Aoife and the Druid's Wand

Chapter 4

"Vacation"

The next month passed swiftly and blissfully for Ceithlinn. Ron's grades improved and each tutoring session was sealed with a kiss. Quidditch was going great. Their first match was against Slytherin and they were able to beat them because of the Chaser's great teamwork and a breathtaking dive on Harry's part.

Christmas time soon rolled around and Ceithlinn had to make a huge decision. Should she stay and spend time with Ginny, Ron, and the rest of the gang; or should she return home as she normally did? This question resulted in a whole discussion in her head.

"What should I do?"

"Well think about it. You could spend time with your friend and boyfriend, or you could go home and spend time with family."

"That's the problem! I don't know which!"

"You damn idiot! Don't you want to see the reaction your boyfriend has toward your present?"

"I guess so."

"Come on! Every year you go back home, it is time for a change and you know it."

"Fine! Then it's decided. I'll stay."

The inner argument broke off and Ceithlinn thought, "I really have to stop arguing with myself. It's probably not healthy."

But she still went along with her decision by sending an owl via Fiannoala telling her family that this year she would be remaining at Hogwarts.

Ron seemed rather happy when she announced that she would be staying this year. Ginny and Ron came to her ordering Ceithlinn not to "peek" at her gifts. She swore she would not with a grin on her face. Both had eyed her suspiciously then went on their way.

That first day of Christmas break while everyone was leaving; Ceithlinn and Ginny (Ginny was there by force) could be found in the library doing their homework. Ceith's reasoning was: "If we do all our homework today, then we get it done and over with."

All Ginny's response had been was a cough that sounded suspiciously like: "Nerd."

After that first day, the days before Christmas Eve were pretty uneventful. On one of the days before the holiday, the remaining students were allowed to venture out into Hogsmeade to do some last minute Christmas shopping. Ceithlinn got presents for Ginny, her Prefect leaders (Hermione and Harry), and of course her boyfriend. For Ron she had picked out a red chocolate heart. The card she had taped on the top and it read:

Happy Christmas Ron!

As you can see...I resisted the temptation of eating your Christmas present! Isn't that impressive?

Yours truly,

Ceithlinn

P.S

Kiss included

~~~~~~

On Christmas Eve when everyone was sleeping, the house elves took the wrapped presents that had been placed at the foot of the giver's bed and delivered them to their respective receivers. In the morning Ceithlinn was woken by an excited bouncing Ginny.

"Wake up! Wake up!"

"Alright! I'm up! Happy Christmas to you too Ginny," Ceithlinn said sleepily and somewhat crankily. She was definitely not a "morning person".

Despite being tired she got up anyway to look at her gifts. Most of her family gave her interesting books or pieces of paper promising to take her shopping over the summer. Other members of her family gave her magical objects that were quite handy for everyday purposes, such as a new, popular, magical spell-checker for essays or letters and other such things. From Ginny was a whole basketful of chocolates. From Ron she got a large tome that was all about the history of Quidditch and included all wins and losses of all the teams. Inserted into the tome was a long, romantic poem that Ceithlinn and Ginny giggled over.

They made their way down to the Common room where most of the people who had decided to stay were thanking those who had given them gifts.

As soon as she was in the view of the people in the Common room she heard a very excited voice proclaim, "Thanks Ceithlinn!" followed by a fierce hug by someone quite tall and strong. It took her a few seconds to realize it was Ron who was hugging her and repeating: "Thank you" over and over again. She replied, "Uhhh...you're welcome. And thank you for the book, it looks interesting."

The day continued to be festive and cheery, with Ron hardly leaving her side. He usually had his arm around her or was holding her hand. They looked exactly as a happy school-days couple should look. In the afternoon after they ate lunch Ceithlinn made a trip to her room to get her tarot cards so that she could read the student's fortune for entertainment. She usually kept her Seer's stuff underneath her bed in a small chest. As she crouched on the floor and stuck her hand beneath the bed to grope for the box, her hand hit something small that made a slight crinkling noise as her fingers hit it. Ceithlinn grabbed the unknown object and drew it out slowly. It was a small thin package. She slowly tore the shiny wrapping off and noticed a note that was neatly wrapped around the box. She pulled it off and began to read:

Ceithlinn,

This wand has been passed down from Headmaster to Headmaster (or Headmistress as the case sometimes is). I possess no knowledge of its history or the powers in it. I know nothing of it other than its name. It is called The Wand of Aoife. I felt a strong inclination to gift this wand into your protection, for I sense that you can better protect it than i. If you know anything of it can you please let me know, for I am quite intrigued.

It stopped there, giving it an unfinished feeling. She set aside the note and cautiously opened the box. What she found inside was a fairly surprising to her. It looked like a perfectly ordinary wand that was in good shape, until she picked it up. The wand flashed brightly once in warning and then calmed down, as if recognizing her. She felt the age in it, old, complex, and very powerful. She placed the wand back in it's small box, reached under her bed and drew out her Seer's chest, unlocked it with a special spell only she knew, and placed the wand inside while also pulling out her tarot cards which had been the reason she was up there in the first place.

She gave tarot readings to almost everyone who stayed. When she did Harry's the death card came up and everyone had a good laugh. He accused her of doing that on purpose. Ceithlinn meekly admitted it then started to snicker behind her hand.

As the day came to a close and Ginny and Ceithlinn walked back to their dorm Ginny commented, "Um...Ceithlinn?"

"Yes?"

"Um...do you realize that you have been conjuring fudge almost all day?"

"Uh...no?" she said quickly, trying to hide the piece she had been munching on.

"Ceithlinn..." Ginny said like a scolding parent.

"What?" she said innocently holding up her hands in askance (one hand containing the fudge).

"You really have a problem."

"I don't have a problem," she replied and then took a bite of the fudge.

"Ceithlinn! You're a chocoholic! It's not good for you!"

"And obsessing over one particular boy is not healthy? Listen. If you are allowed to obsess over Harry then I am allowed to obsess over chocolate. Can you give up your obsession?"

Ginny started to protest but realized that she could not. She sighed once then the conversation was dropped.

