The Fate of Two Worlds

Chapter Three: Presence in the Hall

The trio climbed into the thestral-drawn carriages that would bring them to the front of Hogwarts. It seemed strange to Harry that only a few years ago, he rode on the back of one of these creatures to try and save Sirius from his greatest enemy. "Still can't see them, can you guys?"

"What, Harry?" Hermione quipped.

"You know, the thestrals..."

"Believe me, if I could have, it would have made that trip a LOT easier!" Ron chortled. Harry knew only two others who could see them other than himself: Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood.

Harry was famished by the time the First Year sorting was over. He couldn't wait for his first cup of pumpkin juice. Headmistress McGonagall was nowhere in sight, though. The Hall echoed with the sounds of students catching up with each other and sharing summer stories. "Where is she?" Ron whined hungrily.

At last, Headmistress McGonagall appeared at the center of the High Table and announced, " Students of Hogwarts. May I have your attention please?" Instantly, any students still talking stopped midsentance. "We will be welcoming some visitors from a school far from here at any time. After they arrive, I will explain their presence in more detail. Please enjoy your feast while we wait." At that, like always, the tables filled with food and drink and Ron dove in. Harry loved seeing the food appear out of thin air and thought for a moment of Dobby. I should go see him and say hello after this, he thought.

"That's curious. Wonder what McGonagall's talking about," Ron splurted with a chicken wing in each hand and more in his mouth.

"We'll soon find out...." Hermione trailed and pointed.

The doors to the Great Hall opened to reveal at least a dozen people, most of them the age of the students at school. Everyone was dressed in robes that were similar to the Hogwarts uniform, yet different as well. Two adults, a man and a woman, approached Headmistress McGonagall and a hush fell over the Hall. Every ear strained to overhear just one word the three exchanged. Every eye gaped and gazed at the rest of the visitors, examining every inch of them. All was quiet, and the visitors exhibited an eerie calm in the midst of the staring. They seemed not to notice that hundreds of pairs of eyes were on them.

"What's going on?" Colin Creevy asked his classmates as he hurriedly sat down and caught his breath, cramming film into his camera.

"Shhhh!" Hermione hissed.

Headmistress McGonagall continued. " Some of our students may have the chance to study a different kind of magical lifestyle for the duration of this school year. However, not everyone who simply wants to participate will be able to. Just like we must be tested for magic before entering Hogwarts, in order to attend the Acadamy, you must be tested to see if you possess the skills necessary to participate. Therefore, all those students who wish to be tested will please meet here in the Great Hall at 3 o'clock this afternoon. Thank you."

An excited buzz came over the hall as people whispered and gestured to each other. Then, everyone forgot about their food all at once and swarmed the newcomers like a colony of ants on a sugarcube.

"Who are they?" asked Harry to Hermione. Being the bookworm she was, he assumed she would spout off hours' worth of information about these strangely dressed people. But he was shocked when she answered, "I have no idea!"

Ron snorted. "Finally! Something she doesn't know! We were beginning to think You wrote Hogwarts: a History!"

Hermione flipped back her hair and retorted, "I suggest you find out the old fashioned way- go introduce yourselves!" and with that, she snatched her books and ambled off, not giving either boy a backwards glance.

Harry looked at Ron and he looked back.

"Care to do the honors, mate?" Ron asked sheepishly to Harry.

"I suppose. I guess I am used to people thinking I'm a nutter by now!" Harry noticed that the two adults were now seated at the High Table on either side of Headmistress McGonagall. I wonder what this is really all about, he thought to himself. He took one last swig of pumpkin juice and started towards one of the robed visitors, who were now all mingling with the other students in the hall. He stopped right behind a red-haired girl and was about to tap her lightly on the shoulder when she spun around to face him. As her mouth started to form a hello, she just stopped and stared at him. Harry was used to this look. He'd gotten it from almost everyone in the wizarding world since he first learned he was one of them. But there was something different in her look. It wasn't one of awe at meeting him, The Boy Who Lived; it was almost a scared recognition. She composed herself after a few seconds and finally found her voice.

"Hello! I was wondering if someone would introduce themselves or if I would have to wander these halls by myself today!" She seemed eager to break the awkward silence.

Harry admired her bravery, but was surprised by her reflexes. "How did you know I was coming?"

"I, uh, heard your footsteps."

Could be true, he thought, I do tend to stomp at times, but.. "Hang on, the hall is awfully noisy. You must have excellent hearing!"

"I guess." She held out her hand. "I'm Keiran, by the way. Keiran Skywalker. That's my mom and dad up there with one of your elders."

Harry took a good look at her. She had reddish brown hair that looked like a flickering flame, green eyes that were both piercing and warm and...her smile. She had a coy smile that was half a smile and half a laugh trying not to escape. He couldn't take his eyes off her. There was something about her eyes, the whole look of her face, that intrigued him. He noticed that she was looking intently at him as well.

"Can I introduce you to my Ron friend? I mean, my friend Ron?" He blushed.

Kieran giggled. "Yes that would be great!" She followed closely behind him as he led her to the Gryffindor table where Ron was chatting with Seamus and Neville.

"Guys, this is Kieran. Kieran, Ron, Neville and Seamus. We all room together."

"Hi!" the guys chorused.

"And when I find her, you'll have to meet Hermione." Harry gazed at her fixedly, not meaning to, but at the same time, wanting to. What was it that was so intriguing?

"Um, I should probably go talk to my parents, but I'm glad to have met you, and maybe I'll see you at the testing!" She turned and half ran toward the High Table to join the two adults. Harry looked closely and saw quite a resemblance in mother and daughter... same eyes, same hair, same smile that seemed to hide a secret.

