It has been four weeks. I have been neglecting my writing. I am not going to explain myself because what is there to explain. I am sure you would much rather read the chapter.

But the question you should ask yourselves is: Why did the author put this or that into the story?

As for Gryphon, many of you have figured out only HALF of what she is.

And to correct myself on my Foolish mistake, it isn't Plot Development that Portkey said I was lacking. In rereading the e-mail it told me I was lacking in Plot Direction. To be honest, the guilt I had for misleading you was gaining on my shoulders.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 14: Seeking Answers

He was running through the forest again on four swift, powerful legs. Thick, white snow was drifting down onto the pile that was already crunching under his feet. But the pure white winged creature from last time was not there floating above him. Was this a dream? No! It was definitely real. His sharp senses picked up every little detail with perfection. He sensed another presence, running with him. Looking to the side he spotted a shining white lioness with brown eyes. She almost blended in with the snow. He could feel warmth emanating from her large body. He then sensed that there was danger in these snowy woods. He and the lioness herd a shout. They stopped and saw two wizards, their lit wands were out and pointed at each other. But their faces were still in the shadows.

"You traitorous fiend. How dare you betray our master, The Dark Lord. He will learn of your deceit. You mark my words Severus." A gruff voice said from a hulking shadow holding a wand.

"Who ever said I was betraying the Dark Lord…" Snape snarled and sent a white beam of light at Dantes, illuminating the scene better. It left a cut on Dantes masculine face. Snape was clutching at his shoulder in pain. This told him that Dantes attacked first. Harry could smell blood coming from Snape. His senses were very, very acute. "I saw you lurking out here during the match. Are you trying to take out Potter so the Dark Lord will be pleased with you. The Dark Lord knows he is under Great Protections you can only imagine, not even you or the Dark Lord can touch him." Dantes nostrils flared and his nose wrinkled in fury. The lioness looked at Harry with those oddly familiar brown eyes of hers as if to say, 'This doesn't look good, does it?'

"Crucio!" Dantes shouted and Snape fell onto the snow-covered ground, screaming in agony. Even though Harry didn't like Snape all that much, he knew he wouldn't wish the Cruciatus Curse on anyone. He felt a great anger rise up in him, he felt like he needed to defend Snape. He crouched down on his four great white legs, he flicked his tail and sprang on his unsuspecting victim with a great roar. Harry's sharp teeth and claws sank into the large man's flesh as his heavy weight brought the man down, howling in pain from the attack. Salty blood leaked from the punctures. But Harry refused to taste it long. The Cruciatus Curse was lifted as Snape lay there in the snow, unmoving, but conscious and watching in horror as Harry pinned the bloody Deatheater to the ground with a large paw. Dantes' wand lay snapped under the weight of Harry's back paw. It's core no longer recognizable as it oozed and seeped out of it's wooden confines. What happened to the core of the man's wand? The Lioness rammed herself into Harry knocking him off the screaming man. Harry struggled to get up, But the lioness held him down putting all her weight on paw holding him down. He gave her a look that he meant to say, "How dare you! Can't you see he's dangerous?"

The Lioness was nearly as large as he was as she stood over him and took a defensive stance protecting Harry from the broken wand's oozing core. The ooze had sprung to life and attacked the closest thing in its path. Dantes. He screamed in excruciating pain when the ooze came in contact with his skin. It was eating at his flesh. The Deatheater picked himself off the ground and tried to pry the ugly yellow ooze off his arm but only achieved in spreading it. He ran out of the clearing in terror. The lioness turned to face Harry and nuzzled him affectionately, as if in apology for knocking him off the deatheater.

There was a feeling deep within his chest, a leaping feeling of joy. He felt a purr coming from his own throat. He now knew why the Lioness had knocked him off the Deatheater's wand.

Harry stood and scanned the area and saw Snape still lying there his normal breathing returning. The man slowly stood. The pain from the Cruciatus Curse was still lingering. His cold gaze made contact with Harry and the Lioness as he raised his wand and pointed it at them. The White lioness disappeared into a hazy mist and was gone.

