Chapter 6: The First Sage
It was after dark on Privet Drive, as a man in a long dark cloak made his way to the Dursley home. He finally made it to the door and knocked on the door. Dudley came to the door and looked at the cloaked figure.
"Father told me to tell you we paid at the office!" Dudley snapped and started to slam the door.
The man caught the door, "I've come to talk to Harry Potter. Is he in?"
"What if he is?" Dudley snapped as Uncle Vernon walked up behind him.
"Are you here to take the brat away?" Vernon asked hopefully.
"It's a possibility." The man grunted.
Dudley and Vernon then smiled brightly at the man and threw the door open, "Oh thank you so much sir, you do not know the torture my wife has put us through because of that little…" Vernon rambled.
"I get the idea." The man said walking in and making a beeline toward Harry's room.
The man walked into Harry's room and spotted him unrestfully sleeping in his bed. He shut the door and pulled his cloak back as he walked to his bedside. "Wake up, Kiddo." He said softly as he shook Harry's shoulders.
Harry's eyes shot open and he jumped up, "NO! I DON'T CARE IF YOU AND RON DO NAME YOU'RE FIRST BORN AFTER ME, DON'T MARRY HIM, HERMIONE!!!!!" Harry then blinked at the confusion on Sirius' face, then registered that it was in fact Sirius
"Sirius? Sirius!" Harry cried out as he hugged his godfather tightly.
"Missed you too, Kiddo, but … what was that little outburst about Hermione about?" Sirius asked with a hint of sarcasm.
"N-nothing.. Just a silly dream," Harry stuttered looking down shyly. "What are you doing here?"
"I don't know if this will work or not, but … I think I might know how to get your magic back." Sirius said setting down on Harry's bed.
"What?" Harry asked hopefully, "how?"
"Harry, how do you think Wizards and Witches learned magic before Hogwarts?" Sirius asked looking at the teenager.
"I don't know, I never thought about it." Harry said after thinking for a moment, "Hermione said something in a letter about people called Mystics and Sages."
"Not surprised really, Hermione really is a smart girl," Sirius chuckled, " Anyway, Harry, I heard this while I was in Azkaban, anyway, before there was schools for witchcraft and wizardry, Wizards and Witches were trained by people who could detect magical ability and teach them how to unlock their full potential, those where the Sages Hermione spoke of." Sirius explained.
"So all we have to do is find a Sage, and he'll be able to teach me to use magic again." Harry asked getting slightly excited.
"I'm afraid it isn't that easy, there hasn't been a Sage in well over a thousand years." Sirius sighed.
"So why bring this up?" Harry growled laying back in frustration.
"Well …What I heard in Azkaban," Sirius started, noticeably avoiding eye contact with Harry, "There is a rumor that there's still one living in the Scottish Highlands. Balthazzar I think was what they said he went by."
"So…were' going to be going on a hunch?" Harry asked cocking an eyebrow.
"No." Sirius said with a smug look, "A well educated hunch! Ron owled me when you…left Hogwarts, and I jumped on this lead, and I think I found him. You willing to give it a shot?"
Harry took a look around, and the thought of his dream shot back in his head, "Yeah, but…I'm not one hundred percent sure I want to go back to Hogwarts." Harry said sadly "I do for Hermione and Ron, but … after what they did …"
"I don't blame you." Sirius said placing a comforting hand on his Godson's shoulder, "Come on, Kiddo, let's see what we can do. Then we'll go from there,"
Harry and Sirius then made their way to the fireplace, when a voice caught their attention. "Where do you think your going?"
Harry turned and walked up to his Aunt, "Aunt Petunia, I can't thank you enough for showing me the kindness you have. But…I have to do this; I have to go back. I'm not too crazy about it, being kicked out like I was, but I have to. I'm going to regain my powers, and I'm going to go back to Hogwarts, weather they want me there or not. Not to show them that I'm better then them, but to show that I'm equal to them. Plus I miss my friends, I can't shake the feeling they need me. But Aunt Petunia please understand, if I turned my back I would be no better then those that betrayed me," Harry then kissed his shocked and disappointed Aunt on the cheek; "I'm doing this for me… and for you. Goodbye Aunt Petunia."
Harry then nodded to Sirius and the two stepped into the portal Sirius magically created by Sirius's Floo Powder.
"Where are we?" Harry asked looking around at the small cottage-like room.
"A small village in Scotland." Sirius said heading toward the door. "I stayed here for a couple days while I looked up this Balthazzar."
"So you know where he lives?" Harry asked following him out of the living area.
"Yeah but its late now, we'll go pay him a visit in the morning." Sirius said refusing to make eye contact.
"Why do I get the feeling you know something that you are not telling me?" Harry asked suspiciously.
