DISCLAIMER – This story will contain mild slash. Please do NOT flame me. If you do not like the story then PLEASE find one more to your liking. Bitching and moaning at me will not change my plot. The characters will more than likely seem OOC. As this is my story and I am writing it, then I can do this.
DISCLAIMER 2 – The characters are owned by JK Rowling. I would like to meet Daniel Radcliff and accept his marriage proposal, but that won't happen. Neither is me making money off of this story or going to jail for claiming what isn't mine.
DISCLAIMER 3 – Krynn and all of its characters are the property of TSR. Tracey Hickman and Margaret Weiss are co authors of the Dragon Lance books along with their families and friends. I do not own them either, but I would love to visit Krynn.
NOTE – There will contain some cursing in this story. There will contain mention of slash and possible love interests. Sirius will still be dead, but Cedric will still be alive. There will be mild bashing of some of the more aggravating characters to me. One last time, I ask that if you do not like this story then find yourself one that is more your style.
Chapter 3 – The Meeting with the Gods
"We shall all take the time to tell you who we are," said the voice that went with the shining bright light. "We know that you are not of this world. A being that we have only met once before was able to come to us and let us know briefly what was happening. We know that you are from a place called Earth. We know that solar system is in the hands of Gods other than ourselves."
"That is true," said Harry speaking. "I am Harry James Potter. This is my mate Cedric Amos Diggory. The blonde guy standing there is Draco Lucius Malfoy. The brunette with him is Hermione Jean Granger. The two elves are Dobby and Winky. Standing with them is Neville Franklin Longbottom. The blonde girl standing not far from them is Luna Venus Lovegood. The red head is Seamus Octave Finnegan. The dark haired guy is Blaise Reginald Zabini. We are from England. We are, or were, students at a school for witchcraft and wizardry called Hogwarts. All we know is that we are now on a planet called Krynn. We were somehow able to retain our branch of magic when the four founders sent us to safety away from the war that was destined to destroy both the light and the dark."
"I am Paladine," said the image in white. "I am also known as the Platinum Dragon, the Valiant Warrior, and Draco Paladin. I represent the godly force of majesty. I sponsor the soul's aspirations to rise to greater heights and to improve it by following the example of others. I grant divine right to kings and rulers. I represent the power that redemption and righteousness can have on the world. I exemplify glory and victory. I was one of the first Gods summoned from the Beyond. I am the leader of the Gods of Light. I further the High God's plan among those who follow the ideals of compassion and peace. I lead the other Gods of Good through this example. I am the patriarch of sorts to the Gods of Light. My celestial symbol is the constellation Platinum Dragon."
"It is an honor to meet you," said Harry bowing again.
"I am Gilean," said a man with a large book in his hands. "I am also known as the Book, the Sage, and the Gray Voyager. I represent the godly force of knowledge. I support the growth of the soul through attaining knowledge and experience. I am the holder of the Tobril, which contains the divine plan of the High God for the world. I am the patron of sages, librarians, and scholars. I am the leader of the Gods of Balance. I support free will and individual choice for all individuals of Krynn. I am one of the first gods to be called out of the Beyond and am on equal power with Takhisis and Paladine. I am a mediator between the Gods of Good and Evil, siding against the faction that threatens the Balance. All of the Gods of Neutrality look to me for help and advice. My celestial symbol is the constellation Book of Souls."
"That sounds like the sort of person that would appeal to me," said Hermione bowing low. "I am a seeker of knowledge and equality. I look for balance in all that I do in life."
Hermione walked forth and stood with Gilean. The two then stepped out of the cave and continued with the philosophy.
"I am Takhisis," said a dark and cold voice. "I am also known as the Queen of Darkness, the Many-Headed Dragon, The Dragon of Many Colors and None, The Temptress, and the Dark Warrior. I represent the godly force of control. I bring souls under my will and encourage them to grow according to my plans for conquest. I order souls to surrender to dominance and give way to those who are stronger. I order souls to dominate others. I am the highest power among the Gods of Evil and I believe that it is my right to one day, dominate the entire world. I am one of the first gods, called along with Paladine. I control the chromatic dragons and use them for my conquests. My celestial symbol is the constellation Many-Headed Dragon."
No one from Harry's group went anywhere near her. They respected her awe and majesty, but her ideals totally went against what they were all about now. In a flash of dark fire, Takhisis left in a fury when none of the teenagers stepped forward to work with her. Paladine waited patiently hoping that one of the teens would step forward and work with him.
