The Awakening of a Magus

The Awakening of a Magus
Chapter 23 - Fri, Jul 28 - Day 8 and Sat, Jul 29 - Day 9
Draco and Wormtail ... Now What?

Harry, McGonagall, Snape and Dumbledore were comfortably seated around the fire in the meeting room. The rest of the circle, both adults and youth, were settled in wherever they were, prepared to hear Harry and Snape's report. Those who weren't directly linked with the entire circle would hear things relayed through Harry.

Arthur Weasley spoke up. /* Before we get started, there's something I think you should know about, Harry. It happened a week ago, but I just found out today, accidentally at that. */ He paused, knowing it would probably affect the young Magus. /* Harry, Matilda Crandall is dead. She was ... */

/* I remember who she was, */ Harry sent back, sharply. His memories of that triple attack, of finding that the person who had cast a Cruciatus spell at him had been a woman. /* How? Was she executed or something? */

Arthur answered, his own mindvoice angry. /* Yes, but not by the Ministry. She was resting in a medical detention area. It was late last Friday night. The orderly heard her scream. By the time he got to her, he said she was glowing green and her Dark Mark was a shining black. The scream cut off, and she breathed her last. He reported that she appeared shrunken, smaller than before. I believe it was the same thing you saved Severus from. */

Snape was staring into the fire. He whispered, "So, what he got from me that night wasn't enough. Crandall was a foolish woman. I believe she joined the Death Eaters because she was infatuated with Lucius."

He heard Erasmus send, /* That explains it. I didn't think she was the type to follow Voldemort because of what he represented. But, yes, she would have done something that stupid if her emotions were involved. */

Arthur then put in, /* I've made sure that such information won't slip away again. We made a lot of progress this week, all three of us, to ensure that anything involved with the Death Eaters and Voldemort comes through my office. Sylvia even got the other Aurors to agree. */

After a few more minutes of discussion, they came back to the purpose of the meeting. /* Well, there are two main issues. First, Draco. */ Harry began. /* There were several things he *could* have reported and didn't. It *could* be strategy, but it could also be that he's rethinking his orders a bit. */

Snape took over the report. /* The most interesting part of the conversation, however, was about Draco himself. It appears that young Malfoy is a rather gifted Scanner. */ There was a babble of mindvoices muttering at this news. /* He is at least able to perceive power levels with physical contact, and though he didn't seem to realize it was anything unique, has apparently been able to sense such things since before coming to Hogwarts. */

Sylvia's surprise and eagerness was apparent. /* A Scanner, at his age? And manifesting before he was 11? He must have a great deal of potential. The Aurors would *love* someone like that. */ Then she thought a moment. /* So would Voldemort. And now he'll know ... if he believes the report. */

/* That may explain something that happened earlier today. */ Harry said thoughtfully. /* When I, that is Darius, was helping Draco practice apparition, we went to the Malfoy weekend place. Since I didn't have a fix on the place, Draco took me along, though I supplied the energy. While we were in contact, I felt that he sensed my powers, which I wasn't deliberately showing this time, and it almost seemed he was reaching toward me. I increased my shields before he noticed who I really was. I had forgotten until now. */

/* Apparently he hasn't reached the point where he can sense things without physical contact, or he would have noticed the change in me, */ Snape observed, /* though it may just be a matter of time. For his own sake, as well as our security, he may need to be blocked until he can be trained. */

Dumbledore had been considering the matter, since he had monitored the original meeting. /* Severus, it will probably be best if you took care of this. Draco trusts you more than anyone else, except possibly Darius. */ Dumbledore smiled. /* And it would be too risky for *him* to maintain that much contact with Draco just yet. You know what to do. */ It wasn't a question. Snape nodded.

After a bit more discussion, Harry finally got the nerve up to tell everyone the other piece of news, knowing there would be an uproar. /* The other matter we need to discuss is the Death Eater that came to take Draco's report. It was Wormtail. */

The rat in question was standing near Voldemort as his master summoned Lucius Malfoy. The Dark Lord was displeased with both Pettigrew and Malfoy. He was irritated that Wormtail had failed to follow up on the meaning of restricted-time, but he was absolutely furious at discovering that Severus Snape was still alive. Add to that the surprise at discovering that the Malfoy child might be a Scanner, and that he hadn't been told, made him question whether the boy's father was hiding things.

