Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Something tickled Harry’s nose. He raised a hand to swat whatever it was, but his fingers met nothing. He blinked and Niamh’s face swam into view.
“Harry, you’re alright.” She leaned forward and kissed his forehead.
“Mum,” Harry croaked. “Voldemort…”
“Shh,” Niamh said. “There’s no need to worry.”
“But the stone,” Harry tried to sit up.
Niamh gently pushed him back down. “The stone was destroyed during your fight with Voldemort. We know everything that happened.” She smiled. “I hate that you had to fight him, but I am so proud of you.”
“I need more training. Focusing my magic through my wand appears to have weakened my control.”
Niamh sat down on the side of his bed. “You don’t need to worry about that. I’ve decided to take you to Elphame to train you once this year is over. It’s going to slip out of sync with the mortal world soon, but Arawn thinks he can postpone it for a while. We’ll have more time in there to get you back up to speed.”
“What about Daphne and Luna.”
Niamh shook her head. “They will be fine. My concern right now is making sure you are safe.”
“But…”
“No buts,” Niamh said sternly. “I’d prefer you didn’t see that madman again, but if you do, I want you to be ready.”
Harry knew better than to argue. “What happened to the Philosophers stone? It exploded and this gold light was all around me.”
“When it exploded, you absorbed the magic in the stone. You burned through most of it fighting Voldemort. Nicholas is gonna be upset, but it’s his own fault for hiding the bloody thing here.”
“I murdered Quirrell,” Harry said quietly. “I guess that is two deaths I’ll be responsible for.”
Niamh stared at him intensely. “Listen to me,” she said fiercely. “You didn’t murder Quirrell. It was self-defense. Despite what some would have you believe; they are not the same thing. Quirrell was trying to kill you. You had every right to defend yourself.”
“I still feel bad though.”
“That is normal,” Niamh said gently. “If you didn’t feel bad, I’d be taking you to a mind healer. Taking a life should never give you any pleasure, but it is necessary sometimes. If you hadn’t killed him, he would’ve killed you. I won’t lose any sleep over his death, and you shouldn’t either.”
Harry yawned. “I know you’re right, but it’s gonna take some time for me to come to terms with this.”
Niamh nodded. “I’ll send Arawn to talk to you when he gets here. Until then, try and get some sleep.”
Harry closed his eyes, but all he could see was Quirrell’s screaming face. He felt his mother’s cool fingers brush across his forehead. All his worries seemed to drain away at her touch. He was suddenly so sleepy. He yawned and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
**ROE**
“It’s gone?” Nicholas said dazedly. He looked as if someone had told him Christmas had been canceled.
“I’m afraid so,” Dumbledore said. “Voldemort tried to steal it and it was destroyed in the struggle.”
Nicholas swallowed. “I’m going to die,” his voice shook slightly. “Perenelle is going to die.”
“Nicholas,” Dumbledore said gently. “Everyone dies.”
“But no one wants to die,” Nicholas said, “Even someone that has lived as long as I. Six hundred and sixty-five years seems such a short time when you know your life is over.”
The door of Dumbledore’s office opened, and Niamh stepped into the room. She closed the door behind her and approached Dumbledore’s desk. “I think I can help.”
“Niamh,” Dumbledore said. “I think…”
Niamh drew a cup from the dress she wore and placed it on Dumbledore’s desk. “This can heal Nicholas and will get rid of the need for the Philosopher’s stone.”
Nicholas’s fingers twitched as he restrained himself from grabbing the cup. “What is it? It doesn’t look special at all.”
“It is the Holy Grail,” Niamh said staring at the cup reverently. “It is the cup that Christ drank from at the last supper. Joseph of Arimathea used it to collect his blood when he was on the cross.”
Nicholas stared at the cup. There was nothing special about it. No gold, silver, no strange symbols, or fancy adornments. It was just a simple clay cup and a badly made one at that. “That’s impossible. Jesus was just a man. The grail was just a myth thought up by medieval writers.”
“I don’t really care what you believe,” Niamh said. “I know the truth. If you want to live, drink from the cup. If not…” Niamh shrugged. “You have lived longer than most.”
Nicholas glared at her. “And what do you want in return? What? Are you offering me a drink from this cup out of the goodness of your heart? What will it do anyway?”
