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Chapter 7: A Return

Ten years after Hogwarts had been founded, Helga Hufflepuff stood across the lake surveying her castle and rubbing her overly large stomach. Ten years seemed so short, yet it was a lifetime. Her first students had come and gone. She had two children, and a third on the way. The attacks, which had prompted the building of the school, had all but stopped. Or maybe it was that the deaths had stopped. Whatever the reason, there was peace.

She smiled at the sight of the castle and the two people coming towards her. Rhys was 21 years old and he was coming homing for a visit. With him was little Isabo, running and laughing at her cousin's stories.

Helga could see him talking as they approached. Isabo was only twelve but in absolute awe of her older cousin. Rhys saw Helga watching them and waved at her.

"Hullo!" he called.

"Welcome back," Helga answered with a big grin and hug as soon as he was close enough.

"My God! You're huge!" he said holding her at arms length.

"Very tactful," Helga laughed. "Isa, do the other know this prodigal son has returned?"

"Nope!" she said proudly. "I saw him first and brought him straight to you. Just like you asked."

"Thank you Isabo, but you had better run and tell the others Rhys is back."

The girl smiled and ran off. Rhys laughed at her retreating from.

"She certainly has a lot of energy. I can't imagine where it comes from."

"I remember a certain cousin of hers at that age. Seems to run in the family." Helga smiled at him, but there was sadness in her eyes.

Rhys cleared his throat loudly. "So you wanted to see me? How did you know I would be here today?"

"Walk with me," Helga said.

They began to circle the lake and for a long time, she said nothing. Rhys waited for her to speak. He had been hearing stories of his surrogate sister going insane, of her screaming in the night. He knew the whispers were greatly exaggerated, but couldn't help wondering just the same.

"Rhys, have you ever met a True Seer? You have been traveling so much, surely you must have met one."

"No," he said. "At least no one ever said anything to me. You'd have to be the closest I've ever come, but you haven't had a vision since you were a girl."

"But I have. They've started again," Helga said. "And I'm worried for you."

"For me?"

"Yes, little Rhys, for you. I have seen you in great pain. Not physical, but emotional."

"May I ask the nature of this pain, then?" he said grinning at her.

Helga stopped and looked him dead in the eye. "Your heart will be ripped out and handed to you."

"Well," he said at a loss, "that was gruesome."

Helga shrugged. "You asked."

***************************

Helga slipped quietly into the Great Hall, not an easy feat considering she was the size of hippogriff. Of course she didn't escape Ellsinore's notice. Helga smiled as her quite little daughter padded silently over to her. Elsie beamed up at her mother but said nothing. She took her mother's hand and managed to disappear behind Helga.

Helga wondered how a seven year old could act like that, knowing exactly what the situation called for. She must get it from her father.

"What have I missed?" Helga asked Elsie as they faded into a quiet alcove.

"Da and Godric were talking. They seemed upset. Then they heard Rhys was back and he brought someone with him, a black smith, which cheered them up. Salazar came over to them. Godric and Salazar made angry faces at each other. But they always do that. Mummy, what's a mudblood?"

Helga frowned and bent down to her daughter's level. "A mudblood is a very bad name for someone who doesn't come from a magical family. You are not to say that word to someone."

"Yes, ma'am," came the tiny reply. "Can I go to the forest with Isa later? She said Rhys promised to take her and I want to go too."

"I think you're still too little, sweetie," Helga said with a sad smile. "Isabo has been learning things and Rhys can teach how to protect herself from dangerous things that live in the forest. Your just not ready."

"Aww!"

"Yet," Helga said. "Give it few more years."

"I will. You'll see Mum. I'll be as strong as you and Da someday."

"I have no doubt," Helga said with a chuckle. "Just make sure you let Fredric come with."

Ellsinore sniffed. "Little brothers are such a bother. I'll let him come, but I'm not waiting two years for him to catch up."

"Deal," Helga smiled. "Come on, let's go find your Da and brother."

Helga found Ulric talking to Godric, Salazar, Garth, Richard, Rhys, and a young man she hadn't met, but knew was Leonardo Black, son of a prominent Scottish black smith and Rhys' traveling companion. Her son Fredric, and Garth's son Xander were standing near by their father's but talking quietly to each other.

"I tell you, Godric," Salazar was saying, "My students could out hex yours any day! In pure magical talent no one has topped any of my students."

"I do beg to differ, dear Salazar," Godric said with a tight smile. "I believe one Helga's older girls bested your champion just yesterday."

