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Rursus in Aetas	By : Alucinor Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 4196 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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AN: Oh...that's right...I now have access to the internet...and to celebrate...I'm updating my little plot bunny...ok...so...It's not Sketching...which seems to have everyone in a tiffle...but you know what?? I like it...hehe...to be honest...I want to see how many people jump on this story too...I actually have a far better idea for it then sketching....but, uh...you didn't hear me say that >.>

Chapter Two

The train
ride to Hogwarts was virtually uneventful. Harry, unable to find either of his
best friends, sat with Ginny and Neville. He vaguely listened as they discussed
what their summers had been like. Harry noticed with a pang of remorse that
neither of them had commented on their fallen headmaster or how different
things would be now. He suspected it was out of respect; if not for Dumbledore
then for �Poor Broken Harry.� Although, the latter seemed more pity then
anything.

When the
train finally came to a stop, Harry climbed into the nearest carriage with a
wry glance at the dismal creatures that pulled it. He sat back in his seat, his
mind wondering enough that he was only dimly aware of the carriage dipping as
someone else joined him. Ginny smiled at him nervously from the opposite seat.
He attempted a smile in return but suspected it came across as more of a
grimace.

So lost in
his own musings, he didn�t even notice the carriage suddenly lurch to a stand
still. A soft tug on his arm directed his attention to Neville�s worried
expression.

�You all
right, Harry? We�re here.� Neville didn�t seem to actually expect and answer,
however, and was content with walking beside Harry as they entered the Great
Hall and took their seats.

�Harry,
mate,� He looked up and realized he had sat beside Ron on impulse. �We couldn�t
find you on the train.� Ron clapped a friendly hand on his shoulder.

�Are you
alright, Harry?� Hermione�s soft eyes scanned his
face. For a moment, he was reminded of Dumbledore�s eyes; the way they had
seemed to pierce right through to your soul. He shook the thought off and even
went so far as to reprimand his self. I�m
acting childish. I need to be strong; if not for me then for everyone else.
What would Dumbledore think if he saw me this way? He attempted to smile at
her, thinking this time the expression had come slightly easier.

�I�m
alright, �Mione. Just a bit tired is all.� She nodded
but still watched him carefully.

�Hey,� Ron
started. �We couldn�t send you your birthday presents through owl post. My dad
said it was too risky.� He rolled his eyes, as if the very idea of owl-post
being dangerous was completely bizarre. �I�ve got your presents up stairs
though. Wait until you see what Fred and George got you!� Harry smiled again,
noticing it was becoming easier and easier to fake the expression.

�Sounds
like I should worry.� Harry said. Ron chortled merrily and clapped him on the
shoulder again. They directed their attention to the front as the annual
sorting began.

The
sorting, Harry noticed, was extraordinarily brief this year. Either there just
weren�t that many wizards and witches born eleven years ago or parents were
starting to worry about their children�s safety at Hogwarts. After a quick scan
through the great hall, Harry realized the later was much more likely. There
were huge gaps missing at all of the tables. He noticed several familiar faces
were absent from the Gryffindor table as well. He didn�t blame them; after last
year it was quite evident that even Hogwarts was no longer impenetrable.

�Welcome
new students,� McGonagall stood before the staff table. She looked rather
solemn, all things considered. �And welcome back, to all previous students. It
has been a long and trying few years for us all. We have lost someone very dear
to us.� For the first time, Harry became aware of the black tapestries that hung
above them.

�Albus Dumbledore�s loss has been an immense blow to us all.
He was more then just a headmaster. For many, he played the role of a father or
grandparent.� Harry bit his tongue and focused on the grain of the wood table
before him.

�He was a
friend, an advisor, a part of our family.� A few students had begun to cry;
Harry tried desperately to drown them out. He knew what Dumbledore had meant to
him; what he had meant to everyone. But, he also realized that if he dwelled on
this for too long, he would, without a doubt, break down.

�For the
time being, I will be your new headmistress; however, I know it will be
impossible to fill the shoes of such a great wizard. I wish,� She trailed off
and seemed to change her words slightly. �It is my honor, to take over where
such a great man has left off. I see dark times ahead of us and I want, more
then anything, for you all to be prepared. The ministry can no longer pretend;
it can no longer hide behind denial.� The word �ministry� sounded like a vile
poison as she spoke it. Harry silently agreed to the hidden meaning behind her
words.

