Chapter 38
"He was making funny noises, Professor. I mean, odd kinda funny. Funnier than usual."
"How do you mean usual, Mr. MacTavish?"
"Well, Trevor tends to talk in his sleep, but it doesn't really make any sense."
"And last night was different how?" Harry asked.
"Usually it's just chatter. Last night it sounded like he was hurting or scared, or both. That's when we called for the Prefect."
"I'm glad you did, Angus. Thank you," Harry said.
"Um, oh, yes, sir. You're welcome. Sir, is he going to be alright?" Angus MacTavish asked.
"We all hope so, Angus, but it's a little early to tell. At least he's sleeping calmly now. We'll have to see how he is when he wakes up."
"Yes, sir."
"And Mr. MacTavish, thank you for keeping an eye on the boy. I'd ask that you and your roommates continue to do so."
"That we will, sir."
It had been a long day for Harry. He had been called out of bed at two o'clock in the morning and it was now nearly nine that night. Trevor hadn't fallen into a quiet sleep until just an hour ago. Abagail was sleeping in the bed alongside his. She had made several more attempts at understanding what was going on inside the boy's mind but it was the same jumbled mess that she had encountered the first time. The effort had exhausted her.
To make matters worse, whatever it was that was going on inside Trevor's head, it seemed to be playing out in ancient Gaelic which presented Harry with two problems. The first is that no one was able to decipher what Trevor was actually saying so there were no new puzzle pieces. The second was that the use of the old language was simply raising more questions. Any answers would be slow in coming.
It was another twenty four hours before the boy woke up and he had nothing to tell Harry that was of any help. He remembered nothing of his 'dreams' nor of anything that he might have said. The fact that he had missed nearly two days had him frightened and confused. It also left him seriously fatigued and after finishing a small plate that a house elf had delivered for him, he was asleep again until the next morning.
As serious as the situation was for Harry and the others who were closest to Trevor, the vast majority of the school saw this latest episode as a temporary diversion as they moved headlong towards exams and the House and Quidditch Cups. Gryffindor's second match, this time against Hufflepuff, arrived and with it a serious piece of North Sea weather. James was having his doubts as to whether or not Kai had done him any favors. He was in essence a fourth man on the roster for keeper, but due to the nature of the weather and the likelihood of multiple substitutions he was required to suit up.
James had heard the stories of the matches where Harry had lost his broom to the Whomping Willow or worse yet, the crash into the VIP tower during his seventh year. His luck was holding well into the fifth hour of play, where his only official action was to provide Kai with some help warming up when she was rotated out of the game. He was rather surprised then when the team captain flew by and yelled,
"Potter, you're in. Get up there."
With a shrug he pulled on his goggles, mounted his broom and took to the air. When he got to the goals he waved his teammate toward the sidelines and as they passed he got a good look at just how coated in ice and snow the seventh year was. He thought,
"This is going to get ugly and quick."
As he took position above and behind the central goal he found his biggest challenge was going to keep from getting blown out of position by the heavy wind gusts. It was also impossible to see anything that took place further than a quarter of the way down the pitch. He thought it would be a good idea to drift to his right and a bit forward and just as he assumed his new position a handful of figures emerged out of the heavy, swirling snow with the two in front being Hufflepuff chasers.
The one with the Quaffle attempted to improve his angle but the wind was forcing him sideways and when he let fly, James was still in a position to snag the ball. With a quick mental calculation, he threw the Quaffle into the waiting hands of a Gryffindor chaser. It reminded him of trying to place an arrow on target in a quartering wind. After two more saves, James began to think that just like Albus and Snuffles were never able to sneak up on him at home, no one was going to be surprising him coming out of the snow.
He would pay a price for his success. He wound up playing for three straight hours, lost most of the feeling in his feet and fingers and had to provide Kai with assurances that he was alright every fifteen minutes or so whenever she was in the air. When the whistle to end the game sounded, he was much happier to be getting onto the ground than he was about them winning the match. When he got down he immediately began to warm up as Kai had him wrapped in her arms and was rubbing her hands up and down his back.