“It will grant you eternal youth. You won’t have true immortality. Nothing can give you that, but so long as you don’t do anything stupid, you should be fine. You will be sterile though. A balance must be maintained.”
“Answer my question,” Nicholas said. “What do you want for a drink from this cup.”
“You are aware of the fae. As old as you are, you may have met some of them. I am Niamh, and I want to make a deal with you.”
Nicholas’s eyes widened. “The fae? I lived through what you bastards did to the Muggles. Your people wiped out millions because the church killed some of you.”
“They killed my twin sister Maeve,” Niamh said, her voice turning cold. “I watched them burn her alive. I listened to her and my mother’s screams. I didn’t participate in what the fae did, I wouldn’t have stopped them at the time. Killing adults, we could have overlooked, but when the church burned children alive, that’s where we draw the line. Even the worst of the fae value their children.”
“At the time?” Dumbledore asked. He’d picked up the cup and was examining it. “You would stop them now if given the choice?”
Niamh nodded. “Children died because of the plague. In getting our revenge, we became the monsters we were trying to fight. Most of the high court value the lives of all children, including human children.”
“Perenelle lost her mother because of you.”
Niamh’s expression didn’t change. “You have my sympathies. We are not here to discuss ancient history. You are old. You have enough elixir for a few more months. When it runs out, you will die. This cup…” she tapped the grail with her finger. “It will solve all your problems. All you must do is agree to the deal and you and your wife get to live.”
“Niamh?” Dumbledore said chidingly. “You are holding a man’s life for ransom.”
“A life he obviously values more than the safety of the students at this school.”
Nicholas winced. “I never thought Voldemort would actually be teaching at the school.” He glared at Dumbledore. “How could you not know that madman was here?”
Niamh shook her head. “I’d love to be able to blame Dumbledore alone for this mistake, but no one suspected Voldemort would be possessing one of the professors. Don’t shift the blame. Dumbledore was stupid enough to hide the stone here, but at least he didn’t advertise the fact that it was here. What’s your excuse? Why did you ask him to hide it here of all places?”
“Hogwarts has hidden dangerous artifacts in the past,” Nicholas said. “I thought the stone would be safe here.”
“And the children didn’t matter to you at all? Their safety just never factored into your great plan?”
“Hiding it here was a mistake,” Dumbledore said softly. “Hogwarts may have been a safe place to store magical artifacts in the past, but I am the headmaster. I should’ve ended that practice. I am sorry and I will not be hiding dangerous artifacts in the school again. You have my word on that.”
Nicholas scowled at Dumbledore. “Since when do you acknowledge your faults?”
“Since I’m trying to be more responsible,” Dumbledore said. “One who never learns from their mistakes will always repeat those mistakes.”
Nicholas was silent for a few moments. He finally sighed. “What deal do you want from me?”
“We want your support,” Niamh said. “When the fae return, we want you to speak up for those that may show up in France.”
Nicholas grits his teeth. “I agree to your terms.”
“Good,” Niamh said. “Let’s get the wording of the oath right and arrange a time for you and Perenelle to drink from the cup.”
**ROE**
The next time Harry awoke, he saw a head of dirty blond hair lying on the bed beside him.
“Luna?” he croaked.
Luna sat up at once, her silvery blue eyes widening to see him awake. “Harry,” she cried, taking his hand, and squeezing it tightly. “How are you? The pixies told me you fought Voldemort. You survived and he died.”
Harry blinked. “Luna,” he said slowly. “Voldemort didn’t die.”
“Well, the body he was possessing died, so technically he did die.”
Harry opened his mouth to argue but stopped. He’d never been able to win a game of logic with Luna. “How did you get here?”
Luna smiled. “Mum brought me to see you. She was worried about you too. I told her about your Mum getting part of herself back. I hope that was okay. She’ll understand once she sees her. The pixies told me you were going to Elphame. Can I go with you? I’ve missed you a lot this year and I don’t want to be away from you any longer.”
Harry took a moment to process everything Luna said. “I… err… I think you’ll need to ask your Mum.”
As if his words had summoned her, Pandora strode into the room. “I’ve spoken to Xeno. If your mother agrees, we will be going to Elphame with you. Xeno wants to study the creatures in Elphame.”
