Disclaimer: Not mine
Dedications: To my Beta Reader Dom
Sorry for the complete lack of updating, I've been ill. I still am ill! I love not being at school....
*** Elves And Shoeboxes ***
Ginny opened her eyes slowly, blinking because of the light. She was vaguely aware of an earthy smell, and something very heavy across her body. Also, someone was singing.
Wait, was that singing? There were a number of voices, and although it sounded like singing, it was constructed like a conversation.
How did I get here? Ginny thought to herself, and where's Malfoy?
They had been in France, and had been travelling for well over a week, trying to get to the Valley to find the Centaurs. But when they had arrived, something went wrong.
Those bloody centaurs attacked me! A strange mix of anger and astonishment filled her, and a small-strangled noise escaped her throat. The singing/talking stopped suddenly, and she could hear some shuffling. Suddenly a face appeared above her, and Ginny had to stop herself from screaming.
The face was a pale earthy green, and was surrounded by a mane of forest green, bushy matted hair. Ginny tried to struggle away, but the creature's strong arms held her down.
"Be calm." It pleaded; it's hazel green eyes wide with concern, "Be calm. No harm here, all good."
"What are you?" Ginny whispered. She stopped struggling, but was very much aware that, although it looked harmless, it could be deceiving her.
"We Tree People." It told her, "Elves."
"Can I sit up?" She asked.
"Yes, but careful, injured." It was right. As soon as she sat up, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, and she saw that it was bandaged. The elf, if that's what it really was, looked concerned, and helped her get comfortable.
Once sitting up, Ginny could see that she was in a hut, with an earth floor, which explained the smell. The weight she had felt on top of her was due to a severely heavy blanket that looked as though it was made of moss. She also noticed that she was back in her own body, her long red hair spilled over her shoulders, and she fingered it lovingly. Next to her sat the elf.
She had seen pictures of what elves were supposed to look like in children's books, and it wasn't like this.
The elf was very tall, looking about seven-foot, and its skin, hair, and eyes were various shades of green. Even its clothes were made out of the same moss-like material that made up her blanket. Its limbs were very long, and long, twig like fingers came out from its hands. Its long face was mainly taken up by its huge green eyes, and its nose and mouth were tiny. But despite its startling appearance, its face was kind and soft, and its eyes sparkled with innocence.
"What happened?" Ginny asked eventually, after she realised that she's been staring.
"You saw centaurs, stupid centaurs." It explained, "Saw beast within you, no see goodness in heart. Attack, but elves come, fight them away. Found you and your winne. You injured, we heal."
"My winne?" Her voice was filled with confusion.
"Yes, your winne." Ginny still looked bewildered, and it closed its eyes, trying to think of something, "Winne." It explained, "Boy winne."
Something stirred in Ginny's memory, a whisper of a conversation, or maybe someone telling her something. The Old English word for friend was winne.
"You mean friend!" Ginny smiled and the elf looked embarrassed.
"Yes, friend." It shrugged elegantly, "I forget. Human English hard for me. New Human English hard. Old English we know, we speak. Old French too, not new."
"Where is my friend?" She asked.
"Friend good, friend with others. He eat, he sleep, he talk, he happy." It reassured her, "He ask for you many times."
"How long have we been here?" Understanding the elf talk was not difficult, but it was slow.
"Four times the sun sets before you wake." It replied, and Ginny blanched.
"Four days?" She shook her head, "That's not good. Can I see my friend? My winne?"
"He waits, but you not move. He come, you stay." It said firmly, and stood to walk away. It was a beautiful sight; the elves long limbs did not swing around like humans, but seemed to flow, like one liquid movement. When it returned, Draco was following, also in his normal body.
"Weasley." He said warmly.
"Hi Malfoy." She replied, "Were you worried?"
"I was for the first day, but these elves are good healers, I broke my ankle and they fixed it in a second." He told her, "You were a bit worse off."
"What happened?" Ginny asked. Her recollections of the event were blurry.
"Well, after we arrived in France we travelled by foot to the Valley-" He began, but she cut him off.
"Yes, I know all of that, I want to know what happened when we saw the Centaurs." She snapped, and then felt guilty. Draco shrugged, looking indifferent.
"They took one look at you and charged us." He explained, "Shouting something about how the beast must die. I guess they meant Riddle. They didn't seem very interested in me, the broken ankle was where the trampled my leg a bit. They did you some harm before the elves came."
"Stupid Centaurs." The elf muttered.
"Weasley, have you met Mapp?" Draco asked, indicating to the elf, "She's the one who's been looking after me."
