Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter, Labyrinth or anything else you recognise.

A/N: This is the un-beta'd version. I'll post a revision when I receive the chapter back from my beta! Thanks to everyone for all the reviews, I hope I can continue to make this story enjoyable for everyone.

Chapter Five

"Life can be easy
It's not always swell
Don't tell me truth hurts, little girl
'cause it hurts like hell."

23rd May, 2005 – Head Goblin Ragnok's Office, Gringotts.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Ragnok said, glancing over the reports from various subordinates that had been piling up on his desk all day – must get a better assistant, he mentally reminded himself – to look at a seal he rarely saw these days. "King Jareth? Now what might you have to say for yourself I wonder?" He murmured, unrolling the parchment and reading the letter from his sovereign.

"Greetings Ragnok,

I would write all the usual platitudes and ritual addresses, however I have neither the time nor feel the inclination for such pomp and ceremony. Let me assure you, this is no kind of portent of any change in the situation of you and your people. Your current autonomy is suitable for both of us and I have no wish to change it. That is not the reason I am writing to you, so rest easy old friend.

My reason for contacting you is of a more personal nature – not as a monarch to one of his subjects, but as a man to his friend. I believe Griphook must have told you of the arrival of a young mortal into my realm? I cannot imagine that you are ignorant of this fact, so I will impart to you the circumstances which have occurred since his tenure here in the Underground began.

For one thing, he was gravely ill when he arrived. In fact his body was on the verge of shutting down completely, so damaging has the binding of his magic been. I believe the one who performed the binding did not take the proper care to ensure there would be no lasting damage, and can only hazard a guess as to their reasons.

Griphook informed me of the identity of my visitor – one Harry James Potter, a wizard. He also told me of Mr Potter's status of a Goblin Friend and he himself has advised me of the facts around how that came about. He is still somewhat bashful over the whole affair, and still in denial that he did anything out of the ordinary. But that is the way he is, and from what I can perceive so far, I think that that is the way he will always be. I dread to think what kind of trauma could kill that part of him, and am amazed that the betrayal of his associates has not done so already.

What Griphook is unaware of, and so similarly are you, is that Mr Potter is not a wizard. He is not even human. During my healing I unlocked more than the bind on his wizarding powers, though those have been somewhat negated in the process. He is in fact an elf, more specifically, one of the Avariel who inhabit my Underground.

I am sure you are as shocked as I was to learn of this, but I assure you, it is true. What is even more surprising, is that he bares a striking resemblance to a family whose child was stolen nearly two hundred of your earth years ago. I do not see how this is possible, but these are the facts. I have sent to Faenya-Dail – the Avariel city – to see if answers can be found. I do not know what may happen, but Enaberia (their Queen), was ever impetuous in her youth. I have a feeling that she will arrive here within hours of receiving my message.

I hope the meeting is fruitful, but on that subject I can say no more than that.

Aside from any advice that you might offer, I would like to ask a favour. As an Avariel, regardless of his name or family, Mr Potter is now one of my subjects. However, I believe that as he was Harry Potter when he inherited his estates, they still belong to him despite his change. Is this correct? I am afraid that I am ignorant of some of the finer points of Aboveground law and regulations.

If this is so, then perhaps you could begin the process of unfreezing Mr Potter's assets and sending down any of his personal items? I will confer with him to ask if there is anything specific he would like done with the money, or if he would like it added to a vault within your establishment here.

I thank you in advance for your help Ragnok. May fortune always smile on you and your family,

Jareth

Ragnok was taken aback.

Never had he received such an informal letter from his King! Not that he actually had much correspondence with Jareth, the fae tended to leave him alone as long as he was running things Aboveground efficiently. In fact Ragnok had always been rather intrigued with the legends surrounding his eons old monarch, and when he ascended into his current office, he had sent overtures to said King, to try and get to know him a little. He had met with limited success at first, but gradually, over time, he had established a good working relationship with the fae.

Even so, he letters were usually straightforward, and to the point, sometimes verging on cold and aloof. But this…this was different. He chuckled slightly as he reread a few lines.