"I am Solinari," said a man in long white wizard robes. "I am also known as the Mighty Hand, the Ivory Disk, and God's Eye. I represent the godly power of magic used for good. I sponsor wizards who use their magic with the ideals of compassion, protection, and foresight. As one of the creators of the Laws of High Sorcery I uphold them vigorously. I am the divine power of vigilance. I guide the souls of good wizards to the Beyond. I dwell in the Dome of Creation but choose to represent myself in the white moon of Krynn in order to watch over and protect magic. I promote using magic for the good of the entire world. I am friendly with Majere, Habbakuk, Branchala, and Mishakal. My celestial symbol is the silver moon, Solinari.
"I am Lunitari," said a woman in red wizard robes. "I am also known as the Veiled Maiden, Maid of Illusion, and Night Candle. I represent the power of magic used for neutrality. I support wizards who use magic in the name of balance, freedom, and curiosity. I seek to preserve the balance of good and evil in magic. I am the power divine force of mystery. My focus is the mystery of magic. I reside in and represent myself through the red moon of Krynn. I tell my faithful the secrets and discoveries of magic. I am close to Reorx, who sometimes helps me in forging magical artifacts. I rarely interact with the Gods of Good and Evil, except for my cousins Solinari and Nuitari, whom I am especially close to. My celestial symbol is the red moon, Lunitari."
"That sounds more like my beliefs," observed Seamus. "There has to be a balance in the magic or it will not always work the way that you want."
He walked over to the lady in the red robes and continued his talk with her. He opted to take her red robes once their conversation was complete.
"I am Nuitari," said a man in black wizard robes. "I am known as the Devouring Dark, Nightreaver, and Ungod. I represent the power of magic used for evil. I sponsor wizards who use magic for greed, revenge, hatred, and ambition. I live on the Black moon of Krynn. My focus is the Black Robed wizards and watching them as they go through their lives. I am the son of Takhisis and Sargonnas. The only Gods I regularly interacts with are my cousins Solinari and Lunitari, whom I am especially close to. My celestial symbol is the black moon, Nuitari."
"As much as I hate t o say it," said Draco. "That sounds like the pattern of thinking that I have. While I am not evil, I will not hesitate to use my power to enhance my ambition and fortune. I will not hesitate to use my magic to kill if I have to, to protect what is mine and so forth."
Harry sadly watched as Draco walked over to the god of dark magic and donned the robes of a dark wizard.
Slowly one by one, the other gods and goddesses stepped forward and staked their role in the cosmos. Mishakal stated that she was the goddess of healing. Branchala stated that he was the god of bards. Kiri-Jolith stated he was the god of courage for warriors who choose to eradicate the land of evil. Majere stated he was the god of body and discipline of the mind. Habakkuk stated that he was the god of persistence.
Sirrion stepped forward and told them that he was the god of creativity. Shinare stepped forward and told them that she was the goddess of trade and merchants. Reorx stepped forward and informed them that he was the god of the forge. He was beloved by dwarves and kender. Chislev stepped forward and told them that she was the goddess of nature. Zivilyn stepped forward and stated that he was the god of wisdom.
Sargonnas then stepped forward and stated that he was the god of war. He informed them that the Minotaur race was his people and that he favored them above all others. Chemosh stepped forward and told them that he was the god of the dead. Zeboim stepped forward and informed them that she was the goddess of the sea. Morgion stepped forward and told them that he was the god of disease and pestilence. Finally Hiddukel stepped forward and informed them that he was the god of lies and deals.
"I have heard everything that everyone has said," remarked Harry. "I have to say that what Paladine said makes the most sense to me out of everyone. I am always told that I have the purity of heart to make the decisions that make me the leader that I am. I do not want to lose any of my companions due to which of you they choose to represent. That does not mean that I will not respect the others of your pantheon."
"That is not something that you have to worry about," said Zivilyn speaking up. "You are not from this world and our laws do not pertain to you as much as they do to those that are born here. Your young friend who took the black robes of magic is no more in danger than you are by accepting the medallion of the Platinum Dragon."
"I like the way Lord Zivilyn speaks," said Luna. "My house of Ravenclaw back home represents wisdom and intelligence. I think I will follow the teachings of him."
"I love to grow things," said the timid Neville. "I am the best in our year at Herbology. I want to do things with nature and plants."
