Harry Potter and the Elements of Nature

by wulfeyez

As the second war with the Dark Lord begins, Harry Potter soon to enter his 6th year at Hogwarts, finds himself on a journey of self-discovery, sacrifice, and mystery.

3. The Unexpected

Chapter 3. The Unexpected

"Huh? Why here?" Harry asked her curiously. He had never been off the isles of Britain before. Being thousands of miles across the ocean in unknown territory was a disorienting thought.

"This is my home Harry. At least it is for now. Voldemort thinks you're safely tucked away at your Aunts house behind the wards where he can't touch you. Which is why the Order can't know you're here either. If they slack in protecting you, even for a moment, Voldemort will seize the opportunity to find you, to try to kidnap you. It wouldn't help matters if you were running around somewhere in England." she stated confidently. "So a trusted friend is currently taking some vile substance called poly-juice potion pretending to be you. Poor bloke having to deal with your relatives" Dreia said with a look of disgust on her face. "If there was anyway I could think of to get you out of there for good I would. I don't know how they live with themselves treating you they way they do, when it's obvious just how special you are." She sighed, "Maybe that's why they do it. Because they know."

Normally Harry would have been upset with such a statement. He had to deal with his relatives day to day for ten years, and every summer after that. Maybe someone else should see what it was like to deal with the cold shoulder he always received, the constant chores, and insults. Normally he would feel justified feeling such a way, but not today. Today he did indeed feel sorry whom ever the poor bloke was that had to deal with them. It wasn't their job to put up with them. It was his. It was his sacrifice for the protection that kept him alive. Still the lengths the Order was going through to stay protected was getting a bit ridiculous.

"Anyway," she started, getting out of her rocker, "on to much happier topics. I have some things to explain to you before sunrise. This is going to be a long night. That will require copious amounts of caffeine I think. Come on into the kitchen."

Dreia led Harry through the front door into a moderately sized living room. Looking around, there was a large welcoming stone fireplace at the on the right end of the room. The walls were sage green with, some sort of earth tone border. Two brown corduroy couches lined either side of the room. The hard wood under his feet creaked as he made his way behind Dreia down a small hallway, into the kitchen.

The kitchen itself was long, and rectangular. Lined with many shelves, and cabinets. Modern, muggle appliances could be seen through out the dark, forest green room. A long table in the center of the place took up most of the floor space.

Walking over to the coffee pot, Dreia grabbed it and walked over to the sink. Filling the pot with water from the tap, she cocked her head toward Harry. "So, how do you take you coffee?"

Harry laughed. "You seem to know quite a bit about me, yet you don't know how I take my coffee?"

"Well, no. I made it my job to know the major events, and people in your life, not how you take you coffee, or tea." she said honestly, filling the coffee maker.

"Why though? Why did you make it your job, why am I here? Dumbledore wrote about the training, but not much else."

Having finished the coffee, she sat down at one end of the kitchen table and smiled. "Sit," she said. It wasn't said as a courtesy, it was a demand. Harry sat catty corner to her at the table looking at her intently for answers.

She took a deep breath, clasped her hand together and looked at him.

"Most of what I am about to tell you, you must keep secret. Much of what we will teach you will need to keep secret. It may be life and death to others and myself if you fail. Dumbledore promised me you would be trust worthy enough to give you this information, and to train you. Can you keep this information to yourself? Until the time is right to reveal it?"

Harry looked at the intensity of her eyes. Gone was the bright smiling look to them. In its place were eyes that begged, and pleaded him to accept, to lock the secret she was to share away.

"I will. But if you know so much about me, then you know I am connected to Voldemort through this damnable scar," he said pointing a finger toward his forehead to emphasis. "I can't guarantee that he won't see it." he said desperate for her to understand he would do as asked but that he couldn't control the connection. He hadn't even tried last year. And look what it brought him. Look what it brought Sirius.

Dreia chuckled. "That, I will take care of, until you can properly shield you mind. Don't..."

"How though? How can you? I don't want to be responsible for more...!"

"HARRY! Calm down," she tried to placate. "How did you sleep last night? How did you feel when you woke up? You felt rested, relaxed... Didn't you?"

