Harry Potter and the Guardians of Power

Usual Disclaimers apply, folks – If you think I own these characters, I don't think you should be allowed to travel by yourself, it's just not safe.

AN: Please review and thanks especially to those of you who have reviewed every chapter and added this story to your favorites list. Now I know why authors do evil cliff hangers. I got three times as many reviews for that chapter than any other. Thanks!

AN: AN: You have a choice, I can complete this story in the next two or three chapters and then maybe do a summer sequel, or I can stretch a bit and take five or six chapters before the end of the year. Let me know which you would prefer, and thanks for the nice reviews, they keep me typing!

Chapter 22: The War Begins

With a loud bang of the doors, a young auror stumbled into the hall, yelled "Hogsmeade …under attack!" then collapsed into a heap onto the floor.

Dumbledore leaped to his feet, power radiating off the old wizard. "Silence! Prefects you are in charge of the younger students. Let no one leave the Great Hall. Severus, Sirius, Filius, and Remus you are with me. Come Harry, you will be needed too. Minerva, I leave the castle in your capable hands. Please inform the Ministry and the Order that we require their assistance." That said, he swept out the room, all those named quickly following. The doors of the Great Hall sealed behind them. Harry sent to Hogwarts, 'Hogsmeade is under attack, keep those left in the castle safe.'

# Master Harry, hold the hands of those with you and I will send you to the battle. You are needed now. Make sure you morph back into your true form to allow your elemental powers to be released. They are not available to you as your younger self. #

'You mean we can apperate out of Hogwarts? That's impossible, no one can apperate into or out of Hogwarts.' Harry sent, rapidly following the men down the corridor towards the front doors.

# Master Harry, you are my Master, you are the chosen one, YOU can apperate into and out of anywhere within my walls. Merely hold onto anyone you wish to transport with you and I will allow them passage. Hurry, the village can not stand against this evil without assistance. #

Harry grabbed Albus and Severus' hands and told them to quickly grab onto the others. With a silent whisper of sound, the five wizards and one mage disappeared from the castle only to appear directly in front of the Three Broomsticks, sounds of battle just around the corner towards the middle of town. Sizzling spells, burning buildings and screams of anguish made them all forget how they had arrived. Harry and Severus were the first to recover and dashed towards the fight. Harry morphing to his real self as they ran, the others close on their heels. Harry instantly cast air shield after air shield around the buildings, sealing them from harm. He noticed Albus throwing balls of water at the burning Madame Puddifoot's Tea Shop and the smoldering ruins of two houses right beside it. Sirius, Remus and tiny little Professor Flitwick were throwing stunning and binding spells as rapidly as they could at the surprised death eaters in the middle of the street. Severus was helping Albus remove trapped civilians from the field of battle and sending them up to Hogwarts.

Harry called up a tornado and used it to draw all the death eaters into a mass, their spells shooting uselessly into the swirling winds twisting them and holding them captive. He dropped the tornado, and using both hands fired stunner after stunner into the mass of twisting black robes and falling bodies. The others had spread out around them and the disorganized towns folks started to fight back also. It was like shooting targets at a muggle shooting gallery. The death eaters were dizzy and disoriented from twirling within the tornado, they were too close to each other to be very effective and they were totally surrounded by angry wizards who were firing at them too fast and furious to be ducked or missed.

It took the aurors less than ten minutes from Minerva McGonagall's frantic fire call, but it was already too late. Twenty-three death eaters were laid out like so many sticks, stunned, bound and chained together. Minerva had managed to call Rita who buzzed up to Albus. He pointed soundlessly towards a stunned death eater off by himself down a shadowy alley. The beetle buzzed once around his head in acknowledgement, flew down the alley and attached herself to the back of his hood. Albus sent a silent enervate and watched in amusement as the death eater revived, looked shocked at his fellows trapped out in the street and then disapperated, totally unaware that he had been allowed to escape with a treacherous cargo attached to the back of his robe.

