Bane
Disclaimer: See chapter 1. Reviews are welcomed. But flames are not.
Special thanks to Miriam1 for her editing skills.
:Mind speech.:
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chapter 17
Harry walked up to the seventh floor with Hermione, Ron, his sister Ginny, Neville and Luna. Along with them were two Professors: McGonagall and Flitwick.
As he led the way, he reflected on this "all-important meeting" with the Order, shaking his head at the uselessness of it all.
The meeting in the Headmaster's Office went pretty much how he and Salazar figured it would. Nothing was accomplished. Dumbledore tried to regain control of the meeting several times, but neither pair would not allow it. Harry had a lot emotional baggage to unload and he wasn't going to take any more of the old wizard's platitudes.
Questions were asked and half-truths were given on both sides of the desk.
Molly Weasley was her shrewish self and scoffed that Harry was still too young to know better even if he had proof he was eighteen and an adult. But then, she would never allow any of her children to grow up. Her oldest three sons were proof of her smothering ways.
Harry really didn't like the look Ginny was giving him. He knew he had changed and for the better, but still. . .
He could thank his fathers for his change of attitude when it came to his appearance. She was displaying the same attitude that many of the village girls did during any festival – that hungry wolf look that made him feel very uncomfortable.
He did wondered, though, if she would ever get over her hero worship. She was too young and too immature, in his opinion. Definitely not his type at all.
The rest of the meeting in the headmaster's office hadn't gone well. Harry had spoken of going to another dimension as part of the deal he had made with the Star-eyed. One would have thought he had made a deal with a demon instead. Harry was sadly disappointed in Remus and Tonks. Both were too awestruck of Dumbledore; they were of no use.
Well, that meeting was finally over. Everyone would just have to understand he was now eighteen and an adult. He didn't need what Hogwarts teaches.
When the meeting ended, Harry knew he had to tell his friends something. So he gathered up his friends from the meeting, (Luna, Hermione, Ron and Ginny, and Neville). Also, he decided to include his head of house, Prof. McGonagall and because he was head of Ravenclaw, Prof. Flitwick. He felt they needed to know the truth, but was not certain how they would take it.
Of course, Hermione was still trying to ask questions and he was refusing to answer them. Ginny was trying to flirt, whereas Luna was skipping along happily lost in her own world.
Harry placed his hand the blank wall that held the doorway to the Room of Requirements. "You must realize that there is only one way you could enter here. Rowena liked her privacy. Her chambers are in the Tower above us."
"How did you find them? Her Tower has been lost since the death of her daughter," asked the diminutive Charms professor. "The Grey Lady will not speak of it."
"I've as yet to speak to her, sir. However, it was Salazar who told me. He knew I would need a high place to stay for myself and my friend Kieryn. Rowena's rooms would be perfect and as she is gone, she shouldn't mind."
Luna giggled. "Will we be meeting your friend you told us about?"
"Salazar? As in Salazar Slytherin?" Hermione shrieked. "But. . . "
Ron turned green. "But Slytherins are evil, mate. You can't trust 'em, especially him."
Harry gave his one-time friend a sad look before looking down at the cream-colored cat that sat at his feet. He looked back at the red-head. "You can't trust some Gryffindors either. Remember, it was a Gryffindor that betrayed my parents."
Ron sputtered and wanted to protest more as an archway opened to a set of very narrow stone stairs that lead up the side of a tower.
Changing the subject, Harry turned to Luna. "I think your father might want to set up an interview with my friend. He's that special."
The stairwell was very narrow and steep. Narrow window slits dotted the outside wall to give off light as overhead torches flared into light.
"Watch your step. This is one of the original towers of Hogwarts and created in the ninth century. It's a long walk up. Sorry. As I said, Rowena liked her privacy."
They were a bit out of breath as they entered a cozy sitting room with a fire in the fireplace. The moon shown through the opened-curtain French doors leading to the balcony.
A click of nails echoed on the stone floor as a side door close to the balcony opened and a gryphon walked out.
The wizards tensed and pulled their wands as Harry waved to his friend. "Hey Kieryn, come and meet my friends and professors."
"Any frrriendsss of yourss, Firrrrefoxss, issss a frrriend of mine. Wind to thy wingssss, frrriendssss of my frrriend," Kieryn stopped by Harry and gave the others a slight bow. "How did yourrr meeting go?"
"Harry is that a gryphon!?" asked Hermione as Luna squealed in delight. Ginny stepped back with her wand raised. Neville stood with the professors also tense.
"Everyone, this is Kieryn, a friend of mine," Harry introduced before answering Kieryn's question. "The meeting went as expected," the teen said with a tired sigh as he plopped into a huge over-sized cushion as more chairs and cushions appeared around him. "Nothing but talk. They are all sheep that can't go to the loo without permission by the headmaster."
He sighed again tiredly before waving to the empty seats. "Everyone, have a seat. Kieryn won't harm anyone, even if he still distrusts most humans. Gryphons are fun creatures to be around. They have a wicked sense of humor to go with their very sharp tongue. You never want to be on the wrong side of it, if you can help it."
"But. . . but. . . " Hermione stuttered. "How? They are myths, stories."
Luna stepped closer to Kieryn and bowed slightly. She smiled as she held out a hand with her palm up. "You're right, Harry. Daddy would love to interview him. May I?"
Kieryn eyed the young blonde for a moment before giving her a slight bow. "Come and sssit with me, little human," he told her. "You ssmell niccce."
She giggled as she moved closer. "I like him."
