I do not own any part of the Harry Potter or Eragon universes.

"What do you think of the story Oromis and Glaedr told us?" Artemis asked, walking beside Harry.

"I thought I would hate Galbatorix and the forsworn for what they did to the dragons, but those two are living proof of all the pain they caused," Harry responded with a frown.

Artemis turned her glowing blue eyes towards Harry, shining like deep-set sapphires. "I can't even imagine what it's like not to be connected to magic," she said slowly. "Magic flows through us dragons like no other creature, and those who should harm that connection should burn."

As flames shot from Artemis's nostrils, a faint smile played on Harry's lips. The elves nearby laughed, joy shining in their eyes as they looked at Artemis. They raised their fingers to their lips in greeting, and Harry exchanged a surprised glance with Artemis as they saw an elf beckoning them to come closer.

They approached the elf.

He stopped in front of the elf and touched his lips with two fingertips.

"May luck be with you," the elf began, surprising Harry by addressing him first. Arya had explained to them that it was customary for someone of lower rank to start first.

But the elf did not raise her fingertips to her lips. It surprised Harry, because Arya had taught them that it meant telling the truth in the conversation.

"And may the stars watch over you," Harry replied in the ancient language.

The elf smiled and finished the greeting with, "It has been many years since such a beautiful dragon like you walked through these woods, Bjartskular."

Artemis shook her shimmering white wings, a satisfied hum rumbling from her throat.

The elf had long silver hair, which was draped over her shoulder, and was dressed in a light-yellow gown. She then turned to Harry and said, "My name is Isílwen of House Haldthin, it is an honour to meet you, Rider."

"Be careful, Harry," Artemis warned him. "The elf was present in the Tialdarí Hall when we first arrived and saw Islanzadí. She was among the other lords and ladies. Be on your guard."

Harry's eyes widened. "It is likewise an honour. May I ask what brings you to us?"

Isílwen's eyes lit up as she played with a strand of her hair.

She shook her head affectionately and said, "No, Argetlam. I merely wished to meet the Rider who was responsible for the victory against the Urgals. They say you are extremely powerful and capable of magic that no one else can wield."

"I changed my mind. I don't like her," Artemis growled.

Harry blinked. "I don't think I was solely responsible for that. It was Arya who distracted Durza, enabling Eragon to thrust the sword into his dark heart."

As he mentioned Arya's name, a shadow seemed to pass over the elf's face.

Isílwen gently touched Harry's upper arm with her fingertips, but he recoiled suspiciously.

"Perhaps we could get to know each other better over dinner... I would love to hear your stories," she whispered.

He hadn't even noticed how close she had gotten to him.

Isílwen smiled at him, but the corners of her mouth betrayed a false smile that made Harry's hackles rise. He had seen it too many times. He hated it.

His eyes turned ice-cold, and the elf's eyes widened in alarm.

"Harry Potter! There you are at last," called out a familiar voice. Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he turned away and saw Dellanir. Arya stood beside her.

Her dark hair was intricately braided into a plait, which cascaded over her shoulder. Delicate white flowers adorned it as if they were part of the starry sky. The gentle cut of the green dress accentuated her figure, making his heart beat faster.

"You've got it bad," Artemis remarked.

"Shut up."

Arya looked at Isílwen with dark eyes. Dellanir came to his side and looked at him questioningly, ignoring Isílwen.

"I have some questions for you. Are you finished with this conversation?" she asked him.

"Um, I think so," he said, feeling a little uneasy. Dellanir nodded contentedly.

"Very well. Then show me the way to your house. Chop-chop, we don't have all day." He was amused at her brisk tone. It reminded him a bit of McGonagall.

Isílwen suddenly stamped her foot on the ground. "The Dragon Rider and I weren't finished!" She looked angry and annoyed.

Dellanir raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I believe Harry has better things to do than waste his time with a nincompoop like you."

Arya held her hand up to her eyes and murmured, "That's why nobody wants anything to do with you, grandmother."

Isílwen flushed crimson. "You may have once been our queen, Dellanir, but dare not insult me or my house!"

Dellanir was about to open her mouth, but Arya slid her arm under Dellanir's and pulled her away.

Harry began to follow them, only daring to turn around when he was sure Isílwen couldn't hear them anymore.

"Who was that?" Harry asked Arya, who was still pulling Dellanir along.

