Chapter 8. Of Crones and Crossroads.
"Er…Harry?" a young steady voice said pulling Harry out of his reverie sometime later. He looked around almost blindly at first, not having taken in the sight of his surroundings in awhile and looked up at the soft, young, timid face of Thayne Brewster.
"Hi," Harry managed.
"Listen, supper's almost ready and I've... come to … apologize," he stammered out so quickly Harry wasn't sure he'd heard him correctly.
"For?"
"Er… being rude earlier. I'm not normally like that," he defended, "But it's not every day you walk out on your front porch and find … well… you, standing there. It was…" he hesitated for a moment and said, " I don't know what it was, I'm sorry," he finished, hiding his hands in his pocket and looking anywhere but Harry.
"No, no… I've found out exactly what it's like recently," he mused, remembering his, 'introduction' to Regulus the night before. "Your reaction was a bit better than mine."
"Tell you what," Harry said trying to put the stiff boy at ease hoping some good natured joking would complete the task, even if it meant risking some of his own embarrassment, "You tell me where you got those posters, and take them down, and all is forgiven."
Thayne paled, his eyes bulged and his mouth forming and perfect fish like 'o'. "They told you about that did they?" he barely whispered.
Harry laughed, "Yea… but listen, don't worry about it. Just… really, I'm only a person, nothing more."
Thayne looked like he wanted to argue, but thought better of it nodding his head and looking at his feet.
"Come on," Harry said, not wanting to push the issue further, "I'm ravenous."
Harry rounded the door and called out behind him, "I would like to know where you got those posters from, " he said, eliciting a small, uncomfortable smile from Thayne.
Dinner that night was a bustling brouhaha of an affair. The kitchen was filled to the brim with laughter, conversation and the occasional heated discussion. The succulent smell of well-prepared roast, and baked potatoes and broccoli filled the air while Jinky was busily shooing would be thieves to the table who were stealing bits of dinner off the counters where she was completing the final preparations.
Harry noticed that room seemed larger than it was previously, easily giving the many occupants enough room to move around.
Truth be told, Harry was a little nervous standing in the doorway. He only knew a few of these people and the one he did know, he didn't know very well. Which he thought was completely absurd. Shy was not something he normally was. 'Cautious' he thought trying put some reasoning but his sudden inability to make a complete entrance into the kitchen. And who wouldn't be after the life he'd had? Or indeed the afternoon he'd had. The first time he'd seen any of these people he'd been kneeling beside Dreia's still body having been knocked out by one heck of a powerful stunner produced by his raving teenage self.
So he stood there, "cautious." Content to be a wallflower for a few minutes before joining the hustle and bustle of the evening congregation. He searched the crowd for those he knew and picked out Regulus first suppressing a small shudder. The man was laughing and smiling just like Sirius often did at whatever conversation he was having with the older gentlemen with the brown tailcoat and wispy gray hair. His smile was very similar to Sirius' Harry reflected. Warm, caring, if not a little mischievous.
There were differences though, Harry could see now. The mans eyes were dark green instead of gray. He carried himself a bit more properly than Sirius did and he was much taller than his older brother. The hair a bit darker, the jaw more square, and he didn't possess the worn out wasted look due to 12 long years with the Dementors. Although there was an unmistakable soreness in his eyes that Harry couldn't help wondering about.
"It's not polite to lurk in doorways," Thayne whispered from behind him before he had a chance to size up any more differences between his late godfather and his dead brother. Harry turned to the side and stretched out his hand into the kitchen allowing Thayne to pass. "Lead the way."
Not knowing any of the people in the kitchen, with the acceptation of Regulus and Thayne, Harry lowered himself into the first available seat next to a younger man with short cropped blond hair, and large protuberant jaw who was downing some odd concoction the looked somewhere between coffee and mud. The man smiled as he put down his drink and proffered his hand, "Gio," he said by way of introduction. Harry shook the mans large callused hand and introduced himself. "Aye, who else could have swept our Dreia off her feet?"
"Very nice Gio, very nice indeed," mocked Dreia's deep voice behind him. "He's been here less than a second and you're already in on him."
Gio winked at Harry and then feinted innocence, "Only a slayer of Dragon's and Dark Wizards could make you swoon such dear lady."
Harry could feel rather than see Dreia roll her eyes from her position behind him, "Is that the best you could come up with?"
"I could sing you a sonnet."
"That… er… won't be necessary, thanks, " Harry interjected.
"Gio here is a bit of tease. Brilliant though," she mentioned patting Harry lightly on the shoulder.
"Solicitors aren't brilliant, Dreia.,." he said ignoring her compliment, "So, Harry, How are you enjoying your stay so far?" Gio asked him before taking another sip of his drink.
"It's been interesting to say the least, " Harry murmured.
"I'd expect so, " Gio agreed. "It's not everyday your welcomed openly into a Druid circle."
"Harry, would you like me to introduce you to everyone?" Dreia asked, sitting down across from the two of them.
"Yea, that'd be great," he said quietly, still a bit nervous. So it was with the utmost humiliation the Dreia tapped the side of her glass with her fork trying to gather everyone's attention. "Guys, Hey guys!" she called moderately, although it carried across the kitchen well. Still some completely ignored the summons and continued with their discussions.
