Author's Note: Heya, welcome back... It's been a while, sorry about that.

I've realised something really stupid that i did in the earlier chapter 'Returning Home' ... I said that Morgana/Professor Pollywood was the defence against the dark arts teacher, when in actually she's the potions teacher *slow clap*.

But yeah I editied that chapter so if you want to read that again go ahead, if not all you really need to know is that the defence against the dark arts teacher is called Professor Claybrook. Sorry about that mistake.

I love reading your comments you're amazing people! please remember to follow or favorite whatever you prefer.

Enjoy!

Chapter 11: Expelliarmus!

Ginny was sure that she had never found a dining room table so interesting before in her entire life. She studied it, rocking slightly back and forth in her chair as she did, sighing with boredom. In actual fact the table was dull, the same old brown that you would find in households all the way across Britain.

Why was she so bored? It had only been four days since the stranger had arrived on her doorstep and within that instant, thrown her life, and the lives of her friends back into the fight that had left them only 21 years ago.

She flexed her fingers, what was she doing sitting here when the whole world was silently dyeing around her?

She felt frustrated; frustrated that, like all the times before, it was she who had been left behind. True, it was odd enough that Hermione chose to enter the library with one visitor, let alone two! And it wasn't like Ginny was high up in the ministry like Harry and Ron, but even with all that considered she still couldn't help feeling that it was the old group back together, the old group that never included her unless they found it completely vital.

She sighed, she was being childish, this wasn't some petty game that she had been left out of, this was a battle between life and death and Ginny knew in her heart that her friends were doing the right thing.

There was a rap at the door, and form the other side she heard Hermione's voice;

"Hey, Ginny it's us, we're back!"

"About time," Ginny whispered under her breath, and feeling relived, she opened the door.

-Hogwarts, 4th of October 2019

Hugo sighed; he dragged his feet as the three of them made their way to their defence against the dark arts class. "Why? Why does he have to come here? Welcome to your new school Hugo! Oh yeah, to help you make friends your dad's gonna teach some of your classes!"

Lilly laughed, "It's not like they're staying for long, only a few weeks"

"You don't understand Lilly! Your dad's cool, he was actually needed; all my dad did was follow him around and occasionally break his wand!"

"Without your dad none of us would be alive now, you especially!"

Hugo rolled his eyes, "That was the worst come back I have ever heard." He looked to Leo to see if he agreed, but instead saw that his friend was yet again staring off into space.

Hugo had told Leo that his parents were coming as soon as he had received the owl, but instead of showing any type of emotion towards the news, Leo had simply mumbled about how he should have known that Ron was Hugo's father and that he was stupid for not guessing it.

In fact Leo hadn't been himself for the past few weeks, ever since the accident in the potions lab he had become very quiet, he frequently insisted on being by himself and avoided unnecessary eye contact, and though at the start of the year Hugo had thought Leo and Mrs Pollywood were close, Leo now kept away from her as much as possible and wouldn't answer questions even when they were asked directly to him.

Hugo looked at his friend again, taking everything in; his facial expression, his posture, there was just something about him… He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it was there, it seemed as if an air of mistrust hung around Leo and as he thought about it, it began to make Hugo feel uneasy.

Finally, they entered on the threshold of the defence against the dark arts room and upon seeing the two adults standing at its head; Hugo groaned and stopped in his tracks before being thrust through the door from behind by his cousin.

"Okay, is everyone ready? Repeat after me! Expelliarmus!" The word of magic was amplified by the first years.

"Good, good, now I think time for some real practise! What do you think?" nods of excitement all around the room.

"Okay, Ron could you please step up?"

Leo saw Ron, Hugo's father shake his head and hop up on to one of the many long, blue mat type objects that lay on the floor in front of him.

"Can I have a volunteer?" Harry asked, looking around at the sea of hands. He pointed to the middle of the crowed, "You over there, with the blonde hair!" A girl named Alana Hayes stepped forward, she smiled shyly at Harry and he told her to step on the mat.

"Now in your own time, I would like you to perform the spell on Ron here, don't worry about hurting him, he won't mind will you Ron?"

Ron shrugged "Knock yourself out" he said, addressing Alana. "You know what to do?" she nodded, "Well," said Ron, spreading his arms out as if awaiting an embrace, "in your own time…"

Alana nodded again, not only in understanding, also as if she was convincing herself she could do it, then, flicking her wrist slightly she sent the spell flying towards Ron, at its impact Ron jumped back a little, but managed to regain balance.

"Good" said Harry, "You've got the theory of the spell, but next time put more umpth behind it, try to imagine that you are actually pushing him over." He paused, "Okay, get into partners and each of you stand on one of these mats, keep at least a meter away from the end and only one of you may perform the spell at a time, understand? It seems Hogwarts has introduced safety regulations since Ron and I were last here!" The class nodded and began pairing up.

