A/N: Just in case anyone's curious, I have decided to rewrite the earlier chapters (not many of them, only one through twenty-five) because, looking back at them, they suck. Big time. I am not starting to see why one of my reviewers said that during the time I have been writing this fic my writing has improved loads. So far I've replaced chapter one, so feel free to go back and read the new version, possibly review whilst I work one getting both new chapters and improved chapters out whilst working on my other fics.
Oh yeah, one other thing. I think I've realised where I've been going wrong with the romance in this fic. So far I've been trying to describe the feeling of falling in love, which is something I have yet to do, so it's been pretty hopeless. However, now I have realised where I was going wrong, and I hope to correct that mistake from now on.
Disclaimer: You know, I'm thinking about placing a disclaimer on my epitaph. I'm thinking 'SHE WHO LIES HERE CLAIMS NO OWNERSHIP OF HARRY POTTER OR ANY RELATED CHARACTERS.' Think that'll work?
Chapter 26
Tanhisial watched the mortal realm through basin filled with a liquid of some sorts. It was, though it was simply a window to the mortal world, the only way she could view what went on outside the world she herself had created so long ago, a world that was now dying because of the fact that many of the old stories had been forgotten or deliberately ignored by mankind for their own gain.
It was sad, really, that she had been forced to take her people to this realm, but had she not... well, her people would all have been like the descendants of the ones whom had chosen to stay on Earth; nothing more that house elves, basically slaves to humans. There had been no way she could have allowed that.
Sometimes though, she wished she had chosen another path for her people. By bringing them to this place she had been trying to ensure their survival, and it had worked for a while. But then, after several generations, the number of new-born elves had decreased exponentially, and at about the same time, other elves were starting to die a lot younger than they had, equalling in a decrease in population.
All of the elves had hoped and prayed to Dorito, the most powerful God among the Immortal Elders according to legend (A/N: If this doesn't comply to any of the Elvin Gods you know of from books and stuff, that's because I'm making up my own Elvin culture and I feel like using stupid names like Dorito for their Gods! Just be thankful I didn't call one Sausage!), that this was only temporary, though many had realised it would not be so. It was just a shame that it had been so.
She waved a hand over the basin, changing the picture just below the surface from that of a bloody war somewhere on Earth, scene which shocked still shocked after hundreds of years. The brutality of humanity was immense, but what was more shocking was the fact that they could be so compassionate a lot of the rest of the time, such was the picture unravelling before her eyes.
In the basin, one similar to that of a wizard's pensieve, showed the inside of a hospital, where a woman was holding her newborn baby, her husband standing beside her. It was truly a heart warming scene, and gave her the idea that mankind was not all bad. Until the next thing happened.
A man rushed into the room, holding a gun out in front of him. He seemed to yell something, something that Tanhisial couldn't hear through liquid, and the woman's husband stood in front of her trying to protect his new family. The man with the gun glared at him, and pointed the barrel of his handgun straight at him. The woman looked away, and Tanhisial, knowing what would happen, waved her hand over the basin again, changing the scene, unable to watch the murders that would have taken place.
Now inside the basin was a picture of a dark-haired boy, listening in on a conversation from outside a closed door. She chuckled. Ehno certainly was always curious. That could possibly be why his disguise as a human child worked so well, even if he was far from young.
Ehno let a lop-sided grin come to his features. He could feel that someone was watching him, and he knew who. Trust Tanhisial to keep such close tabs on both himself and humans. He was just surprised that she had never intervened with his eavesdropping - something which was considered terrible by elf standards. Speaking of eavesdropping, he decided to turn back to the conversation.
"Harry! Stop!" He knew that voice. It was Sirius.
"But are you sure your alright with this?" That was the boy-who-lived.
"Yes! Now stop worrying! It's Christmas! Enjoy yourself!"
"Why are you being so accepting? I thought you would have freaked though!"
"Are you complaining about it?"
"No."
"Then stop asking!"
"But-"
"If it'll shut you up, I did freak out, now go! It's Christmas! You should not be arguing on such a great day where people are haunted by the ghosts of Christmas Presents!"
"But-"
"Harry! Stop asking whether Sirius is alright with it! Just accept that he is! And get here now!"
Ehno chuckled at what Bella had said. He could just imagine what she was getting him to do, and if he knew the people in this house well enough...
