Of course, after the soul-binding contract had been signed and the family reunited for the first time in a thousand years, it seemed only one course of action was left to take...Celebration. Night had soon fallen and the large fire in the centre of the camp was the main source of light, the torches around camp only being of little help compared to the fire. A small fire was not too far away from the large one, roasting the food while the servants prepared a large banquet table and some even sat around the fire and played music. Nakers, cittern, tambourine, bells, recorders, flutes, harp, pipes and tabor, all instruments were present at the celebration and livened up the camp greatly as everyone was dancing and drinking around the fire. Even the servants making the food were drinking and laughing but not forgetting about their job. Everyone from royals, to soldiers, to council members, to healers and servants, were all celebrating. Since becoming of age, one thousand and eight hundred, in captivity or banishment, the boys had never had wine or mead before so Loki made sure to watch them that night, not wanting to stop them from celebrating, especially since the coming of age a male made the mistake of drinking too much the first time, it was a rite of passage. Loki just wanted to make sure they stayed safe and didn't do anything rash such as change into their animal forms and destroy the camp.

Loki also, however, had to keep eyes on his daughters, swearing at one-point Hela gave Dahlia some wine and although he allowed her half a goblet, he wouldn't put it past Hela to smuggle her sister some more for the celebration. He didn't mind too much, after all it was part of being siblings but what he wasn't happy about was seeing Hela and Falcon together again. Lingering touches, dancing where his hand was a little too low or they stood a little too close to one another. What he found when he looked around, however, was that no one batted an eyelid the way Hela and Falcon were with one another. He knew his eldest daughter was of age, of age to drink, of age to travel, for goodness sake she's a Queen and a Goddess but it also meant she was of age to marry and he could not allow that. When he looked at her, he still saw the sweet little girl who would run up to him and beg for a magic trick, he still saw the little girl who would come to him with tears in her eyes when someone was mean to her, knowing her father would make her smile again. She is, and would always be, his little girl and it was impossible for her to be in love. He was all too happy when Hela left dancing with Falcon and went to sit with Dahlia on a log in front of the fire. His youngest clearly tired of dancing and the celebration as he knew it took a drain on her with the poison still being in her system.

Hela was most certainly enjoying herself and when she looked around, it seemed everyone else was as well. Fenrir was drinking and laughing with the soldiers and dancing with the odd girl or two, Jörmungandr drinking not quite as much as their older brother but enough for him to be having a good time, talking his way around the camp, even their father worked his way around the camp asking god knows what Hela can imagine. It was when she saw her sister, sat on the log looking tired, did she decide to stop dancing with Falcon and join her. Falcon kissed her hand before letting her go.

Joining her sister, she sat as close as possible, taking a sip of her wine while Dahlia had juice, she asked, "how're you feeling?"

"Fine," Dahlia answered but Hela raised her brows and her little sister sighed and answered truthfully, "it only hurts a little now, I promise. I still feel tired though, shocking for someone who was unconscious for two days".

Hela hummed and responded, "yeah you'll feel like that for a few days. Tired because of the poison but the pain from the wound should fade within the next week or so if you keep taking the potions".

Dahlia nodded, "can I ask you something?"

"Of course,".

Dahlia gestured her head to the other side of the fire and Hela glanced to see the founders talking but what she did see was that Rowena kept glancing up to the castle and didn't seemed as involved in the conversation as the two others did. Dahlia asked, "what's the story? I mean at my birthday ball when I brought up Slytherin, it seemed to upset her in a way, Lady Ravenclaw. Now, she looks up at the castle as if she wants to go inside but is scared".

Hela nodded as she looked down to her goblet for a moment then looked to her sister and said, "I always seem to forget that this world twists truths over time, that as time goes on truth becomes stories and some become lost".

"What do you mean?"

"Well to the wizarding world, the stories of Merlin and Morgan Le Fay, the story of the founders, which I know you know some of the changes from the ball, they've been twisted over time".

"In what way?" Dahlia asked as she turned to sit looking at her sister.

