Family Ties

AN: It took a long time coming but here is the much anticpated, highly debated, I-Love-It-I-Hate-It, Chapter Four. *Crowds cheer triumphantly in the background* (See Profile for message regarding this post

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Chapter Four- Frowning Ephraim

I follow Harry and Welsh out of the Great Hall. That had to be one of the funniest things I have ever experienced. I feel chills race up my spine thinking about the Sorting Hat. Inanimate objects are not supposed to rummage around in your head!

~~Flashback~~

"When I call your name, please step forward, place the hat upon your head, and be sorted into your House. Devereaux, Ephraim." Says the tartan draped matron. Her voice makes me think she's a no nonsense kind of woman with her frown lines only adding to the impression.

I step forward and take the hat that she offers, placing it on my head and turning to face the students.

'A new student? Fresh blood to boot! Welcome to Hogwarts, Mr. Devereaux.'

'What the hell? Harry didn't mention anything about you talking.'

'I do a great deal more than talk, Mr. Devereaux. I can see inside your head to see which traits are strongest for you and where you would best be suited. I do promise it will be painless and will not harm the bond you share with another.'

'Get on with it. I warn you though, try anything funny and youfll be confetti because Ifll let Ashlynn use you for target practice. She doesnft like many people inside her head.'

'Of course. Now, let us see where you belong. A crafty one you are, hard working, a bookworm by choice, bravery and courage to spare. Placing you will not be easy. Hufflepuff and Gryffindor would not be good choices for you. Hufflepuffs are too soft for what you are. Gryffindors are not accepting of that which is different and you would probably kill the lot of them.

'Ravenclaw and Slytherin are good choices for you. Both houses are disciplined enough to be comfortable and you would have no trouble finding common interests amonst you peers. The inquisitive nature of most Ravenclaws would quickly grate on your nerves though. Slytherine House would benefit greatly from your presence. You could teach them a good deal about the Muggle world and break a few barriers. The problem there however lies in what you would want to do. If youfre going to recruit students to your side or at least make it out off here without killing your classmates, the snake pit is not the best place. Most of the school look down on Slytherins as being evil and while the house is notorius for being darker than the others, dark is not evil but all save a very few outside that house understand this concept.'

'Have you made a choice?'

'Do you mind being an oddity?'

'If I did would it matter?'

'No. Better be...' "Unsortable!"

I remove the hat from my head and hand it back to the professor before moving back to the others. I watch Welsh and Harry's reactions as McGonagall talks to the hat. Welsh is smothering her amusement at seeing a flummoxed professor. Harry is studiously not looking at me. The sneaky little bastard! I have taught him so well.

It's Welshfs turn now.

"Tarrington, B. R. Ashlynn?"

She always hates it when people call out more than Ashlynn. I find it amusing that her initials spell 'brat' but that is probably just me. As she puts on the hat, I see her shoot a look at Harry. I wonder what will happen when we get out of here and Welsh can get her hands on Harry. I think over various scenarios only snapping out of it in time to hear the hat pronounce Welsh "Unsortable." What a shocker.

If the hat couldnft sort me, how is it going to sort Little Miss Bomb Happy? For all Welsh looks sweet and acts kind, she's a holy terror when you piss her off and her favorite means of anger management is blowing something up. With a short fuse, it really isn't a rare sight.

McGonagall tells Harry to go to his house but Welsh nudges him. Ashlynn spent months looking for loopholes in the Hogwarts charter to overturn his previous sorting. None of us want Harry back in that house if it is at all possible to prevent it.

"Unsortable."

Harry is kept out of the Lion's Den alright. He'll be with Welsh and I where ever we end up. This could be fun.

~~End Flashback~~

I look around at the portraits on the walls. This far into the dungeons, one begins to wonder why these people have been exiled so far from the rest of the school.

Left, right, right, straight, down a flight of stairs, past a portrait of Morgana, and finally left again brings us before a tapestry that is utterly mind boggling. Harry stands before this monstrosity and smiles. I feel my respect for the founders of Hogwarts dwindle. In front of us is a portrayal of a food fight. All I can take in is four figures, two male and two female, covered head-to-toe in unidentifiable substances that can only be food from the table right beside them.

"Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus," Harry says.

I have seen some bizarre mottos before but this one takes the cake. While practical, 'Never tickle a sleeping dragon' should be common sense and a situation where you would use it should never come up.

