"This one has heart Harry." Damali said smiling grimly. "Do not worry child I will not hurt him or anyone at this school."
"Damali are you by chance under a blood oath to the house of Merlin as well?" Harry asked and she nodded looking at him with a mixture of emotions.
Harry put Josephine behind him and stepped toward the young assassin again and whispered something in her ear and stepped back. When he did the young assassin reached forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you sir. You will never regret that." She said. "I will go now there is a young man waiting in the states." She said and walked off into the forest but before she disappeared she turned. "Dumbledore was a good man Harry Potter, but you will live to fulfill your destiny and be a great leader to the magical community." She said and disappeared.
"Josephine Hess!" Harry said turning to the girl with his arms folded over his chest frowning. "Detention for a month in my class, and don't think I wont work your butt off for this either." He said.
"Yes uncle Harry." She said and looked into the direction Damali had taken. "Do you think she is really gone?" Josephine asked shivering.
"Yes she is." Harry said making the chairs and service vanish.
"How did you both see me under the cloak?" Josephine asked.
Harry smiled. "That raspy werewolf breath silly. She knew you were there the whole time." He said motioning her to follow him. "She had her hand close to a silver dagger most of that time too Josephine." Harry added.
Josephine shivered again. "How come she didn't kill me, werewolf's are dangerous shouldn't she have killed me?" She asked.
"Probably because she felt sorry for you Josephine. You're not a very imposing Werewolf." Harry said. "You are two sizes smaller than a normal werewolf of a child half your size." He said.
"Uncle Harry!" Josephine said now scandalized.
"That's Professor Potter young lady and you just earned yourself another week of detention." Harry said doing his best Snape impression. "Mathew will get pretty lonely before you get through with detention young lady." Harry said. "I take it you were snooping in on our conversations down in the Chamber?" He asked.
"Yes sir Professor Potter." She said head down and he reached out and ruffled her hair and put an arm around her.
"Well I will have to tell your grandfather this time young lady, this was a very dangerous thing you did tonight." Harry said. "Do not let it happen again understand?" Harry said and she nodded.
"I wonder who Grandfather will be the most mad at?" Josephine said looking up at her uncle.
"Don't even try that with me." Harry said smiling. "This time you're on your own." He said.
"Uncle Harry!" Josephine said and then amended. "I mean Professor Potter! I only had your welfare at heart." She said trying to look innocent and he smirked.
"Try telling that to your grandfather and see how far you'll get." Harry said chuckling as Tonks and the rest joined them from the field as they made their way back.
"You young lady should be in shackles." Josiah said shaking his head. "Tonks didn't you say something about Filtch wanting to bring that back here at Hogwarts." He said smiling.
"Yes I will have to have a word with the Headmistress about that." Tonks said ruffling the young girls hair. "And wait till I tell my man that a tiny werewolf went to protect her uncle Harry." She said chuckling.
"Ok, enough already I know I'm not as big as a real werewolf but its still cool and very useful." Josephine said. "I have ten times the strength of a normal person in that form." She said.
"Which would be really useful if a tree fell across the road while you were driving along and were late to get somewhere." Gunner said smiling.
"Or maybe climbing up a tree to rescue a kitten." Ron said equally smiling.
"Or maybe even you could order a Pina Colada at trader Vicks." Josiah said and the others groaned.
"Ok just to let you know, you wouldn't be getting teased so much if we weren't a bit proud of you kiddo, and more relieved that she didn't kill you." Gunner said.
"Amen to that. Cause I wasn't going to be the one to tell Andrea." Tonks said snickering.
Josephine turned on them all. "Well let me tell you this, which might cost me another week of detention." She said furiously. "My uncle Harry just like my Aunt Ginny and my Grandfather mean the world to me." She said. "I wont let some low grade assassin come along and take them from me like Tom Riddle took my parents." She said now standing her ground. "I want to become an Auror just like you so I can keep this from ever happening to a child like I was." Josephine said. "That is why I study really heard to pass every test I take and improve my magic as best I can. One day Tonks you will be training me and if the Ministry here wont take me I'll go to America and become an Auror or even a muggle police officer for that matter." She said and added. "Just like my grandfather and my uncle Harry, I will use what I have to make this a better place." She said and hugged her uncle and ran for the castle vanishing as the front doors opened as Hagrid came out and closed the door leaving them all open mouthed.
"That one is going to be one gutsy Auror." Tonks said smiling grimly.
"Well then we best teach her well." Harry said. "And cover your ears and run like hell when she tells Hess her intentions." He added and Tonks snickered.
As they entered the Chamber they sat down with Draco and Neville all sighing with relief. "Well now that that's taken care of, what do you all think?" Harry asked as they viewed the video of the talk he had with her.
"I think she was being honest Harry." Gunner said. "So now all we have to do is bring Vanessa in along with the followers she cant release and this Hamid Tsakhia, bring him in for questioning although he is a wanted man in America and your country too Harry." He said going through his case files and pulling out a folder.
