Sorry for the delay on this chapter, I had the first half written two weeks after I published the last, then I started playing WoW Classic and remembered what killed my muse last time. Luckily, I was finally able to drag myself away to write the rest of the chapter, I'll try doing better in the future.

Disclaimer: see ch1

Champions of Elune Ch3: Setting Roots

A shadow flitted through the underbrush of the forbidden forest; its footfalls silent in the predawn light. Following no set path, it stopped frequently, exploring every new sound and scent it discovered in this new world. Its eyes, two silvery orbs that seemed to gather what little light there was, glowed ever so faintly as it surveyed its surroundings. The shadow had paused atop a fallen tree, preparing to continue its exploration when a pain-filled, frightened whinny caught its attention. The shadow froze for a moment, unsure exactly what it heard but with a repeat of the desperate call, it leaped in pursuit of whatever made it.

In a clearing not too far from the shadow, a Unicorn foal staggered as it brandished its single horn defensively toward a spider the size of a small car. Separated from its mother, the tiny equine had wandered lost, searching in vain for its herd. Finding itself tangled in the web of the predator that now faced it, the foal had put up an admirable fight, but she was simply outmatched. The arachnid had already drawn first blood, a bite on her right flank that leaked some of the venom she'd been injected with. While her mystic nature fought the poison in her blood, the substance was magical as well and had weakened her; it was only a matter of time before she lost what little strength she had left and the spider would close in to finish its work.

The spider, an acromantula, darted forward once again, trying for another bite. It knew the foal's magic would give it resistance to the venom, at least two would be needed to bring her down. The Unicorn met the attack, slashing the air with her horn, causing the arachnid to retreat but the effort was too costly. Exhausted, the foal stumbled and fell to its knees, finding no strength to rise and continue the fight. Sensing victory, the predator stalked forward, wary of the wicked horn, but confident its next meal was at hand, till a shadowy form crashed into it, all claws and teeth.

Driven to the ground and a bit stunned by the impact, the spider rolled, trying to dislodge its attacker, but the creature had already wrapped its forelimbs around the spider, between its many legs. Claws sank into its thorax, while the feline's rear claws began digging at its abdomen, rending flesh and blood at a tremendous rate. The Acromantula's chittering squeal of pain and fear was nearly drowned out by a feline yowl as the fangs of a giant cat sank into the fore-end of its thorax, destroying eyes and digging for the monster's brain. The two crashed around the clearing, the spider still rolling about, trying to get free of its attacker, while the cat continued to hold on and eviscerate its opponent with its hind claws. minutes passed and movement slowed until both animals lay still, not far from the foal. Slowly, the great cat, a dark beast, looking like an oversized lynx with a lion's mane of hair, rose from the carcass of its enemy and turned to face the young unicorn. Making no sound, it had barely taken a step in her direction when more chittering erupted from the trees around them.

A myriad of eyes stared back at the cat from among the shadows between boughs. As it growled in warning, six new acromantula, all smaller than the first, entered the clearing. These creatures were nowhere near imposing as their brother; each the size of a large dog, they looked as though they couldn't inflict the same damage individually, but more than made up for it in speed and numbers. The first skittered a few paces in the direction of its prey, then pounced. Simultaneously, the cat's eyes flashed silver and a white beam came from somewhere above, striking the spider and causing an eldritch fire to begin crawling over its flesh. The acromantula screeched in pain as it curled in on itself mid-air, futilely trying to protect its most sensitive parts from the ghostly fire that was trying to consume it. Its attempt to save itself was for naught, even as it did so, it was batted out of the air with a sickening squelch by a massive paw, not from the cat, but the massive bear it had transformed into.

Rising up onto its hind legs, the beast growled a warning to the approaching predators, presenting a figure meant to intimidate, though its mere appearance should be enough for that. Nearly large as an American Grizzly, it stood eight feet tall; its massive paws were the size of pie plates with wicked four-inch claws and a maw that could easily fit and crush the skull of a grown man. As with the cat it had transformed from, the bear now wore a leather harness that bore faintly glowing red runes. Any sane creature coming on this sight would suddenly remember pressing business elsewhere, and hurry on its way; the acromantula, however, had nothing on their minds except dinner plans and their main course was before them. They chittered among themselves for a few moments, then began to advance again.