Perhaps young Mr Potter had healed Jareth just as much as Jareth had healed him. It would be rather like him after all.

14th November, 1999 - The Burrow, Ottery St Catchpole

Harry stumbled to the side, losing his balance slightly as he tried to walk along the landing to the bathroom. His head was so foggy! He knew he had been working hard lately, as his coursework for his Biology A-level was due in a few weeks, but still…He didn't think he'd neglected himself this much.

He paused, leaning against the wall and rubbing a hand across his eyes in an attempt to clear them. What was the matter with him? He hadn't drunk anything, as he had to be at college early tomorrow, and he had avoided any of the richer foods, since his stomach just couldn't take them.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, hands grabbed him and dragged him off to the side.

He was pulled through a doorway, his shoulder scraping the frame, making it ache and sting. He was likely to have a nasty bruise there in the morning, but whoever had hold of him didn't seem to notice or care. He was pushed down onto a bed, and someone started ripping at his clothes.

"N-NOOOO!" He yelled, incoherently.

A whisper of sound followed, and then he couldn't make any noise at all.

His mind was still cloudy but his instincts were still intact, and they were screaming that whatever was happening, he didn't want it. So he fought, tooth and nail, not giving whoever it was time to go for their wand again.

He was tiring quickly however, as whatever was affecting his brain was taking its toll. He wouldn't give up though, and was trying to break through the haze in his mind to think of ways to escape. He didn't even register that this was the home of his best friend, and so he should be safe. Shouldn't need to escape.

A shout echoed somewhere nearby, and the person who was holding him stilled instantly. Harry didn't though, and he used this chance to push them off him and run out of the room. He couldn't see where he was going exactly, he just headed towards the lights coming from downstairs. He half ran, half fell down the stairs and was out the door in seconds, ignoring the cries of protest from the people gathered there, and sped off into the night.

23rd May 2005 – Near the Entrance to the Labyrinth, GoblinCity

"Now ye don't want to be going in there. It's not so good these days. Ever since Sarah. Well, the King, he don't be paying so much attention, like." Hoggle said, looking at the doorway with equal parts fear and distaste. Harry shuddered at little when he looked over the giant maze. It reminded him too much of the Third Task, and Cedric's death.

It was funny that, no matter how much time passed, some things he just couldn't get over. The death of Cedric Diggory was one of those things. The injustice, the unfairness, the sheer sadness of it, still haunted him to this day.

Damn it! Cedric was someone he had looked up to! Sure, there was that thing with Cho Chang, but he hadn't really been all that serious about her. But Cedric, he was one of the few who treated him like a person, and not some icon or figurehead. And to see him there, dead, lifeless eyes staring at the dark sky…it still made him wake up in a cold sweat, even if it was more than a decade ago.

"I think you're right absolutely right Hoggle, I definitely do not want to go in there." He replied, not noticing the startled jump from the gnarled old dwarf when Harry got his name right. Had he realised this, he would have also realised that he'd now made himself a new friend.

His eyes still on the Labyrinth, Harry's mind posed a question about something the dwarf had said. "Hoggle, who is Sarah?"

14th November, 1999 - The Burrow, Ottery St Catchpole

"What the bloody hell do you think you are doing!?!"

The shout from upstairs made the people who had just been staring at the kitchen door jump, and turn their attention to the direction of the sound. There were a few muffled noises and then they could clearly hear someone stomping down the stairs. A second set of footsteps followed, and the same voice which had just yelled started up again.

"Don't you dare walk away from me! I asked you a question! Now tell me what you think you were doing with Harry! Go on! Answer me!"

There was real anger contained in that voice, and the people at the table exchanged worried glances, though not all for the same reasons. Before anyone could comment, two people burst into the kitchen. One was clearly angry and the other was trying to maintain a cool exterior. It was working, to a point, but to those who knew her well, the cracks were showing.

"Well? Are you going to answer? Or perhaps I should address my question to your family? Maybe they can explain why I just found you upstairs trying to rape my godson!?!"

The silence was so intense it was practically oppressive.

