Harry Potter and the Sanctuary of Light
Chapter 2 Elven Gifts
When he opened his eyes again, it was morning. A small window at the end of the hall cast a weak ray of light on the floor between the cells and the sound of the ocean could be heard in the distance. Azkaban was an island prison, void of plant life. A grey, miserable place where hope for freedom was crushed into the stone of its foundation.
Harry sat up slowly, stretching his muscles which were sore form another endless night on a stolen floor. His five foot by twelve foot cell was equipped with two buckets. One was for waste and one for water. Every evening, the prisoners were given a small plate of prison rations which had to last the next twenty-four hours. After taking a sip of water, he used the waste bucket which was instantly cleaned after use, then sat back down for another monotonous day.
He had just started reciting to himself all the potions ingredients and their properties that he could remember when he heard yelling. Normally, this would be a bad thing like a drunken prison guard or an insane inmate. But this voice was familiar. As he listened to the voice coming closer, his eyes started to sparkle again, and a small smile graced his lips.
Finally, the voice was directly outside his door and the locks clicked open. The door swung open, and in stepped a girl about his age. She sent a supposedly careless glance at him which narrowed in concealed anger at his gaunt and bruised appearance, then turned back to the arguing guards.
"I don't care if this isn't how you do things here. I have a paper from the Minister of Magic that says I may go into the cell alone, that I may stay here as long as I want without supervision, and that orders you back to your posts while I do so. My father is the Ambassador to the wizards of Britain from my people. And if you want to explain to your Minister why the elves have withdrawn their support because of your incompetence in following orders, then feel free to continue to hinder me in seeing my friend. But when Voldemort takes over and destroys your precious wizarding world, don't come crying to us." The guards gaped at the young elf, then stammered their apologies and left.
The two elves which had accompanied the girl to his cell and positioned themselves outside as the young elf walked in and shut the door.
"Well, you look dreadful." She gave small a sad smile to Harry as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. He took a moment to examine her. Laurea Isilmolor, daughter of the elvish ambassador, only a few months younger than him. She seemed to give off a faint light and wore a pale purple elven dress which flowed around her figure. Her long reddish-brown hair curled softly down to the base of her back and was streaked with gold. Ice blue eyes scrutinized him just as thoroughly as he did her.
"'Rea... what are you doing here?" He asked hoarsely, his face a mask of confusion.
"We never believed you did it, you know..." She gave another sad smile at his startled expression. "No one with such a pure soul as you could do such an evil thing. Elves are more than just beautiful beings that are naturally good at fighting and have a deep connection with the earth. We can also sense a creature's soul. But no one would listen. They had all the evidence they wanted. We were just allies who didn't understand wizarding politics and customs." She said scornfully, "They thought that I was blinded by my friendship for you. And that my influence over my people was what was making us insist on your innocence." Her eyes gleamed with unshed tears and her lips trembled.
"I swear we'll get you out of here Harry..." Determination filled her face, "One way or the other." And she closed the distance between them and hugged him tightly.
Harry was in shock, and instinctively hugged her back. Tears filled his eyes as all that she'd said hit him. Someone believes me. This whole time I've thought I was alone, without any friends, just trying to survive until the next day... He pulled away until he could look into her face; her eyes were slightly puffy as she looked up at him.
"'Rea, whether you get me out of here or not, you've given me the greatest gift I could ask for." She looked up at him questioningly. "The knowledge that someone out there believes me... that alone gives me the will to continue living." She gave a watery smile and then looked round the room.
"Well, this is a dreary place isn't it? Quite dirty too. Here, let me fix that." She drew back and with a few whispers of elvish, the entire cell was clean. "Oh, I also put a softening charm over on the floor by the far wall, and a cleaning charm on that water bucket. Can't have you getting sick from the filthy water they give you here." She said impishly. He chuckled, then winced wrapping a hand around his ribs.
"Harry, are you alright? Well, besides the obvious 'being in Azkaban' thing."
