Perdurabo suggested that Snape and his family go down into the Dragon's Chamber on their own, because the experience would be far more profound that way. Capadocius and Thelonius escorted them to the stairway that leads down into the chamber and told them that if they needed anything, they need only to think it, and it would be done. So the family passed through the simple doorway and made their way down the stairs, some of them marking the change in temperature as they went. The birds either hopped down the steps or were carried, as Loki, Johnny Rook and Whiskey Jack were, none of them making a sound. In fact, no one spoke at all; their hearts too full of excitement and trepidation for words.
At last, they reach the massive oaken door in the great archway, and ponder for a few moments how they open it. Elsbet looks up at Layne, and the two friends smile. In unison, they raise their right hands in friendship and say, "Mel'lon". The door does not budge right away; tentatively, Elsbet reaches out and brushes the polished surface. The door creaks, then slowly moves aside for them to enter.
Malfoy protectively puts his companions behind him, though Snape was about to do the same. The White Wizard steps into the chamber cautiously, and is instantly aware of the pale blue glow of the Master Stone in the center of the chamber, set on a great altar, just as the Old Man said. Motion-sensitive sconces along the walls fill the chamber with a very soft light, and he looks around. There is an atmosphere of peace and security, and smiling, relieved, Malfoy motions for them to follow. The chamber is monstrously huge, as Perdurabo said, and the bones of the great Dragon remind them that this is truly a crypt. She was a massive creature and each one of them imagine her in their own way, as flesh and blood once more, breathing, sleeping, and it is as though she is with them there.
They mill around the chamber with the birds, examining Escellion's skeleton and the beautiful carvings on the walls, and as they do, Elsbet makes her way to the great altar. As if expecting her, the altar shifts a part of its base so that she can step up to the stone. She does so, and marvels at the beauty of the stone; it seems she is looking at the surface of a pool. She can almost make out little fish beneath that surface. The Master Stone wants her to look into it. It tempts her... She thinks she sees a flash of silvery-orange, like her favorite koi fish, and she stands on her tiptoes to get a better look. There is a bright flash and the Master Stone sees into her. Surprised, Elsbet looses her footing and tumbles from the step, but before she falls, the altar shifts itself to catch her.
As her loved ones move quickly toward her, images make the walls of the chamber ripple; as Elsbet straightens up, the images become clear. Glimpses of her past, her real past. Snape already knows what they are seeing. On the walls of the Dragon's Chamber, her brother Elomer lives again, and for a moment they all see just how much he resembled Sirius Black. The memory playing out for them is a short time after Micha's departure; Elomer has taken his grieving sister back into the house, and she sobs as she tears the owl feather from her hair, snapping the shaft, which only makes her cry harder. Elsbet stares, transfixed, at the sight of herself so young and her brother alive, and she is aware that her loved ones are watching with teary eyes.
Elomer speaks softly to her, to calm her, and sits down as he picks up the broken feather. He makes it whole again and kisses it, then says to her, "Ellie, I place on this feather my blessing. Someday you will lose this feather, and a man will give it back to you. The man who does will be good and kind to you, he will love you with all his heart, and he will love you forever." As he hands the feather back to her, the memory blends smoothly into the night Severus brought it back to her. All can see the feather is the same, and before anyone can ask how it came to be, Elsbet slips off of the altar and runs to her black-robed wizard. Snape weeps openly as he holds her tightly to him; Elomer's Blessing has not been wasted, nor has it dimmed over the years.
Tonks wipes her face on her sleeve and begins to ask, "but how--" and Remus shakes his head slightly. "Nargles," he whispers, his own face wet with tears. As they struggle to compose themselves, other images flicker across the walls; happy memories of Ellie and her brother, of her parents (which elicits a gasp or two), of the wolves, birds and horses they shared their lives with. Malfoy notes with great interest the peacock statues in the memories and goes immediately to Elsbet when she reaches out to him. "Meant to be," she whispers as she and Snape enfold him in their embrace, and the others lower their gaze almost guiltily.
After several minutes, the images begin to fade and Elsbet slips slowly from their arms. She is radiant, some grand idea firing her mind, and she turns back to the stone. She climbs back up to it and says, "if Incundus still has the stone, I'll bet we can talk to him." They begin gathering around the altar, both Malfoy and Snape telling her that might not be such a good idea, but she tells them, "I think we should try. He needs to know what's happening in the world." Therion touches her hand and asks her if she has remembered something, and she nods, a soft smile on her lips. "Yes, and if I'm right--" Malfoy steps closer and looks up into her glowing face. "But Ellie, what if you're wrong? What if..." he hesitates and Remus says, "if you share what you remember with us, perhaps we will not be so worried."
