DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of its characters. I also do not make any money from this.

WARNINGS: Yaoi (male x male), Yuri (female x female) adult topics, swearing, sexual scenes and violence.

This has not been Beta'd.

PAIRINGS: Ron x Hermoine

'text' is thought

"text" talking

Hidden Element

Chapter 8: The Five Elements

He was irritated to say the least. The artifacts discovered next to the monument they were researching were taking its toll on him. It had been a few weeks now and he was close to yanking the damn things out of the ground.

The day had been made that much better when, on his way to the car to go home, he lost all consciousness. Had he been knocked out? His head certainly hurt well enough for it to have been. He tested his position wearily. He was not in the mood for this.

Blaise sat in a chair, that was clear to him, hands bond behind his back and a blindfold over his eyes. Death Eaters? Had he finally been caught? He growled softly. It could as well be the wizards of the light for all he knew. They'd probably brought him in for questioning or were going to remove him from the suspicious list. He couldn't afford to go to Azkaban, assholes! He had a job that paid well, he had friends of a non-pureblood kind, hell, he was married to a light witch! What more did they want?

With a sickening pounding in his stomach, he realised that she'd be worried since he'd never returned. How long had he been here? He hoped she was safe!

A soft hand slowly and deliberately removed his blindfold. Before him stood a group of people he hadn't expected to see in this situation, and he couldn't help but growl again at the matter. Ginny looked taken aback at the sound and took a few steps backwards as quickly as possible. A scowl then crossed her face, which turned to anger. They'd taken him down to a farther part of the den, where less bookcases hugged the walls, showing more stone and space.

"You're sure he's the one?" Blaise raised an eyebrow at that and glared at her angrily.

"Of course I'm going to growl at you, Weasley. I've officially been kidnapped, blindfolded and bound to a chair. Whether I'm the one or not, I'm not going to help people who don't have the decency to treat others with manners. Did I deserve to be tied up and blindfolded? No, I think not! And you could have asked for me to come with you, not get me unconscious and take me away to I don't even know where I am!

"I have never been treated with such blatant disrespect before and have half the mind not to help you out of spite! Release me from my binds or I will permanently lock my mouth from any further discussion." They looked at each other warily and Harry stepped forwards to undo the ropes around his wrists.

"I am sorry we treated you this way, you did not deserve it. We are the Order of the Ashes and we need your help," Harry stated breathlessly in wait for his reply.

"Will treat you decently, my ass. I'm disappointed at your attitude towards others, and you say you're his new Order?" he humphed. Of course, they hadn't given him that information yet and were staring at him suspiciously. Blaise sighed as he sat opposite this 'new' Order, stretching and rubbing his wrists. They knew nothing from the clues that Dumbledore had left behind.

"Do you even know why you captured me? Surely you didn't just kidnap me to tie me up and glare at me, which, by the way, I should be doing to you instead," he voiced impatiently. "And where's the rest of your Order?"

Yet another piece of information he knew that they thought shouldn't have been public knowledge. Hermione coughed, deciding to take the lead when Harry made sign of answering.

"We're telling you this since we believe we can trust you and think you can help. I am sorry that we tied you up, we believed you wouldn't talk unless pressured, and the ropes and blindfold were mere precautions. We are sorry for thinking you would try to hurt us. Hopefully we can forgive and forget this whole incident. As for the Order, I hope you'll tell us later how you came to know about them.

"For years now we've been kept out of the loophole, been dragged around carelessly and without thought to do their bidding without any answers, and, to cut it short, have decided to create an Order of our own. If they're going to force us to fight, we would like to know we're gaining the full potential of information and not just what's deemed adequate for us to hear. Hence no grown ups. Call this a rebellion if you like. We answer to no one but ourselves. The Order of the Ashes." Blaise couldn't help but snigger at the irony, good name to piss the Order off.

Hermione took a somewhat shaky breath and then proceeded: "During the last six and a half years there have been appearances of people we believe to be elementals due to bizarre occasions pertaining to natural disasters not easily done so quickly and efficiently by wizards magic alone. They've caused chaos in both wizard and human worlds alike. The problem is that no one knows who, when or how many there are as attacks have seemed to dwindle in the last three years. We can't secure any information of our own any more. The Order, however, seems to be clueless in this area as well, and even though we could help, have decided not to tell us anything as usual.

"We think Dumbledore left us a riddle at a place called the Accacia Meadow school, which he was apparently a secret keeper of. The riddle referred to someone, a grey snake on fire in our safe haven."

"The answer would be you; Blaise Zabini from Slytherin," Harry finally spoke, getting the attention of the room. "Dumbledore left us that note to find you. We won't demand, for it is inhumane and after what we've done, we probably don't deserve your help. However, we ask you for your help Zabini." Blaise couldn't help but laugh, causing Ron to sneer at him in disgust.

