Year 1 Part 6

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  As I was brought into the Shadow Realm there was nothing I could do to stop it. The bands of black that locked me in place, ensuring I could only look at the nothingness of what lay beneath me, were composed of Shadow magic. I could sense this, yet I didn’t have the power or mastery to override the control the Fifth-Year Ravenclaw girl had over them.

  My eyes adapted quicker this time to the shifting shades of black that formed the Shadow realm, or Fearann ????na Scáthanna as she had called it, though with my body locked and moving horizontally there was little for me to look at. Faint flickers of the shimmers that led to exits from the realm caught my attention, teasing me with ways to escape my captor, but I knew that even if I somehow were free of my bonds, she’d be able to stop me before I could reach any of them.

  My captor was, beyond being a Fifth Year and thus having a larger repertoire of spells and at five to six major pathways unlocked, skilled in the usage of shadow magic. From what little I could see of her as she led me deeper into the realm, she was comfortable here and more powerful with shadow magic than I was, even with the Embrace of The Shadows trait I possessed. Merlin, she might even be more powerful here than in the real world. Yet at the same time, I felt she was uncertain about something, but what that was I couldn’t tell.

  As I was led by her magic further from my entrance point, my mind started going over her name for the realm. Fearann ????na Scáthanna. That was Gaelic, but it seemed more Irish than Scots Gaelic which was an issue. While there was a shared root, Scots had developed differently so my comprehension of Irish Gaelic wasn’t perfect. Fearann in Scots was Domain, as in realm, so I assumed the other words meant ‘of shadows’ but I had no proo-

  My body was jerked up, shifting to a vertical position letting me see my captor’s face more clearly. Or it would if we weren’t standing in a realm made entirely of shadows. Yet, while I knew the colour of her eyes and hair, it was lost in the shifting darkness of this realm. The outline of her face, however, was clear to see, as was that her lips were pressed firmly together as she looked me over.

  “So, MacLeod, how did you learn to access the Fearann ????na Scáthanna?,” she asked even as I caught sight of her wand moving, and the realm around us shifting in response as she assumed control over it. I watched in wonder as I felt a simple table along with chairs on either side of it formed before I was guided into my seat by the bands holding me; bands which merged with the chair, trapping me in place.

  “How did you do that?” I asked my need to understand what she’d done, or more accurately how, slipping out. While she frowned at my question, another section of my mind worked on considering how I should reply to her and what, if anything, I should reveal about my connection to Shadow magic. Both in this world and before the other part of me was merged into it. “How can you manipulate the shadows?”

  The girl’s face remained firm. “That isn’t why I have brought you here.” She rolled her wrist, and her fingers drew faint patterns into the air. I felt the bindings holding me tighten, just enough that it was a struggle to breathe clearly, before she leaned forward, resting one arm on the table she’d created. “Again, how did you learn to access this place, and what made you interested in an all-but-forgotten branch of magic?”

  “You do realise that by kidnapping me you’re risking the wrath of the entire Wizengamot against you and your family?” I shot back, trying to keep her occupied with other matters while part of my mind I formulated any conceivable way that I might escape her while dismissing all those that resulted in my certain death.

  Another section of my thoughts was focusing on her, using what little information I had to try and determine who she was. The thick Irish brogue made it easy to tell where she came from, but I wasn’t skilled enough with the accent to determine where on the Emerald Isle she originated from. However, it did open up a new line of thought I devoted part of my mental processes to.

  Dunscaith Castle had links to the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Its old name was the Fortress of Shadows, and had once been the home of a witch or fae – the legends weren’t clear on the matter – named Scáthach. Beyond being famed for her ability with Shadow magic, and I suspected having some connection to the ward core, she was the one who trained the greatest hero in Irish folklore: CúChulainn.

  There were a few books in the Inner Library that hinted at Scáthach having more than a passing connection to the usage of Shadow magic away from Dunscaith, and even before now, I’d believed them to be accurate. However, there was no mention of her teaching anyone other than CúChulainn, or that she’d taught others whatever she’d taught him. Now, there were suggestions that the woman CúChulainn had married had been Scáthach’s sister, but I’d not seen any proof to verify that. Yet as I sat across the table from this Irish lass, I wondered if she might be a descendent of either of those legendary figures as I couldn’t determine any other way she could have the level of influence over this place that she did.

  “You do realise that apart from us, no one at Hogwarts can access the Fearann ????na Scáthanna? Nor that anyone saw us enter the realm?” She spoke with a thin smile as if amused by my admittedly feeble attempts to avoid answering her questions. “You chose your spot in the grounds for that very reason, and so now no one, not even your house elves or familiar could track you here.” She leaned forward, the smile growing slightly wider though not in any way I considered appealing. “Trust me, my Clan is aware of what can and cannot be done in this realm.”

  I froze. She was right—no one could find me here. She could leave me in stasis for years or drop my body in the sea. My mind screamed warnings, but a single word she’d used caught my attention, pulling me from the brink of panic.

  “Which Clan are you from?” my words were slow, making it seem, I hoped, that I was measuring them and not devoting brain power to calming my nerves over just how fucked I was if this interrogation took a turn for the worst. No plan another section of my thoughts produced would result in me escaping the Shadow Realm alive, which was hardly encouraging but meant I had to play along with my captor until either I convinced her to not execute me, or I failed to do so, and this adventure was over.

  The girl stared back at me, and as the various streams of consciousness worked on differing problems, I felt pressure growing against my mind. My defences reacted automatically, raising to their highest level. Yet for all that I felt her presence remain beyond those fortifications, I knew that if she wanted, she could breach them. That meant she was at least a Level 3 Legilimens as on average until Level 5, Legilimency was superior to Occlumency if both were equal in rank.

  “I’m Aífe, daughter of the Clan of Antiquity, Mac Uidhir.”

  I blinked as I heard her name. I knew of Clan Mac Uidhir. Merlin, everyone born in the magical world did. They were the oldest Clan or House in the Isles, predating the Roman invasion which brought House Ollivander to Britain. Yet for all their age, they were rarely seen in public. While their children had to attend Hogwarts, it was rumoured they used a different name when they came, and their Chief never attended a Wizengamot session, appointing a proxy from one of a handful of the other Irish clans to speak on their behalf.

  Merlin, they were so old that it was claimed that they were descended from the Celtic go…

  “Fuck!” I cursed as quietly as I could as I put the links together. “Your Clan… you have connections to either Cúchulainn or Scáthach, don’t you?” I asked, even as I wondered why she had revealed her true Clan name to me. There was no reason to do so unless she… I gulped as my mind realised my odds of escaping this situation might well have plummeted to insane depths of unlikelihood.

  “Perhaps we do,” Aífe replied slowly, that thin smile stretching slightly. “Or perhaps I’m simply telling you this to distract you into revealing your secrets.”

  I blinked again, my head tilting to my right. I looked at her carefully, trying to get a read on her. Her expression, save for that slowly becoming annoying thin smile, was blank offering no hint of her feelings or emotions. It was clear she had her defences up and was using her Occlumency training to prevent me from getting any sort of read on her.

  Closing my eyes, I reached out with my magic, trying to get a reading on the realm around me, and I hoped, on her. The Shadow Realm felt alien yet strangely familiar. Its shifting energies mirrored the ward core of Dunscaith, stirring an instinctive sense of recognition within me. Because of that, I felt I could sense just enough from her to be certain of a few things.