"Helluva match, Potter," the team captain said. "I don't know how you did it, but keep it up."
James watched as the older wizards walked into the tunnel. Kai pulled herself tightly to him and began walking them both out of the stadium and on towards the castle.
"I am so proud of you, sweetheart. How in the world were you able to know where their chasers would be?"
"I've always been able to sense when people are coming towards me. From any direction. Apparently I got it from my dad," James said.
"Wow, but I guess that means I'll never be able to come up on you from behind to give you sneaky hugs and kisses," she said, having to bring her face close to his as they stepped out into the blowing snow.
Huddling into their flying robes, they didn't say anything else until they got into the foyer of the castle. It was packed with snow covered students. Bodies pushed and slid past each other as spectators and players alike tried to get to their common rooms and a spot by the fireplace. The housekeeping elves had a lot of puddles to mop up.
James was the first one to make it to the common room after changing out of his wet clothes and robes. He found a spot to stand and let the flames start to bake the chill out of his bones. He warmed a bit more when he felt two arms snake around him from behind.
"Hey, I thought you said no one could sneak up on you?" Kai's voice said from behind his ear.
"I knew you were coming, but why would I want to stop you from doing this," he said over his shoulder.
Her arms tightened around his waist.
"Wanna go down and get something to eat?" he asked.
"Oh, yes, I'm starving. I could really go for some hot soup."
Apparently others thought that was a good idea and the common room quickly emptied. By the time dinner was over the house elf who was in charge of preparing soups must have been either elated, exhausted or both. The tureens from all the tables made repeated trips back to the kitchen. The following morning, the students found a challenge awaiting them out in front of the castle. A few of the fanciful snow sculptures that had been turning up each winter had made their appearance earlier in the season. This morning the first students to venture out into the aftermath of the previous day's storm found the beginnings of a pair of snow sculptures.
One was for a classic snowman, in the form of a large ball of snow at least seven feet in diameter. Approximately ten paces away was the front of a Centaur hunter that ended at the lower shoulders. A number of students took up the challenge and spent the day in the cold sunshine putting their collective talents to the test. Interestingly, not a single member of either the Gryffindor or Hufflepuff Quidditch team participated. They could be found sitting in front of their respective fireplaces and steadfastly refused to budge except to go down to the Great Hall for meals. Kai and James found a way to enhance the warming experience by occupying the same big chair.
The idea of the wizard's chess tournament turned out to be a timely one. While not as bad as the winter before James was born, it was still a rough one. Snow fell often and accumulations and drifts were heavy. Nearly a hundred students signed up to compete and the preliminary matches were conducted every other evening. There were a fair number of spectators, some of whom were competitors scouting the competition while others were just bored students looking for some diversion from the cold and snow.
Harry spent a fair amount of time walking the tables, watching the 'action' and one evening he noticed that Trevor was looking at him and when they made eye contact the boy got up and walked up to him.
"Sir, can we talk?" the boy said to him quietly.
"Of course. Let's go to my office so we don't disturb the players."
A nod and Trevor fell in step with Harry and they made their way out of the Great Hall and to Harry's office. Harry took one of the chairs in front of his desk and gestured for Trevor to take the other.
"Alright, young fellow, what can I do for you?" Harry asked.
"I'm not a good wizard, am I?"
"I assume you're referring to your apparent minimal magical ability. I certainly doubt you're a dark wizard," Harry said with a kind smile.
"Weak," was all he said.
"Yes, I have heard from your Charms and DADA teachers that you aren't making much progress with a wand, not to mention Transfiguration. But, Trevor, you have to understand that being good with a wand isn't all there is to wizardry. I know for a fact that you are doing very well, exceptionally well in fact, with potions, magical history, and herbology. And let's face it, even though you aren't even taking the class yet, it's clear you're a natural as far as magical creatures are concerned."
"But what about a wand?" Trevor asked with a shrug.
