CH 8
Harry - James - Potter - Harry - James - Potter
Harry was sitting with Neville on the train back to platform nine and three quarters for their Yule Holidays. He was looking forward to meeting the Gryffindor's grandmother, but actually more excited to see his Master. Letters were well and good, but it was not the same as being in the presence of the man.
"Are you sure you want to meet her," Neville asked nervously. "She's kind of set in her ways."
"Sure I'm sure," Harry said. "I have to tell her about your wand and maybe, if my Master is on the platform while she's there he might be able to say something about it." He knew that the man was already going to be there.
They played 'Exploding Snap' and a couple of rounds of 'Gob Stones', until they had to get presentable for when they arrived. Harry was forever grateful that his master had suggested warming and cooling spells be added to his robes. He'd gone one step further and made sure that his outdoor cloak contained the same.
Ollivander was looking forward to seeing his youngest apprentice. He'd missed the boy's presence in a way that told him he'd missed out on raising a child of his own. He sincerely hoped that the boy's eyes weren't affected by all the spell work that they were doing. It was different when he'd gone to school and a few of the less understanding students had damaged his eyes with ill-timed pranks. He certainly hoped that Albus has grown up since then.
The old man wasn't standing there alone. Several parents and other guardians were milling about the platform watching the steam puff up from the bright red engine coming their way. Some of the adults gained reminiscent smiles, recalling their first train ride to school and coming home for holidays.
They all waited for the train to come to a complete halt before approaching the train cars. Their children were clamouring to get off or to run and hug their parents and guardians. A few were more stoic and proper in their form of address, but others just went for it.
"Master Rick," Harry called out waving vigorously. "I'm back and I'd like you to meet my friend Neville."
"Young Master Longbottom," Ollivander said, calculatingly as an elderly woman approached the car where the boys had been sitting for the long train ride. "I did not see this past summer to come for your wand. Did you perchance purchase one at another wand dealer?"
"No sir," the boy replied flushed with embarrassment.
"His father's wand is serviceable enough," the boy's grandmother said with haughty sniff.
"But he can't do proper spells, if he's not got a wand matched to him," Harry complained turning to the elderly lady. "His magic doesn't flow well through that core because it was not meant for him. Would you rather use your mother's wand instead of your own for doing spell work?"
"Of course not," the old woman told him sharply. "The core is not suited to..." She arched an eyebrow high as though to say, 'I know what you're doing' and the Boy-Who-Lived imitated her as though to reply, 'Well fix it then.'
Harry turned his back to wish Neville a 'Happy Christmas' and then turned around to the old lady saying, "I hope that you and your grandson will visit Ollivander's for tea during the holidays, if convenient. I would like him to visit me, no strings attached, I promise."
Neville nearly choked at the strange invitation to tea, which seemed more like a veiled attempt to get him to the shop to get a new wand anyway. 'No strings my arse,' he thought looking at his friend's expression. 'He's planning something.'
Lady Longbottom said, "I do not even know who you are young man."
"Grandmother, forgive my lack of manners," Neville said. "I'd like to introduce you to Harry Potter. Harry this is my grandmother, Lady Longbottom."
"My Lady," Harry said with a sketched bow and not taking her hand since it wasn't offered to him for shaking or kissing. "Your grandson has been a good friend to me. I apologize for my impertinence."
"Very well," the old woman said. "Neville gather your things. You may Owl your friend later. Good-bye, Ollivander!" She said to the man standing next to Harry.
"Lady Longbottom," Ollivander returned with a bow and a grin. He then looked at his impish apprentice and said, "Do you have your trunk?"
"Yes sir," Harry said, holding it up with one hand. "Feather charms," he answered the unasked question. "I asked an older student to do it. It should hold until we get to the shop."
"Very well," the old man said. "Let's use the Station House floo. Frixy's been looking forward to seeing you. I'm afraid he's not doing so well."
"Oh," Harry said. "I'm sorry, what will happen now?"
"We'll discuss this when we're home," Master Rick said.
Harry - James - Potter - Harry - James - Potter
The Yule Holidays were not long, but when tragedy strikes, days can seem longer. Frixy was dying and even Harry could see it. The old house-elf had lived a long life and it was time for him to return to the magic that made him.
Harry was not used to something like that, but he was there to watch the queer old thing sleep. His Master had order him to read stories to the bed-ridden elf and that didn't bother the boy in the least. The old house-elf used to read to him and now it was his turn to do the same, until it fell asleep permanently.