Malfoy appeared before him, bowing his head in respect. "My lord, how may I serve?" He seemed tired and surprised at being summoned.

"Why didn't you tell me Snape lives?" the Dark Lord hissed in anger.

Lucius was in shock. He had been present when Voldemort executed both Snape and Matilda that night. He couldn't conceive of anyone surviving that spell, any more than someone could survive the Killing Curse ... but then one had survived ... Potter. "My lord, I had no idea, or I would have informed you at once. May I know how ..."

"Your son, Lucius. Your son has been getting his training from Severus Snape all week, every morning, and you didn't know?" Voldemort's voice was raised in sarcastic query.

Lucius trembled at his Dark Lord's displeasure. "I spoke with Draco earlier today. He said nothing of who was conducting his training. I confess, I did not think to ask."

"Did. Not. Think! Exactly, Lucius. You did not think. I would have expected you to get all the information you could from your son so that we could confirm if he was hiding anything." Voldemort was pacing angrily. Wormtail shuffled as far out of sight as he dared to avoid becoming a target, though he felt a thrill of satisfaction at seeing Malfoy in trouble.

"Another matter you did not think to tell me of ... you did not tell me that your son was a Scanner." Voldemort stopped his pacing and glared at his shaking follower.

Lucius was again in shock. "A Scanner? He has never told me of having such a talent. Did he claim to be a Scanner?"

"Wormtail." Voldemort commanded the small man to report the conversation.

In a shaky voice, Wormtail told Malfoy, "The boy claimed to have sensed, I believe his words were, 'an unbelievable amount of contained power' from contact with the Magus. He said he had a basis of comparison. He said he knew how strong your powers were, and Dumbledore's as well." Wormtail's face twisted into an evil smile. "He said Dumbledore was much stronger than you."

Voldemort glared at Malfoy. "He also said he has sensed such things since before coming to Hogwarts. And you claim you did not know? You are becoming a disappointment to me, Lucius. First you lose your control of the Minister, and now these ... oversights. I warn you, Lucius, I will not tolerate much more. I expected much from you, you have been one of my favorites. Do not make me regret. Begone!"

As Malfoy bowed, and prepared to apparate home, his Dark Lord said. "Wait. Before you go ..." His inhuman face broke into an evil grin as he raised his wand. "Crucio!"

Harry got the uproar he expected, from everyone but the three professors who already knew. Sirius was yelling something about Snape probably interfering, Remus was trying to calm Sirius down, Ron lost his control of his mindspeech gift and was positively screaming mentally at Harry, Hermione was trying to calm Ron down. Everyone was excited, angry, questioning. Finally, Harry couldn't take any more, gathered his powers for a calming spell, and as he projected, yelled, /* Enough! */

Blessed silence! Harry took a deep breath. /* As I said at the time we discovered it was Wormtail, if it had been any other Death Eater, we would not have interfered with the meeting. We couldn't now, not with Voldemort probably observing through him. *Severus* came up with the solution. */ He aimed this particularly at Sirius. /* Albus and Minerva showed me the old Order Sodalis structure, and I placed a beacon there, where Voldemort shouldn't find it. He never learned about the Order as far as we know. I can find Wormtail in a day or two and bring him in, and it *shouldn't* put Draco in danger. */ He sent a private message to Sirius. /* It's almost over, Padfoot. */

McGonagall contributed, /* I believe the Minister is planning another press conference on Monday morning. Perhaps that would be an auspicious time to deliver Mr. Pettigrew. */ She had the kind of almost-evil smile that you never expected to see on her face, but Minerva felt Wormtail had a great deal to answer for, and such timing would also deliver a blow to the Ministry's number one idiot.

Ron summed up everyone's reaction to that suggestion with, /* Wicked! */

(-Sat, Jul 29 - Day 9-)

Draco hadn't slept well. He was pacing in the Slytherin commons, waiting for 6 am when the security spells wore off for the night. He just had to find out about what a Scanner was. The way the Death Eater dismissed the possibility, it sounded like something special. But he hadn't really heard of a person being called a Scanner. "Just another of those things Father doesn't bother to tell me. I shouldn't have to be here to learn some of these advanced spells. Why won't he teach me these things?" Draco was beginning to see everything differently, and it was upsetting his whole world view.

There were only two people he could possibly approach about this ... Professor Snape or Darius. And Darius still frightened him, was too new to trust. It would have to be Snape. He was an early riser. Maybe Draco could catch him before he headed off to do ... whatever he did on weekends.

