A/N: The rune that comes into discussion is a genuine Germanic one.

Chapter Nine

Descent of the Goddess

It was a sad time after the death of the fair young god of spring, Tammuz. The beautiful goddess, Ishtar, who loved Tammuz dearly, followed him to the halls of Eternity, defying the demons who guard the Gates of Time.

But at the first Gate, the guardian demon forced Ishtar to surrender her sandals, which the wise men say symbolizes giving up Will. And at the second Gate, Ishtar had to surrender her jeweled anklets, which the wise say means giving up Ego. And at the third Gate, she surrendered her robe, which is hardest of all because it means giving up Mind itself. And at the fourth Gate, she surrendered her golden breast-cups, which is giving up Sex-Role. And at the fifth Gate, she surrendered her necklace, which is giving up the rapture of illumination. And at the sixth Gate, she surrendered her earrings, which is giving up magick. And finally, at the seventh Gate, Ishtar surrendered her thousand-petaled crown, which is giving up Godhood.

It was only thus, naked, that Ishtar could enter Eternity.

Robert Anton Wilson, The Cosmic Trigger

July 10, 1996, Somerset, England, UK

Hermione's second lesson was an introduction to Alchemy.

"Alchemy," said Andy, "is a Christian Mystery tradition, but it's very syncretic. It draws from many sources, including Celtic, Roman, Jewish, Egyptian, Hindu, and Buddhist. Can you tell me what the Alchemist's ultimate goal is?"

"The creation of the Philosopher's Stone," Hermione answered.

"And what does that do?"

"It turns lead into gold, and you can make the Elixir of Life with it. But those are just by-products, though useful ones. It's really about self-transformation, becoming a better, more enlightened, person, symbolically turning yourself from lead to gold through a seven stage process."

"Exactly. Alice completed a seven stage process quite literally to become transformed, crossing seven squares in a life-sized Chess game with the Red Queen, with Wonderland as the board, to become a White Queen, each square being a stage in the Alchemical process. But that's Fairylands for you. These sorts of things tend to be literal, there."

"You'd know."

"Yes, I would. What Alice didn't know then was her Journey reflected many that had been taken, before, dating all the way back to one of the oldest stories in existence, the Sumerian Goddess Inanna's Descent into the Underworld, where she had to pass through seven gates."

"Inanna... Better known as Ishtar, isn't she?"

"Not exactly... Ishtar was the Assyrian and Babylonian Goddess of love, war, fertility, and sex. She's not quite the same Goddess as Inanna, but much of who she was came from the earlier Goddess, including taking that same Descent into the Underworld, but with some differences. It's like how the Roman Gods have much in common with the Greek Gods that influenced them, but aren't exactly the same. Ishtar, herself, would influence many Goddesses who would have aspects of her. Queen Alice of Wonderland is the most famous and influential modern descendant of Inanna, but there have been many. Persephone was one, though her story was quite different. Any girl who undertakes a Journey into the Underworld or Otherworld or some symbolic equivalent and confront a Dark Goddess or Lord of the Underworld figure is a Daughter of Inanna."

"Is that why I always seem to end up in some underground place or tunnel when I go on these adventures with Harry?"

"Yes, actually. Though that may have more to do with Harry. Inanna's had a few male children, as well."

"Ah... I was joking..."

"So, you're a Trickster, then?"

"No, that would be you. And Dora."

"Especially Nymphadora. You're getting the hang of this. You'll be fully understanding Luna in no time."

"That's a frightening thought."

"Isn't it, though? I owe a lot of who I am to Ishtar, by the way, thanks to my parents."

"Really? How so?"

"I trust you've noticed how our names often reflect us. My cousin Sirius, named for the Dog Star, had a dog as his Animagus form. Remus Lupin is a werewolf. Bellatrix means 'female warrior,' and so on."

"Yes. You said in your book why Tom Riddle changed his name. It works like a constant magical incantation. It's spellwork, changing him."

