A/N Hello all! This is book 22 of the JC series (the book numbers are at the end of each title) which starts with Jennifer Craw and the Phoenix Wand. My time is limited these days, so updates will probably be monthly, possibly more depending on how much time I have. We're back to regular format with this one, instead of the forced location perspective I did with the last book, with one part Tir Na Nog, focusing on some personal introspection, and three parts Hogwarts and its growing pains as Severus tries to encourage more diversification within the school. I will also be working on some edits on older material, especially fixing typos and grammar in the last book, I'll let you know when I get done with that in case you want to archive a cleaner copy. Either way, hope you like the new book! JCWriter~

Chapter One

A Different World

And then there was rain.

Bael had collapsed just a moment before, after a frantic, fearful instant when he thought something might have followed him through. But no, the portal at the mushroom rings were protected like no other; no demon had a chance of getting through. It was that realization that had prompted him to fall from sheer relief. He had hit the portal at a dead run, and the burning feeling on his face and stomach from their deep claws was a constant reminder of how close they had come to stopping him. He lay there in relief and exhaustion, blearily aware now that the long, long, journey across had also been at a sprint… like the flight of a deer from a threatening foe.

The ground was rocky and muddy... uncomfortable would have been an understatement. But the rain… as cold as it was… was peaceful instead of menacing. Everything was quiet; so very quiet that Bael had to take some time just to remember what such a quiet was like. How odd. It was something that he had experienced for centuries, but within the short time of the war, he had completely lost the memory of it until that moment. The smell of cut grass and moss was in the air, and there was a tingling of strong magic as well. He knew from Albus of the Leaf that such pockets of magic were not to be expected often during his long journey north, so he took advantage of the moment to heal his wounds and to subdue his auras and physical form so that would blend much more easily into the surroundings. He had been advised well; he knew there was much to be wary of in this strange new world. But the rain also helped his efforts of concealment, so after lightly getting to his feet and finding the path, he was soon able to make his way over the fence and onto a road. To the right was the way to go from there, he knew, and then a long, long walk until he could reach somewhere he could possibly get help.

He turned up the collar of his coat and put on the hat in its pocket - both had been provided by Albus as well. Apparently, rain was quite common, but it would do him more good than harm, since someone so obviously foreign traveling along a highway would likely strike up a question or two that would best be avoided. He wasn't likely to run into trouble until the city, but he had plenty of time to think of that and try to adjust to his surroundings before then.

The first time he saw headlights it did stop him in his tracks, not realizing until after it had passed that it was one of the fast carts that Albus has warned him about. At first, there were not very many of them, but as the sky began to lighten, the frequency of them slowly began to increase. Birds began to twitter, and he heard strange animals scuffling and braying in the distance. Water streamed by next to him, brisk and muddy, the sound getting mixed in with everything else, including some terrifyingly large carts with great boxes behind them, and others with bright metal cylinders. On either side of him now, he could make out fences, and beyond it was low grass or farmlands filled with rows of spring plants. What a strange mix it was… of smelly roads and bulky fast carts next to such peaceful fields, he thought… at least, that was he thought until the sun began to rise. For then, it seemed that some of those fields had bulky machines of their own; with wide strange hoses spouting out liquids that Bael really couldn't identify. This definitely wasn't anything like Tir Danaan.

He sighed at that, feeling a bit homesick, as he often had since moving to the prince's castle. He wondered how they were doing now. The walls keeping the demons out in the northern part of the kingdom had long since fallen, and the war had been never ending. Would Aepheri be able to protect them as long as her hill was defended? It was an unanswerable question, and Bael knew he would be better thinking about other things. But even as he tried to put Aepheri out of his mind, he thought he heard chimes and became quite alert. Did the humans have spirits that watched over them as well? Perhaps they would also protect him, he thought, picking up his pace. Bael was quite sure that it had come from the large cluster of buildings he could see over the edges of fields and through the line of trees. He was coming to a village of some sort, he realized, concentrating on the signs to try to understand the language and to translate the characters he could understand. Houses lined the winding street now, and there was room to walk safely beside the road upon a smooth surface, apparently designed for walking.

Amesbury, it said, and he turned back to his instructions with interest. He was to seek out the Broom Service here, whatever that was. Bael sighed, glancing around, deciding after a moment that he must now be on Church Street. The houses were now uncomfortably close, as were all the motor carts. Some of the carts weren't even moving; sandwiched between the houses, himself, and the busy street, sitting empty with strange charms dangling from some of the interiors. Apparently, he was supposed to look behind an alley between two shops…

"Good morning, sir. Are you a bit lost?" asked a man standing next to a strange vehicle with open sides and a lot of crates and bottles in the back.

"I am looking for a Broom Service," Bael explained. The milkman blinked.

"A what?" he asked, wondering what the tourist had been given to drink.

"For transport. I need to find a way to the town called Salisbury," Bael said.

"Ah, that! I expect you're trying to take the rails back to London, then?"

"Yes, rails, that's right," Bael agreed eagerly.

"You'll want to take a cab then, or the Wilts & Dorset," the milkman said.

"Wilts & Dorset?" Bael repeated in confusion.

"Just follow the road around onto Salisbury, then just follow that until you get to the bus depot. Can't miss it," the milkman explained.

"Thank you," Bael said.

"No worries," the milkman replied, turning back to his work.

