Chapter five

Lily stared at the owl in shock. The seal on the scroll tied to its leg marked it as a Gringotts owl.

It had been ten years since she'd moved to Ottery ST. Catchpole. Why would Gringotts be contacting her now?" She had no vault with them, preferring to keep her money in an enchanted steel purse that only she could open.

Slowly, she removed the letter from the owl's leg. No sooner had she done so the owl rose into the air and flew out the open window.

Lily unrolled the parchment and began to read the flowing script.

Ms. Evans:

We must ask you and your son to report to Gringotts at your earliest convenience. We have a matter regarding your husband to discuss with you.

May your enemies drown in their own blood?

Bloodwind

Lily let the parchment slip from her fingers and flutter to the table.

"Mum?" Harry called entering the room. "How's it going? Listen, Ginny and I were talking…" He stopped as he saw the look on her face. "Mum? What's wrong?"

Wordlessly, Lily pointed to the parchment. "Honey, you might want to read this."

Curiously, Harry picked up the parchment and began to read. When he finished, he lowered it and stared at his Mother. "It's been ten years. Why would they be contacting us now?"

"I don't know. I didn't even know Oberon had a vault at Gringotts. He never mentioned it."

"Could he have forgotten about it? I mean he is older than Gringotts. It's possible that he just opened up a vault with them just in case he had to come here for one reason or another."

"Maybe," Lily said. "I don't see how he would've forgotten about it though. He had regular dealings with the Wizarding world. He would've had to make purchases and he would've needed the money to do that."

Harry ran his fingers through his blue hair. "Could this be a trap from Aeval?"

"I don't see how. I imagine it took a lot of power to send Crampus through the gates. She wouldn't have the power to do something like that again. Besides, goblins are wildfae. They owe no allegiance to Aeval. They gave up all claims to Faerie when they chose to live in the mortal world."

"Are we going to see them?"

"We'll have to," Lily said. "I don't know about you, but I'm curious what's going on."

"Me to. When do we go?"

"We'll head out tomorrow. I intend to tell Molly and Arthur where we've gone, just in case."

"Wait a second," Harry said excitedly. "Doesn't Bill work with Gringotts now?"

"He is working with the Egyptian branch."

Harry's shoulders slumped. "So he wouldn't be able to help us."

Reaching across the table, Lily patted his hand. "It was a good idea. We'll head over there tomorrow and see what we can find out. Come on, we need to talk to Arthur and Molly."

XXX

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Molly asked frowning. "I mean why take Harry with you?"

"The goblins requested both of us. What I can't figure out is why they waited ten years before contacting us."

Arthur scratched his balding head. "Could Oberon have put in a proviso that you weren't to be contacted until then?"

"Maybe, but what would be the purpose?"

"I don't know. You say the gates are closed. Is it possible the magic he used somehow interfered with goblin magic? Maybe they just recently learned of his death."

"Makes about as much sense as anything," Lily said shrugging."

"I still don't understand why you're taking Harry," Molly fretted. "It seems reckless to put him in that kind of danger for no reason."

Lily's eyes flashed. This wasn't the first time Molly had made that kind of statement. It was as if she thought Lily couldn't be a fit Mother for some reason. Since they'd helped her when she moved here, Lily had kept her mouth shut, but it was getting harder and harder to ignore Molly's little gibes."

"I've told you," she said stiffly. "The goblins requested us both. I wouldn't endanger my son needlessly.'

Molly's lips tightened. "And because they requested him, you're just going to take him right to them?"

"Harry's not helpless," Lily snapped. "I've trained him well. He can defend himself well enough to escape if the need arises."

"Yes," Molly said sarcastically. "You trained him to be a fighter while depriving him of a childhood."

"He has still had a childhood," Lily said sharply her eyes turning amber. "I can't help he's got a psychotic Faerie queen that wants to kill him on his trail."

"You said she's trapped in Faerie, so why train him now? Why not wait until he's older? While we're on the subject, why do you have to train Ginny? Isn't it enough that you're training Harry to be a soldier, but you have to steal my daughter's childhood as well?"

"She asked to be trained with Harry and she's damn good with wandless magic. What was I supposed to do? Was I supposed to tell her that she couldn't train with Harry?"

"Personally," Arthur said. "I would prefer Ginny know how to defend herself." He looked over at his wife who was glaring at him. "Have you forgotten there are still Death Eater factions out there?"

