Harry Potter and the Children of the Clan

Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Harry's discussion with Connor Toal lasted into the evening. The secretive Irishman gave him more details on the history of Trevor's ancestry and the significance it had. Many of those who had been called to be watchers over the ages knew little about what the ultimate destiny of the line was, only that it needed to be protected at all costs. An act of faith. Harry asked what Trevor's real name was.

"His Christian name is Trevor Osborne and that's how it's recorded. His true name would likely sprain your tongue, Professor. And since it can be a powerful magic, the knowin' of the true name, it has never and will never be said by the likes of you or me. If he's lucky, he'll live a long life and never know it either."

They also developed a cover story because Harry explained that too many people were aware of the boy and his problems, so something had to be thought up to explain his situation. Since this was a magical community and one that had witnessed many amazing phenomena in Harry's time, it didn't need to be very logical or reasonable, just plausible. So it turned out that Trevor's family was of an ancient royal line and now part of a secret society, protecting it from long ago enemies. Similar to Harry's, prophecies and legends were associated with the family as to great power and riches and those that had seized him were trying to find a way to unlock the keys to those treasures. Harry would be unable to attest to the truth of these legends but the fact that an innocent boy and member of the magical family was in danger was enough to warrant putting him under the joint protection of the Hogwarts community.

Toal left Harry that evening indicating it might be some time before they would meet again, but he assured Harry he would be back. He also said that for an Englishman, he considered Harry a fine fellow and wondered if there wasn't a bit of the Irish in his background. At that moment, Toal reminded Harry a great deal of his friend, Aidan Lynch. When he returned home that evening, he sat down with Ginny, the one person he trusted above all others and told her the full story. She would be the only one with whom he shared the knowledge.

"Unbelievable, Harry. I mean I know I made that suggestion, but I didn't expect it to be the real answer."

"I always tell you, you're smarter than you give yourself credit for. Anyway, the others get the cover story, but I needed at least one other person to know, just in case."

"So what do you plan to do?"

"Just as we already have. He stays with Hagrid. I get the Centaurs to help keep an eye on him and until I get information from this Toal fellow, we assume the boy has powerful enemies that are looking for him. I'll have a talk with the big fellow later and see how he might help."

"No need, Wizard. I hear. The school and the boy will be guarded."

His next conversation on the subject of the boy was the following morning with Professor Sprout and Trevor's teachers. He kept it as simple as he could, emphasizing the danger the boy was in and as far as the students were to be concerned, he came from a troubled family background and would need Hogwarts as a haven, not unlike Estelle Mickelthwaite. His discussion with the Centaurs was more detailed. Since they would be expected to provide some of the protection for the boy, they needed to know more about what they might encounter.

"A strange tale, indeed, Friend Harry Potter," the Elder said. "A watch will be set. Of this you can be sure. One so abused is deserving of such, and this one in particular seems to merit extra consideration."

"To put it mildly, Honored Elder," Harry said with a wry grin.

When it was time for the Express to take the students home for the summer, Trevor was getting plenty of extra consideration. He received hugs from Domi and Vee, wishes for a quiet, happy summer from the rest of the Clan and their friends and while Hagrid was overseeing the loading and departure of the train, the boy was already playing in the field by Hagrid's hut with Wullie under the watchful eye of a pair of Centaur hunters. He was also being observed by a number of pairs of eyes from the underbrush along the edge of the forests, but none contained a hint of malice.