Reunions and Encounters

Chapter 9

Hermione folded and put away the letter she had received from Percy. He'd be coming to Nomad Island for work the following week, on Valentines Day, and was bringing his pregnant wife with him.

George was taking his whole family on vacation as well, and they'd arrive a couple of days later. In his letter, he'd explained that he had received permission to open a branch of Zonko's in Concordia, and that he wanted to do it now so he could take full advantage of the festivities surrounding Concordia's fourteenth century of existence in its current form.

Hermione smiled. That had been very clever of George. The festivities had started on Imbolc and would continue till Beltaine. During that time, the city would harbour twenty thousand visitors from all parts of the wizarding world, many of whom knew the joke shop, or another shop belonging to the same chain. They would, in a way, introduce the shop to the locals.

She walked from the street up an impressive flight of steps and through a deep-set doorway under a semicircular arch. The magical heavy-timbered double door that opened up to the lobby recognised its new mistress and slowly swung open to allow her to pass.

The lobby was a wooden-floored chamber decorated with beautiful tapestries selected by Heidi, one of her new housemates who had very refined taste owing to her aristocratic upbringing. All the furnishings were elegantly carved; there were doors into several rooms and a small cupboard or cloakroom, a flight of stairs up and a side-table and chairs for waiting visitors. Alternatively, they could be shown into the parlour. This had very comfortable furniture and was often used by the new ladies of the house…Hermione and six other unmarried female Rangers. There were several precious ornaments in there as decorations, also selected by Heidi Gravenstein.

The major room on the ground floor used to be called the Pleasure Hall. It had a high table and two flanking tables. The Hall extended to the next floor and was served by the kitchen and the workroom. The workroom was home to the three elves that helped run the house. They were free and received adequate payment, of course. The kitchen was connected to the courtyard by the back door, and by the cellars. Both cellars were accessible by trap door. An 8' wooden wall with a locked gate bordered the courtyard. Goods not kept in the cellar were put in the pantry and store. Both were well stocked at all times with high quality food, drink and crockery. There was also a study on this floor, and Hermione practically monopolised it.

She took the stairs to the first floor, which was dominated by bedchambers. A broad gallery looked down over a wooden balustrade onto the upper portion of the Pleasure Hall. This area could accommodate extra diners during a special feast, or for musicians to entertain those below. It could also be used as a dayroom.

The eight bedchambers on the first floor were all like studios. Hermione's room looked out over the street and onto Commander Ironheart's house. Heidi, Helga, Mayumi Sakai, Galatea, Lilia and Clara Da Silva occupied six other bedchambers, while an eighth was kept as a guestroom, and was currently occupied by Tempeste Louvel-Wolfe. She had arrived a couple of days earlier to visit her comatose grandson.

Ironheart had wanted her to stay at his home, but his wife, who still saw Tempeste as a threat, wouldn't have it. Instead, Hermione and the girls took her in, and she repaid them by cooking sumptuous Creole food.

The second floor was very elegant, and served as a common room of sorts, where visitors weren't allowed. Its roof was charmed like the one of the Great Hall at Hogwarts.

The women had moved in on New Year's Day, and in the following week several odd gentlemen came calling at their door, asking if they were in business again. It turned out that the place used to be a high-class pleasure house, and Heidi nearly hexed a man who offered her fifty Galleons an hour. Later, she said she hadn't been offended by the proposition, because it was an understandable misunderstanding, given the past of the house. But she'd thought she'd be worth at least a hundred an hour!

"Good evening, mistress Hermione", Zippy and Binks, the elves, said brightly as they carried a basket full of laundry.

"Hi Zippy…Binks!" Hermione replied. She noticed the chandelier between Helga and Mayumi's room was swaying lightly. "I take it Nathan is visiting again?"

The elves nodded and grinned, and Hermione felt more envious than ever. With all the extra work she was doing trying to revive Wolfe, she had no time left for a social life. At least Galatea shared her misery. She sighed and went into her room. Percy had sent a separate letter concerning Ron, and she hadn't read it yet. She had a feeling it wouldn't be good news.

She flung herself onto her bed and opened it.

Dear Hermione,

As promised, I am keeping you posted on Ron.

I am afraid he isn't doing very well. He was transferred out of Beast division by Charlie, and is now working at the Office for House-elf Relocation. He hasn't been able to function normally after you two broke up. One of his colleagues in Peru nearly got injured due to his negligence, hence the transfer.

A fresh feeling of guilt surged through Hermione as she read those sentences. Ron was miserable without her…She shook her head. Ron needed to realise that he was wrong! Until then, he was on his own.

Now about the rest of the family;

Mum is helping Hannah out with the pregnancy. That woman is a lifesaver I tell you! Bill is a father again. Fleur gave birth to a redhead, they called him Alroy. He was born on Yule, imagine that!

Ginny, well, she broke up with Lenoir. Unfortunately, she's seeing Draco Malfoy.

Hermione nearly dropped the letter in shock.

