Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Strains of Melody
There Is Hope
0 reviewsThe first year begins, though not so much with a bang as with a whisper...
3Original
*
Tuesday, July 24, 1991
*
Severus Snape winced and rubbed his temples irritably as he strode through the halls, trying to remember just why he continued to teach children if the brats were determined to do their best to give him migraines even before the year had started. He thought wistfully of the headache potion resting in its bottle down in his quarters, and cursed Albus for choosing now of all times to call him up to his office.
"Blood Pops!" he snapped, glaring at the gargoyle as it, deliberately to his mind, took forever to clear his path. Wondering just what an inanimate object could possibly hold against him, he climbed wearily up the spiral stairs. Severus paused just in front of the door to the Headmaster's office, waiting expectantly for Albus's voice to welcome him in, knowing who he was before he'd even knocked.
A minute passed, and as there was nothing but silence, the potions master felt the first stirrings of alarm. Concerned, he pulled out his wand and cautiously pushed open the solid oaken door.
Inside, the Headmaster sat at his desk, staring at something in his hand. Hearing a noise, he glanced up, and smiled. "Ah, Severus! So good of you to come!"
"If you'll recall, Albus, you asked me to," the Slytherin replied, slipping his wand back in his robes and taking a seat. "What has you so absorbed, anyway?"
"This." Dumbledore set the object in his hand down on the desk, revealing it to be a student letter.
It was a moment before the sight and the resulting possibilities registered. Then Severus sat up, eyes widening. "Albus, is that...?"
The Headmaster smiled. "Mr. Potter's school letter? Indeed." He gazed thoughtfully at the letter. "Unfortunately, neither Minerva nor myself recognize the address. I don't suppose...?" He handed it to Severus, who looked down curiously at the faded green writing.
Mr. H. Potter
The East Wing
The Citadel
"Nothing, Albus," the Slytherin replied, genuinely mystified. "I've never heard of such a place." Seeing the disappointed look on his oldest friend's face, he sighed. "At least we know the boy's alive."
"True enough," Dumbledore took back the letter, seemingly cheered. Turning towards a perch next to his desk, he murmured a few words to its occupant. Giving a melodious trill in response, Fawkes grasped the letter in his beak and took off through the open window.
Behind in his office, the Headmaster gazed after the phoenix. "There is hope."
*
The slightest of breezes blew across the spring, creating ripples on the smooth surface. Slowly, gently, the ripples spread, until they impacted unnoticeably against the shore. Residing in a small clearing in the exact center of the forest, the spring itself was a place of almost unparalleled beauty, home to dozens of the graceful, caring water spirits known as undines. Sometimes, if Kaze waited long enough in what had become his favorite place, they would come out and sing to him of the power of the sea, of gentle tides, swift currents, and the great tsunamis of Poseidon's rages.
At the moment, however, they happened to be huddling at the bottom of the pool with their hands over their ears. And who could blame them, considering the young Guardian was once again trying to make his pet project work.
Sighing, Kaze lay the luciharp down in his lap and watched Zephyr buzz the surface of the tiny spring. "You know, the undines are never going to come out and play with you if you keep doing that."
Like they're gonna come out anyway with that racket you're making?
The ten-year-old growled, looking around for something to throw at his familiar, and Zephyr quickly ceased his aerial acrobatics to hover by his Bonded. Determining that there was nothing appropriate nearby, Kaze sighed again in fond exasperation and lifted his arm so the air elemental could wrap his serpentine body around it. Then they both looked upwards as there was a burst of flames overhead.
The duo watched in amazement as a phoenix flew out of the fire and around the clearing. "Um, Zeph? I thought the only way to get here was 'Porting," Kaze murmured, green eyes blinking in surprise.
Me too...
The boy flinched back as something dropped from the incandescent bird, nearly hitting him on the head. Cooing softly, the phoenix set down on a nearby branch and studied the air elemental disdainfully.
Bloody phoenixi... hopeless snobs, all of them, just 'cause they're second tier... Zephyr complained over their mental link.
Kaze choked, fumbling with the letter. Â/:Zeph! He's a guest!:/
Doesn't mean he can just fly in and... Kaze? What is it? the familiar asked, concerned by his Bonded's sudden stillness.
:It's... addressed to me.:
Zephyr blinked. Well, yeah, bird boy kinda dropped it on you.
The Guardian shook his head. :No, I mean, it's addressed to me as Harry Potter, not Kagayaku no Kaze.:
If the air elemental had been able, he would have shrugged, but as it was he managed a fairly good mental equivalent. So? The Summoning was less than a year ago. Maybe they just haven't gotten the memo about the name change yet.
"Maybe," Kaze said out loud. Then he looked up as the firebird voiced an impatient trill. "Um, right. Should I open it?"
