I do NOT own Harry Potter but if J.K. is willing to give them to me I will most certainly except!

Chapter Twelve

Who Are You?.. Really

All ten beds in the Mages room were filled that night. That is to say after James had put Sarah in the spare.

They had all stayed up well into the night talking, fighting, laughing, and playing. While Neil was playing the song he had wanted Sarah to write the words for she had fallen asleep. After a few jokes towards Neil were made about how the song could even put his most loyal fan to sleep, they had all decided to turn in.

-

When Sarah awoke the next morning to find she was sleeping in the bunk below James she once again began to feel the comfort she had left behind. Back in Winding Circle with her friends she had always laughed. And when she did not feel like laughing there had always been someone to tell why.

It was true that Sarah had left to find happiness and peace. Or at least that was what many thought, but in truth Sarah had left only to leave. Winding Circle held so many memories for her. Unfortunately a lot of thoughts Memories were painful, very, very, painful.

As soon as she had left she had missed her friends, but coming to Hogwarts was a challenge. A challenge to over come sadness, to pass on knowledge to other, and help certain people discover things about themselves they never even dreamed of.

However, now Sarah could finally see things going her way. Her friends were here. Her love and support was to stay at Hogwarts with her and she got to live with her grandfather. She got to learn new things in a new world as well as teach this world of her own. Heck, maybe, just maybe, the gods were smiling in her favor after all.

-

"Hey Merra! It's four forty-five and were waiting for you. Think you could stop staring in the mirror long enough to make an appearance?" Scott yelled at Merra though the door to the bathroom. "Stitch witches!" He said with an exasperated sigh. "I swear she spends more time in front of the mirror than… than…"

"You?" Merra popped her head out through the door.

They all laughed once again as they headed for Sarah classroom on first floor. When they arrived three students were standing outside the classroom door. "Karen, Susan, Harry, why are you early?"

Sarah heard a grumbled reply come from Harry that sounded suspiciously like Hermione, Karen gave a deep blush in reply while staring at Kaki, and Susan shrunk back into the corner by the door.

"Okay then, what do you sat we all go inside." Sarah unlocked the door and stepped aside. Once they were all in the room the students dropped their bags off in the corner then join Sarah and the rest of the Mages in the middle of the floor.

"Are we ready to begin?" Sarah asked a few minutes later. Some nodded while others mumbled sleepy reply as Neville came sprawling through the classroom door. "Nevil, your late." Said Sarah tightly.

"I-I know Professor, I slept in on accident."

Cami gave her a smirk. "Professor now is it? I'm sorry I must be in the wrong room I was hoping to help my friend Sarah teach."

Sarah gave her a sarcastic very funny look then said, "Neville if you would please join us…

"Now in today's class and in future classes some of my friends will be helping us out. Now if you all would please started the meditative breathing we may begin."

When the bell tower rung Sarah called the lesson to a halt. "Better," she said. "Now, my friends have been so kind as to volunteer to each take one of you on as a student. This way you will learn more quickly. Obviously the mage with powers most like your own will be your teacher…" Sarah didn't miss Susan shrink back once again as she said this and Sarah now realized why. "Those of you who don't have a elder mage with powers similar to your own, never fear. You will be placed with a mage who has no student with similar powers.

"And on that note would everyone please stand up." Sarah gazed around the room. Her friends had told her that it was up to her to decide who should go with who because they did not know the students. So before she had fallen asleep last night she had devised a plan of sorts. "Euan and Jacob, you shall both stay with me. Karen shall go with Kaki."

"Can you really control they weather?" The girl asked in awe.

Kaki smiled down upon her new student. "Well I wouldn't go as far as control, but it has been know to listen when I speak."

Sarah felt an inner smile. "Barriam, your with Scott. Neville you shall go with Emma."

Sarah saw the boy blush deeply as he walked over to his teacher. It was true that even though Emma didn't spend barley any time compared to Merra in front of the mirror she was still looked very fetching. To bad she already took her vows. If she were still allowed to marry I think she might have a taker. Sarah had to hold back a laugh when Emma put her arm around the boy, he almost fell over.

