Though The Complete Guide to the Trees of Britain, Ireland, and Northern Europe sometimes read like a diary, the notebook was a veritable treasure trove of magical experimental knowledge. It chronicled Dumbledore's trials and tribulations as he attempted to set himself apart from his otherwise ordinary family, whom he believed were holding him back.
"But why did Dumbledore want me to have this… diary?" Oleandra muttered to herself. "I don't understand…"
Oleandra continued flipping through the weathered tome. Each page was dated, allowing her to determine exactly how young Dumbledore had been when he'd already surpassed her present self (which was rather depressing). Most of the content beyond the diary entries and the practice letters to his friend Gellert, she found singularly incomprehensible, so she returned to the section concerning Ogham runes.
Still, the name Gellert felt vaguely familiar, for some reason.
Oleandra kept reading:
B: Beth is the birch-tree rune. The birch is the first tree to put out new leaves after winter, so its magic is tied to new beginnings. It also has minor dark magic-repelling properties.
(Perhaps the Druids used this rune as a kind of do-over spell— something like our Reparo?)
"Beth... that's an odd coincidence," muttered Oleandra. "The birch also has a star rune tied to it in Berkana. I suppose the Norsemen of old would have been quite pleased to see their land come back to life after a harsh winter..."
L: Luis is the rowan-tree rune. The rowan, also known as the quickbeam or quicken, possesses minor protective magical properties, said to ward off Faeries, Pixies, Ghosts, and even minor curses and jinxes.
"Even I knew that," commented Oleandra.
(And according to the lore, inhaling the smoke from burning rowan aids Oracles in their prophecies? Must find a Seer to test the theory.)
N: Nion is the ash-tree rune. According to legend, the Tree of Terror is supposed to be an ash, though Gellert insists Yggdrasil is most certainly a yew.In any case, this rune seems to hold a curious influence over rebirth. I've overheard my Muggle neighbours remarking that they'd heard a lovely singing voice in the ash grove just beyond Godric's Hollow, but when they went to see who was singing, they found no one, which they found rather peculiar, though apparently not peculiar enough to dwell on.
(I think I shall go and see what all the fuss is about tomorrow. Perhaps I could invite Gellert…)
"Lovely, disembodied singing voice, eh?" Oleandra remarked. "Is that when Dumbledore met Fawkes the Phoenix for the first time?"
F: Fearn is the alder-tree rune. The alder bleeds crimson when cut, and Fairies are fond of using the vivid red, green, and brown dyes made from its bark, flowers, and twigs to make themselves pretty. As the wood yields excellent charcoal, Fearn is considered the rune of fire.
(I think I shall stick to Incendio.)
S: Saille is the willow-tree rune. The willow, also known as osier or sallow, has flexible branches often used in basket making. Muggles are able to extract a substance from its bark that reduces inflammation, making Saille the rune of healing.
"Hang on, I actually know this one," said Oleandra in surprise. "Saille often comes up in some of the healing spells Viviane taught me!"
H: Uath is the hawthorn-tree rune. Also known as quickthorn, maytree, mayflower, thornapple and whitethorn, the hawthorn is a most inauspicious tree, covered in long, pointed thorns. It is said that those who fall asleep under a hawthorn will be spirited away, for Greater Faeries make their homes in such trees. Uath is the rune of curses and plagues.
(The hawthorn used to flower in early May until the Muggles changed calendars, one hundred years ago or so, in 1752, I believe).
Oleandra's eyes widened in shock. Dumbledore knew about Greater Fairies!?
D: Duir is the oak-tree rune. An extremely durable tree, oak has always been held in great esteem by both Muggles and Wizards. The Druids of old harvested mistletoe on oaks with golden billhooks for their rituals and potions. Lucky number seven, Duir is the rune of physical protection.
T: Tinne is the holly-tree rune. The holly's flowers bloom in July. Due to their prickly leaves, holly trees have a tendency to attract lightning… and also repel Faeries. Tinne is yet another protective rune.
C: Coll is the hazel-tree rune. The ancient Druids saw its nuts as nuggets of concentrated wisdom. The ninth rune overall, it is linked to the magical number nine, as the tree takes nine years to bear fruit. Invoking Coll is said to grant a temporary increase in wisdom.
(Though I haven't noticed any changes. Perhaps I'm already wise enough?)
M: Muin is the vine rune. More specifically, the bramble, which bears blackberries, which make rather good wine. (Or so Gellert tells me). Faeries have been known to make their nests in the thorniest of bramble bushes come late September, making them rather perilous to approach. Muin the rune of joy and wrath.
"Just how scared of Greater Faeries were the Druids!?" Oleandra grumbled. "No wonder they hated me so much!"
G: Gort is the ivy rune […].
Here, the neat, loopy lines of Dumbledore's handwriting took a decidedly wobbly turn. Large inkblots stained the page, making large sections of the text completely unreadable. Obviously, he had partaken of the wine he had described in the previous paragraph.
[…] passageway between worlds […] Faeries […] Muin and Gort? […] must research this further.
(The ivy's yellow berries also make for a very heady wine. I think I may be drunk.)
Oleandra turned the page.
Q: Quert is the apple-tree rune. Apple wood is sturdy, and the fruit itself is quite delicious, often made into cider. (From Quert comes Ceirt, and eventually the modern word cider.) The Isle of Avalon is also known as the Isle of Apples, said to have been home to the Greater Faeries before their mysterious disappearance thousands of years ago.
(The letter P didn't exist in Primitive Irish, so from Quert one obtains Peith— the guelder-rose. Or perhaps the pear-tree? Uncertain, though the rune itself seems to have a connection to the star rune Perthro, as it governs knowledge and mystery.)
…
So far, each of the consonant tree-runes has represented one of the twelve months in the lunar calendar, but there exists a thirteenth and final rune, for the thirteenth month that appears every two and a half years.
R: Ruis is the elder-tree rune. The elder, which holds its fruit as the final month of December arrives, is closely associated with death and endings. It goes without saying that Ruis is the most fearsome and forbidding of the thirteen consonant runes.
(It's a well-known fact among the Wizarding community that wands of elder never prosper… but those are only old wives' tales. The Hallow Gellert and I seek most is the Elder Wand, after all.)
So, Dumbledore had been seeking the Deathly Hallows in his youth as well…
"Gellert, Gellert…" said Oleandra, turning over the word on her tongue. "I know I've heard that name before…"