Chapter 7: Potter's Redoubt
****** Potter's Redoubt, Lancashire, 0700 27July 1994*******
"Good Morning, Mrs. Potter."
"Mmmmm, good morning to you, husband." The smile was evident in Hermione's voice as Harry reached for her.
The wedding yesterday had been simple, yet magnificent. The bubbling water of the spring in Dian Cecht's dell was mixed with the far off chirps and song of birds. Hedwig and Fawkes were perched in the lowest branch of a tree on the edge of the clearing. There was a crowd of persons the like never seen before or since.
Nuada, Lord of Air and King of the Tuatha De Dannan
Grain, his wife the Faery Queen and goddess of the sun.
The Dagda was next to his son, Nuada. The large man was the earth god and father of the gods. His wife, The Morrigan stood stately at his side.
The Morrigan, mother of Nuada and the triune goddess of war, prophecy and home.
Mannan Mac Lir, his hair eerily matching the color of Harry's eyes; Lord of the Sea.
At his side, Fand, wife of Mannan Mac Lir, Lady of the Waves.
Brigid, Goddess of fire. Aine, goddess of fertility, healing and plenty. Dian Cecht, god of healing. Goibniu, god of the forge. Cliodna, goddess of beauty and love. Belenus., Coventina, Danu, Bran, Bile, Aoife and many, many more.
The day was perfection: the gods had willed it so.
Harry stood between Nuada and Sirius, nerves roiling his stomach. He was wearing a simple sark, pure white with billowing sleeves and a kilt bearing the pattern that the Potters had worn millennia ago in the style of the Highlanders of Scotland.
At his side was Sirius, finally looking whole again. Aine had healed him of many of his hurts, but time was still the penultimate healer. He leaned over to Harry, put his hand on his godson's shoulder and kindly whispered age old advice into the groom's ear.
"Don't puke."
Harry couldn't help himself and began chuckling. Most of the gods smiled, Sirius' whisper couldn't escape their notice. Standing next to Sirius, Remus smiled and shook his head.
The circle of gods and goddesses opened and Hermione slowly walked into the circle. The music of the birds swelled in a harmonious, beautiful wedding march. Her gown of white linen was without adornment, in her hair was woven a crown of flowers.
In her hands, she did not hold the traditional bouquet. This effort, Hermione and Brigid had worked on this for a week solid. She had a bouquet of fire. Individual flames of blue, white, red, orange and even black licked back and forth, a living being capturing the beauty and power that is living flame.
Harry didn't even notice.
As soon as she had entered the circle, he couldn't look away from her face. She's radiant. She's beautiful. My god…she's mine and I'm hers.
Hermione entered the circle and immediately found her man. Harry stood taller than she ever expected him to so many years ago. He looked like Achilles, Finn McCool, Perseus, Cuchulainn or Arthur must have looked. Beautiful, heroic, masculine and …Mine and I'm his.
The ceremony was a blur to them both and if later asked to recall it, neither could put it all together. They used simple vows known the world over: to love, honor and cherish. They had intentionally added, "for so long as the world shall be" at the end. Harry could have sworn he heard a snuffle or two at his back, but couldn't tell if it was Sirius or Remus.
They joined hands and The Dagda handed the cord to his son. Nuada held the solid gold cord up to the sky and called out in a loud voice.
"All ye gods and goddesses gathered here today, I ask for your blessings on this couple who have trials ahead of them to surpass those of the ancient heroes."
All gathered raised their hands, palm up and after a moment, Harry and Hermione felt power and love flow through them the like they could never imagine nor describe. Nuada nodded his head and the couple joined their right hands.
"I bless this union, may you bless it through the ages with your love and dedication." As he said this, he wrapped the gold cord around their joined hands. The Dagda reached over, placed his hand on the Potters' hands and after a moment, the cord became two simple rings on their third finger.
"Behold all ye gods and goddesses, the Son of Air and Daughter of Fire are joined together for all eternity!"
Harry didn't wait. He pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her with all he was. The crowd gave a great cheer and the Potters separated, blushing a little as the well-wishers congregated.
During the feasting afterward, Sirius approached the couple and embraced them both. "I love you both, I hope you know that."
Harry's eyes filled with tears. "I love you too, Sirius."
Hermione squeezed a little tighter. "I love you Sirius. Thank you for everything."
The Prisoner of Azkaban pulled back and nodded in response. He placed a hand on Harry and Hermione's head. Realizing what was going on, they both sank to their knees.
Taking a deep breath, Sirius said, "My children, I, your father, give you my blessing on this day of your marriage. May you live long lives, love much and love many. May the road always rise to meet you and may you trudge the road of happy destiny, the gods bless you and keep you `til we meet again at the table here in Tir na nOg."
Harry looked up and saw that Sirius' face was awash in tears, like his own. He silently stood and embraced his godfather. Hermione wrapped her arms around both men.
Sirius shuffled them both off and barked, "Ok! Enough of the happy tears, it's time for some fun!" He spun away and grabbed Brigid and began to dance with her. There was no music, but that didn't seem to bother him.
Suddenly the clearing was filled with music and there was dancing late into the night. Harry nudged Hermione and pointed to the Naiads rising out of the spring dancing in their fluid way, the Dryads leaving their tree homes and mingling with the crowd. The fairies flew amongst the dancers enhancing the ethereal beauty of all present.