"She's a child," Molly snapped. She couldn't believe that Arthur was siding with Lily on this. Didn't he understand that he was forcing Ginny to grow up too quickly?

"That never mattered to the Death Eaters. They are just as bad as the Nazis were in WWII. . They killed men, women, and children just because of their blood status. The only difference is that we still have a lot of them in high positions in our society. If they thought they could get away with it, they'd start persecuting Muggle-borns and blood-traitors again."

Molly pressed her lips together. It was clear she wasn't going to win this argument. Arthur wasn't going to listen to reason. She would go along with this plan of theirs for now. "Fine," she snapped. "Fine, but I still think you both worry too much."

Arthur smiled sadly. "Better too much than not enough."

Lily stood. "I'll be going now. Is it alright if Ginny stays the night tonight?"

"Sure," Arthur said. "Just send her home before you go to Gringotts."

"Absolutely," Lily said smiling.

XXX

Arriving on a worn path surrounded by trees, Lily looked at the cottage that had been her home for the past ten years.

The logs were weathered, but still strong with not a crack showing between the wood. The slanting windows let in the sun in the morning, brightening up the small rooms. There was no electricity, but after five years living with the fae, Lily found she didn't need it. Opening the door she stepped inside.

The cottage consisted of seven rooms. There were two bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a living room. There had been carpet when they moved in, but Lily had pulled it all up, knowing that if she happened to shift in the house, her claws would tear the carpet to shreds. Hearing Ginny's giggles, she headed towards the kitchen to see what was going on.

XXX

The quill dropped out of the air and landed on the table with a soft clatter. No sooner had it touch the table its shape seemed to waver. The quill twisted and writhed like a snake. In the space of a breath, it had become a spider scuttling across the desk. Ginny wiped sweat from her forehead and looked at Harry, her eyebrows raised. "Beat that."

The ink bottle he was levitating slowly lowered to the table. He leaned back, cracking his spine. Staring at the glass, the bottle rippled changing shape into an ink filled dragon complete with smoke drifting from its nostrils.

"Show off," Ginny grumbled.

"You're the one that chose the quill," Harry pointed out.

Ginny's eyes gleamed, her lips turning up in a smirk.

Harry looked back at the table just in time to see the spider Ginny had transfigured grow large enough to cover the kitchen table from end to end. Its pincers snapped open and it grabbed Harry ink dragon. It's maw yawned open and it swallowed it whole.

Harry snorted. "That was just rude." He shot Ginny a sideways glance. "It does beg the question if the spider will poop that out. If so, I wonder if it'll survive it?"

Ginny flicked a finger at the spider and it became a quill again. "Now it's not a problem," she said with a grin.

"You know Ron would've freaked out if he saw that spider, right?"

Ginny's lips twitched. "Why do you think I've been practicing so hard? I want to be ready for when they tell me I can't fly with them because I'm a girl again."

"That's just cruel," Lily said sounding amused.

Ginny gave Lily a worried look. "You're not going to tell my Mum are you?"

Lily smiled at her reassuringly. "So long as you don't make the spider poisonous I won't say a word."

"Thanks," Ginny said gratefully.

"Right," Lily said. "Why don't you two wash up? It'll be time for dinner soon. Ginny, I've talked to your parents and you can stay the night if you want."

Ginny beamed. "Yes."

Lily watched as the two kids raced out of the kitchen. She turned back to the kitchen table and with a gesture, vanished the remnants of their spell practice. Turning to the stove, she began to put together a pot of spaghetti for dinner. As she worked, she thought about the friendship between Harry and Ginny.

They'd always been close, even as babies. Harry had preferred Ginny's company to that of her brothers. That was not to say he didn't get along with the older Weasley boys because he did, but from the start, Ginny was his closest friend. When her brothers picked on her, Harry was there to defend her. When they picked on Harry, she was there to defend him. Lily wondered if Harry starting Hogwarts this year would weaken their friendship. She hoped not. It was good for Harry to have someone his own age to play with."

As she started the water boiling, her mind turned to Hogwarts. Would Harry even be able to go? Lily had taken him to a second hand Wander maker in Nockturn Alley, but he hadn't been able to find a wand. Without a wand, Harry would need a lot more focus to cast the simpler spells.

Perhaps Ginny could help him? Would he be willing to wait a year before starting Hogwarts? She would ask him after they picked up his school supplies. The sound of running feet drew her from her musings.

