Lullaby

Ch 4: Survival Training

Ari awoke suddenly her hands reaching above her towards the canopy. Shaking herself she broke out into a sad smile. She looked around, spying her wayward charge curled on his side sleeping peacefully.

Taking out her wand, she tapped her throat whispering, "Sonorous!"

She took a deep breath and said, "Ding dong the night is gone, time to break out into a song! Wake up, you sleepyhead! Don't you know it's not time for bed?"

Harry fell out of bed his wand held in a shaky hand as he saw his keeper standing there singing loudly enough for the whole town to hear. He threw the pillow at her screeching, "What do you think you are doing? I can't believe you did that!"

Ari laughed at his expression, laughter overcoming any of the despair both of them felt lingering from the night before. "It is time for you to get some real training in defense. You have had a bunch of lazy professors and have for far too long depended upon yourself to do the teaching. Well, we have the rest of summer to get your scrawny ass in shape and that is exactly what we are going to do."
Harry opened and closed his mouth in astonishment before squeaking out, "We?"

"Yes we, I would like you to meet your body coach, Alex. This young man is one of the strongest wizards in the world, and happens to be my favorite brother."

Alex came in laughing the raven locks falling over his bright blue eyes. "What are talking about Ari? I am your only brother! Although this little runt can be a cousin to us with his looks."

Alex continued his frank appraisal of Harry and then stepped forward commandingly. Harry looked up at him and was startled by the seriousness of his expression. "I see I have my work cut out for me. First, we are going to lengthen your hair and tie it back, right now it can be used as a weapon to capture you, but with it in an unbreakable bind, it can just keep out of the way. Second we are going to have to get some muscle on you. You are lean in stature so we will go the cardio workout route rather than weightlifting. Third, physical labor will help you lose that unbelievable pallor which makes you look like a lily boy. Did I make myself clear young man?"

As Harry started listening to this person before him, he noticed how the man seemed to be more obsessed with looks than shape. "Are you just trying to make me look better, or be in more defensive shape?"

"They are one in the same, once you look better with your hair and skin to highlight the bone structure, people should start paying attention to you. They will see instead of a sickly boy, a healthy vibrant, young man whose opinions are worth something. Also, I cannot allow young sis' charge to look like a stick. We will make you magnificent and hopefully you will gain some defensive skills as well."

Ari stood there laughing at the two men before her. "I am sorry Harry if my brother's way seems odd. He just finds that the more respect you have with your appearance, the more respect you will have from others. He will make you into a warrior, but nonetheless you will be a handsome warrior."

Harry looked between the woman he was staring to regard as a mother figure and the man who was like a crazy uncle and was deeply disturbed to find a small part of him wanting what they was offering. The offer was a chance not to be seen as a scruffy boy, but as a man who should be taken seriously. He opened his mouth and said, "Ok, how do we start?"

Alex took his hand and led him outside. Muttering under his breath, he transfigured Harry's clothes into running shorts and a t-shirt that almost swallowed him whole. The older man lifted an eyebrow and said, "You are going to fit into that t-shirt in no time. All you need is some muscle. I want you to start jogging at a good pace and follow me. I am going to give you a tour of the grounds. Ari, would you like to join us?"

She smiled before taking out her wand and getting her athletic clothes on as well. Tucking her hair into a ponytail she started to run. Alex called out at her before beginning as well, and Harry was left with the distinct feeling of haplessness. As they ran around the lakes and gardens, Harry could see the small animals bathing in the sun as the warm sunshine beat down upon them. It was not until 3 miles had passed before he could feel the stitch in his side growing and the sweat pouring down his back making him uncomfortably sticky.

"Are you all right back there Harry?"

Harry looked ahead at the two of them and was hit with a pang of envy, their shirts were dry and they hardly looked winded let alone ready to die of thirst. Ari jogged back to him, handing him a bottle of water and a small towel to wipe away the sweat on his brow.

"Alex, I daresay you are right. I think this is the perfect place to stop and have a rest. Harry seems to need one. Harry, are you all right dear? I did not mean for us to go this far if you are not used to it. Alex and I are going to have a friendly duel if you want to watch. Just rest there in the shade and I will eat him for breakfast."

As the two siblings stepped into the warm gaze of summer, Harry could not help but notice the light grip they both had on their wands, like they were unsure of how to start. "Expelliarmus!" Ari shouted.

With a swift flick of Alex's wand, the spell went the other way. "Abdavi Gregio!" The yellow light that sped out of his wand looked as if it made contact but with a sidestep Ari emerged unharmed.

"Ritcuesempre!" The tickling charm was easily blocked and finally they started to seriously duel. Ari shot off a dozen more minor jinxes and hexes trying to get Alex off guard yet Alex did not look like he was even sweating at all as he ducked most of those and blocked the rest with a simple Shield charm.

Finally Alex appeared to have the upper hand in the duel as he lifted his wand and shouted, "Petrificus Totalis!" It caught Ari as she was ducking and she fell to the ground. Alex laughed and made to go to her stiff form but seconds later he was caught unawares by Ari lifting her wand and once again casting the Disarming Charm.

Alex flew back and hit the tree his wand uselessly lying on the grass as Ari jumped up and brushed off her clothes.

