Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 17:54:51 EST
From: Faradhi269@aol.com
Subject: My-Life-at-Hogwarts-Epilogue

	*This story is a work of fiction.  All characters, real and
fictional, are used without their or their creators' consent.  I want to
thank everyone who followed this story.  This epilogue is my way of getting
around my own feelings of inadequacy for this story.  My thanks to JKR for
FINALLY releasing Order of the Phoenix.  JUNE, JUNE, JUNE!!!!*

	I flared with pain, and allowed the remainder of my power to flood
through me, letting me merge with the statue.  As I felt myself sink into
the stone, I felt its reassuring strength surround me as we flowed and
changed together.  I had only a moment to realize the new shape I had
attained-a phoenix looking down, crouched protectively over the two volumes
under its talons-before I felt a pulling sensation.  I could not resist,
and before long, I saw the room vanish into a white light brighter than the
sun.

	My eyes were closed, and I was lying on my back.  With my eyes
closed, I could see through the eyes of that statue, and I managed to see
the others, teary-eyed, depart from the Inner Sanctum of the Chamber.  I
shifted uncomfortably, and my body chastised me by exploding in pain.
	That shifted me back to my current, and quite strange, situation.
The bright light still shone through my eyelids, which were closed as
tightly as I could.  -What is going on-I wondered.  -Why do I still have a
body?  Do I?-
	I felt my hair brushing against my forehead thanks to a soft
breeze.  I kept my eyes closed, but my senses began to return.  The breeze
was slightly cool, and I noticed it was rather sweet-scented.  I was lying
on something giving, but not soft that itched my bare skin ever so
slightly.  That thought took a moment to sink in.  Bare skin?!  I was bare
everywhere.  I felt the breeze along my entire body!  What shocked me even
more, however, was that my ears caught a humming chorus around me.  I tried
to pinpoint the source, but it seemed to surround me, and it penetrated
through me, filling me with a wonder and a joy that I'd never experienced
before.  I felt at peace, and certainly not embarrassed about my current
state.
	-This must be Heaven-I thought.
	I lay back, still fighting the overly bright light and listened to
the chorus, which slowly developed lyrics.  In haunting, almost frightening
minor chords, the words came, accompanied by wind chimes.  The words gave
me hope, yet filled me with fear.
		"Let all mortal flesh keep silence
		and with fear and trembling stand.
		As the Light of light descendeth
		from the realm of endless day
		that the powers of Hell may vanish
		as the darkness clears away.
		He has come home..."
	I shivered under the intensity of that last line, which echoed into
the higher ranges and beyond as a poignant solo.
	"Welcome, Matthew," a familiar voice said to me.  Startled, I sat
upright, and the light blinding me dimmed somewhat-enough for me to open my
eyes.  I saw that the light had been the sun, and that I was lying on a
grass-covered green hillock.  I stared around.  Elves wearing white and
silver stood around me, all smiling at me in welcome.
	It had been they who'd been singing.  I mentally smacked my
forehead.  I should've known.
	I stood and began looking for who'd spoken to me.  As I began to
spin, I bumped into the Lady herself-Titania, the Queen of Light.  She was
dressed in a blindingly white gown, with her long hair hanging over her
shoulders and halfway down her front.  Her large eyes stared at me, and I
blushed, realizing that I was naked.  I moved my hands down to cover me,
though I couldn't do so covertly.
	The Lady held her left hand out to the side, and an attendant
handed her a small bundle.  This, in turn, she handed to me.  My hands
didn't leave my front, and she smiled at me, amused.  She opened the
bundle, unraveling a robe nearly as white as her gown.  It glimmered in the
sunlight as though made of metal cloth and she held it open in front of me.
I quickly slid into the robe and pulled it shut, surprised at how soft and
comfortable the material was.  The belt seemed to be made of the same
material, but had cloth-of-gold at the edges.
	"Is your modesty assuaged," she asked me, her eyes twinkling with
mirth.
	I performed my most courtly bow.  "It is, my Lady.  Thank you for
the consideration.  I apologize for my..." I hesitated, searching for a
word.  "...ignominious state."
	"Walk with me for a moment, Matthew," she asked.  Though it wasn't
voiced exactly as a question, since she knew I would follow, I nodded and
moved to her left.
	She turned and strolled down the hill, leaving the entourage
behind.
	"I was quite worried about you, you know," she said casually.  "I'd
thought you'd fall to the darkness."
	"I did," I admitted ruefully.  "I did some awful things."
	"But you recovered and acquitted yourself."
	"Perhaps.  But as I seem to have...died? in the process, I find it
rather difficult to be so certain."
	"Yes, well.  About why you are here."  She paused momentarily,
gathering her thoughts.
	"You impressed me on your last visit here, and Chiron assures me
you knew a great deal about our kingdom before you had met any of us.  I
found it strange and looked into you a little more."
	"You were the one who sent the dream," I blurted intuitively.
	She smiled softly.  "I did.  Though I couldn't clearly see your
past, your future was laid out before me.  Though it had two variations,
depending on your decisions.  I tried to give you guidance toward the right
path, to give you hope."
	"I flubbed it," I confessed.
	"Perhaps, but it was not entirely your fault.  However, as I
watched you, I developed certain suspicions.  Finally, after consulting
many of our older books and grimoires, I discovered that my suspicions were
indeed correct."
	I looked at her.  "My Lady?"
	"You, my dear, are one of us.  You always were.  It explains your
knowledge, it explains your power, and it explains how you were able to
open the doorway in the first place."
	I stopped, frozen in place.  My mind was reeling.  What was she
saying?  What did she mean??  "One of you?"
	As we talked, we walked down the hill along a path made of white
sand.  The path moved down the edge of the hill, becoming steeper as it
traversed its way down toward the beach.  It gradually became the only safe
path down the steep cliff that separated the woods from the shore.  We
moved down its smooth conduit until we reached the beach itself: a
glimmering white expanse met with the constant rhythm of the azure waves as
the sun shone down.  The scene would be forever etched in my memory.  We
moved over the warm, smooth sand, neither of us leaving so much as a
footprint behind us.  Along the cliff wall to my right, sea-birds made
their nests, and the air was filled with the sounds of their cries.
	A shadow passed over us, and I quickly glanced to the sky.  A roc
soared overhead, its huge body blotting out the sun.  It let out a single,
respectful cry as it passed overhead, and Titania nodded her head,
acknowledging its homage.
	We walked along the beach in silence, until the Lady pointed me to
a cave set against the cliff base.  As we approached, I noticed the walls
were smooth and rounded.  The floor was cold sand, and a dim light filtered
through.  Though I couldn't see much detail inside, I could see enough not
to stumble.  Titania led me back perhaps twenty or thirty yards until the
cave rounded into a hemispherical chamber.  I looked around, wondering why
she'd brought me here.  The walls and ceiling glittered like the night sky
around me-each star a gem set into the walls.
	In the center of the chamber, a pillar stood.  It was circular and
had been hollowed out to resemble a birdbath.  It stood full of water.
"Come," she offered to me.  "Come and see."
	I looked into the bowl.  She passed her hand over the water, and it
began to glow.  "This pool shows the true past-even that which had been
hidden," she explained.  "It is how I found you, after so many years of
searching.  Now, Matthew, you must look into the well to see your true
past."
	I hesitated, wondering what past she meant.  Had my life been a
lie?  Why wouldn't I remember it?  I squelched those thoughts and peered
into the light.  For a moment, it glowed a solid white before showing me a
great battle.  I saw Oberon leading an army of the various inhabitants of
Avalon against a host of dark creatures.  I knew immediately that this was
one of the battles against the Unseelie Court.  Though I couldn't see her,
I knew the Queen of Air and Darkness wouldn't be far away.  Strangely
enough, however, it appeared that some few humans had joined battle with
the Elven army and fought against the dark creatures.  Then the image
faded.
	It reappeared a moment later, but this time showed the army of
Avalon engaged in a war against the humans.  Though I knew this was long,
long ago, the humans outnumbered the Faerie by several times.  And though
their magic would have evened the odds, Titania forbade its usage, lest a
cataclysm occur.  Some members of the army broke off: Centaurs and
unicorns, leprechauns, sprites and mermaids.  But only a few, and they were
scattered.  The rest of the army was driven to the shore by the encroaching
humans.  Oberon, Titania and two others stood at the beach behind the army.
