Unofficial Portkey Archive

The day in the middle of November dawned cold and breezy. The sky was a leaden gray and the clouds seemed to be bursting with want to shower the earth with snow. The trees in the Forbidden Forest swayed darkly in the wind and the surface of the lake rippled. Most of the students were still asleep, unwilling to wake up and face another day of classes. Only a few were awake and most of them were not happy.

Ron sat on his bed in the boy's dormitory in Gryffindor Tower, watching sadly as Harry placed the last of his belongings in his trunk and snapped the lid shut before locking it. Harry muttered a quick spell and the trunk shrank and he slipped it into one of the pockets of his jeans. His eyes quickly surveyed the rest of the room, making sure he hadn't left anything behind, before coming to rest on Ron, who was looking at his hands.

Harry felt horrible at leaving his best friend. Ron was like a brother to him, always there for him and helping him along, one of the few people that kept him grounded, and here he was leaving him behind. Ron had been on every single adventure of his, had been there during so many great events in Harry's life and for the greatest one, he couldn't even be present. This fact stung Harry like no other and he couldn't even begin to imagine how Ron felt.

"So," Ron spoke suddenly, breaking into Harry's thoughts, "I guess this is it."

Ron kept wringing his hands, still refusing to look at Harry, who shifted his feet and nodded. Ron sighed deeply, knowing what Harry's silence meant. There was really no words to say between the two of them. What could a person say to one of their greatest friends as one of them was leaving? A good-bye just didn't seem to be enough and both of them knew it.

Ron finally looked up at Harry and then stood. "Guess we should get you down there then," Ron said softly, "don't want Dumbledore or Hermione worrying about you."

Harry gave a half-heartened grin and nodded again. He grabbed his cloak off of his bed and turned toward the door. As he took a step, Ron suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm. "Harry, wait a minute," he began.

Harry turned his head to look at Ron, who dropped his hold on Harry's arm and stared at his feet. He ran a hand through his red hair and looked up finally. "I just wanted to say....good luck with everything and good--"

"Don't say it," Harry stated firmly, cutting him off, "No good-byes between us, we're going to see each other again. You're the greatest friend I've ever had, along with Hermione, and I won't let this be the end to that friendship. I won't leave Hogwarts as if I'm never going to see you again."

Ron gave him a shaky smile. "Yeah, of course. We'll see each other again." And a mischievous glint formed in his blue eyes. Harry looked at him curiously but Ron shook his head and grinned. "Nevermind, Harry, you're right. Now, I know guys usually don't do hugs but, say, how about one now."

Harry snorted in amusement. "You're such a dork," he laughed. Ron laughed with him and they gave each other a quick hug. As Harry stepped back, he shook Ron's hand as well. "Thanks for being a brother to me, mate," he said seriously.

Ron could only nod to that statement, not knowing what to say to it. He knew he would be joining Harry and the others at Illustris soon but it still hurt him to watch his friend walk out of the room, knowing what lay ahead of him. They weren't saying good-bye now but what would happen when Harry faced Voldemort? Would there be a good-bye then? Ron shook his head, not wanting to think of it and quickly followed Harry out of the dormitory.

When they reached the Common Room, they saw that both Ginny and Hermione were already there, wrapped in their cloaks. They were sitting in front of the empty fireplace, both looking dazed and sad. Harry went over to Hermione, leaning down and giving her a quick kiss on the lips before grabbing her hand in his. She snapped out of her daze and looked up at him, smiling softly before standing and gripping him in a tight hug. Ginny watched them for a few seconds and then noticed her brother, looking forlorn, hands deep in his pockets. She stood up and quickly raced over to hug him tightly. He gasped but returned the hug, seeming unwilling to let his younger sister go.

"Oh, Ron," she said, her voice muffled into his shoulder, "I don't want to go. I don't want to leave Hogwarts, my friends, and you."

Ron patted her awkwardly on the back and tried to reassure her. "Don't worry, Gin. It's not that bad and, hey, you never know, you may see me again sooner than you think."

Ginny raised her hand up and eyed her brother curiously. "What is that suppose to mean?"

"Oh, ah," Ron muttered, searching for words, "just.....you never know what may happen." He shrugged and gave Ginny a nervous smile, realizing his slip-up.

