Birch Manor - Ella

Susan packed a bag with a few necessary things, and a hand of bananas. Then she hurried to the portal room and jumped through the portal to Iceland. 'How good we insisted that Finnbogi connected these portals again,' she thought to herself fighting off the dizziness. The portals under the mountains were not scaring any more and Susan went quickly to the room bearing the name Schiltach over the door. She braced herself and went through. When she opened her eyes she stood in a clearing not far from the  small cottage where Ella's granny had lived. 'I wonder who lives there now,' Susan thought. 'Ella's granny can not be alive any more. Well I won't find out by standing here.' She picked up herself and walked the short distance to the door that held so many memories for her and knocked. The nameplate bore Ella's last name. An elderly man opened the door and said: "Guten Tag, kann ich Ihnen helfen?"
"Erm, ehh, Ja, bitte!" Susan said gathering together her German. "My name is Susan Thorsen from Denmark. I come looking for Ella. I know her from long ago. She said to visit if I ever come here again. I came, today. Her grandmother lived here. I thinked you may help me."
"Come inside," the man said. "She lives here."
"Here, in granny's house?"
"Yes. But now she's at work. Will you wait for her, and would you like some tea, you look tired."
"Yes please, I'd like both. I'm rather urgent." Susan said, mixing up the language.  
"Wait a minute. Susan you say. And from Denmark?" Susan nodded, suddenly feeling hope soaring inside.
"Ella told me a lot about you. Oh, sorry I'm her husband. My name is Walter, pleased to meet you. Are you one of us?"
"I am what ... oh, yes I am."
Walther drew his wand and cast a pell, Susan recognized as the Mál sameinast.
"Thank you," she said in Danish, "My German was getting rusty."
Walther smiled. "A bit! You were in a hurry, you said. I surmise you need our help in some way. Ella told she went to Denmark many years ago and found you, but that you did not know her, and did not know what you were."
"That's true. We slept as we call it for many years, but now we're awakening. Something bad has happened, and I need Ella's help."
"Let's go and find her, then. Tea can wait. She's working at a local hotel, her shift is over in half an hour. Then you can sit by the river and talk, while I do the shopping," Walther said, and opened the door to the passenger seat of his newly polished grey car for her. While they drove through the woods, and Susan  "Ella's Granny died many years ago and Ella's parents are dead too. But all her sisters and brothers are alive. They all married and had children, only not us."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Susan said. She took a banana from her handbag and began eating. "Sorry. I always get so hungry from going through the portals."
"You used the portal? It's not a trap any more? That's good news indeed."
Susan's heart almost stopped as Walter parked the car at a green and white timber-framed inn with flowers everywhere. "Ella works here?" Susan said "This is the very inn I stayed at when I met her."
Susan got out of the car and looked up. And there, under the eaves a grey and green gargoyle figure hung. "Cerina," Susan whispered. (* see note)
Together she and Walther went into the inn. He embraced Ella, dressed in a dirndl-like dress still. "And my dear," he said, "can you see, who came to visit you?"
Ella looked at Susan and looked once again: "Susan. Is that really you?"
"Yes. It's me!" Susan said. "And what more is, I'm ME again," she said smiling at Ella.
"I'll leave you two to reminiscing," Walther said. "I think you won't miss me for some time."
Ella embraced him again and then turned to Susan: "Come let's sit on the terrace and then you tell me all about it," she said.
"I'd love to," Susan said, "and I will, but not now. We have a serious problem in Denmark." And as quickly as possible she told Ella of Torben, Tristan, the Mondrian at the summer party. their reawakening, the strange things happening and their growing suspicion, and final certainty of Liisa's identity. She told of Sandra, of Rasmus and her children and ended by asking what became of the copy of Griffon's Bestiary that her granny copied.
"Aww," Ella said. "what a story. We followed it a bit from the sidelines, but then so much happened here with granny and all, she fell ill, and died not much later. Then I met Walther. My oldest sister inherited this house first, and she took all the magic thins, as I could not use them. Walter was disappointed, but well it is our granny and not his. I'll phone my sister and ask what happened to all those old papers."
Susan sat looking over the river and up at the gargoyle while Ella called her sister and spoke much and quickly for a long time.
She looked downcast when she finished the call. "My sister told me that all her books and notes were stolen not very long ago. Someone broke into their house and stole what they could find of magical things, not the cauldron and such, but rare ingredients, silver spatulas, all granny's books and notes. She did call the police and also asked the magical society for help. But none were able to say anything. Only one, an old wizard, told her that the thief was a woman from the North. She took that to mean the north of Germany, but Norway would be just as plausible."
"I feel doubly stupid now!" Susan exclaimed. "Of course it is Liisa. I just hope that some of the papers are in that bag of things Hilde found at Liisa and Rasmus' place. We might be able to find the rest with a thorough search of their house. I really have to get back. I'll send you a full report and photos and ... even better, why don't you come and visit us, won't you?"
"Yes I see. A visit is a wonderful idea. I would like to meet everyone again, and see all the children. I'll get Walther to take us home."
Walther came quickly and returned Susan and Ella to the small cottage in the woods. Susan spent a precious but short time reminiscing with Ella before she tore herself loose and hurried through the portals back to Birch Manor.

She returned, totally exhausted in the middle of the afternoon tea break. She grabbed a stack of muffins and cookies and sat herself in a a table in a quiet corner.
Knud came over and poured her a mug of tea, grinning broadly. "You're back. Wonderful. Did you find Ella?" Susan nodded, her mouth full of delicious muffin.
"We have been busy making classes and finding out who will teach what. I'll return later and hear more. Enjoy your break and get your energy back, you look like you need it," Knud said and tousled Susan's hair affectionately.
She sat eating her way through her loot, savouring Hilde's baking and the hot, sweet tea when Fiona and Marit, Rasmus and Finnbogi returned. They joined her at the table, and began eating as well. Soon Rasmus and Finnbogi looked at one another, and Finnbogi said: "Susan, you stink!"
"What!" Susan said. "Sorry, I took a shower this morning as usual, I have been busy, a trip through many portals and a talk with Ella and her husband. Now what kind of welcome is this?"
"No," Rasmus said, "It's not a physical smell. It's a magic one. You smell, I'm loath to say, as if you had been rubbing shoulders with my wife, Liisa. Whom did you say you visited?"
"Ella in Shiltach and her husband, Walther. Ella is not a witch, but everybody else in her family are. Walther is too, he cast the language spell at us there."
"Will you let me feel you," Finnbogi said. Susan nodded, and Finnbogi placed his hands on Susan's head. "Yes, male, he is evil. I wonder none in Ella's family has found him before now."  
"They are all potion-masters," Susan said, "and the Germans are not as all-round trained as we are. They believe in specializing. The portals! I told him they worked again. Can you make the ones under the mountain into traps again?"
"I will do so at once," Finnbogi said and rose.
While he was away, Susan drank her tea and tried to still her anxiety. Hilde came and joined them.
"What is the news about Sandra?" Susan asked, as much to think about something else as from genuine concern for Heidi's Mum.
"It is a curse," Rasmus said, "or maybe a potion. Something magical at least that's sapping her energy, leeching her magic and strength.. We did bring her here, and Heidi, the twins and all the rest will follow later in the afrernoon, when they have finished packing."

Hilde told Rasmus what his daughters had said about Liisa's pink medicine. "Could it be the same potion, only working more damage in an old, frail lady than in two healthy girls?" she asked.
"It could well be," Rasmus said. "Let's wait for Finnbogi to return. I feel hopelessly inadequate, I have so much to learn. Raw powers are not enough."
"You have learned much already," Susan said. "That realisation took me a year at The Farm."
Knud came back and sat down with a cup of tea. "Do tell of your visit to Ella's. Could she help us?"
Susan recounted the visit. And halfway through Finnbogi returned. He looked grey and worn, and bade Susan continue as she made a move and sat down silently and ate.
When Susan had ended her narration, she turned to Hilde: "Hilde, all the things, you found in Liisa's hideout, where are they?"
"They are here, in my backpack," Hilde answered. "Somehow I did not want to leave them unattended." She opened her backpack and pulled out an ordinary looking shopping bag. "Here they are. Let's have a look."
Inside the shopping bag were several old books, a leather box containing small, stoppered bottles with writing in flowing German Script, a bunch of old wands and silver stirring implements kept together with rubber bands and an assortment of strange, small objects marked with staves - the Icelandic, magic runes. In the bottom more, bigger vials were rolled into a woollen baby blanket.
"Ella's things," Susan exclaimed.
"And lots from our museum!" Finnbogi added.
Susan went through the books and wads of papers: "And here's the notes from Gryffon's bestiary!" she exclaimed triumphantly holding them aloof.
"Can I see?" Marit asked. "I have an idea what kind of potion could do the damage."


- - - - - -
* The story of Susan and Cerina the gargoyle can be found here: Susan in Paris.

