Chapter 29: First Day Dilemmas
Needless to say that, possibly for the first time in history, the Sorting and feast were not the highlight of a wizard's first day at Hogwarts; instead, almost every head appeared to be focused on the Gryffindor Table where, among the other fourth years, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood – which surprised most of the lions, but given her protector, they said nothing – were all having a well-prepared feast with none other than Lily Potter.
The only ones who weren't staring were students like Susan Bones, who was surprised to say the least, but after her Aunt had been made Minister, she learned that Harry Potter and the word normal just didn't go together.
There was also the Slytherin part in this, such as one Draco Malfoy, who was more interested in keeping himself off the radar after getting quite the ear-bashing from his Mother and Father for daring to cross a Holy Knight; not to mention that Potter – Harry – appeared to be more powerful now and, though he was dining with his Mother, he didn't seem affected by it.
The Gryffindors, namely Fred, George, Ginny and, to Harry's surprise, Dean and Seamus were also unaffected by the turn of events, none of them wanting to question either Potter about this; instead, Ginny just gave Harry a friendly smile and continued with her feast.
Up on the High Table, Sirius, Remus and Severus were pretty stone-faced, as were the Order of Pendragon, but the rest of the faculty, namely Filius, Minerva and especially Albus were looking to the Gryffindor Table with eyes of worry and shock; shock in the case of the Lion and Raven Heads and worry in the case of the Headmaster.
Lily was alive?
How?
Had Harry's power advanced to the level where he could transcend the realms of life and death?
Had the combined strength of the Knights been reborn already?
Why wasn't Harry worried about the events of the Quidditch World Cup?
Then, an even worse thought entered Dumbledore's mind: had he even gone to the World Cup and seen the first part of Dumbledore's plan being put into play?
After all, the Weasley Family had been there, as had the Malfoys and most of the school when the Dark Lord's followers, the Death Eaters, had raided the place and sent the Dark Mark into the sky. But why was Harry sitting there like it was just another Sorting and just another day, especially when his own Mother was sitting there?
Deciding to answer the questions that were rising, Dumbledore went for his proverbial Plan A: Legilimency.
No sooner had he extended his probe, before a loud clap of thunder resounded through the school and Albus gasped as he felt the magical equivalent of 20,000 volts coursing through his probe, throwing him out of the path of Harry's mind, but not throwing him off the Arch-Knight's radar. Seeing their headmaster fall out of his golden chair, most of the school began talking amongst themselves, but Severus, who had seen and witnessed the cause of that knockback himself, leaned over to Albus and, with a shrug, remarked, "I would advise against reading any of their minds in future Albus: it would be very bad for you."
"M-M-Minerva," gasped Dumbledore, "C-C-C-Can you ask the Potters to c-c-c-come to my office after the feast?"
"I'd love to Albus," Minerva replied, her voice calm as she observed her two favourite students, past and present, seemingly ignoring the feast's dramatic turn of events. "But I'm afraid I hold no real sway over Sir Potter any longer and, as you know, any meeting he attends, his loyal warriors will follow."
"You should remember that Headmaster," Sebastian commented dryly, "My Lord Potter is not someone you can call like some dog: if you seek to meet with him, I will of course pass on the message, but, as a recognised adult and Lord and Knight of the Elemental Order, his authority and life are both beyond your reach. Professor McGonagall, if you'll excuse me, the Order and I wish to call it a night."
"Good night Sebastian," Minerva remarked, watching as, almost as if on cue, the four Holy Knights rose from their seats, Lily rising with them before they all left the Great Hall, none of the students daring to argue with the authority on display.
Even as Harry left the hall, he stopped in the doorway and, turning back, looked right at Dumbledore before he spoke, "Try to read my mind again Headmaster and you will lose your place in Hogwarts: and that is not a threat, it's a promise!"
As he left the Hall, his point was emphasised by the forked bolt of silver lightning that flashed across the ceiling, all of the students returning to the feast while the teachers marvelled at the strength and power of the fourth-year Gryffindor.
"Believe me Minnie," Sirius remarked, addressing the Gryffindor Head, "Compared to his true power, what you just witnessed was like throwing a pebble into the Black Lake."
Minerva and Filius seemed to understand the comparison, the Raven Head also taking notice that one of his new third-years would obviously be protected and remain with Lord Potter's company for pretty much the rest of her school lifetime.
'Miss Lovegood couldn't be in better company,' he thought to himself, a soft smile crossing his face as the feast continued.
HPHG
As the small company of Holy Knights and their allies made their way up the long and winding Grand Staircase, Harry suddenly gave a laugh as Luna sneezed heavily, her eyes filled with shock as she explained, "Someone must be talking about me."
"I think they're talking about all of us," Harry laughed, "But because the effect is in the air, you were affected by it: though I can't believe Severus didn't think to warn Dumbledore about reading my mind."
"It was funny though," Neville chuckled, taking Luna's arm as they made their way up towards Lancelot's statue.
"Seeing him fall out of his chair and literally knocked off his high horse," Luna added, "It certainly was amusing, though not as amusing as what Professor Snape said to him."
"Now, now you four," Lily chided them, Hermione remaining silent, despite the smile that was on her face, "Respect the headmaster or you'll lose House Points."
"Oh my God, my Mother's gone native," Harry joked, earning him a light tap across the back of his head as Lily chuckled.
"Don't be cheeky Mr Potter," she joked, "I am a Professor."
"Sorry Professor," Harry laughed, all of them now reaching Lancelot's statue as Harry lifted Excalibur and, placing it against the statue's chest, whispered, "Lancelot, the password to our dorm will need changing."
Springing to life, the noble statue bowed to Harry, his head low as he spoke, "Welcome back to Hogwarts my King: what is the new password for this school year?"
"Septimus Virtus," Harry explained, looking to his friends with a soft smile as he explained, "Very appropriate, wouldn't you agree?"
"Seventh Valour, or the seventh power," Hermione remarked, before she brushed her lips against Harry's cheek as she added, "Very appropriate my love."
Once again, Lancelot parted the entrance for the Knights, Harry unlocking the door to the main room, though he had to allow a moment's pause when he heard his Mother gasping in shock at their accommodations, not to mention he also noticed an extra set of stairs leading to the chambers. Sheathing Excalibur, Harry entered the Library and moved down towards Godric's portrait, the occupant beaming with pride when he saw him. "Harry, welcome back dear boy: how was your summer?"
"Never better thanks Godric," Harry answered, his eyes on the portrait as he asked, "Did…did you extend the Wing for us?"
"Not me Harry," Godric answered, "Hogwarts did: she is sentient and, in the four chambers of the Founders, she will use her magic to give you the design that you desire: now, I sense two more Knights among our circle; well done."
"Two Knights and a King," Harry remarked, pulling himself up to his full height as he faced Godric, "Camelot is truly beautiful."
"Indeed it is," Godric smiled, before he looked around and, dropping his voice, he added, "You know, as a Founder's Heir, you can use magic that can be hidden from the Headmaster if you wanted to; magic such as the Gateway."
"But where would I…" Harry began, before he mentally slapped himself as he added, "The Chamber of Secrets."
"Of course," Godric laughed, "Sadly my Wing is not as big as the Chamber, but once you're down there, I think it should provide ample size for you, your friends, your training and, of course, the Gate to Camelot."
"Thank you Godric," Harry nodded, before he turned on his heel and returned to the main room, Neville and Luna watching him as he looked around the room. After a full examination, he explained, "From now on, we'll be using the Chamber of Secrets for our lessons with Sebastian as well as using it for training purposes: Godric just told me that I can use the Chamber to open the Gate if I needed to."
"So what?" asked Hermione, watching as Harry appeared to focus on the stairs that led up to their chambers, "You're going to run a double life as a student and as King of Camelot?"
