Chapter 13

While the snow now fell, Harry raced to gather the last nuts with the squirrels, grain with the birds, seeds with the ants and told the bees where the sweetest late blossoms were in return for a small portion of their honey before they went to their winter sleeping. Sometimes Dances wandered with him, sometimes Archimedes. They discussed magic, philosophy, logic and herbal medicine. Archimedes taught him to be utterly silent as he walked and even ran through the woods. The wolves frequently ran with him and were impressed with his speed for only having 2 legs.

Harry began to feel the earth beneath his feet as something alive. He took time every day learning to shield his mind, something Archimedes told him the stars demanded of him. So Harry learned to read the stars too. Then he learned to send his thoughts outward and gain deeper visions of the land and the earth besides the magical map. He learned the mental signature of gold, silver, iron and copper.

On one glorious day, he learned to pull the metals out of the earth by will alone and send liquid metal into one of his clay pots, which promptly melted. After experimentation and help from Scar in making stone molds, Archimedes taught him the noble art of making swords, and his new knives were vastly superior to his knives of flint. He also made gold and silver bars and presented them to a delighted Scar. "You shared your horde with me," he explained to the dragon, "So I must share what you like with you, my sire." Scar went outside and roared in delight that his nestling had made him treasure, causing the recovering animals in his area of the cave to huddle in shock, while Harry explained that it was not anything bad. Several chippies ran right into his shirt and huddled against his chest, chittering about "damn overbearing poop head dragons." Fortunately, Scar couldn't understand non-magical chippie language.

Then, in waking dreams, the Island taught him the art of making a Wizard's staff, with hairs from Dances and a scale from Scar and hair from Archimedes' beard as the core.

He found a fallen holy tree, the one that had fruit that not everyone could see, and took a great branch and aged it carefully, powdering it with herbs and spells that no one else knew. He sang to it each day and warded it and blessed it to only be used for good purposes and defense. Then Archimedes and Scar taught him runes and he warded the staff in 7 runes known to men; 7 runes known only to dragons, and 7 runes known only to the goblins who dwell in the deep earth. He made some runes in the sun with gold, and some in the moonlight with silver. Some were made with tiny blue gem stones in the water and some were made with mercury and his own blood with spells that froze each rune by the light of stars. He named the staff Star Fall because stars fell in a great display the night he finished inlaying the staff with all the metals and gems the Island gave him.

Harry grew stronger, his muscles wiry, his mind constantly taking in new knowledge. And always he listened to Avalon, hoping to serve and protect. His cave became an official sanctuary for wounded creatures that escaped predators. Some of them stayed because his kindness gentled them into trust. Scar put up with it, but nifflers were not allowed in the treasure room.

Harry also learned to swim in the still warm ocean with the dubious help of the dolphins and mermaids, who did keep him from drowning until he figured it out. Then it was fun to swim. He explored underwater. The way sunlight made the water golden and green was so beautiful. He swam deeper and met a sea turtle who stopped swimming and gazed at him. Harry realized that he could talk to the turtle and still hold his breath.

"Hello, my friend," he said gently, "You are very beautiful as you swim in the water. I am from the island nearby and my name is Harry."

"You are of Avalon," said the turtle, "I am called Green Nose. I wander where I will, and I come here from time to time."

"Excuse me, Green Nose, I have to breathe," said Harry and went to the surface. Green Nose followed him and told him about how the turtles migrated to different areas to feed and mate.

"You are very wise, Green Nose, to find good places for food. Tell me, have you ever had smoked fish?" he asked politely.

"No," said the Turtle. Harry ran ashore and found one of his caches in the roots of one of the holy trees and brought some for the Turtle. Green Nose could not curve his mouth in a smile, but his mind told Harry that he was pleased by the treat. "You are a good keeper of Avalon," Green Nose said, "I will be glad to meet you again."

Harry waved as the Turtle left and set out a few net traps for fish. Then he began to sing thankfulness to the magic for the beauty of his new friend in the green water, and the beauty of the sun in the sky, and the joy of the earth beneath his feet. As he did, his magic rippled across the island, creating wards of peace and health and joy, wards that humans knew not. He didn't know he had invented them, but Harry knew they pleased Avalon and was glad.

"The water is green and the light is gold, and the Turtle is wise and has a green nose.

The sky is filled with clouds that shine, and the wind cools my body and dances all the time.

The fish are tasty and my belly is filled and in Avalon I can eat and doze

In Avalon, the blessed isle, everything is fine."

XXX

Piers' Mum no longer read the papers. It seemed other events of child abuse turned up now and they kept referring to the Potter Tragedy.

They changed their telly number and the lawyer sent letters to the school asking them to protect Pier's privacy.

Piers ignored his old friends except when they were up to their usual and found himself playing with the littles every recess when his old friends were in detention.