A/N: Parvati's quote is from A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Buffy the Vampire Slayer created by Joss Whedon. "Octopus" is by Syd Barrett. "The Pan Within" is by Mike Scott. Oh, ever wondered how Voldemort and Snape flew without brooms in Deathly Hallows?
Chapter Fourteen
Venus
Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on it's own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away.
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
-The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians
July 5, 1996, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, England, UK
Friday was named for Frigg, wife of Woden and Queen of the Gods. Her name meant Love. To the Romans, this was the day of Venus, Goddess of Love and Beauty.
On this Friday, Harry thought about his new girlfriend.
He thought about how they'd progressed. It wasn't like it had been with Cho. Then, he'd done what he had understood one normally did when it came to dating, while still making time for his friends and everything else that needed his attention. Kissing, taking her someplace, flowers, candy, the usual.
With Luna, it had started as friendship, and a bond that had developed between them because of what they had in common, plus, well, the whole situation with Voldemort, the Ministry, Dumbledore's Army... Everything that had happened this week had progressed from that. Aside from the making out, they were close friends, first. They did the things friends do, together.
With Cho, there had been a separation. Harry had his friends, and he had his girlfriend. He had never invited Cho to just hang out with him, Hermione, and Ron. He never confided in her the way he did in Hermione, Ron, and now Luna.
No wonder Cho had thought there was something going on between him and Hermione.
Cho had tried to confide in him, so it wasn't as though she didn't make the effort. Harry had just forgotten the friend part of girlfriend. Well, not really forgotten, he thought. He had never considered it in the first place. He just thought of having a girlfriend as being about physical attraction and kissing. Not that there wasn't a lot of that with Luna, but this was far more.
A lot of girls, he knew, were interested in being the girlfriend of the Boy Who Lived. Luna didn't care about this legendary Boy Who Lived. She was interested in a boy named Harry.
And, they hadn't even had a proper date, yet.
So, Harry gave his new girlfriend a call.
"Hello, Harry."
"Hi. Would you like to go out, tonight?"
"On a date?"
"Yeah... I just realized that since we were a couple, we should probably start dating."
"That's very thoughtful of you, Harry."
"I'm learning..."
"That, you are. So, where would you like to go?"
"All sorts of places... But as for tonight... I haven't thought that far ahead, yet."
"Of course not," she teased. "You're a Gryffindor."
"Yes. Charge forth, then think of a battle plan... Which I'll work on, then I'll call you back."
"I'm certain it will be an excellent battle plan, Harry... Love you."
"Love you, too."
And he meant it.
Ginny Weasley had hated her name.
Ginevra... What kind of name was that? Oh, she knew it meant "fair one," but it was the Italian translation of Guinevere. A famous queen, yes, but not one she admired.
Not that she was any sort of expert on King Arthur, despite her father being named for him. It wasn't as though that period was covered in History of Magic classes at Hogwarts. It had nothing to do with the Goblin Rebellions, after all, and Professor Binns seemed to think the Goblin Rebellions made up almost the whole of magical history.
But, from what she knew, Queen Guinevere brought about the ruin of the Knights of the Round Table by having an affair with Sir Lancelot. What did she have besides beauty and being unfaithful?
And Ginny never thought of herself as a "fair one," anyway. A cute, girl-next-door type, and a tomboy, but not the Beautiful Princess type.
Her mother had always tried to cure her of her tomboyishness. Ginny had even had to sneak around to teach herself Quidditch. Fortunately, Fred and George had her back. They not only helped her with her flying and playing skills, but taught her to be sneaky.
Her mother wanted her to be quieter, more "traditionally" feminine, more "a girl a boy will want to marry." Ginny never had any trouble getting a boyfriend, but that didn't stop her mum.
"You have to think of your future, and finding the right husband." she'd say. "How do you expect to get Harry to marry you? You need to stop being so willful. A boy wants to marry a girl who'll be dutiful, who'll give him children and raise them, have dinner ready when he comes home, and always support him."
"Even when he's wrong?"
"Ginny, dear... You don't want to end up an old maid like Professor McGonagall, do you?"
Ginny never understood why her mother insisted on pushing her to think only in terms of being a housewife and mother in her future. Molly Weasley had been training to be an Auror when Bill came along, after all.
And why presume she was still fixated on Harry?
Sure, she had a huge crush on the Boy Who Lived when she was a little girl. Most little British witches did, with the story of how he defeated the Dark Lord when he was a baby. He was a myth. She'd been in love with him before she ever met him.
The reality was very different, not that she let herself realize it, at first. The first time she saw him was by chance, at Kings Cross Station. Ron was starting his first year at Hogwarts. It was strange... Despite having not only taken the Hogwarts Express herself during her school years, but since having sent five children to Hogwarts before Ron, her mother somehow had forgotten what the platform number was. Ginny knew, and told her, curious about what had happened to her poor mother's memory. But, conveniently enough, there happened to be a lost black haired boy with glasses who was, like Ron, starting his first year at Hogwarts, and was alone, not knowing where to go or what to do.