"Until now we thought he was dead as it's marked there deceased." Josiah said sighing. "There was an incident involving not only aurors but a dark wizard in America who was captured last month along with his faction." He said. "Hamid was hired by someone in America to kill the dark wizard and was battling his faction members in a chemical warehouse when it blew up." Josiah said. "Aurors arrived at the time of the explosion." He said.
"Like Ginny's exit from the joke store." Harry said thoughtfully.
"Hey yeah!" Ron said. "You think Valeria met with him over there or went to track him down and seen that?"
"Very possible." Harry said.
"Man I'm glad I'm not related to these people can you imagine family reunions?" Neville asked to the table at large, which drew chuckles.
"Ron I turned in a paper last week and will be taking time off." Tonks said suddenly. "Will you all be able to handle it without me for a while?" She asked.
"Sure Tonks is something wrong?" Ron asked frowning.
"Well I just told Remus this morning but, well, I am pregnant." She said smiling.
"About time! That old wolf I'll have to send him a bottle of fire whiskey. He's going to need it." Ron said and Tonks and the rest chuckled.
"Congrats Tonks, well for tonight that is all we can do." Harry said. "We, the professors of Hogwarts need to go down and make an appearance at the Valentine's Day ball." Harry said. "And I am going to go collect my wife and my niece and make them put in an appearance as well." He said and wrote on a piece of parchment and tapped it with his wand and it folded up into a paper airplane and went zooming off to find Josephine. "My wife should be ready and waiting for me already. Shall we gentlemen?" He said to Neville and Draco.
"Yes indeed Trinity and Luna will be waiting with Ginny I suppose." Neville said.
As Harry climbed the stairs to Griffindore house the portrait swung open and Josephine, now dressed in her ball gown came running down the stairs. "Miss Hess we do not run up and down the stairs young lady." Harry said sternly and then smiled and held out his arm and she took it. "Lets go collect your aunt Ginny." He said, "Between you two I fear my feet will never get any rest." Harry said sighing.
Josephine smirked. "Uncle Harry you get better everyday pretending to be like Professor Snape used to be, all forbidding and all." She said. "But no one is buying it you know." Josephine said snickering.
He turned to her and his eyes flashed electric green when he did. "Whatever do you mean child?" He asked feigning surprise in an ominous voice and she snickered again and turning her head her eyes glowed electric blue.
"Aunt Ginny taught me that spell over the holidays Uncle Harry when I told her I wanted to be an Auror." She said smiling.
"Great." He said as they saw Ginny waiting and smiling at the two of them.
"Well come on husband we have dancing to do and kids to watch." Ginny said taking his other arm.
In China Valeria for the hundredth time was going through the motions with the staff. "Don't I get a break at least?" She asked frustrated.
"What need break for?" Lijuan said. "You think enemy take break when fighting?" She scoffed.
"No but-" She started.
"But what? You think you getting hang of staff? You still so unaware of surroundings." Lijuan said and her staff shot out tangling in the legs of her student. "Lazy boy more aware than you in two days!" She said. "You have listen and focus." Lijuan said and conjured more sandbag filled dummies. "Now again show teacher what learned!" She said stepping back.
Valeria with her hair tied back blew an errant strand out of her eyes and looked up at the sandbag dummies and suddenly they had faces, faces from her past and using the skills she had learned so far she went through the motions and was halfway through when Lijuan was suddenly in her face blocking her path causing her to step back suddenly.
"You have much hate in heart." Lijuan said sadly. "I not teach you staff so you go become bad witch." She said. "In time will be close friend to Harry, friendship enough." Lijuan said.
"But the prophecy Lijuan clearly-" Valeria was cut short.
"Crazy lady all prophecy not come true." Lijuan said raising her voice in frustration. "You not see big picture! Prophecy of three children come true only." She said. "Lazy boy not turn to dark side, would die first!" Lijuan said adjusting the staff in Valeria's hand. "That where you come in crazy lady!" She said. "You learn use staff to see no prophecy come to pass!"
"I don't understand why there are three prophecies though!" Valeria said clearly frustrated herself.
Lijuan's staff tapped her on the head lightly. "That cause not use brain crazy lady!" Lijuan told her steadily. "All life flow like water, never know when path of river may change." She said. "Come follow me." Lijuan said and she turned and walked out the door of the small hut she shared with her husband. As they exited Valeria could see Lijuan's husband working with the kids of the school. As they walked Lijuan talked.
"Life like water all time flowing changing." Lijuan said as they took the path down to the stream and soon they were before it. "You see different patterns in water? No two are same!" She said. "At time Voldemort killed by Lilly Potters spell of protection, three prophecies are made." Lijuan said conjuring up chairs for the both of them. "Albus take only one seriously and so does Lijuan." She said.
"Now there are three more and we have to take one seriously? Is that what your saying?" Valeria asked. "But how do you know which one to take seriously! I mean if life is ever changing this means any of the three can come true!" She said confused and still frustrated.
