Celestial Guidance
by Flying Pixie (Lady Lyssa)
Disclaimer: All the Harry Potter characters belong to the wonderful J.K.Rowling. I am not making any money doing this (unfortunately) and am doing it for the sole purpose of having fun. The plot and characters you do not recognize belong to me!
A/N: Sorry that I could not get this chapter out on the fourth. I misjudged the amount of work for my Italian project, and had to stay up till one o'clock working on that. So, in short, I had no time to work on my wonderful fic. Thank you to my new beta Nimbirosa. Go read her fics! To my most loyal fans, I present the fourteenth chapter. Enjoy!
The quote is dedicated to Dr. Gero. He was disappointed when the original version of this chapter did not have a quote, and thus I put this up for him! I'm glad to know that my quotes are appreciated.
Mind speech is done in italics!
Sodalites
Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity, and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigors of the mind.
- Leonardo da Vinci
Several winding corridors later found Harry in front of a tall, oak door. Leaning calmly on the door were Nalani and Mandara. They both held neutral expressions, their calm outward demeanor not having changed since the first time he had seen them. Able to see them closely for the first time, he noticed that their faces held extremely uncommon beauty.
Trying to stop the blush that was rising up his cheeks as he inspected their bodies, he noticed that they both held their hair loosely, their long black strands falling down past their waists. They both wore identical strands of amethysts, which surrounded their heads and looped down to cross their foreheads. They looked like the pictures of royalty Harry remembered staring at in his History of Magic textbooks while Professor Binns droned on in the background. They both had unsettling purple eyes that Harry had never seen before. Smiling as though they could hear his thoughts, they walked up to him gracefully.
"We will take over, thank you."
Nodding and bidding Harry good-bye, Kael turned and departed. Harry was slightly apprehensive about having to learn Occlumency, but doubted that it would be as horrible as Snape had made it.
"Really Harry, you put so much faith in us," one said, before turning and entering the room. The other followed suit, leaving Harry alone in the hallway, shocked. Shaking his head and gathering his senses, he quickly followed them.
He entered the large hall, similar in area to the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Tall windowpanes surrounded the far wall, allowing the sun to shine at its full potential. The cool marble floor and the rich, burgundy colored walls made the room seem aristocratic. Golden candelabras lined two of the other walls, leaving the wall behind him bare. The candles were unlit, as the sunlight provided the necessary light. His inspection of the room was cut short as one of the sisters spoke again.
"My name is Nalani. This is my twin-sister Mandara."
Both sisters wore identical red gowns that made it impossible to tell them apart. Noticing his discomfort, Nalani waved her hand. Though the style of her dress remained the same, the red color instantaneously became an icy blue. Harry smiled only slightly. If these twins could read his mind without any spells, how was he supposed to block his mind against them? He supposed that he would have to learn to continuously block his mind from invaders. If he had trouble defending himself when he was prepared… Harry did not know how he was going to manage.
Suddenly, Harry noticed that the sisters' magic was different than the other magics he had ever seen. Not only was their core magic streaked with more purple magic, or divinatory magic, as he reminded himself, but their magic was moving irregularly.
Other people's magic also moved and pulsed to its own beat, but the twins seemed to take this a step higher. Their magics were connected. They shared their magic. Magic would flow out of Nalani and merge into Mandara's magic, and vice-versa. Harry watched, amazed, at the movements the magic underwent.
"Yes Harry, the fact that we are twins makes our magic very different. We are much stronger when we are close to each other, and our magics feed off of each other. This can provide both advantages and disadvantages. Can you guess why?" Mandara asked in a smooth, silky voice.
Harry thought for a few minutes.
"It strengthens your magic when you are together. However, a disadvantage is presented when you apart, because your magic weakens."
Nalani and Mandara both smiled in unison.
"Yes Harry, that is correct. As you have already been informed, it is our job to teach you self-control and discipline, as well as improve your Occlumency skills and teach you how to read someone's thoughts and memories," Mandara replied.
"Before we start teaching you, however, you must understand that improving your Occlumency skills will not help you very much against Riddle, who has a special connection to you that no amount of blocking your mind will help you. No Harry, don't comment. We know that Dumbledore and Snape seem to think otherwise, but no amount of blocking your mind will stop Riddle from penetrating your mind," Nalani added, not missing a beat.
Harry frowned. There was obviously another way around it. Either the answer did not lie with Occlumency, or the connection was two-way.
"Good thinking Harry. True, the connection is two-way. Not only that, however, but Merlin has assured us that he will teach you a more abstract method of defending your mind from Voldemort," Nalani said.
"Now, we really must get started before we waste any more time," Mandara added. "To start, I want you to forget everything that Snape taught you about Occlumency. It was obvious that his method, the most common method, did not work for you. After all, when have you ever been normal?" she said, mirroring his thoughts.
"It would have been obvious to any Occlumency expert, but apparently he was too – preoccupied – with other issues to teach you decently," Nalani finished for her sister.