"Marrow, your teacher will be Neil. Harry is with James. Jeralden with have both Cami and Peter as teachers."

"If they can stop fighting long enough to teach." Said Neil.

Sarah gave him a deadly look while holding back a laugh. "Draco you are with Raoul and that leaves Susan with Merra."

Sarah glanced around the room at all the students with their new teachers as well as the two the would remain with her. She thought all the pairs were well suited. The only one she was really worried about was Draco and Raoul. The boy was grinning wildly, planning his first spot of mischief with Raoul already is he?.. I'll have to be sure to warn Raoul about that. As Sarah looked up to gaze upon her friend she realized that wouldn't be necessary. The mage stood arms crossed, eyeing his pupil oddly. One of his eyebrows was raised ever so slightly. Sarah had to hold back a laugh because she and her friends had often teased him about that very look. She thought for a moment trying to remember that names they had said. I believe one was Father… another was… Raoul the elder… Stone Face and also my own personal favorite Rosethorn's Apprentice.

Just moments later Sarah was amazed at how her friends had already know what student they were to get. True most of them were pretty obvious matches but others weren't.

She had decided to teach here two pupils staff mediation as a first lesson. After sending the off with the task of practicing the three major blocks and strikes individually she began to wander the room.

She first stopped by where Karen and Kaki were seated. Her friend had come up with a lesson she could have never done- for obvious reasons. Using her weather magic Kaki would make a miniature version of one of the four most basic tapes of clouds. Then Karen would stick her hand inside the water vapor and tell her teacher the exact temperature, amount of water pressure, and what kind of cloud it was. Every time the girl got a cloud completely right the Mage would reward her student by shaping the cloud to look like something. This included a folding chairs, dog, ocean front, and miniatures of both Karen and her teacher. When this was accomplished the final reward was to have Kaki arrange them in a scene where the two people were sitting in the folding chairs playing with the spunky dog. The girl laughed parsing her teachers skills and Sarah moved on.

Next she stopped by James and Harry. James was helping Harry to talk to a rat, however Harry could only make the rat understand one out of every three words he said. When James asked Harry to have the rat run around in a circle the rat only seemed- as far as Sarah could tell -to have understood the word 'run'. The rat run right up James's arm and into his habit. After retrieving the rat he strolled is head lightly as Sarah guest he was telling it soothing words.

Minutes later when Sarah went back to Harry and James after checking on her own students she found a most amusing sight. Harry was still having trouble getting the rat to do as he asked. When Harry finally got disgusted and started muttering vile curses at the animal it stood on it's hind legs, tilted it's head sideways, and gave his an odd look. James laugh and Sarah used her hand to cover a grin. Between gasps for air James explained that the rat had under stood him because he had really meant it. Harry has responded by saying, "Well of course I meant it the bloody creature won't listen to a word I say!" This time it was James who received the odd look from the rat as Sarah walked away.

Sarah was very pleased with how the class was going until she saw Draco. Not only had the boy managed to completely tick of Raoul, but also destroyed Raoul's cauldron, stirring spoon, and all the ingredients in the potion. It all happen with one big bang and the classroom filled with smoke. As the smoke subsided- thanks to a draft created by Kaki -Draco was found lying on the floor in a fit of hysterical laugher.

When Sarah had finished helping to clean up the mess, she gave a very sour faced Draco three detentions. One to polish the once silver now black cauldron, carve a new spoon, and collect new ingredients. All with the help of Cami, Peter, and Emma of course, for they would make sure he did the job right. Another was for a fun filled afternoon with Raoul and the last was for a day with her.

-

At the final stroke of twelve Severus found himself standing by the door of Sarah's classroom watching students file out. Most were chatting excitedly so he was able to remain unnoticed. Severus stood on the threshold looking in to find the mages scattered though out the room. A few stood talking while most picked up the remains if the day's lesson. Sarah however was doing both. She stood by the wretched Neil picking up things from the days lesson. They seemed to be engaged in a friendly conversation.

