AN: If any of you somtimes read this story on A03, I recommend doing so for this chapter. There is a letter that has formatting I cannot properly create on here but can on the other site.
Chapter Thirty-Three
oooP1ooo
(Harry)
The floo address for the Abbott party let him out into a large foyer with the walls covered in a mural of paint, stone mosaics, and magically molded stone that depicted a lakeside with dozens of similar-looking birds flying about, hunting and living in their natural habitat. Said birds reminded him of the ones Hannah had on her outfit at the Bones' party and he has certainly seen them in the past.—He should probably look it up since it must be the Abbott totem. (1)
The large room had the huge fireplace he had come from, a large framed mirror at its side, and two sets of large double doors. It reminded Salazar of the Gryffindor manor's foyer though missing any poloraizing political statements.
Salazar stepped away from the fireplace and glanced over his ridiculous outfit. The show stopper of the entire thing was the chaplet he was wearing in place of a hat. Emerald oak leaves, which matched his eyes a little too well, were attached to twisted silver branches that were actually snakes. There were so many leaves, and the branches had magically shifted about on his head until his mess of curls were entangled with it all, that his runic scar was well hidden. It was also not easy to see that the branches were actually snakes. (Octavius' warning left him wandering though.)
The rest of the outfit was layers of different shades of dark green with silver nature-themed embroidery that had more embroidered serpents hidden in the foliages. It was actually a rather nice outer robe he'd wear again, without the wreath.
Thank the Mother Godric hadn't been around to see this.
He flicked his hands away from himself and the fine dusting of ash puffed away, leaving his clothing spotless and the silver shiny once more. Willow-of-the-wisp like lights materalized as he turned from the mirror and danced about him. The wispy glowing balls danced through the air and toward one of the double doors. Salazar raised a brow but stepped through the doors.
The air visibly rippled as if he had stepped. A wintery forest of evergreens and leafless oaks cloaked in snow and fog rolled out before him. The smell of burning pine mixed with cinnamon and a note of citrus, possibly orange, smacked him in the face alongside the sharp taste of magic—a strong breeze pushing him in a single direction, the sound of hurried feet against the hard ground, and sense of a long distance moved.
Salazar stepped away from the doors and looked behind him. A stone gate stood within the forested area, unattached to any manor. Within it was the foyer where a couple had tumbled out of the fireplace. The door slid closed as the adults righted themselves.
He turned back to the path before him, curious. He recalled the comments that House Ollivander had agreed to help play host for the party. This must be part of the ancient House's lands. Salazar had only ever visited the edge of House Ollivander's property. Of all the Seven original Houses, Ollivander would be the most likely to maintain their extensive forests, if not expand them. He hoped they had maintained their druidic groves and not focused solely on their wandcraft. It would be nice to not be alone in rebuilding it all.
More willow-of-the-whisps guided him along a path of gravel mostly cleared of the snow. Soft music filtered out from the forest he slowly wandered through. A few snowflakes fluttered down from the gray sky. If he never found the party, he would be rather content.
Eventually, though, he reached a line of other guests. Not far from his spot, he spied what had to be the Abbott hosts. He recognized Hannah and her parents within the group waiting to greet visitors.
It was clear that he might be wearing the less unusual outfit of the lot. Hannah was dressed up as a moth with holly in her hair. Her mother was dressed in a dress of Autumn oak leaves of oranges and reds and brown. One of the Abbott men had antlers and another looked to be dressed as a leafless tree. The ones not dressed in any specific theme were still wearing nature on themselves in the form of wreathes or belts or similar. Furs and leather and deep, rich-colored cloth were featured in many outfits. One of the guests in line had a deep green dress covered in holly leaves and berries. Another looked like a deep red rose.
As he got closer he realized the Abbotts, at least, all had artistic lines, shading, and runes of various alphabets painted on their faces. Many had the runes painted gold. It reminded him of his own tattoos when they were fully awakened and lit with golden power.
"My, you look like a fine little druid!" one of the women he didn't know remarked as he reached the front of the line. "You're only missing the golden runes and eyes!"
Salazar's eyebrows shot up and he slowly nodded. "I suppose I am."
She beamed and held out her hand Salazar had seen multiple men already courteously brush their lips to. He did the same as she stated, "Welcome to the party dear. A friend of Hannah's?"
"H-Harry!" squeaked Hannah as she extracted herself from the group passing by her immediate family. "Uhm.."
One of the closer men lit up in excitement and rushed over as he stated, "Harry Potter?" At Salazar's nod, he held out a hand to shake and announced, "Christopher Abbott, Pater of House Abbott. And you've met my wife, Olivia. Pleasure to have you here tonight."
Salazar shook his hand and nodded to the two before he found himself bombarded by the rest of the Abbotts, all thrilled to meet him properly. There was Christopher's heir, Mattias, and his family. Then Albert Abbott reintroduced himself as Christopher's younger brother before presenting his sons, Hannah's older brothers. Apparently, according to Hannah's little cousin and the heir's heir, William, he had to meet some of the children's non-Abbott cousins to prove that they had met him first. Christopher's sister and daughters, and their families, were already within the party.
"Hannah, dear," Olivia announced, "why don't you take Harry to have some proper runes painted to complete his look and then show him around?"
His fellow eleven-year-old nodded, eyes round and still mostly tongue-tied. Hannah waved him to follow and they left the greeting line for another pathway into the forest. Smoke visibly mixed with the fog now. The smell of burning pine and cinnamon was thick in the air. Music seemed to almost dance amongst it all.
"The paints over here," mumbled Hannah as she nervously glanced at him every few moments.
Salazar huffed at the idea of painting runes on his face, glanced around the path, and stopped by one of the trees. "I really don't need paint, Hannah."
She frowned at him.
He closed his eyes and pressed a hand to the bark of a pine. There was a leyline crossing nearby, the golden magic was close to the surface and easy to open himself to. Salazar took only a little in and twisted it to help forcefully awaken some of his tattoos. He heard a strangled gasp from Hannah as he felt the runes shift up and across his throat as the protection against poor air activated. Another protective tattoo, one that was basically facial armor, traveled across his face and settled, golden and glowing on his cheekbones and down toward his jaw. He opened his eyes to find Hannah staring at him in awe.
"Druid grove…" she whispered, reminding him of the details she had seen but may not have understood from his meeting with Black—and the limitations of his jinx. He had not jinxed her from saying anything about druids. It would have been too broad a restriction.
Hannah spoke again as she stared at him. "...Druid."
Salazar offered a slight nod at her revelation.
"Are," she licked her lips nervously, "golden eyes a thing too? Like in the stories?"
"Only when that much magic is needed," he answered vaguely, not aware of the stories she was referencing to be able to say more.
She slowly nodded before she remarked, "Your runes are glowing…it doesn't look like paint."
Salazar hummed and raised a hand before he hesitated and asked, "May I?"
Hannah stared and then jerked her head up and down in agreement. He reached out and lightly traced her painted runes, adding a little illusion magic to cause them to glow as his tattoos did. It wasn't exactly the same as the glow reflected off the gold flakes in the paint and off some metallic flecks in the non-gold paint she had used for the various shading and non-rune lines but it was close enough.
"There…you know most druids only painted their faces with runes when they were doing rituals and the runes only glowed during those rituals, right?"
She frowned. "But yours…"
"Aren't the same thing." Salazar answered with a shrug, "Now are any of the others around? The Hufflepuffs said they'd be here."
