Her joints were hurting again, as they usually did upon waking. This particular affliction made the act of getting out of bed more deliberate. Having to wake up in the morning was a pain to most, that was certainly true, but rarely does one think about the mechanics of it all. The effort it takes to extend the limbs, contract the muscles. This was a side effect she had not expected. Sure, she had known there were side effects, loss of sanity being the worse. But she never knew…never really thought about the fact that side effects could occur on a spectrum. With every aching joint came the reminder of that dreadful day. She couldn't escape it. The Cruciatus curse lived inside her now. It woke up with her, prickling her bones and burning her muscles. And with that curse came those eyes. The black eyes that pierced her mercilessly, coldly. Bellatrix had fallen but… she still lived inside of her.

Hermione's eyes flew open. She lay still in her bed. Had it all happened? Was it just a nightmare? The actions of last night played back in her head in snippets. Snippets were all she could endure. Ginny's screams. Hermione's curses. Shattered glass. Blood. Horrified, blue eyes. Hermione started to lift herself but the aching of her joints, combined with the knowledge that no dream could feel this real, dragged her back down to her bed. Without looking, she reached for the flask. The flask had been given to her by Madam Pomfrey upon prescription by St. Mungo's. The solution inside was to dull the pain. So that she could function physically. Until her body was able to rid itself of the damage repeated torture by Dark Magic could bring. That is, if the body could rid it at all. She had never told anyone about the side effects. She had traveled to St. Mungo's alone, shortly after returning with her parents from Australia. The pain was too much but she couldn't let others bear the burden or guilt of knowing why she was still in pain. She had to be strong. And yet, at this moment, she felt so very weak. She hated it. She took an impatient swig of her solution and waited for the effect to take hold but still…she knew it could not dull the pain from seeing those horrified blue eyes. Those blue eyes that backed away from her. That beckoned her not to speak. One word: "Don't." One word that said a thousand things. Briefly, she wondered if those blue eyes would replace the black ones that haunted her dreams.

"Are you awake?" A voice called from her desk.

Hermione shot up, cringing as the pain hit her spine. Damn that potion. Why couldn't all magic be instantaneous! Slowly she looked over to see Katara sitting by her bedroom fireplace, a cup of tea sitting in her hands. Hermione stared at the cup, trying to understand the situation.

"It's Jasmine." Katara said, following Hermione's eyes. "It tastes a little different in this world…but I guess it doesn't really matter…"

"I…er, thank you Katara. You really didn't have to." Hermione replied quietly. As the memory of last night started to flood her mind, her cheeks reddened and her voice came out far more timid than she would have liked.

Katara rose and crossed the room, setting the cup of tea on Hermione's nightstand. "What's in the flask?" Katara asked, quickly wondering if it was rude to do so.

Hermione was quiet for a moment. She sat up slowly, wincing a bit, and grabbed the cup of tea. She took a sip, as if to buy herself more time to give a proper excuse. "Oh…just some elixir…for daily use…keeps the mind sharp." She trailed off. "Tastes like bogeys though." she quickly added, half worried that Katara would ask for a sip.

"Ah…bogeys." Katara said, half smiling. She knew the slang, having heard it many times before echoing off the halls of Hogwarts by students. "How bout some water to wash the taste away then?" She said softly, kindly. Once again, she dragged her hands through the air. Shooting the water to an empty glass.

Hermione jumped back just a bit. She hadn't seen the Avatar gang bend in quite some time…with the exception of last night. The audacity of it all was still a bit surprising to her. She looked up at Katara, about to apologize, when she noticed a look of mild confusion on her face.

"Katara? Something wrong?" Hermione asked, she followed her eyes down to the glass, it was half full.

"Hmm…I thought I had bended more. Must be tired from last night…" Katara stopped abruptly mid-sentence, she hadn't meant to remind Hermione of the debacle. She groaned inwardly.

Hermione closed her eyes. Visions popped up in her mind again, exploding bookcases, Luna ducking for cover…horrified blue eyes.