I leaned in to see, and the image sharpened.  One of the figures was Puck.
The other was of like face, with white-blond hair and deep green eyes.  The
four of them joined hands and a large, shimmering vortex appeared behind
the Court.  Oberon, Titania and Puck leapt through, followed immediately by
as much of the army as possible.  The fourth caster held out his hands and
a shimmering wall kept the humans away so the Faerie could retreat.
	Finally, he stood alone on the beach.  He looked around sadly,
sighed, and lowered his arms.  Then he stepped through the vortex.  As he
did so, it vanished with a flash.  The mystified humans muddled around for
a while, then moved their own separate ways.
	"It is sad," Titania said, "how we rendered such aid to the humans,
and yet were driven away from them: forced to make Avalon our only refuge.
What once had been our private getaway became our prison."  She sighed.
	Mutely, I nodded.
	The image faded and returned.  I somehow knew that centuries of
time had passed since the mythical creatures fled to Avalon.  The image
centered on a boy-perhaps twelve or thirteen.  He sat on a rock overlooking
the ocean from atop a cliff.  I gasped.  He looked so...familiar somehow.
He had dark hair-so dark it was almost black-and sea-green eyes.  His eyes
were already so much wiser than his years, and he was already a very
attractive boy.  I couldn't help but feel that in a year or so, that boy
would be absolutely gorgeous.  Titania smiled at the expression on my face.
"Watch," she ordered softly.  Suddenly it snapped.  He looked just like
Harry!  Aside from the bright green eyes, they looked so much alike, they
could have been twins!  Fascinated, I stared intently.
	After a moment, the boy's expression changed from wistful to
shocked as a swirling white vortex appeared in the air in front of him.
Out of it stepped the young elf I'd seen before.  He stopped and the two of
them spoke, the dark-haired boy with an awed look on his face.
	The images flashed by quickly, then.  The elf, who clearly lusted
after the boy-at least to my eyes, began to teach him magic.  It began with
simple cantrips, but progressed quickly.  I watched the human grow older,
though the elf remained the same.  When the human was perhaps sixteen, I
saw the two of them embrace, and then appear in post-coital bliss together.
As they lay there, I saw the elf move his hands in a pattern, which I
recognized.  I couldn't help but gape.  That was the mantle spell!  What
the hell?  The human tried many times, but it apparently took a few years
before he mastered its complex magic.
	Time continued to pass, and I saw the human grow older.  His hair
became silvery, and he grew a beard.  Only his eyes remained eternally
young.  Finally, an image came where the elf embraced the old man, with
tears in his eyes.  Behind the man was a human knight standing in full
armor with a babe in his arms.  The elf looked at the child and sighed.  He
then unwrapped his sword-belt and handed it to his lover.  He planted a
kiss on his cheek and stepped back into a vortex that opened right behind
him.  The wizard-for that's what he was now-sank to his knees, weeping and
dropped the sword at his side.  Then the image faded.  I looked up, tears
glistening in my eyes.
	"That was Merlin, wasn't it?"
	She nodded.  "Indeed, it was."
	"So that's how he became such a great wizard.  He was taught by a
High Elf."
	"Yes.  He among all humanity knew our magic, our secrets."
	I looked into the pool and was startled to see it ripple.  I pulled
away and felt tears streaming down my cheeks.  "Merlin," I groaned.  Dimly,
clouded by mists, I saw sea-green eyes looking at me full of love and
wonder.  Suddenly, I felt a wrenching pain, which I punctuated with a sob.
	"He died."  The words came slowly, but gradually increased in
tempo.  "Arthur-his protégé, his mission, his-" I gulped, "lover.  He
died on that day of battle.  Merlin saw it happen, and despite his power,
he couldn't do anything to stop it.  He was still only human, and old by
that time.  And seeing Arthur die, it hurt him so badly."
	"How do you know," she asked me gently.
	"How do I know," I repeated incredulously.  The fire flooding
through me didn't seem mine.  "How do I know?  I was THERE, my Lady.  I saw
the last battle.  I saw Merlin call Excalibur to him to prevent Mordred
from taking it.  I saw him prepare the blade over Arthur's fallen body.  I
ran towards him, crying for him to stop, but he poised himself over the
blade and fell on it.  I remember the armies around me being torn to shreds
by my grief.  I remember his eyes saw me as I cradled him in my arms.  He
smiled at me, and then he died.  It was I who made the mound over where
they fell.  I who raised Stonehenge as a monument to the one I loved and
his mission.  Who elevated Merlin's body to the heavens as the North Star."
I swallowed.  "I who drove Excalibur into the stone in my rage."
	"Yes," she whispered.
	The tears kept flowing.  "Why did he have to die?  I could have
shown him how to live forever!"
	She shook her head.  "Had you done so, Oberon would have banished
you forever."
	"He DID," I raged.  "Because of my love for him, he drove me out!"
	"Why do you suppose he did that, Matthew," she asked gently.
"Because he was human?"
	"NO!!  Because he was male!  Oberon had no like for such love, and
was enraged by my feeling it!  He drove me away for my ABERRATION!  I left
my home, my land only to return to find my lover dying on my gift to him!
Don't you protect your husband, Lady Titania," I commanded.  "Because of
him, I have suffered a pain unknown to you."
	Her eyes grew hard, and her face still.  "How DARE you," she
demanded in a cold voice.  "Thinkest thou that I know nothing of pain?  I,
who am one of the eldest immortal beings on this earth?  I, who have been
separated from my husband, my people and my child for millennia?  You
foolish boy.  Thinkest that Oberon's anger at thee was caused by thy love
of another male, or a human?  If thou but hadst eyes, thou wouldst see that
many such unions exist on this isle.  Long ago, we found that love is love,
and remains the most powerful force of good magic in all of the planes.
Doth thou think us fools?  To willingly destroy or banish such power from
our midst?  Thy banishment, if thou choosest to name it thus was thine own
choice.  In thy supreme arrogance, thou couldst not face the disfavor of
thy lord, and fled.  Over time, thine own unwillingness to accept thy
mistakes drove thee all but insane.  Thou couldst not accept thine own
fault in this, the great tragedy of thy life, and thou required to lay the
blame on another.  Naturally, the chosen target was thy Lord."
	I shook my head, denying.  "No, it cannot be true."
	"Do not presume to doubt, Matthew.  Thou knowest my words are
true."  Her voice softened, and she reverted to more current speech.  "It
hurts, I know, but you must listen.  Think.  Why was Oberon so upset with
you?"
	"Because I loved-because-Merlin-" my thoughts whirled, confused.
In a flash, it came to me.  "Excalibur."  I looked at her.
	She nodded.  "It was not yours to give.  The sword was on loan to
you: a sign of Oberon's favor.  And you gave it away, without even
discussing it with him.  He was right to be angered.  And you feared his
anger and fled."
	My guilt.  I caused all the suffering in my life.  My stomach
churned and I sank to my knees.  Still, I fought on.  "It matters not, my
Lady.  You speak of remaining separate from your husband for centuries.
But I know well how you entertained many a lover, and that your separation
was your choice.  But you have never cradled your one love in your arms to
see him die.  What is time to you?  Haven't you ever grown weary of life,
with all your immortality?  Tired of all the pain?"
	She nodded.  "I have, which is why, perhaps, I chose to amuse
myself with others for a time."  She frowned at me sternly.  "And how you
know of that is something I would like very much to know."
	I smirked.  "I knew, Lady.  For decades, I told stories about the
people of Avalon, and some of them remained in human memory.  Eventually, a
bard wrote your story into a play."  I shrugged.  "By then, I wasn't around
to give him an account."
	Her eyes were a mystery.  A hint of a smile, perhaps?  "Which leads
me to ask you: did you grow weary of the world, young Matthew?"
	I closed my eyes, trying to force the remaining pain away so I
could remember, but it wouldn't leave.  "Yes," I choked.  My voice was
thick and heavy.  "I wandered for a century, trying to find something to
offset the sadness.  But I couldn't find anything."
	"So you decided to die."
	I nodded.  It was coming back so clearly.  "I made myself human.
And an old one, at that.  It only took a couple of years for me to die."