"Right, let me show you around," she answered, looking far less nervous now, "And it's Smiths." At his blank stare, she explained, "Their surname."
Salazar shrugged. "Alright. I'm sure I may remember that fact."
A snort escaped Hannah, visibly startling and then embarrassing her. She turned from him quickly and stomped away. Salazar quirked a faint smirk and followed. Hannah pointed out the tents set up for restrooms and indoor sitting areas illusioned to not ruin the feel of being in the middle of a forest far from any civilization. Then she led him on toward the music.
Candlelight glinted through the fog and smoke. Some were nestled amongst the snow, causing the snow piles to glitter. Others floated amongst the trees and within the top of the fog. It all led to a gap in the trees where a large clearing sparled out before them.
A huge bonfire danced in the middle. On one side of it were a couple of buffets and multiple groups of tables. To the other was a large snow-covered space filled with people running about playing festival games like dunking for apples and catching the most pixies. Above them floated more candlelight and willow-the-whisp-like orbs. There, in the air were the musicians and dancers swirling about the fog and smoke. Looking directly above showed only the fog but at an angle, the dancers swirled about like human-sized, wingless—for most—fairies. Beyond the bonfire was a huge, ancient oak. It wasn't as large as the oaks in his Hogwarts groves but it was impressive all the same. And was likely the reason this clearing had been chosen over others.
Children rushed about dressed up as foxes and owls and deer or little pinecones and mushrooms and holly bushes. He spotted a couple more moths and a few odd additions beyond that too. The adults wore either more sophisticated versions of the children's outfits or dressed similarly to him with a heavy nature theme that may somehow represent being a druid.—Salazar had never worn a wreath of leaves on his head in his past life so he could say with some certainty that wasn't a requirement for druidism.
"Hello," said a dirigible plum bush, one of the odd little children of the bunch, as she paused before him, "Pater, you have very nice leaves."
Hannah helpfully choked on nothing.
Salazar looked over the little blonde girl in the whimsical outfit. She even had little plum earrings. Salazar answered bemusedly back, "Thank you, I rather like you dirigible plums."
Hannah started coughing.
The girl's already wide eyes grew slightly wider before she beamed at him. "Did you have a chance to speak with the Minister yesterparty? If you had, maybe you caught some hint of the Rotfang Conspiracy."
"I'm afraid I haven't heard of it to be able to say," Salazar said as a smile slowly grew at the dreamy child chattered at him. "But then, I didn't have the opportunity to speak with him either. You see, I am supposed to be undercover. I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me Pater, in fact."
"Oh," she deflated slightly, "Perhaps next time you will." Her wide gaze turned to the party about them and she remarked slowly, "Being undercover is a difficult thing to do and you aren't being still enough to succeed for long." She turned back to look up at him. "Your brother is too bright to hide too."
Salazar stared at her in wonder for a long moment before he asked, "Do you wander far in your dreams? Or are you hearing these truths whispered in the wind?"
The little girl's gaze widened in surprise and a delighted smile spread. She leaned in and whispered, "You understand?! Do you hear the nargles too? They like infesting mistletoe."
He shook his head in a negative, "I am not blessed with the whispers of the wind."
Her beaming smile faded slightly. Hannah shifted, gaze utterly round with shock as she listened in.
The dirigible plum girl turned back to the party as she muttered, "The wind…not nargles?" She shook her head and noted louder, "I best find my father. He often becomes lost in woods." She turned back to him and added, "I'd like to join in the Yuletide well-wishing since you'll do it right. Will you let me?"
He tilted his head thoughtfully at her. It was past Yule but he saw no reason to deny her if they were doing a belated well-wishing. "I'll keep an eye out for you."
"I am the only dirigible plum bush this year," she answered seriously before she almost floated away.
"Oh Merlin," breathed out Hannah, "You can actually do the rites correctly!"
Salazar pulled his gaze from the little girl. Godric and his hidden identities were unraveling quickly and now this. Hopefully, the child had parents guiding her in her wandering and taught her discretion with the secrets she must learn. Meeting another wind dancer left him wondering if Mistress Efa ever followed through and guided Helena. He supposed now he might be able to wind dance too. He refocused on Hannah. "Sorry?"
Hannah huffed at him. "The rites! You can do them right."
He frowned. "I still have no idea what you're talking about."
She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him toward the bonfire.—Salazar was starting to think being manhandled about was just his lot in this life.
"What was with Luna?" asked Hannah after a moment as she dragged him around a crowd of adults that got in the middle of their path.
"Luna?"
"She called you pater but you didn't jinx her," Hannah whispered.
Salazar hesitated before he admitted, "She's likely a wind dancer who leans heavily toward the divining aspects of the air element. Jinxing her would be pointless…and potentially harmful."
Hannah stopped, yanked him to a stop, and gawked at him. "She–wow…I guess that would explain her–uh–quirks?"
"Most likely." Salazar agreed, "There's a reason people tied to the wind are known for their airheaded qualities."
Confusion flickered across the blonde's face before she shook her head and tugged at his arm. "Come on, let me show you the well-wishing station."
The bonfire crackled and roared as it danced but no excessive heat radiated from it. The snow surrounding it sat content and crisp as if it was below freezing. It took Salazar a long moment to realize the giant bonfire was made up of two absolutely huge pine logs. People were tossing little bundles into the flames which seemed to be the source of the citrus and cinnamon smell.
Hannah dragged him past it to a table covered in material for creating the bundles people were tossing into the flames. There were cinnamon sticks, dried orange circles, little branches of fir needles, and large dry, flat oak leaves.
His companion pulled a bowl over and titled it to show it was filled with sticks of charcoal. "We write our hopes and well wishes on oak leaves, create bundles of whatever we want, and then toss it into the flames," she explained, "That's what Luna was talking about, Yuletide well-wishes."
Salazar picked up a piece of charcoal thoughtfully and frowned as he felt nothing from it. "Was none of this blessed?"
Hannah stared. "...Blessed?"
"Yes," he answered as he met her blue gaze, "That's part of the process."
"Uhm." She looked particularly lost. "I don't think so."
A voice cut into their conversation. "Are you interested in offering well wishes for the coming year?"
Salazar noted Hannah's grimace as he turned to the newcomer.
It was a woman with deer antlers spelled into her elaborate braided hair. Golden moths fluttered around the bones and left a trail of gold dust behind. Her eyes were surrounded by golden paint and there was an illusion over her pupils, giving them a golden glow but couldn't properly hide the natural brown of her gaze. Multiple Ogham markings covered her face in more gold paint. The most prominent was the dair symbol, large and clear between her eyebrows. It was the d of the alphabet and meant oak. Salazar had a feeling the woman thought it meant druid too. The whole golden illusion over her eyes heavily implied she was playing the part of Druid today.
"Wasn't the end of Yule on the twenty-second this year?" Salazar offered, only slightly sarcastically, in return. Well-wishing could occur at any time but the most potent time to do them was during the solstice and equinox. Each had their particular emphasis for the type of well-wishing also.
The woman flicked her hands out dramatically, gold dust flittered from her arms and toward the ground like the moths dancing around her antlers. Her movement shrugged back a thick-furred cloak and revealed an extremely sheer ivy-embroidered gown.
"Mother welcomes all to worship and celebrate when they may!" She pronounced before she held her hands out for Salazar to grasp.
