Disclaimer: All charcters and world concepts are property of J.K. Rowling
Disclaimer: This is not the work of CNG25 but that of Lilausty, originally published on harrypotterfanfiction-dot-com.
Chapter 21: Angel in the Dark
Several days had passed since Harry, Ginny and the founders had left Hogwarts. Several letters had been delivered in that time, including a couple of howlers from both Mrs Weasley and McGonagall. Harry had tried to keep Ginny from hearing the words that her mother screamed out, but she did not want to be mollycoddled.
The founders had not been shocked by McGonagall's attitude, but they had been flayed by the argument that Harry had had with his friends, particularly Ron. However, Harry refused to mope about it, knowing that he was right and that sooner or later they would understand. He did not believe that his friendship was over with them, not by a long shot, but he knew that at least for the first couple of weeks after new years, things were going to be tense.
The founders, figuring that Harry and Ginny deserved a break, had stopped giving them lessons over the holidays. At first, the two teens figured they were just being nice, but Helga later confided in Harry that the speed at which the two were learning was surpassing what the founders expected, and they were fast running out of things to teach them.
This really shocked Harry, as he didn't feel like he had learnt much at all. Helga had merely given him a wry smile and told him to think about everything he had learnt since they had arrived and then tell her that he hadn't learnt much.
After examining the knowledge in his brain, Harry realised that he had learnt more in the last couple of months then he had within the last 7 years, by a factor of 10!
After disguising himself heavily, Harry had taken a short trip to Diagon Alley, to try and find a present for Ginny. Even in the largest magical shopping district in England, Harry still could not find anything that jumped out at him, and he had returned home quite despondent.
Rowena, taking pity on him, took him aside the day before Christmas and told him to try his vault in Gringotts. She believed strongly that there would be something there that would snatch his interest, especially if most of the Potter heirlooms were not lost to the centuries.
Harry could have smacked himself, having never thought about his vault. After saying a hurried farewell and asking if they could keep Ginny's attention again, he quickly took the portal to his vault.
Even after 6 months of knowing how rich he was, he still gasped when he laid eyes on the masses of riches arrayed in the vault. Bypassing the coinage completely, Harry made his way over to the many objects lining the walls.
Having only spent a very small amount of time looking at the contents of his vault the last time he had been in Gringotts, Harry couldn't help but be surprised at the number of objects displayed before him. Magically kept free from dust and mould, gold and gems glittered on jewellery, pieces of armour and paintings.
He made his way immediately over to the jewellery section, thinking that something there would grab his attention. Indeed, his eyes were dazzled by the array of beautiful necklaces, earrings, rings and other body decorations. He paused over a necklace, its fiery red stones set in bright gold reminding him fiercely of Ginny's hair.
Not being an expert, Harry puzzled over the stones, thinking that they glowed too brightly to be an ordinary ruby or garnet. Shrugging, he grabbed the beautiful display box and put it in his bag. He wasn't convinced that this was the present that he wanted to give her on Christmas, but it would look lovely around her neck.
Passing the rest of the jewellery as well as the paintings he spied a massive cupboard towards the back of the vault. Something inside of him twitched, and he knew that whatever he wanted to get Ginny for Christmas, it was going to be in the cupboard.
Hastily making his way over to it, he almost upset an ancient suit of armour that looked like it could have come from the Roman times. As he stood before the cupboard he marvelled at the enormity of it as well as the intricate carvings adorning it.
Grasping the handle, he braced himself to pull hard on it, expecting the door to be warped or at least un-oiled. Much to his surprise, it opened easily and noiselessly, obviously having been kept in good condition due to magic.
Throwing open the double doors, Harry peered inside, momentarily disappointed that nothing grabbed his attention straight away. One side of the wardrobe was set aside for clothes, obviously having belonged to a woman of great prestige and wealth. The gold embroidery was so fine, it seemed to glow from inside the material.
Turning to look at the other half of the wardrobe, he saw six shelves, all housing large carved boxes, some of wood and others of stone. Sighing, he grabbed the top one and opened it to see what was in it. He slammed the lid shut immediately as a disgusting smell reached his nose.
Not having seen what was in it, his curiosity was piped and he cast a bubble head charm around himself before opening it again. Harry felt his eyebrows rise in surprise as he saw a magically expanded box which contained many potion ingredients, some of which Harry could not identify. This was a shock, considering the first thing Salazar had taught him in Potions was all of the different types of ingredients.
Knowing that it would interest the snake founder greatly, Harry hastily stuffed the box into his bag before grabbing the second one off its shelf. Excitedly, he opened it only to feel his shoulders slump as he saw another magically expanded interior filled with shoes. Not thinking that such a gift would impress Ginny he put it back before looking at the other four boxes before him.
He muttered to himself, "There had better be something in here, otherwise I am so going to start throwing things!" He passed his hands over the closest three before squatting down and looking at the bottom box.
Of all of them, it was obviously the heaviest made from a type of stone that Harry couldn't identify. It was also the largest of the boxes, even if not being magically expanded it could fit a young child easily. He tried to move it but couldn't even make it budge a millimetre.
