Title: Saishū Yume
Author: Ex-Professor Remus Lupin
Rating: R
Genre: Action/Adventure/Alternate Universe/Romance
Era: None
Pairing(s): Remus/Sirius, Severus/Harry
Summary: It starts, as a simple kidnapping. It will become an adventure unlike any other as a group of mismatched heroes find themselves drawn into a war for not only their lives, but also their very souls.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author's Note: This chapter has plot. Lots of plot! Which makes me a very happy author. I'm a bit worried about the characterization of certain characters so tell me how bad of a job I did while I send thanks to my beta, HK for reading through this chapter.
-
Chapter Twenty-Five
Slytherin
-
Later that evening, Ginevra gazed uncertainly across the table as Narcissa used a small hunting dagger to etch her initials into it. Hagrid stood beside her, his presence a comfort in this harsh environment. The half-giant had been a great help to her since she had met up with him in Ravenclaw after the flight from Gryffindor. Now that she was once again planning on joining Sirius, she was extremely pleased to have him there.

Severus was sitting at the table as well, drinking deeply from a glass. Harry was perched carefully on the edge of his chair. He had removed his cloak and it was clear that despite his somewhat feminine form, that he was nothing but male. The elf noted with a smile that Severus was making a point to look at anything but Harry.

"So what next?" she asked.

"I will be returning to Slytherin this afternoon by airship. I hope to return tomorrow in time for the coronation," Severus said.

"Why?" Harry asked curiously.

Severus took another drink from his glass. Setting it down, he sighed, meeting Harry's eye for the first time in nearly thirty minutes.

"There are some things that I need to get that can only be found in Slytherin," he answered.

"Like what?" everyone looked toward the door.

Sirius stood there, arms crossed casually over his chest.

"I need a few ingredients for a potion that I can only get in Slytherin," Severus answered smoothly.

"Which means they're illegal," Sirius said, striding into the room. "Well, I'm going as well, there's a tournament going on in Slytherin that I want to participate in."

"Tournament?" Harry asked.

"You mean the card tournament?" Narcissa asked suddenly, looking up from her initials.

"Yeah, I entered last year, made it to the final round," Sirius answered.

"Of course," Narcissa frowned, pulling a deck of cards from her pocket. "Well, I'll go, if only to beat you."

"Thanks," Sirius said dryly.

-

Tonks walked about the town center, glancing at shadows with interest and then sighing at her own lack of interest. "Looks like no ones here," Kingsley said from the other side of the center.

"Yeah," she said, moving back toward him.

"Well, this is the only thing we can do for Sirius," Kingsley said wisely.

"True, gotta keep the peace," Tonks grinned. "It's such a nice night, let's finish our rounds and go to the Leaky Cauldron."

"Sure thing."

-

"You've been here before?" Sirius asked as he stepped off of the small cargo ship that had been good enough to take them from Gryffindor to Slytherin.

"What about you?" Narcissa demanded, ignoring the question.

"Didn't I already say that I'd been here last year?" Sirius asked.

"Do I look like I pay attention to what you say?" Narcissa rolled her eyes. "We ought to register, the contest starts soon and this airship," she jerked her head to the small airship in the dock, "is leaving at dawn."

"I want to go sight seeing," Harry said suddenly, grabbing Severus' hand. "We can go to your place and then you can show me around."

"Fine," Severus grumbled, leading Harry out of the airship dock and onto the busy street beyond.

"I am going to take this chance to relax some," Ginevra said.

She was once more in her dragon armor, the yellow-gold scales glimmering in the dull lights above. Hagrid nodded, following after her. Sirius watched them and then turned back to the outlaw.

"What about you?" he asked.

"I'm going to follow you for a bit," she said. "The tournament starts in a few hours, we've got to be registered soon. May as well get it over and done with."

-

Harry gazed up at the immense buildings around them as he allowed Severus to pull him down the street. He had been expecting something like Gryffindor, with its soft stone terra cotta buildings and brown roofs. Even Gryffindor castle, the white marble walls rounded and fitted smoothly together, including the crystal sword at it's center, seemed so much more welcoming than the harsh, dark colors of Slytherin.

The buildings were made of dark stone, fitting together smoothly. It had a sort of raw fluidity to it that reminded Harry of a serpent. It was a stark change from the gold and reds of Gryffindor to these dull silvers and greens. Looking about in interest as they made their way toward the city's center, Harry had to resist the urge to go off on his own as he caught sight of several rather interesting looking shops.

"Follow me," Severus said, his voice just barely heard through the dull roar of the people swarming around them. "And keep your face covered."

