Chapter Twelve: An Awakening of Power
Title: Harry Potter and the Spirit Riders
Chapter: 12
Author: Hikari no Vikki
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Parings: Sorry, only frivolous friendships for now.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Zelda. Really. I don't.
Description: Crossover with Legend of Zelda. The Phantom Hourglass has been handed down since its beginning, until finally it makes its way into the hands of a boy named Gabriel. He fights alongside Harry Potter, and soon discovers a darkness that has been waiting to exact a deadly revenge.
Author's Notes:
Sorry it's been so long. I've got school hounding my back wherever I go, so… yeah. But I hope this is much enjoyed. Thanks! (Reviews are also much enjoyed, XD)
Harry, true to his word, kept quiet about the Hourglass. In the weeks that passed, Gabriel noticed how Quirrell got paler and thinner; perhaps Snape was still pushing the heat on him, Served him right, trying to steal something that apparently needed to be kept hidden. Though he wondered precisely why Quirrell wanted the Stone to begin with. Hmm.
But there were other things to think about than Quirrell and the Stone.
Exams were approaching quicker than ever, though no one really noticed until Hermione started drawing study charts and test dates and pestered them to do the same. Gabriel did a few to sate her so he could go on with his life. He wasn't particularly worried about anything besides History.
The teachers realized it too, and so they piled loads of homework on the students like crazy; so he did have to plan out a bit of that. Not that any of it was completely difficult. As long as it was interesting it didn't seem to bother Gabriel that he spent hours on just one two page paper on Transforming Mice into Frogs and their Reverse Properties. He kept dozing off in History though, even when he tried to take notes.
"How do you keep awake in that class?" he asked Hermione one night after Harry, Ron, and Aria were in bed like most sensible people.
She shrugged. "I don't know. I just like History." Gabriel chuckled. "Maybe that's my problem. But listening to him drone on and on about Ulrich the Oddball isn't exactly very interesting. Can't there be more things about history outside of British records? Muggle students in the United States get better teaching than this!" Hermione thought about it a moment.
"Well, I heard somewhere that Binns is retiring this year. Maybe we'll have someone who's better next year. Anyway, you want me to help you with notes? Just sit beside me in class and I'll keep you awake."
Gabriel flashed a cordial smile. "Thank you Hermione."
"You're welcome, Gabriel."
At the present moment was one such study date, only Gabriel wasn't with everyone else in the Library. He had opted to finish his Potions project instead, with permission of the Professor if it warranted proper excuse. So he was down in the dungeons, concealed Hourglass sitting on a vacant stool to his right, with himself toiling over instructions for an all-purpose acid/base cleaner.
There was no one else in the room save for a particular blond who was working silently on the same project. The two seemed content to work in silence, since they were mostly comfortable in the other's presence.
"Parsnips?" Gabriel muttered incredulously under his breath, "Why on earth would they use parsnips?" Draco seemed to have heard the other boy, despite his whispering. "I think it's because of it's healing properties, Gabriel," he interjected smoothly, grinning. Gabriel huffed. "But we're not healing anything at all. The all-purpose cleaner is supposed to be used on non-organic substances, so even trying to put parsnips in the equation is a rather moot excursion." Draco sat a bit straighter on his stool and looked toward the upper left of his sight-range as he thought.
"It does make a fair bit of sense, that. So what do you suggest to replace it with? It needs something to stabilize the equation."
Gabriel turned back to his calculations and mulled it over a bit. "We have unicorn horn and octopus powder for the acids, sautéed starfish skin for non-organic material repair… oh, dittany and mossweed for base dilution… hmm. How about some shredded sea-sponge, to dry up any excess? That way no follow-up applications are needed?"
