Chapter 275: 2
Chapter 2 – Rebuilding a Home
Harrenhal/Godric's Hollow, one year later…
The site where Harrenhal once stood was a hive of activity as large numbers of men moved around the large site with horses pulling carts full of stone taken from the collapsed towers as it had proved faster and easier to simply knock them down and salvage the stone than take them apart brick by brick so to speak. The Peverells had known most of the stone would be ruined by this so they had applied slight cushioning charms to the area around each tower before taking them down with multiple blasting curses at the base so they fell the way they wanted them too.
Some had smashed into the already damaged walls but this was fine as they had more than enough stone to repair them, James smirked at that as he looked at the enormous building site where men toiled to build the new town up from the ruins. Casting his eyes out to the exterior walls they had already been repaired, both the damage caused by the towers collapse and that of years past. Inside the new small keep in the centre of town that would one day be their new home was taking shape as were the granaries where harvests would be stored, barracks for their soldiers, a large plot of walled off land where glasshouses were being set up to grow potion ingredients, vegetables and fruit would be grown specially. Smitheries and stables were taking shape as was Lily's special project, the last one James thought with a smile was close to her heart.
One thing he had not known about his wife when they had been a school at least until they had started dating and many others had never realised was that Lily was artistic, she loved to paint and while they had been in hiding it had been her sole reprieve from the pressure all around them. Here it was one of the few activities that the Strongs had allowed her to indulge in until she had gotten older and they had demanded she drop it in favour of trying to get a husband. That was one of the things that had driven her to finally escape...her art meant that much to her. It angered James even now how much they had upset his wife, taking something that meant so much to her even if they were dead and beyond his reach he only wished he could make them pay.
Getting back to her addition to the city Lily had decided to start an art academy, a place where young men and women could come and learn to develop their own artistic talents and where established artists could teach. It was ambitious but if so then it might be brilliant for Westeros and their town James and his parents realised, establishing their home as a centre of for culture and innovation starting a renaissance here...or so they hoped.
"My lord." One of their men said as he came up to him with sweat running down his brow. "We are ready."
"Then." James said with a smile as he took hold of a rope. "Let's get started."
With that he and a company of men pulled hard on their ropes, dragging the large and angry looking Weirwood that had been the centre of the castle's godwood free from the ground and onto specially prepared ramps, sweat coming off them profusely as they pulled the heavy tree onto a large cart which had several horses attached. James's face tightened with frustration as he pulled with all his strength, breathing a sigh of relief when they managed to get the tree onto the cart.
The angry face of the tree and the fact it had been planted by the Hoares had been enough to make his parents decide that it had to go but as a sacred tree it could not be cut down or damaged beyond reasonable limits, so he sighed they had started the difficult process of moving it to a nearby hill. He saw the men secure the tree with ropes and lead the cart away to take the tree to its new home while he took a shovel and helped men fill in the hole where it had once stood.
He wiped his brow to rid him of sweat before taking several potions from a nearby box and started pouring them onto the disturbed earth one after the other, while he had never had much of a green thumb himself in Herbology he understood that these potions would fill the soil with all the nutrients needed for new plants to grow and when he was done with the potions he took the small Weirwood sapling and gently planted it in the earth. With its growth accelerated by the some of the potions it would soon grow into a new Weirwood tree for them and the people of the town to worship. The fact that all the septs in their lands had suddenly collapsed and been replaced with large Weirwoods that grew overnight had scared many but it had certainly had an effect on the land making it more fertile and giving them better crops and even the health of those people and animals around them seemed to improve. Most were calling it a miracle bowed to the Old Gods in awe.
James had never really put faith in gods, no matter how hard you prayed they rarely seemed to ever helped you, they hadn't helped him when Voldemort had turned up at his home he thought with anger. But still he and the others couldn't help but feel that something had brought them to this world, gods or maybe something else they didn't know and something had saved Harry after Lily had died.
Maybe there was something that listened James thought with a small grin, after all he had found his wife and best friend again not to mention being given a fresh chance at life.
-x-
Elsewhere at Raventree Hall, the seat of House Blackwood and the only other remaining Old Gods worshipping family in the Riverlands Lord Peverell was meeting with Lord Blackwood to discuss a matter ironically concerning faith.
"Here is the sapling you requested." Lord Peverell said with a calm and relaxed look as he handed the young Weirwood that House Blackwood could use to replace their existing dead one. The ruler of Raventree Hall smiled and extended his hand to Lord Peverell who took it and shook it, signalling the formalising of their alliance. There was more of course than just a tree sapling, like a mutual defence pact and aid in repairing several ruined strongholds to strengthen each other. House Blackwood had also agreed to help establish a trade route with to the North and with training cavalry as it was sadly one of the areas their house lacked experience having spent years on the rocky mountains near the Vale.
