Author's Note: I know I usually put these at the end (or try to), but this is important, and has to do with my regular updates. I regret to say this, but there will be no update next Thursday. This is for the very simple reason that I will be away as of Sunday, and won't be returning until two Sundays later. In fact, that sounds like there won't be an update for even longer... possibly two Thursdays... but I will try to get something posted before that. Chapters 38 and 39 are longer than any other chapter thus far, incidentally, and aren't done yet. Chapter 37 is almost done now, but we'll see when I manage to finish it and get it posted.
As a gift (and possibly a bribe to keep from getting a mob with flaming pitchforks chasing after me...) I am posting the prologue to the sequel at the same time as putting this up. The prologue is basically a recap of this entire fic (yes, that includes the unposted/unwritten chapters, so there are a few spoilers there...), but it a promise from me to all you readers that there will be a sequel, without question.
Also, a few people have asked about my novels recently - in particular the novel including Talisien. I've made the decision to put it online recently, in my own yahoo group. If anyone wishes to join the group, you are more than welcome! I will warn anyone now, however, that the Talisien in that story is not the exact same as the Talisien here - it is more than a thousand years earlier, and on a completely different planet, after all...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/immortalshadows/
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Chapter Thirty Six: The Oaken Shield
*I still think he should have let us bring the cloak with us,* Hermione purred to Harry as they crept along the empty nighttime corridors back to Gryffindor tower. *If we get caught by Filch or anyone else, then we'll be in so much trouble! We could be expelled for this, you know?*
*Relax,* Harry purred into her ear as he darted across a set of stairs into another shady alcove. Once settled, he motioned for her to follow, and they both pulled themselves in to avoid being seen by the Fat Friar, who appeared to be out for a late night stroll. *We've done this enough times now not to worry about it.*
*Honestly, don't you think I know that?* she hissed back to him as they started walking silently again. *Still, if we get caught, we won't be able to say what we were doing...*
They had both come from a late night lesson with Talisien, something that had been an almost regular occurrence for the last couple of weeks. Ron and Luna had been missing for almost a month by now, and they had almost no word on their whereabouts yet. It was perhaps only thanks to the fact that Talisien tired them out so effectively that they slept at all now.
*This is part of the training too, Mia,* Harry reminded her gently as he tipped a statue down a flight of stairs. Wordlessly, they both slipped closer to their common room as Filch tore passed them shouting after Peeves, despite the fact that the poltergeist was on the other side of the castle that night... *We won't be able to do Ron and Luna any good if we can't sneak through Hogwarts at least. We'll have to sneak in to save them, too, right?*
*I know,* Hermione admitted, smiling to herself at how casual their stealing through the castle after curfew had become. While part of her was still hating the fact that they were, without question, breaking the rules, the rest of her thrived on the fact that they were learning elven techniques as a counter to it. *What would we say if we were caught?*
*Simple,* Harry said with a grin to her. *We were out for a late night snog, and lost track of the time.* He ducked her swatting at him, and tore off down the corridor to end up in front of the Fat Lady. *Besides, I'm hoping he'll be able to figure out my magics soon... it's driving me crazy now that you actually managed to ask about them,* he added once they were safely inside and upstairs in their bed. Neither bothered changing their clothes first, and would deal with them in the morning instead.
She kissed him lightly on the lips and then snuggled in next to him, resting her head on his chest. *It's important,* she explained. *I've never heard of someone being able to cast spells at random without a wand. I mean, wandless magics are one thing, but they don't usually use incantations or anything like that...*
*Yeah, well, not all of my wandless stuff does either, right?* he pointed out. *I can't cast a simple Protego without my wand yet, but I can summon things to me? And then with Malfoy...* Apparently, the reason Talisien had shown up so suddenly during the Malfoy cursing incident more than a month ago now was because he had felt some strange magics. It ended up that, although his wand was in his hand, Harry hadn't used it at all, and instead had simply shot a burst of energy at Malfoy that blasted him backwards. *Look, like I said before we left, can we talk in the morning?*
*I know, I know...* Hermione said with a grin. *You're tired.*
*Hey, getting an arm broken and healed over and over again in a night is hard on a guy!*
*Yeah, and doing the healing's not much better, though I guess it takes out of both of us anyway,* she admitted. *I love you, Harry.*
He sighed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her a little closer to him so he could breath in her scent. *I know, Mione.*
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"Isn't morning post usually midway through breakfast?" Dean asked, leaning across the table to grab at a plate of flapjacks.
"Yeah," Harry said with a shrug as he poured a couple of goblets of pumpkin juice, handing one deftly to Hermione before picking up his own. He'd have poured for the others around them, too, but they already had their drinks. "Why?"
"There's a bird flying around in the rafters, and has been ever since I got here," Dean explained, pointing up. "I think he's waiting for someone."
Harry didn't bother looking up as he started to eat, but Hermione did. It was more her gasp that made Harry look up, but all he saw was an ordinary brown owl with an odd yellow ribbon tied to one leg.
"What is it?"
No sooner had Dean asked than the owl started spiralling downwards, stopping right in front of Hermione. Rather than actually settle down on the table, it kept beating its wings slowly to stay at the same level while sticking its leg out for Hermione to take the letter from it.
She took it quickly and the owl took off before she had a chance to say anything. Rather than be surprised by this fact, however, she seemed to actually expect it. She met Harry's curious glance, and nodded subtly to him, at which point he looked to those on the other side of Hermione, and those across the table. Given that they were all DA members, they seemed to get the hint that Hermione wanted a touch of privacy to read the letter, and they all looked away and started talking with others.
*It's from a little beetle,* she purred softly so no one else could hear her. Harry nodded and put an arm around her so he could read the letter at the same time she did.
