Chapter 18
September 16th 1978
Regulus
"Now, an elemental can both draw on existing elements around them, or create the element from their own energy. For example they could control the water in a nearby lake, but if they were stranded in a desert would be able to create a ball of water from the palm of their hand." Our defense Professor explains.
Longbottom Jr raises his hand. "Yes, Neville is it?" The boy nods. "Yes sir, erm, I was just wondering, I once heard that an elemental's element is based on their house, is that true?" I've never heard of such a thing.
To my surprise the professor nods. "Now that's not entirely true, but somewhat. There's no firm proof on this subject but many scholars are starting to see that certain elements always seem to be from the same house. I myself have always been quite interested in the theory, but the most interesting—and surprising—part of the theory, is which house belongs to which element—would anyone like to take any guesses?"
Evans raises her hand. "Miss Evans, go ahead." She clutches her books tighter. "Gryffindor is Fire, Slytherin is Air, Ravenclaw is water, Hufflepuff Is earth." I myself do not know the answer to this particular question so I watch the professor grin with keen interest. He chuckles softly before uttering the word that I imagine makes Evans's heart stop. "Wrong."
Her face falls and he begins to pace around the room. "That Miss Evans is the surprising part, the houses and Elements are the complete opposite—Miss Granger, care to give it a go?" I turn my gaze to her just in time to see her head snap up In surprise. "Professor?" She asks obviously not paying attention.
He smirks. "If you had to guess which Hogwarts house is related to which element, how would you sort them?" He asks putting his arms behind his back. I see the cogs turning in her mind as she mulls over her options. She looks back up at him. "Earth for Gryffindors, Fire for Slytherin, water for Hifflepuff, and Air for Ravenclaw, Sir." I scoff loudly but no one takes mind. Looks like the golden girl doesn't know everything.
To my surprise our professor doesn't scoff at her stupidity in fact he looks amused. "May you tell me why you think so?" He indulges and he looks at him nervously before clearing her throat. "Well Gryffindors are either the kindest, finest people in the world, or the most violent and dangerous, just like the power of the earth. You either use it to grow flowers or you use it to cause earthquakes, there's no in between."
She moves on. "Water for hufflepuff, because water stands for tranquility and calm. Their kind and calm, rarely losing their temper." I could understand that but earth for gryffindor and fire for Slytherin? "Air for Ravenclaw because although they seem harmless at first they are quite deadly inside, similar to the power of air, because although air can do nothing to you, the electricity and lighting is forms can." Smart, I'll give her that.
She takes one last shaky breath. "Finally, Fire for Slytherin. Powerful, Direct, and Destructive, yet sometimes beautiful." I turn my attention towards the professor waiting for the upcoming rejection, but all he does is smile. "You would be correct, Miss Granger." He says much to my surprise, then continues. "I have another question for you, Miss Granger, if you find it agreeable."
She nods eagerly. "Of course Professor." She says and he smirks looking to her. "Would you say this theory applies to you as well?" He asks and her face falls.
"Professor?"
Hermione
We stand in the same room we once used for the dueling club in our second year, huddling in front of the same platform, on which our Professor stands.
My face falls at his accusation. "Professor?" I squeak hoping he means something else that my mind just is unable to think of right now. He smiles and looks away. "A little birdy told me that we actually have a couple of elementals in this very class."
Gasps go around the room and Harry turns to me and I gulp nervously. "So, for todays lesson I would like to ask them to join me—Miss Granger, Mr Longbottom, step up if you please?" More gasps and I roll my eyes, though I myself am a bit confused as I turn to Neville who looks utterly stunned.
"I-I'm not—" he stammer's Nervously as the weight of the classes eyes bore into him. The professor once again just smiles knowingly. "I've seen you grow plants with just a wave of your hand Neville, no spell or wand in sight."
"I've always been able to do that, that's not elemental magic—I don't think—" he starts to ramble but the professor puts up a hand cutting him off. "Please, Mr Longbottom, step up so we can find out for ourselves—you as well miss granger." He says gesturing to the platform he stands on.
Neville doesn't move. I roll my eyes and take initiative by grabbing his hand and pulling him up the platform with me. The lad looks like he might shit himself with everyone staring at him. Neville has grown a lot from the small skittish boy we knew in Hogwarts, but occasionally there will be an instance like this where he revolts back to his old ways.