These days, Ginny thought she made a bit of a fool of herself when she found out who the black haired boy with glasses was. She made an even bigger fool of herself, the next year. Not only was she unable to speak to Harry, but she wrote that terrible love poem for him. At least she made it rhyme. But, her first year at Hogwarts saw something much worse happen.
She fell for another boy, named Tom. He was famous, too, though she didn't know the name he was better known by. He wasn't even physically there, just magically writing back to her in a diary she'd found among her school books.
She didn't remember anything about her possession by the teen version of Voldemort. All she knew was what she was later told. Still, she was certain she should have handled the situation better. Not that anyone blamed her, afterward. But... She should have suspected something was off when her diary wrote back to her. She knew she must have suspected something, at some point, since she had, so she was told, thrown the diary in a toilet in an effort to escape it. That's how Harry learned of it. She thought she should have said something to somebody, and wondered why she didn't. That was something she figured she'd never know, thanks to the memory charms Professor Dumbledore used to treat her trauma.
But, not remembering any of her motivations during that year bothered her. Looking at her targets when she was possessed by Tom, she had to wonder if that was entirely Tom. Filch's cat was attacked, and Filch had always caused Harry problems. Two other victims had annoyed Harry in some way. And Hermione... Ginny had been very jealous of Hermione's close friendship with Harry.
Ginny eventually wound up in the Chamber, where the boy she'd loved, given her heart, mind, and soul to, was draining her very life.
Harry saved her, though, just like he'd saved the day the year before, like a knight in shining armor. He even fought a basilisk, with the Sword of Gryffindor and everything. That just made her hero worship him, all the more.
There was still a little hero worship there, she had to admit. A little part of herself still saw him as the knight in shining armor who rescued the damsel in distress, not to mention quite rich. OK, there was still a lot of hero worship, there.
Tom made her very guarded with whom she could trust. She was reluctant to really open up to people, after that. She didn't want to be used, again. She fully trusted Harry and her immediate family. She trusted Neville, because, well, he was Neville. She'd come to trust Hermione, even if there was still a little jealousy. She trusted Professor McGonagall, and, especially, Professor Dumbledore. She knew the Headmaster would always protect her and support her as best he could, and would never betray her trust.
She considered the Headmaster may have been the reason for her mother's apparent memory loss regarding the location of Platform 9 3/4. Perhaps he knew that Harry would be lost, and suggested to her mother that she make it clear to anyone who knew what to listen for that they were a magical family headed to the Hogwarts Express. Always thinking of everything, and everyone.
She didn't fully trust Luna Lovegood, yet, though Harry clearly did. Ginny realized she didn't have a good reason not to fully trust the Ravenclaw. Luna had openly supported Harry from the start of the previous school year during the Ministry's smear campaign, when, Ginny hated to admit, she, herself, was keeping her distance, worried about her own reputation.
Ginny knew what the old issue was, here. Luna had been the only witch her age that lived in the area, but they had never been close. She lived near the caves known as Pixie's Parlour, home of the notorious pixies that had attacked Ottery-St-Catchpole on Midsummer Eve in 1454. Her house, the Rook, was believed to have been the base the Fae used for the attacks on the town.
Wizards and muggles alike were warned to go nowhere near the place. Fred and George snuck off to explore it, once. They were never the same, after. Their mother made damn sure Ginny would never visit it.
As for Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, her knight in shining armor, the reality was far different from the myth. If she'd not been too dazzled to pay attention, she'd have noticed a quiet, withdrawn, and very abused, boy. As she learned more of his life with the Dursleys, she realized how lucky she had been in life. And yet, despite the horrors he had endured, he still helped people in danger. The Weasleys had adopted him, pretty much, and he'd come to see Ginny as his little sister.
She'd gone to the Yule Ball in her third year with Neville, and knew she had a much better time than Harry's date did. Neville wasn't much of a dancer, but he tried, much more considerate of her than Harry was of his date. Harry was a great friend, but could be a self centered jerk to girls. Maybe that was why he and Hermione hadn't become a couple.
She started dating Michael Corner, after that. She still had an eye on Harry, though. Her mother had advised her to show him that she cared just for him, do the things he liked to do.
Harry liked Quidditch, but her mother disapproved of her playing it. What did she want from her, anyway?
What she really wanted to do was become more involved in what Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been doing, and that really had nothing to do with wanting to win the Boy Who Lived. Voldemort was back, and the trio had been fighting him pretty much since they started at Hogwarts. Ginny felt this was her fight, too. Considering the events of her first year at Hogwarts, she felt a special responsibility to do whatever she could to help.
She was a Gryffindor, after all.
The Ministry smear campaign had been underway, followed by sending a High Inquisitor to persecute everybody who was telling the truth about Voldemort, especially Harry. Umbridge used a blood quill to torture him, and whoever else wasn't conforming enough. She was also actively preventing the students from learning how to defend themselves.
So, they formed a secret club for Harry to teach them. They called it Dumbledore's Army. It was during one of their sessions that she first noticed she'd gained the attention of another boy.