At that moment Harry woke up. He was in his bed but there was a sticky substance all over his hands and face. He soon discovered that it was blood when he walked into the bathroom. He quickly washed it off and went back to his four poster, pulling the covers up to his chin but being unable to fall back to sleep. Warm steam rose from his mouth in the chilly air. Harry knew that this experience he had just had was as real as Ron's snoring. But confusion fuddled his thoughts. It was just so real and then waking with the blood… He was afraid. What was he capable of? What great and terrible power lay dormant within his very soul? Would he attack those he cared about? …And just who was the Lioness?

Fear and questions kept him from getting back to sleep for the rest of the night. At the crack of dawn he showered, dressed and wrapped himself in his cloak for warmth and promptly left Gryffindor tower to hopefully get his questions answered. Gryphon promised a meeting. Hopefully she knew something about this too.

She had been restless since she had woken from… whatever it was. She knew that it was definitely too real to be a dream, there was too much interaction from her part to be a vision. The White Panther she had seen attack the Deatheater Emilio Dantes. She knew that Dantes was an upstanding member of the wizarding community who contributed to charity. But his façade was exactly like that of Lucius Malfoy.

The Panther had Harry's bright green eyes. Her favorite color for the fact that she couldn't get his eyes out of her head since the day she met him.

When the wand core oozed from the broken wand, she instantly knew that the Panther was in danger. She had knocked him off with her shoulder and hurt from it now. When dawn came she immediately got up for the day. First showering and dressing quietly and grabbing her cloak to ward off the bitter cold that seemed to permeate the castle. Quietly passing her dorm mates she went down the girls' stair. She had to have her questions answered. When she reached the bottom, she spotted Harry climbing out of the portrait hole. She followed.

Harry had this odd feeling that he was being followed as he approached Professor Gryphon's office. But he had a feeling that it wasn't anything to worry about. As he was just about to knock on Gryphon's door he heard voices from inside.

"Nay, I shall not! Tis a great abuse of thy power to try to force me to support thee in these upcoming Government Selections. I do not even belong to thy society!" Gryphon shouted angrily.

"Avyllynn, please be reasonable…" A familiar voice fumbled.

"Reasonable!" Gryphon interrupted. "How can I be reasonable when ye would never listen to Albus Dumbledore nor young Harry Potter all last year because ye couldn't let what they had to say disrupt thy comfortable little world. Nay, ye accused Albus of trying to over throw thee from thy position. Ye put poor Potter through hell by putting a harsh and might I add inept teacher as his Defense Professor. This said 'teacher' then proceeded to remove everything that made Harry's life worth it here and foist completely pointless Laws and Decrees on both students and teachers. She also used Illegal methods of punishment on students, for minor misdemeanors. You wouldn't believe the things I found in this office upon my return. The Dark Quill is known as a dark item found only in Knockturn Ally. Just how did Madam Umbridge come in possession of such an item? Ye even made both the names of Dumbledore and Potter out to be a joke! I shall tell thee this, Cornelius Fudge, Dumbledore never wanted the position of Minister and ever since I met young Potter, I know he would never lie about something as serious as Voldemort's return. Now tell me Fudge, how can I 'be reasonable' when ye have shown that ye cannot be reasonable to two prominent people of legend and society?"

This speech was met with silence.

"Albus may be courteous about this situation. But I am not Albus. Get out of my office, all three of thee, I wish not to see thee darken my threshold anymore. Out!" Gryphon said as the door abruptly opened. Harry had to quickly move out of the way before Fudge, Deloris Umbridge and Percy Weasley came flying out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professors office. Looking into the office, Harry saw Gryphon coming out, her silver eyes were flashing dangerously. Her hair was still in its very long braid. She was dressed in a pair of light blue cotton pajamas with a fleece cloak drawn about her shoulders, her wand was in her hand. Around her neck was an amulet-like collar with a star-shaped sapphire hanging from it.

"Ye are early Mr. Potter." Gryphon said softly compared to the shouting she had done at the three whom where now walking away in defeat. "No matter, come in."

"Why were they here?" Harry asked bitterly indicating the three people.

"Minister Fudge has lost a lot of popularity with the public when it turned out that he was discrediting the very people who had the best chance of defeating Voldemort. Many want to oust him out of his position because of his foolish decisions." Gryphon answered as she watched the retreating backs of the people she threw out of her office. "He wants that popularity returned to him again."