Emma was the first to notice him. "Ah, Severus, good morning, or should I say afternoon. I thought we were supposed to meet up till after lunch."

Everyone was now looking at him, but in a friendly sort of way. "The Headmaster said that the food would be sent to Sarah's quarters. We are to eat there then I am to show you around the castle and grounds."

"Don't look so glum Severus," said Scott. "Besides I've been wanting to see Sarah rooms anyway."

Severus gave him a look to kill. He didn't like how friendly this fellow was either to him or to Sarah.

Sarah senesced the uneasiness and intervened. "Come, I'm sure whatever there is for lunch is already starting to get cold. Besides I myself still have yet to see all of the castle and the sooner we eat the sooner we can get started."

Sarah open the door to her chambers, "This is my office." As she stepped inside after her friends she continued. "Or at least it used to be." The room was decked with a large table made of dark stained oak. Eleven chairs were set to match. The table top was adorned with a red silk runner and white porcelain plate and stainless steel cutlery.

"Wow, and to think all we get is some desks and bunk beds." Neil said following a surprised whistle.

Sarah laughed her cheery laugh. "Come there is still more to see."

Fifteen minutes later they all found themselves settled around the lavish dinning table. They had, had to literally carry Kaki out of the library for it seemed to Severus that writing mages were not the only ones fascinated with books. After trying to talk, push, and shove her out of the room James, had finally decided to pick her up and through her over his shoulder, carrying her out of the room. When he had put her down she had been laughing so hard that she had to grasp onto his shoulders to keep herself from falling.

The hole display made Severus sick. Now he clapped his hands twice and the food appeared. Emma let out a slight gasp. "Dose one always get such wonderful service here?"

Severus gave her is usual stare. "That was only to tell the house-elves that we were ready to be served it will not work just any time you clap your hand."

Emma gave his a mildly disappointed look although it was more of the way he said his words that what he actually said that depressed her.

-

"That was delicious Sarah. Emma I think your going to be out of a job while where here." Said Scott as they left Sarah's rooms for the Entrance Hall to begin their tour.

Emma gave his a snooty look then turned to Severus, "I do most of the cooking back home, because some-" she cast a sidelong glance at Scott, "-of us can't even boil water."

"Now wait just a second Emma, you know very well I can boil water… It's just that I haven't quite figured out what to do once I've got it boiling." He grinned wildly at her and she elbowed him hard in the ribs.

Severus felt himself getting slightly perturbed with their odd behavior once again. Once they had reach the Entrance Hall Severus raised one arm, "The Enters Hall, and that room their you know already is the Great Hall. If you head off that way you will come to a stair case that leads to the dungeons." After pointing out a few more rooms some of Filches closets and deducting house points form a Ravenclaw for running in the hall he led the mages up to the first floor.

As they proceeded on their tour Sarah would occasionally stop to add a few things. Severus found himself mildly surprised at how much she already new of the castle. Dumbledore meet them outside the stone Gargoyle and gave them an intricate tour of his office. Both Cami and Kaki seemed fascinated with the large telescope and the old man told both the young ladies as he called them to come back after dinner to view the night sky.

Finishing the tour just in time for super Severus led the way down to the Great Hall. Dumbledore had told him to keep the mages out of the Great Hall before dinner although he didn't know why. His assumption was that it had something to do with wear the mages would be sitting. After all the staff table would trail off the dais if it was stretched any further and Dumbledore wasn't likely to have then sit amongst the students.

Upon entering the Great Hall Severus realized that his assumptions for -the most part- had been right. A table sat just below the dais parallel to the staff table. On either of the elongated sides of the table sat five little one person benches which were obviously meant for the mages. Although what Severus hadn't expected to see was next to each mage bench sat another bench only a few inches shorter than the one on its right. He hadn't expected the students to sit with their teachers it seemed so unordinary to him. Next thing you know all be sleeping in the Slytherin dormitories. It seemed to him that these mages had no respect for rank. He hated the thought that one day a mage student might consider themselves his equal enough to take his place at the staff table.