Draco looked stunned. "Wow, you're serious." Gabriel turned and looked back. "Well, of course. In the book they're just using a means to an end. It's a waste of time to prepare, and the parsnips could be used for something better." Gabriel shook his head. "I'll try it and see if it works. I don't think it'll cause too much of an explosion. Even if it doesn't do what I hope it does, the worst it can do is create some toxic sea-sponges that are easily destroyed with the proper spell, right?"
Draco blinked, still studying Gabriel. "Uh… sure. Right."
Gabriel went straight to work and Draco looked down at his own calculations as he thought about what Gabriel said.
"Say, Gabriel?" Gabriel, still chopping up his sea-sponge, replied with a soft, "Hmm?" Draco began, "The way you think about things… you're different that most students. You speak like an adult but your opinions are very different from that of your parents. Why?"
Gabriel shrugged, slowly adding a few sponges to his concoction. "I don't really know. My parents have always treated me like an adult for as long as I can remember. Maybe it's because I'm the oldest or something. Really, though, it's only by a few minutes. And I read somewhere in one of my father's psychology books that people mature at different rates, though they mostly finish maturing at around the same time. The causes are unknown and may stay that way even though both muggle and magical inventions continue to evolve."
"You read a psychology book?" Gabriel shrugged again, and inserted in stirring stick, beginning a clockwise circulation. "I like reading, all right? But I'm no genius by any means. I read basically anything I could get my hands on, at least if I thought it was interesting." He blushed a little and Draco hummed a bit as agreeing on something.
"So those books and the way you've grown up have sort of made you who you are?" Gabriel nodded. "I can't really describe it more than that. I just… want to be my own person. I can't stand being mediocre. And," he added gently, "neither should you." Draco glanced at his potion as Gabriel began stirring counterclockwise then back up at Gabriel.
"Maybe. You seem to know what you're doing." Gabriel nodded. "Some of the smartest people in the world weren't magicians you know. Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein. Muggles, the lot of them. So don't go bashing them, right?" He smiled at his potion once he stopped stirring. He scooped a bit of it up into a flask and held it up, the ice blue liquid shimmering brightly.
"See? It's the same color the book says it's supposed to be, and I didn't use the parsnips."
Draco leaned back, rather amused. "Well, well. You're a natural, Gabe. Tell me again why you're not in Slytherin?" Gabriel laughed. "I just asked to be in Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat wouldn't hurry up and sort me so I just asked to be where my friends were."
Draco nodded, still smiling, but a little less genuinely. "How nice. Kind of makes me wish that we didn't hit it off to such a start. You're beginning to grow on me, you and Harry's lot both." Gabriel chuckled. "You sure that's a bad thing?" Draco shrugged. "I don't know yet. Maybe I'll find out soon." Gabriel hummed in agreement as he cleaned up his station. "Maybe."
.oOo.
"Hagrid has a what?!" Gabriel spluttered, spewing cereal milk in the process.
"A dragon," Ron repeated, careful to avoid the spray. The quintet sat at their usual spot at the morning's breakfast table, the day after Gabriel had spent working on his Potion's project. "How exactly did you learn about it?" Gabriel asked, recovering himself and reaching for a washcloth of clean up the mess.
"Hagrid came to us when we were in the library yesterday. Apparently he's got an egg in his possession," Hermione answered, silently asking Ron to sit down now. Gabriel nodded, finally having composed himself. "And we're worrying about it why? I mean, besides the fact that breeding is illegal and if he's found with the creature in his possession he's bound to be in serious trouble." Hermione paused. "He's got a wooden house. Most younger ones are a handful even as hatchlings…" Gabriel chuckled.
"Right. Well, we don't have anything to worry about until it hatches, so…"
Harry, who was sitting on his left, sighed. "Business as usual?" Gabriel nodded. "Anything else would arouse suspicion." He glanced over at the Slytherin table where he saw Draco arguing over something with Pansy Parkinson. Hermione agreed with Gabriel. "He's right. All we can do is wait."