"I trained to be a healer," said Cedric stepping up and bowing to Mishakal. "I want to be a healer on this planet as well."
"I have no thought either way," said Blaise. "I have heard so much from so many of you. For now, I think I will follow Seamus in the path of the neutral magic. It makes the most sense to me at this time."
Those gods that were not chosen faded from sight. Many of them had a speculative look on their faces. These eight beings were different than anything they had encountered before. The spirit of the powerful one said that these eight children were different than most other beings in the way they all thought differently, but worked together."
"We is going to follow no one but Harry Potter," said Dobby. "We is not knowing how to choose, so we is just going to stay with Harry Potter."
Paladine laughed at this proclamation. Everyone was standing with their new patron, and was discussing what the world was like.
"You will find that things are different here," said Paladine. "The people do not know yet that there are still gods around. Dragons, Unicorns, and other creatures are very intelligent here. Those dragons that are a metal color strive for the goodness of man and usually enjoy being left alone. Those that are of a color such as red, black, white, green, or blue are cunning creatures that would just as soon kill you as to lift a claw to help you. There is a group of people that we are sending to you. They will help you get settled. They are like you in some ways. They are divided by their beliefs, but stick together in their unity. They should be here within the hour as Lunitari has sent word to her follower that you are all here. I suggest that you head to the city of Palanthas. There you will find most of what you need. There is the library and of course the fabled Tower of High Sorcery there. Should you find yourselves worthy, you may end up taking residence in the tower itself."
"I highly doubt that they will be able to enter the tower," said Nuitari with an evil laugh. "The Shoikan Grove will stop them from ever getting there."
"I accept that challenge," said Harry before he could stop himself. "I have faced the most evil man on earth and beat him five times. I was almost killed by a basilisk when I was twelve. We will figure out how to get into that tower. I am not one that scares easily."
Solinari and Lunitari were listening with interest. This was the first time that someone has stood up to their cousin like this.
"You will have to register with the Conclave of Wizards," said Nuitari. "This is the only way that you will not be considered renegades. They will track you down and try and kill you."
"That is enough," said Gilean and Paladine at the same time. "They do not come from our world. Their magic doesn't come from the moons. Therefore they do not have to register with the Conclave. In fact I think it would be best if your wizards left these children alone."
"You have no right to tell us how to run our fields," snapped Nuitari. "It is our right for those that carry magic to register with the Conclave."
"I think for now we should just let it be," said Lunitari. "We can always monitor the situation and rethink our decision then."
Nuitari sent a fireball at Harry.
"Protego," said Harry pulling out his wand and casting a shield charm.
The fireball hit his shield and made a gong like sound. Within moments, seven other shields appeared. Nothing that Nuitari threw at them worked.
"ENOUGH," said Solinari. "They have just proven a point cousin. Their magic works different than ours. Maybe they can teach us how they work their magic and we can set up a new order with them."
"Episky," said Cedric cleaning the blood from Harry's face. "That is a nasty gash you have there Harry. Sit down and let me close the wound on your face before it becomes infected. Thank goodness Professor Snape sent over all of those potions."
"Allow me," said Mishakal placing a warming hand on Harry's cheek.
Instantly the cut healed itself and then faded from sight. Cedric was impressed with this.
"As a cleric of mine, you will have the ability to call upon me to aid you in healing," she told him. "Another comes with the group that is my cleric. She has the ability to heal as well."
"We shall keep an eye out on you until they arrive," promised Chislev. "I suggest that you get some rest. The way to Palanthas is long."
"Not for us," said Harry pulling out his broom. "We can just fly there."
"It is better for you to wait for your traveling companions," said Paladine. "They will be able to protect you when others in this world will want to see you dead. Goblins, ogres, trolls, and draconians are but a few of the evil creatures walking the planet."
Soon the gods vanished from sight. It was not long before Hermione heard people moving up the mountain. They all waited in trepidation. These were people they did not know. However after dealing with the gods, they had no doubt that if push came to shove that they would be able to defend themselves from anyone. They watched as what appeared to be a dwarf and an elf, broke out of the bushes. They were followed by a huge man with big arms and many swords and other weapons. Next to him was a man that resembled him, wearing red wizard's robes. A diminutive person was bouncing along behind chatting happily about everything. A couple was walking behind him arm in arm. They looked like barbarians in Harry's opinion. Behind the taking the rear was a man dressed in full armor. Harry was stunned to see the man walking around like a knight. His bearing was tall and proud. It was the tiny person that stopped and whistled to the rest of the group. He was standing there staring at the eight teenagers with awe and surprise on his face. The man that looked like an elf glanced at them and then froze. He released his bow and notched an arrow in it. He aimed it at them.