"I don't know what you mean Professor Lupin. Harry and I were just having fun, and then your shout must have surprised him, and he left. That is all." It sounded weak even to her own ears, but Ginny knew that she would get away with it. After all, hadn't her mother and a few others helped her plan it? Really, the werewolf should learn not to stick his nose in where it wasn't wanted.

"Well it bloody well didn't look like fun to me! And I'm sure Harry would agree with me if he was here. For Merlin's sake, he was bleeding!" He looked on the petite redhead with disgust. "And he's gay! Why would he even think about laying a finger on you? You're the wrong bloody gender. And even if you weren't I sincerely doubt Harry would ever want to get mixed up with someone like you." He sneered at her, furious over what she had tried to do, and what she was now trying to get away with.

His words seemed to spur her family into action, and several of them got up to argue over his words. It was chaos for a few moments, before another loud voice interrupted them.

"SILENCE." There was a pause while all eyes turned to Dumbledore. "Thank you. Now Remus, I believe you are being hasty. Things must be the way Ginerva here has told them, she is simply not the kind to attack someone, and after all, we all know Harry can take care of himself. Come, let's take a walk outside, so you can cool off."

Not having realised what a danger the old man was, Remus had not put up any shield, therefore the compulsion charm the old wizard cast over him made sure he would follow the Headmaster outside, just as he'd asked.

Again, not expecting an attack, he couldn't dodge the next curse either.

"Imperio."

23rd May 2005 – Near the Entrance to the Labyrinth, GoblinCity

Haltingly, Hoggle related the tale of what had happened when the last mortal had run the Labyrinth. Since the dwarf didn't know the entire story, only what Sarah had told him and what he had personally witnessed, Harry only found himself even more intrigued, about both the mortal and his new lover.

That thought made him stop for a moment.

What was happening with the two of them? There was so much he didn't understand about his new situation, and the Goblin King was looming larger and larger at the top of that list. The man was just so...enigmatic. There were so many layers to his personality that Harry believed he had barely scratched the surface in the short time he had been there.

Did he want to find out more? He admitted to himself that he did. Jareth was just so fascinating, that any association with him was thrilling in the extreme. His rather subdued heart found the whole thing exciting and was already trying to open itself up to the strange monarch.

Aside from all of that though, he was a bloody elf! And it looked like he may not even be Harry Potter anymore, in fact, he may have never been Harry Potter in the first place!

How did he feel about that, he asked himself. Good? Bad? Indifferent? He wasn't really sure. He supposed he was still in shock and it hadn't actually sunk in that he was in a different world, a world where he wasn't even human.

What did this mean for his life? What about his magic even?

On a sudden impulse, he jumped to his feet, and walked out into an open area, away from the tree he and Hoggle had sat under to find some shade. Looking around, gazed over this lush and fantastical land, and let it soak into him. Closing his eyes, he looked deep within himself, to his core.

It was there.

By the Stars! It was really there! Alive and pulsing, renewed and just bloody brilliant. Laughing joyously, he opened his eyes and shouted out in triumph. It was back! He realised, the feeling of completeness, was coming directly from his magical core, unbound, unfettered and free! And he knew exactly who he had to thank for that.

His wings fluttered and he rose up from the ground a little. Feeling an odd sensation, he glanced down and saw he was hovering. He started in surprise. He turned to see Hoggle frowning at him, and scratching his knobbly head.

"I don't know that ye be wantin' a mess around with them yet." He said, crossing his arms and huffing a little. Harry tittered nervously.

"Um, how do I get back down?" He asked, and then abruptly fell down to the unyielding ground.

"Like that." Hoggle replied.

Having landed with an 'oomph!,' as the air was knocked out of him, Harry got up on his knees to rub his abused posterior. He scowled at his wings and the old dwarf and decided a nice sulk would do the trick.

24th May, 2005 - Jareth's Bedroom, The Castle Beyond the Goblin City

"Good Morning, Harry." The Goblin King murmured, as he felt the body nestled next to his begin to stir.

"G'way, still sleepin'." Was the muffled reply, and Jareth chuckled softly. Perhaps it was best to let the young man sleep.

