DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter that right is held by the lovely J.K Rowling. The unfamiliar characters though are all from my imagination. Enjoy!
Xxx
December 25th, 1959
Thálassa Cottage – Granger Residence
Sitting Room
A little blue cottage decorated in bright twinkling lights sat surrounded by tall trees and shrubs. Anyone who passed smiled joyfully at the obvious holiday spirit for the lawn was extensively decorated with Christmas décor of all kinds including snowmen, reindeer, and angels. Today was Christmas, one of the happiest times of the year where one got together with their loved ones and spread joy and cheer. No one would suspect that in the most cheerful looking house that there was not an ounce of joy being spread. Two women were seated in the homely sitting room decorated just as heavily in Christmas décor as the lawn. There were lights strung all about, mistletoes in every entrance, handmade snowflakes floating about the room, and a Christmas tree with not an inch of space left undecorated sitting merrily in the corner of the room with the brightest crystal star perched elegantly atop the chaos. Presents overflowed from under the tree, the colorful wrapping paper and big bows glistening under the glow of the lights begging to be opened.
Gissèlle could not enjoy any of it, no matter it being her favorite holiday she just couldn't find it in herself to summon happiness or even fake it to ease the stress of the others in the room. Not until she knew they were safe, that this was all a mistake. No, until then the morose feeling that weighed on her soul and the anxiety that clenched her heart would stifle any happiness she could find. The possibility that she would lose all she loved was highly probable and no matter how much she tried to convince herself that it could be wrong her mind kept leading her to the same conclusion.
Gissèlle jumped slightly when a warm, dainty hand enveloped hers, slender painted fingers sliding through her own plump ones and interlacing them.
"It must be a blessing and a curse to have a meticulous mind like yours. You're always so caught up in your thoughts, thinking things through so thoroughly that you overthink the simplest of things. So deep in your thoughts that you shut out the whole world and all its problems. It must be quite nice, but also very lonely." The melodic voice belonging to the intruder of her thoughts intoned softly.
"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? You're always caught in the depths of your mind, so we're one in the same. For future reference I would suggest taking your own advice before you go around pointing at others." Gissèlle snapped pulling her hand away.
The other occupant on the couch wasn't having it and only held on tighter, taking no offense to her confrontational tone and answering calmly "What you say is true, I'll admit I do tend to be lost in my mind more often than not, but the difference between us is that I let my mind wander aimlessly, not focusing on one particular thought or another. You on the other hand put all of your attention to those thoughts and it picks away at you causing you undue stress for things you can't even begin to understand. Stress is an early invitation to your deathbed, and I rather like my best friend alive and well."
Gissèlle's anger left her all at once and she felt a pang of regret for her words and actions. Her friend was just trying to help and she had snapped evilly at her for something that wasn't her fault.
"I'm sorry Ttatiana, you've been nothing but good to me and you didn't deserve that. My mind just keeps drifting back to what the night's revelation could bring and I can't stop it. How am I supposed to sit here and act like I'm happy knowing that after tonight our lives could change for the worst…that I could lose all of you because of what some ridiculous Seer says she's Seen glimpses of that could or could not be linked to us…I just can't Ttatiana." She whispered gripping their intertwined hands tightly together as she shook in fear of the unknown.
She stiffened when she felt a hand caress her wild curly golden hair, her body slowly relaxing as the ministrations continued.
"Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow (1)" Ttatiana intoned softly.
Gissèlle sighed knowing she had lost and closed her eyes as a reluctant smile appeared on her lips she finished, "It only saps today of its joy (1)."
"Ah indeed, couldn't have said it better myself. So enough of that nonsense, and is that a smile I see! Thank Merlin, for a second I thought I lost you to that pesky mind of yours. Such a brilliant thing it is, but at the same time so stressed, I'll never understand how that even works. How can you be stressed and brilliant at the same time? Wouldn't your brain combust from all the over activity? I swear you're like an unnatural phenomenon!" Ttatiana teasingly tugged at one of her curls as her thumb comfortingly rubbed soothing circles on the back of her hand.
Gissèlle playing along gave Ttatiana's hand a squeeze before letting go and crossing her arms and huffing in mock anger sticking her nose in the air, "Unnatural! Says the one who is always simultaneously daydreaming and able to follow a conversation, now that is unnatural."
"You're right, it's quite mind boggling isn't it?" Ttatiana laughed raucously.
Shaking her head at her silly remark Gissèlle joined her in laughter, finally turning her eyes upon her companion. Ttatiana was truly breathtaking, even more so when she smiled for it really brightened the room. Her beauty rivalled that of full-blooded Veelas with skin the color of freshly brewed coffee, cheek bones sitting high and proud, jaw line soft and delicate, nose adorably small and round, lips pouty and full, hair a luscious cinnamon brown falling in bushy corkscrew kinks to her waist, and a shocking pair of pure grey eyes, so pure they almost seemed white, she was the epitome of true beauty.
Her eyes were an open book; always with this dreamy gaze as if she wasn't fully present to the outside world. Looking within their depths Gissèlle could see past the joy and laughter and see the fear and anxiety being masked behind it. They shared the same sentiments but unlike her Ttatiana was not letting it consume her thoughts and damper her spirits. Gissèlle decided she wouldn't waste her friend's efforts and enjoy what little happiness she could while it lasted.
"Oi, what's all that ruckus in here?" A deep male voice shouted over their laughter from the front door.
Smile blooming impossibly wider Gissèlle turned eagerly at her husband's voice "Jarred love, what in Merlin's name took you so long? I was stuck here bored to tears with only this ding bat for company."
Gissèlle smirked at Ttatiana who flipped her the bird while dreamily gazing into the dying flames in the fireplace with a smile.
"Ding bat? Where? I only see two beautiful birds." Jarred's tall, lithe form entered the foyer lugging thick pieces of firewood behind him, his smooth pale face pink from the cold and his blue robes and long straight red hair that was pulled back into a high ponytail covered in white snow. He dropped the wood with a loud thunk and began to rub his gloved hands together while blowing on them.
"Use your wand and cast a warming charm dear" Gissèlle intoned fondly gazing upon her husband before glancing at her friend and shaking her head in exasperation, "Honestly, you would think he was a muggle with how much I have to remind him of his ability to use magic."
"Bet you he forgot his wand upstairs." Ttatiana looked at Gissèlle with a knowing smirk as Jarred's flushed cheeks became even darker as he sputtered protests in embarrassment.
Both women broke into another fit of laughter.
Feeling sympathy for her husband Gissèlle said, "Come here love, I'll cast it." She reached for her wand in her leg holster.
"Dear Merlin no!"
"Heavens stop!"
"What?" Gissèlle said incredulously as she stopped midway of removing her wand from her leg holster at Ttatiana and Jarred's loud protests. She watched curiously as they both looked at each other nervously before looking back at her.
