AN: Sadly, beyond snippets, updating is suspended sue to an ongoing cross-country house move.

2:/ Trying to fix format errors. Please review/pm any missed.

Please note the narrator IS NOT a neutral in this matter. He has his views and opinions that may not match the exact reality.

The Fae Kingdom Cometh

Within half an hour of HMY Britannia and its escort docking in New York, several of the passengers and their escorts were whisked across the city and into a top-security closed meeting of the United Nations.

"The Council demands an accounting!" the cry of the French Ambassador cut across the multitude of voices. "The ruins of Britain lie but two-dozen miles from France. And what disease has driven you from your bedevilled isle may well turn on Europe!"

"May I remind the French Ambassador that the EnglishChannel was, and due to the destruction of the tunnel, remains a viable defence!" the British Ambassador countered.

"Monsieur l'Ambassadeur. This is not some heroic poem. This is not 'Channel Firing' - the Royal Navy numbers no more than thirty frigates, fourteen destroyers, three tiny carriers and a dozen museum pieces!" the Frenchman yelled back. "Have you not seen what ghastly revenants patrol those poisoned waters?"

The doors swung open as the last sentence was uttered. In entered an unusual delegation. Broadness turned to burliness, florid flush turned to unhealthy grey, Charles the Broken, King-in-Exile. Tall, gaunt and the possessor of an impressively-sized beard, Albus Dumbledore was the man who had led the resistance.

"Crown and government are not unaware, nor do we lack sympathy with the Republic of France." Charles spoke tiredly. "The British Isles are lost to us, but we have no reason to believe the threat will cross the Channel."

"What Europe and the World wants, King Charles, is details. That a power with the degree of industrialisation and military capability that Britain possessed..." the German ambassador stated more levelly.

"Albus?" Charles indicated for him to step forward.

"Honourable Ambassadors," he began, "The doom of a nation was writ in the primordial days of pre-history. As mankind evolved from its ancient ancestors, so too did a million or more beasts and beings. Amongst these, a tiny fraction has, to a greater or lesser extent, the ability that by rune, ritual, incantation, gesture and thought, the ability to manipulate their own energies and the natural currents and eddies of the world in a form which you might call magic."

And with that, he conjured a stark timber throne for himself, and a more elegant one for Charles. Each took a seat.

"Most powerful amongst the beings of the physical world are the fae - the aes sídhe, creatures of near-human appearance who were held as gods by the Britons of old. The age of the sídhe came to an end when the Romans burned their sacred places and slew their worshipers. They were driven to the high north and across the Irish Sea by the idolatry of the Romans. Though their strength was to wax under the Saxons and the Norse, the coming of Christianity and the Normans would end their time on this earth. Or so it was thought."

Mutterings broke the silence that followed.

"But for a handful of gates between worlds, sealed from the beyond, by immensely powerful profane ritual magicks, they lifted their realms away from this world,and sealed them in another." Dumbledore intoned gravely. "Nine hundred years later, a child was born to the scion of an old and powerful house of warlords. Thrice-named Hadrian, Harald and Hannibal. Baptised in the Old Ways, laid on a bed of swords in the grove and named by his grandfather, himself named for mighty Charlemagne."

He paused to conjure a goblet of water.

"Then came the first of threefold betrayal that weakened the exile of the fae. Hidden behind mighty enchantments, the parents of that child - known as Harry - were betrayed to their foe and slain in battle. The second betrayal was that of his oath-sworn kinsman, who now is known as Siward the Black, Black of Blackmourne Myre."

There was a sharp intake of breath. The name of one of the chief lieutenants of the Enemy was not unknown.

"Condemned as a traitor, he was cast into the darkest of cells that he would be consumed into oblivion. The charges were false and the sentence given without trial."

"Mein gott in himmel."

"The third betrayal came when - against the wishes of his parents, the orphaned child was given to the custody of blood relatives who had no care for the child." a sorrowful look crossed the aged wizard's face. "Thrice over was this child, descended from the Fae of the Old World, betrayed most terribly. And the gates that sealed the paths between worlds were fading, though it was not known at the time."

Hush fell, his voice filling the chamber.

"Into this world came the Tri-Goddess of War, known as the Morrigan. With the connivance of one who gave up his soul to Surtr, the Lord of the Flame, she slew all in that house who were of age and took the magical child." continued Dumbledore. "The one who was responsible was a man I thought to be my friend and mentor, but no. Nicolas de Marechal, Comte de Striguil and thrall of the Lord of the Flame plotted with inhuman creatures to despoil our nation. Nicolas Flamel worked to destroy us."

More water was needed to soothe his throat - would that he could sooth his soul.

"Fourteen years later, a great tournament was laid on by the three greatest schools of magic in Europe. The Triwizard Tournament. Yet, the artefact named four champions. Three we had, the fourth we sought to summon by ritual and incantation. In our foolishness, we sundered the gates and freed the fae. We summoned forth the Despoiler, and with him his consort, the Reviled, and what would follow was a black crusade. An endless tide of heretics, traitors, demons, madmen, revenants and all vile beings that gave their fealty to the son of the Bloody War-Queen of the Fae." wrath stirred at Dumbledore, a wind sweeping at his robes. "They came in the darkness of winter, lying in their barrows and mounds as the Despoiler courted those he could turn to his cause, and played against one-another those who gave not to him their souls into damnation, thrice-betrayed, it is he who is our doom."

"Every city and town razed to the ground, now but fields and forests - save for those buildings in whose glory they seek to reflect. The people - save those who worship the fae - driven to the ports to seek refuge across the sea! Shattered hulls of mighty warships raised from the seabed and manned by revenants of the slain to keep us out! That is our lot."

"The Despoiler, the Reviled, the Black, the Warwolf and uncountable inhuman creatures - Cernunnos the Horned King, the Wanderer who commands the Wild Hunt, named Wōden the Elleking. Mark these names well." he warned.