After all, they were up rather late into the night, and as he expected the Avariel to arrive today, any rest they could get now would most likely be a blessing. For he had less and less doubts about who this erstwhile wizard actually was. They just…fit too well together for it not to be him.

Aside from the familial resemblance, and he did fully admit that such information was unreliable, since he had not seen Dellandario or Enaberia for many years, every instinct the fae possessed was telling him – in no uncertain terms – that this was his mate and he had better damn claim him sooner rather than later.

If Harry was Elessar then they were already a large part of the way towards bonding already. At least, on a physical level. He had not expected him to be comfortable with such intimacy so soon, and despite the enormous pleasure such acts induced for both of them, Jareth wasn't sure it was such a good idea.

It was easy to concentrate on matters of the bedroom, and ignore matters of the heart. Of course, people needed to renew their physical intimacy to ensure they did not drift apart, but if the feelings weren't there already, it never did anyone any good to just jump right into bed with each other.

Unless of course, that was all Harry wanted.

Jareth admitted to himself that he had been thinking of the young elf as his mate from the moment he had awoken from his healing trance. It was possible Harry did not see things that way. He had been denied affection and attention for so long, that maybe he was just taking whatever he could get. Or was Jareth making things too simple? There was surely more at stake here than whether or not the elf would accept his heritage and his destiny – whenever they worked out what that actually was of course.

And then there was the problem of who had removed Prince Elessar from his cradle, and what they had wanted him for. Would they be back, to threaten him again? If they did, then they would have more than the peace loving Avariel to cope with, that was for sure.

"You're thinking too loud." Came the complaint from his side. "And you don't look happy. Come here, and let me make you happy again…"

Jareth gave himself over to the sensations the other man was evoking in him, and wondered if it was possible to fall in love in just three days.

24th May, 2005 – The Largest Courtyard, The Grounds of Jareth's Castle

Harry was back under the same tree he had sat under with Hoggle, the day before. Jareth was listening to the usual petitions and though he had encouraged the newly-made elf to join him. However, Harry had found himself bored beyond belief within about half an hour.

So he had leaned close to his King's ear and informed him of his immediate departure to "anywhere less boring than here, with anyone less boring than that lot", indicating the line of pompous looking officials and nobles. It was an unfortunate fact that Jareth was more than the King of the Goblins, and that his realm encompassed the entire Underground.

After the departure of Sarah, he had begun to take a greater interest in his subjects, whom he had treated with rank indifference for many years, and less of one in the Labyrinth. It was a shame that one had to suffer neglect for the other, though, perhaps if he had truly found his mate, then balance could be restored. It was something to think on.

☼

A cry from the underbrush drew Harry's attention, and the young man jumped to his feet to follow the sound. When he had made his tangled way through the bushes, (and confessed to himself that it might have been better to try and find a path), he found the source of the disturbance.

A rather animated little terrier, dressed in what looked like some bastardised version of Elizabethan dress, was jumping around waving a lance in a right little tizzy. He was shouting at a sheepdog who was lying on the ground and seemed to be cradling his left forepaw.

"Ambrosius! Ambrosius! Cease this lolly-gagging immediately!" The terrier was running up and down and cursing the poor other creature. Though the sheepdog didn't seem to care very much, as his eyes fixed on Harry, and held a mute appeal.

Biting his lip so he wouldn't laugh at the terrier-like fellow, the elf made his way forward and sat in front of the sheepdog.

"Hello there little fella. What have we done here then, hmm?" He said in a gentle voice, not noticing his wings unfurl and spread out to shield the dog from the breeze. With expert hands, he picked up the leg which the dog was hiding and examined it. He had a nasty gash running almost from his paw to his abdomen, and it looked quite painful. Running a hand over his pale fur, soothing his whines and trying to offer reassurance, Harry focused his magic.

Not really knowing what to do, since he had only ever treated animals as a muggle, he focused on the wound. He knew what needed to be done, how the cells should repair themselves, how the flesh should knit together, new skin and fur growing to cover the damaged area once repaired.

Harry stopped for a moment, and blinked at what he was seeing.