"How awful was it?" Hermione said, as if she hadn't been there. As if she hadn't been an instrumental player in the devastation.

Katara bit her lip. "We cleaned up a little…Aang and I…after you ran up to your room…"

Upon seeing Ron's horrified gaze turn and walk out on her tiny plea, the haze of rage that had engulphed Hermione turned into a pit of misery and shame. She broke. Forgetting what had just happened, the graveness of her altercation, she ran up to her room where she cried pitifully for two hours before passing out from what could only be a mixture of exhaustion and dehydration.

"I see…"Hermione replied softly. "Where is everyone?"

"Well…Sokka is probably down at dinner, eating his way to Ba Sing Se…" Katara smirked, Hermione looked confused.

"Ba Sing Se…the Earth Kingdom capital? Well, we must have mentioned it…"

"Not really…no." Hermione replied, come to think of it, they hadn't really talked about the details of Team Avatar's world. They had been so focused on teaching them about their own world, in order to help them blend in, that they had never really talked about it too much. Luna, of course, was always pestering them to talk about it, but Hermione couldn't concern herself with such inconsequential things at the moment, not while she was racking her brain about how to they had gotten there. Hermione's eyebrows raised suddenly in realization. How stupid she was for never inquiring more deeply about their world! She had only been researching the obvious things! The names of the four bending nations… the concept of bending…The Journal of Trans…something. Hermione gasped.

"Something wrong?" Katara asked.

Hermione was about to relay to her what she had discovered in the library when a voice played in the back of her head: 'Have you seen his face lately? Have you SEEN him at all? Or do you just look through him? Trying to find the next clue to solve the next big problem.' Hermione whimpered and her train of thought flew right out of her mind.

Katara rushed to her side as Hermione pulled her legs up and rested her face in them. Tears running silently down her cheeks.

"It's ok, Hermione. Everything will be ok, you'll see." Katara finished, wrapping her arms around her. It was cliché but, really, what else was there to say? "Come on, let's head down to dinner. You should get some food in you. You've been asleep all day. Wouldn't want to waste your whole Saturday now would you?"

Hermione was hesitant. Yesterday's debacle was not only horrible but quite embarrassing. Would any of them even talk to her after the way she had behaved?

Katara seemed to sense Hermione's hesitance. "Be brave, Hermione." She said simply, giving her a little squeeze.

A little while later they walked into the Great Hall. It was tense to say the least. The students seemed to sit in tight clumps. Conversation consisted of whispers and glares at enemy clumps. Hermione looked towards the Gryffindor table. Sokka, Ron, Ginny, and Toph sat in one clump. Harry, and Aang sat alone in another. Hermione looked towards Ron first, as she so often did. He noticed her for a moment. She gave him a weak smile. He stared at her as if he was torn, then quickly turned his face down towards his food. Her smile faltered. Gathering her courage, she looked again towards Harry, somewhat pleadingly and he gave her a small smile. She took that as an invitation and slowly walked over to join his clump. Curiously, Neville and Luna sat between the two clumps. Neville looked as if he refused to take part in such childishness. Luna just looked lost in thought, smiling infuriatingly at nothing.

"Hi Harry." Hermione squeaked out, as if she was still waiting for him to lash out at her for attacking his girlfriend.

"Hey Hermione." He offered back just as shyly. His greeting had a guilty air to it that Hermione found strange.

"So…I see there hasn't been any change since this morning." Katara concluded quietly.

"Nope." Aang replied. "Everyone seems just as mad as ever."

"You know what's weird though." Harry added cautiously, "I haven't seen Malfoy or Zuko all day." Harry's words came out worried and, again, guilty. "What do you think McGonagall did to them?"

"You don't think…you don't think she sent them to…Azkabania?" Aang added, mangling the name of the notorious wizarding prison.

"Azkaban…and no, McGonagall would never do that. She's not the Carrows." Harry finished proudly, even though he knew Aang and Katara wouldn't understand that last bit. "I reckon I'm going to go up to her office later…explain the whole thing."