Salazar frowned. "Yes, the boy over stepped his bounds and wasn't prepared for the consequences. But had he been ready! And it wasn't one of your students!"

Before Godric could answer Helga interrupted. "Yes, we poor weak woman couldn't possibly best a man in proper duel. Really, Salazar! Hasn't Rowena beaten you once or twice?"

"I think the total was eight!" Richard laughed.

"You two should really stop showing off," Helga chuckled. "One day you may get yourselves in too deep a hole to escape."

"Ah, this must be the Lady Helga," young Leonardo said when Helga finished. "I have heard so much about your grace, charm and beauty. Rhys' descriptions pale in compression to the source. I am..."

"Obviously Leonardo Black!" Helga finished for him.

"Please, just Leo, milady," He said wrinkling his nose at his full name. "And I must say to all of you the stories I heard from Rhys don't do this place, or any of you, justice. I wish my father would have allowed me to come study here."

"Study!" Rhys said clapping his friend around the shoulder. "When have you ever engaged in intellectual pursuits? No, my dear fellow, you will teach these children how to fight and smite their own weapons, but I'll be damned if I see you near the library!"

Leo laughed. "You know me too well my friend!"

Despite Helga's rather cryptic warnings upon his arrival, Rhys was enjoying his homecoming. His sister would be coming tomorrow with her children. Anya's oldest son, Herowyc, would be starting his education this year. The other three would be coming to visit their grandparents and other kin.

The only person Rhys had yet to see was his mother, and by extension, Zarena who never left Mairead's side. He didn't think on Salazar's daughter at all, except the fact Helga disliked her. But Helga disliked Garth as well, so maybe the problem was with Salazar's children in general. Either way, it mattered not to him.

"Rhys!" Isabo cried running over to her cousin. "Mum sent me to find you. She wishes to speak to you in her study near the library."

Rhys smiled to his companions. "When the Lady Rowena wish to speak with you, it is best not to keep her waiting. Lead on Isa!" he called and playfully ran after the girl.

"I swear," Godric said as he watched his son chasing after his niece, "the boy will never grow up."

"It will happen soon enough, Godric," Helga said sadly. "Do not force it on him."

***************

Helga watched Rhys closely that day. She knew what was coming but not how to stop. In truth, she wasn't sure she should even try. It was his life. The man could make his own mistakes. He was not her reasonability. Little brothers be damned!

"Hey, if I didn't know better," Ulric said from behind her making her jump, "I'd be jealous of Rhys."

She smiled weakly at him. "I'm worried for him."

"Zarena again?" he asked.

"I've told you the dream, are you not worried at all?"

"Helga, love," he said taking her hand, "I know have these visions, and I know the truth of them. But we cannot judge people on acts they haven't committed."

"So this about Garth then?" she asked with raised eyebrows. Ulric gave frustrated sigh and turned away. "There is a war coming, Ulric. He is on the wrong side. He is by no means the mastermind. I haven't seen who that is, but I have an idea."

"You think Salazar's daughter to be evil incarnate?"

"I think something very odd has been going on with that girl. She talks to no one but Mairead, who talks to almost no one but her. She is always being found places she should not be. She is constantly going after you."

Ulric smiled widely at her. "So that's it. You're jealous. Don't worry love. You have nothing to fear."

"That's not it!" Helga insisted. "Don't patronize me. Were you listening at all? And no, I don't thing she'd evil incarnate. I think Salazar is!"

"What's Salazar?" asked the man him self as he happened upon them.

"Nothing," Helga muttered to the floor.

"You do go screaming, 'I think Salazar is' for no reason Helga." Salazar smiled warmly at her. "Come dear, we have always been friends. I have always been kind. I promise not to judge you."

"We were arguing over the Muggle-born issue again." Ulric lied quickly.

"Ah, and I was in the wrong, I presume?" he asked.

"They're just children, Salazar," Helga said. "They only know what they are taught. We can teach them here. Even if it is new to them and hard at first. They are magic too. They belong among us, and we need their strength."

"Right, so they know how to kill us in our beds? Or more accurately, lead their parents to us. I don't like the danger they pose, Helga. Was it not your grandfather who proposes drawing away from the Muggles completely?"

"I am not my grandfather," she replied.

"Mores the pity," he said sadly. "We could use his strength now. Excuse me." Salazar left, leaving a stunned Helga in his wake.

*********************

Rhys looked around Rowena's study. It wasn't like his aunt to send a summons and then ignore her guest. He assumed what ever was keeping her must be important.

