Chapter 8: Redfields
That happy place, the green groves of the dwelling of the blest
Virgil, The Aeneid, VI l 638
******Black Manor, London 0700 31 May 1995******
"Harry, wake up. Harry, get out of bed.
"Ok… you asked for it."
The freezing cold water that Sirius poured over his godson had the desired effect and less than a second after the drenching; the chasing began while Sirius cackled like a witch in muggle fiction as he ran away from a very wet, cold and irate boy-who-lived.
Hermione emerged from her room dressed in jeans, lace up hiking boots and a long sleeve t-shirt. They had discussed their dress the evening before and Emma had recommended dressing for an excursion. Better to be over prepared than under. As he was running past his girlfriend in pursuit of Sirius, he shot out a quick "Morning love" and sped off. Hermione merely shook her head with a smile, boys, and went downstairs for some breakfast.
Over breakfast, Sirius gave some last minute directions to Dobby and Winky on the continuing restoration to the Manor. They had worked miracles so far. Not only was it clean and had the old wallpaper removed and the walls with a base coat of white paint but new windows had been added, throwing light and cheer into all the rooms. Magic solved the problem of how to add an exterior window to an interior room, and it helped to make a positive mood throughout the Manor. Hermione had begun to peruse the vast library when a word of caution from Sirius about the dark proclivities of some of his ancestors put a damper on her explorations. Minerva and Remus chatted easily on the other side of the table, but Dan and Emma poked at their food nervously. Harry and Hermione were nervous as well; they would be using the Orb in an hour or so, and were having a hard time working up much of an appetite. Sadly, Harry and Hermione had to leave their familiars behind, but Dobby enthusiastically pledged that Hedwig and Crookshanks would get the best of care.
Finally, what breakfast that could be eaten was choked down. All luggages were shrunken and stowed in pockets and the travelers were gathered in the kitchen. Harry held the Orb out for everyone to touch. All the magical travelers had their wands out and Dan had a Colt model 1911 .45 caliber pistol in his right hand. He had served in the Parachute Regiment in his youth, and he maintained his proficiency on a gun range. He had always preferred the American handgun over his issued Walther, or even the Beretta that was in use nowadays.
Sirius made eye contact with everyone and after getting an affirmative nod from them all, nodded to Harry "Ok pup, let's get this show on the road." Taking a deep breath, Harry tapped the Orb with his wand. They were surrounded by a waterfall of color without sound and there was an appearance of motion but without movement. It was unlike any portkey any of the travelers had ever experienced. The transition lasted for a few moments when the waterfall of color cleared.
As they had planned, everyone turned so they were facing outward in the circle. Eyes tracking, they saw that they had arrived on a large lawn or well trimmed field in front of a large stone house. From the orientation of the sun, they could see the house faced south towards a small stream, maybe two hundred yards away. To the north and west of the house a hardwood forest stretched into the foothills of small mountains. To the east of the house there lay a large cultivated garden in the French style, similar to what one would find at a great manor house in the wine country. It was a cool early morning here as well, and the sun was shimmering across the lawn, causing it to glow a rosy color, almost red for a moment.
"I've got nothing" said Sirius facing south.
"Nay, nothing here" said Minerva facing west.
"Negative" said Dan facing east.
"We have visitors" said Harry who was facing north with Hermione. They all spun about and spread out slightly to form a line abreast with about a yard spacing between. Wands and gun were held low as they saw the man and woman walking slowly toward them from the house with their empty hands held plainly at their sides. As the couple got closer, the travelers line became a half circle with the man and woman in the center.
The man had shoulder length dark blond hair and his wife had long brown hair so dark it was almost black as it cascaded loosely down her back. They were of medium height, he slightly taller than she, and fair of skin. He was dressed in plain tan trousers that went to just below the knee and had a plain white long sleeved sark while she wore a nicely made, but not ostentatious dark green dress. The clothes would have been in style in the early 1700s and evoked an air of things lost, yet looked very appropriate for the couple. The man raised his hand palm out in greeting and said to Harry with a soft lilt "Greetings my Lord Potter and his companions. We greet you in the name of the King. You may call me Rhodri and my wife" here he half turned to his companion "you may address as Carys." Confusion and some surprise was the predominant response among the travelers. Rhodri and Carys looked on with pleasant, patient expressions, as if they had expected this reaction.
Finally, Sirius found his voice and asked "King? Which King?"
After exchanging a small smile with his wife, Rhodri looked to Sirius and responded "Why the King of Avalon of course."
"Oh dear" from Minerva was all that was heard.
******Redfields House, Avalon Day of arrival******
Following Rhodri and Carys into the house, everyone took seats in the extensive library while the two Avalonians explained that Redfields would be their home for the duration of their stay and they would have instructors in multiple arts come to them.
Rhodri surveyed the travelers and decided to address the curiosity and distrust that he saw on the faces gathered. "The Orb that you used to transport yourselves here was created many years ago in your time." At the statement "your time" Hermione and Minerva both crooked eyebrows in question. He continued with a smile, "Yes, Avalon does not follow the same time stream as the world outside." Here he put his hand to his chin, tapping a few times in thought before he nodded a decision. "I'd best give a brief overview; else all might not make sense."