"I'll go with you." Hermione said, smiling. Even though she wasn't actually there for the Great Hall explosion, she figured Harry could use any help he could get.

"We'll all go!" Katara continued, Aang nodding his head vigorously in agreement.

"No! I don't want to get anyone else in trouble. McGonagall will surely kick us all out." Harry finished. He wasn't too sure if McGonagall would really boot him and Team Avatar out of Hogwarts, in fact he was quite certain she wouldn't, still he had done enough damage.

"It's non-negotiable Harry." Hermione finished firmly. "Have you learned NOTHING from last year? We're in this together…" Hermione trailed off, wanting to look down the table towards Ron but not being able to bring herself to do so. So much for the Golden TRIO.

"So…how are you Hermione?" Harry and Aang asked together. The unison of their question harmonized a bit and they both smirked at each other.

Hermione looked down at the table and fought the tears that were welling up. Even after what she had done…they still wanted to be her friend. Friends.

"I'm so sorry, Harry. I shouldn't have attacked your girlfriend. I don't know what got into me! She just kept saying these things…and I couldn't understand why she would…I just…I just…" She finished quietly, choking on her own words, tears started to fall.

Harry was quiet for a moment. "Just drop it Hermione. The whole damn thing was mad. We're all mad. Ginny knew what she was doing..." He finished bitterly, if not somewhat sadly. Luna had filled him in, somewhat ramblingly, on how the whole thing started. "Besides, she's not talking to me either." Harry looked pained for a moment and looked up at Hermione with that guilty look again. Hermione quirked an eyebrow.

"Harry?" She said softly.

"Hermione…something happened between Ginny and I…before you got there…" Harry was about to go on when Neville spoke loudly.

"You know what I enjoy Luna?" Neville announced, not really looking at her.

"Oh! Fresh water Plimpies! I knew it! Father always said people were just having a laugh when they said our soup tasted like hopelessness…" Luna replied excitedly.

Neville stared incredulously at her before soldering on, "Er, no…what I enjoy, is being able to behave like an ADULT and not like a bunch of infants." With that Neville looked back down at his food and continued eating, as if he had never made a very loud, very odd announcement. The irony was, his announcement was just as childish as everyone's behavior and yet seemed far more reasonable. Some people glared at his boldness, some just looked back at their plate. Hannah Abbott smiled, so did Toph.

Ron stared down at his plate, trapped in one of those rare occasions when he wasn't hungry. Everything had gone to shite. Ron still couldn't look at her. In the brief moment he had seen her walk into the Great Hall, he could see the red mark up the side of her face. He had to turn away. No one had so much as spoken a word about the "incident" since it happened last night. Ron couldn't understand how it happened. Neville had briefly told him that Ginny was upset, that she had thought that Hermione and Harry…fancied each other. Ron scowled harder at his plate. But Harry had said it himself! She's like my sister…and I reckon she feels the same way about me. No, it couldn't be true. And Hermione? How could she attack Ginny? It was…so unlike her. Ron's neck started to get hot. Ginny was his sister. His blood. How could she? Anger started to fill the space where crippling sadness and fear was last night. Sure, if he knew his sister…well, she probably held some guilt in the whole thing as well but still…people had chosen sides. Ron had chosen his sister. Out of loyalty or cowardice-the fear of looking at an injured Hermione- he wasn't sure. Suddenly, he heard laughter coming from beside him,

"You know what I enjoy?" Sokka said, loudly enough for the hall to hear. "Neville Longbottom!" He grinned admiringly at Neville, who turned scarlet as he continued eating.

Toph shot Sokka a glare.

"What? He's right!" Sokka said to the clump. "You're all acting like mooselion cubs. I say everybody just hug it out."

"Oh really? So will you and Zuko be first then? Perhaps a kiss on the cheek?" Ron said quietly.

"Ron. Men don't hug. We make decisive body handshakes. One pat on the back, eyes forward."

"Outstanding…" Toph mumbled amusedly.