Ginny replied that, yes, she had met Mapp, but hadn't known her name. She supposed that the elf did look slightly feminine, but she had not seen a male elf with which she could compare.
"You saw the beast inside me too." Ginny said to Mapp, who nodded.
"It is big, too big. Centaurs see it, they think it's you. Elves see beast, but also see person, scared, unhappy, good person. Person with curse. We protect. Friend..." She glanced over and Draco, "...He say you try and destroy beast. Your quest. Elves will help, but only little. We have own quest. War."
"Who are you at war with?" Ginny asked.
"Stupid Centaurs." The elf told her, "They ally with dark wizards. We tell them 'stop', they attack us. War now."
"But why would they attack me if they're fighting on the side of the Death Easters?" The red haired girl asked.
"They're not." Draco explained, "These are French Dark Wizards, a group who are trying to overthrow their Ministry so that they can make Muggle killing legal. They don't know anything about Riddle."
"I can't hear him." Ginny told him, "He hasn't said a word."
"The elves have been giving you a potion to keep him down, he was making you shout things while you were asleep." Draco explained, "It won't last forever though, he'll grow strong enough to overpower it."
"Enough now, she sleeps, talk later." Mapp said suddenly, "Talk with older Tree People after next sun rise."
"Tomorrow." Draco said, standing, "I'll see you tomorrow Weasley."
"Bye Malfoy." She replied, and then Mapp gave her something to drink, and she fell almost instantly asleep.
***
The Quidditch match had been almost two weeks ago, and now seemed like a distant memory to the members of Gryffindor House. Homework was pilling up, and the only person who seemed on top of it was Hermione.
"If you had done it last night then you wouldn't be panicking." She berated Ron at breakfast, who was looking in agony at the scribbled mess that was his Potions homework.
"You didn't seem so keen on me doing it then when you were-" He began, but she glared at him.
"Remember what I said about 'private moment's'?" She asked, and he blushed, "Besides, Harry was out all last night with Blaise, and he got his Potions done, didn't you Harry?"
"I, uh..." Harry trailed off, looking sheepish.
"Oh, you're as bad as each other!" She said shrilly, looking furious, "We have our N.E.W.T's next year, and you're acting like you don't care."
"Calm down." Ron said soothingly, "Just because we're going to fail, doesn't mean you are."
"Oh shut up." She snapped, "I'm not talking to you."
Just then the Post Owls streamed into the Great Hall, and they were distracted from their argument. Soaring towards Ron at a great speed was a grey dust mop. Only it wasn't flying, it was falling, and that's why it was going so fast.
"Errol!" Ron shouted, standing up to catch the poor owl, "We need to stop using you for these long distance flights, it'll be the death of you."
"What's he got?" Harry asked, peering over. The old owl was carrying what looked like an extremely large shoebox. Attached to it was a brown envelope. Ron took it of and scanned it quickly.
"It's from Dad." He explained, and handed the letter over, "He's replied to the letter I sent him about Lucius Malfoy."
Dear Ron, Your mother and I completely forbid you from doing anything that may get you tangled up with Lucius Malfoy. You are not to research anything about him, you are not to talk about him to other people, and you are especially not to look inside the attached shoebox and find all the articles I have collected on him over the last few years. Love Dad P.S. Please look after the articles, I may still need them.
"There are hundreds of them." Hermione whispered, looking inside the box.
"Well done Dad." Ron agreed, peering inside.
"This is going to help us so much." Hermione told them, an excited glint in her eyes.
"I thought you weren't talking to us." Harry reminded her.
"Oh shut up."
***
When Ginny awoke the next day she found that her shoulder was healed, and that she was feeling generally much better. She sat up, and looked around the hut, but no one was there. The bed she had been sleeping on was on the floor, and she had no problem sitting up.
Her head felt so clear, in a way that it hadn't done since Tom had first crept back into her mind. She stretched upwards, feeling her arms and legs complain. She was wearing some of the elves mossy clothes, but beside her bed was her travelling cloak, which she also put on. She then walked over to the door, and out of it.
Outside the sun was blinding and she blinked and winced, shielding her eyes. She considered going back inside, but before she could, a familiar voice called out.
"Ginni winne!" Mapp called. She pronounced Ginny's name strangely, going too high at the end, but she was touched that this magnificent creature considered her a friend.
"Hello Mapp." She greeted.
"Ginni, you should rest." The elf scolded, but she was still smiling.
"I feel much better." Ginny assured her, "I really can't stand anymore bed rest."
"No pain?" Mapp asked, and she shook her head, "If no pain, no need to stay in bed. Want to see Draco wine?"