"That because you not able to focus." Lijuan said softly. "You think Ginny Potter will die but will not happen." She said. "Because crazy lady tell Harry, they find cure before too late." She said. "That cure mean you are friend only to Harry Potter. Maybe his wife too if she forgive crazy lady for kissing husband like own him." She sighed and poked her young student with the staff.
"I couldn't help it Lijuan I am in love with him!" Valeria said rubbing her side.
"That not love is called stalking now." Lijuan said chuckling and it caught Valeria off guard and then she chuckled as well.
"Well I do love him Lijuan." She said. "I wont make the same mistake Tom Riddle did and lock my heart away." Valeria said.
Lijuan turned to Valeria. "Tom Riddle not lock heart away crazy lady he born without heart." She said seriously. "You born with more heart than know what do with. You and lazy boy make good match but lazy boy heart already given." She said and the sighed and looked at the young girl again. "You think dark threat three children face is sister and distant cousin in family but is not." She said. "Problem of sister and cousin may be death of lazy boy, maybe crazy lady too." She said sadly. "That why training you so well with staff, he have to live, he is solution in prophecy of children." She said and then added. "Lazy boy become great wizard some day, no dark path in future, maybe only death if you fail."
"So I can keep him from being killed but I cant marry him? Great I suppose I was right I mean nothing to no one really." Valeria said sadly and felt the sting of the staff on her head.
"Not talk that way Crazy lady! Lazy boy know you his friend even though you crazy." Lijuan said and the sighed "Husband and Lijuan time over soon, train boy then time come to take journey to see ancestors maybe." She said watching the small stream. "No one know when this life over and next begins." Lijuan said.
"I wouldn't let anything happened to you Lijuan." Valeria said and Lijuan turned to her smiling sadly.
"No can stop death for Lijuan and husband." Lijuan said. "Boy last one I teach I know this." She said.
"Life is like water no one knows, its ever changing." Valeria said. "You said so."
"Crazy lady not listen before but listen now?" Lijuan chuckled and rose up and turned to her young charge. "Lijuan hundred eighty-two years old. Can't live forever crazy lady." She said and her staff shot out in front of Valeria. "Come break over." She said.
Valeria looked at Lijuan and then the staff and grabbed it as the small lady pulled her up. "I hope I am in as good a shape when I am a hundred and eighty-two years old." Valeria said.
"You not live that long! Trip on staff when ninety-nine and break neck!" Lijuan said chuckling.
As they entered the hut the small room in back enlarged again and Lijuan made more sandbag dummies. "No face on dummies, release hate in heart, focus on importance of what in front of you." Lijuan said. "On other side of enemy is more powerful staff." She said. "Use staff as extension of whole body not just arms." She said.
Valeria took her stance and looked ahead toward the goal at hand. No dark thoughts, Lijuan had told her. Dark thoughts lead you to dark magic like before. She looked up at her goal again and then made her first move in the direction of her goal.
Harry appeared in the graveyard before the Riddle house with Draco and Ron flanking him. He handed Ron the piece of paper and he read it and suddenly the house appeared for Ron as well. Since Vanessa had agreed to come in with or without the vow over her head Harry had released her from it two days ago. She gave her word to him that when he returned she would be waiting.
The three set off toward the place and Harry noticed that the lights were all out except one. The one room at the top where Vanessa spent her time was on. Harry knocked and then entered but it was like a tomb, no sounds at all could be heard.
"I don't like this Harry." Draco said looking through the gloom.
"I'd have to agree with Draco, Harry, I don't think anyone is home any longer." Ron said.
They looked around the first floor and then the basement and all was still as they climbed the stairs. All the rooms along the hallway on the second floor were empty as well. Harry sighed and climbed the stairs up to the third floor checking each room along his way to Vanessa's room. Finally he was before the door and he had a quick flashback of when he had first seen this room through the eyes of a snake, Voldemort's snake. Tom Riddle, he corrected himself and reached out and turned the handle and pushed open the door. There lay Cho on the floor in the middle of the room. There were arcane symbols on the wall written in blood and over against the wall was another of Vanessa's followers that she had set free, which was where the blood he was sure was taken from.
"Bloody Hell" Ron said taking in the room and the corpse by the far wall.
Cho looked untouched and her eyes were closed and as Harry bent over her the other two, stood guard, Draco over Harry and Ron near the door.
"She's alive but barely." Harry said. "I don't know if I can aparate with her or not there is hardly any pulse." He said looking up at Draco who took out a potion and bent down on the other side of Cho forcing her mouth open and the potion down her throat and instantly Harry could feel her pulse strengthen a little. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Harry. She opened her mouth but could get nothing out and passed out just as quickly. Harry took her in his arms and turned. Draco brought up the rear with Ron in the lead. They went straight to St. Mungo's and healers set to work on Cho immediately.
