Not Alone After All

Iris stood on the doorstep behind Dominique and Chris, looking up at the large, ornate wood door to the home. It wasn't quite large enough to be considered a manor, but it was still bigger than their home. And rather secluded out in the wilderness of the Highlands. If the professor was going for privacy, he certainly got it. Even with her abilities, she could feel the gentle tug of protection charms as they all arrived.

"Dom, you going to knock? It's a bit cold out here," Jamie asked from where he stood next to his mother. Daisy stood impatiently on her other side. The blonde woman shook her head and seemed to steel herself before reaching up and knocking very loudly on the door, using

the brass knocker. She then stepped back and waited.

When no one answered after a few moments, Daisy leaned forward.

"You sure he's expecting us?" she asked.

"Of course I'm sure. I confirmed with him twice by owl," Dominique said while frowning.

"And I can confirm that. I was the one she sent to the owlry," Chris said with a huff, earning an evil eye from Dominique.

Suddenly, the door opened and an older, grizzled man with varying shades of gray hair opened the door. A pair of gold frame glasses was balanced on his nose as he took in the group standing on his doorstep.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Professor Aliefantis?" Dominique asked. He nodded.

"Yes, who are you?" he asked gruffly, exhibiting a strong accent.

"I'm Dominique Weasley, from the British Ministry of Magic. I owled you about our visit today… a few times," she said, confused. The old man stared at her a moment before a look of recollection came over his face. He then quickly looked around at the others before his gaze fell on Iris. A flash of astonishment came over his wizened face, before he quickly covered it up with a friendly smile.

"Ah, yes, yes! Please come in! Forgive me, I spend so much time here to myself with my books that sometimes I forget my appointments," he said, stepping back and allowing them to walk into his home. The group stepped into the large foyer and he shut the door behind him. "We can go to the library," he said, stepping up to lead them through the maze of a house. They finally entered a large, well lit room with large windows taking up one wall that looked out over the garden and land beyond. It was possibly the biggest personal library any of them had seen.

"You have such a lovely home, Professor," Iris said politely while looking around the room. The shelves were two stories high with a balcony lining the three walls of the room.

"Please, call me Nikos. Only my students called me professor and, well, it's been some time since I taught anyone," he said amiably as he led them to a grouping of a sofa and armchairs situated in front of a large fireplace. As they sat, a tea service appeared on the table, causing all of them to raise their eyebrows. They had neither seen nor heard the man order up tea.

"As you may recall, we're here to speak with you about your research into ancient magic, specifically that related to Greek history and culture," Dominique said formally after they had all been handed tea cups. Nikos nodded from his armchair.

"Yes, it was the main focus of my studies along with other ancient magical cultures and civilizations," he said. "What is the British Ministry of Magic's interest in this?"

"We've formed a commission to fill in some of the holes in our own archives," Dominique said, reciting the backstory they had concocted. The old man chuckled.

"I've been in your archives. I find it hard to believe there are any holes there," he said. "Quite an extensive collection."

"Yes, but some records have been lost over the years. We decided it was time to recover them," she said. "Not to mention there are a few things we'd like to ask you about that were not covered extensively." He studied Chris and Dominique a moment, taking in their professional robes, before turning to look at the Woods. Dominique nearly died when Daisy and Jamie showed up in jeans, berating herself for forgetting to tell them to dress up a bit more.

"And you… you all work with the Ministry?" he asked, curious.

"Ah… no, we're just fans of your work," Iris said smoothly. Jamie and Daisy stayed silent, glancing at their mother. "Dominique is family, so we asked if we could join her so we could have the opportunity to meet you. Your work is very fascinating." The old man studied the three on the sofa with a small smile.

"I should think you find it interesting," he said. "A bit of a personal attachment to my work, no?" Iris' eyebrows shot up.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked, confused. Nikos chuckled.

"I have heard of you, Iris Evans-Wood. I admit, I should have sought you out long ago when I first had my suspicions. But, I like to keep my privacy - it's very important to me which is why I mostly lived and worked among non-magical folk. Easier to hide and blend in. And it seems that there was always attention surrounding you and your family," he said. Iris blushed slightly. "But now… It seems you have found me. Such a happy coincidence."

"You know who I am?" Iris asked, putting her cup down. Dominique and Chris seemed to

freeze in their chairs.

"Yes… and I know what you are. I had been hoping you would come when I received Ms. Weasley's email," he said, keeping Iris' gaze locked with his own. Jamie sputtered on his tea, nearly spitting it out. He coughed as he put his cup down and looked up at the old man.

"You do?" Daisy asked breathlessly.