The ministry aurors were taking turns transporting the still stunned death eaters to the ministry holding cells for interrogation before giving them 'special handling' like all the other captured death eaters. Arthur Weasley came up to the Hogwarts group, "Bloody brilliant job, gentlemen. Oh, hi Harry, didn't see you there. Is everyone here okay? We haven't found any deaths yet, still looking. All of those we have found injured will make a full recovery thanks to the fast action of you men. Thanks for putting out the fire, Albus, it could have spread while we were busy fighting otherwise. Looks like those two houses and Madame Puddifoot's are total losses, we will have to rebuild them, but otherwise looks like every thing will be fine. Oh, did you, let me see, how do the muggles say it, 'plant the bug' is that right?"

Harry laughed, "Yeah, Mr. Weasley, that's exactly how they say it."

The Headmaster nodded at Arthur and then turned to the others and spoke. "Wonderful job with that tornado, Harry. The death eaters were too disoriented to even fire back. And the town's people started to fight back instead of just running in panic. That's what we want to encourage, that's why they need to know that the light is capable of fighting, not just reacting. That's why they need you, Harry!" He looked with affection at his student, no his grandson!

Harry blushed but the others who had heard Dumbledore, agreed with him whole heartedly. "I know, I just hate all the attention, don't say anything Dad, or I'll hex you and you know I can beat you." He snarled at Severus as the man started to open his mouth, no doubt to say something really snarky.

Severus merely smirked evilly, "And I expect you will enjoy showing the entire wizarding world exactly that fact this Saturday, won't you?"

"With pleasure, Dad, with pleasure." Harry allowed the older man to ruffle his hair.

Arthur's ears perked up, "What's that about this Saturday? Are you going to be dueling against the boy, Severus? I would like to see that if I may. And I'm sure there are many others here today who would be interested to see that."

Harry grimaced as Dumbledore extended an invitation to many of the Ministry. He even hinted that Rita Skeeter would be covering the tournament. Harry knew she was on their side now, but he had a hard time letting go of all the things she had printed about him last year.

Harry took the opportunity to take some of the spotlight off of himself for at least a few minutes. "Mr. Weasley, before you go back to the Ministry, you really should visit your children up at the castle. They have something very interesting to show you."

"Really, my boy, I shall of course go and check on them myself. I daresay Molly would skin me alive if I didn't check on them personally before leaving." Everyone agreed with him, Harry didn't know anyone who wanted Molly Weasley mad at them. She was downright frightening when she went on the warpath.

As the seven now walked slowly back towards Hogwarts, Harry wrapped a long arm around his father's waist and wheedled, "Do I have to shift back, I'm kind of tired of being a skinny wimp." He looked toward Severus and then past him to Albus.

"I don't see why you have to shift back. I don't think anyone will really notice that you are several inches taller. I expect they will just think, that they hadn't noticed before. And I know that the robes you wear, conceal your physical shape enough that only your close friends will notice anything different, and they know the whole story all ready." He drew the boy into an affectionate hug and said to him, "Now about apparating out of the castle AND carrying five other people with you. Care to explain yourself, child?"

By the time the seven entered the entrance hall and unsealed the Great Hall doors, everyone was too startled about the revelation that Hogwarts thought Harry was it's master to notice that their stunned expressions made everyone in the Great Hall start to feel panicked. Minerva rushed up to Albus, wringing her hands, "Is everyone all right, is Hogsmeade going to be okay?"

Albus waved a hand for silence and then spoke to everyone. "All of the death eaters have been captured, there were no deaths among the townspeople or the ones who responded to assist. Only Madame Puddifoot's and two houses were burned and they will be repaired soon. Hogsmeade will be completely restored and ready to be visited on Valentine's Day as usual."

Most of the boys seemed a little upset that Madame Puddifoots would be fully restored by the next Hogsmeade weekend, but several of the girls squealed with delight. Harry hoped he never had to set foot over the threshold of that particular establishment ever again. No matter who he was with, it was just too, too much.

Mr. Weasley motioned for Harry, Hermione, and his four children to follow him to the small anteroom on the side of the Great Hall and closed the door behind them. "Now, Harry said there was something you wanted to show me? I hope it's not something I am going to have to regret telling your mother about." He joked and hugged each of his children, happy that everyone was safe after the adrenalin rush of the fight.