	"Yes, Matthew.  And that explains why I couldn't find you.  As a
human, your powers were diluted.  Your soul remained, but it forgot
everything you learned.  You lived and died, only to be reborn, for you do
not possess the magic to stop it.  It is part of who we are."
	"I wish I knew how to just end it.  At least this way, I didn't
have the pain of all those memories.  Send them away, Lady Titania!
Please!"
	"I cannot.  They are essential to who you are.  I didn't even
realize this until you came here.  Do you not understand?  You will go
through such pain again, I think.  It also is who we are."  Her voice
hardened slightly.  "And you still must face Oberon."
	"NO!  I will NOT see him!  Not after what he has done to me!"  Once
again, I was riding an emotional roller-coaster and its uncertainty drove
me as much as the emotions themselves.
	"You have no choice in the matter.  He is lord here."
	"Then I'll leave," I answered.  It was a reaction more than a
conscious thought.  "Avalon hasn't been my home for eons."  I rose.  She
lifted her right hand, and I couldn't move.  I struggled.  "Release me," I
commanded.  She remained unmoving.
	After all she had done to me, now she wouldn't even let me leave?
My rage, my fear, my hatred, my love: all the pain of loss I felt flooded
through me and surged out of me in golden fire.  It began at my feet and
swirled upward, writhing around me like a serpent or a tornado.  As is
passed my waist, I felt its heat wash over me.  I screamed, throwing all I
had against her barrier, and the golden fire flared out, forming a glowing
nimbus around me.  My hair stood on end from its hot backlash blowing up
from its source at my feet, which sunk into the ground slightly.  The
tornado whipped the wind around the cavern, shaking the rock walls and
showering us with dust and rock.
	Through it all, Titania stood unaffected.  Even her clothes weren't
affected by the wind.  So, I snarled mentally, it's to be a contest of
wills?  I poured all I had, all I knew into the flames.  My solitude, my
fear, my failure of Harry and his friends.  With each memory of pain, the
fire grew hotter and brighter.  Now, crackling bolts of blue shot through,
intermingling with the white-yellow flames.  William.  I left William, and
I didn't even have the chance to say goodbye to him or Harry.  I remembered
his eyes, his smile, his touch.  That one, precious kiss.  Everything
exploded in me.  The gold became solid blue, back to gold, then a red-gold
and the barrier around me shattered.  Titania was thrown back and the cave
exploded as the fire shot out, up through the cliff and the cave entrance,
dimming the very sun with its brightness.
	As the fire dimmed, so did my emotions and I collapsed to my knees,
exhausted.  Titania slowly stood; her expression one of surprise.  Her
dress was now dirty, and she had a smudge on her face.  She concentrated
for a moment, and the dirt lifted away, leaving her as flawless as before.
"You have grown much stronger in your time away," she said simply.
	I didn't answer.  I was having too much trouble breathing.
	"You have seen enough in your life to let it go, Matthew.  You have
matured, have you not?  Or are you still the willful child who left fearing
chastisement?"
	I struggled to draw breath.
	She continued mercilessly.  "You have come to a crossroad.  Either
you will face Oberon as an adult, or you will try to run again.  Which is
it?"
	I finally pulled air into my lungs: a deep, shuddering breath that
shook my entire body.  "I--I will stay," I gasped.
	She nodded, as though she knew what my answer would be all along.
"Good."  She lifted her hand again and I was lifted to my feet.  Then she
favored me with a smile.  "I knew you would be too stubborn to admit defeat
this way."  I chose not to answer that.  She pointed at me, and suddenly, I
was blinded by a bright white light.  "Now, let us make you presentable."
	When the light faded, I wondered what had happened.  I looked into
the pool and my mouth dropped open in shock.  My hair was long and the gold
of my youth, and I had pointed ears!  My features had become at once more
fine and more rough-hewn: making my cheekbones higher and more noticeable,
my face more angular.  My eyebrows had been lightened to the color of
molten gold and arced sharply over eyes that were as green as Avalon.  My
nose had slimmed and seemed to me a little on the pointed side.
	The rest of the change in me was more profound.  As the light
suffused me, I noticed that I had no hair except for that on my head.  My
arms, legs, everything: completely hairless.  Even my cheeks didn't have
the slightest bit of fuzz or bristle.  My fingers and toes had elongated
slightly, making my hands seem spidery and strange.  I'd even lost some
weight: the miniscule baby fat around my legs and middle disappeared to
reveal taught muscle under the skin.
	And lastly, my clothing had changed.  I now wore a soft shirt that
came to my waist and a simple breechclout, both whiter than new snow.  Over
this, I wore an emerald green tunic which came to half-thigh and was
bordered at the sleeves (short sleeves) and hem with cloth-of-gold.
Running in streaks here and there were threads of silver.  The neckline on
the shirt and tunic was rather low, and at the lowest point of the
hemisphere, an oval was cut out to reveal the center of my chest.  There,
an emerald hung, suspended by a silver brooch.  The stone was clear as
glass, so you could see through it.  It was also larger than my fist.  I
wore a gold circlet in my hair, also with an emerald (a much smaller one)
in its center.  I noticed, however, that my legs remained bare, and I wore
no shoes.
	"This should be sufficient for an audience," she told me in answer
to my questioning look.  "We will arrange for other clothing for you after
your meeting with Oberon."  She looked at me closely, and her eyes
softened.  She straightened my tunic at the shoulders and drew me into a
hug.  "Welcome home, Tamarico," she whispered fiercely.
	Tamarico.  The name sounded in my head like a gong.  I'd heard it
before, somewhere.  Oh yes.  I'd used it as a nickname: a password for some
of my spells.  A makeup of my first and last names in an unusual
combination that I didn't think anyone would realize.  Tamarico.  Why did
she call me that?  Is that really my real name??
	I broke out of the hug.  I looked at my long hair hanging over my
shoulders.  "If you don't mind, my Lady," I said, "I think I would prefer
my hair shorter.  I've grown tired of it being long."
	"As you wish," she answered simply.  With a snap of her fingers, my
hair found itself much shorter-not coming below my ears-and I shook my
head, trying to get used to the feeling.  "Thank you."
	"If you are ready?"
	I nodded.  She vanished and I followed after.
	We both reappeared simultaneously at the crystal entrance to the
great hall.  Once again, the young elf with white hair and amethyst eyes
approached.  He looked at me, his glorious eyes glistening.  "Tamarico?"
	I grinned at my boyhood companion.  "Hello, Puck.  How are you?"
	He ran at me and pulled me into a hug.  We bounced a good thirty
feet into the air as he lifted us, twirling around like a top and laughing
so hard we were crying.
	"Puck," Titania called, "you and Tamarico can reacquaint yourselves
later.  He has an appointment with Oberon."
	Puck lowered us gently to the air and walked in only slightly
before us, so to announce us.  We moved through the crystalline corridor
towards the grand throne room in which I'd last been interviewed.  Oberon
sat on his throne, garbed entirely in black, which made his skin look even
more pale, though his eyes shone brightly.
	"My Lord," Puck announced, "I have the honor to present the Lady
Titania, your honored wife, the Queen of Light, the Lady of Mystery, and
co-ruler of the Realm of Avalon, Mistress of the Seelie Court.
Accompanying her is the Lord General Tamarico, First Prince of the Sword of
Avalon, commander of its armies and guardian of its borders."  Puck bowed
and gave me a quick wink, which I subtly returned.
	Titania nodded her head, and then ascended the dais to sit next to
Oberon.  I remained at the foot.  "Tamarico," Oberon spoke slowly, his
words resounding through the Chamber.  "We have reviewed your case.  You
violated the sanctity of this realm by bringing mortals here, unbidden.
You attacked members of the Royal Guard."  I opened my mouth to protest,
but he saw and quickly spoke, "You will not speak until you are given
leave," he commanded gravely.  My mouth shut.  Puck tried to stifle a
giggle.  Oberon continued mercilessly.  "You were absent from your post
without permission, and moreso, you were gone for centuries.  You gave
Excalibur to a MORTAL, and taught him of our magic."  Anger flared
momentarily through his eyes.  He took a deep breath.
	"However, you acted with honor in these circumstances, and you have
returned Excalibur to me, where it rightfully belongs.  You lived as a
mortal yourself for nigh a millennium, and have suffered for doing so.  You
have been absent from your home and family for said time, and you have used
your powers, when available, for the overall good, serving our cause
without being necessarily aware.  This, then, is your sentence."  A hush
fell over the court.  (Corny, I know.)
