Chapter 11: Luna's Surprise

The End

Chapter 11: Luna's Surprise

At 3:15, all ten students were jogging up to meet their new trainers. They were standing there, looking wide awake and ready to work. Aiko looked at her peers and they all nodded.

"Good morning boys and girls. You're late," she said softly. Harry scoffed loudly and Aiko's head snapped in his direction. "Something to say, Potter?" she asked, crossing her arms. Harry nodded and stood up straight after catching his breath.

"It's exactly three-fifteen. You said be out here at three-fifteen. How in the bloody hell are we late?" Harry asked. Aiko smiled.

"In my book, Potter, if you are on time, you are late. If you're early, you are on time. Do you get me?" she asked. Harry frowned and nodded, not bothering to rebuttal. Aiko smiled again. "Good. Ferris, take it away."

"Thank you, Aiko. Listen up. If you receive general training, you will be with Cye and me. So, who has general training?" Ferris looked over the group. Five hands went up. Ferris nodded. "Well, let's get to it. Follow me. The rest of you will be with those two," Ferris said, nodding in the direction of Darien and Aiko. Lina, Rina, Hermione, Ron, and Neve followed Ferris and Cye to the center of the pitch.

"Welcome to your first day of training. This is going to be some really grueling work. I expect nothing but the best from all of you. Lina, Rina, do not expect special treatment because you are my sisters. If anything, you will be pushed the hardest from me. Now, a few ground rules." Cye looked at Ferris.

"If you mess up once, you will be corrected. If you mess up twice, you will run a kilometer around this pitch. That's about six laps around the pitch. If you mess up three times, I will break my foot off in your arse, and then you will run a kilometer. If by some odd reason you mess up a fourth time, I will again break my fucking foot off in your arse, and you will run three kilometers. That's about eighteen laps. Do you get me?" Ferris asked. They all nodded solemnly.

"Now, we begin. How good are your reflexes?" Cye asked. She pulled out her wand. The students exchanged looks.

"Well, I would say they're pretty good," Ron said. Cye nodded.

"Wands out. Take five large steps back." After they obeyed, Cye pointed her wand. "I will not give you any warning as to when I'm going to shoot..."

"Expelliarmus!" Ferris yelled. The curse sped towards Neve at top speed. Neve, whose reflexes are much less than perfect, was blasted backwards. She stood up quickly, ready to retaliate. "That is a perfect example of not being on your guard," Ferris said.

On the other end of the pitch, Harry was trying to hit Aiko with a spell using Soliopathy. He was quite unsuccessful. She was too fast.

"Damnit! Stand still!" Harry yelled, still shooting spells off. Aiko smirked and stood still. Harry took this moment to shoot again at her. His spell seemed to go straight through her. Ginny, Aurora, Neville, and Draco all gasped. Harry looked utterly confused. A hand tapped Harry on the shoulder. Harry whirled around quickly to see little Aiko standing there. She was smiling as hard as she possibly could. Harry looked behind him and saw another Aiko, only it was dissipating into nothingness. "How?"

"I will explain. What I just did is called the Toshi Technique. It requires a vast amount of magic to do and takes years to master. What you are doing is basically leaving an image of yourself while the real you moves to safety," Aiko said, walking over to the nearly gone image.

"How did you get behind Harry without any of us seeing you? You couldn't have Apparated. We would've seen you," Ginny said. Aiko smiled and looked down.

"Well, I did Apparate, Miss Weasley," Aiko said. Ginny looked utterly confused.

"That's impossible. We didn't hear you. Plus, we're on Hogwarts' grounds. You can't Apparate here," Draco said, crossing his arms. Aiko shook her head.

"What you must understand, Mr. Malfoy, is that I am a highly trained Magas. I know exactly what I am doing. Now, in this case, I did Apparate. I did do it on Hogwarts' grounds, also. We both know that it is SAID to be impossible because of the enchantments and charms surrounding the school. There are ways around everything, Draco. You must learn to bend and break certain things like enchantments. I did a special kind of Apparition called Silencieux Apparition. In other words, it's a silent and quick Apparition. Like the Toshi Technique, it takes years to master," Aiko said, stretching her arms.

"Are you going to teach us how to do that?" Aurora asked.

"I am not going to teach you that. That's a little too hard for me to teach. Now, Darien might be able to teach it, as he is a better person at doing it. I do not have the patience to teach you all that. My main specialty is Soliopathy. Harry and Aurora, come with me," Aiko said. She looked over in the other group's direction. "Hermione! Come with us!" she yelled. In the distance, Hermione started to run over with them. Aiko guided them to the goals. She turned to face the three. "Now that we're all here, let's get started."

"Why am I here?" Hermione asked. Aiko glared at her.

