Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belong to J. K. Rowling. In this story, Harry Potter is very old, and is known as 'The Great Wizard.' His name is Bellamy.

Notes: There are 37 chapters in this story, and 245,000 words. There is a list of characters right at the start, plus short explanations of terms used.

Chapter 15

Cramsie McGonnigal was well out of the way when a large, fully made roof rose from the ground, and moved slowly over the barn. Four solid ladders stood at each corner, but at a respectful distance, three with one of the men on top, the fourth with Eva.

Eva called, "Lower now, slowly."

Bellamy watched carefully as he lowered the roof.

"Toward me a little," called Valencio, and the roof obeyed instructions.

There was no wand raised, and an audience watched, though not including Dot and Michael, who were out with Carol and Helene, organising some banking business before the final takeover. There were more fine adjustments, until the steeply pitched roof slid gently into place.

It had yet to be made firm, as otherwise a strong wind might have it sailing off. The ladders were readjusted, now leaning against the roof, rather than freestanding, and the men, including Bellamy, climbed up on the roof. A few women stood about, watching. It was almost noon, hot, and all the men worked shirtless. Jimmy was casual, although the others were more cautious as they moved about the roof, securing it very firmly.

"Nearly finished," remarked Clarence to Bellamy, seeing him pause in his work.

Valencio glanced over and stopped work, his attention caught by something in his posture.

Bellamy answered, "We'll be a bit late for lunch, though." The answer was casual, and Valencio returned to his work.

A moment later, there was a yell of alarm from Clarence, as Bellamy slid down the slope of the roof, briefly checked at the edge as he scrabbled for a new hold, and then fell. Clarence ceased his rash run to help, and hurried to a ladder instead, still taking insufficient care. Jimmy also, Valencio thought, was in too much of a hurry.

By the time Valencio joined the others, Bellamy was flat on his back on the ground, his eyes closed. Emma knelt by his side. His right arm was outflung, palm up, and a red scratch ran along it. His watch was missing, presumably scraped or pulled off as he fell. Valencio stared at a white bracelet scar that encircled his wrist.

Eva was there too, and now said calmly, "He's trembling, probably why he fell, but his breathing's fine. I think he's just knocked out," and she felt gently round the back of his head, her fingers coming away with a small amount of blood.

As if hypnotised, Emma stroked the ridged white scar on his wrist. Slowly she reached for his other hand, and pulled off the watch. There was the same mark, though not as prominent. Somewhere, some time, John had been tied by the wrists, and had fought desperately against the bonds, enough to cause injuries severe enough to make those scars. Gently she put down both wrists, and put her own left hand to her right wrist. She bore no visible scars, but ever since, she'd thought there were scars.

Bellamy blinked and opened his eyes, but lay unmoving, feeling the intensity with which Emma's eyes went slowly to his.

Valencio, too, looked at those marks. The leather cuffs he'd worn for so long had never made scars, soft edged, and he didn't think he'd ever fought very long anyway, just giving up when he knew he was helpless.

Connie went to Emma and put an arm around her. "He's fine. He's awake, and not badly hurt."

Emma said in a high pitched voice, "She died, you see. I held her hand all night, and she held mine, but in the morning, she was looking at me, but she was dead."

Valencio went to her, not quite understanding her words, but his precious little sister was hurting. Emma turned to him, suddenly, sobbing in his arms, as Bellamy rather slowly sat up.

Eva said to him, "Valencio will look after Emma. You'd best just lie down for a while."

"I'm not hurt. Just had a stupid trembling attack at a bad moment." But he was looking pale, and staggered slightly when he stood.

Clarence and Jimmy went to his side and Eva said, "He'd best lie down for a bit."

Valencio kissed Emma, and said, "Come and sit down for a while?"

Emma nodded, her sobs beginning to die down.

Three evenings later, in the ballroom, Emma started to talk. "We were six, Laura and I. We did everything together, thought the same way, like we were the same person. Mum and Dad always dressed us differently, Laura always in reds, browns, yellows, me always in blues and greens. And when we were given toys, it was the same. Like, for instance, Laura would have a red car, and I would have a blue one. And my hair was long, and in plaits, while Laura's was only shoulder length, and loose.