	"It has been deemed that the suffering and loneliness of your
self-imposed exile, as well as your acquittal at this court, was sufficient
to offset any penalties of your actions.  You are hereby welcomed back to
this court with all your rank intact, and all of the privileges and
responsibilities thereof."
	Puck let out an enormous WHOOP and the rest of the court broke into
applause.  I bowed to both the Lord and Lady and was led off by the younger
members of the court, most of whom were friends of mine before I left.

	I began to resume my duties: overseeing the training of the army,
and its upkeep.  Chiron had done so in my absence, so I didn't have much to
really do, which left me plenty of free time to live it up.  My room in the
palace was still as I'd left it, and my clothes all fit perfectly.  Puck
and I spent hours reliving our pranks, and laughing over this mishap or
that.  We even performed some new pranks, just for kicks.
	Gradually, my lifetimes among the humans faded from my mind.  I was
the general of Avalon, and a High Elf in the prime of my youth.  My magic
had never been stronger, and I was in excellent shape from swimming and
running all the time.  (Often with Puck, usually in the nude.)
	My duties picked up when the time came to prepare for the Summer
Revel.  The Summer Revel takes place at the Summer Solstice, and is usually
the biggest feast of the year, full of music and dancing.  It is on this
night that Oberon and/or Titania often journey to the world of mortals to
bask in its fullness of life, but they have not done so in centuries.
Instead, the Revel takes place at Avalon, and the seas and skies are filled
with song.
	I helped to prepare the gardens, using my magic to set the musical
wards that would sound whenever stepped upon, enchanting the gossamer walls
with scents and sounds, that would make the area pleasing to all and sundry
when the party began.
	We had games set up so that those of us who could fly--either by
wings or by magic--had three-dimensional games of tag or blind-man's
bluff.  On the night of the party, there were tables loaded with
food--fresh vegetables, roasted meat, various wines and beers, cheeses,
fresh-baked bread with fresh butter and jam: anything you could really
want.  The Elves are the best singers in the world, and the soft choral
melodies haunted up through the air, mingled with the laughter of the
revelers.  Puck and I often danced together, pulling off 3-D moves with his
specialization in floating.  At one point, in a quieter section of the
party, I was asked to play the harp, which I did amongst gales of laughter.
Naturally, Puck had done something to my harp.  Instead of the normal
musical tones, some strange squawking noise emerged when I plucked the
strings.  I flipped him a rude gesture and disenchanted my harp, so that I
could play it normally.
	It was perhaps two or three in the morning when a young,
golden-haired elf approached me.  He appeared to be perhaps thirteen or so,
so I knew he hadn't quite passed his first century-and-a-half.
	"L-lord Tamarico," he asked me nervously.
	"Yes," I inquired, sipping a crystal goblet of fine wine.
	"You were here before, right, sir?  I mean as a h-human."  His
nervousness was apparent as he spoke to me.
	"Yes, I suppose I was," I answered.  The thought was disturbing.
I'd done so, of course, but why would I want to think about
being...uhg...mortal?  I mean, seriously.  Those inept, hairy idiots who
can't seem to think beyond the next year and who refuse to see the past
further than a decade?  I shuddered.  What had possessed me to be one of
them?
	"I was wondering, sir, if you know anything about Harry."
	That name jerked me out of my reverie, and I looked at the young
elf.  "Harry?"
	"Who came with you on your last visit to Avalon?  He stayed for a
while...?"  His tone lifted, as did an eyebrow.  He looked uncertain that
he was speaking to the right person, and his worry was palpable.
	"What's your name," I threw out to stave off his confusion.
	"Ekrasios," he answered.
	With the name came the memory.  Harry!  Of course.  He was Wills'
younger brother.  That thought sent a shot of pain through me.  Wills.  I
saw his eyes, his smile.  How could I have forgotten him?
	"My lord," Ekrasios asked.
	I blinked away sudden tears as my time with Wills came back to me
fully.  "He is well, Ekrasios," I answered.  "He returned to school, and is
with his friends and family."
	The young elf nodded.  "Will he be coming back?"
	I sighed.  "I don't think so, Ekrasios.  I don't think we'll ever
see them again."
	My words hit home, and felt like a blow.  "If you'll excuse me," I
asked.
	Of course, he nodded, and left me.  I rose and moved into the
darkest recesses of the trees, and my tears flowed.  I'd left Wills.  I
didn't even say good-bye.  What was worse, I'd forgotten him!  I shook my
head, trying to clear that thought away.
	My travels took me through the woods and into a glen well away from
the rest of the party.  I didn't even realize how I'd gotten there, but the
full moon shone down, illuminating the flowers and leaching the color from
them.  I looked up at the moon.  "The same moon shines down on them.  Or
does it," I murmured.
	I caught one of my tears in the palm of my hand and then with a
whispered command, caused it to expand until it was a flat, perfect circle
floating on the air above my hand.  I enlarged it so it was large enough to
easily see into, and then blew on it, rippling the water into stillness.
"Show me," I commanded.
	I needed nothing else.  My mind knew what I wanted--and
dreaded--to see.  I saw my mother pick up the phone, then sag.  Here
eyes closed, and she slumped to the chair, tears streaming from her face
and shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs.  My father came to her,
and a moment later, he was in the same state.
	That hurt.  I felt as though a cold hand had just plucked my heart
out from my chest, and I fell to my knees, unable to take my eyes off the
scene.  A moment later, I saw Harry in a similar situation.  He was
obviously in his dormitory and was preparing for bed, when he answered the
phone.  He looked shaken, and I saw him speak for a moment.  Then he set
down the phone and began to cry.
	Then the scene switched to Wills.  He rushed out of the shower, a
towel still wrapped around his waist, and I felt the rest of my heart
lurch.  He sat on the edge of his bed to answer the phone, and then he
froze.  I couldn't even see him breathe.  Then he spoke into the phone for
a short while--longer than Harry, but still not long.  When he hung up,
he closed his eyes and remained completely frozen.  For at least a
half-hour, I didn't see any movement: no rise and fall of the chest, no
fluttering of the eyelids, nothing.  Until a single tear glided down his
cheek.
	I could take no more.  My breath froze in my body and my will could
no longer sustain the image.  It popped like a bubble and I sat there
drained.  What had I done?  I had to fix this.  Those who cared about me
were all in such great pain.  I had to help them.  But how?  They hurt so
much, and just seeing their pain hurt me.
	"Tamarico?"  I heard Puck's voice approach me.
	I wiped away my tears and sat back so that I was sitting on the
ground instead of kneeling on it.  I heard him approach and he laughed.
"There you are.  What are you doing away from the party?"
	"Puck," I said with a smile, "hey."
	Despite the smile, there was an obvious catch in my voice, and he
frowned as he caught it.  "What is it?  Is something wrong?  You're not
hurt, are you?"
	I slowly blinked my eyes.  "More than you know, my friend," I
answered softly.
	"What are you talking about?"
	"I need to go, Puck."
	"What?"
	"I need to go back."
	"WHY?"  His voice throbbed with passion.  "Why would you leave?
This is paradise!  This is your home!  You're with friends, family!  You're
one of the most powerful beings here, and everyone looks up to you!  Why do
you want to leave?"
	"I have to Puck," I answered patiently.  "They all think I'm dead."
	"Let them," he hissed.
	"No.  They hurt too much. I hurt them too much."
	"Then send them a message.  Lady Titania can show you how to send a
message through mirrors so you can show them all you're all right."  He
sounded desperate.
	"I left him, Robin," I answered sadly.
	He looked at me closely, and all of our centuries of closeness let
him see everything I left unsaid.  He pulled me into a hug and squeezed
tightly.  "I'll miss you," he whispered when we were done.
	"I'll be back," I promised.  I rose and headed to the Palace to
make preparations for good-byes.

	The next morning, I rose and asked to see Oberon and Titania.  I
had dressed plainly, setting aside all the silks and jewels.  They granted
me an audience, and both looked somber at my appearance.
	I bowed to them both.  "My Lord, my Lady.  I have just realized
that I have made a grievous error.  One that I feel I must correct.  So I
humbly ask your permission to return to the mortal world."
