Chapter 3

The sky was a wonderful shade of blue and the birds had already started singing when Harry awoke the next day. He was rested for what felt like the first time in months. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he reached for his glasses, putting them on and looking around. The room he was in had very interesting interior; the walls were made of a dark wood, and the furniture a much lighter shade. The floor was mostly covered with furs, but what was seen of it showed that it was the same shade of brown as the furniture. The room was simple, yet elegant; he liked it.

Harry had just pulled the covers off when he heard the door opening. He turned with a start, meeting Arian's silvery gaze. The elf looked refreshed, wearing long white trousers with a brown, robe-like shirt hanging loosely on his slender figure. His face sported an easy smile as he stepped into the room.

"Have you slept well, young Harry?" the man questioned as he leaned against the wall next to the door frame, looking intently at the wizard. The boy in question looked a bit bewildered, the events of yesterday still seemingly like a dream to him. Reading this in Harry's expression, the elf walked to the bed and sat on the edge, crossing his legs. The wizard shuffled back as Arian made himself comfortable, wondering what it was the elf wanted.

"Well?" the elf questioned, leaning back on his hands as he waited for a response. Harry locked his gaze on Arian, realizing the elf had asked him a question.

"Yes!" he blurted out, his voice a bit high pitched. Clearing his throat and ignoring the amused glance sent his way, Harry continued.

"I had a wonderful sleep. This forest has a really calming effect on me. I've… I've never slept this well before, not even at Hogwarts. Thank you." He finished slowly, unsure as to why he added the last part. Before the elf could question his meaning, Harry continued, "And you Sir? I mean, Arian?"

"I slept well," replied the man, tipping his head back. They were engulfed in silence again, and Harry felt increasingly awkward. He switched his gaze to the window, admiring what he could see of the scenery. It was almost as magical as it had been the previous evening, yet different in the daylight. The forest looked alive, the branches and leaves were swaying in the wind, a bird basking in the sunlight and a couple of fairies were playing games with the elven children. While it had sparkled with magic at night, by day, it shone with the warm rays of the sun. It wasn't overwhelming at all, as one would expect. In fact, it had the same calm presence as a young child does, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves under it.

"Arian?" a questioning voice said from somewhere down the hall that occupied Harry's room. The wizard turned with a start, looking between the doorway and the elf sitting next to him, meeting his silver eyes with his own green ones. He was given a smile before Arian turned his head in the direction of the hall and called out, "I'm in the guestroom!"

Soft footsteps were heard at the elf's reply, and a teenaged boy appeared in the entrance of the doorway, looking rather surprised to find Harry there. He looked a lot like Arian, the only exception being his shorter hair which fell in soft waves around his face. Dark green trousers fell to just below his knees, with a robe pulled over his shoulders, untied and showing his bare chest. His ears gleamed with studs.

"A human?" the young elf muttered quietly, his body tensing. He shot a glance towards Arian. Harry assumed some relation, brothers perhaps, as they stared eye to eye with each other. The elf boy continued, "Arian, what's going on?"

The man pushed himself off of the bed and walked to him, tracing a triangle onto the boy's brow. He then pulled him into an embrace and bid him a good morning. Harry observed as the younger of the two glanced briefly in his direction and whispered something into Arian's ear. A sigh and a shake of Arian's head was his only answer, and they separated. Arian turned around and smiled at Harry, his hand reaching back for the elf boy behind him, pulling him towards the bed steadily. Harry quickly got to his feet, feeling rude for not having done so sooner.

"Harry, this is Seraphim, my younger brother. Seraphim, this is Harry, he will be staying with us for however long he needs a place to stay." His voice had a warning tinge to it as he said the last part, and his eyes quickly shot to his brother's. Seraphim looked to the side and then back up again, but this time he settled his gaze onto Harry, staring at him intently. Finally, he gave a slight smile, and slowly raised his arm to draw the triangle onto the wizard's brow.