When he did not—because he didn't want to, not because she was clearly naked under that dress and he was the perfect height to stare at her blatantly, distractingly, visible chest—she proceeded to step forward and cup his face instead. He helpfully shifted his gaze to glare at the woman's face once more. (Hannah sounded like she was strangling multiple responses to all this.) "Child, have you come to take the Mother's path? I have seen one wreathed in oak that would come and golden would be his steps. Let I, high priestess of the Mother and the Druidest of the Triad, guide youu!"
Salazar's eyebrows shot up his forehead and vanished under his elaborate headpiece. "Right…so…what masteries have you to be of the Triad?"
The woman blinked a few times before she patted one of his cheeks and flicked her wrists at either side of his face, causing gold dust to flutter over his shoulders and her breasts to bounce (clearly deliberately distracting this time), as she finally let go and shuffled backward without lifting her feet fully from the ground. "I am High Priestess Bridget Moon, chosen of the Mother and Druidest of the Triad. Her ways are my mastery! Her desires master mee!"
He couldn't help staring in bewildered horror. Salazar was thoroughly stuck on trying to understand what was happening—he recognized what was happening but he couldn't quite process past it to acceptance. This was bizarrely insulting.
The actual druid of the group closed his eyes, counted to five, and reopened them. Bridget Moon was still standing before him, posed for some type of response from him. Salazar had no words. At least none acceptable in polite society.
Salazar slowly, silently turned about, glanced at Hannah who looked like she was debating digging a hole for herself, and looked beyond her for an escape from the crazy. He wasn't quite ready to just walk away. Part of him wanted to twist her words around and prove her the fraud she was but he shouldn't—he really, really shouldn't.
Luckily (for the fake druidess), His gaze met the entirely too amused gaze of Laelia Smith. Beside her stood an openly grinning Octavius. Both were dressed with artistic designs of aspen trees in autumn with Hufflepuff yellow leaves chattering in a nonexistent wind in their headpieces. It was a much better set of outfits than the antler-wearing "druid".
They took his desperate stare as an invitation to interrupt.
"Mater Moon," Laelia Smith said as she stepped forward, causing Salazar to have a moment of deep, deep regret over accepting his position as Pater Slytherin. He was never going to escape this woman. Bridget Moon would be at every bloody Council meeting until she died.
Bridget Moon was never allowed to learn of his status as a real druid.
The fraud dropped her arms and huffed in blatant annoyance at Laelia, "Mater Hufflepuff. As you can see, I am busy at the moment. The Mother has guided me to find this young man. There is much to be learned between us—I mean, I am to teach him my ways."
"Oh," Laelia said, tone dry, "You saw that much detail in the moonlight? Tell me," she continued without waiting for an answer, "I still don't understand, how do you learn of the Mother's desires through moonlight when moonlight is from the moon, not the earth?"
Mater Moon flushed vibrant red under all her gold paint and she snapped, "It is not I who can teach the blind the way to see! You must open your third eye. Of course, some are incapable of it due to being washed-up little badgers."
Octavius casually wrapped an arm around Salazar's shoulders and another around Hannah's. He slowly guided them away. The man whispered, "Slow and steady. Might get you away before she notices."
"Please tell me no one takes her seriously," Salazar helplessly requested as he allowed the older man to guide him out of there.
Hannah mumbled something. Salazar caught just enough to suspect the answer was not what he wanted to hear.
Octavius hummed a little too cheerfully, and flashed a grin down at Hannah before he answered Salazar properly for them both, "Best not lie before we get better acquainted, right? Also, don't think I don't see the snakes. I thought we had an understanding–"
"The lady that forcefully picked out my party outfits is far scarier than you," Salazar interrupted flatly, "And so far you are the only person that seems to have noticed them."
"Oh no, I can't possibly be the only person. I'm not the only Slytherin alumni around." Octavius countered dryly as he guided them from the bonfire and through the buffet until they reached the many circular tables.
"Octavius!" called a man dressed more similar to Salazar with mostly normal clothing and a headpiece of leaves, though the leaves were aspen and Hufflepuff yellow. His headpiece also didn't cause his coppery hair to go all over the place.
Salazar found himself pulled along and guided into a seat beside an older woman similarly dressed with Hufflepuff yellow aspen leaves but she also had an illusion of a bird, like the ones in the Abbott's foyer's artwork, that fluttered amongst the aspen leaves in her headpiece. The two elders offered Hannah hugs which the girl accepted as she walked around the table to them.
"Auntie, uncle," Hannah greeted before claiming a seat at the table herself.
The two elders—Though they didn't look nearly old enough to be considered true elders.—looked him over in interest before looking to Octavius who had claimed a seat for himself. Salazar finally started recovering from the Moon woman to realize he needed to introduce himself.
Octavius waved his hand at Salazar before Salazar could speak up, "Harry Potter these are my in-laws, Armistead and Laurinda Smith."
"Harry Potter." Laurinda repeated and then, after a beat of a pause, said, "Lovely to meet you, dear." A smile stretched across her round face as she spoke.
Salazar looked over her in curiosity. The woman had mousy brown hair and pale eyes. A muggle would have considered her in her early forties, maybe. That meant, depending on the state of her core, she was likely in her fifties or so. She had nothing of Helga in her and she wasn't the Mater so most likely Armistead was the Hufflepuff by blood. She confirmed it as she stated with a lazy wave about the area, "My older brother is hosting this party. Though Pater Ollivander provided the location." Laurinda smiled over at Hannah, "You two enjoying yourselves?"
Salazar nodded at the Abbott, "It's good to meet you also." He looked over at Armistead and nodded at him too. "Both of you. And yes, Hannah's been showing me everything."
"Learning to be a proper hostess, eh?" Armistead smiled as he teased Hannah who blushed and mumbled something no one could understand. Taking the attention off Hannah, he turned back to Salazar and remarked, "I've heard all types of things about you from Finula. She's rather thrilled to have a 'proper Slytherin'–" Hannah made another helpless noise, though it sounded like giggles this time. "–recognize her danger…What did she say?"
"Badgers eat snakes," Laurinda answered.
"Ah yes," Octavius snarked, "She's been demanding we create a secondary sigil with a badger literally eating a snake for her to wear…I haven't gotten her to understand that the subcontext is inappropriate."
Salazar groaned as the various artworks in the Gryffindor manor sprang to mind. "Please don't."
"Don't what?" asked Laelia Smith as she circled their table to an empty seat and set her wine glass down to claim it.
Octavius waved his hand as if indicating how not important this was. "Finula's desired sigil."
Laelia laughed and looked at Salazar as she settled into the chair. "That is entirely your fault, dear."
"Yes…well…" Salazar shook his head and offered instead, "Thank you for the interference with…uh…Mater Moon."
"Oh you poor boy," laughed Laurinda. All the adults were grinning at him. Each clearly recalled their own moments with the woman. She turned to her daughter and asked, "Antagonising Bridget again?"
"It works every time," Laelia said defensively as she picked up her wine glass, "and it's not my fault she cannot get over my better grades in divination. It's been years. We both have children at Hogwarts now and yet she is still salty about it."
Laurinda simply shook her head in amusement.
Armistead leaned over toward Octavius as Laelia and Laurinda continued to chat about the various ridiculous things Mater Moon had taken too seriously while competing with Laelia in school—which included competing at all. Apparently, Laelia wasn't entirely certain when Bridget had started competing with her on grades as the other girl had never actually said anything until a huge blow-up in their fourth year.
Salazar glanced at Hannah before he leaned back in his chair and relaxed. She looked like she needed a moment before they went out into the party again. He'd gladly give her time. Maybe Hannah would figure out how not to react to the ridiculous things that happened around him.
