Avalon - Chapter 2 - The Trees

The Trees

“It’s madness,” Salazar whispered as they entered Rowena’s office. “If I was not so certain he was speaking the truth, I would never have believed it.”

“He’s not lying then?” Godric asked.

Salazar shook his head as he took a seat by the fire.

“Not a single lie passed his lips. His mind is as good as an open book,” he assured the others. “He has really been brought here from another time.”

“Or place,” Rowena broke in thoughtfully. “From how he described his experience, it is possible that he was brought from another place rather than time.”

“I’m not even going to attempt to comprehend how that might be so,” Godric muttered. “Just thinking of the magic behind such a feat is giving me a headache.”

Rowena offered him a sympathetic smile, and a thoughtful frown crossed Salazar’s brow.

His mind was not so open as Rowena’s was to the often-outlandish ideas she concocted. Salazar was not foolish enough to doubt her thoughts and methods.

No, his colleague had perhaps the keenest mind of any he’d ever met, but he was curious as to how the young Harry potter had been brought to them, and why.

His short life had already been tumultuous at best, and he’d had to demonstrate great resilience throughout it.

Losing his parents as he had, and everything else that had followed.

Salazar shook his head and took a moment to lament what had become of his line.

It was his own descendant who was responsible for much of the misery Harry Potter had endured, and it wasn’t any wonder the boy was undeniably cautious of Salazar.

His legacy had been reduced to one hate-filled monster who seemed to believe that Salazar would approve of all he’d done.

He wouldn’t.

There were things that should never be done, and harming a child was one of them. It went against everything Salazar had worked for to help establish the school of a place of education and safety for all magical children, even if he did not always agree with their placement here.

The magical and muggle worlds were better off apart, and there was nothing that would convince him otherwise.

Even the other Founders believed that very foundation of his beliefs, though they were certainly more accepting of muggles with magical children being introduced to their world.

Salazar did not agree.

Muggles brought nothing but violence, bloodshed, and death, and even if they posed little threat to wizardkind now, that would not always be so.

They did not possess the same gift the witches and wizards did, but they were no less innovative in their own ways. With each passing day, they thought up new ways of harming one another, and Salazar was firm in his belief that they would inevitably turn on the magical population if they were fully brought into the fold.

Myrddin truly was misguided if he believed otherwise.

Again, Salazar shook his head in disappointment at what their most promising student had chosen to do with his life.

“What are we to do with Harry?” Helga asked worriedly.

“He will stay here,” Godric declared.

“Of course, he will,” Helga sighed, “but what he has experienced will leave a lasting effect on him. I may not be able to read minds like Salazar, but even I could see that his scared and confused. Where do we even begin helping him deal with this?”

“From the very beginning,” Rowena interjected. “We must help him learn to deal with everything that has happened before he can hope to move on to what he is facing now.”

“And then?” Salazar pressed.

Rowena nodded to herself.

“I will continue to help him,” she decided. “You said he told us the truth, and with the knowledge we have of what he must face, he will need all the help he can get.”

“What if he doesn’t want to?” Godric questioned. “What if he wants nothing to do with the plans seemingly made for him?”

Rowena offered the man a sad smile.

“I’m afraid that if there is a higher power guiding him, then Harry may have little choice in the matter. When the stars align, no matter what he does, he will face his destiny.”

Godric shook his head and Rowena placed a calming hand on his arm to prevent an angry outburst.

“He was brought to us for a reason,” she mused aloud. “He was brought to us so that we may help him with his monumental task.”

Helga nodded her agreement and Salazar leaned back in his chair.

“We still have much to learn about him,” he pointed out. “He was very vague about his years at Hogwarts.”

“And for that to happen, he must trust us,” Helga replied. “He must believe that we truly have only good intentions towards him. You heard him speak, Salazar. He has never had anyone he could rely on, not truly. He needs that more than anything else.”

“Then we must earn his trust,” Godric urged. “Even only for the sake of a lost and scared boy, we must earn it.”

