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.

There are 37 chapters in this story, 245,000 words.

Chapter 30:

In the middle of February, Valencio and Tasha returned to Loch Lomand. Tasha was furious with Peter Vojkovic. Valencio had so much enjoyed making Aegean Romance, and then Vojkovic had ruined it all by tempting him with the thing he hated. It was not Valencio's fault. He'd fought so hard and so long, but then Abensur had changed him, saved his life by making him enjoy it. Now he was morose, shamed, reluctant even to make love with her, as if he thought he didn't deserve it. She tried to be patient. She loved him. If only he'd talk about it, but all he said was that they should never go back there. It was a sick environment.

But Tasha loved Hollywood. Loved the fuss that was made of her as the wife of a movie star. Loved the attention paid to her by wealthy and sophisticated people. There was one man in particular, Stuart Dorner. Not that she really fancied him, of course. Just that he knew so much, and she liked that. Her own husband seemed so ignorant sometimes. Tasha didn't realize that she, too, seemed so ignorant sometimes. For twenty-six years, Tasha had led a severely restricted life - a one year 'bridging course' was not really enough to overcome the handicap.

There were other things. She'd had a role in a movie, even if a very small role. And there were the entertainments, many in the daytime, when Valencio was working. A few on the weekends. But even on weekends, Valencio was often working. Aegean Romance had been fitted in between major movies that Schuster was involved in, and there had been pressure to complete filming.

There were the Academy Awards in March. They already had the invitation. Valencio, of course, was one of the nominees. How wonderful to step from a limousine onto a red carpet, have 'Paparazzi' taking pictures. But Valencio just shook his head, and said they couldn't possibly go. There was work to do, and he could not be spared from Loch Lomand.

Tasha sighed. Maybe it was too soon, and she wrote to decline the invitation, giving the excuse of illness. She assumed they could send the award, if he did win it.

Valencio cheered up as soon as they stepped out of the aeroplane at Duich Airport. "I hope someone's still doing the bus run," he commented to Tasha, who replied, "Maybe we should have phoned and checked, but I'm sure they intended to keep it up. Even without our own visitors, Jimmy told me ages ago that it paid its way."

A short time later, they emerged from the airport building to see the familiar small bus, with a sign saying Duich, Glen Kay, Loch Lomand, Bogridge. "Farfalla!" exclaimed Tasha, and called.

Farfalla beamed, and hugged, "Welcome home!"

A middle-aged couple waited patiently, luggage beside them, needing a ride to Glen Kay. It had become a service that people depended on.

Valencio turned to the couple, and said, "Help you with your luggage?"

Farfalla, reminded, asked where they wanted to go, accepted the money for the ticket, and smiled again at Valencio and Tasha.

Tasha asked, "Will we pay?"

Farfalla replied that of course they didn't pay, and consulted her watch. "Just a couple more minutes to see if anyone else needs transport, and we'll be off home."

Tasha remarked, "I hated being away for Christmas, but it couldn't be helped. They only gave Vince two days off, and just one for New Year's Day."

Valencio said, "They were a touch behind schedule then. Caught up again later. Schuster's starting his next movie almost straightaway."

A couple of young men, backpackers, came hurrying forward, and asked, heavily accented, "Bogridge?"

"Sure," said Farfalla, and Valencio opened the luggage compartment again, accepting the backpacks and stowing them, as Farfalla took the fares. Their English was poor, and Farfalla used German, to their pleasure.

"Right. Everybody in, shopping centre, Duich, then Glen Kay, Bogridge, Loch Lomand."

Valencio smiled at Tasha. Loch Lomand. Home. Farfalla took another sweeping glance around, making sure there were no laggards, and climbed to the driver's seat.

"Any changes?" Valencio asked Farfalla.

"Some. Carol's exchanged twenty single units for six family units, even fenced, in case of small children, or dogs. Inge can't decide what she wants to do, and for now, just helps generally, and does a bit of modelling. She wants you to take her to see Laurie. She thinks if you can act, so can she."

