Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Restoration of Magic	By : Bickymonster & CelticKitsune Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male Views: 10396 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: We do not own Harry Potter or any concepts or characters associated with it. We are not making any money from this this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
As always thanks to Emily for beta reading this fic for us!
I hope everyone is in for a good size chapter! This is the first of our longer chapters so I hope you enjoy!
March 1995

Harry usually enjoyed lessons; he loved spending time with Firo, he loved learning, and it was one of the times he was allowed to sit closer to Blaise than he was normally allowed. Being allowed to snuggle up with his mate was a great comfort to him at times, so long as Firo was there to make sure that nothing else happened. Though Firo still refused to tell Harry what that ‘something else’ actually was; Harry was now sure, however, that Draco would have explained before the evening was through.

For the moment though, he found himself face to face with all four of the High Council Elders. Even though the only Elder Harry had ever seen before was in fact Itham, it was easy to tell that the other three were part of the High Council as well, due to the pure white vestments they wore, trimmed in silver, except for the High Elder, who had gold embroidered into his vestment. Itham gave him a supportive smile, but that did nothing to calm Harry’s nerves given the stern looks on the faces of Rosario, Tinasia and Arnaldo.

“Do you know why we are meeting with you today?” Tinasia asked sternly, her hands clasped behind her back as she and the others towered over Harry. The small fourteen year old slowly shook his head, looking from one Council Elder to another, before his eyes finally settled on Itham.

“Do not look at Itham,” Arnaldo said and Harry’s attention snapped toward the High Elder.

“Sorry,” Harry said quickly, unsure of what else he could say, but seeing as how all the Elders, other than Itham, seemed unhappy with him, apologising seemed to be the best place to start.

“Do you even know what you are apologising for?” Rosario asked.

“Um… for whatever I did wrong?” Harry said, looking at the Council member who had spoken, but he was unable to quite meet her stern gaze.

“And you do not know what you have done wrong?” Rosario questioned, still watching Harry closely. “Nothing you have done recently that you wish to confess to?” she prompted.

Harry bit his lip, thinking hard about what he may have done wrong to earn himself a meeting with all the High Council members; he didn’t think that it could actually have been about the sneaking out, like Pansy had implied, and he didn’t want to confess to that and give them even more reason to be cross with him.

“No… I don’t know what I did… but I’m sorry,” Harry said, wringing his hands. He was getting more nervous the longer he sat there; he wanted nothing more than to hide behind Itham, or better yet, to run and find Blaise.

Rosario looked from Harry, toward Arnaldo, when the High Council member stepped forward. “You were seen last night, out of bed, and roaming the streets in the early hours of the morning,” Arnaldo said, looking down at Harry and watching the small boy practically cowering in his seat. “Do you know what you did wrong now?”

Harry nodded his head slowly, feeling rather stunned that he had been caught and was actually in serious trouble because of it now. “I… I snuck out of bed?” he offered, looking at the High Council member. If Harry were honest, he had never really liked Arnaldo; there had always been something about the elder Fae that Harry just didn’t like, and now, dealing directly with him, Harry felt that dislike growing rapidly.

“Yes, you most certainly did,” Tinasia sneered harshly. “And we are now aware that this was not the first time you have done such a thing. Do you have anything to say for yourself? Perhaps an explanation?”

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but he caught Itham’s eye and snapped it closed again. He had been about to explain himself, his desire to show Alais the glow stone, but the last thing he wanted to do was get her into trouble. He found himself holding back tears as he shook his head, wondering just how much trouble he really was in.

“I’m sorry,” Harry said once more. “I won’t do it again,” he promised.

“I should hope not!” Arnaldo declared. “And to ensure you do not forget, you will have your magic removed for one whole day.”

“Arnaldo!” Itham exclaimed, looking shocked. “He is just fourteen years old,” he pointed out, gesturing to Harry, who had now lost his battle against his tears and was staring at them in disbelieving shock.

“Please. Don’t!” Harry begged, trying to hold himself together; he could already tell, however, from the serious faces of the Elders, that there would be no getting out of this. He didn’t want to face it alone though. “I want Blaise,” he told them, his voice wavering. “Please, I need him, please.”

“No, you will not be…” Tinasia started to say smugly, causing Harry to start crying in earnest, his arms wrapping around himself defensively, but Itham had clearly had enough.

“Don’t be so ridiculous, Tinasia,” Itham snapped. “He is fourteen years old, and about to lose his magic for the first time in his life; surely even you would not be cruel enough to deprive him the support of his mate!”

“This is a punishment,” Arnaldo pointed out viciously, clearly not remotely moved by Harry’s emotional state.

“And surely the loss of his magic is punishment enough,” Itham insisted, moving forward and wrapping an arm around Harry’s shoulder and letting the young boy cry into his chest. “Will you go and fetch Blaise please, Rosario. I expect you will find him just outside if I am not mistaken,” he added with a small smile, when Harry’s tear-covered face looked up at him.

“It is not your place, Itham,” Arnaldo said with annoyance, as Rosario hesitated to do as Itahm asked. “This is not your decision.”

“No, I really must put my foot down,” Itham said firmly. “This is a harsh punishment, which may or may not be deserved, but I will not allow this young man to endure it alone. Rosario, if you would.”

Arnaldo and Tinasia looked fuming, but Rosario went to the door regardless. “Ah, Blaise, Itham thought you would be out here,” they heard her say. “Would you please join us for a moment.”

Blaise looked concerned as he cautiously stepped into the room. “Harry!” he exclaimed as Harry all but threw himself into Blaise’s arms. “What happened?” he asked, no longer caring about anyone else in the room. “Are you okay?”

Harry nodded hesitantly, leaning against Blaise’s chest now. “They want to take my magic for a day,” he whispered, already knowing that his mate was going to take this news badly and sure enough he felt Blaise’s hold on him tighten.

“No! You can’t take Harry’s magic away!” Blaise snapped, seeming not to care about the fact that he was speaking with such disrespect to the Elders. Arnaldo, particularly, looked very unimpressed with Blaise’s tone of voice.

“He has broken the rules, and has been allowed to continue this for far too long, when it should have been dealt with long ago,” Arnaldo hissed. Blaise actually growled at the High Elder, moving his mate out of their reach and stepping in front of Harry to block the smaller boy from view.

“I refuse to allow you near him!” Blaise said narrowing his eyes.

“You do not have any say in how we punish him,” Tinasia said. “And if you continue on with this tone, you too will be punished.”

“I’d like to see you try!” Blaise exclaimed angrily. “According to your laws, I have the right to protect my mate-”

“Those laws do not apply to a mere wizard,” Tinasia said pompously. “You think too highly of yourself, Harry is only your mate because we have decided this, it can just as easily be un-decided,” she threatened.

Blaise looked ready to attack, and most likely would have if Harry’s hand hadn’t grabbed his arm. “Blaise, it’s okay,” Harry said quickly. “It’s just for one day, I can deal with one day...as long as you’re there. Magic is important, but it is something I can live without if I have to… I can’t live without you. Please just calm down.”

Blaise let out a long, deep breath and turned to face his mate, pulling Harry into his arms. “How can you expect me to sit by and let them do this to you?” he asked, holding Harry close to him, as though worried his mate would slip through his fingers.

