HARRY POTTER AND THE RISING OF THE DARK
by Meta4
CHAPTER SIXTEEN:: Green Grow the Rushes...
As we turned into the gates of Greythorn Manor, it was as if you could feel the good will and cheer from the surrounding houses, and I couldn't help but smile spontaneously.
Even the snow seemed to have eased off a little, the cloud now letting enough sun through to make the powdery snow that adorned the bare trees surrounding the manor glint with a virgin cleanliness that refreshed your very soul.
As we approached the Manor itself, parked rather haphazardly in front of the huge Manor doors were a couple of sets of cross-country skis and a full dog sled team: Apparently the others had become rather fed up of trudging through the snow and had invented their own ways of speeding their progress.
Will steered the skidoo in between the skis and the sled and switched off the engine. Even though my ears were still ringing, I was suddenly aware of something I hadn't heard - with the exception of the rooks - since the snow had started: Birdsong! Looking around, I saw a tiny little Robin perched on one of the bushes adjacent to the Manor doors.
With a heavy clunk, the doors were opened and a rather stocky man strode out into the snow.
"Master Liam and Master William?"
I stopped in my tracks as I recognised the same not-quite-right aurora from this man as rook-boy had. Once again he was definitely human - no doubt about that - but there was something I couldn't quite put my finger on that appeared very out of place.
Will nodded as we dismounted from the skidoo, Monty leaping off and diving into the bushes.
"I am Hawkin, Lady Greythorn's butler. If you will accompany me inside, your colleagues are awaiting your arrival."
I nodded and smiled cordially at the man, who was dressed in emerald green coat tails and a matching set of trousers. Somehow, he seemed immensely proud of what he was wearing - disproportionately so.
I resolved to ask Merriman about it as soon as I could, but in the mean time Will and I followed the man Hawkin into Greythorn Manor after whistling for Monty, who came charging out of the undergrowth just as haphazardly as he'd entered.
Inside, Greythorn Manor proved to be every bit as grand as the outside promised. Huge tapestries and ancient - presumably priceless - paintings adorned the walls.
As the power was out here too, the enormous chandeliers had been re-employed in their original manner, each now housing at least thirty candles which cast a soft, orange glow over the building's interior.
Hawkin led us through the entrance hall and up one of the flights of stairs that led to the first floor mezzanine. He knocked sharply on the central door and then entered.
"Masters Liam and William," he announced, before ushering us in.
We entered a rather large drawing room, again decorated with paintings and tapestries, although much lighter in colour than the others in the main hall.
Congregated near the far end of the room was Merriman, stood with his back to the roaring open fire; Ron, Hermione, Harry and Draco sat on a pair of large, plush sofas; and in an adjacent armchair was a rather old but nonetheless lively lady, who I assumed to be Lady Greythorn.
We walked down to the end of the room and Draco and I were greeted rather warmly by our respective partners. Although this show of emotion was slightly out of the ordinary for Harry, I was grateful for it nonetheless. None of the others seemed to mind the hug and the peck on the cheek, however Lady Greythorn smiled warmly and then nodded at Merriman.
"Right then! Now that we're all here, let me introduce to you Lady Greythorn," he said, moving to her chair and offering her his hand. She took it and stood up carefully, taking a moment to get her balance.
"My Lady," said Merriman, bowing his head in respect.
This all struck me as rather odd. Quite why Merriman would be treating Lady Greythorn with such reverence I could not understand, but she had a very gentle, kind demeanour about her. I scolded myself for having the Miss Faversham stereotype stuck in my head and vowed to keep an open mind on the subject.
Harry, too, had been visited by a stereotype, although his was of Sibyl Trelawney, his divination professor. He did have to concede, though, that the resemblance was only superficial as Lady Greythorn lacked the huge glasses and insect-like deportment; instead presenting herself with all the grace that seemed inherent to nobility.
"Firstly," she said in a clear voice that belied her advanced years, "I would like to thank you all for coming. As I am sure Merriman has told you, you are the embodiment of the Light's desire to vanquish the dark. You have all been chosen due to your very unique talents. Unfortunately, the completion of the circle took place a lot later than we would have liked. It wasn't until Liam made himself known to Hogwarts that we were able to move ahead."
"Uh, sorry,"
"My dearest Liam," said Lady Greythorn, turning to me specifically. "Do not linger on the past as what is done is done; yet remember that it is the past that has defined your present. Likewise, do not place undue concern with the future, but remember that our actions now will define the people that we will become and the world in which we live.
"Without you doing what you did and - though I may not agree totally with your conduct - behaving like you behaved," she smiled, "we may never have found you and our counter to the Dark would have been at a severe disadvantage.
"And that doesn't just apply to Liam, either," she said, taking a step back towards Merriman again. "Each and every one of you has specific gifts, although the one that will prove itself essential is the camaraderie that you share. Admittedly, it was a little rocky to start with," she shot me a mischievous glance, "but Merriman assures me that you've all found the strength of mind to rise above your differences."
I looked over at the opposing sofa to where Draco was sat. He truly wasn't the same person who'd sent Hermione flying through the air. Who was so proud of his bad-boy image. Who's fingers I'd crushed with the back of my chair. He was a good lad. And besides, Harry liked his hair, and if Harry felt he c...
Harry and I suddenly looked at each other.
"How did you know that I...?"
"How did you know that I knew?"
Lady Greythorn continued while smiling at us gently.
"Your first act against the Dark was the forming of the circle. The second was providing news of the entertainment we're going to hold here tonight. As insignificant as it might seem, you must put yourselves in the position of one of the widowers of the village, alone and cold in her big house. To have a pair of bright-eyed, bushy-tailed boys come and knock at your door with the promise of food, warmth and a bit of a sing-song would raise your spirits immensely.
