Sounds of bubbling concoctions and the ticking of a clock filled the newly re-purposed room as four friends were left completely speechless.
"Too much, was it?" Keldran said and took a seat at a small rounded table, extending a hand as four chairs with red velvet seats clattered out of nowhere. "Tea should help."
They all slowly took place at the table, Keldran pouring five cups of conjured tea. He took a sip. "It's good tea."
As if to break the awkwardness Lily tasted it, nodding in appreciation.
"I imagine you all have a lot of questions, I have to disappoint you. Many will stay unanswered."
"That stone, what was it?" Harry asked.
Keldran shook his head, his expression showing a warning of a line not to be crossed.
"You knew the Founders." Remus said with curiosity.
"In another life perhaps. They were my dearest friends. You saw the sculpture, in the entrance? My work, quite proud of it if I might say so myself."
"They didn't look much like the Founders." Severus said.
"Ah. Most of what's left nowadays was done posthumously. I simply portrayed them as they were in life, it's how they were when we found each other, but I'm sure you guessed as much by the riddle I gave you." he said with a note of fondness I his voice. "Salazar had a penchant for poetry, Rowena played the flute, Helga sung and Godric preferred working with his hands."
"Salazar is really entombed there? I thought he left the Founders, and I thought Godric was buried at Godric's Hollow?" Lily asked.
"How history so easily gets reinterpreted and re-purposed. I'm afraid Godric's known tomb is empty, a memorial more than anything. Salazar did leave on a voyage, but never did the four part, and he returned long before his death. It does pain me somewhat to see their legacy so distorted, as it pertains to your current predicament." He put down his cup and gave a long sigh. "When do you think blood purity became a commonplace idea? Around the 17th century, right along with the witch hunts and persecution. Some wizards and witches thought it wise to exclude non-magicals from their society. They retreated to their world of secrecy and subterfuge, and here we are."
Harry did not understand. "You're telling us blood purity was an invention?"
"Does it not seem likely? Wizards lived among the public when this place was created, Kings and Emperors sought counsel and wisdom from them. What use is blood purity in a world that has no concept of it?"
"I thought Riddle was Slytherin's heir." Harry remarked.
The wizard smiled. "Oh I'm sure all you prominent wizarding family folks have some Slytherin blood in you. Salazar met many women on his travels."
Severus interjected. "What you're saying is blood purity is a conspiracy, Salazar was a–a ladies man and you just happened to be friends with all the Founders?"
"Friends, that we were. But to be more exact, I was their," he paused looking for words, twirling a spoon in his cup of tea, "mentor I suppose. I taught them much about magic they never imagined."
It was Lily's turn to be surprised, she shifted forward on her chair. "You taught the Founders?"
Keldran's face warmed and he laughed heartily. "Now, now. All I did was point them in the right direction, they were brilliant on their own. They came up with things I could never have dreamed of in a million years."
He gestured to his side and a bejeweled sword appeared with a glimmer.
"Godric's sword." Harry remarked.
"Yes, brilliant construction. I told you Godric was good with his hands, as much skill as any goblin craftsman. No wonder they claimed his workmanship as their own. He knew I liked sword fighting, so he gifted it to me in the end."
Harry focused on it. With a wave it disappeared again.
"I think we might need it." he said.
"I know what you're thinking, but put that thought out of your mind at once. Yes, it's true it can absorb the properties of anything that makes it stronger, but such thinking would lead to a destructive path."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you haven't answered my first question, hatchlings."
They all looked at each other.
"To teach us." Snape remembered.
Lily nodded at the three of them, Harry smiled at her optimism. Each of their eyes made clear there was no turning back now.
"We accept." she said.
"Marvelous." Keldran stood, and they did too. Once more a sinister grin appeared on his face. "First lesson!"
He tapped his staff and in an instant all their wands flew right into his hand, putting the four on guard. Tucking them into an inner pocket he judged their reaction.
"No wands until Easter break."
"What," Lily cried out, "but we need our wands, how will we even be able to follow our classes?"
"Have you ever tried?"
Harry's eyes narrowed. Yes, he had managed things like that on occasion, but to go completely wandless.