"Yea, but that must have been a fluke. It's only a matter of time before he tries to break into my head again. How can I promise you when I don't know how to stop it, how to break the connection? Maybe we should wait... maybe... Dumbledore said he might be teaching me Occlumency this year. I don't want to commit to anything until I know I can control it," he said pleadingly.

"Are you finished yet? Or are you going to let me speak?" Looking at him with intent, it seemed she really wanted to know. "If you keep working yourself up like this you will never heal for one. I don't want to put a calming spell on you again. One of the first steps to Occlumency is mastering your emotions. I will be helping to teach you how to do that as well. Now, before you start again please let me explain?" Harry let out a huff of impatience but let her continue.

"Last night I placed a charm on you to keep nightmares and 'evil spirits' away from you while you dream. In the medieval era, families slept with their babies and toddlers to keep them safe, warm and breathing. It was a time when the infant mortality rate was very high. Babies don't have the same immune system adults and older children do. They have trouble regulating their temperatures when they are first born, and sometimes, even late into their babyhood they would forget to breath while they slept. There were no bottles. If you had an infant you nursed your child. Nursing mothers found it easier having the child in the bed with them during the night so they could feed them if the child demanded it."

"That era was also one of superstition, and worry of the unknown. Even among wizardkind. A charm was created for children to sleep soundly through the night with no threat of nightmares or evil sprits possessing the children while they slept. It was common practice then for Dark wizards to posses the children of their enemies in order to inflict damage to the family."

"The sweet slumber charm as it was called, also aloud the parents to, in place of dreams, give their children happy memories from their families. It was a good way to pass family information down from one generation to another, as again, even among wizard kind literacy was low."

"This is the charm I placed on you while you slept, and the charm I will continue to place on you while you sleep to keep Voldemort firmly away from your mind." She sighed. "There is only one draw back to the charm however. Well, it's a draw back depending on how you look at it..."

"What's that?" Harry asked curiously. He would be willing to do anything to keep Voldemort out of his head. Anything to keep the prophesy out of his hands if he discovered that he knew...

She looked at him, straight in the eye and said "We have to sleep together. That is to say... we must sleep in the same room. It's the only way for the charm to work effectively. The caster has to be in very close proximity to the receiver of the charm while it works."

"Oh"

"Would you be willing to give up sleeping alone?"

Harry didn't know what to say. He knew he like the way he felt when he woke up this morning. It was blissful, wonderful. But, he really didn't think he would be getting much sleep if he had to sleep next to such a beautiful girl every night. It might prove rather difficult.

"I... "

"It would only be temporary. I promise I don't bite... much"

Harry raised his eyebrows at this last statement.

Laughing Dreia waved a hand at him touching him on his wrist. "I'm only joking about the biting part. It would be ok wouldn't it?"

"Well, yea... I suppose, but I've never slept in the same room with a... female. It might be difficult for me at first." He wasn't willing to admit there were other difficulties he could think of sleeping in the same room with her.

"I will make you as comfortable as possible. Besides you'll probably be too drained will be drained by the time you get to bed each night. I doubt you'll notice me there." Harry about doubted it, but curiously he was willing to give it a try anyway.

"If that's the case then you can trust me with your secrets," he said confidently "but only if you promise this will work," he amended.

"Deal"

"Now that we've got that out of the way I will explain everything as best as I can. From what I have gathered, you've had some...rather interesting years at Hogwarts."

Harry snorted. "That's the understatement of the decade"

Dreia rolled her eyes. "Dumbledore thought it best to start training you for battle. If you're track record is any thing to judge by, you will face him or his minions again. So, it was thought that you should be more prepared. I was told about the Ministry Battle. It sounded like you held you own, but you need more skills. By the time we are through with you, you could walk into Auror training and pass the tests with out having to go through the training."

"I had a lot of help at the Ministry." Harry pointed out defiantly. 'Why must everyone bring that up?'

Dreia raised her eyebrows at this. A stern look shadowed her face, eye flashing dangerously. "It maybe safe to say you did have help Harry, but it was you, and you companions who held them off for a time. How many fully trained wizards can you count that could hold of that many fully trained Dark Wizards for so long? Not many... Not many at all."