"That also applies to the rest of us. There were actually two Andromedas in Greek Myth, the first being an Amazon Queen, hence my name meaning 'Ruler of Men.' Her name was given to the constellation. In Egypt, that same constellation was named for Astarte, the Egyptian name for Ishtar. One of Ishtar's myths involved her being chained to a rock. That led to the second Andromeda, as the Egyptians began influencing the Greeks. Astarte was worshipped in temples on the shores of Palestine, right where Andromeda was to be sacrificed when she was rescued by Perseus. There's also a lot of stuff about Tarot, Astrology, and so on, but we'll get to that when we cover those subjects. With our names being incantations, there's so much packed into Andromeda, since it not only carries the Amazon Queen, but what Ishtar brings to it. Love and War. Chained, then free. And Sex, which probably explains why I lean towards Red Tantra instead of White, no matter the contempt White Tantra practitioners have for it. And all the sex magic, of course."

"So, if your parents objected to... the sex magic, you could always remind them that they named you."

"Exactly. Your own name means 'Messenger,' a female form of Hermes, Messenger of the Gods. Have you ever acted symbolically in that fashion?"

"Well... I am the one who does most of the research and figures things out, then tells Harry..."

"That counts. Just never ask anyone to kill someone for you. It won't go well."

"I'll remember that."

"See that you do. So, we have seven stages in the Great Work ultimately leading to the Philosopher's Stone, each transmutation of the materials you're working with transforming yourself on other levels. What does the seventh stage involve?"

"Coagulation. You combine sulfur and mercury... It's about the... union of opposites, creating balance. Body and Soul are in harmony. You're free from everything that keeps you from... ascending in union with the Divine. But, I don't think I understand all the symbolism."

"The Sacred Marriage of Sol and Luna, Sun God and Moon Goddess, Red King and White Queen... The Sacred Marriage concept dates, like the Goddess Descending Myth, to Inanna."

"Does everything lead back to her?"

"Not everything, but it seems that way, sometimes. This one was about Inanna and her Consort, Tammuz, a vegetation and fertility God. He was an early example of the Dying and Resurrected God."

"Ah... So this was one of those Nature's Cycle seasonal turns things."

"Yes. He was identified with the grain, and died when the grain was milled. He was allowed to return from the Underworld and be with Inanna for six months of the year. Around the Vernal Equinox, the tradition was to celebrate their Sacred Marriage. The King performed the Rite as the incarnation of Tammuz, and consummated the Marriage with a Priestess as the incarnation of Inanna."

"And this would be a literal consummation..."

"Yes. By doing so the King magically fertilized and fecundated all of Nature for the year."

"That's... a major responsibility..."

"I know. Imagine if he couldn't get it up, that day. The world would be barren."

"I assume they re-scheduled if that happened..."

"That's most likely... It happens to everyone, after all..."

"Would that be the Sumerian Myth you said those modern Beltane celebrations are based on?"

"Yes, though the Edinburgh celebration I attended didn't have actual consummation. It's a public event, after all. They'd be arrested. As the Sumerian ritual was during the Vernal Equinox, any children resulting from it would be born around the Winter Solstice. Those children were called Sons or Daughters of God."

The term reminded Hermione of something, and she replied, "So... if Christ was born during the Solstice, he was conceived somewhere around the Equinox."

"Yes. The early Christians believed the Earth was created on the Vernal Equinox, based on calculations from studying Hebrew texts. So, that would also be the date of Christ's conception, the Word made manifest. The Egyptian variation of the Inanna and Tammuz Myth would be Isis and Osiris."

"I know that one... Osiris was killed by his brother Set, and Isis had to gather his pieces and resurrect him."

"Very good, Hermione. The Greeks had their own versions of the Sacred Marriage rituals, though they didn't have the death and resurrection theme, and didn't necessarily involve the sexual act, though some no doubt did... Zeus and Hera, Demeter and Iasion, Dionysus and the whoever the reigning Queen of Athens was at the time..."

"Hmm?"

