AN- Conversations in italics are in Elvish.

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 21

Remus paused as he reached what appeared to be an abandoned red-brick building on a muggle street in central London. The sign on the dusty window said Purge and Dowse, Ltd., another indicated it was "Closed for Refurbishment." In the front window, a dummy dressed in a style ten years out of date waited patiently, if a dummy could be said to have emotions, for him to state his purpose. He glanced both ways to make sure no muggles were watching then turned to address the dummy.

"Remus Lupin, visiting a patient." The mannequin nodded, and Remus looked around once more then stepped quickly through the window. Inside was a reception area filled with rickety wooden chairs, some occupied by people sporting bizarre features. A woman with multicolor snakes instead of hair sat patiently, reading an outdated issue of Witch Weekly. Beside her was a man holding a small child covered in blue feathers. Across the room, an elderly witch was holding the hand of a silver haired wizard with four eyes. Two teenagers who seemed to have switched arms with each other were standing in front of the welcome desk, arguing with the Welcome Witch.

Remus stopped as several healers in lime green robes passed, levitating a man who seemed to have attempted to turn himself into a hedgehog towards the fourth floor where injuries caused by miscast spells were fixed.

"We're going to the fourth floor," Remus whispered softly, as if talking to himself. Patients requiring long term care were located on the fourth floor, so this was the most likely place to find Myrddin, if he was indeed in a coma. He felt two tugs on the back of his robe, indicating the boys were still with him, and walked to the elevator.

Gavin tapped Remus's arm, the signal they'd agreed meant that they wanted to talk. The elevator was empty except for them, so Remus relaxed slightly and cast a muffliato spell. "It's alright to talk now, but make it quick."

"We're going to drop back behind you when you enter the ward," Gavin whispered. "Make sure you distract any healers that are there so we can find him and plant the rune stone. We'll follow you out, but don't leave until we give you the signal."

This was what they had agreed on, so Remus nodded slightly and removed the muffling spell. He lingered in the doorway as the elevator doors opened to prevent it from closing quickly, giving the boys time to get out, and then walked down the hallway past several other wards to the entrance to the long-term residents ward. They had agreed that this was the most likely place for Myrddin to be.

Remus opened the door and hesitated again as he noticed the Longbottom matron sitting between two of the beds on the far side of the ward. He'd met her a couple times when Frank and Alice had invited him, along with James, Lily, and Sirius, over to the Longbottom manor. He remembered how excited Frank had been the night when Neville was born and sighed sadly. Now, Frank and Alice were laying there in hospital beds, staring blankly at the ceiling, looking pale and aged beyond their years. It was tragic how they'd been reduced to this…

"May I help you, sir?" The motherly-looking healer in charge of the ward touched Remus's arm to catch his attention, and he turned to her with a start.

"Oh…yes….," Remus said, focusing his attention to the healer. "I was looking for Madam Longbottom, I was told she was here and I would like to speak with her?" This wasn't the actual excuse they'd agreed upon when they were planning this, it was better… since he really did want to speak with her concerning her grandson.

Gavin and Gwydion ghosted past Remus, splitting up as they moved through the ward to quickly look at each of the figures in the beds, checking carefully to make sure the ones with the covers pulled up were not Myrddin.

Gwydion slid silently through a gap in a square of screens set to enclose a single bed and hide the occupant from the rest of the ward. "Grandfather…," Gwydion breathed, reaching out to stroke Myrddin's pale cheek. He froze when he heard a soft snort and then a sniffling sound and a faint rustling, coming from the apparently empty chair on the other side of the bed. There was a guard under a wizard's invisibility cloak. Gwydion carefully placed an egg shaped stone carved with runes on the floor beside Myrddin's bed and backed out through the gap in the screens.

Remus meanwhile, had crossed the ward to where Augusta sat holding her son's limp hand.

"Madam Longbottom?" Remus said quietly. She looked up at him, the vulture on her strange hat bobbing its head slightly as she moved.

"Yes?"

"I don't know if you remember me," Remus began, but she cut him off.

"Yes, of course I do. You're Frank's friend, Remus Lupin…," Augusta nodded her head and set Franks hand back on his bed with a last sad pat. "You wished to speak with me?"