"I've finished now. No more movies. I do need to see Laurie, though, so she can come with me then."

"She'll be pleased. She says there's no good even trying without some sort of an intro, and she's heard about so-called casting couches as well."

Valencio asked, "The new units furnished yet?"

"Partly, but Carol wanted your help when she buys new double bunks to put in children's bedrooms. Each of the little yards need attention as well. Just a few flowering plants in pots, Mildred said, and a bit of lawn."

Tasha asked, "Did you hear I had a part in Aegean Romance as well?"

Farfalla smiled, "Since you put it in every letter you wrote, it was hard to miss."

"I'm not sure how much I'll be in the final product. Schuster seemed undecided for a while. There were a lot of extra scenes, and I was in some of those, but he kept saying they would probably not be used."

Valencio asked, "Was that the weekend I had off, and you had to work?"

"That's right, straight after the premiere."

"Did you hear why the changes of mind?"

"No, they had everyone confused for a bit. Except Vivienne. I had a feeling Vivienne knew what it was about, but she didn't talk to us much."

Valencio smiled, "She thinks she's a big star, that everyone else is unimportant."

"Did she talk to you?"

"Not very much." But he turned to the backpackers then, and said, using German, "Cold weather for travelling!"

One of the young men replied, "We found work in summer without any trouble. But there doesn't seem to be any around any more, and so we're doing a little more exploring until our money runs out and we have to go home."

Jimmy was gone, Clarence ageing, and unsuited to manual labour, Gary lame, and there was heavy work to be done. Valencio asked, "What sort of work do you do?"

"Anything on offer. We're not frightened of hard work."

"Is your accommodation booked?"

"No, but we don't expect problems at this time of year."

The youngsters spoke of where they'd been - an extended visit to the Lakes District of England the most recent. They were interrupted when Valencio hopped off to help carry luggage for the middle-aged couple, who were let off at the one hotel in Glen Kay.

Mrs. Maguire watched as the bus left. She said, "Robert, remember the film we saw a few weeks ago. Son of Satan? Do you think...?"

"Well, they were talking about acting."

Mrs. Maguire smiled, "Something to tell Kate - that a film star carried my suitcase for me."

Meantime, the film star said, "Farfalla, can we go to Loch Lomand first? I want to ask Carol if I can have Hans and Kurt to help me for a couple of weeks."

"It's nearly on our way. Hans, Kurt? Alright with you?" The boys grinned at each other.

The South Wing was closed for winter, unheated, and very chilly, but there were a dozen guest bedrooms in a separate corridor in the main part of the castle, and Kurt and Hans were established there. Their English was poor, but many of their hosts had quite good German.

The next day, Carol, Tasha, and the three men walked, inspecting. Two dogs followed them, Shona so close to Tasha that she tripped her up now and then. "Tennis courts!" remarked Valencio.

Carol asked, "Kurt, Hans, can either of you play tennis?"

Kurt answered, "I used to play quite well."

"Well enough to give lessons?"

"Maybe, for beginners..."

"Hans?"

"I've played a little."

Valencio said, "I've never played tennis. Time I learned."

Carol nodded. "We've bought a dozen tennis racquets, and a bag of tennis balls, but no-one but Gary even knows the rules."

They came to the new family units, neatly in two blocks of three, facing each other, and with a good sized, fenced common area between.

Carol pointed. "For small children. I want tables and chairs, for parents, plus some really little tables and chairs, also some swings, and maybe a sandpit for children to play in, nice and close so parents can watch."

Tasha commented, "It's lovely to have little children around."

Valencio said, "Gloria doesn't like them much!"

"We're having a maximum of fifty at a time this year, but that's the limit, and includes children. Gloria's planning to buy a few more ponies, 12 to 13 hands, pretty, especially for children, and also maybe for use as pack ponies."

"Dandy?"