Scowling at it he growled, "Of course, the one I want to look inside is the one that cannot be moved!"
He tried to cast a feather-light charm on it, but it bounced off, the box obviously being immune to most forms of magic. Harry exclaimed in frustration, "Oh for crying out loud, just move!"
To his astonishment, the box came flying out at him and hit him in the chest, knocking him flat on his back with a surprised "Ooofff!" Wincing, he placed a hand over his chest, knowing that it would come up in an impressive bruise later on. He looked up at the box which was hovering in the air above him warily.
Getting to his feet, he narrowed his eyes slightly, "Um, box, can you go and lower yourself to the table?" he asked slowly. When nothing happened he shook his head, "Great, now I am talking to a box! Come on! Move!"
Again the box lunged towards him, but his reflexes, born of Quidditch and Gryffindor's training had him diving to the side. Cocking his head slightly in puzzlement he examined the floating stone box. After a moment's thought he burst out laughing, "Oh of course! Box, move yourself to the table!"
To his delight, it did so, settling down gently. Harry made his way over to it and ran his hands over the lid. On it was carved the picture of a forest setting with an angel playing a flute. The angel's hair and wings were adorned with gold and the flute glittered silver.
Harry couldn't help but gasp at the beauty displayed before him. His thumb sought the latch, almost sub-consciously, to open the box. His breathing was quickening as he felt it give way and the lid start to lift. A beam of light formed around the crack, casting small golden rays across the room.
There was a whispering sound, reached his ears, almost reminding him of music. Eagerly he opened the lid fully, closing his eyes against the light that burst forth, bathing him not only in radiance but also warmth. However, it was not the brightness that caused tears to form in his eyes, but the music that also started to fill the room.
Harry had never considered anything could create more beautiful music than a phoenix, but he found himself utterly spell bound by the melody that wafted around him. He didn't know how long he listened, it could have been seconds or it could have been days, but eventually he blinked his eyes and peered into the open box.
He gasped.
Inside was a living representation of the carving on the lid. A miniature forest was growing in the magically expanded box, and leaning against one of the trees was a woman playing a flute. He could only describe her as an angel, though it was obvious she was some type of fairy.
Though what sort he did not know, for all known fairies of the present day had spider web thin wings, and were very unintelligent, often cruel and flighty. However, Harry only had to look at this one for a moment to tell that she was not like that. Her wings looked like all those church representations of angels, make of tiny gold feathers folded neatly around her.
Her hair cascaded around her in waves, like liquid gold and her eyes showed intelligence, kindness and love. As her eyes met his, she stopped playing and her jaw dropped, obviously startled. She stood up quickly and hid behind the tree, peering around it in an effort to look at him without being spied.
Harry, unsure how to convey to her that he was a friend and would not harm her, smiled slightly. She tilted her head to the side but did not move from her spot behind the tree.
Harry reached into the box and held his hand out to her, not making any sudden movements. She didn't shy away, but she did clutch the tree and her flute harder, her eyes suddenly wary. Harry whispered softly to her, "I do not know if you can understand me little one, but I mean you know harm, I only wish to get to know you."
The woman again tilted her head, obviously having heard his words. Harry did not know if she could comprehend English, but he had tried to make his voice sound friendly. After a moment, she took a ginger step towards his hand, obviously prepared to spring away at a moment's notice.
He didn't move a muscle and she moved out from behind the tree, her face relaxing slightly. He smiled at her again, and this time she hesitantly returned it. As she smiled, Harry felt like the room was once again bathed in warm glowing light. The beauty that was revealed within the smile was something Harry had never before witnessed, not even from a Veela putting forth all her power.
Unsure what to call her, whether fairy or angel, Harry whispered again, "I wish you could speak to me, tell me who you are. I want to take you with me, but you are obviously so intelligent that I find myself worried that I will offend you."
A twinkle came into the woman's eyes as she reached his outstretched hand. In one fluid movement she grabbed his thumb and pulled, hard. An instant later, Harry found himself flying forwards and downwards, straight into the box. He had an inexplicable sense that the trees were growing, but he realised that it wasn't that everything around him had gotten bigger, but that he had gotten smaller.
He climbed to his feet, looking around at the forest that he now found himself in before turning his eyes to the woman who had pulled him in. He opened his mouth but before he could say anything she put a finger to his lips saying, "Yes, I understand you, and no, you will come to no harm in here. I only wished to see you face to face. It has been so long since I have seen another living soul."
Harry was so startled that she spoke that he almost jumped backwards. She laughed, her voice like music, "You need not fear me. I will not hurt you"
He looked at her more carefully and as he did, he realised that there were more distinct differences between her and the fairies of the land. A fairy's skin was always pearlescent, almost silver-like it was so pale. Her skin however, reflected her hair, with a golden tinge set off by the pure white dress she was wearing.
Her eyes, unlike a fairy's which were always a deep purple, glittered a mixture of deep blue and green and reflected silver sparkles like the night sky. An ageless wisdom was revealed in those eyes, an intelligence beyond even a centaurs' understanding.
As he stood there examining her, a wry smile appeared on her face and it took him a moment to realise what he had been doing. He blushed and looked away causing her to laugh again, "Do I meet with your approval sir?"
