II. The Council Meets
If it were possible to dig a trench just by walking in circles, then the depression in Ginny Weasley's room would have already gone through to the next level in the Burrow. The culprit of such actions continued her work diligently, not taking a moment to rest after having returned to the room from breakfast with the rest of the Weasleys. To say that Hermione Granger was worried would be similar to saying that she liked books. She was not worried. She was downright terrified. Why oh why did I ever write that? 'I miss being with you'?! Really! What is Harry going to think? What is Ron going to think? Finally we manage to get somewhat together over the summer and now I do this?! What was I thinking?! How did that even happen?! This berating dialogue continued well into the afternoon. Finally, realising that panicking would not get her anywhere; she decided to distract herself by doing more homework. Fate, as it would seem, was not without a sense of humour. The second she opened her textbook to begin reading, a snowy white owl entered the room and landed next to her. "HEDWIG!" she shrieked. The mentioned bird cocked her head to the side eyeing her confusedly. Hands shaking, Hermione untied the single roll of parchment that was attached to the owl's leg. Taking a small breath to calm herself, she slowly unrolled it, and braced herself for its contents.
Hermione,
I'm ok. The Dursleys have backed up, and they have pretty much ignored me all the summer, which is very nice.
In relation to Sirius, I'm fine. It's hard not to blame myself for what happened, seeing the end result. I am so sorry that you got hurt Hermione. I wish it hadn't happened. I wish Sirius was still here. But I am not going to spend any more time feeling sorry for myself. I decided to start taking my studies more seriously, and am actually going to start my homework today!
Ron is not a bad influence. I prefer to think of him as a distraction. A very prolonged distraction, but a distraction nonetheless. I should have imagined that you had started working on your assignments. Somehow, the fact that you have finished three of them does not surprise me in the least. I am currently working on Charms and Transfiguration. Probably going to leave Potions until the very last minute though. I am really not looking forward to that assignment.
As for the Daily Prophet, I couldn't care any less about their opinions at this point. The Ministry Lobby had to be wrecked by Voldemort before they decided to believe me. At least they have admitted it and they are printing things as they should. For now, at least.
The news of the muggleborn attacks is concerning. I had suspected as such, since my scar had been prickling for the last couple of days. Oddly enough, it stopped today. I am really happy about it, so I am not questioning it.
Good to hear from you, Hermione. I hope I can come to the Burrow soon. I miss being with you guys.
Harry
Hermione breathed a long sigh of relief and collapsed on the nearest bed. He did not notice! Thank God. But why didn't he notice? How could he have ignored that sentence? How could he… and why am I getting so worked up about this? Why do I care so much if Harry noticed or not that I missed him? It's not like I fancy him… do I? She slowly sank back down in her chair as he chewed her lip worriedly at this new line of thought. Do I fancy Harry? Do I want to be…? NO! I am with Ron. I fancy Ron, not Harry. Nodding strongly at this conclusion, Hermione opened her book and continued reading, trying to ignore that nagging feeling that there was the possibility, however remote, that she was wrong about Ron. A small smile crossed her face when she thought of Harry taking her studies more seriously, and found herself wishing that he would drop those awful courses and join her in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Shaking her head to get rid of such thoughts, she turned her attention to the book she was attempting to read, only to let her gaze wander to the letter and the spot where the snowy owl had once stood.