	"WHAT?"  Oberon's shout rang through the castle.  "You have just
returned, and now you desire to go kiting off again?"
	"I have come to make a bargain, my Lord," I answered smoothly.  I'd
had all night to prepare for this.  "I will swear to you that I will remain
in Avalon for one full century for every year I spend among the mortals.
Continuous, so I cannot break it up into a century here, a century there."
	"That is a lot of freedom, still, Tamarico," he reminded me.  "So,
tell me why I should grant this request."
	"I leave now for the same reason I left before.  This time, I ask
your blessing."
	I couldn't believe it, but his eyes actually softened--albeit
momentarily.  Then they hardened again.  "If you go, you must become mortal
again.  You will have no power, and you will not communicate with us.  I
will change you to a human myself to insure it."
	I agreed without hesitation.  "So be it," he agreed.  "I grant your
request, and add one of my own."  I waited, ready to agree to anything, if
I could get back to Wills.  "Return home soon, my son," he told me, a hint
of pride in his voice.
	I gave him my most formal bow and waited for Titania to open the
gateway.  I begged her to send me where I most wished to go.  She did, and
the shimmering vortex of white light appeared behind me.  I turned and
stepped through it.

	Wills lay asleep in my bed, though there were dried tearstains on
his face.  The gateway glowed with a soft white light that bathed his face
in a glistening nimbus.  I reached out and touched his cheek, gently.  At
my touch, he twitched, and his eyes started to flutter awake.  At the same
time, I felt my fingers thickening, my cheekbones lowering slightly.  As
his eyes opened, he saw me surrounded by an aura of white light, looking
down on him.
	"Matt," he asked, his voice thick with wonder and sleep.
	"Hi Wills," I whispered with a smile.
	He sat up quickly, wiping sleep from his eyes, his face shocked.
"Is it really you?"
	I smiled.  "Sorry to wake you like that."
	"I thought you were dead," he said angrily.
	"I was," I admitted.  "I was in paradise, actually.  Oh Wills, it
was beautiful."  I smiled sadly.  I'd left Avalon again.  I knew I'd miss
it, but I also knew I'd be back one day.  I looked into his blue eyes.
"But it didn't have you, so I left."
	He looked at me askance.  "You're joking, right?"
	I shook my head and pointed my thumb at the white light behind me.
"Nope.  I think they're keeping the way open, though.  In case you don't
want me to stay."  I moved slightly--just getting comfortable, really,
but I guess he took it as my moving to leave--and he grabbed my arm and
pulled me to him.
	"Huh?"
	That brilliant dissertation was all I managed before he pulled me
close to him and locked his lips to mine.  In that moment, the light
snapped off, leaving us both in near-total darkness.  I felt his warmth
spreading into me from his chest--his heart was beating so strongly, I
felt my own being pushed to its rhythm, and his lips drew me deeper and
deeper, into a light of his own.
	As I felt his tongue ask for admittance, I felt all his worry, all
his fear and all his uncertainty vanish in this one, perfect moment.  We
both groaned--his a measure of his relief, mine of release.  I could
finally let go of a millennia of pain and loneliness.  I could finally
remember what it is to love and be loved.
	Our hearts beat as one, and our souls merged.  Though the kiss
lasted for perhaps a moment, we floated there in an eternity of bliss,
feeling life through each other's senses, seeing ourselves through each
other's eyes.
	The light of dawn peaked through the window, bringing us both back
to startled wakefulness.  We lay arm in arm, draped across each other.  My
head was on his chest, and I felt completely at peace listening to his
heartbeat.
	He looked at me and smiled.  "You're really here."
	"I'll never leave again," I promised.  He leaned down and kissed me
again.  (Note to readers: you KNOW you're in love when you don't care about
morning breath.)  We lay there for a good while, just savoring the feel of
skin against skin--his is SO soft!
	Eventually, I rose, reluctantly, and thought a hot shower would be
appropriate--one thing I didn't have in Avalon.  As I was washing my
face, I heard the shower door open behind me and Wills stepped in.  "Mind
if I join you," he asked.  I could HEAR the grin.
	"Not at all," I answered happily.  I felt a slight poke in my lower
back.  "Was that your finger," I asked with a chuckle.
	"Would you rather it be," he replied.
	"Doesn't matter to me in the slightest," I demurred, completely
truthful.  I finished washing my face and turned to see my beautiful
prince.  It turned out that it WAS his finger that had poked me, but I
didn't mind.  Playfully, I gave him a peck on the cheek, then ignored him
as I continued to wash and wake up.
	"Would you like me to wash your back," came the artfully innocent
question.
	"Sure," I answered, "if I get yours."
	With his hands running over my back and shoulders, I leaned
forward, giving the pleasurable massage more access.  His hands ran down my
back to my butt, squeezing a little, then down to my legs.  As he came back
up, he spread apart my cheeks and gave me a light, gentle wash.  I
shuddered as I felt his finger brush across my rosebud, but he didn't
press.  Perhaps he didn't know to, or just didn't want to.  Either way, it
was still great, and making it even better was the knowledge that I'd get
to do so to him.
	Momentarily, my time came.  He turned around, giving me access to
his beautiful backside, and I repeated the washing process.  Both of us
were hanging heavy afterward, but rather than pursue that, I gave him a
gentle tug and turned off the water.
	"Aaw," he protested with a groan.
	"Later," I promised.
	We returned to the bedroom and dressed.  "I'm going to have to go
back to school in another day or so," Wills said.  I nodded.  "Come with
me?"
	"I have to make some phone calls, and we can see what I can
arrange."
	We gave each other a quick kiss, went downstairs, and Wills began
making breakfast.  I asked him Harry's number, and then rang him.
	"H-hullo," his groggy voice answered.
	"Harry," I put a little snap in my voice, "you're late for class.
Get up!"
	"What?!  I can't be!  I set my alarm!" He retorted fuzzily, whilst
his brain struggled to realize that it was the weekend.
	Finally, he seemed awake enough--or perhaps he checked his alarm
clock to reply with a bit of acid.  "Oh, ha, ha.  Who is this?  Is that
you, Jeremy?"
	"Nope," I answered with a grin.  "Guess again."  OK, so it was
Juvenile.  I'd only been a mortal for a day again.
	"Erm," he thought for a moment.
	I decided to help him.
	"Ekrasios asked about you."
	"MATT" he screamed.  I'm sure he woke up his whole dorm.  Wills
laughed from the kitchen.  It was loud enough, anyway.  "Holy shit," he
exclaimed.  "I thought you were dead!"
	"I'm not," I said, knowing it would drive him nuts.
	"You bastard, don't toy with me!  We got a call from our father,
saying he'd received word from the Minister of Magic that you were dead."
	I sighed.  "Well, to that world, I am.  I don't have any magic any
more."
	"What?"
	"Price of life, my friend.  Besides," I looked at William--so
cute in the apron he was wearing, "it was worth it."
	"Where are you?"
	"At my house."
	"I'm coming over," he decided.
	"When will you be here," I asked with a fake groan.
	"Just in time for lunch," he told me impishly.  With a click, he
hung up.
	I laughed.  "We're gonna have company."
	Wills came out with some food.  "Why am I not surprised."
	He sat on the couch next to me, handed me a plate, and we both dug
in.  I was surprised.  He's a decent chef, actually.  Huh.  The things you
can learn about a person.  After we ate, we washed dishes and decided to
just watch the television until Harry made it over.
	"Did you really give up your magic, just for me?"
	"Oh, you heard that part, I take it."
	"'Fraid so."
	"'Fraid so," I mimicked.
	"Matt, this isn't a time for jokes," he reprimanded me.  Then he
smiled to take the sting out of it.
	"Sorry.  Actually, yes, I did.  But I think you're worth it."
	We kissed and cuddled on the couch, waiting for our guest.  Sure
enough, around noon, Harry dropped in.  "Matt," he exclaimed, giving me a
hug.  "I've missed you!"
	I laughed.  "I've only been gone for...how long was it, anyway?"
	"Three days," Harry answered me.
	"Is that all," I was shocked.  That damn time difference again.
	"It was enough," Wills told me.
	"That was sweet," I told him, drawing him into a kiss.
	Harry stared.
	"Oh, get over it, Harry," I laughed.  "You've known about me since
I met you."