  “No,” I said cautiously. “Even knowing that where we are means no one can find or overhear us, using the name of another Clan to cover your identity is a crime. One that, if caught, is punishable by a stint in Azkaban. Now, you could be planning to kill me to protect your secret, but I sense that isn’t your intention. At least, not your preferred intention,” I finished, measuring my words to try and appear more knowledgeable and insightful than I perhaps was. “You seek more than just a passing understanding from me about how I can access the Fearann ????na Scáthanna and, I suspect, might wish to see if you can harness that to make yourself stronger.”

  I was guessing heavily, but with a partition of my mind working devoid of all emotions, it was the most logical reason for her to be so open with me. Save, obviously, for the genuine possibility that she might try and exterminate me once we were finished here.

  At the same time, I was talking with her, and had one part of my mind going over her logic, another section had come to a startling conclusion. One that I really should have made earlier based on the names in play. Fearann ????na Scáthanna meant Domain of Shadows, as the realm’s name bore more than a passing similarity to Scáthach, and if she was the first recorded person to use shadow magic or at least the most famous of the Ulster Cycle, then it made sense Old Gaelic would use her name as the basis for the word shadow. That revelation, however, I kept internal for now.

  “Perhaps I do intend to kill you today, so there is no fear in using my true name with you,” Aífe responded. “Or perhaps I use a false name as I wish to trick you into revealing the knowledge I desire. Maybe, I’m being honest and I’m doing so in the hope that you will be honest with me about how you can access the Fearann ????na Scáthanna and how I might use that to further empower myself. Maybe even, as you have no doubt determined, the link between this realm, Scáthach, and my Clan’s suspected origins is more than just coincidence.” She leaned forward, her wand in her hands adding another layer to the threat she was protecting. “Now, tell me how you can access this realm.”

  I gulped, letting some of my fear appear on my face. At the same time, the various partitions of my mind raced through various options and paths I could take to try and alter this situation so that I might survive it. Hell, maybe even into one that might, in some small way, benefit me. “No. I want proof you are who you say you are before I reveal anything.” Her smile slipped a fraction even as I continued. “I know you could rip the knowledge from my mind, destroying me in the process. However, doing that denies you any chance of learning more from me, and once the torc is taken by the next MacLeod,” I gestured at my arm, willing the symbol of my status as The MacLeod of MacLeod and what granted me control over the wards of Dunscaith, be visible for a second before vanishing again, “your actions here would be known to them. Actions that would be brought before the Wizengamot and even you Clan, as antique as it is, must still obey the rules of our world.”

  I was playing an extremely dangerous game here, mixing truth with deception while Aífe’s prisoner in the Shadow Realm. However, if I could guide her to a path where she didn’t outright kill me, then there was the potential for both of us to learn from the other and grow more powerful. I knew instinctively that she would always be stronger with Shadow Magic than me. No doubt as it was probably her family magic just as fleshcarving was mine. However, the advantages this realm offered to those who could access it were, if my thoughts before my capture had even scratched the surface, potentially world-breaking. Because of all that, trying to regain some control of the situation was worth the inherent risk, and if I was very, very lucky, I might just earn a smidgen of respect from Aífe from which to build something more tangible and useful for what lay beyond the horizon.

  Aífe, as I’d expected, glared at me, the thin smile on her face slipping as I continued speaking. Yet even as her mood seemingly worsened, I swore I saw the glint of something spark in her eyes, and hoped that might be to my benefit. I watched as she moved her wand around as if debating what spell to cast against me, and I braced, preparing for what was about to come. “Very well.” I froze as she spoke, awaiting her choice.

  She lifted her wand, and the tip shone faintly, ironically making it hard to see her clearly given our location. “I Aífe, Nic Uidhir, daughter of Chief Mac Uidhir, swear upon my magic that, at least on this day, I shall not kill Chief Dòmhnall Fionnlagh MacLeod. I also swear that whatever is said between us here and now within the Fearann ????na Scáthanna shall not reach the ears of others from me. Not unless I am ordered to explain my actions by my father and Chief. So mote it be.”

  The light at the end of her wand grew brighter before it rushed outward, exploding in a miniature supernova. I blinked, the bright light hurting my eyes due to having spent so long in the Shadow Realm. Yet as I blinked rapidly, trying to recover my sight, I realised I had to stop calling it the Shadow Realm. This was the Fearann ????na Scáthanna and it would behove me to start referring to it as such.

  “Was that acceptable?”

  I looked at Aífe, my vision slowly recovering and granting me a hint of her shape within the blackness of this realm. “Y-yeah. I guess.” I spoke slowly, acutely aware that her oath only saved me from death today. “I’d have preferred a longer window of life, but I guess I can’t expect you to be that trusting when we know nothing about each other.”

  “Impress me and I might let you see out the term. Perhaps even the school year.”

  I couldn’t help but chuckle at the rather dark humour she used. I shouldn’t find the idea of my death so invigorating, but I did. The danger, the mystery of not knowing which second might be my last… It was stimulating in a way I’d never really understood. Not until I found myself at the complete mercy of another. “I’d extend the same offer, but we both know I’m no threat to you currently.”

  “No, you’re not. However, from what I have heard of you, you have… potential, and I would prefer to not waste that over a trivial matter as a lack of trust.” She leaned back, the thin smile returning to her face, and I swore I saw a glint of it touching her eyes though it was hard to tell within this realm. “Now, tell me how you can access the Fearann ????na Scáthanna.”

  “What do you know of Dunscaith Castle?”

  “That it was once the home of Scáthach and in Old Gaelic, it was known as the Fortress of Shadows. My Clan has long suspected that there was more to the stories, but no MacLeod has ever shown an ability to access the Fearann ????na Scáthanna. At least to my knowledge.”

  I nodded. “That is all true to my knowledge as well. However,” I paused, carefully considering what my next step would be. I was about to reveal something that I suspected my ancestors wouldn’t approve of. “However, instead of a ward stone, Dunscaith has a ward core.” I felt her mind brush up against my defences, trying to sense some falsehood in my statement, and the probe pulled back when it failed to sense what it expected.

  Aífe’s eyes widened, and she inhaled sharply. “The rumours are true,” she muttered, possibly just to herself, but I managed to catch it in the silence of the Fearann ????na Scáthanna. She leaned back, processing what I’d said, which was understandable. Believing something was probable was entirely different than learning it was true.

  As the silence stretched on, I leaned forward. Or at least as best as I could with the bindings still securing me to the shadow-chair. “Your Clan has some link to Scáthach, don’t they? That’s how you can access this realm, and how I know your ability to manipulate shadows surpasses my own. Is this linked to your Clan’s family magic?” I asked. I knew I’d not get a straight answer, but even the way she defeated my question might provide insight. Potentially explaining how they had a connection to Scáthach.

  That great witch, who some said had been of the Fae, had never had children, and the only person she had taught was CúChulainn. His bloodline was believed to have died when his son had fallen on CúChulainn’s blade, though in that legend there were suggestions that the mother had been Scáthach’s sister. If that was the case, and the son had borne a son before his death, then that could be where Clan Mac Uidhir gained the ability to access the Fearann ????na Scáthanna, potentially even having it as their family magic.

  “It is, though I will say no more on that matter,” Aífe said very cautiously, as aware as I was of the dangers in revealing anything about family magic. Each Clan and House, at least those of Ancient status and older, had elements in their wards and the magic that flowed through each member to ensure that family magic couldn’t be revealed to others except under extremely specific conditions. “As for the earlier question, our annuals mention a connection to Scáthach, but we have never had proof to definitively confirm it. Records from that age are… lacking.”

  I grunted, understanding the issue there, though at least my ancestors had discovered – or at least I was led to believe they discovered – the Dealbhan Nas Motha ensuring that the knowledge of previous Chiefs of Clan MacLeod could offer their wisdom to their descendants.