She had mentioned earlier that day that she wanted to speak to him about prophecies. Rhys had been one of Helga's best students in Divinations. He had written to his aunt about all he was learning abroad and she had hoped he learned something to help her decipher a particular vision. Rhys supposed that was why he was here.

Across a large oak desk, Rowena had strewn a collection of papers. She was surprisingly disorganized. Well, she knew exactly where everything was, but nobody else could ever figure out her system. Godric swore up and down that she used magic to confuse them and keep her precious research safe. Due to the fact that she never denied this charge, Rhys suspected his father was right.

What really surprised Rhys when he glanced at the papers, was that the top parchment was a painting. It was a beautifully rendered animal scene. In the center a lion and a serpent stood facing each other. A dragon and raven were in the background between them. Behind the lion stood and chestnut mare, large bull with phoenix perched on one of his horns, a grey wolf, another large dog and a line of animals that faded into the background or off the edges. Behind the serpent were a white wolf, a jackal, a falcon in flight, a skunk, a rat and then the same pattern of fading that the other side had. They looked lined up for battle.

"I see you have found our future," Rowena said.

Rhys jumped. "Aunt Rowena! You scared me."

"So I see," she said. Mairead and Zarena followed Rowena in the room.

"Mother!" Rhys said going to embrace her.

Zarena stepped in front of him. "I wouldn't," she warned.

Rhys had never paid much attention to Zarena when he was younger. She was just one of those nebulous 'older students.' But now that he looked at her he was stunned, not just by her beauty, because she was beautiful, or the fact she was keeping him from his mother, but by the sadness in her deep grey eyes. He was certain that was never there before.

"What's the matter with my mother?" he asked.

"Mairead," Rowena said. "Sit."

She did. She followed the command like a trained puppy.

"Mum?" Rhys said.

"Don't get to close," Zarena warned again.

"Why?"

"Because," Rowena said gently. "She's been ordered to kill you."

"What?!"

"Your mother has been ordered to kill you and your father if you get within arms reach," Zarena said. "Your nephews as well."

"Why?" he asked. "How?"

"Salazar," Rowena answered.

"That still doesn't help, Aunt Ro," Rhys sulked.

"I'm afraid," Zarena said slowly, "That you won't like the answer to that."

"You bloody well bet I won't like the answer! What the hell has happened to my mother?"

"It's a curse," Zarena explained. "She's been under it since before I even came here. For a long while I was helping my father by watching her. You see she was very strong willed, your mother."

"Was?" he asked a sense of dread growing deeper every second.

"For over a decade she'd been under a very powerful mind-controlling curse. The Mairead I knew is long gone," Rowena said. "Her mind broke."

"So fix her!" Rhys demanded.

"We can't," Zarena said.

Before he even realized what he was doing, Rhys drew his wand. With a wave of one hand he pinned Zarena to the wall and strode up to her. Wand aimed menacingly at her throat he growled, "You had better find a way."

"Rhys!" Rowena scolded. "Since when is it alright to attack a lady?"

"She is no lady! The treacherous bitch has destroyed my mother! No wonder Helga hates her."

Zarena began to laugh insanely. Rhys looked confused and finally released her. Through out all this, Mairead sat watching with unseeing eyes.

"Your right," Zarena said. "I can't be trusted, I've only kept her alive or the past ten years."

"Death would be better than a half life," Rhys said absently. "Why? Why would he do this?"

"Because he wants control!" Zarena screamed. "He wanted to use her against your family. Apparently he tried Helga first, but her mind was too strong. Your mother is a very powerful witch. He has had her cast dangerous spells that he wouldn't risk himself."

"But why kill us now?" Rhys asked.

"Because of this," Rowena said pointing to the painting he was studying earlier.

She tapped it with her wand. Before the animals were alive, they just stayed and one point in the painting, poised for the attack. Now they fought, the serpent and the lion still in the center.

"Is that a basilisk?" Rhys asked. He'd never seen a snake that big.

"The serpent king and the king of beast fighting for control," Zarena said absently watching the painting.

Suddenly the lion spread a pair of magnificent wings.

"Where did those come from?" Rhys asked in shock.

"Don't you recognize your namesake young Gryffindor?" his aunt asked. "That's a golden griffin. 'Griffin d'or' in the Frankish tongue of your grandfather's people."

The griffin and the basilisk fought until finally the griffin won.

"Guess who's the snake and who's the lion," Zarena said.