Chapter Four:
The Tides Crash Together
Harry stared idly out the window, the snow falling delicately to the ground in little spirals. It was one week before the Christmas holidays, and Ron and Hermione were both leaving him behind. Not that he was staying here. He was going to go home to Sirius; for the last week they had been discussing custody and signing papers and that sort of thing. He couldn't wait, but he also couldn't help but think that before he left Hogwarts something would happen to him. In fact, he didn't just think; he knew. It was becoming a pattern with him. It was a part of his abilities as a sylph.
He knew she was coming before he turned around. That was his nature now.
"Mr. Potter, I need to see you in my office at seven." Professor McGonagall briefly stopped to tell him.
"Why not now?"
"Because I am currently on my way to direct a detention." It was slight, but before McGonagall left, she glanced at Harry's ears, and he knew what this was about.
How could he have been so foolish as to think that he could keep his little secret forever? People were bound to notice his ears eventually; they were bound to take into account his longer-than-is-normal fingers. It was nearly dinnertime, he had to go tell Ron and Hermione about his meeting with McGonagall. They would need to know. It wouldn't surprise him if Dumbledore already knew, and was just waiting for Harry to figure it out himself. He put his hands on his hips and blew a long breath out of his mouth. He looked at the grounds, noticing that Hagrid's cabin was still lit. He had a sudden urge to visit him, to confide in him. Hermione had done it back in third year, maybe it was worth a try. And plus, Hagrid was half giant, maybe he could give Harry a few stories to let him know what it was like to be only half a wizard.
Harry pulled his loose-hanging cloak around his shoulders and stepped out into the cold, winter air. His breath streamed out in front of him, making patterns against the sky that was rapidly turning gold. If he were still a child, he would be pretending he was a train right now, and he had the urge to do just one childish thing, but he didn't; it wouldn't have been dignified. The snow clung to his coat as if a thousand light elves clung to it themselves. The pure crystalline beauty of the snow was something purely winter, something that could never be seen in the very darkest of summer days. The coldest, most delicate of beauties was snow.
"Hagrid!" Harry called as he knocked on the door to the small hut his friend occupied. "Hagrid! It's me, Harry!"
"'Arry, me boy, come in!" Hagrid smiled, red-cheeked, so Harry knew there was a warm fire in the grate. "It's been so long since yeh had the extra time to visit me. What 'ave you been doing with yerself without me?"
"Dumbledore has me running circles around myself with school work, but he's been going easy on me close to the holidays, as I'm going home."
"Home? To the Dursleys?"
"No, I'm living with Sirius Black from now until I can get my own apartment. He said it might be tough, the first couple of days, but I can handle sleeping just about anywhere." Harry nervously twiddled his fingers in his lap together. He noticed Hagrid glance at him suspiciously. "But, Hagrid, to tell the truth, I came here for some . . . erm, help, on something, and I'd really appreciate if you'd hear me out."
"What could you possibly need teh ask me about?"
"Well, erm, I'm not really a wizard."
"But you've been doin' so well in classes, how could yeh not be a wizard?"
Harry decided to take a different track. "You know how you're half giant?"
"You certainly aren' half giant, Harry, but are yeh somethin' else?"
"Yes, Hagrid, have you ever heard of sylphs?"
"Of course I have. The centaurs are always talking about them when I go into the forest. They've been saying that the ruler is on the run."
"My father was a sylph, so I'm half sylph."
There was a moment of silence whilst the eavesdropper outside ran back up to the school to start spreading the news. The fire crackled in its grate, sending a delightful show of sparks up only to disappear in their own smoke.
"Your father was a . . . Then why did yeh come ter me first?" Hagrid stuttered.
"Well, I just thought that you could give me some advice. I mean, since you're half giant, you could help me to know how people will react, if I won't be able to find an apartment because people won't want to cater to me, that kind of thing."
"'Arry, yeh're more diff'rent than me then yeh think. I'm feared 'cause of what I am. Yeh won't be understood, some may fear yeh, but none will know much, if anything about sylphs. Yeh migh' just have to move away from the wizarding world, and into that of yer father."
"How will I do that? It's hidden."
"My guess is, another sylph will come and get you and bring you to their world. A dying race is very particular about who goes out and who goes in."
Harry was uncomfortable for a few moments, until finally Hagrid broke the silence.
"Does an'one else know about this?" Harry shook his head.
"No, but I think Professor McGonagall is onto something. She asked me to see her in her office at seven."
"Ah, McGonagall was always one to catch on to somethin' early."
* * *
"Well, what's a sylph?"
"I don't know, but Colin said he saw pointy ears, long fingers, and sparkly skin!"
"Like a fairy?"
"I don't know."
"Did Potter tell anyone else about this?" Draco Malfoy cut into the fourth years' conversation.
"Not that I know of. If you want more information, talk to Colin, he's the one that came up with the information."
"Colin Creevey?"
"Yes, but I don't think he knows that much more than he told."
"Colin Creevey . . . " Draco didn't know what he was doing. The curse had a firm hold on him.
* * *
"Professor McGonagall, you wanted to see me?" Harry murmured as he stepped in the door.
"Ah, yes, hello Potter. Sit."
Harry nervously sat, noticing the piles of papers and books that filled this office, accumulating enough dust to kill someone who's allergic. Apparently, Professor McGonagall wasn't allergic to dust, or she would have cleaned more often. Harry moved against the hard chair, trying to find a good position to be uncomfortable in.
"Professor Trelawney and I have put our heads together to do some research concerning your father, it may have helped us in the battle against You- Know-Who, but we have been shocked to find that there is absolutely nothing. He had no records, no family before he came to Hogwarts. His friends knew nothing about him before he attended school here. Then we looked up the genealogy of the Potter family, but there was no such family. He couldn't have come from a Muggle family because he was a pureblood, and he didn't attend any other schools. In fact, the orphanage that he lived at only had records of him at the time that he was attending school here. Tell me, does this sound usual to you?"
"N-No, Professor."
"No, it doesn't. Tell me, if your father's family isn't a wizarding one, then what are they?"
Harry fidgeted. He still hadn't found a comfortable position in the chair. He had known it would be about this.
"My father was a sylph."
McGonagall leaned back from where she had been inspecting him closely. She looked mildly shocked, mildly relieved (at what Harry could not even think of) and very passive. Her features relaxed visibly as she took off her glasses and rubbed at her eyes. She set them down, and they hung from a chain around her neck.
"And just what are you going to do, Mr. Potter?"