Hermione (and in all likelihood Harry, too):
Despite my best attempts, I had no choice but to write an article for today's Daily Prophet about the two of you getting together. I wanted to apologise in advance for it, however. If I didn't seem eager to write it, then I probably would have lost my job, and I'm needed at the paper right now for important reasons you are both aware of.
That said, they are using my article dealing with a lead on the kidnappings as front page material (sorry, the lead didn't go anywhere, I checked first). This means that news of you and Harry are together is second page news - be thankful I managed to convince them to put the kidnapping on the front page. I've kept it as tasteful as I could without raising suspicions, but you will likely hear about it for a while.
I'm sorry about your friends, and I'm doing all I can from this end to try and find them, as is everyone else you saw the other night.
Rita Skeeter, Correspondent for the Daily Prophet
Harry took a deep breath and pulled the witch in his arms a little closer to her as he closed his eyes. "This isn't going to be good, is it?" he asked in a whisper.
"It could be worse," she admitted, though she was shaking just a little too. "At least it's not front page this time..." She then looked at him carefully. "We're going to have to read the front page first anyway."
"Even a false lead might shed some light on things," he pointed out as he released her and turned back to his food. The breakfast that had seemed like such a good idea earlier now held no interest for him at all, and he found himself wishing for the post owls to get a move on. Beside him, Hermione didn't seem to be eating much either.
A few minutes later brought everyone back to normal conversations again. Dean, Ginny, and Lavender all noticed the subdued responses from Harry and Hermione, and did their beset to hide that fact from everyone else, despite not knowing what was going on.
When the post finally arrived, Harry caught Dean's copy of the Prophet as Hermione took her own. Rather than read it, however, he tossed it over to Ginny. "You'll want to read that front page," he offered quietly. He then looked back to Dean. "You can get it back when she's done, but she'll need to see that now."
Although part of him was pleased by the fact that no one in the DA would argue with any request he made these days, most of him was actually a bit upset by that. If they wouldn't question him, how were they supposed to be able to lead themselves if and when the time came? It was an issue he'd have to take up at the next DA meeting, along with a few other things that had been on his mind lately.
For her part, Hermione read the front page out loud.
Two Hogwarts Students Still Missing
by special Correspondent for the Daily Prophet, Rita Skeeter
After receiving a tip late yesterday evening about a possible location for the hiding place of Ronald Weasley (sixth year Gryffindor Prefect and youngest son of Ministry Employee Arthur Weasley) and Luna Lovegood (fifth year Ravenclaw student and only daughter of the owner of the Quibbler), a team of Aurors were immediately set out under the instruction of lead Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Some were skeptical putting Shacklebolt in charge of the Aurors during Amelia Bones's absence as she fills in as interm Ministress of Magic, but his decisive decisions and quick thinking are things of legend amongst many of the other Aurors, likening him to the level of Alastor Moody before his paranoia sent him over the edge.
The tip ended up being more of a trap, leading the group of six Aurors into the middle of some sort of training grounds for apparent Death Eaters, or at least for followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It is only thanks to the quick thinking of Shacklebolt and the ingenious use of portkeys used as weapons did they all survive, though one Nymphadora Tonks - female Auror for the past eight years - did sustain a minor injury that sent her to St. Mungo's to have the bones of her left leg regrown.
When questioned later, Shacklebolt did not appear to have time to offer comments on what went wrong, and how the aurors were led into such a trap.
For more information on the carriers of the aurors who followed the tip, please see pages 6 through 9. For more information about the kidnapping, please see pages 10 through 12.
Aside from the relatively short write-up, there were several pictures of each of the Aurors who fought. Hermione pointed out Kingsley and Tonks quickly enough, and though one of them looked an awful lot like Lupin, he had slightly darker hair and was named, according to the description under the picture, Rom Fenyir. The others, they didn't recognise at all.
"So, Susan's aunt is intern Ministress?" Harry asked after a moment, carefully skirting the main issues of the publication. "She must be thrilled."
Whatever Hermione's response was, it was lost as Ginny slammed down her... or rather Dean's copy of the Prophet hard on the table, spilling her drink. It was not still opened on the front page, but was several pages in. Harry suspected it was about the kidnapping section.
Without a word, she stood up and stalked out of the Great Hall, all eyes following her exit. As discretely as possible, Harry pushed Colin off the bench to follow her - meaning the younger boy fell on the stone ground first - and he hoped that Colin's presence might help her some.
Despite wanting to know what was said about Hermione and him, he leaned over and took Dean's paper back, skimming through the page that dealt with Ron. It was almost completely text rather than any pictures at all, but he found the part that had upset her easily enough near the end.
Although Dumbledore and Bones both feel assured that neither victim has been killed yet, one has to wonder just how much luck is granted to any given person. When Ronald's past exploits include being knocked out by a living chess piece, nearly facing off with a giant basilisk, having his leg broken and being nearly torn in two by the escaped murderer Sirius Black, and then surviving a run in with twelve Death Eaters and only five friends (including the impressive Boy-Who-Lived), one has to ask just how much time the youngest male Weasley has before his luck will completely run out...
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"It has been thirty three days since Ron and Luna were taken in Hogsmeade," Harry said resolutely, pacing in the front of the Room of Requirement while the rest of the DA watched him silently, all attention given to him. "That is far too long by my standards, and by yours. We will rescue them both. I promise you all that - Ron and Luna will be brought back safely."
It was the same way he had started most of the meetings since it had happened, except he always changed the amount of time they had been gone. The first few meetings, he had even done it in hours instead of days, but that number was simply too high now, and was doing nothing for morale.
Ever since the battle in Hogsmeade where Harry and Hermione both felt they had done very poorly considering what they had thought they had for training, the DA meetings had changed significantly. Before, they had simply learned the spells, and talked briefly about tactics, but had never discussed actual fighting before. Though four of the members - Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny - had experience in battles before, what they had barely counted either, since they had simply run the whole time and done the best they could with what they had.
