Disclaimer: I alas do not own Harry Potter I wish I did but I don't. All I own is this computer I'm working on and a few other items in this room of mine.
A/N: Hi people sorry about this being so late but I only got it back yesterday from my beater but I have to say she did a good job of fixing some of the mistakes in this chapter. Alright some of you asked about the mind spell Harry is using and I have this to say about it. It targets the areas of the bran that holds memories and buries them deeper down in the mind so if someone did remember them he or she would only get it in a odd dream, it has no major side effects and no one other then the caster can read that memory other then the caster of the spell. Hope that answers some questions and now on with the show.
Chapter 17: Four Elements and the Forgotten.
/ Telepathic /
24 December 1996 10:05 AM A.D
Harry was working in the Room of Requirements on the last of the rings he would gift his friends with for Christmas. The room bore a striking resemblance to his old cave workshop back in the past right down to Silvenestri's old bedding nock in the main cave. There was one difference though, a large table was placed in the middle of the room with the finely crafted tools used by jewellers scattered over it in apparent disarray.
The ring he was working on was a silver band with his symbol etched onto the face of it. The dragon's delicate eye socket had a single drop of mercury within it that, if it the activation spell worked as he believed it would, should cause the mercury to turn red when danger was near. The ring should also let the wearer know when he needed them.
Harry nodded at his handy work and looked over at the ten rings he had already completed. They were set out in a neat row and one was separate from the others, set a little to one side. Unlike the other nine this one ring had a diamond inset into the dragon's eye and not a drop of mercury, as had the others. Nor was the gem the only difference as this ring was crafted not from silver but from white gold.
"I hope she likes it." He whispered to the room at large.
Just then there was a knock on the door followed by Professor McGonagall's voice. "Mr. Potter, Professor Dumbledore would like to talk with you now."
Harry walked over to the door and opened it carefully so that he could stick his head out of the room but not allow his Professor to see into the room. He was not quite ready for anyone to see his work. "I'll be there in a minute Professor."
Before she could say anything Harry went back in, the door closed behind him and he fetched his cloak and the rings, whisking them into a pocket. Professor McGonagall was still standing in the hallway waiting for him and her hands rested on her hips and she watched him with narrowed eyes.
"Mr. Potter what have you been doing in there for the past month?" McGonagall asked as they're walked down to Dumbledore's office, Harry's cloak blowing gently in the light wind that somehow always managed to get through the cracks in the castle walls.
"Oh, nothing major Professor. Just working on my spells and skills for the day I face Voldemort." Harry said as they're arrived at Dumbledore's office door.
Minerva nodded a short sharp motion and her gaze rested on him for one very intense moment before she uttered the password. As she turned and left Harry and Dumbledore to talk she was frowning and thinking that Harry had been acting very strange lately but she reflected that these were strange and troubling times. They all had much on their minds with the threat of Voldemort and just now she was looking forward to the kettle that should be boiling in her office and the makings of a nice cup of tea to warm her up on this cold December day.
Harry sighed softly as he walked up the stairs and into Professor Dumbledore's office without knocking and managed to hide his surprise to see his headmaster sitting behind his desk with none other than Charley Weasley and the twins standing behind him.
"You wanted to see me Professor?" Harry said when he had taken a seat in front of them all, his cloak rattling a little from the rings he had in it. He unobtrusively grasped the pocket to quiet the rings as he settled into his seat. 'I'm relieved that my spell didn't hurt him, just knock him out for a little while. I will have to be careful with magic as powerful as that not to hurt someone and Charley has been exposed to it twice. I don't think he could recover so well from a third time. ' He thought, giving Charley a brief nod, which was returned with an equally faint response.
"Ah, yes Harry. We were just talking about that dragon in the Forbidden Forest that Charley here has thus far been unsuccessfully trying to catch." He nodded briefly to Harry then quietly spoke to Charley who nodded and then the professor dismissed the Weasley's and turned back to Harry. "Now Harry, I and some of the staff were wondering where you have gotten some of your powers and what you have been up to this summer. Tonks is being singularly uncooperative at the moment and not informing the teaching staff of your progress. We must be aware at all times that these are dangerous times. Unsettled times and that to face what is to come we must all have confidence in each other and in our respective abilities."
Harry looked at Dumbledore and wondered if the Professor actually expected him to tell all of his secrets but he had more respect for the professor than to merely jump to conclusions and even as he thought it he could feel the first tentative touches against his defenses. Dumbledore was trying to penetrate his mental defenses. Was this a serious attempt to learn his secrets or was Dumbledore merely testing how well he had studied under Tonks?