  “However, while this realm had connections to my clan’s magic, I don’t believe it does for your clan. Your ability to be here comes from your ward core, does it not?” There was a hint of something in her tone. Not desperation, but perhaps a need to learn more about the mystery she had stumbled onto with me. That, I felt, was something I might be able to use to not just survive this evening, or the rest of the school year, but to learn more about Shadow magic. Possibly even, if the cards I played were perfect, gain a powerful ally.

  She was the daughter of the Chief of Clan Mac Uidhir. She had not revealed if she were his heir, but I wouldn’t expect her to. There was no need for her to do so, and it would’ve only granted me more information about her that I might use to my advantage.

  “This ward core,” she continued slowly, that hint of need for knowledge in her gaze growing brighter, “is it linked to here?”

  I bit the inside of my mouth, holding back a glimmer of amusement at the way she’d shifted from demanding answers to almost begging for them. Her need to know and understand my connection to the Fearann ????na Scáthanna, was just barely overriding her ability to maintain her composure.

  “Since we’re being open, perhaps you might remove my bindings?” I countered. “We both know that if I tried anything, you’d end me before I could get off anything more than a handful of simple spells. Never mind find my way out of this realm.”

  Aífe’s eyes locked on mine, seeking any hint of deception. When her probe brushed against my mind, I lowered the outermost layer of my defences, letting her sense I wasn’t planning anything. Or at least anything that threatened her.

  Her hand flicked, the fingertips dancing in the air, and I felt the bindings that had prevented me from moving more than a few inches fade away into nothing. “Thanks,” I said softly, as I used one hand to rub the wrist of the other arm, getting circulation flowing again.

  “The ward core?”

  I took a second to consider how much to reveal to her. If I gave her everything then she’d potentially have no further use for me, and either tomorrow or some day in the near future, I knew I’d suffer a fatal accident. I had to string her along without seemingly holding back too much.

  “As you undoubtedly suspect, it is linked to the castle, and from what I have discovered in the journals of my ancestors, it was believed to have a connection to Scáthach and her favoured form of magic. Yet, bar the founder of my Clan, who I’m told was also named Dòmhnall, none before me were able to access the core, or at least none ever wrote down that they did. Oh, every journal mentions them spending hours meditating before the core, but that’s it.”

  “What makes you so special?” She asked, her eyes boring into me. “Yes, you are powerful, and one of the better students in your year, but your other accomplishments, at least I can recall hearing about, were less through skill than luck or the work of others. You survived the Summer Solstice Massacre though, if the papers are correct, your mother’s actions. Your appearance before the Wizengamot already recognized by the goblins as the MacLeod of MacLeod and with a wand was the work of Lord Arcturus Black.” There was a faint hint in her tone of some dislike toward the Blacks, or perhaps just towards Arcturus. “Nothing else, save perhaps for however you gained control of Dunscaith’s wards and managed to get the core to accept you as chief, marks you out as special.”

  “Thank you.” There was no warmth in my tone as while everything she’d said was accurate, it was irritating to be so summarily dismissed as unimportant. Oh, I knew I wasn’t anything special, but having someone only a few years older than me, and potentially not even in line to become the leader of her Clan, clearly able to surpass something I had thought unique to me until a few short minutes ago was infuriating. Beyond it even.

  I buried those emotions in another section of my mind, though with the intent to one day prove to her that I wasn’t unworthy of the power I could and would wield. The rest of my thoughts focused on responding to her question that hadn’t been an actual question.

  “When, as you say, I gained control of the wards of Dunscaith, that meant gaining at least partial control of the ward core. A core that…” I paused. “What I’m about to say cannot ever be repeated.”

  “I gave you my oath.”

  “I know, but I need this to never reach anyone. Not even your Chief; regardless of who that is now or will be in the future.” The way I phrased that was, I hoped, another gentle way to prod and see if she were to become the chiefess once her father died or not.

  “I give you my word.” Her reply offered no hint, but that was what I had expected. It didn’t, however, make the attempt useless. Even a non-answer could reveal something of value once more information was discovered later on.

  “Dunscaith’s ward core… It is a core composed of shadow.” Aífe gasped, her hand coming to her mouth in shock. Perhaps she had expected that, but suspecting something and having it confirmed were two quite different things. Particularly when it was something as seemingly important as this was to her. “The sphere rotated in shifting, undulating flickers of shades of darkness, mesmerising me every time I see it. My ancestors… they speculated that it was created by Scáthach, but nothing exists to confirm it.”

  I leaned back, letting her digest my reveal and wondering how she would not just process it, but what if any change it might make in this odd dynamic we seemed to be developing. So far, while my cards didn’t feel like the perfect hand, I felt I was ahead of the game. Hopefully just enough that once I was free of her interest for tonight, Aífe might be willing to train me in using shadow magic. Having someone capable of showing me the ropes of this realm and the magic linked to it would accelerate my learning and prevent me from making any fatal mistakes in my pursuit of greater knowledge and understanding.

  “It… I can confirm it.”

  Now it was my turn to be shocked, I felt my jaw drop, opening my mouth in a rather undignified way. I blinked rapidly as my hands gripped the armrests of the shadow chair I was in. “What? How?”

  “I… I have seen the ward core of… my home. What you describe, what I can sense in your surface thoughts… it matches what I saw with my father.”

  I nodded slowly, putting that little piece of information with what else I had about Aífe. I didn’t know how her Clan acted, but from what my ancestors had told me, only the Chief and the heir were ever permitted to be near the ward core of Dunscaith. If that was true of her clan, then she was heir to the oldest, and potentially most magically powerful clan in the British Isles.

  “Wh-when you were with the ward core, you felt a connection to it, didn’t you?” I nodded. “Hmm. That, perhaps, was when you awoke your connection to this realm and, as it would be called in English, Shadow magic. However, it doesn’t explain why you were doing what you were when I sensed you accessing the Fearann ????na Scáthanna.”

  I shrugged sheepishly, as with time to think about the matter – at least when not devoting all my focus to finding possible ways to survive my recent capture by Aífe – I’d realised what I’d done had been foolish. Maybe even dangerous. But where was the fun in life in only doing what was safe and easy?

  “A few days ago, I felt I had an epiphany,” I began slowly, knowing she was going to scold me for my actions but seeing no reason to not be entirely truthful with this revelation. “One where I felt I understood how to access shadow magic. Tonight, with a clear sky and the moon not far removed from full, I felt it was time to test my theory. When you found me, I’d just emerged from this realm after, well, stumbling into it to a degree.”

  Aífe looked at me through narrowing eyes, her lips thinning even further. I wondered if she believed the tale I’d just told her, and knew that if she brushed up against my mind I’d again lower the outermost defences so she could confirm I was being truthful. Yes, I was withholding everything about the fact half my soul came from another dimension, but I knew she couldn’t sense that. Aunt Moire was a far more skilled and intimidating Legilimens, and she had failed to sense my thoughts on those memories even when my mind had been completely open to her.

  A loud, exasperated sigh slipped from her mouth, and she shook her head. “Merlin! How you aren’t already dead I don’t know. The Fearann ????na Scáthanna isn’t a forgiving realm, nor will shadows obey any unable to conquer them. That you were able to enter and then exist here without any harm befalling you… impressive is the kindest word I could use.”

  “Yeah, I’m seeing that,” I muttered in response, her words only highlighting the dangers of what I’d done. “However, where’s the fun in life if you don’t take a few risks?” I countered.

  A faint grunt slipped from her. “A dangerous position to take when toying with powers beyond your understanding, and not one I would expect from a Slytherin.”

  I shrugged. “The Hat considered me for Ravenclaw and several of my aunts believed I was destined to join you in the eyrie.”