***

Marit soon sat absorbed in the notes and books and Susan leant back against the wall and relaxed. She was on the verge of sleep when Marit gave a loud yell: "I got it, I found it! Here it is. A potion of purple dreams!"
"What a strange name," Finnbogi said, and Marit began reading with great trouble, and read the words twice, three or even four times before she hit the right one. Then Susan chased the sleep from her eyes and offered to read aloud.  Susan began reading the strange words and translating from German at the end of each sentence: "Trank der lila Träume. Wie man die Magie zum schlafen bringt und Menschen schwach macht; meaning Potion of purple dreams. How to make the magic sleep and people weak."
"Who would do this?"  Fiona asked.
"It seems my wife would," Rasmus said in a toneless voice.
"Sorry," Fiona said. "I did not think before I spoke. I'm a healer, I just can't imagine inventing a potion like this. Susan please read on, and let's find out how to counter it if it's possible."
Susan continued: "Zutaten, Drachenblut 1 Prise. Lila Fliedederblüten 1 Lot. Diese gut mengen und in ein Vierling zerronnene Butter mischen. A pinch of dragon's blood, 1/32 pound lilac flowers, purple variety, mix well and add this to a quarter of a pound melted butter. Let me see, we do not need this  ... let something ... Silber und Kupfer, blah blah blah ... Ruhen lassen ... Ah, here, Gegenmittel oder -gift, that means antidote, Tränen einer magischen Kreatur .. Tears of a magical creature in pure white wine. to be taken in the morning before you eat anything else. Repeat for up to four days if necessary. That's not too hard."
"You forget we're not at the Unicorn Farm any longer. The only magical creature we have access to is the disappearing dormice. And I doubt they cry even if we pinch them." Fiona said.
"Yes I forgot. But wait, Cerina, the gargoyle, her tears. I wonder if I still have them." Susan jumped up and almost overturned a chair in her haste to get to her bedroom. She returned just as fast. "Yes! They were still where I put them these many years ago. These," She extended her hand and opened is, so that they all could see what she held in her hand;  something most of all resembling two grey, shrivelled marbles. "These are the tears of a gargoyle. If that is not exactly what we need now, I do not know what is!"
"Oh," ´Susan said. "Did Monica and Olav ever promise to come down, and what about Jan. I spoiled your birthday party by showing up, and I have kept you here and busy ever since."
"Dear Susan," Marit said. "You have not kept me here. I have stayed willingly and knowing what I did. I have phoned home several times in the very few days past. They are all coming via the portal tomorrow - they still can do this, Can't they, Finnbogi?"
"Yes, he answered, They use the normal portals from Oslo to here, no problem. It's only the ones under the mountain that are set as traps."
"I'll ask Monica if she can come here early. This potion is far too important for us to fumble trough. Do you remember the Sunshine potion?" They all did and laughed or smiled, at the memories.
"This is where I miss the old teachers most of all, and wonder if they felt as insecure as we do now. Let's find and ask Martine. Even though I'm loath to disturb her. She's having the time of her live teaching all our children and grandchildren how to handle and fly a broomstick." Marit said.
"Oh let's wait until tonight. The potion should be taken in the morning, the text said, and not a word of letting it rest. And I do not begrudge Martine the fun teaching," Susan said.
"Where should we keep the copy and all the other papers?" Knud asked. "Not even a bank vault is really safe from a wizard."
"In the trap rooms." Finnbogi said, "There's a cubicle for storing. It can be locked in such a way that you need three out of six persons present and answering a set of questions before it opens."
Susan copied the antidote recipe meticulously while the other discussed who should be the key persons.
In the end they agreed upon Hilde, Finnbogi, Rasmus, Rósa, Knud and Marit.
They left as soon as Susan had finished copying and returned an hour later with a small book.
"Gilvi had used the room already. It was keyed to me, Rósa and Hilde," Knud said. "He has left us this little book."
In the evening, after all the grandkids had been chased off to talk themselves to sleep,  all the adult wizards and witches of Birch Manor and Monica, Jan and Olav had arrived from Oslo early to help make the antidote, gathered in the dining hall.
Susan, Rósa and Hilde cast a one way-dome together, marvelling at the ease with which Gilvi and Thora had done the same half a century earlier.
"Now," Finnbogi said. "Let's see what Gilvi and Thora had to tell us. I Rósa and Hilde had to answer quite a lot of strange and funny questions in order to hold this book. He opened it and read: 'June 20th. To my future apprentices, now witches and wizards. If you ever read this pages, I know that the magic has been reawakened and that at least three of the apprentices we deemed trustworthy are still alive. We are, as you might guess Thora, Täthi and Taavi Kuusisaari, Martine Haugen and me, Gilvi. As I write these pages the magic is threatened by the greed of a group of magicians under the auspices of Torben Søeborg, Tristan van der Meer and his sister Eileen Teresa. The latter being the brain behind them. They have slowly ensnared more people at The Farm. First David Hansen, Birgitta Svensson; later, Josh Traustason, Marja and Josta Koivu, Bjørn Anderson and a few others. We have decided that we have to do something about it.
Next entry is from June 26. This has been the last week at The Farm. We have been busy teaching the apprentices we trust in, and a few of the uncertain ones a lot of what we would have had to wait until later. But tomorrow at the summer celebrations, I and the magic in our corner of the world is going to die." Finnbogi stopped reading and blew his nose. "You were right, Susan," he said, his voice raw with unshed tears. "He knew, they knew." He resumed reading: "Today Tähti and Taavi brewed a decent amount of Mondrian, and a small vial of the lethal antidote, which I will  drink soon. After the brewing we solemnly burned and buried Gryffon's Bestiary. I then emptied the jar of Mondrian into our well, and by tomorrow at the party all of us will have had enough." Finnbogi looked up, and resumed reading once gain. "June 27th or maybe it is already 28th. The deed is done. All the apprentices and teachers are placed where friends and families will soon find them. The wands are broken, the magic has died. I have destroyed the portals, and will destroy the last one as I go back to The Farm. I will try to save as many as the books and things by burying them in the old well. When that is done, I 'll burn down the Farm, and wait for death to claim me. My only regret is that Teresa was not at the party. I have warned the magic societies in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. I do not know whether they will listen. May the Light protect and bless us all."
Rósa spoke: "He was the bravest and best wizard that ever lived. We are going to work hard to make him proud!" All drank to this and Fiona added. "Thora, Täthi, Taavi and Martine showed great courage too. Even though they did not give their lives, they gave their magic. Without the solace of knowing that anything came form it or any hope of ever getting anything back."
Marine rose: "It was hard to eat and drink, knowing what it would do to us. But we choose freedom! And I would choose the same way again given the choice."
"We have been smarter than he gave us credit for," Knud said with a smile. "He told us almost nothing new in this touching testimonial."
"We can thank the ghost, Persephone, for this," Susan said. "Without her help we would never, ever have found the books in the old well."


***

Monica prepared the antidote, at the same time inaugurating the new Alchemy room. She was quite enchanted with the lavish premises, and happy to meet many of the old cauldrons, stirrers, rods, weights and ingredient containers, she knew from the Unicorn Farm.
"We used almost all the things, we found in the old well," Knud said hearing her exclamations. "Only the bottommost cauldrons had rusted through. We are happy that you are pleased."
"I am," Monica said, "very much so, but I am even more pleased that My will come down and take over the potions mastery. I and Olav are happily busy with the vine and party shop in Oslo. I suspect that Marit and Jan will come down here more than we will. We are a pair of homebodies," Monica added with a fond look in Olav's direction.

Next morning first thing in the morning Marit and Fiona went to Sandra's room with the antidote. All the residents of Birch Manor were gathered outside, or down the stairs, in the yard just below Sandra's room. All were quiet as mice. They all found  the wait eternally long. Small scurrying sounds could be heard from the staircase where Heidi, Tage and Lis stood together with their spouses and children and their children, Sandra's great-grandchildren, ranging in age from 11 years down to the 2 months old in Heidi's arms. Of course they all were hoping for Granny Sandra to get well again. Finally the door to Sandra's room opened and Fiona came out, wearing a huge smile. "Sandra is better, the antidote is doing its job. Later today we'll see if she needs to have a drink tomorrow as well. And now, please, Roseanne and Mary come here."  Rasmus came, holding one daughter in each hand with a firm, almost desperate grip. "I so hope it works!" he said.
"It worked like magic with Sandra ... Yes, Pippin, you may go in to your granny with that bouquet," she said smiling down at Lis' youngest grandson, who had gathered healing herbs in the meadow all morning. "Sorry, you two. Here's a good morning drink for each of you. You did not eat anything yet, I hope?"
"No," Roseanne said, "Dad said we were not allowed to, I have been thinking of eating all morning, but I have not et anything. It was hard!"
Mary nodded: "Me too, I gave Dad my candy yesterday, it was too tasty."
"Smart girls," Fiona said warmly, patting Mary's head. Then she gave each of the girls a small crystal goblet with a concoction shimmering in grey, green and gold.
"It looks like those colour changing candies," Mary said, "And it smells like them too. They are my favourite candy" She emptied the glass ant looked up at Fiona, then at Rosemary, then back at the glass. "I don't feel sick any more! I feel good, fantastic."
Rosemary smelled the potion as well. "Smells good," she took a tiny sip, "ahh, jelly beans," she said and slowly, savouring drank it all. She looked at Fiona wih big, round eyes and smiled: "Yes! I do not feel yucky any more. I have almost forgotten how the pink medicine tasted. It feels so good!"
Rasmus placed his hands on their heads "Do I still tickle or itch your brains?" he asked. "No, Dad, you do not tickle my brain any more," Mary said, "It just feel nice, like ... like a brushing, very soft."
"Oh dad," Roseanne said, "I .. I think I'm going to explode."
"Was it that bad?" Rasmus asked, "you never told me."
"No," Roseanne said and Mary just shook her head.  "It was ... I had ... I almost forgot how it was not to feel sick," Roseanne said finally.
Fiona looked at her "Just like when you get used to a bad smell, and then goes outside in the fresh air?"  
"Yes that's it!" Roseanne said and Mary nodded so much Fiona almost got dizzy looking at her.
"I'm afraid I'm a down to earth man," Rasmus said. "But I am hungry!"
Everybody laughed, and Susan said: "Well then it's a luck that breakfast is ready in the dining hall."

While they sat, enjoying the last of the crumpets and tea, and the children seeped away to play outside, a shrill note broke the relative peace and quiet of Birch Manor.
"The portals!" Finnbogi said. "Someone used the portals to Iceland and is now trapped under the mountain."
"Oh, no," Susan said. "I hope it's not My or someone easily scared. Those cells are terror inspiring. And how do we get there when they are set as traps?"
"The Birch Manor one is not," Finnbogi explained. "One, I had to return here, Two, we have control over the portals here, and three, we had to be able to go there once that alarm sounded."
"Yes, I see. Of course," Susan said. "What now?"

***

"Now someone has to go there and see who it is. When that is clear, we discuss what to do," Finnbogi said
Lis and Tage began speaking at once.
"You still do that?" Susan asked exasperatedly. "Lis, please speak."
"We go there?" she said. "I am curious to see that portal place, I promise I won't use any of the portals, but I always wanted to see a Portal Major."
"You knew about those?" Finnbogi said. "I thought I was the only one."
"You forget that my forebears back from time immemorial have been mages," Lis said. "Oh it feels so good to be able to say such things for fun again."
"I think I have to go with you," Susan said. "I suspect Walther of using the portals."
"Walther? Who's he?" Lis and Tage again spoke simultaneously.
"Argh!" Susan said, "I feel like smashing something. You're hopeless. Walther is Ella's husband, I met him while visiting her in Germany, in order to find the antidote. He's kind of fishy, Rasmus and Finnbogi say that he stinks - magically spoken, that is. Anyway, I'm going with you."
Heidi said: "Can I come too?"
"Nope, Fiona said, "you're not going. Portal travelling is not good for you yet. Besides, we need you for teaching."