	"Yes, I'm just not sure whether to be happy for you both, or
jealous."
	"Of me," I asked with feigned shock.
	He sighed as wills nudged me in the shoulder.  "Sorry," I laughed.
"But I appreciate the compliment."
	"Back off, Harry," Wills said with mock-ferocity.  "He's mine."
	We all laughed for a moment.  "Do Father and Grandmother know,"
Harry wondered.
	The laughter froze.  "Know what," I ventured hesitantly.
	"That you're alive," he supplied.
	"Oh, that," I heaved a sigh of relief.
	"And that you're together," he added.
	"No to both counts," I said.  "But that will have to be fixed
eventually."
	"Matt," Wills turned to me.
	I shook my head.  "It can wait.  This isn't the best time.  Let's
just tell them I'm alive and well.  That should be more than enough for
now."
	It was.  It was also more than enough for my parents back in
America.  They were ecstatic to hear from me, though I warned them that
calls would have to be limited.  "I'm out of work," I told my worrying
mother.  "Since I don't have any more magic."
	"Are you coming home, then," she asked.
	"I'm not sure," I answered.  "I bought this house, so I may stay
here.  Besides, maybe I'll go to school here," I added with a wink to
Wills.
	Later that afternoon, we went to the Leaky Cauldron where, with a
little help from the bartender, the doorway was opened to Diagon Alley.  I
sighed.  Without any magic, I'd never be able to come back again.  Wills
noticed my distress and subtly grasped my hand and gave it a squeeze as we
walked.  My purpose was to empty my account at Gringott's before the agency
took it away.  It'd be useful.
	The Gringott's goblin looked at me with actual horror when I told
him my plan.  Wills and Harry joined me on the lift/minecar down to my
vault, which was (luckily) still piled high with gold, silver and bronze.
They gaped.  "This is all yours," Wills managed to ask.
	"I have a second vault, much smaller, where my valuables are kept.
I'll need to clear that one out," I answered, "but yeah, this is my money."
	"It's huge," Harry muttered.
	I snorted.  "If your money were in gold and silver and you piled it
up, it'd be much larger than my pile."
	"Still..." he trailed off, looking.
	I looked to the goblin.  "What's the conversion rate to pounds
sterling?"
	When he answered, I nodded.  "Good.  I'll take my money in that.
Bills are much easier to carry, you understand."  He protested that they
didn't have enough bills.
	I thought about it for a moment.  "Easy enough to fix," I told him.
"This is gold, and its sheer value as gold is probably worth more than a
single pound.  I could probably get three or four pounds per Galleon.  So,
let's just convert as many of my Sickles and Knuts into Galleons, and I'll
take them all with me."
	He tried to get me to change my mind, but I don't deal with finicky
Goblins.  With a whimper, he went off to do the conversions.
	Wills and Harry laughed.  "That was cruel," Harry said.
	"Where are you going to take all that gold," Wills asked.  "Too
much of it could upset the market."
	"I know," I admitted.  "But I'd planned on taking it all to Zurich.
They could convert it to ANY form of money I desire, and the accounts
couldn't be taxed."
	We made arrangements for the gold to be sent to Zurich as a
bank-to-bank transfer.  The few Knuts and Sickles that couldn't be
converted into gold I took with me--for future use if necessary, but
primarily as mementos.
	Harry stayed the night, but had to be back for a study group the
next day.  We bid him adieu and Wills and I spent the rest of the day
talking.  I told him about my history, and my life: my schooling until I'd
left to join the DADL, my home life, etc. and he filled me in on the same.
	We discussed what we wanted to do from that point, and finally
reached an agreement.  We both made a few telephone calls, and when it was
done, I had a new name-sanctioned by the Prime Minister, it wasn't hard-and
would be applying for my senior year at Eton, whence I could Join Wills at
the university.
	When the errands were done, we sipped some tea and snuggled,
watching the tele.  Finally, that night, we decided that as it was to be
our first time-not only with each other, but in general-we wanted it to be
special.
	It was.
	And it was special every time afterwards.

	I scored well at Eton, in the top ten of my class actually, then
followed Wills to St. Andrews.  It was a beautiful campus, and it wasn't
difficult to arrange our being suite-mates.  I studied political science
and history, though I continued my training in martial arts and
weaponry--getting all the required documentation to be a professional
bodyguard.  More importantly, though, is that Wills and I were together.
	Around Wills' twenty-fifth birthday, his father made an enormous
decision and married Camilla Parker Bowles.  I was happy for Prince
Charles, but when we heard the news, Wills and I just looked at each other.
At that point, we began making preparations.
	Wisely so, it seems, because it was only a year later that his
grandmother, the Queen, died.  The funeral was stupendous--the pomp and
circumstance was incredible, and some of the medievalism made me feel at
home.  The populace showed up and grieved for their Queen, and all-in-all,
it was heartwarming to see the usually-stuffy Brits show some emotion.  At
the funeral, Harry's newest girlfriend, Jessica, gave him some support.
However, for some strange reason, the cameras just wouldn't take any
pictures of the grieving family.
	Wills' coronation took place one week later.
	We knew it was going to happen.  Because of his marriage, Charles
had pulled himself out of the running for the throne.  Some obscure law
about divorce and the royal family.  Be that as it may, at the ripe old age
of twenty-six, His Royal Highness Prince William Arthur Phillip Louis
Windsor of Wales became His Royal Majesty King William V.
	The outpouring of popular support for William gave me some ideas.
Slowly, we began to implement changes.  I was the head of his security, and
his bodyguard.  At the onset of his reign, Wills was a figurehead in the
government, as his grandmother had been, and perhaps even before her.  Let
me say now that I LOVED this boy!  In all formal occasions, he was the
King, and a proper deference was his due, but for Harry, and for me, once
we were in private--with Harry, in public as well--deference could go
to hell.  Wills had already begun erasing the image of the cold,
emotionless royalty--and better, he managed to do so without minimizing
the respect the title was due.
	He and I worked closely together, relying on his father's advice
and the current world situation so that at his first official opening of
Parliament, he had a speech prepared that the Prime Minister did NOT write.
	As I stood behind Wills' throne off his right shoulder, the livid
man couldn't approach.  He knew I was armed to the teeth for this one, and
my smirk said it all.
	Now, to be fair, Wills' speech didn't differ all that much from the
Prime Minister's, but it did vary on a few minor points.  Its primary
purpose was to show the government that Wills was not going to be merely a
figurehead, and that even though he didn't have the supreme authority of
monarchs in the past, he refused to let one of the oldest surviving forms
of government lose its validity.
	To be honest, I'm not sure the Prime Minister understood how
serious we were until perhaps four months later when Wills made a surprise
visit to Parliament.  If any of you have ever seen a live session of
Parliament, it resembles a riot trapped inside a single building.  Or
perhaps Wall Street.  Either way, you have dozens, if not hundreds of
people who my all end up shouting at the same time.  It is absolute
pandemonium.
	Wills walked into the door, and there was an almost immediate
silence.  It was actually deafening. He asked permission to speak to
Parliament, and it was immediately given.  This time, he wore no state
robes, no crown jewels.  Only a rather simple (and elegant) suit.  As
usual, I stood behind him, dressed in the bright crimson of the Royal
Guard.  He made a proposal, one involving funding of small businesses,
especially in London, but to encourage the growth of such throughout all of
Britain.
	He was asked if he had an accounting to back his proposal.  With
that heart-wrenching smile, he answered he wouldn't waste everyone's time
if he didn't.  At his nod, a copy of the accounting (that we'd worked the
past four months on) was passed to all the members.  He asked them to
peruse it and hoped they'd support it.
	The motion was passed two days later.
	Everything really seemed to run smoothly.  I think my history being
completely and utterly hidden upset some of the tabloids, since they
couldn't find anything about Wills' new security chief who seemed to be
spending so much time with him except that we were in school together.
	One of them, which shall remain nameless, tried to make some things
up, but I nailed them for slander and rather easily completely shut it
down.  The rest took the message.
	Not long after that, Wills took something else away from the Prime
Minister.  Usually, the post of the Minister of Magic was known only to the
PM, and was under his authority.  Wills and I, due to our extensive
knowledge of that aspect of society took it upon ourselves to inform the
Minister that the post of Minister of Magic would be directly under the
THRONE from now on, and that a new Minister of Magic was already approved
by us.
