Disclaimer I don't own a gosh darn thing so what are you going to do about it?

Authors note: I know it's been awhile but give me a break I haven't heard a word from my beta in roughly 2 months. I'm sure she's just busy with college but it does kind of put a damper on posting thing luckily for all of you before everything got quiet we managed to finish ch seven. Don't worry I know how annoying the wait is and I promise if I haven't heard from a by the time... well let's just crossed that bridge when and if we come to it shall we

Chapter Six

Fatal Compassion

Written by: Empathicallychosen

Beated by: Taint of Taia.

The child learns so easily because he has a natural gift, but adults, because they are tyrants, ignore natural gifts and say that children must learn through the same process that they learned by. We insist upon forced mental feeding and our lessons. --Rabindranath Tagore

That evening at dinner, all the adults were in a foul mood, but were trying their best to hide their anxieties about the prophecy and have a pleasant last meal together before the marauders had to leave for Hogwarts. Accalia had prepared a mountain of rich and delicious food for dinner, and, much to their surprise, the group was actually able to think of topics that were considerably more pleasant than their looming destinies.

James and Sirius rounded off the evening by performing some rather elaborate and showy tricks. The children did not stick around to watch for very long. After dinner, they quietly slid out of their seats and disappeared upstairs. Twenty minutes later, they reappeared. They were standing behind the adults, with dessert still smashed all over the their faces, Harry and Ron were dressed in Padfoot, Moony, and Prongs's Hogwarts uniforms. Adding to the moment, each one of the children was carrying a miniature and light wooden trunk used to store dress up clothes. They had filled them with all of their favorite things.

"'Kay we's ready to go," said Harry, trying to walk in Moony's shoes.

"I think it's time you explain to him about Hogwarts," Aidan whispered to James.

"can't you do it? you're better at explaining things to Harry that I am," James repliedstaring down at the little boy as if he was going to explode.

"James," Accalia began warningly.

"Alright, alright I'll do it."

James frowned sadly and got down on his knees to look at Harry.

"Uh-- oh," Hermione whispered to Ron.

"Look, kid, I don't know how to tell you this, but you're not coming to Hogwarts with us. You have to be eleven to go to howarts so while we're gone you're going to stay here where your grandparents can keep an eye on you," James informed Harry matter-of-factly.

Harry was so distraught he couldn't speak he just started crying and ran from the room.

"You're a big Meany head," Ron said to James angrily, kicking off one of Sirius's shoes and throwing it across the room.

"Oi, I don't make the rules if you've got a problemwith the way things are take up with Dumbledore," said James indignantly that it was no use Ron had already vaulted up the stairsafter Harry.

-- -- -- -- --

It was an unpleasant scene in the household the next day. Harry, Ron and Hermione just outright refused to come see the boys off at the station, and the rain was worse then ever. All in all, the atmosphere was not very friendly as James, Remus and Sirius took their departure.

"Are you sure it'll be all right leaving them here like this?" asked Accalia for the third time.

"You never worried about leaving me home with the House-elf before," retorted James, annoyed at how late they were destined to be.

"If you could change the weather to reflect your mood, then I would have," Accalia snapped tartly.

Aidan looked out the window. The monsoon like weather had stopped. It was just light snow streaming gently to the ground. For a moment, Aidan caught himself thinking that this was odd. Then he reminded himself that the flamboyant child they had grown to love was much more than the ordinary wizarding child. If Ron could cause a monsoon out of anger, then it was certainly plausible that he could make it snow. Once Aidan had come to that realization, he started to wonder what the gentle falling snow could have meant and decided that Ron was sad and lonely, but that Ron was starting to come to terms with the fact that he was going to be left behind

"They'll be just fine. If we don't hurry, we'll miss the train," Aidan said while pushing his wife out the door.

But just as Accalia crossed the threshold, they were impeded by something else. Sirius had been lagging a bit behind because he was having a bit of trouble getting a good grip on his trunk. Halfway across the room, he stumbled over one of Harry's toys and landed face first on the floor, while the entire content of his trunk scattered all over it. In plain view at Aidan's feet lay dung bombs, Archimedes premium Itching Powder, and filibusters fireworks.

"Just what on earth do you intend to do with all of this," asked Accalia sternly.

"Charms experiments," replied Sirius lamely.