"The details are sketchy on that last one, but the purpose of the rituals was fertility. We see the influence of the Sacred Marriage in the Hindu tradition of devadasi, where girls were symbolically married to a deity."

"Like nuns being the Brides of Christ."

"That's another example. But, for the moment, let's stay in the East, because here's where we have a major development that led to Alchemy... Tantric Buddhism has the yab-yum... That's Tibetan for mother-father... ritual. It represents the sexual union of the male deity and his female consort. He's in a lotus position, she's sitting in his lap. The male aspect is active and embodies and represents compassion and skillful means, while the female aspect is passive and embodies and represents insight and wisdom. Both aspects are necessary to achieve enlightenment. In Tantra, the goddess energy moves up the spine through seven energy centers called Chakras to unite with the god energy."

"Hmm... I'm female, and I don't consider myself passive..."

"The gender identification is mainly symbolic. Remember the point, which is you need both aspects in union within yourself to achieve enlightenment, regardless of what your gender is. The more well known in modern times term for the concept is yin-yang. In that, the Male aspect is identified with the Sun, the female aspect with the Moon."

"All right... But how did Solar symbolism get mixed up with nature deities?"

"You're jumping a little ahead."

"Oh... Sorry..."

"Don't be. I was about to get to that... The blending of the Solar and Nature Gods came with Christianity. The Romans identified Christ with the Sun. The Celts, meanwhile, had the White Stag, which was seen as a messenger from the Otherworld. It would appear when one was transgressing a taboo. The White Stag became a part of Christianity by being responsible for the conversion of St. Eustace. He was a Roman general hunting the White Stag, and saw a vision of Christ between the Stag's antlers. During King Arthur's time, the White Stag was said to be very good at evading capture, and pursuing it represented the spiritual quest. When it appeared, it signalled to Arthur's Knights that it was time to go on one."

"Harry's Patronus is a Stag... It's because it was his father's Animagus form... even though he didn't know that when he first successfully performed the Patronus Charm... Um, I know that has nothing to do with what we're talking about..."

"Actually, you bring up something interesting... Harry's Patronus being based on something about his father that he didn't know about."

"Yes... I've never understood how that happened..."

"That's a bit complicated, and it related to why Harry is such a powerful wizard. You do realize how powerful he actually is?"

"Yes, as powerful as Voldemort. I was explaining that to him on the phone, last week. He has the power, he just needs to learn to use it. Though, from what he told me, Luna and Dora are teaching him Occlumency."

"Among other things," Andy said with an enigmatic smile. "You two will have a lot to catch up on. He may even be able to teach you a thing or two."

"He's taught me a lot, already. First, it was just through his example. Then, last year, he taught a bunch of us how to do a lot of Defence magic, including how to produce a Patronus. He's really good at teaching. I'd suggest that teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts might be a better career for him than being an Auror, but people seem to think that job is cursed... I mean, it's probably just a coincidence that we haven't been able to keep a Defence Professor for more than a year while we've been there..."

"They couldn't keep one for more than a year when I was at Hogwarts. And, that had been the case for years before that. The job is cursed, so well that all the professional Curse Breakers and Dumbledore haven't been able to do anything about it for all these years. I can think of only one person that could do that."

"Voldemort."

"But back to subject... The Stag came to represent Christ. So, Christ was both a Solar and Nature deity. So, we had Ishtar passing through seven gates to reach Tammuz, the Lunar Goddess passing through seven Chakras to reach the Solar God... What did the Christian Alchemists do with that?"

"They joined the two magical traditions into one. But, how does it work? Why does it get results?"

"Think of how spells work, how our very names are incantations. As powerful as letters and numbers are, archetypes are even more so, because they represent aspects of the Divine. That's why crosses work on vampires whether the vampire or would be victim is Christian, or not. The cross represents the Sun, which is harmful to vampires, and it represents an aspect of the Divine. Think of how much power a rune can channel, then think of how much collective psychic energy has been put into this symbol for the last two thousand years. In the Great Work, we identify with these archetypes. We become them, in a way. Queen Alice became the modern Inanna archetype by undertaking a variation of her Journey, and all her Goddaughters must, at some point, do that as well. We Alchemists undertake the Journey in our own way. Many fall off the Path, but if you can see it through, you will achieve Enlightenment."