"Still useful, but getting old. We'll retire him soon, and send him to John's, like Daddy Longlegs and Jenny."

She showed them inside one of the units. "Some furniture from the old units, but tomorrow, and probably for a few days, I want Hans and Kurt with me, helping me buy furniture, and then install it. Double bunks mostly, and they might need to be assembled." She looked around, "Probably most of the ones with families will prefer to be self-sufficient, except maybe for dinner. So they all have stoves, fridges, cutlery, crockery, and so on."

Valencio looked at Carol with respect. "It takes a lot of organization."

Carol smiled, "It's an immense satisfaction." She said to Valencio, "You can fix your truck, go galloping with Gloria, and play with your chainsaw. I'll use Kurt and Hans, and you can have a holiday."

"I'd best check the horse shelters and paddocks."

"They're quite clean. Peter Barnes made a visit."

"I hope he saved the manure. We need it for fertilizer."

"He left it in piles, maturing, as you always do." Valencio scratched his head. He hadn't expected leisure. Work usually piled up when he was away.

Carol said, "We'll look at the horse paddocks now, and if you like, you can say hello to the horses, and then we might saddle a few ponies, and check the apple orchard." She glanced at the backpackers, "Can you ride?"

The youngsters shook their heads.

"Time to learn then. The ponies are very quiet."

Valencio started to teach the young men to bridle and saddle a horse. Dragon Breath nuzzled him, and he smiled, patted his neck, and said, "Spring soon."

Tasha was making a fuss of Honey. Shortly afterwards, Valencio led off, followed by Kurt and Hans, looking thoroughly awkward on Lightning and Thunder. The new apple trees looked dead, but so did all the others. Deciduous. He supposed they'd look different when spring came. The gardens looked bleak. He supposed they'd look different when spring came as well. Valencio's involuntary reaction to the hard embrace of the Cossack, had left him depressed. But he was home now, and he made a firm decision to forget it. He wasn't going back to Hollywood, he'd already known that he had a weakness, but he was safe at home. It was probably just that Peter was so big, and somehow big men had an effect. Like Hicham. But all he had to do was to make sure they never had a chance to manhandle him, and then he was safe.

He didn't see much of Kurt and Hans for the next few days. They were fully involved with Carol, preparing the new units for visitors. Instead, he rode the Pamela Track with Tasha, pausing a long time at the small memorial that said, 'Jeremy, who was in Japan for a few years...'

They were talking more about their times in the enclosures, and Tasha said, "You think he was like you..."

"I think he probably killed himself, because he was hurt too much."

Tasha said quietly, "It's the one for Magritte Berne that always affects me most." She softly related the story. "Magritte Berne, aged eight. She was in the enclosure three days, and then they came for her, for Ahjmed. And Carol hugged her, and told her to be brave. And she walked off with them, bravely. But she didn't come back." Her eyes were wet.

Valencio said, "All of them... All of us... And they were not punished. Not properly punished."

"John stopped it happening. He didn't really punish..."

Valencio said, "You know that pendreiya he put on - that we could not talk about magic or Wizardkind?"

Tasha nodded.

Valencio smiled. "It's breakable. I told Dave that there were wizards walking among us, preying on innocent people. He thought it was a joke, and I didn't tell him different. But if we wanted to, we could make a lot of trouble for Anirage!"

"Do you want to?"

Valencio sighed, and said, "John's done too much for us. And Susan and Dot, Peter Barnes... They're all decent people. It makes me feel better that the pendreiya is not binding, but I don't really want to make trouble for them."

Saturday afternoon, Valencio asked Kurt and Hans if they wanted to go into town, maybe meet some of the locals at the pub. They agreed with pleasure, but were surprised when Valencio was greeted with hoots and whistles. Valencio was a little red, but fobbed off the ribbing, and introduced Hans and Kurt to several of those there. He knew a lot of them now, and was known to more.

The bar tender plumped a beer in front of Valencio, and said, "Satan's Brew for you, Vince? It's on the house."