Rhodri related that Avalon was originally an island in the Irish Sea. If one were to find the intersection of lines between Dublin to Blackpool and the Isle of Man to Holyhead, you would have been on Avalon before it withdrew from our reality. "Myth has told you that King Uther of the house of Pendragon united the warring tribes of Britain for the first time and was the first British King. This is true. It is also true that the great wizard Merlin acted as the King's wizard and his advisor. What is not known is that Uther, or Arthur as you know him, was a wizard himself. Arthur was actually Welsh, and the Camelot of legend was his home fortress found west of modern-day Shrewsbury, on the River Severn. He did unite Britain and establish the first British monarchy in approximately AD 980. However, Merlin had a prophetic vision of the forthcoming Norman invasion and the defeat of the British forces. Morgana, the Dark Lady of the age would support the Norman invaders, and she and her son, Mordred, would spread fire and destruction with the Norman invaders. There was no way to win. Arthur gathered his closest advisors to discuss courses of actions. Of course he gathered his trusted knights, I believe the legend calls them `Knights of the Round Table'?" Here he got nods from all the enthralled travelers. "Well, they are actually called `Knights of the Red Dragon' and no, there was no Lancelot who stole the heart of the Queen." At this he snorted in derision and Carys smiled. "Moving on, also called were of course the Queen and the King's half brother; Godric, Earl Gryffindor and his betrothed, Rowena, the Honorable Lady Ravenclaw. The Earl was the son of Arthur's mother and her second husband after Arthur's father died in battle when Arthur was a lad."
By now the travelers were all flabbergasted. Here was their host speaking with authority and certainty of things that were either forgotten, hidden or never mentioned in either the oral or written histories of the day. His speech, bearing and aura all held the ring of truth, and none doubted he spoke truly.
"It was decided, in an effort to save what could be saved, that the royal court and castle would be moved to the island of Avalon and would thereby become an enclave for magical Britain to flee from Morgana and her supporters. Godric and Rowena were asked, and accepted the task, to establish a magical school far from the expected Norman Conquest. It was hoped that this school would consolidate and strengthen the British magical community to fight back against Morgana's hordes. North of Hadrian's wall was deemed far enough away, and it is understood that Lady Ravenclaw was in possession of a castle far to the north in the wilds of the land of the Scots that they were going to use for their school. The castle was called Hogwarts.
"Arthur abdicated his non-magical throne to a distant cousin, Edgar, who became one of the last British King of Britain. The rest have been either Norman, Danes or even Germans" Rhodri related with some sadness in his voice.
Now Carys looked Harry in the eye and said "before the conquest and the eventual removal of Avalon from the time stream, Merlin had another prophetic vision. A descendant and heir of Godric and Rowena would be in great need and the entire future of magical and non-magical Britain would be in danger. That Champion would be in need of counsel, training and arming. Therefore, Merlin created the Orb that you used to bring you here this fine morning. Redfields House was built not long after to house you and your companions for the duration of your stay."
Harry's brain seemed frozen. As he stared at the Orb in his hands he thought about the historical information Rhodri had related. It had been fascinating, but in an academic way. Not really of impact or probably import to him. Carys changed that with a few sentences. Now it was all very important and very relevant. Rubbing his face with his hands, he said "So, I am the heir of both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw?" What's next, the heir to the bloody throne?
With a smile, Carys said "Yes and no. Yes, you are the heir of their blood, and therefore you are also Earl Gryffindor. But you are only the magical heir of Godric, as Countess Gryffindor has always been the magical heir of Lady Ravenclaw. The Countess does not assume the title of Lady Ravenclaw, as Baron Ravenclaw was a heirs-male of the body title and Rowena had no brothers."
"Oh" said a saturated Harry Potter. With a grin, he looked at his girlfriend, who also had an overwhelmed look on her face and waggled his eyebrows at her. "What do you think about that, eh?" he said teasingly. Her response was a big grin and a playful smack on the shoulder.
They were interrupted in their horseplay by a clearing throat they recognized as Professor McGonagall's signature sound of disapproval and correction. They looked to her to apologize but were shocked instead and could only stare. Minerva McGonagall sat there looking all of thirty years old. Her hair was dark brown with no trace of grey, her skin fair with a smattering of freckles on her smooth cheeks and she had the figure of a woman in the fullness of her life. Harry and Sirius would never admit it, even under threat of the Cruciatus, but she was a very attractive woman.
When the others saw Harry and Hermione staring, they too looked at Minerva who merely paused and then conjured a hand mirror. When she saw her changed visage, she was noticeably shaken and she looked at Rhodri and Carys and only said "How?"
Rhodri furrowed his brow in thought and said, "Something or someone here in Avalon that is anchoring you to this time of your life that your body has aged. What, pray tell ma'am, is your name?"
After telling her name, Rhodri looked quickly to Carys and she said "We shall make inquiries and hopefully have an answer for you in a few days. This is not unusual for people who come to Avalon. Fear not, no evil will come of this."
Rhodri got everyone back on track now. "As to the training, you all may undergo training as to your preferences and needs. My Lord Gryffindor" here he nodded at Harry "will undergo the most rigorous training. Physical fitness, hand to hand combat, weapons, mind magics, offensive and defensive spell casting and more. Since Avalon is outside of your realities time stream, you can be here for years and still return shortly after you have left. You must return after you have left though. You cannot go into the past. You will be here for quite a long time, most likely many years given the training that is required."
