I'm glad that my reviewers are enjoying the story so far!

...and did I forget to mention I don't own the Labyrinth or Harry Potter universes? Well, now you know! Don't forget to leave me a review if you can!

- Chapter 3 -

Enter the Goblin King

The lights shut off as thunder broke out.

"No." Sarah gasped desperately. Flashbacks of a night she rarely dared to dwindle on came swiftly to her mind's eye…just as the events were unfurling before the two siblings now. The dusk of the day had easily slipped into a dark night filled with thunderous rain and powerful winds outside her brother's window. "No, please! He doesn't know what he said! He doesn't know!" Sarah called to the ceiling.

Toby, surprised by the sudden thunder and rain outside, stepped closer to his sister who instinctively held onto him. He was still speechless as Sarah quickly dragged him away from the window. "Quickly, Toby, we have to get out of here!" she told him. Again, he made no noise as they both rushed to the door.

It didn't budge.

Sarah was swearing silently when the window to Toby's room burst open from a full assault from the powerful wind and rain. The windows obliged to its attack and gave way. Toby could see the shadows that were flittering through the room, across the carpet, under his bed and sneaking into his closet. "What are those things, Sarah?" He turned to her, his eyes wide. "I didn't—did I? Are those…those are goblins?" asked the boy fearfully as he retreated closer to his sister.

'What have I done?' Toby asked himself.

Toby turned to his sister who whipped out her wand from a pocket and was brandishing it in front of the unknown stillness of the dark. Sarah was determined to hex any snotty goblin that dared to come near her brother or herself no matter how bad she would feel about it later. They were only doing what the Goblin King had bid them to but she was determined to protect Toby.

"My, my…" an elegantly smooth voice said from the darkness.

"Please, no…" Sarah whispered as she shut her eyes. She forced concentrated magic through her wand. She planned on hexing his face to smithereens, throwing him back, attacking him with anything she got. Unforgivable curses? She didn't want to…but…would she be forced to? The mere possibility of this made her more nauseas than she already was.

She stooped to Toby's level which was hard thing to do in her knee-length pencil skirt and forced his gaze from the moving shadows to her own face. "Toby, I need you to take those words back for me. Did you mean them, Toby?"

Although he was shaking his head as quickly as he could, another voice answered for her.

"He did, precious."

Sarah stood again and brought Toby closer to her. He was standing in the room now.

"Goblin King!" Sarah ground out angrily. "Get out!"

Toby had never seen anything like him before…or maybe he did, he wasn't too sure. Was he in shock? Well, he assumed he had never seen anyone, magical or not, ever dress like this man unless they were from some centuries old oil painting. He was tall. His black boots and tight grey britches added definition to his menacing form and stance which Sarah clearly remembered. It intimidated and intrigued her just as it had years ago, much to her dismay. Toby noticed the glittery eye shadow and makeup that gave his face an even more feral look than the pointed grin alone. His dark cape flapped madly around him.

Jareth merely stood there as he studied the pair before him. Years had changed the two drastically but not unpredictably.

His strange, mismatched gaze fell on the younger of the two and Sarah automatically tightened her arms around the ten year old. Yes, he could see the sparks in the boy's eyes as they filled with strange emotions of fear, apprehension and familiarity. The soft wispy golden locks of the babe he remembered were more accumulated and handsomely framing his face. But the eyes that had shed tears in his throne room were still the same as ever. He was turning to be a sturdy and good-looking young man that Jareth couldn't help but magically emit onto the baby before his sister had reclaimed him. A surge of pride warmed the Goblin King on the inside.

His sister…

"Sarah…" he purred slowly as he took his first steps toward the cowering figures leaning against the door. Trapped.

His princess…his would-have-been-queen was radiant. She had matured mentally and physically, her mind sharp although too shocked at the moment. He glanced down and generously stared at the curves that had filled out over the years from the lithe teenager into this fully blossomed woman. Her hair was pinned up which was still attractive but he was tempted to unpin it. How long had she grown it out? Had she cut it? Her brilliant emerald green eyes focused on his own.

He could tell she wasn't too happy with him right now. 'When would she ever be happy to see me?' Jareth thought to himself amusedly. 'She is just too hard to please…' He silently wondered how he could manage to get the boy out in the hall…he had wanted their reunion to be just the two of them. 'Sure, like she would ever just wish for you on her own!'

"No hello, Sarah?" asked Jareth. He received a low growl from her throat in response. As titillating as it sounded to his ears… "It's been too long you know." he chided softly, a hint of deadliness in an undertone.

The boy was looking up at him with the endearing blue eyes that had befitted the adorable toddler in striped footsy pajamas. The questions were still running through Toby's head and Jareth could read them clearly.

He turned back to Sarah. "You haven't told him our story, have you, love?" He eyed the book in his grip and smiled what Toby thought looked affectionately at him. "Have you only read the book just now?"