"Not exactly Mione," Harry replied, returning his posture and gaze to normal as he moved over to his Queen, before he took her in his arms and looked to the others. "I figured out part of Artemis' prophecy: the time of the Three referred to the Triwizard Tournament: somehow, someway, I'm going to be involved with this and so, through Camelot's resources, I have access to training methods that normal students don't."
"Well," Lily surmised, "Unless they changed the rules, your weekends will be free as well as the times that you manage to get off because of study periods, so that means we'd have plenty of time once the Tournament kicks off."
"Maybe we will," Harry told her, looking to the Knight of Light, "But you won't Mum; you're a teacher now and you'd need to be able to keep that guise up: Merlin forbid, and I mean that literally, if Dumbledore learns of an access point to Camelot. He'd be able to use me and my powers in ways that I'd never expect, which reminds me, leave any Knight business to lessons with Seba or here in the Wing, okay?"
"If you say so Harry," Luna told him, before she looked to the stairs as she asked, "What did you do?"
"I changed things a little," Harry told her, "Godric said that Hogwarts is sentient and here, in one of the four Founders Chambers, she'll use that magic to mould the dorm to however I want it. So, for the sake of personal business and privacy, we all now have our own room; Neville and Luna still take the third stairwell and Mum, you take the new one; Ty, if you want to see Tonks, then invite her here, but make sure I know about it, okay?"
"Okay Harry," Tyler replied, smiling proudly as he saw that he had nothing to be ashamed about concerning his relationship with the Auror.
"Minerva and Severus will have provided chambers for Sirius and Remus," Harry told them, "And Severus is continuing with the potion that he gives to Remus, so we're okay there, but the only two people I really worry for are in this room and one of them," he paused to place a soft, warm kiss against Hermione's neck as he added, "Is here in my arms."
"You don't have to worry about me son," Lily told him, smiling as she saw the innocent, albeit battle-ready White Knight of Gryffindor returning within those words, "Thanks to everything Emrys did for me, I have more than enough power to take care of anything Dumbledore tries; you just be careful, okay?"
"All right," Harry sighed, looking to the others curiously as he added, "By the way, did anyone else notice the absence of a certain Weasel at the feast?"
"Not that I'm complaining," Neville replied, "But yes: where do you suppose he's gotten to?"
"Dunno," Harry answered, removing his arms from around Hermione as he moved to the stairwell that led to his room, "But I suppose I'll hear him before I see him: keep an eye out, won't you?"
HPHG
Alone in their room, Neville and Luna settled down in each other's embrace, the Knight of Fire filled with a sense of angst and worry that must have crossed the bond as he heard Luna ask, "Trouble sleeping?"
"Just thinking about what Harry said," Neville replied, running a soft hand through Luna's hair as he spoke to her. "About the plans that Dumbledore could come up with and about the absence of the Dead Man Walking: what if they're connected somehow?"
"Then Harry should be the one to worry about it," Luna smiled, placing a soft kiss against Neville's lips as she returned to his chest, "I understand that you worry because you're seen as his brother, but really Neville, think about it like the Knight that you are: who could match the power of Camelot and Excalibur and still expect to walk out of there?"
"I guess you're right," Neville smiled, now placing his own kiss on Luna's forehead as he changed topic, "Did you do it by the way? Choose Aunt Lily's subject as one of your electives?"
"I did," Luna answered, "And according to her, there's going to be a surprise for our lesson; I can't wait."
"You know," Neville then laughed, "It wouldn't surprise me if my special, attractive Knight of Sky bonded was someone who could fall into the Void like Harry can. I mean, after what Sebastian said last year about the Ethereals and how someone with the Sight could witness them."
"I remember," Luna told him, "But we both know Harry can enter and leave the Void because his power is higher than ours: but if you're right Neville, then it would mean that there's something special in both of us."
"How do you mean?" asked the Knight of Fire.
"That's the magic of a soul bond," Luna explained, cuddling into Neville's side as they both settled down for the night, "What I have is yours and what you have is mine; mind, body, soul and magic, we are united and that unity makes us both as strong as the other, though there's one point I can agree on."
"And what's that?"
"That it's ironic," Luna giggled, "You being a Gryffindor and the Knight of Fire while I'm a Ravenclaw and the Knight of Sky."
"Destiny has a funny sense of humour," Neville surmised, his worries finally passing as he put his arm around Luna and, hugging her close, gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead before he fell asleep, Luna following moments later.
HPHG
While most of the Holy Knights and their allies slept soundly, up in the first of the three private dormitories, Harry wasn't sleeping soundly at all; he tossed and turned in his sleep, his groans sounding both painful and scared as his dreams racked his mind, voices filling his head that began to creep into his soul.
Voices Start
"You failed me Harry; you killed me: you are no Knight; you're a demon!"
"But if Tom is coming back, how can I ensure he follows his destiny?"
'You must willingly give your blood to bring him back.'
"I…I know; I may be all-powerful and a highly-respected member of the wizarding world, but I'm not fucking Superman: don't you think I was scared when I realised I'd failed her? Failed you? Failed Emma? How do you think I felt Daniel Granger? Like I was on top of the fucking world?"
"And you, old man, stay the hell out of my life: how you could allow something like that to happen and to blame me? You're no great wizard, Albus Dumbledore: you're a monster!"
"She is now old enough to be considered betrothal material and arrange a marriage contract; when my son had taken something of real importance to her and claimed her as his, I would have brought her up on falsified charges of seducing a pureblood and using the Dark Arts to bed him; no-one would have been any the wiser."
Voices End
Turning over in his sleep, Harry tried to fight off the waves of pain that threatened to enter his mind; finally, unable to take any more, he snapped right out of his sleep, both his eyes shining as he felt Hermione's warmth next to him, her warm, soft touch calming him for a moment as he thought about all he had seen and heard, his mind filled with shocks and pain as he tried to gather his wits and will. He'd thought for so long now that those demons had passed and that he was safe to be with Hermione, but if that was the case, then why was he so lost in his nightmares and why did the visions disturb him so badly?
Clambering out of bed, Harry moved over to the window that overlooked the outside of Hogwarts, his eyes on the rather beautiful looking crescent moon that hung over Hogwarts, Harry now leaning against the balcony as he tried to get his thoughts together.
'Iris!' he called in his mind, looking over towards the Owlery; he only hoped that, when he'd sent his dragon off with Hedwig, the other owls hadn't been too intimidated by her.
Moments later, a loud swish of wings filled his ears and Harry smiled as his beautiful blue-scaled dragon glided down from the Owlery and landed on Harry's shoulder, her soft-scaled head brushing against his cheek as she growled with concern. 'My Harry, you seem troubled: shouldn't you be asleep?'
'I'm sorry girl,' Harry replied, running a soft hand over Iris' wings, earning a rolling purr from the dragon as she found herself liking his touch, 'Nightmares.'
'About your Queen?' asked Iris, her head turning to look at Hermione; turning away from the night, Harry sighed when he saw Hermione lying there, still fast asleep and, in Harry's opinion, looking more like an angel than she had ever done before.
'I don't understand is all,' Harry told Iris, watching Hermione sleep as he kept his thoughts between him and his friend, 'The demons that are worming away inside me are the same kinds of demons from last year; what should I do Iris?'
'Well,' suggested the dragon, 'You have one of two options: you can either allow your worries to grow to the point where even the smallest reaction can turn into a highly-charged storm.'
'Not a good idea there,' Harry laughed, petting Iris fondly as he listened to her.
'Then there is option number two,' Iris explained, her head nuzzling Harry's palm as she spoke to him, 'And that is to confront your demons; sit down and talk through your pain with your life-mate and your Mother and tell them the whole story about how you feel.'