"I'm not sure how we came to be in the hands of the Khatabis. We called him Uncle Larbi, and we trusted him, and never wondered why we were not with our parents any more. He indulged us, took us shopping, spoiled us. We thought he was good and kind. Uncle Larbi, and we trusted him. He had my hair cut to look exactly like Laura's, and bought us new clothes, always exactly the same. We enjoyed the novelty. No-one could tell us apart any more, and when Uncle Larbi made my name appear on my arm, and Laura's on hers, we just thought it funny and clever.

"One day, he took us to a particular dress shop, and asked for special dresses. They had to be white, with lots of frills, and with a big billowing skirt part. One had to have a pale pink ribbon, one with a pale yellow one, but only that little bit of colour, otherwise pure white. Two sets, he asked for, and when they were made, he put one set away very carefully, and let us wear the other, because we thought we were so beautiful in our dresses. He had three other men travelling with him, and they would all make a fuss of us, though we didn't like the others like we adored our special Uncle Larbi. They gave us whatever we asked for, even if it was expensive.

"They took us to a fun fair one day. We wore bright yellow skirts, and frilly white tops, and identical, brand new, shiny black shoes. We went on lots of rides, and on one, Laura was sick, but Uncle Larbi just laughed, told us to shut our eyes, and suddenly the mess was gone, even the smell. When we asked what he'd done, he whispered to us like it was a delightful secret. Magic, he said, and laughed and winked.

"That evening, before going to bed, he had us stand in front of him and Uncle Mikhael. I remember our nighties. Bought just that day. Pretty pink, with frills. We adored new clothes, even when they were only nighties. But anyway, he told us we had to tightly close our eyes, as he had a surprise for us. So I tightly closed my eyes, and I assume Laura did, too. But then my tummy suddenly felt horrible, and I cried, and Laura cried, too, frightened, and not knowing what had happened. But Uncle Larbi soothed, and Uncle Mikhael handed us a teddy each, one with a pale pink ribbon around its neck, and one with a pale yellow one. They had little ribbons around their arms and legs, too. Anyway, we were consoled, and Uncle Larbi told us it was just a little magical spell, so that we wouldn't get sick.

"We went on an aeroplane the next day, and there were more men who looked a lot like Uncle Larbi and the others. I suppose there was a job they were doing in Canada, aside from us, and now it was finished. They spoke in a foreign language a lot of the time, but they looked at us a lot, and sometimes said how beautiful we were, and exactly the same. Uncle Larbi said it was a plane just for us, and for Khatabi family.

"It was a long way, but we were allowed to run around, and when we wanted to sleep, Uncle Larbi made us beds on the seats. We were small enough that we could fit in nicely. And then he patted our heads, gave us a kiss on the cheek, and told us sweet dreams, like always.

"When we arrived in Morocco, we were taken in a quiet gate and put in a little area, a bedroom, two other rooms, and with a fenced garden attached." Valencio knew it, the small end enclosure, where there were toys for children, but not a thing that could be used as a weapon. Emma continued, "There was some play equipment and lots of toys. Uncle Larbi said we were very good girls, and the next night, they would have a ceremony, and we could wear our special white dresses, and meet lots of friends. I remember Laura asking if we'd be going to school, as we were supposed to be learning to read. He said there would be school if we wanted, but we were such special little girls that we wouldn't have to if we didn't want to." Emma smiled, very sadly. "We thought it was good to be special little girls." Emma and Laura's story had to be the most tragic of all, and Valencio had his head down. She'd had a twin, who must have died. How could he stand hearing this? Little Emma, whom he'd always wanted to look after.

"The day of the ceremony was quiet, except that we had lots of visitors, and Uncle Larbi was very happy, because I think they were pleased with him. We were allowed to wear our spare dresses, the white ones with lots of frills, and Laura tore hers when she caught it on a seesaw. But Uncle Larbi said it didn't matter, because that evening, we'd wear the special ones he'd put away for us.

"It was time to get washed and dressed, and Uncle Larbi gave us new little pants, just ordinary little girl pants, plain white. And then he said we had to have special decorations for the ceremony, just like our teddies had, but ours had flowers on. They must have made them specially. Mine were pale pink and Laura's pale yellow, and like he said, they were decorated with pretty flowers, each of them with a silver ring as the centre. Wrists and ankles, like the teddies. We thought they were pretty. We liked them.