Valencio laughed, and pulled out his wallet. "Beers for you?" he asked the Germans.

"Ja, bitte."

He asked, "Have you actually seen it, Jack?"

"The wife insisted. She raved over it for days."

Valencio grinned, "There'll be none of the girls around wanting to go to bed with me now. A lethal attraction!"

"Bloody Hell, Vince! That scene!"

Valencio shrugged, "Just acting. Poor Nikole complained for days that her jaws ached from having to have her mouth open so long."

Kurt asked, confused, "Nikole?"

Valencio switched to German. "I did a bit of acting last year. I presume Jack saw it in Duich."

Jack said, "Satan's Son, it was called. Very well reviewed."

"Not universally. You should have seen what Christian Weekly had to say about it! I've done another since then." He grinned, "I was allowed to play with swords, and pretend to be a captain of a sailing ship. I was a romantic hero, and was never seen without my perfectly tailored, though tight fitting breeches. Very dignified."

He repeated it in German again, as Hans was looking confused, although Kurt seemed to be getting along better with the language.

A young man called Paul joined the group. He wanted to talk to Vince alone, but it took a while, and some cooperation from Erin and Roddy, to entertain the Germans, so that Vince didn't feel he was abandoning them. And then he was frank, "Vince, can I talk to you a moment?"

"Of course," Valencio answered, a bit surprised.

Paul indicated. "Over there."

Valencio followed him to the quiet table. Paul said nothing for a while, except that the weather was mild for the time of year. Valencio asked, "Will I get us a couple more beers?"

Paul quickly rose, "I'll get them."

It took ten more minutes, and then abruptly, Paul said, "I want to marry Inge."

Valencio had suspected it might be something like this, and said, "If you win her, you'll be getting a wonderful wife. She's a great girl."

"My mother said she can't have children."

"That's true. She can't have children."

Paul said, appealing, "I love her."

"You're young enough to adopt."

"Why can't the Loch Lomand women have children?"

Valencio hesitated, and then said baldly, "We were taken for sex. The women were all sterilized."

Paul objected, "She has no scars."

Valencio shrugged, "They were sterilized. No-one ever became pregnant."

Paul was silent, and then said, "That's another thing. She's been something like a prostitute. My mother said I should look for a decent girl."

Valencio's eyes narrowed, and he said, "If I took you behind the pub, overpowered and raped you, would you lose your decency? None of us had any choice. And Inge... Inge, Brigitta, Evita, the young and popular ones. They worked hard to save all our lives. Those last years, a false move, and we'd all have been just killed off." He leaned forward, and said, looking straight into the eyes of the young man, "I owe my life and my freedom to Inge. She is an honourable and a courageous girl. Let no-one dare to say she's not a decent girl..." He sat up again, and said coldly, "I really don't think you deserve her. She can find someone better."

Paul was looking down, and said, "I'm sorry. It's an old-fashioned point of view. Something like a prostitute, my mother said."

"Certain important differences. First, we were never paid, and second, we never had the choice. It does not make any of us less than you, or anyone around."

"Never paid."

Valencio half smiled. "I was given a present once, a train set, suitable for ages six to twelve, though I was seventeen by then. It was confiscated because there were metal parts that could be turned into weapons, but a couple of the women managed to keep a couple of bits of train track anyway, and I turned them into small spears. It was a different life, and it is not for you to judge us."

Paul said humbly, "I am sorry. I should not have made you speak of it. Inge never speaks of it."

He looked up at Valencio, and asked, "Were you badly hurt?"

"I was not a good slave. I had four owners, and tried to kill three of them. I was badly hurt at times, but most of us, as long as we did as we were told, were not very often hurt."

"Any killed?"

"The older ones remember culls, when the numbers of prisoners would be reduced. I never saw anything like that. And as I said, it was the young ones who worked very hard to try and ensure there was not another casual cull."

Paul said quietly, "I've been very lucky, haven't I? All of us here, living in a quiet and peaceful place."

