En Edhelen Min

"How did I not notice from our short conversation that he was Fading?" Maberin asked himself out loud.

"You were not to know. I did not detect it myself and nor did the elders suspect it. Perhaps we should have done, Harthad has always been somewhat emotionally fragile." Bronadui whispered into Maberin's ear as he embraced him from behind.

"We should have come for him straight away." Maberin lamented. "He needed us."

Harry blinked, trying to shut out the light and the noise. He groaned softly, desperation thick in his voice. 'Are they really here?' He thought.

"Tithenlas!" Maberin cried. "You're awake!"

"Ah, you're awake are you Potter?" Madam Pomfrey asked (though not expecting an answer) as she strode across the room, her petticoat rustling loudly. She forced her way in between the young elf and his parents, eliciting a wail of heartache from Harry, causing her to frown in confusion. "Are you in pain?"

"Move." Bronadui commanded dangerously, his eyes darkening with anger.

Poppy stepped aside, uncertain, until she caught herself and moved forward again. "He needs medical treatment."

"I am a healer." Maberin snapped. "And I should think I can tend my son much better than you can, considering it was you and yours that did this to him with no knowledge of how to reverse it."

"Ada?" Harry called. "Baw ego!"

"Im ber na dartho'si ar le." Maberin soothed, rubbing his hand over Harry's forehead.

"A Adar?" Harry whimpered.

"A nin." Bronadui answered.

Harry fell back into an uneasy sleep, sighing as Maberin lifted him from the hospital bed in favour of keeping the young elf in his arms.

"Ho na engwa dilthen." Maberin said with some surprise

Bronadui turned a hard gaze upon the wizard's healer and asked sharply, "How are his eating habits?"

Poppy began to stammer, "Well I... I-"

"Bloody awful." A voice declared from the entrance to the hospital wing. "If you'd like, we can go somewhere more private and discuss this in greater detail."

Bronadui nodded, signalling to Maberin to follow the man who began to lead them to the dungeons. The man looked worried for Harry and illogically struck Bronadui as a potential ally. However, he wasn't going to take chances and, with his warriors and researchers off exploring and researching, he alone would defend his mate and child should the man unexpectedly attempt to ambush them.

"And who exactly are you?"

"I am Harry's godfather. I believe, when he met me, he called me Helluin." Sirius answered, earning a noise of recognition from the auburn haired elf.

Bronadui glanced at Maberin with an unreadable expression before turning back to Sirius. "And his eating habits?"

"Are terrible." Sirius said again. "He doesn't eat enough at all. He won't eat in the great hall because he doesn't like the atmosphere and he never finishes his plate when dining here or in the cottage that Draco bought for him."

"Draco?" Maberin asked. "Dragon?"

"Interesting name, isn't it?" Sirius asked.

"Who is he?" Bronadui asked, once again feeling his mate knew more than he was letting on.

"He's a dominant veela the same age as Harry. He's been courting him since January." Sirius supplied. "Though because Harry warned him of another vying for his hand, Draco hasn't taken the courting beyond the first stage of gift giving and taking him out on dates."

"I'm surprised Harthad allowed it at all." Bronadui muttered.

"I am glad he did." Maberin said. "Better he be sure that his mate is the one for him rather than accepting Thalion because he was the first dominant to approach him."

Bronadui nodded and followed Sirius and his mate through a portrait door into a sitting room where sat a potions master in long black robes conversing with a young blonde male with high cheek bones, striking silver eyes and an aura of wind and fire about him. The two stood upon the arrival of the elves and cleared one of the sofas for Harry to rest on.

"How is he?" The blonde asked, worriedly covering Harry with a thin blanket and smoothing it down over him.

"He will live." Maberin replied. "Though it was very close. You are the dragon, I presume?"

Draco regarded Maberin strangely as he nodded. "And you are Harry's parents? It is a pleasure to finally meet you, my only wish is that it could have been under better circumstances."

Bronadui nodded and clasped hands with the veela. "You have been supporting him?"

Draco nodded. "We all have. Emotionally, financially, physically and spiritually. I do not think there is a single person in this castle who does not care for him, save the high inquisitor."

"High inquisitor?" Maberin asked.

"A ministry constructed role filled by the one of the vilest women I have ever met." Draco growled.

"She victimises Harry," Severus explained, "Forcing him to wear wizarding robes, use wizarding wands and belittling him at every opportunity."

