Ah yes, the triumphant next part! Dun, dun, dun! So…right now, I have a Luna Lovegood wallpaper on my computer. That's how good I am at writing, I end up loving certain characters because I just write them so well! (Modesty is my saving grace.) Somebody should draw her with her bunny ears, I think that would be hilarious. It was kind of a random idea, but I thought it was neat. But this chapter is going to be cool. It should be anyways, if it's not, just blame it on me. But I wrote part of this chapter when I was getting a vague idea of what would happen in this story.
Pobbin: Or will I pair her with one of them? No, good god no. Also, sorry about creeping you out, but see, I was at work and it was kind of slow and I was goofing around and I went to see what fanfics you had written and discovered it. It was good—everybody go read Brothers by Pobbin.
Disclaimer: I don't own HP.
Warnings: Snow, mild swearing, and some artemisia absinthium.
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The Eternal Snowlands
Chapter Four
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Harry woke up feeling rather stiff. Even though he was under warm blankets, part of him still felt chilled. He poked his head up and looked around the tent. The other boys were all still asleep. Ron was sprawled out a few feet away, his hands and feet sticking out from under his blankets. Hermione and Tonks were sleeping in the bunk beds across the room from them.
Fred and George were curled up next to each other in such a way that Harry thought it probably wasn't a good idea to stare. It was daylight outside, he could tell and so he got up.
"Come on you guys!" Harry exclaimed loudly, hoping to wake them all up. "It's time to start getting up.
A pillow hit him in the face.
"Oh, thanks." Harry glared at the sleeping boys, unable to tell who threw it. Fred and George didn't look as though they had moved, but then, neither did Ron. "I'm serious. We need to get up."
"Whaa…?" Hermione had one eye opened, her hair was sticking up at all sorts of different angles. "Oh, is it time to get up?" She shook herself and climbed out of bed, wincing when her warm feet touched the cold floor. "I'll put some tea on."
"Tea?" Tonks poked her head out from under her covers.
"I want tea." Fred didn't even bother opening his eyes to make the request.
"Ron still won't wake up." Harry nudged the tall red-haired boy who might have been dead for all the reaction he gave to this.
"Maybe I'll pour a cup of tea on him—that'd wake him up." Hermione said slyly as she went about her work.
"I'm awake!" Ron jumped up quickly, looking scared. "No need to pour tea on me…"
After that, everyone got dressed and ready to go out into the snowy landscape, ate some breakfast and had a cup of hot tea. When they emerged from the tent, Harry saw a world of emerald green before him through his goggles. The snow was obviously a dazzling white and this made him push his goggles up to see it for a moment. The clear blue sky glared down from above and the snow was so white it looked blue. Chionia immediately noticed them.
"Are you done resting for now?" Chionia looked as imperious as ever and showed no signs of having spent all night outside in the snow. Harry thought about what she said about not needing rest.
"Yes." Harry nodded his head. "We've just got to pack up camp and we can get moving."
"We will be leaving the outer perimeter today." Chionia reminded them. "Over this hill…the worst things you have faced so far are snow bunnies…you must listen to me closely and heed my warnings as we travel on. There are things that can kill you with a single touch."
"Like what?" Hermione asked curiously.
"The Shivering Boy." Chionia's voice dropped a little as she said this. "And then there's…well, there's always a chance…"
"A chance of what?" Harry didn't like this whole vague alluding thing to the danger ahead.
"Nothing, let's go on." Chionia shook her head and her high crown only emphasized the movement.
Harry frowned a little and saw the wary faces of his fellow travelers but as the camp was already packed away, it was time to go on. It was a tough climb, the hill was far steeper than it had originally looked. The progress was also slowed by them slipping down. Chionia waited impatiently for them, even in her white gown and slippers, she had no problem at all treading up the side of this large hill.
Ron was just pulling Hermione up so she could be at the top of the hill when Fred and George gasped simultaneously. Everyone turned around to look down into a valley that spread out before them.
They were amazed to see a great expanse of yellow-green in front of them; it was a valley full of color, where the rest of the land was a dead white. Chionia's blue eyes looked out onto it with a disdainful air.
"This is a dangerous land. We would do better to pass around it." Chionia's tones were ominous but the others didn't seem to understand what the danger could be.
"What's scary about this?" Ron cocked his head to one side. "What's gonna hurt you? Isn't this your land?"
"It is not dangerous for me." Chionia's eyes swung towards Ron and Ron suddenly had a horrible sinking feeling.