The tapestry draws back to reveal a doorway and Harry ushers us in.

Normally, I would analyze every nook and cranny but Ashlynn beat me to it and started redecorating. From what I saw before she pounced, the rooms had been green and silver. All semblance of House or School affiliation had been replaced to look just like our dorms at Hollstone.

Grey stone scrubbed until it shines, sturdy oak book cases shoulder high, overstuffed furniture (couch, loveseat, two chairs, ottoman) in a soft green that beckon you and allow you to sink in just the right amount to allow relaxation but not so much as to feel eaten alive. The portrait above the fireplace may be different, but I can guarantee it has been spelled for secrecy.

Six doors lead to the bedrooms, each marked for their occupant. Starting from the right of the entrance is Ashlynn's pentacle, Harry's lightening bolt, my own rune 'wheels', Richard's flame, Micah's rune 'communication', Caleb's earth, and Malachi's rune 'deceit' sitting across from the entrance.

Half of the circular chamber is doors. As there are no others, I would assume that each room has its own en-suite. Across from the doors is the common area with its newly transfigured furniture and fireplace.

A gasp pulls me from my musings to see Ashlynn sliding down the wall. I jog across the room to her side and try to get a response.

"{Ash? Are you okay? Welsh, can you hear me?}"

Getting nothing, I pick her up and carry her into her room. After placing her on the bed, I reach into my pocket and pull out my wand. I run diagnostic scans on her finding her physically and magically exhausted. I turn to find Harry standing in the doorway. As much as I hate to do it, I can't help Ashlynn when she isn't coherent to tell me what I need to do.

"Harry go and get Professor Snape. Ashlynn isn't responding and I can't help her if she isn't coherent."

Without question Harry takes off to Circe knows where to get the Professor and I walk to the open door to the left of Ashlynn's bed looking for the bathroom. Finding it I move to the sink and wet a washcloth with cool water and take it back to the bedroom. I wipe down Ashlynn's face and neck hoping to help somehow. Looking down at her ghostly pale face, I can't help but think that if we were still at Hollstone this wouldn't be a problem. For one thing, I don't think Ash would have expended so much magic at one time and for another, I trust the Healer on staff there. I don't know Madame Pomphrey.

The outer door slams open and the sound of booted feet makes their way into the room. Professor Snape comes to stand beside me. I explain the situation to him and as he takes out his wand to run his own medi-scan, I notice something in his magical signature. It's not much but I recognize it almost immediately, a tiny sliver of pearlescent color signaling a creature heritage. It's not that it's rare or anything, Hollstone is full of mixed bloods. No, what catches my attention is that I see this particular color routinely. Pearlescent amethyst...

...the color of a Royal Elf.

My hand shoots out and grabs Severusf before I can stop myself. He looks up from Welsh and meets my eyes.

"Creature?" I whisper. I have to know if he knows. While Harry is aware that Ash is mixed, I don't think he knows about Severus and it's not my place to make it known.
"Yes," he whispers just as quietly.
"She's the same only more so."

A quick nod and I know that the message has been understood. I remove my hand. He casts a variation on the standard diagnosis incantation. Colors I don't understand drift up from Welsh's body. From the deepening of Severus' perpetual frown I understand that what he's going to say is not what I want to hear.

"She has entered a censura. This means that she has succumbed to her heritage earlier than expected. Generally a censura takes place during the first Solstice following the coming of age at seventeen. During this time, Ms. Tarrington's actions and motivations will be weighed by those of her blood who have already passed on and who in life survived their own judgement period. There are litterally thousands of outcomes possible due to the life she has led to this point. This is one of three periods possible. This is the hardest trial to face for those of the Elven lines and it is the only one which can result in death.

"For it to have come early means that someone or something has attempted to tamper with her magic. According to historic records which can only be found in the royal archives or in the Conclave, the last time a censura came early was the Mistress Morgana."

I wish I wasn't right.

"Is there anything we can do for her?"

"Make sure that magic in this room is kept to the absolute necessary. Diagnostic charms and monitoring spells are fine. If she developes a fever, use compresses and luke-warm water. Should a glyph appear on her forehead, note the color and symbol then alert me immediately. If the symbol is unknown to you, copy it down as best you can.