Harry and Draco went back to get the body of Alexander Horton, one of the followers that had become a friend of Vanessa's and wanted to stay till she was taken to the ministry to serve her time. While they were there Draco ran trace scans and Harry took the fidelis charm off the house and called Kingsley. Within the hour Aurors were crawling all over the place and Kingsley put two aurors in the woods to watch the house just in case.
Back at St. Mungo's the word wasn't good for Cho. The healers weren't able to do much and she seemed to be slipping away. While Harry was waiting with the others he contacted Ginny who immediately contacted Mr. Prince. With Annette in tow Mr. Prince showed up a few minutes later and stopped before Harry.
"Your wife said you could use my expertise Mr. Potter." Mr. Prince said hesitantly looking at Annette. "If you would maybe play a game of wizards chess with Annette till I am finished sir?" He asked and Harry nodded.
"Of course sir and thank you for coming." He said and turned to Annette and looked over her shoulder to Ron and Draco. "Wizard chess you two, Annette here are two of the most awesome players of wizard chess I know." He said indicating his two friends.
"Beat them over holidays." She said flatly. "Mr. Malfoy starts with opening gambit of setting his lesser pieces up as bait while Mr. Weasley plays a valiant game with his knights." She said looking at the wall behind Harry.
Harry smiled. "Well maybe they can make it more interesting this time." He said. "Shall we?" he asked and she walked ahead of him into ward B with Ron and Draco following closely behind.
Ginny showed up thirty minutes later and looked in at Harry and he shook his head. He had as yet not seen Mr. Prince since he went through the double doors and Ginny, dressed in her healer's robes nodded and went through the doors.
Annette had just beaten Ron for the second time when Ginny came to get him. "She is asking for you Harry, she is stable for now but, well, we don't know yet if she'll make it." Ginny said looking into his eyes. "Whatever she was hit with not even Mr. Prince can figure it out, now she is refusing to let anyone treat her until she talks to you." She said.
As they entered the room he saw Cho and if anything she looked worse than before although this time her eyes were open and she looked up at him as he stood over the bed. "Harry, Vanessa." She said.
"Cho don't talk just let these healers do their job ok?" He asked. "They'll have you up and around and back with your family in no time flat." Harry said.
"You are a very bad liar Harry." Cho croaked out as she was trying to smile. "Vanessa turned on Alex and I Harry." She said weakly. "I watched her paint symbols on the wall using his blood." She said now as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"What happened in the house Cho?" Harry asked suddenly. "What led to it, do you know?" He asked.
"She was the same old Vanessa one minute and the next she called Alex and I into the room and she hit me with a curse." She said and her voice was weaker. "I never even seen it coming Harry. Alex she tortured and cut at one point." She said. "I was awake but I couldn't move to help him." She said as another tear rolled down his cheek. "She finished with him and then turned toward me and her face, Harry her face had changed." She said sounding even weaker than before. "Reminded me of Bella, she was out of control Harry and so evil, not like the woman I had come to know, she was like a different person." She said and she sank back closing her eyes. Ginny and Mr. Prince worked over her while Harry stepped out of the way.
"Mrs. Potter I believe she has slipped into a coma." Mr. Prince said. "I think I recognize this trace of magic here as a very old Arabic curse designed to drain her life." He said sadly. "There are one of two potions we can try but they are very complex and I would need my nephew here to help brew them." Mr. Prince said.
"I will call Severus at once sir." She said and touched Harry's arm for only a moment before leaving the room.
"Do you think she can be saved Mr. Prince?" Harry asked quietly and Mr. Prince looked at him over the rim of his glasses and frowned.
"I am not sure Harry." He said. "The potions that my nephew and your wife will need to brew while I keep her stable here were invented by Nicolas Flammel years ago to counteract this curse." He said looking down at Cho. "The last subject died while the potion was being made so there is no way to know it if works." He said and then looked up suddenly. "But there is way to find out if they do now, rest assured Mr. Potter she is in good hands." Mr. Prince said and Harry nodded and left the room. The first thing he saw were Cho's parents in the hallway. He sighed heavily and walked over to them to tell them the news.
Vanessa along with the rest of her five followers and her cousin appeared near Little Reading and made their way to what would look to muggles as an old abandoned estate but to them it looked like the house it once was. "Are you sure about this artifact Hamid?" Vanessa asked looking at her cousin.
"It will give you all the power you need my Khan and more." Hamid said and turned as he heard the pops around them. More of the hit wizards he had hired to replace the others were around them.
"And of course the hit wizards you have wanted, I would think at this point my Khan that you can forget about Harry Potter's wife." He said. "That prophecy will never come to pass now that he knows the truth my Khan, and with the child now in the mix, it is hard to see." Hamid said and Vanessa turned and looked at him darkly from beneath the hood of her cloak.
"Hamid when I want your advice on the prophecy I will ask for it." She said menacingly "Send out two of your hit wizards to kill Mrs. Potter and their new adopted child while we go see if this artifact of yours works." She said grimly and strolled off toward the estate in front of them as her followers set out after her.
