Harry Potter x The Mummy (Ancient Egypt)
Harry Potter: Sands of Time
Synopsis: A version of Harry Potter and his soul bonded wife Hermione J. Potter, from my Ficlet File, are transported to an alternate reality's Ancient Egypt to serve as Primary Avatar of Death for Earth.
This WILL NOT be Slash for Harry. There may be Same Sex, or Poly, Couples, but Harry will be cannon Hetero.
Chapter Setting: Universe TM-003435 Alpha 7
Characters: Harry Potter, The Mummy, Potentially Gods of Egypt (Mythical not the movie), O/C.
Disclaimer: No profit is sought, or accepted, in the publication of this fanfiction. It is purely being written and shared for enjoyment; no remunerations are accepted or expected by the author. All right, privileges, and copyrights belong to their respective holders/owners. I freely admit to having been on a Harry Potter X over kick the last few months, and will try to give special thanks to authors who inspired me on my bio page. Until then, however, if you see something similar too another author of this genre, please point it out to me and I will check my notes as to whether or not I could have accidentally modeled my characters, names, places, events after another.
Please enjoy and review with your comments, critiques.
WARNING: Foul Language (realistic American Slang), and the butchering of the English Language contained herein.
Special Note: See if this is better Joe. ;-)
Chapter 01. - Wedded Bliss
0oO0oO0Oo0oO0oO0Oo0oO0oO0Oo
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America, Post Battle of Hogwarts.
In the Hotel Louie, off King's Street, sat as an architectural marvel and sumptuous feast for the eyes. Sprawling porches, spanning three levels, tall turrets, and green topped copper roofs signaled to all that Louie was the jewel of the neighborhood's crown.
With the Midterms Elections just coming to an end as polls closed, with the first results starting to be broadcast, and the blue blooded conservative's of the area celebrating an early victory against Clinton's immoral government and Nanny State along key battlegrounds of the Northeast, the couple in the highest room, the Presidential Suite, were adding their own celebrations to the noise of the street, and cheers of those in the many rooms of the hotel had.
Their shouts of joy were definitely just as exuberant, if high pitch at times, than those of 30 year veteran of the State Senate Nathaniel Bedford Westinghouse, III. who just learned that he'd become the next Majority Leader of the State Senate at the young age of 68.
The couple's cries of joy overtook those in sheer volume of the County Republicans that occupied the first floor ball-room, causing several to marvel at the ceilings and wonder who was being murdered.
None of this mattered though as the couple were focused on themselves, of their joy, their happiness, and their love.
On the roll top desk where the man had placed the day's important papers, strewn with a bowtie and the remnants of a tuxedo, laid a piece of paper from the Parrain Parish Clerk certifying marriage for the two.
Certificate of Marriage
Parrain Parish Division of Marriage and Family Services
KNOW THIS that on this the 6th day of November, in the Year of Our Lord 1998, that the qualified Groom Harry James Potter, of Surrey, England, U.K. being of sound mind and over the age of 18 years, did wed himself to his beloved Hermione Jean Granger, of Devon, England, U.K., also being of sound mind and over the age of 18 years.
To have and to hold together as one, husband and wife, forevermore until death they should part, through sickness, health, prosperity or humility.
Let no man put asunder that which God hath joined.
Signed, Witnessed, and Executed by the Parish Clerk: /s/ Eugene V. Fontenblue, IV.
Collapsing back into the embrace of the other, and finally parting after a deep and loving kiss, the newlywed Potters finally lay back and noticed the celebration for the first time piercing their now silent room.
With a goofy grin and an honest smile, Harry ran his hand through his wife's flowing locks.
"I told you you're the most beautiful woman on Earth Moine…listen to that applause! Everyone agrees with me," he finished before leaning in for a kiss.
The two snuggled into a happy embrace before settling in to sleep…the cool breeze of the night air flowing in to give them that deep and satisfying rest you only got, exhausted, during the winter months.
0oO0oO0
The following morning the two had woken bright and early to take the local train the few miles which separated them down to New Orleans for a fun day of shopping and enjoying the ancient avenues which exemplified the styles and preferences for France's Imperial Period by the French Colonial Mages which settled and founded Cour de Sa Majesté Impériale, of the Imperial Court, the Magical District, of New Orleans, and oldest purely wizarding settlement in North America.
A massive, and heavily warded, 10 square miles of former swampland had been claimed by the mages of old, and in a pique of bravado for showcasing the (supposed) superiority of everything French, they'd drained, raised, and leveled the grounds before erecting magnificant shops, buildings, palaces, and farms to contain New France's own all magical community. Everything was in the Imperial Court….a school, hospital, law enforcment, international and domestic post, zones of commerce, industry, agriculture, and highly coveted residences passed down from generation to generation rarely ever coming to market.
The museums, and impressive publishing house which Ilvermorny still used to this day as the go to for publishing faculty books, or the like, immediately drew the Potters (read Hermione Potter) like a moth to the flame.
She'd originally budgeted two days for their trip to this impressive community but Harry, after doing a bit of research on his own and seeing just what they had to offer and knowing of his wife's love of France, had changed plans secretly to allow them a week's stay.
After discretely making their way to the entrance to the community, concealed behind a faux wall seemingly to a property along one of the streets and avenues the couple suddenly emerged into another time.
Similar to that feeling of entering Diagon Ally, but much less cramped and far, far, larger.
It seemed everything in America was just more spaced out…grander in scale…than the Brits were used to.
"Welcome to the Imperial Court," a teenage voice called to the couple's left as the stepped out of the entrance way and into a queue for entry.
"Do you have any muggles to declare," he said barely looking voer the top of the Voodu Quarterly.
"We're both magical," Harry spoke up slightly confused at the question.
"Enjoy," the bored teen said returing to his paper and lazily waiving his wand at the gates seperating the couple from a broad avenue of stone shops in the Baroque style.
"Oh Harry look!" Hermione said in wonder while her hand was wrapped in his.
From storefront to storefront they ventured, observing everything from clothing shops and general merchandise stores, to ultra premium and boutique shops along the way.
They'd just finished lunch at a rather upscale place modeled on a 1950's Southern Diner, odly enough which was regionally famous for their take on breakfast dishes all day, and were making their way from their original entry point to find out which seciton of the shopping district they'd need to visit to update their travel accessories.
Seeing a gardien, the community's equivolent to police officer/autor assisting pedestrian traffic in the busy cobbleston streets bursting with bicycles, horseless carriages, pedestrians, and several old model cars Harry and Hermione approached him slowly so as not to startle or interurpt the officer.
"Excuse me Sir," Harry called once the man returned to the street corner.
"We were wondering where we could find a good quality travel trunk and accessories around here," he began eagerly.
"We've heard wonders about the craftmanship of local artisans and can't wait to check it out," Hermione chimed in.
After getting directions to Voyage Illimité, which was less than a mile away down Riviére Ave., the couple began a pleasant walk taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of such a large magical community.
They passed many shops offering sweet breads and baked goods, chocolates, and crémes, but the further they went the more the shops changed to showcase pre-made potions, craft, industrial, or small batch, herbalists, doctors, healers, and voodu, true voodu, supply depots.
Finally they arrived at their destination, and entered to the tinkle of a gentle bell.
"Howdy! Welcome to Travel Unlimited, or Voyage Illimité, as I'm supposed to call it," the chipper and excited voice of a young blond man called out as he bounded over with the enrgy of a golden retriever pup.
"My name's Todd. How can I help y'all today?" he finished with a smile.