"It's nothing love, I just don't want you to overexert yourself." Jarred flashed a wide unconvincing smile over his shoulder before removing his outer robes and hanging them on the coat rack and shaking the snow from his locks.
Not buying it she looked at Ttatiana raising her eyebrow and crossing her arms.
"Your magic has been right wonky for the past few months. A simple warming charm from you can cause another disaster such as accidentally burning the house down…. again." Ttatiana said sheepishly while removing her wand from her leg holster and casting a warming charm on Jarred's approaching form.
"It was only one time, one bloody time! I can do magic just fine! And I didn't burn the house down, just the dining room!" she yelled throwing her hands up and huffing in indignation.
"If I recall you've made things spontaneously combust, spark, break, and crack trying to do simple charms we've learned in first year for the last four months. I don't think the house can take anymore, so please have mercy on it and its occupants by just leaving the magic to us." Ttatiana said as she waved off her protests and focused her attention on levitating the wood over to the fireplace and throwing a few pieces in to feed the hungry flames.
"Thanks sweet, can always count on you," Jarred said placing a light kiss to Ttatiana's cheek and ruffling her hair while she rolled her eyes and shoved him away with a smile as she went back to staring at the flames. "And she's right darling, you've been a right terror lately.
Gissèlle huffed, annoyed with their accusations, but she couldn't help but to melt into her husband's arms as they enveloped her shoulders. Tilting her head back she smiled as she looked into his amused golden brown orbs that she could get lost in forever. She closed her eyes savoring the feel of his lips as he kissed her forehead, chin, cheeks, eyes, and nose before meeting her lips in a sensual dance. They're lips moved against one another in such effortless familiarity, the spark of fire he alighted every time he was near formed in her stomach branching its way though her whole body causing her to quiver in delight, everything around them just melted away until it was just them and them alone in that moment.
"Cookies and cider are done!" A deep gravelly voice shouted from the kitchen.
Gissèlle and Jarred reluctantly separated, Jarred kissing her nose before standing straight with his hands clasped gently on her shoulders rubbing soothing circles. Looking towards the kitchen just as the towering form of Grahame exited it covered in flour from head to toe, wearing a flowery green apron and holding freshly baked cookies and four cups of cider on a tray. Grahame was a massive man, arms and legs corded with thick muscle, stomach firm, and hands and feet large and wide, when he walked you could feel it in the ground. His facial features were very intimidating, everything was strong and sharp; nose, cheeks, chin, and jaw. His hair was as black as ink and fell down in waves past his shoulders, his beard was low cut, but thick and nicely kept, and his eyes were a sharp hazel and always narrowed unless gazing upon his wife. His presence and features made him very intimidating to be around, but for those who he considered close friends and family knew him to be a 'gentle giant' and a big softie, especially to his wife.
"Oh goodness, look at you a right mess! I thought Pip and Nettie were giving you a hand so this didn't happen." Gissèlle said while overcome with mirth.
"Looks like more flour was used on him instead of the cookies." Jarred laughed deeply along with his wife.
Grahame scowled darkly and muttered what was surely death threats under his breath only causing them to laugh harder.
"Oh don't pay them any mind love." Ttatiana's expensive silk forest green dress swished about her knees as she stood up from the couch and walked over to her husband.
Gissèlle and her husband watched in bemusement as she flicked her wand at the cookie tray in his hands and it levitated its way over to the coffee table. Once in front of him she placed her small hands on his chest and he in turn wrapped his large arms around her waist gently bringing her small frame flush against him. Leaning her head back she stood on her tip toes, her short stature still only reaching his chest, and he bent his head meeting her the rest of the way. They kissed passionately, Ttatiana's hands entangled in her husband's hair while he caressed her face with such tender care as they kissed without abandon as if there was no one else in the room. With a blush Gissèlle thought her and Jarred surely looked the same when caught up in each other.
When they separated Grahame had his forehead pressed to Ttatiana's whom smiled fondly up at him and said, "You taste like sugar."
She pecked his lips once more before they separated the front of her green dress now covered in flour.
"Look you match!" Gissèlle teased.
Ttattiana laughed flicking her wand at her husband banishing the apron and then cleaning the white powder from him, doing the same to herself, and then intertwining her tiny fingers between his large ones and dragging him over to the couch where she had him sit before promptly plopping herself in his lap.
"Let's eat!" Ttatiana said excitedly clasping her hands together.
They all chuckled at her excitement. Jarred came around to sit next to her and Gissèlle leaned into him immediately as he wrapped an arm around her. Everyone grabbed a cup and cookies, easily starting up a conversation and enjoying each other's company.
As Gissèlle sipped her cider she closed her eyes letting the voices of her husband and friends fill her with comfort. These times spent with them laughing and carrying on are things she would always cherish during these dark times, nothing made her happier than spending her days with these three people. Opening her eyes they immediately connected with Ttatiana's who gave her a knowing smile.
Gissèlle smiled back snuggling further into her husband's embrace who hugged her to his side lovingly.
Nothing could ruin this moment.
Xxx
They had just finished opening presents and both couples were spread on the couches, Ttattiana and Grahame stretched out with him spooning her and running his hands through her thick curls and Gissèlle with her legs stretched out and her feet in Jarred's lap as he massaged them while retelling his story of what happened at work that morning on the other couch, when the sound of apparition caused everyone to go stiff.
Gissèlle looked to her husband seeing his face set in a grim expression, she watched as he looked at Grahame who had a similar expression. Both of them shared a nod before he turned back to her and gave her smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Grahame and I are going to see who it is, we'll be right back." Jarred gently removed her feet from his lap and stood moving towards the door.
"Be safe." Gissèlle said grabbing his hand.
"Always am love." Squeezing her hand and kissing her brow he let go and continued his trek to the front door exiting with Grahame behind him.
Gissèlle sat her face as white as a ghost and palms sweaty, jumping when Ttatiana sat next to her and wrapped her arms comfortingly around her not having seen her move from her previous spot. She gratefully sunk into her friends comforting embrace as they waited for their husbands to return.
They didn't have to wait long as moments later the front door slammed open. Gissèlle screamed and Ttatiana not missing a beat jumped up in front of her protectively, wand raised and at the ready. They both relaxed upon seeing Grahame enter.
"Everything is alrigh', it vas just Dumbledore and 'is companions." Grahame shook the snow that gathered on him from his hair and navy robes.
"Companions? I thought he was just bringing the Seer? Where's Jarred?" Gissèlle questioned with her brow furrowed in worry, her tense body relaxing as Ttatiana lowered her wand and looked at her husband also curious.
Grahame sighed deeply scratching his beard. "Ve vere but she said she needed zere assistance vor zee ritual, Jarred is assisting zem with zere zings." he replied in his thick French accent.
Just as soon as he said that the front door slammed open again causing Gissèlle to jump once more and Ttatiana to go back to her protective position.
The ever familiar frame of Dumbledore entered the foyer, scuffling behind him were three oddly dressed women, and bringing up the rear was Jarred who trudged behind them carrying two big beat up suitcases.
