CHAPTER 4:

OF BONDS OLD AND NEW

Over the next week, the household in the Orkney manor settled into a new equilibrium. Between the four new residents, plus Harry regaining his memories and magical ability (as well as mourning those he knew who had died), the original dynamic had been disrupted. Not damaged by any means: Harry still enjoyed Totorot's energetic friendliness, and was able to deal with Ector's surly but decent personality, but things changed somewhat now he was in full command of his memories, to say nothing of the others.

It was decided that, for Harry's next sojourn into the nearby village, he would claim to be a new hire at the manor, and that 'Tobias McGoohan' had left for greener pastures. On occasion, he would be accompanied by Morgan and Barghest, who were the most human-looking of the new Fae (well, Melusine could pass for a child very easily, but she didn't age beyond apparent childhood, so questions would no doubt be asked if she appeared too often). As much as he didn't like the villagers for how they mistreated him, Snape's curse was at least partly to blame, though they were still suspicious bastards whenever he came there as 'Tobias'.

Besides, he was too busy trying to come to terms with what happened. So many dead, especially those who should not have died. Many he was close to, or else respected to some degree or another. The Fae helped as much as they could, but he needed time, and even after the initial shock had gone, the turmoil still remained, seething just beneath the surface.

But what of the newcomers? In a way, Baobhan Sith was paradoxically the most friendly and yet the most distant. Given what she went through, perhaps that was why. Baobhan Sith might have been a virtuous and altruistic Fae at heart, but what she went through traumatised her. She alternated between energetic friendliness and a morose sorrow, punctuated by moments of screaming rage, not directed at him, but often in close proximity to him. He even saw her musing out loud about tortures she would love to inflict on Harry's enemies, especially Snape, and he was surprised and disturbed at how sadistic she sounded.

Barghest was perhaps the easiest to get along with, albeit after a few days. While aloof and stern, unlike Ector, she warmed to him quickly. It helped that, while she was a Social Darwinist, she believed in helping the weak get strong, and did not look at the weak with contempt, not unless they had done something to earn such contempt. She also seemed the closest to the Tam Lin to being a traditional knight, in terms of mindset. She was also a gentle giant, to say the least. And they both had a love of cooking.

Melusine was a bit more odd. She seemed more like a bored child, lazy and slothful. She seemed to take Harry's presence in her stride, and while friendly enough, she didn't have the same desire to get close as Barghest or Baobhan Sith did. Apparently she had been formed from a lump from a dead, decaying dragon…specifically Albion, one of the greatest dragons to ever exist, possibly as old as the world itself, or even older.

As for Morgan…well, Harry wasn't sure what to feel about her. Part of it was caution born from both his bad experiences, and the fact that this was Morgan le Fay. An alternate universe version of one, true, but Morgan le Fay nonetheless. Besides, Mad-Eye (or at least the man imitating him, Barty Crouch Junior) always harped on about 'Constant Vigilance'.

Yet he had seen her memories, read The Tales of Tonelico (which, after Morgan read them, declared them to be mostly true, just a little sensationalised and sanitised), and she had cured him. What was more, her attitude was not what he would expect from Morgan le Fay. While her attitude was a touch cold, it wasn't a cruel cold, but rather, a solemn, even sorrowful cold.

Harry wasn't sure who to compare her to, of those he had known. Maybe stripping Dumbledore of his eccentricities helped, but he had very mixed feelings about the man to say the least. Remus Lupin was better: he was tired and scarred, along with sad. True, Harry was a little irritated he didn't tell Harry about his connection to his parents sooner, but his issues with him were lesser.

It was also hard to say what their relationship was. Then again, they hadn't known each other for long, his glimpsing her memories aside. He was grateful to her for not only restoring his memories and identity, but also allowing him to continue living here. Yet he wasn't quite sure why, unless it was because she saw in him a kindred spirit, someone who had gone through not-dissimilar experiences.

Of course, it was hard to be too wary of her, because she had her moments of goofiness. He caught her mouthing the words to songs played on the radio or the CD player, dancing along. And then, there was an incident involving a caterpillar that freaked her out. And she loved reading books to a degree Hermione would envy, with her eagerly pouncing on magic textbooks McGonagall had sent over to her.

