Disclaimer: Same as in the first chapter, with a few additions. Peter and Wendy created by J. M. Barrie. Mary Poppins created by P. L. Travers. Labyrinth created by Jim Henson. Coraline and Mirrormask created by Neil Gaiman. Spirited Away created by Hayeo Miyazaki. Pan's Labyrinth created by Guillermo del Toro. Les Habits Noir created by Paul Feval, though in this story he only scratched the surface of the group's secrets.

Chapter Two

Samhain

Those who seek us surely find us
See the trail we leave behind us
Some bewildered, some enlightened
Some are brave, some are frightened
Are we kind or are we vicious?
Nectar poison or delicious?
That, my sweet, you will discover
Fairy foe, or fairy lover

-Gary Stadler and Wendy Rule, Dance of the Wild Faeries

Oxford

November 4, 2017

Leanan loved Oxford. She loved anywhere that produced poets, and this place had produced it's fair share. It was strong with the magic of the Fae, her people. Yet, she rarely visited.

You see, Leanan was known to Myth as the Leanan Sidhe. And while Oxford was a Fae stronghold, it belonged to the Seelie Court, and the Seelie Court didn't think highly of Leanan. Leanan thought of herself as a great Muse, her name meaning "Fairy Lover". For centuries, she'd inspired many a great poet. And, while the Seelie Court loved poetry, they objected to the price paid to Leanan for her inspiration. They tended to die young, as she slowly drained their lives.

Oxford was full of reminders of the Seeile Court Fairy that held sway, there, Queen Alice of Wonderland. There was Alice's Shop, where the Queen frequently visited during her mortal childhood, that now sold gifts and memorabilia dedicated to her. There were tours of Oxford of the places she lived and went, including Christ Church College where her father was the Dean. The Great Hall of Christ Church College had a stained glass window dedicated to her family.

Queen Alice was honored in many places outside of Oxford. In Daresbury, the birthplace of Lewis Carroll, All Saints Church had stained glass windows depicting Queen Alice and her subjects, including one of Alice and Carroll present at the Nativity. There were statues of her all over the world, including New York's Central Park. There had been much art, song, and dance dedicated to Queen Alice. Leanan had to admit she was a bit jealous.

The locals were preparing for Bonfire Night, the annual burning of the Wicker Man. But that wasn't why Leanan was here. This was one of the few celebrations involving bonfires in the British Isles that had nothing to do with her people. Leanan's people had already been honored a few days before, on Halloween. Halloween was rooted, in part, on an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain, and partly on a Christian festival from Asia Minor, two separate traditions that found themselves mixed when cultures spent enough time intermingling. Leanan had noticed, though, that Bonfire Night had lost much of it's original meaning in England. Halloween, which hadn't been a major event in England until recent decades, had gained popularity thanks to the American traditions for it being exported. Now, Halloween and Bonfire Night were increasingly becoming a single week or so long celebration in England. So, the bonfires soon to be lit, that hadn't been lit already, were, in a way, now relating to Leanan's people, during one of those times when the veils between this world and the Otherworld were thinnest, the Fae reclaiming a little of what was once theirs.

Reclaiming things couldn't come a minute too soon, Leanan thought. While Oxford was stable, much of the rest of Britain wasn't. Britain was like much of the world, in that respect. The States had fallen into chaos and massive poverty, and they were dragging Europe down with them. Riots and terrorism had become a daily routine. It was never supposed to have gotten this bad. Her people had had a long term plan. Leanan wondered where things went wrong.

Tonight was the anniversary of Queen Alice's coronation. It was also a Full Moon, when the ancient Celts celebrated Samhain. Leanan was certain, though, that the Seelie and Unseelie Courts weren't being called for this Council for a combination Jubilee and Samhain celebration. The Council was called rather suddenly, indicating a serious situation that had to be dealt with. Leanan thought it likely had to do with the situation the magical mortals who called themselves Wizards had found themselves in, yet again. They'd never learn, Leanan thought.

