Chapter 1: I already thought I was a Wizard...

It has only been a couple of months since the hunt for the Instrumentality, and I am glad that Dairine was able to get back safely. After we split up on the mobiles' and motherboard's planet I could only hope that she would return safe. I did get to meet another friend of her and her sister's, Darryl.

Working with the other young wizards on the Moon was interesting. I got to meet a set of twychild twins, though they ended up hurting themselves badly when gathering power to stop the dark matter incursion. It was a wonder when Kit's dog, Ponch ascended into the dogs' version of the One and took care of the problem.

It gets harder and harder dealing with the Dursley's insistence of locking me in the cupboard under the stairs for the slightest reason. I do not know how I managed to accidentally translocate myself without setting up the proper spell, but it was not like it was on purpose. Telling this to the Dursleys just angered them even more.

It is my birthday and instead of spending time with my friends on the Moon, which is the most popular meeting place, I am in a shack in the middle of a lake. My uncle seems to be loosing what sanity he has. All of this fuss over a letter, though they are sure persistent in trying to deliver it.

*BANG* *BANG* *BOOM* *CRASH*

The door to the cabin just fell to the floor and a very tall and large man is in the doorway.

"Sorry about this," the man says, "My name is Rubius Hagrid, grounds keeper and keeper of the keys of Hogwarts."

I wander what this Hogwarts is. It has to be one of the oddest compound names I have heard in English. Vernon tries to bluster at the man and pulls out a rifle. Hagrid, as he has asked to be called, just grabs the barrel and bends it. After trying to explain that the full name of the school is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I have to wonder. The manual never mentioned any schools for the Art, but I guess I better greet Hagrid properly.

"Dai stihó cousin," I say.

That just produces a confused look on Hagrid's bearded face. I wonder what is going on so I ask, "Hagrid, I thought you said you were a wizard. Wouldn't you have heard that greeting in the Speech before?"

Hagrid looks even more confused and does not seem to know of the Speech. I ask him, "If you do not use the Speech, than what?"

Hagrid replies, "'e use a wand, 'arry."

"Oh, like a moon soaked Rowan wand?" I ask.

"No 'Arry, rowan is used, but I never 'eard of soaking them in the moon."

This is interesting. I continue to ask Hagrid some questions on the form of wizardry that he uses, but I am interrupted by his offer of a cake. In the end, after the Dursleys being told off for keeping me misinformed, especially about how my parents died, he lends me his coat and places me by the fireplace to sleep. This wizardry is quite odd from my point of view. Especially that there seems to be no Oath to prevent misuse. I resolved to look in the manual when I get some time alone to see what it has on this.

Diagon Alley is reached through a dingy pub called The Leaky Cauldron. Then of all things you poke at the wall and it opens up. I am also starting to get a picture of how famous I am. The scar on my head and Voldemort's involvement in it and the murder of my parents is not the most comfortable of thoughts for me, and the continuous reminder by excited crowds does not seem to help. The alley is quaint, but still quite nice. It is like taking a time slide back to the late medieval era. We head to the bank called Gringotts.

When we arrived at the bank, the Goblins looked up at me and said, "Greetings Emissary. We have not seen one of your kind in quite a while."

Not sure how to respond to this, I fall back on the standard formula, "Thank you. I greet you with me, the One."

Throughout all of this, Hagrid is looking oddly at us. He does not make any mention of it though as we walk into the bank. At the teller he asks to go to my vault, presenting a key, and to another vault, using vague and secretive talk to speak of it. We head to the carts and are greeting by the goblin, Griphook.

"Greetings emissary."

"Greetings, Griphook," I reply.

The rest of the trip is not too odd, save for the roller coster like quality to the cart ride, the large pile of coinage in my vault, and the grubby, small paper covered package Hagrid picked up. He takes me to Madam Malkins to get some clothes while he gets a drink at the pub to sooth his nerves after the cart ride. The clothes shopping is marred by meeting an odious boy by the name of Draco Malfoy.

Hagrid returned to me to take me to Olivander's after getting my books. Walking into the dusty shop show a room with many, many small boxes stacked by the walls. Suddenly, a voice behind me greets me by saying, "Harry Potter, I have been expecting you."