"I don't know. I mean, I don't think I can stay here, I think I'd be better off in the Otherworld. I don't even know if I have a choice. Do I have a choice?" He asked, green eyes pleading with her to understand. She smiled tightly at him.
"There's only one way of knowing what your choices are, and that is to talk to the Headmaster about this. Come with me."
Harry followed her out of her office and down the corridors. They passed a group of Slytherin fourth years that had been talking to Draco Malfoy (he was walking away) on the way, and McGonagall swept passed them without even giving them a look. They noticed Harry though. As he walked by, they looked at him cheekily, raising their eyebrows. They would scatter after he turned his back. The castle had a slight draft in it, but most castles do, and it was a wintry night. When finally the great stone gargoyle was in sight, Harry knew he wouldn't be staying here.
* * *
"I can feel it, Eldrid, our new ruler will be with us soon." Spoke one of the advisors.
"As can I, but, you know, he is still but a child, of not even sixteen years. Besides, 'twill be a while before he can take the throne. He doesn't even know who he is to be."
"What are you going to do about it?"
"He will be confronted today, this very hour, by someone he knows and trusts. Of course, they will have no idea who the boy really is, neither will the boy, but after a few days, we can owl them, yes, owl them, that's how they go by post now."
"A letter? You think you can explain all of this in a letter? Eldrid, Eldrid, Eldrid! There is no way! He won't understand."
"Of course he will. He is our born ruler. I have only been ruling in his place until he is old enough to do it himself. I, of course, won't explain everything to him. We need to do that ourselves. But, I can say, I think he'll change things.
"I'm sure he's realized that his father had to have a reason for going into the wizard world. He's smart. I'm going to go compile that letter now. Goodbye." With that, Eldrid left, and the advisor was left alone with thoughts.
* * *
Professor Dumbledore had been using one of the many interesting instruments when Professor McGonagall dragged Harry into the office. Dumbledore looked up from the work that Harry had been trying to figure out how to do ever since he first saw the instruments, and he motioned them both into two seats in front of him.
"To what do I owe this surprising visit?"
"We are having some problems with the placement of this student." McGonagall said, motioning to Harry.
"What kind of problems?"
"The problems that come when a student here isn't a witch or a wizard."
"Ah. That, well, I think this is a very, very awkward situation."
"Did you know?"
"Well, I didn't know, per say, but I did suspect that he wasn't completely human. I've been curious, what exactly are you, Harry?"
"I'm half sylph."
"Oh, I could have guessed you were one of the Immortals. But, be that as it may, you can't stay here. There is an ordinance that strictly prohibits any being other than a wizard to be here." Dumbledore looked at Harry shrewdly. "So, unfortunately, I must expel you."
Harry looked up from where he had been twisting his hands in his lap. He stared at Dumbledore, who looked back at him unconcernedly. A sense of panic swept through him, coursing through his veins and making him twitch. He couldn't be expelled, he had no where to go. And if he were, would the sylphs take him in? Would he just end up being a burden to Sirius for the rest of his life? There were so many questions, and he didn't know if he could ask them.
"Harry, I think you know what to do. Hand me your wand." Dumbledore reached out across his desk, his hand reaching for Harry's wand.
Harry slowly pulled his wand out; handing it over to his old professor, whom took it and snapped it in two. A part of him broke with that final motion, with that little twist of the two wrists; his entire planned out future was broken for him. He felt like shattering into a myriad of little pieces, bursting and sending the little pieces of Harry Potter over the wind and to the end of the Earth. Then, Professor Dumbledore did something that Harry never thought he would do. He gave the pieces back to Harry.
"Mr. Potter, we are sorry to inform you that you can no longer attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. By the one witness that is here, you shall no longer return unless on business." He said formally. Harry stared at the broken pieces of his old life, and put them in his pocket for comfort.
"I will inform Mr. Black that you will return to him for good when we reach the Christmas holidays, and I will also send an owl immediately to the leaders of the sylphs and explain to them your dilemma. Professor McGonagall, could you please take . . . um, this person back to the dorms? Harry may need some rest."
"Yes, of course."
McGonagall stood and ushered Harry out of the office. They walked in silence for a while, Harry still obviously in shock. His footsteps echoed dully in the dimly lit corridor, as happens often with old castles. The shadows were nothing but strange patterns on the walls, and Harry glanced at them, wishing one would turn out to be one of his friends to comfort him. But, alas, none of them knew he was expelled. Yet. They didn't know yet. The cat would come out of the bag soon enough, and he'd be ready for it when it did. Harry glanced at his former teacher, who was stony-faced and obviously thinking dark thoughts about him. Then she turned to look at him.
"You would have made a fine wizard, you know. A very fine wizard." She surprised him.
"I could never be a wizard now. Everyone will see me differently." Again, came the thought in the back of Harry's head.
"Yes, they will, but maybe you can start over with your James' people. Certainly they will accept you for who you are, and you can rebuild from there."
Harry nodded his head. That was just being hopeful. He knew Dumbledore was writing to them, but he didn't know what he would do when he found out where he was going. This was just one big mess.
* * *
"Ugh, Ron, I can't take this anymore!" Hermione moaned, pulling at her hair.
"Well, neither can I!" Ron wailed.
Hermione had sucked in her breath and was pressurizing her temples at the moment. "Maybe we just need to take a breather."
"What do you mean?" Ron asked, picking his head up from where it had fallen into his hands.
"A break. I think it would be good for our relationship."
"A break. I like that idea. What are the rules of this break?" Ron asked cautiously.
"We can flirt with other people, go on one date, but we can't go steady with anyone else. Do you agree?"
"Deal. I like those terms. But if we do want to go steady with someone else, we can break up, right?"
"Of course."
They stood, and faced each other, but didn't say anything. The tension between them sizzled; it cracked like bacon on a skillet. Hermione's hair had curled out of whack, and Ron's bangs had gone off on an adventure of their own. Their clothes were a bit rumpled, and they waited for the effect of their words to fully hit them.
Hermione felt it first. A strange sort of relieving of tension, an odd little jolt of reality. She looked at her boyfriend, and he noticed it too. A sort of . . . release. Their problems weren't complicated anymore. Ron's eyebrows went up, a look of pure questioning on his face. Hermione shrugged her shoulders. She had never felt this feeling before. Ron was her first experience in the dating world. She knew she should really talk to Parvatti or Lavender, but she severely doubted if they would know what she was talking about.