She stepped into a pub she'd always liked, the Eagle and Child, still standing after all these centuries. The place had quite the history, serving as the lodgings of the Chancellor of the Exchequer during the English Civil War, when Oxford was the Royalist capital. The dictatorship of Oliver Cromwell was a dark time for the Fae, with the Puritans seeking their extermination. They closed and destroyed all the theaters, and had any actors they captured whipped. Shakespeare had been a good friend to the Fair Folk, and his work was now silenced, as was any expression of true joy. They even outlawed Christmas.

Leanan had never been able to claim Sweet Will. He belonged to the High Queen of the Seelie Court. She had many names, though Will called her Titania. She must have liked it, Leanan thought, as it was the name she began using, most often. Or maybe she just had a special love for William Shakespeare.

Cromwell was especially harsh to Leanan's native Ireland. When he wasn't having entire towns slaughtered, his forces were selling 50,000 Irish men, women, and children into slavery. And he called the Fae evil.

Unfortunately for the Fae, Cromwell knew how to ward them off, always surrounding himself with the necessary protections.

It took the Seelie Court almost a decade to catch up with him. Titania chose Morgan le Fay, Queen and High Priestess of Avalon and one time Queen of Ireland, to do the job. Brigid accompanied her, being one of the Emerald Isle's Patrons. Brigid's people had called on her for help.

They needed assistance in getting close to Cromwell. So, they sought the wizards, since they had a mutual enemy, one who sought to destroy them both. During Cromwell's military campaign to crush the Scottish rebels supporting Charles II, the son of the executed King Charles I, Cromwell sought the location of Hogwarts, a school that taught children of the Wizarding community magic. Cromwell's intentions were clear, if he found it. And, if he learned the location of Diagon Alley, right in the heart of London...

While Cromwell's protections worked against the Fae, they weren't so protective against Wizards. They infiltrated, and allowed Morgan and Brigid access. What they saw when entering Cromwell's stronghold surprised them.

Cromwell had established his power by railing against the Monarchy, calling for a Republic. Yet, after nearly a decade in power, he'd taken on all the trappings of a King except for the actual title. The ceremony naming him Lord Protector for life saw him wearing a purple ermine lined robe, with a sword of justice and a sceptre. Even worse, from the perspective of the Fae, Cromwell sat on King Edward's Chair for the ceremony, used only for coronations. The chair contained the Stone of Scone, a gift from the Fae, signifying the Monarch's right to rule. Cromwell sought their extermination while mocking them with their own gifts.

Such sacrilege wouldn't go unpunished. Morgan wondered if Cromwell understood the significance of this particular action.

Morgan used her shape shifting abilities to appear to be Cromwell's physician, having quietly disposed of his actual one. She and Brigid were renowned for their healing arts, and such skills could be used to harm, as well. Cromwell suddenly found himself suffering from all sorts of ills, including malaria and a kidney infection. Nothing his physician could do seemed to help. If anything, his health seemed to decline more rapidly. Meanwhile, the wizards made certain that Cromwell's successor, his son Richard, wouldn't have enough support in Parliament or the Army to maintain being Lord Protector, for long.

Oliver Cromwell died on September 3, 1658. His son, Richard, only ruled as Lord Protector for nine months. In 1660, the Monarchy was restored with Charles II. On January 30, 1661, exactly twelve years after the execution of Charles I, Oliver Cromwell's body was dug up and ritually hanged, drawn, and quartered. His body was thrown into a pit, while his head was displayed on a pole outside Westminister Hall until 1685. After that, it changed hands several times before finally being buried in 1960.

A subsequent hearing was held for Father Christmas regarding the claims made against him by the Cromwell regime. He was cleared of all charges.

It was something else, though, that made the Eagle and Child famous. Leanan walked up to the bar, and was surprised that the bartender immediately recognized her for what she was.

"Ah," he said, "You must be in town for that big gathering Alice is hosting. She's in the Rabbit Room with Dorothy and Luna."