He blushed even deeper and looked at his feet. She whispered, "You need not be abashed. I would feel disappointed if you didn't stare at me a little."
Harry nervously smiled at her, drinking in her beauty once again. He replied softly, "May I know your name? Or at the very least, what you are?"
She gestured to the ground, sitting herself down gracefully, "I can answer one of those easily, the other not so. You see, I do not believe I am a true 'being.' I was created to live in this forest, and here I will dwell for all of eternity."
Harry was shocked, "Eternity? You mean you are immortal?"
She nodded smiling gently, "For as long as this forest survives, yes. However, you asked to know my name, it is Ezrielle."
"Ezrielle." He rolled the name over his tongue and smiled, "It certainly suits you."
She inclined her head, "Thank you, may I know your name?"
"Of course, I am Harry Potter, but please, just call me Harry." He replied. She smiled once again, and Harry felt contented. He could have stayed where he was forever and not felt guilty. He looked at her again, "You said that you were created, do you know by whom?"
A shadow of sorrow passed over her face, and the forest was plunged into darkness. He started to apologise profusely but she held up her hand, "You have no need to feel sorry Harry, but it is a painful subject for me. You see, I only ever saw my creator once. I was to be a present for his lover, but from what I understand, she died before he could deliver me. I was then cast away before I even knew his name. The lid to my world was closed, so I could not see where I was going, but I can always feel if I am moving. I was placed here very soon after he had discarded me, and have not moved ever since. I have seen no face since I have been here."
Harry could almost feel her pain himself, and he wanted to comfort her somehow. He asked softly, "If you do not mind me asking, what do you do here? What did he create you for?"
Immediately she brightened, and the forest was once again filled with light, "To heal Harry, he created me to heal. Not physical wounds as it were, but the soul. In here, nothing matters, all is at peace and the music that I play can lift even the most unhappy spirit. You noticed it did you not?"
Harry nodded, "Yes, I feel like I could stay here forever. I haven't felt this relaxed in, I don't know how long."
She looked at him seriously, "I knew the moment I saw you that your soul was in pain. I do not know what has caused it but you have been touched by darkness, that much is clear."
Even the reference to Voldemort was not enough to pull his spirits down from the clouds, and he merely nodded. She gave a small smile, "May I ask what you plan to do once you leave here?"
Startled, he looked at her, "L-leave?"
She laughed, "You cannot stay here forever Harry. I am no nymph that I would bind you to a place that you do not belong. I will return you to your world so that you may go about your business. I just wanted to know if I and my forest could come with you?"
He stared at her seriously, "To be honest, I was looking for a gift for my love. You say you never were presented to your creator's lover, well, would you like to, belatedly, fulfil your purpose and be given to mine?"
A nervous and hopeful look came into her eyes, "You mean you would take me with you? And I could be around living souls?"
"Yes of course. You say that you are not a true 'being' but you seem as real as any other flesh and blood being I know, and not being should be left alone. Your gift should be shared with the world, for there is much pain out there. Ginny, my love, has been through nearly as much as me in her short life, and could use healing as well. This place, I feel, would be perfect for her to just retreat to if she finds herself overwhelmed." Harry replied.
Ezrielle nodded her head almost frantically, "Oh yes, please take me to her! I wish to be of use to someone."
Harry smiled, "I am pleased that you agree, for I do not think I could take you from your current abode without your permission."
She suddenly stopped, "You know you have to take my forest with you, don't you?"
He smiled once again, "Of course, that is not a problem. The container in which this forest is stored is movable, as you must know."
She relaxed once again and nodded, "Very well, I will return you to your proper size so we can be on our way." Without even waiting for a goodbye she waved her hands over him and he once again found himself inside his vault, staring down at the tiny woman and her forest. She smiled at him before waving him away.
He nodded and closed the lid before tossing a velvet cloth over it to disguise the carvings. Taking a last look around at the vault, he decided that he would take the founders with him the next time he visited. Looking at the stone box he murmured softly, "Box, please move through the portal after me."
He turned around and faced his trunk-portal and walked through it quickly. Turning around he was relieved to see that the box had followed him and was hovering behind him. He smiled, "Please move after me up to my room."
He was just about to move up the stairs when he heard Ginny calling his name. Turning around, he found himself thrown backward as she hurled into his arms, "Where have you been?" she asked softly.
He patted her on the back, "Just in my vault collecting a few things. And before you ask, no, you cannot see what they are. Yet."
She frowned for a second before her eyes lit up and she grinned, "Oh! You finally got around to getting me a Christmas present!"
He was shocked, "Ho-how did you know that I hadn't gotten you one already?"
She giggled, "Helga told me that you were frantically searching the world for the perfect gift, and that you were going to hang yourself if you couldn't do it."
He growled, "Next time I see her, remind me to kill her!"
Ginny hugged him again, "Don't worry Harry, whatever it is that you have got, I know I will love it."
He grinned at her, "I hope so, because you can't get a return on this one!" he gestured to the covered box floating behind him. Immediately her interest was peaked, but before she could even try to figure out what it was, he was swiftly moving up the stairs, the box following him.