Morgan, to give her credit, spoke of the life of her version from what she called 'Standard History'. She sneered at the usual Magus term of 'Proper Human History', pointing out that humans were far from the only sentient life on Earth. But she was frank about Morgan le Fay's faults, as well as telling Harry some interesting wrinkles. For example, Morgan le Fay had multiple personalities, including a good one, Vivian, the Lady of the Lake who gave Excalibur to King Arthur. And King Arthur was actually female, albeit hiding her gender and pretending to be an eternally youthful teenaged boy. Mordred was also female, a Homunculus conceived when Morgan le Fay raped her half-sister (while Arturia had been temporarily turned into a male to have an heir with Guinevere, whom Morgan le Fay disguised herself as).

It got to the point where, to distinguish her from her counterpart, Harry thought of the one from his history as Morgan le Fay. The one he was living with was just Morgan. For want of a last name, he called her 'Morgan Rain', as a tribute to the Fae clan who raised her, before being wiped out by the others for their supposed temerity in raising the Avalon le Fae.

It was telling that, when Hedwig finally arrived, the snowy owl seemed accepting of the various Fae, including Morgan. Harry wasn't sure if he'd be using her for mail, but just reuniting with her was enough. And he hoped Hedwig felt the same way.

However, a week after McGonagall's visit, another visit was arranged with someone from his past. Not long after McGonagall's visit, Morgan contacted Zelretch, and in consultation with Harry, she arranged for a time to visit. It wouldn't be just Hermione and Zelretch visiting, however, but a friend of Hermione's from Hogwarts by the name of Luna Lovegood. Harry vaguely remembered the name, but didn't remember her in particular.

He wasn't up to seeing everyone he knew from his past yet, even if he was sure some were champing at the bit to see him. He was still coming to terms with what had happened while he was amnesic, and his guilt at not being able to help, and his anger towards Snape and Dumbledore, might be a heady combination. He was worried that someone might demand to know why he wasn't there to save them. In hindsight, he was just an idiot of a kid, in over his head, and while Harry was willing to fight (if nothing else, then to survive being targeted for death by the homicidal warlock), the adults in his life, especially Dumbledore, should have made more of an effort to prevent such a confrontation. Like Dumbledore leaving him in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, for example. Surely there were ways and means of severing that contract? Yet Harry was used like a goat chained to a stake to lure a predator out.

Hermione was someone he had less issues with. Aside from keeping him in the dark (and that was at Dumbledore's behest) after his fourth year, and that incident in their third year regarding the broomstick Sirius sent, he had few reasons to doubt her trustworthiness. Ron was another matter, given that incident where he blanked him prior to the First Task out of petty jealousy, though that was stupidity, not malice, Harry hoped…

On meeting her at the gate, Harry had promptly been glomped by a weeping Hermione, happy to see him. She had grown over the years, but while still happy to see him, he could also tell the past few years had haunted her, scarred her. And he wished he could have been there for her. It said a lot that she seemed only a little wary of Morgan, having been told by Zelretch.

The other two were unfamiliar to him, but judging by what he had heard, and confirmed by the greetings, the tall, burly old man was the infamous Zelretch, while the rather dotty-looking blonde was Luna Lovegood. Zelretch looked like an elderly but powerfully-built bearded old man, calm and serene, but with a slight smirk touching his lips. Luna had silvery-blonde hair and pale eyes, and was a little younger than him. He vaguely recalled seeing her amongst the younger Ravenclaws. It was telling that, when she said, "You're Harry Potter, aren't you?", it wasn't in an awed tone or a curious one or a contemptuous one, it was simply matter-of-fact, not even looking at his scar. They convened in a living room, with Barghest making tea for them. Melusine and Ector weren't present for this meeting, at least after greeting the new arrivals.

"It's a great pleasure to finally meet you at last, Morgan," Zelretch said, his voice a deep but gentle rumble. "Totorot spoke in favour of your character, but considering the infamy of your counterpart in our timeline, I wished to see for myself. I find myself pleasantly surprised."

