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

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I really appreciate them, and will always try to work ideas into the story. Sorry for the delay in posting, but I couldn't seem to get this right for a while.

Big, big, huge thanks go to my Beta, SeulWolfe, for her marvellous work on this chapter.

Chapter Six

"But down in the underground
You'll find someone true.
Down in the underground;
A land serene;
A crystal moon."

21st December, 1794 – Unplottable Location

"I found it! I found what we were looking for!"

The man at the desk looked up at the shout, and placed a marker in the large book he had been reading.

"Tell me what you have found." He said to his associate.

"All we need is a magical creature. Strong, but passive, and wholly good. We could keep it in stasis and siphon off its magic to feed future generations."

The man was impressed by this idea. He also had one of his own as well.

"It just so happens that I have been reading about a powerful magical object, which could allow a one-off round trip to another world. A world which would be chock full of such creatures."

"That's very good news." The other said.

The man at the desk nodded. "Indeed." He replied.

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

"Easy for you to say." Mumbled Harry, and he felt as well as heard an amused chuckle from behind him.

"Do not tell me you are afraid, for I shall not believe it." Jareth whispered back, his breath tickling the back of his neck, and ghosting across his sensitive feathers.

"Wouldn't you be? Besides," He said, turning in the King's arms. "There is something more to this visit. Something, which you haven't told me. Don't look so surprised! I lived under the regimen of that conniving old goat, Dumbledore," He practically spat the name. "For years. I know a secret when I see one. It's alright though. I imagine you have your reasons. And it's not like you know me well enough to trust me yet, right?" Harry said, looking away for a moment to watch the winged elves fly low and begin to land.

It was truly an awesome sight to behold.

Jareth, on the other hand, wasn't sure whether he was feeling hurt, or relieved. Hurt that Harry had uttered what felt like a dismissal of their fledgling relationship, and relief that he wasn't angry with him, for what he still considered a necessary omission.

For there was something Jareth was hiding from him alright, two very big somethings. Surely it could not be everyday that someone walks up to you and says, "By the way, you may have long lost parents and siblings, and, you might be my betrothed mate. Not sure yet, though, but thought you might like to know. Cheerio!" Not even mortals were as stupid as that. Well, maybe a few. Or a lot. Whatever.

Harry did not mean anything bad by what he had said, that much was obvious by his casual air. And it was true that it had been much too short a time for them to build any kind of foundation. He would not expect the young man to share his every secret, though he already knew a great deal by default. Perhaps it was because he had seen into Harry's very soul and felt so drawn to him, that he naturally assumed it was mutual.

Maybe it wasn't. And maybe that was for the best, at least, until they knew who he was. And if he was Elessar, so much the better. One thing he would not do, however, was force the man to wed him. Not without a proper wooing.

The Underground had waited for Elessar for two hundred years. That proved they could wait for as many years as Harry needed.

He suddenly wondered why he was behaving so reasonably over all this.

He had not been so calm or compromising when Sarah Williams had entered his realm. Though she did have the book, and geas laid on him by the book made him act in the way she had expected him to. And, being a mortal so unused to magic, she had many a fairytale idea as to how the Goblin King should act.

Harry, however, was a wizard. Or had lived as one for a number of years. He was accustomed to goblins and other magical beings, so he supposed the existence of the fae was not really such a leap for him. Thus, he expected Jareth to act like a normal person, and, since he had the book as well, Jareth acted so.

All in all, it was a confusing business. The book and its effect on him could not be taken as proof of Harry's identity, since it had reacted to Sarah.

And, come to think of it, why had it reacted to Sarah, and just how did she have it? Though such questions needed to be answered, perhaps they were best left until the identity of his new lover was revealed.

Brought back to reality by a shift of the body he held in front of him, he glanced over to see the contingent of elves had arrived safely. Clearly, it was past time to be indoors.

"Let us not dally here any longer. The sooner we all meet, the sooner we shall have our answers. Sir Didymus, would you and Ambrosius care to join us?"

24th May, 2005 – Jareth's Throne Room, The Castle Beyond The Goblin City

"Their Majesties, King Dellandario and Queen Enaberia, Princess Caredessi and her husband, Lord Elalaeryn of the Avariel!"