'A better option there,' Harry remarked, looking out across the night as he considered his little familiar's words, 'But how do I speak of something that causes my Hermione so much pain?'
'You'll find a way my little Knight,' Iris answered him, 'You always do.'
HPHG
Right from the word go things started to change for Harry from the moment he left Godric's Wing, but, much to his surprise, he found it to be all for the better. Dressing in his favourite robes, though all his Hogwarts robes looked the same, Harry fixed Excalibur to his waist, allowed Iris to travel with him by snuggling down under his robe, her tail winding around his arm while her serpentine body appeared to blend in with the folds of his robes and then, when he was sure that they were all set, Harry led his small entourage out of the Wing and down to the Great Hall.
Entering the Hall, Harry and Hermione moved towards the Gryffindor Table while Neville, escorting Luna around like any true soul-mate would, moved over to the Ravenclaw Table, Harry smirking when he saw some of Luna's former tormentors paling at the sight of Luna's sword as well as Lancelot being shown over the shoulders of the two Knights, Harry not even bothering to acknowledge the looks he was getting from the staff. Taking his own seat, Harry began to tuck into a hearty breakfast when, just as he took a bite, Excalibur's song of warning magic filled his ears and, under his robe, he heard Iris hiss threateningly.
Putting down his fork, Harry reached over and stopped Hermione from digging into her own meal, before he nodded once and, reaching back, unsheathed Excalibur, Hermione following suit with Nimueh, both blades now singing as if their blades were made of crystalline materials that had been struck to detect its purity.
'Potion or charm?' asked Hermione, watching as Harry's silver eye shone with the power of the Arch-Knight.
'Both,' Harry answered; over the summer that he and Hermione had spent in training sessions with Emrys and the Lords, Harry had learned that his Ascension to the rank of Arch-Knight gave him a sixth sense that protected him from charms and potions that affected his will or his bond with Hermione. 'Are you okay?'
'I am,' Hermione answered, 'I felt something pulling at our bond for a moment, but as soon as I heard Nimueh singing and you stopped me, the feeling vanished. Harry, I know we're young, but perhaps we should consider completing our bond soon.'
'Not a good idea,' Harry commented, his tone indicating that he was trying to lighten the mood, 'My mum and your Dad would skin me alive if I did anything on that scale so soon.'
As he pulled away from the bond, Harry placed Excalibur against the plate of food before him, his eyes narrowed as the shining light that usually indicated a magical presence now shone with the brightness of the sun itself, most of the students and staff looking in their direction.
Much to Harry's surprise, it was his own Mother, their new AC Professor, who spoke out, "Sir Potter, is there any particular reason that you are trying to blind everyone with the blade of your sword?"
"I'm sorry Professor Potter," Harry replied earnestly, his eyes now on the Staff Table as he explained, "But my magical weapon sensed a threat to my magic and I was about to investigate it."
"A…threat?" asked Lily, both her and Sirius now looking down the table to a certain Headmaster, Dumbledore just watching events unfold as she then asked, "Can you bring your plate up here to me Sir Potter?"
"Now Lily," Dumbledore remarked, his vocal argument telling Lily, Severus, Minerva, Sirius and Remus more than enough. "Surely breakfast doesn't need to be disrupted for something so trivial?"
"Albus!" Minerva hissed, the lion within her cat side coming out as she addressed him, "As every member of this school and indeed most of the community are aware, Sir Potter is a member of the Elemental Order and a recognised member of wizarding nobility: if he is right and there is a threat to his magic, the consequences against the perpetrators would be severe indeed."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence Professor McGonagall," Harry remarked, moving up to the High Table, where Lily, Severus and Sirius each tested the food and the plate, testing it for any signs of tampering.
However, as Harry looked into his Mother's eyes, Lily appeared both angry and suspicious as she explained, "Sir Potter, are you sure about those threats? My scans of your dining equipment and your food indicate no signs of magical influence."
"Hold up Lily," Severus remarked, now looking to Harry's plate as he explained, "There seems to be a very minor trace of a potion of some sort in the china; Sir Potter, until I investigate the potion that has been brewed and apparently washed into your dining equipment, may I suggest that you have your meal provided and tested by a trusted source?"
"Of course Professor Snape," Harry answered, returning to his seat, a small smile crossing his face as he looked to Hermione.
'Am I affected?' she asked him worriedly, watching as Harry took his seat next to her, brushing his lips over her cheek.
'Of course not Kitten,' he answered her, 'Our bond and my Coronation gave us both the protections, which I don't really need to remind you are reinforced by Merlin himself, against such compulsions. However, if I've said it once then I'll say it again: I love it when a plan comes together.'
'How do you mean Sparky?'
'I had a feeling that, with Mum's return, Dumbledore would attempt to move heaven and earth to get me back on his side; as I approached the table, I picked up on a counter-spell being cast, but even the so-called GREAT MAN can't erase all traces of magical influence. Once Severus identifies the potions, I'll get in contact with Amelia and we'll be saying goodbye to Headmaster Dumbledore and thus, with one fell stroke, I will have dealed with the key source of my problems at Hogwarts this year.'
'Even though we know that the old fool will attempt to use the Tournament to get to you?' asked Hermione, unable to help the proud feelings that she had towards her brave King.
'Exactly,' Harry assured her, 'Don't worry yourself so badly my Queen; as long as I remain two steps ahead of the Master Manipulator, he'll always be eating my dust and enjoying the taste of humble pie.'
HPHG
After breakfast, Harry and Hermione both made their way off to their first History of Magic lesson, none of them expecting Remus to actually be any worse than Binns and they weren't disappointed, although Harry had a surprise when the first lesson and indeed first project in their HoM lesson was on none other than their namesakes: the Holy Knights.
At the end of the lesson, Harry began packing up and, just as they were to leave, Remus called out, "With the exception of Sir Potter, Sir Longbottom and Lady Granger, I would like each of you to write a three and a half foot essay on the founding of the Holy Knights."
"Why are they exempt from the work sir?" asked Justin Finch Fletchley.
"Mr Fletchley?" asked Remus, indicating Harry and Hermione, "Who are Sir Potter, Sir Longbottom and Lady Granger better known as?"
"The Holy Knights of Thunder and Ocean sir," answered Hannah Abbot, "But what about Longbottom?"
"Neville is the Holy Knight of Fire," answered Susan Bones, "He was Anointed by Sir Potter himself and became one of the Knights when his power was given to him."
"10 points to Hufflepuff," Remus beamed, "5 for understanding the situation at hand and another 5 for rightfully recognising the titles of two of the most prominent magical users in the wizarding world."
As the students left, Remus then cleared his throat as he added, "Harry, Lily wanted me to tell you to report to her classroom after the lesson; oh, and away from the others, I can say this: your homework is different from the group as I'd like you, Neville and Hermione to write a same-length report on the strengths and experiences of a Holy Knight."
"Yes Professor," Harry answered, leaving the class with Hermione and Neville in tow, the Knight of Fire looking to his blood-brother as Harry appeared to be lost in thought.
"Why do you think Remus really kept us away from the homework?" asked Hermione, the three of them finding themselves on the Grand Staircase as Harry turned to them.
"That's not really a hard question," Harry laughed, "When you think about it: the homework is on the history of the Holy Knights and that is something that we three know about all too well."
"Uh-huh," Neville sighed, before he caught a knowing look being shared between Harry and Hermione; with an almost amused chuckle, he asked, "We're going to do the homework anyway aren't we?"
"Yep," Harry laughed, before he put an arm around Hermione's shoulders as he added, "Well, when you think about it Neville; do you honestly think any boyfriend of this brown-haired beauty that I call my betrothed would get away with ducking out of his work?"
