Here is the next chapter. Please excuse any errors because I haven't had this beta read.
Disclaimer: Me no own nothing except whatever characters I make up myself.
Accounts of the mysterious group of witches and wizards known as "Shadow Mages" date back to 1223 B.C., however, it is believed that this group may have existed long before this initial account. Long thought to be associated with the dark arts, they were believed to be the first practitioners of now common branches of magic such as Apparition, Legillimancy, and Occlumency.
The title Shadow Mage comes from their ability to transport themselves from place to place through the use of shadows. Probably one of the most well known remnants of this ability is the popular Muggle magic trick, "The Vanishing Cabinet." Although, now relegated to Muggle theatrics, before the discovery of apparition, Shadow Mages used this ability to gain power both in the Magical and Muggle worlds.
The Shadow Mages eventually began to lose power, as the newly discovered "Apparition" became more prominent. As more and more witches and wizards learned to apparate, the Shadow Mages lost their advantage over their wizarding counterparts. Their power base gone, they eventually assimilated themselves into the magical community.
It is not known how many modern Shadow Mages there are in existence at present owing to the fact that they wish to avoid the stigma associated with their dark history. As a result, there has not been a recorded instance of an active group of Shadow Mages in over a millennia.
Jaden folded the piece of parchment with its tiny, neat scrawl, and slipped it into his pocket. It was a lot to digest. Just a few hours ago, he was a normal kid. "Well, as normal as a homeless eleven year old with magical abilities can be," Jaden thought to himself.
But this was different. Before he thought that he was alone, unique even, a freak. Now, he was a part of an actual secret community, on top of that, a secret community with in a secret community. Granted, according to Professor Longbottom's friend Hermione, there wasn't an active group of Shadow Mages in over a thousand years, but she didn't rule out that there still could be a few of them around. Jaden was proof of that fact, he thought as he looked at his reflection in the mirror.
Jaden looked at the alarm clock on the end table next to his bed. It was 8:00. Jaden could walk the entire way, and it would not take him four hours to get there. Still, Professor Longbottom did say that he was staying there. Perhaps he wouldn't mind if he showed up a few hours early.
Jaden ties his hair back into a ponytail, tucks in his shirt, and grabs his jacket. He slips into his jacket, and heads out the door.
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"Ron…" a voice calls out his name from within the darkness.
"Ron…" the voice calls again.
"Ronald, wake up…" says the voice.
"RONALD!"
"What…" says Ron with a muffled voice from under the pillows.
"Ronald it's time to wake up," says his wife Hermione. "Go get ready, and don't forget to take your potion."
Ron lifts the pillow from his face, and looks at the blurry object that is his wife. "Do I have to?"
"A fine example you are for your children, always sleeping in."
Ron ignores his bushy haired wife, and pulls the covers over his head. "Ow!"
"Get out of bed Ron!" snaps Hermione. "Don't make me get my wand and hose you out of bed again."
"Alright… Alright… I'm up," says Ron with mock enthusiasm as he springs out of bed. He leans over and plants a kiss on Hermione's cheek on his way to the bathroom.
"Eww… I sometimes think that you have worse morning breath than Fang."
"Well, you did agree for better or for worst," chortles Ron before snatching up Hermione, dropping her on the bed and pretending to gnaw into her shoulder causing her to giggle madly.
"Get-off-Ronald-Weasley!" Hermione squeaks through her giggles.
Ron quickly obliges her, dropping another kiss on her cheek before disappearing into the bathroom. He closes the door behind him, and takes off the sleep shirt he was wearing. Ron goes about his normal routine, grabbing his toothbrush, but then stops when he catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His hand hesitantly moves up to scars gored into his chest and abdomen. Even though he's had them for almost two years now, they still look just as deep and beastly as the day he first got them. Ron traces the edge of the deepest scar until Hermione, walking into the bathroom, startles him.
"Ron you forgot your po…" Hermione stops mid-word at the sight of Ron's face. "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah… Great…" Ron stammers while turning on the water and running his toothbrush under it.
This doesn't fool Hermione at all. She places the bottle she is carrying on the counter top, and wraps her arms around Ron, resting her head on his back. "That-That dream you had last night, it was that night wasn't it?"