The announcement was made as a stream of elves flowed in through the double doors and into Jareth's throne room. Luckily, the room had been cleaned as soon as they knew they were expecting guests. Goblins were okay and everything, but not the cleanest beings in the underground. At least, not the ones who remained here.

Harry watched as two very regal people drew closer, though their smiles when they laid eyes on him were warm and kindly. Two younger, yet no less royal looking elves followed behind them, and the members of what must be their court spread out along the walls and in what must be a defensive formation around their charges.

All in all, it was rather daunting, and so unlike anything Harry had ever experienced before. Jareth and his world were like something out of a fantasy or a dream, and yet, right at this moment, it was so very real.

He drew himself in and tried not to look like he was scared. Not being able to see his own face however, he was not at all sure of his success. Nevertheless, he squared his shoulders and turned his attention back to the scene playing out before him.

The Goblin King exchanged the usual ritual greetings, and then got down to specifics. Harry could not help but notice that the eyes of the Queen and her daughter were both firmly fixed on him during the entire process. Added to that, he seemed to have the attention of a rather large portion of the court. And the King too, since his gaze kept flickering away from Jareth and onto Harry himself. Yes, the whole thing was really very daunting.

Even when he was 'Famous Harry Potter', he had never got used to the stares. Or how people would walk into lampposts or as they focused their attention on him and his scar. Well, the scar was gone now, but it seemed these elves had another reason to look fixedly on him.

And it seemed Jareth was not unaware of their scrutiny either, as he flicked supportive glances his way often.

However, Harry could not help but feel like there was something else going on here, aside from the obvious. Yes, he knew the King was had not been completely honest, or at least, had not told him all the information there was to know about this visit. And he probably had his reasons, but still, the newly-made elf could not repress a surge of wild, nervous anticipation.

Whatever it was that Jareth wasn't telling him, it was big. No doubt about it. One thought kept playing over and over in his mind, a question, which seemed to shake the very roots of him.

"Am I someone to these people?"

☼

"So you see, Your Majesties, there was only one recourse left open to me. This young man seated so quietly at my side, is clearly kin to one or other of your people. Is there any assistance you can offer us, to find out who he is?" Jareth asked, and it felt like everyone in the room held their breath.

Dellandario exchanged looks with his family, before shrugging and turning back to the Goblin King.

"If I may dispense with the formalities Jareth, and speak plainly?" He said, and the fae nodded his consent. "Then I have a very good idea who he is. I mean, look at him! How could we not know? But what I do not understand, is how it is possible for him to be who he appears to be." There was a pause, and then the King turned towards Harry.

The former wizard was struck to the core by the expression of deep pain in the King's eyes, and gasped audibly.

"I am sorry for discussing you as if you were not here. But you, you are a mystery. My heart tells me who you are, and yet my mind denies the reality I see before me! You are but twenty four of your Earth years, Jareth tells me. Correct?" Dellandario inquired and Harry nodded. A ripple seemed to pass through the spectators and Harry shot a look at the Goblin King. He was impassive, clearly not intending to interfere. Harry felt a momentary flare of annoyance, but pushed it down.

"I am but twenty four years old, as far as I know. However, my parents died when I was a baby. All I have to go on, are the words of the wizards who later abandoned me. Your Majesty, I would say at this point, anything is possible." He declared, and there was another murmur of reaction. The Avariel King took a step closer.

"Then I will not deny what my instincts tell me is true, for I know that there is no other answer. You are my son, Elessar. And you were stolen from your cradle two hundred Earth years ago." The King's voice was almost a whisper at the end, as he was visibly choking with emotion.

The other Avariel in the room didn't seem to be doing any better, especially the Queen and the Princess. But Harry wasn't really paying all that much attention to them at the moment, so focused inwards was he. He was struggling to take in what he had just heard. He had imagined all sorts of scenarios and possible outcomes of this visit. But this wasn't one of them. Rather in shock, Harry's mind could only function on a basic level, and so reached out and fixed on the basic facts.

King's son. That means Father – King. Queen…Mother! Princess – Sister. Oh sweet Jesus! Family! Family! Family!