"Well, then, that was odd." They were the first words Hermione heard him say after the initial decision of being on a break.
"You're right." Hermione let her hands fall to her sides and bounce there for a while. "Well, I have to go to the library. See you."
Ron watched her go, a feeling of clarity running through his veins. Without Hermione as a girlfriend, he felt that he didn't need to be the one that always knew where she was. He didn't need to be a good boy anymore. He was just Ron, back to the way things were before he had a girlfriend. He didn't have to worry about who he was looking at, who he was checking out. He could check anyone out. Heck, he could walk into the Great Hall tonight and kiss the first girl he saw and Hermione wouldn't get mad at him for it. He didn't have to worry about Harry not getting enough attention anymore, because he could work on patching up that particular friendship. Ron smiled to himself. What he could give up and have a great time about it, he would never know. He walked up to the dorms (they had been in an empty classroom), and fell onto the bed.
"'Lo, Ron." He heard someone say from the door.
"Harry? Is it you?"
"Yeah, its me."
Ron may not notice many things, but he did notice the note of sadness in his best friend's voice, and he knew that he hadn't been treating Harry like he always had, so he decided to do it.
"What's wrong, Harry?" He sat up and watched his friend trudge over to his bed, plunk down, and stare off into space. There was a moment of silence. Harry looked like he was in shock about something, but Ron didn't know what it could possibly be. When Harry didn't answer, Ron decided to sit next to him on the bed.
"There has to be something wrong, or you wouldn't look like someone just died."
"I've been expelled." Harry muttered, glancing at the hands that twisted themselves in his lap.
"Expelled!? For what?!!" Ron exclaimed, getting angry at the unjustness of his friend being hurt more.
"Well, you know how this is a school for witches and wizards?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm kinda not."
"What?" Ron said after trying to work that out.
"I'm not really a wizard. And, for that matter, I'm not really gay either."
"How can you not be a wizard? That's ridiculous! You've been doing magic really well for ages!"
"My dad wasn't a wizard either."
"Harry, you aren't making any sense."
"I'm half sylph."
Silence.
"What's a sylph?"
"I don't really know how to explain it."
"Can they do magic?" Ron prodded.
"Yes."
"Are they like a little goblin or something?"
"No." Harry hesitated, not really knowing what to tell Ron to get him to understand. "They have a different kind of magic then wizards. They were the first ones to get magic, actually. They gave it to wizards. They're kind of like elves, only not really, but . . . oh! It's ridiculous that I can't explain this! They have wings. Well, some do, there are two kinds. But they're one of the Immortals, and they . . . I don't really know all that much about them, but they have long fingers, pointy ears, a different arrangement in their palms, and they have shiny skin. Oh, and they're both boy and girl."
"WHAT!? You're, you're, you're half girl?"
"Yes, so I'm really not gay, just attracted to men. But since it was the sire and not the bearer who was the sylph, I'm more masculine than feminine."
"Oh. Why didn't I ever notice these things in you?"
"That's because I hid them." Harry drew the hair back from his ear, showing Ron that it came to a point. "And my hands." Harry showed Ron his fingers.
"Ooh, they look so . . . different." Ron took hold of Harry's hands so he could look at them more easily. He turned them over to look at the circle in the middle of Harry's palm.
"Yeah, well," Harry took his hands back from Ron. "I've been expelled for it, and I'm going home to live with Sirius, possibly for good. Dumbledore's owling the rulers of the sylphs, to see if they'd take me in, but for right now, I'm living with Sirius on a semi-permanent basis."
"God. Our world is falling apart before our very eyes." They sat in silence, each thinking of what the other might be thinking.
"Dean said that I should get you two for the ultimate game of- wait, what's wrong?" Seamus said as he came into the room and started bustling through his things.
"Harry's been expelled."
"What? What did you do?"
"I didn't DO anything, except for the fact that I'm not a wizard." Harry muttered.
"What? How can you not be a wizard?"
"Easy. My father was a sylph." Harry was getting the vibe that he'd be repeating this conversation a lot.
"A what?"
"A sylph. Kind of like a High-Elve, only not."
"Oh. Where are you going to go?" Seamus asked him.
"I'll live with Sirius until it's all sorted out. Dumbledore is owling both him and the ruler of sylphs, so I can find out where I'm going to live."
"Oh." Seamus said again. He waited a while, then asked, "Is this secret, or can I tell Dean?"
"Of course you can tell Dean. He'll have to know why I won't come back after Christmas." Harry turned back to Ron. "Where's Hermione?"
"She went to the library after we decided that we were on a break."
"You're on a break?" Harry nearly whined.
"Yes. We've been fighting too much, we both think it would be better for us." Ron looked Harry straight in the face while saying this.
"How can you be so neutral?" Harry asked.
"Well, it was kinda relieving. You had to be there."
"Gol, am I glad I'm not in a 'relationship.' It's too complicated. So, I'll go tell Dean, but Harry, you really need to tell Hermione."
"Don't worry. That's where I was going next. Ron, I need support, you come with me."
"Okay."
They walked together to the library, talking about Harry being a sylph, and that sort of thing. Ron was very enthusiastic about the idea that one of the only reasons that Harry had survived Voldemort was because he was immortal.
"But, if I am going to live with the sylphs, I have a lot to learn. I mean, I don't know the first thing about how to get my wings out, or how to use sylph magic. The book that I read only explained it. It wasn't supposed to be a guide to how to use that sort of magic." Harry explained.
"Well, a pox on that, you can always figure that out from other sylphs. But if you do live there, will I ever see you again?" Ron asked wistfully.
"I don't know. It's really a closed society. But, maybe I could be a correspondant between sylphs and wizards. You know, like an ambassador, and I could see you then."
"That would be so awesome! The only thing is, I want to see what it's like."
"You want to see what what's like?" Harry queried.
"The inside of the sylph world! Not very many wizards know about it (I didn't even know about it up till now), and it would be so cool to get to go there."
They lowered their voices now that they made it into the library. Harry stared about him, looking for his other best friend. The bookshelves made it very hard work indeed, looking about for Hermione, trying their best to see around them. They were this huge barrier, blocking them from their goal. Harry stared at the enormous amount of books on each shelf, and, as he remembered correctly, he knew there were even more shoved between the crevaces that were the spaces between shelves. His mood had really brightened with Ron's enthusiasm, and he was actually starting to look forward to starting this new life. It was beginning to look exciting, not knowing what was going to happen to him. Ron looked as though he was trying really hard not to whistle. Harry smiled at that. Ron was back. Now all they needed to do was find Hermione.
