there for you. I assume that the nature of each of the objects and rooms will become apparent soon enough," Merlin answered.
Harry then remembered the question that had been bothering him since he had first seen Sirius that morning.
"Merlin, how is it that Sirius came back to life? I saw as well as anyone that he fell through the Veil at the Department of Mysteries. Of course I'm not complaining," Harry added with a smile. "I simply would like to know more. I don't like being left in the dark."
Merlin nodded. He looked upwards for several seconds, communicating with the Fates. Harry simply looked on. He saw tendrils of magic flow up from Merlin, and more tendrils of a different source travel downwards and into the other man. Strange, Harry thought to himself. He had never seen any magic quite like that one.
"Unfortunately Harry, I am not permitted as of yet to answer your question. Please do not take this the wrong way. If it were my decision you would find out right away. Certain beings however –," Merlin glared up at the sky, "– decided that now is not the right time for you to know. I am assured that you will find out when the time is ready, which is approaching swiftly. Many of your questions will be answered then."
Harry's eyes flashed dangerously for several seconds, but his anger had dissipated by the time Merlin was finished. He did not like being left out of the loop, but realized that there were powerful beings at work here. If Merlin could tell him, then he would have done so already. Harry would simply have to accept what he could procure, and gain more answers at a later date.
Merlin spoke when Harry had nothing to say. "I would also like to comment on the fact that you decided to inform Sirius of the Celestial Guidance Council. While I completely agree with your decision, I would also like to remind you that if this information were to reach Voldemort in any way, it would have a serious impact on the surprise angle we hope to have. Don't give me that look. I know that you are no longer a child, and I will not treat you as one. I am just warning you of the consequences, and advising you to use extreme caution when telling Dumbledore, which I know you will be doing soon."
Harry nodded, and was about to inform Merlin that he had no more questions when he remembered the tall mirror he had seen several times at the entrance to the Dream World. Harry asked about it, and Merlin smiled again, visibly happy to be able to answer this question.
"The Mirror of Power, or Speculum di Virium as it is called by its Latin name, is an amazing invention created by the early Romans. As they were power-hungry, they created a spell to enchant mirrors to show their full potential. Thus, the clearer your image becomes on the glass, the closer you are to reaching your full potential. Does that answer your question?"
Harry smiled, happy that his mentor was to the point. His answer did not, however, completely answer his question, and left some blanks as to how exactly the mirror worked.
"If the image is to become clearer once a wizard reaches his full potential, then shouldn't the mirror already by clear for me, as I unleashed my magic already?"
Merlin smiled again.
"Honestly Harry. As intelligent as many of your questions are, I find myself having to explain a few points several times over. Due to the fact that you have yet to train completely, you do not have full control over your magic. Without this control, you will be unable to use the potential the power can give you. Thus, though you have already unleashed your magic, the potential is not yet under your grasp. When you have all of your magic under your control, you will have reached your full potential and your reflection in the mirror will be clearer."
Harry noticed that there was more the other wizard was leaving out, but didn't comment. He was sure that his questions would be answered in due time.
"Anyway, we must be getting on to your lessons. We wouldn't want to waste any of our precious time, now would we?"
Merlin stood up, and Harry followed his example. The two walked to Nedra and Kael's chambers in silence. As they reached their destination, Harry's muscles tensed. He prepared himself to greet his trainers from hell. Remembering what happened during his last visit, he made sure that he would be alert and dodge whatever Kael had coming for him. He had already been fooled twice, and didn't plan on being fooled again. He had learned his lesson the last time around.
Harry's muscles remained tense as he entered Nedra and Kael's chambers, ready for an attack. Sure enough, as soon as he had stepped through the door a foot flew out of nowhere and attempted to collide with his head. Harry, who had been ready, ducked in time and delivered his own punch to Kael's stomach. Untrained as he was, however, his punch had little effect on the man. Harry was positive that the fact that he was engaged in a fight with a man standing at 6'7" did not help to settle matters any.
The two stepped away from the door. Harry barely had time to register that his jeans and T-shirt had been replaced by more comfortable work-out clothes as he jumped to avoid being tripped by Kael's low, sweeping kick. He moved his head in time to avoid another kick aimed at his head. Ducking to the side, he tried to kick his opponent's side, to no avail. Kael, fast as ever, had anticipated Harry's move and had spun in time to hit Harry's leg away with his arms.
