Author: Luckner

Disclaimer: The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: A recentreview of this story stated that it contained "way too much romantic crap." I want to say again that I tend to be a romantic, I write for romantics, and there will be a lot more 'romantic crap' in upcoming chapters of this story. Anyone who is uncomfortable with that might want to choose a different story.

CHAPTER 14: JOINING THE WORLD AGAIN

Harry found that Luna's love of nature was infectious, and he quickly found that he enjoyed their afternoon walks as much as she did. Their favorite route was a little used path that started at Hogwarts Castle and ran eastward along the shore of the Black Lake, eventually curving around to enter the village of Hogsmead behind the Three Broomsticks Pub.

On one side the path offered a fine view of the wide expanse of the Black Lake, its clear blue waters lapping against the rocky shore. On the landward side were the steep slopes of Iron Cauldron Mountain, wearing a dark green covering of ancient pine forests. Unlike the Forbidden Forest, which bordered Hogwarts to the north, there was nothing sterile or forbidding about this forest. It abounded with life, and it was only natural that Luna would be drawn to it. The two would sometimes leave the trail and plunge into the virgin forest; sometimes in search of Snorkacks or other rare animals, but more often just to enjoy the peace of tramping through the woods together.

Normally the two teens only followed the path as far as the point where it turned away from the shore. At that place there was a large flat rock that projected well out into the lake, and made a comfortable place for the two to sit and talk. But one day in early November Luna decided that she wanted to walk farther, but she didn't really want to go into Hogsmead. What she really wanted to do was explore further along the shore of the lake. So when they reached the point where the path curved inland they pushed forward into the thick vegetation which flanked the trail.

After fighting their way through a small, but dense thicket, the forest opened up and they were able to travel more easily. After a few minutes they descended into a shallow ravine, lost in the shadows of the tall pines that surrounded it. Along the trail from the castle they had seen the remaining patches of snow from the first storm of the season, but in this shallow ravine the canopy of pines was so thick that no flakes had been able to reach the ground, and the muggy air still felt like autumn. As they began to climb the steep slope on the opposite side Harry noticed something that struck him as strange. A granite stone was showing from under the accumulated pine needles, and it appeared to be cut at a right angle. Using his wand and a cleaning charm he swept off a deep pile of pine needles to reveal something that looked suspiciously like a step.

"Luna, come look at this," he said as he reached down to touch the granite surface with his fingertips. "It looks like a step," he said in wonder.

"Harry, could you move just a bit to your right?" Luna asked softly.

The young man turned to see that his girlfriend had her wand aimed at the step, and he quickly moved to the side. A wind charm resulted in the scattering of many centuries worth of pine needles, and revealed a wide granite staircase. The structure had clearly been built by craftsmen skilled in the cutting of stone, and even after many centuries it had maintained its structural integrity; but what it was doing so far from any place of human habitation was something that neither teen could say. Luna dropped to her knees and began to study the runic symbols that had been incised into the surface of the steps, and seemed perplexed by what she found.

"What does it say," Harry asked, hoping to throw some light on the mysterious stairs.

"I'm not sure. These runes are older than anything I've ever read before. I think this was part of a processional way, but I'm not sure what it leads to," Luna declared honestly.

"Well let's find out," Harry replied excitedly. And taking Luna's hand he led her up the steep stairway.

Reaching the top of the bank the two teens combined their magic to create a forceful wind charm that blew away the deep layer of debris that covered the forest floor. What they discovered under the deep mat of pine needles was a carefully constructed path of granite paving stones that continued almost due east. It was clear that the path predated the forest, because in several places large and clearly ancient pine trees had grown up through the carefully laid stones creating a rough jumble.

In the distance Harry could see a large grey standing stone that was leaning dangerously over what he believed to be the course of the trail, and he wondered if it might provide some answers to the mystery. But upon reaching the stone Harry was disappointed to discover that the surface of the ancient monument was so heavily crusted with moss and lichens that almost nothing was visible.

"Well this won't tell us much," Harry declared in frustration.

"Patience Harry," Luna said softly. She pointed her wand at the cracked and weathered stone and softly mumbled an incantation that Harry didn't recognize. Her wand emitted a soft, blue light that soon covered the entire stone with a florescent glow. While most of the carving was lost, a few partial runes floated to the surface.

"Handy," he declared as he admired her spellwork.

