'Hurry up Hilda! The ferry will be leaving soon!,' Johanna urged as she packed a few maps into her handbag and rolled her suitcase over to the door. Hilda came running downstairs from the bathroom, attempting to pull on her jumper and one of her boots at the same time. Naturally, she tripped, and Hilda braced for impact..and suddenly felt herself stop. Opening one eye, she saw her Mum standing there, hand outstretched and shaking. Johanna's eyes were scrunched shut as she slowly brought Hilda down the stairs, until she opened them with a gasp. Hilda fell the rest of the way, but landed harmlessly at the bottom of the stairs.

'I didn't know you could move people with magic!,' Hilda grinned, pulling on her boot and hurrying to her room to grab her things, along with Alfur and Twig. Johanna nursed her hand as she did, which was buzzing with an intense sensation of pins and needles.

'Of course you can move people with magic,' she explained as Hilda came running back out, 'But witches usually just prefer to summon books and their ingredients, people don't really like being pulled around all of a sudden, as you can imagine!'

Herself and Hilda both paused at the door, taking in the flat. The path once they got to Ireland was murky, to say the least. What would it be like once they got to the Overworld? Would they even be able to find Harry? And if so, would he even want to come with them? This was mainly Johanna's concern, but she wasn't going to let that worry stop her now.

'Well..this is it..,' Johanna sighed, taking a hold of Hilda's hand, 'I trust you'll be able to look after yourself, Tontu?,' she called out, and the house spirit hopped out between the gap in the fridge and nodded wholeheartedly.

'Don't you guys worry, not like I'm gonna be throwing parties or anything..I can try and grab a bed from somewhere for when you come back, if you want, I've been sniffing around and found a backway into the nowhere space downstairs..'

'..You don't need to do that, I want Harry to pick out his own bed,' Johanna explained, Hilda giving the Nisse a hug goodbye before they went out the door. Tontu lingered there alone for a moment, going over his thoughts. A part of him felt that the apartment was kind of at capacity, but at the same time he knew opposing Harry's return would probably result in a one way exit. Eventually, he hopped back into Nowhere Space, as Hilda spoke to her Mum at the top of the stairs.

'Could you catch me if I jumped down?,' She asked giddily, but Johanna simply smiled and shook her head, still feeling worn out from the potion experience yesterday. They'd spent the night in Astrid's, before getting the early morning train back to Trollberg. She'd been up half the night too, going through Astrid's books about fairies and learning from her Aunt everything she knew about the Tuatha de Danann. She seemed to be incredibly knowledgeable on the subject..

'I hope I've brought enough ink for this..,' Alfur murmured from within Hilda's fringe, 'If we really end up going to a whole new world to find your brother, elf kind needs to know every little detail!'

'Not every detail I hope Alfur..,' Johanna murmured as they stepped out and she shut the door behind them, 'Hilda and I are entitled to our privacy you know!'

'Oh of course not!,' the elf assured, 'Bend my quill and hope to die, I promise! Just..I haven't heard what the plan is exactly..?,' he asked nervously, this obviously triggering the elf need to have everything hyper-organised to the tiniest detail. Hilda caught her Mum's eye in the rearview mirror, wanting to know as well, and Johanna bit her lip. She hadn't exactly had the time to think of something too detailed. Astrid had basically said they needed to find an old tomb that the Tuatha de Danann used, sit down and wait.

'There's ways to get their attention, I imagine..but I don't know any of them. I'm sure they come up time and again looking for things, and once they see you they'll be incredibly hospitable, you should have no problem getting Harry home'

'How does Astrid know all this stuff anyway?,' Hilda asked the car ceiling as she stroked Twig absentmindedly. Again, Johanna bit her lip. Astrid had been her one living family member for years, being a key pillar of support after Harry was taken, but yet Johanna always felt she had never truly known her. She pushed those thoughts from her mind, as they pulled up to the port. The drive hadn't taken that due to most people being on holidays.

'Us one day, I promise..,' Johanna said quietly to herself, parking the car. Despite her urgency earlier, the ferry wasn't ready yet, still to lower its ramp and allow cars out and in. Resting on the steering wheel, she looked around for Kaisa and Tildy. They had said they'd be here, having been doing research of their own, but so far they were nowhere to be seen. That was, until Hilda opened the back door excitedly.

'David! Frida! Over here!' she called. Her friends came hurrying over, and Johanna was surprised to see that Kaisa and Tildy weren't them. Knowing something serious would have to happen for them to be late, Johanna worried that the Committee of Three had intervened. She had dealt with them years ago, during her break after the duel. They had come across as pushy, barely accepting of the idea that she had to rest and manage two toddlers on the side too.

'I knew we'd catch you!,' David grinned, getting inside, 'Frida wanted to be down here at the crack of dawn!'

'Because this is important!,' Frida exclaimed, clambering in beside him, 'We need to tell Hilda everything we've researched!'

'You've been doing research?,' Johanna said, raising one eyebrow and looking around at them. David and Frida blinked once or twice, obviously not used to having her be in the same room when they were talking about these sorts of things. Hilda nudged them awkwardly, giving her Mum a guilty grin. The Trio would have to get used to this new reality sooner rather than later.

