Disclaimer: Don't own Harry... don't own the world... yet!

Just to clarify the changes in uniform is the strips around the sleaves. Harry has three red stripes signifying he is their leader and a Gryffindor, the elected assistants have two stripes of their respective house colours and the everyday Fifth House members have one stipe. As to the name to this house: It is simply known to as the FIFTH House.

Chapter Twelve Protection Magic

Harry came nose to nose with a Slytherin seventh year. For a brief moment, the Slytherin shuffled his shoes into the ground and turned a brilliant pink colour.

"Ahm… can we help you?" Ron asked. He still was not sure about inviting Slytherins into the Fifth House.

The Slytherin glanced up; embarrassment unmasked in his grey eyes. "I just wanted to speak with Harry, if that is alright with you," the Slytherin snapped.

"Fine!" Ron marched off in a huff and Hermione followed close on his heels, so Harry was alone with the strange Slytherin.

The Slytherin didn't speak for a long moment, but looked Harry up and down curiously. "Why did you invite me into the Fifth House?"

Harry nearly blanched. Great how was he going to get out of this one? "Snape suggested you." Harry shrugged his shoulders listlessly and gazed down the hall where Ron and Hermione had disappeared.

The Slytherin grimaced slightly. "Thank you anyway, Harry."

"Sure – erm – no problem…" It seemed drastically rude not to know the Slytherin's name.

"Tristram," the Slytherin offered hesitantly, "Tristram Malfoy."

All of Harry's restraint was used, not to blanch in horror of this new and unfortunate revelation. "Nice to meet you…" Harry mumbled. "Tristram…"

'Malfoy…I've got a Malfoy in the Fifth House?'

Well Tristram looked mournfully at his hands. "Thanks once again…it meant a lot to me… being what I am and all."

Harry felt a stab of guilt for his pervious ungracious thoughts towards Tristram. It could not be easy being born a Malfoy. "No problem…see you around."

"Yeah, I guess," Tristram murmured and turned on his heel.

Harry watched Tristram walked down the Hallway with a new and rather odd spring in his step.

"Harry, if you ever need any help getting around Snape…"

Harry grinned Tristram didn't need to finish his sentence.

"So what did fork tongue want?" Ron asked. Harry gritted his teeth in annoyance and scanned through the shelves upon shelves of books in the library.

"Tristram?" Harry corrected finally, reaching down as he grabbed a large volume from the shelf. 'Witches, Wards and Words…'

"Yeah him," Ron said leaning on the shelf earning him a reproving glare from the librarian Madam Pince.

Harry turned to the contents without looking at Ron. "No good," he announced and put the book back before retrieving another and walking to a spare table. Ron followed.

"So?"

Harry sighed and flipped through the first few pages of the book. "He just wanted to introduce himself, that's all."
Ron snorted and pulled up a chair beside Harry. "Yeah right!"

Harry wasn't paying Ron any attention his eyes scanned down the contents and he found what he was looking for. 'Protective wards for buildings. Part One. Ancient Magic's.'

"What are you looking for?"

"Oh, Ron, isn't it obvious?" Hermione stated coming around from the other side of the shelves her arms characteristically loaded with books. "We're looking for any ideas on how the wards in Harry's map work."

"Oh." Ron looked completely blank. "Why?"

"Because I plan on putting the information into good use," Harry mumbled, his nose so close to the page it wasn't funny. "Aha! Here it is."

Hermione leaned in closely eager to hear what Harry had found; Ron on the other hand was having trouble not looking bored.

"Medieval warlocks often used protective tablets commonly known as wards to protect important and sacred sites for magical folk. The most famous of these buildings in Britain is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The illustrious magic school is rumoured to have thirteen wards, which had been in place since the historic founding. Godric Gryffindor is said to be the original spellweaver and protector of the castle."

Hermione's lips pursed. "Yes, but it isn't so helpful is it."

"But we know what the wards look like." Harry held up the book to show Hermione the diagram of a stone tablet with a complicated rune setting. "That's something and there's more."

Hermione took the book from Harry and read on. "Wards are activated using a complex spell which binds the protector to the stones. Wizards have been known to die from weaving the spell incorrectly…"

"COOL!"

Hermione gave Ron and withering look, which shut him up.

"Won't be cool if it kills me," Harry pointed out.

Hermione was already back reading the book. "It doesn't look all too difficult. I'm sure I can help you…"

"Yeah great what if it burns Harry to a cinder?" Ron muttered.

Hermione glared threateningly at Ron. "Harry won't burn to a cinder because I will be helping him."

Ron gave Harry a sympathetic look.

Harry walked with purposeful strides in front of the elected leaders of the Fifth house, plus Hermione and Ron. They exited into the cool air of the night without a word.

'Harry I don't think this is such a brilliant idea.'

Harry sighed heavily as he recognised the essence in him as Neville's.

A month had passed since the finding of the scroll detailing the wards around the castle. In that time he had taught the Fifth House as much as he could. Only the elected few however, were taught to communicate via the mind. Harry wanted only to teach a few at a time and he didn't really want Snape knowing of his extra ability. Surprisingly it had been Neville who had learned control essence first.

'I feel it is important.'

Neville sniffed incredulously.

Harry turned back to the parchment, chewing his bottom lip he came round to the entrance Hall.