Harry Potter was not the most brilliant person when it came to girls. Then again, since when are men brilliant in this respect at all? It was only until the morning after he had received the letter that he realized that there was something odd about the letter that Hermione sent him. He reread the entire thing several times, and still could not figure out what it was. It was after a gruelling session with his Transfiguration homework that the offending phrase decided to show itself. "I miss being with you" she had written. What does that mean? Does it mean that she just misses being with the group as a whole or me specifically? I thought that she liked Ron. As far as I know, they were planning on dating over the summer. Did things not work out? Did something happen? I don't think so. Ron would have said something, or at least Hermione would have. Strange. Why am I even getting worked up about this? Hermione is like a sister to me. Besides, there's Ginny to consider. This mental monologue continued until it induced him a slight headache due to the large amount of questions and the lack of any information to come remotely close to an answer. Ever since that fiasco with Cho I have been attracted towards Ginny. Or at least I think I have. Could I be falling in love with…? GET A GRIP POTTER! She is your friend. More importantly, she is your best friend's girlfriend. Even if you did like her, she is out of bounds! Besides, what about Ginny? She is pretty and brave and… but then Hermione is also very pretty, and brave, and smart, and… POTTER! She is your best friend's CRUSH! Control yourself!
Shaking his head in an attempt to rid himself of the web of thoughts that had decided to nest in his head, Harry attempted once more his Transfiguration assignment, coming to the ever so wise decision that this was, in fact, easier to understand than his previous thoughts. With a sigh of resignation, he continued reading and taking copious amounts of notes in the hopes that it would help his essay along. The sound of wings caught his attention and a big smile parted his face as he saw Hedwig approaching. As soon as she entered the house, she transformed into her human self.
"Sorry it took me so long to return. I decided to make a stop along the way to hunt that ended up taking most of the evening and early night. After a quick nap, I finally made it here", she said.
"That's fine. I wasn't overly worried. You are a smart owl after all. You will be pleased to know that I am more than halfway done with Transfiguration and have some notes for Charms. I decided to review everything I had in Transfiguration, which ended up taking pretty much all of yesterday, with a couple of breaks in between to tackle Charms", said Harry proudly.
"Good! Show me what you've done", she said.
Neither noticed the man that was standing in the shadows of a nearby tree, his smile glinting in the sunlight.
Oh to be young and feel Love's bite once more. Lord Galdir chuckled silently. Having had a taste of the chaos that controlled the teenager's mind, he was swiftly taken back to his long lost years of youth. We were really lost back then weren't we. We didn't have a clue of what went on inside a woman's head. Then again, I think I still don't, not that it matters all that much right now, but still. A shadow of grief passed over his eyes, but he shook it off quickly. He quickly spoke in Ancient Elvish to ensure that the charms he had placed were still strong. Satisfied with the results, he turned around and disappeared.
One of the advantages of Elvish travelling was that not only was it silent, but it required minimal energy and concentration. As they soon found out, it also did not involve the horrendous feeling of being squeezed into a tube where the wind was knocked out from you. No, Elvish travelling was simple, elegant, and effortless. Like all crafts developed by the Elves, their variant of Apparition, called Transition was perfected until it was more an art than a method of transportation. By simply envisioning the place of destination in their minds, the Elves could move virtually anywhere, no matter how warded the location. Of course, this was the same basis as Apparition, but there were some other subtle differences.
After meeting with two Elves that were at his house and dismissing them, Lord Galdir entered his chambers and prepared for the meeting of the High Council. He selected his white robes that had golden embroidery in complex patterns. After a much needed bath, Lord Galdir dressed himself and donned his black travelling cloak. Clasping the golden broach that sat under his collarbone, he proceeded to smooth his hair with a couple of well-chosen Elvish words. He then picked up his silver head band, a gift from his wife from long ago. He sighed as he stared into the infinite silver of the band. So much has been lost over time. So much was sacrificed. He smiled sadly as he remembered his wife. Today will be 300 years since her demise. 300 long years. Clearing his head of such thoughts, Lord Galdir slid the band on his head and walked outside. After leaving making sure that his house was warded he disappeared and headed for Aerbarad, the place of the meeting of the High Council.