They smiled at him, but Harry only moaned at Mandara's words. Why can't I be normal? At least her words explained why he had not been able to grasp Occlumency when he was with Snape (though Harry assumed that being forced to spend time alone with the greasy git presented other problems). Suddenly, a thought occurred to Harry. True, they had told him to forget everything that Snape had taught him, but he decided to ask anyway.
"I didn't really understand the difference, but I remember Snape saying that Legilimency is not like normal mind-reading. I think he said something like 'the mind is not a book'. If that is true, than how are you able to hear each of my thoughts?"
The twins' eyes sparkled happily.
"We are able to hear each of your thoughts, Harry, because we both are Sodalites, or Mind-Readers. We are able to penetrate the human mind and read all the thoughts hidden there," Nalani said.
When Harry heard this, he tried to stop thinking so that they wouldn't hear his thoughts. When he saw them smiling at him, he blushed.
"It is very different than Legilimency, which can only be done under certain conditions, and usually requires eye-contact to work. Occlumency will, however, help you to block us out, as well as any other Sodalites. And no, simply not thinking will not help you.
"Snape was right on one account: the mind is not like an open book, with your thoughts written on each page where a Sodalite can easily flip the pages and read your thoughts. The mind is a very complex organ, and thoughts are multi-layered. It is very difficult to describe, but you will understand when we teach you how to enter someone's mind. It takes both time and practice to become an efficient Sodalite. You cannot simply turn off your thinking process Harry," Mandara added to her sister's words, smile only growing as Harry groaned.
"Am I a – what did you call them? Oh yes, am I a Sodalite as well?"
"You are not a Sodalite by birth, but after the night that Riddle tried to kill you, many of his powers were transferred to you. Being a Sodalite was one of his many gifts. There are many advantages to having mind-reading powers, especially in a duel, both magical and physical. Now, today we will work on relaxing your mind and attempting to construct a shield. Try to get comfortable before we start."
"How can Voldemort be a Sodalite? Wouldn't he then be able to detect that Snape is a spy? Bloody Hell," Harry said, borrowing an expression from Ron.
The twins simply smiled.
"There are ways to stop a Sodalite from entering your mind, Harry. Please, try to get comfortable," Nalani answered.
Harry's mind still reeling, he nodded and sat on the floor, his back to the wall. He closed his eyes and allowed both his mind and body to relax. He could still 'see' Nalani and Mandara using his Second Sight, or at least he could see their magic and a few of their features. They both sat in front of him, cross-legged, waiting for him to relax. Once she saw that Harry was comfortable, Nalani spoke once more in her soothing voice. Resisting the urge to fall asleep (despite the fact that he was, technically, sleeping); Harry listened to her instructions, realizing that it was of the utmost importance that he listen carefully.
"Now, the key to Occlumency is in defending your mind from outside invasion and influence. You must build up a mental shield to block these invasions. You have natural skill at being able to resist the Imperius Curse. When you block someone from controlling your mind, as they do when they cast the Imperius Curse, you are able to stop them because you focus your mind to the sole objective of not forgetting who you are, and what you want to do.
"Shielding your mind from an Occlumens is not the same, however. Honestly, I don't understand how that man became your teacher. Not even explaining the proper procedure…"
As Nalani continued ranting at Snape under her breath, Mandara took over, smiling.
"Yes, shielding your mind is not the same, due to the failed Avada Kedavra curse. The curse did more to you than meets the eye," she said. "Not only did it transfer many of Riddle's powers onto you, and many of your powers onto him, but it also changed how your mind works. What you must understand is, no living person knows how you were able to survive that curse –"
"What do you mean no living person knows? Dumbledore explained it to me. I survived the curse because of the Prophecy that was made," Harry interrupted her.
Mandara raised her eyebrows, and Nalani laughed softly.
"Harry, a Prophecy simply foretells the future, but it by no means shapes it. The Prophecy is not the reason behind your survival. Not even Dumbledore knows how you survived, but I am sure that he has a very good idea."
Harry stared blankly at her. How could he have been so dense? It should have been obvious to him that the answer to what had happened the night his parents had died was not as simple as a Prophecy. That last thought had Harry thinking. If the answer was not the Prophecy, than what was? Harry noticed Nalani and Mandara send thick tendrils of their magic into the air. As tendrils came down to them, they nodded in unison. Harry noticed that the magic that had come down was the same as the magic that Merlin had been conversing with. When would he be let in on the secret? Mandara answered his unasked query.
"Unfortunately, neither my sister nor I can answer this. Those who are behind what happened will inform you in their own time. I am sorry Harry, but we are forbidden to tell you. I know that you do not like being left out of things, but unfortunately they are very complicated, and are best explained from the direct source."
Harry could not believe it. That was the second time in one day that he found out that some mysterious force was running his life for him. The air around him crackled dangerously, and the twins immediately raised a magical shield around them. Harry was so caught up in his anger that he did not realize what was happening around him until it was too late. With a sudden, bright flash, his magic took on the shape of a lightning bolt and exploded outwards.
