Fairy Tales

by Perceval23

Harry failed to learn the Power the Dark Lord Knows Not, so he, with Luna's guidance, must undertake a journey to learn the true history of the Wizarding world, and find himself in the process. Multi-crossover.

21. The Gathering Storm

A/N: What was planned as one big chapter ended up getting divided in two. Blame Neville, for pulling a Hermione on me and demanding a lot of page time, which we'll be getting into next chapter. I mean, really... Hermione one expects to be a demanding sort, but I always thought Neville was more humble and low-key than that. Always watch the quiet ones...

Some dialogue in this chapter comes from The Marvelous Land of Oz and The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

---

Chapter Twenty-One

The Gathering Storm

The royal historians of Oz, who are fine writers and know any number of big words, have often tried to describe the rare beauty of Ozma and failed because the words were not good enough. So of course I cannot hope to tell you how great was the charm of this little Princess, or how her loveliness put to shame all the sparkling jewels and magnificent luxury that surrounded her in this her royal palace. Whatever else was beautiful or dainty or delightful of itself faded to dullness when contrasted with Ozma's bewitching face, and it has often been said by those who know that no other ruler in all the world can ever hope to equal the gracious charm of her manner.

Everything about Ozma attracted one, and she inspired love and the sweetest affection rather than awe or ordinary admiration. Dorothy threw her arms around her little friend and hugged and kissed her rapturously, and Toto barked joyfully and Button-Bright smiled a happy smile and consented to sit on the soft cushions close beside the Princess.

-L. Frank Baum, The Road to Oz

---

Thelema, Glastonbury, Somerset, England, UK, July 16, 1996

Harry was awakened by the alarm clock. He had a busy day ahead. He was going to meet Queen Ozma of Oz, who, along with Dorothy, would be introducing him and Hermione to yoga. They would also be visiting Neville and Afal at Longbottom Place, as Neville had invited them when they contacted him, yesterday.

He really didn't want to budge at the moment, since Luna was snuggling. So, rather than move to the alarm clock, he decided to try something. The first thing he did when the blocks were released on his magic had been to summon his wand to him, so he figured he should be able to turn the alarm clock off the same way. He reached out with his magic, concentrating on his will, which was to turn the alarm off.

It worked.

"Very good, Harry," the lovely, sleepy, dreamy sounding voice of the girl cuddling him said.

Now awake, he looked around at his new bedroom he was sharing with Luna. He'd never slept in such a nice bedroom. Theirs was one of the bedrooms with a private bath and everything.

Their luggage was still there, having not been completely unpacked. They'd do that later, today. They certainly had plenty of space for everything. The closet was huge, Harry thought, but then, so was the entire house. And, he remembered, he owned a house much like it, that he was about to have upgraded.

He owned a huge house, and he'd spent all those years living in a cupboard under the stairs at the Dursley home.

Being a ward of the Tonkses was definitely better than being a ward of the Dursleys. Not that Harry was really the materialistic sort, judging people by their wealth and the size and luxury of their homes. But, well, it was a cupboard under the stairs in a house where he was routinely abused. Almost anything was better than that. The best thing about his new living arrangement, though, was the girl next to him.

"Well," he said, "we've got a lot on our plate, today..."

"Probably. Especially protein. Andy's serious about building your muscle up."

"You know what I mean," he said with a smile. We've got a lot to do, so let's shower and get dressed."

"We should probably see if anyone else in the house is dressing before we bother."

"Oh yeah, I forgot... But, we'll need to wear clothes when we visit Neville."

"That's not for hours, though..."

"Yeah..."

---

Anyone who had been in the bedroom of Ted Tonks and Andromeda Black-Tonks noticed the unusually large bed.

Of course, anyone who knew the couple well knew the reason for its size, its frequent guests. This morning, waking up with them were two old friends and lovers, Xeno Lovegood and Emily Piper.

It wasn't that the Tonkses were swingers. Swinging was merely recreational sex. This wasn't about that, as enjoyable as the sex was. They were polyamorous, in loving, long-term, committed relationships. They just happened to be in long-term committed relationships with more than just each other.

This was common for the Fae, which all four in the bed were. But, even before she was a Fae, Andromeda was polysexual, due to being a shape shifter. Her sexual identity and orientation were as amorphous as everything else being a shape shifter would make someone. She could, and did, shift gender as easily as most people changed clothes. And, being a shape shifter from the Rosier line gave her certain needs, specifically multiple lovers. She well remembered the awkward talk where her mother, from whom she'd inherited her shape shifting, explained the needs she'd have to her.

Of course, she'd always suspected what her parents and their guests got up to.

Her first great mentor, Lord Voldemort, advocated polyamorous relationships, but that was mainly because they were considered taboo, and initiation into the Left-Hand Path required rejecting all taboos. Andy strongly suspected he also advocated it so he could justify to his followers continuing doing what he was doing with Andy and her sisters.

She wondered what Roddy and Lucius thought of it, since she knew the Dark Lord continued this practice even after her sisters were married. She'd have to ask Lucius about it, the next time she saw him.

Not that either could dare say anything if they did object... Of course, Tom Riddle's interpretation of the Left-Hand Path was his own.

Fortunately, Morgan showed her that she could be who she was without having to follow the Left-Hand Path. Morgan le Fay was a Christian High Priestess, Keeper of the Holy Grail, and yet still well known for her several relationships with both genders. Morgan taught her that the Western definitions of the Left and Right-Hand Paths were relatively recent, and had almost nothing to do with the Eastern roots of the terms, which were about finding balance between Yin and Yang.

Andy thought it strange that so many found their relationships being open and honest to be strange and scandalous, yet these same people considered sneaking around and cheating on your spouse normal and acceptable.

The Blacks, for all their faults, never believed in that. They kept to the old Celtic idea that one could openly take a lover if you'd done your duty and produced children, and your spouse knew about it. They didn't even object to her shagging Ted, just marrying him. They wanted her to marry someone more "socially acceptable," namely Lucius, pop out a kid or two, then she could take any lover she wanted. It was the old Black family tradition.

Well, Aunt Walburga objected, but no one but Uncle Orion ever listened to her, and he only did because he had no choice, being married to the bitch. Andy was told the woman went quite mad one fine day, and took out her anger at the world on the generations old tapestry of the family tree at the house in London.

She'd have to talk to Harry about repairing and restoring it since he now owned the house. Probably should restore the house, too, even though Dora said the neighborhood was run down. Neighborhoods go through revivals all the time, after all. She definitely needed to discuss with him some of the books, items, and heirlooms, there. She didn't trust Dumbledore's people to take care of them.

Dumbledore... She knew her husband and lovers were thinking the same thing she was. He wasn't going to take being outmaneuvered lying down. It was a matter of trying to figure out what his next move would be, how he'd retaliate and try to regain control of Harry. There would be a smear campaign against them, that was certain. He'd try something with the Wizengamot since they'd covered all other legal bases. Everything had been legally airtight. Harry had also made clear his desires, and would be willing to do so again before the Wizengamot, if necessary. So, Dumbledore would have to convince the Wizengamot to ignore facts and reason and support him purely on passion and prejudices.

Problem was, enough of the Wizengamot was capable of doing just that, or at least do it to win favor with the bigots.

They were discussing this, what Dumbledore might try, and how they would counter it. Then, there were the more personal matters, such as Dora, and her dancing around her issues with her love life.

"Someone needs to have a talk with her," said Ted. "She's going to explode, at this rate."

Emily, however, told them not to worry.

"It will work out," she said in that knowing way of hers. She smiled, and added, "Harry's got the situation well under control."

"Is he aware that he does?" asked Andy.

"Probably not, but he's the intuitive sort."

"So I've been told."

Xeno added, "Luna's the same way, even more so."

"Harry's more a man of action, though. Luna's more a contemplative thinker and teacher type."

"Like her mother."

"More and more, every day."

---

Hermione woke to find a rather large boa with pink markings sprawled over her.

Not that long ago, she would have been alarmed to wake to such a thing. But, this particular boa was a very affectionate friend, at least when she was being a boa.

How they wound up waking in this particular position was Hermione not only finding Dora's Naga form adorable, but noticing the different behavior Dora exhibited in that form. Andy had said that they were more like reptiles in those forms, more aggressive, dominant, and territorial, and Dora had certainly been so, not to mention so... affectionate. She'd been so hesitant to show this part of herself to Hermione, and Hermione was determined to figure out why.

So, before bedtime, she requested Dora's Naga form, again, and took her to the guest bedroom she was spending the night in.

They'd spent part of the night talking, about anything and everything, until they realized they had to get some sleep or they'd be no good, the next day. Hermione especially wanted to be at her best when she met Ozma. Dora stayed with her.

Hermione had a very good idea of what Dora's concerns were, and, to be honest, she was a bit nervous herself over where things could go between them. She'd always thought of herself as heterosexual, but shape shifters like Dora attracted both genders. Hermione wondered if Veela did, as well, thus explaining the tension she always felt towards Fleur. Of course, with the planned lengthy stay in Avalon, and the fact that she was soon going to be a Fae, sexual orientation probably wouldn't matter to her soon, regardless.

Then, there was Harry. He'd become far more open and confident than when she'd last seen him. She was very pleased about that. Luna was very good for him. But, Harry was openly flirting with her, and Luna didn't seem to mind. But then, Luna had been raised in a polyamorous household. Harry seemed to have already embraced the concept. Pretty bloody quick, Hermione thought. But then, Harry never was the type to over-analyze things, more about following his instincts.

Hermione loved Harry, and had to admit she was attracted. His new-found confidence had made him even more attractive. He was finally becoming the man she'd always known he could be. And, they'd actually agreed to give her a demonstration of sex magic, and she'd agreed to his presence when she learned it, and for him to give her pointers.

They'd always been very comfortable with each other. Now, she realized how comfortable they were, total trust. They didn't have to hide anything from each other.

She had a busy day ahead. She was going to meet Neville's grandmother, and finally meet that girlfriend of his she'd heard about.

The big thing, for her, was she'd begin learning yoga from her childhood heroine, Dorothy. And today, she'd meet Queen Ozma, herself.

"Wake up, my sleepy snake, we've got a lot to do, today," she told Dora, feeling unusually chipper to have just woken up.

"I'm up, I'm up..."

Hermione stood and stretched. Dora enjoyed the view.