His lips quirked, Even being in this Hell-hole with me, she's still the same sarcastic elfling. "Ah, the guards get bored occasionally, and since I'm 'the boy who betrayed the wizarding world', they think kicking me around a bit will make me repent."
After about fifteen seconds of swearing in elfish, she came over and told him to sit down. She sat opposite him, and touched her fingers on either side of his head, then started chanting in elfish. He felt her magic sweeping through him, healing his injuries, replenishing his energy that came from lack of food and exercise. Finally, she pulled away.
"Thanks Laurea, you're the best." He grinned at her.
"Harry, despite what I said to the guards, I am going to have to leave soon. And I've got a couple of gifts from my people to help you to live easier in here and even, if worse comes to worse, to escape." She looked seriously at him and then replaced her hands. The next words he heard were in his head.
Harry, I'm acting as ambassador from my people and we present you with two gifts. She said to him formally. The first makes you immune to the dementor's effects. He sent feelings of joy to her through their connection. The second gift is the knowledge to become an Animagus. This announcement almost made him open his eyes with shock. This knowledge will come to you slowly over the next month in order for you to get used to your form as well as alleviate suspicion from me and my people when you escape. Hopefully, they'll just think you escaped on your own with dark magic, or that Voldemort helped you. When you escape, swim to the shore. As soon as you leave the walls of Azkaban, I'll know. I'll be on the shore waiting for you in my animagus form, and from there I'll carry you to sanctuary with my people.
He opened his eyes which were wet with tears of happiness to look at her grinning face. After a few moments of speechlessness, he almost tackled her in a hug. She laughed with joy at the life that was back in his face and hugged him back. For the rest of her visit, they discussed what was going on in the wizarding and elven worlds, what the elven culture was like, and how her family was doing. When a knock sounded at the door, they sadly stood and he escorted her out after exchanging one more hug.
When they had gone, Harry lay back down on his abnormally soft floor with a grin on his face, thinking about Laurea and freedom.
Chapter 2 Elven Gifts
When he opened his eyes again, it was morning. A small window at the end of the hall cast a weak ray of light on the floor between the cells and the sound of the ocean could be heard in the distance. Azkaban was an island prison, void of plant life. A grey, miserable place where hope for freedom was crushed into the stone of its foundation.
Harry sat up slowly, stretching his muscles which were sore form another endless night on a stolen floor. His five foot by twelve foot cell was equipped with two buckets. One was for waste and one for water. Every evening, the prisoners were given a small plate of prison rations which had to last the next twenty-four hours. After taking a sip of water, he used the waste bucket which was instantly cleaned after use, then sat back down for another monotonous day.
He had just started reciting to himself all the potions ingredients and their properties that he could remember when he heard yelling. Normally, this would be a bad thing like a drunken prison guard or an insane inmate. But this voice was familiar. As he listened to the voice coming closer, his eyes started to sparkle again, and a small smile graced his lips.
Finally, the voice was directly outside his door and the locks clicked open. The door swung open, and in stepped a girl about his age. She sent a supposedly careless glance at him which narrowed in concealed anger at his gaunt and bruised appearance, then turned back to the arguing guards.
"I don't care if this isn't how you do things here. I have a paper from the Minister of Magic that says I may go into the cell alone, that I may stay here as long as I want without supervision, and that orders you back to your posts while I do so. My father is the Ambassador to the wizards of Britain from my people. And if you want to explain to your Minister why the elves have withdrawn their support because of your incompetence in following orders, then feel free to continue to hinder me in seeing my friend. But when Voldemort takes over and destroys your precious wizarding world, don't come crying to us." The guards gaped at the young elf, then stammered their apologies and left.
The two elves which had accompanied the girl to his cell and positioned themselves outside as the young elf walked in and shut the door.