"This is where the first ward should be," Harry murmured scratching head.

'Never noticed anything strange here before,' Astah Corwin sent briefly. She turned in a half circle looking about expectantly.

'Me neither,' Harry admitted with a sinking feeling in his stomach. What if the map was wrong? It would take years to find the wards.
'Look for a flat stone,' Hermione suggested. She had a habit of butting into conversations.

'A stone with a complicated rune setting,' Harry communicated to all. Six heads bobbed in agreement and Harry turned in a circle.

Harry watched as the other's searched. It seemed like a millennia before Hannah Abbott pointed to his feet with a squeal. She jumped once or twice and grabbed Anthony Goldstein, pointing madly.

Self conscious Harry looked behind him, blushing.

"Under your feet!" Hannah crowed. "It's been under your feet the whole time!"

Harry looked down and nearly slapped his forehead in surprise of his own stupidity. He had been standing on the ward the whole time.

Harry stepped back then squatted and had a close look at the rune. It blended in so well with the path, no wonder he had never noticed it before despite its strange rune markings.

Harry fished into his robes and pulled out the special pocket knife Sirius gave him one Christmas. It had become a habit to carry anything of Sirius with him.

Harry did not allow his eyes to remain on the knife; he flicked it open with a flourish and used the blade to pry it out of its' spot.

Despite the ward being in that spot for a thousand years, it moved easily. As it lifted seamlessly into Harry's hand in his mind Harry saw a green lightening flash. The ward burned under his fingers. Yelping and dropping the ward Harry fell backwards onto his bottom.

"What?" six anxious voices asked all at once.

"Nothing." Harry sat slowly avoiding everybody's eyes. "It was just heavier than I thought it would be. That's all."

Ron kneeled beside Harry and helped him lift it. "Not that heavy," Ron grunted.
Harry grimaced and shrugged his shoulders.

Hermione pulled a piece of parchment from her robes and nodded to Harry. Harry gritted his teeth and pulled the blade of Sirius' knife over the soft flesh of his palm. The cut burned but Harry thrust his bleeding hand onto the surface of the ward immediately.

Hermione was the only person gathered not watching, she was squinting at the parchment casting a complicated and rather long spell. Harry wished it wasn't so long.

But even as he thought those things, the ward became instantly warm once more then it turned cool as ice. A tremor ran through the stone and up into Harry's palm… the blood inside his body seemed to tingle.

Hermione's voice soon faded and she looked to Harry expectantly.

"It worked," Harry confirmed standing and wiping his dirty hands on his robes.

"Good." Hermione tucked her notes into her robes. "Now no matter where you move the ward will be connected to you."

Harry wasn't one hundred percent sure this was a great idea. He glanced at Ron who was playing with the strips on his sleeves (he and Hermione had one red strip marking them as members of the Fifth House, the elected leaders of each house had two, Harry had three plus the gold badge.)

"Brilliant," Ron muttered seeing Harry trying to divulge what type of mood he was in.

Harry lay restless in his bed. His palm was throbbing from the repeated cuts he had forced upon himself. All thirteen wards had bound and moved further out from the castle.

Harry had felt this action had been necessary – if Lord Voldemort decided to attack he would know before he knocked on the door. The wards were set around the circumference of the school, and just knowing this Harry felt a little safer than he did at the beginning of term. He was no longer confident that Voldemort would not try and attack Hogwarts.

He turned over grabbing his blankets and stuffing his feather pillow over his head. Ron was snoring again.

Instead of counting sheep, Harry practice remembering where each of the wards had been placed.

"Gate one, just beyond Hagrid's hut… Gate…two…"

Harry smiled at the ironic names of the wards. Their names implied an opening where in fact they were a shut door to those who meant ill.

Harry's mind drifted as he neared sleep. Instead of counting where the 'gates' were, he found that he was thinking of the strange sensations he had felt as he was bound by each stone. The repeated green lightening flash, the heat and the cold, those stones were like they had a life of their own.

Yawning Harry closed his eyes…

The Dark Forest was exactly that – dark. Disgusted by the twigs pulling at the hem of his cloak, the figure snarled but otherwise resolutely marched forwards.

As if sensing his presence nothing seemed to move about him. No centaurs, unicorns… werewolves… and yet he knew they knew he was there, in their domain. It was wrong….

The Dark Forest was never this silent… It was like the whole wood was waiting with baited breath for something. But even this did not change his mind about his mission. Let it be over with!

The jolt of magic, spreading through his body with hot pincers, came as a shock. Despite his pain, he did not stop but continued walking even more determined to finish his mission.

Harry woke with a jolt of pain. Sitting up abruptly Harry nearly fell out of bed with a clatter.

Something was wrong. That was all Harry was capable of thinking. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

Harry pulled his robe and cloak over his pyjamas, pulled on his school shoes and scavenged for his invisibility cloak.

Once he was dressed he charged down to the common room, and came to a sudden halt. Regin Standforde was waiting for him.

"I'll go with you," Regin offered.

"NO!" Harry cried without thinking.

Regin pouted. "I am not stupid, you know."

"I know." Harry wrapped his cloak about himself. "I need you to wake all the Fifth House members you can… be ready for a fight… something's up…"

Harry didn't wait to see if his order were being followed. He dashed through the portrait of the fat lady.

'Fifth House leaders…. Gate Thirteen!'