A Daring Escape
16th of July, 1998.
Green eyes darted as the nets came in. She could see her people caught. She could feel the wards keeping them in. Her eyes widened as the nets came once more and she was captured. She struggled against the net as she was pulled up. The sky was a blink away and then it was gone. It was dark and cramped. There was no way of telling how many of them were stuck in the dark. She couldn't tell how much time had passed if it was only a few hours or days, but eventually, they were pulled out of the darkness one by one. The men who had caught them strapped a heavy collar around her neck before showing her into a dirty hovel. The humans were shouting orders to each other in gruff voices.
"Myta is that you?" someone asked.
Myta turned around and saw her sister curled up in a corner. Her scales were dry and flaking and she looked hurt. "What did they do to you, Deera?" she asked.
Deera shook her head. She couldn't talk about it. There was no way she could. Her poor sister they would hurt her too. She didn't want that to happen. Myta was so sweet and innocent. Tears were streaming down her face. She felt so raw and exposed. They had barely given her any water since pulling her out of the lake. "You have to get away," she said. "Please get away."
"How?" Myta asked.
The door was thrown open and other Selkies were led inside. Some looked like they had just been taken out of the lake while others looked as dry as Deera. The men that had caught them smirked before closing the door.
Myta didn't have to wonder what had happened to her sister for long. First, she thought the beatings would be the worst of it, but she was wrong. By nightfall, she knew what was going on. They had been very vocal about her lot in life. She was not going to break, though. No way.
18th of July, 1998.
Myta whimpered as the spell hit her. Pain flared throughout her body. In the distance, she heard a commotion. She knew she had been there for two days. Two horrible pain-filled days. Her sister was nothing but an empty shell. Someone moved through the camp and spoke angrily to the men. The one who had been hurting Myta moved away and she took the only chance she saw. She ran.
She wasn't sure how far she ran before slipping into the water. She knew that some years ago wards had appeared in the lake. They had cut her tribe off from the old village. They hadn't seen it as any greater loss since they had left nothing behind. Now she moved towards those wards. They were powerful and whoever lived there had to be powerful. Or at least that was what she was hoping. She was praying that they were benevolent too. Who knew maybe the owners of the wards were the people who had hired those brutes? She couldn't think that way though. She couldn't give up. The collar started burning as she reached the wards. She slammed her fist against the seemingly solid barrier.
Once.
Twice.
The burning increased and she fell through the wards. The burning sensation was gone. She guessed the magic of the collar didn't work inside the wards. She hoped that was a good sign. As she swam further in towards their old village her eyes widened. It looked beautiful. Someone had been down there and fixed the houses. The rock that had been threatening to fall over them was gone. Little lights glowed, but it was empty. No one lived there. She was surprised. Who would fix the village and then not use it? She swam further up. Before, they had to be careful about surfacing since non-magical people could see them if they did. Now she wasn't worried about that.
Two men were standing together by the shore. One was dark with green eyes matching her own. The other was pale with stormy blue eyes. To her, they looked very different yet the same. The dark one approached her slowly.
"Are you hurt?" he asked in mermish.
Myta blinked surprised for a moment then she was speaking in a jumbled mess. She told them of the people who had come to capture her village. She told them about the pain and the humiliation. She tugged at the collar and the dark one moved closer. He placed his hands on the collar and it crumbled beneath his touch.
"My name is Harry," he said.
"I'm Myta."
"Give us a moment and we'll go back with you and help your people," Harry said. He turned to Draco. "Stay with her and do what you can."
"You'll get help?" Draco asked.
"I'll contact Radac. The goblins are allied with the Selkies. We can't ignore this; we have to act now," Harry said. "And I'm not bringing you. Your parents would kill me."
Draco sighed irritably. It should be his choice to go. He was an adult. He held his hands out towards the Selkie that had come to them. He couldn't speak Mermish. He wouldn't be that much help that way. His hands glowed and he did his best to heal what injuries he could.
When Harry returned a moment later he was wearing full armour. He was openly carrying his weapons. "He is sending his elite," he said.
Draco nodded and took a step back as a platoon of goblins in full armour appeared.
Master Kerac bowed to Harry who bowed back. "Thank you for coming on such short notice," Harry said.
"Your errant seemed urgent," Kerac said.
"I'll send Kali with you," Harry said as he summoned his familiar. He looked at Draco. "How well connected are you to Bellue?" he asked. "Can you see through her?"
Draco nodded slowly. "You want me to summon her and scout?" he asked.
Harry grinned. "That is exactly what I want."
One of the other goblins walked forward and handed Draco a device. "Speak there and we can hear you," he said gruffly as he pointed. He walked up to Harry and handed him a much smaller device. "It will need to be connected to your magic."