"Like...Morgan was never truly evil".

"WHAT?" Dahlia exclaimed and saw several people look at her and she gave them all a nervous smile as they then looked away.

Hela couldn't help but laugh at her reaction and said, "wait until I finish the story. Merlin and Morgan are actually a part of my council, along with the founders they represent the magical community of this world. Anyway, in life both came to Hogwarts within the first generation of the school opening so they came in a time of peace between the founders. Both were Slytherins and both very powerful, so much that that they were drawn to each other".

Dahlia opened her mouth in shock, wanting to ask but closed her mouth knowing her sister wanted her to wait until the end.

"By drawn I do mean romantically. Back in those days, this country was separated between kings and Morgan's mother was the Lady Ygraine. Her father died and her mother went on to marry the King of Camelot, Uther Pendragon, and gave birth to a son, Arthur. Lady Ygraine wasn't a witch but Morgan's father was a wizard; they had no school back then, they were taught at home what their parents knew. When the school was made, it was the first of its kind and Lady Ygraine happily sent her daughter as she couldn't teach her. Arthur, obviously, wasn't a wizard due to both of his parents being Muggles. Morgan and Merlin were taught by Salazar Slytherin himself but it was revealed that when Morgan turned twelve, she inherited a gift from her father's side, a gift of sight. She was a Seer, still is in a way. She began to have visions of the future and the founders tried to help her control them, only Rowena had ever had any knowledge of having the sight but never as powerful as this. As the years went by, Merlin and Morgan grew close and began to court in their final two years at Hogwarts but the visions only grew worse as time passed. She became a healer, was very skilled at healing and even became an Animagus, a crow. After leaving Hogwarts, they were going to get married but her visions got worse until she had a vision that sent her over the edge. She saw a little girl, a witch, seven years old burning for being a witch. She was begging her parents to help her but they were Muggles and feared her and as they burned her, they said it was law that any witch be burned".

Dahlia gasped and placed a hand over her mouth.

"Morgan ran back to Hogwarts to ask Slytherin for help but he didn't know how to help, he had heard that witches and wizards were being prosecuted but it wasn't the law. She stayed at the castle for a time and Slytherin forbid Merlin from entering, Morgan didn't want to see him because he had just taken up a position in Arthur's court. She couldn't trust him. Slytherin and Morgan began to look into old dark magic, trying to find a way to stop what was to come, to shield their kind, but they were delving into magic no one should touch. Morgan left the castle and searched for other witches and wizards to help her learn more and she was determined to bring about the end of any king, including her brother, that could make her vision to come true. In the end, Morgan became so far from the healer she was once, sacrificial magic, dark magic was what she was now known for. Merlin became a source of light, attempting to stop Morgan, but many believed it to be because he hated her, when really, he just wanted to save her from her own magic. It became a deadly battle at the end, Arthur and Merlin wanting to end his sister's reign of terror and the battle of Camlann ended all of that. Mordred, a wizard helping Morgan, mortally wounded Arthur but Arthur killed him and when Morgan tried to finish, Merlin had to kill her. He apologised and said he did it for her and he wished he could have saved her and with her dying breath, she told him to save the girl".

"Did he?" Dahlia asked eagerly and with a shake of her sister's head, she asked, "what happened?"

"It was the beginning of my reign and because of the crimes Morgan committed, she had to go to Mareritt but she didn't have a long sentence as her intentions behind everything were to save people. I made her a member of my council and one by one, the founders came and joined the council and finally Merlin came. It took a few years but they fell in love again and have been together ever since".

"And the little girl, her reason behind everything?"

Hela nodded, "August 7th 1591, her name was Isabel Henwick, or Isabel Ambrosius as she is now. Turns out, Morgan had a vision five hundred years before it was due to occur".

"But...but why give her a vision she couldn't stop?" Dahlia asked confused and felt sympathy for the dark witch.