“I agree,” Salazar broke in. “I do not expect it will be easy, but we must. Are we to enrol him at the school?”

“Yes,” Rowena answered. “It is not as though we do not have space, and besides, I expect there is much we can learn from him. If he is indeed from another place a thousand years from now, it will be interesting to learn of the developments he has witnessed.”

“I don’t expect it will be as much as you hope,” Rowena,” Salazar warned. “He grew up in the muggle world until only a few years ago, and he does not think very highly of the magical world, given what his experiences of it are.”

“Maybe,” Rowena conceded. “Regardless, no matter where or when he is from, he is a student at our school, and if Harry must overcome such a task in the future, then it is our duty to prepare him for it.”

“Then that is what we will do,” Salazar declared. “For now, he should be allowed to rest. In the meantime, I will put together a lesson plan for him, but we must first assess his current ability. I propose that each of us do it separately, and then we can decide what to do moving forward.”

“All in good time, Salazar,” Helga returned. “Let the boy some time to rest and come to terms with what has happened. I do not think it wise to push him. It is not as though he must face Myrddin tomorrow.”

Salazar hummed.

“I accept that, but we must also remember that Myrddin will only grow more powerful.”

“He will, but Harry must be prepared. I expect that he will face more challenges along the way than just a fateful meeting with him. This is just the very beginning of a long journey for the boy and I would see that it is done correctly.”

The others nodded their agreement and once more lost themselves in their own thoughts.

Salazar chose to focus on how he could help Harry, and ways in which he could earn the boys’ trust.

With what had happened because of his descendant, he expected it would be quite the task in itself to get Harry to open up to him, but Salazar would persevere.

He would show Harry that, despite his experience of his line thus far, that Salazar Slytherin was not like any other he was yet to meet.

(Break)

Camelot truly was a magnificent castle, and the perfect place for Arthur’s campaign to begin. As regions went, this was among the most peaceful, though Myrddin suspected that it would see its share of blood in the coming years.

For now, Arthur was to prepare for his campaign to take his rightful throne, but he was just an inexperienced boy.

There would be trials along the way; death, heartache, and more physical pain than one could imagine, but Myrddin would see him sit upon a throne to reign across the entirety of Britain.

Tapping the gates with his wand, he entered the protected grounds and nodded as he was greeted by the swathes of people who had come to pay their respects to their king.

Arthur was to be of the people, to fight and bleed for them to prove his worth, and to rule over them justly. He would be chivalrous, strong, and unwavering in the face of inevitable adversity.

The boy would become a man better than any, and Myrddin would be by his side.

It was when he entered the keep itself that he spotted the boy with his sword in hand as he spared with some of the guards Myrddin trusted to protect him.

He remained clumsy with the blade, and it weighed heavily in his hands.

It was a burden he must grow used to, for he would need to wield it in battle one day.

Excalibur was the finest of swords, a gift from the Lady of the Lake, who had gifted it willingly to be bestowed upon the rightful king.

It would serve Arthur well, even if it only seemed to be hindering him right now.

He was breathing heavily by the time he was bested, and Arthur struggled to lift the blade to defend himself once more.

As such, he was sent crashing to the ground by another blow and he held up his hands to yield to his opponent.

“You are getting better, my king,” Myrddin praised as he approached.

Arthur offered him a smile as he accepted the offered ground to help him to his feet.

“I am trying, Myrddin.”

“Your efforts will not be in vain. Come, let us have you cleansed. Many have gathered to see you, and you shall greet your people.”

Arthur nodded and placed the sword that remained much too big for him in its scabbard before being led away by one of his guards to prepare.

Myrddin nodded approvingly as he paused to speak with some of the servants before he too departed the training area.

Yes, Arthur would indeed be a fine king.

It would not be easy to hone him into the man he needed to be, but Myrddin knew he had chosen correctly.

If only the rest of the country could share in his vision, perhaps war could be avoided altogether, but alas, it could not be simple.

