Disclaimer: I am borrowing the characters and am making no money.

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If I were a painter

I would paint my memory

If that's the only way for you to be with me

~ Norah Jones

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Harry stood at the entrance of the headmasters office, sighed, gave the password then stepped onto the moving staircase. It was the start of his 6th year and he was depressed. His summer had been slightly better then the last, prior to the threat made at the end of his 5th year. The Dursley's were scared of the wizards and had treated Harry as if he were a bomb that could go off at any time. The staircase stopped moving and before Harry could even raise a hand to knock Dumbledore's voice bid him entry. He sighed again and entered the circular office.

A quick glance told him that it had been fixed since his last visit there and a second glance told him that Dumbledore was sitting at his desk petting Fawkes. The phoenix saw him and trilled a few notes, raising Harry's spirits slightly.

"'lo Fawkes. Professor Dumbledore." He said in a way of greeting them both.

"Hello Harry, do sit down wont you." The aging headmaster said motioning to the chair in front of the desk.

The meeting with the headmaster was a lengthy one, and it was long past curfew, the meeting having started an hour before dinner, when Harry trudged quietly into the 6th year boy's dorms.

Harry stood in the door and listened to his friends sleep. Smiling sadly he moved over to his trunk and opened it. Having only been back at Hogwarts a week most of his items were still in it. He only had to collect his robes from the wardrobe and empty the beside table.

Working by the moonlight, he transferred all of his robes and folded them up placing them back into his magically enlarged and lightened trunk. He sighed and walked over to the table next to his bed. He emptied the bottom drawer of his school bag, still packed with his books he needed for that day,  he pulled out his wand and whispered the unlocking charms on the top draw. Carefully he took out the dreamless sleep potions he had stored in a small wooden box. He moved it to his trunk with his bag. Next he took out the photo album that Hagrid had given him, now with more pictures, Remus had sent him a load for his birthday. Resisting the urge to flick through it Harry placed it into his trunk he then took all the remaining items from the draw and put them on the floor next to his trunk. Next he summoned his cauldron and with a whispered "Evanesco."  Place it too in his trunk then placed all the items that were on the floor into the now clean cauldron. He wondered back over to the small table and opened the top draw again. he reached towards the back of the now empty draw and felt the small latch. He clicked it so that the smaller hidden compartment of the draw could be accessed and took out a folded piece of parchment and one last photo.

These he could not help but look at. The last photo was one taken when he, Harry, was only year old, about a month before the attack on Godric's hollow.

The picture was taken in the living room. Harry was in his mothers lap and was playing with her long red hair. On the other side of the room James and Sirius were playing wizards chess, Sirius it seemed was losing badly. The picture must have been taken by Peter because Remus was sitting on the couch next to Lily with a sketch pad on his leg and a muggle pencil in his hand. Harry watched as Lily leaned over Remus' shoulder and giggled at the drawing, clearly Peter was asking him to show him too so Remus turned the pad to the camera, allowing Harry to see it.

It was a sketch of James and Sirius playing chess. Their faces were perfect, but it was the speech bubbles Remus had added that had obviously made Lily laugh.

The one from James read: "Padfoot, you couldn't even beat Puffskein at chess, if you tried."

The one from Sirius read: "Don't diss Puffskein's my mummy never let me have one!"

Harry smiled and pocketed the photo into his inside pocket of his robes, then he unfolded the piece of parchment.

It was the drawing.

Lifting the drawing to his lips he kissed it softly and whispered, "I love you mum. I love you dad. I love you Sirius."

Drying his eyes of the unshed tears Harry refolded the drawing and placed it in his pocket with the photo. He moved over to his trunk and pulled out his cloak, pulling it on he then shut his trunk and whispered the locking charm. He picked it up balancing it on his left shoulder and moved towards the door.

"Harry?" Harry stopped but didn't turn at the sound of the voice. He heard the owner get out of his bed and pad over to him.

"Do you want me to tell Ron or Hermione anything?"