Hermione noticed the storm from the previous day had cleared out, and it looked to be sunny and cloudless, today. Yesterday's storm was fitting for the day she met Dorothy, given the Princess's history and tempestuous nature. Today's sunny day was perfect for Hermione to meet Ozma, Dorothy's serene other half.

Hermione scooped up Dora and said, "Shower time."

---

Any concerns Hermione had about what to wear for Ozma were settled when she stepped out of the bathroom into the hallway, with Dora still in her boa form draped over her like, well, a boa. Dorothy was there, having spent the night, and since she wasn't bothering dressing, it was safe to assume no one else had to.

Harry, with Luna, stepped out of his room while Hermione, Dora, and Dorothy were chatting.

He said, "You were right, Luna, I guess we don't need to bother dressing, yet."

Hermione said, "I just came to the same conclusion."

"The boa looks good on you."

"Thanks."

Luna added, "They're all the rage, I understand."

As they went downstairs, Harry chatted with Dorothy.

She said, "You took your vitamins?"

"Yes, and the calcium-magnesium tablets." This was going to be a habit he'd be keeping. She was also having him keep a nutrition journal, that would track everything. Fortunately, Luna and Hermione had been put on the same nutritional program, so he knew that, between the two of them, he'd be reminded, regularly, to keep it updated.

"Good, 'cause you're gonna need it. We've got a lot of years of damage to undo and a lot of muscle to build. I'm surprised, all things considered, you're in as good a shape as you are. I've heard a lot about you."

"Not all bad, I hope."

"Nah... From what I'm told, you've been very resourceful with the tools you've had available. I'm going to help give you more tools and resources. I'm the perfect person to train, specifically, you."

"Why's that?"

"Let's see... You're an orphan, had a rough childhood, were a bit different from everyone around you. You found yourself in a magical world that you didn't know about, but was where you really belonged. Oh, and you were seen as special for doing something you didn't actually do, ending the threat of an evil magical type, you just happened to be there when it happened, though you were the reason, still. You had this mark on your forehead that everyone in this magical community recognized, and you're supposed to destroy some evil powerhouse that's threatening the world that nobody else can take out. All that right?"

"Yeah. And it sucks."

"I know, which is what makes me uniquely qualified for the job of teaching you how to do it."

When they got to the dining room, Bill, Fleur, and Emily were dressed, as they would be going to their jobs after breakfast. Andy, Ted, and Xeno were not, as they would be working from home. Also nude was someone who wasn't there, last night. Harry remembered her from when they met at Madcaps, a petite beauty with green hair and eyes.

"Afal!" said Luna, with delight.

Harry asked, "Is Neville here?"

"No," answered Afal. "I just thought I'd visit you before you visit us, later. I have trees in Glastonbury."

"It's good to see you, again."

"Likewise, Harry Potter," she said, handing him and Luna each an apple.

"Thank you. Oh, let me introduce you to someone... Afal, this is Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is Afal... Um..."

Luna finished, "Afal o'r Bendigedig."

"A pleasure to meet you, Hermione Granger."

"Likewise. So, you just arrived at one of your trees in Glastonbury, and came here? Out in the open, like that?"

"I grew leaves to cover my breasts, vagina, and part of my butt to avoid shocking the locals."

"And nobody thought anything of a Dryad walking around town?"

"We are in Glastonbury. And let me give you this," Afal said, handing Hermione an apple. "It's one of mine."

"Take a bite," a smiling boa still wrapped around Hermione said. "They're yummy, and full of Vitamin C."

"I'm being tempted to eat an apple by a serpent?"

Luna said, "Well, you are always seeking knowledge, are you not?"

Harry added, "She's got you, there."

"But, Afal isn't from that tree, though it may be a distant ancestor. This is just a very delicious apple." Luna took a bite of hers.

Harry said, "Something I'd like to ask you, Hermione... I hear that Metamorphmagi attract both genders. Now, of course, I'm attracted to Dora. Luna is, too, but she's pansexual, so she's not the right girl to test what I've been told. So, I'll ask you. Are you attracted to Dora? Be honest."

Hermione looked at him shrewdly, and asked, "Isn't the serpent supposed to be who tempts me, not you?"

"She seems to be having some trouble working up the nerve, so I thought I'd help her out," he said with a wicked smile.

Luna said, "He does speak Parseltongue, you know."

"Fine," said Hermione, taking a bite of the apple. It was the best apple she'd ever tasted. After chewing carefully and swallowing, she said so to Afal, who beamed and thanked her.

"And?" asked Harry.

"Yes, I'm attracted to Dora," she said, earning a surprised squeak from the boa Naga draped over her.

Andy, watching from her chair at the table, said, "Good, glad to have that settled. Now, let's have breakfast, and plan the day."

---

Albus Dumbledore knew he was taking some major risks.

After Thursday, the Queen would most likely do what the British Monarch had very rarely done and directly involve herself with the Ministry of Magic's affairs by using her authority to remove him as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.

He wasn't concerned about that, though. He had less than a year to live, after all. He was focused on his largest priorities, his plan to rid the world of Tom, and to insure his own loyalists would come into power after, to maintain his vision of the greater good.

That meant regaining control of Harry Potter, and removing that meddling Amelia Bones from her position as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, weakening that troublesome Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour's, position in the process. That would make it all worth it.

And, if he gained what else he wanted, the removal of any and all members of the Seelie Court from their society, so much the better. He'd have Harry back to where he could condition him into a willing sacrifice, the hated Fae out of the way, the blasted Bones woman gone before she could start investigations into his conduct as Headmaster of Hogwarts, and destroy the so-called Blessed Grove in the Forbidden Forest, thus eliminating that Fae thing Hufflepuff had placed there with Ravenclaw's help, and preventing the prophecy of the Gentle One.

Dumbledore thought it a tribute to the greatness of Godric Gryffindor that Hogwarts managed to stand as such a beacon for the Light despite him being the only Founder who wasn't clearly dark and evil, like Ravenclaw and Slytherin, or able to be manipulated by darkness like the foolish Hufflepuff.

His strategy was, he had to admit, a bit deceptive. First, he was going to propose the removal of all connected to the Seelie Court. Elphias would help a great deal, here, first with his opinion piece in tomorrow's Prophet, then during the session, itself. Dumbledore would be able to move him into the position of the next Chief Warlock once the Queen dismissed him, and maintain control of the courts, despite that. It would be a smear campaign, designed carefully to play on the prejudices of many in their culture, their fears and hatreds. It was vital that his opponents not be seen as human beings. He and Elphias would dehumanize the Tonkses and Lovegoods, and demonize the Fae, as a whole. Wizards, for the most part, were such sheep, Dumbledore thought.

He considered that this was the same strategy he'd condemned Tom for using, but this was different. Dumbledore was doing it for the greater good, which made if justifiable.

So, even if the Queen overruled him, or if too many members of the Wizengamot insisted on such nonsense as the letter of the law, saying members of the Fae within their world hadn't broken any of their laws, so there was no legal grounds to banish them, he'd still have enough of them prejudiced against the Fae, not to mention that muggle who thought she had any say over wizards, Queen Elizabeth II.

Dismissing him from the position of Chief Warlock would simply make him a martyr in the eyes of Wizarding Britain.

From there, it would be a simple matter to remove Harry from the Tonkses' custody. While he might not be able to banish them outright, he would paint them in such a way that enough of the Wizengamot wouldn't consider them suitable guardians for Harry. Dumbledore would then step forward and offer himself as the boy's guardian. If the boy objected, and clearly he would, well... He'd obviously been bewitched by the Fae, and therefore couldn't know what was best for him. Yes, they would support Dumbledore in "saving" the boy.

Oh, he was still going to raze the so-called Blessed Grove, regardless of whether the Wizengamot allowed the Fae to stay in their world, but it would be nice to have the Wizengamot's backing.

Of course, Professor Sprout would object, being both the Herbology Professor and Head of Hufflepuff House. He was already looking into finding a suitable replacement for her as Herbology Professor, since she was now clearly a threat and liability. A Gryffindor would be what he needed, a loyal one, not a traitor like Scrimgeour. Burbage could fill in as Head of House for Hufflepuff. He was also looking into a possible suitable replacement for Flitwick, if he became a threat, too. While removing the Seelie Court from Magical Britain wouldn't affect him, as his goblin grandfather was of the Unseelie Court, Flitwick was especially fond of Luna Lovegood. Plus, when Elphias's opinion piece was published, tomorrow, Flitwick would certainly take some of the terms used personally, and everyone knew how close Elphias Doge was to Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore knew he wouldn't be able to plead ignorance with Flitwick.

He was confident, though, that all those failed rebellions had taught the goblins their place, and the Unseelie Court wouldn't be a factor. Sure, they'd quietly pushed the transfer of Harry's guardianship through, but that was just business. The Seelie and Unseelie Courts would never unite for a common cause, again. Granted, they had that new Queen of theirs, Sarah, but Dumbledore didn't consider her worth investigating. She really was, at heart, just a common American muggle, after all, like that upstart "Princess" Dorothy.

It was unfortunate that he couldn't remove Dorothy Gale from Britain, entirely, but with Oz assisting Queen Elizabeth, he'd have to be content to keep her out of Wizarding affairs, except when the Death Eaters directly attacked the muggles.

Well, to be honest, he could never actually be content with that, but this seemed the best he could hope for when it came to that insolent farm girl. Oh, if he had the opportunity, he'd get her, and her little dog, too.

---

Harry, Luna, Hermione, Dora, and Dorothy were relaxing in the magical hot tub connected to the pool. Dorothy and Andy had both insisted Dora learn yoga with the others, as her shape shifting abilities had caused her to be rather clumsy, and it was thought that yoga would teach her some much-needed balance, "in more ways than one," her mother said.

While they were in the middle of chatting, Dorothy suddenly looked to the glass doors leading to the rest of the house, then smiled happily. Harry heard, approaching, what sounded like the bark of a small dog. She scrambled out of the hot tub just as a small black dog, a terrier, ran to her.

"Toto!" she said in a very happy greeting.

The dog jumped into her waiting arms, and she cuddled him.

"Ruff," said Toto.

"I've missed you, too!" she replied.

OK, thought Harry, this was the Dorothy Gale he had expected. Well, aside from the nudity and tattoos, of course.

As the others climbed out of the hot tub, Dorothy made introductions.