�He-who-must-not-be-named
has returned.� There were several gasps but the majority of the room just
looked on in remorse. Harry envisaged his self smacking those few ignorant
students; as if it wasn�t obvious Voldemort had
returned. �This year, Hogwarts will be doubling its efforts in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Modeled after a privet association
students established last year, your Professor will be directly teaching you
counter spells and jinxes for your protection and well being.� Harry scanned
the head table, searching for an unfamiliar face that would, undoubtedly, be
their new teacher. He was surprised when his eyes met those of a rather
familiar face; Remus Lupin.

�If
everyone would please welcome back your Defense Against
the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin� The hall
broke out into applause, Ron grinning ear to ear beside him.

�It�s about
time!� Hermione exclaimed. �It�s good to see someone finally realized how great
of a teacher he was.� This time, Harry had no trouble at all returning her
smile. Professor McGonagall lifted her hands and the cheers faded slowly.

�Now then,
I know you are all tired and hungry, and so I will try to finish as quickly as
possible. New students, please note that the Forbidden
Forest is out of bounds to all
students. It is impervious in these times that you abide by these rules; your
safety and well-being depend on them greatly. Please, remember that no spells
are to be cast in the hallways and fighting is strictly prohibited.� Her eyes
scanned the hall over her glasses, a severe look gracing her features. �In
these dark times, we must stick together as one solid unit. For this reason,
I�m allowing you to choose your own seats for meals and classes. I strongly
encourage you to sit with all houses
regardless of past stereotypes.� Her gaze swept over the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables. �Without further adieu, let the feast
begin.� And so it did.

Harry
watched, bemused, as Ron immediately began piling his plate with various foods.
He scanned the table with an unsettling feeling in his stomach. He had no
appetite, although the food did look just as delicious as usual.

�Privet association?� Ron chuckled through a mouthful of
chicken. Hermione gave him a disgusted look and he swallowed before continuing.
�We all know she�s talking about the D.A.�

�Well,�
Hermione said. She began discreetly piling mashed potatoes onto Harry�s plate,
hoping he�d get the hint and at least attempt to eat. �With Professor Lupin instructing us this year, I�m sure we�ll learn loads.
I�m really looking forward to it, actually.�

�Say�s the
girl who�s also looking forward to Arithmancy and
Runes.� Ron rolled his eyes and spooned a healthy amount of potatoes onto his
own plate.

�Those are
both very interesting classes! What extra classes did you take this year Ronald?� Harry closed his eyes, attempting to block
out their quarrelling. The task was usually much easier when he wasn�t sitting
right beside them. He glanced down at his plate and let out an arid chuckle.
Sighing, he took a small bite watching Hermione smile gratefully in return. His
mouth was so dry he could hardly taste it but at least it would keep her happy.

The rest of
the meal was spent in relative silence; a few soft conversations cutting
through the otherwise desolate space. Harry soon found himself being led to the
seventh floor by his fellow classmates.

�Ron can go
upstairs and grab the gifts; unless you want to open them in the boys� dorm,
Harry?� Hermione said.

�No, that�s
fine.� He tried another smile. Hermione thankfully bought it and turned forward
once more with a smile.

Harry curled
up on the sofa and stared into the flames as Ron went to grab the gifts. Ginny
and Neville sat on the opposite sofa while the rest of the students retreated
to their respective dormitories.

�Alright,
Harry!� Ron�s voice rang out from above them. A small stack of gifts floated
down from the stairs, landing, rather unceremoniously, in a heap on the carpet
before them. Hermione scoffed.

�Honestly,
Ron! Be more careful with that spell!� Ron turned bright red and glared at her
as he joined them around the fire. After seven years of learning and practicing
a wide arrangement of spells and charms, Ron had gotten very good at many of
them. But somehow, even after all the practice, he still managed to botch the
simple levitation charm.