"Yes, would you join me for a cup of tea in the Visitor's Tearoom on the fifth floor?" Remus gestured towards the door and smiled slightly as Augusta agreed. He let out a breath of relief as he felt a single tug, followed by two more quick tugs on the back of his robe. One of the boys had found Myrddin!

Several minutes later, Remus was sitting with the older woman at a small table beside a window overlooking the busy London streets far below them.

"Are you sure this is the best way to do this?" A barely audible voice whispered in his ear, and he felt a hand clench his shoulder. He nodded slightly, and there was a sigh as whichever boy it was reacted. "Alright, it's on your head then if she reacts badly."

"Do you mind if I cast something so we'll have some privacy?" Remus asked quietly, gesturing at the other people in the Tearoom. He quickly cast muffliato, and a notice-me-not spell when Mrs. Longbottom nodded in agreement.

"So, Mr. Lupin, how can I help you?" Augusta sipped her tea, watching the man over the rim of the cup. She remembered him as the serious one out of the group of hooligans her son had befriended. Frank had said once that he was the only one of the bunch, besides Lily, that had a lick of sense. She hadn't heard anything about him since the Potter's death, and her son and daughter-in-law's torture, but she didn't know of any reason to distrust him, so she decided to listen to what he had to say.

"I wanted to speak with you about the legislation Dumbledore is trying to push through the Wizengamot," Remus began, setting his tea cup down on the saucer with a clink. "The Tutela pro thema oraculum."

Her face was nearly expressionless, but her eyes displayed a sharp glint of interest. "He claims there's a prophecy, but he won't tell anyone what it says, or who gave it, or who besides him heard it," Augusta admitted with disgust. "I don't know whether to believe there is one or not. I've managed to block him so far, but he's persistent." She gestured for him to continue.

"There really is a prophecy. I don't know the entire thing, but the first part says that "the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…." He sighed and swirled the dregs of his tea before finishing the last swallow. He resisted the sudden impulse to tip the tea leaves over into his saucer – he wasn't sure he wanted to know what they might show him. "Sibyll Trelawney spoke it to Dumbledore, shortly before July of 1981. Someone overheard part of it and told the Dark Lord, which is why Dumbledore told both James and Lily, and Frank and Alice, to go into hiding," he explained. "At that point it could have applied to either Harry or Neville, but as far as I know he never told Frank or James the entire prophecy."

He paused to watch her reaction as she heard that Dumbledore knew the full prophecy but apparently hadn't told the people it concerned the most. "Then on Halloween of 1982, the Dark Lord attacked Godric's Hollow. He killed James and Lily and then tried to kill Harry and his body was destroyed somehow, in the process marking Harry as the one the prophecy was about." Remus lifted his hand and traced a lightning bolt on his forehead.

"If Dumbledore knows this, why does he want to control Neville so badly…," Augusta frowned as an explanation came to her. If Harry was dead, he must think Neville was the one the prophecy spoke of, not Harry. It explained so much, including the way Dumbledore was acting now. Why hadn't her son told her? "I suppose James and Lily told you this?"

Remus shook his head slightly. "No…Harry told me."

Augusta's eyes widened and she looked around to make sure nobody was watching them. "Harry is dead…," she started to say then stopped when Remus shook his head again. "He's not?"

Her eyes narrowed as she thought about the ramifications if this were true. She picked up her tea again. "You're certain he's the one the prophecy spoke of, not Neville?"

Remus nodded with a slight smile. "Yes." He pulled his wand out and held it in front of him, out of sight of the rest of the Tearoom customers. "I, Remus John Lupin swear by my life and magic that everything I have said here is the truth." His wand glowed for a moment, confirming his words.

Augusta smiled and leaned forward eagerly. "Where has he been? How did he slip Albus's leash, and why couldn't anyone locate him? I know the old coot had tracking charms on the boy, blood ones too if I know him. He's not one to let anything out of his grip once he's got it."

"Someplace the tracking charms couldn't reach, a magical blood adoption by the people who rescued him, and a ritual that changed his identity so magic doesn't recognize him as Harry Potter," Remus explained, ticking the answers off on his fingers with a smirk.