Of course, those three would be in the Rabbit Room, Leanan thought. "What are they drinking?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Guinness, naturally."

Naturally. Alice was so fond of the Irish stout that she'd spent decades advertising it. So, Leanan decided to be stereotypically Irish and ordered one before joining the others. She steeled herself for what she was certain would be a conversation with the three blondes that would include many strangely named creatures and repeated uses of the words "you know."

She'd not seen Princess Dorothy of Oz since the 1990s, in Seattle, when Dorothy made it clear to Leanan she was not welcome in that city. Leanan had taken a musician lover, there (well, OK, a few), and it ended as all of her trysts with poets did. An enraged Dorothy told her, in that American Midwestern accent Leanan would never get used to from a Fairy Princess, that Seattle was her territory. It seemed Oz took Seattle nicknaming itself the Emerald City seriously.

As far as Leanan was concerned, her lovers chose her. She could offer them the full experience, the Light and Darkness, the full beauty and ugliness of the world, that Alice, being a good Christian girl, couldn't. Some chose being the fast burning brightest flare over the slow burning candle.

Luna was the first to see her approach.

"Leanan! How nice of you to join us." she greeted with a genuine smile. Luna's overall demeanor wasn't happy, though. She radiated a great sadness, confirming Leanan's suspicions as to what this Council was going to be about.

Like all Fae, the eyes of the three blondes were striking. Luna's were silver and moonlike, fitting her name. Alice's were a sky blue. Dorothy's were a piercing turquoise, which regarded Leanan appraisingly.

"You've been keeping out of troulble while you're in town, I expect?" she asked Leanan.

"I know the rules. Don't eat anyone while I'm here."

"Good."

Alice added, "It's very bad for our image, you know. And, I'd like to stay welcome in this place. I have many good memories of Oxford, including this room."

"It's not exactly a room, any more," Leanan replied. It was more a corner than a separate room, now.

It was the Rabbit Room that made the Eagle and Child famous. Here, a group of friends, writers, met regularly to drink and share their work with one another. They were called the Inklings. They included J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Charles Williams, and, like George MacDonald (who was a great influence on them) and his protege Lewis Carroll at Oxford before them, were great friends of the Fair Folk. Alice had enjoyed her service as a Muse for C. S. Lewis, or Jack, as his friends called him. Lewis had been an Atheist and materialist until Tolkien had properly introduced him to the Fae.

Leanan had never been able to make any of the Inklings hers, either. Charles Williams had no doubt warned his friends to beware her. Williams was once a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which had earlier included the great Irish poet W. B. Yeats. Yeats had not only spurned Leanan's advances, but written some hostile things about her. Of course, spurning her had meant a long life for Yeats.

Alice replied, "The magic will always linger here, and resonate, you know. People come here from all over the world to pay homage. They keep it alive."

"Just as they do for you."

"True..."

Belief was important to the Fae. Mortals' belief in them kept them powerful. It didn't necessarily need to be a literal belief. As long as they remained a presence in the hearts and minds of humans, they would remain strong.

"But," Leanan said, "The Black Coats are still trying to stamp us out. Given what they've been doing to the world, I would think those dark wizards would take priority over this Riddle... That is what we're being called together about, correct?"

"Yes. But... The situation with... Tom Riddle is key to dealing with the larger problem."

"How? Riddle has nothing to do with the Black Coats."

"Have you ever heard what the mortals call the Butterfly Effect?"

"Yes, yes... A butterfly flapping it's wings in Brazil can cause a tornado in Texas... What does Riddle have to do with this?"

"He doesn't, actually."

Luna spoke up. "It's Harry Potter we need."

"Harry Potter?" Leanan asked, confused. "Isn't he...?"

"Yes!" Luna exclaimed, pain in her voice. Then, she added, more quietly, "Yes... I failed him."

Alice put her hand on her goddaughter's shoulder. "For now. We're going to fix things."