Harry didn't think it prudent to point out that Severus' grip on his hand was almost tight enough to cut circulation. Instead, he nodded and quickened his steps a bit more, holding on the edge of his hood with the other hand so that it would not be knocked from his head.

"What do you think about Sirius?" Harry asked, looking for a topic that the mage might actually be willing to discuss, or at least say something interesting about.

"Both Sirius and Remus are as thick as the stones on these buildings," Severus said petulantly.

"What?" Harry tilted his head, trying to see the mage's face, but finding it impossible without removing his hood.

"They don't truly realize how they feel about the other until they are apart," the mage explained. "And now, whatever chance Sirius stood is lost. Which means we'll have to deal with the consequences."

"You're not making a lot of sense," Harry said with a sigh of frustration. "I mean, if they both like each other, what else matters."

Harry felt more than saw the mage stop. With a grunt of surprise, he ran into the taller man's back. Taking a quick step back, he lost Severus' hand just as a crowd of people pressed in around them. He didn't have the chance to find Severus again as a massive carriage passed before the crowd. Which explained why the mage had stopped in the first place.

Trying to push back to the front where Severus was, Harry found himself blocked on all side, people pressed in around him. It happened before he could process what was wrong. His breath started coming fast and he fought against the direction of the crowd, trying to get away from the press of people. His blood was pumping fiercely and he was drowning. He dropped his hand from his hood and quickly it fluttered down onto his shoulders.

A hand fell on his shoulder, and he turned, his hand flying out to strike. There was a crunching sound as his fist connected and he gasped as Severus reeled back, pulling Harry forward as they both fell to the ground.

"Watch it, idiot!" someone yelled, stepping around them. Several other people yelled obscenities, but Harry wasn't paying attention as he wrapped his arms around Severus' neck, burying his face in the mage's throat.

Severus, his right hand over his eye, stiffened visibly at the summoner's close proximity. With a growl, he shoved Harry back, and glared at him, one eye blacked from Harry's wild punch.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, reaching out a hand. "Let me heal it."

"Leave it," Severus snapped, standing up and dragging Harry to his feet as well. "Come on, we have to get moving."

"What? Why?"

"Because we are blocking traffic," the mage explained, motioning to the mass of people moving around them both, muttering curses at them.

"Are you sure you don't want me to heal that?" Harry asked, catching Severus' hand as they began to move again. He moved closer this time, his side pressed against Severus' as they started down the street once more. There would be no chance of getting separated this way, not to mention it was comfortable.

"Not now."

-

Sirius and Narcissa entered the large, plain building that was hosting the Card Tournament. A dour looking older man in clothes of green and silver greeted them at the front desk. Moving carefully through a crowd of potential players, they made their way to the desk. The man looked up at them.

"Are you interested in registering for the tournament?" he asked.

"Yes, we both are," the man's eyes widened as Sirius spoke.

"That's good, we're glad to have you," he picked up a quill and, after dipping it in the inkbottle beside him, set it to the parchment before him. "I just need your information."

Five minutes later, the tournament was ready to begin and Sirius was seated across from his first opponent. It was a quick match, as most tetra master games were and he managed to take all five of the other man's cards in a perfect game. Gathering the various numbered cards, he spotted a few with odd names.

"Hogwarts," he said, gazing at the strange creature on the deck. He wasn't sure what he been expecting, but it certainly hadn't been the strange creature presented. It was a castle of some kind, with massive white-feathered wings.

"It's a creature from the hero legend," his opponent explained, seeing his puzzled look as he examined the card. "Apparently, Helga, Rowena, Godric, and Salazar called on that creature in the final battle against Grindelwald."

"They were summoners," Sirius said absently. "So this must be the most powerful of the Eidolons."

The other man shrugged.

"No idea, but it's a rare card, hold on to that," the man said, pointing a gnarled finger at him. Sirius tucked it into his pocket.

"Don't worry, it'll be in safe hands."

-

Severus' home was almost exactly what Harry had expected. The front room lined with bookshelves filled to the brim with books. Scanning the titles, Harry saw that most of them covered Black Magic and various potions. Sighing, the summoner, walked carefully around the room, one finger running over the various titles gilded into leather bindings.

"Be careful with those books," Severus said, appearing from the hallway. He had changed from the plain black work robes into a softer looking black fabric, cinched at the waist by a silver braided cord.

"Why? Do they bite?" Harry asked, tapping one book aptly titled, "The Monster Book of Monsters." It growled violently and Harry jumped back, bumping into the mage as he crossed the room, coming up behind him.

"Yes," Severus replied dryly.