"Of course I do. I am one as well," he said, his eyes twinkling. Dominique felt her mouth drop open, though she quickly closed it, and tried to regain some semblance of professionalism. She glanced at Chris, whose brow was furrowed as he studied the old man.

"You mean… there are more like Aunt Iris?" Dominique asked, still barely able to register what the professor was telling them. She had hoped he would have some answers for them, but she hadn't expected they would find more people with gifts.

"Yes, there are. We call ourselves Prostatis," the professor said, chuckling softly. "It means protector in our language."

"We?" Iris said. "I… I always thought that I was the only one…"

"There is a small community of us on the island of Moni, just off Aegina in the Mediterranean Sea. I presumed it was the only place in the world where our kind would appear, but it seems I was wrong," he said.

"Hold on, what?" Daisy said loudly, feeling as though her head would burst. "There is a whole village?" Nikos nodded.

"Last I checked, I believe there were about 200 in the village, though… well, I suppose I should start from the beginning," he said. The group nodded silently. He made himself comfortable in his chair, taking a deep breath before he began.

"There is a story we like to tell - I am not so sure of the truth, but it is the only that exists of our origins. That many millennia ago, the goddess Athena chose two men and two women to act as her emissaries on earth. To protect mankind during war and conflict. She and her brother Ares were always fighting and he would often go after mortals, who the goddess cared for dearly. So she gave them a means to protect themselves. A great power," he said.

"However, as what tends to happen when you give someone great power, someone chooses to

exploit it. Two abandoned their purpose and began to use their power to attain wealth and power over others. Ares naturally sought them out and recruited them. There was a great war and many cities were destroyed. Many people died," he said solemnly. "The evil ones were destroyed, but those who remained realized how dangerous they could be, so they settled into a hidden place. Closed off from the rest of the world and heavily protected from those who would seek to use them for evil.

"There we have resided ever since. Only those like us can enter. As you see from our history, we don't like to broadcast who we are or that we exist. Too much unwanted attention. It must be an inherited trait as I see you've been able to keep your gifts mostly hidden."

"I just didn't like all the spotlight - I grew up in hiding so it's taken a while for me to adjust," Iris replied. "But… you were born there?" Nikos nodded.

"I was always an inquisitive child. I wanted to see the world - learn about it. And I wanted to know if there were more like us out there. So I left. And I searched the world. But never did I find anyone else - until you," he said.

"Why do you think I was… that I received these gifts?" Iris asked. Dominique looked over at Chris, who gave her a nod, the two coming to a silent agreement to let the Woods steer the questioning for the time being.

"I suspect that would have been the Second Wizarding War," Nikos said candidly. Iris nodded silently.

"I suppose that would be an obvious answer," she said. "I just hoped there would have been one that didn't involve war or disaster."

"We were created for a purpose – to protect. Not just our loved ones and families, but everyone. So, unfortunately, more become marked just before some great danger," he said with a sad sigh. Daisy and Jamie looked at their mother, who was blinking back tears.

"I was afraid of that. You see… Daisy and Jamie became marked a few months ago," she said softly. Nikos sat up in his chair and looked at the two young people seated on each side of Iris.

"Both of them?" he asked, pointing to them. Iris nodded.

"I've been marked from birth, but theirs recently appeared, granted they both had certain gifts since they were young. Daisy is a metamorphmagus and Jamie is a Legilimens," she said.

"But now we can do more," Jamie added. "We can use magic without a wand, orb and create shields." Nikos nodded slowly, studying the three.

"This… I believe this is not a good sign," he said. "Something is coming if you have become marked. And it is only then that we can come into our full strength." Dominique felt her stomach start to churn as the dread set in.

"So we were right… this is an omen of something dark to come," she said hollowly. Nikos' eyes flicked over to her.

"I believe so. As I saidy, our numbers grow before some danger or war. Babes are born with it. Those already grown will develop it. Dormant powers will awaken. There were a great many of us during World War I and World War II, though not as many newly marked the last few decades," he said. "I will check with the village though. It's been awhile since I last spoke to them… there may be more if you two have been marked."

"Prof-Nikos, is there anything more you can tell us about these gifts?" Dominique asked, glancing over at Daisy. He turned in his chair to look at the blonde woman.

"Well, I believe some of them you all are familiar with it seems, as you already exhibit them-"

"Wait, that's only some?" Jamie interrupted. "That's all Mum can do. Daisy and I can do most of it, though she can't read minds and I can't change my appearance."

"You are newly marked, so some things will develop over time or with some training. But yes, there are still some things even your mother has yet to learn," Nikos replied. Iris seemed dumbfounded.