	So it was that Harry Potter, who was famous among the magical
society for his defeat of the Dark Lord Voldemort (after many trials and
hardships, but that's not my story to tell), became the new Minister of
Magic under King William V.  His shock at the position was nothing compared
to his shock at seeing me alive, and it was a good reunion all-round.

	Another year and a half later, Harry (Wills' brother, don't forget)
married Jessica.  Wills was, of course, his best man, and the wedding was
spectacular.  Jess had the same flair for life and sense of adventure that
Harry had.  They really seemed to compliment each other.  And they'd waited
so long to get married so that the disasters of Harry's uncles' marriages
wouldn't be repeated.  These two KNEW they were in love, and had spent
enough time around each other to stay that way.
	At this time, there were a few mutterings about why William hadn't
gotten married and continued the Royal Line.  Lots of rumors spread, and
some of them were even close.  Wisely, His Majesty chose to refrain from
any comments.
	Eleven months later, Harry and Jessica had their first child, a son
named James.  Wills, even more than the rest of us, was ecstatic.  I looked
at him intently.  I hadn't been able to read minds in years, but normally
he and I were connected on such a level we often knew what the other was
thinking, but I was at a complete blank.
	The new addition to the Royal Family brought loads of press, and
Wills withstood its constant assault and pressure.
	That is, he did until his thirtieth birthday.
	On June 21, 2012, Wills called a press conference.  Many were the
dignitaries around to celebrate his birthday, and my handsome Wills (still
looking in his early twenties, I might add) stood on the balcony of
Buckingham Palace surrounded by microphones and cameras.
	"A great deal of inquiry has been directed at me," he said,
"regarding my private life and the continuation of the royal line.  So I
have called you all together to make an announcement.  As a matter of fact,
I have been in a long-term relationship that I am most pleased with."
There was a titter in the crowd.  "This relationship has lasted through
pain and grief and joy.  It has been a crutch to help me through my
responsibilities, and on which to test new ideas.  It has been my support,
and has made me one of the happiest men in the world."
	"How long has it been going on," one of the reporters asked.
	"A little over ten years," he answered.  They were shocked and he
laughed.  "Keeping it from all of you wasn't too difficult," he told them.
"I just made sure to keep your eyes elsewhere."
	"Have any secret children," another reporter asked sarcastically.
	"No," he replied amiably.  "In fact, today I name my nephew James
as my successor to the throne."  Thousands of flashbulbs went off as the
reporters hurriedly took notes or checked their recording equipment to make
sure they'd gotten his statement.
	"Your Majesty," ventured one reporter hesitantly.  "You've kept
this relationship a secret for a long time.  Now that you've mentioned it,
I trust you don't plan to keep it a secret."
	I paled with horror.  He wouldn't.
	"Not at all," Wills agreed with a smile.
	"Who is it," someone called loudly from the back.
	"Would you like to meet him," my beautiful, bastard of a lover
asked disarmingly.  Then he laughed at the sight of forty-some-odd jaws
dropping.  I had closed my eyes and was shaking my head.  He did.  I
couldn't believe it.
	So I was startled when he grasped my hand and pulled me to the
forefront of the balcony.  He rested our clasped hands on the edge of the
balcony and whispered, "I hope you're not angry."
	"With you," I snorted, "hardly.  But I think you just scared ten or
fifteen years off my life," I complained.
	"You're not going without me," he said gently.
	"Nowhere without you," I promised.  "Ever."
	It took less than three hours for the denunciations to begin.
	Primarily, the people doing so were the hard-core religious
fundamentalists in the UK, US and Middle-East.  I suppose we were prepared
for this, but aside from blistering epithets from pulpits around the world,
no political action was taken.  Just in case, however, I wore a pair of
throwing knives up my sleeves whenever out in public.
	Yet, we are the MTV generation.  Before too long, enormous support
came through, and Wills' human nature and courage astounded most
people-even many of his detractors.  It became argued that the royal line
was secure, and he was still the most efficient and popular monarch in
memory, so what was the big deal.

	The one and only assassination attempt on his life came perhaps
eight months later.  The man was blonde-haired, and had bright blue eyes,
like the summer sky.  He was perhaps in his mid to late twenties.  It was
his intention to show the world the wrongness of our lifestyle by killing
Wills-and me, if possible-during one of his heavily-televised humanitarian
visits.  I was walking next to Will when I saw the glint of light on the
barrel of his pistol.  We were simply walking down a street in a small
village in Africa.  The press saw me push down the King, knocking him to
the dirt as I turned to face the would-be assassin.
	He glared at me and pulled the trigger.
	Before the hammer could depress completely, I had flicked my knives
into my hands.  The guy was a good shot, I'll give him that.  The bullet
raced straight towards my chest.
	With a ringing sound heard throughout the street, I brushed the
bullet aside with my knife.  He gaped and fired again and again.  Each
time, I knocked the bullet away.  I began stepping closer to him, my face
full of rage, and my eyes burning with anger.  I almost sensed Will trying
to get up and yelled at him to stay down.  At fifteen feet, the assassin
had run out of ammunition.  That's when I threw my first knife.
	The blade went right through his foot, pinning him to where he
stood.  He screamed in pain.  I stepped up and he threw a desperate punch
at me.  I stepped to the side, grabbed his wrist with one hand, and with
the other snapped his arm almost in two at the elbow.  He screamed again,
and for good measure, I snapped a kick into the side of his knee,
shattering that.  Using the momentum from the kick, I spun into a second
kick that shattered his jaw.
	With my right hand, I hauled him off the knife, causing more damage
in the process, but he couldn't do anything through his broken jaw except
groan.  With my left hand, still holding the knife, I made a fast, deep
slice across his belly, just below his navel.  As blood spurted, the
process known as disemboweling began, with his intestines sliding their way
through into the outside world.  Painful, but not fatal, though he could
die from the blood loss eventually.
	Finally, I looked up into his terror-filled eyes.  "Good try," I
told him, almost casually before I punched up, shattering his windpipe.  He
tried to draw air through the ruined passage, but just couldn't do so, and
his eyes told him that he knew it.  Then, for good measure, I sent him a
mental image fueled by my anger: the torment he would know in Hell for all
of eternity.
	He took a long time to die.  And it was all caught on tape.
	Then I contemptuously flung him to the ground and went to get Will.
"How did you do that," he asked.
	I would have smiled, but the circumstances didn't call for it.  "I
didn't lose all of my power, just most of it," I answered.  "Using it is
very hard, unless I'm royally pissed off."
	He gave me a kiss on the cheek.  "Thank you.  You know, for saving
my life."
	"Hey," I said with a smirk, "I'm your bodyguard."
	It was probably my knocking bullets aside like flies that prevented
any further attacks.  Or perhaps it was the ruthlessness of my
counterattack.  Either way, no one ever made the mistake of trying to hurt
the King of England again.

	As I'd told Wills, I did have SOME of my magic.  I'd discovered it
years ago, when still staying at my house.  I realized that Oberon had been
the one to change me into a human, not Titania, and when I'd left Avalon,
my magic was greater than his.  So there was no way he could deny me all of
my power.  Most of it was indeed gone, yet some remained, and I learned to
develop it with time.  None of my matter-affecting spells remained: I
couldn't control elements, and I couldn't move things or travel anyplace,
but when I needed to, I could increase my speed and strength to inhuman
proportions.  I could also, at great effort, communicate mentally or read a
person's mind.  But prolonged or exceptional use drained me, wearying me
for days.
	What Wills didn't know is that quite possibly, I could have hurled
some sort of lightning at his attacker, but I'd done something else that
remained a constant sap of my strength.  I'd affected time.  Wills was
thirty, and looked to be just at twenty or so.  That grace would remain-and
did.  At forty, he looked in his late twenties, at fifty, not much older.
His body remained firm and toned and smooth.  He retained some of the
other...benefits of youth-at least as I saw them.  (Need I extemporize?)
	At sixty, he got his first major wrinkles, and his hair began to
slightly gray at the temples.  I think it make him look very distinguished.
	Time was having similar affects on me, since I'd arranged it so,
and the press began to notice.  Our health was easily that of men twenty
years our junior, and we were expected to live well into our hundreds.