I know…shocking, isn't it? Well, it seems he's a new man. He went out of his way to pass a law for free house-elves, just so Dobby and Winky could marry. I had Severus Snape and Remus Lupin tune a Sneakoscope especially to his signature, to see if he had some sort of hidden agenda. But it never reacted. I never thought I'd say this, but it sure seems I was wrong about him. Still, I'm not thrilled about him seeing Ginny. (Neither is Ron, and he's working with Malfoy now, he hates it.)

Hermione winced as her mind made the connection. Of course, Malfoy worked at the Office for House-elf Relocation too! Despite Ron's extremely cruel words when they broke up, she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. She sighed and continued reading the letter.

We can discuss this when Hannah and I arrive in Concordia. I've booked us at the Sleeping Hippogriff Inn. I understand it's near the hospital, or House of Healing, as you Concordians call it. I want a hospital close by in case of complications with the pregnancy.

Hope you're mentally preparing yourself for George and his rowdy bunch.

See you soon.

P. Weasley

Despite the distressing news about Ginny, Hermione allowed herself a smile. Percy had indeed changed a lot. He was no longer as pompous as he used to be. Of course, his referring to George's kids as 'rowdy' had been evidence that a bit of the old Percy was still in there. Hermione smiled. She was sure he would make a fine Minister for Magic someday.

*

Time passed in a blur the next few weeks as Hermione worked feverishly to find a cure for Max Wolfe's mysterious affliction, and desperation was starting to set in.

Serafina Esposito came into the laboratory. "How is it going?"

"Terrible. We've tried a dozen potions now. Nothing seems to work." She yielded the stool to Serafina. "I hope you'll have better luck than I've had."

Serafina stirred a bubbling potion. "So where are you going?"

"Some friends of mine are arriving in the Transit Dome," Hermione said, referring to the dome on the first tier of the city. It was the only place from which travel in and out of the city was possible…save the Ranger Citadel of course, but that fact was kept secret from most locals.

"Really? How nice! Some of my relatives will be visiting in March. How long will your friends stay?"

"Well, George Weasley…my friend, owns a large portion of the Majoke Inc stock. He's actually coming here on business. He's going to open up a branch of Zonko's in the city. He's bringing his wife and four rowdy children too."

"Rowdy…oh my!"

Hermione laughed. "Rambunctious might be a better word."

"Ah," Serafina nodded and frowned. "George Weasley? The inventor of the Language Lollipops?"

"Among other things." Hermione nodded, smiling. The Language Lollipops had been…and still were a huge hit, and several wizarding elementary schools wanted them for educational purposes. Hermione grinned at the thought that Fred would roll over in his grave if he'd known that some his inventions actually had educational value. "Anyway, he wanted to go straight to the festivities after checking into the Ruby Dragon Lodge."

"Fancy accommodations," Serafina said, impressed.

Hermione shrugged. "I guess." George was rolling in Galleons these days. He could easily afford it. "I'll see you tomorrow." She waved and went to the transportation room to take a portal to her new home in the townhouse. There she changed and took another portal to the Transit Dome.

Many beings were anxiously waiting the arrival of relatives, like at many a Muggle airport. After a few minutes, she caught a flash of red hair. It was George, chasing and grabbing his son, Fred. Then she saw Angelina and the other children. She called their names and waved, jumping up and down.

George grinned and walked towards her, carrying a struggling Fred under his arm. The little boy was putting up quite a fight for someone who was barely eighteen months old. "Look, Fred. The silly lady is jumping up and down!"

The boy ceased his struggles and looked at Hermione with big brown eyes. He looked just plain adorable in a very exotic way, with his red hair and his complexion a few shades lighter than his mother's.

Angelina gave the elf that was handling their luggage some instructions and five sickles for his trouble, before walking over to Hermione, who couldn't help but notice the large belly the older woman had. It was noticeable that she was carrying more than one baby.

"Well, the elf took our luggage to our hotel…hi Hermione" She kissed Hermione in greeting. "…so that's that. Fred is getting cranky, and he needs a nap badly, so I'd like to take him up to the hotel with me. I'm pretty pooped too. I'll check us in, so you and the other children can go straight to the fun stuff."

"That's okay. I'll just take the children to the fair." Hermione smiled.

Angelina frowned. "What about George?"

"When I said children I meant George too!"

"Hey, I happen to be a successful business man and a responsible father," George said in mock outrage.

Hermione and Angelina laughed, and they parted ways. Hermione took George and his children to see the many shows and soon they were walking amidst many visitors and colourful entertainers. The going was a bit slow, so packed were the avenues and streets of the city, and several designated landing zones had been set up by the authorities, because landing just anywhere simply wasn't an option.

Indeed, the city's five thousand hotel rooms were crammed to capacity and a temporary village had been created outside the city to hold another ten thousand people.