As soon as the grandfather clock in the commons struck 6, Draco was out through the portrait, heading for Snape's office. He nearly collided with the Professor, who had just turned a corner, heading for the Slytherin Dungeon. "Oh, s-sorry sir," Draco stammered, something Snape had never witnessed before. "I need to talk to you, if you have some time ... please," Draco ended on a whisper.

Snape looked carefully at Draco Malfoy, and saw a confused and frightened young man. He said, "Follow me," turned, and headed for his office.

He gestured Draco to a seat in front of his desk, muttered a silencing spell for privacy, then sat down and quietly said, "Tell me."

Now that he had someone to listen, he wasn't sure where to begin. Finally, he asked, "Professor, what's a Scanner?"

Snape sat there, grateful that Draco had approached him, rather than needing to find a way to approach Draco. "A Scanner. Well, that term is used for a wide range of talents. In summary, a Scanner can sense magic, usually when in contact with it. The gift may be slight, such as touching an object and knowing it is enchanted. A moderate gift would allow the Scanner to get a sense of a wizard's power levels through an extended physical contact, if the wizard wasn't shielding. The rarest gift is the strongest, and such a Scanner can, even without physical contact, perceive and evaluate not only the strength of a wizard's powers, but what talents and gifts he possesses, even potentials. There are many other variations besides those. Any Scanner is rare, and usually doesn't manifest his ... or her talent until adulthood ... 18 to 22 years of age or so. Occasionally, a Scanner will begin to manifest earlier in life. Those tend to have the strongest gifts." Snape paused. "Any particular reason for this sudden interest?"

Draco had been listening in a daze. He'd been feeling such things for years, and had assumed it was fairly common. His father hated physical contact with others, and he assumed it was for the same reason. Now, he wasn't so sure. "Professor, I might be a Scanner, but I never realized ..."

"Tell me what evidence you have, Mr. Malfoy." Snape decided that a classroom relationship might actually put Draco more at ease.

"Well, the most recent times were with the Magus," Draco began. "Twice, I could feel how powerful he was, just from touching his hand. First, when we met, and second when we were practicing apparition. The second time, it almost seemed I could sense something in his mind, too, until he noticed and put more shields up. I didn't try to snoop or anything ... it just happened."

"Any other times? Any times when you didn't have some physical contact?" Snape asked quietly.

"I've read my father several times, and Professor Dumbledore once. A few of the Slytherins, like Crabbe and Goyle and Flint." Then Draco remembered the confrontation with Hermione. "And once, earlier this week, I think I sensed Granger, but there was no contact. I just was sure that if we got into a serious fight, that I'd have my hands full, that her magic is as strong as mine ... at least," he admitted wryly.

Snape had thought about what he would do and had made his decision. "All right, Draco ... a test." And Severus stood up, went around his desk to lean against the front of it near Draco's chair, and held out his hand. "Tell me about my magic," he instructed his student.

Draco looked down sheepishly. "Well, I already know that your magic is ... well ... average. Oh, you're very skilled but the strength of the spells is just ... average." He looked up to see Snape still holding his hand out, with a strange smile.

"I want you to do a Scan now, if you please, Mr. Malfoy." Snape was insistent.

Draco reached out to take Snape's hand, then flinched, trying to pull his hand loose. Snape grabbed his hand, forcing a full reading. When Draco's eyes met his, begging silently, Snape released the young man's hand. Draco was stuttering. "It's not possible ... it's so ... it's like Dumbledore!" He couldn't believe that Snape's powers could be so strong, when they hadn't been very remarkable before.

Snape leaned back against his desk again, crossing his arms. "Yes, I'd say you are definitely a Scanner. This change in me is ... a recent development. There is no way you could have known unless you sensed it with Scanner ability. And you say you have sensed Miss Granger without contact. You will need training very soon, or you will be overwhelmed with sensing all the magic about you. How long have you noticed this ability to sense magic?"

Draco tried to think back. "Before Hogwarts, certainly. I may have been 8 or 9 ... now I remember. I was 8, because Father and Mother were extremely busy with Ministry business that year. I hardly ever saw them. When I did, it was at some social affair at which I had to be the 'perfect son'. I hated having to meet people. I didn't like what I sensed when I had to shake hands with them. It was mostly just ... a foreign feeling. I've avoided contact with people ever since, except a few times that I did it deliberately." Draco looked at Snape, "Can I ask you how ..."