"Actually, they really do exist in abundance where I was during my absence. In fact, one of my teachers was a gryphon. Kieryn here is a young gryphon. He's about 15 years old, in human years. Kelvren, my teacher, is about in his mid-thirties, again in human years, or so he says. It is so hard to tell. However, gryphons are mages in their own right," Harry explained as the pair made their way away from the fire to sit on a pile of cushions near the balcony doors. "Oh, and Luna? He likes his crest feathers scratched. The gryphons will shamelessly tell you that it is good luck."
She squealed. "Really?"
Kieryn gave a chirping sound as she reached out to scratch his chest feathers.
The next hour, Harry told them more of his life in k'Valdemar and his adoptive family. He didn't tell them about how he got the title of Demon Bane's Heir or how he met Kieryn.
"The goddess de-aged me but still allowed me to keep my memories. She said I was severely underdeveloped, with everything that I was put through by my time before and at Hogwarts. She wanted me to me to have a better starting point, plus it was my greatest wish to have a family that wanted me. Her price was harsh, as she expects a measure of maturity in her followers."
"What was her price?" Professor Flitwick asked, with some concern, exchanging a look with the stern Transfiguration professor.
"That's too personal, sir. For each one that calls on Her, the price is always different. Thankfully, I didn't call on her warrior aspect but her Mother one. She has four. If it had been the Warrior, I would have had to give up my sexuality and become one of her sword sworn: a live weapon to be used as she deemed fit. Since I called for her Mother aspect, I will be devoting my life to teaching and healing."
"I see," said Professor McGonagall. "As you have already passed your OWLS, then you can forego your NEWTS, if you so choose. I am sure that either Professor Flitwick or myself can take you on as an apprentice."
"You misunderstood me, Professor. There is nothing in this school that you can teach me. Let me show you." Harry stood and raised his hand with his palm up. A glowing globe of soft light formed above it. "This is a mage light. Harmless for the most part. It casts no heat unless I wish it." He set it to hover above his head. "This is a light butterfly, mainly used to entertain children."
A butterfly of pure light formed in place of the globe and floated around the room until a wave of his hand made it burst into a small shower of glitter.
"I don't need a focus. I will be the one taking an apprentice, once I find someone that is capable of learning what I teach. As long as you depend on a focus such as a wand, then you can never learn what I have to teach."
Hermione had been watched the demonstration with wide-eyed wonder. There was a hunger in her eyes. "But . . ."
"No, Hermione," he said sternly, raising a hand to stop her tirade of questions. "There are no books to learn this from. This is all practical application. Many where I went can do this, but many also only can do small works with some sort of foci like crystals or staffs. It is all about how you can pull on magic itself. And everyone here knows how you worship the written word. So, no."
Harry hated to burst her dreams of collecting knowledge, but out of any one in the room, only Neville and Luna showed any potential for being an adept, once he could get both of them grounded and centered.
While Ginny looked frightened by the display of wandless magic, Ron looked at his friend and frowned. Harry could see the jealousy sitting on his former friend's shoulder and sighed sadly. He knew that those three did not had the ability to be nothing more than hedge wizards.
"Hermione, you are too used to the written word. If it isn't written down, then – in your mind – it isn't true. But then, Ron and Ginny are too dependent on their wands. I could teach you, but you would never be able to do the great works of magic. I am sorry."
"Then you are an adept-class? I think Albus could've been if he hadn't
become so enthralled with his wand," Professor Flitwick asked, as he started to understand what Harry was trying to say. "The last adepts that had walked this land were Merlin and the Founders. The Romans and then Normans wiped out most of those of great power, when they invaded. Such arts have been lost for centuries."
"And I would ask that you didn't say anything until I announce it to the Wizarding World," Harry requested. "There's a reason for it. Hogwarts' castle has become very unstable over the centuries. Its wards are dangerously close to causing a cascade meltdown that would leave a crater the size of London and just as deep."
His face turned cold and stern. "I am serious here. No one is to know. Not the Ministry, or the Unspeakables, and definitely not Albus Dumbledore. No one can help me handle the rogue stone and would most likely trigger the explosion I'm trying to prevent."
He looked over at his bushy-haired friend and with his stern glance dared her to protest. Neither professor liked what they were hearing, but both agreed that Albus would be a hindrance rather than a help.
What he didn't tell them was that he and Salazar had placed a mild spell on them to keep them from talking. Already, he could see Hermione wanting to head for the library and research. Harry was positive she wouldn't find much. The Ministry was notorious about labeling things "dark" and censoring information.
Ron was too insecure and weak as a wizard, as well. If Harry wasn't careful, he was certain that his former friend would walk down the path of being a Blood-path wizard. Not good.
Luna was too enthralled with Keiryn to be a help and Neville looked very shell-shocked.
They talked for another hour before the professors decided it was past curfew and started to herd everyone out of the door.
Harry sighed once he was alone.
:Was it wise to tell them so much?: came Salazar's question as he leaped into the chair that Professor McGonagall had sat in earlier.
:Wise? Probably not, but necessary. I will need someone to run interference when I need to disappear and work on the ward stone. I hope I can trust them.:
:So do I, my young student.:
Kieryn stood and stretched as he headed for his room. :As do I. I hope your friends are true friends.: he added to the mind conversation. :That girl, Luna. might be of some help later.:
"You only say that because you like her scratches, Keiryn," Harry teased back as he too stretched tired muscles.
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A/N: Sorry for not posting recently. May was filled with two major family events (a wedding and a HS graduation) and both in two different states. They are now over and I am now home.
June and July will see me gone every weekend and sewing during the week-days. Posting may or may not happen during that time. Sorry, but that's life.
Until next time. – GF (still missing Frau every day).