Why not? The wards wouldn't let in anything actively malicious. And I wanna see what's in it.
Stifling a grin at his familiar's childlike curiosity, Kaze drew a slim dagger from his belt and slit open the envelope. Setting the blade on the moss beside him, the boy pulled out the heavy sheet of parchment that rested within. Together, the two Bonded read the letter.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
/Deputy Headmistress/
Eyes wide, Kaze looked up at the phoenix. "Is this real?" He asked, tugging a longish strand of hair out of his face and blinking when it nodded. "Umm..."
Maybe we should take it to Taka-sama?
:Yeah: Kaze agreed, relieved. He stood and brushed off his knee-length tunic, letting Zephyr uncurl from his arm before he walked over to the phoenix. "Could you come with us, please? I need to show this to my Master."
*
Kaze could hear voices as he approached Taka's study. Their avian visitor rode comfortably on his arm while Zeph hovered nearby. Suppressing a sudden pang of anxiety, he knocked on the door.
A minute passed without any change in the arguing voices. The young Guardian exchanged a concerned glance with his familiar and tugged open the door.
Inside, he could see his mentor looking into a mirror. Within, instead of his reflection or that of the study, he could see an old- no, make that extremely old woman sitting cross-legged in a small, dark room. A teenager leaned against the far wall, and Kaze nodded to his fellow apprentice, or so he assumed, since he'd never met this particular Guardian before. In the foreground the crone smiled eerily as she caught sight of him. "Well, boy, don't just stand there! Get in here!"
Starting in surprise, Taka turned, smiling with pleasure when he saw his protégé waiting in the doorway. "Ah! Elder Koh Lon, Ranma, may I have the pleasure of introducing my Heir, Kaze? Kaze, these are the Guardians of the Jusenkyuu universe, over in the Senshi Constellation."
The boy bowed respectfully, perhaps even more so than he would normally have done. It was only prudent, after all. Anyone considered good enough to be the Guardian of one of the Senshi universes could break any ten-year-old boy, even one who was a Mage, in half with only a finger.
"Such a polite lad," the Elder said approvingly, before sending a glare in the direction of her own apprentice. "Unlike this
ungrateful brat..."
The teenager scowled. "Waddaya mean, /ungrateful/?! I oughta be grateful for havin' ta spend every waking moment with a hideous old bat?" The 'hideous old bat' growled warningly, hefting her staff and, in a nauseatingly fast blur, thumped him over the head. Kaze exchanged a bemused glance with his Master, wincing in sympathy, though he couldn't imagine ever being so disrespectful to Taka.
Given that his caller was distracted, Taka took that moment to lean over to his apprentice, eyeing the phoenix on his arm. "So what's going on?" he asked, /sotto voce/.
Unburdened, Kaze would have shrugged. "Dunno. The phoenix somehow got in and dropped this in my lap." He handed Taka the envelope.
Making sure his 'guests' were still distracted, the older mage slipped out the letter, as well as a second, thicker piece of paper Kaze could have sworn wasn't there before. Brows furrowed, he read through it, looking up at the end with a thoughtful frown. "I suppose we should have been expecting this. With as strong as your magic is, of course the wizarding society would have planned for you to attend one of their schools."
"Sir?" Kaze asked, puzzled. "I thought I was an orphan."
"You were," Taka agreed quickly. "But it would seem that your parents must have been wizards. Perhaps they had already chosen which school you would attend, and put you down on a list."
The young Guardian blinked, peering down at the letterhead. "/Hogwarts/? My parents wanted me to go to a school named after a pig's /moles/?"
Taka snickered briefly. "Don't ask me to explain how wizards think. Personally, I think most of them are at least a little bit off their rockers. Maybe because they dabble in magic without knowing the consequences." He chewed his lip thoughtfully. "I haven't paid as much attention to their world lately as I perhaps should have, but I believe Hogwarts is one of the better academies." Casting a measured look towards the other Guardians, whose brawl- er, argument, had just begun to wind down, he handed the letter back to Kaze. "We'll discuss this later."
"And the phoenix? I think it's waiting for a reply."
"The Citadel should have created suitable lodgings for it by now. I'll meet you there in about an hour."
"Yes, sir," Kaze said, nodding as his Master turned towards the mirror. A bit relieved to be escaping the rather eccentric callers, he left quickly, barely noticing as his familiar followed him through the door.
Well... that was interesting.
"You don't say," the mage said distractedly. He smiled apologetically down at his passenger. "I'm sorry, but it seems you'll have to wait just a bit longer." The firebird trilled its understanding, as Kaze stepped up to a wall covered in runes. "Now, let's see..." Finding the rune for the South Wing, he reached out and pressed it. Then, all three vanished from sight.