She turned from the stone to give him an appreciative smile and then returned to the task of deciphering what she could of the fragmented message. Harry knew that Luna had a lifelong love of ancient runes, and he sat down on a fallen log nearby to await the results.

"Well?" He asked when she stepped away from the monument.

"There's not much. This rune here means 'temple' or 'shrine,'" she said as she pointed to one of the symbols. "And these two stand for 'magic' and 'dreams;' but that's about all that I can read. These runes are very old; much older than those we study at Hogwarts," Luna said solemnly.

Their curiosity sparked, the two teens hurried forward along the buried path towards they knew not what. Cresting a low rise they looked down on a small spit of land that projected out into the lake. A jumble of stones lay on the high ground in the middle of the peninsula, with a single large Sarsen stone standing vertical like a great finger pointing towards the sky.

Looking at the ruins the two teens immediately recognized where the path had taken them: it was a ruined shrine to Vivienne, the Lady of the Lake. As she looked at the broken stones tears began to roll down Luna's cheeks. Harry knew how much the ruined condition of the shrine distressed her, and he decided at that moment to do something about it.

"Well this shouldn't take long to set right," Harry declared with a positive spirit. Then using a simple Wingardium Leviosa charm he began to move a second standing stone back into an upright position. Once the monument was upright he used an impact spell to pack the earth firmly around its base.

Luna gave him an appreciative smile and pulling out her own wand began to levitate the third stone into place. Soon the two were busy clearing away the wild vegetation that choked the site, and Harry made repairs to the damaged bench so that it was once again safe to use. Luna found a shattered quartz bowl under one of the standing stones, and a quick reparo spell made it as good as new. It took some looking, but the young girl finally managed to find some tiny blue flowers that had somehow grown in a sheltered spot between two trees. These she carefully placed in the offering bowl which sat on a small stone table. When it was finished the two teens sat down on the stone bench with a real sense of accomplishment.

A thousand miles away, in a small pond in Devonshire, an almost forgotten goddess felt a very unexpected pull; one that she had not felt in more than a thousand years. Feeling the irresistible need to heed this call, she soon found herself in a huge lake in the highlands of Scotland. In disbelief she raised her head above the surface of the water to see that her shrine, which had been abandoned since before Arthur had founded his round table, had been fully restored. She saw something else as well: two very familiar children sitting on a stone bench and holding each other.

Vivienne felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards the two children who had not forgotten her, and resolved once again to help them in their own time of need. As the two teens left the shrine to return to school she followed them; enjoying the refreshing feel of the icy cold waters of northern Scotland. Where she once remembered a small village of simple farmers and shepherds, there now stood a giant castle; its spires reaching far into the sky. She shook her head in amazement. 'The centuries certainly have flown by,' she thought in wonder.

That night, sometime after midnight, Harry awoke with a start. He looked around his dorm room in confusion, but saw that all of his roommates were still deep in sleep. Neville and Ron seemed to be in a competition to see who could snore the loudest, while Dean and Seamus were sleeping more quietly, but just as deeply. He could have sworn that he had heard someone call his name, but then decided that it must have been a dream. He lay his head down and closed his eyes, realizing that morning would soon arrive. But then he suddenly sat upright in his bed in surprise when he heard the woman's voice once more, as she again called his name. At the same time he felt an uncontrollable need to follow the sound, which clearly had urgency about its tone.

He put his legs over the edge of the bed and placed his feet carefully on the stone floor, which would normally be icy cold at that hour of the night. Strangely, he felt neither cold nor warmth as he stood to dress. He reached for the robes that hung on pegs near the head of his bed, and was horrified when his hand passed right through them. His immediate need was for light, so he reached for the wand that lay on his bedside table, but once again his fingers slipped through it almost like it wasn't there.

"This has got to be a dream," he declared out loud. None of his roommates stirred at his voice, but continued their peaceful sleep uninterrupted. Looking back towards the bed he was shocked to see a body lying in his place, breathing deeply and apparently quite unaware of his consternation. The moonlight that flooded through the window allowed him to identify the body easily; it was himself in a blissful sleep.

But then he heard the voice again and much louder this time. "Harry Potter, please come to me," the voice of a woman called. The need to follow had become uncontrollable, and so without further delay he turned to the door of his dorm room, but not before one last confused glance back at the boy sleeping peacefully in his bed.