"I bow to the healer," Heidi said. "What is today's program?"
Knud answered. "In ten minutes, when the tables have been cleared, we gather. After Mál sameinast the program depends largely on the weather. The weather forecast promises, or threatens, rain soon. So, Icelandic language is first, then I think Heidi should give a demonstration of transformation with a little theory. After lunch if the weather clears, flying lessons and herbs? Fiona how say you?" Fiona nodded "Else simple potions, and healing. We keep it simple and all together or in random groups until everyone has arrived.
"I think we have to meet, all of us and soon." Hilde said earnestly. "As soon as possible. When can this be?"
"Apropos which," Susan said. "Does anyone have news of Helge and Anna? When will they arrive? And should someone go and ask My to come earlier? And .. Oh ... all this chaos have totally made me forget Frank and Freja - that's Sarah's son and his wife. They have four children, Janet, Peter, Carla, and baby Thora. What is today? I'm getting behind with all what's happening."
"Today is Thursday my dear," Knud said.
"We have a little more than one week until we got to be back at the museum," Rósa said. "We also still need to discuss if anything can be done for Kirstin."
"And we still have to find Aamu as well. But Sandra knew something, now she's hopefully getting better, I can ask her," Susan said.
"And my children, and Olav and Monica's, Marit and Jan's children ..." Hilde said.
"But not now, Knud said. "Now we have to get up and make ready for the gathering. First things first."

Knud rang the big bell outside the dining hall, and when all had gathered, he cast the Mál sameinast. Then he spoke: "Today we're going to start teaching and learning of magic here at Birch Manor. The first lesson will be Icelandic language for beginners. Who here speak Icelandic already?"
Rósa and Finnbogi raised their hands, Marit and Jan looked at one another and hesitatingly raised their hands as well.
"We have been travelling to Iceland for all our summer holidays since the children were small. We have been taking lessons too," Marit explained.
"Great" Finnbogi said. "I just realized that my knowledge of Icelandic grammar is faulty. You can help!"
"It's always like that with your own language," Rósa said.  
Knud looked to the sky and said: "Everybody inside in the hall. Find a place on a table, books will find you!"
While Finnbogi and Rósa taught everybody to count to 20 in Icelandic, Hilde made the notebooks and pencils soar through the air. Roseanne and Mary sat on either side of their father and looked so happy and smiling, that Hilde could hardly get her eyes off them. Slowly the old apprentices, now teachers-to-be left the hall and gathered in a big classroom.

"We have to think and plan," Knud said. "Susan, Lis and Tage you leave now to go trough the portal to Iceland and find out who's there. The rest of us must try to do some thinking as to who is where and how to carry ion from here. Now Marit is with Sandra, Rósa and Finnbogi are teaching our children and grandchildren, everybody else is here." He looked around at his old co-apprentices Heidi, Monica, Hilde, Knud, Fiona, Olav, Jan and Martine their old teacher.

 . "We need to get an overview over who and how many we are." Knud said. He hung a giant paper on one wall, and had it partition itself into a humongous grid with 19 rows and 4 columns. Then he began writing the names of the living apprentices in the first column. In the next column he added their partners and marked those in silver who were married to one another; himself and Susan, Olav and Monica, Marit and Jan, He turned to the others once again: "The next two columns will be for our children, and their partners, spouses, sweethearts ...  whatever. The next one again for their children, our grandchildren. To make it easy for me, please write in your own kids and caboodle, like I do it now" he said smiling, adding his and Susan's six children with spouses and children. Below the grid he added Sandra and Martine.
After those present had filled in the empty cells, he filled in Sarah's children and their families. He thought for a short while, then he swung his wand, and the names, he touched, turned green. "Those are already here," he said touching his own name, then Susan, Hilde, Fiona, Rósa, Finnbogi, Marit, Jan, Olav, Monica, Lis, Heidi, and Tage. "And of course Sandra and Martine. Then to those, we know where are," he said touching the names and painting them yellow: "My and Helge are liquidating their shops, Anna is working, and will come Saturday, Sarah is incapacitated, Kirstin is handicapped, but we will see what can be done as soon as the worst fracas is over and done with.  Only Aamu is totally missing," he finished, touching her name and making it red.
And soon as the grid was filled in as well as could be done, My's children were still missing, and nobody knew if Helge had any.
He swung his wand again and the names took on colour. Finnbogi and Aamu were the only red ones, Marit and Fiona the only yellow ones,  Of the ones actually at Birch Manor Monica was the only blue one, the rest were a fairly equal split between green and purple.  
Finnbogi and Rósa came back: "Now everyone able to, can count to 20 in Icelandic." "That was our first lesson too, Hilde said. And they all went into the dining and study hall.

Knud kept standing, while the other apprentices and Martine sat down at the table next to him.
"As you might or might not know," Knud began, "magic comes in schools. It's easier to explain like this maybe: Some kinds of magic comes easier to some people. At Unicorn Farm we were assigned a colour, I don't know if they just invented the colour code or it had some history?" Knud turned to Martine, who shook her head. "I don't know either, it was Gilvi, Thora and the Kuusisaari twins who did much of the planning and so on. I only entered relatively late, I was the youngest back then," she said with a shrug.
"We won't assign colours to any of you just yet, Normally it's the first thing to be done, but this year is not normal," Knud said with a small laugh. "We're teaching grown-ups and children, total beginners and some that have an idea of what they are doing. But no matter what, we need teachers" Knud said. "And at least until Helge shows up I am the oldest," many of the old  apprentices laughed. Knud unrolled the big poster and hung it on the wall
"Well! Blue is for potions, and Monica, please stand up," Knud continued. Monica rose. "You have promised to teach us all potions until My arrives."
"Yes," Monica said, "until My arrives."
"Yellow is for flying and healing. Martine will continue with the flying lessons," Martine rose and was met with applause, most had already had the pleasure of riding or at least handling a broom under her tutelage.
"The healing part will me taken care of by Marit and Fiona, Marit is right now with Sandra, but Fiona please get up." She did and was met by energetic applause from Rasmus and his daughters and quite a few of the others.
"Green is for Nature magic, animals, familiars and such likes. Susan and I will have the pleasure," Knud said bowing to the collected wizards.
"Then Purple," Knud went on, "Purple is for Transformation and divination. Heidi is going to be master of transformations, and Jan will do divinations." They both rose and bowed, and was applauded. They sat down, and Knud continued again: "Then we have portals mastery, the Red ones, who also dabble in the finding out of good and evil. Finnbogi will come from time to time and give lessons and tuitions when he can for his work in Iceland." Finnbogi rose and had his applause.
"Now," Knud said, "I give the floor to Heidi. As it's still raining, we're not going on a field trip, but stay nice and dry here, looking and learning of transformations." He bowed to Heidi who rose.

****

Also as every morning after breakfast, Rasmus took the portal back to Tromsø to visit his wife, Liisa at the hospital, and to see if the doctors had any news for him.

During lunch, Rósa, Heidi, Martine, Hilde, Marit and Knud sat at the same table.
Heidi said: "All the children that are old enough, need wands. We have only given wands to the original apprentices and a few of their children."
"How old is 'old enough'?" Rósa asked. "I totally agree, by the way, and I'm more than ready to do my share of wandsinging. But is there a legal age for wands?"
Martine looked at her: "How old were you, when you got yours?"
"13," Rósa answered, "but My was only ten. She was the youngest of us all, she was still only ten at the first Easter fire."
"Was she too young?" Martine asked.
"No way!" Rósa said.
"So," Martine said, speaking slowly, considering her words, "maybe it's not a set age. Maybe we need some kind of test. Like for teleportation?"  
 "That might be the answer," Rósa said. "First thing Saturday, when My and Anna has arrived, we wandsingers have to talk this over with you and Sandra." She turned to Marit. "Sandra will get well again, won't she?"
"She will," Marit answered, "She might never get her old strength back, but we have no lack of willing and eager hands and feet here. She'll have to not overdo it for some time yet to come. Actually her impatience and willingness to react on her premonitions are her worst enemies. We'll fill her up to here," Marit held her hand level with her throat, "with strengthening potions. She is strong, so given nothing untoward happening for the next while, she'll make it. She should be able to come down and participate in a friendly discussion on wands and  wandsinging Saturday!"

Rasmus, Lis, Tage and Susan all returned at the same time, almost erupting from the portal room into the dining hall.
They gathered at a large table with all the other old apprentices and Martine. While eating, Rasmus first told of Liisa's condition. This was quickly done. No changes in her condition or strange brainwave pattern. Physical exercises had been added to her regimen to avoid loss of muscles. In short nothing new.
Lis, Tage and Susan meanwhile had news. Lis spoke for them all. "We went to the portal complex under the mountain. And we found a way of seeing the prisoner without being seen. Tage and I looked first, and the Susan, who  confirmed, that it was Walther, Ella's husband whom she met in Germany, But Tage and I both had another person in mind upon seeing him. Do you care to guess?"
Knud looked up, and so did Martine: "You first," Knud said.
"David?" Martine asked.
Knud nodded, and so did Lis and Tage.
Susan said: "Well, I do not know. It could be him, but so could a lot of other men our age. 50+ years changes a person. Is there any way we can tell. I mean a magical way?"
"Every person has a unique 'feel' to me," Finnbogi said. "That's an innate part of being a 'red' wizard. Like Rasmus found Hilde's wand mum-like, I can always 'feel' who you are. If I put my mind to it that is. It's hard, using rather a lot of energy. But if I still remember him, and if he still 'feels' the same ... I do not know is the simple answer."
"I suggest that you, Lis and Tage go back and look at him," Knud said. "Then if Marit and Fiona think it OK, Susan, Martine and me should go and find out Aamu's whereabouts from Sandra."
"Yes, I agree," Susan said. "We have to find her, if not for anything else, then to be assured she has not been helping - or used by - Liisa and Walther. You can sniff me when I return home from her, if we find her that is; can't you, Finnbogi?"
"I sure can, and Rasmus can help me. He seems to be keen on the smell of black magic," Finnbogi answered.
Monica looked out through the window: "It's still raining hard, no flying or herbing this afternoon. I'll  be happy to show a simple potion to everybody, and speak some of materials, and the importance of using the right stirring rods."
"Yes just tell about some of our former mishaps," Susan said smiling, "but not enough to undermine our authority."
 