"There she is!" Ron exclaimed, gaining them a dirty look from Madam Pince while doing so.
And there she was. She looked as though she was lodged between two extremely huge volumes of encyclopedias. Harry smiled at the sight of her. He wished he could take a picture to last him for a while. If Hogwarts had yearbooks, this would be the perfect picture of Hermione.
"Hello, Hermione." They both said as they pulled up chairs.
"Well, hello, you two. Why are you smiling?" Hermione asked, glancing at the small grins plastering her friends' faces.
"I've been expelled." Harry said.
It took a moment for this news to sink in, but when it did, Hermione totally lost it.
"You-you, you were . . . what?"
"I was expelled because my father was a sylph, and Hogwarts isn't allowed to take in students that aren't witches or wizards."
"WHY are you smiling??" Hermione was getting louder.
"Hermione, calm down. Pince'll throw us out. He's smiling because this is an extraordinary new experience for him. There are hardly any people who went to Hogwarts that ever get to be inside the Otherworld of the sylphs. Its exciting!!" Ron explained.
"But what if we never get to see you again?"
"To tell the truth, I don't even know if they'll accept me back in. Their society is so closed that they might not. I might just live with Sirius until I can find my own flat. I could live as a Muggle, or as a Muggle- relations wizard at the Ministry. Hagrid was expelled and he still lives in the wizard world. Why shouldn't I be able to?"
"Oh, Harry, you don't know how strange it'll be without you here! You're one of the things that makes this school run! Without you, who will the Slytherins tease? Who will be the star Quidditch player? Who will all the girls sigh at when they take one look at them? (A/N: Did that sentence make any sense at all?)"
"Oh, Hermione, someone will take over. Someone took over for Percy when he graduated. And about the girl thing, they've already stopped doing that."
"Who will cause trouble to no end and force me to pull my hair out in frustration?"
"That's easy. Ron." They laughed together, and Hermione leaned over in her seat to hug Harry.
"Everything will work out." Ron said, joining the hug.
* * *
The next morning at breakfast, Harry received a letter.
Now, in the great scheme of things, this in itself isn't a very peculiar occurrence. People get mail all the time. It's no surprise when a student at Hogwarts gets mail from a friend or family member. Some even got the morning post delivered to them. But for Harry, this was THE letter.
"Well, open it! Open it!" Hermione nearly squealed.
Dear Mr. Potter,
I don't want to beat around the bush. You're smart, we know you're smart, we've been watching you all these years. You have to know that your father had a reason for living in the wizard world, she didn't just run away. He knew she'd have you, and he knew that one day you'd be great. Voldemort was so shallow that he only wanted to kill you for the reason that he could take your life and study it, see what made you immortal. Oh, he gave us quite a scare for a while there, but you have proved yourself, and you have survived, and so we will be pleased to explain more when you are escorted here by one of my servants. All will be explained there, it is too great to be explained in a letter that could be intercepted. You must come, your escort will arrive at your godfather's house the day after your holiday of Christmas.
Your Leige, Eldrid
"Well? What does it say?" Ron asked excitedly.
"It confused me."
"How? What did it say?" Hermione gasped.
"It said that an escort would arrive at Sirius' house the day after Christmas to bring me to the Otherworld. But it also said that Voldemort was shallow in his reasons to try to kill me, and that there was a greater reason that would be explained when I got there."
"What kind of greater reason?" Hermione was totally shocked.
"I don't know. I'll find out when I get there."
"What's all this?" Neville asked, leaning into their conversation. By now the entire school had heard of Harry being a sylph through the efforts of Colin Creevey.
"Harry's going to the sylven Otherworld." Hermione said.
"Yeah, but the letter says that there was a greater reason for Voldemort to want to kill me that was never thought of by him. Apparantly, I'll find out when I get there."
"Don't say the name!" Ron and Neville scolded.
"Sorry."
"Wait. How can you go if you're going to school here?" Neville asked, confused.
"I'm not, anymore. I've been expelled because of this contract that says that no being other than a Muggle-born witch or wizard or a witch or wizard can go to school here."
"Somehow I've never heard of that." Neville puzzled.
"Oh! Hasn't anyone here read Hogwarts, a History?"
"No, Hermione, they haven't." Ron said.
"Well, if you had you would know that the contract was signed by the school governors in 1963." Hermione explained huffily. They all just stared at her. Only Hermione would remember something that boring from a book that was thousands of pages long.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Some witches and wizards were offended that their children were going to the same school as the children of centaurs, or giants, or, in your case, sylphs unnerved the students because they were so perceptive." Hermione shrugged.
"Ah." There was silence for a bit. Harry stared down at his food. He should have been enjoying it, but he wasn't. He knew that Dumbledore would make his speech sometime this week telling the students that Hogwarts was closing down, but he didn't know when. Not very many people knew about his expulsion, and he meant to keep it that way. They'd figure it out when he didn't return from Christmas break.
"Harry?" Hermione started. "Harry? Have you written to Sirius yet?"
"Dumbledore said he'd explain to him about the expulsion." Harry muttered, trying not to draw too much attention to himself. Hermione caught on.
"Well, I think you should write to him and at least let him know that you won't be staying with him forever. I mean, I think he'd like to hear from you." Hermione whispered.
"You know what, Hermione? You're right. Sirius would like to hear from me." Harry dropped his voice down to a whisper. "And it would give me something to do to pass my spare time away." He got up and started to leave. "Bye, Ron, see you after classes." He called over his shoulder.
As soon as Harry left, Ron turned to Hermione. "Don't be such a nag." She promptly slapped him.
* * *
Dear Sirius,
I'm so excited to come home to you! I've been waiting for this since the end of my third year. However, that's not the reason I wrote you. I've been expelled, as you know, because of my dad being a sylph. But, the sylphs say there's an important reason why I was nearly killed by Voldemort, and they need to tell me what it is. So, they're sending someone to pick me up just after Christmas. I just thought I should let you know.
Your Godson, Harry
PS-Ron and Hermione say "hi".
Harry sealed the envelope, and sent Hedwig flying with it. This would get really complicated. Fast.
A/N: Whew! That chapter's done! No pressure, but reviews are really, really, really nice. The next chapter is gonna be one of those where I don't know how long it will be, or how long it'll take me to post, I'm just gonna go with it, but I do know that there will be some very interesting developments. If you can't tell, I'm obsessed with the TV show Friends, so there might be some little scenes that remind you of it throughout the story.