The twins, who had unfortunately been sitting directly in front of him, were hit with the largest part of the blow and were sent flying across the room. The backlash of the force sent Harry careening into the wall behind him.
Fred and George Weasley attempted to amuse themselves by competing as to who could enchant their pebbles to run the fastest. They had been charged with guard duty over Privet Drive, and had taken to their task hole-heartedly – until over two hours had passed.
When it became obvious that Harry had long gone to sleep (as his light had been out and there was not a sound to be heard from his room) they had begun to bore of watching the empty, dull streets of Privet Drive. They decided to enchant any objects around them to do what they wished in an attempt to amuse themselves. The Weasley twins did, however, still keep an eye on Privet Drive between rounds to ensure that danger was not lurking near-by.
They enchanted two nearby branches to fight each other. The fight was over within minutes.
Looks like I beat you once again! George exclaimed mentally.
His brother received his telepathic message with ease. The twins had been able to communicate telepathically for as long as they could remember. They had never told a soul, however. After all, what was the fun in being able to finish each other's outrageous sentences if everyone knew how they managed to do it?
They had researched the topic thoroughly, but were still unsure of how they were able to talk to one another. It was possible that they were Sodalites. They had read that when it occurred in twins, the Sodalite abilities were only increased.
That proves nothing; I still beat you in the races and the rock throwing, Fred thought back.
So? I still beat you in the height competition, which ties us. But who is keeping score anyway? George thought to his brother.
The twins laughed inwardly as they remembered the 'height competition', which had involved charming rocks to fly as high as they could. George had held the record before one of his had flown above one of the roofs of a muggle house and had bounced noisily down the roof before landing in (and breaking) a flowerpot.
The muggle husband and wife had gone outside to see source of the disturbance, but when they could not tell where the destructive rock had come from they gave up. The twins had heard them blame it on Harry Potter, the 'mental disturbance from across the street' before re-entering their house.
Fred sighed deeply and slumped down, landing at the base of a large tree. George followed his example, sitting down and leaning his head back on the tree. They both stared silently up at the stars, deep in thought.
It feels almost surreal, in a way. We managed to buy property at Diagon Alley and open our own joke shop. We –
– joined the Order of the Phoenix, rituals and all, despite Mum's protests. However, it does not feel as if we have actually done something! George finished for his twin.
They obviously won't allow us to join the Higher Ranks that Mum and Dad are a part of, and we won't be allowed to know all of the Order's secrets. Unless…
Unless we managed to make something even better than the Extendable Ears. Something that would be able to penetrate through more spells…
YES! Fred thought excitedly.
George rubbed his head as though pained by the noise. Fred continued, ignoring his twin's antics, to which he had grown accustomed. Seventeen years with a person constantly by your side does that to you.
Yes, we can even make it invisible. Maybe there is a spell somewhere that would prevent Moody from seeing it as well… that would be a mighty useful spell. Then we would know what is going on in the Order. I mean, really going on.
The twins smiled to each other, already planning what the new-and-improved Extendable Ears would be able to do. Before they knew it, another hour had passed. When another half-hour passed, the twins began to worry. Their shift had ended forty-five minutes before, and no sign could be seen of their replacement.
Tonks had never been more than three minutes late, and usually arrived earlier than planned. Had Mundungus been their replacement they would not have worried, but Tonks was a reliable Auror…
Sharing a look and silently communicating, the twins jumped into action. They had devised a plan of action within seconds: Fred would stay behind and guard the house, only entering to get Harry if there was an urgent need. George would Apparate over to Mrs. Figg's house to use the Floo to contact Dumbledore.
George Apparated away just as a flustered Tonks Apparated to Fred.
"May the phoenix rise up and defeat the serpent," Tonks said between gasps for breath, reciting the Order's newest phrase of the week; a signal between members.
Relieved that it was indeed Tonks, Fred gave her a few moments to breathe as he sent a Telepathic message to his twin that Tonks was all right. Thankfully, George had only Apparated to Mrs. Figg's house, who lived relatively near-by and in-range of their long-distance telepathy.
George Apparated back quickly, apologizing quickly to Mrs. Figg. Tonks, who had managed to regain her breath, told the boys to Apparate to the Burrow to see their parents. Shrugging, they complied, wondering what had been so important as to make Tonks late, and have all of them abandon Harry. Knowing the Order, there was probably another person at Privet Drive watching over Harry. Or so they thought…
When the dust settled and the magic lost its light and flew back into his body, Harry stood and looked around him. The wall he had been sitting back on had fallen completely, the remains lying scattered around him. The space on the wall where Nalani and Mandara had struck held two large holes from the impact. The twins themselves had been prepared for a burst of energy and had managed to create a small shield around themselves. However, the shield they had erected had not been sufficient, and had split as soon as Harry's magic had hit it.
Harry's body began to tremble. How could he have done that? It was not their fault that he was not getting any of the information that he had wanted. He sat back down on the floor, head between his knees. He had not meant to hurt them, but that had not stopped him from doing so. What would happen should he lose control in the real world? What if he lost control of his emotions again, but actually hurt someone next time.