"He put on the white dresses for us, with all the frills, and the full skirt. We loved those dresses. They were the most fancy dresses we'd ever had. And we paraded in front of the big mirror, and believed him when he said he was so proud of us, because we were the best and most beautiful little girls he'd ever known.

"They had single beds, side by side. We were obedient, and lay down as instructed, and Uncle Larbi fussed over our clothes, smoothing down the dresses that went to our ankles. Our teddies were tucked next to us, but he wouldn't say why we had to lie down, and then he told us to hold hands if we wanted, so we did. I didn't even notice when he clipped the restraint on the wrist next to Laura, but I think Laura did. Uncle Mikhael was doing her, and she said, 'Uncle Larbi?' Just a bit anxious, still not frightened. Uncle Larbi was talking all the time, just moving around calmly, and so was Uncle Mikhael, and our other wrists and our ankles were restrained before we even tried to get away. We started grizzling a bit then, and Mikhael grinned, but Larbi just sat on the side of the bed, and stroked our cheeks, and reassured. Everything was alright. It was just a ceremony to welcome us."

Emma had her face bowed, and tears were on her cheeks. Carol got up and brought her back a glass of water. She should continue, no matter how difficult. She was no longer six, and her life was in front of her now. Valencio still looked down. His eyes were squeezed shut. How could they have done it? Two little girls who trusted! Larbi. He'd never heard of a Larbi. He hoped very much he was dead.

"He fussed over our clothes again, our long frilly white dresses covering our legs, and a teddy tucked next to each of us. Waved a wand, and I think that's when he made the numbers on our arms. Then two men came in. I think we'd seen them before, just a quick visit to our 'playroom.' They were smiling, and there was a quick conversation in Arabic. Uncle Larbi had told us it was Arabic, when they said things we didn't understand. For a few minutes they sat on the beds, and stroked our cheeks. The one on my bed - he said it was a lovely teddy, but he might put it to the side just for a few minutes. I guess it would have been in his way. Then he said to close my eyes very tight, and not open them until he said. I was beginning to be very frightened, and tried hard to pull away from the restraints. They might have been pretty pink with flowers, but they were still restraints. He said again just to close my eyes very tight, so I did. He lifted up my dress, caressed the little girl pants, and then they were suddenly no longer there. He said sternly, 'Keep your eyes shut,' and I was very frightened by then, and I did. I don't know if Laura was, but we were holding hands very tightly.

"And he said, very softly, 'You can open your eyes now,' and I stared right up at him, and he had no clothes on, and he was lying over me. They must have had it planned, to do it at exactly the same moment, as Laura screamed just half an instant before me, and held my hand even tighter.

"After they finished, they swapped over, and when they were finished with us, two more came in. When I saw those scars on the wrists of John... Mine didn't scar, but I always thought they did." She was caressing her wrists again.

"I think there were about nine or ten, but I wasn't counting, and then Uncle Larbi came back in. And we were crying, and complaining that they hurt us, and was the ceremony over, because we wanted to go home."

She was silent for a little. No-one interrupted. At last she gave a long shuddering sigh. "In all that time, it was the first time we'd thought of home and our parents. Anyway, Uncle Larbi soothed, and bathed our faces, and then he bathed between our legs where we were so sore. It was comforting - gentle cool water. But he wouldn't let us go. Just said that the ceremony wasn't quite finished yet, but that nothing else would hurt. It was just something necessary, and he'd lied a little in the beginning so we wouldn't be frightened. And he got some more cool water, and bathed me again. And then he adjusted the ankle straps so our legs were pulled a little wider, took off his robe, and he did it too. Then he moved over to Laura.

"When he was finished, he carefully arranged our white dresses back down over our wide apart legs, tucked the teddy bears close to our sides, and let Uncle Mikhael in, and the other two who'd been with us. He stayed a while, I think, and watched. More men, and more. I don't know how many. All the time, we held hands. Sometimes, they tried to do it together, a man on me, and a man on Laura, as if it was a novel new game.

