8, April, 2010
Two Queens and Dice
Writer: Hand Steroids
Number of Words: 2,560
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the Firekeeper Saga. (Although it would be amazing if I did.)
A/N:The Firekeeper Saga is an amazing series that everyone who enjoys magic, politics and romance along with intelligent animals should read. You can view the books at janelindskold. com where you should look for the first in the series; Through Wolf's Eyes. If you have any questions about some of the Hawk Haven settings please feel free to send a message, and I will do my best to clarify it to you and make my stories better using what you have pointed out.
Summary:Although Harry Potter was taken to the Dursleys, he did not stay there. In fact, the Dursleys never even saw the boy. When Harry, now Damien, is raised by a society that treats magic with fearful disdain returns to England, how will the wizarding world take to this new adult Harry?
Chapter 2.
"Most gods throw dice, but Fate plays chess, and you don't find out til too late that he's been playing with two queens all along."
-Terry Pratchett
September 1, 1990
Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry
"Your House is like your family. You live with them, go to class with them, and support them. Without them, you will not succeed at Hogwarts. Each house has its noble history and should be respectful of the others."
McGonagall narrowed her eyes at a red-head who whispered, "Slytherin have a noble history, yah right." Such a racist comment from one so young should not be acceptable in today's day and age.
"Sorting is about to begin. You will come forward as your name is called." She led the first-years into the great hall where she could hear the gasps of wonder at their surroundings. When she got to stage in front of the head table, she turned and unraveled the scroll and picked up the tatty old sorting hat after he sang the sorting song.
"Abbott, Hannah." A small girl stepped forward to be sorted. McGonagall placed the hat on her head who shouted, "Hufflepuff!" The girl when to join her class mates at the Hufflepuff Table.
She when through the list of names quickly, "Granger, Hermione" became a Ravenclaw and "Malfoy, Draco" became a Slytherin. But when she came to "Potter, Harry" no boy came forth.
"Harry Potter?" McGonagall yelled out, although knowing it was futile. Harry Potter was far, far away in Hawk Haven away from the perils of the Wizarding world.
Turning to Headmaster Dumbledore, she continued on with the sorting at his nod. Inwardly she cheered at having the upper hand on the headmaster.
Headmaster Dumbledore was not a happy man. After looking into Harry Potter, it seems that the boy had never even been to the Dursley's household. In fact, Petunia and Vernon Dursley had never even seen the boy. The boy simply disappeared.
His contact with the underage magical detection department at the Ministry of Magic said that after the night of Halloween 1981, that there had been no similar signature since that night.
Albus Dumbledore was furious and tired. He couldn't believe that the boy was dead. But it seems as if the boy simply vanished from the face of the earth.
Albus picked up his quill and penned out a letter to some old acquaintances. "Fawkes, could you take this to Remus Lupin and Alistair Moody?"
The red-orange bird trilled unhappily but nodded. "Thank you Fawkes."
He handed the letter to the bird and ran a hand over the bird's crest. The phoenix shook off his hand and leapt off the perch, taking off out of the window.
After the phoenix disappeared into the night, Albus sat down and ran his hands through some of the tassels on his robe. He had to find Harry Potter, It just wasn't an option.
Hawk Haven
Twenty years later
Damien Carter grew up well. He was a pleasant addition to the Carter family, as a good eldest son should. Although he was not expecting to take over the family business for some time, he still had taken on some of the responsibilities that his father had previously done.
He had practiced his writing until there had been no flaw, even in grammar. It was so fair that it would have passed as a nobleman's writing if not for the parchment and ink that he used. His vocal grammar was also pleasant, with a fine baritone that only held a touch of lower-class accent. Damien had worked dutifully to rid himself of the accent, but when he spent much time around the markets, the accent picked up almost unaware.
He had been riding for almost since he arrived with the Carters. The very next day he was delivered to the Carters from New Kelvin, Vernita had him and Darien on the back of a horse. In return for being such an avid horseman, he also learned to muck stalls, clean tack, curry a horse until it glowed like copper for a nobleman. He was no stranger to hard work, but he enjoyed it. To him work was just a way to express one's self, to show his worth as a skilled man and a man of honor.