"But why'd they come to you?" Harry inquired.

"I have a decent amount of respect and influence at the Ministry and in other places." She sighed as she led Harry into her office. "I am also a part-time Unspeakable. But because I am a foreigner the Minister really has no influence over me. Too easy to start a war, but too difficult to fight it when his forces are distracted with another."

This was the first time Harry had been inside this office since Umbridge caught him using the Floo last year. Gryphon had not taken the time to decorate it. Books were placed haphazardly on the shelves and Gryphon's suit of armor stood in a niche between bookshelves looking rather magnificent in the early morning light. A large telescope was positioned near the window, two Lunascopes, the red velvet covered book he had seen before, and a swirling silver ball the size of Harry's fist were on the desk. That mornings Daily Prophet was also on the desk. Other than that, the room seemed naked to Harry.

"Please sit down." Gryphon said as she pointed to the chair in front of the desk as she took her own seat. "Ye have many questions to ask of me and I shall answer accordingly. But there is something I must ask of thee first."

"What is it?"

"Snape had witnessed one of the most interesting instances last night and then contacted Albus about it. Do ye have any clue what it could be about, Mr. Potter?" Gryphon had said Snape's name with utter disgust and disdain.

"No."

"I think ye do know."

"Huh."

"A white panther with thy eye color and white Lioness saved him from an attack by a Deatheater that goes by the name of Emilio Dantes." Gryphon said. Harry's eyes went wide in surprise.

"Er…"

"I take it that ye are this panther." Gryphon chuckled. "Snape's guess was correct."

"I think so. But I am not an animagus yet. I just don't understand it." Harry said. "So it really happened?"

"Aye, the events of last night really happened." Gryphon said as she handed Harry the Sunday Prophet. The Headline on the first page read:

INJURED DEATHEATER FOUND IN HOGSMEADE!

Harry read the article that accompanied it.

It came to be a surprise at 4 A.M. this morning to two old wizards when they found a man covered in yellow ooze and greatly wounded, laying unconscious in the snow in the middle of mainstreet, Hogsmeade. They immediately got him to St. Mungos, where the healers examined him. Their findings proved that this man is Emilio Dantes, a prominent member of the wizarding community who just recently returned to Britain this last July. "It came as a shock that such a man would chose to associate with You-Know-Who." One of the healers commented. Another Healer informed us that the ooze is what is left of the wand core of Dantes wand. "It is a wand core tainted with Dark Magic which is said to attack the closest living creature to it once it escapes the confines of the wand. It just proves that Dantes is a Deatheater." There is yet even more proof that Dantes is associating with the Dark Lord. Last June, the Daily Prophet ran an interview with Harry Potter. In that interview young Harry gave us a detailed description that a true Deatheater carries the Dark Mark on their upper left arm. Dantes carries that mark. Dantes' body also great gashes in it from a great unknown creature, of which the Healers believe, snapped Dantes' wand. So far, he has only shown great signs mental trauma. The only coherent words he has spoken are: "Green Fire!" He is being kept in a closed ward while being examined and tended to by Healers. They assure us that "Once he gets his memory back he will be tried by the Ministry of Magic and hopefully sent to Azkaban." (For more information about the captures of the ten Deatheaters last June, please turn to page 6)

"Well that proves that the vision I had last night was real." Harry gulped.

"Mr. Potter, have ye ever heard of an instance called Night Roaming?" Gryphon asked as her silver eyes peered at him sharply.

"Is that like sleep walking?"

"Nay, Sleep Walking is where the person reacts to the dream they are seeing. Sleep walkers can't control their actions. On the other hand, Night Roamers are very conscious about their actions and interact with things in the physical world and not with things in their minds. There are very few Night Roamers in existence. Their bodies retire to their beds but their souls are restless. In result the body and soul separate and the soul, being very malleable, takes on a familiar physical shape. Since ye are learning to become an Animagus, it does not surprise me that ye took the form of it." Gryphon explained, her face was serene. "But they are unable to roam too far from their bodies for too long for if they do they do not return to wake."

