Disclaimer: I do not own HP.
A/N: This chapter gave me a lot of trouble. There was just so much that I wanted to put into this chapter, but it just would not cooperate. Sorry for it being so late.
Reaching Through Time
Chapter 26: A Demiguise, a Date, and an Attack
No matter how often Harry went to visit Senestra, or how many times he was able to speak to Fawkes, neither Guardian would give him any information on the two he had yet to meet.
Every time Harry would ask, Senestra would shake her head and tell him that the last two would make themselves known when the time was right. Fawkes on the other hand would just laugh and keep his beak closed about the subject.
Much to Harry's annoyance.
Tom on the other hand was glad that Harry wasn't making any headway with his search for the final two guardians. Even though Harry was often in a grumpy mood most of the time, he was often too busy trying to find answers to get into any real trouble.
Which was a good thing since Dumbledore had backed off on trying to corner Harry after the winter holidays. In fact the older man had gotten so quiet in his activities that Tom felt his paranoia getting stronger.
It definitely didn't help that the oaf Hagrid had somehow gotten himself an apprenticeship with the Grounds keeper.
Dumbledore may have stopped following Harry around, but Hagrid always seemed to appear whenever Harry went outside for any length of time. The half-giant never approached Harry, but he was always within eye sight.
Tom did not like it at all.
So to prepare for his final year, Tom began to work in earnest to gather followers from all the houses. The most surprising thing was that the bulk of his new followers turned out to be half-bloods and muggle borns.
The results of the interviews from the previous year had come to fruition. Not all muggle born and half-blood students were abused, but a large amount were. By winter of Harry's second year a new law had been passed.
The law would create a new branch in the ministry for the welfare and protection of muggle raised children. The moment magic was detected near muggles, a ministry official would be sent out to investigate; even if it was accidental magic. If it was found that the child was being raised by a muggle parent or guardian then the ministry official would make contact with the parents.
They would interview the family, especially the child, and find out of any abuse was taking place. If non was found then the child would be left to the care of their family, but a ministry official would make periodic visits to ensure the child's safety.
If abuse was found then the child would immediately be removed from the muggles and the memories of the muggles would be changed so that they believed their child had died. Then the child would be placed with a magical family.
It was a start.
At least half of the muggle born, and a few half-blood, children currently attending Hogwarts would be moving in with magical families starting that summer.
All of the muggle born children knew the Malfoy family had played a large part in the creation and passing of the law. Those that had been abused felt a debt of gratitude to the Malfoy family and were very willing to do just about anything Tom asked of them.
Tom had made it very clear to his pure-blood followers that the muggle born followers would be welcomed and treated with respect. They were willing to let go of their muggle heritage in favor of their magical, and that fact would help to protect the ancient traditions that had been slowly disappearing because of the growing muggle influence.
There were a few of his followers that were having a difficult time with the change, but they quickly fell in line when they realized just how angry Tom could get for disobedience.
By the time the end of the school year arrived, Tom's followers had quadrupled.
"Are you ready to go Myrtle?" Harry asked as the Hogwarts Express began slowing down as it approached Kings Cross station.
Myrtle Warren was one of the many muggle born children that had been taken into custody by the ministry. At Harry's request the elder Malfoy's had agreed to take her in.
It was a difficult transition for Myrtle. She was thankful to be away from her abusive father, but she had dearly loved her mother. She had asked if she could say goodbye one last time to her mother, but it'd been too late. Myrtle's parents, like may other muggle parents, had been charmed to believe their daughter had died during a Nazi air raid.
The parents of muggle borns would forget that their children had been magical. They would forget that their children had gone off for most of the year to a magical boarding school.
"I suppose so Harry." Myrtle's eyes were a little watery as the train pulled up to the platform. She looked out at the parents waiting with a small bit of hope that her mother would be waiting there like she had always done in the past.
"Come on." Harry took Myrtle's hand while Orion took her other hand so that the Ravenclaw girl would have their full support.
Since Eileen's parents had opened up one of the Prince estates in Northern Wales, many of the other muggle borns and half-bloods would be relocated there for the summer.
"I'll be sure to write every day." Eileen told her friends as they exited the train. "I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to convince mother and father to let us visit the Malfoy estate for tea." It was a tradition by that point for their peers to get together at least once a week at the Malfoy home during the summer.
With so many children being relocated, several ministry officials were there to assist in keeping things organized.
"Hadrian darling!"
Harry found himself swept up in his adoptive mother's arms the moment he was close enough. The hug lasted for what felt like an eternity before Mrs. Malfoy released him to scoop up Orion for a quick hug.
"You must be Miss Warren." Mrs. Malfoy smiled warmly and reached out to give Myrtle a gentle hug. "Hadrian has told us so much about you. I hope you can feel at home with us."
They had to wait until all of the children that were staying with the Malfoy's were gathered and then for Tom to finish with his prefect duties. Mr. Malfoy quickly shrunk down all the luggage and trunks to make travelling easier.
With the help of the ministry officials, travel off the platform and through the floo moved quickly and soon enough the large group were safely away at the Malfoy Manor.
"Rooms haven't changed for most of you." Mrs. Malfoy told the dozen children that had been staying with them for the past few years. "Go and get settled. The house elves will get you for dinner."
Mr. Malfoy handed the shrunken trunks and luggage to the elves, who quickly vanished to take everything to their proper places.
"Miss Warren, you'll be staying in the family wing." Mrs. Malfy was smiling warmly at the young girl again. Most of the other children had been given rooms in the guest wing of the manor.
Myrtle's cheeks turned pink and blotchy as she fiddled with her worn jumper. "Thank you mam."
"None of that now." Mrs. Malfoy waved a hand through the air. "This will be your home from now on so call me Aunt Meri."
As much as Mrs. Malfioy would have liked for the 13 year old to call her mum, she knew it would probably be too soon for the poor girl. Her family may be alive, but they were lost to Myrtle now and Demeri Malfoy would not push the girl to something she was uncomfortable with.
Perhaps in the future, after Myrtle grew comfortable with her new home, they could discuss adoption. After all, Mrs. Malfoy had always wanted a large family.