"Yes, I'd like to see Draco." She nodded, and the two of them started walking. The elf village was large, and was made up of huts made from woven wood. And there were lots of elves. There was little difference between the two sexes. Males were slightly broader and taller, and weren't as graceful as the females, but other than that it was hard to tell, as none of them seemed to have facial hair. And it was impossible to tell with the children. One toddler was wandering over, and Mapp scooped it up, smiling.
"My sister." She said proudly, "Kymry."
"She's lovely." Ginny said, which was true. Once you got used to how different the elves looked to humans, you could appreciate their own beauty, "How old is she? How many years?"
"Thirty." Mapp told her, and Ginny had to stifle a gasp. Could she have heard wrong?
"Thirty years?" She asked.
"Yes, we live long." Mapp said, "But we learn slow. Words hard for us not perfect till we are a hundred. Human words even harder."
"Yours words, I think I heard it before." Ginny said, "It sounded like singing."
"I can speak for you, if you like." The elf suggested, and she agreed. Mapp opened her mouth, and the words came out.
"ïï¡ï¹ï¯ï²ï©ï ï ï³âï¬ï¡ï®ï¡ï ï¦ï·ï¥ï¹ïï¬ï ï·ï¨ï¹ï®ï®ï¥ï ï£ï¨âï£ï¨ï ï©ï¬ï¥ï³ï¨ï¿"
The language was beautiful enough, even without the way she said it. Mapp's voice was silky and melodic, and the little elf, Kymry, beamed at her older sister. When she was finished, Ginny's mouth remained open for a moment, before she was able to shut it.
"What did that mean?" She asked finally.
"Greeting for children." Mapp explained, "It means 'hello little one, does the sun shine on you?'. We look after little ones."
Mapp led her to a building, which was much bigger than any of the others, and was not woven, but built out of solid bits of wood. When they entered it became obvious that this was some sort of town hall. One elf, a very old looking male, sat on a chair that was raised slightly off the ground, and many other chairs were facing it, but none of them were taken.
"Draco winne is there." Mapp told her, pointing over to a corner. Draco was sat on the floor, surrounded by a large amount of elves, and he was saying something to them. As they neared, Ginny began to hear what he was saying.
"...and then him and his sidekick jumped me from behind, but I knew they were there, so I just turned around and hexed them." Draco said, gesturing, "But Potter was still up, and threw a curse at me, but I dodged it, and sent another one at him, and..."
"And when was this?" Ginny asked loudly, and Draco's head whipped upwards.
"Oh, um, Weasley, uh, how much did you hear?" he asked, looking sheepish.
"Draco winne as told us many stories of terrible Potter." Mapp volunteered helpfully "Draco winne is very brave and clever. And Potter is very slow and stupid."
"I think Malfoy may have exaggerated a bit." Ginny told Mapp, who looked crestfallen.
"Did Draco winne not do many great brave things?" She asked.
"He..." But Ginny paused, and then smiled at Draco, "He has. He saved me from his father, and has been helping me a lot. But Harry Potter is just as brave and clever as Malfoy."
"I wouldn't say that." Draco grumbled under his breath, but Ginny glared at him, and he lowered his head.
"What was that?" She asked in a false sweet voice.
"Nothing." He said, and Ginny laughed.
"Come Ginni winne." Mapp said, "You must see the Auveray."
"Who's that?" Ginny asked Draco.
"That's the English word for wise elf." Draco told her, "Their leader."
And Mapp took hold of her hand, and pulled her forward, towards the elf who sat in the raised chair.
***
Dumbledore sat in his office, frowning as he read the letter that he had just received. It confirmed many of his suspicions, and did nothing to release his fears. Draco Malfoy was alive and well, and so was his companion, and that was a relief, but they were still in danger, and there was little the old headmaster could do to help them.
With a sigh he stood up and walked over to the perch where Fawkes dozed, and nudged the phoenix gently to wake it. It glared at him for a moment, and ruffled its feathers magnificently.
"Come my friend, no time for that." He said, "I am in need of you aid once again."
Fawkes bobbed its head, and held out one of its legs, but Dumbledore shook his head.
"Not that sort of aid." He told the phoenix, "This is slightly more difficult. I need you to track down Draco Malfoy. It will not be easy, and it will certainly be dangerous, but none of my human operatives seem to be making much headway. He has a mission to fulfil, and he will need your help. Do not return to me until it is complete."
Fawkes bobbed its head one final time, and then disappeared in a flash of light.
"Fortunata." He said, turning to a picture of a plump middle aged woman in a countryside scene, "Please could you tell Severus that he is needed in my office?"
