Not that Rhyann expected things to go smoothly at the meetings, but it was still frustrating when verbal fights would erupt particularly between a few Gryffindors and her house mates. Ginny had hexed Drucinda once and Millicent jinxed a Hufflepuff. Either she or Harry had to be nearby at all times to make sure there was at least some level of peace. They assured no spells would be shot across the room, but they could do nothing to stop the glares.
Hermione had decided to help promote House unity, each person must pair up with someone from a different House. It would be good if they switched partners each time too. So not only would all the Houses intermix but it was good to test one's skills against different people who had different techniques and strategies. Rhyann agreed this was a good idea and helped implement it.
The dreamer was not the most powerful with magic. She knew her talent and strength lay in the dreaming realm though. Yet it was a bit frustrating to see all these people younger than her being able to do complicated spells like summoning a Patronus while she could not. It was particularly irritating that Ginny Weasley who was two years younger than her and a fifth year girl by the name of Bones could cast powerful magic that could knock her off her feet.
More students were quietly recruited in and Rhyann was there three or four times a week. She was sure that Harry was there almost every day that he did not have quidditch practice. It took nearly a month for the tension between the Houses - especially towards Slytherin - to ease down. She was going to wait longer to bring anyone else from her House in though. She wanted to make sure Dru and Millicent were fully accepted before recruiting anyone else.
Draco had no suspicions of what was going on. Rhyann always took Dru and Millicent along with her claiming to be doing research, and he was happy with that. Happier yet that she was not fighting with him any more. That had to do with the fact that he was very busy and she did not have to spend time with him often. She actually preferred it this way because then the moments when they were alone, he was affectionate and wanted not to worry about his responsibilities for a while. His responsibilities included hers as well. So there was no talk about anything that would cause them to fight. In fact, there was more often only a few words said than not.
There was more and more talk around the school of the quidditch tournament which was less than a month away. The free periods that N.E.W.T. students were granted were used for homework and for people to talk about quidditch. Everyone whom Draco had invited was coming. Even the Minister of Magic himself sent a letter saying he would drop by to make an appearance.
Rhyann gave Professor Snape the summoning for the mascot at the beginning of the month. He looked at it and gave a single nod. Since he did not voice any criticism, she knew that it would be perfect. That left the rest of October until the tournament to get fireworks ordered and organize the display. That, too, only took Rhyann and her group one evening. They ordered from the Weasley twins' store through Hannah Abbot so there would be no tampering with the products. Though, most of the wizarding community in London probably already knew about the up-coming event and they could guess it would be for that. Yet she hoped that making the fireworks spectacular would be a good business move for them and would be more tempting than having ones that would spell out something like: Slytherin Sucks!
Through the whole time, the young dreamer had been struggling with Salome's book. She had achieved all that she needed to in the dreaming realm, but it was written that the next step that she needed to take now was to transfer all that power over so it could be used in the waking world too. There was no specific spell or anything to do it. Rhyann wished it were something as simple as that.
It had taken years to achieve the level of skill she had with her dreaming. Now it seemed she was starting all over again, trying to apply what she learned in the dreaming realm to the waking one. She had been a natural when learning on the island. Things came to her easily and she always impressed her teachers. The book was her only teacher now and it did not explain itself to her.
Salome wrote that the trick was to fall asleep while staying awake. Rhyann could see no trick in that. It was impossible! They were two different realms. The book went on to reason that if a dreamer could manage to affect the waking world while in a dream, she could bring her powers into the waking world as well. The veils between worlds was not solid. There were holes and tears like in an old sock. A person need only learn how to lift the curtain separating the two and bring in all that energy that was normally split together.
Rhyann knew that her energy in the dreaming realm was much stronger than in the waking one. The only direction she could think of going was to use the meditation techniques she was taught and she tried for weeks with no results. She aimed at going to the point where she was nearly asleep but forced herself to stay awake as if standing on the edge of a cliff. It did nothing except prevent her from falling asleep.