For Arthur to ascend, many would have to fall, perhaps even those Myrddin had once held in such high regard.

As ever since he’d departed Hogwarts for the first time, he’d left the castle disappointed in those who had taught him much, and yet, he hoped that the would one day come around to his way of thinking.

It would be a shame if they were to perish because they could not accept the inevitable changes that were coming.

The land in which Hogwarts stood belonged to Arthur, and to truly be king, the young king could not afford to allow even an inch to be spared.

Myrddin hoped in his heart of hearts that Godric, Rowena, Helga, and Salazar would see the futility of resistance, but he already knew that they would not surrender to any power in a bid to keep Hogwarts away from the muggles they refused to integrate with.

I truly was a shame, but Myrddin would not be deterred from his path, no matter what obstacles were put in his way by muggle, magical, or even the stars that he had followed to be where he was now.

(Break)

The small thread of hope he’d clung to that he would wake and all that had happened had merely been a dream quickly faded as Harry opened his eyes to find himself in the somewhat familiar medical bay of the castle.

“Not a dream,” he murmured under his breath as he sat up in the bed he’d been in for more hours than he cared to count.

Physically, he felt much better than he had when he’d first regained consciousness here, but emotionally, it was another matter entirely.

Although there wasn’t much he would miss from his life, there were those things that were simply irreplaceable.

He was rid of Voldemort, Malfoy, and even the tournament, but Hermione, Ron, and the other Weasley were gone with them.

Given the choice, Harry did not doubt that he would endure all of the bad to have them back, but choice was something he had little of.

Although the Lady in the Lake had seemed apologetic for upturning his life in such a way, Harry felt undeniably resentful towards the woman for what she’d done, and for several moments, he simply stared at one of the blank walls as he pondered what he’d lost and gained all at once.

The relief of being rid of Voldemort did not compare to the pain of losing his only friends, and though Harry did not cry, he felt the desperate ache in his heart cling to him like a parasite.

“Can I come in?”

Harry immediately felt himself tense at the sight of Salazar Slytherin.

It wasn’t as though the man had done anything to him, but he found it difficult to differentiate between him and the descendant who’d been the cause of Harry’s misery.

Nonetheless, he nodded and the Founder he was least keen to be left alone with took a seat at the side of the bed.

“How are you feeling?” Salazar asked before offering him a look of apology. “I suppose that is a stupid question.”

“It’s fine,” Harry said dismissively. “I’m just in shock and don’t know what to do.”

“What would you like to do?”

“Go home.”

Salazar chuckled.

“Another stupid question,” he sighed. “Well, I won’t pretend to understand what magic brought you here, or much else about this situation, but I do not believe there is a simple way to fix it. It may sound a little harsh but the sooner you get used to this being your life, the easier it will be.”

Harry nodded, though it wasn’t so simple as to just not feel how he did.

“It will take time, but you’re not in this alone, Harry,” Salazar assured him. “We have been discussing it, and we think it is best for you stay at Hogwarts. You can continue your education, and for everything else, what will be will be. I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, but we will do our best by you.”

“Thank you,” Harry said appreciatively.

Salazar gave his shoulder a squeeze.

“I know you have not had the best of experiences with those of my blood, and I am not the kind of man to apologise for something I had no hand in, but we must all learn to trust each other. I expect there is much that you still have to tell us, but that doesn’t have to be now. Our priority is to make sure you are okay, get you healthy, and prepare you as best as we can for what is to come. I would like for you to work with us, Harry. As much as you do not wish to be here, I’m afraid there is little choice in the matter. I’m not one for coddling. If you want that, speak to Helga. I am a man of discipline and dedication. I can take whatever potential you have and make you the very best you can be. Godric is worse.”

“Worse?”

A grin tugged at the corner of the lips of Salazar Slytherin.

“You will see for yourself soon enough, but I expect he already has plans for your education with him. As for us, there is much that I can teach you, if you dedicate yourself. What is your best subject?”

“Probably Defence Against the Dark Arts.”