"Hello, Harry the wizard. I hope you enjoy your stay here." With that said, he tugged at his hand, trying to free it from Arian's hold. The older looked back at him in amusement but let go. Seraphim glared at him for a second, before changing his expression to a more relaxed look. Harry fidgeted slightly, unsure if he should repeat the gesture, but in the end settled with a nod and a "Thank you, it's nice to meet you Seraphim."

The young elf frowned a bit in confusion, quickly shaking off whatever had bothered him, and turned toward his brother. With a spark in his eyes, he said, "Brother, I'm going to meet Marius and the others at the training grounds. Would you like to come with me? It has been a while since we trained together after all." His eyes gleamed with hope, and the wizard could see that Seraphim adored his brother very much.

Arian smiled and nodded, much to the delight of his brother. His happy expression fell just a little when the older elf said Harry has to come along as well, but he just agreed and left to go get changed.

Harry scratched the back of his neck. He felt awful; it was obvious Seraphim wanted to spend quality time with his older brother, and Harry would be getting in the way of that.

"You know, I can just stay here Si- Arian. I really don't want to intrude." He said as he sat back on the bed, staring into the soft carpet. When nothing was said he thought Arian had already left, but then he felt a hand settle on his head, ruffling up his hair. He looked up and was offered another smile. The elf then turned around and left for the door, calling back as he walked "Don't be silly Harry, I am your host so you are my responsibility. I am not going to leave you alone." He grasped the handle of the door and turned his head around.

"There are some clothes in the closet that should fit you. Get dressed. We will meet you outside," he told him, closing the door and leaving Harry to do as he was told. The wizard stared at the closed door for a few moments, then, with a sigh, walked over to the wardrobe, opening it. The clothes in there resembled the ones he'd seen everyone wear the night before. Grasping a white shirt and green trousers, he closed the door and proceeded to get changed, all the while wondering what he will be seeing later on.


They were already waiting for him when he finally found his way outside. When he saw the annoyed expression on Seraphim's face he quickly apologized, all the while wondering what he had done to the elf that made him dislike him so.

As soon as he reached them they all set off towards the training grounds. Harry trailed behind them, observing the beautiful forest as he walked. It truly was magnificent and he let a smile take over his face. Children were playing hide and seek nearby, their giggles and shouts giving away their hiding places. Fairies floated around, some joining the game as well while others just observed and laughed along.

All of a sudden a fairy flew into his face and let out a happy squeal, waving her hand. Harry was momentarily taken aback, before realizing it was Oriole. The pretty fairy set her hands on her hips and leaned forward, waiting for him to do something. Lifting a finger, he gently poked her side, earning an annoyed exclaim. With a laugh he said "Hello Oriole!" Satisfied, she flew to his shoulder and sat down, making herself comfortable. 'Guess you're coming along then.' He thought, amused.

His attention turned back onto the two brothers, and he noticed they had changed their clothes as well. The youngest donned a dark green sleeveless shirt, and pants that had been tucked into what looked to be black leather boots, with his hair pulled back into a ponytail. Arian had put on similar clothes, choosing to wear a robe shirt similar to one he wore before, this time in a light green. His hair was tied into an elegant braid. All in all, their apparel looked like it was easy to fight in, which was probably the point.

After a few more minutes of walking they finally stopped before a large clearing. It was very apparent that the brothers were not the only ones that were thinking of training today. Elves of all ages, both male and female were there, warming up or using a variety of weapons to practice with. He could see some of them practicing archery, their bows and arrows aimed at different targets. Other elves focused on swordsmanship, practicing moves and having mock battles amongst each other. There were even children with wooden sticks learning some sort of katas, an older elf supervising their progress. Then there were the elves that trained in hand to hand combat, and it seemed that that was the part of the clearing they were headed too.

Harry stared in surprise at all that was happening around him, and his feet slowly stopped moving. His head followed all the movement that went on with amazement and his eyes shone with curiosity. He was brought out of his stupor by a nudge to his cheek. Oriole pointed to the side, and the wizard jolted into a fast walk when he saw he had been left behind. He caught up to the brothers just as they started to slow down.