Tuesday, July 24, 1991
*
Severus Snape winced and rubbed his temples irritably as he strode through the halls, trying to remember just why he continued to teach children if the brats were determined to do their best to give him migraines even before the year had started. He thought wistfully of the headache potion resting in its bottle down in his quarters, and cursed Albus for choosing now of all times to call him up to his office.
"Blood Pops!" he snapped, glaring at the gargoyle as it, deliberately to his mind, took forever to clear his path. Wondering just what an inanimate object could possibly hold against him, he climbed wearily up the spiral stairs. Severus paused just in front of the door to the Headmaster's office, waiting expectantly for Albus's voice to welcome him in, knowing who he was before he'd even knocked.
A minute passed, and as there was nothing but silence, the potions master felt the first stirrings of alarm. Concerned, he pulled out his wand and cautiously pushed open the solid oaken door.
Inside, the Headmaster sat at his desk, staring at something in his hand. Hearing a noise, he glanced up, and smiled. "Ah, Severus! So good of you to come!"
"If you'll recall, Albus, you asked me to," the Slytherin replied, slipping his wand back in his robes and taking a seat. "What has you so absorbed, anyway?"
"This." Dumbledore set the object in his hand down on the desk, revealing it to be a student letter.
It was a moment before the sight and the resulting possibilities registered. Then Severus sat up, eyes widening. "Albus, is that...?"
The Headmaster smiled. "Mr. Potter's school letter? Indeed." He gazed thoughtfully at the letter. "Unfortunately, neither Minerva nor myself recognize the address. I don't suppose...?" He handed it to Severus, who looked down curiously at the faded green writing.
Mr. H. Potter
The East Wing
The Citadel
"Nothing, Albus," the Slytherin replied, genuinely mystified. "I've never heard of such a place." Seeing the disappointed look on his oldest friend's face, he sighed. "At least we know the boy's alive."
"True enough," Dumbledore took back the letter, seemingly cheered. Turning towards a perch next to his desk, he murmured a few words to its occupant. Giving a melodious trill in response, Fawkes grasped the letter in his beak and took off through the open window.
Behind in his office, the Headmaster gazed after the phoenix. "There is hope."
*
The slightest of breezes blew across the spring, creating ripples on the smooth surface. Slowly, gently, the ripples spread, until they impacted unnoticeably against the shore. Residing in a small clearing in the exact center of the forest, the spring itself was a place of almost unparalleled beauty, home to dozens of the graceful, caring water spirits known as undines. Sometimes, if Kaze waited long enough in what had become his favorite place, they would come out and sing to him of the power of the sea, of gentle tides, swift currents, and the great tsunamis of Poseidon's rages.
At the moment, however, they happened to be huddling at the bottom of the pool with their hands over their ears. And who could blame them, considering the young Guardian was once again trying to make his pet project work.
Sighing, Kaze lay the luciharp down in his lap and watched Zephyr buzz the surface of the tiny spring. "You know, the undines are never going to come out and play with you if you keep doing that."
Like they're gonna come out anyway with that racket you're making?
The ten-year-old growled, looking around for something to throw at his familiar, and Zephyr quickly ceased his aerial acrobatics to hover by his Bonded. Determining that there was nothing appropriate nearby, Kaze sighed again in fond exasperation and lifted his arm so the air elemental could wrap his serpentine body around it. Then they both looked upwards as there was a burst of flames overhead.
The duo watched in amazement as a phoenix flew out of the fire and around the clearing. "Um, Zeph? I thought the only way to get here was 'Porting," Kaze murmured, green eyes blinking in surprise.
Me too...
The boy flinched back as something dropped from the incandescent bird, nearly hitting him on the head. Cooing softly, the phoenix set down on a nearby branch and studied the air elemental disdainfully.
Bloody phoenixi... hopeless snobs, all of them, just 'cause they're second tier... Zephyr complained over their mental link.
Kaze choked, fumbling with the letter. Â/:Zeph! He's a guest!:/
Doesn't mean he can just fly in and... Kaze? What is it? the familiar asked, concerned by his Bonded's sudden stillness.
:It's... addressed to me.:
Zephyr blinked. Well, yeah, bird boy kinda dropped it on you.
The Guardian shook his head. :No, I mean, it's addressed to me as Harry Potter, not Kagayaku no Kaze.:
If the air elemental had been able, he would have shrugged, but as it was he managed a fairly good mental equivalent. So? The Summoning was less than a year ago. Maybe they just haven't gotten the memo about the name change yet.
"Maybe," Kaze said out loud. Then he looked up as the firebird voiced an impatient trill. "Um, right. Should I open it?"