Here Hermione spoke up "Whatever training Harry is to undergo, I will undergo as well." Rhodri looked to Harry who gave him a definitive nod.
"Very well. And you gentlemen?" he said addressing Sirius and Dan.
"Well, I'm not sure, exactly" said Sirius. "Dan here is non-magical, so he could work in the non magical combat arena. I've been out of training for quite some time and need to be refreshed on quite a bit. I don't want to slow anyone down, so maybe we can be separate from Harry and Hermione? Minerva, what do you think?"
"That's probably the best thing to do. Emma, would you like to be involved as well? You don't have to decide now" she said with a smile "it's likely we'll be here for quite a while."
"True" said Carys. "Your first instructor will be Marcus. He will be here tomorrow morning and will start your physical fitness regimen." She now grew a very large smile "I'm sure that you will get along very well."
******Redfields House, Avalon 0530 Arrival + 1 day******
"Get up" said a voice. When Harry did not move, he was not so gently pulled out of bed. From the floor, twisted in his sheets, he got his first view of Marcus, his physical fitness and weapons instructor. He was about six feet tall, lean with jet black hair pulled back into a queue and tied with a leather thong midway down his back. His skin was dusky, like an Arab, but somewhat pale, as if he had been indoors for quite a long time. His features were fine and delicate, reminding Harry of a bust of Julius Caesar he had seen in primary school. His most striking feature was his eyes. They almost looked violet in the light. He was wearing a dark blue tunic, with tan pants tucked into black boots. Strapped to his side was a hand and a half sword in a plain black sheath with a wire wrapped handle. His arms were crossed on his chest while he appraised Harry. By his expression, he was less than impressed.
"Be in front of the house in ten minutes" he said in his clipped tones and walked out, presumably to wake Hermione. Harry jumped up to get dressed in the exercise clothing Sirius had purchased and heard another thump followed by a squawk of protest from his girlfriend. Harry could just make out the same order to her that he received as he was pulling a t-shirt over his head. After using the lavatory, he ran downstairs, meeting Hermione on the way.
As they exited the front door, they saw Marcus away across the stream in the front. They ran down to the footbridge and over to a large area that had short cropped grass where he waited for them. "You're late. It took you twelve minutes. You will meet me here, at the sparring ring, every morning at 0530 from now until I tell you differently. Is that clear?" he said looking at the teens with disinterest in their response.
Surveying the teens, as if to pronounce their worthiness, Marcus said "A warrior must be able to fight his until his opponent is incapacitated or dead. In order to do that, you must be very fit. Therefore, follow my lead and perform these exercises" and Marcus proceeded to hurt the teens who had thought themselves in pretty good shape. First they worked on flexibility. When they saw Marcus first put his head between his knees and then stand up straight and lift his leg up so his shin touched his ear; they knew they were in trouble.
Moving on to calisthenics, the pain level increased. Marcus started to slowly walk towards a large oak tree on the western edge of the sparring ring "When you are in a fist fight, be prepared to be hit. When in a knife fight, be prepared to get cut. When in a sword fight, but prepared to be slashed. So, we begin by learning how to take a punch. Rule number one: do not be where they are trying to hit. Rule number two: if you cannot adhere to the rule number one, make your opponent pay for landing a punch. If aiming for your head, let him connect with the top of your forehead where damage is less easy to inflict and will possibly break your attackers hand. If aiming for your torso, tense your abdominals and roll or turn with the blow. In order to strengthen your abdominal area you will do these exercises." At this, he stopped and hopped up and grabbed the lowest branch of the tree. He nimbly hooked his legs between two branches and let himself be suspended upside down. "Watch so that you may perform." He then began to show them how to do an inverted crunch/sit-up that made Harry wince with anticipatory pain. "These are some basic exercises that we will start off with. Over time you will increase in repetition and then add others."
After falling out of the tree at the conclusion of their repetitions on to a well remembered cushioning charm from Hermione, Marcus added a few more exercises to their repertoire. Once the red-faced panting teens had mostly caught their breath at the conclusion of the calisthenics, Marcus looked at them with a half smile. Oh thank God we're done. "No, you are not" said Marcus with a full smile now at Hermione in response to her thoughts. "Follow me." And he took off at a dead run across the bridge and off to the west of the house. They couldn't match his pace and followed his general direction. They found him at the top of a small hillock about a mile into the woods northwest of the house. Once they almost crested the small hill, he smiled again and ran back the way they came and shouted over his shoulder "Good, stay together. There is strength together. Now, follow." Hermione looked at Harry and gasped out "I hate him."
As they stumbled back into the sparring area, Marcus waited for them looking like he hadn't even broken a sweat. In fact, he hadn't. When Harry and Hermione had slowed their breathing from dangerous gasp down to just labored breathing, Marcus had them execute their cooling down flexibility exercises. Marcus then addressed Harry. "You have brought your blade with you, yes?"
It took a minute for the question to penetrate the fog of Harry's brain, but it did in the end and he nodded in response. Not willing to waste precious breath on something as unnecessary as speech.