"Do you remember what I told you and Artemis about the Elven Lords and Ladies?" Arya asked.

Harry nodded. "There are a total of 12 Lords and 12 Ladies who rule over elven territories."

"Exactly," Arya said with a weak smile. "For example, Lord Däthedr rules over Sílthrim. But some families have lost their land. Oromis-"

"-is the Lord of House Thrándurin, who once ruled over Luthivíra on the edge of the Silverwood," Harry finished. "That's what Oromis told us today."

Arya tilted her head slightly to the side as she looked at Harry. She smiled satisfactorily.

"The city, like many others of ours, was destroyed by Galbatorix and his worthless idiots. The same fate befell House Haldthin," Dellanir then explained.

Harry suddenly stopped as he tried to recall the ancient language. "Doesn't Haldthin mean Thornapple?"

"It does," Dellanir snorted. "Long ago, during the Du Fyrn Skulblaka, there was an elf named Haldthin. He was a very simple elf, not the brightest star in the sky if you two understand what I mean. He was one of the few elves at the time who spoke out against the pact with the dragons. He was very eager for us to kill the dragons."

Harry's eyes widened, and Arya furrowed her brow. "You never mentioned that to me," Arya said, surprised.

Dellanir smiled. "You never asked, my star."

Arya stared at her grandmother with narrowed eyes.

"What happened to him?" Harry asked curiously.

"He and the other elves eventually had to relent and follow the word of my predecessor Tarmunora," Dellanir replied. "He founded House Haldthin with them and lived in the north of Alagaёsia, where Ceunon lies today."

"Lived?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, lived. Haldthin was always a great dreamer. He announced that he had had a vision in a dream and set off south. He was never seen again."

Harry stared at Dellanir. When he was in Tarnag and saw the history of Alagaёsia on the painting, he couldn't imagine ever getting so old.

And now, an elf walked beside him who did witness the beginning of the Dragon Riders.

"And what does all this have to do with Isílwen?" Harry asked.

"Haldthin is her ancestor, and, after the death of my son, she tried to become our queen," Dellanir's voice trembled for a moment as she spoke of her son.

"It seems to run in the family, as she's not the most subtle about it either. She received little support, though, because she believes we should leave Alagaёsia, and leave the dragons behind… even though she didn't become queen, she continues to seek the next best opportunity to seize power."

"And that's why she came onto Harry," Artemis grumbled.

"Exactly, Dragon. She would gain a powerful position if she had a Dragon Rider as a partner," Dellanir said.

"What?!" Harry exclaimed, turning to Dellanir.

Artemis blew warm air over his head, tousling his hair.

"I told you to be careful," Artemis reminded him. "But there's no need to worry."

"Why is that?" Dellanir questioned her.

"She's ugly," Artemis replied simply, wrinkling her snout.

And his heart is already taken, Artemis thought with a smirk. Even if he hasn't realized it yet.

"Ha! I like you, Artemis," Dellanir laughed.

Arya chuckled amusedly, and Harry frustratedly ran a hand over his face.

"But one thing I don't understand," Harry began as they walked slowly through the forest.

"Why is Isílwen so obsessed with power? All just to leave Alagaёsia? Then she could go alone," Harry remarked.

"I think it has a lot to do with Enduriel, doesn't it?" Arya said, turning to Dellanir, who furrowed her brow.

"Enduriel? Who was that?" Artemis asked.

"He was one of the forsworn and her brother," Arya explained to him.

"Due to her brother's betrayal and the loss of her land, House Haldthin has lost a lot of influence it once had. The few members who are still alive are just shadows of what was once a great house and live with the shame that one of theirs brought about the downfall of the Riders," Dellanir said. "Her first goal is to restore her house's honour. And for that she will do whatever it takes."

Artemis' and Harry's new home soon came into view. To their surprise, they were not alone, as Sirius, Thiora, and Lily were waiting at the entrance. Sirius and Thiora were engaged in a discussion, while Lily lay on the ground, gazing up at the sky.

"I still say Harry wouldn't mind if we just went in," Sirius said, arms crossed.

Thiora rolled her eyes. "I know politeness isn't in your vocabulary, Sirius, but certain customs should still be observed. I don't think Harry would appreciate us just barging into his house without his permission."

Lily lowered her gaze from the treetops, their leaves glowing in various colours in the weak sunlight. She raised her head and noticed Harry.