"'Course m'dear." Fortunata said with a broad smile, "Always liked that young Severus, nice boy."
"Yes." Dumbledore agreed, "Now please Fortunata."
"As you say Headmaster." She nodded, and left her frame. Dumbledore went back to his desk, and re-read the letter one last time, before Severus arrived.
Sir, Dragon still loose, Snake is angry. Dragon has vessel, still intact. Vessel still unknown. Consumers were close, but lost Dragon and Vessel, whereabouts are unknown. Dragon will be removed when found; Vessel is not to be harmed. Monkey
Consumers were, of course, Death Eaters, and Monkey was one of Dumbledore's many operatives who had infiltrated Voldemort's ranks. Snake was Voldemort, Dragon was Draco and Vessel was his companion, the individual who all this fuss was about.
A knock came at the door, and Dumbledore beckoned Severus inside. He nodded in greeting, and sat down.
"You wished to see me Headmaster?" he asked.
"I received this." Dumbledore told him, passing him the letter. Severus scanned it quickly, frowning.
"I am sure that asking who Monkey is would have no results." He said when he was finished.
"They have asked me to keep their identity a secret, and I will not betray their trust." The old man's eyes shone solemnly, and Severus nodded.
"Well, at least we know they are alive." He pointed out, "And that whoever the Vessel is, he or she is safe. Do we know who the Vessel is?"
"Only Voldemort does, and whoever he trusts amongst his Death Eaters."
"Very well, do we suspect who the Vessel is?" He tried again. Dumbledore smiled, looking almost mischievous.
"I have my suspicions, yes." He nodded, "But you already know that. So Severus, who else is 'in' on the Vessel project?"
"As far as I know, only Lucius Malfoy, Damien Zabini and Wormtail." The potions master told him, "And possibly Bellatrix Lestrange, she seems to be a part of most the goings on these days. But none of them will discuss it with any of us, other then when they're forcing us to make ridiculous journeys to the North Pole because someone with dark hair was seen there. Of course someone with dark hair was seen there! They all have dark hair!"
"Damien Zabini." Dumbledore muttered, "Zabini. I believe three of his daughters attend Hogwarts?"
"Yes, that's right." Severus confirmed, "Two of them are in Slytherin, but his youngest is a Ravenclaw. Blaise Zabini is in the same year as Draco Malfoy."
"Where they friends?" The Headmaster asked.
"Well, they knew each other, and they talked occasionally, but I think he felt a bit threatened by her, she's very intelligent." He explained.
"And how is she doing at the moment?"
"Funny you should ask." Severus looked troubled; "She seems segregated from her house. Her and Pansy Parkinson were close, but I haven't seen them together lately. In fact..."
"Yes?" Dumbledore inquired.
"The last time I saw her was with Potter." He confessed, "And I've seen her with Potter's friends too, Weasley and Granger. I think she's...integrating into their group."
"How peculiar." Dumbledore peered at Severus over his half moon spectacles, "The daughter of a Death Eater befriending Harry Potter. Peculiar."
"Do you suppose we could use this to our advantage?" He asked, shifting uncomfortably under the Headmaster's questioning gaze, "Not anything that would endanger Miss Zabini, of course."
"Of course." Dumbledore nodded, "Well, we'll have to see. This does cast a new light on things."
They sat in silence, both lost in thought. Sometimes Severus slightly feared the old man that sat before him. He could never quite shake the feeling that Dumbledore was in complete control of every situation, but pretended not to be in order to see how others would act. The vessel, for instance. Dumbledore knew who the vessel was, and Severus was almost sure that he could locate Draco Malfoy. But he did nothing. People would die, kingdoms would crumble, and still he did nothing. Was this man, with the bright blue eyes that could blaze like fire, some sort of divine being? Did he hold back from interfering because beings of his sort where forbidden to? And what would it take to get the old man to finally act? He just hoped it wasn't Draco Malfoy's death.
***
Thanks to:
Raven Eid: It was a good wrap up? Coz I think I just got hungry and wandered off, leaving it as it was...
Ohepelss Oramtnci: I don't think Ginny can help liking Tom! And I hope Draco isn't turning nice...
Queendiablo: Sorry 2 have kept u waiting! Not many people can do fanart apparently...
Wannabeanelvengirl: *feels so flattered* thanks! I'm quite looking 4ward 2 the reunion too!
Crystal Moon Magic: Hopefully (strains on the hopefully) Tom will be removed from the butt
Malenaa: Um... uh... Ok, I have no excuse, that was my big plot whole. Um, well, she is a witch, so she heals faster? Oh, I dunno. Sorry?
Magic Crystal Rose: And it continues.