"You shall wear it and your wand every morning. You shall wear them all day, from the moment you awake until the moment you sleep. You shall only be parted from them in the bath." With pursed lips, he looked to Hermione and said "You are his consort, yes?"
Hermione nodded to Marcus in the spirit of oxygen conservation.
"I will talk to Rhodri about your blade. You are dismissed for the day. We will be only exercising for the first two weeks, and then we will exercise and begin combat drills. Your next instructor will be here midmorning. Meet in the library of the house. Go, and do not vomit in my sparring ring" and he turned on his heel and apparated away.
Looking at each other in a daze, Hermione groaned and slowly started to move toward the house for a shower and breakfast. It was 0700, time to start the day.
Meanwhile, the house occupants were roused by the smell of cooking food and heard the teens stumble into their showers with groans and moans. Minerva had found the library the night before and was indulging her love for research that she was mostly denied due to her responsibilities as Gryffindor Head of house. Well, I guess I'm not the Head anymore, am I? she mused with humor thinking about the revelations from the day before about Harry. Grabbing a few books that she had picked from the astoundingly complete library, she went downstairs for breakfast wearing a lightweight dress; one similar to what she had worn in her youth. The change of age to her body was disconcerting, but she was willing to wait and see what Rhodri and Carys discovered. A part of her was reveling in the renewal of energy, the loss of aches and pains, and the very small vain part of her enjoyed the rejuvenation of her looks and figure. Ah Jamie, the last time I felt this young, I was leaving our bedroom to come downstairs to help the staff with breakfast. I still miss you, love. With this thought, she joined Sirius at the round table in the kitchen for breakfast.
Sirius looked up as Minerva joined him and said "Morning Minerva. I was thinking, if this Marcus is going to be pounding the stuffing out of Harry and Hermione, we should probably hold off Animagus training for a bit. At least until they get into shape so that they aren't completely fagged out from the exercise. It's not like we're in a rush."
Minerva nodded back to Sirius through her coffee cup. "I agree. Plus the increase in stamina and physical strength will only help their transformations." Shifting topics, she looked around and saw no one else, but the table was laden with breakfast foods. "Who did all the cooking? Surely not you…" she faded off with a small smile.
With a short laugh, Sirius said "I don't know. When I sat down the food showed up, like at school for the feasts. Maybe there are elves here somewhere and our presence triggers the food delivery. Ah, good morning Dan, Emma."
The adults fell into genial conversation and began to compare notes. The previous evening, Dan and Emma had taken a long walk in the gardens to the east of the house and were describing their beauty with enthusiasm when Harry and Hermione came in and sat down heavily. Dan looked at his daughter and her boyfriend with amusement, "So, tell us all about the fiend they have whipping you into shape?"
"Honestly, Daddy, he isn't a fiend. Maybe a monster…" she finished in undertone and then proceeded to relate about their morning while she ate.
By the end, Dan was chuckling and shaking his head at his remembrances. "I remember Sergeant Ian McKay. He was my Squad Leader when I joined the Paras. I was convinced he had no parentage and sprung, fully formed, from the head of Beelzebub himself. In the end, what he taught me saved my life when I was at Goose Green. He never came home" he finished somberly. Looking Harry and Hermione in the face, he very seriously said "If this Marcus is who they have lined up to get you ready, Pay Attention. They know what the stakes are and will only provide the best. This is not a game anymore. We are preparing for battle, for survival, not for an examination or game that won't be remembered in five years." With this pronouncement, breakfast was finished in silence.
After finishing their meal, Harry and Hermione went upstairs to lie down for a bit before their next instructor was to arrive, while Dan and Sirius decided to take a walk. Leaving Emma and Minerva in the library where Emma was devouring a potions text saying "This is fascinating. Now leave me alone Dan, I want to read" the men walked off to the north of the house following a footpath into the woods.
A few hours later an old woman walked into the house and made her way into the library. Walking in and settling into the high wing backed chair by the fire like she lived there herself, she looked at Minerva and saw her looking and expecting something - a greeting, an introduction, a hex…something. The old woman smiled and said "Good morning Much Honored Lady McGonagall, could you please fetch Gryffindor and his consort for me please? That's a good girl" and she leaned her head back into the chair as if meditating.
Minerva McGonagall was stunned; first she called her `Much Honored Lady' which not too many people knew was the formal way to address her as the wife of a Laird, but also called her a `good girl'. She hadn't been addressed that way in over sixty years! The impertinence! Before her blood boiled over and she gave this old biddy a tongue lashing many at Hogwarts had come to fear, she stood and with a pronounced burr said "Of course, grandmother" and strode out, her skirts swishing in her anger.
Being now closeted alone with this mysterious old woman, Emma Granger looked her over to get a clue as to her identity. She wore nondescript wizard robes of a pale grey and carried an old satchel over her shoulder that was now leaning against the side of the chair. Her shoulder length hair was snowy white. She looked ancient, but her speech and movements had been spry. Finally giving up Emma stood and approached the old woman. Extending her hand she said "Good day madam, my name is Emma Granger, my daughter Hermione is to be one of your pupils with her boyfriend, Harry Potter."
She opened her bright blue eyes and said "A pleasure to meet you Madam Granger. How do you find Redfields and Avalon so far?" They fell into pleasant conversation and after a few minutes, the teens came in, a little addled from sleep followed by Minerva, bearing a tea tray with five cups. As she was pouring the tea for everyone, Emma realized the old woman had not told her name.
