Author's Note: Hey gang. Been awhile, so I thought I'd throw a bone to the loyal readers. Still working in the story, but things are starting to come together for our heroes...will they fall apart? Who knows? Why not take a gander...Read, Review, & Enjoy!
A splash of water startled Harry awake. He looked around and found himself on a beach shrouded in a dense fog. Harry sat up and saw Cho sitting just a few feet from him at the water's edge.
"Where are we?" Harry asked.
"A place I've only visited twice in my life," Cho replied, "We're on Ryukobushi Island."
"Rio-what?" Harry asked.
"Ryukobushi," Cho replied, "It means Dragon's Fist. This is the island Burning Lotus is on."
"Quite right," a voice called out behind them.
Harry and Cho both turned to see a much older Asian man dressed in a white robe. The old man's eyes sat deep within his skull, but still relayed a light-hearted nature.
"Uncle Xeng," Cho said with elation as she got to her feet. She walked across the sand and embraced her great uncle.
"Cho, my dear, look how you have grown," Xeng said, embracing his niece, "I am glad Tsunami delivered you safely."
Harry stood up and dusted himself off and walked over to Cho. "Harry, I want you to meet Xeng Chang," Cho said, "My great uncle and the grandmaster of Burning Lotus."
"It's an honor to meet you," Harry said, bowing.
"It may seem strange coming from a man of my years," Xeng said, bowing "But it is I who should be honored to meet you."
"Uncle Xeng," Cho began, "We've come here to-"
"I know why you have come," Xeng said, "Your Hogwarts Accord. There will be time for that later. Right now, we must get you to the school and get you dry."
Harry and Cho followed Xeng up the beach and through a small patch of trees before coming upon a majestic building, looking very much like an old temple. Two men stood in front of the giant wooden gates.
"Good morning, sensei," one of the men said, "Enjoy your walk?"
"Indeed I did, Kaz," Xeng replied, "And came across two guests. Please allow them entry and dry clothes."
"Yes, sensei," Kaz said, opening of the two giant wooden doors.
Harry and Cho followed Xeng through the doors and across a vast courtyard filled with people wearing red silk dogis. Harry and Cho were led into a room where stacks of silk rose up to the ceiling.
"You may take a change of clothing here and join me in my study," Xeng said, "There we will discuss your Hogwarts Accord."
Xeng bowed and left the room as Harry and Cho sifted through the many silk dogis, looking for one that fit. They avoided eye contact, trying not to make it obvious that things between them were still rocky.
"So, why did you end up studying at Hogwarts instead of here?" Harry asked, removing his damp robe.
"I did study here," Cho said, unbuttoning her shirt, "When I was little, I went through the martial arts training. When it came time to study magic, my father didn't want me learning what he considered 'old-world magic' and enrolled me in Hogwarts."
"How come you never told me you knew martial arts?" Harry asked, unzipping his pants.
"I studied it when I was little," Cho replied, removing her skirt, "When I was moved to England to attend Hogwarts, I stopped practicing and, well now I don't know much of it anymore."
Harry turned his head slightly to see Cho's naked body, slightly glistening from her damp clothes. Harry swallowed hard, his pulse beginning to race. He wanted to reach out and touch his Asian beauty, but restrained himself. He knew they weren't ready. Cho lowered her head, casting an eye on Harry as he stripped off the rest of his wet clothing. She traced a finger down her chest, her arousal rising. After a few tense moments, Harry and Cho finally dressed themselves in silk dogis and were escorted to Xeng's study. Xeng was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room, inhaling the smoke from nearby burning incense.
"Please come in," Xeng said.
Harry and Cho walked into the room and knelt in front of Xeng. Harry produced a metal cylinder from his dogi. He unscrewed the top of it and withdrew a rolled up piece of parchment. He handed it to Cho, who handed it to Xeng. Xeng unrolled the parchment and read it over.