"Well; hello Todd! I'm Hermione and this is my husband Harry. We're on our Honeymoon and were curious about some of the high-end ultra premium models of self contained and sustaining travel trunks that were featured in Charms Quarterly last year," she began.
"I see and congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Potter," Todd beamed.
"Come on this way then," he called and began leading the duo through the salesfloor and past various bags, trunks, satchels, briefcases, tents of numerous design and materia, enchanted storage items, but finally stopping in back corner of the store where there were nothing but Steamer Trunks…many, many, steamer trunks of various materials, and covered with varying types of precious metals.
"Let's start this generally; What are you looking for in how you travel. Are you trying to be discrete and have a private bit of extra space for shopping amongst the no-maj? Do you want something you can erect among the no-maj? Or are you looking for something to use in isolated areas, or those which are purely magical in nature?"
Harry and Hermione shared a look.
"We really haven't thought about it," Harry replied slowly.
"Ok," Todd continued.
"Let me ask it this way: Do you want the no-maj to be able to see and interract with your while you're traveling, or do you want to be able to experience a campsite/area that's large enough to allow you the free reign of magic within a finite perimiter of the main ward-stone?"
"Would we still be able to stay in a muggle area with the later option," Hermione pressed.
"Of course Ma'am," he replied.
"We're trying to avoid crowds right now…we kinda eloped without giving any of our friends of family notice…and we don't particularly care to be hounded by muggles or magicals," Harry spoke up while laying a kiss on Hermione's cheek.
Todd gave the couple a critical look, before pressing on.
"Ok then; what about finances? Do you have a budget in mind? Some of our premium model of self-contained and sustaining ecosystems go for well over 500,000 Galleons, $2.5 million, and are custom jobs that take our craftsmen around a year to complete.
"I can tell you that our most luxurious and expensive trunk ever made was for an outdoor enthusiast wizard that wanted a home away form home that could not only survive in any climate, but could self nagivigate and relocate to any point on the globe not protected by wards stronger than the unplottable charm."
"His trunk," he said conspiratorially, "was a standard 6x4x4 steamer we fit into an all weather and sealable military grade hard plastic and ceramic shell, with wards keyed to, and programmable by, the owner."
"I can't tell you who it was for, but his name rhymes with Fairy Hani-mow," Todd said conspiratorially with a wink.
"He had a sprawling estate with the maximum our charms can hold of 25 square miles of forests, rivers, lakes, and a sprawling 30 bedroom manor house in the Tudor style."
"It took us just over four years to complete and get the navigation spells just right…last I heard he just sticks the damn thing at the foot his bed in his travel trailer though," he trailed off with a half grumble.
"That's amazing," Hermione and Harry said a bit boggled that such a feat was posisble.
Todd woke up a bit at that, and with the sake of his head carried on.
"The larger the compressed space, the more 'links' we can attach to the frame for exterior doors leading to the compressed space within the trunk. These links can be erected or collapsed for storage in the trunk with a simple spell, and taking no more than mere seconds to install or remove. We've managed to ensure that these links will allow entry into the dimensional space of the trunk without the end user actually having to enter the physical trunk, for convenience and camouflage in no-maj areas, so long as the link remains affixed or erected within 180 meters of the actual trunk. Operation of a link beyond that range exceeds the maximum tolerances of the trunk's stabilizers and pose a potential hazard to the user," he cautioned.
"So do you have any camouflage shells for these trunks," Hermione asked.
"What about shrinking and storage of the trunk itself for travel purposes?"
Todd, nodding along took a few moments to consider her questions before replying.
"The unique properties of having a ward-stone powered dimensional compression vs. casting expansion charms upon the trunk or its physical components, and in allowing for the ambient and constant charge of the magic vs. reliance on an active draw from a magical user or creature means our trunks are extremely stable. You won't have the type of catastrophic failure which would normally be at risk of too many overlaid or overpowered dimensional folds and magics which are fairly chaotic by nature."
Harry, completely out of his depth here, crossed his arms over his chest and nodded along in an attempt to follow along, while Hermione, his sexy genius, followed along easily.
"That's nice," he said with a smile.
Hermione patted him on the head and reaching into her handbag, gave him a chocolate for paying attention.
Fuck I'm whipped, he groused to himself while eagerly savoring the special chocolates she picked out just for him.
Hermione and Todd spent several more moments talking, and him demonstrating several trunks, tents, and combinations thereof.
Knowing that this was a special buy, meant to last them for the entirety of their trip around the globe, and to last them when they eventually settled down and went to muggle university, Harry and Hermione both, Harry wasn't worried about the price as with the Black and Potter Fortunes, as well as his inheritances from several prominent and wealthy pureblood families dating back to the Peverell Line, Harry and Hermione could spend a million dollars a day for the next 150 years and not even put a dent in the mountains of wealth luck had conspired to place at the orphans feet.
A fortune he'd promptly claimed and removed from the clutches of the little bastards of Britain to the Gnomes of Switzerland.
The Goblins had threatened war with the expatriation of such a vast amount of wealth, treasure, and priceless goblin artifacts….but it had only taken Harry exploding the tope three teirs of executive leadership in a fit of rage when their security guards had attempted to storm the room, and dared threaten Hermione, for the little bastards to learn their lesson and their place.
A blood pact had been signed between the Potter Family and the Goblins Race, strangely enough headquartered in New York City's Wallstreet area, which would see an annual tribute of 10 percent of annual profits generated through each goblin venture paid to the Potter Family on the condition Harry stop killing entire goblin clans indiscriminately for the actions of the British Goblins.
The treaty was signed on parchment made from an animal hide which oddly enough had the same odd grouping of pigments and markings as the Goblin Griphook which had betrayed Harry prior to his defeat of Voldemort.
Hermione, vindictive and fear inducing master of all magics that she was, had conjured a beautiful frame for the treaty which she intended to hang in her personal study.
Harry dared not question whether his wife's wrath induced fear, or passion, or both…lest he confusedly pop a fear boner the next time she slipped her calm demeanor and require the effective assistance of a counselor.
"So what all do you think the two of you will require Mrs. Potter," Todd asked bringing Harry back to focus on the conversation.
They'd made their way around the shop completely and were now at the expansive counter where Todd stood poised with a pen and pad ready to take their order.
"Well," she began slowly, "we're looking to attend muggle university and live in a muggle area soon in a very crowded city, so we'd like nothing more than to have a safe and secure space that will allow us the maximum amount of magical and muggle utility and comforts, but which will also be portable enough and strong enough to thrive in any climate, whether on land, sea, or wherever we happen to be."
"So Magical Space and Structure with all the amenities a wizarding family could need with no-maj conveniences like electricity, indoor plumbing, satellite television hookups, satellite based phone systems, and I'm assuming mixed magical and no-maj appliances?"
"Will you be entertaining No-Maj Family or friends in the know in this space?"
"Definitely," Harry jumped in to supply thinking of his recent reconciliations with Dudley and Hermione's extended family.
"Do you have a home design in mind or would you like to search through our catalogue," he asked passing a book forward.
"Are there limitations on what you could build?" Harry asked.
"We make our money on the size of the space we sell…anything we build inside, can be constructed from the material located therein. There's no real limit to what can be done in there, but the construction and all costs associated therewith are handled through a separate company we contract with, who will give a bid you can either accept or reject. What you ultimately decide on greatly effects the length of time required for us to finish the trunk too as even with rapid growth hardwoods, self-replenishing marble or granite quarries, and various precious metals we'd use from stock….it will take a time for the ecosystem to bring what we remove back."