Luna clapped her hands together. “Yay,” she said laughing cheerfully. She plopped down on the bed next to Harry. “Tell me everything that’s been happening this year.”
**ROE**
Dumbledore leaned forward, studying Niamh intently. “So, you are leaving for Elphame? When will you come back.”
“We’re not leaving until the end of the year. I owe you that much, especially since I asked for the job. I don’t know when we’ll return. It’s been a while since one of the royals has kept Elphame from slipping out of sync with the mortal world. It’ll be that much longer before it syncs back up with earth. It could be a week, three months, or ten years. No one really knows.”
Dumbledore shrugged. “I can have Remus Lupin take over until you return. He could use the money.”
“Remus,” Niamh said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him. He left after Voldemort’s fall.”
Dumbledore nodded. “He cut all contact with the magical community. He was shocked when I told him you’d returned.”
Niamh nodded. “I’ll leave him notes about my classes.” She stood. “I need to talk to Arawn. It looks like we’re going to have some company in Elphame.”
Dumbledore picked up a piece of parchment. “My door is always open. Come and see me if you need anything.”
**ROE**
Lucius Malfoy dropped his son’s letter onto his desk and poured himself a large brandy. He stood and walked to the window and watched his peacocks wander around.
Draco’s letter combined with the news coming out of the ministry was disturbing. If his son was to be believed, the fae were returning. After centuries of absence, the tricky blighters had decided to step foot back onto earth. Didn’t they realize that they weren’t needed anymore?
He glanced at the bottom drawer of his large oak desk. Perhaps what his former master had given him would prove useful after all. He had scanned the object. He was not stupid enough to put something in his home without doing so, especially when it came from the Dark Lord. The object gave off an aura of dark magic. The Dark Lord had mentioned it was a weapon, but would this weapon even be able to cause the chaos he wanted. Reaching into the pocket of his robes, he fingered the small silver key he always kept there. It was not time for that yet. No, first he had to address the issue of the new History professor.
Draco’s letter had mentioned that Lily Evans, also known as Niamh, had taught a very interesting history class. According to his son, she was telling them that purebloods was no better than Muggle-born. While she was not saying that Muggle-borne were better than purebloods, and was in fact, saying that the Muggle world had its own issues. She could not be allowed to go on as she had. Pure blood was the top of magical society and the Muggle-born didn’t need to get any ideas above their station.
He will be taking a trip to Hogwarts tomorrow. It was time to remind Dumbledore who was really in control.
**ROE**
Dumbledore looked up as the door of his office swung open. A tall man with white-blond hair and storm grey eyes strode into his office, closing the door behind him. In his right hand, he held a walking stick. He planted himself in front of Dumbledore’s desk and stared at the old man.
“We need to talk,” he said his tone icy.
“Hello Lucius,” Dumbledore said. “How are you? Lovely day we’re having don’t you think?”
“I don’t have time for pleasantries Dumbledore. I am a very busy man. I’m here to discuss your insane history professor.”
“Insanity is a serious charge to level against someone. What proof do you have that Lily is not in her right mind?”
“Lily? I was under the impression that she goes by the name Niamh. I was also under the impression that she believes she is one of the fae. Would that not classify her as insane?”
Dumbledore winced internally. He’d been afraid that something like this was going to happen, but Niamh had pointed out that it would happen no matter when they returned. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself for the conversation to come.
“Niamh is a very qualified professor of history. Who better to teach history of magic than one who has lived through history?”
“That is still assuming she is who she said she is? How do we know she is really Niamh? Come to that, how do we know she is fae?”
“She swore an oath and still has her magic,” Dumbledore said mildly.
“That only means she believes what she swore,” Lucius said calmly. “I don’t want my son taught by someone that is insane.”
There was a swirl of mist and Niamh appeared in Dumbledore’s office. She nodded to Dumbledore.
“Sorry for the interruption, but I thought you could use some help.” She turned to Lucius. “Ah, Mr. Malfoy. How are you?”
“Ms. Evans or is it Niamh. I must say you’ve gone through a lot to carry off the illusion that you are fae.”