Hermione looked up into the sky, beyond the criss-crossing aerial traffic, where the programme was magically written in the form of clouds. "Oh, the giant statues on Artist's Square are doing a play at one o'clock," she pointed out. The statues were magical, like the ones at Hogwarts. She thought it would be fun to watch, but it wouldn't be very entertaining for the children…and their father. "But I reckon the kids won't like that. Your children are actually a bit too young for most activities. Only Arthur could go to some of them," she said, referring to the three-and-a-half-year-old. He was showing a typical new independent streak of children his age, and George had to keep a sharp eye out to prevent him from wandering off.

"What's wrong with Arthur?"

George sighed. "He's noticed that he's a bit different from Angelina's kids. He asked me why he's got fair skin and why his brother and sisters have a bit more colouring. I tried to explain it to him as best I could. He understands now that Susie and Millie are actually his cousins, and that Angie isn't his real mum. He still has to get used to it all…come back here Arthur!" George called as a bunch of juggling dwarves distracted Arthur. "Got to keep a constant eye on him! I nearly lost him once…Angie had a fit. These little devils are much worse though!" he said, proudly smiling down at Susan and Mildred.

They went down to the second tier, where most of the recreational facilities were, and watched several daring witches and wizards racing on their brooms through burning barrels in the game of Aingingein. Millie, who, while devious, wasn't fond of watching dangerous displays, closed her eyes and buried her face in George's chest, not wanting to look. Susie and Arthur actually enjoyed the spectacle, and cheered for a wizard as he threw the Dom through the last barrel.

Then they walked a bit further and sat down to watch an exhibition Quidditch game between the Concordian league champions and Vratsa Vultures, the team for which Krum played Seeker. The Vultures were soundly beating the amateur team.

George looked at the magical bulletin board. "Oy, Wood's coming next week!"

Hermione glanced at the bulletin board and saw that the Montrose Magpies were to play an exhibition match against the Gimbi Giant-Slayers.

"I though he played for Puddlemere United."

George shook his head. "He was doing so well with Puddlemere that several larger clubs showed their interest, including the Vultures." He nodded to the team darting above the pitch. "Oh, looks like Krum's got the snitch. Ah well, Oliver wanted to stay in Britain, so he chose the Magpies."

Hermione nodded. "How is Oliver anyway, apart from Quidditch?"

"Ah, ahem…well, he's not seeing anybody," George said, as he squirmed in his seat uncomfortably. "Rumour has it he's playing for the wrong team, but I won't believe he's a poof unless he actually turns up with a bloke on his arm.

"Oh…" Hermione said. Wood never struck her as being gay, but one never knew. She had been itching to ask how Ron was, but she didn't want to seem overeager. Still, she was worried about him so she asked George…"How is Ron?"

George nearly cringed. "He's healthy, physically. I'm not sure about his mind though. At least putting up with Malfoy is keeping him distracted. And he's in an excellent position to watch over Ginny. At least his paranoia serves a purpose there. He's got Snape's Sneakoscope to keep him company…you know, in case Malfoy slips up."

"Ginny and Malfoy…" Hermione said, slowly shaking her head in disbelief.

"It's pretty serious." George nodded. "But mum took Ginny to the magical creature reservation in Somerset, and put her through the unicorn test."

"Did she pass?" Hermione asked. She knew it wasn't really her business, but she couldn't help herself, and she shuddered as she imagined Molly Weasley dragging a terribly embarrassed Ginny through the park, loudly lecturing her about how proper witches should save themselves until their wedding night.

Hermione shook herself. She knew Molly was bad, but she wondered if she were really that bad. She sighed. It wasn't really fair either. It certainly seemed like a different set of rules applied to Ginny, because Molly had never given her boys much trouble when it came to courtship. Sure, she still nagged at Charlie to find a 'nice girl' and settle down, and she hadn't been thrilled when Bill eloped…and she had a fit when she'd heard that Percy had followed in Bill's footsteps. When talking to Ron, she'd hinted that he ought to propose to Hermione and marry her, so they could live together properly…Hermione barely suppressed a wince as she thought about Ron.

"Our little Ginny is still innocent." George nodded. "Not that I would have been terribly shocked if she hadn't passed the test. After all, I was a father at nineteen."

Hermione blinked several times, unsure whether she'd heard George correctly. Had he actually dropped the overprotective brother act?

"Talking about Ginny?" Percy asked, appearing behind them and sitting down next to George. "Angie told me you were off with Hermione. I reckoned I'd find you here."

"Hiya balding brother of mine. Yes, we were discussing the fate of the littlest Weasley. Are you done working for today?"

Percy sadly shook his head. "Two hour recess. Concordian politicians are very difficult to deal with."

Hermione smiled. "You ought to come by my place tonight for dinner. Heidi Gravenstein is one of our politicians. She's still learning from more experienced ones, but I bet she knows a thing or two you can use."

"Gravenstein…I know that name. Right, the Head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation in Austria is called Gravenstein."

"Her father!" Hermione nodded.

"Small world," Percy muttered. "Anyway, I got a letter from mum. Ginny and Malfoy have set a date."