Violent tremors wracked Harry's body. He could hurt Ron, Hermione or Sirius in a single blow. What if he killed someone? He felt tears roll unwillingly down his cheeks. He brushed them off without a second thought. He hated the feeling of not being in control.
For minutes Harry sat there, contemplating his actions, but to him it felt like both a second and an eternity. Realizing that blaming himself was not going to help the twins and was not going to help him learn control, he lifted himself slowly and tried to stop the tremors. Succeeding slightly he ran over to where the twins lay unconscious.
Harry revived them with a quick spell and helped them to their feet. Once standing, they regained their usual composure. Waving their hands, they fixed their appearance. With another wave, the room was restored to its original state.
Harry sighed, realizing that he would have to accept the situation. At the very least, they had not directly hidden the truth from him. He could see the difference between being completely ignorant of everything, and knowing that there was something being hidden from him, but that the reasons were great and that he would find out soon. That thought helped calm him slightly, though the air around him still crackled dangerously. Breathing slowly and deeply, Harry entered a trance and fed all of his emotions to the Void. Once he calmed himself sufficiently, he exited his trance, expecting a rant from one of the twins. Instead, he received two slow sighs.
"No Harry, we are not angry at you. We understand that you are beating yourself up about what happened already, so we feel that there is no need to add to your pain. However, what you did has very grave consequences. The problem must be dealt with immediately," Nalani said.
"I assume by now that you realize how dangerous allowing your emotions to rule you can become. I shudder to think about what could have happened to Nalani and I had we not been able to shield ourselves from part of the blow. To think that something like this can easily happen in the real world, where the consequences are much graver… We had not realized that control was such a big issue. However, since this has now happened three times in the past week, it must be the first thing on our agenda," Mandara added.
Harry remembered shooting his magic at Dudley's gang when they had attacked poor Mark Evans, and remembered exploding his bed in frustration at the way Ron was treating him in his letters. He could seriously hurt someone if he was not careful. Breathing, he realized that what had happened had not been his fault, but that if he did not learn to gain control it would be. He made a silent promise to learn how to control his emotions before it was too late. Control his emotions; not letting them control him.
Harry nodded, his fierce determination flashing in his eyes. Emerald eyes locked onto two pairs of purple ones, and the two Sodalites did not need their mind-reading abilities to know what the young wizard was thinking. He would train, as hard as it took, to learn how to control himself. For his friends, for his family, he would do what it took. Harry would learn what it took to kill the bloody murderer that killed his parents, tried to kill his godfather, and tried to kill him. To murder, or be murdered. No fooling around, no playing games. Seeing this, they smiled. That was the right attitude.
"Harry, what did you do to calm yourself today? Calm yourself until you felt no emotion?"
Without hesitation Harry explained what he had done.
"Why did you not use the Void to your advantage before you lost complete control?" Nalani asked him.
Thankfully, neither sister attacked him as they asked questions. It amazed Harry to no end how they were able to be so calm, even after he had sent a blast of fatal magic towards them. Their composed demeanor remained the same throughout, as though they were able to handle anything that came their way.
Thinking back, none of his Celestial Council trainers had ever been mean to him. All of them thus far asked him the right questions in a calm voice, allowing Harry to figure everything out on his own with a few pushes in the right direction. For years, he had had to endure the Dursley's condescending treatment towards him, and even when he came to Hogwarts he had had to withstand Snape's taunting comments. Even Dumbledore, the wizard he had always trusted to guide him in every occasion, had kept secrets from him.
Not one person on the Council had given him any reason to distrust them. Other than a few secrets (which he knew came from higher beings that even Merlin had to submit to) they treated him like the mature wizard he was.
Harry smiled as he realized that it was so much more efficient to be taught by these people. He had to hand it to Merlin; he sure knew how to choose the right people.
"I did not use the Void at the time because I had not even registered that my magic had been gathering."
Nalani and Mandara nodded. They both stood silently for a few minutes. Harry vaguely wondered if they were conversing mentally. After all, if they were both Sodalites, then they should be able to send thoughts to each other, and then receive the thoughts of the other. Mind-speech in such a way would probably be much more efficient than speech, and would be useful to prevent enemy detection. Harry's thoughts were cut off as Mandara spoke again.
"The best way for you to control your emotions is to feed them to the Void. Merlin will be able to help you control your magic more, since the new power will be hard for you to wield at first. However, until you gain full mastery over your magic, we realize that it is a big problem if you are unable to detect your growing magic and stop it in time. Therefore, until you learn to detect it quickly enough to enter the Void, we will give you this."
With a few, complex-looking waves of their hands and a few Latin words, blood red and dark blue lights began to glow above their heads. The glowing pulsated and grew for several seconds before going out all together, leaving behind an odd shape. The object fell into Mandara's open hands.
