Chapter 17:

Harry stirred early the next morning, against the wishes of his exhausted mind and body, to see a blurry midget sized figure with oversized ears jumping up and down next to the bed, poking him when he could reach.

It had been a long and night and he felt no more rested now than when he had first collapsed on the bed. Dumbledore had told them that erecting new wards wasn't exactly easy but it seems in addition to his many other talents, Dumbledore is quite skilled in the art of underestimation.

He wasn't even sure if he was going to be able to do his training this morning, but when he heard the shower running and Nym's sweet voice traveling out from the restroom, that she was ready to go and he wouldn't be getting any slack today whatsoever.

"Harry, sir," Dobby squealed once he realized Harry Potter sir was awake. "Mistress Nym be leaving Dobby strict orders to make sure you don't sleep in. She is wanting you in the kitchen by the time she is getting out of the shower."

Not even waiting for a response from Harry, Dobby jumped one last time and seized the top of the blankets and with a casual clicking of the fingers on his other hand, the bed clothes disappeared, presumably to the laundry to remove the remains of the "Breaking in the House" ceremony.

Groaning, and cursing when he realized even his pillow was no longer on the bed to at least provide some cover from the sun for his head, Harry opened one eye while trying to bury the rest of his face in the mattress, and glared at Dobby.

Dobby was oblivious to the stare though, or it didn't faze him in the least if he did notice it, for he went about the room and collected the clothes that were strewn about the floor with a chipper-ness that Harry felt should be outlawed on mornings when he had so little rest.

The water in the shower 'clicked' off, interesting how showers click off isn't it, the little noise it makes when the shower lever is released and clicks back to a bath flow, now and cursing Dumbledore and Dobby, Harry rolled off the bed and onto the floor.

He leaned with his back against the bed for a few seconds and stretched while allowing his eyes to adjust to the bright sunlight that was just now shining in through the recently opened drapes. Knowing that Nym only took about five minutes to get ready once she was out of the shower, he knew he had better get a move on, lest she find him on the floor of the bedroom when she exits the restroom. He could imagine the kind of hell she would force on him if he didn't 'obey' her commands about his training.

-

Nym casually strolled into the kitchen area of the house and gave her new husband a huge smile that, of course, almost made him forget about being in a bad mood.

"Mornin, sunshine," she laughed, walking behind his chair at the table to give him a kiss and hug.

She released him, completely ignoring the scowl that once again marred his features, and took her seat on the opposite side of the small table they had set up for when it was just the two of them in the house.

"Change of plans for today. Maybe the whole summer actually, as far as your training schedule is concerned, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Too much caffeine too early in the morning makes me hyper.

"Don't you agree?" She asked him with barely restrained mirth. It was obvious she had had something that made her hyper, he didn't know if it was caffeine or not but he didn't feel like saying that. She was in a good mood and could barely keep herself sitting in the chair. Whatever it was she had to give her that much energy, he would very much like to know what it is.

Adopting a false, but believably cheerful tone of voice, he asked her what she meant.

"Well, Dumbledore suggested that we try something different depending on how the work on the wards went. Apparently it went just as he expected, though he never elaborated as to what he meant by it," she said with a wave of her hand that seemed to say its Dumbledore.

"It doesn't make sense to me, but hey I'm just here to look good, right?" Bouncing her eyebrows up and down at him at the last.

"He said he didn't know for sure how the work on the wards was going to go but he had a good idea, but incase he was wrong he wanted us to have the schedule we already set up, ready to go so we didn't have to plan a schedule at the last minute.

"This morning, Fawkes dropped off a letter, with a copy of his schedule, that he thinks we should use."

"Hey now, don't give me that look, mister. I'm just doing as was suggested. Based on his letter and the schedule he gave to me it makes sense and it should make you feel proud, honored even to know what he's allowing me to teach you.

"He is authorizing me to teach you a more direct way of dealing with magic. This concept is usually discussed in the week right before graduation at Hogwarts. It isn't mentioned ahead of time since ninety percent, maybe more; of the student population wouldn't have the ability to manipulate magic to do their bidding."

Harry gaped, "What are you talking about, Nym?"

Closing his mouth with a sigh at her raised eyebrow, he elaborated on his question. "What are you talking about when you say 'manipulate magic to do their bidding'?"

She ignored him for a second and turned to see if Dobby was in the kitchen, he was of course, waiting off to the side with their breakfast. "Can you go ahead and bring the food on over, Shorty? We got a long talk ahead of us and I think it would do us both good to have some food on the stomach before getting at it."

Nym turned back to Harry and addressed his question as Dobby deposited plates of waffles onto the table as well as two carafes of orange juice. "Exactly what I said. I am talking about teaching, you, Harry Potter, how to use magic as if was an extension of your body. I had to learn how do this, and believe it or not, you married one of the more powerful witches in all of England.

"As a metamorph I had no choice but to learn how to manipulate the magic in and around me." She made sure to emphasize the key words. "Magic, to most people, is a tool, something that they use. Maybe 'instrument' would be a better word for it. Something they use and the more they use it the better they get at it. They use incantations and wand movements the way musicians use the keys to get a certain note.

"Magic is much more, so much more, than an instrument. I for all practical purposes could be considered a magical creature. I told you this once before; magic is a part of me, the magic inside controls my metamorph changes. The ambient magic, magic that is all around us, not a part of us, is what most witches and wizards use to perform their spells.