"So did you find anything else from Hagrid?" Gabriel queried as he cut some ham and eggs. Harry snapped up at the question. "Actually, yes, we did. Turns out there are some protections that guard the stone from each of the teachers. And we've pretty much confirmed it that Quirrell's the one who's after the Stone." He smiled at Gabriel, who nodded slightly in acknowledgement.
Gabriel took a bite of his ham as he thought. "I suppose that's a good thing. Let's just focus on our classes for now, shall we?"
So they waited.
But it wasn't long until Harry received a note from Hagrid with two solitary words: It's hatching.
Ron wanted to skip Herbology but Hermione wouldn't hear a word of it.
"We've got lessons Ron! And think of the trouble we'll be in!" Ron scoffed quietly, though he knew he was beaten. "But Hermione! How many times in out lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?" Gabriel stood a ways away, his gaze sweeping the hallway from behind the corner of their little niche.
"Still! The trouble we'll be in will be nothing compared to Hagrid when someone finds out what he's doing–"
"Shut up!" Harry whispered.
Malfoy was only a few feet away and he had paused his leisurely walk to listen. He glanced in Gabriel's general direction and their eyes met. Gabriel frowned a bit, his own eyes slightly pleading. Say nothing, I beg of you, he muttered to himself. Malfoy's eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he walked away.
Gabriel shook his head, slightly apprehensive as he followed his friends towards the greenhouses. No period could have dragged on longer (except maybe Professor Binns' class) so his nerves were rather frayed at the end when the final bell rang. They went to dinner (so that no one suspected anything) and it was eaten in quiet, nervous silence.
After dinner was over, they snuck off grounds and walked along the path towards Hagrid's. Gabriel was in front, leading the group when he heard a twig snap behind them. He paused, and then whipped around. "Draco?" he called, apprehensive. To (at least) his relief, it was Draco.
"Malfoy!" Ron sneered. "Come to turn us in?" Gabriel held up a hand. "Let him speak, Ron," he said quietly, glancing nervously in Draco's direction. Draco noticed Gabriel's stance and relaxed his own shoulders. "I thought about it…" he began, "but then my curiosity won over. Would it be possible that I could join you?" Ron blinked, surprised. Gabriel was a little taken aback himself.
Gabriel looked back at Hermione. "Well?" Hermione looked over Draco. "If you're honest, about it, I suppose. It is our fault for talking about it in broad daylight." Gabriel let Harry take the lead and stayed back beside Draco.
"Whatever made you change your mind? Simple curiosity?" Draco scoffed. "A little more than that. I've been thinking about what you said, and maybe it's a possibility that we could…" he took a moment to breathe. "… be friends." Gabriel nodded and smiled a little. "So you wanted to let me know." Draco nodded. "I just can't let my father find out…" Gabriel sighed.
"You're going to have to stand up to him someday." Draco hummed quietly, not wanting to reply. "Where's your sister?" Draco asked, trying to divert the conversation. "Mmm… sleeping, probably. Like any sensible person." Draco sniggered. "Hey, I made you laugh!" Draco nodded, smiling shyly. "Yes, yes you did."
They entered Hagrid's hut moments later, Hagrid taking notice that it was Draco instead of Aria that was with them, but he didn't ask about it. "Now come, come! It's hatching!"
The five plus Hagrid gathered around the table where he'd placed the egg. It was rocking back and forth, and had several winding cracks on it. Something was making strange clicking noises from inside. The all held their breaths, waiting for the shell to shatter. All of a sudden, the clicking became a rather loud scraping, and the shell exploded, bits of egg white splashing all over.
Despite this, the dragon toppled out of the remains onto the table, flopping about until it could get to its feet. Draco tugged on Gabriel's right sleeve, awestruck by the beautiful creature. "That's a… Norwegian Ridgeback, isn't it?" Gabriel studied it a moment before stepping back a bit. "Yeah, it is."
"It's amazing…" Draco breathed.
