This gets darker and more intriguing by the chapter. :)

Nos Galan Gaeaf, this start of a new year, is the perfect setting for this chapter.  Since Neirin is blind, I don't imagine a named stone was thrown into the fire, but he surely was aware of the apple wood an the pippins.  Throughout the reading of this episode I enjoyed your references to the old Celtic holiday celebration and the meaning of each item associated with it.

The Castle's thoughts on this night were filled with musings on the slain Potions master, His Scrifan Acknowledged, the Penetant who refused a portrait... prefering to remain as unknown in death as he had been in life... except he is not dead, but very much caught up in his own epic fight to throw off the last and greatest curse cast upon him by a vengeful and supremely selfish Voldemort.  The Castle misses his Scrifan's sueded speech, his soft steps as he wandered the halls and corridors acquiring an understanding of His true nature.

The awareness the Castle has of a vague presence at the gates gives me hope that Draco has come at last to speak with His newly Acknowledged – the Felid Witch – to assume his role as the Third Secret Keeper.  "And now there comes this skewed and uneasy magic, cloaked in the Samhain shadows.  This is not the Scrifan’s body -- nor even the shadow of his essence -- and yet it is somehow guised -- in palest reflection -- so closely to his likeness."  

My heart breaks for the Castle's longing to know what has happened to His Scrifan, "Affirmation and confirmation are needed.  The Scrifan has been torn from Me -- I can no longer sense the rhythms of his magic or attend the measured subtlety of his movements.  Our bond of Eternal to Mortal, My fealty to his Acknowledgement, is severed.  Even so, My First Stones have not become the reliquary for his wand, nor was I permitted to usher his final breath into the Charon’s keeping.  Even his body is denied repose within My blessed earth.  These are My sworn duties with the death of any Master or Mistress of the Four Houses.   Never have these hallowed obligations been left undone.  A thousand years’ tradition is left unsatisfied, and I am made uneasy.  By the grace of the Founders’ Hands, I know the Scrifan did not abandon Me.  Beyond the Veil, does he believe that I have forsaken him?"  Reading this passage made me so sad.

"I have begun to note which names spool from My Healers’ lips like the waxed cord of a joiner’s plumb. In this heaving aftermath of war, the Scrifan’s name is still spoken, his truths sparking much debate. Something deep within Me suffers greatly at the echo of his name, as though I am afflicted with a wound that cannot heal into a scar. I am much aggrieved to hear declarations made that I deny him the honor of his Portrayal because he was never My just Acknowledged."  When I read this I wondered if the Castle has a powerful connection to Neirin – one strong enough that this "Fortress of the Sorcerers’ Path" could heal Neirin's "wound that cannot heal into a scar?"

~~ /// ~~

I like Mab Williams.  Her sense of humor and kindly demenor made me laugh when she declared that she needed to rest and sober up a bit before she tried to drive home, not wanting to find herself at the bottom of a lake. 

Her discussion with Hagrid gave us a glimpse into the symbolism that Gareth carved into the lawffon for his patient.  I was struck by how similar the four talismans are to the mascots of the four Houses, and I loved that the serpent was the ones that first knew how to heal and taught the First Wise how to shed the past and start over.  Hopefully these "guides" will steer our Neirin toward his own healing and a new beginning.

When Delyth spoke to Neirin, I was not totally surprised at his reaction... I think he must remember that she saw something of the darknenss that has come upon him when she was helping Gareth care for him in the early days of his arrival.  What astounded me was his return to his childhood speech and the bombastic way he claimed the old Muggle coat as his own.  If the previous owner ever returned he would have a battle on his hands if he thought to reclaim it.  Then just as suddenly he began to speak as the educated man that he is.  (BTW, I wonder which letter would have fallen from her knife if Delyth had pared a pippin?)

“Where is… Islwyn?  Not here for this… exhibition… of my… accomplishments?  Alert the fucking… multitudes,” he gasped, choking out his words. “The blind fool is conversant… he can feed himself… and he’s not pissed on his boots, today.  Caesar comes… to Rome… triumphant.”  I winced when I read Neirin's response to Delyth's question, but I had to laugh and cheer when Mab and Gareth had their say, especially Gareth's acknowledgment to (and his thanks for) his better aim.

When Neirin began to speak of what it was like to eat, to sleep, to DREAM, I felt chills.  His description is not of dream, but of a vivid memory of Voldemort's snake descending over him and his life slipping away with the curse of the Abandonment trapping him in this eternal hell he has been in.  Thank goodness Hagrid was there to get his attention and focus it on something else until Gareth could work his healing magic once again.