She smiles and nods, knowing it's only right for them to know too, and says, "my Mother had a book, I can remember the feel of the parchment pages, and she loved this book very much. There was a story about Isengrim Castle and for some reason, it meant a great deal to my Mother. She would read it to us...my brother and me...and cry. I remember now that Isengrim is the castle Incundus went to sleep under, and he's been sleeping there ever since." She pauses and Layne asks, "but what has that to do with Hogwarts, Ellie?" She sighs and winces, looking at him apologetically, and tells him, "I don't recall the whole story now, I was really little, but I know that according to the story in my Mother's book, Hogwarts was built on and from the ruins of Isengrim."
As Elsbet spoke, the light from the Master Stone changed, as if the stone itself was thinking, searching its wealth of recollections from the other stones. Now, the walls of the chamber are covered with faint, wispy images. Each former Hogwarts student recognizes the very location of their beloved school; the only real differences are that the Black Lake is not quite where it is today, and the castle sitting where Hogwarts now sits was clearly not built by human hands. "Ellie," Therion says softly, "what did the story say about the Dragon?" She glances back at the Master Stone, then says, "well, it called him Iricundus, but it did say that he possessed a stone of great value, and that he was..." she searches her memory, "he was noble of guise. Or something like that. And that he was a green like the grass of the rolling hills, but that he had a patch of dark scales on his chest."
A loud sigh escapes Snape and all eyes turn to him. He nods and says quietly, "it's him. I am certain of it." He looks up at her, at the joy in her brilliant blue eyes, and tells her, "Els, I'm still not sure this is wise..." She bends down to kiss him tenderly, then whispers, "please, my King, trust me." She turns back to the Master Stone and gazes deeply into it; there is a shiver of light as it adjusts itself to her, to her thoughts, and the chamber is bathed in light. She can see in the stone what resembles the inside of a case, or shell of some kind, and slight movement, like a very slow breathing. Or a slow pulse. She smiles and strokes the stone, thinking the great Dragon's name.
In his chamber deep beneath Hogwarts, Incundus stirs. His stirring is so minute that not even a highly trained observer would notice it. His age-long slumber is suddenly penetrated by a dream...a very nice dream. His mind his filled with light, and clouds, and warmth. Not the warmth of the sun, but that of a tender heart. He smiles a Dragon's smile in his sleep, and that smile widens when he sees the face. It's a girl! Not just any girl, but a beautiful Elf girl! Shiny pale hair and sky-filled eyes, and lovely, pointed delicate ears...his great heart rejoices at the sight of her. What a nice dream this is, he thinks. Suddenly, he sees another face, there is another person in his dream! A beautiful Man...no, a Wizard! A White Wizard! Aww, the White Wizard loves the Elf girl. This is good, Incundus thinks, and then the third face appears. A Brown Wizard...how interesting! They are beautiful, these people, and their warmth is soothing to him, but he wonders why he is dreaming this now. Does he know them? Is he remembering people he loved, and misses? He does not remember Gandalf and Radagast without beards, but the Elf girl looks familiar...his mind begins to race and he tries to remember the girl's name. A-something...Ath-? Ath what? His nostrils flare in his sleep and he would banish this intrusion, but...he can't bear to not see them. And then...and then...
A figure rises behind the Elf girl and the two Wizards, clad in black, black-haired and black-eyed, and Incundus knows, he knows! Something his Mother told him when he was just a chick, as she held him wrapped in her wings, "and when the new King comes he will be draped in shadow, but his heart will shine brighter than the sun." Incundus moves in his slumber and the image fades...he knows this was no dream. It was a sign.
In Escellion's chamber, Elsbet cheers and jumps down from the altar. "We did it! We reached him! He still has the Stone of Annúminas, and it still works!" The three wizards step down from the altar and she practically leaps into Malfoy's arms. He hugs her tightly and laughingly dances with her in a little circle. Snape has not seen her this happy in some time and he is loathe to dim this radiance, but he is not as optimistic as she is. "Els," he says softly, but she anticipated his doubt. She stops dancing with Malfoy and takes his hand. "He felt you, Severus. He felt all of us. He knows, I'm sure he does!" The birds chatter about what they've seen and share what they think, and Loki wonders if his Da will go talk to the Stonekeeper now. Elsbet gives silent thanks both to the Master Stone and to the great Mother Dragon, then with one hand leading Snape and the other Malfoy, she guides her loved ones quite happily out of the chamber.