Harry took the small cone and pushed it into his ear. He made sure it wouldn't go anywhere before raising his hood and putting his mask on. 'I'm taking the waterways,' he told them mentally. 'Good luck.'
Kali started running and the goblins followed her. Harry moved back to the water and the Selkie went with him.
Draco sat down and held the communications device as he summoned Bellue. It was a little tricky to move his consciousness to his familiar but not impossible. He took off flying over the lake. While looking around. "Hovels on the northern side of the lake," he said. "Looks like a fair amount of people, but I don't know how dangerous they'll be. There is some kind of fancy man walking around I'm guessing he is the one who put the others up to this."
'We want him,' Harry projected. 'Wards in the water trying to keep things in. Not well made. Full of holes. Easy to take down, but we'll just swim through.'
"The Selkies look like they could use a soak," Draco said.
'Wave incoming on command,' Harry said.
"We want the fancy one first," Kerac said. "Then you can pull the whole place down if you want to. We want a few alive, but we certainly don't need all of them."
'Big and flashy or sneaky?' Harry asked.
"Big and flashy. You can sneak some other time," Kerac said.
'Waterbreathing and ground keeping?'
"We can be ready," Kerac said. "We're spreading out."
"Increase the half-moon a little, they'll see you otherwise," Draco said. He saw how the goblins moved and it made him feel warm to know they just listened to him without argument.
"Wards up in three, two, one," Kerac said.
'Wave building,' Harry said. He moved back slightly and motioned for Myta to come closer to him. Then he pulled the water of the lake closer and upwards until it looked like a dark glistening wall. The sun caught in the droplets forming a rainbow. From within the wall, Harry stepped out and took his mask off. "For your crimes we bring retribution," he said sternly, and his voice carried. "You have moved towards our allies. We now defend them."
"Attack him!" someone shouted and a spell headed for Harry.
Draco was holding his breath as he saw his Master, for Harry or Kato this was his Master, moved out of the spell's path as he drew his bow and fired an arrow back. The man who had attacked him fell dead.
"No mercy," Harry said. 'Wave incoming in three, two, one.' He pushed the water forward and held it within the wards the goblins had raised. It forced the humans back towards the goblins while rejuvenating the Selkies.
Harry had put his mask back on and was swimming in among the hovels. Every time he found a Selkie he removed their collar. There were many injured and some would need a lot of help to regain who they had once been. He could help them a little, but a lot would have to be done within the Clan.
Myta swam up to her sister and pulled her along over to Harry. He removed Deera's collar and motioned for all the Selkies near him to come closer a wave of healing magic went out over all of them aiding their natural healing and the water in making them better. It was the best he could do for so many. "Myta led them back to my wards. They can go through," he said calmly in Mermish.
As people left a few remained. Harry recognised the garb of the Matron and her guard. He bowed his head. "You wish to speak to me Matron?" he asked.
"Where are they being taken?" the Matron asked as she pointed at Goblins who were teleporting away with humans.
"Back to my grounds. It is the nearest friendly territory we have," Harry said.
"We want to pass judgment," the Matron said.
"I'll let Master Kerac know," Harry said. He led the Selkies back to the lake slowly as he also returned the water. He looked around carefully for lifeforms before doing a secondary scan for any dead. He walked over to a building and opened the door. He was glad that he was still wearing his mask. It looked like a slaughterhouse. 'Don't look this way Draco,' he told his apprentice before walking in. He turned as the Matron joined him. "They will pay for this," he said. "Death is too good for these men."
"They must be returned to the water," the Matron said.
Harry nodded. "I speak your language, but I do not know your customs very well. Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked. He was standing by the body of a young child. He had seen things like this back in Skyrim and it had never ended well for those who were responsible.
"Bring them back to the water," the Matron said.
Harry closed his eyes and reached out towards the lake again. He pulled in a wave and lifted the bodies with it back out. "Would you like me to bring you back to your people?" he asked.
"I would," the Matron said. "Please show the way."
Harry walked back to the water and dived in. he made sure that the bodies of the dead Selkies came with them as he swam back towards his wards.
"You are the master of these wards?" the Matron asked as they passed the wards.
"I am," Harry said.
"You are not locking us in," the Matron noted as she put her arm back through the wards.
"That was never my intention," Harry said.
They swam over a bank and looked down towards the village below. The Matron's eyes widened as she saw the village. "You have done this?" she asked.
"With help from the goblins," Harry said. "We found it after we erected the wards. We concluded that the Village wasn't in use, but we felt like it would be a shame to let it crumble. I wasn't sure if Selkies still lived in the lake, but we always had the intention to look. My life is very eventful so I haven't had time to reach out."
