AN: The vital question that bothers me this very moment is how can I explain my absence for three months? Do I have any reasons or excuses? No, I think there is no excuse. I let you down and I'm really, really, really sorry. This is all I can say, but I hope that the title of the chapter also marks a new beginning in my attitude towards this story. Therefore...
Hello everyone, have fun and enjoy reading!
P.S: For your information, I recreated the plot line a dozen times in the last three months, for the last time today, and still don't know, how this will turn out.
Chapter 14: New Beginnings
"Maybe I can provide a solution for your problem."
The sentence echoed through the room and increased the existing tension to a critical degree. The speaker left the shadow that had concealed him and unfastened something that looked like a cloak made of some sort of fluid metal.
It was a man in his mid-thirties with short, tousled, brown hair. Sweat ran down his face and down to his muggle clothes. Before the man could utter a word, Moody turned to Dumbledore, "Albus, did you dispel the Fidelius-Charm without informing us?"
"No, my old friend and as for the Templars I informed them spontaneously", Dumbledore explained and suddenly he smiled, "And I have a supposition, who allowed our other guest to enter our private manor", he cast a meaningful look at Moody and then back to the intruder, "Am I right, Mister?"
"My apologies, Trent my name, William Trent. My respected Headmaster Dumbledore, should you assume that I stood behind a certain boy while he read a certain note in the company of a certain man, I fear you're right", declared the man with a charismatic voice, revealing that he was well versed in diplomatic matters.
The friendly brown eyes rested on Mad-Eye for a moment and his lips hinted a smirk but he composed himself quickly and continued informal, "I'm sure the name Harry Potter is common to everyone present and above it the reason why we're all here, right?"
"Do you hint to know his whereabouts?", Amelia asked friendly, whereas her eyes told 'when you know it, we will know it too before you leave this room, dead or alive'. "Yes and no", Trent answered politely, looking the Executor in the eyes, but ignoring the threatening glare. "Don't play games with us, boy!", an irritable Bor advised.
"I'm not here to play games, Executor Bor van Haag of the Templars", Trent replied friendly as ever. "You appeal well informed to me, William Trent. We'll sit down, put our weapons away and listen to you", Dumbledore retained the polite tone, but the emphasis was not to miss.
When everyone was provided with a chair and all weapons were sheathed, Dumbledore continued, "And now, Mister Trent, what does the MRC believes to know?" For a moment the friendly mask of politeness crumbled and surprise flitted over his face, before the muggle caught himself and the professional look reappeared.
Trent forced back a smile as he said, "I should have known that a magnificent project like this, couldn't be hidden from an interested wizard." Amelia, who didn't bother to hide her confusion, addressed Dumbledore and expressed, what all thought, "What, in the Lords name, are you two talking about?" Dumbledore shifted his spectacles and bend over, "The Magic-Research-Centre, or short MRC, is a well hidden project of several muggle governments, or at least they assumed it well hidden. My knowledge is superficial, to give them some credit, but I know that their headquarter is located on an island near the African east shore. I didn't manage to see what they do, but I bet they make progress."
"May I ask, how you learned about our actions?", inquired the muggle. "You may ask, but you'll have no answer", replied the aged wizard with a twinkle in his eyes. "Fine, you keep your secrets and we keep ours", stated a disappointed Trent, "but back to the topic. Harry Potter. We could provide intelligence in order to find him." "At the moment we know very well, where Harry is", contributed Mad-Eye and looked on the floor, where Harry's body rested.
Just in this moment the corpse was engulfed in blue light and vanished in the blink of an eye. Baffled silence claimed the room, until Shacklebold summarized their thoughts and exclaimed, "What the hell?" "My offer still stands", advised the muggle after a while and earned bitter looks. /This won't be necessary, said someone and again weapons were drawn. Osiris stepped into the light, his hoofs thudding lightly. "What is going on here? This is supposed to be a secret place!", growled Moody, as he lowered his wand along with the others.
/My apologies, but this day seems to be the day of revelation, heard everyone in his mind. "Then reveal to us, who you are and what do you want", suggested Dumbledore, who looked rather amused than surprised by the events. /Osiris my name, soul-bound to Harry Potter. I want to inform you that I know the current stay of the boy, you all long to find and I know too, that he is not to be disturbed by you. But don't worry, fate chose some of you to join me and my bonded, namely Nathaniel Johannisson, Hermione Granger and an elf called Dobby, stated the Thestral coolly.