It had also been to encourage House Blackwood to feed their Weirwood with blood be it animal or human to make sure it stays strong and healthy, to explain to him that if it was routinely fed then it would make the land around it more fertile and prosperous, a lesson that had been abandoned and forgotten somewhere along with the line perhaps to appease the Andals but the Peverells hadn't abandoned it and they had retaught it to the Vale First Men houses and now to House Blackwood maybe even to the North in future. All official executions were held at Weirwoods for this reason and the bodies hung from its branches to drain it before burning.
Gruesome perhaps but it had its uses, spreading fear of them and making them stronger at the same time.
-x-
Back at the construction site, Sirius and Lily had to work too though as there was still much to do. Today they were magically sealing all the glass panels together to form the new glasshouses where potion ingredients as well as certain types of fruits would be grown. Carefully they ran their wands over the glass to lock them into place, once finished they would charm them to be unbreakable and then the runic array inside could be constructed allowing the internal temperature and humidity to be controlled. Sirius smiled as he carefully fixed the last panel into place when he noticed Lily seemed rather winded which was strange as he had seen her do far more draining magic in the past and cope far better. Concerned he asked her.
"Are you alright?"
Lily looked up flustered and said with a forced smile. "Me, I'm fine! Sirius just fine!"
She'd spoken far too quickly and the smile didn't look real so now he knew something was up, he kept staring at her and Lily just said.
"I'm fine!"
Sirius just kept staring before finally irritation made her spill whatever it was that just to stop him staring and put a protective hand over her stomach protectively.
"Just don't tell James yet, I want too first."
It took a second for it to dawn on Sirius what she was talking about and he was completely speechless, standing there like a statue in complete shock. Much like he had the day Lily and James had told him they were expecting Harry.
He then noticed someone looking in on their from the other side of the glasshouse, speaking of James Sirius thought shocked wondering what the odds were of him turning up at that precise moment.
Lily noticed his gaze had gone somewhere over her shoulder and she turned around too see a shell-shocked James just staring at her with his mouth opening and closing, unable to process what he had just overheard.
They just stared at each other for a moment before James remembered he had feet and walked slowly over, taking her hand while she nervously held his gaze.
"We're going to have a baby?" He asked, not sure why maybe to make sure this was actually happening and not some dream, she slowly nodded and he began to smile and picked her up swinging her around with wild abandon screaming out as she now started laughing.
"WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!" James yelled out in complete joyous abandon laughing out-loud like a madman while Lily did the exact same.
Sirius watched them with a tear in his eye, happy for their great blessing and wondering if...someday he might experience that himself.
Eight Months Later…
James had just been working with others to plant the seeds that would become their future exports when he saw Sirius riding up to him, James turned and looked at his friend who looked excited about something, he didn't have to wait long to find out what it was.
"James, Lily's gone into labour."
Time for a moment froze as the words sank in and after a moment or so of being completely stunned without a single word leapt on his nearby horse and started riding a great speed for Harrenton, where they had based themselves until the rebuilding of Godric's Hollow was complete. He did not see Sirius smirking at him or the tear in his eye as for the second time in his memory, his best friend was about to become a father…again.
-x-
Lily's screams echoed across the room as she experienced the 'joy' of child birth for a second time in her memory, the sight of James bursting through the door did nothing but provide scant relief and increase her anger.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" She screamed at him and James instantly paled and lost his smile but still rushed forward and took her hand.
"I came as soon as I could my love." He said gently kissing her hand before giving it a comforting squeeze, her hormones being all over the place she actually started weeping before the next contraction hit and she was soon screaming again. Her hand started grasping his with such strength that he nearly had to let go as it felt like she was actually going to crush his hand but for her sake he kept holding her hand and after a short but hard labour they were rewarded with a cry that was all to familiar.
The midwife that was attending cut the cord and wrapped the baby up in a blanket before handing the bundle to Lily.
"A boy, my lady." She said with a smile.
Both Lily and James stared at their baby, overcome with emotion as they looked at him and realised with a harsh pang in their hearts as he looked exactly like Harry had when he was born. It was a different world and a different time but he still had the same dark tuff of hair on his head, was exactly the same size as their son in the other world and more importantly at least to them he had the same dazzling green eyes as his mother.
For the pair of them it was a strange, tragic and joyous moment all at the same time. Here they were parents again but they knew that their first boy had known nothing of love growing up and yet here was a chance for them to be the parents that they had wanted to be the first time around.
"Harry." She said with a smile, James instantly understood and put his arm around her.
Harry Peverell, James thought with a smile I hope we can be the parents we never got to be to Harry Potter. He gently stroked his little son's brow as tears fell from his eyes.
There was a noise at the door that they almost missed they were so caught up in their child, turning they saw Sirius standing there with a smile of his own alongside James' parents who looked in on the scene with surprise.
"Your grandson, Harry." James told them and they came over looking at the baby with eyes wide and his father had one of the few smiles James had ever seen him have.
