xxTorn Rose of Ages Pastxx
vv Chapter Three: New Age of Findings vv
(Li)
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or my spelling mistake that I'm desperately trying to fix.
Summary: -AU- In a distant age where theSoulless rule and those who practise the Light and protect the Hogwarts House Heirs are hunted like Muggle animals, one House protector is sent to the past to save the life of a long-dead Ravenclaw Heiress... Now roaming the halls, but finds a familair place she once -and still- loved...
August 15, 1996, Hall of the Room of Requirements, 1:27 AM
Tornaroes stalked down the hall for the third time, trying to make as little noise as possible. For the past24 hoursshe'd been walking the halls, reacquainting herself with the Hogwart's complete layout. It was amazing to see what was reduced to rubble in her time complete stone corridors and stairwells in this one.
The one room she'd loved to enter while living here years in the future, before the attack that destroyed most of the school's castle, was the one that changed to what she needed at the moment of entrance. No one quite remembered it's name in her future, but she could always be found there from her first few days after settling in, or whenever Tornaroes was actually staying.
The hallway she now walked down was only two left turns and a back stairway from her quarters, making it easy to sneak there, even this time of night. What she needed at the moment was a personal library with a comfortable table to read at, walls stacked with all types of books. She missed her home at the Shelter (thankfully nothing like that dreadful House) and own library so much soshefelt sick with longing, along with her charges to Protect.
Tora almost missed the wall-now-elaborately-carved-door appearing out of nowhere, but grabbed the handle and pulled it open before it could disappear.
Inside was what looked to be a Victorian tower, complete with the wooden ladders and railings commonly found in the Shelter's wing Tora called home. Books lined the walls on thick oaken shelves, stacked as high as the many meter ceiling.
Running a hand over the closest rack on leather bound spines, Tora's eyes glowed in happiness. Last time she'd come to her library, which would be a month ago from her time travel from the future, the Soulless had attack and managed to take three Protector recruits captive. Luckily, her own Squadron had gone after them, bring their comrades back after a long, hard battle. Thankfully, no one had been Lost to their Darkness.
Sighing at the memory, Tora had to admit she wouldn't miss the constant battles over the Magical Word's souls. And she would stop the chaos from being unleashed, even if she had to use them to do it –the Protector's secrets weapon for last resort only. Or the things learned from her belovedClan before events proved otherwise.
Ginsei and It's Useless, A Medical GuideThe title caught her attention.
Ginsei was one of rarest demonaticly magical Eastern plants in her future, and there weren't many members of the Medical ward knew its uses beyond energy restoration function. But as Tora had lived in Asia before anything had happened –including that Voldemort idiot's reighn—she knew how to take care of the plants, but never really though beyond the uses she already knew…
The book could come in handy if she could get some Ginsei seeds from the Herbology greenhouses. It would be simple to grow them, with her knowledge. And if the leaves were ripe enough for plucking, her energy could be brought back even more quickly.
Glancing around the rest of the Room of Requirements, Tora searched for any more books that would be useful. A few others ended up catching her eye after about twenty minutes of searching:
Dark Creatures and Defenses Against Them: An Advanced Guide
Time Travel and How to Cope (Theorical Only)
The Wizard's Mindscape and Its Plains
& Wizarding Secrets for the Wand-waving Impaired
The first would be interesting, since she herself wanted to know if she Wizarding World knew anything accurate about her Clan's kind. They most likely did not, since up until the Soulless' outbreak, all the Clans had kept to forced hiding, excluding her immediate female family.
'Only because we were outcasts,' Tora remembered bitterly. The Clan shunned her and her family as she now did them. If ever in contact with one on the outside, the youth would pointedly ignore him or her.
Carrying the chosen five books to a nearby table, Tora settled down and began to read Wizarding Secrets for the Wand-waving Impaired. It wouldn't do if she couldn't use her old father's wand efficiently and be unable to perform the simplest of magics, seeing as her natural powers wouldn't be back fully for at least three weeks.
Someone burst into the room just as Tora finished Chapter 1: Flips and Dips, not even bothering to use the door. Said person was a ghost –the school's poltergeist, she knew—who looked quite frightened of something he had likely run from.
He didn't notice her until his roaming gaze fell upon her table, a wide grin replacing his fear and desperation from a moment before.
"What do we have here?" Peeves asked him self. "An early transfer student?" He said this last in a lazy drawl, trying to bait the time-traveling youth.
