I thought I'd say this now for any nutters out there - this chapter title does not refer to skin. Thought I'd point that out.
I should comment now that the story that Talisien is going by is not his actual story - I just changed it a bit to make it fit in this fic.
----------------
Chapter Ten: Exposed
There was nothing he could do but smile as he looked around at the small group that was left. Talisien had finally split the Defense Against the Dark Arts class into groups - he ended up with four different ones in the end - and Harry was left sitting with a select group of students.
He was more than pleased that Malfoy was two classes behind them.
Draco Malfoy aside, Harry couldn't have been more impressed. Right beside him, where he knew she would stay, was Hermione. He knew that she would make it to the advanced class. Ron was beside them, and Luna was sitting right next to him. As his eyes roamed the room carefully, he knew everyone there.
Neville made the class, as well as Dean, Lavender, Pavarti, Colin and Denis Creevy, and Ginny from Gryffindor. Beyond them sat Pavarti's twin Padma with Cho Chang from Ravenclaw, and then Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones from Hufflepuff.
His grin broadened as Hermione poked him in the ribs. "Harry... notice anything as you look around you?"
"Yeah," he said back, looking to everyone still. "Everyone in this class was in the DA last year."
"Goes to show what a good teacher they had," she whispered.
It was that exact moment that the flash of green appeared before them and Talisien took a seat on the ground again, folding his hands together in front of him. Everything else remained hidden in his cloak, as always.
"I agree, Miss Granger. I believe that everyone here had an excellent teacher last year, which shows why I have selected each of you to join this advanced class." Everyone gathered looked quickly to Harry and then back to the teacher - Neville actually said 'Thanks Harry,' first - to hear what else he had to say. "Since you all have such an excellent base, this year I intend to let you study and practice things of your own choosing. Have any of you figured out why I wanted you to select three books that you thought would be best?"
No one was surprised to see Hermione's hand in the air, but most were startled when Neville also raised his hand. Talisien nodded to him first. "Because you wanted us to pick books that would match our interests in the subject?"
"Very good, Mr. Longbottom." Talisien then looked back to Hermione. "Anything else?"
"Well, not really an answer to your question, but I wanted to know if there was any chance we could see some of the books that the elves have written on the subject of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Talisien stood slowly and turned his back on the group of students. "Defense against elven dark arts - or what is more commonly called majiks - would be of no use to any of you. All of our arts deal with the elven way of doing magics, and you would gain nothing but useless knowledge from them." There was a pause, and then Talisien appeared behind Hermione. "However, if you wish to read them anyway, I'm sure it can be arranged later."
"Thank you sir."
Once Talisien was at the front again, he motioned for everyone to stand. "Now, as we are a smaller group than the others, I think it would be best to rid ourselves of the formalities. Any objections?"
"You'd be calling us by our first names?"
"Yes, Pavarti, that I would. I believe in your case it makes sense especially, given that if I call Miss Patil I would receive two answers all year." He then clapped his hands together and nodded. "Right, everyone pull out the books that you have. Who here knows what they're going to be studying this year?"
"Before we get to that, sir, can I ask you a question?"
"You may always ask a question, Hermione. I will not always guarantee an answer, though."
Hermione stepped passed Harry so she was a little closer to the Professor, and Harry could see she had a large smile on her face. "May I see the Quintali, please? You still carry it, right?"
"What's the Quintali?" Neville asked almost right away.
"I know that quintons are what remain after fairies fade away," Luna pointed out helpfully. "But I've never heard of the Quintali."
"Few who still live have," Talisien admitted slowly. He then brought his hands up to the edge of the hood of his cloak and, with a deep breath, pulled the hood back.
A collective gasp went up from the group of students as they saw the face of their teacher for the first time. Aside from his ruffled brown hair and equally brown eyes, he had the telltale pointed ears of the elves and the tight, almost withdrawn looking face. That wasn't what really stood out in their minds, though.
