Title: Harry Potter And The Walkers
Author: ENSIGN
Chapter 03 – Breakfast In Bed
Absolute silence greeted Harry the next morning as he entered the Great Hall the next morning after his grand arrival. Even the normal whispers that usually accompanied the stares were missing. Harry could only think of four reasons for this silent greeting. First there was the fact that Harry had been missing for the whole duration of two months and had evaded the massive numbers of search parties by both the ministry and the Order Of The Phoenix, not to mention the Death Eaters. Second, there was the rumor that he had lost his magical powers or had them reduced after his magical surge. Third, his duel with Malfoy the day before, where he had defeated one of the supposedly powerful and pureblooded wizarding students in Hogwarts, without the use of magic.
Lastly, contrary to popular belief, Harry was bringing a book with him to breakfast; actually he was in the process of writing in a book as he walked up to the Gryffindor table. But not just any book, it was a large book.
A very, very large book.
Actually it was just about the largest book that any professor or student present had ever seen in their life, safe perhaps Headmaster Dumbledore.
Harry paid no attention to the stares and whispers in his direction and continued walking. Reaching the end of the Gryffindor table at other end of the hall he proceeded to sit among his friends who were staring wide eyed.
Hermione eyed the monstrous tome that was floating before Harry as he continued to scribble in it. It was along the dimensions of about three by two by one foot. When he was no less that a meter from her he replaced his quill within his robes, closed the tome shut with a slam and looked at her and Ron with a wide smile, "Homework." He answered their silent questions.
What he did next surprised most of the people in the hall safe those who knew what Harry was. Harry drew his wand and drew a circle in the air. Those that knew Harry well, had by now noticed that it wasn't his wand that he held within his hand, but one that was a foot in length and made from a dark wood that seemed to adsorb light.
Hermione's attention was drawn from the wand to that of the red circle that had been drawn in the air. It now resembled something of a portal and had turned black. Harry grabbed the tome and shoved it into the portal before sticking his hand into it.
"Well I guess that clears up the "Harry has no powers rumor" Stated Ron. "Ron, Harry just ripped open a portal in space, it's impossible to do that." Was Hermione's reply.
"Thank god we all know Harry's stance on the impossible." Ginny supplied grinning.
Harry, by now had his head stuck in the portal and was murmuring. It was slightly unnerving seeing Harry without his head. By now everybody in the hall was just downright curious as there was a series of crashes, bangs and clutters. Hermione wasn't sure but at one point she thought that she had heard a chicken squawk, a pig squeal and an elephant trumpeting, but shrugged it off to bad hearing.
"BINGO!!" Came the triumphant shout from within the portal. Harry pulled out, his arms full with wrapped parcels. "Presents for you five." He said where proceeded to pass out the stuff in his arms.
"For you Ginny, I picked up a bracelet; it protects you from any mind control spells, including the imperious curse." He whispered the last part to her.
"For Ron, a nice necklace, it wards of spiders. Hermione a bottomless bag and Neville, a pensive. May this help you help you organize your thoughts better? Don't worry it comes with a magical lock." He then proceeded to the Ravenclaw table where Luna was staring blankly whilst eating her morning waffles.
"Finland." "Huh?" Luna turned to him. "Finland, the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks are found in Finland." "Oh! Thanks." She smiled and continued to eat her meal.
Harry shook his head and returned to his seat. The day he surprised that girl would be the day Voldemort surrendered. Flopping into his seat, he turned to his friends. "Well?"
"Thanks Mate! Wonderful gift, but did you have to give that to Hermione, she's gonna go carrying the entire library around now."
"So, what about you, you can't even get over your phobia naturally."
"I don't need to anyway, I got this now."
Harry tuned them out and turned to Ginny and Neville who were staring speechless at their gifts. "I thought that those would suit you best. You know after your first year and you with remembering stuff in potions." He looked from Ginny to Neville.
"Well thanks Harry. It means a lot and pensives are really rare and expensive." Neville mumbled shyly. "Don't mention it Nev. By the way, have those two gotten together yet?"
Now Ginny looked annoyed. "No. They do this everyday and over the holidays by letters, they just can't fess up and get together. It's their discrete form of showing affection for one another."