"We try to head her off, but she holds too much status. She has had one teacher sacked, forced another off the property and has another teacher, Remus, a good friend of mine, under constant watch just because he is a werewolf." Sirius snarled.

"She's a bigot; prejudiced against everything and everyone that isn't like her."

"I do not want this woman to come anywhere near my child." Maberin stated, turning to Bronadui. "If she tries to hurt him again, I want her dead."

"You'll have to queue for the privilege of killing her." Severus warned the elves. "There's a long line of people wanting to do that with Sirius here at the front of the line."

Harry stirred slightly and sat up, wrapping the blanket around him. He smiled weakly at his parents and gratefully accepted a hug from Maberin, whining a little in embarrassment as he was pulled onto his Ada's lap, blushing as he was told to 'hush'.

"Morning." He greeted the gathering of people in the room. "It is morning, isn't it?"

"Four in the afternoon, actually." Sirius chuckled. "But I suppose in some corners of the world it is still morning."

"How long have I been asleep?" Harry asked.

"About a day." Maberin responded. "Your Adar and I have not left your side. Thalion has been present too, but his father called him away a few hours ago to get some rest."

"Who else has come?" Harry asked.

"Meglivorn and Feredir whom you know." Bronadui answered, chuckling as Harry whimpered again. "I don't understand why you are afraid of Feredir."

"He's just frightening." Harry shrugged. "He's too strict."

"He is very disciplined around children." Bronadui agreed. "But that is not a bad thing."

"It's off putting." Harry countered.

"He cares for you, Tithenlas, that is why he is here."

"Excuse me, but what does Tithenlas mean?" Sirius asked.

Harry sighed. "Sirius has been trying to learn how to speak elvish. He's not that bad, actually, he can read and write it, but when he speaks his grammar is awful." Harry laughed.

"Perhaps Alagos will consent to instruct him." Maberin suggested. "Tithenlas means 'little leaf', it is something of an endearment we use for Harry."

Harry blushed again, stating, "It's insulting; I'm not little."

"Yes you are." Everyone else said simultaneously, causing Harry to get very disgruntled.

"When are we going to see the others?" Harry asked. "And, Draco, when you meet Thalion, please be nice."

"Of course." Draco said, taking Harry's hand and kissing his wrist. "I will be perfectly courteous. I have no intentions of making an enemy of him. I will compete for your hand, yes, but I will not be so competitive as to alienate you, infuriate your friend and disgrace myself. At the end of the courting, I want you to make the best decision based on who can make you happy."

Harry smiled and embraced Draco, who lifted him from Maberin's lap and set him down on his feet.

"Where is everyone?"

"Outside."

"I want to show you my cottage!" Harry declared suddenly, his eyes lighting up with happiness. "And I want to get out of these robes."

Once Harry had changed in the bedroom of his cottage, he returned to his loved ones seated in the sitting room, whom were holding small discussions with one another to learn more about each other. Whilst Harry had been changing, the group had grown in number somewhat, now encompassing Alagos and Thalion of the elves.

Thalion rushed over to Harry as he entered the room and embraced him tightly. "I'm so sorry. I should have protected you."

"There was nothing you could have done." Harry murmured, burying his face in the crook of Thalion's neck.

"Why didn't I foresee this?" Thalion asked. "I should have known the missive was a threat."

"Perhaps I was supposed to return here for something." Harry shrugged. "If it was something that could or should have been prevented, I know you would have had the chance to intervene."

"Even if the portkey hadn't have brought you here, Dumbledore would most definitely have found another way to abduct you." Severus said.

"I don't understand why they want him here anyway." Maberin said.

"There is a war raging within the wizarding community of Britain," Sirius began before he explained all about Voldemort's reign of terror, Lily's sacrifice and the prophecy Dumbledore put such staunch belief in.

When Sirius came to the end of his speech, Bronadui surprised the people within the sitting room by chuckling. "So this is all for nought then? Foolish human; does he not know that human-made prophecies can only be made about humans? And Harthad is most definitely not human."

"So you're saying then... Dumbledore has no right to include Harry in this war. Harry has no reason to be fighting in it?" Sirius asked.

Maberin nodded. "Each race has their own set of prophets whom can make predictions about those in their race but they do not have the power to See for all."

"Why has no one told Dumbledore about that?" Harry asked.

"Because one can only be told something if they're listening." Draco answered. "He's so used to being seen as righteous and wise that he now thinks he himself can do no wrong and be wrong about nothing."

"Unfortunately, it is a common trait amongst those who have been around too long and hold authority over others." Maberin said mournfully, though no one missed the underlying glint of humour in his voice.