"Ah, Ttatiana and Gissèlle, so nice seeing you again! I wish it weren't for something as grave as this." Dumbledore said with a soft smile and twinkling eyes as he shook off the snow from his periwinkle robes.
"It's nice seeing you too Dumbledore, and we wish it were on different circumstances also. Do come in I hope we didn't frighten you." Ttatiana said with a smile lowering her wand again.
Gissèlle relaxed once more seeing her husband was fine and took Ttatiana's proffered hand aiding her to stand as the new comers approached.
Both women hugged Dumbledore fondly, kissing him upon both his wrinkled cheeks before turning to the three unknown women. The oldest looking of the bunch was quiet obviously the Seer, and by how the other two young women shifted behind her looking nervously around them only confirmed it. She was very short, her head reaching only to Gissèlle's bust and her frame was gaunt. Her hair an unhealthy pale grey fell in a dry stringy heap to her knees. Aging surely did not treat her kindly because any hint of past beauty (if there ever was any) was lost under the many wrinkles that marred her face that was splotchy, thin, and sallow and seemed to sag drastically under gravity as well as her sunken big brown eyes that were hidden behind huge magnifying spectacles. She wore a brown toga looking dress that looked to have seen better days and it was covered by an odd worn satin trench type coat. An abundance of long beaded necklaces hung from around her scrawny neck dangling past her waist, and on both her bony wrists were different variations of handmade bracelets that stacked up to her elbows. Her bushy brows seemed to be set in an ever present scowl and her thin lips in a non-too pleasant sneer. Her breaths sounded raspy, and her gangly frame shook a little making her seem all the more delicate. No matter her fragile appearance the sharp look in her wide eyes demanded respect and to not be underestimated making her quite the intimidating old woman.
Ttatiana ever friendly offered her hand to the old woman. "I'm sorry for our impolite greeting, we didn't mean to frighten you it's just dark times and we've learned to be cautious about everything. My name is Ttatiana Baudin(2) Nèe Chevalier(3) and this is my sister Gissèlle Granger Nèe Leclair(4)."
The old women studied Ttatiana before doing the same to her, her lip curling in disgust revealing decaying gums and brown teeth. "You are both worthless looking bints!" Her voice was loud and sounded like screeching nails on a chalkboard as spittle flew from her lips.
Gisselle's mouth fell open in disbelief at her rude words and Ttatian's hand dropped as a look of shock took over her face. The old woman paid them no mind and turned to Dumbledore stabbing a lengthy finger with a long crusted nail into his chest. "Albus you better have not wasted my time! They surely cannot be the ones I've been Seeing glimpses of? Look at them! I've seen Wizbing Nigglers with more spiritual energy than all four of them combined! Even Sybill who is a disgrace to the Trelawney line of Seers has more energy than all of them!"
One of the girls, the taller one, squeaked and tried to shrink into herself, she must have been the Sybill the rude old lady spoke of from her reaction. The pale young woman was an awkward looking thing. Tall and lanky with long limbs that she hadn't quite figured out how to work properly. Her face was the mirror image of the old woman's except much more youthful. Her hair was dirty blonde, almost brown, and fell into a tangled mess to the middle of her back (had none of them seen a comb) and looked just as dry as the old woman's. She wore a pale green jumpsuit that was much too large for her slinky frame and a dingy white cotton shawl that dragged to the floor, and just like the older woman her thin neck was assorted with long necklace and her small wrists with bracelets. In whole she wasn't very pretty and her eyes that held a look of constant nervousness with her brow knotted in worry as she bit her stubbed nails and fidgeted anxiously only added to her unattractiveness. Her presence, unlike the older woman's who demanded to be acknowledged, begged to be forgotten and lost in the background.
"Now wait a bloody minute," Gissèlle tore her eyes from studying the young woman at the sound of her husband's upset voice and watched as he carelessly tossed the bags near the empty Christmas tree before walking towards her and grabbing her hand and then laying a hand protectively on Ttatiana's shoulder. "I do not appreciate how you are speaking to my wife and my sister."
The old woman ignored him and continued to yell at Dumbledore still insulting them all.
"She's a very rude old woman." Grahame's gravelly voice said as he moved to his wife's side and grabbed her hand comfortingly, he looked at Gissèlle with a look of concern and she just smiled at him slightly nodding her head that she was fine.
"What she said is true, all of you have pitiful spiritual energy it's almost laughable." A bell like voice announced in a mocking tone.
They all looked to the last of the three mysterious women. She was the youngest of them all, looking to be either fourteen of fifteen. She was just as thin as the other two and just a head shorter than Sybill. Her skin was pale and from what of it that could be seen was covered completely in ink in an intricate tribal design. Her eyes were just as wide as the other two but were a dark blue and were hidden by the same wide magnifying glasses. Every inch of her ears were covered in piercings as well as her septum and the dip where her chin and lip met were also pierced. Her hair was ash blonde and the whole of it was braided in many tiny braids with beads interwoven in them and fell to her bum. She wore a long-sleeved sheer blue dress that fell mid-thigh with no undergarments underneath putting her private areas on display (Gissèlle noted the tattoos did cover her whole body). Her long fingers were adorned with many rings of all sorts and like her fellows she wore necklaces and beaded bracelets. Unlike her other two counterparts she was quite pretty; her unkempt; almost dirty appearance, oddly enhanced her otherwise plain features instead of degrading it. Gissèlle with slight revulsion noticed looking at all three women's feet that they wore no shoes.
"Why you little brat!" Gissèlle squeezed her husband's hand and he looked at her clenching his mouth shut as he reluctantly stopped his protests.
"Selene(5), that wasn't very nice." Sybill whispered hastily her eyes flickering all about the room avoiding eye contact with everyone as she fidgeted even more.
The young girl, Selene, shrugged staring off into space with a distant look as if she was seeing something that they could not.
Gissèlle turned her eyes away from the young woman as she heard Dumbledore sigh wearily, most likely tired of being yelled at and stabbed in the chest by the old woman. "Please calm down Asteria(6). I know how valuable your time is and I'm grateful you have faith in me enough that you dropped all your other appointments to be here. I wouldn't have brought you here if I didn't believe that they weren't part of what you've been Seeing, please have trust in me dear friend."
The old woman, now identified as Asteria, huffed. "You've never been wrong before Albus, thus is why I have faith in you, but I can't help but to believe that this is all hogwash! Now tell me which one of these useless fools you believe to be the one I've been having visions about?"
Dumbledore's blue twinkling eyes immediately landed on her causing Gissèlle's stomach to drop. Asteria hobbled over to her until they were standing face to face (more like breast to face because of the old woman's short stature). She shooed her husband and the others away from her viciously. Without warning she reached up with a spindly hand and grabbed her face, her long crusty nails dug painfully in Gissèlle's cheeks as she turned it every which way humming curiously. Gissèlle felt violated as the old woman's hands traced her body roughly, not seeming to care for her discomfort when she touched her breasts, even smacking her hands away when she tried to stop the woman's invasive examination. Everyone but the three woman and Dumbledore, who were all most likely used to her weird behavior, jumped when she stopped gasping loudly with her hands spread on Gissèlle's stomach.