Sarah couldn't help but growl even more as the Goblin King started to tsk at her. "This will give him a much harder time when he has to run my labyrinth, darling. I thought our story was great for bedtime. Why didn't you read it to him then?" asked the fae with an evil, knowing look. "You've been keeping us from him for far too long, Sarah…" he purred once more as he lifted a finger to brush against her cheek. She was petrified on the spot, wand now trembling by her side and unsure of what to do as they were both locked in the room. Good years of magical training and now she was too scared to do anything!

"Sarah…" This time it was Toby as he forced his gaze off from the Goblin King and began to shake beside his sister. He knew now that this man was here to take his sister away…he had just wished her away! …but wasn't it the goblins who should have whisked her away? What was with this special attention?

Jareth frowned seeing the boy was terrified of him. "Now, now, Toby…"

"How do you know my name? Can't you forget my wish and leave us alone?" asked Toby quickly. "Y-You're not a wizard, right?"

He was surprised to see the strange man beam at his perceptiveness. Then a strangely familiar grin focused on him as he knelt in front of the ten year old.

"Jareth—" Sarah began but he held up her hand.

"You want to know a secret?" Jareth whispered to Toby although Sarah could easily hear him. Toby nervously looked up at his sister who was too busy studying the Goblin King for any dangerous moves toward her brother. He glanced back at Jareth and nodded hesitantly. "You remind me of the babe."

Toby blinked. Why…? "What babe?" he asked automatically.

Jareth scoffed answering "the babe with the power" as if Toby was supposed to know.

"What power?" Toby asked but this time with more ease.

"The power of voodoo!"

"Who do?"

"You do!"

"Do what?" This time Toby sounded amused.

"Remind me of the babe!" Jareth answered with mock exasperation.

He stood before them again, a satisfied look of triumph on his face. Indeed, the child remembered him! But sadly, the tables had turned on the wisher and the wished away.

"Jareth…" He turned instantly at the pleading voice of his beloved Sarah. "He's just a kid. Only ten! Don't make him run the labyrinth." Next to her, Toby's eyes widened at her words.

"Yes, Tobias, my labyrinth is real. As am I, the Goblin King." Jareth said easily without taking his eyes off Sarah. He didn't notice Toby grimace at his full name.

"I'm sorry, precious, but he did make the wish…he said the words…I sang to your brother as a babe and like you, I gave him powers as well."

Toby frowned with confusion. "Voodoo?"

Jareth laughed goodheartedly at the boy and couldn't help but ruffle his head as Sarah did occasionally. The girl was still looking at him with pleading eyes. Jareth was concentrated on those emerald stars again…it seemed Sarah had learned the same technique from her little brother. How appropriate.

It still hurt to object her plea. "You know I can't do that, Sarah. He must run the labyrinth." His tone was serious. "Now come, love, I must have the goblins escort you before I lead young Tobia—" He smiled at Toby's pout. "I mean, Toby, to the front of the Labyrinth."

"No!" Toby drew both of their attention. "I'm sorry, Goblin King, but there's been a misunderstanding! I want to take the wish back! I don't want you to take away my sister…please…I love her! I only wished her to stay with me and not go overseas. I just didn't want her to go away!"

Jareth gave him a look of sympathy briefly. "You are not the only one." He chanced a glance at Sarah who had her eyes wide. "Now, Toby, I have something for you before make your decision to run my labyrinth." He lifted a gloved hand, flicked his wrist and a clear crystal orb appeared. He smiled at Toby's look of amazement.

The boy only mouthed the words. 'Fae magic…'

"Correct, my boy. And now…" Toby was oblivious to her sister's form which had suddenly disappeared from beside him. "I will offer you your dreams in return for your sister…" The boy's eyes were captured in the glow of the crystal. "…what is it you want, young Toby?"

"…magic…powers…like my sister…friends…" Toby muttered unknowingly.

Jareth's face was impassive, lit by the light of the orb, its trance like magic having no effect on him…yet he felt grim about offering the boy his dreams in return for the girl… 'But it was fair in a way.' He sneered at the thought. 'He would offer the boy his dreams while he'd be receiving his own dreams in return…for his Sarah.'

It would be a dream in exchange for a dream.

"…Sarah?" He watched the boy's brow quirk at his sister's name and he knew the spell was broken. He was relieved for this and angry at the same time. "No, I can't give up Sarah…she doesn't deserve this. I don't deserve my dreams for wishing her away." the boy mumbled to himself sorrowfully.

"Very well," Jareth said and then he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. Before 'glittering' them to the dusty hill, he caught sight of the boy's sad expression. It pulled at his heart for this mortal, one of the two he had wanted to keep with him underground…for his family…those ten years ago…

"How many times did you read the book, Toby?" asked Jareth.

"O-Only once…" The look of hopelessness crossed his face. Jareth had never wanted the boy to look so lost…so out of confidence.

Sighing, he finally glittered them off. They 'apparated' somewhere unfamiliar to the ten year old.

"Where are we?" Toby asked as he looked around at all the movement of people. This didn't look like a labyrinth at all.

"Welcome to England, Toby. This is Gringotts."

A/N: Harry's coming up in the next chapter! Oh, just to let you know. Certain wizards hate glitter.