"Eat your breakfast and think about that and we will continue the conversation after some good nourishment. It seems that you're over your 'it's to early to be awake' mood now so let's get the day moving.

-

The rest of breakfast went by in a blur of thoughts and half glimpsed theories that were spawned by Nym's speech that morning. He was slightly hurt by the tone she took with him a few times but he knew from their previous talks that when class was 'in session' he was to be treated as a student and she as a teacher. They had agreed to keep their personal feelings out of the 'classroom' to make sure that Harry learned as much as he could in the limited amount of time they had. Though it was likely not to matter much anymore, since she saw Dumbledore's idea.

Harry set his fork down on his plate after he was finished eating and wiped his mouth before flushing the syrup remnants from his mouth with a swig of orange juice.

Nym was already finished and waiting patiently for him so they could begin.

"Think of magic folk in three categories, if you can," she began. "You have witches and wizards that can use ambient magic to make their spells work. This would be considered the general class; where most of the Hogwarts students, hell, most of the witches and wizards worldwide are in this category.

"Then the second level would be magical creatures. Here is where I tell you why I am not considered a magical creature, although using technicalities I could be one." Nym trailed off a bit towards the end, almost as if she were talking to herself. "Magical creatures have magic inside of them. They could be surrounded by wards that block off all magic and still be able to use their innate abilities. The magic is inside of them, it is a part of them. I can always use my metamorph abilities. Though I fit into the third category and it seems that you do as well.

"The third category is a hybrid of both the general category and magical creature category. Those in this category have the ability to draw on the magic around them and also, generally, have access to a vast supply of magic that resides inside of you." She emphasized 'inside' by tapping her chest with her fist a few times.

"I guess in a sense, I lied to you earlier. I said that ninety percent of the Hogwarts students wouldn't be able to accomplish anything like that. In reality, and were not counting animagi for now, the actual percentage would be around 99.8 percent wouldn't be able to do anything.

"Now, Animagi are included in this category and that's why I had said 90 percent earlier. Their only ability in this area is to change into their other forms, they can't use the magic inside of them for any other purpose, which, in turn is where I fall into it as a metamorph. Harry, understand this, and understand it well…..Dumbledore notice some irregularities in the way you cast the wards last night. He has noticed the difference in the way you do magic than how your peers use it. Last night was just to see if he was correct in his assumptions.

"Harry, only four wizards have been born into this category since the time of Merlin. To take it even farther back, only four more before him."

Inhaling deeply she forced herself on. "Nine, Harry, Nine have been born into this world. You are the last to be born."

She paused for the first time in the story, well at least paused in a way in which he could speak should he choose to. He didn't, Harry sat in his chair with an unreadable expression on his face. It was obvious from the beginning where this was headed and he was far from ignorant; however, he knew now was not the time for questions. It would take time to absorb this information and come up with intelligent questions. Questions that would actually serve a purpose by being answered and not just to satisfy curiosity.

"There's more you're not telling me, isn't there?" The unreadable expression still fixed on his face.

"There is more, yes, but I can't tell you. That will have to wait for Dumbledore. He says he will be by tonight. My only instructions for the day were to explain this story to you and give you time alone to absorb the information before he gets here to finish the puzzle. I was strictly told, in bold letters at that," Nym added trying to fuse some humor into the morning that was by far the most awkward one they had spent together in the last month. "That I was to decorate or do something to keep myself occupied while you thought about things. So I shall take my leave good sir, and I shall see you tonight when Dumbledore gets here. Dobby will get you whatever you need and all that and already has my lunch order so I will be taken care of as well." She walked around the table and gave him another hug and kiss, which he returned half-heartedly, his mind being elsewhere submerged in more half glimpsed theories.

-

The flickering yellow light of the candles surrounding his office provided the only light for the aging headmaster. All of the windows had been sealed in his office and drapes drawn over them. The information that sat before him on his desk was such that even his most trusted friends and colleagues, Severus and Minerva included, knew nothing about it.

The part of the story that he told Miss Tonks was more or less common knowledge, aside from the fact that he knew the identity of the ninth born into this circle. The rest of the story however, the part contained inside an aging tome secured in a secret room behind his bedchambers in the ancient castle, was only known to three people. Of the three people, only one remained alive and he was about to pass it on to the last.

Albus Dumbledore sat behind his desk with this tome for the final time. After this evening everything would change. The book would fulfill its destiny as would he himself. After tonight everything would sit on Harry Potter's shoulders and his alone. For the past sixteen years the weight had been trying to crush young Harry and he had made it his goal in life to stand tall and bare the brunt of the weight until Harry was strong enough, in mind, as well as body.

Tonight, August the second in the year of nineteen hundred and ninety-six, the world would stand still, as he, a man of over fifteen decades, stood aside and joined his place with the two previous owners of the book. He knew this. He didn't know if he would actually move on to the next great adventure or if it meant that he would be with them hypothetically, but in the end, it didn't really matter. His affairs were in order, had been for some time, and he could think of no one better to lead the war against evil than the young man that fate and destiny seemed to spit on.

With a sigh, he set the book to the side and began composing some letters addressed to key individuals should he, in fact, join his two brothers in fate in the next great adventure.

A/N: as I said, and I'm sure it shows now, my writing style has changed. I hope that you all like it. I know that this chapter is short but it serves its purpose in the long run. It feels good to write again. I have created a group called lord Perth on yahoo to discuss my writings if you should choose to. http// groups dot yahoo dot com / group / lordperth/