Deciding that the local villager would know better than anyone where to go, Bael decided it would be best to take his advice and gave up his search for the elusive Broom Service. Perhaps it was just as well, he decided. He never did see any signs that said anything about the place, but the Wilts and Dorset place was quite clearly marked. Bael walked over to where several other sleepy villagers were waiting and studied the signs. One of them had a little girl, who stared at him wide-eyed despite her father's whisperings to her to stop it. Fastening the neck strap on his cap so he no longer had to worry about it slipping above his ears, Bael pulled out the wallet Albus had given him, trying to make some sense of the papers and coins inside of it. He took out two different coins and stared at them unsurely.

"Are you from abroad?" the girl asked curiously. Her father was poking his finger at a small rectangular object in his hand and no longer seemed to be paying much attention to her. "Where's that coin from?"

"Which one?" Bael asked.

"This one," she said, taking the galleon out of his right hand. "Very heavy, isn't it?"

"So is this the one I'm supposed to use here?" Bael asked, showing her the pound coin.

"Yes, of course, although you'll need more of them for the bus, you know. Get a day pass; it'll save you money. That's what Dad says," she explained. "Where are you going?"

"I am supposed to find a train," Bael said hopefully.

"Lucy, don't bother the tourist," her father said, still distractedly poking on his phone.

Lucy rolled her eyes and grinned. Bael smiled unsurely back at her. It was quite strange… she was so foreign to him, and yet at the same time there was something in her attitude towards her father that reminded him of Niamh.

Bael heard a terrifying noise and looked up with his heart pounding to see a wagon much, much larger than any of the other wagons he had seen so far. Not only that, it pulled up so incredibly close to him that had Bael been the same person as he was before the war that he probably would have ran for his life. But neither the man nor the girl seemed at all alarmed by the wagon or its nearness. Instead, they got up and put away their things; even the father decided to put down his small flat box for a moment. They stepped over to it, so Bael forced back the part of him that wanted to run and he followed behind them, watching carefully and stepping on board, repeating their movements as exactly as possible. The bus driver shrugged when Bael overpaid, and Bael shuffled on nervously, frowning when he saw all the other people. Some of them stared at him, while others looked rather bored and disinterested. Lucy and her father took two seats together, and Bael hesitated, wondering where he should sit.

That was when he noticed a wizened woman in the front moving her bags out of the empty seat beside her. Taking that as a sign, Bael sat down beside her. He wondered if he should greet her, but she hadn't, and so he began wondering if he would be insulting her if he did so. The bus began to move and Bael jumped in surprise, clinging to his bag when he couldn't find anything else to cling to.

"What's that smell?" A man's voice asked behind him.

"Hush, you know better than to talk about smells on busses," the woman next to him hissed.

"I think a bird must've poured a bottle of perfume on that bloke," the man sniffed.

"I think it's rather nice," said the old woman next to Bael. "Much nicer than sweat and rye, at any rate."

Bael shifted uncomfortably. He had known since meeting Severus that humans had a peculiar smell, and had been prepared for it. It had never occurred to him that his own smell would be noticeable to the humans in turn. He quickly decided that feigning ignorance that the conversation was about him was probably the best course of action. He closed his eyes, and a deep shiver went through him. Now that he wasn't being rained on directly he was more aware of just how cold and damp he felt; the warm breath of air on his face did nothing but remind him of that fact. He longed for a bath, but realized it would more than likely be a while before he was able to get one. Did they even have such things as baths here? Given the state of the others on the autobus, Bael rather doubted it. But that contemplation reminded him once again that his scent stood out, and he found himself restless to get away from there.

Much to his surprise, it wasn't all that long before the bus stopped, but only a couple of people moved to get off, and Bael began to wonder about when he ought to do the same. He peered out the window, but there were no signs that told him where they just stopped at, only buildings and wagons and what appeared to be shops along the roads. But just when he began to get truly nervous the girl tapped him on the shoulder.

"You'll need another bus here to get to the train station, you know," Lucy informed him. "There's no bus station here anymore. Just show them your ticket on the next bus." In confusion, Bael got up, jostled a bit as he filed off, stumbling out and standing oblivious on the street until he noticed that everyone who got off the bus had gathered at another stop.

"I hope I'm doing this right," Bael said to himself, very much wondering if he was as he went over to the others. "I'm looking for a train?"

"Here," a man nodded to him, but then sniffed and stepped further a way.

"Thank you," Bael said, glancing up at the sky. The rain was a misty drizzle now, and the sky was a great deal lighter but so full of clouds that Bael wasn't able to tell what time of day it was. Was the sun even the same as theirs? And did it ever stop raining?

He felt even colder and more drenched when the second bus got to the station, but knew it wasn't wise to try another spell to dry off just yet. At least he was finally where he was supposed to be, he thought, frowning at his instructions again. He managed to purchase a ticket to London with some success, and didn't question anything until he actually got to the platform and compared his ticket to the one in the instructions. He wandered over then to someone who seemed to be in charge.

"Excuse me, but would you happen to know if there's more than one train to London?" Bael asked. "I'm supposed to get on one that stops at one and one-half."

"More than one train? Sounds like someone is pulling your leg, sir," he said, looking at his ticket. "This is the train you want, sir. Best get on, we'll be leaving soon."

"Oh! Oh, it's this one?" Bael said in surprise, following the man over.

"No, wait! Excuse me!" called out a woman in a strange hat, a tugging girl in her hand. "Oh, dear. He's already on. I hope he's not led any further astray," the witch tsked, before she and the child seemingly turned and disappeared.