"You expect any more eventful late nights before the end of the holidays?" Armistead asked his son-in-law, pulling Salazar's attention from Laelia's reminiscing of her school day rivalry.
Octavius frowned and nodded. "It's highly possible I'll be called in on New Year's Eve."
"Another Weasley?"
Salazar tilted his head in curiosity as he blatantly listened in. Clearly, the Smiths were alright about him staying but also were not forcing him to stay either.
The dark-haired man nodded. "Of course. There seems to be a baby Weasley every year." He said in amusement. "Titus and Elaine are expecting their latest son in early January but it's her fifth so chances are high the kid will come early. All but the eldest have decided to do so. And I already had a Weasley born on Christmas this year, why not New Year's too."
"Well, I'll be around on New Year's Eve. Everett asked if I could take his rounds since he has to make an appearance at the Malfoy Ball and who knows how long that'll take." Armistead remarked.
"Abandoning Laurinda to the sharks?"
Armistead scoffed at his son-in-law. "You're one to talk. Bowing out in case the baby comes early, aren't you?"
Octavius shrugged with a grin. "Use your resources wisely, right?"
"You're both healers?" Salazar asked in interest.
Both men turned to him with a surprising amount of warmth. Armistead nodded while Octavius properly answered, "Yes, our focuses are different though. I'm an obstetrician…I actually helped your mother through her pregnancy. Her's and Alice Longbottom's as they decided to have their appointments together.–" He looked over to Armistead as he spoke before looking back to Salazar. "–It will always stick with me how they went through their pregnancies together. Even went into labor within hours of each other."
Salazar stared, more than a little startled at the information. Obviously, Alice and Lily had been close as they had named each other godmother to their sons but this sounded a little much.
"Wait," he said as he realized he didn't know, "Go-Neville was born on July 31st?"
Octavius shook his head. "July 30th. About–" His brow furrowed as he considered the births. "–Well, I've helped with too many births now but I know his was late in the night but still the 30th, and yours was early on the 31st. The two of you wouldn't stop screaming until your fathers showed you two to each other."
"N-Neville and Harry knew each other since they were born?" squeaked Hannah, there was a faint incredulous quality to her voice. Her gaze jumped between Octavius and Salazar.
'Well." Octavius answered, amused, "Neville was born hours before but Harry would have been…maybe an hour old when he met Neville."
Salazar continued to stare with slightly wide eyes, though he wasn't paying much attention to what—or who—he was staring at. There was more to this than the healer knew or recalled. Salazar wondered how much the brother bonds had affected them from the moment they were born, or even before. It was also interesting that Godric was still the elder this time around, if only by a few hours.
Octavius' amusement faded. "Terrible what's happened with the lad."
"Oh, he's staying with Harry!" Hannah rushed out, realizing what Octavius was alluding to before Salazar.
The adults shifted to attention at that. Laelia and Octavius shared a look before the healer asked, tone careful, "Your guardian took in Neville, son?"
Salazar tilted his head and offered a benign smile. "We're staying together, yes."
The adults all shared looks once more and this time Laelia spoke up, "Wher–"
"Mr. Potter."
Salazar turned at the address.
Amelia Bone looked down at him, dressed far less whimsically than most. "Apologies, everyone, I require a moment of his time–"
"And apologies Amelia but as Mr. Potter's guardian isn't present, you'll have to speak with him here if it's official business," Laelia Smith stated firmly.
Salazar glanced from Amelia to Laelia and back, feeling a little caught between opposing forces for a moment. Then Amelia relaxed and pulled her wand out, conjuring another chair at the table. Octavius shifted his chair and Salazar did the same as he realized Amelia needed a little more room. The shuffle spread through the table as Armistead moved for Octavius and Hannah for him, and onward until everyone once more fit comfortably at the table.
Amelia joined them in the freed space and turned in her seat to look at Salazar directly. She cast a areal privacy charm around them all before she said, "Susan told me Neville is staying with you and I couldn't help but overhear you confirming it a moment ago. As part of my department's duties, situations like Mr. Nevillle where he was disowned and sent away, are reviewed. I need to send someone in to check on Mr. Neville to make certain he is settling in properly, all required paperwork for his new guardians is handled, and so on."
A slow sense of impending doom began to bubble up as the woman spoke. Part of him was thrilled to hear it as children should not be tossed away like Godric had. This was headed in a direction most inconvenient for them, though.
"For squibs, it is simple enough…as Neville was sent away like a squib but is magical, we need to have him under a magical's care. So hearing he is actually staying with your guardian is a relief…Since Dumbledore had kept your guardian's identity hidden, I am willing to come to speak with them myself and will continue to keep that information hidden." She paused and met his gaze searchingly. "Do you know when I can speak with them? Or, perhaps I should send a letter?"
Salazar very helpfully responded with a "uhm".
Amelia Bones frowned slightly and added, "You don't have to say who they are here but this isn't going to be dropped, Mr. Potter. I must have this completed properly."
"It was always only a matter of time, son," Octavius said kindly. Salazar looked at the dark-haired man. There was far too much understanding radiating from Mater Hufflepuff and her husband.
Laelia added at his glance, "Your guardianship cannot stay secret for much longer, dear."
The other adults gave the pair looks, also realizing on some level, that the two somehow figured out Salazar's guardian. Which was rather impossible but Octavius all but confirmed that he had overheard the floo passcode for Godric's manor and told Laelia. One or both had known what that passcode had meant, at least on some level.
Salazar looked back to Amelia Bones and decided that Arcturus wouldn't be too outraged as he stated, "I can…I mean–" He leaned forward and muttered, "Pater Black is paying for Neville's tuition for Hogwarts now so I guess he could…you know?"
More than just Amelia started at his revelation and the implications of who his guardian was. Laelia and Octavius looked more than little confused.
"I see…" Amelia frowned thoughtfully before she asked, "Please let him know I will need to speak with him on the first. Neville must be present also. I will send an official request but it's such short notice, under the circumstances, it would be good to pass it along if you could."
Salazar nodded.
The woman flicked her wand about and dissolved the privacy bubble around the table.
As she stood someone called out in greeting, "Amelia, my dear."
Amelia huffed and banished her chair as Salazar turned toward what looked like a little, squat oak tree. "Pater Ogden, you needed something?"
A wrinkled, old man smiled cheerfully from under a head of oak leaves. "My dear, I only wished to hear how the efforts at Longwood have been going-"
"I don't gossip about work."
"Yes, yes, of course…only…is there really a horde of doxies and gnomes invading the burnt-out property now?" Ogden asked as he leaned toward her and faux-whispered.
Amelia's lips quirked up in a second-long smirk before she regained her professional demeanor. "I am afraid that the property has been having issues with such rodents of late."
"Not a usual issue for the law enforcement," the old man remarked eagerly.
She gave him a long look but didn't offer more. If she had, she would have undeniably been gossiping so Salazar supposed it made sense she didn't but he was curious if anyone had figured out how to keep the pests he and Godric had sent to Longwood permanently away.
"Mr. Potter," announced a tall pine tree that had wandered over after Pater Odgen, "I did say we would meet once more. How have you cared for your wand?"
"Do you always have to start conversations by asking about someone's wand, Garrick?" groused Armistead.
Salazar shifted and tilted his head back to properly see Mr. Ollivander in the rather realistic outfit as the wandmaker answered with a succulent, "Yes."