When the moon rose, the music died away. The crowd parted and a beautiful woman with white blond hair and silver eyes strode into the center of the group. She lifted her pale arms to the moon and a tin whistle began to play. Slowly she began to move. Her dance was sensual, powerful, delicate and rough. She danced for joy of what will be and in remembrance of what was.
Entranced, Harry and Hermione watched this goddess they'd never seen before. "Luna of the moon," they heard in their ear. Brigid was right there with Nuada next to her.
Nuada beckoned and they four slipped away into the night. They walked for a short time into the woods, silence enveloping them the further from the celebration they walked. Suddenly stopping where the path widened, Brigid turned and embraced Hermione tightly while Nuada embraced Harry.
Confused, the Potters looked at their mentors with a slight frown. Finally, Hermione asked, "What's wrong?"
Nuada answered. "It is time for you to return."
Harry was nonplussed; it was the last thing he expected to hear the evening of his wedding day. Hermione was, of course, a bit more coherent. "Oh. Well, we'd best go pack. When do we have to leave?"
With a small smile, Brigid shook her head. "There is nothing for you to pack." At this moment, Fawkes flamed into the clearing, their bottomless knapsacks caught up in his talons.
Finally, Harry broke loose from his shock. "You mean right now? Can't we say goodbye? And what about Sirius and Remus?"
"We're right here," came Remus' soft voice. The childhood friends stepped from between the trees and stopped.
"Oh, good," said Harry. With a wistfully sad look, he turned back to Nuada and said, "Well, if we must go, we must. I shall miss you master."
"And I shall miss you Harry James, immortal son of James and Lily, and you as well Hermione Jane, immortal daughter of William and Elizabeth. You may return any time you like after your quest is complete. Merely return to the Lia Fail on the Hill of Tara, touch the stone and will yourselves to return to your home." He looked back and forth between the newlyweds with real affection.
When his eyes cut away to Sirius, Harry noticed that the Marauders were still in their finery with no bags nearby.
"You're not coming with us?" Hermione asked in a small voice.
Sirius and Remus shook their heads. "No, lass. We can't."
"Why not?" Harry croaked, his voice choked with emotion.
Remus laid his hand on Harry's shoulder and said, "We'd die. Originally, we were only going to be here for a year, but we've been here for centuries in the undying lands. If we stood on the soil in the real world, we'd crumble to dust, regardless of how much time had passed there."
The gentle man surveyed Harry and Hermione. It was so quiet they could hear the remains of the celebration in the distance, a fox skittering through the underbrush and an owl hooting at the moon.
"No," whispered Harry.
Sirius strode forward and roughly embraced his one-time ward. "I'll always be here." He whispered in Harry's ear. "For the rest of eternity, we'll both be here for you and Hermione."
Harry nodded, his head understanding but his heart protesting. Sirius let go of Harry and reached into his robes. He handed Harry a sealed parchment and said, "Take this to Gringotts when you get back. Don't break the seal, it's for the Goblins." Harry frowned, but took the parchment and put it into his knapsack.
Sirius turned and embraced Hermione. "Take care of each other."
"We will," Hermione answered as she wiped her face.
Soundlessly, The Morrigan appeared in the small clearing. Approaching the Elementals, she held her hands out in a silent blessing. After a long moment, she said, "You have much strife in front of you. If you stay true to yourselves, each other and your calling, you shall triumph. The Brother and Sister will be the first to contact you. You can trust them, for they are key to your victory. Many others will offer assistance, some will be false while others sincere. You must judge.
"Remember! The Snake Lord is your foe! The Meddler is of no consequence." Her stern face softened and she smiled, "Now go, with our blessing and love."
With a trill of excitement and joy, Fawkes leapt into the air and offered Harry and Hermione his tail feathers.
Hermione reached up and grasped the scarlet plume. Harry sighed and looked to Sirius. The Marauder gave him a smile and Harry smiled back. Grabbing the feather, he wrapped his arm around his wife's waist.
"Take us back, Fawkes."
.oOo.
Fawkes brought them to a densely forested area in Lancashire. Harry reached into his pack for his broom while Hermione shouldered her pack. Fawkes flamed away after a short trill.
He handed her the broom. She looked at him quizzically and he rolled his eyes in return. A puff of wind lifted him a few inches and as he hovered there, he quipped, "I don't really need it anymore."
She smiled a bit ruefully and looked around. "There's a house through the trees, let's go see where we are and what the date is before we go winging off."
The house was a simple country cottage that bore a nameplate next to the front door. Potter's Redoubt.
Harry chuckled as he opened the door, "The Phoenix always knows. You go ahead and unpack our stuff, I'll set up the kitchen," he called.
Smiling, Harry unholstered his wand and with a few wand movements and a high-powered Scouring charm, the long unused and dusty kitchen was clean as a whistle. After rummaging through the cupboards, he headed up the stairs.
Hermione was bent over as she unpacked his socks. Harry smirked as he came up behind her and gave her a little pinch on the bum.
She squawked and wheeled about, her hand encased in living flame. "Harry! Don't do that! You scared the life out of me! Oh, you! Stop laughing!"