After their Friday lesson, Dora arrived with a guest.

"Luna!" said a delighted Hermione, followed with a Hermione Hug.

"Hello, Hermione... Andy... How are the lessons going?"

"Great! And how are you?" There was something different about Luna, Hermione noticed. She couldn't put her finger on what it was.

"It's been an interesting last couple of weeks," said Luna.

Dora said, "Dumbledore's taking Harry to the Weasleys, today."

"That's a lot faster than usual," said Hermione.

"Yeah... Fortunately we made great time with what we had. Harry's not an expert on Occlumency, yet, but Dumbledore's not going to pick up anything unusual from one of his quick scans. Harry knows he has to keep what he's learning secret from the old man, so he'll play dumb around him. And if Dumbledore tries a full on Legilimency assault... Well, he'll know something's changed, big time, but he won't be able to make his way through what Harry and Luna built."

Luna added, "We even set a few traps. You inspired one of them."

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"A tribute to what brought you together as friends."

Hermione smiled, and asked, "The mountain troll?"

"The mountain troll."

Andy said, "It sounds like there's a story, there."

"Oh, yes..." said Hermione, wistfully.

Luna said, "How about you tell the story of the mountain troll at the pool? I love our pond at home, but it doesn't have the diving cliff."

Everyone agreed to the suggestion. When Andy undressed, Hermione noticed that Luna was right. Nymphadora did have her mother's boobs.

Luna enthusiastically made a beeline to the rocks leading to the cliff. She scrambled up them, then made a very graceful dive into the water. She didn't surface until she had swum to the other three, whereupon she laughed and began splashing Hermione. Hermione protested for a very brief time... They weren't children, any more, after all... until she could resist no more and engaged in a splashing war.

Dora said, after they finished splashing each other, "You're finally learning to relax. Good."

"Harry will be glad to hear that," Hermione responded. "He's made it one of his goals in life to get me to relax."

"And a noble goal it is," Luna said, as she leaned back and began floating on the water's surface.

"So, Occlumency... Harry's picking up on it?"

"Yes, he just needed the right teacher. He's even already learned a bit of Legilimency, at least with me."

"Luna let him in," said Dora.

"What better way to build trust?"

"Luna," Hermione began, "this is a strange question, I know, and it might be a bit personal..."

"All right..."

"Someone... said something..."

"People say a lot."

"Yes, but... It was about you."

"All right... What would you like to know?"

"Do... you use fairy glamours on people?"

"No. I did slip a bit in the Ravenclaw common room on Midsummer's Eve, but it was accidental. Oh, and Neville later that day, but I was taking him into the Forbidden Forest to meet some Fairy Queens and Kings, so it was proper, then, to have it up."

"Sounds like I missed something."

Dora said, "Wait 'til you meet his new girlfriend."

"Neville has a girlfriend? Good for him. He deserves one."

"Yes," Luna said, "and he has the perfect one for him. But, aside from that, no Hogwarts student has ever seen my fairy glamour."

"I'd... I'm curious to see it."

"Mm... When I'm not wet, I'll show you."

"Thanks. Another question, if you don't mind..."

"OK..."

"Legilimency... How did you learn it at your age?"

Luna paused.

"It wasn't so much learning it," she finally answered.

"What do you mean?"

"I see it more as empathy. I got it from my mother's side of the family."

"Ah. You can just... naturally do it?"

"It's... not so much something I do, exactly..."

"You're not performing a spell, then?"

No... It's a sense... Like seeing and hearing and touching... I thought everyone had it, until Daddy explained otherwise. I thought people were just being mean, not caring about others, until he explained that most people don't... feel what others feel. Daddy says that's not really an excuse for how people treat people a lot of the time, but I understood a little better."

