III. Revelations
The three Elven Lords eyed each other restlessly. Having retreated from Aerbarad to the House of Mainor, Lords Canadion, Anuon, and Galdir continued the discussion that had been started in the Council Meeting. Canadion sat on one of the couches in his meeting room, a glass filled with sparkling water in his hand. Lord Anuon paced restlessly in front, while Galdir stood next to a nearby window, watching the fading stars as dawn broke the mantle of night.
"Why did you react like that Galdir? You know the rules of the Council and you know that what you did was unacceptable!" Lord Anuon was worried. The fight that had broken out earlier did not bode well for the rest of the Elven World. If the animosities between Galdir and Duvainor were to escalate, it could very well unleash a second Civil War.
"Why did I react like that? In case it escaped your notice Anuon, he insulted me and my house. You know better than most that I will not allow that kind of speech, Council Meeting or not", snapped Galdir.
"Regardless, you should not have pushed him back, Galdir. That was poor judgment –"
"POOR JUDGEMENT?!" roared Galdir. "I exhibited poor judgment? If I exhibited poor judgment then what about you?! You just stood there and allowed Duvainor to insult me and speak ill of my House. You were anointed Head of the Council, apprentice. You should start acting like one."
Both Canadion and Anuon froze. It had been years since Galdir had referred to them like that. Realizing what he had done, Galdir quickly apologized.
"I am sorry, Canadion. I should not have snapped at you like that." Canadion stared at the ground, like a child after having been severely scolded.
"It is fine, Galdir. It has been quite some time since you spoke to me like that." Galdir stared into his old pupil's eyes.
"True, but it does not entitle me to refer to you with your old title. You are the Head of the House of Mainor now. There are lines that should not be crossed." He slowly returned to his gazing of the stars.
"Our Master's point is still valid, Canadion. Why did you not stop them? It is your responsibility as Head to prevent such things from happening", continued Anuon.
"I… I… was scared" replied Canadion, his voice trembling.
"Scared of what?" asked Anuon. Galdir turned to face him, staring intently.
"I had never seen Galdir and Duvainor so angry before. They are the two oldest Elves alive, and as such they are very powerful. When Duvainor made the first attack, I was going to stop him, but Galdir got to him first. You know how intimidating Galdir's aura is when he lets it go. I just froze in fear. It was only until the lightning bolt that I reacted, but by that point it was too late." Canadion's head was bowed in shame.
"Fear is nothing to be ashamed of, my apprentice for it is not a sign of weakness. Failure to recognize it and affront your fear is, but you did not fail. You stood up to two angry Elves that are more powerful than you. You even managed to subdue one, even as he tried to release himself from your grip; and for that I am proud of you." Galdir gave him a small smile as he said this. "However, you do need to work on your timing." Anuon chuckled, and Canadion's head rose, a smile etched on his face.
"What did he mean by that Master?" asked Anuon.
"Elaborate Anuon. What did who mean by what?" asked Galdir.
"Duvainor. What did he mean when he called you unclean and Demon Touched?" he asked.
Galdir bristled visibly at the question. Although the matter that Duvainor had brought up was kept as a mostly internal matter within the House of Aglaron and had caused countless frictions between Galdir and his Advisors, it had been clear since the start that his 'condition', for the lack of a better word, should be kept quiet. How Duvainor had come across that information had surprised Galdir and thrown him off balance. It was not a subject that he was comfortable talking about with anyone, and he very much wanted to keep it that way. At least for the time being.
"It was nothing apprentice. Merely a taunt from Duvainor", said Galdir curtly.
"But it didn't seem like—"
"I said Anuon: it was nothing", snapped Galdir.
Canadion and Anuon eyed each other, clearly afraid of pressing the issue with their master. Electing to drop it, Anuon shook his head.
"Returning to the matter at hand, why did you propose this? You knew that Duvainor would challenge you did you not?" inquired Anuon. He had recovered from the shock of Galdir's scolding, and was now curious as to his intentions. Galdir relaxed visibly when he changed the subject.
