The Fading of the Light
a/n – All of the recognizable portions of the Harry Potter universe are the property of JK Rowling. The reference to Conrad's extraordinary novel 'The Heart of Darkness' is simply for dramatic effect and isn't meant to demean or detract from that work. If you haven't read it, you should. Any references to Tolkien's works are property of the estate of JRR Tolkien. An additional author's note and disclaimer follows the story.
Chapter One – The Horror. The Horror
Friday, 31 August, 2012 – Potter Hall, near Mt. Snowden Cymru
"Those absolute imbeciles!"
Looking up from her discussion of the changes in the Arithmancy curriculum that would start on Tuesday at Hogwarts, Tracy Davis gave a nervous glance at Hermione who was calmly sipping her mug of tea and reaching for another scone.
"Luna sounds a bit …" Breaking off at the sound of breaking crystal and shattering china, she shrugged. "A bit upset?"
"If it was a real disaster, she would have activated the wards and no one would have heard her before she dealt with whatever it was," Hermione replied as she held the platter out for Tracy to inspect. "There's still a gooseberry one left, and you still haven't explained how you convinced Minerva to start Runes and Arithmancy in second year."
"Actually, it's only the precursors," Tracy replied as she kept one eye on the entrance to the sitting room where she could see the stairs to the upper levels of the mansion. "Intermediate maths for me to get them up to speed and Harrington's teaching that 'Snooping on Gimli and Legolas' abomination she cobbled together for remedial Runes."
Frowning, Hermione rolled her eyes, "First, she got married over the summer, one of Marietta's younger siblings so she's an Edgecombe now. Secondly, it's called 'Runes of Middle Earth' and she's using Tolkien's notes she found from where he simplified two different sets of Runes for his novels. She's going to use them as a starting point, she's absolutely correct that people forget that these things are parts of actual languages. If she can get the students comfortable with writing actual papers and stories with them, using them to construct wards and devices will be much easier."
"It'll never last," Tracy said in an offhand manner as she helped herself to another scone. Seeing the look on Hermione's face, she chuckled. "The marriage, not the course. Anything to raise the scores for Runes would be a blessing; it's just that the goblins get a bit twitchy every time Tolkien's brought up."
Waving her hand dismissively, Hermione laughed. "Ragnok thinks it's a hoot, and that's all that matters. He had a home cinema rig installed in his boardroom, he keeps playing those scenes from 'The Two Towers' with the Uruk-Hai on loop and muttering, 'I've got to get some of those' just to annoy his account managers."
Before Tracy could tell Hermione about someone at Gringotts placing small portraits of Dumbledore in the urinals in the wizard's lavatories in the employee break room labeled 'Saruman', a blonde whirlwind came storming into the sitting room.
"Evil is going to prevail. The Long Night is coming!" Luna yelled as she whirled into the room. Going over to her desk in the corner, she was hastily rummaging through piles of papers as she continued to rant.
"Those evil wankers. Dark Lords in training every one of them." Shaking her head, she suddenly looked up and noticed Tracy and Hermione sitting there for the first time.
Picking up a folder, she rushed over to where they were sitting and waved it frantically at Tracy.
"What kind of monster could do this? Have they no heart? Have they no decency?" Looking up to the ceiling, her silver-grey eyes flashed as she implored, "Where is their humanity?"
"Lu," Hermione began in a calm and collected voice. "If something's wrong, just tell me and I'll help you fix it."
"It can't be fixed," Luna snarled with a manic look in her eyes. "Nothing will ever be the same. Evil will prevail. There will be crime running rampant in the street, evil druids casting spells will he nil he, foul undead abominations shambling through peaceful train stations, storm-trooper vampires teaching preschool in the suburbs."
Shaking her head, she leaned over and handed a piece of paper to Hermione and hissed "Paragon City is gone."
Looking down at the screen print, Hermione shook her head. "Well, technically, it's not really gone until the end of the year."