"Your words could be condescending, but I can tell you are sincere," Morgan said. "In truth, it is my honour to meet the wielder of the Second True Magic, Kaleidoscope. I have been studying the books you left with Totorot on the state of the Moonlit World. Beryl Gut's memories were enlightening, but the man was a cruel psychopath of the highest order. If he exists in this timeline, I would recommend killing him on general principle."

"Alas, he is yet to make himself known at Clock Tower, but rest assured, I will keep an eye out for him," Zelretch said. "When I can, anyway. I have many demands on my time, including threats on a multiversal level. In truth, taking on Hermione and Luna as my new apprentices is a nice change of pace, as is meeting you and your coterie. It has been some time since I have seen so many Fae gathered in the same room. I haven't seen this many for centuries."

"…Centuries?" Harry asked, blinking in bemusement.

Hermione nodded. "Zelretch is immortal, or at least immensely long-lived. Unlike Voldemort, he used benign if difficult methods to become immortal. If you're wondering how old he is, Harry, Zelretch was once the student of King Solomon in magecraft. That's about three thousand years ago. He witnessed the end of the Age of Gods, as well as the retreat of most supernatural or magical beings like the Fae to the Reverse Side of the World."

"I helped found the Magus Association, or at least the branch we now call Clock Tower, at around the time of King Arthur's reign in the 6th Century CE. I met Morgan le Fay on a couple of occasions, and you are little like her, save for in appearance. And even then, Morgan le Fay had golden eyes in her adulthood," Zelretch said.

"Aside from bringing Hermione here to meet with Harry, and to satisfy your curiosity, why did you come here, Wizard Marshall?" Morgan asked.

"I need no other reasons than the ones you mentioned, but in truth, what Totorot told me about the nature of the Lostbelt disturbed me," the ancient Magus said. "A Lostbelt is the name given to a theoretical phenomenon, where timelines pruned from the multiverse are forcibly reimposed upon the World. However, this can only be possible if part or all of the Texture of the World is erased. The name Lostbelt comes from the fact that they are a timeline, a belt as it were, filled with a strange history lost to the multiverse."

"In other words, worlds that were never meant to be," Morgan said. "A disturbing thought, to think of everything you know to be such."

"And yet, here you are, testaments to your timeline's existence," Luna said airily.

After a moment, Morgan said, "Harry, if you wish, you may converse with your friend. Would you like to bring one of the Tam Lin along?"

"Baobhan Sith, if she's willing," Harry said.

The redhead in question nodded eagerly. "Sure…"

Luna accompanied them as he took them into the study. On his own questioning look, Hermione said, "She pretty much became one of us in our fifth year…well, her fourth year. Luna was one of Ginny's friends, but…she was bullied, by Marietta Edgecomb, a friend of Cho's. And Cho…she really took a turn for the worse since that farce of a trial."

Harry looked at Luna, who shot him a smile, before he turned back to Hermione. "I'll take your word for it. So you trust her?"

"More than I trust Ron these days. Not that he's bad, but…he didn't take your disappearance well. Neither did Ginny, and her death hit him hard. And I know it wasn't your fault, Harry. Snape has so much to answer for, and I knew that if you could, you would have come back. I'm just glad you're all right." She rubbed her head. "And the Horcrux in your scar…after Dumbledore told me, I couldn't believe it. That after all you did, you had a potential death sentence hanging over you. I'm glad Professor McGonagall checked. Still…you're living with Fae, Harry. And a Baobhan Sith to boot."

As she looked at the Fae in question, the redhead harrumphed. "I am not A Baobhan Sith. There were no others like me in my timeline," she said a little testily.

"Sorry. Aside from House-Elves, I haven't met any Fae," Hermione said.

"Oh? Oh yes, Mother mentioned those, the servitors of this timeline's Fae, now used by your kind," Baobhan Sith said. "Well, I can understand your ignorance. I was told there are or were multiple Fae like me in this timeline. I only drank the blood of willing humans, and I am not like a vampire in that I actually need to."

"Well, that's fine. Want some of mine?" Luna said, coming up to Baobhan Sith and proffering her hand.