  She leaned back and a faint chuckle slipped from her lips. “I suspect that if you had ended up in Ravenclaw, we would have been having this conversation before now and that my housemates would be unprepared for the machinations of one as… daring as yourself.”

  I nodded, accepting the compliment, or at least taking her words as one in the hope it meant she was warming up enough to me that I wouldn’t be dying before the end of the school year. Ideally, I wanted to get her to teach me, but I wasn’t pushing for that currently as if I made the request, she would not only hold power over me – well, more power than she currently did – but it might well be in her interest to reject my request. No, I needed her to, eventually, offer to train me so that I wouldn’t be a danger to the discovery of the Fearann ????na Scáthanna by others.

  “As you should well know by now, magic is alive in ways we might not fully understand. The Fearann ????na Scáthanna is a place where that… intelligence is both stronger and more primitive. It will devour the unprepared and timid that try to demand its acquiescence. That you could somehow use it instinctively without any blood connection to my Clan, at least that I’m aware of, is an anomaly. One that hints at the power you might someday wield, and the changes you might bring to our world.” She leaned forward, moving almost halfway across the table. “Some would see that as a danger that needs to be removed. Others, an opportunity to exploit.”

  I blinked at her words, suddenly once more feeling remarkably vulnerable. If not for her earlier vow, then I might well feel like a deer cornered by a hungry wolf. “And which do you see me as?” I spoke slowly, using my Occlumency training to keep my emotions away from my voice and the edges of my mind on the chance she might once again brush up against my defences.

  “For now, I’m leaning towards the latter,” she replied as her smile shifted into one making clear she understood she held the cards currently. “Enough that, for the time being, I am willing to extend your amnesty for entering the Fearann ????na Scáthanna until the end of the semester.”

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  “Will your father share that opinion?” She would have to broach this matter with him, and if he felt I was a threat I was doomed.

  “For now, your… skill with accessing the Fearann ????na Scáthanna doesn’t concern him. He has trust in me to protect our Clan’s secrets from any that might threaten us. Even those with tangential connections to our Clan’s founder and their ancestors.” She stood and moved around the table. I felt the chair I was seated upon shift, and understanding it was about to return to the ether of the realm, I stood as she neared, getting a clear indicator that for now, and at least the next few years, she would have height over me as well as power and skill. “I think it might be wise if we were to examine what you can do within this realm.” She moved past me haughtily. “Beginning now.”

  I pivoted hard, falling into step just behind and to the right of her. This was all I could’ve hoped for once I’d discovered who she was and the danger I was in here. However, I still maintained some concern that this was just a ruse to lure me into lowering my guard so she could arrange an accident for me. “I’m meeting several of my colleagues at nine,” I said, crafting an exit that should ensure I wouldn’t be forced to spend too much time with her tonight. When I’d wandered the grounds of Hogwarts, it had been a little after eight, so based on my internal chronometer, I should only have about thirty or so minutes until I would be expected within my common room.

  Aífe laughed for the first time since she’d abducted me, and I found myself liking the sound. “That isn’t a concern while we are here.” Her wand flicked out and I gasped as I saw the clock displayed. It should be close to eight-thirty, yet the clock she’d summoned with the Time charm displayed only eight-ten. “Time flows differently within the Fearann ????na Scáthanna. For those who master its depths sufficiently, years of real-time can be spent within it without the outside world being aware. You can also slow and even stop your ageing so that you don’t suddenly appear older than you were before entering the realm. However, you can and will still experience hunger and tiredness within the realm.” She stopped and turned to face me; a firm look on her face. “Do not rest in this realm until I deem you prepared. To do otherwise…” she shook her head. “While the realm appears empty it is not and if we lower our guard to rest, the things that dwell within the greater depths of the realm may well appear. You do not want to face them as I’m told they are easily comparable to a four-X class creature at the bare minimum.”

  I nodded, taking in the dangers of this realm even though, despite my connection to it via the ward core of Dunscaith and Embrace of the Shadows, I didn’t feel as if I was in any danger here. “Okay. What do you want me to do?”

  Aífe’s face shifted, a wide and seemingly genuine smile coming to it and lighting up her visage. A burst of amusement erupted from her, further enhancing her charm and I was glad to not yet have hit puberty. “A dangerous question to ask a lady, Chief MacLeod,” she replied as she moved closer, slipping inside my personal space. I held my ground as she did, not wanting to appear weak before what I was taking as some sort of challenge. “Thankfully for you, I have little interest in you as you currently are.”

  Not giving me time to process her words, she pivoted and resumed her walking. I blinked, my mind racing through what she had said and trying to determine what meaning – at least beyond the obvious – they held. Even as I did so, I fell into step at her side.

  I knew that power attracted attention, much like moths to a flame, but I wasn’t wanting that sort of interest until I was older. Preferably near the end of Fourth Year if I could manage it. Oh, I knew there were some in Hogwarts and elsewhere that might make plays for me as a child, using my apparent naivety to seduce me in the hopes they might one day become Lady MacLeod and live a life of luxury. However, outside of a handful of unskilled girls, none had made such moves yet. Or so I thought.

  As part of my mind considered Aífe’s words and possible intentions for the future, another partition worked on what she hoped to get out of training me. Beyond the apparent possibility that her earlier words had hinted at. I knew she was using me for some ploy of hers, yet currently, I was blind as to what it was. Even so, I would be a fool to turn down training from someone who knew this branch of magic so that I could avoid stumbling around like a blind man in the dark.

  The trick, as with much of this world, was locating and navigating around potential pitfalls of this rather sudden arrangement before they consumed or killed me.

  … …

  … …

  Deep in a chamber inside my chest, the one used by generations of the MacLeod of MacLeod before me, I sat cross-legged deep in meditation. My mind, as much as there were many things I might be concentrating upon, was blank. No partition that I could generate internally was focused on anything but looking inward at the magic that flowed through me.

  What I sought, like every First Year that hadn’t yet unlocked it, was the key to my second major pathway. I felt I was close, that my recent unlocking of the Embrace of the Shadows trait and training with Aífe had delev-

  My head snapped to one side and a faint gasp slipped from my lips as I felt the magic within me shift. Everything felt stronger. More powerful and yet less focused.

  My eyes snapped open, and the world around me pulsed with unnatural clarity. The chamber felt alive, its edges sharper than before, but the rush of magic coursing through me left my body trembling and unsteady.

  I inhaled slowly, trying to settle the rush of sensations I was experiencing only to become distracted by how slow my breathing felt. In the time it took for air to enter my lungs and my heart to beat one more time, I felt everything shifting around me as my mind processed at rates I’d never considered possible, not even with my ability to run parallel thought streams due to Occlumency.

  After feeling myself slowly relocating my centre, I opened my eyes again, prepared for the incredible clarity of the chamber. I turned my head, tracking faint, almost imperceivable shifts in the pattern of the walls, yet even as I did that I felt as if I was moving through quicksand. My head did as I asked, but not in the way I’d expected.

  I lifted my arm, seeing the same delayed response. Almost as if my body were unable to react as quickly as my mind desired. Looking at the back of my hand, I saw the hairs there standing up as if struck by a static shock and it felt as if my hair was behaving likewise with faint flickers of power dancing between the strands.

  Yet, for everything about this that felt unnerving and illogical, nothing felt wrong. In fact, I felt better than I’d ever felt before. My mind was abuzz with understanding and working at a level I didn’t fully understand, yet I knew why this was. My magic had shifted and the second pathway within me had been discovered and activated.

