Hello all, if there is even an all still there. I know it's been 15 months, and I'm quite certain people thought I might have fallen off the face of the earth. The reality was that shortly after I posted the last chapter, I fell incredibly ill. I spent 5 months barely able to move. What time I could put in on writing, I used on an original manuscript which had a pressing due date. When my health finally took a turn in the right direction, I was called to my family home and would spend the next month in the ICU, watching my father and a dear aunt pass away 15 days apart. I lived with my mother for another 3 months before finally returning home. My daughter had a relapse of her chronic illness and was in a different ICU for 2 weeks. I don't say this to make you feel sorry, but I do hope you'll understand that writing fan fiction wasn't in the forefront of my life. Now, however, my original novel manuscript is finished and being edited, so I will complete my three open stories. Six chapters remain, and I should be able to do them quickly, which I know I've said before; but this time I am dedicated and it's on the top of the pile. Anyway…
When we last saw Harry, et all, he was recovering from the spell to remove the Horcrux from him and Dumbledore had the book thrown at him. A year has passed since the last chapter.
Chapter 36:
Gallu (Welsh)/ Talent (Modern English)
1 September 1997, Ireland
"Ginny, come on, we're going to be late," Harry yelled to his girlfriend. He wasn't going to be late just because she overslept.
"How is it that she's the only one who ever oversleeps?" Neville asked his friend. "Hermione doesn't have problems getting down her on time."
"Hermione never has a lie in," Harry joked. "She's up almost as early as Hannah."
"She's still not up with us," Neville remarked. It was true, the two young men were up much earlier than anyone else; usually by five to get in a five mile run and then a good thirty minutes of meditation. Harry found he needed the exercise to burn off his excess magic and the meditation to settle his mind.
The months after the Horcrux were removed were physically and mentally taxing. It took him eleven days to regain full consciousness, although he was aware of those around him for several days before, he simply could not bring himself to awaken yet. When he did awake, his speech centre had been altered, and he found talking to be slow going. It was only hours of reading aloud which returned the voice, speed and timbre he'd had before the excising.
His magic had changed as well. He was suddenly having fits of explosive accidental magic, some so dangerous that he could hurt those around him. He knocked Sirius and Remus out cold when he tried to use his favourite disarming charm on them. In the end, Sirius bound his magic, only allowing small bits out at a time until he could control it again. The best anyone could surmise was Harry had been using magic to keep the bit of Tom under control. Now that Riddle was removed, Harry was more magically powerful. Mentally, Harry was still struggling, as he remembered the entire excising event; even the pain. He'd only confessed this last bit to Klytie and Neville. It was something he was working to overcome, but it was slow going. The Horcrux had spoken to him while it was being pulled from him, and what it said was everything Harry feared about himself and his place in the world.
Other than healing, Harry had spent his time learning. He'd advanced out of any class the Academy had for him in Transfigurations and Defence and was meeting privately with tutors – only two of whom were currently alive – and practicing with off duty Aurors. He was nearly as quick as Lady Halloran when switching from form to form in his Transfigurations; his housemates had made it a game to see who could discover what Harry had changed himself into.
He also read. Voraciously read. He went through nearly every book on languages, spell casting and combat styles the Potter Library had. He went to the Irish Ministry and read histories which were hundreds if not thousands of years old. At Stargazer's Summit he read on Astronomy, anatomy – he never wanted to know why they had so many books on that – as well as law and ancient magics. He also read every family history he could. When his words finally caught up with his mind, he entered into lively discussion with anyone who would engage him. It wasn't uncommon for Harry and Neville to find themselves at the Summit late into the night, drinking quality Irish Fire Whiskey before a roaring fire; Birony feeding them fat-laden delights from her kitchen. They weren't alone there, Draco was usually with them. Harry called him friend now, although it wasn't the same as the relationship he had with Neville, and due to space limitations, he never moved into cottage. Neville was the best friend he would carry through life; the Remus to his Sirius.
Ginny finally arrived downstairs, and the students left, using the mangy composition book they'd had since they arrived eighteen months earlier. The boys were dressed in their formal kilts, none daring to go 'traditional' as the wind whipped on the hillside and sent a strong breeze up to places no man likes chilled. The girls in matching skirts, all wearing their blazers and fine white shirts. They made quite the bunch as they entered the school grounds. After today, most would Apparate on their own, since they all had their Apparition licences now; but today they arrived as a group. The older students would be done with what few classes they were taking on campus in the spring. It was their last chance as a household to begin school anew.
"So, are you going to tell us about the wedding plans tonight?" Astoria pestered Susan as Draco walked over to them. He hated the kilt, feeling he had knobby-knees which were painfully white. Luna had remarked they were graceful 'like a swan's neck'. He hated them more after that. He'd only worn the garment because his mother had threatened to charm it to him for a week if he hadn't put it on. Taking her hand made him feel less awkward.
"I haven't planned anything yet, we don't even have a date," Susan explained. Dean had proposed to her while she was on holiday with his family. Her aunt could only take a few days off, as she had been elected Deputy Minister of Magic in the elections last year. She had two more years in her term.
"You're going to design your own dress, right?" Hermione asked, even as she was looking for her own boyfriend, Neil.
"Of course," Susan scoffed. "As if I'd let anyone else make it or pay some expensive price for someone else to do what I can. I will also be making someone else's dress, if she will let me." Susan bumped shoulders with Daphne, who nodded.