"He will be the first Peverell to grow up at Godric's Hollow since it was lost." His own mother said gently running her thumb over the little boy's head. Sirius himself had tears in his eyes although he would deny it much later, seeing the birth of his godson a second time.
Lord Peverell smiled at his grandson before leaving to see the progress of the rebuilding work for himself.
However suddenly a musical bird call filled the air, they all looked around for the source and were shocked when a burst of fire in mid-air that was there only for a brief moment until it disappeared, however this heralded the arrival of an elegant a graceful bird with beautiful crimson feathers and a tail and claws that seemed like gold which perched itself on the end of the bed. Its kind black eyes seemed to look at the baby in Lily's arms and while she tightened her grip protectively around the child it began to sing to him, the boy seemed to smile at its song before falling asleep. It shook its tail and a single feather fell to the bed which James took and the bird which he recognised as a Phoenix then started singing again.
Despite there being no words, somehow they could understand its meaning in the notes. It wanted a place to nest close to the God's Eye, it would provide feathers for wands and their tears to heal their family when needed. James's father nodded and said, still dazed by the incredible music of the Phoenix.
"We'll build a tower for you and your kind on the hill nearby, no entrance but an open windows at the top for you." His house had sworn to protect magical creatures after all and the Phoenix tears and feathers would be a great boon for his family.
James stood there looking at the majestic bird with Lily and Sirius, while none of them were of course were experts on the subjects of Phoenixes this one seemed strangely familiar to them…for a moment there was a twinkle in its eyes which made all their eyes widen, one they had all seen at school in the other world and after that during the war.
Several Years Later…
The sun rose on what had once been the largest castle in all of Westeros and a devastated ruin, it peaked over the large casement walls that surrounded it before revealing the modest sized castle at the centre while around it there stood storehouses, glasshouses, stables, smitheries and all manner of other buildings which left long shadows in the first light of day.
James stood in the early morning light with a sigh of contentment, it had taken years of work but finally they had finished the reconstruction of Godric's Hollow, the glasshouses glistened in the sun and within them they were finally growing their magically created strains of apple, potion ingredients and grapes that they could sell, potteries where nice quality ceramics would be made and smitheries where good quality steel would be produced. Owls went to sleep in their tower after a long night hunting, the sight made James smile. Owls they had enchanted to be able to deliver letters anywhere without fail. It stood out but without a maester as they had no trust in the group it was worth it.
However not having a maester also meant they had to do a lot of tasks themselves like healing or teaching, speaking of which James thought with mirth he looked down and saw in the training yard below that Sirius with a wooden training sword in hand was giving drills to young Harry under the supervision of his father.
-x-
"Good Harry now faster." Sirius said with a smile as the young boy which honestly warmed his heart did his best to master the sword, he looked so uncertain of himself but gave his everything at anything he tried. It made him think of another boy named Harry that they only hoped had lived a decent life but he put those thoughts aside, they might never know what happened to the Harry Potter of their first world but they could see to it that this one had a good life.
Harry as a nervous six year old did his best to master the movement but it was slow and awkward, he was concentrating like mad though and kept on trying...but this was not helped by their audience.
"Come on Harry, we're not leaving till you get it." Lord Peverell said with a stern voice as he and his wife looked on. Both now visibly older with greying hair but at their side was two young children who looked between Harry and them with curious looks.
"Grandfather?" Twin red haired girls asked at the same time, looking around three years of age and both wanted to know why their older brother was being pressured like this. Their grandmother smiled at them and explained for her husband who didn't even give the girls a sideways look.
"You see sweethearts." Lady Peverell said with a smile. "Your older brother will one day have to shoulder the burden of leading this family and protecting us from harm, he has to be made ready for that. This is why our family starts training at six rather than ten as most other families do, your father started at six and he managed so your brother will too. See." She said drawing their attention back to Harry who with some effort managed to do as Sirius had done. Sirius smiled and patted Harry on the back which made both of them smile.
"Breakfast is ready." Lily's voice sounded from the side and both girls turned and ran as fast as their little legs could carry them to hug their mother. Lily smiled as Melody and Serenity jumped into her waiting arms, clinging to her tightly and laughing. Lily's eyes nearly started watering as she held her twin girls in her arms, so much like her they were almost clones. She wondered briefly if she had lived in the other world would she have had twins like this there too but dismissed that as a pointless question to torment herself with, her life was here now and she had to embrace it with everything she had. Pulling her daughters closer she vowed to herself and not for the first time to promised to make sure she was the mother to them that she hadn't had a chance to be the first time around. Seeing Harry over their shoulders she gave him a beaming smile which he returned.
Then her eyes caught her youngest, only a year old sitting in her goodmother's lap her second son made a cry of happiness at the sight of her and held up his small arms. She came over and picked him up, Little Godric made an adorable baby cry and wrapped his arms around her neck. She honestly felt so happy that she might burst, at last she had everything you could ask for. A stable and safe home, a loving husband and four children that she adored more than life itself. Maybe that was an old fashioned ideal but right at this moment she didn't care.