"I said I wanted to get you to start in on Soliopathy. Now you will begin by learning the hardest spells. These can only be done with Soliopathy. But first, I want you, Hermione, to summon this glass to you." Aiko conjured a glass up with her wand. Hermione looked at her.

"How?" Hermione asked.

"Hold your hand out and say the spell with feeling in your mind. Concentrate," Aiko said, holding the glass out in her hand. Hermione nodded and stared at the glass. She held her small hand out. Harry watched as the glass began shaking. Hermione frowned, and the glass came flying towards her. Aiko raised her eyebrows.

"Wow," Aurora said simply.

"Wow is right. Do you have any idea how long it took for me to summon a water goblet?" Harry asked. Hermione smiled. Aiko nodded.

"Good job, Hermione. But, because you are not a natural Soliopath, these next spells will come a little harder for you. Summoning the goblet just proved that you are capable of doing Soliopathy. Now, these new spells have a name. They come from my native land, Japan, and therefore, have Japanese names. They are called the..."

"...Kana-Kaori Curses." Hermione finished. Aiko looked in her direction and nodded.

"Correct, Hermione. There are three curses: the Nariko Curse, the Nami Curse, and the Raiden Curse. The Nariko is simple enough to use, but it requires a lot of practice in order to use it right. It's like the Patronus charm in terms of learning to use it. Anyone can produce a Patronus. The thing about it is, can you produce a silver mist or a corporeal one? Do you understand?"

"Yes. What does the Nariko Curse do?"

"It gives the person you direct it on the impression that they are hearing a loud, deafening sound. It is so unbearable that the person's ears will literally start bleeding. It has the power to deafen a person, also. There are ways to overcome this curse, but few can ignore the pain it imposes. The sound is not real, it is merely an illusion that the mind puts on a person," Aiko said.

"So, how are we going to practice this curse?" Aurora asked. Aiko smiled.

"Well, that leaves us in a little bit of a pickle, doesn't it? The incantation cannot be said. It will have no affect. You must think it. The incantation is Narishi," Aiko said. The others nodded. "Now, when you do this curse, you do not need to point it. The tricky part is that you must hold eye contact with a person long enough for them to get the curse. For example..." Aiko turned around and looked over at the others. "Darien!" she yelled. Darien looked over at her. Her brown eyes met his.

Narishi, she thought strongly. Darien flinched for a moment, and then started reeling in pain. Aiko blinked, and he stopped, looking around cautiously. Then he glared at Aiko.

"Damnit, Aiko! Why am I always your damn guinea pig?" he yelled towards her. Aiko smiled.

"Sorry about that, Darien! I was just trying to make a point." She waved at him. Darien merely put up his middle finger, mumbling to himself. Aiko laughed it off. She turned back towards her pupils. "Do you get the idea?"

"His ears didn't bleed," Hermione said. Aiko nodded.

"I stopped the curse by blinking. You only need to maintain eye contact to put the curse upon them. Once you blink, the curse will end. You also need to keep looking intently at that person. I know how to fight off the curse, depending upon how powerful it is thrown upon me. Aurora, why don't you try first," Aiko said. Aurora nodded and met Aiko's narrow eyes. She stared hard at her for a moment.

Narishi, she thought. Aiko flinched and took a step back. She closed her eyes. Aurora kept staring at her, long and hard. Hermione and Harry watched with wide eyes. Aiko looked back at Aurora. Aurora was struggling to keep from blinking. Finally, she did, breathing hard.

"You must remember to keep breathing, Aurora. If you don't it will be easier for you to drop the curse. That was rather good on the first try. Very normal, though. You need to work on putting your feelings aside. I sensed way too much regret at having to throw the curse at me. Forget who I am for a time. I do not sense the feeling that you actually want to hurt me," Aiko said.

"That is because I do not wish to hurt you," Aurora said calmly. Aiko nodded.

"Put your feelings aside, Aurora. Now, Hermione, you try." Aiko nodded at Hermione. Hermione smiled and stared at Aiko long and hard.

Narishi, she thought powerfully. Aiko blinked and kept staring at Hermione. Hermione was breathing steadily. Aiko smiled a little, although you could tell that she was in a little pain. Hermione's hands began to shake and finally, she blinked.

"That was a little better than Aurora, Hermione. I actually felt a little bit of hatred. Who or what did you think of?" she asked.

"Don't worry about that," Hermione said, looking at the ground. Aiko looked at her for a moment longer, and then turned her gaze to Harry. Harry took off his glasses, and his green eyes met Aiko's. She smirked.

"Let us see what the Boy-Who-Lived has to offer for me," Aiko said. Harry gave her a smirk of his own. He stared intently at Aiko. Aiko's eyes widened slightly.

NARISHI, Harry thought with all his might. A wave of energy seemed to be projected from Harry, as the grass bent like the wind had touched it. Aiko took a step back, a little overtaken. She frowned and bent down to the ground, holding her ears. Hermione and Aurora looked startled. Aiko seemed to be losing this battle. Blood started to trickle down the sides of her face from her ears. Hermione looked at Harry. He didn't seem to want to give up.