Leanan began to understand. "And this is why you're needing both Courts. You need King Jareth's cooperation." Leanan was sure Alice would get it, too, since his Queen was yet another of Alice's goddaughters.

"Yes, for an undertaking of this magnitude."

"I don't see how this Potter can be so important. He seems so... simple."

Dorothy said, "One person can make a world of difference. I was considered pretty simple at first, you know."

"When you were seven."

Luna said, "Harry is... He can be... so much more."

"And he will be," Alice told her. "You can do this. We can do this."

Luna's thoughts went back to that horrible night two months before. No, she determined, she wouldn't fail Harry, again. And he wouldn't fail the world.

"Accio, Invisibility Cloak," Tom Riddle casually commanded, followed by one of the Deathly Hallows flying into his possession. As he looked at the carnage in the house at 12 Grimmauld Place, he thought of the two Hallows that now belonged to him, even though the Elder Wand was currently somewhere he didn't know. He had his suspicions regarding who had physical possession of it, probably the same person who possessed the Resurrection Stone.

"You disappointed me, Harry," he said to the body of his one time nemesis. He meant it, too. He expected better of Harry Potter. Really, Tom had been the one out of action, for years. One would have thought Harry would have learned some new offensive spells instead of using Expelliarmus yet again. Once Tom had contained him, Potter still insisted that what was happening was impossible. Dumbledore had guessed there were only seven Horcruxes, and Potter took it as an article of faith.

Tom, on the other hand, had learned from his mistakes, starting with his method of creating a new body to inhabit. His previous method had cost him more than his good looks. He'd made many utterly foolish mistakes two decades ago. It seemed that using a piece of Wormtail and the blood of Harry had a negative effect on his reasoning abilities, however cathartic it was.

Harry had disappointed him in other ways, as well as his old friend, Hermione Granger... Or was that Weasley, now? He expected to return to a very different Wizarding Britain. He was certain they'd have pushed through all manner of reforms, completely altered the Wizarding culture, which would have made things much more difficult for him, leaving him less angry magical beings to recruit. But no, nothing had changed. House elves were still enslaved. Werewolves were still second class citizens. Centaurs, giants, and other magical beings considered of "near" human intellegence were still treated the same as they ever were. And, they were still oblivious to the threat of humans that weren't wizards.

As he stepped out into the London street, Tom wondered how both Potter and Granger, raised in the Muggle culture as Tom was, could casually dismiss the muggles as any old Pureblood did. Wizards tended to think of muggles the way muggles thought of chimpanzees. This astounded Tom. The British Wizarding Government was in London, as was Diagon Alley. Tom hadn't been the only wizard to experience the rain of fire and brimstone that Grindelwald's muggle allies had brought to London for months.

No, Potter and Granger had simply accepted the culture as it was, no doubt due to the influence of that family they both married into. He'd have to thank the Weasleys for that, before he killed them. They made this so much easier for him. Why, if it hadn't been for them, he'd have never even been able to enter the house.

Ginny Weasley, now Potter, had once been possessed by one of Tom's soul fragments. Her healing, it had turned out, had consisted of simply erasing her memories of the events. It was a simple matter to rediscover the paths through her mind and into her soul. After they had dropped their two oldest children off at Kings Cross Station for their train ride to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she had simply let him in, while Harry was in his study reading the Quidditch scores and no doubt thinking all was well.

Tom didn't use the Killing Curse, this time, another old foolish mistake. No, there were other way to kill a foe. What people didn't realize was the Killing Curse was Tom's way of showing an enemy mercy. Dismemberment took much longer, was messier, and far more... painful. In the old days, he'd have taken some satisfaction in Potter's screams. Oh well...

It had left him empty, really, Tom thought as he cast the Dark Mark into the night sky. As he donned the Invisibility Cloak and stepped to a nearby alley to watch for the Aurors to arrive, he thought about the cold iron placed around the house, no doubt at the urging of the Weasleys. It seemed a certain old friend of theirs was no longer welcome, ironically the very friend who could have saved them. And, speak of the Devil...