Elves lived in the forests, as they always had. Yet as mankind grew at an accelerated rate and began destroying their homes, the Elves found themselves in the need to ward and charm their dwellings. The most heavily warded were the sacred grounds of the Elves. It was in those places where they prayed and meditated. Where they had council meetings and where rituals where performed. The most ancient of those was Aerbarad. It was here where the High King Mainor had united the six kingdoms of the Elves under one rule. He had been the first Elven King, and his line had managed to ensure the unity and peace of the six families. As the years passed, Mainor decided that it was better if all the families took part in the decisions of their world, and so he created the High Elven Council or the Elven Court. He was placed as the Head and so it was his job to mediate debates, take decisions, and ensure that the Elven Laws were followed. His line had kept the position of Head of the Council, passing from son to daughter. It was in this way that the last remaining heir of the line of Mainor, Lord Canadion had been raised to his current position. He sat in a throne made of the purest marble, etched with intricate designs of gold and silver. Above his head was a collection of diamonds that formed the symbol of his house. He was the only one there when Lord Galdir arrived to Aerbarad.
Being so ancient and sacred a place to the Elves, Aerbarad was decorated with such magnificence that few Elves now believed that it could ever be outmatched. It sat on a clearing of the forest, sitting on a cliff that overlooked the ocean. Council meetings usually took place at night, and so the marble out of which the place was carved had been etched with spells that mirrored only moon and starlight, giving it an off worldly aura. Six chairs carved of marble stood in a circle, with the throne of Mainor being slightly raised to be above the others. Each one was similar in design, though they could not match the majesty of the Throne. Lord Galdir, last heir of the line of Aglaron, bowed at Lord Canadion. "Lord Canadion, Heir of Mainor. The stars bless me with your presence tonight" he enunciated in Ancient Elvish. Lord Mainor was the one of the three Elves in the council that could speak it, and refused to talk in any other language to his dear friend Galdir. "Blessed we are tonight indeed, Lord Galdir, heir of Aglaron. How have you been, old friend?" he asked.
"The days grow dark, my Lord. Much toil has befallen this land; thanks to the ever growing hand of the one they call Voldemort. He has assaulted several times, his targets ranging from humans to magical folk. There is unrest at the current Minister, and the Guardians of the Light falter. It is not clear whether they can withstand the might of this Voldemort", said Galdir.
"I have felt something like this as well, Galdir. This Lord Voldemort as he calls himself threatens all that he lays his eyes on. Yet there is something about him that has troubled my sleep of late", replied Canadion.
"What do you mean?" inquired Galdir.
"How could he have risen from the dead? If the rumours are true, then young Harry James Potter, Heir of the House of Potter destroyed him when he was but an infant. Yet he has risen again, almost 14 years after his alleged destruction. Does it not strike you as odd that he would return?"
"It does. His sudden return to life and power is shrouded with mystery", replied Galdir.
"I have set several Elves of my house to the task of discovering how he returned. Though they have yet to produce an answer, the options that they have uncovered are… disturbing, to say the least."
Lord Galdir's brow creased at Canadion's last statement. He himself had done some research on the matter, and the answers that he had produced were dark. Darker than any magic that he had encountered in his long life.
"It is possible that he used the distortion that is Dark Magic to return. Yet the exact method has eluded me –"
"Lords Galdir and Canadion. I trust that I am not late?" enquired the newly arrived elf.
"Not at all, Lord Anuon, last heir of Arnor. We were just discussing the current state of the world" said Lord Canadion.
Both Canadion and Galdir bowed at Anuon. Moments later, the reminder of the Elven Lords arrived. They were Lord Duvainor, heir of Daeron; Lady Aglareth, heir of Algarebel; and Lady Faelel, heir of Faeleth.
They each bowed and exchanged greetings in Modern Elvish. After taking their seats, Lord Canadion rose from his throne and beckoned their silence.
"Dear Lords and Ladies. We have gathered here in sacred Aerbarad to discuss several matters of importance. I believe that each of you holds one of these topics so, Lady Aglareth, if you would be so kind as to step forward and speak to this Council." He gestured towards the centre of the circle formed by the six chairs. The highly polished marble shone in the full moon that dominated the night sky, giving the impression that there was a light coming from beneath the stone.