"Hermione, Harry, this is my best friend Toto. Toto, this is Hermione Granger."

"Ruff," said Toto, offering his left paw, which Hermione took and shook gently.

"Hello, Toto," she replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you, at last."

"And this," said Dorothy, "is Harry Potter."

"Ruff," said Toto, again offering his left paw, which Harry shook.

"Hi," Harry replied, not sure what to say to a clearly highly intelligent dog, despite the fact that his godfather was sometimes one.

Dorothy then looked to the glass doors, again, as though sensing a presence. A beautiful, dark-haired, woman, a head taller than Dorothy, entered. She was wearing a white shirt and slacks, and she was barefoot. In her hair, on each side, were large red flowers. She and Dorothy hugged, and shared a kiss.

Dorothy said, "Harry, Hermione, I'd like to introduce my Queen, companion, best friend besides Toto, and the love of my life."

"Ozma," said Hermione, in awe.

"Hi," Queen Ozma replied casually, and somehow regally at the same time.

"This is Hermione Granger," said Dorothy.

"A pleasure to meet you, at last," said Ozma.

"It's an honor to meet you, Your Majesty," Hermione replied.

"And this is Harry Potter," said Dorothy.

"Hello," Ozma greeted, shaking Harry's hand, firmly.

Harry felt a little overwhelmed. It wasn't quite like how he and most others reacted to the Veela, but he was strongly attracted. He felt this urge to embrace her, lovingly, which, of course, he didn't do. They'd just met, after all. Also... There was something about this Fairy Queen's playful, mischievous, eyes, her smile, her arched eyebrows, that gave Harry the distinct feeling that his godfather would have loved her.

"So," Ozma said, looking over the group, "I guess it's going to be naked yoga, today."

"Isn't that what we usually do?" asked Dorothy.

"Yes, but usually not with a group," Ozma replied, before undressing.

---

Ozma was unusual, even for a Fairy Queen. But then, Oz itself was unusual, even for a Fairyland.

While several Fairylands were Matriarchies, and some such as Avalon had been ruled by shape shifters, Ozma was the only Fairy Queen, to her knowledge, that wasn't a shape shifter, but had spent several years as a boy, not knowing she'd ever been anything else. When her father, the King, had disappeared when she was a baby, she'd been hidden to protect her from the wicked Witches of the East and West.

Unfortunately, Mombi, who had been given the task of keeping Ozma alive and safe, had unintentionally been given a great deal of leeway by the Wizard of Oz with how to go about it, which she took full advantage of. She was especially qualified to hide a child from wicked Witches, having once been a Witch, herself, ruler of the North. Her tyranny had led her to be deposed during the civil war by the current Witch, but she'd been allowed to keep her life and magic, and had now been given an opportunity by the Wizard of Oz for redemption. Of course, the offer of some powerful magical objects had been used to get her to accept the opportunity. The instructions the Wizard had given her was to keep the girl alive, safe, and hidden.

She turned the baby into a boy, which, it had to be said, did guarantee that the wicked Witches of the East and West wouldn't find a child Princess if they came looking for her. But, being a cruel woman, Mombi not only never told "Tippetarius," or Tip for short, who he really was, but, being a bitter former servant of the royal family, their jailer, made Tip her poorly treated servant.

So, the rightful Queen of Oz spent her early years as a hard-working farm boy. There was nothing meek about him, though, his treatment by Mombi making him quite rebellious and mischievous. He lied to climb trees, chase rabbits, fish, and otherwise annoy Mombi.

While his guardian was on a two day trip to the village to buy supplies, Tip had the notion of giving the old woman a fright, so he made a man out of wood with a pumpkin carved into a Jack-o-lantern as a head. He clothed his creation, and named him Jack Pumpkinhead. He set Jack on the road, waiting for Mombi to return.

Mombi, however, wasn't easily frightened. She feared almost nothing, in fact, except for one...

She decided this would be a good time to see if one of those things the Wizard had given her, the Powder of Life, actually worked, to see if he'd tricked her as she had tricked him. She sprinkled the powder on Jack and spoke the instructed incantation. It worked, and Jack Pumpkinhead was brought to life.

Tip found Jack clumsily walking around very funny. Mombi locked Jack away until she could decide what to do with him.

Unfortunately for Tip, the Wizard of Oz had departed the Fairyland, so Mombi no longer felt obligated to follow the terms of the deal that had been made with her. She decided to turn Tip into a marble statue, now that she had Jack to do the work that Tip had done. She intended to plant a flower garden, with the statue at its center.

Needless to say, upon learning this, Tip chose to escape during the night. He took some food from the kitchen, and decided to take the Powder of Life, as well. He decided to take Jack with him, as well, since he didn't want Jack to suffer the tender mercies of Mombi. Besides, Tip made him, even if Mombi was who had brought him to life. When Jack asked where they were going, Tip told him he'd know as soon as he did.

When the sun rose, Tip decided they'd made enough distance from Mombi that they could stop and have breakfast, though Jack pointed out that he didn't seem to be made as Tip was. Tip replied that he knew that, since he made Jack. Jack told him he did a very good job of it, though Tip thought he should have done it better.

"Why, then," said Jack surprised, "you must be my creator, my parent, my father!"

"Or your inventor," Tip replied with a laugh. "Yes, my son; I really believe I am!"

"Then I owe you obedience, and you owe me... support."

"That's it, exactly," declared Tip, jumping up. "So let us be off."

Tip decided they should go to the Emerald City, telling Jack the story of the civil war and a girl named Dorothy who saved Oz by killing the wicked Witches of the East and West, before returning home to her mysterious land called Kansas. One of her companions, the Scarecrow, had been made King of the Emerald City, while another, the Tin Woodsman, was given command of the West, and a third, the Lion, was made King of the Forest in the South. Dorothy's story had touched Tip's own spirit, calling him to adventure.

Along the way they found a wooden sawhorse that was carved to resemble an actual horse. Jack's joints were causing him difficulty, and he said that if it were a real horse, he could ride it and save his joints from wearing out. Inspired, Tip decided to use the Powder of Life. Sprinkling it, and remembering the incantation he heard Mombi use, the sawhorse was brought to life.

Unfortunately, the Sawhorse couldn't hear them, no matter how loud Tip shouted. Jack suggested making him some ears, so Tip whittled two, and added a post for Jack to hold while riding.

They continued traveling, but the next day, Tip was separated from the others due to a bit of miscommunication. But, Tip knew all the roads paved with yellow brick led to the Emerald City, so all he had to do was follow it.

He was hungry, having run out of food. He met a woman who fed him, wearing a uniform and introducing herself as General Jinjur. She had built an army of women from the four regions of Oz, and was about to march on the Emerald City. Her army swore to follow her unto death. Then, they would resign.

Dorothy had, unknowingly, created a power vacuum with her departure from Oz.

She had brought peace to Oz by destroying the wicked Witches. She was then responsible for the Wizard leaving Oz. Given her age and immediate accomplishments when she arrived in Oz, many thought she was their lost Princess Ozma, returning to rule. Even when it was clear that she wasn't their lost Princess, it had been hoped she would stay and be their Queen, anyway.

Oz wanted it's Queen, and Jinjur, in her lust for riches and power, decided to take advantage.

The Scarecrow had hoped Dorothy would stay, himself, but understood her reasons. She loved Oz, and wanted to stay, but she was worried about her aunt and uncle, and how they would fare without her. It was with reluctance that the Scarecrow accepted the crown. He came to find the crown so heavy it made his head ache.

When Tip arrived to warn the Scarecrow that the Emerald City had been taken, and the palace was being overrun, he found Jack and the Sawhorse already there. With the Scarecrow, they escaped, hoping to find refuge with the Tin Woodsman.

As they went further into the West, the Scarecrow became more at ease, remembering his past adventures here with Dorothy, showing where they fought the army of wolves, where they fought the army of crows, where they were attacked by the Winged Monkeys. Recognizing that Tip was tired, he explained to the others that he needed sleep, something they didn't need, remembering that they always had to sit through the night when Dorothy needed it. He found berries for Tip's breakfast the next morning.

The Tin Woodsman agreed to help the Scarecrow regain the throne he didn't really want, but felt obligated to regain, since Jinjur was hardly going to be a good ruler. Mombi had used her magic to see what had happened, and came to the Emerald City and intimidated Jinjur into giving her a position in the Court. Mombi used her magic to slow Tip's company's advance, but they were aided, first by the highly educated Wogglebug, who joined them, then the Queen of the Field Mice who had aided Dorothy, before.

Upon arriving at the Emerald City, they found that the men there had been given the tasks their wives and daughters normally did, and were finding them overwhelming and exhausting. When the Scarecrow asked how the woman managed it for all those years, one of the men replied, "I really don't know. Perhaps the women are made of cast-iron."

The company was captured. The Scarecrow told Jinjur she was guilty of breaking the law against treason by taking his throne.

Jinjur replied, "The throne belongs to whoever is able to take it. I have taken it, so just now I am the Queen. All who oppose me are guilty of treason, and must be punished by the law you just mentioned."

Jinjur decreed that Tip would be turned over to Mombi. As for the others, she said that, since they weren't human, it wouldn't be wrong to kill them. Fortunately, the Queen of the Field Mice had anticipated that her friends would wind up in this situation, and had set up a distraction allowing the company to board themselves into a room to buy themselves some time and think of an escape plan.

Being relieved of his royal duties allowed the Scarecrow to do what he did best. He came up with an escape plan. The Tin Woodsman would use the materials at hand in the room to build a flying machine, which Tip would bring to life using the Powder of Life. The Tin Woodsman found a large sofa to hold the entire party, but considered that they would fall off if it tipped over. Tip came up with the idea of stringing two sofas facing each other together. Jack brought a broom for a tail. When the Tin Woodsman questioned why a tail would be needed, Tip suggested it would be useful to their creation as a rudder. The Tin Woodsman cut leaves from a huge palm tree for wings, though the Scarecrow mentioned that chopping leaves from the royal palm was a major crime, punishable by being killed seven times, then imprisoned for life.

Finally, they added the mounted head of an antlered creature called a gump, and, on the roof of the palace, Tip brought it to life.

This was a shock to the Gump, who screamed and flew off, before being called back. The last thing he had remembered was walking through the forest and hearing a loud noise. And now, here he was, alive, but... not what he was, before.

"What does it all mean?" he asked. "Am I a gump, or am I a juggernaut?"