"Well, son, I can give you a couple of examples of students that I started school with here who weren't very good with wands at first, but with a lot of practice and growing stronger in their magical talent, are now quite capable. You've got a lot of time to work on it."
"'s, sir."
"Have you been sleeping alright, Trevor?" Harry asked, partly to change the subject, but out of real concern.
A nod.
"That's good. You can't do your best work if you're tired all the time. And don't be shy about asking for help. It's there when you need it."
A nod.
"Anything else on your mind?"
"Summer?"
"Ah, yes. As you can imagine you can't go back to your previous situation," which got a vigorous nod. "So, arrangements have been made and if you have no objections, you'll be staying with Professor Hagrid at his hut."
A nod and a wide eyed smile.
"Good. It was thought to have you stay here in the castle, but it can be a very lonely place in the summer. This way you'll be around Wullie and your friends from the forest. And you can help Professor Hagrid look after his creatures. And I imagine you'll get regular visits from some special ladies."
A small smile.
"Good man. Alright, so just try and concentrate and get ready for your exams and don't be so worried about what you do with a wand. The first year exams are mostly about the theory."
A nod.
"Anything else? No? Okay, off you go then."
Harry thought the boy looked a little lighter on his feet as he left the office. Trevor's problems weren't over, however. In the weeks that led up to exams he had two additional episodes. Both occurred in the early morning hours and both times, now knowing what to be alert for, the MacTavish brothers just bundled up the frail boy and carried him to the hospital wing on their own. Each episode was identical to the first. The shivering, the shudders and the jolts. And like before, he muttered in the Gaelic sounding tongue.
During these times no one other than Harry was particularly interested in what the boy might have been saying, their only concern was what toll was being taken on him physically.
Harry used what resources were available to him to try and make some sense of what was going on with Trevor. He had enlisted his son Albus' help in scouring the library for any trace of material on Celtic magic. He talked to his teammates from the tome study group to see if they had come across anything that might be pertinent. He even had his mother help him reach that gray place where he spent time talking with Merlin and Professor Dumbledore.
"To be honest, young Harry, I'm afraid I didn't spend much time worrying about what was going on across the western sea. There was more than enough going on right here to fill my time," Merlin told him. "There was on occasion a visitor but no one that provided any information of the sort you require. And as we've discussed before, depending on the time period you're interested in, there were Celts all over both islands as well as the land of the Gauls and the Iberians. I would think you need to isolate the language you believe the boy is speaking in his sleep to narrow down your search."
Once again, the more information he gathered, the more complex the puzzle became. And the more frustrating. The only real diversion he was getting was from the wizards chess tournament. It took until the end of February before he needed to bring his personal set to the castle. Before he let the students loose on the board, he had a chat with the kings of both sides. He wanted them to realize that the players were students and might not offer them a game of the same caliber as Ron and Angus.
As it turned out, the level of competition at this point in the tournament was well within the bounds that the kings found satisfactory and the number of caustic comments were very small. This was more than made up for by the vitriol that they fired at each other. The students found these games hugely entertaining and nearly the whole school attended the final which was won in a hard fought battle by a sixth year Ravenclaw. She was presented with a small trophy and invitations from Ron and Angus for matches.
James was also dealing with something of a puzzle, the Marauders Map. Since returning from the holiday break, his time was taken up with studies and Quidditch. As a reservist he was able to continue his play with the 'The Kids'. In preparations for their exams, the WCKs and their friends were spending every evening in the Great Hall. This left James and his companions little time to explore the other tunnels. James was sure that his Uncle George knew the condition of all the tunnels, but he knew he couldn't ask because it would immediately get back to his father that he had the map. So, it was the hard way. They had tried one where the entrance was hidden behind a mirror on the fourth floor but they found it blocked by a cave-in less than half way along, so he annotated the map and made plans for their next expedition.
"I'd love to find out where this one that starts at the Whomping Willow leads to, but I can't imagine how you'd get into it without being thumped by that crazy tree. The bloody thing almost killed my da and uncle and then it went and ate Da's broom."