"Come out where we can see you," said the man with a musical sounding voice. "We know you are in there and that there are ten of you all together. Come out where we can see you or we start firing."
"Keep your ears on," called Harry. "We are here for a reason and you came upon our campsite. Not the other way around. So if anyone is going to make demands then it will be us. Now lower your weapon or I will turn it into cinder."
"Tanis they are magic users," said Raistlin. "They are not any type of magic users that I am aware of. This must be the party that Lunitari said we were to help."
"I am not lowering my weapon until I know that we are safe," said Tanis. "They can either comply or we start fighting."
"Accio Bow and Arrow," said Hermione swishing her wand.
They had the satisfaction of seeing the weapon fly right out of the one named Tanis' hands and fly all the way to Harry who used his seeker ability to catch it.
"I told you we were not going to listen to you," aid Harry. "Now are you the ones that Paladine said were coming to escort us to Palanthas or not? If you are, then maybe we can behave in a civil manner. If not, we will stun you all and fly away."
"You use blasphemy by speaking the good name of Paladine?" asked Sturm releasing and drawing his sword. "I will have your head for this."
Harry sighed and waved his wand. Sturm dropped it as it heated up and burnt his hand.
"This is enough," hissed Raistlin. "We were sent to find these children and we have. It is time to stop flexing your muscles and start acting like citizens of Solace and Ansalon. My name is Raistlin Majere and I am a wizard of the red robes. These are my traveling companions, Tanis Half-Elvin, my twin Caramon Majere, the Cleric of Mishakal, Goldmoon and her betrothed Riverwind. The dwarf is called Flint Fireforge, the kender is Tasselhoff Burrfoot, and the knight is Sturm Brightblade. My goddess has spoken of eight children that appeared on our planet. Are you the teenagers?"
Harry walked down with Hermione and Draco flanking him. The others all had their wands out and followed slowly.
"My name is Harry Potter," he said handing Tanis his bow back. "My companions are Hermione Granger, Cedric Diggory the new cleric of Mishakal, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Blaise Zabini, Seamus Finnegan, and Draco Malfoy. These other two are Dobby and Winky. They are called house elves where I come from and they are helping to take care of me."
"You wear the symbol of Paladine," whispered Sturm in shock. "That symbol has not been seen since before the cataclysm. How did you get it?"
"He gave it to me," said Harry nonchalantly. "Just like Mishakal gave Cedric a medallion. We are all being represented by a god of choice that is here on this planet."
"Three of you are wearing the robes of the wizard," said Raistlin. "Does this mean that you are going to be going before the Conclave of Wizards? They will want to know that you are all registered with them."
"All of us are wizards or witches," said Hermione. "Paladine, Gilean, and Lunitari said that for now we do not have to register as we are of a different type of magical person. In fact, we went head to head with Nuitari and held our own against him. Your magic is no match for ours. We do not have to memorize our spells daily like your do. Once we learn a spell, it is a part of us always."
"It is nice having another that is a follower of the gentle goddess Mishakal," whispered Goldmoon. "It will be nice to see what you and I can learn from her."
"I have healing spells that do not require the hand of the goddess," said Cedric. "However, I am looking to learn what she has to offer by way of teaching."
"So where are you headed?" asked Tanis. "It would seem that Harry is the leader among you all. Where are you going that we need to escort you?"
"We need to get to the Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas," said Harry. "It was agreed that if we can get passed something called the Shoikan Grove that we can claim the tower as our own."
"No one has claimed that tower since it was cursed," said Raistlin. "There is no way that you will be able to access it. The Grove is trees that instill fear in the heart of anyone who tries to get into it. Even dragons do not go near it."
"We aren't going near it," said Harry with a grin. "We are going over it. We will not have to deal with the grove of trees in the slightest. Something tells me that between your magic and mine, we can beat any guardians that the tower has. It was a challenge from the dark god and I accepted. I have faith in my wand arm and my friends not to mention this Paladine person. We will win and we will claim the tower as our own. We have to hurry though. The magic that is keeping us tethered to our world is going to fail within the next month. The goblins of Gringotts are sending me as much of my money and possessions as they possibly can so that we will not need a whole lot to get settled in here."