"You're just a thing," answered Tip, "with a gump's head on it. And we have made you and brought you to life so that you may carry us through the air wherever we wish to go."

"Very good! As I am not a gump, I cannot have a gump's pride or independent spirit. So I may as well become your servant as anything else. My only satisfaction is that I do not seem to have a very strong constitution, and am not likely to live long in a state of slavery."

"Don't say that, I beg of you!" said the Tin Woodman. "Are you not feeling well today?"

"Oh, as for that, it is my first day of existence, so I cannot Judge whether I am feeling well or ill."

Despite the company promising him they wouldn't treat him like a slave, and would do their best to make his existence as good as possible, the Gump felt very self-conscious about his state. Though, he said, looking at the company, they didn't seem too well put together, themselves.

The group disagreed, and introduced themselves properly, telling him that appearances can be deceitful, and of their individual good qualities and accomplishments.

"I am proud, indeed, to meet with such exceptional masters," said the Gump, in a careless tone. "If I could but secure so complete an introduction to myself, I would be more than satisfied."

"That will come in time," said the Scareccrow. "To 'Know Thyself' is considered quite an accomplishment, which it has taken us, who are your elders, months to perfect. But now, let us get aboard and start upon our journey."

The destination the Scarecrow chose was the South, to seek, as they had with Dorothy, the council of Glinda the Good. As before, there were adventures along the way, such as having to escape the Jackdaws, which required figuring out how to count to seventeen by twos, and, at one point, fearing they had accidentally entered the terrible outside world that Dorothy had told them about. They'd always worried about Dorothy living in such a strange, dangerous, nightmarish, world that made such little sense.

When they arrived at Glinda's castle, they found her waiting for them, knowing they were coming. She also knew of their predicament. When the Scarecrow asked for her help to retake the throne, she questioned whether she had any right to remove Jinjur from it. When the Scarecrow replied that the throne wasn't rightfully hers, Glinda replied that it wasn't rightfully his, either, but belonged to the long missing Princess Ozma. The Scarecrow replied that he would be very happy to step aside for the Princess. His main concern was removing Jinjur, not being king.

Glinda replied that the Wizard had hidden the Princess, by means that even she had been unable to find her. But, she was going to try, once again, taking a different approach than she had, before. Instead of searching for the Princess, she would seek clues by tracing the Wizard's actions during that time. She had a great many records, and, she revealed, a very good spy network.

Researching her records of everything the Wizard did during his time in Oz that her spies observed, including such details as he ate beans with a knife, she found that he had made three visits to Mombi, the reasons being undisclosed. After Tip told her that Mombi was currently in the occupied Emerald City with Queen Jinjur and her army, Glinda announced she would take her own army and march on the Emerald City, take Mombi prisoner, and force her to tell the truth about Ozma.

Tip was worried for Glinda's safety, warning her of how evil and powerful Mombi was. Tip, being a young boy, naturally didn't know that Glinda wasn't the one who needed to be worried. Glinda was much loved, but also much feared, with good reason.

As Glinda's army approached the gates of the Emerald City, Jinjur knew she was beaten. Rather than surrender, though, she called for parley, hoping that Glinda wanted something specific and might leave her alone if she gave it to her. She sent her representatives to ask Glinda what she wanted.

Glinda's answer was Mombi.

Mombi, upon learning this, first used her magics to trade appearances with a member of the Scarecrow's old court, threatening the young woman with death if she did not obey. Glinda saw through the ruse, and reversed the spell with a thought. She gave the young woman her protection. Mombi then disquised herself as a large red rose, which worked for a bit, until the Tin Woodsman noticed the unusually large rose and picked it. As soon as Glinda saw it, she knew it for what it was. Mombi then turned into a shadow, trying to escape through an opening in Glinda's tent. When that failed, she turned herself into an ant. When that wasn't even enough to hide her, she transformed into a griffin. Glinda pursued her on the Sawhorse. As powerful and fast as a griffin is, it's an animal, and animals eventually tire, while the Sawhorse did not. She was captured.

She remained defiant, refusing to answer any questions. Glinda then offered her a choice, one option being that Glinda would remove her magic.

That was the better option.

"You may make your choice," Glinda said to old Mombi, "between death if you remain silent, and the loss of your magical powers if you tell me the truth. But I think you will prefer to live."

Mombi cast an uneasy glance at the Sorceress, and saw that she was in earnest, and not to be trifled with. So she replied, slowly:

"I will answer your questions."

"That is what I expected," said Glinda, pleasantly. "You have chosen wisely, I assure you."

Mombi did briefly attempt to lie, which one simply can't successfully do to Glinda. It just angers her, so don't try it. Finally, Mombi said what she did, which was transform the infant Ozma into a boy. While this revelation came as a massive shock to everyone present, none took it as badly as the boy in question.

First, naturally, was a very strong denial. Glinda very gently explained that while he wasn't a girl, right then, he was born one, and now had to resume her proper form to be Queen of Oz.

"Oh, let Jinjur be the Queen!" exclaimed Tip, ready to cry. "I want to stay a boy, and travel with the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, and the Woggle-Bug, and Jack - yes! and my friend the Saw-Horse - and the Gump! I don't want to be a girl!"

"Never mind, old chap," said the Tin Woodman, soothingly; "it don't hurt to be a girl, I'm told; and we will all remain your faithful friends just the same. And, to be honest with you, I've always considered girls nicer than boys."

"They're just as nice, anyway," added the Scarecrow, patting Tip affectionately upon the head.

"And they are equally good students," proclaimed the Wogglebug. "I should like to become your tutor, when you are transformed into a girl again."

"But - see here!" said Jack Pumpkinhead, with a gasp: "if you become a girl, you can't be my dear father any more!"

"No," answered Tip, laughing in spite of his anxiety. "and I shall not be sorry to escape the relationship."

Finally, though, Tip accepted his fate, knowing Oz needed its rightful Queen, and he couldn't keep denying and hiding who he truly was. Mombi gave him a potion to put him in a deep and dreamless sleep, and then transformed him back into Ozma.

The girl who awoke was fresh and beautiful as a May morning, with eyes that sparkled like diamonds, and every head bent low in honest admiration.

"I hope none of you will care less for me than you did before. I'm just the same Tip, you know; only - only - "

"Only you're different!" said the Pumpkinhead; and everyone thought it was the wisest speech he had ever made.

Jinjur attempted resistance, but a quick raid captured her and Ozma took the throne. She was loved by the people of Oz. But, a new danger arose from the Nome King, tyrant ruler of the underground Nomes, and the Wheelers, who had wheels instead of hands and feet.

During this, Dorothy returned. It seemed she was on a steamship that had been caught in a fierce storm, tossing her overboard, with her winding up back in the Fairylands. She had run afoul of a Princess of Ev, one of Oz's neighboring kingdoms, who had a collection of heads, wearing a different one each day, who wanted to add Dorothy's to her collection. Dorothy, needless to say, refused.

For Ozma, it was love at first sight.

Ozma and Dorothy hit it off, immediately, and Ozma found herself showing off to try to impress the blonde. Not that she needed to. Dorothy was quite impressed, already.

It was as if each had found the missing part of their souls, Ozma's serenity, idealism, and pacifism perfectly balancing Dorothy's stormy nature, pragmatism, and tendency to resolve situations by hitting things. They had a perfect Yin/Yang balance, the irony being that the Yin, identified as the feminine aspect, was the one who had been a boy.

After the Nome King's defeat, there was a great celebration in the Emerald City, and Ozma made Dorothy a Princess. Despite Ozma's hopes, Dorothy, again, had to return home, as her aunt and uncle needed her. Ozma gave Dorothy a secret signal, though, if she ever needed the Queen of Oz.

Shortly afterwards, Dorothy met the Wizard, again, and they found themselves, once again, back in Oz. The Wizard decided to stay to learn true magic from Glinda and truly become the great Wizard everyone had thought he had been. Dorothy, reluctantly, despite Ozma imploring her to stay with her in her stately palace and live there always, returned home. They went through the same cycle, again, for Ozma's birthday.

They were, however, after this, communicating every day, at precisely 4 PM, Kansas time.

Now, their problem, one would suppose, could easily be solved by simply moving Dorothy's Aunt Em and Uncle Henry to Oz. But, Christ said that to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, one had to be "as a child." This was true for Oz and most Fairylands, as well. One had to have retained one's childlike sense of wonder with the world, that ability to see beyond the mundane and fully experience, without cynicism. It was what George MacDonald was referring to when he wrote, "There is a childhood into which we have to grow, just as there is a childhood which we must leave behind. One is a childishness from which but few of those who are counted wisest among men have freed themselves. The other is a child-likeness, which is the highest gain of humanity."

Most lose that in adulthood, some realizing that they've lost some thing they had in childhood. They usually dismiss it as naivety and innocence, but it's not that. It's, in part, faith that there is more to this world than the bitter cynics and Nihilists tell you there is. Its loss is gradual, from bad experiences, and adult responsibilities making one feel that they simply can't, to use an old American expression, take the "time to stop and smell the roses." They "can't see the forest for the trees." This is part of why a certain song, poem, story, or other work of art will touch a person's soul without the person knowing why. It has touched that part of them, stirred those old feelings. It has been said that children more easily comprehend God because God's nature is childlike.

This was why, when the Fae returned to activity in the 19th Century, it was primarily children who visited them over the next decades, such as Alice, Dorothy, Wendy and her brothers, and the Pevensie siblings. The adults who could visit the Fairylands, such as the Wizard and the Shaggy Man who visited Oz, had never lost that sense of wonder.

Dorothy's Aunt Em and Uncle Henry had, long ago, lost theirs. The harshness of life in the Kansas prairie at the time tended to have that effect, leaving its people as dreary and gray as everything else, the plains, the sky, the grass... Dorothy, herself, was unaffected by her harsh surroundings, retaining a joy that, under the circumstances, astounded her aunt and uncle. Then, she started disappearing for long periods, and returning safe and sound, with astounding stories of the places she'd been and the people she'd met.

Her aunt and uncle, naturally, couldn't believe the stories she told them. Her uncle though her just a dreamer, like her late mother had been, and that she had dreamed these adventures and had come to believe them real. But, they couldn't account for her long disappearances, her always safe returns, and the wisdom she gained from wherever it was she went and whatever she was doing. Aunt Em considered that it all sounded like the Fair Folk at work, but that surely couldn't be, as the Fair Folk didn't exist.