You've gave us a hint of the powers that Delyth possesses when she confessed to her father that she was afraid she wasn't strong enough to keep Neirin safe.  I can't wait to see how she helps him and what she shows him.  I have a feeling that our darling girl is a very powerful witch in her own right, and when the time comes I believe she will fight the very devil for Neirin.

The gift's that Mab placed in Neirin's pocket will, I think, turn out to be truly powerful in his recovery.  Perhaps the wren's feather will call to Cliodna to seek her healing of his cursed mind.  I wonder if one were to turn over the white stone, would they see "two tiny red hearts, and a child’s lopsided lettering?"  Thing to help him remember the truth of his name... and learn the gifts of his nature...  I can't wait to for Hagrid to owl Minerva.

I'm glad that Slughorn will be teaching Potions and mentoring the returning Slytherins.  They're sure to need some comforting after all that happened.  Minerva's speech to the returning students about treating each other well sets the proper tone.  I loved the way the professors brought their individual talents to create the lovely venue for the Feast:  mists and turnip lanterns, beautiful trees with gray and silver trunks and branches alive with autumns bright colors.  Minerva's speech to the returning students set the proper tone for the new term, and the lighting of the Samhain fire was a good way to have the youngsters act in concert. And Neville is back!  Yay!

The closing of this chapter took my breath away.  Finding Narcissa Malfoy cradling her only child had to be a shock, but to hear from his mother's lips that he is dead and had been determined to go to Severus was amazing.   Thank you for this lovely, lovely update.  It is well worth waiting for!

Beth

My dear, what a lovely chapter! To show Snape's story and character though Hagrid's eyes works very well, as does Hagrid himself. You show so much and so deeply insightful of this so often underappreciated character,

Author's Response:

Oh, I'm overjoyed - you're traveling this epic road with us !! I love Hagrid - he's amazingly complex once you delve past the surface.  I think he'll prove to be exactly what Neirin needs as a friend.  Now, if you could just get someone to draw that Severus/Thestral scene for me I'd be ecstatic !!

Oh, Moira Mountain, this chapter was well worth the wait. This story up until this chapter has been about the caregivers, now we finally have some interaction from Neirin himself. The first part of this chapter given from the castle's point of view was lovely and I am so glad you have him surrounded by such patient, wise and compassionate people. This combination gives hope that they will overcome this terrible curse. Draco's part is gut wrenching, I am so curious as to why this is so. I hope that being Neirin's secret keeper Minerva is not prevented  from revealing something to Draco in order to save him.I know that it takes time to develop and write so beautifully especially when life gets busy so I will wait patiently for the next chapter.(I really hope you are considering writing your own original stories in the future, you are definitely worthy of being published.)

Dear moiramountain.

I am SO glad you are back with a new chapter to this remarkable story.

You have, and I mean this truly, the most incredible way with the english language. I love the way you express yourself.

Keep up the good work.

I have a love-hate relationship with this fic. I love your story-telling; I hate that this chapter made me cry. But, they were happy tears as I read about the Houses of Hogwarts coming together again. Keep up the good work. ^_^

Yay, it's posted!  I think in all my squeeing over Mab and Minerva and the rest, I neglected to say how well you do Filius -- his tools of color and light, his obvious care for the students and his understanding of them.  A lovely moment.

What an ending to that roller coaster of a chapter. 

You capture the beautiful and ugly subtlties of human nature. So often I read a story that needs the characters to act against human nature in order for their story to work. I have a difficult time accepting these kinds of themes. You use human nature and weave your story around it instead of the other way around, giving it a more natural feel. I now wonder if the third keeper will be Draco, given that he seems to be on the same path as Severus. I am intrigued to discover what haunts him so. Delyth seems to be avoiding most everything but the care of Severus, I wonder direction that will lead? I look forward to more. I seem to be late with my reviews only because I do not visit as often as I have in the past but I will continue to follow!

So this evil potion that Snape has been taking... most intriguing.  I adore really dark beginnings because the darker it is the brighter it can eventually grow, and it looks like you are one of those writers who can do the transformation the justice of realism. I look forward to more.

Your depiction of Narcissa Malfoy is exquisite.  Her demeanor is perfect for this once powerful witch of a once proud pureblood family.  I liked that she was able to describe how her life and her intellect had evolved through the years from accepting the accolade of moon to Lucius’ sun, to finally coming to understand that Tom bloody Riddle was a disgusting and hideous creature.  Yet as she grew to despise Voldemort she also became accomplished at shielding her true feelings at all times never letting the Dark Lord know her utter lack of allegiance to his cause.  Whatever else could be said about her, she was a good wife and mother, and would have done anything to protect Lucius and Draco. 