Dedications: To my Beta Reader Dom
Sorry for the complete lack of updating, I've been ill. I still am ill! I love not being at school....
*** Elves And Shoeboxes ***
Ginny opened her eyes slowly, blinking because of the light. She was vaguely aware of an earthy smell, and something very heavy across her body. Also, someone was singing.
Wait, was that singing? There were a number of voices, and although it sounded like singing, it was constructed like a conversation.
How did I get here? Ginny thought to herself, and where's Malfoy?
They had been in France, and had been travelling for well over a week, trying to get to the Valley to find the Centaurs. But when they had arrived, something went wrong.
Those bloody centaurs attacked me! A strange mix of anger and astonishment filled her, and a small-strangled noise escaped her throat. The singing/talking stopped suddenly, and she could hear some shuffling. Suddenly a face appeared above her, and Ginny had to stop herself from screaming.
The face was a pale earthy green, and was surrounded by a mane of forest green, bushy matted hair. Ginny tried to struggle away, but the creature's strong arms held her down.
"Be calm." It pleaded; it's hazel green eyes wide with concern, "Be calm. No harm here, all good."
"What are you?" Ginny whispered. She stopped struggling, but was very much aware that, although it looked harmless, it could be deceiving her.
"We Tree People." It told her, "Elves."
"Can I sit up?" She asked.
"Yes, but careful, injured." It was right. As soon as she sat up, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, and she saw that it was bandaged. The elf, if that's what it really was, looked concerned, and helped her get comfortable.
Once sitting up, Ginny could see that she was in a hut, with an earth floor, which explained the smell. The weight she had felt on top of her was due to a severely heavy blanket that looked as though it was made of moss. She also noticed that she was back in her own body, her long red hair spilled over her shoulders, and she fingered it lovingly. Next to her sat the elf.
She had seen pictures of what elves were supposed to look like in children's books, and it wasn't like this.
The elf was very tall, looking about seven-foot, and its skin, hair, and eyes were various shades of green. Even its clothes were made out of the same moss-like material that made up her blanket. Its limbs were very long, and long, twig like fingers came out from its hands. Its long face was mainly taken up by its huge green eyes, and its nose and mouth were tiny. But despite its startling appearance, its face was kind and soft, and its eyes sparkled with innocence.
"What happened?" Ginny asked eventually, after she realised that she's been staring.
"You saw centaurs, stupid centaurs." It explained, "Saw beast within you, no see goodness in heart. Attack, but elves come, fight them away. Found you and your winne. You injured, we heal."
"My winne?" Her voice was filled with confusion.
"Yes, your winne." Ginny still looked bewildered, and it closed its eyes, trying to think of something, "Winne." It explained, "Boy winne."
Something stirred in Ginny's memory, a whisper of a conversation, or maybe someone telling her something. The Old English word for friend was winne.
"You mean friend!" Ginny smiled and the elf looked embarrassed.
"Yes, friend." It shrugged elegantly, "I forget. Human English hard for me. New Human English hard. Old English we know, we speak. Old French too, not new."
"Where is my friend?" She asked.
"Friend good, friend with others. He eat, he sleep, he talk, he happy." It reassured her, "He ask for you many times."
"How long have we been here?" Understanding the elf talk was not difficult, but it was slow.
"Four times the sun sets before you wake." It replied, and Ginny blanched.
"Four days?" She shook her head, "That's not good. Can I see my friend? My winne?"
"He waits, but you not move. He come, you stay." It said firmly, and stood to walk away. It was a beautiful sight; the elves long limbs did not swing around like humans, but seemed to flow, like one liquid movement. When it returned, Draco was following, also in his normal body.
"Weasley." He said warmly.
"Hi Malfoy." She replied, "Were you worried?"
"I was for the first day, but these elves are good healers, I broke my ankle and they fixed it in a second." He told her, "You were a bit worse off."
"What happened?" Ginny asked. Her recollections of the event were blurry.
"Well, after we arrived in France we travelled by foot to the Valley-" He began, but she cut him off.
"Yes, I know all of that, I want to know what happened when we saw the Centaurs." She snapped, and then felt guilty. Draco shrugged, looking indifferent.
"They took one look at you and charged us." He explained, "Shouting something about how the beast must die. I guess they meant Riddle. They didn't seem very interested in me, the broken ankle was where the trampled my leg a bit. They did you some harm before the elves came."
"Stupid Centaurs." The elf muttered.
"Weasley, have you met Mapp?" Draco asked, indicating to the elf, "She's the one who's been looking after me."