He saw the large, moonlike, silver eyes glowing like a cat's, reflecting the street lights, first. He'd know those eyes, anywhere. She was approaching him. He realized he shouldn't be surprised that the Cloak wasn't hiding him from her. She had a very large staff that he recognized as a fairy wand, and now looked so much like her mother.

There were few things that frightened Tom in his lifetime. Luna Lovegood's infamous mother had been one of them.

He noticed a mist had risen, meaning she didn't want their conversation interrupted by Aurors or anyone else any more than he did. So, he removed the Invisibility Cloak, and decided to speak first.

"You'll be glad to know that I spared the daughter. Attacking children has never gone well for me."

"Thanks for that, at least."

"You're welcome. By the way, my complements for your taking down two of the main Council of the Black Coats... Oh, I knew it had to be you. If I wasn't certain about who killed the Brazilian, the method you used on the Countess confirmed it. Very nicely poetic, draining her of her life."

"It was no less than she deserved."

"Yes, but there was a time when you would never have done that. Not that it makes much difference. The rest of the Council won't be drawn to you and your seeming innocence the way those two were. In fact, your helping Potter twenty years ago has just worked in their favor. They've had all this time without me to oppose them. All this time to further their goals..."

"You wouldn't have been able to stop them, anyway. You're too much like them. To stop them, I'll need Harry."

Tom scoffed. "You're too late for that."

"No... It'll just be a bit difficult, is all."

"He has no Horcruxes. It's impossible to bring Potter back from where I've sent him," Tom replied. He heard some noises, something like rodents scurrying close by, but paid it no mind, too focused on those eyes. There were so many rats in London, these days...

"A friend of mine believes in as many as six impossible things before breakfast, you know."

"The White Queen, yes..." The noises were getting louder.

"Think about it, and what she can do."

"What... are you up to?"

"You'll never know."

It was then that Tom finally took notice of the strange sounds. It was a swarm of creatures about the size of cats. He knew these creatures. His eyes widened.

"Sic 'im," she ordered. They attacked him as she apparated away.

The three Seelie and one Unseelie Fae arrived at the woods once owned by C. S. Lewis, that he and Tolkien frequently visited, and found inspiration in. The stepped through the mist, and into the Otherworld. The first to greet them there was another of Alice's goddaughters, one of the oldest along with Dorothy: Wendy Moria Angela Darling.

Wendy's hair was currently a dark blonde, though it would sometimes be a dark brown or light red. Her large eyes were a bright violet blue. "Hello. Everyone's getting ready."

"Where's Peter?" Luna asked.

"He's sharing adventure stories with Puck, right now... Oh, not to worry. Tiger Lily and Mary will keep them out of too much mischief."

"It's always... awkward, seeing him, again," Luna said.

"I know how you feel... Especially considering I see him all the time."

Wendy and Luna had something in common beyond being Alice's goddaughters. They'd had the same first boyfriend. Oh, it wasn't a rivalry for the boy's affections that made things awkward with him. No, it was the fact that they had grown up, and Peter Pan had not. While many men could be described as emotionally trapped in early adolescence, it was more than that with Peter. He was quite literally, physically, eternally in the early stages of puberty.

Wendy, and her brothers, had been taken by Peter to Neverland in her youth. Peter wanted her to stay, and be with him, forever. But, she knew she must return home and grow up. She tried to convince Peter to return, and grow up, with her, to no avail. So, with some regrets, she and her brothers returned home, along with the Lost Boys, boys who, like Peter, had fallen out of their prams and found themselves taken by the fairies to Neverland. She would, however, always keep a part of Neverland within her, and would delight her children with stories of her adventures with Peter Pan.

It would take her several years to realize that she'd never truly be able to leave Neverland, however. She'd come to notice she, her brothers, and the former Lost Boys weren't aging as their contemporaries were, after they'd reached adulthood.

