Chapter 4

Ozpin took a long sip of his hot chocolate, letting the sweet taste linger on his taste buds. It was his guilty pleasure, one of the few luxuries he allowed himself to indulge in.

He sighed and set down his mug. As he stood from behind his desk, he reached out to grab The Long Memory from its resting place next to his chair. The slow clanking of the giant gears on the office ceiling followed him onto the balcony, which overlooked the courtyard of Beacon Academy.

'Something troubles you.'

Ozpin sighed and leaned forward until his forearms rested against the balcony rail. 'Many things, old friend,' he replied. 'I just wonder if I'm making the right decision.'

He felt Ozma's raised eyebrow. 'Regarding the wizard, correct?'

'Supposed wizard,' corrected Ozpin. 'All I have to go on is what Qrow's told me, and you know how he likes being vague.'

'Pot, meet kettle.'

A frown. 'That's not what I meant.'

'Perhaps not. That doesn't make it any less true.'

'Are you going to help or not?'

Ozma frowned, not that anyone could see. 'I say it's worth a try,' he replied. 'I sense his claim to possess magic is true, but it's unlike anything we have experience with. It may be due to him hailing from another dimension.'

'If his claims are true.'

'Indeed, there is the chance he's lying. But ask yourself: why would he lie about something like that in such an outrageous fashion? I myself am still discovering new methods of using magic that I have never considered before. Just the other day…'

'Alright, you've made your point,' interrupted Ozpin. Once Ozma started storytelling, it was hell getting him to stop. 'But do you think he can save her?'

'We can only wait and see, my friend.'

Ozpin stayed silent, watching as a particular Bullhead approached the airfield.

[Break]

As they landed, Glynda announced that she would accompany Harry and Qrow to Beacon. She claimed that she was merely showing the kid around, but Qrow knew better.

She wanted to keep an eye on him.

That was the last thing he wanted. After the dressing-down he'd received on the Bullhead (in which Glynda promised bodily injury if he put so much as a toe out of line on his next mission), he was eager to get away and enjoy a pint or twelve. Unfortunately for him, Glynda had the eyes of a hawk, and was very quick on the draw.

So he was stuck in the odd position of being a chaperone while being chaperoned.

While Qrow cursed his misfortune, Harry was asking Glynda various questions about Beacon, which the blonde professor was more than happy to answer. Anyone who could put up with Qrow's habits and not be affected was okay in her books.

"So it's a boarding school?" Harry asked as they strolled through the market district. Around them, various people lined the sidewalks, occasionally peeking through windows to see what sort of new thing was available.

Glynda nodded. "Yes, the students are divided into teams and issued dorm rooms. They have the option of staying year-round, but many students return home for the winter and summer breaks," she explained.

"I see," said Harry. Beacon was starting to sound more and more like Hogwarts. "You said the students are divided into teams?"

"Yes. Every year, the first-year students go through Initiation, in which they are assigned partners with whom they will work for the next four years."

Harry idly dodged a rushing pedestrian. "And how are teams decided?"

Glynda gave a small smirk. "That, Mr. Potter, would be telling."

Harry gave an exaggerated sigh. "Of course."

Glynda had to stifle a smile. The kid had a good head on his shoulders, and was definitely more mature than she had expected, but she was secretly glad he could act his age occasionally.

They rounded a corner, only for someone to crash into Harry, sending them both to the ground.

"Ouch!"

"Oof!"

The distinctly feminine voice made Harry look up. Currently resting on his chest was a pale-skinned girl of around eighteen, with brown hair and, interestingly enough, a pair of rabbit ears on the top of her head. From his close proximity, Harry could tell that they were genuinely real.

The girl suddenly realized she was laying on top of someone and hurriedly leapt up. "Omygosh, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, holding out a hand to Harry. "Are you alright? I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going!"

"It's alright," said Harry, grasping the offered hand and letting the rabbit-girl help him up. "No harm done."

The girl sighed in relief. "Thank goodness," she said. "I'm Velvet, Velvet Scarlatina."

"Harry Potter, future Beacon student," replied Harry. Velvet's eyes lit up.

"Oh, you're going to be a first year?" she asked. Her rabbit ears twitched in excitement, but Harry decided it wasn't a good idea to comment on them. Years of living with Ron's profound lack of tact helped him learn to think before he spoke. Besides, he could always ask Glynda or Qrow later.

"Hopefully. I didn't go to a school, so I have to take the combat exam," Harry admitted. "I heard it's pretty tough, so I'm training with a couple of friends."

Velvet giggled. "Oh, it's not that bad," she said. "Just don't panic and trust your instincts and you'll be fine."

"That's a relief," Harry said with an exaggerated sigh, making Velvet giggle again. "Well, I should probably be going, I have an appointment I need to get to. Sorry to take up your time."