"The snow is self perpetuating: The Dark draws its power from the despair and the very lack of hope it itself induces. The start of the snow is the most difficult for them: Trying to keep a steady snowfall while there are so many children playing in it and having fun is a devastating drain to them. However, as communications are disrupted and temperatures fall, so do the spirits of people. Add to this the depression of the short, grey days and the mourning of loved ones that have perished in the snow, their power is soon replenished.
"We are, at the moment, in the calm before the storm, so to speak. The snow is now feeding itself and is generating enough excess despair to feed the Dark that created it. However we have managed to disrupt the cycle in this village. As I'm sure you've already noticed, it has already started to loose its grip here. Add to that the carolling this evening and we're sure to provoke more than a little interest from the Dark."
"So we're bringing them to us?"
"Absolutely. However, it is of paramount importance that you six do not show yourselves as anything other than children during this event. The Dark can take many forms and we may not know when one of them is amongst us."
At that moment, there was a sharp knock at the door again and Hawkin entered, carrying a large silver tray full of tea things.
"Marvellous - thank you, Hawkin."
Hawkin smiled a deep, warm smile, nodded and left the room once more.
I had to say something.
"Lady Greythorn, I think there's something slightly odd about your butler."
"Hawkin? What do you mean, Liam?"
"There's just something about him that doesn't quite fit in. I can't quite put my finger on it, though..."
Merriman smiled a wry smile.
"I believe our young Elf has rumbled you, my Lady. Very perceptive, Liam."
"Hawkin is of this place, but not of this time. Of the here, but not the now, if you will. He has been in my employ since he was a boy and was born on December the twenty-fifth, ten-eighty."
I was starting to take this kind of information in my stride now, but even so it still sounded more than a little odd.
"You can probably tell how proud he is of his clothes: Those kinds of garment are unknown in his time, and so he takes great pleasure in wearing them now. Hopefully, if we can be this observant this evening, we'll have nothing to worry about."
"We saw a man out in the snow today, too," I added. "He dropped this."
I held out the sign towards Merriman, who raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Bronze carried long," he whispered. "The Walker is indeed abroad. I could not be sure before, but only he was entrusted with the Sign of Bronze."
"So what are these signs exactly? They're certainly not just lumps of metal..."
Merriman chuckled. "Indeed not... There are six Signs that make up the Circle, one for each member. While the Circle itself is complete, the signs provide... what is the best phrase to use... 'reinforcement' to that bond. Each sign is bourne by a member of the cirle, hence linking them.
"There is an old folk rhyme that chronicles this and suffices as well as any other way to explain where the signs come from:
"When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back: Three from the circle, three from the track; Wood, bronze, iron, water, fire, stone, Five shall return and one go alone.
"Iron for the birthday, bronze carried long, Wood from the burning, stone out of song; Fire from the candle-ring, water from the thaw, Six signs the Circle and the Grail gone before..."
"As ever, these folk tales should not be interpreted literally," added Merriman hastily, seeing the look of concern on all of our faces.
"Iron for the birthday," said Will. "Uncle Merry - you gave me this as a birhtday present..."
"Bronze carried long," I added. "How long had the Walker had this thing?"
"Many hundreds of years," said Lady Greythorn. "It was his punishment for betraying the Light to the Dark. A Sign is a heavy burden to carry for one who is not prepared to do so, and neither is it a load that can be shed easily.
"These signs are yours now Will, Liam," she said, smiling once more. "They may be with you for quite some time to come, so you would do well to make yourselves acquainted with them. How you do this is up to you and you alone - it is not something that any of us can help you with. The rest of you will find your signs in due course, when it is time to do so."
"Now, back to tonight," continued Merriman, breaking the intense concentration we'd all developed on Lady Greythorn. "The Dark will, no doubt, try and infiltrate the gathering one way or another. Although it may seem antisocial, Lady Greythorn will not be inviting people into her home. To do so would seriously undermine some of the wards we shall put in place this afternoon. So - to start..."
Merriman continued to explain to us how some aspects of Olde Magick worked. Somehow, it seemed to be a very delicate blend of all the disciplines that we were being taught at Hogwarts. However, where they were taught very much on their own at school, Olde Magick required the product of their attributes.
An hour or so later, we were out collecting branches of holly from the copious bushes around the Manor. Professor Snape would have told us all about the chemical properties of the berries and sap, Madam Sprout the hardiness and waxy surface to the leaves and so on. However, we would not have been told that berried holly branches, when displayed in the windows of the Manor, would create an almost impenetrable barrier to uninvited guests of the Dark.
"And this'll really stop them?" asked Hermione, holding a branch down as Ron sawed through the base.
"It will indeed," smiled Merriman, stacking some of the branches. "Olde Magick was a very hit-and-miss affair, some of it being discovered by trial and error, but the vast majority by accident. This is why the very old spell books you have no doubt seen were so thick - they were simply a rambling collection of a Witch or Wizard's accumulated knowledge. At Yuletide - the period around the winter solstice - the Holly comes into its own power which extends about thirty days either side of this event. Today, as it happens."
"It's the winter solstice today?"
Merriman nodded. "We are on the magical high ground, so to speak, here at the Manor. Directly under the centre point of the main hall there is an intersection of no less than seven ley lines, six of which reach their apogee around this time, also."
By this time Harry and I had meandered over with Draco and Will, loaded with Holly. Monty had suddenly proved exceedingly useful: A couple of sharp gnashes of his jaws later and branches of some considerable size were liberated from their trunk.
"There's that number again," I said, having overheard the tail end of the conversation. "What is it with six anyway?"
"Again, this harks back to many ages ago. You might have heard the old English folk song 'Green Grow the Rushes'? As ever, the meaning behind the song has fallen out of living memory but stirs enough within us to remind us of what once was. The lines have become obscured over the years, but some still ring true:
"'One is one and all alone and ever more shall be so': The one, the singular. The smallest unit if you will. One is one, however we must remember that more can become one, and in doing so exceed the sum of their power.