“Illusion,” Niamh said arching one eyebrow. “No, this is not like your claim of the imperius curse. I am fae. Have you heard of anyone being able to apparate inside Hogwarts, yet I have done so and in the headmaster’s office no less? If I am not fae; how could I have done that?”
Lucius’s grip tightened on the handle of his cane. “If you are fae, why are you here?”
“Call it a test run.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“No.”
“How do I know you don’t mean the children of this school harm?”
“How do I know you don’t?”
“I have a son that goes here.”
“You were a part of a terrorist organization.”
“I was under the imperius curse,” Lucius said his voice rising.
“You were, so Voldemort was not your master.”
Lucius was silent. The Dark Lord hadn’t been seen for over ten years, but there was still a chance he would return some day. If word got back to him that Lucius had renounced him… he shuddered. “I was under the imperius curse,” he repeated.
“Right, so what you are saying is that Voldemort was not charismatic enough to gain his own followers. He had to resort to controlling people’s minds. Is that right?”
Lucius clenched his jaw. “We aren’t here to discuss my past traumas. We are here to discuss your claim of being a fae.”
“Indeed,” Niamh said. “How would you have me prove my claim?”
Lucius’s eyes gleamed. “The fae were weak to cold iron. Why don’t you just touch iron for me.”
Niamh glared. “I’m still wondering why I should prove anything to you.”
“Perhaps to keep your job?”
Niamh gestured sharply. A gust of wind lifted Lucius from his chair and slammed him into the ceiling. Lucius grunted as his arms and legs were pinned to the stone by an invisible force.
“Niamh,” Dumbledore said shocked. “Please put him down.”
Niamh jerked her hand down and Lucius crashed to the floor and lay there, stunned. Niamh knelt beside him. She leaned close enough for her blond hair to tickle his face.
“You have two choices,” she whispered. “Either I am fae or a witch that is far more powerful than Dumbledore himself. Either way, I can find you and there is nothing you can do. If you harm the children here, I will find you. If you threaten your fellow governors in any way, I will find you. Now get out.”
Lucius stumbled to his feet and turned towards the door. “This isn’t over,” he said as he slammed the door behind him.
“Was that really necessary?” Dumbledore asked.
“Probably not, but he shouldn’t cause anymore trouble for a while. I’ve come to inform you that Gareth and Delia Greengrass will be bringing their daughters to Elphame. Gareth wants to know the people he will be working with.”
“Alright, thank you for making me aware.”
Niamh nodded. “I’ll be going now. I have a class to prepare for.”
As she vanished in a swirl of mist, Dumbledore smiled. “Having a fae teaching here was going to be very interesting.
**ROE**
The rest of the school year passed without incident. Luna had to be dragged out of Hogwarts when Harry was released from the hospital wing. She only left when Harry promised to write to her every week.
All the first years had passed their exams and were simply waiting until the year was over. On the last day of school, Daphne and Harry sat on the edge of the lake.
“How’s your dad doing? Is he ready to take a trip to Elphame?”
“Yeah,” Daphne said. “His potions businesses pretty much run themselves. How long will we be in Elphame anyway?”
Harry shrugged. “Time is funny. For us it could be years while months pass on earth, or it could be days for us while years pass on earth. The latter hasn’t happened much in the past few decades, but Mum and Dad say it’s only a matter of time before it does.”
“What’s Luna like?”
Harry smiled. “One of a kind. You’ll just have to meet her.”
**ROE**
After the leaving feast, Neville approached Harry. The two boys hadn’t spoken much since Hermione had been rescued. Seeing him approach, Harry waved. “Hi Neville, how are things?”
Neville nodded. “Good, listen I wanted to thank you for helping Hermione. She’s been a lot better.”
Harry shrugged. “I didn’t do anything. Mum did all the work.”
Neville grinned. “Is it true she punched out a troll?”
Harry nodded. “Yep.”
“Wicked.”
The two boys stood in silence for several moments. “So,” Neville said finally. “No one has really said much, but if Niamh is fae, does that mean you’re…”
“I’m fae to,” Harry said quietly. “Mum and James Potter had trouble conceiving, so they used an old fertility spell.”
“So, why are they coming back now?”
Harry shrugged. “I don’t know why they picked now or what their plans are. I just know that Mum will be taking me to Elphame for a while to teach me how to control my magic again. Using a wand has made my control a bit spotty.”