Harry had fallen on the bed he was laughing so hard. Finally, he got control of himself and said, "Sorry, love. Your expression was just priceless."
"Fine, you're a jerk who doesn't treat his new wife very well and I'm put upon." She crossed her arms and pouted.
With an impish grin, he got off the bed and pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry I scared you." He kissed her languidly. "The cupboard is pretty bare, so I thought I'd head down the lane to find a grocer. There's plenty of plates and whatnot, but no food."
She gave him a quick kiss and pointed to a drawer in the bureau. He grabbed a stack of pounds and headed down the stairs. Glancing around and finding no one, Harry leapt off the porch and flew down the lane like he was shot out of a cannon. It took all he had to keep from shouting in joy and excitement.
After unpacking, Hermione quickly cleaned their room and the attached lavatory. It wasn't plush, but they didn't need that. After their little hut in Tir na nOg, this was quite an improvement in living quarters. They actually had a bathtub and shower here.
In the Drawing Room, Hermione pulled up short in shock. "Oh my heavens."
.oOo.
When the lane from the Redoubt emptied into a road, Harry landed and began wondering which way was to the grocers. An old man in a lorry drove up and slowed to a stop.
"Need help young man?"
Harry smiled and answered, "Yes, I do. My wife and I just moved in" he indicated over his shoulder, "and I need to go to the grocers. The problem is I don't know where it is. We've just moved in this afternoon."
The old man gave Harry a considering gaze eying the blue highlights in Harry's hair, "You'd be the Potter lad, then?"
At Harry's nod, the old man continued, "Glad to have a Potter in the Redoubt again. I'm Alexander Harris."
"Harry Potter, my wife Hermione is back at the house cleaning up."
"Well young Harry, jump in and I'll give you a ride to town." He looked at Harry and asked somewhat reluctantly, "Will you need a ride back?"
Realizing that they had no car, Harry did some quick thinking and answered, "No, sir. I plan on hiring a car or maybe buy a used one if I can."
"Ahh. Well, Robertson's has cars for sale and hire and he's right next to Spillwell the grocer."
"Excellent. Shall we then Mr. Harris?"
.oOo.
Hermione had cleaned the entire house and made a list of some of the longer term items they'd need when she heard a car horn honk from the front of the house. Walking out front, her jaw dropped when she saw Harry unloading groceries from the boot of a late model 3 Series BMW.
She just looked at him and he shrugged. "We needed a car. He gave me a great deal and it drives like a dream."
"Sure, to the Son of Air it does."
He smiled jauntily and carried the groceries in the house. They chatted about town and Mr. Harris while they put the food away. When all was put away and the bags gathered up, Harry spun about and pressed Hermione up against the wall.
"Now, wife," he kissed her deeply. "How long has it been?"
She muttered, "Six hours, too long by half." and pulled him to her.
.oOo.
They lay in bed, enjoying the afterglow of their lovemaking. Hermione had cuddled up to Harry's side and had her head on his shoulder. She cleared her throat, and said, "I found some pictures in the Drawing Room."
He looked at her with a quizzical expression and she said, "They're of you and your parents. Some of the others must be your grandparents."
Harry stilled and she looked up at his face. He had the largest smile she'd seen bar their wedding. Glancing down at her, he asked, "Would you mind if we went and looked at them now?"
"No, let's go."
She put on an oversized shirt and he some frayed old boxers and they hurried down to discover what they would find.
A few minutes later they sat side by side looking at pictures of people they'd never met. Harry was gazing at a picture that held his parents and two older people that reminded him of some of the people he'd seen in the Mirror of Erised so long ago.
"Take the picture out of the frame; maybe they put the date and other information on the back of the photo."
Harry quickly did as he was told. "It's like unwrapping a gift."
Hermione smiled as she read over his shoulder:
James, Lily, Charlus and Dorea at Rowan Hill, July 1979, their engagement day
Harry gave a stuttering breath and Hermione wrapped her arm around his shoulder. After regaining his composure, he asked, "When do you want to go see your parents?"
Hermione's expression of contented happiness slipped away and she nibbled on her lip for a moment. Finally, she shrugged and responded, "Part of me wants to go see them. The other part says, `How do we explain all this'?" She indicated the two of them.
"The truth? It worked when we left."
She shrugged again and said, "Let me think on it a few days."
Harry put his hand on her thigh and squeezed. "I love you. No one and nothing will ever change that, wife."
She smiled at the last and leaned in for a gentle kiss. Harry wrapped his arms around his wife, while the old Potter family waved up from his lap to the new Potter family.
******Leaky Cauldron, London, 0930, 27 July 1994******
After waking up and bolting down tea and toast, Harry and Hermione used the last of the ancient Floo powder to travel to town. Before they'd left, Harry had said, "We should wear glamours."
"You're right, come here." A minute later, a blond haired, blue eyed young man stood across from a raven haired woman.
They passed through the Leaky Cauldron in anonymity and headed to Gringotts. They were going to do some heavy duty shopping for clothes and the house today and needed some money. Harry leaned into Hermione and said, "We should probably get the wards at the house looked at, too."
She nodded and motioned to a sign on the other side of the alley, "Phalanx Home Defense and Wards".
Harry clucked his tongue in remembrance, "Yeah, wonder if they can ward against demons?" He had not forgotten The Marduk.
