Summery: Now sixteen years of age, Harry is in mourning over Sirius's death. On the night of his birthday, Dumbledore and Remus come to take him back to Hogwarts, but Harry gets another visitor as well. Mystra, Goddess of Magic. X-over with Harry Potter and Forgotten Realms
Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to Harry Potter or Forgotten Realms. They belong to their respective creator's, namely J. K. Rowling and Ed Greenwood, I am just borrowing them for a while.
............... Arrival ..............
"Do we know when this Chosen from another realm is supposed to be here? Lord Azuth said tonight and it is nearly midnight already." Lhaeo asked. "We know as much about this Chosen and his time of arrival as you do." Storm said and not for the first time either. "We don't know when or where he will arrive." Sylûne added.
"It will be soon." Elminster said as he walked out of his tower and towards the pond behind it. "And it will be outside, just... about... there." He said pointing towards a small island in the middle of the pond. The island had stepping stones going out from it to right in front of where the Old Mage stood at the ponds edge. There were also stones circling it in even intervals at a foot out from the island itself. Every thing was perfectly circular.
"I have never seen that before Old Mage." Sylûne stated. The other two agreed with her. "Of course not. I put it there when I first built this tower. I hid it after I finished its construction. I did not know at the time what it would be used for or when but I knew it would reappear when it was necessary."
Just then there was a great flash and a pillar of light shot down from the clouds and struck the island. After the light had disappeared the four people standing on the edge of the pond got a look at what had appeared on the island. In the center was what looked to be a young man with messy black hair, dressed in what appeared to be overly large cloths. He was lying on his side with his eyes closed. Next to him was a trunk and what looked to be a large bird cage, though the bird they supposed was supposed to be in it was currently walking over to the young man with what appeared to be a pair of glasses in its beak. He looked to the four onlookers to be thin, exceedingly so.
"Look at him, he must have been nearly starved to death he's so thin." Sylûne said racing across the stepping-stones to the young man's side. When she got there she immediately picked up the young man's head and rested it in her lap, turning him onto his back as she did so. The owl looked up at her as Storm, Lhaeo, and Elminster arrived on the island behind it. Storm joined her sister in kneeling on the ground next to the young man. The owl turned around and placed the glasses in Storm's lap. She looked at the owl then. "Are these his?" She asked. The owl hooted what sounded like an affirmative, and Storm smiled.
"Look at this." Lhaeo said looking at the young man's forehead. He had found a lightning bolt shaped scar situated in the center of the young man's forehead. "I wonder what this is from."
"It is no ordinary scar. It is a remnant of a deadly curse." Elminster said. The young man groaned. "Easy does it there. Just relax your among friends." Sylûne said to the young man as he opened his eyes. They were a startling emerald green with such life and power behind their surface that she was momentarily startled.
The young man groaned again and tried to sit up. Storm put a hand on his shoulder. "Lie back. You're too weak to do anything. Can you talk?" "Glasses..." The young man said hoarsely. "Oh of course." Storm put his glasses onto his face. "My name is Storm by the way. The woman behind you is my sister Sylûne. Behind her is Lhaeo, and that," she said turning her head to look towards the young man's feet "is Elminster, also known as the Old Mage." Elminster nodded to the young man. "...Uh... Harry." He said weakly before he fell back into unconsciousness.
Elminster mumbled something and two large floating disks appeared in the air beside him. Storm lifted Harry from her sister's lap and placed him on one of the disks while Lehao got the trunk and birdcage onto the other one. The owl, which had made her way over to Elminster, flew up and landed on top of the trunk.
The group began to leave the island with Elminster leading the way, followed by the disk carrying Harry, then Storm and Sylûne, then by the second disk, with Lhaeo bringing up the rear. Leading every one into the tower and up the stairs, Elminster went to the bedroom they had prepared after they had first heard about the student they would be receiving. The disk carrying Harry situated itself directly over the bed as Elminster pulled the sheets back. It then slowly descended until it was touching the bed where it promptly disappeared.
As Sylûne pulled the sheets back up around Harry and he settled down into the pillows Storm took his glasses back off of his face and placed them on the bedside table. The trunk was placed at the end of the bed. Elminster looked at the owl, which flew off the trunk once it was set down and landed on the headboard of the bed. Situating herself directly above Harry's head.
"Well, I believe that is all for me tonight. I know the rest of you don't need it but I have to get some sleep if I want to do any thing tomorrow. I'll see you all in the morning." Lhaeo said as he left the other three tending to Harry. Tomorrow would definitely be an interesting day to say the least.
Once he left Elminster conjured three comfortable chairs to be situated around the bed. One on each side and the third at the foot. "We might as well make our selves comfortable seeing as you two will not likely leave his side till he is healthy." The Old Mage mused as he sat down in the armchair at the foot of the bed. It was also the one closest to the fireplace. The chair, angled between the fireplace and the bed, was the perfect place to be out of the way of the two women who would most likely be mothering the poor boy till he was able to fend them off himself. Elminster waved one hand at the fireplace and a comfortable fire burst into life. He then proceeded to pull a pipe from thin air and began to puff on it gently as he closed his eyes and left the women to watch over the young Chosen that Mystra had sent to them for training.