"Not terribly long of course….several months at most if we had to harvest every tree or gravel of stone; our longest build was five years though…but that was due to constant changes in the order and revisions to the designs…." he trailed off.
"That's quite the achievement," Hermione said with a low whistle of appreciation.
"We didn't really have an idea of what we wanted to do inside the trunk; did we Harry?" she asked turning to him.
"No love we didn't. Get whatever you want," he said handing her his Cheque Book from the Gnomes with a kiss before he continued walking around the store with intent on picking out knick nacks, souveniers, or sundry items he thought were interesting.
Upon seeing the official seal of the Gnomes embossed on the leather wrapped cheque folio, Todd's eyes went wide…he immediately followed store protocol to get his manager involved with this high-end sale.
FAT COMMISSION! He kept singing over and over in his head as he signaled to close the store to his coworker.
More than three hours later, Harry and Hermione finally exited the shop after closing on a purpose built replica of The Chateau of Vaux-Le-Vicomte, Hermione's favorite Baroque Property from her time spent as a child on holiday in France with her parents with only a few modifications that Harry asked for including an outbuilding connected to the main house by underground passages for a workshop, laboratory, and dedicated "Man-Cave."
This was of course in addition to the Ladies and Master's Court of guest suites and other spaces included in the designs of the model.
An estimated build time was given which the Potter's approved of just over 13 months given the specifications, and an invitation to have the home decorated by a talented local who's shop adjacent to theirs.
They made their way swiftly next door as directed by Todd to Designs by Claire, to work out the interior, furnishings, decorations, and staff for the trunk-palace.
Hermione, more mellow post-war, was still rather outspoken on House Elf Rights, but new that she and Harry would not be able to maintain this property and its massive resources alone, and reluctantly agreed that bonding to them would be better than having the elves risk finding service to the likes of Lucius ever again.
As night fell the entirely exhausted couple made plans to return the next day to finalize the pre-order and purchases with Claire herself, as the sweet little apprentice that had assisted them the afternoon would require Claire's approval on her initial sketches, as well as the bonding of first eight, of what would become 40, house elves that were serve various and specific roles for the passive wizarding space.
0oO0oO0
The next day saw Harry and Hermione exploring the community further, beginning with a lovely breakfast at the same diner they'd discovery the day prior, before moving on to other areas which catered to bookstores and print shops.
In the third bookstore Harry couldn't help but be drawn to, and fascinated by, and antique printing press and binding systemf for magical tomes that was centuries beyond what the muggles of the time were capable of.
He watched as several sheets of large partment were fed to the device, the size of a billiar table or bigger, how magically the letters needed arranged themselves on a massive print press, and the press would stamp the now inked and primed letters onto the massive piece of parchment, which began folding itself multiple times over, before going through an series of cutting blades, a threading and glue station, before being affized to a soft back leateher cover, and exiting the end of the machine as a pocket sized daily journal, calendar, and planner not much bigger than Tom Riddle's Diary.
"Fascinating isn't it young man," and older voice called to Harry.
"Mesmerizing," he said as another giant piece of parchment began loading into the press, which was slowly being refilled by now re-inked numbers, letters, and text, before watching the entire process repeat itself.
In the span of 60 seconds, a 365 day planner, with weekly and monthly calendar inserts, and at least three dedicated pages for notes/diary entries per day, was printed, cut, bound, and deposited from one end of the machine to the other.
"This was the first fully customizable print station that integrated template design and automation; she revolutionized the entire print industry way back in 1613, and all modern presses owe their orignis to her line," he said patting the machine with clear affection.
Looking around the shop Harry couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be several paperbacks with definitely…local…titles near the machine on special tables showcasing what Harry assumed were local authors.
"After I got this beauty and fixed her up," the old man continued, "I decided to put her to use by printing for local authors…as you can tell."
"Little Sebastian Revauex's 10 reasons Santa is Definitely Real," he said with a chuckle holding up what was obviously a children's book, "is a seasonal bestseller."
By the time he'd stopped his little speech two more of the personal planners had been completed.
"Where did you find this?" Harry asked still transfixed by it.
"There was an auction nearly 20 years ago when the Cryer went out of business. They sold off some of the most gorgeous workdesk's you've ever seen, and I was able to get a majority of their printshop for a damn steal," he said with a toothy grin.
"It only took a bit of tweaking and modificaitons to get the press to print books instead of newspapers, and like I said once I figured out how to change the template it was smooth sailings from there."
"Would you ever consider selling her? And any notes, reference materials, or supplies you had on keeping her in top shape?" he casually inquired.
The old man stood back in contemplation just as Hermione was making her way from one isle to the next, several stacks of books trailing behind her..several feet high, and barely floating off the floor.
"I've got a newer model in the basement I've been wanting to work on once I got the floor space," he replied slowly.
"But kid this thing is horribly bulky and I've got a lot wrapped up in her. I couldn't take less than … 10,000 galleons for her," he said speculatively.
Casting a shrewd eye at the man and clearly picking up on his desire to haggle, Harry gave a counter offer.
"It is an obsolete model as you've said and would clearly serve as more of a conversational piece than functional for my purposes…and by your own admission it was reconstructed by an ameteur hobbiest. For 10,000 galleons, $50,000.00, I don't see that. I'll give you 5,000 galleons and take it off your hands today so you can get to work on your project sooner rather than later."
"Kid this thing is the Rolls Phantom I of it's class! It's a classic, the envy of all printing enthusiasts and hisorians the world over. I could let you have it for 9,500 G and that's a steal!"
"But not everyone is a printing enthusiast, a histrian, or at all interested in a bulky, noisy, and odorous machine that takes up more space than my California King! 6,000 G and I'll pay for any supplies, reference materials, notes you've retained on it's maintaiance and repare, as well as spell books for it's use, operation, maintanance, and how to build another or upgraded version, or the supplies needed for it."
The old man shook his head.
"I can't do that son. I really can't…but if you can meet me in the middle, 8,000 G, costs for the supplies, and market price for all the books you're taking about, I can let you have her. It'll hurt me, but I can part with her for that price knowing you'll take care of her," he said holding out his hand.
"It's a deal," Harry said with a smile.
"Let's go do some paperwork while my elf gathers all your books and materials, and it looks like your wife is finished as well," he said with a bit of pep in his step.
After paying a final purchase price of 15,000 galleons total, 9,500 of which was for his purchase, and quite unsure how Hermione managed to run cosistantly similar figures for each bookstore they visited the couple left instructions for their purchases to be delivered to Designs by Claire for their storage and inclusion in their completed Manor as they continued on their way through the shopping districts.
After exiting yet another shop, this one specializing in china and flatware made by local artisans, Harry suddenly felt a pull upon his magic.
"What's wrong Harry," Hermione asked as he suddenly veered down a side ally…their floating purchases following along behind them like obedient puppies barely floating off the sidewalk.
After passing yet another gardien, which truly were plentiful and on nearly every street corner, the two began to pick up pace as Harry lead Hermione down twisting back alleys, seemingly at random, their purchases trailing behind them like a game of extremely expensive snake.
"I need to go somewhere," Harry strained out as though in deep concentration.
"But where are we going," Hermione asked somewhat worried by Harry's behavior.
"I don't know Moine," he said.
Finally, but before Hermione could interrupt Harry's train of thought, they arrived in front of a possitively ancient dust filled, and filthy storefront…yet to Harry it positively reaked of magic…as though powerful enchantments lay upon the exterior of the building.
Through the fog of confusion of his mind he would later swear he could see the most beautiful fasade of the building with gold, pastel colors, and jewel inlays.