"HEY! You lot!" she yelled loud enough to make everyone stop in their tracks and stare.
It did nothing to faze her though. She simply smiled and announced, "I think introductions are in order before supper. Everyone, this is Harry," she gestured toward him. "Harry, I would like you to meet Weylin, " nodding toward the older gentleman with beady dark eyes, who'd been speaking with Regulus. "And Tor," she said waving a hand toward a middle-age man, who was small, but broad, and who had long dark hair and a salt and pepper mustache. "And Beardsley, " who, despite his name looked fresh and young and could have easily have been one of Harry's classmates. "And Travis," who was also middle-aged, but balding. "And this is Nordin, our Banker," she said nodding to the man to his left. "And finally we have Alfred, our Auror, and John and Elmore, our proprietors."
"It's nice to meet you all," Harry said, mustering up a bit of Gryffindor courage. But funnily enough none of them look at him with anything but welcome, if not a bit of mild curiosity. He was certain that at least one of them would be upset about the fact they he'd knocked Dreia out. This, at least on the surface did not seem to be the case.
Most of them eventually walked up and shook his hand or greeted him with a friendly pat on the back and made small talk about his exploits at Hogwarts and life in general. Regulus made his way over at one point to check-up on Dreia. He then asked if he could do a quick scan of Harry explaining that he wanted to make sure he'd not over-taxed himself using so much magic that afternoon. Harry politely declined and Regulus nodded once and said he understood; though he did look mildly disappointed.
Supper was soon on the table and everyone dug into Jinky's delicious meal with relish, including much to Harry's surprise, herself. Salt and peppershakers floated aimlessly around the table at the ready for anyone in need. The man named Nordin at one point conjured a flute and set it to playing to jolly, happy tune in the corner of the room to accompany dinner. The two younger boys engaged in a tug-of-war of the some dinner rolls and the adults engaged themselves in peaceful mealtime conversation.
Harry was content to sit back and quietly listen to the laughter and stories. After three weeks in the Dursley household it was nice to spend time with people who liked each and weren't on hostile terms.
Soon enough the dinner dishes were cleared and were set to washing themselves in dishwasher and sink. A delicious treacle tart was served for pudding, which Dreia whispered in his ear, after claming a seat beside him, was in honor of his stay because it was his favorite; something else she'd found out about him in the course of her research.
All too soon the tart was devoured and their bellies full. Several of the men whipped out long stemmed pipes smoking various flavors of aromatic tobacco that formed an arid cloud in the air over the table. Harry stretched his arms above his head letting out a long slow yawn and turned to tell Dreia that he intended to turn in for the night. He was tired after such a long, eventful day and the fact that it was somewhere in the middle of the night his time didn't help matters much. But she wasn't there.
He scanned the kitchen looking for sign of her, thinking it would be rude to leave with out telling someone, when he heard Gio say next to him, "She had a floo call… She'll be back."
"Thanks," Harry replied.
He waited another ten minutes growing slightly impatient and almost falling asleep twice in his seat. He was about to go find her when she finally appeared back in the doorway to the kitchen.
Dreia scanned the room swiftly and moved around the room to whisper something urgently in Regulus' ear. Harry watched as Regulus' face contorted in a myriad of controlled alarm, concentration and then acceptance. When she was through, she looked at him questioningly and he sighed and shook his head yes agreeing silently to whatever she'd asked him. She nodded once herself confirming the deal and then turned studiously to speak to the kitchen.
"Eden, Jeremiah, I need you two to run off to your rooms for a little while. This won't take long."
The boy looked as though they were about to protest, but with one look at the seriousness in her eyes and the boys slouched off for their rooms. She then asked Thayne to accompany them to make sure they stayed well out of trouble, and earshot.
Nordin stopped the magical flute with a wave of his hand and the rest of the crowd waited for her to speak. Harry observed that some of them seemed apprehensive while other's board. Still, all of them were silent with some semblance of respect waiting for whatever news Dreia was to share.
Dreia followed the sounds of the begrudged footfalls with her eyes up the stairs and down a hall before she was satisfied. She sucked in a large amount of air a began morosely, "As most of you know, while Harry's stay is short and there is virtually no chance of him being traced here, we still need to exercise a fair amount of caution. That caution we will have to up tonight as I have some bad news. The Order of Phoenix has recently received confirmation that the Death Eaters sent to Azkaban in June have escaped. While this in not unexpected, it does mean that I will need you all to check and strengthen the wards."
"When did this happen?' Weylin asked immediately.
"Last night. They took the Death Eaters and anyone who wanted to join his cause," Harry answered with out thinking, immediately regretting he had.
Complete and absolute silence encapsulated the kitchen as several people were looking at him with a mixture of concern and curiosity, while other looked between Dreia and Harry confused.
"How do you know, Harry?" John's asked, his thin messy eyebrows disappearing under his fringe.
Harry regarded the questions cautiously. He didn't know these people and didn't know who among them besides Dreia knew about his connection with Riddle. But he knew the what he'd said was true, just as he knew there was a lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. He had no idea why he knew, but he did.
Harry shifted his place in his seat a little, but before he could answer Dreia had taken over the task for him.