I enjoyed her musings on her will to keep her trothring and her first harp.  I was interested to see that the harp was a gift from Lucius’ father, Abraxas, in celebration of her eleventh birthday and her Hogwarts Letter.  This made me wonder if Lucius and Narcissa’s families had betrothed them at an early age, but perhaps is was just a gift... If I remember correctly, Abraxas was related to the Blacks by marriage.

Her memories of Lucius coming to sit behind her while she played her harp, the Erard,  are a study of two people who loved and understood each other completely.  I had to wonder if this harp was one made by Sebastian Erard and handed down through her family.  This was a very nice detail to include.

The following thoughts,  I think, speak volumes about the true nature of this amazing woman:

What, then, would I know of love? It would be pointless to offer explanations of whom and how I love. I will not humble myself to grovel for favors by confirming that I have loved – and that I will continue to do so. Let these fools believe I have no heart, that I feel nothing. I will not offer my pain as a public commodity.

I have little doubt that my speaking of love would seem quite impossible to most. I am the faithful wife of a sworn Death Eater, the sister of another, and mother to a third. Thrice condemned, though I never sought to take the Mark. My loyalties are my own, and they lie only with my husband and our son.

It was interesting, too, that her thoughts about those Aurors who took such delight in making examples of her and her family and divesting them of every personal possession was echoed in Minerva’s own thoughts on the matter.  Both women thought that their attempts to humiliate Lucius by cutting off his hair and parading him publicly before all and sundry was not necessary. 

“Protect yourselves. Seek an ally, Narcissa, for Draco’s sake.”  Dare I think that mother and son will find their way to Neirin via Minerva?  Stranger things have happened.

Narcissa is clearly worried about her son.  I could feel her heartbreak and worry because of Draco’s listlessness and disinterest in seemingly all things.  In the last weeks he has taken on the physical likeness of his Potions professor.  He dresses all in black and his hair has grown to his shoulders and is heavy and dirty and shields his face from view.  Prowling the gardens at all hours of the night, he has taken on the semblance of a specter.  He paces the parapets and shields himself with crossed arms.  And he reads and rereads a worn piece of parchment which he refuses to discuss with either of his parents.

In the final words of Chapter Seven we saw a picture of an unidentified but distraught young man:

The young man who prowled the dew-soaked gardens, his arms folded across his chest in an oddly familiar pose, had not slept at all, nor would he, even though it would offer an escape from the desperately beseeching eyes of his mother and the brandy-sodden endearments of his father. A sorry escape, sleep, plagued as it was by frenzied dreams. At least in the gardens, not even a house-elf would disturb him so early in the morning and he could try to sort his thoughts. His pale hand clutched a tightly rolled parchment, its softness attesting to its having been read, over and over again. Shivering in the cool air, he wrapped his arms still tighter across his chest, and throwing his head back, moaned his anguished query to the brightening sky.

“I can’t help you. They didn’t even find your body. What is it you expect from me?”

I think this young man from Chapter Seven was Draco, and I think that he may just be the as yet unknown Third Secret Keeper.  Will he be gifted with the crystal containing Neirin’s blood that Minerva has hidden away at Hogwarts? 

~~ /// ~~

I was a little surprised that Hagrid decided to take his pension and leave Hogwarts, but after a little thought, I could see how it would benefit them all.  Minerva won’t have to war with the new Board of Governors and Hagrid will be able to stay with Neirin, to protect him and teach him as his magic returns.  Having the half-giant with him at all times will give him a sense of safety, and when he has those horrid nightmares, Hagrid will be there to ease his way and protect him from harming himself.  He still tears at the mark from time to time as he tries to flee the curse that has taken him away from all that he knows, so it is important that he be surrounded by people who know him and want only to help him find his way back. 

It seems that Neirin has made great progress on some levels and none at all on others.  He now resides in a new home that is blessed for having been a smithy, and has a great many of his personal belongings there, too.  And he has progressed to the point that he can speak a few words and take a few steps. 

It was a shame that Delyth cannot bring herself to touch him or his things, but I well understand her reluctance after he injured her hand while in the throes of a nightmare.  I think she has a bit of magic inherited from her mother that she is unaware of.  Perhaps with time she will come to recognize it.  Perhaps her father will tell her more about her mother as time goes on....  She is able to be a great help to Gareth, and that is enough for now.