Ginny pushed her father down into a chair and held up her hand. She slowly folded down each finger, counting down to zero. As the last finger went down, there were six soft pops and Arthur was surrounded by a large silver wolf, two eagerly tussling weasels, a purring calico cat, a magnificent young lion and the most startling of all, a glorious white tiger standing where Ginny had been just a moment ago. He was absolutely speechless and gasping for air like a fish. "Uh, uh, well, uh…" was all he managed to gasp out. The children all transformed back and rushed to smother him in hugs, even the older boys. He couldn't hear a single word of what was being said, but it didn't matter. He was so proud of his children that tears were misting his vision. He pulled away and managed to give each one a hug and a proud, "Well done, I'm so proud of you." He included Hermione and Harry in their turn as he went around the half circle of grinning children.

"You know, your mother's birthday is coming up in three weeks, perhaps we can arrange for a visit that weekend and you can all surprise her. I, for one, would love to see your mother totally speechless. And I can guarantee she will be, just as I was!" The extended family started making big plans for the weekend, George and Fred even volunteered to pretend to be in trouble to make a parental visit necessary as an excuse. They were sure Professor Dumbledore and even Professor Snape would love to prank Molly Weasley!

Harry, Ron and Hermione were mobbed when they entered through the Portrait hole that evening. It seemed everyone knew of the training he had given his friends the night before and they all wanted to become animagus too. Harry had to hold up his hands for silence several times, but it wasn't until Ginny blew a whistle through her fingers loud enough to make Harry's ears ring that the group finally shut up enough for him to talk. "Sorry mates, I have homework to do before the DA meeting at 8 and I really need to finish my potions, oh damn, listen guys, I really gotta go, now." That said he took off and out the Portrait hole once again.

As soon as the corridor was clear, he transformed into his phoenix and flashed to the potions lab. How could they have forgotten Lupin's potion? He breathed a sigh of relief as he flashed into the room right behind his father, who was already adding the shredded aconite and the crushed beetle's eyes right on schedule. Severus jerked in surprise, and chided Harry, "You startled me! How about sending me a quick heads up before flashing into a room, especially if you know I will be brewing? I could have dropped all of the beetle's eyes at once and ruined the entire brewing."

"Sorry, Dad, I just forgot with everything that went on today. I was so worried that we had forgotten the potion that I flashed in without thinking you might already be here. It's hard to believe that it was only this morning we got Professor McGonagall, bollocks, it seems like ages ago."

Severus glared at the boy through his long black hair, "Language, child, and yes it was just this morning. As for the brewing, I have two distinct advantages to you. One, I have to walk directly past the door to reach my quarters, and two, I have been brewing critical potions a lot longer than you have, so I remember them better. That and Nippy popped in and reminded me!"

Harry giggled, "You, sir, are a fraud!"

"Took you long enough! So did you get pictures of Minerva this morning? Those should be wonderful; I especially liked the fish faces she made when Longbottom became a badger. However did you get him to succeed?"

"Well, he's really only atrocious around you. I suspect he thinks you are going to chop him up for potions ingredients." He ignored his father's muttered, "Don't give me ideas!"

"I think the rest of his problem is that his wand belonged to his father. It has a core of dragon's heartstring which is fine for an auror like he was, but Neville is most likely going into healing or herbology, both of which would do much better with something like a phoenix feather or a unicorn tail. He really doesn't match his wand at all, in fact it's rather remarkable that he can do much magic at all."

Severus continued to stir counter-clockwise for ten minutes, "Has anyone pointed out to Mr. Longbottom or his grandmother how mismatched he and his wand are?"

"No, he doesn't want to hurt his grandmother's feelings, and I guess she's a lot like Professor McGonagall. I've seen her a couple of times at the Hogwart's Express, and the best word to describe her is formidable. I don't think Neville has ever been able to tell her anything she didn't want to hear." Harry was busy finely dicing the next ingredients with a sure, deft hand. Severus noticed with approval how methodical and precise Harry cut his ingredients.

"Well, perhaps Albus and I can persuade her, after all we have each been described as formidable in our own right before." Severus added the toad spleen and stopped to wait until the potion started to give off purple smoke.

"Professor Dumbledore formidable, yes; you, just plain terrifying!" Harry went to the sink to wash his hands. He felt something hit the back of his head and turned around to find a large, fluffy pink pillow on the ground behind him and a nonchalantly whistling Severus looking in the air, pointedly looking innocent and failing completely. And Harry knew he couldn't return the pillow because his father stood with the cauldron between them.