It was not until four weeks after she found the book that Rhyann finally had something happen. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed in the dorm. None of the other seventh year girls were around. They were either ogling the quidditch team as they practiced or preparing something for the event that was growing closer day by day. She was fully relaxed, numbing her body and trying to focus on drawing all her energy towards her.
She knew what it felt like in the dreaming realm to gather her energy and to use it. It was a sensation that never left her even in the waking world but she had never been able to do the things she did sleeping while awake. The veil was not proving thin for her. She had thrown a few silent fits over the course of the last month and given up on trying to understand Salome's theories. Yet she always went over and picked up the book again, praying that she would notice something that she had not before or that it would suddenly be all clear to her. No such revelation had occurred though.
Rhyann focused her attention on one spot on the wall. She tried to empty her mind of thoughts and act as a magnet for her energy. She imagined herself swelling up with the power, glowing with all the bright energy that she did in the dreaming realm. She could feel the warmth of it and the tempting intoxication that came with it. She knew these feelings so well.
She felt nothing happening though. As time went on, her mind wandered. Rhyann had not been to see her uncles lately. She had visited both Darcy and Tristian in their dreams twice each. Both of them recommended caution and that she not do it often at all. She knew they were happy to see her, but they only worried for her safety and she could feel the stress levels within them higher each time. It was a hard time to be in the service of the Dark Lord, but the time of victory was not so far away now.
It was Sunday, but she bet Darcy would be in his office working on something. It was a warm cozy room where the two of them would often lounge around together talking. Sometimes as he was working, she would curl up in a chair and read. Those thoughts brought up a great warmth in her chest. She wanted it to be like that again. She wanted to see her uncles and not worry about their lives. Instead of imagining her energy building, she pictured that study and every detail she could remember about it. She could almost hear his quill scratching away and faintly smell the old leather of the chairs.
There was a sudden shift across her field of vision. Not like a blink, but like a swiping across a mirror. Rhyann did have a vivid imagination, she knew, but she found herself standing in the middle of the study and staring at her uncle reading parchments at his desk. It was incredibly real and she could not stop herself from smiling.
Darcy did not look up. His forehead was slightly creased as he read the long document. Sighing, he reached up and ran a hand through his hair. It did not muss it up for the raven locks were so used to laying in order. He rubbed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. Once he opened them, he started, bolting up with a stunned look.
"Rhyann!"
She was just as surprised as he was that he saw her there. Surely her imagination would not have her startling her uncle. "Uncle Darcy?"
He swiftly came around from behind his desk towards her. "What are you doing here? You don't have time off school yet. You didn't leave the grounds and apparate, did you!" His face showed mostly worry but there was delight underneath at seeing her. He was doing his best to conceal it though.
"I don't know how I'm here…" Rhyann replied truthfully, walking forward with her arms open to hug him.
She walked directly through him.
Both of them stood there shocked before spinning around to face one another again. Darcy's face was pale and his eyes wide with the possibility of the worst. "Rhyann… you aren't…?"
"No, uncle, I'm not dead." Her voice was equally as shaky. "I didn't apparate or use the Floo or anything. I was just meditating and thinking of being home here with you."
"But how is that possible?" Darcy slowly walked around his niece. His color was still pale but his expression now one of cool defiance. "Is this an illusion? How do I know you're truly my niece?"
Rhyann could understand why he might think that way. Yet she did not like to be coldly scrutinized by her family. "Uncle, it really is me. You're the only one who knows that you gave me that watch to give to Draco for Christmas last year. I came to you in your dreams and we talked about getting out of the clutches of the.."
"Say no more. I didn't tell anyone about that watch either." Darcy's face softened slightly, but he was still wary. "How are you doing this then, Rhyann? Have you been experimenting with new spells? It is dangerous, you know."