“Defence Against the Dark Arts?” Salazar snorted. “From now on, we will call it Defensive Magic. Magic is magic, Harry, regardless of its nature.”

Harry nodded uncertainly.

“Well, Defensive Magic encapsulates all disciplines, so I expect you to be competent in most areas, and if you’re not, we will make it so. What about other skills or magical talents?”

Harry frowned thoughtfully and pondered what he should divest to the man.

“My father was an Animagus. He became one when he was around my age.”

“Is that so?” Slytherin murmured, as he nodded appreciatively. “He must have had quite the flair for transformative magic to manage it so young. Anything else?”

“I don’t really know much else about my parents.”

“I meant you, Harry,” Slytherin corrected. “What talents do you possess?”

“I’m quite good at flying. I made the Quidditch team in my first year.”

“Quidditch?” Slytherin asked confusedly.

“You don’t have Quidditch?”

“I can’t say I’ve ever heard of it. Maybe it is a continental thing.”

Harry was aghast that the sport hadn’t been established yet.

He remembered the book he’d given Ron on the history of the Chudley Cannons, and the dates within had dated back several centuries, though he couldn’t recall seeing anything around the time of the Founders.

“Oh, it’s not a thing now,” Harry sighed.

Salazar offered him a look of sympathy.

“I expect there will be much for you to get used to, but if there is anything you’re unsure of, feel free to find me. If I’m not in the Great Hall, I’m usually…”

“In the dungeons?”

“Correct,” Salazar chuckled as he stood. “Get some more rest, Harry. I feel like you will need it to prepare for just how different this place is from what you’re used to.”

Harry nodded and the man made his way to the door.

“Wait,” Harry called. “There is one other thing.”

“One other thing?”

Harry swallowed and released a deep breath.

“My Headmaster, Dumbledore, says that the night Voldemort killed my mother and father, a part of his magic left an impression of sorts on me.”

Salazar frowned as he approached.

“Go on,” he urged.

“Well, he didn’t just kill my parents. He tried to kill me too,” Harry explained, lifting his fringe to reveal the scar on his brow. “I survived the curse he used, but it had a strange effect on me.”

Salazar seemed concerned and he retook the seat he had vacated only a moment prior.

“What effect?”

“I’m a parselmouth.”

Salazar blinked.

“You’re a parselmouth?”

Harry nodded.

“I only discovered it a couple of years ago, well, just before I started Hogwarts really when I set a boa constrictor on my cousin at the zoo, but I didn’t know what it was. It was during my second year that I learned the truth.”

With a flick of his wand, Salazar summoned a small corn snake and began hissing to it.

“I might just need you to prove it, Harry.”

Harry shifted his gaze towards the snake.

“Hello, little snake,” he said simply.

Salazar’s expression shifted to a look of surprise and he nodded before vanishing the serpent.

“That should not be possible,” he mused aloud. “The magic should not be able to imprint itself on you in such a way. It goes against everything I have discovered in my studies over the course of many years.”

“I don’t understand it either, and I don’t think Dumbledore did.”

Salazar frowned.

“Something must’ve happened that night,” he said thoughtfully. “A ritual perhaps. I cannot be certain. What curse did he use on you, Harry?”

He’d expected such a question, but Harry did not feel prepared to answer it.

“The Killing Curse,” he said quietly.

Salazar recoiled in his seat.

“You survived it?” he whispered. “Such a feat should not be possible.”

His eyes drifted towards Harry’s scar once more and his frown deepened.

“Something happened that night, Harry. I do not know what it is or what it could mean, but I have no doubt that something unexpected and unintended happened the night he killed your parents.”

“What do you think it could be?”

Salazar shook his head.

“For now, it is impossible to say, but when you are ready, it is something we can investigate together. For now, we can keep this between ourselves unless we have reason to discuss it with anyone else.”

Harry nodded his understanding.