'Uh..yes! Loads!,' Frida nodded, taking out a journal, 'David's Dad is a bit of a myth buff, so he has all these books that we could take notes from! Plus, David had this incredible story too! We think it might help you get in touch with the Tuatha de Danann!'

'Really?,' Johanna asked, turning in her chair, 'All Astrid could do was to tell us to sit at one of the old tombs dotted around Ireland..did your Father know how to get their attention, David?'

'Not exactly..but he thinks he knows most of it!,' David explained eagerly, glad to be contributing, 'When I was young, my family went on holidays to Ireland and we went to visit this place called Newgrange! My Dad got a bit obsessed with all the myth stuff..especially when the tour guide told him about these offerings they do…'

…It was late, way past his bedtime and quite cold as well despite it being April. The clouds above were dark, threatening rain for the entire time they'd been here. Sheltered in his Father's coat, he cast another bored look over to the monument. Newgrange they called it, and his father had been buzzing about a sort of ceremony that was to take place. He and his Mum hadn't bought into it as much as he had, but his Father had convinced him to come along. Mum had let them go, only making him promise they'll be back before midnight.

They had probably been here for an hour now, and he'd nodded off time and again in his Father's jacket. He wasn't totally hating it, it was nice spending time with his Dad and he feared nothing knowing that he was here to keep him safe from the dark. What he didn't like was when he kept waking him up by mistake.

'David! David! I think something might happen!'

'Huh? Where..?'

'Oh, wait..never mind,' he said sheepishly, and with a grumble the boy would go back to sleep.

That was what he expected as his Father shook him awake again. However, this time he said nothing, staring straight ahead and nodding towards the monument. Peering through the bushes, he saw a cluster of people around the entrance, tall, squat, young and old. Some ambled around in the dark, while others studied offerings left by tourists during the day. Not entirely believing what he was seeing, he looked up at his Father.

'..Surely i-it's just workers taking the stuff away' he murmured, but the man chuckled and shook his head, glancing at his watch.

'Not at this time, lad. Why would they all be wearing cloaks with their hoods up then?'

'Maybe they're acting-,' he began, before his Father put a hand over his mouth to silence him. One of the figures had wandered well away from the group, holding a box of treats that had been left out. A short thing, it set the box down and looked around, before it began to tuck into the contents greedily. It was obviously a child, and he felt his father pinch his cheek.

'Like you, eh?,' he whispered, as they watched the mite chew loudly on a bar of chocolate before it stopped at a man's voice, and then a woman's. Looking over, they saw a figure dart around the crowd anxiously, before they saw the chocolate thief and hurried towards them. They remained quiet as the child froze, and then bolted towards them unknowingly. His Father pulled back frantically, huddling next to a tree as he ducked into his coat in fright.

Peeking through, he watched as the child barged through, dropping the chocolate bar. They immediately turned to grab it, but it was enough time for their pursuer, a woman, to catch up. Short and thin, she scooped the toddler up off the ground, who fussed as she did. Taking the box, she turned to leave, gaze passing over them. He felt his Father tense and time slow, but she seemed to miss them..before she paused, looked back and froze.

His Father remained still, staring up at her and eventually he just couldn't bear to hide in the coat anymore. He scooched closer, and the woman flinched at his movement. His Father brought a calming arm around him, and her expression softened. With a small smile, she put a finger to her lips, before she strode back through the bushes as a man called out somewhere. They watched for a moment, before his Father exhaled and he stood up.

'Right..I think that's enough of that!'

Back in the present, David finished telling his tale to the rapt attention of the others. Once he was finished, Hilda gave him a friendly dig in the arm, grinning from ear to ear.

'That's amazing David! All the stuff we've been through and you've kept that to yourself!'

'Cause Dad said that the Fairies w-would come and take us away if we told anyone! Seemed pretty convinced about it too..I had to get Mum's help to convince him so he could fill in some of the bits I'd forgotten..'

'You've done a service to us, David!,' Johanna smiled, 'I was worried Hilda and I would be stuck standing around some random tomb waiting for them to appear, but you've pointed us in the right direction!'

David grinned happily, glad he was being of assistance after feeling like the odd one out, when a knock came on the window. It was Kaisa, and she looked like she'd been up all night. Slightly alarmed, Johanna reached over and opened the passenger door, her old friend exhaling as she flopped down next to them. With a wave of her hands, she opened up a void and pulled out a small stack of books before she looked at Johanna tiredly.

'Well..how much time do you have before you go?'

'Looks like they're only opening the ramp now..,' Johanna muttered, drumming her fingers on the wheel impatiently, 'What took you so long? Where's Tildy?' she asked worriedly.

'I told her to go to bed,' Kaisa yawned, '..Don't ask me how I did it, I'm surprised I was able to convince her too. But to cut a long long story short..all of what we witches know about the Tuatha de Danann is sealed by the Committee. One quest here..riddles three there..eventually we got access to just..THIS!,' Kaisa exclaimed, holding up one of the books 'This was all of it!'