She sat back, thoughts of the political repercussions if anyone found out Harry Potter was alive running through her mind. "You can't tell anyone…Dumbledore would tear half of England apart looking for him if he has even a hint the boy's alive, and the Ministry will tear up the other half to keep the boy-who-lived out of Dumbledore's hands. I think he's getting desperate, and he'll need watching closely."

Remus shook his head. "We don't intend to tell anyone else. I only told you because of Neville. I need your oath that you will keep this secret, and then I'll tell you the rest."

She sat for a long time, long enough for Remus to start to worry and finger his wand under the table. Finally she pulled her wand out of her purse and held it in front of her. "I, Augusta Eglantine Radford Longbottom swear on my life and magic that I will not speak of anything Remus Lupin has revealed to me today or anything he tells me in the future concerning the prophecy, or Harry Potter, without his express permission." A glow surrounded the wand as the oath took effect.

"Now, tell me why you wanted me to know this?" Augusta looked at Remus with a raised eyebrow.

"We think that Dumbledore believes…Vol… Voldemort," Remus stuttered on the vile name but managed to say it finally, "...will return. He intends to use Neville to fulfill the prophecy, no matter how it affects him, or anyone else, I suspect," Remus explained grimly. "He's fixated on Neville because Harry Potter is no longer available to him; apparently he thinks that since Harry died, he wasn't the one the prophecy concerned... I don't know what would happen to Neville if he was forced to fight that monster, but it wouldn't be good. We have a plan in the works to get the prophecy and find out the exact wording, but we have something to take care of first." He stopped for a minute, knowing what he was going to say next could set off an explosion.

"I want you to give Neville to me, to train him and keep him away from Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic. Dumbledore's nearly got enough votes to get his way, once he does there's nothing you can do. If you don't have him, though, they can't force you to give him up. When he's eleven, we'll send him to Hogwarts with Harry, under a disguise so Dumbledore won't know who he is."

He was surprised she didn't hex him into a glowing puddle, right where he sat. She looked furious at the suggestion she give up Neville, but then her expression changed and a calculating look entered her eyes. "Who is this "we" you are talking about, and what do you intend to teach him that I couldn't? Neville hasn't shown much magic…we weren't sure he even had any until recently."

"You need to see to believe," a lilting voice said softly in Augusta's ear, and she felt a smooth, water rounded stone being pressed into her hand by someone she couldn't see. "Tap this with your wand when you are ready to speak with us, and we will come. Please be careful, I think you're being watched."

Augusta set what she'd been given on the table beside her teacup, where it couldn't be seen from the rest of the room, and looked around casually, trying to see who had spoken to her. She saw nothing out of place so she looked at the stone curiously. A number of runes of a type she was not familiar with had been etched into the surface of a smooth black stone, about the size of a slightly flattened hen's egg, and then the lines filled with a white substance so the runes stood out.

Remus widened his eyes slightly in surprise as he saw the rune stone and stood, bowing courteously to Augusta. The boys had called the rune stone a drift target and had explained its use to him; he'd watched Gavin making several of them, but he hadn't known that he intended to use one for this.

"We can speak of this later, in a more secure place. I promise I'll answer all your questions." He picked up the stone, and set it in her hand again. "Set this on the floor of your entryway and tap it with your wand. We'll come and explain everything, make it sometime tomorrow though; we have something we need to do tonight." Remus said softly, curling her hand around the stone to conceal it. "Please be careful. If something happened to you, Dumbledore would have no problem getting custody of Neville…."

Sometime later, Remus sat facing an irate Sirius across the now clean kitchen table.

"I can't believe you did that, Remus!" Sirius thumped the table with his fist and glared at his friend. "You took a big risk talking to her!"

Gwydion munched on an apple as he watched the two men argue, wondering if he should interfere before it got worse. Finally he stood up, drawing their attention. "It doesn't matter," he stated calmly. "Gavin was told to give her the stone, so obviously she was supposed to know about us. We'll have to wait and see what happens when we have our meeting with her. Right now, however, we need to make sure we're ready to go get Grandfather."

"I've got the room ready, and I brewed some potions that might help, just in case," Sirius replied, ashamed that a nine year old was acting more adult than he was. "I wish I was coming with you though," he added.