After calming down from the experience, Olivander proceeds to go through what seems like the entire stock to find me a wand. Finally the holly and phoenix feather wand chose me and with the haunting statement of how it is a brother wand to Voldemort's, we pay and exit the shop. Hagrid then runs off talking about getting me a birthday gift. I try to dissuade him, but he will not change his course. He gets me a beautiful snowy owl. I talk to her in the Speech and say, "Hello."

"A wizard that can actually speak? Amazing," was her response.

"A wizard is what I am. I greet you with the one. What is your name?"

The owl responds with a name so convoluted with consonants that I have to ask her if she will accept the name, Hedwig, before I twist my tongue out trying to speak her true name. She likes the name and tells me that it is alright. While we are speaking Hagrid looks a bit wide-eyed at me. I wonder what type of wizards these are who cannot speak with the world.

After returning home to the small bedroom that was Dudley's second bedroom just days before, I settle my supplies and pull out my Wizards Manual from the subspace pocket I have anchored to me. The Manual is thicker than it was. It has a habit of doing so to hold all the information that it believes you will need, all you have to do is know what to ask. I look in the index for these wizards using Hogwarts as the term to search for, as it is the only truly unique name different between the two arts.

The material is fairly sparse, just mentioning that the wizards and witches collectively calling themselves the Wizarding World are a sub-branch of the human species with the inborn ability to manipulate energy in what they term as magic. It is not the same as the Art I have been practicing. It has no connection to the Art and is similar to psionic talents. With this understanding I pick up and read through my books to familiarize myself with this new arena.

It is late enough that Dairine will be awake and should be available for a chat so I send out a thought for mindtouch communication with my friend.

"Dairine, how are you doing?" I ask.

"Harry, it is good to hear from you. We need to coordinate on when to meet up to deal with the intervention on Ganymede."

"One moment Dari, I just had an interesting day that I think you would like to know about."

"Spill Harry."

"I just was visited by a giant of a man and was told that I am a wizard."

"So?" Dairine drawled out.

"The thing is, that it is a wizard, not a Wizard."

"Harry, no riddles, I can't follow that."

"These wizards are a sub-species of man that use what they call magic, but it is just another form of native energy manipulation. It has no connections with the Art."

"Ah that is interesting, I'll ask Spot to see what he has on these wizards. What else happened?"

"Well the man, Hagrid, says I was invited to a school called Hogwarts of all things and that my parents went there and he took me to buy my school supplies."

"Interesting, with the school's focus on something like the Art, you will need to talk to those in charge about errantry so they do not prevent you from doing your work."

I tell Dairine, "I know. I'll speak with them when I get there and set up some policy that will allow them not to freak out when I have to leave on errantry. Now back to the previous issue on meeting up to handle the intervention..."

I finish my chat with my friend and partner, with whom we shared our ordeal. An ordeal that took us clear across the universe and had at one point stuffed the entire Manual into both our heads. Not to mention the parrot containing the One's Champion.

The summer passes with the work for the Dursleys, reading my school books, and the intervention with the single celled organisms of Ganymede. It is finally September 1st and I transport through the World Gate at Kings Cross to keep away from my relatives who are going with Dudley to have the pig's tail removed that he earned through trying to steal my birthday cake when we were at that shack.

I exit from the world gate, letting it drop its patency, when I bump into a girl. She is also carrying a trunk and has brown busy hair and kind eyes. Her eyes widen and she asks, "Dai, are you going to Hogwarts too?"

This is an interesting development. I did not expect to see another of my kind of wizard at Hogwarts. I reply, "Dai stihó cousin. Yes, I am also Hogwarts bound."

She walks up to me with her trunk and asks, "Then can I sit with you on the train? I am the first magical born of my family and also the only one practicing the Art. I told them about the other kind of wizardry when I found out about magic. They took it well, but..."

I gently interrupt her stream of babel and say, "I would be honored to sit with you. My name, by the way, is Harry Potter."

"My name is Hermione Granger. Are you really Harry Potter? I read about you in The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts."

"Yes, I am really Harry Potter. No, I have not read any books that mentioned me. I stuck with the core curriculum books and Hogwarts, a History," I replied.

Hermione almost squealed, "I love Hogwarts, a History. I have read it a few times already."

It was getting close to the time to board the train so I interjected, "Hermione, we should continue this on the train. We do not want to be late."

So we walked to the platform where she explained to me about the wall that we walk through. It was not the most pleasant experience to walk into a wall without performing a wizardry like the Mason's word, which gives control over stone, but we still made it through the barrier. We dragged our trunks on to the train and got ourselves a compartment. We were still fairly early so that the train was not full up.