"Ew! Don't do that while I'm in the room!"
Yep, Sirius would be grossed out. it seemed like Sirius had had enough of his godson and cousin making out after only a few more seconds and the man ran from the room, knocking Ehno over in the process.
"Ciao uomo dell'elefante! PerĂ² difettate di un cervello?" Ehno said cheerfully, wanting to keep up his guise of the annoying kid who couldn't understand a word you were saying. Hello Elephant man! Do you still lack a brain?
Sirius groaned, and walked away down the hall, Ehno following him, constantly asking him things in Italian.
Later that day when Harry and Bella finally came down, at well past midday. They came down together to a near silent house (apart from the chatter of the Order in the Living room. The two of them made their way to the kitchen where they hoped there would be no one. To their dismay they were disappointed.
"Hiya Auntie Bella! Uncle Harry!" Tonks said, bouncing over to see them, but whacked into the table before she got to them.
Harry and Bella both groaned at what she was calling them.
"Sirius told everyone, didn't he?" Bella said, just getting over her embarrassment at the nickname her niece had come up with.
"I'll say he did, you Death Eater scum."
Everyone's attention turned to a woman that Harry had no seen before, nor had he noticed she was standing there. She had shoulder length chestnut hair, was about mid-height and looked a lot like Bella.
"Andromeda," Bella acknowledged the sister she had not seen in years.
A/N: ::holds hands up in front of face:: Don't shoot! I had serious trouble with this chapter! And I mean loads! Not to mention I am now back at school, buried under tonnes of GCSE coursework already! And, I'm also rewriting the first 25 chapters of this (for every chapter of anything I upload I plan to rewrite a chapter and up that up) which, so far, I've only re-done the first chapter.
And I know this is a terrible cliffie, but I had to leave it there! I just had to!
possom2009: Hmmm, well, I don't really bother too much with pairings. You could try Slytherinnette's An Alternate Adventure. The Goblet of Fire one has a Harry/Hermione pairing, but it's one of the few I read, along with Classic Cowboy's HPX series, but they're X:Men crossovers. I don't really read too many fics with pairings in though.
Klaus Baudelaire, Shadowface, tessa: Thanks!
NateP: For answer please see above.
Zaraky: Well, some people just can't be pleased.
The Desert Fox: For this, Harry does not know how to play drums or guitar, as for whether he's a good singer, he might be, but he doesn't know. And thanks for the clarification on Edward the Martyr.
Blackhand The Destroyer: Yeah, I know it doesn't count as a pairing yet, but I swear it will be by the time I'm finished.
HellHound: Lol! Yeah, answering reviews is the easiest way to use up extra space. I do it all the time. And to be honest, when I wrote the chapter I didn't fully consider the fact that it was a cliffie.
The Vampire Story Hunter: Probably. And it's not my fault about the length! I just stop where it seems right. Or where I stop being able to write the chapter.
SiriusRulz14: I try!
Topsta: Thanks! And his name is EHNO, not echo. He's... well, it's a secret.
Laughinggurl: I don't really care about the age thing. I've seen Harry/Dumbledore pairings, for pizza's sake!
Dr Gero: Thanks! AU means Alternate Universe and I've read that. It's cool.
Jimmy, HeeroYuyZ: Yeah, I know that now, I just can't be bothered to correct it.
Somebodywhoreadsalot: ::giggles:: Every time I see your name I just see one word in it that draws my attention in it. Sorry, but yes, it is.
Kittyofwonder: ooooooh! Looooong review! Over an hour to read? Coolies! As for Ron, he deserves no friends! He may have been cute in the third movies, but he deserves no friends! ::blushes:: Is it really? And don't kill yourself! Please! I'd lose a reviewer! (Teeheehee!) I am not aging or de-aging either of them. So there! It's a good idea, but I don't like altering people's ages. And I am not royalty. I am a strange kid from England.
BellaBlack: Thanks! And I do! ::glares at bird-Harry::
jeangab057: Yes, Pettigrew is a ghost.
A. Person: Yes, I do mean Ehno when I said he would be gone for good. Here's another clue about Ehno, if you're trying to find out the clue with his name. His name is Italian, for what he is doing on Earth.
Potts: of course! And Sirius says... Well, you can pretty much guess what he said.
Ravensblack: Nope! He doesn't yell much at all!
Topps: Okay!