"I'll take Myrtle to her room mum." Harry offered with a big grin. He was still holding onto Myrtle's hand while Orion had hurried off to his room to unpack.
"Thank you Hadrian dear."
The room that the elder Malfoy's had chosen for Myrtle was right next to Harry's room. It had been decorated in soft pastel blues and creams since Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy had no idea what the girl would prefer.
"Oh!"
Harry couldn't help but wonder if his reaction had been like Myrtle's when he had first seen his room after finding a home with the Malfoy's. There were stars in her eyes as she looked at the large bed, the bookcases lining the walls, the fireplace, and the sitting area to one side of the room.
"You have your own bathroom and a walk in closet." Harry walked over to one of the doors and opened it to reveal the large closet with a full length mirror inside. "Mother will most likely take you clothes shopping soon."
"Mother has always wanted a daughter to dote on." Abraxas was leaning against the door frame with a smirk and his arms crossed over his chest. "At least you aren't the youngest. Harry still holds the title of the baby of the family."
Harry pouted and glared at his older brother.
"If you need anything Myrtle, we are here for you." After helping both Tom and Harry settle into the family, Abraxas was fairly sure he would be able to help the muggle born girl as well.
"Thank you." Myrtle was twisting her fingers together shyly.
"Come on. Harry and I will give you a tour before dinner." Abraxas smiled kindly at the younger girl and nodded for her to follow him. "I'm sure you'd love to see the library first."
Harry had been teasing Myrtle with information about the Malfoy library for days and Myrtle was all too willing to follow after the oldest Malfoy child. She was a Ravenclaw after all, and a library with old family tomes was something that most Ravenclaw students would kill to explore.
Needless to say, the second Myrtle was in the library she was gone. There was no way Abraxas or Harry could get her out from the stacks of books until dinner.
The rest of the summer went by like that for the group of children that inhabited the Malfoy manor. Myrtle and the other more 'intellectual' children hid out in the library while Harry, Orion, and the other more physical children were often on brooms flying around outside.
That summer, between second and third year for Harry, was also the summer when he started to realize that he was physically attracted to people.
At first he thought it was just Orion, with his snarky smile and classically handsome looks, but Harry realized that Eileen also made him blush and feel hot in ways that he never really thought about before whenever she came to visit.
Eileen never really seemed to notice Harry's nervous embarrassment whenever she was around, but Orion was acutely aware of Harry's emotions.
As was Tom.
Tom was the one that interrupted all the gatherings that Mrs. Malfoy put together. He was the one that would shadow Harry whenever Harry was around Orion and Eileen.
Harry was oblivious to what his oldest and closest friend was doing. Orion on the other hand was becoming frustrated. Every time he tried to flirt with Harry, Tom was there to interrupt them. Tom would pull Harry away whenever Orion even tried to get close to Harry.
It got the point that Orion actually went to Eileen for help. The Prince girl had no idea how to help her friend though; she honestly was not interested in romance.
The only advice Eileen was able to actually give Orion had to do with waiting until Tom couldn't interrupt. With how they were practically stuck in Malfoy Manor for the entire summer, the opportunity was not available.
Thankfully they were going into their third year and third years were given the opportunity to go to Hogsmeade; which gave many young teens the chance to go on dates.
It was the easiest thing in the world for Harry to get his Hogsmead permission slip signed by his adoptive parents. In fact he hadn't even had to say anything. The moment the school letters arrived that year, Drake and Demeri Malfoy signed any forms that needed their attentions before the children could hand them the forms.
The Malfoy matron did give all of the 13 year olds a lecture on proper decorum while out in public without any adults to act as chaperones. That had been a rather embarrasing conversation for a number of reasons. The awkwardness only got worse when Mr. Malfoy took the boys aside to give them 'the Talk'.
Harry's obvious discomfirt after the 'Talk' became a source of entertainment for the girls in the Malfoy Manor. Myrtle especially enjoyed teasing Harry whenever it was just the two of them.
"You know Harry dear," Myrtle purred one afternoon near the end of Summer. "This isn't the best hiding place."
Harry was hiding in the library with Myrtle to avoid his parents and a few of the girls that had taken to giggling and smiling coyly at him. He would never admit it, but he was also hiding from Orion.
"Sure it is Myrtle." Harry grinned at her as he lowered the book on counter curses he'd been reading. "It's such a nice day that no one would come inside to look for me. Everyone will think I'm out flying."
Many of the others their age were out flying. Orion being one of them.
"You could just talk to him you know." Myrtle ignored the confused look that Harry gave her. "Orion is quite smitten with you. It's very cute."
Harry's cheeks turned a bright red and he instantly burried his face into the book. "I-It's not like that Myrtle."
The older girl giggled at the flushed and stuttering dark haired boy. "I know you like him too." She cooed with a rather sneaky grin.
"Myrtle!" The last thing Harry needed was for the Ravenclaw girl to get in the middle of his confused feelings.
"Oh shush." Myrtle's giggles turned into laughter as Harry began to sputter and deny his feelings. "I'm serious though Harry. If you like him, talk to him."
Despite Myrtle's advice all summer, it wasn't until the first of September that Harry even attempted to talk to Orion about his possible feelings. Even though Harry did feel his heart flutter around Orion, something held him back from talking to his friend. It wasn't even Harry that broached the subject; it was Orion
The moment they were in the train and Tom and Abraxas were gone, seeing as how Tom had been made Head Boy and Abraxas the 7th year Prefect for Slytherin, that Orion made his move.
"Harry."
Orion was standing so close to Harry that he could feel the heat coming from his friend's body.
"Yes Orion?"
Eileen hadn't arrived yet so this was the best chance Orion would have to make his move. "You know how we can go to Hogsmeade this year?" He waited until Harry nodded before taking a deep breath and putting his most charming smile on. "We should go."
"Well yeah, of course we're going to go." Harry frowned at his friend when Orion shook his head.
"I mean together."
Maybe he was unconciously trying to be oblivious to Orion's offer, but Harry couldn't help but look at his friend in confusion.
