Harry Potter and the Jacobite Elves

Rating: M

Summary: Harry takes possession of the Black family's castle in the Highlands of Scotland. Up to and amidst the celebration of Hogmanay (New Year's), he discovers that there is some very old business to attend to.

Disclaimer:

I have not claim to characters or scenes from the Harry Potter series, which belongs to JK Rowling and associates. I get nothing from this except the enjoyment of imagining and writing the story. I am making no money from this (rats).

Revelations

First thing in the morning, the three went out flying around the mountain tops, while Hermione looked through the ancient books in the library. Harry had suggested that they fly over to Hogwarts, which turned out to be much easier than they had thought it would be, as the school was very close.

Harry and Ginny flew a few of their old Quidditch manoeuvres, and the three danced in and out of the clouds. Harry noticed a couple of clouds looked like one of George and Fred's flying patterns, and called out to Ginny and Ron to take a look. Apparently the pattern also reminded them of their brothers too. Their flying lost a bit of the exuberance.

The three soon returned to the castle.

When they landed, Ginny broke down in tears, and Ron looked like he was having trouble swallowing. Harry looked at them, puzzled. Ron said "Fred", and Ginny nodded. Harry shook his head and said, "I am so sorry. I remembered Fred's love of life, and for a moment I forgot...", as he pulled them into a threeway hug. Hermione came out of the castle, and on hearing the situation from Harry, (Ginny and Ron were both sobbing at this point) she joined in the hug.

Brooms were put away, and the foursome walked through the quiet hallways of the castle. At one end of the second floor hall, they came across the castle's small chapel. They entered, and were dazzled by the sunlight pouring through the beautiful stained glass windows. Some of the windows showed biblical stories, others depicted lords and ladies from long ago, and one showed Saint George slaying a very realistic Turkish Hammersnout dragon. Other windows showed various magical scenes, with one showing a palomino unicorn drinking at a pool while centaurs stood nearby on guard.

There were the faint sounds of a flute playing to the accompaniment of a guitar. They sat in the quiet for a couple hours, absorbed in their own thoughts, until Ron's stomach started to rumble. After a minute or so of this added source of sound, Ginny and Hermione started to giggle. Ron looked embarrassed, and soon Harry was joining in the laughter as his own stomach also gave a rumble. With a gentle laugh, they went to find some lunch.

Over lunch, Hermione told them that she had been speaking with Winnie, the house elf who was assisting her and Ginny with dressing, getting their kilts made, and finding their way around the castle. Hermione was thrilled that this assignment had been by Winnie's own choice. She had found that the elves knew a way to teach humans to understand languages while the person slept. Always eager to learn something new, she had arranged to have her first lesson in Scottish Gaelic that night. Ron looked at her in horror "You want to take lessons? I thought we were on holidays."

That afternoon, they wandered the halls of the castle for a couple of hours, then went outside and walked up to a viewpoint on the side of the mountain. Ginny was looking a bit depressed in the brisk wind, and Ron was looking very thoughtful as well. The mood soon got the Harry and Hermione as well, and they went back inside to sit by one of the fireplaces, each lost in their own thoughts.

That evening, Harry and Hermione sat with Hamish, to learn a bit more about the castle and its people. Harry asked Hamish the question that had been on his mind for a couple of days "Why did people seem so reserved when they first met me, and then relaxed so visibly?"

Hamish thought for a minute, "Well sir, that question has a number of answers. First, you are the new Laird of the Clan. The people don't know you yet, and need to find out where you stand on a number of issues, so that they know how to approach you and deal with you. We are a free people, and to a Scot, freedom requires caution and constant vigilance. They have heard of your exploits and your power, so there is a bit of uncertainty (and yes, some fear) if you were a man with a fierce temper and bad character, or a kindly disposition. A lot of powerful men are powerful largely because they are bad people and push people into giving up property or rights that they should not. You are young, and so they don't know if you have a mature outlook, or whether you still have a lot of rough edges. As the new Laird, you have some power over their lives, so they need to get to know you."

"Second, the last few lairds have not been exactly broad-minded about some of the magical folk, much less the non-magical. You addressed me and other elves with respect, and one of your closest companions is muggleborn. You were curious about Mrs Campbell, not because she is different, or a 'half-blood' as the Old Laird would have called her, but because she reminded you of a beloved friend. You appear to have a good heart, and are free of the bigotry that nigh-on destroyed our world."