"No, it's not an excuse. But, what you do is something we have to learn, and only Magi can do it."

"I disagree."

"But, it's magic. Muggles can't do magic. Well, aside from that stuff with candles and the like Andy was talking about..."

"Everyone has at least some of what... we... call magic, Hermione. But one doesn't need to wave a wand or speak an incantation to show some sensitivity. One just needs to be more... open than most people allow themselves to be."

"That can get you hurt."

"Yes... But, one has to be open to pain if one is to be open to joy and beauty. Take Dean, for example... He's very sensitive, but don't tell him I said that," Luna said, smiling.

Hermione wondered why she'd never noticed that about Dean, until now. She wondered if Ginny noticed.

"But, the extent that you show it... It's a Fae thing?"

"It's a sense we've never lost, yes. And, it's a sense you can learn to use."

"Dora was saying something about you... letting Harry in?"

"Mm hmm..."

"And Andy said you and Dora had taught him other things..."

"Yes..."

"Like what?"

Luna closed her eyes, then gracefully left her floating position to stand, facing Hermione.

"Harry's gone through some significant changes in his life. He had a rather profound experience a few days ago."

"What happened?"

Luna paused, then said, "I can't say without him here. He needs to be the one to tell you about it."

"I understand..."

"He's finding his power. He's starting to understand his place in the world. You'll find him much more receptive to learning things besides Defence spells and Quidditch."

"Ron isn't going to like that..."

"How Ronald chooses to respond is up to him. Harry wants him at his side, of course. But Ronald is going to have to make some difficult choices in the future."

"We all will..."

"You've made yours. I've made mine. Harry has made his."

"Ron's committed to the war against Voldemort..."

"But beyond that? You and I, and Harry... We're outsiders in the culture of the Magi. We can see things from a perspective those who've lived their entire lives within it can't."

"It's all... a little overwhelming. I mean, first I learn that I'm a witch, and I'm brought into this... whole thing that's just been there, all along, without most people knowing about it. Centaurs, unicorns, dragons! All these things I thought were myths, were real. I accepted that as normal, pretty quickly... There was nothing mythic about it, just species that were kept secret from most people... And now, I find out that you people know St. Brigid, personally. Alice in Wonderland. And I'm back to the same feelings I had when I first saw Diagon Alley."

"One day," said Luna, "we could be Myth, with people telling and re-telling tales of our adventures, inspiring others..."

"OK, let's not go overboard..."

"Let me tell you a story..."

And Luna told her the Tale of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

Hermione had a lot to absorb.

"But," she said, after much thought, "I thought Love was the Power the Dark Lord Knew Not."

"Yes," said Andy.

"But... he knew Love..."

"Yes..."

"So, how...?"

"There's more than one type of Love."

"There is?"

"The ancient Greeks classified four. C. S. Lewis wrote entire books examining them. The first is Storge, meaning affection. It's based on familiarity, like family members, people you're together with by chance. It's described as the most natural of loves. The second is Phileo, the love between friends, those you've chosen. This involves a strong bond, as strong as romantic love, and often longer lasting. The third is Eros, romantic love. This isn't Lust, it isn't just sexual desire, but that is usually a part of it. Eros is about the emotional connection. Unfortunately, many confuse pure Lust with it. If all you ever think about regarding someone you think you're in love with is their physical attributes and snogging skills, if you don't make the time to talk because it interrupts snogging time, if your first concern after they've suffered a great loss isn't their emotional well being, you're probably not soul mates. The fourth is Agape, unconditional love. This is the greatest of loves. It cares regardless of circumstance. It forgives. It is merciful. It is compassion for all living things. In Christianity, it is the Love of God, and we are to try are best to feel it. Now, what is the power the Dark Lord Knows Not?"

Hermione thought, then answered, "He's known affection. He's known friendship. He's known romantic love. He doesn't know... Agape."