"After a while, I stopped feeling it, and maybe I slept. There was a window above us, and when I woke, there was a light coming in. It was morning, and I looked at Laura, and she was awake, too, because her eyes were open, and looking at me. Except that it was not quite right, because she didn't move.

"No-one came for a long time. And then a young man, who looked terribly upset, and he undid the restraints from me, but had to work hard to make us stop holding hands. And he carried me to Enclosure 1, and gave me to Hilde."

Hilde remembered. Such a tiny mite, and so much blood. And she hadn't even known at the time there had been a twin sister. Emma said, "I want to say some more, but I want to say it tomorrow."

Hilde said, tears on her face, and in her voice, "Tomorrow."

Hilde was the only one of all of them who had put on a little weight, and now she held out her arms to the six year old child in the body of the grown woman, and Emma sobbed in the arms of the round, comfortable woman, as she had never sobbed in all the intervening years. Laura, the other part of herself, gone these past twenty years. A victim of the Khatabis.

There were others crying. How could they? Little girls, who trusted their Uncle Larbi. Valencio's head was bowed over Tasha, held very tight in his arms. She was sobbing, remembering. The tiny child, held in the arms of young Abensur, who'd looked distraught. He didn't say there'd been another, and Emma... They'd found out about the twin sister a few days later, from Kofi-Zee. He hadn't been an enclosure guard then, though he would have been rostered on sometimes of course, like they all were.

After a long time, Emma came to Valencio, and said solemnly, calmly, "You can't go and kill them all. Most of those involved are dead anyway."

Valencio's voice was not nearly as calm, as he asked, "Nusa'pei. What was he doing?"

Tasha answered him, shakily, "He was away at the time, and there was another doing the job of overseer. Kofi-Zee killed him, along with at least two others, including a Khatabi. There was a lot of fighting."

Hilde joined the group. For so long she'd worried over Valencio, and now he looked far more upset than Emma, who seemed only tired. Hilde thought Valencio perfectly capable of returning to Morocco, and trying to wipe out the remaining family, whether or not Zhor and Najia were a part of it.

She said slowly, calmly, "It was a long time ago, and resulted in the deaths of several of the worst sadists among them. The two main culprits were poisoned, and we always thought maybe it was the women responsible for that. But for weeks, there was duelling, and it didn't stop until nearly all those involved were either dead or gone, fled to Japan, or gone entirely. Good ones died too, like Kuwaja. Kofi-Zee challenged a Khatabi, though it hardly ever happens, only occasionally when a whipping is ordered, and a challenge is issued instead. Almost always, the servant is killed, but that time, it was the Khatabi. And no-one was bothering with Vidi-Curses, we heard. Just Death Curses, mostly."

She was talking very deliberately, trying to calm Valencio, who'd always been unstable.

Emma sat down next to him, and he put his arm around her. Hilde continued, "Abimael was one of their best Fighters, though he was nearly sixty. He killed Mikhael, who maybe didn't realise how serious he was. Abimael's leg was severed already when he sent the Death Curse that got Mikhael. The head of the security forces was killed, and that was when Fahad took over, and Fahad killed several, as well."

Tasha put in, "We heard that Abensur forgot all prudence, and the moment Emma was delivered to Hilde, went to where the Khatabis were breakfasting, and yelled at them what disgusting, sadistic brutes they were. He was lucky he wasn't killed, but he was hauled away, and whipped very severely. He nearly died, we heard."

Valencio said, in a low voice, "He had scars."

Emma said, "I didn't know he was whipped because of us."

Hilde said, "I tried to tell you, a few weeks later, about the ones killed, as well, but you stopped eating, again, and I decided it was best to let you forget, as much as possible."

Bernice arrived with a tray. "Hot chocolate drinks," she said, "I think we all need them tonight."

Emma straightened from her position leaning on Valencio, and accepted the comforting drink. She smiled mistily at Bernice, and said, "It definitely helps."

xdividerx

The following morning, Valencio watched as a line of ponies started along the Pamela Track. Emma, Clarence, Connie and Hilde. Poor Emma. She said she felt just a little better now, and tonight she was going to continue a little. She was braver than he was.