As they mounted the white marble steps of the bank, the two door wardens shrieked in Gobbledygook and ran in the main doors. Harry and Hermione exchanged a confused look and entered the bank.
The lobby was in chaos. It was a slow time of day and there were, thankfully, no customers. Amidst the shrieking of the door wardens, the tellers who saw the Potters enter began shrieking themselves. They slammed closed the gate of their stations and ran away snarling and gnashing their teeth. Two goblins sprinted to the vault entrance and pulled the doors shut with a reverberation that caused everything in the lobby to shake. The rest of the Goblins streamed to a side door and piled out of the lobby until the last door slammed with a resounding thud.
Stunned, Harry and Hermione began scanning for the threat. Hermione brought the living flame to hand while Harry began summoning a column of air that he could release in any direction in an instance like a battering ram. Her eyes flashed gold while his flashed blue as they summoned forth their elements.
Amidst the now seemingly empty lobby, they saw one small goblin running from door to door, pulling on handles. He was yelling in Gobbledygook something that Harry could only surmise was, "Let me in you bastards!"
Hermione lowered her hands and motioned to Harry to stand down. Living flame extinguished and the column of air dissipated. The Potters approached the Goblin who ran from them. He was now screaming something that sounded quite a bit like an obscenity that Sirius had taught them. Finally, they cornered the shaking Goblin who fell to his knees, put his forehead to the floor, and began begging for his life.
Harry looked at Hermione who just shrugged. Turning back to the now prostrate Goblin, he said, "We'd like to make a withdrawal and talk to our account manager, if it's possible."
The Goblin paused mid-grovel and looked up at them with a hostile eye. "Withdrawal? Wind and Fire come into our bank and you want to make a withdrawal?"
"Er, yes. Please."
The Goblin rose to his feet and backed away. Sidestepping to his left, always keeping the Potters in sight, he eventually reached a desk. He pressed a large red button and shouted out in Gobbledygook. The gates rose and the doors to the vault entrance opened. The side doors opened and Goblins began to slowly and cautiously make their way back into the lobby.
Eventually, they were shown into a small, paneled waiting room. A few minutes later, a fat, cross looking Goblin strode into the room. "What do you want?" he barked before he sat in his chair.
Harry and Hermione were beginning to become quite annoyed with the Goblins behavior and Harry's temper frayed first. "I want some of my money, that's what. Is this not a bank? Do you not hold over one hundred million galleons of mine in your vaults?"
At this, the Goblin's eyes widened and he asked in a somewhat nicer tone, "Who are you?"
Dispelling their glamours, Harry said, "Harry Potter. This is my wife Hermione."
Frowning, the Goblin rose and left the room.
"What the hell is going on?" Harry demanded to Hermione.
With a cocked eyebrow, she rebutted, "You're asking me because…?"
"Sorry."
She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and said, "It's got to be something with either our full Elemental status now, having been to Tir na nOg or both."
He nodded as the grumpy Goblin returned with a stack of parchment and a brass bowl.
"Hand," he stated and reached out for Harry's hand.
After cutting his palm, the Goblin turned Harry's hand so the blood dripped into the bowl. He let go and peered into the bowl. Hermione healed Harry's hand and the Goblin sighed.
"You are Harry Potter. Do you have any documentation of your marriage?"
"No."
The Goblin smiled a toothy smile and said, "Then she cannot be added to your vaults as your wife."
Harry was in no mood for games. He grabbed the Goblin by the vest and lifted him out of the chair. The winds swirled around them in his anger and he spat, "You will add her today, or I will tear this bank down stone by stone."
The still unnamed Goblin nodded his head shakily and began scrawling on the parchment in front of him. Much more politely, he acquired a sample of Hermione's blood and then announced, "Mrs. Potter is now added to the Potter Vaults. Is there anything else?"
"Yes, Sirius Black asked me to give you this."
The Goblin took the proffered scroll, broke the seal and read the contents. His eyes widened and he ran out of the room again.
Harry exhaled loudly and hung his head. "Again?"
Hermione chuckled at her husband's consternation and rubbed his back. "Patience, love. I think they're actually terrified of us. I have this vague memory of an early Goblin war being brutally suppressed by an Earth and Water Elemental couple. Brigid or Mannan Mac Lir told the story. No matter. Needless to say, the Goblins are fairly terrified of us."
Harry grumbled, "I just want to get some new socks."
The original grumpy Goblin returned with an equally fat and cross compatriot. Grumpy Goblin number one said, "This is the manager of the Black Family vaults. I have given him the communication you provided. If it can be verified, the bulk of the contents of the Black Family vaults will be transferred into the Potter Family vaults."
"I gather that is quite a bit of gold."
The Black Family account manager raised his eyebrows and muttered, "You could say that."
"Great, let us know if you need us. In the meantime, we need to make a withdrawal and I'm going to get some new socks."
Hermione p0ked him in the ribs and said, "Thank you master Goblin for your assistance. You may contact us by owl."
With that, the Potters almost ran to the carts to get some money. As he handed her into their cart, Harry muttered to Hermione, "I've got to get out of this place. The Goblins are maniacs."
****** Potter's Redoubt, Lancashire, 2000 27July 1994*******
Harry and Hermione Apparated home, Harry's very full knapsack slung over his shoulder. Hermione began decorating the house with some of their purchases while Harry quickly cleaned and then put away the laundry items.