"Why wouldn't we go together? It'd be weird if we went alone."
Orion groaned mentally. Of course Harry wouldn't understand the invitation. Sure Orion hadn't been able to flirt all that much during the summer, to which he cursed Tom for his almost constant presence around Harry, but he hadn't exactly been subtle.
"You're right. But maybe we can go, just us? Without the girls." Maybe his friend just wasn't ready for dating. If that was the case Orion would need to carefully get Harry used to the idea of them going out together.
There was a long silent pause as Orion waited for an answer from Harry. It took all of his pureblood control not to prod at Harry.
"That could be fun."
The answer was innocent enough, but Orion snapped it up as if it were the only cup of water in a barren desert.
"Great! We can go as a group for the first Hogsmeade trip, but then it can be just us for the second trip." It wasn't like the Hogsmeade trips happened every single weekend so Orion would have plenty of time to get Harry warmed up to the idea of them going out on a date.
Harry was doing his best to keep his mental turmoil to himself so that it wouldn't leak into the bond he had with Tom. He felt flustered and wasn't quite sure why. Myrtle had teased Harry all summer about his 'crush' on Orion, but Harry hadn't really thought much about the possible romantic feelings he had for his friend.
Now though he couldn't seem to stop the rebellious thoughts of what a date with Orion could be like. Orion was his friend and he wasn't about to ruin their friendship by doing something like asking to go out on a date.
Add to it the little voice in the back of Harry's mind that kept telling him that going out on a date with Orion wouldn't work out in the long run.
Thankfully Harry didn't have to think about his potential feelings for Orion seeing as how Myrtle had found Eileen had had brought her into the compartment.
Their group had gathered together by the time the train had left the station.
"So what classes did you choose Hadrian?" Bannrhine asked once everyone settled into their seats.
"I added Study of Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures, and Arithmancy." His schedule would be very full, but Harry was sure that he would be able to handle it. It wasn't like he was particularly worried about his core studies seeing as how he knew the material up to fifth year.
He had been tempted to take Divination, but Sir Leighleas had told him that the class would interfere with Hary's sensitivity and dream visions too much.
So Tom had nixed the idea and had instead pushed Harry towards Arithmancy.
The class that Harry really wanted to take wouldn't be available until he had proved himself proficient with Ancient Runes and his other core classes. Spell crafting was a class that required Outstandings in Transfiguration, Charms, and Ancient Runes.
"I don't know why you're taking Care of Magical Creatures Bann," Persephone sighed heavily. "I mean your father is the greatest magizoologist ever. You probably know more than our professor."
Bannrhine smiled a little in embarrassment. During the last year he had regaled his new companions with stories of all the creatures he had helped his father with growing up. "I still need to take the class if I want to go for a mastery one day."
"Classes. Masteries. Bah!" Orion kicked out his feet and slumped down in his seat. "Who cares about all that right now?! We're still kids. Let's enjoy life while we can."
"Easy for you to say." Rupert frowned deeply at Orion. "You're the Black heir. You don't have to do anything since your life is all set."
Silence descended among the third and fourth years for several long minutes. Orion's eyes were closed and it seemed as if he had fallen asleep.
Only Harry knew how much Orion hated being the Black heir. His friend knew all the Pureblood customs and niceties, but Harry knew that Orion hated how constraining being the heir to a Lordship was.
Orion had confided in Harry some time ago about the private lessons his father had given him growing up. He had to learn finances along with all the ridiculous decorum that had been drilled into him. Orion had also lamented the fact that he probably wouldn't get to have a choice in who he married once he was finished with school.
"Did anyone remember to bring a deck of cards?" Eileen broke the tense silence and she smiled when Myrtle quickly grabbed the cards out of her bag. "Oh good!"
As the others got involved with what games to play, Harry scooted closer to Orion.
"You alright?" Harry whispered worriedly.
For a moment Harry thought that Orion really had fallen asleep. But then Orion opened his eyes slightly to look at Harry.
"I'll be fine." When Harry's brows scrunched together in worry, Orion sighed and slipped an arm out to hug around Harry's shoulders. "Really. I'll be fine."
Despite Orion's words and the smile that he gave his friend, Harry still worried. He wanted his friends to be happy and since Harry wouldn't be able to do much once they were all out of school, Harry was determined to make their time in Hogwarts as enjoyable as possible.
The morning after the welcome feast found Harry and Tom in the Hospital wing with Sir Leighleas in the man's office.
"Your occlumancy is strong enough now that I think we can start working on controlling your sensitivity."
For the past hour Sir Leighleas had been testing Harry's mental controls and shields. Harry wasn't a master, not by a long shot and Sir Leighleas doubted the boy would ever master the mind art, but Harry would at least be able to protect himself from most mind spells.
Where Harry would only ever be an average occlumens, Tom would have no trouble mastering the difficult mind art.
It was important for Harry to be able to guard his mind before learning how to actively control his natural magical sensitivty.
"The training for controling your sensitivity is very similar to occlumency training." Sir Leighleas explained as he got up where he'd been sitting on the floor in front of Harry to pour tea for them. "We'll start with meditation and entering your mind scape. Once there we will take the next step and slip past your mind scape to enter your magical core."
Tom was sitting on the couch as he listened. Even though he didn't have Harry's sensitivity, the lessons the mediwizard gave his young friend would be useful to him as well.
"Remember how careful we were when first entering your mind scape?" When Sir Leighleas received a nod from Harry, he continued. "We have to be even more careful with your magical core."
There were so many things that could go wrong when working with ones magical core. One wrong move and a wizard could find their link to their magic broken; effectively making them into squibs.
"At first we'll just skim the surface to get a feel for your core. Once you are able to touch the surface of your core without any resistance we'll move forward."
"Thank you for teaching me Sir Leighleas." Harry felt a little tired from fighting off the mediwizard's attacks on his mental shields, but he was doing a lot better than he had the previous year.
A small smile graced the auburn haired man. His brown eyes were almost sad though as he accepted Harry's thanks.
"I want you to continue with your meditation practices. We'll start your new lessons next week once you're settled into your new schedule." With a weary sigh Sir Leighleas took a seat in the tall wingback chair that was across from the couch.