"Weep not for me," Frixy said as the boy was choking on a couple of the words. "It is my time and another will come to take my place you'll see young Master Harry. It is the way of magic. Teach the new one to read and write. He'll know all I know, that is how the magic of 'Familiar' house-elves works. Your Master will allow the bond to you and the shop, it will free him of his obligations and that's how another wandmaker is born too. You witness what no other witch or wizard witnesses. Now get your clear glasses and tell me another story, this time tell me your story as you know it."
Harry fetched the normal pair of glasses that truly revealed his green eye colour. He'd made sure to collect extra handkerchiefs because he knew that his eyes would water when the time came. He took a deep breath and began...
"I always can picture a woman with long auburn hair and kind green eyes, standing next to a man with messy looking hair and always wearing round glasses. They were married young, right after they finished school, so I'm told and believe. They had a child, boy with messy hair of black and eyes of green, a darker shade, but obviously a gift of his mum's. He was a happy child, but not all stories are happy ones," he paused to take hold of the visibly aging hand of the house-elf that had served his Master Rick, for a long time.
"One dark night," he was looking at the elf's weeping eyes. "One very dark night, the laugh of a monster echoed in what should have been a happy home. The man in glasses yelled at the woman to get to 'Harry' and to 'not let him have Harry'. The boy of about one year and a bit old was upset by the noise and stood up in his crib. He clung to the bars of the bed, when the door to his room slammed open. The woman ran in and whispered soft words to her clinging son, but she had to put him back in his crib. The words could have been a spell or just something of comfort. The boy would not stay down, but cried at the increased noise and the evil laugh in the air. 'Not Harry,' she cried several times and refused to move. A sickly green light came from a pointed stick..."
The old elf clung to his hand tightly. He wanted to know before dying and the boy continued, "It hurt. Whatever that spell was, it hurt, here," he removed his bandana and pointed to the telltale scar that he refused to put on display for the Wizarding World to gawk at. "It really hurt. The black robes of the monster fell to the ground, the dust of a dead man flew out of the window and the red-haired woman was lying on the ground not moving. The last truly magical thing I ever remember before the day that Master Rick signed a contract for me to learn his trade was flying in the air on a magical motorcycle, sheltered in the arms of a very larger person. I didn't know who that was until I met him at school and his name is Rubeus Hagrid."
Frixy smiled and said, "Good story. Be kind to the other, young Master. Be kind to everyone when and if you can."
Harry smiled a very watery smile and then watched the magic that made up the house-elf fade and vanish in a swirl of laughing dust. That dust disappeared from sight completely.
Then not a moment later, sparkles the colour of the rainbow coalesced in a circle, tightening and coming together with a loud popping sound. Suddenly there, in the bed where the old elf died, a genderless baby-elf with deep green eyes, who gurgled and kicked up its feet.
Harry was wide-eyed looking at the infant creature. "I never saw this coming," he said. He looked closer with his magical sight and saw that the baby was intelligent. "Now I'm guessing I have to name you."
The baby grinned and he couldn't help, but grin back. "Alwin," he said. "That is your name Alwin. Now shall I read you a story, Alwin? This one, I think you might like." (...i...)
From the doorway Ollivander listened as the baby elf gurgled and giggled at the voices that his young apprentice was using to tell a tale from a book called 'Tales of Beetle the Bard'. He'd explained to the boy earlier that house-elves belonging to wandmakers are the only ones that come to life in this manner. The wandmaker and the magic actually creates a twin house-elf for any apprentice that is ready to leave their Master's tutelage to make their own mark in the world.
There are rare times when the bonded elf will die long before the one he's bonded to and in special cases a new person may be chosen to witness this event to become the bonded owner of the 'newborn' elf. That's why Ollivander insisted that Harry be the one to stay with the old elf as it passed on in its life. What Harry doesn't know is that the primary house-elf, that is now Alwin, will split in two in order to service the boy's master and the boy himself.
Harry came down fifteen minutes later and asked, "What happens now. Isn't he too small to help around the shop?"
"Don't worry, Harry," Ollivander said. "They grow in their sleep. They're just like all other house-elves with the exception that they are always re-born in this manner rather than biologically."
"Do all house-elves do that," Harry asked in curiosity.