Accepting her cup from Emma with a word of thanks the old woman turned to Minerva and said "Thank you Madam McGonagall for retrieving our pupils. Please do not take offence at my mode of speech. I am sorry that I angered you with my `good girl' comment. I am a very old woman and sometimes these things slip out accidentally. No insult was intended and I beg your pardon, ma'am." Mollified, and somewhat ashamed at her towering anger of a few moments before, Minerva murmured "Not at all ma'am, there is nothing to forgive." With the niceties taken care of, the old woman said to the room at large "My pupils are Gryffindor here and his consort Mistress Granger. Anyone else may sit in to observe and listen, but we are not to be interrupted or distracted."
With this pronouncement she turned to her pupils, smiled and said "What is magic?"
Before the question had finished reverberating around the library, Hermione sprung into action. This was her element. "Magic is the use of internal forces that are channeled through a magical focus or foci and used to …" she tapered off at the look of disappointment on the old woman's face.
With a tone of a adult explaining to a child she said to them "Let me rephrase, what is your experience that magic is?"
Harry was stumped. He had never thought about his magic in this manner. He would always perform the spell as described and got the results, sometimes he didn't get the exact results, but he knew the reason why; he didn't concentrate throughout the casting period, he didn't imagine the target shape thoroughly enough, he didn't have enough power to perform the spell and so on. This before him was more of a magical philosophical question.
After a few moments of contemplation, Hermione spoke up again "May I try again ma'am?" At her gentle nod, she ventured "It has to do with my will, doesn't it?" As the old woman's eyes lit up, she continued "so magic is exerting my will on the world around me?" Her statement was half a question, looking for an indication from their new mentor.
The old woman smiled "Yes, very good. This is the most basic concept of all magic. I want you to take a walk in the gardens and think about how this concept affects all you know about magic. I want you to think about one thing in particular: why do you have to move your wand or even have an incantation to cast a spell? Go on now, shoo. Be back in an hour" and she waved her hands in a sweeping fashion at the teens and settled back in his chair. Harry and Hermione joined hands and walked out of the library thoughtfully to wander the gardens.
As soon as they walked out of the room, the old woman's eyes opened and she looked at Minerva. Minerva felt as if the old woman had a conspiratorial look about her as she said "Fear not Madam, I am going to teach them something. Quite a few things. They need to understand not only magic, but their own magic. This Dark Lord that Gryffindor is tasked to slay, he is not all human, and as such, he has increased his power immeasurably. These two, in particular, must be able to use what they have in the most effective way they can, hence, starting at the beginning. I also have a few surprises coming up as well. Also, after what Marcus did to them this morning, I doubt they'd be able to cast a spell at all" and she laughed merrily. "It will be like this for a week or so, then their bodies will adjust to the abuse he is heaping on them and we can proceed faster. Also, it is far too beautiful a day for these two young lovers to be cooped up inside this house."
Minerva explained about her and Sirius' desire to teach them to become Animagi. She clapped her hands once and said "Oh joy, two shape shifters! It's been so long. May I please see your other form?" she asked with guileless joy. Minerva found herself smiling at this woman and with a nod, seamlessly assumed her tabby cat form. Emma stared. She understood what the Animagus transformation was, but had never seen it before. In fact, she and Dan had not seen much magic at all. And now, Minerva McGonagall, a budding friend and her daughters' teacher, had just turned into a cat in front of her. With wide eyes, she looked at the old woman as she clapped in delight.
"Wonderful!" and when Minerva resumed her human shape she said "I have never had the time to dedicate to this pursuit. Although my husband used to tell me that I hadn't the patience either" he added with a small wink at Emma. "I believe, Madam McGonagall, that this is an excellent idea for Gryffindor and Mistress Granger to make this pursuit. Do you think they can persevere in the effort?"
Out in the garden, Harry and Hermione were slowly ambling down the garden paths hand in hand in deep concentration. Unconsciously, they pulled close together, so that very soon they were hip to hip and had their arms around the other. As they stopped to watch a small fountain bubble and spray in the late morning sun, Hermione placed her head on Harry's shoulder. Thank you so much. For this opportunity, with you. "I love you Harry."
Harry engulfed his lady love in his arms "I love you too. Thank you. For coming, For being my friend first and love later. For all you've done for me and for us, thank you" and he reached down and gave her a gentle, loving kiss. After breaking apart, they moved over to a bench to sit and discuss their assignment in the beautiful surroundings.
Walking back from their hiking in the woods, Sirius and Dan saw the teens in the garden. Sirius turned to Dan "I know I joked about it earlier, but are you Ok with your daughter and Harry being as close as they are, and likely to get much closer?"
Dan sighed "I love my daughter, and part of me doesn't want to share her with any other man, much less cede my role as most important man in her life. The problem is that I lost that top spot on a Halloween night about four years ago, and am just figuring it out." He shook his head "I trust Hermione. Emma and I raised her to be a moral, loving person. She is far from perfect, but, in her heart, she is a very good person. I trust her, and if I have to trust any other man with her heart, it might as well be one who has saved her life, what, twice now?
