Tales from Atlantis

Hi Guys! I'm back already! This work is a collection of one-shot stories based in the world of Atlantis School of Sorcery. These stories will contain spoilers, so if you haven't read the base story, please do that first.

Many of the stories in this work were inspired by questions or requests from the original. This first one was a request by my beta. Please enjoy!

Polyandreion Harpages

Sil stretched as he rose from the last cot in the Great Hall. He, Lucero, and Hogwarts' Madam Pomprey had nearly reduced the number of injured to a group that could be contained in the Hospital Wing, rather than leaving some in the Great Hall with the dead. He would be glad to not have to walk back and forth between the two triage sites a dozen times a day.

Lucero stood up from a nearby cot and walked over to Sil. "I'm almost done here. Why don't you head back to the Hospital Wing and see if Sienna has woken up. Also, see if you can make Ash sleep. He's going to make himself sick sitting there and worrying."

Sil nodded and made his way out of the hall. He was used to sickrooms, but rooms filled with the dead made him distinctly uncomfortable. They were too familiar, too sad.

As he turned down a hallway that he remembered eventually leading to the Hospital Wing, he was distracted from his thoughts by a quiet noise. Sil looked around for a moment, trying to identify the source of the sound. He'd just passed a partially open door, and he peered into it carefully. Inside, a small teenager was sitting, her knees curled up to her chest and her hands over her ears.

"Um, are you ok?" Sil asked quietly, pushing the door open fully.

The girl looked up slowly. Her hair was blonde and lank and her large watery blue eyes were rimmed with red. When she spoke, her voice was soft and scratchy from crying. "Not particularly, but there's nothing anyone can do."

Sil stepped into the room and made his way toward her. "I'm trained in healing. I might be able to help."

She smiled at him through her tears. "I'm not hurt. I just don't like seeing all the Polyandreion Harpages in the castle. They don't belong here."

Sil blinked. "What?"

"The Polyandreion Harpages. They always come to places where there's been death. They feed off the grief of the ones left behind. When they're done eating they leave the empty feeling when you can't cry anymore."

Sil nodded slowly. "I've never heard of them, but I do know the feeling."

The girl nodded too, her face sad. "I never wanted to see another after my mum died. But I've never seen this many all in one place."

Sil sank down to the floor beside her. "I know what you mean. I… I lost my sister when I was a child. I felt that emptiness for months." He stared down at his hands, his vision full of memories of the fire and the hospital and the funeral. He jumped when he felt a small warm hand take hold of his own.

"I'm sorry. It's always hard to lose someone you love."

Sil stared at the girl. Her blue eyes were wide and wise beyond what her age would suggest. Finally he looked away. "Yeah. It is. I guess you knew a bunch of people out there?"

"I suppose. I was even friends with a few. Is Sienna alright?"

"You know Sienna?"

The girl nodded. "I do. She's one of the only people who would tell our housemates off for calling me 'Loony.' She also helped me find my stolen belongings every year. I don't know how she got so good at making Nargles give stuff back."

Sil frowned. "What are Nargles?"

"They can be mischievous but they're usually nice. The ones here were unusually mean to me."

Sil decided he'd have to ask Sienna about the Nargles. He'd never heard of those creatures but he had heard of students bullying one another. In the meantime, he stood. "Come on, she's probably still asleep but you're welcome to see her. I'm headed there anyway."

The girl nodded and stood slowly.

"I'm Sil, by the way." He held out a hand.

The girl smiled and took his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Luna."

. . .

For the rest of the day, Luna stayed with Sil. She said she didn't mind the Harpages as much while she was working. She didn't have a lot of experience with healing, but she was smart and an extra pair of hands was always helpful. She was thrilled when Ash reported that Sienna had been awake for a bit. She made him promise to call her next time so she could visit her friend.

As they worked, Sil couldn't help watching his new assistant. She was gaunt, as if she hadn't had enough to eat for a long time, and her eyes were distant and distracted. At the same time, her attitude remained positive and excited about helping people. She was always talking about creatures that he'd never heard of. At first he had thought the Polyandreion Harpages were just a creature he'd managed to miss in his studies, but then there were Nargles, Blibbering Humdingers, and Wrackspurts. Sil prided himself in his knowledge of magical creatures. He wasn't sure how there could be so many he'd never seen documented.

Luna, for her part, was becoming rather good as a nurse. She helped relax people with her odd stories and bright smiles, and she seemed perfectly willing to do the grunge work of changing bedding and bandages. She and Lynne would smile and laugh as they helped the boys with their work in the Hospital Wing.

By the time Sienna woke fully on Sunday, Sil had become entirely accustomed to the blonde's presence at his side. As a result, he found himself somewhat disappointed as the small group left the Hospital Wing for the final time.

Luna walked them out with a few of Sienna's other Hogwarts friends. As they walked down the long drive to the gates of the school, Sienna was locked in quiet conversation with the Chosen One, while Sil and Luna walked in silence. It was only when they arrived that Sil tentatively broke the silence.

"Have you been to Italy? The Mediterranean has a lot of unique plants. Maybe you can find the Crumple Horned Snorkack there."

Luna looked thoughtful. "Snorkacks don't much like being in places that warm. I would like to see Italy though. It's supposed to have a lot of relics from the Heliopaths worshipped by the Romans. I would like to see that."

Sil felt himself smile. "Well, if you want to come visit this summer, I'd be happy to show you around."

Luna's smile was blinding. "I've always wanted to go adventuring with a friend."

"Come on, Sil. It's time to go." Freja shot him a conspiratorial smile. "Sorry to cut short your goodbyes."

Sil bid Luna goodbye and moved to stand with his classmates. Sienna gave each of her Hogwarts friends a last hug before joining them. "Let's not deny Fontayre the pleasure of yelling at us any longer."

He smiled. They would probably be expelled when they returned to school. Really, though, it had been worth it. He didn't want any more death in the world. There had been enough. And he and his friends had managed to turn aside the Cetos and help heal the wounded at Hogwarts after the battle. No matter what happened when they got back it had been worth it.

And maybe, he thought suddenly as his eyes met Luna's, he'd found something new that he'd never expected. Throughout the long walk back through the cave to the portal and then through the dark ocean to the school, he couldn't help thinking of the past few days and the fascinating young lady who had been there through it all.

I wonder how she'd like diving off Sicily, he thought suddenly. There's all sorts of fascinating creatures there. Not to mention merpeople. He smiled and filed the thought away for when he started planning her tour of Italy.