"The would fall under the 'Things about Harry you won't be privilege to' we discussed last meeting. But… let's put it this way. Harry has precognitive abilities when it comes to Voldemort. One of the very reasons we must keep him protected."
Harry had little clue what precognitive abilities were, but it seemed to satisfy the crowd, their curiosity and concern turning to acceptance and respect; which boggled Harry's mind. Back at home, he might have received cautious glances, sympathetic eyes, and maybe a sneer or two. But here, here these people accepted and respected the fact that he had this atrocious connection with the most powerful dark wizard in centuries? He truly didn't understand it. Nor did he understand why these people never flinched at the feared name.
Harry felt nervous and sick. It worried him that he knew when the Death Eaters had escaped. It worried him that he knew that they had taken anyone willing join Voldemort's ranks. It also worried him that he knew there was more to the story than that.
Harry rubbed his eyes under his glasses and sunk his head between his hands. This whole day while fascinating had been emotionally demanding and arduous. He wanted nothing more than to sink into bed and sleep away his troubles for a while and escape the harsh realities that plagued his life.
Soon enough the Druids had begun to move about the kitchen and talking in small circles gathering objects out of satchels and bags obviously having been dismissed to strengthen the wards around the property. Harry briefly wondered how far out the wards extended and how many of them were in place. Winston said this afternoon that there were wards in place to keep the Ministry out of their affairs and that it was unplotable, but he didn't know much beyond that.
He jumped slightly as a warm, comforting hand was placed on his shoulder. Dreia sat down beside him regarding him carefully.
Harry puffed up his chest and blew hard letting his frustration go with it. He faced the table and murmured quietly, "I really need some sleep."
She looked at him curiously and narrowed her eyes.
"What would you like to dream about tonight?"
He turned and regarded her over the top of his glasses. "I have a choice?"
"Well, within the confines of my own experience anyway," she smiled apologetically.
"Anything as long as I can escape for a bit," he sighed.
Dreia squeezed his shoulder once and patted him on the back softly. "Come on, let's get you to bed."
"You're not going to help with the wards?" Harry asked.
"Nah… let the men take care of it," she smiled. "It'll be all right… it's just a precautionary measure."
They said their goodnights and headed up to the guestroom. Dreia left him at the door saying that she needed to check on the boys and let Thayne out of his babysitting duties. Harry changed quickly into his pajamas and laid his dressing gown at the end of the bed and crawled under the light summer duvet. He folded his long arms behind his neck and stared at the ceiling making a futile attempt to clear his mind. Small niggling little facts and memories kept seeping their way through his carefully constructed obliviousness leaving him slightly frustrated and eventually causing him to give up. He rolled on his side looking out the window and the rapidly disappearing lights of Lumos that covered the grounds wondering again what the Druids were going to do to strengthen the wards.
Dreia entered the room a few minutes later again dawning a pair of surgical scrubs. Harry could help but smirk while Dreia reminded him of her quest of chivalry.
Dreia was about to cast her charm on his but Harry asked her to wait.
"Er… about the choice… Could I make…a request?" Harry had no idea why the thought had just landed in his head, but he couldn't get rid of it and frankly he didn't want to. Maybe living vicariously through someone else would help ease his pain some, help him to feel better. On the other hand it might leave him feeling depressed that he'd never had the opportunity to experience such a thing. He didn't know, but he wanted to try.
"Could you, share with me a… memory of you… and Regulus?" he swallowed.
However Dreia felt about what he asked she kept her face pleasantly neutral not giving anything away. She looked up to the ceiling thinking for a moment, before letting a slow smooth grin raise the corner of her mouth. "I've just the thing," she announced, and then with a wave of her hand cast her spell.
Harry turned over making himself comfortable and closed his eyes whispering a groggy thank you and falling fast into a deep, restful sleep.
"Reggie! Reggie!" the little girl cried running full tilt toward her guardian clutching a hand full of weeds. He kneeled down on one knee and raised his arms catching her and spinning her around, then carefully placing her back on the ground.
"Reggie! The centipede, it talked to me! Look!" she squealed. "Just as Winston said it would!"
She held up the long blades of grass and thistle to illustrate. A thick, long, reddish-brown, many legged creature was sitting up right and arching it's back threateningly at the pair.
"That's… interesting Dreia, " Regulus said skeptically. "What did it tell you?"
"It told me all about the grass and the forest and the birds… It doesn't like birds much, Reggie… And then it told me that it wanted to be put down, but I told it I wanted to show you first and oh look at the feet Reggie, he looks like he could climb for miles straight up into the sky and onto the moon! Winston says there isn't anything tall enough to reach her, but I heard the muggles have landed on her, and oh what I wouldn't do to go to the moon and be one with her and feel the light of sun. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" she asked, finishing the tirade of things she'd learned today, while the helpless centipede bounced up and down on the blades of grass in her little hand.
"Yes, it would be pip-squeak," Reggie said with fatherly fondness in his voice. "Where is Winston?"
"Over by the garden showing Patlyk how to weed properly. He's been pulling up all the okra! I've never seen Winston so mad before, Reggie," she said, ending with a frown.
"Then it's just you, me and the centipede," Regulus said lifting her up on to his hip. "Can you show me how to talk to the little creature?"
"You mean you don't know? But you know everything Reggie! How could you not know how to talk to the bugs?"