"Thank you, Lord Canadion. Lords and Ladies of the Council, I am here before you to discuss the matter of our dwindling race. As you are all aware, there has not been another Elven Child since the last Civil War almost 300 years ago. As time has passed, there have been no more offspring, and as such we all find ourselves in the position of being unable to carry our lines", she said. Her voice was angelical, and resonated in the open chamber of Aerbarad.
"That which you speak of is true, Lady Aglareth. Yet what would you have the Council do? It is true that there have been no births for the past 300 years, but it is also true that there have been no new marriages, and those that remain are either broken or unwilling to create new life. Without marriages, there can be no children, so what is it that you propose we do?" inquired Lord Anuon.
"Word has reached my ears that a young maiden of the House of Daeron has been courted by one of the House of Aglaron", she stated. Eyes swiftly turned towards Lords Duvainor and Galdir. "Is this not true Lords?" she asked.
"I have heard similarly. He approached me the other day seeking council. It seemed that the House of Daeron had denied him entry into their dominion, and so he sought my aid in the matter" said Lord Galdir, his voice perfectly level.
It was no mystery that there was animosity between the Houses of Daeron and Aglaron. It had been so since before the last Civil War. Yet it had never interfered with anyone. It was a mere difference of opinion between the Heads of the two Houses, or so was the general perception of the matter. This was a shock to many, as it signified an escalation in hostilities between them. One that could, given the chance, further divide the growing rift in the world of the Elves.
"Is this true, Lord Duvainor?" asked Lady Faelel. Lord Duvainor eyed them all with cold, calculating eyes.
"It probably was nothing more than a misunderstanding. I assure you all, that my House would never do something as… hostile, as that. I apologize to Lord Galdir as Head of the House of Daeron."
Lord Galdir eyed him carefully as he spoke. Although his mannerisms and speech were convincing, there was something that was amiss. And it was this something that kept Galdir on edge whenever Lord Duvainor was present. Noticing the same, Lord Canadion beckoned Lady Aglareth to her seat, as he rose to the centre stage.
"Let us hope, Lord Duvainor, that it was nothing more than a misunderstanding. Both of you are to encourage this growing relationship. Nurture it. We need a new generation of Elves to take our place. Is this understood?" Both Lords bowed in acceptance. "Very well, if that is all for this matter, I believe that Lady Faelel also has matters that she wishes to address in this Council. Lady Faelel, if you would." He sat down and allowed her to take the centre stage.
The meeting continued deep into the night. After all but Lords Duvainor and Galdir had spoken their concerns to the Council, Galdir prepared himself for the part that he had been waiting for. Let us hope that this works out. There is too much at stake if it does not, he thought. After being beckoned by Lord Canadion, Galdir rose from his seat and walked to the centre. Trying to exude as much confidence and power as he could muster, he closed his eyes as he prepared to address the Council.
"Lords and Ladies of the Council. I have a matter that I believe is of great importance that needs to be addressed. As you are all aware, both worlds of men are in turmoil. Thanks to the darkness that the one called Voldemort is spreading, there is an increase in grief, sorrow, horror, and danger in the world. We all know that he returned to life not two years ago, by means of a ritual that we are still ignorant of. He has quickly recovered the numbers that he once had at his disposal, and is now marshalling troops of even greater size. His threat to this world can no longer be ignored. Not only does he threaten to eradicate the world of men almost in its entirety, but he has also indirectly threatened our world." He took a small pause as he eyed the five Lords and Ladies, all of them watching him intently. "You are all surely aware that a Prophecy was made by a human Seer. Although the exact contents of the Prophecy are unknown to us, I have managed to procure some of its content with the help of the Seers of my House. I now present to you this orb, where their findings have been deposited." With that, he withdrew a small crystal orb from his robes. "With your permission, Lord Canadion, I wish to show its contents to the Council."