Laelia Smith rose and walked around the table to offer her hand to Ollivander as she greeted him, "Pater Ollivander." She turned to the squat oak tree and greeted the man also, "Pater Ogden. Happy belated Yuletide."
Both men greeted her back. A shuffling occurred as Amelia bowed out of the group and the two elderly men conjured themselves seats.
Then Pater Ogden complained, though his tone was jovial and the faint smirk he directed toward Laurinda softened his words, "What is wrong with Christopher? He's actually allowed the fanatics free!?"
"Well," Laurinda stated as she set her wine glass down with a clink, drawing all the heads of Houses' attention. She leaned forward slightly as she said, "Who knows what will happen with the party lines when Pater Gryffindor and Pater Slytherin finally make an appearance? We wished to extend every courtesy…with the understanding that they cannot go about trying to convert everyone. And anyhow, all the adults present are part of the Neo Druid party…Also, thank you, Garrick, this is the perfect clearing."
Garrick Ollivander simply nodded in response.
She glanced over at them all as she added, "Have any of you heard anything about the new paters?"
The various men shook their heads negatively. Hannah went a little bug-eyed and darted her gaze helplessly to Salazar. Salazar took this as a sign they needed to leave. He rose and found all the adults looking at him, which was somewhat useful since none noticed Hannah scramble up to join him and nearly trip over her own chair.
"Thank you for the help earlier," Salazar offered with a bright smile.
Laelia smiled back. "Of course dear. We're around if you need help again. Mater Moon is only the most forward of the bunch. The others should leave you alone unless they catch you doing something particularly 'Druidy'."
"Druidy," Salazar repeated, pained. "Right."
Hannah claimed his arm and smiled a little too widely at her relatives and the other paters, "Thanks. See you all later! H-Harry we should do the well-wishing and then find Susan and the others."
Salazar nodded.
oooP2ooo
(Neville)
Godric stared up at the darkening sky with a thoughtful frown as he stepped into the foyer of his manor. The floo flames reflected off the glossy floor before fading away and leaving the space dark. If they were staying longer, he'd figure out the magic of the entire place but they weren't so he hadn't bothered. The oldest of the protective magic was runic-based so there was a wardstone somewhere. Godric wasn't entirely certain if the magical sconces were also tied to the stone though. Some other magic might control them.
For a moment he considered hunting down the wardstone now, since he didn't have much to do and Sally had to be at the party by now. The manor was dark and silent. He didn't particularly like it. A home should be full of laughter, good cheer, and light.
He frowned at the depressing thoughts and vanished down the darkened halls, through the dining room, and into the conservatory as he considered what he actually felt like doing all on his lonesome. His gaze fell on the two postal boxes and waiting stacks of letters sitting on one of the little tables. Both jewels on the boxes were slightly yellow green meaning there was even more mail. Godric wandered over, checked the numbers on them, and pulled out his mail before stacking it with his existing pile.
He had claimed he would go through the letters yesterday. Now was as good.
Godric dropped into a seat and leaned back, flicked a couple of fingers up and summoned a little flame. It floated near his head, at eye level but out of the way. It highlighted a letter already laid out flat on top of a folded stack of parchment. Sally must have gone through his letters before the party. He picked it up from the pile.
ooo
Welcome Pater Slytherin,
It is not every day that we have a long empty seat filled, nor under such unusual circumstances. Please take some time to familiarize yourself with the following documents before the Council's opening session on the 3rd.
We all look forward to meeting you properly.
Sincerely,
Tiberius Ogden
Prime Councilor of the Wizards Council
ooo
Godric hummed and returned it to the folded stack of documents. He would have his own copy and pile of documents from the Council to review, he was sure. The Gryffindor founder turned back to his pile of letters. A quick flip through revealed two particularly thick envelopes. He opened the one with the Ministry seal stamped in the wax and found his copy of the letter from Ogden. Godric set that to the side for the moment and turned to the next.
It was a letter from Hogwarts. He broke the seal and flicked through it. The top parchment was an official letter of welcome to Hogwarts, just like the one he recalled receiving on his eleventh birthday. Godric's name was just 'Neville' on it. The second parchment was a short letter from McGonagall stating how pleased she was over him returning and repeated that she was available if he needed help. The last parchment was a reiteration of the school supplies for the first years.
Godric relaxed, more relieved than he had expected with receiving proof that he'd be able to return.
He went through the rest of his mail, finding a few ridiculous business offers almost as bad as the one Liam Weasley had signed.—Those he burned.—One letter was from Gringotts about the "anonymous" payment of all seven years of his schooling, confirming that Arcturus Black had complete a part of his deal with Sally.
The second to last envelope gave him pause. It wasn't particularly flexible like normal parchment. The seal stamped in the wax holding it closed looked like the Hogwarts shield but instead of purple wax, it was white. Godric frowned, cracked it open, and pulled out a heavily embossed card.
ooo
We would like to formally welcome Pater Gryffindor to the board of governors for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The first session for the second half of the 1991-1992 school year is on 7th January at The Red Stallion in Hogsmeade. We look forward to your contributions and insights.
Laelia Smith
Mater of Hufflepuff
Chair of Governors, HSWW
ooo
"Huh." Godric flipped the card over. The back had an intricate Hogwarts shield embossed on the thick parchment. He spun it between his fingers as he frowned up at the glass ceiling. Just like with the Council, neither Sally nor he could actually attend. It would be a poor idea to attempt it with illusions as they couldn't know if the meeting was guarded against such magic. Unlike the Council, Godric had no idea if a representative of them could go in their stead for the governor seats.
He tossed the card to the part of the table with his opened letters and picked up the last of the pile. It wasn't until he unfolded the parchment that he realized he had recognized the handwriting of 'Neville'. Godric sat up right as he took in the long, multi-paged letter and then flipped through it until he found the signature.
It was from Teresa Bargeworthy.
Godric hesitated for only a second before he delved in, too curious over what she had to say that took so many pages of parchment. She hadn't bothered polishing and rewriting the letter. It was raw and in the moment. Parts of it were scribbled out but he could just make out what some of the scribbled-out parts said.
ooo
Neville,
I'm sorry. I've never been a good grandmother to you. There were opportunities for me to fix that over the years, though I don't know if the Longbottoms would have supported it as I never tried.
(crossed out)Merlin. It's easier to write this out than try to explain with you staring at me wit[illegible]lice's eyes.(end crossed out)
(crossed out)You want the truth. I can see it i[illegible](end crossed out) Let me start at the beginning and explain it as completely as I can. Then you can decide if you wish to speak to me again. (crossed out)or properly meet Jane and her children.(end crossed out)
(crossed out)For what its worth, it was never you. [Long part illegible](end crossed out)
It was the early 70s when everything came to an end. Your mother had already married Franklin. After (crossed out)a mi[illegible]age(end crossed out) some difficulty, they had little Talbot and Isolde. Almost immediately after the younger's birth, the Bargeworthy men were killed off and the business that had made us an influential family was destroyed. We were struggling with the loss of our loved ones and debts and trying to find incomes. (crossed out)Everything just kept falling apart. [Long part illegible](end crossed out)
A few months later Jane received a howler from Pater Prewettthe jackass telling her off for seducing Gideon Prewett. She was a good six years older than Gideon but they were both adults and apparently quietly dating, instead of the more official courting. (crossed out)The wanker(end crossed out)The Pater made it clear that without our business and wealth, we were worth less than dirt and Jane was not fit to marry the spare of House Prewett.