Ron places his hands on the basin's edge, and stares into the mirror. Without saying a word, he nods and looks away. Even though the shorter Hermione could not see his reflection in the mirror from where she is, she knows what Ron's answer is.
"I hate this…" Ron says just above a whisper. "I hate reliving that night over and over again. I hate not being able to function without taking a potion four times a day. It's been two years Hermione, and I'm no better off now than I was the day I left St. Mungo's."
"I know, Love," says Hermione soothingly. "But, it's a cursed wound. It was almost five years before Bill completely recovered from his injuries. I-I know how frustrating this is for you"
"Frustrating? You don't even know the half of it 'Mione!" Ron exclaims louder than he intended. He closes his eyes and gathers his composure.
Hermione, however, did not loosen from her embrace.
"I miss it 'Mione."
"Miss what."
"Being an Auror. I liked being an Auror 'Mione. I was good at it, and people respected me for it."
Hermione releases her embrace, and with a gentle touch to his shoulder, she beckons Ron to turn around, which he obliges. Their eyes meet when she reaches up, sliding her hand behind his ear and running her fingers through his hair. "I know how much you loved being an Auror, helping Harry and Kingsley build a better Ministry, but I want you to remember one thing," says Hermione gazing into her husband's eyes. "People didn't respect you for what you did as an Auror. You earned people's respect years before your first day of Auror training, and no one thinks any less of you for having to leave the Auror department."
"Mione, I can't help the way I feel…" Ron says with an expression of shame plastered on his face. "Do you think after all that we had been though, that I wanted to end up working with my brother in a joke shop?"
"Ron, you provide for your family," says Hermione. "There is no shame in that. The joke shop is what paid for this house. You make three times what you did as an Auror, and you are able to provide things for your children that you never had growing up."
"Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against the joke shop, but that shop was Fred…" Ron pauses at the thought of evoking Fred's name, as if it were some sort of sacrilege to speak of him in a manner that did not do honor to his memory. "…and George's dream, not mine."
"We have a beautiful home, we are financially stable with more money that we will ever know what to do with, and we have two beautiful children. What more do you want?"
"Well…" Ron grinned, reasoning that he did not want to start the day on such a depressing note. "I don't have my picture on a Chocolate Frog Card," Ron chuckled.
"What," Hermione snorted. "You don't ask for much."
"My very own Chocolate Frog card would truly be my finest hour!"
"Oh and I suppose that destroying one of Voldemort's Horcruxs, our wedding, and the birth of your children just doesn't compare to a Chocolate Frog card?"
"Well, I guess our wedding would be a close second."
"PRAT!" snaps Hermione before punching Ron in the arm, trying her best but failing to put on a stern face.
"Ouch… That hurt!"
"Good," says Hermione trying not to laugh.
"If I were Minister of Magic, the first thing I would do was made sure that every member of the Order and the DA got their own Chocolate Frog card."
"Well, maybe you should take up that important piece of legislation with Kingsley."
"Come on, I'd make sure you got one too."
"Thanks, but right now, I'd settle for you finishing getting ready. We have to meet Harry, Ginny, and the kids at the Leaky Cauldron at ten."
Ron glances over at the clock on the wall. "Ten? Hermione, that's two hours away. I could have slept for at least another hour," Ron pouted.
"I woke you up early because we both know what kind of mood you get into if you miss a meal," says Hermione plainly.
"Aww, how considerate," says Ron as he leans over to kiss his wife.
"Eww…" yelps Hermione trying to push Ron away. "Morning breath… Ron!" Hermione struggles, and eventually succeeds escaping from Ron's grasp. "Now finish getting ready, and don't forget your potion."
Ron jumps slightly when Hermione slaps him on the bum before leaving the bathroom. "Yes Mum."
"Ronald."
"I'm going-I'm going. Just don't send those canaries of yours after me!"
"If you're not down stairs in thirty minutes, I'll send them up to fetch you!" she says plainly.
"She wouldn't," Ron thought to himself.
"Oh yes I would!" Ron jumped again as Hermione's voice trailed down the hall.
"She's a bit scary sometimes," Ron thought before grabbing the bottle Hermione left on the counter and draining it in one gulp, wincing at the horrible taste.