The first time she'd disappeared was with a tornado that took their small house. Uncle Henry built a larger, better one to replace it, which gave Dorothy a small room of her own in the attic. But, as building a new house had cost a lot of money, he had to mortgage the farm to pay for it. If this hadn't been bad enough, his health was failing, and medical expenses cost a lot of money, too.

A successful farm was dependent on their being enough rain to water the crops. Lately, there hadn't been enough, and everything withered and dried up. This year, Henry had only been able to produce enough crops to feed the family, leaving him unable to pay the mortgage on time. The bank was about to foreclose, taking their farm and home from them. Henry was a good and hardworking man, tending the fields as best he could, with Em and Dorothy tending the household. Without the farm, he had no way of providing for his family.

In despair, he told Em, who cried a little, then said that they must be brave and do the best they could. But, since they were getting old and feeble, she feared they would not be able to care for Dorothy as well as they had previously done. The little girl might even have to give up her education and go to work.

They didn't tell their niece what was happening for several days, but one day Dorothy came upon her aunt softly crying while her uncle tried to comfort her. Dorothy asked them what was the matter. Her uncle, sadly, told her of their situation.

"We don't mind for ourselves," said her aunt, stroking the little girl's head tenderly, "but we love you as if you were our own child, and we are heart-broken to think that you must also endure poverty, and work for a living before you have grown big and strong."

"What could I do to earn money?" asked Dorothy.

"You might do housework for some one, dear, you are so handy; or perhaps you could be a nurse-maid to little children. I'm sure I don't know exactly what you can do to earn money, but if your uncle and I are able to support you we will do it willingly, and send you to school. We fear, though, that we shall have much trouble in earning a living for ourselves. No one wants to employ old people who are broken down in health, as we are."

Dorothy smiled.

"Wouldn't it be funny," she said, "for me to do housework in Kansas, when I'm a Princess in the Land of Oz?"

She told them not to worry, that she would take care of things.

"If you will promise not to worry a bit about me, I'll go to the Land of Oz this very afternoon. And I'll make a promise, too; that you shall both see me again before the day comes when you must leave this farm."

She took Toto and went to her room, and looked around it wistfully. She looked at her dresses and simple trinkets, considering making a bundle of them, but decided they would be no use in her future life. At 4 PM, she gave the signal for Ozma.

Em and Henry waited downstairs, knowing there was only one way in and out of Dorothy's room. At 4:30, they grew anxious, and quietly crept up the stairs to Dorothy's room.

"Dorothy! Dorothy!" they called.

There was no answer.

They opened the door and looked in.

The room was empty.

Dorothy made her request to Ozma, which Ozma had longed to hear. While it meant bringing Dorothy's aunt and uncle with her, Ozma thought they must be good people for Dorothy to love them so. A happy Dorothy intended to return to Kansas to tell her aunt and uncle the news, Ozma decided they should surprise them, and bring them there, immediately.

Word spread quickly in the Emerald City of their beloved Princess's return, where there was a joyous welcome, and many visitors. The next morning she and Ozma had breakfast, and Dorothy was dressed in a silk gown, with a jeweled coronet on her forehead, "For," said Ozma, "from this time forth, my dear, you must assume your rightful rank as a Princess of Oz, and being my chosen companion you must dress in a way befitting the dignity of your position."

Dorothy agreed, but felt that, despite all the finery, she'd always be the simple, unaffected little girl she had always been.

When it was time to summon Em and Henry, Ozma said, "I think it would be fitting, in receiving such distinguished guests, for us to sit in my Throne Room."

"Oh, they're not very 'stinguished, Ozma," said Dorothy. "They're just plain people, like me."

"Being your friends and relatives, Princess Dorothy, they are certainly distinguished," replied Ozma, with a smile.

After setting the Throne Room to receive very distinguished guests, Ozma asked, "Are you ready, Dorothy?"

"I am," replied Dorothy, "but I don't know whether Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are ready."

"That won't matter," declared Ozma. "The old life can have very little to interest them, and the sooner they begin the new life here the happier they will be. Here they come, my dear!"

Needless to say, Em and Henry were shocked to be transported to this place, especially considering the Lion and Tiger present. But Dorothy ran to them and embraced them.

"Don't be afraid," she said to them. "You are now in the Land of Oz, where you are to live always, and be comfer'ble an' happy. You'll never have to worry over anything again, 'cause there won't be anything to worry about."

After being welcomed by the Queen and her assembled subjects to their new home, and were being shown to their rooms.

"Why didn't you tell us what you were goin' to do?" asked Uncle Henry. "If I'd known about it, I'd 'a put on my Sunday clothes."

"I'll 'splain ever'thing as soon as we get to your rooms," promised Dorothy. "You're in great luck, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, an' so am I! And oh! I'm so happy to have got you here, at last!"

As he walked by the little girl's side, Uncle Henry stroked his whiskers thoughtfully. "'Pears to me, Dorothy, we won't make bang-up fairies," he remarked.

"An' my back hair looks like a fright!" wailed Aunt Em.

"Never mind," returned the little girl, reassuringly. "You won't have anything to do now but to look pretty, Aunt Em; an' Uncle Henry won't have to work till his back aches, that's certain."

"Sure?" they asked, wonderingly, and in the same breath.

"Course I'm sure," said Dorothy. "You're in the Fairyland of Oz, now; an' what's more, you belong to it!"

As much as Em and Henry enjoyed the luxury and beautiful clothes, they weren't entirely comfortable with it. They missed their simple farm, except for the harsh weather that made growing a good crop almost impossible. This wasn't a problem in Oz, that had many thriving farms, so Ozma transported the entire farm from Kansas to Oz, setting it close to the palace, so Dorothy could regularly visit her aunt and uncle.

One can only imagine the surprise of the bank's representatives to arrive to take the farm to find it gone without a trace.

Not that there wasn't anything to be concerned about. Dorothy's old enemy, the Nome King, sought revenge, despite his advisers telling him that the last time he'd faced her, it went very badly for him, costing him a great deal, including his magic belt. Plus, he had enough to do managing his own kingdom.

His response was, "Please take General Crinkle to the torture chamber. There you will kindly slice him into thin slices. Afterward you may feed him to the seven-headed dogs."

Shortly, his advisers stopped giving him advice he didn't want to hear.

The Nome King gathered a great army. Most dangerous among the forces he'd gathered were the Phanfasms, fearsome, powerful, demonic, shape-shifting beings who lived to destroy all joy and happiness, to bring terror and misery, with Oz all that was standing between them and the world.

In other words, nothing Ozma and Dorothy couldn't handle.

The Queen and Princess turned Oz into a Utopia, ruling wisely, and having more adventures along the way. The magic Dorothy learned wasn't all Fairy Magic, as Oz wasn't entirely steeped in Celtic tradition, though that was certainly its basis. It drew a great deal from the Eastern practices of esoteric Buddhism and Hinduism, a result of Glinda's travels to visit the various divinities and resolve old matters that had long divided them.

So, it was more than Fairy Magic that Queen Ozma and Princess Dorothy would be teaching Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.

---

The group arrived at Thelema's workout room to find mats on the floor, a few set up in a row with two apart from them for the instructors. Luna, being the one of the students with experience in what they were about to learn, sat on one of the mats and assumed a lotus position. Harry, Hermione, and Dora followed her lead, though, as they were not able to easily assume the lotus position, just sat with their legs crossed.

Ozma sat facing them in the lotus position, while Dorothy lit candles around the room before standing beside her.

Ozma said, "Today we're introducing you to yoga. It's a group of physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines with the goal o helping you attain a permanent inner peace, but it will also help you attain physical fitness, as it's as much a physical workout as it is a spiritual practice. We're not going to make you a Yogi, today. That takes time. But, you'll eventually be able to do things like this."

Dorothy, gracefully, went into what looked like a pose similar to a dancer's, one foot, leaning forward slightly, with her other foot pulled back and lifted almost to the level of her head.

Dora watched, and said, "I could never do that."

"Of course, you can," said Ozma, "and you will."

"But, I'm so clumsy..."

"You're a shape shifter, so your body is constantly having to adjust to your form. You simply need to learn balance. You're also a Naga."

"That's my Animagus form, yeah."

"Patanjali, who compiled the Yoga Sutras, was an incarnation of Shesha, the Naga King. So, once you realize you can do these movements, you'll find it very natural for you. There are many forms of yoga, but what we'll be teaching you is a variation of Hatha yoga, though I understand some of you have learned Tantra, as well."

"Yeah," said Harry, "and Luna and I are planning on getting Hermione into it, as well. Dora already knows it."

"Very good. Hatha is built on posture, movement, and breathing techniques, and you've already studied the breathing techniques, and know about the chakras, kundalini, Shakti and Shiva, the channels, and some other things, so we won't have to repeat all that. Its purpose is preparation for the higher forms of meditation and yoga, to make you physically fit, and to bring your mind, body, and spirit into balance. You'll discover it will also help reduce stress."

"Something Hermione needs," said Harry, with a teasing smile to his best friend. "She's always stressing out."

"Look who's talking," Hermione shot back.

"I think you'll both find that beneficial," Ozma serenely replied. "Hatha yoga began when Lord Shiva, who, on an isolated island where he thought nobody would overhear him, gave the knowledge of it to the goddess Parvati. But, a fish, remaining perfectly still, overheard the entire discourse. Shiva, rather than being angry, made the fish a Siddha, a master who could teach others, renaming him Matsyendranaatha. Matsyendranaatha came across Chaurangi, a limbless man, and restored his arms, legs, hands, and feet just by looking at him. and taught him hatha yoga, whereupon Chaurangi became a Yogi. You have something to ask, Hermione."

Hermione looked a bit shocked. How did Ozma know she wanted to ask something? But she quickly remembered that this was Ozma, after all...

"That word you used... Siddha... Is there a connection between that and the Irish term for the Fae, the Sidhe?"

"They have a common root. The Fae were originally the Children of Danu, a Hindu Water Goddess, after all. The Indian, European, and Iranian languages and cultures share a common origin. Much of the history of human development is revealed in studying those languages, including the history of Divinities. Long, long, ago, the ancient gods had a bit of a falling out. That division created what became the cultures of the West and East, depending of which side in the conflict the people were loyal to. What became the Hindus supported the Devas in their conflict with what they called the Asuras. To the Hindus, the Devas were the benevolent supernatural beings who deposed the Asuras, the first gods; while the Asuras were impure, lesser, and primarily nature, beings. The Children of Danu were considered Asuras by the Hindus, driven out of India by the Devas.