The twins examined the object quickly, Nalani looking over Mandara's shoulder. When they were satisfied that this was what they wanted, they handed the object to Harry. Wordlessly, Harry took the object and examined it. The stone – for that was what it was – was still warm as he held it. The stone was small, fitting neatly in the center of his palm. It was made of a transparent, hollowed crystal. The center was filled with an unidentifiable red liquid, whose movement resembled that of fire. Harry could practically feel the magic coming off the stone. Somehow, it felt right.
"That, Harry, is a Dragon Stone. It is a diamond hollowed by magical means, filled with dragon's blood. Among other things, the stone has the very useful property of glowing brightly and heating up whenever the bearer's magic leaves the bearer's body without his or her permission. They are incredibly rare items. This particular one was made from the blood of a Hungarian Horntail, and was created and formed by our father, the most skilled jeweler of his age."
Harry stared at the stone in amazement. Sighing with regret, he handed it back to the twins.
"I'm sorry. I cannot accept this stone."
"What is it with you English? Always apologizing for no reason."
"Sorry," Harry said before he could stop himself. He smiled.
"We would not have given the stone to you if we had not wanted you to keep it. This Dragon Stone was meant for you, and you know it. You can feel it, can't you? This stone will serve you well."
Harry nodded, happy that he was able to keep it. Examining it once more, he realized that the top portion of the stone had a small opening, as though meant to have a thread drawn through it and to be tied around the neck.
Noticing his discovery, Nalani handed him a black cord. Taking it, he slid it through the opening and tied the stone securely around his neck. The cord was the perfect length, allowing the stone to fall at the same level as his heart. He would be able to hide it under his clothing if need be. Though not used to wearing jewelry, even masculine kinds, he did not mind wearing this stone.
"Thank you very much," Harry said, his gratitude showing in his eyes.
The next hour was spent with the twins teaching Harry how to use the Void to its full efficiency, as well as several calming techniques he should use before going to bed.
"Hopefully we will be able to begin working on how to build up a mental shield tomorrow," Mandara said.
"What do you mean Harry is at Grimmauld Place?"
"You mean to say that Harry was there all throughout our watch hour – ?"
"– and we hadn't even realized it?"
"Bloody Hell," the twins said in unison.
"Language boys," Mrs. Weasley said half-heartedly, still slightly weary from the events of the day. "And yes, to answer your questions Harry has been here this whole time, and is now sleeping. I believe he is sharing a room with Remus and Sirius."
"WHAT?" the twins yelled as one.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley both proceeded to explain what had happened that day, starting with the prank. The twin's eyes sparkled in excitement at the prank that Remus, Harry and Sirius had pulled.
"Now, there will be an Order meeting tomorrow morning to induct Harry into the Order," the plump woman added, obviously dismayed at the prospect.
Had it been anyone else, the twins would have ranted about how it was unfair to allow someone to join the Order under-age. Harry, however, had seen more than his fair share, and had the full right to be privy to information.
Serious thoughts leaving almost as quickly as they had come, the twins were already thinking of the prank they had missed. Who knew that Sirius and Remus were such good pranksters?
The twins turned when they heard noises, only to see a very sleepy Ron with tousled hair looking between the pair of them and their parents.
Nalani and Mandara brought Harry over to Gryffindor's training quarters. Waving good-bye, the twins left Harry. Raising his hands to knock on the door, Harry was surprised as it swung open of its own accord. Shrugging, he walked in. He distantly heard the door closing softly behind him, as he looked around him. The far wall of the gigantic room was lined with dummies, identical to the ones in Harry's training rooms. The center of the room housed an official dueling arena, similar to the ones Harry had seen in an edition of The Dueler's Dimension, but much more elaborate.
Harry looked up from his examination of the elaborate Ancient Runes carved into the wood when he heard footsteps. A tall man in long, red robes of the previous era walked towards him. His brown hair was very unruly, falling just above his shoulders. His brown eyes were both playful and mischievous.
"Hello Harry. It is always nice to meet a descendant of mine."
Harry tried not to laugh, and in his attempt started to choke. Descendant?
"Yes Harry, you are my descendant. I was under the impression that you already knew."
Harry should have known. Everything pointed towards it; the most incriminating factor from his Second Year, when he had pulled the Gryffindor's sword from the Sorting Hat. Digesting the information quickly, Harry nodded, albeit slowly.
Gryffindor laughed heartily, enjoying his descendant's discomfort.
"Come on, being related to me is not that bad! Besides, I can teach you more about the castle than the Marauder's Map ever could!"
He can teach me more than the Marauder's Map?
"I didn't think that it was bad! It is simply a lot to get used to. After all, you are one of the most powerful wizards that ever lived."
Gryffindor laughed again.
"Don't let Salazar hear you saying that. He will accuse you of giving me a larger head than I already have!"
Though he made sure not to let it show, Harry was shocked at the tone with which Gryffindor spoke of Slytherin. It was altogether light and cheerful, as if they were the best of friends.
"Now that we have gotten all of this ancestry and descendant stuff out of the way, we really must start out training. Today will be a basic review of everything you have learned at Hogwarts. Once this is done, I can spend more time teaching you new curses and counter-curses, as well as advanced dueling techniques you would not have learnt until you had entered an Auror academy," Gryffindor said jovially. It seemed as though not even the prospect of work could take the man's smile off.