"You are right, Anuon. I had a feeling that Duvainor would challenge my proposal. I just was not expecting him to get quite so… violent." He sighed heavily.
"Then why did you bring it up? Besides, you know of the Law. If you knew of this, then –"
"Do not lecture me, apprentice. You may now be Lord of Arnor, but you have not lived long enough to earn that right. I did what I did because it was necessary. Do not forget, young one, I was there when the law was written." Galdir gave him a mild glare. He then returned to his gazing out the window.
"If you were there, then why did you not vote against it? Surely you were already of age Master." Anuon had always been one to quickly realize his mistakes, and so his voice was thick with repentance and his head was held low. Yet his curiosity always got the best of him in the end.
"Because the Law of Non-Interference that forbids Elves from interfering in the affairs of men was passed when I was but an apprentice. It was made after the deaths of Griffyndor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. As such, any thoughts I had on the matter carried no weight."
"Why did your Head of House agree to it then? Surely as the last heir you would have been able to at least give your input on the matter, even if it was ignored in the end" asked Canadion.
"At the time it was a good idea. The humans were growing too quickly and we needed to ensure that the Elves were protected. But now, the rules have changed. Humans have been meddling with far too deep in Dark Magic and are now threatening the world that he had sworn to protect long ago. That is why I brought this up in the Council, regardless of this Law. You know of the mandate that was passed by the High King, and you know that this supersedes all other laws. Should the world be in peril, then it is the duty of the Elves to protect it."
"We know of the mandate Galdir. The problem is whether or not this case truly applies. Besides, how could you have been in the Council as an apprentice? As a general rule, apprentices are not allowed to enter the Council Meetings, unless he or she is next in the line of Mainor, and you are the Head of Aglaron. Why were you there?" asked Anuon.
Canadion's face dropped and Galdir turned slowly from the window. Anuon turned to see Canadion, who hung his head in apparent shame.
"He was there because he is also the Head of Mainor", he said slowly.
"What?! How is that possible? You are the Head of Aglaron! Even with the allowance of cross-marriages, how could you be Heir of Mainor as well? How are you related to the House of Mainor?" Galdir sighed heavily, and Anuon stared in shock as his old friend and Master aged visibly in front of him. Although he was an elf, and as such he was immortal, Anuon could clearly see the weight of 1,000 years of life fall upon Galdir's shoulders.
"My father was the brother of the Head of Mainor at the time. Unfortunately, due to circumstances that I was never told of, he never had children. As a result, the title passed on to the nearest of kin, meaning that I now had the title of Lord Mainor and Lord Aglaron. The second title comes from my mother's side of the family", replied Galdir.
"So then why did you end up as Lord Aglaron? I mean, surely the title of Mainor is of more weight and as such should have been you first choice", asked Anuon.
"Because I did not wish the political power that came with that title. Understand, Anuon: my life was very difficult, and many Elves already opposed my position as Heir of Aglaron. To have taken upon the mantle of Lord Mainor would have created more difficulties than I was willing to deal with. As a result, I invoked the Laws of Inheritance and passed on the title of Lord Mainor to my cousin on my mother's side. That is how Canadion came to be Lord Mainor", explained Galdir.
"So you are the true Lord Mainor?" asked Anuon incredulously.
"Yes, he is. Interestingly enough, he also holds an allegiance with the House of Algarebel thanks to his marriage, which means that, indirectly of course, Galdir effectively controls half of the Houses", said Canadion.
"So if you control three of the six Elven Houses, what of the others?" asked Anuon.
"That is where the situation gets unpleasant", said Galdir.
"Unpleasant is an understatement, Galdir", replied Canadion. "The House of Daeron is, as you might expect, controlled by Duvainor. To my knowledge, he is also in control of the House of Faeleth. By some happy chance, he never realized this, and so Lady Faelel was able to take the mantle. Your House, Anuon, is the only one that is independent of rule. At least as far as inheritance goes."
"Indeed. It has some benefits that my House has produced only males", said Anuon with a smirk.
