Disclaimer in first chapter.
This is a contuation of the last chapter.
Avalon Part 2
Harry's tears, soon, began to subside, his heart felt lighter than it had in well over a year. Gently pulling away from the queen's embrace, he wiped at his face, clearing the aftermath of his tears. "Forgive me, your highness, I…I hadn't meant to break down like that," he said hoarsely.
"Think nothing of it, Harry, dear," the Queen of the Fae soothed.
She gently rubbed at his cheek affectionately, "you had every right to break down and let your tears fall. A great burdensome life you have lived, so far."
"But you are here now, dear child," she spoke with motherly affection, "let the peace and healing powers of Avalon and its people help to heal you're would soul and mend your broken heart," her hand rested on his chest over where his heart would be found.
Harry gave her a week but grateful smile. "Um, exactly," he paused running his hand through his hair nervously, "how did I end up here?"
A warm smile graced Mab's full, ruby red lips, "The Sisters of Destiny, themselves, brought you to us."
Her confession leaving a look of puzzlement on his face, so she explained. "I was holding court when to our surprise, three Sisters entered amongst our ranks announced, between them your battered and bloodied body was held with love and care. They bid us to heal and care for you for a time, as you were, well enough to change your Fate and embrace the Destiny you were always supposed to be yours."
"I'm afraid that I don't understand why the Sisters would take an interest in me," Harry sighed, internally displeased to learn that his life still was not his own.
Taking pity on her young charge, she took his hand in hers, "No one's life is truly their own, Harry. Not even the gods can escape their Destiny, though like mortal being they can change their Fates."
Using her other hand, she gently took his chin, turning him to face her fully. "Though your Fate, so far, has been unavoidable thanks to the meddling of wizards. It does not mean that you can not change your Destiny."
Seeing the questions in his eye, she explained, "perhaps I should start with an explanation about the difference between Fate and Destiny."
Noticing his full attention on her, and his silence for permission, she said, "Most mortals get the two confused, using them interchangeably; however, there is a difference. The difference is that one's Destiny can be changed through hard work, dedication, courage, and patience. Whereas Fate is the predetermined and unchangeable events in one's life that is inevitable or unavoidable, either because of a supernatural being or in rare instances when the actions of another mortal who imposes their will onto another…"
"…the real difference has to do with how the being interprets the circumstance of their life and the choices they make when divining the signs given to them. Do they except their Fate as unchangeable or do they fight to change what they can and create their own Destiny."
Mab observed her companion as he absorbed her words. Feeling restless, Harry stood and began to pace. Mab letting him, she watched the pensive expression on his face.
"So, what happened to me…it…not all of it had to happen the way it did?" Harry paused in his pacing.
Sadly, Mab answered, "No it didn't Harry."
With a deep sigh and a look of defeat, "then what went wrong?"
"From what the Sisters told me and what I have been able to divine from the recent history of your realm," Mab paused unsure how the youth would take what she says next, but determination to answer his questions.
"Harry come sit with me again," Mab stretched out her hand to the trouble wizard.
Retaking his seat at her side, Harry waited. "Like all those born with a remarkable Destiny, Harry, your story began with a prophecy…" Harry listened to her words and watched as she dipped her hand into the cool water and stirred it.
The ripples caught his attention as an image appeared. He was surprised to recognize the headmaster's office and Dumbledore with his grandfatherly façade sat in his high back chair behind his ornament desk. In front of the headmaster, sat a younger, sober, version of the school's divination teacher, Professor Trelawney.
Looking unimpressed, Dumbledore began to stand, "Well, Madam Trelawney, I believe that this interview is over. I will be sure to contact you regarding my decision as to whether we have decided to hire you or not."
Trelawney appeared nervous and resigned to not get the job, she stood, with a helping hand from Dumbledore, who started to guide her to his office door. Harry watched on as Trelawney tensed, her eyes glazing over in eerie resemblance of what happened near the end of his third years.
Her distant gaze stared unseeing, "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives…the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…" her voice spoke with unnatural roughness.
Harry watched as the color had trained from Dumbledore's face as he heard the prophecy. A twinkle in his eyes as a strategic plan formed in his mind. Dumbledore's plan formed and ready to execute when Trelawney seemed to awaken from her trance.