"I love it here. As you said, it's quiet and peaceful - the best place."

Paul said, suddenly grinning, "So when are you going to get yourself a McDonald kilt?"

"I don't know. Would real McDonalds beat me up?"

"There are McDonalds all over the world. If you want to wear the kilt, I doubt if anyone will object."

Valencio grinned. A bare bottom under the kilt? And a traditional kilt wasn't very long. How Ben would love that! He said, "I think I'll stick to trousers."

Paul asked, "Will I take Inge to see Son of Satan?"

"She'll probably like the next one better, Aegean Romance. And that has a rating for general viewing. Not adult only." He grinned again, a bit sheepishly, "No nudity."

Paul rose, and said politely, "Thank you for talking to me."

Valencio nodded casually as Paul left. He hadn't bothered trying to pretend he wasn't one of those taken for sex. No-one looking at him would believe it in any case.

He looked around. Kurt and Hans seemed to be having a good time with Roddy and Erin, and Valencio sat back in his chair, thinking about what he'd said to young Paul. That it was for no-one to judge, that Inge, and by implication, himself, were decent human beings, in spite of what they had been. But was it the same for him? He'd been a boy, used by men. And after Abensur, he'd started to enjoy it. What if Kane or Adam had been raped? What if they were raped again and again, but gently, so that, in the end, they'd started to like it, look for it?

But he was beginning to feel ill, and didn't pursue the thought to its logical conclusion, as perhaps he should have done. It still shamed him dreadfully that he'd enjoyed it, sometimes even invited it. And what if Tasha hadn't intervened when Peter had him? Would he have tamely walked off with the man?

He shook his head, and suddenly remembered being very ill that horrible first night, when he comprehended just what was to be done to him. He was looking down at the table, and his expression was very, very sad. He might have defended Inge, but he still had a conviction within him that he, himself, bore a shameful wound, even now unhealed. And a terrible, threatening weakness. How could he live with himself if he gave in to the temptation? He suspected he could not. Could Yiko's pendreiya, if indeed it existed - could Yiko's pendreiya be broken?

Lily Podger sat beside him, and said, "You're in line for an Oscar, Vince. You should be looking happy."

Valencio shook off his bleakness, and smiled at her. As far as he knew, Lily was the only one around who had recognized him as Valencio, from those old movies. He said, "The one I've just finished was a lot more fun. Undemanding, pure romance!" He smiled, "They made me have a scar down the face, but thin, not disfiguring of course, and I wore an eye-patch, and looked perfectly dashing!"

xdividerx

Kurt and Hans always ate in the visitors' dining room, and Mary and Gary looked after themselves these days, only joining the others for meals when there was something special.

At dinner Saturday night, Inge said, "About Laurie, Vince. When can we go?"

"I have an appointment Tuesday, and said I'd bring someone for him to meet."

Evita asked, "Me, too?"

"I thought you wanted to be a veterinary nurse."

"I've been looking at myself in the mirror, had Farfalla take pictures so I could try and look at myself objectively. And now I'm convinced. I'm eighteen now, quite stunningly beautiful, and I want to be an actress."

Valencio said, "You do have to be able to act as well."

Evita smiled. "I acted for Ryuichi. Pretended I was paralyzed, and he used to call me Valencio, and soothe, and say I was not to kill him because he was being so, so very gentle."

Valencio stared, incredulous, and broke into laughter.

Evita smiled smugly. She'd known he wouldn't be upset, not these days, when he was so confident and cheerful. She went on, "When he started to lose interest, I told him he was on my list, along with all the others. That one day, I'd get him."

Valencio shook his head, still laughing, and finally managed, "Who told you about my list?"

"Helene, but she said to keep it to myself. It was just to keep his interest."

Inge asked, confused, "A list?"

Valencio enlarged, "A list of those I wanted to kill. It got a bit long in the end, and I only ever managed to kill one."

"Tell us about the one you killed."