Now, the DA was actually quite a bit more dangerous. Every second practice pitted the teams against one another as training. Serious spells were used, from stunners to bludgeoning spells, and more than one rather bad injury had resulted from the duels thus far.
This meant that the healers on each team were put to the test as well - though the more serious injuries caused by one of Harry's bludgeoning spells (as no one else had been able to pull it off) could only be healed by either Hermione or going to Madame Pomfrey. It was the same spell he had struck Malfoy with in his duel before Christmas, and was now strong enough to break through an entire fireplace - meaning the damage to a human body was such that it practically turned bones to dust. It was for this reason that Harry only ever used it on arms and legs, and then only rarely anyway.
The other meetings were spent learning new spells and practicing old ones - Cho, Dean, Ginny, and Terry all seemed determined to be able to pull off Harry's Kotes bludgeoning spell, but that was really the only spell anyone had trouble with by this stage.
This day was not a normal day within the DA, though. Harry spoke to the white, green, and black team, and asked them to put their heads together for ways to sneak passed an enemy - as in the actual rescue. He had taught them all he could think of for spells, and while they still needed practice, it was time to start thinking more seriously.
The blue team, however... he hadn't spoken with them about the troubles of the DA just yet. He had exchanged words with both Denis and Padma the same day he had spoken with the others, and they had had eerily similar responses to those of their siblings. Harry couldn't fault them for their desires, and so said nothing further to them.
The fact that no one on the blue team knew why he had singled them out told him that no one had spoken about it to anyone, which was just as he had asked. He couldn't really say if that was the way he wanted it or not... if they had spoken about it, it meant that they were still able to think for themselves, but they would also have disobeyed a direct request that was a serious notion.
He'd deal with that question later.
"So, what's up, Harry?" Neville asked as he took the four of them over to the far side of the room. The Room of Requirement had been set up as a large meeting hall this time, complete with several different large round tables and dozens of chairs - far beyond any numbers that they could imagine.
"I need to talk to each of you," Harry admitted, turning back to them gravely. "And I'll offer you the same choice I did the others - would you rather we do this in front of everyone else, or individually?"
"Just what it is you're going to do?" Neville pressed before anyone could offer an answer to his question.
Harry sighed and sat down at the closest table, kicking his feet up onto another chair and looking at the four of them levelly. "Convince each of you to leave the DA forever."
It was only with quick reflexes and a silent praise for his odd wandless magics ability - that often was more trouble than they were worth - that kept the four from shouting loud obscenities at him as he cast a silencing charm on them all quickly.
"I mean it," he explained. "I've already spoken to everyone else."
"Then why are they all still here?" Terry asked. Harry looked to him in surprise, and the Ravenclaw motioned to Julia, who had her wand out and trained on him. "She released me from the charm."
"Without speaking herself?" Harry asked in surprise - the counter curse to the silencing charm usually needed an incantation, which was one of the only reasons it was an effective spell. The fact that she had found a way to break it without words was a blessing beyond most others. "Nicely done," he added when they both nodded. "And yes, they are still here. That's because they each gave me valid reasons for them to stay. Every one of them has a reason for being here that I have no right to argue against."
"And you think we don't?"
"I think I have to know what it is before we go any further." With a simple wave of his hand and a soft mutter, the silencing charm was released so they could each talk. "So, together, or individually?"
"We're a team," Neville said almost at once. "So we'll face you together." Harry nodded, but said nothing in response, which caused Neville to falter momentarily before going on. "Uh... right. You know my reason, Harry."
"Revenge for your parents - or even trying to make them proud - isn't a reason," Harry said flatly.
"I'm not!" Neville said in a louder voice than he intended, though no one from the other groups looked over to them. "I'm not," he repeated softer, looking right at Harry. "I'm a part of this group so they can't do what they did to my family to anyone else's."
Harry didn't reply right away, but when Neville opened his mouth to say something else, he cut him off with a curt nod, which Neville returned stoically.
The other three looked to each other, and then Lavender spoke up. "Any idea why I joined the group in the first place, Harry?"
"You didn't want to fail?" Harry suggested sarcastically. It was the reason she had provided at the time, and she was obviously startled at being called on it, but recovered easily enough.
"That's right," she replied simply. "I didn't want to fail. I didn't want to fail my family or my friends, muggle or magic folk alike," she explained. "And sitting back and not doing anything to try and stop... well, to try and stop Voldemort..." She looked a little sickly at saying the name, but pressed on anyway. "That would be failing them. Why should other's put their lives on the line when I'm perfectly capable of trying to make sure they don't have to?"
Although Harry didn't reply at all to her remark, she knew that he accepted her answer anyway and smiled softly before looking to both Terry and Julia.
"Right," Terry said after a minute. "Why are you willing to go off on this rescue, Harry?"
"My reasons are my own."
"Well, if you want to hear everyone else's reasons, why shouldn't we be able to hear yours?" the sixth year Ravenclaw asked.
"Which reason do you want?" Harry asked sarcastically. "The reason I'm telling everyone else, the reason everyone assumes, or the real thing?"
Terry exchanged a glance with the other three in his group, and together they all looked to Harry. "I think I'd like the real reason, but I doubt that's going to happen, right?"
"He's not going to give that," Neville said with a shrug, catching Harry's eye. He knew the real reason... the entire purpose for going to rescue Ron and Luna, for Harry, was simply because of Voldemort. If they ran into him, then only Harry had a chance of survival - anyone else would be killed instantly, and Harry didn't want to have to live with that on his conscience.
"They are my family," Harry said softly. "Ron has been a brother to me from the start, since first year. I'm not about to leave my brother stranded in the hands of Voldemort!" His voice had raised, and now everyone in the room was actually watching him, too. "And Luna... she's been like a sister to me since last year. She helped me get passed a terrible death, and brings me the peace that only a sister can. I'm not about to let her get killed either!" To everyone's surprise, he suddenly laughed shortly, though it was a hollow one. "Or maybe it would be easier to just blame my need to rescue them on my `saving-people' thing..."