"We are not going to make it to Palanthas in a month," said Flint exasperated. "There is no way unless we buy horses and even then, we will just barely make it."
"We are not going by land," said Harry. "We are going to fly. It will be much quicker. The weather seems pretty nice and we can fly for hours and get there with plenty of time to spare."
"What do you mean, fly?" asked Riverwind. "How are you going to fly to Palanthas? The only thing that can fly is birds, dragons, and gryphons."
Harry and his group all pulled out their broomsticks. Harry quickly explained how they worked. He got on his and flew around the clearing for a bit to show them that he was serious about his proclamation.
"Will those things work for any of us?" asked Raistlin curious in spite of himself.
"I am afraid not," said Harry. "It might work for you because you are a magic user, but I am not so sure about everyone else. My thinking is that we have to pair up and fly together. Draco, Cedric, Blaise and I were all on our quidditch teams. Seamus and the rest are fairly skilled in flying. If we take it slow, we can be there faster than if we were walking. We will not go to high so that we do not attract any unwelcome attention such as dragons."
"Can we, Tanis?" asked Tasselhoff. "Please, can we ride with them?"
Sturm was busy returning the items that belonged to the teenagers. Tasselhoff never stole, mind you, but things had a habit of making their way into his pouches much to the astonishment of the kender as to everyone else.
"We will have to cast protection spells on our belongings," observed an angry Draco. "That little bugger has stolen half the items that were in my pocket. You guys need to keep him on a leash before one of us does it for him."
"Tasselhoff," said Raistlin. "Do you remember what I told you I was going to do to you if you touched my spell components and books again?"
"Yes Raistlin," said Tasselhoff cheerily. "You said that you would turn me into a cricket and swallow me whole after making sure that I was in pain for about a week."
"That is light compared to what I am going to do to you if you touch one more item that belongs to us," threatened Draco. "It is like having the Weasleys here all over again."
Hermione pulled out her wand and cast muggle repelling charms on their bags. Tasselhoff went to touch the bags, and found himself interested in a few rocks near the entrance to the cave. Raistlin watched this with glee.
"You will either need to cast that on my bags, or teach me how to do that," he said. "Is it possible to learn how to do that? Is it possible to get one of those wands and such?"
"We do have some books on wand lore and such," said Hermione. "Maybe we can teach you how to make one and then we can show you how to use one. We just do not know how compatible your magic is with our ways and vice versa. That we even retained our magic at all tells us that this planet has a high magical level to it. Our magic comes from within us and is centered in a core. We use a wand as an extension of that core. From there we learn wand movements and spells. After we learn them, we can use them in many different ways. Harry is one of the few people we know that can use his magic without a wand. Once he learns a spell, he eventually learns how to do it without his wand and sometimes nonverbally as well. As a magic user, you may be able to learn what we know and we may be able to learn what you know. I am just not sure. We do not know a whole lot about this planet aside from what the gods have told us."
"So who is willing to fly with these children?" asked Tanis. "It would seem that they can take care of themselves, but they need someone who is familiar with our ways and hierarchy to help them get settled in. We also know that there is a war brewing on this planet as well. So maybe these eight children can help us."
"Let me start by saying that we are NOT children," said Harry. "Cedric is nineteen and the rest of us are fifteen and sixteen. I have been taking care of myself since I was eight. I beat the most powerful dark wizard in history on my planet when I was fifteen months old. I did it again at eleven, twelve, fourteen, and then again a month ago. So don't tell me I am a child."
"Forgive me," said Tanis. "I meant no disrespect to you. I am one hundred and two years old. Flint is pretty close to me in the age department. To most elves, dwarves, and half elves, most humans are children."
"You look no older than thirty," said Hermione curiously. "How long do half elves generally live?"
"We can live to be up to one thousand years old," said Tanis. "A full blooded elf can live up to two thousand years or more. Dwarves can live to be up to five hundred years old."
"Professor Dumbledore is one hundred and seventy five," said Harry. "Wizards on our planet have extended lives because of the magic. So, are we going to fly to Palanthas or not?"
Tanis looked around at his group. Tasselhoff was grinning excitedly. Flint looked dour as usual. Goldmoon and Riverwind looked uncertain. Raistlin nodded his head in agreement. Caramon shrugged his shoulders. Sturm just looked back at him and didn't comment either way.