"Yes. And, it seems, Harry possesses it. So, the key will be cultivating that in him. Well, that and all the extensive training we'll need to give him in other things so he doesn't get dismembered before he can use it. But, we need to make sure he understands Agape, and never does anything like, say, needlessly Crucio someone just because he's mad at them."

"He can get pretty angry, sometimes, but the Harry Potter I know would never do that."

Over the weekend, Hermione received her OWL scores. She was disappointed. She received nine Outstandings and one Exceeds Expectations. She was hoping for a perfect ten Os.

The next Monday, she arrived at Thelema at the usual scheduled time. She noticed the weather was different in Somerset that day than at home. There were heavy storm clouds.

Jeeves was in the study.

"Mistress Andromeda said to tell you to meet her in the garden room."

Hermione heard the sound of thunder, outside. The storm was breaking.

When she got to the garden room, it was darker than usual due to the storm. The pixies' glow as they fluttered to and fro among the plants was providing the main light, with candles illuminating the floor near the part of the pool Andy was longing in. Hermione approached, being careful not to disturb the candles, and disrobed before joining Andy. The water, the candles... It reminded Hermione of a Baptism.

Andy began, "I thought we'd have this conversation, here. Water is my Element, you see... Comes from my name, I suppose... That, and I was a Slytherin. Water is that house's Element, too."

"The Hogwarts houses are related to the elements?" Hermione asked. Four houses, four Elements... She wondered how she never considered the connection.

"Yes. You'll notice the Slytherin dorms are located slightly underground. They border the lake. The windows provide a beautiful underwater view of it. You can see the giant squid, sometimes the merpeople... You'll need to see it."

"I doubt they'd be very welcoming for a visit from me."

"Not at the moment, no... But, we'll work on that. Now, can you match the other houses with their Elements?"

Hermione considered the houses. "Hufflepuff is Earth, Ravenclaw is Air. That makes Gryffindor... Fire."

As she said this, she looked again at the candles beside them.

"Very good, Hermione. So, we have your house Element as well as mine for this. Dora told me when you first saw the garden room, you had a question about it."

Hermione looked at the waterfall with the mist and the cave behind it, and said, "I asked her about the cave. She said it was a secret, one of Morgan Lovegood's contributions."

"I'm sure you've guessed that it's a passageway. Where it leads to... It's the reason we built this house here, just outside of Glastonbury. It's the part of British Magical history that the modern Magi try to forget. Since they can't cut it from the hearts of Humanity, they malign it. They try their best to forget who they truly are.

"I'd have preferred your training be done in normal time, but unfortunately, between Dumbledore and Voldemort, we're having to move our time-table up, a bit. There is a way to have you, Harry, and others, including my daughter, trained in time for the next Hogwarts term. It's what inspired the Time Turner method, though this lasts much longer. If you choose this... The benefits will be great, but, as with everything, there is a price. You wouldn't be able to simply dispose of Voldemort and continue a normal life. You'd be a part of Humanity but also apart from it. You'd have responsibilities beyond disposing of Voldemort, responsibilities to the world, as a whole. You wouldn't be able to simply take a normal job at the Ministry, have the husband, kids, and so on... Though you can have those, as I have... But you wouldn't be able to live as an average person, accepting that all is well in the Magical culture as long as Voldemort, personally, is gone."

Hermione laughed. She couldn't help it. When she was able to stop laughing, she replied...

"I figured out a long time ago that Voldemort wasn't the disease infecting the Magical world, just a symptom. The disease isn't going to go away just be removing him. I dedicated myself to curing the disease. I had to laugh just then, picturing... Just acting like everything's hunky dory with the world while we have a slave race of intelligent beings that's magically compelled to do things like iron their own hands just because it's the way things have always been... Come on... Me?" She laughed, again, at the absurdity of it.

"So, you're interested?"

"You have to ask?"

"Yes, actually."

"Oh. Well, yes, I'm very interested."