Reaching out to grasp the door handle, and beginning to adjust to his odd condition, he was only mildly surprised when his hand slipped through it. Realizing that he couldn't open the door in the conventional way, he determined to try another method. After all, if the ghosts could do it then perhaps this dream version of himself could do it as well. He reached out to touch the door, and his hand slipped through it as if by magic. Taking a large step forward he extended his arms and body through the door, unconsciously holding his breath as he put his head through. A second later he was standing in the hallway outside his dorm, and was thinking about how handy it must be not to worry about doors and walls. He made his way down the darkened stairs to the common room and then out into the castle more by feel than anything else, for the common room and castle stairs were completely dark. Except for the infrequent light provided by an occasional wall torch, he made his way down to the heavy oak doors in complete darkness, relying on touch to reach his goal.

He didn't know it, but at the same time that he was being awakened by the strange voice, Luna Lovegood was hearing it as well. Being more accepting of strange phenomenon than her friend, Luna was also much quicker to accept her strange condition, and consequently she reached the castle doors several minutes before he did. Somehow she realized that Harry would be along before long and sat down on a bench to wait for him.

As he approached the door to the castle he saw movement off to his right, and turning he saw Luna Lovegood patiently waiting for him.

"What are you doing here?" the boy asked in amazement.

"Waiting for you, of course," she replied as she stood up and walked over to her friend. "Are you ready?" she asked sweetly as she reached to take his hand.

"For what?" Harry asked warily.

"An adventure, I think," was her ready reply.

"But how…you were just…I walked right through….I don't understand any of this," he sputtered out in confusion.

"It's a dream, Harry. You can do anything in your dreams," she replied in a self-assured voice. "You have an overwhelming need to follow the voice; isn't that true?"

"Err, yes…but how do you know?

"Because I feel it too; someone is summoning us," she declared knowingly.

"But who?" he asked.

"We'll find out when we get there," Luna answered as she pulled on his hand lightly. The two shades walked through the front doors and out into the moon brightened courtyard, every stone bathed in a bright silver glow. The two somehow knew that they had to visit the Black Lake, and took the path than led down to its shore. There waiting for them was a tall woman with golden colored hair, and wearing a pure white gown.

"I am Vivienne, I'm glad to finally meet the both of you," she said with a warm smile.

Harry was rather unnerved by the strange meeting, but Luna immediately stepped forward and, putting her arms around the woman, hugged her tightly. The woman was a bit surprised by the child's boldness, but Harry could tell that she was immensely pleased as well. Harry knew that Vivienne had years before given Luna the opportunity to say a final goodbye to her Mother, and it was something that the girl always remembered and appreciated.

"Thank you child," the goddess said fondly, as she hugged the young girl. "And thank you both for restoring my home here. It's been long centuries since I've left my home in the south; and I always loved the cool, clear waters of the north."

Seeing Harry standing awkwardly behind Luna, Vivienne reached out and took his hand. "We're friends Harry, good friends, there's no need for shyness. You've given me a purpose again, and I'm grateful. My sisters long ago departed this world, but I always believed that I had a reason for remaining behind. In you and this dear child I've found that purpose. You fight the evil threatening your world, and with what power I have left I wish to help you fight. But on this night I want to thank you for your caring and compassion; and I've chosen a gift that I hope you will both enjoy. Then tomorrow we can start dealing with the grim business of war. My gift to you is true vision of the past, present or the future; you have but to choose," she said with a warm smile.

"I don't understand," Harry said, completely confused.

"I can show you anything that you would like. You can spend time with your parents in the past, go anywhere in the world in the present, or see your own futures," Vivienne answered patiently.

Harry thought about the offer for a moment. It would be nice to know where Voldemort currently was, although he wasn't sure that he was ready to face him yet. It would also be nice to see his parents again, and to introduce them to Luna. But then he thought about the young girl standing silently at his side; she gave him so much and she asked so little. This should be her choice.

"You choose, Lu," he said as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

She looked at him shyly. "I would like to know what's going to happen in the future, Harry."

"So would I," he responded.

Vivienne smiled at the two teens. "So be it then," she declared.

The silvery moonlight around them began to swirl, causing the two to close their eyes to prevent becoming dizzy. When they reopened their eyes they found themselves seated on the grass of a familiar meadow in the bright sunshine. In the distance Luna's house stood out clearly against the blue sky. Everything pointed to a warm early summer day, with the meadow painted the rainbow colors of a million wildflowers.