"When we found out that Hermione was a witch, it was a bit of a shock" and he gave a little laugh and a shake of his head at the memory. "Emma and I talked about it for days, and we both ended up agreeing that this wasn't a phase that she'd grow out of at some later date like a fashion. This is a part of who she is" as he clasped his hands flat to his chest, to show how essential he felt his daughter's magic to be to her. "To be honest, it hurt somewhat, because she was going somewhere that Emma and I couldn't follow. The point is, we agreed to do whatever it took to support her. We were less than pleased with the troll incident first year, but mightily impressed with our young Mr. Potter's performance. After the petrification in second year and the incident with you third" and here Dan nodded at his walking companion "we saw the pattern and had another hard choice; pull her out and disavow our earlier decision, or stay the course that we knew to be right. We chose the former. Wasn't easy, mind you." With a little laugh, he said "We were going to enroll her in a martial arts course this summer. Looks like we got one for free."
Looking at Sirius, he said "What about you? Do you mind having to share Harry with Hermione? I mean you are just now getting to spend any quality time with him after being in prison and on the run."
Sirius smiled ruefully "I'll be honest; part of me doesn't like it. However, I owe my life to those two." At Dan's look of surprise, Sirius recounted the events of the night he escaped the Dementors on Buckbeak. "You need to understand Dan; a debt like this is powerful to a magical person. It overrides most everything else. Neither Harry nor Hermione have called this debt due, nor do I think they ever will, but I know it's there. As such, I try to work in their best intrests as individuals and now that they are together, as a couple. I have read of wizards that try and work against a wizards debt, and there is extreme emotional distress as a result. I've had enough distress in my life" he added with a smile. "On top of that, I want Harry to be happy. He was treated so very badly by those monsters when he was growing up. He deserves to be happy, and Hermione puts a smile on his face and can reach him when no one else can."
Dan expressed confusion regarding "those monsters" and Sirius gave him an overview of the abusive life Harry was forced into as a child. Here, Dan stopped cold and stared at Sirius, first in disbelief, and then a cold look of resolution settled on his face with a distant "I see." With a cocked eyebrow, Sirius said "Danny boy, if you're planning on going hunting when we get back, you and I can make a party of it."
Making their way into the house, they had a drink in the kitchen and found the rest of the party in the library. After getting the ground rules from the old woman, she very nicely asked Sirius to assume his Padfoot form. This time Dan was floored at the wondrous demonstration of magic. He looked at his wife who was just shaking her head. "So, Hermione will be able to do something like this eventually?"
"Yes, Daddy. That's the idea" said Hermione coming in the door. She and Harry were then accosted by Padfoot and everyone laughed at Harry's cry of "Ugh, Padfoot spit."
The old woman got everyone's attention, asking "Now my pupils, have you contemplated my questions and discussed your thoughts between yourselves?" Everyone assumed seats, with the adults looking on in mute attention while the teens looked at each other as if they were caught cheating. "Ah, let me explain. I expect you to discuss not only between yourselves, but with your elders here" and she waved a vague hand at the silent observers "about your efforts. Together, we will all hopefully learn quite a bit. The only exam here is survival. Now, your conclusions?"
Harry spoke up "Well, the first thing that occurred to me was regarding incantations. It's rather a ridiculous concept that only the word `lumos,' for example, can cause light to emit from a wand, or that a `flick and a swish'" here he imitated the wand movement with his empty hand "are really required to perform a spell, especially given our basis for the exercise: magic is an assertion of my will on the world around me. For example, I highly doubt that the Chinese wizards and witches two thousand years ago were performing the levitation charm saying `Wingardium Leviosa'."
After a bit of laughter at the last comment, the old woman nodded her head saying "Yes, yes. You are on the right track. Then why are there these silly words and wand waving?"
Hermione jumped in "Focus" as Harry nodded emphatically next to her. "The most direct expressions of the will are words and actions. By having a magical person focus on these two aspects, they force their will to focus, thereby allowing a magical event to happen: a spell is cast. Actions are more indicative of a true expression of the will; therefore, silent spell casting still requires the execution of the appropriate wand movements."
"Well done, well done" the old woman cheered. "So what is the next logical conclusion?"
Harry spoke slowly "Well, if we can train ourselves to be able to focus strongly enough on the effect we want, then incantations and wand movements will be unnecessary" and he looked up to see a pleased expression on their tutors face. "But what about wands, would they be necessary?"
Taking on a thoughtful expression, the old woman said "Ah. Wands are another matter altogether. Wands are related more to a person's magical power, where incantations and movements are related to mental focus."
"I want you to read these books by the day after tomorrow" and she looked at the bookcase and two moderately sized books flew off the shelves and landed in front of the teens. "When you are done reading, switch books and continue. Please discuss between yourselves and my Lord Black, and Madam McGonagall here. Your parents, Mistress Granger, may be of use to the book in your hands. I think all of us will have some learning whilst you are visiting us." At this pronouncement, she rose. Straightening out her robes, she grabbed her satchel and said "Until the day after tomorrow then" and apparated away.
Looking down at the books, the teens saw that Hermione held a copy of The Nichomachean Ethics, by Aristotle and Harry a copy of Magyk which had no author listed. Both the books looked like they had been written a millennia ago. Harry looked around the room. He was exhausted and his mind was being stretched in ways he hadn't contemplated even last week. The consequences of the discussion just completed were pretty staggering and standing all his previously held understanding of magic on its ear.