"Quite. Unfortunately, that does not exempt you from external influence. As it turns out, the crimes of which I accused Duvainor are worse than I had originally anticipated. It seems that he has been slowly worming his way into your House, attempting to secure the allegiance of several members from your circle of Advisors. His methods are... most inelegant, and so it was easy to trace the path back to him", said Galdir.
"You mean to tell me, that Duvainor is taking over my House?" asked Anuon angrily.
"If the rumours are true, then yes Anuon. He is doing exactly that. The important thing here is not the takeover of your House, what –"
"Not important?! How can it not be important pray tell?" snapped Anuon.
"I realize that this is upsetting, Anuon, but you must realize that in the great scheme of things, it has little significance. The fact that the majority of the House of Faeleth and some of your House answer to Duvainor will not give him any advantage politically speaking. Where it will matter, and this is truly the thing of importance, is the fact that if the Elven world goes to war, he will effectively have control over half the population. The other half is controlled by us three, in addition to Lady Aglareth." Galdir's face was calm as he spoke.
"So politically it won't help right?" asked Anuon, his voice calmer.
"No, it won't. The structure of the Council does not allow for this kind of influence to matter. Even if a Lord's House consists of only one member, his vote will have the same weight as one from a larger House. What Galdir says is true. As it stands, the Elven world is divided roughly in half. This just adds importance to the battle that broke out today, and further increases the weight of Galdir's decision of attempting to persuade the Council to interfere with the human world", stated Canadion.
"So, to the extent that I understand the situation: the Elven world is split in half, with us three and Lady Aglareth on one side and Duvainor on the other; all of which is sitting on a keg of powder that is ready to blow at any second due to the animosity between Duvainor and Galdir?" asked Anuon incredulously.
"In so many words, yes", stated Galdir, "however, all of this will be for naught if Voldemort decides to attack us after the human world falls. This is why I took the risk of exposing my point to the Council today."
"I see that introductions have been made." All three Lords turned at the sound of the door opening. Lady Aglareth entered, her robes flowing softly in her wake. "I trust I am not too late Lord Canadion?" she asked.
"Not at all, Lady Aglareth. Galdir and I have just finished the task of providing Anuon with the most relevant information." Canadion rose and bowed, followed swiftly by Galdir and Anuon.
"Aglareth. I was not aware that you would be joining us today. How have you been?" asked Galdir.
"Worried about you and the Elven World, Galdir. But I have been fine otherwise. You?"
"I have seen better days. But overall I cannot complain. Thank you for your concern", Galdir bowed gratefully.
"You have nothing to thank Galdir. Though my sister is dead, you are still family to me. As it stands, you are the only family I have left after her death." A shadow of grief crossed both her and Galdir's eyes.
"Yes, well, you know I am here for you, Aglareth", replied Galdir, blushing slightly.
"Not to be rude, but why are you here, Lady Aglareth? And what do you mean by relevant information?" asked Anuon.
"Please Anuon; we can drop the formalities while we are alone here. As Galdir and Canadion have informed you, the three of us control half of the Elven world. As Duvainor has gotten more…" she hesitated looking for the appropriate word.
"Insidious? Evil? Scheming?" offered Canadion.
"Hold it. You mean to tell me that you three have been scheming together for however long and none of you thought to include me?!" asked Anuon indignantly.
"There was no need to include you initially Anuon. Understand that although there have been alliances before, and hence what we are doing is not against the law, the activities that we are involved in do require a high level of secrecy. There are many things that we discuss that should not leave this chamber until the time is right", answered Canadion.
"Things such as?" asked Anuon.
"Well, for example, the fact that a Prophecy similar to our own was made by a human seer has been known to us for quite some time. It was Galdir how found the original Elven Prophecy and as such has been kept guarded until now. The fact that we asked you for your help was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, we needed a third party to certify its veracity, but on the other we risked the chance of Duvainor finding out about it, hence why I asked you to do it with the utmost secrecy", answered Aglareth.