"No, just those bonded to wandmakers," Ollivander explained. "You'll be surprised in the morning, but soon there'll be two house-elves about the place. I'll tell you more, but for now why don't you go to bed. You must be exhausted from the sitting up with Frixy in his last moments. I'm sure that your eyes are tired. We'll have an instructional session in the morning."
Harry rubbed his eyes sleepily, nodded, yawned and said, "Yeah, I kind of am. Can I tell Neville about this?"
"No," the old man said. "The magic won't let you. It's a secret that needs to be kept."
"Yes sir," Harry yawned again. "Good night Master Rick," he trudged slowly up the stairs to his warn attic room, crawled into bed, curled into a tight warm ball and fell asleep.
Harry - James - Potter - Harry - James - Potter
The following morning Harry's bed moved in the most annoying manner and yet he wasn't upset because he heard a young giggling voice. "Up Master Harry," the voice said. "Yous must be gettins up."
Harry cracked an eye open, blinked and then reached for his glasses. He stared at the naked child-like house-elf and the only thought he had was, 'I can see why these ones are different. They've no reproductive organs…how weird?'
"Alwin," he asked. "Is that you?"
"Yes sir, Master Harry James Potter sir," the house-elf replied mischievously.
"Please," Harry asked. "Just call me Harry."
"Magic says that Master is Master and must be called Master," the house-elf replied. "But Alwin know that Master wants be called Master Harry. Is best that Alwin can do and magic know the truth."
"Master Harry appreciates it," Harry said. "I'm going to get up now and then I need to talk to Master Rick."
"Okays," Alwin said. "Alwin go help Alhard in the kitchen. Make Master Harry good breaky." The house-elf popped away kind of loudly, but not so loud as to be deafening.
'I hope that will improve with time,' Harry thought, as he got ready for the day. 'I wonder if he could move about like that with a different sound. That way I'll always know that it's him and not some other elf trying to sneak up on me.'
He sighed, finished his ablutions, and then got dressed in his normal everyday working clothes and of course he wore a bandana. He was just so used to it by now that unless people knew that it was him, well then he was kind of left alone.
Harry - James - Potter - Harry - James - Potter
Harry was seated at the work table with a piece of parchment and pencil in hand. They'd had several such discussions and sessions. His Master would explain something about the Wizarding World and Harry would then write questions, while his Master lectured. It was only after that that he could ask his questions and get a more rounded explanation of the situation or whatever it was that they were discussing.
Today they were going to talk about the origin of house-elves and why the ones magically bonded to wandmakers were different.
"Now," Master Rick said. "We'll do this like our normal session. You ask me to pause by lifting your hand and write down whatever question you may have. We'll discuss it after I'm done explaining. All right?"
"Yes Master Rick," Harry said.
"All right, let's see..." The old man paused to think about a place to begin and then he started;
"In days long ago, before there was civilization, before man walked, before all else there was magic. Magic was in the earth, the ground, the trees, and in all life. Creatures came from magic, just as much as they came from the Earth, evolving into many, many forms.
It is said that the the first creatures of magic didn't know how to channel or access that magic and needed help. The first wandmakers were soon born. They were the ones that could work with the magic infused world and create conduits or things to help channel the magic." He paused as his young apprentice wrote down a couple of questions and then he continued.
"Time passes, as it does and the world grew and changed. The creatures did the same and then there was a need. A need for these wandmakers or magical conduit makers to get aid in the form of one of the most unique creations that magic had to offer. The first of the house-elves came into being from magic, just like you witnessed last night.
Fast forward thousands of years and evolution did it's own form of magic. It made house-elves a creature in and of itself. Genitals grew and gender differences now occurred in the newly born house-elves. Those that understood what was happening felt, deep in their own core, that the wandmakers would be in trouble if the original house-elves were not around to aid. Therefore a magical bond, not unlike the Familiar bond you have with your snakes, occured for the wandmakers and those that aid them in maintaining their sanity."
Harry wrote down another question and then looked up at his Master, hoping that the man would continued. "There's not much more to say. These house-elves have a magically sybiotic relationship with wandmakers and their presence ensures that no wandmaker goes insane from the magic that calls them to merge special ingredients to create the wands."
"When an apprentice is near to finishing his contract, successfully, then their Master's elf will split and become two. One to travel with the newly appointed Journeyman or Master wandmaker and the original to stay with the student's Master. On rare occasions will the original house-elf pass away naturally and in witnessing the magical birth, as it were, a new bond to a new Master Wandmaker is formed."
