Discovery and Suspicion
Fowl Manor
The fairies stared at the boy. He was very thin with messy hair and shockingly green eyes. He had small glasses and a peculiarly shaped scar on his forehead. He looked around the room and at the bewildered faces staring at him from the screens.
"What happened?" he asked weakly.
"That is kinda what we would like to know…" Foaly said. There was a sudden knock at the door.
"Artemis?" Butler asked.
"Erm, Butler? We have a problem…" Holly trailed off. Butler opened the door and was quite surprised to find the boy in the middle of the room casting wary glances at the screens. When, however, he caught sight of the sheer size of Butler he made a bewildered squeak.
"Who are you and where is Artemis?" Butler spoke through clenched teeth.
"I'm Harry Potter. Is Artemis that blue-eyed boy that I saw a moment ago?.." Harry looked uncomfortable. Butler nodded.
"Erm, I saw him go through that rip just before I went in. He is probably with my friend Ron and Hermione." Harry said. All the fairies looked at each other.
"We're coming over." Holly said. No1 hurriedly explained what happened to Butler while everyone else turned off their screens. Butler rubbed his temples. He was getting too old for this.
12 Grimmald Place
Hermione stared speechlessly at the teenager who just appeared. He picked himself up and dusted himself off. He had one piercing blue eye and the other eye was hazel. He had dark raven black hair and something about him seemed older to her. Haunted even. As if he had seen things that someone his age shouldn't have seen.
"Who are you and where is Harry?" she asked. The teenager looked up.
"I'm Artemis Fowl the second. Assuming Harry was the boy I saw a moment ago, he is probably back were the hole in space originated, meaning my room, and is probably is getting the scare of his life if he hasn't gone into shock." Artemis said. Hermione and Ron stared at him.
Hermione broke the silence, "How did you get here?" she asked. Artemis sighed irritably as if that was a stupid question.
"I had recently found a magical artifact at my doorstep. I was examining it when it tore open a hole in space and I came here." Artemis said, exasperated.
"Why did you-" Ron started but Artemis cut him off.
"I believe it is my turn. What are your names?" Artemis asked.
"I'm Hermione Granger and this is Ron Weasley." Hermione said. She was about to say something else when a huge CRACK sounded in the room. Fred and George appeared in the room.
"Why hello Ron and Herm-" Fred stopped short when he caught sight of Artemis. They stood with their mouths open.
"Erm, Fred, George, meet Artemis Fowl. Artemis, meet Fred and George. Artemis recently fell through a rip in the air and Harry fell in." Hermione said. Artemis nodded and his face was carefully immobile. It didn't betray the turmoil of confusion going on inside him.
"May I ask how you suddenly appeared here?" Artemis asked stiffly.
"We apparated," (sp?) said the twins in unison.
"Artemis, you said you knew about magic. How could you not know about aparation?" Hermione asked suspiciously. Artemis looked thoughtful.
"I don't believe we are thinking of the same type of magic," he said with a mysterious gleam in his eye.
"How couldn't we? If you're a wizard, you're a wizard. If you're not, you're not!" Ron said. Artemis looked up sharply. Wizard magic? A strange smile played on his lips as he figured something out.
"Tell me, what was the weather yesterday?" Artemis asked Hermione.
"It was misty with gray clouds like it has been for two years straight." Hermione said confusedly. Artemis narrowed his eyes.
"And geographically speaking, where are we?"
"England."
"And what is the date today?" he asked. Hermione cocked her head slightly.
"June eighth. Why?" she asked. Artemis ignored her question.
"That is impossible… Holly was just there and she said that it was sunny… strange weather for England but she said it… and it is the same date as when I left so there couldn't have been another time quandary…" Artemis mumbled. Hermione, Ron, and the twins looked at each other nervously.
"Who is Holly?" George asked. Artemis waved a slightly impatient hand.
"She is a friend of mine," he said.
"You still haven't answered my question. WHAT SORT OF MAGIC ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Ron shouted. There was an exclamation from downstairs followed by pounding feet. The door slammed open to reveal Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, Lupin, and Moody. Artemis's face didn't betray anything as he surveyed them.
"Ron, who is this? He is an outsider!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed.
"How did he get in here in the first place?" Tonks asked to no one in particular.
"Erm, Artemis, this is Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, Professor Lupin and Professor Moody. Everyone, this is Artemis Fowl." Hermione said. No one really took notice of her.
Ron quickly explained how Artemis had come out of a rip in the air and Harry disappeared in and explained why he shouted. After he finished, the adults looked grim.
"He could be a Death Eater or a spy sent here to kidnap Harry." Mrs. Weasley said narrowing her eyes. Without a word Moody reached into his pocket and brought out a small vial filled with Veritaserum.
"Drink this," he growled as he handed it to Artemis. Artemis looked at it skeptically.
"You must seriously think I'm an imbecile. Why would I drink something given to me by clearly hostile and suspicious people whom I don't know nor have I heard of?" Artemis asked, narrowing his eyes until they looked like little chips of ice.
"Drink it or we'll knock you out and let you rot in prison." Moody growled. Artemis searched his scared features. The man looked like he was more than capable of doing what he threatened. Artemis set his mouth in a grim line.
"It's okay! Veritaserum only makes you tell the truth!" Hermione said. Artemis examined the contents of the vial quickly. It didn't look like any poison he heard of before and that usually meant it wasn't poison. Artemis shrugged and drank the liquid.