“Because I did break the rules,” Harry told him, managing a wry smile. “Just stay with me while they do it?” he requested.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Blaise promised adamantly, turning to glare at Arnaldo over his shoulder, all but daring the High Elder to contradict him. The man said nothing though, and so Blaise turned to look at Itham. “I can sit with him while he does this, right?”

“Of course,” Itham assured him. “It might make him a little disorientated, so it would probably be best if you had hold of him anyway.”

“Can we get this over with?” Harry asked impatiently, not wanting to drag it out a moment longer than he had to. Tinasia moved forward to stand before Blaise and Harry, drawing a blue gem nearly the size of her palm from her pocket.

“Wait,” Arnaldo said his eyes fixed on Harry, Tinasia pausing and turning to look at him in surprise. “We should use this as an example, for the others, who may have, or are thinking about, breaking the rules. It is clear that we have been too lenient on these children,” Arnaldo said, watching as Harry’s eyes widened and the small teen clung tighter to Blaise.

“Surely that isn’t necessary,” Itham said, locking eyes with Arnaldo.

“You have already overstepped your bounds, do not push it,” Arnaldo said and Itham was forced to back down, nodding once; though he did not apologise.

“Itham…?” Harry asked, looking up at the man who had always been there for him. Harry couldn't help be hurt when Itham didn't even look at him. Instead he turned to his mate, who was looking nothing short of livid. “Blaise…?”

“I’ll be with you,” Blaise promised quietly, running his fingers through Harry’s hair as he over to the Elders once more. “Like Harry said, can we get this done, if you are through thinking of ways to drag out his humiliation now.”

“Blaise, hold your tongue,” Rosario warned sternly before Arnaldo or Tinasia had a chance to comment on his rudeness and Blaise reluctantly snapped his mouth shut. “I will go and gather the other children in the presentation hall, and meet you there,” she offered, quickly taking her leave the moment the High Elder nodded his assent.

Harry continued holding onto Blaise, his attention focused mostly on Itham; he was silently wishing that the elder would at least look at him, just a silent reassurance that he wasn’t angry as well. Harry didn’t dare speak though, afraid that he would get into even more trouble, so Harry didn’t say anything, and when they were lead from the room, Harry hid his face in Blaise’s chest as best he could as they walked.

---------------x

Draco frowned, looking around the room that he and the other kids had been lead into; no one seemed to know why they were here, other than the Council Elders were going to make some kind of announcement.

“Draco,” Theodore said, coming over to his mate as soon as he entered the Hall and wrapping his arms around the blond’s waist from behind.

“Theo,” Draco all but sighed, smiling as he relaxed back against Theodore’s chest.”Do you have any idea what’s going on?” he asked, tilting his back to look at Theo.

Theodore frowned too. “No idea,” he admitted. “I was wondering if you might know.” Theodore tightened his hold on the blond as other students around them gossiped and started to find their seats.

“The only thing we were told was that the Elders are going to be making an announcement,” Draco said with a sigh and he looked around, his lips curling in confusion. “I really wish I knew where Harry was, I haven’t seen him since lunch time."

“I haven’t seen Blaise either,” Theodore added, as he joined his mate in looking around the Hall. “Do you think that that the Elders wanted something with them?”

“More likely, Harry went sneaking off again, and Blaise went chasing after him,” Draco said with disapproval. “Come on,” he added, grabbing Theo’s hand and dragging him over toward Neville.

Their friend was looking pensive, his eyes currently scanning the Hall. Draco could tell, however, the moment that Neville spotted Pansy, who was currently talking with Hannah and Susan, because Neville became visibly more relaxed at the sight of his mate. Draco could understand that, even knowing Theodore was close made him feel better.

“Draco, Theo,” Neville said, sounding relieved to see them as he spotted their approach. “Do either of you know what Harry and Blaise would be doing with the Elders?” he asked urgently.

“Told you,” Theodore said a little smugly, causing Draco to turn and give him a pointed glare. “Right, right, not the time.”

“Have you seen them?” Draco asked, ignoring his mate for the moment, even as he kept a tight hold on Theo’s hand. “With the Elders?”

“On my way here,” Neville confirmed quietly. “High Elder Arnaldo was leading them here, with Tinasia, and Itham,” Neville said. “Harry wasn’t looking too good either.”

“Well, maybe Harry finally got into trouble for sneaking out,” Draco said, but also looked a little worried as he turned his attention toward the door.

“He’s been sneaking out for years though, why would he be in trouble for it now?” Theodore said.

While none of them had really approved of Harry sneaking out, Theodore at least understood Harry’s reasoning behind it. This was only because Draco had told him about the nightmares that Harry used to suffer from when they were younger. Although Draco had never really gone into detail about them, they had apparently been bad enough for Harry to seek out comfort from the Lower Council Member, Alais, who everyone knew had a soft spot for Harry.

“When you have entered the room, please find a seat. Once you have found a seat, we ask that you remain seated!” Kire spoke out over the crowd of teens, while the other mentors went around and helped get the teens seated.

“Guess we are going to find out,” Neville said with a wry smile as he headed over toward where the girls were taking seats, close to Ron and Terry. Draco and Theodore shared a concerned look as they followed him. “Harry will be fine,” Neville told them confidently as they took their seats, “he is their favourite; you know how he has always been heavily protected and fawned over since we were kids.”

“Yeah, nothing would ever happen to precious little Harry,” Ron grumbled under his breath, from where he was sat a little further down the row of chairs. The others simply ignored him, however, far too used to Ron’s jealous mutterings to pay them any mind.

“Neville’s right,” Theodore said softly, leaning close to Draco’s ear so only his mate could hear him, because a hush was falling over the room and Arnaldo strode through the doors. Theodore pressed a kiss to Draco’s cheek, before turning his attention to the front of the room.

“Afternoon to you all,” Arnaldo said pompously, his eyes scanning over the fifty or so students, who were now all giving him their attention; it was rare that the High Elder ever had something to say to them after all. “It has come to my attention that some of you deem yourselves to be above the rules that have been put in place for your own safety.”

There were soft murmurs from the students, and Arnaldo held his hand up calling for silence once more. “Because of this, it has been decided that you may need an example, a warning that any breaking of rules will not go unpunished,” Arnaldo said and looked toward the door. “Bring him in,” he called, and a moment later Itham entered the hall, followed by Harry, who was still being held protectively by Blaise. Following behind the two of them was Tinasia.

Whispers broke out across the room when people caught sight of Harry. The small fourteen year old was refusing to look at anyone, and relying mostly on Blaise to lead him up to the front of the room, as Harry was unable to see through his tears. He didn’t like everyone staring at him like this and he wanted it all to be over.

“It’s okay, Harry, I’m right here,” Blaise said, trying to comfort his mate as best he could, even as he led Harry up toward the front of the room, coming to a stop in front of Arnaldo. Blaise didn’t even bother to hide his look of pure hatred as he looked at the High Elder; this person had made his Harry cry, and was the leading cause of his mate’s distress.

“You all know Harry,” Arnaldo said, addressing the group of teens again. “He has been caught sneaking out of his room, after dark. It has been brought to my attention that he has been doing this quite often, without punishment. Today this is going to be rectified, and perhaps in the future, he will think twice before sneaking out of bed after hours,” Arnaldo said, turning to look at Tinasia. “Bind his magic,” he ordered.