"Uncle Harry!" Lily exclaimed, leaping up effortlessly and jumping into Harry's surprised arms.

"Ugh," Harry uttered as he was taken aback by the momentum. He took a shaky step back, trying to maintain his balance with Lily in his arms when suddenly two gentle hands held him from behind.

"Careful, Lily," Arya smiled, and Lily's smile widened as she saw Arya standing behind Harry.

"Harry!" Sirius's eyes lit up as he saw his godson.

Lily broke away from him, ran to Artemis and said as she passed, "Hello, Grandma Dell!"

Dellanir blinked and held Lily by her shoulder. "It's good to see you too, granddaughter. Next time you can even greet me properly."

"I'm sorry, Grandma Dell."

Dellanir sighed. "Okay, you can go now."

Lily looked apologetically at Dellanir and then continued to Artemis, who lowered her head for the young half-elf.

Lily closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment until she felt Artemis in her mind.

"Hello, little flower," Artemis greeted Lily and nudged her lightly with her snout. However, Artemis eyes were fixated on something else.

Lily looked at Artemis, puzzled. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Come behind me," Artemis instructed, and Lily followed her lead.

Harry, the only one with a sword, positioned himself in front of the others and had his hand on his sword hilt. With sharp eyes, he looked around, scanning the clearing. Apart from the rustling of leaves, he could see or hear nothing.

"It's gone," Artemis growled.

"What did you see?" Arya asked. Nothing in Ellesméra could harm them. That was ensured by Gilderien the Wise.

Artemis snorted disapprovingly. "I only sensed something. We were not alone, and whatever it was, it had no good intentions."

"I think after the whole journey, you two are still a bit tense," Sirius said slowly, walking over to Harry and gently removing his hand from the sword.

"That may be," Harry admitted, shaking his head. "I'm becoming more like Moody every day."

Sirius laughed and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "Well, you're still a long way from looking like Mad-Eye. As long as you still have your whole nose, you don't need to worry about looking like him yet."

Harry laughed, and the two walked side by side to Harry's new home.

Arya couldn't help but smile when she heard Harry's laughter. She looked to her left, where Dellanir stood, and her eyes widened slightly as she saw her grandmother's face. The furrows on her forehead were deeply creased, and her eyes showed deep concern.

Murtagh groaned as the whip struck him again. His arms were bound to an heavy iron chain hanging from the wall.

One.

"Not so cocky now, huh?" one of the twins shouted, while the other swung his arm wide.

The whip cracked through the air and struck his back. Murtagh groaned again, his legs trembling with the effort to keep standing.

Two.

How many times had the twins whipped him now?

It was difficult to count, as his thoughts were torn apart with each new lash of the whip.

"Bastards," Murtagh grunted as the twins took turns with the whip. Each of them struck him three times, and only then there was a short pause where Murtagh was allowed to catch his breath.

But unlike the last few times, this time it took them too long.

"What's wrong? Tired already?" Murtagh taunted. He turned his head to the side and saw, with wide eyes, that the twins were no longer in the room. In their place stood someone else.

"Perhaps you shouldn't insult those who torture you. But your blood doesn't allow that, does it, my son?"

"I'm not your son!" Murtagh grunted through gritted teeth as sweat burned in his wounds.

"You can deny many things, Murtagh, but not that you are from my blood. Why did you even run away? Did you actually want to join the Varden?" Morzan asked with a mocking tone.

"I couldn't stand it anymore. I wanted to get away from you," Murtagh growled.

Morzan closed his eyes for a moment. "Your mother always wanted to protect you, but I knew it was a mistake. You're too soft, Murtagh, something that your friendship with that girl contributed to."

Murtagh stared at Morzan with cold eyes. "My friendship with Mary was not a mistake! The only mistake was your dragon hatching for you! The Dragon Riders would never have fallen, and I would never have been born."

Morzan gently stroked the hard leather of the whip. "It's sad that you see it that way, Murtagh. But let me make one thing clear." His black and blue eyes sparkled in the dim light of the dungeon.

"The Dragon Riders were doomed to fall! Nothing could have prevented their downfall, for it was only a matter of time before he rose from his slumber. The old Riders had always been influenced by him, but they didn't know any of it, which was their ruin."

Murtagh tasted blood in his mouth. "You will lose," he promised.