Snape quietly interrupted. "I can't tell you, Draco. It's highly secret, and I hope you will honor that and not speak of it to anyone, even here at Hogwarts. But I will have to ask you to trust me, Draco." He looked directly into Draco's pale gray eyes, then continued. "You need to have special shielding to block your gift until you can control it. This would not need to remain in place for very long. Only until we identify someone to teach you how to shield yourself. This will probably be Darius, but both of you will need to decide to trust each other completely. It will require close mental contact. In the meantime, I propose to establish your shielding now. I know what to do, and it will not require the close contact you will need to have with your trainer. Well?"

Snape, a failed Death Eater who survived because of Darius. Snape, who probably is working with Dumbledore now, if he wasn't all along. A very powerful Snape, who planned to invade his mind and put up barriers to block a sense he'd known almost half his life. Professor Snape, a man he somehow trusted more than his own family. Draco quietly said, "Tell me what to do, sir."

Draco was told to sit quietly, breathe steadily, and try not to fight the sensations he would soon feel. Snape raised his wand, muttering beneath his breath, carefully drawing an invisible structure around Draco. He finished with a motion that circled Draco's head counterclockwise, then the tip of his wand touched Draco exactly between his eyebrows. His eyes closed without his knowledge, and he began to feel as though he had a head cold, his sinuses filled with cotton, his ears muffled, and a sort of indescribable ... emptiness. When he opened his eyes, he reached out to touch Snape's hand ... nothing but a faint tingle. He whispered, in a slightly strangled voice, looking into Snape's eyes, "It worked."

Snape sighed, as he released the privacy spell on the office. "Shall we go find some breakfast, Draco?"

Chapter 24 - Sat, Jul 29 - Day 9
Mind Games

Harry had awakened at dawn and decided to do some reading. After apparating down to the library for some references on rare talents, including Scanning, he had made himself comfortable and engaged in some 'light' reading. He thought to himself that he and Ron had always teased Hermione for just such an activity, and smiled. After awhile, he heard Dumbledore moving around in his office and sent a quick, /* Good morning, Albus ! */ to the headmaster.

Dumbledore tapped on Harry's door and walked in without waiting for an answer, sensing that Harry was wide awake. "Studying? Early on a Saturday morning?" he teased the Magus, who just shrugged and grinned back at him. "Remus and Sirius will be here soon. It occurred to me that this may be a good time to try those 'mind games', as you called them."

"You mean arranging so Draco sees both of me at the same time?" Harry closed his book, and looked up, interested. "What did you have in mind?"

Dumbledore answered, "I was thinking of Polyserum. No, not Polyjuice potion, but a vastly improved variant that Severus has been developing over the past three years. He perfected it a few months ago. It is harder to make, but has much better results. Draco has seen Remus, but not Sirius ... except as Padfoot."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in amusement as they often did, as he continued. "I propose we convince Sirius to morph into either ordinary-Harry or Darius, while you take the other shape. Just for a few hours. The new Polyserum lasts for about three hours, and has a much less foul taste than the classic Polyjuice. And the results are more accurate. For instance, the voice changes as well as the outward appearance, though, of course, since magic isn't really a physical characteristic, Sirius wouldn't develop your Magus powers. Severus told me he had a stock of prepared Polyserum, since it takes over two months to brew properly."

Harry immediately agreed. "If we can talk Sirius into the change, that would be great. I think I should be Darius, and Sirius should be ordinary-Harry. Professor Snape has already been talking to Draco this morning and blocked his Scanning ability, but it would probably be safer this way, just in case he can still pick something up." Harry sighed. "That's if we can talk Sirius into it."

A voice came from behind Dumbledore. "Talk Sirius into what?" Harry's godfather and Remus Lupin had just apparated to Dumbledore's office.

"Well, you could call it a prank." Harry tried to appeal to the Marauder that still lived within Sirius Black. "Remember what I said before about 'mind games'? Bwahaha!" Harry laughed in a fake-evil manner, rubbing his hands together.

Both Sirius and Remus smiled. "I'm listening. Come out here to the office. There isn't enough room in there for all of us." Harry followed them back into the office, settling in the corner of the couch, which had become his favorite spot during small meetings.