"It's too great a risk," Remus answered, running his hands through his shaggy hair. "Gavin and I'll be making a distraction out in the hallway to draw the guard away. If something happens and we're separated, nobody will be looking for me – even if my disillusionment fails, I can blend into the crowd and slip out. If someone saw you, they'd be screaming for the auror's."

"You're going to have a glamour on anyway, so why couldn't I…," Sirius stopped when Gwydion started shaking his head and sighed, still not happy. "Gwydion, you need to get your grandfather as quickly as you can. Bring him straight back to the room I've got set up. I'll be waiting."

St. Mungo's was quiet tonight; very few people were in the waiting room for a change. It was after visiting hours and the only one in the Tearoom was the witch behind the counter. Remus and Gavin drifted into an empty office on the fourth floor, landing on the rune stone Gavin had dropped there that morning.

"Ready?" Remus asked, taking a handful of prank's out of his robe pocket.

Gavin grinned at him, tossing a large dung bomb up and down in his hand. "Ready!"

Remus disillusioned himself, and Gavin did the elven equivalent, and then they opened the door.

Elphias Doge sat up suddenly and set his book down, as a shrill scream echoed down the corridor from the direction of the healer's office. He stood, undecided…he was supposed to stay and guard the "mystery man," but he was unconscious, and likely to stay that way for the near future at least. A second scream joined the first, and several more voices could be heard raised in argument. He stood finally and moved to the door of the ward, opening it just enough to stick his head, covered by the invisibility cloak, out and see what was going on.

An apprentice healer ran past in the direction of the elevator, a hand held over her mouth, the scent of dung bomb mixed with another even worse smell following in her wake. More shrieks, this time of anger, sounded from down the hall, and Elphias grinned as he realized what had happened. Apparently someone had pulled a prank on the healers. He walked back to the screened area, intending to sit down and finish the book he'd been reading before his relief showed up in an hour…but the bed was empty!

"Dumbledore!" He yelled as he tapped his wand on the small mirror the leader of the Order of the Phoenix had given the guards. "Dumbledore!"

"Yes, Elphias," Dumbledore answered calmly. "No need to yell. What is happening?"

"The man's gone! I just stepped to the door to see what a noise was in the hallway, didn't even open it all the way, and when I came back he was gone!" Elphias insisted. "There's no way anyone could have gotten past me!"

"Check and make sure the apparition and port key wards are still up," Dumbledore instructed. "I'll be there in just a few minutes."

"How is he Gavin?" Sirius asked quietly, watching as the boys worked over their grandfather. Remus had thought to grab Myrddin's medical file when they attacked the healer's station with the pranks, and Gwydion took the clipboard off the end of the bed when he drifted his grandfather out of the long-term care ward. It had been a big help - Sirius had been able to interpret the test results so they knew what potions Myrddin had been given and what treatments he'd received.

The fractured skull he'd received in the Hogs Head Tavern had healed, as had the bruises he'd gotten in the scuffle, but he was still suffering from the multiple stunners he'd been hit with. Otherwise, he was more or less healthy.

"He's not as bad as I was afraid he'd be," Gavin answered quietly as he cast a diagnostic spell to check the improvement after the last healing spell Gwydion had done. "I haven't tried to wake him up yet… I think he's gone into his own mind so he couldn't be questioned."

Gwydion lifted his grandfather's head and carefully dripped a potion into his mouth, stroking his throat to make sure he swallowed it. "I think we're ready to wake him up Gavin," he said, putting the vial aside. "He's already responding to the strengthening potion."

Gavin nodded then climbed onto the bed, kneeling beside his grandfather. He set his fingers on the man's temples and closed his eyes, a look of concentration settling on his face.

Gwydion touched Sirius's arm to get his attention and motioned that he and Remus should leave, following them out and shutting the door quietly.

"Why aren't you helping?" Remus asked as they entered Sirius's bedroom and took seats in front of the fireplace.

"Gavin's better at this type of thing," Gwydion explained with a shrug. "I'm better at attacking someone's mind, what you wizards call legillimency, but he's better at mind healing." He turned sideways in the chair and pulled his feet up, wrapping his arms around his knees and laying his head down on them. "I don't know how long it will take, but if he's not found him in an hour I'll make him take a break."