"Are you sure? It doesn't seem that discrete to me. Actually it's downright obvious." Was Harry's cheerful reply. "I should help them along. It would be a new challenge for me. Most worlds, all I do is fight battles and plan tactics."
"That's something I've been meaning to ask you Harry, you have only been gone for a few months yet you speak as if you have been gone for years? What's up with that?"
Damn that girl's sharp, and I thought Hermione was bad. "Tell you all later. After classes, meet me in the room of requirement." With that Harry stood to walk out.
"Oi! Mate! Where you headed to? Potions that way." Ron called pointing in the opposite direction. "Going to the hospital wing to pay a "friend" a visit." Was the shouted reply.
XXXXX
Draco was not having a good day.
It all started with the humiliating defeat that he received yesterday in the duel with Potter to Madam Pomfrey saying that there was nothing she could do for him except giving him a dreamless sleep potion. He suspected it had something to do with him being a Slytherin. He bet if it was Potter in his position she would be fussing around applying slaves and ointments, not that he wanted her to.
At least the food was good.
"Here you go Mr. Malfoy, finish this breakfast tray and then you'll be able to go by the end of today." She placed the tray on his legs near his groin. He winced, it was still tender. Damn, the woman, couldn't she have placed it on a bed table. He again suspected it had to do with him being a Slytherin. Complaining at the unfairness of it all, Draco failed to notice that someone had entered the hospital wing and was heading for his bed.
"How you doing this fine morning?" A familiar voice greeted him. "What do you want here Potter? Coming to gloat?" Draco's eyes narrowed.
"Actually I came to apologize for yesterday." All the pre prepared responses that Malfoy had cooked up for any confrontation with the Golden Trio did not prepare him for this particular reply. In other words he kept his mouth shut. "Wha?" He finally managed.
"Speechless? We'll have to fix that. You're an ass." "You're a worthless squib who only claim to fame is that scar on your head." Was the immediate reply.
Harry chuckled, "Not one to pass up an insult, are you Malfoy?" "So, what do you want Potter? Certainly not a civil conversation?"
"Funny you should say that, actually I do. Like I said I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I went overboard to prove a point I was trying to prove."
"And what was the point of giving me a blow in the nuts, Potter!"
"I was trying to show you Malfoy, that magic isn't everything. You have enough proof from yesterday of that." Seeing that Malfoy stayed silent Harry continued.
"What I did yesterday was show the school that even a powerful wizard would be venerable to muggle means of attack, and I think you consider yourself a powerful wizard, do you not Malfoy?" Malfoy stayed silent, Harry had him trapped. Malfoy would never accept that he was anything below a powerful wizard and like Harry had said he'd been defeated by muggle means. "Actually I believe I understand how you feel, muggles being the scum of the earth and all that. For someone of your intellect I can bet that you are at least a bit curious to how the muggles have survived without the use of magic, am I right? Ever thought about looking it up in the muggle section of the library?" Malfoy, recognizing an insult glared but stayed silent.
"Oh yes, I forgot, the pureblood's mantra; I shall have nothing to do with a muggle and anything in relation with them." Harry shifted his stance and looked straight into Malfoy's eyes, "You could always use the excuse of "know thy enemy" if your friends ask or if you own mind asks. Why don't you give it a try and see what you discover." Harry smiled and turned to walk out.
"I still think you're a bigheaded hero Potter." Malfoy's voice rang out as he reached the door. Harry signed, always had to get the last word in didn't he.
"Actually the last person I would want to be is a hero, Malfoy."
"Why not?" was the curious voice?
"Let's see," Harry was in thought for a moment, "Cuchulain, Brian Boru, Theseus, Bellerophon, Robin Hood, Sigurd, Hercules, Arthur, Roland and Jason all met pretty bad ends. Yes, they were all heroes, and they died. Of course they completed their main quest; it was the side ones that got them killed; the people believing them heroes and therefore undefeatable sent them off on suicide missions. Of course some of them you may not have heard of, seeing they were either squibs or muggles. Anyway I'll leave you here. Get well soon." With that Harry was gone.
Malfoy sat at his bed pondering these new thoughts. It didn't occur to him that these lines of thoughts were not his usual ones.