There was a collective gasp from many of the students, as well as a few of the mentors upon hearing this.

“What?” Draco asked, louder than he had meant to, he was halfway standing up when Theodore took his arm stopping him from rising any further. Slowly Draco sat back down, but Theodore didn’t let go of his arm. “They can’t do this,” Draco whispered looking over at Theo, only to see his mate glaring up at the Elders, clearly upset with what was about to happen, but knowing there was nothing that could be done to stop it.

“Arnaldo,” someone spoke and Draco turned his attention back toward the stage, relaxing when he saw Itham stepping forward. Itham adored Harry and would never allow this to happen; however, Draco was beyond shocked when he saw Itham hold his hand up, a blue stone in his hand.

“Please allow me to do this,” Itham said, looking somber. Arnaldo studied him for a moment, before giving a small nod of permission.

Harry’s head snapped up to stare at Itham; no one missed the hurt and betrayed expression on Harry’s face when Itham turned toward him. “I...Itham...?” Harry stuttered, taking half a step back wanting to hide behind Blaise, or perhaps just run away.

“Blaise, if you could hold him,” Itham said, keeping his voice gentle as he could.

“I am not helping you with this,” Blaise growled, attempting to shield Harry from the Elder, even though he knew there was no getting out of this.

“I am asking that you help Harry through this,” Itham said, holding up the blue stone. “It will be over in a moment, Harry,” Itham promised, trying to ignore the tears that were streaming down Harry’s face.

The only sound that could be heard in the room were Harry’s sobs. No one spoke as the stone Itham held started glowing, before it slowly started changing color until it was a vivid red, the glow slowly subsiding. Harry had kept his eyes locked on Itham the whole time, though he was leaning heavily against Blaise, now shivering slightly.

“It is done,” Itham said putting the stone into his pocket. The silence in the room remained, no one seemed to know what to do or say about what had just happened.

“We’re leaving now,” Blaise said, fully intending to take Harry away from the people who had just done this to him. He picked up Harry, who didn’t even react other than to cuddle up closer to Blaise’s chest, his fingers curling into Blaise’s tunic.

“You are not allowed to be alone with him,” Arnaldo reminded Blaise, who turned, fixing the High Elder with a hard glare. The only thing that saved Blaise from making the situation worse, was Firo coming up to the front of the room.

“It is okay, they know this, Elder Arnaldo. With your permission, I will escort them out of here,” Firo said quickly, putting himself between Blaise and Arnaldo. “Harry will need some time to adjust to what has just happened.”

“This punishment is only for one day,” Itham informed Firo and the students. “This time tomorrow his magic will be unlocked once more; however, this is a warning to anyone who has broken the rules, or may have been entertaining the idea of breaking the rules. These rules have been put in place to protect you. Please do not take them lightly,” Itham said and looked toward Firo who was still waiting for permission to take Blaise and Harry out of there. “Please make sure that Harry is taken care of,” he said.

Firo nodded before looking to the two teens that had been placed in his care, “Follow me,” he instructed them. The students watched in silence as Firo then led Blaise, with Harry still in his arms, from the room. They had heard the rules repeated so many times, but somehow, hearing the normally laid back Itham warning them to obey, made them all feel a lot more serious.

---------------x

“Come on, talk to me, Harry,” Blaise said as he laid Harry down on Firo’s bed. Harry didn’t respond, just blinked up at Blaise, seeming slightly confused about what was going on; all Harry could really focus on was the strange feeling of his magic not being there.

Firo moved to the other side of the bed. “Harry,” he said gently, trying to get the small boy’s attention. “Harry, can you hear us?” he asked, and the petite brunet’s head lolled to the other side, gazing vaguely up at him. “Hello, Harry.”

“Blaise…” Harry said vaguely, his head rolling back the other way again, looking for his mate.

“I’m right here,” Blaise assured him, grasping Harry’s hand in his own, and running his hand over Harry’s forehead. “What’s wrong with him?” he asked Firo in a whisper.

“I believe he’s gone into shock,” Firo said, looking a little concerned. “Can you step back from the bed for a moment?” he requested of Blaise. The tan boy reluctantly nodded and stepped away.

“Blaise!” Harry cried, out feeling his mate move away from him, the small boy rolling on the bed as best he could to reach for Blaise.

“Shh, Harry, I’m right here,” Blaise said, moving back to the bed quickly and gathering Harry up into his arm, holding him close; he could feel his small mate shaking and Blaise held him tighter, making soft noises of comfort.

Firo sighed. “I need to run a diagnostic on him. I can’t do that with you so close, but perhaps now is not the time to separate you two,” Firo said, looking thoughtful and shaking his head with another sigh. “The Elders really have gone too far. He is just a child, to bind his magic…”

“...Blaise…?” Harry looked up at his mate.

“I’m here, Harry,” Blaise reassured him.

“Want Draco…” Harry said, before resting his head onto Blaise’s shoulder.

“I will go and get him,” Firo said, moving away from the bed; he was certain that Blaise could be trusted alone with Harry in the current circumstances. He would have been more worried leaving Blaise alone with any of the Elders at the moment. “If you can get him to drink something, that would be for the best. And try not to let him sleep just yet,” he instructed as he opened the door.

However, he was cut short when he found himself faced with Draco, Theo and Itham. The young blond was clearly about to knock, loudly, if the determined expression he was wearing was any indication.

“I want to see Harry now!” Draco demanded.

“I was just coming to find you. He was asking for you,” Firo said, waving Draco into the room; he looked hesitant to let the others inside. “I think it would be best we didn’t have too many people here at the moment.”

“I want to make sure he is alright,” Itham said.

“No!” Blaise exclaimed from further into the room, having recognised the Elder’s voice. “I don’t want him near Harry, unless he is going to undo this,” he shouted, causing Harry to whimper a little. The brunet was now clinging to Blaise, one of his hands now linked with Draco’s.

“I need to know he is okay,” Itham insisted.

“Well, honestly, right now he isn’t,” Firo said, sounding rather annoyed that his ward had been harmed in such a way. “But I think you are probably the last thing he needs at the moment. If you really want to help, maybe fetch Alais,” he suggested.

“That may not be the best idea at the moment,” Itham said hesitantly. “It was Harry’s sneaking out to see her, that got him into trouble in the first place. I am honestly surprised that Arnaldo didn’t drag Alais in to be punished for this as well,” Itham explained. “Now, I would like to see Harry, and check on him for myself,” Itham said, trying not to make it sound too much like an order, but also knowing that he failed at that.

Firo tensed, narrowing his eyes. “With all due respect Elder Itham, Harry is in my care. I have been charged to keep him safe and well, and unless you tell me that you are coming in here to undo what you have done to that boy, I will have to insist that you leave,” Firo said firmly, before looking at Theodore who was still standing there. “You may come in, if you promise to stay out of the way,” Firo said, allowing Theodore in, before closing the door in Itham’s face.