Morzan only smiled. "You have always been a dreamer, Murtagh. But I think it's time for you to wake up."

He raised his arm with the whip, and Murtagh tensed his muscles. But suddenly, a noise broke the silence. It was a soft squeaking, and both, father and son looked to the side, where the red stone lay on a velvet cushion, that was brought by Galbatorix.

It was wobbling.

"No!"

With fearful eyes, Morzan looked at the dragon egg and then towards his son.

"This is an exceptionally unusual place," Dellanir remarked as she looked around the large hall inside Harry's trunk.

"That's true, but it won't last much longer," Harry said thoughtfully.

"Why?" Arya asked him. Sirius had taken Thiora and Lily outside and was showing them his own magic, now that he got his wand back, while Arya, Dellanir, and Harry sat together at the table inside the hall.

"Well, the magic I need to sustain this space is fading faster and faster each time. Eventually, the runes will give way, and then this room will… uh-"

"Explode?" Arya offered awkwardly, and Harry nodded sheepishly.

"That could happen, which is why I'm glad we're no longer in Carvahall. It would have been quite a shock for the villagers if a group of griffins suddenly appeared," Harry said with a grin.

"And then there's the matter of explaining Artemis," Arya remarked.

Harry nodded. He wondered how Katrina would have reacted to Artemis.

Would she have been afraid?

He shook his head. No, Katrina is a brave, young woman. Cautious, yes, but not afraid.

If he ever saw her again, he hoped she would forgive him for not telling the truth about him.

He placed a cup of tea in front of Dellanir. He did the same for Arya and took one for himself.

"Well Harry, show me your magic at last," Dellanir demanded eagerly as Harry began to sip his tea.

Harry choked on his drink. "My magic?"

Dellanir nodded. "Sirius didn't have his wand with him, and otherwise, he could only transform into that smelly dog."

Arya rolled her eyes and watched as Harry absentmindedly folded dozens of rolls of parchment together.

He then pulled out his wand and scratched his chin thoughtfully with it. His gaze fell on the cups in front of them.

"Well, I prefer Faelnirv to this weak brew," Dellanir remarked and also drank her cup empty. As she set it down, she noticed something surprising.

"Was that ordinary tea?" Dellanir asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Because there's a scorpion in my cup," she replied. "If you were trying to poison me, you failed, as I know protective spells against it."

Harry blinked, and when he opened his mouth, no sound came out.

Arya got up from her seat and peered into Dellanir's cup. There, she could see the remnants of the tea leaves.

She tilted her head slightly to the side. "It is a scorpion."

Harry raised his hands defensively. "I didn't mean to poison anyone."

Dellanir raised a challenging eyebrow. "Are you sure? You could try again."

Harry stuttered for a response, but Arya and Dellanir burst into laughter.

He rolled his eyes and stared into his cup.

Thoughtfully, he said, "It may be the most useless magic I know, but why not."

Arya and Dellanir watched as he got up and walked to the shelf full of large books.

"Hm, this should be it," Harry said, taking a thick green book from the shelf. He returned to the table with the book and laid it in front of them.

"This is my old schoolbook. Let's see, Crystal ball – no. Wasn't it before the chapter on the movement of the planets?" Harry mumbled to himself.

Arya and Dellanir just watched amusedly as Harry continued to flip through the book.

"Aha! I found it!" Harry exclaimed.

Arya looked over his shoulder and saw a table of different objects, such as animals, common items, and planets.

"What's this?" she asked him.

"This is a book about divination, and this chapter has everything about reading tea leaves."

"Divination?" Arya repeated, wrinkling her nose. Harry just grinned and traced his finger in the book to the image of the scorpion.

"Here it is, the scorpion symbolizes the plot of an enemy or a warning of betrayal," Harry said slowly.

"Maybe I should mention that divination is the biggest load of rubbish, and one shouldn't expect it to come true," Harry said tensely. Dellanir was peering into her cup again.

"That might be a feather… what does that mean?"

Arya looked through the table. "Here it says greater efforts are required... so it means you need to try harder."

Dellanir snorted and took Harry's cup.

"Hey!" Harry exclaimed, but Dellanir ignored him.

"Let's see, that could be a skull, and is that a dog? Looks like Sirius when he's been washed."

Harry sighed, "That's the Grim, it signifies dreadful danger. I had it for the first time in my third year at Hogwarts."