"But that'll take days!" Harry protested. "You said yourself that this is the shortest way."
"Indeed." Chionia's high crown bobbed a little as she moved her head. "We shall go this way. There is a chance that since I am with you, you will be fine. Do not stray from the group and at all costs, keep your eyes on the person in front of you and don't listen to the singing. I will go first, they will not distract me. You," She pointed a long white finger at Hermione. "You will be the end of the line."
"Alright." Hermione looked taken aback but got in line with everyone else, right behind Ron.
"Forward." Chionia began to walk in front of them and Harry, who was right behind her, kept his eyes locked on her back. What was going on? Why were all these plants here? And what were they?
"I know this!" Hermione suddenly knelt down, causing everyone to turn as she picked a yellow-green leaf from one of the plants. "It's artemisia absinthium."
"It's…what?" Tonks asked slowly, speaking for everyone else in the group except perhaps Chionia.
"Wormwood." Hermione pronounced its common name. "The kind that's put into absinthe—it's a kind of—"
"Alcohol, we're not stupid." George rolled his eyes. "Why is nothing but wormwood growing here?"
"Well, maybe someone set up some kind of absinthe making thingie and they planted a bunch of it so they wouldn't run out." Ron offered.
"Someone planted wormwood in the Eternal Snowlands?" Hermione looked at him pointedly.
"It's not that." Chionia seemed to be listening for something. "If we hurry we can walk through this valley without them noticing."
"Without who noticing?" Harry didn't like the idea of being surrounded by poison.
Suddenly, breaking through the air, the sound of a beautiful singing voice started up and several more joined it.
"Cover your ears!" Chionia ordered at once. "You boys, cover your ears!" But it was too late. Hermione and Tonks could only watch in bewilderment as looks of sleepy happiness began to wash over the boys' faces. They looked like they were in a trance and they started to turn and walk in a different direction. "Stop them!"
"Petrificus totalus!" Hermione shot off the curse at Ron, who fell forward, stiff as a board. Tonks quickly hexed the twins while Hermione also got Harry. The bushy-haired girl frowned at Chionia. "What's going on?" The snow queen sighed.
"I was hoping we wouldn't run into them…" Chionia trailed off and looked into the distance. Hermione and Tonks followed her gaze and were startled to see that there were figures walking towards them. They couldn't quite make them out but it was obvious that they were the singers. "We are in the Valley of the Veela."
"Okay, what are veela?" Tonks didn't think the singing was so bad, she didn't see the danger in it. But obviously Chionia had her reasons and the boys weren't wandering off.
"I think I've read something about them…the name sounds awfully familiar for some reason…" Hermione rubbed her chin with a gloved finger. "Aren't they women?"
"They look like human women, although they are not." Chionia explained, glancing at the figures who were coming closer and closer. "Veela are extremely dangerous and use their charms to trap men so that they can devour them."
"What!" Hermione grabbed hold of Ron's arm. "We've got to get out of here then!"
"I will deal with them." Chionia drew herself up. "They don't like to admit it but I am the ruler in this land. Don't say anything to them, if you do, make it nothing but compliments. Veela are as vain as anything."
"Should we um, un-hex the boys?" Tonks asked tentatively.
"As soon as the singing stops." Chionia nodded and just as she said that, the veela did cease singing. Hermione and Tonks went about muttering the counter curse before looking to see the veela for the first time.
Everyone of them looked like tall, extremely beautiful women. They had long silvery-blue hair or golden-blonde hair. Their skin practically glowed and they were perfect from head to toe—dressed in long silk dressed that while covering them, were still extremely revealing. Hermione theorized that the cold didn't affect them as much as it did humans.
"What the hell…?" Ron and the other boys looked around a little groggily. "Who are they!" Ron's mouth dropped open when his eyes focused on the veela.
"None of them are very good looking." One of the veela women pouted prettily as she surveyed them. "Although the twins are exciting in their own way…"
"They have freckles." Another one sniffed almost sadly.
"Men who wander into this valley are ours." A veela told Chionia, taking note of her. "Leave them be. We'll take care of them…"
"I won't let you eat them!" Hermione stepped up.
"Yeah, get your breakfast elsewhere." Tonks crossed her arms.
"Oh." The veela who spoke to Chionia turned towards the other veela. "These…girls want to claim them over us. We are much prettier than they…"
"What's going on?" Harry finally broke in.
"These are veela." Hermione shot the veela women a dirty look and they giggled in response. "They want to eat you and the other boys."
