The Awakening of a Magus

the-dreamer

Story Summary:
In the summer after the Triwizard Tournament, Harry suddenly awakens to new powers and a new look. However, the powers of a Magus aren't so easy to control, and they don't make life easy. Voldemort is much more powerful than ever. Some new characters come into the picture, some old characters will not survive, and other old characters will learn a new outlook. No slash, O/C but no Mary-Sue, light R/Hr ship, possible other light ships, lite Harry/Tonks

Chapter 39

Chapter Summary:
In the summer after the Triwizard Tournament, Harry suddenly awakens to new powers and a new look. However, the powers of a Magus aren't so easy to control, and they don't make life easy. Voldemort is much more powerful than ever. Some new characters come into the picture, some old characters will not survive, and other old characters will learn a new outlook. No slash, O/C but no Mary-Sue, light R/Hr ship, possible other light ships. - This file: Chapter 39: ‘Passing the Test’
Posted:
10/20/2003
Hits:
4,362
Author's Note:
Author Notes, Some Answers to Reviewer Questions, Credits and Local Canon (spells and characters of the 'Harry Magus' universe added to the 'Harry Potter' universe) can be found on website helena.whitaker.name . (warning ... local spoilers on website.)

The Awakening of a Magus
Chapter 39 - Sat, Aug 5 - Day 16
Passing the Test

She had never faced such opponents. They were wearing her down slowly, but she fought on, maintaining her focus in spite of everything. She felt strange ... almost emotionless ... block ... kick ... spin ... thrust ... jump ... dodge ... her reflexes were everything, since there was no time to really think. As she managed to trip up the woman, the man connected solidly, staggering her. Stumbling, falling onto her back, she rolled a bit to the side, thrusting her leg up and out, just barely clipping the man. Before she could catch her breath and continue, he and the woman stepped back out of reach, bowed slightly with a smile, and began a slow applause.

Rachel realized her black-belt exam was finally over and relaxed. For a moment, she just lay there, panting, as the exertion caught up with her. As Amelia reached out a hand to help her niece up, Rachel looked at the hand, then at her aunt's face, and with a suspicious smirk, stood up on her own.

"Smart girl!" Mike Storm laughed. "Never let down your guard." Then his expression softened and became a bit serious. "Evan and Anna would have been very proud of you. You're a true Dragonrider."

Both Rachel and Amelia looked at the instructor in shock. Then Amelia said softly, "So you do remember. I thought ..."

Storm shook his head. "No, Amy, Evan never went through with Obliviating me. He gave me a choice: I could forget about the Wizarding World ... and how I felt about him marrying Anna, or I could keep all the memories, but pretend I was an ignorant Mundane." Mike looked over at Rachel. "Even though your Dad ended up with the woman I loved, I didn't want to forget the friendships and the magic. And I didn't quite keep my end of the bargain," he smiled. "I've sometimes visited out-of-town Wizarding hangouts to keep up on the news and such. If it comes up that I can't do magic, I claim I'm a squib. So ... I know something about why you two are going to Hogwarts ... he is back ... the one responsible for the deaths of Evan and Anna Ryder ... Dragonrider, and Jacob Crafter ... the best friends I ever knew aside from you two. I didn't want to take the chance you weren't going to make it back without knowing the truth."

"You knew Mom and Dad ... you were in love with Mom?" Rachel looked at her teacher with a whole new perspective. "I was barely a year old when they all died. I've heard some stories from Aunt Amelia, but," she looked at her aunt, "she never told me you were part of it all."

"I couldn't, Rach," Amelia told her sadly, glancing at Storm. "I believed he didn't know about that any more, and I couldn't risk it."

"How about this?" Storm offered with a grin. "We all change out of uniform and you both come over to my place for a farewell barbeque. I'll tell you about some of the dumb things your Dad and I did trying to win your Mom's attention, and you can tell me what you plan to do with your Instructor's certification."

Rachel looked at her Tae-Kwon-Do master in shock ... she knew she was trying for her black belt, but never expected full instructor certification. "Uh ..." she uttered, in a daze. Then, she stared at the belt that he held, already marked with second degree and instructor's insignia.

