Of Pensieves and House-elves

Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to JKR. The original plot and story belong to Velvet Song. Any resemblance to anything living or dead is purely coincidental.

Author's Note: This is a continuation of Velvet Song's story "Damsels & Dragons", which she has graciously allowed me to adopt. You will find the first thirteen chapters of her story here: http: //www. thepetulantpoetess.com /viewstory.php?sid =18337 (remove the spaces first). I might suggest you read her story first in order to understand what has been happening.

Virtual hugs to Fizzabella and writermerrin for the beta of this chapter. The story is now complete and will be posted as each chapter is beta'd. Thank you for all the lovely reviews.

Of Pensieves and House-elves

"What language is that?" Hermione asked, watching her memories of the Final Battle with the charmed Pensieve. "I've never heard it before. Has anyone else?"

"It could be ancient Egyptian," Bill said, wrinkling his brow. "But I've never heard it spoken, so I'm not sure. Remus?"

"Could be. Like you, I've studied the hieroglyphs, but I've never heard it spoken. How much like modern Egyptian is this we're hearing?"

"Nothing like, which is why I'm not sure," Bill said. "Anyone else have an idea?"

"Are you sure you're not presupposing the language, given what we read in my ancestor's book?" Lucius asked. "The Dark Lord was notorious for using other languages other than the one a curse might have been written in."

Just then, Hermione pricked up her ears. "I know what it is," she said suddenly. "It's a variant of Norse."

"Modern Norse?" Minerva asked, her nose twitching. "I know of a teacher at Durmstrang that speaks several dialects."

"No, Old Norse," Hermione said. "I've got several books of the Eddas, but I never thought I'd hear it spoken like that." She shuddered. "The lyric poems are so beautiful, and this is so ugly."

"We don't have the complete curse here, however," Filius said, pointing out several obvious gaps. "You didn't hear all of it over the battle. We need the memories of someone who was closer to him."

"I don't think it's actually Old Norse," Draco said slowly, moving closer to the memories being projected on the wall. "I've read the Eddas as well. This doesn't sound right for that."

"What d'ya mean?" Harry asked belligerently. "Hermione knows what she's talking about."

"No, Harry, I don't actually," Hermione admitted. "I said it sounded like old Norse, but wrong somehow." She turned to Draco. "What do you think it is?"

"I don't know. That's what worries me." He turned to his parents. "Is there some way we could maybe research this through the manor library?"

Lucius stroked his chin in thought. "I don't know, Draco. Our library has a great many old texts, but you have to remember the Dark Lord had free rein while he lived with us. He obviously felt he had the right to take whatever he wished, as I'm sure you will remember."

"We have been putting off taking inventory," Narcissa said sadly. "When this is over, we should probably do so."

Lucius nodded grimly. "I've not seen any noticeable gaps, but that doesn't mean some of our more, shall we say, exotic books are still on the shelves. Hermione, would you ask Severus if he knows this language?"

No. Ask the house-elves.

"Ask the house-elves?" Hermione repeated, wondering if she'd heard right. "Are you sure they would know?"

If not at Hogwarts, they can ask the house-elves at the other institutions.

"Minerva, do the Hogwarts house-elves talk to house-elves at the other Wizarding schools?" Hermione turned to the Headmistress in excitement. "Severus says if our house-elves don't know, they can ask at the other schools."

Minerva looked at her in consternation. "I don't know," she admitted. "If they do, I've never heard of it. Severus says they do?"

Hermione nodded. "It sounds logical. They must get information from somewhere. Why not from the other schools?"

"Or even other great houses?" Narcissa asked. "I'd noticed that the Malfoy house-elves always seemed to know what was going on among the pure-blood families before we did."

Minerva took a breath. "Winky?" she called.

Winky popped into view, wringing her hands. "Headmistress call Winky?" she asked. "How may Winky serve?"

"I need to see all the Hogwarts house-elves," Minerva said. "Would you ask them to come here, please?"

"All house-elves, Headmistress?"

"Yes."

"Winky tell them." The little house-elf snapped her fingers and disappeared.

"Well, that was interesting," Filius said. "Will they actually..." Before he could finish his thought, the staff room filled with house-elves, all of them wearing tea towels with the Hogwarts crest. "Oh," he squeaked, moving into a corner of the room with the other teachers to make more room.

Lucius moved to the front of the group, standing next to Minerva. "Do any of you recognize the language being spoken by the Dark Lord?" Lucius asked, waving his hand to restart the images the group had been viewing. "Severus said one of you might."

"Headmaster Snape say this?" Winky asked, obviously having been elected spokes-elf. She turned to the other house-elves, and they spoke quietly among themselves. Every once in a while, one of them would raise his or her head, look at the Pensieve video, and rejoin the conversation with the other house-elves.

Hermione and Susan looked at each other, trying not to giggle. When Hermione turned to look at Draco, he winked and she lost it. Once she started to giggle, Susan soon followed, causing Filius to chuckle. Soon, most of the teachers were giggling, chuckling, or chortling with the exception of Lucius and Minerva. She smiled indulgently at her staff and turned back to the huddle of house-elves just as Winky popped up in front of them.

"Penti knows," she said. "Him say it Gothic." She pulled a tiny house-elf out of the huddle, and he nodded exuberantly even as he bobbed up and down in a continuous bow.

"Gothic, it be," he said in an even squeakier voice than Winky's. "Penti's old master speaking it."

"Where would we find him?" Lucius asked abruptly. "We need to speak with him. What?" He turned to Minerva, who had touched his arm in order to get his attention.

"Hogwarts' house-elves...at least the ones not born at Hogwarts...generally come here when their masters die and there is no other family member to take them in," she explained. She then turned to the house-elf and gently asked, "How long have you been at Hogwarts, Penti?"

"Penti serve three headmasters, one headmistress. I come Hogwarts and Headmaster Black here is," the little house-elf said, puffing up with importance. "Him say Penti stay at Hogwarts and serve."

"That's... that's..." Harry stuttered.

"Almost eighty years ago, if not more," Minerva said serenely. "About middle-aged for a house-elf, I believe." She turned to Lucius. "So we would not be able to talk to Penti's old master, but we now know what language we're looking for." Turning to the house-elves, she thanked them for their help, and dismissed them back to their usual duties.

"Aren't Gothics those Muggle teens who dress all in black and pierce their tongues?" Neville asked. "Harry and I saw some of them in London last Christmas."

"I don't think it's the same thing, Neville," Harry said. "They spoke modern English."

"Goth is a life-style," Hermione explained. "I don't know where this Gothic language would have been spoken unless it comes from the Visigoths."

"A Germanic language?" Draco asked. "That would make sense. It's close enough to old Norse, but different enough to be confusing to someone who knows how to read Norse."

"It's older than old Norse," Hermione said, correcting him absentmindedly. "Where would we find someone who could translate it without giving away Severus' situation?"

Phelps. At the British Wizarding Library.

"British Wizarding Library?" Hermione looked out the window at the Forbidden Forest. "Do... I mean... did you know him?"

Good man. He'll keep the secret.

Hermione sighed. "I guess someone will have to go to London, then."

Indeed.