Velvet smiled. "Not at all, it was nice to meet you," she replied. "Good luck on the exam!"

"Thanks! Nice to meet you too!" Harry replied. The rabbit-eared girl gave a cheerful wave as she jogged away. As she turned the corner, Harry turned to see Qrow and Glynda looking at him, one with a smirk, and the other with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

Qrow waved him off. "Nothing, nothing," he drawled. He made to pull his flask out of his pocket, but stopped when he noticed Glynda's hand inching toward her riding crop.

The blond Huntress smirked to herself (she did love intimidating the bothersome man) and looked back to Harry. "I'm surprised you didn't comment on her appearance," she admitted. "Many people don't treat Faunus nearly as well as you just did."

"Faunus?" Harry asked, raising a questioning eyebrow. "What's a Faunus?"

"To put it simply, they're people who have some animal traits," Qrow explained. "Like the young lady you just met. She was a rabbit Faunus."

"Which explains the ears." Glynda nodded, picking up where Qrow left off.

"Yes, exactly. Most Faunus have external features that identify them as such. Usually it's something obvious, like ears or horns, but sometimes there are more subtle traits. For example, I've met a panther Faunus that looked completely human, only to find that he has retractable claws." Glynda put a finger on her chin in thought. "I believe he runs a bookstore somewhere near here."

The mental image of a certain bookworm's disastrous experience with Polyjuice Potion suddenly came to Harry's mind; he had to utilize every ounce of his considerable self-control to not burst out laughing. If Ron and Hermione were here, Harry knew for a fact that Ron wouldn't hesitate to bring that memory up.

"Well, she seemed nice," he said. The rabbit Faunus seemed like someone he could be friends with.

"Many Faunus are," Glynda agreed, before she suddenly frowned. "Unfortunately, not everyone shares that point of view. There's quite a bit of racism regarding the Faunus; people believe them to be nothing more than animals."

Harry mentally groaned; even in another dimension, he couldn't escape bigotry. "That's just stupid," he said bluntly. "Faunus are people too. Just because someone looks different doesn't mean they're any less of a person."

Glynda smiled warmly. "You are very mature for your age," she said. "If only everyone shared your outlook." She checked her watch. "We should be going. This way." Harry nodded, and the trio continued on their way.

[Break]

Blake was confused.

She had, of course, overheard the conversation the black-haired boy had with the rabbit Faunus who crashed into him. At first, she had been prepared to jump to the girl's defense at the first sign of hostility, completely disregarding the two fully-fledged Hunters the boy was with.

Then, much to her shock, he'd started a pleasant, if brief, conversation, completely ignoring the girl's Faunus features. He treated her like a person worth talking to, not some animal.

This was worth investigating.

She discreetly began following the group. From the path they were taking, it looked like they were headed for Beacon. Suddenly, she had an idea.

The White Fang claimed they were making the world a better place for Faunus, and perhaps they were at one point, but now they were nothing but terrorists. Her last mission with Adam proved that. If she became a Huntress, maybe she could fight back, instead of running away.

With the beginnings of a plan in mind, she sped up slightly to keep the group in sight.

[Break]

They arrived at Beacon just as the sun reached its peak. Glynda led Harry and Qrow through the courtyard, in which various students, some human and some Faunus, were milling about. Some of the students glanced curiously in their direction, and others politely greeted Glynda, but for the most part, they were ignored.

The blonde Huntress eventually led them inside the main building and over to what was obviously an elevator. Once everyone was inside, she pulled out a tablet of some sort and typed in a password. As soon as she finished, the elevator began rising.

The doors soon opened to a very odd room. A large white desk sat in the middle of the floor, underneath a series of slowly turning gears that were hanging from the ceiling. Behind the desk sat a middle-aged man with silver hair and glasses, with a green shirt and a black jacket. A cup of hot chocolate sat in front of him.

"Professor Ozpin," said Glynda. "I've brought Harry Potter as you requested." Qrow looked a little bit offended that he hadn't been mentioned, but he held his tongue–Glynda's riding crop hurt.

"Thank you, Glynda," said the Headmaster. "You may return to your duties." Glynda nodded twice: once in understanding to Ozpin, and again in farewell to Harry, before turning and walking back to the elevator.

"Harry Potter," said Ozpin, as soon as the elevator doors closed. "It's good to meet you at last."

"Likewise, sir," Harry replied professionally. He wasn't about to blindly trust the man right off the bat, but that didn't mean he couldn't at least be civil.

Ozpin smiled and leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers in front of him. "Do you know why I asked you here today?"

Harry's green eyes met the Headmaster's brown, and Harry threw up Occlumency shields on instinct. "No, sir," he replied.

Ozpin nodded. "I suspected as much. Very well, I shall get right to the point." He leaned forward in his chair. "Qrow has told me that you possess magic."