"Spaghetti?" Ginny asked sniffing the air as she entered the kitchen.

"We haven't had it in a while. Could you two set the table please?"

Nodding, the two began taking plates out of the cabinet. Once the spaghetti was done, Lily carried the pot to the table and set it down in the center. She also placed a plate of garlic bread and a bowl of pineapple. Sitting down, she filled her plate and gestured for Harry and Ginny to do the same.

As they began eating, Ginny looked at her seriously. "Harry says that you got a letter from Gringotts. Do you think it's a trap?"

"Like I told Harry, the fae have always been on good terms with the goblins. I don't see why they would want to trap Harry or myself for anything."

"My brother says goblins can't be trusted. He said they'd do anything for a little gold."

Lily sipped her glass of water. "Wizards and goblins haven't been on the best of terms, remember? After all, wizards did fight two wars with them. I'm not saying that Bill doesn't have a point, but how goblins act with wizards and how they act with fae and shifters are two different things."

"But the fae helped," Ginny protested. "How come the goblins aren't upset with you for helping us in those wars? Heck, some of those fae that fought in the wars are probably still alive."

"I'm sure some of them are," Lily acknowledged, "but only one court helped you." The Seelie were the only fae that helped in the war with the goblins. The Seelie and the wildfae have never got on. The goblins didn't blame every court for aiding you, just the Seelie. If Oberon had been part of that court, I might be worried, but since he's not, we should be fine."

"I wish I could come with you," Ginny said looking down at the table.

"Your Father wants you back home before we leave tomorrow morning. We will come see you as soon as we get back."

The rest of the meal was finished in silence. After washing the dishes, they all trooped into the living room and sat down around the fireplace. Harry pointed a finger at the logs and they burst into flame. Lily nodded approvingly at him.

"Very good. At least you didn't set the curtains on fire this time.'

Flushing, Harry looked away. "It was only one time."

Lily smiled teasingly at him. "That one time took months to get the smoke stains off the walls. Took even longer to get the smell of burned cloth out of here."

"Ah," Ginny said. "The curse of having a super sensitive nose."

Harry grimaced. "Tell me about it," he grumbled.

XXX

Harry looked up at the building towering above him. Gringotts was at least five stories high. The entire building was made of a single piece of marble looking like a giant chess piece. There were no windows visible only small slits in the marble just large enough for an arrow to fit through. Marble steps led up to an iron door set into the marble. A single small figure stood in front of the door a long fingered hand wrapped around the haft of an ax.

"How did they even do this? I've never seen a building like this. It looks like it's made of one piece, but that's impossible isn't it?"

Lily arched an eyebrow. "We are magical," she pointed out.

Harry grinned. "Fair point." He nodded at the short figure standing at the top of the steps. "Goblin?"

Lily nodded.

"What kind of welcome can we expect? I mean were the other courts on good terms with the goblins when they left?"

"Hard to say," Lily said thoughtfully. "Other than the Seelie, they tend to judge the fae on an individual basis, so it really depends on what terms Oberon was on. The fact that he left something here for them to guard is a good sign. If he didn't trust them, he would've never left anything of value here."

Harry started walking. "I guess it'd be a good time to see what's in there then, wouldn't it?"

Lily stepped ahead of him. "Stay behind me," she ordered. "I don't want anything happening to you."

Harry rolled his eyes. Before he could say anything, Lily spoke.

"I know you can fight, but these are goblin warriors. Battle is their meat and drink. It's what they live for. "Don't give them any reason to view you as a threat."

Harry stayed quiet as they mounted the steps to the bank. As they approached the door, the goblin looked up at them. Its wide nostrils flared, black eyes widening slightly.

"The exiled queen," it rumbled. "I see you got our message."

Lily bowed politely. Seeing this, Harry was quick to copy her.

"Well met, master goblin," she said touching a closed fist to her forehead in solute. "May the Sun set on the death of your enemies."

The goblin let out a chuckle. "And may not one of yours draw breath at its rise." His grin revealed pointed teeth. "I see Lord Oberon taught you the proper way to greet goblins." He gestured at the doors. "Go on in, Bloodwind is waiting."

Lily bowed again and ushered Harry inside. No sooner had they stepped through the doors than a tall figure approached.