"Sometimes we don't eat them." One veela shrugged gracefully. "The half-veela don't. They think it is…cannibalism." The other veela grinned as though an inside joke had just been traded. "None of you are as pretty as we, so we own your men."
"I don't fancy ending up on someone's plate." Fred whispered to Tonks.
"I'm as pretty." Tonks declared, stepping forward. The veela surveyed her disdainfully.
"Her face shape is alright but her hair is like a boy's…" One veela sniffed. "Pretty eyes as well."
"Your confidence is very quaint but I'm afraid…" The veela who seemed to be in charge spoke again. Tonks screwed her eyes shut and the next moment, the veela talking was staring at her inches shorter double. "How in the world!" The other veela murmured in approval at this display.
"Indeed, now she is extremely beautiful." One veela spoke loudly.
"She looks just like you, Ariel!" Another exclaimed and walked over to Tonks, to feel her hair and pinch her cheeks. Tonks tried her best not to flinch when several more came up to do the same.
"Yes, although she is not as tall." The veela named Ariel waved an accepting hand. "You want these men?"
"Yeah." Tonks nodded.
"If only I was a Metamorphmagus…" Ron looked mournfully over at Tonks. Hermione glared at him but he didn't see her.
"There is no argument." Chionia looked disapprovingly at the veela women. "These are my companions and as such, you will not touch them."
"Yes, yes, but the pretty one wants to keep them." Ariel barely seemed to note Chionia's presence. "So, you can change your appearance at will?"
"That's right." Tonks yawned.
"Oooh, you must come to our village!" One of the veela pulled on Tonks arm. "I wish to see more of this!"
"A veela village!" Hermione exclaimed. "Oh, the things I could learn…"
"Shouldn't we keep on going?" Harry was glad he wasn't going to be eaten by veela and thought that they shouldn't try their luck by sticking around longer.
"We have to go right by the village…" Chionia trailed off. "We would be going in the right direction and the veela are in a good mood now…it's best to humor them. They are like children; they will not listen to anyone, not even me."
"They're so…so…vain!" Hermione murmured crossly as they started to follow Tonks who was being led away by the veela. "They were going to eat you guys if Tonks hadn't had the presence of mind to turn into one of them! It's so shallow."
"Tonks saved our lives by becoming really pretty. But what if that isn't enough when we get the village?" Ron looked thoughtful and Hermione seemed glad to have someone agree with her. "Hermione, do you know any spells to make yourself prettier?"
A moment later, Ron was lying on his back in the snow. A huffy looking Hermione stomped forward to walk up with Chionia.
"What did I say?" Ron let Harry help him up out of the snow.
"I think this is a little dangerous." Harry walked with the other boys. "But Chionia seems to be okay with it and I guess we have to trust her." The others nodded in agreement.
The village took a couple of hours to get to but when they got there they were amazed to see beautiful little cottages everywhere. There were girls everywhere. Harry saw one or two boys, who looked like they were also veela but not nearly anywhere near the number of girls.
"Veela boys are extremely rare." Chionia explained to them over her shoulder, her head held high. Hermione, whether she realized it or not, was walking much the same way. "There are pure veela but many are half."
"Anything less than half is not even worth mentioning." Ariel added onto this commentary. "Half veela is bad enough…"
Another thing that they noticed right away was the mirrors. They were everywhere. Outside of houses, on doors, and most of the veela seemed to have hand mirrors. There was an awful lot of preening going on.
"We've found an entire village of Zabini." Fred joked.
"Now that you mention it…" Hermione trailed off, looking at the veela women. "Zabini does kind of look like them."
"Let's never tell him about this." George put in hastily.
"You must come to my house!" Ariel was practically dragging Tonks to one of the cottages.
"We do not have time…" Chionia began but noticed almost no one was paying attention to her. "We can only stay a short time, and then we must be on our way."
They all filed into the house, which was cozy and was decorated in an extremely girly style. Harry noticed Ron wrinkling his nose and smothered a snicker.
"Fleur!" Ariel stamped her foot.
"I'm coming." A girl appeared in the front hall, about the same age as them. She had the silvery blonde hair and sparkling eyes that the other veela had but she was slightly less imposing, although no one could put their finger on why.
"Fleur is my half sister." Ariel explained right away. "She's…a halfling."
"You're half human?" Harry looked at Fleur curiously.