As he learned his grammar and practiced riding, he also learned fencing. Although not his strong point, he had a fair hand in a sword fight and could hold his own. He actually felt more at ease with a short knife in his grasp, which he often kept on him while in the market, but he knew the advantages of a long blade.
He was no stranger to business either. At a young age he had learned to bargain prices, and make deals almost better than his father. At the first sign of bragging though, Colby Carter made sure that the attitude wouldn't stay with his adoptive son. Damien then met the humbleness of humility. Never again did he brag about such things.
But currently he and his brother Darien were scouting out horses for the noble lords. Baron Archer had commissioned a mount for his eighteen year old daughter and sole heiress to the Barony, Elise Archer.
Also, Earl Kestrel, soon to be Lord Kestrel when Lady Kestrel (his mother) would hand over the estate to him, commissioned some pack animals for the spring.
They were heading towards the Bright Bay border along the Barron River to the city of Hope and Good Crossing. Colby Carter had some good connections with the livery stables in the Bright Bay city, Good Crossing. Damien was hoping that he could find a beauty of a mare for the Baron Archer along the road.
Even if they found the beasts they were looking for along the road, they would travel all the way to Good Crossing to pick up a few medicinal supplies for the horses that became sparingly difficult to find this time of the year in Hawk Haven. They would scout the horses and mules to find any better than the ones already found and then return to Eagle's Nest and pick up the selected beasts along the way.
Damien watched Darien as he paid the inn owner for the stable fee. Darien looked nothing like Damien. Darien was tall, towering well over many tall men, including their father. His red hair was tied back with a leather thong, as was the custom of the men of Hawk Haven and Bright Bay. He also had a nice baritone to his voice, and he was smooth with the women. But Darien's specialty was with horses.
Darien understood horses so well; it was almost as if he could speak to them. Of course, none except the sorcerers of old could probably ever speak to a beast. Darien could calm almost any horse with ease. He could sense if a horse held pain and could alleviate that horse within the first half-hour of meeting the horse. Darien had an affinity towards horses, but some would say he had a talent.
Talents were not uncommon in Hawk Haven. Talents were common, ranging from green thumbs to healing abilities. Recently there had been a Healer who became a Knight of the White Eagle for defending the Crown Princess after she had been gravely wounded during a battle with some pirates. After reinforcements came, he used his healing talent to urge the wounds to heal. But the wounds were too great.
These talents were not abhorred in Hawk Haven like full blown sorcery. Many Hawk Haven nationals felt uneasy when New Kelvin was mentioned, because of their reverence in the old ways before the burning plague, if not for the odd manner of dress and use of exotic face paint and tattooing.
Like Darien, Damien also has an ability with horses, just not as strong. However, Damien seemed to have an ability with most animals. There had been several times that Damien came home with a cat or a bird with some injury or other, wanting to keep it there until it was healed. Other times, his friends wanted Damien to train their dog to certain commands.
Despite similar personalities, Damien was as different from Darien in appearance as a goat was from a horse. Where Darien has bright copper hair, Damien has hair as dark as the night. Where Darien was tall, Damien only came up to Darien's shoulder. Damien has sharp green eyes where Darien has hazel eyes. But what set Damien apart was the scar on his forehead. The Carters had paid for a healer to take a look at it, but when the healer (it was a healer with the talent) examined it, he found that, although it was a fresh scar, it seemed a part of him as if he was born. The healer did his best though, and reopened it, which made the scar run farther down his face, cutting into his eyebrow and running upward into his hairline.
Darien finished paying the man, offering good wishes from the ancestors before mounting his mare, Roanne. The mare was a fine horse, suitable for a man of Lordship. Her coat shined like a new copper piece and she was a fine horse to look upon. She had recently been the model for the new sign for the Prancing Steed Stables, which previously had been called Carter's Services.
Darien joined Damien who was already mounted on his bay mare of equal livery standard. In fact, several noblemen who had came through the stable had offered quite a high price for the mare, but Damien had turned down each offer, saying she would never be for sale. It was Damien's hope to improve his family's horses through her.