The stranger gazed at them for several seconds, his black eyes lingering on Harry. He brushed long blond hair away from his face and smiled, revealing pointed teeth.

"Hello Ms. Evans," he said. His voice was surprisingly soft and musical.

"Bloodwind I presume," Lily said.

The goblin smiled again. "You presume correctly. Please," he gestured down the long winding hall in front of them. "Follow me."

Lily and Harry followed him down the hall. They stopped before a blank stretch of wall. Bloodwind laid a slim long fingered hand flat against the wall.

There was a cracking sound and the wall split in two. The two halves of the wall sank into the floor revealing a large room beyond.

"Come on in," Bloodwind said with another grin. He led the way into the room. No sooner had they entered the room, than there was a click from behind them. Turning, they saw a door where the wall had been.

"Neat trick, right," Bloodwind said sitting down behind a large desk. He shuffled a stack of papers and gestured at two large armchairs in front of his desk. "Sit," he said.

Lily and Harry sat down and stared around the room. There were framed portraits of elves battling horned demons, Goblins dueling wizards, and oddly enough, there was a picture of a mermaid in a low cut top that left nothing to the imagination. As Harry looked at the picture, the Mermaid winked at him and blew him a kiss.

"You…" Lily cleared her throat. "You aren't what I expected."

Bloodwind shrugged. "I get that a lot."

"You're not like other goblins."

"I get that a lot to." He giggled. The sound was like chiming bells. "Trust me, they don't like that. That's why my office is so hard to get into."

"You're half-elf," Harry said.

Bloodwind nodded easily. "Aye, my Father was an elf or sidhe if you prefer. He had a fling with a goblin and I am the result. Since he was a noble of the Seelie court, my Mother knew better than to expect any type of support in helping raise his half-breed bastard, so she raised me here. When I started developing magic she didn't know how to deal with, she sent a request to Faerie. Surprised her when Oberon showed up in person. He taught me how to use my elven magic and when he needed something left here for his son, I was the obvious choice."

"But you said the other goblins don't like you. You implied that they'd try to kill you if they got in here."

"Oh they would," Bloodwind said. "Truthfully, I only stayed to take care of this business for Oberon. Once that's done, I intend to leave. I'll be safer out in the Wizarding world than I'd be here."

"What exactly did Oberon leave here?" Lily asked leaning forward in anticipation.

"I don't know," Bloodwind said reaching into his cloak. He drew out a large silver key. "He just gave me the key. I can take you to the vault, but I can't tell you what's in there. No goblin can. Oberon built that vault himself. He also designed the wards that protect it. Only this key can open the door and that's the second stage of protection."

"What is the vault number?" Harry asked.

"Vault 777."

"Right then," Lily stood up. "No time like the present. Can you take us to the vault please?"

"Sure," Bloodwind stood and walking over to a wall and tapped it several times seemingly at random. The wall vanished revealing a staircase going down into darkness.

"Stick close," Bloodwind said stepping onto the stairs. Harry and Lily followed. No sooner had their feet touched the steps than the staircase began to move. They descended in a sharp circle as if they were on wheels.

Harry looked around frantically, but saw nothing to hold onto. He looked down, but could see no indication of what may be at the bottom.

"Relax," Bloodwind said. "You can't fall off. You're of Oberon's blood. It'd really suck if you could be killed by something your Father designed wouldn't it?"

"Designed?" Harry blurted. "He made this thing? Why didn't he just use the carts like everyone else?"

"He was afraid that the carts could be tampered with."

The staircase suddenly flattened out and they slid smoothly to a stop. Before them was a large steel door. There was no knob, just a hole where the key was supposed to go.

Bloodwind turned to Harry. "A blood sample is required to unlock this door. Please place your hand flat on the door."

Harry obeyed. A large needle slid out of the door and plunged deep into his palm. Harry winced as blood flowed from the wound and smeared the metal. Bloodwind slid the key into the lock and turned it.

There were several loud clicks and the door swung open. Smoke billowed from the vault. Runes etched along the edges of the doorway flared brightly. When the smoke faded, Harry gazed eagerly at the contents of the vault. He blinked.

"Huh?" he asked confused. "Okay, is this some kind of joke?"

Bloodwind and Lily also stared at the contents of the vault. Bloodwind scratched his head before turning to Lily.

"Was your husband sane when you last saw him?"

Lily nodded. "Yes."