He went back to see Harry curled up close to Blaise, one hand holding on tightly to Draco, who was sat on the bed next to the smaller boy. He could see fresh tears falling down Harry’s face, and the brunet’s breathing seemed a little labored, though not so much to be worrisome. Firo truly did not know how anyone could have done something like this to such a small boy; fourteen years old or not, Firo was firmly of the opinion that Harry was far too young for this.

“Harry?” Draco spoke quietly reaching up to run his free hand through unruly hair.

“...I don’t like it…” Harry said softly, closing his eyes. “..I feel… I feel empty… I don’t like it… I want my magic back… I’m sorry. I’ll be good. Please… I want it back. I’ll be good… I promise…” Harry cried, curling up tighter against Blaise.

“This isn’t right! He just snuck out of our room!” Draco said furiously. Harry became obviously distressed as the blond’s anger flared. “He’s supposed to be their favorite!”

“Easy, Draco,” Theodore said, as he came over to stand next to the bed, reaching out to put a hand on Draco’s shoulder hoping to calm his mate down. “We are all angry about what has happened, but Harry needs you right now. You can be angry later,” Theodore said.

“Here. See if he will drink anything,” Firo said as he passed Blaise a small clear cup of water. Blaise looked unsure but took it with a nod anyway before turning his attention to his still mumbling made.

“Harry, are you thirsty?” Blaise asked, and he smiled sweetly when his mate actually managed to move his head and look him in the eye. “Hi, would you drink some water for me?”

“Water?” Harry asked, his brow furrowed as he mulled that over, before his eyes drifted to the cup that Blaise was holding in his free hand. “...Please…” he said, opening his mouth enough, that Blaise was able to carefully help him sip some of the content. Harry looked so frail, tiny and vulnerable in his arms, and he could hardly wait to have his feisty little mate back to himself.

---------------x

Itham was sat alone, feeling miserable, and wondering if there really had been anything more he could have done for poor little Harry. He had made sure Blaise was there, and he had done the Magic Binding himself to ensure it was done properly, but he couldn’t help but blame himself. After all, it was he who had actually bound Harry’s magic.

A knock on his door had him looking up, and glancing towards the clock. It was late, and he couldn’t imagine who would have business with him at this house; he just hoped that it wasn’t either Tinasia or Arnaldo, because he had definitely run out of patience for dealing with them. He pushed himself to his feet, however, and headed for the door.

“Tell me it isn’t true!” Alais raged, as she stormed past him into his house before he had registered who it was. “Tell me you didn’t bind the magic of a fourteen year old. And Harry of all people, I hear!”

“It was Arnaldo’s decision,” Itham said with a weary sigh, as he closed the front door. He really hadn’t wanted to discuss this with anyone, least of all Alais. Truthfully, he was hoping that she might never hear of it. “I did all I could for him.”

“And yet I hear that it was you who used the gem,“ Alais pointed out, her hands on her hips as she scowled at him; as adorable as he thought she looked though, he knew that her anger was real.

“Would you rather I let Tinasia use that stone on Harry?” Itham asked her pointedly. “Or maybe you agree with Arnaldo and think that Harry didn’t deserve to have Blaise with him?”

“Of course not, don’t be moronic,” Alais said dismissively. “But this should never happened at all. And you should have told me, you should have told me what they were planning. Then I could have been there for Harry too.”

“If you had been there, you would have been in far worse trouble than Harry,” Itham argued back, hoping to make Alais see that he hadn’t been given much choice. “While I do not agree with what happened to Harry, he will be able to handle this punishment for a single day. You could have had your magic bound permanently. You could have been banned from seeing any of the children, including Harry, and you could have lost your position in the Lower Council,”

“That is something that you should have let me decide on my own!” Alais raged. “I don't CARE what happens to me!”

“But I care what happens to you!” Itham shouted back, his own anger and irritation coming to the surface.

“Well, thank you for worrying about me,” Alais said, “but that does not change the fact that you could have at least told me about what was happening, given me the chance to be there for Harry.”

“How I could fall in love with such a stubborn girl is beyond me!” Itham threw his hands up in exasperation. “I am trying to protect you! Do you even realise what will happen if Arnaldo realises how loose you have gotten with Harry? Because of this whole incident, I have to set my own plans back because I know for a fact that Arnaldo is going to be watching me far too closely, which means that Harry will be stuck in this city for another year, maybe longer!” Itham said as he started pacing the length of the room, seeming not to realise that he was ranting until a hand grabbed his arm and stopped him.

“Itham, slow down!” Alais said staring at the other Council member with wide eyes. “Now...what did you just say? And could you say it a bit slower this time?” Alais requested, a light blush coloring her cheeks.

Blinking slowly, Itham looked at Alais. “Which part did you want me to repeat?” he asked.

“How about start from where you said you… you love me?” Alais frowned, still wondering if she had even heard him properly.

“This was not the way I had planned on telling you to be honest,” Itham said, the rant from before forgotten as he now composed himself back into the semi-serious person he was around other people.

“Oh no you don’t,” Alais said narrowing her eyes. “Don’t you drop something like that on me, then start to shut me out,” she scolded, and Itham blinked letting out an undignified noise as he was suddenly pushed back into a chair. He blinked up at Alais in shock. “You and I have a lot to talk about I think,” Alais said, waving her hand behind her, sitting down as another chair scooted up so she could sit as well.

“...okay…” Itham said not really sure what else to say as he was still shocked to see this new side of Alais, the usually carefree person was gone and replaced with someone that Itham could easily see taking charge of anything she put her mind to. “Okay,” Itham said again sitting up straighter in his chair. “Where would you like to start?” He asked.

“We can come back to your declaration of love later I think. Right now, I want to know about what plans you were talking about, and how do they involve Harry?”

---------------x

An alarmed cry broke Draco from his light doze, and he had rolled off the edge of his bed onto his feet and hurried to Harry’s side before he had really managed to get his brain fully working. He had known it was a bad idea to have Harry sleep in the dorm, but Lavanya, Cedric and Angelina’s mentor, had been adamant that all of them needed to return to their own rooms for the night.

Firo had tried to argue otherwise, but she had seniority over him and in the end they had had no choice but to comply. Still, Blaise and Firo had only been able to leave them when Harry had finally fallen asleep, but it had only been a few hours since then, and already Harry seemed to be having nightmares.

“It’s okay, Harry, I’m right here,” Draco said, perching himself on the side of Harry’s bed, brushing his hand over Harry’s forehead. It was warm and damp and it was obvious from the way that his friend was thrashing about, that Harry was distressed.

“Draco?” Pansy frowned as she sat up in her own bed, looking over to where Draco was sitting with Harry, trying to keep the other boy from thrashing, and attempting to wake him up at the same time. He didn’t seem to be having any luck though, as Harry had now progressed to actually screaming and seemed to be struggling to free himself from Draco. “Shit,” Pansy said, climbing out of bed, “Hannah, Susan,” she said, pulling their other two roommates from their bed, not that either of them were sleeping any longer as Harry’s last scream had woken them too.

“I think we might need Blaise and Firo,” Susan said, looking worried.

“You think?” Draco said sarcastically, his voice raised to be heard over Harry. “Do feel free to take your time in fetching them,” he added as she and Hannah grabbed their dressing gowns and hurried out of the dorms.

“You don’t have to be so mean, Draco,” Pansy said as she moved to try and help him with Harry as best she could. “It’s been a long time since he’s had such a bad nightmare,” Pansy reminded him.