"From what Dora and Luna tell me, Harry will certainly want to do this. He's seen something that happens to be where that cave leads to. It's the sort of thing that, when one has seen it, one must pursue it. Last week, we were discussing how powerful a wizard Harry is."

"You were saying something about why he's so powerful..."

"Yes. Voldemort created his own nemesis."

"The Prophecy said the Dark Lord would mark him as his equal... I assume that the mark was his scar..."

"And what is the shape of the scar?"

"It's a lightning bolt."

"Are you sure about that?"

"What else would it be?"

"Think like a Ravenclaw... If you saw that mark anywhere besides Mr. Potter's forehead, what would you immediately identify it as?"

Hermione thought... Concentrating on the shape of the mark, itself, not thinking of it as a scar on her best friend's forehead... Yes, it was familiar. Where had she seen it? It was lightning shaped... Or was it?

Her eyes widened as realization hit.

"It's a rune!" she exclaimed.

"And what does it represent?"

"The sun! But... Why would Voldemort have marked Harry with a sun rune?"

"I'm sure he didn't mean to. He just wanted to kill him, after all... But, whatever happened that night, changed the boy. He probably would have been just another wizard. That made him something more, since it was done magically. Plus, remember what Voldemort said to Alice, that night, about a blood sacrifice."

"A birthday gift to Luna..."

"Now... Follow that thought through."

"A gift to a moon goddess... The sun... The stag..." Hermione repeated, concentrating, trying to figure... "The Great Work!"

"Yes... Tom Riddle failed to achieve it. There were so many things he couldn't... let go of. His Alchemical transformation went very wrong along the way. However..."

"Harry could do it."

"Yes. He can understand what he possesses, the Power the Dark Lord Knows Not."

"And," Hermione said in understanding, "only then can he truly overcome the Dark Lord. Does Dumbledore know it's a sun rune?"

"He would have recognized it, immediately, I'm certain, and would have figured out the implications, what Harry is capable of being."

"Are his actions some way of trying to help Harry reach his potential?"

"Think about Dumbledore's actions, not just towards Harry, but towards you."

"Well... He tried to turn me against Luna by bringing up that she's a Legilimens, and therefore couldn't be trusted..."

"He's a Legilimens."

"I thought about that. He also tried to use being a Ravenclaw against her... Some kind of Doctrine which he said made Gryffindors just plain morally superior to everyone else, no matter what they did. Their actions weren't to be judged the same way we would those of anyone from other houses. And, no matter what good someone from another house did, we were to never consider them as moral as a Gryffindor."

"Did he use terms like Elect and Damned?"

"Yes,"

"He would apply the Doctrine of Predestination to the Sorting Hat... George MacDonald was Lewis Carroll's mentor and the biggest single influence on J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, and a great friend of the Fairy Folk. He said of the Doctrine of Predestination: 'I well remember feeling as a child that I did not care for God to love me if he did not love everybody.'"

"That... seems to contradict the idea of Agape."

"It also tells you what it was like dealing with him as a student if you weren't sorted into Gryffindor by a talking hat when you were eleven."

"He said that Ravenclaws were more subtle than Slytherins, but just as bad."

"Well, I'll have to tell Ted he was right, after all... He said Dumbledore hated his house as much as he did mine, but I didn't think that was possible."

"He told me my house was my family, and I shouldn't get too close from anyone outside of it... This while trying to convince me to break all ties to my real family and just be with the Weasleys when I'm not at Hogwarts... I love the Weasleys, don't get me wrong... But, I don't want to be dependant on them, to have nowhere else to go, no one else to turn to..."

"Would you say Dumbledore is trying to help you reach your full potential?"

"No, he's... trying to limit my options and control my entire life. He's trying to prevent me from achieving my full potential... and that's what he's trying to do to Harry. But why?"

"Voldemort isn't the only one whose Alchemical transformation went very wrong along the way because he couldn't let go of things. Something very important... He genuinely believes everything he told you. He truly believes the paths he's chosen for both you and Harry are the only possible right ones. Now, given his... different standards for judging the actions of Gryffindors, how far would he go to bring about what he considers the Greater Good?"