He peered boredly into the cup. "He seems to like me very much."

Dellanir turned the cup in her hand. "Looking at it another way, it could also be a skeleton. What does that stand for?"

She looked at Arya expectantly.

Arya's eyes skimmed over the page, widening as she found the entry. "A skeleton stands for illness," she said quietly, looking at Harry with concerned eyes as he touched his scar.

A faint smile played on his lips.

"I think I'll go outside for a bit with the others," Harry said. He got up and went out through the large door, where Artemis was waiting for him.

"Hmm," said Dellanir and continued. "What's in your cup, Arya?"

Arya could see two symbols and raised her eyebrows in surprise when she saw one of them. It was Raidho, a rune.

ᚱ

She would have to ask Harry later what that rune stood for. Right now, she preferred to know what the other symbol meant.

"It looks like a lute," Dellanir murmured, and Arya looked into the book again. As she read it, her face turned slightly pale.

"Love is on the horizon."

She repeated the words quietly in her mind, and Arya shook her head. This magic... she must be mistaken. She couldn't be in love with Harry, it was impossible.

But why are you immediately thinking of him? A quiet voice asked in her head.

"And? What does it stand for?" Dellanir asked, but Arya stood up and said, "Dangerous times are coming for me."

Dellanir tilted her head to the side. "Well, since you're involved in the fight against Galbatorix, that's not unlikely."

Arya nodded and quickly followed the others outside.

Dellanir watched her granddaughter leave, puzzled. She was upset, but why? Because of a simple symbol?

She looked into Harry's cup again and found something else there. It resembled a moon.

"Hmm, what does this one stand for? Let's see," she said, her lips curling into a grin as she saw Arya's own entry.

"No wonder she's so upset. She may have experienced many things, but the heart still does its own thing."

She continued to look and finally found the entry for the moon and this time she couldn't help but laugh out.

"They really have found each other," she said to herself, closing the book with a grin. Dellanir went outside with a wide smile on her face as well.

Because the symbol of the moon from Harry's cup stood for love.

"Uncle Harry, can you duel my dad?" Lily called out and ran towards Harry.

She tried to stop in front of him but stumbled, and Harry stretched out his arms to catch her just in time.

"Whoa," Lily murmured with wide eyes.

Harry chuckled amusedly. "You remind me a bit of someone. Tonks was also always known to be so clumsy, maybe it runs in the Black family."

"Haha," Sirius laughed sarcastically and wrapped his arms around an unsuspecting Lily, who desperately tried to free herself from his grasp.

Lily began to giggle as Sirius started tickling her.

"Uncle H-Harry," Lily laughed, tears forming in her eyes. "H-Help."

Harry didn't hesitate and rolled up the sleeves of his T-shirt. Sirius glanced up from his laughing victim until he saw, too late, Harry throwing himself at him with his whole body.

Sirius' eyes widened in surprise as he saw Harry coming towards him, and he quickly let go of Lily to defend himself. But it was too late. Harry hit him with full force, and both ended up laughing on the ground.

"Who would have thought that the famous Sirius Black would be defeated by a bunch of giggles," Harry exclaimed while trying to escape Sirius' grip.

Sirius laughed breathlessly and tried to restrain Harry, but he was faster and managed to break free. Lily seized the opportunity and jumped on Sirius, also trying to tickle him.

Artemis lay aside in the sun, opening one eye when she heard the commotion. She watched with an amused sparkle in her eyes, and Thiora couldn't help but grin as she observed the joyful chaos.

She put her hands to her mouth and called out laughing, "Leave Harry alone already!"

"But I'm winning!" Lily shouted with a wide grin as she climbed around on the two of them, accidentally hitting Sirius in the face with her foot.

"Ew," Sirius exclaimed from the ground with a mischievous grin. "Harry, I think someone needs a bath."

Harry, also overwhelmed by Lily, lay on the ground and returned the grin.

"On three. One," Harry smirked.

"Two."

Lily's eyes widened, and she jumped off the two of them and ran for her life.

"Three!" They both shouted and chased after the young elf. Lily dared to turn around once and screamed when she saw how close they were.

"That's unfair," Lily yelled as Sirius caught her and carried her with Harry to the stream.

"MUM!" Lily called out desperately, but before her mother could even move, she was thrown into the stream.