Harry stared idly out the window, the snow falling delicately to the ground in little spirals. It was one week before the Christmas holidays, and Ron and Hermione were both leaving him behind. Not that he was staying here. He was going to go home to Sirius; for the last week they had been discussing custody and signing papers and that sort of thing. He couldn't wait, but he also couldn't help but think that before he left Hogwarts something would happen to him. In fact, he didn't just think; he knew. It was becoming a pattern with him. It was a part of his abilities as a sylph.
He knew she was coming before he turned around. That was his nature now.
"Mr. Potter, I need to see you in my office at seven." Professor McGonagall briefly stopped to tell him.
"Why not now?"
"Because I am currently on my way to direct a detention." It was slight, but before McGonagall left, she glanced at Harry's ears, and he knew what this was about.
How could he have been so foolish as to think that he could keep his little secret forever? People were bound to notice his ears eventually; they were bound to take into account his longer-than-is-normal fingers. It was nearly dinnertime, he had to go tell Ron and Hermione about his meeting with McGonagall. They would need to know. It wouldn't surprise him if Dumbledore already knew, and was just waiting for Harry to figure it out himself. He put his hands on his hips and blew a long breath out of his mouth. He looked at the grounds, noticing that Hagrid's cabin was still lit. He had a sudden urge to visit him, to confide in him. Hermione had done it back in third year, maybe it was worth a try. And plus, Hagrid was half giant, maybe he could give Harry a few stories to let him know what it was like to be only half a wizard.
Harry pulled his loose-hanging cloak around his shoulders and stepped out into the cold, winter air. His breath streamed out in front of him, making patterns against the sky that was rapidly turning gold. If he were still a child, he would be pretending he was a train right now, and he had the urge to do just one childish thing, but he didn't; it wouldn't have been dignified. The snow clung to his coat as if a thousand light elves clung to it themselves. The pure crystalline beauty of the snow was something purely winter, something that could never be seen in the very darkest of summer days. The coldest, most delicate of beauties was snow.
"Hagrid!" Harry called as he knocked on the door to the small hut his friend occupied. "Hagrid! It's me, Harry!"
"'Arry, me boy, come in!" Hagrid smiled, red-cheeked, so Harry knew there was a warm fire in the grate. "It's been so long since yeh had the extra time to visit me. What 'ave you been doing with yerself without me?"
"Dumbledore has me running circles around myself with school work, but he's been going easy on me close to the holidays, as I'm going home."
"Home? To the Dursleys?"
"No, I'm living with Sirius Black from now until I can get my own apartment. He said it might be tough, the first couple of days, but I can handle sleeping just about anywhere." Harry nervously twiddled his fingers in his lap together. He noticed Hagrid glance at him suspiciously. "But, Hagrid, to tell the truth, I came here for some . . . erm, help, on something, and I'd really appreciate if you'd hear me out."
"What could you possibly need teh ask me about?"
"Well, erm, I'm not really a wizard."
"But you've been doin' so well in classes, how could yeh not be a wizard?"
Harry decided to take a different track. "You know how you're half giant?"
"You certainly aren' half giant, Harry, but are yeh somethin' else?"
"Yes, Hagrid, have you ever heard of sylphs?"
"Of course I have. The centaurs are always talking about them when I go into the forest. They've been saying that the ruler is on the run."
"My father was a sylph, so I'm half sylph."
There was a moment of silence whilst the eavesdropper outside ran back up to the school to start spreading the news. The fire crackled in its grate, sending a delightful show of sparks up only to disappear in their own smoke.
"Your father was a . . . Then why did yeh come ter me first?" Hagrid stuttered.
"Well, I just thought that you could give me some advice. I mean, since you're half giant, you could help me to know how people will react, if I won't be able to find an apartment because people won't want to cater to me, that kind of thing."
"'Arry, yeh're more diff'rent than me then yeh think. I'm feared 'cause of what I am. Yeh won't be understood, some may fear yeh, but none will know much, if anything about sylphs. Yeh migh' just have to move away from the wizarding world, and into that of yer father."
"How will I do that? It's hidden."
"My guess is, another sylph will come and get you and bring you to their world. A dying race is very particular about who goes out and who goes in."
Harry was uncomfortable for a few moments, until finally Hagrid broke the silence.
"Does an'one else know about this?" Harry shook his head.
"No, but I think Professor McGonagall is onto something. She asked me to see her in her office at seven."
"Ah, McGonagall was always one to catch on to somethin' early."
* * *
"Well, what's a sylph?"
"I don't know, but Colin said he saw pointy ears, long fingers, and sparkly skin!"
"Like a fairy?"
"I don't know."
"Did Potter tell anyone else about this?" Draco Malfoy cut into the fourth years' conversation.
"Not that I know of. If you want more information, talk to Colin, he's the one that came up with the information."
"Colin Creevey?"
"Yes, but I don't think he knows that much more than he told."
"Colin Creevey . . . " Draco didn't know what he was doing. The curse had a firm hold on him.
* * *
"Professor McGonagall, you wanted to see me?" Harry murmured as he stepped in the door.
"Ah, yes, hello Potter. Sit."
Harry nervously sat, noticing the piles of papers and books that filled this office, accumulating enough dust to kill someone who's allergic. Apparently, Professor McGonagall wasn't allergic to dust, or she would have cleaned more often. Harry moved against the hard chair, trying to find a good position to be uncomfortable in.
"Professor Trelawney and I have put our heads together to do some research concerning your father, it may have helped us in the battle against You- Know-Who, but we have been shocked to find that there is absolutely nothing. He had no records, no family before he came to Hogwarts. His friends knew nothing about him before he attended school here. Then we looked up the genealogy of the Potter family, but there was no such family. He couldn't have come from a Muggle family because he was a pureblood, and he didn't attend any other schools. In fact, the orphanage that he lived at only had records of him at the time that he was attending school here. Tell me, does this sound usual to you?"
"N-No, Professor."
"No, it doesn't. Tell me, if your father's family isn't a wizarding one, then what are they?"
Harry fidgeted. He still hadn't found a comfortable position in the chair. He had known it would be about this.
"My father was a sylph."
McGonagall leaned back from where she had been inspecting him closely. She looked mildly shocked, mildly relieved (at what Harry could not even think of) and very passive. Her features relaxed visibly as she took off her glasses and rubbed at her eyes. She set them down, and they hung from a chain around her neck.
"And just what are you going to do, Mr. Potter?"