Then Susan rose and so did Knud. "Marit how says you, Can we speak to Sandra now?"
"I'd say yes," she answered, "but I go with you and speak to her and Fiona. It's almost time for me to replace her anyway."
Finnbogi, Lis and Tage also arose. "Phew, Tage said, I don't look forward to yet another trip through the portals, but what must be done, must be done. At least we've eaten well."
"Yes, it can be felt, tasted, smelled, and savoured that Hilde is here, I'll be sorry to see her leave once the holiday's over. But..." Knud said.
"Nisser!" Martine said. "We could sure use some, but how? And can that be done again? I think Gilvi had a special deal with them."
Rósa said: "Finnbogi and I have to look into this, I have an idea of where Katla, the young Icelandic Nisselady might be found. So maybe, just maybe. But later, not now."
Everybody went their way, Knud and Susan followed Marit over the yard and up the stairs to the rooms where Sandra stayed. Marit bade them wait and slipped inside.

***

Marit returned after a short while and said: "Come in, Sandra is pleased that you have come."
Susan, Knud and Marit entered the room. Sandra sat up in bed, propped up against a mountain of pillows. She smiled at them and stretched out her hands.
"Oh," Susan said. "It is so good to see you sitting up again. You look much better!"
"I feel much better," Sandra said, her voice firm, but still not loud. "That antidote really worked wonders. Some day soon you'll have to tell me the story of how on Earth you ever came to possess a gargoyle's tears. But today you had something to ask."
"Yes," Knud said. "And I'm happy to see you better too. But Martine said you knew about Aamu, the last of the wandsingers."
"You're sure she's still alive?" Susan asked.
"Yes she's still alive, I'm certain" Sandra said, "that if of course if she has not died in the last couple of months. She went to Germany and met a man and fell in love, or maybe she met a man, fell in love and then went to Germany. But any-old-how, she now lives in Shiltach ..."
"Shiltach? That's Ella's town!" Susan interrupted.
"Ella?"
"Later!" Susan said, "she's part of the gargoyle-story, but I know the town - we even have a portal there."
"Wonderful," Sandra said. "She married Uwe Weber, and at the same time she changed her first name to Klara, seems she got tired of people not being able to pronounce her name."
"And now it's time you get out, this was enough excitement for one day," Marit said. "Sandra needs lots of rest."
"I'm tired of resting," Sandra protested, but even Knud could hear how shaky her voice had become.
"We'll return, I promise," Susan said. I have many tales to tell and much to ask. Get stronger. Then we return!"
They both shook Sandra's hand gently and left.


***

Finnbogi, Lis and Tage returned just before dinner was ready. They called Susan, Knud, Martine and Rósa to them.
"Yes," Finnbogi said, "as far as I am concerned, it is David. A reduced, bitter David, older than his years, but still him. By the way, I un-trapped the portals again. We might need them."
"Do we have a way of keeping him secure here?" Susan asked. "I just hate the thought of anyone - even him - spending more time than necessary in those cells."
"We could secure the smallest outhouse," Knud said. "The walls are thick, the door and lock are sturdy, and a one way-dome would make it magically impenetrable. He would not be able to flee from there."
"I think this needs a vote." Rósa said. "After all we're potentially endangering everyone here at Birch Manor."
Knud nodded and said: "I'll gather the old apprentices. Let's meet at the stairs leading to Sandra's room. She'll have to cast her vote as well."

Soon all 13 old apprentices were gathered outside. Fiona opened the door to Sandra's room so that she could hear.
Susan described her stay in the cell: "It is almost total sensory deprivation. You can't hear a thing, almost not see, and you do not know where you are or what will happen. I think I was in there for ten minutes, but it felt like days. It is inhuman."
 "But he's evil," Rósa said. He killed my family.
"No, Martine said, "It was not him. He condoned the killings, but he did not do it. Tristan did, as far as I understood it."
Sandra said, "Yes, Martine, "and maybe Torben. Remember, David was just a boy."
 "Just a boy, maybe," Finnbogi said. "but he caused strife and discord wherever he came."
"I'll go and get Ella," Susan said. "She knows him better than any of us."
"Then why did she not warn you?" Knud asked.
"She was maybe spelled," Susan said slowly. "Sometimes she began saying something, then she stopped as if she forgot, I just thought she was getting old."
"Get her!" Sandra said in as strong a voice as any of them had heard from her since she fell ill.
"A premonition?" Fiona asked.
"Yes," Sandra answered, sounding tired.
"Everybody off!" Fiona said. "It's time to eat, and time to give Sandra a draught, your hare-brained schemes are tiring her out."
"Tiring in a good cause," Sandra's voice was heard. "But no need to come back for my vote. I say bring him here!"

Susan hugged Knud, grasped a couple of buns and some slices of meat from the laden table and went off direction portal room. Soon she stood in the clearing in the darkening German wood. The dizziness was definitively getting lesser, Susan thought smiling, and walked towards Ella's cottage. Light was streaming from the windows. Susan knocked, and Ella hastily opened the door.
"Oh, hello Susan, I thought it was Walther, He has not returned from work yet."
"No," Susan said, "And he won't return. He is in Iceland right now. He used the portal and was trapped there. We need you to come to Denmark and  tell us a bit more about him."
Ella looked at Susan: "Did you kidnap my husband? Why? What has he done?"
"As far as we know, nothing yet," Susan said, placing her hand on Ella's arm. "And we did not kidnap him. He used the portal himself. Please trust me. But if he is what we think, then you, I and everybody is having a problem. I would like to say no more rigth now, and only explain this once, to everybody. Please come."
"I'm afraid to," Ella whispered.
"Be brave!" Susan answered. "Remember the baker from town, remember Granny, Remember Corinna, my gargoyle. Be brave for them"
"Is my Walther a skinturner?" Ella said terrified.
"Come with me," Susan said, "I have a story to tell, but it's not my story, and I really, really want to tell it only one time."
Ella took Susan's hand. "I'll come. But I can't go through the portals alone, you need to take me."
"I will, and I won't let you go!" Susan said squeezing Ella's hand.
While Ella dressed, Susan munched the buns and meat. She was thirsty, but something warned her against drinking the water. Instead she took a sample in a small vial.
"Do you have your own well here?" she asked.
"Yes we do, and when I was small it was the very best water, I knew. When I returned to live here with Walther it did not taste as good. But memory is a bad master, as Walther always said, when I complained."
Together they walked through the dark woods and Susan used her wand to light their way. Ella grasped Susan's hand as they went through the portal to Iceland.
"What a ghastly place," Ella said. "I feel as if I'm buried alive here."
"It's not a nice place to be, no," Susan said, shaking her head to clear it. "When we were young, it was more welcoming, with carpets, paintings and such. Now only the bare bedrock remains. Let's get on, this is like a central station, where the lines cross."
She pulled Ella into the corridor, down it and into the next portal room. Then they went through the portal to Birch Manor.
"Here we are," Susan said.
The others had eaten and the children had packed off to the only room where digital connections were possible at Birch Manor. Susan and Knud had decided that Smart-devices were counterproductive to the teaching of witchcraft and scrambled the waves apart from in what they called the office. Now all the children had gone there to be on SoMe and play intricate games against one another.
All the old apprentices and Martine were waiting for them, even both Fiona and Marit were present. "Sandra's fast asleep," Marit said. "And sleep is still the best medicine."
"This is Ella!" Susan said, and Ella made a sketchy bow. "Please all sit down while I talk.Yes you too, Ella. I am going to tell a long and tangled tale, and if anyone can semja or copy it for the archives, and for My, Helge and whomever else to read I'll be happy."
Rósa said: "Can do." I used to be the one taking notes, I think I still remember the spell. She rose and got pencil and paper from the storeroom. She placed a wad of papers in front of her, took the pencil and her wand: "Sem þú, Susann!" she said swishing her wand. "Say something, please Susan."
Susan said "Hello, my name is Susan." which was nicely written on the top of the first paper. "Fine, It works," Rósa said, "Just go on."
"I have to go far back in time," Susan said with a glance at the pen and paper which did their job, as far as she could see. "When we began studying at the Unicorn Farm,  all was not idyll and flowers. Some of the apprentices, led by one boy, had the idea that only children from magical parents could be expected to do magic, or at least being good at it. It irked him that Fiona was as good a flyer as she was, that I could call animals, any animal, better than him, and that My could whip up a potion and do it right each time. This idea is, I suppose, as old as Adam and Eve. If it had stayed with rivalry, competition and such, we of non-magic parents could have fended for ourselves and kept our own. But it turned into harassment, peaking for the first time at the broom racing in our first summer, where that boy and a bunch of followers hexed and sabotaged the brooms, leading to near fatal accidents. The teachers took it seriously, and did a lot to set him straight. We thought he was brought to better ways of thinking, but in our third and last summer a foreigner arrived from Belgium. He and some of the professors and apprentices, led by the boy, now young man, began a reign of terror at the school, planning to overtake first Denmark, then all of the Nordic countries by means fair or foul. We, that is some of the teachers, including Martine, and a handful of us apprentices, stopped them at the cost of our own magic. Unfortunately, as we only recently realized, the sister of the foreigner was the mastermind behind it all, not the foreigner himself ..."
She looked at Martine who sat waving her hand to get her attention: "Please," Martine said. "Name them. Secrecy breeds fear, and we are done with fear."
"Martine is right. Secrecy does indeed breed fear. The apprentice, who led the others on, was called David Hansen. The two teachers were Torben Søeborg and Birgitta Svensson. The foreigner was called Tristan and his sister Eileen Teresa.
Teresa, as we knew her, died in Paris around 20 years ago. And as Teresa was not there when we killed the magic, her magic was still intact, albeit untrained. She had a daughter, and she taught her daughter, not well, but revenge is a strong motivator. This daughter, Liisa, married Hilde's son, Rasmus. Liisa sought revenge, but in her efforts to do so, she teleported from Copenhagen to Tromsø. She overstretched her magic doing so, and is now in a coma in the hospital in Tromsø.
We know for certain that Torben and Tristan died soon after the magic were taken from them, and we read in the papers that David died during a riot in Copenhagen eight years later. This we now doubt, as we suspect that Walther, Ella's husband is actually David in disguise. Walther, let's keep that name for now, tried to come here, or somewhere else via the portals under the mountain - that is where the portal from Ella's town leads. We had set the portals up as traps, and he is now in a stony prison under the mountain."
Susan stopped and had a drink of water. Then she turned to Rósa: "You can stop the semja now." When the pencil lay besides the paper Susan continued: "Now our quandary is: Do we leave Walther in the cell under the mountain, or do we bring him here? We have an outhouse with sturdy walls and a spell to keep him in. We should be in no danger. And of course we're going to search him and take his wand."
She turned to Ella.
"Ella, do you have anything to add?" Susan asked. "You ought to know him a great deal better."Ella shook her head in confusion. "I do not know," she said. "We moved to Granny's house mainly to get away from my siblings, as they did not like Walther. I loved him, and I trusted him. He always told me that he felt he was simply not good enough for the smallest and prettiest of the bunch. His magic was not much, I always found this an asset, as I have none of my own as the only one in the family. He was always a bit circumspect, feeling inferior to and I suspect jealous of my siblings. As I said, in the end, when granny died, we moved to her cottage. I still spoke to my sisters often, but we did not visit."
"What did Granny think of Walther?" Susan asked.
"She was old, senile, but she did not like him very much,"
"And you did not trust her either?" Susan asked. Then she turned to Fiona. "Is there anything left of that antidote, that Sandra does not need? Then I think Ella could do with a sip. Finnbogi, please smell this water." She handed him the vial, she had filled in Ella's house.
"It stinks!" Finnbogi said simply.
"Ella," Susan said, " I don't know how to put this. but I think you have been used, gaslighted and generally abused."
"But why?" Ella said vehemently, "I do not have any magic, I can't do anything for crying out loud!"
"No, exactly. You are thus unable to find him out. And if Walther is really David, he knows that I would try to find you, if I ever had my memory and my magic back!" Susan said.
Fiona returned with the antidote. "I wonder if this is an antidote to any and all potions?" she said, and poured a small glass for Ella.
Ella looked at it, sniffed it and looked up at Fiona again. "This smells and looks just like one of Granny's potions," she said. "Somehow it reminds me of Susan as well. As she was when first we met. Well in for a lamb, in for a sheep. Cheers!"  And then she drank it up. All looked at her in silence, Rasmus very intensely.
"Wow," she said. "My head feels clearer now, It feels a bit like I have been sleepwalking for a long, long time and now, finally is really, truly awake."
"Do you know what's in it?" Susan asked. Ella shook her head, and Susan said: "Cerinna's tears. I kept them hidden all those years, now I'm so happy to use them."
"Well, yes, urm ..." Ella said. "Now I have to say something that's not easy for me." She looked around. "I know all you old ones. It's strange to see you old and grey like me, when in my memory you're still the children you were when we met. But I trust you on the evidence of those memories alone. Because now they are growing in my mind. And I remember David and Torben, and Tristan ... and I remember Teresa, too. I have met her many times since. She often came visiting. Walther ... he is David, I think so too ... told me she was a remote cousin of his. And that she did not like magicians. Now that was a lie, as I often saw them cast spells together. But he, no they, made me -- forget? not notice? not care?" she ended on a confused note. "Walther has indeed been lying to me, gaslighting is a suitable expression."
Monica rose and smelled, then carefully dipped a finger and tasted it.
"Aided by this potion in the water," she said in disgust, "you could not help it."
"I feel dirty, soiled, abused. Sad and angry at once. I'd say let him rot in that cell under the mountain to the end of his days," Ella exclaimed. "On the other hand, we need him here, to get the truth, all the truth out of him. Wring him dry and ..." she began crying and Rasmus went over and held her close.