"Nathaniel?", asked Uther uncertain. "Granger?", spat Snape startled. "Dobby", Dumbledore mused and with or without his intention, summoned the house-elf. "Yes, Sir?", inquired the little creature upon his arrival and was oblivious to the looks everyone cast on it. "Be so kind, inform Miss Granger, that she is relieved of her duties as student and will join Harry on his mission", pleaded the headmaster and dismissed the elf after exchanging a reassuring look with Osiris.
"You trust him in this matter?", Amelia asked the aged Wizard with a nod in the direction of the Thestral. Dumbledore didn't reply at once, but than answered, "We don't have much of a choice. We have a war to fight and need every intelligence on this issue. If he is indeed bound to Harry, he should search for him." Amelia nodded and spoke quietly with Uther. After a short talk, the Executor tapped her temple and a white glow radiated for a moment.
"Nathaniel is on his way", informed the woman, when the light was gone, and the matter was dropped. Instead everyone concentrated on the task to create a battle plan. Quickly all but one were consumed in their work and differences were laid aside for the moment. Osiris observed the scene and smiled inwardly. When Nathaniel arrived through a white-gleaming magical door, the Thestral turned away and established a telepathic link with the newcomer to familiarize him with their obligation.
Nathaniel nodded, surveyed the situation and then they were on their way to Hogwarts without being noticed.
Harry opened his eyes and blinked. Still the darkness around him remained. But that was secondary to him since he had his worst headache ever. He straightened up and grabbed his aching skull with his numb hands. He had had a hell of a nightmare and afterwards a dream too good to be true and thousands of unfamiliar images swirled through his mind. Slowly his thinking became clearer and he remembered the old man, no being was better, in its strange environment and his choice.
A groan escaped his mouth and the wizard shook his head. What had he done? Did he choose right? And why, by the trumpet-tongued angels, was it so dark?, he thought, or had he spoke loud, for someone called for him. "Hello? Anyone there?", exclaimed the person, somewhere in the darkness and echoes reverberated from unseen walls. Harry searched franticly for his wand, then remembered that he had transformed it to his Templar weapon and while fumbling for the sword he recalled the events in the cave, where he had meet Nathaniel and his renegades.
Harry sighed. Picking up a stone he tried to conjure some light in order to face the interloper not blind. The Templar sighed again as nothing happened. This appears to be one of these days you better stay in bed, complained Harry silently and winced as the other shouted again, this time much nearer. Then he froze as the approaching individual yelled, "There you are" with hundreds of echoes. How can it see me, wondered Harry anxious and stirred into the darkness. His apprehension increased as he heard steps closing in incredible fast, too fast pacing for just two legs.
The echoes made it impossible for Harry to locate the other person, thing, whatever and yelped in surprise as two hands seized his arms and pulled him up. "So, here you are", pronounced the other person, at least Harry hoped 'person' was adequate, friendly. "What?", asked the other as he felt Harry's roaming hands, which searched desperately for a hold for Harry's legs refused to carry out their duty. "Oh", made the other and steadied Harry again, "you can't see, right?" Harry just nodded, too confused to do anything else.
His support uttered some words in a strange language and suddenly the surrounding exploded in light. It radiated from things, Harry identified as mushrooms. Gigantic mushrooms. To smallest were his size, the largest he saw as large as trees. Harry stood in the middle of a mushroom forest. But that was not the oddest thing for the light was more than the ordinary white light of the sun or the orange one of torches, rather it glowed every colour Harry had ever seen. Harry forgot his confusion and his weakness. Without registering it he stepped away from his helper and turned around in amazement.
In every direction he found new wonders and facets, which astonished him. Eventually his gaze fell upon his companion, who watched him with a friendly smile. To Harry's relief he noticed two legs, two arms and one head, arranged in a reassuring human way of anatomy. Also Harry was almost certain that he was male. The fellow was rather small, about 5 feet tall with a youngish face and conspicuous black eyes. His head was shaved except for a topknot. "How? Why? … Who?", stuttered Harry wide-eyed, even unable to articulate this three words properly. It sounded like "Hw, wi, ou".
The smile of the stranger deepened and with a welcoming gesture, he invited Harry to follow him. "Come on, my friend, you need rest and nourishment and I know where you'll find both." Harry was not in the mood or condition to argue, so he followed.
I know, too short, too many unanswered questions, too many mistakes, but give me some time, would ya? I just wanted to post something, anything, to get me started again.
Please comment on this chapter! This is VERY IMPORTANT, no, ESSENTIAL to me and the story.
Thank you and C U, with kind regards,
Daly Daermon N'a'shezbaernon