Harry looked down at the floor, "No thank you Neville. I've left letters for them with Dumbledore."

The unshed tears were back and he choked. He felt Neville's arms slip around his waist and hug him tightly. After a while Neville pulled back, silent tears on his own face.

"I'll miss you Harry. Good luck." Neville smiled sadly and Harry nodded his head before continuing out the door, out the Gryffindor tower, and down to the main entrance.

Dumbledore was waiting for him, he stood in the open space of one of the doors, silhouetted against the night sky. He radiated power and Harry smiled, he moved over to him.

"Good luck Harry and goodbye." The aged wizard said to him as Harry moved to join him.

"You promise me that they'll be safe for the time?" he asked as he stood in front of the old man.

"I give you my word." Dumbledore answered, nothing was more important at the moment, then making Harry continue with the situation.

"I'll hold you to that." Harry replied.

"I know you will." The headmaster answered sadly, and he suddenly looked every single one of his 156 years.

"Go, your carriage is waiting." Harry nodded and  swept out of the castle and down the stairs to the waiting misty carriage. On the bottom step he stopped and looked back up at the castle he had considered home the past 5 years.

"Don't change without me Hogwarts." He whispered before glancing at the headmaster still standing in the doorway watching him go.

Harry smiled once more and climbed into the carriage. It took off over the grounds fading from sight before it even reached the gates.

"So he chose to go then?" a sad voice said in the dim light of the castle. Dumbledore turned round, shutting the door slowly.

"Yes Persephone, he did."

Dumbledore looked into the dark brown eyes of Professor Sinistra.

"Hogwarts will be a quiet place with him gone." She commented quietly.

"Yes, Yes it will." They both turned and returned to their quarters in silence.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

" – ball will start at 7 pm, and the required attire is - " Dumbledore broke off his announcement about the Christmas Ball and looked at the figure kneeling on the floor that had just faded into view.

Dumbledore's heart stopped momentarily, "Could it be?" he asked himself quietly and moved around the teachers table and down of the stage area to the main hall.

Before he could reach him the figure stood. He was very tall and had his long black hair tied into a plait at the base of his neck that fell to his waist.

The man was wearing a long Chinese style robe in deep red, and on his feet, though you couldn't see them, were training shoes, also black but with a tanned base, they were hidden by a pair of loose fitting grey trousers. The man had deep emerald green eyes, that looked hardened by war. His skin was tanned and he had a muscled body, and perfect posture.

"Professor Dumbledore, a word in private if you may." The mans voice was a rich baritone that hinted at a hidden strength.

The headmaster nodded and led the way to his office. They stood in silence on the spiral staircase and when they reached the circular office Dumbledore took his seat behind his desk and conjured a chair for the man to sit on.

"Now," Dumbledore began but the man interrupted him.

"Are Ron and Hermione safe still?" there was an urgency in his voice that was barely noticeable, but it was there. Dumbledore blinked.

"Harry?" he asked uncertainly.

The man smiled, "Hello Professor."

Dumbledore visibly relaxed, then his mind seemed to point something out to him and he tensed again.

"Harry, where were you staying before your trial that summer?"

Harry grinned, "In my godfathers, Sirius Black, house, he hated it there. There was a portrait of his mother on the wall that would shout at us all, and a house elf called Kretcher, whose favourite person was Bellatrix Lestrange. Sirius used to keep Buckbeak in the attic and over Christmas he went around singing. Hermione was skiing with her family but she came back, she didn't like skiing but she didn't tell Ron that because he found it funny that muggles stood on planks of wood for fun."

He paused and looked at the Headmaster, "Did I pass the test sir? If not I can show you something that Sirius gave to me over Christmas, no one knew about it, only two people that know about it are still alive."

Dumbledore nodded and Harry reached into his robe and pulled out the drawing that Remus had drawn when he was a baby. He handed it over to the headmaster.

When he saw what it was Dumbledore choked. Tears formed in his eyes at the image and he handed it back to Harry. "One."

