A/N: Yes, it's me again. I'm sorry this took longer, but my time on the computer has been seriously cut down recently by my parents.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any related characters, only Tanhisial and several others.
Chapter 18
He was back in the same forest as one of the last dreams he had had. He could tell. Few things had changed from the last time he had found himself there in a dream, but there were a few changes from previously.
There was more mist there than before, and there was less light than he could remember. Fewer trees too, and if anything, the silence from the last time had increased, though it hadn't seemed possible before, and much more oppressing.
The silence now seemed near unbearable. Harry wished there was some noise in the very least to dispel it for a short amount of time, but there was not. There was no chirping of birds in the trees overhead, nor was there the sound of birds travelling. There was now sound of leaves rustling in the wind, of people nearby, or anything. There was nothing.
He could feel himself moving forwards, he could see himself moving past the trees, just like before. As he went he could see there was a difference to the trees. It was a big difference. They were dieing.
The last time Harry had appeared there the trees had appeared old, but none of them had been dieing, rotting or decaying, only a matter of days. A lot of them were now.
Harry felt himself pick up speed, just like he had the last time he had been there, and before he knew it he was at the same clearing, the same glade as he had been in in his last dream visit, in front of the same person he had seen before.
"Are you ready, Harry Potter?" she asked in the same voice as she had used before, repeating the question she had asked him.
"I might be if I know what I was supposed to be ready for," he replied, scowling at her.
She laughed at his response.
"You will see soon enough," she said mysteriously to him.
"Why won't you tell me what you mean?" he asked. He raised an eyebrow when she laughed once again. "Why won't you explain anything?"
"Mortal men always curious. Why do you wish to know answers to questions you have yet to ask, nor are ready to accept the answers to?"
"Because you haven't given me a chance to ask my questions yet, and I won't know I'm not ready to accept the answers to the questions unless I know the answers."
"You seem to be wise compared with many others of the human race. Ask your questions, and I will do the best I can to answer them."
Harry nodded, several questions springing to his mind at once. Unable to decide, he chose a random one that seemed of relative importance.
"What's-what's with this place? Why's it so dark? Why are the trees dieing? And what's with this mist?"
The woman's eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment or two, as if she were deep in thought of lost in some daydream or fantasy before replying.
"This wood... It is ancient. It is not part of your world, though it is connected with it, it is older than your world. It has been the home of my people ever since time itself began.
"The level of light here depends on the level of light in your world. As the people of the light diminish in yours and are replaced with those of the dark, so dims the light here, and vice versa. Should at any one point there be all light or all dark you world will destroyed."
She paused a moment, letting this information sink in.
"That time is fast approaching. I can feel it.
"The trees… The trees are dieing because the hope you have known to exist all of you life is dieing. Each tree represents a different person's hope, a different person who walks amongst the light. All of their hope is going, and one it is gone there will be no chance for you left."
"And the mist? What's that for?"
"The mist is power… the power of you world," she answered him after a moments pause. "The light and hope of your world are dimming, yet the power grows. Never has this occurred before."
There was the same silence as before for several minutes until the woman spoke again.
"Do you still have questions? Or do you fear the answers to them to an extent that you dare not ask?" she asked, with a sad smile.
"I want to know. I have more questions. Like, what are you? Who are you? And what the hell am I doing here?"
"I am Tanhisial," she said, sadness creeping into her voice. "I am the last of the high elves, with one exception. That is of the protector and messenger that remains in you world. I believe the person you refer to as your godfather has met him briefly. All other than him remain in your world are House. I linger on, and I will until the evil of your world, the one main evil, is defeated. I believe you know him as Voldemort.
"As to what you are doing here, you are dreaming," she said, stating the obvious, making Harry realise his mistake.
"Okay… why am I here?"
Tanhisial ignored his question, staring off into the space between two trees.
"You have already lingered here long enough. I will call you back in the equivalent of 3 of your days and nights. But I must leave you with one more message before you wake up in your world: Do you believe in destiny?"
"Destiny?" Harry asked, but it was too late. He was leaving. His dream was over.
"Interri... così posto sconosciuto... perchè il mosto divide il mondo nelle zone separate? Che cosa è l'esigenza dei paesi?" asked the same person whom Sirius had met previously when he had been in Italy, only this time in the form Sirius had not seen instead of that of a child. [Earth... such a strange place... why must they divide the world into separate areas? What is the need for countries?]