"More importantly, we needed you to be independent of this group. As the only independent House, you were more useful as you were than if you had been included. We needed the neutral party in the Council. However, since I discovered that Duvainor is in fact attempting a takeover, we decided to finally give you the place that is rightfully yours", explained Galdir.
Anuon remained quiet for a moment. Galdir's argument did make sense. Had he known of the allegiance before, it would have been harder to maintain his neutrality, which was something that his family had fought very hard to maintain. While he did not like others taking decisions for him, he definitely understood the reasons why they were made. If what Galdir was saying was true, then remaining in the neutral zone would only affect his House and the rest of the Elven World. As much as he did not want to admit it, they had done the right thing by not including him until now.
"I understand your reasons. Though I may not like it, and appreciate the respect towards my House's neutrality, I do agree that things were better served the way they were. Returning to the topic at hand, I believe you were discussing some of Duvainor's better qualities?" he said with a smirk. The rest of the Lords relaxed visibly at his jibe.
"Indeed we were. As Galdir has mentioned, the topics that we discuss are generally not revealed until the opportune moment. Until today that is", continued Aglareth.
"As I have said already, it had to be done", replied Galdir.
"Regardless of whether or not I agree with you, Galdir, it was still pointless. You have no credible evidence that Voldemort plans to attack us. As it stands, he is just another Dark Lord. I do not deny that he is powerful, but he does not, as of yet, impose a real threat over the entire world." Canadion's voice was even, having returned to his position as Head.
"I agree with Galdir, but Canadion does have a valid point. There is, however, another alternative that is worth considering", offered Anuon.
"Which is?" asked Galdir.
"It is true that the Law clearly states that the Elves will not meddle in the affairs of man unless there is a credible threat. However, should that threat extend to our allies, say the Goblins or the Veela, then we could activate the treaties that overrule that Law and intervene", said Anuon.
"While that is true, the fact remains that we cannot lay idle until that happens. If the previous war was any indication, by the time that Voldemort was prepared to attack those creatures it would have been difficult to get rid of him. Moreover, you are ignoring one important detail Anuon: the only one that can defeat Voldemort is young Potter. As it stands, I very much doubt that he is in any condition to take him on", replied Canadion.
"This may change in the future, but it is far too early to tell. The point that I made earlier that we need to help him is still valid", continued Galdir.
"I will not bother asking how it is you know this, Galdir. But you are essentially correct. Young Lord Potter requires our help", said Aglareth.
"What about the loophole in the Law of Intervention?" asked Anuon.
"Which one?" asked Aglareth.
"Well, the Law refers to the Elves as a whole; however, it says nothing about the intervention of a single elf." Galdir, Canadion, and Aglareth stared at Anuon intently.
"Explain Anuon. What is it that you are proposing?" asked Aglareth.
"If Lord Galdir proposes to the Council that one elf be sent to acquire evidence, and if this elf was, say, Lord Galdir himself, then he would be above reproach, for the most part, and would be able to aid Lord Potter." A smile was etched on Anuon's face as he spoke.
"That could be done. There is the matter of infiltrating Hogwarts, and that could be a problem. There is also the major issue of keeping the secret of our world from the humans, which could hamper the mission", said Canadion.
"I do not think that keeping our secret safe will be a problem. Getting into Hogwarts may prove somewhat trickier. My contacts in the Wizarding World have informed me that Headmaster Dumbledore has currently filled all teaching positions", stated Aglareth.
"I thought that he was still one short?" asked Galdir.
"He apparently will return tonight with the professor's reply. He seemed quite confident that he would get an affirmative response", replied Aglareth.
"Is it anyone we know?" asked Canadion.
"Wait. You all have contacts in the Wizarding world? I thought that was forbidden!" exclaimed Anuon.
"The Law of Non-Interference says that we may not meddle in human affairs. It does not say that we cannot have links to their world to keep ourselves informed. It's the other loophole in the Law. Besides, if we were completely cut off from their world, how would we be able to assess whether someone is a threat or not? Where do you think we obtained the information to back up Galdir's statement for helping the war effort when Grindelwald rose to power? It was the same thing when Voldemort first rose, however both times Duvainor had more convincing statements than the ones that we had produced." Anuon nodded in remembrance as Canadion spoke.