"'Two, two, the lily-white boys, dresséd all in green, oh'.Two - the fundamental pair. Two people in a relationship. Two hands, two eyes - it represents an extremely close, complimentary bonding.
"'Three, three the rivals'. Not immediately obvious, this one: Initially you'd have thought that there were two rivals - the Dark and the Light - but in reality there are three: The Dark, the Light, and everyone else who is unaware of the other two. Due to fear of the unknown, 'everyone else' is inherently an enemy of the other two, whether they know it or not.
"'Four for the gospel makers' - again obscured over time, the native faith of this country believed in four great Lords of the Watchtowers that guarded and arbitrated over the four corners of the world. In a more practical sense, the four points of the compass, the four phases of day, the four seasons and so on. Also a pair of pairs:: four people stood back to back can observe, and hence protect themselves from, any potential foe on any angle of attack.
"'Five for the symbols at your door' - one that has stayed accurate: You'll notice five runes carved above the Manor's main entrance. These provide one of the oldest forms of ward against Bane, or mal intent.
"'Six for the six proud walkers' - That's you. Such was the renown and extent of your predecessors, the Circle has been immortalised in folk lore.
"The rest are reasonably self explanatory, but you get the idea."
"Now if Professor Binns had told us even half of this we might have been able to stay awake for more than five minutes," smiled Draco.
"It's human nature to forget the past, especially memories concerning things that we fear or don't understand. Take the second world war for example: We all remember who won simply because it is agreeable to do so, and hence the memory is perpetuated. What we will do - and indeed presently are doing - is starting to forget the unimaginable cruelties, pain and suffering that had to be endured in order to attain that goal."
"Was the second world war anything to do with the Dark?" asked Will.
"I would dearly love to say it was, however you have to remember that both the Dark and the Light are a part of us all, no matter how minuscule one of those parts may be. As such, even without intervention from the Dark itself, the human race is capable of inflicting terrible hardships upon one another. Anyone can turn to the Dark, but likewise anyone can also turn to the Light. It is all a part of the inherent concept of free will, and of choice."
==========
That evening, the Manor was looking wonderful. Holly adorned the windows as well as being liberally distributed in various arrangements, coordinated by Lady Greythorn and Hermione who despaired at us "boys - you have no sense of decoration whatsoever!"
A large Christmas tree was conjured up and lavishly decorated, and was placed at the far end of the main hall. The two enormous fireplaces that flanked the tree had been built up with huge Oak yule logs (cut earlier that day during the Holly harvesting) and were set ablaze by a couple of thoughts from Harry and myself.
Accompanied by Draco, we then went outside and willed into existance a suitably large snow-cat to help transport those who couldn't make it to the Manor under their own steam and, not too long after we were finished, the first guests started to arrive.
It was decided that Harry and Ron would stay out of sight on the first floor of the Manor and watch the accumulating people in case they happened to spot any familiar - albeit unfriendly - faces. Will and Hermione manned the doors, cordially greeting people, but never actually inviting them in.
Draco and I manned the snow-cat and trolled off round the village, picking up old ladies and young families alike. An hour and a half later, there must have been at least a couple of hundred people in the Manor. Once we'd unloaded, Draco and I slipped up to the first floor to join Harry and Ron.
Hawkin was in his element, elegantly whisking between the crowds with trays heavily laden with hot mince pies and double cream, mulled wine and sherry. The hall was alive with conversation, punctuated regularly with cacophonous laughter from one quarter or another.
Soon, though, Merriman (in his Bob guise) took to the floor dressed in his trademark black, but with a very large red Santa's hat on his head that continually slipped over his eyes which caused great hilarity amongst the children that had rapidly formed a couple of lines at the front of the crowd.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," he boomed waiting for the hundred or so conversations that were underway to die down. "It is my great privilege and honour to be Master of Ceremonies this evening at Greythorn Manor. Please do not feel guilty about eating and drinking as much as you feel you can, as I personally have already allocated myself enough to pickle my liver three times over."
A chuckle went up from the majority of the adults.
"I feel it only fitting that we start the evening with a Carol. Do we all know 'The Holly and the Ivy'?"
There was a reasonable response in the affirmative. Not good enough for Bob, though, who really was in his element. Quite how he and Merriman were one in the same person evaded me, such was the contrast between their personalities, but either way he was doing a grand job of raising the spirits of the crowd - exactly what we were out to do.
After a truly wholesome "YES" from the throng on the third attempt, Merriman - sorry, Bob - beckoned to Hermione.
"Miss Granger, if you please,"
"What's she doing?" hissed Ron into Harry's ear.
"I dunno... Look - she's going over to the piano! I didn't know she could play!"
"Neither did I," replied Ron, sounding quite put out.
After a couple of bars' introduction, the carol began:
"The holly and the ivy, When they are both full grown, Of all trees that are in the wood, The holly bears the crown: O, the rising of the sun, And the running of the deer The playing of the merry organ, Sweet singing in the choir..."
"D'you know, that carol never really made sense to me until now..." I whispered to Harry.
He thought for a moment before a broad smile crossed his face.
The four of us sat on the balcony sang along to the varied carols until yet another one revealed a meaning I'd never considered before:
"'Sire, the night is Darker now, And the wind blows stronger: Fails my heart, I know not how, I can go no longer.' 'Ark my footsteps good, my page, Tread thou in them boldly: Thou shalt find the winter's rage Freeze thy blood less coldly.'"
As if on cue the wind, which had until now almost completely died down, very suddenly picked up, rattling the windows in their aged frames. Such was the force that the front doors blew off their catch, flying open with a bang as they hit the walls either side.