Lily dipped into the water and wiped her wet hair out of her face.

"It's always good to cool off, isn't it?" Sirius laughed.

"I'll get you back for this," Lily pouted, and then her eyes lit up as she saw Artemis behind them.

"What-" Harry began and slowly turned around. The last thing he saw was Artemis' giant head as she extended it and pushed the two wizards into the water at the same time.

"You're right, Sirius. To cool off is an excellent idea," Artemis remarked.

„What have they done now?" Arya asked, raising an eyebrow as she approached Thiora.

Lily, Harry, Sirius, and even Artemis knelt before Thiora, their heads hung low.

"I hope you understand now!" Thiora scolded.

"Yes, Mother," said Lily, crestfallen.

"Yes, dear," Sirius replied with a wide grin.

"Yes, Thiora," Harry said, winking at Lily, who bit her lip hard to stifle a grin.

"Yes."

Thiora couldn't help but roll her eyes as she looked at them all.

Arya glanced amusedly from Lily to Harry, who had stood up and was thoughtfully looking at the trees beyond the stream. There, he saw the herd of griffins slowly approaching him, but to his surprise, they were running on the ground rather than flying.

He had never seen them do that before.

Arya observed him for a long moment. She still had the words and symbols from the magic Harry had shown them in her mind. She knew Harry didn't think much of that magic, that it was a very inaccurate branch, but would she trust this magic?

Was everything predetermined now?

She knew the story of Maerzadí, the elf who, after a vision in which he accidentally killed his son in a fight, committed suicide to prove that the future was not unchangeable.

Arya shook her head, her black hair falling into her face. Since she had met Harry, he had repeatedly proven that actions could change fate.

He was her friend.

"What are you thinking about?" Harry asked her as he walked up beside her.

His wind-tousled black hair was still damp from the water, and his green eyes sparkled with joy. His smile made him look so much better than when his features were clouded by the dark thoughts of battle. A slight fire ignited within her.

"About the future," she said softly.

A dark shadow crossed Harry's face for a moment, but then he just sighed.

"If I remember correctly, my Divination teacher had only two accurate predictions in her life," Harry said.

"Two?" Arya asked.

Harry nodded. "The first prophecy was the reason Voldemort was after my parents. The second was about how he would regain power. Unfortunately, the old bat was right in both cases."

"Do you think we can change fate?" Arya asked with a tense expression.

Harry looked up at the blue sky, remembering the night Voldemort returned. He absentmindedly rubbed his arm where Wormtail had stabbed him with a knife.

"I think fate, especially prophecies, only influence our lives if we firmly believe in them," he said, turning away from the sky to look at Arya. "But in the end, it's our choices that shape our future."

"And if an old bat foresees my death," Harry grinned and playfully nudged Arya with his shoulder, "then I have every reason to ignore her."

"I understand," Arya said, extending her hand and hitting Harry squarely between the ribs.

"Oof." Harry bent forward.

"Harry?" Arya asked.

Harry looked at her suspiciously, and Arya rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you, you scaredy-cat... but what's going on with the griffins?"

Harry followed her gaze, and the griffins had now crossed the stream, but they were running much slower than usual. The griffins stopped in a circle in front of them.

"I don't know," Harry admitted.

"They seem very agitated," Sirius said, stepping in front of Thiora and Lily as some griffins reared up on their hind legs.

Harry approached the griffins slowly, but a few meters in front of the griffins, the leader opened its beak and screeched at him.

Harry was startled and fell to the ground.

"What's gotten into you?" Harry exclaimed, but the griffins stomped their feet into the ground.

Lily peeked out from behind her mother and stared wide-eyed at the griffins before her. She had never seen such creatures, and they were all so beautiful!

Then she saw something running between the griffins' legs. Suddenly, she felt a strange feeling inside her. As if a part of her longed for something.

Carefully, she passed her parents and ran towards the griffins. Thiora and Sirius noticed it too late.

"Lily! Come back!" Thiora called out with fear in her voice.

Lily stopped in front of the griffins, as their leader also yelled at her.

"Lily, stay away from them. No one but me is allowed to approach them," Harry hissed, sitting beside her on the ground.

Lily stared with wide eyes into the yellow eyes of the large griffin. She swallowed her fear and met the gaze steadfastly until the griffin stepped aside.

"That's a surprise," Artemis said. "He must have been born during the night."