"I had wondered how you got that information. Not that it mattered, but I did wonder that", said Anuon.
"Anyways. Answering your question, Canadion, I believe the prospect's name is Horace Slughorn", continued Aglareth.
"Never heard of him", said Galdir and Canadion.
"Well, if you cannot get in as a teacher, then what other way is there?" asked Anuon.
"There is a way, it is just significantly more difficult", replied Canadion.
"I was hoping to avoid that option, Canadion", said Galdir.
"Well, there aren't that many options, Galdir, You need to have access to Potter, and as long as he is in Hogwarts, that limits the options available to us", she said. "Now will you stop pacing? You know that there is no other way."
"I am aware of that, Aglareth, I am merely trying to figure out a way not to do it", said Galdir.
"What are you talking about? What option?" asked Anuon, thoroughly confused.
"He has to infiltrate Hogwarts as a student", replied Canadion with a mischievous smile.
Anuon roared with laughter at the mental image of Galdir as a young student.
"You?! Lord Galdir, Heir of Mainor and Aglaron, oldest elf alive, as a 16 year old student?!" he continued laughing hysterically, and tears began to roll from his eyes.
"Very amusing, Anuon. Regrettably for me, it is the only way. I shall begin investigating a way to do this. I am going to require access to the Archives Canadion." Galdir glared slightly at Anuon, who was barely controlling another fit of laughter that threatened to burst out. The idea of his beloved Master as a 16 year old was too much for a poor elf. Canadion smirked as he fought his urge to laugh as well.
"You can erase that silly smirk from your face, Canadion. This is not a laughing matter" admonished Aglareth.
"Easy for you to say, he wasn't your Master", said Anuon between bouts of laughter.
That single phrase destroyed all control that Canadion had over the matter and he burst out laughing, much to the aggravation of Galdir.
"If you two clowns are done, we have business to discuss here." Aglareth glared at them, as her lips compressed into a thin line that would make McGonagall jealous.
Realizing the seriousness of her tone and being intimidated by her glare, Canadion and Anuon composed themselves.
"Yes, of course. I will grant you access to the Archives, Galdir. Let us hope that you find something in there that can help", replied Canadion diplomatically.
"Indeed. However, before I venture into anything else, I need to know if I will have the Council's approval. It would make a pointless search if the Council were to deny this proposal" said Galdir.
"Well, I think I can speak for all of us here, we will support the motion once it is presented. Be sure to do so at the start, before Duvainor gets even more upset at the situation", counselled Aglareth.
"I was planning to. What do we know of the allegiance of Lady Faelel?" asked Galdir.
"As I understand it, she has managed to remain outside of Duvainor's influence, has she not?" asked Canadion.
"I am afraid that is no longer true. She is now under Duvainor's thumb, along with the rest of her House. I assume that Duvainor must have manipulated her using the fact that he should have been the rightful Heir. Regardless of this, her opinion is irrelevant. Duvainor will oppose the motion and she will follow, but the rest of us will support you, Galdir, and we have majority", answered Aglareth.
"And you know this how?" asked Canadion.
"Well, that was the reason I was late to our meeting. After you three left Aerbarad, I left with Lady Faelel to try to gain insight into her allegiances. She is madly in love with Duvainor, although I have begun to question if it is love and not devotion. She will side with him regardless of what Duvainor says. I even believe that she would take her own life, should Duvainor ask for it." The rest of the Elves froze at the comment.
"How can this be?" asked Canadion, his face contorted into anger, pity, and disgust.
"I think Canadion, that you underestimate just how charming and convincing Duvainor can be when he chooses to. Add that to the leverage that he has over Faelel, it would make sense that he would be able to subdue her. As for her apparent devotion, I feel there is something wrong there, but I do not know what." Galdir's face creased in thought as he spoke.
"Leverage? What…. oh! His inheritance of Faeleth!" exclaimed Anuon.