"Yes." Fleur looked slightly downcast for a moment. Then she brightened. "What brings you to the village? Are you here to breed with the veela women?"
"We're on our way to the palace." Harry explained, noticing Ron's slightly downcast look. "Didn't you know about the trouble there?"
"No." Ariel and Fleur said together.
"They wouldn't." Chionia's expression didn't soften at all.
"Look at this one here." Ariel pointed to Tonks who still looked exactly like her. "She can change her appearance! See how she's become as pretty as me?"
"Can you?" Fleur cocked her head to one side and a moment later, Tonks had transformed to look just like her, with a similar expression on her face. "You look just like me…"
"Now you are not as pretty as me." Ariel looked sad. "But when you look like a halfling, how can you expect to compete with a full blooded veela?" Fleur's expression didn't waver at all but Hermione thought that was an awful thing to say to one's own sister.
"You seem young to be helping the Snow Queen." Fleur changed the subject. "Are you great adventurers?"
"Nah, wizards." Ron flourished his wand.
"Wizards? Then…can you use magic?" Fleur looked a bit excited.
"Yes." Hermione nodded. "Although females are called witches."
"When I was born—" Fleur began and was cut off by Ariel.
"Fleur, you may not ever be a real veela but you could at least hold more pride towards your heritage." Ariel tossed her hair over her shoulder.
"I am trying to tell a story, Ariel." Fleur frowned at her sister and turned towards Harry and the others. "Full blooded veela can never stop talking." Ariel's nostrils flared and her mouth tightened. "As I was saying, when I was born, a wand appeared. My mother said that humans could use magic. Veela have their own type of magic but the less veela you are, the less it works."
"A witch veela?" Hermione leaned in, invading Fleur's personal space a little. "That's really fascinating, I didn't know anyone but humans could use our particular brand of magic. I think I remember Firenze saying something…" Hermione looked lost in thought.
"Come in and have tea with us." Ariel gestured towards a small living room.
"Oh…" Harry looked over at Chionia's disapproving face. "We really should be on our way. Thanks a lot though, maybe next time."
"I'm afraid I didn't catch your name…" Fleur held out a small, princess-like hand.
"Harry Potter." Harry shook her hand which obviously surprised Fleur. Ariel giggled into her hand. "You know…if you're a witch, you should learn how to use magic. In Annwn, in the Northern Mountains, there's a castle called Hogwarts. If you go there, they'll teach you magic. It's where all of us are staying."
"Really? Me?" Fleur's eyes sparkled. "Thank you very much, Harry Potter. I will remember your invitation."
After a few good-byes, the group tromped back out into the village and began walking past all the veela once more.
"Oh, Harry, why did you invite her?" Hermione's mouth twisted unsurely. "Ron will never learn magic if he's too busy drooling!"
"Concerned for our dear younger brother's education, eh, Hermione?" George sidled up to her with a sly grin. "How noble…"
"Yes, how absolutely selfless…I'm sure it has nothing to do with Hermione being jealous of Fleur…" Fred shot at Hermione who went pink but looked extremely dignified and didn't say anything else.
"It will take at least four days, maybe five to reach the pass through the Impregnable Mountains." Chionia told them as they walked away from the quaint veela village. "And then we must first travel to Mt. Niobe, to visit the nixies before going on to the palace."
"Four or five days?" Ron grumbled.
"Come on, it won't be so bad." Harry gave him an encouraging smile. "At least we weren't eaten by veela."
"I don't think Ron would have minded." Fred snickered.
"What are nixies like?" George wondered out loud.
"They're ice fairies…they make ponds perfect for ice-skating…" Everyone jumped when a taller Luna Lovegood made the vague comment.
"Cute, Tonks." Fred hit the fake Luna on the back. Tonks changed right back to her regular self.
Chionia turned her face from the joking teenagers and her brow furrowed. Should she tell them? About…?
I hope that the men who've driven me from my palace don't find it…if it's let loose…
The Wendigo…
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To Be Continued
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Ooooooooh, foreshadowing fun! So, this might sound strange, but I wrote out a small snippet of this chapter when I was first planning this story…it seems like ages ago. (It was like February…) The part right when they first see the valley covered in wormwood…not the most important part of the whole story, but I liked the imagery right there. I swear to everything there's a mythological connection to veela on that whole wormwood thing. I'll explain all the mythology references at the very end of this story. Of course, you know Fleur had to make a cameo, I love her character so much! I thought she was kind of neat in the fourth book but she wowed me over in the sixth book…oh well, please review!