Ginny looked unconvinced but didn't press the subject. "I'm going to miss you, Ron," she said softly, tears filling her brown eyes.

"I'll miss you too, lil' sis," he responded seriously, before giving her another hug. When he pulled back, he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and smiled, "You're going to make the Weasley family proud."

Ginny laughed and took a few steps back from Ron, knowing Hermione would want to say something to him as well. Sure enough, Hermione broke away from Harry, tears streaming down her face, and she launched herself at Ron. "Oh, Ron!" she sobbed, almost knocking him over with her hug.

"Woah, Hermione, let me breathe," he gasped. Hermione loosened her hold and stared at him with watery eyes.

"I'm going to miss you so much," she whispered, "you may be an insufferable prat sometimes but you're like my brother. I love you."

Ron flushed bright red and stared at his feet. "Thanks, Herm. You have Harry though, and Ginny. Don't worry about me so much, I'll be fine." He smirked at her. "I think I might enjoy some peace and quiet and none of your nagging," he teased.

Hermione gave him a punch on the arm but laughed with him. "Just do your homework, Ronald, or I wouldn't have to nag."

Ron threw his hands up in mock annoyance. "Will she ever let up?"

Harry snorted and patted Ron on the shoulder. "At least you get to be away from that, I'm still stuck with her."

Hermione gave him a death glare which Harry smiled slyly at. "Oh, come on, Hermione, I was only joking. You know I love you."

Something flickered in Hermione's eyes when he spoke and her features softened. "Yeah, I know," she said quickly, looking confused.

Harry narrowed his eyes curiously but said nothing. Ron and Ginny exchanged identical smirks and had to restrain from bursting into giggles. Ron finally noticed the time on the clock and said, "Hey, you three got to go, it's almost seven."

There was a quick scrambling and Harry put his cloak on. The four left the Common Room, silence descending on the small group rapidly as they walked down the corridors. It was finally starting to sink in where their steps would lead them. Three of them would be leaving their home and friends behind, not knowing if they would ever return. One of them was to be left behind, taking, yet again, the role of side-kick and a small twinge of jealousy filling him.

The tension and silence continued to thicken, even as they left the castle and walked out onto the grounds, the wind biting at their faces. The sun was starting to send gold rays over the grass, which shimmered with dew from the light. Harry let his gaze fall all over the Hogwarts grounds, trying to etch every detail of it in his memory. It hurt him to leave this place, his first home, but as his glance went to Hermione, who was walking next to him, he smiled slightly, knowing he could survive with her by his side. He knew he could never imagine his life without her and he would do everything in his power to protect her.

The four finally reached the small group of people who were huddled against the wind in front of Hagrid's hut. Harry flinched nervously when he saw he was walking toward it and Hermione quickly grabbed his hand in comfort. He smiled grateful at her and kept his eyes determinedly away from the empty cabin.

Professor Dumbledore smiled gently at them as they approached, his silver beard gleaming gold at the moment and his half-mooned spectacles flashing. Draco stood beside him, looking as if he had to be dragged there against his will and giving the four approaching students a very cold glare. Ginny refused to look at him and he smirked with satisfaction at her nervousness.

"Right on time," Dumbledore said, "and I'm glad you could come, Mister Weasley, to see your friends off."

Draco made a face behind Dumbledore's back and Ron felt the greatest urge to smash his fist into Ferret Boy's face. He cracked his knuckles and glared back at Draco, who merely sneered. Dumbledore turned to Professor McGonagall, who was trying to keep her hat from being taken by the violent wind.

"Minerva, you have the Portkey I assume?" he questioned.

Professor McGonagall removed a dented steel rod from beneath her cloak. "Right here, Albus. I decided to bring along something longer to accommodate the number of us."

Dumbledore nodded. "Very good, I'll activate it in a few minutes, we need to arrive at Illustris as soon as possible. Now," he turned to the Four Heirs before him, "once we arrive at Illustris you will be shown to the rooms you will be staying in. You will all be staying in a separate tower from the teachers. After you get settled, you will return to the front of the grounds and I will proceed in giving you a quick tour of the place, as it will be your home for the next several months. Your training will begin tomorrow and I assume, at some point today, you will receive your schedules."

Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Draco all listened to him intently, though they all looked apprehensive and a little scared. Ron stood slightly away from them, suddenly feeling extremely left out. Dumbledore seemed to notice his discomfort and gave him an encouraging smile and Ron remembered he would be joining them all soon. His heart now lighter, he continued to listen.

"I'm sure you three would like to say your final good-byes to Mister Weasley here," Dumbledore said, "I'll activate the Portkey when you are finished."

He stepped back and began talking with the other teachers. Professor Lupin, however, moved forward, watching Draco a little unsurely, knowing his reputation with the others all too well. Draco had a funny gleam in his eyes at the moment and gazed at the others intently as they walked over to Ron.

Harry, having said basically everything he had to say in the Gryffindor Tower, patted Ron on the back and said a quick, "See you, mate," before stepping back. Ron grinned at him and nodded. Hermione gave him another hug, more tears filling her eyes.

"Oh, don't cry, Hermione," Ron said quickly, crying always making him nervous.

"I'm sorry," she cried, wiping tears away, "this is just so difficult." And she buried her face in her hands and fled into Harry's arms.

"Blubbering Mudblood," Draco muttered quietly. Professor Lupin shot him a warning look which Draco only raised his eyebrows to.

Ginny stepped shakily up to Ron and tried to smile. "Take care of yourself, Ron," she said softly, "I'll try and write to you whenever I can and keep you updated. I don't know how much I can say but I'll still write. Keep me posted on our family, I'm going to miss them." She dropped her head, trying to stop tears.

Ron hugged her quickly. "You just worry about yourself, ok Gin? I don't want anything happening to you."

Ginny smiled as brightly as she could and pushed her red hair out of her face as she stepped back from him. Draco couldn't contain himself any longer.

"Oh don't worry, Weasel King, I'll watch over your baby sister for you," he said nastily, while giving Ginny a suggestive wink.

Ron snarled and lunged at Draco, only being stopped by Professor Lupin, who quickly grabbed his arm. "Watch that tongue, Mister Malfoy," Lupin said.

"Oh, so sorry, Professor," Draco flung the word out sarcastically.

Ginny glared daggers at Draco, feeling a hot blush forming on her cheeks from his words. This didn't go unnoticed by Draco, who smirked even more and winked again.

Dumbledore stepped up to them all finally. "Problems?" he said mildly, his gaze taking in a struggling and angry Ron being held by Lupin, a pleased Draco, a flushing Ginny, and a confused Harry and Hermione.

"Not at all, Albus," Lupin replied in the same tone, finally releasing Ron, who panted next to him, his eyes never leaving Draco's, who was trying hard not to laugh.

"Splendid," Dumbledore said with mirth. He turned to the teachers. "Gather around! We will be Portkeying shortly. Minerva, the Portkey, if you please."

Professor McGonagall brought the rod forward and handed it to Dumbledore, who brought his wand out and tapped it. "Portus," he said simply. The rod shook in his hand and glowed blue before going still. "Yes, only about a minute now before it works. Everyone put their finger on it and we will arrive at Illustris shortly."

The group of eleven people squeezed together to touch the rod. Harry, unfortunately, found himself next to Snape, who curled his lip in disgust but said nothing. Harry turned his head to catch a last glimpse of Ron, who had stepped back a few paces to give them all room. He grinned at him until Ron finally smiled back.

"See you, Harry," he called, just as the familiar tug was felt somewhere behind Harry's navel and he found himself being pulled through a swirl of colors, leaving his home and his best friend behind.

Ron watched as they all disappeared before his eyes and that heavy feeling descended into his stomach once more. A lone tear fell down his face and he hastily wiped it away. With a quick cough, he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away. He didn't walk to the castle though, but toward the lake, wanting to be alone and wanting to think.

A lone figure watched him from the doorway to the Entrance Hall, her blonde hair flying in the wind and a few tears of her own falling down her face.

....................................

Harry's feet slammed into the ground and his knees gave out. He fell sideways into Professor Snape and the two fell in a heap in the grass. Snape struggled and hastily righted himself.

"Clumsy fool, Potter," he snapped, brushing off his black robes.

Harry took Hermione's offered hand and stood up as well, glaring back at Snape. "Excuse me, sir."