As Harry sat there watching the two of them he was caught in the sense of love shared. They knew the other's weaknesses and exploited them but they also had a great deal of respect for one another. Harry looked up and found Ari smiling at him and she said, "And that is why you never approach an assailant who you think is down for the count without getting rid of their wand first."

Harry grinned back and Alex strolled over to join them. "Now sister dear, how can you play such a nasty trick on your favorite brother? I could have been injured their by that tree."

"I was more afraid for the tree than you, brother love," Ari commented.

"Ah! I am wounded. My only sister, my own flesh and blood, more worried about a tree than me! What is the world coming to?" he lamented.

Ari punched his shoulder lightly before giving him a kiss on each cheek. "There, is it all better now?"

"Yes milady. My cheeks are now flush with the success of getting kissed by the most beautiful sister."

Harry snorted with laughter and the siblings looked at him, their eyebrows raised identically.

"Now Harry, this is supposed to be your training. Do you have any questions, about the duel, the land, anything you can just ask?"

"Well. . . I have one question, how old are you?"

"Technically, 36 years have passed on earth. In reality, I am about 24. You see time moves parallel to your world here, but at a slower rate. For ever five years on earth, one year passes here. This is unless the queen decides to change the time zone, which I did. I decided to make it move faster here, so we can get in a good amount of training before school."

"You are 24? How could you have married Sirius then?"

"Good question, not easily answered. I was raised on earth before attending Hogwarts where I was a couple of years ahead of your father and his friends. Once I left Hogwarts, I was an Auror and I trained the incoming Aurors. This included James, Lily, and Sirius. Let's just say we worked together too much and got to know one another a little two well and what can we say? Two months later we were married. Three months after that your parents were dead and Sirius was in jail and I was alone. After that I left earth and retreated here. My brother had trained here and so we had been apart for the better part of 20 years. It has only been three years here since your parents died and I went back for one reason . . ." she stopped, her breath catching on the words.

Harry looked at her, the shadows which draped over the violet eyes, and knew it was because of him. It was because he had killed Sirius.

"No love, it was not because you killed Sirius, but because it was time. I knew we could never be together but that was me hoping."

"Ritcuesempre!" Alex yelled at his sister, taking her by surprise. She started laughing and shook her head before saying the counter.

"You are a jerk Alex."

"Now, now sis, I was just trying to remind you that you are not supposed to be sad. Now let us start running back. I want to make better time than we have. Before the month is out, Harry should be able to make the run and not break a sweat."

Harry glanced at him appallingly before gulping down his sarcastic retort. "Sure."

As the trio ran quickly back to the manor Harry reflected on what he learned about this mysterious family. Just as he went into the castle the air around them shimmered bright blue.

Ari put a restraining hand on him before carefully pulling out her wand and chanting. Once finished she smiled grimly before turning towards her brother.

"He is trying to get through the wards. Luckily, only one with Cascallian blood has a chance of getting in here and he is not one. We are safe as long as we are here."

Alex returned her smile with a smirk of his own before walking away into the darkened hallway on the left. Ari gazed after him, pain in her eyes before motioning Harry to follow her upstairs.

Once there, they sat and ate lunch quickly before she once again spoke. "Harry, I think it is time to practice your Occulumency training. I am a superb Occulumens and Legillemens. Because of this, I believe it would be better to bring in outside help. I do not believe even you are capable of completely blocking your emotions from me. I therefore propose two things: we will bring in another trainer, either Professor Snape, who I believe was teaching you before, or Professor Dumbledore if he accepts; also, I will allow you to bring one friend here to spend the rest of summer with you. The choice is yours."

Harry gazed up at her with fear written on his features, after a time he said, "Snape, coming here? I much prefer you to teach me than him. As for the friend, I do not believe Hermione or Ron can come for the entire time."

Ari smiled at him tenderly, before suggesting, "We can always bring your godfather here."

Harry looked like he was punched in the stomach, before quietly asking, "What godfather?"

"A Mr. Remus Lupin if I am not mistaken. He is a good friend of Sirius' and one who I know a little bit about. I also believe you know him as well. He can stay here to be a companion to both me and you as a more direct connection to your world."

Harry's eyes were crusted with tears as he listened to her voice. Professor, no Remus . . . his godfather? Anybody who ever cared for him in that manner always got attacked. He would be safe here. Putting his head down, he felt the slim fingers combing back his hair.

"Sweetheart, if it is too hard for you, you know you do not have to do anything you don't want to."

"No, its just everybody who cares for me ends up dying. My mum, dad, Sirius . . . all of them dead, and for what? Me? I am not worth dying for."

"Ah yes you are. It is in you we place are greatest hope, not because of some prophecy made by a nitwit, but because you have the potential to be a wonderful wizard who can make great change. You make everyone around you better and happier. I would die for you if I had a choice. You have become one of the brightest lights in my dreams. My dreams which until you came were overshadowed with pain and despair. So don't worry about me, just remember that we love you."

"You . . . love me?"

"Yes my dear Harry, I have loved you since the moment I first laid eyes on you. You were trying so hard to be strong. I wanted to be strong for you and so here we are, being strong together."

Harry felt the silent tears as they ran down his cheeks but did not move to wipe them away; rather he threw himself in his mother's arms and wept.