Harry spent the next hour and a half revising the past five years of Defence Against the Dark Arts. It was a surprisingly small amount of information due largely to the incompetent teachers occupying the position most years, but it was useful for Harry who was practicing most of the spells wandlessly for the first time. He was able to do most spells without difficulty, but some took several tries before he could do them perfectly. Gryffindor was encouraging the entire time, giving him pointers and advice when necessary.
The hour and a half passed too quickly for Harry's tastes, who had really enjoyed having a properly taught lesson of Defense Against the Dark Arts. He could now understand why Godric Gryffindor had been hailed one of the greatest wizards in history. Smiling down at him in sympathy, Gryffindor brought him down to the deep basements that housed Slytherin's Potions Labs.
"Try not to let old Salazar get to you. He can be very annoying at times, so just try to hold your tongue and let him do what he wants. If he tries to convert you to the Dark Side, get out and run for your life," Gryffindor said seriously, as if his words were of the utmost importance.
It was at that exact moment that Slytherin decided to open his doors.
"Honestly, I have no idea how Harry can possibly be your descendant Godric. He is much too mature and well mannered, not to mention sly and cunning. Really, how he was ever sorted into Gryffindor is a mystery to me."
With a flourish, Gryffindor took out his wand and pointed it at Slytherin.
"Is that how you feel, is it? Then, let us duel, oh Master of Chemistry. I will not stand by while you insult my descendant," Gryffindor said.
"You are mistaken, you arrogant fool. I was not insulting Harry, I was insulting you!"
"For that, you will pay. En garde!"
"No, I refuse to duel with you! Such actions are below me. I will not waste my energy on the likes of you while there is training to be done," Slytherin said in a mocking tone.
Gryffindor seemed about to make a comeback, but could not as fits of laughter could be heard from Harry.
"You two – are the funniest – pair that – I have ever – seen!" he managed to make out through hysterics.
On second thought, that could have been a lie, as Ron and Hermione bickered frequently. However, Harry concluded quickly, their arguing was more in earnest than in play, and was more often than not completely irritating.
Gryffindor bowed to before Harry, wearing a maniacal grin. Slytherin simply nodded once, smiling briefly before a neutral mask slipped back over his stern features. Saluting Salazar formally, but ruining the entire effect with his mocking smile, Gryffindor bid Harry a quick good-bye before departing.
Now alone with Harry, Slytherin motioned for him to follow him into the Potion's Labs. Harry followed quickly, eager to get to work. Training with Nedra and Kael was physically exhausting, and doing almost two hours of wandless magic was tiresome in more ways than one. Though he did not feel the effects of those lessons, Harry simply wished to have a relaxing time with Salazar brewing potions.
Though Harry doubted it ever becoming his favorite subject at Hogwarts, he still found it relaxing and interesting. Not to mention that he wanted to learn more about Slytherin…
The next two hours passed peacefully as Slytherin taught Harry how to brew the Aestuo Philtrum. There were many variations, all of varying degrees of both difficulty and power, that caused emotions to change (much like a cheering charm in potion form).
Unlike many other potions, however, these potions were different because they worked equally well when either drunk or when coming in contact with the skin. The root ingredients were the same for each of the variations, but additional ingredients were added to change various emotions. Salazar had decided on a more basic variant, that left a person feeling peaceful and relaxed.
As Harry sprinkled the Dulse herb over his boiling cauldron, Salazar taught him each of the properties found in each ingredient, and which other ingredients they should not come into contact with.
Finishing by stirring counter-clockwise while removing the Lamia's tongue, Harry poured the potion into a few bottles, corked them, labeled them, and placed them on a shelf on the back wall. Much like Harry had discovered the day before, all potions he brewed with Salazar would be transported to his room before he woke. Harry did not question how or why this was, and simply accepted it.
Cleaning the area as they finished their lesson, Salazar led Harry to Rowena's chambers, still describing the risks of using too much Althea when already using Eryngo.
Hearing raised voices coming from the kitchen that soundly much like the twins, who rarely yelled, Ron pulled the warm covers off his body and trudged down the crooked stairs. Wiping sleep from his eyes and yawning bitterly, Ron stepped into the Burrow's kitchen.
He had entered just in time to hear Mrs. Weasley finish her story. He stared dumbfounded between his parents and the twins, hardly trusting his ears. Had she just said Sirius?
His heart went out to Harry, and he was extremely happy for his friend. Ron had hated seeing the detached look Harry had worn at the end of the school year. He had, after all, lost the closest thing he'd known as a father figure.
Ron, who had grown up surrounded by the love of his family, could not even begin to imagine how he would live without them. Though he did not show it, it pained him greatly that Percy had left. As big a git as he was, he was still his brother.