Ginny was noticeably quiet throughout the discussion. Her eye was still black but her lip had healed nicely. When she woke up this morning…she had felt like a fool. She didn't know what had gotten into her. She had convinced herself that she didn't care about Harry and Hermione's friendship. She had convinced herself that it was she who had Harry's heart. Harry's whole heart. And yet…when she saw how Harry fought for Hermione, it awakened something in her. Something possessive, primal. It was Hermione whom Harry had brought with him into hiding last year while Ginny waited desperately for scraps of news. It was Hermione whom he trusted implicitly. Harry, Ron, and Hermione. That's the way it had always been. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny? No, that didn't sound right…not even to her own ears. She cursed herself.

"Ginny?" Toph said her name so softly that everyone looked at her, shocked. "Your not going to cry or anything…" Everyone at the table smirked. That was more like it.

Ginny looked at Toph. They were two of kind, although they probably didn't realize it. Not particularly emotional, strong, unusually powerful, and loyal. They weren't part of the original group but…their addition seemed like fate. So much they did not realize. Ginny gave her that blazing look and Toph returned it in full. Ginny smiled, she decided right then and there that she had liked Toph from the beginning.

Just then Zacharias Smith came bounding into the hall, fury written all over his face. He strode over to his clump, throwing his hands into the air exasperatedly.

"McGonagall's just given me detention!" Zacharias yelled loud enough for practically the whole hall to hear. "The woman is mad! Insane with age I tell you!"

"What are you goin on about? What'd you do?" A fellow clump member inquired.

"Nothing! I was walking down the hall and I sneezed. She came up behind me and said I was being disruptive, then gave me a week's detention!"

"I believe that will be two weeks detention Mr. Smith." The calm voice of McGonagall said. Zacharias Smith swung around to see the Headmistress standing directly behind him. He balked.

"I...I… but…" Smith spluttered.

"Yes, your eloquent and coherent rebuttal aside, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to sit. Now." McGonagall said, Harry could have sworn she had a slight smirk on her face. Ron and Sokka snorted.

McGonagall made her way up to the faculty table, upon reaching her chair she stood and surveyed the hall. The chattering in the hall died instantly upon seeing her intimidating figure standing before the student body. McGonagall took a breath and spoke.

"Your behavior last night was appalling." She stopped briefly as if challenging the students to dare to interrupt her. Satisfied, she continued, "As such, I will be cancelling all trips to Hogsmeade until further notice. Professor Slughorn's Christmas get together has also been canceled." She looked over to Slughorn and he nodded disappointedly. "Furthermore, your behavior has illustrated to me that you all need help that I, nor the staff at Hogwarts, can provide. As such, I have decided to institute mandatory meetings after school and on Saturdays. You will each be speaking with a colleague of mine. There will be NO exceptions. Failure to abide by these rules will result in serious consequences. Do I make myself clear?"

The students all looked at each other confusedly, whispering furiously.

"Meetings? What meetings?"

"No Hogsmeade!"

"What kind of help?"

McGonagall raised her aged hand authoritatively. The students looked at her mutinously. "Silence. Each of you will be getting a letter soon with the times and dates of your meetings. You will be told what your meeting is about upon arrival at your appointment….Now, as to your behavior last night, let me make this perfectly clear. I will NOT tolerate such outrageous, disgusting behavior EVER again. Should ANY of you repeat such foul indiscretions, you will answer to me…personally. If you think I am joking…try me."

With that, McGonagall walked out of the hall. Apparently, she still refused to sit with any of them. As soon as she was out of sight, the hall exploded in desperate whispers. As if the students feared she would somehow hear them.

Harry turned to look at Aang, Katara and Hermione, who all looked flabbergasted. "So…you still want to tag along with me when I go to McGonagall?" He asked, half warningly, half pleadingly.

Hermione gulped, "I…of course. Of course, Harry." She said in a whisper.

Aang sighed, "She's…the scariest woman I have ever seen."

Katara smirked, "Azula is scarier…McGonagall has a soul. Azula would probably just have killed everyone."