Slowly he walked along a road, his face, height and full appearance changing back to the one most people had seen before, though very few had actually seen him. And if they had at the particular moment when he had finished transforming his appearance and had gazed upon his face then they would have a shock as to the expression on it, one which a child should never be able to muster.
Collapsing quietly to the ground, he sent out a magical signal so that the people he wanted to find he would find him first, and would, hopefully, take him to the place he was hoping for. He had managed to make it look like he had been attacked by Death Eaters, so it should work, he knew it would.
Sure enough, two members of the Order of the phoenix came along after only a couple of minutes, then, after debating for a few minutes on what they should do, they picked him up and took him to headquarters. The figure smirked. Humans could be so predictable.
"You tried to kill me!" yelled Sirius at Bella. After Harry had left the room they had put up a silencing charm and then the real fight had begun.
"And you never did when we were kids?!" Bella yelled back, just as loudly.
"Get over it! It was in the past!"
"And so was the Department of Mysteries!"
Sirius scowled at her. At much as he didn't want to admit it, she was right about that. Along with something she had said just after Harry had left. Carrying on an old family feud was pointless, since they were both on the same side now.
He felt the corners of his mouth twitch slightly as he caught sight of his reflection, along with that of his cousin.
Her face was red and blotchy from their fight, whilst his was the same, along with a split lip where she had punched him and he was soaked through from when she had thrown water at him. His hair was a mess, almost as much as hers, which, because it was longer, became much messier much easier.
"What's so funny?" Bella asked him, a scowl on her face.
"Have you seen our reflections?" he managed to gasp out eventually between laughs.
Bella's scowl deepened at that, and just as she was about to respond someone came in, waking up the portrait of Mrs Black so it wouldn't have been heard, even if Sirius hadn't left then in curiosity to find out who it was.
The sight that he saw was a little bit of a shock. Here was the same kid who had annoyed him quite a bit back in Italy, apparently wounded, being carried in by two members of the Order, barely conscious.
"L'OH, è coniglio brained la barra di cioccolato," [Oh, it is rabbit brained chocolate bar] the kid said, before passing fully out.
A/N: Well, there you have it, another chapter out. I can't believe I've written 18 chapters now. My brain still thinks I'm on 13 chapters only. It's strange.
Sooooo many reviews! I'm trying my hardest not to cry at the amount! So happy!… Okay, maybe not, coz now I'm facing my responses. Oh dear.
Nightwishsama: It's okay! I couldn't think up a decent start for it at all. Talk to you on MSN later hopefully (where I'm determined to get another song outta you!).
Lanfear1: I know, I couldn't resist that one reaction from Sirius!
Madfoot Moony: Why is it everyone always tries to bribe me with songs?! Why?! Thanks anywayz.
Allyanna: Thanks!
jeangab057: Perhaps, perhaps.
Paladin3030: You have lots of ideas for plots in your brain don't you? And, again, I may have to use them.
StryderDarkwynd: Chris! Did you have to give me that many reviews?! 17! Bloody hell!
Sword of Darkness: I'm no good when it comes to writing violence! And I've never written a sex scene!
Launigsiae: Thanks!
Amscray: Thanks for clearing that up! 1) No, the kid isn't Voldemort and 2) I still haven't worked out when Wormtail did betray Voldemort. In answer to your question, probably not. I really don't like Ron at all.
Cheery Wolf: This soon enough?
Hi Im Crazy: No, afraid there wasn't, but there was this chapter! He will play an important role to an extent in the rest of this fic though.
gaul1: Good questions, I'll have to find out myself.
INMH: What?! Jedadiah is the middle name I nearly always give Sirius! And the line about blowing her ass back to Azkaban is from my friend who wrote the entire start of that chapter.
Ossini: I know he is. And I'm updating whenever I can.
r: Okay.
Zaraky: She saw your reviews, so she already knows. And she may try that sometime soon.
The Vampire Story Hunter: I will. You're scary at times.
Potts: Okay!
Ryua Malfoy: Well, there had to be at least one line that was totally Sirius!
Happy Hyper Bunny Lover: Thanks! A lot of people say they thought they wouldn't like the pairing at first.
linky2: Errr... huh?
A. Person: Thanks!
PaPa SmUrF: To be smacked around the head or to be woken by a nice cold shower! Lovely prize, wouldn't you agree?