She was chatting with some friends when she noticed Dean Thomas was sitting against a wall, watching them, and drawing on a sketchpad. Luna walked over to him, and seemed to be saying something complimentary. Ginny knew Dean was supposed to be good at drawing, and she was curious about which of her friends he thought pretty enough to warrant a sketch. She walked over to satisfy her curiosity, and saw that it wasn't one of her friends he was drawing.
It was her.
"Damn," she said. "I never look that pretty."
"You underrate yourself," he replied. When he finished the sketch, he gave it to her, saying, "I hope the lady appreciates my humble efforts."
"Yeah! Um, thanks..."
The weeks passed. Harry was dating Cho, and, from Ginny's observations, was still as clueless about girls as ever. Unfortunately, so was her own boyfriend. Michael was good looking, brilliant, charming... and a jerk. Why did she keep being attracted to those guys? Or brooding, dark haired, emotionally distant boys, in general?
She found herself spending more time with Dean, who was becoming a good friend, a boy who actually liked talking with her. They discussed Quidditch and the muggle sport of football, which, according to him, required a lot more athletic ability.
"You'll have to see a match," he said. "You'd love it."
"I'd love to... But, how am I gonna see a muggle football match?"
"I'll take you to one this Summer, if you like."
"Really? You'd explain it and everything?"
"Hey, if you can understand Quidditch, you can understand football. Now, cricket, I don't know if I can explain..."
One thing she didn't understand, though, was Dean's tendencies to hold doors open for her. She could open a door, herself...
She decided to discuss it with one of her housemates in Dean's year, Parvati Patil.
"He's being chivalrous," Parvati explained. "Gryffindors are supposed to be that, after all..."
"Well, maybe I don't need him to be chivalrous, Gryffindor or no."
Parvati shrugged, and said, "I think your brother could have stood to be chivalrous at the Yule Ball. My sister would agree regarding Harry. You and Hermione were lucky. You both had chivalrous dates."
"Yeah... Neville was quite the gentleman, now that you mention it."
"What about Michael?"
Ginny sighed. "No, Michael is definitely not chivalrous. I think he just want to shag me. He sure doesn't want to talk."
"Chivalry is an almost forgotten art with boys..."
"But why the... y'know, holding doors open for me and all that?"
"Dean's treating you like a royal lady."
"I'm... not a royal lady..."
"My grandmother used to say to Padma and me, 'Every girl is a princess. It is our right.'"
Well, she was named for a Queen, even if it was one she didn't like. Still, she had something new to talk with Dean about. She asked him about how he became interested in chivalry. He explained that he was trying to be a proper Gryffindor, that it wasn't just about being brave, as he understood it.
Dean told her of Queen Eleanor, Princess Marie, and the Courts of Love. He explained the Codes of Chivalry.
The Courts of Love modeled the Code on the stories they told of King Arthur and the Round Table, the great wizard Merlin, the mysterious Queen of Avalon, Morgan le Fay, and what that Fairyland protected, the Holy Grail. He told her of the brutality of the early Middle Ages and the attempt to create a more civilized, noble, soldier.
He told her of the duties, the virtues of mercy, courage, valor, and protecting the weak and the poor. He told her of protecting the innocent, championing good against evil, and being generous.
He told her of the Knight's devotion to his Lady, and how she inspired him to great quests and love poetry. He told her of serving his Lady as one would a goddess, and after her, all other ladies. The Knight was to be gentle and gracious to all women.
"I'm not a poet," he said, "but I am a pretty good artist, if I say so, myself."
"I can't draw, and I'm a very bad poet," she replied.
"As long as it's from the heart."
"It did rhyme..."
"The main example they used was Lancelot and Guinevere."
"What? She was married!"
"Well, yeah... A married Lady was kind of the ideal... Back then, most royal marriages were about political alliances, not love. So, as long as the duties were done by the couple, and heirs were produced, they were each free to take lovers."
"So... Arthur and Guinevere had children?"
"Yeah, you don't hear about that, these days, but it's in the old histories."
"Y'know, I was named for Guinevere."
"What do you know about her?"
"Not as much as I thought, obviously..."
"Well, the Celtic Queens were warriors. Guinevere would have been trained as a Priestess as well, but she led her father's armies. She was apparently the right Princess for a marriage to the new High King. She was very educated, and a force to be reckoned with."
Ginny would soon have her first taste of real battle, as part of the group Harry led to raid the Department of Mysteries. She wound up with a broken ankle and needing to be rescued by Luna. But, she did beat Draco Malfoy while they were escaping Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad so they could go on the rescue mission.
Dean admired her battle injuries, and was disappointed they didn't ask him to come.
She told him, "It was a spur of the moment thing. We didn't have time to call anybody. But... this is only the beginning. I'm afraid you'll get your opportunity to prove your valor."
He surprised her with a kiss. She liked it. A lot.
Well, she was planning on dumping Michael, anyway...
Ron objected to her interest in Dean, and tried to push her and Harry together on the train ride back to London. She figured Ron was just being the overprotective big brother, thinking Dean would take advantage of her, while Harry would be safe. Dean would never do that, she knew, unless she wanted him to, and expressed it very clearly. Or, maybe, Ron didn't want Harry expressing an interest in a girl he wanted, and would use his own sister to get him out of the way. Or, maybe, Ron though she and Harry would be right for each other, because, of course, Ron Weasley was the expert on boys and girls, love and romance...