"That answers a lot." Harry stated. "But can you explain why I woke early this morning with blood on my hands and face?"

"I would have thought ye already knew." Gryphon said with a raised eyebrow and an amused look of a cat playing with a ball of string. "When the soul returns to the body, the body displays what the soul brought back."

"So do you have any idea who the lioness is?" Harry inquired.

"Nay." Gryphon said quietly. "My guess is just as blank as thine. But she must be very smart considering that not many until now knew what happens when a dark wizard's wand is broken. Only Healers, Wand Makers and Unspeakables know that information on a regular basis." She continued as she glanced at the Prophet on her desk. "We do know her eyes are brown from what Snape has said.

"I know only two girls personally that have that eye coloring…" Harry said, "Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley. But that doesn't help, the lioness could be anyone in this school or Hogsmeade. And brown is a pretty common eye color."

Gryphon merely nodded. "Onto different matters. Ye had some questions that ye needed to ask about thy trip to the past among other things?"

"Even though, Hermione and I saw all the events that happened that night, I still have no clue what happened and some of it seems like a blur." Harry said getting straight to the matter.

"Perhaps ye would like to recount everything ye saw that night to me and I'll explain to the best of my ability?" Gryphon asked gently.

"When both you an Professor Dumbledore sent us to Godric's hollow…"Harry recounted everything he saw to her as she sat back in her chair with her eyes closed and a placid look on her face. Harry knew that she was listening intently though. She was visualizing everything Harry was saying. When his story finished she opened her eyes to look at him again.

"What ye have just said sets into concrete that Lily was never able to finish the most powerful protection charm that a mother can cast on a child." Gryphon said.

"What do you mean 'mother can cast on a child.'?" Harry Blurted. "If that's all it does, then why did you have Hermione cast it on me? She is only my friend, she is not my mother."

"Calm thyself down Mr. Potter." Gryphon said placidly. "There is a charm that is vary similar to the charm thy mother was going to use and it pertains to the relationship that ye hold with Miss Granger. Though I wasn't expecting Miss Granger to come out of it with that same charm placed on her."

"Would it be possible that Ron could be placed under it as well?" Harry asked.

"Aye." Gyphon answered. "But not by thee."

"Why not?" Harry asked again.

"The relationship that ye hold with one is not the same as the relationship ye hold with the other." Gryphon said shortly, as if she were annoyed. "I am not sure if ye know of it, but I will leave the explanation to Miss Granger when she is ready to talk about it."

"Oh."

"As for the Killing Curse backfiring." Gryphon continued. "I am sure Albus spoke of it before as did I. Even though thy mother didn't finish the charm she completed another protection on thee when she sacrificed her life to save thee. She didn't have to do that, but she did. Voldemort was foolish to attack thee when she did that. The force that happened when the curse backfired, ye say it changed color. When the color of a spell is changed it changes the spell altogether. That is one of the reasons why Voldemort survived. It wasn't a killing curse that was sent back at him. The curse that was sent back at him used the power that Voldemort used to put in the Killing Curse sent at you. The curse ye sent back at him is called the Spectrus Curse. Tis an ancient and abandoned spell because it is one of the most difficult spells to perform and get right. That curse separated his dark soul from his body and magic. It is possible to change curses and spells."

"How?" Harry asked on the edge of his seat.

"Ye spoke of a fire, a green blaze that ye burst into. It reminds me of an instance that happened a long, long time ago" Gryphon said. "It has a name, tis a type of magic that cannot be controlled. Tis the only known magic that can ward off the Killing Curse or change the effect of it. But because it is so rare and difficult to summon and wield, it has been thrown to very little importance. Ye see the timing has to be correct."

"What is the name of this power?" Harry asked. The suspense was killing him.

Gryphon picked up the Red Velvet covered book that lay on her desk with a deep sigh. "Tis the very theory that I have been working on for the Department of Mysteries, for the Unspeakables behind the Locked Door. It is known as the Pheonix Blaze."

'No wonder why Dumbledore Directed me to her or even more, brought her here.' Harry thought to himself. "Can you explain what it can do?" Harry asked.

