Chapter 3: Safe Harbor
******Privet Drive, Little Winging, Surrey 1200 24 June 1994******
Albus Dumbledore was an unhappy leader of the light. As he sat in the back garden of 4 Privet Drive, he looked to the entire world his usual serene self, unflappable and collected. However, on the inside he was seething. He'd spent the previous few days off on holiday and had been spending some quality time with some old friends in Brighton and Cologne. When he got back to Hogwarts, he was so tired he went straight to his quarters and to sleep for the evening. In the morning, he awoke, performed his morning ablutions and strolled into his office to see what had transpired in his absence.
He was in the midst of reading a missive from the Headmistress of Beauxbatons, when he noticed that something was not right in his office. Setting the letter down, he looked at his desk. No, everything was there and in its proper place. He glanced at the wall; all the portraits were still there. Looking about his large, cluttered office he checked off the significant items in the room; Sword of Gryffindor, Pensieve Cabinet, private library bookcases. All were there, and then he saw it. Or rather didn't see it. He sprang from behind his desk and ran to the side table that held his `gadget collection' as Minerva called it and saw that the monitor for the wards at Privet drive was silent and no smoke was being emitted.
Albus paled. The wards must have been down for at least 24 hours, as an alarm would sound for that period after they fell. Running to his fireplace, he Floo called the Aurors and barked to the on duty watchman to get someone to Surrey now, before pulling back and flooing himself to Arabella Figg's house.
By the time he had run the three blocks from Figg's house to the Dursley's, four Aurors under the command of Kingsley Shacklebolt had arrived. The Headmaster charged up the front walk, opened the front door, and was promptly stunned for his stupidity.
After a stern faced Shacklebolt awakened him, the aged Headmaster then received a tongue-lashing that he never expected. Phrases like "you can't enter an active crime scene" and "you'll have to wait like everyone else, Headmaster" were thrown at him after he was told that he was currently hindering a multiple homicide investigation and would he please wait out back in the garden, thank you very much.
So here he had been sitting for the last three and a half hours, enjoying a monotonously designed, pretentious garden, hoping to get some answers soon. The back door opened and the imposing bulk of Kingsley Shacklebolt filled it before he seemed to unfold himself into the back yard through the doorway. Kingsley sighed and said "Now, Headmaster, what is so important that you need to know?"
Dumbledore assumed his most grandfatherly manner and smiled winningly at the seasoned Auror. Kingsley just stared at the old man until the Headmaster finally gave in and asked in a very delicate tone "I was wondering if Harry Potter was in the house when it was attacked?"
Shacklebolt frowned and said "The remains of, we think, three people were in the master bedroom. Given the estimated sizes of all three, we don't believe any of them to be young Potter. However" he paused and raised a finger "I cannot say definitively until the forensics boys and girls do their thing. I expect them within the hour."
Dumbledore nodded sagely "And in the meantime, what can we all do to find young Harry?"
The Auror looked at Dumbledore quizzically "We will follow normal departmental procedures in finding a missing person."
Dumbledore nodded sagely again and said "Yes, yes, but don't you see Auror Shacklebolt? Harry Potter missing? It will be all over the papers in minutes, and if you could be the one to find him before the first edition goes to print, why you'd be a hero!"
Shacklebolt looked at the Headmaster like he had three heads and they were all purple. "Thank you for your advice, Headmaster. You know the way out I presume?" and pointed to the garden's gate.
Dumbledore, smiling at the Auror, left the late Vernon and Petunia Dursley's home, apparated to the ministry atrium and strolled placidly up to Minister Fudge's office for a little talk about a missing boy-who-lived and the attitudes of some of those in the Auror force.