“I know!” Draco snapped. “This wouldn’t have happened if they had just allowed Harry to stay with Firo tonight,” Draco said. He yelped when Harry lashed out, nearly punching him in the face in his attempt to get away.

“Maybe this will be enough to persuade them?” Pansy suggested, rather unhelpfully attempting to lightening the mood. Draco, however, was not amused if the growl of annoyance was any indication, and it seemed Harry wasn’t either as he gave another outraged cry.

Draco proceed to start ignoring Pansy, turning his full attention to Harry as he tried once again to wake up the smaller boy. “Come on, Harry, it’s okay, I’m here. Firo will be here soon with Blaise,” Draco said, his worry growing as Harry made no signs of waking up.

“Do you think this is a side effect from having his magic bound?” Pansy asked reaching out to put her hand on Harry’s forehead. “He’s sweating a lot...and he seems a bit pale…” Pansy observed.

“Thank you, Captain Obvious! If you’re not going to provide anything useful, let me handle Harry, and you go back to bed,” Draco hissed in annoyance.

“I really hate it when you are sleep deprived,” Pansy huffed, as she continued to help Draco with Harry, regardless. She just hoped that Blaise and Firo got there soon, because she and Draco were already going to be covered in bruises.

Another five minutes passed before the door to their room opened. Firo came in, followed a moment later by Hannah and Susan, both looking as if they had run the whole way there and back.

“Out of the way,” Firo ordered both Pansy and Draco. Pansy moved without complaint. Draco, however, held tighter to Harry, looking up at Firo.

“He’s not waking up. I tried. He just keep screaming,” Draco explained.

“Move, Draco, I will handle this from here,” Firo said, wasting no more time before sweeping Harry up into his arms. “Back to sleep, all of you,” he instructed as he carried his ward from the room, leaving four stunned and confused teenagers behind. He knew that Draco in particular would worry, but right now his priority had to be calming Harry, who was still struggling and crying out. “Hush, Harry, hush. It’s going to be okay,” he said gently, trying to keep himself as calm as possible.

He had considered waking Blaise when the girls had all but hammered down his door, but he knew that Harry would need Blaise the next morning, and so was determined that he would get the fourteen year old through this night himself.

Firo lay Harry down on bed as soon as they got back to his room. Harry was still caught in his nightmare but Firo took his chance and cast the diagnostics he had wanted to do earlier. There was a tense moment as he waited for the magic to tell him what was going on, before he sighed.

“Oh, Harry,” he said sympathetically. “Can’t do anything the easy way, can you.” And with that Firo waved his hands, causing shimmering layers of magic to weave into the walls around them, and as they formed, Harry’s cries quietened, his thrashing stopped, and the fourteen year old let out a relieved sigh before drifting back into easy sleep.

Firo let out a sigh of his own, taking a seat next to the bed; he would keep watch over Harry for the rest of the night just in case, but he knew that he was going to have to explain a lot to both Harry and Blaise in the morning, and hopefully they could avoid another incident like this.

---------------x

Blaise lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had been doing the same thing for most of the night as he had been unable to sleep; everything inside him was screaming at him that he needed to be with Harry. His mate was hurting and in trouble, but they had been made to go to their separate rooms, and now all Blaise could do was lie there and wait until it was late enough in the morning that he could get up and not get in trouble for leaving his bed too early.

Huffing in annoyance, Blaise rolled over and sat up on the edge of his bed; a quick glance around told him that Theo, Ron, Neville and Terry were all sleeping soundly. Blaise rubbed at his eyes with the palms of his hands, unsure how it was possible to be so tired and so wide away at the same time.

He remained sitting on his bed for a few more moments, his eyes fixed on the door to the room. He knew it was technically morning, he could tell by the faint dawn light creeping in the window, and any other time Blaise was sure he wouldn’t be in trouble for leaving his room at this time, but with what had happened to Harry the previous day, Blaise didn’t want to take any chances.

So instead, he stewed in his anger at what had been done to his Harry. It was the betrayal of Itham that burnt most deeply though; the Elder had always been good to them, been the one person he had thought they could trust to act in their best interests. Now though, the man had hurt Harry worse than anyone had hurt his little mate before, and Blaise was so sure that he would never forgive the man for that.

Not that he would ever trust any of the Elders now; not between what Itham had done to Harry and Tinasia’s threats to break them apart. He was determined to take more care with his mate’s safety in future, so that nothing of the like could ever happen again. He hoped that Alais was still loyal to Harry, because he knew it would break his mate’s heart to lose her, and he was confident that Firo would never knowingly let them come to harm.

The quiet sound of the door opening caught Blaise’s attention, and he glanced up towards it. In the dim light, he could make out Firo standing there.

“Come,” Firo whispered, gesturing him over. “Quietly,” he added, his eyes trailing over the beds where the other boys still slept. Blaise stood hurrying toward the door, being quiet as he slipped out into the hallway with Firo. His previous thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind for him to think over later, as all his attention was now focused on getting to Harry, because he could think of no other reason for Firo to be here so early to collect him.

“Is he okay?” Blaise asked urgently, keeping his voice down as they made their way back towards Firo’s room.

“He will be fine,” Firo assured him, “but there is much we should discuss and I would like to do it before anyone else is awake to interrupt. First, you should know that Harry had a night terror last night, and so I brought him back to my room.”

“Harry hasn’t had night terrors in three years,” Blaise said, clenching his hands into fists. He could only assume it was the events of the previous day that had triggered the night terror for Harry. He felt his anger building up inside him again, and he silently swore to himself that he was going to make Itham pay for causing Harry even more pain.

“I know,” Firo said calmly, raising his hand and stepping in front of Blaise as the two of them reached his room. “I think I know what is happening, why this has affected him so badly, and I promise I will explain what I have learned, but I need you to remain calm. Can you manage that?”

Blaise took a deep breath to calm himself before nodding. “I will be calmer when I can see for myself that Harry is alright,” Blaise said, not wanting to sound as if he didn’t trust Firo, but he just spoke the truth, he would feel better once he could see Harry.

“I am serious, Blaise, you must remain calm. If Harry becomes too agitated, I may have to ask you to step out of the room while you calm down,” Firo said sternly as they came to a stop just outside his door, but he wasn’t going to let Blaise in until he knew the teen could control himself.

Blaise frowned but nodded his agreement. “Can I see him now?” he asked. Firo watched him for a moment longer before nodding once and opening the door, stepping inside first, knowing Blaise was going to follow.

Blaise paused just inside the door, as Firo shut it behind them. Harry was tucked tightly into bed, sleeping peacefully it seemed, but Blaise was struck by how small his mate looked, how vulnerable. Of course, when he had his magic, Harry was a force to be reckoned with, but right now....

“He’s just sleeping,” Firo said, pressing a hand to Blaise’s back and encouraging him forward. “I thought it was best to leave him alone while still asleep, rather than waiting until he was awake.”

“Yes, thank you,” Blaise said, not really listening to his mentor, his attention on Harry as he moved forward and climbed onto the bed to lie down next to him. Harry shifted in his sleep, moving closer to Blaise, and the tan boy smiled as he wrapped his arm around Harry, holding him close and watching as his mate continued sleeping.