"I don't know. I mean, I don't think I can stay here, I think I'd be better off in the Otherworld. I don't even know if I have a choice. Do I have a choice?" He asked, green eyes pleading with her to understand. She smiled tightly at him.
"There's only one way of knowing what your choices are, and that is to talk to the Headmaster about this. Come with me."
Harry followed her out of her office and down the corridors. They passed a group of Slytherin fourth years that had been talking to Draco Malfoy (he was walking away) on the way, and McGonagall swept passed them without even giving them a look. They noticed Harry though. As he walked by, they looked at him cheekily, raising their eyebrows. They would scatter after he turned his back. The castle had a slight draft in it, but most castles do, and it was a wintry night. When finally the great stone gargoyle was in sight, Harry knew he wouldn't be staying here.
* * *
"I can feel it, Eldrid, our new ruler will be with us soon." Spoke one of the advisors.
"As can I, but, you know, he is still but a child, of not even sixteen years. Besides, 'twill be a while before he can take the throne. He doesn't even know who he is to be."
"What are you going to do about it?"
"He will be confronted today, this very hour, by someone he knows and trusts. Of course, they will have no idea who the boy really is, neither will the boy, but after a few days, we can owl them, yes, owl them, that's how they go by post now."
"A letter? You think you can explain all of this in a letter? Eldrid, Eldrid, Eldrid! There is no way! He won't understand."
"Of course he will. He is our born ruler. I have only been ruling in his place until he is old enough to do it himself. I, of course, won't explain everything to him. We need to do that ourselves. But, I can say, I think he'll change things.
"I'm sure he's realized that his father had to have a reason for going into the wizard world. He's smart. I'm going to go compile that letter now. Goodbye." With that, Eldrid left, and the advisor was left alone with thoughts.
* * *
Professor Dumbledore had been using one of the many interesting instruments when Professor McGonagall dragged Harry into the office. Dumbledore looked up from the work that Harry had been trying to figure out how to do ever since he first saw the instruments, and he motioned them both into two seats in front of him.
"To what do I owe this surprising visit?"
"We are having some problems with the placement of this student." McGonagall said, motioning to Harry.
"What kind of problems?"
"The problems that come when a student here isn't a witch or a wizard."
"Ah. That, well, I think this is a very, very awkward situation."
"Did you know?"
"Well, I didn't know, per say, but I did suspect that he wasn't completely human. I've been curious, what exactly are you, Harry?"
"I'm half sylph."
"Oh, I could have guessed you were one of the Immortals. But, be that as it may, you can't stay here. There is an ordinance that strictly prohibits any being other than a wizard to be here." Dumbledore looked at Harry shrewdly. "So, unfortunately, I must expel you."
Harry looked up from where he had been twisting his hands in his lap. He stared at Dumbledore, who looked back at him unconcernedly. A sense of panic swept through him, coursing through his veins and making him twitch. He couldn't be expelled, he had no where to go. And if he were, would the sylphs take him in? Would he just end up being a burden to Sirius for the rest of his life? There were so many questions, and he didn't know if he could ask them.
"Harry, I think you know what to do. Hand me your wand." Dumbledore reached out across his desk, his hand reaching for Harry's wand.
Harry slowly pulled his wand out; handing it over to his old professor, whom took it and snapped it in two. A part of him broke with that final motion, with that little twist of the two wrists; his entire planned out future was broken for him. He felt like shattering into a myriad of little pieces, bursting and sending the little pieces of Harry Potter over the wind and to the end of the Earth. Then, Professor Dumbledore did something that Harry never thought he would do. He gave the pieces back to Harry.
"Mr. Potter, we are sorry to inform you that you can no longer attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. By the one witness that is here, you shall no longer return unless on business." He said formally. Harry stared at the broken pieces of his old life, and put them in his pocket for comfort.
"I will inform Mr. Black that you will return to him for good when we reach the Christmas holidays, and I will also send an owl immediately to the leaders of the sylphs and explain to them your dilemma. Professor McGonagall, could you please take . . . um, this person back to the dorms? Harry may need some rest."
"Yes, of course."
McGonagall stood and ushered Harry out of the office. They walked in silence for a while, Harry still obviously in shock. His footsteps echoed dully in the dimly lit corridor, as happens often with old castles. The shadows were nothing but strange patterns on the walls, and Harry glanced at them, wishing one would turn out to be one of his friends to comfort him. But, alas, none of them knew he was expelled. Yet. They didn't know yet. The cat would come out of the bag soon enough, and he'd be ready for it when it did. Harry glanced at his former teacher, who was stony-faced and obviously thinking dark thoughts about him. Then she turned to look at him.
"You would have made a fine wizard, you know. A very fine wizard." She surprised him.
"I could never be a wizard now. Everyone will see me differently." Again, came the thought in the back of Harry's head.
"Yes, they will, but maybe you can start over with your James' people. Certainly they will accept you for who you are, and you can rebuild from there."
Harry nodded his head. That was just being hopeful. He knew Dumbledore was writing to them, but he didn't know what he would do when he found out where he was going. This was just one big mess.
* * *
"Ugh, Ron, I can't take this anymore!" Hermione moaned, pulling at her hair.
"Well, neither can I!" Ron wailed.
Hermione had sucked in her breath and was pressurizing her temples at the moment. "Maybe we just need to take a breather."
"What do you mean?" Ron asked, picking his head up from where it had fallen into his hands.
"A break. I think it would be good for our relationship."
"A break. I like that idea. What are the rules of this break?" Ron asked cautiously.
"We can flirt with other people, go on one date, but we can't go steady with anyone else. Do you agree?"
"Deal. I like those terms. But if we do want to go steady with someone else, we can break up, right?"
"Of course."
They stood, and faced each other, but didn't say anything. The tension between them sizzled; it cracked like bacon on a skillet. Hermione's hair had curled out of whack, and Ron's bangs had gone off on an adventure of their own. Their clothes were a bit rumpled, and they waited for the effect of their words to fully hit them.
Hermione felt it first. A strange sort of relieving of tension, an odd little jolt of reality. She looked at her boyfriend, and he noticed it too. A sort of . . . release. Their problems weren't complicated anymore. Ron's eyebrows went up, a look of pure questioning on his face. Hermione shrugged her shoulders. She had never felt this feeling before. Ron was her first experience in the dating world. She knew she should really talk to Parvatti or Lavender, but she severely doubted if they would know what she was talking about.
"Well, then, that was odd." They were the first words Hermione heard him say after the initial decision of being on a break.