Cam was there again, coaching Ingrid, Eva and Lucy over jumps. Tiffany was in an adjacent paddock, taking Patrick over much higher jumps. Bellamy had already taken Kennedy out for a ride, and was now fussing over the mares and foals. Three foals, just a couple of months old. Much admired, much cosseted.

Mary was sitting on a garden seat, sketching. Mildred was frowning thoughtfully over the new garden, and a trio of women were methodically cleaning the outside toilet blocks. There would be more doing inside. The routine jobs. Everyone was subdued. No-one bothered being rude and angry at Bellamy, as they had in the last few days. Each time he only listened with courtesy, and obviously had not the slightest intention of changing his mind.

In the evening, Emma left the side of Valencio, and went to Hilde, who had a large mug of hot chocolate for her, again. It was Hilde who'd looked after her at the time, and Hilde she wanted now. Hilde asked gently, "Do you want me to start?" Emma nodded.

Hilde told them all about the aftermath, the whipping of Abensur, and the fighting. What she'd told Valencio the previous evening, in order to try and get him settled. Valencio could act very stupidly, sometimes. Emma took over again, relating how Abensur had started to use her, very, very gentle, until she was no longer frightened. Hilde put in that she'd been worried that they were going to kill her, as useless to them, and that maybe Abensur was saving her life.

Emma nodded, "I think you're right. He always had a potion himself, as if he just wouldn't be able to do it if he didn't. And after a while, he often just asked for me, lay with me a while, and sent me back, but he told me not to tell anyone he didn't have sex with me. He did it now and again, I think it was so I wouldn't get too frightened again. Then there was a friend of his, and he didn't always do it either. Then there gradually started to be a few more, but I was never popular, except for when strangers came. Mostly they just acted as if they didn't see me. Yiko had me as Favourite for a while, and that was good, because he only used me maybe once a week, but I was protected."

Hilde said, "After you, I don't think there was anyone come in under the age of twelve. I think the story got to the women, maybe because of all the fighting afterwards. Maybe Riza gave orders."

Margaret said, "When I was taken, it was from a gym class, and many of us looked younger than our ages. And he asked, 'Are you ten, eleven?' And the others all gave their ages - nine, ten, eleven, and he came to me, and I said proudly, "I was twelve last week! So he took me."

Tasha was sitting very close to Valencio again, and said, "Abensur wasn't too bad. He did his best for Emma, and then later he helped you."

"He was only like a farmer looking after his stock. Don't you remember what Jimmy told us? They were treated as kindly as possible - except that they were hurt terribly, and would all have been dead in the end if things hadn't changed. And how many youngsters did we see suddenly wearing the green stripe of Fighter? To be a qualified Fighter, they would have killed, maimed, and tortured the subjects provided by Abensur and Nusa'pei. Abensur is not a good man."

Tasha replied, after a pause, "Maybe because we went though what we did. Less terrible seems like good."

Valencio mentioned casually, "I nearly killed Abensur once, but there was no point, except that I resented him having a bet that he could tame me."

Tasha said, astounded, "He had a bet?"

Valencio grinned ruefully, "I had to be unrestrained, obedient, and him not murdered. But he told me later he never claimed, as I was not truly obedient."

Tasha said quietly, "And how close did you come to killing him?"

Valencio was about to be in trouble again, he suspected. He looked a bit shifty.

Tasha said severely, "Well?"

Valencio asked if she'd like another chocolate.

Very quietly, Tasha repeated her question, and Valencio reluctantly answered, "Pretty close. We were in the bedroom, no guards present. I took his wand and knocked him out. I had a nice, sharp blade, ready to kill him with. It had been hidden there a long time. But I put it back in its hiding place, and just waited for him to wake up instead. I didn't kill him. He'd won, and I was tamed."

Tasha stared at him, and suddenly laughed, shaking her head. "How we managed to get you through it, alive!"

Valencio said defensively, "I don't think I'm naturally murderous - only wizards."

Tasha said severely, "Well, don't go thinking of killing Michael or John, will you."

Valencio said, "Of course I won't, or only if they turn on us."

Tasha laughed, "They won't turn on us."

Valencio shrugged. They were wizards, weren't they?

xchapter endx