"Nay, I can not, due to the fact that I am an Unspeakable I could get in great turmoil for even telling thee what I have been working on. But my theory isn't inaccessible." Gryphon said as she placed the book back down on the desk.

"Then why did you tell me that?" Harry demanded.

"Both Albus and I felt that it was necessary for thee to know thyself and what ye have been capable of." Gryphon pointed out. " But Albus sometimes forgets that I can only tell ye so much. I ask thee not to speak of what has been said in this meeting to anyone except for those you trust with this information. If ye encounter one whom ye believe untrustworthy and can access thy mind through Legilimency avert thy eyes immediately and think of something asinine and fatuous."

"Onto another matter, there is another question that ye wish to ask." Gryphon continued as her silver gaze turned directly on him. "Tis best to just ask it."

"Hermione and I were talking about power levels looking similar…" He stopped finding it hard to explain.

"…To orbs around a person. Aye, I am familiar with that explanation. Continue."

"She told me that my power levels were huge when I was that little toddler we saw in the crib. But they seemed to have depleted in size over the years. Can you tell me what is going on?"

"Yes. Tis very interesting that you have come to ask that particular question." Gryphon said as she sat back in her chair. "The answer is very simple: Voldemort lost his body when he attacked thee. Ye said that ye saw that remnants of his body flew into the mark thy mother left behind." Harry remained confused about it all.

Gryphon reached into one of her desk drawers and pulled out a corked bottle which gleamed in the dawn light that had finally entered it's way into the office. "Do ye see the liquid in this bottle?"

Harry nodded.

"Imagine that it is thy magic and power, and the bottle which holds it is thy body." Gryphon said. Harry nodded again. She removed the cork from the bottle, making the room smell of fresh apples. Bringing forth a glass from the same drawer, she poured the amber liquid into the glass. Then she held up the cork.

"Imagine this cork stopper is Voldemort's body." And Gryphon replaced the cork in the bottle as she sipped at the glass she had just poured for herself.

"S-so Voldemort's body is preventing me from …"

"Knowing thy true potential. But it's not only that. Ye are working off his magic most of the time. Which would explain why ye can speak Parsaltongue." Gryphon revealed. "Thy own magic peeks through sometimes, proving that Voldemort's magic cannot keep thy magic contained for much longer."

"So it was Voldemort that weakened me?"

"Aye and Nay, Ye see, he inadvertently gave thee his power when his body blocked thine own." Gryphon explained patiently. "Ye are still more powerful than the Dark Lord since he was at his peak when he attacked thee. But he will never know that. If thy power peaks through ye are well underway of breaking down that barrier, making thee the only one powerful enough to stop him."

"You know the prophecy don't you?" Harry groaned.

"Naturally, Albus found himself befuddled by it many times and asked for help from the only person he could trust not to speak of this knowledge…" She was interrupted by a brisk knock coming from the door. Gryphon smoothly stood and walked over to answer. It was McGonagall

"Avi, The headmaster wishes to speak with you." She said once the door was opened.

"What about, Minerva?" Gryphon asked.

"Order Business."

"Oh." Gryphon reacted. "Tell him I'll be there shortly."

Once McGonagall left, Gryphon turned back to Harry, "Remember what I have said. I hope ye can see thyself out, Good Morn to thee Mr. Potter." With that she left him alone in the room. The Phoenix Blaze. Looking down he spotted the red velvet covered book. "But my theory isn't inaccessible." The words reverberated in his ears. Two words clashed and cancelled each other out. The Knowledge was there for him to Learn. He opened the book and cursed realizing that he couldn't read ancient runes. But he did know someone who could read these symbols and he could also trust with this knowledge and keep it secret. Hermione.

He quickly stowed the book with in his robes and exited the room. He made sure that no one saw him leave Gryphon's office alone. He now needed to find Hermione. Just when he turned the corner leaving the DADA corridor, he ran into someone, knocking her over and accidentally dropping the book he'd taken.

Author Note:

Okay, Okay. I am not really evil. If you have taken the hints and clues I have left you, you should know whom the girl he ran into is.

Now, please excuse me, I must continue writing if I want to be ahead. In the meantime please review. I like to read your opinions.

tojot