"Thirdly, you are English. Southerners have not always been kind to those of the Highlands. You seem to address everyone with respect, and don't appear to think that the Scots are beneath you, nor that being human entitled you to treat others with distain."

"Fourth, and perhaps most important to some and in a way ties into my third point, you seem to be either unaware of Scottish history, or do not care about some of the implications of the past. On that point, and on behalf of the people of the Clan, I must ask you a question. How do you feel about refugees?"

Harry was a bit stunned by this question. He answered, "I'm not sure how that applies here. I mean, I suppose you could say I was a refugee last year, when Hermione and Ron and I were on the run while hunting for Dark Artefacts, and hiding from the Death Eaters. I guess you could say I sympathize with them, if they are running from evil. But if an evil person is hiding to prevent getting caught and punished, I wouldn't have much sympathy. The guy who betrayed my parents did that, and so did Voldemort."

"Ah", said Hamish, "and how would you define a person as 'evil'?"

Harry looked very puzzled at this line of questions. "I'm not really sure. I guess that, specifically, if they are trying to kill me or my friends, I would consider them evil, like Voldemort and the Death Eaters. I mean, I have killed people, but I don't think I was evil in doing so. I had to kill them to stop them from killing other people."

Hamish said "So killing someone to stop them killing others is not necessarily evil?"

Harry thought, and then said "I'm not sure, but I don't think so. But if they are killing someone to prevent them stopping an evil person, so they are defending the evil person, that's wrong and they are part of the evil. I guess you could say that if you had to kill someone to stop the killing, that would not be evil, but if they are intending to continue killing if they are not stopped, they would be evil."

Hamish thought for a moment. "A good answer to a very hard question. But what if the killing was political?"

Harry looked puzzled again. "I don't know much about politics. Lots of people try to take control, for their own gain, or because they think they can help, or they just think they have a better way to do things. That doesn't necessarily make them evil."

"But what if, because they want to take over, they commit evil acts?" Hamish asked. "What about those seeking refuge from a war?"

Harry sipped at his drink, and one of the house elves replenished it. Without a conscious effort, Harry thanked the elf, which Hamish (and the other elves in the room) observed with approval. It was another indication of Harry's character.

Harry pondered "Again, a hard one. As I said before, if they were evil, or planning to commit evil acts, I would not feel sympathy for them, but otherwise... I'm going to have to think about this more. Hamish, may I ask why you are asking me these things?"

Hamish nodded. He looked over towards the fireplace where a female elf looked back at him, smiled and nodded. He then said very seriously and formally, "My Laird, first I must tell you that you have been under close scrutiny. Mira, the elf over by the fireplace, is a Truth-seer, and she has been observing your answers. I do not apologize for this, because people's lives are at stake."

Harry and Hermione, who had been sitting near and listening to the conversation, were stunned at this statement.

Hamish continued, "Mira has just indicated to me that your answers were truthful and sincere. Therefore, I will tell you the truth about this place and how we fit into Scottish history. The Clan Dubh has sheltered refugees from a number of wars and strife. I mentioned that I gave my oath to the clan the year Bonnie Prince Charlie fled to France. I am one of the refugees, as are many of my folk here at the castle. After the Battle at Culloden, the Duke of Cumberland, whom the people of the Highlands have named 'Cumberland the Butcher', went through the Highlands slaughtering all he could find, man woman and child. In those days, they burned witches, alive. As the eldest son of the chief elf to the Prince, I still have a price on my head. Morag is the hereditary chief of the Royal Clan of Stuart; it has been two and a half centuries since, but she still has a death sentence from the English crown. For many years, it was illegal, on pain of death, to even be named McGregor. Young Mhairi, you know about – during both of the wars with Voldemort, she was threatened with death and worse."

"You see, Harry, these people are putting their lives in your hands. You have accepted the position of Steward of the Clan, which means in part that you have accepted the responsibility to protect your people. We needed to know that you were up to the task."