Hamid sighed and said without turning. "Derek, Abeni seek out Ginerva Potter and her son and kill them. Bring back proof of their death." Then turned and looked at the two. "If you get a chance find out who the witch is that is killing off the wizards I am hiring and bring word back to me, I will deal with her" He said and as the two disappeared he set out after his cousin with the rest of the wizards behind him. He wanted the child dead at all costs, the child would one day, along with his adopted siblings, get in Hamid's way. Hamid had heard of this prophecy and had been livid with his cousin for returning the child to Hogwarts safely the night Reeves had kidnapped him.
As they made their way into the estate he lead Vanessa down into the dungeons underneath. He had disposed of the family who lived here and the two guards who guarded the entrance to the dungeons. The winding stairway leading down was lit up by a bright bluish glow from beneath them and as they finally stepped down on the flagstone Vanessa could see the bright glow emanating from a pool of water in front of her.
She made her way to the edge of the pool and looked within shielding her eyes a bit. "What is this Hamid?"
"It is the Arch of Constantine's Power." Hamid said quietly. "The arch in Rome in the Valley of the Colosseum is a monument to the sorcerer, but this tomb is where he was laid to rest in three thirty-seven B.C." He said looking down. "The Arch and the tomb were built as one and before he died he was brought to the tomb and his power was captured for all time in the arch. The tomb with the Arch was moved here to the massive caverns below this place and a pyramid structure was built with his tomb topping the structure." Hamid's eyes glowed with the bluish light from below as she looked at him listening. "After several attempts from lesser men to capture the power of Constantine the First a side wall to the cavern below was opened to let in the water to flood the caverns." Hamid said looking up at his cousin. "Only those skilled in the art of magic and worthy of this power are able to touch the Arch and a portion of his power will be bestowed upon them." He said. "However it is also said that no one has ever survived the attempt." Hamid said smiling at his cousin.
Vanessa looked deep within the pool and the bluish glow seemed to be pulling at her. "That is because it was waiting for me my cousin." She said smiling. Growing up she had loved to swim and could hold her breath longer than anyone else she knew.
"It is five hundred feet down my Khan and it is said no one can make it." Hamid said standing there beside her placidly. "I have brought you some Gillyweed but with the pool so deep it will lose its effect at close to three hundred and ninety feet." He said smiling. "The rest you will have to do alone my Khan."
She turned to those around her. "You that have been hired guard the estate upstairs, my followers guard the stairs here." She said and turned back as the others immediately began trooping back toward the stairs.
"And me my cousin?" Hamid asked.
"You Hamid are here in case I do not make it." She said shivering. "Will this give me more power than Harry Potter Hamid?" Vanessa asked.
"No cousin, but since the fool released you from your ancestors vow to Merlin it will put you on an almost level playing field once you gain this power." Hamid said. "He will still be more powerful but his weaknesses we can use to our advantage." He said.
"Harry is no fool cousin and you would do well to remember that." Vanessa said turning to him. She turned back to the pool once more and then undressed and then took out her wand and flourished it over her body and the undergarments she was wearing became a one-piece bathing suit. "I will touch this Arch of Constantine cousin and you better be right about what it does." She said again darkly then turned and putting the Gillyweed in her mouth jumped into the pool making almost thirty feet before the Gillyweed took effect.
At the same time Vanessa jumped into the pool, Valeria, who was going through the routine moves collapsed on the ground in front of Lijuan. Lijuan looked up from her chair to see Valeria hit the floor in a heap and nodded sadly. "It has begun, today sister touch Arch of Constantine and power divide evenly" She said as she got up making her way over to the fallen girl and levitated her onto the cot she had been sleeping on in the corner. "Bad for sister, she become evil because you do spell to rid self of Riddle boy's memories and hatreds, instead of sending memories to nether world you send to sister instead because of stupid grudge." She said to the unconscious girl sighing and wiping the sweat from Valeria's brow. "You crazy lady but Lijuan love like daughter." She said. "Now must train harder, prophecy now set as Lijuan has foreseen." She said. "Soon take place beside lazy boy as friend, have to face own sister as enemy." She said. "Soon take sister's place be heir of Khan." She said. "But not want be ruler, like Lazy boy not want be ruler." She said softly frowning. "Soon fate of Lazy boy's wife be known, ever changing like flowing water, that how life will always be." She said and looked up at a sound and her husband was in the doorway. "Arch of Constantine about to be touched husband, have failed to keep safe." She said getting up as he came toward her and he hugged her.
"This my fault wife, not wife fault, no shame on wife, only husband." He said quietly. "Husband train guardians, guardians lost now, teacher bring shame on guardians." He said sighing.
"No shame on husband silly man, or guardians." She said looking up at him smiling. "We know happen in time Liching." She said. "Now have train silly boy, give up all this and move to England." She said sadly.
"We spend time at house in England once every sun cycle!" The old man said smiling. "You always sad when leave!" Liching said said.
"That because hard to make husband work when come home again lazy man!" She said looking at him feigning disgust.
