Chapter 2

The adults in the room, even the muggles, could sense the magic surrounding the three girls on the floor and had the sense to stay well away from the protective circle until they had cried all their tears. Finally the three stood. Circe and Mrs. Lyons led them upstairs to Gala's room to rest. A few minutes later the two women rejoined the group in the sitting room. Circe's new fiancee, whose name was Jason, spoke first.

"Mr. Dumbledore, are you certain this is the right thing to do?" he asked, " I mean…"

Dumbledore nodded. "I know what you mean, sir. And no, I am not completely certain; one can seldom be sure in these situations. But she will be safest this way."

Circe shook her head. "Safest perhaps. But you saw what just happened, right? They did not turn to us for comfort but to one another. They are linked, and to separate them…"

"To separate them is the only way to keep them safe. Separately they may not be as easy to find."

Mr. Lyons stood and faced the older wizard, his green eyes, so like his daughter's, troubled. "They have been safe enough so far."

"Only with Audric and Alyssande," the old man's voice caught ever so slightly on his daughter's name, "protecting them. And the girls cannot yet protect themselves, so it is our task."

The others nodded their agreement, bowing the wisdom of the most powerful wizard of the age. "I will begin making the necessary arrangements for Galadriel's departure," Circe said finally, rising and walking slowly toward the door. Jason followed, and they could be heard to whisper softly to one another as they left.

* * *

Galadriel's recollection of the next few days was hazy- she couldn't seem to quite wake herself up. Guin and Helena stayed with her as much as possible, while her grandfather was busy conducting the necessary arrangements. She wasn't too concerned with the graves, the funeral. Didn't mean much- her parents were gone. Whatever else was done was just… stuff.

Then Grandfather sat her down in the family room to have a talk. And the talk revealed that she was going to be moved to England. And she would be going to his school- Hogwarts. Suddenly she was awake, and reality was very much real, and she was not happy at all.

"Hogwarts? I so do not think so!"

"I understand you'll miss your friends…"

"Yes, I will. And I'll miss my Aerobatics team! We've been practicing for the last year- we'll be going to NATIONALS! And you want me to pack off and go to some backwater out-dated castle?"

Dumbledore sighed, and started to explain, assuring her Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was anything but backwater and out-dated. Gala wasn't listening. "Best school in Europe? So what? Goldwood is the best school in America! America- you know, the country I was born and raised in? I am not going. I'm staying home."