Lord Canadion had been listening intently to his friend's eloquent speech. He had an inkling of where he was headed with his dialogue, but had refrained from commenting. After being handed the orb, he gave it back to Galdir and beckoned him to continue. Bowing deeply, Galdir muttered an incantation in Elvish, which caused the centre stage to change colour, as a small spire of solid crystal rose from it. Placing the orb on its peak, he activated it and the air was filled with the sound of seemingly hundreds of Elven voices that spoke at once.
The one who shall vanquish the Serpent Lord shall rise when the time is nigh;
born as the seventh month wanes from those that thrice defied his Dark Image.
Marked as his equal, the vanquisher shall have a power that the Serpent knows not.
Yet only one will stand, for neither can live while the other survives.
Thus it is writ, thus it shall come to pass.
The voices slowly faded, leaving the Council in silence. Taking the now silent orb and replacing it in his robes, Galdir shrunk the spire down and resumed his position in the centre.
"Has the veracity of this Prophecy been confirmed by Seers of other Houses, Lord Galdir?" inquired Lord Canadion.
"I can attest on behalf of the Houses of Algarebel and Arnor that this Prophecy has been confirmed", replied Lady Aglareth.
"Do we know the identity of the one whom the Prophecy refers to?" asked Lord Anuon.
"I believe I do, Lord Anuon", replied Lord Galdir. "It is my belief that the one of whom this Prophecy speaks is none other than Harry James Potter, heir of the House of Potter."
"And with what do you support such outlandish claims, Lord Galdir? Surely you must have some reason to believe that the vanquisher of this Dark Lord is a mere boy!" Lord Duvainor could not hide his contempt at Galdir and sneered as he spoke.
"Lord Duvainor, as long as I am Head of this Council, you will not disrespect its members do you understand?" Lord Canadion spoke in a low tone, yet his eyes flickered dangerously.
"I meant no disrespect, Lord Canadion. I was merely questioning Lord Galdir's last statement." Although his sneer had been replaced by a face of repentance, his eyes still oozed malevolence.
"The evidence I have is already known to this Council. We all know of the exploits of young Potter. He defeated Voldemort when he was 15 months of age, only to face him again when he was 14. Surely this is evidence enough to satisfy you, Lord Duvainor" he said coolly.
"Regardless, what is your point here, Lord Galdir? Surely you did not go through all this trouble just to inform us of this." Lord Duvainor's voice was even, but his face betrayed only the slightest feeling of hatred towards Lord Galdir.
"Indeed I did not, Lord Duvainor. Lords and Ladies of the Council, in spite of the evidence that this Prophecy conveys, we cannot deny any longer the threat that Voldemort represents. If this boy is indeed destined to overthrow this Dark Creature, then it is in our best interests to help him. Not only to ensure the survival of our species, but also to protect the world that we form part of."
The silence in the Council was deafening. Lord Canadion sat frozen like a statue. Ladies Faelel and Aglareth drew breath quickly as colour drained from their faces. Only Lords Anuon and Galdir remained impervious to the silence that now dominated the meeting. Lord Duvainor stared at Galdir darkly. His upper lip curled into a feral snarl as he slowly spoke, making a supreme effort to maintain his voice as even as possible.
"Surely, you do not presume to tell us that we should help the humans, do you, Lord Galdir. Need I remind you of the law that was passed by this very Council?"
"I do not presume anything, nor do I need to be reminded Lord Duvainor, for I was there when it was passed. I have merely stated the facts as they are, and have exposed my opinion to the Council on this matter."
"Oh! You have exposed your view on this alright. You would have us mingle with the humans once more, wouldn't you?! This is not an opinion; this is nothing more than another attempt from you to persuade this Council of your views. I see through your lies, Galdir-Human Lover!" he snarled. Galdir's face slowly grew hot at the insult that was thrown at him.
"Unlike you, Lord Duvainor, I do not use lies and misdirection to manipulate those around me. I believe that—"
"What did you just say?! YOU DARE CALL ME A LIAR?!" Lord Duvainor roared as he stood from his seat and approached Galdir dangerously. Such was the rage that he released, that the other Lords cowered slightly at the sight. All of them, that is, except Lord Galdir.