"And you will allow us to stay here?" the Matron asked.
"If that is what you wish," Harry said. "The rest of the lake stands open to you, but you can always come back here."
"What will you ask of us in return?" the Matron asked.
Harry had considered this before in case he ever did find Selkies. He had talked to experts among the goblins and he knew what to ask for. "I keep dragons," he said. "Little dragons. I will show you. They eat fish. Could you cultivate fish in the lake for them?"
The Matron looked at him for a long while. "You ask of us to do something we would have needed your permission to do," she said. "You truly are not like most humans. I wish to see these dragons, but I would like to tend to my people first."
"I'll go make sure that the goblins don't leave with the prisoners," Harry said.
"Much appreciated," the Matron said.
Harry got back out of the lake. Draco was standing with Qozul next to him. He looked a little uncomfortable next to the bound and gagged men looked over by the goblin guards. "What will happen to them?" he asked Harry.
"That is up to the Selkies and the goblins," Harry said. "Though I might have a suggestion or two."
"Do I have to stay?" Draco asked. "I know what you are capable of and I don't think I'd like to witness torture."
"You did a formidable job today, young man," Master Kerac said as he came walking over to them. "This is unseemly business. You may leave. Know that your participation has been noted and you will be compensated accordingly."
Draco bowed his head. "Thank you Master Kerac and may your enemies shake at the mere thought of you." He said before taking his leave. Qozul went with him. He got the feeling Monah didn't want them there. He wondered when Bromah was coming back. Monah was always happier then.
"Let's separate them," Harry said. "Make life a little more comfortable for two of them and make sure the others can see but not hear and bring the fancy one further away."
"Human mind game?" Kerac asked.
Harry nodded. "Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It won't hurt us either way," he said. "I want them talking so I'm going to go change and come back. They don't know what I look like. Let's see if I can loosen some jaws."
"Do as you wish," Master Kerac said. "We are on your lands."
"Don't take anything I say too seriously and look very menacing. I will speak in Tamrielic if I want to say something to you," Harry said in Tamrielic. He wasn't gone for long. He came back in his master robes and walked straight over to the prisoners who had been separated from the rest. He conjured comfortable armchairs and ordered Winky to bring in wine. "Now, I am Master Peverell. I was sent to ensure that you were treated right," he said as he poured the wine. "I apologise for any inconvenience that this might cause you. Unfortunately, we are having difficulties in convincing the goblins to let you over into our custody. If I better understood the situation I might be of more assistance." He waited. He knew that men like this one like to talk. They had made sure that none of the prisoners could hear each other and he doubted anyone of them could read lips. It took a little while before the overly embellished man sat down with his glass of wine. "The gall of these things," he said irritably. "I am running a very profitable business with customers waiting for a delivery. It isn't enough that my workforce are idiots. I have to deal with those… monsters, too."
The goblin standing closest to them slammed the butt of his spear on the ground and showed his teeth.
"Don't mind him," Harry said calmly. "Now this business am I right in believing that it isn't strictly illegal, but the goblins may take offence?"
"Yes… thank you for understanding. There are no laws against what I do. I simply make sure that rich and powerful people can make use of the dredge of society. I'm not breaking any laws," Mr Fancy said.
Harry smiled. "I see. Well, this should be easy to deal with," he said. "It might take some time though. In the meantime…" He snapped his fingers and Winky showed up with food. "Please enjoy." He walked away from the man. "He doesn't need to see beyond his wards," he told the goblin guarding the fool before continuing. "Grab a few and interrogate them however you see fit," he said as he stopped by Kerac. "We seem to have a system problem and no support in wizarding law."
Kerac shook his head. "Should I be surprised?" he said.
Harry wasn't sure how to respond. He knew that he wouldn't let things like this continue. He utterly hated anything remotely close to sextrade. Right now what mattered was that these men would not get away with what they had done. The Ministry and their faulty laws be damned. He walked over to the next man who had been moved from the rest. He had been picked randomly and was there more to mess with the rest of them. Harry didn't speak to him for long, but he learnt what he wanted to know. These guys were just thugs. In the greater scheme of things, it didn't matter what happened to them.
The Matron walked out of the water slowly. Her guards followed closely behind her and several members of the tribe could be seen too.
"How well do you understand human speech?" Harry asked her.
"Well enough," the Matron said. "I do not speak it, however."
"So far all I know is that your Tribe was taken for profit. Most of these people are thugs and their reasons for hurting your people the way they did was mostly because they could," Harry said.
"You think we should be benevolent?" the Matron asked
"I think you should do what you think is right," Harry said. "I just want to show you what the man behind them has to say. I will say many things that won't sound very nice just to get him to talk."