Leo found himself with Hugo and inwardly groaned. Yet again Leo reminded himself that his friend had no idea who he truly was; Leo had been lying to Hugo all this time. Even Leo, himself was no longer sure as to whom he was, and what path he would take, but most of all he was scared, scared of who he had been in his past life and the crimes which, regretfully, he had committed. He closed his eyes; he remembered killing a man and Arthur Pendragon at that! In everyone's minds, even his own, he was evil and he guessed, as he sighed trying to hold back a flood of tears, that there was nothing he could do to change that.

Leo and Hugo took out their wands, and making sure they were a meter away from the end of the mat; they locked gazes, or would have if it weren't for the darting, gilt-ridden eyes of Leo.

"Do you want to go first?" Hugo inquired from the other end of the mat.

"No," Leo mumbled in a voice barely audible to Hugo. He dreaded what he could do to Hugo. Remembering the time when he had blown up his own wand… What if the same fate awaited Hugo? Of course in light of events Leo guessed that the wand he was holding was not real, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick knew something was odd about him. Ever since his wand incident, he had been able to see it in their faces; every time he passed them their brows seemed to furrow and they would look away quickly.

The fact of his wand didn't make his nerves any better though.

Suddenly Leo tripped slightly; it was if someone had barged into him, he toppled over and landed on his bum, he looked up at Hugo, who shrugged.

"You weren't exactly concentrating, so I thought I'd take you by surprise" he laughed.

Leo half- smiled back, and stood up, readying himself for the spell he was going to inflict on his friend.

"Oh no dad, go away!" Leo looked up, Ron stood next to his son, observing him with an amused stare.

"What, and miss my baby boy get knocked over?" He sniggered "I wouldn't dream of it!" Hugo huffed and fixed the wall with a cold stare.

"What's your name?" Ron directed the question at Leo who stood awkwardly listening to the pair's conversation.

"Leo Smith" He gulped.

"Leo?" Ron's eyes glazed for a second as if he recalled the name from somewhere else and for a mille-second his brow furrowed, then he smiled and nodded. "Well hello Leo, Hugo has mentioned you in some of his letters haven't you diddum's?" Hugo ignored him, and instead continued to stare at the wall.

"Well go ahead Leo!"

Leo sighed, steadying himself; he flicked his arm a little, controlling the wand (though he knew there was no need), and exclaimed "Expelliarmus!"

Hugo's yell made the whole class turn, he was lying on the floor having been thrown six foot in the air and was now curled up in a ball.

Ron helped him to his feet, but as he did Hugo yelped in pain.

"Well you managed it Leo, even to the extent that I would say next time go easy on your enemy, even if they are your best friend." He grunted under the weight of his son. "Now, how about you help my take Hugo to the hospital wing?"

As soon as, Ron returned he headed straight for Harry, he found his friend tutoring two girls on the art of pronunciation and pulled him aside.

"That boy, the one that sent Hugo flying, it's Leo."

Harry frowned, "Leo? The Leo that McGonagall was talking about?"

"I don't doubt it, who else could master that spell to such a level first go?"

"It's not impossible" Harry shrugged.

"But it's not likely." Ron sighed "I don't like this Harry, something's wrong here, I can just feel it…"

Hermione and Merlin now joined Ginny at the table; all eyes were centred on the message that lay in front of them.

"Is that it?" Ginny's voice seemed put out.

Merlin opened his mouth as if to answer, but before he could Hermione cut in "You of all people should know not to judge a book by its cover!"

Ginny winced, old memories now forcing themselves to the surface, she pictured a black book and…

Ginny shook them away, "Who's Emrys?" she asked.

Again Merlin opened his mouth, but again Hermione felt the need to interrupt him. "Emrys means immortal, much like our friend here." She gestured towards Merlin and watched carefully for Ginny's reaction.

Ginny's lips parted in a silent 'oh' shape, she nodded and looking to Merlin she said, "Well have you opened it yet?"

"Not yet…" And looking at the expression on Ginny's face he continued, "Well I was pretty sure it was what we needed, I just felt it, you know what I mean, that tingle you get in your fingertips" He flexed his hands, then sighed "Okay, in actual fact I don't know what to think, I know it's special, but it could be anything… To be honest I put opening it off." He reached for the envelope and turned it over.

Ginny could see a wax seal, much like the one that belonged to Hogwarts, but instead its crest was of a magnificent dragon. Merlin's face changed at the site of this, his eyes seemed to light up growing younger and more lively than they had been before. His fingers scuffled at the seal and he broke it, finally opening the note. But upon reading it his brow furrowed and shrugging his shoulders he placed the note in the middle of the table.

Ginny saw that six lines were scrawled in age old writing, they read:

And so the final testament begins, but take heed, to win this battle, even the darkest of places must see the light. Old ghosts not only of good but of evil may join your plight. For when a second chance is given, four forces must join to become one. Then, and only then may the gods be appeased.

Ginny looked back up at Merlin and in reply Merlin shook his head and shrugged "No, not a clue."