I started off to ask Hermione about what she plans to tell the Hogwarts staff about the necessity of heeding errantry. Her response was surprise at first then she admitted that she had not planned to tell the staff about her status.

"It is quite important, Hermione. Especially after the Instrumentality intervention a few months back."

She furled her eyebrows and said, "Harry, I did not take the oath till after that happened." She paused then added," Harry were you with the Dairine Callahan?"

I grinned and said, "Yes, she is my partner. We have done quite a bit of off-planet work recently. With the Instrumentality intervention taking us across the universe and the more local work on Ganymede."

Hermione had a shocked look, but soon recovered. "Harry, you were at the birth of the machine civilization?"

I responded, "I am their father with Dairine as mother."

"I wish I could get to talk with them."

I focus on my connection with the Motherboard. The buzz in the back of my mind that contains the link with the machine intelligences working in quick-life time I send a query to the Mobiles letting them know what has happened. I receive the response back that they would be glad to converse with a friend of mine and will message her Manual. I turn to Hermione and say, "They will be glad to talk with you. I asked them and they will be messaging you."

Hermione smiles, "I am glad. Thanks Harry."

"You are very welcome," I respond.

The train trip to Hogwarts was interesting. I conversed with Hermione a lot with only a pause to help Neville Longbottom find his toad. Hermione and I have decided to keep the Art hidden from the general student population.

We arrive at Hogsmeade station and disembark. Hagrid is calling out for all the first years to follow him. Hermione and I walk over to him and I wave.

"Hiya 'Arry," the games keeper greets me.

"Hello Hagrid," was my response.

Hagrid tell us first years to get into boats that were ahead of us on the shore of a lake. I enter one with Hermione and two girls, twins. We headed to the castle and the view is wonderful. We were brought up into an antechamber before the main hall where a Professor McGonagall spoke to us. She told us that were were to be sorted into the houses shortly and to prepare ourselves by straightening up our appearance.

The other children were making a buzz in the air with the speculation on how we are to be sorted. One red haired boy mentioned a troll while Hermione was going over the spells she read about to prepare for some type of test. I was not overly worried. If there was a test that we could prepare for, I am sure that we would have been warned.

Prof. McGonagall returned and had us form up into a line. She marched us into the Great Hall and it was a spectacular sight. There were four student tables in front of a table for the teachers. In the air was a plethora of floating candles and the ceiling looked a if it was not there with the view of the nights sky being visible instead. Hermione mentioned about the ceiling and how she read it in Hogwarts, a History. I know wizards are obsessed with words, as without that drive there would not be enough impetus to use the Speech, which made all of reality, with enough skill to change reality.

Prof. McGonagall started to call the names of the students starting with Abbot, Hannah, who was sorted into Hufflepuff. Eventually she got to Granger, Hermione and my new friend was sorted into Gryffindor. Next, Neville was called and was also sorted into Gryffindor. Finally it was my turn and when Prof. McGonagall called, Potter, Harry, a buzz started around the room talking about me. I gulped and walked carefully over to a stool where there is a hat. It is a hat that sings and sorts. I place it on my head and I hear a voice.

"Ah, Mr. Potter I remember sorting your parents well. Lets see what we have to work with, it is all in your head... Emissary, welcome. There are two of you this year when there has not be another of your kind in decades. Lets see, plenty of courage, your oath guarantees it, quite knowledgeable too. Hmm... not too ambitious, but that is also usual with the oath bound. Very loyal to your friends and comrades and very hard working, I know where you will fit, HUFFLEPUFF!"

The last word was yelled out load to the hall. There was a short shocked silence before the table where Hannah Abbot went to started clapping. I headed to the table and sat down. I looked up at the head table and saw that a few of the professors were shocked. I assume that they thought I would be in Gryffindor as were my parents.

I sat down next to Susan Bones, another Hufflepuff that was sorted this year. Eventually Ronald Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor. The headmaster stood up and spoke to us.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

I just had to shake my head at that. It was a wonder such a man could be in a position of power. I look back to the table and get started toward the serious business of eating. Around me introductions are going around. I introduced myself to Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot, Wane Hopkins, Megan Jones, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Ernie Macmillan.

After the meal was finished the Headmaster made some announcements, keep out of the forest, no magic in the halls, and my favorite: if you do not wish to die, leave the right hand side corridor on the third floor alone. We then are queued up by the prefects to return to the dorms.