"No," George groaned. "Why is she in such a hurry?"

"Oh dear," Hermione gasped. "When?"

"June 21st."

Midsummer…June…the traditional month for weddings. Hermione sighed. "Midsummer."

"I can't believe this is happening," George spat. "Isn't there any way we can stop this?"

"Afraid not, little George. But if his intentions are at least honourable…as they seem…I don't have any objections. If a person can change for the better that much, he deserves to marry our little sister."

"I guess you have a point there." George admitted grudgingly.

Suddenly, a broom that came to a stop at about four feet in front of them interrupted their discussion.

"Herm-own-ninny?"

"Hello Viktor," Hermione said brightly. "Good game."

Krum shrugged. "The opposition vasn't that strong. Vot are you doing here?"

"I live here, actually. I'm a member of the Order of Illumination," Hermione said proudly, though technically she wasn't a full-fledged member yet, but those were just details.

Krum seemed impressed. "You are a Ranger?"

Hermione nodded. "Yep."

"Vell, I am sure that you are one of the prettiest female Rangers." He winked at her. "You look good. You look a bit tired…but good."

Hermione's cheeks flushed a little. "Thank you, Viktor. Say, why don't you come by tonight for dinner? I'm half-planning a dinner anyway…George, d'you think Angelina would like to come to dinner?"

George shrugged. "I'm sure she would. Angie's perpetually hungry."

"Well, the food's really good. We have this lady staying with us who cooks deliciously She usually cooks Cajun Creole and French cuisine."

Percy's stomach grumbled. "Damn, that sounds good, and I forgot to have lunch. Anyway, I have to stop by and see Hannah to see how she's doing. She had mother to keep her company in England, but now she spends most of the day alone. The last thing I want is a cranky pregnant woman asking me where I've been, so I'm off. I'll see you for dinner then, Hermione. Oh, by the way, where so you live, and what time should I be there?"

"In a townhouse on the sixth tier, in north six, the northern sector. There are these stairs that lead up to an archway. You can't miss it. I'll be expecting you at seven." She turned to the other redhead. "What about you?"

"Can I bring my kids?"

"Naturally. We've got an enclosed courtyard they can play in. And I'm sure one of the elves will care for them while we eat."

"Hermione, you own a house-elf?" George asked, incredulously.

"Of course not." Percy laughed. "Elves are free in Concordia. They all get paid like Dobby and Winky. There is even an Elf Quarter on the fifth level, where only elves live, right?"

"Percy, you've done your homework. I'm impressed." Hermione beamed.

"Actually, the elf member of the Combine told me how things work here," Percy explained. He glanced at his watch. "Oh, I have to go." He hurried through the crowd in the stands and went down a flight of stairs.

"I haff to go, Herm-own-ninny. I accept your dinner invitation. Vot is the dress code?"

"Casual."

Krum nodded and floated off on his broom.

"Vell…I think he still fancies you, Herm-own-ninny!" George teased, imitating Krum.

"Oh, stop it!" Hermione huffed.

"Why shouldn't he like you?" George asked innocently. "You're a beautiful young woman. If I weren't married with kids, I'd have a go at you myself!"

"George!"

"Just joking!"

Hermione frowned. "You don't find me attractive then?" she asked. Despite her outward indignation, she had been quite pleased with George's remark.

George raised an eyebrow and grinned diabolically. "Honestly, how long has it been for you?"

"George!" she exclaimed, blushing so profusely it seemed as if the blood would seep through her pores any second.

Later, at half past seven, Hermione, some of her housemates, the Weasleys and Krum were all sitting in the Pleasure Hall, now renamed the Luminous Hall, and dinner prepared by Tempeste Louvel and the elves was being served. Helga also had a guest over, in the form of Nathaniel Kelly, who was talking…what else…Quidditch, with Krum and George.

Percy was discussing political manoeuvring with Heidi, and the other women were talking about men.

"Imagine my surprise when Percy was floating outside my window, asking me to marry and run away with him." Hannah laughed.

"That is nothing." Helga grinned, and she told the story of how Nathan professed his love to her on Christmas Day, namely by putting an engorgement charm on himself, making him almost as big as a giant and then using the sonorus charm to scream it out loud, rattling the city. "It was so embarrassing. My parents wanted to know what it was all about."

"Well, I never thought he'd take my advice so literally." Hermione smiled apologetically.

"Oh, how romantic!" Lilia, who was also present, sighed. "I wish I'd been there."

"Yes, men can surprise you sometimes, can't they?" Tempeste Louvel chuckled.

"I'll drink to that." Angelina said. "I'll eat to it too…sumptuous dinner, Tempeste."

"Thank you, sugar. I was my pleasure. I just wish I wasn't such a bother on you girls," she said, looking at Hermione, Galatea, Helga and Lilia. "But Aria Ironheart still sees me as a threat to her marriage. I can't imagine why…"

"You're the mother of his son, grandmother of his eldest grandson. You'll always be seen as a threat. The Commander's habit to stray is well known, but you are special to him, and Aria knows that," Galatea said. "Am I right to assume that he always came running immediately when you asked him to?"