“Well, you can count on the Longbottoms to stand behind you. The Longbottoms have been friends with the Potters for centuries, and I don’t see any reason that should change.”
Harry was touched and shook Neville’s hand. “Thanks,” he said. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Neville nodded and walked away without another word. Harry began walking towards his mother’s office. Perhaps things wouldn’t be so bad for the fae after all.
**ROE**
The next day, after all the students had left, Harry, Niamh, the lovegoods, and the Greengrass’s all met in Niamh’s office.
“So how do we do this?” Gareth asked.
Niamh pointed to a corner where mushrooms, toadstools, and mold had been left to grow. “In order to take multiple people that aren’t fae, we need a portal. I’ve encouraged some plant life to grow so we can create one.”
“Just looks like fungus to me,” Delia said wrinkling her nose.
Niamh approached the fungus and drawing a knife, she slashed her palm. As the blood flowed from the wound, Niamh closed her hand into a fist and allowed the blood to drip onto the fungus.
The fungus began to writhe and twist. The stone wall behind the fungus split apart revealing a tunnel leading into darkness.
“Come on,” Niamh said leading the way into the tunnel.
The others followed. Harry stared around at the tunnel. Roots grew out of the dirt walls at odd angles. The smell of wet earth and growing things filled his nose. As they continued to walk, Daphne touched his shoulder.
“We’re going down.”
“It makes sense,” Luna whispered. “One of the names for Elphame is the land under the hill.”
“That refers to the passages that lead to Elphame, not the land itself,” Arawn said appearing beside them. All of them jumped.
“You made it,” Niamh said smiling at him.
“Of course, I did, my family is going to Elphame, and it is about to slip out of sync with earth. Do you honestly think I’d miss Harry’s first sight of home?”
Niamh’s smile widened, but she said nothing.
“So, where will this portal lead?” Xeno asked brushing his white hair out of his eyes.
“Annwn,” Arawn said. “It is one of the few lands in Elphame whose seasons match earths.”
As if his words had caused a change, the tunnel opened onto a long grassy meadow. They all heard birds chirping and felt a cool breeze on their skin.
As Harry stepped out of the tunnel, magic surged through him. He straightened up, as if a large weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
“That feels much better,” he said smiling happily.
Arawn chuckled. “Welcome home.”
Harry glanced at his mother and saw she looked more relaxed and happier than he could remember seeing her. “I forgot how good it felt to be home,” she murmured.
Harry looked around and saw green fields stretching into the distance. The grass looked freshly cut and the smell of apples, strawberries, and wet earth filled the air.
“Where will we be staying?” Daphne asked.
“There,” Niamh said pointing at a large palace on the other side of the field.
“That’s home?” Harry asked.
Arawn nodded. He turned to Harry. “Ready to begin?”
“Now?”
Arawn nodded. “Yep, we don’t know how long we have, and your training starts now.”
“I’ll get the others to their rooms,” Niamh said. She glared at Arawn. “Don’t kill him.”
As the others walked away, Harry stared at his father. “You… err… won’t kill me, right?”
Arawn clapped him on the shoulder. “Relax, you’ll survive… maybe.”
Harry gulped. He had the feeling this was gonna be a long day.
“Shield,” Arawn roared hurling a ball of black flame at his head.
Harry dove to the ground, barely avoiding the fireball. The smell of singed hair filled the air.
“Yeah,” Harry said spitting out a mouthful of dirt. “It’s gonna be a long day.”
Arawn walked over and hauled him to his feet. “I said shield, not dodge.”
Another ball of black flame appeared in Arawn’s hands. “Now,” he growled. “Shield.”
Harry threw up a hand, a blue light flared just in front of him, blocking the fire.
“Good,” Arawn said. “You’re learning. Now, let’s see how you deal with fire coming from multiple directions.”
Harry let out a yell as a wave of fire roared towards him.
**ROE**
A few hours later, Arawn helped Harry into the palace. He froze as he saw Niamh standing there, arms crossed.
“So,” she said tapping her foot. “How did it go?”
“He has a bit to learn. He’s having trouble shielding under pressure.”
Niamh gestured for them to follow her. “Come on, dinner is waiting.”