Snape's eyes flashed and he took a step toward Harry. "Give it a rest, Severus," Mad-Eye growled.

"Stay out of this, Moody. Potter has always drawn the line with me. He deserves whatever comes to him."

"Enough!" Dumbledore shouted. He looked furious, no trace of a sparkle in his blue eyes. "Harry, you will learn to respect Professor Snape, as he is your teacher. Severus, you will learn to control your temper around Harry and your other students, as they need to learn from you. Put aside your petty differences with his background and simply teach him."

Snape sniffed, looking a little taken aback, but he moved away from Harry and just chose to ignore him. Harry mumbled under his breath as Draco watched with obvious delight from having witnessed Dumbledore tell his hated enemy off. Harry expected Hermione to say something to him but instead, she gasped and gripped his arm tightly.

"Ohhh, Harry! Look! It's beautiful!" she said with awe in her voice.

Harry turned around and a most wonderful sight greeted his eyes. The group stood before a large iron gate which was flanked with two rising phoenixes. The gate was open and on a small plaque on one of them, the word Illustris was written in gold letters. Beyond the gate, on a large green hill, with a long, winding gravel road leading toward it, stood a truly remarkable castle. It looked in many ways like Hogwarts only twice as large. Turrets and towers rose from each end and everywhere in between. Hundreds of windows gleamed brightly in the sunlight. Large, oak doors were the entrance to the castle, with several stone steps leading to them. Around the entire castle was a wide moat, the water gleaming. A drawbridge was extended over it, meeting with the gravel road.

Off to the right side of the castle lay a very large pitch that reminded Harry greatly of the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch. There were no golden hoops at each end though and it was instead lined around the edge with a high metal gate. To the left of the castle was a large grassy field with a section in the middle that rose higher than the rest and seemed to be a sort of grass covered stage. Behind the castle, a grand forest swayed in the gentle breeze, looking not nearly as dark as the Forbidden Forest.

The four students stared in absolute awe at the castle and its grounds for several minutes. Finally Ginny muttered, "Remarkable," just as the sun shot some rays directly on the castle and the brick walls shimmered with an unrealistic glow.

"Well, I am glad that you already seem to like your new home," Dumbledore said with amusement as he swept his hand forward. "Please, let us enter."

Harry couldn't take his eyes off of the castle and neither, he noted with a chuckle, could Draco, who was gaping openly at it. The group crossed the bridge and went up the steps to the door. A large golden crest was set on the doors in the image of a phoenix rising from flames. Dumbledore tapped his wand on the crest and muttered a quick word none of them could hear. The phoenix came to life and with a nod of recognition, the oak doors swung open.

They all entered into a very large entrance hall with many torches lining the walls. The floor was made of marble and it stretched before them endlessly into a corridor across from the door before disappearing into darkness. To both the left and right were two other corridors, each lined with torches and windows. A grand staircase with marble steps and oak handles was in front of them and to the right. To the left was another staircase just like it. Hermione craned her next upward and saw that there was no ceiling above her, just an endless stretch of staircases and corridors. Like Hogwarts, many of the staircases were moving, to allow access to other parts of the castle.

Dumbledore stepped in front of them and spoke. "As you can tell, Illustris is very much like Hogwarts, only on a much larger scale. This is probably the grandest part of the castle, along with the towers you will be staying in. The purpose of this castle is not for comfort but for training, which is why I never decided to move Hogwarts here instead. There are many rooms and many dungeons and I know you four are very eager to begin exploring. I ask you not to explore too much as it is very easy to get lost in Illustris and there are still some secrets about this place even I do not know about. Your physical training and your Defensive and Offensive Dark Magic training will both take place outside. All other classes will be taught inside the castle unless your teacher feels it is necessary to move the lesson outside. I expect you all to work hard at your lessons and to follow through with any extra training and homework that your teacher may give you." He gave them all a stern look down his crooked nose before smiling. "Enough with lectures! Remus, Minerva, please show our young charges to their rooms in the West End Tower. I'm sure you will find the decor in each room to be appropriate. Now, off you go."