You see, while Peter was a good and heroic boy, he also tended to forget little details. He'd failed to mention a rule about being in a Fairyland. One should never eat the food, there. If one does, they belong to the Fae.

Wendy had expressed a desire to grow up, so Neverland allowed that. However, she didn't say anything about growing old. With the Fae, one had to be very careful about how they worded things. Fortunately, Wendy had her godmother to help her adjust to her status. Peter, for his part, found the situation quite funny.

Wendy still loved Peter's laugh.

"I trust," Luna said, "that Peter is really looking forward to what we're about to do?"

"An awfully big adventure..."

"We do need to keep him from killing Lucius Malfoy on sight. We need Lucius alive for our plans to succeed, you know."

"Unfortunately..."

Yes, she remembered Lucius Malfoy. She'd met him in the Summer of 1991...

The Darlings had been regarded by the Malfoys as a deep, dark, secret in their family tree. Wendy had kept an eye on her relatives over the years. One twilight, when Lucius Malfoy had been in London lobbying (the respectable term for bribing) the Minister for Magic, he found himself drawn to Kensington Gardens for reasons he didn't understand. He just felt an urge to take a stroll, there. It was only when he reached the bronze statue of Peter Pan, and noticed how misty it had gotten, that he realized he had been lured.

Malfoy Manor had all the protections needed to keep her out, and he'd just walked right into her territory. There was a glow just above him, and he looked up and beheld... her, floating, with that blasted pixie, beside Pan's statue. She was the most beautiful and transcendent sight he had ever seen... Not that he would ever admit it to her.

She floated to the ground, and began introducing herself. "I am Wendy Moria An..."

"I know who you are," he said with as much malice and disdain as he could conjure, trying to keep any fear and awe out of his voice.

"Good. We have much to discuss..." She was prevented from further discussion, however, by the wand Lucius had drawn. "That's very rude," she pointed out.

"You and your... kind... are a disgrace to our line. I will now..."

Whatever he intended, he quickly found his wand arm attacked by the pixie, followed immediately by a sword at his throat wielded by Wendy. The pixie then screamed what Lucius was certain were obscenities into his ear.

"Thank you, Tink," Wendy said. "Sir, you are both ungallant and deficient! You look so much like my father, I thought we could talk. But, you remind me more of the pirate in the family! Perhaps I'll take your hand and feed it to a crocodile!"

"Please don't..." he begged, terrified.

She paused, and withdrew her sword. "Since you said the magic word, I'll spare your life. Leave this place, and never trespass here, again!"

He considered the fact that Kensington Gardens was open to the public, so he wasn't trespassing, not to mention that she'd lured him there in the first place. But, his survival instinct that knew it was best not to further provoke a Wendy when she was allowing him to leave with his limbs still attached prevailed.

From then on, though, he'd shudder whenever he saw a Wendy house.

Luna said, "For some reason, Lucius Malfoy thinks the Fae are rather mad and prone to extreme violence."

They were quickly met by more of Alice's goddaughters. There was Coraline Jones, black haired and brown eyed, who had discovered her Otherworld in her own home. She'd developed a dislike for dolls with button eyes as a result. Helena Campbell was also black haired and brown eyed, and was from a circus family. She'd dreamed of running away from the circus to join the real world, but her Otherworld Journey had given her a deep appreciation for her family. Like Luna, she was an artist. From Spain was Princess Moanna of the Underworld, brown haired and brown eyed, as was Chihiro Ogino from Japan, who demonstrated how far Alice's influence had reached.

And then, there was Sarah Williams, black haired, green eyed, and one who's beauty was enchanting even before she became a Fae. She had enchanted no less a Fae than the High King of the Unseelie Court, Jereth, the Goblin King, Lord of the Underground. All of Alice's goddaughters had undertaken Journeys that reflected her own, and so it was for Sarah, having to run the Labyrinth to rescue her baby brother from the Goblin King that she'd accidentally wished away. What she didn't know, until their final confrontation, was it wasn't her brother, Toby, that he was really after. He was in love with her.

