Chapter 12
The rest of their days at Avalon were spent helping Harry practice leaping with multiple people. For safety reason they all decided to leap in stages. Harry practiced leaping three people, including himself, within Avalon first. The first attempt went a bit wild and instead of the garden that Harry pictured in his mind, he, Hermione and Ron ended up in loo on the third floor next to Ron and Harry's room. Lucky for them the loo was large enough to accommodate three people.
"Now you see why I need to practice with simple places first instead of going straight to Fincayra with you two in tow."
Hermione and Ron didn't say a word. Ron knew he was a bit disappointed that Harry decided to practice with places close in proximity first rather that going straight to Fincayra. He felt a bit jealous that Hermione was able to see the place before him. He knew that their relationship was special, but bloody hell, so was theirs. He swallowed his disappointment and tried to be supportive with Harry's attempt.
"Mate, maybe you need to go to the loo that's why we're ended up here?" Harry glared at him and chuckled after seeing the humor in their situation.
"No, I think I wasn't picturing the garden hard enough, maybe focusing on the fountain in the middle of the garden was not a good idea. There must have been confusion with the water source that's why we ended up here."
"Are you sure it wasn't your sub-conscious mind telling you that you need to go the loo?" asked Ron again.
"I don't think so, Ron."
"Will you stop it with the loo, Ron. Is it maybe because you need to go?" Hermione asked exasperated.
"No, do you?" Ron asked.
"No. Will you try again Harry?" He nodded and took both their hands and closed his eyes.
He imagined the beautiful flowers and the white gazebo that stood at the corner of one side of the garden. He imagined the sun shining brightly outside and the sounds of the birds tweeting about. Within a few seconds the three of them were engulfed in the familiar darkness and motion as they traveled to their destination.
"Wicked!" was the first words that came out of Ron's mouth when the three of them materialized in the gazebo.
"I knew you could do it Harry," Hermione praised him and kissed him on the lips.
"Wow, Harry. That was much better than traveling by potkey and even better than floo. Do you want to try to take us back now?"
"Sure. I'm glad you enjoyed it Ron. I just wish there was a place that was closer than Fincayra that we could leap to first."
"Well, why don't you try leaping us to Hogwarts? It's closer than Fincayra and safe enough," Hermione suggested.
"Sure. You can try to take us to the Gryffindor tower," seconded Ron.
"Okay. I guess it would be okay." He closed his eyes and pictured the old castle. He could see the towers, the paintings that line the wall. He saw the moving staircases and they were off again traveling through the vast expanse of darkness.
When they opened their eyes, they were in shock. In front of them were Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall snuggling in front of the Gryffindor common room fireplace. Their mouths simultaneously dropped open at the sight. Professor McGonagall's was no longer in a tight bun. It was instead flowing freely and in a state of disarray. She looked beautiful especially with the contented smile playing on her lips. They've also never seen Professor Dumbledore with the same smile on his face and eyes closed. They looked peaceful.
Harry's empath tuned in instantly and he felt their contentment within him. He knew then that they had deep love for one another and that they'd just sated their own physical hunger. He felt guilty prying on their private moment and turned his power instantly. He felt more awkward then than when they first saw them on the couch. He knew he could never sit on the same couch again without thinking of the two professors he admired most in a compromising position.
Dumbledore's arms held McGonagall tightly and possessively. McGonagall had her head resting on Dumbledore's shoulder and had her feet up on the couch under a throw blanket in red and gold. The three didn't want to disturb them, but they didn't know where to go, they stood silently looking at each other with blushes on their faces. As if sensing they were no longer alone, Dumbledore opened his eyes and saw six pairs of eyes on him and three mouths gaping. He didn't know who was more embarrassed, he or the children in front of him.
"Sorry, professor," Harry started and McGonagall almost jumped to the ceiling at Harry's voice had it not been for Dumbledore's arms still holding her. "We were just doing a bit of practicing."
"Quite all right, Harry. Although you caught us in a very private moment, we do appreciate you three not mentioning it to anyone." McGonagall's face blushed. They'd never seen McGonagall blush or flustered. That was the first time.
"How did they get here, Albus?" asked McGonagall finally finding her voice.
"Sorry, professor. We didn't mean to intrude. We didn't think anyone would be here yet," Hermione tried to explain. "Harry needed to practice leaping three people and this was the safest place we could think of as a destination."
"You're quite right in your assumption, Miss Granger. However, I wish you would have informed me of your intent." He looked at the three of them trying to look elsewhere instead of goggling at the two of them sitting comfortably on the couch. "But, I fear it was also our fault for reminiscing of old times in our favorite room in Hogwarts."