Wildmane knew he was in trouble; his day had started out simply enough, to explore this new/old world that he and his brother had been thrust into. Not wanting to brave the castle and infinite questions (not this early, at least), Jade decided he'd get acquainted with the forest, who's shadow they'd taken residence in the night before. He'd chosen to explore in cat form as it was best suited for the terrain, allowing him stealth and enough obvious offensive power to at least give any single creature pause about attacking him if they were to meet. He'd made quick progress and found his surroundings beautiful, if muted somehow, and had planned to spend his time before breakfast mapping out the land around the school. Jade had barely been in the forest twenty minutes when he'd heard the commotion and cry for help.

Jade was unfamiliar with this world and he knew that there were creatures that could fake distress to lure their victims, but whatever had made the cry sounded young and truly panicked. He knew he couldn't leave off, his vows to the order and his own conscience wouldn't let him rest until he'd at least checked out the situation. Moving in speed and silence, the druid made his way to a smallish clearing; leaping into a tree at its edge, he prowled out along a branch that hung further over the open space as he witnessed the fight between foal and spider. Seeing the predator about to end the confrontation in an unfortunate fashion, Jade had leaped in, killing the spider, but not before the struggle and its cries had alerted its brethren.

In his experience, spiders were solitary creatures, dangerous and efficient but not social; apparently, he'd found the exception to that rule. The death of the massive predator should have been the end of the fight; rather, it had summoned dozens of its fellows, with six of them entering the clearing to claim its dinner, now with a druid-sized afters. Realizing he couldn't defend himself, much less his charge the way he was, Jade transformed into something more capable of engaging multiple attackers. His bear form was massive; rearing up, he towered over his attackers as a mighty roar escaped his maw. Not only did it present a challenge to the predators, drawing their attention from the foal, it also energized him, building the rage he'd use to power his attacks. The acromantula paused only a moment, intimidated by the sudden appearance of a more formidable foe, then attacked en masse.

Waiting just long enough for them to get close, Wildmane dropped back to all-fours, crushing two of the attacking spiders under his massive forepaws; his eyes flashed silver repeatedly as he brought the ethereal moon-fire down on several more of the creatures, temporarily removing them from the fight as they writhed in pain. His thick fur protected him for the most part, but as he bit down, crushing the thorax of yet another spider, he felt fangs find an opening and sink into his shoulder, injecting him with whatever venom these creatures held. Like with the first spider he'd fought, Jade rolled; his weight was more than enough to crush the attacker who'd bit him, removing another fighter from the fray. Continuing the roll, he came back to his feet in time to see more Acromantula entering from the surrounding trees. The burning in his shoulder where he'd been bitten was beginning to throb. It would become more of a problem the longer it went unaddressed, but he couldn't cast a cleansing spell, not in his bear form; he couldn't switch back to perform it with so many attackers around him. Jade knew he couldn't defend both himself and the foal forever and paused for a moment to muse at the irony; he'd been returned to his birth world, only to die the next day. He reared up again with a challenging roar, drawing the spiders toward him again for what may be his last stand when the lead spider suddenly sprouted a wooden bolt that bisected its thorax, directly through its brain.

Even as he reengaged the monsters, swiping a massive paw, killing three of the dog-sized spiders with a single strike, he saw dozens of more wooden bolts slamming into many of their fellows who'd been holding back for their opportunity. The easy meal these monsters had amassed for, turned quickly to a slaughter; the clearing was carpeted in crushed and oozing carcasses as their numbers failed them and they were overcome. Finally, having had enough, the survivors, the ones that could still do so, escaped back into the tree-line, leaving an exhausted, injured, and envenomed druid to face whoever had entered the fight between them. Turning back to the foal, Jade watched as several large beings eased silently from behind the young unicorn, placing themselves around it protectively.