Kael then proceeded to repeatedly punch Harry in the abdomen. After several seconds, Harry regained his senses and dodged left. He had no time to execute any moves, however, as Kael kicked him in the side, followed by two, rapid punches to the chest.
With an inhuman roar, Kael pushed Harry to the ground. Placing his foot on Harry's neck, he called the fight to an end. Harry knew that the older man had simply been toying with him, and he did not like the feeling. As Kael helped an injured Harry to his feet, Harry saw Nedra emerge from the shadows.
"That fight was – interesting. Your fighting skills leave much to be desired I am afraid, though that is to be expected as you have never had any formal training. Ever wonder how Kael managed to get in so many punches? You have to keep your guard up at all times, to protect your chest area. Most of your vital organs are located there, and you do not want to be punched there by an enemy that will not be as lax as Kael was. We must also improve your speed," Nedra added as an after-thought.
Harry sighed: he had always prided himself on his seeker-reflexes, only realizing now that he was going to have to be even faster. He was so focused on what Nedra was saying, however, that he had forgotten to keep an eye out for Kael. Harry soon found himself on the ground, having collided painfully with the opposite wall. He stood slowly, arms and feet in the best fighter's stance he could manage. His head swam slightly, and it took all his concentration to remain standing. He fought back a wave of nausea as his two trainers came towards him.
Nedra threw him a potion. Without asking, Harry downed the contents in one smooth motion. Like most potions, the taste left much to be desired. Within several seconds, however, the pain left his body, and all cuts were healed. Harry visibly relaxed, though did not become off-guard.
"I'm really sorry about that Harry. Don't worry though, you'll thank us one day," Kael said in him deep, booming voice. The man did sound apologetic, and Harry almost forgave him. Almost.
"I understand that Merlin informed you of our schedule changes. I will, as he told you, be the first to train you everyday, so be prepared. Our routine will alternate every second day. Half of the days will be spent increasing your speed, coordination and agility. The other half will be spent working on your fighting and Martial Art skills. Now that we've officially warmed you up, let's start our training, shall we?" Nedra asked.
Resigning himself to a few hours of miserable pain, Harry nodded. Kael disappeared soundlessly, and all of Harry's attention shifted to Nedra. She nodded as well. She instructed him on the best exercises, informing him as to which ones helped stretch which areas of the body, and telling him why they were used. After twenty minutes of stretching, she stood. Harry followed her example. Energized from the exercises, he was ready to face anything she had for him. He told her so, and she simply smiled before turning and waving her hands.
The portal appeared once more before them. Harry followed Nedra through the circular entrance, ignoring the red bolts zapping over its surface. He could barely feel the effects of the healing magic flowing through his body, due to the potion Nedra had given him.
Unlike his last time in the new dimension, Nedra had him start off by running a few laps around the room as a warm up. Neither spoke as they ran together, Nedra setting the pace once more. Harry still struggled slightly under the increased gravity, but did not complain.
Once the laps were finished, Nedra spoke again.
"As Merlin informed you the first day you arrived, I will be improving your speed and agility. This is one of many exercises that Kael and myself have developed to do so."
With another wave of her hand, the scenery around them changed. The room extended as Nedra pulled Harry to the edge of one of the walls. More walls were erected from thin air. As his new training grounds grew, Nedra explained what Harry was to do.
"I want you to travel from one end of the room to the other. Remember that I will be timing you, so speed is of the essence if you wish to improve. There are many challenges placed throughout the course, however, that you must be wary of. And do not forget, you are not allowed to use magic during the course. Are you ready?"
Without waiting for an answer, Nedra led Harry to the start of the course.
"On my mark, you are to start. Three, two, one, GO!"
Head still reeling from what he was about to do, Harry plunged into the trap-filled course. Harry ran up to his first obstacle: a tall, thick wall, covered in vines. Primal instinct taking over, he began climbing the strong vines as fast as he could, using both his arms and legs to pull and push his way up. He lacked a bit of the necessary co-ordination, but still made it to the top of the twenty-foot wall quickly. Or rather, as quickly as he could owing to the increased gravity.