"You're still as easy to anger as always. It's just nice to know the little things don't change." Ron couldn't help but feel his ear tips grow red at the semi compliment/insult. The group smiled fondly, where they were somewhat weary before, they felt a friendship growing between them already, or hopefully what would change into one once more. War had all made them grow up, there was no more need for petty rivals and such, especially after what they've survived.

"I just couldn't believe after so many clues he left behind that you only found the one, but after that explanation it makes more sense." He frowned for a while, complete silence reining the room.

"You were correct about your elemental suspicions. Unlike the normal elementals, probably due to circumstances and situations not happened before, the one's we've encountered so far are by far stronger than any other elementals born in history. This means that any books you might've researched or what you already know will not come in handy. There are five elementals attacking both worlds, and all have been trained under Voldemort's care before he died. Before the final battle, they were sent separate ways between the two worlds, hence why they've only started attacking now and from both sides of the barrier."

"You think it's the founders?" Neville gasped in suspicion, the names of the founders were, after all, elements. Blaise only smirked and shook his head in denial.

"Nope. Not the right answer, but we'll get to that soon."

"Is that why their activities seem to have slowed down lately? They're either trying to find each other or remain hidden?" Ginny asked softly. Blaise couldn't help but snort at her naivety. He leaned back, stretching his back as he went.

"They already know where each other are, one can tell by some of the previous reports that some cities have been attacked by more than one element simultaneously. They are like any group; there are those who are stronger than others, and there well be times when they disappear to stay safe and then come out to attack later, sometimes in pairs or by themselves. Of course, there is a leader whom takes overall command, though we don't know if the previous or few current attacks are direct orders or not. One thing I can say, however, is that they are extremely powerful and I'm not sure even Potter here, being only human, could handle an element at such a degree."

"How do you know all this?" Hermoine asked suddenly, gaining herself a shake of the head again.

"Not the right question. Keep asking."

"What can we do?" Neville sighed, almost accepting fate.

During this time, the three men had dragged over a few chairs from the round table for the group to be seated. Hermione took her offered seat gratefully and began to count off the books she could read from the fingers on her hand.

"Whoa there!" Blaise broke their enthusiastic vibe. "An elemental is born with their powers. Using a book against them would be like using muggle card magic against our innate ones, and didn't I already tell you to forget books, Granger?" At their stricken looks, Blaise started to laugh again, holding his hand up for no interruptions.

"Do you honestly think Dumbledore would send you my way, even through death, if you'd already lost? No. There have been ten recorded elementals in 1,000 centuries, all of them born in this generation."

"Meaning there's five left!" Ginny happily squealed, almost knocking Luna off her chair as her hands flung outwards wildly. She managed to look sheepish, but the cross eyed look Luna offered her only made her laugh all the more.

"Correct. When Dumbledore was still alive, he had the other five elementals trained personally. He just never told anyone about them, hoping that if this exact scene were to happen, that the information wouldn't fall into the wrong hands... not even those of your precious Order of the Phoenix. He had quite a protective streak on him, that one." They couldn't help but agree as they fondly thought back on times the headmaster would mysteriously pop up to give them a clue or an answer. How they missed him.

"But how could he have trained them?" Ron asked. "He was too busy to move from place to place and someone would have noticed, especially with the final battle getting closer and the search for the hocruxes and all." He looked up meekly, confused. Blaise sighed.

"He didn't have to leave Hogwarts." At the confused glances, he continued: "That's because all five were attending Hogwarts at the time and knowing the rooms within Hogwarts, don't you think there would have surely been one for them to train unnoticed?"

"Why unnoticed?" Hermione asked. "Were they doing something wrong?" Blaise blinked.

"That's not why! By the time all five exhibited powers, it was drawing closer to the final battle. Voldemort's eyes and ears were everywhere. No one was to be trusted, not even the Order. He was protecting the elementals from ridicule, helping them blend in once more, all of which I'll explain later, don't worry. If the wrong hands were to get them at their weakest point, who knows what could've happened."

"Wait, so they were training before the final battle? We lost so many people, friends... if we had combined them with Harry's power we could've won easily!" Neville stated angrily, his hands clenching into his jean covered legs spasmodically.

"People who can easily just sit back and watch when they have the power to help aren't the type of people I want help from now. What's to stop them from doing it again?" The room seemed to shake angrily, but only a split second as Blaise's fist landed on the tidily stacked table beside him with great force.