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James and Albus run down the stairs of Grimmauld place with their younger sister Lily tailing behind them clutching a stuffed spider. The trio tear past a hole in the wall where the shrieking portrait of Mrs. Black once hung, past the stuffed elf heads, and down into the kitchen.
"Hey… Hey… what did I say about running down the stairs?" chirps their father from behind the morning issue of the Daily Prophet.
"That it's faster to just slide down the banister?" says James, drawing laughter from his younger siblings.
"I swear…" says Harry putting down the paper. " I have no idea where you got that smart mouth."
"Where did you think he got it?" smirked Ginny while placing plates of food in front of the children.
"I know that you aren't insinuating that he gets it from me?" says Harry feigning shock.
"You and I both know that half of the detentions that you got while at Hogwarts was because of your smart mouth," teases Ginny, which causes the children to giggle.
"Yeah but that was different…"
"And need I remind you that my son managed to make it through his first year of school without a single detention."
"Wait a minute," says Harry, directing his gaze at his wife. "How come when he does something good, he's your son, and when he gets into trouble, he's mine?"
"It's funny how it works out that way isn't it?" smiles Ginny while taking a seat next to Harry.
Harry smiles at his wife, pulls a plate of sausages towards him and helps himself to a few. "Lily," Harry pauses noticing the giant stuffed spider next to her on the table. "What in Merlin's Beard is that ghastly thing?"
Lily looks up from her plate as if it was perfectly natural to have a giant stuffed spider on the table next to her. "I found it when we where visiting Gran yesterday," she explained between bites of egg. "She said that it used to belong to Uncle Ron. I've named him Julian."
"Well you be sure to show Julian to Uncle Ron when you see him today," Harry says with a wry grin.
Ginny glances over at her husband with a, "You're so mean" expression on her face. The two boys notice it right away, but Lily, who is preoccupied spreading jam on a piece of toast, simply nods at her father's words.
An hour later, Harry and the Potters climb into a car parked in front of Twelve Grimmauld place.
"Why can't we just floo into the Leaky Cauldron?" quips James while plopping himself into the back seat.
"It would be faster," adds Albus.
"You kids need to learn that you don't need to use magic for everything," says Harry from the driver's seat.
"And besides," adds Ginny. "At least this way, we are not walking around Diagon Alley covered in soot all day."
Lily leans over to Albus and James and whispers to them, "I think that it's because Dad doesn't like traveling by floo. Gran says that he didn't like it much as a kid."
"Uncle Ron says that he prefers flying," says James. "But then, why aren't we flying instead of taking the car. It's so slow."
Still, through all the kid's whispered complaints, it wasn't long before Harry was parking the car in a stall around the corner from the Leaky Cauldron. "See, we only had to circle the block three times, and there's plenty of time to spare," says Harry while his children roll their eyes and give a collective groan.
Moments later the Potter clan strolls down Charing Cross road, towards the Leaky Cauldron.
"Hey look," Harry points at a ginger haired man getting out of a car a ways up the block. "It's Uncle Ron. Lily, why do you go introduce him to Julian."
Lily (Julian in hand) followed by James and Albus run up the street.
"You're terrible!" Ginny shakes her head as she and her husband trail behind the exuberant children. A few seconds later, they hear a loud scream and see Ron perched on the hood of the car with the kids, joined by their cousins Rose and Hugo, howling with laughter.
Harry, laughing triumphantly, joins the kids by the car. "Morning Ron… Hey kids how are ya!"
"Hey Uncle Harry," expound Rose and Hugo.
"Where the bloody hell did she get that?" moans Ron as he climbs down from the hood of the car, clutching his heart.
"Mum gave it to her," Harry chuckled. "She said that it once belonged to you, so I thought that you would have liked to get reacquainted… OW!" yelled Harry as Hermione punches him in the arm.
"Morning Harry," chirps Hermione as she walks by Harry to give a hug to her favorite sister-in-law, and then dropping down to bestow kisses on her niece and nephews.
"What was that for?" asks Harry while rubbing the sore spot on his arm.
"Serves you right," says Ginny to her husband in a very unconvincing tone of disapproval.
