Chapter 10
After walking all day Lena had Nasurra, the capital city of the Mage Lands, in sight near sunset. However she was no walking alone. Near lunchtime came across another on his way to Nasurra, except he had a horse.
He was a charming young fellow, and perhaps if she was not already spoken for….
His name was Ewan and coincidently he was on his way to speak with the Mage council as well, though Lena did not tell him why she was going. He was dressed like a nobleman and held himself like one too.
"So what is it like in the Wizarding Realm?" Ewan asked as the city grew closer and closer.
"There isn't much difference between our realms," Lena told him, "The Mages just think they are too good for the likes of Wizards. Royalty to mere presents."
"Do you dislike your own kind?"
"I don't define myself as such. Yes I am a Mage, but I don't look for that difference when I see people everyday. It doesn't matter whether a person is Mage, Wizard or Muggle." Lena explained.
"Why are you here?" Ewan asked persistently.
"There is someone on the council that cannot be trusted." Lena admitted.
"And you know this being in a different realm and all?"
"My information came from the Everlasting Daystar." Lena said.
"Ah, so you've met the Goddess?" Ewan said surprised, "She was here only a few months ago. Well you might have a problem seeing the Council all by yourself, but I can put in a good word for you."
"What make you so special?" Lena asked.
"Well seeing as you haven't been to the Mage Lands in a while I will explain. I am the Elemental Mage, a guardian if you will. And…"
"Is this some kind of joke?" Lena stopped in her tracks.
"What, you don't believe me?" He genuinely asked.
"I appreciate your companionship on the road my lord, but I will not be made a fool of." Lena could not believe that that man had the gull to say that. Perhaps he was working with Rene, yes, she decided, this was his doing.
Ewan saw he could do nothing further and rode on ahead on his horse rather then wait for her. Lena took a moment to calm down.
When she made it to the building where the council was held, surprisingly they let her in. Inside the council room were Ewan and twelve of the thirteen council members.
"Before you say one word, I ask you this. Why should we grant you an audience with this council when you insult a man we hold in high respect?" One of the councilwomen asked.
It was then that Lena realized that they all believed that Ewan was the Elemental Mage, in fact Ewan believed it himself.
"May I ask who it was that discovered you as the Fire Mage?" Lena directed at Ewan.
"Council member Rene," he admitted, "what does that have to do with anything?"
"There is no possible way you could be the Fire Mage," Lena said calmly.
"Perhaps a demonstration is at hand Ewan," one of the council members suggested.
Ewan nodded and sought to play with the fire from the torches on the walls. Lena noticed that he didn't actually create the fire and kept it at a safe distance not to get burnt; any Mage could do that with the right spells and mastery.
Lena concentrated on the fire and inched it closer to Ewan. She could see that he was confused by the sudden lack of control that he had, Ewan was trying very discreetly to push the fire away, but she would not let it. Finally the fire was so close that he pulled away before he could get hurt.
"Well," Lena remarked, "If you can't handle the heat, stay out of my kitchen." Lena pulled the fire towards her and made it grow, engulfing her entire body with the flame. Then as quickly as she had done that, the flame disappeared with Lena not harmed in the least, not even her clothes.
"As I was saying, there is no possible way you could be the Fire Mage. I sorry but it seems that Rene has been deceiving you for years."
*
After saying up the day before, the night and that day, Madison was ready to drop. But first she had to pack up her room in the Slytherin dorm and move to the empty room Severus had in his chambers.
"Do you need any help?" Draco was standing at the doorway.
"You can help carry some stuff when I'm finished packing." She told him. Madison caught a hint of fear in his eye. "What wrong?"
"Nothing," Draco quickly replied.
"I'm not leaving Hogwarts," she explained. "I just don't need to be sleeping in the dorms when I'm not a student."
"I know that," Draco hesitated, "Its just that I'll be alone here."
"Weren't you before? No one in Slytherin knows that you've joined the Order," as she had said that she heard something coming from the closet, like a gasp.
"What is it?" Draco asked, but Madison motioned for him to be quiet. She listened to all the sounds around her; she found two heartbeats in the room, one from Draco and one from… Madison opened the closet to reveal Pansy Parkinson attentively listening in on their conversation. She grabbed Pansy and forcibly took her out of the closet and up against a wall.
"Have you abandoned all logic Parkinson? Entering the domain of a Vampire," only wanting to scare her, Madison's eyes lit up and she spoke with exaggeration so that her fangs were clearly seen. This was not something she had show the classes, she only spoke of Vampires, never showed them. It was obvious Pansy needed some convincing.
"I...I…" Pansy stammered.
"I…I…" Madison mimicked, "Didn't think you'd get caught did you? Here is some advice: stay clear of me and anything that has to do with me." She then licked Pansy on the check, "Or else." She then let Pansy go and she fled the room.
Madison could see that Draco was anxious about what had just happened.