"Ate it?" Kai asked.
"Well, it broke it up into so many pieces it might as well have."
"We'll pass on that one, mate," Cecil said, "how about this one? Looks like it starts down in the dungeon. Maybe this time we won't have to take a slide for life."
"No, but we will have to keep an eye out for Stan. It'll be a Saturday and he tends to spend most of the day down there," James advised.
"Sweetheart, how do you know that?" Kai asked.
"The map tells all."
"How is that possible, James?" she asked, "What is the magic behind the map?"
"No clue. All I know is that my uncles gave it to my da and that one of the four names on it might refer to my grandfather. And it's not like I can ask anyone, so I'll just accept that it works and have some fun with it."
"And we have no idea who created these tunnels?" she pressed further.
"Nope, why?"
"I don't know, I guess I just find it odd that a place that is supposed to be so heavily protected would have this many ways in and out that no one supposedly knows about."
"I guess you're right, there," Cecil said, "but I gotta think after a thousand years and more, there's any number of things goin' on in this place that no one knows anymore."
"Too right there, mate," James said. "Have me tell you about the Chamber of Secrets sometime."
They planned to meet right after breakfast down in the dungeon, each making their way separately. James arrived first and had the map out and ready when the others arrived. The entrance was a simple stone panel that was part of the wall of the corridor that led to the potions classroom. While James checked the map, the other two kept an eye on both ends of the hallway. The spell indicated was the simple unlocking spell, 'alohamora'. Then he just had to push on one side and the stone panel swung on center pivots. His lit wand showed a stone lined tunnel that went straight ahead until the darkness hid the rest.
"Off we go," he said as he climbed in.
Kai hurried in after and with one last look around Cecil climbed in. Then he pushed the slab shut. As they shuffled along, bent over to keep from banging their heads, James had to admire how whoever built this particular tunnel did a great job of making sure it stayed dry. They had gone a hundred yards or so when the tunnel began a gradual descent. According to Cecil's watch they were in the tunnel for just over an hour when they came to the base of a shaft. Running up the wall of the shaft opposite from the tunnel opening was the remains of a very badly decayed ladder.
The combined power of their 'lumos' spelled wands was only able to illuminate the shaft about half way up. James squinted and then said,
"Snuff out your wands for a minute."
With no light from below, they could see that there was some light coming from above, shining from the same side of the shaft as their tunnel opening. James pulled out his map and relit his wand, followed by the others. He saw that the line of the tunnel ended at what he assumed was the perimeter of the school grounds. They had remained on a fairly straight course and it looked like it was pointing to the eastern end of town.
"Well, we aren't going to find anything more, not with this sorry excuse of a ladder. Damn, so close," James said.
Kai laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and then they began the trek back to the dungeon. Cecil had been quiet the whole way back. It wasn't until after lunch when he finally told them what he was thinking.
"I've been havin' a bit of a think and what do you say to this? Two of us go back in there and levitate some of those smoke bomb things your uncle sells. The one of us who can go into Hogsmeade keeps an eye out and looks for the smoke. Simple, right?"
"It would be except for two things. One, that might be someone's home or business that we would be filling with smoke. Two, when they come to investigate the smoke, they'll find the shaft and tunnel. I'm not saying no, but I think we'll need to leave that to last."
With no immediate solution available they discussed which would be the next target for exploration and then they settled down for an afternoon of schoolwork. As winter shifted to spring, the snow began to recede, then disappear, with the enormous snowman, the last to melt away, but not before toppling sideways so that it looked like three big snow boulders were resting on the slowly reviving grass.
It was also the time of James' thirteenth birthday. A small party was held in the common room of the Gryffindor Tower and was attended by a goodly portion of the house. His roommates, his cousins and girlfriend and those members of the Quidditch team who weren't a bit miffed at the second year who had shown them up during the snow storm were all gathered by the fireplace. He received a variety of small gifts, mostly from Honeydukes and Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Kai shyly handed him a small wrapped box that when opened revealed a small black leather band that fastened around his left wrist. Deeply embossed but still black were the initials K and J. Without hesitation he put it on his arm and smiled at her. She pulled back he own left sleeve and showed him the second of the set.