Harry pocketed the picture again and looked confused. "One what?"

"Only one person knows about it. Remus is dead Harry." Dumbledore told him sadly. The was a heavy silence in the room as Harry absorbed this information.

"How long have I been gone Professor?" he asked sadly.

"Just over 4 years." He paused, "How long was it for you?"

Harry looked up into the blue eyes of the headmaster. "27 years."

Dumbledore blinked, "but that would make you - "

"43 yes. It is the 5th of December right?" he asked with a grin on his face.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes it is." Harry sighed.

"At least the day and months are still the same, not quiet sure how that works out but never mine." He grinned, "So there's going to be a Christmas ball this year?"

"Yes that's right, but Harry where have you been these four years?"

Harry laughed, "Headmaster you know I can't tell you that. I was there when YeYul explained that to you. You must know the muggle saying. Ask me no questions -"

"- and I'll tell you know lies." Dumbledore finished it smiling. "So what will you do now Harry?"

Harry shrugged, "I don't know headmaster. You don't happen to have any open teaching positions here at Hogwarts do you?"

"Harry, you are no longer a student, please call me Albus."

Harry nodded, "In that case I would like for you to call me by what I have been known as the past 27 years."

"Of course, and what would that be?"

Harry smiled fondly, "Fai Sheng. My master gave it to me 2 years after I journeyed there."

"And there is?" Fai Sheng grinned.

"Nice try prof – Albus, but I can't and wont tell you."

Albus smiled, "Fine I'll give up for now, but yes we in need of a professor at the moment."

"Oh?"

"Yes care of magical creatures."

"But Hagrid?"

"Is on his honeymoon, again I might add I think this is their third one since the marriage."

"There aren't any mini Hagrid's or mini madam Maxime's running around yet are there?"

Albus laughed, "No not yet, I dare say they are enjoying the simple company of the other at the moment. But he left a few weeks ago – I'm not sure where they've gone but they took Grawp with them this time."

"Ah so you know about Grawp then?"

"Yes, I was out on a wonder through the forest and ran across him, poor fellow he was very lonely." They both laughed.

"So when do I start?"

"Monday, that gives you tomorrow and the whole weekend to plan your lessons and make yourself at home again."

Fai Sheng nodded again and went to stand. But Albus spoke again. "I'll be introducing Professor Sheng tomorrow at breakfast, try and be there."

"Don't worry Albus, I'm probably the only person in this entire castle who has seen more sunrises then I have the moon." He stood and moved to the door. stopping with his hand on the handle. "Where will I be staying?"

Dumbledore clapped his hands and a house elf that Fai vaguely recognised appeared in the office.

"Binky would you please show Professor Sheng to the Care of Magical creatures rooms."

The house elf bobbed his head, "Of course professor Dumbledore sir, Binky will be happy to. Mister Professor Sheng if you would be pleased to follow Binky. Binky will show you the way through the castle."

Fai stood, "of course Binky, lead the way. Goodnight Albus."

"Goodnight Fai."

The walk through the castle wasn't that long and soon Fai found himself standing outside a portrait of a Chinese Fireball. Fai smiled at him, the young dragon bringing back memories of an old friend.

"Professor Sheng has to tell the dragon the password to get in. if you is wanting anything just clap and Binky will come and help. Goodnight professor Sheng."

"Goodnight Binky." Fai replied and the elf disappeared with a 'pop'. Fai focused on the Dragon again, and thought back to his old friend.

"The password is Jun Long." The dragon nodded his head in approval and swung forward allowing the new professor entry to his rooms.

They were bare, obviously awaiting the occupant to choose the design and colour.