He glared at him and snarled, "I'll remember that on Saturday, Dad! Remember, revenge is sweet."

Severus actually looked a little worried, "Remember, I am an old man, please don't hurt me."

"Yeah, just like Albus is old; and Merlin was old, compared to them you're a teenager. So watch your back, …and your front…and your top…." He started to transform and then stopped. "Oh, right, I can apperate, and you can't!" That said, he disappeared, but he could swear he heard a loud voice crying, "Brat!" just as he left the room.

After telling a highly edited version of the fight in Hogsmeade that evening for the DA meeting, things actually settled down and went pretty well. They spent the evening practicing any spells and shields that would be particularly useful in the tournament on Saturday. Harry dodged out of actually having to partner up with anyone. He wasn't sure that would be a good idea, especially as he was still rather keyed up from the afternoon's battle. He would hate to hurt anyone accidentally, and he was still trying to keep some things from public knowledge, at least until after Saturday.

Ron and Harry had planned something brilliant for Divinations that afternoon. The two really hated Professor Trelawney, after all, she predicted Harry's horrible demise as regular as clockwork. And the two times she actually gave a true prediction, Harry really wished they had been fakes. No one else in their class knew of the fraud they were planning to perpetrate but except for Lavender and Pavarti, no one would care.

Ron dropped his book bag next to Harry and plopped down on a pouf. "Ready, mate?"

Harry grinned and said, "I've been ready since the first lesson in this class. I just can't wait to drop this. I had lessons with a real seer, and Rowena was nothing like this fraud."

"You know mate that sounds really strange when you talk about lessons with Merlin or Rowena or any of the others, just weird." Ron stopped talking as they heard the footsteps of the other students coming up the ladder into the tower.

Harry nodded at him and grinned in acknowledgment of the truth of his statement. Professor Trelawney began talking about the tarot cards she was handing out and how they had to clear their minds to allow their inner eye to speak to them. Ron took their deck and began to shuffle it haphazardly.

Harry picked out three cards and remembered when Rowena read his future. She had only known him a few days and yet had accurately told of his life at Hogwarts. And in fact, she had been the one to see the predicament that he and Severus were in when they first appeared in the meadow and sent Merlin and Artemus to rescue them.

Severus had never talked much about their time there, but Harry knew that he had been dying and there was very little that Severus had been able to do to help him. He knew his father occasionally still had nightmares about just sitting there helpless while Harry slowly died in his arms. They hadn't happened in a while and Harry hoped his dad never got one again.

Ron patted his arm to bring him back to the present and he began. With his hands under the table, he pointed a finger in the direction of Pavarti and Lavender's table and made the entire table rise and begin to slowly turn in midair. The two girls squealed and Professor Trelawney goggled, her large bug eyes behind her immensely thick glasses looking even bigger than usual.

Harry lowered the table and made a ghostly figure rise up out of the center of the table and point at three cards that rose into the air and floated over to the professor. She automatically put out her hand and caught them. The entire room had gone deathly still as she glanced down at the cards in her hand. Everyone held their breath to hear what she had to say, she goggled again and gulped loudly. Harry and Ron were getting red in the face trying hard not to laugh. They knew those weren't tarot cards in the professor's hands, but merely charmed on the back to appear as if they were.

The first card was a picture of Sirius in his disguise as a grim, his big pink tongue lolling out in a lopsided grin, the second was a picture of Severus Snape smiling and laughing at the staff table when he supposedly 'lost his memory' and the third card was a picture of Minerva McGonagall in a lacy pink apron 'feeding' Albus pretend food from a bowl while he wore a blue bib and a baby bonnet on his head that had been taken when they babysat 'baby Harry'.

Professor Trelawney opened her mouth, then closed it, gulped again, and finally said, "Class dismissed while I consult with my inner eye about the hidden meaning in these cards." Without another word she fled through the door leading to her quarters and left the class alone, wondering what had just happened.

Harry and Ron grabbed their things and ran for the ladder before they completely lost it. They were still laughing about it as they entered their common room to work on some homework with their now free period. Harry flicked his finger and his camera appeared floating just past his right shoulder. The two looked at each other again and dissolved into helpless fits of laughter.