~~~~~~

As soon as Ceithlinn woke the next day she got dressed in a hurry and tore out of Gryfinndor Tower and raced to Dumbledore's office, spoke the password that was permitted to only teachers and Prefects (snicker-doodle") and entered. She found him at his desk, ready though it was quite early.

"Well hello Miss. O' Riley. How was your Christmas?"

"Very good Professor Dumbledore."

"I take you are here to discuss The Wand of Aoife?"

"Yes actually. You stated in your note that you were interested in learning the story behind it."

"Of course. How much do you know?"

"A lot actually. You see, my family is very much into Irish 'myths' as Muggles call them. As you must know, those 'myths' are mearly historical accounts that Muggles find too hard to believe because of the 'fantasy' surrounding them."

"Yes. Yes of course. Please continue."

"Well, long ago there was a king in Ireland by the name of Lir. He had four children by the names of Fiannoala, Aed, Conn, and Fiacra. The children's mother had died and King Lir married a woman who was of course Aoife. Aoife was jealous of Lir's love for his children, that jealousy turned to hatred and continued to rise until she could no longer stand the sight of them. She devised and executed a plan by taking the children on a trip to their grandfather, Bodb Dearg, who was the leader of the ancient powerful race, the Tuatha de Dannan. But before they reached the castle they stopped at a lake. The three boys immediately jumped in to play. Fiannoala was forced in and when all four were in the lake, Aoife drew out a druid's wand and turned them into swans for nine hundred years. When King Lir and Bodb Dearg found out, they transformed Aoife into a spirit of the air. Tales tell that even today, you can still hear Aoife, moaning in the wind."

"Wow. That was a powerful tale you have told me."

"Yes. It is one of my favorites. It also has a lot of relevance to me."

"How so?"

"Well...what the tale does not tell, and probably never will, is that King Lir and Aoife had a daughter. She married a man whose last name was O' Riley. My ancestors. The blood of King Lir and the sorceress Aoife runs through my veins. So you were right Professor, the wand was quite appropriately placed in my care. Though I don't know what to do with it."

"Do nothing but protect it. It is older beyond knowledge and could turn against the person wielding it."

"It flared when I touched it and seemed to be testing me then almost seemed to recognize me."

"Did it really? Obviously it recognized your blood. 'The wand chooses the wizard'. It was Aoife's and probably thinks that you are her."

"Probably. In a small way I am Aoife. It's my middle name."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but your first name is that of a woman from another Irish tale?"

"Yes. As is my Aunt Eithlinn, which is from the same tale. Oh! And my owl is named after Fiannoala."

"Your family really is into Irish 'myths'."

"Uhuh."

"Then I guess that will be all. Unless of course you have any questions for me?"

"Um yes actually. Sir? I was eligible to be a Prefect a couple of years ago, yet you didn't seem to consider me until this year. Why?"