"Erm…no," Neville replied, all three of them laughing as he added, "Shouldn't you make your way down to AC then Harry?"
"I suppose," Harry replied, moving down the stairwell as he added, "See you both at dinner; take care of each other."
Neville, catching the hidden meaning, gave Harry a nod of respect as the Arch-Knight made his way towards the Advanced Charmcasting classroom…
HPHG
Luna was excited;
She was looking forwards to learning the same material that her fellow Knights had learned and, in Harry's case, tamed over their own year, though now there was an added excitement factor from the fact that she and most of the other third-years were to be learning from none other than Lily Potter, a Charms Prodigy and, as Professor Flitwick had said, someone who was the first person in Hogwarts history to fall into the Void from their first lesson. What made it better for the Holy Knight of Sky was the fact that her Gryffindor friend, Ginny Weasley, was one of the few students who had opted for the lesson, no doubt to try and increase her already threatening repertoire of spells and abilities; however, as Luna looked around, she noticed other students from other houses, which suggested that AC – as Neville had called it – was a multi-house lesson.
As they waited outside, Luna began to wonder what could possibly be bothering Harry so much: ever since earlier that morning, she – and she hoped the other Knights as well – had noticed a sort of unfocused edge to their leader and her King. He had left with Iris in tow and also managed to overthrow some unknown attempt to poison him against the others; however, his posture, his form and his mannerism had been different all throughout the day: he had been walking with a sense of finality and the air of someone who would rather be concentrating on something else.
Whatever was bothering him, Luna hoped he would be all right: Harry had been her third friend – after Neville and Ginny – and he had been the one to trust her with the secrets and powers of the Holy Knights. He didn't call her Loony or insult her knowledge of the Ethereals and, even when he had managed to get back his Mother, now his Professor, Harry had still found a place in his circle and comfort zones for his friends, including Luna.
Shaking her thoughts away, Luna knocked once on the door, the soft, yet authority-filled voice of their new professor calling them from the other side, "Come in!"
Opening the door, both Luna and Ginny were given the surprise of their lives: not only was Professor Potter, dressed in sharp midnight-blue robes, her red hair tied behind her head in a braid, sat there waiting for them, but next to her, covered in a strong golden-coloured aura, was none other than her son, Harry.
"Take a seat everyone," Lily instructed, watching as Luna and Ginny shared incredulous looks at the surprise intervention of the Arch-Knight; as those who could see the aura around Harry all took their seats, Lily turned her head to her son and added, "Show them Harry."
"Yes Professor," Harry replied, before the golden aura around his body began to spread outwards, every surface that it touched suddenly turning to actual gold, before there was a loud roar and, as the students looked around, most of them gasped in shock as a pride of lions suddenly surrounded the class, the glow covering the lions as easily as it had done Harry.
"Now," Lily told the new class, "Raise your hands if you can see the magic empowering these illusions."
Most of them, including Ginny and Luna – much to Harry's surprise – lifted their hands, before Luna turned and locked eyes with Harry, the Arch-Knight smiling as he held his hand over his heart, his focus remaining on the illusions around them.
"For those who can't," Lily explained, "Raise your hand if you can at least sense the magic."
Again, a few of the students that hadn't raised their hands did so on this occasion, earning a smile from Lily while she looked to the small group remaining, her voice calm as she addressed them.
"I'm sorry to say this," she remarked, "But those of you who did not raise your hands for either point will have to go and speak to your Head of House about a new elective: only through sight or sensual experiences can someone understand the true magic behind Advanced Charmcasting. The rest of you, congratulations for passing the first stage of this lesson and also thank you to Sir Potter for assisting me with the lesson today."
As the students took their seats, Ginny and Luna shared a knowing smile with Harry before the Arch-Knight finally lowered his hand and, with a fatigue-ridden sigh, managed to move to a seat near Lily's desk, the new AC Professor smiling proudly at her son before she turned to the group.
"For those of you who are left," she explained, "Allow me to officially introduce myself: my name is Professor Lily Alexandra Potter nee Evans and I am your new Advanced Charmcasting tutor; it is my duty to make sure that each of you understands the subtle art and fine magic involved with AC and I hope that, by the end of the year, each of you can produce a reasonable illusion. Now, for today's lesson, I asked Sir Potter to be here as he is only the second student of Advanced Charms to enter a special place in magic: can anyone tell me what that place is called?"
Several raised their hands, Lily smiling when she noted how the students of this lesson were nothing like what she had feared; they were hanging on her every word and no doubt that, because of the warrior sitting in the corner of the room, they were being very careful as to what they said to her. Indicating her head to one Slytherin student, she asked, "Your name young man?"
"Davis Professor," the boy replied; he was a brown-haired boy with dark blue eyes, his hair grown out to a spiky-styled design that crept over his fringe. "Malcolm Davis."
"Davis," Lily nodded, "Your answer?"
"It's known as the Void," Malcolm explained, "It's a place where the power of Advanced Charms, or Illusionism comes from."
"10 points to Slytherin," Lily beamed, "Five for the answer and five for correctly identifying the real name of this lesson: and that reminds me," she added, now meeting the eyes of all of the students. "I will not have any inter-house rivalries or forms of bullying in my classroom: here, you are all equals except for the progress you make in this lesson; Muggleborn, Half-blood or pureblood, it doesn't matter; do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Professor," the class replied, even Harry nodded as he knew he'd be hearing the same little speech when the fourth-years came to their lesson.
"Now," Lily continued, "As I said before, Sir Potter here is only the second student to successfully fall into the Void, or cross-over if you prefer, and witness the full power of Illusionism; the first, I hold no shame in admitting, was myself and that is why, at an anonymous request, I was offered the place of your professor; now, for my next question, can anyone tell me what was different between those who witnessed the magic and those who actually felt it?"
This time, Lily had Ginny answer the question, the young Weasley actually awed at the presence of the new Professor, "Those who witnessed the magic have a chance to fall into the Void while just feeling the magic shows you have potential for Illusionism; because Harry, I mean Sir Potter and you, Professor, have both fallen into the Void, your bodies glow as well as your illusions."
"Correct on both points Miss Weasley," Lily beamed proudly, glad that there were some good Weasleys still at Hogwarts; she silently hoped she wouldn't have to deal with the newly-referred Dead Man Walking. "Take 10 points to Gryffindor for that answer; again, five for the answer and five for an example of the difference between magic. Now, last year, when he was sitting where you are right now, Sir Potter here was told of the way that the Void affects us in this lesson. Harry?" she looked to her son, who was sitting quietly, his arms folded, an impressed smile crossing his face as he looked to his Mother, "Can you tell us what Professor Flitwick told you last year?"
"Certainly Professor," Harry answered, rising from his seat and moving to stand before the class; leaning rather casually against the desk, Harry smiled and, reaching back, withdrew Excalibur from its sheath before he addressed the now gasping class. "Professor Flitwick told my class last year these exact words: Lord Potter's magic became in synch with the power of the Void and he became lost in their walking and magical presence. Even when I told you all to think on the reason you wished to take this course, Lord Potter was still within that world, his magic, though he may not realise it, using a conduit to equalise the magical input and possible output he would need for his magic. This," he added, now lifting Excalibur with ease, "Was, and still is, that very conduit: does anyone know its name?"
"The Sword of Godric Gryffindor," Ginny answered, recalling the blade from her and Harry's experiences down in the Chamber.
"Half-right Miss Weasley," Harry answered, a sly smile crossing his face as he explained, "But this sword is older and more powerful than you think: let me put it as Professor Flitwick did: the greatest swordsman in the known magic would kill to possess this blade; in his hands, he would consider himself invincible, but without proving his worth, it would be just another blade."