We finally went to Alice for help. Until that point, we had waved off any concerns she brought up to us. Celicia and I had been so certain we could handle this on our own. We hadn't thought it might cause problems for Jane as she had kept her relationship hidden. Alice spurned us, though later we found out she had lost Talbot and Isolde to dragon pox and was dealing with whispers of her being unfit for Franklin. It's even possible the letters we sent never reached her since she was in mourning and we never got a chance to actually talk to her face to face. Our floo calls were denied.
As far as we could tell, Alice had washed her hands of us because we were no longer an advantageous relationship to have. Keeping in touch with us would have potentially caused more harm than good for her. (crossed out)Maybe Aug[illegible] Fr[illegible] cut the ties between us for her.(end crossed out)
Whatever the details of the situation were, Alice no longer communicated with us and she had better access to connect than we did.
For the next seven years, we heard nothing from her and only saw news about her in the Daily Prophet. It was also how we learned of the attack and of you. No one ever came to us about caring for Alice after either, though there was nothing I could do at that point. It really was just Jane and I then—or at least that's what I had thought.
Earlier in October that year, before Potter vanquished he-who-must-not-be-named, there was a devastating attack on Hogsmeade. In that attack, Gideon, and his older twin brother Fabian, died. Jane was also there and was terribly hurt. (crossed out)It never made the news because Pater Prewett hushed it up(end crossed out) but Jane had apparently continued to see Gideon against the Pater's wishes. Fabian helped them secretly meet. Those two boys gave their lives trying to protect her and the others at Hogsmeade that day.
They had planned on marrying against the Pater's wishes. The two had it all planned out. Jane even has a ring. Because of this, they weren't careful. Their wedding plans had been in a month's time because Jane had hoped Alice to be her witness. I don't know if they would have put it off another month and another after in hopes of connecting with Alice. But of course, the wedding never happened. Instead, Jane had to mourn another loved one. Then two with what happened to your parents not long after.
It was December when we found out she was pregnant.
One of the dark curses Jane was hit with harmed her hearing. There is no magic that can fix it. It wasn't until the twins were born that we learned that the same was true for them. Jane can hear some but your cousins, Owen and Natalie, are deaf. No magic will change that fact. (2)
Magic protects our babies from birth defects but it couldn't protect them and there isn't anything we have found that has helped. There just hasn't been a reason to create such solutions in the magical world. (crossed out)People so rarely have their hearing affected by dark magic that all the existing solutions work perfectly fine for the few with hearing issues. They don't have dark magic getting in the way.(end crossed out) The dark curse makes the normal, magical solutions useless. So we have turned to the muggle world for help and found a sign language the British have developed.
Pater Prewett knows about Owen and Natalie but has refused to recognize them as Prewetts. He decided that long before they were born and so they are Bargeworthys.
They are nine now. Both would like to meet you if you are still willing to give us a chance.
— Teresa Bargeworthy
ooo
There was one final parchment. It was a picture from one of his cousins wishing him a Merry Christmas with a carefully drawn and colored tree surrounded by wrapped gifts. Godric set it down, leaned back in his seat, and rubbed his face.
He knew what he had to do. Sally would help.
oooP3ooo
(Harry)
Salazar and Hannah dodge around groups of adults and children as they circularly headed back to the well-wish-making table. They could have gotten there quicker but Salazar purposely led the way and Hannah didn't complain. His goal was a simple one—if he was going to create Yule well wishes, he would have them created properly as requested.
Their path led them past the bonfire. There, Salazar cast a quick notice-me-not charm around them and knelt. He looked into the flames and searched out a piece of the pine log already separated from its core. Hannah made a helpless sound when he reached right into the flames and picked the charcoal chunk up, runes glowing across his hand for the moment it took to do so.
He ignored her gawking as he pulled the heat from the charred wood. It took a long moment to do so, particularly since it wasn't Godric's fire but it was a small piece of charcoal so he could do it with a little concentration. With the loss of heat, his runic ritual marks faded from his hand. Using the firelight to hide any magical display his notice-me-not charm couldn't hide, he muttered the blessing, letting his words twist and spin the Mother's magic singing under his skin into the charcoal in hand.
A flash of golden light danced over the dark block before it faded away. Golden specks glinted within the charcoal.
Salazar stood up and offered a faint smirk at his companion. "Time to make proper well wishes."
Hannah reached out and grabbed his hand. She lightly touched the charcoal, testing it for heat before she pulled it from his hand in such a way it forced his palm open and visible. "You're not burnt at all," she whispered in wonder.
"I do have to recommend not sticking your hand into flames if you don't know how to protect yourself," Salazar offered dryly.
She huffed and muttered, "Bloody bonkers."
Salazar shrugged. "Shall we?"
Hannah shook her head at him before she looked down at the charcoal in her hand. "It's..blessed? That's why there's the gold specks now?"
"Yes. The Mother's magic is within it."
She hummed thoughtfully before she noted, "Hard to write with a huge chunk like this."
Salazar took it from her and magically split the block into multiple sticks of charcoal causing Hannah to shake her head at him. Then she pivoted and led the rest of the way to the table.
At the table, Salazar replaced the bowl of useless charcoal with the proper blessed versions. He handed one stick to Hannah and another to the little dirigible plum bush that materialized at his side.
"Thank you, Pater," said the little dirigible plum before she claimed an oak leaf and carefully wrote out her well wishes across the surface. Her letters glowed softly with the mother's magic.
"Hannah!"
"Potter."
"There you both are!"
Susan, Zacharias, Lucasta, her little sister, and two other little, not yet Hogwarts-aged, kids swarmed them. Salazar reached out and tugged the little blonde to his side before the other children could thoughtlessly push her out of the group. She beamed up at him.
"Oh," gasped Susan as she glanced at Hannah's writing, "That's such a great effect! I wonder who thought to add the glowing bit this year?" She looked up at Hannah and glanced at Salazar with a grin. "Same person who charmed your runes to glow? I'll have to convince Auntie to do that same when I run into her later."
The dirty blonde claimed a leaf herself as she spoke. "Might as well get these done first. Then we can go catch some pixies. I want to get that large prize this year!" She made a fist at Hannah as she stated, determined, "I'm going to succeed this time."
Hannah grinned back. "The large prize is a giant stuffed reindeer. You really want that?"
"It's not the prize that matters!" Susan insisted, "I've got to win it!–" Her nose wrinkled. "–Alouette won it last year. I just–ugh.."
Zacharias scoffed. "She's a grown witch, of course, she was able to win it."
Susan's cheeks flushed and she mumbled something about how he dad had promised to help her get it and then the woman had gone and gotten it for the boys. Salazar glanced at Hannah questioningly. The blonde shook her head very slightly in response so Salazar focused on his wish for the new year instead.
The others jumped in, clearly more aware of what was going on, and blurted out what they planned to do as they each wrote up a well-wish for the new year. Finula had friends and boys to bother. Lucasta hopped to find friends also but needed to greet the various Paters and Maters and heirs too. Zacharias, to his outrage, was apparently in charge of watching the youngest two—Laelia Smith's youngest daughter, Tullia, and Zacharias' little sister Saralee.
"Sally for short," Saralee blurted out, her face a deep, vibrant red as she stared up through her lashes and copper curls at Salazar.
"Sally is Slytherin's nickname," the dirigible plum helpfully answered, speaking up for the first time since the lot had shown up. Salazar sighed and gave the girl a look. She clearly didn't understand what he was trying to imply as she simply tilted her head at him in question.
"What?" sputtered Saralee as Salazar continued to attempt silent communication with the dirigible plum girl, "It's a girl's name! How could anyone call Slytherin that!"