"Quite. Not only that, but since Duvainor is about the same age as Galdir, that makes him take precedence in inheritance matters. The fact that Faelel is Lady of Faeleth is either a fluke or a planned move", answered Aglareth.
"I, for one, do not think it was planned. Insidious as he may be, this would be too much for Duvainor. What purpose would it serve to anyways? The Elves know that he is older than Faelel, and as such they know that he is the true Heir. What difference does it make that he controls Faelel?" asked Canadion.
"First of all, there is a huge political advantage there, since he has a vote secured no matter what the proposal. On the other hand, if he controls Lady Faelel, he can use her as a distraction while he fully ascertains his dominion over her House. Again, the matters of inheritance are closely guarded, so even though he is older, the fact that Faelel is Lady of Faeleth means that he is not recognized as the rightful Heir. Which means that he has to convince the rest of the House of his leadership", answered Galdir.
"Indeed. Moreover, if it is known that Lady Faelel sides with him, it provides the perfect cover for the takeover of her House, since no one will suspect that there is something amiss" continued Aglareth.
"So it is likely that he is controlling Faelel?" asked Canadion.
"We believe so, Canadion. However, this new turn of events is disturbing. Her apparent devotion to Duvainor is not normal, and it would imply that there is foul play involved in this", answered Galdir.
"I made a quick scan for outside influence, however my magic is not as powerful as yours, Galdir", said Aglareth.
"It is not so much an issue of power as it is of skill, Aglareth. Duvainor is very skilled at what he does, and that just makes his handiwork more difficult to recognize", offered Galdir.
"What about Dark Magic?" asked Anuon.
"Unlikely. There has not been an account of use of Dark Magic by an elf in all of our history. It can still be considered, but I do not believe that is the case", answered Galdir
"Well, as disturbing as this is, it does not affect our plans at all, correct?" asked Canadion.
"No, it does not. Even with her allegiance to Duvainor, we still hold majority in the Council", answered Aglareth.
"Very well. If that is all there is to discuss, then I am afraid I must leave. The day has started and I have business to attend to", said Galdir, as he looked out the window. The black of night had yielded to the orange tones as the sun rose.
"Just one more matter to discuss, Galdir" said Canadion. "Since we have known informed Anuon of all the details that he needs to know, I believe that it is time for him to be formally inducted into our little Council."
"I will take whatever oath I must. As much as it pains me to see our world divided, I believe that our ideals are the same and will aid our world in the long run", stated Anuon evenly.
"If you are sure of this, then kneel", stated Galdir as he moved in front of him, flanked by Aglareth and Canadion.
"Lord Anuon, Heir of the Noble House of Arnor. Do you pledge your allegiance to the Noble Houses of Aglaron, Algarebel, and Mainor?" they asked in unison.
"I do so pledge", answered Anuon.
"Do you swear loyalty to the Heirs of the aforementioned Noble Houses?"
"I do so swear"
"Do you pledge to rid this world of evil, in whatever form it may take?"
"I do so pledge"
"Do you swear to protect the world of the Elves, Humans, and all Creatures as per the mandate given to us by the High King?"
"I do so swear"
"Then rise, Lord Anuon, and join your brothers and sisters!" they exclaimed.
Lord Anuon rose, as Canadion and Galdir chanted rapidly in Ancient Elvish, binding the oaths that he just took. A blue light circled Anuon, its speed matching the tempo of their chanting. It then proceeded to envelop Aglareth, Canadion, and finally, Galdir. Their chanting suddenly stopped as the light grew. With a blinding flash, it disappeared, and Galdir, Canadion, and Aglareth embraced Anuon. "Welcome, brother", they said in unison.
After they broke their embrace, Galdir adjusted his cloak and turned towards the door.
"I shall be leaving now. There is somewhere I have to be." He gave a quick glance at the now risen sun.
"You know, Galdir. If I did not know you better, I would say that you were helping Harry Potter even before yesterday's meeting", said Canadion.
"Now why would you say that?" replied Galdir, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He then turned and headed to resume his position outside of Number 4 Privet drive, leaving the faint chuckling of the three Elven Lords.