"Oh, um, Professor Dumbledore, I will look forward to hearing from you."
"Think nothing of it, madam," Dumbledore removed his wand, casting a purple spell, "Obliviate," he whispered.
Seeing the blank look cross her features, he knew the spell had took hold, "Well, I must apologize to you, Madam Trelawny, but I have an urgent meeting to get to Madam. I look forward to working with you in the future."
"I got the job," Trelawny exclaimed excitedly.
"Of course, madam, I believe that there is no one more suited to teach divinations here at Hogwarts," Dumbledore said cheerfully, "You can move your things into the castle and start setting up your classroom next week."
"I will," Trelawny eagerly said, "and thank you professor Dumbledore."
Harry watched with numbness as his divination's professor left Dumbledore's office.
The image faded from the water as the ripples continued to move about the disturbed water. His attention, drawn to Mab. "Did that really happen?" His disbelief could be heard as he spoke.
"I'm afraid so, Harry," she replied sadly, "The waters in this pool are an excellent medium for the practice of 'scrying,' which allows a person to divine events of the past, present, and sometimes the future if they wish…"
"And what is the point," Harry sighed as he watched the now still waters.
Grasping him by the chin and turning his gaze to hers, "The point, Harry, is to give you all the information you yearn for to allow you to come to terms with what has happened in your life, so far."
Harry ran his hands through his hair, an exasperated sigh escaping him, he looks back to the water, "Gryffindor's forge ahead," he muttered, "I need to see more."
"Then, put a hand in the water and stir like before. The magic of the medium will show you what you wish to know." Mab explained, watching as he did as she commanded.
The ripples the waters moved away from his hand as he stirred gently and image forming in the crystal blue waters reminding him of a television screen. He watched as the scene revealed itself to be taking place in Dumbledore's office, once again.
This time Dumbledore was interviewing Severus Snape for his position as Potion's Master at the school. A minute frown crossed the headmasters' lips as the wards in his office alerted to his former student possessing the dark mark on his forearm. The headmaster plastered a genially smile on his lips, his blue eyes twinkling, to hide the disappointment at the man's choices in his life.
However, not all had been lost, he had received word that two couples were due to deliver their first child at the end of the month, the seventh month of the year. Of course, Dumbledore had been elated when his former students, James and Lily Potter and Frank and Alice Longbottom had shared the news of the impending births, but that was before the prophecy a month ago. Dumbledore had checked with both couples only to find out that their sons were due at the end of July.
The prophecy had put Dumbledore in a difficult spot, but alas, something had to be done. He pulled out his elder wand and cast a silent sleeping spell on them man unseen from under his desk. A soft disappointed trill brought his attention to his familiar, Fawkes, the phoenix looked disappointed.
"It has to be done, my friend, you have to understand that sacrifice have to be made if our world is to survive," he tried to reason with his familiar and himself, "to much magical blood has been spilt in the last decade because of Tom and his followers."
The phoenix shook his head before leaping from his perch and taking flight out of the always open window. A sigh escaped, Dumbledore as he began to alter Snape's memories to make him believe that he had overheard the prophecy while spying on Dumbledore and Trelawney at Aberforth's pub. With the deed done, Dumbledore resumed his seat behind his desk before waking Snape.
The man's mind was confounded with to believe that he was seeing Aberforth Dumbledore. "Well, I must hurry Mr. Dumbledore, thank you for the drinks," he said politely before scurrying way.
Harry withdrew his hand from the water. His emotions were a mess from the revelations and treachery by his former headmaster.
Mab observed his turmoil and wishing to distract him, she stood and offered her hand for him to take. "Come, you need a break, and it is almost time for the mid-day meal." Harry silently took her hand, standing, he allowed her to lead him from the garden.
Scene Change/Time Jump
Mab had ordered that Harry be given some space as the youth had been unnaturally quiet and withdrawn at their mid-day meal. He only spoke to excuse himself from her presence. The queen knew that Harry would be troubled by these new betrayals and would need time to come to terms with what he had learned, so had let him go, though that had now been a week ago.
Harry had requested to see the queen and being granted permission; he had been allowed entry into her personal study. The chamber was large and richly decorated like every room in the palace, but this room held more personal touches that set it apart from the rest of the palace. Queen Mab sat in a comfortable high back chair in front of a large fireplace the logs alight with glowing logs. Harry approached, but waited for permission to join her.