"Let's just say that we're along to watch your back, then," Terry suggested, motioning to Julia and himself. "And leave it at that. You aren't the only one with a saving-people thing, after all. And someone's got to help protect you when you decide it's time."
"We'll support you and your cause," Julia said firmly. "Because, after all this time of hearing about what you and your friends have done over the years, we both think that your cause can't be done alone. So we're helping."
Harry remained silent for a moment, though he did nod, albeit slowly. After a few seconds, he realised that everyone in the room had gone quiet, and he looked back to them just as Kailyn cursed and threw something away from herself.
The overpowering smell of tree sap followed a disgusting splatter against the far wall of the room. Looking over, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny all looked to each other before looking back to Kailyn.
"Uh... that's what I was talking about," Kailyn said softly, as though a bit embarrassed by what had happened. "I set it to go off before Harry shouted, and when we all went silent, I almost forgot about it. I'm just glad I managed to throw it aside first, that's all!"
"What you were talking about?" Harry asked curiously as he made his way over to the large group sitting at a round table. He pulled up the empty chair next to Hermione as the blue team filled out the rest of the spaces.
"It's meant as a prank back home," she explained. "My grandmother is a genius with them, not that she'd admit to it." Harry immediately thought of an incident in Diagon Alley near the beginning of the year, but said nothing. "But it's also used by some of our waywatchers when they get stuck in bad situations. The counter to it is a little complex if you aren't used to it, and a simple Scourgify will make it harden to stone."
"So it's just a little ball, then?" Terry asked. Kailyn set a dark green stone down on the table and rolled it down towards Terry. It was quite remarkable to watch it curve along the edge of the table, and then come to a stop before the Ravenclaw student. He picked it up and frowned. "It looks like stone, but feels like jelly."
"We could also use them as a distraction, couldn't we?" Padma suggested. "I mean, if we could figure out a way to get it in front of a few Death Eaters without them spotting it, and then Scourgify it, they'd be stuck, right?"
"Getting it in front of them without noticing is the hard part," Ginny pointed out. "Believe me, with brothers like mine, I know all about sneaking something around. There's always a large chance that they'll notice it just before you're ready to use it."
"Fred and George were experts at it, weren't they?" Cho asked. "I mean, they could pull a prank on anyone - and did more than once!"
"Bitter, are we?" Dean asked with a grin.
"No!" she snapped back. "I mean... well, they did... never mind!"
Dean put a hand on top of hers on the table and gave it a little squeeze. "Sorry," he whispered. "Didn't mean to upset you. Besides, like you said, they could get anybody, and did, remember?"
"They taught me," Harry said softly, looking at the table as he released Hermione's hand that he had been holding. "And I used it to get Snape on Halloween."
"Don't tell us," Hermione said quickly, cutting him off. "They made you swear on your parents' graves not to tell anyone how to pull it off, remember?"
Harry nodded and closed his eyes. "I know they did. But this is more important than... more important than that. I never knew my parents, but I do know Ron and Luna. And I'm not going to let something like that keep me from helping them!" he added, a fire burning in the back of his eyes. "I'm not going to let them down!"
"Why don't you just write it down?" Julia asked in the profound silence that met his words. When all eyes turned to her, she shrugged. "Why not? I mean, you promised not to tell, right? But if you write it down, and we happen to read it, you didn't tell us, now did you?"
"Hmm," Harry said softly. "I may have to leave a bit of parchment in my potion's book... provided someone needs to borrow it for a while..."
"I just remembered," Ginny said with a grin on her face. "I need an advanced Potion's book for an essay Snape's got us working on... any chance I could borrow yours, Harry?"
By the next DA practice, they all understood just how easily Harry had pulled off the prank - though it had taken a lot of courage. Few would dare attempt such a thing in the Great Hall, given the penalties for using magics within. In the end, he had cast a mild confunding charm on Snape from his place at the table, and then levitated the potion into place in his drink.
The real difficulty was casting both spells in quick succession while looking like he hadn't been doing anything at all that was out of the ordinary. Thinking back, Hermione realised that he had been eating with his left hand, and kept his right hand hidden, but hadn't thought anything of it at the time.
That practice also brought about the third change to the teams, as well as an overhaul at just how they were looked at. Denis was moved to Neville's blue group - taking the place where Luna had been, despite not being as well versed in counter curses - while Padma joined the red group, now under Ginny's leadership, as a second charms person, leaving them without a counter curse member as well.
Harry and Hermione's group now consisted solely of the two of them.
They also abandoned calling the teams by colour, and opted instead to use Kailyn's suggestion at naming them after famous armies of battles' past. Acting on her suggestion, Ginny called the green team the Oaken Shield, after Talisien's old unit from centuries ago. Neville took his name after Terry's suggestion, calling the blue team the Garamonde Brigade, after a powerful set of wizards who stormed a dark wizard's keep in 1003 AD. Dean's approach was a little different, calling the black team the Dark Warriors - but he was clear that that didn't mean dark wizards, as the group in the past who used the name were actually stealth wizards, who snuck in, did their task, and got out without ever being seen.
Going against the grain of the other three groups - in other words, not naming the white team now consisting of himself and Hermione after a group from the past - Harry looked straight into Ginny's eyes, then Neville's, before turning to Hermione and declaring them Destiny's Force.
The rest of the practice was more or less a blur, as the teams were pit against each other in duels without any alliances between the four. Although Harry and Hermione did come out on top, it was really only thanks to the Dark Warriors attacking the Garamonde brigade first, rather than all three teaming up on them.