Centaurs, the hybrid of human and equine that inhabited the Barrens of Kalimdor, were known to Jade, he'd encountered a few groups and he knew that the results of such meetings varied greatly. Some had been peaceful nomads, simply foraging or patrolling their territories, others had been aggressive and sought blood over parlay; what remained to be seen was how this meeting would end. Deciding not to escalate the situation, Jade sank down on his rear haunches to await their next move, it wasn't a long one.

"Peace, Son of Cenarius," said one of the beast-men that walked forward as he lowered his crossbow. "We wish you no harm; the curse of madness that plagued our kind faded when we entered these lands." Sensing no duplicity in the newcomer's words, Jade relaxed and let his bear form fade, becoming human once again. Grunting in pain, he slumped slightly then put a hand to his shoulder, whispering a plea to Cenarius. The presence he always felt when the druidic patron granted his request flowed through him. Ethereal fireflies appeared from nowhere and danced over the wound as a sickly green smoke emanated from it, freeing him of spider-venom and its effects. Casting a quick spell of rejuvenation, Jade rose to his feet as the wound began to knit itself back together. Facing the centaur that had spoken, he replied.

"Greetings, child of Zaetar," he said with a bow. "Your help protecting the foal is greatly appreciated. My name is Jade-eye Wild-"

"We know who you are, Harry Potter," the centaur interrupted, but with a tone of deference. "I am Firenze; the stars told us of your coming."

"Ah," Jade replied wryly to himself. "At least someone was given notice of our little side trip." To Firenze, he asked, "May I approach the foal? She's injured and venom still runs in her veins." At the centaur's nod, Jade eased forward and stopped just shy of the unicorn. The beast tensed, unused to strangers, but relaxed as the peaceful aura exuded by the son of Cenarius reassured her. Careful not to touch the foal, he sent a new plea to his patron, calling for the same purification and healing he'd asked for himself. As the spells took effect, the Unicorn stumbled to its feet, her energy restored. Surprising Jade, the beast nuzzled against him. Unicorns regularly shied away from men; their history of violence had created an instinctive fear in the creatures. Still stroking the equine's flank, he turned to address the centaur again. "Her wounds are healed, and the venom cleansed," he reported. "Still, she remains alone, and the forest appears far from safe for one so young. Could you help locate her family?"

"We have found her dam and sire," Firenze assured Jade as two more centaurs moved to flank the unicorn. "She wandered away from them last night and they've been searching for her since. My people will return her to them while we speak." Taking Firenze's words as a command, Jade stepped back and let the others lead the foal away. Watching till she disappeared into the surrounding trees, he turned back to the group.

"What do we need to speak of," he asked, curiosity in his voice.

"Why do you wear that visage," asked one of the younger centaurs, "why do you hide?"

"This is the face I was born with," Jade answered, tensing again. "The face of Harry Potter."

"It is not your true face," Firenze interjected. "You are no longer just Harry Potter and we wish to see you as you truly are."

"I'd rather not," Jade murmured uncomfortably.

"If we are to trust you," answered Firenze, "show us your true self, we would judge you no more harshly than any other."

"You're sure," Jade asked guardedly. "While my kind isn't known here, there are others who hold a tainted form of Elune's blessing. I haven't seen one of them yet, but from stories I've been told, they do resemble us and are greatly feared. I wouldn't want to frighten or anger your people.

"Do not worry over our reaction," Firenze answered reassuringly. We remember Elune and understand the true nature of her blessing, as well as the corruption of it that exists in our world; we want there to be no illusion between us." With a nod, Jade closed his eyes for a moment, releasing the iron grip on his human half, allowing his true, dual nature to come forth. The boy's body shifted and changed, growing to the point where rather than looking down at their guest, the centaur had to raise their eyes slightly to meet his gaze. Jade took two quick breaths, allowing his heightened sense of smell to sample the world anew before addressing his hosts.

"This is my true form," said Jade, his voice now deep and gravelly. The centaur shifted at the unfamiliar and somewhat imposing figure but none looked truly fearful or angry. "of what would we speak?"