  Unlocking of pathways generally happened around one’s birthday, with the second pathway being activated near a witch or wizard’s twelfth birthday. For me that was still two months hence, suggesting my thinking that the boost to my maturity offered by my memories of an adult life beyond this one was helping me access my power earlier than normal. Yes, Emotionless Recall, as its name implied, removed all emotions connected to those memories, but their simple presence and the lessons they held were still a part of me.

  I tossed my head back and laughed, though my body moved a few seconds behind the thought of doing so as I felt intoxicated at the seeming doubling of my power. I was more alive than I’d felt before, and if not for my rational thoughts winning out, I might think I could take on the world without challenge.

  My body moved to the side with the intent to stand, yet I almost fell, acting as if I was drunk. However, the buzz rushing through every pore in my body wasn’t being generated by firewhisky or an insane burst of adrenaline. My heightened state was coming from the increased flow of magic that moved through and around me. Magic that was pure, unfiltered and mine to command.

  “Woah!” The word was slurred to my mind, running as enhanced as it was, as if I were speaking underwater. My heart was racing and yet the beats were so slow that I could have trains of thoughts between them while every inch of my skin tingled as if caught in a storm.

  Yet, for as invigorating as this was, I knew it was dangerous to not restrain it. Letting my mind and body remain so out of sync risked damage to myself, and if I lost control of the new influx of magic surging through me, everything nearby.

  My eyes closed again, and I commanded my body to take deep, centring breaths. Using the steady rhythm to try and feel what, beyond the increased flood of power, had changed within me. I needed to regain control over both myself and the magic at my command. If I didn’t then, without anyone nearby, I was at risk of serious harm.

  Perhaps meditating inside my chest was dangerous, but I preferred the solitude it offered compared to any place within the grounds of Hogwarts, or even the Fearann ????na Scáthanna. While it had only been a few weeks of training with Aífe, and I was learning about shadow magic, I knew trying to unlock a pathway in the realm was insanely dangerous.

  Time slips away as my mind focuses entirely on my body, ensuring the slow, deep breaths I’m taking are working to settle my physical state while another stream of consciousness works to purge the surging emotions brought on by the change in my magic. Yes, I was overjoyed to unlock my second pathway, but I wasn’t going to savour the moment until I was back in control of at least my physical and mental self.

  As things slowly returned to normal, or what was likely the new normal, a stream of thought was diverted to detailing the changes I’d undergone. The magic within me was still there, yet now the flow of it was greater. As if a river had widened, deepened, and grown faster all at the same time. That meant that I was likely now capable of far more but at the cost of a clear loss of control. Something that was common for most when they unlocked their second pathway and a matter that the Professors expected and prepared us for.

  With my body feeling close to normal, I reopened my eyes pleased to see that everything was, while still sharper, not on some odd, delayed action. The thought of shifting my point of focus was met by a near-instant response from my eyeballs. There was still a faint lag, but it was now no longer blatantly obvious.

  Being exceedingly careful, I shifted my position, moving to stand. Thankfully, there was no hint of unease or a lack of balance and I soon found myself on my feet. My body groaned at the movement, an indication of how long I’d been sitting, yet at the same time it felt refreshed and energised.

  Curious about the changes opening the second pathway had brought forth, I pulled my school wand from its holster. “Lumos. FUCK!”

  The curse came a millisecond after casting the spell as I was forced to turn my head and shield my eyes. I’d only pushed a fraction of my power into the spell, yet the light that erupted from the tip of my wand was about the size of a bludger, engulfed the room, and blinded me instantly.

  A flick of my wand dismissed the spell, though it took a few seconds of rapid blinking to clear the spots in my sight. A few shakes of my head helped expedite the matter.

  I’d known the spell was likely to be brighter, as whenever one of my yearmates had opened their second pathway this term their magic had been more intense. That was why I’d only pushed a sliver of power into the spell. Yet, it was clear that not only was the increase in power more than I’d anticipated, but I could tell my control over one of the most basic spells in existence had slipped. If that was the case for Lumos, then it would be true for every spell I knew, meaning I’d have to work on restoring my refinement.

  That wasn’t ideal, but as it was Saturday, I had time to commit to ensuring that at least the spells I’d be expected to both cast and have control over for this semester retained their refinement by Monday. I’d prefer if others weren’t aware that I’d unlocked the pathway so that they would underestimate my power. Plus, but hiding the change as best I could from the Professors, I could avoid their focus shifting to me. Two months early for unlocking a pathway wasn’t terribly impressive, but it was still early enough that the Professors and others might take notice of it, and I preferred to remain under the radar for now.

  I closed my eyes and held up my wand. “Lumos.” This time I cast the spell with the barest minimum of power I felt I could control. Even in that state, I could still see the light through my closed eyelids, causing patterns to dance in my vision and generating a world that could entrance my imagination if I didn’t focus on the task at hand.

  First, I pushed more of my magic into the spell, causing the images generated on the inside of my eyelids to grow stronger, at least until they were engulfed in the light from the spell. Eventually, it reached the point I swore I could sense the walls of the chamber even though I knew that was impossible.

  There was, from what I was seeing, the potential for this most basic of charms, which lacked any apparent offensive capabilities, to suddenly have some. It could if I learnt to refine and direct the intensity of the light I was generating, be used as something akin to a muggle flashbang. Minus the sound of course, but the sound-creating charm was perhaps the next most easy spell to cast so it should be possible to generate something that was a superior magical facsimile of that muggle invention.

  Now, it was probable that many witches and wizards already knew this, but it wasn’t something shown in the textbooks, so it might well be useful against my fellow students. At least those unable or unwilling to think creatively about their magic.

  That, however, was a project for a later time. For now, I wanted to work on controlling the spell. Or more accurately, regaining the control and precision I’d lost with the unlocking of my second pathway. I could feel the magic flowing through me into the wand reacting to my desires, and slowly – albeit much slower than before – the intensity of the light dimmed, yet at the same time, I could feel the magic around me fighting against my attempt to exert control over my spell. As if the shift in opening the second pathway was hindering its acceptance of my presence.

  I wasn’t going to allow my control to slip and focused hard on the light at the tip of my wand. The brightness continued to dim until I felt it was safe to open my eyes. When I did, I saw the light, while still brighter than it was before today, and about the size of a golden snitch, which brought a smile to my face. It wasn’t perfect, but it was close and with only a short amount of time applied, the regained control was but the first step in regaining the refinement I’d once had over magic.

  Wanting to test a process I’d read about but until now not been able to apply, I focused on increasing the intensity of the light being generated without increasing the size of the sphere at the tip of my wand. I looked away as the brightness rose to the same blinding levels from before, yet with what I wanted to try I knew this wouldn’t last.

  A moment later the light dulled and when I turned back to face my wand, I smiled broadly. The sphere was still glowing as brightly as before, but now the intensity was focused away from me, meaning not only was I no longer getting blinded by it, but now I had a functioning flashlight to use when searching darker locations.

  A release of control over my magic, accompanied by a flick of my wand, and the spell was dismissed. As I slipped my wand into its holster, I pondered something else that might now be possible. With my hand now free, I turned its palm upwards. “Lumos.”

  Every time I’d tried this in the previous years, I’d gotten nowhere. While I had the control over my magic to generate spells without a wand, I’d never been able to do so. as if I lacked the power to bring forth my desire without the foci of a wand.

  Yet now, as a very faint and fragmented shape appeared over my palm, and my smile grew, I saw that I did. Or at least, I had the potential to do so. Oh, the spell wasn’t as focused as with a wand, obviously, nor was it as seemingly powerful, but I felt a stronger pull to the magic that bent to my demands to generate the wispy mist mere inches above my palm.

  Concentrating on the globe, I pushed to have the mist coalesce into something more solid. Magic responded to my demands and a globe appeared. Oh, it wasn’t secure, nor was it solid, but it was a step on the path toward what I wanted, and for today, that would suffice.

