A Bond for the Ages

Chapter 15

Note: Harry can see Aether, Elemental, and Severus' magic when he really focuses and his interacts with it; Draco can see all magic whenever he wants (once he learns) and when he interacts with it because that is the nature of Aether Magic.

Translations (note: Leif knows several languages; he's old, remember):

[English text] Rebenok = [Russian text] Ребенок = Child

[Latin] Pueri = Child

[English text] Paidí = [Greek text] Παιδί = Child

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Harry followed Alexei to the backyard, curious about what they would be doing. It had been a couple of days since Alexei and Leif had arrived at Prince Manor. No lessons had been able to take place the previous day as, despite the fact that the men were staying at Prince Manor, they still had their jobs, Leif at the British Ministry of Magic and Alexei at the French Ministry of Magic. Harry hadn't minded the day to try and comprehend everything before having to dive into his magic. He was filled with confusion about everyone he was now sharing the manor with. He was fairly certain it was relief he felt when he saw Snape at breakfast, seemingly unharmed, though his reaction to the man puzzled him. He was still astounded by how much fun he'd had playing hours of chess with Malfoy the other day. He was startled by the pull he felt towards Alexei and Leif given that they were total strangers and he normally distrusted strangers. Yet, there was a calming, comforting air around the two men that drew him in.

"So, Harry," Alexei said, pulling Harry's attention to him as they stopped in the middle of the huge open property. "Severus says you have done some work with your magic already."

Harry shrugged. "A little, I guess. I've used it accidentally and then Snape started teaching us how to access and move it."

"What happened to cause the accidental use?" Alexei asked.

Harry shifted uncomfortably as he remembered each instance, kicking at the grass. "I was mad or upset and it just...happened."

Alexei nodded. "Yes, as I said, Elemental Magic is closely tied to our emotions. It will be important to learn emotional and magical control to limit their effect on each other."

Harry sighed at the repetition of what Snape had been telling him and Malfoy about emotional and mental control in Occlumency lessons. He was using his journal, but he was unsure if it was helping. He didn't know what he needed or wanted to be able to accept his life.

"Today, we are going to try the movement that Severus began to teach you again," Alexei told him. "Once you have control over your magic as a whole, we can begin to separate each element."

"The strands can be separated?" Harry asked, remembering what his Elemental threads looked like. They were all twisted together and moved together.

"They can," Alexei said, nodding. "You will learn how to draw out the element or elements you want while leaving the others. As you progress, you will learn how to move between elements and combinations in seconds."

Harry couldn't help but think how impossible that sounded, particularly for someone like him. "Could...could you show me?" he asked hesitantly, not expecting the vampire to agree. It was how it normally went, leaving him in the dark.

Alexei smiled widely. "Absolutely."

Harry perked up at the man's agreement, a burst of happiness and excitement occurring in his chest. He watched as Alexei raised his hands, palms up, and fire burst to life in his palms, glittering red threads swirling around and in the center of it. Harry's eyes widened as the fire turned into thick ropes that slithered through the man's fingers and around his wrists before being gathered into flickering balls again. The fire was suddenly lifted into the air and both balls combined only to start swirling and whipping around. Harry watched as the fire came towards him and swirled all around, making him sure the element of air was also being employed. Without thinking, he reached up a hand and the fire-air combination briefly wrapped around his hand. It was an odd sensation. He could feel the warmth of the fire and the air brushed him like a light breeze, but there was also a tingle or spark across his skin where the magic touched. After a few moments, the fire slithered away and grew into a huge fiery wall that hovered above his head. He stared up at it in awe, gaping as the fire began to transform into swirling water. Only seconds after the water took over, it shrunk into ropes again, joined by ropes of fire that twisted and tangled with the water. The threads zipped around, making Harry dance on the spot to keep them in sight. After a minute or two, the fire extinguished and the water sunk into the ground. The final show was a line of leaves that came from nowhere, encircled Harry, and dispersed above him, floating down to the ground around his feet.