It was the three long, deep scars on his left cheek.
Talisien brought his hand up to the side of his face and ran his fingers along the scars found there. "These are from a battle long ago, from before this school was even founded. These scars are a constant reminder to me. I received them in my first battle against the Dark Arts. My father did not survive that battle." There was a silence for a long time as no one dared to even breathe, and then he continued. "Yes, Hermione, I still carry the Quintali. I will not, however, show it to you at this time."
"What spell caused those wounds, sir?"
Talisien turned to look to Ginny for a moment before turning back to Harry suddenly. "What spell caused your scar, Harry?"
As much as he hated being the centre of attention thanks to his lightning bolt scar, he knew this was one time when he couldn't actually object. "The Avada Kedavra curse." He lifted his bangs to show the scar before going on. "But I thought I was the only one to have ever survived it."
"You are, Harry." Talisien then turned to Neville. "What curse do you fear the most, Neville?"
"The Cruciatus Curse, sir," Neville answered nervously.
"Cho, what colour is the Cruciatus Curse?"
"I didn't think it had a colour, actually, sir."
"Harry?"
Harry's mind flashed with searing pain suddenly as he remembered being struck with the curse at the end of his fourth year. He remembered the pain vividly... but the colour of the curse? He thought even harder, and remembered casting it himself against Bellatrix Lestrange at the end of last year. Still... no colour.
"It has no colour."
"Good. Now, who can tell me how they would classify these curses?"
"Talisien, what does this have to do with your scars?" Hermione asked logically.
"Give it time, Hermione. How would you classify them?"
"They are two of the three Unforgivable Curses."
"Would anyone say that they are evil?"
There was a collective nod from the class, and then Susan Bones spoke up. "I don't think there is any spell that is more evil. Even Dementors pale next to those two curses."
"Ten points to Hufflepuff, then." Talisien then put the hood to his cloak back up and turned back to Ginny. "These scars were caused by a dark elf with a majikal hand. They rake from my face down to my hip."
"Then why were you asking about the two Unforgivables?"
"This is a class, isn't it?"
"Sir, didn't you mention in our Care of Magical Creatures class that elves have incredible healing powers? That most injuries regenerated within hours, if not faster?" Lavender pointed out.
"If I had been human, then I would have died." He then paused as he looked up suddenly, as though listening for something. "It appears that classes are over for this afternoon. Tomorrow, I want you all here right after lunch. The rest of your afternoon after class is over will be free." He vanished instantly, only to reappear next to the large double doors. "Oh, and one hundred fifty points to Gryffindor courtesy of Miss Hermione Granger. I just ask you not to tell anyone else my last name yet. Others may also be inspired to do some readings on the history of elves."
------------------
"C'mon, Hermione, lighten up!" Ron said in a loud voice as he lifted his butterbeer mug into the air to another toast to her. The Gryffindor Common Room was full of students, all either enjoying snacks, laughing at practical jokes courtesy of a certain joke shop, or sitting around laughing with friends. "This party's for you, after all!"
"I know that, Ron!" Hermione said hotly. "But that doesn't excuse the fact that it is almost midnight and we all have classes tomorrow! And we are both prefects! We have to wrap this up before McGonagall comes!"
"But Hermione, you're bound to get into the next edition of Hogwarts: A History at this rate! You earned the most amount of house points at once ever awarded!"
"Harry'll be in it before I am, Ron," Hermione said, looking away from him. "Speaking of which, where is he, anyway?"
"I think he said something about finishing a Potion's essay so he could sleep in tomorrow," Ron said with a shrug. "And I couldn't even talk him out of it."
He could have at least said good night... Hermione sighed as she went over to the staircase leading up to the girls' dormitories. "Well, Ron, this party's on your head, now! I'm going to bed!"
"'Mione!" She froze at the loud whisper close to her, and then she spun around to find Harry poking his head around the staircase, as though hoping not to be seen. "Good job today. Sleep well, alright?"