Once he reached the top, drenched in sweat, he noticed that it was thick enough to run on normally. When the choices were running along a wall, or jumping twenty-feet down, Harry chose the former. He started running, trying not to let the height get to him. He had never been afraid of heights; part of the reason he was able to pull very good moves in Quidditch, but running on the ground was never the same as running higher up. It was purely psychological. Though it technically required the same amount of physical strength and dexterity to run higher up as it did to run on the ground (unless it was so high up as to have less oxygen, though Harry did not include that in his thoughts), the mind became nervous higher up, as it calculated that there was a higher risk of death and injury if one fell.
All this and more ran through Harry's mind as he ran on the wall. Soon enough, just after his body had adjusted to the change and he had begun to pick up his pace, the wall ended. Again, Harry was faced with two choices. He could jump down and continue the course from there, or he could jump from his current wall to the next and continue running. He calculated that the other wall was approximately five feet away. Once again not really thinking about it, but rather acting on impulse and instinct, he decided to jump to the other wall.
Harry ran back for several seconds. He drew up his energy, and ran as fast as he could to the edge of the wall he was on before pushing off and landing on the other wall. Without stopping to think about what could have happened to him had he fallen, Harry began to run. He was glad that he had extra energy due to his unleashed magic, or else he was not sure if he would have been able to keep up this long.
The wall was more difficult to run along than the previous one, as it climbed slowly upwards at points and sloped gently downwards at others. It was not horrible, however, and Harry managed to keep up a good pace.
This wall, however, was shorter in length than the previous one, but ended at the same height. At the end of this wall Harry was not given a choice as he had the previous times: he had to jump down in order to continue the course.
At this, Harry was unsure of what to do. Nedra had forbidden him to use magic, and he had to jump twenty feet without falling flat on his face. He was about to jump and face the consequences later (he highly doubted that Nedra would keep him injured for too long, lessons to be learnt or otherwise) when he noticed that the sides of the wall were also covered in vines identical to those he had used to climb up in the first place.
Grinning as adrenaline coursed through his body, Harry began his descent. It was quickly over, as the increased gravity was not against him. Once on the ground again, he began to run quickly, wondering what the next challenge would be. He had only run for a minute when he was upon it.
Two ledges high above Harry began out of nowhere, floating due to a magical spell. The ledges, placed across from each other while leaving the middle section bare, were covered with boulders that fell haphazardly off the ledge of their own accord.
Sighing and muttering profanities under his breath, all the while wondering how Nedra had managed to come up with such a training course, Harry began to run across. Deciding that he was very smart, he decided to run under the ledges, so as not to be hit by oncoming boulders. His ingenious plan, however, quickly failed when he noticed that the bottoms of the floating ledges were covered with a dripping substance. He managed to dodge in time as a large amount of the substance dropped down. Said substance burned a large hole in the ground within seconds. Nedra thinks of everything...
Harry ran quickly back to the center, between the two ledges, and continued running. Every few seconds, a boulder would come crashing down. He rarely had to jump very far in order to avoid it before running, but it did slow him down slightly. He tried to keep up a quick pace, but realized that he was tiring. A few mental images of Voldemort and his destruction, however, had Harry's blood boiling and his body moving with increased energy.
As Harry saw through his peripheral vision the two shadows cast by the ledges disappear, he realized that this challenge of the course was over. He only ran several seconds longer when he felt (and saw) healing magic course through his body. His muscles un-tensed, his energy was renewed, and Harry felt ready to continue running.
Before long, Harry was faced with another choice. The path he had been taking forked: he could turn left or he could turn right. Seeing no visible difference between the two paths, and not having the luxury of taking his time to make an educated decision, Harry turned right and continued running.
Harry almost stopped when he saw the next challenge he had to face. Long, sharp axes hung at regular intervals on a levitating ledge thirty feet above him. The axes were hung on hinges, and swung at regular speeds, in a pendulum-type motion. As one axe reached its highest point on the right side, the axe before it and after it would have reached their highest points on the left side.
The axes themselves were forces to be reckoned with. The metal handles ended in large, metal spheres, with over fifty spikes poking out of each one. If any of those axes collided with Harry's side... he didn't want to think of the bloody mess that would certainly ensue.