Bloodwind pointed at the large wooden trunk sitting in the exact center of the vault. "I don't understand why he would place so much protection on this vault if this was all it contained."

Several silver locks held the trunk closed. Runes were etched into the lid. Looking closer, Harry noticed that the locks had no keyholes.

"Can we take it with us?"

Bloodwind nodded. "It's yours." He gestured at the trunk and it shrunk to the size of a deck of cards.

Harry entered the vault, picked up the trunk, and slipped it into his pocket. He rejoined Bloodwind and Lily outside the vault. No sooner had he stepped through the door, than there was a deafening grinding sound.

Turning, Harry watched as the vault began to shrink. The doorway grew smaller and smaller, the walls and floor moving closer together to fill in the available space. Within seconds, the vault was gone, leaving a blank stretch of wall before them.

"Come on," Bloodwind said suddenly. "If the vault is gone, it's possible the rest of this place will soon follow." The three hurried back to the staircase and returned to Bloodwinds office.

Stepping into the office, they all turned to watch the wall reappear. Bloodwind shivered suddenly.

"Are you alright?" Lily asked.

"Yes," Bloodwind said sounding strained. "The wards protecting that vault just fell. My guardianship of that vault is over."

"Yes," a cold voice said from the doorway, "and as your guardianship of the vault has ended, so shall your life."

Turning, the occupants of the office stared at the small goblin standing in the doorway. His silver hair fell to his shoulders and his black eyes seemed to absorb the light as if they'd been formed from darkness itself.

"Griphook," Bloodwind said easily. "What are you doing here?"

"I am here to wipe your stain from our nation. For years you have pretended to be one of us, and yet you have no honor as a goblin. You do not like war and battle. You take no pleasure in the death of our enemies. You, Bloodwind, are no goblin. You are a coward."

"Have I ever refused to fight for our people? Have I ever run from a fight? It is true that I take no pleasure in our enemy's deaths, but have I ever spared those that needed killing? How then can you say I am a coward? It is true that I do not like violence, but isn't there an old proverb that says those that live by the sword shall die by the sword?"

"We are not elves or humans," Griphook hissed.

"No, but I am half-elf. I am not saying that our wars haven't been necessary because they have. We have fought for our rights and we continue to do so. We must if we want to keep the things we treasure the most, but I will not take pleasure in killing. It is necessary, but not something to enjoy. If the creator takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, why should I?"

"You are weak," Griphook hissed.

"Let me pass,' Bloodwind said calmly. "My job of guarding the vault is done."

"And if I don't?" Griphook said with a sneer. He raised an ax. "If I choose to remove your head from your body?"

"Then you will die," Harry said. "We will defend him."

"This is not your fight, boy. Leave now before you get hurt."

Fire danced around Harry's fingertips. "You are acting like a bully simply because Bloodwind does not fit with your society. Sometimes, what the majority believes is right really turns out to be wrong. You are treating him like an outcast because he does not agree with you. I cannot stand idly by and watch you kill an innocent man."

Bloodwind placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Stand down, young prince. I do not need you to fight my battles for me." He turned to Griphook. "Last chance, Griphook. Step aside and let me pass. If you do not, then I will have to move you."

Griphook grinned revealing his pointed teeth. "Come and try, half-breed."

Bloodwind let out a slow breath. He glanced at Harry and Lily. "Now you shall see why my Mother named me Bloodwind."

He gestured sharply, pointing his hand at Griphook. An icy wind sprang up around the goblin. The wind began spinning around him faster and faster. Griphook struggled against the wind, but could not move even a step. The fair skin they could see was turning red from the cold. Griphook raised his ax, but the wind seemed to have a mind of its own. It jerked the ax from his hand and sent it sailing through the air to clatter to the floor on the other side of the room.

"Last chance," Bloodwind called having to shout to be heard over the wind. "I shall not tell you again."

Griphook's only response was an inarticulate snarl.

Bloodwind sighed. "I did warn you." He jerked his hand towards himself. The wind compressed on itself before spinning away from Griphook. There was an awful ripping sound. Blood and chunks of meat splattered the walls and ceiling.

The wind suddenly died. There were several wet splats as chunks of bloody meat fell to the floor. Griphook's bloody skeleton stood upright for several seconds, his mouth open in a soundless scream. In slow motion, the skeleton fell backwards, landing on the floor with a soft clatter.