"Alright now that we have our two experts up here, can one of you tell me the tell tale sign that someone is using elemental magic as opposed to just nonverbal, wandless, or accidental magic?" He asks as Neville and U take stances on either sides of the platform myself on the right and Neville towards the left. When Neville makes no move to answer I take it upon myself to do so.
I sigh. "Their eyes sir, an Elemental's eyes glow a bright gold color when their magic is in use or about to be." I answer and the professor nods approvingly. "Very good Miss Granger, and ho—ah, yes Mr. Longbottom what seems to be the issue?" He asks to Neville's tentatively raised hand. "I—sir, I think there's been a mistake, I'm not—I don't know how—" the professor waves him off dismissively, turning to the class.
"Today, we will be getting a demonstration from our two elementals—one experienced, one a beginning. We will get to see the beginning of an elementals journey and the end." He explained gesturing to each of us individually.
I can't help but roll my eyes at the fact that I don't remember giving my permission to do a demonstration. "Mrs. Granger, Mr. Longbottom, if you would." He says nodding to us before stepping off the platform leaving Neville and I alone as he joins the crowd of students. I step closer to Neville as he stares at his hands.
He looks up at my approach. "Hermione, I don't—" I hold up a hand stopping the boy in his tracks. "Close your eyes, Nev." I order making him blink in surprise. I raise a brow At his lack of action, and he immediately lets his eyes fall closed at my insistence. I nod my approval, well aware he can't see it. "Your element is earth Neville, feel for it, find its magic, it's all around you, just call to it."
He scrunches his brows but keeps his eyes closed nevertheless. "But I don't—" I put a finger to his lips, shushing him. "Stop questioning it. Don't think, just feel. Reach out to it." I let the breaches of my mind stretch out and grab at the magic myself.
My eyes flash a bright gold color as my magic reaches for the energy. "Do you hear that?" I ask the sound of the magical heartbeat ever so present in my mind. I feel the magic weave its way around my fingers, feel it warm every part of me, from the tips of my toes to the top of my head, the magic so beautifully familiar. "Embrace it Neville, welcome the magic." I tell him, bringing flower vines up from the ground to wrap around one of his shoes.
The are gasps and 'oohs' from the crowd of students, but I barely hear them over the thumping of the magic in the room. I feel it wrapping around Neville, waiting to be used, to be accessed.
I feel the moment he chooses to let it in. Practically feel the magic dripping into ever pore at he welcomes it with open arms, see as it shimmers around his two hands, and when he opens his eyes they glow as gold as mine. "Wield it Neville, as if it was simply a wand in your hand."
And he does the ground cracks beneath us, from the small crack, rises a stem. It start out small but grows with each second, until it turned into a flower vine, with beautifully bloomed flowers and tall enough to reach our waist's. I smile at him as he lowers his hands and stares at the plant in bewilderment.
Claps clamor from all around the room, as many cheer Neville on. "Well, done Neville!" The professor smiles, climbing back on the platform and giving Neville's shoulder a squeeze. Neville seems to regain his confidence at that and relaxes quite a bit and returns the Professor's grin before walking confidently back over to the gryffindors where he receives his praise in the language of pats on the back and shoulder squeezes—as well as the occasional, 'well done Nev!"
The Professor clasps his hands together with a smile. "Thanks to Mr Longbottom Jr and that wonderful display, you now have some idea of the beginning of an elemental's journey, and now—" he turns and gives me a charming smile, gesturing towards me. "Hopefully With the help of Miss Granger, you will get a demonstration as to the difference and developments along the line."
I nod in agreement, though I know he doesn't really mind if I disagree, as he's already made up his mind that I will. He turns swiftly. "Now, Miss Granger, which of the elements have you mastered? You clearly have some skill in earth, is that your only element?" He asks and I shake my head.
"I control Fire and Water as well sir." I explain. Lies. My brain hisses at me. his eyes widen as do many of those around the room.
"Three Elements!"
Sirius
"Three elements!" He exclaims excitedly, and even I have to remind myself not to gape. I look towards my brother on the other side of the room and see he has no such qualms as his mouth is practically dragging on the floor. I then chance a glance at Bella and see her staring at the girl furiously in jealousy.