"Well…yes. After Scott passed away…he saw to it that I was well taken care of."

"How did you husband die?" Lilia asked.

"Accident. He went to Norway to harvest the heartstrings of a dying Dragon…he was a wand-maker."

"Wolfe's Wondrous Wands." Lilia nodded and drew her wand. "This is one of his, I think."

"That could very well be." Tempeste nodded, briefly examining the wand. "The thing is, he owned this crystal that a wizard could touch. The crystal would then show the most compatible wand for that wizard, without having to go through all those boxes. If he didn't have that particular wand, he'd call up his fellow wand-makers and ask them if they had made it. If not, he would custom make the wand if possible. It brought him a lot of extra business."

"Fascinating," Hermione said. "I didn't know that could be done. What happened to the crystal?"

" I sold it to Mr Ollivander," Tempeste said. "I'm not a wand maker, so I had no use for it." She frowned. "Oh, I was supposed to tell you how he died. Well, it happened like this. The dragon was lying on a fjord, you know, a rocky coastline. Scott got bitten by a Malaclaw on the way to the dragon, and got struck by lightning two days later.

"Oooh." Hermione grimaced. The Mackled Malaclaw's bite had the notorious side effect that it made its victim extremely unlucky for up to a week after the bite.

"What a way to go," Lilia gasped.

"That's what his companions said." Tempeste laughed. "Oh, I have to go and visit him sometime. He still haunts that fjord."

"Cool." Lilia grinned. "But why doesn't he move back to your place?"

"Honestly Lilia, don't you know anything? Ghosts can't go too far from their own place of death. I remember Nearly Headless Nick's Death Day party. He got some visitors, but they were all ghosts from Britain. I guess crossing an ocean is beyond them."

"Zip it brainy. I didn't ask for a lecture," Lilia snapped, annoyed.

Hermione scowled at her, but Angelina cut her retort short. "Hermione, you let George gamble?" she asked, outraged.

"Oh Angie, don't be like that!" George groaned. "I wasn't gambling. Just a little game of Dartceach…it was a sure thing. I won didn't I?"

Hermione smiled. George had persuaded her to let him participate in a game of Dartceach, a goblin card game in which cheating was allowed as long as one wasn't caught. To her surprise, and the goblins', he actually took them for all they were worth.

"You out-cheated goblins?" asked Nathan, looking awed.

"How can you trust a man like him?" Lilia asked Angelina jokingly. "A guy who can out-cheat goblins…" Her eyes lit up in admiration as she gave George a once over. "Pity you're married."

"Not at all." George winked. "What the wife doesn't know won't hurt…"

Angelina's throwing a plate of chicken and sausage gumbo in his face cut his sentence short. Sobbing, she got up and hurried out of the hall.

"What?" George asked, as he saw the women glare at him.

Percy shook his head disapprovingly. "You shouldn't have said that."

"It was just a joke!" George said defensively.

"Well, you know pregnant women…she's swelling like a balloon with hormones rushing through her body. Then she sees you flirt with another woman and probably thinks it's because you're no longer interested in her because she's all fat and ugly and…"

Having been nailed by Crawfish bisque, Percy too had been unable to finish his sentence. He wiped the dish out of his eyes and cast a bewildered look around to spot his attacker, only to see his wife glaring at him in tears.

"You prat! If you think I'm ugly just say so! No subtle hints about fat and ugly pregnant women!" she howled, before storming out of the hall.

"Smooth Percy." George grinned, getting up. "I have to reassure my lovely and spirited wife. I'll be right back."

"Wait, George! You've got to tell me what to do! You've been through this before!" Percy called, following him.

Hermione shook her head ruefully. "I hope I don't get like that if I ever get pregnant."

"You're already neurotic! If you get pregnant, I reckon you'll be much worse!" Nathan teased, and Lilia laughed…"Hear, hear!"

"I'm not that bad…am I?"

"You are a very headstrong woman, Herm-own-ninny. But it only makes you lovelier," Krum said.

Hermione blushed furiously at Krum's flirtatious compliment. "Viktor!"

"You are supposed to say thank you!" Lilia grinned.

"Is there something we need to know about?" Heidi asked, with a twinkle in her big brown eyes. "Have you been having a torrid affair with Viktor behind our backs?"

"Oh, not you too, Heidi!" Hermione groaned.

Galatea, who was quickly becoming one of her closer friends, rescued her. "That is enough, everybody," she said, and they continued to eat, and a little while later the Weasley couples returned to the table, both women looking perfectly happy again.

"Made up, have you?" Hermione smiled.

"Oh, we cleared up some misunderstandings." George said airily, and winked at his brother who was sweating bullets but looking quite relieved.

"Yeah, no problem." Percy nodded.

Then, a screaming elf came zooming into the Hall, chased by Millie and Susie. "Help poor Binks! Children wants to drive Binks crazy!"