Aang laughed grimly, "Yea, but not before telling you how hopelessly foolish you were."

Hermione arched an eyebrow. "You know…I was just thinking this morning…we don't really know much about your world. We've been so wrapped up in teaching you about ours…I think it might be helpful to know more about your world if we're going to figure out how to get you back."

Katara looked at Hermione for a moment, as if she hadn't heard her. "Sure…that makes sense. But…where do we start? So far, you know that we were at war. You know that Aang defeated the firelord…"

Harry cut in, "We know Zuko used to be a bad guy. That his family had started the war…"

Hermione continued, "The Avatar is the bridge between the physical and spiritual world…I think there is something more to that part… I mean, have you ever noticed how the ghosts look at Aang? Like their in awe or something? Like they know something we don't…"

"You think?" Katara continued, "In our world, spirits are much more…secretive. You barely ever see them… not unless you help them or you're in a really spiritual place. Do you have anything like that here? Like a spiritual place?"

Hermione was thoughtful. "Hmm…not that I can think of. I think it might be a good idea to ask one of the ghosts…"

"The Astronomy Tower." Harry said abruptly. He didn't know why it came to him. For some reason, something someone had said kept playing in his mind. The light of the stars can sometimes guide one through the darkest of nights. So too with time, young one.

Harry continued, "I think we need to talk to Firenze."

"Harry?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"I…I just have a feeling. The Astronomy Tower…well, you know what happened there… the stars, Hermione." Harry finished mysteriously. He couldn't seem to coherently string together what he was getting at, all this talk about spirituality. The magical world had never exactly been "spiritual" but there were kinds of magic that was eternal, divinely powerful. Love…Dumbledore had died on that Astronomy tower to save him…because he loved him. If there was one place at Hogwarts that was sacred to Harry…it would be the Astronomy tower. The stars…well that had just come to Harry…he wasn't sure why but Firenze's words kept playing back to him.

"Well…I suppose it couldn't hurt…you can tell me more when we get back to the suite…" Hermione finished. Not sure what to say. She changed the subject. "We also know that Azula is still out there."

"Yea, and if she figures out we're missing, she'll be back. And she'll destroy every man, woman, and child that stands in her way…it doesn't help that she's completely insane now too…" Aang continued.

Harry stared at them. "Azula…Zuko's sister? Was she really that bad?"

Aang was silent for a moment, staring daggers into his food. "She killed me." He said shortly.

Hermione gasped, looking over to Katara as if at any moment she would tell her that it wasn't true. Katara looked as though she wanted to burst into tears.

Aang wrapped his arm around her and kissed her softly on her temple. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it like that."

Katara shook. "But it's true! You…you were gone!" Katara had no idea how the conversation had come to this. How a simple conversation had turned into such a grim re-living of the past. She had pushed the wretched memory of Aang's brief death out of her mind, buried it. How could life be so abrupt? How could life be so cruel as to take a discussion between friends and turn it into something so painful?

"But you brought me back…" Aang whispered. Holding on to Katara for dear life. Aang looked up and noticed the horrified face of Hermione, "I'm alive because Katara healed me, with water from the oasis of the Moon and Ocean spirits."

"I…I.." Hermione couldn't finish, the whole thing sounded too impossible…and yet she knew it wasn't, for she knew another that had come back from death.

Harry had to say something, but he never thought he would say this: "I was dead once too."

Aang, Katara, and Hermione looked at Harry suddenly. Hermione grabbed hold of Harry's hand. As if that would make the memory any less horrifying. Harry's hand dug into hers. Harry had only spoken of what happened in the dark forest once, to Ron and Hermione. He had never even told Ginny. He wasn't ready. But was he ready now? Here, in the Great Hall? The first and only place where he had ever killed a man. Sure, some could argue that it was the wand that killed Voldemort…but Harry knew it would happen. Harry knew it HAD to happen. Only one could survive.