Harry got up from the floor to sit next to Tom seeing as how they appeared to be done with lessons for the time being.
"I wanted to talk to you both about this year." Sir Leighleas looked tired and almost frail as he craddled his warm tea cup in his hands. "I am worried about what Dumbledore has planned."
"How so?" Tom's eyes narrowed as he frowned at the mediwizard that had taken such a keen interest in them.
Sir Leighleas swirled the dark liquid around in his tea cup for a moment. "I am not a full seer. I only have flashes of visions and not all of them come out clearly." Both boys already knew this abou thim, but it was important for Sir Leighleas to remind them. "He's planning something. A test of sorts I think in order to guage just how strong Harry is."
Tom growled softly and his black eyes shifted to red for a moment. "Excuse my language sir, but why the HELL is that insane old codger so fixated on Harry?"
"I wish I knew. I really do."
There was so much rage boiling inside of Tom. When he had attended Hogwarts during his first few years, Dumbledore had shown interest in him. After his third year though Dumbledore had backed off from Tom. Now he the old many just watched Tom with a wary eye.
But Harry? It was like Dumbledore couldn't get enough of the green eyed boy.
A small whimper from the smaller boy next to Tom shook the Head Boy from his rage. He hadn't realized it, but his anger had been bleeding through the bond to Harry.
"I'm sorry Harry." Tom murmered as he wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders to hold him close.
"I'll do everything I can to protect you."
Safety and affection quickly filled the bond, replacing the rage that had been there before. It comforted Harry and he found himself closing his eyes and relaxing in Tom's arms within seconds.
Sir Leighleas gave the two a few minutes to find comfort in each other before he cleared his throat to get their attention.
"We will be stepping up your dueling lessons."
Last year had mostly been about learning theory and manuevers for Harry while Tom had focused on advanced spells and counter spells.
"I want to teach you both how to use knives as well."
"Knives?" Tom frowned and his nose wrinkled ever so slightly. They had magic, why would they need to learn how to handle knives?
"Daggers. Knives. For throwing and close combat." Sir Leighleas looked at Tom cooly as he explained. "There will be times in your lives where you'll find yourselves without your wands. Wandless magic will be useful, but a dagger being buried into a person's chest or side will always disturb your opponent."
"Which would give us the upper hand." Tom mused. Now that he thought about it having an alternative weapon would be extremely useful. He could see where Sir Leighleas was going with this.
Sir Leighleas nodded. "Daggers can also be useful for carving runes into your surroundings when you need to set untraceable traps."
Harry didn't much like the idea of using dangerous weapons, but he was determined to learn. He had made a promise to himself that he would become stronger so he could protect his friends and loved ones.
He would never allow anyone to overpower him again if he could help it.
"How often have your dream visions been Hadrian?" Sir Leighleas asked once he and Tom were done discussing the particulars about the new dueling lessons.
Harry blinked in surprise when the conversation was directed back to him. "Um..." He glanced at Tom and chewed on his lip.
"I...I don't know." He answered truthfully. "My dreams are so real most nights I can't really tell if they're visions or not."
Sir Leighleas made a noise in his throat as he thought about what Harry had told him. He knew what it was like to have confusing dreams at Harry's age. His own seer abilities had started to really develop in his own early teens.
"When we start working on your sensitivity control, your dreams will come to you more often." Sir Leighleas warned gently. "It is possible that you may develop into an actual seer if you continue your training."
Would Harry want that? To become a seer? The dream visions he'd had back during the Blitz had been so horrible and graphic that Harry honestly feared having more visions.
"It is your choice Hadrian." Sir Leighleas' voice was soothing and soft to comfort the young boy. "It is possible that by learning to control your sensitivity you can learn how to control your visions as well." Sir Leighleas had fairly decent control over his own abilities.
Only particularly strong visions could really get through his occlumency shields anymore.
Harry knew how important it was for him to learn to control his sensitivity. Without the charm he wore, the magic around him would be constantly overwhelming Harry. It would only get worse as Harry grew older and his magic became stronger.
"Just think on it Hadrian. You have time and we have other things for you to learn in the mean time."
Tom and Harry spent enough time discussing things with Sir Leighleas that they ended up havign lunch with the mediwizard in his office.
"If you need anything, either of you, please come to me." Sir Leighleas smiled ever so slightly as he escorted Tom and Harry out of the Hospital wing. He had grown fond of the two and would do what he could to watch over them.
"Thank you sir." Harry grinned and waved before he and Tom left.
Tom and Harry passed by a group of first years that were desperately exploring the castle so they wouldn't get lost on Monday. One of the younger girls giggled and Tom flashed his most charming smile at her.
For some reason seeing Tom smile at the girl had Harry scowling.
"Are you alright Harry?"
Harry quickly schooled his face and he let out a small sigh. "Just thinking about this year." How was he to explain to Tom that he didn't like seeing his oldest friend smiling at other people?
For years it had been Harry's job to bring smiles to Tom's lips. It had been his job to make Tom happy. And Harry had taken his job very seriously.
Tom didn't quite believe Harry's little lie. Even with the occlumancy training Harry hadn't really gotten used to hiding his stronger emotions from their bond. Over the past couple years Tom had grown accustomed to what jealousy felt like. For a moment that was exactly what Tom had felt through their bond.
"Alright Harry." He wouldn't push things though.
"Harry!" As they made it down to the dungeons they found themselves suddenly accousted by Eileen and Orion. "There you are. Professor Slughorn wants to see us."
With a chuckle Tom patted Harry's shoulder in sympathy. "I'll see you at dinner then."
As it turned out the potions professor had wanted to talk to the trio about putting together another Samhain party for the first and second years. They'd done such a great job before that he wanted them to continue planning the parties for the next few years.
Eileen was beside herself in joy; she'd been raised to be a Lady and with that came planning parties and gatherings. Surprisingly enough Orion was interested in the responsibility as well. With his two friends wanting to do as asked, Harry ended up agreeing as well.