After a short while, Rósa got up: "I suggest a vote, a simple count of  hands will do."
Knud rose as well: "All in favour of bringing Walther here. Raise your hands."
Almost everybody did.
"And those against," Knud said. Only Rósa, Finnbogi, and Rasmus raised their hands.
"Anyone abstaining?" Knud asked. No hands rose. "Then it is decided. We bring Walther here."


***

Finnbogi, Marit, Monica and Knud went through the portal to get Walther. Monica had brewed a sleeping draught and all were armed with the best hexes and counter-spells they could get.
The rest of them waited in apprehension.

Susan sat next to Ella, and they told one another of their life, Susan told of her children, they both told of their work and Susan recounted how she found her magic again and what had happened since. Suddenly Susan remembered what Sandra has said and asked Ella: "Do you know a woman called Klara Weber?"
"Klara?" Ella said, "Yes I do. She is a librarian in Schiltach: Why do you ask?"
Because she's Aamu. Do you remember her from the Farm?"
"Yes I remember her. She was Finnish, very quiet, one of the smart ones who listened more than she spoke, and then she was one of the red ones."
"In the beginning she was more Lis' friend than mine," Susan said, "but we studied wandsinging together, and I got to know her quite well. She was a fabulous friend in need.  Did Walther know her do you think?"
"No, I don't think so. He was not much of a reader. Now, thinking back, I can see that he befriended only people, he could use in one way or another. I really feel like I just woke from a nightmare."

The children began seeping down into the hall for the final cake and a cup of tea or glass of juice before the Mál sameinast was cancelled at the end of the day.
Rasmus sat with his two girls at a table near the entrance and listened patiently to Roseanne's recounting of a computer duel between herself and Little Susan, while still having half an eye on the door to the portal room.  Finally they returned, Monica and Knud almost dragging a befuddled Walther between them. Mary raised her head and looked at Walther: "Papa," she said, "That man needs his head tickled too, and phew, he stinks. Has he been using Mum's yucky perfume, you think?"
"Finnbogi!" Rasmus called."Come over here, please."
"Yes, just a sec," Finnbogi replied and soon came over to them.
"Mary," Rasmus said, "Can you please tell Finnbogi what you said about Walther?"
"Walther?"
"That sleepy man Monica and Knud helped to bed just before."
"Oh yes," Mary said, wrinkling her tiny nose. "He stunk. Just like Mum did. She said it was her perfume which I did not like. But why did that man go and use Mum's perfume. And he need to have his brain tickled too. He's like me and Roseanne inside now, No not like ... more like another itch. I can't say. He needs tickling."
"Mary, how old are you?" Finnbogi asked.
"Almost six," she answered, "I'm a big girl."
"Yes you are," Finnbogi replied. "Can you tell me a bit more about your mum's perfume?"
"Sometimes ..." Mary said. "Sometimes mostly when Mum was in the kitchen, I did not like her smell. I told her, and she said it was her perfume, that small girls did not like that perfume. But Roseanne never could smell anything. Mum kept on putting on the smell even if I did not like it. And she used it more and more often. Then we caught the flu. Mum's perfume bothered me very much. But after she gave us the pink medicine, I could not smell it any more. But now I can smell it again. Can you tell why the sleepy man had put on Mum's perfume?"
"Mary, you know you're a witch, like your Mum and Papa and Roseanne, don't you?" Finnbogi asked.
"Yes. Like in the movies," Mary said, "I want to have a big cauldron, and a broomstick and a hat and a wand. But I don't want to have warts and straggly hair and be old and fat. I don't want a toad either."
Finnbogi laughed. "Sorry. I'm not laughing at you. But at something Susan told me, you know she said almost the same thing when she was told she was a witch."
Mary smiled. "She's a nice witch. She has no warts or a crooked nose. But she's afraid of broomsticks!"
Finnbogi laughed again: "Did you hear what Knud told us today, That some witches and wizards are better at one thing than another. Susan is not good at flying, she will say so herself if you ask her. But she's fantastic if you want to call an animal. I have seen her call a cow in the middle of a town. And it came, quickly. My special ability is to smell good or evil, nice people and bad people. And it seems that you can do this too. The perfume as you call it is not a thing from a bottle. You can sort of smell Walther's bad thoughts about us, who brought him here. Hang on a bit. I want to play a game with you." Finnbogi rose and returned with a bundle of wands and Susan, Rósa and Knud.
"Close your eyes," Finnbogi said, "place your hand here, over this wand and tell me if you can guess to whom it belongs. It's our wands, and then some we have borrowed."
"Easy." Mary said. "This is Susan's wand."
"Yes," Susan said. "It's mine."
"And this one?"
"Yours!"
"Fine! This one?"
"Someone. A lady I don't know."
"And this"
"Rósa's wand."
"Yes it is!" Rósa said
"And this one?" Finnbogi asked.
"That's not a wand at all, just an old branch!" Mary said.
"That was a test, or maybe just to tease you a bit" Finnbogi said, "and it's perfectly true. I just cut it from a tree outside the door. What about this one?"
"Someone else and Mum!" Mary answered at once.
"Yes, And then this one." Finnbogi placed a new wand under Mary's hand.
She sat quiet for a little while. "This one ... I think it belongs to Knud."
"Perfectly true," Knud said. "It is my wand."
"And this last one?" Finnbogi said.
Mary took her hand away from the wand and said: "This one belongs to a lady I don't know. But sleepy man has used it. It stinks! A lot!"
"Thank you, Mary! You can open your eyes again. He turned to Roseanne, who had sat quietly, looking at what happened.
"Roseanne, Can you do this at all?" Finnbogi asked.
"I don't know," Roseanne answered.
Finnbogi looked at her and smiled: "You have been looking, Now try it out." He waited til Roseanne had closed her eyes shut, then placed his own wand at the table and guided Roseanne's hand to it.
"It's a wand!" Roseanne said. "It feels alive. But I don't know how to tell if it's Susan's or yours or what."
"Try this one then."
"Another wand, or maybe the same. I can feel the magic, but no persons."
"That is perfectly normal," Finnbogi said, "now try this one." He placed the branch at the table.
"That's so not a wand, that's the branch," Roseanne said in disdain. "You're teasing me as well."
"Guilty!" Finnbogi said. "No doubt you're a witch too, but we already knew that. All of us do know a wand from a branch, and a spell from a comics strip with our eyes closed. You have yet to discover your special kind of magic."
He turned to Mary again: "Mary, I'll tell you more of your magic tomorrow. Now everybody's here and just waiting for Knud to end the day."
Knud took his wand from the table and rose: "Dear friends," he said. "Today has been a long and exciting day. We still have many questions without answers - and some answers without questions. The only thing I can say is to repeat what a wise, old king once said: Tomorrow is a brand new day." He raised his wand: "And with these words, I bid you all good night. Mál skiljast hver frá öðrum!" he said swishing the wand.

***

Friday was a quiet day. It began as usual with Knud casting the language spell and telling of the plan for the day.
"As today is sunny with almost no wind," he began, "everybody will have flying lessons today. First, right after breakfast, the old apprentices, and everybody older than 30 years of age are having their turn. The younger ones will have yet another lesson in Icelandic, counting to 20 is fine, but not quite enough. Then after the tea break, the younger ones meet for flying lessons at the meadow. We hope Fiona and Marit will both be able to join. Sandra is much better, and Lis, Tage and Heidi can attend to her alone for some time." This statement was met by applause from all corners of the hall.
"Then lunch-break," Knud continued, "and we need some volunteers for cooking. While Hilde is a witch in a kitchen, the potatoes do not peel themselves etcetera." He waited patiently until enough hands were in the air.
"After lunch," Knud paused and waited for everybody to look at him "After lunch, it's time for wands!" He had everyone's attention now. "I have lost count of who's got wands and who not. So please. The big sheet is hanging here behind me, two columns have been added. The first one is where you put an X in the row bearing your name, if you have got a wand, the next one you put an X in if you have done more than the very first sparkling spell. I am sure that Rósa, Susan, and My will have a very busy time. I and Monica will teach you a bit more about the handling of wands. For the security of us all, this too is taking place in the meadow."