  I settled back onto the floor, crossing my legs while making sure the ethereal sphere of light over my hand remained present. Once seated, I closed my eyes, using the flow of magic through me into the light as a guide. I needed to understand the changes that had occurred, and at the same time begin the path towards becoming powerful with wandless magic.

  … …

  … …

  I walked up the stairs and into the master bedroom at Dunscaith, smirking at the fact that today, it was finally time to meet Lily and Severus. Technically, I should be in Hogwarts, as the winter Solstice break had finished around my birthday on the tenth of January while Lily’s birthday had been on the thirtieth. However, on the first full weekend in February, thanks to a few arranged owls with Ranlor, the Account Manager of the MacLeod holdings at Gringotts, I’d been able to use the excuse of ‘Clan Business’ with Dumbledore to take the day away from Hogwarts.

  The Headmaster might not like that I could leave whenever a Clan matter came up, but he was unable to stop me. That said, this was the first time I’d used this excuse to slip from Hogwarts this year, and unless something concerning happened in the future years – or concerning in ways that I wasn’t planning for – then I’d be keeping the usage of this method to slip from Hogwarts to once a year. What would help with that was the vanishing cabinets.

  In a rather unexpected development, the one at Hogwarts hadn’t been located on the first floor of the castle but had been inside the Room of Requirement. At the time that had confused me as according to the source material, it had only been sent to the RoR after Peeves had damaged it. Yet, with more time meditating on the admittedly minor matter, I’d found a fleeting memory of seeing the cabinet in the RoR during the gameplay of Hogwarts Legacy. It didn’t matter how it was there, just that it was now in my possession.

  A minor matter at the time, but one that now wasn’t a concern, was the fear that taking the cabinet from school grounds might trigger anti-theft wards over the castle. However, like with every book – be that textbook or otherwise – coin, jewellery and other valuables, no alert had been triggered. Hogwarts must have such a ward, so I could only assume that the cabinet had been brought to the castle by a former staff member or student with the former being more likely, but it was now mine and I just needed it fixed and its matching partner collected.

  To do that, during the Winter Solstice break, using an ageing potion -something I had enjoyed as it was nice to be an adult again, if only for a few hours – I’d wandered around Knockturn Alley; after purchasing the one in Borgin and Burke’s shop, I’d located another shop – Cobb & Webb – that focused on repairs to magical furniture. The cabinet from Hogwarts was with them, and once they had completed the repairs, I would have, I hoped, a matching pair that would allow me to move between them without worrying about tripping wards or alarms. Oh, I’d have to test them to ensure that they were a pair and that they were safe for transit, but I felt that was a minor issue to handle. The only irritation was that I’d likely not be able to gather the cabinet from Cobb & Webb until the April break.

  “You’re certain she’s heading to the Alley today?” I asked Kadic as I stepped into my room, heading to the wardrobe to select something that was appropriate for a Chief to wear without seeming overly dramatic or odd to muggles. That was going to be a nuisance, but I had to make a good first impression on Lily and her parents.

  “Yes. Kadic confirm owl arrived at girl’s home last week. They left for big muggle city last night along with the boy and his mother. Aien watching them now. Say they head to muggle entrance this morning.”

  I turned back to face my elf, my brow rising slightly at learning Severus and his mother, Eileen Prince – well Snape now as she had married a muggle and thus been expelled from the Ancient House of Prince for doing so – were with them. Yet, with a second to ponder the matter, I saw the logic in it. Severus would’ve already gotten his wand, and assuming events between them had transpired as in the other timeline, he would’ve told Lily she had magic as well. Add in that Elieen would know the magical world, and it made perfect sense that she and Severus would accompany the Evans’ to Diagon Alley.

  “Very well,” I responded as I resumed my examination of my wardrobe. It wasn’t as full as it could be, simply as there was little need for me to keep a large supply of clothing here when I was at Hogwarts and always growing, but there was enough here. “What about this?” I said, picking out a suit that was formal without being as ostentatious as many magical robes.

  “Kadic think it too plain for The MacLeod.”

  I chuckled as I moved the suit to the bed. “I know, but I’m not meeting with the head of another Clan or House. I’m greeting, by a manufactured accident, a muggleborn witch and her parents. If I look just as flashy and outlandish, in their eyes, to them as the others in the Alley, they might be concerned by my presence.”

  Now, I understood that what I was going to do could be considered unethical, however, this was a matter of gathering resources, and hopefully allies, for a coming war. One that, based on the altered world I lived in, could be far more brutal and devastating than it had been in the other timeline. Lily Evans was regarded as the greatest witch of her generation, while Severus would become a Potions Master, create his own lethal spells while in Hogwarts, and developed Occlumency enough to hide the truth of his loyalty from Voldemort.

  Now, Bradley was coming along nicely in potions and herbology, surpassing many witches and wizards born into the magical world, finishing the first term twenty-third out of four hundred students in both subjects. However, there was no guarantee he would remain dedicated to the field. Even if he did, having multiple people capable of creating potions and covering areas where I was weak – herbology was my lowest-rated class – was smart team building.

  “Kadic understand The MacLeod’s logic. Kadic still not like The MacLeod dressing beneath his position.”

  I chuckled at his response even as I got changed into the robes I’d picked out. As I changed and then made my way to the Floo, my mind wandered to, rather interestingly, Aífe and my lessons on controlling Shadow magic and the Fearann ????na Scáthanna. Aífe was, to be kind, a harsh taskmistress and I felt she was enjoying pushing me in our weekly sessions inside the Fearann ????na Scáthanna where we could train in private and for longer than otherwise due to the time distortion of the realm.

  While she hadn’t mentioned it directly, the way she kept prodding about the ward core of Dunscaith and other remarks about the castle, it was clear she wanted to visit. There was no way I could take her to the core, not least as the passageway and the Master Study were only accessible by myself and Kadic as Head Elf, but even if I could find a way, I wouldn’t be taking her there. Allowing anyone not bound to me in complete loyalty anywhere near the ward core of my home was a risk that defied all measures of stupidity.

  Still, from how things were going with Aífe, I felt there was a chance, an admittedly small but growing one, that she might be an ally against Voldemort and Dumbledore in the coming war. Even if she wasn’t, and she and her Clan did as they often did and remained above and distant from magical conflicts – they hadn’t chosen a side during the World Wizarding War nor any previous local conflicts with various attempted Dark Lords, just learning how to use this branch of magic was going to create opportunities that I might otherwise have remained unknown to me.

  “The Leaky Cauldron,” I said, tossing a pinch of Floor powder into the fireplace in the main foyer of Dunscaith. Once the flames turned the expected green, I stepped into them and, with experience to control my steps, emerged in the pub without tumbling or falling over.

  Several patrons of the Cauldron glanced my way, and I gave the barkeeper a nod. However, instead of moving directly to the entrance to the alley, which was semi-public, I moved to a small alcove. Once there, I cast a simple silencing spell – amusingly created by Severus in the other timeline – with my Lordly wand. The wand granted more power to the spell ensuring it was harder to crack.

  “Aien.”

  With the familiar crack, my second house elf appeared. “The MacLeod summon Aien?”

  “I did. Where are they?”

  She pointed towards the entranceway to the Alley. “Girl, family, and friend enter through there. Not long ago. Aien watches them from the roofs of Alley. Them heading for big white building, me thinks.”