It was as they were closing the practice to get ready to slip back to common rooms that Terry and Julia both approached Harry, looking a little worried about something. "What's the matter?" he asked simply as they stopped before him but didn't really say much.
Terry nudged Julia, who smiled nervously before speaking. "Look, I know Hermione's really good with charms and all, but we were thinking about things, and I came across something that might help..."
"Something wrong?" Hermione asked, joining the three after making sure everyone else was on their way back to their common rooms already. Her presence seemed to deflate Julia more, at which point Harry stood up quickly.
"Am I omnipotent?" he asked in a calm, steady voice - or, so he'd like to have done, anyway. In fact, it had cracked halfway through with the emotions that had suddenly bubbled forth.
"What?"
"Am I all powerful?" he repeated, looking at all three of them. "Do I possess all the knowledge and all the skills of the universe suddenly? Please tell me I don't, because I don't think I could handle how little there is out there to understand..."
Hermione and Julia both grinned at the joke, but Terry was quickly shaking his head. "We never said that, but..."
Harry cut him off this time. "Just because I'm leading the DA doesn't mean I'm perfect. Hermione might be the smartest witch to grace Hogwarts in decades, but that doesn't mean she knows everything, either," he added, putting an arm around her to bring her a bit closer to him. "If you've got an idea, or don't agree with something I've said... tell me, alright?"
"It's a secondary charm that fell out of use in the fourteenth century," Julia said quickly, though she still looked a touch uncertain. "It goes with the Protean Charm, and is used as a finder of sorts..."
"This isn't the Crotan Charm, is it?" Hermione interrupted suddenly. "The one that King Henry the IX banned for use, as several of his advisors had taken to following him around using it?"
"That's the one," Julia said with a smile. "You really have read the whole library, haven't you?"
"Almost," Hermione replied. "But that means I don't remember everything all the time... we were looking for something like that before, but I couldn't come up with anything, and haven't taken the time to start looking, either. That's great!"
"It is?" Harry asked, confused and more than a little lost in the conversation thus far. "What is it?"
"Honestly, weren't you listening?" Hermione asked in surprise. "Julia's found a way we can enchant something... say, our galleons or even our badges, and then be able to cast a simple spell to find each other. It's what Talisien was talking about before!"
"How's it work?"
Apparently, and Harry must have missed it somehow, but Hermione suggested for Julia to explain it to them. Terry must have understood it before, because he didn't ask any questions about it. "It's like a modified Point Me spell - you touch the enchanted object, and say point me, and it'll direct you to whatever partner item you are thinking of - works great for multiples because of that. Also, anyone can activate their piece to let out a signal to the others - heat, a sound, a pulling sensation - to warn about danger."
"How long would this take?"
"If you gathered everyone again tonight, it could be ready for tomorrow," Julia promised. "Provided you and Hermione help me, anyway. I don't have the magical power that you two have - I mean, you pulled off casting the Protean Charm last year," she said, nodding to Hermione. "And you... well, you're you, so..." Harry nodded even though he wasn't pleased with that reasoning.
He then reached into his cloak and pulled out the leading gold galleon. Holding it in his hand, he concentrated, the felt the coin heat up. "Everyone should be on their way back shortly." It was then that he noticed Terry looking at him oddly, and he asked what was wrong.
"I thought you were supposed to use your wand to activate the coins, or at least the Protean Charm, right? How'd you do it that way?"
Harry flipped the golden coin in the air and caught it on the way down, slipping it into a pocket again. "I've never really believed that strongly in following all the rules," he explained with a shrug and a grin, to which Terry could only reply with a shake of his own head.
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As everyone filed into the Great Hall for dinner a couple of days later, many of the students slowed down to look around in surprise. Rather than the normal arrangement of four long tables for the houses and one head table for the professors, the tables had been arranged to all be connected to one another in a pentagon, with a massive amount of free space in the middle.
Banners for the different houses were flying over the top of four of the tables, telling the students which table was where, and where they were all encouraged to sit. Despite this fact, the entire DA sat together at the corner of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, branching onto both tables, regardless of their house. Seeing this act of apparent defiance, many of the younger students who really didn't know Harry - or any of the DA for that matter - sat together as well, again regardless of house. The only table that sat together collectively was the Slytherin table - even the head table had a couple of students sitting there, and a few teachers were scattered throughout the other tables.
That said, however, the younger Slytherin students didn't just ignore their Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw neighbours, and sat whispering, as though trying to figure out just what was going on. Once the plates and other dishes had appeared on the tables, Dumbledore stood up slowly from his place in the middle of the Hufflepuff table, seated next to a first year on either side.
"As you are all surely aware by now, this is a new seating arrangement. It is not permanent, and as of tomorrow morning, the tables will be back where they all belong. That said, I will not insist on sitting together as houses necessarily except at feasts," he said calmly, looking around the uniquely designed tables.
"Why would you bother changing it like this?" a third year Ravenclaw student sitting at the Gryffindor table asked quietly. "This hasn't ever been done before, has it?"
"Very good, young Herdan," Dumbledore said with an indulgent smile. "However, one must never be afraid of changes - it is what keeps us all alive and willing to get out of bed in the morning." He chuckled to himself as though sharing a private joke before calming again to look out to everyone. "Tonight, however, we have a touch of a treat while we dine. After he heard that the sorting hat failed to provide us with a song at the beginning of the year, one of our professors has taken it upon himself to provide us with one with the help of a couple of others."
With a suddenness that actually caused a few people to fall out of their seats, Talisien appeared in the middle of the ring of tables on a small stool. He was holding a small lap harp called a lyre that shimmered silver in the odd candlelight that was bathing the hall. On his shoulder sat a small being dressed in white that a few people recognised as Ariasal. She was sitting calmly, swinging her legs as though bored. When Talisien cleared his throat, however, she leapt to her feet and stood up tall - well, as tall as a seven inch fairy could stand, really.