When Neirin has a bad night and fights the nightmares, it is Gareth who can calm him, and in the aftermath Minerva becomes “Maftet again, curling tight against his heart, matching my purring to his breathing, hoping to comfort him, praying he does not remember me as his torturer.”  I realize that she blames herself for clawing at his mark and calling the darkness to the surface where he and they can battle it, but I was also struck by her reason for brewing her own blend of Scottish tea and hoped that upon tasting it, he would utter the word “insipid.”

That’s what I wanted to go back and find in an earlier chapter.  And once again I found it in Chapter Seven when she and Hagrid were with Albus’ portrait in the cavern with Cliodna.  When Minerva was making her vow, she had to speak his name (something she was loathed to do because it would hurt Neirin):

“Severus Tobias Snape, Bright Wizard Become, my fierce colleague, my lonely, angry friend, still lives,” she began to speak, unwavering, as she wrote. “I have hidden him in Gwaun, with the Healer Gareth Islwyn, and have chosen the name Neirin Maldwyn to protect him. He is cursed by Tom Riddle into the Darkness of Abandonment and is meant to wander there always. His sight is taken and his mind is clouded. There are wrongs between us, and I’ll not rest until they are amended and he is whole again. I am sworn to be his Secret Keeper until the end of my days.”

But to ease his pain, she also was to speak a precious memory of him, and she chose to remember the times when they shared tea:

Her final words, the ones to counter suffering with something precious, were small, tucked under the rest in tiny runes, and whispered so softly, even the faery did not hear: “Tea, vile and insipid.”

Once again you’ve given us a first rate chapter filled not only with information on the characters’ present circumstances, but ties to their shared pasts and hints of the future that awaits them–all of them.  Bloody brilliant!!!I remain your loyal servant,

Beth

You have an excellent knowledge of the Old Ways, andthe ability to convey that knowledge to the reader.  Gareth's compassion and knowledge are both conveyedin a most moving way, and it's clear that if anyone can save the soul of Severus, it is he.  Beautifully andmovingly written. 

I am so enthralled with this story... the heartbreaking scenes that I live through Minerva's eyes... I can feel her strength, her despair, her desperate hope, as though it is all my own. And Narcissa – most authors cannot successfully switch from the mindset and point of view of the two vastly different characters that you portrayed in this chapter, but you excel at it. There are no remnants of Narcissa in Minerva's internal voice, the seperation is clean and complete. You are a tremendously talented and gifted writer, and I eagerly await the next update.

This is the best characterization of Narcissa and her motivations that I've ever read. (Sorry, JR!) Well done.

I have just discovered this story, and the first chapterhas been a revelation.  I grew up with the old mythsand legends, courtesy of my mother, and this storyreally resonates with me.  The language is poetry, andyour characters beautifully drawn, both those we knowand the one we have just met.  I'm looking forward toreading more, but I intend to take it slowly and savourit.

As anyone who has cared for a grievously ill patient knows, there comes a time when help is needed lest the caregiver become a care-needer himself.  I couldn't imagine why neither Minerva nor Hagrid had answered the OWL Gareth had sent... ten days is a long time... but I soon realized that Minerva had come– to observe and protect.  Why she had chosen to remain in her Animagus form I don't know, but she must have had her reasons.

When Delyth Morgan answered Gareth's call for help, I felt a sense of relief.  She is a wise and diligent woman, familiar with the old ways and willing to help.  When Gareth sees the meal she has brought for them to share he tells her she is "truly the treasure of two worlds."  From your description, I take it that her mother (ummi) was an Arab woman and her father (thada) of Celtic descent.  Now I'm wondering how a woman of Thebes (assuming this was the Egyptian Thebes and not the one of in Greece) came to be the bride of a Celtic man... there has to be an interesting story there.  I am very curious about why Delyth left her home to take the veil, and why she decided to return.  When she referred to the stories that her mother told her of the djinn I began to wonder if the veil she took was the Hijab.  She seems to possess the history and the characteristics of both worlds, her mother's and her father's, and I have a thousand questions about her in my mind.

I also noted that Delyth remarked that Neirin had the look of Thoth about him as she brushed "her fingers lightly along the sharp ridge of Neirin’s nose."  Thoth was the messenger of the other Egyptian gods, the creator of writing, and god of magic... and he was often represented as a man with the head of an Ibis.  I wondered if it was his nose that reminded Delyth of Thoth or if she sensed the magic in him that lead her to compare him to the god.  Whatever was going through her mind, I'll wager she will be an important ally to Gareth as he seeks to restore Neirin Malwyn to health.