Sure...
Warrior Queen... She liked the sound of that. And she liked her chivalrous knight, whatever Ron thought.
Maybe Ginevra Molly Weasley wasn't a bad thing to be, after all.
Harry was nervous. He needed advice. He needed a battle plan. And, there was only one person to call for help: Nymphadora Tonks.
"Haven't you dated, before?" she asked.
"Yes, I've dated two girls, and I sucked at it! I don't want to screw it up, again, not with her."
"You don't have anything to worry about with Luna, Harry..."
"Look... I want tonight to be romantic..."
"You want to sweep her off her feet..."
"Yes!"
"You want her to swoooon..."
"Dora, I'm serious!"
"Yes... Yes, you are... And you're over thinking this. But, let's see..."
Before Dora could think of anything, Harry had a more immediate concern. Wendy and a rather lovely blonde woman in a nice light blue dress were climbing through the mirror on his dresser.
"Um... Dora?"
"Yeah?"
"Wendy and a rather lovely blonde woman in a nice light blue dress just climbed through the mirror on my dresser. The dress matches her eyes."
"Ah, must be Luna's Godmother... She likes traveling through mirrors. I'll be right over."
After disconnecting, Harry realized who the blonde woman with the reflective sky blue eyes had to be.
"Queen Alice of Wonderland?" he asked. There was a time not long ago, he thought, when he would have been surprised at having Alice of Bloody Wonderland coming into his room through a mirror.
"And you're Harry Potter," she answered. "I understand you're needing advice on dating my Goddaughter."
"Yeah... How'd you know?"
"Mirana, the White Queen, told me."
"How'd she know?"
"In all the years I've known her, I've never figured that out. She's... nonlinear in her perceptions is the best way I can describe it. She has a very special relationship with Time, you see."
When Dora arrived, she found Harry receiving romantic advice.
"It's all about creating the right romantic atmosphere," said Wendy.
"But that differs from person to person," said Alice.
"We know our Luna very well..."
"And, we know what delights a fairy maiden..."
"Who'd know better than us?"
"A fairy lover doesn't hold back anything."
"We love and war with all our passion."
"Though we're not all as bloodthirsty as Wendy..."
"I'm not bloodthirsty! Honestly..."
"As for tonight... Simply experience it as she does. Be completely open to it all. Let the magic take you where it will. No harm will come to you, tonight. We will make sure of that."
"And the place you'll be taking her to is a very special one... Madcap's."
"Madcaps?" Dora said, in recognition. "Cool!"
"You know the place?" Harry asked.
"Oh yeah... Emily Piper owns it. She's an old friend of my parents."
"Is she a witch?" Harry asked.
"She's not a witch, but she's quite magical," answered Alice.
"She used to be what you'd call a muggle, but now she is one of the Fair Folk," said Wendy.
Dora said, "She and her band play on Friday nights. The band is also called the Madcaps... I sit in with 'em when I'm free that night."
"You're a musician?" asked Harry.
"I'm a woman of many talents," said Dora.
"Give Emily a call and tell her you can play, tonight, then," said Alice. "Since Harry will be there, you can work and play at the same time."
"What kind of music is it?" asked Harry.
"Hard to describe," said Dora. "It's sort of a freeform Celtic psychedelic alternative... thing."
"That's a good description," said Wendy.
"The food's great, too. You'll like it. Luna loves it."
"So," Harry asked, "how do we get there?"
Wendy smiled, and said, "We fly, of course!"
The new Minister for Magic and the man he replaced were meeting with the Prime Minister, today. Albus Dumbledore would need to learn all the details of the meeting, so he'd know how to proceed against Andromeda Black-Tonks and her Seelie Court allies.
How the Ministry had originally planned the meeting was going to be so simple. Albus's agent, Kingsley, was to be assigned the Prime Minister's bodyguard, so when the meeting took place, the muggle would be alone with three wizards who would use the needed mind magics to keep him confused and frightened, thus keeping the muggles from involving themselves in the situation with Tom.
But, the Prime Minister's office informed the Ministry of Magic that a wizard bodyguard wasn't necessary. Dumbledore was certain the Fae were guarding the Prime Minister, and that presented a large problem.
Whatever Andromeda was up to, she was drawing allies from outside the Wizarding world. With the Fae behind her, she was as dangerous as Tom. So, Dumbledore decided the best strategy, or at least the start of one, would be to remove the Seelie Court's access to Wizarding Britain.
First, would be the manufacture and distribution of wands in Britain. Ollivander's disappearance provided an opportunity not to be wasted. No one could make a wand like the Ollivanders, of course. That was because of the fairy magic they used that not only allowed an Ollivander to remember every single wand he or she made, and who received it, but to perfectly match the wand to the witch or wizard. They had started when the Irish arrived in, and took over, what became known as Scotland, named for Queen Scota. Since, not only had they cornered the British market, but the French, Spanish, North American, and Japanese markets.