Once the pranking materials had been confiscated and the boys had been put on the train, Aidan and Accalia were thoroughly exhausted and didn't really feel up to handling the demands of three small children. Nevertheless, when they got home they tried everything they knew to coax Harry, Ron and Hermione out of the nursery. Nothing they tried succeeded, so they just decided to let their charges come out when they were ready. Sure enough, about the time Accalia began to magically chop the onions for supper, the young fledglings appeared behind her. Out of the three of them, Harry's eyes were by far the most red and puffy. When he saw the kitchen knife finish with the onions and proceed to dice a handful of tomatoes, those piercing green eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"What is it sweetheart?" she asked affectionately, pushing his bangs out of his eyes.

Harry's forehead was a bit warm, but Accalia dismissed it, knowing sometimes after a tantrum such things occurred.

"What you doin'?"

"Well, honey, I'm making dinner," said Accalia turning from Harry briefly so that she could transfer the tomatoes and onions into a pot with a flourish of her wand.

"Wit m-magic?" questioned Harry apprehensively.

Accalia sighed and waved her wand again, this time to stop cooking, and knelt down to Harry's level. Accalia had never met a child who was so genuinely afraid of whom he was (whom he was, being a wizard). How on earth where they going to help Harry understand that everything he had ever been told were lies? Especially after what he witnessed his captors do?

"Yes, Harry, I was making dinner with magic. I know how confusing all of this must be, but someday you're going to understand that magic can be dead useful. Even fun," she ended mischievously.

For a brief second, Accalia saw a glimmer of excitement in Harry's eyes. She felt relief wash over her, because she suddenly knew it wasn't hopeless. Unfortunately, Harry's face fell almost instantly. He bit his lip and was silent for a long time.

"But Auntie P'unia says-"

Accalia gently lifted her finger to Harry's lips, "Yes, I know what she tells you dear, but I want you to think about it for a moment. Your aunt and uncle hurt you and make you feel bad, don't they?"

Harry nodded.

"Sweetheart, your grandfather and I love you and protect you. We would never lie to you. And, I daresay, your aunt and uncle lie to you a lot."

Harry nodded again and, for the first time, Accalia felt as though she was making some real headway. "Harry, I promise, if magic were bad, it would not be in this house."

Harry pondered this for what seemed like forever and then he asked as innocently as could be, "Kens we help makes dinner, Grams?"

"Of course you can. Would you like to put the plates over on the table for me? Careful now. They're heavy." Accalia watched as they toddled over to the table before she turned back to her cooking. "What do you say we have chocolate milk with our dinner tonight?"

There was no answer.

THWACK!

"What are you three- . . . "

She would have screamed, but didn't, because what she saw made her want to retch instead. Harry was passed out on the floor and was bleeding quite heavily from the head. She would have rushed over to him immediately, but her feet wouldn't move. Instead she watched helplessly as Ron tried to resuscitate his friend, but failed, losing consciousness himself. When the strange hold of the spell they had been trying to cast broke, Hermione was barely conscious. As soon as Accalia found her voice and her legs she screamed for her husband as loud as she could. It seemed to take Aidan an eternity to reach the kitchen. In actuality, it was likely a matter of minutes.

Accalia pulled out her wand, casting the resuscitation charm as vigorously as she could. She was frantic as the two boys laid limply next to her on the cold marble floor. Each one of the little ones was in dire need of her attention. Everything was such a blur, somehow, but she managed to get Harry and Ron breathing steadily again. Accalia looked over at Hermione and saw that she was losing consciousness Accalia knew she had to keep the girl talking. Unfortunately, every time she tried to get a conversation going, Hermione would start to nod off again. Urgently, Accalia began singing as loudly and obnoxiously as she could.

"Hush little baby don't say a word . . . Come on Hermione, sing it with me . . . Atta girl," said Accalia. She felt drained, yet somehow she managed to inject some feeble confidence into her voice.

Just when she had Hermione under control, Ron started having convulsions. Accalia cast the body bind curse on the boy so that Ron didn't hurt himself while she was healing Harry.

"AIDAN! AIDAN! What's taking you so long . . . no Hermione don't stop singing. Let's start over, okay? ... hush little baby . . . "

Still singing, Accalia scrambled back to her grandson and scooped him up into her arms. Accalia was kneeling in a puddle of blood, and her pure white apron was now a deep crimson, and still Accalia clutched Harry to her.