"That was a good meal. We need to go back there again," Harry opined as he came downstairs.
"Yes, I'd never had Thai food before, but it was really good. The shrimp that I had was delicious."
Harry sat on the couch and Hermione joined him. With a thought, she created a comfortable fire in the fireplace while Harry created a slight breeze. They cuddled and chatted about the future.
"You were such a little brat at the bank," she teased.
"Was not." She stared at him with a look of disbelief. With a sheepish smile he admitted, "Ok, I was a little bit."
As they sat there laughing, an owl flew in and alit on the table next to Harry. The Potters fell silent, as they knew the importance of this letter. Somewhat nervous, Harry took the letter and snapped the unadorned wax wafer. Angling the letter so they could both read, he went to the signature and with surprise exclaimed, "Professor McGonagall?"
******The Red Dragon Pub, Cardiff, Wales, 1200, 28 July, 1994******
"Are you sure they'll be here Minerva?"
"Yes, Filius. The letter from Lady Brigid was specific that they'd returned yesterday. The owl should have got to them last night at the latest."
She looked at her hands and contemplated the perspective of her (former?) students. They probably knew about Albus' manipulations and heavy handedness, Sirius Black was never shy about letting a person know his thoughts. Most likely, they would reject any overture from Dumbledore because of his `management' of them. She would even concede that they might rightfully consider the old Headmaster to be an enemy of theirs.
May the gods help him if they did see him so. Hopefully, they did not lump her and Filius in with Albus.
"Hello, Professors."
With a sigh of relief and without looking, Minerva replied, "Good afternoon, Miss Granger. Would you and Mr. Potter consider joining us for a spot of lunch?"
Harry and Hermione sat at the corner table with their professors. Harry and Hermione sat with their backs to the wall, watching the front of the pub. Seeing the changes in the two, Minerva's eyes widened and Filius let out a small squeak of surprise.
Hermione sat on the bench and slid over for Harry. "It's actually Mrs. Potter now."
Both Professors smiled widely at the news. "Congratulations, I wish you both joy."
Harry gave her a smile and said, "Thank you, Professor. Your letter said you had something of importance to discuss."
"Yes." She paused to gather her thoughts when Flitwick broke the silence.
"We are here to help you."
Harry and Hermione exchanged a meaningful glance and Hermione said, "Thank you. We'd been told that you would offer to help and that we should trust you. While I have the utmost faith in the source of that information, I'd like to hear from the two of you why we should trust you. After the Headmaster's behavior, we're quite leery of blindly trusting people."
McGonagall cocked an eyebrow. She was impressed and at the same time mildly insulted. "Mrs. Potter, when The Morrigan deigns to give you guidance, you ought to follow it without hesitation."
The Potters smiled broadly at the mention of the Triune goddess of war. Flitwick continued, "Now that our bona fides are established, shall we begin?"
"Yes, sir. Please, instruct us."
Minerva began the tale. "In the Highlands, where I was born and raised, it was unfortunately a practice for ill infants to be put out overnight in areas called `Fairy Rings'." Her face saddened and she continued, "Most often, the children died from exposure. The premise was that the creatures of Faery would somehow heal the ill child and the parents could reclaim the infant the next day. Some of the other fools," her voice became heated at her obvious disdain for the practice, "considered any child who survived the `ritual' to be a Changeling and a monster." She sniffed at the preposterous assertion.
Flitwick picked up the tale, "I was abandoned by my parents when they saw that I was not growing at the rate considered normal for infants."
Minerva placed her hand on Filius' shoulder, "My father considered the whole lot of them to be lunatics. I have been told many times, of when he heard about Filius' abandonment. He grabbed his cloak and Apparated away with a thunderous crack that broke several windows. It was a cold night, sleet and freezing rain. My mother was pacing back and forth, ranting in Gaelic." The elderly Transfiguration Mistress smiled in fond remembrance of her mother.
"Father returned shortly with little Filius wrapped in a blanket upon which he'd cast drying and warming charms. He handed him to mother and said, `Jenny, meet your new son, Filius'." Minerva's eyes watered and Filius looked at his lap, both of them filled with emotion.
Hermione silently reached for Harry's hand under the table and squeezed it. Both were affected by the emotional recounting of the now seen brother and sister in front of them.
Flitwick continued in his squeaky voice, "We grew up together and I was a McGonagall in all but name. Father and I had many discussions and when I was seventeen, I decided that I wanted to maintain my birth surname. Mainly because of an event that happened when we were both ten."
"That summer, we were chasing each other in the heather. Playing games like all children. Minerva was chasing me and I entered one of the Fairy Rings. I was looking back to see if she was gaining on me." With a bit of twinkle, he digressed, "She was very fast as a lass."
When the chuckles had subsided, he continued, "I was looking back and ran full tilt into something which knocked me down. Minerva caught me up and we both had our first look upon the ancient gods of Eire, the Tuatha De Dannan."
"The Morrigan stood there, flanked by Nuada and Brigid. She said they could not stay long in the land of the Picts, but we had been selected to guide and assist the chosen of the gods. We were both heading to Hogwarts the next fall and we were charged by Nuada to be the best students in the school to become ready to be of assistance to those that would follow."