XXX

Bloodwind leapt off the marble steps landing nimbly on his feet. Harry and Lily hurried down the steps to join him.

"Will they come after you?" Harry asked.

"No, they may hate me, but Griphook challenged me. I had every right to defend myself by goblin law."

"What will you do now?" Lily asked.

Bloodwind chuckled. "I think I'm going to open a bar for outcasts. Danu knows the Wizarding world has enough of those." He looked at Lily and Harry seriously. "If the two of you need anything come and find me."

Lily leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

Bloodwind bowed to her. Wind sprang up around him. When the wind died, he was gone.

"Now what?" Harry asked.

"Well," a sneering voice said from behind them. "If it isn't Evans and her Bastard."

Lily and Harry both turned. Their eyes widened when they saw who had spoken.

"Lucius," Lily said. "You're looking very… yourself. I didn't think you had the courage to insult my son and I out in public. It must have taken Gryffindor levels of courage to do it without a mask."

Lucius Malfoy's pale lips turned up. "Life seems to be treating you fairly well," Lucius said coolly. "How's your half-breed there. I'll be surprised if they allow him to own a wand."

"I was surprised when you stayed out of prison," Lily said in the same cool tone. "But then again, I guess money talks."

Lucius smirked. "It does indeed to those that know how to listen. I wasn't even tried for the crimes I committed under Voldemort's imperious curse."

Lily clenched her fists. "What do you want?"

"Merely to ask how it feels to be raising a Bastard in the Wizarding world. You know they can't inherit anything, right?"

Lily stepped closer to Harry. "My husband is dead. You've seen the pictures of Oberon. Harry has his hair and his ears."

"Oh he definitely has fae blood. I am curious though. How do we know you were married to the king of Elphame? How do we know that you weren't just a little nudge in the night? You know just a little something to warm his bed? From what I here, it has been centuries since an elf and a witch had a child together. We only have your word that he was your husband and there is no way we can prove your claim is there?"

"I don't have to prove anything to you Malfoy," Lily growled her eyes turning amber.

"No, but life will be so much harder with all these doubts hanging over your poor child's head won't it?"

Harry gestured sharply. Malfoy was lifted into the air and flew the length of the alley. He crashed into a wall hard enough to crack the brick and slid down to the ground, leaving a bloody trail behind him.

"Leave my Mother alone," he snarled.

"Harry Evans," a voice said from behind him. "I am afraid you are going to have to come with me."

Turning, Harry saw James Potter standing there. His wand was out and pointed at Harry's chest.

"Lower your wand, James," Lily said quietly. "I don't want to hurt you, but if you don't stop pointing your wand at my son I'll rip your arm off."

"I don't like doing this," James said stoically, "but he just assaulted Lucius Malfoy."

"Lucius Malfoy couldn't keep his mouth shut," Bloodwind said appearing beside Lily. "If he couldn't handle the magic he shouldn't have entered the arena. That's got to be embarrassing for him. He was taken down by a boy who hasn't even started Hogwarts yet."

James jumped at sight of the goblin/elf hybrid. For just a second, his wand dropped. Bloodwind's hand flicked out plucking the wand from James's fingers. He tucked the wand into the pocket of his cloak and grinned nastily at James.

"That's the trouble with wizards. You rely on your wands. Most of you are totally helpless without them. I can feel your magic James Potter. While you are able to perform some minor spells; you do not have the power to fight with wandless magic. Go, return to your wife and children. Don't make me embarrass you in front of all these people."

James's face flushed at Bloodwind's dismissive tone. "You can't," he said through gritted teeth. If you attacked me, it could spark an international incident."

"So could pointing your wand at a child. Don't forget, the wizards are still under the rule of the queen. How do you think she'd react to knowing that you were going to arrest a child for defending himself?"

"He threw Malfoy across the alley," James snapped.

"Accidental magic," Lily said.

James opened and closed his mouth several times. "That wasn't accidental," he sputtered. "That was controlled and you know it."

"Can you prove it?" Bloodwind said calmly. "You know how children are. Malfoy insulted Harry's Mother. That is enough to make anyone angry."

James paused. "I see your point," he said finally. "I overreacted. I apologize." He held out his hand. "May I have my wand back?"

"I want an oath that you will not try to attack me, Harry, or Lily. I know you can do that much without a wand."

James held up his right hand. "I, James Charles Potter, swear that I will not try and harm you, Harry, or Lily for the events that took place here today."