Hermione smiled broadly and would have hugged him if she thought she could without drawing attention to him. As it was, she didn't want anyone else to notice and interrupt his homework time. "Thanks. You too."
"I'll try." With that, he pulled back and she heard - despite the noise in the common room - him sneaking back up stairs. With a smile on her own face at the fact that he cared enough to say goodnight first, she turned and went up on her own.
--------------------
On the other side of Gryffindor Tower, Harry lay awake in his four poster bed, his essay lying forgotten on his desk. He just wanted the party downstairs to end... he needed to get out, get out of the common room, get out of the tower. He needed to clear his head, and it wasn't going to happen the way things were right now.
He had the bracelet that Kailyn had given him in his hands, turning it over and over again. The gold glinted in the faint moonlight, and he brought it a little closer to inspect the runes on the inside. As he expected, he couldn't make any of them out.
Harry brought his hands down to his side and rolled over very quickly to fake sleep when the door to the room he shared opened suddenly. He heard the laughter of Neville, Dean, and Seamus, and then heard Ron snapping at them to keep it down because Harry was asleep. He'd have to remember to thank Ron later for that... somehow.
It seemed to take forever for the four other boys to fall asleep. By the time Ron's familiar snores had started, he was sure it was almost one in the morning. Slowly, so as not to attract any attention of the light sleeper Dean, he sat up on his bed and swung his feet down.
Carefully and quietly he pulled out an old piece of parchment and covered himself in his invisibility cloak. Opening the parchment up, he withdrew his wand as he put the bracelet in his pocket. He then tapped the parchment and muttered under his breath. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Lines of ink and little dots spread out from the centre of the parchment rapidly. It always amazed him to watch the ink come to life as it took hold of the 'bit of spare parchment.' As soon as it had stopped spreading, more words formed at the top of it. "The Marauder's Map."
With a grin, he stood up and slipped out of the room, keeping his eyes on the parchment to make sure no one else was around. When he slipped out the portrait hole, he stopped and looked more carefully at the map. Two little dots were in the Great Hall, moving very quickly back and forth across the large room. One was labelled 'Talisien,' and the other 'Kailyn.' He looked back to the Gryffindor Tower, and found that Kailyn was, in fact, not there, despite what he had assumed earlier.
Knowing full well the trouble he could get in for being caught - and knowing full well that if there was ever a teacher who would be able to see right through an invisibility cloak, it would have to be the Wanderer - he started to head for the Great Hall anyway. His curiousity was peaked, and there was no getting around it.
He started to slow down as he got a little closer. It was quite late, and it didn't make much sense for a first year to be up still. Kailyn should have been exhausted after the long party and the full day. His mind stopped working when he heard the sound of metal scrapping on metal, followed by a crash.
Abandoning all reason, he ran down the hall and stopped just before the Great Hall, ducking next to one of the open doors so he could peek in. He made sure his invisibility cloak was covering him completely, and then looked inside carefully.
It took him a moment to register the fact that Talisien had a longsword in hand and was attacking Kailyn with it. She met his charge with two shorter swords, and spun around for her own counter attack. As she started to swing inwards, Talisien vanished, only to appear behind her instead.
Again, Talisien attacked, and this time Kailyn rolled forward onto the ground and then flitted out of sight momentarily as she moved even further forward. She was on her feet in an instant and launched herself at the older elf with both swords ready.
She knocked aside his longsword with one of her shorter ones and brought her other blade in to attack the defenseless elf. As much as Harry wanted to cry out, he found his voice had left him as he watched.
He must have blinked, because somehow Talisien had a hold of both of Kailyn's swords with his own and spun them around quickly. With a swift kick, Kailyn was sent flying and crashed into one of the tables.
