Blood to Gold

An Artemis Fowl--Harry Potter Crossover

By Elbereth in April

Copyright 2003

Disclaimer: I own neither of these wonderful series or their characters.

Time: Artemis Fowl, after Book 2

Harry Potter, during Book 3

Chapter 1

"Let me see if I get this straight, sir," said Capt. Holly Short of the LEP. "You *want* to get in touch with Artemis Fowl?"

Her Commander chomped away at his cigar, face red and scowling. "No, I don't *want* to. But I haven't got many other choices. The Council has voted, and I can't think of any better options. You know how many fairies have died already."

Holly sobered. Yes, she did know.

"So, go contact him."

"You really think he'll help us?"

"Tell him if he doesn't, we'll haunt him the rest of our lives."

"And if he does?"

Root sighed and rubbed his forehead. He didn't shout, which worried Holly a great deal. "Then we'll owe him one."

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Artemis Fowl sat, typing up an entry in his diary. "We just rescued my father a couple weeks ago. He's different now. He's spouting things like, 'Family is more important than money,' and 'The Fowls from now on will be going straight.' He's never believed anything like that before. Could it be the fairy magic? I don't understand. I don't know how I feel about it, either. Maybe by the time he fully recovers and leaves the hospital, he'll be back to normal."

There was a knock on the door. He saved his entry, hid the file, and opened the door. "Ah, Butler. What is it?"

"Miss Holly Short is at our front gate."

Artemis raised his eyebrows. "Now that's interesting."

The three of them plus Juliet, who wandered in uninvited, sat down in one of the studios. "Is this business or pleasure?" Artemis asked her, knowing the answer.

"Business." She looked uncomfortable.

"It's about the reports of deaths of elves and other fairies, yes?"

Her eyes narrowed. "How did you know?--No, wait, I forgot who I was talking to."

"I keep up on things," he said, with a glance at Butler, who smiled.

"Well, we suspect who is behind them. Have you ever heard of Voldemort?"

"It sounds familiar."

"Twenty years ago, he came close to taking over the Magical community and killing all Muggles--that's humans without magic. He was only stopped by accident--or something. He tried to put a killing curse on an infant boy, and for some reason it rebounded back on him."

"So he's dead."

"Not exactly. His spirit is still around, and strong. He's trying to come back to life, and back to power. He was drinking unicorn blood. Now he's after fairies. When he kills a fairy, he gains some of its power. With every death, he gets stronger."

Artemis looked at her closely. "That's bad, but why are you telling me? What can I do about it?"

"We can't find Voldemort, but we know where one of his followers is. We want you to help us watch his disciple. Hopefully, he'll lead us to Voldemort."

"Why do you need human help at all?"

Holly fidgeted a bit. "I said we know where the follower is. But we're not entirely sure *who* he--or she--is. It would need a long-term stake-out. Above ground. In the middle of a large group of Mud People. We can't do that."

Artemis almost smiled; the whole idea was absurd. "You want me to go undercover."

"Yes."

"Look, I'd like to help, but my parents are watching now. I can't just disappear. I have to go back to boarding school."

"Ah, but Artemis, he's *at* a boarding school. You'd just have to transfer."

His eyebrows rose. "Is he now? The name?"

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

He'd heard of it. He'd heard of a great many things most Muggles hadn't. "That's all well and good, but Hogwarts is invitation only, and I don't have magic."

"Foaly has managed to work around that. You see, when students use magic, they always use a wand to focus their natural, inborn talent. But we can give you a wand that's already pre-loaded, so to speak, with magic from other, fairy sources. You can do a certain amount of spells per day, per charge."

That sounded intriguing. That almost sounded--fun.

"And I happen to have your invitation for enrollment right here." Holly pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it to him.

"Artemis Fowl, Fowl Manor, Ireland," he read. "We are pleased to inform you have been accepted at Hogwarts. . .Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. . . Third year students will require. . ." He broke off. "They expect me to be a third year?"

"Don't worry, I have a tutor all lined up for you. He's a gnome. He's my contact with Hogwarts. One of the professor's brothers. He'll teach all you need to know to be prepared. How to ride a broom, brew potions. . . you'll like it. And of course, you can get caught up on the reading in no time, with your intellect. . ." A coaxing smile.

Artemis tapped his fingers on the parchment and thought.

"We'll owe you," she said.

He looked at her. "All right."

"Only one thing. . . you won't be able to have Butler there."

"I didn't expect it. He can't come to my other school, either."

"Wait a minute," Butler protested. "He'll be in danger at that place!"

"We'll be in close contact. Foaly has certain equipment to give him to report to us. I'll be ready and on call. You can stay at Hogsmeade, the closest town, if you want."

"But. . ."

"It'll be all right, Butler." Artemis sounded so confident, Butler almost felt reassured in spite of himself. Almost.

"Absolutely not. If an unknown minion of an evil wizard is sleeping in the bed next to him. . ."

"I'll go."

Three heads swiveled to look at Juliet. "You?" Holly said.

"I've almost completed my bodyguard training. I could protect him." Juliet looked extremely eager.

"You didn't pass the final test!"

"I'm ready despite that and you know it, big brother!"

"Absolutely not!"

"I'm eighteen. I can pass as a seventh year. If Foaly can make up another wand." She batted her eyelashes at Butler.

"She makes sense," Holly said slowly. "It would surely make the search easier with two people there, as well."

"Are transfers that common?"

"No," Holly replied. "Maybe you could be cousins."

"We don't look related," Juliet frowned.

"She could be my step-sister," Artemis suggested. "Then you won't have the relocation of two households to explain."

"Wait a minute!" Butler exclaimed again.

They looked at him. He suddenly deflated. "Oh, all right." His brow remained creased with worry.

Juliet leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Trust me. OK?"

Then he smiled at her. "OK, OK."

"Oh, and Artemis. . ." Holly twisted a piece of her hair around and around her fingers. "Computersandthingswon'tworkthere, you'llbedoingwithoutmosttechnology."

Artemis translated this. "No technology?" There was a heavy pause. "Not even cell phones?"

"You can send owls. And talk to people through a fireplace. You write with quills. And use candlelight." Holly's smile was weaker now, she'd known this would be a sticking point.

"Owls and fireplaces," Artemis repeated slowly.

"You'll have a fairy communicator to reach Foaly and I, of course, and your wand will be pre-charged. We can give you a fairy. . . well, a palm-pilot, basically, for personal use, but you'll have to use it in private. Not for homework and stuff."

"Do they even have indoor plumbing?"

"That they have!" Holly smiled brightly, a false, pleading kind of brightness.

"No Internet access."

"You can owl Butler to do things for you."

Artemis continued to stare at her.

"You can study divination. And transfiguration," Holly blurted, despite the fact that she was appalled at some of the subjects Artemis would be learning. Even without inborn magic, Artemis would be able to figure out how to take what he learned with him and use it to add to the family fortune.

"I'll do it," he said, a light in his eyes that worried Holly deeply.

"We'll expect you to stay out of trouble. Both of you," with a glance at Juliet. "No illegal money-making schemes during the stake-out. Can you do that?"

He sighed. "Yes."

"We promise!" Juliet chirped, all enthusiasm and energy.

Holly felt a moment of triumph before it was overshadowed by, What have I got myself into? "All right then."

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