The three of them were surprised. They knew that both professors were from Gryffindor, but they didn't think the old common room would have been their favorite places in the whole school. Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled with amusement at their sudden wariness.
"Don't be too surprised and rest assured that we'd just arrived here a few minutes before you did," he told them as if he knew what they were thinking about being in the couch. "We just like to relax here and think of the days past and the future."
Harry was relieved that they didn't actually do anything he was thinking on the common room couch. He wasn't sure at first since all he was able to sense was their satisfaction.
"Sorry, professor. We just didn't think you visited the common rooms anymore." Ron answered for the three of them.
"Well, now you do. So, tell me about your practicing"
The awkwardness forgotten, the three teens related what they'd been doing excitedly. Dumbledore and McGonagall were amused and amazed at what Harry's accomplished. Dumbledore was especially proud and though Harry had turned off his empath powers, the pride Dumbledore felt for him was so strong that it seeped through a bit enough for him to open up for him. It seemed Dumbledore wanted him to open up and feel whatever it was that he was feeling for him. Not only did he feel the pride for him, but also he'd felt the love for him. He realized that Dumbledore loved him as family and all his actions in the past were done for his protection, his love for him and his fear of losing him. He wasn't quite sure what to think of this new knowledge, but he knew he'd do well to accept it unconditionally.
They spent almost an hour talking about what they've learned from their training and what they expect from the new term. McGonagall told them how very proud of them she was, which was quite a shock to Hermione. She'd never given her compliments so freely and with so much affection before. Her praises were always so restrained and very rare. She told them how much she was looking forward to having them as Head boy, head girl and prefect.
Harry also indulged Dumbledore and McGonagall with a little leaping practice by leaping them from the Gryffindor common room to the headmaster's office and back. He'd been quite proud of himself for accomplishing such a feat without errors. McGonagall enjoyed her little trip tremendously. She'd told him how much more pleasant it was to leap than apparating. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with excitement. He was both proud and fearful of what else Harry was capable of. He'd had up to date status from Merlin, but he and Merlin knew that Harry had not yet reached his total potential.
After their prolonged visit to Hogwarts, Dumbledore told them to go back to Avalon before Remus starts to worry when they wouldn't show up for dinner. Harry had asked permission for the seven of them to leap to Hogwarts instead of taking the Hogwarts express. He reasoned it would be his final test at leaping and that they would do it the day before everyone arrived. Dumbledore pointed out one flaw in their plans, it would work for the six of them except for Draco, who would be expected to appear at King's Cross to make an appearance for his father and that as Head Boy and Head Girl, they were expected to lead their peers as their responsibility started at the train ride from King's Cross to Hogwarts.
"However," Dumbledore pointed out, "you may practice leaping to and from Hogwarts before the term starts." He was sorry to have disappointed them, but they still had to keep up appearances for their sake. If there were spies who happened to be observing the children at King's Cross, the news would go back to Voldemort that Harry Potter was not among the students returning to Hogwarts. Although it sounded as if it may be a great plan, they would only cause Voldemort's search to become aggressive. He knew that the lack of activity during the holidays from Voldemort's camp was because they were planning and their plan included Harry being back at Hogwarts. If he didn't show up, Merlin knew what they would do to search the whole of Europe to make sure they knew where he was.
No, he needed to be seen going to Hogwarts. Although, he'd been secluded for the past month and a half, he knew that Voldemort's people had not been too worried since they assumed he was either at the burrow or at his relatives' home. The children's appearance at Diagon Alley confirmed his suspicions about how Voldemort was merely making sure he wasn't into hiding. After the children's appearance at Diagon Alley, his own spies reported that Voldemort was relieved at having Harry seen at Diagon Alley and that plans were being made for a final showdown between he and Harry. He knew also that their lack of activities included recruiting and Voldemort trying to regain his strength since his attempt at the galator failed previously, he was hunting for other power enhancing tools.
News had been spreading that Voldemort was in search of Excalibur, the sword that Arthur pulled out of the stone. It had been rumored to be a sword that Merlin himself found in Fincayra and brought to Britain in order to have King Arthur's destiny fulfilled. Excalibur is the sword of light, past and present. It is the sword of Kings, once and future* therefore whoever held it wields its powers.
He was also in search of Merlin's staff, which was rumored to be somewhere in England after so many years. Dumbledore knew full well that Voldemort would never find the staff nor the sword because both where either with Merlin or somewhere where no one would ever find it unless they were destined to do so, and he was not.
