Unofficial Portkey Archive

The Elvin Bride
Chapter Two:

"Okay, this is what we have…" Hermione said as she sat down in the Gryffindor common room next to Ginny.

Ginny tucked her now blonde hair behind her elfin ears and sighed as she glanced at the very large, very musky book Hermione had gotten from the Restricted Section of the Library. The four of them had come, with the permission of Dumbledore, earlier than the other students and so far the only people who knew Ginny had turned into an elf was her family, Harry, Hermione, a few teachers, and Dumbledore.

Hermione put her hand on top of Ginny's head and turned it. "Ginny? Are you listening? Classes start tomorrow and the sorting ceremony is tonight, which means we all have to sit at the table awaiting the first years to come in."

"I KNOW!" Ginny half hollered. "You may have been here a year longer than me, but I do catch on rather quickly…blast! Hermione I'm so sorry. I really don't like being so outspoken!"

Hermione gave her a grim look and stuck her nose back in the book. "Elves are often more intelligent and wise then the average human, but aren't as strong. Mentally elves are very strong, with wondrous magical abilities, but physically they are very weak. Well I shouldn't say weak per-say, just Gin, you won't be as strong as you used to be. Those cauldrons will be more challenging than last year and you may need some help lifting it."

Ginny scoffed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I will not!"

Hermione lifted a finger up. "You forget. You're a sixth year now; the cauldrons get bigger and better every year. So it'll be heavier than last years. Plus you're mum got you the copper one, although very cheap at twenty galleons, very hard and heavy. "

Harry choked on some unknown substance and widened his eyes. Ron snorted in amusement at Harry's response.

Ginny lifted her eyebrow at their behavior. "What does it being copper have anything to do with it?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed at Ginny's show of ignorance. "Copper lesson," she stated as she started going into a lecture. "Copper, which symbol is Cu on the Periodic Table, is a brownish-red metallic element that is one of the most widely used of metals. It's the transition element of the periodic table."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"This is muggle science so pay attention. You do have advanced Muggle studies this year, right?"

When Ginny nodded confirmation Hermione nodded and started speech again.

"The atomic number of copper is twenty-nine. When copper is in its pure state it's very soft, but can be hardened…"

Ginny cut her off. "Hermione I know you're a book train-spotter and all, but I don't give a toss about it! So…just tell me about the elves and what other outrageous things I'll start doing!" she complained as she played with her new finely arched, golden brown eyebrows.

Hermione cast a disapproving look towards Ginny. "Very well. I was getting to the point…"

"Well I don't give twopence anymore!" Ginny spoke forcefully.

"GINNY! Show some respect." Ron glared. "I can't believe you're acting like this!"

"It's not my fault! I'm feeling rather weak from trying to hold it back. It's just like it has a mind of its own. I try to stop it before it comes out; the only problem is I don't know when it's to come. It just pops out!"

Ron glowered. "You shouldn't talk to Hermione like that especially when she's trying to help you!" he smiled tenderly at the bushy haired girl.

Hermione's cheeks lightened to a peachy pink color and smiled gratefully. Harry turned away pretending not to notice it.

"What? Ron, you got the flirts with Hermione too, huh? Do I sense a love triangle? Oh-la-la!" Ginny grinned suddenly then placed her hands as a visor on her forehead so they wouldn't see her embarrassing blush.

Ron's ears tipped with a blush as he sputtered in fury. Before Ginny could help it her mouth ran away with her and started up again. "And besides Hermione you sound like a text book."

"Actually," Hermione squeaked, "it's from the internet."

Ginny crossed her eyes and looked at the tip of her nose in a very rude manner.

She barely remembered what `the internet' was.

Ginny decided to ignore Hermione's glare.

"Now as I was saying. Elves are phenomenal spell casters, which means you'll probably be good in Potions and Transfiguration, and …most definitely the Dark Arts. They're very independent, but the elfin powers have a connection with each other. When elves are together they are more powerful because their powers are drawn together by love, curiosity, and friendship. So you'll be very, very loyal. I fear that since you were all ready curious before, that your curiosity might get the better of you in a troubled situation and will most often annoy people."

"What do you mean I'll BE loyal?" Ginny glared.