Hermione
reached into the pile and pulled out the first of the lot, handing it to Harry.
After several minutes of tearing paper and random comments from the others,
Harry had quite the collection of gifts sitting beside him. Mrs. Weasley had given him her well known, yearly sweater. It
was sewn with a soft, green material he wasn�t quite familiar with. Ron
explained that his father had charms cast on it to keep the wearer not only
warm but protected from lower level spells. It was a very thoughtful gift and
Harry promised he�d write them a thank you letter. Ron had gotten him a new
broom supply kit; the old one was down to its last bit of wax and the cloth had
seen much better days. Hermione, ever the one for education, had bought him a
book on enchanted objects. It seemed like such a random topic that he paused to
inquire. She explained, he always seemed so surprised when he saw inanimate
objects start to move or do something out of the ordinary. The book went into
great detail about some of the most interesting magical artifacts. There was
even a section in it about invisibility cloaks. The last two boxes were from
the twins; Ron had made sure they would be opened last. One was rather large;
the other was quite the opposite, fitting comfortably into the palm of his
hand.

�Open the
large one first.� Ron said eagerly. Harry rolled his eyes but smiled and pulled
it towards him. It took several minutes to get the paper off, they all laughed
when it folded back over the box the first few tries.

�Leave it
to those two,� Harry said. The box finally opened, revealing a letter and a
pile of the most colorful products he�d ever seen. He warily picked up the
letter, waiting for the entire package to blow up. He wouldn�t put it past them
to send him an explosive gift.

Heya Harry!

Sitting in front of you
is a box filled to the brim with our latest and greatest! Everything from Decoy
Detonators to Colourful Cordials! We thought you
should start your year off with a little fun. You�ve learned from the best so
we know you�ll put them to good use!

Signed,

Gred and Feorge

P.S. They�ve all been
tested and aren�t harmful so you can tell Hermione to stop worrying.

Harry
smiled and handed the note to said worry wart. He picked up the first package
labeled Colourful Cordials and read the label. A colourful candy
that turns the consumer�s hair a new colour with each
bite! Harry turned the wrapper slightly to peak at the multicolored
product. He snorted and dropped it into his robe pocket, picking up the final
gift.

�This is
from them too, then?� Ron nodded eagerly. Harry braced himself, closing his
eyes as he pulled at the wrapping. It fell off without a hitch to his surprise
and he almost laughed out loud at the velvet box now sitting in his hand.

�Wow,�
Ginny started. �I think Harry is being proposed too!� She giggled at the look
Ron sent her.

�Just open
the box, Harry.� Ron said exasperated.

�Ok, fine,
but you�ll look back on this a few days from now and laugh your bloody ass
off.� Harry teased.

�Harry!�
Hermione scolded him for his language a smile still playing on her lips as she
set the letter back into the box. He shook his head and opened the small
container. Ron lunched into an explanation before he could even take in the
site before him.

�It�s
charmed to keep track of whoever you want it too. It�s sort of like moms clock.
You just have that person tap their wand on it and it�ll tell you were they are
with a little tug. And, if you�re feeling for it, it will pulse slightly to let
you know they�re still alive.� Ron looked down at the last part.

�Oh,� Harry
trailed off and stared at the necklace. It was a small silver locket with a
ruby set into its center. �That�s really useful.� He stuck his hand out then
and looked around expectantly. �Well, I don�t see any wands.�

�Right, of course.� Hermione blushed slightly as she pulled
out her wand and tapped it once on the small surface. Harry gasped slightly
when a warm pulse went up his arm. He pulled the necklace back for a moment,
having almost dropped it.

�Sorry,� He
looked up at the others. �I wasn�t ready for that.� He laughed slightly and
stuck his arm out as Ron, Ginny and Neville repeated the process. �So,� he
turned to Ron. �How many people can it hold?� He slipped the necklace over his
head letting it drop into his shirt.

�It can
hold seven people at one time and will start to erase people if you try to add
another after seven.� Ron explained.

�Ah, so
don�t go over seven then.� Harry said. Ron nodded and yawned.

�I agree,�
Hermione said. She waved her wand, quickly cleared up the wrapping paper. �We
should all get to bed anyway. We have double potions first thing tomorrow.� Ron
groaned and stood up to follow Neville up the stairs. Ginny and Hermione both
retreated to their dorms. Harry levitated his presents up the stairs with much
more grace then Ron had earlier.

He quickly
put his new things away and dressed for bed slipping under the covers. The
bright rays of the moon made his bed curtain glow with an incandescent light.
It was actually quite lovely and had made it easier for him to sleep in the
past. Now, it reminded him of blood and he closed his eyes tightly against it,
his hand clasped firmly around the warm necklace. He knew he could never take
it off; it was a reminder that his friends were all still alive and well. He
fell asleep to the soft pulse it emanated.
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