บท 10: ancestral land
A slightly twisted way made of gravel, separating a large expanse of lawn on both sides, leads to a simple group of five wooden constructs. Made of wood' logs, high of two stories and based on a rock elevation, they form a circle around the remnants of a firepit still visible.
Behind them, a part of a sizeable Norse hall, shadowed by an immense tree spanning on meter high, it foliage covering an impossible surface. Surrounding the door and the land, before vanishing in the distance, a five meters tall rock wall.
'Seems that your ancestors were sharing some Norse blood.'
'Hmm.' Responding Alex absentmindedly, lost at sight.
Making his way to the houses, he only saw a slight difference between them when nearer. The one he had faced when arriving seems a little more spacious.
'Clan head house?' Thoughts Alex.
'Chance is it is, while nothing like the manor of those pricks, he still have to establish his rank among his people, even if your ancestors seem to have been more grounded than the British and don't waste money.'
Making his way to the house, he was surprised not to be the only one inside.
*pop*
Just as he opened the door, a house-elf appear. Seeing the key in Alex's hand, his eyes widen, before popping away.
'Well, so much for...'
Before CS could finish, the house-elf return, but with two other one this time. All three looked expectantly at Alex.
"Master his back?"
"It seems that I am." Smile Alex at the three.
He barely could finish that the three throw themselves at his legs, producing three flashes successively. Releasing him, all three could scarcely contain their excitement; there hears lightly flapping.
"Me be Winter, housekeeper." Started the on that first appears, now identified female.
"Thunder. barn keeper." Proudly say the one on the right.
"Ash, I be taking care of fruity trees." Say the last one.
"Fruity trees?"
"Yes, plenty of fruity trees for Thunder's piggies and master table." Respond to him.
"That good. Does that means that we have meats?" Asked Alex to Thunder.
"Yes, a lot of meats! Been gathering for centuries after the last master gone." Start the elf energetically, before the three lower their head at the sad memories of their lost family.
"Would they are a need of lots?"
While he knows that there are means to keep it for rotting, he couldn't see the use of a lot of it, now that he was single.
"Oh, their need! Piggies, wooly and feathers is good for spidies and feather-horsies."
"Spidies..., there are Acromentulas here?!"
Hearing it, thunder nod vigorously his head. "Yes, Evans clan's always keeps sipdies! Thunder made sure never more than twenty, and no eggies. Their large stock of Spidies tread now, with wooly, Winter can made clothes for master."
"Well if it's a controlled population, and they haven't been a problem in the last centuries, I don't see the problem. I count on you to keep an eye on them, okay Thunder?"
"Yes, master Alexander!" Happily say Thunder, while the two other nodded, happy that their new master was putting his confidence in Thunder.
"You also say feather-horsies, do you mean Hippogriff?"
"Yes, Clan Evans always been a warrior clan, always hunt with feather-horsies."
"Not true! Evans's nerdies, not brainless brutich!" Venomously arranged Winter, surprising him. Turning, she heatedly say. "Winter taking good care of books!"
~~~
Alex looked, amused as the two started to argue, before Ash grabs each by an ear, shaking his head.
"Evans's always been a two side families, with hunters and nerdies. Their lot of books, Winter been tasked to gather books around the world, and thunder been taking care of the feathers-horsies."
"That good, thank you, you three for having to keep great care of the clan while I was away." Say kindly Alex, making the three bust in tears. Sighing hopelessly, he waits for a little before speaking again.
"I need to do something, I found master Sigurd tomb and have taken it with me, do you know where I can leave master rest with his ancestors?"
At this, the three looked at him with wides eyes and quivering lips. Wordlessly, Winter tends her hand to him. Understanding the message, he takes it gently, as she pops the two of them away.
~~~
As the two reappear, Alex could see a burial mound with a stone circle at its base and an open entrance. Without words, the two of them made their way inside. Like the underground corridor, torches lights as they made their way.
Walking solemnly in silence in the semi-obscurity, Winter lead Alex deeper and deeper. After passing a few rooms on their way, they continue to go down. As the air start to turn oppressive and still, they arrive at the end of the carved stairs.
Manoeuvre through the chambers in the room; they arrive at an empty one. Without a world, Alex retrieves the last resting bed of his ancestor, placing it side to side with the one waiting for it for more than three centuries already.
While facing her back, Alex could see that the little elf was shedding tears. Just before following here outside the chamber, he turns his head around the last time, before softly gasping.
Just above the reunited stone coffin, two silhouettes in ethereal silver briefly bath the surrounding in an ethereal light. Both looked at Alex, the woman softly smiling gratefully at him, while the male gives him a firm nod before both vanish to their next great adventure, finally reunited and in peace.
~~~
Finally making his way out shakingly, he couldn't avoid the little elf, bawling her eyes out.
"Thank you, master Alexander, for reuniting master and mistress."
He could only numbly, gently pat her while trying to take his mind from the sight he had witnessed.
As she disengages, she pops away, leaving him to wander in the land of his ancestors. Gazing around, he discovers the back of the hall in the distance while the tumulus was surrounded and bathed in the shade of enormous oaks, forming a protecting crown around the resting place of the clan.
Walking through it, and passing through a small part of the large orchard, he was brought out of his funk when a group of seven large cats were chasing after fleeing rats.
After the orchard and near the hall, the barn, on its side, sheep were peacefully grazing. Further, under a copse of trees, a few Hippogriffs were resting in the shade, guarding foals happily playing.
Knowing the temperamental animal through Hagrid introduction, he keeps respectful distance when he sees then eyeing him.