"I knew you had it in you. Didn't you realize I was testing you on higher level material than first degree? Both your aunt and your Dad had a great deal of talent in martial arts. You're already better than they were at your age." Then he bowed slightly, stepped forward, removed her red belt and replaced it with the black. She suddenly realized it wasn't a new belt. "This was your father's belt, Rachel. Wear it honorably, Lady Dragonrider."


(-a/n: fluff warning-)

As expected, Charlie insisted that the first thing Harry should demonstrate was his dragon form. Everyone had their own requests for animagus forms, shapeshifting, a dueling exhibition where Harry held off several Weasleys at one time without a wand, and various advanced magical procedures. Even though they had eaten recently, and the forest was relatively cool, they decided on an impromptu light picnic. Harry refused to let Molly do the slightest work, and conjured everything himself. It was a lovely afternoon, and people drifted in and out of small groups, talking, laughing, happily arguing ... being a family.

During the picnic, Harry heard from Dumbledore about Draco's testing session, and reluctantly agreed to shield Draco from the circle, only on the condition that Snape was there to watch out for him, along with Dumbledore. As he set up the shielding, Draco avoided talking to him, saying he was trying to prepare for the testing. Harry was a bit uncertain, but let it go at that.

Hermione had cornered Ginny to ask about 'the kiss'. Both girls were giggling about it. Then Hermione commented, "I wish your brother wasn't such a coward." Before Ginny could defend her sibling, Hermione elaborated. "That boy just can't get the hint ... short of grabbing him and doing it myself, I'm going to wait a long time for him to kiss me."

"Hmm. I don't think I can argue with that. Unless ... maybe ..." Ginny's voice lowered as she explained her idea. Her friend choked back laughter and got a positively wicked gleam in her eye. They both looked around for Ron and found him on the other side of the clearing, talking with Harry. After a telling glance at each other, the girls nodded and headed over to where the boys were.

"Harry!" Hermione said sharply. "I thought we were friends." This, of course, got their attention, as well as glances from the rest of the family scattered around the clearing. After a significant pause, she continued. "I'm jealous. Ginny knows what it's like to kiss a Magus, but I don't." Her eyes were twinkling. She and Ginny both kept up mind shields from Ron, but when Harry mentally asked what-the-*** was going on, they let him in on the plan.

Harry, struggling to keep a straight face, sent, /* Are you sure about this? Ron is -not- going to be a happy camper. */, then answered nonchalantly, "I don't have a problem with that. Ron, do you have a problem with that?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "What exactly did you have in mind, 'Mione?"

She stepped forward, looked him in the eye, grinned, and said, "Hit me with your best shot!"

Harry's eyes shifted ... became more intense, like liquid green fire, his seductive instincts coming to the surface. She could feel a sense of his power and charisma and wondered if she would be getting more than she bargained for. It's in a good cause, she reminded herself, trying her best to ignore Ron's mental outrage. She realized that Harry really was the most gorgeous guy she had ever known, and she began to melt into his arms as he lowered his head to give her a long, delicious kiss that she felt in every cell of her body. She stared into his eyes for a long moment after he pulled back, then heard Ron turn and begin to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going, Ron Weasley?" Hermione reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him back. He looked at her in confusion. His expression said starkly that he felt he had already lost her.

Harry leaned against a tree and said, "Hey 'Mione. I think the line you're looking for is ..."

"Kiss me, you fool!" she finished, looking deeply into Ron's eyes. She grabbed his shoulders, pulling him closer. Finally, he leaned down to give her an awkward kiss ... a kiss that, nevertheless, was filled with a kind of electricity. Blinking at each other, they grinned as Hermione threw her arms around Ron, Ron pulled his girl close, and they tried again, with much more success. They were so involved, they didn't hear the applause and cat-calls from the rest of the family.

Only vaguely did they hear Fred, or George, or both, saying mournfully, "Ooo! Ickle-Ronnikins is a-a-all growed up. Our widdle baby has a girlfriend ... Ouch! What was that for, Bill?"

"Well," said Ginny to Harry, "at least we finally got something through to that thick-headed brother of mine. Right?" She looked at Harry, who suddenly looked very pale. "Harry! What's wrong?"

"Draco ..." he said softly as he apparated away.


As the Veritaserum wore off, after Harry blocked the circle links, Draco focused on relaxing as much as possible. Snape was quietly giving Moody a tongue-lashing for his harassment of Draco, while Moody continued to voice his suspicions on Snape's real loyalties ... business as usual between the two. Dumbledore had asked Dobby to bring up some refreshments.