******Hyatt Regency, Brighton East Sussex 1500 26 June, 1994******
It was an afternoon for the teens to decompress from the stress and trials of the previous week. Sirius had welcomed them with a crushing hug and a few tears followed by a racking cough. After he had caught his breath, he said "A little reminder of Azkaban and being on the run." With Harry and Hermione frowning at him, he said in a placating tone of voice "Moony is getting me potions and I'm a lot better than I was." Shrugging he said "I'm just a bit weak and need a lot of sleep. Now, what the hell is going on?"
Harry then began to fill him in on the events of the previous week with details and the occasional correction from Hermione. At the end of the story, Hermione said, as if she were thinking out loud "Do you think we should contact the Headmaster for help?"
Both of the teens were surprised when not only Sirius but Remus also snorted in derision at the idea. Sirius stood up quickly, staggering a little, then regained his balance. He strode over to the window and his whole posture indicated that he was struggling with something weighty. The other three watched him for a few minutes while he stared out the window.
Finally, Remus said, "Neither Sirius or I are very happy with the Headmaster right now. Sirius was in Azkaban for over a decade and not once did Dumbledore make an effort for Sirius to get a trial. Not once did he bring it up, and as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, he could have ordered a trial without contradiction from anyone, even the Minister. The logical question is: Why?" Shaking his head he said "The answers that we have come up with are less than pleasant." He paused, ran his hand through his graying hair and breathed heavily a few times and then said "So, no, we aren't very trusting of our former Headmaster."
Without turning from the window, Sirius said "Harry, there is more, but we'll talk about it later, once we get to where we are going."
"Which is where?" Harry said in a leading tone.
Turning back from the window, Sirius smiled and said, "My family owns an island that's unplottable. On top of that, I don't know if anyone knows about it, so we'll rent a boat and go there tomorrow. We'd portkey, but I've never been there before, I only have directions by sea, so we go on the boat."
They chatted for a while, getting to know each other better, and at one point, Sirius had Harry and Hermione red faced and laughing on the bed with his impersonation of Severus Snape while Remus chuckled from his chair. After a while, Remus stood and said "I'll go check on your house Hermione, see if anyone or anything has come to call since you left" and he apparated away.
The three of them continued to chat, catching Sirius up on their lives. He shook his head at their description of Ron's behavior and clucked his tongue at their adventures of first and second year. "See, this is what I was talking about with Dumbledore. What was he thinking storing an invaluable magical object in a school full of children your first year? Especially when he has indications that Voldemort is on the move! On top of that, and don't take this the wrong way, he guarded it with obstacles that three firsties got by. Voldemort or another dark wizard wouldn't have even slowed down for any of the those traps." He sat in a chair shaking his head before he started coughing again. Reaching for a vial of potion, he downed it with a grimace and muttered "Bloody fuck, that's nasty."
Harry ordered two pizzas for their dinner while Sirius described the island they would be heading to in the morning. It was off the southwestern coast of Ireland, about two hours' steaming from Baltimore in County Cork. The weather was always pleasant due to a combination of the gulf stream and enchantments that had been cast over the years. "We should be safe enough there" said Sirius.
At this point Remus returned with a few odds and ends and a fluffy orange spitfire in his arms. "Crookshanks!" shrieked Hermione and ran to engulf the half-kneazle in a hug. She murmured to him over and over "I'm so sorry Crooks, I couldn't find you, and we needed to leave."
Sirius looked at Remus who shook his head "No, the house was still intact. If anyone came to call, they didn't tear up the house."
Harry sat pondering and then said "The Dursley's house wasn't damaged at all" and he paled remembering the carnage in the master bedroom. "There were just those gouges in the door."
Remus nodded and said "There was a very odd scent outside the house. It almost smelled…evil. I don't know any other way to describe it. I opened the back door, did a quick once over on the house, found nothing but a decidedly upset Crookshanks" and he nodded at the cat. Handing Harry a bag he said "Here's some cat food, his box and whatnot."
The four magical persons continued to chat over an early pizza dinner with beer and Cokes. Sirius drank a Coke in amazement. Harry couldn't tell if the pizza held his attention or the soft drink, but the pureblood Wizard was in heaven.