***

Why oh why do you ignore every bit of good advice you get…Potter? Harry scolded himself, as a razor sharp piece of grass cut into body. Luckily, there was a path that ran through the field of sharp grass. Unfortunately, it wound in all directions, and though he still seemed to be on the right track, he had to follow the path, and it had delayed him quite a bit.

And he had already been making terrible time. He'd been on the road for two months, having passed through a seemingly endless desert with numerous quicksand pits and few oases, and then trudged through an equally extensive marshland filled with leeches and Dugbogs that tried to sink their sharp teeth in his ankles at every available opportunity.

He was lucky to catch a break in the desert. He later found out it was called the Desert of Illusion, and that he'd been going in circles for weeks. He found out after encountering a sphinx that challenged him with a riddle.

~

"What are you, mortal, doing in my desert…the Desert of Illusion?"

"That was it's called, huh?"

The sphinx nodded. "I have watched you for a while now. You have followed the sun to orient yourself, have you not?"

Harry nodded.

"Foolish mortal. Have you forgotten that this sun…" He looked up. "…does not shine in this realm? You have followed it, thinking you've been going east, instead, you've been going in circles."

Harry groaned. Of course! There had only been a faint reflection of the sun when he stayed at Carey's, yet here he encountered the sun as it shone in the earth realm. It hadn't crossed his mind, for the sun looked so natural over the desert.

The sphinx grinned. "I am the caretaker of the sands. The caretaker of the winds told me you'd be coming here. I am not supposed to help you, but he insisted, and I still owe him a favour.

"Instead, I will challenge you with a riddle. If you answer correctly, I will guide you through the dessert, but if you are mistaken…you would have the face the same consequences as you would when facing a real sphinx."

Harry nodded.

"Very well. If I tell you: "Everything I say to you is a lie," am I telling the truth, or am I lying?"

Harry was baffled. It wasn't fair! This riddle didn't seem to have an answer. He sat down on the sand to think about it. Hours passed, and it still didn't make sense to him.

This riddle sounded like the one about the sound a falling tree in the forest, or the one about the clapping of one hand. Was it at all possible? He got up, bracing himself for the inevitable attack. "This riddle is a paradox. I don't think it has any one right answer."

Instead of attacking, the sphinx smiled. "You are correct…and courageous, for it took a lot of courage to answer that question the way you did. I will show you the way. You can ride on my back," the caretaker of the sands said.

"What if you're and illusion too?"

The caretaker laughed. "At least I'd be an illusion that talks back!"

Harry shrugged and hopped onto its back, and it carried Harry through the desert until he reached the marsh. "This is where my stewardship ends. I can go no further."

"Are you telling the truth, or are you lying?" Harry grinned.

The caretaker laughed. "Don't think about it that much. It'll gave you a headache."

Harry turned to look at the marsh. "Is there a caretaker of the marshes?" he asked. When he received no answer he glanced back, only to find that the caretaker had disappeared. Shaking his head, Harry continued his journey

~

He hissed in pain as another blade of grass cut through his torn uniform and into his skin. Then, he saw a clearing in the field of tall grass and a little hut with a thatched roof standing in the middle. An old woman seemed to be weaving clothes from the very same sharp grass that grew around the clearing.

"Excuse me," he asked cautiously.

"Hello, Mr Potter," the crone replied, not looking up from her work. "How are you on this fine day? How do you like your journey so far?"

"A bit light-headed from the blood-loss," Harry muttered, looking at all the bleeding cuts in his limbs. "The journey's going just fine, thank you. How far do I yet have to go?"

"I imagined as much," the crone said with a toothless grin, and Harry was irritated by her lack of answer to his question. "Go inside…wash yourself in the tub and pull on the clothes lying on the table. You can stay here for a while."

"No thanks. I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"You won't be going anywhere," the crone chuckled, looking at the sky. "Do you see those dark clouds?"

Harry looked up and saw that the usual pastel yellow clouds had turned and angry dark yellow.

"A storm is coming…and storms last much longer here than they do in your realm."

"A bit of stormy weather never scared me," Harry said, full of bravado. He he'd flown through the mother of all storms once, to try to capture Peter Pettigrew so Sirius' name could be cleared. He felt a pang of resentment about the fact that it had happened posthumously, and that his godfather had never again walked the world a free man.

"You forget, Mr Potter, that the wind animates the grass. You will be cut to ribbons," the crone said, shaking her head. "You have been badly cut already, and it would be much worse with the whipping grass."

Harry dropped his pack and took off his armour, which had protected most of his torso from the sharp grass. "Then I guess I should thank you for letting me stay?"

"I am a caretaker," she simply replied. "It is my duty. Besides, you are foolish for undertaking this journey. You should have waited. You need all the help you can get."

News sure travelled fast, he thought, puzzled, as he hobbled into the little house and jumped into a tub that was filled with fragrant water, after he stripped off what was left of his Ranger uniform. It had suffered a lot during his journey, and Harry wasn't sure he could repair it any more.