'Train one of the Lady's Chosen from another realm, in every thing.' Everything. Just what had he meant by that. Of course if he could do magic that would be a big part of his training. But what else were they supposed to teach this young man. This Harry. Well considering those present at the time of the announcement, Elminster believed he knew what that meant.
He himself was the strongest mage in the realm. Though he rarely showed even near his full power. He knew he was to teach Harry magic. He would need to get to know the lad a bit before he knew just what he needed to teach him the most. Storm, though she knew some magic and possessed some of the Lady's own energy like himself and Sylûne and the rest of her sisters, was much more of a warrior than a wizard. She would be teaching him self-defense and swordplay.
Sylûne was strong in magic in her own right. The addition of some of the Lady's energy only enhanced this, and her strongest magic was that of the elementals. Did this lad have the same gift? In all of the realms he had visited in his travels he knew that is was a rare ability to have in any of them. If this boy had the potential he would defiantly profit from Sylûne's training. If he didn't have this gift than Elminster didn't know what Sylûne would have to teach him. He supposed that it would just have to wait till tomorrow at least before he knew the answer to that particular question.
Lhaeo on the other hand, just what was he to teach the boy? Lhaeo knew much of the histories and prophecies of many of the realms. Did it have something to do with that? He would have to ask Lhaeo if he could find any thing about Harry's realm. Once they found out which one it was that is.
As Elminster was going through his musings, the two sisters were watching over Harry and discussing the young man lying on the bed between them. "He is so thin. What do you suppose happened to him?" Sylûne asked. "I really don't know. But did you see the clothes he is in. They are way to big on him and look to be years old." Storm replied.
"Yes like they were picked up out of the trash. We will need to get him new clothes for sure. We need to get some good food into him as well. We can't let him remain this thin. It's unhealthy." Storm looked at her sister and nodded. "Definitely. That will need to be first." The two women fell silent for a while. Sitting there watching over the young Chosen whom they knew nothing about but his name.
A few hours later the predawn light was beginning to show in the windows on the bedroom wall. "Would either of you two lady's like some tea this morning?" Elminster asked them finally breaking the silence. "Yes please." "That would be great El." Elminster conjured a pot of steaming tea and four cups. Pouring tea into three of them he floated two over to the women sitting along side the bed and kept the third for himself. Setting the fourth cup and the pot on the mantle place above the still burning fire. "Well as you both said before, the lad definitely needs to eat some good food and get his body back into a healthy condition. I'll go and see to breakfast while the two of you see to young Harry. He should be up in an hour or so. If not be sure to wake him. In that condition it is best if he not sleep to much." Saying this Elminster left the room with his teacup still in hand and went down to the kitchen. There he found Lhaeo already up and getting the oven heated back up.
Nearly and hour latter Harry started to stir in bed. Groaning slightly he opened his eyes and reached to the side of the bed to find his glasses when some one put them on his face. "Hello again Harry." A woman said as she leaned back after putting on his glasses. She was tall and had long silver hair. Her clothes were that of a warrior and she even wore a sword sheathed at her hip. Harry could see that she was strong and muscular just by looking at her bear arms. "Who are you? And where am I? What's..." At this point the woman raised her hand to stop Harry's many questions.
"Think back to last night Harry. Lady Mystra, Goddess of Magic, summoned you here for training. My name is Storm and over there is my sister Sylûne." Storm pointed toward the mantle place where Sylûne was pouring tea. Sylûne was tall like Storm and she to had long silver hair. Unlike Storm, she did not seem to be the physical type; she was no warrior, at least not one with swords and the like. She was a witch, and Harry could tell she was a powerful one. He could literally feel the magical energy radiating from her body. She waved her hand over the cup and the tea was suddenly steaming hot. Sylûne walked back over to Harry and handed him the cup. "Good morning. Seeing as you haven't had hardly any food in a long while the tea will help to keep it down." Sylûne said as Harry took the cup of tea and sipped it tentatively.
Harry was thinking about what Storm had said as he sipped on the tea from Sylûne. He didn't really remember much of last night. He heard Hedwig hoot and turned around in the bed to look at her. Their eyes connected and suddenly everything that had happened rushed back to him. "Oh wow!" He mumbled to himself as he went over the events of the previous night. "So I'm really in another realm?" Harry asked the two women looking back towards the mantle place situated at the end of the bed. There was still a nice fire burning in the fireplace and it seemed to help him to concentrate while he was trying to make sense of everything.
"Indeed ye are lad." Some one said from the doorway. Harry turned to look at the speaker. There stood an old man. His hair and beard were pure white and reached down past his waist. On his head was an old pointed hat and he wore an old and very patched set of wizards' robes with what looked to be many pockets. Next to his head floated a pipe, gently puffing on itself. In the old man's hands was a tray filled with breakfast pastries and a plate of steak and eggs.
"My name is Elminster by the way. Call me El or Old Mage. This one is for you." The Old Mage said as he handed Harry the plate of steak and eggs. "We need to get your strength back so we can start your training."