A whirlwind of snowflakes spiralled in, whipped up from outside and blasted against the congregated villagers, lowering the temperature to below freezing almost instantly. As quick as a flash, Bob pranced round the outside of the hall to where Will had taken refuge behind the Piano. He said a few words into his ear before helping him up and leading him through the crowd into the centre of the hall.
The wind grew to an order of magnitude I'd never before experienced, the howling and whistling becoming almost painfully loud. Harry had grasped my hand and was hanging on as if for dear life. Ron had almost immediately leaped up and charged down the stairs, almost taking off due to the enormous up draft, but just about managed to hold his footing to make his way to Hermione.
Draco looked on, gripping the railing supports so tightly his knuckles had gone white. He watched as Bob ushered the crowd away from Will slightly, leaving him stood, eyes closed, in the middle of the room, directly on the centre of the huge seal in the stone floor.
Harry had turned to look out of the window, and pulled on my arm to get me to look as well. Arranged in a crescent formation on the front lawns of Greythorn Manor were a tightly packed row of figures - thirty or more - stood with arms outstretched towards the Manor itself. In the centre of the crescent was a figure mounted on horseback, wearing what looked like a huge mask with a pair of antlers stretching haphazardly towards the sky.
Even in this situation I couldn't help thinking that in the daytime that costume would have looked totally ludicrous but now, at night, it chilled me to the bone.
"Liam! Harry!" Shouted Draco. "Look at Will!"
We turned to see the wind-borne snow that had been blowing haphazardly around the hall forming a vortex around Will, almost as if it was being sucked into the ground around his feet. This effect was growing stronger, the wind now barely making it around the room but instead being directed straight towards him. As we watched, mouths open, the effect Will was having grew stronger still, now causing a negative pressure within the room making my ears pop.
The yule fires either side of the tree were sucked from their very grates, skipping over the floor to join the vortex around Will
Outside, the Dark Rider and his minions could tell something was wrong and attempted to redouble their attack, but with little success. Instead, they found themselves being pulled forwards towards the Manor doors - towards Will.
The horse whinnied as its hooves failed to find purchase on the snowy ground and bucked, causing the Dark Rider to be thrown to the ground. As this happened, the others lost confidence and stopped their attack, one of them rushing to help their leader.
All eyes turned to Will again. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he strived to control whatever he was about to undertake. Moments later, my ears popped again as the room pressure returned to normal. It was deathly quiet, the gathered people huddling to the sides of the room, snow scattered all over the floor and Will stood on his own in the centre of it all.
For a few agonising seconds, Will stood alone on his spot in the centre of the hall as the few remaining snowflakes settled to the ground. Outside, the gathered assailants also stood uncertainly, not knowing exactly what had happened.
Suddenly, all eyes were focused upon Will once more. Carefully but purposefully, he lifted his arms until they were directly above his head. He stayed like that for a further moment before suddenly throwing his head back and screaming. A huge volume of air exploded from his position, the pressure wave it created being enough to knock Draco, Harry and myself off our feet, along with the majority of the assembled crowd.
Unbelievably, the fire that had been pulled from the grate was projected back towards it, though amplified greatly, burning the huge oak logs to ashes within seconds. The fire, seeking escape from the confines of the hearth, was driven up the huge chimneys and out into the sky, temporarily illuminating the scene outside.
The front windows of the Manor exploded outwards, propelling lethal shards of glass and splintered holly driven at incredible speed by the shock wave into the Rider's minions, sending all of them flying backwards and out of sight.
Seconds later, the wind stopped as quickly as it had started, leaving Will panting in the centre of the room. Draco, still feeling winded from the blast, struggled to his feet and half ran, half tripped down the stairs and over to Will, hugging him tightly.
A whistle went up from a corner of the room. We looked over to see Bob. He waved a holly branch and then pointed at the windows. The blast had, quite understandably, demolished the windows and the holly branches behind them.
A few minutes later, replacement Holly adorned all of the windows, even if they were missing the glass. The people, still huddled in clumps where they'd been knocked off their feet, began to pick themselves up one by one, dusting themselves off and whispering hurriedly to their neighbours.
Bob resumed his position in front of the now-horizontal Christmas tree as Harry, Ron, Hermione and I did our best to get the thing upright without the overt use of any more magic.
Somehow Bob's calming tones managed to restore moderate calm and, after Hawkin had double-timed it round everyone with renewed supplies of mulled wine, egg nog, sherry and the odd cup of Horlix, the singing began once more.
Harry and I found Draco cuddling Will to him on a sofa in the corner under one of the huge staircases.
"Whatever that was, Will, it was absolutely brilliant!"
Bob sidled up a moment later and removed his Santa hat that he'd somehow managed to keep a hold of.
"That was wonderful, Will," he smiled. "And only you could have done that."
"What was it he did, exactly?" asked Draco, still looking concerned.
"He put the three-fold law into practise," smiled Bob. "It's an ancient rite that refers to the idea that anything that you do - good or evil - will be returned to you three times over. As belief in this law of nature has wained, so has its effect, unless it's invoked by one naturally attuned to the ways of the Earth."
"Will,"
"Exactly. As he was also standing on the ley line intersection, this effect became about as strong as it could be. By attacking Will, the Dark was as good as attacking Mother Earth herself, and she doesn't take too kindly to her children doing that. You must remember, however, that the Earth loves all her children and hence doesn't keep scores or take sides: If we do something to cross her, she will exercise her wrath upon us also. But for the moment, at least, score!" he grinned, then realised the end of the carol was approaching and sprinted back off to guide the villagers.
From the hall, Bob's Elven voice rang out true and clear once more, this time in song:
"I'll sing you one, oh!"
"Green grow the rushes, oh! What is your one, oh?"