After dinner, they continued their discussion, but soon enough the stress and strain of the previous week took its toll on all four present. Sirius looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow when the teens climbed into the queen sized bed together. Harry looked back and defiantly said "Is there a problem Sirius?"
Hermione looked between the two dark haired Wizards, blushed slightly and said "Sirius, we're just sleeping, nothing else. Honestly, we're too young for that." Slightly mollified, Sirius conjured a bed for himself, letting Remus take the other queen bed in the room.
Later that evening, Harry woke up and squinted at the clock "Two thirty, great." Heeding the call of nature, he untangled himself from his girlfriend, smiling at the good feelings of waking up in her arms and headed to the loo. He left the light on as he finished so he and anyone else that woke up in the middle of the night could find their way. He paused at Sirius' bed, concerned as he heard the deep rattling breaths his Godfather was taking. Maybe they could take him to a muggle doctor in Ireland.
Shaking his head slightly, he made his way back to bed and climbed in under the covers. He smiled again as Hermione reached for him and muttered "Harry". He put his glasses on the nightstand and wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist and snuggled up behind her.
He was almost asleep when he heard the scratching at the door. At first, he assumed it was Crookshanks. But Crooks is at the foot of the bed, curled around our feet. Now he was fully awake and reaching for his glasses. He turned the light on that was on the nightstand and shook Hermione awake "Wake up, someone's at the door." She bolted straight upright, her hair a nimbus of brown around her head as Harry slipped out of bed to wake Remus and Sirius. Remus was already awake and reaching for his wand so Harry went to Sirius and suddenly the door exploded inward in a shower of splinters and blocks of wood.
Harry dropped to the floor as he heard Remus call out "PROTEGO!" The shielding spell blocked the flying debris that was headed toward the last living Black and Potter. Harry tackled Sirius off the bed and they shielded themselves behind it. Looking over the mattress toward the door, Harry saw an enormous shape, probably 8 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It was all black and had a vaguely humanoid shape, but what made Harry's blood run cold was the flames that licked out of its eye sockets. Hands that were shaped like talons reached out for Harry and in an instant it was three feet away from him.
Harry fell backwards, away from the slashing claws of the attacker. He vaguely heard Hermione shriek "NO!" when a wall of fire appeared between Harry and the attacker. Given a quick reprieve, he looked to his right and saw that Hermione had both her hands extended toward the wall of fire and her hands looked to be on fire as well. Her face was a mask of concentration and he backed away from the wall of fire as fast as he could. The inferno burned hotter and turned a bluish white color, the heat roiling off it like waves at the beach.
Impossibly, the attacker walked through the wall making a noise that vaguely reminded Harry of laughing. From his right, Remus and Sirius had been casting curses and spells at the attacker: the Cutting curse, the Piercing charm, the Bone Crushing hex, the Entrail Expelling curse were all to no avail. Sirius gave a cry of rage and threw himself bodily at the hulking attacker and was swatted away like a fly.
In desperation, Harry threw his own hands out and felt a power flow through him that he'd never felt before. It coursed through him like wind through a valley, or water in a ravine. Reaching out with this power, he willed the creature away from him. At once, a great wind whipped up around him, as if gathering its forces and then lanced out like a battering ram, smashing the attacker into the wall.
Completely shocked, Harry reached out again with this new power as the creature climbed back to its feet. Now the creature began a shuffling run at him. Hermione threw her hands out and a lance of fire impacted the creature in the chest, staggering it. It gathered itself, shrugging off Remus' spellfire and lunged for the dark haired teen. Harry willed for the wind to act again and it caught the creature in its leap at Harry, suspended it in mid air for a moment, and with a grunt, Harry used the wind to push the creature out the window.
Remus was at Harry's side in a flash, followed by the engulfing arms of Hermione. As she crushed him to herself, he heard her say repeatedly "You're Ok, don't leave me."