A rich melody echoed through the hall as Talisien played his fingers across the strings of the harp. He wasn't wearing his gloves to play, giving the music a distinctly more real feeling to it. Unlike the usual upbeat songs that they were often treated with during the Sorting Feast, however, this song was set in a minor key, and was dripping with darkness, fear, and sorrow.
"Dasirev, raif cayode." Talisien's words were not in a language any of them could recognise, but they sounded equally as passion filled as the notes that accompanied them. "Rei elda iditue rufa, Yolota, kiante rufa."
As Talisien sang, though, Ariasal spread her wings and opened her mouth to join her voice to his. Rather than give words, a sweet, haunting harmony started to weave through the melody of the music, binding it tightly to the hearts of those listening to the words.
"Listen well, wayward travellers." As one, every head in the the hall turned to the outside of the tables to another voice, this one a soft female one that they could understand. A tall woman with golden hair dressed in a flowing green dress was walking slowly around the tables, circling them as she sang with Talisien. Some of them recognised her as Fey, the one introduced during the November Ball as Queen of Noyadin. "To a story as old as time, Transcending time, defying time..."
"Elda rashibrec, mecu reshiec," Talisien's words cut in again, and many of the students simply closed their eyes - even if they had other intentions - to be better able to simply listen to the music. "Riq tega ye thralodur."
Once the sound from the lyre started to repeat itself again, Fey finally gave voice to the translation again. "A story of light, a tale of dark, And of those who overcome it." The music from the lyre raised in intensity, and Ariasal's sweet voice dropped in pitch, sending shivers down several spines at the cold they felt from the music. "Beyond where hidden shadows lie, Within all those born to die, Connecting the ages, the races, the life-lines... All those living can effect the change. The change from dark times, to those of light."
Fey had circled around the tables three times during her last bout of singing, and those still with their eyes opened turned to Talisien in wait, wanting to hear his voice adding to the song again. Again, the music seemed to repeat itself before he added his own words. "Koces yaha jathanir roken verisi, Aroted itega drakoth retaux." He lowered his head so his chin was practically touching the top of his silver lyre, and suddenly his hood was pulled back to allow everyone to see him again. "Gholi tilioneh, tenok, taip taux-nahe. Itega protegan tho prong tifoqor. Tifoqor atani shiec lip retrega shibrec."
The music, while eerily haunting in its minor chords, had not been grating at all, but suddenly everything changed. What had been haunting was now fierce, loud, almost angry. Sound that should have been impossible to obtain from a small stringed lyre actually scared a few people. "Shakito!" Talisien cried in a loud voice, barely singing the word, more shouting it. "Vaey iha dast. Shakito!" The same word, shouted again. "Shiecilin frondes. Shakito! Suka wisuka iwer tuvo. Shakito! Shibrec thower hiltrane." Everyone was already cringing before he said the word the last time. "Shakito! Rufa ard wristel aved..."
The fierce, terrifying music slowed slightly for a moment before regaining it's pitch. Ariasal looked more like a tiny daemon now than a fairy, but few could focus on her despite that fact, given the music that was surrounding them again. "Divided!" Fey's voice, while not shouting the word, was equally as piercing, making many of the students and teachers cringe with the first time it was said. "People are weak. Divided!" More cringes, but she ignored them just as deftly as Talisien had. "The darkness prevails. Divided! Enemies of enemies are not allies. Divided! Light cannot stand. Divided! Time will shatter!"
On her last word, the music suddenly grew quiet, and then raised slowly and surely in volume. This time, however, the fierce, angry music was gone, replaced with a soft, soothing sound that many equated with summers at home outside without worries. Compared to what had just been echoing through the Great Hall, it was simply heavenly.
"Kitoent," Talisien's voice was barely a whisper now. "Dast liphan doxer teaw leyli."
"United," Fey's voice cut in rather early this time. "Weak become stronger than imagination."
"Kitoent. Shiecilin thower ikutra etoshibrec."
"United. Darkness cannot stand before the light."
Harry, sitting at the corner of the Gryffindor table next to the Ravenclaws, started when he felt a pressure on his hand. Turning, he found Hermione leaning closer to him. "Did you hear that?" she whispered in English, surprising him. Usually, if she didn't want anyone to overhear what they were saying, she'd simply speak in kneazle, which told him right away that she expected a couple of people to hear them. "The elves believe in uniting, too!"
"United we stand, divided we fall," a boy from the Ravenclaw table said, though Harry couldn't pick out just which one.
"So, in other words, we have to work with all the houses, not just our own!"
"Try telling that to the Slytherins, `Mione," Harry whispered back. "The rest of us are working together," he added, closing his eyes again to get lost in the music once more. He felt Hermione give his hand another squeeze, but she didn't let go this time.
"Kitoent." This time, Talisien's voice was a little louder, but still quite soft and soothing at the same time. "Dil tuvo iha drakoth, deritan rema. Kitoent. Shibrec terdia donuluthro. Kitoent. Rufa cassataux."
As one, almost every eye in the room turned to follow Fey as she made her way around the outside of the circle. To say she was walking wouldn't be quite right, but neither was she dancing. It was almost a mix between the two. "United," she started, her voice soft and melodious. Of the two, it was obvious who had more talent for singing. "New allies are born, truces accepted." Ariasal's harmony suddenly changed slightly, growing in intensity as she spread her wings, but Fey didn't seem to pay it any heed. "United. Light surpasses destiny. United. Time is everlasting."
As Fey's sweet voice died down this time, Harry suddenly found himself lost completely. Although he could still hear the music, he could no longer make out any of the words, nor could he see anyone around him, despite feeling Hermione's hand in his own still.
Instead, a variety of images was suddenly bombarding his senses, surrounding him in a suddenness that left him wanting to breath, but unable to do so. He saw a war, terrible fighting, and horrific deaths engulfing the space all around him, yet nothing came close to him at all.