"Harry!" she yelled. Harry did not stop. Hermione stepped up beside him. He seemed to be in a trance of some sort. Aurora closed her eyes. Harry fell to his knees, holding his head. Hermione kneeled beside him. Aiko uncovered her ears, her hand bloodied. She looked over at Harry, who was now unconscious. Hermione looked up at Aurora. "What did you do?" she asked.

"I stopped him by using his own telepathy against him," Aurora answered quietly. Hermione nodded and looked down at Harry. Aiko stood up straight. Ferris and Cye had run up beside her.

"What happened here?" Cye asked. Aiko looked over at her.

"WHAT?" she yelled. Cye put a finger to her lips. Aiko nodded. Cye then looked at the two girls.

"Well?" she asked.

"We were practicing the Nariko Curse and it was Harry's turn. He entered some sort of trance and managed to get the best of Aiko. In order to make him stop, Aurora used her telepathy. If he hadn't stopped, he would've made Aiko deaf," Hermione said quickly. Cye nodded and looked over at her friend. Ferris was cleaning the blood from the sides of her head.

"How long will it take before her hearing returns?" Aurora asked.

"An hour, two at the most. It takes about eight minutes for the hearing loss to be permanent. I doubt he would've been able to hold the curse for that long. It draws a lot of energy from the person projecting the curse. Aiko will be fine, and a bit peeved when she gets her hearing back. I think she might want revenge." Cye laughed. Aiko was glaring at Harry.

"I didn't think the little bastard would be that powerful," Aiko whispered, obviously trying not to yell. Ferris laughed at her.

"I think Aiko has met her match in Soliopathy. She's one of the most powerful ones, second only to Madam Cosette Constantine, headmistress of the Constantine School of Soliopathy," Ferris said. Aiko read his lips.

"Bite me, Ferris," she mumbled and the group laughed at her.

A long way away, Voldemort's eyes sprang open. Nicola looked up from her seat on the sofa. Giovanna was next to her, dozing. Voldemort was holding his head, as if in pain. Nicola looked at him harder, narrowing her eyes.

"What's wrong with you?" Nicola asked. Voldemort glared over in her direction.

"That stupid Potter boy. He just did something rather amazing, and drew power from me. It hurts like hell," Voldemort said. Nicola smirked.

"I guess you now get a taste of what he feels when you are particularly happy or feeling rather evil about something. And since when does the foulest person in the world use naughty language?" she asked. Voldemort narrowed his eyes as she chuckled to herself. He sighed.

"I am far from the foulest person in the world, Nicola. It is you who holds that title, I'm afraid," Voldemort said. Nicola nodded solemnly.

"I guess you've got me on that one, Tom," Nicola said. She stood up from her seat. Giovanna stirred next to her and opened her eyes. A piece of paper fell from Nicola's robes as she started to walk off. Nicola hadn't noticed. Giovanna picked it up. It was a picture of a baby girl. She seemed to be smiling at the camera. Giovanna stared long and hard at the picture. She'd seen those eyes somewhere before, but couldn't place where. They were big, beautiful eyes. She turned the picture over. It read Ivi at three months, in Nicola's elaborate hadnwriting.

"Ivi?" Giovanna whispered. "Nicola's a mother?" she asked. Nicola had returned to her seat. Giovanna put the picture in her lap. Nicola looked shocked. "So, what happened to her?" she asked. Nicola looked down at the picture.

"She was born after Gianni died. I couldn't take the responsibility, so I left her someone's doorstep. I haven't seen her since," she said quietly. Giovanna frowned at her sister.

"I've seen her. I can't quite remember where, though. How could you give your child away, Nic? Just like some old trash?" Giovanna asked, looking a little peeved. "Then you don't even tell anyone about it," she said, raising her voice. Nicola continued to stare at the picture.

"Lower your damn voice, Vanna. I was very young and stupid then. I was only eighteen when I married that man, and nineteen when I had her. I couldn't raise a child on my own," she said. Giovanna crossed her arms.

"And I'm the one with all the secrets."

"Fuck off, Vanna," Nicola said.

"No, Nic. It's IS your fault that Gianni is dead in the first place. I raised not one, but two children, who were babies at the exact same time, on my own."

"But you were twenty-five, Vanna. Or have you forgotten that I am six years younger than you? You try being a mother of a little girl at that age, and being alone in the world at the same time. Not to mention that I was a wanted criminal, and I still am!"

"Nic, you are filthy rich! You could've hired a nanny!"

"With my record, Vanna? I'm sure the little bitch would've given me away the first chance she got! I couldn't take that risk. I did what was best for the child and me. She would've had a horrible childhood."