Bronadui sniffed delicately. "Some of us bear it with grace."

Alagos snorted in amusement before pouring himself another cup of tea. "So, when are we going to confront the headmaster?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm angry at him. I'm so angry at him, I will never willingly speak to him and I will not help him. However, he has been doing what he thinks will help the British wizarding community and I think it would be unlike me to hold that against him."

"He's is doing what he thinks will help, but he is crushing people on the way to his success." Sirius countered. "Someone must stop him before he spirals completely out of control."

"He is not my main concern." Harry said sternly.

"Your health is my main concern." Maberin said. "Your skin is not as grey as it was when we got here, but I would like you to put on some weight and feel well rested and comfortable before we consider returning to Toldolennor."

"Your Ada is right," Bronadui said. "You're in no fit state to travel."

Harry nodded and took a seat beside Draco, Thalion sitting down on his other side. He leaned back on the chair and let his eyes fall shut, feeling outwards with his hands for one hand from each of his suitors.

"M'tired." He mumbled. "I haven't slept well recently."

Draco squeezed Harry's hand and kissed his cheek whilst Thalion used his free hand to adjust Harry's cushion.

"Sleep," Draco said, "We will all be waiting for you when you wake up."

"Man olor, Tithenlas." Thalion whispered as Harry felt the edges of the world fade to black.

Dolores Umbridge sat at her desk smiling cruelly. She was frustrated, yes, but she felt this next lead would uncover something useful. She turned down the small picture of Cornelius Fudge on her desk and invited the woman outside her door to enter.

"Are you quite alright, madam?" Poppy asked as she walked in through the door. "I brought a medical bag just in case."

"I'm fine, dear. Now, take a seat just there and help yourself to some tea." Dolores said, smiling primly. "I've some questions, you see, which require your expertise to answer them."

"Of course." Poppy said, sipping at the tea unsuspectingly until she felt the world around her turn soft and fuzzy and, by the time she felt she ought to resist, it was far too late and the veritaserum was deep within her system.

"Now, my dear, tell me about Harry Potter."

"Approximately five foot four, dark hair, green eyes and glasses. Has one visible scar. Is a student of Hogwarts in gryffindor house."

Dolores pursed her lips. "More, please."

"The Mediwizard Oath dictates I can tell no more due to patient confidentiality." Poppy said, her voice devoid of emotion.

Dolores frowned, the wrinkles and detestation on her face increasing her ugliness. She bound Poppy to the chair and walked over, purposeful strides causing the sound of her heels on the floor to reverberate across the room loudly. She leaned in close to Poppy, her rose perfume almost causing the mediwitch to gag.

"I don't think you quite understand what is at stake here, Poppy." She hissed. "Now, I will ask again. Tell me more about Harry Potter."

"No."

"Crucio."

Poppy's ear-splitting screams of agony ripped from her throat as tears were wrenched from her eyes. But Dolores had displayed at least some modicum of sensibility and had silenced the room, ensuring that the torture of the mediwitch went entirely unnoticed by the Hogwarts' populace.

"I want to know about Potter, and you are going to tell me!" Dolores hissed as she rammed more veritaserum down the twitching mediwitch's throat.

"I don't see much of him." She rasped finally. "All I noted is that he is thin, his skin is in a bad way, which indicates he has some sort of illness and he has..."

"Yes?"

"He... he has a strong magical core." Poppy said finally, avoiding the curse of the potion by giving an irrelevant fact.

Dolores smiled cruelly once more and raised her wand. "My dear, I can do this all afternoon."

By the time Dolores emerged from her office, the mediwitch was a babbling, mindless wreck and had squealed everything Dolores wanted to hear. Dolores marched down to the entry hall where several staff members, students and their elven guests were entering to attend the evening feast. She stared callously at the unlikely gaggle and began to take purposeful strides towards them, drawing her wand and tapping it on the palm of her hand.

"Stop right there, Mister Potter." Dolores barked. "I am arresting you under the Dangerous and Unknown Creatures Act. You are to come with me to the ministry and-"

"Take one step further and I will gut you like the sow you are." Bronadui growled. He had drawn his sword and the other dominants drew and steadied their weapons, surrounding Harry and Maberin. Bronadui was pleased to note that Severus, Sirius and Draco were flanking them too, their wands drawn and an odd wind whipping around the young veela.

"Lower your weapons!" Dolores ordered. "Stand aside! I have called the aurors!"