Her face softening a little she stated matter of factly, "I was not lying when I was in you Aunt's kitchen was I? You are truly too modest. Humility is an asset, but so is healthy ego."

Anger and shame that came s easily these days rose in Harry's chest "I shouldn't have been there in the first place... I shouldn't have fallen for the trick. I did, and now Sirius is gone. It's all my FAULT!" he raged rising to his feet. The fact that she was praising him for his stupidity was not something he wanted to hear.

"No, it's not." Dreia said coolly. "Many, many things went wrong leading to his death. I've been at head quarters for three weeks Harry. Everyone is walking around blaming himself or herself in one way or another. Everyone, from Molly to Severus. And they are all wrong, just as you are. If there were no Voldemort, there would be no deaths related to him."

Shocked wouldn't even begin to describe how Harry felt. His jaw dropped and quickly shut again several times in quick succession. He couldn't possibly fathom why anyone would think it was their fault. Something like to frustration filled his voice when he finally managed to ask "Wha...WHY? Why would they... How could they think... It's not their... SNAPE???"

"Yes, Severus," she said annoyed. "It was blatantly apparent that he didn't like the man one lick. But when there is a loss... as death of any kind Harry, good men and women often wonder what they could have done to prevent it. What they could have done differently... He," Dreia rolled her eyes, letting out a heavy breath, "wishes he could have communicated with you in some way. Although he didn't say it in as many words..."

"I'll bet he didn't" Harry growled in an undertone. He folded his arms against his chest sitting back down and seethed.
'That bastard was responsible in more ways than that.'

"I won't pretend to understand what's gone on between the two of you. I haven't been around long enough. But I can tell your feeling for him are mutual among you." She shook her head with something akin to impatience. "But it is enough for me that he has regrets. I will leave this bit of the conversation to those who know you're situation better."

"You seem expert so far." Harry retorted.

"It's my job," she countered. "Perhaps one day I will learn the truth... but this has little to do with your training." She smiled, but it faltered. "Look Harry, I know you've been dealt a rough lot in life. You should have been packed up and sent off to they happy home by now. But you haven't. You're made of stronger stuff. I can see it. I could see it when you wrestled in your sleep and the sick on the floor last night before I cast the charm. You have the strength to pull through."

"And what if I don't want to do it?" he snarled, "What if I can't? What if..." He lost it as he tried to push back all those feeling that had threatened to engulf him so much lately. "WHY AM I EVEN TALKING TO YOU... I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU!!!"

Dreia rose from her chair is a swift movement and much to Harry's surprise place a hand on his shoulder, looking him straight in the eye. "Besides the fact that I have rather large neon sign attached to my forehead that only others can see that say "Dump all your shit here, Dreia can take it!", it seems that you need to get it out of your system. This is good, this is healthy, and you should respect it and give in to it. We will work on it. "She squeezed is arm and plopped back down into her chair; although the chair should have squeaked, it didn't. "It won't do anyone any good to go around brooding, least of all you. Again, we will work on it. As a matter of fact, we ill start now. Take seven deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Close you're eyes while you do it."

Harry clinched his fists together. "And if I don't?"

"Will you deny your self?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

Again, full of surprises, that was the last response Harry thought he'd receive. Maybe a threat of hexing, maybe extra chores, or detention or something... SOMETHING...But not that. "Why would it be denying myself?" he growled.

"Would you rather feel like you're ready to explode? Would you rather feel miserable? For goodness sakes Harry you're a wizard, use your head. You're almost sixteen, full of hormones, and can produce magic. Emotions can quantify and drive magic... but magic is as much beyond you as it is a part of you. It will find a way out. I rather like the china here thank you very much. I don't want to have to fix it. It's just not the same."

"And another thing, she continued, "controlling you emotions is the first step to controlling your life Harry. It's freedom. So again, I ask you... do you want to deny yourself?"

"No"

"Good. Now BREATH."

Much to Harry's dislike of the situation, he did as he was asked. Closing his eyes, pulling a deep breath in through his nose, he thought it ridiculous that he would have to sit here and do this. Was he out of control as all that? What difference did it make? Hormones... HA! But the more he breathed, the more relaxed he did in fact become. He felt the tidal wave of anger, and rage that had over come him so suddenly; slip out through his mouth, in to the air.