Minerva bowed her head in the recounting. "There was no need to convince us of their identity. When one is only ten, one finds it quite easy to believe in gods. Especially when those that visited us…well. You've met them; it is quite obvious they are gods, is it not?"
All four chuckled again and nodded in fond remembrance.
"Starting at Hogwarts the next year, Filius and I dueled for top honors every year. He was the consummate Ravenclaw and I'd like to think that I was a very good Gryffindor."
He sniffed and said, "Most accomplished Gryffindor, more like."
She smiled at her brother and continued, "We were Head Boy and Girl in our time and this scalawag beat me for the number one spot in our class by one tenth of a percent."
Filius smugly smiled at her and said, "True intelligence will out in the end, my dear."
Minerva responded by smacking the short man in the back of the head. "I was saying. During our Hogwarts years and after, we received letters, mainly from Lady Brigid. They were encouraging and firm by turns. Always reminding us of our task." She stopped her eyes far away.
"Thirteen years ago," Flitwick said heavily, "We received a most noisome letter that angered me for the first time in our dedication to the will of the gods. At the direction of Lady Brigid, we'd started teaching at Hogwarts many years before and both been installed as Head of House for our old houses."
He looked at Harry pointedly and said, "Voldemort had just killed your parents and been defeated in turn. The letter instructed us to allow Dumbledore free reign until they communicated differently. Minerva had related to me her observations of the Dursleys and I was ready to hex the lot of them."
With a hollow look, Minerva said, "The gods had directed otherwise. You were revealed to be half of an Elemental couple, your mate was not revealed, just that it would be obvious when you joined."
Flitwick laughed, "It was very obvious."
"Yes it was."
Harry and Hermione smiled. "But something changed after this last school year," Hermione stated.
Flitwick nodded as he sipped at his tea, "Yes, we were told that the two of you would be going to the Undying Lands and would return as a fully bonded Elemental couple. We were also told that our task would now be required to bear fruit. So as I said at the beginning of this little history; we are here to help you."
There was silence as they all digested the news, considering it from all angles. Finally, Harry spoke with a bit of emotion, "Thank you for all you have done and sacrificed. Despite all our abilities, Voldemort is still a power that I don't think we can yet defeat."
The other three nodded and Minerva continued, "We'll let you get settled and when the school year starts, we'll `take you on as apprentices'. This will give you a valid reason to be in the castle that Dumbledore cannot block nor control and also gives us time for instruction."
Her face took on the usual stern expression and she said, "The instruction shall not be easy, nor painless."
Harry and Hermione nodded their acceptance. Suddenly an impish grin crossed Harry's face, "Should we ride the express to school?"
The whole table laughed aloud and they settled down for their meal.
******Tonks Home, Near Bodmin, Cornwall, 1800, 30 July, 1994******
"Happy Birthday Neville! Come on downstairs, Mum has a special dinner ready with an outstanding pudding for afters. Hurry up, let's go."
Neville smiled at the enthusiasm of his unofficially adopted big sister. He ran out of his room and pounded down the stairs. The pink haired Auror trainee stood at the bottom and immediately asked him, "Where's your wand?"
His face fell. "In my room."
"Well, go get it. Master Auror Moody is a madman, but he is right in that we are lost without that wee bit of wood. Chop chop, I want some of that German Chocolate Cake that's cooling on the counter."
With another grin, he ran back up the stairs, puffing a bit now. Grabbing his wand, he pounded back down the steps and showed the wand to Tonks with a big smile.
She laughed and took his wand in a mock inspection. Her expression grew somewhat serious when she said, "Neville, your wand is beat to shit. Don't you take care of it?"
The Longbottom heir looked at his feet and mumbled his response. "It's my Dad's. Gran wanted me to live up to what he'd done and figured his wand was a beginning."
Much more sensitively, Tonks wrapped an arm around her `little brother' and cheerily said, "Nev, you are Neville Longbottom, not Frank Longbottom. I'm sure your Da was a great guy, but so are you and you deserve your own wand. Let's swing by Ollivanders tomorrow and I'll get you your own wand, and we'll get a display case for this one. You can put in on your desk or dresser so as to remember him."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really. Now let's go eat that feast of Mum's."
****** Potter's Redoubt, Lancashire, 0900 31July 1994*******
"It's my birthday, and I think we should celebrate all day in bed."
The muffled laughter from the other side of the bed caused Harry's grin to widen further.
"Harry, we've already `celebrated' twice now and I'm getting hungry. I'll cook breakfast, you take a shower."
He watched her roll out of bed and grab an oversized t-shirt. After wolf whistling at her he got a jolt of hot air in response. "Hey! I'm your husband, I get to do that."
"Take a shower."
Grumbling, he made his way to the loo to clean up. Soaping his face he couldn't help but smile. Despite Voldemort and The Marduk, he was unbelievably happy. He was beyond happy and it was primarily due to the witch down in the kitchen.
Hopping in the shower for a quick clean up, he began humming to himself. He was under no illusions that his voice was suitable for singing, in the shower or out. Drying off, he ambled downstairs, humming a tune that Aine was wont to sing in her perfect voice. "It sounded so much better when she did it," he commented to no one.
"Harry."
"Yes, love."