Gissèlle became scared seeing the empty look in Asteria's eyes as she muttered under her breath. She looked to her husband and him seeing the look of fright in her eyes immediately walked over shoving the old lady away causing her to stumble and shake unsteadily.
"I've had enough of this you old bat! You come into our house, insult our family, and you invade my wife's privacy scaring the wits out of her! I want you all to leave. NOW!" Jarred yelled holding her protectively to his chest.
"You ungrateful bastard! I'm here to help you and this is how you treat me! I ought to put a curse on you, you stupid twit!" Asteria spat when she finally caught her balance, pointing a long shaking finger in his face.
Jarred let go of Gissèlle pushing her gently into Ttatiana's arms as he stood toe-to-toe with the woman towering over her with a fierce glare.
"Everyone please calm down. Jarred I know Asteria's methods may seem a little strange and threatening, but she is good at what she does and I vouch for her." Dumbledore's ever calm voice said trying to diffuse the hectic situation.
Jarred whipped around facing Dumbledore. "May seem strange and threatening?! The old bint just felt up my wife muttering nonsense!"
"Please Jarred, I understand your misgivings, but it's important that we get full disclosure on what Asteria has been having visions of, it's for the safety of your family." Dumbledore said putting a placating hand on Jarred's shoulder.
Jarred took a deep breath and looked at Gissèlle with a question in his eyes. Gissèlle stepped out of Ttatiana's embrace and grabbed his hand squeezing it in assurance. She knew no matter how awful Asteria was this needed to be done.
Jarred sighed in resignation and with one more glare at Asteria nodded his go ahead to Dumbledore.
"You may begin Asteria." Dumbledore said, giving a grateful nod to Gissèlle for diffusing the situation and being receptive.
Asteria grumbled insults under her voice as she snapped her fingers and the furniture moved about the room, making it so that there was a wide clearance of space. She shooed everyone except Sybill and Selene out of the way and with another snap the beat up suit cases residing near the tree sprung to life and floated to lay neatly in front of her. She snapped at Sybill and Selene who hurriedly kneeled, one at each suitcase, Sybill fumbled to open hers while Selene simply popped hers open.
"Good Selene. You will draw the circle of Ra(7), make sure there's an equal amount of salt grains around the circumference, and make it big enough to fit us all. You Sybill will exact the bone ceremony(8), it should be easy enough that not even you could mess it up." Asteria said patting Selene softly on the head and giving Sybill a disdainful look.
Selene snickered and shot Sybill, who ducked her head in embarrassment, a teasing smirk as they both replied. "Yes Master Asteria."
Gissèlle and the others watched on curiously as Selene pulled out a small coin sac with white table salt in its depths, squeezing it with her fingers as if weighing its contents they heard her say. "25,458 granules, should be about 2,044 granules every half foot." She grabbed a handful and began to pour salt on the mahogany wood floors.
"Selene is my prized pupil and who I have been training to be the head of the Trelawney house and pass the Trelawney Seers Ball to once I'm nothing but spiritual energy. This would have gone to my dear daughter Anuket(7) who was Selene's and Sybill's mother but she died giving birth to Selene. Sybill may look exactly like her but, I believe she passed all her talents on to Selene so it's like I'm giving what's rightfully hers." Asteria said to no one in particular as she stood next to Dumbledore and watched Selene with fondness.
"If you don't mind me prying, if Sybill is the oldest isn't it rightfully her place to be the head of the Trelawney house and thus should be the one you're training?" Ttatiana questioned Asteria politely.
Asteria immediately scowled. "Sybill is not fit to be head of the Trelawney house, she barely has any talent for the art of Sight and would run our name to the ground. I sometimes question the spirits that they bore her into the wrong family."
"Such a shame for her to be wasted even if her talents are barely there, Seers are rare and always on demand." Dumbledore said pityingly.
"She wouldn't be wasted if her birthright wasn't unjustifiably taken from her." Ttatiana shot back looking at Asteria with anger and then at Dumbledore in disbelief.
"If her talent was as good as Selene's she would have kept it, but her sister outshines her in all aspects of Sight. Sybill still hasn't been able to enter the Spirit Realm or even speak with the spirits and Selene has done it and is four years her junior. She's only capable of minor Sight and that is not going to cut it to run the Trelawney house." Asteria said matter-of-factly.
"It's not unusual practice for families to give the title of Head of the House to the child with more talent than the ones who its birthright is." Dumbledore added agreeing with Asteria.
Ttatiana looked as if she was going to defend the girl who wasn't present to defend herself but was stopped by her husband who wrapped his large arms around her waist.
"I vill never understand zee English. In France ones birthright is of very high importance and it's considerably rude and disgraceful to pass on zee right of zee first born onto zee second born unless zee second born requests to challenge zee first born vor zee title of head or zee first born is dead. Families' zat do so lose respect and zere family name is tarnished. I must say I'm surprised. Vor a House such as zee Trelawney, who holds its self in such high regard, if it got out zat you practice such lowly zings it would disappoint many." Grahame said regarding the old woman with displeasure.
Gissèlle was surprised by Grahame's insult, he was never the one for confrontation for as long as she's known him; the old woman must be really trying his patience with her rudeness and how she degraded her own kin. For a man who upheld family as the foremost of importance this probably sent him overboard.
"Well it's a good thing were not in France then." Asteria dismissed Grahame's insult. Ttatiana just patted her husband's hands as they tightened around her waist.
Just then Sybill approached them holding a grey sheet by its four ends it clattering as she moved, her head was down and she shuffled from foot to foot.
"I'm ready to start…if you would all listen I'd appreciate it…I'll give you instructions and then we can begin…this bag I have is filled with bones of all sorts… I will shake up this bag and throw the bones into the air…when they hit the ground you will grab the one you laid your eyes on first…that is all thank you." Sybill instructed with awkward pauses as she spoke to them.
They all nodded their assent and Sybill began to shake the sheet, and with skill that only someone who practiced frequently acquired she tossed the sheet up letting go of two of the four ends causing bones about the same size to fly from its confines. She quickly spread the sheet on the floor in front of them just as the bones stopped their ascent and began to descend. The bones fell haphazardly on the grey sheet and Gissèlle's eyes landed on one that looked like one of the carpal bones that made up a hand. The group all moved as one to pick up their selected bone.
"Are these bones of monkeys? They look almost similar to that of humans." Jarred asked curiously as he studied his own bone that looked like a nasal bone.
