Chapter 37

Marianne and Harry both stand at one side of the cottage in Harry's domain feeling about three inches tall. Surprisingly, with the cloak around her shoulders, Marianne is standing there with nobody protecting her from Morgana's presence.

The reason for this lack of protection is currently staring at the floor in front of them while Morgana let's rip, "Really Airmed, what did you think would happen when someone touched by the Otherside bound an artefact from an unclaimed domain?"

"I thought it would just stop people from taking it from her."

"Why on earth would you think that's the only thing that would happen? Don't you remember how my husband got his domain?"

Airmed shakes her head, eyes glued firmly on the floor, "No grandmother."

"Delbáeth was tired of his existence and separated from his domain just before our wedding. He gifted both of us with armbands enchanted with fire from his domain. What we didn't know is that the band he gave my husband was the only thing left of Delbáeth in his Domain. When my husband bound the band to himself, he also bound himself to the domain."

"I didn't know grandmother, I'm sorry!"

With great difficulty Morgana reigns in her anger, and slumps against a wall, "Of course you didn't, you weren't born yet. I just don't want to see the same thing happen to Marianne that happened to Harry. Do you have any idea how hard it was to see him looking at me the same way my sister used to sometimes. Or say something with the same turn of phrase she used?" Airmed shakes her head mutely, "It was terrifying, I thought I was losing my little boy. Instead he has learnt to grow with the influence instead of succumbing to it. But Marianne's magic is so much younger. What am I going to do if Donn's legacy overwhelms her?"

Marie wakes up with a groan, lucid for the first time since she drank Morgana's blood for the first time. Stagging out of bed, she grabs Morgana's hand and drags her back onto the bed, "Hush, less shouting and more sleeping. You're not going to stop loving Marianne, so don't worry about it."

Morgana almost whispers, "But I can't see her fate anymore."

"Mmm, bet you can't see Harry's either. Now sleep, your blood is kicking my arse and I don't think I can stay awake any longer."

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Once they leave the cottage, where Morgana is being held by Marie, Marianne smiles widely, "Well, if I've got a domain, let's go and find it."

Airmed frowns, "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

Marianne sticks her tongue out, "Well, I'm going anyway, so you can either come along to keep me safe or stay."

Both Harry and Airmed try to stop her as she fades into the mist, however something about the cloak stops their attempts at holding her in Harry's domain. Sharing a glance they quickly run after her and catch her hands before they lose sight of her.

The three of them wander around for hours until Marianne is yawning so badly that she's almost asleep on her feet. However, the sensation that Marianne gets from the cloak seems to disappear as soon as they're at the point she should be exiting the Otherside into the domain. After a few moments, the sensation flips so that they're now moving away from the domain. As she staggers, Airmed scoops her up and they start the trek back to the house. A surprisingly long trek all things considered, which suggests that they were far deeper in the Otherside than they expected.

As they're walking, Harry asks, "Airmed, how deep does the Otherside go?"

She shakes her head, "I don't know, I don't think anyone does. I seem to remember something about souls coming out this way, and that people that are lost will inevitably find their way deeper if they don't stumble on a domain. In fact, this is probably a good lesson for both of you. Stop for a moment and try to find the gate in the mortal world."

From Airmed's arms, Marianne is unable to bring up any sort of vision of the gate. Meanwhile, Harry is able to see the faintest hint of it through the mist.

"You see, your magic is unable to bring it into focus despite your experience in travelling the Other. This time, instead of trying to see the gate, instead do the same thing you'd do for finding Harry's domain. Except, this time use your memory of the gate."

Marianne yawns, "I can feel it, like a pulling sensation."

"Well done. That's how you navigate from the depths of the Other. Someone like Grandmother could probably walks us back to the house in a few minutes. However, I'm not that good, so I think we'll be another 20 minutes from here."

Once they returned, they all slept late in on Christmas morning.

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As he wakes up, Harry frowns at the owls waiting in the courtyard until he remembers that it's Christmas. Which is weird, because he and his mother always celebrate the new year 14 days after the solstice. With a sigh, he writes a note for each sender saying.

Dear _,

Thank you very much for the Christmas gift. The Danann family will be sending out gifts for the Celtic celebration, 14 days after the winter solstice.

Kind regards,

Harry, Marianne, and Morgana.

His plan was to send each note back with the owl it came with, however Arianrhod has other ideas and bites at his fingers until he give them to her. Once the owls have been fed and watered, Harry relieves them of their burdens and lets them all wing off to their owners with Arianrhod following after them.

That done, he places the presents on the dining table while he busies himself making fresh ground bread, a platter of cold meats and cheeses, and a pot of coffee. While the bread is cooling, he makes a large pot of milk porridge. With that done, he loads a small pot with butter and puts it on a plate with a loaf and a selection of the meat and cheese. Then he fills a wooden bowl with porridge and adds a swirl of honey.

With a smile, he puts it all on a tray before walking into the mist to the cottage in his domain.

Placing the tray down to one side, he gently shakes his mother, "Good morning mother, I've brought you some breakfast."