Aang looked at Harry. It was as if, for a moment, Harry's soul had left his eyes. There were only two people in that hall that had experienced death. Had experienced the duality of death. It's terrifying reality and it's sweet release. It's horror and it's beauty. Yin and Yang.

Aang began slowly…as if he couldn't stop himself, as if he had found the only other soul as tortured as his. Another who had to live with the guilt of living, when so many others did not. "She shot me with lightening. I…I felt it for a split second and then…"

"Quicker than falling asleep." Harry whispered.

"Quicker than falling asleep." Aang whispered back.

"Please…no more…we musn't talk like this!" Hermione whispered. She was shaking, her hands were clammy, tears were falling down her face. "We're safe Harry… Aang! We're alive! That's all that matters!" Soon Hermione had enveloped Harry into a tight hug. He hugged her back just as fiercely and soon he noticed that, he too, was crying.

"Yes…that's all that matters." Katara whispered. Looking into Aang's eyes. Those big grey eyes. She traveled briefly back to the first time she had seen those eyes open, what seemed like a lifetime ago, on an iceberg at the end of the earth.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other as well. Smiling in a watery way. Two people, raised by muggles, thrown into a world they had never knew existed. Both experienced the most unbelievable physical pain one could experience at the hands of another, the Cruciatus Curse. They were kin…friends in a way that was unique and, at times, so very sad. Harry once again buried the pain of his past. Reborn in her eyes. He wished…hoped more than anything that he wouldn't have to deal with that pain anymore. He knew he hoped in vain, but for that moment he felt new again. An eleven year old discovering, once again, that someone could care about a person as insignificant as him. Reborn in her eyes.

Just then Harry noticed a flash of red hair storm past them. Ginny. Toph ran after her, glaring angrily at Hermione. Hermione looked at Ginny leave the great hall, then looked down the table at Ron. Ron was sitting stock still, blood red, staring at Harry and Hermione's interlocked hands. He too, flew out of his seat and stormed out of the hall. Shite.

…

Draco stood at the window of McGonagall's office, his cloak thrown aside, his sleeves rolled up. The office was stiflingly hot and yet Clavicula wouldn't let them leave! Hadn't he deduced that Draco had no interest in talking? Hadn't he deduced that Draco had no interest in his "Pensieve Therapy?" Draco stared out the window at the great lake. He wished he could just walk in it and drown himself, perhaps that would free him from this debacle. Perhaps that would free him from this damn world. This world he now hated. This world that hated him. Then, he noticed something flying in the distance…a…a giant bat? Momo? Aang's pet seemed to be chasing an owl with a small package in it's claws. Draco snorted. That thing was a nuisance.

"Something amusing Draco?" Clavicula's melodic voice inquired, amusedly.

Draco scowled. Still staring out the window, he replied, "Your stupidity."

"Tsk, tsk Draco. Flattery will get you nowhere." Clavicula responded, his eyes going from Draco, to a parchment that floated next to him, a quill wrote furiously on it, unsupported.

Zuko stared at the parchment warily. The parchment that seemed to be writing on itself. It's magic…just magic… Zuko thought to himself. "Why won't you just let us GO!" Zuko said angrily.

Clavicula stared at Zuko for a moment, and in that moment, the quill stopped. Then Clavicula smiled, and the quill roared on once again. "I'm afraid I can't do that…Lee."

Zuko was put off by how skeptically Clavicula said his 'name'. How much did this guy know?

Zuko started slowly, "What…do we have to do to get out of here? I've had enough having to see Malfoy's face."

"Well, I could blind you if you'd like." Draco muttered still staring out at Momo.

Zuko scoffed. "Trust me, in a fight, you wouldn't stand a chance." He walked over to a chair and sat, crossing his arms.

Draco chuckled. "I'd be more than willing to take you up on it when you're finished TALKING about it."

Zuko turned slowly, "Really? Have you actually ever fought before? From what I heard, your more in the business of letting others fight for you…then cowering when it really matters."

Draco's eyes turned to slits, "I've done things that would shock you." He said quietly, still staring out the window. Reminded of the last time he had uttered that sentence…the consequences.