Harry sent a quick glare at Qrow, who was taking advantage of Glynda's absence and chugging his flask, before returning his gaze to the Headmaster. "What of it?"

Ozpin stood and walked out from behind his desk, cane in hand. "If you don't mind, would you please demonstrate?" He raised his cane like a sword. "I wish to be certain of your abilities before we continue."

Harry looked slightly bewildered, but handed Mors Umbra to Qrow and drew his wand. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I don't want to hurt you by mistake."

The smile that Ozpin sent him was equal parts amused and patronizing. "If you manage to hurt me, I will be very impressed."

Harry looked back at Qrow, who shrugged and took another gulp from his flask.

After a few seconds, Harry turned back to Ozpin and raised his wand. "Very well." He entered his dueling stance. "Qrow, give us a countdown." The drunk Huntsman rolled his eyes but complied.

"Three…two…one…begin!"

Harry raised his wand to cast a Stunning Spell, but Ozpin had already begun moving. The Long Memory came arcing down toward Harry's head much faster than the teen had anticipated; Harry was forced to Apparate to dodge the blow.

Gritting his teeth, Harry sent a chain of spells at the Headmaster. A Stunning Spell, followed by a Body-Bind and a Bludgeoning Hex, soared from his wand, but Ozpin simply batted them out of the air, the smile never leaving his face.

Harry growled under his breath and began sending a flurry of spells in Ozpin's direction. Body-Binds, Stunners, various hexes, and even a Sectumsempra, flew across the room.

Ozpin, in a remarkable display of agility, dodged each one. Then, to Harry's astonishment, his form blurred forward at a speed impossible for a human to obtain.

He couldn't avoid the strike to his gut. Harry staggered back, holding his abdomen, and glared at the Headmaster. Time to pull out the big guns.

Harry's magic exploded around him, amplified by his Aura. A strong, sourceless wind picked up, swirling around Harry as he focused his power. Ozpin raised an eyebrow, then abruptly lowered his cane and relaxed his stance.

"That's enough," he said simply.

Harry stared in shock as his magic died down. "What? You're giving up?"

Ozpin chuckled. "Oh, of course not," he said, amusement coloring his tone. "I daresay I could have defeated you quite easily. However, it was not my intention to do so." He walked back over to his desk and sat down. "No, I was simply curious to see what you were capable of."

Harry couldn't quite articulate complete sentences. "Uh…"

Ozpin sighed. "The reason I wanted to test your abilities is…I need your help," he said bluntly. "I don't suppose Qrow has told you the legend of the Four Maidens?"

Harry shook his head mutely. Ozpin settled back in his chair.

"To paraphrase: millennia ago, there was a man who had powerful magic. He was visited often by four sisters, all of whom were very kind to him. To repay their kindness, he granted them powerful magical abilities," said Ozpin. He took a sip of his hot chocolate before continuing. "They were dubbed the Four Maidens, and each took an aspect of the four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Do you understand so far?"

Harry nodded. "I think so," he said. "It's certainly not the strangest thing I've heard."

Ozpin took another sip of his hot chocolate. "I understand. Now, according to the legend, the Maidens' powers are transferred to another host at the time of the current Maiden's death. Usually, it's the last female person she has in mind before dying. However, their powers can also be stolen."

Harry frowned in confusion. "So what does that have to do with me?" he asked.

Ozpin stood from his desk. "Follow me," he said, walking over to the elevator. The doors opened automatically, and Ozpin, Harry, and Qrow all entered.

They descended past the first floor and several floors below that, before finally emerging in a kind of basement. A long hallway stretched forward, with several smaller hallways splitting off every so often. Ozpin gestured for Harry and Qrow to follow as he exited the elevator. Their footsteps echoed loudly in the expansive chamber.

"This is the Vault," explained Ozpin. "Only a select few people know about this room. It is one of Beacon's most guarded secrets."

They stopped at the far end of the hallway, where several large machines stood. Connected between them was a large container, big enough for a grown man to stand comfortably. Harry glanced through the glass and nearly recoiled.

Inside, seemingly unconscious, was a young woman with tan skin and brown hair, wearing a white tube top and skirt. Her otherwise pretty face was scarred heavily, but it somehow didn't detract too much from her looks.

"This is Amber," said Ozpin, "the current Fall Maiden."

Harry looked back at the Headmaster in shock. "Is this why you wanted to see me?" he asked. Ozpin nodded in confirmation. "Why?"

"A few months ago, Amber was attacked," said Qrow. "She was still inexperienced with her powers. Someone ambushed her and tried to steal her magic. Almost succeeded, but I managed to intervene before they could steal all of it."

"We were hoping you might be able to help her," finished Ozpin.

Harry glanced back at Amber's comatose form for a moment, then turned back to the Headmaster.

"I'll see what I can do."

That's all for this chapter! Please leave a review if you enjoyed!