There was a flash of light. When it faded, Bloodwind handed James his wand back. Without a word, James turned and strode away.

Lily turned to Bloodwind. "I thought you'd left."

Bloodwind looked down at the ground and shuffled his feet. "I saw Malfoy approaching, and I decided to stay and see what happened."

Lily smiled. "Thanks."

Bloodwind nodded to her. "I'm really leaving this time."

"I think Harry and I are just going to head home. We've had enough excitement today."

"Probably a good idea," Bloodwind said.

Lily placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. With a soft pop, she and Harry vanished. Bloodwind watched them go.

"Something's fishy," he muttered. "I need to keep an eye on things, just in case." In a rustle of air, he was gone.

XXX

"What do you mean you let him go?" Bagnold shouted at James. "I told you to bring the boy to me at all costs."

James glared at her. "And I shouldn't have gone along with that order, minister or not. You wanted me to bring in a kid and why, because his Daddy closed the gates to Elphame. Do you realize how messed up that is? What were you going to do once you had him?"

"You are an auror," Bagnold bellowed. "I am still minister at least for a few more months. I want that boy brought in or you can kiss your job good-bye. Have you forgotten that we need the fae? Breeding with them is the only way our race has survived. It was only their magic that revitalized Wizarding bloodlines."

"We have one advantage the elves do not," James said as if speaking to someone that was a little slow. "We can breed with muggles. When the fae tried that, it usually results in humans with a few magical gifts and they tend not to last that long. Remember, they usually develop some kind of cancer before they hit their twenties."

"What's your point?" Bagnold snapped. "Are you trying to give me a biology lesson?"

"My point is that Oberon would not have closed the gates unless he had to. He wanted to protect his son. You don't have children minister, so you don't understand. Given the choice, I would've done the same thing to protect my wife and sons. If you want to fire me, go ahead, but I'm not making the same mistake twice. I'm not going to arrest an innocent child on trumped up charges."

Bagnold glared at him for several moments. "As usual you do not see the big picture, Potter. It takes generations to repair the damage to pure-blood lines breeding with muggles. All we need is one fae child in exchange for our squib child and the damage is fixed. Since you refuse to follow my orders, consider yourself on probation until my successor arrives. I cannot have a disobedient auror working for me. At the same time, you are a fantastic auror and we can't afford to lose you. I'll let my replacement figure out what to do with you. You are dismissed."

James bowed to her and stormed from the office. Bagnold watched him go. She was scowling so hard her forehead hurt. Something needed to be done. She needed to make sure her successor knew what was going on. The Wizarding world would survive. If she had to kill that stupid brat herself, then so be it.

XXX

Aeval and Voldemort watched the minister in her office. Waving her hand, Aeval caused the mist to fade. "Interesting," she murmured.

"Are you causing her to act that way?" Voldemort asked curiously.

"No," Aeval said smiling slightly. "With the gates closed, my powers are severely limited."

"And yet you've found a way to get me a body," Voldemort mused.

Aeval gestured at the mist. A crude gateway formed in the air before them. "Your helper is waiting for you. I shall recall you at the end of the year or at such time that your body is destroyed. You know why we need that artifact?"

Voldemort nodded. "You think we can use it to break Oberon's spell."

Aeval glared. "I don't think I know we can use it to break Oberon's spell. Had I know of it before now, I would've retrieved it before Oberon cast that spell. Now go, and do not fail me."

Voldemort nodded and flew through the gateway. As soon as he was through, the gate slammed shut and vanished. Aeval wiped sweat off her forehead with one shaking hand. She really hoped this worked. She didn't know if she would be able to open a gateway again.

XXX

Quirinus Quirrell moved quietly through the forest. He jumped as an owl gave a particularly loud hoot. He strained his eyes, trying to see into the darkness. This was where Voldemort was supposedly located. He had to find him. He needed the knowledge of the powerful sorcerer.

All his life, Quirrell had been made fun of. No one had ever respected him, but Voldemort would change that. Voldemort would help him obtain the respect he so rightly deserved. All he had to do was find him and everything would change. That was why he'd come to Albania. According to everything he'd been able to learn, Voldemort was supposedly hiding in this forest.

Quirrell took a deep breath of the night air. The smells of various trees and plant life filled his nose. He felt so alive. He'd never been the type to spend a lot of time outdoors, but for whatever reason, this forest was invigorating. He felt full of energy ready to take on the world.