He held her in his arms and ran his fingers through her hair for a moment before saying "We need to get moving."
She stood, wiped the tears from her face and said "Of course, I'll just change" and grabbed her pack and headed for the loo. Harry meanwhile noticed that Remus had extinguished the lingering fires and repaired all the damage to the walls, door and windows with some well placed charms and was in the process of reviving Sirius. He grabbed his pack and a minute later was pulling on his trainers and ready to go. Sirius was sitting on a bed, holding his head while Remus quickly packed their meager belongings. With a quick transfiguration, Sirius was dressed in denims and a T-shirt and Hermione joined them from the bathroom.
Remus nodded at the teens and pulled Sirius' arm over his shoulder and said "Pretend he's drunk. Now we are going to go find a car rental company and hire a car to get to Ireland as soon as we can. I'll lead the way down, you two, stay right behind me."
******Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts 1400 26 June, 1994******
Albus Dumbledore was an extremely unhappy leader of the light. He had successfully impressed and browbeaten Cornelius Fudge into supporting and allowing him to organize a manhunt for Harry Potter. He frowned when he thought about the fact that he only had an even dozen Aurors at his disposal. The Departmental policy that blasted Shacklebolt had been quoting to him would have only allowed two, but he still wanted more, if that boy got hurt, the repercussions…well, he didn't want to contemplate the impact to Wizarding society.
Currently, he was getting a debriefing by the search lead, Auror Dawlish. "Well, Chief Warlock" the man smarmed in his most ingratiating tone, "We have had no detections of underage magic by either Potter or Granger. We still haven't found her parents and their house is unmarred. They may just be on holiday but the neighbors don't seem to know. We talked with the Weasley family" here he paused and rubbed his neck uncomfortably "I'm not sure if you're aware that young Weasley and Potter had a falling out?"
Dumbledore frowned at that and looked at his desk for a moment. This wasn't good. He wanted young Harry aligned with a solid light side family. He had known the Weasleys for years and they were very friendly with the old Headmaster. This was something he would have to fix when they found Harry and had him at a safe location. Where that would be was a problem. The Dursleys had been ideal. They were muggles and therefore unknown to Wizard society, they kept Harry under control and so far had eliminated those rebellious fits that teenagers were so infamous for having, maybe they were a little harsh, but it had done the boy no harm. On top of it, the blood protection was nigh on impenetrable to Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He had no idea what entered the home and torn the family apart, it could be important to find out. It was too bad that the Dursleys were dead.
Shaking his head slightly to clear out irrelevancies, he returned his gaze to the Auror across from him, "Proceed Auror Dawlish"
The Auror nodded, relieved to not be blamed for the Weasley issue. When he had questioned the matriarch of the famly he had received an earful at high volume on how inappropriate Potter and Granger were behaving with the odd "scarlet woman" and even a dreaded "whore" thrown in to boot. He wanted to be of the most use to the Chief Warlock that he could muster. The last Auror that crossed wands with the Headmaster was reassigned to the Centaur Relations Department. Too bad, Kingsley was a good man. "Yes sir, we currently have three owls in flight with letters to Potter and Homing charms on both the owl and the letter. We released them at two-hour intervals and the owls went in three different directions. We aren't sure what that means exactly. He could be traveling or a misdirection spell could be on him. We aren't very hopeful in this effort, but it isn't hurting anything to try."
Dumbledore nodded and glanced at Fawkes' perch. The Phoenix had just had a burning day and was in no shape to go anywhere for now. Saying to the Auror "Thank you Auror Dawlish, good report. I want to impress upon you how very important it is that we find young Harry as soon as we can and transport him here for his safety. It is critical, spare no expense and look under every rock." He paused, assumed his grandfather persona, and stood. Shaking Dawlish's hand, he helped him out of his chair and to the Floo.