"That is a good question. I guess I never really got around to it. What with all the action that happened last year and the year before I suppose your form got misplaced. Sorry about that."

"Oh," she replied.

"Just think of it this way, since you are a Prefect you have special privileges, you are allowed to venture into rooms that normal students may not go. With those special privileges you can probably better protect Aoife's wand."

"I suppose you're right Professor. Thank you."

"Ceithlinn stood and said, "Thanks! Good day Professor!" She left with an immense feeling of responsibility and importance.

~~~~~~

In a cave deep in the heart of the Forbidden Forest the shadow Ceithlinn had seen on Halloween lurked.

"She has it!" the spirit whispered. "I knew it! The wand was at the school the whole time. All these many years I have wandered without hope of ever claiming revenge and striking fear into the hearts of my foes. Yet now that the wand is within my reach the time for that will soon come. That stupid old man gave the wand to a silly little girl for its protection. She will not be a problem. For she has only a scant amount of power. I can sense my blood in her, though due to time it is faint, nearly invisible." The spirit paused, deep in thought. "I will soon be able to get it, I just have to continue to get stronger." A short laugh escaped her ghostly lips. "With the power of my wand returned to me, I shall once again take my place as Queen, queen of the entire human race. I will take my place as the most powerful and beautiful being on this earth!"

At that, lightning flashed across the sky and thunder rumbled menacingly. That act of power left Aoife weak but satisfied that her power and form was slowly returning by the mere presence of her wand. If she had been a bit more definite a smile would have been seen creeping across her face.

~~~~~~

Ceithlinn sat up suddenly, wide awake and gasping. She was practically drenched in a cold sweat. Her dream too fresh in her mind to be a dream. It had been a premonition, she was sure of it. But she had been asleep. How could she receive a vision in her sleep? Then something was coming back to her. A dream before the premonition. "Let's see," she murmured. "I dreamt that I was pulling out Aoife's wand and then the vision unfolded." She looked down at a hand that was tightly gripping a wand, that was not her own. It was Aoife's. Ceithlinn gave a gasp of surprise. Somehow she had sleepwalked and pulled out the wand. She was surprised because, never before had she physically followed along with a dream. Not even the one she had had over the summer where she simply was walking down the stairs to the kitchen pantry and pulled out a candy bar. But the strangest thing of all was the fact that she had used her power in her sleep. Although it was a rather small premonition she knew the kind it had to be. It was in the present. Only a small portion of her gift was drained on the small premonitions that that one could be classified if it was in the future or past. She was very weak, because though it was a small vision, it drained her greatly to see something not in sight that was happening at that very moment. She groaned. She knew that because of that accursed vision she would be weak and sick all day. She knew that the best thing would be to go back to sleep but she had a feeling that she would somehow get another vision and become weaker. Yet, if she did not sleep she would be weak anyway. On the other hand she did not want to take any chances of getting the same sort of vision that included that creepy shadow in it. "What should I do?" she whispered. After some brief contemplation she went with the idea of staying up. She finally realized that even if she had tried to go back to sleep, she would not be able to. Grudgingly she pulled out the Quidditch book Ron had given her, preparing herself for a long night.

~~~~~~

As the first rays of sunlight shone through Ceithlinn's curtain she set her book down and went to the Prefect's bathroom. She skirted around the large pool-like bathtub and went to the bath that was the size of a Jacuzzi. Filling the bathtub with hot water and pouring plumeria scented bubble bath in, she eased her way into it and sighed deeply once in. She dozed lightly for about an hour then, feeling slightly better she prepared herself for the day. She did not have to worry about her hair, for the spell dried her hair quickly and unknotted itself. All she had to do was pull it up into the half-ponytail she wanted.

At the Great Hall she plopped down next to Ginny and put her head into her hands.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked.

Ceithlinn just looked at her with sleep-deprived hazel eyes.

"Oh! You look awful! What happened?" Ginny said after noting her friend's red eyes and weak disposition.

"Couldn't sleep much last night and I feel like crap."

"Wow. What was the reason for not sleeping?"

"I had a premonition. In the present."

Ginny cringed, knowing what happened when her friend got glimpses of the present. Ginny felt sorry for her and she wished that there was something she could do to help.

"Maybe you should go to the Hospital Wing or something," she suggested.

"No. Not unless it gets worse. I'm just weak and tired. That's all." Ceithlinn then set her head on the table.

"While you were sleeping eh?" said a voice behind her.

Without looking up and about she replied with her forehead still on the table, "Yes Harry I did. And yes I know that you got visions when the Dark Lord was doing something awful."

"Um...well..."

"That was what you were going to say was it not?" she asked, her head still on the table.

"Uh...yeah I guess so."

"Good. Case closed. Now will people just let me rest in my misery?"

"Um...no," Ginny said. She then asked "Will you be well enough for the starting of classes tomorrow?"

"I sure hope so."

The rest of the day passed slowly for Ceithlinn. Her friends and boyfriend (especially him) constantly bothered her by asking if she was all right. Over and over again she had to tell them that she was fine, just weak and tired. They suggested that she should sleep but she dared not for fear of using a lot of power in her sleep accidentally. Towards the end of the day her energy was back to normal, except for being immensely tired. She felt the control over her powers and decided to take to chance of sleeping. Before she climbed into bed she put the wand into a harder place to find in her sleep. She settled back in her bed feeling confident that what had happened the night before would not happen again.