"Don't worry, I could've been ten times more scary."
"That was bloody scary enough."
"I could have grabbed her by the throat and lifted her in the air a few feet, but alas I am showing a great deal of self restraint." Madison joked.
"I stand corrected." Draco said, "So where in the castle or you going to be?"
"Professor Snape has an extra room in his chambers." Madison answered as she removed her clothes from the closet and magiced them into her trunk.
"Why are you staying with him?" he asked.
"Well, he's in the dungeon, which is a nice location; he has my blood supply, which you know I can't live without," she said.
"That makes sense."
"I know that you are capable of handling the rest of the Slytherins. It'll be up to you to show them what the right thing to do is."
"No pressure right?"
"Come on, grab those bags." Madison told him as she lifted up her trunk and they headed further into the dungeons.
*
Harry decided to visit the Hospital Wing after dinner to see how the two Amazons were doing. Tavion was still white eyed and comatose while Cara was quietly sitting by a window, staring out into oblivion. It was weird seeing Cara dressed in something different other than the animal skins, now she looked like someone who lived in civilization.
He must have made a noise because she turned around as he approached her. Cara's eyes were red and puffy and she looked utterly miserable.
"Dia dhuit," she said quietly. (Hello)
"Hi," Harry replied, he knew only a little Gaelic but he always tried to speak it around them, "Conas atá tú?" (How are you?)
"How do you think I am?" she snapped.
"Sorry," Harry said sincerely, "Did Madame Pomfrey say anything about Tavion."
Cara shook her head, "She's hasn't a clue. Though Solarea said she'll come out of it when she's ready."
"If only more of your people had survived." Harry said regretfully.
"Yeah," Cara said thoughtfully, "Tell me, how hard is this magic thing?"
"I think you'll be a quick learner. Are you going to learn?"
"I think I might, I don't really have anything else to do." Cara answered.
"I know the perfect person that can help you. Hermione is top of our class, brilliant witch." Harry said with pride.
They then heard Tavion inhale sharply, they both turned towards her, but it was too late. Before Tavion could give warning the sound of glass shattering was heard and Harry stumbled slightly as an arrow lodged itself into his left shoulder. Tavion bolted out of her bed and was at Harry's side within seconds. Harry, in shock, was about to pull it out.
"No, don't." Tavion commanded, "Sit down, Cara find some dressings."
"What the bloody hell was that thing?" Harry asked looking to the window.
"What did it look like?" Tavion asked in an attempt to keep him distracted.
"It was a ghost but..." he trailed off.
"It was a taibhse except it was solid when it did this, then it went back to being a taibhse. I think it was a girl." Lena finished for Harry when she returned with the dressings. (ghost)
"Why don't you see if you can find someone to get Solarea?" Tavion suggested to Cara.
"Something's wrong." Harry said. "Something doesn't feel right."
"You've been shot with an arrow Harry; of course it doesn't feel right." Tavion told him.
"No it's something else, it burns." he said then slipped from consciousness.
Tavion held on to him so he wouldn't fall. She examined the entrance wound carefully and then cursed. The area around the wound had blacked and looked to be slowly spreading. "Poison," Tavion quickly pushed the arrow through the other side and broke the arrow head off, then slipped the shaft out and quickly applied pressure to both wounds. She looked around the room until she found shelves filled with plants and such. Leaving Harry for only a few minutes, Tavion rush over and quickly examined the plants until she found the right one. This particular plant, where ground up would hopefully slow the poison.
Cara came back soon after with Solarea as well as other people.
"You may want to fetch your Potions Master," Tavion told them, "The arrow was laced with poison."
Sirius help by putting Harry in a bed, "Glad to see you up and about."
"Not soon enough, I saw this happening but I was too late." Tavion said.
Solarea examined the arrow, "This is an old poison, and no doubt my brother's doing. The antidote is tricky."
"How tricky?" Severus asked as he and Madison entered the Hospital Wing.
"It required the blood of a relative, nearly all of it."
"No human can survive that," McGonagall gasped.
"Does it matter whether the blood is live or dead?" Madison asked.
Solarea thought about this, "I, don't rightly know. It hasn't been tried before."
"Well I'm all you have to work with," Madison turned to Severus, "How fast can you whip up a purification potion?"
"I'll get on it. And I'll call Marcus." Severus answered.
"Thank you, Sev." She turned back to Solarea, "Well, bleed me."
"I wasn't aware the Princes' had any blood relations to the Potters." McGonagall said.
"Only through me, the relation is on my father's side," Madison replied, and with that she started her bloodletting.
*
Things were not going as she had planned. Lena was waiting outside the council building as if she were a child who had done something wrong and was awaiting her punishment.
It was half an hour before Ewan sat down beside her.
"A few months back, after Solarea left, Rene started to act differently, always secretive. Before he left he gave me an old book. It spoke of the Elemental and how to recognize them. I soon realized that I had no markings to identify me as such." Ewan explained.