While Martine, Marit and Fiona had fun teaching people flying broomsticks, Susan, Knud, Finnbogi, Rósa and Hilde looked at the wand Walther/David had been using.
"It could be one from our museum," Finnbogi said hesitating, "then again, it does not feel old."
"Do you incidentally agree with Mary that it was used by a lady before 'the sleepy man' used it?" Susan asked deliberately using Mary's description of Walther.
"Yes I do." Finnbogi said. "That child, she bears watching. I'm intrigued by her and what she can do! I'll try and come down as often as possible to teach her."
"I think she and her dad, Rasmus both need teaching by you and by all of us, "Knud saiod. "We can't afford losing talents of their size. But back to the wand. Could it be Teresa's wand?"
"It sure could," Finnbogi said. "I'd hate to abuse, and maybe overstretch Mary's powers, but I'd like to have her tell a bit more about this wand."
"Try Rasmus," Susan suggested. "He is good too, and he needs to have his mind on something but Liisa."
"I will let him try," Finnbogi said.
"Today I could use some help with the books," Rósa said. "I have been doing a lot alone, but I need more hands."
Susan looked at Knud's spreadsheet. "You could try asking Hilde's daughter, Nana, her husband Claus and Hilde's other son, Hans, and Randi, his wife. Maybe you can't have then all at one time, as they have small children, but I have a notion that they are feeling a bit left out right now. I sung wands for those four when we were in Norway, and Hilde has taught them quite a bit since, I'm sure." Susan said with a glance at Hilde. "She was homeschooled before she came to the Farm, and she was good. Ergo they do not have to have wands, they are over the swish and sparkle level, so they'll be idle again this afternoon."
"Sounds like the ideal solution," Hilde said, "you are totally right on all accounts. I could do with some extra hands in the kitchen as well, but we need those books more than potatoes!"
Rósa laughed: "You took the words right out of my mouth!"
Hilde added: "But first me and Rasmus must take a fast trip through the portal to Tromsø, to check up on Liisa. The portals are by the way bothering us lees by now. It is a question of habit. I'll find him and we'll hurry back. I think she is dying, but it might be wishful thinking."
"Hurry off and back," Susan said. "We need you here. But please, could you look for more magic books in your and Rasmus' place? I have an idea that there has to be more."
"We'll look," Hilde promised. "

Rosa went off in search of Hilde's children ad in-laws. She found all four sitting in the small gazebo looking at the flying lessons for the smaller ones.
"Hello, did you enjoy your flying lessons?" Rósa asked.
"Yes and no," Nana answered for all of them. We have been taught by Hilde, and she is good all round. I can see that Martine, Fiona and even Marit are better at flying, but there were so many beginners, that we did not feel challenged by the lessons."
"I see," Rósa said, "and this afternoon's wand-sessions will be the same. Because you have wands, Hilde has taught you the basics and a bit more, and so on. Which is lucky for me, because I need help."
"You need help?" Nana said, "I thought you could do everything."
"Oh really!" Rósa said. "Who on earth told you this nonsense?"
I don't remember," Nana said. "one of our nieces, I think."
"That is utter bosh, if not worse!" Rósa exclaimed. "None of us can do everything. I often feel young, stupid and inadequate. I'd like to have my old teachers back! There's so much I don't know. And today I need you to help me mend the old books for us all to get wiser."
"Great," Randi said. "I love books."
"You always were an old nerd," her husband said, playfully boxing her shoulder.

***

Susan went out into the meadow to look how the flying lessons were coming on. She had no intentions of flying herself, but every intention of knowing a bit more of what passed. She came out to a frustrated Fiona and Marit.
"We have too many people wanting to fly and not enough active brooms. Martine is taking the smallest one riding double on her broom, and they have fun. But we have a job keeping the smaller ones in a line for the trips, while teaching the larger ones how to hold and mount a broom, all this exacerbated by a lack of live brooms. More than half are having dry runs with brooms not able to fly, they tend to forget in their eagerness and topple when the brooms do not support their weight."
"It was a bit stupid doing broom riding today, maybe,"  Susan said, "but today the sun is out in force for the first time in a long while. I foresee the same problems this afternoon with wands. I'll help you entertaining the impatient hordes, while you teach. Then I know to call in more for this afternoon. I sure hope My does arrive today!"

While Susan stood calling small animals, sparrow and mice and made them sit on brave apprentices' hands and fly from hand to hand to entertain the impatient ones waiting in the lines, she kept half an eye on the teleportation enclosure. 
A part of the meadow had been fenced in, with a fence made from wooden boards and reinforced with chicken wire in the bottom parts, so that it also was an effective barrier against chickens, rabbits, cats, dogs and other creatures. This was the teleport area, and everybody was told to keep out of it. The latch was sat high on the gate, so that small, inquisitive fingers could not reach it, and Susan and Knud had cast protective spells on both fence, gate and latch to ensure that any child getting magical ideas ideas would be thwarted as well.
Just before the lunch break she saw the tell-tale blinking, and left the waiting lines and Marit and Fiona to fend for themselves and hurried down there. She was happy to see that it was indeed My arriving by teleporting!
"Welcome, My!" Susan said. "You have been practising hard since we parted, I see."
My smiled and closed the gate behind her. "Yes I have, and I always loved teleporting. I have practised each and every day since."
"Come inside and have a cup of tea, we have work for you in a short while. A lot of people need wands. The brooms are waiting for you to brew up a potion, Marit is only waiting for you to take over the potions to go home, in short, you're not going to sit idle here."
"Wow, what a stormy welcome," My said smiling, shaking her red hair from which a few errant strands had tangled themselves in some low hanging branches. "Tea you said, sounds great."
"Lunch actually." Susan said. "Come with me while I help Martine, Marit and Fiona manage the small teeming horde. I left them, as I hoped it was you."
My tagged along and she and Susan came just in time to help Fiona and Marit herd all the small children into, and out of the broomshed and placing the brooms in their holders.

During lunch Martine, Susan, Marit, Fiona and Knud brought My up to date with the happenings at Birch Manor and in the world.
As they reached the conclusion, today's broomriding lessons, Fiona said: "I think Roseanne will cause us problems in the long run. She does not really respect me, she feels somehow superior, and keeps claiming that her mum has told her what lousy witches and wizards we all are."
"Does she listen to Marit and Martine better than you?" Susan asked.
"Now you ask, yes she does. Oh!" She said her eyes growing big and round. "Do you think Liisa has imprinted her with a dose of only witches from wizarding families are good witches, and all that?"
"I'm afraid, yes," Susan said. "It's our luck that she is so young still. She just says what she thinks, or repeats what she has heard more likely, and with no deviousness! We'll just have to show her we're as good as her and maybe just a little better."


***

During lunch Martine, Susan, Marit, Fiona and Knud brought My up to date with the happenings at Birch Manor and in the world.
As they reached the conclusion, today's broomriding lessons, Fiona said: "I think Roseanne will cause us problems in the long run. She does not really respect me, she feels somehow superior, and keeps claiming that her mum has told her what lousy witches and wizards we all are."
"Does she listen to Marit and Martine better than you?" Susan asked.
"Now you ask, yes she does. Oh!" She said her eyes growing big and round. "Do you think Liisa has imprinted her with a dose of only witches from wizarding families are good witches, and all that?"
"I'm afraid, yes," Susan said. "It's our luck that she is so young still. She just says what she thinks, or repeats what she has heard more likely, and with no deviousness! We'll just have to show her we're as good as her and maybe just a little better."
"Well," Fiona said laughing, "As long as you and Knud do not try and prove this by flying, I'm fine with it."
"You're hopeless," Susan said casting a mock spell in her direction. "I don't know why I ever sang you a wand!"
"Let me handle her," My said. "She does not know me, and in a few days, I'll take over potions from Monica, and then..."
"Yes," Martine said, "That'll teach her. Just don't be too harsh on her, she's young yet."

Monica and Olav came over to them with a cup of tea.
"May we sit here?" Monica asked.
"Talking of the sun," My said, "Please do. I just spoke of taking over potions from you. What have you covered as yet."
"Nothing much, Monica said. "They are young, or untrained or both. I spoke a bit of magic properties of plants, of the failure of  the Doctrine of signatures, and then I showed them how to brew a simple sleeping potion. I'm so happy you have arrived. As I told yesterday, me and Olav are perfectly satisfied with our lives in the Wine and party shop. We are total homebodies. Of course we'll come down for Easter fires, first day of school and so on, but we have decided to stay in Oslo."
Olaf added: "We will be spying for you. I told Susan that we have some of Martine's brain teasers lying around for waiting customers and impatient children. We have already a teeny tiny list of possible witches and wizards."
"Good thinking!" Knud said. "When will you leave? Not that I want to get rid of you, but we're having problems housing everybody. And I suspect more will be arriving tomorrow."
"No offence taken," Monica said. "This weekend are big days in our shop, so we would like to leave tonight after dinner."
"Let's make it somewhat festive," Knud said. "Most will have arrived and well, I need a celebration."
"Then I'll need some more kitchen slaves," Hilde said from just behind Susan's head, making her almost jump out of the chair.
"Sheesh, you scared me, My nerves are still a bit jagged, I think. What news from the North?"
"Nothing new, really. No changes, but she's getting weaker," Hilde said. "They did not say so, but I don't think she will survive if we do not take action, magical action that is."
"Should we?" Susan asked "Or  would it be wrong to not do anything? We even do not know what to do, and I would imagine the doctors being adverse to us appearing in the ward, casting spells and waving wands."
"I tried feeling her today," Rasmus said, "That's easy to do as it includes no overt use of magic. It feels to me as if she is captured inside her brain. In a place even I could not get to. I do not think there is anything we can do."
"I think the decision will have to be yours, Rasmus," Knud said. "She is your wife, you know her best."
"I think," Rasmus said very slowly "I think that she knew, deep inside, that we had seen through her ruses, that she was so to say at the end of the rope. She took a desperate way out. And I suspect that potions and wand-waving would be of no avail. She is in a prison of her own making. I'd say leave her alone. We can almost certainly do nothing for her, and we could damage the budding magic by acting in ways that would make somebody suspect foul play, be it magic or murder."
"Yes," Hilde answered almost as slowly. "I'm not a red one like you, but I also felt her life-flame flickering today. You told me I'm a good midwife because babies want to come to me. She did the opposite, hid even further when I reached out for her. She has made up her mind not to return, I'm afraid. What will we tell the children?"
"I've been asking that myself," Rasmus said. "Maybe the truth, or most of it is the best. She did use magic, way beyond her powers, teleporting far away without training to get home, because that is the truth, she tried to get home. She overstretched herself, and is now dying as a consequence. I'm afraid it will be hard on Roseanne, she was close to her mama, Mary is more daddy's girl." 