As they all left the yard and went to the hall where a good hearty breakfast was waiting for them, all the children dug into their food with gusto while the adults all picked at it more lightly and in slightly quiet voices spoke about sometimes that were still troubling Lily.
"We have a lot more competition now for the products we sell and although they will still make good coin we have vast lands to control, I don't know if it will be enough." Lily said as she settled Godric in her lap, finding people wasn't a problem, even equipping them wasn't an issue but paying for it all could be. A lot of their coin had gone on the demolition of Harrenhal and the rebuilding of Godric's Hollow and while they still had a lot it would not be enough to last forever. If they couldn't police their own lands it was a sign of weakness and one they could not afford she thought with worry as some families would like nothing better than to see them bankrupt.
Sirius then added another problem which he had noticed.
"Not to mention our army is very basic, we only have light infantry and cavalry. We have few archers, no heavy infantry or cavalry and no people to train them. In truth we only have the light cavalry thanks to House Blackwood and we can't just ask for more without revealing the problem." Sirius said for once completely straight and all of them fell silent as they considered the problem. Living for so long on the rocky and mountainous terrain of Hogwarts had meant that sadly they had focused solely on light infantry as it was best suited to the environment they had lived in, horses got hurt too easily there and being light and mobile meant a lack of heavy armour.
"Why not Essos?" A young voice said suddenly, surprising them enough that they abandoned their food and turned to young Harry who none of them had noticed was listening to them talking.
"What do you mean boy?" Lord Peverell asked sternly, there did not seem to be another way for him to be and while a little intimidated by his grandfather he did reply.
"Well if you can't find the people you need here then why not go somewhere like Essos where you can find men to teach our soldiers, then no one here will know." Harry said quietly. All the adults shared a look of astonishment at the idea. None of them had thought of looking abroad for the answer but it soon started taking hold.
"If I and Sirius went to Essos we could hire some sellswords to come and train our boys, act as sergeants or captains for our men later. They are always fighting over there, finding men shouldn't be hard." James said with a smile, wondering why they hadn't thought of this before and instantly looked proudly at his son who smiled back. Lily and James likewise while Lord and Lady Peverell thought for a moment.
"There has been a conflict near Volantis recently, there should be plenty of Sellswords in need of work around there." Lady Peverell said with a thoughtful look on her face as she recalled what news she had heard. "As long as you are both careful and take some men with you." She added sternly which instantly made both James and Sirius who had been thinking about an adventure in foreign parts with excitement act more subdued.
"Portkeys and magic mirrors will enable us to maintain regular contact and get home quickly in the event of a problem." Sirius said hoping to make it more palatable to his friend's mother. She looked uncertain but Lord Peverell interceded.
"As long as you exercise caution and do not reveal your magic, that means travelling the normal way. That's a month's journey there and the same back." He estimated.
Lily then had a bright idea, saying it quickly. "If you could find some industry there that we might be able to transplant here then that could help." Lily said, trading with foreign powers was expensive and if they could offer rare items or the like at a lower price it would be a far better option than sailing to get them abroad. It would certainly put coin in their purse.
The children meanwhile were excited to hear of what was being planned, however Melody and Serenity looked worried.
"Father is leaving us." They said together, both looking very scared that father was going away and Uncle Sirius was going with him. Instantly they thought he might not come back but Harry seeing their distress put his arms around each of them and pulled them close. He smiled and told them.
"Not for long, they can come back and talk to us every day if they need too. They'll be fine." Harry told his younger sister, an instinctive need to keep them happy and safe rising inside him which honestly made what he said sound more convincing even if he wished he felt entirely happy about father going away either. He didn't want though to upset his sisters so he put a brave face on it and smiled for them. They still looked upset at him being away for the first time in their lives but trusted their brother enough to believe him.
Harry kept smiling hoping that soon it might be genuine.
A Month Later…
James and Sirius rode their horses into Maidenpool, the largest port in the Riverlands where they would get a ship to Volantis or to another port and make the rest of the way there. Its pink walls honestly made the two of them laugh, I mean who has defensive walls and has them in that colour? James thought as he rode into town.
Shrunken trunks carrying all the things they might need and magic mirrors for communication were stowed in their saddle bags and finding the harbour-master they asked him.
"Are there any ships heading in the direction of Volantis?" James asked and the rather harried looking man looked ready to snap at them before he noticed how well dressed they were and realised they were at least connected to a noble house, now replying in a more polite voice.
"There is a ship leaving in morning, the Seastar." He said pointing to a galley a short way down the docks and James nodded.
"Thank you." He told the man and let him get back to his work, Sirius and he started to walk towards the berth in question when he noticed a woman in septa robes being accosted by sailors. He was going to ignore it but a nagging feeling in the back of his mind started pulling at him and with a look to Sirius he sighed before going to help. When they got closer they heard what was being said.