Harry took in the organized movements of the pendulums without second thought. As he ran towards them, he memorized their rhythms so that he could repeat the opposite while he was running. As easy as it seemed in theory, however, it was very difficult to do in practice. When Nedra had said that she planned to train his speed, agility and coordination, she had not been joking.
Harry thanked that gods above that the movement of the axes was not only regular but relatively slow as well. He ran from left, to right. Back and forth he ran, trying not to be speared. Several times his side narrowly collided with an axe, but he was lucky and had managed to side-step fast enough most times. However, he had missed his footing while attempting to dodge one of the axes, and consequently it grazed his side. He had been lucky not to have a worse injury, but his side stung as he continued to run, and he could feel blood travelling down his side.
Finally, he had dodged his last axe. Harry ran for several more minutes, trying to catch his breath and ignore the pain in his side. He realized that it was during these breaks from challenges that he should increase his speed in order to better his time, and thus increase his speed he did.
The next challenge sprang up before he had time to register it. He fell to the ground roughly (the increased gravity forcing him down quicker than normal gravity would) as the ground he was on began to swing. Unlike the movements of the axes before, however, the ground moved irregularly.
The closest thing that this could relate to was his only memory at a swimming pool. Dudley had had a birthday party there. Much like in the case of the zoo, the Dursley's had been forced to bring Harry along with them. During one of the activities, the party coordinator had placed a mat across the two ends of the deep end, and had the children run across it. So as to make it even more of a challenge, he had begun to shake the mat if he saw that the children were finding it too easy.
Harry remembered with a smile that he had been the only one to make it across without losing his balance and falling into the water. Dudley, on the other hand, had fallen almost immediately into the water. The Dursleys had never had another sports-related birthday party for Dudley after that.
Harry stood up quickly before continuing to run. After the initial shock caused him to fall to the ground, he managed to stay standing the entire time, though he was unable to run as quickly as he would have liked.
When the ground he was standing on broke off and he began running on a floating platform, the danger factor came up again. Taking a quick look down, Harry could see brilliant red pools of molten lava stirring dangerously below him. The heat in the room increased considerably as he ran. He tried to move his thoughts away from the lava, though he noticed that he came very close to tripping several times.
He managed to make it through the challenge alive. When the ground had re-attached itself and stopped trembling, Harry picked up speed. He sighed in relief as the temperature cooled to room temperature and it became easier to run.
Running for several minutes more, Harry's body tensed as he realized that the next challenge should be coming up soon. Fears confirmed, Harry saw the course before him become uneven. Small hurdles and small holes appeared in the ground. Trying not to slow down, Harry had to jump above the hurdles and over the holes to avoid hurting himself. At times, there would be two hurdles placed back-to-back or a hole the length of two, which would involve more energy on Harry's part.
Soon enough, though not soon enough for Harry's tastes, the ground evened out once more. Sighing with relief, Harry could see the end of the course. Gathering up his energy, he did one final sprint before crossing the finish line. The additional walls and holes disappeared, and the room reverted to its regular size as soon as he had completed it.
Knowing better than to sit down, Harry walked around the room to relieve the pain in his muscles as Nedra ran up to him. His clothes were drenched in sweat, and he was hot beyond imagination. His side burned beyond imagination, and he could feel the blood clinging to his clothes. His knees stung slightly from his fall on the moving ground. Nedra smiled at him, and Harry had to smile back. As much pain as he was in, Harry realized that he had enjoyed the challenge that the course had brought on. Since it would help him defeat Voldemort... all the better for him.
"You did very good for your first time Harry. Obviously I didn't make the course hard enough for you. Don't worry, it will be much more difficult the next time around. You completed the course in one hour and forty minutes, much better than I expected. I will not underestimate you again, so don't fret about it."
Oh yes, he was very happy that she was going to increase the difficulty... Harry thought sarcastically to himself. He didn't think he had ever been through a more difficult workout session, and she was treating the course as if it was nothing. Harry sighed, realizing that he would have to adjust to Nedra's views on difficult training, as it differed so much from his own.
Harry and Nedra stretched for several minutes before re-entering the Dream World. Passing through the Portal greatly relieved the pain and tension in his muscles and all over his body.
