Chapter 30

Albus rubs his face tiredly as the constant jumping around the world continues to take its toll. "Sakima, I appreciate that your people feel that you should have the right to practice your own traditional magics. However, I must strenuously urge you to reconsider coming out of hiding."

Sakima, one of the Elders of the Ojibwa people, shakes his head, "Mr Dumbledore, while I respect your position. You need to understand that your people no longer have the power to threaten us as you once did. The coyote has once more been seen outside vision quests, as has Boann of the rivers."

"What of the statute of secrecy that you signed?"

Sakima shakes his head, "My people never signed that accursed document. When you forced our neighbour's in the east to sign, they only did so because the alternative was death. Then you tried to kill them anyway."

Albus hides a groan at the well worn territory, "We did not try to kill them. At that point we had already separated from the mundane government."

"Of course, my apologies white man, it is well known that the white man never lies, and never goes back on their words."

Albus sighs, "It appears that we are going in circles again. I urge you not to do anything drastic as we are already working on locating the rogue magicals and bringing them under the ICW umbrella."

Sakima laughs, "You mean you are making yourselves look like fools while an ancient culture is slowly reviving itself now that the Church's attack dog has been put down. A culture that is not bound to the world of man. Our own deities have long lived in the mists, though we were never able to learn how to travel there ourselves. Enjoy trying to catch smoke white man, be careful about getting too close to the fire."

Albus uncomfortably pushes himself to his feet, "Thank you for taking the time to speak to me once more. I only wish to prevent a repeat of the witch hunts of the past."

Sakima rises easily, and looks Albus up and down, "I believe that you believe that. The real question is, how many people share your belief?"

As Albus leaves the rather traditional tipi to return to the ICW camp, one of the ICW guards moves up beside him and discretely hands him a scroll. A brief waves of his wand allows him to verify that the seal is genuine and undamaged.

As they're walking, Albus cracks the seal and begins to read the summons, slowing and then stopping as he gets past the boiler plate waffle.

You are hereby summoned to take your place in the ICW in order to oversee the prosecution of the magical known as Aoibhgreine. She has been tried in absentia, and found guilty of revealing the existence of magic, revealing the existence of the magical world, and setting herself up as a goddess.

The court will be sitting on Friday, 9th April 1993 Ano Domini.

Albus skims past the repeated summons written in French, Persian, and Ottoman, to the the signatory only to crumple the summons in disgust as he sees 10 signatures, including the head of the guard.

As he storms off to the command tent, Sakima's last words echo in his head.

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Marie takes a swig of mead as she looks around the founders common room at the other three leaders of the school. "It's been an exhausting few months, hasn't it."

Filius looks up from his glass of fire whiskey, "I think we've got past the worst of it now."

Marie shakes her head, "I disagree, we've been ignoring the two elephants in the room."

Filius raises his eyebrows, "Oh?"

Kate looks up from her book on anatomy, "Whatever attacked Sallly-Anne is still in the school."

Filius grimaces, "What's the second?"

Marie groans, "Really Filius? Have you already forgotten about the curse on the Defense position? The one that the Unspeakables claim doesn't exist, because they can't find any evidence of it."

Filius sighs, "You have a point. Also, are you sure they said it doesn't exist?"

Marie shakes her head gently, "I've read enough academic reports about the feasibility of dig sites to understand their laughable attempts at obfuscating their opinion. I suppose it's one advantage of having Dr Danann sponsoring my academic career anyway." Her voice takes on a grousing tone, "I never thought I'd be writing grant applications until I started a PhD."

"I have no idea what one of those is."

Skye laughs cynically, "Count yourself lucky. I was trying to get approval to start a PhD in physics, and I lost count of how many proposals and grant applications I wrote. I wonder how Liz is doing since Morgana dropped her off in Aí's domain."

Marie laughs, "Pop down to her favourite drinking hole after this. In fact…" she looks at Filius speculatively, "Skye, do you think you could put Filius into a suit and bowler hat?"

Skye taps her chin thoughtfully, "Probably, also shorten the nose slightly and round off the ears."

Kate looks up in alarm, before disappearing into the mist with her books.

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Liz smiles at the students arrayed around the low table in front of her as she lifts her mead to her lips. As she swallows, she grimaces at the strength of the mead where it's been made to wine strengths rather than the weaker mead that she got used to, and Aí was used to.

With a shake of her head that turns into a full body shiver, her grimace turns back into a smile as the lack of burning in her throat, as she turns a peg on her crwth.