Gabriel chuckled as he watched the dragon walk over the Hagrid and sniff at his fingers. "Oh look, 'e already knows his mummy." Hagrid pet the little creature some more until it coughed, choking a moment on its own saliva, then spewing a little fireball in Hagrid's direction.
Draco paled a little while Hagrid patted his beard furiously to temper the embers. "Well, it was amazing…" Gabriel chuckled. "Yeah, it does kind of lose its charm once you realize it has the ability to kill you." He paused, watching Hagrid. "Though I'm not sure he ever will." Draco snorted. "I do suppose you're right."
They left a little while after.
As they walked the halls to get to the main staircase, (they had taken a side entrance far from the dungeons) Hermione made sure their secret was safe. "You're sure you won't tell anyone?"
"I'm serious, Granger. I won't tell a soul." Gabriel nodded. "See? Told you."
Draco grinned, then frowned. "Though someone's bound to notice he's got a dragon with him event…" Draco stopped dead in his tracks. Gabriel turned to him, confused. "What?" Draco pointed up ahead. Gabriel's gaze shifted towards the corner of hallway where something sat. This something just so happened to be Mrs. Norris, who was carefully poised at the corner in the bright firelight, seeming to smirk at the five of them.
The hairs on the back of Gabriel's neck stood up as the echoes of boot steps bounded along the hallway. Mrs. Norris purred, and gave a short, high-pitched, "Mrrow?"
"What do ye have, my sweet? What have ye–"
Filch rounded the corner, holding his little lantern. He looked them over and chuckled. "Well, well, well. We are in trouble…" They all gulped. Moments later they found themselves sitting in McGonagall's office, all sitting shamefully, even Malfoy.
"I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says he found you wandering the halls after hours… talking about a dragon. It's almost midnight. Explain yourselves." Gabriel looked around at everyone. When he met their eyes he realized that he would have to be the one to say something. And it would have to be nothing but the truth.
He sighed, and then stood up, standing across from her as she waited for an explanation.
"Professor McGonagall, I understand that I shouldn't have been out after hours. I also realize I should have told those with me the same thing, but my curiosity had overridden my better judgment." She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what was that about?" Gabriel did his best to refrain fiddling with his hands, and instead stroked the velvet of the Hourglass's bag slowly.
"A week or so ago, my comrades learned that Hagrid had a dragon egg in his possession. We didn't think there was anything the worry about until it hatched… until now. Well, this morning Hagrid sent Harry a note that it was hatching and we were talking about it before the last class of the day. Draco overheard us and accompanied us after dinner to watch. Please, Professor, forgive us for not seeing the error of our ways."
McGonagall leaned back in her chair and looked them over.
"Well, you still were out after hours, but I think I'll lessen the charges. For your sincerity alone, Silverwings. You four better thank him. Anyhow, you'll all receive detentions, and have twenty-five points each taken from your respective houses."
"Twenty-five?" Ron gasped. "Each…" Hermione whimpered.
"I was going to make it fifty, but you should be thankful I did not. Now return to your dorms at once and don't let me catch you doing otherwise again!"
Harry and the others scurried towards the dorms immediately after being cast from her office, but Draco and Gabriel stayed behind. "I'm sorry…" Draco whispered. "What?" Gabriel gasped, "Did you tell someone?" Draco shook his head. "No, but Crabbe and Goyle probably did. I shouldn't have come… now everyone's gonna be mad at me for losing points." Gabriel scoffed.
"Slytherin's probably back in the lead by now, what with the eighty points Gryffindor lost tonight." He shook his head. "There's something else you're worried about, huh?" Draco nodded. "What am I going to tell them? Some of them won't care we're back in the lead, they'll just care about the points I lost." Gabriel nodded. "Well, tell them the truth." Draco gasped. "What? I – are… are you mad?" Gabriel chuckled.
"You heard me. Just tell them the truth. It'll give you some practice for your father." He chose that moment to walk off towards the dorms, leaving Draco once again stunned in his wake.