"Would you like to hear about your father while we wait?" Sirius asked suddenly, trying to distract his godson. He didn't wait for an answer, starting into a long story about a prank the Marauders had played on the Ravenclaw's in their fifth year.

Everyone looked up about a half hour later when the bedroom door opened and Gavin stuck his head in with a big grin on his face. "He's awake!" He had to jump back, to avoid getting run over by his brother.

Myrddin was propped up in bed, looking around the room curiously as they all came in. Gwydion flew across the room and wrapped his arms around his grandfather, sobbing as he was pulled onto the bed and into a big hug.

"I'm sorry Grandfather!" Gwydion sniffed finally, wiping tears of relief off his cheeks. "I was so worried…I didn't think we'd be able to find you…," he admitted quietly as Myrddin ran his hand through the boy's hair to calm him.

"It wasn't your fault, little one," Myrddin admitted wearily as Gwydion settled on the bed beside him, his head on the man's chest. "I got careless and asked too many questions, I think." He turned to look at the two unfamiliar men standing beside the bed. "Gavin, could you introduce me to your friends?"

Gavin blushed with embarrassment for having to be reminded of his manners, and then bowed to his grandfather. "Grandfather, I would like to introduce Remus John Lupin, a wise man and a friend, and this is Sirius Orion Black, Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. He is Gwydion's godfather, and we are guests in his house." He turned to face Sirius and Remus. "Lord Black, Mr. Lupin, this is our Grandfather, Myrddin Rhys Emrys."

Sirius and Remus both bowed to the man in the bed. "I am glad you are alright, Sir," Sirius said, reaching out to pull Gavin against him in a one armed hug. "The boys were really worried about you."

Myrddin looked at the boys, and they both looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "I understand…but why are you here in the human world? You should be back in Cymru with Etain?" Myrddin looked at Gavin again, but he turned and put his arms around Sirius, burying his head against the dark haired man's chest.

Sirius looked down at Gavin sadly and pulled him closer, putting his arms around the boy as he started crying quietly.

Myrddin looked down at Gwydion.

Gwydion sat up reluctantly, looking over at Gavin for help, but realizing his brother was too upset to talk. "You were all we had left," he began hesitantly. "Great Grandmother was…," he stopped as tears began to trickle down his cheeks again. "She…."

Gavin turned around, still in the circle of Sirius's arms. "She was killed when men from one of the factions kidnapped us. They killed her…we didn't even have a chance to fight back…It was the ones who want the Gate closed I think," he explained angrily, wiping the tears off his face. He was angry, as well as grief stricken, about what had happened to his beloved Great Grandmother. "The High Council would have taken us from the Grove, so we had to run before they had a chance to find us. Newlyn helped us get through the Gate, and then we found a place to hide."

"They rescued me from Azkaban, the wizarding prison," Sirius explained quietly. "I was put there after Gwydion's parents were killed…everyone thought I was the one that told the Dark Lord where they were…but we had switched Secret Keepers."

Remus took up the story then. "The real Secret Keeper was another friend of ours," he started to explain, but Myrddin interrupted.

"Peter Pettigrew, right?" Myrddin smiled slightly when they looked surprised. "I had found out about you being sent to prison, Sirius, and I had my doubts about your guilt, but no proof." Myrddin sighed, laying his head back and closing his eyes for a minute. "I was going to try and find you, to ask you some questions and get you out if you proved to be innocent, but I was attacked before I could." He opened his eyes and looked at Sirius and Remus. "I don't suppose you know who hit me, do you?"

Sirius and Remus exchanged looks then turned back to Myrddin. "Dumbledore's men," Remus answered. "Not sure which ones, but I can guess. You were asking questions about someone he wanted forgotten," he said. "They were guarding you at St. Mungo's, the wizard hospital; we had to break you out." He growled softly, the wolf showing in his eyes. "I'm almost sorry we left before Dumbledore got there."

"So am I," both boys said at the same time, grim expressions on their faces.

AN- I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Please let me know if you spot mistakes so I can correct them? Thanks for the reviews, especially the ones with comments!