“Oh, and one last thing before I leave you, I think it goes without saying that it is best you do not mention the circumstances that brought you here to anyone else. Myrddin has already been here and we do not want word to reach him of you.”

“He was here?” Harry asked worriedly.

“He was, but do not worry. Hogwarts is the safest place you can be.”

With that, Salazar left and Harry chuckled humourlessly to himself.

Dumbledore had said much the same, but in Harry’s experience, Hogwarts had been the most dangerous place for him.

Shaking his head, he leaned back on his pillow once more.

Even from only the effort of talking, Harry was exhausted, but more than that, the reality of all that had happened to him had truly begun to sunk in.

There would be no more Ron, Hermione, or any of the others he had come to know these past years, and once again, just as he had before Hogwarts had come into his life, Harry felt alone.

To him, it was an unbearable feeling.

He’d been alone for most of his life, haunted by nightmares he didn’t understand and with no one to turn to.

In this moment, that was how it felt, and just as he had when he was a little boy, Harry Potter curled up under his duvet wishing to be someone else, somewhere else other than where he was now.

(Break)

“Anything?” Godric asked.

Rowen closed the third book she had been perusing and shook her head.

“There are mentions of people inadvertently travelling back in time in some dessert regions, but only by a few days at most. There are people now studying the sands there.”

“The sand?”

“It is the common denominator in each of the instances.”

“But nothing like what has happened to Harry?”

“Not a thing,” Rowena sighed. “We don’t even know if we are looking at the right kind of magic. If we are, so little is known about it that it is all but useless.”

Godric nodded.

“Poor lad,” he murmured. “I wish there was more we could do for him.”

“We will keep searching,” Rowena assured him, “but I do not believe it will do any good. If he was brought here by the Lady, it was done so for a reason.”

“To stop Myrddin.”

“To stop Myrddin,” Rowena concurred quietly. “How is he?” she added as Salazar entered the office.

“As well as you would expect,” the man answered, a deep frown creasing his brow. “He is certainly an interesting young man. He holds on to such rage, but I can see it in him.”

“See what?” Godric asked.

“Greatness,” Salazar returned. “He lacks confidence but there are the embers of a roaring inferno in his eyes. I sensed the same thing in…”

He broke off and grimaced.

Salazar disliked uttering Myrddin’s name and avoided doing so.

Whenever the man was mentioned, a sour expression would form on his face.

“How can you tell from having just one conversation with him?”

Salazar smirked and offered Godric a coy look in response.

“I have a great instinct for these things,” he said cryptically.

Godric quirked an eyebrow at his friend.

“Where is he now?”

“Still in the medical bay. It is going to take some time for him to come to terms with what has happened.”

“It will,” Godric agreed, “but I do not believe it will do him well to fall into a state of melancholy. His mind and body are better occupied. I will take him with me for a while.”

“To where?”

“I’m sure I can think of something,” Godric replied thoughtfully, gathering his hat before leaving the office.

He made his way through the corridors of the castle, greeting the few students he passed before reaching the medical bay where he came upon what appeared to be just a bundled-up blanket.

Godric released a deep breath.

“I used to do that when I was a boy,” he mused aloud. “Whenever I was scared, I would hide in my bed. Do you know what it did?”

He received no response.

“Nothing. When I came out, the thing I was scared of or upset about was still there, and it didn’t go away until I dealt with it. I understand that this is hard for you, but it won’t get any better hiding away from it.”

“I’m not hiding.”

“Oh? Well, it certainly seems that way to me.”

Slowly but surely, the blanket began to move and the young man emerged.

“I just don’t know what to do.”

Godric nodded his understanding.

“Well, you don’t have to have all of the answers now, Harry,” he replied soothingly. “I think it is best if you work out the things you can’t comprehend as you go along, but for now, there is something you can help me with, and I think it will help you too.”

“What is it?” Harry asked with a frown.

Godric reached into his hat and removed a large axe.

“I still have some more trees to cut down.”

“Can’t you just use magic for that?”

Godric rolled his eyes.

“I could, but the physical exertion will be good for you.”