Much like last time, his muscles were able to move much easily in the Dream World, as the gravity was back to its normal pull, and Harry practically ran to the opposite end of the room. As he had spent even more time in the other dimension than normal, however, the change lasted slightly longer. Harry doubted, however, that he would even feel the effects of his gravity training by the time he returned home. As Nedra had explained, it would take a while before his muscles strengthened greatly. However, she assured him that if they continued at a regular training pace, and strengthened the gravitational pull at regular intervals, Harry would soon feel the difference.
His training with Nedra officially over, Nedra quickly transfigured Harry's clothes to a clean pair, and handed him over to Kael, who had Apparated soundlessly into the training room moments ago.
Kael kissed his wife quickly on the cheek before walking over to Harry. Harry's muscles tensed as Kael drew nearer, though he forced his body not to assume a defensive position. His muscles were, however, ready to move out of the way should Kael have decided to use him as his own personal punching bag. Harry kept one eye on Kael while still keeping Nedra in his vision, however. He knew that it would not be below them to have Nedra attack while Kael was teaching.
Harry let out a breath he did not know he had been holding when she apparated away, and he turned his attention to the large man before him.
Kael spoke in a deep, booming voice that Harry was positive could be heard for miles, "As you have already been informed, my job is to teach you Battle Tactics, while improving both your physical endurance and strength. Much like Nedra, I will be dividing these two categories by day. You will be training to improve your physical endurance today, and every second day from now on. Battle Tactics will be taught on the days between these intervals. Have I made myself clear?"
Kael's military voice held such authority that Harry did not trust his voice to speak, but simply nodded in response.
"Now, the Portal will only be used during your strength training, which will only be held every other physical training days. Today, as I am assured that you have worked hard, we will only work on your physical endurance. I expect you, however, to be able to use the equipment Merlin has provided, and to work on the exercises I will show you. It will be easier to improve you physically if you are also working in the normal world. Understand? Good."
Without waiting for a response, Kael waved his hand. Harry recognized all of the equipment the appeared before them from his new training room in Privet Drive. For the next half-hour, Kael proceeded to explain their different functions to Harry, how often they should be used, and which order would be more beneficial to Harry's training.
Once done, and satisfied that Harry had been paying sufficient attention to know how to use the equipment without injuring himself, Kael moved on to the lesson itself.
He had Harry run laps around the room silently, setting the pace himself. Harry saw Kael loosen as he ran, obviously enjoying it. During the silence that ensued, Harry thought back to the day before. Why had Nedra been the one to have him run long distance, when it was Kael's job to supervise this area of his training? Harry presumed it had something to do with the problems that Merlin had hinted at, but could not be sure until he had more information.
As they ran, Harry felt his own body loosening. His shoulders relaxed, and he began to adjust to the rhythm. He breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth, just as Nedra had instructed him to do. Soon, a half-hour had passed. Harry felt himself tiring, and noticed that he was no longer able to keep up with Kael. When the older man noticed that he had lost his young trainee, he doubled back.
"Alright Harry, that was – adequate for your first time running with me."
Kael threw Harry another potion. Harry downed the contents in another gulp, so that the horrible taste did not linger as long in his mouth. The stitch in his side relaxed, and he felt his body re-energize itself.
"Let's start running again, though I dare say that the scenery was not very nice."
With a quick wave of his hands, the scenery of the training room shifted. As they started running, Harry had to smile at his odd trainer. He realized that it would take a very long time for him to finally understand the older man, who at some moments could be as ferocious as a Hungarian Horntail, and at other times completely carefree.
Harry agreed with the other man. Running through beautiful forest scenery was much more interesting than the bland, four-side training room. Together they ran in perfect harmony, footsteps matching each other step for step. Harry felt his body relax, and without realizing it he had entered a magical trance. If Kael noticed the change, he didn't show it, save for a small smile gracing his lips for several seconds before his neutral face took over. He found the boy very interesting...
After Harry had run for another forty minutes, Kael finished the last lap. He handed Harry another potion wordlessly.
"That was a very good run Harry. I'm glad you seem to be enjoying yourself. You are coming along nicely. Don't forget to move your arms like I told you to, and remember to practice running while in the real world."
He was about to transfigure Harry's clothes when a thought came to him.