In the cabin, Bael was relieved after the conductor checked his ticket and he was finally left alone for a moment. He closed his eyes, meditating a moment. He wasn't feeling well, and he was fairly sure it wasn't just because of his damp condition, although it had probably contributed to it. But as he reached out, he detected very little magic he could draw upon, and he knew better than to tap into his own reserves when he wasn't in his best health. Rest, he decided, was probably the best option, but he was concerned about getting off the contraption when he was supposed to.

Just then, there was a terrible noise as the train began to move forward, jolting Bael momentarily out of his light trance. Well, he certainly wasn't going to have to worry about sleeping deeply, he thought with a frown, cupping his ears until his hearing adjusted to the sound. At least there seemed to be a sort of rhythm to it, he thought, closing his eyes again. Perhaps he could concentrate on that.

Bael jolted awake in a panic, wondering where he was and if he had missed his stop. Grabbing his bag, he scrambled out, seeing that quite a number of people were getting off as well. In his confusion, he relied on the crowd, shuffling out and through the station until suddenly it seemed to open up into a wide area that made him stop dead in his tracks.

It was, indeed, Liverpool Street station. And Bael had never, ever seen that many people in one place in his entire life. It was bigger than Duntolm and its village combined, and it occurred to him that between the bustle by the trains and the people milling about the shops and those standing around that there were at least twice as many people. And yet, it was an enclosed building with great ceilings and glass and all sorts of strange lights and noises where he didn't really understand what they were or what was making it. He scrambled to get away from it all and ended up outside, but outside proved to be no relief. Not only were there more people, but also there were more cars than he had seen in the other village, and many more buildings, tall and bold and some oddly shaped. One of them even seemed to stand on its end, like a giant flower of glass that was covered with a metal cage to keep it from blooming.

Perhaps that's where the queen lives, he thought, but the idea of seeking her aid in his crisis was unappealing, for it meant braving the streets of London to get there. No, he was supposed to catch another train, he remembered. But his feet wouldn't move. He did not want to go back into the station again.

He had been standing there quite some time in a state of shock when a girl who was paying much more attention to the screen in front of her nose than to what was in front of her knocked him off his feet. She began cursing a great many words that didn't seem to translate well, stopping to check her phone to make sure it was all right before checking her own state.

Bael couldn't help but eye her warily. Most of her head appeared oily black but the roots of her hair-streaked blond like a jagged star on the top of her head. Her face was powdered and her eyes painted with black circles and her bottom lip had a jewel on it. She wore a black dress with no sleeves and instead wore tons of jewelry and had pictures on her skin.

"What's your problem then?" she asked combatively, standing up. But when he didn't answer right away, she seemed to take on a completely different tone. "Hey, you all right? It's not like I bumped into you hard, so don't try the law suit approach, my parents don't have anything anyway."

"Are you a demon?" Bael asked softly. The girl blinked and the laughed heartily at that, but it wasn't a very demonic laugh.

"No, but thanks for that. The name's Audrey, but most people know me as Lemons. Are you a trekkie or something? What's with the ears?" she asked, then flicked one as he struggled to stand. "Wow, those look real."

"Yes, don't do that," Bael protested, getting up and fixing his hat.

"Well, you're too tall to be an elf," Audrey decided, picking his pack off the ground. It was a very strange cloth… and definitely not synthetic.

"Not all elves are short," Bael said briskly, wondering how to get away from her. But Audrey paused and began to study him carefully. She then inspected his pack, even opening it up and browsing its contents. "That's my pack, please. I dropped it just now. I'd like it back," he insisted.

"If you're an elf, why is your English so good?" Audrey asked suspiciously.

Bael sighed. Did he really have a choice but to trust this stranger now? Albus had warned him not to speak too much to anyone he met along the way, and yet… how would he be able to complete his travels without further help? The city was much, much vaster than he ever would have expected, and the castle he was going to was supposed to be much farther still.

"This is my real language, although I am not sure what good it will be for you to hear it," Bael said. "I am a child of Danaan and come from a very far land."

"Wow, that was strange! It sounded like…words wrapped up in bells," Audrey said, and then suddenly looked around, suspicious of her surroundings before turning back to Bael.

"Who are you? What the hell are you doing in the middle of London?" Audrey demanded.

"I'm Bael, Servant of Prince Tambryn, on an urgent mission to find Professor Snape and seek his aid. I was instructed to find transport to Hogwarts Castle by way of train," he said in English, hesitating as he looked at the station. "But I wouldn't mind finding another way. Walking, perhaps…" he added hopefully.

"Which one is Hogwarts? Where's that at?" Audrey asked with a frown.

"Near Hogsmeade, in the Scottish lands," Bael said.

"Well, I've never heard of Hogsmeade, but you won't be walking if it's in Scotland," Audrey snorted. "Who gave you instructions? Wait, I thought I saw a piece of paper in here," she said, turning back to the bag.

"Albus Dumbledore, the Master of the Leaf," Bael explained. "He is from this world."

"Follow the road to Amesbury and seek the aid of the Broom Service. What's a Broom Service? A cleaning agency?" she asked.

"I don't know. I didn't find it," Bael admitted.

"I also don't get what he means by these fractions in the station numbers," Audrey snorted. "But what I do know is when you're following directions and you mess up the very first step, the rest of it is pretty much useless. Here, take your bag, I'll find it on Google maps."

"Google maps?" Bael repeated unsurely as the girl brought her device out again and began tapping on it. "Is that a magical device of some sort?"