"Sanare," she croaked pointing her wand directly at the gash on the boy's head.

It didn't work. Accalia was desperate. She wasn't going to let Harry die. Not after she had just met him. Not after she had fallen in love with that sweet temperament and shy smile. Not after everything he'd already survived. She knelt there cradling him in her arms, shouting the revival spell over and over again to no avail. That was how Aidan found her.

"Accalia, ACCALIA! We can't help Harry here. We've got to take him and the others to Saint Mungo's," shouted Aidan, already carrying Hermione and levitating Ron into the fireplace.

-- -- -- -- --

Aidan paced anxiously around the waiting room. Accalia, not really reading it, flipped through an old copy of Modern Sorceress magazine. Both of them were eager to hear news about Harry. They had brought the young wizards to an old friend of theirs they knew from Hogwarts. His name was Joshua Dixon and he was the only one Aidan would trust to take care of his future grandson and keep his identity secret. Joshua was one of the most prominent healers in the wizarding world.

Although he was a bit eccentric, he managed to heal Hermione in less than a minute. Yet, for reasons beyond Aidan and Accalia's understanding, after healing her Joshua had one of his assistants escort the girl down to a high security ward. It took Joshua almost five minutes to stabilize Ron, and then he too was taken down to that mysterious high security ward. Joshua hadn't even stabilized Harry before taking him down to the ward with his friends.

Joshua and Harry had been gone for over an hour and a half, leaving Accalia and Aidan with nothing to do but wait. Regrettably, waiting was not one of Aidan's strong suits. Nearly every five minutes, Aidan would charge up to a pimply young witch with a rather sore disposition and ask her if she might kindly find out when Joshua was going to finish the examination. Each time the young witch became more and more inhospitable. The more ungracious the witch at the desk became, the more agitated Aidan became. The more agitated Aidan became, the more apprehensive the other patrons of the waiting room became.

Aidan was well-known by the whole of the wizarding community. Like many of the other unspeakables, Aidan had a reputation as mysterious and brooding. Although it was true that a few people questioned his sanity, the name Potter was considered noble, and commanded a certain respect from most people. Everyone, however, could agree about one thing. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of Aidan's wrath.

"Don't bother, dear. She wasn't willing to help you five minutes ago, and she isn't willing to now," said Accalia without looking up from her magazine, after about the twentieth time going through this routine.

"What's taking that overzealous badger so long anyway? That's what I'd like to know," said Aidan resuming his pacing.

"Now is that anyway to talk about a man who is treating one of your relatives, stupid Gryffindor," said a bantering scratchy voice behind Aidan."Can't even remember badgers are Hufflepuff's sign can you?"

Aidan turned around sharply and found himself mere inches from Joshua, who ignored his best friend. Joshua greeted Accalia with a playful kiss. After informing the witch at the desk that he would not be free to see anymore patients for the rest of the day, he turned back to Aidan.

"So did you cure Harry or didn't you?" snapped Aidan.

"I did what I could, but I'm afraid this isn't something that can be cured with a spell and a lolly," sighed Joshua.

"What do you mean? Is Harry all right," asked Accalia fearfully.

Joshua nodded, "He and his little friends are going to be just fine. It's just that they have certain," he paused, "socially unacceptable powers."

"What powers?"

"Not here, Aidan. Trust me, we don't want to risk being overheard," said Joshua firmly. Bewildered and curious, Aidan and Accalia followed Joshua down hallway after hallway. No one spoke, and the more they went on in silence, Accalia dreaded what was coming. In order to try and alleviate some of her anxieties, she clutched tightly to her husband's hand. Even though the silence was giving Aidan the urge to vomit, he flashed his wife his best winning smile, however fake.

Once they had reached the high-security ward, Joshua sighed and turned to his friends.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you like this, but, under the circumstances, I'm afraid none of us has any choice in the matter," said Joshua grimly. "Aidan, Harry and his friends are empaths."

Accalia moaned despairingly. Now Aidan understood the need for all the secrecy. If anyone found out that the children were empaths, the poor dears would most likely end up dead.

Next chapter we check in with the marauders at school.

Please read review the silence is killing me.