"Come on love!" One of the sailors was saying as he pulled at her robes. "Just come and have a drink with us!" Another then said something far more suggestive as he tried to cop a feel of her rather fine looking ass through the robes.
"We'll show you what you're missing."
"Get lost!" The septa shouted and actually punched one of the sailors straight in the throat before kicking another in the groin. That would have been enough to get James and Sirius to admire her strength when suddenly they were struck by the familiarity of that voice. One that they remembered from another life in another world, not as familiar as some but one they knew well from being in the same school and later in the same department.
The sailors however took her attempt to get away badly and struck her, one ripped off her cowl and long brilliant red hair spilled out. James and Sirius broke into a run as they realised they knew this woman, seeing them coming the sailors instantly took off. The septa now with the beginning of a black eye turned to glare at them, her anger still burning when her expression went straight to shock.
"James? Sirius?" She asked not sure she could believe her eyes at the sight of two men she had thought friends.
"Amelia Bones, what the hell are you doing here?" James asked.
-x-
They had moved to a tavern and all sat huddled around a table as they talked.
"I woke up here after Voldemort murdered me." Amelia said with disgust at the vicious thug, glad Susan hadn't been there as goodness only knows what could have happened to her. "I was born to a blacksmith and his wife but since I can't get a wand my only choices in life were the brothels or...this." She said gesturing to her septa robes.
James nodded in sympathy, it had been extreme good luck that he had been born into this world as a noble. Sirius had it rough being born to a common-folk but at least as a man he might get somewhere if he got lucky and worked his ass off...maybe as a sellsword or a knight if he was really lucky. Amelia however, she had no chance of getting anywhere as a commoner and more pressingly a woman. And James realised with a slight smile for a tough and ambitious woman like her that would be pure torture.
Sirius too was sympathetic, glad he had met James and Lily when he did. That was when he had a brainwave.
"You should come with us to Volantis and then back to Godric's Hollow, we can get you a new wand and I know Lily would love to have her friend back." Sirius suggested, an eagerness in his voice which nearly made James frown. Amelia looked surprised but the chance to have her magic back and be free of the environment she was stuck in was too good to pass up. James worried briefly this might bring trouble with the Seven if they 'kidnapped' a Septa after what had happened to all the septs but what did it really matter.
Amelia however seemed to anticipate his worries, she shook her head and explained with a slightly mocking look.
"It happens all the time, septas running off with men when they realise what they are giving up. Not to mention being as far away from the lecherous old Septons who often took advantage of septas as they had no voice in what they decided." She said with a shiver. It had taken all her cunning to avoid this happening to her as with her long red hair, perfect ass, plentiful curves and large tits she had seen many men staring at her.
James smiled, convinced and said. "Welcome aboard, we should probably get you some new clothes though." He added seeing how the robes clung to her impressive curves and considerable chest, for a religion that decried sex before marriage they didn't have a problem with making the women walk around on display he thought mockingly.
Amelia nodded and said glad to be free of these robes.
"Can't you trans-configure them into something else?" She said, he'd done it for Lily before. James thought for a moment and nodded. They got up from their table and walked out of the tavern, James turned to Sirius as they walked.
"Come with us to Volantis? She could just go to Godric's Hollow right now, what is all this about Sirius?" James asked with a suspicious look before a thought popped into his head. "Is it just the company or something more?"
"I don't know what you mean Prongs." Sirius said which was surprisingly stern, meaning don't ask any more questions. James didn't continue but kept wondering if this had more to do with the fact that prior to his framing and arrest, Sirius had been planning to propose to Amelia.
"Do you think Remus might be here too?" Sirius suddenly asked, probably to change the subject and James was tempted to keep on asking about Amelia but decided to let the matter drop for now.
"Maybe but all of us were murdered so if he lived a full life and I really hope he did...out of all of us he deserved it most after all he went through." James said thinking on the only other true Marauder that had meant a damn. "Then perhaps not, if he did end up here there's no way to tell. He might be in Westeros, maybe he's half the world away or more."
Sirius sighed wondering if James was right, but also his thoughts dwelt on Amelia as James transformed her Septa robes into a nice pair of breeches, a shirt and a cloak. He wondered briefly if maybe they had all been sent here to have a second chance.
Unknown Location, A Few Weeks Later…
The ship was rocked by harsh seas as it made its way around a rather violent storm, nearly all the crew and passengers were all feeling very seasick as they struggled to stay upright below decks rather than be thrown out of hammocks or sliding around the deck. Never had any of the magic users missed broomsticks before but right now they would kill to have them as opposed to staying on this blasted ship.
James and Amelia struggled not to throw up again as their stomachs heaved, they had not found their sea legs as it were and had not managed to keep down anything in days.