Opening his eyes he saw her looking at him. Calculating him. He felt a surge of anger ebb again, but that to he breathed out.

Apparently satisfied she said, "That was very good. You do have some measure of control already. We will work on it. Now, we gotten way off course, back to why you are here."

"Right, training, secrets..."he murmured picking up his coffee, taking a sip.

"You are to be trained as a Druid"

Harry spit his coffee all over the table, the floor and much to his utter humiliation, Dreia.

"Oh god I'm sorry! Here... where are the towels?" Harry asked trying to keep from finding the nearest knife and ending it all right there...But Dreia wasn't listening. Shocking Harry just as much as the last statement, she fell off her chair, on to the floor, and doubled up with laughter.

Harry stood narrowing his eyes at her. He crossed his arms against his chest he said indignantly "I'm so very glad you find this amusing. That's not something you normally spring on someone!"

"Your... your...BAHAHAHAHAHA... you face! Oh that priceless... just priceless... bahahahahahahah"

"Is this some kind of a joke? This isn't very funny!"

Still rolling Dreia managed "No! snort... No! It's bahahahahahah.. It's.. Oh gods.. it hurts .. it HURTS! bahahahahah.. No.. It's.. snort.. Oh ...
It's not a .. snort. JOKE! bahahahahah..."

"Now look who's out of control.. why don't you BREATH!"

"Snort.. You're.. bahhhaaa... right."

Visibly struggling to re-gain her composure, she breathed. It was hard going for a moment, but she finally managed a bit. Sitting again in her chair she continued to giggle... "Should have seen you face... that was just brilliant.. Candid Camera moment... The coffee.. The LOOK! Oh my.. bahahahaha"

A new wave of laughter engulfed Dreia as she clutched her sides, gasping for breath she rested her forehead on the table in front of her.. "Priceless... just priceless... bahahahah"

Harry got up and began searching for a kitchen towel to wipe up the mess. He honestly did not know what to make of her proclamation or her outburst to his reaction. Looking in various cupboards and drawers, he started to smirk. He couldn't help himself. It was like watching an old slapstick comedy. So absolutely absurd, you just had to laugh. Pulling out more drawers looking for a towel he to finally gave in. He should feel frustrated he decided, but her laughing like a mad man was just too infectious.

"You have to stop it" he managed through, his own fit. "Now you're making me laugh and I should be insulted!"

"Your right... bahahaha... it was just so... snort... classic... oh it hurts! bahahahaha!"

She lunged for her coffee and downed in three gulps in an attempt to stop her ravings. Finishing off the cup she looked at him with a rather large grin. "I think I shall always remember that. When most are told they are to be trained, it all to serious for words. You reaction is something I had always hoped I'd have the pleasure to see."

She giggled a bit more and conjured a cloth to wipe up then mess on the table. With another wave of her hand she cleaned the spilt coffee of her white tank and blue jeans.

"So I am to be trained then? As a Druid?" he asked growing serious again, and re-taking his seat.

"Yes..." she said, still with a wide grin. "As I said before, if you keep ending up dueling with Voldemort then you should learn how to do it. Druid magic is something he knows nothing about. It would be a large advantage."

"But that's just it, isn't it? Aren't the Druids dead?"

"I'm breathing aren't I?" Dreia asked jovially.

"You're a ... Druid?" Harry asked skeptically.

"Yes, Mistress Dreia McKinnon, Arch Druid Priestess at your service" she said in mock formal tone.

Harry gave her a blank look, but said, "Ah. Ok.. But that still doesn't explain why history thinks the Druids are dead." he said still serious.

"History think the Druids are dead because that is what we want them to believe. According to history, we died out around the 5th century. This is, of course untrue as I live and breath before you."

"A brief history lesson then," she said as she left her seat and made to make her self a fresh cup.

"At the time, it was decided that it was to dangerous to continue to live out in the open. That we should seclude ourselves from the world where the Romans and Christians ruled."

"You see, in the beginning of the first millennium Druids were the tops in all fields throughout British Isles. We were healers, teachers, judges, spiritual leaders, bards, kings and queens. We live harmonious, spiritual lives in tune with nature, and those of us that we're magically inclined helped those that we're not." Dreia smiled sadly reflecting. "Its no small mistake that there are old tales of wizardry still running around the muggle world. Magic folk and muggles worked hand in hand with each other for a very long time."