Deciding to not jump to conclusions and perhaps give something away Harry strengthened his mental defenses and waited to see what developed. "Well, if you haven't guessed I am now reasonably able at the skill of Occlumency. I am quite capable of blocking your mind and anything else is my affair not yours."
A smile twitched at the corner of the Headmasters lips, hidden by the flowing beard and moustache. "Indeed? There are matters that we are going to need to discuss at some point, young Harry. You have more than doubled your power sense this last year and it seems to be a rather remarkable side effect that everyone who has been with you lately is also growing in power. For example Tonks' mind shield was never that powerful until she started to teach you. Miss Granger's Charm work has doubled as well and there have been notable improvements in her other classes. Now is it not entirely reasonable, Harry, that the teaching staff should notice these improvements?" Dumbledore slipped a tendril of thought against the mental barrier that Harry maintained, feeling along the 'wall' for any hint of weakness. "Perhaps there is something you need to tell us, Harry?"
Harry almost found himself squirming under those sparkling eyes. Dumbledore seemed to be amused by the entire affair and Harry could not decide if that was a good thing or not. With the Headmaster one could never tell. Hoping he was not in for a fall because he knew that he was so much younger than the man seated across from him, he smiled at Dumbledore and continued to maintain the barrier. It was rather disconcerting to be seated here and to feel that light touch on his mind and while disconcerting it was becoming rather amusing. He found himself playing with the touch, opening the barrier, not long enough for Dumbledore to enter but enough to make his awareness of just where the other man's touch was obvious. Open, flick closed, open, flick closed. Yes, this could be fun.
"Nothing Professor. Can I go?"
For a long moment Dumbledore watched him, noting the growing ease with which Harry evaded contact with him and he resisted the urge to smile. He had learned what he needed to know for now and motioned toward the door in dismissal. Yes, Harry was growing up. Developing and that was good for Voldemort would not long give them respite. He needed the boy strong.
"You may indeed, Mr Potter."
He waited for Harry to leave the office and for the always-observant gallery of headmasters to lose interest in any possible reactions he might have before he permitted the smile to show. He had work to do but he was indeed very pleased with the little game of hide and go seek Harry had just played with his mind.
"Little rascal was enjoying that to much." He chuckled, looking back down at the papers on his desk.
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Harry was sitting in Rowena's room later that day with a book on rune magic open in front of him. He was searching through the extensive library Rowena had gathered for a spell that would enable him to learn if ancient allies of the Dragon Lords still existed in the present time. He had been taught that those he sought had escaped to a hidden place, possibly within another dimension or at least behind powerful barriers. He needed to learn if they had survived or if somewhere in the mists of time they had succumbed and he would have no assistance from them for the coming conflict.
Rowena was seated across from Harry also reading a book of rune magic to help find what he was looking for. "Well, this one is another dead end." She rose gracefully and moved to the bookshelf, replacing the read tome and pulling down another. Her attention was centred on Harry and she did not look as she moved the books around with a casual flick of the wrist and a light touch of magic.
Harry sighed softly and continued to read. He was acutely aware of the time this search was taking but knew that he had to be patient and keep reading until he found either a spell or a ritual that would permit him to discover the answers to his questions. He needed to locate a spell that would enable him to summon a leader of any race, the race to be stipulated at the casting of the spell, to him. He needed to summon the individual and hold it stable no matter where that subject originated from, whether from this reality or some parallel world. It was a rare magic and for that reason they searched the tomes containing the rarest of castings.
Turning a page in the tome his eyes lighted on the intricate symbols and he sat up straighter in his seat, eyes running quickly over the description until he was certain that he was not mistaken. He had had false alarms before and he was not going to be fooled again.
"Got it." Harry cried as he stood up and carried the book over to Rowena who had settled once again in her seat and was leafing through her new book.
"According to this all we will need is four elemental circles plus the focus - which we have already. We will need four people to chant the spell and… ah. Four ingredients are required. The feather of a Phoenix a Hair from the mane of a Unicorn, Scales of a Merfolk and the feather of a Hippogriff. If this spell is said properly then we will have a leader of any race stated held within the focus circle ready for us to talk to."
Rowena smiled at Harry. "Well, you have the circles and three people to say the spell not counting yourself. All you need is the ingredients. Now where are you going to get them?"
Harry glanced up from the book and smiled at her "Well, the Unicorn hair should not be a problem. Hermione can get that from the Forbidden Forest. She should be fine with her wand and that cloak I gave her for her birthday present. The scales from a Merfolk likewise should not be too big a drama. Silvenestri can get those since she can breathe under water longer than any spell I can cast. The Hippogriff feather Tonks can get from…." Harry stopped thinking that he was going to be sending Tonks to Number 12 Grimmauld for a feather from Buckbeak and Sirius would not be there. Everything had changed with the death of his Godfather.