He soaked in the tub for what seemed like hours, before he clambered out and dried himself off, noticing that all his cuts had healed. These caretakers' ability to heal was truly amazing, he thought, as he slipped on the trousers and the long-shirt made of the strange green fibre, probably made from the strange grass.

Suddenly he realised that there was an additional room to the hut. It was funny, since he hadn't seen it before, but hardly anything about the realm surprised him anymore. He poked his head though a curtain of strings with beads attached to them, and saw the woman sitting in a hammock, puffing a long pipe.

He sat on the floor, seeing not other thing to sit on, and stared at the merrily crackling fire, as droplets of rain started to pound the hut. he asked, "How long do I have to wait?"

"I believe it will be two weeks, before you can continue on your journey."

"But I can't wait that long," Harry said. "I have to get to the portal."

"Are you sure you want to do that? Would you not rather wait for the eclipse? The forest is filled with peril."

"There you go again…saying that the forest is dangerous," Harry snapped irritably. "Tell me then, what is so dangerous about that forest? What will I find there?"

The old crone looked at the dark orange clouds outside. "Whatever lies within."

"What is in there, then?"

She looked at him warningly through her beady eyes. "I do not know. The danger cannot be defined. All I know is that it is a shapeless evil."

"I've fought evil before. I'm sure I can handle it," Harry said confidently.

"Have you now?" she cackled. "No, Mr Potter. "You've fought manifestations of evil…not evil itself."

"So you are saying that there's something in there that is the mother of all evil?"

She nodded. "And it cannot be fought. For how can you fight something unknown to you?"

"Then I'll just have to avoid it," Harry said dryly, gazing back into the fire.

"If you can," she said darkly. "Now tell me…for I sense there is something bothering you. You have had a lot of time to think about things on your journey…have you not?"

"I guess. I have to keep my mind occupied. The loneliness is enough to drive anyone insane. Do you caretakers always keep to yourselves like this? Don't you ever socialise?"

"We perceive time differently than you mortals do. We are not easily bored." She settled her beady gaze on him. "But that is not what is bothering you, is it? Boredom?"

Harry shook his head. More than once, he'd reflected on his life and asked himself the question: had it been worth it? He sighed. "I've been lonely practically my whole life. It got a bit better for a couple of years, but then Voldemort returned. Everybody was depending on me, and I could almost physically feel the weight on my heart then. My friends supported me, but they never understood! Except for Ginny. Somehow, she did understand," he said, and felt a stabbing pain as he remembered how she always used to be there for him.

The caretaker puffed her pipe and looked into the fire thoughtfully, before saying, "Loneliness, is like the storm outside. You may wish you were basking in the sun, but had you basked in that sun all your life, would you appreciate it?"

"Huh?"

The caretaker inhaled a bit of smoke, and blew out smoke rings shaped like bolts of lightning…much like Harry's scar. "Loneliness strengthens you character, like the rain strengthens the land."

"But in my case, the rains never stop, and now I feel like I'm drowning in the flood."

"Have they never stopped, or did you follow the clouds around?"

"Or do the clouds follow me around?" Harry retorted.

"I think both of us are right. Loneliness has been forced upon you, yet you sought it out as well, so you have little reason for self-pity," the caretaker said sternly.

"But I did it for the sake of others."

"Which is very noble of you! But that does not mean that you can hold them responsible for your loneliness."

That comment washed over him like Peeves' dropping a bucket of ice water on him. The caretaker was right, of course. He had been resenting people for their easy lives, while he had suffered to make it possible for them. Yet it had been his own willing choice, and he'd nearly forgotten about that. What Dumbledore told him, about the choices one made, now made more sense than ever! A person could not only choose a path, or a course of action, but living with the consequences of that choice was a choice by itself.

The caretaker saw his troubled look and smiled. "Nobody's perfect. I know you had to maintain the illusion of perfection for the sake of others as well, but that doesn't mean that you have to be. As for your loneliness, you can choose to let it frighten you…or strengthen you."

Harry nodded. The caretaker had given him a lot to think about.

*

Harry stayed there for two weeks, keeping mostly to himself, as he saw the high winds outside whip the sharp grass. He knew he had done the right thing as he saw then grass sway over the narrow pathway. Then, two weeks later he went on his way, walking through the path that crossed the grass once more, this time protected by the clothing provided by the caretaker. It occurred to him that he didn't know her name, but he guessed she would be the caretaker of the grass, or something.

His trek continued through the fields of grass for about a week, when he saw a mountain in the distance. According to the caretaker of the winds, the forest would be beyond the mountain. He was nearly there!

The realisation gave him an energy boost and he quickened his pace, drawing closer and closer to the mountain. It was only when he reached the base of the mountain, that he realised that it was probably bigger than the largest mountain in his own realm, Mount Everest. He looked up, and saw the slope disappear in the pastel yellow clouds, obscuring what lay above it.