Asteria clucked her tongue in distaste. "Monkey bones? HA! Do you forget I'm of the Trelawney line, the head in fact? The Trelawney line of Seers do not use the inferior bones of animals, these of course are human bones." Asteria said offended at Jarred's unintentional insult.
Gissèlle screamed as she dropped her bone on the floor and she grabbed her husband shoving her face into his chest as she held him tightly.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Jarred spat as he dropped his own bone and held her shaking form.
"Human bones give better results in the Summoning of the Spirit Realm, and though more expensive it's worth it than using animal bones and failing so suck it up girly were wasting moonlight!" Asteria said harshly.
"You don't have to do this Gissèlle we can just try and find another Seer." Jarred said caressing her back and kissing her brow as she shivered in his arms.
Gissèlle shook her head and took a deep breath of his earthly scent to steady her nerves. "No we have to do this, to protect our family." With her shaking stopped she pulled away from her husband and bent picking up both their discarded bones and handing him his.
Selene glided over to Asteria's side. "I'm done drawing the Circle of Ra Master Asteria."
"Good, good. Now both of you pick a bone so we can start." Asteria picked up a bone herself as she said this and then standing she snapped her fingers and candle sticks flew out of one of the suitcases and floated about the room, with a snap and whispered incendeo and they each ignited nursing a small flame.
"Turn out all the lights and douse the fireplaces flame, we need it mostly dark in here for the ritual." Selene intoned as she bent and grabbed a bone herself, Sybill clumsily following suit.
Ttatiana quickly ran about the cottage turning out all the lights before flicking her wand at the fireplace and casting a whispered agumentai she doused the flames.
"Sit! Sit! Sit! Everyone in the circle and sit as close to the ring as possible without touching it! Normally we would do this ritual in our bare form but since you all throw a fit over the littlest of things I will negate that! Now move with some urgency you pitiful excuses of vessels, don't you know this is the opportune time for the ritual to begin?! We have to hurry while the moon is uncovered by the clouds, the spirit world is much more accessible within the moonlight because our spiritual energy is heightened by it and each individual's energy will align more easily." Everyone hurried to do as she asked not wanting to deal with another one of her yelling episodes. As Gissèlle sat she observed that the salt was placed in a perfect circle with neat trails of salt, not one grain out of place, and at the center of the circle there was a small mound of salt left untouched.
"Now quiet everyone and listen up! When I say each line of incantation we will start from the right and you will cut your finger with the bone, throw the bone into the fire in the middle, draw an infinity sign on your neighbors forehead with your blood, and then chant I am here our soul is one. When everyone is chanting we will connect our hands and you all will continue to chant until Selene tells you all to stop, do you understand?!" Asteria said looking at each of them with her lip curled in a snarl, they all nodded.
"Good, now do not, under any circumstances, separate your hold from one another or attempt to leave the circle, am I clear?!" Asteria looked them all in the eye again but this time with a deathly seriousness that no one could argue with and they all nodded once more.
Gissèlle sat next to Dumbledore and Sybill due to Asteria's insistence that each of the non-Seers be seated next to a Seer. She leaned over and whispered to Sybill. "Why can't we separate the hold or leave the circle?"
"Leaving the circle once you've entered is the utmost sign of disrespect…The spirits don't like being disrespected….they will steal your soul…or devour your energy...or we could unleash one of them into the material world…where it can wreak chaos… No… The circle is not to protect us but the Living Realm from them…Separating our hold would disrupt the flow of spiritual energy and we could all lose our soul or have it torn apart or worse…It's not good…it's not good at all." Sybill groaned as she trembled shaking her head.
Gissèlle swallowed thickly at the dangerous implications of messing with the spiritual realm, coming to regret that she decided to do this and dragged her family with her. She looked across from her at Ttatiana who sat between Jarred and Asteria. Ttatiana gave her a reassuring smile although it didn't quite reach her eyes. They were both nervous.
"You all need to relax, these negative emotions will only call forth evil spirts and we would want to avoid those at all cost for they are violent little things." Selene giggled sitting between Grahame and Jarred.
They all looked at her oddly before their attention was averted to Asteria as she began the incantations.
"He who is the creator of this world, the one who roams every realm, we call to thee" as Asteria began in her raspy voice a purple fire sprouted in the middle of the circle where the mound of salt lay to the surprise of the non-Seers. Doing as she instructed, Dumbledore cut his finger with his chosen bone and with an apologetic smile drew the infinity sign on her forehead. His warm, sticky blood made Gissèlle's stomach churn and she had to force the bile in her throat down as he began to chant in his breathy voice. "I am here our soul is one."
"Divine ruler of Heaven, Earth, and Hell, giver of birth, life, and death, please hear our call" Gissèlle shook as she took her bone and sliced her finger open, she flinched at the sharp pain and the sight of her blood as it pooled on her finger tip. Hurriedly she drew the infinity sign on Sybill's forehead avoiding her terrified big brown eyes knowing her eyes would be a mirror image. "I am here our soul is one." She joined the chant along with Dumbledore, her voice shaking.
"He who bore himself from the Waters of Chaos, your power is unmistakable," Sybill clumsily cut her finger, wincing she shakily drew the infinity sign on Grahame's forehead, who smiled softly at the young woman trying to ease her nerves. "I am here…our soul is one." Sybill joined the chant her voice quivering.
"Crafter of all Gods and the Universe, you are worshipped above all else," Grahame cut his thick digit and carefully drew the infinity sign on a smiling Selene's forehead. "I am here our soul is one." His deep voice joined ours in the chant.
"Spirits and humans bend to your will, we lowly vessels are none to worthy of your grace" Selene was next and she giddily sliced her finger open and with precision she drew the infinity sign on Jarred's forehead. "I am here our soul is one." She joined with a wide smile and eyes.
"We ask of you oh great one to grant our souls entrance into the spirit realm, though we are unworthy of such an honor, we have questions that only the spirits can answer" Jarred cut his finger and drew the infinity sign on Ttatiana with an apologetic look in his eyes. "I am here our soul is one." He joined the chant without pause.
"Those of us with Sight offer a portion of our lowly energy to you in repayment for our entrance," Ttatiana was next and she smoothly cut her finger and drew the infinity sign on Asteria with a slight grimace. "I am here our soul is one." She joined the chant her voice strained.
"So I ask of you Great Sun God with the utmost reverence to allow our inferior souls access to the Spirit Realm" Asteria cut her finger and drew the infinity sign effortlessly on Dumbledore's forehead as she finished the incantation. "I am here we are one." She joined the chant. Everyone intertwined their fingers with their neighbors as they all continued to chant as one as they waited to see what would happen.
Gissèlle didn't know how long they sat there in the 'Circle of Ra' with dry blood on their foreheads, sweaty hands intertwined, chanting the same line over and over under the candle and moon light waiting for something, anything, to happen. Her throat was dry and scratchy, her legs had long past fallen asleep, and her back and neck were aching from sitting up straight for Merlin knows how long.