"I have spent my lifetime keeping Burning Lotus a secret to the world. Only a handful of people know its existence outside these walls," Xeng said, "Now, in the face of an ultimate evil, I must emerge my school from the shroud of secrecy. This is not a decision that I will come to lightly."
"I don't expect it to be, Xeng," Harry said, "But Voldemort and his Death Eaters have to be stopped. To do that, we'll need help from the entire wizarding world. I can respect that you wanted your school a secret because of your adherence to old magical practices, but this coming war holds the fate of our world. If Voldemort wins, it would only be a matter of time before he found your school and burned it down."
Xeng stroked his beard, allowing for Harry's words to sink in. "I admire your passion, Harry," he said grabbing a quill and swiping it through the incense smoke, swirling it around lower and lower to the parchment until it sank into the parchment itself, forming Xeng's signature. Harry rolled the parchment up and placed it back into the metal cylinder. "You have Burning Lotus' support," Xeng said, "You are welcome to stay here for the night. Tsunami will take you back to your boat in the morning, along with ten of my best students."
That evening, Harry and Cho sat and watched the Burning Lotus students as they ate dinner with their sensei. A roaring fire was in the middle of everything. Xeng whispered something to one of the students, who proceed to leave the courtyard only to return with a wooden box in his hands. Xeng opened the box and withdrew a bamboo flute.
"Cho," Xeng said, turning to his great niece, "Do you still remember how to play?"
"It's been far too long," Cho said, "I don't want to embarrass myself."
"One cannot embarrass oneself," Xeng said, holding the flute out to Cho, "If one sheds one's fear."
Cho nodded and accepted the flute. She put the tip to her lips and nervously began to blow into it. To her surprise, and Harry's as well, harmonious notes began to come forth from the flute. Harry sat, amazed at Cho's ability. Xeng tossed a few sticks of incense into the fire, causing smoke to billow out. To Harry's amazement, the smoke began to twist and billow in tune with Cho's playing.
"Smokeweaver," Xeng said, prompting one of the students sitting nearby to pull his wand from his dogi.
The student began twirling his wand through the ever-thickening smoke, causing images to form.
"Eight Dragons created the world," the smokeweaver began, "Each in their own element, earth, sky, sand, wind, fire, forest, water, and light. The world was not created merely through their presence, but their love."
Cho continued playing as Harry looked on, watching the swirls of smoke form the shape of dragons interacting.
"The fire and forest, while unhealthy on the surface, is a love that is meant to be harmful to other if tampered with," the smokeweaver said, beginning to dance in tune to the flute, "It's symbol of destruction and rebirth is a never-ending cycle based on their love. The sand and the wind, a coarse and abrasive love that creates a storm that forever changes the landscape around it. It is a misunderstood love that even in itself is often misunderstood."
Cho played on, her notes along with the smoke almost putting Harry in a trance.
"The earth and sky meet in love both seamless and often violent," the smokeweaver continued, the smoke swirling around him as he churned and twirled his wand, "The horizon shows us that earth and sky are always one in heart, but it's love is often a violent love when the sky and earth meet when the lightning strikes. And the love of water and light give us the morning sun dancing across the waves, but along with the light, the water must love the dark and its unforgiving blackness in the face of the storm."
Harry began to see through the dragons in the smoke to the real truth behind their guise.
"Through these eight dragons, life exists in a harmonious balance," the smokeweaver said, his wand twirling almost with a life of its own, "And it is through these eight dragons alone that life can be saved...when the light of dawn turns deepest red."
"The Red Dawn," Harry whispered.
His words snapped Cho from her focus on the flute, causing her to stop on a flat note. The dancing smoke quickly dissipated into the air and the smokeweaver returned to his seat.
"This story in the smoke was not by chance," Xeng said, "It is a lesson you must retain."
"Somehow I get the feeling you know what's going on," Harry said.
"Perhaps," Xeng said, "Perhaps not. The story woven in the smoke is different each time. It shows us simply what we know in our hearts and what we must learn to lead a good life."