Harry, Draco, Ginny, and Hermione followed behind Professors Lupin and McGonagall as they treaded up the staircase to the right. The rest of the teachers went up the opposite staircase to their rooms in the East End Tower. As he followed, Harry noticed that, unlike Hogwarts, the walls were not covered with portraits that moved, there were a few but the occupants were either not there or sleeping soundly. Several mirrors lined the walls though and as Harry reached a hand toward one, Professor McGonagall grasped his hand and pulled him away.

"I wouldn't touch the mirrors, Potter. They are not normal mirrors. They aren't really made of glass and they suck in anybody who touches them. They were meant as an escape plan when this place was first built and took you to a safe location if this place was ever besieged. Now though," she shook her head, "I do not know really where they lead and I think Dumbledore has plans to remove them all, if he can. This corridor is know as the Hall of Mirrors but several more are placed strategically around the castle." She released Harry's hand and continued walking.

Hermione whispered excitedly in Harry's ear. "I've heard of those before! They're suppose to very rare and filled with an ancient magic. They're known as Passim Mirrors, passim meaning "everywhere." They're suppose to take a person to wherever they desire to go. I guess in the case of the Order before, they meant for them all to go to a specific place. Professor McGonagall is right though, they could lead to anywhere now, since this place has been abandoned for so long." She stopped her long rant of knowledgeable information, Harry starting to get bored. He adored Hermione but sometimes, her excitement for these types of things could be too much.

Draco, however, was listening with rapt attention and a hungry look fell over his face as they passed another mirror and he glanced into it. His reflection stared back at him but he could've sworn he saw the surface ripple slightly. An interesting thought went into his mind and he smirked, wondering if he could pull it off. Ginny eyed him wearily, wondering what he was thinking. Draco Malfoy was such a mystery to her, especially after his sudden kiss, and she found herself even more confused about her feelings toward him. She hated him, yes, but she felt a twinge of something else deep in her heart, something she wasn't ready to acknowledge yet.

The rest of Ginny's thoughts were banished as Professor Lupin came to a stop before a large painting of four animals. A lion, a snake, a badger, and a raven were all moving about in their painting. The lion roared at the sight of the group and then said, "Password?"

"Tea cozy," Lupin said. The four animals bowed and the painting swung upward to reveal a fairly large but comfortable room. The six people stepped in and the Four Heirs gaped. The room was circular with a fireplace directly across from the door, a fire crackling in it. The carpet was gold colored with many plush, stuffy maroon chairs covering it. A few tables were scattered over the room and two large windows brought forth sunlight into the room. A large tapestry hung over the fireplace with the Hogwarts crest stitched on it.

Professor McGonagall moved to the center of the room and pointed to the four doors lining the walls that they hadn't noticed before. "Those are the doors to your bedrooms. This is the main Common Room for you four and you will do most of your studying and relaxing in here." She then pointed to a fifth door that was tucked into a corner close to the portrait entrance. "That's the door that leads to a spiral staircase that will lead you right to the top of this tower. Use it however you feel necessary."

Lupin broke in then. "The rooms were made specific for each of you." He gestured to the two doors to his right. "Harry, Hermione, those two doors belong to you. Draco and Ginny, yours are over here." He pointed to his left. "Make yourselves comfortable and then proceed back to the entrance hall so Dumbledore can show you around." He smiled at them and then him and Professor McGonagall left the room and the Four Heirs found themselves alone.

Draco ignored the other three and marched over to the door he believed was his. The door knob was made in the shape of a serpent's head. As he turned the knob, the door glowed for a second and the word Slytherin appeared across it in silver letters. His own name was etched in smaller letters below it. The door swung open to reveal his bedroom and he found himself quite pleased with the decor.

The carpet was a deep, emerald green as were the bed sheets and canopy. The duvet was lined in silver and a large emblem of a silver snake was on top of it. The window in the room was covered in large green drapes that touched the floor. Two nightstands stood on either side on the bed, a lamp on each one. A desk was placed across from the bed, textbooks, parchment, quills, and ink bottles set neatly on top. On the wall to his left was another door, which Draco found opened up to his own personal bathroom in the same green and silver coloring.

Satisfied with his surroundings, Draco pulled his minuscule trunk from his pocket and tapped it with his wand, bringing it back to full size. He unpacked his clothes and placed them in the wardrobe to his right and then took out his other textbooks and placed them on the desk. He left his Invisibility Cloak and his Nimbus 2001, his most prized possessions, in the trunk and locked it.