Suddenly, the temperature dropped at least twenty degrees. Goosebumps formed on his skin. His breath steamed on the air. He froze. It was midsummer. What was going on? Looking around, Quirrell noticed ice crystals forming on the branches of the trees. He gulped and took a step back. Something was terribly wrong here. Trembling slightly, he drew his wand. "H-hello," he choked. "I-is anyone there?"

A rattling breath came from right behind him. Spinning around, Quirrell froze at the sight of the creature in front of him.

It was at least seven feet tall and covered from head to foot in a long black cloak. A slimy skeletal hand emerged from the cloak. It looked wet, rotting, and appeared to glisten in the light of the full moon.

"Dementor," he croaked. Another rotting hand emerged from the figures cloak. Quirrell stumbled backwards and tripped over his feet. He landed flat on his back with a grunt.

A shadow loomed over him, blotting out the moonlight. The rotting hands gripped his shoulders. Quirrell struggled to free himself, but to no avail. He watched in horror as the creature pushed back its hood.

The face the hood had hidden was horrible. The eyes were two scabbed over holes. It had no nose. Only a wide black hole where the mouth should be. Quirrell opened his mouth to scream.

The creature lowered its mouth and clamped it over Quirrell's muffling his cries. His struggles were now frantic, arms and legs flailing. His entire body stiffened, back arching, then his body relaxed. His arms and legs flopped lifelessly. The creature straightened up and let out a sigh before turning and vanishing into the darkness.

XXX

Voldemort looked down at the young man sprawled on the ground. This was it? This was Aeval's brilliant idea? How had she even managed to convince a dementor to help anyway?

He drifted closer, hovering over the man's slack mouth. Who was this man? Why had Aeval chosen him? He could tell by the robes he wore that he was a wizard. By his voice, he determined he was from Britain, but that was all he knew for sure.

Before he could attempt to slip into the body, he felt himself being yanked backwards.

XXX

Voldemort blinked. He was in a sunny meadow. He could hear the twittering of birds above him. A stream bubbled over rocks not far away. Turning in a circle, he saw Oberon sitting on a tree stump.

"You again?" he snapped. "What do you want?"

Oberon dropped the stick he was whittling on and tucked the silver knife back in his cloak. "Just to talk," he gestured to another stump across from him. "Sit, we have time."

Scowling, Voldemort sat down. "You know Aeval is aware of our little chats don't you?"

"I'd be disappointed if she wasn't," Oberon said with a shrug. "You are aware of the gift you are being given comes with a price, aren't you? If you betray her, she will hunt you down and kill you slowly and painfully."

"And that's exactly what you want me to do isn't it? Why? Why do you care so much?"

"You are being given a second chance. Don't waste it."

"It's too late,' Voldemort said. "I've gone too far and done too much to turn back now. Besides, I've given my word. I may not have much honor or morals left, but when I give my word, I am honor bound to carry it out to the best of my ability. I will do what I must to save the Wizarding world from the muggles."

"What will it profit you to gain the whole world and lose your soul? There is still time, Tom. You can still turn from this path. Please, don't attempt to kill my son. Use this chance you've been given to help people, not kill them."

"It's too late for that," Voldemort said softly. "I'll do what I have to. Look, Oberon, I appreciate what you are trying to do, but you can't save me. I don't want to be saved. I'm perfectly willing to damn myself if it means saving the Wizarding world from the muggles."

Oberon looked at Voldemort sadly. "One day you will regret those words."

"Maybe, but that day is not today. I know you can't hold me here, so send me back. I have work to do."

Oberon said nothing, but Voldemort found himself flying through the air.

XXX

Voldemort sat up and yawned widely. He felt warmth suffuse his entire body. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Standing, he looked down at his new body. It was far younger than his old one. Closing his eyes, he assessed his magic levels.

He didn't have near the power he'd once had, but he hoped that would change. He rubbed his forehead. Information was flooding his mind. Thoughts and memories that didn't belong to him flashed before his eyes.

With an effort, he pushed the thoughts away to examine later. He smiled to himself. It appeared he was going to teach Defense against the dark arts after all. Turning on one foot, he vanished with a deafening crack.

A/N Here is a long chapter since I haven't posted in a few weeks.

I'll post the next one the week after Christmas. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a happy new year.