	Meanwhile, Harry had had other children: Matthew, his second,
Elizabeth, his third, and Andrew his fourth.  They, in turn, had children.
Wills and I were happy grandparents and we spoiled the children
outrageously.
	Harry, on the other hand, didn't fare as well, and though he was
still in good health, time wore him down much more severely than us.
Sometimes, I caught Wills looking at me, concerned about his brother, and
we discussed it from time to time.
	And then Jessica died.  She was sixty-four, so she'd lived well,
but she had a congenital heart failure, and nothing could be done to save
her.  We all went into mourning.  She had been part of the family for over
forty years, and we all missed her ready smile and active sense of humor.
	Something in Harry seemed to die when she did.  For five years, he
moped around, unable to completely deal with her passing.
	Finally, I managed to get Harry into a drawing room of the palace
with only Wills and myself in attendance.  No servants, no aides, no one.
"Harry, why are you acting like this," I asked.  "You should be stronger
than this.  I know it hurts, believe me, but you have the rest of us, too,
you know."
	"I suppose I just have regrets," he said sadly.
	"Regrets?"  I hadn't expected THAT answer.
	"I see you and Wills together and I sort of with I'd had that."
	"But you did," he pointed out.  "You and Jess were together for
forty years, Harry!  That's amazing nowadays."
	He sighed.  "I know, but I always wondered what it would be like,
if I'd been like you two.  I could have been."
	I nodded.  "Yes, you could have.  As it so happened, the person who
you fell in love with was a woman.  Why the regret?"
	"Because she wasn't the one I truly, deep down wanted to be with."
	WHAT??  What did Harry just say?  He lived for forty years to a
woman he didn't want to be with????
	"Uh, could you explain that a little, Harry," I asked, confused.
	"Oh, I loved Jess," he assured us.  "But did you ever notice that
she resembled Ekrasios?  Her face and her eyes."  He laughed a little.
"Her sense of humor.  Being with her, I was with him at the same time."  He
noticed our glances.  "It's rather fucked up, isn't it?"
	I raised an eyebrow, looking at Wills.  "It's not fucked up,
Harry," he assured his brother.  "Strange, yes, but I remember how much fun
you had with Ekrasios."  That got me thinking.  I'd need more time,
but...perhaps...

	Three years later, I looked at Wills as we lay in bed together.
"You look tired," I commented.
	"I am," he answered.  "Very tired.  I'm rather ready to go, Matt."
	"Go?"
	"Go.  If I didn't know I'd be leaving you behind, I would have gone
on long ago.  James is more than ready to be king."
	"You've taught him well," I agreed, "but no one has your charisma
or popularity.  Wills, you've almost been an autocratic ruler based
entirely on your charisma and attitude.  Not that you've been a bad ruler,"
I hastened to assure him, "but I doubt even James would be able to do much
with like you did."
	"I suppose," he answered wearily, closing his eyes.
	I looked at him closely.  He really was tired.  I could see it.
Though his body was much younger, his soul just seemed tired.  He'd lived a
long time and done a lot.  We were nearly eighty, and that many years of
responsibility--REAL responsibility--is tiring.
	"Wills," I asked with all seriousness, "would you like to go?  If
you didn't have to worry about leaving me behind, would you?"
	"Yes," he answered after a minute.  "I think I would."
	I nodded.  "Then let's go."  He looked at me confused.  I bade him
to wait, then gave him a kiss and summoned an aide.  "Will you please find
Prince Harry and Prince James, please," I asked.
	They were ushered into the bedroom, Harry looking absolutely
terrible.  I whispered to Wills, "Tell him what you want him to hear.  He's
going to be King after today."
	He looked at me with complete trust in his eyes, then told James
what to expect.  James looked shaken.  "What are you saying, Uncle Will?"
	He looked at me.  "Your uncle and your father and I are going away,
James.  I hesitate to say die, but it amounts to the same thing.  We will
retire and you won't hear from us again."  Wills nodded and Harry looked at
me in confusion.
	James thought a while.  "Let me bring the children to all say
good-bye?"
	"Sure."
	We spent the day with family.  All of the children got a lot of
attention, and Harry looked happier than I'd seen him in years.  When the
youngest had been sent to bed, I excused myself so Harry and Will could
talk to James.
	Upstairs, I found what I'd been looking for: one of the items I'd
taken out of my vault at Gringott's decades ago.  It was a talisman, meant
to temporarily increase the power of its user, but it could only be used
once by any given person.  Thus far, I had never used it.
	Around midnight (a late night for us old people), Harry and Will
joined me in the bedroom.  I asked them each to hold my hand as I stood us
in front of a full-length mirror.
	"Armar corathath dei.  Ich man alashte mor.  Ime navaliea, edro
Avolone," I intoned.
	The amulet glowed brightly, as did the mirror.  I felt drained,
weak, but slowly, inexorably, I stepped through the mirror, dragging Will
and Harry with me.

	Once back in Avalon, Oberon's spell faded.  I was returned to the
preternaturally youthful Elf I'd been and I could feel my power flooding
through me.  Wills and Harry looked around with wonder.  Harry turned to
ask if we were where he thought we were when he caught sight of me.  He
yelped, surprised, and Wills turned to see.
	"This is the real me, Will," I told him, rather sadly.
	He smiled.  "As long as it's you," he told me softly.  I drew him
into a deep, loving kiss, and felt my power flood out of me and into him.
Against my lips, I felt his thicken slightly, and heard the gasp of
surprise from him.  When we broke the kiss a moment later, he was seventeen
again, his body well and truly young, rather than its semblance.
	Harry gaped and I looked at Will.  "Forgive me for a moment of
indiscretion," I told him as I pulled Harry into a similar kiss.  Something
that I think he'd wanted for a long time--unless I was flattering
myself, of course.  My power flowed up once again, and Harry was also
returned to youth--also seventeen years of age.
	Now I was the young one--I only seemed about sixteen, but I
didn't mind.
	"Welcome to Avalon," I told them.  "Welcome to my home.  I'm rather
afraid you're here to stay," I added regretfully.  "As am I."
	They whooped and hollered and laughed.  We ran with renewed vigor
through the grasslands and the woods.  We had our youth again, and we had
it forever.  We knew what it was to grow old, and we had moved beyond time.
With a single thought, I lifted the three of us into the air and we zoomed
towards the Palace of Light.
	On the steps of the palace, Puck sat teaching Ekrasios how to play
the harp.  For once, he didn't seem mocking, didn't seem sarcastic.  I
lowered us to the ground in front of them, and he jumped to his feet.
"Tamarico," he whispered.
	"Hello, coz," I grinned.  "I'm back."
	He flew at me and again pulled me into a hug.  "Puck, I'm sure you
remember William," I introduced him, formally.  "Wills here is my
soul-mate.  My husband."
	Puck looked at William with the impression he could see right
through his clothes.  Come to think of it, he probably could.  Wills
blushed and Puck grinned.  "You've chosen a looker, coz," he replied.
	I wrapped my arm around Wills' shoulders.  "Don't I know it?"
	"So I suppose this is-" he broke off as he turned to address Harry,
since Harry and Ekrasios were having a rather spirited reunion of their
own.  I laughed and nudged Wills.  "Your little brother is besting us,
Will.  He's had the best of both worlds."
	Wills shook his head.  "I've got the best of both worlds," he said.
	It was so sweet, I hugged him close and coughed until Harry and
Ekrasios broke off.  "Well," I said with a smile, "let's introduce you to
the rest of the family.  I think you'll see a few faces you recognize."
And arm in arm, Wills and I walked through the opening gateway followed by
Harry and Ekrasios, with an ecstatic Puck rushing through to announce us.
	Oberon and Titania may not be thrilled with what I'd done, but it
was done, and no power on earth would separate us.  We were home.  For all
of the rest of time.


	*Author's Note: This is the final chapter to My Life at Hogwarts.
I would like to thank everyone who has written me expressing interest or
enjoyment of this story.  Once again, the song at the beginning is from
Libera's self-titled CD "Libera."  If you're interested at all in hearing
them, try their website at www.libera.org.uk.  Thank you all for your
support, and keep reading.  There are dozens of stories out there that far
surpass mine.  Thanks to JK Rowling for creating a world that let me play
out a fantasy or two, and thanks to my penis, for giving me the inspiration
to have these fantasies.*