"But, as always happens," she continued taking her seat, "the tides changed, and with it brought the Romans. They were bent on controlling and ruling over most of Europe. And while we did resist at first, in the end it was decided that the best course of action was to work with the new comers. To offer and olive branch so to speak. They were a much stronger force, and our common enemy at the time, the Saxons were bombarding our shores, savagely trying to take over the land. So we worked with them. They respected our religion as it had some things in common with their own, and our open use of magic. So we conceded letting them take over." Dreia shrugged. "It probably wasn't the best course of action, but the forefathers decided it was for the best."

"But then a new religion sprung up among the Romans. One that while thought provoking, inspirational, and morally sound, left little room for other religions, and least of all magic. Druids were looked upon and heathens, heretics and devil worshipers. I could go on and on how they corrupted the image of our gods and holidays but that would take days."

"Anyway," she said sipping at her fresh cup of coffee and re-taking her seat, "this new religion appealed to the common folk. It was easier to contend with. There wasn't much thinking involved; it was simpler. This god didn't ask so much of its people in return of spiritual enlightenment, so they went with it. And with it, went our way of life. When the Romans in charge started converting to this new religion, they declared that all other religions were thereby forfeit, and anyone practicing other religions would be tried and executed as heretic."

"Much to our dismay we found out the hard that they were serious. With our numbers so low, we decided to take our way of life underground, shielding it from the rest of the world, and have ever since. Only descendants of those left, or young children we've found to be exceptional through out the centuries have been trained in the old ways, and magic."

Trying to process this new information, Harry asked "Ok, but the world is bit more tolerant these days, isn't it? Why all the secrecy?"

Dreia shrugged, sighing a bit "I've asked the same questions myself, when the separate groups come to meet, it's just felt that it's not time yet. Even though there are muggles among the Druids, letting the world at large know that there is such a thing as magic is a pretty big step and.."

Harry cut her off rudely, raising his eyebrows skeptically, while he asked, "There are muggles among you?"

"mmm hmmm" she murmured, looking sadly down at the table.

"But what of Druid Magic then? How can they perform that?" he asked confused.

Dreia looked up from her musings at the table, as the question Harry asked seemed to dawn on her. "Oh!" she laughed a bit. "Well muggles under the right circumstances can perform magic," she stated plainly, looking at the look of deeper confusion marked Harry's face. "They can already channel Earth energy to perform small bits of 'Magic'. So we use the same principals, usually in a ritual setting, to channel magic from those who do, to those who don't. They can then use this to perform magic."

"Why do you think charms and curses work against muggles?" she asked. "They have to be filled with the magic that makes them do what ever it is that they are supposed to do. But what we give them is raw magic . The force that lives so easily in your and I. When filled this raw magic, which has no intent, unlike a spell, they can do whatever they wish with it, until it wares out."

"You see Harry, magic is much like blood in a way. Well, 'Sort of'. Blood is produced by the body to carries oxygen through out or body to help us function, among other tasks. If someone is running out of blood, we give them some more or else they cease to function."

"Magic, is produced in the body by wizards and witches much in the same way as blood is. Although, unlike blood its purpose is not to keep us alive, but more like a hand, to help us perform tasks. But again, like blood, if someone doesn't have any, we can give it to them for their use."

Harry was rather skeptical of this newest revelation. Although he could see the merits of her speech about where magic came from, he had trouble believing the muggles could use it. Pushing the thought aside for now he asked, "So, there are muggles here... Among your group?"

"Yep, three in fact. Jeremiah, John, and Elmore. You'll meet all of them in a bit," she said, sipping a bit more of her coffee. "You'll meet all of them it a bit actually..."

"Er... So is it only men that become Druids?" Harry asked. So far he's only heard her speak of men.

"Well I'm certainly not hiding anything under these jeans, Harry," she smirked. "But it is true I am the only girl here. There are more women in other groups though. It's 50/50 really; just not here for one reason or the other. Like I said before, the groups are really underground, so we have to be especially picky whom we invite in. And, in our particular little group, women just haven't joined recently," she said shrugging.