It hadn't taken much convincing by someone in the house to get the elves to supply some birthday surprises in the way of cakes and biscuits as well as pumpkin juice. James was pretty sure he knew who to thank. Later in the afternoon when things had settled down and he was taking a little walk with Kai, to walk off some of the food they said, he took the opportunity to say thanks.
"That was a really great party. Mum always made a big fuss when I was at home and I kind of missed that last year. Thank you."
"You're very welcome, sweetheart. But to be honest, Vee and Domi helped a lot. We'll have to make sure we do something for the both of them when it's time."
"Absolutely. And thank you for this," he said, holding up his wrist. "Kind of reminds me of the things the old time warriors and hunters would wear."
Then he pulled her to him and gave her a kiss that she wasted no time in returning and was more than willing to make it last as long as she could. When they pulled apart he looked at those dark, expressive eyes and wondered what he was ever worried about.
Following close on the heels of his birthday was the last Quidditch Cup match for Gryffindor and it was against their perennial nemesis, Slytherin. While the weather was perfect for flying, James was still required to suit up. Slytherin was going to need a big win to make a run at the cup and it was expected to be a bruising fight. It certainly lived up to expectations. Kai and her mates were relentlessly harassed by the Slytherin chasers and beaters. And vice versa. The match was into its fourth hour when a flurry of scores by Slytherin on the second string keeper forced the captain to send in James.
He was actually eager to get up there. He had been watching with growing annoyance how his girlfriend was being manhandled and he wanted to join the fray. He made his presence felt almost immediately when he out maneuvered a fairly sizable chaser who's throw went wide of the right side goal when James' swatted him across the back with the bristles of his broom. From that point the fight was on.
Now James never showed the kind of temper his father was prone to on occasion. He could be very competitive when it involved something he was interested in. And as Ronin had come to discover, he could be very single minded in his determination to do well when he was of a mind to. However, his motivation of the moment was much more basic, perhaps even primitive.
Having come to terms with his relationship with the older girl, his feelings for Kai had become very strong. Having spent several hours watching as she was knocked about, suffice to say he was angry, very angry. He used every opportunity to demonstrate his feelings against the Slytherin chasers that he could. Saves were made with a bit of flamboyance to add some humiliation. If the chaser was too close he got a swat from his broom. In fact, by the time the game ended just after sundown he had sent two chasers to the side lines.
The first was from a well placed blow from his broom as the chaser raced passed him, disorienting the Slytherin enough to send him crashing into the center goal post. The second was more of a direct assault that cost him a penalty, but it was worth it. The particular chaser had been giving Kai the worst of it and when the opportunity finally presented itself he flicked his broom around hard and fast, gave the chaser a face full of bristles and swept him cleanly off his broom to drop to the sand at the base of the posts.
James had accumulated a total of three penalties during the game but only one resulted in a score and considering the number of saves he made, he was well ahead. Madame Hooch, who still taught flying, had retired from refereeing the cup matches. Her replacement was a hard bitten wizard and former pro, who, after the match drifted over toward James and said,
"I realize you're a bit young but you need to work on your subtlety. Much as I despise those snakes, you didn't leave me much choice on a few of those."
On the ground he received a more enthusiastic response. Kai was all over him, praising his effort at saving goals as well as thanking him for taking care of those lumbering oafs as she called them.
"Well played, Potter. Didn't think you had it in you. You might need to work on your approach though. Some of those strikes were pretty obvious."
"Yeah, that's what the referee said. Maybe I just need to consider it like an investment. A few penalty points to let them know I'm no pushover."