Just when she was going to stop chanting and demand that they stop this foolishness the purple fire in the middle roared upward towards the celling before just as quickly calming surprising everyone. Looking up from the now calm flame Gissèlle's eyes widened when she saw the infinity sign on everyone's forehead glowing a bright white.
"You can all stop chanting now, Master Asteria has been granted access into the Spirit Realm." Selene's excited voice announced.
Looking at her Gissèlle gasped. All of Selene's tattoos and piercings were glowing the same bright white color their infinity signs were emitting.
"Are you alright?" Gissèlle asked worriedly.
Selene just giggled. "Non-Seers are always so funny!"
Gissèlle looked to Sybill who looked pale and clammy for a clear answer. "Those are not normal tattoo's…they are called Energy Pathways...They are gifted to those with strong Sight in a way to help control their overabundance of energy...and ward off intruding possessions from the spirits."
"That is amazing power indeed." Dumbledore intoned as he gazed mysteriously at Selene's glowing form.
"Shh master is speaking to them." Selene reprimanded.
They all looked at Asteria who had her eyes closed and her brow knitted in concentration as her eyes shifted underneath her lids seeing something they could not.
"I have had spontaneous visions of the Dark Lord being defeated before his ultimate rise to power but that is all… and a woman, I've also Seen a woman…she's holding something…Gah! Her features are blurry…all of you talk about some savior to come but of whom you speak of I do not know…I need more than just glimpses I ask of you to show me the full Prophecy." Asteria spoke aloud to no one they could see.
They all waited with baited breaths for her to continue her monologue with the unseen spirits, but she just sat quietly, eyes flickering underneath her lids rapidly as sweat collected on her furrowed brow.
After what seemed like another eternity of waiting a harsh wind rushed into the room from nowhere, stifling all the candle's light and causing all the Non-Seers to jump. Gissèlle had about had enough of all the supernatural happenings going on around her and tried to pull away from Sybill and Dumbledore and leave the circle.
"Sybill! Dumbledore! Don't let her break the hold, she'll ruin everything!" Selene yelled in panic.
Sybill and Dumbledore nodded their assent and gripped her hands tighter only causing Gissèlle to struggle even more.
"No stop! You mustn't break the circle…If you do it'll break the connection we have to the Spirit Realm…Master Asteria will be lost wandering in its depths forever and we'll…oh very bad things will happen to us." Sybill moaned despairingly as she and Dumbledore held her hands in a death grip.
"Please let me go! I can't take any more of this, I can't breathe!" Gissèlle yelled as she began to hyperventilate.
"Gissèlle, look at me!" Ttatiana snapped.
Gissèlle stopped trying to escape Dumbledore and Sybill's hold and looked at Ttatiana her breaths still coming in rapidly.
"That's it look at me. That's a good lass. Now I need you to calm down and breathe slowly with me alright. This isn't good for your health remember, stress, early deathbed, and what not? So I just need you to breathe." Ttatiana instructed sternly as she took in deliberately slow breaths.
Gissèlle with tears in her eyes followed her friend's instructions and taking in one shaky breath after another she started to slow her breaths.
"That's it love, just listen to Ttatiana, you're doing great. There's no need to worry, I, Ttatiana, and Grahame are all right here. We won't let anything hurt you, so just breathe love." Jarred's comforting voice sounded from beside Ttatiana, and her blue eyes flickered over to his smiling face as she nodded her head before locking her blue gaze with Ttatiana's grey and continued to take in slow shaky breaths.
"We are right here, nothing will harm you if I can help it." Grahame said his voice soothing.
Gissèlle nodded once more as she took in one final deep breath, feeling calmed. She shot them all a small thankful smile that they returned without hesitation. She always wondered what she would do without her family.
They were all pulled from their small reprieve at the sound of Asteria's mumbling. They watched on edge as she swayed side to side, her thin chapped lips moving rapidly as her eyes flickered under thin lids.
No matter how hard Gissèlle strained she couldn't gather what the old woman was muttering, quickly glancing at Ttatiana who was right next to her she knew she was also having the same trouble by the look of confusion on her face.
Gissèlle and Ttatiana screamed as Asteria took in a sharp gasp and shot up spine as stiff and as straight as a board, eyes wide and unseeing. The purple fire in the middle roared brightly once again before settling calmly.
Ttatiana scooted as close to Jarred as she could without breaking her hold on Asteria's hand.
"Are you alrigh' love?" Grahame called to his wife worriedly. Ttatiana just nodded her head her grey eyes wide and scared as she looked at Asteria's unblinking form.
"What's wrong with her?" Dumbledore asked as he stared at her in astonishment.
"One of the spirits have possessed her." Sybill whispered her body shaking like a leaf in the wind. Gissèlle gripped her hand tighter in comfort and Sybill, still shaking, looked at her and gave her a nod in thanks.
"Is zat safe?" Grahame asked aloud his face one of concern as he looked at Asteria.
"Master Asteria is one of the best Seers in the world, she has amazing control over her spirit energy and soul. Unlike novice Seers who get possessed and are unable to ward the spirit off from taking complete control of their body, soul, and spirit energy Master Asteria can." Selene said in a tone of wonderment and reverence, looking ethereal with her glowing tattoos.
"So that means she can hear us, right? Asteria, say something if you're in there, you're giving us a fright you old bat." Jarred called.
Asteria's doesn't blink or move, but her lips open and an otherworldly male voice answers Jarred's call. "The one you call is not present, I am the one you seek."
Everyone but Selene, who gave a high pitch squeal, gasped at the voice that seemed to bounce off the walls coming everywhere at once, Gissèlle and Sybill both leaned on each other as they shook in fear.
Dumbledore was the first to recover. "We've summoned you oh wise spirit to ask of a prophecy that Asteria has been Seeing glimpses of. We lowly vessels ask in the hopes that you're in a giving mood will impart to us the full prophecy."
The unseeing eyes of Asteria stared unblinking at Dumbledore before sharply turning to look at Gissèlle, causing her breath to get caught in her throat and her stomach to drop. "Thee with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…"
Gissèlle jumps away from Sybill and scoots closer to Dumbledore as the young woman gasped and sat ramrod straight, her eyes becoming unseeing like Asteria's as unearthly feminine voice joined the male voice emitting from Asteria. "born to those that defy the dark and in allegiance with the light…"
Selene was the next to become possessed, her glowing form sitting just as straight as the other two, her eyes just as wide and unseeing as an eerie voice escaped her lips joined the other two. "born as the year is rebirthed...the dark lord will mark thee as his equal, but thee will have power and Sight the Dark Lord knows not…"
The voices continued to speak as one, their voices rebounding off each other making it seem as if there were a hundred of them talking at once. "and they must die at each other's hands for none can live while the other survives…"
All of a sudden the voices stop and the three possessed women just sat staring blankly.
"Is it over?" Gissèlle questioned pressed into Dumbledore's side, her voice wavering.
"I think so dear." Dumbledore said reassuringly.