"One is one and all alone and ever more shall be so!"
CHAPTER SIXTEEN:: Green Grow the Rushes...
As we turned into the gates of Greythorn Manor, it was as if you could feel the good will and cheer from the surrounding houses, and I couldn't help but smile spontaneously.
Even the snow seemed to have eased off a little, the cloud now letting enough sun through to make the powdery snow that adorned the bare trees surrounding the manor glint with a virgin cleanliness that refreshed your very soul.
As we approached the Manor itself, parked rather haphazardly in front of the huge Manor doors were a couple of sets of cross-country skis and a full dog sled team: Apparently the others had become rather fed up of trudging through the snow and had invented their own ways of speeding their progress.
Will steered the skidoo in between the skis and the sled and switched off the engine. Even though my ears were still ringing, I was suddenly aware of something I hadn't heard - with the exception of the rooks - since the snow had started: Birdsong! Looking around, I saw a tiny little Robin perched on one of the bushes adjacent to the Manor doors.
With a heavy clunk, the doors were opened and a rather stocky man strode out into the snow.
"Master Liam and Master William?"
I stopped in my tracks as I recognised the same not-quite-right aurora from this man as rook-boy had. Once again he was definitely human - no doubt about that - but there was something I couldn't quite put my finger on that appeared very out of place.
Will nodded as we dismounted from the skidoo, Monty leaping off and diving into the bushes.
"I am Hawkin, Lady Greythorn's butler. If you will accompany me inside, your colleagues are awaiting your arrival."
I nodded and smiled cordially at the man, who was dressed in emerald green coat tails and a matching set of trousers. Somehow, he seemed immensely proud of what he was wearing - disproportionately so.
I resolved to ask Merriman about it as soon as I could, but in the mean time Will and I followed the man Hawkin into Greythorn Manor after whistling for Monty, who came charging out of the undergrowth just as haphazardly as he'd entered.
Inside, Greythorn Manor proved to be every bit as grand as the outside promised. Huge tapestries and ancient - presumably priceless - paintings adorned the walls.
As the power was out here too, the enormous chandeliers had been re-employed in their original manner, each now housing at least thirty candles which cast a soft, orange glow over the building's interior.
Hawkin led us through the entrance hall and up one of the flights of stairs that led to the first floor mezzanine. He knocked sharply on the central door and then entered.
"Masters Liam and William," he announced, before ushering us in.
We entered a rather large drawing room, again decorated with paintings and tapestries, although much lighter in colour than the others in the main hall.
Congregated near the far end of the room was Merriman, stood with his back to the roaring open fire; Ron, Hermione, Harry and Draco sat on a pair of large, plush sofas; and in an adjacent armchair was a rather old but nonetheless lively lady, who I assumed to be Lady Greythorn.
We walked down to the end of the room and Draco and I were greeted rather warmly by our respective partners. Although this show of emotion was slightly out of the ordinary for Harry, I was grateful for it nonetheless. None of the others seemed to mind the hug and the peck on the cheek, however Lady Greythorn smiled warmly and then nodded at Merriman.
"Right then! Now that we're all here, let me introduce to you Lady Greythorn," he said, moving to her chair and offering her his hand. She took it and stood up carefully, taking a moment to get her balance.
"My Lady," said Merriman, bowing his head in respect.
This all struck me as rather odd. Quite why Merriman would be treating Lady Greythorn with such reverence I could not understand, but she had a very gentle, kind demeanour about her. I scolded myself for having the Miss Faversham stereotype stuck in my head and vowed to keep an open mind on the subject.
Harry, too, had been visited by a stereotype, although his was of Sibyl Trelawney, his divination professor. He did have to concede, though, that the resemblance was only superficial as Lady Greythorn lacked the huge glasses and insect-like deportment; instead presenting herself with all the grace that seemed inherent to nobility.
"Firstly," she said in a clear voice that belied her advanced years, "I would like to thank you all for coming. As I am sure Merriman has told you, you are the embodiment of the Light's desire to vanquish the dark. You have all been chosen due to your very unique talents. Unfortunately, the completion of the circle took place a lot later than we would have liked. It wasn't until Liam made himself known to Hogwarts that we were able to move ahead."
"Uh, sorry,"
"My dearest Liam," said Lady Greythorn, turning to me specifically. "Do not linger on the past as what is done is done; yet remember that it is the past that has defined your present. Likewise, do not place undue concern with the future, but remember that our actions now will define the people that we will become and the world in which we live.
"Without you doing what you did and - though I may not agree totally with your conduct - behaving like you behaved," she smiled, "we may never have found you and our counter to the Dark would have been at a severe disadvantage.
"And that doesn't just apply to Liam, either," she said, taking a step back towards Merriman again. "Each and every one of you has specific gifts, although the one that will prove itself essential is the camaraderie that you share. Admittedly, it was a little rocky to start with," she shot me a mischievous glance, "but Merriman assures me that you've all found the strength of mind to rise above your differences."
I looked over at the opposing sofa to where Draco was sat. He truly wasn't the same person who'd sent Hermione flying through the air. Who was so proud of his bad-boy image. Who's fingers I'd crushed with the back of my chair. He was a good lad. And besides, Harry liked his hair, and if Harry felt he c...
Harry and I suddenly looked at each other.
"How did you know that I...?"
"How did you know that I knew?"
Lady Greythorn continued while smiling at us gently.
"Your first act against the Dark was the forming of the circle. The second was providing news of the entertainment we're going to hold here tonight. As insignificant as it might seem, you must put yourselves in the position of one of the widowers of the village, alone and cold in her big house. To have a pair of bright-eyed, bushy-tailed boys come and knock at your door with the promise of food, warmth and a bit of a sing-song would raise your spirits immensely.