"Sort of," she said, then frowned. "All I get when I put in Hogsmeade is a bunch of inns and public houses with similar names. And the only relevant search is conspiracy pages: 'Hogsmeade; secret government site or China whispers?' This isn't going to work. I could look up Snape, but then I'd probably just get Lucky Snape fan pages or what's going on at Snape Maltings, and that won't help." But then she paused and stared at Bael's forlorn face. "Hang on. Aren't Lucky's parents both professors? I'm sure they are. She even mentioned it on her blog."

"Blog?" Bael repeated, still not understanding the conversation at all.

"She runs a financial blog in her spare time. It's the only reason I pay attention to her, really, I'm not a fan, of course, but she does have a nice column on uni budgeting and investing for beginners. That's the only reason I follow her," she explained defensively.

"I don't recognize the name," Bael sighed. "I don't suppose you know if she has any siblings?"

"Tons," Audrey snorted. "Every time there's some scandal one of the other person appears claiming they are one of her siblings. Mostly Alex, but some of the others too."

"Alexandria?" Bael repeated excitedly. "That is a name of one of the professor's daughters, I'm certain! And Alicia and Andrew and Aurelius and Corey and Fortuna and…"

"It's okay, I get it. It's them," Audrey said. "Fortuna is Lucky's real name, you know. So now we know, now it gets tricky."

"Why is that?" Bael asked impatiently.

"Because Lucky's famous, and you can't just out of the blue contact a famous person and say, 'hey there's this Elf that needs to talk to your father,' you know," Audrey said, but then paused. "Or can I?" Audrey looked around again, and then walked over to a statue of a group of children with baggage and forlorn faces. She sat down on the edge of the statue. Bael followed behind, watching her intently.

"Are you going to do something with that device?" Bael asked.

"Yeah, I think I'll send her a tweet. But she isn't following me, so I have to make it so it's clear for her and obscure to the other thousand people that subscribe to her. We don't want a flash mob here or anything. Maybe I can word it in a way that anybody else reading it will just think you're just a mental fan," Audrey mused. "Then they'll just ignore it."

"I really have no idea what you're talking about," Bael admitted, feeling quite worn.

"Leave it to me," Audrey assured him, and then thought. "'Waylaid Elf named Bael seeking Prof. at L.S. kinderport. 911. Bael wants to get #luckysnape.' There, that might work."

"What will work?" Bael asked.

"Basically, I just sent a public message to Lucky's twitter with hints to your being here. If she knows you, she'll understand. Anyone else looking at it will probably think you're just some sod wanting to sleep with her," Audrey explained. Bael blinked. "The problem is, it may take her some time to notice it…assuming she notices it at all, because a lot of other people send messages to her name every day, and on top of that she might still be at the uni. Not everyone's done with classes yet. In short, we might be in for a long wait, and she may not come at all."

Bael sighed and sat down in resignation, coughing softly as his excitement wore off and his body began to remind him of its weakened state. Apparently Audrey noticed it as well.

"You want a hot drink? It's pretty damp out here, with all that rain we had," Audrey observed.

"I was warned not to eat or drink anything until I was with the Professor," Bael explained. Audrey looked at him questioningly. "My people only eat plants…"

"Vegan? Not a problem. My parents are vegan," she snorted. "I know what to get, you just stay here and wait. Don't talk to anyone until I get back, just in case someone answers that message and it's not her."

"Would they get here that fast?" Bael asked nervously.

"Only if they were already in the area," Audrey reassured him. "I'll be right back."

Even so, Bael couldn't help but feel a more than a little concerned that someone would approach him while she was gone, unsure of how to handle it or what to do if someone claiming to be Lucky herself came. Fortunately, the girl was soon back with a couple of strange cups, handing him one. The cup was not made of anything he readily recognized, and it was warm to the touch.

"What is it?" he asked warily.

"Soy latte with non-GMO soy," Audrey said. "Not that I'd call it healthy, exactly, but coffee acts as a decongestant and either way it'll help keep you going while we wait," she explained, taking a seat as well.

"Your parents only eat plants?" Bael asked.

"Yeah. They think it's immoral and unnatural to eat meat," Audrey said, taking a sip. Bael took a sip too, but in the process burnt his tongue and couldn't really taste anything. "So I told them that I thought it was immoral and unnatural to take B12 shots. And then they pointed out that cutting was immoral and unnatural, so I had to choose. I guess I sort of lost that one but at least now I can eat as much as meat as I like and have it as rare as I like."

"I understand that you argued with your parents and now you're allowed to eat meat, but I admit I didn't follow the middle of the conversation much," Bael admitted humbly.

"Oh. Actually, it's probably just as well," Audrey said. She took another sip and there was a beep and a strange buzzing noise and took out her phone, spinning through the new entries. "There's a tweet here from Dale Chance," she said, nearly spilling her coffee. She quickly set it down.

"You received a message from someone?" Bael prompted.

"Yeah, he says to keep the elf on the shelf," Audrey said, glancing up at him. Bael frowned.

"I don't suppose that has two meanings as well?" Bael suggested, tired of not understanding what she was trying to do.

"I can't be sure, but I think so," Audrey said. "I mean, to anyone reading it, it sounds like he's telling you to get lost, but if he does know who you are, it can also mean that he wants us to stay here."

"So we still have to wait," Bael said with frustration. "What, then, was the point of telling me about it?"

"Chance is Lucky's boyfriend. That he answered at all is significant. He seldom comments," Audrey explained, and then nodded to herself. "Yes, and that's another reason we should stay put. He wouldn't have said anything at all if he thought it was just a come on."

"I'm glad of that. I'd never approach any of Severus' daughters without his permission," Bael insisted. Audrey rolled her eyes.