"Is it lunch time yet?" said Sirius, and they all moved into the kitchen and settled down to a hearty meal as there was a knock on the kitchen door. Sirius waved his wand and it opened, admitting Rhodri with a bundle under his left arm. Placing it on the counter, he walked over and everyone budged up to admit one more.
Joining them he asked Harry and Hermione how their morning had been. Harry moaned and said "I'll admit, I did not expect this. But now that we are here and starting our training regimen, it feels like the right thing to do. By the way, who was the old woman who was here this morning? I never caught her name?"
Rhodri smiled and said "She is a very wise and powerful woman who I believe can help you."
At this very uninformative answer, everyone decided to drop that line of discussion and just enjoy the meal. As they were finishing up, Rhodri asked Harry and Hermione to meet with him in the library, and Harry to bring his sword. After Harry had run upstairs and belted on the ruby encrusted sword, he descended to the library and found Hermione and Rhodri leaning over a table studying the bundle he had brought. As Harry got closer, he saw that it was a sword, very much like his own, except instead of rubies, it had sapphires.
Rhodri picked up the new sword and said to the teens, "This sword is named Eryr Ewin in Welsh or Eagle Talon in English; and is the companion sword to Danio Tymestl or Fire Storm that you bear my Lord Gryffindor. When Caledfwich, the sword you know as Excalibur was forged, three others were also forged at the request of the lady. No one knows who the swordsmith was; it is lost in the deeps of time if it was ever known. The companion to Excalibur is Carnwennan, known as Little White Hilt, as it has an Ivory handle with its gold cross bar and is the sword of the Queen. Excalibur, as you may know has the dueling Chimeras on its gold hilts. These two, have their distinctive gems and their original bearers etched on their blades. They have resided here in the King's armory since the death of Rowena in 1121. Godric predeceased her in 1110. Danio Tymestl" here he nodded to harry, "was called to service two years ago, and vanished, leaving Eryr Ewin here alone." Harry had seen "Godric Gryffindor" on his blade the first time in McGonagall's office after the Chamber, and now looked down at the sapphire sword and saw on its blade "Rowena Ravenclaw." Looking at Harry very seriously, Rhodri said "My Lord Gryffindor, do you desire that Mistress Hermione Granger, take possession of, and wield the Eryr Ewin?"
Equally serious, Harry replied "I do desire it, sir."
With a small smile, Rhodri said "So mote it be" and as he presented the sword to Hermione, hilts first, there was a small pulse of magic from the sword.
With a soft laugh, Rhodri said "You'd best buckle up and sheath your sword, Mistress, before Marcus sees you."
With a smile, Hermione sheathed the sword in a black dragonhide sheath and buckled the belt so that the weapon rode comfortably on her hip. Looking closely at the sword, Harry saw that the Eryr Ewin was slightly smaller than the Danio Tymestl.
Rhodri excused himself and Harry asked his girlfriend "Are you Ok?"
"Yes, it's been quite the day so far, yeah?" she replied. "Come on, it's a beautiful day and we have a ton of reading to do. Let's go out and take advantage of this beautiful garden" as they walked out of the room toward the front door.
Watching the teens settle into comfortable reading positions outside, Emma turned to her husband and they discussed their mornings. Dan related the topics of his conversation with Sirius, the substance of which surprised Emma. Dan was usually quite reserved and didn't make friends very easily, if at all. For him to tell Sirius so much boded well for the two men becoming good friends. As Emma was telling Dan about how fascinating the potions text she had been reading was, Carys walked in to the sitting room and enquired after Harry and Hermione. After Emma told her that the teens were in the garden, Carys excused herself and proceeded outdoors.
"Good afternoon, my Lord Gryffindor, Mistress Hermione. How are you feeling today?" she asked with a sly grin on her face.
With false enthusiasm, Harry bounced up to his feet, hiding his wince from his sore hamstrings he called out "I am very well Carys, I feel on top of the world" followed by laughter from all.
"I am glad, my Lord. I am your third instructor for the day, but I shall not hurt you, I leave that to Marcus" Carys said with a smile. "What, pray tell, is the appropriate manner of addressing the Minister of Magic and his wife at a formal ball?" At the utterly blank looks from the teens, she said with a hint of steel "Subjugation of the enemy's armies without fighting is the pinnacle of warfare. If you can defeat some of the plans and machinations of this Dark Lord in the halls of the Ministry, or the drawing rooms of society, why not do so? You must be conversant in the etiquette of court and clan in order to make headway with the decision makers in your government. Whether you like it or not, that is how the Wizengamot works, and you must work in that structure.
"The affairs of state shall be your business as you sir," she said looking at Harry "are Lord Harry James Potter, Earl Gryffindor, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, Member of the High Council of the Wizengamot, the Stormbrow who wields the Danio Tymestl and is the Boy-Who-Lived, and you Mistress" she said "are not only his consort, but the Shieldmaiden who wields the Eryr Ewin, and a formidable witch in your own right. I believe the term `Smartest Witch of the Age' has been used to describe you. Therefore, the appropriate manner of greeting the Minister and his wife is…"
After an hour or so, Harry and Hermione couldn't take any more and Carys stopped mercifully. "We will reinforce all this continually, and when the time is right, you will come to court and be presented to the King and Queen, and move in the politics of the court to get some exposure to all this" and here she waved her hands `in practice." Standing up and shaking out her skirt, she bid them good day and apparated away.