Luna, a born Ravenclaw, saw the riddle as easily as she saw the weapon; when she saw Harry glance in her direction, he gave her a smile and nodded, as if giving her permission to say what she wanted.
"Miss Lovegood?" he asked casually, "Do you know the real name of my ancestor's blade?"
"Yes," Luna replied, "And your ancestor means more than Godric Gryffindor: your heritage is as old as that sword; you're a Holy Knight, a Pure Knight and that sword is the very weapon that gave the Knights their power: Excalibur!"
"No way!" gasped some of the students, Harry smirking as he nodded.
"Yes way," he laughed, "Excalibur: a magical weapon that enhances my own Illusionism abilities and allowed me to fall into the Void from my very first lesson," rising from the desk, he inclined his head to Lily as he added, "Back to you Professor."
"Thank you Sir Potter," Lily replied, a note of pride in her voice as she watched her son return to his seat, "Take 20 points to Gryffindor for helping with the lesson and providing an in-depth, albeit repeated, explanation of your magical prowess; also, Miss Weasley and Miss Lovegood can take 5 points each for their answers."
Even as Harry watched the lesson continue, occasionally being called up for examples and being asked about the tasks at hand, at one point, he caught sight of Ginny looking in his direction, a warm smile crossing her face as she mouthed a simple statement in Harry's direction:
"I like her."
'I know she does,' Harry thought with a chuckle, 'I can't wait to see what surprises turn up in my own Illusionism lessons.'
Chapter 29 and Harry sees his Mother's methods of teaching with his own eyes, but can he overcome the dilemmas surrounding his dreams or will he be lost to the untamed demons inside him?
Also, with the Tournament drawing closer, can Harry figure out the rest of Artemis' Prophecy before it becomes too much too late?
Keep Reading to Find Out;
Next Chapter: Their first DA Lesson with Sirius has Harry appreciating his higher levels of magic; plus, Hagrid has a surprising request for Harry when Iris uses her burning frost for the first time on a returning DMW and the Holy Knights learn a startling secret about the seventh Knight;
Chapter 30: Defence, Dragons and Dead Men
After the surprises of their first Illusionism lessons, Harry and the others began to take a deeper respect for the art in itself: unlike Professor Flitwick, who seemed to have the students trying – and in most cases, failing – to cross over into the Void, Lily had them all meditating on the white mists of the Void, conjured by the combined powers of those who had managed it, namely Neville, Harry, Hermione and, of course, Professor Potter herself.
For their first lesson, Lily had asked her fourth-year class to work on summoning an apparition from within the mists, but not before she told Harry that he had to do it without the aid of Excalibur; still, he managed it, but it left him pretty weakened as well as wondering what other surprises could be waiting for the year ahead.
He got his answer Thursday morning before their first Defence lesson with Sirius…
HPHG
Waking in the familiar arms of his betrothed, Harry felt like he was about to have the best day ever: Sirius in the morning, followed by a free period in which he and Hermione had planned some training down in the Chamber and then, under the warm September sun, they would have Care of Magical Creatures in the afternoon. Dressing in his Hogwarts robes, Harry slid Excalibur under his belt, styled his hair just how he liked it and, turning to a small nest next to his bed, reached out with his hand and tickled at Iris' chin, the little dragon chirping contentedly as she looked up at him.
'Good morning my little one,' Harry sent to her, keeping his warm touch under her chin as he watched Iris adjust herself so that she could enjoy the touch of her human.
'Good morning to you too my Harry,' Iris replied, now purring as she moved her head down Harry's hand, before she began to crawl up his arm, 'Are you expecting trouble this morning?'
'As long as Dumbledore is still headmaster,' Harry reasoned, 'I'll always be expecting trouble, but now I need to know the limits of my enemies and, for that, I need my secret weapon.'
'I will always be by your side my little king,' Iris hissed soothingly, settling herself around Harry's arm as she puffed at the skin on his hand, 'But you have many other weapons at your disposal: why do you call me the secret?'
With a sly smile, Harry ran a delicate finger over the small spikes on Iris' head, his eyes reflecting in hers as he told her, 'Because I felt your power last night: I know what's happened.'
Settling down under his wrist, Harry turned to the bed and, bending down, was about to give his betrothed a special good-morning kiss when a loud pounding on their door had Hermione sitting bolt upright…smacking Harry in the teeth with her head!
"Ow!" Harry groaned, massaging his jaw where his Queen had hit him, "Hermione; mental note: don't hover over her when she's sleeping."
"I'm sorry Harry," Hermione sang, her delicate fingers now massaging the spot on his jaw as she then asked, "Who is it?"
"I don't know," Harry replied, looking to the door as he asked, "What's wrong?"
"Lord Potter," the sharp, well-cut tone of Dante McShane had Harry standing upright, Hermione moving to get dressed as the two heard him. "Captain McDale wishes you both to be escorted all over today: both I and Felicia have volunteered with Tyler and Elora watching your friends: the Captain will keep watch over Lady Evans."
"Why?" Harry, immediately sensing something amiss, asked: the Order had not called him their Lord for nearly four months now. "What's the problem Dante?"
"We received an intelligence report late last night," Dante explained, "Priority One has returned to the Lion's Den!"
Hermione had to cover her ears with her hands as the loudest rumble of thunder in history split the silence of the room: as the Order were a well-defined unit, Harry had begun using such terminology to describe certain incidents that shouldn't be mentioned aloud for fear of upsetting the Arch-Knight. This meant that it was indeed bad news and, as she listened to Dante, Hermione felt her own emotions spiking: Priority One was the worst of the worst and the only thing that beat it was the quote-unquote Prime Objective, referred to when they meant Dumbledore.
Priority One spoke of the Dead Man Walking and Harry's House Slave, Ronald Weasley;
"So," Harry whispered, taking Hermione's hands as he assured her that he was all right, "He's back: thank you Dante, be on your guard at all times."
"Yes Milord," Dante remarked, Harry and Hermione hearing receding footsteps moments later; as the two released their hands, Harry reached around Hermione and, taking Nimueh, began to fasten it to his betrothed's waist.
"No matter what Kitten," he told her, fastening the straps into place, "Go nowhere without this."
"Okay Sparky," Hermione replied, before she watched as Harry, securing his sleeve over Iris' head, appeared to have some unspoken communication with her, before he nodded once and, taking Hermione's hand, led her out of the dorm.
HPHG
You could cut the tension in the Great Hall with a knife;
The Gryffindors couldn't believe their eyes when, as breakfast got underway, the door to the Great Hall opened and their ex-housemate moved over to the Slytherins Table without either a gun to his head or under any real threats of curses or expulsions. What made it even creepier was the fact that he seemed to be smiling and, as he took his seat, the ex-Gryffindor, the Dead Man Walking, Ronald Bilius Weasley, began chatting with some of the Slytherins, though none of them talked with him.
Then, not three minutes later, the doors opened once more and Harry and Hermione both entered, one of Harry's hands holding one of Hermione's while both their other hands were hidden by their rather admirable long black cloaks, Harry's eyes fixed on the Slytherin Table as he moved over to the Gryffindors. Once Hermione was seated, Harry snatched a quick glance with the High Table, his emotions lightening when he saw that Sirius, Remus and Lily all wanted to carve new holes into the red-haired Slytherin as much as he did.
Taking his seat, Harry looked around the Great Hall, his hand still holding Hermione's as he looked back to the Gryffindors and, fixing a gaze with Fred, George and Ginny, he asked them, "So…where's he been?"
"We…we don't know Harry," Ginny answered; she actually appeared to tremble in Harry's piercing gaze, "The last time I saw him was just before we managed to secure tickets to the Quidditch World Cup."
"Really?" asked Harry, "And…did you go?"