And so new year of school started and Harry found himself with no time to worry about Dumbledore even as the older professor continued to watch him closely.
"I can't believe we don't get to go to the party we planned." Orion complained as the trio of friends finished decorating the large room.
"Professor Slughorn invited us to the one he's throwing." Eileen frowned at Orion as he hid an empty box under a table. "I don't see why you're upset. All our friends will be there."
"But adults will be there."
Harry smiled fondly as his two friends bickered back and forth. "You two realize you sound like an old married couple right?"
That stopped Orion and Eileen mid argument. Eileen sputtered and turned several shades of red before turning back to the last of the decorations she was putting up while Orion just gave Harry a funny look.
The party wouldn't actually happen for several hours so while Orion and Eileen were busy getting over Harry's comment, Harry went off to go and find Tom down in the chamber.
A sharp pain in Harry's chest stopped him as he descended the hidden staircase. He rubbed at his chest with a frown before shrugging and continuing on. The pain faded after awhile and he had completely forgotten about by the time he'd made it down to the Chamber.
"Hello hatchling."
"Hi Senestra!" Harry had gotten so good climbing up onto the basilisks back that he was scratching under her horns before she could say anything else.
The two settled into a comfortable silence for severa long minutes before the ancient magical snake spoke.
"There is a strange scent on you." Her tongue flickered out a few times to taste the air. "I do not like it."
Harry looked down at himself and sniffed slightly. He didn't smell anything.
"She is right." Ladon hissed as he poked out from under Harry's sleeve. "But it is new. It wasn't there earlier."
The little black snakes' tongue darted out against Harry's wrist, tickling the spot as he took in Harry's scent. Ladon's senses weren't as fine tuned as Senestra's, but he was completely attuned to Harry so any small change would be obvious.
"I'll go talk to Tom then." Harry knew Tom would be able to figure out what was going on.
Harry had only just gotten down from Senestra when the pain in his chest returned much stronger this time. It had him sinking down to his knees, groaning, and clutching his chest.
"Hatchling!" The putrid scent that had barely been cleaning to Harry doubled and Senestra quickly coiled around Harry to try and protect him from whatever unseen force was attacking.
"Harry!"
Later Harry would wonder if maybe it'd been luck or coincidence that what had happened, happened while Tom was close by.
It felt like someone had grabbed onto Harry's heart and was attempting to yank him through a very tight space. The only thing that felt similar was apparition, but it never hurt as much as this did.
"T-Tom." Harry's voice echoed in his own ears. He tried to look around, but all he could see was darkness even when he rubbed his eyes to make sure they were open.
"Hold on Harry."
There were arms around Harry's shoulder for a moment and then they were gone. His entire body felt numb for a split second and then his vision returned in a flash only to vanish just as quickly. White hair and strange purple robes were all Harry was able to see until the darkness returned.
"Harry!"
Tom's arms were around Harry's shoulder's again. He held onto Harry as hard as he could; strong enough to leave bruises later. "Hold on Harry!"
Whatever it was that was pulling Harry away felt similar to the time magic that had always pulled Harry away when they had been younger.
The solution back then had been for Tom to flood Harry with as much of his power as he could. When Harry had vanished from Tom's arms, the older Slytherin had reached into their bond and had pushed almost all of his magic into Harry just to drag him back.
Harry panted hard. He could feel Tom's magic inside of him as well as around him, but his wasn't the only magic that was clinging to him. The other sludge like magic grabbed hold of Harry again trying to pull him away from Tom again.
This time Harry didn't see the white haired man with the strange robes. Instead Harry found himself in a strange misty place. Harry tried to look around, but almost any definition was blurred by the mist.
"What do we have here."
The only thing that had shape was a tall black robed figure. The person's face was obscured by the shadows created by the hood, but Harry just knew that the person was smiling.
"You're awfully early. Ah," Harry clutched at his chest when the disgusting magic tried to pull Harry away from Tom's magic. It was like Tom's magic and the other were trying to split Harry in half. "I see. Best you return to him. Not much I can do about what you've seen."
The figure lifted a stark white thin hand and made a slicing motion in the direction of the strange magic that was trying to drag Harry away.
"That should buy you the time you need. Take care little ma-"
"Harry!"
Tom was kissing the top of Harry's head and petting his hair the moment the younger boy was in his arms again. Harry had only vanished for a second, a moment in time, but it had felt far longer.
Harry's body felt limp in relief as the foreign magic vanished and only Tom's magic was left to wrap around Harry. He let out a relieved sigh before a sob slipped past his lips. He curled up against Tom and clung to his shirt for comfort. Memories of what had happened that Halloween night with Aunt Marg invaded Harry's mind.
It took some time for Tom to calm Harry down and reassure him that everything was alright. Tom ended up taking Harry back to the dorms and staying with him all through the night making it so that they both missed the Samhain party.
The first thing Harry noticed after being forcefully being pulled through time was that he was seeing things. It had nothing to do with his sensitivity, but he was definitely seeing things that weren't normally there.
The nature spirits that he normally only saw during rituals and holidays were almost constantly floating around now.
When the spirits realized he could see them they started following him around almost constantly trying to get his attention.
And then there were the ghosts.
The ghosts before had always been grey, faded, and transparent. Now they had more color and if he wasn't really looking right at them they looked almost solid. The ghosts also seemed to notice that something was off about Harry; even if they couldn't figure out exactly what it was.
Harry knew it had something to do with what he saw in the 'inbetween' place he'd been in while Tom's magic and the other magic had pulled him back and forth through time. The problem was Harry couldn't really remember what it was that he had seen.
Sometimes he would wake up at night in a cold sweat and he could recall a dark figure, but the remnants of the dream always slipped away.
He tried to talk to his friends about what he was seeing, but they would always just give him an odd look. Tom had frowned and proceeded to pull Abraxas away in secret to try and research what was happening. Sir Leighleas admitted that it might be a new ability linked to his sensitivity, but he couldn't be sure. Senestra and Fawkes were just as confused when Harry went to them for help.
And then there was the strange big eyed furred creature that Harry would spot at times when he rounded corners or when he turned around quickly. At first the creature had just regarded him with its big black eyes, but when it realized Harry was staring right at it the creature quickly fled.