Harry lowered his eyes to the fire, letting Xeng's words sink in. "That is enough for one night," Xeng said, "You both get some rest and tomorrow morning, you shall be sent on your way."
One of the students stood up and escorted Harry and Cho out of the courtyard and up a flight of stairs to a sleeping quarters.
"It is uncustomary for men and women to share a quarters," the student said, "However, Sensei Chang has approved for you both to share these quarters."
"Thank you," Cho said, bowing.
The student bowed in return and left as Harry opened the door and walked inside. He kicked off his shoes and removed his dogi shirt, laying down on the bed. Cho laid down next to him, facing the wall.
"See you in the morning," Cho said.
"Sleep well," Harry said. Cho closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.
Harry, however, hadn't fallen asleep yet. He tossed and turned, trying to fall asleep but finding it out of his reach. It wasn't until Harry turned over and wrapped an arm around Cho that he found himself comfortable and was falling asleep.
"I love you," Cho whispered, her sentence finishing off in her head, "I love you so much Cedric."
"I love you," Harry said, his voice trailing off to nothing more than his internal thoughts, "One day you'll be mine, Hermione."
Ron and Bill were strolling through the massive courtyard of Beauxbatons.
"So that's it?" Bill asked. Ron nodded, a slight twinge of fear reflecting in his eyes. "Ron, prophecies are meant to interpreted in various ways," Bill said, "What you've just told me seems to be a very unlikely interpretation."
"But what if it's the right interpretation?" Ron asked, "What if I have to..."
"Stop right there," Bill said, cutting Ron off, "You can't focus on this. The more you do, the more it's gonna grate at your sanity. You could go mad trying to sort this out."
Ron finally stopped and sat on a bench, putting his head in his hands. "So, when the time comes," he began, "What do I do?"
Bill sat down next to him. "When the time comes," he began, "You have to trust in yourself to do what you believe is right."
"Easy for you to say," Ron replied, "It's not your wife's life in question."
"And if it was," Bill said, "My advice wouldn't change. I'd still do what I believed was the right thing."
Ron began to respond when a feeling of dread swept over him. He immediately sprang to his feet. "What is it, Ron?" Bill asked, getting to his feet.
"Something's wrong," Ron replied, "I can't explain it."
Suddenly, Alice and Fleur were seen rushing into the courtyard. "Ron! Bill!" Alice shouted.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"Werewolves are attacking muggles in the city," Fleur said.
Bill froze, all color draining from his face. His mind slingshotted him back to a year ago when Fenrir Greyback mauled him during the Dragonfire raid.
"We have to do something," Ron said, "Bill, send a message to the ministry. Alert them of the attack. The rest of us will deal with the situation."
"How?" Alice asked, "We're three people."
"You underestimate Beauxbatons," Fleur said, "And its willingness to help."
Fleur turned around and pointed as several witches flew into the courtyard on broomsticks. Three of them held an extra broom, which they tossed to Ron, Alice, and Fleur. Bill turned and charged into the school as Ron, Alice, and Fleur led the charge into the city.
Ron rose above the skyline of the city and saw a black mass moving through the streets. A whole horde of werewolves. Ron withdrew his wand and dove downwards, followed by Alice, Fleur, and the other witches.
"Stupefy!" Ron shouted, blasting away a few werewolves.
One werewolf leapt from the pack and grabbed the front end of Ron's broom, dragging him to the ground. Ron dove off and hit the pavement of the street. He looked up and saw a wall of werewolves charging towards him. Ron looked around and couldn't find his wand. Out of the corner of his eye, Ron spotted his wand. Before he could react, a werewolf dove at him. On reflex, Ron held out his hand and lit the diving werewolf on fire.
Ron sprung to his feet and saw a group of children huddling in a doorway. Forgetting his wand, Ron rushed to the children and stood between them and the werewolves, creating a wall of fire. Alice swooped down on her broom as Ron helped a child up onto Alice's broom, allowing her to take the child to safety. Fleur dove down and helped another up and out of harm's way. A Beauxbatons witch was diving down to scoop up the third child when a werewolf dove up from the crowd, grabbed the witch, and dragged her into the mad pack.