  I nodded. They’d need to convert Pounds to Galleons, and in Lily’s case collect the stipend made available to muggleborns by the Ministry, so heading to Gringotts made perfect sense. It was also why I’d ensured Ranlor had sent an owl requesting my presence as if I couldn’t meet them before they entered the bank, I’d be able to enter it and time my exit to match theirs. If Dumbledore or anyone else was monitoring me, then my presence in the bank would be as expected. My meeting and then spending some time with the muggleborn witch and her family, while potentially odd to some, wouldn’t raise too many questions. I was friendly with a few muggleborns at Hogwarts and as I had a day out of school, a random encounter with a prospective new student in Hogwarts wasn’t out of the norm.

  “Thank you, Aien. You can return to your gardens.” The elf vanished with a click of her fingers, a relieved look on her face at being free to return to her work. She very much preferred nature to civilisation, and while she had disliked having to watch the Evans and Snape families in London had done so as I had commanded it.

  With confirmation that my targets were in the Alley, I moved to the entrance and quickly slipped through from the pub into the magical street. While quieter than it was during the school holidays, the place was still abuzz with activity as was the weekend. I saw several groups of young children moving around with their parents, going about their business while trying to contain the excitement and exuberance of their progeny.

  As I moved down the street, several people turned my way, wondering who the unaccompanied child was. Those that recognized me, offered small bows and the like in greeting, which I returned. Those that didn’t recognize me, or didn’t look my way were ignored. Several DMLE officers were on duty at strategic points, monitoring the footfall for any dangers, and I suspected that a note of my presence here would end up with Director Hawthorn. He’d no doubt contact Dumbledore but I had permission to be here.

  I passed a few families of muggles, a hint at the number of new muggleborns entering our world. Few of them would end up at Hogwarts, but I committed the faces to my memory on the chance any of them were worthy of attending the premiere magical school in the Isles. As I neared Gringotts, its white marble size an easy landmark to use to orientate oneself in the Alley, I saw a burst of vibrant red hair on a child; a trait shared with her mother though not, I grunted in annoyance at the presence, with her sister. Petunia being here wasn’t unexpected, but I’d have preferred to avoid dealing with an extra muggle if I could help it.

  The three children, the third being a boy with black hair who looked worse off than the girls, were all staring into the windows of shops. Severus was clearly not enjoying having to look into each shop front, but he was allowing it as Lily had a firm grasp on his hand. Something I caught him looking at whenever the girl wasn’t looking his way.

  As I got closer I saw that while Lily’s parents seemed happy for her, the mother was clutching a necklace. A thin smile flashed over my face as I realised it was a cross, as that created an opening I could exploit if I moved forward with my plans for how to separate Lily from her family in the coming years. Yes, it was underhanded, but to enact the changes I wished to bring forth, I needed to first have power, in myself and my allies, in the magical world and someone of Lily’s talent would be very beneficial towards achieving that goal.

  The third adult, who had to be Eileen Snape, formerly of House Prince, was watching the behaviour of the children and the Evans adults with amusement and just a hint of annoyance. As if seeing the muggles so mesmerised by the wonders of the magical world was enjoyable but growing tedious after, potentially, having had to deal with this for every shop they passed.

  “Oh! Look at that!” Lily called out loud enough that I, and several others, overheard. Some of those in the Alley gave quick glares at Lily, irritation at the behaviour of the muggleborn clear on their faces. Lily’s mother saw this, which darkened her expression for a second, though it was gone before her husband looked her way. “It’s so cute!”

  I drew on my training and pushed aside the revile I felt at having to willingly interact with another young girl who seemed easily distracted by anything new or interesting, and with the coming discussion I’d be having with muggles. These weren’t the same ones as those who’d looked after me in the orphanage, but my opinion on muggles had never recovered from that experience. Not even with the fact that part of me had once been a muggle.

  Whatever Lily was looking at caused Petunia to take an almost leaping step back and both their parents to tense, which was odd. “That is a crup,” Eileen said as I neared, explaining instantly to me what had caused the reactions from the muggles. “It’s a magical breed of dog that while fiercely loyal to those with magic, is trained to dislike those without.” I bite back a chuckle at the underselling she’s applying to crup as they were bred to attack muggles, not just dislike them.

  “My brother had one when I was younger,” I said, using the reveal of the beast as a point of intersection. “The damn thing escaped one day when we went on a picnic, and terrorised a muggle village before my father found him.” That was a half-truth as my brother had once had a crup, but it had died during the massacre. What had never happened was the attack on the muggle village, though I could recall Tamhas suggesting dropping the beast with the family of a muggleborn he disliked. The name of the student escaped me, and while I missed my brother I didn’t miss his crup. “Poor thing died when… well.” I shrugged as I trailed off, having gained the attention of the group.

  The Evans parents were confused at the way I’d ended my interruption while Elieen had a flicker of recognition on her face. However, my focus was on the children, or more accurately Severus and Lily. While the former looked slightly annoyed at my presence – possibly because Lily was now looking at me – it was the way Lily stared at me that gave me pause. It was almost as if she couldn’t quite comprehend the fact a child roughly her age was in the street and dressed as a wizard. There were certainly some, but it seemed in her excitement at the various shops, she’d missed that entirely, suggesting a faint hint of absent-mindedness when focused on something that had her attention.

  “Aw,” I continued with a few rapid blinks. “How rude to both interrupt you and not introduce myself.” I bowed gently, though not anywhere as deep as I might with a fellow Chief or Lord or their heir. “Dòmhnall Fionnlagh MacLeod at your service,” I said as I came up from the bow, “though my friends call me Dom.”

  Actually, only Bradley and Andrew used that term with me. Those born in the magical world insisted on using full names which I was pleased about. Dòmhnall was a name with history and status. Dom… was a name only fit for lowborn trash. That was perhaps why Amycus had once decided to use it when speaking to me. I’d expected someone to try that, exploiting the fact I let the two muggleborns use the term with me. I, however, was more than ready and Amycus’ name gave me a far more insulting response to his use of the one-syllable shortening of my name.

  That had been the end of him or anyone trying to use a short form of my name, though the incident had seen my tutors – or those bar Aífe – discuss my friendship with muggleborns. None had outright told me to end the friendship, but it was clear that even with Bradley’s impressive display at the end of last term and Andrew’s improvement since the start of the school year, they remained uncertain of my choices.

  “Chief MacLeod,” Elieen replied, curtseying deeply in an understanding of the difference in our social standing. “I’m Elieen Snape, nee Prince. This is my son, Severus,” the boy remained impassive, drawing a flicker of annoyance from Elieen even as she continued, “and his friend Lily Evans. They are both due to start Hogwarts next year.” I nodded at hearing that, acting impressed even though I already knew it was happening. “These are Lily’s parents, Harold and Judith, and their oldest, Petunia.”

  I moved towards the muggles, extending my hand. “Mr Evans,” I said, and then once he took my hand, shook it while nodding my head. “Mrs Evans,” I continued, turning to his wife. For her I kissed her knuckles, drawing an amused chuckle from her even as Lily and Petunia made disgusted sounds. “Hello,” I added with a smile at the children, not bothering to greet them in the same formal way.

  “Chief?” Harold remarked slowly as he looked from his wife to me and then back. “Like a Lord of Duke?”

  “A Scottish version of the title,” I answered. “My Clan, along with others and Houses with roots in English culture, can trace their family heritage back centuries or even millennia. Those of a certain number of continuous magical generations are elevated in wizarding society, much like your muggle House of Lords. Those from a family with English roots are led by their Lord while those with Celtic roots, such as Clan MacLeod, are regarded as Clans and led by their Chief.”

  “But you’re a child!” Judith blurted out, causing Eileen’s head to snape to her while others around us looked our way, unimpressed by the tone and volume used by the muggle. “How can you be a Lord?”