"Man'en aurors, Harthad?"

"En thenid cheb'rim." Harry supplied.

"Silence!" Dolores snapped, brandishing her wand. "I know all about your outlandish cult."

Bronadui sneered. "Call your puppet soldiers, curunir, for all the good it will do your lifeless corpse."

Harry gulped slightly as the ferocity of the dominant elves' and veela's wrath began to physically alter them and their surroundings. He pressed himself into Maberin's embrace and did his level best to block out the violent atmosphere.

Vicious winds whipped around the entry hall and the ground began to shake, rattling loose stones and portraits. The wrathful magic began to create silvery markings of war across the faces of the elves and Draco's eyes blanked out into white. Sirius transformed into Padfoot and stood, baring his teeth and growling loudly, between Harry and the high inquisitor.

No speeches were forthcoming from Bronadui about the injustices the woman had dealt his child. He raised his blade and deflected an oncoming curse that reeked of dark magic, he parried again as she aimed for his mate and child, eliciting a shriek of rage from Draco who lunged forth, his forearms alight with white fire, the wind bearing him towards her.

Draco's hand wrapped around her throat and pinned her helplessly against the wall as he reached for her chest, his white fire burning away her clothes, and plunged his hand deep into her body before wrenching a still beating heart from the screaming woman. He dropped her unceremoniously to the floor and took several deep, calming breaths, Dolores' organ still in his hand, before he returned to the elven family and lowered himself on one knee in front of Bronadui.

"I present this not to you, but to Harthad," He declared, "Whom I have grown to care for and for whom I have wished to eradicate this threat for. I present it in the hopes that he looks upon me favourably and still considers me a worthy suitor for his hand although my own hand is stained in blood."

"Draco..." Harry mumbled.

"I present this in honour of my Wrath and as proof of my wish to physically care for and protect you." Draco said, his eyes still lowered.

Harry knelt on the floor beside Draco and covered Draco's bloody hands with his. He placed a kiss upon Draco's temple and smiled as Draco's eyes looked up to meet him.

"It is proof enough." Harry said softly. "I will cherish this. Thank you."

Bronadui clapped Draco on the shoulder and pulled him to his feet before taking the heart from his hand and banishing it with magic. He cupped Draco's cheek and looked straight into Draco's eyes before touching his forehead to the young veela's in acceptance. He smiled as Maberin stepped forward to offer his own acceptance before he slinked his arm about Maberin's waist and pressed a kiss to his neck.

"Well," Thalion said, grinning as he greeted Draco congenially, "If you're this far ahead it looks like I need to step up my game."

Draco smirked and nodded in respect to the young elf. "Oh, here comes trouble."

Harry looked up and scowled as he saw the headmaster approach with two aurors. He pushed himself back into his parents' embrace, making sure to also include Sirius in the group hug and to position himself near Severus, whom he had come to have much respect and admiration for.

"Who is responsible for this?" Albus asked softly.

"I am." Draco declared proudly, nonchalantly cleaning the blood from his skin and clothes with a variation of spells. "And you can lower your wand, auror Shacklebolt, I think you'll find I was perfectly within the law to kill her."

"And why is that?"

"She attacked a potential mate. Under the Veela Protection Act of 1863, it quite clearly states that any attack of any kind upon a veela, his family or potential family is punishable by death. Furthermore, it also states that a veela can defend such parties in such circumstances to the death." Draco said, tossing an arrogant glare at the other auror who had yet to lower his wand.

"We were summoned because there is a dangerous creature here in Hogwarts. We-"

"I beg your pardon." Draco snarled dangerously. "I strongly suggest you either rephrase that and clarify what you mean or that you get out of my sight as insults, you will find, are also covered within the Act."

"We meant no offence, young Malfoy." Shacklebolt said soothingly. "We are responding to, what looks to be, an unfounded call. The call originated from the high inquisitor's office but, as it seems that she will not be returning to it, would you mind if we cleared all ministry sensitive information from the premises?"

"Of course not." Albus smiled. "I have no idea how long that will take, gentlemen, so you are welcome to stay for the evening meal if you get peckish. If you recall, it is usually served in about an hour from now."

Harry huffed slightly to get his parents' attention and smiled as he was indulged. "What else would you like to do?" He asked.

"I believe your Ada would like to spend some time with Severus for research purposes and I would like to better get to know Draco. Why, Tithenlas have you your own venture in mind?"