Dumbledore took over the persuasion. "We want you to agree to pretend to be Harry, in his ordinary-Harry form, while he takes his Darius form. Then you would join us all for breakfast so that Draco is shown that Harry and Darius are two different people."

"What's the catch?" Sirius, in self-defense, had honed his suspicious nature to a keen edge over the past years. "There's something you're not telling me ... hmm. ... wait, you're not suggesting ..." Black's face scrunched up in disgust. "... Polyjuice potion, are you?"

"Would I ask you to take Polyjuice?" Harry placed his hand on his heart in mock shock. "Well, actually, you're close. Polyserum isn't bad at all, from what I hear." Harry tried to look innocent, but he looked just like his father, James would have in the same circumstances. Both Sirius and Remus knew that look.

"Polyserum. Never heard of it." Sirius wasn't giving an inch. Dumbledore had trouble holding back his laughter. He watched Harry with a look that said ... you're the Magus ... carry on.

"It's been developed recently after almost three years of research. The school has some of the prepared potion on hand. It lasts about three hours, tastes better, and works better." Harry was trying to avoid mentioning it was Snape's pet project, knowing how Sirius felt about Severus. Then Harry brought out the 'heavy artillery' ... puppy-dog-eyes ... blinking slowly. "Please?"

That was too much for both Dumbledore and Lupin. They were laughing so hard, their sides hurt. Sirius began sputtering, and joined them after choking for several moments. "I give up. You're even better than James was. This stuff better not taste as bad as Polyjuice, or you'll find out what Marauder's Revenge is like."

Before Sirius could change his mind, Harry mindcalled Snape, telling him what they planned, and asking where Snape kept his Polyserum. Severus grudgingly agreed, (grudgingly since it was Sirius Black) and showed him where the Polyserum was kept, telling Harry how it was to be used. Harry quickly apparated to Snape's office, collected a vial of Polyserum, then returned to the office, in his slow-shifting student form. He pulled two short hairs from the front of his head to put in the vial, where they dissolved. The pearly fluid changed to a dark color, much like purple grape juice. Harry handed the vial to Sirius.

"Three hours, you said? Well, maybe after we've made the point, you might be able to neutralize it earlier. Nothing personal. I just don't like the idea of being anyone but myself, human or dog. Slainte!" And Sirius tipped the vial of potion down his throat like a shot of whiskey.

He just stood there a moment, then realizing that the potion actually didn't taste bad at all, smiled. Then he gasped as the morphing effect began. Sirius was taller and broader than Harry, at least than the ordinary-Harry form, so there was a sense of being compacted. Then, the surprising part, he began to feel a deep change within his body. He was feeling ... stronger. Much stronger. He would have expected to have less physical strength, since this Harry was still an average sized teenager. Then he remembered the physical enhancements caused by Harry's Wild Magic. "We have an interesting side effect here." Sirius said quietly.

Draco and Snape were having breakfast alone. The meal began quietly, then Draco began asking the professor about some of the spell work they had covered during the week, and other advanced spells he had been curious about. They talked for some time, eating slowly. When the food was finished, and they were still nursing refills of their beverages, an eagle owl flew into the room, landing beside Draco.

"Blast!" Draco muttered under his breath. When Snape looked at him, he clarified. "This is Mordred, father's owl." He opened the message and read it, closed his eyes a moment to compose himself, then in his best off-hand manner said, "Father wants me to meet him at home at 10 this morning. I'll be spending the day with the family. I'm to apparate there." Draco wasn't happy about this. He assumed it was related to the report he had made the previous night, or possibly the sparseness of the report. And he found that, even though he had expected to be bored on the weekends, he preferred Hogwarts to home right now. At least for the moment, here he was Draco, not Lucius Malfoy's son. "Go home, Mordred. I have the message and I'll be there," Draco ordered sharply.

He finished off his glass of pumpkin juice, then stood up, wandering over to the fireplace. He stood there, staring at it. Snape was intrigued to learn that Draco was one of those wizards who seemed to do his best thinking by losing himself in a fire. Something that Harry and Snape himself also had a habit of doing. It was almost as though the thought of Harry acted as a summons. /* Severus? May we have some of your Polyserum? */ Harry's mindvoice asked. After a short conversation, Snape's focus returned to the room, where he noticed Draco looking at him.

"Darius need something?" Draco asked.

Snape was surprised at Draco's perception, though he made a note to himself to check with the others at how obvious he was while mindspeaking. He saw no harm in answering. "He needed a potion I had prepared." And he left it at that.