He staggered down from the dais where he had been sat next to Jareth, and stumbled slightly in his rush. Not seeming to care about how he looked however, he practically launched himself on Dellandario.

This action seemed to break whatever hold had fallen over the spectators, and the room was suddenly filled with shouts and laughter. The Queen and her daughter abandoned all pretence of royal dignity and pushed themselves towards Dellandario and Harry. The Princess' husband wasn't far behind either, as well as the rest of the elves.

For a while there, Jareth's throne room was complete chaos.

Everyone wanted to get their hands on the young elf, just to prove to themselves that he was real. Enaberia was loath to let go of him once she had her hands on him, and kept patting his arm or cheek, as if to reassure herself that he was really there, and not about to disappear.

A few minutes in, and Harry was beginning to calm from his earlier elation. There were questions that needed to be asked, explanations and stories to be told. This was not the place however.

He turned around as fast as he could with several elves seemingly attached to him, and focused on the person who had brought all of this about.

"Jareth." He said calmly, but loud enough for the others to hear. They too turned to face the Goblin King, with smiles of pure gratitude.

Harry was beaming at the man who had rescued him, and followed his gaze as Jareth inclined his head, and looked towards the door that led to the corridor near his private apartments. Harry nodded to show he understood, and then mouthed to him.

"Thank you."

Jareth felt like his answering smile could have lit up the whole world.

24th May, 2005 – Jareth's Private Sitting Room, The Castle Beyond The Goblin City

"I suppose I should start." Said Enaberia, once they were all suitably seated and provided with refreshments. Not that any of them could thing of food and drink at a time like this, but the elves had had a long journey and so were glad of the water and juice supplied. Attention turned to the Queen as she spoke, breaking a silence which had descended over the assembled group.

And there were a lot less of them there. Merely the King, Queen, Princess, the Princess' husband, and a couple of aides. Jareth and Harry were of course, there, as well as Sir Didymus and his faithful Ambrosious. Surprise visitors were Hoggle, who had been off somewhere else all day, and Griphook.

Ever-constant Griphook, who had been Harry's first Goblin friend, and the first real magical being he had ever met. Aside from Hagrid, who was a wizard and so didn't count in his opinion.

He realised he was being unfair, but after all this time, he felt entitled to being a little bitter. All eyes were on the Queen – his Mother? – and only God knew how that was possible – so he focused, and waited for her to continue.

"I – I was in the nursery with Elessar – with you –" She said, flicking a glance at Harry, before swallowing and resuming her story. "Y-you – h-he had a little sniffle, or some such, and it was making him – you. It was making you," The Queen had evidently decided on the correct pronoun. " – feel very grotty. Sleep was soothing, but you were having trouble settling down. I was tucking you in and singing a lullaby which usually helped you sleep, but then a man appeared from nowhere! He – he waved a stick at me and muttered something, and then I – all I could feel was pain." She sobbed with the memory, which must have been incredibly vivid, even after all these years.

Harry, having some idea as to which curse the Queen was placed under, could sympathise. He could still remember every moment of each and every time he had been subjected to the Cruciatus. He didn't think there was anyone who wouldn't. Not even the Longbottoms.

The King then took up his wife's story, as she clearly could not.

"I had just been in with council, listening to a Seer recite a prophecy which she believed told of your possible abduction, though we were not sure at the time. It is a great shame we were not warned earlier, for mere moments after she finished speaking, I heard my wife scream. We rushed to the nursery, and found her on the floor with a man pointing a stick at her." He paused and gathered himself. Harry stirred and reached out a hand for Jareth, relaxing slightly when he felt the fae's reassuring grip.

"A wand. That stick? It's called a wand. The man was a wizard." Harry said the last part with audible disgust.

"A wand then." Dellandario murmured. "Well, then, the wizard, was standing over her, but disappeared almost instantly as we entered the room. I went to Enaberia, to see if she was alright, but one of our servants drew our attention to your crib. You were gone, stolen by someone or something we had no knowledge of. We had no idea how to get you back!" Here the Avariel King's voice broke and he and his wife clung to each other, weeping unabashedly.