Firo stepped back from the bed, taking a seat where he could keep an eye on the two of them, but knowing that Harry needed Blaise, just as Blaise needed him right now. And if he was correct in his assumptions, with Blaise now in the room, Harry wasn’t going to be asleep for much longer now anyway.

Blaise kept his whole focus on Harry, gently running his hand through the wild hair of his mate. He hated seeing Harry like this, without the feeling of magic surrounding his small mate; Harry truly did seem smaller and far more fragile than Blaise had ever seen him, and it made him want to protect Harry even more.

“...Blaise…?” Harry’s tired voice caught the tan boy’s attention. Focusing on Harry’s face again, Blaise smiled when he saw those bright green eyes staring up at him in confusion. “...what…?” Harry looked around, looking even more confused.

“We’re in Firo’s room,” Blaise said with a small smile as Harry turned back to look at him. It calmed Blaise down a lot when Harry didn’t seem to be quite as disorientated as he had yesterday, though he still looked paler than usual, and as the smaller boy let out a large yawn, Blaise also noticed how tired Harry still looked.

Sighing, Harry closed his eyes, shifting as close as he could to Blaise, fully intending on going back to sleep. “Harry.” The small fourteen year old frowned when he heard his mentor's voice, debating on whether he should answer him or ignore him in favor of more sleep. “Harry, there are things I need to discuss with you and Blaise. I will allow you to get more sleep after,” Firo said, smiling when Harry pouted but opened his eyes and sat up a little.

“I wanna sleep now though,” Harry said and Blaise chuckled, also sitting up on the bed, pulling Harry to relax against him.

Firo continued smiling at the smaller boy, relieved that despite the ordeal he had been through yesterday, and the night terror, Harry didn’t seem to be doing too badly. “I promise, you can sleep after I talk with you both. I will be canceling your lessons for today so you can get some more rest, before I take you to see the Elders again,” Firo said.

“Why do you have to take Harry to see them? They’ve done enough damage to him already!” Blaise snapped, his arms tightening around Harry when his mate let out a small whimper.

“Calm yourself, Blaise,” Firo said. “Harry does not need your anger at the moment. As for why I have to take him to see the Elders, it is because they are the only ones who can unbind his magic,” Firo explained. “I will be with Harry the whole time, and he will be coming straight back here when it is finished.”

Blaise still didn’t seem to happy about Harry having to be near the Elders again, but if they really were the only ones to un-bind Harry’s magic, he had little choice but to allow his mate to go.

“Will I really get my magic back today?” Harry asked through another yawn.

“Yes. Your punishment was only for a single day, and considering the effect it had on you, I can promise that something like this will not be used on you again,” Firo said.

“How can you make a promise like that?” Blaise asked, because the last he knew, the Elders had the last say in everything around the city.

“It is because of what Harry is,” Firo said, looking at the smaller boy resting against Blaise. Harry still looked so very tired, but he had that curious look on his face that Firo had grown used to seeing over the years. “I have had my suspicious for a while now, but I was only able to confirm it last night after your night terror, Harry,” Firo said.

“Confirm what?” Harry asked curiously.

“You are empathetic,” Firo said, chuckling when he got identical confused looks from both Harry and Blaise. “What that means, Harry, is that you can feel the emotions of others around you. It is the reason you react so strongly to other people that are close to you,” he explained.

“It’s not dangerous, is it?” Blaise asked, giving Harry a worried glance.

“Not usually. It can be exhausting and difficult to handle at times, but not life threatening,” Firo reassured the tan boy. “There are ways to lessen the effect this talent has on you,” Firo said addressing Harry again. “In fact, your magic has already started instinctively creating a barrier of sorts for you.”

“But I don’t have my magic right now,” Harry pointed out with a confused frown.

“That is why, when it was taken away from you yesterday, you were not only dealing with the sudden loss of magic, which can be disorienting for anyone, you also had the emotions of everyone in that room suddenly rushing in,” Firo paused, letting Harry and Blaise take in this information.

“So… I will be alright, as long as I have my magic?” Harry asked hesitantly, wanting to be sure he understood what he was being told.

“For the time being,” Firo confirmed with a genuine smile. “That is something that I will work on with you; how to distinguish your emotions from those of others and how to filter out other people. Your magic seems to do this fairly well on its own, but it will be better for you in the long run if you are aware of when you have a barrier up, and when you don’t,” Firo explained and Harry nodded in agreement.

“You’re going to tell the Elders about this, aren’t you?” Blaise asked with a scowl, and Firo nodded.

“As your mentor, it is my job to keep the both of you safe,” Firo reminded him. “If this had been discovered before yesterday, I can guarantee that Harry’s punishment would have been different. Having his magic taken away would be punishment enough, without the side effects of Harry’s condition,” Firo said. “Itham and I would have had grounds to insist on an alternative had we known.”

Even though he still didn’t fully agree with what the Elders had chosen as punishment, he also knew that punishment had been required. It hadn’t just been for Harry either, it was a warning to all the other magical children residing there, teaching them the importance of following the rules was part of the groundwork for the bigger plan. If these children were allowed to do as they pleased now, then in a few years time the World of Wizards would be worse off than it was now.

“They threatened to separate me and Harry,” Blaise growled and Harry looked up at his tan mate.

“You were being kind of rude to them…” Harry reminded him and Blaise looked down at Harry in surprise. “Well, you were,” Harry said, pouting.

“You were crying! I was trying to protect you,” Blaise reminded him firmly; he certainly wouldn’t apologise for doing all he could to keep his mate safe. If he had a chance to do it over, he was sure he would fight even harder.

Harry nodded, closing his eyes. He was feeling a little light headed as he tried to get his thoughts in order. He wondered if this is what Firo meant when he said he was empathetic; all Harry knew was that he could feel upset that didn’t feel entirely his own. It didn’t take much for him to realise the feeling must be coming from Blaise, and that he didn’t want his mate to be upset any more.

“I broke the rules, Blaise,” Harry said, looking up at him. “I was scared, but knew I deserved it. I just wanted you there.”

“They shouldn’t have done it. Itham shouldn’t have done it,” Blaise growled again, unable to shake that feeling of betrayal that was still lingering.

“Blaise,” Firo said sternly, standing up from his chair. “I think it is about time you went down for breakfast.”

Blaise didn’t relinquish his hold on Harry as he narrowed his eyes at their mentor. He was more than ready to argue his case because he was privately scared of what might happen to his mate if he let Harry out of his sight again. Firo sighed wearily, feeling exhausted himself, as he took in Blaise’s stubborn expression.

“Harry needs more rest right now,” Firo explained, gesturing to Harry, who was once again yawning widely. “He will also need some food brought up to him, as it would be unwise for him to be around too many people at the moment,” Firo added, knowing that Blaise would have argued with him if he just made the tan boy leave; at least this way, Blaise would also be doing something to help Harry.

“Fine,” Blaise huffed out reluctantly, knowing that he was far from calm at the moment, and that going down to breakfast would keep him from arguing with Harry. He looked at his small mate, giving him a gentle smile before kissing his cheek. “I will be back with breakfast,” he promised and stood up.