.oOo.
THUMP!
Gabriel nearly let go of the knife he was using to butter his bread as Draco sat next to him. He got a good look at the other boy and winced. Draco's right eye was a mess of reds and purples and a bit of brown and black.
Gabriel hissed. "Ouch… who did that to you?" Draco scoffed. "Believe it or not, Pansy gave it to me. Well, I could care less. And I think I'll be warding my bed from now on; when I told them the truth a couple of the other boys were already plotting ways to sabotage my things. I'll probably be eating here more often for a little while as well," he muttered, taking a piece of some nearby cherry pie.
Gabriel looked over at the others, who were also a little shocked, but didn't really mind the turn of events.
Speaking of which, the days that followed up to their detention night were horrible. Harry, the most popular of the quintet, suffered it the most, many ridiculing him for losing so many points. He offered to resign from the Quidditch team, but Wood declined. They needed him to win, despite what happened. To top it off, most of the team wouldn't talk to him unless they had to, and even then the only called him by his title.
He was glad he had so much studying to keep his mind off of everything.
Ron and Hermione weren't as well known, but no one spoke to them and Hermione kept more to herself in class. Draco's classes were mostly correspondent with Gabriel's so the two of them stayed together whenever possible, because no one wanted to mess with a powerful Auror's son.
Six days before exams were due everyone received the following note:
Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight.
Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.
Professor M. McGonagall
Gabriel frowned. He'd forgotten about the detention. But it wasn't the detention he was really frowning at, nor the time they were supposed to be there. Something wasn't right about the day itself; the Hourglass was being finicky and flaring in power spurts all day long, setting Gabriel on edge in every class except Potions.
At eleven o'clock that night they met up by the grand staircase and exited towards the entrance hall. Filch was already there, and so was Draco.
"Follow me," said Filch as he lit a small hand held lamp and led them outside. He chattered on about thinking twice for breaking a rule, and Draco muttered something under his breath about running. "Don't think about running off now, it'll be worse for you if you do. It's such a pity they got rid of the old punishments… they'd hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed…"
Gabriel raised an eyebrow and whispered to Draco, "How old is Filch?" Draco shrugged. "Late fifties, early sixties, maybe?" "And how long ago did the old punishments die out…?" Draco paused, not knowing that either. It gave them something to think about as they marched across the grounds.
It turned out they'd be working with Hagrid, but this was detention; it wasn't going to be an easy picnic.
"Lucky you," Filch chuckled, "looks like you'll be going into the forest and I'm much mistaken you'll all come out in one piece." Draco frowned. "But isn't the forest… forbidden?" Gabriel tilted his head off to the side, nonchalant, and said, "It's detention, Drake, they can do whatever they want to us, save that it's legal." Draco whimpered.
Hagrid came up to them with his crossbow and a quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder, Fang standing by his side. "Been lecturin' them Filch? 'Snot your place, now. You've done your bit. I'll take over from here."
"I'll be back at dawn," Filch replied, snickering, "for what's left of them."
Draco shuddered. Gabriel sighed and stroked the Hourglass's velvet bag, which he had tied around his waist.
Hagrid led them to the very edge of the forest, where the lightest of breezes blew. Gabriel had though it might be worse, with stuffy air and humidity, but not so. And it was unusually bright, for the moon was almost full. They stopped at trail of something shiny and Hagrid told them what it was.
"That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn somewhere that's badly hurt, don't know by what. This is the second time in a week I've found this… found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. Might have to put it out of its misery." Gabriel frowned. "And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?"
"There's nothing in this forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang." Somehow, he doubted it, but it was just the feeling he had. The Hourglass was unusually quiet, and this was upsetting. It never simply cut out its power; it always had some amount flowing between himself and the sand within. Now, there was nothing. It was as if it were hiding…
"Just remember, keep to the path. Draco, Gabriel, Harry, you're with Fang. Ron, Hermione, come wit' me."