  “As I said, Chief. If the accent didn’t give it away, I’m Scottish,” I responded with a chuckle, one I was pleased to see was matched by Lily. “As for why I’m Chief at my age… well,” I glanced at Elieen, seeing the spark of understanding in her eyes. “Mrs Snape can, at a later date, tell you the full story as she knows it. The short version was that, when I was seven, my family, along with members of other Clans, were murdered. I survived thanks to my mother, and by default became the Chief of my Clan. It is because of that status that I’m here today instead of being at Hogwarts,” I added, hoping one of the children would latch onto the comment.

  “You’re at Hogwarts?” Lily blurted out, moving forward and leaving Severus behind in the process. “Oh, what’s it like? What spells can you cast? Do you have a wand like Sev’s? What do you know about the Houses? Are they o…”

  “LILY EVANS!” Both Lily, who by the time she’s interrupted from her stream is grasping my sleeve, and I flinch at the tone and venom in her mother’s words.

  Lily looked at me, blinking in shock and then frantically let go of my sleeve before trying to pat it down in case her grasp had in some way damaged it or offended me. “Sorry,” she mumbled before turning to her mother. “Sorry, mother. It’s just… I really want to know about this world.”

  Her mother offered a smile though it didn’t, to me at least, seem to reach her eyes. “Yes, we can all see that,” she said gently, “however, you’re making a scene.”

  Around us, as I’d already expected and observed, many had stopped to see what had caused the muggle woman to screech at her daughter. Many were looking on in barely concealed disgust at the uncouth display. So much so that Lily could sense it and seemed to recoil inward.

  I reached out and placed my hand on her arm, drawing her attention. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to learn magic. If you didn’t I’d think you were mad,” I added with a chuckle that brought some of her joy back. “However, there are, as much as I might dislike them at times, rules or decorum that must be obeyed. Particularly in public and when around those with titles such as myself.” I offered her a conspiratorial smirk. “However, so long as you don’t tell anyone, I’m fine with your attention.”

  Lily blinked, the gentle comment sailing over her head. It didn’t, however, pass over the others. Severus looked perturbed by my interaction with Lily, while Petunia giggled. The adults all watched me with gentle smiles, thinking I was just being polite and not catching the double meaning of my words.

  “Perhaps though, while we are in public, you might think before you act?” I suggested as I removed my hand from her arm.

  “I’ve been trying to get her to do that for years,” Harrold commented with a smirk before he gestured at his wife. “Gets it from Judith. Though I love her regardless,” he added quickly when she turned her glare upon him.”

  I smiled at the byplay between her parents, though my focus was on both the necklace that Judith wore, and the fact Lily chose to remain close to my side. Severus scowled at her position, but she was oblivious to it. “Anyway,” I began with a smile as I turned back to Lily, “About your questions…” I paused for a moment going over them in my head. “Yes, and it’s amazing. That’s a longish list though I believe Mrs Snape knows more,” Elieen lowered her head, accepting my comment. “Yes, I have a wand but as for the houses, and I assume your next question about how students are sorted, I can’t tell you.” I tapped the side of my nose. “It’s real hush-hush. So much so that I could be given detention for a year if I spilt the beans.” I winked in an over-exaggerated manner to make clear I was kidding, which had Lily and Petunia laughing. “I’m surprised you haven’t spoken with Mrs Snape about your questions.”

  “She has,” Elieen replied with a slightly tired smile. “However, Lily has… an almost unquenchable thirst to learn new things.”

  “Then she’s for the birds?” I asked with a smirk, though internally I was a little confused. Yes, she was claimed as the greatest witch of her generation, but there was little inclination in what little was said about her to suggest she’d have made a good fit with Ravenclaw. Still, that drive to learn and understand might be something I could encourage over the next half year so that when she arrived at Hogwarts she wasn’t sorted into Gryffindor.

  Staying connected with her in Hogwarts was going to be a challenge regardless due to us being in differing years. Add in that a Gryffindor muggleborn being tutored by a pureblood Slytherin would draw questions, and it would be easier for me if she were in Ravenclaw. Yes, Andrew MacLeod was in Gryffindor, but his name allowed me to interact with him; a trait I didn’t share with Lily. Plus getting her away from the Marauders before they became that – I was all but certain that despite my efforts Sirius would become a lion to spite his mother – would remove her from Potter’s sight, which wasn’t something I was against.

  “It’s certainly possible,” Elieen replied with a small knowing smile. “Though she does have the tenacity of a feline. MY Severus might find peace with the birds, but I suspect his drive is better suited to one closer to the ground.”

  I turned my attention to the boy. “Regardless of where he ends up, I shall do what I can to offer him support, though it would be better if he were to slither into the school.”

  Elieen’s smile widened as she lowered her head. “I would be grateful for any support or protection you might be willing to extend, Chief MacLeod. I…” she paused and shook her head. “I would like to speak to you about a personal matter that doesn’t concern the children.”

  “I’m older than him!” Petunia snorted, speaking for the first time since I’d interrupted the group.

  “Perhaps, but he is a Chief whereas you are, I’m sorry to say, a muggle,” Elieen explained though I noted there was a hint of amusement in her tone as she said that. As if she disliked Petunia for some unknown reason and took pleasure in the fact she couldn’t become a witch.

  “I want to go to Hogwarts as well,” Petunia whined and from the way the adults reacted I knew this had been a familiar comment since Lily received her letter.

  Sensing an opportunity to begin building her loathing of magic form, I turned to her and after looking her over carefully, as if she were a piece of furniture I was considering, I sighed and shook my head. “Sadly, if you have not received your letter by your eleventh birthday, be that for Hogwarts or one of the lesser schools, then you are destined to remain a muggle.”

  Petunia grunted and a frown spread over her face as I drove another nail into her idea that she might be able to become a witch. Lily seemed oblivious to her sister’s torment, but the way Severus glanced at the older Evans sister, it seemed he caught the meaning in my words and unless I missed my guess, was pleased she wouldn’t be coming to Hogwarts.

  I looked over the group and then took a small step back. “Anyway, I apologise for interrupting your visit to Diagon Alley,” I began, “however, I have an appointment at Gringotts, and I’d rather not keep my Account Manager waiting.” I turned my attention to Elieen. “You know how irritable the goblins can be about wasting time and money.”

  “Actually, we’re heading that way ourselves,” Harold remarked, cutting in before Elieen could reply. “We have to exchange Pounds for Galleons and Elieen needs to do the same for Severus. It seems that, unlike Lily, he doesn’t get a grant from the Ministry of Magic.” He blinked as he finished and chuckled to himself. “Still getting used to that being a real thing.”

  “So are most of us,” I retorted, letting a hint of my dislike for the Ministry slip through. Oh, it was better now that the numpty Leech was gone – fool gave a bad name to all muggleborns – but at times it seemed intent on continually trying to alter the magical world in ways that, by the rules under which it was created, it shouldn’t and couldn’t. “As for the allowance, the Ministry decided that only muggleborns should get support. Those born and raised in the muggle world, be they halfblood or pureblood, were offered no support for their choices.”

  Technically, that wasn’t true as it was the Wizengamot who’d altered the bill the Ministry had created for the allowance of new students. It had initially carried an allowance for all students dependent on which school they were attending. However, the Progressives didn’t feel those from Clans and Houses with generations of money should get an allowance and the Traditionalists wouldn’t stand to support those who abandoned the magical world for the muggle world. In the end, the bill to grant allowances to muggleborns was passed, but it was a tight thing, and it wouldn’t take much for the law to be challenged and struck down.

  Lily fell into step beside me, firing questions before I could take a second breath. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and I answered where I could, keeping my amusement light but measured. So far this had gone about as well as I could’ve hoped.

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