"Drink your latte," she said dryly. "I'll keep an eye on my phone in case there's more."

Just then there was a gust of wind that whipped around the water in the air and made them both look around. It wasn't long after that a tall man in a hooded raincoat hurried over to them, taking long strides to get there.

"Lemonslice66?" he asked.

"Yah. Lemons works. And I already know who you are," she told him. It was hard to miss Dale Chance, even in a slicker.

"Let's get to a more secure location. Anyone could have seen that tweet," Dale advised. "Follow me."

He hurried down a street and towards a flag shop, unaware that Bael had to exert to keep up, and then down a side alley that Audrey had never seen before. It didn't look much different from any alley that she had ever seen; she just hadn't known this one was there. The side door of the flag shop opened, and a girl with thick black hair in tails and a grey jumper ran out, a bit out of breath.

"We don't have long to sort this out," Lucky warned them. "I have a final in half an hour."

"I know," Dale said. "This is Lemons, and this is Bael."

"Ya, well, we'll see about that. No, I know this is Lemons, she comments on my blog. I meant that I want proof this is Bael," Lucky explained. "How do we know you are who you say you are?"

"Who else would I be?" Bael said, puzzled.

"A demon, for one thing," Lucky said. Bael blinked.

"There is not one ounce of taint in my aura! How could you even accuse me of such a thing? I have never been so insulted!" Bael said indignantly.

"Most humans can't really see auras, Bael," Dale explained quickly. "Our sight only has physical awareness."

"How very limited," Bael said with irritation. "Yes, now that I think of it, I do remember Lord Severus masking his physical form and believing that was enough to fool our guards. We all thought it was rather silly, actually."

"Perhaps something more personal?" Dale suggested.

"Oh! Um, well he doesn't have much fashion sense. And he has an extreme dislike of scented baths," Bael said. Dale quickly held his nose to keep himself from sniggering. Lucky threw him a dirty look. "He's also one of the few individuals I know who is in love with his own wife, and will sometimes agree to her outlandish ideas despite the fact that they go against his own common sense."

Dale took a step back but he couldn't hold it in anymore. He burst out laughing, turning his back to Lucky to help shield himself from her fierce gaze.

"Anyone could have guessed all of that!" Lucky snapped, loud enough to be heard over Dale's laughter.

"Well, I am sorry, but he happens to be a very private man, and didn't confide in me much past his desire to put that anchor device of his in the ground and to get home," Bael defended with irritation, ending with a series of coughs. The sound seemed to have a calming effect on Dale, suddenly concerned with the fae's current welfare.

"I think we ought to let it go, Lucky. I believe he's who he says he is," Dale said, walking back over. "I think anyone who was trying to masquerade as Bael to get at the Professor would have come up with an answer that is harder to explain how he got that information. Bael is offering his own experience and not trying to overreach," he pointed out. "Besides, I'm worried about what sort of viruses he might have been exposed to since he arrived. It looks like he has a bit of a chill."

Lucky frowned and reached out and grabbed Bael's arm, which did seem unusually cold, at least for human standards.

"It has been quite damp," Bael explained. "It was raining when I arrived, and was ever so wet both on the large wagon transport and the train. There does not seem to be enough magic in this world for me to gather to remedy my dampness or my cough. It's all I can do to keep the translation aura active."

"Maybe we should give him a Pepperup Potion?" Dale suggested.

"What, are you crazy? We don't know what that'd do to him. It's like Aunt Anna, only worse. Magic here is likely to have unexpected results if it's used on him, and I sure as hell don't know what would work and what wouldn't. The best thing would be to get him to Hogwarts as soon as possible. Sagittari can handle it," Lucky said. The two of them glanced at the flag shop then back at each other.

"Think he can use the Port Stations?" Dale asked. Lucky shrugged. "Can your Aunt?"

"Maybe. I dunno, I thought someone said she could once, but she mainly just pops around. Even over oceans," Lucky added, frowning at Bael thoughtfully. "And she's also not fae, she's just got a lot of wild magic."

"I'm not sure we should risk it, then," Dale advised. Lucky sighed and took out her phone.

"I'll call Alex, maybe we can get her to take over," Lucky said, dialing a series of numbers. Dale turned his attention to Audrey.

"Hey, thanks for the heads up, Lemons. I'm glad I checked Lucky's twitter before practice. Normally, I don't put up my daily sarky comment until evening," Dale grinned.

"No big deal. I have a soft spot for abandoned puppies," Audrey shrugged. "That he happened to be a mythical race was just a bit of a bonus."

"Um, yes about that," Dale said, smiling apologetically to Bael, who seemed to be dozing slightly. "We'd very much appreciate it if you didn't mention that part of this adventure to your friends."

"Oh, sure. I know the drill. I have a few mates that say they're vampires but don't want it to get out. I do want something in return, though," Audrey said.

"What is that?" Dale asked guardedly.

"You don't mention that we ever met," Audrey said. Dale blinked. "I mean, Lucky, okay, sure. But you? I've got a reputation to keep."

"Mm. Understood," Dale said, nodding expressionlessly.

"Good. With that said, keep in touch, I'd like to find out how this all turns out," Audrey said with a smile. "Take care of yourself, Elf!"

"Hm?" Bael said, shaking himself more awake. "Thank you, Audrey."

"You're registered on my blog, ya? I'll send you an email," Lucky said, putting her phone away.

"Thanks! I'd better moving, then. My parents think I'm dead in a back alley whenever I'm an hour late getting home," Audrey said, rolling her eyes as she turned and walked back towards the station.