"Bloody Hell," Harry cursed, rubbing his eyes.

A small griffin, barely larger than Lily herself stepped forward. It had dark feathers with a white spot on its forehead. The griffin wobbled on its legs as it approached Lily, stopping in front of her and staring into her storm-grey eyes.

Carefully, she reached out her hand, and the griffin looked curiously from her face to her hand. Slowly, it nuzzled against her hand, and Lily could feel its warm feathers between her fingers.

"Look, Uncle Harry!" Lily whispered, stroking the griffin's feathers.

"I see it, but be careful with its beak—"

"Ow!" Lily cried, pulling her hand away from its beak. The griffin had left a deep wound on her finger.

Startled by Lily's cry, the griffin hid behind the others, who had all calmed down by now.

Thiora grabbed Lily by the shoulders and held her close.

"Never. Do. That. Again. Understand?" Thiora said, holding Lily at arm's length.

Lily sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes with her healthy hand. "It hurts."

Her mother sighed. "Let me see."

Lily placed her injured hand in her mother's hand, who then placed her second hand on top of it.

"Waíse heil!"

As soon as she spoke the words, Lily felt the pain in her hand subside. Thiora lifted Lily's hand. It was no longer injured and had healed, except for a scar that encircled her finger like a ring.

"What's this?" Thiora murmured.

"It looks like our daughter has acquired a familiar," Sirius said in awe, his grey eyes filled with concern.

"A what?" Lily and Thiora asked simultaneously.

"A familiar," Sirius repeated. "Magical creatures can bond with a wizard or witch, creating a unique relationship between them."

"I suppose the closest comparison would be the bond between a dragon and a dragon rider, although it's a much simpler bond," Harry interjected from the ground. "The only one I've ever seen with a familiar was Dumbledore with Fawkes."

"A familiar? But why me?" Lily asked, looking past the others to the griffins.

The young griffin peeked out with an apologetic expression. With its head lowered, it approached Lily again and nudged her with its head.

"I think he wants to apologize," Sirius said with a smile.

The griffin slowly nodded its head and nudged Lily's chest again.

"It doesn't hurt anymore," Lily said, sitting down with the griffin, which rested its head in her lap.

"I wonder if there will ever be a day without surprises with you, Harry," Arya said.

She reached out her hand and helped him stand up straight. Arya and Harry now stood face to face, and Harry noticed how much she had changed since he first saw her in Gil'ead. Her skin was no longer as pale but had taken on a gentle tone, and her eyes were no longer as cold; they seemed to radiate warmth.

"Well, as long as these surprises are like this, I don't mind," Harry said with a smile.

Arya laughed, and for a moment, it was quiet between them. She glanced at Harry from the corner of her eye as he shook his head thoughtfully.

"What are you thinking?" Arya asked curiously.

"Well, Artemis and I have decided that the griffins can't stay locked up here forever. It wouldn't be good for them," Harry replied.

Arya nodded. "Do you need an enclosure for the griffins?"

Harry snorted. "Griffins have wings and would easily fly over any enclosure. Besides, I don't want to restrict their freedom," he muttered.

"Then a home," she said decisively.

Harry nodded. "Exactly, I just have no idea how to go about it."

Arya raised a demanding eyebrow. "Then I will help you."

Harry looked at her surprised. "Really?"

Arya smiled at him. "Of course, Harry, otherwise I wouldn't have offered. If you ask Islanzadí, there will surely be enough elves who can help you shape the trees with their singing, as you need."

"Arya can do that for you," Dellanir said, who also joined them.

Arya blinked. "Me? Why?"

"Why not? When was the last time you sang to the trees? There's no better opportunity to try it out," Dellanir said.

Arya sighed and looked at Harry for a long moment. "Alright. When do you want to start?"

Harry surprised her suddenly by hugging her. She caught the familiar scent of burnt wood that reminded her of Harry.

"Thank you, Arya. That means a lot to me," Harry said, stepping back, his arms still wrapped around her waist.

"You're welcome," she said softly, and if one looked closely, you could see her ear tips turning slightly red.

Harry tilted his head in confusion, only then seeming to notice how close they were and jumped back with flushed cheeks.

"Sorry," he muttered.

Dellanir smirked at them with sparkling eyes.

I am just going to mention that Vanir is part of house Haldthin as well.

I hope you like it