****** Carrick on Suir, Ireland 1400, 27 June 1994******
Harry and Hermione awoke bleary eyed from their long night. They'd stumbled down the main strand of Brighton and eventually found a car to hire from a less than reputable place. After a large transfer of cash to which Hermione commented that they could have purchased the car outright for less, they packed everyone in and took off. Remus was driving with Sirius stretched out in the back and Harry and Hermione packed in the front seat together. As the sun came up, they stopped in the outskirts of Cardiff for a breakfast to go and then pressed on for the Ireland ferry. After a quick Confundus charm from Remus, they were on the ferry and headed across St. George's Channel. Harry and Hermione catnapped as best they could in the car while Sirius continued to sleep in the back seat.
When the ferry docked in Rosslare Harbour, another Confundus Charm ensured they were on their way. After an hour of driving, Remus found a small inn near Carrick on Suir and they dragged themselves to their bed, Remus levitating Sirius under the invisibility cloak. Within minutes, they were all asleep in their clothes.
Hunger brought Harry back to the conscious world and then he realized that his bladder was about to burst. He quickly got out of bed and ran to the bathroom as his now grumpy and awake girlfriend rubbed her face. After they switched positions, they sat down next to each other on the bed. Sirius must have been feeling better, as he and Remus were not in the room. Harry reached over, intertwined his fingers with hers, and said "You Ok?"
Hermione nodded, paused and said "Well, I've been thinking a lot about last night. What happened with us, Harry? The fire and the wind? I've never read anything like that. It didn't even feel like magic, it was…"
"Different" Harry finished for her to her nod of agreement. "I'm glad it was the same for you, I felt a little, well, like I was all alone with it. I don't have any idea but when I was controlling the wind it didn't feel bad or wrong, if anything if felt good and right."
Hermione tightened her grip and said excitedly "Yes, that's exactly how I felt. At the moment I wasn't too worried about the how or why of it, we had that great beastie trying to kill you, but on the ride to the ferry I sussed out that it felt almost natural. Like when we first learned that we were magical. We had been performing accidental magic for years, but we now had a name on what was happening and an acceptance that it was Ok. This is the same." She smiled and said "Just different."
Harry smiled back and gave her hand a squeeze "Why don't you take a shower and I'll try and find Padfoot and Moony?"
Hermione's face clouded and she said "I don't think we should be alone. When we left the Hotel last night I looked to where that whatever it was should have fallen and there was nothing. I don't think anyone took away its body, so it got up after being thrown out of a window seven stories up."
From behind them came a voice that was musical and undulating, like the licking of a campfire on a fall evening, "It was Marduk, a demon of the Sumerians and it is looking for you Harry Potter and Hermione Granger."
Harry and Hermione dove off the bed and spun around, hands in front of them. Harry was already summoning the wind and Hermione's hands had burst into flames, both of them ready to attack. The being they saw made them both pause, she was the most beautiful woman they had ever seen. She was of middling height and appeared to be in her mid twenties, but her hair drew their attention first; it was like flame with streaks of red, orange, yellow white and black. Close to her scalp there was even some blue. Harry found himself drawn to her eyes which glowed like embers of the brightest red with flecks of orange. Her skin was so pale, she glowed in the afternoon light that filtered in through the window. She smiled a smile of friendliness but also amusement; that of a master to pupils. "Well met Son of Air and Daughter of Fire" she said and gave a short curtsey. Harry was confused, but didn't let the wind die down, neither did Hermione extinguish her own living flame.
The woman smiled again and said "I understand your caution, for you have every reason to be cautious. I am Brigid, daughter of the Dagda" at this Hermione's mouth dropped open and her flame died out instantly as Brigid continued "I am the goddess of fire of the Tuatha De Danann." Hermione fell into Harry's arms in a dead faint.
A few minutes later Harry was rousing a groggy Hermione while an openly amused Brigid looked on. She had sat down on one of the chairs and straightened her simple yet elegant dress while Harry rubbed Hermione's hands and called her name, the whole time her admonishments against using his wand echoing in his mind. Finally Hermione was lucid enough to talk and when she saw Brigid sitting in the chair her mouth opened wide again and then she merely said in a low tone "Really?"