"Now, are you a Death Eater?" Moody asked.
"No." Artemis said simply.
"Are you a supporter of Voldemort?"
"No."
"Were you sent here to kidnap Harry?"
"No."
"How did you get here?"
"I already told them." Artemis gestured to Hermione, Ron, Fred, and George.
"Are you even a wizard?"
"No."
"What kind of magic do you have and where did you get it?" Ron chimed in, determined to get the information. Hermione glared at Ron but the glare turned into a look of bafflement when Artemis started to shake. He couldn't answer that question without unveiling his friends. He couldn't answer that without betraying them.
The adults watched in astonished silence. Someone under Veritaserum usually answered without struggle. And even if they did struggle, it never lasted this long!
"Answer the question." Ron said irritably. Artemis's eyelids fluttered. Suddenly, blue sparks appeared along his body and the room seemed to darken. In fact, it was like it was night outside and the only sources of light were the sparks. The sparks illuminated the room eerily. The sparks traveled their way around his body like a little light show and they slowly sunk into his skin. When the last spark had sunk into his skin the unnatural darkness lifted and Artemis glared up at Ron.
"No more questions," he said. Ron stared at him slack-jawed.
"How… how…" Ron started weakly.
"Well that settles it," Hermione cut off Ron. "He was telling the truth. Now we just need to think of one last question. How do we get Harry back?"
Fowl Manor
Everyone sat around the room in silence. All the fairies except Foaly had come to Fowl Manor and Butler had called Minerva. Foaly was busily tapping away on his computer in a mad attempt to find out something about the little orb.
"Did you find out anything yet Foaly?" Minerva asked.
"For the fifth time, NO!" Foaly stressed.
"Erm, sorry if I sound rude but… what are you exactly?" Harry asked gesturing to Holly, Qwan, Mulch and co.
"I'm an elf, they are demon warlocks, Mulch is a dwarf, and Doodah is a pixie." Holly said. Harry cocked his head in confusion but kept his mouth shut. Holly picked up the little crystal orb.
"Careful, Holly," Qwan said. "That could take you to where Artemis ended up."
"D'Arvit! It already started!" Doodah shouted. Everyone looked down to see the gold and white light fighting to break out of it, but now there was navy light mixed in. The colors whirled together and navy and gold fire lanced across the orb. A white and navy beam of light shot from the orb and there was another rip sound. A gaping hole was left in the air. Inside there seemed to be cloaked figures fighting other people in a forest somewhere. Harry jumped up.
"D'Arvit!" Holly screamed and No1 and she got sucked into the hole. It quickly sowed up again. Minerva looked thoughtful. Everyone else was staring at the place where Holly and No1 were just a moment ago in silent horror.
"Well what do you know?" chuckled a gentle voice. Harry's eyes widened and he looked around the room frantically. Finally he gave up trying to find where the voice came from.
Still everyone was staring at the now empty place. Foaly suddenly broke the pained silence.
"Harry, you saw what was going on in the tear. I assume it was part of your world. What has happened to Holly and No1?" Harry looked up at the screen Foaly was displayed on.
"I saw Death Eaters terrorizing some villagers," Harry's voice grew hard and bitter. "It isn't a surprise. They always pick on people who can't defend themselves."
Everyone looked worried. "These people… Death Eaters, right? Do they actually kill people? The day Holly or No1 let someone terrorize defenseless people is the day humans decide on world peace." Foaly chuckled nervously. A look of dawning horror crossed Harry's face and he suddenly went very pale.
"Death Eaters don't hesitate to kill someone. They are so ruthless they would kill their own family without a qualm. They would even laugh about it!" Harry said in a strained voice. Everyone in turn had their eyes widen. Butler turned to Harry.
"If that happens where you come from, are the Death Eaters strong in numbers and power?" Butler was almost afraid of the answer. Harry looked at his hands.
"The Wizard community is under war. Between the supporters of a creature named Voldemort and everyone else. The thing is, Voldemort is the second strongest sorcerer of our time. The supporters of him are called Death Eaters, and though in all the books and stories the good wins," Harry closed his eyes. "I'm not sure that will happen."
Everyone looked in total horror at Harry. Doodah was the first to snap out of it, "Wait, what was that about wizards?"
Harry cocked his head. "You're a pixie, aren't you? Though I never met a pixie that wasn't three inches tall, blue skinned, or with an annoying tendency to hang people by chandeliers. Actually, you're the only pixie I met that could talk, anyway…" Harry plowed on, oblivious to the totally bewildered expressions he was getting. "Come to think of it, I haven't heard of any type of elf that wasn't a house elf, and I met quite a few centaurs. None, I repeat, NONE of them even deigned to look at a computer…" now even Qwan was staring wide-eyed at Harry. "I suppose if I haven't known about any of your types of fairy, you probably haven't been in contact with wizards yet."
Harry looked around at the bewildered faces. Foaly turned to his computer and typed in some things. "I did a check. Nothing fits your story." Everyone looked at Harry through narrow eyes.
"Who says he wasn't lying?" Minerva asked.
"I'm not! Look!" Harry took a stick out of his back pocket and pointed it at the wall. He closed his eyes for a moment then shouted, "EXPECTO POTRONUM!"
A silver stag shot from his wand and galloped around the room. Then it disappeared like mist. There was silence for a few moments.
"Okay… you were telling the truth. Now, you better tell us everything." Butler said. Everyone sat down cross-legged and prepared themselves for the story.