"In Persia, however, were the Zoroastrians, the first Monotheists, who were a great influence on the Jews, Christians, and Muslims. To the Zoroastrians, the Ahura, as they called the Asuras, weren't malevolent, but angels, the primary servants of God, opposed to the Daevas, who came to be called Devi, and, eventually, Devils.

"Naturally, the Hindus and Buddhists thought their own Devas were the primary servants of God. No one asked God's opinion of the squabbles of the children, mortal and otherwise.

"Another tern for the Fae is Aos Si. The Norse Gods were called the Aesir, also rooted in the Asura. Odin came to Scandinavia from Asia.

"The Buddha sought to bring peace a reconciliation between the conflicting deities, as did Christ. Christ studied with the Asian Buddhists, the British Druids, anyone he could learn from, in addition to the traditional Jewish teachings. As a result, you'll notice that Christianity would come to share much in common with Hinduism and Buddhism. Even the Christian method of prayer, palms together over the heart chakra, is the Hindu and Buddhist way rather than any ancient Western way of praying.

"Glinda sought to further the work of the Buddha and Christ, so she visited the Devas. The result was a reconciliation, though everyone's respective mortal followers still need some work on that... The dark forces seek to destroy us all, you know, so the goal is to build what some call a Brotherhood of Man. Glinda forged alliances... We're going to see fulfillment of the terms of the treaty that forged the alliance between the Seelie Court and Naga shortly, in fact... And, she brought to Oz knowledge of the East, so Oz is now as much Eastern in its ways as Western, bringing us back to what we're doing, today."

"Um," said Hermione, "sorry for distracting from the yoga lesson."

"Don't be. You needed to learn this sooner or later. Your natural curiosity and desire to learn all you can made it sooner. That's one of the traits you share with Dorothy, here. She was always asking questions. That's one of the reasons you were drawn to each other. But, back to subject...

"Hatha yoga is a holistic path. It represents opposing energies: Hot and cold, male and female, positive and negative. We seek balance through asanas... that's physical postures... purification practices, controlled breathing, and the calming of the mind through relaxation and meditation. A key part is awakening Kundalini, but, again, you already know about that. You'll discover an increase in your muscle tone and energy, and energy is very important to magic, as that's mainly moving energy around. You'll find relief from muscle pain and stiffness, increased circulation, and your blood pressure will improve. Now, let's get started."

Dorothy gave them each a pair of gloves, that Harry noticed were weighted. He also noticed she'd put on a pair when they weren't looking. Ozma was putting a pair on her own dainty hands.

"These," said Dorothy, "are fitness gloves. The bottom will help prevent you from sliding on the mat. The top, as you've noticed, has a one pound weight in it, that'll help build muscle."

Dorothy put on some appropriate music, and Ozma began the session.

An hour later, Harry realized how out of shape he really was. Quidditch had given him an advantage over Hermione and Dora with balance, but nothing else. He thought that in an all out war between wizards and non-magicals, the non-magicals would win not just because of strength of numbers and better weapons, but their armies just plain being in better physical condition than their magical counterparts.

Through 22 postures and flow, he learned about muscles he didn't even know he had. Yoga was a genuine workout of all of them. While Ozma, in her soothing voice, explained and demonstrated, Dorothy helped them through the postures they were each having difficulty with.

Luna had no trouble with it, being a regular practitioner. Harry wasn't nearly as graceful as Luna or their instructors, but he felt accomplished by the end of the lesson. He could tell that Hermione and Dora did, too.

And damn, the girls' bodies glistening with sweat was... nice.

Dorothy brought them water, as they needed to rehydrate, and Ozma complimented them for how well they did. Harry noticed, after they had cooled down, that he felt more energized, and knew the others felt the same way.

Dorothy said, "Wait 'til we get to the real workouts we have planned for you. Don't worry, you'll be ready for the really muscle-building stuff when the time comes."

They went to the shower room connected to the workout room for a much-needed cleaning. Harry thought that this certainly demonstrated how much his life had changed in just a few short weeks, showering with five beautiful young women. Well, two of them were actually over a century old, but physically they were still young women...

---

At the offices of the Daily Prophet in Diagon Alley, Rowena Vane was running on a lot of caffeine.

She had a big story, other articles related to that big story, another big story relating to that one, and possibly yet another big story, depending on how this meeting went.

Present were Barnabas Cuffe, the Prophet's editor; several staff writers; correspondent Rita Skeeter; and, representing the Minister for Magic's office, Percy Weasley, Junior Assistant to the Minister. Weasley's presence demonstrated how complex things had gotten with this story.

Rowena had something much simpler planned, a full-scale attack the likes of which only the Prophet could do. Then, Percy had to come by and complicate everything. Now she, and the Prophet, were in the middle of another damn power struggle.

It had started yesterday, when Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore had brought her documents that revealed that Xeno Loovegood's late wife Morgan was, in fact, the legendary Queen of Avalon, Morgan le Fay. He'd made it very clear how he wanted the story to be spun, as if the upcoming Wizengamot session where he would be pursuing his campaign against the Seelie Court hadn't made that clear enough. He sweetened the offer by mentioning it would give her the opportunity to take revenge on her old enemy Xeno Lovegood.

This morning, Elphias Doge of the Wizengamot, well known as one of Dumbledore's oldest and most loyal friends, came to the Prophet with an opinion piece he had written, despite the fact that the Prophet hadn't contacted him about the documents. Dumbledore had his strategy clearly planned in advance. The Prophet would, of course, print Doge's article in tomorrow's edition, which made even Rita Skeeter's most slanted articles look like unbiased journalism by comparison.

As for Rita, she refused to work on the main article. Given her history with Harry Potter and his friends, who had,at one point, kidnapped and blackmailed her, Rowena couldn't blame her for not wanting to provoke them, again.

Rita did, however, say she had an angle that no one else seemed to have noticed, and would be writing an article, accordingly. She wouldn't tell Rowena what it involved, saying she wanted to surprise her. Rowena was looking forward to seeing what Rita had come up with.

However, for stories with major implications for their world such as this, it had long been the policy of the Prophet to run them by the Minister for Magic's office. They sent Percy, who brought with him more records, and the opinion of the Minister's office.

This changed everything. Now, the Prophet was going to have to do something very unusual. They'd have to write a balanced story, damn it. The Chief Warlock wasn't going to like this. Hell, she didn't like it. But, Rowena Vane took solace in the fact that this made tomorrow's edition even bigger. And really, to her, that was what mattered most, selling issues of the Prophet.

"As you can see," said Percy at the end of his presentation, "we might well not have won the Grindelwald War without the help of the Seelie Court, Morgan le Fay, the Eastern European Veela, and the American Fae from Oz, in particular."

"We'll get all that in the main article," said Cuffe.

"Prominently?"

"Of course."

"Excellent. The Minister will be pleased. "

Vane said, "I take it that the Minister's position is pro-Seelie Court?"

"Not really. The Minister's position is anti-Voldemort."

Rowena Lestrange Vane smiled, even as her staff shuddered at the mention of the Dark Lord's name.

"Very good, Percy, you're learning. Now, if I could only get my staff to learn, as well. People, Voldemort is just a man. A powerful and deadly one, yes, but still a man. I knew him before he started his first takeover attempt." Turning her attention back to Percy, she said, "So, it's more a matter of the Minister wanting powerful allies, then."

"In part. There's also the matter of our own Queen. She has taken the Seelie Court as allies against Voldemort, and the Ministry of Magic is ultimately answerable to her. As the Statues state, we are responsible for preventing anything and anyone from our world causing problems for the muggles. As the attempted Death Eater attacks on London and Somerset demonstrated, we have failed in that responsibility. Therefore, she can take any steps necessary to deal with the situation. The Minister thinks it prudent not to antagonize her."

"And Dumbledore is risking doing that?"

"Yes, if he continues what he's doing. Our autonomy depends on our ability to manage our own affairs. That ability has already been brought into question. The Chief Warlock actively working against her efforts to help us with our dark wizard problem will just bring us under more scrutiny. You might be interested to know that Princess Dorothy of Oz, who was part of the group that gathered the intelligence on Grindelwald's fortress, then was part of the raiding team, also led the group that beat the Death Eaters at the bridge, two weeks ago."

"I am interested. We knew it was the Seelie Court, but didn't know, specifically, who."

"I can also tell you who rescued the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement from Voldemort, himself, and who drove off the force of Death Eaters and giants from Somerset, the next day."

"That would make it tricky to fit it all on the front page, tomorrow..."

"The day after would be quite sufficient."

"Just in time for the Wizengamot and the public to read it before the session."

"Exactly."

"Consider it done. And Rita, you have an article for us?"

"Indeed I do," said Skeeter, handing Cuffe the article.

He read it, and said, "Interesting angle," before handing it to Vane.

"Isn't it, though? Morgan le Fay was Queen of Avalon, and her daughter goes to Hogwarts. While I don't know how Avalon chooses its monarchs, we may have the current Queen of Avalon attending our most prestigious school. Even if she isn't Queen, she's still Royalty, and a good friend of Harry Potter. Naturally, I'm wondering how close they actually are."

"You're not planning to insinuate they're romantically involved, are you?" Vane asked.

"No, I learned my lesson when it comes to Mr. Potter and his lady friends the last time around. It doesn't mean I'm not going to be fishing for it, of course. But, I want to be on Miss Lovegood's, or possibly Her Majesty's, good side. There's the usual danger of angering the Seelie Court aside from the danger from Hermione Granger, but I want her to be willing to grant me an interview for Witch Weekly when I contact her, tomorrow."

"Wouldn't she be likely to give her family's publications the exclusive?"

"Oh, the Quibbler can have the boring substance. Witch Weekly is about the gossip and celebrities. And, as of tomorrow, Hogwarts will have two celebrity students. And, they happen to be friends, at that. So, I'll be after some comments from Harry Potter about his dear friend whose family has been subjected to this campaign of the Headmaster's."

"And how do you plan on contacting Mr. Potter? He's not exactly the easiest person to find outside of Hogwarts."