With the win and point spread Gryffindor had a good grip on first place but it would still need the final match of the year between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw to decide it. Kai pulled James' arm around her shoulders and they walked out of the tunnel where they both saw Harry waiting on them. When he fell in beside them to walk up to the castle, Harry said,
"Quite a match. Reminded me of the old days. Well flown, Kai. You seemed to be handling the pressure quite well. And you, sir," he directed to James, "when did you decide to unleash the wrath of the gods?"
"I didn't like the way they were shoving Kai around. I guess I get it from you, Da, getting angry at the ones trying to hurt the ones close to you?" he said, getting a tight squeeze around the waist in return.
"I suppose so, son. Just try not to make it so obvious in the future. I don't know if that the referee will be inclined to cut you as much slack as he did this time."
Several things clicked in his head as James walked along. One was that a certain amount of rough and tumble was to be expected and if he was going to keep playing keeper, he should consider doing something to toughen himself up. What he didn't realize that based on his work with Ronin, he was already about the toughest second year there was, but he was still at a disadvantage against the older fliers. The second was that the strategies and tactics that he was learning from Ronin were helping him in the air when it came to things like anticipation, action and reaction. And lastly, his work at archery had sharpened his eye and greatly improved his ability to know where the ball was going to be and where it needed to go. He began to wonder what it would be like to try and hit a target with an arrow while flying on a broom.
He was thinking along these lines when he realized he had said good bye to his father and was walking up the stairs to the tower. When the staircase swung around and hit the third floor landing he was surprised when he was pulled off and down the corridor. The young couple wound up behind the one eyed crone and Kai's arms went around his shoulders and her dark eyes seemed to smolder.
"You are my hero, I hope you know that," she said just before kissing him.
While he was still able to think coherently he concluded that valor really did have its rewards. His father was also doing some thinking at about the same time. He thought that despite all his concerns about what his first born would have to endure as the son of the famous Harry Potter, the boy was doing very well for himself and in some ways was doing much better than Harry had. He was glad that James seemed to be taking a liking to Quidditch as it gave them more in common and he had to smile when he considered what Ted would say about his performance. The older boy would probably want to give him tips on how to be less noticeable when dealing out some punishment.
It wouldn't be long though until such matters as Quidditch would be chased from Harry's thoughts because he was soon to have one of the most unusual encounters of his magical career, which had to be saying a lot. It was the week before exams for OWLs and NEWTs were scheduled and between students asking for extra help, prepping the new first year's list and dealing with the issues surrounding Trevor, exam season didn't so much creep up on him as it did fly right into his face. He had just finished a coaching session with a pair of seventh year Transfiguration students when a message was delivered to him by Stan Shunpike.
"Professor, this was brought up by one of the girls from the Three Broomsticks. Said it was right important."
"Thanks, Stan."
Harry unfolded the parchment and read the few short lines. He was out of his office and on his way out of the castle almost immediately. He had gotten out of the habit of running in the years since his knee injuries but he was walking at a very brisk pace. When he arrived at the Three Broomsticks he was met by Madame Rosemerta and she indicated the table that was the very furthest from the front door. Sitting there, facing the door, was a man who was regarding Harry intently. From where he stood, Harry could see he had red hair, but of a deeper hue than the fiery orange of his brothers. He was wearing a heavy cape of dark leather and his beard was short. Harry walked up to the table and said,
"I'm Professor Potter. I understand you have information regarding the Osborne boy?"
"Oh, aye, Professor, that I have. Would ye be joinin' me?"
The man spoke with a smooth lilting brogue but for some reason Harry felt he wasn't entirely comfortable with it.
"It's a little too public here," Harry replied. "Would you care to come with me?"
"Up to yer school?" the man asked warily.
"No, to a small house I maintain near the school but still in town."
The man seemed to consider this and then he nodded once and rose. Physically the man was not particularly imposing. He was perhaps a few inches taller than Harry but apparently of a slender build although the cape hid much. But there was an intensity about him as if he was a coiled spring ready to unwind at a moments notice. And his eyes, a pale blue, never stopped moving. While Harry could not sense anything untoward about the stranger, he had 'expelliarmus' ready just in case.