"I promise that we will all stick together and it will be safe," said Harry. 'We do not have to go any higher than the tree tops. I promise to not let anything happen to you. We have a spell handy that will help in case an accident should occur and someone does fall off. Riding a broom is no different than riding a horse."
"Mishakal is telling me that this is ok," said Goldmoon suddenly. "She tells me to trust these youngsters. I am going with them."
"That settles it then," said Tanis. "Who shall fly with whom?"
"As you are the leader of these people, how about you fly with me," said Harry. "Goldmoon can fly with my mate Cedric. Flint can fly with Blaise. Tasselhoff can fly with Draco. Raistlin can fly with Seamus. Caramon can fly with Luna. Sturm can fly with Neville, and Riverwind can fly with Hermione. We will take it at a leisurely pace. Depending on how far Palanthas is, depends on how long it takes us to get there."
"We have about three hours until sunset," said Raistlin. "Shall we leave now and fly some of the distance?"
"Sounds good to me," said Harry. "All citizens of Krynn should ride behind those of us that need to see to fly. Hermione and Luna I want you to flank me. The rest of you keep on the lookout. At the first sign of trouble, we will land and defend ourselves. Send red sparks from your wand if you spot trouble. Your passenger will know if it is trouble or not."
Harry mounted his broom and rose off the ground high enough for Tanis to sit behind him. Soon the others did the same. When all eight brooms were ready, Tanis pointed in the direction of Palanthas and the group flew out. Tasselhoff was screaming in delight at the sights below him. They flew in a northern direction for about three hours before Tanis signaled that they needed to land. Harry sent green sparks out with his wand and slowly headed to the ground. It was not long before everyone started making camp. With waves of wands, the tents were set up and the sixteen occupants were settled nicely around the campfire for the night. Harry wrote a letter to Minerva and sent it through the bag. Cedric and Harry worked together for about an hour transferring shrunken trunks through the magic from the Gringotts bag to the hold all bag. Hermione transfigured a rock into a table and then she and Luna helped the elves with the food.
"We have company," said Tanis drawing his bow and pulling out an arrow. "It looks like we have a small scouting party of goblins out there. We need to eliminate them so that they do not bring the rest of their group to us."
"How many of them are there in the scouting party?" asked Harry pulling out his wand. "We can eliminate them before they even notice we are here."
"There are five in the scouting party," said Tanis. "Their squad is usually about one hundred or so. We need to get out of here so that we are not attacked while we sleep."
Harry looked to Cedric, Draco, and Hermione who all nodded and got to work quickly. Seamus extinguished the fire quickly and Harry lit his wand tip. They were surprised at how swiftly and quietly Tanis and his group moved. Caramon and Sturm along with Tanis went out to dispatch the goblins while Goldmoon helped the teens with their tasks. Grunts and startled oaths were soon heard in the bushes. Soon the three men came back and quickly took in the scene before them. Harry and his group had managed to pack everything up and were ready to go. Each had a broom in their hand.
"Let's go now," said Tanis. "There is a larger force than I expected and they are heading this way. We have to move now, or they will be upon us in no time."
Soon everyone was mounted on their brooms with their passengers and they took off into the night. They flew for about two more hours by the light of Solinari and Lunitari before Tanis called a halt.
"We should be safe for now," said Tanis. "We will reach Palanthas by tomorrow. We have to let them know that there is a squadron of goblins heading their way. Once behind the walls of the city, we should be safe, but we want to have them ready. I am only thankful that it was goblins and not draconians. They have their own magic that we would have had to fight."
"If we can stand up to that Nuitari guy, we can stand up to draconians," said Harry. "When I was fourteen I dealt with a dragon. We have spells in our arsenal that can deal with dragon men. Besides I have a trick up my sleeve. I can talk to snakes. It is a rather useful gift."
"I was wondering why you were making those hissing noises," said Raistlin. "I was also wondering why there were no snakes near our camp."
"It is easier to have them move to a certain area than to find them curled up in your tent," said Harry. "It is a rare gift on our planet. There were only two known Parselmouths before I left. Me and Voldemort. It is a gift that Salazar Slytherin himself was an expert at. Why is your skin gold? Also, why are your eyes shaped like hourglasses, if you don't mind me asking?"
"I took the test at the Tower of High Sorcery in Wayreth," he answered after careful deliberation. "On this planet, each wizard must undergo a series of tests to see if they are worthy of possessing the magic to become powerful mages. If one passes the test, then they are met by the three gods and given the robes in the color of their branch of magic. I failed one part of my test. My punishment was my eyes and skin. It was a worthy price to pay. I am one of the more promising mages on Krynn today. At least that is what the head of my order says. If one doesn't pass the test, they die. The part of the test I failed was against myself. As it was not a part of the real test, I survived."