~~~~~~

In the woods the shadow called Aoife was gazing down into a puddle on the floor of the cave watching as a girl secured her wand into a safer place. Aoife thought, "Ha! That stupid girl thinks that she has solved the small problem of the vision! How very wrong she will be."

Using all her strength to make her hands able to pick up objects she gathered the doll she had prepared and dropped it into the natural basin in which the water dwelt. Then she sprinkled a few herbs into it and whispered an ancient spell in a tongue that had long been forgotten. She ended in English by saying, "So mote it be!"

~~~~~~

Ceithlinn dreamt that she climbed out of bed and retrieved the wand. Then using all of her will power she summoned up a vision of the present.

~~~~~~

She felt as if she was watching a Muggle movie or slideshow that kept changing scenes. She was given visions of the other dormitories pausing the longest in the seventh year boy's dormitory. The vision zoomed in on Ron who looked so innocent and sweet (and even cuter!) while he slept. She got a glimpse of his lean muscular chest and then the vision zipped outside, moving past trees, heading towards the cave. Once again she faced the thing that was Aoife. Yet this time she looked more definite. Subconsciously she recognized her as the shadow she had seen on Halloween. Aoife was chuckling evilly as she looked down on a puddle. The vision moved so that she could get a good look at it. She saw none other than herself, thrashing about in bed, and it appeared that she was trying to break free of the vision's hold. Suddenly she felt herself being drawn backward and the vision faded. Once again she sat bolt-upright drenched in sweat. As she had feared when she looked down she found her hand in a death grip around Aoife's wand.

She stayed up the rest of the night thinking about what all this meant. "Two nights now," she thought, "Both times I have dreamt of retrieving the wand and then getting powerful visions in the present. Next, I wake up in a cold sweat and then I cannot sleep." She went through her entire vision looking for clues. Most of her last vision was inconsequential, though it seemed that the thing that was Aoife was important to pay attention to. "Let's see. I noticed a small doll in the puddle that looked to be behind the image on top of the water. And...and I also smelled herbs." A thought hit her immediately, "A doll? A picture of me in bed on top of the water? Could it be some sort of voodoo? Is she controlling me?"

That thought scared the living daylights out of her. How could Aoife be controlling her movements? Wasn't she a demon of the air, unable to ever gain any strength?