XXXXX
Harry walked away from the Hospital wing towards the potions lab. His hand rummaging through the portal he had drawn to look for his books. Interesting enough, Malfoy had been pretty distracted that he was able to probe discretely into his head. It wasn't mind control but it was supposed to be enough to push him the right direction.
Harry wasn't a mind reader but he had been able to see the growing doubts that Malfoy was having with his father's teachings, all he did was apply some extra help.
Brushing the previous conversation off he hurried to the potions lab, for the first time it was a mixed class, this would be a lesson he wouldn't want to miss.
XXXXX
Snape was not having a good day.
The cheek of that boy, showing up and interrupting the feast, holding a duel, putting a student, my student, in the hospital wing and the brat still had the gall to shrug off the fact that I have been searching for the last two months.
To make matters worse the Golden Trio and the idiot Longbottom had all made it into his Newt level potions class, they had somehow managed to fix the results, he was sure of it. "Harry Potter would not be having a good day" Severus Snape mumbled just as he reached his potions classroom.
Snape strode meaningfully into the classroom, black robes billowing behind him. Not waiting to check the attendance he began his prepared speech to all six years. "This lesson will be on a whole new level of potions brewing. I will not accept useless, half finished nor inappropriately made potions in this class, though I doubt that I would find many that are worthy of my attention."
His gaze passed over the four Gryffindors. He was slightly satisfied that he had caused the Longbottom boy to shudder. Harry on the other hand... 'He looks like he's enjoying himself.' Snape observed. 'Better put him in his place before his head swells any more.'
"Potter! Tell me formula for the brewing of the antidote for basilisk's venom." Harry stared at him, blinked, and closed his eyes seeming in thought.
Seeing that Harry had no idea what the answer was and clearly faking it. "Obviously you ha..."
"Fill a gold cauldron with 200ml of water, start to a boil, let it bubble for a duration of 20 minutes. Add 20mg of powdered basilisk fang, then 15mg of dragon heartstring. Stir 15 times clockwise taken 2 seconds per revolution. Add 30mg of sawdust from the oak tree and two globs of flobberworm mucus. Stir 20 times anti clockwise taking 1 second per duration, let simmer for 2 minutes.
He glanced around the class ending at Hermione. She clearly did not know the potion. He smiled and looked back at Snape.
"Pour in an infusion of wormwood and 10ml worth of water in which a bezoar has been soaked for exactly 24 hours. Stir 30 times clockwise and then 5 times anti clockwise taken 1 second and then 5 seconds per revolution respectively. Finally let simmer for a day. The potion will last for exactly a thousand years and when administering pour 5 drop onto the open wound, or... You could always just use phoenix tears."
When he finished he added, "Anything else professor?"
Snape's eyes bugged out. He blinked a few times then ran out the room going for his office.
"What was that mate?" Ron stared at the place where Snape had stood. "Like he said, the antidote to basilisk's venom."
Hermione opened her mouth but was cut off. "Of course the common antidote is phoenix tears and the one I mentioned happens to only exist in a handful of books."
Snape had returned and he was trying to compose himself. "So you know a thing or two, Potter. How about the antidote to chimera's poison."
"There's isn't one professor. Only a vaccine as chimera's poison kills upon injection into the blood stream."
"Well what's the formula for the vaccine then?"
Harry grinned and proceeded to answer.
Snape was not having a good day, Harry on the other hand, was.
XXXXX
Transfiguration was next and as usual in true Hermione style, McGonagall was stressing the importance in preparing for the newts as soon as possible, preferably today. Harry just yawned like the rest of the class.
Potions to say the least had been fun. Snape, not wanting to be outdone by a Gryffindor, no less the boy-who-lived-Harry-James-Potter had pounded him over and over with questions from sixth to seventh year and beyond. Harry, of course, answered all correctly. After what had seemed the 25th question Snape, thoroughly frustrated, had stormed out the door to sulk in his office till the end of class.
"You will now attempt the basics of stone transfiguration, I want you all to turn your pebble into a quill." Harry heard the sharp voice of McGonagall, apparently she had finished her lecture. Harry just continued to stare off into space not much like Luna as he processed a few more thought.
"May I ask as to why you haven't started your transfiguration process Mr. Potter." McGonagall asked from behind him.
Harry turned his head. "Yes Professor?"
