I was thinking about my story 'Luna Luna Let Down Your Hair' when I was hit by inspiration for this story. so tell me what you think.

I do not own Harry Potter or anything to do with him.

A Kingdom Cursed, A Selfless Love

In the Kingdom of Britain, in the country of Scotland, in the village of Hogsmeade stood Hogwarts castle, home to the Royalty of the magical world, the Queen Selene and her husband King Xenophilius. For generations her family had ruled selflessly and cared for their subjects. Xenophilius was different. Born to a lesser noble family he always wanted more, to be more, to have more. He fell for the princess whilst attending a ball and she fell for him. They married and her love blinded her to his selfish ways.

For years they tried for a child, but nothing happened. They were losing hope when Selene became pregnant. She gave birth to a healthy baby girl and the kingdom rejoiced. Princess Luna had arrived and the Queen and her subjects were happy.

But the King wanted more. He wanted bigger. He ordered for a massive ball to take place at the castle in honour of his daughter. He wanted a large banquet, the best musicians and a parade through the village, no, across the Kingdom, so all would know of his daughter. But for something this splendid he needed money and so he took the money from the orphanage to pay for it.

The ball arrived and there was cheer everywhere. The princess was in a cot between the thrones of the Queen and King and her parents were dancing the day away. People came to wish their child a long and healthy life and they brought her presents. And people came to wish them and their daughter long and glorious rules respectively.

Not long before sunset the party stopped, for a child had started to cry. And not just any child, but the princess. They hurried to the front of the great hall and stopped at the front of the crowd. At the top of the steps, in front of their thrones, in front of their daughter, stood an old and clearly powerful witch. Her eyes found the Kings and bore into them. The crowd was scared and Xenophilius was petrified. And then she started to speak.

"Xenophilius, you are a selfish man. You would hurt many for the sake of your pride. The orphans starve because you must throw a party. I will not have it. You do not deserve your magic, nor does your Kingdom. I place a curse upon you and your people. This Kingdom shall have no magic and no princess." She held up her hand and clicked her fingers. The effect was instant as golden light left the chests of the guests. Golden light flowed from all over the Kingdom to swirl around the witch's raised hand. After what seemed to be an eternity it stopped and the golden light dimmed. She then turned and picked up the princess before facing the crowd again.

"Be warned, this curse shall only be broken when a true hero of selfless love gets her home and is willing to let her go for what is right. A hero who is willing to give up his life for her and his love for the innocent. Only then shall your magic be returned. Xenophilius you must learn the meaning of selflessness, for you cannot find true happiness without selfless love."

And then she was gone, disappeared in a mist that had risen around her. When she was gone the King started calling for the guards to find his daughter. He screamed for them to double and triple the taxes and to collect them immediately. The money was to be used as a reward for whoever found his daughter and the witch who took her. If someone couldn't pay they were to be arrested. Most of the guards were enthusiastic about this, most but not one.

Frank Longbottom was a Lieutenant in the Royal Guard and second in command to the Captain Arthur Weasley. He watched with growing sadness. He looked to the Queen and she met his eye for a brief second before looking down. He knew why. He had been friends with Selene since they were children. When she had met Xenophilius he had warned her that he was selfish, but she wouldn't listen. She loved him and he couldn't fault that. She refused to see his one flaw because he was a great man. Now she was finally opening her eyes. She wouldn't demand that he renounce his title, or demand a divorce, she did still love him, but now she could put her foot down.

But there was a problem. While he and many subjects still followed her, the majority of the guard gave their allegiance to the King.

Frank thought about his young son at home. He'd had some reservations about Neville becoming a guard, now he knew he had no choice. He would train his son to take his place, for there had to be someone who would protect the people from the very men who were supposed to ensure their safety.

The Queen watched her husband order the guards to do what he thought necessary. Had she really been this blinded by her love of the man. Her eyes had been opened when her heart had been ripped as she watched her daughter be stolen from her. She looked at Frank and looked away. She couldn't look at him, knowing he had been right all those years ago. She looked out the window at the setting sun and feared that she may never see her daughter again.

Down in the village later that night, a young boy stood beside his best friend, a girl nearly a year older than he was, as both watched in confusion and fear as their parents were dragged off in chains. He was lifted into the air by the Lieutenant. He held the boy close and held out his hand for the girl to take. He took them to the orphanage and set them down on one of the beds. He spoke to the matron in hushed tones before leaving to attend to his duties.

The matron looked at the two in pity, dreading the day when they would ask about their parents and she would have to tell them. The boy had it the hardest. When the guards had accidentally hurt his mother his father had assaulted a guard trying to get to her. They said he had resisted arrest and assaulted a guard and that it was punishable by death. His mother had heard and had tried to get to his father. The guards didn't care, in their eyes his parents had been to poor to live, so they had been sentenced to death. The poor boy wasn't even two.

At the same time, in a cottage in a wood about two weeks walk from the castle, an old woman was putting a baby girl in a cot. The girl was already asleep. The woman looked at her and smiled. It was better for the child to grow up away from the influence of her father. She would go back one day and hopefully her father would have changed by then. She pulled a sheet over the baby's body and kissed her forehead.

"I am Minerva my child and I shall be your grandmother. Goodnight my princess. Sweet dreams."


What do you think. A good start for a fairytale? A disaster waiting to happen? Let me know.