"The snow is self perpetuating: The Dark draws its power from the despair and the very lack of hope it itself induces. The start of the snow is the most difficult for them: Trying to keep a steady snowfall while there are so many children playing in it and having fun is a devastating drain to them. However, as communications are disrupted and temperatures fall, so do the spirits of people. Add to this the depression of the short, grey days and the mourning of loved ones that have perished in the snow, their power is soon replenished.
"We are, at the moment, in the calm before the storm, so to speak. The snow is now feeding itself and is generating enough excess despair to feed the Dark that created it. However we have managed to disrupt the cycle in this village. As I'm sure you've already noticed, it has already started to loose its grip here. Add to that the carolling this evening and we're sure to provoke more than a little interest from the Dark."
"So we're bringing them to us?"
"Absolutely. However, it is of paramount importance that you six do not show yourselves as anything other than children during this event. The Dark can take many forms and we may not know when one of them is amongst us."
At that moment, there was a sharp knock at the door again and Hawkin entered, carrying a large silver tray full of tea things.
"Marvellous - thank you, Hawkin."
Hawkin smiled a deep, warm smile, nodded and left the room once more.
I had to say something.
"Lady Greythorn, I think there's something slightly odd about your butler."
"Hawkin? What do you mean, Liam?"
"There's just something about him that doesn't quite fit in. I can't quite put my finger on it, though..."
Merriman smiled a wry smile.
"I believe our young Elf has rumbled you, my Lady. Very perceptive, Liam."
"Hawkin is of this place, but not of this time. Of the here, but not the now, if you will. He has been in my employ since he was a boy and was born on December the twenty-fifth, ten-eighty."
I was starting to take this kind of information in my stride now, but even so it still sounded more than a little odd.
"You can probably tell how proud he is of his clothes: Those kinds of garment are unknown in his time, and so he takes great pleasure in wearing them now. Hopefully, if we can be this observant this evening, we'll have nothing to worry about."
"We saw a man out in the snow today, too," I added. "He dropped this."
I held out the sign towards Merriman, who raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Bronze carried long," he whispered. "The Walker is indeed abroad. I could not be sure before, but only he was entrusted with the Sign of Bronze."
"So what are these signs exactly? They're certainly not just lumps of metal..."
Merriman chuckled. "Indeed not... There are six Signs that make up the Circle, one for each member. While the Circle itself is complete, the signs provide... what is the best phrase to use... 'reinforcement' to that bond. Each sign is bourne by a member of the cirle, hence linking them.
"There is an old folk rhyme that chronicles this and suffices as well as any other way to explain where the signs come from:
"When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back: Three from the circle, three from the track; Wood, bronze, iron, water, fire, stone, Five shall return and one go alone.
"Iron for the birthday, bronze carried long, Wood from the burning, stone out of song; Fire from the candle-ring, water from the thaw, Six signs the Circle and the Grail gone before..."
"As ever, these folk tales should not be interpreted literally," added Merriman hastily, seeing the look of concern on all of our faces.
"Iron for the birthday," said Will. "Uncle Merry - you gave me this as a birhtday present..."
"Bronze carried long," I added. "How long had the Walker had this thing?"
"Many hundreds of years," said Lady Greythorn. "It was his punishment for betraying the Light to the Dark. A Sign is a heavy burden to carry for one who is not prepared to do so, and neither is it a load that can be shed easily.
"These signs are yours now Will, Liam," she said, smiling once more. "They may be with you for quite some time to come, so you would do well to make yourselves acquainted with them. How you do this is up to you and you alone - it is not something that any of us can help you with. The rest of you will find your signs in due course, when it is time to do so."
"Now, back to tonight," continued Merriman, breaking the intense concentration we'd all developed on Lady Greythorn. "The Dark will, no doubt, try and infiltrate the gathering one way or another. Although it may seem antisocial, Lady Greythorn will not be inviting people into her home. To do so would seriously undermine some of the wards we shall put in place this afternoon. So - to start..."
Merriman continued to explain to us how some aspects of Olde Magick worked. Somehow, it seemed to be a very delicate blend of all the disciplines that we were being taught at Hogwarts. However, where they were taught very much on their own at school, Olde Magick required the product of their attributes.
An hour or so later, we were out collecting branches of holly from the copious bushes around the Manor. Professor Snape would have told us all about the chemical properties of the berries and sap, Madam Sprout the hardiness and waxy surface to the leaves and so on. However, we would not have been told that berried holly branches, when displayed in the windows of the Manor, would create an almost impenetrable barrier to uninvited guests of the Dark.
"And this'll really stop them?" asked Hermione, holding a branch down as Ron sawed through the base.
"It will indeed," smiled Merriman, stacking some of the branches. "Olde Magick was a very hit-and-miss affair, some of it being discovered by trial and error, but the vast majority by accident. This is why the very old spell books you have no doubt seen were so thick - they were simply a rambling collection of a Witch or Wizard's accumulated knowledge. At Yuletide - the period around the winter solstice - the Holly comes into its own power which extends about thirty days either side of this event. Today, as it happens."
"It's the winter solstice today?"
Merriman nodded. "We are on the magical high ground, so to speak, here at the Manor. Directly under the centre point of the main hall there is an intersection of no less than seven ley lines, six of which reach their apogee around this time, also."
By this time Harry and I had meandered over with Draco and Will, loaded with Holly. Monty had suddenly proved exceedingly useful: A couple of sharp gnashes of his jaws later and branches of some considerable size were liberated from their trunk.
"There's that number again," I said, having overheard the tail end of the conversation. "What is it with six anyway?"
"Again, this harks back to many ages ago. You might have heard the old English folk song 'Green Grow the Rushes'? As ever, the meaning behind the song has fallen out of living memory but stirs enough within us to remind us of what once was. The lines have become obscured over the years, but some still ring true:
"'One is one and all alone and ever more shall be so': The one, the singular. The smallest unit if you will. One is one, however we must remember that more can become one, and in doing so exceed the sum of their power.
