Lilly's labyrinth.
I do not own Harry Potter or Labyrinth rights. This is written for fun and makes no financial profit.
This is the story of how Lilly gained Jareth's protection as mentioned in another story, Dear Mummy (also written by me).
oo
It was a quiet night in Spinners End. The Evens adults were out getting the Friday night treat of fish and chips leaving their two daughters home by themselves.
Twelve year old Lilly Evens was doing her summer homework when her older sister came into her room.
"Freak!" she spat "I don't know why you bother to study. It will only make you into a bigger freak."
"Tunie, you only think it's freaky because you don't understand magic." Lilly replied calmly. Yes, she said magic. Unlike her sister Petunia, Lilly Evens was a wand carrying, potion brewing witch. Currently she was on holidays from her magical school, Hogwarts. "There are a lot of wonderful things in the magical world like unicorns, fairies and goblins."
"Goblins? Ha! If you like them so much then why don't you live with them? Do you know what? I wish the goblins would take you away. Right now! Then you can be…" Petunia snarled.
Suddenly the lights went out and a strange rustling came from every direction.
"Lilly? This isn't funny. Stop being freaky and stop this! Lilly!"
Suddenly the window burst open and an owl flew in. To Petunia's horror it changed into a tall thin man in flamboyant clothes.
"Who… who are you? What have you done to my sister?"
"I just granted your wish. Your sister is with the goblins now."
"Can you keep her forever?"
"I can, if you don't win her back. Don't you want to have her back again?"
"No. Why would I want a freak like her? Keep her." Petunia turned and stormed out of the room.
Jareth was stunned. In all the centuries that he had been taking the wished away children he had never encountered such a selfish response.
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In the castle, beyond the Goblin City, Lilly Evens sat in a cushioned pit surrounded by goblins. These were not the staid and professional banking goblins she had encountered at Gringotts. These were carefree playful goblins who wanted her to join in with their games and drinking. A tall man appeared in a swirl of glitter and spoke to Lilly.
"Your sister appears determined to have you out of her life. So we may as well change you now." Jareth said, summoning a crystal ball.
"Wait! Please sir, what is happening? Why am I here?" Lilly asked, frightened.
Seeing that she did not understand what was happening Jareth dismissed the crystal and explained. "I am Jareth, King of the Goblins, Lord of the Labyrinth and collector of unwanted children. When a wish is made with certain words I collect the unwanted child and bring them here. The person who made the wish is given a chance to save the wished away child by running my Labyrinth. If they succeed then blessings to you both, you both go home thinking that you had a strange but vivid dream. If the runner fails then the wished away child becomes a goblin and the other goes home knowing they will never see the child again."
"I doubt that Tunie is out there running a maze for me. So what happens if the person refuses to run the Labyrinth?"
"I will admit that this is the first time that someone has refused to even listen to the options. Tunie, as you call her, told me to keep you and walked away. So I am thinking that I will just change you now and we can all get on with life."
"But I don't want to be a goblin! Hmm…" Lilly started to pace as she thought. "What if I ran the Labyrinth for my own freedom?"
"You would do that?" Jareth asked, surprised. Then he warned her. "There are many dangers and trials that must be faced. If you fail you will be turned anyway."
"But at least I would have tried my best. Please, please let me do this." Lilly pleaded.
"Very well." Jareth said as he grasped her arm.
Suddenly they were standing on a hill overlooking the maze. As she watched the maze changed and paths disappeared and reformed. This was not going to be easy.
"You have thirteen hours before you become one of us forever. Such a pity if that should happen." Jareth smirked.
"I am not going to fail. See you soon!" Lilly said as Jareth disappeared. "Let go." She muttered to herself and marched down the hill. "Think of this like at Hogwarts, things are not always as they appear to be."
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Approaching the labyrinth walls Lilly stoped and looked around. There did not seem to be a door or gate to enter. A dwarf came striding along, spraying fairies as he went.
"128… 129… woohoo…130!" The dwarf muttered as each fairy fell into the dust.
"Excuse me please?" Lilly called nervously.
"What! Oh, it's you. What do you want?" The dwarf asked in a surly voice.
"Will you please open the gate for me?" Lilly asked politely.
"Oh, all right." And with a wave of his hand a large set of doors appeared. Gathering her Gryffindor courage Lilly boldly stepped through the fog rolling out of the doors and looked around. Going to the left and right were paths that went in straight lines for as far as she could see. The ways were littered with dead branches, leaves and other debris half hidden by mist.
"Cosy, isn't it!" the dwarf cackled behind Lilly, making her jump in fright. "Now would you go left or right?"
"Um… they look the same." Lilly replied nervously.
"Well you aren't going to get far." He grunted.
"Which way would you go?" Lilly asked curiously.
"Me? I wouldn't go either way." The dwarf then left, shutting the doors behind him.