Ginny replied that, yes, she had met Mapp, but hadn't known her name. She supposed that the elf did look slightly feminine, but she had not seen a male elf with which she could compare.
"You saw the beast inside me too." Ginny said to Mapp, who nodded.
"It is big, too big. Centaurs see it, they think it's you. Elves see beast, but also see person, scared, unhappy, good person. Person with curse. We protect. Friend..." She glanced over and Draco, "...He say you try and destroy beast. Your quest. Elves will help, but only little. We have own quest. War."
"Who are you at war with?" Ginny asked.
"Stupid Centaurs." The elf told her, "They ally with dark wizards. We tell them 'stop', they attack us. War now."
"But why would they attack me if they're fighting on the side of the Death Easters?" The red haired girl asked.
"They're not." Draco explained, "These are French Dark Wizards, a group who are trying to overthrow their Ministry so that they can make Muggle killing legal. They don't know anything about Riddle."
"I can't hear him." Ginny told him, "He hasn't said a word."
"The elves have been giving you a potion to keep him down, he was making you shout things while you were asleep." Draco explained, "It won't last forever though, he'll grow strong enough to overpower it."
"Enough now, she sleeps, talk later." Mapp said suddenly, "Talk with older Tree People after next sun rise."
"Tomorrow." Draco said, standing, "I'll see you tomorrow Weasley."
"Bye Malfoy." She replied, and then Mapp gave her something to drink, and she fell almost instantly asleep.
***
The Quidditch match had been almost two weeks ago, and now seemed like a distant memory to the members of Gryffindor House. Homework was pilling up, and the only person who seemed on top of it was Hermione.
"If you had done it last night then you wouldn't be panicking." She berated Ron at breakfast, who was looking in agony at the scribbled mess that was his Potions homework.
"You didn't seem so keen on me doing it then when you were-" He began, but she glared at him.
"Remember what I said about 'private moment's'?" She asked, and he blushed, "Besides, Harry was out all last night with Blaise, and he got his Potions done, didn't you Harry?"
"I, uh..." Harry trailed off, looking sheepish.
"Oh, you're as bad as each other!" She said shrilly, looking furious, "We have our N.E.W.T's next year, and you're acting like you don't care."
"Calm down." Ron said soothingly, "Just because we're going to fail, doesn't mean you are."
"Oh shut up." She snapped, "I'm not talking to you."
Just then the Post Owls streamed into the Great Hall, and they were distracted from their argument. Soaring towards Ron at a great speed was a grey dust mop. Only it wasn't flying, it was falling, and that's why it was going so fast.
"Errol!" Ron shouted, standing up to catch the poor owl, "We need to stop using you for these long distance flights, it'll be the death of you."
"What's he got?" Harry asked, peering over. The old owl was carrying what looked like an extremely large shoebox. Attached to it was a brown envelope. Ron took it of and scanned it quickly.
"It's from Dad." He explained, and handed the letter over, "He's replied to the letter I sent him about Lucius Malfoy."
Dear Ron, Your mother and I completely forbid you from doing anything that may get you tangled up with Lucius Malfoy. You are not to research anything about him, you are not to talk about him to other people, and you are especially not to look inside the attached shoebox and find all the articles I have collected on him over the last few years. Love Dad P.S. Please look after the articles, I may still need them.
"There are hundreds of them." Hermione whispered, looking inside the box.
"Well done Dad." Ron agreed, peering inside.
"This is going to help us so much." Hermione told them, an excited glint in her eyes.
"I thought you weren't talking to us." Harry reminded her.
"Oh shut up."
***
When Ginny awoke the next day she found that her shoulder was healed, and that she was feeling generally much better. She sat up, and looked around the hut, but no one was there. The bed she had been sleeping on was on the floor, and she had no problem sitting up.
Her head felt so clear, in a way that it hadn't done since Tom had first crept back into her mind. She stretched upwards, feeling her arms and legs complain. She was wearing some of the elves mossy clothes, but beside her bed was her travelling cloak, which she also put on. She then walked over to the door, and out of it.
Outside the sun was blinding and she blinked and winced, shielding her eyes. She considered going back inside, but before she could, a familiar voice called out.
"Ginni winne!" Mapp called. She pronounced Ginny's name strangely, going too high at the end, but she was touched that this magnificent creature considered her a friend.
"Hello Mapp." She greeted.
"Ginni, you should rest." The elf scolded, but she was still smiling.
"I feel much better." Ginny assured her, "I really can't stand anymore bed rest."
"No pain?" Mapp asked, and she shook her head, "If no pain, no need to stay in bed. Want to see Draco wine?"