Ah, yes, Salazar thought in helpless amusement, a question for Godric.
Hannah looked helplessly at the dirigible plum girl too and said slowly, "Neville does call Harry that."
"Yeah, what is with that anyhow?" demanded Zacharias as he leaned over the table toward Salazar. "Is it your name in one of those languages you both know? Or is it a code for something?"
Salazar blinked, startled. "Uh…you've heard him call me that?"
His fellow first years gave him looks clearly indicating that he was an idiot.
Finula rolled her eyes and announced, "We all have heard about him calling you that." Her older sister frowned, clearly not agreeing with that claim but didn't speak up. The two must have very different social groups at school. Or maybe his everyday life wasn't gossip-worthy for third years and older. (He could always hope.)
Saralee complained to the dirigible plum girl, confused, "I thought you said Slytherin was called that!? Not Harry Potter!"
Luna blinked owlishly at her and said very clearly, "I did say that. Sally is Slytherin's nickname."
Zacharias rolled his eyes and stuffed a cinnamon stick and a small branch of fir needles onto his oak leaf before he rolled it up and tied it with twine as he said derisively, "Don't be such a looney, Luna."
Salazar snapped his gaze over to the boy and almost scolded him but Lucasta spoke up before he could.
"Apologize to her now," Lucasta hissed out, her cheeks flushed in outraged embarrassment. "We don't call others names like that!"
Zacharias scoffed at his older cousin, "You can't tell me what to do!"
"I'm the heir–"
The blond boy leaned sharply across the table at Lucasta as he sneered in her face, "Like you're any good as heir! Miss always-working-on-homework, even on Christmas. You can't keep up so just give it up!"
Lucasta's flush darkened. Zacharias caught Salazar's startled expression and flushed himself before he bolted from the area. Finula inappropriately snorted in amusement which led to Lucasta fleeing too, just in the opposite direction.
"Um," Susan said after a long awkward pause. "Let's toss the well-wishes in, include theirs..and, uh…go have fun?"
Finula scoffed but added dried orange circles and fir needles to both her and Lucasta's leaves before rolling them up. Susan scooped up Zacharias' along with hers and the rest finished theirs up before they went together to the fire.
"On one?" Tullia asked as she looked at Saralee. The two girls grinned at each other in agreement.
Hannah called out, "Three," The youngest two joined in as they shouted, "Two," Salazar had a thought as he tossed his bundle with the others as the girls shouted, "One."
The bonfire rippled gold as Mother's magic exploded through it and he felt the bonfire establish a temporary connection with the leyline crossing underfoot, causing the fire to stay golden in color for now.
Shouts of awe and shock filled the grove.
He had been so distracted by everything that he hadn't connected the dots. A leyline crossing like this was a prime location for a grove. Salazar looked up from the golden flames to the canopy of tree branches surrounding them.
Very old carved runes in various trees took up the glow as the leyline magic eagerly spread across the area to enhance their wishes for the next year. The old oak on the other side of the bonfire was particularly spectacular, if one had no idea what a healthy grove's oak should look like.
Mater Moon and a few other interestingly dressed witches and wizards with the dair rune painted between their brows rushed to the fire and sank to their knees dramatically, calling out to the Mother in thanks and shouting that it was a sign for a blessed year ahead.
Salazar slowly spun around as he took in all the various trees responding to the Mother's magic. He stopped as he met Hannah's scowling glare. She was clearly and rightfully blaming him. Luna smiled widely at her side.
Adults swarmed the area. People with some common sense between their ears—primarily Amelia Bones—ordered all children away from the flames. Laelia and Octavius were suddenly there, one kneeling before her children to physically check them over while the other cast diagnostic spells over them. Another couple claimed little Saralee and pushed her over to Octavius for a check-up. Albert and Morgan Abbott claimed Hannah. Susan was pushed over to Octavius by Amelia Bones also.
Other parents rushed into the area and worried over their children even though they hadn't been all that close to the bonfire until after it had turned gold and drawn their attention. His gaze lowered to the little dirigible plum child at his side. No parent worried over her.
"Did you find your father?" Salazar asked softly.
Luna blinked up at him before she answered with a serious frown. "I found him for a moment but that moment has gone and left us. He is likely lost once more. He likes to be lost, though. It's the best way to find things, even if it's only yourself."
Salazar blink. "Huh…I suppose that's true enough…Your mum?"
"Gone. Her experiment went badly wrong a while back," she answered with the calm of someone speaking of a long-accepted death of a loved one.
Still, Salazar offered softly as they stood before a crowd of parents worrying over their children. "I'm sorry."
The little dirigible plum nodded. "Thank you but you've lost far more than me." She tilted her head up at him thoughtfully before she stated. "Mothers and fathers don't always stick around, do they? Sometimes they have to leave us before we would like.–" She shook her head and raised a hand to him. "–I would like to dance."
A camera flashed. Salazar glanced over to its origins. Luckily it was pointed at the spectacle of the golden bonfire, the supposed druids supplicating around it, and the glowing oak behind. He wouldn't have made it into the image.
Salazar turned back and accepted the little girl's hand. "Dancing it is, then."
She beamed and then dragged him across the way to a foggy area with a magical pathway up into the dance floor in the air. Little Luna was absolutely an air elementalist with leanings of being a wind dancer. She wasn't formally taught though. Salazar wondered if there were any wind dancers anymore.
Dancing with a little wind dancer, no matter how untrained she was, was still an experience. The air swirled with them as they spun and swirled about the edge of the dance floor, not really following any of the formal dancing Cassiopeia had taught him. That they did so in the air and amongst smoke and fog was almost as strangely relaxing as flying a broom.
oooP4ooo
(Neville)
"Godric?"
Godric looked up from the nearly incinerated practice dummy. Laughter ripped out of him. Salazar had a bleeding oak wreathe on his head.
"What's gotten you to burn something down instead of beat it up?" Salazar huffed out, speaking over Godric's laughter.
He snorted as he tried to stifle his laughs and forced himself to focus. Godric ended up having to look away from his brother and his ridiculous outfit. He turned back to the practice dummy, magic was still in the process of patching it back together. That help. "I-I did beat it up. Then incinerated it.–" He waved a hand at the thing as if in emphasis. "–Then I hit it a few more times before burning it up again."
There was a long moment of quiet. The dummy's arms regained hands.
"Why?"
Godric concentrated his will and flicked his hand up slightly as he snapped his fingers in the direction of the partly recovered dummy. Flames consumed it, lighting the stone training room with the vibrant flicker of firelight.
"Godric?"
He rolled his tongue about in his mouth as he considered the question. Answering it would demand truths he hadn't wanted to tell his brother. There was only so much Salazar would accept without question.
To buy himself time he snarked, "Anything interesting happen at the party?"
Silence.
Godric blinked and looked up from his fire. Salazar shifted at his stare. "What happened?"
Salazar made a face.
"Sally?"
His brother looked away and pulled the wreathe off his head with a sigh. "Perhaps we trade?"
"You first."
Sally scowled back at him. "Me? I asked first."
"Youth before wisdom."
That got an eye roll from Slytherin.
"Fine," scoffed Salazar. He waved the wreathe at a wall vaguely as he grumbled, "I may have helped create proper Yule well-wishes for Hannah and some others. We tossed them into a bonfire that connected to the leyline crossing under us and revealed that the party was in the middle of an old, forgotten druids grove…some of the trees lit up also. And someone took pictures."