"Now I know you have questions," Ollivander said. "I hope that I've explained myself more clearly than before."
"Yes sir," Harry said. "I only have a few questions. Can any creature other than humans be wandmakers or makers of magical conduits?"
"Yes," Ollivander said.
"Do these particular house-elves bond with other creatures, like goblins or dragons maybe," Harry asked.
"Not so much a dragon, but any other civilized type of race like centaurs and goblins," Ollivander said. "That has happened. A goblin would never rely on a human made magical conduit. I believe that their's are in the form of weapons or other items."
"Interesting," Harry said. "Will I be getting any more Familiars and isn't having three of them too much?"
Ollivander smiled and said, "I doubt it. Your snakes are their to aid you in the snake language and possible snake magic you can do. Alwin is there to aid you in your wandmaker abilities, which you've been training these past five years."
Harry nodded and then asked, "How long was my apprenticeship contract for?"
"Nine years," Ollivander said. "You relative only saw the maximum number of twelve years, but it's not permitted in the Wizarding World. The maximum is actually nine years, a magical number. That also means that by the time you're thirteen or fourteen, you'll have fully finished your apprenticeship training with me."
"What will happen to me at that time," Harry asked. "I'm not old enough to be on my own."
"I'm glad that you've realized it," Ollivander said. He coughed and looked nervous, but then he said, "I would like to adopt you once your apprenticeship contract is complete."
"Really," Harry perked up excitedly. "Can that really happen?"
"Of course," Ollivander said. "It sometimes happens that way when the apprentice has been trained from an earlier age. The Master can adopt without interference, which is the important part in this issue and because of who you are. We'd have to do it the same day that your contract is due to end."
"I accept," Harry said. "You've acted as a father to me, more so than my relatives had ever done. I accept whole-heartedly."
"Thank you child," Master Rick said. "Now do you have any more questions about these house-elves?"
"Yes," Harry said. "Why are his eyes the same colour as mine? Does he have to wear a tea towel like the other house-elves? What does he do when not helping with the making of wands?"
Ollivander held up his hand and said, "His eye colour shows that there is a magical bond between the two of you. He does not have to wear a tea towel. He'll work at odd jobs like Frixy had done, like cooking and cleaning for you."
"Okay," Harry said. "How do I get him outfitted?"
"Send him with money to Madam Malkins or another tailor shop to get an outfit made," Ollivander said. "I do recommend that you go with him for the first time."
"Right," Harry said. "Can he be dismissed when clothes are given? I learned from one of the school elves that bad elves are given clothes and it's the same as a dismissal."
"No," the old man replied. "Actually, due to the unique nature of these elves, their bonds are permanent and can never be severed."
"That's good," Harry said. "I'd miss him."
"Any more questions," Ollivander asked.
"Um," Harry paused and then asked, "How many wandmakers are there? Do the all have this kind of house-elf?"
"They do," Ollivander replied and said. "You've met them all last year at that conference."
"All of them," Harry stated, wide-eyed with surprise.
"Wandmakers are few and not many take on apprentices," Ollivander said. "Certainly not with the frequency that I seem to, but then again we are a long-lived race. Wandmakers live slighty longer than the average Witch or Wizard. The elves bonded to us are there to help filter the magic that calls for wands or conduits to be made."
Harry's brow furrowed. He got up, went to the work bench that contained the pieces of his new wand. It was the wand that wanted to be made. He'd worked the stone and branch just like all other ingredients. He tilted he head and then his eyes cleared. He smiled and said, "No wonder I could never piece this together, it was missing one last thing."
"What is that," Ollivander said with a smile, already knowing what it was.
"Alwin's blood," Harry said. "His blood is needed to stabilize the whole thing, right?"
"That's right," the old man confirmed.
This caused the boy to pout for a bit and then he grinned and bounced about the room. "Can it be done before I return to school," Harry asked. "Please Master Rick?"
"Of course," Ollivander said. "Why don't you gather three drops from Alwin and let them mingle with the venom of your snakes for a day or two and then we can put your wand together."
"Okay," Harry said, calling forth his house-elf, who willingly submitted his blood for his kind young Master.
Harry - James - Potter - Harry - James - Potter
TBC…
(...i...) ALWIN: Old High German name composed of the elements alb "elf" and wini "friend," hence "elf friend." Compare with other forms of Alwin. See link - www dot 20000-names dot com/male_german_names doc htm (remove the dots and spaces to go there).