The current plan was for British wizards to use different wand manufacturers, a free market. But, that would just mean that when the war was over, the Ollivanders would return and dominate, again, simply because no one could match their quality.
So, on Monday, Dumbledore was going to have one of his loyalists propose a single wand manufacturer for Britain be selected. Dumbledore, himself, would interview the prospects, and make the final selection. The manufacturer selected would then have the exclusive license to manufacture wands in Great Britain, cutting the Ollivanders out, for good.
The second step was the most dangerous. There were so many ways it could go very wrong, but time was of the essence. The threat needed to be removed before the next Summer, so his endgame with Tom could proceed on schedule.
Keeping his plans for dealing with Tom on schedule was still the most important thing, which was why he was visiting the Burrow.
Things were currently in a delicate state. Hermione Granger wasn't quite fully conditioned against her parents and the muggle world. She was still subject to muggle influence, rather than entirely his own. If she wasn't cleansed of her radical ideas, she could become the next Andromeda Black. Dumbledore couldn't afford to break her completely from Harry, though. Harry would need her brain to see Dumbledore's plans through, but, for this school year, he needed her distracted. Ronald Weasley was how Dumbledore was going to do it.
As for Harry, it was important he be distracted, as well, and not asking Dumbledore too many questions. Also, he was a teenage boy, and there was too great a risk that his interests would be in the wrong girl. If he fell for Hermione, they would draw primary influence from each other instead of the Weasleys and, more importantly, himself. Then, there was his interest in Ravenclaws. Patil and Chang were bad enough if he resumed things with either, and Luna Lovegood... Dumbledore shuddered at the thought.
The Weasley girl would be nearly perfect for what Dumbledore needed. Molly had raised her to be a proper witch, though she was spending far too much time with Dean Thomas. Like Hermione, Dean was still subject to muggle influences, and had too great an interest in King Arthur, and therefore Avalon. He seemed to be trying to be Eleanor of Aquitaine's idea of what a knight should be. When Dumbledore was young, Eleanor's reputation had been properly blackened in Britain. Now, British muggles and witches alike were admiring her as much as those blasted French did.
He couldn't allow the Thomas boy to cultivate an interest in the Celtic Queens and Priestesses in Ginny. It was bad enough she was named for one of them. What was Arthur thinking, naming his daughter that? Oh, Dumbledore knew it had to be Arthur Weasley who named her, given his own name. Ginny had slowly become entirely too willful. Fortunately, it had been Molly who had been the primary force guiding her daughter, so it would be a simple matter to revert her to the girl she was when she first arrived at Hogwarts.
Dumbledore couldn't allow the girl to get over her crush on Harry, or to have any thoughts in life beyond landing him as her husband. He needed her to be the proper girl a boy wants for a wife. Oh, Albus had been told things had changed since his youth, but he was certain that what a boy still wanted in a potential future wife was one that would think only in terms of pleasing him. She would be properly subservient and obedient. She would be soft and yielding, and always agree with and support her man. She would bear his children and always have dinner waiting for him when he got home.
Not that she would actually be able to marry him and raise a family, of course, since Harry wasn't going to survive Albus's plans, but Harry's foremost desire was to have the family he never had. That's what made the Weasleys such ideal tools for Dumbledore to use for forging his weapon.
Unfortunately, his private chat with Ginny wasn't going as well as he'd hoped.
"It'd be kind of weird," she said.
"Weird?"
"He's already family, really... And I want to see how things go with Dean..."
"But you shouldn't give up on your dreams, Ginny."
"C'mon, I'm not a little girl, anymore... I'm over it. Why are you so interested in my romantic life, anyway?"
"I just want the best for you, and don't want to see you hurt. After all, there was Tom..."
"Well, any physical boys hurt me, they got six big brothers to answer to, and Harry. Besides, I can take care of myself pretty good when it comes to boys close to my age. Just ask Malfoy."
"Lemon drop?"
"Nah, I'm trying to watch the sweets..."
Oh, enough of this... "Imperio," said Dumbledore.
He would never forget Ginny's expression when she realized what was happening to her. They usually didn't have time to realize it before the curse took effect. But then, something like it had happened to her during her first year at Hogwarts. Oh well...
"This is for the greater good," he told her. She was shaking. The girl was actually fighting it. "Open you mouth... Good girl... Have a lemon drop."
A tear streamed down her face, but she complied.
"Obliviate," he said, next. There, now the conditioning potions would take effect without her knowing she'd been forced to take them, or feeling her trust in him had been violated. All would be well.
"Now, Ginny, you're quite right," he said. "Harry needs to know love. And, don't feel guilty about using Dean to make Harry feel jealous. It's for the greater good, after all. Harry will know love when he feels jealousy, a monster in his chest insisting on it's own way."
Yes, Dumbledore could envision it, Harry becoming increasingly resentful towards his rival, the beast that was Love triumphing, and Harry looking at a crushed Dean Thomas with a gloating expression, rejoicing in the boy's pain. He vaguely remembered some book he read long ago claiming that love was the opposite of this. He couldn't remember which book it was, he had read so many. It had to be something blasphemous.
