A/N: Sorry about the delay, but I had a lot of reading assignments due for my classes and I haven't had time to write anything. Anyway, here's the next installment, and there was one reviewer (I won't name who) who was close on the guess about Air.
Chapter Seven
The boy in the golden cloak looked around the room briefly as he made his entrance.
'Always have to make a grand entrance, don't you?' His mother once told him when he was younger. He thought back for just a second to when he was younger and more naïve; he missed her greatly, she never deserved to die. He would punish the one who killed her, it was what kept him going, kept him surviving.
"…your new classmate Gaven Hawthorne who has already been placed in Ravenclaw. I trust that each of you will make him feel welcomed." Dumbledore announced in his electric blue robes and glittery hat. From the Head Table a pair of obsidian eyes followed the movements of the young boy with curiosity and interest. Gaven, feeling as though he was being watched and interrogated, turned around to face the accuser, and glared. Amber met obsidian in a clash of anger and power…and so the battle began.
"Hermione, the new boy…his eyes…they were the same ones from my dream."
"What do you mean Ginny?" Hermione asked as she busied herself around her private bedroom an hour after dinner ended.
"He turned and looked right at me, he was wearing the same golden cloak in the dream, and those amber eyes…Air was said to have had eyes as bright as the sun, but even though his are darker, it's still eerie. They're like, hawk eyes you know. And it all adds up too, don't you think: amber eyes, golden cloak, his name means hawk which was Air's guardian, he has to be Air."
"I know, I sensed a great power from him too, but we don't know if he's on our side yet. We have to give him time before we approach him." Hermione explained to her younger friend.
"He doesn't seem evil…but something's bothering him, I saw it in his eyes when he looked at me. He wants revenge." Ginny announced in a hushed voice.
"Revenge could lead him to turn evil if the will is strong enough."
"Then we must hurry to change his mind."
Hermione closed her cinnamon eyes and tried to calm her nerves as she lied in her bed later that night. She was always the calm one, always the one with all the answers, but for she wasn't a miracle worker, she couldn't do it alone. Draco has already chosen his path, and was after Ginny. She could be turned, she would be tempted to increase her power if she thought it was for the groups best interest, but it would lead to the dark, it always did. Gaven, Air, seemed to be on the good side, but his troubles could eat away and he too could end up doing more damage that good if he wasn't careful. Power was always unstable, too much could be bad for you, not enough would get you killed. 'So where did the line of one end and the other begin?' Hermione thought to herself.
Not being able to find the answers herself, Hermione gathered her green cloak and grasped the pentagram in her hand tightly. After slipping on her shoes she grabbed her wand and headed out of her room in a hurry.
"Where are you heading to in such a hurry?" Ron asked from one of the red armchairs where he and Harry were still immersed in a game of Wizard's chess.
"I need to do my rounds, I forgot I traded days with Malfoy." Hermione announced quickly. She hated lying to her friends but she couldn't have them following her.
"Don't stay up too late, remember we have classes tomorrow." Hermione rushed out before heading out of the Common Room and down the deserted hallway.
"You're in quite the hurry there, Earth." A voice sneered from the dark shadows. When Hermione turned around the shadow emerged to the pale light.
"What do you want, Malfoy?"
"You know what I want, and I will get it."
"You can't have her."
"But I will, just you wait. And what of this new discovery? Interesting find, Air, turning up in the same school as the rest of the three powers. So whose side is he on?" He smiled darkly.
"He won't join you, I will make certain of it." She announced, raising her voice slightly.
"But he has such potential. So do you Granger, don't you want to know what kind of power is really trapped inside you. The bookworm, the one who always has to be better than everyone else, think of the power you could discover…"
"What power I have, will come from the Goddess to use for good. They wouldn't have wanted us to use it for dark purposes, they'd be ashamed of you Malfoy."
"Do you think I honestly care what Four long forgotten Goddesses think of me? Water was a wimp, she was too emotional, too caring and good. I'm really ashamed to be associated with her, if you must know."
"How dare you say such a thing! They gave you your power, you'd be nothing but 'pure blood' filth without it."