"Seraphim! Finally decided to show up, have you? I thought you might have been hiding, since you're afraid I will kick your arse!" shouted a male voice. A young blond elf approached the group, his long hair swishing behind him as he jogged. Harry observed Seraphim as he blushed and grinned widely, clapping his friend on the back when he came to a stop in front of them.

"You wish Marius! You haven't managed to beat me in about three years, so what makes you think you will succeed today?" taunted the silver-eyed boy as he dodged a punch thrown his way. The two elves proceeded to goof around, and Harry stood there with Arian, bewildered at the change that had overcome Seraphim. He glanced at the man beside him and saw a serene expression on his face as he observed the friends. He caught Harry's eye then, and winked before stepping forward.

"Now boys, behave, otherwise Harry here will think we are nothing more than savages." He said as he crossed his arms over his chest in mock anger. They both froze in their actions, Marius' arm locked around Seraphim's neck, and they focused their attention on Arian. But then, as if he noticed him for the first time, Marius shifted his gaze on the wizard behind his friend's brother. He released the headlock he had on Seraphim and stepped forward, stopping right in front of Harry.

He was quite tall, taller than the brothers and a lot taller than Harry, so the green-eyed boy felt slightly intimidated. He once again cursed his relatives for his shortness as he stared up into the blue eyes of the blond elf; he knew that it occurred because of their neglect. Marius grasped the wizard's chin and turned his face to both sides, examining him as he said "A human? And a wizard at that?"

He released his hold on Harry's chin and turned toward Arian, all playfulness gone from his expression. Harry rubbed at the spot where his face had been held, feeling uneasy. He took a step back and inched his hands to his pockets, only to realize that the comfort of his wand was missing. He had left it at Arian's home. The wizard swallowed, his eyes travelling across Marius' form as the elven boy crossed his arms over his chest and faced Arian, his eyes narrowing.

"What is he doing here?" he demanded from his fellow elf, and Harry could see the tension in his shoulders. Arian regarded him slowly, his face having lost the cheerful look it had before. He was quiet for a moment longer, then turned and started walking in the direction of their other friends, taking off his top as he went.

"He's under my protection Marius. He's homeless and wants to learn. Oriole brought him here, and you know what that means." He said back, glancing over his shoulder while the fabric of the top slid from his shoulders, catching Marius' eyes. The blond started, and glanced towards Harry, noticing the irritated little fairy perched on his shoulder. He grinned at her weakly and turned fully to the wizard, repeating the slow tracing of the triangle on Harry's brow that Seraphim had done that morning. Marius stepped back and locked his uncertain eyes with his friend's. Some kind of message passed between them, for they both glanced at Harry at the same time, then back at each other. The black-haired boy shook his head softly when Marius raised his eyebrow. Arian called back with an annoyed tone in his voice "Seraphim, you coming?!" leaving the green-eyed boy to slowly make his way behind them, his face a blank expression.

By the time he got to the group he noticed that most of them looked a bit shocked, some even a bit weary, but no one objected to his presence. Harry guessed that Arian had spoken to them. What shocked him though, was when a young girl approached him with a grin upon her elven face. Her short, pixie cut white hair was bouncing in the air as threw an arm over his shoulders. The young wizard looked at her with surprise. She traced the triangle on his forehead before dragging him over to a fallen tree, sitting him down upon it. Leaning over so they were eye to eye, her pale brown eyes gleamed with mischief.

"Hi, I'm Neve! Welcome to the Elven village of Phalen." She said it with a broad smile, her cheeks curving into dimples. Harry saw that she was beautiful; unearthly beautiful in fact. Feeling a blush creeping over his cheeks, he turned his head to the side and muttered a greeting back. Realizing it was rude, he cleared his throat and said "Hello," this time a little louder.

"I'm Harry," he continued, glancing at her again. She looked at his face for a second longer, then straightened up and turned to everyone else, her attention directed at Arian.