A body collapsed in front of him, having been hacked and slashed until unable to counter with an attack of its own. It wasn't quite a human - more like a lizard, actually - but was humanoid, at the very least. Black blood was oozing from the wounds, causing a disgusting bile to build in the back of Harry's throat, despite the fact that he was mesmerized by what was going on directly in front of him.
A younger Talisien, clad in a dark green cloak as Harry was used to, but was otherwise almost entirely different. It must have been at least a millennia ago, which was when he suddenly came to the thought that perhaps he was seeing memories of something important.
He watched in horror as the elf before him performed his deadly arts on the battlefield, tearing through enemies like they were made of paper. What he noticed even beyond that, however, were those standing with him. To one side stood a woman he recognised as Fey, despite the time difference. She didn't have a sword in hand - rather, she held a bow and was firing arrows that seemed alive with fire at anything that got too close to them.
To his other side was the odd woman he had met with Hermione at the end of the previous term - Ali. However, she looked exactly like she did a couple of months ago in the memory, telling Harry that there was a lot more to her than he had imagined.
There were three others with him, but he didn't have a chance to make them out before something seemed to strike him hard in the back of the head, causing him to curse out loud and grab at his head, closing his eyes as he did so.
After a moment, he was aware of a complete lack of sound around him. No longer was he hearing the minor keyed music, or the singing of his professor, Fey, or Ariasal. He wasn't hearing anything remotely like a battle, either. Slowly, he opened his eyes to find Hermione leaning over him, and he tried to sit up quickly.
"Easy now," Madame Pomfrey's voice came into focus, followed shortly thereafter by the healer herself. "You gave yourself a nasty bump on the back of the head there, Mr. Potter. Not to mention giving Miss. Granger here quite the fright, too."
Harry looked back to Hermione quickly, but found her to be asleep, telling him that he must have been out of it for a lot longer than he had thought earlier. "What happened?" he asked in a hushed voice, not wanting to wake her. She looked quite peaceful, even if she was a bit worried - or even more than a bit, he guessed...
"I was hoping you'd tell me," the Healer replied with an indulgent smile, pulling up a chair herself. "Of course, this is one of the only times I've had the chance to sit next to you and talk - usually, others insist on staying here, despite my best recommendations..."
"Thanks for letting Hermione stay," he whispered softly, looking away from her kindly gaze, feeling a bit guilty suddenly at the way he had treated her in the past.
"No thanks are necessary," she said, brushing him off easily enough. "I may require an apology in writing later on, but I'll probably just forget about it," she added, a small smile playing at her lips. It was the only clue Harry had that she was having him on, and he decided to play along.
"Would you require it in triplicate, signed by Dumbledore, myself, Ministress Bones, and You-Know-Who?" he asked, gingerly saying the term rather than Voldemort out of consideration for the Healer.
"Two of the four would be plenty," she assured him, her grin becoming a full smile now. "But we digress. Any idea what happened to you? As I understand it, Professor Talisien was singing something about what a hero needs - I think he said a sharp mind, strong loyalty, and immense power, by the way - and you just collapsed, just like that!" She then paused for a moment, as though considering him. "Miss. Granger assured me that it was not an attack through your scar, and several other well-wishers seemed to have said the same thing."
"It wasn't," Harry said quickly, and she seemed to deflate as most of her worries left her instantly. "It was... odd, though," he admitted. "Like I was seeing someone else's memories from ages past, and then something hit me, and I was out, just like that!" he explained, waving a hand towards the candles on the far side of the room, extinguishing them instantly.
The candles came on again with a wave of Madame Pomfrey's wand, and she looked back to him. "Different memories? That is a bit strange... are you certain the music didn't have magic in it?"
Harry grinned as Dumbledore's words from his first year bubbled forth from his mouth. "Music... magics above all else we can do here," he repeated - closely, anyway, given that he doubted he could look at magics as a single entity any longer. "It could have, but why would I be the only one affected?" The thought then hit him that perhaps there was a very good reason - a reason currently resting on his night stand with both his wands as well as Hermione's, which she must have put there before falling asleep. He didn't voice his thoughts, however, as he didn't want to tell everyone just why the dagger was so important.
If it was stealing memories again, though, he would have to do something about it.
"Things seem to single you out," Madame Pomfrey pointed out with a sigh. "I wish I had a better explanation, but I don't. However, your vital signs appear to be relatively stable by this point in time... would you like to wake Miss Granger and return to your own beds, or are you happier here?"
"I wouldn't mind talking to you a bit more," Harry admitted after a moment. "And, if it's not too much trouble, could we both stay here tonight? I'd rather not wake her and then ask her to fall asleep again almost right away."
"You'd like to stay? To talk with me?" She seemed completely flabbergasted by the mere notion of it, but before Harry could take it back in fear that he had insulted her, she smiled warmly to him. "Of course you may stay, Harry," she said softly, almost like she was seeking permission to call him by his given name rather than his family name.
"Then I will... Poppy," Harry dared. When she didn't comment on it, he found he didn't mind being on a first name basis with the school Healer - even if it was partially because of his frequent visiting schedule... "Any chance you could tell me a bit more about that song after the united verses?"
She nodded to him and then closed her eyes as though remembering it in great detail. "That was about the midway point, I think," she said softly. "Even if it was during dinner, I doubt anyone had a single bite to eat during the song at all... After that point, they sang about the side of light uniting under a leader - a leader who accepted the role, and in doing so, becomes a hero."
"A leader willing to lead is a hero?" Harry asked in amazement. "That doesn't make any sense!"
"I think they meant that someone willing to stand up for what is right - the light they kept mentioning - is a hero, not just anyone leading anyone else."
"Standing up to the darkness..."