Rowena nodded, understanding and finished the sentence for him "She can fetch a feather from your godfather's house. Where are you intending to get the Phoenix feather?" she asked wishing she could touch him to offer some comfort.
Harry managed a smile that turned into a smirk. "From here of course."
"Oh? Where? I hope you don't mean Fawkes." Rowena sat up straight in her chair, closing the tome before her as she looked at Harry and the smirk. "I take that back. Of course you mean Fawkes. What other Phoenix is there within Hogwarts for you to steal a feather from?"
Harry's smile grew even bigger. "Of course I mean to get one from Fawkes… Tonight."
Rowena looked horrified but nodded and watched as Harry left the room no doubt to give his friends the jobs needed for the ritual to be completed.
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Hermione Granger was not amused.
Hermione decided she did not like this plan at all. The first thing that she had against it was that she was now walking into the Forbidden Forest. A second problem with the plan was that she was doing so at night. Why was she wandering around the Forbidden Forest at all hours of the night?
"Because bloody Harry Potter wants a hair from a horses mane. And not just any horse will do either. Noooo. It has to be a Unicorn. Why am I a virgin? If I wasn't a virgin I would not be trudging through the damn fool forest at night looking for a Unicorn. For all I know the one I find… eventually… might be gay. Oh, that would be lovely. That would give his majesty the Dragon Lord a problem, wouldn't it? For sure the unicorn would see him coming and laugh itself sick. Who started this stupid rumor about Unicorns and virgins anyway?"
Muttering softly to herself as she picked her way through the dark tangled roots of the forest giants she thought that she would much prefer to be attending to one of the other tasks that needed doing. Tonks had taken herself off to London to fetch a feather from the hippogriff Buckbeak and Silvenestri and gone into the lake to seek out Merfolk scales. While, admittedly it would have been a problem for her to go into the lake she was perfectly capable of finding her way around London.
"As for Harry … Well… Just where has Mr. Harry bossy Potter gone?" He vanished not long after telling them what he needed from them without a word to explain his plans, giving Hermione no time to protest her assignment. Some days she worried that Harry was becoming too full of himself. It simply was not the Harry that she knew.
Hermione paused, looking around at the twisted trunks and knotted roots of the trees and shuddered. There were 'things' in the Forbidden forest that she did not want to meet and she was so going to have words with Harry when she made it back to Hogwarts. Just where in this tangled mass of vegetation was she to find a Unicorn?
"Well, I can only hope they are not too far in." She whispered and started to walk deeper into the forest. "Why did it have to be at night? It's bad enough during the day in here but at night… I hate you, Harry."
Hermione had only just started to walk again when the sound of singing disrupted the eerie quiet of the forest. Hermione clenched her teeth as the very out of tune caterwauling caused shudders to run up and down her spine. It sounded disturbingly similar to a dog howling in pain. Turning around quickly Hermione sighed when she saw Hagrid walking up to her a smile on his face.
"Hello Hermione. Now what are you doing here after dark?" Hagrid held his huge crossbow against his shoulder as he studied the girl, then his eyes flicked over the darkened forest about them. "It's not safe in here for you."
Hermione looked around the darkened forest, briefly entertaining the notion of making a run for it but dismissed the idea with a sigh. Hagrid knew the forest better than anyone and escaping him here would be next to impossible.
"Good evening, Hagrid. I'm out here to find some Unicorn hair. Hair from the mane of a Unicorn for a proj…"
"You mean for Harry and that Dragon of his." Hagrid cut her off and tsk'ed softly at her panicked look. "No need to worry, Hermione. I won't be tell'in anyone. Before you say anything I should tell you I've known about Harry and that dragon ever since Charley Weasley and his brothers first tried catchin' it. I was in the forest that day and I saw everythin'." Hagrid's shaggy head shook slowly from side to side as he studied the girl. "Not pretty that but believe me, Harry really did hold back from what I've read about his kind. They were not the nicest of people, Dragon Lords. I'm hop'in that Harry won't be turnin' into one of them and forgettin' his friends."
Hermione sighed and hugged Hagrid tightly, feeling immeasurably safer with the huge man standing protectively beside her. "Thank you Hagrid, for not saying anything. He's still Harry. I've read the legends too but believe me, he's still our Harry. I have to get the hair from the unicorn. It is very important."
Hagrid smiled down at her as he considered the slender young woman she had become over the years and with a deep grunt he motioned off into the depths of the forest and started to lead her into the forest's heart. "I dare say it is. Something to be used against Him, I expect. Come on. I'll help you."