"Your coming was foretold," the Centaur replied, reiterating his earlier statement, "and Mars is bright." At Jade's questioning look, Firenze explained. "Mars warns of conflict; do you bring war on us, Son of Cenarius?"

"I bring nothing but The White Lady's blessing," Jade answered as he began to pace. He was always restless after shifting; he would settle, but for now, he needed to move. "The men of this world forced us here; more precisely, one man." He growled with a snort. Lady Elune warns that mortals breaching the barriers between our worlds has weakened it. More know of this place and may already be here seeking new territory."

"Humans are fools," growled a dark-haired centaur in the group. "They sow nothing but destruction."

"Not entirely," Jade corrected, His rough voice tinged with amusement. They are mortal, as are we all. Elune teaches; as with most, each has the potential for good or evil. For the most part, men lean toward a common good and mean well, even if chaos is often the result."

"What of you then, Son of Cenarius," the centaur asked. You carry her blessing and are no longer fully human. Much of your life has been lived in another realm, there is little that would tie you here. As you've said, the only reason you came here was that you were abducted through magical means. Will you remain, or search for a way to your home?"

"We will stay, my brother and I," Jade answered gruffly. "Through his ignorance, Dumbledore has opened the knowledge of this world's presence to other realms. If the gods are with you, only the factions of Azeroth have noticed. The White Lady wishes to protect this place and tasked us with preparing the way for those who would help defend it. Already, I can feel her presence growing, deep in the heart of your forest."

"We feel it as well," Firenze answered. "The land is changing; it is as if the forest, still the same from outside, is becoming larger within. We were sent to investigate this along with our search for the foal when we heard the unicorn's cries and your fight with the Acromantula."

Just then, the sun's first rays broke through the canopy, reminding Jade that he had somewhere to be. "I have to go," he said, eyeing the shafts of sunlight. "I have business at the school, I'll be back soon." Moving to the center of the clearing, Jade gouged a hole in the forest loam with one finger. Pulling an acorn from a pouch he dropped it in and closed the earth over it. Laying a hand over the spot, he whispered a prayer to Elune, feeling her energy flow through him and into the ground. Without another word, Jade returned to his wolf form, allowing for a quick trip to the guest house and loped into the trees. Though he could still sense Acromantula around him, they now seemed to shift out of his way, rather than treat him as prey. Internally, he grinned, they could learn.

CoE

Thomas stumbled out of the guest house, into dawn's light, grumbling to himself irritably. He'd never been a morning person, his frequent nightmares waking him at all hours, he just never seemed to get enough rest. Digging the crust from his eyes, he turned toward the forest just in time to see Jade returning from what was likely a scouting run, and from appearances, it hadn't been boring. "What happened to you," he asked as the druid returned to human form.

Covered in green ichor, Jade wouldn't have been recognizable, so sodden was he with the gore from some fight, he actually left sticky footprints as he went. Striding past Thomas with seeming little concern for his current state, he walked toward the Black Lake as he answered, "Thursday." Snorting at the response, the young priest followed his brother to the shore, as the elder stripped down, leaving weapons and bags onshore but dragging the armor into the water with him to scrub off what he could.

"What did you find in the forest," Thomas asked as Jade cleaned his armor, completely unaffected by the cold November waters.

"Spiders," Jade answered with a grin. "Big ones; Centaurs, and a unicorn foal as well." Satisfied that he'd gotten his armor sufficiently clean, the young druid tossed his gear up on the shore before dunking himself to work spider-parts out of his hair. Coming back up for air, he wrung out his mane and continued as he wiped himself down. "It reminds me a lot of Darkshore, the wildlife is hostile, the Centaurs friendly as ever and I can sense Elune's presence growing. I think she's going to connect the forest to the Dreamway soon."

"At least that gives us a way home if we need it," Thomas answered with a frown. "I don't like being trapped here, even with a job to do. Who do you think she'll send when it's established?"