Hermione would later swear she smelled nothing but dog shit and backwash from a clogged storm drain.
Nevertheless, Harry quickly pressed his way into the shop, Hermione soon followed after shringing and storing her purchases in her clutch.
Khaotic Treasures
Purveyors of Fine Antiques & Intrigue
Since 1789
"What an odd name for a shop," Hermione said walking in and beginning to slowly browse.
Unlike the exterior had led her to believe, the interior was immaculate.
Hermione would be hard pressed to find a single mote of dust within the entire shop, let alone any of the filth which covered the front of the shop.
Her attention was immediately drawn to a small shelf of fine porcelain dolls perched on a shelf above several small books.
Meanwhile, Harry, trusting his gut, was walking slowly but purposefully throughout the shop, through the front room and into the back.
He never noticed that once he entered the back room, the door shut behind him and melded perfectly into the wall.
Hermione, seemingly enchanted by the dolls, didn't recognize the disappearance of her husband or that she stood alone in the front of shop.
0oO0oO0
If the front of house was immaculate, impeccable, and almost clinically sterile in how the wares were displayed and placed, the back of house was cluttered, messy, and jumbled to put it mildly.
Harry immediately noticed that there seemed to be no order, arrangement, or attempt to sort the veritable mess contained in this room of items ranging from the size of a thimble to what he'd swear was an exact replica of the Hindenburg.
As a matter of fact, he couldn't see an end to this room…at which point he began looking around in confusion and realized he'd lost the door.
Panicking slightly at the potential danger he could have just allowed himself to walk into, he slowly slipped the Elder Wand into his hand, discretely, while still following the pull which he felt guiding him ever forward.
While not dark the room was a bit dim, and so Harry conjured a small light at the end of the Elder Wand, which he used while walking to discretely cast light in the isles and spaces near him checking for someone under a disillusionment charm.
Finally, after seemingly walking through endless sections of stuff from time periods ranging from the modern era, to the medieval period items which wouldn't have looked out of place in Hogwarts, Harry finally stopped as the pull flared in front of a display of positively ancient things.
"I wondered where it was going to take you," a voice suddenly said behind Harry and brushing past him to reveal a middle age gentleman, of vaguely Greek origin.
"Kosmosis Khaos, VIII. at your service," the man said holding out a hand, which Harry reluctantly shook.
Wizards and their damn names, Harry chuckled internally.
"Harry Potter," he replied while looking into what appeared to be an ever shifting pool of colors in the man's eyes.
"What is this," Harry asked looking down at the chest before him.
The man opened it carefully to reveal several items, which he began removing slowly one by one, and which resized themselves upon exiting the chest.
"My many times great grandfather, Kosmosis the III., found this cache of highly magical items seemingly modeled on the classical interpretation of the dress and regalia of Osiris….God of Death, the Afterlife, Judgment, and Rebirth."
The staff…it was beautiful. Made of exotic materials, it was capped by two winged serpents, which harry would learn to be wadjet serpents, ascending from where the staff should be gripped and wings raise and poised to fly, protected a solid and crystal clear emerald cut to resemble an almost pine-cone…Harry knew nothing about the staff, but could appreciate the craftsmanship that went into it, and felt drawn into the emerald every time he gazed upon it.
"It undoubtedly belonged to some high priest of the Old Kingdom as you can see," Kosmosis continued as he removed what Harry, illiterate though he was in ancient history, instantly recognized as a 'Pharaoh hat', ornate and jewel studded necklaces, bracers, and even ornamental robes with sandals.
"Not to mention all the books," he said removing several metal books, one seemingly made of Gold, another of metal so black it sucked in the very light around them, and a small octagonal box which seemingly served as a key to unlock the, likely, religious texts.
"There's a ton more of these in there….my dad looked in time we were doing inventory when I was a child and swore there were books ranging on everything from religious texts, to books on Egyptian Rituals, and magic ranging from agricultural spells to fertility magic; I don't think the box has been opened since my dad showed it to me that day," he finished with a forlorn look.
"It's a small collection of decorative pieces that would look absolutely beautiful in any collection," he finished inviting Harry to take a peek.
There were several jewels, a crooked little cane, and several sealed jars within the chest.
The longer he stared into the depths of the container the more Harry could feel an unnatural cold emanating from the metal.
"Is that a sword," Harry asked looking toward one of the sides and removing what looked to be a curved letter opener of some type before it unelongated on removal into a curved, bronze, blade.
"Ah….the Khopesh," Kosmosis spoke.
"It's a warrior's blade from the Old Kingdom, and given the decorative handle, belonged to someone very important. Surely one would meet Death at the end of that blade" he smirked.
His eyes flashed a golden orange for the briefest of seconds before returning to their kaleidoscope of color, but Harry was too engrossed in the blade to notice or frankly care.
Madam Hooch's used to do so when she was particularly pissed after all.
"How about this thing," Harry asked also feeling a pull toward a small display of rings, earrings, and jewelry.
"These are the items which would normally be worn by the wife, consort, or lover of the High Priest, coincidentally belonging to a High Priestess of Isis, the sister-wife of Osiris…you can see the stamps here that would have been commonly been understood to show union or ownership meaning the one wearing this was unavailable and literally off the market."
Harry nodded along as though he understood.
A small box literally flew through the before impacting with the back of Kosmosis' head, somewhat gently, and flubbed onto the table showcasing the Egyptian finery.
"Fucking cunt buckets," Kosmosis tried to curse and under his breath…and failed.
"HE CAN FUCKING COME BACK!" Kosmosis yelled suddenly while turning around on the spot and speaking to the air.
Harry, slightly startled by the behavior of the man, slowly started backing away, only to freeze by the glare given to him by Kosmosis.
"Please forgive me Mr. Potter…the spirits that reside in this shop…rarely are so active with a customer," he said trying to rub the pain from the back of his head and occasionally checking for blood.
The box on the table seemed to be ticking slightly, though Harry could detect no moving pieces.
"So….what's this then," he asked occasionally looking around as though trying to spot Peeves.
Kosmosis, ran a hand along the cube of metal and examined it a few different ways.
"It's a Pandorica. Very rare; invented in the 12th Century BCE by Greek Wizards to entrap spirits; common belief is that the fable of Pandora's Box originated with one of these bad boys. This one appears to be empty…" he trailed off before setting the box down.
"…"
Harry continued to look between the utterly fascinating Egyption Regalia and that honestly make an amazing Halloween costume for himself and Hermione, and the at best paperweight of the Pandora.
"I'll take the lot then," he said with a smile.
"And anything else your spirits think I need," he said with a conspiratorial stage wink/whisper…a winksper.
Suddenly objects from all over the shop began flying around and great speeds only to reduce on their own and fit into a nice and neat little satin pouch, as satin served a fine insulator and material for magical bags.
"Hmm," Kosmosis said blinking, before as list of the items deposited in the bag appeared for Kosmosis to review.
"That's a good piece…oh that's lovely!...Really? You want to straddle him with that?" and a few other mutterings were heard as the Egyptian relics began packing and going into the bag as well before the two made their way slowly to the front of house to ring up Harry's purchases.
"I fear for my pocket book if you had any books at the front," Harry said with a mock shudder as the two continued on their way.
It was just a short time later that Harry and Kosmosis made their way from the back, and were in the front of house once more, and sure enough a stack of books, odd trinkets, and some of the creepiest damn dolls Harry immediately resolved to "accidental" destroy were awaiting him on the check out counter.