"Arian, he is absolutely adorable. Where did you find him? How old is he, thirteen?" she questioned excitedly, her hands clasped in front of her as she regarded Harry again. The wizard's head snapped up and he colored a bright red, letting out an indignant "I'm fifteen, almost sixteen in fact."

His eyes glared at her in embarrassment, and his hands clenched at the tree bark. He had always hated his small stature because he knew it made him look so much younger than he really was. All eyes turned to him when he said that. A female elf with long brown, braided hair spoke up then, her voice soft.

"Fifteen? That's not possible child." She stepped towards him, and he could see she was older than the rest of them, with the exception of Arian, who looked to be around her age. Her dark brown eyes softened when she continued her questioning.

"Were you abused, young one?" She stared at him intently, and Harry had the feeling that she knew he had been. He shook his head, his leg twitching nervously. He wanted to deny the abuse he had suffered, not willing to believe it. She frowned at him and repeated the question, her hand reaching out and touching his shoulder. He just barely resisted the urge to jerk away from the touch.

"I wasn't." he said, his tone more harsh than intended, and he winced at the sound of his own voice. At the disbelieving look he received, he elaborated "They never hurt me… Only the occasional beating with a belt if I did anything wrong."

"Only? Child, getting beaten with a belt is a harsh thing to do to anyone. And that still does not explain why you are much too small for a fifteen-year-old." When the green-eyed boy began to protest, she continued, "I won't force you to tell me the details. If you wish to confide in anyone though, I will be here for you."

She turned to the rest of the elves, who were watching the exchange with surprise. She said with a firm voice, "He is to be left alone. We are not sending him back to those heathens on Earth."

With that, she turned around and drew the triangle on to his forehead and smiled at him. Belatedly, Harry wondered if all the elves were as beautiful; every one he'd met up till now had practically shone with it. When her fingers left his brow, he thought amusedly that if this triangle thing continued, it would leave a permanent mark.

"I am called Perenna," she told him softly, then turned to Neve, pulling her away from him.

"Hey!" the white-haired girl exclaimed with surprise. The only thing the older woman had to say to her was a simple "We've come to train, so train we shall." She continued leading her a bit farther, and began stretching her body when they stopped. With a grumble, Neve soon copied her, but not before throwing a wink Harry's way.

As if that was a cue to start, Marius, Arian and Seraphim also began to warm up. Arian kept his shirt off, probably a personal preference, as the other two had not removed their own upper clothing. Harry was brought out of his observational trance as other members of the group came over and greeted him. They were much friendlier now, and a lot less weary, giving him a chance to relax again. He could also finally take into account of how many were there.

Besides the five warming up, there were six others; two girls and four boys. All seemed to be around the same age as Seraphim and Marius, so he was curious as to what Perenna was doing amongst them.

Two members of the group were twins, a boy and a girl who looked almost identical. The only thing separating them apart was the slight swell of Vivi's chest and the faintly broader shoulders of Vitalis. They both had blond hair that descended to the middle of their backs and very bright green eyes which shone with compassion as they greeted him with the elven ritual.

The next boy that came to him with a greeting was Marinel, with short curly red hair falling just past his ears, and eyes the deepest, darkest blue Harry had ever seen in his life. With a grin that revealed a dimple, the boy was on his way, joining the others in warming up.

Crispin, as he introduced himself to Harry, had his dark brown hair woven into what seemed to be a million little braids, falling over his shoulders and reaching the small of his back. His mismatched eyes held the wizard's for a few moments, and Harry felt a bit uncomfortable staring into the different shades of brown. Fortunately it was over soon enough.

The last two were Aurelian and Karise. As the young wizard watched them approach, he noticed their closeness, and came to the conclusion that they were in love, or at least somehow involved. Their body language practically screamed out the attraction. Aurelian was brown-eyed and black-haired, the tresses falling to just above his shoulders, while Karise was a lovely brunette with grey eyes that gleamed with a kindness as they introduced themselves. Her hair was, like most of the elves', also very long, the ends reaching her rear. Harry liked her the second he saw her gaze, because it reminded him of Mrs. Weasley's welcoming expression.