"Please, take a seat Harry," she gestured to the opposite chair.
"Thank you, ma'am," Harry took the offered chair.
A moment of comfortable silence past between the two. Mab waited patiently respecting the teen's need to gather is words. With a sigh Harry looked into her ice blue eyes.
"The prophecy…it meant that only I could defeat Voldemort that's my fate, right, I can't change it?"
"It is, Harry," pause, "the prophecy alluded to a child born at the end of the seventh month, but two children, two boys were born at that time that fit the prophecy's description." Harry looked eagerly at her.
"One was you and one was your former dorm mate, Neville Longbottom, he was born the day before you." Harry absorbed this new information with hope.
"Then Neville can still be beat dark lord," her sad smile melted his hope.
"Unfortunately, no, Harry, he can't," she watched him closely. "The prophecy said that the dark lord would mark the child as his equal and he accomplished that when he tried to kill you that night. The scar on your forehead was his mark that he left upon you. He, also doesn't know the entire prophecy…remember, Dumbledore only fed Snape enough of the prophecy to gain the dark lord's attention and send him on a path that would see him obsessed with your demise."
Harry hung his head in defeat, "and we know how that ended."
"Do we Harry?" she arched an eyebrow inquiring.
Dark laughter escaped his lips, "they sent me to Azkaban for a crime I didn't commit. Voldemort and his followers tortured me before he cast the killing curse at me for a second time…" he started to build into a full-blown rant.
"BUT he didn't kill you, Harry," the queen smirked.
Seeing that she had his attention, she continued, "Twice you have faced his killing curse and twice you have survived, Harry. That is something no other Wizard has ever done at any time in history…"
Noticing the wheels begin to turn, she hammered on, "That is something ONLY you could have accomplished. No matter, what kind of protective magic your mother placed on you when she carved that rune into your forehead. The rune, Sowilo, energies used to give life giving force, by using it your mother hoped that her sacrifice would be enough to power the rune to activate giving you her life force energy, in hopes, that it would be enough to protect you from the killing curse…"
"What she nor anyone else knew was that such a sacrifice wasn't needed. You already possessed a strong enough soul, which allowed you to call upon the ancient blood, life force and magic of your ancestors to repel the life ending magic of the killing curse." She paused letting her words sink in.
"So, my parents didn't have to die," he whispered sadly, "they should have just stood aside and let Voldemort try to kill me."
Mab shook her head vehemently, she stood, approaching him, before kneeling in front of him. She grasped his chin firmly, yet gently, in her hand and turned him to look at her. "DON'T do that, child, DON'T ever blame your self for the decisions of others. What your parents did they do out of love for you. Don't cheapen their sacrifice or dishonor their memories in such a way."
"What happened was NEVER your fault…" she breathed, "If anyone is to blame is the meddlesome old wizard, Dumbledore."
Seeing that she had gotten through to him, she let hi s chin go, and returned to her seat. "So, what do I do now," she heard him ask.
"Now, your future belongs to you," she smiled, "You are more than welcome to stay here on Avalon for as long as you wish. Though, if there comes a day when you wish to leave then I hope that you know that our shores are always open to you if you ever want to return."
"And what of the Dumbledore and the others." He asked, "Voldemort will win if what the prophecy says is still true."
Mab brushed of his care for the mortals. "Then let them reap what they have sown, Harry. Besides, even if they knew where you where you would be safe here no amount of mortal magic users could breach the wards around Avalon, so, you are well beyond their reach…" she said haughtily.
Harry sat back in the chair, his thoughts a jumble. "…though if you were inclined to help the nonmagical mortals escape their fate at the hands of that dark lord and perhaps, even take mercy on the magical creatures and the Wizards outside of Britain…" seeing she had his attention again, "…then I will offer you all the help I can…but know that you do not need to make a decision right away, your still healing after all and healing takes time and here on Avalon you have all the time in the mortal world as our islands shores are outside of time and space."
Harry flashed her a grateful smile before asking for and receiving permission to leave her presence.
End Chapter
Next chapter: Harry makes an important decision, and we meet some legendary warriors and magic user.