"If she ties it to Darkshore, my gold is on Valeren." Jade said as he dragged himself back onshore. Gathering his gear in his arms, he strode back toward the guest house to dry his things out and find fresh clothes. "She already commands an expeditionary force; they could set up a garrison here without upsetting the locals in the forest any more than they already are."

"Who's Valeren," asked a voice from behind them, making both boys jump and sending Jade's gear into the air. Both boys spun, surprised they had been caught unawares. They saw Luna standing there, dressed in her school robes, a book bag hooked over one shoulder. "Aren't you cold?"

Glancing down and realizing he was completely nude before a girl, Jade yelped, scrambled for his things and ran for the house. Thomas knelt on the ground, his hands over his face as his shoulders shook in mirth. Luna just stood there with a confused look on her face until Thomas could pull himself back together and rise to face his student. He was about to suggest they wait there while Jade dressed, when she asked, "are all boys that hairy?" when he completely lost it again.

CoE

Severus Snape was having a horrible day. Though he thought he'd found some closure since Lily's death thirteen years earlier, having James Potter's spawn suddenly appear last night had ripped open old wounds. Visions of his involvement in her demise had haunted his dreams in what little sleep he could force himself to partake. The morning bell that woke and forced him to begin the day had never been so hated and loved at the same time. Next was breakfast in the great hall, where the two interlopers from the previous evening had swallowed all the air in the room again.

Potter, though apparently going by the name of Wildmane and being of a completely different build than his father, still had the signature hair and facial structure of his father. Worse, his green eyes, rather than take away from the effect, sent another stab of guilt through Severus as Lily's loss was brought home again. His brother was no better, not only was a child version of the Dark Lord lounging at the Ravenclaw table, he was looking between Potter and Lovegood, of all people, and cackling. The sound sent chills down Snape's spine, though the only effect on the brat was a slight reddening in his cheeks as he wolfed down his food. His bad day continued in the Headmaster's office later, as Thomas, with Potter's silent backing, told a brief history of what had happened Halloween, 1981 and today.

"This, second hand," Thomas began. He was looking more than a bit uncomfortable, speaking to all the professors, both of Hogwarts, the representatives of the visiting schools, as well as the ministry's representatives, and Amelia Bones, who'd traveled in by floo for the meeting. One would think the Headmaster's office would be packed, with all the people attending; the room, however, seemed to expand just a bit with each arrival. Taking a breath, the boy continued. "M… Lily Potter knew, was a chance they be found. She'd set trap for Voldemort using sac… sacrifice?... spell she'd find when working for your Department of Mysteries. It was spell, was supposed to call the gods to intervene, protect Target, Jade, from harm at the cost of her life."

Severus stomach had turned at the thought, anger boiled in him as he debated who he hated more, Potter for being the one she'd sacrificed herself for, or himself, who'd forced that choice on her. "She didn't know, think it was just a powerful ward, was that it was exactly what it said. Setting up the protection on full moon, she called on Elune to enforce power. As a protector of realm, and not have anyone call on her in millennia, The White lady was present in the wards power when Voldemort attack."

As he took a breath to gather himself and continue, Jade said something to Thomas in their own tongue. It was too quick for Severus even to get an inkling of, even though it did resemble a form of Latin; whatever it was put a frown on the younger boy's face, before letting the expression fade as he continued. "Voldemort cast spell and kill Lily, making ward wake, when he cast on Jade, spell bounced… it hit Voldemort and…" Thomas turned to Harry, asking a question, the older boy responded, put his fisted hands together and then pulled them apart abruptly, splaying his fingers at the same time, while making a sound like an explosion. Nodding, Thomas turned back to the group. "spell act violent when hit caster, blow up house; would have killed Jade but White Lady take him from there, to Azeroth. We grow up there."

"You said you both grew up there," Dumbledore probed with an intense look, no twinkle evident in his eyes. "Yet you've said you're not Tom, but…"

"Not," Thomas affirmed, though he seemed more agitated as he went on. "Tom Riddle did terrible thing so not able to die, made phylacteries, it damaged soul. When he kill Lily it break a piece off, piece stuck to Jade. When she take him to Azeroth she take soul piece and heal it, purified. I born from it, given to woman who raise us. Not him, some memories come in dreams, most bad. Am not Voldemort, not Tom Riddle… Am Thomas Potter, raised brother to Jade-Eye, Harry Potter."