These questions continued to play over in her mind making Ceithlinn more tired and weak as the night waned and the day returned. How was she ever going to get through those classes tomorrow?

~~~~~~

At breakfast the next morning it was louder than usual. Obviously all the students were refreshed and rejuvenated form all of their vacations (wherever they went) and it was giving Ceithlinn a headache.

Of course everyone asked her if she was feeling all right and if anything was wrong. She denied everything and just reached for a fork. But when her skin touched it, she was slammed with a premonition of her climbing the ladder to Divination. And that was it. She had not even asked for a premonition and had immediately gotten one when she had touched something so irrelevant as a fork. She used all of her strength to keep a hold on her power. That lasted until sh4e picked up her bag and was blasted with a premonition of people bustling about in the halls. That was also not relevant. After the vision had ended Ceithlinn froze with recognition. She had lost all control; she was without strength to block the Seer's gift. And without that strength, her powers would be free to do anything, whether she liked it or not.

"Ceith? You ok?" Ginny asked.

"Uhh...yeah," she replied snapping out of it. She knew that unless she could come up with some strength of will her worst fears would come true. Ceithlinn would be drained into a coma, or worse, death.

It took them a while to get to their first class, Divination. Just the fact that she was going to that class aroused new fears. For alas, Ceithlinn was a favorite in that class, Professor Trelawney would be hovering over her if she constantly got premonitions.

Now the reason why it took so long was not only the traffic of all the students, but the fact that it was unavoidable to bump into people, causing visions that forced Ceithlinn to stop. Her excuses to Ginny were that: she had dropped something, or that she got stuck in a large group of passing people (which was true). And just as she predicted, she had gotten another quick passing vision as she touched the ladder ascending into the Divination classroom. Ceithlinn was now so tired that she was not at all sure how she continued to go on.

In the classroom Professor Trelawney emerged from behind a curtain quickly and stated, "I fear that one of you is in deep distress, I fear that it is in this area of study."

The students looked around, trying to figure out who that could be. Ginny looked directly at Ceithlinn knowledgably as if knowing exactly what was happening. Trelawney followed this look and her eyes landed on Ceithlinn, eyes glittering. She could see through the mask of energy and perkiness.

"Uh oh," Ceithlinn thought. "Here it comes".

The masked dropped.

But surprisingly Trelawney ignored it and told them to pull out their tarot cards and practice in pairs.

Ceithlinn pulled out her deck and when nothing happened she drew the first card. Instantly she was thrown so hard into a premonition that her eyes took on the classic Seer brightness. Meaning that her eyes went completely white and shining with power. The vision she saw was a woman garbed in ancient clothes holding a wand that was very familiar now. It must have been Aoife for the woman resembled the thing in the cave. The wand was glowing eerily.

The vision passed quickly, Ceithlinn's eyes returned to normal and left her gasping for breath as if she had been submerged under water. She turned to find everyone staring at her wide-eyed, for they had never witnessed this sort of thing, not even Ginny.

Professor Trelawney dashed over to her and said, "My dear! Are you all right? What did you see that possessed such magnitude?"

To make the teacher happy she replied still gasping, "Danger. Grave danger. For all."

"That was true," she thought. "If Aoife regains the wand and her full powers return, we will all be doomed."

"Maybe you should go and rest, I know that the thing you saw must have had to use a lot of power to make your eyes go white like that. Here. I will write a note and send it to the Headmaster to excuse you from your classes."

Ceithlinn began to protest but was stopped immediately.

"Nonsense. Your aura of the Sight has been greatly depleted. You must rest to regain your strength and power."

Ceithlinn mumbled a consent and picked up her bag (with a brief flash of her going down the ladder) and left.

For the rest of the day she attempted to rest but somehow kept bumping into objects and getting visions.

Later that afternoon when classes were all over and everyone started to come back to the Common room, Ceithlinn left so that she could avoid touching people accidentally.

Walking down the hall she passed an intersection when something fell out of her pocket. She stopped when she heard the clatter and turned about and glanced down. She groaned, for somehow the wand of Aoife had gotten into her pocket. She was about to bend down to pick it up when Ron appeared from another passageway and said energetically, "Hey Ceithlinn! What's up?"

"More like what's down," she replied tiredly.

"That's not your wand is it?"

"No. It's my ancestor's and it somehow got into my pocket."

"Oh!" He quickly bent down and picked up the wand, when he stood he saw her exhausted features.

"Something wrong? You look like you haven't slept in a week."

She sighed and said, "I feel like it. But I just couldn't rest in the Tower. So I decided to take a peaceful walk."

"I hope you feel better. Here's the wand you dropped."

He held it out to her and Ceithlinn had no choice but to take it.

As soon as her fingers touched the wand a vision smashed into her full force, her eyes flashed white again and left her as quickly as it came. Luckily she still stood there holding the wand. Slowly she placed it in a pocket on her robes and then glanced up at Ron who was staring at her with fear and concern on his face.

"Are you all right?"

Things began to go hazy and started to like there was an earthquake or something. Ceithlinn could not remain conscious, she was losing control.

So weak, tired, drained, she looked up at him with eyes so innocent and fragile and said, "Ron?"

She tried to grasp a hold on daylight but slipped into instant darkness instead.

Ron noticed rapidly that she was starting to fall and he leaped forward instantly to catch her exclaiming, "Ceith!"

He caught her and knelt with her in his arms. She was out cold.

"Ceithlinn? Ceithlinn! Wake up! Please wake up!"

She would not. He placed two fingers on her neck feeling for a pulse. He found a slow and weak one. But it was still there. She was alive, but only just. It was as if she was fading, slowly.

Swiftly and with care he picked her up. One arm under her knees, another was carefully wrapped around her rib cage, her head resting against his chest. Once settled he hurried off to the Hospital wing. Wondering if she would be okay and wondering what had happened to put her in what seemed like a coma.