"And I wouldn't want to work with people who made accusations like that without knowing anything about me!" Blaise growled forcefully, causing Neville to gulp slightly. "Fighting was prohibited, they weren't even allowed to go anywhere near the battle! For one, their powers weren't 100 per cent compatible yet, meaning they were leaking. In battle, that could've done more damage to our side as well as the elemental than any good. Dumbledore sent them in their different directions, much the same as Voldemort's apprentices, saying that they had to make a road for themselves.

"He wanted them to craft a life where they could learn to harmonise and complete the compatibility with their element. Imagine having the power to help others but knowing that one slip would lead to the death of thousands more than if Potter fought his own war. It tore them too. Dumbledore must've known something would follow, and needed them to get their elements in control before it started, and look, it is the reason why you need help now."

"Sorry," Neville whispered bashfully. No one blamed him for his brief out burst; Ginny allowed her head to rest on his shoulder, startling the him for a minute, but he let her be. Of course, Ron felt his cheeks redden in brotherly anger, while Luna seemed to gaze dreamily in their direction.

"Do you know what happened to them? Where they are? You said they separated like Voldemort's five?"

"They separated, listening to everything Dumbledore said. However, unlike Voldemort's five, they don't all know where everyone is. They all received one persons name, location and contact. The key is to find one, and then go down the line that way. Unfortunately, even if I knew, I'm under an oath made by some of the five, not to tell anyone who or where they are. I am allowed to give clues, but I'm afraid there are only two peoples names I can give you." The group gave him an incredulous look.

"Do we know them? Do YOU know them?" Ginny asked hesitantly.

"I know them all really well, at least, that's what Dumbledore told me. Only one was in a separate year, so even I wouldn't know. Two are acquaintances, so you might know them, but not that well. You know one, or rather, Harry would know one in a minute way. However, I'm under direct oath from Dumbledore not to tell you which year the fifth person was in."

"Wha...?" Ron stuttered. It would be just like Dumbledore to make it all harder for them on purpose.

"Dumbledore, much like Potter is, was fond of the fifths will and spirit, especially after all that's happened to the fifth. Anyway, the fact that you finally came to me, means that it's time to finally find them."

"How the hell do you suppose we'd go about doing that? You can't give us information and books are useless. We just know the situation better, but besides from that we're back to the drawing board," Ron groaned.

"Don't worry Ron, we get one name. It'll make it all easier. After all, that person will have a name, and then the next will have a name, and so forth. It seems rather simple to me," Luna stated softly with relieved eyes.

"No..." Hermione smirked happily. "We get two names, even though I have a feeling he'll only tell us one." Harry raised his brows at the confident answer.

"Mione? You know something?" She cocked her head to the side as she stared intently at the Slytherin boy before her.

"You said that Dumbledore would never tell anyone about the elementals, yet you know so much about them, even two people's names. You also know what they can do I'm assuming, where they went... no... I know Dumbledore. He wouldn't just send us to someone with the potential to fake information. Like the rest, you can only give is one name, which means I can already guess the second name you can give. You're the neutral one Blaise, but then again, you always have been. Out of everyone, you'd be the most willing to co-operate. That's why he sent us your way."

"Mione?" Ron asked in confusion, squeezing her hand softly. She replied with a soft smile and squeeze in turn.

"You're one of them?" Ginny asked. Then it all clicked, especially the way he got angry at Neville's accusation.

"Bingo." Blaise smirked. "I would like to congratulate the Order of Ashes on finding their very first elemental! I am Earth." He smirked cockily. It made perfect sense for Blaise had always had an earthy look about him, albeit more enhanced now. The tan he had was darker, his brown eyes now a muddy pool. His hair was tossed and chocolaty. Surprisingly his muscled physique hadn't changed, nor had his height.

"Let's see... I stayed in the wizarding world for a year with one of the other elementals. After that, I went to the muggle world where I got a job, a house, I even got married." He got a few congrats and smiles, and couldn't help but smile in return.

"I've lived happily in Chile for five years. There are 887 monuments, the dig sites and research possibilities are endless. I only have one direct contact, as I've said. What I do know is that there are three of us in the muggle world and two in the wizarding, but we've discussed everyone moving over to the muggle world.

"At the moment I'm leader, but I'm not the strongest out of the group. Most of the group don't want to be found, depending on where they are, might not even know about the impending trouble. Like I said, I might not know where they all live, but that doesn't mean the others don't. We limit the information we give each other in case of bad scenarios. This is how it's going to work; I'll try and get the other two across first through the contact chain and get them settled, that means I'll know where two of them live. I'll get addresses and such. You will worry about clues and such. With every person you find, they'll get a say in whether I can just go ahead and say, or whether they give you a clue. As we were trained by Dumbledore and owe him big time, we have no right to say no."

"That is fine with us, we don't wish to force anything on anyone. Just one question Blaise, could you tell us about the elements?" Harry asked softly.

"There's Fire, Earth, Ice, Light and Nature."