"There is a room in the Department of Mysteries that is kept locked at all times," he continued. "It contains a force that is at once more wonderful and terrible than death, than human intelligence, than forces of nature. It is also, perhaps, the most mysterious of the many subjects for study that reside there. It is the power held within that room that Harry possesses in such quantities and which Voldemort has not at all. The Unspeakables study it's liquid form in that room, called Amortentia..."
Harry was dressed nicely, but casually, when Dora brought him to the Rook.
Luna came downstairs, and she looked beautiful, in a blue dress. He'd brought roses, for which she smiled, shyly.
"You look wonderful," said Harry.
"So do you, Harry," said Luna.
"Where's your dad?"
"Spending the night with Dora's parents. Our parents are very close."
"I'll meet you at Madcaps," said Dora. "Wendy will handle your transportation." With that, she disapparated.
"When will she get here?" Harry wondered.
"At twilight, I expect," said Luna.
As the sun was beginning to set, Harry noticed, outside a window, something that he first thought was a firefly, except it was too large, and the light it was emitting too bright. Also, fireflies didn't leave glittery trails in their wake. He'd seen something like it at Hogwarts around Christmas, and realized what it had to be.
Luna opened the window, and the pixie flew inside. Her movements sounded like the jingle of tiny bells. She said something to Luna, who smiled. The pixie then flew right in front of Harry's face. It was true what Harry had been told, days before. High Pixies were more beautiful and wonderful than the Cornish ones, and more dangerous, he reminded himself. The pixie had what seemed to be a permanent mischievous expression.
Luna said, "Harry, meet Tinkerbell of the High Pixies of Kensington Gardens."
"Hello, Tinkerbell," he said. He wondered if his dad and godfather even met this most famous of pixies during their visits to Kensington Gardens.
"She says Wendy is waiting for us, out back."
They went to the back of the house. Harry opened the door to a truly breathtaking sight.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" said Luna, beside him.
It was a clearing, surrounded by forest, with a pond. Wendy was standing in the clearing, and beckoning them to come to her. Floating everywhere was a countless number of pixies, all glowing, all leaving shimmering trails behind them, and the same tiny jingling bell-like sound, providing an effect something like a large number of wind chimes, but musical.
"Harry," said Wendy, "Luna tells me you like to fly."
"Yes," he replied, softly.
"Have you ever flown like this?"
She rose, floating a few feet above them.
"No," Harry replied, "but I'd like to."
"Then, think the happiest thought..."
"Like a Patronus Charm," Luna added.
"Then, a little pixie dust. Tink?"
Tinkerbell fluttered over Harry and Luna, and the shimmering dust floated down over them. Luna took his hand in hers, and Harry didn't have to consider what happy thought he'd use. It was right there.
He felt... light, like he was floating on air. He looked down to see that he actually was.
It was wonderful.
Wendy laughed with a child-like joy, and said, "Follow me!"
With the pixies, they first flew above, and circled, the Rook, before heading to Ottery-St-Catchpole. When they reached the town, they dove, flying just above the buildings, the pixies doing mischief here and there. Harry thought the twins would be sorry they missed this.
As they reached the town's almost four and a half century old church, some of the pixies flew into the bell tower and proceeded to ring every bell there. An angry Vicar stormed outside.
"Clear off!" he yelled. "Pixie Day was two weeks ago! Bloody pixies..."
Even playing Quidditch, riding Buckbeat... Nothing compared to the exhilaration of this flight, holding hands with Luna, flying with the pixies, not needing to ride anything. He didn't notice how far they flew or how long. He was simply in the moment.
Finally, they came down to what looked to be a very large pub. The sign hanging at the entrance told him they were at Madcap's. Harry realized he had no idea exactly where they were. There was a road the pub was located on, and surrounding forest, with a lot of mist. Wendy led them inside, and... Harry was reminded of his first impression, years ago, of the Leaky Cauldron, how strange and magical it was, yet still very much a pub.
This was even more so.
"I've never been in a pub with bookshelves," he said.
"What pubs have you been to?" Luna asked.
"Just the wizarding ones."
"Ah. Bookshelves aren't uncommon in pubs not owned by magi."
"People get a pint, grab a book, and read?"
"Sometimes, yes. Though, that's usually during the day. It gets a little loud at night, as you can see."
"And hear. Would you like a drink?"
"Gillywater, please."
"Ah, that answered my next question... They have butterbeer here, too, I guess?"
"Of course."
"Wendy, what would you like?"
"I'll have to come with," said Wendy. "They won't serve you what I'm drinking."
Harry and Wendy went to the bar and ordered their drinks, Wendy ordering a Newcastle. Harry noticed the prices were listed in both muggle and wizard currency.
"I kind of lost track of where we were going when we were flying," said Harry while they were waiting.
"The first time is like that," said Wendy.
"So, where is this?"
"We're still in Devon, though a little off the beaten path."
Harry saw a large framed poster, depicting an illustration of a young Alice, with whom Harry recognized as the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, with some other creatures sitting at a table, a depiction of the Mad Tea Party. Above the illustration were the words, "WHY IS THE HATTER MAD? (Still more apologies to Lewis Carroll)." He read the writing under the picture...