As the horses tossed their heads, Damien turned to Darien, "Darien, if I remember correctly, there should be a livery stable two towns ahead and then half a day's ride to Hope. If we make good time at the livery stable, we should have enough time to scout the horses in Good Crossing."
Darien nodded, "That's what the inn keeper said. Although he warned against bandits, said they get desperate around this time of the year."
"That's to be expected. Looks to be a week before snow starts to come in. Hopefully we can get back to Eagle's Nest before then, else we might have to stay at one of the inns." Damien noted. The wind was crisp with the smell of winter rain and the horses acted it.
It wasn't long before they arrived at Hope. They had made good time at the livery stable, picking up a mule to their procession.
Hope and Good Crossing were two separate cities, although far from the small towns they used to be, the two conjoined cities had often switched hands between Hawk Haven and Bright Bay over border disputes. The residents however, were used to such transactions and went about their business. Hope, unlike Good Crossing, had a battlement tower. When the towns were first formed, it was said that the Hawk Haven side would need a lot of hope to keep from getting taken over by the folk at Good Crossing, giving the city (then town) its name.
Damien and Darien stabled the horses and took the massive bridge over to Good Crossing. They stopped to a small herbalist who specializes in scents and picked up of a bottle for Vernita and Damita, their younger sister. They then made their way to the Ferrier Residence.
The Ferriers, although not a true livery stable, held some good beasts, and Colby Carter often bought horses from them. Today was no different. When Rory Ferrier brought out a flashy mare with a golden coat and silvery mane and tail, the Carter's just had to examine her. Darien walked up and ran his hands down her legs, checking her soundness. Damien asked to see her paces, and the mare seemed calm enough for a Lady's horse without being a calm palfrey. They made an appointment to gather the mare, Cream Delight, and a good sturdy gelding the next morning.
There was still sunlight out when they got finished, and Darien went to the market while Damien walked back to the inn. Damien had with him a letter; one that he could tell had been written quite some time ago. When he got back to the inn, he opened it up and re-read it, following the lines that he had read so much before.
Damien Carter,
You would not remember me. For that I am glad. I am the one who brought you to the Carters. Colby and Vernita Carter will be good parents to you. But there are some things you must know.
Other than in name, you are in no way related to the Carters. Yes, your parents did die, in fact, they were murdered. That is why I brought you to the Carters. The man who murdered your parents vanished that night after he attempted to murder you. We do not know exactly what happened, or how it happened, but you survived the murder attempt.
You were to be left on the doorstep of your Aunt and Uncle, who despised your mother and father with a passion. You were going to be left there to suffer, never knowing love, never growing up in a healthy environment. So I took you away from them before they even saw you.
The thing I must make you realize is that your parents wielded magic. You do also Damien. Magic is a great power, a power that in the wrong hands, can damage things to great length. But handled properly, magic is one of the most useful tools you can possess.
I write this letter to you to explain why you were brought to the Carters, the only people far enough away from where all these events took place where you could not be manipulated by them. I would rather have you independent, than thrust into a political and dangerous war as a child.
But I will give you the chance to experience this before you settle. I will take you to England, and select people you wish to bring (or ordered to bring if you are in service to the king), and from there you can decide where you wish to proceed.
Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Damien folded the letter back up. He had always known that he was not related to the Carters. His appearance proved that. None in Hawk Haven, except perhaps a few of the noble born had his facial features; not even the exotic New Kelvinese. His high cheek bones and defined jaw just did not appear in one of common birth. He also had no qualms with magic. But to travel to a land where everyone had magic, was bizarre beyond belief. He had traveled to New Kelvin several times and found the language and the culture fascinating.
He was certainly not averse to traveling to England. He would enjoy learning about their culture and history more so than he would if he were to travel to Stonehold or Waterland. But he could not help but feel a sense of foreboding about this England.
Damien looked out the window, gauging the light. He tucked the letter back into a secret pocket on the inside of his pea coat and stepped out of the inn to check on the horses one last time before it got dark.