"What claptrap," snarled Bartimius Crouch, his face set in hard lines. "The boy is spinning tales to make us out as fools!" Turning to Amelia Bones, he growled, "I demand you take these two into custody for trespassing on school grounds during a ministry function! A few hours in a holding cell will loosen their tongues and we'll get to the bottom of this."

"Stand down, Barty," Amelia shot back, her manacled eye squinted in consternation. "You're the head of the Department of Magical Cooperation, not the DMLE anymore. The boy has no reason to lie about this and from what I've heard, they didn't arrive willingly. Until there's reason, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt."

"Thank you, Amelia," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling again, it faded quickly as she turned her ire on him.

"Don't even think we're not having words about unauthorized use of a ministry regulated, magical artifact," she said with a glare. "I'll be seeing you directly after this meeting finishes, no excuses!"

Of course," the Headmaster replied in a placating tone. "We're straying from the subject though." Turning to the boys, the younger of them looking quite a bit more peeked, Thomas eyes seemed to scan the room itself, rather than its inhabitants. "Please," Dumbledore gently urged. "Continue with your tale."

"Not much more," Thomas replied with an uneasy shrug. "Jade chosen by local Druid as apprentice when he was six, I choose order when was ten. We travel together, sometime with others; was traveling home yesterday for my birthday remembrance celebration when portal open, pulled us in…" The boy swayed slightly before looking around the room again and saying something to his brother, causing the young druid to take a more aggressive stance. Seeing the sudden change, several of the professors rose to their feet, Barty pulled his wand on the pair in anticipation of a fight.

"Something's not right," Thomas groaned as he began searching the room again, his finally landing on the Headmaster's desk. "The voices in my dreams, I hear them now. I feel a… presence?"

"Phylactery?" asked Jade-eye, his own gaze landing on the Headmaster, his expression accusing.

"Don't know," Thomas replied as he seemed to shore up his mental defenses. "Father Joram said maybe I'd feel other soul shards from Tom, never had way to test."

Expressions around the room ranged from confused to disbelieving; Dumbledore, on the other hand, looked horrified. Pulling a key from his robes, he unlocked a drawer and pulled out a small wooden chest, covered in runes. "I'd had my suspicions," he murmured as he ran his hands over the wood. "Brace yourself," he warned, looking up at the boy. "If what I believe is true, when I open this box, you may feel some discomfort." Getting a nod from Thomas, Dumbledore cast a spell on the lock, releasing it, then opened the chest. Thomas's hands flew to his head the moment the lid shifted, and a golden bubble appeared around him, preventing anyone from getting close. At the same time, both Professors Snape and Karkaroff hissed in pain and clutched their arms. Everyone else tensed or stood, even Professor Moody, the Defense instructor Jumped as if stung and growled the question on everyone's tongue.

"Albus, what the blazes is going on?"

"The darkest of magic," Dumbledore answered as he quickly closed the chest. Tension drained from the room as the lid closed and Thomas slumped in obvious relief. "There are few ways to extend one's life beyond the time given us all, the darkest being the creation of a phylactery, or as we call it, a Horcrux."

The room went silent for a moment, save the quiet cursing from Karkaroff, whether from the pain he'd felt, or the revelation presented, only he knew. Finally, it was Minerva McGonagall who asked, "Albus, what is a Horcrux? I've never heard of such a thing."

"Through an act of the utmost evil," The headmaster explained with a sigh, "the remorseless murder of an innocent, a wizard can use a ritual to fracture their soul, sequestering a piece of it in another object, binding him or her to the mortal plane." Laying his hand on the box, Dumbledore continued. "While not much information on these items exists, beyond acting as an anchor for the host soul, they carry some measure of their creator's essence. Two years ago, this book was brought onto school grounds and possessed a student. Over the course of a term, the young witch was forced to perform acts against the school, resulting in the petrification of several students and our caretaker's cat."