Ron covered the child's ears to muffle the painful screams of the witch being ripped apart. Ron felt his anger rising and turned the wall of fire onto the werewolves, consuming many of them in a burning inferno. Alice came down for a second sweep, scooping up the last child. Ron turned his attention back to the werewolves only to see his wand skitter across the concrete, stopping at Ron's foot. Ron looked up to see Fenrir Greyback. He was in full werewolf form, but forcefully reverted back to human form.
"Pick it up," Greyback growled, drawing his wand.
Ron hesitated. "It could be a trap," he thought, then snatched up his wand and aimed at it at Fenrir, "Stupefy!"
Fenrir deflected the curse and stood his ground, chuckling. Ron fired the same curse again only for Fenrir to deflect it again.
"Expelliarmus!" Fenrir shouted, blasting Ron's wand from his hand, "Stupefy!" The impact of the spell flung Ron into the wall behind him. "I wanted you to demonstrate what you knew," Fenrir said, grinning and baring his teeth, "And you did. Absolutely nothing. Now, time's up for you, boy. Avada Ked-"
"Bombarda!" Alice shouted, blasting the ground in front of Fenrir, causing him to interrupt the curse as she dove down at him.
Fenrir growled and changed back into werewolf form. He crouched down, then sprung into the air, swiping at Alice. Alice lost her balance and fell from her broom, hitting the ground and skittering across the cobblestone street. Alice pulled herself up to see Fenrir stalking towards her, growling and drooling saliva from his fangs.
"Greyback!" a voice shouted. Fenrir stopped and turned around to see Bill walking towards him. "Time to pay for what you did to me," Bill said, pointing to the maul scars on his face.
Fenrir growled and charged at Bill. Bill drew his wand, aimed it at Fenrir, and shouted, "Stupefy!" Fenrir jumped into the air, dodging the spell. Bill's eyes widened, then narrowed again.
"Stupefy!" he shouted, firing the spell again.
Fenrir leapt into the air, dodging the curse again. Bill tried to think of an attack, but couldn't raise his wand in time as Fenrir barreled into him, knocking him down. Bill looked up to see Fenrir standing over him, a sly smile curling his lip to bare his fangs. Fenrir raised his claw to strike when suddenly, he was knocked off of Bill.
It was Ron. His hair had become a crown of flames. His eyes burned bright white. "Vicis statuo a nocens canis dormio," he said, glaring at Fenrir.
Fenrir turned and growled at Ron. Ron began walking towards Fenrir, each footstep leaving a burn mark in the cobblestone pavement. Fenrir advanced forward, then stopped and let out a long howl. Ron looked around to see all the destruction caused by Greyback's army cease as the werewolves turned and charged out of the city. Fenrir locked eyes with Ron, then Bill, as he bounded away with his pack. Ron doubled over as the flames on his head transformed back into his hair. Bill got to his feet and watched the terrorizing werewolves disappear into the distance.
"Thanks," Bill said.
"Don't mention it," Ron said.
Ron turned around to check on Alice, who had just pulled herself to her feet. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"Just a little banged up," Alice said, "I'll be fine."
Ron put his arm around Alice, pulling her close to him. As he did, he noticed Alice was cradling her arm. "What happened?" Ron asked, pointing to Alice's arm.
"I banged my arm up when I hit the ground," Alice replied, "Those cobblestones can be nasty."
"You two head back to the schoolgrounds," Bill said, "Fleur and I will clean up this mess."
Ron and Alice nodded, grabbed their brooms, and headed back to Beauxbatons. During the flight back, Alice dropped back a bit. Ron looked back, a concerned look on his face. Alice replied with a warm smile, prompting a smile on Ron's face as he looked again once more. Alice's smile faded into a look of apprehension as she glanced down at the tattered sleeve of her robe and the wound underneath.
A/N: The plot thickens...catch ya next time!