Why not? The wards wouldn't let in anything actively malicious. And I wanna see what's in it.
Stifling a grin at his familiar's childlike curiosity, Kaze drew a slim dagger from his belt and slit open the envelope. Setting the blade on the moss beside him, the boy pulled out the heavy sheet of parchment that rested within. Together, the two Bonded read the letter.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
/Deputy Headmistress/
Eyes wide, Kaze looked up at the phoenix. "Is this real?" He asked, tugging a longish strand of hair out of his face and blinking when it nodded. "Umm..."
Maybe we should take it to Taka-sama?
:Yeah: Kaze agreed, relieved. He stood and brushed off his knee-length tunic, letting Zephyr uncurl from his arm before he walked over to the phoenix. "Could you come with us, please? I need to show this to my Master."
*
Kaze could hear voices as he approached Taka's study. Their avian visitor rode comfortably on his arm while Zeph hovered nearby. Suppressing a sudden pang of anxiety, he knocked on the door.
A minute passed without any change in the arguing voices. The young Guardian exchanged a concerned glance with his familiar and tugged open the door.
Inside, he could see his mentor looking into a mirror. Within, instead of his reflection or that of the study, he could see an old- no, make that extremely old woman sitting cross-legged in a small, dark room. A teenager leaned against the far wall, and Kaze nodded to his fellow apprentice, or so he assumed, since he'd never met this particular Guardian before. In the foreground the crone smiled eerily as she caught sight of him. "Well, boy, don't just stand there! Get in here!"
Starting in surprise, Taka turned, smiling with pleasure when he saw his protégé waiting in the doorway. "Ah! Elder Koh Lon, Ranma, may I have the pleasure of introducing my Heir, Kaze? Kaze, these are the Guardians of the Jusenkyuu universe, over in the Senshi Constellation."
The boy bowed respectfully, perhaps even more so than he would normally have done. It was only prudent, after all. Anyone considered good enough to be the Guardian of one of the Senshi universes could break any ten-year-old boy, even one who was a Mage, in half with only a finger.
"Such a polite lad," the Elder said approvingly, before sending a glare in the direction of her own apprentice. "Unlike this
ungrateful brat..."
The teenager scowled. "Waddaya mean, /ungrateful/?! I oughta be grateful for havin' ta spend every waking moment with a hideous old bat?" The 'hideous old bat' growled warningly, hefting her staff and, in a nauseatingly fast blur, thumped him over the head. Kaze exchanged a bemused glance with his Master, wincing in sympathy, though he couldn't imagine ever being so disrespectful to Taka.
Given that his caller was distracted, Taka took that moment to lean over to his apprentice, eyeing the phoenix on his arm. "So what's going on?" he asked, /sotto voce/.
Unburdened, Kaze would have shrugged. "Dunno. The phoenix somehow got in and dropped this in my lap." He handed Taka the envelope.
Making sure his 'guests' were still distracted, the older mage slipped out the letter, as well as a second, thicker piece of paper Kaze could have sworn wasn't there before. Brows furrowed, he read through it, looking up at the end with a thoughtful frown. "I suppose we should have been expecting this. With as strong as your magic is, of course the wizarding society would have planned for you to attend one of their schools."
"Sir?" Kaze asked, puzzled. "I thought I was an orphan."
"You were," Taka agreed quickly. "But it would seem that your parents must have been wizards. Perhaps they had already chosen which school you would attend, and put you down on a list."
The young Guardian blinked, peering down at the letterhead. "/Hogwarts/? My parents wanted me to go to a school named after a pig's /moles/?"
Taka snickered briefly. "Don't ask me to explain how wizards think. Personally, I think most of them are at least a little bit off their rockers. Maybe because they dabble in magic without knowing the consequences." He chewed his lip thoughtfully. "I haven't paid as much attention to their world lately as I perhaps should have, but I believe Hogwarts is one of the better academies." Casting a measured look towards the other Guardians, whose brawl- er, argument, had just begun to wind down, he handed the letter back to Kaze. "We'll discuss this later."
"And the phoenix? I think it's waiting for a reply."
"The Citadel should have created suitable lodgings for it by now. I'll meet you there in about an hour."
"Yes, sir," Kaze said, nodding as his Master turned towards the mirror. A bit relieved to be escaping the rather eccentric callers, he left quickly, barely noticing as his familiar followed him through the door.
Well... that was interesting.
"You don't say," the mage said distractedly. He smiled apologetically down at his passenger. "I'm sorry, but it seems you'll have to wait just a bit longer." The firebird trilled its understanding, as Kaze stepped up to a wall covered in runes. "Now, let's see..." Finding the rune for the South Wing, he reached out and pressed it. Then, all three vanished from sight.
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