"The basilisk," McGonagall whispered in shock, "then Ms. Weasley was…"

"Yes, it appears she was possessed by a remnant of Voldemort, himself." Falling to his chair and slumping back, the headmaster rubbed his brown in thought. "If she hadn't brought it to us before Christmas…" sitting back up, he brought himself back on topic. "Another discussion for later today is what help we can bring young Ms. Weasley, now we know exactly what occurred. For now, what are we to do with this?"

"I should take charge of that, Albus," Moody said, his magical eye spinning wildly as he licked his lips in agitation. "Something so dark shouldn't be casually stored in a desk. Let me put it somewhere more secure."

"No," Thomas said before Dumbledore could reply. "We need warlock."

"My boy," the headmaster assured, I am the chief warlock of the Wizengamut…"

"Not the same, I think," Thomas said, shaking his head. "Warlock of Azeroth is master of soul magic. Can extract shard from book, destroy it." Turning to his brother, Thomas asked a pointed question that Jade answered with a much longer reply, punctuated by him patting one of the pouches on his belt. Nodding, the young priest turned back to the group. "Jade permanent portal to Azeroth in the forest would take weeks, it too long. White Lady give us stone for Goblins, make portal at neutral site… their home here."

"Gringotts?" Dumbledore asked. That's in London, if you plan to visit, I think it best we wait for the weekend in two days."

Thomas seemed unhappy with the delay, though nodded in assent to the wait, Professor Moody took this moment to repeat his earlier offer. "I still think it best if I took charge of that book," he growled. "It just isn't safe here."

"It's fine, Alastor," Dumbledore soothed. So much honey dripped from that man's mouth, Severus mused, it was a wonder he had any teeth left. "The book has resided in my desk for nearly two years, unmolested. I think it will be fine for another few days." The ex-auror looked ready to argue but relented grudgingly when the headmaster returned his attention to the boys. "Now that we have all that sorted," he said while relocking the chest and stowing it back in his desk. "I think it best if we sorted you into houses and set up a schedule for classes."

"Sorry," Thomas interrupted with a frown. "Friend Luna explain about sorting," he said, then gestured between himself and his brother. "Not your students. Both have your magic, never go school to learn. Spells granted us by Elune. Still," he continued before anyone could speak out. "Would like to see classes, understand your magic some."

"Surely," Dumbledore pressed. "Since you'll be competing in the tournament, it would be wise to learn some of our magic. Simple tours wouldn't give you much help completing tasks designed for a wizard."

"mayhap," Thomas answered with a shrug. "Was said, game for adults; can't learn seven years magic before first task." As he said this, Jade nudged him, and they began a short back and forth between them. Severus narrowed his eyes slightly, as he studied the pair; something wasn't right, but he couldn't put a finger on it. "Are champions of Elune," Thomas continued, with Jade behind him, trying to make himself look imposing as possible. "will use powers she grants us. Don't need to win anyway, just compete."

"Your funeral, Karkaroff snorted. Headmistress Maxime and most others in the room visibly appeared to agree, while Thomas took the same pose as his brother. Both boys standing off against the dismissive attitudes projected at them. "Hokey religions are no match for good wand and magic at your side."

Sighing in defeat, Dumbledore relented. "As you wish, we'll still provide you a schedule of classes and their locations, that you may visit them at your leisure. All we ask is that you be respectful of the professors and not disrupt any of the lessons." Taking the headmaster's words as a dismissal, both boys departed, leaving the adults to continue their grumbling over the previous day's events. Severus stayed silent, pondering what he'd learned in that short meeting, though he still couldn't keep the thought of Lily's sacrifice from twisting his gut in remorse. He left the others to continue and went to prepare for his first class. He didn't see the Potter brats again until after the noon meal. He hadn't planned on confronting them so soon on his suspicions, finding them in his lab, the elder boy brewing some unknown concoction was as unwelcome as it was unexpected; what came out of that confrontation completely floored him.