"That makes sense, I think?" Harry said. When in fact he wasn't so sure. "So," he started trying gain some fact that would make sense, "I'm to be trained then."

"Yes, you won't be trained in the religious aspect, unless of course you find it appealing. That would take years though. Normally to fully train a Druid take 15 to 20 years. I started as soon as I could walk. But, the magic aspect shouldn't take nearly that long. You'll of course learn a little bit about the religion as we go along, as the spells and such are so integrated with it. This week, the brothers and I will go over enough of the basics to get you through initiation, and then after that I will travel back with you to London, and then on to Hogwarts to continue your education. I know a lot of old defensive and offensive magic too because of my studies. Those should be of some use to you as well."

"Sounds good," Harry said shaking his head in the affirmative. "But what's this about initiation?"

Dreia smiled mischievously, "All those that wish to become a Druid must go through initiation. It's test, a challenge if you will. It's a declaration to the heavens that they will rightfully walk the Druid path. Yours of course will be altered a bit. We're really going against tradition here accepting you. But, seeing how this is for the greater good and Dumbledore asked so nicely, we've made the acceptations. You will also be going through a manhood ceremony at the same time."

Harry not, for the last time that night raised his eyebrows. "A manhood ceremony? What's that?" he asked, choking on his last words.

She laughed leaning forward and touching his knee. Yet again, a tingling sensation ran up the course of his form. "Nothing awful I assure you." she said, "It's basically a ceremony that marks the passage from boyhood to manhood." Removing her hand and Harry feeling a bit more confident she continued, "I'll get Winston to explain it to you in more detail if you'd like. I don't know many specifics, as I've never been invited to one. It's all very 'boy's club.' But, it's a traditional rite of passage in the Druid community. We're not the only one's though. Ever hear of a Bar mitzvah? That's a Jewish rite of passage into manhood. There are lots of older peoples and religions that still use them. It's a good focus really. It helps make the passage into adulthood a bit easier."

"You'll do just fine on both accounts, Harry. I promise," answering the skeptical, and slightly embarrassed look on Harry's face.

"Er, right," Harry stammered, "So tell me a bit more about the training...."

Harry and Dreia spent the next couple hours going over some of the basics of the training he would receive. Not only would he receive instruction in Druid Magic from Dreia, but instruction in defensive, and offensive magic as well. He was also glad to learn he would receive instruction from various Order members when they returned to London, and throughout the rest of the year. They talked at length about the spells he already knew in all areas-from potions to defense. They also briefly touched on the DA club Harry and some other students had started last year. Dreia was thrilled with the idea, and told Harry he should continue that next year.

They also talked about the lack of news on the Voldemort-front. He'd been quiet again after the attack on the Ministry the previous month. "Probably, off somewhere licking his wounds," Dreia said with a wicked smile.

After all the talking they had done, Harry found that he like Dreia very much. She was... odd in a way. She could be confusing, bouncing off the wall one minute, and serious and dramatic the next. But she was kind, and gentle; almost motherly in difficult sort of way he couldn't quite grasp. She had an ease about her that made you feel as though you were the only one in the world.

They continued to talk for sometime into the morning until Dreia abruptly changed the subject.

"Er... Listen Harry," Dreia started on a more serious note, "there is something about one of us that you must know before you meet him. He's someone you've undoubtedly heard a bit about before and I would like to say to you first and foremost, anything you may have heard about him is strictly untrue. Or at least in part..."

"So, who is this?" Harry interrupted curiously. Having heard different things about different people in the past, and them being completely the opposite of the truth (Sirius and Pettigrew came to mind), he wouldn't be surprised to learn someone he took for a foe was in fact not. Although he full intended to proceed with caution.

Dreia looked like she was struggling slightly, like she was quiet sure how to broach the subject, not exactly sure how to choose her words. Harry could tell she was trying to protect him from something. If is one thing he was picking up on quickly, it was that her true emotions showed clearly on her face. She seemed very readable.

"I told you that I started my training young," she started looking toward the ceiling searching for words that seemed to fail her, "I was born near the end of the first war, in 1979. My mother was a member of the Order then, and felt it would be safest to send me to the Druids earlier, rather than later, for my protection. You see my father was a Druid, and he insisted that their first born be trained as one."

