Disclaimer: J.K.R. owns Harry Potter and co., not me (I wouldn't mind owning Sev though).  This story is slightly (basically bits of the plot ideas; just technical stuff) inspired by Minnionette's A Gutter Rat's Tale and Dauphin's Let History Repeat Itself.  Niamh O'Feir, Jardin, Mika Davids, Darcorn's, and anything you don't recognize belong to me.

Not Myself by Saerry Snape

Chapter 133 – Invasion of All Things Elven

Twenty minutes later, Harry was shifting nervously in a chair in Dumbledore's office.  All of his thoughts were on Niamh and the pain he had seen in his friend's eyes.  When the truth about her father beating her had first come up in their third year, he'd seen pain in her eyes.

But not pain like that.

And it had obviously been that silver gauntlet causing it.  The Gauntlet of Aerilsed, Dumbledore had called it.

The very name made Harry's blood grow cold.

Malfoy had said it had been created by the High Elves, the race of people that Harry himself was descended from.  The question was, why hadn't Harry ever heard of it?

"Ah, Harry," said Dumbledore as he entered.  "I am glad you stayed."

"'Ow's Ni?" asked Harry as the old wizard sat down in his chair.  "Is she alrigh'?"

"Miss O'Feir is sleeping," came the reply.

"Ye mean she's na okay."

"Harry…"

"Is she okay?" shouted Harry, his temper rising.

Dumbledore lifted a hand and said, "She is well.  Now be calm.  There is something I need to tell you."

"Abou' the Gaun'let?  Why could'n Ah touch i'?"

"That is a long and complicated story."

"Ah 'ave time."

"Indeed.  I shall shorten it as much as I can.  The Gauntlet of Aerilsed was created in the twelfth century, 300 years before the High Elves left our world.  There is no documentation of how it was made but its effects on those who wear it has been written down many times."

Effects? exclaimed a terrified part of Harry's mind.

"The Gauntlet," continued Dumbledore," was created to be a weapon of war.  But there was one flaw in its design.  It was created with Dark magicks, some of the darkest that have ever been put into solid form.  As such, whomsoever wore the Gauntlet would slowly be drained of life."

"WHAT?" exclaimed Harry, his Cockney accent completely dissipating for a second in his shocked cry.

"That is what it must do to retain its full power.  The Gauntlet claimed the lives of nearly sixty elves before its power was finally contained.  It was locked in a box and ordered buried by the High King."

"Bu' why could'n Ah touch i'?" asked Harry.

Dumbledore frowned at him over his half-moon glasses.

"The Gauntlet has long had a taste for Elven life, Harry.  It latched itself onto Miss O'Feir because she was the only thing available.  If you – or your father – were to touch it, it would immediately disengage itself from her and attach itself to you."

"Tha'd be be'er than i' on Ni," said Harry.  "Ah'd rather be tha one."

"I will not allow it," said Dumbledore.

"Why na?"

"Because of the risk."

Harry's eyes flashed black momentarily and he snarled, "Ni's somebody tha can be risked then?  IS THA WHA' YER SAYIN'?"

"Harry…"

"Shaddup," snapped the dark-haired teen, rising from his seat.  He turned in a sharp motion, robes swirling behind him, and stalked out.  Dumbledore watched him go with a frown on his face then turned in his chair to look at Fawkes.

"This dark-eyed power of his disturbs me."

Perhaps your dark knight will find out about it in his trip to the White Queen, said the phoenix.  And maybe who unearthed the Gauntlet.

"You were around when it was created.  What do you know of it?"

No more than you.  I do know how to relinquish its hold on the girl-child.

Dumbledore arched an eyebrow.

It is a risk, said Fawkes.  The Gauntlet can only be removed from its host after the host is dead.

"Oh dear…"

Oh dear, indeed.

* * * *

Harry stormed into Arx Serpens and stalked across the common room, robes billowing behind him.  In the Hexer's Corner, Ginny called out to him.

"Harry!"

The dark-haired teen halted and turned his head slowly to look at her.  One of his eyebrows arched questioningly.

"What's going on?"

Harry sighed and replied, "Ni 'as been possessed by an ancient artifact.  I's slowly drainin' tha life from 'er.  Life blows."

With that he continued on his way to the sixth year boy's dorm.  After a few minutes, the door was slammed shut and Ginny winced.  Across from her, Mika frowned.

"This isn't good," he muttered.