"Aunt Hermione…" James whines. "Not in public!" says the soon to be second year as he wipes the spot on his cheek where Hermione kissed him with the cuff of his shirt, while Albus grins at his brother's reaction.
Meanwhile, his Uncle Ron shudders against the car while Lily holds Julian up trying to get Ron to give the stuffed spider a kiss. "N-No that's all right Lily, Uncle Ron is okay with you keeping Julian," he sputters.
Much to the chagrin of Ginny and Hermione, Harry revels in the hilarity of his daughter's innocent torture of her uncle. He stands with a stupid grin on his face when he feels his son Albus reach up and tap him on the shoulder. "What is it Al?"
"Dad, can I go into the record store?" asks Albus tilting his head towards the shop next to the Leaky Cauldron.
"Okay, but take James with you," answers Harry. "… And don't dawdle, we have a lot of shopping to do today."
"Sure thing, Dad!" exclaims the energized child before running off to tell his brother.
"James…" Albus calls to his older brother who is currently preoccupied watching Ron who now is holding Julian, and pretending that the stuffed spider is attacking his neck, causing Lily, Rose and Hugo to squeal with delight.
"James…"
"What is it Al?"
"Dad says that you have to go with me into the record store."
"What? Why?" grumbles James.
"I asked Dad if I could go into the record store, and he said that you had to go with me."
James gives an exasperated groan before looking at his brother, "Come on then."
A bell at the top of the door rings as the two boys enter the shop. Albus's eyes widen at the sight of the walls of the small shop lined with shelves packed with records. However, it is the tables set up down the center of the store with milk crates filled with records that catch Albus's attention. He quickly makes his way to the first table, and begins to look through the records while the shop owner casts a wary eye on them from behind the counter before returning to his newspaper.
"What are you looking for?" James asks quizzically while digging his pinky in his ear to show his dislike of the non-wizarding music playing in the store. "I'll never understand what you see in Muggle music."
"What's wrong with it?"
"Well for one thing, those-those CA's…"
"CD's," Albus corrects his brother while not looking away from the stack of records he is perusing.
"Whatever," James grunts. "You can't even listen to them unless you use eckeltricity."
"Well yeah, but these are records, so you can listen to them on phonographs."
"Still, I don't see what the point is. Like that one group you always listen to. The-The Crickets."
"The Beatles," Albus says plainly while returning the record he was looking at to the milk crate he pulled it from.
"Whatever! Why would you want to name your band after a bug anyway?"
"Are you just going to gripe the whole time?" Albus says exasperated by his brother's attitude.
James looks out the shop window to see that everyone had moved on. They were no doubt already in the Leaky Cauldron. "Look, I'm going to meet the rest of the group in the Cauldron. You can stay and look for a bit more if you like, but don't stay in here too long. Mum and Dad will freak if they find out that I left you here alone."
"I won't be long," Albus replies, obviously more interested in the records in front of him that what his brother has to say.
James takes one last glance at his Muggle music loving brother, and then exits the store ringing the bell on the front door as he leaves.
Albus continues browsing the many stacks when he hears the bell on the front door ring again. The music in the store is disrupted by the raucous made by three tall boys whom appear to be at least fourteen or fifteen years of age. Albus casually looks up from the record he is looking at to see the three boys at the front of the store. Albus shrugs off their loud behavior and returns to his browsing. He slips a record back into the slot where he got it, and reaches for another milk crate when he accidentally knocks it over. Albus throws up his hands in surprise, and the milk crate full of records freezes in mid air.
All the sound in the store seams to have been suddenly sucked out of the room. Albus looks towards the front of the store to the three boys staring at him with the mouths agape like cod at the fish market. The shopkeeper, however, sits in the same spot behind the counter, hidden behind his newspaper. Albus frantically grabs the milk crate, and pushes it back onto the table before pushing past the three boys. The bell ringing as he exits the store.
Moments later, the three boys come charging out of the store after Albus. "Hey Kid!" calls the tallest boy.
Albus ignores him and makes a break for the Leaky Cauldron. Albus is a few steps away from the door of the Leaky Cauldron when the three boys grab him from behind.
"Hey kid, how did you do that," asks the tallest boy as his two friends move to surround Albus.