A ghost of terrible sadness crossed her face as she glanced at Harry. He felt himself harden slightly under the look, it was one her knew all to well. "The night the they came for me, a man urgently knocked on our door. My parents were upset that he had come, and tried to slam the door in his face, but he stuck out his hand and held to front door open so they would hear him out. He told them quickly that Voldemort had found our home, and that the Death Eaters were on their way to eliminate us. All of us. He broke down right there on the front stairs and told them that the task he'd been given to prove his worthiness to Voldemort and receive the mark was to murder me while the others murdered my parents. He told them that he couldn't needlessly murder an innocent pureblooded child. Nor could he stand by and watch it happen, for surely the rest would if he could not."

Harry was understandably horrified. 'How many more families were torn apart, like mine? How many more will be?' Harry thought dreadfully as Dreia recounted the story. 'Why would anyone want to murder a child! What kind of scum could possibly do that?

Dreia breathed in heavily as she crossed her arms in front of her. "My parents were frantic. He told them they had maybe 2 or 3 minutes at best to get me out. It was a bit of pure luck really that they chose that night to send me on. Winston had arrived some time earlier in the evening to pick me up. So he heard what the man had told my parents and took pity on him. He knew that for this man to do this, surely meant a death sentence. You did not openly defy Voldemort, especially if you were one of his would be followers. Winston made a split decision. He decided to take the man back with him. He had spared my life, so Winston in turn spared his."

"My parents died that night, choosing to stay and defend our home. The Death Eaters tortured, and murdered my parents. And from what I gathered later, they torched the house to ashes after they ere through. What remained of their bodies were recovered and buried. It was assumed that I perished in that blaze as well, but my body was never found."

Dreia smiled sadly. "After we arrived at our destination, and they found out that my parents were gone, Reggie insisted he be the one to care for me, to raise me. He felt it was his duty to do so for some reason that I haven't fully understood. He says now that he felt a certain bond with me. By saving me and renouncing Voldemort, he also renounced his own parents. Something he assures me was much harder to do than renounce that bastard himself."

"So...Who is he then?" Harry asked quietly. He'd watched as Dreia recounted her short tale, a myriad of emotions trailing there way across her face as she spoke. He could tell whom ever this person was meant a great deal to her, and loved him like a father possibly, or brother or uncle.

But then just as Dreia was about to expose whom this mystery person was a tall, dark man stumbled sleepily into the kitchen behind her. Harry couldn't quite make out a face as he had it lowered, but the hair and stature was hard to miss, and easy enough to place. A stitch of tight pain caught in Harry's throat as he gazed through his suddenly blurry eyes at the figure in front of him. 'It can't possibly be.... Oh God it can't be!' The room seemed to spin as his heart beat loudly quickly in his chest. He felt disoriented, unable to form a decent coherent thought. All the pain, heartache, and mourning he'd barely managed to suppress in the four weeks following the incident at the Department of Mysteries exploded to the surface. He shook as cold coursed through his veins in attempt to quell the heat produced by the frantic beating in his chest.

Just as the sleepy figure raised his arms above his head, in a great wide early morning stretch that Harry recognized instantly, his dressing gown pulled taught over his body Harry caught sight of his face and nearly fainted. He suddenly realized Dreia was beside him holding him up with on arm wrapped protectively around him. She was speaking to him, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. All he knew was that stating before him, as if it were any ordinary day, was "S.. Sirius?"

The man standing before them, finally acknowledging he was not alone in the kitchen, looked up sharply at Dreia, and then to Harry. His eyes were wide in shock as he dropped his arm to his side still facing Harry, "You didn't tell him?"

"I was getting to that part." she said quietly through clinched teeth sounding like a wounded child, "What on earth are you doing up at this hour anyway?"

"Couldn't sleep" he stated, folding his arms across his chest waiting. "Well?" he asked impatiently. "Are you going to let the boy sit there in a stupor or are you going to tell him?"

Dreia gave a defiant glare at the man before her, but softened as she turned to Harry and breathed slowly, cautiously, "Harry,.. Meet Regulas Black."

A/N I own nothing, JK's the Goddess with the copyrights.