Once there was a split in the path, Harry, Draco, and Gabriel took the left path with Fang while Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid took the right. Fang sniffed out the trail for the most part, once coaxed, and they could see a bit of the silver-blue blood occasionally when enough moonlight snaked its way through the trees.
"I wonder what could be doing this?" Gabriel mused, trying to keep the atmosphere from lowering too much. "I highly doubt a werewolf could do something like this. Unicorns are too powerful and too fast for such creatures."
Draco was silent. Gabriel sighed, his attempt at conversation having done nothing to lift the dour mood. So they trudged on into the heart of the forest until the path became almost impassable. Gabriel was more jumpy than ever (though he was keeping it under wraps well enough) and still the Hourglass would not answer his calls of distress. He had to keep stroking the bag just to know it was there.
It was by then the trio noticed that the drops of blood were getting thicker, and bigger. Puddles, even. Splotches on trees, a splash in the dark soil… the poor thing was definitely close. Eventually Harry saw a clearing up ahead between the twisting brambles and ancient oak.
"Look–" he murmured, stopping Gabriel and Draco in their tracks.
Something white gleamed in the background; the trio inched closer. It was definitely the unicorn, and it was very much dead. Gabriel's heart wrenched itself around into a tight knot as it went out to the poor creature, with the limbs all mangled and bits of mud mixed with blood.
Then the whole world went silent. He didn't notice as the bushes on the other side rustled quietly. He saw the cloaked figure emerge from the shadows, approach the unicorn, and drink its blood, but he did not heard Draco's scream, or feel Draco's hands on his arm, trying to get him to run. There was only dark.
Mum… he whispered weakly … help…
"So you're the new handler."
He whipped around, Draco still clinging to his arm. A figure stood behind them, cloaked as well, but a sharply shaped man's face could faintly be seen in the light, though only just. The lips, most definitely, and a bit of the nose. The eyes were only yellow bursts of brightness. Fang had already bolted from the scene, and Harry was behind them, in pain and unable to move for the pressure attacking his skull.
"W-What?" The man chuckled. "You do not know who I am. This is good. It will make things much easier." He grinned, ever so slightly, his head tilting towards Draco. "And you brought a snack. How nice of you. I shall thank you when I'm done picking the flesh from your bones!"
The man cackled and Draco tried to run off but could not; he'd caught his foot on a root and couldn't break free.
Bellum… a voice whispered. The Hourglass?
Bellum! Was this man called Bellum?
Danger! Fight! Bellum!
When Draco was noticed he cackled louder, and turned to Gabriel. "Say goodnight, my friend. Seems I've won at last." He raised his left hand and darkness began to gather. Gabriel's senses finally recovered as Harry screamed behind him and he gasped as power flowed through him so fast he couldn't help but retaliate, blasting the cloaked man with a burst of white magic. He turned around to face the creature that had killed the unicorn, managing only to keep it away just long enough to stop and free Draco.
It lunged at him, beating him into the ground, and he let loose a very animalistic growl as he blasted the figure into the clearing again. It tried to reach them a second time, but there was the distinct sound of galloping hooves behind him as something jumped over and beat it away back into the trees.
Gabriel shuddered, the massive amounts of power leaving him in shudders, slowly seeping back into what he knew for sure was the Hourglass. It was almost two minutes before he had enough control to stand.
He looked up slowly, studying the features of their savior. It was a centaur, rather young-looking, with white-blond hair so much like his own, and a palomino body. It walked over to where Harry lay, and addressed them quietly. "Are you all right?" he asked as he pulled Harry to his feet.
"Yes – thank you – what was that?"
Gabriel shuddered again. "More importantly, who was that?" The centaur didn't answer. He was studying Harry, his sapphire colored eyes lingering on his scar. Then he looked at Gabriel. "Do you have it?" Gabriel nodded, not bothering to ask what he meant.