Defeat was costly for him. She not only won her brother's freedom, but the loyalty of his subjects. But, there had been a price Sarah had paid for the maturity and wisdom she'd gained. She'd done the same thing her godsisters had, before her. She'd eaten the fruit of the Otherworld. She immediately discovered she could call the denizens of the Underground whenever she felt she needed them. In seeking to possess her, Jareth found himself possessed.

It took a few years, and some worshipful kneeling on Jareth's part, but she eventually gave into her attraction for him. She always had to admit she was attracted. How could she not be? He was quite beautiful, himself. And, he knew it. He swaggered like a rock star, in tight pants with a bulge a girl couldn't avoid looking too long at. But, aside from that, Sarah was especially fascinated by Jareth's eyes. His right eye was blue, and normal. His left eye was green, and didn't dilate. From what Luna understood, this was the result of a battle injury in his youth over a girl.

He even managed to make that ridiculous poofy hair work for him.

The courtship taking a few years was a good thing, considering Sarah was only 15 when she made her first journey into the Underground. A few years allowed her time to further mature. And mature she did. When Luna first saw Sarah nude, she just stared in wonder. Now, Luna had always considered herself a leg girl, but those were stunning breasts. The rest of her was a wonder to behold, too.

And speaking of the Goblin King...

"Well, well, well..." the familiar voice said. If it isn't the god-in-laws," Jareth said with his usual smirk.

"Gimme!" Helena said in greeting.

"And what do you want?"

"Your balls, of course!"

"Say the magic word."

"Pleeeeease!"

With that, Jareth drew a crystal ball from nowhere, and casually tossed it to Helena, who began juggling it. He tossed another, then another, as she easily added them to her performance. The circus girl had seen Jareth do a seemingly impossible juggling trick with the crystals, so she determined she'd learn it.

"Hello, Jareth," Luna greeted.

"And how is my favorite Moonchild, this full moon?" Jareth asked.

"I've been better."

"And you'll be better, once we've finished our business, here."

They were shortly joined by two beautiful women, Queens of different Fairylands. Regal, graceful, with white hair, was Mirana, the White Queen of Wonderland, Alice's fellow monarch, and Mistress of the darker mysteries. The other, with red poppies adorning her black curls, was Ozma, Queen of Oz, who embraced Dorothy and gave her a loving kiss.

Luna smiled and said, "You two are making me very jealous."

Ozma smiled her usual disarming smile and replied, "You're always welcome in the Royal bedchamber, you know."

"And not just the Emerald City's," Jareth added, suggestively.

"As much as I enjoy being entertained by all of you when I visit your realms," Luna replied, "I do need a Consort of my own."

"And you'll have him," Alice said, "after he undertakes the Journey. Then, he'll be worthy of you."

"Yeah, the Journey," Sarah said. "I grew up a lot during mine."

Alice added, "That's the reason we undertake these Journeys, you know."

"I've wondered..." said Jareth to Luna, "how this boy didn't undertake the Journey. I can't see how any boy who has any attraction to girls could possibly not think about you a great deal after meeting you."

Charming bastard...

"Dumbledore," Luna answered. "He made a point to keep Harry and the others... distant from me. I suspect there were even love potions involved."

"Really..." Jareth considered. "I would have thought he would have been prompting the boy down the path."

"It seems, despite all appearances, he was more puppet master than mentor."

"Maybe," Sarah suggested, "he didn't realize what he was doing?"

"He had to have recognized what that scar on Harry's forehead actually was, what it marked Harry as, as much as Mum did. I didn't think that a noted Alchemist such as Albus Dumbledore would deliberately act to prevent the Great Work from being completed."

"Well," Ozma said, "you know, now. And knowing is half the battle."

Those who knew of certain 1980s television cartoons looked to Dorothy.

"What can I say?" Dorothy answered the unasked question. "She's always had an interest in my native culture."