Soon, all of them were exercising, leaving Harry alone with Oriole. She flew onto his head and perched herself into his messy mane. Together they observed the proceedings. The first thing he noticed was that everyone had on similar clothing to Arian and his brother. It seemed that those clothes were worn mainly for training, since he also noticed the other elves in the background wearing them.

The next thing he focused on was his host. Arian was the only one in the group that decided to train shirtless, and his skin glistened with sweat as he went through some kind of kata with his younger brother. His eyes caught those silver pools at that moment, and Arian smirked lightly before stopping his movements. He turned to Seraphim, positioning himself into what looked vaguely similar to a karate stance.

"Alright little brother, it is time you show me what you can do," he coaxed. The younger of the siblings stopped his movements when Arian did, his words prompting him into a stance also. There was but a moment where everything seemed to have come to a standstill, and then they were both moving, their bodies going into a series of kicks and punches while dodging their opponents' hits. Harry found himself mesmerized by the pure elegance the two radiated while fighting. At first it seemed as though their strength was equaled, but as time went by, you could see that Arian was the stronger and more skilled of the two.

After quite a long combat session, the elder of the siblings pinned his brother down, leaving him unable to move. Both were panting harshly, their bodies drenched with sweat. When they had both calmed down slightly, Arian let Seraphim go and hoisted himself up, leaving the younger to lie on the floor, staring up at the clouds.

Harry snapped out of his trance when a bellow from Marius was heard somewhere nearby. Somehow, while he had been watching the two spar, the whole group managed to sit themselves around him, observing the fight with him. Marius started taunting his friend while Arian walked towards the group, which had started talking amongst themselves, discussing the outcome of the match. The shirtless elf sat himself next to Perenna, and the two began chatting quietly about something.

"Alright, who is going to fight next?" asked Seraphim, when he finally made his way to the fallen tree where everyone was. Surprisingly, it was not Marius who jumped at the question, but the twins. And so another match began. Their fighting style was slightly different from what Harry witnessed before, so he was once again pulled in by the alluring movements. He was so focused on the scene before him, that he hadn't even noticed Arian sit beside him.

"This is not something we will be teaching you, young one." Harry's host said quietly, tilting his head to one side in amusement when Vivi's kick somehow caught Vitalis' side, even though the boy had reacted in time. The wizard jumped slightly at the unexpected comment, and he glanced at the elf next to him, noticing that he had his shirt back on but left untied.

"Why not?" inquired Harry. Arian turned his eyes away from the match and met his, smiling at him as he replied, "Well, there is the fact that your body is not capable of doing what ours can. But mostly because we will be focusing on undoing the damage your wizarding school has caused to your magical development."

The green-eyed boy stared at his host for a moment, then asked in a soft voice, "Damage?" Arian nodded and turned more fully toward Harry.

"Yes, damage. For example, by using a wand you begin to grow dependent on it, and that is very damaging. Once you're in a situation where you have lost your wand, or someone has taken it away from you, you are defenseless. That is just one of the many things that is debilitating." Here he paused and regarded the wizard, then smiled before continuing, "But you will learn all about this, starting tomorrow. For today, I just want you to get used to your new home."

Harry slowly took in what was just said to him and nodded, before once again focusing on the fight. Arian laughed quietly and stood, ruffling his new charge's hair before venturing back to Perenna. When he felt the elf leave, Harry glanced at his retreating back, pondering on the things he heard. He looked back towards Vivi and Vitalis just as the girl pinned her brother face down, and he thought to himself with overwhelming excitement, 'This summer is going to be very eventful.'


A/N: First of all thank you for following, faving and reviewing. You guys are the best! And also, thank you to my lovely friend who proof-reads everything I write. Thank you Bae, it would not be possible without you :D. I love any reviews that come my way, so if you want to, go ahead. :D This is the last chapter I had that was written ahead, so I'm not sure how the updating will go from now on, but I'm going to try my best to have the next chapter written as soon as possible. :D Thanks again!