"You're right." Hermione let her hands fall to her sides and bounce there for a while. "Well, I have to go to the library. See you."
Ron watched her go, a feeling of clarity running through his veins. Without Hermione as a girlfriend, he felt that he didn't need to be the one that always knew where she was. He didn't need to be a good boy anymore. He was just Ron, back to the way things were before he had a girlfriend. He didn't have to worry about who he was looking at, who he was checking out. He could check anyone out. Heck, he could walk into the Great Hall tonight and kiss the first girl he saw and Hermione wouldn't get mad at him for it. He didn't have to worry about Harry not getting enough attention anymore, because he could work on patching up that particular friendship. Ron smiled to himself. What he could give up and have a great time about it, he would never know. He walked up to the dorms (they had been in an empty classroom), and fell onto the bed.
"'Lo, Ron." He heard someone say from the door.
"Harry? Is it you?"
"Yeah, its me."
Ron may not notice many things, but he did notice the note of sadness in his best friend's voice, and he knew that he hadn't been treating Harry like he always had, so he decided to do it.
"What's wrong, Harry?" He sat up and watched his friend trudge over to his bed, plunk down, and stare off into space. There was a moment of silence. Harry looked like he was in shock about something, but Ron didn't know what it could possibly be. When Harry didn't answer, Ron decided to sit next to him on the bed.
"There has to be something wrong, or you wouldn't look like someone just died."
"I've been expelled." Harry muttered, glancing at the hands that twisted themselves in his lap.
"Expelled!? For what?!!" Ron exclaimed, getting angry at the unjustness of his friend being hurt more.
"Well, you know how this is a school for witches and wizards?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm kinda not."
"What?" Ron said after trying to work that out.
"I'm not really a wizard. And, for that matter, I'm not really gay either."
"How can you not be a wizard? That's ridiculous! You've been doing magic really well for ages!"
"My dad wasn't a wizard either."
"Harry, you aren't making any sense."
"I'm half sylph."
Silence.
"What's a sylph?"
"I don't really know how to explain it."
"Can they do magic?" Ron prodded.
"Yes."
"Are they like a little goblin or something?"
"No." Harry hesitated, not really knowing what to tell Ron to get him to understand. "They have a different kind of magic then wizards. They were the first ones to get magic, actually. They gave it to wizards. They're kind of like elves, only not really, but . . . oh! It's ridiculous that I can't explain this! They have wings. Well, some do, there are two kinds. But they're one of the Immortals, and they . . . I don't really know all that much about them, but they have long fingers, pointy ears, a different arrangement in their palms, and they have shiny skin. Oh, and they're both boy and girl."
"WHAT!? You're, you're, you're half girl?"
"Yes, so I'm really not gay, just attracted to men. But since it was the sire and not the bearer who was the sylph, I'm more masculine than feminine."
"Oh. Why didn't I ever notice these things in you?"
"That's because I hid them." Harry drew the hair back from his ear, showing Ron that it came to a point. "And my hands." Harry showed Ron his fingers.
"Ooh, they look so . . . different." Ron took hold of Harry's hands so he could look at them more easily. He turned them over to look at the circle in the middle of Harry's palm.
"Yeah, well," Harry took his hands back from Ron. "I've been expelled for it, and I'm going home to live with Sirius, possibly for good. Dumbledore's owling the rulers of the sylphs, to see if they'd take me in, but for right now, I'm living with Sirius on a semi-permanent basis."
"God. Our world is falling apart before our very eyes." They sat in silence, each thinking of what the other might be thinking.
"Dean said that I should get you two for the ultimate game of- wait, what's wrong?" Seamus said as he came into the room and started bustling through his things.
"Harry's been expelled."
"What? What did you do?"
"I didn't DO anything, except for the fact that I'm not a wizard." Harry muttered.
"What? How can you not be a wizard?"
"Easy. My father was a sylph." Harry was getting the vibe that he'd be repeating this conversation a lot.
"A what?"
"A sylph. Kind of like a High-Elve, only not."
"Oh. Where are you going to go?" Seamus asked him.
"I'll live with Sirius until it's all sorted out. Dumbledore is owling both him and the ruler of sylphs, so I can find out where I'm going to live."
"Oh." Seamus said again. He waited a while, then asked, "Is this secret, or can I tell Dean?"
"Of course you can tell Dean. He'll have to know why I won't come back after Christmas." Harry turned back to Ron. "Where's Hermione?"
"She went to the library after we decided that we were on a break."
"You're on a break?" Harry nearly whined.
"Yes. We've been fighting too much, we both think it would be better for us." Ron looked Harry straight in the face while saying this.
"How can you be so neutral?" Harry asked.
"Well, it was kinda relieving. You had to be there."
"Gol, am I glad I'm not in a 'relationship.' It's too complicated. So, I'll go tell Dean, but Harry, you really need to tell Hermione."
"Don't worry. That's where I was going next. Ron, I need support, you come with me."
"Okay."
They walked together to the library, talking about Harry being a sylph, and that sort of thing. Ron was very enthusiastic about the idea that one of the only reasons that Harry had survived Voldemort was because he was immortal.
"But, if I am going to live with the sylphs, I have a lot to learn. I mean, I don't know the first thing about how to get my wings out, or how to use sylph magic. The book that I read only explained it. It wasn't supposed to be a guide to how to use that sort of magic." Harry explained.
"Well, a pox on that, you can always figure that out from other sylphs. But if you do live there, will I ever see you again?" Ron asked wistfully.
"I don't know. It's really a closed society. But, maybe I could be a correspondant between sylphs and wizards. You know, like an ambassador, and I could see you then."
"That would be so awesome! The only thing is, I want to see what it's like."
"You want to see what what's like?" Harry queried.
"The inside of the sylph world! Not very many wizards know about it (I didn't even know about it up till now), and it would be so cool to get to go there."
They lowered their voices now that they made it into the library. Harry stared about him, looking for his other best friend. The bookshelves made it very hard work indeed, looking about for Hermione, trying their best to see around them. They were this huge barrier, blocking them from their goal. Harry stared at the enormous amount of books on each shelf, and, as he remembered correctly, he knew there were even more shoved between the crevaces that were the spaces between shelves. His mood had really brightened with Ron's enthusiasm, and he was actually starting to look forward to starting this new life. It was beginning to look exciting, not knowing what was going to happen to him. Ron looked as though he was trying really hard not to whistle. Harry smiled at that. Ron was back. Now all they needed to do was find Hermione.