Harry glanced over at Luna and realized in shock that she was no longer the young girl that he knew, but instead was a mature young woman. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties and was wearing a white muslin dress and a necklace of bright yellow ceramic daisies that he had never seen before. The thing that surprised Harry the most was how much Luna now resembled her Mother, whom the young man had seen a picture of at the Lovegood cottage. Luna observed that Harry had grown older as well, and she quite approved of what the years had done for him.

"How much into the future do you think?" Harry asked, not completely trusting his judgment of Luna's age.

"Twelve or thirteen years, I think," she responded as she considered the young man next to her.

At that moment they both heard a scream, and Harry clutched his wand tightly. A young girl of about nine-years-old came running towards them through the tall grass, her long dirty-blond hair streaming out behind her like a banner. She was screaming and laughing happily, and Harry could see that she was being pursued by a boy of about seven. The boy had black, unkempt hair and emerald-green eyes; and Harry and Luna knew instantly that the two young children belonged to them.

The young girl threw herself into Harry's arms and hugged him tightly, receiving an even greater amount of affection in return.

"I won, Daddy. I won!" The little girl screamed in delight.

"Lizzie cheated, she was supposed to give me a head start," the little boy protested as he sat in his Mother's lap.

"Don't be a cry baby, you lost fair and square," his older sister proclaimed.

Harry looked into Luna's eyes and could see that she had never been happier, a joy that he shared at the sight of their children.

"Now enough of this fighting; how about some lunch?" Luna asked as she gave Harry a happy smile.

"Okay, but I did win," the girl declared.

Luna swished her wand over the blanket and a banquet of good things appeared. The two children forgot about their argument and began happily filling their plates.

"Are we dreaming?" Harry asked in wonder.

"Of course, but isn't this the best dream ever?" Luna answered happily.

"The very best," Harry agreed.

"Let's enjoy it then," Luna declared as she handed Harry a large bowl of fried chicken.

"My feelings exactly," he answered as he put two fat drumsticks on his plate.

The two spent the rest of the day in the meadow playing games with their children. Somehow two brooms mysteriously appeared, and they gave them rides over the forest. Harry suggested playing hide-and-seek, so the others voted that he should be 'it.' He played along good naturedly, in spite of the fact that he knew they were cheating shamelessly. It was only after dark that the four returned to the cottage, the moonlight showing the way.

When they tucked their children into bed that night it was with feelings of pride and incredible joy. Little Elizabeth asked her parents for what was apparently the millionth time if she could get a broom for her birthday, and Harry felt far too happy to temporize on his answer for even a minute. After the two kissed their children goodnight they returned downstairs in complete bliss.

"You know you should have left Lizzie's birthday present as a surprise; you don't even know for certain that we'll get her a broom," Luna said softly.

"I'll make sure we do," Harry replied as he pulled Luna close. The two settled down on the sofa in front of the fire and talked about what a wonderful day it had been.

"I'm glad you chose the future," Harry said in a sleepy voice.

"Me too," she replied, her eyes heavy with sleep. She laid her head on her husband's chest and the two drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

When Harry woke up he was back in his dorm room, comfortable in his own bed. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift back to the dream he had just had, one in which he was married with two children just a few years in the future. For most sixteen-year-old boys such a revelation would be both frightening and overwhelming, but as Harry remembered the time he had with his son and daughter he found that he was really looking forward to it. His children would be happy, healthy and well adjusted; and Luna would make the perfect help-mate.

Luna smiled at him brightly as he took a seat next to her in the Great Hall. "Good morning, 'Daddy,'" she said mischievously; received rather shocked looks from the others sitting at the table.

Harry's response was a wide grin. "And good morning to you too, Mum."

Ignoring the shocked expressions on the faces of their friends, Harry heaped his plate with food and began to eat with gusto; he never remembered feeling so good in the morning.

The two didn't speak about their vision of the previous night, but simply exchanged knowing looks that told each other that they were delighted with the prospects for the future. It wasn't something that they chose to share with their friends; it belonged to them alone. But their friends knew that something unusual had happened; it almost seemed as though the two were bursting with an inner happiness. After Harry wished a frowning Draco Malfoy a 'nice day' for the third time Ron proclaimed that he must be under the influence of a dark spell.

- o -

The next night Harry awoke again, feeling the same irresistible need to visit the Black Lake. But this time he understood the urge and eagerly anticipated the meeting that was to come. Getting out of bed he glanced back at his sleeping self and smiled; during his six years in the magical world this was definitely his strangest experience, but also one of the most satisfying.