Brigid smiled a sincere smile and said "Yes, my child. Really."
Hermione smiled back while Harry held her hand. After a few seconds he said "I'm very happy that you two are getting along so famously, but please explain to me what the hell is going on here."
Hermione blinked and then explained to Harry that in Irish mythology, Brigid was the daughter of the Dagda and one of the Tuatha De Danann. She was the goddess of all things perceived to be of relatively high dimensions such as fire, and upland areas; and of activities and states conceived as psychologically lofty and elevated, such as wisdom, high intelligence, poetic eloquence, and so on, as well as, skill in warfare The Dagda was a father-figure and a protector of the tribe who carried a club with which he could kill nine people with one swing. He was kind of like Zeus in his overall role in the pre-Christian Irish pantheon of gods and goddesses. The Tuatha De Danann are a race of gods in Irish mythology, the Irish Pantheon as it were.
Turning back to Brigid, who sat through the explanation calmly Harry said "Really?" in a small voice.
Brigid laughed and said "Again, really."
Harry laughed also and Brigid added "We are the gods of Eire and I cannot speak much for the lands outside our border. The land of the Saxons and the Picts I am knowledgeable about, mainly that of the Picts."
Harry nodded and said "What about that thing, Marduk you called it."
Brigid's face fell from smiling happiness to a hateful scowl in a blink. "It is an abomination. It has left its home far away from these lands and is here at the command of your foe. Since your foe cannot strike you directly, he has enlisted Marduk's aid."
"Voldemort" Harry breathed, to which Brigid nodded. Hermione grasped his hand and when he looked to her he got a nod of encouragement to which he smiled.
Brigid looked at the door, nodded and said "Good, your companions return. We should go soon. Marduk will not attack while I am with you. Even without me, you two have given him pause with your performance last night."
Harry nodded and said "Pardon my rudeness, but why haven't you come to help us earlier? We've been running for the last week."
Brigid held up a hand to forestall Hermione's building harangue of Harry. "He asks a valid question Daughter of Fire." Turning back to Harry she said "I could not come to you until you set foot on Eire and then I wanted you to have some rest, so I came to you this afternoon."
The door opened, admitting Remus and Sirius who had their wands out in a flash and pointed at the flame haired goddess. Brigid didn't flinch while Harry and Hermione called out "Wait, Wait!"
After a few moments, the older men sheathed their wands, sat down while Hermione told them who Brigid was and about Marduk. After she finished, Sirius looked at Brigid, back to Hermione, back to Brigid and burst into laughter. A few moments later he burst into a fit of coughing that left him red-faced and gasping. Between breaths, he said "A goddess and a demon. Figures."
Brigid crooked an eyebrow at the Animagus and said "Come, we must get you all to the Hill of Tara and the Lia Fail by moonrise."
Fifteen minutes later, they were in the hired car and driving away to the north. From behind a hedge, a black figure watched.
******Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts 1100 27 June, 1994******
Auror Dawlish Floo'd into the Headmaster's office and immediately said "Sir, we believe Potter is in Ireland."
Dumbledore looked up from the missive he was reading at his desk and said with raised eyebrows "Ireland? Why do you think this?"
Dawlish explained that two of the owls sent had left Britain, one to cross St. George's Channel, the other the Irish Sea and were still flying a straight and true course.
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, nodded to the Auror, who left via the Floo immediately. The old man leaned his head back and closed his eyes meditatively. Why are you in Ireland Harry? Who has you and why won't you contact me?