It is morning of the first day of classes. I have an appointment with Headmaster Dumbledore right after breakfast, there was a bit of a stir when I asked that Hermione join us as well. I listen to the conversation around me as I am still not fully awake. I have not made any close friends yet with my year mates, but they are all friendly. I am sitting next to Ernie and Susan this morning.

Overhead there is a clamor of wings as a flock of owls come down from the ceiling to deliver the day's mail. Hedwig has a note for me confirming the appointment with Headmaster Dumbledore, saying to meet him outside the Great Hall. I eat at a decent pace this morning, not rushing, but not lingering over the food either.

Outside of the doors, Hermione is waiting. We both get ready to wait for the Headmaster to join us.

"Dai," we both say to each other.

"Morning Hermione, how has your first night been?" I ask.

"I do not have anything in common with my dorm mates," Hermione responds.

"I am sorry to hear that," I try to comfort her, "I do not have any close friends yet in my dorm."

The Headmaster walks out of the Great Hall, dressed in his most interesting style.

"Follow me, Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger," Dumbledore says.

Hermione and I follow the Headmaster down the corridors and to a statue of a gargoyle. The Headmaster says, "Lemon Drops" and the gargoyle steps aside. We go to a spiral staircase that rotates by itself once stepped upon. After a few minutes we reach the Headmaster's office and he waves us to sit in some chairs in front of his desk. I look at Hermione and she nods.

We say in unison, "Greetings, we are on errantry and we great you."

While we are not on active status, I checked in the Manual before breakfast. It is appropriate as the business we are here to speak of is certainly of the official business about the Art.

Dumbledore's eyes start twinkling, more so than I thought possible and says, "Ah, yes. I have not come across your type of wizardry in a long time."

He continues, "I see that you are here to make arrangements when you need to go out to fulfill your oaths. Is that correct?"

We nod and then Headmaster Dumbledore continues, "I understand and while this is rare we do have provisions in place for your situation. You need to notify either your head of house, the Deputy Headmistress Professor McGonagall, or myself before leaving the school. You must also submit the précis to your interventions if they are to last more than a day or when they are complete. We are responsible for your well being and even though we cannot prevent you from your oaths, we do need to know where you will be and what you have or will have done."

I speak up, "Thank you Headmaster, this is quite reasonable. Though we may have to leave some details out if our seniors request us to. Otherwise, save in an emergency, I can state that I will not leave without informing the persons you mentioned."

Hermione looks scandalized for a moment, thinks about it, then nods and says, "I also can agree to the terms with the same caveats as Harry."

I hesitantly ask, "I do meet with my partner, her sister, and her sister's partner regularly on the moon to pass along relevant work and to keep in closer contact. Will this be a problem if I schedule it with you?"

Hermione looks at me wide eyed, "You go to the moon regularly? Wait, that is a stupid question, you went to the other end of the universe on your ordeal and your current work is on Ganymede, so it makes perfect sense to meet there."

She shakes her head, "I would like to go there sometime." She looks at Professor Dumbledore with pleading eyes, begging to be allowed to go for a visit when not required to on business.

The Headmaster sits with his eyes twinkling up a storm. He says, "I think I can allow that if you take one of the staff with you. In fact the next time you schedule a trip I will join you."

I can tell that he is more interested in visiting the Moon than anything else. So I smile at him and agree. The next meeting that is planned for my group is this weekend, at 3pm London time so that it would not be overly early for the group from New York City. I pull out my Manual and look at the listings for myself and Hermione.

POTTER, Harry J.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Hufflepuff House
Scotland
Journeyman rating
(RL +6.5 +/- .1)
Available/Limited (Boarding school)

I turn a few pages back and see Hermione's listing:

GRANGER, Hermione J.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Gryffindor House
Scotland
Journeyman rating
(RL +4.9 +/- .24)
Available/Limited (Boarding school)

I show the entries to both Hermione and Dumbledore. Both nod though Hermione looks at me oddly and asks, "Why are you using a book Manual like those in the Americas instead of the Knowledge?"

I reply, "My theory is that since I was to be on ordeal with Dairine and she has expirence with book Manuals, as opposed to her computer based one. It would be easier for us to work together as novices if we used similar modes. Especially with how important the Reconfiguration was."