Regulus smiled down at the little girl and said, "Not everything, little one. Sometimes…" he trailed off reflecting on something just beyond her shoulder. They nearly made it to the cabin before he spoke up again, although quietly so. "Sometimes older people like me have to learn new things, new ways of life," he said, walking her toward the cabin. "Sometimes, we don't want to. Sometimes, it's to much work." Regulus shook his head and smiled softly down at his little companion. "But sometimes we get lucky, and the things we didn't want to learn, or the things we never got a change to are easier than we expect. Do you understand?"
"No," she said quizzically, frowning at him. "But I can teach you to talk to the centipede. I promised it wouldn't be hard… Oh please, let me teach you?"
Regulus placed Dreia on the uppermost step to the porch and stat down roughly beside her. Dreia regarded him curiously while he propped his arms up on his knees and placed his reflective, by smiling face in his hands, and said, "I'd like nothing more…"
Harry's eyes burst open as the first rays of daylight were making their way into window and on to his face. He deftly rolled over, ever muscle and bone creaked and stretched oddly in protest, but the thought racing through his mind begged to be answered.
"Regulus is not a Druid?" he asked loudly, causing Dreia eyes to snap open quickly.
She regarded him angrily for just a moment before she slumped her straight postured, cross-legged self down against her already made bed.
"In the future, never, ever, do that again."
"Do what?" Harry asked, grabbing his glasses and placing them on his face, trying to determine what had made her so upset.
"If someone is meditating, jerking them back to reality like that can be detrimental to their health," she said warily before falling back fully on the bed with an audible thump, groaning and rubbing her eyes in the process.
"Sorry, I didn't know," Harry mumbled, relaxing himself back on to his own bed, feeling a bit put out.
"Of course you didn't, and don't be sorry," she said. "I'll be ok… just… give me a minute."
Harry watched silently as her chest rose and fell deeply, apparently collecting herself. He felt a bit ashamed for having jumped at her like that, but if Regulus wasn't a Druid…
He also wanted to know what that memory had been about anyway. Why show him that?
"Regulus is not a Druid," she said, starting at the ceiling, making some odd movement with her eyeballs. "That's all you picked up from that memory?"
"No, is he always that introspective?"
Dreia merely chuckled, "Sort of, though that day he was exceptionally bad. I didn't know it at the time, but that was the day he learned that his mother had died from an article in the prophet. It's what he said that had such an effect on me."
Dreia pulled her self into a sitting position on the bed with her legs crossed in front of her, palms flat against her knees. "I thought you might as well," she said smirking knowingly.
Harry scrunched up his eyebrows into a distinct 'v'. "Why?"
"You were the one looking for something to prove he was human last night, were you not?"
Harry cursed her silently. Even though it was true, it didn't stop the regret he felt when someone pegged him true. Did he truly where his emotions on his sleeve as Snape had suggested?
Deciding it was best the change the subject to something on a bit more even ground he asked, "Meditating then? Do you do it often?"
"Every morning," she smiled blissfully. "Helps to keep everything in line and organize. It also helps me to keep some semblance of control. It helps me to relax, to think. Nothing better to grasp peace of mind."
Harry thought this sounded reasonable, and truthfully something he'd almost covet to have. "Sounds wonderful."
"It is, and something I'm to teach you so, get your skinny rear-end over here. No, time like the present to start getting started. Have you ever meditated before?" she asked.
"No, I do daydream a lot though," he admitted.
Dreia frowned a bit, and asked, "Do you daydream about current events or just let you mind wander?"
"Current events," he answered, sitting carefully on her bed next to her. "Usually what's going on in my life is at the forefront of my mind."
"And, you think about it a lot do you?" she asked, a sculpted eyebrow quirked in question.
"Yea, I guess so…" he said shrugging his shoulders.
"No wonder you've trouble with Occlumency then. Hmm," she said tapping her fingers against her thigh. "The exercises that you used to clam yourself the other night will help with clearing your mind as well before I take you on the journey."
"Journey?" Harry asked curiously, the trip across the Atlantic weighing on his mind.
"It's a form of meditation," she answered. "It's like a… mental trip holiday. You'll place yourself into a relaxed state, somewhere between resting and sleeping, and then I will talk you through scenarios you will see in you minds eye. Its a good way to learn how to meditate and clear your mind," she advised.
Harry wasn't sure he liked the minds-eye part as it sounded too much like Trelawney for his taste but asked, "How do I get myself into a relaxed state?"
"That's the easy part. Here," she said gesturing to her position. "Sit like I am and try to relax your body."
Harry got in to the same position she was in, attempting to relax his arms and legs as best he could.
"Ok," she started in a more soothing, melodic tone. "Now close your eyes and breathe deeply in through your nose, and out through your mouth just like you did the night before last. Breath in as deeply as you can feeling it fill every corner of your lungs and then breath out that breath slowly through your mouth."
"Isn't that a bit repetitious?" Harry asked sarcastically with his eyes still closed.
Dreia didn't say anything for a moment, in which Harry figured she was either shaking her head or rolling her eyes. "All right, funny man. This is serious. The repetition focuses you on one thing helping to put you in a relaxed state. Shall we try again?"
"Yes lets," he said with a snickering grin, still feeling silly for doing this.