Hermione nodded and set off after Hagrid, who smiled down at her as she caught a firm grip on a fold of his coat. Hermione kept close to the big man and could only hope that this foray into the forest would indeed prove to be a vital play in the confrontation yet to come between Harry and He Who Must Not Be Named. If she could trust Harry he was planning to end this war sooner than anyone thought possible.
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Silvenestri stood by the lakeshore admiring the view as the moon slowly rose. The half moon shed soft radiance over the scene, the lakes calm waters reflecting the surrounding hills and mountains beauty. It was a peaceful scene and one that appealed to the dragon heart of her. It would be a good place to make her home in a cave overlooking this tranquil scene.
"Well, better get this over with. It's too exposed out here to change forms."
She started to walk out onto the water. Though the lake never totally froze over even in the heart of winter this night the ice that rimmed the lake water was thick enough for her to cross a goodly portion of the water before she came to open water. She paused as she surveyed the lake, noting how the water flowed, a slow current that kept the ice from forming in this deepest part of the lake. It almost seemed that the water sought to pull her into its icy embrace.
"Now where was that city again?"
There was no indication above the lake of the location of the merfolk city but she needed no visual aids. Her draconic senses were sufficient for her to detect the subtle differences in the water, the swirl in the currents and the odd tang to the air that spoke to her of merfolk. A faint nod set her hair shimmering in the moonlight as she turned to face a north westerly direction and she tasted the air again, confirming her direction. With a low sigh she stepped from the ice and permitted herself to sink into the ice cold embrace of the water.
/Bracing./ She mused as she sank deeper into the lake, feeling the cold tingle along her body and with depth sufficient to hide her true form from those who lived in the world above Silvenestri initiated the physical transformation. /Delightfully bracing./
The darkness of the water was no impediment to draconic eyes, which shone like jewels in the lake. Using her wings she almost flew through the water, the slow sweep of the mighty wings propelling her through the water with little effort.
She could taste the merfolk in the water and it proved no difficulty to locate the city. The strange lights used by the folk illuminated the city in a soft glow and she found it oddly beautiful to behold. It was a very different world to the world of the humans.
/Bingo. Now to get those scales and I wonder if I am going to have any arguments over my errand/
It was no surprise that there was a stir in the city or that the city guard was assembling between her and the city. Each of the guard carried long tridents and many of them were shaking out nets but none of them looked happy to see a dragon. None of them looked happy about having to face one either but they faced her with bravery and a tall Merman with a trident in one hand and a net in the other swam forward, marking himself as a leader amid the group. He stopped a respectful distance from the shimmering dragon who now rested on the floor of the lake, even going so far as to offer her a small respectful bow.
/This one is brave. He shows respect./
"With respect, O Silver One, who are you?" he spoke in his native tongue, one webbed hand clasped tightly around the trident.
Silvenestri considered him for a long moment before she lowered her head closer to his level and making use of her power answered him, mind to mind. "I come seeking scales from one of your people. I have a need that must be fulfilled."
The merman looked at the dragon for a long time and half turned as an older Merman swam up to them. "What say you, Elder? The dragon asks for the scales from one of us and then she will leave. Shall we do as she asks and give to her of our skin?"
The elder hovered beside the guard for a moment and turned aged eyes to the dragon. After a moment he swam up closer to Silvenestri and settling his feet to the lake bottom he bowed low to her. "You may have the scales of one of we who are old. It would be an honour to provide you with so simple a need. How many scales would the Great One need?" His voice remained firm and strong though it was wispy with age and there appeared to be no fear in him.
Silvenestri lowered her head to rest eye ball to eye ball with the old merman and nodded after all Harry had not stipulated that the scales must come from a male or female, young or old. He had simply said he wanted the scales of a merfolk. If he wanted something more specific then he should have said so.
"Just a human hand full, Old One."
The old merman nodded and reached down to his own tail where he pulled off some of his scales, wincing at each tug and when he had removed five of the scales he handed them over to Silvenestri. The dragon dipped her head respectfully to the Elder who bowed in turn to her and watched as the shimmering dragon started for the surface.
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Tonks landed on the floor of Number 12 Grimmauld Place with a thud. She had travelled by the by floo system from Hogsmeade, not wishing to alert anyone at Hogwarts to her journey at this time. Looking around the room it was clear to see that Mrs Weasley has been working on the house. The walls were freshly painted and new furniture was in the room. Climbing to her feet as she looked around Tonks thought that the room certainly looked better when the door was thrust open and Molly Weasely marched in, her wand at the ready.
"Tonks! What a relief. What are you doing here, dear? Nothing happened at the school I hope?" Molly quickly walked up to Tonks and performed a clearing charm on her. "There, that's better."