The Headmaster turns to me and asks what the Reconfiguration is. I tell Dumbledore, "The Reconfiguration was when the first choice was made that completely rejected the Lone One's offer. The species that I helped bring into being are machine based life on a planet on the opposite side of the universe. The place is so far away that their inherent velocity is greater than the speed of light making them as if in another universe. They not only chose to refute the Lone One, but also the fragment of the Lone One involved took advantage of the change that her sister Nita and Kit Rodriguez made to the Lone Power during their ordeal. They gave it the chance to redeem itself, to chose to rejoin with the rest of the Powers."

Dumbledore raises his eyebrows, "I see. I am impressed with that start, but be that as it may, it is time for you two to head to your first class."

With that dismissal, Hermione and I head back down the stairs and past the gargoyle. Hermione asks, "Harry, what class do you have first?"

I reply with, "I have potions with Ravenclaw, then History of Magic with Gryffindor. I will see you in History of Magic this afternoon."

Hermione smiles and says, "I will be waiting. I have Transfiguration first. Dai Stihó."

"Dai."

We head our separate ways and I find my housemates heading toward the dungeons. After a few minutes Professor Snape arrives and opens the doors shooing us into the classroom. I sit next to Susan and watch as the Professor makes his entrance. Professor Snape, with his prominent nose and greasy hair, strides towards the front of the classroom with his robe flapping behind him.

Professor Snape starts the role call and pauses at my name. "Ah yes, Harry Potter our new celebrity."

The rest of the class is silent, staring at the menacing figure the Professor makes. The potion's master continues, "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making." Professor Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death -- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

At this point I feel a prickle in my mind indicative of someone performing a forceful mindtouch. I reinforce my mental barriers and ask the Professor, "Professor, it is not polite to enter someone's mind uninvited. Please stop this at once."

The students around me are shocked at the directness and kind of my accusation. The response I receive back from the potion's professor is icy. "Potter! We will be speaking with the Headmaster after class," he says in an almost oily but frigid voice, "Three points from Hufflepuff for your cheek." He pauses then barks out, "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

I think about it and reply, "A mixture that is both good at stabilizing power matrixes and a potion that creates a death like state when imbibed."

"Partially correct Potter. Without that nonsense on power matrixes," the professor drawled. He then asked, "Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

I remember this from my early studies in the Art. "You find them in the stomach of a goat," I replied, "They will protect you from most poisons."

Professor Snape looked thunderous, "Correct, Potter. What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Another plant question, it is good that I worked with Nita whose specialty is with living things. "They are the same also known as Aconite."

The professor was even more sour, "Correct Potter. Three points from Hufflepuff for your lack of respect." He looks around the class and says, "Why aren't any of your writing this down?"

The class hurries to take notes on this discussion. I am a bit perplexed at the extreme hostility I am getting from this Professor. He was looking to humiliate me, but even with my knowledge of the answers he still determinedly went through on his quest by taking six points from our house. Since our house is known for loyalty, I do not think there will be too much repercussions from this, except for me to explain myself to the rest of the house.

He places the directions for an anti-biol potion on the board and we get started with brewing it. I am partnered with Susan and aside from the professor walking around breathing down my neck, there are few problems. We work well together and the potion looks like it came out well. We take our samples to his desk for grading and he remarks, "The color is off and the potion is too thick. You fame does not bring you skills here, Potter."

This is getting ridiculous. I have no idea on what to say to this, so I remain silent. "What is it Potter," Professor Snape demands, "You too famous to speak to me? You are arrogant, just like your father."

I know I cannot win with someone like him so I remain silent. As he is confronting me, the rest of the class has finished their potions and are turning them in. When the last student has turned their potion in, Professor Snape orders me to follow him to the Headmaster's office. He threatens expulsion for my blatant disrespect. In time we reach the office and the potion's professor says the password to move the gargoyle. At the top of the stairs the Headmaster greats us, "Ah Professor Snape and welcome back Mr. Potter. What seems to be the trouble?"

"This arrogant brat refuses to give me the respect I am due," Professor Snape rants, "I will have him expelled."

Headmaster Dumbledore looks at me and say, "Harry what have you to say for your self?"

I respond, "I have afforded Professor Snape the amount of respect that courtesy demands. From the moment the professor has started class he has made it his mission to humiliate me. He takes points off for answering his questions correctly and only spews vitriol whenever addressing myself or anything I have a connection with."

Professor Snap snaps, "The brat is lying like that arrogant bastard of a father..."