"I wondered where you'd been off to," Hermione said looking up from her perch on a small fainting couch deeply engrossed in some book with a patched spine.
"I found a few more things for my library," she said as though that explained everything…and it did.
"Would you like to carry out or have this delivered somewhere?" Kosmosis asked prepared to take down an address for delivery.
"Send it all to Designs by Claire…she's handing the interior design of a travel trunk for us," Hermione said proudly.
"I'll be sure to tell her this goes to her Potter account then my lady," Kosmosis said with a wink.
It took just a few moments to ring everything up and the young couple to be on their way, and once they had Kosmo let out a breath he'd seemingly been holding back the entire time.
The light suddenly seemed to flee from the shop before Kosmo called out.
"I don't know why you did it Gramps, but those two seemed more than happy as they were…was it really necessary to trick them like that?"
There was no reply, apart from the building blinking out of existence and it's neighboring stores sliding together to fill the vacant lot.
0oO0oO0
Making their way from Khaotic Treasures, Harry and Hermione quickly found their way back to the more beaten paths of shops and businesses and quickly found themselves in front of Creature Comforts.
Having nothing better to do, they went inside to give it a look.
They were unprepared to be assaulted by the sounds and smells that awaited them.
The overhead tinkle of a bell was their only indication this may be a manned shop, and it seemed their arrival had set off a chain reaction of yowls, howls, screeches, and cries of various animals throughout the shop.
"Oh Harry; it's a pet shop!" Hermione said beaming as she began walking immediately to a central pen with kittens.
"We're a little more than that ma'am," a voice called walking in from a side entrance.
"Welcome to Creature Comforts, home to the finest selections of Familiars, Spirit Animals, and Celestial Guides this side of the Mississippi," a young man said extending his hand.
"I'm Felix Deerbourn, and this is my shop. How can I help y'all today?"
"We honestly just came in because the name was interesting," Harry said with an awkward smile while running his hand through his hair as Hermione loved on several kittens that were clamoring for her attentions.
"They normally don't do that," Felix said with slight confusion before turning his attention back to Harry.
"Well then! How about we give you the grand tour while Miss Purr-fect cuddles over there," he snorted a bit at his own pun to Harry's confusion, "enjoys the sights as well?"
He lead Harry around the shop and began showing him the more traditional American familiars.
"We have several breed of cat and dog which are quite standard really, even if of superior pedigree going back at least five generations," he said as though it were a grand secret.
"You raise pureblood animals?" Harry asked in confusion.
"What?" Felix blinked.
"Lord no!"
"No-maj trace bloodlines; it's about they can do bless 'em."
"No, what I mean by pedigree is that for the last five generations in the animal's heritage there have been verified familiar bonds formed between companion and pet. Familiar Bonds have nothing to do with bloodline, but the bond which forms between a witch or wizard. Our breeding process has focused on matching bonded familiars to produce lines which hopefully will allow for more magically powerful animals, capable of creating a familiar bond more easily," he finished with a smile.
From the back Harry heard…bitching.
Stupid bastard doesn't know what he's talking about.
Magic is the only thing that decides bonds…no breeding, not personality….pure magic.
These weaklings wouldn't know real magic if it came up and bit them in the ass.
This is what I get for living past Newt…..the voice trailed off.
"Sorry," Harry suddenly interrupted, but do you have any snakes by chance?"
"Of a sort," Felix said growing quiet.
Interest now piqued, Harry pressed on.
"What kind of sort are we talking about Felix?"
My kind you foolish mortal, Harry heard from much closer than before and began walking toward it.
"Sir this animal is exceptionally dangerous," Felix began only to stop as Harry came to the exceptionally large and warded tank which held the shop's most famous curiosity: a Falajitax.
"Falajitax," Harry said as the foreign word, with difficulty, clumsily rolled off his tongue.
"They're more commonly known as the Liwo," Felix said speaking up.
By now the massive beasts ostrich like head was leveled solely with Harry's and staring, unblinkingly into his eyes.
Gold met Green, before suddenly flashing green as well and bleeding back to gold.
Well surprises never do cease…after all this time! Newt told me I'd eventually find a companion of my own, but I never believed him…the creature spoke to himself in low, almost warbling, hisses.
From within the coils of the Liwo, clutched protectively, two startlingly metal eggs gleamed in the light of the tank.
One egg seemingly of the finest and most highly polished silver, while the other was unmistakably gold.
Both were decorated with intricate markings of unknown design and origin to Harry.
"He's absolutely gorgeous," Harry said transfixed by the Liwo, placing a hand on the container which the animal rubbed the side of it's head against in an effort to touch Harry.
"Astounding!" Felix said.
"Simply remarkable!"
"That was one of the last animals rescued by the famous Newt Scammander before he and his wife returned home to the UK, and the only known example of a Liwo in captivity!"
"He's never taken a likeing to anyone…not especially in the last 60 plus years…definitely."
"And what are those," Harry asked pointing to the two eggs.
"They came with the Liwo; they've been checked out with every charm my grandad, dad, and I know….they don't register as anything magical….just something to comfort the Liwo presumably…that's what Newt told grams he though…"
"Would you like to come home with my wife and I?" Harry asked to the beautiful creature before him.
Yes…..to be free of this place….after all this time. He asks be to go, the Liwo hissed in contentment.
He turned to Harry, clearly having understood, and bobbed his head up and down.
"I'll happily take him, his tank, the contents, and enough supplies to last him until I can arrange for regular deliveries while my wife and I are in college," Harry said turning once more to Felix.
"Of course Sir!"
Hermione let out a giggle.
Turning to observe, Harry saw she'd been 'tackled' by two spotted Mau and two sandy red Abyssinians.
"As well as those, supplies, toys, condos, the works…" Harry said with a loving sigh escaping him.
Crooks is going to absolute love this, the thought with a chuckle.
Harry and Hermione finished up in the shop, but instead of having the pets delivered to Claire's shop, they would be traveling with them for the remainder of their honeymoon, before going with them to the 'small house' in the Black Family portfolio near Brookline Mass.
Harry sincerely hoped that Hermione would enjoy Longyear Manor as much as he had while exploring potential properties near their school of choice: Harvard.
They quickly settled up and left the shop, with the Liwo shrunk and now basking in Harry's body warmth beneath his coat, and Hermione's kittens safely tucked into a purpose designed travel back with mesh sides at the top to allow the kittens to look while being protected from the wind.
Finally, as the afternoon sun began to set on the weary shoppers they made their way back to the high street, and Harry called for his new Head Butler that would be taking over since Kreacher's passing.
"Pascal," he called gently.
A few seconds later there were a small pop indicating the arrival of the smartly dressed elf in a Victorian Butler's suit popped into existence.
"Master Potter called," the elf said with a small bow.
"Indeed Pascal," Harry said.
"Would you please take the day's purchases and our new pets," he said gently lifting the Liwo and Hermione's kittens, as Hermione removed the shrunken purchases from her clutch, "to our hotel suite, and then to Longyear?"
"It will be done Messier; Bridgette will have dinner waiting for you and the Mistress upon your return to the Hotel," he said taking the packages and pets, the Liwo more gently than the kittens, before popping away on the first leg of what would be at least an hour long journey.
The two finished their stroll back to the entrance of the Imperial Court, before making their way back to Muggle New Orleans, and catching the evening train back to Parrain Parish.
Chapter 02. - Education is Essential
By the end of their third week of Honeymooning, Harry and Hermione quietly finished their grand tour of the US, and careful to remain off the radar of European Magicals, avoided major areas where they may have ran into such wizards…hence their attendance at Harvard.