Harry had now 'pranked' every one of his professors except Professor Flitwick. He didn't know if he should just wait until Saturday and surprise him in the duels or if he should pull something off during class, but the question was taken out of his hands when Peeves hit him in the back of the head while he was going down to lunch. He was at the top of the stairs, turned around to say something to Ron when, bam, he saw stars explode into his view as he lost his balance and fell. Ron grabbed at him but missed and he tumbled down two flights of stairs before anyone could react fast enough to stop him. He landed right at the feet of Madame Pince who had just left the library for her own lunch.

She levitated him all the way to the hospital wing and laid him on the second bed while calling out loudly for Poppy. Madame Pomfrey had just made it to the door of her office when Severus Snape came barreling into the infirmary, rushing to Harry's side. After reassuring himself that his son was still alive, he sent a message to Albus to come to the infirmary right away. Poppy was still using diagnostic charms when Albus swept in to stand beside Severus and wait impatiently for the Medi-witch's diagnosis. Ron was standing white faced and shocked just inside the doors, hoping no one would notice him and send him away.

"He has a fractured skull, a concussion, and his right leg is broken just above the knee. But the worst damage is to his spine; it is severely bruised. It's not broken, but he must remain perfectly still until the swelling goes down or his spinal cord could become damaged. Severus, I will need a nerve regenerator, skele-grow, and a large dose of swelling reducer potions. Can you grab those for me while I set his leg in place?" Poppy was busy waving her wand and straightening out Harry's leg while talking. Severus grabbed the requested potions from the cabinet, reliving for a moment the helpless feelings he had had in the meadow and so thankful they now had the necessary potions ready at hand.

Severus held Harry's head still and to the side as Poppy carefully dripped the potions down his cheek. She waved her wand, casting a swallowing charm to help the unconscious boy swallow without choking. Severus laid Harry's head back onto his pillow and brushed the unruly hair off of his forehead, while Poppy stood up and made a few more swishes with her diagnostic wand. "Oh, my word!" She exclaimed and looked at the Headmaster who was sitting on the edge of the next bed watching the proceedings.

After casting a privacy charm, Albus looked over his half moon spectacles at the matron and commented. "I assume, Poppy, that you have just read Mr. Potter's magic levels, hmm?"

"Yes, Albus, and I must say I have never seen anyone with a magical core level this strong before. Mr. Potter has always been a powerful wizard, but I can't even begin to describe these readings. My wand registers them as a malfunction, but I repeated it four times and got the same reading each time!"

Severus reached across the bed and patted the upset witch, "There is nothing wrong with your wand, Poppy, and my son is exceptionally strong. In fact, he is not a wizard at all, but an elemental mage and that is why the readings are so high." She looked from him to Albus for confirmation. When he nodded, she turned back to Severus. "Your son, elemental mage? What's going on here?"

Albus looked over his half moon spectacles at Ron and calmly suggested, "Madame Pince, could you perhaps escort Mr. Weasley back to the Great Hall so that he may reassure his friends that Mr. Potter will be fine. Though I daresay he will not be allowed visitors until tomorrow?" He looked at Madame Pomfrey for confirmation and at her nod he continued, "Perhaps you could bring him his book bag and clean robes in the morning. I'm certain you know exactly what he will need. I seem to recall you have done this any number of times for him in the past!" He chuckled and the two reluctantly left the room.

It took the better part of two hours and a plate of sandwiches with several pots of tea before Poppy fully understood what had happened to Mr. Potter.

"He's the heir of Merlin AND all four of the Founders? Good heavens, no wonder he is so powerful. Is that why Voldemort was unable to kill him as a baby and why he escapes every time that bastard has tried to kill him? And he's your son now, Severus? How did you know to come to the infirmary, I don't think any one had notified you that he was here yet!"

"Because of the cleansing and purification rituals, we have a mental bond that allows us to communicate with each other; I guess I am always aware of him, even though I hadn't ever really noticed it before. This afternoon, I got a flash of tremendous pain and panic and then, he was gone, completely gone. I knew he would be brought here if he was with anyone, so I was checking here first before beginning a search for him." Severus was still paler than normal and watching Harry with a worried expression. "I won't be totally secure in the knowledge that he will completely recover until the bond awakens once more."