I remember my mother and uncle Cygnus always giving Reggie and Bella Hell for only having two elements mastered, as it would mean they had less weapons at their disposal. Remember hearing their screams from the dungeons during their 'training hours' in which they would try to both use their powers as lethal weapons and try to learn a new element all together.
Each time they failed, they were punished.
And now, a supposed muggle born girl has done easily what they've struggled with all their lives. I fear what that means for her.
I turn my attention back to the platform. "Three elements? Why that's extraordinary Miss Granger! You must be a very powerful witch to have mastered them by eighteen." I see my niece blush at the complement and silently cheer her on.
"Miss granger, please explain to us the elemental process." My niece nods and holds her hands behind her back. "The world is made up of elements, Fire, water, earth, and air, these elements are always there, meaning we elementals always have some power to call on."
I see my brother nod unconsciously with Hermione's words. "Each element is different but they all carry the same energy, so for example Neville—an earth holder—could wield a pond's energy to make a plant grow." At that Regulus's brow furrows, as does mine.
She continues. "There are two types of magic us elementals can use, we can wield or we can shape. Wielding is when we simply reach for the elemental energy around us and use it to create our one separate element. If we are surrounded by flames but don't have an affinity for fire we can use the energy to create water. Shaping is when we use the element we are surrounded by and twist and shape it to our will, for example there is always moisture in the air so a elemental with an affinity for water could use it to join together and make one giant ball of water." She emphasizes her point by doing exactly that and waving her two hand in a circle, creating a ball of water floating above her palm.
The students gasp in appreciation and I smile at her talent. "One of the hardest parts of elemental magic is controlling multiple things at once. Which means it's easier to control one body of water—" she snaps and suddenly the ball of water disperses into a hundred little droplets. "—then a hundred small ones."
Looks of appreciation come from faces all over the room, green ties and red ties alike. It seems even the snakes know that my darling niece is something to appreciate.
She does a closing motion and the water disappears as if it had never been there. "The hardest part, though, would be controlling two Elements—" she opens both palm in front of her, one holds a ball of water similar to the first, the other holds a bright glowing flame. "At once."
"Holy shit." James breathes from beside me. We all watch as the small witch raises the two balls in the air, each of the growing the higher they get. She takes a step back as they begin to circle each other, her hands raised, controlling the two, her nose scrunched in concentration.
Then suddenly, they aren't balls anymore, they're shifting and moving, until they aren't circles at all, but animals.
Dragons.
My lips lower from the grin I was sporting as I watch the two beasts circling each other, playfully trying to bite each others tales as they fly in the air, my niece hand movements controlling the show.
Students clap and cheer as the allusions fly around the room, one doing a loop around me and James.
I don't clap.
Instead I chance a look at my brother. He too doesn't join the others in applauding, instead he stands stiffly with his arms crossed and jaw clenched, staring straight ahead. I hear someone saying something to me as the dragon shaped flame flies past us once again but I don't hear it, instead I'm locked into the darkest places in my mind, reliving memories I almost forgot.
"Sirius!" Reggie yells excitedly running into my bedroom. I look up from the convers I'm painting. Convers are muggle sneakers, Any got them for me. Andy's my older cousin, she sneaks out to the muggle world with her friends and sometimes she gets me something, but it's our little secret because mum and dad would loose their tops. They believe in a thing called blood purity—which Andy says is a lode of bull.
I'm painting my converse for next year when I go to Hogwarts, which is the school that Andy and her sisters go to. "What, Reggie?" I ask my little brother who is standing in the doorway panting like he just ran up here—which is very un-Reggie-like. My perfect little brother would never risk punishment over something as stupid as acting like a kid.
He's practically jumping up and down in excitement with a giant grin, which is very odd to see for someone who lives in this house. "Come on, I wanna show you something bella just taught me!" I sigh. Bella is Andy's older sister. She, Andy, and cissa just got back for the summer from Hogwarts.
Bella and Reggie are both elementals, so a lot of times bella will learn a new trick and teach it to Reg. "Come on, Sirius, come on!" Reg hurries, pulling on my arm, making me stand from my seat on my bed. "Okay, okay! I'm coming!"