"Wife great task master." He said smiling down at her. "Why work at school when husband can make garden in England."
"Then husband should have become farmer." She said and hugged him tightly. "Maybe husband simple farmer, wife not have train boy to be man too soon." Lijuan said.
"Potter boy grow to be good man too soon, turn out ok." Her husband said simply. "Potter boy adopted parent of Gwain so be good role model."
"Potter boy lazy boy I tell you this husband!" She said. "Maybe have train potter boy partner too." She said frowning then added. "He more lazy than Potter boy, maybe you train."
"He want learn staff too?" Liching asked.
"Not ask, tell him!" Lijuan said.
"How many we train wife?" Liching asked putting her at arms length. "Staff old magic now, young don't want learn old magic!"
"You have teach friends of lazy boy use staff Liching." Lijuan said. "Lijuan train son of lazy boy. Not ask friends if want learn but make learn!"
"Why I get cast offs!" Liching asked frowning.
Lijuan looked at him now and grinned. "Because wife of Liching tired, have deal with lazy husband all time!" She said. "Wife should have one student while husband teach many, like school." Lijuan said. "Lijuan only deal with silly boy that enough." She said.
"When we leave?" Liching asked.
"Husband get new teacher for school, leave tomorrow." Lijuan said turning to look at Valeria. "Crazy lady be awake then." She said. "Today power will find, crazy lady not be able to travel before tomorrow." Lijuan said sadly.
Vanessa was reaching her limit with the Gillyweed but still swimming furiously downward she could now make out dimly the stone crypt with the Arch of Constantine in the doorway. Finally the Gillyweed ran its course and she spat it out bringing her wand up and tapping her head and a bubble charm appeared around her head and she took off downward again. Less than fifty feet down the bubble popped and she tried again to no avail. She looked at the Arch down below and using all of her strength she swam as she never had before. Down toward the Arch and within twenty feet of it her eyesight started to dim and she knew she was going to lose consciousness soon. Ten feet and she could only see the blue light all around her and then she reached out and touched something and everything seemed to explode inside her.
Valeria lying on the cot suddenly started to convulse all over and there was a blue light emanating from the corner of the room all around her. Lijuan had never seen a surge of power like it before. The poor girl was lifted off the cot surrounded in blue light so blindingly bright that Lijuan and Liching had to turn away from it.
"This bad." Liching said.
"Very bad, husband." Agreed Lijuan "Sister now will proclaim self empress and war begins." She said.
"Then must go tonight and take sleeping girl with us." Liching said looking again at Valeria as she was dropped onto the cot as the light slowly faded into her.
"Yes, wife pack while husband take girl to England, wife be there soon." Lijuan said and began by taking out some suitcases and with a whirl of her staff, clothes started piling in them folded neatly. She turned to her husband. "Now husband take her, wife close behind." She said and he grabbed Valeria up in his arms and his staff on the way to the small fireplace. Throwing in some of the green floo powder. "Number four Solway Close Nottingham!" Liching said and was gone in a flash with Valeria cradled in his arms.
"Now have deal with lazy mans crazy friends, lazy mans crazy family, most important, now have deal with lazy mans hardheaded wife and silly child." Lijuan said mumbling. "Why life can just leave Lijuan alone, let Lijuan rest?" She said and finally she levitated their things to the fireplace and grabbed the floo pot off the top shelf. "Silly Dumbledore die leave Lijuan to fix everything." She said looking around sadly then grabbed a handful of floo powder and threw it into the fire. "Number four Solway Close Nottingham!" she said loudly and in a flash she and the luggage was gone and the fire in the fireplace was out.
The flames turned green in the fireplace once more at number four Solway Close in Nottingham and out stepped Lijuan and all their luggage. She looked around and saw her husband coming down the stairs. "Husband put crazy lady in bed?" Lijuan asked.
"Yes wife. Liching take luggage up, husband unpack while wife take care of Valeria." Liching said levitating the bags up the stairs behind his wife as she made her way to Valeria's room.
"Wake up crazy girl!" Lijuan said as she entered and clapped twice and a candle flared near the bed and a bowl appeared on the nightstand with cold water and a wet rag in it.
Valeria struggled to open her eyes and finally when she could focus she saw Lijuan sitting near her bed. She felt the cold rag Lijuan put on her forehead and it felt good. "What happened?" Valeria croaked.
"Evil sister touch Arch of Constantine." Lijuan said noticing the change in her eye color to a beautiful blue. "Husband train guards for years for watch over Arch, now all guards dead. Only way Arch touched." She said. "Spell crazy girl use to rid self of Tom Riddle memories set prophecy I tell you about in motion." Lijuan said frowning. "Now you see why Lijuan mad when crazy lady tell me about spell." She said and made a face. "Now because hate sister, now sister become more evil, more powerful." Lijuan said and wiped a tear off Valeria's face. "Not all fault of crazy lady though." She said softly and took the weeping girl in her arms. "Sister evil either way, with spell or without!" She said. "Now lazy boy stop evil sister from using keystone she find other way to power." Lijuan said. "Evil sister not know crazy lady alive, give power to both sisters because twins." She said. "Lot of power now, with power crazy lady come lot of responsibility." She said. "Now lazy boy have fight sister, lazy boy lose if Crazy girl not help fight evil sister." Lijuan said.