"Why don't you change your own clothes Harry? The spell is simple, and you already have the clothes you have on as a base. You could choose what you want to wear rather than having us decide for you."
Grinning, Harry changed into a comfortable pair of robes that were perfect for the occasion. He had gotten the form easily enough (it had only taken him two tries), but when he tried to make them interesting and special, he had only succeeded in creating massive blobs of color around them. Harry laughed at the thought of Snape wearing robes such as these, as they were the total opposite of Snape's usual black attire.
Harry was ready to change the robes back to a single color. However, when he saw the shocked look on Kael's face, the young wizard decided to keep them. Who knew? Perhaps if he actually wore robes like these in public, it would become the newest craze!
Shaking his head as Kael continued laughing, the two made their way to Nalani and Mandara.
A/N: Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukah! Happy New Year! Whatever holiday you're celebrating, I hope it's a great one!
Thanks to everyone that reviewed! It really meant a lot to me, and in the holiday spirit I wrote this 10 000 word monstrosity. From now on chapter lengths will range from 5000 – over 10 000 words, because it was obvious that 3000 word chapters weren't cutting it, and at the rate I was writing and updating I will not finish this before 100 chapters and by my due date: July 16th! If I don't finish by then, then my entire story becomes AU... However, I do not foresee finishing this story and its sequel by that time, so don't keep your hopes up!
Please review! Even just a few simple words show me that people are reading and enjoy it enough to take the time to review! Even for those that do not have accounts, I do accept anonymous reviews!
Anyway, you can foresee the next chapter up by January 4th. I would have liked to update more, but my school made a big mistake on the dates and I go back a week earlier than planned... Not to mention I have a lot of homework to finish before I get back. I know, I have homework during the holidays... but such is the dreadful school I go to!
Don't forget to review! They mean so much to me! Here are the review responses to those that made comments that need answering:
TwistedFlames: Thanks for the review! One plate of brownies coming up... with a serving of Cherry Blasters and milk on the side! Enjoy, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! Glad exams are finally over... they were easier than expected, except for the French one... stupid random dude who is obsessed with money! Who writes an exam about that? Anyway, review again (lmao)!
Nimbriosa: I know the ending was weak... I was tired and wanted to get the chapter up! So... was this a long chapter or what! 10 000 words! I was so proud of myself... Merry Christmas milady!
Dr. Gero: Looks around museum is shock... this is the coolest place ever! Thanks for inviting me... I should buy a membership! Thanks for the review, and here is a longer chapter for you!
aberdeenflyers: No, time would definitely have to travel faster in the Dream World. Think about it this way: one minute in the real world is the equivalent of eight minutes in the Dream World. Thus, time must travel faster in the Dream World. Another way to think of it is this: say you have two people (Person A and Person B). Both Person A and B start of at the same time in the normal world (12:00), and both must complete an hour's worth of homework. Person B, however, travels to the Dream World before any of them begin. They both start at the same time, one in one world and one in another. Person B finishes in an hour, and goes back to the real world. Person A also finishes in an hour (13:00). However, when Person B arrives in the real world, only seven and a half minutes have passed for him (12:17). Therefore, time must have traveled slower in the normal world! If you still do not understand my logic, however, I am perfectly prepared to defend my point. You can send me an e-mail, or if you have MSN you can add me to your list and I can hopefully explain it better! Merry Christmas and thank you for your review!
FlareofDragon: Would you mind telling me where you think I got my ideas from? Not to attack you, but I happen to think most of my ideas are original and I have never read anything similar. Except for the dummies, which I have read about in too many fics to count! Why do you think Harry has too much power? I do agree that he has a lot (though so will Voldemort) but he is having trouble controlling it, and will have even more trouble in the future as he is only doing simple spells now... Thanks for the review, and I'm open to any suggestions you have :D
EternityofTwilight: A dracopop? Wow, that is the oddest request I have gotten thus far! I made a whole batch just for you, as you were the only one who asked for these! Aren't they cute, with Draco having a different expression each lollipop!?! Thanks for the review!
Since I got a lot of requests from people, and had some free time on my hands, I decided to be nice and bake as many virtual baked goods as I could come up with! Here you are, and I hope you enjoy! Think of it as my holiday gift, along with this chapter!
Happy Holidays,
----- ) FlyingPixie
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