Draco sat on the bed and muttered, "I guess this won't be that horrible." He twirled his wand in his hand and that evil glint returned to his gray eyes. "Passim Mirrors, how interesting to have them here. They may be useful to me. Now I just need to work out a plan........"

As his thoughts trailed off, a knock sounded at his door. "What?" he snapped in annoyance.

"Get out of there, Malfoy," Ginny's angry voice filtered through the door, "we have to go meet Dumbledore."

"I don't take orders from a Weasley," he spat. But he crossed the room anyway and flung the door open. Ginny stood before him, a knowing smirk on her face before turning away from him. Harry and Hermione stood up from the couch they had been resting on and left through the portrait entrance after Ginny. Draco swore and went after them, noticing as he went that the three other doors had formed the words Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw across them like his own door and each knob was in the shape of the animal associated with the House. He guessed their rooms looked very similar to his only in different colors.

He walked smoothly out of the entrance and ambled down the corridor, not caring if he was late for Dumbledore, who he still greatly despised. Draco knew he should know better than to blame Dumbledore but he was angered at the old wizard for keeping a great part of his life from him, and he was still seething about his sister's death. Draco's hands clenched into fists and he set his jaw, walking a little faster, his mind so distracted he didn't have time to study further the mirrors he was so fascinated with.

He finally reached the Entrance Hall once more and found Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny all waiting for him. "Oh good, Mister Malfoy. Glad to see you could finally join us," Dumbledore said.

Draco scowled and said nothing, simply leaning against the banister of the staircase with a bored expression on his face. Dumbledore looked away from him and spoke to them all. "Well, let me show you around Illustris now. It shouldn't take too long. I just wanted to have you all get a feel for the grounds. Follow me."

He swept out of the front doors, his robes billowing behind him in the wind, the Four Heirs behind him. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand on the way out, entwining their fingers and smiling shyly at her. She smiled back and squeezed his hand. Ginny watched them with a deep sadness in her eyes, wishing more than anything that she had that. Her gaze drifted to Draco for a second, who was walking slightly next to her. He felt her eyes on him and when he looked up, their eyes locked and that twinge Draco had felt while kissing Ginny came back again. He shoved it down and proceeded to sneer at her once more. Ginny flushed and looked away, staring across the dazzling landscape now.

Dumbledore led them along to the left side of the castle toward the Quidditch Pitch-like area. He opened up a door in the gate and they stepped out onto the dirt covered ground of the pitch. The area was completely empty and the gate rose high above them. Dumbledore gathered them into the middle of the area and spoke.

"This will be where you learn all of your physical combat. The walls are merely for protection and are softer than they look. As you know, Moody will be your teacher with this. He will also teach you many ways of Aurors, like stealth and disguise. These will all be very useful against Voldemort."

"Um..Professor? Where's the equipment?" Hermione inquired.

"Oh, yes," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes, "Moody will provide that for you."

Hermione looked a little nervous but nodded, staring around the enclosure with a bit of apprehension. Harry was looking excited about this part of the training, as was Draco. Ginny looked like Hermione, but seemed determined. Dumbledore watched them closely, knowing their acceptance of all of their training was important. He finally said, "All right, let me show you the rest of the grounds."

They left the enclosure and walked around to the back of the castle. The trees of the forest rustled their leaves in greeting as they passed them. Dumbledore gestured to the very open area behind the castle.

"This area is mainly for you to relax though I daresay that Professor McGonagall will be teaching you Animagus transformation out here the further along you all get with it. I have a slight suspicion as to what animals you will transform into and a couple of you may need a.....well, bigger area to work with."

Confused by his meaning, the four said nothing until they got to the other end of the castle and stood before the grassy area with a hill raised in the middle of it.

"Oh, Professor, what's this for?" Ginny asked with curiosity.

Draco laughed. "I would think even you, Weasley, could figure that out," he mocked her.

Ginny turned to give him a nasty look but instead blushed furiously under his intense gaze. She bit her lip and gave him a quick sneer before looking away. He raised an eyebrow and then glared at Harry and Hermione, who were looking at him in disgust.