"The same way I'll contact Luna. When digging into the Tonkses for the Luna article, I found this little bombshell. Everything was finalized just yesterday, when Dumbledore decided to call this emergency session." She handed Rowena a copy of a document. "I have a feeling the timing of the Wizengamot being called isn't a coincidence. My guess is the puppet has cut his strings."

Vane read the document, and said, "Interesting..." before handing it to Cuffe.

"I'm already writing the story for tomorrow's edition, if you're interested," Skeeter told Cuffe.

"Of course, I'm interested," said Cuffe. "Harry Potter is now the ward of one of our most interesting and mysterious families. That's news."

"A family that Dumbledore would strongly disapprove of, at that. He's hated Andromeda since she stepped foot in Hogwarts, and I can assure you the feeling is quite mutual. Oh, I'm not saying he wasn't going to go after the Fae at some point, anyway. But, he's had an unnatural interest in Harry Potter from the word go. The same day the Tonkses gain guardianship of Potter, Dumbledore decides to hand us dirt on the family they're closest to?"

"You really have it in for Dumbledore, don't you?"

"Who, me? Hold a grudge against the man who treated me like dirt through my school years because an old hat sorted me into the Snakepit? Perish the thought."

---

Albus Dumbledore was feeling rather tense.

It seemed some of his staff had learned of the emergency Wizengamot session he'd scheduled, even though none were members of that august body. Presumably, one of Slughorn's contacts told him, and he told the others. So, Dumbledore was dealing with several complaints.

Slughorn, he expected. He always was a bit too friendly with the Fair Folk. Same with Flitwick, being part goblin. Sprout hadn't visited, but he knew he'd be hearing from her.

Who surprised him was Minerva, his most loyal Professor, besides Hagrid.

"I don't know why you're taking this course of action, Albus," she said.

"I assure you, Minerva, it's for the greater good."

"The Seelie Court has, so far, been nothing but helpful against Riddle... Stopping the bridge attack, rescuing Amelia, stopping the Death Eaters and giants at Somerset..." Minerva McGonagall would usually use the names for Tom Riddle most used in other company for their sake, but she never did with Albus. She'd first known Tom when she was a Hogwarts student. He had been just a year below her, an attractive, brilliant, skillful boy, but manipulative, with something very dark about him that put Minerva off. Therefore, she just couldn't see him in the more than human way most others did.

Dumbledore sighed. He couldn't explain how, despite appearances, those actions of the Fae weren't helpful against Tom, at all, since they threw Dumbledore's carefully laid plans into chaos. He couldn't tell her how all those deaths that would have resulted, however tragic they would have been, would have helped his plans progress. He certainly couldn't tell her his plans for Harry Potter, and how current events threatened to ruin them.

"Don't you dislike the Fae, Minerva? As I recall, you never had a high opinion of them."

"As a Scotswoman, I know it is unwise to provoke the Seelie Court unnecessarily, Albus."

"Ah, but it is necessary, Minerva. You'll understand after the Wizengamot session, Thursday. Here, have a lemon drop."

"Thank you, Albus," she said, and popped the potion-laced lemon drop into her mouth, as she had been long conditioned to do.

"I hope, for all our sakes, you're right, Albus."

"Am I not, usually?"

"Um... Of course, Albus. I'm sorry for doubting you."

"That's quite all right, Minerva."

Another surprise objector was Severus.

"Headmaster, I must advise against this."

"Severus, you must understand that, however difficult, the steps I am taking are necessary."

"It is necessary to turn powerful allies against the Dark Lord into enemies?"

"The Fae are not are friends, Severus."

"There's an old muggle Arabic proverb: 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.' They are the Dark Lord's enemies."

"We cannot compromise with such dark beings as the Fae."

"Yet, we let the Unseelie Court have control of our money."

"A mistake made, long ago. And it isn't the Unseelie Court we are needing to confront."

"No, it's the friendlier, nicer, Court you're seeking to make our enemies."

"What if I were to tell you that Andromeda Black-Tonks has gained guardianship of Harry Potter?"

Snape's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Has she really done so?"

"Yes. Everything was finalized, yesterday. Harry... left the loving home of the Weasleys and is now with... them."

"Hmm... Then, I'd say there may be hope for the boy, yet. Though, I don't see how she can reverse all these years of stupidity in the short time she has to do it. He's certainly well protected, now."

"Severus, you know who she is, what she is."

"A powerful friend and ally, if you allow her to be."

"She's a dark witch, and a Fae."

"And much more. She's Flamel's heir, and Europe's leading Alchemist... Sorry if that's a sore spot, for you, but it's true."

"You think I'm upset over that?"

"No, but it should prove to you that there are people who know a bit more than you do in certain fields, and that their knowledge in their fields of expertise is worth tapping. Add to that, she knows the Dark Lord better and more intimately than anyone not on his side."

"Very intimately, as I understand," Dumbledore said, with contempt

"Indeed, and yet she escaped him. What you need to accept is just because someone has extensive knowledge of the Dark Arts, they are not necessarily evil. You know very well that the Dark Arts are more than just curses. There have been many honorable witches and wizards who have used what is classified as the Dark Arts to help Mankind. I could mention some of your own skills."

"Legilemency, wandless magic... While I acknowledge that those are, technically, listed as among the Dark Arts, it's hardly the same thing as what that woman does. And, she has Harry..."

"And woe be to anyone who seeks to do him harm. She will protect him with all her considerable power and ability from those who seek to kill him."

Well yes, Dumbledore thought, that was a large part of the problem. But, he couldn't tell Severus, or anyone else, that Harry's death was a necessary sacrifice for the greater good.

"Severus, I think I have sufficiently demonstrated that I know what I'm doing. You'll understand my actions have all been for the greater good when I am done."

After Severus left, Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He needed to relax, so he began the breathing techniques with the intent of meditating.

Then he felt it, a presence he should never have felt, again. Then, he heard her voice.

"How doth the little busy bee improve each shining hour, and gather honey all the day from every opening flower! How skilfully she builds her cell! How neat she spreads the wax! And labors hard to store it well with the sweet food she makes. In works of labor or of skill, I would be busy too; for Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do. In books, or work, or healthful play, let my first years be passed, that I may give for every day Some good account at last."

He opened his eyes, and there she stood.

Morgan le Fay, just as he remembered her. Except she was nude, and radiant, surrounded by a blue aura.

They were still in his office, or so it appeared. She clearly wasn't a ghost, as ghosts were pale, and she was very lifelike.

She said, "Personally, I prefer Alice's version. How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail, and pour the waters of the Nile on every golden scale! How cheerfully he seems to grin, how neatly spreads his claws, and welcomes little fishes in with gently smiling jaws! Clever sense of humor, she had, even at seven."

"Of course, you'd prefer that," he replied. "I dare say the decline of England's moral fiber began with Alice."

"Don't take it so personally, Bumblebee."

"It seems I've fallen asleep, and am dreaming."

"You're not dreaming. You're in a trance state."

"And you couldn't bother to cover yourself?"

"I could have. But, why should I consider that I might offend your sensibilities since you have never had any concerns about offending me and mine. Interesting thing... We enter the Afterlife wearing the same thing we were when we entered this world... Well, you'll find out, soon enough. You'll have something to clothe yourself with if you feel the need, though."

"Speaking of which, you're dead."

"I'm as dead as it's possible for me to be. Remember when I told you about the Secret Chiefs? That you insisted didn't exist? I got a promotion, along the way. So much for rest... I've got more work now than ever, though Merlin is happy for the help. I would quote a famous movie to illustrate this situation, but you don't watch those, so it would be rather pointless."

"I suppose these Secret Chiefs oppose my plans to remove Harry from your old lovers?"

"They do, but that's not the only reason for my visit, or even the main one."

"Then why are you intruding?"

"Albus, I did tell you I would always watch over my daughter."

"Unfortunately for her, you're in no position to do anything."

"You think so? Albus, I had hoped, after we took down Grindelwald together, that you'd moved past your old petty fears and hatreds."

"I do not fear your kind, nor are my issues with your kind petty."

"You tell yourself that. I suppose after lying to yourself so often, it made it easy to lie to those who trusted you."

"I have not lied to them, merely withheld truths. There's a difference."

"And violating people's minds to force them to do your will? Tampering with their memories?"

"I am simply removing troubling memories that would lead to future harm. I am simply guiding them to the right and good path."

"God granted us free will, and you're correcting that error?"

"I do not have to justify my actions to the likes of you."

Morgan paused, and said, "Not to me, no. So, I'll give you a warning. Continuing on your current path will lead to disaster for you. Leave my daughter alone. Leave Harry Potter alone. Leave the Blessed Grove alone."

"The Gentle One will be stopped."

"Do you even know who she is?"

"I know there's a prophecy, and what it relates to. That is enough."

Morgan couldn't help herself. She laughed. "You're inviting a wrath far beyond anything you can possibly prepare for."

"I know my cause is righteous."

"You'll learn, Albus. You'll learn. Do you know how Oz's wicked Witch of the West fell?"

"She was melted with a bucket of water by a mere seven year old muggle farm girl."

"Oh, there was more to it than that, and much more to that 'mere seven year old muggle farm girl.' You see, in Oz, a Witch isn't just any female who can do magic. There are a lot of those in Oz. There, Witch is a title, a position. She has jurisdiction over a region of Oz, North, South, East, and West. Close to a century ago, the East and West were ruled by very evil Witches. While they did try to be allies in a failed conquest of Oz, they were primarily rivals.

"While the wicked Witch of the East was a cruel tyrant to the Munchkins, the Little People of the East, she was, ironically, part of what was keeping the ambitions of the wicked Witch of the West in check. The West had become a dark, despoiled, and miserable land under the wicked Witch of the West's rule. She had great power. She was filled with dark magic. She had a telescopic eye that allowed her to see for miles and miles. She commanded fearsome armies of wolves, crows, and bees. She had a cap that allowed her to summon and command the Winged Monkeys three times. Plus, she had her army of conscripted Winkies, the Little People of the West that she had enslaved.

"Despite all that, though, she was unable to conquer all of Oz. She thought she needed just one more thing, and that was in the hands, or rather on the feet, of the wicked Witch of the East, a pair of silver slippers containing very powerful magic. She thought that with that, combined with all her other abilities and magical possessions, and her armies, she could finally challenge even Glinda. Not that she would have faced Glinda in a one on one duel, of course. Even Sauron, himself, never challenged Glinda to a one on one fight."