Hela shrugged, "I don't know, but when the little girl came to Niflheim, she was so lost, so confused at what her parents did to her. Falcon told me before he guided her to Niflheim and I told Morgan and Merlin. I remember the day, as if it was yesterday. Morgan was crying while holding the little girl, apologising that she couldn't save her and Isabel was just confused. Not knowing why, the parents that said they loved her would kill her. They took her in immediately, adopted her, and she became their daughter. When her parents came to Niflheim, Isabel wanted nothing to do with them, becoming quite the witch with her parents help and nothing could tear the family of three apart. They did have quite the introduction to the afterlife from Morgan though".

Both girls laughed at Hela remembering just what Morgan did while Dahlia was imagining what Morgan would do to the people who killed her now daughter and how she spent almost all of her life trying to stop it from happening. No one can truly measure the rage that comes with a mother's love.

Dahlia then glanced to Rowena and asked, "so, what of Lady Ravenclaw?"

"Well, their stories are entwined which is why I told you. Firstly, Rowena and Salazar were, are still, in love".

Dahlia almost choked when she took a sip of her drink and said, "excuse me, I thought I just heard you say they're in love".

"Still in love," Hela corrected, "he may now be in Mareritt because of his descendant's actions but that doesn't stop them loving each other. He actually walked into Mareritt with his head held high after telling her he loved her. Like you've been told, he regrets the teachings he passed on. You know the story of the school being built but what's kept out of the story is that of Rowena and Salazar. They fell in love while building the school, a love that they were constantly arguing, having debates but wouldn't let anyone hurt the other. They never married, Rowena was too proud to give up her name and she didn't really care what people thought of them being together. Anyway, when Morgan joined the school and began to have visions, both founders worked together to try to help her but they never succeeded. With her constant dreams, she had to be given a room of her own as she would scream in her sleep. Salazar was always cautious of those without magic knowing about her after hearing that people, children, were being killed for having magic. You already know of the Basilisk. It seemed that Salazar seemed to take Morgan's visions more seriously than the others so when she came back and told him of the vision of Isabel, it's then that he began to disagree with the other founders and conflict started. His reasoning, he and Rowena had a daughter".

"No" Dahlia said in disbelief.

Hela nodded, "the Grey Lady, Ravenclaw ghost".

"She's their daughter?"

Hela nodded, "Helena Ravenclaw. She was only a baby when Morgan came back and told Salazar and after she left, Salazar became obsessed with finding a way of protecting the castle and that involved dark arts. He began to hate Muggle, never wanted to see them, and saw Muggle-borns as threats, spies that could end them. He only ever thought of Morgan's vision and he saw his own daughter in the flames and couldn't let that happen. Helena was four when the founders told Salazar to leave and he had to be forced, not wanting to leave Rowena and Helena. Rowena wouldn't allow dark magic to surround her daughter and that's what was happening. He left, never returning but practising dark magic elsewhere and even met a dark witch that he had a son with, that's where his current line comes from. He never loved her, it was just a matter of power".

"So, Helena and Rowena never saw him again?"

Hela answered, "Rowena had a hard time raising her daughter without Salazar, she struggled to look at her daughter as she has Salazar's eyes. She loves Helena but Rowena focused more on the school, it was the only way to deal with her heartbreak. Helena grew up and saw her mothers distance and ran away. Rowena was ill and dying so she sent a man, the one you call the Bloody Baron, to bring her back but he killed her instead and then killed himself. Rowena saw the ghost of her daughter and a second later, she died. Salazar found out about Rowena's illness and snuck back into the castle just as she died. He saw her body but when it came to Helena, she refused to see him and Godric and Helga kept him from her. He left and a few months later he died through a dark spell. Turns out, the witch he had a son with wasn't a fan of being second best and killed him. He came to Niflheim, spent a few years in Mareritt for the murders he committed using dark magic then became a part of my council and he and Rowena reunited".

"But Helena never went to Niflheim?"

"No. They've watched over her but Helena clung to this world strongly enough that she stayed in the form of a ghost. That's why Rowena wants to see her but is scared of entering the castle in case Helena hates her".