"Harry, come to the kitchen immediately."
Now he was alarmed. She was speaking in the ultra controlled voice that told him something was seriously wrong and it wasn't burnt toast. Oh gods, The Marduk!
He sprinted down the steps and out the front door. Taking to the air, he looped over the house to the kitchen door in the back of the house. All his fears were alive when he saw the hulking black form in the back garden surrounded by white-hot flame.
The demon reached out with its talon to pass through the fire and pulled back with a hiss. Harry pulled up and began to hover. It was actually one of the more difficult maneuvers for him.
Closing his eyes to get his thoughts collected, he held his hands out, palms inward. Pushing a bit, he commanded dozens of compressed spikes of air to form on either side of the demon. With a grunt, the hyper-compressed air, shot out and through the demon, almost as if it was shut into an Iron Maiden.
An unearthly scream fllled the air and Harry bobbed a bit. Hermione was at the door now and was melting the earth beneath the demon into a magma pit. A green colored ichor was dripping from its many wounds as the tortured screams became screams of rage and with an obvious effort; The Marduk broke out of the enclosing fire and into the open.
Moving as fast as a striking snake, the demon shot at Hermione. "NO!" screamed Harry.
It swung it's fist full of talons at her when suddenly the demon found its entire upper body encased in ice. Stumbling to the other side of the yard, Hermione was panting in the effort. Freezing all the water in the air around its body like that had taken a lot out of her.
With a crash, The Marduk freed itself from its icy shackles and spun about to find its prey.
Furious now, Harry snarled and dove to the ground in front of his wife. He raised his hands at the charging demon and bellowed his rage. Raw electricity shot out of his hands. Thick bolts of lighting lanced out and impacted the demon in the chest.
Hurled back twenty yards, the demon lay there unmoving as Harry summoned forth bolt after bolt of the killing energy. Harry finally put his hands on his knees, panting from the exertion. Hermione put her hand on his shoulder, "Thank you."
He stood and said, "No problem, I love you."
They began to slowly approach the demon, Hermione with her wand out and Harry with lightning crackling between his fingers. When they were three or four strides from the smoking carcass, it sat up and turned its fiery eyes at the couple."
"Ah, what do I have to do?" Harry exclaimed as he let loose the lightning again. This time though, he found his control slipping and he was creating an electrical storm around the property. Neither Potter noticed, but Fawkes flamed into the garden in the middle of the confrontation. He caught the attention of all present when he began to trill a song of joy, love and allegiance.
Harry and Hermione were uplifted, but The Marduk let loose another scream and ran from the song. A moment later, Fawkes alit on a chair on the back porch and looked at Hermione.
"Thank you, my friend," she said and approached the Firebird. "We've missed you."
He trilled in response and Harry chuckled. Hermione stared at the immortal creature of fire and Harry realized they were having a conversation so he sat heavily in another chair, awaiting their finish.
A few minutes later, Hermione broke her gaze from Fawkes and Harry noticed tears standing in her eyes. Standing and embracing her, he asked, "What is it, love?"
"Fawkes can't bring Hedwig or Crookshanks back. It's the same for them as it was for Remus and Sirius."
Harry's heart sank into his shoes. They'd been assuming that any day the Firebird would arrive with their familiars. Tears leaked out of Harry's eyes and they embraced as Fawkes trilled a short burst of grief and healing.
When they'd gathered themselves together, he asked, "What else did he have to say?"
She laughed and said, "He offered to bond with me in replacement for Crookshanks."
He smiled at the irony of it. Crookshanks was now effectively immortal in Tir na nOg, but not here, so another immortal being wanted to take his place. "What did you say?"
Hermione nodded against his chest. "He also said that Nemeas was on his way."
"Nemeas? Who's Nemeas?"
They heard the sound of huge wing beats from above. Looking up they saw an enormous golden griffin descending on the yard. He circled the couple twice, his solid blue eye watching them the entire time. When he landed, it was in front of Harry and the two locked gazes.
Minutes later, Harry said aloud, "I am honored that you offer yourself to our service, Creature of Air. Thank you and we accept your devotion and help."
Turning to Hermione, he inclined his head and said, "This is Nemeas."
******Tonks Home, Near Bodmin, Cornwall, 1330, 14 August, 1994******
"Neville, dear, could you please help me with this?"
"Coming, Andromeda." She'd asked him to call her by her given name after he'd moved in. Mrs. Tonks sounds so stuffy, call me Andi or Andromeda if you must. Anything but the dreaded Mrs. Tonks. Makes me sound old.
Neville had snickered at that and she had cast a gimlet eye at him in amusement. I'll have you know young man that I am but forty years old and if you ever repeat it I will turn your hair pink for the rest of you natural life. He'd laughed aloud at the threat.
He was beginning to heal. Tonks was the best. Andromeda loved him, he hesitantly hoped. Ted would talk to him like a real human being. No lectures, snide comments or put downs. Just talk to him.
He pounded down the stairs in the fashion of all boys over the age of ten. "I'm so incredibly lucky," he murmured out loud.
The front door was open so he went out and found Andromeda with two men next to an enormous crate. "Ah, here's the man of the hour."
Neville looked at his guardian with a confused expression. She smiled and said, "Neville, these men are Joseph Andrade and Michael Jones. They're going to assemble your greenhouse and want to review different layouts given the material they have.