As if he could read his mind, Keldran looked in his direction. "You're on the right path, Harry. Before you neglected your wand in a moment of anger or crisis. Now you must learn to do it willfully."
Remus was also visibly frustrated. "But… Wandless magic is something even the greatest wizards struggle to do. I don't see how we can do that in just, under two months?"
"A learned disability, but fret not, you're still young. I'm sure you will figure it out, especially if you count on each other."
"I highly doubt the teachers will be very pleased with it. What do we even tell them? Lost our wands?" Severus said.
"Ignore them. Forget your grades, tests and other nonsense. We're forging you into wizards and witches worthy of the name here, not counting points!" he said with a determined fist for emphasis.
"You've wasted enough time. Remember, intention is what matters, not flurries or incantations, although those have a power of their own. Harry, you stay behind if you will."
He shared a look with Lily, Keldran reassured them. "It'll be but a few minutes, dear."
Harry was left alone with the mysterious sorcerer and they sat back at the table. Keldran seemed to be pondering something and took off his hat, putting it on an open chair. He gave a look of compassion.
"I debated for a long time whether to tell you, but it would be unfair if I didn't. Before you ask, yes, I can tell your thoughts, more of a reflex than a deliberate action on my part."
Harry put his head between his hands as he thought of the embarrassment of having someone know his mum was also his girlfriend. Keldran erupted in mocking laughter.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, but your musings just tickled me something fierce. Don't imagine I'm so petty. I wanted to talk about deeper implications of your travel."
Harry frowned and thought back to McGonagall's words. "What do you mean?"
"Well I'm sorry to say that Minerva was wrong on some, if not many accounts," he sighed, "the truth is you do have a substantial impact on the flow of time, young man. Not that I'd begrudge you that, you had no way of knowing."
His face went pale with horror and Keldran held up a hand.
"Now, no need to torture yourself. First, there is nothing you can do about it at this point in time. Second, fate does like to stick to some known threads, so what you've been told is not entirely misleading."
"So what, I could unknowingly cause harm to someone? Ruin someone's life, or worse?"
Again Keldran's expression softened. "In some ways, yes. To travel through time is to wander into the deep. I can only tell you, you've done well so far. You've been treading lightly, continue to do so."
"How do I know if I'm doing the right thing?"
"Things will get easier. The closer you get to your exit point, the smaller your impact becomes. Don't lose too much sleep over it, I sense we'll have more conversations like this as you move forward." Again a grin came on his face. "And if you manage to pass my first little test, there's a gift in it for you, one that will help you with your endeavors."
"Have some more tea, Harry," Keldran said refilling the cup, "you'll feel better, trust me."
As he walked back out Lily was waiting for him. Strangely the tea did make him feel better, and as Keldran had said, it's not as if he could do much about his plight. In a sense he was glad he knew. On the way back he fondly took her hand, she didn't ask about their private conversation.
The day had left him with a lot to think about, laying on his bed he pondered. Would they really be able to work without wands? He brought up his hand, barely able to see in the darkness.
"Lumos." he whispered jutting his hand forward. No, that wasn't it. What had he said? Intention, not movements or words. Harry's mind drifted to apparitions class. It was something like that wasn't it?
Holding his hand again before him he imagined the need for light and the way the spell felt. Nothing. Hermione had been really good at spells, no matter how inconsequential or varied they were, she could read a textbook and produce it like it was nothing. He tried to remember the entry for the light spell. Words formed in his mind's eye as he did.
He tried to form an image, of the workings of its magic, of light at his fingertips. He tried so long his hand was getting cramped. He thought he was imagining it, but it lit brighter, and brighter, he stopped it.
In front of his fingers lived a blinding light.
-sSsSsSsSs-
The winter cold was still thick in the air and it was tightly bundled that they stood a fair distance away from the castle on the grounds. Harry spun the faux-quaffle in his hand before focusing his magical intentions on it, giving it a light tap of the palm, it drifted like a balloon through the air towards Severus.
He caught it and shifted it between his hands. "You know I thought old McGonagall was going to whack me over the head last week." He levitated it the same way to Remus.
"Not as bad as Fiddly screaming at me for a full minute." He said laughing, handing over the ball to Lily.