"There she is!" Ron exclaimed, gaining them a dirty look from Madam Pince while doing so.
And there she was. She looked as though she was lodged between two extremely huge volumes of encyclopedias. Harry smiled at the sight of her. He wished he could take a picture to last him for a while. If Hogwarts had yearbooks, this would be the perfect picture of Hermione.
"Hello, Hermione." They both said as they pulled up chairs.
"Well, hello, you two. Why are you smiling?" Hermione asked, glancing at the small grins plastering her friends' faces.
"I've been expelled." Harry said.
It took a moment for this news to sink in, but when it did, Hermione totally lost it.
"You-you, you were . . . what?"
"I was expelled because my father was a sylph, and Hogwarts isn't allowed to take in students that aren't witches or wizards."
"WHY are you smiling??" Hermione was getting louder.
"Hermione, calm down. Pince'll throw us out. He's smiling because this is an extraordinary new experience for him. There are hardly any people who went to Hogwarts that ever get to be inside the Otherworld of the sylphs. Its exciting!!" Ron explained.
"But what if we never get to see you again?"
"To tell the truth, I don't even know if they'll accept me back in. Their society is so closed that they might not. I might just live with Sirius until I can find my own flat. I could live as a Muggle, or as a Muggle- relations wizard at the Ministry. Hagrid was expelled and he still lives in the wizard world. Why shouldn't I be able to?"
"Oh, Harry, you don't know how strange it'll be without you here! You're one of the things that makes this school run! Without you, who will the Slytherins tease? Who will be the star Quidditch player? Who will all the girls sigh at when they take one look at them? (A/N: Did that sentence make any sense at all?)"
"Oh, Hermione, someone will take over. Someone took over for Percy when he graduated. And about the girl thing, they've already stopped doing that."
"Who will cause trouble to no end and force me to pull my hair out in frustration?"
"That's easy. Ron." They laughed together, and Hermione leaned over in her seat to hug Harry.
"Everything will work out." Ron said, joining the hug.
* * *
The next morning at breakfast, Harry received a letter.
Now, in the great scheme of things, this in itself isn't a very peculiar occurrence. People get mail all the time. It's no surprise when a student at Hogwarts gets mail from a friend or family member. Some even got the morning post delivered to them. But for Harry, this was THE letter.
"Well, open it! Open it!" Hermione nearly squealed.
Dear Mr. Potter,
I don't want to beat around the bush. You're smart, we know you're smart, we've been watching you all these years. You have to know that your father had a reason for living in the wizard world, she didn't just run away. He knew she'd have you, and he knew that one day you'd be great. Voldemort was so shallow that he only wanted to kill you for the reason that he could take your life and study it, see what made you immortal. Oh, he gave us quite a scare for a while there, but you have proved yourself, and you have survived, and so we will be pleased to explain more when you are escorted here by one of my servants. All will be explained there, it is too great to be explained in a letter that could be intercepted. You must come, your escort will arrive at your godfather's house the day after your holiday of Christmas.
Your Leige, Eldrid
"Well? What does it say?" Ron asked excitedly.
"It confused me."
"How? What did it say?" Hermione gasped.
"It said that an escort would arrive at Sirius' house the day after Christmas to bring me to the Otherworld. But it also said that Voldemort was shallow in his reasons to try to kill me, and that there was a greater reason that would be explained when I got there."
"What kind of greater reason?" Hermione was totally shocked.
"I don't know. I'll find out when I get there."
"What's all this?" Neville asked, leaning into their conversation. By now the entire school had heard of Harry being a sylph through the efforts of Colin Creevey.
"Harry's going to the sylven Otherworld." Hermione said.
"Yeah, but the letter says that there was a greater reason for Voldemort to want to kill me that was never thought of by him. Apparantly, I'll find out when I get there."
"Don't say the name!" Ron and Neville scolded.
"Sorry."
"Wait. How can you go if you're going to school here?" Neville asked, confused.
"I'm not, anymore. I've been expelled because of this contract that says that no being other than a Muggle-born witch or wizard or a witch or wizard can go to school here."
"Somehow I've never heard of that." Neville puzzled.
"Oh! Hasn't anyone here read Hogwarts, a History?"
"No, Hermione, they haven't." Ron said.
"Well, if you had you would know that the contract was signed by the school governors in 1963." Hermione explained huffily. They all just stared at her. Only Hermione would remember something that boring from a book that was thousands of pages long.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Some witches and wizards were offended that their children were going to the same school as the children of centaurs, or giants, or, in your case, sylphs unnerved the students because they were so perceptive." Hermione shrugged.
"Ah." There was silence for a bit. Harry stared down at his food. He should have been enjoying it, but he wasn't. He knew that Dumbledore would make his speech sometime this week telling the students that Hogwarts was closing down, but he didn't know when. Not very many people knew about his expulsion, and he meant to keep it that way. They'd figure it out when he didn't return from Christmas break.
"Harry?" Hermione started. "Harry? Have you written to Sirius yet?"
"Dumbledore said he'd explain to him about the expulsion." Harry muttered, trying not to draw too much attention to himself. Hermione caught on.
"Well, I think you should write to him and at least let him know that you won't be staying with him forever. I mean, I think he'd like to hear from you." Hermione whispered.
"You know what, Hermione? You're right. Sirius would like to hear from me." Harry dropped his voice down to a whisper. "And it would give me something to do to pass my spare time away." He got up and started to leave. "Bye, Ron, see you after classes." He called over his shoulder.
As soon as Harry left, Ron turned to Hermione. "Don't be such a nag." She promptly slapped him.
* * *
Dear Sirius,
I'm so excited to come home to you! I've been waiting for this since the end of my third year. However, that's not the reason I wrote you. I've been expelled, as you know, because of my dad being a sylph. But, the sylphs say there's an important reason why I was nearly killed by Voldemort, and they need to tell me what it is. So, they're sending someone to pick me up just after Christmas. I just thought I should let you know.
Your Godson, Harry
PS-Ron and Hermione say "hi".
Harry sealed the envelope, and sent Hedwig flying with it. This would get really complicated. Fast.
A/N: Whew! That chapter's done! No pressure, but reviews are really, really, really nice. The next chapter is gonna be one of those where I don't know how long it will be, or how long it'll take me to post, I'm just gonna go with it, but I do know that there will be some very interesting developments. If you can't tell, I'm obsessed with the TV show Friends, so there might be some little scenes that remind you of it throughout the story.