As they walked, Harry turned to his Mum. “Do you know how to get hair to grow back?”
“Hair?” Niamh said, looking confused.
Harry pointed to a large smoking bald spot on the top of his head.
“Arawn,” Niamh shrieked.
**ROE**
The next morning, Lily sat Harry down in front of a large lake. “Before I let Arawn train you anymore, I’m going to train you in elemental magic. So far, I’ve trained you in probability and wizardry. Now, your real training begins.”
“Okay,” Harry said.
“The elements you will be learning are earth, fire, wind, and water.”
“Got it,” Harry said.
“Odds are you will not be able to master all four elements, but you should be able to use all of them in some form.”
“Do you have any idea which elements I can use?”
“Water will be one of them. You will possibly be able to use the wind as well. We will just have to see.”
Niamh stretched her arms over her head and stood. She began pacing as she spoke.
“When I explained how fae magic worked all those years ago, I left out one thing. We have a connection to Elphame. That’s why you feel so much better here. This is your home. We draw power from Elphame.”
“What do you mean we have a connection to Elphame?” Harry asked.
“Elphame is one of our sources of power. It is not our only source because we do absorb ambient magic from the ley lines around us. That is why iron weakens us. It disrupts our connection to Elphame and the ley lines. It also drains the magic out of our bodies.”
“You told me we couldn’t run out of magic.”
“I told you we rarely run out of magic,” Niamh said patiently. “That doesn’t mean it never happens. That’s why the fae hate iron so much. If the iron stays in our system too long, it will drain us of all our magic. Unlike wizards, if the fae are drained of their magic, they die slowly and painfully.”
Harry swallowed. “I see.”
“That’s why I’m going to teach you elemental magic. It is harder to learn, but it will give you a defense against iron.”
“How does elemental magic work? I mean, I know I created ice, but how does it work?”
“Fire, earth, and wind are the elements that are easiest to learn. You can create and control fire by heating the air around you. For earth and wind, you will simply be adding to what is already there. For example, if you want a boulder, you add mass to a rock by using the magic in your body to increase the size.”
“What’s the difference in an engorgement charm and adding mass to a rock.”
“An engorgement charm can be canceled. When you add mass to something by pouring magic into it, your magic becomes the element.”
“What about water?”
“Water is the most difficult element. To use water, you must summon it and add to the water you summon. This means that water must be close by.”
“How do I do that?”
Niamh handed him a book. “First I want you to read this.”
Harry looked down at the book and groaned. “Elemental magic for beginners,” he read aloud. “Really Mum?”
“I’m not going to teach you the more advanced forms of elemental magic until you can use the basics. Now get to reading. I expect you to have the entire book read by the end of the day.”
“But there’s got to be two hundred pages here,” Harry spluttered.
Niamh smirked. “You’d better get started then.”
**ROE**
Several hours later, Harry stood and stretched. Niamh looked up from the book she was reading.
“Oh, good you are done. Ready to begin.”
“Today?” Harry groaned.
“No rest for the wicked,” Niamh said.
“Fine,” Harry grumbled.
Harry stretched and cracked his back. “According to the book I have to be able to sense the elements in order to manipulate them.”
“Right,” Niamh said. “Ready to begin?”
“How do I do that?”
“Sit,” Niamh gestured at the grass around them. “Reach out with your mind and magic. Get a feel for the elements. Which one calls to you?”
Harry sat down and extended his senses. As his magic probed the area around him, all his senses sharpened.
He could see every blade of grass. He could hear the wind moving the grains of earth. He could hear the gentle bubbling of the lake beside him. He became aware of his mother holding a small flame in her right hand.
“Good,” Niamh whispered. “Which elements call to you?”
The flame in his mother’s hand seemed to draw him towards it. At the same time, he felt a pull to the lake beside him.
“Fire and water,” he said dreamily.
“My mother had mastery over fire and your grandfather was worshipped as the supreme god of the Tuath De. It’s gonna be fun to train you. You can relax now. We’ll start the hard stuff tomorrow.”
As Harry relaxed, all his energy drained from him. As he started to fall, Niamh caught him.
“Rest now,” she whispered. “You did good.”
As he fell asleep, one thought filled his mind. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.