"'Two, two, the lily-white boys, dresséd all in green, oh'.Two - the fundamental pair. Two people in a relationship. Two hands, two eyes - it represents an extremely close, complimentary bonding.
"'Three, three the rivals'. Not immediately obvious, this one: Initially you'd have thought that there were two rivals - the Dark and the Light - but in reality there are three: The Dark, the Light, and everyone else who is unaware of the other two. Due to fear of the unknown, 'everyone else' is inherently an enemy of the other two, whether they know it or not.
"'Four for the gospel makers' - again obscured over time, the native faith of this country believed in four great Lords of the Watchtowers that guarded and arbitrated over the four corners of the world. In a more practical sense, the four points of the compass, the four phases of day, the four seasons and so on. Also a pair of pairs:: four people stood back to back can observe, and hence protect themselves from, any potential foe on any angle of attack.
"'Five for the symbols at your door' - one that has stayed accurate: You'll notice five runes carved above the Manor's main entrance. These provide one of the oldest forms of ward against Bane, or mal intent.
"'Six for the six proud walkers' - That's you. Such was the renown and extent of your predecessors, the Circle has been immortalised in folk lore.
"The rest are reasonably self explanatory, but you get the idea."
"Now if Professor Binns had told us even half of this we might have been able to stay awake for more than five minutes," smiled Draco.
"It's human nature to forget the past, especially memories concerning things that we fear or don't understand. Take the second world war for example: We all remember who won simply because it is agreeable to do so, and hence the memory is perpetuated. What we will do - and indeed presently are doing - is starting to forget the unimaginable cruelties, pain and suffering that had to be endured in order to attain that goal."
"Was the second world war anything to do with the Dark?" asked Will.
"I would dearly love to say it was, however you have to remember that both the Dark and the Light are a part of us all, no matter how minuscule one of those parts may be. As such, even without intervention from the Dark itself, the human race is capable of inflicting terrible hardships upon one another. Anyone can turn to the Dark, but likewise anyone can also turn to the Light. It is all a part of the inherent concept of free will, and of choice."
==========
That evening, the Manor was looking wonderful. Holly adorned the windows as well as being liberally distributed in various arrangements, coordinated by Lady Greythorn and Hermione who despaired at us "boys - you have no sense of decoration whatsoever!"
A large Christmas tree was conjured up and lavishly decorated, and was placed at the far end of the main hall. The two enormous fireplaces that flanked the tree had been built up with huge Oak yule logs (cut earlier that day during the Holly harvesting) and were set ablaze by a couple of thoughts from Harry and myself.
Accompanied by Draco, we then went outside and willed into existance a suitably large snow-cat to help transport those who couldn't make it to the Manor under their own steam and, not too long after we were finished, the first guests started to arrive.
It was decided that Harry and Ron would stay out of sight on the first floor of the Manor and watch the accumulating people in case they happened to spot any familiar - albeit unfriendly - faces. Will and Hermione manned the doors, cordially greeting people, but never actually inviting them in.
Draco and I manned the snow-cat and trolled off round the village, picking up old ladies and young families alike. An hour and a half later, there must have been at least a couple of hundred people in the Manor. Once we'd unloaded, Draco and I slipped up to the first floor to join Harry and Ron.
Hawkin was in his element, elegantly whisking between the crowds with trays heavily laden with hot mince pies and double cream, mulled wine and sherry. The hall was alive with conversation, punctuated regularly with cacophonous laughter from one quarter or another.
Soon, though, Merriman (in his Bob guise) took to the floor dressed in his trademark black, but with a very large red Santa's hat on his head that continually slipped over his eyes which caused great hilarity amongst the children that had rapidly formed a couple of lines at the front of the crowd.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," he boomed waiting for the hundred or so conversations that were underway to die down. "It is my great privilege and honour to be Master of Ceremonies this evening at Greythorn Manor. Please do not feel guilty about eating and drinking as much as you feel you can, as I personally have already allocated myself enough to pickle my liver three times over."
A chuckle went up from the majority of the adults.
"I feel it only fitting that we start the evening with a Carol. Do we all know 'The Holly and the Ivy'?"
There was a reasonable response in the affirmative. Not good enough for Bob, though, who really was in his element. Quite how he and Merriman were one in the same person evaded me, such was the contrast between their personalities, but either way he was doing a grand job of raising the spirits of the crowd - exactly what we were out to do.
After a truly wholesome "YES" from the throng on the third attempt, Merriman - sorry, Bob - beckoned to Hermione.
"Miss Granger, if you please,"
"What's she doing?" hissed Ron into Harry's ear.
"I dunno... Look - she's going over to the piano! I didn't know she could play!"
"Neither did I," replied Ron, sounding quite put out.
After a couple of bars' introduction, the carol began:
"The holly and the ivy, When they are both full grown, Of all trees that are in the wood, The holly bears the crown: O, the rising of the sun, And the running of the deer The playing of the merry organ, Sweet singing in the choir..."
"D'you know, that carol never really made sense to me until now..." I whispered to Harry.
He thought for a moment before a broad smile crossed his face.
The four of us sat on the balcony sang along to the varied carols until yet another one revealed a meaning I'd never considered before:
"'Sire, the night is Darker now, And the wind blows stronger: Fails my heart, I know not how, I can go no longer.' 'Ark my footsteps good, my page, Tread thou in them boldly: Thou shalt find the winter's rage Freeze thy blood less coldly.'"
As if on cue the wind, which had until now almost completely died down, very suddenly picked up, rattling the windows in their aged frames. Such was the force that the front doors blew off their catch, flying open with a bang as they hit the walls either side.