The proximity of Harvard to Ilvermorny tended to be off putting to most European magicals, as the school was so intimately connected to Salem, and the Hogwarts Ilvermorny rivalry so well known, that most Europeans avoided Massachusetts altogether unless they were die-hard historians or had relatives in the state.
Harry was shocked to see the beautiful Manor of Longyear was held in perpetual trust by the Black Family under various shell companies and charitable trusts, but given the family's propensity to have hidey holes, luxurious ones at that, available in many locations across the globe…he was nonetheless impressed they'd picked such a well camouflaged place as that close to the school Hermione and he chose to attend.
He'd been pleasantly surprised as well that the house had been a wedding present to Dorea Potter, née Black, from her family to use as not only a hidden home, but vacation property as well….it was apparently a favorite of the many Black Properties she visited in her youth.
As he and his wife were exiting their taxi, to enter the property, they were accosted by the noise of several protestors….of all things….in the snow and slush, picketing his house.
Signs ranging from "Corporate Greek Kills," and "Fur is Murder," to "Mass. HY is NOT FOR SALE," confused both Harry and Hermione.
The small group of about 12 protestors with signs, and 10 or 15 without, were milling about on the sidewalk occasionally shouting words like "Historic," "Community Heritage," and other things while gesticulating wildly toward Longyear.
They'd just entered the gate, and Hermione entered the grounds when someone ran up to them and made to deter Harry from entering the property.
"Son you can't trespass," an older man with a sign draped over his shoulder said with a frown.
"I know it's upsetting to see the museum lost, but you don't want to get arrested just because you're making your voice heard."
Clearly confused Harry asked the man what was going on….he didn't know about the protest as he'd just got back in town.
"The museum's closed son; it's been moved downtown to a converted warehouse. Someone's bought the property and plans on converting it into a private residence," the man answered.
Harry vaguely recalled something about the house being used as a historical site which he'd had to sign a bunch of permits for before he could resume occupancy prior to eloping.
He also recalled funding an endowment to run the existing museum at a new location, not horribly far from the Manor House, so the object and history on display would still be accessible while he and his wife were at university.
"What's wrong with someone living here though?"
The man drew himself up a bit before launching into a tirade against corporate overlords taking community property and how this was an afront to the average American that the Blue Blooded special interests didn't have a right to take from them.
"Harry…" Hermione called taking his hand.
"One sec love," he said placing a kiss on her cheek.
"Mister, I don't know what people think is going on, but my family has owned this house since it was transported over from Michigan….and I'm the last one left. As soon as someone can tell me why I need to move out of the house my Grandmother spent time in, why I don't have a right to try and reconnect with loved ones at the places they imprinted on….I'll happily move out."
"Until then, the community can content itself to getting their museum back once my wife and I graduate…this was never to be a permanent arrangement…not that I have to justify anything," Harry said stomping away from the presumptuous bastard, slamming the gate shut and walking up the path with his beautiful bride at his side.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Hermione thought with a bit of derision knowing she'd be up late tonight casting light muggle repelling charms to keep incidents like this from ever happening again.
Apparently the man Harry had, politely, told off pointed out to the others the owners were present and that it was them….many insults were hurled at Harry and Hermione which they quickly shut out and ignored upon interring their new home.
Home.
Such an important word…one loaded with meaning, and presuppositions.
He now had one of his own, not centered around the Forced Family of Petunia and Vernon, but now his family of choice…Hermione, her family, Dudley, their elves, and familiars.
Hedwig could never be replaced, but it seemed that with the Liwo he'd have a chance with another companion just as intelligent as she was.
Upon exiting the foyer they were greeted by Bridgette, Antoine, and Carmine. Pascal was presently tied up with a call that had come in concerning a repair needed in a guest bathroom.
The two were lead into the den where they were greeted by their familiars, a bemused Crookshanks using his tail to play with the kittens, and the Liwo and it's eggs nestled in a lambskin and cover stuffed wicker basket near the fire.
The man and his mate are back, the Liwo hissed at its eggs.
I wondered how long until he returned.
As Hermione once more began playing with the kittens, Harry turned his attention to the Liwo and began petting it, and stroking along it's spine.
Oh yes human! Keep this up and I may be able to live down the shame at letting you purchase me instead of eating you and your mate the first time I saw you.
There will be no eating of people, pets, or familiars so long as you are my companion, Harry hissed back much to the shock of the Liwo.
Its head swiveled so fast from Harry's ministrations he was sure the poor creature had suffered whiplash.
How can you….so you aren't as dumb as everyone else eh? The Liwo said narrowing its eyes in speculation before nodding its head in approval.
A worthy companion you are shaping up to be then youngling.
Thank you for your high regard, Harry said with a chuckle.
However I mean as I said; this is a muggle, non-magical neighborhood, and my wife and I, Hermione, are going to school among them for the next several years. If you are hungry let me or one of the elves know and you will be well taken care of.
Hermione, finally looking up from her kittens was a bit shocked to see Harry conversing with the snake-like familiar he'd chosen.
"I thought you lost that," she questioned without finishing her thought.
Harry rolled his shoulders in the universal "oh well/I don't know" gesture.
The small family continued to bond as the chilling winds of November continued to blow, and the early snows of December continued to fall just as twilight was setting.
With a rumble that suddenly went throughout the house followed shortly thereafter by a shout of triumph, causing Hermione and Harry to look up in slight alarm, they both couldn't help but chuckle as Bertran, one of the subordinate elves to Pascal, popped in suddenly, covered in soot and coal ash, only to exclaim unexpectly:
"Boilers Fixed! She fought long and hard, but after the final flushing we got the coal to light and heat be back in the rooms soon," he said walking over to the radiator for the den and cutting it back on.
"We got more'n three tons of coal stored for the winter in the basement for the rooms, boiler, and around the manor….give us about an hour and a half and we gon' have this draft gone!" he said popping away.
So content had the newlyweds been to settle into the Den they'd neglected to tour the remainder of the grand house and didn't even realize that the heat had been out.
I'm fine right here….you all go and have fun exploring now. It's time for a nap, the Liwo said with a yawn.
The two, trailed by Hermione's new kittens, left Crookshanks with the Liwo in the den while they explored the stately home.
0oO0oO0
The Holidays came and went, and just prior to the New Years Celebrations, the Potters were visited by one of the Campus Recruiters that they'd been in contact with and given their orientation materials for a start during the Spring Semester as members of the Class of 2003.
After the recruiter left them, they eagerly began reviewing their orientation materials and started giving serious consideration to various degree tracts to register for.
Hermione, so far, was leaning toward a degree in the sciences and maybe a future Medical Degree, while Harry was fascinated by history and archeology in particular.
They were hoping that in time they'd both enjoy their adventures into adulting.
0oO0oO0
This was also the time that the first, of many, municipal complaints to the local Historic Preservation Commission and City Council would be filed against Harry and his occupancy of "An Historic Community Museum removed from Public Access with no notice or Due Process."
A museum ran by a shell charity showcasing the history of one of the assumed names a Black had gone over at the turn of the Century, with an average attendance of less than 1,000, suddenly had the blue hairs, up in arms.
Their rhetoric though, and calls for rapid swift change to "return to a better more fair time, was coopted from the growing anti-billionaire rhetoric that was beginning to become more common among the middle and lower class of the socioeconomic ladder.
0oO0oO0
Little did Harry and Hermione realize that at the same time as their classes began, an inquiry was launched by parties interested in the disappearance of the Boy-Who-Lived…over a year wasn't an acceptable length for a holiday.