"Good," she said a bit keenly. "In through you nose, out through your mouth. In through you nose, out through you mouth," she said again her voice becoming soft a quiet. "Concentrate on the movement of the air. Feel the air being pulled from the air around you, in through your nose, past your sinuses, down through your throat, down through your windpipe, and into your lungs. Feel the life giving air fill every corner, every facet of you lungs. Feel the air filling it up. Good. Now exhale slowly through your mouth. Feel the air, leaving you lungs, up through your windpipe, up through your throat, and feel it exit your mouth."
"Good, continue this breathing exercise for a few minutes while you relax."
For the first few minutes he completed the exercise as asked, solely concentrating on nothing more than the air filling his lungs in through him nose and out through his mouth. But after awhile, as usual, his mind started to deviate from the path Dreia had set forth for him.
Harry started imagining not only the air being pulled into his lungs, but molecules of pollen and dust as well. He'd imagine them traveling up into his nose and down into his lungs. He pictured the molecules of pollen floating around the suspended air against the pink background of his internal organ until he'd expel them while breathing out.
"Harry," she began in an oddly ethereal voice, sounding as though she were at the end of a very long tunnel, "Look before you now. You will see a large oak door. Reflect on the designs inlaid in the door. See the handle of the door, the shape of it, and the texture. Reach out for handle of the door and open it."
In his 'minds-eye', Harry could see a door. Odd runes and symbols were carved into the surface of the dark wooded entryway that appeared to be illuminated from beyond it. The handle itself transformed between a solid golden lion and a clear emerald serpent. He thought it curious in a way that he was not at all interested in the door. It felt like he'd seen it before, just out of sight, and was more curious as to what was on the other side. He reached out slowly for the handle, feeling it cool underneath his fingers. But before he could turn the handle fully, the door began opening of it own accord. A strong gust of wind and piercing light assaulted his senses as he looked beyond the entryway.
"Before you is a path Harry," Dreia's soft cool voice echoed around him. "Begin your journey down the path. Take in all that is around you, the sky, the landscape, and the scent in the air. What time of year is it? What time of day? Observe all that is around you while you continue down the path…"
As her echoing voice trailed off on the wind, Harry started down the small gravelly path. It was midwinter from the look of things. With the exception of the flourishing pine and cedar, the trees and earth were bare and although the sandy colored gravel path was clear, the ground was covered in several feet of white, pristine snow. The sky was a hazy shade of uniform gray that reflected the drabness of the seasonal depression. A strong wind blew across the barren land as Harry continued easily on the path and up a small hill.
Although it seemed to be the dead of winter he was not cold; even though as he breathed out there were little puffs of steam emanating from his lips. He was still in the clothing he dawned last night, a simple pair of too short pajama bottoms and a large oversized top.
He continued on for some time walking up and down little hills and valleys that the path lead him through feeling ill-at-ease with the austere piece of land. Ether side of which never deviated from the other. It was like the scenery on either side of the path was a perfect carbon copy of it self. Shrubs, trees, and even seemingly lone ravens we duplicated on either side of it.
Rounding the next knoll he stopped shortly, inspecting through wide eyes and shortened breath at the scene in the next glen. He didn't know why the setting unnerved him so, but his racing pulse was a sure sign that it did.
At the end of the slope there was a fork in the road. Each path lead off in to a different direction, but like the first part of his venture each looked exactly the same as the other. At the middle of the crossroads, an old woman stood beckoning him to her.
Guardedly, Harry moved forward down the path toward the old women. Upon closer inspection the aged women before him was truly a hideous creature. She was short and squat, with a large lump on her back. An old, tattered cloak of grey that seemed to shimmer deep purple as she moved was wrapped round her shoulders. Her short face was roadway of age and her dark beady eyes seemed to boar into his soul as she looked upon him. A sharp hook like nose marred the rest of her visage, her smile was crooked and what remained of teeth were crooked and yellowing as well.
As Harry got closer to the crossroads he glanced at a plain wooden street sign above the old women, that read simply, 'One Way,' pointing to the left hand path, and heralding the other direction it read 'Or the Other.'
"We meet at last young Harry," the old women said with dark, crackly voice that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "Which way do you choose?"
"I'm not sure… er… Madam. Which way should I take?" he asked stopping shortly before her.
The old women threw her head back letting out a stream of gruesome, cackling laughter that was interspersed with long, life sustaining wheezes for breath the sent shivers up and down Harry's spine.
"You don't know who I am, do you boy?" she asked with a wicked smile on her face.
"Sorry, I don't." he said, feeling like it should be obvious he didn't. "Should I?"
The women emitted the same cruel laughter as before and said, "I am the old crone of the cross roads, I am death and rebirth boy. Which way do you choose?"
Harry, neither encouraged nor enlightened by this information asked again, "Which way should I choose? They both look the same."
The old crone studied him for a moment through narrowed eyes saying cryptically, "I cannot make the decision for you, but I can tell you that either path leads to the same."
Harry was starting to feel frustrated and annoyed by the situation. He knew somehow he had to take one path or the other, but which? Somewhere in the very root of his gut he felt that this was a very important decision, but not exactly sure why. And given the fact that they both looked exactly the same, he felt he was helpless to make a good decision without more information. There just had to be more to it than that.