"We did," Fred replied, "But Ron didn't, which is enough of a surprise because he's Quidditch Quackers!"
"Quidditch Crackers?" asked George, an amused tone in his voice, "Thinking of another invention without me dear Gred?"
"Never Forge, never in a million years," Fred laughed, the Gryffindors chuckling along with them as Harry returned his attention to the Gryffindor Table, his mind surprisingly not on his breakfast as he thought about what he had been told.
Ron had missed a big Quidditch event?
Ron?
Mr 'Quidditch-Is-Everything' had missed a major sporting event and was now turning up three days late for school?
Why?
Did this have anything to do with the Tournament or Dumbledore?
'Sparky,' Hermione cut in, halting Harry's train of thought as he began to pick at his breakfast, 'Don't worry about him: I'm not; let's only worry about him if and when he tries anything against us.'
'Clock's ticking Mione,' Harry replied, his voice filled with warning as he held onto her, 'I won't let him take you from me again: besides, I highly doubt Uncle Dan would like it if he had to have a reason to hurt me again.'
'Uncle?' asked Hermione, rewarding her betrothed's thoughts of family with a gentle kiss to his lips.
'Well I can hardly call them Mum and Dad anymore, so what else would I call them?' Harry returned, his emotions calming with the touch of Hermione's lips against his. 'But just remember what I said Hermione: don't go ANYWHERE without Nimueh at your side.'
"I won't," Hermione whispered, allowing Harry to return to his breakfast; afterwards, the fourth years all began to make their way towards Professor Black's first lesson, though Harry was none too happy when he noticed that his Defence lessons were still with the Slytherins; so, when he saw Malfoy, Parkinson, Crabbe, Goyle and, worse of all, Weasley all walking towards them, his hand instinctively went to his belt as he massaged the hilt of Excalibur. Seeing this, Hermione took the hand and held it in hers, the eyes of the Knight of Ocean filled with strength as she told him, "Don't worry: remember who has the power now and you'll be fine."
As everyone got into the view of everyone else, the eyes of both the Slytherin Weasley and the Arch-Knight met one another, Harry's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he noticed something else that was off: he could no longer feel the magic from his bond with his House Slave, which meant that it had either been severed or, through some miracle, the Dead Man had managed to earn Hermione's forgiveness.
So lost in thought was Harry that, by the time he returned to reality, he found himself now inches from Ron's face, the young Slytherin smiling confidently as he nodded and spoke, "Good morning Lord Potter, been a while hasn't it?"
"Indeed it has Weasley," Harry returned, deciding to see just how much things had changed as he added, "Though any longer without you and I'd swear I'd died and gone to heaven."
There it was; the twitch above Ron's left eye, his robes no longer bearing the Potter Family Crest: instead, he turned to Hermione and, rather than make some unkind remark, surprised them all as he explained, "Lady Potter, I, Ronald Bilius Weasley, offer you my most heartfelt apologies for any and all evils against you within the past twelve months and for calling you a degraded name: I humbly ask for your forgiveness."
'Sparky?' Hermione's mental voice was filled with as many alarms as Harry's, 'He seems sincere.'
'Remember beloved,' Harry told her, 'This is Ron we're talking about: the only thing he's ever sincere about is his stomach.'
'What should I do?' she asked him, watching as Ron stepped back, but didn't take his eyes off her, 'He's actually creeping me out.'
'Accept his apology,' Harry told her, 'But remember what I said Hermione: don't let Nimueh out of your sight.'
Agreeing with her betrothed, Hermione nodded to Ron before she spoke, "Ronald Weasley, for calling me a degraded name and making me feel inferior than I really am, I accept your apology: however, for what you and certain other parties tried to do to me, I do not accept your apology until I feel that you deserve it."
"Thank you Milady," Ron bowed, stepping back into line as he looked again to Harry, "Have I earned your forgiveness too Milord?"
"We'll see Weasley," Harry replied curtly, "We'll see."
At that moment, the door to the Defence class opened and, as Harry made his way inside, he thought he could sense a slight magical tingle in the air, his eyes quickly scanning the room as he felt he should be prepared for anything: this was Sirius that they were dealing with.
Harry's cautiousness was rewarded moments later when, as the last student entered the room, the door slammed itself shut and a barrage of stunners filled the air, Harry managing to rely on his agility and Excalibur's blade to deflect the spells while, at the same time, he lifted his wand before he commanded, "Stupefy Maxima!"
An orb the size of Harry's head left the end of his wand, shot up into the sky and, once there, exploded into a shower of sparks, the stunners raining down on the four corners of the room; three of the corners emitting yelps before three Disillusioned wizards were revealed, Harry smiling when he recognised Sebastian and Tonks among them, Sirius being the third.
Once the spells had died down, Harry lifted his stunners and watched as Sirius and Tonks moved to the front of the class while Sebastian remained at the back, watching the class as a whole, though Harry had a sneaking suspicion that he was watching a certain Dead Man Walking as well.
"Well done," Sirius beamed, "Lord Potter and Lady Granger were ready for the battle that ensued while the rest of you rushed around like a bunch of headless; so, let's see: I think 20 points apiece for the Lord and Lady and 2 points from each person who did nothing."
"And how is that fair?" asked Ron, Harry smirking inwardly as he considered this a new record; humble to hideous git in a matter of seconds. "Potter and Granger get points for waving a little sword around and the rest of us get hit: what if one of us had been hurt?"
"It would have been your fault for getting in the way of Excalibur's path," Harry replied calmly, his eyes on Sirius as he spoke. "This class is Defence Against the Dark Arts and has to be able to show us how to be prepared for the unexpected. No dark wizard will be so kind as to use only Stunners the next time: anything could happen."
"Quite right Sir Potter," Sirius laughed, "5 more points to Gryffindor for that response; Mr Weasley, 5 points from Slytherin for speaking out of turn and asking such an idiotic question. Now, before we all get too excited, I think I should introduce my assistant for this lesson: Auror Nym Tonks, my cousin and a highly-respected member of the Auror Corps; she will be here over the next term as we work on one of the bases of Defence that, looking at your past notes, you haven't really touched on."
"And what's that Professor?" asked Dean Thomas, watching as Sirius leaned casually against the desk, the classroom not even looking like it had in previous times; now, instead of desks and chairs, there was only a crescent of chairs, the centre marked with a field that had Harry and Hermione interested.
"Duelling," Sirius replied firmly, his voice filled with excitement as he explained, "This term, we are going to look at the effects of spells and Defensive measures in duelling scenarios; also, against my better wishes, Professor Dumbledore has also asked me to teach you about the most dangerous of spells and to test your resistance against them."
"Sirius!" gasped Harry, before he corrected himself, "Sorry, I mean Professor Black, are you saying that the Headmaster has asked you to teach us about…the Unforgivables?"
"Correct Sir Potter," Sirius answered, "But we will not be covering that until next month; for today, I think a demonstration on duelling skills is necessary; so, I would like two volunteers and, in the interest of fairness, I would like one Gryffindor and one Slytherin."
Nearly every hand went into the air, both Sirius and Tonks moving away from the duelling stage to where the students were now seated, Sirius smiling as he nodded once and explained, "I will choose, for Slytherin, Draco Malfoy: Miss Tonks, why don't you choose the Gryffindor?"
"I think Sir Potter should be all right for this," Tonks replied, all the students now shuddering as the two life-long enemies stood at opposite ends of the classroom, Sirius looking to the students before he looked to the two combatants.
"Now," he explained, "Malfoy; Potter, would you mind showing us the typical saluting method for a duel?"
Approaching one another, Harry lifted his wand in a salute, Malfoy following suit, though it was a case of déjà vu as the Ice Prince of Slytherin then asked, "Scared Potter?"