Tora just glanced up at him with her uncovered molten-gold eye, staring boredly at the now-shocked transparent being. Closing her book with a snap and yawning before standing, she stated, "Is this how you treat all the students, Mr. Trickster? Tsk, tsk. Such disrespect. Do you need me to teach you a lesson, Sir Troublesome?"
"No, no, Milady Valorence. I won't bother you again," Peeves murmured, faint-blue eyes locked with her own near-amber. Laughing nervously, he retreated through the wall.
Smirking to herself, Tora lay her head on both palms and sighed. "At least he remembers me," she stated before going back to her book.
August 15, 1996, Headmaster's Office, 2:30 AM
The head house elf –Finsy- stood before her master Professor Dumbledore, the standard uniform crisp and spotless against her small, slight form. The Headmaster sat behind his desk, expression serious and leaning forward onto the flat surface with strong hands clasped.
"The baggage had been placed in the room you requested, Master sir," the house elf stated without the usual nervousness of her species. She wasn't in charge of all her fellows for nothing.
"So he's arrived safely?" the bearded man asked softly.
"Just now, Master Dumbledore, and is now wandering the Halls. Does Master wish Finsy to get other Master?" the green haired figure asked, ready to find the man at a moment's notice. It would go against her nature and upbringing not to ask or do as he said.
The Headmaster shook his head 'no', then went on to discuss school preparations for the new semester's coming. After getting everything sorted out, Dumbledore dismissed Finsy with the wave of his hand. She curtsied and disappeared with a small pop.
The Headmaster, left alone, just smiled and eye-twinkled his wise blue orbs. He wondered how Tora would react to seeing someone thought dead in her own future, someone she was fond of but not quite so close to. He smiled.
One Remus Lupin was now in residence. And unknown to him, his two mysterious guests were meeting at that moment…
August 15, 1996, Room of Requirements, 2:37 AM
Tora picked up the book she had just dropped after sneezing quite a few times, thinking someone must be thinking about her often to cause it, and began to read. But it seemed someone up there didn't want her to even finish the second chapter, since the door opened –this time- and in stepped a surprisingly familiar person. He, in this time, did not know her, and was startled as she waved and smiled at him.
'Best to act normally; as if I am a stranger to him. Well, I am here,' Tornaroes thought to herself.
"Why hello there, sir. Is there something I can help you with?" Tora asked, smiling fakely at him. He knew those types of masks –having often worn them himself- but chose not to comment.
Remus J. Lupin did not know what to make of the odd looking girl before him. He'd never seen clothes anywhere similar to hers, the cloak excluded, and his wolf was telling him something just wasn't just about her. Firstly, the stranger's hair didn't look dyed, and those braids seemed older than she was. Secondly, why was her eye covered? It was possible she was like MadEye Moody, which seemed unlikely, or that she was just blind and didn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable.
Lastly, that golden eye. It wasn't human at all! The only person with similar orbs stared back at him in the mirror day after day, and those were dull and side affects from his curse, no where near the molten-amber like hers.
As the former DADA Professor was sizing her up, Tora was doing the same to him.
It was Master Lupin, alright. Same worn robes and tired expression save many less scars. He didn't have the ruby earrings Lord Sirius had given him last Christmas, his best friend's last gift, and looked… older than he really was without them. At least she now knew how to change things for the better, even for her old friend, unlike last time. 1
Tora just blinked at him and smiled as Lupin continued to stare uncertainly, not sure what to do and having forgotten what the strange girl had asked when he first walked in. "Let me introduce myself. I am called Tornaroes Valorence, and you are?"
Remus blinked and replied quickly, faintly blushing in embarrassment. "Remus Lupin. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
She smiled again, and for some reason it reminded him of a playful cat's amusement. "The pleasure's all mine, Master Lupin. What, if you don't mind my asking, are you doing in here? I thought I was alone to read."
"I could ask you the same thing," Lupin muttered warily, just loud enough for her to hear. But otherwise replied, "Just reacquainting myself with Hogwart's corridors. If I am bothering you, I can leave." He turned to go.
Tora stopped him as she laughed, raising from her table seat and placing her book on the wooden surface. "Not at all, Master Lupin. Please, sit and make yourself comfortable. Tea? Or would you prefer coffee?" She flicked her wand expertly and a tray of steaming mugs appeared on the table closest to them.
She sat and smiled up at him as he stared at the tempting refreshments. 'What could it hurt? Dumbledore wouldn't allow her in Hogwarts if he thought she was a danger or Death Eater spy.'