"Since when are you cooler than me?" Dale asked blankly once she was around the corner.

"She's a goth. In her peer group, anybody is cooler than you," Lucky snorted. "Alex isn't coming. She's helping grandfather put the finishing touches on the mansion and he refuses to let her leave. And I got to go to my final exam, so…"

"Great, I'm going to miss practice," Dale said with annoyance.

"A little, but Alex had a solution to how to get him to Dad," Lucky informed him. "The Hogwarts Express is getting ready to leave to pick up the students for the summer holiday, so she's going to use some executive authority to get them to stop at King's Cross to pick him up. You better get movin', though, those dwarves aren't going to be happy if it makes them late getting back to Hogsmeade."

"Dwarves? Do they have a way to get me to Hogwarts Castle?" Bael asked weakly.

"Yes, I have to get you to the train," Dale explained.

"Not another train," Bael moaned.

"This one will be a lot safer… and quieter, really, hardly anyone will be on it," Dale assured him. "At least you'll be able to get some rest. Lucky, did Alex say anything about what we can give him?"

"No, but I did mention he wasn't feeling well. She said Sagittari would know how to take care of him," Lucky said. "I got to get going. See you later," she said, and disapparated with a pop.

"Right, let's go," Dale said, taking his bag. "I think we'll take the 205 and save you at least one train ride. I don't suppose you've been on a bus yet?"

"I have, yes. There are a lot of people on them. There are a lot of people everywhere," Bael said, glancing around.

"Just try to focus on following me and try not to worry about what everyone else is doing there. I'm afraid there's a good possibility I'll attract attention," Dale admitted, "but the good news is they aren't likely to notice you at all."

"I don't understand what you mean by that," Bael said, shaking his head.

"It means the disinterest spell doesn't always work on me," Dale explained, putting on some sunglasses. "But let's give it a go." Bael followed close behind Dale as they left the alley, taking his advice and concentrating on his back instead of the noise and bustle around him. They walked quite swiftly; much more than Bael would have liked, but he pushed himself to keep up.

It seemed there was a reason to hurry; there was a bus already approaching where a group of people waited. It was not like the first bus he rode at all… this bus was tall, taller than a cottage at home. He couldn't help but gape at it, Dale quickly pulling him by the arm to make certain he got on. It was so packed with people, that Bael considered hopping right back off again.

"Let's try up top," Dale suggested, leading him up a narrow stair and over to a pair of seats.

"I don't think I like this," Bael murmured.

"Don't worry, we won't be on it for long," Dale reassured him.

"I've been in here long enough all ready," Bael said softly.

"Just think about the tales you can tell when you get back home," Dale suggested.

"Assuming I have a home to go back to," Bael said. Dale frowned and gazed at him worriedly, but he knew it was not the time or place to go into it.

"We won't be long," Dale repeated, and then tried to pay attention to where they were.

Bael stared out the window glumly. He wasn't very keen on this world so far, he decided. So this is what comes of large families and short lives? He was not very impressed with the results. Even so, perhaps it was better than his own people's situation, he thought somberly. There were so few of them…so very few… compared to the might of the dark elves and demons that overwhelmed them. And now they had lost their greatest ally and leader, a wizard of many names; the Gardener, the Half, Myrddin Emrys, Merlin Ambrosius… who knows how many more… kidnapped during a major battle fought to regain their shrinking borders. They had succeeded; but at what cost? And with so few warriors among their people, it would be a strain to actually defend it against a second attack.

"How long will it be before I can relay my message to my Lord Severus? My mission is very dire," Bael said, feeling impatient as he thought of what was going on at home. His own discomfort was inconsequential, he told himself. He was expendable; his people were not.

"If we successfully get you on the train, you'll be there tomorrow morning," Dale said.

"I'm glad of that," Bael said with a sigh.

"We'll want to go back down when we get close to our stop so it's easy to get off," Dale warned.

"I do want to get off," Bael said, trying to stay alert.

"A couple more," Dale said, watching what was going on out the window. The bus didn't seem to move all that quickly as far as Bael was concerned. He was nearly dozing again when Dale stood. "Come on, we're nearly there."

Bael stumbled behind Dale, unsteady as the jostled on the road but eager to get back on firm ground again. Finally, they were back on the pavement, and Dale wasted no time in getting away from the curb, leading him towards yet another tall building filled with people. He found himself staring at the ceiling; an intricate lattice of painted metal caging the cavernous area and enveloped in glass. He bumped into Dale, who had stopped abruptly.

"Careful," Dale said gently in response. "Sorry, I was just thinking that getting on the platform may be a bit of an adventure. This way."

"What do you mean an adventure?" Bael asked warily.

"There's a magic gateway involved," Dale explained, pulling up his collar and leading him down to the gates. It was quite a walk, and humans were darting left and right. But as they walked down the line, Bael saw a bright energy field in the middle of the platform.

"Do you mean that magic gateway?" Bael asked curiously. Dale blinked in surprise.

"You mean you see something there?" Dale asked in response. But before Bael could do more than nod, a girl in her high teens crossed in front of them on her way to the train, and she stopped abruptly.

"Do you know who you look like?" she asked. Dale smiled sheepishly. "Justin Beiber, tha's who you look like." He blinked.

"In no way shape or form do I look like Justin Beiber!" Dale protested hotly. "For one thing, I'm much taller!"

"Calm, I didn't mean it to be an insult," she said, continuing on. "It's not like I said you looked like that guy from Second Chance or anything." Dale stared after her.