Morgana wakes up with a yawn, before switching to wide awake in a panic. Turning over she checks Marie to ensure that she's still alive.

"Mother, you need to eat. There's coffee in the kitchen if you trust me to watch Marie, otherwise I brought you the plate. Hey Marie, sister, can you wake up for me please?"

Morgana watches as Harry gently wakes Marie up, and then spoons porridge into her while talking about nothing. She winces when she realises just how sallow Marie's face looks, and it's only been 3 days since this started. Deciding to take a break, she opens a portal to the kitchen and pours herself a coffee. Coffee in hand, she rounds the hill to the brook and follows it into the forest. There, she does something that she rarely does, she leans against a tree and prays to Danu that Marie will pass the trial and live past the next full moon.

That done, she finds a sturdy fallen branch to whittle into a goblet for Marie to drink from. On the way back to the cottage, she is accosted by the Cerberus, who insists that she throws a ball for him.

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Albus gets up and shuffles into his office, where his companion Fawkes, a phoenix, is grooming himself. There on the desk is the copy of the meeting notes, staring at him accusingly. Minerva's neat handwriting on the back informing him that she's heading to the Education Department. Tiredly, he rubs his face and sits down in the chair. He is stretched far too thin these days. Something is going to give, and he has no idea what. Carefully he pulls his enchantment schematic over and goes through what he needs to do next. After making some notes on a sheet of conjured parchment, he summons a dressing gown and slippers before transfiguring them into suitably over the top Christmas version. That done he makes his way down to breakfast.

He has a long day ahead of him, with a break for the Christmas meal.

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Quirrell looks at the door on the 3rd floor in disgust.

"What are we going to do master?"

"We need its name, if we know that we can get the Golem to stop for long enough to remove the paper from its braincase."

"Doesn't that apply to Golems made from stone?"

"You… are correct. After the Christmas dinner, you will leave the school and I will direct you to my books. This will not beat me, I will have the stone and with it a new body."

"What about the dragon egg?"

"Destroy it, we have no use for it now the dog has disappeared. Albus probably realised we were going to question Hagrid." After a pause the voice reconsiders, "No wait, we may need it if we can't find the right information in my books."

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Daphne laughs as she runs through the house, Astoria, her sister, following her. Running into one of the bedrooms, she steps into the mist almost seamlessly and out in the next room. There she giggles for a moment as she can hear her sister searching the room for where she's hiding. Walking out the room she's in she leans against the doorframe of the other bedroom and casually says.

"Hey sis, what are you looking for?"

Astoria stops feeling around in the wardrobe and looks back at the doorway, "How did you get there?"

Daphne sticks her tongue out, "Magic."

"Hey, no fair." She starts to run towards Daphne before shrieking in pain and collapsing to the floor. Daphne quickly picks her up and steps through the mist to the receiving room, where her parents are.

Reginald hurries over to look at his youngest daughter, "It's the maledictus, I'll prepare a poppy draft. Kathrine, get a blood replenishing potion."

Daphne hesitates for a moment, before calling out to her father as he's leaving the room, "Father! I know a healer that may be able to help. May I take Astoria to see her?"

Reginald turns round, "Daphne, our family has poured fortunes into finding a cure for this. You know this, why are you wasting time?"

"Father, they practice Celtic Magic."

"No, you may not take Astoria to see them." His shoulders sag, "But I will not stop you from bringing them here. A faint hope is better than no hope. Give her to me, we'll be in the apothecary when you get back."

Daphne hands over her sister, and then quickly disappears into the mist. Coming out in Harry's domain, she heads to the cottage as quickly as she can.

Harry and Morgana look up as she leans heavily against the door, "I'm sorry to barge in, but is Airmed here?"

Harry shakes his head, "No, she's at the house. I don't even know if she's awake yet."

Daphne turns to Morgana and curtseys, "Morgana, may I enter your home to see your granddaughter please? My sister is having an episode caused by a maledictus."

Morgana shakes her head, "Relax Daphne, you are Harry's student and you know that brings certain responsibilities on our part. You do not need to ask to visit our home in the mortal world, same as you no longer need ask to visit this domain."

Daphne drops another curtsy and disappears into the mist heading for the gateway in the house.

"Airmed, Airmed!"

Airmed opens the door to her bedroom and yawns, "Yes Daphne?"

"Please can you come and see my sister. She's having an episode caused by a maledictus!"

"Slow down child."

"Please, I'll do anything."

"Even become one of my chosen companions?" Daphne nods, "Then it's a good thing that I am wearing a glamour and my magic is occluded, otherwise you would be swearing the oaths now. Now, is this a new thing or something your sister has had for a while?"

Daphne swallows, "We've known about it since she was 2."

"Then it will wait while I get dressed and have some breakfast. I'll meet you in the kitchen."

"But…"

"No buts. The first duty of a healer is to care for themselves. You can't heal anyone if you collapse in a pool of blood because you forgot that rule."

Reluctantly, Daphne goes down to the kitchen where the smell of fresh bread has her taking her own loaf and picking at it.