The Wanderer didn't stop to make sure she was alright, though. Instead, he turned his back on her and walked away. "Do not ever make that assumption, Kai," he heard Talisien say in a very soft voice. "When fighting anyone with skill, an opening is never just an opening."
"I know, I know," she grumbled as she pulled herself to her feet and steadied herself. "Again." She brought her swords to a ready position and attacked again. Talisien took several steps back as she attacked over and over again. The silver of the longsword was nothing but a blur as he managed to parry each attack in succession, and then struck hard at the hilt of one of her steel swords.
When the two separated, Kailyn was down to one short sword, and Talisien was standing over the other one, holding his blade ready. "You're mine, Oak," she whispered.
"In your dreams, Palada."
There was another flash of silver, and then Harry gasped as a splash of blood dripped to the floor. Kailyn's other sword fell to the ground with a clatter, and she clutched desperately at her injured shoulder with her other hand. A white light surrounded her hand moments later, and when she removed it, the flesh beneath her hand had stitched back together - though the clothing had not.
Talisien sheathed his sword in a fluent motion and picked up both her blades and offered them to her as he knelt before her. "You did well tonight. Just don't lose your head... you can't expect to be able to fight and not think about it."
"I know, don't worry. 'Keep a clear mind, and everything else will follow,' right?"
"Atta girl." Talisien then stood up as she took the blades back. Harry missed the motion where she sheathed the blades, but he assumed that the sheathes must be either invisible or hidden very well. He never would have known she had them otherwise. "Now, I suggest you run along back to your room. At least one student knows you are awake." He then turned and looked right in Harry's direction. "That is a very good cover, Harry, but you are breathing a little loud."
"Mischief managed," he whispered quickly, tapping the parchment again as he pulled his cloak off slowly. He gave a weak smile to Kailyn as she passed him, and she grinned back and took off down the hall, vanishing from sight almost instantly. He looked up as Talisien appeared next to him. "Sorry, sir, I wasn't meaning to..."
"Did you learn anything, Harry?"
Harry stopped and looked up to the taller elf in surprise. "You aren't mad that I'm out of bed and spying on you?"
"Should I be?" Talisien chuckled. "I will be, I suppose, if you didn't learn anything. I am your teacher, after all."
"Well, I learned that you can both do things with a sword that I could never have imagined," Harry admitted. "Mind you, few people talk about swords these days anyway."
"They certainly talk about one sword, though," Talisien pointed out. "Rumour has it that the ruby encrusted sword with Godric Gryffindor written across the blade was used by you to kill a Basilisk, after all." Harry didn't reply - somehow he knew it wasn't necessary. "You are the first full human in over five hundred years to see the Quintali, Harry."
"I... I am?" he asked in surprise.
"I wouldn't mention it to anyone, though," Talisien added. "Especially not Hermione. She might be a bit upset that she hasn't seen it herself. That, and I expect she would not be pleased with you being out of bed so late."
"Probably not," Harry said with a grin. He had been chewed out by Hermione before for sneaking around the castle, so he knew that was an understatement. He doubted she would find out this time, though. "How did you know it was me, by the way? You just said you heard me breathing..."
"Everyone breaths a little differently, Harry, and one who is trained properly can tell everyone apart in more ways than you could ever imagine." The tall elf then turned and looked back to the Great Hall for a moment before returning his gaze to Harry. "Let's walk and talk, Harry." As the two made their way down the corridors slowly towards Gryffindor Tower, the elf continued. "Did you know that I used to have a sister?"
"No..." Harry said slowly. "What happened to her?"
"What happened to your godfather, Harry?"
Harry fell silent at once. It was one of the first times he had thought about Sirius in quite some time - at least, the first time that he felt guilty about it for some time. "I got him killed."
"Then you know what happened to Karada, I suppose," Talisien said. There was a long silence as the two walked. "I left my village when I was very young... in human terms, it would be about at your age now, I believe. Anyway, after I left, she came after me, to ask me to come to her wedding. She was killed by a force that I eventually ended."