At last, they reach the massive oaken door in the great archway, and ponder for a few moments how they open it. Elsbet looks up at Layne, and the two friends smile. In unison, they raise their right hands in friendship and say, "Mel'lon". The door does not budge right away; tentatively, Elsbet reaches out and brushes the polished surface. The door creaks, then slowly moves aside for them to enter.
Malfoy protectively puts his companions behind him, though Snape was about to do the same. The White Wizard steps into the chamber cautiously, and is instantly aware of the pale blue glow of the Master Stone in the center of the chamber, set on a great altar, just as the Old Man said. Motion-sensitive sconces along the walls fill the chamber with a very soft light, and he looks around. There is an atmosphere of peace and security, and smiling, relieved, Malfoy motions for them to follow. The chamber is monstrously huge, as Perdurabo said, and the bones of the great Dragon remind them that this is truly a crypt. She was a massive creature and each one of them imagine her in their own way, as flesh and blood once more, breathing, sleeping, and it is as though she is with them there.
They mill around the chamber with the birds, examining Escellion's skeleton and the beautiful carvings on the walls, and as they do, Elsbet makes her way to the great altar. As if expecting her, the altar shifts a part of its base so that she can step up to the stone. She does so, and marvels at the beauty of the stone; it seems she is looking at the surface of a pool. She can almost make out little fish beneath that surface. The Master Stone wants her to look into it. It tempts her... She thinks she sees a flash of silvery-orange, like her favorite koi fish, and she stands on her tiptoes to get a better look. There is a bright flash and the Master Stone sees into her. Surprised, Elsbet looses her footing and tumbles from the step, but before she falls, the altar shifts itself to catch her.
As her loved ones move quickly toward her, images make the walls of the chamber ripple; as Elsbet straightens up, the images become clear. Glimpses of her past, her real past. Snape already knows what they are seeing. On the walls of the Dragon's Chamber, her brother Elomer lives again, and for a moment they all see just how much he resembled Sirius Black. The memory playing out for them is a short time after Micha's departure; Elomer has taken his grieving sister back into the house, and she sobs as she tears the owl feather from her hair, snapping the shaft, which only makes her cry harder. Elsbet stares, transfixed, at the sight of herself so young and her brother alive, and she is aware that her loved ones are watching with teary eyes.
Elomer speaks softly to her, to calm her, and sits down as he picks up the broken feather. He makes it whole again and kisses it, then says to her, "Ellie, I place on this feather my blessing. Someday you will lose this feather, and a man will give it back to you. The man who does will be good and kind to you, he will love you with all his heart, and he will love you forever." As he hands the feather back to her, the memory blends smoothly into the night Severus brought it back to her. All can see the feather is the same, and before anyone can ask how it came to be, Elsbet slips off of the altar and runs to her black-robed wizard. Snape weeps openly as he holds her tightly to him; Elomer's Blessing has not been wasted, nor has it dimmed over the years.
Tonks wipes her face on her sleeve and begins to ask, "but how--" and Remus shakes his head slightly. "Nargles," he whispers, his own face wet with tears. As they struggle to compose themselves, other images flicker across the walls; happy memories of Ellie and her brother, of her parents (which elicits a gasp or two), of the wolves, birds and horses they shared their lives with. Malfoy notes with great interest the peacock statues in the memories and goes immediately to Elsbet when she reaches out to him. "Meant to be," she whispers as she and Snape enfold him in their embrace, and the others lower their gaze almost guiltily.
After several minutes, the images begin to fade and Elsbet slips slowly from their arms. She is radiant, some grand idea firing her mind, and she turns back to the stone. She climbs back up to it and says, "if Incundus still has the stone, I'll bet we can talk to him." They begin gathering around the altar, both Malfoy and Snape telling her that might not be such a good idea, but she tells them, "I think we should try. He needs to know what's happening in the world." Therion touches her hand and asks her if she has remembered something, and she nods, a soft smile on her lips. "Yes, and if I'm right--" Malfoy steps closer and looks up into her glowing face. "But Ellie, what if you're wrong? What if..." he hesitates and Remus says, "if you share what you remember with us, perhaps we will not be so worried."