"The founders!" Ginny gasped in shock. "That's why they made a deal with Dumbledore!" Blaise grinned at their shocked yet relieved expressions.

"I'll get to that part. First of all; Earth is much like causing landslides, earthquakes, moving the ground or shaping it into a weapon or a shield. Light blinds and guides. One could see it as a moral and spiritual element, but Light can also transform physical light into a weapon, be it the sun or a simple light bulb. That means Light's one of our best demolition experts. Light's considered the weakest of the group though, and is one of the two I need to transfer to the human barrier. Probably needs protecting, so if you come up with good reasons, Light will easily step forward.

"Nature is the use of plants and trees as weapons and barriers, useful in forest conditions. I would ask you now not to ask me questions about Nature, but I cannot refuse for she is the only contact to me. It's not that I don't think she can handle it, but I rather she be done with a certain decorum and be forewarned you are coming as she happens to be my wife."

"We understand Blaise, we mean her no harm," Hermione stated softly, understanding the bond of protectiveness well as she gripped Ron's hand once more in response to his soft smile.

"She's the second weakest of the group. Fire and Ice are a special case, and I advise you to tread softly when you find them. All five of us have become 100 per cent compatible with our elements during these six years since the final war. This being said, the elements of fire and ice are so great, that even at 100 per cent compatibility, they're still leaking. That's one of the reasons why I make sure the chain contact gets in touch with them most frequently.

"They still have problems with their elements like when they first received them. Fire is the second strongest and doesn't leak as often, but it happens every now and then. Fire is the only one who knows where Ice is. Ice is the strongest, but leaks even more than Fire does. I would say that to win, they would be needed, but there would be the same problem as with the final war, they could lose control of it."

"But they'll be willing to help? The other four I mean," Harry asked. Blaise sighed softly. "Yep, never as easy as that is it?" Harry said mournfully.

"It's not as easy as that, you're right. As much as I would like to say that due to a debt and sense of loyalty and morals that we'd all agree to fight, I can't say that. That's why we'll need you to convince them once you're allowed to know who they are."

"What's the reason you can't? Could they have been affected by the other five?" Ginny asked from Neville's shoulder.

"It's... well it's embarrassing really." Blaise rubbed the back of his neck and bit his lip roughly. "We're born with it from birth, the element I mean, and growing up with it... to become 100 per cent compatible with it, you have to accept that it is and always will be part of you. I agree to fight now, but I might not in a day or two. It's not because I'm indecisive but because I'm unstable. Where I used to know what I wanted, I'm forever changing in ideals, motives, the way I see the world. Where I was weak, I'm rock solid. Where I was lonesome, I'm easy to approach. What I'm saying is, like the ground changes, like the Earth changes, so do I. I am Earth, literally. One could say I'm fused with it. I tumble civilisations and create new ones, that's why I'm leader, for now."

"That must be difficult," Luna stated softly.

"Not for me, no. I quite like the unpredictability of not knowing what I'll be thinking next. That's what makes me compatible with Nature, my wife. She likes the thrill of the challenge. To sum her up in some way... tree-hugger. She loves nature and nature loves her. Always facing towards the sun, growing more and more every day. She's not easy to sway and stands firm through thick and thin. I can't tell you how she was before, this is the only way I've ever known her, she came into her powers quite early on."

"You speak very fondly of her," Mione smiled softly.

"I am, you'd love her Hermione. In fact, I believe you already semi- like her. She'll be easy to persuade, and once she is, she'll keep striving towards the goal relentlessly. This is only though the grapevine, since I don't know them per say, but I can give you some of the personality traits that have been relayed back to me. Light is extremely innocent, also the youngest of the group. Always smiling, always polite, Light's basically good embodied, much like Potter with a hero streak, saving strays and such. What worries me is Ice and Fire. Fire needs comfort if you may.

"Fire's embarrassed about, well, being Fire. Fire's very quick to temper, acts before thinking, but very passionate. When leaking though, Fire's own skin starts to burn sometimes and the only way to get rid of it is to have sex, I've heard. A passionate act sates fire and for that Fire's been named Hogwarts' slut. The more Fire's powers are used, the more it becomes essential. I don't think Fire's been training lately, hence why I think comfort and coaxing will be needed, but will help if you do it right.

"My main concern is Ice. Ice is special in the fact that Ice has has two elements: ice and void. Ice has changed the most out of everyone, so I'm told. Used to be somewhat naïve in terms of beliefs and morals.

"Once Ice starts to leak the only one who can get through is fire, burning down barriers for short amounts of time... Void keeps Ice the same person,...but when the ice kicks in Ice can become as harsh and cruel as frost.

"Ice's scared quite a few people away with that personality." Blaise sighed.