Looking back to Lady Ravenclaw, Dahlia had a whole new perception of the founder. Almost everyone who attends Hogwarts believes Ravenclaw to be a woman who was strict, firm, cared more about intelligence and grades then anything, or as some people would say, the founder who had the least fun. Now she was told the story, she felt truly sorry for the founder, her love, her daughter both taken from her and even in death they weren't whole. It surely answered Dahlia's question why Rowena seemed hesitant to answer any questions regarding Slytherin at the ball. Watching the founders, she saw Helga ask Rowena if she was okay and after nodding, Rowena left and went back to a tent to be alone. It made Dahlia question if her father was in a similar way when he lost them but he was all alone in his cell. Her thoughts then went to her sister, surrounded by all these people having lost everyone to death, banishment or imprisonment. Of course, there was the year of sorrow and thinking about her sister, she finally realises, she doesn't know enough about what happened that year.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Avada Kedavra" the green light shot and-

Dahlia shot up in bed sweating, the silk pyjamas clinging to her as she ran her hands though her hair. She looked around to see her sister asleep beside while Fenrir was in wolf form on the floor, clearly not wanting to sleep in the bed with him being too big. She saw her father asleep on the couch in the sitting area with a book on his chest but she couldn't find Jörmungandr. The covers to the other bed were pushed away, showing clearly that he had left. Nervously, she put her dressing gown on and slippers that were at the side of the bed and left the royal tent. The celebration outside was clearly over but the fire was still lit, giving off the heat and light many of them craved. The majority of the people from Niflheim had gone to sleep but there was a circle of soldiers surrounding the camp, ready for an attack.

As she walked through the camp looking for her brother, it seemed there was no sign of him in camp so she had to go out of camp. When she went to the entrance, however, she saw Akio on the floor meditating, holding his sword in his palms, as if balancing the weight with his eyes closed, and she tried to sneak past him but was unsuccessful. Just as soon as she was to pass him, he threw his sword up in the air then pointed it in front of her, blocking her from moving forward. "Bed," he said.

She sighed, frustrated, and said, "you're not my father".

"No," he said opening his eyes and looking to her as he jumped and stood, putting his sword to his waist, "I am the man your sister and now your father have assigned to protect you. So, if that means stopping you from leaving camp, then so be it".

"I'm looking for my brother," she said, hoping he'd now let her leave, "he's not in the tent and I can't find him anywhere. There's soldiers surrounding the camp so if he left, you must have seen him".

Akio gave a single nod and said, "lake" and then turned and gestured for her to walk. Of course, he followed her after a few feet and she knew better than to argue as he'd follow her either way.

Walking towards the lake, she saw her brother's shirt, pants and shoes by the side of the lake. Thankfully, Akio kept his distance and it was clear why as her brother was in the lake, clearly in only his underwear but the water was up to his chest. She walked up to the water's edge and was about to shout for him when she saw faces pop from the water, and these weren't the Merpeople she knew lived in the lake. They were exceptionally beautiful; all different colours and lengths of hair and Dahlia could swear she saw a male or two amongst them which she thought didn't exist. She could tell they were Sirens, she learned about them but they were native to Greece where the water was warm. They'd trap sailors in the water with their beautiful voices before pulling them deep into the water and devouring them.

A Siren swam close to her brother, along with a much smaller one Dahlia would think to be a child. Both were female from Dahlia's guess and looked similar so probably mother and daughter, but it's when they began to sing, the song similar to the Merpeople's song from the egg last year that Dahlia wanted to shout out to her brother to save him. She reached for her waist but both her wand and dagger were back in the tent and she scolded herself for forgetting them. "Jörmungandr, get away from them!" she shouted.

Luckily, her brother turned but so did all of the Sirens to look at her. He didn't come back, however, but turned back to the Sirens and spoke to them before swimming back to his sister. He was about ten feet away when he said, "it's okay, they won't hurt me".

"They're Sirens".