"Get a good night's rest, Harry," Sirius said abruptly, "Tomorrow's going to be a long day."
Meanwhile at Hogwarts…
Hermione slowly snuck down the stairs from the dormitory. She looked around and made sure that no one was around before making her way out of the Commons room. She slowly and carefully made her way through the halls to the room guarded by fluffy. She pointed her wand at the door. "Alohomora." Hermione whispered as the door lock clicked open. She looked around and spotted the gigantic three-headed dog lightly sleeping.
"Musica," She whispered again pointing her wand at the harp in the corner of the room making it play lightly, thus making the dog fall into a deeper sleep.
She slowly made it through the newly revised traps, which even at Hermione's worse, she could easily figure out a way around. Then she finally found what she was looking for, The Mirror of Erised.
She took a deep breath and looked into the mirror and smiled at what she saw. She could see herself but also a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and a face resting on her shoulder with unruly black hair, glasses over green eyes, and a small lightening bolt scar on his forehead.
"I miss you, Harry." Hermione sighed as she watched him kiss her reflection on the cheek. She sighed loudly one more time before turning and leaving the mirror behind same as she has every night since Harry left Hogwarts and her.
Hermione slide back past the sleeping Fluffy, and slowly made her way through the dark empty third floor hall. The lonely quiet aloud her to unwillingly think back on times and adventures she's had at Hogwarts with Ron and Harry.
She chuckled remember that the first thing she said to the boy who stole her heart was 'have you seen a toad?'
She stopped for a moment and leaned up against the wall as a tear slid down her face. "Where are you, Harry?" She asked out loud not expecting an answer. "Why aren't you here?"
"Don't do it! Your training is not yet complete!" an old man scolded a man who looked almost exactly like Harry, though only a few years older.
"Yea, James," a younger Sirius Black begged with a look of urgency on his face, "He's already bloody near killed us both a week ago! If it wasn't for Master Balthazzar we'd be dead right now!"
"Neither of you GET IT!!" James cried, "He's coming after them TONIGHT! I don't have time to finish this silly training!"
"If you face him now, before you become a Mystic," the old man sighed, "You will surely parish, and your wife and child with you."
"So you want me to just stay here and play your silly games, and let him kill Lily and Harry?"
"You don't stand a chance, James listen to reason!" Sirius shot, "As long as Peter is around, Tom can't even get close to your house. You know he'd never let anything happen to either of them. If you go, you'll endanger Lil and the kiddo more!"
"I can't risk losing them, Sirius, Master Balthazzar, I'm sorry," James sighed, "If I'm going to die, I want to take that traitor down with me!"
James then summoned his broom and took the skies.
"Foolishness," the old man shook his head sadly, "Utter foolishness…" he then watched as Sirius went after him as well. "Foolishness …"
The Next Morning, Scotland…
"Harry, time to wake up." Sirius said shaking the teenager awake.
"Wha?" Harry asked reaching for his glasses, "What time is it?" He asked trying to shake off the sleepiness.
"Four in the morning," Sirius said cheerily, "Come on, the Sage awaits!"
"Why so early?" Harry complained getting up and slowly starting to dress.
"He's a morning person." Sirius informed.
"How do you know that?" Harry asked narrowing his eyes to his Godfather.
"Uhh…" Sirius gawked turning slightly pale, "I'll leave you to finish getting ready."
Harry finally finished dressing and walked out to see Sirius acting quite nervous.
"Are you sure you don't want to tell me something, Sirius?" Harry asked cocking an eyebrow.
"No…not…not at all." Sirius mumbled refusing eye contact, "Come on, Balthazzar doesn't live that far out of the village."
They made their way out of the village and made their way across an open plain, and finally arrived at an old run down hut.
"A great Sage lives here?" Harry asked looking over the barely standing building in awe.
"Bout time you got here." A slightly trembling voice came from inside the build, "Not very polite to keep an old man waiting."
The door slowly slid open barely hanging on one hinge, and out walked what put Harry in mind of a walking mummy. He was a very elderly man, he stood hunched over at a little over three feet tall, his skin was an unhealthy pale, his eyes were slightly bugged out, and had a few strands of silver hair on his head and a small white mustache. He was dressed in an old faded brown robe and hobbled with a walking stick.
Harry blinked at the old man then looked toward Sirius then back at the old man again, "Um, are you a…well… a Sage?"
"You better believe it, Young man!" the old man chuckled, "It's about time you did something right, Black." He snapped swinging the cane at Sirius.
"Nice to see you again too, Balthazzar." Sirius said sarcastically.
"Um you two know each other?" Harry asked completely confused.