Dumbledore seemed to be amused but ignored the bantering. "This is where you will learn your Defense and Offensive Dark Magic spells. Professors Lupin and Moody will help you here. I may even drop in to help every once in a while. You will learn many different and complex spells here and we all felt it was better for you to learn them outside. The small hill in the center is meant to be used if two of you dual against each other. Though, we will make sure no mishaps happen." He shot a glance to Draco and Harry, who were sharing a heated, challenging glare.

Dumbledore sighed loudly and the gaze between them was broken. "I believe that I showed you everything I could out here. That's basically all the training that will take place outside. All of your other classes will occur inside the castle. I must warn you, do not travel outside the grounds of Illustris. The forest is forbidden as well. It may look friendly but I assure you, it is not what it seems to be. You will follow the instructions of all your teachers and you will do everything they tell you. Also, steer clear of the mirrors along the corridors, especially the ones in the Hall of Mirrors." He paused and Ginny spoke.

"Professor McGonagall told us about them and Hermione said they were Passim Mirrors."

Dumbledore gave Hermione a look of pride. "Good job, Miss Granger, you are very right. When used correctly, Passim Mirrors are wonderful objects but I am not too sure about these ones now. If abandoned, they can turn into deadly forms of Dark Magic and lead a person to a place they would rather not go, unless their intentions are also evil. Extremely complicated objects but very valuable all the same. I'm hoping to remove them sometime soon, until then, stay clear, though they are no danger unless you touch them."

Dumbledore gave them a reassuring smile and then said, "Well, let's head back inside. I need to be returning to Hogwarts and I'm sure you are all hungry and wish to explore a bit."

He ushered them back inside where they and the rest of the teachers ate breakfast in a hall, that looked much like the Great Hall at Hogwarts, that was on the second floor. Soon after breakfast, Dumbledore bid the Four Heirs goodbye, with a promise of returning in a week, and he Apparated back to Hogwarts.

The day passed fairly uneventful. Draco fled back to his room quickly and locked himself in there the entire day. Harry, Ginny, and Hermione went out to explore the grounds some more before Hermione insisted on reading her new textbooks before bed and went back to the West End Tower, a disgruntled Harry in her wake.

Ginny remained outside, thoughts of Draco swirling through her head and finding herself absentmindedly staring up at his bedroom window. She had no idea that he was doing the same as her, and staring out at the grounds toward her lone figure.

And as night creeped upon them, the Four Heirs settled into their separate beds, excitement and nervousness coursing through their blood. A day of training lay before them, a day that would be the start of their new lives.

...........................

Author's Note: Yay! I'm finally back from Europe! And what a wonderful time I had! I was amazed by the beauty of London, Paris, and Scotland and am looking forward to my trip to Ireland in two weeks. I know it will be amazing.

I want to thank everyone for sticking by this story and for all your wonderful reviews. I write each chapter for you guys and I love your support! I have the best fans! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's longer than my others, which I hope you like. I hope it doesn't seem boring to you guys but I was trying to make this be a chapter to specifically describe their training grounds. I hope you like it! :)

For anyone interested, illustris is a Latin word meaning "full of light." I thought it was quite appropriate. The other Latin word in this chapter, passim, really does mean "everywhere," and I picked it specifically. Pay close attention to the mirrors, they are important to something that will take place later in the story.

I'm getting kinda worried about the training part of this story and I hope I will live up to your expectations. I will try to make it as interesting as possible without making it boring or drawn out. I might steer slightly clear of the physical training since I have no idea whatsoever how to train for combat. I'll touch it a bit but not entirely. I hope that doesn't disappoint anyone! I truly am sorry if it does!

For the next chapter, you'll finally learn what the public thinks of the Four Heirs as the story has now "leaked" out. That shall be interesting, lol. Oh, and I'm guessing everyone has heard about the title of the 6th book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Damn, I am soo curious about who it is, I've been wracking my brain. Its not Harry or Voldemort and I doubt JKR would do that twist with making it Tom Riddle, she did that in book two...hmm....unless maybe she will...she DID say that book two was almost titled this....hmmm...

Again, thank you for your amazing reviews! I love you guys and please please review once more! I'll update again soon!
Much Love,
PhoenixFirebolt