Sirius however was smirking his way to dinner, while the constant rocking was a bit of struggle for him it was not so much that he lost his food and drink. He only grinned as they threw up into their buckets which caused them the moment they looked up to give him death glares which of course only made him grin wider.
The next day though it finally settled down and they went up on deck, fog surrounded the ship leaving it impossible to see anything but over the fog the sound of gulls could be heard. That meant they must finally be close to land, a sigh of great relief coming to the faces of James and Amelia as it meant they could put their feet back on solid ground at last. Seeing the fog eventually part they were greeted with the sight of Volantis and its immense harbour before them.
It was huge they all thought with astonishment, easily ten times bigger than Maidenpool! It had a vast array of ships docked here from different parts of the world and the harbour was so vast it took quite a while for them to dock and finally step onto the quay. The sheer scale of everything going on was a sight to behold as they walked into the city through in the enormous wharf, bombarded by all the smells, sights and smells around them. James stopped as the sheer size of the city dawned on him and he realised they were going to need to find some local information to even get started on their mission.
"We should try the local taverns, information flows easily in places with drink." Amelia said as she looked around, drawing on her instincts as an auror. Pubs or places like it were always a good place to find information as it brought a lot of people together and got them drunk.
"Agreed." James and Sirius said looking around them and seeing what they could of the city spread out into the distance.
So they wandered the local area and soon found a busy looking tavern and wandered in, there was a fair amount of drinking and drunken fighting, laughing and talking going on and more than a few men stared lustfully at Amelia who gave them a harsh glare which instantly made them turn their attention to the serving girls who were far more friendly.
James and Sirius quickly cast a translation charm on one of the serving girls as she went past and quickly James asked.
"Hello, we need someone who really knows Volantis and whatever is going on. Anyone around here like that?"
The serving girl didn't speak but instead pointed to a Valyrian man sitting in a quiet corner on the other side of the bar, James nodded and pressed a gold dragon into her hand which she gratefully took before going about her work. The threesome quickly made their way over and he was thankfully not drunk, he looked up at them with sober and suspicious eyes so Sirius got to the point.
"Hello, we are in need of some local knowledge. Word is that you are the right man." Sirius said with a calm smile. The man who as they noticed was Valyrian with his silver hair and violet eyes and they estimated he must be around thirty looked at them curiously before answering.
"Maybe, but I'll be leaving this city soon so I don't know how much use it will be to you." He spoke in the common tongue of Westeros which surprised them although it was a bonus. "Ettas, painter and social pariah of Volantis at your service." The man said with a mocking sarcasm that made him sound very bitter.
A painter, James thought with glee. That was perfect, Lily was looking for people to come and teach at her art school and if this man was a decent artist and a social pariah in need of somewhere to go like he hoped then it would be a blessing for them.
"What sort of paintings to do you do?" James asked, surprising Amelia and Sirius who had been ready to ask for about the things they wanted to know. Ettas looked a bit confused himself at the question but answered.
"I have done both portraits and landscapes, I have also dabbled in sculptures but recently alas I painted a realistic but unflattering portrait of a wife to an influential merchant in the city so my skills are no longer in favour. Myself and my apprentice will be leaving for Myr on the next tide in hopes of finding a new patron." Ettas said with a sad smile, he didn't want to leave his home but with no way to make his livelihood here he would have to leave.
James sensing an opportunity to find not only the local help they needed but also a useful addition to their community back home decided to make his suggestion.
"We are from Westeros in search of new trades for our homeland's industries but we also run an art school or will do once it is ready. We need someone who can teach and it would give you and your apprentice a fresh start in our country. Would you consider coming to Godric's Hollow?" He asked straight up.
Ettas was surprised at the invitation and it would be good he thought sadly to have somewhere to go where his art might be appreciated, save him and his apprentice wandering in search of a patron while their small coin purse grew smaller. The merchant he had offended knew many people in Essos so he was going to make it hard wherever they went, Westeros however was literally a fresh start.
If he could trust them.
"How do I know this is real?" He asked suspiciously, they looked between each other and Amelia said.
"You're going to have to go somewhere else anyway and what would have to gain by fooling you? Not to mention it will save you money as we will pay for your travel." She said simply, straight to the point.
Ettas thought for a moment, not sure about this but with nowhere else to go and few options left he agreed. Nodding his head they smiled at his agreement and James asked.
"Now before we leave, there are a few questions we need to ask. Do you know where we might find a few sellswords willing to come to Westeros and teach men how to fight?"
-x-
A few hours later Sirius and Amelia were outside Volantis to check on a small camp near its walls, Ettas had told them it belonged to a very small sellsword company which had skills in the areas they most needed and was desperate enough that they might accept the chance to settle in Westeros even in the short term.
It was a typical camp they saw as they came closer, rows of tents with people moving between them and surprisingly there were women and children too. The pair looked at them with confusion, it was very rare to see what appeared to be families living in a sellsword camp or in fact a military camp of any kind.
