Disclaimer – Nothing you recognize belongs to me, it's all J.K's

Chapter Two

As the group walked up to the head's office, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny couldn't help but stare at their guests. The elves all had weapons strapped to their bodies, but Elle the leader had the most.

"See anything you like? She asked the teens

"Why do you have so many weapons? Harry asked "can't you use magic?"

"I prefer to plan for every eventuality. A wand can only do so much. When you are in a battle it's best to be able to use all sorts of weapons, I mean magic is all good but if someone gets to close it won't do much good stopping them from punching you in the face."

Harry thought back to the train ride at the beginning of the year when Malfoy broke his nose and silently agreed, Hermione however was not so easily swayed to this way of thinking.

"With magic you should be able to stop people from getting close enough to hurt you in that way. I think that physical violence is stupid, there's just no need for it."

"That is why I'm not offering to train you, only your friends."

Hermione looked quite put out by this while Ron looked pleased. Harry guessed that he figured that if Hermione wasn't the friend that was going to be invited with Harry, then he would be. Harry wasn't so sure that's what the plan was though. He kept glancing a Ginny who had remained quiet. Her eyes were very red and puffy and she followed along without looking at anyone. A sudden stab of guilt hit Harry straight through the heart. He had caused her that pain and he knew it.

They at last reached the stone gargoyle and the professor said the password, granting them all entry to the office. The thirteen of them squeezed in to begin the discussion. Elle sighed and looked around.

"O.k. this isn't going to work, Merenwen can you take the guard and wait for me at the bottom of the stairs. I hope to not be to long."

Merenwen nodded and lead the group out the door. Now there was room to breathe.

"Damn elves, following me everywhere, no peace from them." Elle muttered pacing and shaking her head.

"Excuse me for asking" said Harry "but I thought you were an elf to?"

Elle looked up at Harry and smiled

"Well you would be wrong; I'm just as human as you and your friends. But you'll learn more about me shortly. Now I need to talk you into accompanying me back to the Elvin realm. Your late headmaster gave me a job to do and I intend on following through." She began to search her pockets

"Bloody hell where is that letter!"

Professor McGonagall's face tensed and she looked at Elle very disapprovingly.

"Aha! I knew that I had it somewhere. Harry this is for you." She handed him the letter and sat down looking gleeful.

"Who's it from?" Asked Harry.

"Open it and find out." Elle said mysteriously

Harry slowly open the envelope and pulled out the sheet of paper enclosed within. After a brief look Harry when white and suddenly felt glad that he was already sitting down.

"Who's it from mate?" Ron leaned over trying to read over Harry's shoulder.

"Sirius." Harry whispered

The group sat in stunned silence. It was impossible, Sirius was dead Harry thought to himself. He did his best to pull himself together and began to read it to the others.

"Harry

I know this will come as a shock to you but I'm not dead. Now don't get angry with everyone for not telling you, they don't know.

When I fell through the archway I thought I must be dead as well. Turns out that the archway is a doorway – just not to the afterlife.

I ended up in a forest that kind of looked like the forbidden forest. In fact I spent my first few days there so sure that's where I was that I kept trying to find Hogwarts. Needless to say I did eventually realize that I was somewhere else.

On about my fourth day Elle found me and took me back to where she lives with the elves. Turns out that the archway connects the Elvin world with the human world! How's that for crazy. The elves must hate us after all the criminals the ministry sent through.

Anyway I would have gotten in touch sooner but I was told that if I wanted to stay here then I couldn't. At first this didn't bother me, I was quite ready to come back and see you and Moony but then they told me what they had planned for you and I just knew I had to be here for that.

You can trust Elle Pronglet. Do what ever she says; she was one of Dumbledore's most trusted people. I know you will do the right thing so I will see you soon

Padfoot"

The room was silent. The four students and their headmistress stared at each other with shock evident on their faces. Elle looked like she was ready to explode with excitement. Her eyes were twinkling and she couldn't sit still. She looked at Harry expectantly

"Well? Does that help with some of you worries?

"I don't know what to say right now." Harry just looked lost. Ginny got up and sat at his feet, holding his hands in hers.

"Its o.k. Harry we're here." She whispered

For a moment he just sat there staring into her eyes. He looked at Elle.

"How do I know that this is real? You could have faked the letter"

"I can tell you what the question was that you wanted Sirius and Remus to answer after looking in snape's pensive. Would this help you to believe that I have seen your godfather?"

"I think the fact that you knew that I had looked in snape's pensive and contacted Sirius should be enough." Said Harry not wanting the others to know what he had seen.

"So now what? You want Ron and I to go with you? Will we see Sirius?"

Elle looked at them all and said simply

"Harry I have no desire to take you and Ron anywhere. You and Ginny however do need to come with me immediately."

The two teenagers followed the elves through the forest. Harry couldn't und4erstand how the elves managed to walk making so little noise. He was doing his best but next to them he thought he sounded like an elephant. Ginny was doing a little better but not by much.

Harry sighed. After Elle's announcement about Ginny coming all hell had broken loose with everyone shouting and complaining about how she was to young or inexperienced or just not suited. Ginny however had quietly looked a Elle and said

"I accept, when do we leave."

Not willing to argue with anymore people the small group had left before the rest of the Weasley's were informed. Harry had only gone along with it after it was threatened that he could stay behind and Ginny could go on without him. He knew someone needed to watch out for her so he shrunk his trunk, shoved it in his pocket and joined Ginny and the elves for the trek through the forest to the point where they could 'jump' back to the Elvin realm.

That was another thing. What the hell was this 'jumping' business? It had barely been explained before they left and now the elves were walking so quickly that they had to use all their energy just to keep up instead of questioning them about it.

After about three hours the group came to a halt. Harry and Ginny felt like they had been through the wars and were both ready to go to bed. One of the elves pulled a strange looking rock out of their pocket and began to whisper strange words at it. Elle wandered over and stood next to them

"Valandil is speaking in elvish. You'll get used to it; at the moment he is asking the stone to allow us entry to the elvish world."

Harry and Ginny watched in amazement as the stone began to glow a bright blue and a large round portal extended from it.

"Time to jump guys." Elle grinned and grab their arms, and pulled them through the portal.

Finally, Harry thought, a way of traveling that I don't hate. Then they slammed into the ground.

"Oohhh that was unexpected." Groaned Ginny as they all tried to sit up and look around

"You get used to it." Said someone standing in front of them. Harry's vision began to clear and he saw standing there the face he had been missing for the last year – his godfather Sirius Black.