Harry led the man out of the Three Broomsticks and down the street, the taller man slightly behind and to his left. When they arrived at the cottage, Harry produced his well used key and gestured for the man to enter.
"The sitting room is to the right," Harry said.
The man looked around him and then made his way into the small room with its two chairs and small couch. The stranger took a seat where he could watch the door and Harry sat so he could watch the man.
"A bit snug and spare for a man of yer eminence," the red haired man observed.
"It's mainly for the fireplace to use the Floo Network. I live in Devon."
The man nodded once and then fixed Harry with those pale blue eyes and said,
"Connor Toal at yer service, Professor."
"Mr. Toal. And what service can you offer as far as Trevor Osborne is concerned?"
"Who the boy is, what the boy is. And why it's so important that he remain here fer as long as he can."
"You have my complete attention."
"First let me ask ye a question, Professor. What do ye know about Irish history and mythology?"
"Not a great deal, in fact. I did have cause to investigate Celtic Britain not too many years ago but even that wasn't very detailed."
Connor Toal nodded and said,
"Not surprisin' really. In a lotta ways it's hard to know where one ends and the other begins. Much of what people think is the history is full of myth and what is believed to be myth is much closer to the truth. Ye do know that the people called the Gaels weren't the original inhabitants?"
"Oh, yes. I know that both of the British Isles underwent a number of waves of invasions and occupations."
"Aye, Eire has seen a few, although she avoided the Romans, the Angles and the Saxons. But not the Normans, no, not them," Toal said, his eyes tightening a bit. "And what might ye know of Irish magic?"
Harry was taken aback slightly by this question but he felt the man was trying to guide him to something so he replied,
"I imagine the simple answer would be to say I'm not aware that there's any difference, since we've trained quite a few witches and wizards here at Hogwarts who call Ireland home. And our study of magical creatures includes those associated with the island. But I have the feeling that's not what you're talking about."
"Well played, Professor. What you call witchcraft and wizardry came to Eire with the Milesians, the Gaels you'd call them. But they weren't the first to use the power to be found there."
Harry sat forward and said,
"Why do you say that? The power to be found there?"
Connor Toal favored Harry with a sly smile and then laughed a bit.
"Oh, Professor, yer the clever one, ye are. We know ye, yes we do. A wizard of yer power and accomplishments knows that the power doesn't come from here," he said, tapping his chest. "It's controlled from here," tapping his head, "but the power is in the lines, yes?"
"Who are you, sir?"
"I've told ye, Professor, I'm Connor Toal."
"Yes, Mr. Toal, so you say, perhaps I should ask, what are you and what is your connection to Trevor Osborne?"
"Better questions, sir. As to the first, I'm simply a man, Professor, such as ye. Perhaps I know a few things most don't and can do a few things most can't, but just a man. As to the boy, ye could say, I'm a watcher, a failed one, but a watcher," the last being said with noticeable chagrin.
Harry took a leap and said,
"He was taken while you were supposed to be protecting him."
"Aye, professor, just so."
"Who did he need protection from?"
Connor Toal stood up and began to pace across the room. Harry watched and waited. He had spent months trying to solve the puzzle that was Trevor and if this man could provide the answer, Harry was willing to wait. The man came to a stop at the tiny window that gave a panoramic view of the cottage and side garden next door.
"Have you ever failed at something, Professor? I mean truly failed?" Toal asked over his shoulder.
"Yes, as a matter of fact I have. More than once," but what Harry was thinking about was that horrible night in the Mysteries Department when Sirius had gone through the veil.
The Irishman turned and looked closely at Harry and with a final nod returned to his chair and said,
"What I'm about to tell ye has to remain a secret, Professor. I believe ye'll keep it, not because I ask, but because it means the continued survival of the boy, and I think that means a great deal to ye."
"Too true."
