Chapter 12

Nimue plopped herself down on the couch in Harry's office, dampening the cushions without a care. She leaned back while twirling a strand of her red hair around her finger and then grinned at the three mortals staring at her.

"Elementals, my dears," she began, "are descendants of fae. Not direct heirs, mind you, no mortal body could sustain the raw magic of a true nymph. But somewhere down the family line, someone gains an extraordinary affinity for the particular element of their fae ancestor. It doesn't matter what wand core or wood they use. The affinity is in their blood."

Nimue continued, "I've known a few through the centuries. Morgana, Helga. Take Grindelwald, for instance. He was amazing with fire magic. She probably is too." Nimue winked at Hermione, who flushed indignantly at being compared to a Dark wizard.

"Your other little Dark Lord as well," Nimue added with a mischievous grin. "He had a wind affinity. Could fly without a broom, that one."

Harry's eyes widened. "Voldemort?"

"Yes, yes, him. Odd name for the chap, really, but my favorite one is you, Harry."

"Me? I'm not an Elementalist. I'm rubbish at elemental spells." Harry blinked, stunned.

"You aren't, but the blood of the Primordial Water Fae Queen flows through your veins," she stated. "That's why I like you. You're not an Elementalist yourself, but the potential is there. I wouldn't be surprised if one of your offspring or your grandchildren inherits the gift."

"I... uhm... I frankly don't know how to respond to that. I don't even know what a Primordial Fae Queen is." Harry stated.

"I'll make it simple for mortals to understand. Think of them as the first rulers of the elements. The ones who taught the world how to breathe, burn, flow, and grow. When the multiverse was young, the Upper Realm needed help to regain balance. So four Queens were woven into existence, each tied to an element, each with their own brood of nymphs to keep the mortal world in check."

Hermione leaned forward as curiosity overcame her skepticism.

Nimue ticked them off on her fingers. "Titania, the elder sister, governs land and woods. Nyxara rules the celestial skies, while Thalassaine, my old Queen, held dominion over water. And then there is Hephaera. She claimed the flames."

"Every few hundred years or so, one of the queens, or their offspring, gets bored and settles into the mortal realm. Sometimes they take a lover, have families... and then return to the fae realm when it pleases them."

"We nymphs can sense the descendants, though they cannot sense us."

"But I'm a Muggleborn,"

"So?" Nimue said. "Blood status doesn't matter, darling. Fae Queens certainly don't care about such nonsense. They're drawn to interesting, pure‑hearted people. That's who they choose. That's who they love. And sometimes, that's who they leave a little legacy with."

"Magic doesn't care about your family tree. The Queens were woven into existence to keep balance, not to play politics. They've taken lovers across every boundary you mortals obsess over. Sometimes they stay for decades, sometimes only for a season."

She turned her gaze on Harry then as mischief gleamed in her eyes. "For instance, I know exactly which ancestor of yours married my Queen."

Harry blinked. "What?"

Nimue giggled, "Have you ever heard of The Little Mermaid?"

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath, "Merlin preserve me..."

Nimue clapped her hands, delighted at their stunned expressions. "Oh, don't look so shocked! Mortals turn our stories into fairy tales all the time."

"Why, if I remember correctly, it took place in the 12th century, back when Britain was shifting from Viking longships to those clunky cogs. Honestly, the Viking ships were cuter. The cogs looked like floating barns."

She twirled her hair while recalling the scene. "One stormy night, a noble's ship capsized off the coast. My Queen, Thalassaine, rose from the depths and saved him. She carried him ashore, half‑drowned but alive. The villagers fetched Linfred of Stinchcombe to tend to his wounds. And oh, Thalassaine fell for Linfred immediately."

Harry blinked. "Linfred... of Stinchcombe?"

"Yes. The same Linfred who became known for his healing brews, Thalassaine married him, lived among mortals for years, and bore him three children. Their eldest, Hardwin Potter, carried both mortal and fae blood. And from him you descend."

"Of course, the tale got twisted over the centuries. Mortals love to embellish, and scribes rarely get the details right. Some thought Thalassaine should have fallen for the noble she rescued from the capsized ship. So they told that variation instead."

Then Nimue suddenly sat upright as if she'd just remembered something important. "Oh! That's right. I nearly forgot why I came here in the first place."

She reached into the pouch on her hip and pulled out two armbands, embedded with dark purple and black pearls.

"A wedding present," she announced brightly. "For you both. Don't take them off. At some point, they might come in handy."

Harry hesitated, staring at the armbands. "What... do they do?"

Nimue giggled, "That would spoil the surprise, wouldn't it? Just trust me. Water flows where it pleases, and sometimes it flows exactly where you need it."

Severus accepted the armbands with a wary expression. "Oh, dour one. They're gifts, not curses. Consider them a token from the tides." Nimue stated.

And with that, she rose and swept toward the door. "Well, I've meddled enough for one morning. Enjoy your presents, darlings!"

Before any of them could protest, Nimue vanished in a shimmer of ripples.

"What in tarnation just happened?" Hermione uttered.

Nimue slipped back into her palace beneath her lake. The walls were carved from coral and stone, and the water hummed with magic of old. She swam, now in her nymph form, to a mirror framed in shells and pearls, its surface rippling as though alive.

"Fate," Nimue called after dipping a finger into the surface.

The mirror shimmered, and the presence of Fate filled the reflection. "You did what I asked?"

Nimue nodded, "Yes. I gave them the armbands. Unusual for me to meddle, you know. I prefer my lakes and my birds. But you insisted."

"It is necessary," Fate replied, her voice resonant. "Not just for this reality, but for all realities. And the viewing pool? How is the repair coming?"

Nimue rolled her eyes. "Slowly. That idiot brother of ours scrambled my wiring."

"Have you thought about what we discussed centuries ago?" Fate then asked. "It may be time."

Nimue's fingers tightened on the mirror's edge, "I'm content to swim and to meddle when it suits me. We agreed. Only if it's truly necessary..."

"The tides are shifting. You may not have a choice." Fate stated knowingly.