Harry nodded as he kicked the blanket off, and with a wave of his wand, Godric dressed him in a plain black robe.

“Probably not wise to wander the castle with so little on. It is rather cold this time of the year. Oh, and before I forget, I believe this belongs to you.”

Harry breathed a sigh of relief as his wand was placed into his hand, and his mood improved immediately.

“That’s quite some craftmanship,” Godric complimented. “Did you make it yourself?”

“My wand? No, I brought it from a wandmaker.”

Godric frowned curiously.

“But you provided the ingredients?”

Harry shook his head.

“This wand chose me.”

“Your wand chose you? I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Godric snorted.

“How did you get yours?”

“All in good time,” Godric answered thoughtfully. “We will get to it soon enough, but for now, there are some trees that require our attention. Come, Harry. The fresh air awaits.”

(Break)

She peered towards the edge of the lake from within the trees. It was often she ventured so close to the grounds of the school, preferring her isolation over the company of others.

After the conversation with Salazar, however, she felt the need to investigate the odd occurrence he’d mentioned that had happened by the lake during the storm.

It had been quite the spectacle.

The wind and rain had battered the entire forest for several hours, the thunder had shaken the very ground, and the lightning had charred many of the trees, tearing several down in the process.

Morgana had been sitting amongst them, feeding off the magic permeating the air, revelling in it in the hopes of gaining an understanding of what powered such a powerful force.

She’d gleaned little from her efforts.

It was no easy feat to grasp and keep hold of something so volatile, and every attempt she’d made had been buffeted by the storm.

Still, she had persisted, but it had cleared before she’d been able to harness any of the magic for herself.

It was a shame, but she had learned that there were indeed limits in utilizing such destructive, powerful magic, though that did not mean she had been deterred from her future efforts.

She had left the castle to push herself to her limits, after all.

Ensuring that no other was near the lake, Morgana stepped out of the trees, and although the storm had indeed blown over, there was still a faint scent of it in the air.

She began walking around the edge of the body of water, away from the castle first before turning around when she’d walked too far for any of her former mentors to have done so.

Instead, she turned back and retraced her steps beyond where she’d started, pausing as she rounded one of the bends and concealing herself behind a large boulder at the sight of Gryffindor and another she was not familiar with.

“This is where we found you,” Godric said.

The boy accompanying him removed his wand from within his sleeve.

“Accio glasses.”

The was a sudden splashing sound from somewhere in the distance, and with incredible reflexes, the boy snatched something out of the air that whizzed towards him.

Morgana nodded appreciatively at how fast he’d moved and even Gryffindor seemed taken aback by it.

“That was quite some speed,” the man praised. “I expect your reflexes will serve you well. Have you always been so fast?”

“Living with my cousin, I had to learn to be fast,” the boy snorted. “Not that I really need these anymore,” he added, holding up what it was he’d caught.

“No, but that must’ve been close to two leagues away that you summoned them. “That is quite something.”

“I can do it from further,” the boy declared.

Morgana snorted and ducked behind the rock once more as both turned towards her.

Not wanting to be caught, she carefully navigated her way back into the woods before they came to investigate but looked back a final time at the unfamiliar boy from her cover in the trees.

He must be a new student at the castle, but she didn’t understand what Godric had meant that they’d found him at the edge of the lake.

Not that it was any of her business, though she couldn’t think of anyone she’d met so young who’d demonstrated such speed, or even the ability to summon something from so far away with such ease.

(Break)

He aimed his rock towards where he’d heard the disturbance, but after a moment of silence, Harry lowered it.

“Probably a creature of the forest,” Godric murmured, a deep frown marring his features. “I suppose you know to avoid going in there.”

Harry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“I never go in out of choice,” he offered.

Godric chuckled and clapped him smartly on the shoulder.

“Ah, a troublemaker through and through,” he said amusedly. “Is that why you were sorted into my house?”