"Sauron?" asked Dumbledore, confused.

"Very ancient history, and a true Dark Lord, but that's another story... The wicked Witch of the West became obsessed with gaining the silver slippers. The wicked Witches of the East and West had enslaved half of Oz and still sought to do the same with the rest of it. But, it had been said, the people would be delivered, and Oz would be freed, by a Witch who fell from the sky.

"One day, there was a great storm, the likes of which Oz rarely saw. With it was something Oz never saw, a tornado. The tornado was carrying a small one-room house. In it was a very special girl from a place called Kansas who had been marked by the fairies at birth, whose first name meant Gift of the Gods, and whose last name represented the strong tropical winds of the sorts of storms she brings, Dorothy Gale.

"Her first act upon arriving in Oz was to accidentally crush the wicked Witch of the East with her house."

"Her fist kill," said Dumbledore, "at the age of seven."

"As I said, it was an accident, though a very lucky one. She stepped outside her house, to be greeted by adults who were about the same size she was, the Munchkins. They wore blue, all of them. There was a little woman with them, dressed in white with red trim. The woman bowed to Dorothy, addressing her as 'most noble Sorceress,' welcoming her to the land of the Munchkins. She thanked Dorothy for killing the wicked Witch of the East, and freeing the Munchkins from bondage.

"Well, you can imagine Dorothy's surprise at being called a Sorceress and told she'd just killed someone. The child had never killed anything in her life. While she'd been marked by the Fae, she was completely unaware of this magical world she was a part of, an orphan living with her aunt and uncle, and not having a good life of it. Sound familiar?"

"Perhaps."

"In this case, it wasn't her aunt and uncle that were cruel, unlike someone's you are 'perhaps' reminded of, but the world they lived in. The Kansas prairie in the late 19th and early 20th Century was a harsh place to live. Anyway, Dorothy was dismayed when she was shown proof that she'd just killed someone, the wicked Witch of the East's feet sticking out from under the house.

"The woman introduced herself as the Witch of the North, and explained that there were four Witches in Oz, including the wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, Witch of the South. When the sun emerged, and the light shined down on the late wicked Witch of the East's body, the body dissolved, leaving the silver slippers. Dorothy was given those, which she took inside the house. The dress and shoes she was wearing had been damaged from being in the tornado, so she changed into a blue and white dress, and tried on the silver slippers, which re-shaped themselves to fit her.

"Now, as I said, each Witch rules a quarter of Oz. In Oz, Witches, and only Witches, wear white, trimmed in the color of whichever region is their dominion. The North's color is purple, the West's yellow, the South's red, and the East's blue. So, when Dorothy stepped out of the house wearing white and blue, and the silver slippers, she had unknowingly taken the position of Witch of the East, and the responsibilities that went with it, recognized as such by all in Oz. But, that's what happens when you're a Child of Destiny in a Fairyland. And, of course, there was the matter of what she was destined to do. To that end, the Witch of the North kissed Dorothy's forehead, leaving a mark that would be recognized by everyone, and would magically protect her from direct attacks from the enemy she was destined to face. That should also sound familiar."

"If you're implying that Dorothy Gale should mentor Harry Potter, that is out of the question."

"Afraid he might learn something useful from someone who has been through what he's dealing with? But, the reason I'm telling you this has nothing to do with Harry, at least directly. Dorothy's Journey had begun, and she had many adventures. Along the way, she learned what her destined task was. She had to kill the wicked Witch of the West. This was an especially horrible thought to her. Accidentally killing someone because the house you happened to be in landed on that person is one thing, a freak accident. But, having to go do it deliberately... That was a bit much to a gentle little girl who never wanted to hurt anyone.

"She had gained companions along the way, that she had helped, a Scarecrow, a Tin Woodsman, and a Lion. With them, she learned wisdom, compassion, and courage. While she had no desire to kill the wicked Witch of the West, her adversary would force the issue. The wicked Witch of the West saw, at last, the opportunity she had long craved, to gain the silver slippers.

"She sent her army of wolves, then her army of crows, then her army of bees against the four. Each army, in turn, was slaughtered. She then sent her army of Winkies, but, being badly treated slaves, they weren't about to risk death for her. They broke rank and fled when the Lion roared at them.

"Finally, she used the golden cap to summon the Winged Monkeys, this being the third and last time she could do so. This army was successful. They tore apart the Scarecrow and Tin Woodsman, leaving them in the woods, and brought Dorothy, her dog Toto, and the Lion to the wicked Witch's castle. They were careful not to harm Dorothy, seeing the protective mark on her forehead.

"The wicked Witch saw the mark, too, and knew she couldn't risk a direct attack on the girl. That, however, didn't mean she couldn't enslave her, as she did everyone and everything in the West. She had the Lion caged, with the intent of starving him into submission, having the idea that it would be fun to make him pull her chariot when she was travelling. Each day, she would come to the cage and ask the Lion if he was ready to be trussed up like a horse, and each day, he would refuse, and tell her he would bite her if she came too close.

"Dorothy didn't like being enslaved, of course, but that wasn't her main concern. Two of her friends were torn apart and left in the woods. Another was caged. The poor Winkies were enslaved. The wicked Witch was watching her closely, waiting for the opportunity to steal the silver slippers and enslave all of Oz. And, only she could help. It was down to her.

"Dorothy was just a little girl, but she was a very observant and resourceful one. She noticed the wicked Witch avoided the dark. As the Winkies had no loyalty to her, they did nothing to prevent Dorothy from roaming the castle under the cloak of darkness. This allowed her to not only know her way around the castle, but to sneak food to the Lion, allowing him to keep up his strength. She noticed the wicked Witch avoided water, so the only time she removed the silver slippers was when she was bathing, and the Witch would not approach. The wicked Witch's cruelty to animals revealed another secret. When the Witch struck Toto with her umbrella, Toto responded by biting her. The wicked Witch of the West didn't bleed, for she had no blood in her body.

"You see, for every gain of dark magical power the wicked Witch of the West had achieved, there was a price. The telescopic eye that allowed her to see over vast distances had robbed her of her night vision, leaving her blind when it was too dark. The dark magics she had filled herself with had cost her all her body fluids, so the dark magic was literally all that was sustaining her. And now, the silver slippers she had coveted were so close, yet she had lost her armies of wolves, crows, and bees, and her ability to summon the Winged Monkeys, to get them.

"Finally, she set a trap for Dorothy, causing her to trip and lose one of the slippers, which the wicked Witch placed on her own foot, declaring that she now had half the power, and would soon gain the rest. Dorothy was, in a word, pissed. Her anger has always been a challenge for her to control. Giving no thought to the possible consequences, just being angry and knowing the Witch was vulnerable to water, she took a bucket of it and drenched her adversary.

"She knew the Witch feared water, and was vulnerable to it, but didn't know it would be fatal. She could just watch helplessly as the wicked Witch of the West melted before her, telling her the castle was now hers before being reduced to a brown, shapeless mass spreading all over the kitchen floor.

"Not that Dorothy was one to dwell on these things. What was done was done. She drew another bucket of water and threw it over the... sludge, then took a broom and swept it out the door. She picked up the silver slipper, cleaned it, dried it with a cloth, and put it back on her own foot. Then, she freed the Lion, called the Winkies to her and told them they were no longer slaves, and got their help to rescue the Scarecrow and Tin Woodsman, putting them back together. Oh, and she was now Witch of the West as well as East, and owned the golden cap. After using it a few times over the course of several more adventures, she and Glinda freed the Winged Monkeys.

"As you see, the wicked Witch of the West had tremendous power and resources. But, she had a single-minded obsession with gaining one thing, and that cost her everything. Her efforts to gain that one thing cost her her armies, her resources, and finally, her life."

"And your point is?"

Morgan sighed, and said, "If I was physical now, I'd have a splitting headache... Albus... Have you noticed that everyone who can offer you good advice has told you not to continue what you're doing in pursuit of one thing?"

"Elphias Doge supports me on this. There are others who have complete faith in me."

"Elphias Doge is a sycophant! Fine, do as you will, and don't say you weren't warned. Something I do need to mention since my daughter is a student here..."

"For now."

"For now. One of those adventures Dorothy and her friends had on their way to Glinda involved the Lion slaying a giant spider that was terrorizing a forest. I understand you have a whole colony of them in the forest, nearby."

"What of it?"

"You have... a colony... of giant man-eating spiders... close to a populated village and a school full of children. Have you not considered that might not be the smartest idea in the world?"

"The oldest is a friend of Hagrid's. He raised it from a baby..."

"You people really don't have any common sense... And, this is coming from someone who's been to Wonderland... There's a difference between believing in yourself and becoming a delusional madman, Albus. As Hitler demonstrated in those last months when he became completely delusional, such people will inevitably fall, but can do a lot of damage, first."

"I know, which is why putting an end to Tom is more important than anything."

"Delusional madmen also tend to completely miss the point when someone is telling them something."

"I know that. There's just no reasoning with Tom."

Dumbledore heard the moving staircase, below, that led to his office activating. Someone was coming, who knew the password.

He blinked, shaking himself out of his trance.

Morgan was still there.

There was a knock on his office door.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" asked Morgan.

He asked the portraits who was on the other side. He was told it was Professor Sprout. He sighed.

"Could you at least allow me the courtesy of a private meeting with one of my staff?" he asked Morgan.

She smiled, and answered, "All right, but behave yourself," before vanishing.

---

Despite her mentor's reassurances, Minerva McGonagall was worried. She had heard stories of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts as a child in Scotland. They were many things, the Fae. They controlled the forces of nature. In many ways, they were forces of nature. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that Albus was courting disaster.

She decided to visit one of her oldest friends, Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts and Professor of Care of Magical Creatures.

He was standing outside his hut close to the Forbidden Forest. Storm clouds were gathering, Minerva noticed. They chatted for a bit, before she told him of her concerns.

"Dumbledore's a great man," said Hagrid. "He knows what he's doin', rest assured."

"As I told Albus, I hope so, for all our sakes."

"Mm hmm," Hagrid nodded. Despite his words, Minerva could tell Hagrid was worried, as well.

He looked at the ominous darkening clouds, and motioned towards the Forbidden Forest.

"It's changin' out there. There's a storm comin', Minerva. We all best be ready when she does."