Passing through the portrait hole, he found Luna waiting for him, a happy smile on her face.

"I see the Lady sent you an invitation as well; shall we go then?" he asked as he offered her his hand. Together they found their way down through the blackened hallways to the front door, and then down to the midnight-black lake.

Vivienne was waiting for them on the shore where they had met the previous night. Although she wore the same mysterious smile as before, Harry sensed that there was a grim determination as well.

"Last night I told you that I wished to help you fight the evil in this world, and tonight I bring you the means to be victorious in that fight. Too long have I stood apart from the world and allowed evil to gain in strength. Time had passed me by and I was forgotten; and I began to doubt that I had a reason to exist. You two have shown me how wrong I was, and now I wish for my magic to be felt again in the world. Perhaps with your help I can still make a difference," she said as she extended her hand. In her hand they saw two bright silver pendants on fine silver chains.

Without hesitation the two teens accepted the Lady's gifts, and could immediately feel the power pulsing through them.

"What are they?" Harry asked in surprise.

"These medallions channel the power of the 'old ones;' a power that hasn't been felt in the world for more than fifteen centuries. They will help you fulfill your destinies. I want my magic to be felt again, and I can't think of any two people more worthy to control it than you. You'll find it different from the magic that you know, as it is based wholly on the powers of nature. It may take you some time to fully understand and control the power, but I know that you'll use it wisely."

Both Harry and Luna thanked the Lady for her gifts, and placed them around their necks. The normally cold metal felt strangely warm to the touch.

- o -

When Harry awoke the next morning he could hear his roommates moving about as they dressed for the new day. But as he lay warm and comfortable in his bed he felt no desire to join them. After the Lady had presented them her gifts the previous night, she had given the two another vision of their future. He and Luna had returned to the meadow in the Lovegood forest once again, and they had dreamed about teaching their daughter Lizzie to fly a broom for the first time. The little girl had proven to be a natural in the air, and before the day ended the family had shared a spirited game of broom tag. His son Jamie rode in front of Luna on her broom, and could only talk about the day when he would have his own broom. It was such a happy memory that Harry replayed it over and over in his head, and he somehow knew that Luna was doing exactly the same thing. He also remembered the moonlight walk they had taken after putting their children to bed and how beautiful she looked in the silver light from her namesake.

'Don't you think that we had better get up now Harry?' Luna's voice asked him softly.

"What?" Harry practically shouted in surprise as he sat up with a start and looked around in confusion.

'I think we need to get breakfast,' the same voice suggested, and Harry realized that the voice was in his head.

"Luna?" Harry asked in disbelief.

'Of course; now get up and get dressed or we'll be late,' she replied.

"But how are you talking to me?" He asked in confusion.

'I think it's the medallions, Harry. I seem to know what you are thinking and feeling. By the way, I think you're very handsome as well,' she said with a giggle.

For a moment Harry was confused by her remark, and then he remembered his thoughts about the previous evening. He blushed slightly and then realized that it could have been much worse. 'I better be careful what I think about,' he thought to himself.

'Yes you had; I know how teenage boys think,' Luna sent mischievously, causing Harry to blush an even deeper red. 'Now it's time to get up,' she concluded, and Harry sensed that she had gotten out of her own bed.

'I'll see you at the table in twenty minutes,' Harry thought with a smile, curious about what other powers the medallions might possess. He pulled open the bed curtains and on the bed opposite sat Ron Weasley grinning at him.

"Talking to Luna in your sleep, Harry? A bad sign mate. It looks like she has you hooked but good," he said with a grin.

"I don't know what you mean?" Harry stuttered out defensively.

"I heard you call out her name and talk to her. Either you were talking in your sleep or she slipped into bed with you," Ron declared with a leer.

'Talk your way out of that,' Luna sent, and Harry could sense the mischievous tone in her voice.

"I guess I must have been talking in my sleep," he said contritely, as he hurried started to dress.

"I see, you just wish she was sharing your bed," Ron concluded, unwilling to let go of a subject that clearly embarrassed his best mate.

Harry's face had gone from red to purple as he struggled to control his thoughts on that particular subject.

"Let's get some breakfast Ron," he declared, hoping that the thought of food would divert his friend's attention.