"Me? But… I'm so old," she said. Nikos chuckled.

"I think you will find, Iris, we do not live by the same rules as the rest of the magical community. And age, well, time does not affect us like the rest," he said. "At 51, you are still considered quite young." Iris' eyebrows rose slightly as she silently took a sip of her tea, letting that information sink in. "I, myself, will be celebrating my 205th birthday in a few months."

Daisy fell back on the sofa, looking up at the ceiling with a dazed smile on her face. Nikos stared at her curiously.

"Is she alright?" he asked, looking at Jamie. He glanced over at her.

"She's fine," he said with a small smile. "Just thinking about how she'll be able to play quidditch longer than she initially expected." Nikos looked back at Daisy and chuckled. Dominique frowned at her cousin and cleared her throat, gaining the professor's attention again.

"You mentioned that there could be other abilities?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yes, there are a great many things that we can do. However, most of us develop a special gift – something we can do that many others cannot. What it is, well, that depends on the person," he said with a shrug. Daisy sat up and looked at him, seeming to have regained her bearings.

"What about the connection?" she asked. Nikos looked at her.

"It helps us to better protect our loved ones," he said simply.

"Yes, I know, but… how does it choose who to connect with?" she asked.

"Your family is a given. But outside that, it doesn't choose. We choose," he said. Daisy frowned slightly.

"We choose?" she asked. "But… what if you want to choose someone and it doesn't come?" Iris and Jamie looked over at her, confused by her line of questioning. Within seconds they both had looked into her mind and glanced at each other, before returning to studying Daisy.

"I should explain better. It is not as easy as thinking, 'Ah, I choose this one,' and it is done. Our magic senses who we have a deep connection with – who our soul connects with. It's not just about loving someone – though love is certainly a foundation for it. It is about a person that we cannot live without. A person that we have a deep bond with," he said. Daisy nodded silently, looking down at her hands.

"But… it can take time to develop, right?" she asked, glancing up at him.

"It doesn't come all at once, no," he said, he studied her a moment then smiled slightly, realizing what she was thinking about. "You are unsure, I see." Her eyes flew up to him as her cheeks started turning red. "It is nothing to be ashamed of, young Daisy. It will come with time and… I can sense that it has already started and that it will be strong."

While she looked somewhat relieved, her face was still strained. Iris glanced over at her, making a mental note to find time to discuss this with her daughter later in a more private setting.

"How do you know this?" Iris asked. The professor smiled.

"That is one of my gifts… I can see things," he said. The group was silent, waiting for further explanation, but the professor seemed content to leave it at that.

"So… is there anything you can tell us about these other abilities?" Chris asked, steering the conversation.

"Yes, like what are they exactly?" Dominique asked, feeling impatient with his vague explanations. He had still yet to mention just what he and others could do. What Daisy, Iris and Jamie might be able to do. Nikos chuckled as he looked over at the two.

"You Ministry folk… always staying on task. You seem very interested in these abilities? Why? So you can study them? Somehow attempt to learn them yourselves?" he asked. While his face was in an amiable smile, Dominique could sense a cold undertone. He was suspicious. Though she supposed she could kind of understand why.

"It's my family. Of course I'm interested," she said, straightening up in her chair in an attempt to look more foreboding. "Because whatever is coming, they are at the center of it. You may know Iris, but you don't know the rest of my family. We lost people in the second war – Iris lost her sister in the first. I want to make sure we don't lose anymore. And if there is anything you can tell us that would help prevent that, then by all means, please do."

Nikos studied her for a moment, as though he were reading her thoughts.

"I do know your family, Ms. Weasley. Otherwise I would not have answered your letter. I know the loss you have bore. I, too, do not wish for there to be more. But there are always losses when it comes to war," he said before looking over to Chris. "And you?"

"They might as well be my family at this point," Chris said, his face stern. "But more than that, I swore to protect all the wizarding world and I intend to do whatever I can."

Nikos was quiet again, looking around at the five people sitting in his library.

"Yes… I must help," he finally said. "And I will help you. But… not by telling you. I must show you. You must learn more about us and our history. Who we are and what we can do." He was staring intently at Daisy, Jamie and Iris.

"We must go to the island," he concluded.

And finally, we meet the professor and get some answers. But alas, there is still more to learn...

Currently working on the island bit for the next book and it is most definitely slow going. Lots of research and figuring things out. My background info folder keeps growing between the Prostatis and the big bad. Sooooo much information...

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Coming up on the end of this story. Currently going through and cleaning up the last few chapters. Thanks for reading, following and reviewing!