It had been decided that Glinda the Good would address the gathered Fae. While the leaders of both the Seelie and Unseelie Courts were in agreement, it was considered best to speak to them all, especially the solitary Fae not belonging to either Court. Glinda was loved, feared, and respected by all. She radiated power. She was wearing her usual white dress with red trim. She and Dorothy had been quite annoyed at their depictions in a Hollywood film. The deep voiced Glinda didn't sound like that, and she would certainly never wear pink.

She had long blonde hair, and a beauty that was ageless. In fact, no one knew how old she actually was. As far as Oz's recorded histories knew, she had always been there. It was certain she'd had other names. Some believed she was the Fairy Queen Lurline who had first enchanted Oz into a Fairyland. Some said she came to Oz on a ship from the East, already several thousand years old, where she was known by another name. The answer to the riddle, they say, lay in the ring she wore, with a diamond as radiant as the stars.

She didn't just tell the assembled Fae what would happen if they didn't pursue the proposed course of action. She showed them the visions of the future she saw in her pool. The Black Coats would make the world a Waste Land. Humans would lose their link to the rest of life, their understanding, their knowledge of who they are. Compassion and responsibility to others, especially to future generations, would be seen as foolish, outmoded, notions. Fellow humans would be seen as a source for one's own material gains, nothing more. Humankind would be defined by war and brutality, with no plan for the day after tomorrow. And the Fae...

The Fae would lose their remaining place in the world, and would fade, their magic and beauty no longer even a memory.

That settled it, then.

Mirana and Jareth had the best relationship with Time. He had always been willing to do whatever those two wished, within limits. As Time didn't care for the lack of respect the culture created by the Black Coats was giving him, he agreed to their request... within limits. He would turn back the clock only to just before the moment of no return. Only the Fae, with their special awareness of these things, would know what had happened, retain their memories of the future about to be changed. Though, Alice suspected someone she had known would be aware that something had changed, but he wouldn't know what.

"Are you ready?" she asked Luna.

"I suppose... As much as I'll ever be."

"I'll see you there," Alice told her, and gave her a kiss. Then, Luna's world turned black...

Luna awoke, somewhere she had never intended to be, again. She was in her bed in the Ravenclaw dorm. She didn't need to check a calendar to know the date: Midsummer Eve, 1996, near the end of term of her fourth year at Hogwarts.

She knew Alice would be visiting her dad and the Tonkses, so she wouldn't have to explain everything. She'd need to visit Hermione in the hospital wing, and speak with her Head of House. Professor Flitwick was part goblin, so she figured it wouldn't be too difficult to convince him to accompany her to the Forbidden Forest, that Midsummer eve. This would be as sacred a day for him as for her. Jareth would be speaking to his goblin subjects, today, and meet them and Queen Titania in the Forbidden Forest at twilight. The rulers of both the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, together, would convince Flitwick. There was so much work to do, and not a great deal of time to do it. They'd have only a little more than a week to save lives from Death Eaters, and begin to prevent Dumbledore from seeing his schemes through.

She climbed out of bed, noticing her dormmates were staring at her. Not that that, in itself, was unusual, she recalled. This was different, though. They looked... It was some combination of nervousness and awe. Luna decided to look in the mirror, to see what was different from the first time she lived this day.

Ah, of course.

She was radiant, with a full fairy glamour. She never used it during her original Hogwarts years, wanting people to like her or dislike her for herself. But, after spending a considerable amount of time in the Fairylands, since, it became her natural state. She had to make a point of not having the glamour.

Well, she thought, since she was going to reveal this aspect of herself to Harry and Hermione much earlier than she did in the original timeline, it didn't matter, much. It would certainly get their attention. And, she would need them to not be distracted by other things than what she needed to teach them.

It would certainly be an effective counter to Ginny's love potions.

So, she kept the glamour as she removed her bed clothes and went to take a shower, amused at her confused dormmates trying not to stare.

As she showered, she thought about what the next few weeks would bring, and how so much would depend on one woman...

Andromeda Black-Tonks.