The Matron nodded slowly. "Go ahead," she said. She followed Harry over to a man who was enjoying what appeared to be a rather splendid feast. Harry walked through the ward holding him and struck up a conversation.
"How is it going?" Mr Fancy asked.
"We are running into some problems, but should have you out of here by nightfall at the latest," Harry said. "I must however ask… was it your idea to cut them open?"
"Such a waste of a good product," Mr Fancy said. "That child could have sold for hundreds of galleons. Just between you and me I have buyers that pay handsomely for children. Harpy, Veela, Selkie. They like them exotic."
"Understandable, who would want to deal with the same old drag all the time," Harry said. He felt a ping on the wards. He had a feeling the Matron had heard enough.
"We are ready to pass judgment," the Matron said. She watched Harry as he wrote names down on a list and handed it to the nearby goblin. "Those men have bought children," he said. "We might want to look into that."
The goblin nodded solemnly. No child should have to suffer. It didn't matter what race they were.
"If you excuse me I'm going to go get my armour again," Harry said. He wasn't sure how he would ever get the things he had seen that day out of his head. He strapped into the armour and headed back downstairs. They had gathered all of the men together again. They were facing the water and the Selkies in it. Harry walked up next to the Matron. "Have you decided what to do yet?" he asked.
"These men have done the unforgivable," the Matron said. "While death is too kind on them, we do not wish for the possibility of escape."
"I could offer a solution for that," Harry said. "An added ward below the surface. I found a cave. I can let air in without allowing them to escape. You can keep them alive for as long as you like. I would just prefer not knowing what is going on down there."
"Set the wards," the Matron said. She hadn't been satisfied with just killing these humans. She was glad that Harry could give her a better option.
…
The sun was setting as Harry returned. He had made sure that the walls couldn't be taken down by any means he could think of. Once they had moved the humans he would make sure no human could enter or leave. It would be up to the Selkies after that.
They moved quickly. Selkies that had healed quickly took the men down to the water and forced them in. Harry walked up to the man he had dubbed Mr Fancy. "Time to leave," he said.
"I am not going anywhere until Master Peverell returns," Mr Fancy said.
"A shame you don't have any say in the matter," Harry said darkly. He grabbed the man and pulled him towards the water. He forced him along to the cave and pushed him inside.
"You cannot do this to me," Mr Fancy said. "I have powerful friends."
Harry set the last runes. "Like I care," he said. He pulled his hood down. "Those friends of yours will find what it means to anger the goblins."
"Master Peverell?"
"Master Healer Kato Peverell," Harry said. "Enjoy each other's company." He walked out and he was never coming back. It was up to the Selkies what happened to these men now. He made his way back to the house and cleaned off. He felt tired, empty.
…
The moon was resting calmly in the velvety blue sky. The lights were out in Ennerdale. A piercing scream cut through the silence.
Remus was out of his room and had a hand on the door to his son's room when he heard heaving from the Master bedroom. "Harry?" He placed a hand on the door.
"I'm fine," Harry's muffled voice called back. "I'll throw up some muffling so you aren't bothered again."
"I'd rather know, Harry," Remus said. He sighed as he received no response. He hoped Harry would be alright.
20th of July, 1998.
Raiden looked around tiredly. His nightmares were not relenting and he was slowly having a harder and harder time focusing. Sitting in on an Order meeting certainly wasn't stimulating enough to keep his attention. His eyes moved lazily between the people arguing with each other. He didn't even know most of their names. Why was he part of these meetings again?
"How about the Auror front?" Albus asked.
"The Brigade does what it can," Dora said. "Since You-know-who still hasn't really done anything we have very little to react to. We know they are out there, but we can't just enter people's homes and do searches at random. We need proof."
"Of course," Albus said. He was concerned about the lack of movement from Voldemort's camp. Why were there no attacks? What was Tom planning? He wished he knew more. He looked at Severus. "Any news?" he asked.
"The Dark Lord is recruiting," Severus said. "He is establishing a heavier foothold in all families already loyal to him and they are bringing other people in. It is slow, but the Ministry will eventually be flooded with his people." He looked at Dora. "You will have to be careful."
"We know," Dora said.
"Apart from that there are no plans to do anything yet," Severus said. "He is certainly more cautious, but I wouldn't confuse it with idleness. He holds Fenrir's leash tight for now. I think he fears the Ministry weaponising the Cure at this stage. That will change, but he is keeping his cards close.
"Thank you, Severus," Albus said.
Raiden hid a yawn. He really needed to get some sleep. He got up with everyone else and headed home. He barely managed to get himself out of the glamour before he collapsed in bed.
