Disclaimer: see Ch. 1

A/N: Let me start off with an apology, I am sorry for not posting for so long. Now let me tell you it is totally not my fault. Shortly after finals I got hit by a drunk driver. I am ok now but I lost my laptop and all my work. This combined with the end of my long term relationship, he had the nerve to use the "I didn't know we where exclusive" line on me after 3 and a half years together, have conspired to hamstring my muse. I am not stopping this fic but you should know that at least for a while updates will be few and far between, at least until my muse recovers and school slows done a bit.

As always thanks to my reviewers and betas.

7: Magic and Betrayal

I needed to think, the shocks just kept coming. Obviously I was at a real disadvantage here, they had knowledge I didn't and that was new to me. I needed to stop, collect my thoughts, and approach this dispassionately. I had allowed my emotions to take over and had been reacting in a defensive manner. This prevented me from acting in a manner that would allow me to take advantage of my situation and control it.

First thing first, are they lying to me? I thought back and decided that I didn't think so; I hadn't felt the telltale tingling in the back of my thought that tells me someone is lying to me. Next, how should I fill in the gaps of my knowledge faster? As I thought about it, I started to truly come down for the first time since I had entered the pub. As I calmed down, it hit me: I could just enter their minds and take what I needed. I was not sure if it would work on the creature but I should at least try.

I locked eyes with it and entered hard and fast. It was, different; it is the only way to describe it. With humans entering was like walking through a breeze. Entering this creature was more like forcing my way through malaises. Once I had entered the mind, I was beset by intense colors and emotions. Trying to figure was nearly impossible, it was like trying to complete a puzzle that was missing pieces.

The creature didn't think like humans did, not that they are dumb; just different. He was just as logical and calculating as me; but he had several overriding passions that would create massive blind spots in their ability to make logical decisions. The closest mind to this that I had come across was a fanatical Christen I had met once. Despite being brilliant he couldn't see anything that didn't agree with his beliefs. The blind spot for this creature, as near as I could tell, was not one of faith but one of greed and pride.

Realizing I had been there to long, I pulled out and switched to Brice. Brice's mind was again different, right after I started to enter his mind, two things happened. First, his mind was not surrounded by a breeze or malaises. It was more like entering a warm pool. Almost instantaneously the water hardened in to a solid block of ice, the ice that felt the same as his manacles only it was not made of steel. I felt a gentle pushing trying to force me out, this time it felt like Bryce's IT, which I ignored. After deciding that the ice was very solid and unless I wanted to batter my way in, something told me using force like that inside of his mind would not be wise, I would have to leave.

When I pulled out, I was greeted by the sight of Brice's face undergoing several rapid transformations. At first he had a blank look on his face followed quickly by confusion, shock and finely an eager almost hopeful look. I kept my face impassive and analyzed the possibilities. Somehow this man had detected my entering of his mind. Bryce had not stopped me, whatever was binding him had. And he was almost certainly bound by something or someone. The placement of those bands defiantly indicated some form of chains, meant to restrain him or bind his will. I must watch for hints to his master's identity.

Before I could reflect further; Bryce stopped imitating a goldfish and sent me a calculating look that promised he would be bringing this up later. Before ether could break the silence, I asked, "How can someone who is long dead summon me to anywhere? And more importantly how did it subvert my will?" This time, there was a noticeable pause before Bryce smirked and responded, "Do you believe in magic?"

I felt a flash of irritation at the fact that he was not taking me seriously. I mean, come on magic? He could have at least put some thought into his joke. But he was not smiling anymore; on the contrary, he looked dead serious. "How else could you have lit the candelas or stirred up the wind like you did, if not magic?" asked the creature.

So magic is IT, IT is magic. I could do magic. "Why did no one ever contact me about any of this before?" I demanded. The creature responded immediately "There have been several attempts. All who do so must go through your magical guardian and he in turn must pass all notices on to you." I felt a flash of anger; somebody was cheating me out of my greatness and tiring to keep me ignorant. There was no way that it was the Dursleys. They where more spiteful than smart and would have use this information to make me more miserable; even if you ignore the fact that they would have been completely mortified at the idea of dealing with this creature.

"Who is my so called guardian?" I bit out through clinched teeth. "Albus Dumbledore." Bryce spat out as if it was a vile cures. The tone of voice and set of his shoulders told me that Brice had a personal hatred of this man. I stopped to consider for a moment. If this man was my magical guardian and my understanding of what I had seen thus far, then I now had several valuable pieces of information. One, this Dumbledore has breeched his contract by not informing me of the contact attempts. Two, he was trying to keep me in the dark for some unknown reason. Three, Bryce was defiantly against Dumbledore. Finally, this meeting was being held illegally without Albus being present.

I smiled as, because for the first time since I had been thrust into this farce I felt I was getting a clearer picture of what was happening. My sudden smile seemed to scare the others more than the displays of power or the treats ever did.

SO, what do you think? Reviews might make me write faster.