"Could you give me more of a hint than that? So I'm better informed that is?" Harry asked hopefully.
The old women smiled in a wide toothless grin. "Aye, laddie," she said nodding her head, and possibly a shadow of a wink.
She raised her ancient arms sending out purple and gold sparks from her fingertips that landed at the tops of the closest summits on either side of the paths.
The ground began to shake as giant mounds of obsidian rose from the middle of the earthen roads. As they grew, Harry stared open mouthed, his heart sinking at the wicked stone faces of his enemy.
Harry knew exactly what the statues symbolized. 'Each path leads to Voldemort," he thought with a heavy heart. "And I have to pass him to go further. I never had a chance!'
"You're a quick one boy," the old hag said pulling him out of his clouded thoughts. "You can keep no secrets from me," noting the look of astonishment on his face. "I know that which you think, that which you breath. You're horrified at the fact that you destiny was chosen for you before you gave you first breath of life."
"But I know more than even you," she said continued solemnly, shaking a knowing finger at him. "And believe me boy, you did and do choose the path that has lead to my crossroads. You are the savior, the hero. Now it is up to you to choose the path that leads to your destiny and beyond. Which way do you choose?"
Before Harry could process this, before he could make to defend his actions and tell her to sod off, he heard the small muffled sound of a child crying behind him.
He turned toward the sad noise, as the old hag said, "Ah. You're past comes to help you choose. Go to him now." she said inclining her head back to the path from which he came, "Let him help you."
Although furious with the old women for what she'd accused him of, he was more intrigued about the source of the crying. 'My past?'
Harry stalked back up the path, causing little puff of dirt to escape the ground around his feet before stopping before a leafless bush that was the wellspring of the noise that broke the quiet winter side.
"Hello?" he called bending around the branches for a clearer view, "Can you come out?"
They crying ceased for a moment, as a small sniffling figure rose up timidly from beyond the bush. A small boy stood with his arms crossed against his chest, bent slightly at the waist with his head inclined as he sniffled saying a polite but soggy greeting. Harry stood stock still as he flushed with the realization that he was looking his younger, much skinnier, raven-haired self.
Harry could scarcely believe his eyes. His past had, as the old women had said, literally come to him. But how could his five-year-old self help him choose which path to take?
After the initial shock of seeing himself like this, a faint pressure began to build in Harry's chest filled with painful reminders of the past. He remembered a lot of his childhood had been spent in this manner; cold, alone, and upset for what ever reason the Dursleys had inflicted on him.
"How… how are you Harry?" he asked quietly, tentatively. Younger Harry shrugged and kicked some stones near the bush, shoving his hands in his pockets and murmured "I'm fine," evasively.
Hearing yourself say something that you've said your whole life as a defense mechanism is definitely different saying it, Harry thought. But if he were going to get anywhere with the paths, he was going to have to get a bit more than 'I'm fine' out of himself.
Harry knelt down to eye-level with the littler Harry and asked kindly, "Did Dudley do something?"
The little boy was quiet at first, appearing not to want to answer the question. "No. No… it… was Aunt Petunia. I ah… um…. asked about Mum and Dad again…" he said sniffling, lowering his head further, in a voice that was oddly high. Harry found it difficult to believe he's ever sounded like that. "She didn't say. She got mad and…"
"…put you in the cupboard under the stairs...," older Harry finished regretfully, remembering the incident in question.
"Yea. I've been there for two days already. Its… Its…"
The younger Harry didn't get a chance to finish as older Harry pulled him into an uncharacteristic hug. This is not something the elder would normally afford himself, but he knew better than any that this was what the smaller Harry wanted more than anything in the world; some kind words and a little human touch.
They stayed that way for some time; little Harry eventually resting his head against elder Harry's shoulder crying in both anguish and relief. Elder Harry himself knotting up a bit as he became wrapped-up and reflective on his awful childhood. What he wouldn't have given for this at least once when he was a child, to be held by someone who cared.
Younger Harry's' tears had silenced somewhat as he finally pulled away slowly and murmured a small thank-you that was reflected in his red-rimmed bright green eyes.
"Listen," the elder started out, looking to the boy and smiling strongly. "Soon enough you'll be out of the Dursleys most of the year, so you won't have to deal with them. You'll have friends, and adventures, and… and people who love you," he finished, something strong catching in his throat.
"Really?" the younger version asked skeptically.
"I promise. Cross my heart and all that," the elder said.
The younger nodded his head once and looked down at his oversized trainers and gave another small thank-you and in a blink was gone.
Harry stared for a moment at the spot his younger self had just occupied before he stood once more, rubbing a troubled hand over his face. 'That was hard. I wonder what it had to do with choosing a path though?' he thought as he walked back toward the crone who, much to Harry's surprise was beaming at him.
"You chose wisely," she said proudly.
"I didn't realize that I had," he said confused and more than a smidge alarmed. "When did I choose?"
"When you hugged that boy, laddie. You chose the path of love and hope over loneliness and hate. A wise choice," she said.
She waved both arms in a great arc and emitting the same purple and gold sparks she had before. As they landed on the paths, the left-hand path turned gold in color, while the right one turned black.