Wow," said Hermione. "At least you passed and are wearing the red robes of neutrality. That has to be an accomplishment for you."
"I am very pleased with the result," said Raistlin. "It is everything that I have worked so hard for growing up. Now if you will excuse me I have to study my spells. Unlike you, our spells do not stay with us. Once we use a spell, it disappears from out mind until we relearn it. Thus we have to study daily to have our selection of spells memorized."
Watches were set up and soon the group was sleeping. They took turns keeping watch. Harry, the insomniac took watch with some of the others longer than necessary. Cedric found him sitting on a boulder and looking out at the scenery.
"Nothing is ever going to be the same is it?" he asked softly. "I miss our home already. I wish we could go home. This place feels so alien to me. The rules are so different."
"I know Harry," said Cedric putting an arm around him. "Times will be hard for us at first, but we can get through this. We just have to stick together and make sure that life is as happy for us as we can make it. Never forget that I love you more than anything and will be by your side through all of this. We may not always agree on everything, but the seven of us from Britain will always be your friend and we will always be there for you."
"I have learned in this life that everything is not always as hard as it seems," said Goldmoon stepping out of the shadows and sitting with the young men. "Sometimes, we just have to have faith and let what happens happen. It will, whether you want it to or not. You have a great sadness in you. However you wear the medallion of Paladine. That tells me that you have a pure heart and soul. You love and are compassionate. Not many were allowed to wear that medallion in the old days. You must be special in your own way. Do not worry yourself to much my young friend. You will get used to our ways and our planet. We will help you. Tanis is a good man and an able leader. While I do not fully understand the magician, he is a veritable well of information. Last but not least, if you are truly troubled and need someone to talk to, just hold your medallion and speak. He is listening. He will guide you when you need it most."
"Thank you Goldmoon," said Harry. "I have lost so many loved ones along the way. My mum and dad died when I was a baby. My aunt and uncle hated me because I was different. My godfather died about a month ago. Anyone else that I had that cared about me is gone with the exception of the ones you see with me now. They are all I have left. I have had to be strong when all I wanted was to be normal. I just want to be loved and be happy."
"From the looks of things you have both with your companions," said Goldmoon kindly. "You have that and more with your betrothed sitting with you now. Now why don't you go and get some rest. Riverwind and I will take over watch. We have a long day tomorrow and much to do. May Paladine and Mishakal watch out over your sleep?"
Goldmoon kissed both young men on the forehead and sent them to bed. As they walked away, Riverwind stepped out of the shadows and wrapped his arms around her.
"That young man has been through so much in his life," he said. "I am glad that you are taking an interest in him. He needs someone like you in his life to offer him the motherly love that he never got as a child."
"It saddens my heart to hear of someone so young going through so much," she answered. "I will do my best to watch out over these children. Something tells me that they ALL have a story to tell and some of them are not so pretty."
"Just go slow with them," said Riverwind. "They may not appreciate the intrusion. I can not help but trust the one called Harry. He gives off nothing but honor and love. He watches out over the others like his life is depending on it. I am saddened that one so young is placing that much responsibility on his shoulders."
"I agree with you," said Tanis coming up. "I could not help but overhear your conversation. That young man needs someone in his corner for a change that will help him instead of want something from him. You can count me in with this. I will help these children. There is so much sadness in all of them. At the same time it is like they have already accepted their fate and are trying to make the most of it. The fact that at such an early age they are able to defend themselves and not think twice about it makes me wonder what we can do to ease them. We have about three hours until dawn. I have no doubt that most of us are wondering about these children. I know that Harry said they were not, but I can't help but look at them and wonder what happened that caused eight human children ranging from fifteen to nineteen to have endured so much."
The trio talked a bit more about the teens. Soon the sun came up and the smell of breakfast was in the air. Dobby and Winky were in their element in feeding the group a delicious dinner. That it was obvious Harry loved these two elves was plain. That they loved him in return was even plainer. Tanis and his companions knew that these eight teens were something special.
AUTHOR'S NOTE – I will stop right here. I wanted to let the two sets of companions meet and get to know one another. It will be interesting to see if I can work with such a large group of people. I may have to split them off at some point and work with smaller groups.