While Daphne's relationship with Osin had been made official, and they too were engaged, Hermione and Neil were more hesitant. He understood that until things were settled between Harry and Tom Riddle, she needed to be available to her best-friend-come-brother. Neil had his own issues with the man and his followers, and was willing to wait and assist when the time came. Neither doubted they would be spouses someday. Both were heading to Uni in a year, to study both Magical and Muggle law. Neville had given Hannah a promise ring, but he too needed to be at Harry's side when Tom was taken down.
That left Astoria and Draco and Harry and Ginny as the lone couples without any permanent arrangements. Harry refused to make promises to Ginny with everything up in the air. Tom had been quiet for over a year, the destruction of his Horcruxes, save Nagini, forced him into hiding. While Maggie and Sirius wanted to believe he had been damaged by their destruction and now was weak, Harry and Remus thought it was foolish to assume so. Regardless, Harry wouldn't make things permanent with Ginny until it was through. He felt badly for her, as he saw how she looked at the other girls' rings and wished she too could be having a dress made; but the time wasn't right. She had another year of classes anyway.
Draco had something else holding him back, something he wanted to give his girl which he couldn't yet. He wanted to give her the name of Malfoy and not have it be an embarrassment. He also knew that before he could truly bring Daphne into the family, he needed his father gone. One day he would meet his father, most likely need to duel him and then either kill him, or force him into prison for the rest of his natural life. Sirius had offered the Black name, and the promise of inheriting everything one day, but Draco wanted to restore his family name.
Harry heard the bright conversations around him, noticed how younger students cleared the way when this group of senior level students passed through, and revelled at how he wasn't the one they were looking at. He suspected none of them knew who he was. They stared just because of the size of their group, all dressed alike, walking hand-in-hand, arm-in-arm, laughing and sharing life. He was just one of many, and he liked it that way.
LPOW LPOW LPOW LPOW LPOW
Three weeks later, another celebration was held on Avalon which held very special meaning for Harry and Sirius. They'd just finished a welcoming ceremony, this one for the Weasley and Malfoy families. Harry worked with Arthur, as he needed to not only make his own personal dedications, but make new dedications for his bloodline. Sirius felt it was his duty to help Draco reclaim his family name, and was proud to see the young man's tattoo when he'd exited the his bedroom earlier. Neville, not so surprisingly, had felt compelled to help too. Arthur and Draco were thankful for the help; Neville was a natural at this Circle stuff. Sadly, he was unable to be here, as his grandmother held the family seat.
"I still think there should be a King of the Circle, and it should be Nev," Draco commented. "I never would have known what I needed to know without you, Sirius, you know that; but Nev quizzed me and talked me through my near-meltdowns."
"Perhaps one day he will become the Myrrdin," Patrick said with genuine thoughtfulness. "He is certainly well prepared to take over the Longbottom chair."
"Augusta needs to move her bone-y bottom and unique chapeaus out first," Sirius said and Harry's turned to glare at his godfather, as Maggie wasn't here to do it.
"Honestly, it's not appropriate to talk that way, old man," Harry joked. Sirius' hair had more grey hair in it than there was when he left Azkaban; something the man said was because of the teens he was living with.
"Old? Who are you calling old?" Sirius was mockingly indignant. "I'm only thirty-seven."
"You'll be thirty-eight soon," Harry retorted.
"Soon and close don't make something so. Just think about that roundhouse kick you attempted to deliver to Neville yesterday." Harry had missed and fell to the ground, allowing Neville to stun him.
"That was rather funny," Draco commented. "But, Sirius, you're still old."
"This is why I will never have children of my own. They just walk all over you."
"Never say never, Sirius," Arthur said. "Children are also a blessing. Consider what Bill and Charlie have given me in their new wives, and the promise of a grandchild within the year."
"You may have your large and growing family, I will be the wicked 'uncle' who teaches them what they really need to know to survive life."
"Charming motorize vehicles to fly, teaching them to blow smoke rings and how to gargle Fire whiskey are not life skills," Harry bit back.
"I only taught you those things to irk Prongs and Petal."
"I can't believe Mother thinks you're the man I should emulate," Draco added.
"Cissy has always believed much more in my maturity than I have."
Their group laughed, and before long Patrick called the group together to celebrate Mabon, the marking of the fall equinox and equal hours of light and dark. As they entered the circle, a large man, made of cornstalks and dressed in a white robe, was in the centre.
"God of the Harvest," Patrick began the incantation, "Horned One of the Wilderness, Bringer of bounty, healing and joy; we call you to attend our Rite. God of the Vines, God of the Fields, Be with us now in this circle out of time, and bless our work tonight.
"Blessed Goddess, autumn's Queen, Mother of all life, we call you to attend our rite. Goddess of the Moon, Goddess of the sea, be with us now in this circle out of time, bless our work tonight."
Patrick lit a torch and moved into the middle of the circle, meanwhile, a flame was moving around the circle, each seat lighting their candle from their neighbour's.
"On Mabon, we seek balance – between light and dark, growth and harvest, life and death. We know the days ahead will grow dark and cold, but for today we are balanced. We offer thanks for all which we have grown since the last harvest; and we return a share so that the God and Goddess will shine before us in the darkness to come."
He then lit the corn effigy, and the assembled watched as the flames reached high into the sky. As darkness settled again, the only light was that of the candles.
"We are grateful and thankful, we have shared our cider and cakes in celebration, we are prepared to walk into the darkness, knowing the wheel will turn again toward the light soon enough. Blessed be."
The participants turned out, candles still lit, and silently left the hill. Harry certainly hoped that it would only be true darkness – the lack of light descending – rather than a metaphorical one.