***

Ella, who had been looking up some recipes for Hilde came and joined them. Rósa and Finnbogi also drifted over, and Monica and Olav excused themselves and went packing. They were going to leave soon after dinner tonight. 
"Now that Ella is here, I can pose my question. What about Walther aka David," Finnbogi asked. "What is happening to him. And how on Earth did he get his magic back in the first place?"
"I'm afraid you have more questions than we have answers," Susan said. "He's imprisoned or what to call it in the smallest shed. It is protected by a magic dome - a one way dome, only two ways. Much easier to put up and maintain, and simultaneously keeping everybody out. Furthermore we're guarding the house, always two people on guard, sitting where they each can see two sides of the house. We do not know how to proceed from here." Susan shook her head in despair.
"As to how he got his magic, or some of it back," Martine took over: "My guess is that Liisa has cast spells on him, given him magic objects for handling with the purpose of restoring his magic. Much like you and Rósa in that respect. Only it did not work very well. He could cast the language spell on Susan in Shiltach, but it was clumsily done and was very tiring for him. Susan's luck, then he did not protest overmuch against her suggestions, and never got to make her drink from the water in Granny's cottage."
"And you're sure your dome is effective?" Ella asked.
Finnbogi chimed in: "That was what I was going to ask next. I would hate to run into him in the meadow. I would be sorely tempted to do something, I would later regret."
"Do you hate him that much?" Rósa asked.
"After that first broomracing he never missed an opportunity to bother me," Finnbogi said silently. "He made me trip over the doorsteps, he overturned my potions and teacups, he conjured water over my writings, all those Cantrippes for everyday use can make life hard for your fellow magicians. He tied my shoelaces together, he made my broom greasy, and so on, and so on. Never anything big, never anything I could complain about, but a steady, never ceasing rain of small mishaps, accidents and so on. I could feel it was him, smell his magical signature on all the things."
"Maybe he was so relentless because you could tell it was him?" Susan said. "He tried to do the same to me, but I found him out quite soon, and I asked Jon help me. He was busted by a button he accidentally lost behind the water stoup. I think Jon told him to lay it off, Nothing more came off it, and he did not bother me often after this."
"Yes," Finnbogi said. "I must admit that is my weakness, I always hope that if I do not say or do anything it will pass. It seldom does."
"I think he tried his tricks on most of us," Hilde said. "As my parents were magicians, I did not bear the brunt of it, and I promised him a solid thumping if he kept on harassing Terje, he was an easy victim. But your parents were also magicians, like all Icelanders? true?"
"I think Selma's parents were not magicians," Rósa said, "but Grani fancied her already then. They did marry and died, on their honeymoon even. David was no match for him."
"You were the leader of The Opposition," Fiona said. "You beat him. And so did we of The Yellow Team. I think he never forgave us for not letting him win as he meant was his due."
"Most of The opposition and The Yellow Team died early on," Knud said after consulting his notebook. "Did you survive anything dangerous in the 7 first years after leaving Unicorn Farm?"
"Yes, actually I did," Finnbogi said. "a hotel I stayed in, caught fire, I only got out because I was woken up by some crazy birds having a party outside my window. I jumped out, and was in hospital with smoke poisoning and a seriously sprained ankle for weeks after. Most of the other hotel guest died in the fire. And some time later my boat sunk, it suddenly took in water, and the motor died. I only survived because I stuck something in the hole, and the currents brought me near a big ship. Later yet a rope bridge broke, I was able to hang on, but took a bashing against the cliffs. I thought then, 'bad things come in threes', because it ended then, almost seven years to the date." He drew a deep breath. "Was that David's doing? And what about you, Hilde? Did he also try to kill you?"
 Hilde looked at him, only now realizing the danger she had been in: "I was a bitter young woman after the Unicorn Farm ceased to exist. I did not know why. I hung out with a wild gang, Accidents happened often for us, Drunk driving, excessive drinking, daredevilish stunts. I always wrote my brushes with an early and unpleasant death up to this, but now it seems I have to re-think that part of my past."
But it was not David being responsible for it, at least not alone. He lost his magic, same as us," Finnbogi said. "You say Tristan's sister was the main culprit. Maybe David pointed us out, and then she,Tristan and Torben tried to bump us off."
"Teresa might have been able to partially restore the use of magic for at least Torben and Tristan," Martine said. "It seems that the Mondrian and the forgetting spell did not work one hundred percent on us older ones. Thora and I remembered after a decade or more, as did Sandra. But there was no way for us to restore the magic. Not without involving magicians from other countries, and we could not find them without our magic. It was a vicious circle."
 "And you did not think of me?" Ella asked.
"We did not, and as Walther was David in disguise, it was a blessing in disguise, that we did not," Martine said.
"I did not meet him until later," Ella said. "But of course I would have told on you, if he had asked. I trusted him. It is so strange to find out that a person, you thought you knew, in fact is somebody, something else."
Rasmus placed his arm around  Ella's shoulders: "I know," he said. "I might not have been married to Liisa for quite as long as you and Walther, but the feeling is the same!"

Rósa rose: "Susan and My, we're talking too much. We are supposed to be wandsinging, aren't we?"
"So we are!" Susan said and rose too.

***

Together the three wandsingers looked at Knud's spreadsheet and counted the ones not yet having wands.
"We never succeeded in finding a test to find out if the smaller ones are ready to have a wand or not," Rósa said.
"That's not necessary," My said. "You can't sing a wand for anybody not being able to use it.  My youngest son's oldest daughter - she's six, but a bit slow - she wanted a wand too, but the tree did not co-operate, or the magic did not work, I felt singularly uninspired and unable to sing."
"Like me and Rasmus' kitchen cabinet door," Susan laughed, and told My the story of Rasmus and his slab of mahogany wood.
"Yes exactly," My said, also laughing, "only in your case it was the wood, not the person. But it feels much the same from your telling."
"When will your children come down here?" Susan asked.
"They won't be able to make it before the summer holidays," My answered. "None of them were able to have their holidays coincide with the school holidays both now and in the summer holidays, so they choose summer holidays over the winter ones. It is the craze for the skiing mobs," My said with a resigned shrug.
"Could they maybe come here another week instead?" Susan asked, "I'd like to meet them, and get to know them. I know you have sung wands for them and taught them a bit. How is your Icelandic after all these years?" Susan asked with a smile. Languages was My's weakest spot.

Jan returned from the shed where Walther was confined, looking white, and still carrying the empty lunch tray, he had been down to collect. "I think Walther is dead!" he said, "He lies on the floor, his head in a strange angle. Come and help me."
"I'll come," Knud said,"and you Susan and Ella. There's no need for all of us going down there."
"You're right," My said, taking the tray from Jan's hands. "We stay here."
Ella, Susan and Knud followed Jan to the small shed. Jan had not bothered putting up the dome again, and the two guards, Heidi and Henning, Knud and Susan's oldest son, were at the door.
They looked in. Walther lay in an unnatural position. Susan went in and knelt at his side. She listened to his heart and then she extended her hands over his head. "He is dead," she confirmed. "His neck is most probably broken."
"Now we have to think. We have to call an ambulance."
Ella began crying, and  Heidi hugged her and held her close. "Come with me," she said, "You should not say here." Susan gave her thumbs up and Heidi led the crying Ella to the gazebo.