Harry glanced at him for a moment, wondering if he was joking, but the look on Severus' face made it clear that he wasn't kidding. The summoner sighed, glancing at the book once more before he turned to watch the mage pull a bag of some sort from one of the higher shelves above the growling book.

"What's that?" Harry asked, following Severus as he left the front room into a smaller room.

It was several degrees cooler in this room than in the other rooms and Harry shivered, tucking his cloak around him a bit more. He had learned quickly upon arriving at Gryffindor that the weather was much cooler. But this, this was ridiculous.

"This is a case made specifically for holding potions," Severus explained, laying the bag upon the table and pulling it open.

It was nearly twice its original size now, the inside lined with small, fitted pouches into which there were fitted thin vials of various colors and materials.

"Can I?" he asked, reaching toward one of the vials.

"Just don't break one, some of these are valuable," the mage replied, moving toward the wall where bottles of different sizes lined the shelves.

Harry nodded, pulling out a small, clear vial. It was empty of course, but the material of the vial wasn't anything like glass. In fact, Harry could swear that had facets to it. Bringing the vial close to his face, he examined it carefully, looking through and to the other table covered with cauldrons and other materials that were probably needed for making potions.

"That one is made of diamond," Severus explained as Harry slid it back into its proper pouch and made to ask. "Diamonds are indestructible, except by high temperatures, take this," he pulled down a large tear shaped bottle filled with thick grass green liquid. "This is a type of poison. Highly traceable, but if it comes in contact with the skin, it will eat through the flesh and kill you that way."

Harry stuck his tongue out, face twisting with disgust. Severus smirked, shaking his head and he returned the bottle to its place on the shelf.

"Yes, highly disgusting, I've seen what it does to a person," he said, eye narrowing dangerously. "There is no antidote, the only thing you can do is die. Painfully, I might add."

"Why in the world would you have a bottle?" Harry asked.

Severus glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and he pulled down a large bottle of softly glowing blue liquid and brought it back to the table Harry was standing beside, examining the various vials lined across the bag.

"It is a very difficult potion to brew. I bought that here in Slytherin. It is less likely to be used in my hands than in someone else's," he answered darkly.

"Can't you just get rid of it?" Harry asked.

Severus shook his head, taking out the line of blue glass vials and carefully filling them with the blue potion.

"It's far too toxic for that. It'd most likely eat through the ground and get into the water supply. It's something like a virus in that it will find a way to spread. I've been trying to find a way to neutralize its dangerous qualities, but it's turning out to be nearly impossible."

"Oh," Harry sighed. "What's the blue stuff?"

"Healing potion, this will heal minor cuts and bruises."

"That's useful."

"With the way we seem to get injured, it's very useful," the mage said, placing the vials back into the top row and removing several dark blue vials on the opposite side. "These of course will hold a stronger healing potion. It will heal everything except broken bones. Of course, even white magic has trouble doing that."

Harry frowned.

"Actually, the Curaga spell will heal broken bones," he said slowly. "Of course, the bone has to be set first for it too work properly.

Severus hummed in agreement as he returned to the shelf and pulled down a glowing dark blue potion. Obviously it was the stronger healing potion.

"What other potions are you going to get?" Harry asked, pulling off his cloak and laying it on the stool nearby. He pulled himself up onto the table, and sat, swinging his legs as he watched the mage carefully fill the vials.

"Well, once I've gotten the first three rows filled with the healing potions, I'm going to get various antidotes of course," Severus replied. "With our luck, we'll need at least two rows of those."

"Well, that's five, what'll the last on have?" Harry asked.

"Simple," the mage's voice grew cold. "Poisons of sorts. I have one that will dehydrate a person within a few minutes. I'll have a vial of that. Then perhaps a few blood replenishing vials. Those can come in handy. It's difficult to make and hard to come by, but I have enough for three vials."

"Oh," Harry sighed. "So, how're you going to keep those from breaking?"

"There is a spell on this bag that keeps everything from breaking; a cushioning charm of some kind that I've never been able to find in any of the books that I've read. I'm not sure where it comes from."

"Maybe it's magic from another race or something," Harry suggested.

"There are three intelligent species that I am aware of; humans, elves, of which there are two subspecies, and of course giants. None of them have magic like this."

"What about Centaurs and Dragons?" Harry asked. "I mean Regulus' dragon talks doesn't it?"

"Dragons are considered beasts, the same can be said of Centaurs," Severus answered.

"Oh. How long is this going to take?" the mage looked sharply at him.

"It'll take however long it takes," he said. Harry pouted and Severus smirked, shaking his head as he returned the healing potion to its place on the shelf and moved down the wall to take down another bottle before returning to the table. "If you're bored, find some way to entertain yourself."