"But why put up the charade?" Lena asked puzzled.
"As the Fire Mage the people looked up to me. I couldn't stand the risk of breaking their hearts. The council and I decided to wait until you showed up. That we wouldn't let the people lose their security."
"How did you know that I would come?" Lena asked.
"Faith," Ewan replied, "You do have the mark, right?"
Lena lifted her left sleeve to show the black pentagram that had been on her wrist since birth.
"Well, now that that is settled, the council wants to see you."
Lena followed Ewan back the council room. The atmosphere of the room was different this time around, less hostile.
"On behalf of this council we would like to apologize for our behavior towards you," the Head Councilman Gabriel said. "Ever since Rene openly shared some of his intents with us, we have been on edge, waiting for something to happen. Always guarded against newcomers. I hope you can understand that." Lena continued to listen, "This council is made of thirteen members, and since Rene's departure we are one short."
Lena caught on to what he was saying, "You want me to be on the council?"
"The Elemental Mage has always had that privilege once they proved themselves worthy. You can from another world just to warn us that we were being deceived."
She thought for a moment, "What will be expected of me?"
"Attendance of Council meeting for important decision making…"
"Politics," Lena assumed.
"In a nutshell,"
"I can't abandon the Wizarding Realm," Lena told them, "In fact they whole issue with Wizards is really stupid."
"We agree," Gabriel said.
Lena was about to continue arguing when she realized what she heard. "What?"
"In fact there is to be a social event at the end of the month in hopes to solve our issues with each other." He explained.
"You're the ones behind the ball, it's ingenious. But I have to say the issues are rather one sided, the Wizards are beginning to Mages are just myth." Lena said.
"Nevertheless, it is about time to start working together. If evil is working together, then so shall we. You will come of course?" Gabriel asked.
"Yes, I had already planned on coming with my fiancé. Is there anyway I could take a look at the guest list, I might have a better idea of who might cause trouble."
"Ewan will show you. So you accept the position?"
"As long as it doesn't interfere with my job and my family."
"Very well, tell us if you need anything."
*
It was dark; well it was always dark when ever she went out, but that night there was no moon. She watched the couple converse with each other, he would say something and she would laugh or something. Madison tried not to care as she watched them walking towards the house the girl lived in. She was still debating what to say to him. She had no choice but to talk to him, he had been bugging Severus every chance he got about where to find her.
Madison was sitting on a swing in the little park, just watching as they said good-bye and parted with a pretty steamy kiss. Thankfully he wasn't invited inside, or she would have to go without talking to him.
She started swinging on the swing to it would make that creaking sound, so it attract his attention; it did.
"Excuse me miss, should you be here?" he asked politely.
Madison stopped swinging and stood up, "I heard from a bird that you were looking for me."
"Sorry?"
She pulled out the actual letter and read, "The pothead has be constantly harassing me trying to find you, for Merlin's sake throw him a bone and get him off my back."
"Madison?"
Guess he wasn't as slow as Severus said he was.
"The one and only," she moved closer, so James Potter could see her better. "May I ask why you were trying to find me?"
"I thought that would have been obvious." James said.
"Couldn't you just forget about me, pretend I never happened?"
"Afraid not," James said. "Why don't we go back to my place and talk, none of my roommate will be there."
Madison agreed and they Apparated.
"So, how did you find out about me?" she asked as James was getting a couple of butterbeers.
"Dad found out actually, when he saw you at my Graduation, it's like he just knew. He found you mother and they had a nice long talk." James explained to her. "We've been trying to find you since, three years of nothing though. Not even a whisper of where you were."
"How disappointed where you when I wasn't at my Mother's funeral." Madison asked with a smirk.
"I admit we had hoped that we would at last find you." James paused, "We're having a small gathering tomorrow, for Halloween."
"Halloween's on Sunday," she reminded him.
"Yes, but Monday is a work day. So we are having it the day before. It'll be great if you could come, Dad would love it."
"I won't be able to come until after the sun sets." Madison told him.
"That's alright; party doesn't start until then anyway."
Harry woke up to his shoulder throbbing. It must have been the middle of the night. Next to his bed on a Transfigured couch was Solarea who was curled up asleep against a sleeping Sirius.
On the other side of him in a bed was Madison, her wrists were bandaged and an IV was in one arm, giving back the blood she lost. Marcus sat between their beds wide awake.
"Good to see you're awake, Mr. Potter. But you should get more rest." Marcus said.
With those words Harry already began to feel sleepy, "I had a dream about her and my dad."
Almost asleep, he heard Marcus say, "It was probably a memory."
A/N: yeah, another chapter done, and it didn't take my months to do!!!
Please review, I love reviews, not enough people are review. Thanks for reading and thanks for those who review.
Ask me question and I'll probably tell ya the answer!! Maybe…..
-->