"Have some Guinness?" said the March Hare.
"I don't see any Guinness," Alice replied.
"There isn't any," said the March Hare.
"Then you must be mad to offer me some!" said Alice, indignantly.
"It's after hours," said the Hatter, "and we can't get any. That's enough to make anyone mad."
"But surely you could have ordered some to drink at home," said Alice.
"There!" said the March Hare. "We never thought of that. That just shows you how mad we must be."
Below it, in large red letters, read, "GUINNESS IS GOOD FOR YOU."
"Alice advertised beer?" Harry asked.
"For decades," said Wendy.
They returned to Luna to find her chatting with Alice. Harry guessed that the dark, thick looking liquid she was drinking wasn't tea.
"Hi, Alice," Harry greeted as he handed Luna her drink. "So, Guinness is good for you?"
Alice held her glass up, and said, "That particular brand reduces blood clots and your risk of heart attack, like red wine and dark chocolate. Just don't drink too much of it. Strongest beer you'll ever drink."
Just then, Dora approached them with a very pretty blonde woman he didn't recognize.
"Wotcher, Harry. This is Emily. She owns the place."
"A pleasure to meet you, Emily."
"Likewise. Hiya, Luna."
"Hello, Emily. How are things?"
"Same as always... We got you a table close to where we're playing. Some friends of yours are already there."
"Don't worry," Dora said to Harry. "They won't tattle on you for being out of prison, for a while... Hey, Ripper!" she called to someone.
The man that she was addressing didn't seem like a "Ripper" to Harry, at least at first glance. He was tall, middle aged, though quite handsome, Harry had to admit. And, he wore glasses. But, he seemed too... dignified for the name Dora called him.
"Now, Dora, nobody calls me that, any more, but your parents and Emily, here."
"Because we knew you when," said Emily. "But I think there's still a little of the old Ripper, in there."
"Harry Potter," said Luna, "this is Rupert Giles, an old friend of the family."
"A pleasure to meet you, sir," said Harry, offering his hand. The man had a surprisingly strong handshake. Despite Giles's bookish exterior, Harry felt there was something... intense about the man. He'd probably earned the nickname Dora used for him. Harry wondered if that was how people felt when meeting himself. Or, maybe, if it one day would be.
"You look more like your mother every time I see you, Luna," said Giles. "How's your dad?"
"Doing very well tonight, I imagine. He's spending the night with Andy and Ted."
"Ah. Yes, Andy can be quite..." He looked at Dora, and said, "Um, I mean..."
Dora laughed, and said, "Like I don't know what my parents get up to..."
"Yes, but.." Giles flashed a devilish grin, and said, "We don't want to shock Harry, too much."
Dora replied, "True... He'll have enough to absorb, already."
"How about we find our table, Harry?" Luna suggested.
So, they headed towards where the band was setting up. Harry was wondering which table was theirs when he heard a voice.
"Oi! Harry! We're over here!"
The voice belonged to Bill Weasley, who was there with Fleur, and, to Harry's shock, Neville, along with a young, beautiful, nymph-like woman with green hair that Harry didn't recognize.
Noticing his confusion, Luna said, "Oh, that's right, you haven't met Neville's girlfriend."
So, they sat, and Harry was introduced to Afal. They ordered their food, and Neville told him how he met Afal near the end of term at Hogwarts, but had actually known her all his life, as she was not only the soul of the apple trees of the Blessed Grove in the Forbidden Forest, but those of Longbottom Hall in Lancashire. She had trees in other places, as well, making her effectively immortal. Neville explained that normally a Dryad only had one tree, but Helga Hufflepuff, with Rowena Ravenclaw's help, made Afal special.
"I've never heard of the Blessed Grove," said Harry.
"Few have," said Luna. "Most of those who know of it consider it just a legend, like they did the Chamber of Secrets."
"So, Helga Hufflepuff built a secret place like Salazar Slytherin. But," he said to Afal, "you seem a lot nicer than the basilisk."
Afal's expression changed to sadness.
"Basil was one of my oldest friends," she said.
"Basil?"
Neville answered, "What she named the basilisk."
"I know you had no choice, but I still miss him," she told Harry.
"He was hurting people."
"He only did it because that nasty boy made him. Poor Basil..."
"Didn't Slytherin put him there to kill muggleborns in the first place?"
"No. He was supposed to be the last line of defence against invading armies."
"Oh." Harry wondered if he'd misjudged Salazar Slytherin, all these years. "I'm sorry..."
"It wasn't your fault, but Tom Riddle's. The Old Hall Slytherin thought his descendants could be trusted to serve the school."
"Old Hall?"
"I never understood how he got that name..."
Fleur explained, "Salazar means Old Hall."
"Oh," said Harry. "Thanks. So, if you don't mind me asking... What are you supposed to do? Why did Helga Hufflepuff create the Blessed Grove?"
Afal was smiling, happily, again, and said, "I'm waiting for the Gentle One."
"The Gentle One? Who's that?"
"She who Sorcha said would come. The centaurs say it will be very soon."
"OK... Who's Sorcha?"