"Hmm…trouble in paradise I see." Clavicula uttered, interrupting their little cat fight.

Zuko made a kind of growling sound.

"Gentlemen…I wonder, not to break up this little pissing contest you've got going on, but perhaps you could show me these shocking actions and spectacular altercations you've apparently been a part of."

"Perhaps you could eat me." Zuko muttered. He'd been in this world for too long, talking like that.

"Ah…so perhaps neither of you have accomplished any of these magnificent feats you claim… or maybe your just too afraid to face them."

Draco laughed, "Spare me the psycho babble. Challenging my manhood isn't going to make me talk."

Clavicula smirked. "I see, so I guess we'll just spend another 5 hours in this room. Perhaps you'll both kill each other and I can go home earlier." The boys glared at him, he continued, "Look, it's quite obvious that you both have experienced some terrible things…Draco, your trauma is quite well publicized actually. I expect it will become part of magical history…" Clavicula looked at Draco out the side of his eye, gauging whether his tactic had worked. The boy was staring down at the floor, looking like he wanted to cry and fighting the tears desperately, he had him now. Clavicula sealed the deal, " My point, gentlemen, is that it couldn't hurt to start exploring these things now…before they destroy you."

Zuko opened his mouth, about to refuse Clavicula again, when Draco burst out, "Why should I tell you! You don't understand! No one understands! You think I'm just as guilty as everyone else! You lived through the war! You know what my family did! For generations, students will be learning about…about…about my treachery! I'll never escape it! My family…my honor… I hope it destroys me! I WELCOME death! Anything…ANYTHING is better than living like this!"

Clavicula spoke, his tone was no longer condescending, but soft, "There's still hope Draco."

"Hope!" Draco screamed, he laughed harshly, "Hope is for Heroes! Hope is for those who have something to hope for! Hope is for Harry bloody Potter! Hope is for Granger! Do you know what my family did to her! Hope isn't for people like me! Hope is for the honorable!"

My honor…Zuko looked at Draco. Silenced by the shame, the desperation in the boy's voice. Clavicula stared at the boy but, interestingly, his eyes didn't hold contempt…but empathy.

"I'll do it. I'll show you." Clavicula and Draco whirled around and looked at Zuko. Zuko himself couldn't believe he had just said it. He had been adamantly against it only moments ago…but in seeing Draco's tortured tirade…in seeing Clavicula's understanding…he understood that Draco needed help. All the anger and disgust Zuko had held for Draco only moments ago seemed to be chipping away. If it was one thing Zuko understood…it was the hollow feeling of a man who has lost his honor.

Clavicula sat quietly for a moment. THIS was a strange new development. He had meant to get Draco worked up. He wanted Draco to be the one to open up to his memories not Zuko…Clavicula smiled. No…it was better this way.

"Alright…I'll need a memory. Whatever memory you would like to share." Clavicula flicked his wand and soon a bag came flying into the room. He opened it, a glittering platinum disk gently flew out of it and floated in the middle of the room. "This gentlemen, is my pensieve. It's a very special pensieve. I made it myself after years of research." He smiled as he watched Zuko and even Draco approach it. The pensieve itself had a haunting, calling property to it.

"I don't understand…" Zuko said, staring at his crystal clear reflection in the Pensieve bowl. "I thought I was just supposed to tell you about the memory. Why do we need…this."

"Show me. Not tell me." Clavicula said quietly, looking at the boy carefully.

Zuko just looked at him. Show me, tell me…what's the difference? Zuko's eyes still held that skeptical, distrusting look and yet there was something slightly pleading in them.

Clavicula walked slowly over to him and pulled out his wand. Zuko took half a fighting stance. Clavicula held his hands up, "Whoa. I'm not going to hurt you, Lee. This is a pensieve. You take the memory out of your mind, using the wand, then put the memory in the pensieve. It allows us to see what you have seen, you understand. If you like, you could take the memory out yourself, using your wand."