The problem was only worsened when from the staff table Severus saw a few of the mages eyeing the benches oddly. Cami's brother Peter finally went over to Sarah and drew her already drawn attention to the height difference. Severus saw his teacher nod and with draw her wand. Using a cutting spell she started to trim the mage benches down to meet that of the students. Peter soon followed as he used is own magic to slice the wood. With the left over would he two had gathered Peter used a carving tool found in his pocket to make a flower vase.

Severus saw him draw Emma's attention to the vase and she nodded. From her own pocket she withdrew what Severus mage out to be a small package of dirt and flower seeds. She put these and one of her hand into the vase within a minute there was a small bouquet of flowers in the pot. Merra then came to join in the fun and created a small rain cloud over the pot. It watered the flowers before disappearing and made them grow visible bigger.

By this time students were starting to enter the Hall. As the young magic troublemakers entered their mage teachers extracted them from the crowd.

Once most of the hall was filled Dumbledore entered. He headed straight for Sarah. Severus didn't miss the look on the Headmasters face when his granddaughter drew is attention to the benches. The old man bowed his head and blushed. When he returned to the staff table and found Severus watching the mages so intently he attracted the younger mans attention.

"They're very proud people I must say. From what I've seen their all about the fair fight and since they normally win anyway I'm glade their on our side aren't you." With a wink the Headmaster resided to his own chair.

However he left Severus with many new questions to ponder. Severus wondered if he was going to tell them about the order. Surly he didn't trust these new allies that much… or did he?

Severus exited the Great Hall before his teacher. The school had no idea of his powers yet and being the spy that he was found it rather suspicious looking for him to walk right up the mage and announce his leaving. What ideas the know-it-all's of the school, like Miss Granger might get from that he didn't even care to imagine. So expertly, he swiftly poked her back with his finger as he walked past, hiding the action with his body from prying eyes.

-

Sarah did not stir at all, however only seconds after he entered the open classroom he heard her almost sighlent footsteps coming down the hall.

"Good evening, Severus." The dark man watch as the smile that had been plastered on the mages face all day began to fade.

"Good evening, Sarah." He stood in the center of the floor waiting for mediation to begin.

Severus found it easier to concentrate that day however he could tell by her breathing that the great mage wasn't having as easy of a time. When she called to lesson to a halt only seconds after the stroke of the hour he found her looking at him intently. "Thank you, for your help today. I must say there is more to this castle than it would seem." Severus held back a snort for she really had no idea how right she was. "I know that showing my friends and I around the castle was not what you would have picked as your dream Saturday."

Dream Saturday? Thought Severus. He couldn't even remember the last time he had dreamed. It was always either nightmares or a gloomy darkness that awaited he sleep. Severus found him self wanting to say a sarcastic remark, but for some reason beyond all reason something totally different came out of his mouth. "Your welcome."

Severus saw a corner of Sarah lips tip in a smile. "What do you wish to know?" She asked, looking at him intently.

"Excuse me?"

"You must have plenty of questions about what you have seen me and my friends do. Or do you wish to know what we can do?" Severus guest she must have seen the quizzical look on his face as she continued, "Scott saw you watching us at dinner and with the vase. He scryed into his water goblet and said you where almost constantly glancing our way."

Severus felt the beginnings of rage. He hated being cornered no matter how much of what she said was actually true. Sarah held up and hand to stop him. "I only ask you this because Neil brought to my attention how much of a disadvantage you have." Once again she used her hand to silence him. "It's not your fault Severus. I was only talking about learning mage magic out of the mage world. The other students have it a little better for there are ten of the in the same boat and I have given them books, but you… I suppose I thought that you might… Oh, heck, I truly don't know what I thought! So instead of a lesson today I want to tell you of my world and if you ever have any question about it you can always-"

Sarah, I first off think that you should not be talking about my condition around the students at all. And although your friends can hardly be taken out of the picture now I don't think that was a- WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LAUGHING AT!"