Ron considered the matter for a minute, debating the options of further embarrassing his best friend versus going down to breakfast. "Alright, let's go," he declared as his stomach won the battle. And then as an afterthought Ron added: "I'm starving."

'Nice save,' Luna sent with a giggle.

'I just know Ron,' Harry thought back.

As Harry left the common room his thoughts were not on the fact that he might finally have the weapon to defeat his mortal enemy, but instead on how comforting it was to have Luna sharing his thoughts. Well most of them anyway, as he reminded himself again that he would have to be careful with some thoughts.

The two were notably quiet at breakfast that morning, and although they barely spoke it seemed to their friends that they were sharing a great secret. During the course of the day the two were constantly popping into each others thoughts, helping each other in class and planning on testing their new powers after class was over. Harry thought the experience was almost as much fun as playing pranks on Malfoy, to which Luna communicated her agreement.

After the last class of the day the two met outside the Great Hall and then hurried down the path that led to the Black Lake. Both were eager to learn more about the powers that the Lady had given them. They found a small cove along the shore where they could test their new magic without being seen by anyone. Harry pulled his medallion out of his robes and studied it intently, turning it over in his hands.

"How do you think this works?" He asked Luna.

"I'm not sure, but I think it's something that we have to figure out for ourselves. Since it doesn't need a wand perhaps we can focus the magic through our minds," she answered hopefully as she sat down on an old log by the shore.

"Let's try then," Harry declared with impatience. He pointed his hand at a nearby boulder and in a firm voice he ordered it to "move!"

The rock didn't seem to get the message because it continued to sit peacefully in the mud.

"Move!" Harry shouted, hoping that an increased volume to his voice might somehow make a difference. The rock still ignored him, and he could hear Luna softly giggling behind him. He had to admit that he probably looked rather foolish as he tried to order the stubborn rock around.

'Perhaps the stone is too large for a first attempt, and we should try something smaller,' he thought logically. He pointed his hand at a small stick nearby and tried to summon it to him, but the stick proved as stubborn as the stone.

"I give up," he declared after almost an hour of frustrating attempts. Glancing over at Luna he saw that she wasn't really paying any attention to him, but instead had her eyes on the ground in front of her. Looking down he saw a small patch of blue flowers which had pushed their heads above the snow that remained from the last storm. He thought it funny that he hadn't noticed them before, but simply decided that he had been preoccupied with trying to figure out their new powers.

"Bit early for spring flowers," he said absently.

"Never too early for flowers," Luna replied with mirth evident in her voice.

And as he sat down beside her he was shocked to see more stems start to emerge from the snow, and burst open into white and yellow daisies.

"How did you do that?" he demanded in amazement.

"I don't know," Luna answered honestly. "I was just thinking about spring flowers and suddenly they were there. Then I thought that they would look nice with yellow daisies, and it just happened.

Harry thought about her words for a few minutes and then looked at a dead tree that was standing nearby. The tree truck was blackened by years of severe weather and most of the bark had already fallen away. Concentrating his thoughts he willed the tree to live again. Almost immediately the truck started to lighten in color as new bark covered the dead trunk, at the same time bright green leaves burst forth and started to cover the branches. Giving a mischievous glance at his girlfriend he added one additional thought, and purple and pink tulip-like flowers appeared along the green limbs.

"Very creative," Luna declared in approval. Then glancing up into the sky she saw a small group of Puffins flying over the lake. The snow white feathers of their underbodies caused them to stand out starkly against the grey winter sky; and with a single thought she turned the small birds into great Golden Eagles. Surprised by the added strength of their great wings, the birds began test them in aerial acrobatics over the lake, as the two teens watched in admiration. After a few minutes Luna thought them back into Puffins and they continued their journey south, but perhaps a bit more proudly than before.

"Why did you change them back?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well, they might not have liked being eagles, and they were probably happy being Puffins," she replied simply.

Her simple remark reminded Harry that along with the power that this new magic allowed, there was also responsibility in handling it.

"Maybe that's how the medallions work," Luna mused, breaking Harry out of his introspective thoughts. "The old gods were involved with nature and creation, and maybe that is how we need to think about their magic."

"Not much good fighting a group of angry Death Eaters," Harry said wistfully.

"There are forces of violence in nature," Luna said wisely, but with a note of sadness as well.

"I suppose we could cause a volcano to erupt under Voldemort," Harry suggested doubtfully.