"Yes, I'd like to see Draco." She nodded, and the two of them started walking. The elf village was large, and was made up of huts made from woven wood. And there were lots of elves. There was little difference between the two sexes. Males were slightly broader and taller, and weren't as graceful as the females, but other than that it was hard to tell, as none of them seemed to have facial hair. And it was impossible to tell with the children. One toddler was wandering over, and Mapp scooped it up, smiling.
"My sister." She said proudly, "Kymry."
"She's lovely." Ginny said, which was true. Once you got used to how different the elves looked to humans, you could appreciate their own beauty, "How old is she? How many years?"
"Thirty." Mapp told her, and Ginny had to stifle a gasp. Could she have heard wrong?
"Thirty years?" She asked.
"Yes, we live long." Mapp said, "But we learn slow. Words hard for us not perfect till we are a hundred. Human words even harder."
"Yours words, I think I heard it before." Ginny said, "It sounded like singing."
"I can speak for you, if you like." The elf suggested, and she agreed. Mapp opened her mouth, and the words came out.
"ïï¡ï¹ï¯ï²ï©ï ï ï³âï¬ï¡ï®ï¡ï ï¦ï·ï¥ï¹ïï¬ï ï·ï¨ï¹ï®ï®ï¥ï ï£ï¨âï£ï¨ï ï©ï¬ï¥ï³ï¨ï¿"
The language was beautiful enough, even without the way she said it. Mapp's voice was silky and melodic, and the little elf, Kymry, beamed at her older sister. When she was finished, Ginny's mouth remained open for a moment, before she was able to shut it.
"What did that mean?" She asked finally.
"Greeting for children." Mapp explained, "It means 'hello little one, does the sun shine on you?'. We look after little ones."
Mapp led her to a building, which was much bigger than any of the others, and was not woven, but built out of solid bits of wood. When they entered it became obvious that this was some sort of town hall. One elf, a very old looking male, sat on a chair that was raised slightly off the ground, and many other chairs were facing it, but none of them were taken.
"Draco winne is there." Mapp told her, pointing over to a corner. Draco was sat on the floor, surrounded by a large amount of elves, and he was saying something to them. As they neared, Ginny began to hear what he was saying.
"...and then him and his sidekick jumped me from behind, but I knew they were there, so I just turned around and hexed them." Draco said, gesturing, "But Potter was still up, and threw a curse at me, but I dodged it, and sent another one at him, and..."
"And when was this?" Ginny asked loudly, and Draco's head whipped upwards.
"Oh, um, Weasley, uh, how much did you hear?" he asked, looking sheepish.
"Draco winne as told us many stories of terrible Potter." Mapp volunteered helpfully "Draco winne is very brave and clever. And Potter is very slow and stupid."
"I think Malfoy may have exaggerated a bit." Ginny told Mapp, who looked crestfallen.
"Did Draco winne not do many great brave things?" She asked.
"He..." But Ginny paused, and then smiled at Draco, "He has. He saved me from his father, and has been helping me a lot. But Harry Potter is just as brave and clever as Malfoy."
"I wouldn't say that." Draco grumbled under his breath, but Ginny glared at him, and he lowered his head.
"What was that?" She asked in a false sweet voice.
"Nothing." He said, and Ginny laughed.
"Come Ginni winne." Mapp said, "You must see the Auveray."
"Who's that?" Ginny asked Draco.
"That's the English word for wise elf." Draco told her, "Their leader."
And Mapp took hold of her hand, and pulled her forward, towards the elf who sat in the raised chair.
***
Dumbledore sat in his office, frowning as he read the letter that he had just received. It confirmed many of his suspicions, and did nothing to release his fears. Draco Malfoy was alive and well, and so was his companion, and that was a relief, but they were still in danger, and there was little the old headmaster could do to help them.
With a sigh he stood up and walked over to the perch where Fawkes dozed, and nudged the phoenix gently to wake it. It glared at him for a moment, and ruffled its feathers magnificently.
"Come my friend, no time for that." He said, "I am in need of you aid once again."
Fawkes bobbed its head, and held out one of its legs, but Dumbledore shook his head.
"Not that sort of aid." He told the phoenix, "This is slightly more difficult. I need you to track down Draco Malfoy. It will not be easy, and it will certainly be dangerous, but none of my human operatives seem to be making much headway. He has a mission to fulfil, and he will need your help. Do not return to me until it is complete."
Fawkes bobbed its head one final time, and then disappeared in a flash of light.
"Fortunata." He said, turning to a picture of a plump middle aged woman in a countryside scene, "Please could you tell Severus that he is needed in my office?"