Tonks decided to pour two glasses of pumpkin juice and stepped over to Draco. "So, you're Narcissa's boy. I'm really sorry about what happened yesterday, Draco. I don't think anyone deserves to go like that, even your father. This is a heckuva way to finally meet a cousin." She smiled at his surprise, then saw the 'wheels turning' as he guessed what she meant.

"Tonks ... your father is Ted Tonks?" he asked. He was remembering some rude remarks his father had made about his mother's sister, Andromeda, who married a 'mudblood'. "We're first cousins!"

As Tonks nodded happily, Moody looked up, scowling. "What? How could you be related? That's a conflict of interest ..."

"Oh, stuff it, Mad-Eye," Tonks retorted. "We've never met before today. My mum was ostracized from the family when she married my dad. The Tonks family has been 'invisible' to the Malfoys, Lestranges, and Blacks for 25 years, except Sirius. He's a 'disappointment' to the purebloods, just like his cousin, my Mum. She, Narcissa Malfoy, and Bellatrix Lestrange were the inseparable Black sisters until she met Dad."

Kingsley looked amused. "My, what a combination of family lines, you have, my boy. Malfoy, Rosier, Black ... some of the oldest and most powerful pureblood families around."

Draco smiled a bit, looking at his guardian a moment. "Don't forget to include the Snapes in that ... there's Snape blood a couple generations back on the Malfoy side. Only the best, you know." Draco said the last with an exaggerated, snobbish tone, but smiling at the Potions Master. Then he took a deep breath. "I suppose I'm ready when you are. What exactly is going to happen next?"

Moody looked as though he would answer, but Kingsley cut him off with an uncharacteristic glare. "I will cast the Nolo Sensorium on you, the variation that allows you to speak. Various items and people will be brought near you. You are to describe in detail whatever you sense, no matter how out-of-place it seems."

"Where should I settle down? I don't really want to fall out of this chair because I can't feel it or keep my balance anymore." Draco said with an edge to his voice. Looking around the office, he asked Dumbledore, "Is that couch acceptable, sir?" As the headmaster nodded, he calmly walked over, lay down, took a deep breath, and said, "Ready." At least, he appeared to be calm. As he had proved with the Polyserum, he was an excellent actor. He was actually terrified, and already feeling panicked about being isolated from the Magus circle links. You can do this, Drake ... this isn't a punishment. Lucius Malfoy can't hurt you anymore ...

He discovered that the spell could be cast in various ways. Kingsley Shacklebolt cast the spell in a very quiet, almost gentle manner. All his prior experience with the spell had been very harsh. Yes ... I can do this. As all sound, sight, smell, taste and touch faded away, he fought to breathe evenly. Then he realized he could sense Snape's magical presence and relaxed slightly.

"Professor Snape is standing near the head of the couch. The Headmaster has moved from his desk and is sitting ... off to my right a few feet. Moody and Tonks haven't moved much, but I can't find Shacklebolt. I feel something odd ... oh, did someone floo out of the room? Ah, he's back, with several magical objects."

He couldn't know that both Snape and Dumbledore were already looking from Draco to the Aurors, pride evident in their smiles. However, when they saw one of the objects that Kingsley had brought, their smiles faded to shock, then anger. Kingsley looked at them in apology, but came forward nonetheless.

"One of the objects reeks of Dark Magic ... blood magic. I think it's a Hand of Glory. I saw one once in Knockturn Alley, but this one has been used recently to curse someone ... I feel as though I should know who used it, but I can't quite tell. Perhaps someone I know, but haven't seen since my Scanning talent improved."

Moody looked surprised, forced to revise his opinion of Malfoy. Tonks was gloating and Kingsley had a quiet smile. Snape smirked in Moody's direction and Dumbledore positively twinkled all over.

"But what else do you have there? I think there's a vial of unicorn blood and one of phoenix tears." Draco was trying to remain calm, but the isolation was getting to him. Though the others didn't notice yet, he had begun to tremble slightly and his breathing and heart rate had sped up. "Why are you pointing your wand at me, Tonks? Now that's stupid. Why ask a question when I can't hear the answer?" His voice was beginning to acquire a shrill quality. "Someone is casting a spell in the room ... it's a security charm, like the one Darius set up at Beauxbatons but on a smaller scale. It's the Headmaster." His breathing was becoming ragged and his trembling was now evident. In a small voice, he said, "Is that enough yet?" And he felt himself slip over the edge into total, mindless terror.