"He... would do anything, because he thinks he's the Elect, so moral standards that apply to others don't apply to him. And... from his actions, it doesn't look like me or Harry achieving our full potential is what he considers serving the Greater Good. He'll do anything to keep us under his complete control."

"Now, as I said, you will be undergoing some extensive training. One of your trainers would be especially helpful to Harry, as she's been through what he's going through. Like him, she was an orphan raised by her aunt and uncle, though they were much better than the ones who raised Harry, not that they didn't have great hardships. For her, it was everything her family was surrounded by, rather than the family, itself. Like him, she spent her early years in the mundane world, completely unaware that she truly belonged to another, magical, world. Like him, she was a Child of Destiny, complete with a mark on her forehead that made that known to everyone she met. Like you, she's a crusader against injustice. When she encounters it, slavery, corruption, tyranny, cruelty... She won't stop until she's overcome it."

"That... sounds familiar, like someone I should know..."

"Remember when we talked of Inanna and her descendants?"

"Yes, with Queen Alice being the most famous modern one."

"One of Alice's Goddaughters is almost as famous and influential as she is. You met her in the past, but it's time for a proper introduction."

A distinctly American accented voice announced, "And that's my cue."

Hermione was startled. She knew that voice from somewhere...

A female figure entered the room and approached the pool. While the rest of her was bathed in shadow, her striking turquoise eyes glowed, reflecting the candlelight like a cat's. As she moved closer, Hermione saw that she was a quite petite, but lovely and fit woman. Her movements were graceful, like a jungle cat's, and with that same confidence. This was a completely self-assured woman, no, Fae, Hermione realized.

Hermione looked into those impossibly beautiful eyes. Hermione recognized her.

"Hello, Hermione," the Fae said. "It's been a long time, though I'm told you don't remember."

"Dorothy..."

The joyous reunion with her childhood Fairy Princess friend was cut short when Jeeves popped into the garden room.

"Mistress Andromeda, Nymphadora has arrived, with Harry Potter, Bill Weasley, and Fleur Delacour. There's been an incident at the Burrow. They're in the study."

Andy and Hermione scrambled out of the pool and, with Dorothy, rushed to the study. Ted had arrived before them.

"Harry!" Hermione said when she saw him, and enveloped him in a hug. "Are you OK?"

Dora answered, "They tried to dose him with love potion."

Bill said, "I don't think my mother's in complete control of her actions, or Ginny, for that matter. When Harry confronted them, Mum got this glazed look... not like she was under an Imperius Curse, but similar... and marched straight to the Floo."

Andy said, "Dumbledore's too subtle to use an Imperius Curse... He has other ways..."

Harry turned to Andy and said, "We need to warn Luna and Xeno... Better yet, bring them here."

"Ted?"

"On my way," he said, and disapparated.

"Dora, find Amelia," said Andy. "We'll need her."

"On it..."

"You know Andy?" Hermione asked Harry.

"We've met." He took a sniff and said, "Strawberries?"

"It's my shampoo."

"It's nice. I'm glad you're here. I've got a lot to tell you about... This is going to be dangerous..."

Hermione took a step back, and said, "Harry James Potter, don't you start! I know this is dangerous, but I've never backed away from it, and I'm not about to start! I will follow you to the Gates of Hell, and beyond!"

"I know. And thank you."

"So, don't you dare... Wait, what did you say?"

"I said, I know... And that means so much to me. I can't do this without you."

"OK... Who are you and what have you done with Harry Potter?"

"I've grown up a bit..." He smiled that crooked smile of his, and added, "But don't worry... I haven't grown up too much. And by the way?" He looked her up and down. "I'm still impressed."

"Hmm?" She looked at herself to see what he was talking about. "Oh yeah, I'm naked in front of you, again."

"I approve of that habit."

"Thanks," she said with a raised eyebrow. And this time, she didn't blush.