"It's not a spell." She repeated. She touched her own body which felt solid to herself, but reaching out to lay a hand on the desk, it went right through. It was as if she were a ghost. Yet the dreamer could feel her energy and how concentrated it was. She could feel her living body where she left it in Hogwarts. "I was practicing… Trying to raise up my energy levels. I want to learn to use the energy that I have in the dreaming realm in the waking one."
He watched as she touched herself and then how she could not touch anything else. Darcy pursed his lips, lost in thought for a moment. He continued to circle around her and finally stopped as his dark eyes lit up. "You were meditating and focusing your energy, thinking about this place and me, is that correct?"
"Yes." Rhyann nodded.
"My dear, I do believe you have astral projected." Darcy's voice held a calm level of awe. "You're not dead and this is not a spell. It can only be astral projection."
Rhyann drew in a sharp breath at the realization. She felt a bit giddy at the thought. "Yes, that has to be it!" She had read about astral projection before. She knew it required a tremendous amount of concentration. It was one's energy traveling from the body to a particular spot that one willed. A crossing over space and through more minor veils in the waking world. She could do it with barely a thought in the dreaming realm. She had not even attributed that name to it there. Yet it was the same thing.
"Oh, uncle! This is a great thing! I don't have to worry about sneaking through dreams to see you. I can just visit this way!" She desperately wanted to hug him at the moment, but that would have to wait. It was enough just to see him.
"No, Rhyann."
His firm words sent her enthusiasm plummeting. She stared at him silently with questions in her eyes.
"It's still too dangerous. More so." Darcy reasoned with her. He looked like he wanted to reach out to touch her and comfort her, but he caught himself and lowered his hand. "You'll never know who will be here. We can't let anyone else know you have developed this talent. It's best that you not do it again at all." He gave her a sad smile for the way she was looking at him. "I'm only thinking of your safety, my dear. Think of how such a talent could be exploited."
"Perhaps we could schedule times. Times when only you and Tristian would be here. We'd all be very careful, I know we'd be." She sounded meek and searched for some hope.
He shook his head. "It's just not safe, Rhyann." He sighed sorrowfully. "I miss you. I truly do, but we can't be doing this. Even you coming through our dreams once in a while is very risky. Please promise me you won't do it again."
The petite teen remained silent for a moment and then she gave him a slow nod. "I promise, uncle."
"Good." His smile was more relieved. "You are so special, my dear. I want nothing to happen to you. Go back to the school. Concentrate on what you have to do there. We are fine here."
"Alright." She smiled back, less enthusiastically than before. "You'll still come to the tournament at the end of the month, won't you? All the students' families are coming."
"I'll do my very best to be there." Darcy stepped a bit closer. "I love you, my dear. You make me so proud."
Her stomach involuntarily clenched at that. The dreamer could not ask him not to say that. "I love you too, uncle. I hope to see you then." With a little wave, she closed her eyes and brought herself back to her body.
With a great intake of air, Rhyann almost fell over backwards on her bed as her eyes snapped open. She quickly made sure there was no one else in the dorm still and lowered herself down to calm herself. Her extremities were tingling and her throat dry. It almost felt like she had just woken up from a very heavy sleep.
Astral projection.
Salome had made no specific reference to it in her writings, but as Rhyann went over the words in her head that she knew so well now, it seemed to her it could be one of the first steps in the process of dreaming awake. She had not been able to affect anything when she had projected, but that would take more practice and further concentration of her energy. She could do it. She was sure of it.
Darcy had made her vow not to do it again. Rhyann never had any intention of keeping that promise. She would just not do it again to see him. She could use the room of requirement when she knew no one was there and practice astral projecting.
She felt a different sort of giddiness now. She was on the right path. Rhyann was beginning to tear down the veil between the two worlds and then she would be more powerful than anyone. The Malfoys would not be able to have any hold over her and she could do what she wanted to do. She could be with her family as she wanted to. She gave her feet a little excited kick and hopped off her bed.