"What is the meaning of this?" A figure approached the two arguing students. His black robes billowing out dramatically from his tall thin form.
"Just making our nightly rounds, Professor Snape." Draco smiled sweetly to his favorite teacher.
"Then do it! And five points from Gryffindor."
"For what?" Hermione nearly screamed.
"For raising her voice after hours. What are you waiting for, leave!"
"Way to go Granger." Draco smirked once the professor left.
"Stuff if ferret boy." She said as she walked towards the front doors.
Once outside, Hermione towards the gardens along the west side of the castle, it was always her place to go when meditating; just out of site from the windows but not too far incase of danger. She sat on the carpeting grass and hugged her cloak tighter around her. She always liked doing this ritual alone, but having Ginny there once in a while was nice too.
She didn't bring candles; she didn't really need them when it was just herself. Being in tuned to the Earth gave her that advantage, and she wasn't doing any major ritual so she didn't need the extra power. She grasped her pentagram and closed her eyes and relaxed her mind and body.
"Goddess Earth, I need your help, I need your wisdom once again. Please help me." She didn't realize she was crying the request until she felt the water trickle down past her chin. She opened her eyes and looked up to see the owl from before.
"I cannot do this alone." She told the smaller creature.
"You are never alone, they are always there to help you." It responded.
"But how can I help the others? Water has chosen his dark path, Fire will be tempted, and Air is struggling between the two!"
"The future is always changing and nothing is ever set in stone. Your path was chosen for you, but the way to go through it is always yours to change and mold. You have been given a gift, use it, use your wisdom and strengths to help those that need it. Show them the way."
"But will my words be enough for them?"
"It'll have to be, daughter. The Earth is always here to help you, do not trouble yourself, let her help." The owl flew off into the night leaving Hermione alone to ponder the answers she had just been given.
"We can win, the dark can be won over to the light." Hermione thought aloud.
"And the light can always turn dark, but that is not for us to decide." A voice replied from behind her; golden cape billowing out around his tall figure, amber eyes shinning in the pale moonlight.
"And what path have you chosen?"
"The owl said nothing was ever certain, so what does it matter?" Gaven replied to the brown haired girl before him.
"I don't believe you're evil, but you could be." Hermione told the dark haired boy.
"So could anyone, we are all tempted by power, even innocents like you." He smirked.
"I was never innocent, and I am not tempted by a power that could bring destruction and misery to the world."
"But you are innocent if you believe that you were never tempted by more power. Rumor is you are the smartest witch in school, always striving for more answers, always eager to learn more, to gain more, to become more…powerful."
"I will never turn to the dark."
"It'd be a shame if you did, but it would also be a great disappointment to the Dark Lord. Nevertheless, you have chosen your path, now how do you plan to help the others chose theirs?"
"I was told to use my wisdom, it will have to be enough."
"Words mean nothing to Water, his evil is generations thick, you'll need to use something else." He replied still smirking.
"I'll do what I can."
"Use the girl."
"What?"
"Use Fire to lure Water back."
"I cannot do that to a friend." She said violently.
"They are using Water to bring Fire to their side. Why not do the same? They never wanted Water, it has always been Fire, it will always be Fire. You, I, we can turn over, and as long as Fire remains uncorrupted then the Light still has a chance. Fire must not be won over, Earth, or you will be destroyed, and with it the Earth will perish."
"Why are you helping me?"
"I vowed revenge against a Dark Lord follower, so you could say for now I'm on your side. I will not help you, I work alone, once my work is complete I will leave."
"But if Fire turns over, you will die, with or without your 'task' complete."
"I guess we'll find out when that time arrives." He replied before walking back to the castle leaving Hermione alone in her gardens.
"You will help us, Air, I'll see to it." Hermione made a vow of her own.
A/N: Well? Finally you get to meet Air. He won't be a major character, my main focus is Ginny and Draco, even if it does seem that I'm using Hermione more often. Draco will soon start making advances towards Ginny probably by the next chapter. I just need to get some more background stuff done first.