Fai walked in and looked around the main room. It had three windows on the far side, an empty book case covering the entire left wall and a fire place on the same wall as the door. The right wall had two doors. Fai walked over to the first one and opened it, it revealed a sparse bathroom, made of marble. Too posh for his tastes, he held out his hand and said in a calm voice,

"Lao jiandan dao." A river of pale white light flowed from his palm and covered the bathroom. When the light faded and Fai lowered his hand the marble was all gone and in stead the bathroom was made of wood and was in an old fashioned simple design, one that he was used to. The wooden candle's in the four corners went out by themselves when he left the room and opened the other door. it was the bedroom, with a large four poster bed in the centre and two long ceiling to floor windows on the east wall with a desk on the west wall. The bed was against the north wall and the door on the south.

Fai stood in front of the bed and held his hand out again, "Jiandan" was said in a calm voice and once again the pale white light left his palm and encased the four poster bed. When it faded Fai was left with a simple styled futon, that was positioned against the wall on the floor. Next to it he conjured a bamboo mat. He turned to the desk and made it lower to the ground and transfigured the chair into a seat cushion. He then conjured a long bamboo blind to go over the windows and a medium sized wardrobe plus one more bookcase next to the desk before moving back into the main room.

He spent 15 minutes rearranging the room so that everything was closer to the ground and was made of a light wood. The floor was wooden instead of stone and the windows had more bamboo blinds over them. The fireplace and book case stayed the same, but there was a small coffee table in the centre of the room and six beige seat cushions were situated around it.

Fai emptied his robe pockets and took out two shrunken trunks, one was his old school one, and the other was his new one. He enlarged and opened them both.

"Wei wu" the pale light encased both trunks and then everything within both flew to their correct places within the three rooms. Both the bookcase in the bedroom and the one in the main room filled up quickly and the left over books flew onto a newly created case on the wall between the two doors. The trunks emptied and the room now looked lived in. on the wall with the main door on it, were a collection of weapons. Above the door was a plaque with Chinese writing on it, declaring 'Fai Sheng to be the new Dragon Rider of the clan' it was dated 4213 Z.L. Harry had joined that world in 4198 Z.L., after leaving Hogwarts on September 12th 1995 and he left the other world in 4225 Z.L., returning to Hogwarts on December 5th 1999 A.D.

Fai didn't want to leave the Z.L. world, but he had no choice, the people of his home world needed his help. So he had left. On the right side of the door hung three green and black samurai swords, they were a gift to him from the masters when he completed his first 10 years of training. On the left side of the door were two short swords crossed. These were very special to Fai, they were his masters, left to him with his masters dieing breathe in the year 4212, he had died one year before Fai achieved the position of Dragon Rider. The two swords were named Jun and Long after his deceased master, in memory of the man Fai saw as his father. Fai shook his head, clearing himself of the memories of the past and focused on the present.

Now he was back after what was to him 27 years of a completely different life style. It would be hard to get back into the old routine, but he would do it eventually. Fai glanced out of the windows and saw the sun setting on the horizon. It was about 7 pm, he had eaten before he journeyed back so he wasn't hungry. Moving like a cat Fai headed into his bedroom, completed his nightly exercises then crawled onto his futon and fell asleep.

He awoke the next morning at 5 am, the sun was not due to rise for another 3 hours yet, by which time he would be having breakfast in the great hall. Shaking the sleep from his head Fai stood and moved into the connecting door to the bathroom. He climbed into the cold shower to wake up his body quickly, then hopped out dried himself the muggle way and went back into his bedroom over to the wardrobe.

He pulled out his training tunic, trousers and shoes before going over to his window and out on to the balcony. There was a two storey drop onto the grass below. Nothing he couldn't easily jump. He went back into the main room and he took off the smallest samurai sword. He fixed it to his back then went back to the balcony in his bedroom. He easily climbed up onto the stone edging and jumped to the ground.

His long plaited hair whipping out behind him and he flew through the air and landed like a cat on the grass. Moving away from the edge of the castle Fai began his morning stretch. The grass was still wet from the dew and it reminded Fai of the training area in Zhang Li.

Fai finished his warm up and began his morning routine, to anyone watching it would look like a complicated dance, and it was in a way, a dance using ones body as the weapon. After dancing for 15 minutes without a break Fai stopped and drew the samurai sword off his back. He then began to dance again, this one being even more complicated and difficult then the one before. He danced and danced, built up a sweat and then continued to dance once more.