Harry watched Blaise leave the room. As soon as the door was closed Harry felt himself relaxing again, the frustration and anger easing away. He frowned. “I don’t like this,” Harry said, looking over to Firo. “Isn’t there a way to just… make it go away?” he asked.

“I’m afraid not, Harry,” Firo said, as he moved over to take a seat on the edge of the bed. “It is also best that you do not try to fight it either.”

“How come you know so much about all this?” Harry asked, looking curious again and Firo smiled, reaching out to ruffle Harry’s already messy hair.

“My older sister is empathetic. I grew up watching her struggle with it at times, and I have seen how tiring it can be,” Firo explained, pausing for a moment to mull his thoughts over. “If you woud like, I could perhaps bring her by to meet you sometime?” he suggested.

Harry smiled widely and nodded eagerly. Firo chuckled at Harry’s enthusiasm; he truly was happy that the wards on the room seemed to be working and that this whole ordeal had not affected Harry negatively. The boy was apparently still eager to meet new people, and it eased Firo’s mind, knowing that Harry was going to be able to bounce back from this whole thing and continue on as his happy self.

--------------------x

Harry stared up at the large extravagant building that he and Firo were currently standing outside of. Most of the buildings in the city were pretty in their own right, but this one just seemed to stand out far more than any other. Harry supposed that made sense since it was where the Council had to work.

“Stay close to me, Harry,” Firo instructed, patiently waiting for Harry to catch up again as the small boy kept getting distracted by everything. He had managed to put a small barrier around Harry, making it easier for him to come out into the city; however, that barrier would only last if Harry remained close to him.

“Sorry,” Harry giggled, hurrying up the stairs to where Firo was waiting for him. “This building is just so BIG,” Harry said, looking up again. “And shiny.” He had never seen a place quite like it.

“The place where you and the other children live is bigger than this,” Firo pointed out, highly amused by Harry’s innocent curiosity. It reminded him fondly of when Harry had first learned to ask what things were and would ask about everything.

Harry nodded. “I know, but home isn’t shiny, and doesn’t have a giant tree growing out of the middle of it,” Harry said with a wide grin, gesturing up at the tree canopy that they could see above the Council Halls. Firo chuckled, shaking his head as he led Harry inside.

As they stepped inside, Harry’s attention was taken once again by how different it was compared to where he lived; nothing there was as nice as this place. He practically dragged Firo over to look at the row of wooden carvings in the Entrance Hall.

“These are all the previous High Elders,” Firo explained before Harry could even ask, and the fourteen year old turned to grin at him for a moment, before going back to examining the carvings closely.

A movement on the stairs caught both Harry and Firo’s attention, and they turned to face the man coming toward them. Harry shuffled a little closer to Firo, but he was still watching the unknown man with curiosity.

“Almar,” Firo greeted warmly, as the man reached them, holding out his hand to shake. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too, Firo,” Almar said, shaking his hand firmly. “And you must be Harry,” the Council Member said, turning to look the teenager over, who was staying very close to Firo’s side, not quite hiding behind his mentor, but it was easy for him to duck out of sight if he didn’t want to be seen.

Harry, however, was looking at the man curiously. "You look like Alais," he commented with a confused frown.

Almar let out a surprised laugh. "Yes, I do," he agreed, glancing questioningly at Firo, who shrugged his shoulders.

"Why do you look like her?" Harry asked.

"Because she's my sister," Almar explained, giving the teenager an encouraging smile. He hadn’t really had much contact with any of the wizarding children, but Alais had told him much about Harry over the years.

"Oh, does everyone have a sister?" Harry questioned excitedly, glancing up at Firo and then back to Almar.

"Not everyone,” Almar told him, looking a little surprised at all the questions. Apparently Alais hadn’t been exaggerating about this young man. “Why do you ask?"

"Because Firo has a sister, and you have a sister,” Harry said as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. Harry’s answer made Firo chuckle softly and Harry grinned before he continued on with his questions, keeping his attention on Almar. “Is it nice having a sister?"

“I like it,” Firo said with an amused grin, rather enjoying watching someone else getting barraged with questions for once. Almar nodded his agreement; even when Alais drove him crazy, he loved her very much and he wouldn’t give her up for anything.

“So can I have a sister?” Harry asked, his face lighting up with excitement. “Can Pansy be my sister? We both have dark hair! I think I would like her to be my sister,” Harry had now moved away from Firo, stepping closer to Almar, the small amount of shyness he had had before completely gone. “Though she can be really annoying sometimes.” Harry added as an afterthought.

“Okay…,” Almar said, clearly not quite sure how to handle this young man. “But no, it doesn’t quite work like that. You can’t just decide someone is your sister,” he explained.

“How do you get a sister then?” Harry asked with genuinely curiosity, and Firo lost his battle with his amusement and let out a startled laugh.

Almar, however, was looking stunned and concerned. He clearly didn’t know how to answer that question and so turned to the chuckling Firo instead. "How do you make him stop?” Almar asked.

“You don't,” Firo said with an unrepentant grin. “You started answering his questions, so he will keep going until he finds a new victim.”

Harry’s grin had faded into a pout as he looked between the two men, not really sure what Firo was finding so funny. “I want a sister too… I really like Alais, I haven’t met Firo’s sister yet, but I like Firo a lot, so I’m sure I’ll like her too,” Harry said.

“Alright, Harry,” Firo said, taking pity on the Council Member, who was not used to Harry, “how about we ask Almar to take us to the Elders, so we can get you your magic back?”

“Oooh, yes please,” Harry said with a grin. “Can I have my magic now please?” he turned to Almar and asked, looking up at the Council member with wide, hopeful eyes.

“Well how could I say no to that face,” Almar chuckled. “They are waiting for us upstairs,” he told them, leading both Harry and Firo up the staircase he had come down before. “You will have to take down the shielding you have around him,” he added quietly to Firo, when Harry was distracted looking over the banister.

“Of course,” Firo said with a sigh, dreading how Harry might be without it, but at least it would only be for the few short minutes until the teenager had his magic back. “And I will need to come back later after I have taken Harry back home, so that I can explain that to the Elders.”

“They may insist on you explaining it now,” Almar said, glancing over at Harry, who seemed to be trying to work out how high up the building went. “Alais is downstairs,” he said looking back at Firo. “You could leave the child her care as you speak with the Council,” Almar suggested and Firo nodded.

“If they demand that I explain now, then I will, but I am unsure how well Harry will be after he gets his magic back,” Firo explained. It was true, many people had strong reactions to their magical cores being unblocked, and they had no way of knowing how Harry would cope with it. But more than that, he was keen to return Harry home as soon as possible. Almar nodded his understanding, looking to Harry once more. Firo also looked over at his young ward and smiled.

“Come on, Harry. We’re going inside now,” Firo said and Harry looked up at him before bouncing over to where the two men were standing. “Before we go in however, I’m going to have to take down that barrier I put around you,” Firo explained.

“Do you really have to? Can’t you take it down after I have my magic back?” Harry asked, looking nervous. He didn’t really remember much of the evening before, but he knew it had been bad and he found himself worried that it would happen again when Firo’s warding was removed.