From what he could see of crops growing under the already high sun, all the land lack was a proper greenhouse, and it could be autonomous, but seeing the large forest on the outside, it probably is taken care of, leaving only animals parts.
~~~
Stopping at the hall on his way back, he saw a spotless gathering hall similar to the one he had seen in some books. The difference was that this one was of his family. On the walls, thick tapestries describing various scenes of battles were sewn.
Once again, he couldn't help but compare the difference between what he knows of the HP verse to this place. Contrary to the thick, unnatural Manor of the pureblood, this place had kept an ancient feeling; he could still make the ancient magic saturating the area since he had taken hold of the Wards.
'This is my roots; I feel more Evans for the past hour that I had felt Potter for the last years.'
'Magic is far more complex than we could think, simple lines in a book can't describe it.'
'Mnn.'
~~~
Exiting the hall to return to the house, he crosses the path with some isolated group of houses on the way.
'It truly had been a land where the entire clan lived.'
'Mnn, while it couldn't be more than a few hundred of clansmen, just from the sight your ancestor had left behind this could be enough to topple small countries, less communities of wizards. While I'm not particularly eager to urge you, you should take the wards in hand before the bearded one arrive. It's already a miracle that he hadn't until then. Even with your blood samples gone, the old goat surely had other means to locate you if you're not protected.'
'True, I should also return to Privet Drive and retrieve every of my belonging.'
"Winter." Called Alex softly.
"Yes, master?"
"Does the land had wards?"
"Oh, yes, take Winter's hand." Say the little female, who seems to have calmed down from the previous experience earlier.
*pop*
Unlike what he was thinking, he wasn't in the house, but outside. Looking above, he could see that he was between the roots of an enormous ash tree. Nestled between two common roots rest a small stele.
The barely sixty centimetres tall stone was giving ancient vibes. The moment he set his eyes on it, he knows what to do. Instructed by the elf, he nicks the ring finger of his left hand, smearing blood on the crest of the stele.
As the 'hum' was growing stronger, un perceptible vibrations were crossing the entire land. Every magical creature present could feel the ground brought back from its slumber to its full power.
~~~
Unaware of the fact, Alex closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling run through its veins. Spreading through the stele, he could feel the magic from the land, who turn to be an island. From the tree, a translucent bubble, made of golden veins-like patterns, with a white edge could be seen rising and spreading to the entire island.
As the bubble close, he shudders at the feeling of the wards falling in place. While he was ignorant of wards, he knows that such a magical pulse should have been felt from far away.
Releasing his hold on the stele and retrieving the now clean ring from the stone, he turns to Winter.
"Where is the island? I don't want the Ministry to send a group of Aurors here to investigate." Asked Alex worried.
"Don't worry, master. Island been in middle of waters. No Ministries be knowing, too far."
Sighing in relief he nods. "Good, that a thing that we won't have to worry then. I have another matter that needs to be resolved immediately, Winter. It concerning the place I had to stay in the last years. I need you three to retrieve everything from my room and be sure to clean the house completely, not a single of my hair, dead skin or piece of nail stay, it must be as if I never been there, alright?"
Winter was far from dumb or young, having the past three centuries plus to do nearly nothing she had read a large portion of the library, she perfectly knows what wizards can do with bits of others.
Nodding seriously, she pops away to fetch the two other and raid the N°4 of Privet Drive and clean it from the presence of their master.
"With this taken care off, it leaves the social worker. Since the meeting had been scheduled to every three months and had one the last week, all I need it to send Winter to take care of it, nothing that a good memory charm couldn't accomplish."
~~~
While the house-elves had been sent retrieving his belonging, he enters the house for the first time. Pushing the door open, he discovers the main floor separated into two pieces. The first one was a resting area with furs covered seats and sofas separated by a table.
Facing the front door, an opening leads to the second, and largest room. With a large fireplace
sitting at the centre, a kitchen running the length of the far off wall with the dining area on the far right corner.
The first part between him and the hearth was a comfy living room, with again sofas and seats, a closed piece on the right who turned to be a 1/2 bath. A few shelves full of books were resting against the wall separating the stairs, going up on the left.
Looking at the kitchen, he discovers another stair, for the basement and a pantry. The table of the dining room was enough for six peoples, and few shelves and cabinets filled the walls, containing various silverwares.
The floor above had the main bedroom, taking half of the available surface, and divided in 1/4 bathroom, 1/4 walk-in-closet and the bedroom proper. The main bedroom' door was directly facing the stair, while the corridor leads to the other end of the floor.
In the middle of the corridor, a door leads on another bathroom, while two other bedrooms were accessible on the second part of the L shaped hall.
When he looked at the basement, he was surprised to see an office, where should be the dining room, taking a fourth of the place. The rest was an open storage room taking half the floor, from stair to the office. A second, larger pantry on the last fourth and attached to the office.
What was more particular was the presence of a second staircase on the other side of the first one, at the same place to the one leading upstairs. Curiously making it way to it, he was baffled to discover a large underground area there.
From the sheer size, its round shape and the four other stairs visible, the place was undoubtedly more extensive than the four other houses above and the space in between. He could now understand why Winter had said that the Evans where 'nerdy'. The place, he suspects, was under an absurd degree of expansion charms or enchantment. From top to bottom, at least ten meters were separating the floor to the roof.
The shelves were also used as support, since extending to the same height. Even the space under the stair wasn't lost and housing a staggering amount of tomes. Few tables could be seen between the walls and shelves, but otherwise, the place was packed with towering piles of books.
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