"If it wasn't official already, it's official now," Dale muttered. "My career as a front man is definitely over."

"Are we going through that door?" Bael asked. He was so glad to see something more familiar that he had missed the exchange altogether.

"Do you think you can get through it?" Dale asked.

"Easily, it's only a door," Bael said with exasperation and walked through. Dale paused only a moment to make sure he was in a straight line to the pillar before walking through himself, unsurprised to find Bael standing immediately on the other side, staring at the steaming train in front of him. Standing in front of the engine were several rather annoyed looking Dwarves with folded arms, while the conductor peered out of the first car with a frown.

"We're holding them up. Come on, let's get you on that train," Dale said, hurrying over.

"Chance! Don't tell me you're behind this!" the conductor said with annoyance.

"Not I, sir. I'm just escorting the passenger. This is Bael, a friend of Headmaster Snape, who needs to go to Hogwarts on an urgent matter," Dale explained quickly, handing up the backpack.

"I should hope it's urgent, considering the Ministry order asking us to wait. Now we'll have to make up time," he complained. "All aboard, then."

"Good luck, Bael," Dale said. "Lucky and I will see you in a few days once classes our done."

"Thank you," Bael said, getting on the train. He wondered, then, about Dale's comment. Bael had hoped to go back home as soon as he delivered his message, but Dale had assumed that he was staying for days. Or was it some sort of omen that he would be delayed?

"You're to stay up here in the front car, none of the others are being serviced at the moment," the conductor said, handing him his bag. "Sit wherever you like."

"Thank you," Bael said, and the conductor left him alone.

He found the closest bench, away from the window and the foreign noises. The train itself was strange enough noises to try and get used to; they were nothing like the noises of the first train he had ridden on. It was much louder…and breathier… and it seemed to take it much longer to pick up any speed. But even as he observed that fact, he also noticed that it seemed to be going at a much steadier pace than the other train he had been on. Everything passing by seemed muffled as well. Perhaps it was just because the train was noisier that made everything else seem distant. Even so, it was a strange sensation…the strangest yet… and at the same time, it was strangely familiar as well. For even through the mechanical boiler, gears, wheels and rods, there was a hint of magic present…. a hint that he had not felt since he had left Stonehenge. And as the train moved farther away from the center of the city, it ever-so-slowly began to increase. Not enough for him to draw on, he thought with a frown, but at least it did seem to be getting stronger.

He leaned back and attempted to get comfortable, and allowed himself to doze for a while, taking Dale's advice to try and get some rest.

He was reawakened by the sound of his own cough, and his own grogginess indicated he had slept deeper than he had intended. The light had dimmed somewhat and the cabin was a little warmer from the late afternoon heat. But the most remarkable change was the scene out of the window. Buildings were scant, or gathered in small groups in the distance. Instead of cities, there were agrarian fields and grassy hills; interrupted by dark moors and blue waters enveloped by green tree-lined shores. This, at least, seemed more promising. It strongly reminded him of the Thornwood in fact, which in turn reminded him of his conversation with Dumbledore. Hogwarts castle, it seemed, was just as far north of Stonehenge as Caer Danaan was compared to the Gardener's mushroom ring. And many of the land features were similar; although the western lands here had separated over time. Still, perhaps this part of the land was the same, and perhaps it was a sign that they were getting close.

The magic in the air did seem to be stronger, he sensed. He shifted over to peer out the window, watching the scenery. But the magic was strangely complex and unpure; and he was uncertain if he could tap into it, or even if it was wise to try. In some ways, he was feeling even worse than before. It was hard to breathe now, and he felt beads of sweat on his face that didn't belong, but his nap had returned some of his strength and had given him a precious second wind. He gazed out with anticipation and watched as the light changed the colors in the sky and then faded. Distant, ghostly lights filled windows and streets in the distance, harsh and yet lifeless.

Bael awoke as the sky began to lighten. Smaller stone cottages with flickers began to be visible here and there, and the fields grew closer, as well as a dark line of trees that began to close in menacingly.

The train stopped, and Bael peered out of the door, wondering what he was going on. He stood up, and then immediately regretted it, for a whirling sensation overtook him. He felt unsteady on his feet and his legs were wobbly, and he wondered for a moment if he was going to fall. After a moment it settled, and Bael sat down, wondering if he was even sicker than he thought he had been. It was then that he glanced out the window and did a double-take. What was a moment ago a large building with several fields surrounding it was gone; instead there was a small railway station with a very large platform for a station that size which seemed to connect to some sort of boat dock.

There was a bustle outside his compartment, and Bael stood again, peering out, disoriented. The conductor swiftly walked through, pausing for a moment as if he had forgotten there was a passenger on board.

"You'll see yourself out, I trust?" the conductor said.

"I…did something happen just now?" Bael asked.

"Hm? Oh… we turned the train around. Sorry, normally it's just us, so I didn't think to warn you. We have to prepare the train and we have a lot of bags to take on, so you'll have to find your own way around to the castle. Stay away from the Dark Forest, otherwise you should be safe enough," he said briskly.

"But where is the castle?" Bael asked.

"Where is the castle?" the conductor repeated blankly. "Get off the train. I think you'll figure it out."

Bael gathered his pack and got up, thanking the conductor quietly despite the fact that he was standing there tapping his foot with his arms crossed. He stumbled off the train and onto the platform, watching as dwarves marched back and forth towards the water. Curiously, Bael followed and then stopped short the moment he was around the station, for there in the distance across from the glistening lake was Hogwarts Castle. But where was the village? It seemed to be completely left to itself, he thought with wonder. And how was he to cross?