Undeterred he started his ascent. He climbed for days on end, trying to find a pass to the other side. Some parts of the climb were easy, while others were on slopes full of loose rubble, and incredibly hazardous. The climb got a lot more difficult as he got higher, for the temperature dropped and the air got thinner and thinner, until taking a single step was a huge challenge.

His mind fogged up by the lack of oxygen, he faintly heard a rumble in the distance. He looked up and saw a dozen huge boulders coming down at him. Drawing on energy he didn't know he had, he sprinted to a huge boulder sticking out of the mountainside.

As the boulders thundered past, some crashing against his hiding place, he realised with mounting dread that beings, rather than erosion and gravity had probably induced their coming down.

Mountain trolls! As that thought struggled across him mind he heard the telltale roar of trolls. He cursed inwardly. He'd have to wait for nightfall and evade them. Normally trolls wouldn't trouble him that much, but he had to count on his wand being useless.

His vision blurred for an instant, before returning slightly less sharp than it had been before. His hastily performed Oculus Reparus charm was wearing off. He drew his wand and muttered the spell, pointing at his eyes, but nothing happened. He sighed in frustration. His luck seemed to be running out.

He spent the night on the mountain in a cold previously unimagined. He suspected that his clothes insulated his body well, and that there was probably a magical quality to them. He silently thanked the caretaker for it, realising that he would have died a dozen times over were it not for their care and guidance.

Unable to stay awake because of sheer exhaustion, he soon drifted off into a deep sleep.

***

Athanasios Anastasiou paced around in his underground lair, draining the last droplets of blood from a cat. It wasn't as good as human blood, but it was enough to sustain him.

After five hundred years, there wasn't much that could worry him, but he was still apprehensive about this meeting. This creature was a lot older than he was, and he and his minions had raised it on the black moon of July 31st.. It was still weak but if the ancient scripts were anything to go by, it would become invincible once it had grown to attain its full power.

Merlin had managed to banish it with a stroke of luck in the past, but no mistakes would be made this time.

He frowned. A pity what happened to Skaras, really. The ancient would have been a great component in the grand scheme of things, but he knew that Skaras wouldn't have settled for second place, behind The One. It would have destroyed him anyway after that fact became apparent.

The heavy metal doors to his chamber were pushed open by a pair of Dark Trolls, beings that were created by a wizard called Vedor the Vile, back when Athanasios was still among the living…and a member of the Order of Illumination.

He regarded the Trolls steadily, like a predator sizing up prey. These trolls would be difficult to tackle, even for him. They were an unholy crossing between trolls and wizards, and were nearly as intelligent as humans, with limited magical powers to supplement their prodigious troll strength. With the exception of some scholars and the Rangers of Illumination, the wizarding world knew nothing of these beings…but they would…soon!

A female with beauty unlike any other he'd ever seen, walked into his chambers, and nonchalantly sat in his chair. She looked at him with her pearly white eyes. Now he felt like prey. He went down on one knee in a show of respect, a gesture she didn't respond to.

"Once… I was a wizard like you were. But I evolved, and reached the next level. I also learned then that true immortality is impossible and quite overrated."

"Perhaps not, my lady. There was a wizard named Flamel, who created the possibility for an elixir…"

She raised her hand, and he fell silent. "I know about such elixirs, yet their effects are not permanent, are they?"

Anastasiou shook his head. "The elixir must continually be taken. There was a wizard named Voldemort, who pursued immortality, but another wizard vanquished him. But I have acquired the information he sought in his brief lifetime and I studied it. He came closer than anyone else I know of… it could be of assistance."

"No. I am no longer interested in immortality. I just want absolute power that lasts a lifetime."

"You will need allies, my lady, in order to accomplish that. There is an Order of wizards called the Order of Illumination. Its members are the best, brightest and most stalwart among wizards who oppose our kind. And most of them do not see, or acknowledge the merits of the acquisition of power. Only a few of them, like myself, were realists," he sneered. "They cannot be beaten by us alone."

"I'll leave it up to you to find me allies," she said.

His jaws clenched together in frustration. Maybe this being wasn't as exalted as she was made out to be. "That is easier said than done, my lady. The Order of Illumination has been weakened by their war against Voldemort and his allies, but they managed to destroy many of them in the process. Unfortunately, most of Voldemort's allies could have been our potential allies. Those who survived may be reluctant to join us. I need a show of strength. Fear will bring them into line with us."

She gave him a haughty little smile. "True, but a show of strength will also alert our foes to my presence. I cannot prevail in my current state. We need to take the enemy by surprise."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"If you find a potential ally, bring him here. I will persuade him to join our side."

"A wise idea, my lady," Anastasiou said in an oily voice, as he retreated from what obviously were her chambers now.

"Athanasios?" she called after him lazily.

"Yes, my lady?"

"Do not forget what I am. I could sense your doubt. I understand it, but it offends me. After I prove my might I will not allow any more doubt. Do you understand?"

Anastasiou nodded and walked out of the chamber.

***