Zuko was highly confused. How? How could they be able to see into his mind? Zuko was wary of letting Clavicula anywhere near his mind with one of those sticks. "Eh…" Zuko could feel the stick in his pocket, his stick. He had never really touched it and yet, he didn't feel right when it wasn't near him. Zuko couldn't put his finger on it, but he needed to ensure nothing would happen to it. To this stick, that had no real value. This stick that he had an absurd attachment to. "No… you're the healer right? You do it." Zuko finished, staring straight into Clavicula's eyes. For the first time, Clavicula straightened…uncomfortably. Zuko would just have to trust him.

"Alright." Clavicula replied, recovering. The boy had fire in his eyes. And not like the expression. Flames. Clavicula smiled inwardly, no…it was definitely better this way. Clavicula approached the boy, slowly he placed his wand to the boy's temple and yet…the boy didn't flinch. He had his eyes closed, as if he was concentrating, as if he expected it to hurt. "That's it. Now concentrate hard on a memory, let it fill you…"

Draco watched as Clavicula pulled the memory out of Zuko's mind. The glowing string was long…very long. As if every memory Zuko had ever had was attached to it. Draco was no stranger to the concept of the pensieve, but until now he had never really seen it. He had never known what a memory looked like. So pure.

Carefully, Clavicula dropped the memory into the pristine bowl. He looked at the boys. Zuko looked as if he was drained, exhausted. Draco stared at the bowl that was now glowing with Zuko's life.

"Gentlemen. When your ready…" Clavicula said quietly. The three men approached the pensieve and for the first time, they were equals. They all seemed to be somewhat nervous, uncertain. "Just put your faces in the pensieve." Clavicula continued.

Draco took a deep breathe. He had never agreed to this and now, it seemed like he was obligated…or fascinated. He wasn't quite sure. He looked up to see Zuko and Clavicula staring at him. Draco smirked. "I never said I wanted to do this…but if it means getting out of here…on 3. 1…2…3…

When Draco opened his eyes, he was standing next to Clavicula and Zuko in an ornate room, filled with people dressed very strangely. They were all looking down upon a scene. There was fire everywhere. Draco looked at Zuko…he looked terrified and yet…he didn't. Draco followed his eye line down to the center of the scene. A tall, almost statuesque man was walking toward a young teenage boy, who was bowing down in front of him on what looked like a dueling platform.

"You will fight for your honor, Prince Zuko!" The man demanded. The man's eye's were cruel, uncaring, as if he was enjoying this. He had fire in his eyes.

"Father please! I only had the Fire Nation's best interests at heart! I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!" The boy pleaded. Draco's eyes widened as realization had finally hit him. He looked at the boy's face, it was young…handsome…unscarred.

"Stand and fight, Prince Zuko!" He repeated. Draco's mouth fell open…this was it…this was when it happened. He looked at the spectators, he noticed a desperately sad older man standing next to a coldly amused little girl. He looked up again.

"Please Father! I am your loyal son!" The child begged.

"You WILL learn respect! And suffering will be your teacher!" The man's hands erupted in flames then flew to strike the boy. Draco turned away. He couldn't watch it… couldn't see it happen. He looked up and noticed that Clavicula too had turned away…but not Zuko. His eyes were glued on the scene. He didn't look sad, or angry…he looked like…nothing.

Nothing.

Author's Note. Hey kids. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! So I was trying to post this yesterday as a Christmas surprise, but family stuff delayed me. Anywho, so... Here we are. I'm not quite sure what to say about this. I'll leave that to you. Obviously, everyone is avoiding the debacle of last night. We are entering the back story of the Avatar gang and the HP gang is starting to get a glimpse of what they have been through. Will they be able to handle it? Is Clavicula making headway? This story has turned into something I had never intended it to be, and I'm ok with it, quite pleased with it actually. Shout outs To Laser_Lance720, I dedicate Sokka's "Hug it Out" line to you lmao! As always, thanks to my glorious beta Traviswj. Let me know what you think with a little review...or not. Later kids.