Harry shrugged. "I am supposed to have a healing lesson in a few minutes. I'm going to learn how to magically speed the process of healing broken bones."

Maberin beamed at him. "I've a few tricks I can impart to you about that too, but that can be saved for another time, I think. Why don't we escort you to your healing lesson and then we shall go about our business?"

Harry smiled and took Maberin's proffered hand in his. Most of the group tapered off to do as they pleased, leaving Draco, Severus, Sirius, Bronadui and Maberin to accompany Harry. They walked through several winding Hogwarts corridors and up and down several stair cases, much to the annoyance of the elves who prised simplicity and elegance above all else. When they reached the hospital wing, however, they were surprised to find a commotion of wizards crowding Madame Pomfrey on one of the beds. The patient in question lay docile on her back, staring into nothingness and dribbling down her chin.

"What in the world..." Sirius trailed off as they approached.

"What has happened?" Maberin asked.

"I am sorry to say that before Dolores Umbridge was killed, she caused one last atrocity by torturing her victim, the talented Madame Pomfrey, into insanity. I have seen this before and it grieves me to tell you that there appears to be no cure." The headmaster said gravely.

Maberin frowned shrewdly and approached the senseless patient on the bed. He paid no heed to the odd looks afforded to him by the mediwitches and wizards and, instead, focused his thoughts on the patient at hand. He softly delved into her mind, caressing it with elven magic and lamentations. Receiving no response he probed deeper until he found her, cowering in one of the far reaches of her psyche, screaming at herself to not tell the woman about Harry.

He hummed to himself and withdrew before turning to the congregation of healers surrounding him. He smiled good-naturedly at them before announcing. "She has withdrawn into herself due to the trauma, she is so far deep that to coax her out it would be best to let her be for a week or so before probing deep enough to offer her reassurances. Be sure to tell her that the threat is gone, that Harry is fine and that she is needed and wanted back at her post."

"Would you suggest moving her out of Hogwarts?"

Maberin nodded. "This setting would do no good. I would suggest either moving her to a close relative's home or perhaps reimbursing her in the place she was trained so she is surrounded by familiarity and comfort."

The head healer nodded before signalling to his underlings to remove the traumatised healer. He then turned to Albus and said, "Would you like me to leave someone here to cover her post temporarily?"

Maberin bit his lip and studiously refused to look directly at his mate when he said, "That will not be necessary. I am sure Madame Pomfrey will be restored by the time we leave."

Albus nodded and smiled broadly. "Thank you very much. If that will be all, healer Singh?"

The man nodded and collected his belongings. "Oh, sir," He said, turning back to Maberin. "We have another two patients in the same state as the healer. Would you be so kind as to take a look at them?"

"If they are brought here it will be no trouble at all."

It was only when the healer had left that he looked up into his mate's face and met with stern annoyance. He smiled apologetically before he began to take a look around at the text books and potion stores.

"Clearly I'm losing my touch." Bronadui sighed.

Harry laughed lightly. "You know wherever he goes, he needs to help people. This is no different."

"He could have consulted me." Bronadui grumbled.

Harry giggled again and placed a mollifying kiss in his Adar's cheek. "I guess this means my healing class is cancelled. What should I do now?"

"What about that essay I set you on the five uses of trolls' blood?" Severus asked.

Harry scowled. "I do so despise it when people have good ideas."

Draco chuckled and rubbed Harry's back. "What makes it worse is that he seems to have a sixth sense about him that just knows when you haven't done it."

"I think I'll go and do it with Neville." Harry said thoughtfully. "He hasn't got round to it either so we could help each other. Not to mention that you're all busy."

"I'll see you at dinner." Draco said, kissing Harry's wrist.

Harry responded with a small smile and a blush before his bid goodbye to the adults and sauntered off to the gryffindor common room to locate Neville.

AN: Ladies and Gents, thank you all for your reviews; especially those that point out my faults (I need those).

There's been a bit of a change in the warnings:

AU, Slash, DMHP, implied SSSB, Sub!Harry, Creature!Harry, Mpreg, Manipulative!Dumbledore, No Horcruxes, No Hallows.

Thanks once again and please take note of the translations.

Translations:

Baw ego – don't go

Im ber na dartho'si ar le – I promise to stay here beside you

A Adar – and father

A nin – and me

Ho na engwa dilthen – (loosely) he is sickeningly small

Man olor, Tithenlas – (loosely) sweet dreams, little leaf.

Man'en aurors – what are aurors

En thenid cheb'rim – the law keepers.

Curunir – wizard