Harry looked at the Old Mage and suddenly remembered what Mystra had told him just before she sent him here. "I am supposed to ask for your help in saving my godfather. He fell through the veil separating the living and the dead. The Lady Mystra said he wasn't dead and that you would be able to help me get him back." Harry said excitedly.
"Calm down lad. Don't worry I think I know a way to help you if you are up for it. I will have to look through some books though." With that the Old Mage took his pipe form the air and contentedly stuck it into his mouth to smoke it. He left Harry alone then with the two women. They all sat there silently eating their breakfasts and drinking tea from cups Sylûne had refilled from a now steaming pot on the mantle place.
"Well let us tell you a little about ourselves and our realm. You can tell us about yourself when El and Lhaeo are here and after you've eaten some more." Storm said to Harry as he worked through the rather large steak on his plate. (AN: Let me know if I got any part of this wrong. I can't get to my books at the moment and so I'm going off of memory.) "We are two of seven sisters, Sylûne and I, though only four of us are related by the blood of our mother." Storm started with Sylûne picking up the tale.
"Even though that is the case, we are all true sisters through a gift of the Goddess and the small amount of her magic we each carry." "Yes," Storm said "This magic from the Goddess Mystra, also known as Silver Fire, is what makes us the Lady's Chosen. Elminster and Kelban Blackstaff are the only two males to have some of the Lady's Magic. And Elminster is believed to be the first Chosen," "As far as we know any way. I don't believe he has ever told anyone if it is true or not." Sylûne cut in. "Now, this realm is probably much like yours. As you know we have magic and those who can use it as well as those who cannot. We have dragons, Dwarves, many types of Elves, Humans, Centaurs, and all sorts of monsters and magical creatures." Sylûne said. Storm continued. "Yes we have griffins, pixies, phoenix's, demons, many different types of ghosts, and so on." Storm and Sylûne continued to tell Harry all about the realm he had been sent to for the rest of the morning. Harry occasionally asked questions or for some clarification at some fact in particular.
Only once did he try to get out of bed. The two women had quickly stopped him though, saying that he needed to rest a while more still. So Harry remained in bed with Storm and Sylûne on either side of him and Hedwig behind him on the headboard.
Down in the lower reaches of the tower Lhaeo and Elminster were looking through many old tomes, trying to find some way to help Harry get his godfather back as well as to find as much information on Harry's realm as they could.
A little after noon Elminster and Lhaeo brought lunch up for everyone. After they had finished eating Harry began to tell them about himself and his own realm. The four listeners occasionally asked Harry questions about this or that but generally they just sat there listening, or in Lhaeo's case, listening and taking notes. You never knew when this information might come in handy and Lehao was and excellent scribe who loved his work. After a few hours of talking Harry was getting tired. Storm and Sylûne made Harry go to bed, telling him that they would wake him up for dinner after which he could go back to bed.
It went on like this for the next three days as well. After breakfast, Harry was allowed to get up, walk around a little, and freshen up. They had brought him new clothes that actually fit him and he already felt more comfortable in them. He would then listen to Sylûne or Elminster as they told him about the magic of this realm and how it was used. Or he would listen to Storm or Lhaeo telling him about everything else in the realm. Next would come lunch, after which Harry would tell the others more about his realm. They would then have dinner and Harry would go to bed. The combination of lots of rest and good food in abundance was having a great effect on Harry. He was getting stronger every day but he still had a ways to go and he got tired easily, but he was looking much healthier.
It was after dinner on the third full day that Harry had been in the realm. "The Order of the Phoenix will be meeting tonight. I wonder what Professor Dumbledore is going to tell them. I wish I could tell them how I'm doing." Harry said to the empty room. "Have you forgotten about me already, Harry?" An indignant female voice said from inside his head. Harry looked around, a bit startled to be hearing voices. His eyes came in contact with Hedwig's and he was reminded of the gift Mystra had given the two of them. "Oh! I completely forgot we could do this." Harry said. He heard a soft laughter in his head. "You have been quite a bit busy lately." Hedwig said. "I'd say so." Harry said and he heard Hedwig laugh again. "So, are you going to write them a letter? I've been dieing to try traveling between the realms." Harry smiled. "Yea. Give me a few minutes to write the letters."
He got out of bed and went over to his trunk. After pulling out his quill and some parchment Harry sat down at the desk in the room and began writing a letter to the entire Order of the Phoenix. He then wrote shorter ones to Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Remus. After he sealed the letters he went over to Hedwig. "So do you know how you are going to do this?" "Nope." The owl replied with what sounded like a smile in her voice. "I have a feeling that I will know what to do and when I need to do it." She finished. "Alright." Harry said to her. "Will you wait for their replies, please?" "Of course. Don't worry, everything will be fine." "I know it will. Just be careful."
Hedwig took the letters and hopped onto Harry's arm. He walked her over to the widow and opened it for her to get out. Hedwig took off from Harry's arm and he watched her as she began to fly off. Suddenly she turned into a cloud of snow that slowly began to circle in on itself, getting faster as it got closer to the center. Harry heard a slight 'pfff' as the snow spiral spun itself out of existence. Harry gave a sigh as he left the open window and climbed back into bed. He fell asleep almost instantly.