"Why don't you try finding her, Nic? I'm sure she's a witch. And a damn good one, I'd wager. She looks like she might've had that bushy, brown hair like Gianni."

"Maybe I will someday, Vanna. When I'm reformed or something. I guarantee you that I would've been a terrible mother. I'm nothing like you," Nicola whispered. Giovanna put her arm around her sister.

"I'm confident you would've made a great one."

"RON! Watch where you're shooting that damn thing!" Hermione yelled, dodging one of Ron's arrows. He looked over his hand.

"Sorry about that, Mione. Watch out." Ron shot another one. It flew past everyone. Draco ducked and turned to watch where the arrow would land. It was heading straight for a body. Draco gasped.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" he yelled, waving his harms wildly. The body instead put a wand up. The arrow exploded. When the dust cleared, everyone saw Luna standing there, smiling. She walked over to them.

"So this is where Neville's been sneaking off to every morning," she said, her large eyes twinkling. Everyone looked genuinely surprised that Luna could produce such a barrier. She smiled, and put her wand away in her robes.

"Since when did you become so powerful?" Hermione asked, taking a step forward. Luna looked over at her.

"Well, I was never 'weak' to begin with, Hermione. When I was let out of St. Mungo's in June, I started to train on my own. I read through countless defense spells before I'd mastered most of them. I'm a fast learner, you see. So, while I've been here, every night I go to the Room of Requirement and practice. One day, I was returning rather late, and I saw Neville trying to buckle a belt while running down the hallway. I started seeing him more and more. So, I decided to follow him this time. What exactly are you guys doing?" Luna asked. Everyone was staring at her in disbelief. Most of them had written Luna off as a very simple girl. Now, she'd proven herself to be somewhat powerful. Neve blinked.

"Well, uh, we're training to become Magi. You know, to help out the Order. It was on Dumbledore's orders."

"The Magi, huh? I read about them. Some secret organization of extremely powerful wizard folk. Said to be higher than Aurors. Well, I'd love to join you. I'd consider myself a Neofita. I guess I might be as powerful as one of them," Luna said. Everyone was still in a sort of stupor. Luna sighed as Neve turned to face them.

"Oh, snap out of it, you guys!" she yelled. Everyone else blinked and seemed to come back to life.

"Well, can I join you?" Luna asked meekly, smiling. Everyone looked at Hermione, who was leader of the Junior Order.

"Sure. I don't see the harm it could do. We need all the help we can get and she IS rather powerful..." Hermione's voice trailed off. Luna jumped up and clasped her hands together.

"I won't let you down, Hermione," she said giddily. Hermione smiled and nodded.

"Well, let's see where you are, Luna," Ferris said. Luna nodded.

As training drew to a close, Harry was rubbing his head. Aiko was still sitting, constantly rubbing her sore ears. The both looked somewhat in pain. The group crowded around them.

"Well, training is done for today. You will not be allowed to return home for Christmas break, I'm afraid. Sorry to dampen your holiday spirits, chaps. You will be here, helping us guard a very special event," Cye said calmly. Everyone looked at each other.

"Like what?" Rina asked, looking a little skeptical. Darien smiled, crossing his arms.

"Well, in light of the recent events, and events to come, some of the Ministers and Mistresses for Magic will be meeting here, at Hogwarts, for a meeting to decide what action to take next. I am to understand that several European countries will be represented; including your grandfather, Neve and Aurora," Darien said. Everyone nodded.

"Regardless of this event, you will continue your training as planned everyday. This time, though, you will practice from sun-up to sundown. You will not be residing in the castle, either. Consider these next two weeks as boot camp."

"Where will be staying?" Lina asked, looking a little afraid of what they were going to say. The four Magi smiled evilly.

"Tents, out here, in the snow. You will eat in the Great Hall, and bathe also. Other than that, you will be on the pitch everyday, all day. If we are needed in the castle, you will be asked to help. If not, welcome to the coldest desert in the world," Cye said. Everyone's face immediately fell.

"You can't be serious? Have you bloody well lost your mind? I refuse to stay out here!" Draco exclaimed finally. Ferris looked over at him.

"You, the second in command, are afraid to...what's the term...rough it? Oh, I might as well tell you. Percy, Fred, and George Weasley will be joining us. So will Penelope Clearwater, Angelina Johnson, Lee Jordan, and Alicia Spinnet. They complete your group. They were being trained by some of the other Magi back at the Burrow, but now they would like to join you for this training," Ferris said. Ginny and Ron's faces lit up.

"That's bloody great!" Ron said. Harry winced.

"Oi! Ron, try not to yell please," he grumbled.

"Oh, sorry, mate."

"Well, off you go. No need in you staying out here any longer. I expect breakfast will be waiting for you in the Great Hall. Training is over, for now." Cye waved her hand. The group started off back towards the castle.