Ron's brain finally registered what his mother had said: Harry was going to join the Order! Would Harry be the only one, or would they allow Hermione and himself to join as well. Perhaps, if they asked hard enough… Though he could not wait to see his best mate again, that was not the only reason he wanted to go to Grimmauld Place.
"That's not fair mum. I deserve to see Harry and Sirius again as well. May I please come to Grimmauld Place?" Ron asked.
The twins listened to Ron as he asked. Suddenly, unbidden, Fred and George heard Ron's voice within their heads.
Please let them make me go. Please let them make me go.
Ron's voice sounded over and over in their heads as he thought the mantra to himself. They shared equal looks of confusion. Both of them had wondered what had been going on in their brother's mind. Seconds later, they could hear their brother's distinct voice speaking in their minds.
The feeling was odd. Not only could they hear what Ron was thinking at the fore-front of his mind, but they could also hear other, seemingly random thoughts drifting through his mind at the same time. They both sat down, holding their heads in their hands and trying to escape from Ron's mind.
The twins barely registered their parents asking them what was wrong. They could hear Ron's thoughts worrying about them. As his thoughts swirled around in their minds, their confusion continued to mount. They tried to speak to each other through their connection, trying to overpower Ron's voice.
Soon enough, Ron's voice faded and disappeared completely. Their headaches eased considerably. As Fred and George looked up, they noticed that their mother and Ron were looking at them worriedly.
When they saw their father about to call for help on the Floo out of the corner of their eyes, they quickly stopped him. Thinking quickly of a cover story, they said that they simply had headaches thinking about their business, and how it, along with having to watch Harry at night, was taking a slight toll on them. With the pretense of wanting to go to bed, they walked up the stairs to the little bedroom they shared.
As they closed their door behind them and locked it, they stared at one other. Though they had always been able to hear each other's thoughts, they had never heard anyone else's thoughts before. Were their Sodalite powers expanding? Deciding to research it in the morning, the twins went to their respective beds and tried to fall asleep…
Ginny woke suddenly, cold sweat running down her face. Her heart beat rapidly, and her breath came irregularly. She tried to calm herself, reminding herself that she was safe in her room at the Burrow, and that Tom could not get to her.
Ginny had dreamt of her first year, memories of Tom possessing her haunting her sleeping hours. Her dreams distorted reality, however, and in them Harry never managed to rescue her. In an attempt to save her, he was always trapped and killed by an Avada Kedavra curse sent by Tom. All to save her…
She had stopped having those dreams for two years, but they had come back at full-force after the events of Department of Mysteries.
Her thought moved onto Harry, but she quickly pushed them to the back of her mind. Ginny might have been over her 'school-girl crush' of him. That had been different, an obsession with the Boy-Who-Lived, not Harry. When she had gotten to know him, she had wanted him even more, but he had never seemed to notice her. That did not stop her from having a small crush on him, and wishing he felt the same way about her. She had almost given up on him ever noticing her, but held a tiny grain of hope. Harry had been through so much, and she wished that she could be the one to comfort him.
Shaking her head, she looked out of her bedroom window. Morning had yet to come, and Ginny estimated it to be about 2 o'clock. She was about to try to fall back asleep when she heard yelling coming from the kitchen. Worried as she heard her mother and father's raised voices, Ginny quickly pulled off her covers.
As she ran down the stairs, she nearly collided with the twins. They did not even register her presence as they passed her and went off into their rooms. Shrugging at their uncommon behavior, she continued down into the kitchen.
"May I please go to Grimmauld Place. I have every right to see my best mate again, especially now that Sirius is back," Ron pleaded to his parents.
"What did you say? Sirius is back? Harry is at Grimmauld Place? What did I sleep through exactly?" Ginny asked, extremely confused.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley explained to their only daughter the events that had transpired the night before. Ginny breathed deeply to take it all in. She was so happy for Harry! He had been extremely sullen after the events at the Department of Mysteries. Now that he had his godfather back…
Ginny could hardly believe that Harry would be joining the Order! From the excited look on Ron's face, she knew that he seemed to believe that he might be able to join as well. It's not as though they are ever going to let me into the Order. Though it would be nice to see Harry and Sirius again.
"Mum. Dad. I want to go to Grimmauld Place too. If Ron gets to go, I should be allowed as well," Ginny said. Though neither of their parents had actually said yes to Ron yet, she knew her mother well enough to know that, if she was not considering it, she would have answered 'no' right away.
Their parents shared a look, a look that only a married couple could give, and then looked back at their children.
"Yes, you can go. But only if I see you marching straight up to bed this instant. It would not do to have you fall asleep on your friend," Mrs. Weasley barked. Her children ran to obey her, smiles plastered on their faces.
Harry bid Slytherin a quick good-bye as he walked into Ravenclaw's chambers. The brightly lit room had smooth yellow walls. The ceiling was painted blue with clouds of white, and was enchanted to move like the sky on a beautiful day. The windows on the far side of the room held a wonderful view of a flowered field. The marshes went on as far as the eye could see. Eternal sunshine beamed into the room, lighting every crevice. Though not big on flowers in particular, Harry loved the sense of freedom the room held.