"'Course m'dear." Fortunata said with a broad smile, "Always liked that young Severus, nice boy."
"Yes." Dumbledore agreed, "Now please Fortunata."
"As you say Headmaster." She nodded, and left her frame. Dumbledore went back to his desk, and re-read the letter one last time, before Severus arrived.
Sir, Dragon still loose, Snake is angry. Dragon has vessel, still intact. Vessel still unknown. Consumers were close, but lost Dragon and Vessel, whereabouts are unknown. Dragon will be removed when found; Vessel is not to be harmed. Monkey
Consumers were, of course, Death Eaters, and Monkey was one of Dumbledore's many operatives who had infiltrated Voldemort's ranks. Snake was Voldemort, Dragon was Draco and Vessel was his companion, the individual who all this fuss was about.
A knock came at the door, and Dumbledore beckoned Severus inside. He nodded in greeting, and sat down.
"You wished to see me Headmaster?" he asked.
"I received this." Dumbledore told him, passing him the letter. Severus scanned it quickly, frowning.
"I am sure that asking who Monkey is would have no results." He said when he was finished.
"They have asked me to keep their identity a secret, and I will not betray their trust." The old man's eyes shone solemnly, and Severus nodded.
"Well, at least we know they are alive." He pointed out, "And that whoever the Vessel is, he or she is safe. Do we know who the Vessel is?"
"Only Voldemort does, and whoever he trusts amongst his Death Eaters."
"Very well, do we suspect who the Vessel is?" He tried again. Dumbledore smiled, looking almost mischievous.
"I have my suspicions, yes." He nodded, "But you already know that. So Severus, who else is 'in' on the Vessel project?"
"As far as I know, only Lucius Malfoy, Damien Zabini and Wormtail." The potions master told him, "And possibly Bellatrix Lestrange, she seems to be a part of most the goings on these days. But none of them will discuss it with any of us, other then when they're forcing us to make ridiculous journeys to the North Pole because someone with dark hair was seen there. Of course someone with dark hair was seen there! They all have dark hair!"
"Damien Zabini." Dumbledore muttered, "Zabini. I believe three of his daughters attend Hogwarts?"
"Yes, that's right." Severus confirmed, "Two of them are in Slytherin, but his youngest is a Ravenclaw. Blaise Zabini is in the same year as Draco Malfoy."
"Where they friends?" The Headmaster asked.
"Well, they knew each other, and they talked occasionally, but I think he felt a bit threatened by her, she's very intelligent." He explained.
"And how is she doing at the moment?"
"Funny you should ask." Severus looked troubled; "She seems segregated from her house. Her and Pansy Parkinson were close, but I haven't seen them together lately. In fact..."
"Yes?" Dumbledore inquired.
"The last time I saw her was with Potter." He confessed, "And I've seen her with Potter's friends too, Weasley and Granger. I think she's...integrating into their group."
"How peculiar." Dumbledore peered at Severus over his half moon spectacles, "The daughter of a Death Eater befriending Harry Potter. Peculiar."
"Do you suppose we could use this to our advantage?" He asked, shifting uncomfortably under the Headmaster's questioning gaze, "Not anything that would endanger Miss Zabini, of course."
"Of course." Dumbledore nodded, "Well, we'll have to see. This does cast a new light on things."
They sat in silence, both lost in thought. Sometimes Severus slightly feared the old man that sat before him. He could never quite shake the feeling that Dumbledore was in complete control of every situation, but pretended not to be in order to see how others would act. The vessel, for instance. Dumbledore knew who the vessel was, and Severus was almost sure that he could locate Draco Malfoy. But he did nothing. People would die, kingdoms would crumble, and still he did nothing. Was this man, with the bright blue eyes that could blaze like fire, some sort of divine being? Did he hold back from interfering because beings of his sort where forbidden to? And what would it take to get the old man to finally act? He just hoped it wasn't Draco Malfoy's death.
***
Thanks to:
Raven Eid: It was a good wrap up? Coz I think I just got hungry and wandered off, leaving it as it was...
Ohepelss Oramtnci: I don't think Ginny can help liking Tom! And I hope Draco isn't turning nice...
Queendiablo: Sorry 2 have kept u waiting! Not many people can do fanart apparently...
Wannabeanelvengirl: *feels so flattered* thanks! I'm quite looking 4ward 2 the reunion too!
Crystal Moon Magic: Hopefully (strains on the hopefully) Tom will be removed from the butt
Malenaa: Um... uh... Ok, I have no excuse, that was my big plot whole. Um, well, she is a witch, so she heals faster? Oh, I dunno. Sorry?
Magic Crystal Rose: And it continues.