Remus shuttered, remembering the last time he'd seen Voldy's minions. He had lost his best friend, then, and was now the last of the Marauders, that counted that is. Then there was the werewolf Clan's offer, the disappiontment, trouble with Tonks. Only safe place, it seemed, was Hogwarts.
'I should have come sooner,' Tora thought to himself, seeing her future friend's obvious pain. But it couldn't be helped; if she had come sooner in the past, herself in this time would have known and attacked.
The werewolf sat across from her, staring nervously at the oaken table. Something was familiar about the youth –a comfortable feeling that made him want to trust her entirely- yet he couldn't quite place it…
"Coffee? Tea? Sugar with either?" her voice interrupted. She was smiling fakely again.
"Tea, please." As if he hadn't had enough on the train. Dumbledore had been kind enough pay for a coach on the last train to Hogsmeade; a late ride, but he'd wished to be out of that terribly depressing house as soon as he could.
The Black Manor, now the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters, reminded him too much of Sirius' own misery. Being trapped in that house, with no where to go and only the occasional visitor and Mrs. Black's portrait for company had given him a window into what the man he called Padfoot had felt for so long.
"Here you are," Tora stated as she set a cup of tea before the tired man. "Sugar?"
"No thank you." It was so late, and so close to the full moon, he felt terrible.
The youth noticed his discomfort and dispair, but chose not to comment. "Why is that you are at Hogwarts, Master Lupin? Are you a teacher?"
The man shook his head, dismissing the urge to yawn. "No, I was once. I resigned after my first year due to... complications."
Tora knew what those were, but kept silent behind her cheerful mask. It would be better to not let the get too close, here, and her mission would be all the easier for it. And she would have started planning already, if that annoying tracking spell placed upon her would allow it.
"What did you teach?" Tora asked, truly interested on his answer. Would he lie or tell the truth to a stranger that could find out anyway?
"Defense Against the Dark Arts," the man stated, a little embarrassed.
The youth smiled, playing with a loose braid from her bird-nest like hair as she sipped green tea laced with mint (her favorite, and quite relaxing) from flower engraved china. She told the truth, and seemed proud of it, too.
"Are you here to teach the knew term? I've heard instructor for last year ended up in a Mental Institution caused by too much stress and an unrecountable adventure in the Forbidden Forest." Tora laughed loudly inside, still playing polite/good girl. Her acting had come in handy, when caught by the Soulless, who never want the life energies of those who could deceive them so far.
Lupin shook his head, both as a negative and to clear it from the fog of sleep. It was just so late; the day had been too seeming-long…
The youth nodded once, yawning herself. "I wish to continue this again, Master Lupin. It is nice to chat with other Hogwarts guests don't you think?" she asked smiling, obviously tired, and placed her cup on the tray.
Remus followed her lead. "Some other time, then?"
"Yes, some other time." Disappearing the tray, Tora rose as Lupin did, walking to her other table to rescue her forgotten books.
Lupin reached the door, turning to servay the Room of Requirements once more. Tora smiled up at him, a few steps behind. "You have a nice imagination, to need all this," he stated, suddenly half asleep.
The girl nodded in agreement. "I miss the huge libraries of home, but this is an improvement to the smaller ones I've seen, around the school."
She turned the doorknob for him, patting him on the shoulder. For some reason, his half conscious mind didn't register the wolf's silence just by that gesture.
"Goodnight, Milord Remus." There was no teasing tone to her voice; she called him as she'd done in her own future. He deserved the respect, with all he'd been through, and would eventually go through.
Playing with a stray hair of his (longer, now, that he hadn't cut it since Sirius's fall through the Vale) and placing it behind his ear, she silently vowed to keep most of the causes of white hair in his future from happening.
"'Night," Lupin murmured. She was already gone, with one last unmasked smile.
Spoilers: Alright, you must be curious why Tornaroes keeps referring to 'last time'. Well, she came to Hogwarts in around Harry's seventh year, running away from her Clan. (Yes, she is a dark creature; only a halfling, though.) She could predict minor things, and messed the whole Fate of the Boy-Who-Lived-and-just-Wouldn't –Die with her interfering. So all she is doing now is setting things right, since the Soulless' release and most other bad things in her future is her own fault.
A/N: Ok. Good chapter? And sorry for the spelling errors in the last ones; I kinda rushed through them without editing. And will have them edited and up by Friday, I think.
Li