"But I can't kill her Lijuan. I may not like her, I may detest her but I can't kill my own sister." Valeria said looking up at the old woman. "That's what this is about isn't it?" She said fighting to sit up. "I told Harry I couldn't kill her. I told him I wanted him to do it already." She said and there was real fear in her face. "You don't understand there is something none of you understand I can sometimes feel or even hear her thoughts and their pure evil!" Valeria said now.
Lijuan put a hand on hers and looked into her eyes. "Lijuan not say crazy girl kill evil sister." She said softly. "But crazy girl and lazy boy have be allies." Lijuan told the girl. "Lazy boy weak like crazy girl but when join together can defeat evil sister." She said. "If they not join together then both die." She said and got up and headed toward the door. "Finish training here in England. Rest now, training start early, before sunrise." Lijuan said turning and leaving through the door and Valeria wept silently as she laid back on the bed.
At the same time Vanessa touched the Arch of Constantine Harry for the first time could feel a powerful flow of energy in the air. He frowned looking around but knew it had nothing to do with St. Mungo's. He left the others and walked outside onto the roof of St. Mungo's and it was like the sky for him was lit up with blue electricity. Draco came out a few minutes later and saw Harry looking toward the sky.
"Are you ok? You remind me of Dumbledore when he knew there was powerful magic being done." Draco said. "Only one I knew that could feel that."
"Well something is happening cause I can feel it, can almost see it, like bluish energy." Harry said.
Draco looked up at the gathering clouds and frowned.
Harry turned and looked at Draco and was frowning as well. "Vanessa just found her powers Draco." He said. "I can feel it flowing somehow" and then his hand went to his forehead and while it didn't hurt he could feel things happening and he remembered the last time he felt a tingle in it was the night that Valeria and he had talked. "Both of them have come into quite a lot of power Draco." He said and shook his head sadly.
"Great, just great." Draco whispered under his breath.
When Hamid had fished her out of the pool after she shot to the top he thought she would be dead but instead she was alive. More than alive she had done it. Hamid had expected her to fail but she hadn't. He was sure that upon her failure to touch the stone he could himself do it and be the next Khan in her place. As he conjured a towel to dry her off, her eyes opened and she looked up at him and her eyes had went from brown to a bright beautiful blue.
"You thought I would not make it Hamid." She croaked out. "Not only did I make it now I can come into my full destiny!" She said now trying to rise and Hamid helped her to sit up although she was still leaning on him.
"Harry Potter basically ignored me and talked to me like a child." She said furiously. "Now he will not think me foolish Hamid." She said and he helped her stand shakily to her feet. "Now he will bow at my feet Hamid." She said now as he helped her to redress. "No one will ignore me again, and Cho who I thought was my friend would have left me Hamid." She said. "I realize I have no friends now Hamid, a ruler cannot afford to have such a luxury." Vanessa said and her face was dark with fury and suddenly she pushed away from him to stand there looking at him. "Hamid I am now Empress Vanessa Temujin, Khan of a new reigning dynasty!" She said regally and raising her wand she flourished it front of her clothes and they changed into robes and dress complete with veil to cover her face. In various shades of blue her clothes made her black hair and blue eyes stand out and even her cousin Hamid bowed his head and blushed.
"Come Hamid." She said. "It is time the Empress of the wizarding world introduced herself but first I need more followers and I know just where to get them." Vanessa said and though weak she was giddy with power. This was what she had wanted, power to tear down the powerful wizards who interfered in other people's lives. Power to show them the way to live in a world she knew would be better for them.
Azkaban stood silent but for the occasional scream from within. Prisoners sometimes lost their sanity in this place. New Aurors were placed on guard duty straight from the academy for four months here to get them used to the atmosphere when they would have to drop off a prisoner. There were twenty guards here in Azkaban who patrolled regularly but the Dementor's were the real downside to working here. More than a few guards had even gone mad in this place because of them.
As the two young aurors relieved their friends at the main bridge leading to Azkaban from the mainland they could feel something wasn't right. Lights seemed to be playing along the bridge and soon they could see a party of people making their way toward them. As they drew their wands one person stepped forward. A woman in an elaborate costume of what looked like an Arabian princess came forward wand in hand. As they watched she strolled up as if she owned the place till she reached the ledge where the young aurors stood.
"I'm sorry but your group cannot pass this is the prison of Azkaban." One young auror said and with an open palm she blasted the young auror backward into the wall so hard the others could hear his bones breaking. The rest pulled their wands out or tried too at least but were cut down quickly by this one lone figure. Vanessa strolled up to the great double doors and blasted them off their hinges. Guards and the remaining four aurors stationed there this week were alerted.