A beautiful woman in her mid-thirties walked into the room. Her long chestnut hair was tied back with a blue bow. She wore an elegant blue gown that ended just above the floor, the perfect color for Ravenclaw. The wrists of her dress were made of golden lace, as was her collar.
Ravenclaw introduced herself, and led Harry through several doors and into a room that mirrored the style of a Hogwarts classroom. She explained that they would alternate each day between Transfiguration and Charms. She then proceeded to go through an overview of all the Transfiguration spells he had learned at Hogwarts, much as Gryffindor had.
Her teaching method reminded Harry of Professor McGonagall. Though their physical appearances vastly contrasted (as did their ages), both methods were precise and accurate. Ravenclaw wasted no time, and went directly into the topic at hand. They sped through all of the spells quickly, stopping only when he seemed to have difficulty in casting the spell wandlessly.
With all the practice he had been getting, Harry was able to cast every spell he had already seen and used with perfect precision. He had even learned the exact amount of magic to extract depending on how much force he wanted to put into the spell.
The only problem that presented itself was when he tried to use multiple spells one after the other. If he tried several times, he managed to succeed. He knew, however, that he would not be given several chances in front of Voldemort, and needed to correct the problem as soon as he can. Ravenclaw assured him that, with practice, he would adjust to staying in a magical trance long enough to rapidly cast spells.
When they were done, Ravenclaw gave him a potion and led Harry to Hufflepuff's quarters. The lesson was similar to that of the day before. She spent the lesson going through each of the potions again, reminding him of the potency of each one, and telling him which potions were not to be used in conjunction with others. Hufflepuff was pleased to note that he had retained some of the knowledge of the day before. She ended by giving him a book, outlining all the healing potions known to wizardkind.
She quizzed Harry on all that he had learnt with her that day as she led him outside and to Ryder's training area. She wished Harry luck and left him, leaving him to wonder what exactly he was supposed to do.
A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter you will meet Ryder! Not to mention Ginny and Harry will be meeting at Grimmauld Place! I know most of you have been looking forward to that. Do not, however, expect Harry and Ginny to couple up or anything. Following canon, Harry is not exactly the brightest chap when it comes to figuring out woman… and his own feelings. Sigh Oh well, it should be happening soon enough…
Don't forget to review everyone! Your feedback is always great, and makes me write super long chapters!
I expect next chapter will be much longer than this one, because quite a bit has to happen, and it will be out in a while. I really apologize, but January is the toughest month for me, and I not only have a bunch of schoolwork, but I am in this big science competition that revolves around Nanotechnology, stem cells and regenerative limbs, so I am doing a lot of research on the topic. I am also in Robotics, and am head engineer, which means that I have to do a lot of work getting our Robot up and running by competition date. And my Karate lessons are starting up this week, and I do that three times a week, as well as volunteering at the hospital. I also try to have a semblance of a social life… So, I hope to have next chapter up as soon as I can, so cross your fingers.
On to the review responses:
Nimbirosa: Thanks for the review! Harry has to spend time training, as I feel that it is important. By next chapter, however, you will have officially met the entire Celestial Guidance Council, and things will move smoothly from there. i.e. More time with Ginny winkwink nudgenudge And all that training with Nedra and Kael... needless to say his muscles will develop a bit, eh? Hehe, I couldn't resist either! Now go and write your own story!
TankerMDX: Don't worry, I don't take it as a flame. I feel that Ginny was extremely shy around Harry for the first four books, but is becoming increasing open with Harry, especially after the Department of Mysteries. Things are always easier to say in a letter rather than face-to-face anyways! And I do not believe that Hermione and Harry will get together, because she sees him as a brother. Even J.K. has said as much! Thanks for the review anyways, and I hope that having Harry and Ginny together will not stop you from reading the story. There is a lot of action and adventure, I promise!
Dr. Gero: Thanks for the review! You don't believe that Snape can be trusted. I may not like the greasy git, but if Dumbledore trusts him... I'm sure he can be trusted! You know, I would love to 'debate' that with you, because I want to know your side of it! If you want, you can leave your e-mail in your next review, and I will add you on hotmail! Only if you want... Yes, the water game with the mat is real. It is one of the best water games ever!
The museum is really great! Hold on, did you just say tour group? What tour group? Umm... I hope I find my way out soon... Hello? Panics How am I supposed to write if I am stuck in this creepy place? My soul will be fine if I don't go near the spirits? runs around in circles to avoid ghosts Umm... bye!
Aishwarya: Thanks for the review! Yes, that is exactly what Merlin meant! It was meant to be confusing, as Merlin often speaks in riddles, and what he says may have many different interpretations!
RealityIntrovert: blushes You really mean it? You think I'm talented! Thank you, you have no idea how much that means to me!
TwistedFlames: You don't want to know what would have happened... I do! Lmao! Marble cake and chocolate/banana muffins coming right up!
Thanks once again to all those that reviewed! Now, please go on and review again! Next chapter up as soon as I can, I promise!