Dumbledore and McGonagall watch Harry, Ron and Hermione disappear in front of their eyes.
"Albus, you need to tell him the rest of his family history soon."
"I know, m'dear. But, I'll do that in the beginning of their term after they'd settled into their routine."
"You're just stalling, my love. But I understand where you are coming from." She gave him a chaste kiss on the lips and rose to go back to her chambers. "Coming?" she asked as she turned back and smiled at him and stretched out her arm in invitation.
"You need not ask. I will go anywhere you want me to go," Dumbledore chuckled as he walked towards her and placed her hands in his. They walked out through the Fat Lady's portrait and proceeded to McGonagall's private chamber.
Back at Avalon, the four who were left behind kept pacing back and forth worried. The other three had been gone for more than an hour and they were afraid something might have gone wrong. Ginny was in the process of writing Dumbledore a letter when Harry, Hermione and Ron appeared in their midst with big grins on their faces. They knew they couldn't really tell them what they'd witnessed in the common room, but they could tell them they succeeded in leaping all the way to Hogwarts.
At the sight of them, Lavender rushed forward to give Ron a fierce hug as Ginny enveloped Harry and Hermione in a group hug.
"Wow, Harry. If I get this kind of reception each time we leap, maybe we should do it more often," joked Ron knowing that Lavender had the worried look on her face just before she'd seen him and then relief took its place.
Draco and Neville went closer and the interrogation began. They asked how it felt. Ron was enthusiastically answering each question. They'd asked why they took so long and they gave them a short version of their visit at Hogwarts. They told them how Harry demonstrated leaping for Dumbledore and McGonagall. They even told them how they ended up in the loo the first time. They all laughed about it.
They all wanted a turn at leaping and Harry promised them they'd all get their turn before they head back for Hogwarts. They decided to eat dinner instead and then give leaping another try after.
It didn't take Harry long to master leaping with four, five, six and then seven. Each practice run was first done with a short distance and then Hogwarts and then Fincayra. Each time Harry was at Fincayra with the others they'd rummaged through Arbassa to no avail. They couldn't find the songs.
The night before they had to go back to Hogwarts, Harry leapt all seven of to Fincayra after spending an hour going through the halls of Hogwarts with no one else present except for the staff. They visited Hagrid and stopped and chatted with only Dumbledore and McGonagall since they were the only other people aware of Harry's leaping power, from Hogwarts they went on to Fincayra.
At Merlin's insistence, they explored part of Druma Woods. He told them to take a break and go outside and relax a bit. He told them it would do well for them to do so to restore their energies into looking for the songs. He knew that their systematic way of looking for the songs wasn't helping Harry a bit, so he needed them to relax, for Harry to relax.
Draco was in awe when he met Merlin, but was more so after he looked around Druma woods. He'd never thought himself a nature kind of guy, but there he was savoring the splendor of Mother Nature herself. He held Ginny close as they sat under one of the various trees. They snogged a bit and just sat and looked at all the different animals that passed them by. He still had his doubts about his destiny, but he was afraid of finding out that his doubts were true. He held Ginny tight and hoped that everything would work out for the best.
Ron and Lavender did about the same thing. Mostly snogged. Hermione and Harry chose another tree and sat talking, snogged a bit and enjoyed the world of Druma Woods.
Neville, on the other hand, was like a child at Christmas. He'd always been extra good at Herbology and seeing all the different type of plants before him was so exciting that he'd almost peed in his pants. He walked around trying to identify all the plants, but most of the plants he'd seen stumped him. He just stared at the vivid colors around him and the different shapes of the leaves, different shapes of flowers and fruits.
Merlin watched him and watched his face changed in wonder and awe. He knew about him and his parents and knew also that he was part of the circle of seven because of other reasons apart from his destiny.
Merlin looked at Harry again and his heart warmed at the sight of him. He was also saddened because he knew that there was a chance he could lose him. Even with his second sight, he couldn't foresee what the future held for Harry. The future was just blank when he tried to look into Harry's. It made him afraid to have to put him in the middle of war, but he knew better than to try to alter destiny. He knew that fate moves everyone, but that everyone still chooses to live out their destiny, but is also aware that if one change in destiny, it changes all. He looked at the seven of them so serene and full of love and innocence. He hoped that part of that innocence would remain in tact even after the war was over.
*From the Lost Years of Merlin series.
A/N: Well, there's that. Hope you all enjoyed the little tidbit with Dumbledore and McGonagall. I was debating whether I should put it in or not, and decided to put it in. Hope I didn't disappoint anyone terribly.