Harry was sure he was going insane.
It only took a week before Harry finally lost all his patience with the strange creature and gave chase.
He ignored the strange looks he was getting from the other students and didn't even notice when a teacher yelled for him to slow down and stop running in the halls. Harry's complete focus was on the long haired creature that was running swiftly through the halls and dashing around bodies that were wandering the halls.
Harry was out of breath and holding onto his side as he continued the chase. The creature had just stopped to glance back at Harry before slipping through a door.
"Oh no you don't." He knew that door; it was the door to the Room of Requirement. So before the door could close and vanish, Harry used wandless magic to slam the door open and then jumped through.
Harry had half been expecting the creature to be hiding, but instead the creature was sitting in the middle of a large room filled with blue throw rubs, several desks, and bookshelves lining ever wall and going straight up to the ceilings.
The door snapped shut behind Harry making the boy jump in surprise.
"You are an interesting being." The creature tilted its head as its unblinking eyes watched Harry. "I have been watching you for some time. You flicker around the edges as if you are not quite here, and yet you are."
"You're a guardian." It was the only thing that made sense to Harry. When he relaxed the power of the charm he could see the magic around the creature and it reminded him so very much of both Sensetra and Fawkes.
"How is it that you can see me I wonder? The creature did not answer Harry. "Only those that have slipped past the Veil and returned can see through invisibility."
If Harry hadn't been taught magical lore he might have been confused by that statement. The Veil was the border between the living world and the after life.
"Is that were I went?" A cold tremor went through Harry as he barely recalled the misty place he had seen and the cloaked figure that had spoken to him even though Harry could not remember the words.
"What is it that you want? I see that you are Slytherin and yet you chased after me as if you were from Gryffindor. Why?"
Harry flushed red and he was suddenly reminded that he had very suddenly ditched his friends and 'escort' when he'd chased after the strange creature.
"Very unpredictable." The creature huffed and shook its head. "To be expected, I suppose, from one touched by such strong magic."
"You have to be Ravenclaw's guardian." Harry said with a groan. Neither Sensetra nor Fawkes spoke in such a round a bout way. "Bound to the earth and unseen." Unseen to all but himself it seemed.
"Correct. Rowena chose me for we shared a common ability. We both share the Sight." The creature motioned for Harry to move to one of the cushioned seats that were in the center of the room. "Rest. Your heart is still racing from the chase. I will answer some of your questions since you have caught me."
Harry eyed the creature as he slowly moved to one of the tall chairs that was facing the creature. Even as he placed his hands on the armrests and slower lowered himself into the seat, Harry's eyes never left the creature.
"I am a Demiguise. A creature that is able to become invisible and can see the most likely future. Rowena gifted me the name Apollo."
"The greek god of oracles and knowledge." It was fitting in a way and Harry could not find it in him to be surprised.
"Indeed." Apollo the demiguise smiled a bit. "My Rowena had a unique sense of humor. I was greatly saddened when the last of her line passed away." The demiguise sighed softly and shook his head slowly.
"I'm sorry." Harry shifted a little in the seat and his brows came together in concern.
"Do not be. Rowena's descendent died in the pursuit of knowledge. Thanks to him, many potions and cures will be created in the future." Apollo hopped up onto the seat across from Harry. "But Rowena saw his end and knew her blood would not carry on. She made provisions."
The two stared at each other for sometime before Apollo cocked his head once more. "Did you not have questions?"
"O-oh! Yes!" Harry flushed and rubbed the back of his head for a moment. "I mean maybe? Senestra and Fawkes just kinda did their things before I could even ask." In fact they hadn't really asked if Harry had any questions.
Harry took his time thinking about his questions. "First question." It was something that had been bugging him since he had first read the riddle. "In the riddle it said 'A safeguard made, a secret of the core. Four can become five, but never more' What did it mean 'four can become five'?"
"Four heirs can become five. If the heir the Castle chooses agrees to accept the inheritance." There were some things that Apollo would not be able to answer, but what knowledge he could give to Harry he would. "The castle can only have one true heir at a time. So four can become five, but never more than that."
Harry should have known that was what the riddle meant. It seemed so ridiculously simple now that the answer was right there.
"Harry Potter Malfoy!" The door to the Room slammed open and Tom stalked into the room with flaring red eyes. "You promised you would never run off without someone with you! You promised me!"
Guilt washed through Harry and he quickly lowered his eyes. Only Tom ever used his real last name, but it'd been years since he had last heard it. Through their bond Harry could feel just how angry and worried Tom was.
"I'm sorry Tom, but I-I had to-" He looked at Apollo the demiguise and gulped. "I had to find answers. It was driving me crazy seeing things and I kinda lost it."
Tom's eyes narrowed and he glanced at the place Harry was looking at only to find an empty couch. "And did you?" He hissed softly.
"Yes." Harry relaxed and smiled at that. At least he knew he wasn't going crazy. "Apollo is one of the unseen guardians. I can see him now because of what happened on Samhain."
Tom threw his hands up and wandlessly slammed the door closed behind him. "Of course you ran off because of a bloody guardian."
"I didn't know he was a guardian until a few minutes ago!" Harry's light green eyes went wide as Tom stalked over to him and prompty picked Harry up. "Tom?"
The older Slytherin said nothing as he took Harry's seat and set Harry into his lap. "Is the guardian still here?"
Harry nodded and pointed over at Apollo who was watching the entire interaction with wide black eyes.
"Have your talk then. Since I can't seem to stop you." Tom would keep Harry in his lap the entire time if only to make sure the boy didn't vanish again.
"Is there a way to let Tom see you?" Harry asked as he chewed on his lower lip. This conversation would be rather awkward if Tom only got half of it.
There was a shimmering in the air and a moment later Harry heard Tom suck in his breath. "A Demiguise is a guardian of Hogwarts?" Tom could not see how such a small creature could do much to protect the school. Sure it had precognitive sight, but that could easily be worked around with specific spells.
Then again their invisibility could only be countered by a select few witches and wizards.