"-Err, I didn't mean that you weren't."

"Go on!" Ron demanded. "What else?"

Hermione lifted her nose at him and began. "You'll be drawn to other elves," she searched through the book that had `Legends of the Elf' engraved in gold on the front cover. "I believe there is an elf town mentioned in this book. Oh would you look at that Elf Town is what it's called and it's in Scandinavia? Perhaps we might take a trip in a few weeks. Oh wait, maybe not! It's VERY expensive just to get into the town. It seems that the original elves, since they are all said to be brothers and sisters, were, and are, extremely wealthy. Not to mention it's nearly impossible to get past The Vale of the Fairies. The Fairy Queen is very snooty it would seem."

Harry seemed to perk up. "I could help with the expenses."

Ginny flinched as she felt a cramp in her stomach.

"That's very thoughtful Harry, but so you don't go broke we would need others to pitch in. I could help a little. We'll just have to wait. It's a shame that Dumbledore didn't know a counter-curse. Apparently in all his years he's never seen something like this," Hermione sighed.

"Did you see the way he looked at Ginny when he saw her?" Harry exclaimed.

Ron nodded, his eyes showing his disbelief.

Ginny rubbed her stomach gently, trying to ease the nagging pain.

"You know, Dumbledore isn't a god. You shouldn't be so surprised that he doesn't know everything," Hermione commented. "Anyhow, it also appears to be that Elves are in close relations with the Seelie Court. The Seelie Court is more or less assumed to include the deities of the sprites, sea sprites, pixies, nixies, atomies, grigs, satyrs, korred, nymphs, brownies, leprechauns, dryads (and hamadryads), unicorns, pegasi, centaurs, swanmays, killmoulis, treants, pseudodragons and faerie dragons, seelie faeries faerie fiddlers, and gorse faeries."

Ginny sighed heavily. "Not that I knew what half of those were…"

Ginny gasped suddenly and the pain in her stomach became almost unbearable. "Um…Hermione I'm feeling rather strange."

Hermione lifted her eyes. "What's wrong? I should also tell you there are dark and light elves, and I haven't been able to tell which one you are. So whatever happens to you with in the next couple of hours could be a result of which one you'll be, but since your hair is blonde now, I'm sure you'll be a light elf. It was a curse however; they're bound to be drawbacks. It's really what I'm waiting for." Her voice was edged with panic.

Tears started pouring down Ginny's eyes. "My stomach is burning painfully and I-I feel like my hearts breaking," she cried.

"W-what's wrong with her?" Ron asked in a panicked voice as he leapt up and over to her.

The fear in Hermione's eyes left and they filled with understanding. "She's feeling Mother Earth's grief and pain."

"What?" Harry asked, turning his worried gaze away from Ginny.

"Since the lives of Elves are very long, they know no sickness or diseases. Because of this they know great happiness and even greater sorrow. When Mother Earth is happy, they fill with joy, they feel her joy, but when she's unhappy, their whole being fills with guilt, grief, and pain. What I was waiting for has made it known. She's definitely a light elf."

Ginny choking, hiccupping sobs filled the Hogwarts library. Ron awkwardly wrapped his arms around his sister and let her rest her head on his shoulder while she cried almost hysterically as if she were in terrible pain.

"You sure she isn't in physical pain?" Ron looked at Hermione pleading for an answer.

"I-I don't really know if it's physical pain. There isn't anything in the book that goes into full detail on the physical and mental state she'd be in. At least I don't think. She did mention something about stomach pains though."

"Gin? Are you in pain?" Harry asked as he knelt in front of her.

Ginny's eyes focused on Harry, but she didn't answer. Her eyes seemed to glow.

Hermione frowned and carefully watched Ginny's features shift quickly. She dropped her eyes back down to the book and searched, finding what she had already had a small dreaded inkling about.

"Oh-my," Hermione whispered as she brought her index finger into her mouth to nibble the tip of the nail.

"What's `oh my' mean?" Ron asked raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

Harry got up and went around Hermione to look at what she had just read. His eyes widened. "Okay…basically we can't let her get mad at anyone! I mean not even a little bit mad!"

"Why?" Ron asked.