She smiles and nods, knowing it's only right for them to know too, and says, "my Mother had a book, I can remember the feel of the parchment pages, and she loved this book very much. There was a story about Isengrim Castle and for some reason, it meant a great deal to my Mother. She would read it to us...my brother and me...and cry. I remember now that Isengrim is the castle Incundus went to sleep under, and he's been sleeping there ever since." She pauses and Layne asks, "but what has that to do with Hogwarts, Ellie?" She sighs and winces, looking at him apologetically, and tells him, "I don't recall the whole story now, I was really little, but I know that according to the story in my Mother's book, Hogwarts was built on and from the ruins of Isengrim."
As Elsbet spoke, the light from the Master Stone changed, as if the stone itself was thinking, searching its wealth of recollections from the other stones. Now, the walls of the chamber are covered with faint, wispy images. Each former Hogwarts student recognizes the very location of their beloved school; the only real differences are that the Black Lake is not quite where it is today, and the castle sitting where Hogwarts now sits was clearly not built by human hands. "Ellie," Therion says softly, "what did the story say about the Dragon?" She glances back at the Master Stone, then says, "well, it called him Iricundus, but it did say that he possessed a stone of great value, and that he was..." she searches her memory, "he was noble of guise. Or something like that. And that he was a green like the grass of the rolling hills, but that he had a patch of dark scales on his chest."
A loud sigh escapes Snape and all eyes turn to him. He nods and says quietly, "it's him. I am certain of it." He looks up at her, at the joy in her brilliant blue eyes, and tells her, "Els, I'm still not sure this is wise..." She bends down to kiss him tenderly, then whispers, "please, my King, trust me." She turns back to the Master Stone and gazes deeply into it; there is a shiver of light as it adjusts itself to her, to her thoughts, and the chamber is bathed in light. She can see in the stone what resembles the inside of a case, or shell of some kind, and slight movement, like a very slow breathing. Or a slow pulse. She smiles and strokes the stone, thinking the great Dragon's name.
In his chamber deep beneath Hogwarts, Incundus stirs. His stirring is so minute that not even a highly trained observer would notice it. His age-long slumber is suddenly penetrated by a dream...a very nice dream. His mind his filled with light, and clouds, and warmth. Not the warmth of the sun, but that of a tender heart. He smiles a Dragon's smile in his sleep, and that smile widens when he sees the face. It's a girl! Not just any girl, but a beautiful Elf girl! Shiny pale hair and sky-filled eyes, and lovely, pointed delicate ears...his great heart rejoices at the sight of her. What a nice dream this is, he thinks. Suddenly, he sees another face, there is another person in his dream! A beautiful Man...no, a Wizard! A White Wizard! Aww, the White Wizard loves the Elf girl. This is good, Incundus thinks, and then the third face appears. A Brown Wizard...how interesting! They are beautiful, these people, and their warmth is soothing to him, but he wonders why he is dreaming this now. Does he know them? Is he remembering people he loved, and misses? He does not remember Gandalf and Radagast without beards, but the Elf girl looks familiar...his mind begins to race and he tries to remember the girl's name. A-something...Ath-? Ath what? His nostrils flare in his sleep and he would banish this intrusion, but...he can't bear to not see them. And then...and then...
A figure rises behind the Elf girl and the two Wizards, clad in black, black-haired and black-eyed, and Incundus knows, he knows! Something his Mother told him when he was just a chick, as she held him wrapped in her wings, "and when the new King comes he will be draped in shadow, but his heart will shine brighter than the sun." Incundus moves in his slumber and the image fades...he knows this was no dream. It was a sign.
In Escellion's chamber, Elsbet cheers and jumps down from the altar. "We did it! We reached him! He still has the Stone of Annúminas, and it still works!" The three wizards step down from the altar and she practically leaps into Malfoy's arms. He hugs her tightly and laughingly dances with her in a little circle. Snape has not seen her this happy in some time and he is loathe to dim this radiance, but he is not as optimistic as she is. "Els," he says softly, but she anticipated his doubt. She stops dancing with Malfoy and takes his hand. "He felt you, Severus. He felt all of us. He knows, I'm sure he does!" The birds chatter about what they've seen and share what they think, and Loki wonders if his Da will go talk to the Stonekeeper now. Elsbet gives silent thanks both to the Master Stone and to the great Mother Dragon, then with one hand leading Snape and the other Malfoy, she guides her loved ones quite happily out of the chamber.