His eyes rounded, Neville looked to Andrade and Jones who merely smiled and held up a sheaf of drawings. The astounded expression melted into one of joy and he dove into the plans with the men.
Three hours later, Jones and Andrade kindly booted Neville from the worksite. He'd learned quite a bit, but they were now moving large pieces of enchanted glass and they didn't want him to get hurt or in the way.
His enthusiasm undeterred, Neville ran back to the house and found Andromeda in her studio. Without slowing, he plowed into her and enveloped her in a hug. "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you."
Smiling into his hair, she gently said, "You're very welcome Neville."
They sat for a bit and after regaining her composure, Andi returned to her painting. Neville watched her for a bit. He'd always thought that artists didn't work very hard. Painters, sculptors, writers just did it and the picture, statue or story appeared. Andromeda, though, was working quite hard. Her concentration was phenomenal and she had said many times at the dinner table that she wasn't in the right mood to work today.
"Er, Andromeda?'
Replacing her brushes on the palette, she turned to him with no hint of impatience. "Yes, dear?"
"Er, at the Manor, Gran had to alter the wards for some of the plants I grow. I don't know if you have those types of wards here, but I guess I don't have to grow those types of plants if it's an inconvenience to you," he finished quietly.
He has no self-confidence at all, poor lad. Andi reached out and patted Neville on the shoulder comfortingly. "I understand and you can grow whatever types of plant you like here. We don't have any wards here, necessarily."
He looked at her with a hint of a frown. "Buy why…?"
"It's the Moor dear. Bodmin Moor is…well, it's a highly magical place. Somewhat like the area around Hogwarts. There is an intersection of three ley lines here and something else. No one has every really explained it. There are no dark creatures in the area. No hostile plants. No Vampires. Occasionally we get the odd Werewolf, but they usually show up in human form and the poor dears transform once they arrive. It's like a natural warding area."
"Wow. Why don't more people live out here then?" Neville knew their nearest neighbor was 12 miles away.
"Well, it is rather desolate isn't it? I think others don't feel that safe without any kind of wards over their head as the Moor prohibits wards that are cast. They fail within a short time regardless of how they are set. Unfortunately, the effect of the Moor doesn't preclude dark wizards or witches. That's what this is for," she hefted her wand with a look of menace. "You don't think that Nymphadora's acceptance and high pass in the Auror Academy is an accident, do you? We regularly practice and duel." Speaking aloud to herself, she continued, "Need to inform the Ministry that we are going to do the same for you. Don't want that blasted woman Hopkirk getting her knickers in a twist with us. Can't stand that bint."
Mumbling, Neville said, "You don't have to do that for me. I'm not very good."
"Rubbish! With the effort, concentration and focus you put into your plants, I have a very real belief that you can be a most excellent wizard, my dear. Don't be running yourself down. You deserve much better than that type of talk."
Her face softening at Neville's expression, she said, "Anyway, the Moor is a highly magical place. Our one-time neighbors the Boot's believed that a major magical event happened here in the past and as a result, this `dark repelling' effect was created. The story is told that hundreds or even thousands of years before Merlin, there were two communities of magical persons in the Cornwall area. They were plagued by Vampires and the creatures we now know as Dementors. I believe they called them the Kindly Ones. Why they did that, I'll never know."
Shaking her head she continued, "These two communities eventually banded together for protection." She pointed to the Moor out the window and said, "They gathered on the area that is now the Bodmin Moor. Their Chieftains made many sacrifices, underwent many rituals and consulted the elders of the combined community. No one had any answers and over time their numbers were whittled down by the dark creatures."
She gave a big sigh and said, "A wandering Irish mage stopped for rest in the community one night. The poor man was made intimately aware of the problem when he was attacked by a Vampire in his cot." She raised her eyebrows for effect and dryly said, "He wasn't amused. In the end, he invoked the Irish gods, effectively making the area we know as the Bodmin Moor part of Ireland. Magically part of old Eire, that is. Once he did that, and the story tells that he was flat on his back for the better part of a month after the ritual, well once he did that, he invoked the gods' protection. The story isn't very specific on how he did that or to which gods he appealed , but the Bodmin Moor has been free of evil for all of recorded history."
"Wow. Is it true?"
"I don't know, but it makes a great story, doesn't it?"
Neville smiled and she said, "Go get a small piece of the pie I made and get back out to your greenhouse. Don't want them to muck it all up, do we?"
He smiled again and nodded. Pausing at the doorway, he turned and looked at Andi. His expression was so incredibly heartfelt, she almost wept. "Thank you for everything, Andromeda. I can never repay you or your family."
Choked with emotion, she nodded and smiled. Neville gave a half wave and headed to the kitchen. He didn't hear the sob and Andromeda covering her mouth with an old rag as she wept for the young boy who had lost so much.
A/N
1. I own nothing
2. It's back! I've been ruminating on Hippogriff for the last few months as Partners and Harry and Gabi were born and it has now reached critical mass.
3. Yes, Fawkes has broken the familiar bond with Grandpa Whiskers. He and Nemeas aren't really familiars, though. More like partners and assistants. Yes, Nemeas is immortal like Fawkes. Bonus points to those who figure out the source of Nemeas' name.
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