"So," Draco surmised aloud, "either you are part of the Magus circle, or Darius is a full mindspeaker ... or both." Draco looked at Snape thoughtfully, not expecting him to answer.

Snape, for his part, had seen a great deal of progress in Draco, not just in the classroom, but as a person. He decided to tell the truth. Neither piece of information would be particularly dangerous for Lucius or even Voldemort to know. "Was I that obvious? The answer, by the way is both," Snape affirmed quietly.

Draco was stunned that the Potions Master would be so candid with him, though he hid it fairly well. "Probably the other students wouldn't have noticed, but I've seen that slightly vague look in your eyes a couple times. I've been reading the headmaster's book during the restricted times this week, so I knew about the Magus circle mindspeech links."

"I thought that book was in the restricted section." Snape was puzzled.

Draco became slightly defensive. "The book was left on a table in the back of the general reference area. When it was in exactly the same place the next day, I assumed whoever had left it wasn't coming back for it, so I took it back to my room."

Snape smiled slightly. Apparently Darius or Albus had decided to let Draco find out more about the Magi, to see just how much he would communicate to others. Considering that Lucius could probably get a copy if he wanted to, it wasn't that big of an issue. But it was very interesting. There was a great deal of information in that book ... and from what Harry and Snape had witnessed, he didn't offer a scrap of that information to his Death Eater contact. "In that case, someone must have decided to allow it. However, I expect you know not to remove the book from the premises. It must stay within the school." Draco nodded in agreement, grateful he could keep the book for now.

"What do you mean by 'side effect', Sirius? What is wrong?" Dumbledore asked urgently, since the Polyserum was his suggestion.

"Oh, nothing is wrong, just ... unexpected. Harry, I didn't realize you were this strong now." Sirius/Harry smiled at the real Harry.

Suddenly the rest of them realized what had happened. "The physical enhancements were duplicated as well?" Dumbledore whispered, shocked. "The Polyserum must be much more effective than I realized."

"Did you get it all, or just part of it?" Harry asked.

Remus interjected, "Well, suppose we find out?" As the others looked at him, he continued. "A little arm wrestling, maybe? You know, as a werewolf, I'm ... shall we say ... a bit stronger than normal. Sirius hasn't once been able to beat me." Remus gave Sirius a wicked grin, which was returned in kind.

They cleared and moved a small table from the corner of the office that was about the right size. The two long-time friends faced off across the table. Dumbledore took the role of referee. "I suggest you both start slowly, since we aren't sure what we're dealing with here."

Sirius answered, "If you insist. You take all the fun outta life, Albus." Sirius was looking forward to this. As they gripped hands, and Dumbledore counted down, he focused on the exercise. "Go."

He felt Remus pushing slowly, but his arm didn't budge. Then more effort. Still nothing. Remus' arm began to tremble slightly, as the werewolf concentrated, biting his lower lip in frustration. Finally, Sirius began pushing in earnest and the other man's arm went slowly but surely down to the table. "Well," Sirius said with pleasure, "that at least answers the question of whether at least part of Harry's physical changes were replicated by the potion."

Remus looked ruefully at Sirius. "Well, see how you do against the real thing, then," he said, as he rubbed out a cramp in his arm.

Harry took Lupin's place at the table. Sirius looked at the sly smile on Harry's face. "No magical help, Harry." Harry just nodded and set his arm in position to begin. Sirius took hold of Harry's hand, Dumbledore counted down again, and at 'Go', Sirius began pushing. This time, his opponent's arm didn't move. He pushed harder. "Are you sure?" he grunted.

Dumbledore confirmed. "No magic at work here, Sirius. Sorry, you apparently have only part of it. Suppose you finish the exercise, Harry."

Harry nodded slightly, then began pushing, carefully, so Sirius wouldn't be hurt. The morphed Sirius was much stronger than normal, but the potion only replicated part of the enhancements. He easily put his godfather's arm to the table.

Dumbledore observed, "We definitely need to quantify your physical abilities better, Harry. But, that will have to wait. I believe you have two people waiting at the Burrow to join us for breakfast before you go off to Hogsmeade."

Harry shifted to Darius, then looked at Sirius/Harry. "Do you want to go along? We can also do the 'mind games' on the other Weasleys while the potion is in effect."

