Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter

Chapter ten: Strange Magic

Harry did not listen to her. He stood up and faced his foe, ready to die like a man.

The two cast their spells simultaneously and the jets of color met right where the fee stood. Once again, she was transformed by a magic beyond her control. The warmth inside of her became a bright golden light as she felt herself being tied and stretched between two fiery points.

She needed to move. The two wizards were lifted up as she repositioned them. There, now they had more space...for... for? She felt so hot, why was it so hard to think? All that she could really rely on was instinct.

The Death Eaters were running and circling them.

Damn!

She splintered and threads of golden light high over them and created a dome over them; keeping the Death Eaters at bay. She reached out, touching each wand and felt the phoenix in both of them.

A phoenix she knew; she began to sing the song her friend taught her.

Every golden thread vibrated with the melody and it was as if the song was singing itself. Hope filled Harry's eyes.

"Don't break the connection." she told him and she could almost swear that he actually heard her voice. She closed her eyes. It was so bright, so hot. She must be burning away, burning...

Power surged through her and the points she stood between began to shake.

Harry...

His wand was shaking more and the power was moving towards him.

No... it mustn't...he...

She couldn't control it and she almost cried out as the heat moved nearer to his wand. Harry scrunched up his face in concentration and slowly... so slowly the beads of light and power were pushed towards Voldemort's wand.

It connected and the fae screamed in pain as the heat became blinding.

The fae suddenly found herself in a different place and looked around in confusion. It was well-lit but a bit non-descript for her taste. Maybe one got used to it.

A doorway appeared and a group of people walked through its veiled passage. The fae instantly dropped into a crouch and tried to make herself look as small as possible. But they paid her no attention as they gathered around a different doorway that had appeared.

"Well you first my boy. "Said an old man, clapping a weathered hand on the shoulder of a young man. The youth turned to give the man a half smile but caught sight of the fae.

They made eye contact and she recognized them at once. They were still just as dead, but then again, there was no changing that for young Mr. Diggory. He turned from her and walked through the door.

"Miss Jorkins." said the old man, "Ladies first?"

"Now, now sir? Said Bertha Jorkins "You know that there is an order to this."

There were only three left. A man and woman standing together and a figure in a black robe, standing off to the side. Hands clasped in front of him and hidden in folds of fabric.

The figure turned its hooded visage towards the fae and inclined his head in greeting. She hoped that the wild beating of her heart was not just an illusion as she stood up and curtsied with the respect that was due to someone like him.

The woman turned and smiled when she saw the fae.

"Hullo." she said and the man turned as well, curiosity on features so very familiar to her.

"Hello." said the fae, not sure what else to do. She glanced nervously at the black-robed figure and inched closer to the woman and further from the figure.

"I hope Harry has not been too much of a hassle for you?" said the woman, eyes sparkling. The fae snorted.

"A hassle?" she said forgetting the figure for a moment, "Are you sure that his father was not an imp, for all the mischief he causes?"

"Well..."said Lily looking playfully at her husband.

"It's part of the Potter charm." he said with feigned indignation. The woman laughed, hugging the man's arm and the fae averted her eyes as they kissed. The littlest of the faeries had been alone for too to be comfortable with such displays of affection.

Lily looked at the fae and they regarded each other for a moment.

"Thank you? Said the woman who had once had red hair, green eyes and life. She said it quietly and intensely.

"It's not over yet.'' said the fae with just as much feeling.

"No." said the mother looking down. After a moment she picked up her head and squared her shoulders. "Well, it's my turn. "She smiled once more and with a nod to the hooded figure, walked through the door.

The fae watched her go but after a moment noticed the elder Potter looking down at her with a lopsided grin.

"What?" she said scowling at him.

"Oh, nothing. "He said, grinning wider and shrugging," You just remind me of someone. That's all."

Her scowl deepened and he laughed as he walked through the door. The fae shook her head at the behavior of humans. The hooded figure unclasped his hands and the fae tensed. As casually as she could she walked up to the door they had gone through and away from the veil the figure stood next to.

Through the doorway she could just make out shapes that looked like the cemetery and heard muffled voices. She moved closer to the edge and she glanced at the figure again who was staring down at her from the black depths of its hood. She swallowed.

It wasn't doing anything to stop her. It inclined its head towards the door and that was all the permission she needed. Taking a moment to understand the scene before her-

"NOW!" someone screamed and she was ripped through the doorway. She hit the ground running, barely having time to think what to do.

Harry was reaching for Cedric's body and she just grabbed unto him as he touched the triwizard cup. They were pulled away in a swirl but after a moment she hit something solid. With a jolt she was dropped at the edge of the Forbidden Forest and landed with a thud.

She groaned as she rolled to her side and lay in the leaves for a moment. Thinking of Harry, she sprang to her feet, ignoring the bone-deep fatigue that plagued her. Though, try as she might, she could not push past the wards. She ran her hands through her hair in frustration and stopped in shock.

Her hair.

She had always had hair that almost reached the ground and when it had been made of light, it had been her glory. As it had turned dark, it had weighed down on her like a deadened and black limb.

She ran her hand over the rough and prickly stub once more and realized that it must have been burned away. The fae dropped her hands to her side.

Perhaps this was better.

She felt lighter now, like an infection had been drained-

She gasped and pressed against the wards again. Harry was supposed to be safe, but what she sensed at that moment was anything but safe. She looked through the boys eyes and watched us one of the professors proved to also be the enemy.

The fae hit the impenetrable air in front of her with her fist and cursed herself as useless. She cursed the fates that fought against her and cursed the way her bones felt like dry twigs and her skin like paper. She cursed her inability to do anything.

Anything.

She pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes and refused to cry. She would not cry anymore. Not when all she could do was watch. Watch and hope that someone would help where she could not. She hated being forced to trust another.

She sank to her knees, head bowed, as others came to the rescue.

A/N: Please review!