"I don't think that would do the Scottish Highlands much good," Luna declared with a smirk. "But there are other forces we could use. What about lightening?"

Harry thought about that for a moment; lightening was certainly a very powerful force of nature.

If the power could be controlled it would be a formidable weapon indeed.

Well let's try it," Harry declared and turned his thoughts to a large boulder nearby.

"No, Harry…" Luna shouted, but it was too late. A blast of lightening streaked towards the boulder and caused it to shatter in an enormous explosion. Harry was amazed with the raw power involved, but then realized that his entire body was tingling. Looking at Luna he saw her hair was sticking out in all directions like it had a life of its own, and then he realized that his own hair was behaving in exactly the same way. The air was literally saturated with static electricity from the blast, and it was affecting both of them.

"An interesting look," Luna declared with a smirk as she touched the ends of her wild hair. "But I don't think it's really me; but it might be good for you. Actually, what I had in mind was using Ball Lightening," she declared. She concentrated her thoughts and two round balls of bright light appeared hovering in front of her, then with another thought she banished the lightening into two boulders about twenty meters away. The effect was the same as Harry's blast, but the affects of the electricity were greatly reduced.

"That's fantastic," Harry declared in admiration, and he was soon experimenting with the strange form of lightening as well. He discovered that they could create as many as six balls at the same time, but simultaneously banishing them to hit different targets required a great deal of practice.

In the days that followed the two learned more and more about their unique powers, and had some fun in the process. Witches and wizards had very limited power to affect the weather, and even then it could only be changed in a very small area and for a very short space of time. On the other hand Harry and Luna found that they could affect weather conditions in a much more permanent and dramatic way. They found that they could create heavy snow storms, drenching rains and a dense fog that enveloped the entire castle.

By accident Harry created a summer-like heat wave that kept Hogwarts in the 80s for almost a week in early December. He had been casually thinking of the pleasant swims that he and Luna had enjoyed during the summer, when suddenly the temperature began to rise. The ominous grey clouds, which had been promising snow all day, broke up and revealed a blazing hot sun. And the water in the Black Lake, which had been near freezing, quickly rose to a temperature suitable for swimming.

"Well shall we?" Luna asked him with a smile, as she transfigured swim suits for the two of them. His smile gave Luna the answer that she wanted, and further magical experimentation was suspended for the rest of the day.

The dramatic changes in weather had confused everyone at Hogwarts, both students and teachers; and some even believed that the Dark Lord was somehow plotting to change the world's weather patterns. Luna and Harry had chosen to keep the secret of their new powers to themselves, at least until they had fully mastered them, and they simply smiled at some of the wild rumors that were being circulated.

Besides they had more important things on their minds than the remarkable weather. Christmas was fast approaching, and the need to find just the right presents was paramount to both of them. The second Hogsmead weekend was planned for early December and Harry was still at a loss for what to buy, but he wanted it to be perfect. Neither of them realized that very soon they would again be called upon to face the forces of the Dark Lord in a life and death confrontation.

- o -

But while Harry and Luna were enjoying romantic dreams, and confusing the students and staff of Hogwarts with freak weather conditions, Lord Voldemort was experiencing a touch of the terror to which he had often subjected others. Since early November his sleeping hours had been racked by the most horrendous of nightmares. One night he would see himself as a rotting corpse, entombed for eternity in a crude wooden coffin. The next night he would be subjected to agonizing torment in a fiery pit, suffering with other doomed souls. Every nightmare was different and more terrible than the one that had preceded it. And always there was that same nightmarish voice declaring that he was doomed to be destroyed. It was clear to the Dark Lord that a new and powerful force had entered the war against him, and one of considerable skill to breech the wards that he had carefully placed on his mind It finally reached the point where he almost completely shunned those 'small slices of death,' as he came to regard the process of sleep.

Somehow the Dark Lord knew that Harry Potter was connected to this new force, but he couldn't imagine how. Everything seemed to come back to Potter, and although he had already suffered two defeats at the hands of the young teen the Dark Lord was determined to try again. The need to destroy his adversary had become an obsession with Lord Voldemort, and one that he could never lay aside for long. But attacking the young man at Hogwarts would be nearly impossible and the wards at the boy's home and the Lovegood residence were unbreakable. Still, as he remembered his own school days, he realized that there was one place that an attack could be successful. A cunning trap combined with overwhelming force might rid him of Harry Potter once and for all.