"I have to say I didn't really believe it at first." She popped the ball into a high floating arc and it drifted back down to him.
"Who knows. Maybe by Easter we won't need wands any more." he said wistfully.
"I like mine." Severus said.
"Bet that's what all guys say." Lily said, provoking chortles from Remus and Harry.
"Children, you are."
They kept up the exercise, talking in between. It had been simply impossible for them to operate in secret, so they met when they could, a few times a week to check on each other's progress. First week had been harsh, teachers and students mocking and screaming at them for daring to lose their wand. People noticed. Sirius, James, Regulus, Lucinda, Nathan, Sarah. They'd pushed as to the reason why, but their tongues were tied. Then, days later in charms class Flitwick had stared in wonder as the four of them managed to levitate a lead ball despite their handicap. The mocking and laughter stopped.
Still, he had seen the looks. Their bond was no longer a secret. In the corridors whispers came of the 'forgetful four', later the 'wandless four', and he'd even heard the words 'fantastic four' uttered half in jest. It was no small worry in his mind that the news would travel to his enemies, who ironically did not even know they were. Nevertheless as magic flowed through him with the new understanding of old spells, he was sure this path was the correct one to take. If he remembered his past honestly, he knew his success had been nothing but a collection of luck and help from outside. No more.
In the distance he could see Sirius approaching, James and Peter were standing further back. A look and a nod alerted his comrades to the fact. Remus gave a smile and passed the ball with a flutter of magic.
"Thanks for the company, seems like I'm needed." he said.
"It's tomorrow, isn't it?" Severus asked, despite all of them knowing the answer.
"I'll be fine. I wasn't alone all this time, but thanks."
Remus ran to Sirius at a light jog. The three remaining shared an appraising glance.
"You still hate him, don't you?" Lily said.
"What if I do?" Severus snapped.
"Nothing. It's not like I've forgiven him completely, but he's staying out of trouble. Out of our way." she added.
"Good."
He still had to work on assignments and it might be a good time to catch up with the Slytherin gang, so he excused himself and walked the way back to the dungeons. As he passed the west wing, the hair on his arms stood up and he stopped in his tracks. In front of him wand in hand appeared a girl with stormy blue eyes. Helena, Ravenclaw's quidditch captain and the person he knocked out of the sky not too long ago. Maybe he should've apologized.
"What do you want?" he said.
"Payback, would be a start." she said raising her wand in a dueling stance. "Heard you've been walking around naked since the match. What, felt like you should turn in your wand for being such a cheating prick?"
He couldn't resist a grin. He hadn't felt naked since they practiced shield charms until his arm fell off. "Look I'm sorry about the rough play, but you know it's just part of the game."
"Doesn't make me feel any better does it? How about a few broken bones? Wipe that grin off your face."
She didn't seem like the Death Eater type, he would've noticed, and her anger felt more familiar than his duel with James. It reminded him of when he couldn't play quidditch for a year, not the brightest time of his life. A voice sprung up in his head.
Don't look, I can see her.
The Ravenclaw really had picked the worst of times, caught between Lily and him. His hand twitched slightly to respond.
Don't think I'll need the help, but can you make sure she doesn't break her skull if it comes to it?
It took a second for her to get his meaning but she gave an affirmative reply. He lifted his hands and Helena re-positioned at his movement, expecting a spell.
"What if I beat you now? Will you stop trying to ambush me?"
"Without a wand? I'd like to see you tr–?
A deliberate flattening of his palm as the magic flew through the air and the girl found herself arms flush with her body, teetering backwards. She fell half of the way there when she was caught by another spell, leaning at an unnatural 45 degree angle in the air.
Good catch.
Lily and him walked up to her and floated her against a column.
"How come you always attract the strangest types?" Lily said jokingly.
"If only I knew."
"You think it's fine if we leave her here?"
He pondered that for a second, not really wishing to unleash his probably fuming victim. "Wasn't the strongest binding spell, should be twenty minutes tops. Yeah it's fine."
"Sorry, by the way." he said facing the motionless Helena.
Walking back with Lily he gave her a smug look. "Were you stalking me?"
She blushed and shoved him. "I was not!"
"I don't mind."