A moment later she lets her magic reach out to touch the blessed students, those who have a touch of magic, before she looks around the rest of the pub, "Tonight I will be singing the tale of the Great Queen's first battle against the Formóiri, long before the Romans found their way to the shores of the blessed isles."

Sweeping her hand around the small table at the students that are uncomfortably sitting on hard cushions, "For those of you that are new to this, I will be singing the story in ancient Celtic, while my students will be translating one stanza at a time."

Plucking the strings on her Crwth, Liz's voice rises in song, "It was a dark day despite the sun hanging in the clear sky. Across the dell lie the scattered bodies of the fallen folk. Warriors and farmers both."

After her first student has haltingly, and with growing confidence spoken a rough translation, a second voice in the crowd speaks out with the voice of a storyteller, "As the people of Dineartach Mac Lochlann peer through the trees at the glisten line of the river, the crows that feast on their brethren take flight. From the muddy banks of the river come those from the lowlands, the Formóiri."

As the next student looks to Liz in confusion, she covers her own surprise by just nodding and playing an emphasis on her Crwth, before they continue translating.

As soon as they've finished Liz sings, "As they clamber up the sides of the dell, the Formóiri desecrate the dead as they pass, for this was not the first day they sought to take this land. As the sight of stout oak snapped like twigs the Dineartach called out to the Danann for aid, but none would come as Nuada was at Magh Tuireadh."

While the third student is translating, Liz looks around the crowd for who ever it is that spoke before. As her eyes catch sight of Skye, her fingers cease and her mouth drops open long enough for Skye to continue.

"But their cries were not for naught, as the crows turned in the air and descended to surround the king, before coming together as The Morrígan. Mantled only in feathers as she was, the king cried, 'Fair maiden, flee to your home.' And the Morrígan merely looked down at him before saying 'Weapon'."

Liz takes over with a belated smile, "But the king moved not at all while the Formóiri used the trees to pulls themselves up the dale. It was a hunter with knocking knees that gave her, not a sword nor a bow, but a spear of bronze with an oak haft. His neighbour handed her his shield."

Skye raises her glass as she continues, "The Morrígan let out a great cry that filled the men with lust for battle and stilled the knocking knees. As one they followed as she turned and flew down the dell to face their foe the tip of her spear glistening with promised death."

During the next stanza Liz's voice falters as she's hit by one of Aí's memories of a similar battle against a chosen of Mars and The Morrígan breaking through a shield wall while covered in Roman blood. As it does, Skye takes over the story as tears comes to Liz's eyes and she drains her mead in a single pull, before snatching up a nearby beer and drinking that too.

As she tries to find another drink to try and drive the memories away, Liz slowly notices that Skye's voice has taken on an almost hypnotic quality as her power has filled the pub and she speaks without translation, yet all who hear her voice understand her while she speaks of how The Morrígan mourned for all those who died in that battle, and then washed the clothes of the men with the other women. Only for those who's clothes she'd washed personally to die a heroe's death in the next battle.

As the story comes to a close, along with the spell, Liz pushes herself to her feet and sways over to Skye and her two friends.

"Hey," she slurs, "this was supposed to be a teaching moment for my, my students."

Skye nods, "Next time, maybe pick a story that won't have Morgana pissed at you if she finds out. You know she hates thinking about those times."

Liz pokes Skye in the chest, "She'd never've known if you hadn't said her name."

Skye shakes her head and points at the people crowded around video cameras, "I don't know how long you've been doing this, but someone's going to put two and two together and get our Queen. At least this way the part of the story that always used to get left out was included. As for some reason, Bards never seemed to want to talk about the fact that she used to feel so much. Anyway, you know Marie, and this is Filius one of my co-workers. Come on, let's find a booth and I'll buy you a drink."

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Harry slowly forces herself to eat at the last meal of the spring term. Each mouthful of food slides slowly down her throat like a rock, only to sit in her stomach like a stone.

From across the table Daphne asks, "Harry, are you alright?"

Harry swallows hard and takes a mouthful of juice to wet her lips before she looks up, "I…I don't know. I'm leaving the school tonight, as…"

Daphne glances over at the Gryffindor table in understanding, "Harry, I wish I could go with you."

Harry smiles, "I know you do, and I know why you can't, same as my mother can't. Daphne, I'll tell you what my mother told me. I'll always be your friend no matter what you choose. If I've made my choice before you, I'll even offer you a place as one of my chosen."

Daphne smiles, "I think that my step mother would be disappointed if I didn't consider her offer first."

Next to her, Susan places her hand on Harry's arm, "Harry, I wish I could be as brave as you."