Harry wanted to comfort them, but didn't know how. He couldn't imagine what it was like to lose a child, and feel utterly powerless in how to even begin to look for him, let alone get him back. He exchanged a helpless look with Jareth, and then his eyes fell on the Princess.

His sister.

"Brother, we tried all we could. Every spell, every enchantment, to no avail. We consulted with all and sundry. Jareth here tried his magics too, but you were cloaked somehow. He knew you were Aboveground, but not where or with whom. After a council of sorts, a way was found. It was what mortals call a 'long shot', but it was the best hope we had." Now she faltered as well, and it fell to the Goblin King to finish this particular tale.

"The book that you read, that made you call out to me. It was sent to the mortal world to be the instrument which would bring about your destiny. The magic would lead it to you, and you would read it and call out to me, to bring you back Underground. It seemed like a very hopeless thing to rely on, and for a long time, we all believed that it had failed. But clearly, it did not, as you did call. And here you are." He said the last with a charming smile, which made Harry chuckle and squeeze the hand he was still holding.

"But there is more. You said earlier that you knew I was hiding something. This – your family was one of those things. The other, I have nod idea if you will be pleased or not. But know this, before anything else – you have a choice. Neither I, nor anyone else will force you. No matter what. Do you understand me?" He demanded and Harry could see the man that had brought fear to the hearts of so many before him. But even though he could see it, he wasn't afraid. He couldn't be, not after everything they shared already.

"I understand." He replied simply, not wanting to comment more than that until he heard whatever it was had been bothering the Goblin King since his healing.

"There is no point in procrastinating then. I believe I dislike prophecies as much as you do, Harry. However, there was one made which pertains to us, and because of it, we have been betrothed since your birth. Now, as I said before, it is your choice. I would marry you in a heartbeat if I could, and I believe we would be deliriously happy for the rest of our lives. But there is not need to decide anything right now. One thing you will learn, living in the Underground, is that we have time. Time to consider things at our leisure, so take as long as you need." Jareth paused and waited for his words to sink in.

"Betrothed? But…time. Yes, time would be good. Merlin! This is a lot to take in." He leaned forward and rested his face in his hands. "I sometimes wonder if I should have just stayed in my cupboard and left those stupid letters alone. But then, if I did that…" He paused and looked up at Jareth, not really noticing the confused looks passing between the others at the mention of his 'cupboard'.

"If I do say yes – and I'm not deciding anything now – can we, you know, have, what do they call it, a 'courtship'? Get to know each other and stuff, like we have been?" He asked and the King nodded with a smile.

"Of course. It would not be a happy union otherwise. And though I do not wish to make a scene in front of family and friends, I would ask for your hand even if you were not Elessar, and consequences be damned!" Jareth ignored the shocked exclamations of his guests and focused on the young man next to him.

"I like that you said that." Murmured Harry with a shy smile.

"It's nothing but the truth." Assured Jareth, and he watched avidly, as the smile spread across the former wizard's face.

☼

"How do we know for sure, aside from my appearance – which is what I assume you are basing your ideas of my identity on – that I am this Elessar?" Asked Harry. He didn't want to rock the boat, so to speak, but he didn't want this snatched away from him. That fear, would cloud every dealing he had with his true family – if that was who they were. Therefore he knew it had to assuaged, and quickly.

Jareth considered it before speaking.

"There are some simple tests I believe. Griphook? Could we use some goblin magic? Yours is the most precise in these matters, as I believe your work in Gringotts necessitates these kind of proceedings. Inheritances and the like." He explained when the Avariel looked confused.

"Good idea." Agreed Harry, and he turned questioning eyes on his old friend.

"It is a simple matter. We would merely need one drop of blood from either parent, and one from yourself, Mr Potter." Replied the goblin, and Harry flinched slightly from the name. Then, smiling, he turned his nose up a little.

"Actually, it's Dr Potter, Griphook. I did not spend five years at the Royal Veterinary College to be a simple 'Mr', you know!" He chided, but his snobbish attitude was let down by the obvious laughter in his eyes.

"Oh, do forgive me, Dr Potter!" The goblin rejoined, and Harry chuckled.