“I’m afraid not, Harry; leaving it up would interfere with unblocking your magical core,” Firo told him, looking sorry that he had to put Harry through this once more. “It is only going to be for a short while,” he tried to reassure the boy, but Harry still looked nervous, even as he nodded his head in consent.

Almar stood back, watching the two of them curiously, enjoying watching the easy relationship Firo and Harry had. His attention was mostly on Harry however, and he noticed the boy’s body tense up as the barrier was taken down. It was as if someone had flipped a switch; the hyper excitable boy was gone, and Harry was now holding on tightly to Firo, his eyes closed tightly, breathing deeply.

“It’s okay, Harry,” Firo spoke softly. “Open your eyes, it will be easier,” Firo instructed and Harry looked up at him, Firo stroked Harry’s hair gently. “Let’s get your magic back now,” Firo said and looked to Almar. The Council Member nodded, and led them both through a set of double doors.

As they entered the room, Harry moved closer to Firo, clutching at his mentor’s arm tighter. This room was not as ornate as the room where they held full Council meetings. The most noticeable difference was the fact that there was no tree growing through the room; the second was that the table was a lot smaller.

Almar gave Harry and Firo a supportive smile as he moved over to where the other Council members were all seated already. There was space enough at the table for the four High Council members, while the heads of the Secondary and Lower Councils, Almar and Elmon, had seats at each end of the table.

Firo led Harry forward to stand before the table of Council Members, though the teenager was clinging to him tightly, eyes glancing around the room erratically. Almar couldn’t take his eyes off Harry, looking worried; the boy suddenly seemed far too shy compared to how energetic he had been moments before.

“We all know why we are here,” Arnaldo declared, his disapproving gaze fixed on Harry and Firo. “Do you feel you have learned your lesson?” he asked imperiously.

Harry, however, said nothing, clearly struggling to focus on anything at all. “Harry,” Firo whispered gently, tucking his finger under Harry’s chin and getting the teenager to look at him. “Arnaldo wants to know if you learned your lesson,” he told him.

For a few moment Harry still seemed to be struggling to understand, a confused frown on his face as he gazed up at Firo. But then he nodded. “I’ll… be good,” he promised, a vague smile twitching on his lips for a moment. “Magic, please.”

“What’s the matter with him?” Rosario asked, leaning forward to watch Harry curiously; Elmon was also looking a little worried.

Firo took a deep breath, looking down at the small boy tucked into his side. He didn’t really want to get into this now, but he knew he was going to have to explain eventually and refusing to answer now would just delay Harry getting his magic back.

“I discovered last night that Harry is Empathetic,” Firo told them and muttered gasps from the Council. “His magic has been protecting him, and I have kept him behind protective wards since the early hours of this morning, but right now…”

“Magic…” Harry whined, tugging on Firo’s clothes, “please. Hurts,” he said, looking like he was on the verge of tears once more.

“We can discuss this later,” Itham said pushing himself to his feet, pulling out the red gem that had bound Harry’s magic as he moved around the table. “I am giving Harry his magic back right now!”

“That is not your decision!” Tinasia exclaimed, clearly outraged. Itham, however, was not listening to her as he approached Harry and Firo; and Almar, Elmon and Rosario didn’t seem remotely interested in stopping him. “Arnaldo! Do something!”

“Get it over with,” the High Elder instructed Itham dismissively.

“I’ve got him, just do it,” Firo said when Itham opened his mouth to speak. The Elder nodded, raising the gem and closing his eyes. The red gem started to glow once more, and Harry let out a startled cry.

Firo ran his hands through Harry’s hair, whispering quiet comfort to the teenager throughout the process. It only took a few moments before the gem’s glow began to fade, revealing the return to its original blue.

“Harry,” Itham said hesitantly, as he slipped the gem into his pocket, his full attention on the teenager in front of him. Harry was still clinging to Firo and taking gasping breaths. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

Harry just nodded vaguely, wanting to indicate that he was okay, but not quite able to find the words yet. His whole body was tingling pleasantly with the return of his magic, and his mind felt clear and free; but the shock of the change was taking him a moment to adjust to.

“Give him a moment, Itham,” Almar said, all the gathered Council Members watching Harry impatiently.

“I’m okay,” Harry managed to say a long minute or so later, smiling up at Firo as let go of his mentor. “Thank you,” he said, earnestly once he was stable on his own two feet. Only then did he turn to face Itham.

“How are you feeling?” Itham asked again, looking concerned. The guilt he had felt before was now ten fold with what he had just learned about the petite fourteen year old.

“Angry,” Harry snapped right away, glaring at the man. Firo’s hand ran over the back of his neck calmingly, and Harry took a calming breath before speaking again. “I have a bit of a headache, but feeling more like myself again.” There was still no mistaking the blame he was placing on the Council Members, despite his calmer voice. “I want to go home,” he said, turning to Firo.

“Of course,” Firo told him.

“We have matters to discuss!” Arnaldo interrupted angrily, looking very annoyed that he had lost control of the meeting.

“Matters that can be discussed at another time,” Almar countered.

“I am the head of this Council,” Arnaldo said, standing up and glaring at Almar for a moment before narrowing his eyes at Firo and Harry.

“No one is denying that,” Rosario cut in. “However, in light of the new information we have learned today about Harry, it would be best to let him go home and rest. He just had his magic returned. That added to the stress he’s been under is going to have some negative effects on him,” she said, not looking too happy about the whole situation.

“I agree with Almar and Rosario,” Elmon added, looking around at his fellow Council Members. “Let the boy get some rest, we can always meet with him later if we decide it is necessary. But first, I think we need to look into how this happened in a first place,” he suggested.

“Elmon makes a good point,” Itham said, seeming thoughtful. “As far as I am aware, Empathetic abilities have never been recorded in wizards before; it has always been assumed to be a talent exclusive to Fae.”

“It will have to be investigated,” Rosario stated, and there were nods and murmurs of agreement around the table. “If you would escort Harry back home, Firo, we will let you know if we need to speak with you again on this matter.”

Firo nodded, hooking an arm around Harry’s waist and leading him out of the room. Harry glanced back at the Council members for a moment, tensing when he saw Arnaldo glaring at him; a few days earlier Harry wouldn’t have understood, but now he was sure that he could feel waves of negativity, distrust and even anger rolling off the High Elder.

A moment later though, the Council Members were left alone, as the door closed behind Harry and Firo.

“So,” Almar said, looking around at the others, “anyone got any suggestions? Alais has always implied that Harry is special, but this....”

“This is more than that,” Rosario said. “We could try and talk to her though, see if she knew anything about this, or how this could have happened.”

“I am sure Alais would be happy to tell us all she knows,” Itham stated confidently, not looking forward her finding out that Harry had been hurt even worse than they had originally thought.

“Could this be related to Harry being brought here earlier?” Elmon suggested, and the others looked his way. “We should probably check the other children, make sure none of them have similar abilities, but if this really is just Harry, maybe we need to go back to the beginning.”

“Do we know who was responsible for collecting him?” Rosario asked.

“Firo’s sister, Kaylin,” Itham answered. “She was how we found Firo as a Mentor for Harry and Blaise,” he told them. “We need to speak to her,” and the others nodded in agreement.
And another chapter done! We are having so much fun writing this, and we hope that you are having just as much fun reading it, as we are writing!
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Restoration of Magic