'Goodness..Kaisa..neither you didn't have to-!'

' `Anna, don't even start..,' Kaisa muttered, before she flashed her a smile, 'You and Hildy deserve this, honestly!,' she exclaimed, giving Hilda a wink, 'Anyway..we learned the best place to find the Tuatha is at this grand tomb called Newgrange-'

'-Oh..!,' Johanna cut in awkwardly, 'I hate to rain on your parade, Kai, but..David just told us that!' she explained, with David nodding sheepishly behind her. Kaisa mouthed some words before she shifted around, flicking through the pages of the book and muttering to herself.

'Alright..did you already know they appreciate offerings?'

'Yeah..'

'And that they collect them during the night?'

'..Sorry!'

'What's their favourite treat then-!?'

'-Chocolate..?,' Frida replied, grinning nervously. Kaisa closed her eyes and took breath, drumming her fingers on the books before she pushed them away back into the void. She smiled at the group, before she looked back to Johanna.

' `Anna..I'm just going to catch some air..'

'Of course, take your time!,' Johanna urged, and they watched as Kaisa silently opened the door and stepped outside. She walked off in a straight line, stopped and then looked up towards the sky. Her eyes wide, Kaisa's mouth opened in silent scream for a solid minute. The Trio looked more than a little unnerved, but Johanna knew all about it, especially from her time in design school. She remembered pouring her heart into a project, and doing extremely well on it, only to be told that she'd worked too hard at it. Like Kaisa, she'd just screamed silently, several hours of her life wasted..

Kaisa got back inside and let out a long, drawn out sigh, resting her head in her hands. Johanna rubbed her shoulder to console, while David and Frida glanced at each other guiltily. Neither of them wanted to tell Kaisa they'd gotten their information straight from David's Dad's dusty bookshelf.

'Surely there was more than that?,' Johanna suggested softly, 'What about their customs? Or their society?' she asked. Kaisa lay back in her seat and shook her head, sighing once again.

'Nothing, those secrets are in the Otherworld. All we know is that they're incredibly hospitable..'

'A good change from the stone forest at least!,' Johanna grinned at Hilda, while almost accidentally telling Kaisa that Astrid had already told her all of this already. At that, a man came up to the window to check their tickets and tell them to get ready to board. Kaisa hugged Johanna goodbye, as did David and Frida with Hilda.

'I know you'll find him,' Kaisa grinned, 'Keep in touch, ok? If you need help, please `Anna, let Tildy and I know..,' holding both of Johanna's hands in her own. She nodded, determined not to break Kaisa's heart or abandon her friends ever again.

'I promise'

'Stay safe!,' Frida told Hilda worriedly as she and David got out of the car. Hilda smiled, waving her off casually, but Frida fixed her with a hard stare.

'I mean it Hilda..you and your Mum and going to a whole other world!'

'She'll be fine Frida!,' David assured, giving Hilda a wink, 'We've gotten through everything so far, right?'

'I suppose..,' Frida murmured, '..Kaisa's right, we know you'll find him!'

'Don't worry guys, Mum and I will be back in no time!,' Hilda grinned, wiping a tear from her eye, 'You're gonna be the best friends Harry could ask for, just like me!'

Johanna began to pull off, and Hilda waved her friends goodbye the whole way, moving from the side to the back window as they drove up the ramps. David, Frida and Kaisa waited another while, Hilda appearing at the back as the ferry moved off, munching on a sandwich and giving them one last wave goodbye. Johanna joined her, feeling like her arm would fall off at this point. Finally, the ferry disappeared over the horizon, though it still took Kaisa a bit of effort to move David and Frida along. Even as they walked away, she still found herself looking over her shoulder, towards the sea and far away..

Authors Notes (Contains S3 spoilers!)

A fairly small chapter for today folks. Just some nice moments between Hilda and company. Originally, this and part 12 were meant to be one, big chapter, but I realised that it was probably a lot to digest. That's why the perspectives of Harry - Hilda - Harry - etc, were switched to Harry - Harry - Hilda - Hilda, back in part 9. This is how things will stay for the rest of the story, and I feel confident in saying that Harry will be reunited with his Family soon!

Pour one out for Kaisa here, poor woman was up literally all night doing quests (Maybe I'll delve into what at some point, who knows) not to mention having to shake Tildy off, and only to get outdone by a couple of twelve year olds. The bit about schoolwork isn't really a personal anecdote, I was never the straight A's kid lol, but I definitely know what it's like to spend loads of time doing something only for it to turn out to be a waste :p.

Best part of writing this chapter for me was David's flashback. I don't think either his or Frida's parents get enough spotlight in the show, especially when David and Frida just wander off for potentially hours at a time. Like at the end of S3 they just skedaddle off to Tofoten with Hilda. Tontu brought them straight to the station, so they couldn't have told their parents! Tangent over, but ye was nice to have David spending time with his Dad.

No Irish translations for me to pad out the notes with this time, so hope you had fun reading! Good luck, take care and see you all next week!