As Vanessa worked her wand in flourishes the Dementors poured forth through the high windows. They descended on her in a rush but pulled up sharp overhead looking down at her, all movement stopped in a single instant for them and only the wispy shadowy fabric of their demonic robes could be seen flapping in the breeze.
"To the Ministry of Magic and clear it out now for your Empress the new Khan!" She said to the hundred or so Dementors above her and raising her wand she sent a bolt of blue ascending till it arched and exploded and in the air over Azkaban was a new symbol as the Dementors flew off into the night in the direction of the ministry of magic.
Two crossed flaming scimitars behind a blue flaming skull lit up the night sky. As guards and the four remaining aurors ran through the opening where the great double doors used to be they made a defensive line and slowly started forward trying to force the witch back onto the bridge but more spells were assaulting them than they could defend themselves from.
Vanessa, wand in her right hand and her left empty with just an open palm was throwing spell after spell while those on the bridge threw up every shield charm they could to keep the guards and from hitting her.
One of the guards saw the inevitable and ran back in taking the floo to the mainland some forty kilometers in and ran to get a broom off the wall. He would have to out fly the Dementors and that would be virtually impossible. As Cormac McLaggen raced from the small shack and took to the air he had only one thing on his mind. Beating the Dementors was like trying to beat the devil himself and he was up for the challenge.
Back at Azkaban all the guards and aurors were dead. Vanessa walked forward and stepped over the corpses of those she had murdered and walked through the corridors until she found the one she was looking for. Simon Reeves was in his cell sitting on his bunk as she stopped to look in.
"Vanessa!" Simon said standing up. "Did you get loose? What was all that noise?" He said looking back the way she had come and Vanessa flourished her wand and the cell opened.
"Simon you are still bound to me I know this." She said. "Go and join the others on the bridge."
"Where is Cho she should be with you my Khan?" Simon Reeves said and Vanessa turned to him.
"Cho is no longer one of us Simon. No go and join the others." She said and set off into the darker sections of the prison.
Simon made his way out of the prison and to the others past the bodies on the ground.
"What has happened?" He asked of Hamid.
"She has come into her powers Mr. Reeves." Hamid said frowning sadly as screams could be heard inside.
Vanessa found her way to the cells of Voldemort's deatheaters and with a flourish of her wand the cells were blasted off the hinges as she laughed. "Come forth former followers of Voldemort for you have a new master now." She said smiling as the remaining deatheaters walked out of their cells. "Bow down to me now!" She said loudly and some bowed while others smirked at her. She blasted one deatheater into the wall of spikes behind them and the rest fell to their knees. "My name is Vanessa Khan learn it well! I am the rise of a new dynasty! With me you get freedom from this place or death." She said. "Swear you will follow me, I want a blood oath from you now, those unwilling to take that oath will die here and now." Vanessa said menacingly.
Those who had taken to their knees swore an oath to her in blood. The rest of the prisoners in Azkaban were released as well and given a chance but not all took it. Some died there on the spot. The cells for the clan of the bear were opened and Vanessa took the lives of the soulless men there.
Simon hardly recognized her from the lady he had followed before. He shivered as he watched her walk from the prison with more followers than she started with.
"Tonight the Dementors are bound for the Ministry of Magic. That is where we are bound tonight as well." She said. "Tonight the new Khan rises from the ashes of the old. Look above you and see your new symbol!" Vanessa said pointing up and Simon looked up in horror. The symbol wasn't much better than what Voldemort had the deatheaters putting up.
"Vanessa, my Khan please this isn't what you said would happen." Simon said coming forward and dropping to his knees. "You said you would be a leader who would end the fear my Khan not renew it!" He said and Vanessa regarded him for a moment.
"Simon do you question the Khan?" She asked in her old voice and he looked up.
"My Khan I question the killing of those who guard this place." Simon said. "You could have but stunned them my Khan and still made the jailbreak you wanted to make." He said.
"I see Simon." She said walking around behind him and then bent down and whispered in his ear. His shoulders slumped and head went down. As she stood up she sent the killing curse directly between his shoulder blades and as Simon slumped to the ground those around them drew back. "To the Ministry of Magic!" Vanessa said. "And don't leave a single Ministry official alive!" She said as she strode off back across to the mainland.
As Cormac caught up and passed the Dementors it wasn't an easy run and he still had a ways to go before he could floo. The ministry had set it up so that to floo anywhere you had to be a good distance from Azkaban for safety reasons.
As he finally made the town of Brighton he swooped down into the center of the square with Dementors following him and as he landed he tripped and went with it coming up on one knee and sent a patronus skyward scattering the Dementors.
He rushed through the streets and again had to fend off Dementors. He finally found the small shop he was looking for, it was closed and running full out he jumped and smashed through the windows of the shop past the displays of brooms and supplies for broom cleaning. The small fireplace was barely lit when he reached up to throw floo powder into the flames and as the green flames flared up he stepped in. "Ministry of Magic." He shouted.