"Lead on, Darius," Sirius/Harry said in Harry's voice.

"Just remember you're Harry Potter, not Sirius Black," his godson smiled.

Ron and Hermione were getting impatient. They were just about to call Harry, when they heard his mindvoice. /* Are you two ready? We'll be right there. */ They both replied that they were ready, though they weren't sure who 'we' included.

They were shocked to see both Darius and Harry standing before them, in the open space near the fireplace. Hermione just stared. Ron looked back and forth between them, then sent /* Bloody Hell, Harry, what's going on? Which is who? */

Harry quickly replied to both of them and Arthur and Molly, /* I'm Darius, Sirius is me. */ Then said aloud, "Good Morning, all! Are you ready to go? "

The rest of the Weasleys, in various levels of sleepiness, muttered greetings to Darius and Harry, not realizing anything strange was going on. Ron just said, "Let's go. I'm starving!"

Draco looked up from the fire to see Darius appear with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He sighed and began to go back to his room to read the Magi reference, when he realized they were talking to him.

"Morning, Draco," Hermione said quietly but clearly.

"Hello, Draco! Have you eaten yet?" Darius called over to him. Draco nodded, and began to leave the room. "Well, how about one more pumpkin juice? Or maybe something else? Muggles like orange, grapefruit, apple, cranberry, grape, and all sorts of combinations of the above."

In spite of himself, Draco was curious. "Pick one ... well, pick one that you or Granger or Potter would be willing to drink."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Clever, Draco! I might have suggested lemon or pickle juice otherwise." At this, Draco gave her a dirty look, which for some reason, just made her laugh more. "How about this? Whatever Darius makes up for you, he, Harry, and I will all drink the same. Promise."

Darius decided on orange juice. As soon as the four glasses appeared, Draco picked his glass up, looked around the table, then traded his glass with Harry's. Harry then glared at Darius as if to say ... this better be good ... then took a sip and smiled. Everyone at the table laughed at that, and again at the pleased look on Draco's face when he tasted his own juice.

Draco decided to stay a bit, while the others ate. They were talking about what they planned to do in Hogsmeade that morning. After Hogsmeade, they planned a picnic lunch by the lake after going swimming for awhile. Draco was thinking that they would have far more fun than he would that day.

Hermione kept stealing glances at Draco, wondering what was on his mind. She had decided that she would be nice to him, whether he liked it or not. It was her duty to uphold the truce they had decided on to try to change his mind about the Dark Lord. Finally, Hermione took a deep breath and said, "Draco, why don't you come along?"

All conversation at the table stopped suddenly. Both teens and adults were shocked at the offer, though none more than Hermione herself and Draco. She looked at Darius, then Harry (remembering to play along with the game). "Right?" she said weakly to Ron and 'Harry'.

Draco looked at Hermione, then at the other two teens, who seemed to be agreeing; reluctantly but agreeing nonetheless. "Thanks, Granger" he said softly. Then more clearly, "I'm expected at home at 10, so I suppose not."

Hermione was not one to give up. "Then come along until you have to leave. You can apparate from Hogsmeade as easily as from the gathering point." She looked at the Slytherin stubbornly.

Draco couldn't help it. He started laughing. "Why not? Let's see if we can walk in to Hogsmeade without any of us killing each other."

Surprisingly, the four teens (Harry was really Harry now, instead of Darius, after quickly changing places with Sirius when Draco wasn't looking) enjoyed the time together in Hogsmeade. There was a tense moment when they came across a small group of people that Draco recognized as friends of his father. Draco just put on the Malfoy sneer, glanced up at the sky and sighed, his manner saying ... the things I do for the cause! Ron looked at Harry and Hermione in surprise, and sent /* I *heard* him. He's putting on an act for those blokes. */ Harry confirmed Ron's observation.

Then Hermione sent, before Draco's attention returned to them, /* Ron! Does this mean you're starting to hear non-speakers now as well as send to them? */ Ron shrugged, then glanced pointedly at Draco, who was catching up to them.

"It's time for me to leave. I ... well ... I suppose I'll see you later." Draco couldn't quite bring himself to thank them, but he thought they understood. He wondered to himself ... what was happening to him. These were Gryffindors! This was Potter and Weasley and the mudblood Granger. Well, he'd just have to store it away to be analyzed some other time. He nodded sharply, closed his eyes to focus his visualization, and apparated to his father's study.

(continued)