"I'll speak to them." Amelia said with a strange look on her face. Sirius looked annoyed.
"Were supposed to be hiring them, we should talk to the leader." However Amelia frowned at him and said with a stern look.
"Women talk to each other and gossip is the best thing for getting information on what is going on in the camp." She told him without missing a beat. "Give me an hour and oh...I need to borrow your wand."
"What?" Sirius shocked and was so surprised that he couldn't react when she quickly took the wand and walked as bold as brass into the camp and up to a group of women that were washing clothes. While he couldn't hear what she was saying within no time Amelia was chatting away to them like they had known each other for years.
"How does she do that?" He said in amazement, no wonder she had risen to Head of the Aurors.
-x-
While this was going on James was accompanying Ettas around the markets of Volantis in search of other things that might be useful to their town back home, there were many but actually transplanting them to Westeros would be something he would need to discuss with his parents and Lily. Some would need special glasshouses constructing to grow like choco beans or coffee beans to say nothing of other exotic fruits.
To that end he had started small and made notes of things to pursue later, with Ettas' help he had managed to find a seller of animals and discovered a few powerful Dothraki stallions and mares they could use for their breeding program, a new species of auroch and a fine pair of Essos hawks that had set him back a bit of gold but it would be a start. The animals had already been taken back to Godric's Hollow via portkey secretly to save carrying them on a long voyage and right now he was just walking around to see if there was anything else worth doing before he met up with Sirius and Amelia.
He had been in a good mood until he saw a group of men and women in chains riding inside a wagon with bars.
Slaves he thought with disgust at the idea of someone being treated like that, something that had made him very glad to be born in Westeros where it was illegal...yes some would say that the commonfolk were little more than slaves but they could at least wander were they chose even if it was difficult. These people had no such privilege, Ettas saw the expression on his face and asked.
"What is it?"
James turned and asked.
"Where are those slaves going?"
Ettas grimaced already as he recognised the symbol on the side of the cart.
"Lace and Silk weavers for the workhouses, they'll be worked to death to make silk and lace for the elite of this city."
James's expression grew even more stormy as he absorbed those words and in a manner that he passed down to his son decided to jump head-first into the situation and started running after the cart with Ettas in worried pursuit. Thankfully he reached the slow moving cart quickly and with a quick look around to check no one could see him, James whipped out his wand and stunned the driver. James didn't wait around, leaping onto the cart and Ettas looking very uncomfortable joined him. James pushed the unconscious slaver off the cart but not before grabbing the very large pouch of gold coins at his waist and wiping his memory.
He drove the cart into a side street and out of sight before stopping it and jumping off, Ettas caught up to him and finally asked.
"Are you mad?" He said with fear in his eyes. "The Masters will have both our heads for this!"
"Not where we're going, slavery is illegal in Westeros and we need new trades for our home. Silk and lace weaving could be a great earner." James told him with a smile, keeping to himself the real reason he was doing this...simply to free some people from chains. He went around to the back and asked the slaves as he opened the cage and freed one of them, a man with darker skin from his chains.
"Would you be willing to come and apply your trade in Westeros as free men and women? Be paid for your silk and lace once we have the means to make it?"
The man looked stunned and quickly started asking around his fellows while giving James and Ettas suspicious looks but they seemed to know where they were going if they stayed. Eventually after a short but intense discussion their apparent leader turned to James and nodded their agreement.
-x-
Sirius leaned against the tree as he waited for Amelia's return, she'd been gone for nearly an hour and he was started to get worried when he suddenly felt a wooden tip pressing at his neck.
"You've gotten sloppy Sirius." Amelia said with a smirk and his wand in her hand before taking it away and walking over to sit in front of him. Sirius stinging a bit from being called sloppy and quickly pulled at her wrist and pulled her into his lap now smirking himself at her surprise.
"You sure?" He asked with his grin turning slightly lustful as he felt her tight arse against his groin and her considerable curves, he wondered briefly if her niece had been the same as her aunt in the curves department and if the Harry in the other world had noticed? No he thought sad that his godson had would have been too noble to think of such things.
"Behave." Amelia said as she punched him lightly in the shoulder but he noticed the sides of her mouth struggling not to twitch upwards and made no attempt get out of his hold. "Do you want to know what I found out? Or not?"
"Not sure, I rather like where we are right now." Sirius said with a relaxed and suggestive look in his eyes, that did make Amelia smile a tiny bit as well but she was too business like to stay like that when their was work to be done he thought sadly.
"The company is ruled by a nasty piece of work that got most of the company killed the last war, nearly two hundred men. Now only one hundred are left with their families who the thug holds hostage. If a sellsword dies then their family is sold into slavery, if we get rid of the thug and his men then they will follow us back to Westeros, a hundred highly skilled soldiers." She told them losing her small smile as she told him what she had learnt. He too stopped as he was confronted with the worst human being he had so far encountered in this world from the sounds of it. He gently took his wand back and asked.