"War Witch has left the building. Statesman has headed for the West Coast to find employment. It's just a mockery, a hollow shell."
Drawing herself up, she glared at Tracy. "Do you know what kind of evil person could do this? Rip the heart and soul out of a city, leave the East Coast defenseless? Do you?"
Shaking her head, Tracy nervously kept her eyes on Luna, missing the small smile on Hermione's lips.
"I'll tell you what kind," Luna hissed. "Only the foulest of evils, ones so dark that even Voldemort would have run in terror at their approach." Looking around, checking the room for dangers, Luna snapped back to Tracy and hissed.
"Accountants, it was accountants and marketing managers that killed it. They're the ones that sacrificed Paragon City on the bonfire of their hubris."
"Lu, maybe we can help. I'll talk to Harry when he gets back from Buenos Aries …"
"Harry! That's it! Hermione, you're a genius." Bouncing around the room, Luna was doing her giddy schoolgirl imitation to excess.
"Harry has loads of money he never uses. I've got loads of money from Daddy I never use. You've got hoards of money from those trashy romance novels you write that you never use."
Jumping up on her desk, Luna was doing her 'happy end zone dance' and chortling "We'll buy it, we'll buy it!" over and over.
Tracy flashed Hermione a disbelieving look and mouthed 'romance novels' and smirked as the blush on Hermione's cheeks confirmed it. Before she could tease her about it, Luna somersaulted off the desk and ran over to kiss Hermione on the cheek.
"You're simply a genius. I've got to pack."
As she rushed from the room, she called over her shoulder, "I'll catch an international portkey to Brazil, track down Harry, we'll go buy the bloody company since its right next door and I'll be home for dinner."
Stopping in the doorway, she nodded triumphantly. "Tell Kreacher to make certain there's pudding for dinner tonight. Lots and lots of pudding."
And with that, she disappeared.
As she turned her attention back to Hermione, Tracy just shook her head in disbelief.
"It's a game," Hermione explained. "A game on the computer that muggles play called 'City of Heroes'. Lu's very fond of it, she really gets into the whole comic book thing and she's been playing since it first started. Apparently the company that owns it is going to fold it."
"Is she always this … obsessed with things?"
Chuckling, Hermione shrugged. "She bought a house in Hogsmeade that she shielded so she could get a broadband connection so she could play during the school year. You tell me."
"Do you think Harry will buy it for her?" Looking perplexed, Tracy was trying to equate buying a 'game' with buying something she could understand. "It can't be that expensive, can it?"
"Depends upon why they're dumping it," Hermione mused as she read through the printouts Luna handed her. "If he doesn't have to buy the entire company, he might. He hates to see her disappointed."
"Wait, Harry would buy her an entire company so she can keep playing a game?"
"Only if it was sustainable," Hermione replied. "He wouldn't buy it if we'd go bust keeping it afloat, but if it's viable …"
"And you'd let him?"
"The Potters have over a dozen properties on three continents, the Blacks about the same. We own stock in half the most profitable companies in the muggle world and two thirds of the ones in the magical world. Luna could spend money like a drunken sailor at a hooker convention for the rest of her life and Harry wouldn't blink.
"A drunken sailor at a hooker convention?"
"She means I could spend money like Hermione Potter at a booksellers convention," Luna chortled from the doorway. "I've got a portkey in two minutes; I'll be home for pudding."
Rushing out of the doorway, Luna headed for the downstairs linen closet that was the manor's first floor portkey exit point.
Shaking her head, Tracy picked up a scone and smirked.
"So tell me," she drawled. "Hermione Granger, Prefect extraordinaire writing bodice rippers, how'd that happen?"
a/n2 – All of the properties and characters associated with the 'City of Heroes' franchise are owned by the NCSoft Corporation. Unfortunately, it appears that no white knights are going to appear to save Paragon City, this time. My apologies to any and all accountants out there, Luna's just a bit high strung.