Harry and Baobhan Sith stared at the blonde, while Hermione sighed. "Sorry about Luna, but she has little filter. She's one of the smartest people I know, but she's open-minded to a fault."

Baobhan Sith then looked at Luna, before asking, "May I have a little?" On Luna's nod, the redhead gently brought Luna's index finger to her mouth, before nipping it with her fangs, and then licking the resulting drops of blood. It could have seemed sensual, even sexual, but in fact, it had all the air of someone simply giving a thirsty person a bottle of water. In other words, an atmosphere of solemn and gentle altruism.

Baobhan Sith then finished, licking her lips, tears glistening in her aqua eyes. "…Thank you," she said softly.

Luna healed her finger. "You're welcome," the blonde said with a smile. "I hope it chases the Wrackspurts away."

Hermione sighed, before looking to Harry. "Are you all right, Harry?" she asked.

"…I should be asking you that. Professor McGonagall only told me a little of what you did, what Dumbledore had you do."

"…I'm not all right, at least not as much as some people think," Hermione admitted after a lengthy pause. "Don't get me wrong, I have my parents and Professor Lupin and Professor McGonagall to talk to, but…the wizarding world doesn't exactly have counsellors. Zelretch has been a greater help, he actually studied under Carl Jung and others, to say nothing of his experience in dealing with apprentices, but…it hurt. It hurt to learn that those I put my trust in as teachers didn't deserve it. Dumbledore exchanged your happiness for some dubious safety, and he trusted Snape, and yet…" She embraced him, burying her face in his shoulder, weeping softly.

Harry returned the embrace, rubbing her back soothingly. "…Hermione, your only problem was trusting those who didn't deserve it, and frankly, where Dumbledore was concerned at least, I'm guilty of that too. And believe me, if that trial hadn't gone awry, I would have helped getting rid of the Horcruxes. Not for Magical Britain, but for you and my other friends, as well as myself. I hate that so many people have died, but…I'm glad you are not one of them. I was worried that everyone I knew and cared about was dead." He looked to Luna. "And you've made a new friend too."

"She can be a pain," Hermione said. "Half the stuff she talks about, I'm certain can't be real. But…in the Moonlit World, what is real or normal? My mentor can travel across to parallel universes with the ease of driving down a motorway. And his honorary granddaughter, who's an energetic ditz, is also Arcueid Brunestud, the White Princess of the True Ancestors. In other words, one of the most powerful vampires in the entire world. Compared to all that, Luna's easy to deal with. I can debate things intelligently with her, and she knows quite a lot of esoteric things."

"Hermione's a work in progress," Luna said blithely. "I've been trying to get her to broaden her mind. Given that we're currently in the same house as an alternate timeline version of Morgan le Fay and other assorted powerful and notorious Fae, and she's not running a mile, I've made progress."

Hermione shot the dotty-looking blonde a glare (to which Luna stuck her tongue out), before looking at Baobhan Sith. "I'm curious, what was life in this Lostbelt like?" Noticing how Baobhan Sith flinched, she added hurriedly, "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to. If it's anything like in The Tales of Tonelico…"

"…It was worse for me. I…I don't want to talk about my life, okay?" Then, Baobhan Sith seemed to consider something. "But discussing life and society in the Lostbelt, I'm fine with that."

At this, Hermione perked up. And so, they began to chat, Hermione being careful to avoid certain topics. And while Harry couldn't say that Baobhan Sith was being drawn out of her shell, she seemed to gain confidence as she spoke.

Still, at least today was a good day. A sign of the bonds both old and new in his life, either remaining, or growing. Time would tell if others would be as positive…

CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:

So, there you have it. Harry has met Hermione and Luna, and discussions have started. Unfortunately, it may not be as smooth-sailing with other acquaintances.

Zelretch is a handy deus ex machina at times, but to justify him not being there to save the day all the time, I view him as being like the Master of the Castle from ack1308's excellent Worm fanfic Snek is a Good Boy. A good and altruistic man, but whose duties are on an entirely different level, and who faces threats far beyond Voldemort's power.

No numbered annotations this time.