"Your other questions? And only yours since you are the one that caught me."
"Rowena's power. Can it be unlocked like Godric's and Salazar's?" Harry asked from his spot on Tom's lap.
For a moment the Demiguise considered the request. "I cannot. But Rowena knew her line would die out so she left me with instructions on what to do." Apollo snapped his fingers and the air around him shimmered blue for a moment.
"I give you a boon. Although Ravenclaw's power can not be unlocked fully, you may call upon it in times of peril. Be warned. If the power of Ravenclaw finds you call upon it unwisely, it will punish you."
Harry nodded in understanding and swallowed thickly. He didn't want power so he doubted he would ever want to call upon the power unless he was in dire need.
"Why can I see the nature spirits now?" Harry asked before Apollo could ask if he had more questions. "I could see them before, but only after a ritual."
"It is because you have slipped past the Veil. Your magic is powerful and attracts them. You would have been able to see them as you aged and grew stronger, slipping past the Veil just rushed things along."
"Does that mean Harry is more powerful now?" Tom asked quickly, his black eyes staring at the demiguise almost hungrily.
Apollo huffed and refused to answer Tom's question even when Harry repeated the question. "It is not your question so I will not answer."
"What about the ghosts? Why are they so different?" Harry asked when Apollo continued to refuse to answer the question Tom had originally asked.
"That I cannot answer." Apollo told them sadly. "The magic that creates ghosts is secret and guarded by ancient forces. There are speculations and rituals that one can perform to increase the chance of one becoming a ghost, but Death magic is impossible to control."
Apollo hopped off his seat then and bowed strangely to Tom and Harry. "I have given my boon. I have answered your questions. I must go."
"Wait! What about the last guardian?" Harry asked even as the demiguise went to the door to leave. "Where can I find it?"
"The guardian of Hufflepuff can not be sought out, he will come to you." With that Apollo slipped out of the Room and left Harry and Tom alone.
"Why is it always you Harry?" Tom asked softly once Apollo was gone and the two of them were left alone in the Room. "Let's go. Your friends are worried about you."
Life continued for the Hogwarts students. Now that Harry knew for certain he wasn't going insane and seeing things, he was a great deal calmer.
It was still annoying having the nature spirits following him around, but they didn't do anything to get in the way at all. All he had to do was flare out his magic a little to show his displeasure and they would scatter for a little while.
The ghosts had even taken a liking to Harry. A few would warn Harry whenever Dumbledore was nearby. Peeves didn't prank Harry as much and would tell him where some of his pranks were waiting.
The one thing Harry really noticed though was how Orion was acting around him. Over the past couple months Orion had taken to touching Harry more often, usually on his shoulders or arms, and it always left Harry with his heart racing and a blush across his cheeks. He even started asking to hang out with Harry without their other friends.
When the next Hogsmeade trip was announced in November, Harry wasn't too surprised when Orion asked for a moment alone.
"Harry..."
Despite his carefree nature, Orion had been raised as a pureblood. In that moment he was standing tall and proud with a calm expression as he spoke to Harry.
"What is it Orion?" Harry asked. Orion had pulled them into an empty classroom to talk. His friend's changed demeanor had Harry frowning.
The Black teen took a deep steadying breath before speaking. "I want to ask you out on a date."
Harry knew he was pretty naive, but he knew that Orion had been acting differently for awhile and he definitely knew what a date was; he had just never assumed that Orion was interested in HIM in that way.
It would be a lie for Harry to deny that he had feelings for Orion, but he had never considered dating his friend.
"A-are you sure Orion?" Harry stuttered out his question. It felt like his cheeks were on fire with how bright his blush was.
Orion nodded quickly. "I really like you and I'd like to see if maybe it's more than friendship." If they ended up just being friends Orion would be fine with it, but he was a Black and Black's weren't shy about their romantic endevours.
Harry looked down at the floor to try and get his blush a little more under control. "Yeah. I can understand that." They would never know if they could be good for each other if they never tried. "I'd like to go on a date with you. But-" He made sure to look up at Orion through his bangs. "If things don't work out we can still be friends...right?"
"Definitely!" Orion dropped his calm and serious facade and quickly threw his hands up in agreement. "And hey! If the date doesn't work out at least we'll have gotten to hang out with the girls for once!" He grinned at his friend then and was extremely pleased when Harry returned the smile.
As much as Harry wanted to tell Tom, something held him back. Even Orion didn't say anything at dinner that night.
Orion did suggest that Eileen and Myrtle have a girls day during the Hogsmeade trip and both girls quickly agreed. It would be a great time for everyone to start their holiday shopping.
In the end Harry, his cheeks a bright red, told Abraxas about the date and asked if he could chaperone. Harry knew that at least one of Tom's followers would be there to keep an eye on Harry; which meant word would get back to Tom.
With Abraxas acting as his guard then Harry could keep the date a secret from Tom for awhile.
Needless to say Abraxas wasn't exactly thrilled over the entire thing, but he agreed to help out his youngest brother.
So when the weekend arrived Abraxas told Tom that he would be going with Harry to do some holiday shopping and that extra guards for Harry wouldn't be necessary.
"Honeydukes is first." Orion was over the moon when he and Harry were well past the Hogwarts wards and away from any chance of Tom seeing them. It sucked that Abraxas was with them, but at least he wouldn't try to interrupt them.
To give Orion and Hary some semblance of privacy, Abraxas followed a few feet behind them. Close enough to hear general conversation, but not so close that he was hovering.
Abraxas did have to suppress a small growl when Orion took Harry's hand in his in a not so subtle intimate gesture that had Harry blushing and smiling at his date.
It was a damned good thing that Tom had been busy with Headboy duties, otherwise Abraxas was sure Orion would have died a dozen deaths already.
But maybe this date would be the push that Tom needed to finally admit his feelings? Abraxas would think about telling Tom sometime after the day was over.
Little did any of the three know that Tom already knew about the date.
He'd found because Ladon had tattled on Harry. The small snakes were both of the mind that Tom and Harry were bound together and that Orion should not be trying to separate the mates.
Tom agreed.