Valencio hesitated, and the others waited. Would he tell the story? No-one had heard it.

Valencio said, "They used to put me under Filuah Kay, take me to the bedroom, and then take it off, and very quickly paralyze. Never had a chance to fight. But Charandev was a bit stupid. I persuaded him to change it to semi-paralysis, distracted him so that he looked away from my face, pulled a shiv from where it was hidden under my hair, and struck. He bled all over the room, and died as I watched. It was the happiest I'd been since I was taken."

"How did you dare?"

Valencio shrugged, "Nusa'pei came in and laughed. I wasn't punished. I had a go at Rotan a few months after, and I wasn't punished for that either."

Helene said, surprised, "I thought you were."

"Not by Nusa'pei. Only by Rotan, and he was whipped for it."

Helene said, "Where did you say you had a shiv?"

Valencio indicated. "I stuck it on my scalp a few days before I went into general use. My hair covered it, and they never seemed to touch just there. I wore it for months. Used it for Charandev, used another hidden in the same place when I tried for Rotan, but when I pulled it off, I pulled skin off as well, and they must have seen the blood. They always searched there afterwards."

Helene said, "I always thought it made you more popular with them, not less, that you were likely to try and kill them."

"You're probably right. But sometimes, it's not possible to be sensible," and he said to the girls, "About acting. You do know that it can be a very risky environment. And you are both stunningly beautiful. You could be prey."

Inge said, "You're managing."

Valencio shook his head. "I'm not managing. I'm telling Laurie to take me off his books."

Tasha opened her mouth to say something, and then looked down. She'd leave it for now. It was what he was made for. He'd miss it after a while, and when he read a good script, he'd want to go back to it.

Inge said, "Maybe if we stay together, especially at auditions. Or you could come with us."

Valencio urged, "Make English films - it's probably better in London than in Hollywood. I'm never going back to Hollywood."

"What about the Awards Night?"

"I'll watch it on TV. I'm not uninterested - I'd like an Oscar, but I'll just watch it from home, where it's safe." He looked seriously at the girls. "You must know, as much as anyone - it's not safe to be beautiful. Too many people want you, and there's always a few who can't take a hint."

Evita said, "Well I definitely want to see Laurie."

Inge said, "Me, too."

"Tuesday then. I suppose just because I can't cope, doesn't mean you can't." Valencio thought that women were stronger than men. The women were always strong compared to him.

Evita said carelessly, "Kurt's rather good-looking."

Inge said, "Hans is cute."

"I thought Paul was your boyfriend, Inge."

"He was for a while. We broke up a few days ago. He thought he could tell me what to do."

Evita said, "We thought we might entertain Hans and Kurt tomorrow."

Inge said to Carol, "You are going to let them have Sunday off, aren't you?"

Carol smiled at the girls, so full of life. "They can have Sunday off." She remembered so many of those around her as traumatized children, just as she'd been herself. Inge and Evita seemed unscarred, though they were not, of course.

Inge said to Evita, "Go find them after dinner? They might like a swim."

Evita said, "Naked?"

Inge grinned, but asked, "What about you and Tasha, Vince?"

"Just in case they can't take a hint..."

"If we decide to give them a hint!" Both girls were giggling.

The boys watched, mouths agape, as Tasha and Vince slipped clothes off casually, and dived in the water, followed by Inge and Evita. Then Hans grinned at Kurt, and slipped his own clothes off, followed, more hesitantly, by Kurt.

The swimming pool room was warm, for swimming all year around. Tasha and Valencio sat together on the edge of the pool after a while, noticing that the flirtations seemed to be coming along nicely. Valencio remarked, "I think Kurt should have worn shorts."

Tasha said, "You know those sex scenes in Son of Satan. Did they need to edit much?"

"A little. I've always been too easily excited."

Tasha put an arm around him, "Do you think they'll mind if we leave them now?"

Valencio smiled at her, "Maybe we'd best wait until we're dismissed."

xchapter endsx