Harry thanked the women quietly inclining his head and turned toward the golden path hoping to get on with the rest of his journey, only to come face to face with Dreia.
She emitted a soft laugh as she said, "You wondered off a bit," answering his unasked question. "I'm just here to fetch you."
"You didn't prepare him for this, Dreia," croaked the old women behind him sourly. "He chose well though, as I am sure you can see."
"Hello, old women," said Dreia evenly as she turned to the crone, all traces of her bright personality gone. "How are you?"
Harry turned to see the women narrowing her eyes at Dreia, "You've not much respect for you elders, girl. Watch your tongue."
"I believe it was you who taught me to approach you as an equal," she returned. "I am treating you as an equal who took off unasked with my pupil."
"Aye, but it was his time," the crone said gesturing grandly to the paths with a trace of smile on her old face. "Look!"
Dreia looked down the dark path and then to the gold, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. "Dumbledore…" she breathed.
"Yes, yes… too wise for his own good, and to secretive as well. I have some words for the old goat," she said motherly. But then the edges of her crooked mouth slipped up in a wicked sneer as Dreia turned round to face her. "You see he's your savior girl."
"Mmm," Dreia murmured narrowing her eyes as well. "Thank you, you old hag, but we must be off. It doesn't do well to loiter around other worlds to long. I bid you good day, Madam," she finished curtly inclining her head slightly toward the crone.
The crone laughed and said sweetly, "Good-bye dear child. Good luck, young Harry," and she was gone with a snap of her fingers and small puff of smoke.
Dreia sighed heavily, turning back to Harry. "Well at least we know now how you manage to end up in Voldemorts head," she said disgustedly.
"What?" Harry almost gasped. "What do you mean?"
"I'll explain when we get back," she said, offering no further explanation. "Put one foot on the gold path and then tug at the string at your navel."
Harry instinctively looked down at his stomach noticing a long, thin, shiny blue cord that traveled off in to the unseen distance that he'd not noticed before. But rather then stand there and marvel at the beauty of it, he took a step forward on the golden path, wanting nothing more than the answers to the question about this whole exercise.
Something, profound, took shape in Harry's heart as he did so. Something shifted, stirred almost as a small burst of something welled up inside him. The anger that had been with him since hearing the contents of the prophecy seemed to melt a little as he took another step forward to stand fully on the path tugging on the sapphire string.
He left the path beneath him and he floated up into the winter sky. As he got closer to the clouds they darkened and morphed into a whirling vortex of black with revolving slits of bright white light. Spiraling winds twisted and twirled Harry as he was pulled to the very center of it; like a bubble from a bath being sucked up by a tub drain.
Reaching the bottom of the vortex, Harry could see the sharp shining light seemed to converge, growing larger and larger as he spun toward it. The light eclipsed his feet, then legs, then torso, and finally he his head.
Harry was once again in the room he shared with Dreia, hovering high above it. He looked down from the ceiling to see the long blue cord tied from his navel, to his other navel.
Suddenly, something bright shot past him and into Dreia's still form on the bed. She stirred slowly, blinking her eyes open looking about the room. She looked first to Harry and then toward the ceiling where the other Harry was and said, "Pull again on the string, it'll being you back inside your body."
Harry knew she couldn't see him properly and could probably get away with murder in this position, but decided he'd rather know more about how he got into this position in the first place. So, tug he did, and with a feeling not unlike putting on a large wooly sock, slid back into his body.
Harry felt very stiff and somewhat nauseous as he opened his eyes looking to Dreia for answers.
"So, what was all that about then?" he asked, stretching and trying to get all his muscle groups back in working order.
"Actually, I could ask you the same, although I don't think you'd know what to answer with," she said conversationally. "But, I'd like to know what you saw first."
"Oh no… no…" he said shaking his head. "That was to… bizarre for me just to wait patiently. I'd like to know why I was there," he said now counting off his fingers, "how I got there, what you two were talking about, why I had to choose, why you said Dumbledore after you noticed the statues, and who the old women is. What was all that about?" he asked impatiently.
"Well, if you insist it be that way," she said with her eyebrows raised, crossing her arms. "The old crone thought you should be there, she pulled you to another plane of existence through astral projection, you're at a crossroads in your life and you saw that visually, you're the hero, Bridget," she said bluntly.
Harry narrowed his eyes at her answers, not because he was angry with her for telling him though. It was that he didn't understand a bloody word of it.
"Care to elaborate?" he asked.
"No, not until I get your side of the story," she said shortly, but softened, slumping her shoulders forward some. "I promise it will make more sense after you tell me. I'm at loss on some things myself." She shrugged her shoulders and sighed, "I'm hoping some of what you can tell me will help decipher some of it. So?"
"And you'll tell me what all this means after words?" Harry asked skeptically.
Dreia smiled reassuringly. "Of course. Harry, look, I promise you right here and now that if I can tell you, and you ask, I will." She made a movement over her chest like an x and then held up her index and middle finger and said "Scouts honor" stiffly.
Harry looked at her like she'd lost her mind, but launched into all that had happened anyway, from describing the door (which she was fascinated with), to his interactions with young Harry and the Crone.
After he'd finished, she seemed to be lost in thought for a while. Harry just looked on expectantly while the questions in his mind kept multiplying in on themselves, which he quickly tired of. It was time for answers.