He had spoken too soon.
They all stared in utter shock as Ttatiana gasped, her back becoming straight as a rail, and her grey eyes turning a glowing pure white.
"Servant to the dark or the light…Thee with the power to vanquish the dark lord will be born as the year dies…The world shrouded in darkness or radiance…whoever wields thee decrees prosperity or ruin….born as the year is rebirthed…as the year dies" The unearthly voice spoke from Ttatiana's lips alone.
Gissèlle scooted herself even further into Dumbledore's robes as all the possessed women let out horrendous bird-like screeches, the purple fire in the middle roared big and stretched upward, flames licking the ceiling before curling into itself and disappearing.
Just as soon as the fire disappeared all the women collapsed into ragged coughing in fits and the lights in the house miraculously turned on.
"Ttatiana! Ttatiana!" Grahame shouted in distress.
Looking over Gissèlle let loose a loud sob seeing her friend had collapsed forward into the circle and was foaming at the mouth as she gone into convulsions. Grahame, Jarred, and her move to stand but are stopped by Asteria's hoarse voice.
"Everyone stay where you are! The ritual needs to be properly ended by thanking the spirits!" Asteria sat up slowly with much effort.
"Would you hurry the hell up before she bites her own tongue off!" Jarred yelled impatiently as he looked helplessly down at Ttatiana as she seized next to him.
"D-do not speak to M-Master Asteria in such a w-way you worthless fool!" Selene spat weakly as she struggled to sit up.
Gissèlle gently pulled Sybill to sit up as she came to while her husband and Selene began to argue back and forth.
"My wife is 'aving a seizure and zee longer we wait zee worse her condition gets. I would appreciate it if everyone could stop arguing for one damn minute so we can end zis ritual and help her!" Grahame's yell shook the house stopping the argument from proceeding.
Without waiting for anyone to recover from Grahame's outburst Asteria says, "Thank you for the answers we are here our soul is our own." The perfect salt circle around them scattered outward covering the floor in white specks surprising the non-Seers. Asteria gives a nod to Grahame who hastily untangles his fingers from Sybill's and Selene's and rushes to his wife's side.
Gissèlle is right behind him and she kneels next to him as Grahame and Jarred gently turn her convulsing body over.
"Set her on the couch you idiots!" Asteria snaps as she struggles to stand up with the help of Sybill, Selene, and Dumbledore.
Grahame smoothly lifts his wife small, seizing form into his large arms and quickly sets her on the couch that was pushed towards the wall, her and Jarred trailing worriedly behind him.
Asteria now steady on her feet hobbles toward the couch and pushes them all out of the way. Turning her head to the side so she doesn't bite her tongue, Asteria begins her rough examination. They watch on edge as the old woman pulls her eyelids back to search her eyes, feels the pulse at her neck, opens her mouth to check her throat, all the while her face looking grimmer and grimmer.
The old woman reached into her robes and pulled out a small sac, and holding an old, frail hand over Ttatiana's shaking body she whispered incantations, for that what it must have been because they were in a tongue that none of them understood.
She did that for what seemed like hours but was most likely only a few minutes, before she dug in the little sac taking out a handful of dust and then promptly throwing it at Ttatiana's face. Ttatiana's body lurched upward off the couch her body still convulsing.
"What the hell are you doing?! Stop it!" Gissèlle yelled in anger as she tried to grab the old woman only to be held back by her husband.
Whipping on him she yelled, "Why the hell are you stopping me?! She's throwing fucking dust at my sister as if that's going to help! We should be taking her to St. Mungos!"
Jarred just shook his head and pointed at Ttatiana. With anger still fueling her Gissèlle turned around and was surprised to see that whatever the old loon did it had stopped her friend's convulsions as she was now lying peacefully still on the couch.
"Oh Dear Lord, zank you, zank you so much. I am in your debt." Grahame's voice shook with emotion as he bowed his head in thanks to the old Seer before kneeling next to his wife's prone form and holding her hand as he buried his face in her bushy corkscrew curls, muttering French lovingly into her ear as he wept.
Gissèlle collapsed in relief into her husband's arms as sobs overtook her, Jarred just held her close and kissed the top of her head as he caressed her back.
"Did you all not find it prudent to tell me that this girl was a Seer? She could have died!" Asteria yelled whipping on all three of them.
"What are you talking about, Ttatiana is no Seer!" Gissèlle countered the tears still coming fast as she gripped onto her husband for dear life.
Asteria looked at all three of them closely and settled down seeing that they all were truly upset and confused. She sighed in irritation rubbing her temples. "The Sight within this girl is strong. I didn't notice it before because she has some sort of suppressor on her that suppresses her abilities. The spirits are greedy little things, they love strong spiritual energy because they get greater power consuming it. They were trying to take this girl and trap her soul in the Spirit Realm so they could feast upon her energy, and she fought back. The struggle of trying to leave the Spirit Realm while the spirits had a hold on her soul is what caused her body to go into seizures. Lucky for her that her energy is so strong and she has had some sort of training that she was able to fight them off long enough that I was able to drag her soul back. If we waited any longer they would have trapped her there and consumed her."
Gissèlle let out another sob into her husband's chest while he whispered comforting words in her hair.
Asteria continued looking weary, "This is why Seers never go into the spirit realm alone, it's dangerous and thus the reason I was upset because I believed you were hiding key information. I…regret my words."
Seeing as that was the closest they were going to get to an apology they all nodded to the old woman accepting it.
"You said she has some sort of suppressor?" Dumbledore questioned as he ambled next to Asteria, Sybill and Selene following behind him, looking down at Ttatiana's resting form.
Asteria perked up. "Yes, it could be anything really, a ring, a necklace, piercing"
"A tattoo." Grahame's voice interrupted Asteria's listing.
Gissèlle gasped in realization while everyone looked between the both of them curiously.
"Yes a tattoo would do, much like Selene's, but what are you getting at?" Asteria said slowly as her eyes shifted looking suspiciously at both her and Grahame.
"She has a tattoo of a triple spiral." Gissèlle answered stepping out of her husband's arms.
"Where? Show me?" Asteria hobbled back over to Ttatiana's side, Selene and Sybill following in her wake.
"It's on her right side just above her pelvis." Grahame said as he slowly began to lift his wife dress, looking at Gissèlle deliberately. Gissèlle gave Jarred a look.
"Ah yes! let's go to the kitchen Dumbledore, our presence isn't needed." Jarred said with a reddening face he nodded to Dumbledore who reluctantly followed him as he moved toward the kitchen.
With them out of the room Grahame lifted his wife's silk green dress above her hips displaying half of her belly and all of her nether regions. He pulled the top of her simple black knickers aside revealing a medium sized three-spiral tattoo on her smooth brown skin.
Asteria took in a deep breath as Selene and Sybill gasped, immediately dropping to their knees, heads bowed to the floor as they prayed in a foreign tongue.