"I did not call you anything. But surely you have heard the rumours that surround your house? They speak of dealings that are far from laudable", his voice trembled in anger, yet he did not yield against Duvainor's rage.
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME OF LAUDABLE ACTIONS GALDIR?!" he roared. "My house has held the highest standards of honour in the Elven community, unlike your own. These ideas you speak of are naught but blasphemy. Join the humans! They destroy our sacred places! They have destroyed our homes in greed and avarice. Yet you would have us mingle with them. Though I must say that such a ludicrous idea from you is not unexpected. You would have us mix with a race that is as unclean as you are, isn't that right, Galdir Demon Touched?" At the mention of his condition, Lord Galdir snarled dangerously and threw Duvainor back to his seat with magic.
"I will not be spoken like that Duvainor." His voice quivered with rage and power. His eyes seemed like torches of righteous anger as they contracted into cat-like slits. "Choose your next words carefully, for they may be your last." Lord Duvainor rose quickly and drew his sword.
"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN ME?! I am Lord Duvainor of the House of Daeron, and I will not be spoken to like this by you. You are nothing but an embarrassment to our race. Your love of humans has brought shame to your house and I will not—"
Whatever it was that Duvainor was about to say was never heard. A wave of magic threw him back into his seat and wrenched his sword from his grasp. Lord Galdir threw curse after curse to Duvainor, who quickly recovered and countered them. Lord Anuon tried to restrain Galdir, but was thrown back by another wave that surged from the enraged elf. Lady Faelel attempted the same with Duvainor, but failed miserably and was thrown to the side. Lady Aglareth tried to shield the others so they would not be caught in the crossfire. The sky darkened immediately, and claps of thunder could be heard in the distance. A lightning bolt fell from the sky and struck Duvainor's shield.
Having seen and heard more than enough, Lord Canadion snapped from the frozen trance that he was in and rose quickly. With three words in Ancient Elvish, he bound Galdir and Duvainor in place. "ENOUGH!" His roar was heard miles around, and it caused all those who were not bound to freeze in fear and awe at the power that he displayed.
"I am Lord Canadion, Heir of the House of Mainor and Head of the Council. By that authority, I command you both, Lord Galdir and Lord Duvainor to STOP!" Lord Galdir simply stood there, while Lord Duvainor began muttering counters to the spell that Canadion had placed on him. "I told you to stop Lord Duvainor, or are you incapable of hearing?" Duvainor eyed him darkly at this last remark, but stopped trying to free himself.
"In all the years as Head of this Council I have not seen an attitude like the one that you have displayed today. Lord Duvainor, the shame that you spoke of does not fall on the house of Aglaron. It falls on yours. You will apologize to Lord Galdir for the remarks that you have made." He eyed Duvainor dangerously.
"I will not apologize to this—" "YOU WILL DO AS I SAY DUVAINOR OR I WILL PERSONALLY BANISH YOU FROM THE COUNCIL!" roared Canadion. Few Elves had seen him as enraged as he was now, and it was not a pleasant sight. Duvainor blanched at the face of utter rage that was Canadion. He slowly recovered enough sense to back down.
"My apologies, Lord Galdir." He said curtly.
"Now, Lord Galdir, apologize to Lord Duvainor." His voice was more even, but not any less dangerous.
"I also apologize, Lord Duvainor."
"Seeing as this topic has generated such… heated discussions, I will adjourn this Council so we all have a change to cool down" he eyed both Galdir and Duvainor as he was saying this, "and we shall reconvene again in a week's time to further discuss this. May the stars watch over all of you" With that he cancelled the spell, and beckoning both Anuon and Galdir to follow him, they disappeared. Lady Faelel and Aglareth followed suit, leaving Lord Duvainor muttering darkly in his seat.