"Both ways look the same… he wouldn't go either way… forward then… like platform nine and three quarters!" Lilly muttered to herself as she stepped toward the solid seeming wall. Passing through the seemingly solid wall easily Lilly looked at her new surroundings. She was on a flat path that led to the castle gates. "Hmm… that was too easy. I'm nearly at the castle… that was in the middle… so now I have to find my way out. Perhaps there is a map in the castle that could help me."
Lilly strode confidently toward the castle gate when she heard a low rumbling coming from under her feet. Suddenly the ground started to collapse behind her. Lilly started running as fast as she could. Just as she reached the gate the ground stopped falling and she rushed through the opening and into the goblin city.
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Looking around Lilly saw a city that looked like it had been built for children by children. The houses were in varying states of disrepair and more than one looked like a hard sneeze would bring it crashing to the ground. The goblins were going about their business until one of them saw Lilly standing there.
"Intruder!" The goblin screeched. All heads turned and Lilly swallowed hard.
"Um… Hi… and goodbye." She said as she started running for the castle doors with most of the cities occupants chasing after her.
'Well, at least this is good exercise.' Lilly thought as she ran.
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Running through the castle Lilly found the throne room in even more of an uproar than before. Lilly was swarmed by jubilant goblins that were all celebrating something, pushing food and drink into her hands.
"Missy dids it!" one little goblin cried as it hugged her leg. Lilly put the food and drink down and knelt at the level of the creature.
"No, I need to get out of here. Do you know if there is a map or a book of directions to get me out of here?" Lilly said softly.
"Missy wants the book room! Goblins aint allowed in there. Goblinsy king say we make to big messes there. He Bogs the goblins that goes there. Twitty shows you. You not goblin now!"
Lilly and Twitty quickly went to the castle library and Lilly entered and stopped dead in her tracks. It was bigger than the library at Hogwarts and held books that she longed to look through. A voice shook her out of her awe.
"What's you doing here?" a deep voice called out.
"I…I'm looking for a map of the Labyrinth…please." Lilly called back nervously.
"Oh…is that all…" and an elf stepped into view. "Why you don't say so? Here!" was said as a scroll was thrust into Lilly's hands. "Oh and this's one… and you might needing this… or maybe this…" The elf continued to pile the books and scrolls on Lilly's arms until she couldn't see over them all.
"Now you's looky here at them here. Nots taking thems out of here." The elf finished before popping away.
Lilly sat down and was soon absorbed by the books she was reading. It was fascinating. Information about elves, goblins and all sorts of magical creatures that she had never thought existed. 'I guess Celeste and Xeno were right after all.' Lilly thought as she read about a Nargle invasion that had spilled into the human world several centuries earlier.
Hours passed without her realising until a large clock struck. It tolled eleven times.
"Crumbs! I have to get going… where is that map?" Finding it again Lilly quickly worked out the fastest way out of the maze and got up and started running again.
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With the knowledge she gained from the library Lilly quickly made her was to the exit, avoiding the traps and pitfalls along the way.
Pushing the large gate door closed behind her Lilly saw Jareth standing waiting for her.
"Didn't you realise that once you got to the castle you had completed your task? The goblins were celebrating your success because you are the first person to find that short cut ever. Everyone ignores the clue that the dwarf gives them."
"Oh, I thought I had to get to the other end to win my freedom."
"Well, I thought I had forgotten to tell you something. Oh well, what's done is done. Now I am wondering what to do with you. You still have over an hour left of your time. Don't worry, I am still letting you go home but such devotion to your task… no one ever has thought to use the library or ask for a map… hmm… a wish! Anything you desire, power, fortune, glory…. It is all yours for the asking."
"One wish…"
"And no wishing for more wishes!" Jareth said sternly but with a smile on his face.
"Drat.." Lilly laughed "I wish for protection. For the rest of my life… hmm… and for any kids I might have when I grow up."
"I warn you that I cannot interfere too much in the human world. It would only be if your life was in imminent danger. You would have to call on me then and invoke the protection. Do you accept these conditions?"
"Yes thank you."
"Done!"
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With that Lilly found herself standing in her bedroom and her parents were calling out for her to come down to dinner. Petunia saw Lilly and sneered.
"Even those freaks didn't want you. You should have stayed there."
Lilly just gave her sister a hug and smirked at her.
"I wonder… I wish Tunie would be…"
Petunia ran away screeching.
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Many years later an owl was sitting on a branch outside a small house. As he watched a mother ran into the nursery he was looking at and watched as she lovingly embraced her child for what she knew to be the last time.
"Jareth! I change my wish." Lilly called desperately. "I wish the goblin King would protect my son forever. I love you Harry."
The door burst open and an evil wizard stepped inside. The owl watched as the woman was killed and with tears in his mismatched eyes he prepared to make his move.
The wizard raised his wand and Jareth set a shield in front of the baby. He watched as the shield deflected the curse and then destroyed the evil one.
'I have done what I can for now… Good luck child. I will be watching for you.' Jareth thought as he made his way back to the Labyrinth.
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The end.