Luna answered, "The Ravenclaw. 'Rowena' was a bad English translation that came centuries later, because those in charge of the Ministry at the time wanted a non-Celtic name and one that began with the same letter as Ravenclaw. No Celtic family would have named a child 'Rowena.' That name represented Saxon treachery. Sorcha, herself, would be outraged that people call her that. The Grey Lady only uses it because the students wouldn't know who she was talking about if she used her real name. Hufflepuff wasn't named 'Helga,' either."
"Well, she wouldn't have been," said Bill, "being Welsh."
"OK," said Harry, "what was Hufflepuff's real name?"
Afal answered, "Bendigedig."
"Ah... I guess 'Helga' was just easier to pronounce. What was Gryffindor's real name?"
"Godric."
"Well, that's easy to remember... So, Bill, come here often?"
"Fleur introduced it to me, actually," said Bill. "Kind of embarrassing considering I'm from Devon..."
Fleur said, "It's not exactly well known among wizards, 'Arry. I know that sounds strange considering the crowd, but there's more than magi, here."
Neville added, "You have to be a friend of the Fair Folk to find it. You, me, and Bill can because we're all dating the Fair Folk."
"And aren't we the luckiest blokes in Britain?" said Bill.
Harry had to agree.
The food arrived, and Dora was right. It was great. Speaking of Dora, she and the band were ready to play.
Emily not only ran a great pub, but she had a great set of pipes. The music seemed to take him to a place. Harry was too young to drink alcohol, but he found the music and the atmosphere intoxicating, enough.
Dora came up to the mic with an acoustic guitar, and she and Emily sang a song, together. Dora had a good singing voice, Harry thought. He didn't understand what the song she and Emily were singing was about, but he liked it.
The madcap laughed at the man on the border
Hey ho, huff the talbot
The winds they blew and the leaves did wag
And they'll never put me in their bag
The seas will reach and always see
So high you go, so low you creep
The wind it blows in tropical heat
The drones they throng on mossy seats
The squeaking door will always creep
Two up two down we'll never meet
So merrily trip for good my side
Please leave us here
Close our eyes to the octopus ride
Emily said, "This next one is a Waterboys song, dedicated to our darling Wendy, called 'The Pan Within'"
"Ooo," said Luna, standing. "I'm going to dance."
Fleur and Afal had the same idea, and joined Luna in the space in front of where the band was playing.
Come with me
on a journey beneath the skin
Come with me
on a journey under the skin
We will look together
for the Pan within
Close your eyes
breathe slow, we'll begin
Close your eyes
breathe slow and we will begin
To look together
for the Pan within
There was nothing planned in how the three danced, no sort of choreography, but they seemed like they'd always danced, together. Harry was entranced.
Put your face in my window
breathe a night full of treasures
The wind is delicious
sweet and wild with the promise of pleasure
The stars are alive
and nights like these
Were born to be
sanctified by you and me
Lovers, thieves, fools, and pretenders
and all we gotta do is surrender
Harry had once been told that he'd know it was the real thing when he felt a ravenous monster rising in his chest demanding to be sated, a jealous, territorial, terrible, beast. He really didn't think that made falling in love sound very pleasant.
This didn't feel anything like that. He felt elation watching Luna dance, a feeling he knew was shared by Neville and Bill watching their respective fairy lovers. He wanted this feeling to go on, forever. No jealousy knowing every male and a percentage of the females were watching their girls with desire. Oh, if any of these blokes harassed them, he, Neville, and Bill would deal with the situation, of course, if the girls themselves didn't, first.
When the band's set ended, it was time to leave. Harry and Luna complimented Dora, and told their friends they'd see them again, soon. They stepped outside with Wendy, and the pixies appeared, as if on cue.
The flight back ended in the clearing behind the Rook. The pixies remained, creating a music of their own.
"I'll be back in a bit," said Wendy. "I have to collect something in the house for you."
After Wendy went inside, Harry asked, "Did you enjoy the evening?"
"Yes," said Luna, "but it's not over, yet."
"I owe you a dance, don't I?"
The pixie music sounded now like a waltz. Harry bowed, and he and Luna began dancing. The pixie lights surrounded them, and the began to twirl upwards, dancing in the air.
Harry leaned in, closed his eyes, and kissed her. He felt something strange. When he opened his eyes and looked at her, then himself, he realized what it was.
"So," he asked, "where did our clothes go?"
"They'll turn up. We don't need them, right now..."
He quickly had an erection, and, he saw, from her nipples, she was as aroused as he was. The pixies began lowering them, still circling in their dance, to the ground. Harry stepped back to get a good look at her. She was the most beautiful he had ever seen her. While she looked great dressed, she looked her best in nothing at all.
He noticed something else out there, with them.
"I guess Wendy decided your bed should be out here, tonight," he said.
"That's very nice of her."
As she maneuvered him onto the bed, he said, "Luna, I've never..."
"Shh... I'll guide you through it."
Either she was a great teacher, or he was a great student. Maybe both...
After, they held each other, and sleep took them.
It was the best sleep he'd ever had. None of the nightmares that usually haunted him, just Luna's comforting presence.