"It's been long enough for the other potions to have done their job so we can give him the other ones he will need." She went to the potions cabinet and pulled out a headache potion, several strengthening solutions and another swelling reducer. She stood for a moment and then added a small vial of purple muscle regeneration potion to the tray full in her hand.

After Harry had been fed the new potions, Severus finally sat down in the chair beside his bed and leaned his head back against Albus who was still sitting on the next bed, "The bond is active once again. He is just moaning and making noises of complaint, but he will be awake soon."

Albus reached down and circled his arms around the younger man and held him in comfort and support. He looked at Poppy over the dark haired head lying on his chest and asked Poppy, "Will he be recovered enough for the duel on Saturday? Or should we postpone it for a week. It is important that people see what he is capable of doing so they have a champion to lead them, especially now while Voldemort is so weak and his followers are so disorganized and limited."

Poppy looked askance at the two and contemplated her answer, "Severus, I suspect that Harry will be able to completely heal himself as soon as he wakes up, am I right?"

Severus sat up suddenly and said, "Damn, I forgot. Hogwarts!" He closed his eyes and centered himself. He needed much more concentration and energy than Harry did, but he had been able to contact the castle before, so he stretched his mind and called, 'Hogwarts, are you there?"

# Yes, father, I am here and waiting. #

'Can you help Harry?'

# I need you to channel healing to him through you and the Headmaster. He is not aware enough for me to channel through him without hurting him more. Will you do this, father? #

'Of course, tell me what you need me to do.'

#Just place a hand on his chest and a hand on his forehead and I will channel healing through you. Ask your father to do the same with his hands under yours. That will be enough. #

"Albus, I need you to place a hand on Harry's heart and one on his forehead." Albus stood and complied without asking a single question. He suspected that Severus had been 'communicating' with Hogwarts.

Severus place a hand on top of each of his father's and closed his eyes. Poppy drew out her wand to 'watch' the magic flow around the three. She suspected that something very unusual was about to happen. Severus began to glow bright silver with flashes of gold, blue, silver, crimson and emerald green. The light spread to Albus and then flowed down to enclose Harry in its glow. The amount of power in the room was completely beyond the ability of her wand to register. She squinted her eyes against the painfully bright light and watched in utter amazement. The glow left Severus and melted into Albus briefly before disappearing into Harry. The glow surrounded the child briefly before seeming to melt into his very skin.

Severus and Albus each sighed deeply, opened their eyes and smiled with satisfaction as Harry opened his eyes and looked around. "Wow that felt really nice. I'm all warm and glow-ey. Dad, I didn't know you could do that?"

Severus sat down in the chair beside his bed and smiled, "Neither did I son, neither did I. And that was Hogwarts; we were merely the channels for her."

"I never realized that she was that awake and aware. That was quite an experience, gentlemen. Thank you for allowing me to share that with you." Albus was still in awe and shock as he sat on the other side of Harry and took his hand in his own. "Is that what you feel when she 'speaks' with you?"

Harry nodded, "And she frequently sends me dreams, especially if I am having a nightmare or have had a really bad day. It kind of feels like a mother only much more so. I can't really describe it at all."

"We understand child, there are probably no words to describe that feeling of safety and overwhelming protectiveness and love, I know that I shall cherish that feeling forever and I may never have the words to tell of the experience to another." Albus was shaking his head in wonder. He looked at Poppy who had just finished another scan. He raised an eyebrow and she answered the unasked question.

"He'll be just fine. I would like to keep him overnight, more to spare him being bothered and having to answer so many questions that because he needs to stay. But we already told Mr. Weasley that he wouldn't be up to visitors until tomorrow, so let's just keep to that schedule, hmm" She looked sideways at Harry to see if he agreed. Harry simply laid back against his pillows and looked at his father and 'grandfather'. "So tell me stories, keep the invalid entertained."

Severus gently smacked him on the top of his head and laughed. "Brat!"

True to her word, Madame Pomfrey let him go the next morning, telling him he was excused from classes the rest of the day while whispering so that only he could hear, "I have five galleons wagered on you winning against all comers, Mr. Potter! Take today to relax and refresh before the duels tomorrow."

He grinned in agreement and mischief before leaving with his friends to eat breakfast and then finally explore the new chambers that Hogwarts had created for him.