"I don't want to touch anything in here," Harry said.

"If you'd like, I have a few white magic books on the lower shelves in the other room that you can look at. Perhaps you'll find a spell that you can learn."

"I don't want to study," the summoner said lowly, kicking the air and leaning back a bit onto his hands, staring at the ceiling. "Where do you sleep?"

"What?" Severus' looked over at him, black eyes hiding whatever he was thinking.

"Well, I don't see any other rooms, so do you sleep on the couch in the front room or what?" Harry asked, curiously.

"No," Severus said carefully. "My bedroom is hidden behind one of the book shelves. I like my privacy."

"Obviously, this place is cold, and I don't just mean the temperature," Harry shuddered, running his hands up and down his arms to ride his arms of the goose bumps that had appeared. "It's like no one lives here."

"I live here and I find it perfectly comfortable," Severus said distractedly as he carefully filled a few more vials.

"What happens if someone else moves in?" Harry asked.

"Why would someone else move in?"

"Well," Harry frowned. "I mean, what if you get married or something."

"I can't marry," the summoner's eyes widened a bit.

"Why not?" Severus set down the potion bottle and put the vials back into place. With a sigh, he glanced at Harry.

"I am uncertain about the ways of your people, but in Slytherin and Gryffindor, marriage is between a man and a woman."

"So you would marry a man, than?" Harry prodded. Severus glowered at him.

"I don't want to marry anyone," he said, his voice nearing something like a snarl.

"Why not?"

"Because, even if it were socially acceptable in Slytherin, marriage is, or should be, about love," Harry made a soft sound of agreement.

Severus glared at him and turned back to the shelves to retrieve another potion. When he returned to the table, Harry was watching him carefully, green eyes narrowed as he thought over what the mage had said.

"So, you're a shaman?" he asked.

"A what?" the mage looked sharply at him.

"In my village, males and females that are attracted to people of their same gender are called shamans. Since we don't feel the need to procreate our magic is significantly more powerful. Remus is a shaman, he just doesn't know it."

Severus arched an eyebrow at him.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"Well, summoners automatically are more aware of their environment, especially of other summoners. When we reach puberty, we are taught how to sense magic signatures from other magic users. Remus is really powerful. He'd have to be if Bahamut was one of the Eidolons that his father stole from him. Bahamut is one of the most powerful Eidolons that I know of, right behind the Holy One."

"Holy One?" Severus asked, effectively changing the subject.

"Hogwarts," Harry answered, "and don't change the subject. Are you a shaman or not?"

Severus frowned, setting down the potion bottle he had just pulled down.

"I don't see how it would be any of your business," he said sharply.

"Simple, I want to kiss you and it would be better if I asked you first," the summoner replied easily. Severus stared at him for a moment, before shaking his head.

"How do you know I would let you?" he demanded.

"Why do you think I'm asking?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes.

"You're impossible," the mage muttered darkly.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Severus demanded.

"Can I?" Harry was dangerously close now, leaning forward on the table. Severus could have easily moved back if he wanted, but it wasn't exactly easy to say no, Harry was rather pretty and it was unusual anyone showed an interest in kissing him.

"You are the strangest person I've ever had the displeasure of meeting," he growled. "I tried to choke you, remember?"

"You're doing an awful job of changing the subject," Harry pointed out. "Yes or no?"

"Fine."

"Wrong answer," Harry said with a smile. "Yes or no?"

Severus sighed, massaging his temple before meeting Harry's eyes again. He was smirking, his normally innocent attitude transformed into something that was almost dangerous. The little bastard was wrapping him around his finger as easily as a child would a yo-yo and he hadn't even noticed until it was too late. Fuck.

"Yes."

-

Ginevra sighed, shaking her head as she left the palace. She hadn't turned up any new information on Regulus or Tom. Of course, Tom had simply disappeared and the black mages, that hadn't been killed when King Cornelius' fleet had been destroyed, were in hiding. All she had managed to get was that Regulus had been seen on Durmstrang, the continent north of their own where Sirius had found the destroyed summoner village.

Stepping back out onto the street, Hagrid following silently behind, she nearly leapt out of her skin as a small green skinned creature with wide emerald eyes and bat like ears grabbed her hand. It was dressed in a ragged looking clothes and shaking violently.

"What's wrong?" she asked soothingly, kneeling down beside the creature, her curiosity over its origins ignored for the moment.

"I must find Master Harry," the creature squeaked. "You must take me to him, I can not find him in the city of magic!"

Ginevra blinked, glancing at Hagrid.