Harry shakes her head, "I'm not brave. Not about this, Alice is brave. If it wasn't for her I'd still be considering this and trying to get the courage to face the tree."

Marianne leans in beside Harry, "This is one of those moments I wish I hadn't taken your cloak. But I'll be waiting for you to come out. When are you going in?"

Harry looks up with shining eyes, "As soon as I've forsaken the mens oaths."

From across the table Wayne shakes his head, "I know we've all been getting lessons on your culture here and there. But I still don't understand how you can do that. I mean, I can sort of see taking the women's oaths but giving up being a man?"

Harry puts a calming hand on Marianne's arm as she says, "Wayne, I don't think you could have ever taken the women's oaths, as it means living as a woman for an entire moon before you are allowed to say the words. I don't mean in isolation, I mean in front of your community. It's much easier when you're 10 and you're coming into yourself, as you can just choose to take them when you move out of the children's camp to the adult camp."

"Do you mean literal camps?"

Harry shakes her head, "Sort of. Though in a small community it would have been a single building, in larger communities it might well be a camp with the elders as guards. Mum says that the elders would have sung stories to the children and taught them our ways. Once you leave the children's camp, you're not an adult you're training to become an adult. You'd still go back to the camp occasionally, but you'd spend a lot of time around the men or women learning their ways. That's what makes it so hard to take the womens oaths later, as for a single moon you need to live as though you've forsaken the mens oaths."

Softly, Susan asks, "What does it take to forsake the mens oaths?"

Harry smiles reassuringly, "A week of fasting, ritual cleaning, and contemplation."

Daphne glances up a moment before Alice Tolipan nervously stops behind Harry, "I'm ready. I just sent a letter to my parents. What do you need me to do?"

Harry takes another drink to force out the lump that's suddenly appeared in her throat. After a couple of attempts at swallowing, she's finally able to turn around and reply, "I'm not trying to insult your resolve. But are you sure?"

Alice nods, "I am."

Placing her knife and fork down, Harry carefully steps over the bench before taking Alice's hand and leading her around to the head table, and her mother and head of house.

"Mother, it is time. This is Alice Topilan and last week she volunteered to join me of her own free will. She has just confirmed that choice. Danu willing, you will have two daughters by the time we emerge."

Alice looks surprised as Morgana looks her up and down, before nodding. "What do you wish me to do Harry?"

"Will you prepare her while undergo my ritual cleansing before forsaking the oaths to the mens camp. Will you also assemble the elders to witness my oaths before I enter the tree with my new sister?"

The great hall goes silent as Morgana sheds her glamour and sits at the table clad only in her ravens feather mantle, "My child. You have claimed this one as your sister twice. As your queen I ask why?"

Harry draws herself up, "I can do no less for one who approached me to aid me not for herself, or for her family. But for a friend."

Morgana looks at Alice curiously, "Alice Topilan, is this true?"

Alice curtsies, "Yes, uh, professor. The girl that Sally-Anne saved is my second cousin, and if Sally-Anne hadn't been there Retha would be dead. I hung around in the Hufflepuff dorm after it happened, hoping for some news. That's where I found out about Harry's test and, well I've never heard anything bad about him, so I started paying more attention to Parvati's gossip with Lavender, as she often talks about her sister Padma and the rest of her group. It took me months to build up the courage to offer my help, and if walking into a tree with Harry will help cure Sally-Anne then I can do that."

"Are you aware of the fact that this could well kill you? That even if you survive you will be changed by your experience?"

Alice nods, "I am. I sent a letter to my parents in case I don't survive. They should receive it in the morning."

Morgana nods solemnly before looking back at Harry, "My child. You do not have to do this. You will still be my very much loved child if you never face this test."

Harry shakes her head, "I can do no less to honour my sisters sacrifice. A sacrifice that she is making for one who isn't even kin. We aren't a fighter, even though we have our own strength." She smiles, "Even with your tutoring, it is still not in our nature to seek out conflict for conflict sake. Though I do enjoy testing my skills."

Morgana sighs, "Thrice said and thrice heard. Take your sister to your home and begin your preperations. I'll be along with your maidens later. Alice, if I know my sister and my child, you'll get at least one more chance to back out. Over the next 7 days I'm going to be your guide so that you understand what you've volunteered for. But you will still be my child's sister no matter what, and that makes you my child." She smiles wryly, "I never expected to have many children, but it seems that I seem to be collecting them recently. Welcome to the family."

Harry smiles as she takes Alice's hand once more, before pulling her into the mist.