"Y'think?" said Ginny sarcastically.

* * * *

"There is a mortal outside, m'lady."

"A mortal?  Surely not.  How did this mortal come here?"

"The Mitigator, m'lady."

"The Mitigator is the guardian of the Elven-kin on the mortal plane, Élan.  Including my cousin.  Do you recog…  No, you wouldn't recognize him.  Send him in!"

"But, m'lady…"

"Send him in!"

"Aye, m'lady."

The Elven guard bowed his way from the hall and was replaced a moment later by Severus.  Bowing slightly, the Potion's Master approached a fair, dark-haired woman seated upon a crystal throne.  He knelt at her feet and she laughed a bell-like laugh.

"My dear cousin…you have no need to bow."

Severus smiled slightly as he rose to his feet.

"The formalities should be gone through, m'lady."

"Cousin, Severus.  My dear, dear, Severus.  It has been too long.  You look older."

"I am older," said Severus.  "And you, my dear Queen, look not a day above a hundred."

Sheen Ardwith, Queen of the Elven folk, laughed and said, "Of course not!  Now…what troubles you?"

"My son, Harry.  I…I think he's one of the Tethdaìr."

Sheen blinked.

"But, Severus, you know that only those of full Elven blood may be of the Tethdaìr.  It is impossible for a…"

"I know the possibilities," said Severus in a slightly sharp voice.  "The eyes turn black when angered.  Harry's do that."

"Oh dear."

"Indeed."

"Have you seen this with your own eyes?"

Severus shook his head.

"No.  Albus told me of it."

Sheen let out a low hiss and growled, "I have never trusted your Headmaster, Severus.  You know this."

"Yes," said Severus.  "Though you've never revealed why."  He frowns and takes a closer look at her face.

"You've been crying," he adds.

"No…"

"Cousin."

Sheen sighs and let's her cheerful façade drop.  She looks at her cousin with sad eyes and whispers, "Amadeus has been taken."

"From here?"

"Aye.  He is being held somewhere upon the mortal plane."

"By whom?"

"Tom Riddle."

Severus' eyes widen.

"The Dark Lord has Amadeus?"

Sheen nods slowly.

"Why?  Why would he want a werewolf who's been living here for nigh on thirty years?"

Suddenly Severus' eyes widened.

"Sheen, he did not…  The Gauntlet…"

Sheen turned her face away from her cousin.  That was all the answer that Severus needed.

"Merlin's beard," breathed the Potions Master.  "The Gauntlet of Aerilsed.  Sheen, how could you tell him the location?  You know what that thing will do!"

"I cannot let Deus die!"

"YOU DO NOT MAKE BARGAINS WITH LORD VOLDEMORT!" bellowed Severus.

Sheen gave him that sad look again and whispered, "I had no choice, Severus."

Severus snorted and snapped, "No choice, indeed.  He would not have killed Amadeus if you hadn't told him the location.  You could have contacted me and told me what was going on.  Damnit, cousin, I can help."

"I did not want to put you in danger."

"I'm in danger every moment of my life.  Whatever trust the Dark Lord had in me is long gone."

Sheen blinks.

"What happened?"

"Tyls, an old friend of Harry's, was brought back from the dead by necromancy.  He came to Hogwarts to kill Harry.  When he failed, I was ordered to do the deed.  After that, he tortured me.  I am still not yet over the effects."

"Cruciatus?"

"Indeed.  Now, what shall I do about Harry?  The Tethdaìr were not meant to live on the mortal plane."

Sheen frowns in thought for a moment then says, "Allow him this school term.  Then bring him here during the summer.  We can teach him control."

"Very well, cousin.  I will keep an eye out for your Amadeus."

"Please do.  I can do nothing from here."

Severus bows slightly and says, "I'll take my leave then."

"Very well," says Sheen.  "Be careful, be well, be bold…"

"…be brave, be honorable, be wise…," continues Severus.

"…for tomorrow we may die," they finish in unison.

"Goodbye, Severus."

"Farewell, cousin."

A/N : The Tethdaìr will be explained in the next chapter…  And the line that Sheen and Sev said together is a saying the Elves have.

A/N 2: Also, please note that the High Elves live on another plane of existence.  Hogwarts is on the mortal plane.  And the Darcorn (a.k.a the Mitigator) has the ability to travel between these planes.  Hence the reason why Mitigator means "World Walker".