"You wish," Harry replied, repeating the exact same phrase used in their brief second-year duelling experience.
Completing the salute, both duellists bowed to one another before they turned and walked back to their respected areas, both Harry and Draco now holding their wands in a battle-ready stance, Sirius beaming proudly as he instructed, "We are now going to see an example of a duel and this time, Malfoy, you will wait for the count of three: if you don't, it will be an immediate detention for failing to listen to instructions: let it be known that the winning combatant is excused from this week's homework. Now, are you both ready?"
"Yes sir," the two replied, Harry's eyes firmly on Draco as he prepared himself for anything.
"Then," Sirius announced, "On the count of three: one, two, three: begin!"
Malfoy began fast; gesturing with his wand, he commanded, "Everte Statum!"
The same spell that had started their second-year duel sailed through the air; this time, however, Harry lifted his own wand and commanded, "Protego: Tarantallegra!"
The Jelly-Legs Jinx passed through Harry's crafted shield and struck Malfoy, the Gryffindors watching as the platinum-haired Slytherin began doing a crazy dance, his own wand pointed back at Harry, "Glaciestum!"
At his command, a powerful Arctic Wind began to blow across the arena, Harry smirking coldly as he lifted his hand, not even bothering to hide his power as the storm dissipated against the power of the Arch-Knight, the eyes of the young Gryffindor now glowing as he faced Malfoy.
"So it's a battle of the elements that you want, is it?" he asked, facing Malfoy head-on, "As you wish!"
With that, Harry seemed to absorb the power of Malfoy's snowstorm, before he lifted his wand once more and, carving it in several untraceable motions, he pushed forwards again, the snow from Malfoy now turned into pure ice that enveloped the young Slytherin.
"Oh would you look at that?" asked Harry, "Frozen Ferret Version 2.0; and I thought that this couldn't get any better!"
"EXPULSO!" Malfoy cried, the icy tomb that Harry had summoned now being thrown to the rafters as the Slytherin faced Harry again, "Dodge this Potter: Constrictivictus!"
At his words, a large winding chain began to fly towards Harry, the steel wrapping around the Arch-Knight as he looked onwards, Malfoy laughing as Harry fell to the ground…one of his hands stopping him in an instant.
"What?" asked Malfoy, watching as Harry rose again, the chain now being melted by unseen magic, "How are you doing that?"
"It's called fire Malfoy," Harry answered, lifting his wand again, "And this is called the end: Sectumsempra!"
Draco cried out; the students gasped and Sirius called the end of the battle as the Slytherin fell to the floor once again, his arm now caked in blood, Harry standing tall and proud as he faced his enemy; in a flash of inspiration, Harry crossed the room and, kneeling down, whispered to Draco. "And should you or that rodent-dropping-brained asshole over there have any desires for revenge, then I suggest that you change your minds, because this time, Daddy won't be here to save you."
Malfoy didn't say anything in response as Harry rose from his position and walked back over to the students, most of them worried by the spell that the Arch-Knight had used at the end;
'Hey,' thought Harry, watching as Sirius continued the lesson with a full explanation and analysis of the duel followed by a number of questions that required full-length answers, 'Can I be held responsible for the reading material that Severus decides to give me as a welcome-back present?'
HPHG
After their first Defence Lesson, there were mixed reactions between the students as to what exactly had happened, most of them now aware of the power of the Arch-Knight and all of them knowing how stupid it would be to challenge that kind of power.
And then, as if on some kind of autocue, Ronald Weasley opened his mouth;
"I'm telling you," he remarked to the others who would listen, "Potter's nothing more than a dark wizard in training: I mean no-one's ever heard of that spell he used on Malfoy and you all saw what it did to him."
"Perhaps," agreed Theo Nott, "But seriously Weasley, are you saying that you want to cross Potter now that he has seemingly ten times the amount of power since the last time you butted heads?"
"Potter got the drop on me," Ron explained, "But this time he should be watching his back, because I won't fall into his ploys so easily."
"You won't get the chance," a familiar voice exclaimed, making all the other fourth years jump as Harry rounded the corner where he'd been hiding in wait; standing toe-to-toe with his biggest problem, Harry smiled with an air of respective command as he explained, "Because in case you forget Weasley, you lost your freedom to me when your bigheaded brother decided to try and throw our little duel."
"Not so Potter," Ron sneered, unaware of the trap that he was about to throw himself into, "Professor Dumbledore had the Ministry reverse the decision of our duel, claiming it to be nothing more than a defence of family honour; not that you'd know anything about family."
Harry, growing angry with the accusation, then looked past Ron as he asked, "What do you mean by that Weasley?"
"Your parents are dead," Ron argued, unaware of Harry's growing Cheshire Cat smile, "They may as well have killed themselves to escape the dark wizard that their spawn was to become: I bet they spent their lives looking over their shoulders in case you were the one to kill them."
"Yeah," Harry sighed, lifting a hand and brushing at a spot on his robe as he added, "Weasley, look over your shoulder."
Ron did so…and his face went whiter than Malfoy's hair; Lily Potter, their new Advanced Charms Professor, was standing there, her own magic crackling at the insult to her son and her family, her emerald eyes glowing with raw power as Harry then added fuel to the fire, "Hi Mum, how long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough," Lily remarked, knowing her son wasn't being so calm simply because she was his Mother; he was being calm because he knew of her anger. "And I heard enough: Mr Weasley, consider yourself on a week's detention with Professor Snape for insulting the memory of a noble family and daring to bring up events that you know nothing about: also, take 20 points from Slytherin for insulting a student and trying to start a fight. Now, all of you, get to the Great Hall and don't let me hear any of you insult me or my family ever again: am I clear?"
"Yes Professor," the Slytherins replied, Ron's white face now turning sickly as the title was spoken.
Seeing this, Harry laughed and, leaning forwards, whispered, "She looks alive; she sounds alive; sure you want to know where the Potter temper really came from?"
Weasley did the first smart thing in his lifetime; he turned and ran from the two Potters, Harry turning his head to look at his Mother as he lowered his eyes, "Sorry about that Mum: I didn't want you to hear that."
"It's all right Harry," Lily replied, putting a comforting arm around her son's shoulders as she spoke, "I wanted to see the kind of trouble that you dealt with from that weasel: now I see it, I know you can handle him."
"What about Dumbledore?" asked Harry, "Now we know how that ass-clown escaped his servitude, there's no telling what he'll try and do, especially with the Tournament coming around."
"Leave Dumbledore to Sirius, Remus, the Order and I," Lily suggested, "And watch your language young man."
Harry just laughed as he escorted his professor to the Great Hall for dinner; however, no sooner had Harry walked through the doors before he found himself with Excalibur in his hand, staring down the familiar face of the Dead Man Walking.
"What do you want now?" asked Harry, "Are you that thick that you ignore a Professor's warning?"
"You're not fooling anyone," Ron laughed, now holding his wand out to Harry in a half-threatening manner, "I don't see Fred or George anywhere so what did you do Potter? Pay them to imitate Mummy dearest?"
"Mr Weasley!" snapped Minerva, "Take another 10 points from Slytherin for disrupting the feast: I can assure you that even your brothers, as kind as they are to Sir Potter, would never think of such a thing: that is Lily Potter and you will show her respect."
"Not before I get my own back on him," Ron snapped, a jet of red light suddenly leaving his wand, its power being absorbed by Excalibur's blade as Ron continued, "You see: Dark Magic and he won't even rise against it."
"I don't need to," Harry told him, "You lost this when you lost what brains you had Weasley: now, if you attack me again, then I won't have any other choice except to see you punished for your actions. After all," he gave a shark-like smile as he lowered Excalibur and began to move towards the Gryffindors, "Thanks to your earlier apology, you're now under the care and protections of House Potter and its Lord and that's, oh, me."