When the Ministry opened a line of questioning to the Goblins, they quickly replied they could only assist the Ministry, per treaty, in the enquiry of active accounts before turning the junior grade aurors away for fear of violating the agreement the Potters had struck with HQ.
Theodore Anderson, newly elected Minister of Magic after unseating Kingsley in a special election to fill the remainder of Scrimgeours term, 1996-2002, looked over the pile of paperwork and nominations to clean house from both the Fudge and later admins to make room for his loyalists and supporters from the Wizengamot.
A Half-Blood raised solely in the Magical World of Ulster, Anderson was both accustomed to, and repulsed by, the Machiavellian politics of London.
He was more of a compromise candidate selected on the third ballot by the more liberal voices of the Wizengamot after a true coalition couldn't be formed around Kingsley, and his 'supporters' sought to control him most likely given he was a rather obscure back bencher that rarely spoke up during sessions of Court.
How little the hens realized they'd just given the deed of the house to the fox himself.
Meanwhile, at the Burrow, home to the Weasley Family, the two youngest Weasley children were settling in for supper, unaware at the changes in the Ministry, or that their country was about to undergo…but both missing their supposed soulmates and lovers.
"You heard back from Harry," Ginny, freshly home for Christmas from Hogwarts, asked of her older brother.
"Everytime I try to attach a letter to Erol, he just looks at me and flies away," Ron replied over his third helping of pudding.
"You heard anything back from Hermione?" he asked while swallowing….a feat in an of itself.
"Nope; last I knew she was going to try and find her parents….that was almost a year ago though…you think Harry went with her?"
"Nah!" Ron said with a laugh.
"They'd drive each other barmy without me to keep them grounded," he said with a laugh.
Not so sure, Ginny finished her meal and after cleaning up went on to bed.
She had the express to next week, and revisions to finish for her holiday assignments.
Chapter 03. - Escalating Hostilities
Life had settled into a happy routine for Harry and Hermione once they'd begun their classes. They were sad to realize that they'd be away from the home most of the day, but were nevertheless extremely pleased with Pascal for ensuring they always had not only their day's materials packed in their featherlight bags, but also managed to include one of Bridgette's gourmet meals for them to share in one of the comfortable commons peppered throughout the campus.
Hermione had found a lovely little secluded spot in the basement stacks of the Widener Library, and they'd since then begun to decorate the space to suite their tastes, and 'claimed' it as their own little love nest….well, as much a 'love nest' as two freshmen could have for study and dining purposes in a public library.
It had only taken Harry seeing Hermione squint in the dim lighting before he'd conjured a beautiful crystal chandelier just for her over their little table that put out just enough light to brighten their table without disturbing the surrounding area or drawing unusual attentions to their corner.
Hermione, ever the sensible one, had drawn a light muggle repelling ward truly cordoning off their corner of study form intrusion by the non-magical. They'd see a brick wall instead of the little alcove where the study desk, chairs, and outlet bank used to be.
At the Midterms, Harry and Hermione received word that it was time to bond to their next group of household staff, and may plans for a quick portkey down to New Orleans to handle the transfer in ownership, and bring them home to start helping out at Longyear.
It was a process that would repeat every quarter for the next year which just happened to coincide with the completion time predicted for their luxury trunk they'd ordered.
Harry and Hermione both settled out the year having completed half of their required basic courses, which they'd complete in the next year along with a few choice electives starting to trickle into their time tables for the Major Field of Study, MFS, they'd selected.
Harry was pursuing a degree in forensic archeology, with a double major in architectural design.
Ever since he'd left Hogwarts and, in reality, the Dursley home he'd wanted nothing more that to learn the history of beautiful structures and how to build them.
He loved to jokingly blame it on his father's map, and how it he'd developed an appreciation for the layout of Hogwarts at 13, but truly came to love history and the impact of building design in the major cities of the UK, Europe, and everywhere Hermione drug him off to.
It was one of the reasons he found the Leaky Cauldron so homey….it was ancient, well used, and warm…both in actuality and design.
It was an experience Hermione came to understand the longer they stayed at Longleaf and could appreciate what her portrait, one of many heirlooms removed from the Goblins by Harry, had to say about her time spent there.
Hermione, his brilliant Hermione, had finally settled on a science degree with the goal of transitioning slowly to pre-med, and then ultimately getting an M.D. before specializing in infectious disease and virology.
Neither were in a rush, and both agreed to take their time pursing everything they wanted to since they were free from the constraints of their life, and money was no option.
Hermione's parents were actually planning to sell their practice and move in with the Potters until they could get their licensing and immigration straightened out in order to be nearer their daughter and son in law…a process greatly sped up when Harry utilized his vast wealth to hire the best lawyers available.
By the time the Duo were walking the stage to get their terminal degrees, Hermione's M.D. and Harry's Ph.D., the family of four had already taken their oath of Citizenship, and relocated completely to the U.K..
0oO0oO0
Select Headlines from the Daily Prophet 1999-2006, the time Harry and Hermione were in school and receiving their formal educations, completely oblivious to the happenings in the UK or continental Europe.
1999
Ministry issues Missing Person Alert: Boy Who Lived missing since February 1997.
Minister Signs Executive Order Directing New Head of DMLE to Prioritize Prized Citizen Search.
2000
European Ministies Mum on Potter: Goblin's have been silenced.
Ministry Opens Official Inquiry into Potter's Whereabouts.
Minister Signs New Registration Requirements for Immigration, Emigration, and Property Ownership.
Head of DMLE Announces Lead in Potter Hunt: Sightings in Australia.
New Auror, Ronald Wesley on Pal Potter: "I'm worried something's happened"
2001
Potter's Pandemonium: A Broken Bride Left Behind
A Profile on what should have been: Ginerva M. Potter née Weasley
2002
Harry's Bill Passed! Minister Anderson Explains new Laws requiring Wand Registration and National Curfew
DMLE Head Resigns After New Leads Discovered In Potential Abduction Of Potter!
Cryptic Letter Delivered to Minister: New Lead in Potter Cold-Case?
Wizengamot Passes Further Restrictions on International Travel: ICW Warns of Sanctions.
2003
ICW Issues Sanctions on Britain! Wizengamot Retaliates by Seizing Assets of Foreign Nationals
Anderson Issues EO Detain on Sight Order for Arabic Wizards after Tube 'Bombing'
Anderson Accuses Former Protectorate, Afghanistan, of abducting Boy-Who-Lived!
Wizengamot Reinstates Armed Forces and Draft! Anderson Signed with Promise for Swift Rescue of the Chosen One!
2004
Insurgents Bring Down Cultural Icon! Non-Christians Banned from Hogwarts by Ministry.
Anderson Cooperates With Muggles: Surveillance of Mosque's Unveiled in New Ministry Security Protocols and Guidelines
Maji Attack Hogsmeade! At least 13 students injured, 4 fatalities reported.
Terrorist Cell of Maji Uncovered in Devon! Minister Signs EO for Increased Surveylance.
2005
Anderson Survives Assassin's Spell! New Elections Called for Wizengamot.
New Elections Scheduled for November of this year.
Anderson Campaigns on Promise of Law, Order, and Domestic Security.
Opposition Vocal to Anderson's Policies.
Economic Sanctions Ignored: "Security, Our Very LIFE, is at Stake" ~ Anderson
Feindfire Suicide Attack at Ministry! Entered With Wizengamot Pass.
Collapse at WhiteHall over Ministry Collapse.