"I studied under him with your father several years ago, Harry." Sirius explained,
"Before you both ran away like a pair of fools! Thinking they can take on a powerful Wizard with only the lessons they learned from Hogwarts and a week and a half of REAL training," Balthazzar stated glaring hatefully at Sirius, "If you can't take the heat stay out of the burner, I always say."
The old man then turned his attention to the shocked Harry, "So this is the Boy-Who-Lived." Balthazzar mused as he walked around Harry sizing him up, "I'm not impressed. Oh look at me! I'm the Boy-who-lived! The only reason you lived, Hero, is pure and simple dumb luck!"
"I believe he has potential, Balthazzar…" Sirius started.
"I will be the judge of that." Balthazzar snapped narrowing his wild eyes at the boy, "Yes… you do have potential, Hero, a lot actually. But no more then some others I've attempted to train. I have successfully trained the likes of Beowulf, Van Sickle, Merlin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. I do not believe he will make it though the training, he has too much of his father in him." Balthazzar said turning his back and walking toward the shack.
"You trained…Merlin…" Harry gasped. "And Gryffindor…and…what about my father…"
"Yes, yes, I trained them, but I have also attempted to train other who failed to complete the training." Balthazzar explained turning back to him, "I see you being like the others, like your Godfather there, and your father, and Dumbledore, and Tom Riddle, they all tried to complete my lessons but all failed miserably."
"I want to atleast try." Harry said determinedly, "I want to be a wizard again."
"Dear boy." Balthazzar chuckled, "You will never be a wizard again, even if you complete my training completely. You see, Hero, you can never use Magic again."
"What?" Harry asked his heart dropping.
"Let me explain what you are asking to get involved in." Balthazzar said setting on an overturned bucket outside his shack, "I am not just a sage, I am the First of many sages, and I was the first to learn of total mastery of magic."
Harry nodded in surprise but understanding.
"While most Sages merely teach the ways of Wizardry and Witchcraft, which is, like your former school under that blowhard Dumbledore, only breaking the surface of what is known of Magic. You have been taught the basics of magic, but those that are known as Wizard and Witches still depend on wands and spoken spells and incantations to use magic. Do you believe this is all there is to do with Magic?" Balthazzar asked the very attentive Harry.
"There's more?" Harry asked trying to take it all in.
"There is so much more!" Balthazzar exclaimed, "Your Professor Dumbledore, even your friend, Hermione, who I have noted to become a wise and knowledgeable witch that will surpass the wisest of even the Sages with time, and the 'all mighty Ministry of Magic haven't the slightest grasp on the actual idea of true magic."
"Wha…" Harry asked in shocked, "How do you know about Hermione?"
"I know everything about you, Hero." Balthazzar stated with a smirk, "You've accomplished lots of wonderful things, but you do have a lot of potential that has not been tapped."
"But if I can't be a wizard…how can I use this…potential…" Harry pondered.
"My training, dear boy, does not teach you how to control magic, it teaches you to join with Magic itself." Balthazzar smirked.
"What?" Harry asked even more confused.
"If you complete the training, you will be as above a Wizard, as Wizards are Muggles. You will even be above Dumbledore himself," Balthazzar explained, "Completing this training will make you a Mystic."
"A Mystic?" Harry asked, "I thought it was only a legend."
"I presume the pretty Miss Granger has informed you of the history of Sages and Mystics. I will fill in the blanks." Balthazzar said heading back into the shack, "After breakfast. That is…if you don't give into your fear."
"I'm not afraid." Harry said walking behind him with Sirius.
"You will be." Balthazzar chuckled walking in.
Around ten hours later, Sirius set watching Harry and Balthazzar stand face to face in a type of meditation.
"You must concentrate." Balthazzar informed, "We've gone through this already but I'll say it again, what have you got that you do not want to lose? What do you want to protect? What have you got that would kill you if you lost, and would fight off death itself to stay with?" the old Sage asked.
Harry sighed. He had been trying to do this for the last ten hours and the only thing he's achieved was a slight head cold from staying out in the cool fall breeze for too long.
"Go through those you love in your mind, and concentrate on them and how it would hurt if you were to lose them. What would you do to keep them?" Balthazzar instructed.
Harry closed his eyes and concentrated and though his body was now giving off an eerie white glow, nothing else was happening. After a moment he set down roughly on the earth and growled loudly, "This isn't working!"
"You must concentrate harder!" Balthazzar barked sticking his ugly face into Harry's. "Get up and try again!"
"Yes, Professor Snape…" Harry mumbled standing back up and returning to the relaxed stance Balthazzar showed him and closed his eyes to concentrate.
"What was that?" Balthazzar growled narrowing his large eyes at the teenager.
"Not…" Harry started but ended in a yelp when Balthazzar popped him the side with his cane. "CONCENTRATE!"