"Well, you look dreadful." She gave small a sad smile to Harry as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. He took a moment to examine her. Laurea Isilmolor, daughter of the elvish ambassador, only a few months younger than him. She seemed to give off a faint light and wore a pale purple elven dress which flowed around her figure. Her long reddish-brown hair curled softly down to the base of her back and was streaked with gold. Ice blue eyes scrutinized him just as thoroughly as he did her.
"'Rea... what are you doing here?" He asked hoarsely, his face a mask of confusion.
"We never believed you did it, you know..." She gave another sad smile at his startled expression. "No one with such a pure soul as you could do such an evil thing. Elves are more than just beautiful beings that are naturally good at fighting and have a deep connection with the earth. We can also sense a creature's soul. But no one would listen. They had all the evidence they wanted. We were just allies who didn't understand wizarding politics and customs." She said scornfully, "They thought that I was blinded by my friendship for you. And that my influence over my people was what was making us insist on your innocence." Her eyes gleamed with unshed tears and her lips trembled.
"I swear we'll get you out of here Harry..." Determination filled her face, "One way or the other." And she closed the distance between them and hugged him tightly.
Harry was in shock, and instinctively hugged her back. Tears filled his eyes as all that she'd said hit him. Someone believes me. This whole time I've thought I was alone, without any friends, just trying to survive until the next day... He pulled away until he could look into her face; her eyes were slightly puffy as she looked up at him.
"'Rea, whether you get me out of here or not, you've given me the greatest gift I could ask for." She looked up at him questioningly. "The knowledge that someone out there believes me... that alone gives me the will to continue living." She gave a watery smile and then looked round the room.
"Well, this is a dreary place isn't it? Quite dirty too. Here, let me fix that." She drew back and with a few whispers of elvish, the entire cell was clean. "Oh, I also put a softening charm over on the floor by the far wall, and a cleaning charm on that water bucket. Can't have you getting sick from the filthy water they give you here." She said impishly. He chuckled, then winced wrapping a hand around his ribs.
"Harry, are you alright? Well, besides the obvious 'being in Azkaban' thing."
His lips quirked, Even being in this Hell-hole with me, she's still the same sarcastic elfling. "Ah, the guards get bored occasionally, and since I'm 'the boy who betrayed the wizarding world', they think kicking me around a bit will make me repent."
After about fifteen seconds of swearing in elfish, she came over and told him to sit down. She sat opposite him, and touched her fingers on either side of his head, then started chanting in elfish. He felt her magic sweeping through him, healing his injuries, replenishing his energy that came from lack of food and exercise. Finally, she pulled away.
"Thanks Laurea, you're the best." He grinned at her.
"Harry, despite what I said to the guards, I am going to have to leave soon. And I've got a couple of gifts from my people to help you to live easier in here and even, if worse comes to worse, to escape." She looked seriously at him and then replaced her hands. The next words he heard were in his head.
Harry, I'm acting as ambassador from my people and we present you with two gifts. She said to him formally. The first makes you immune to the dementor's effects. He sent feelings of joy to her through their connection. The second gift is the knowledge to become an Animagus. This announcement almost made him open his eyes with shock. This knowledge will come to you slowly over the next month in order for you to get used to your form as well as alleviate suspicion from me and my people when you escape. Hopefully, they'll just think you escaped on your own with dark magic, or that Voldemort helped you. When you escape, swim to the shore. As soon as you leave the walls of Azkaban, I'll know. I'll be on the shore waiting for you in my animagus form, and from there I'll carry you to sanctuary with my people.
He opened his eyes which were wet with tears of happiness to look at her grinning face. After a few moments of speechlessness, he almost tackled her in a hug. She laughed with joy at the life that was back in his face and hugged him back. For the rest of her visit, they discussed what was going on in the wizarding and elven worlds, what the elven culture was like, and how her family was doing. When a knock sounded at the door, they sadly stood and he escorted her out after exchanging one more hug.
When they had gone, Harry lay back down on his abnormally soft floor with a grin on his face, thinking about Laurea and freedom.