"Is there anyway we can get in touch with the Elder who trained her or atleast get the records from that time?"

"I would need to Floo the Commandant to get that information. How soon do you need it?h

"If she has not awoken by breakfast, then we must see if the Elder had any suspicions regarding her magic."

I feel a pulse of magic go through me and with it a sense of sorrow. From the corner of my eye I see Harry move closer to the bed. I turn to follow his movements and see what he has noticed. A crescent moon in soft dove grey has appeared where Seers claim the Inner eye to reside. I am drawn to this symbol for reasons I cannot understand. As the seconds tick by the urge to trace the mark strengthens. One step and I am at the bed but here the urge changes, no longer to touch but to kiss. I move to lean but a had stops me. Professor Snape is looking at me as if I am about to do something stupid. My reaction is simple and has been uttered by lovers and conquerors in numerous situations for time incomperable.

"Mine."

The utterence no more than a whisper but clearly heard to all in the room. My gaze locks with the nearly black eyes beside me.

"Mine." The word comes once more but this time it is a plea rather than a statement of fact. Her life is mine but also is my life hers. Forever entwined, consequences be damned.

The hand falls and I know that the message has been understood. The kiss is gentle, no more than soft brushing of worshipping lip to soft, pale skin. Magic pulses again and with it this time is a sense of peace. Harry takes Ashlynn's hand and simply holds it. The relief flowing from his slender form is almost palpable. He knows that whatever has happened it will be for the better.

Professor Snape runs his diagnostic spells again.

"She is merely resting now. Whatever her trial was, it is complete and she has passed. We will not be able to gauge any changes until morning when Ms. Tarrington is concious and capable of answering a few questions. A light monitoring charm would not be amiss. I do not forsee any complications but it is best to err on the side of caution.

"Make sure that in the morning she eats a decent breakfast. Something with protein. If she feels faint or dizzy, take her to the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomphrey is more cautious than a goblin with a high security vault when it comes to persons of mixed ancestry. Some of the best Curse Breakers and Unspeakables have tested the wards on her files only to be rebuffed."

"Thank you, Professor Snape."

With a slight nod, he sweeps from the room. His billowing robes flairing out behind him in his wake.

I usher Harry out of the room and into his own so that he can get some sleep. It only takes a comment about Richard disliking a grumpy Harry to spur him into action. With a flick of my wand the monitor is set and I leave for my own room.

As much as I would like to stay and curl up beside Welsh, I know I can't. For all her bravado and for all she has done to face her past and her fears, she still panics unless she initiates the contact. Had I tears left I would cry for the child lost in such inhumane ways.

After changing into my sleep pants, I slide between the cool sheets of my bed and think on the actions of the last two hours, for that is all that has passed. I feel as confident as Harry that this can only be good. While she has lived through too many trials for one so young, she has surpassed every expectation and pushed forward.

Sleep overcomes me quickly and I settle into a calm dreamless rest.

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AN: It isn't much but it is something and it moves the plot along a bit. Next chapter will be the arrival of the remaining four, the first day of classes for our beloved characters, a bit of Gryffie bashing, possible Dumble bashing, and more leaps away from the reality of the Alternate Universe that is canon Potterverse.
***Did anyone happen to notice my goof??? Cookies and a one shot in the pairing of your choice to the first one who finds it.*** UPDATE: Congratulations to Chicklet form HPFandom dot net, who found that I made too many doors in this chapter.


AN2: Last one I swear!!!! Thanks to everyone for the reviews!!! I can't fix it if I don't know it's broken and it's encouraging to read that someone enjoys the fruits of your imagination. I would like to turn your attention to the home page for HPFandom and the message printed at the top in bold lettering. If you know it's going to offend you, don't waste your time reading it and then making unnecessary comments because you didn't like it. It states quite plainly in the summary that this story involves Harry going to the US but one intellegent creature made comment on this stating that the US was lucky because we had Star Trek and Star Wars and Brits had Harry Potter. I have left a response to this. I may have been born American and raised in the traditions of 'The South' but I was born and raised in Oldenberg, Germany and my family and I moved to the US when I was 13. Any further flames with be deleted or the authors of such may find themselves as characters within this story who are brutally tortured and killed, whichever happens to strike my fancy and agree with my plot at the time.
~ Charli a.k.a Madness ♫