This action as normal as it seemed had an immediate affect on the occupants of the class. McGonagall stumbled backwards into Lavender's desk. Neville gave a squeak and fell off his chair. Ron's jaw dropped. Parvati screamed and Hanna Abbot fainted.
Harry Potter had achieved yet again, the impossible.
His brows furrowed in confusion at the commotion erupting around him. Then he realized what was wrong. When he had turned his head to look behind, he did just that, he had turned his head. Just his head.
It was now completely backwards.
Correcting his mistake Harry turned back and turned around, both body and head this time.
"Sorry. I forgot." He muttered sheepishly scratching the back of his neck.
"Q... q... quite al.. alright Mr. Potter. Don't do that again." McGonagall stuttered and continued the lesson, once in a while throwing glances at Harry. She apparently had already had an explanation from Professor Dumbledore.
Thankfully the rest of the day went perfectly normal, at least as normal as a day at Hogwarts was. Neville blew up his pillow in charms and Hermione crashed into a tree while flying.
XXXXX
Harry paced around the Room Of Requirement nervously. He ran his hand trough the pile of black stuff on the top of his head that others called hair. He wondered if his family line somewhere back in time had been cursed. Willing it to look somewhat organized he continued his pacing. He was worried to how his friends would respond to his news. It was not that he really cared about their opinion, he had been without them long enough. Damn his subconscious base memories, they were causing him these emotions.
"You know that if you keep this up there will be a hole in the floor?"
Harry spun round, dropped to a crouch and drew his wand. "Wouldn't old Mad Eye be proud of you now. Kinda twitchy aren't you?" Ron replied and stepped into the room followed by the rest.
Hermione pinned him with her gaze, "O.K spill Harry, that's not your wand, who's is it."
"Actually it's mine." Harry held out his wand for all to see. Ron reached for it but Harry was faster and pulled it back. "Nah ah, no touching, wouldn't want you to get hurt now."
"What's it made from? I haven't seen a wand such as this." Hermione asked while inspecting it. "And you wouldn't have. The wood comes from the yggdrasill tree." "The tree of life? As in THE tree of life?"
Harry nodded, "Yeah it was the only type of wood that would accept me, that and the core is unique as well. It's Essence of Harry Potter. My blood."
Ginny seemed in thought, "I thought you said that you lost your power Harry, so what do you have now?"
"I was getting to that," Harry shifter into lecture mood, "You see the brand of magic that us Walkers use is not as unique as you think in all the other realms magic is practiced the same way. In fact it is you people who are unique."
"You see the way we perform magic is by drawing in magic from the world around us and then shaping and channeling it to do what we want to do. You guys on the other hand are unique, I believe that it is an evolutionary thing that you are born with magical essence within your bodies. Hence you require wands to focus and channel your powers."
"So why can you do it?" Hermione pressed. "Remember what I said about my mind's eye making up my body." Seeing their nods he continued, "My mind was so used to my body having magic that the new body that I made for myself happened to have the same magical core. That is why I can use the wand. The only difference is that the magical core is so intense that most wands would blow up if I so much as lay a finger on them."
"Tell me more about this magic you were saying." Harry raised an eyebrow. "Damn your fast Herms. Alright lets see, the magic performed by the other beings is done by concentrating on the surrounding magic and pulling it into you. You then shape it with your will and expel it out. The stronger the will, the more magic you can pull in, hence the stronger the spells you can attempt." Seeing that Hermione was now practically bouncing. "I wouldn't advice that you carry out this brand of magic Herm as it is highly dangerous."
"Come on mate, what's the worst that could happen?" Ron joked and slapped Harry on the back. Harry's eyes narrow and everyone took a step back. They could see that he was serious now.
He replied in a low voice, "The worst that could happen would be a firestorm resulting in everything in a hundred mile radius being destroyed."
Ron shivered. "Now you will give me your promise that you would not try to attempt this. I can teach you as I myself if you want me to, I think someone so immersed in magical theory as you Mione would be able to pull it off without a hitch."
Ginny trying to break the tension decided to move to a new topic. "At breakfast I asked you about why you were talking as if you were gone for a long time?"
"Didn't you listen yesterday. Harry said that he had spent a near eternity or it felt like it when he was assembling his thoughts." Hermione answered.