Harry flopped down next to his girlfriend, their swords banging together. He rolled his head towards her and said "It hurts."
With a smile at his humor, she said "What hurts love? Your legs, your brain or your bum because you just fell down?"
"Ha Ha. Ok, no reading for one hour." At her mounting objection, he grabbed her up by the arms and said "Come on, we're going for a walk in the woods." In an undertone he added "No one should be able to find us for more lessons in there." Leaving their books on the bench, the young couple laughed and took their short walk. Life now began to slow down from the frenetic pace of the last week and a half and establish a comfortable rhythm.
At dinner, there was pleasant conversation and recap of the day's events. Minerva related to all the "That's a good girl" comment which was met with uproarious laughter from Sirius, Dan and Emma, shocked chuckles from Harry and stunned silence from Hermione. Moving on to pudding the teens announced their intention to go to bed and read before sleep soon after dinner because of their grueling day.
After Dan and Emma had gone upstairs, Sirius and Minerva retired to the library and the fire to sit and read for a bit. Sirius was trying to rekindle a passion for something, anything after all the years in Azkaban. While in prison, and later on the run, he had been an animal (literally and metaphorically). Some times he still felt like the shell less husk the Dementors turned him into while in Azkaban; empty and burnt up. All he had was Harry, and he knew that wasn't enough to be truly happy and content. He was currently reading about wards, their construction and breaking. He found it somewhat interesting and took it as a good sign. He and Remus had many a talk about this over many a bottle of Firewhiskey. He wanted a woman to love and love him back, but couldn't relate to everyday people around him, much less a lover. He wanted a passion for a skill, but all was ashes in his mouth. In his desperation, he was turning to learning, as if he was working backwards in his life, looking for something to love.
Minerva was good for him, an anchor of authority and normality from his past. She knew him and he was getting to know her as a woman and friend, instead of the formidable Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor house. There would never be anything more between them, even with her "youthening" as he had begun to think of it. She was much more of a mother figure. No, that wasn't right, more like a older sister. He could be easy around her and felt…safe.
Minerva was very much enjoying how the group was settling out. Emma and Dan were quality people and she was very much looking forward to getting to know them much better. If their daughter was any indication, she would most likely become very good friends with the two non-magical people. Sirius was surprising her daily. She thought, but never said, that he would be an irresponsible guardian or counselor for Harry. Giving him Firewhiskey and such daily was in line with what she expected. She was very pleasantly surprised to see him giving Harry very sound advice and even reproving him on occasion. He did it with his usual irreverence, but he wouldn't be Sirius Black without that. It was so…Siriusesque. He was becoming a friend, and he was hurting. Azkaban hurt him on a fundamental level that much she could see. She didn't know what she could do to help, but she would do what she could. After the implosion of her friendship with Albus, no, after her betrayal by Albus, she was in need of good friends. It was probably also a good thing that none of them were from the Hogwarts staff. She could reach out and expand herself more.
After about an hour, Sirius looked at Minerva and said "We're training those teenagers to be warriors, aren't we?"
With a few moments of contemplation, she looked at the dark haired man and sorrowfully said "Unfortunately, we have to."
A/N
1) I own nothing
2) Yes, I am playing fast and loose with pre-Norman invasion British history, but Edgar the Peaceable was King in AD 960. I acknowledge my liberties and if my British readers are offended, I offer my humble apologies, but I need it to work this way. You can insult the stupid colonial author in the reviews.
3) Expect the chapters to be longer from here on out. Multiple storylines that I have been trying to set up in previous chapters are coming out. This will probably slow down posting some. I wanted this chapter to be only at Redfields, getting everyone settled in and a day under their belt. We'll get back to Britain, the MoM and the Order in the next chapter.
4) Goose Green is a town in the Falkland Islands and was the site of a particularly bloody engagement in the Falklands War between the UK and Argentina. Sergeant Ian McKay was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for valor at Goose Green.
5) Carys is quoting Sun-Tzu when discussing subjugation of enemy armies. Expect quite a bit of the ancient master to be sprinkled liberally through the training. Machiavelli, von Clausewitz and others as well. They're well read after this long for a reason.
6) Many thanks to Dai Llewellyn for the assist on the Welsh translations for the Eryr Ewin and the Danio Tymestl
7) I forgot to put a recommendation in the last chapter, so here you get two. "Death's Pride" by Paladeus and "The Time Meddlers" by witowsmp. Death's Pride is a great `Harry goes back to fix it all', and Time Meddlers is in the same vein, but this time Hermione goes with. Two great stories.
8) My intent with Aristotle was threefold: first to begin the moral and ethical education of Harry that never occurred due to his upbringing and second, to help discipline their minds. Hermione made the observation in Philosopher's Stone that most wizards stink at logic, which by definition requires a disciplined mind. Thirdly, a broadly educated mind in philosophy will learn more complicated topics easier. At least that's what the Jesuits told me in college when they made me take 3 semesters of Philosophy & 3 of Theology for my business degree. More to follow.
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