"As I said," Susan said, "we have to think. It is fine with us and some guests being here, Ella and Walther of course, and My and Heidi, Sandra and their family. But Hilde and Rasmus, they have to go home. No way we can explain them being able to visit Liisa at the hospital in Tromsø each morning while staying here. Frank and Freja too will have to leave. Let's meet in the Hall. Now!"
Knud closed the door and wiped off the key, then gave it to Susan and asked her to put it back on the nail outside the door. "It has hung here all the time if anybody asks," he said firmly.
Susan went to the gazebo to look after Ella. She found her and Heidi sitting at the table. Ella was quiet, but red-rimmed eyes told of her crying. Susan sat down next to her: "I'm sorry," she said, "I truly am. If it is of any consolation he died quickly. He broke his neck, I think falling down from trying to get to the small window under the roof. He did not suffer."
"Thank you," Ella said. "I know with my brains that he was an evil man, abusing me, but with my feelings I still mourn the man I loved for many years."
"As you should," Susan said. "We'll have to call an ambulance, and the police will probably arrive too. We'll have to plan. because no way we can tell the police how everybody came here. Your explanation is: You both came here by train, ticket bought in cash. For a school reunion. It is 50 years since the 4H school. Knud and I thought this over with Hilde some days ago. We were to arrange a Hogwarts-themed party, this explains the wands and old books and so on. We used the same ruse in Tromsø with Liisa."
Ella smiled a bleak smile, "I see, yes that might work. Are you going to need any help? I think I would feel better doing something rather than sitting here thinking. I can claim, which is mostly true that Walter and I were growing apart, that we have been living under the same roof rater than together for some time, and that's why I feel OK, now the first of the shock has left me."
"Let's get to the Hall," Susan said. "Knud and the others should have found everybody by now."
Everybody was assembled in the hall as Heidi, Susan and Ella sneaked in and sat down. Knud rose and magically augmented his voice: "Dear friends," he said. "Today something terrible has happened. Walther, who was in the smallest shed, tried to climb up and get out through a window, doing so he fell down and broke his neck." He paused while people gasped, sighed and fell quiet again. "I have of course called an ambulance, they are sure to either call or bring the police. And this brings us to the next problem. We cannot have everybody here. It would be hard to explain. Hardest of all you, Hilde, you would not be able to explain your being in Tromsø in the morning and here in the afternoon. Please leave quickly. I'll send you a magical letter when it's safe to return."
Hilde rose and called her family together. "Go and pack now. We take the portal and stay in my house until then, and then we return with Granddad!"
"Frank, you and Freja and your children also had better disappear, we can't find a reason for the children of a former class mate being here."
"Yes, a bit far fetched," Frank replied. "We're off. Do we get a letter ad well."
"Of course" Knud answered.
"Anyone else?" Knud asked. "Olav and Monica, do you want to leave now?"
"Yes," Olav said, "If we do not cause trouble by leaving. We are done packing."
"Then please do, we'll stay in touch." Knud said. "Hurry! I hear the ambulance now."
They left and Knud continued: "Listen. We're here for the 50 years reunion of the inter-Nordic 4H for bookworms at the Danish Enggård. We were to have a Hogwarts-themed party, this explains the wands and old books and other magical items. Walther ate lunch with us and none but Susan noticed him leaving, as we were busy talking and planning the party. He was in the shed to find a BBQ Susan tells me. Jan went to look for him, as Ella wondered why he took so long. And that's all we need to know. Finnbogi will you please disguise the portal room as soon as everybody has left?"
"Will do!" Finnbogi said.
Knud cancelled the language spell and went to the door together with Susan and Ella. The ambulance arrived and Knud led them to the shed. A police car stopped next to the ambulance.
"I am Svend Poulsen," the oldest of the police officers said. "Are any of you Susan Thorsen?"
"I am," Susan said.
"Would you please lend us a room where we can sit and then please explain what happened?"
 "Yes," Susan said. "Come along." She led them into a small room off the entrance hall and the officer sat down and bade them do the same. "Now please tell," he said.
"We had been eating lunch, and then we sat talking," Susan began.
"Who are 'we'?" the officer asked.
"We are quite many," Susan said. "We were - hopefully still are - going to have a 50 years class reunion tomorrow. Many have already arrived. It was an inter-Nordic school. Let me think," Susan paused, closed her eyes, then carried on: "Of course Ella and Walter, living in Germany. Then Finnbogi Yngvason and  Rósa Sigurdsdottir from Iceland. My Birkeland, Marit and Jan Espedal, they married since school, all from Norway. From Denmark: Fiona Sørensen, Tanja, Svend and Ida, I can't remember their last names, and their mother. And then Martine, our old teacher, and me and Knud, who live here. I hope I have not forgotten anybody. And a bunch of our children and grandchildren."
The officer wrote furiously on his notepad. "And what happened?"
"One more thing you need to know," Susan said. "We were preparing a Hogwarts themed party, so you'll find wands, potions, books and so on here and there." She drew a steadying breath. "And now to Walther, After lunch, he asked me if we had a barbecue, I told him that yes we had, but that it was not warm enough for BBQ, and that it would probably be too small anyway, but he insisted. 'It's not a party without a BBQ', he said." Susan paused again and the officer nodded knowingly, "Yes, I know the type," he said. "Please continue."
"I gave in and told him that he could find it in the smallest shed, down by the meadow, and he left to find it. We sat and talked for a long time, planning, getting ideas and shooting them down. Then Ella wondered where Walther was, I told of the BBQ and Jan went to look for him, and found him in the shed. We, not all of us, and not the children of course, went and looked. I have taken a first aid course recently, and I tried to find out if he was still alive. I searched for his pulse, I could not find any ... then things get a bit blurred. We ran around a bit, Knud called an ambulance, and told everybody to stay away from the shed, as Walther had had an accident down there. Me and Tanja consoled Ella." Susan ended, "What now?"
"Now you all better stay in the house while the doctor does his job." Then he looked at Ella, "And you're Ella, wife of the deceased Walther,"
"Ja, das bin ich," Ella answered, and the officer looked at her. "Do you speak Danish?"
"Not good," Ella said.
"I just want to know your name and address," the officer said. "I'll speak slow and clear."
Ella nodded and answered slowly too, and the officer wrote the answers on his notepad.
The police officer asked Ella about when and how they had arrived, if she had noticed anything strange, and some more rather innocent questions. Then he bade them leave and send Jan to him.
Susan saw the doctor from the ambulance arriving and went over to him with Ella.
"My condolences," he said. "Walther has died. He broke his neck, as you suspected. I have to inform the officers."
"They are in there," Susan said and pointed at the door. "They are speaking to a man now, but I suspect it will not be long."

***

When Jan came out followed by the two police officers they bade Ella, Susan and Knud, who had returned with the doctor, wait a bit. The officers spoke shortly with the doctor; and then the older officer, Svend Poulsen, turned to them: "Knud, could we ask for a guided tour of the premises, while the doctor discusses the medical and practical details with Ella and Susan."
"Of course," Knud said, "follow me."


When the doctor was through explaining and had  had Ella sign her name to the necessary papers, the officers and Knud returned.
Svend Poulsen once again spoke to all of them: "Here is my phone number. I'll ask you to call me if any of those present should think of leaving the country. This is standard procedure. We'll have to wait for the autopsy report, but unofficially we regard this as an unlucky accident. You are free to have your reunion party, if the mood has not been ruined."
Ella spoke - in German with Susan translating: "He was my husband, and that was the reason for his coming here. Furthermore our relationship has for at least a decade been of the practical variety, we were more like distant cousins than lovers. Of course I'm sad that he died, but I'm not devastated, as I would have been as a younger me. We did not hate one another, only the love was gone."
"Still you have our condolences and our well-wishes for your party," Svend Poulsen said.
The ambulance with Walther's mortal remains and the car with  the two police officers left Birch Manor, and Susan drew a deep breath and sighed.
"Let's just hope they find nothing untoward in that autopsy, and also not in the background information on  Walther."
 "Yes, let's hope so," Ella said. "Should we inform the rest of the happenings?"
"Oh yes we shall," Susan said and led the way to the hall.
Inside the hall everybody still sat waiting. Some of the smaller children slept in carrier cots or in their parents' arms, the older were playing some games in small groups in the rear of the hall. Knud went to the front with Ella and Susan.
"Dear friends, he began, then realized that he had cancelled the language spell earlier, drew his wand and swung it: "Mál sameinast!" he said, and started over: "Dear friends, We are going to proceed with our party as planned. The two nice policemen told us unofficially that they regard Walther's death as an accident. They are going to examine Walther's body, but we do not expect them to find anything extraordinary there. We are free to party, celebrate, mourn, do whatever we like, except that nobody here present are allowed to leave Denmark without notifying the police officer. As you have hopefully planned to stay here for the coming week, we should be fine, and no prohibitions on more arriving either. We only have to watch us coming and going. No reason to give rise to suspicion where none exist. Ella, would you like to say a few words about you and Walther?"
Ella nodded: "I have been married to Walther, whom once upon a time you knew as David, for almost than 30 years. The last maybe ten, we have lived together as friends. None of us had found another, but the love between us  had died. We stayed together from habit, because breaking up was more complicated than just staying together. And for Walther's part I suspect mainly because he knew that Susan and Knud were going to try and find me if they ever got their magic back. He had for a long, long time been adulterating the water in our house, so that I was more compliant to his wishes. He has made me distance myself from my sisters and brothers, and I had few friends in Shiltach. Of course I had my work, and I went to some social happenings, sewing circle, reading circle and such. But Walther always made me cut the ties with anyone getting too close. I deeply resent what he has done to me and to my life, but I did not kill him. It was an honest accident, He might have been looking for some way out through the window. He might have only been curious what was on the top of the shelves in the shed. I don't know. Right now I only know that I want the reunion to proceed as planned."
They all applauded Ella, and one of Heidi's grandchildren awoke with a start and began crying.
Susan took over: "Today we were to have given wands to those not yet having any. but this is a long, somewhat tiring process, and in the light of today's events, I suggest we postpone it until tomorrow. Now I suggest a cup of tea soft drinks and cake for everyone. Rósa, could you please write letters to Hilde, Frank and Freja, Monica and Olav, giving them the gist of what has happened, and telling them it's safe to return, but please by non-magical means of transportation."
"That I can do," Rósa said.


***

The magicians in the hall broke up, some of the younger families took tea, coke and cake outsides to the gardens to give the children time for running and playing, some went to their rooms to give small ones some shut-eye and clean clothes. Some just wandered around hand in hand. All a bit shell shocked from the afternoons events. The old apprentices, now teachers and in most cases grandparents sat with Martine at a larger table, only Lis and Tage left to tell the bed ridden Sandra what had happened.

Ella just sat in a chair, feeling tired to the bones and stupefied by the progression from vaguely dissatisfied, habitually married senior citizen to gaslighted victim to widow in the span of days.
It dawned upon her that she had always been the collector of happy memories, Grandma's cottage being the most important of them. And all her books, most of them made her think of something good. Maybe she did not have any children, but she was going to be a good aunt ... she was going to invite her siblings one by one, pick up the broken pieces of her family life. And what was it Susan had told her yesterday about the librarian being Aamu. Should they probably go and get her? What did she know of Klara, as Aamu was now called. She thought back to the Christmas party at Unicorn Farm. The slim, blonde Finnish girl on beautiful red and green dress with embroidered willows on her dress. Ella realized that the language magic let her know that Raita, Aamu's last name meant willow. And there had been something distinctly willowy over Aamu. Her reflections went forward in time to the latest meeting in the book circle at the library, and she almost laughed out loud. She had arrived early, and had been looking at an exhibition of books Klara had made, many of them had had 'willow' in the title or as an illustration. Willow basket weaving was once again in fashion, and books on this, The Wind in the Willows, a series beginning with Summer at Willow Lake, The Willow Pattern Story and even Blue Willow, one of Ella's childhood favourite reads had been prominent there. It made Ella think. Why had Klara (Aamu) done this? Had she nurtured a secret hope of being fond out? Was it just coincidence - Ella did not believe in coincidence.  Ella's head slowly sank back in the comfy chair and she dropped off to sleep, dreaming a tangled story of herself, Walther, Klara and someone else exchanging the slates of their house with books in preparation for some coming evil. She woke with a start, and looked into Susan's worried face: "Did you have a nightmare?" Susan asked. "You kept calling for someone to come and help you."
"Not a nightmare," Ella said, "but strange dream." She told Susan of Klara's books and the crazy dream. "Do you think that we could risk going to Schiltach and visit Klara? I feel an urgency to go there."

Susan hesitated. "I think I want to go and ask Sandra. Her premonitions are getting better and better, and she was right in getting you here.  You better take a rest in a real bed, even if this chair is comfy it's a back breaking place to sleep."
  Ella got up and stretched her back: "I'll be in my room if you need me. A nap in a real bed is the right cure for my poor back, I think."