Harry continued to try for about an hour but still got nowhere when he heard the sound of fluttering wings. Harry looked and watched Sirius's owl flutter down and land on his Godfather's shoulder. "What's going…" Harry started but yelped again when he felt the cane go into his side again.
"CONCENTRATE!" Balthazzar barked but turned toward Sirius's serious expression, and walked toward his former student.
"I got a letter from Harry's friend, Ron." Sirius said to his former teacher glancing over at Harry's concerned face.
"And he said?" Balthazzar asked solemnly.
"Draco Malfoy's up to something." Sirius said looking over the letter. "Ron said he followed him and heard him talk to someone in the shadows, more then likely You-Know-Who, but apparently the person, who ever it is, gave him a power boost and a spell that put everyone under his control, everyone, including possibly Dumbledore, are being influenced by Malfoy. All except Ron, Old Hagrid, and Hermione."
"The Convection Charm." Balthazzar mused, "Does not completely control the mind, just the way the victim's ways of thinking. Bends the persons will so that they think the way the spell caster wishes them to. Only someone with extremely strong convection toward something can keep it from affecting them. But you are mistaken, Tom Riddle is not who this Draco Malfoy follows. The Convection Charm requires a great deal of power, and there is no Draco Malfoy received the power from him. Riddle has not the power to do this."
"If it's not him…" Sirius sighed, "Then who? And who is stronger at the Dark Arts then the Dark Lord himself?"
Balthazzar chuckled, "This 'Lord Voldemort' is highly over rated, he uses the power of a wizard, and the power of a wizard pales in comparison to that of Sages and Mystics. Nonetheless, I feel that all those at Hogwarts are in… grave danger. Especially Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger."
"Ron … Hermione …" Harry growled his voice seemingly strained with fear and anger, as images of his dream of Voldemort killing his friends reentered his mind, of Hermione's lifeless eyes, "Hermione …" Then he could feel it. For one moment, Harry could feel the barrier in his mind, in his soul. The barrier that was inside all living things that kept them from letting themselves drown in the magical energies that flow through out the world. Then a moment later, he felt it shatter.
"He's doing it…" Balthazzar gawked, "MY GOD, THE BOY'S DOING IT!" Balthazzar laughed and danced around proudly as Harry's body trembled with power and suddenly his glasses shattered and flew in several different directions. Then the old sage heard a thunder clap in the distance and felt the earth start to tremble, "What is this …"
The skies began to darken with black storm clouds but strangely began to swirl above Harry's location. And the ground trembled violently. "This … this hasn't happened since … could he be a Light Mystic?" Balthazzar asked as the shaking increased throwing him to the ground.
Meanwhile at Hogwarts the school was in a panic as the castle shook violently. "EVERYONE REMAIN CALM!" Dumbledore ordered gripping the table, "EVERYONE, CLIMB UNDER YOUR TABLES, FOR SHELTER."
"Albus, I thought Hogwarts was protected from earthquakes and overly violent storms?" Prof. McGonagall asked gripping Dumbledore's arm.
"Yes, natural disasters shouldn't reach this school," the old headmaster explained, "but I fear this is anything but natural!"
Meanwhile under the Gryffindor table, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Lavender huddled together frightened senseless form the horrifying quake.
"Harry!" Hermione shrieked all of the sudden, gripping her chest.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron asked as the three eyed her worriedly.
"Something's wrong, Harry's in trouble, he's hurting …" Hermione said blinking back tears, "He needs me … Harry … Something is happening to him, I can feel it!"
"I'm sorry Hermione," Ron said trying to sound as sympathetic as possible, "But I think we should worry about our own bloody skin right about now, don't you agree?"
Hermione nodded slight before looking away, 'Harry … please, be careful …'
Balthazzar and Sirius could no longer look in Harry's direction for the bright light he was giving off, but they could hear his painful screams. "What's happening to him?" Sirius asked turning to his former teacher.
"Magic is flooding his body," the old man explained, "It and he will become one… if the magic accepts him."
"And if it doesn't?" Sirius asked afraid of the answer.
"I have a bucket and a scooper in my hut." Balthazzar said seriously.
Before either could say another word, they were both thrown through the air backwards, do to a magical shockwave that could have leveled the strongest fort. "HARRY!!!" Sirius cried jumping back to his feet and ran towards the large crater where Harry was standing.
He jumped into the large smoking crater, and came to a dead stop at what he saw in the center. "Harry?"
To Be Continued …
C. Cowboy: What happened to Harry? Did the magic accept him as a Mystic? If Draco isn't working for You Know Who, then who is he working for? More is on the way! Coming next chapter, Draco tries to get Hermione and Ron out of the way, but will a certain someone stand in the way. Or is it all in Hermione's mind? Also the return of my personal favorite … FLUFFY!!!!
Next Chapter: Hermione's 'Dream'