“The hat wanted me to be in Slytherin. I asked it to put me anywhere else but there. I met a boy who I really disliked and he was sorted there,” Harry defended.

Godric guffawed.

“Best not tell Sal that. He won’t like it. Come, let us deal with these trees.”

Harry followed, and though it was indeed rather brisk in the grounds, he found it comforting being somewhere somewhat familiar. Both Hagrid’s hut and the Whomping Willow were missing, but much of it remained as he’d always known it.

“He we are,” Godric declared when they reached an area where several trees had been downed.

“What did this?”

Some of the wood had been scorched, and even the ground had not been spared.

“Quite the storm,” Godric explained, “but it won’t go to waste. We can use it for the fires in the castle. Here, you can use my spare.”

Harry accepted the axe and had to correct his grip to prevent himself from dropping it.

“It’s heavy.”

“What good is a light?” Godric returned. “Besides, the work isn’t supposed to be easy. A healthy body helps a healthy, and if both are healthy, your magic will be too.”

“My magic?”

Godric nodded.

“Think of your magic as you do your body. If you do not use it, it is not working at its best. It’s the same with your mind, and your magic is much a part of you as either of them.”

“That makes sense,” Harry agreed. “So, chopping wood will help my body?”

“Oh, this is just the very beginning of your physical journey, Harry,” Godric replied with a grin that promised much hard work ahead. “Besides, I think you need this to get some of those emotions from under wraps. Hiding what you feel from your enemies is one thing, but it is not healthy to hold on to such negativity. I can see it weighing you down. It’s time you start letting it go. All of it,” he added as Harry tentatively raised the axe above his head.

“All of it?”

Godric nodded and took a step back whilst Harry pondered what it was he needed to unleash.

In truth, there was so much to only focus on one thing, and as he swung the axe for the first time, he thought of being brought here against his will, being taken away from everything he’d ever known.

With the second, he thought of Voldemort and all the misery the man had caused him and continued to do so for the next two or three swings.

Harry’s mind became a blur as he kept swinging, and the faces of those responsible for all of his woes swam in front of him; Voldemort, Vernon, Petunia, Dudley, Malfoy, Wormtail…

The list when on and on and the sea of faces seemed to be endless.

It wasn’t until he was no longer able to lift the axe from exhaustion that he stopped and realised that he’d been crying.

He couldn’t remember the last time that he cried, but he suspected it was when he’d been a boy.

Harry had learned that crying had never solved any of his problems, nd had just given up doing so.

It was an arm being wrapped around his shoulders that pulled him from his thoughts, and Harry wiped his tears away furiously.

“It’s alright,” Godric murmured comfortingly. “Sometimes, we all need to unload what is on our mind. Sometimes things like this will help, and others, you will need something else. Do you feel better?”

“A little,” Harry answered honestly.

“Good,” Godric praised. “Come, I think we have enough wood for a while,” he chuckled.

Harry had all but destroyed an entire tree in a matter of moments, and he found that even without holding the axe, he could barely raise his arms.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to, and Godric led him back towards the castle.

“You’re not alone, Harry,” the man assured him. “I know this is hard for you, but you have all of us here to help you through this.”

Harry nodded.

“I think a few more days of rest will do you some good, and I know that Helga is dying to ensure you receive a thorough examination. My advice would be to just let her do it. She’ll manage it whether you like it or not.”

Harry snorted amusedly as he was reminded of a certain Healer he’d been under the care of more times than he cared to count.

“What then?” he asked.

“Well, that is where your education will begin,” Godric explained. “I expect we will each assess you, and from there, we can decide how to proceed with your learning. Nothing else matters right now.”

“But it does,” Harry sighed. “If I’m expected to stop Myrddin, it all matters.”

Godric released a deep breath.

“You know, you’re more mature than most people your age.”

“Most people my age haven’t had to endure what I have.”

“And what is it you have endured?” Godric asked gently.

Harry shook his head.

“How long do you have?” he chuckled.

“Well, for now, we have all the time in the world, Harry,” Godric assured him.