"Then he sang about what a hero needs to survive - like I said before, mind, loyalty, and power - and mentioned that a hero never survived alone. Just when they were starting to touch on the one force to stop all darkness, your episode caused him to stop out of concern."
He couldn't help but curse to himself, though he didn't speak the words out loud. It sounded like Talisien was telling him about the power he needed, the so-called `Power he knows not...' but it was cut off by whatever had happened to him. He found his eyes travelling down to Hermione's sleeping face, and he smiled softly despite himself. "I never really thanked you for all your help this year... I know I've sent more than a couple of people this way for fixing up," he said softly.
"Indeed you have!" Madame Pomfrey said sharply. "But they wouldn't be learning otherwise. Besides, several of your students have been coming to me to learn how to Heal, as well, which makes it worthwhile. I just ask you to avoid serious injury in the future, if you would be so kind."
"I'll do what I can," he said with a nod, lying back down against the bed, brushing a few stray strands of Hermione's hair away from his face - they had ended up there as he laid down next to her again. "What do you think the song meant?"
"Meant?" she asked. "Songs don't always have meaning, you know. It was a hauntingly beautiful melody that touched the hearts of many of the students and staff. What makes you think it meant anything beyond that?"
"Talisien rarely seems to do anything without a meaning behind it."
The Healer looked confused for a moment before standing and patting the headboard. "The song was about unity, so perhaps he's telling us the same thing that the Sorting Hat did," she suggested before looking to the metal frame directly. "I've asked the Headmaster for permission, by the way."
"For what?"
"To engrave your name in gold on the headboard... you've needed this bed and my services more than any other student for decades. I believe your father and his friends were the last to run me quite so ragged." She smiled and made to leave the room before looking back. "I didn't let your father keep your mother in the same bed in the hospital wing, but then, she didn't encourage his healing as quickly as she seems to do for you. And quite frankly, anything to help you heal faster is probably a good thing."
"Good night, Madame Pomfrey," he whispered as she left. Not getting a reply told him that she probably didn't hear, but that didn't really bother him as he felt his consciousness slipping away again.
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Author's Note: I'm quite sure that many people out there won't appreciate this chapter much... sorry about that. I know usually songs don't fit properly into a story, but they are necessary from time to time - I just happened to chose this one. If you don't like it, I apologise, but it's staying anyway.
The next chapter is the final Quidditch match for Gryffindor for the year, as well as Harry discovering a method to contact Ron and Luna! Not only that, but he sees a ruthless side to Talisien that he never could have dreamed of earlier, and Snape is forced to make a decision... a decision that will turn the tide of the war forever... That, and Malfoy finally gets what's coming to him!
For those who do care, here's the song in it's entirety, including the passages not included in the story...
Dasirev, raif caoyde,
Rei elda iditue rufa,
Yolota, kiante rufa.
Elda rashibrec, mecu rashiec,
Riw tega ye thralodur.
Listen well, wayward travellers,
To a story as old as time
Transcending time, defying time.
A story of light, a tale of dark
And of those who overcome it.
Koces yaha jathanir roken verisi,
Aroted itega drakoth retuax.
Gholi tilioneh, tenok, taip taux-nahe.
Itega protegan tho prong tifoqor.
Tifoqor atani shiec lip retega shibrec.
Beyond where hidden shadows lie
Within all those born into life
Connecting the ages, the races, the life-lines
All those living can effect the change
The change from dark times, to those of light.
Shakito, vaey iha dast.
Shakito, shiecilin frondes.
Shakito, suka wisuka iwer tuvo.
Shakito, shibrec thower hiltrane.
Shakito, rufa ard wristel aved.
Divided, people are weak.
Divided, the darkness prevails.
Divided, enemies of enemies are not allies.
Divided, light can not stand.
Divided, time will shatter at last.
Kitoent, dast liphan doxer teaw leyli.
Kitoent, shiecilin thower ikutra etoshibrec.
Kitoent, dil tuvo iha drakoth, deritan rema.
Kitoent, shibrec terdia donuluthro.
Kitoent, rufa cassataux.
United, weak become stronger than imagination.
United, darkness can not stand before the light.
United, new allies are born, truces accepted.
United, light surpasses destiny.
United, time is everlasting.
Cayode, kah temecu peole,
Cavyir pard, riwecowe pital.
Shibrec akitoen ied lioneh vit,
Vetagaw derina litan eshiec lessan.
Voroh rufae oung astea vanbutoe remsa.
Travellers, here the tale is yours,
Take what you will, and nothing more.
Light must unite, as in ages past,
The present is shrouded beneath a dark cloud.
Future times will last, if the warnings are heeded.
Liack drakoth nowyni ason,
Tebrec fay hiltran kocesur.
Tega yetho verisi eroziel silit tedast,
Mecu wi shibrec thower tass.
Liack remsa wer qot iack - sor lisien.
A leader is born unto every minute,
Though few survive beyond it.
Those who can stand, must protect those unable,
The tale of the light can not falter.
A leader accepted is not just a leader - but a hero.
Cayode, dasire, lewer shey...
Lisien uwecowe arotas medoan, arotas hinjid, arotas shad.
Soakirt spera lisien hiltran arotas tuvoe recunip ricta...
Rufa dastona cowewe, sor taux utalit cio don.
Itauz ceil tauxas ui taux asha.
Travellers, listen, do not ignore...
A hero is nothing without mind, without loyalty, without power.
Never has a hero survived without others giving aide...
Time is a fickle thing, but life is less certain than that.
A life worth living is a life to save.
Ons koces tea muntraca woge,
Koces tehemitron newin.
It don thosa nena tekah, koces it rivile...
Tewa prong reyad shibrec, resinokas shiec.
Riling eha simarg!
Look beyond the veiled moon,
Beyond the stars above.
All that can be found there, beyond all else...
The one force to drive the light, and to banish the dark.
Love.
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Until the sun sets upon a broken world...
The Shadows
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