Snape and Dumbledore saw Draco suddenly go into convulsions. Snape angrily countered the Nolo before Kingsley had a chance ... something that gave the Aurors an inkling of just how powerful the Potions Master had become ... he didn't use his wand. At the same moment, both circle members called for the Magus, but Harry had already sensed something very wrong with Draco and appeared in the office. Eyes only for the suffering Slytherin, he knelt down beside the couch, reaching out one glowing hand to rest on Draco's heart.

"Harry Potter?" Moody was staring at the young man before him.

"Harry Magus," Snape said, with quiet satisfaction.

The first thing Harry did was release the block on the circle linkage. Then, extending his senses throughout Draco's body, he quickly brought physical healing, then began dealing with the mental and emotional pain the experience had brought. /* You idiot. What were you thinking? All you had to do was tell one of us and this could have been avoided. What do you think you are? A Gryffindor? */ Harry tried to joke to hide his deep concern.

Draco's weak answer tore at Harry and Snape. /* Hey ... I thought we had a truce. What's with the insult? */ He mentally shrugged, and in a small voice said, "I thought I could handle it."

"Knowing you, you probably could have ... if you hadn't just been through 24-hours-from-Hell." Now that Harry knew Draco was on the mend, he looked up at the Aurors, who were about to learn just how angry an over-protective Magus could get. "And just what did you think you were doing? Didn't it occur to you that the Nolo so soon after Veritaserum counter-agent might cause convulsions?"

At this, Snape went pale. "Which counter-agent did you use?" When Kingsley told him, he shook his head in misery. "Blast it ... I should have thought of that ... but that potion is so rarely used anymore."

Moody just looked defiant, but Kingsley's expression was full of regret. "I should have thought ... that potion ... but I don't think we've ever had a session where both Veritaserum and the Nolo were used in succession. But I should have realized ... it's my job to know such things."

"Harry, ease up. I'm ok. I asked for it. He made an honest mistake. Don't bring the tower down around you in a snit ... Headmaster wouldn't like it." Tonks was helping Draco to sit up and have a drink. Suddenly, he looked up and said, "Nott! I think Mr. Nott used the Hand of Glory. The pattern is similar to what I sense from Trevor and Barry."

"Are you sure?" Moody's voice was now eager ... a hound ready for the hunt.

"As sure as I can be at the moment, but ..." Draco thought a bit, "Harry, if you help, I might be able to do again what I did last night ... see who cast the spell."

Snape immediately protested. "You've done enough and been through enough. As your guardian ... " His voice trailed off, seeing the stubborn look on the young man's face. "Oh, bloody Hell," he muttered, and turned away, giving up his argument.

"Why doesn't Potter just do it? He is the Magus, after all, isn't he?" Moody said, in a surly tone.

"Because he's a better Scanner than I am," Harry said without rancor. "He can do things with his gift that aren't even documented. Something I could have told you all without this ridiculous testing." With that clipped comment, he turned back to Draco, reaching out along the circle link to restore Draco's energy. "Give him the Hand ..." Harry said, with a vague quality to his voice.

With a shudder, Draco took hold of the Hand of Glory. As he grasped it, the fingers began to flex, eerily. Draco's eyes glazed over and he stared at the center of the room. Harry kept his eyes on Draco's, but reached one hand out behind him to gesture. A mist formed in the center of the room, then coalesced into the figure of a man, holding a shimmering Hand, with a wizard photo on the table before him ... a picture of Arthur Weasley from the Daily Prophet ... Nott was casting a curse on the new Deputy Minister. The figure disappeared suddenly, and Draco blinked rapidly. "Nice spell, Harry. It helps that you could let everyone see that ... it's much easier than trying to explain."

Moody had plopped into his chair suddenly, staring in shock at the Death Eater's son and the Boy-Who-Lived-to-Become-a-Magus, obviously close friends, completely trusting, and both much more powerful than he ever would have imagined. What is the world coming to? I'm getting too old for this ...


(continued)