Sheathing Excalibur, Harry felt the spell before he heard it; however, the words were nothing like he had expected, "SECTUMSEMPRA!"
"WEASLEY!" Yelled Severus, but he was too late: Harry felt his arm being sliced open, dropping his sword and falling to the ground; at the same time, a loud roar filled the air and Harry picked up a scent, like the ozone, before he heard Ron's own cry followed by gasps of awe and shock.
Looking through the pain, Harry gasped when he saw Iris, glowing with iridescent blue, hovering over his body, her maw opened, releasing what appeared to be a strong silver stream of elemental energy that was freezing Ron's legs to the ground, his screams coming from the burn marks on his fingers.
'Iris,' Harry whispered, 'Cool it girl: you look beautiful by the way.'
Easing off her burning frost, Iris flew down and landed by her master's side, nuzzling his wounded arm with a sense of sorrow; at the same time, Harry saw a shadow darken his vision, before he heard Severus' voice in his ear, "Let's get him to my office: I can help him there and Weasley, congratulations, because that's now a year-long detention and suspension of privileges for the rest of the school year for attacking a wizard nobleman, using a spell that you had no idea how to control and attacking a Lord of an ancient House: also, I don't think points will be enough this time so you are now on academic probation: one more mistake and you will be expelled!"
"Now Severus," Dumbledore began, but, before he could get close, he found nine wands stopping him.
"Back off Albus," growled Sirius, "Harry tried to be lenient to you and your so-called Greater Good, but rest assured that your part in this will be investigated: as Lord Black, I swear it!"
Harry tried not to cry out as he felt Severus lifting him off the ground, Lily keeping close to her son while, around them, Harry sensed the other Holy Knights nearby, all of them close to his side, making him smile as they escorted him out of the Great Hall and down to Severus' offices.
'Mental note,' thought Harry painfully, 'That spell hurts!'
HPHG
"Vulnera Sanentur; Vulnera Sanentur; Vulnera Sanentur!"
Harry listened and memorised what he assumed was the counter-curse to the power of the spell he had used and felt, his arm actually being stitched together by Severus' healing magic, the sense of unity that Harry felt from his friends and family telling him that he wasn't alone.
As if to distract himself from the pain, Harry looked to his Mother before he asked, "Did…did anyone else get hurt?"
"No Harry," Lily replied, "Though I imagine there's going to be a few shocked students after Iris breathed her…fire and ice attack…"
"Burning frost," Hermione cut in, Harry then aware of his free hand being held by his betrothed, "She was…beautiful."
"Where is she?" asked Harry, before he heard a rush of wings and, with a smile, felt his loyal friend and pet settle down on his chest; petting her head, Harry asked, 'Are you okay?'
'I didn't mean to scare anyone Harry,' Iris explained, 'I was just so angry that my Harry was being hurt: I'm sorry.'
She lowered her head in guilt, her soft cooing sounds making Harry feel ten times better already as he continued petting her, before Hermione seemed to join in on their mental talk, 'Iris, I don't know if you can hear me, but my Harry is proud of what you did and I know that I am too: you helped protect him.'
'Thank you Mistress,' Iris replied, her eyes on Hermione, 'I hear you as well as I do Harry.'
'Then call me Hermione,' suggested the Knight of Ocean, now looking to Harry as she added, 'And you, my king, be more careful what spells you use around that bastard!'
'I will love,' Harry replied, his voice being silenced by a kiss from Hermione as Severus straightened up.
"There," he remarked, looking to the small gathering in his office, "It's done: Harry, I suggest you remember that spell as it will come in handy should anyone decide to use it against you."
"I will," Harry replied, running his hand over the now closed skin, "Thanks Sev."
"Yes," Lily agreed, giving her old friend a smile, "Thank you Severus: I now understand what Harry meant when he said you were keeping an eye on him."
"I made the mistake once before Lily," Severus explained, "It was your son who gave me the chance; I can't afford to lose it again, especially now that…"
"Now that Mum's alive," Harry laughed, looking to his friends as he asked, "Don't we have lessons to get to?"
"You sure you're up to it?" asked Neville, his arm around Luna's shoulders as both Knights watched their leader.
"If I don't," Harry laughed, "Who knows what kind of rumours will be sent up: oh, one more thing: Minerva?"
"Yes Harry?" asked the Gryffindor Head, moving towards the recovering Gryffindor student.
"Would you mind doing me one thing?"
"What's that?" asked Minerva, before she gasped as Harry revealed Excalibur, the blade and its bearer shining with magic.
"Oh nothing," Harry explained, a sly smile crossing his face as he explained, "Just taking a temporary post as the new Headmistress of Hogwarts while the allies of the Lord of Hogwarts investigate the current Headmaster."
Minerva bowed her head, a part of her having already guessed what Harry meant by the Lord of Hogwarts – he meant himself: after all, it wasn't uncommon knowledge that the elemental sides of the Founders came from them being Knights – before she replied, "It would be my honour."
HPHG
Albus Dumbledore was furious:
The silent partners to Harry had now revealed themselves and, for all intents and purposes, Hogwarts was now against him;
Damn that foolish Weasley for being so reckless when Albus had moved heaven and earth to get his servitude to Harry overturned; he had planned on using the Tournament to prove to Harry that he needed Dumbledore so that, when Tom came back, Harry would have the means to give Dumbledore command over the Holy Knights.
But now, that thought was non-existent;
As he tried planning another way around this, Albus suddenly gasped as he felt a powerful pull against his magic, Fawkes giving a cry before he flamed out of the room; moments later, Dumbledore felt something very precious to him being ripped from his wrist and being sent through Hogwarts where it landed in front of a certain Knight.
Albus, meanwhile, gasped with shock as he felt the wards and protections of Hogwarts' magic being ripped from his body, his magic weakening without the influence that came with being the headmaster.
Moments later, after Albus had managed to define what had happened, the door opened and Minerva entered the office, a broad smile crossing her face as she asked, "Was there something I can help you with Professor Dumbledore?"
"Minerva?" gasped Albus, "What…"
"I'm afraid," Minerva replied, "It's Headmistress McGonagall now Albus and, while you're under investigations, I have managed to secure you a temporary post as the new Transfiguration Professor."
"And Head of Gryffindor," gasped Dumbledore, "Oh thank you Minerva; now I can…"
"You must be joking!" laughed Minerva, "No Albus: I have already named my replacement as Head of Gryffindor and it's not you."
"Then who…"
"Professor Black," explained Minerva, "Since I can trust no-one else to maintain order in my old House and keep a close eye on Sir Potter."
"Harry?" asked Dumbledore, "What does he have to do with this? How did you become Headmistress?"
"Did no-one tell you?" asked McGonagall, her smile now becoming that of the Cheshire Cat, "Sir Potter also holds another title: Lord of Hogwarts!"
Dumbledore felt like he had just been thrown into the gates of hell, and this time, there was no coming back;
Chapter 30 and Dumbledore is out, McGonagall is in and Harry has revealed his full legacy to those who are in the know; with Weasley punished, all of Hogwarts on his side and his family now closer to him than ever, can Harry relax before the Tournament comes around?
Also, can the Holy Knights manage to relax without any trouble cropping up?
Keep Reading to Find Out;
Next Chapter: Durmstrang and Beauxbatons arrive and the Triwizard Tournament gets underway; Artemis' Prophecy comes full circle and, when Lucifer rides again, the Holy Knight of Earth finally reveals themselves to the Arch-Knight, but there's a surprise for Harry when he officially welcomes them into the fold; and, to top it all off, Dumbledore is not giving up as Harry gets stronger with the seventh knight being found: how desperate can he be?