Amulet of time 1: The Age of The Founders

Chapter 28: Birthday Treats

" Gaerwyn? What are you doing here?"

Seeing he was alright, the small girl ran across the room and jumped onto his bed, giving him a big hug.

" Lolide came to see us. She needed some more olbas root from the elf world. I asked her why she needed it and she told me you had been in a battle and were in the hospital. I wanted to come and see you. Plus, I've never been to the human world."

" Never?"

" Nope! Mother and Father didn't want me coming, because of the time difference. They thought I was too young. But now they think I'm old enough!"

" That's great, Gaerwyn! How long are you staying?"

" I can stay three days. I know it's your birthday in two, so I wanted to stay until then."

" I'd completely forgotten about that!"

" Well, I brought you a present. I think you might like it…"

" Thanks Gaerwyn."

Just then, Harry looked up and spotted his bewildered friends and an amused looking Lolide sitting around his bed. All he could do was smile sheepishly at the group.

" Um…hi guys."

The staring students remained frozen. Lolide took this as an opportunity to berate the boy, speaking in elvish so that his friends wouldn't understand.

" Harry, I think we need to have words. What happened to the rule about you not telling your friends?"

" I'm sorry, Lolide, I didn't mean to. I assessed Lord Gryffindor's situation, and took the action necessary to keep him alive. I could tell that if I waited for you, he would die, and I couldn't let that happen."

" I know that Harry, and I know it to be true. I should be angry with you, but under the circumstances, I think it was for the best. You did a marvelous job keeping him alive, and if you had waited, as you said, he would have died."

" I am really sorry."

" I know. Forget about it. Now, I think you'd better speak to your friends. They're starting to hyperventilate."

Turning to the gawping group, he switched to English so that Gaerwyn could understand. Over the month he had just spent with her, his elvish had become fluent, and she had picked up a lot of English, enough to follow a conversation. Gallatea's English lessons had also gone very well, and she would be able to understand what was to be said.

" I think I'd better explain a few things. You see, I was walking down the corridor when I heard hissing…"

Two days later was Harry's birthday. While he was still in the hospital wing recovering from the battle and the exhausting healing, his friends were planning a party for him. The other two founders were due back on Harry's birthday, so they didn't know yet. Gryffindor, however, had been helping from his bed in the infirmary since he had woken up the previous day. Every time Harry was asleep, he would call the others and give them instructions. Gaerwyn was having the time of her life, running around and exploring all the secret passages in Hogwarts. She was absolutely fascinated by the moving portraits, and had been delighted when Ginny had taken a photograph of a peacefully sleeping Harry and given it to her. Lolide had been helping with the translation, as Gallatea and Gaerwyn were having trouble with their English. While both were quite good, the human being a little better as she had been learning longer, neither could keep up with rapid discussions and the like. This meant that for the most part the students spoke Anglo-Saxon, and Lolide was there to translate for her younger sister.

Harry was released from the hospital wing the evening of his birthday. Gryffindor had been released a few hours earlier, while Harry was still asleep. The boy was a little disappointed that none of his friends had been to visit at all that day. Figuring everyone would be in the Great Hall for dinner, he was rather surprised to find it empty. Checking his watch to make sure it wasn't too late, he made his way to the Gryffindor Room, as that was the most likely other place they would be. When he finally got there, he pushed the door open to find the room in complete darkness, which was strange when you considered the number of large windows it had. Seconds after he stepped through the door the lights came on and his friends all jumped out from various hiding places.