******N9 Motorway Northbound, 1600 27 June 1994******
Harry, Hermione and Brigid were in the backseat of the sedan with Harry and the goddess on either side of Hermione as she chattered away with Brigid, asking a whole host of historical questions: did the Tuatha De Danann really come from the Northern Isles, were they really gods, what about other religions? She had rapid fire questioned Brigid before she could even respond until Hermione noticed that Brigid wasn't responding, but just looking at her and waiting for her to finish. Hermione blushed and said "I'm doing it again, aren't I?"
Harry chuckled and said "Yes, you are." He leaned forward and caught Brigid's eye saying "Can you tell us more about the fire and air abilities we seem to have now? I assume you know as you called Hermione Daughter of Fire and me Son of Air."
Brigid paused then with a quick gesture of her hand began her story. "Thousands of years ago, there were two types of humans, magical and non magical. For the most part they lived in harmony. There were of course the normal disputes and petty rivalries that arise in any situation, but there was no open warfare between the two. The gods" she indicated herself "did not interfere much in the day to day existence of these people as they were fairly self governing. We tended to our own areas of life; water, fire the air, healing and so on. We enable and facilitate our areas of responsibility."
She frowned a little and said "About three thousand years ago, a Wizard by the name of Icna decided he wanted to be a god, or at least worshiped as a god. He began to use magic against the both magical and non-magical people, making them do his will. You must understand, humanity understands the use of magic in much more complex ways today. The bulk of the spells that were known then were healing and transfiguration spells. Icna began to pursue the domination of others. We, the gods, wanted humanity to solve its own problems, so we gave the gift to fire to woman and the gift of air to her man. On top of their magical abilities, they were given these gifts to wield in support of the people. Throughout history, ever so often a couple is given the gifts, to be the champions of the gods. Sometimes it is air and fire, other times it is earth and water. These are the naturally complementary elements and it seems to work out best this way."
She looked at the teens with an evaluating eye and nodded to herself "There is more. As an Elemental, you will not die."
Both Harry and Hermione's eyes widened and jaws fell open at that pronouncement.
Brigid held up a shapely hand and said "Do not be confused, you can be killed by violence; but disease and old age will not touch you. Now that you are coming into your power, you will accelerate your aging, but will appear as I do for the rest of your life."
With this news, Harry looked at his girlfriend, who looked back and they sat back in their seats to absorb this news.
******Hill of Tara, County Meath 2000 27 June 1994******
The five companions walked up the gentle sloping till of the High Kings of Ireland toward the massive standing stone at the stop. On the way up, Brigid said "We will be going somewhere when we get to the top. We will not be able to stay for long" here she looked at the teens. "At least, we won't be able to stay for long yet. We will be merely evading Marduk and gaining you a safe harbor for a time."
They all nodded and Hermione spoke up "Excuse me, but how long is `not long'?"
Brigid replied "No more than a year."
Hermione nodded and said to Harry "I guess when you've lived for thousands of years, a year is a short time."
Harry smiled and they intertwined their hands as they climbed the hill When they got to the top Brigid had them all approach the Stone when Remus said in a low voice "I probably shouldn't come."
Brigid looked at him placidly. Her eyes bored into his and he finally flinched away saying "I'm a werewolf, I won't be safe come full moon."
Brigid merely said "Put your hand on the stone Remus Lupin." Looking around and seeing that the four humans were all touching the stone, she lost focus in her eyes for a moment, as if she were seeing something far away and reached out and touched the stone. There was a flash of light and there was no one on the hilltop.
A/N
1) I own nothing
2) The Lia Fáil (Irish Gaelic for Stone of Destiny) is a standing stone at the Inauguration Mound on the Hill of Tara in County Meath in Ireland, which served as the coronation stone for the High Kings of Ireland. In legend, all of the kings of Ireland were crowned on the stone up to Muirchertach mac Ercae c. AD 500.
3) The Saxons were the inhabitants of England, along with the Angles prior to the Norman invasion of 1066. The Picts were the precursors of the modern day Scots. Oh yeah, Eire, is the old name for Ireland.
4)Yes, Icna is an anagram for Cain.
-->