Professor Dumbledore cuts the other professor off, "Professor Snape, Mr. Potter is incapable of lying without grave consequences. Mr. Potter please leave I need to speak privately with Professor Snape.

I turn to leave and a few moments after I close my door I can hear raised voices. Dumbledore is reprimanding that odious teacher. I head to lunch waving at Hermione as I pass the Gryffindor table. I sit next to Ernie this time and the table asks questions about the confrontation with Professor Snape. I field them as well as I am able and the torrent of questions settles down. I was right that my housemates would stand by me.

After eating lunch, I follow my classmates to go to History of Magic. It is taught by a Professor Binns who is a ghost. For the most part, ghosts are not the souls of the dead. The living emotions and memories can be impressed upon the matrix of matter and then be called back when certain circumstances occur. I have to wonder if boredom can count as an emotion strong enough to provide for this ghost.

I sit next to Hermione Granger with some paper out and a quill. I also placed my Manual into recording mode. From the warnings I heard about this class I believe that the recording to text mode of my Manual will be invaluable. I try to take notes from the lecture, but it is the most potent soporific I have encountered. I fell asleep only to be awakened by a disapproving Hermione at the end. I smile sheepishly at her and walk with her to the front castle court yard as there is still time before dinner.

"Hermione, how did your classes go?" I ask.

"The went well, Transfiguration is interesting with Professor McGonagall teaching and though I can sympathize with you on the sheer boringness of History of Magic, you still should have stayed awake."

"I had my Manual record the lecture. I can more easily sort through the written version of the lecture than the verbal one."

She gives me a small grin and we continue chatting. I learnt that her parents were dentists and I told her an abbreviated version of my time with the Dursleys. Hermione was not happy with my situation with the Dursleys, but there is not much that can be done, as any psychotropic spelling to do behavior modification would likely rebound. She did make me promise to bring it up with a senior for advice. I think I'll talk with Tom and Carl from Long Island. They are the ones I am most comfortable with due to the relationship between them and the Callahan family and their easy going nature. Well easy going when there is no crisis being handled.

We head back inside to get dinner. We split up to our respective tables and go to eat. Dinner was good as I am starting to suspect all meals here are. I spent most of the meal talking with Susan. I hope she does not have a crush on the mythical boy-who-lived as that would make things awkward in the future.

With no homework assigned on the first day of classes, I head up to sleep. I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

Transfiguration is an interesting class, but seems to lack any form of the Troptic Stipulation. That is the ethical considerations to making a change. The Oath tasks me with the job of preserving energy to keep the universe running longer. This task entails such non-magical tasks as turning off unneeded lights or keeping the peace with the neighbors. I am also called upon to make changes to the universe to unsnarl knots and make broken things whole again. This often brings me and my fellow wizards in conflict with the lone one. The Power who created death and was cast out for it. There has been and still is debate on whether or not death is a good idea. The Lone Power embittered by being cast out, was no longer satisfied with his making alone. He went out and sold it, made it more personal, more devastating.

We were lectured to follow her instructions and to behave lest we be removed from class. The first task is to change a matchstick into a needle. With my experience in understanding the nature of things to name them in the Speech, I can describe the matchstick and the needle end state in their entirety. I use that when I focus my magic to pattern the transfiguration. I managed by the end of class to complete the transfiguration. This won me a proud smile from Professor McGonagall and five points.

After spending so much time around girls like Dairine and her sister Nita, I am much more comfortable socializing with the fairer sex than with my own. I brought Susan with my after class when I went to meet up with Hermione. She just returned from her first potions class and was fuming.

"I presume Professor Snape is the origin of your bad mood, Hermione?" I query her.

"Yes, Harry. The professor took points off from me as well when I answered his questions correctly. He even called me an insufferable know-it-all."

"Hermione, you aren't that bad," Susan broke in.

"Hi, Susan Bones is it? It is good to meet you," Hermione replied.

"Yes, Hermione. Harry has told me a bit about you."

"Hermione, Susan is bright, though not quite at your level. Though there are very few at your level," I told Hermione.

Hermione blushes lightly and smiles. She turns to Susan and asks how she has found classes so far. Susan has only liked Transfiguration as of yet, potions and history of magic having left a bad taste in her mouth.

We head back inside for lunch and prepare for the afternoon class. The next class is charms with Professor Flitwick. He is a short old man, who looks congenial from what I have seen so far. I head to class with Ernie Macmillan, Susan, and Hannah Abbott.