Sarah sat on the floor with a hand over her lips and she head bowed, deep blue eyes dancing. "I-I" She finally got her self under control. "I so sorry it wasn't intentional. I am just… wondering weather I should kick my self for it is obvious Neil was right. You truly know nothing— I mean as far as mages go."

Oh if her eyes would only stop doing that! It's so incredibly annoying.

First off I couldn't have stopped my friends from finding out even if I tried. Almost all of them can see magic and Scott can sense it in a person a mile away. If I got into betting I would bet my own powers that Scott could tell you wear every mage in this castle is right now. As for talking around students you really should have more faith in me than that. It is essential of students to be able to trust their teachers and I would never do anything to betray that."

Neil and I talked using this," Severus almost pulled away in shock when she reached out and grasped his hand firmly with her own. With the other hand she pointed to her head. "Scott and I are able to talk mentally as long as we have some sort of body contact."

Severus was applaud for reasons he did not know. "Can every mage do that?" He asked. Making his first question of the evening.

"Well yes and no… The mental contact can only be mage between to mages and must share a sort of power. Like a cooking mage and a blacksmith mage share the gift of fire so they may speak mind to mind."

Severus was relived for he was afraid that all his years of learning mind control had been wasted. "And there are no exemptions to this?"

Sarah looked solemn there has only been one exemption that I know of ever happening and it was when the very dangerous art of combining magic was done between the members of the honored five. Of course they only did it for life and death prepossess and it took months to sort out again and until they day they died four of them still had powers of the other four."

"So one is still alive." His teachers movements and expressions were very odd on this topic, he wondered why.

"Yes but nothing much is know of her old life anymore. She had moved on…" The grief in her face was almost unbearable.

"But what is know?"

"Nothing much." Her tongue spat out the words so quickly Severus new it was time to move on.

But one more question first.

"Do you have any books on them in your library?"

"Your not going to let this go are you?"

"You know who and what I am… Did you rally think I would?"

-

A quarter of an hour later Severus left Sarah's library with five new books. All his teacher had said was When you finish I wish for us to talk about what you read.

He found the request rather odd but agreed.

After flipping through three of the books he picked up a forth. The other had just had little exerts of their heroics not even a paragraph in all. However this fourth book had a more than just a sentence. Maybe something worth reading:

Tris, Sandry, Daja, Sarah, and Briar are all the members of the honored five. Tris was the daughter of merchants abandoned by her family. Sandry was the only daughter of deceased nobles and the great nice of out beloved Duke. Briar used to be a thief and gang banger. Daja used to be a sea trader before her ship was sunk. And Sarah is perhaps the most normal of them all. She is the only one to take a mage name and is just simply the daughter of two mages. She is now the only living member and when asked has only this to say. "This is not the first time I have lost people so dear to me and I fear it shall not be the last. They may be gone, but I am not and our powers were and are intertwined. Part of them is still in me and that is how it shall stay." Most recently I have found her to be staying with some mage novices who although they have great power are not nearly as good as any of the honored five. I fear this is the end of our great hope and saviors.

Baron Von Right of Matinel

Severus thought that he was surly mistaken. She couldn't possibly be one of the honored five. However all the pieces seem to fit so perfectly together. She was after all number three in the world, her name was Sarah, she had a mage name, and acted odd the whole time Severus was questioning her. Could he really be learning from the only seriving member of the honored five?

-

Sarah sat in her library staring at a circular piece of string with five knots in it. One for he and for each of her four friends. Or at least the friends she used to have. She didn't know why she had given Severus the books. She supposed it was time to tell someone here who she truly was. After all her grandfather didn't even know. Her new friends did of course for they had lived in the same city as her when they had died, but they new she hated to desuss it and never brought up who she once was, who she still is. She had come here to get away from all the memories but she now new that she had to relive them first.

-

Hey Blackfire! Long enough for yah?

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