It was 7 am before he let up his dance. He sheathed the sword once more and wiped the sweat from his brow before moving back over to the area where he landed and hour and a half ago. He looked up to his window and jumped. Landing like a cat on the stone wall of the balcony. He moved into his room and hung the samurai sword back up on the wall before retreating to his bathroom and climbing back into the shower.

He un-plaited his hair washed it then re-plaited it as he moved back into his bedroom dry once more. His training clothes were in the wicker basket and he would clean the tonight, unless the house elves got to them first which was very likely. upon reaching his wardrobe he took out a pair of black loose fitting trousers, and a deep red tunic. He pulled on his training shoes again and then left the room. He said goodbye to the Chinese dragon in the painting and then headed down to the great hall, his feet remembering the paths he hadn't trodden in so many years.

The hall was filling up with students, many of the female students were looking at him and then dissolving into fits of giggles, the boys mostly looked on curiously. Fai made his way up to the teachers table and sat down in the empty seat next to a boy he recognised.

The brown haired man turned to him and held out his hand, "Neville Longbottom, Herbology."

Fai shook it as he sat down, "Fai Sheng, Care of Magical Creatures."

"Pleased to meet you Fai." Neville replied before digging in to his breakfast. Fai did the same, and as his eyes scanned the table he noticed there were a few new foods he definitely didn't remember seeing at Hogwarts before he left. He glanced up at Albus whose eyes twinkled merrily at him. Fai grinned and began to eat breakfast. Albus then stood and the hall went silent.

"I do not normally give out notices on a Saturday, however I need to complete last nights announcements as well as introduce a new teacher. I would like you to welcome Professor Sheng who will be taking over Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class until he returns." There was a small applause when Albus stopped talking, it was mostly over giggly girls.

"Now last night announcements. The Christmas ball will start at 7 pm on Christmas day and so there will be no dinner then. The normal Christmas lunch will be served at midday as usual. The ball will require formal attire and it is open to all years. Now today is also a Hogsmeade weekend, so I will stop talking and let you all run off and full yourselves with sugar!" the hall laughed and Albus sat down again.

Fai looked over all the teachers sitting at the table, Professor Mcgonagall was still there as was Professor Sinistra. Neville had replaced Professor Sprout, and it seemed that Firenze had taken over full time from Professor Trelawney. Fai' s gaze swept over to the far side of the table to where the Defence against the Dark arts teacher sat, it was a young woman who he didn't recognise, she was currently talking to the Potions professor and so blocking his view of him. Fai continued to watch the two professors talk and then the Defence against the dark arts teacher sat back in her chair allowing Fai to see the potions professor.

He hadn't changed either, Severus Snape was still playing spy for Albus it seemed. The years hadn't changed him much, but then Fai reminded himself, that here it had only been four years.

Severus looked up and saw that Fai was watching him, Fai smirked when he realised that Severus was trying Legimens on him. Severus realising that he wouldn't be able to break through Fai' s shields gave up, scowled at him and then returned to his breakfast.

Fai turned back to Neville, "Did you have any plans for today?"

Neville looked up, "Oh no."

"Did you want to head into Hogsmeade with me? I could use some company, and you could tell me more about yourself if you wanted." Fai smiled at the boy who had been the last person to see him out of all his friends. Neville had surprised him that night, but he was careful not to show it.

He saw Neville smile, "Okay then Sheng, I'll go with you."

"Fai. Please." Neville smiled again.

"Okay then Fai, but then you must call me Neville." He grinned and Fai laughed. Together they got up from the table and headed out of the great hall.

"Do you need any money?" Neville asked him as they turned towards the main entrance.

"I have my Gringotts key but no coins." Fai replied.

"There's an exchange counter in Hogsmeade, we can go there first, I have to get some money out anyway."

Fai nodded and the two headed off in companionable silence towards the small wizarding town.