"Uh…" stammers Albus looking around at the three boys towering above him, and then at the door to the Leaky Cauldron just a few feet away.
"Do something else," demands the brown haired boy standing behind Albus.
"I… Just leave me alone!" yells Albus as he tries to push pass the tall boy in front of him only to be over powered.
The three boys start to push Albus between each other, "Come on kid… make something float!"
Albus become very frightened and squeezes past two of the boys. He tries to head towards the door of the Leaky Cauldron, but is blocked by the brown haired boy. The three boys stand before him blocking his way forcing Albus to run down the street away from the safety of the Leaky Cauldron.
Albus dashes past the record store, with the three boys in hot pursuit. He looks over his shoulder at his pursuers before turning down an alley. Albus sputters to a stop so see that the alley was blocked off from the other street by a chain link fence.
One of the boys picks up a rock and throws it at Albus, "Hey kid, lets see you make this rock float!" Albus turns around just in time to see the rock before it hits him in the head. Albus sways for a second before finally falling to the ground in a heap. He looks up groggily, blood streaming from his forehead where the rock hit him, to find that he is being picked up by two of the boys. The tallest boy walks up to Albus as his two friends hold him up. With a grin on his face, the tall boy slaps Albus across the face, and then punches him in the stomach causing Albus to lynch forward, coughing.
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Jaden is walking down the street, one block down from Charing Cross road. He walks with his hands in his pockets, and is not really paying any attention to what is going on around him. He lets out a yawn when he hears something from a nearby alley. He walks up to the edge of the alley to see three boys chasing after a smaller boy.
Jaden sees one of the boys pick up a rock and throws it at the trapped boy.
"Hey kid, lets see you make this rock float!" Jaden hears from the street as he sees the smaller boy fall to the ground after the rock hits him squarely in the head. Jaden gasps as the small boy hits the ground hard.
"I need to find a better vantage point," Jaden thinks to himself.
He looks around for somewhere to better observe what is happening. He looks up and sees a fire escape built into the side of the building overlooking the four boys. Jaden walks up to a shadow cast on the sidewalk by a near by mailbox. He looks around to make sure that no one is there to see him. When he is sure that no one is around, Jaden sinks into the shadow. Moment's later; he walks out of a shadow on one of the landings of the fire escape he spotted earlier.
He crouches down on the stair, and watches what is happening below. Jaden sees two of the taller boys pick up the smaller one making it easy for their third friend to punch the scruffy headed boy in the gut. The boys holding up the smaller boy allow him to drop to the ground, and then proceed to kick Albus in the stomach.
Jaden can't stand to watch three bigger boys beat up a defenseless boy smaller than them, and quickly decides to do something. Not willing to let things escalate any further Jaden steps back through a shadow behind him. Jaden rises out of the tallest boy's shadow behind him. He jumps up, and delivers a blow to the back of his head sending him falling to the ground hard.
The other boys' players see him, and charge at Jaden. Jaden dives into a nearby shadow, then jumps out of another behind the brown haired boy. He quickly grabs the brown haired boy by his scruffy locks and pulls him backwards onto the ground, knocking him out before disappearing into the shadows again.
The tallest boy gets back to his feet and he and his remaining friend are looking around trying to figure out where Jaden is.
"Come out and fight you Freak!" the tall boy shouts. He hears a grunting noise from behind him. He turns around and finds his other friend on the ground unconscious.
The tall boy begins to panic, "Come out you..."
Jaden jumps out of a shadow cast upon the ground by the fire escape hanging overhead. He tackles the taller boy, pinning him against the chain link fence with his knee. With a flick of the wrist, Jaden pulls out his Butterfly knife, and rests its point against the taller boy's throat.
The tall boy stares up at Jaden terrified.
Jaden gets up from on top of the fifteen year old. He flicks his wrist, and returns the knife to his back pocket. "As much as you deserve it, this blade is not meant for you."
Jaden lifts Albus's arm over his head, and with great difficulty, hoists the unconscious boy to his feet. Albus's eyes flutter open momentarily and the words; "Leaky Cauldron" escapes his lips. Hearing this, Jaden backs into a shadow never taking his eyes off of the terrified boy against the fence.
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