Hermione spoke up. "Well…I'll just read it from the book: `In nature they find solace; and for the most part are peaceful people and mean no harm to those who do no harm. But woe is to those who oppose the Elves, for to awaken the anger and fury is to most assuredly bring about your own destruction. Beneath the soft exteriors of the elves, beyond their songs of peace and tranquility lie skilled archers, powerful mages, and deadly warriors. There is no more revered friend than an elf, and likewise, there is no more feared foe than an angry elf.' This is basically saying if Ginny gets angered in anyway she has the capacity and capability to kill without remorse."

Ron jerked his head down to his sisters trembling body. "Ginny c-could never do that," he said in denial.

Harry looked down and spoke softly. "Ginny couldn't, but the elf could."

Ron gritted his teeth. "So that's the backup…that's where the curse comes in. We'll just have to make sure she doesn't get mad. I don't want her going to Azkaban!"

"None of us do Ron. Technically, that was already an attribute to elves. We'll just have to keep an eye on her. Perhaps Professor Dumbledore will let each one of us switch off and go to classes with her."

Ron looked troubled. "Since that can't be where the curse comes in, where can it? It says here that it's in a real elves nature to be like that. So there must be something else, something maybe not in the books, or even in the Restricted Section of the library. I know we barely touched the topic of going to Scandinavia, but it might be our only answer. Maybe what we need is in Elf Town."

Hermione looked at Ron with an approving stare. "Ron, you're exactly right…surprisingly. Maybe we could do a fundraiser. Ginny, I believe you can do the following: Sing, dance, and play musical instrument. You'll find yourself very agile here shortly. It would be very entertaining to see traditions of an elf. Even though you aren't a real elf but rather a cursed one, you still have the instincts and traditions of one."

"I could owe Fred and George a debt and have them send some tricks to me from their Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes shop. I know people would love those," Ron added.

"And I could just put in whatever was needed after you guys do that," Harry grinned.

"While those are very good ideas we need to think realistically. This is very, very expensive, and Ginny cannot go by herself. Ron, being her brother you have not only an obligation, but a protectiveness embedded into you for her, I need to go so I can negotiate with them in their language, which by the time we collect the money I will be fluent in, Harry needs to go to be able to fight if need be."

"Aren't elves like future tellers of some sort?" Harry asked as he took a seat next to Hermione on the maroon couch.

Hermione's eyes lit up with happiness. "That's right! Harry, you're magnificent!"

He blushed and unconsciously bumped his knee into hers.

"I'm not giving future readings," Ginny whispered

"Okay-" Harry shrugged.

"They don't fortune tell though fake crystal balls like in Divinations, but they can read the stars, which is I think a lot more reliable! Oh and they can communicate with animals! I wouldn't be surprised if a unicorn allows Ginny to ride on it's back. Also your understanding of the human race will lessen."

"That's all fine and dandy, but we need to find why they call this elf curse a curse. I mean so far the only thing that worries me is ticking Ginny off and lets face it there's just something about being redheaded and having a quick temper," Harry said.

Hermione nodded in agreement. "You're right. I wonder if Snape would be willing to lend his talents in this area. The anger potion isn't at my level. I've actually tried it a couple of times on Ron, but it only made him more agitated."

"What?" Ron glared. "Harry, did you know about that?"

"I-I-I…." Harry bent over his knees placing his elbows against them.

"Are we going to be late to the sorting ceremony yet? I don't know the time," Ginny whispered, who'd placed her head on her brothers' lap.

Hermione smiled gently as she watched Ron run his fingers through his sisters' hair.

He really was a good brother.

"Gin, maybe you should stay here. I could bring you up something," Ron spoke softly. "I can only imagine how it could be. A lot of wizards have problems with Muggle born wizards and witches. How would they be with a half elf?"

"Ron, I appreciate the thought, but I can't stay here and hide myself. If I do that I'll just do it for the rest of the year. I can't," Ginny lifted herself up and wiped away the salty teardrops. "I like the idea of having one of you guys coming to my classes with me though. It would be easier to face things. I'd like to do that if possible."

Harry shook his head. "I'm sure Dumbledore will allow it," he spoke softly.

They slowly stood up and respectfully pushed their chairs in before they made their exit. Ginny allowed her hand to slip into her brother's