(1) Patrimony (H. Potter)

Chapter Seven

Harry finds himself lingering at the alcove again, this time sat on the floor, more comfortable as he waits for Rhiannon. She'd left him a note that she'd found somewhere for them to study and practice. He'd come straight here after meeting with Hagrid to see what he wanted. It turns out what he wanted was to show him some dragons. Dragons that the champions apparently have to face in their first task. Dragons. Actual dragons. He's fourteen. He taps his foot against the opposite wall, tapping his wand into his palm. He then jumps when he notices Rhiannon standing over him.

"Rhiannon" He scolds a little. "You scared me," She chuckles and shakes her head.

"You are not paying attention to your surroundings" She teases as he stands. "I could have been anyone" He gives her a smile and shakes his head, she does have a point though. There is a noise down the hall and Harry pokes his head out of the little alcove to check it out.

"Filch" Harry warns her, she frowns a little and peers around the corner to see the caretaker, she holds up her hand, producing her wand. She takes a deep breath and holds it out, aimed at Filch. "What are you doing?" Harry asks her, she hisses at him a little.

"Be quiet" She scolds him. "I need to concentrate"

"You are going to get us caught" He counters. She shoves her free hand over his mouth and gives him a look, he gives her one back, she turns and concentrates on Filch again. She swishes with her wand and casts a spell at Filch who then drops to the ground. Harry peers around and then snap his gaze to Rhiannon. "What did you do?" He asks and then hurries to Filch, Rhiannon follows behind him and rolls her eyes.

"Relax, it's a simple sleeping spell" She answers and nudges Filch with her boot. "He'll wake in an hour..." Harry looks at her. She holds out her hand to him and raises an eyebrow. He looks down at Filch. "You said you wanted my help" She reminds him. "We can't do that here" Harry reaches over and takes her hand, they then vanish in a puff of Mist.

.............

Harry and Rhiannon reappear in a dark hallway in the lower reaches of the school. Harry instantly groans and feels queasy. Everything spins slightly around him. He lets out a breath.

"I feel like my insides were pulled apart and then shoved back in the wrong way" He complains curling around himself. Rhiannon looks at him and snorts.

"You get used to it" She comments.

"Was that apparition?" He asks her.

"No" She answers. "It's different" They walk along the dark hall towards a room that Attila had scoped out for her. Not a lot of foot traffic. "It's...." She shrugs a little. "Karkaroff says it's an extension of this connection I have with the Mist"

"Mist?" He counters, she turns a little and then snorts.

"Do they teach you nothing here?" She asks him with a small teasing smile. "The Mist is...it's what stops the....no-magiques" He frowns at her, she sighs. "What do you call them?" She asks. "Muggles?" He nods. "Right, well it stops them from seeing anything magical. Like an illusion" She offers and holds up her hand, Mist trickles from her fingers as she wiggles them and weaves around them, twirling and warm. Harry raises his hand to draw it through the Mist. Rhiannon's eyes sparkle with mischief before she smirks watching as Harry's hand begins to transform into a hoof, he pulls his hand back alarmed, returning his hand to normal. Rhiannon chuckles. "Illusion" She reminds him, he flexes his fingers and glances at her.

"Is that something your dad taught you?" He asks her. "That Grindelwald guy?"

"Your friends have been talking, I presume" She comments, he shrugs a little. "No" She answers. "I've never met him" She admits, he glances at her. "All I know about him, are the things he's done....people like to keep reminding me"