"That wasn't your fault, though," Harry pointed out. "You didn't make her leave the village to find you."
"And you didn't make Sirius leave Grimmauld Place to rescue you."
"Does the pain of guilt ever go away, Talisien?"
The elf sighed and stopped. "It hasn't yet, and it's been more years than most can count," he admitted. "But it does lessen a little with the passage of time. I wasn't at fault... but it still feels like it sometimes."
"I hear that."
Talisien started walking again and Harry had to hurry to catch up. "I met Fey a little while after that. I didn't really want to travel with her - my mission was a dangerous one, after all. Self imposed, but dangerous nonetheless. I didn't want to bring harm to anyone else. I just had to bring an end to the dark forces that I was chasing."
"Kailyn told me that Fey's known as the Fire Elf," Harry said. "So it sounds like she could have taken care of herself, right?"
"Indeed. But that didn't make it any easier. After a few years of travelling together, four others joined us. The six of us eventually brought down a Dark Lord of our own, Harry, but I almost made a fatal mistake several times."
"What?" Harry asked. "Dark Lord? What fatal mistake?"
"I almost let Fey go." Harry wasn't sure how he was supposed to answer that, so again he stayed silent. "She wanted to stay with me... actually, she stuck with me because she loved me. I almost missed that entirely, and then when I thought it could be true, I tried to push her away. I had a terrible burden on my shoulders, Harry. A burden you may be aware of yourself."
"I doubt you were the only one alive who could kill the Dark Lord."
Talisien chuckled for a moment. "You'd be surprised, actually. No, there wasn't a prophecy. But the Quintali chose me as its master, and only this blade could bring down the High Daemon." He looked down to Harry and put a hand on his shoulder. "I was the only one who could defeat him. Just as you are the only one who can defeat Voldemort, the new Dark Lord."
"So how was pushing Fey aside a near fatal mistake? You were protecting her, weren't you?"
"I was, yes..." Talisien said slowly. "But she would have been in more danger if I had managed to push her away. She would have fought alone, then, just to catch up with me, just to help me. She also managed to delay the High Daemon in my final attack, which let my strike land. Without her help, I would have died."
"Why are you telling me all this, sir?"
Talisien looked down to the younger student for a moment, and then back up again down the corridor ahead of them. "Kailyn told me an interesting story tonight, Harry. A story that sounded vaguely familiar to one that I, myself, lived at one point. A story about you, Harry Potter, and about one Hermione Granger. A story about the two of you and your friends."
"I won't lose her to him, Talisien," Harry said fiercely. "I will not let him take Hermione. Everyone I get close to dies because of him... I'm not making that mistake again." He then looked up to his professor again. "I will not put anyone else in danger for my own desires."
"What does she desire, Harry?"
"Why are you taking such an interest in a student's love life, anyway?"
"Why did you come to watch Kailyn and I practicing?"
"You're simply avoiding the question."
"So are you."
Harry threw up his hands in defeat and grumbled to himself as they continued to walk along the corridors. He was vaguely aware of the fact that the entrance to Gryffindor Tower was coming up quickly. "I was curious. I wanted to see what you two were doing."
"I will not ask how you knew we were there," Talisien said. "But if you would like, I could arrange for Kailyn to train you some with the sword. It might help you take your mind off things for a while."
"With everything else I'm doing, I doubt I could find the time. Besides, nothing can take my mind of some things..."
"You'd be amazed what can happen when you are threatened by a sword. Everything else seems far away for the few moments when you are fighting. And Kailyn and I found the time. You could do the same... just a little earlier. It would be good for both of you." He then stopped and motioned to the portrait of the Fat Lady. "This would be your stop for the night, Harry. In answer to your question... you remind me of someone I once was."
Harry didn't have a chance to reply before the Wanderer had vanished again.
-------------------
Until the sun sets upon a broken world...
The Shadows
-->