A whirlwind of snowflakes spiralled in, whipped up from outside and blasted against the congregated villagers, lowering the temperature to below freezing almost instantly. As quick as a flash, Bob pranced round the outside of the hall to where Will had taken refuge behind the Piano. He said a few words into his ear before helping him up and leading him through the crowd into the centre of the hall.
The wind grew to an order of magnitude I'd never before experienced, the howling and whistling becoming almost painfully loud. Harry had grasped my hand and was hanging on as if for dear life. Ron had almost immediately leaped up and charged down the stairs, almost taking off due to the enormous up draft, but just about managed to hold his footing to make his way to Hermione.
Draco looked on, gripping the railing supports so tightly his knuckles had gone white. He watched as Bob ushered the crowd away from Will slightly, leaving him stood, eyes closed, in the middle of the room, directly on the centre of the huge seal in the stone floor.
Harry had turned to look out of the window, and pulled on my arm to get me to look as well. Arranged in a crescent formation on the front lawns of Greythorn Manor were a tightly packed row of figures - thirty or more - stood with arms outstretched towards the Manor itself. In the centre of the crescent was a figure mounted on horseback, wearing what looked like a huge mask with a pair of antlers stretching haphazardly towards the sky.
Even in this situation I couldn't help thinking that in the daytime that costume would have looked totally ludicrous but now, at night, it chilled me to the bone.
"Liam! Harry!" Shouted Draco. "Look at Will!"
We turned to see the wind-borne snow that had been blowing haphazardly around the hall forming a vortex around Will, almost as if it was being sucked into the ground around his feet. This effect was growing stronger, the wind now barely making it around the room but instead being directed straight towards him. As we watched, mouths open, the effect Will was having grew stronger still, now causing a negative pressure within the room making my ears pop.
The yule fires either side of the tree were sucked from their very grates, skipping over the floor to join the vortex around Will
Outside, the Dark Rider and his minions could tell something was wrong and attempted to redouble their attack, but with little success. Instead, they found themselves being pulled forwards towards the Manor doors - towards Will.
The horse whinnied as its hooves failed to find purchase on the snowy ground and bucked, causing the Dark Rider to be thrown to the ground. As this happened, the others lost confidence and stopped their attack, one of them rushing to help their leader.
All eyes turned to Will again. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he strived to control whatever he was about to undertake. Moments later, my ears popped again as the room pressure returned to normal. It was deathly quiet, the gathered people huddling to the sides of the room, snow scattered all over the floor and Will stood on his own in the centre of it all.
For a few agonising seconds, Will stood alone on his spot in the centre of the hall as the few remaining snowflakes settled to the ground. Outside, the gathered assailants also stood uncertainly, not knowing exactly what had happened.
Suddenly, all eyes were focused upon Will once more. Carefully but purposefully, he lifted his arms until they were directly above his head. He stayed like that for a further moment before suddenly throwing his head back and screaming. A huge volume of air exploded from his position, the pressure wave it created being enough to knock Draco, Harry and myself off our feet, along with the majority of the assembled crowd.
Unbelievably, the fire that had been pulled from the grate was projected back towards it, though amplified greatly, burning the huge oak logs to ashes within seconds. The fire, seeking escape from the confines of the hearth, was driven up the huge chimneys and out into the sky, temporarily illuminating the scene outside.
The front windows of the Manor exploded outwards, propelling lethal shards of glass and splintered holly driven at incredible speed by the shock wave into the Rider's minions, sending all of them flying backwards and out of sight.
Seconds later, the wind stopped as quickly as it had started, leaving Will panting in the centre of the room. Draco, still feeling winded from the blast, struggled to his feet and half ran, half tripped down the stairs and over to Will, hugging him tightly.
A whistle went up from a corner of the room. We looked over to see Bob. He waved a holly branch and then pointed at the windows. The blast had, quite understandably, demolished the windows and the holly branches behind them.
A few minutes later, replacement Holly adorned all of the windows, even if they were missing the glass. The people, still huddled in clumps where they'd been knocked off their feet, began to pick themselves up one by one, dusting themselves off and whispering hurriedly to their neighbours.
Bob resumed his position in front of the now-horizontal Christmas tree as Harry, Ron, Hermione and I did our best to get the thing upright without the overt use of any more magic.
Somehow Bob's calming tones managed to restore moderate calm and, after Hawkin had double-timed it round everyone with renewed supplies of mulled wine, egg nog, sherry and the odd cup of Horlix, the singing began once more.
Harry and I found Draco cuddling Will to him on a sofa in the corner under one of the huge staircases.
"Whatever that was, Will, it was absolutely brilliant!"
Bob sidled up a moment later and removed his Santa hat that he'd somehow managed to keep a hold of.
"That was wonderful, Will," he smiled. "And only you could have done that."
"What was it he did, exactly?" asked Draco, still looking concerned.
"He put the three-fold law into practise," smiled Bob. "It's an ancient rite that refers to the idea that anything that you do - good or evil - will be returned to you three times over. As belief in this law of nature has wained, so has its effect, unless it's invoked by one naturally attuned to the ways of the Earth."
"Will,"
"Exactly. As he was also standing on the ley line intersection, this effect became about as strong as it could be. By attacking Will, the Dark was as good as attacking Mother Earth herself, and she doesn't take too kindly to her children doing that. You must remember, however, that the Earth loves all her children and hence doesn't keep scores or take sides: If we do something to cross her, she will exercise her wrath upon us also. But for the moment, at least, score!" he grinned, then realised the end of the carol was approaching and sprinted back off to guide the villagers.
From the hall, Bob's Elven voice rang out true and clear once more, this time in song:
"I'll sing you one, oh!"
"Green grow the rushes, oh! What is your one, oh?"
"One is one and all alone and ever more shall be so!"