"Sheesh, you'd think she was a Veela the way you were gawking at her!" Ron jabbed.

"I dunno. There's just something about her face that ... makes me want to.. keep looking..." Harry shook his head to clear away the image of the new girl.

"So," Hermione quizzed them when they got back in the Common Room, "What did you do while I was gone? Stare like buffoons, ask someone else, or," she let out an auditory gasp, "did you actually get up and talk to one of them?" She couldn't restrain a small chuckle.

" Oh, come on Hermione, whatdya think we did?"

Harry added, "I learned one of their names."

"Is that all? Well, that's better than I expected." She closed her book and circled around to them. "Anything else?"

Harry shrugged. "Just that her parents are the ones in charge, I think."

"Are either of you planning to go to this testing think?"

"I was curious about it," Harry interjected without thinking. Hermione gathered herself up.

"Well, while you two were down there, I came up to look through my books about anything matching the description of these people."

"Did you find anything?" Ron asked.

"No," Hermione said with a sound of defeat in her voice. "There's nothing in any of my books."

"Well, I guess the best thing to do would be to go to the testing. We may find out more there." Harry said.

"Fine, you go and tell us all about it afterwards." Ron said. It was decided.

At five minutes to three, Harry entered the Great Hall which, to his surprise, was mostly empty. The tables and benches were gone and the hall looked like it had been turned into a forest. Keiran and the rest of her classmates sat crosslegged at the front of the room, with the two adults in front of them, all eyes closed. At three exactly, the man stood and said, "Welcome all eager to learn. I am Luke Skywalker and this is my wife, Mara Jade. We are the teachers of the Jedi Acadamy located on Yavin 4. We have come to bring a few of you into our circle and hopefully some of our students can learn your ways. I have already selected the ones whom I think have the talents to learn our ways. But I need your names. Please come forward one at a time and tell me your name." Harry almost gasped when he saw who approached Luke first.

" M-my name is N-neville Longbottom." Luke and his students closed their eyes in what seemed like deep concentration, and then he spoke.

"You may go to the right side of the room." A half dozen more came up, including Luna Lovegood. She too, was sent to the right side, while everyone else went to the left.

Finally Harry came forward and said. "My name is Harry Potter." He wanted to add, and I'm famous.

Luke closed his eyes, gave a small smile and said, after a moment, "You may go to the right." Harry looked over at Keiran, but she had her eyes closed and didn't see him.

Luke stood and said, "Thank you to all that came. Those to the left, I hope you may be able to guide some of my students on their journey here. You may go. Those to the right, please stay." Harry saw Neville give a nervous swallow.

After everyone else exited the Hall, Luke stood and smiled at the small group to the left of him. "I'm sure you are wondering how I could tell if you were eligible for studying with us. In my years of training and teaching, I have used many different methods to determine which people had the Force with them. I now rely on inner aura. I concentrate on you and check the color of the glow around you. There is one other test that must be performed, and my daughter Keiran will do it. Don't be afraid." Luke motioned to Neville.

Keiran placed her hands on his temples and closed her eyes. Neville looked around with a confused look, then, suddenly, Keiran shot backwards a few feet. She smiled at her father, who commented, "Well, Neville, you have potential. Would you like to come to study with us?" Neville grinned and nodded. Harry had only seen him that happy a handful of times and knew he must be excited to be free of Snape for the rest of the school year. Luna slowly stepped up to Keiran, who put her fingers on the small girl's temples. Once again, she flew backwards and fell on the floor. Luna looked alarmed, but Luke reassured her and asked her the same question. Harry heard her answer yes, including some jabber about make-believe magical creatures she might discover there. Harry confidently strode over to Keiran, thinking to himself- if anyone had potential, it would be me. I'm the one with all the mysterious powers in the wizarding world, after all. Keiran touched him lightly on the sides of his head. He felt a weird feeling, like her fingers were inside his head, pushing lightly on different parts of his mind. He recalled his Occlumency lessons with Professor Snape and had the desire to block her.

Keiran glanced back at her father with a confused look. He won't let me, she thought to him. "You need to relax. She will not see any of your memories," Luke told him. Harry let down his barriers and felt the fingers reach the back of his mind and push. He opened his eyes and expected to see her fly across the room, but to his disappointment, she barely took a step back.

Luke came up to him." It's all right Harry. Not everyone has the Force with them, but they can be very good at magic. I kept you because your aura was so interesting in color. You must have had many trials in your life. That is one of the reasons for a colorful aura." "Yes, I have had a lot of trials," replied Harry almost sarcastically.

Luke looked at him with interest. "I understand. Well, I must see Minerva and let her know the students I have chosen to come with us. My students will be tested for magical ability by Severus and Minerva. Neville, Luna, I will be in touch." He left the Great Hall in almost a blur.

As Harry and Neville entered the Gryffindor Common Room, Neville couldn't help telling everyone about the test and what happened. Harry sat down next to Hermione and Ron, not really listening to what anyone was saying.

"Okay Harry? Harry? Hello Harry!" Ron tapped him and he came out of his thoughts. "What were you thinking about just now?"

"Nothing really." Except her face and the strange feeling of her fingers in my mind. He wouldn't tell them that. He was a bit let down that with all his magical abilities, he didn't have the right skills to learn this new line of magic. He also hoped that she would test for magical skills. She might make it in, and then he could get to know her better. He felt, in a strange way, that the two of them were connected by something greater than magic.

Those eyes....... Where have I seen those eyes?