Godric stared. "Like…for the newspaper pictures?"
Salazar stared back at him for a moment before he grimaced. "Maybe."
"Huh."
His brother frowned at him for a long moment. "What?"
He shrugged. "I suddenly feel infinitely better about my issue.–" Salazar scowled at him. "–My issue is personal and family-related. It's not going to cause even more issues with our whole goal of hiding."
"It's not going to–"
Godric cut in. "How easy is it to trace this back to you? Some adults must have watched you and the others toss your well wishes into the flames and then everything happened. The only thing going for us is the fact that they see children when they look at us.–" He flicked his hand out at his brother. "–And that doesn't actually mean a whole lot for you, Mister Boy-Who-Lived. Everyone's spent the last ten years fantasizing that you're some second coming of Merlin."
Salazar scowled and folded his arms across his chest but didn't deny any of it.
Breathe escaped in a stifled laugh at the put-upon expression Salazar was giving him. Godric looked up at the ceiling before his amusement faded and he pulled out a certain long letter. He stared down at it for a moment before he held it out to the brunet.
His brother didn't move. Instead, Sally remarked, "Deja vue is setting in. You've offered me far too many letters of late."
"Just," Godric said before he paused and sighed. "Just, read it."
Green eyes narrowed at him but the boy stepped up and took the letter. Godric watched as Salazar's frown flickered into place and then how his expression went carefully blank as he got further along. Finally, Salazar's gaze flicked up to meet his.
When the brunet refused to say anything and simply held the letter back out to him, Godric broke, "What is the sign language she's talking about?"
"Why are you so invested in connecting with people who have done nothing for you and have never attempted to connect with you themselves? When they've had years and are the adults in this situation?" Salazar asked in turn.
"They're famil–"
"Family is what you make it," Salazar snapped, "It is people who are there for you and who you are willing to be there for too. Family are people that support each other in their endeavors and people that help lift you up when you fail." His gaze flicked back to the letter. "These are people who have admitted to doing none of that. They didn't even try reaching out to you when your disownment became public. They are not your family."
Godric throat constricted. A flicker of a thought jumped to the front of his mind but he forcefully pushed it aside. "My cousins–"
"Are children that deserve family and help, yes." Salazar agreed preemptively, "but you didn't reach out to the Bargeworthys for those cousins you knew nothing about and you cannot seriously think to attempt a relationship with these people just because of them."
The two stared at each other. His brother frowned up at him, demanding answers Godric had avoided until now.
He looked away. The flickering flames from the burning dummy danced across one of the manor's numerous artworks depicting lions killing snakes. All it did was remind him of how much he had failed his brother in their last life.—Logically he knew it wasn't his fault that Sally died but logic had very little to do with his feelings about it all.
"You know our bond is similar to a magical twins bond," Godric said without looking at Salazar.
"Wha–"
"You know what happens to a magical twin that survives their other half?" Godric's voice cracked as he stated this, forcing Sally to connect the dots. He heard the sharp intake of breath from his brother. Godric forced himself to continue, "You died–" His voice cracked and he swallowed before he forced himself to continue, all the while staring at the dead or dying serpent in the artwork. "You died and a hole ripped itself into me, our bond left in tatters…I don't remember much for some years after. I tried to drink myself to death…Apparently, I destroyed an entire dueling competition the Normans had started up." His breath shuddered but he forced himself to continue. "I wasn't there, mentally. I was a drunken fool, lost in the pain of missing my other half."
Godric finally forced himself to turn to Salazar. His brother looked devastated.
He finally explained why he hunted for family, and why he hadn't considered removing himself from the Longbottoms before Fitzwilliam had taken that out of his hands. "Helga, Gareth, Rowena, Evander—my parents and sisters even…they all helped me through it. Our family stopped me from killing myself, Sal. It took a great deal of effort but they saved me from the drink and the self-destruction in the end. They did it in time for me to be there for my kids in their later childhood…Didn't save my marriage…but Salton and Bryony were young enough they didn't remember the bad years."
He paused for a second, hesitated over the possible reasons for his wife killing him—reasons he could only speculate over because he couldn't recall if he had ever been horrible to her beyond shared vile words flung between them—before he pushed the regret and possibilities aside and said, voice entirely raw, "There isn't that family this time. If you die–"
He could see the desire on Sally's face to claim he wasn't going to die this time but Salazar kept his mouth shut. Godric was relieved that he did keep silent. Promises like that were only lies.
Salazar said instead, voice soft, "Then we will see if the Bargeworthys are worthy of being family."
Relief flared through him. Godric closed his eyes and gave a sharp nod as he struggled against the emotions rolling through him from admitting all this out loud. (He liked to blame his physical age for the absolute rollercoaster of emotions but couldn't believe it entirely.)
His brother spoke up once more but Godric could hear the hesitation. "Does alcohol…"
"I don't know. I haven't felt any need for it...but I don't think it worth tempting." Godric answered, voice rough.
A soft, thoughtful hum that held a hint of a hiss pulled Godric's eyes back open. Salazar stood looking at him thoughtfully, though his brow was creased with worry. Godric could see ideas dancing in his brother's too green gaze.
Salazar didn't voice those thoughts though. He instead noted, "You need muggle clothing."
Godric blinked. "What?"
"The muggle road the Leaky Cauldron is on is full of bookstores. One of them is bound to have a book on the British sign language." Salazar answered, his gaze dropped to his own clothing. "I suppose, a simpler tunic could work well enough. No cloaks or robes, which means we both should purchase more muggle-friendly coats." His brother made a face. "Ugh, shopping."
Godric snorted in amusement at the last grumble. "You'll survive."
"I suppose," Salazar agreed as he turned toward the stairs.
Godric killed his flames with a flick of his hand and followed only to almost run into Sally.
"By the way," Salazar said as he glanced back, "I ran into Amelia Bones, head of–"
"The Law Enforcement department," Godric finished before he frowned. "What did you do?"
Sally blinked up at him with a faint frown. "Yess…uh…well…See that sounds rather accustive Rie. I didn't do anything I didn't have to."
"Ahuh."
"She heard from Susan that you were staying with me. Then she overheard me confirming that fact to the Hufflepuffs and insisted that she has to check in on you and your new guardian. Make certain you've settled in and such. I guess there are legal procedures for children thrown out of their homes, which is a good thing."
"Sal–"
His brother huffed before he finally admitted to what he had done. "I may have implied that Arcturus is mine and, more recently, your guardian." Salazar shrugged and looked away. "I'll let him know to expect her on the first when I visit him tomorrow. You have to be present to talk to her also."
Godric stared after his retreating brother, lost for words. At least the Blacks were in-laws now. They couldn't really complain when pulled in to help get one over on the Ministry. Which reminded him–
"Nimue's been married by proxy and Arcturus said something about visiting his grandson New Year's Eve. She and her father are coming over for lunch tomorrow."
Salazar looked back with a very cat-caught-the-mouse smirk, green eyes flashing in the dim light. "Excellent."
Godric could just hear the implied 'it's all coming together as planned'. It was probably for the best that was left unsaid. With how much unplanned rubbish had happened, it would have been taunting fate.
oooPooo
1. Abbott's House Totem is the Kingfisher.
2. Mad-Eye Moody has all his scaring and missing leg due to dark magic. Magic couldn't regrow his eye or give him back his leg and foot. So "Dark" magic has caused long-lasting hearing loss for our little Bargeworthys. What dark magic is, since the founders insist there is no such thing, will be explored later.