"What's wrong, why are they praying?" Gissèlle questioned her eyes shifting between the three odd women.
"Triskele." Asteria whispered in astonishment as she brushed her hand gently against the dark ink, completely ignoring her question.
"What's a Triskele?" Gissèlle questioned once more and was frightened when Asteria whipped around her eyes wide and wild.
"Don't speak of it! You will all not speak of it nor show anyone else that mark do you hear me!" Asteria yelled poking her in the chest with her crusted nail. Gissèlle could only nod hastily frightened by the old lady's look, her brows knitted in confusion.
Asteria satisfied with her answer rounded on Grahame demanding the same thing to which he also assented to before she hastily pulled Ttatiana's dress down to its proper place.
"Get up you two! Not a word is said about what we saw here today understood?!" Asteria ordered as Sybill and Selene clambered up to their feet nodding their heads, eyes still locked on the place where Ttatiana's tattoo lay in wonder.
"Oi! Do we have the clear to come back in?" Jarred's voice shouted from the kitchen.
"It's clear." Gissèlle shouted back still looking at Asteria, who avoided her eyes, in confusion.
Jarred and Dumbledore entered the room once more coming towards them all, and before either of them could say a word Asteria snapped her fingers and all the furniture in the room started flying back to its original position, even the couch Ttatiana rested upon.
"Everyone take a seat I must record the prophecy, and then we can talk about what it entails." Asteria ordered as she took a seat in an arm chair and pulled out a beaded bag from her coat that she began to dig through.
Everyone did as she said, Grahame lifted his wife's head and sat placing her head gently on his lap, Gissèlle, Jarred, and Dumbledore taking the other half of the sectional Ttatiana and Grahame occupied, and Selene and Sybill took the loveseat.
They watched as Asteria fumbled through her bag for a while before giving a shout of victory as she produced a crystal ball and a peculiar looking stand for it. She placed the stand on the table and then gently sat the ball onto it, and then they all watched curiously as she placed her scaly hands on the ball, closing her eyes as she began to speak once more in a foreign tongue. Gissèlle and the others were shocked once again as her hands began to glimmer a bright blue as a white wisp escaped her parted lips and shot towards the crystal ball, once it connected the foyer was filled the sound of what seemed like a million whispers.
Gissèlle, finding it disorienting, covered her ears with her hands trying to block out the loud voices, she noticed looking around that everyone else was doing the same.
The white wisp continued to trail from Asteria's mouth to the crystal ball until the ball was glowing a bright white and all at once the many whispers stopped just as the wisp vanished into thin air. The old woman with her brow knitted in concentration, trailed her glimmering blue hands around the ball until the bright white light became a dull glow, and with a tired sigh her hands stopped emitting their odd blue light.
Her thin, withered body sank back into the arm chair, her face looking drained.
"Master Asteria, are you alright do you need me to get you something?" Selene asked already getting to her feet with a concerned look on her face.
Asteria waved her off. "I'm fine girl. I'm not dying, I still have many more years of life in these old bones. My Spiritual Energy is just low." Selene hesitantly sat down, still gazing upon her master in worry.
"May I?" Dumbledore asked Asteria as he motioned to the crystal ball. She lazily waved him the go ahead and he picked it up with such precious care, gazing upon it as if it were something sacred; Gissèlle found it a little unnerving.
"That is the full of it, I will entrust that you bring that Prophecy safely and as quickly as you can to the Ministry of Magic's Department of Mysteries Dumbledore. None of what took place here today can be discussed with anyone but the people who now currently reside in this room, even then it is dangerous. What is held in that ball is vital information that cannot end up in the wrong hands, for if it does the results can be dire." Asteria said gravely her eyes unwaveringly on Dumbledore.
"You can trust that it will arrive safely." Dumbledore said his eyes still staring intently at the crystal ball that held the prophecy.
"Good. Now you must immediately go into hiding under a Fidelus charm, there can be no inkling of your existence that can be traced, you must essentially be dead to the world." Asteria spoke her serious eyes boring into Gissèlle's making her go breathless and a feeling of dread clench her heart as it did the beginning of this awful night.
"Why can't we go on hiding in Muggle London as we have been doing? When we denied joining the Dark Lord and his cause we moved here to thwart any assassination attempts. What's the point in going under a Fidelus charm if living here as if we were simple muggles has kept us safe and away from all the darkness going on in the Wizarding world all this time? I'm sure if they've been looking for us they wouldn't think to look in the Muggle world, right?" Jarred asked as he looked nervously between Asteria and Dumbledore hoping that such drastic measures, such as erasing their whole existence, wouldn't need to be taken.
Asteria sighed wearily. "We cannot take any chances, for the child that lay in her womb may be our only hope in defeating the Dark Lord."
Gissèlle felt her blood run cold as everyone turned to look at her with ashen faces. She saw none of it as she could only stare into Asteria's big brown eyes that bore into her soul as she clutched onto her swollen belly protectively.
A tear trailed down her face as she felt a kick from the unborn life in her womb.
Xxx
A/N: Hey y'all! I got permission from Finding a Cure to use their idea of Hermione being The Girl Who Lived in the Marauders Era. This is my first story and I hope you all like the prologue and decide to stick with me for what should be a long thrilling tale! You should all be seeing Hermione in perhaps the second or third chapter and the Marauders a while later. This story will have some OC's playing a major role and a lot of talk of Sight and Divination practices, if that bothers you this may not be the story for you.
(1)Leo. F Buscaglia: A man of great advice.
(2)Baudin: French name meaning brave, weirdly also of Germanic element meaning bald.
(3)Chevalier: French, derived from a nickname meaning 'knight' which is from cheval which is the French word for 'horse', and it mostly originated from Latin caballus.
(4)Leclair: French, derived from the French word clair meaning 'bright'.
(5)Selene: In Greek mythology it is the name of the Titan of the Moon.
(6)Asteria: In Greek mythology it is the name of the Titan of oracles and falling stars.
(7) Anuket: Ancient Egyptian Goddess, thought to be the daughter of Ra originally, but has been associated with Satet since ancient times. She's personified as the Nile as Nourisher of the Fields, and mostly known as the goddess of the hunt and worshipped as a protective deity during childbirth. I thought it was a bit ironic I gave her this name when she died giving birth to Selene.
(8)Circle of Ra: I literally just made up the incantation Asteria was saying after reading some information about The Sun God Ra, so don't take what I said to be true facts. If you want to learn more I suggest you read up on The Book of The Dead and some articles on Ra, that's all I did the rest was all my imagination. I however did not make up the circle or the salt ritual, they are separate types of divination that I mushed into one, added some things of my own and took out others. The circle ritual is called aspidomancy and the salt ritual is called alomancy if you want to look those up.
(9)Bone Ceremony: I just looked up some ceremonies that Seers used and this one interested me. It's called osteomancy, there are many variations depicted of it I just sort of read up on it and let my mind create the rest from what I learned.