"You had better get back to Hagrid, none of you are safe in this forest. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way."
Harry was about to mount him first when two other centaurs burst into the clearing. They were both older than this one, the first chestnut colored and the second a stark jet-black. "Firenze! What is the meaning of this? Attempting to carry a human on your back like a donkey? Preposterous!"
Firenze stood back up and replied tersely, "Do you not know whom these boys are, Bane?" He was of course referring to just Harry and Gabriel. "This is the Potter boy and the Guardian of the Phantom Hourglass!" Bane snarled. "It doesn't matter! I'm right, am I not? Ronan?" His flowy black hair whipped around his face as his head shook. Ronan sighed, running a hand through his copper locks. "I'm sure Firenze thought it was for the best."
"For the best!" Bane shouted, stamping his forelegs, "What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"
Firenze reared up, causing Gabriel to grab Harry backward out of the range of fire. "Do you not see the unicorn?" Firenze snarled, "Do you understand why it was killed?" He knelt down again and the three boys climbed up, though no sooner was Gabriel seated Firenze bolted out into the trees, not slowing until Harry asked him why they'd been so angry.
Eventually he stopped.
"Do you know what unicorn blood is used for, Harry Potter?" he asked suddenly. Harry admitted he did not.
"That is because it is a monstrous thing to slay a unicorn. Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive even if you are in inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."
Harry and Gabriel frowned. Draco was still kind of out of it, unable to process much of anything. Harry finally asked, "But who'd be that desperate? If you're going to be cursed forever, death's better, isn't it?"
"It is," Firenze settled slowly, "unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else – something that will bring you back to full strength and power – something that will mean you can never die. Mr. Potter, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?
"The Sorcerer's Stone! But who would…?"
"Can you think of no one?" Harry visibly stiffened. He could hear the words Hagrid had told him the night they met. Meanwhile, Gabriel had his own questions. "And myself? Who is Bellum, Firenze? I must know." He retreated physically within himself. "I do not like being kept in the dark."
Firenze sighed. "So you know his name. How, may I ask?" "The Hourglass, I think. It was trying to get me to run from him. Why?" Firenze nodded. "You must be told. Bellum is a millennia old creature that has been the primary enemy of the Hourglass for as long as it has existed. Once, they were equals, but now, with the Hourglass in such a state, it pales in comparison to its former power. Without a guardian it cannot survive, but even now it struggles." Gabriel frowned. "It's the sand, isn't it? There's so little of it left." Firenze nodded. "You must find at least another five minutes if you are to be of any hindrance. The power you awakened moments ago is but a fraction of its true ability. You must know this; he will never stop. Now that he knows who you are he will never stop. His goal now is to kill you, and then destroy the Hourglass. You must not allow that to happen! At least survive long enough to produce an heir it thinks suitable for its needs."
"Can he be destroyed?" Firenze shook his head. "I do not know. It is a possibility… but at least take peace in the knowledge I have given you. Promise me that."
"I shall."
"Harry! Gabe! Are you all right?"
Hermione was running through the trees, Hagrid trudging behind her, Fang by his side. "We're fine, Gabriel murmured as he helped Harry and Draco off Firenze.
"This is where I leave you. You're safe now. Good luck to you both." Then he cantered off into the trees.
Draco tugged at Gabriel's shirt. "May I ask what that was all about?" Gabriel looked apprehensive. "Hmm… you've heard to much. I suppose we must tell you everything. But not tonight. I'm too exhausted…" Draco nodded. "But you will tell me?"
"Yes, I promise, Draco."
Wow. This is a really long chapter. I didn't think I'd actually finish in a day. (whistles) Well, things are certainly moving along. Only about three chapters left. Whoo!
I have poisoned Draco completely. Pity. But! I've already decided his fate, and it's not with Gryffindor. That would be too easy to do, and not very likely to happen. I hope what I have planned is something suitable to the situation. :)