"Actually Ginny's right Hermione," Harry's eyes glazed over. "I am what you would consider old. I am approximately 36,200 years old. This is considered a very senior age for a Walker. What I failed to mention during our conversation yesterday was that I was unique among Walkers. Not only am I able to move through the fabric of space, but that of time as well. What you saw me writing in today was my journal."
Harry's eyes regained their focus and he looked at his friends, their jaws were hanging, including Luna's. 'Finally, surprised her.' He thought. "B... b... but if you are so old why don't you act like it?" stuttered Neville.
Harry's signed, this was the part he was worried about. "If you have been looking closely I have been acting slightly different but not that much, you see before I returned I reorganized my memories and brought my base personality to the surface, thus I would act and respond like the Harry of old. Sometimes my real personality would show through. At the moment it might take a while for both my personalities to merge. I hope you don't think any different of me. If you don't want anything to do with me anymore I will understand seeing as I am not really the Harry you knew."
Hermione embraced him in a hug. "No we wouldn't Harry, where did you come up with that? We still want to be your friends. You're still the old Harry, you just changed that's all. Time changes everyone. We still accept you." Harry looked at the faces of the others and saw them giving him a small nod, Luna on the other hand was bobbing her head up and down at a rate that the wand stuck behind her ear was shooting out sparks. He gave Ron a weak grin, "I guess I was worried for nothing huh?"
"Right you are mate, but you gotta teach me that stuff you did to Malfoy." Harry's grin widened. "Sure I can, but all I did was mostly dodging. If you still want to we can meet up here every once in a while to practice your dodging. Same for you Hermione and this offer goes for the rest of you as well."
"YES! I can't wait to do the same to Malfoy."
"RONALD WEASLEY DON'T YOU THINK ABOUT IT! YOU'RE A PREFECT!" Hermione turned on him.
"But Mione, it's for a good cause." He moaned.
"No! It's not! Don't you dare!"
"You're no fun."
"What do ya mean I'm no fun?"
"I mean all you ever do is read books and stuff."
"Stuff? STUFF! I'll give you stuff Ronald Weasley!"
Harry rolled his eyes, threw his arms over Neville's and Ginny's shoulders. "Come on lets go guys and gals. Let's leave the two love birds to their lover's tiff."
By the time Ron and Hermione noticed they were alone, the other four were already back at the tower.
Authors Note:
These are the names of the individuals of the Walker's Council:
Type – Name and title – Specialization of mana
Dragon Male – Lestarac of the flame and darkness – red and black
Dragon Male – Darigrazz of the waterways of fire – blue and red
Dryad Female – Fariahlia of the woods – earth Walker of the ancient order
Angel Female – Kristrina of the light and peace – white and green
Serpent Male – Travesh of the seas – blue
Human Male – Octhelion of the plains – light Walker of the ancient order
Human Male – Lancerius of storm, earth and fire – blue, green and red
Human Male – Potter of time and space – red, white, blue, green and black
Other Walkers spoken about or met so far:
Type – Name and title – Specialization of mana
Human Female – Mevelshu – green novice
Human Male – Merlin of time and space – red, white, blue, green and black
Human Male – Thalos of the oceans – mind Walker of the ancient order
Raptor Female – Shassha of the volcanos – fire Walker of the ancient order
Shadow Demon – THE DEMON OF DEATH – dark Walker of the ancient order
These are the names of the individuals of the ancient order of Walkers:
Name – Color of mana overseen
THE DEMON OF DEATH – Black
Thalos – Blue
Shassha – Red
Fariahlia – Green
Octhelion – White
Merlin – Raw
The list of spells used so far will be with the next chapter post.
Review replies:
Mikito: Thanks.
Gallandro-83: Thanks for the review. Yes, Harry will meet up with Mevelshu again. Oh I'm planning a visit to the Dursleys at the moment but it wouldn't be for a while, but be prepared for lots of Dursley bashing. Wings? Yes. Ah his eyes. You'll have to wait for that part to come soon.
David M. Potter: Staff? Sure, but not so soon. Female friend? Hmm... wait and see. She might be coming soon.
Athenakitty: Prepare for a bit more of Draco bashing in the future chapters.
Nogoalielikeme: Thanks.