"As I mentioned before, yer form of magic came to Ireland with the Milesians. Before them were the Tuatha De Danaan and before that the Formorians. There were others but if they had names they're lost to us. Dependin' on what version of history ye choose to believe, out of those times came gods, demi gods, or just heroic men with amazin' powers. Great battles were fought, kingdoms rose and fell, alliances made and betrayed. It was not unheard off for an island boastin' half a million people, one day of fightin' might take off one part in a hundred. And the power of the clans was the heart and soul of it. Clans like the Ui Neills and the Ui Briains. Ye'd know them as the O'Neills and O'Briens."
Harry could see the man's eyes come alive as the tale unraveled.
"That's what's easy to know, Professor. What is known to very few is that long before all that, thousands of years before, great people labored on great works, many of them still to be seen today. But they didn't have the knowin' of the writin' so we don't know who they really were but they did leave us somethin'. Somethin' so important that untold generations have given themselves over to protectin' it."
Again Harry made the leap.
"Trevor?"
"Aye, Professor. Exactly that. Not him only, of course, but his line. Complete and unbroken."
"But why? To what purpose?"
"To be exact, no one knows. But legend says that in time of great peril, one will arise to lead, to save all."
Harry blinked and sat back.
"Sounds familiar, doesn't it, Professor?"
"Yes, it sounds just like the Arthur legend, the once and future king."
"Just so," Toal said with a small smile. "I have to tell ye, sir, that when that fellow from Monmouth, Geoffrey or whatever it was, wrote that story it gave us quite the start. Thought he had found the secret and chose his own way to reveal it."
"Us?"
"Well, those that came before me, sir."
Harry sat back and wondered. Is it really possible that sitting in a classroom in his school was a child that was part of a line from ancient times to some possible future where a disaster of some sort would call forth the eternal hero? He had to conclude that from his own experience he shouldn't rule out the fantastic. And hadn't the dragon said he saw something that wasn't really there? Ginny had suggested just such a thing. And what was contained in the chaotic dream episodes that Trevor had been enduring?
"Then why would someone abduct him and keep him in virtual isolation? What would they hope to gain?" Harry asked.
"There are those that would try to harness the hero to their own purpose. It may also be possible that some think they could profit from such a disaster and would want to keep the hero from prevailin'."
"I suppose I should tell you that Trevor has been experiencing some rather unpleasant episodes. We think it might have to do with suppressed memories trying to come through as the potions he was giving wore off."
"Potions you say?"
"Yes, we determined that both he and the people holding him were given potions to make them forget who he is and why he was being held. We found some bottles with residue. Our potions Professor was able to identify what was being used," Harry explained.
Toal sat back and stared at the ceiling for a bit. Then he said,
"It makes a bit of sense, it does. To others it might make more. It's said that those who wait, like the boy, live in dreams. The dreams tell them and teach them who they are, where they come from, what might lie ahead for them. If he was in the wrong hands, those that held him wouldn't want him to find out. But it's too early, from what I know. He shouldn't be having those dreams until he's a young man. I think maybe the potions have changed that."
"What of his parents? I assume he has them."
"Oh, aye, just like anyone else. We don't know. They disappeared when he did."
"And how did you know to come here?"
"That, my dear Professor, I can't tell you, not now anyway. What I need to know is that the boy is safe and bein' well looked after. Then I can concentrate on findin' those that took him and deal with them. Will he be safe here for a time, sir?" Toal asked.
"I'd say so. We've made arrangements for him to stay here over the summer. The school has powerful spells of protection and there are some very powerful witches and wizards here. He's also made friends among the Centaurs and they will watch him as well. And there is the dragon."
"A dragon?"
"Yes, Hogwarts is under the protection of a Greater Dragon and Trevor is known to him. The big fellow has a very territorial view of the school and its occupants."
"He'll be with ye for a while then?"
"Another six years as a student. He shows remarkable affinity for animals by the way. He might wind up as an apprentice of sorts to our Care of Magical Creatures professor."
"The longer the better, Professor. I could be at my task for years."
Harry sat back and looked at the man and said,
"I know what that's like."