Chapter 356: Seventh Year
"Have you decided what to name them, Kael?"
Watching the little family on the bed, Galadriel, Elrond, and the others all wore warm smiles as they asked.
Kael and Arwen exchanged a glance. Then Kael turned to Elrond and said with quiet earnestness, "My lord Elrond, Arwen and I have talked about it. We would like to ask you to name our children."
Elrond's face lit with pleasure. He did not refuse.
He looked down at his twin grandchildren with gentle affection. After a moment's thought, he said, "The boy shall be Elthir, and the girl Elroth. What do you think?"
"Elthir… 'guardian of the Elves'? And Elroth, 'Elven flower'?" Kael repeated softly, hearing the meaning in the names.
They followed the pattern of Elrond's house. Each began with El, "Elf", and in Elthir the stem thir came from Quenya, "guardian", giving "guardian of the Elven bloodline".
In Elroth, roth was Sindarin for "flower", making "Elven flower", a name for one as fair and precious as a blossom.
Kael and Arwen both loved them at once, so the children's names were set there and then.
Taking Kael's name as their family name, the son became Elthir Duliel, and the daughter Elroth Duliel.
Their birth filled Rivendell with joy. Elrond ordered a great feast in their honour.
Elves lived long and carried their young for many years, so their numbers grew slowly and could never match those of Men.
The Elven first‑years Hogwarts had taken in these last two years might seem many, but in truth, they were the fruit of decades.
Elven children grew slowly. An Elf of one year was like a Mortal of twelve, and that was only the beginning. Their later growth was longer still.
Once this little wave of Elven children had passed through Hogwarts, it might be years, even decades, before another Elf was old enough to enrol.
No wonder the birth of two "half‑Elves" stirred every heart in Imladris. They came one after another to give their blessings and their gifts.
There were small carvings of pure wood, flower‑crowns woven from bright leaves and blossoms, charms wrought by Elven craft, vials of dew gathered under starlight, fine handwork such as delicate jewellery, little pendants of silver and gold, and all manner of gems and jewels.
The gifts for Elthir and Elroth fell into two clear piles. Elroth received dainty, beautiful things fit for a girl; Elthir's heap included tiny bows and arrows, and little knives given by the Elf‑men.
Elrond gave his grandson an Elven dagger that had once belonged to his own twin, Elros, to serve as Elthir's future sidearm.
To his granddaughter, he gave a jewelled necklace that had belonged to his wife, Celebrían.
Celeborn and Galadriel, as great‑grandparents, presented Elthir with a longbow carved from the heartwood of a mallorn, and Elroth with a crown of mallorn blossom.
By the end of the gift‑giving, the two little ones were rich beyond measure.
Kael and Arwen stayed in Rivendell for more than two months. Near the end of term at Hogwarts, they finally took the children home, bidding farewell to Imladris and returning to Weathertop to rest.
There, they held another grand celebration in the castle, this time to announce the birth of Kael's heirs to the folk of his lands.
Most of the guests were Hogwarts staff and students, along with old friends such as Bilbo. Everyone was eager to see the two beautiful little Elves.
Elthir and Elroth were adored by all the students. Even the usually reserved young Elves came shyly forward with their favourite treasures in hand.
The twins were quick of mind. By three months old, they could already speak and were even beginning to take their first steps.
Whenever they saw Kael, they would call him "Papa" in sweet, bright voices, and his heart would melt anew.
Arwen had barely recovered from the birth, but she refused Kael's suggestion that she continue to rest and insisted on returning to teach History of Magic.
As Headmaster with little else pressing him just then, Kael took on the main burden of caring for the children.
Soon it became a common sight around the school: their lord and headmaster with a baby under each arm, appearing in every corner of the castle.
At meals, Kael sat in the golden chair at the centre of the staff table, with Elthir and Elroth in high chairs to either side.
He spent the whole time feeding them in turn, hardly touching his own food.
Many students could only stare, stunned. The sight shook their image of him to its foundations.
Their dragon‑taming, Troll‑slaying, Orc‑killing lord had become… a full‑time father.
Day by day, Elthir and Elroth grew. They could talk, walk, and even dance; their minds leapt ahead of Mortal children their age.
Under Kael and Arwen's teaching, they quickly mastered both human tongues and Elvish and soon begged to sit in on classes with the older students to learn magic.
Time flowed on. The year turned to 2967.
The first group of students ever to enrol at Hogwarts had now reached their seventh year. Graduation was near.
From first year to seventh, there were more than five hundred students in all.
When term began and they were all in residence, the castle thrummed with life.
Over the years, several new classes were added alongside the original subjects; from third year onwards, students could take Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Ancient Runes, and Alchemy.
For Care of Magical Creatures, Kael invited Beorn the skin‑changer.
Beorn could take the shape of a great bear and speak with beasts, making him the perfect choice to teach the subject.
For Ancient Runes, Kael turned to Prince Legolas of the Woodland Realm.
When Legolas had studied magic under Kael, he had delved into runes and grown genuinely fascinated, pursuing them deeply. Teaching the students was well within his ability.
Divination was more difficult. Kael himself had the gift, but it came and went as it pleased and could not be commanded. He had never made a true study of it.
On Elrond's recommendation, he invited Gilraen, Aragorn's mother, to take the post.
Gilraen's mother, Ivorwen, had been a famed seer in Middle-earth. She had foretold the union of Gilraen and Arathorn, saying it would bring hope to the fading Dúnedain; she had also foreseen Arathorn's death, and prophesied that Aragorn would be king.
Gilraen might not have been as renowned as her mother, but she had enough of the gift to teach Divination at Hogwarts.
Kael even handed over all the Divination texts he had gained through his own odd chances, for her to study.
Alchemy was reserved for the sixth and seventh years, and only for those whose grades in Ancient Runes were at least "Outstanding".
Kael taught Alchemy himself. There were only two lessons a week and few students, so it cost him little time or effort.
He treated it as a kind of pastime, and quietly hoped to raise a handful of true alchemists from among his pupils.