"No, nothing is wrong. I just stopped by for some of my thing that I left here over the summer." Tonks offered a brief smile before walking by Molly and into the hall. She walked past the portrait of Mrs Black who, she noticed had a silencing charm cast on her to keep her quiet.
"That's fine, Dear. I'm working in the kitchen if you need anything."
Tonks hurried up the stairs and to Sirius's room where Buckbeak was being kept. Swallowing uneasily Tonks offered a deep bow to the regal creature that considered her over his dinner bowl of rats, blinking at her before he shook himself and returned the bow.
"Hey there, Big Guy. If you don't mind I just need one of you feathers that you've moulted up here. It's for a good cause and then I'll be gone and leave you to your dinner."
She said looked around the room at the few feathers scattered around the room. The Hippogriff's make shift stable had obviously recently been cleaned but there were a few feathers remaining and she hoped to find one that was in good condition. Somehow she did not think that an old and ratty feather would do for the spell. Buckbeak somehow seemed to know what she wanted for he lowered his head and that hooked beak picked a feather from the floor near his hooves and with a toss of his head he flipped the feather at her and promptly returned to his dinner.
"Thank you." Tonks bowed and then left the room, stopping at her old room to grab some of her things there. It would not do to go down stairs without evidence to back up her claim of why she was here this night.
"Get everything that you needed, Dear? That's good. Cup of tea?" Molly emerged from the kitchen as Tonks came down the stairs, looking hopeful and Tonks realised that Molly would be rather isolated here with everyone so busy.
"I'd love one." Tonks smiled and followed Molly into the kitchen.
She could pass a few minutes talking to Mrs Weasley and then she would leave by the floo and be back at Hogwarts for this ritual. Hermione would take hours to fetch a Unicorn hair and she had plenty of time. It was such a relief that she did not have to fight a very upset Hippogriff who objected to her pulling out a feather.
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Harry was standing in Rowena's room dressed in his armour and with the cloak draped over his shoulders, hiding the sword. He looked once again at the clock that he had added to the room and drummed his fingers absently against the mantle. He was waiting not only to give the girl's time to do their jobs but also for dinner to come around. Dinner was an integral part of his plan to acquire the phoenix feather.
Rowena was looking at Harry and shaking her head from side to side. "I can't believe that your plan is to walk up to his office and ask for one of the feathers. I mean, he is one of the few people in the world who can take you on and stand toe to toe with you… and win."
Harry smiled and looked up at her. He was only too aware that Dumbledore had a great deal of power and that he was in effect a boy in comparison. Nor was he at the full strength of his abilities but it was not as though he actually planned to come face to face with Dumbledore.
"Ah, but if I time my visit for when he is at dinner I can get into his office and ask Fawkes if I can have one of his feather before Dumbledore gets back."
Rowena sighed and nodded." Very well, then. I'll keep an eye out while you get the feather. I only hope the other founders are busy or they will want to know what you are doing." Her voice remained in the room for seconds after her body vanished.
Harry pursed his lips and blinked at her comment. He had forgotten about the other founders who might be wandering about Hogwarts and who could slip into the Headmasters office at will. He nodded to himself, hoping that Rowena could distract any unwanted witnesses and altered his face so that by any chance if he came face to face with the Headmaster Dumbledore wouldn't recognise him. Taking a deep breath he then left the room and headed to Dumbledore's office taking care to move from shadow to shadow. He hid in a nook to escape the notice of the Professors who were on their way to dinner missing running into them by mere inches.
True to his now normal method of entering a room uninvited Harry did not knock on reaching the headmasters office. He simply barrelled through the door and not until it was too late did he realise to his surprise and dismay that Professor Dumbledore was still sitting in his office working later than normal.
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Thanks to the following reviewers:
lucy-lollipop, Darkepyon, athenakitty (Tonks want be getting the armour for herself but she well get her own clock.), gaull, David M. Potter, Musings-of-Apathy, HeWhoComesWithTheDawn (I'm afraid that yes Ron still thinks Harry broke him and Hermione up.), King Dimension, bandgsecurtiyaw, yo-yo55d, Silverscale, fireflashphoenix, jollander (Harry is working for his old strength back but it well take seven years to get it back the same as it took him to get it in the first place.), lmill123, padfootstwin2 (They well get back together later on but not at the moment.), the Desert Fox, danielc (Charlie did try to get Tonks into bed in there when they where dating but Tonks stopped him when he asked her to become someone else and that is why there broke up.), Mid, R-Krulle, BlurryFuture, jpthug12, The Lady Reaper of the Shadows.