One of the most fascinating things in this chapter was that Delyth recognized Neirin's face from the dream she'd had:  "All she could remember from her dream was the plaintive echo of the sea, calling…..  ”Yes, I shall come to you...”"  The name she gave the cat, Maftet, seemed to be spot on since Maftet was the goddess that protected against venomous creatures, and perhaps Minerva will be able to call Neirin back by kneading his Dark Mark to the point of drawing blood.  Will that allow some of the evil associated with the mark to leave his body?

The very last bit of this chapter is completely filled with stunning imagery and information.  It seems to me that as Delyth sought to put clean bandages on Neirin's hands, the crack of apparition heralded someone's arrival, and the cat along with Gareth ran to see the source of this sharp crack.  When Delyth was left alone with Neirin, her attentions diverted by the apparition of Hagrid, Neirin began to speak and he began to claw at her hands, drawing blood.  Within a moment, the room was filled with folk.  Hagrid was taking hold of him to ease his hold on Delyth, Gareth was there to sing a calming refrain, and Minerva was there to whisper to him that she was sworn to protect him.  And finally Delyth collapsed into Minerva's arms.

Great God Almighty!  For the longest time Gareth thought he was on his own with Neirin, and the next thing I know he's had a bit of food and rest, and then a room full of folk are all there ministering to his patient.  Geez, this is good!  Your story is so rich in detail that I know there are things that I haven't picked up on, so I hope you will help me to identify the things I ought to have seen. Beth

What a very intriguing beginning to this story.  Gareth is someone I would like to get to know.

I am already drawn to Delyth. It is so difficult to like original characters because they usually do not have the depth of Rowlings characters. With few words, I am already seeing a rich compassionate character. She has her own set of demons that I am sure you will flush out as the story unfolds. Though she is only really introduced in this chapter, I cannot see this story continue without her. I am always so excited to see a new chapter come up. Thank you again for sharing your talent.

Oh dear, another powerful chapter... I don't know how long it will take, but I already know that I will have to read this story once again, thoroughly, when it is finished. Such beautiful imagery needs time to be properly savoured.

ughhhh, gads what an amazing but painful work

ughhhh, gads what an amazing but painful work

Another amazing chapter, this is a work of art.

Wow thats an amzing peice of work.  I hope that you try to write professionally.  The visual and pain in this piece is nearly tangible. 

Hello, Moira. I've been reviewing mostly over on OWL. You asked a question there and I couldn't figure out a way to respond so jumped over to TPP. Please feel free to use that phrase--I'd be most honored.BTW, I do know the difference between "right" and "write." How embarrassing. It was well past midnight and didn't take the time to reread the review before hitting the "send" button.I've got Chapter 7 printed to read this weekend and can barely wait!

There is such rich background in this chapter.  Cliodna is a goddess of the sea, beauty, and the after life, and she will often take the form of a bird during her wanderings.  Celtic legends also tell us that she has three birds whose songs can bring rest and healing to those who are ill.  Perhaps the three beautiful birds from whom our Cliodna procures three feathers are further manifestation of this goddess, as was the brown wren who guided these Keepers to Cliodna.  Even today, Foula hosts an important bird observation station precisely because it is an important stop for migrating birds as it has been since before time began.

I thought is was significant that the goddess took a golden apple from the branch of apple-wood each bird held, and when the time was right, she cut them open to reveal three crystal vials that held the oldest secrets of Neirin Maldwyn.  To the Celts, apples and the tree itself were known to be symbols of love.  The fruit represented all stages of love from passion to companionship.  After she had tested Minerva and Hagrid and found them to be completely devoted to the man who was nearly lost to the Abandonment, she guided them through the completion of the Making.

Hagrid will carry the Essence of his sweat, Minerva will carry the Essence of his tears, and the Third Secret Keeper will carry the Essence of his blood.  "Blessed Salt? Sweat, tears, blood... All carryin’ the Sea, that’s what yeh meant?” Hagrid asked.  I think that hiding the three Essences in the apples, symbols of love, will be a help in love's playing a great roll in Neirin's recovery and the return of a willingness to live.I wish I had more time now to learn more of the old ways you left for us to ponder, but I do not.  I will, however, avail myself of the clues you always leave when I do have more time.  Thank you for another amazing chapter.  The amount of work you put into crafting every chapter is astounding, and very good work!Beth