"He's prob'ly with Sev'rus," the giant said.

"Of course," she said, looking back to the shaking creature. "Come, we will ask someone where the mage lives," she motioned to an unpleasant looking man that was watching them. She had not only her spear, but also Hagrid, so it was safe to approach this man and ask for the mage's address.

-

Severus pulled back from Harry with a frustrated growl at the urgent knocking on his front door. Harry laughed, jumping down from the table to follow the mage into the other room as he answered the door, wondering who could possibly know where he lived.

"Am I interrupting something?" Ginevra asked, smiling as she looked upon the two men, Severus' pale face was flushed and Harry's hair, tied back when she had last seen them, hung loosely around his shoulders and down his back. Severus was suddenly very glad for robes. Stupid elf.

Before Severus could think of a scathing response, Harry cried out, "Dobby!"

"What?" he saw the house elf had dashed in, grabbing onto Harry's hand and attempting to pull him out the door.

"Master Harry must return to Gryffindor!" the elf said, his voice filled with fear.

"Why?" Harry asked, looking at Severus and then Ginevra and Hagrid. "What's wrong?"

-

Sirius grinned as he and Narcissa left the building. Narcissa was scowling at him as he was examining the new cards he had obtained. It had been a good card battle, but he had won on the third match against the outlaw after two draws.

"Good job," Narcissa said, extending a hand toward the thief.

Sirius took it, nodding.

"You're pretty good, I bet you would have won if you had gone first," he said.

"Probably," she gazed at the crowd milling around them. "We should probably get to an inn, this place can get dangerous this time of night."

Sirius shrugged.

"We should probably find the others first," he said.

Narcissa shrugged.

"I doubt it matters, they know when the airship leaves."

"True," as if one cue, he saw Harry barreling down the street toward him, face flushed with exertion.

Behind him, Severus was talking quietly to Ginevra, worry lining his face. The house elf that Harry had left in Gryffindor was behind them walking before Hagrid and looking as if he would drop from fear.

"Sirius, we have to go back! Something terrible is happening in Gryffindor!"

"What?" Sirius' gray eyes narrowed as Harry nearly threw himself at the thief, clutching his arm tightly. His cloak was gone, and his dark hair had fallen from its tie and was wind blown from his sprint.

"We have to go back!" Harry repeated.

-

Regulus smirked, gazing at the statue of Godric Gryffindor that stood at the center of the city square. He was eager, almost jittery with anticipation as he paced, watching the statue and calming himself slightly so that nothing would go wrong. Of course, nothing would go wrong. There was no chance, the Invincible was ready and he was ready.

"Peace is but a shadow of death," he recited softly, "desperate to forget its painful past. And though we hope for promising years after shedding a thousand tears, yesterdays sorrow draws constantly near."

He smirked, gazing at the castle far in the distance. "And while the moon shines blue, by dawn it will turn to scarlet hue."

He sighed; the poem was rather perfect for the occasion.

"An auspicious day," he said, stopping as he paced. "Remus' ascension of the throne has brought hope and peace to this kingdom. They're overjoyed, the idiots', thinking a bright future lies before them. But," he smirked, drawing on his magic as he called forth the power of the stone he had been carrying since had murdered Cornelius, "the celebration isn't over just yet, after all, I haven't given my gift to the future king."

He closed his eyes as the sky above the city filled with fire, a circle opening above his head. "Come, Bahamut, play a requiem for your former master and all of Gryffindor!"

The lord of dragons answered the call, bursting from the circle of fire with a roar of power. People in their homes, appeared on the streets as the Eidolon roared, his wings creating a whirlwind of air that knocked people to the ground and flattened plants as it passed. Opening his mouth, Bahamut released a blast of fire into the city. Buildings exploded under the immense heat of the blaze and nearby homes burst into flames.

Remus, dressed in a white silk robe thrown quickly over his shoulders and tied haphazardly as he pulled open the door onto the balcony over looking the waterway between the castle and the city. Amber eyes widened in horror as Bahamut released another blast of fire onto the city. Bahamut twisted up into the air and howled with rage.

Across the river, the city burned.

-
Author's Note: Yes, another cliffhanger. I'm sorry, but I seem to be good at making cliffhangers. Or I get some glee out of making you worry. This chapter was dragging on (I'm on page eight in Word) and I needed to end it somewhere and this just fit. Don't worry; I'm working on the next chapter as you read this so the wait won't be too long. On another note, Harry and Severus…yeah not much to say, I think you guys get it.

Next Chapter: As Gryffindor burns and the group tries to make it back in time, Weasley and Granger must protect the citizens from the monsters that are overrunning the city…