"And how pray do we do that? I assume he's good with a sword, I'm fairly good at it but enough to take on him and other men by myself. No chance." Sirius said, Amelia then surprised him by laughing.
"Oh Sirius you are precious." Amelia said her smile now back but with a sharp calculating edge to it. "Who said anything about playing fair?"
-x-
After Amelia had explained her plan to him Sirius wondered for a moment if he was doomed to be attracted to diabolical geniuses...or at least at their mercy he thought with a slight wince. He hadn't even agreed to this yet somehow he found himself standing with sword in hand facing the sellsword leader and his thugs who were talking and laughing at him. Sirius was outnumbered and probably outskilled, he honestly gritted his teeth at the odds against him.
Until Amelia who was concealed nearby (with his wand...again he thought annoyed) used some of the quickest charm work he had ever seen, hitting all ten of them with a strong confusion charm and then only a moment later with the Dancing Feet jinx. This made them dance uncontrollably and only made them more confused when they couldn't stop, and helpless as Sirius came at them with his sword.
It was almost pitiful had they not been such horrible human beings, unable to stop dancing or concentrate enough to defend themselves as he stabbed them in the gut. It was over in a couple of minutes and Amelia cancelled the spells and the thugs fell to the floor bleeding profusely.
Sirius sighed and wiped his blade clean on one of their cloaks and looked up to see Amelia coming up to him followed by the sellswords and their families who all looked at him with awe, he had in their eyes slaughtered the bastards that had controlled them all for so long it was like a dream.
And one by one, they knelt before them.
Amelia and Sirius were slightly taken-aback by this but while Sirius was a bit uncomfortable with people kneeling to him, Amelia was inwardly smirking as her plan had worked just as she had hoped. Now all that remained was to get them back to Westeros.
Two Months Later…
The cooler air of Westeros was a big relief to James, Sirius and Amelia when they finally arrived back although with the former slaves and Lost Legion including their families at their sides. The sight of Lily at the gates was enough to make James leap off his horse and run over to her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her for all they were worth.
James was so glad to be home after their foreign adventure, the fact that he had managed to bring back a few things that would improve this house's finances forgotten as he held his wife.
Lily then noticed Amelia and her eyes widened briefly in disbelief before rushing over and giving her a crushing hug.
"Amelia!" Lily cried in joyous surprise and dragged her inside the castle walls leaving James, Sirius and James' parents to handle their new arrivals.
Lily and Amelia soon found a quiet room in the keep to themselves and filled each other in on their lives here so far, however soon they started talking about the future.
"Those silk workers James brought back won't be able to do much without silk, that means we have to find some and fine cotton for the lace weavers." Amelia said and Lily smiled getting swept up in the plotting.
"And dyes so we can offer different colours, I also had the thought that maybe we try and get hold of some spices and fruits from abroad to cultivate in the glasshouses here perhaps from the Summer Isles. Maybe we can even experiment with them and some magic?"
They were silent for a moment before they suddenly started laughing and with warm eyes Lily said.
"I missed you."
"Me too." Amelia said glad to be with her best friend again, it was a shame that Alice couldn't be here with them but it had been nothing short of a miracle that the four of them had found each other. Perhaps there were others out there but they had no way of finding them. "I saw you son, the one in the other world. He stood tall and weathered the abuse hurled at him by the ministry, I am sure he grew into a fine young man."
That brought a tear to Lily's eyes as she thought about her other son, the one she had no chance to raise but could take some comfort in the fact he had apparently grown into a young man she could be proud of. Anything else that might have been said was interrupted by Ettas entering the room, both women got up and Amelia introduced him.
"This is Ettas, a Volantis painter and sculpture looking for a fresh start and willing to put his talents towards your school. He was a great help to us in Volantis."
"Greetings my lady." Ettas said looking her over with a careful eye. "Would you be convinced to pose for some portraits? A lady of your beauty would be a fine subject."
Lily laughed gently at that and said with her smile wide.
"Of course and my friend Amelia will too I assure you." She added causing Amelia to look at her with exasperation which only made her laugh again.
-x-
The following day Harry smiled as he saw the men his father and Sirius had brought back with their brilliant armour start to train their men to be a more powerful and diverse fighting force, he would start training with them soon too as one day they would be his troops and he would need to know what they could and couldn't do, not to mention he saw they were amazing with their swords and he smiled, dreaming of fighting alongside them with the Sword of Godric in his hand.
A musical chirp however interrupted his daydream and he turned to see a beautiful bird staring at him, Harry was immediately struck by the vibrant and beautiful feathers and plumage of the Phoenix. He had been taken to the tower constructed for them and seen the amazing creatures before, he smiled and reached out gently stroking the Phoenix which sang its approval at his actions.
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