CoE

Albus studied the great hall with some degree of satisfaction as the evening meal was served. While he hadn't wanted Harry entered in the tournament, the cup had belatedly completed its task and brought him home, though not alone. Even now, both boys now sat at the Gryffindor table, across from the brothers, Weasley. Frowning at that, Albus made a note that the twins would have to be reigned in. There was no telling what trouble they could drag Harry into. As for the other one… even now, Albus wasn't sure what to make of Thomas.

The smart thing, he knew, would be to separate them. The Tom he remembered had been cunning and manipulative, even at that age. Every warrior's instinct demanded he not have access to Harry, even if they had supposedly lived together for twelve years. The teacher in him saw things differently, however. The boys didn't just watch each other's back, they seemed shared a true fondness for each other that he'd seen in countless siblings that had attended school over the years, and he suspected any attempt to pull them apart would not be taken lightly. Knowing this was something he'd just have to live with for the time being, Albus glanced down the table toward his potions professor, wondering just what had happened to him since the noon meal.

Severus had staggered into the Great Hall just before the students had begun to arrive, his face drawn and slack. He said nothing to the headmaster, nor any of the staff. By all appearances, it was doubtful he even noticed they were there at all, he seemed so buried in his thoughts. The only clue to what might be going on was a small, leather-bound book he was clutching to his chest. Albus made a note to speak with the boy later, it wouldn't do for any of his professors to be distracted when events were moving so swiftly. It was curious, the glances he would occasionally cast toward the Gryffindor table and their guests didn't hold the customary disdain he'd come to expect. At said table, he saw, the Weasley twins were carrying on some lively conversation that involved much waving of hands and laughter. He let a small smile come to his face, thinking perhaps the twins might be the best thing to keep Harry at the castle when he suddenly tensed as the very air pulsed so that it made his ears pop.

CoE

"… so then we mailed the toilet seat home for Christmas, just like she'd suggested," George said, a satisfied grin on his face.

"We spent our first month home on de-gnoming duty for that," continued Fred.

"but it was so worth it!"

Jade and Thomas glanced at each other and shared a wry grin, the twins had met them shortly after their escape from the headmaster's office and had spent the day since, purposely stumbling upon them between classes. If they hadn't known better, Jade would have been concerned at their ability to find them at any moment. The redheads were starting into an escapade involving the Slytherins when a familiar pulse of magic shot through the hall.

"Time's up," Thomas said as a swirling ball of energy suddenly appeared in the center of the hall, directly below the spot where the portal had delivered them the night before.

"It's been good knowing you," Jade replied in perfect, if slightly accented English. The ball had expanded, now appearing as a halo around a black vortex that the energy swirled into. The darkness faded and those looking closely could see what appeared to be a room, possibly a library by the books present, through the solidifying portal. At the head table, all the adults had stood, wands out except Severus. His face flushed, in agitation or excitement, he clutched the table with a vice-like grip, breath held like a child cresting the top of a roller-coaster. Through the portal a figure strode, completely covered in an ornately decorated, hooded, crimson robe. The moment its foot touched the floor, both boys slid under the table so smoothly, it was as if all their bones had vanished.

Ever the gracious host, Mad-Eye immediately threw a stunner at the intruder, only for a delicate, feminine hand to shoot out, causing a bubble of white energy to appear around her, deflecting the spell into the enchanted ceiling. The outstretched hand closed till only her index finger was out, and she waved it at the Defense professor before holding it still, in a silent plea for patience.

"Madam," Albus said, causing a sharp turn of the hooded head and her hand now facing him, palm out as if commanding he stop. She turned toward the hall, scanning the students, searching. Her patience gone, she shouted out in a commanding tone.

"Boys!"

The thud of two heads hitting the underside of the Gryffindor table was the only sound heard in the hall, immediately after her call. His suspicions confirmed, Fred turned to his brother.

"It's,"

"Their mum."

"Lily," Severus whispered, glad he hadn't risen, as all the strength had suddenly fled him.