Harry nodded, thought for a moment, then stood up. He raised his voice so that all in the room could hear, and announced "A couple days ago, I claimed the title of Chief of the Clan, and as such I also accepted the responsibilities of the Great Steward of the Clan. With authority must come responsibility! As Great Steward, I see it as my place to protect the peoples of the Clan, whoever they might be, with all power at my disposal. However, I will not protect those who are evil, and I declare that they abuse the rights of the Clan, and shall not be called our clansmen, and so by their own actions and intents have forfeited the protection of Our Clan." He raised his glass with the toast "Éirich Dubh!" In proper Highland fashion, he drained his glass and threw the empty glass into the fireplace, smashing it. The others in the room stood and cried "Éirich Dubh!", did likewise, and applauded Harry's statement of his position as Chief.

Hamish declared "Well stated, my Chief!"

He then continued, with a smile "I hear that you have found the chapel, and found some comfort within it. Most of us follow the old religion here, and one of my folk, that is, an elf, is an ordained priest and has been saying mass in the chapel for three centuries now, after he fled the monastery when King Henry seized them, and he wandered the world for a while. He is also one of Morag's staff, being of the order of St. Francis and having a way with the birds. We have some who followed John Knox when he broke with the Roman practice, or who follow Martin Luther's teachings. We have some of the Society of Friends, which you would know as the Quakers. Brother Hiro is a Buddhist monk, and is also one of the outdoor workers – he accepts Christ as one of the enlightened ones he calls Boddhisatvas, who stay in this cycle of life to save others. Father Ian met Hiro on the island of Hokkaido when he was travelling in Japan for a holiday a while back. He had travelled there in the early years of the Tokugawa shogunate and loved the countryside. Brother Hiro thought that Scotland sounded a lot like his home mountains; he came to visit, and never left."

Hamish laughed, "Hiro and Ian have some right roaring arguments on points of doctrine. I have to say even those of us who look to Rome have some issues with doctrine, for example, the doctrine of original sin – many of us do not accept the principle of inherited guilt, as you can imagine. Personally, I think Adam and Eve were set up."

"Harry, you and your friends would be most welcome to join us at mass on the Sabbath. If you follow other rites, we can arrange for clergy for their services as well, if we do not already have one scheduled."

Harry sat stunned at this information. He knew Hermione's family belonged to the Church of England, but growing up under the Dursley thumb, he had never attended church except the odd Sunday service at Hogwarts (also Church of England). He never heard anything about the Weasleys' faith, which seemed odd considering for how many summers he had stayed at the Burrow.

He was even more stunned by Hamish's information about the people of the castle.

He asked the old elf "I gather that the 'Old Laird' as you called him, was unaware of this arrangement."

Hamish nodded and smiled conspiratorially, "We did not want to vex his conscience too badly. It was more his Lady that we felt did not need to know about these matters. She already hated the place for its freedom. You saw how she treated Michael."

"Michael? I don't know any Michael related to the Blacks."

Hamish looked at Harry with a disgusted look on his face. "You probably wouldn't have known him as such. He was the house elf who served the Blacks at their London house."

Hermione interjected, horrified. "You mean Kreacher?"

Hamish nodded. "The old bitch never bothered to even learn his name. She just called him 'creature', not even acknowledging he was a being with a soul. Her children never knew him by any other name, and so Master Sirius taught you the name he had been taught. I have heard that you have been treating him much better than he was used to, but he has not been making it easy for you either."

Hermione, shocked that an elf would (or even could) speak so disparagingly about the humans who were officially their masters, asked "Why did Krea.., sorry, Michael, have those nasty pure-blood sentiments then?"

Hamish saw her shock, and smiled "I know, I know, we elves are supposed to speak glowingly of 'their' humans, and punish ourselves when we disobey. Bad Hamish!" He lightly slapped his left hand with his right, while he smiled at Hermione.

She smiled at Hamish, and said "Thank you for reminding me that this place is not like other places I have seen your folk, and my prejudices are neither appropriate nor valid. This place is not those places." They both nodded.

Then, Hamish looked at her sadly, "That house followed the English practise, where the elf was a bound slave! After many years of abuse and being told what to say and how to say it, he learned that, how do they say it, 'To get along, go along.' Nowadays, they refer to it as the 'Stockholm Syndrome', where hostages take on the attitudes of their captors."