He pulls me out of the door and quickly runs down the stairs and through the different halls and I thank everything that is good, that my parents aren't home right now to see this.
He pulls me along until we're out of the house and in the forest that surrounds the large mansion. He runs with my arm in his grip until we reach the nearby pond that we have taken to visiting. He stops at the pond and let's go of my arm leaving me to cross them over my chest. "Well, what is it you had to drag me out of the house for exactly?"
Reggie just smiles and turns towards the pond, putting both hands out in front of him. "Watch this!" Reggie's eyes glow gold like they always do when he's using his powers. The water starts to shift, until a ball of water is floating up from the pond. I roll my eyes. "Yeah Reggie, you controlling the water isn't really that unusual."
Reggie rolls his eyes and brings the ball so it's right in front of us.keeping one hand out, in control of the water—he conjures a flame in the other, shaping it into a ball as well and levitating it to float next to the water.
I groan.
"Again Reggie, you controlling fire isn't anything new, in fact it's less new then the water—" I stop at his smirk and his eyes glow gold once again as he puts up both palm at the two elements floating in the air in front of us. "What about this?" He smirks and I watch as the two spheres twist and morph until they are no longer spheres at all,
But dragons.
"Holy shit!" I grin at me brother as he moves his palms towards me and the two dragons shaped elements follow his lead, circling around me happily, trying to bite each others tales.
I laugh at the allusions and my brother grins proudly.
"How's that for nothing new?"
I sob into my pillow, trying to ignore the aches and pains everywhere in my body. Try to ignore the familiar shaking and twitching of my hands as the result of a prolonged cruciatus curse. Try not to lay on the side that had been beaten with my fathers cane.
I had just gotten back from Hogwarts for Yule when my parents ambushed me. I'd gotten the letters and howlers from my mother and father almost immediately after the sorting. Yelling at me for 'tarnishing the reputation of the noble house of black.'
I knew that they would be furious, logically knew that I would be punished. But a part of me—the naive part of me—had convinced myself that they would have forgotten about it. That they would be upset but forgive me.
It turns out, I'd just been spending to much time around James.
Of course they would hate me for being a gryffindor. We weren't like the potters, and I should've never convinced myself we were. I'd been living in a too good dream at Hogwarts, this was just me waking up. The second I'd gotten home I was bombarded with curses, left and right. A part of me had heard Reggie begging them to stop but had known it was no use.
Godric knows their punishment is unavoidable
But then again, Godric is the one who got me into this mess.
I groan in pain and clutch my side as I bump the bruises—and most likely broken—ribs. My shirt is soaked in blood, sweat, and tears, and continues to get wet with the never ending steam of tears that rolls from my eyes.
I squeeze my eyes shut and wish for the pain to just stop. To go away, and never come back.
It's just then, when I'm wishing, and hoping for the pain to stop, that I feel the bed dip and groan as someone moves my body from its huddled position. I weakly try to push away from the body—my muddled brain unsure if it's my parents back to finish the job—but then I feel it.
The tenderness in the touch, as it runs fingers through my hair—my head now placed on the figures chest. "Open your eyes Sirius." My brothers voice coos quickly. I can't stop the whimper that leaves me as I open my eyes trying and failing to ignore the pain. "Look up."
I look up through my tear blurred eyes to see that familiar sight of dragon shaped flame and water circling each other right above our heads. The sight of the allusion bringing a small sad smile to my lips. "I love you Reggie."
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you Siri."
"She's sure something isn't she?" James grins, a look of pure admiration crossing his face as he looks to my niece. With one last glance at my brother, I blink back the tears and give him the best smile I can manage.
"She sure is."
3728 words
Hey, everyone!! I know it's been a long time since I've updated—23 days to be exact—and I do have an explanation for that. About four days after I made my last update I unfortunately got into an accident on the way to Uni. I did have to stay in the hospital for about a week due to some injuries, one being my arm being fractured, which with the cast makes it a bit difficult to type. I am on the mends and will be ok, I just ask everyone be understanding and patient while I try to figure this out. I will continue to update it just might take more time then usual theirs next two months. Anyway everyone have a wonderful day and thank you for reading.