We enter the charms class room and Professor Flitwick stands on a pile of book. He calls the roll and when Professor Flitwick gets to my name he pauses and falls off. I turn red with embarrassment, but the professor gets back up and finishes the roll. He goes on to teach us the basic wand motions and theory of charms. One of the topics he touches upon in this introductory session is the distinction between hexes and curses, the difference lies in the power of the spell.

After the lecture is finished we practice various wand motions. The motions we practice are flicking, stabbing, and spiraling. It is explained that these are the common motions for the spells that we will be learning at first. We are also told to watch pronunciation, which to me is obvious with my experience in using the Speech. If you mispronounce a word, you do not describe what you are working with and either the spell will not affect the correct object or force or make a change that is not what you wished.

The waving of wands in a certain pattern with the correct words look to be an alias to the more complicated spell forms. The most interesting difference that I have found is that none of the spells we have looked at use anything in the Wizard's Mastery. All of the spells perform modification on the quantum level (I performed a scanning wizardry while practicing the matchstick to needle transfiguration). The energy is all channeled and amplified by the wand originating from zero-point energy. I have not been able to trace how I or the others are able to tap into this source of power, but I think I can use it as an auxiliary power source for my spells using the Art. That should allow me to make up for my lowering ability to access power as I get older. I know that my wizardry will be more accessible to me when I start through puberty, but from then on it will only decrease.

The rest of the week passes smoothly. The Astronomy course will not meet for the first time till next week. I made sure I had my assignments complete as they were assigned and the rest of the time I spent either studying various topics and correlating them with what is in the Manual or being with my friends Hermione and Susan. I am closest to those two and I have a good feeling about our friendship.

The Herbology class is interesting, but with the experience I have with Aunt Petunia's gardens I am a bit put off with horticulture. I partnered with Hermione and Susan for this class and after a short lecture we repotted some herbs that a used in many potions.

Besides the problems with the potions professor, I have one other group harassing me. Draco Malfoy and his Slytherin sycophants seem to find the fact that I am in Hufflepuff as a valid insult to throw at me. They are also vocal in the distaste about my friendship with Hermione. After facing aliens, Balor, and other manifestations of the Lone One, these childish idiocies do not phase me. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Hermione or Susan. I am surprised about Hermione as she has had to have dealing with the Lone Power, at minimum with her Ordeal. I looked up in the manual for a list of précis of her interventions and while not as exulted as my own, Nita, Kit, or Dairine, she is still a thorn in its side.

I have used mindtouch with Dairine and Nita to prepare for the coming weekend meeting on the moon. Kit's sister, Carmela, after her triumphant return from saving her brother at the Crossings, the world gating center for the local group of galaxies, is insisting on joining us to meet my friends and the "cooky headmaster of the magic school". Since the Manual has information on the other type of wizards, I doubt it is a violation of the Statute of Secrecy to talk with Dairine, Kit, and Nita, but Carmela is a bit iffy. The only excuse is that she is a sister to a "wizard". A Wizard cannot lie. A being that works with words that change the universe as a wizard does cannot afford to lie and if the wizard lies, the wizard will suffer for it. But one way around this is to speak the literal truth, but have the people you are speaking with come away with a different meaning through their own preconceptions.

It is Thursday and I receive a message from Dairine to meet her on Ganymede for another session to work on the morals of single celled organisms. I go to Professor Sprout whom I had her class for the first time today and explain my situation. She was notified about the basics by the Headmaster, but wished further clarification. I am glad that we do not have a class on Friday mornings as I have to meet Dairine at 9 pm local time to get to her at the time she leaves school. I finished explaining when and where I had to go to Professor Sprout and was told where I can set up a transit point. A transit point is not something special like an apparation point, but just a location where it is safe to come and go without being overseen.

The transit point is behind Hagrid's hut. I had to tell Hagrid a basic synopsis of what I am doing in back of his house so that he would not interfere when I am on errantry. I pull out a blue glowing line of characters in the Speech from my personal claudication. It is a prewritten spell circle for the transit to the world gating complex at Kings Cross. I place it on the ground and double check that my name is written correctly. Once done, I start to read the spell out loud.