The moment the three were away Tom used the best invisibility spell, notice me not spell, and a few other charms he could in order to mask his presence. With his spells in place Tom began following the Orion and Harry as they started their date.
Seeing Orion holding Harry's hand had Tom's eyes turning red and it took all of his control not to break his spells and charms and go over to separate the two.
Tom waited outside of Honeydukes while Orion took Harry inside to look over the sweets.
"You know spying on a date puts you in a rather bad light."
Tom spun around and sucked in a breath when he found Sir Leighleas standing a foot behind him. "H-How-"
"I'm a seer Tom. That allows me to see past certain spells." Sir Leighleas wasn't looking directly at Tom and his eyes couldn't seem to focus on Tom. "That and you forgot to cover your footprints."
Instantly Tom looked down at the dirt ground and groaned when he realized the dirt was damp from a recent rain and that he had indeed left a trail.
"You care about Harry." Sir Leighleas smiled a little as he spoke. "It's as obvious as sunlight is during a clear day. But," He held up a finger to make sure to stop Tom from speaking. "He is young and inexperienced in life. Let him have this so he can figure out what he really wants."
What could Tom say to the mediwizard that wouldn't make him sound like a fool? He was still dealing with Abraxas and his whole 'love' thing; Tom didn't need the mediwizard to start telling him what his feelings were.
"You two have something that no one else ever will Tom. You know your feelings, but Harry is confused and learning to listen to his heart."
"He is too young to date." Tom growled out after taking off his self silencing charm.
"And if you were the one dating him today?" Sir Leighleas arched a brow as he asked the question.
Tom sputtered for a moment before stuffing his hands into his pockets and turning away from the older man. "He is too young!"
"Most boys start having romantic feelings in their early teens." Sir Leighleas felt like he was talking to a brick wall.
Tom's rebuttal was stalled as Orion and Harry exited Honeydukes, each holding a bag of treats, and started walking towards the local tea shop. Abraxas was once again a few feet behind them.
"Let them be Tom or else you will end up making Harry upset with you."
Sir Leighleas' words almost convinced Tom to turn around and make his way back to the castle. Then he spotted Orion leaning close to Harry to whisper into his ear and how Harry's shoulders shook a little from laughter.
Tom wouldn't follow as closely as he had before, but he was definitely not going to be going back to the castle any time soon.
Meanwhile, Harry had slowly started to relax the longer he and Orion were together. He even momentarily forgot that Abraxas was following after them while they were in Honeydukes looking at sweets.
They were just sitting down in the tea house when what felt like ice ran down Harry's spine. He shivered and glanced around before smiling at Orion when his date asked if anything was wrong.
It was strange sitting together with none of their other friends. Abraxas was a few tables over reading from a book he had brought, but for the most part it was just Orion and Harry.
"So," Harry was extremely happy when their tea and biscuits arrived and he could at least keep his hands busy. "What do we do now?"
Before Orion had asked him, Harry had never thought about what going on a date would entail.
"Well...my sister said a first date is about talking and getting to know your date." Orion frowned at that. "But we already know each other." It was hard not to know each other after living in the same dorm for the last three years.
Abraxas smirked down at his book as the two younger boys floundered over what to do next.
"Taffety is graduating this year." Orion only had so many things to talk about that Harry didn't already know. "Rosier is really hoping you'll take up the Seeker position next year."
"Maybe." Harry would be lying if he said he didn't want to be seeker. "Are you enjoying being the keeper?" The previous keeper had graduated after last year and Orion had done well enough as the reserve keeper that Rosier had been fine with moving Orion up into the open spot.
"It's great!" Orion sat up and leaned forward excitedly. "I mean I know I missed a few shots during our first game, but it really got my heart racing you know?" He babbled for several minutes about how Rosier had started pushing Orion even harder after his first official game.
Harry nodded and smiled as Orion went on and on about how they had a real chance at winning the cup when a surge of magic caught Harry's attention. A sense of dread filled Harry as he looked out the window.
Time seemed to slow down as the thing that had caused the magical surge prowled around the corner and into the plaza. He and Orion were seated at the window so Harry had a very clear view of the creature.
Harry froze. Standing there was the largest dog he had ever seen. It had flaming red eyes, long fangs sticking out as it snarled, and the blackest fur that Harry had ever seen. Smoke seemed to come up from the ground where its paws were.
The creature slowly turned its head until it seemed to be looking directly at Harry through the window of the tea shop.
"Get down!"
Time sped back up as Harry was suddenly grabbed and dragged onto the ground under the window. Chaos broke out as the large creature began attacking buildings and people. Screams filled the air, but all Harry could see the floor under the table.
"We have to get back to the castle. Harry? Harry!"
Harry's shoulders started shaking as the hound barked so loudly that the walls around them shook. His entire body was paralyzed in fear as memories of his Aunt Marg and her horrid dogs filled his mind.
He couldn't even register that there were hands on his shoulders trying to shake him free of the waking nightmare. The only thing Harry could hear was the baying of that monster hound outside mingling with the barking from his memories.
The building was shaking again and what sounded like an avalanche covered the screams of the people within the tea shop.
Harry's memory changed from his aunts dog to the dreams he'd had during the Blitz. Bombs were dropping around him in the dream, people were screaming in terror, and buildings were collapsing all around him.
"Tom! Thank Merlin you're here!"
"Give him to me. You take Orion."
Suddenly, there was warmth around Harry and he could feel himself lifting up into the air and being held. A familiar feeling wiggled its way into Harry's panicked mind.
"T-Tom?"
"That's it Harry. Focus on me." Tom held Harry close as he and Abraxas carefully snuck their way out of the back of the tea shop where the other customers and staff had exited. Aurors were busy fighting the hellhound outside in the plaza, but they were having trouble fully subduing the creature.
"Focus on me Harry. I swear I'll keep you safe." Tom's whispered parseltongue words were pulling Harry free from his memories and nightmares. They were a balm on his battered mind.
The last thing Harry saw before passing out was Tom with ruby red eyes and a smudge of dirt on his cheek.
Special thanks to: Louise to, Deb