"Quite alright, old boy!" He said and Griphook shook his head, as if giving him up as a hopeless case.

"Um, Royal Veterinary College?" Questioned Princess Caredessi. Harry addressed his maybe-sister.

"A veterinary surgeon, which is often shortened to 'vet', is a physician for animals and a practitioner of veterinary medicine. Which basically means, we specialise in healing animals. It's what I always wanted to do, and Aboveground, you must study and receive a qualification – something to prove you are able to do the work properly – before you are allowed to treat sick animals. When that happens you become what mortals call a 'doctor'. But for animals, instead of people. So, although I wasn't really annoyed, my correcting Griphook was technically right. I am a 'Dr' not a 'Mr'. It's just semantics really, and doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things." He said, waving it away.

Caredessi looked thoughtful, and his parents – Merlin! His parents! – looked pleased.

"And Dr Potter – is not your average vet either, Your Majesties, he works in a hospital which cares for sick animals for free. He still gets paid of course, but he has accepted a wage well below the norm, so that he can work for a charity." Said Griphook proudly, obviously wanting to show off his friend and his achievements as much as possible.

Harry was trying to dismiss the information as irrelevant, but Jareth felt like he should warn him he was fighting a losing battle.

"Harry, you are a Goblin Friend. As such, you are to be treated like one of their own. When not around your human wizards, goblins like to boast of their abilities and achievements. You will just have to become accustomed to this as I do not think he is likely to stop any time soon." He explained and Harry shrugged.

"I suppose so. Alright then. Can we do this test now?" He asked, going back to what they had been discussing earlier. The others, who had begun talking amongst themselves, stopped to listen.

"Very well." Agreed Griphook, and he waited for a nod from the King and Queen.

☼

In a very short space of time, Griphook was holding a parchment, over which had dripped one drop each of Harry and Dellandario's blood. Now all they could do was wait for the results, which should only take a few minutes.

To those in the room however, those minutes felt like hours.

The royal family of the Avariel clung to each other, trying to disguise the longing and hope in their eyes, but doing it poorly. It was obvious what they wanted to outcome to be.

Griphook was simply staring at the parchment, not really showing anything in his expression.

The elven aides were standing off to one side, their faces as unreadable as Professor Snape's used to be at times.

Sir Didymus was watching everyone, concern etched into his face.

Hoggle was staring at the ceiling, muttering to himself quietly, clearly agitated at this delay and the tension it was causing.

Ambrosious had no comment to make, he was just sitting at his master's feet, tail wagging intermittently.

Harry was an ocean of different feelings. He wasn't sure which one he felt the most, just that he was feeling like he would explode if the results didn't materialise soon. He was currently sat in Jareth's lap, his wings tucked away in the fashion the Princess had showed him only moments before. She'd also promised to help him learn to use them properly later, whatever the outcome of the test. He was looking forward to the lessons with a mixture of excitement, and trepidation.

Jareth had his arms around him, and Harry was drawing strength from that. He didn't really know when today's revelations would sink in, never mind that there was clearly more to come, with so many questions unanswered. But this test, this was the first step. If they could get past this, then he felt that together, him and his (hopefully) family, as well as Jareth of course, would have the tools to work all of this out.

If, they could get past this, that was.

It was at times like this when Harry wondered if the fates liked to delay things like this, for purely dramatic effect. And if they did, had they been taking lessons from ITV?

☼

Griphook cleared his throat, and everyone jumped. Their heads all snapped round to stare at him, and he felt the tide of their desperation wash over him, as he gained all of their attention.

"The results, well. See for yourselves. My King." He said, handing the parchment to Jareth. The Goblin King scanned it quickly, Harry doing likewise from his lap.

The others could not tell from the expressions of the three who had just read it, what the answer was, and glanced at each other nervously.

"By the Stars! Jareth! Read it aloud, I beg of you!" Demanded Enaberia, and Jareth nodded.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to distress you." He pulled Harry a little closer as he announced: "Elessar Devoryn, son of Dellandario and Enaberia Devoryn, Prince of Faenya-Dail."

The silence that followed only lasted for a moment when everyone burst into loud exclamation of happiness...as Harry finally found his way home.