The universe quiets around me leaning in to listen as I speak the familiar words to the transit spell. Once a spell feels like a tangible thing it is proof that it is functioning. I get to the last syllable of the spell, the verbal form of the Wizard's Knot that ties the spell and sets it loose. There is a quiet thwumpt and I am gone from Hogwarts and in London.

I pull out some supplies from my claudication for the spell on the world gate. I am meeting Dairine at Grand Central Gating Complex before we head to Ganymede. It takes less energy for us to pool our resources and go together than if we both left individually from our respective gating complexes. That also does not take into account that the London Gating Complex is used for planetary gating only.

As the Theory of Relativity states, all matter warps space, but some pieces of matter warp space differently than mass alone would account for. The wizard can take advantage of these objects to perform various wizardries. For a world gating, I use a knob made from polyethylene from an old TV that I found in a flea market. Polyethylene being the preferred replacement to eye of newt in transportation spelling. One that Dairine and I went to for the purpose of finding spell components. I set up the circle, checking to make sure all the figures are correct for the destination location and pull out my Manual for the correct Julian time. I read off the spell and the Gate become patent in front of me. A circle of space with no hard edges that shows the end of a platform in New York City. I step through and release the gate.

"Dai cousin."

I look around, then down at my feet where I see a black tomcat that I recognize. "Dai, Urruah how are you doing today?"

"Well, well. The gates have been behaving the last few days and there is a new opera at the Met today," said the gray tabby of the Grand Central gating team. The cats that maintain the world gates.

"I am meeting with Dairing for some off-world work. Has she arrived yet?" I ask.

"She is at the gate behind the Deli," Urruah replies.

"Thank you cousin. Dai stihó."

"Dai stihó."

I walk off the platform and down to the shops on the lower level. I walk over towards the Deli and see Dairine in line with a sandwich and drink in hand. I walk to her and say, "Hey Dairine."

"Hiya Harry. How has school been?" she asks.

"Interesting. One teacher hates me and another puts everyone to sleep, but the rest I have had are good."

I buy a bag of chips and a coke with some money that I exchanged some sickles for American currency when I was last at Gringotts. We finished our meal and walked over to the back of the Deli where the gate is. We set up the spell diagram and in unison, we read the spell. The gate becomes patent over a ice covered wasteland. We walk through and close the gate. Around us there is some vapor freezing on the interface of the shield holding in our air supply and keeping us warm.

We walk over to where the colony that we are working with is located and get to work. It is hard to negotiate with a single celled organism. They do not view the world the same way that we do. Both of us are trying to convince the colony to try sexual reproduction rather than just asexual. They are capable of both, but consider the latter immoral. The colony will not be able to adapt and will die out if this continues setting back the pace of life on Ganymede for a thousand years.

After two hours we head back. Dairine heads home for dinner and I head back to Hogwarts for bed. Before I head back to the Hufflepuff dorms I give a report to Professor Sprout on what I did and what was accomplished. She agrees to pass it along to the Headmaster, but does not seem to understand what I was doing. She escorts me back to the common room and I head to bed.

Friday morning dawns clear and blue. I head to breakfast were Hedwig joins me. I feed her some bacon off my plate and talk with her to see how she is doing.

"Harry, it is nice here, but a bit boring with no work to do," Hedwig tells me.

"Well if you feel up to it I can pass some mail to the Americas if you do not mind the trip."

I am greeted by a flat stare as if it is beneath her to tell me how insulting this is to her skills. I decide to placate her and tell her that I will be by with a message to the New York Advisories. I also warn her to be careful of the Koi fish as they are prophets. Hedwig preens my hair and takes off. The rest of the table looks funny at me. I thought I was being fairly quite in my chat with Hedwig, but I guess either I was overheard or the fact that I was having a conversation with my owl was the cause of this fuss.

Susan confirmed the latter. "Harry, you act as if Hedwig can not only understand you, but you understand her."

"Everything can be understood if you know how to listen," I respond enigmatically and continue eating. I figure this is a better approach than to use the 'It's a secret' response that I saw in an anime that Carmella was watching and dragged me to watch. I think the anime rotted her brain as she decided, out of the blue, to make me into a plushy. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was older, but then I do not think she would do it. At least when Fillif the wizard tree with berries was there on excursus I did not have to worry about being co-opted.

It is almost Saturday, when we will meet up on the Moon. I spoke with Hermione and Professor Dumbledoor to iron out the details and we are almost set. I am going to meet with the Headmaster after dinner so I can determine his name in the Speech.