There seemed to be three obvious ways; a dirt road which seemed to lead from the tracks to the back of the castle; a path that had been trodden around the lake on the same side as the road, or the small wooden boats straight across, most of which were filled with luggage and were busy navigating themselves over to the shore to be unloaded. Every now and then, huge tentacles whipped out of the lake water as if inspecting the cargo before disappearing below the surface. Bael didn't like that at all.

He set out for the path around the lake, inhaling deeply only to cause himself to cough. Still, he was close now, he thought, heartening himself on the fact that he was so close. And such a castle! Ever-so magnificent, much more than he imagined considering the modest and fervent protests from Severus that he wasn't a lord of anything. And here was a castle that challenged the size of Caerbrenin, the capital in his own land! It was easily twice or perhaps three times the size of Duntolm of Tir Danaan. Did Severus' protests about being called a lord mean that this was just a simple holding in this land? Bael doubted it, even after the wonders he saw of the city. The city had been so foreign; the surrounding here made much more sense.

Despite Bael's determination, he felt himself moving slower and slower as he worked his way around the path until he no longer could continue without resting. Reluctantly, he sat on a rock in attempt to catch his breath. He closed his eyes for a moment, and to his surprise, sensed a waft of magical energy crackling in the air. It was strong, stronger than perhaps anywhere he had experienced before other than the heart of the Thornwood itself. But this magic was not pure white energy at all. Instead, it had many facets…it was as if magic had shattered like a crystal, and the prismatic effect had separated all of its different aspects into their own colors and hues. He sighed in frustration. He could not draw on this mess; it'd go through him like attempting to eat soup with his bare hands. Was there no relief at all from his illness and fatigue here?

He forced himself to stand, and closed his eyes again, attempting to find the purest source. His head turned towards it, and he opened his eyes. It was directed towards the Dark Forest that the man on the train had warned him about. And yet, it was white there, he decided, scrambling over to the road to regard it closer. It felt very much like the Thornwood indeed. The trees whispered, and everything in it was teaming with life, and from where he stood it was much, much closer than the castle. Perhaps if he stepped through to the brush line, the energy would be pure enough for him to draw on, at least enough that he would be able to complete his quest to deliver the message.

It was farther than he had thought, or it was perhaps it was simply his condition that made it seem far, but the relief he got just by stepping inside was worth the exertion. Here, at least, the energy was white and lively. Eagerly he embraced it, drawing it into himself and bringing a flush to his cheeks. At last he felt it safe to draw on the magic within himself, focusing on curing his fever and the weight that seemed to be in his lungs.

It was only a few seconds later that he realized that something had gone terribly wrong, for the energy that he had tried to draw off of started collapsing on itself. It wasn't white as he had believed, he thought with a panic. It was a pale grey, corrupted by an unknown source! It would not be long before the energy would fade and sap the life and magic from him like a parasite, and he had used it to heal himself! Fearful that he only had minutes of life left, he darted out of the wood and raced for the castle with reckless abandon, stretching his resources to the limits as he ran. A strange barrier was blocking the gate, but with another push of magic he managed to breach it, not allowing himself to be daunted by the steps in his way. The doors were already open; and instinctually he followed the widest hallway, racing towards what he perceived would be the throne room at the other end. The last of his magic was nearly spent when he reached the doors to the Great Hall; and with one final heave, he forced them open and rushed in.

He was only vaguely aware of the amount of people in the room. He was focused only on the high table at the end, and the familiar faces Severus and Jennifer at the center.

"My Lord Severus! You are needed at home!" Bael shouted out in Elvish, too weak to keep up the translation spell.

Severus immediately leapt over the table as Bael crumpled to the floor, with Jennifer following close behind. Gasps and murmurs of surprise erupted around him, but Bael wasn't sure where they had come from, or even they were even in this world or the next.

Bael felt arms around him, and suddenly he felt a protective layer of magic within him; foreign but strong, and strangely familiar. Cool water was at his lips… and it too, seemed to have a trace of magic within it.

"Bael? It is Severus, do you hear me?" Severus asked in Elvish.

"Severus…" Bael whispered back. "I have found you at last…"

"Drink," Severus coaxed, but after only a sip, Bael batted it away. "What are you doing here, my friend?"

"The Gardener. It's the Gardener…he has been taken," Bael murmured.

"Taken? Merlin?" Jennifer repeated in fear.

"A prisoner of the demons! Our war with them is nearly lost," he explained.

Jennifer and Severus glanced at one another worriedly.

"We'll sort it out later, it's not important right now," Severus told Jennifer as he picked Bael up. "Let's get him to the hospital wing. Professor Weasley, take over!" he barked before carrying Bael out.

"Right," Hermione said, standing up and clearing her throat. "Please finish eating, you'll be dismissed to the train shortly, starting with Slytherin, of course," she added, nodding to the House cup winners. "And I hope you all have a good summer."

"Sounds like it's going to be an exciting one at least," Garvin Gamban commented at the Slytherin table.

"I have a feeling what just happened is going to drastically change my entire family's plans for the summer," Maurice said, glancing over at Leu. But Leu and many of the other Ravenclaws were still absorbed in Noah's somber presence at their table, trying to recover from Myrtle's ascension. "At the very least, my father's going to be put out if my mother doesn't visit the mansion tonight. Mother had a whole welcome home party planned, not that it matters now. The only reason a Danaan would be here is if the war on the other side was going very, very badly."