Everything he had just been thinking, it had happened! He carefully turned the leg experimentally, trying to see if the dog had moved, and he was just looking at another part of its leg. But there was nothing there.

Ambrosius was clearly satisfied, as with a yip of thanks, he bounded to his feet and started to frolic about, barking and running for joy. Harry couldn't help himself, he laughed and watched the sheepdog enjoy himself.

"Why sir! I owe you my deepest thanks! Allow me to introduce myself, I am Sir Didymus, a Knight and Protector of the people. And you?" The terrier – Sir Didymus – was addressing him now, and Harry turned to face him.

"It is an honour, Sir Didymus. My name is Harry. I am staying with His Majesty, up at the castle." He replied, waving a hand behind him to indicate the great fortress.

"Indeed, Sir Harry. I had heard of a mortal brought here by His Majesty. But something must be amiss, for you are not a mortal, you are an Avariel. That noble race of healers and peace-makers, artists and musicians. They say they were born into the world, to celebrate its beauty, and its imperfections. None so close to nature have I met before,. I have not seen one of your kind for many a long year." Sir Didymus seemed rather forlorn at the end of his speech, and Harry quickly tried to think of some way to cheer him up.

"Well, you will get to see a lot more soon, Sir Knight. For the King has sent to Faenya-Dail, asking for help with my coming here. You see, I was not an elf when I arrived." He said and the wizened knight looked at him, clearly interested.

"Truly? It is a mystery then? I take it that it was some action of His Majesty which brought about this change? What were you when you arrived then, pray tell?" He asked, clearly enthralled.

"A wizard. Or, well, sort of. You see…" And for some bizarre reason, Harry opened up to this Sir Didymus. Oh he knew Jareth knew it all already. There had been some strange transference when he had healed him. But it was different, somehow, to actually speak of these things himself, instead of just knowing that the King knew.

He told him everything. His life before Hogwarts. Finding out about being a wizard, and the truth about his parent's death. His years at school, his friends and comrades there. His numerous adventures, and the price for those adventures.

Losing Sirius, and then finally fulfilling the prophecy. How it felt to kill a man – how it still weighed on him. How the death of Cedric still haunted him. What had happened after – the way the others had turned on him. The things they tried to do to him – especially that night at The Burrow, almost six years ago now.

How he had lost Remus, though he wasn't dead. How they had taken everything from him, even his photo album, claming he wasn't allowed any magical items until they decided he was a 'fit member of society'.

How he had carried on, his studies, his degree, his new friends. If one could call them that. The way he kept them all away, that he was known for being sarcastic and aloof. All ways of preventing himself from being rejected once more.

Of finding that book, of giving up, and wishing himself away. Knowing he was dying, but not finding it within himself to care.

"And then here I was, and there was Jareth, and since then, well he just, brought me to life. I don't know how or why, but though I still remember those things, they seem...distant." He finished his long story, amazed that the knight had listened for so long, so patiently.

"Ah, you are a noble man, Sir Harry. It is a shame that your world could not find it in their hearts to accept the guilt they felt at needing you to save them. That they could not accept that they were unable to save themselves. Many believe the way of the warrior is glorious and uplifting. Many do not realise that it is often the very opposite. Every world needs men like you and I, but they begrudge that it is necessary. They cannot accept their own faults, so they blame others, blame any soul they can. And sometimes, they turn on the one who has sacrificed all, just to protect them. It is a sad, sad truth, my friend. But there is no denying its veracity." There was silence for a moment as both pondered this, and Harry felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders.

He had not done anything wrong, the world simply couldn't accept him. Well, he did not live in the world anymore, at least, not that one. He was somewhere new, and by the looks of the place, people like him were every day things. That was a novel idea!

"Come now, my young friend. We need not be so maudlin. I believe it is time for you to stretch those wings of yours! Now if I could just find… Ambrosius!"

Harry stepped out onto the grass, noticing for the first time that the light was fading, and dusk was nearly upon them. He looked up to the sky, only to gasp in surprise when he saw figures on the horizon. His breath was stolen again when he felt one arm circle his waist and a hand run over his feathers.

"Steel yourself, my little morsel. The Avariel approach."