"So, what happened?" he prompted.
Dreia tapping her slender finger against her chin, "Let me take you step by step through the journey, and hopefully that will help explain some of it, " she said.
"Ok, lets hear it then," Harry approved.
"The door in the first part of your journey represents the door to you subconscious. It's actually very interesting that you would have so many runes and symbols on it. It might mean that instead of the door to your subconscious, you went through the door to you super-conscious."
"Super… conscious?" asked Harry.
"Mmmm," she murmured. "Your higher self, your spiritual self, the self that connects with the worlds beyond. Which is how you were able to astral project."
"Astral project," he echoed in question.
"Astral projection is where your spirit self leaves your body and travels," she explained knowledgably. "Sometimes to places here on earth, or in this case, places not of this earth. You were literally in another universe Harry. A different plane of existence."
"And how exactly did I get there?" he asked quizzically not exactly trusting himself to ask anything else, having trouble believing what she was communicating to him. 'Another plane of existence?'
"I thought about that while we were at the crossroads. No one's been able to explain the connection you have with Voldemort, yet, have they?" she asked. Harry shook his head no. "I thought not. I think astral projection might be tied into it somehow. I'll have to think on that a bit more and maybe confer with others. But you got to the crossroads through astral projection" she said.
"So, back to the journey," she continued, leaving more of Harry's unasked questions floating in the air between them, "During an actual journey, the landscape would represent your current mood. Being dark and dreary you probably feel depressed and lonely," she said. "But again, I'm pretty sure you left shortly after you walked through the door, so it could be that the landscape was merely showing you the past; Your past being dark, dreary and barren. The path being clear, but sandy though is another interesting thing I shall have to think on."
"And now the crossroads. This is where you get really disoriented not knowing anything about Druid or Celtic theology," she said rubbing her hand together. "The crossroads in Druid theology, and indeed most theologies represent and turning point in one's life. A choice to be made in order to continue on to whatever life holds in store for you. Your crossroads was interesting in that, at first look they both look similar, but after sometime with your…er…inner child, your past and some questions, you chose a path that would be good for you and make you stronger in your," she rolled her eyes sighing heavily, and muttering under her breath, "fight against Voldemort."
Harry realized now why she'd said Dumbledore's name at the crossroads, and why the crone had said he would be her savior.
"So you don't know the full contents of the prophecy," said Harry slowly. "What exactly did he tell you then?"
Dreia propped up against the headboard and pulled her knees against her chest. "He told me the first few lines I guess, but he made it sound like that was all there was; that you had the power. He didn't say you were the only one who had the power though. I honestly don't think anyone of us in the Order know that."
Harry was becoming agitated now. He thought for sure that the members of the Order knew. He had some small hope that he wouldn't be the only one who knew so he'd be able to talk with someone other than Dumbledore about it eventually. Lupin, or Tonks, or maybe even Kingsley. Now, he wasn't sure if he'd be 'allowed.' And more over, Sirius hadn't known. He hadn't known what it was that he died for. Shouldn't he have at least known that which he died for?
"Well, at least it's not just me, Dumbledore and whoever overheard it at the Hogshead," Harry spitted aloud.
"Harry, if you need to talk about it, you have me here. I'm offering. I know it's not much of consolation, but it's something," she said soothingly. "Besides, although it would be costly to do such, now that you've got the knowledge, you can tell anyone you wish."
"Why would I want to share that burden?" he asked incredulously.
"Because there are those who would want nothing more than help ease your load, Harry. There are an awful lot of people who love you, you know."
Harry did know. Although there were times when self-doubt would weigh in heavily and he would wonder why. But what he didn't know was if or when he would share the knowledge. But he didn't want to think about anymore so he quickly switched back to the original subject.
"So… I made the right choice then, you think?"
Dreia smiled and shook her head yes.
"And who was the old women? She said she was death and rebirth?" he asked.
Dreia laughed deeply, "She would say that, yeah. Cryptic old women," she said with a smirk. "That was Bridget. Or Hecate, or I'm sure she's got thousand different names. She's the old crone of the crossroads. She's there to help guide you on the right path. I'll get you some books from our library on her, she's quite and interesting character. They'll explain what you need to know."
Harry really wanted to ask a hundred other questions, but it was obviously not a good subject for Dreia. He figured if he had any other questions after reading the material then he would ask her.
"Well, I'm famished. Fancy something to eat?" she asked working her way toward the door.
"Yeah, coming," he said, dejectedly trying to take the event of the morning in. He ran a shaky hand through his messy hair, slipping on his slippers and grabbing his dressing gown.
"Geez Harry," Dreia said standing at the door waiting for him. "You realize that since you've been here you've traveled cross-continent, met a dead man, confronted both your past and present and met a goddess?" Dreia shook her head and laughed. "And this in only your second day!"
Harry let out a harsh puff of breath and shoved his hands in his pockets as he moved toward the door. "Story of my life," he muttered under his breath, "Story of my life."
A/N: Just a quick note to those that reviewed the last chapter. Thank you so much! It's late at the moment and I wanted to get this chapter up now that it is finally finished! I will add my review answers to this tomorrow. Thanks!
And as usual, I own nothing; JK's the Goddess with the copyrights. Please Review!