Anderson Declares State of Emergency! Suspends Elections under Executive Powers Act.
Hogwarts Closed Indefinitely Due to "Security Risks".
Closed Court and Executions Scheduled for Terrorists and Collaborators.
Veil of Death Authorized for Convicted Terrorists and Those Acting Against the State's Interests.
"45 Convictions, 45 Executions. We Are Rooting Out The Rot" ; Minister's Approvals soar to 85 percent in latest poll.
2006
Latest Plot Against Royals Thwarted! Anderson to be Knighted!
Head of DMLE Elevated to Senior Secretary for Domestic Migration.
New Head of DMLE: "We are all in this together; The Ministry has your safety at heart."
Muggle Liaison Office Abolished: Anderson to Deal Directly with Muggles.
Hogwarts set to Reopen Under Strict Ministry Regulation!
Minister Issues Executive Order Requiring Oath of Citizenship and Loyalty from All Citizens.
Protestors, refusing to accept Oath of Citizenship, Arrested and Tried for Sedition. Lengthy Azkaban Sentences Expected.
Percy Weasley Named Interim Head of Media Relations and the Division of Truth.
Neville Longbottom Arrested in Surprising Raid as Ringleader for Anti-Ministry Cell!
Ronald Weasley, Head Auror, Testifies at Longbottom Trial: "He's Not the Man I Knew; He's Acting Just Like You-Know-Who."
Longbottom Escape! Massacre at Court, Dozens of Officials Dead including Minister Anderson!
Ministry, still in panic, Responds to Potter Sighting in Canada: "There has been no independent verification of this Report."
ICW Rejects British Application for International Warrant For Potter's Arrest! "It's for his own protection…Potter's a National Treasure that must be returned home and reconditioned from whatever programming he's received by the Maji Extremists." ~ DMLE.
2007
Ministry Collapses! ICW Comes in to Clean Anderson's Mess.
Lord Neville F. Longbottom Elected Interim Minister by Conclave of surviving Wizengamot.
The History of Theodore Anderson and His Fascist Ties.
Normalizing Britain "My Top Priority While In Office," ~ Longbottom.
Curfew Ending for First Time in Five Years.
0oO0oO0
By the end of January, 2000, Harry and Hermione had received shipment on their custom trunk job, and had given their familiars the option of spending their time in the magic rich environment of the weather regulated trunk, or staying with them, and the Doctors Granger, in Longyear for the remainder of winter and spring.
The Liwo, which had finally revealed his name to Harry as 'Chac,' had vociferously made his opinion known as to this "stupid cold you humans put up with," and quickly made his way through the door Harry and Hermione had erected that would give them access to the trunk which was somewhere else in the house.
The Magical World didn't have the same view of Education as Muggles had developed; that is to say, they viewed a basic broad spectrum education as all that was necessary for self-reliance.
Specialization and developing subject matter expertise, because of the very nature of magic, was regarded as more art than science….and as such left the study and transference of mastery in a craft to Master and Apprentice.
These last years away from Hogwarts, and delving into their Muggle Studies, had shown Harry and Hermione that something they'd initially wanted to avoid was becoming a necessity; they'd plateaued on what they could self-study with regards to the complimentary fields to their muggle courses, and were beginning the process of interviewing Masters for the completion of the mystical studies.
By May of 2000, and the end of their 2nd full year at Harvard, Harry and Hermione had selected Master Theodore Pimstickle, a 4th Gen. Magical and Master Healer, with a dual Mastery in Potions, along with 2nd Gen. Magical and Master Enchantress with two further Masteries in Alchemy and Linguistics, the Honorable Glenda Goodwin.
She also just happened to be representing the good people of the 4th Congressional District of Massachusetts to MACUSA, and served as a Board Member for Ilvermorny.
Master Pimstickle was renowned in Medical Circles as the pioneer of the blood-replenisher potion, as well as the Pimstickle Treatment which was a unique potion and series of charms as well as palliative care utilized world-wide in the treatment of the untreated and most often terminal strains of the magical virus: dragonpox.
With his regiment of treatment 7 out of 10 patients survive what had previously been thought a slow and agonizing death; the plague was slowly being eradicated where it mostly persisted in the 3rd World because of his help and tutelage.
He also gave instruction in the technique freely versus hording his knowledge and charging absorbent sums for his potion as some healers chose to do.
Mistress Goodwin, while no lightweight in accomplishments on her own, loved to tell how she followed the family business of enchanting, and all it encompasses, while also branching out to the complimentary fields of Alchemy and Linguistics to further refine her subject matter mastery form just the Roman, Latin, school to a much broader base of education including Egyptian, Sumerian, Hindu, and some Chinese.
The terms of Harry and Hermione's Apprenticeships included that one of their outbuildings, the Duchess' Court as Harry and Hermione called the buildings situated on the visitor's left, had been easily converted by the House Elves for a more academic role, while maintaining its elegance and charm.
Master Pimstickle had readily accepted accommodations for the Summer term the Potters had off from Harvard, while Mistress Goodwin had not yet been able to tour her own accommodations as MACUSA was in session; though she would be able to move in during the summer break and commute via a special Floo Harry had connected to the burgeoning Academy.
Upon seeing their amazing trunk space, Master Pomstickle had recommended, and Mistress Goodwin agreed, that they should seriously consider hiring a Master of Herbology and/or Master of Magical Creatures to truly put the lad to good use and ensure they had the best possible potion's ingredients and materials on hand.
This recommendation had of course lead to another that they have more human staff to supplement their academic adventures and provide a more rounded and balanced approach to the study of the complimentary subjects that Harry and Hermione had selected as their own, to which the Grangers over dinner one night chimed in and suggested they go ahead and hire magic aware muggle experts and on long term contracts to the emerging, and ironically named by Harry, Normal School.
"Do whatever you want Mione…it's just money," he said leaning over and kissing his wife as she squealed and went off to owl their lawyer to begin drafting employment contracts and incorporation documents for a private school that could be accredited with the ICW.
Plans so far were for the Academy to be accredited with the ICW for WISE and SMART Standards that helped gauge the progress of Master's candidates at the mid-point Wizarding Intercontinental Spell Equivalencies (WISE) and Spell Masters Arts Rituals and Trade Exams SMART to matriculate and receive Terminal Degree(s) which would be recognized in every ICW Member Country.
Wise Masters are not better than Smart Masters after all.
Harry and Hermione, when they had time, marveled at the sheer complexity and pseudo logic Magicals used in their education and governmental systems.
One of the projects Mistress Goodwin had immediately jumped on for Harry after running across his printing press was to assign him the responsibility of operating an annual Journal that would be used to print scholarly articles which he and Hermione would be tasked with Editing covering not only the core classes of Magic, Potions, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Transfiguration, and History, but also their Master Level Subjects of Alchemy, Healing, Enchanting, and Linguistics.
When their new resident Herbologist had suggested the construction of several greenhouses and climate specific spaces for more difficult to obtain potions ingredients, Mistress Goodwin had seized on the opportunity to teach Harry, and Hermione, the basics of Magical Construction.
So it was decided that while the Journal was to be an ongoing responsibility and requirement, the construction of a single greenhouse would be Harry's final for the year.
Oh joy, he thought the second week of summer break as he returned to the stacks in the main house's library to learn more about glassmaking, steel refinement, and the effects of magic on the properties of metals as he sketched out designs for approval to Master Wilfred Humdinker, the resident Herbologist, on a classically designed Baroque Greenhouse, with a solid glass roof with portions that could be opened and large French Doors that opened onto a terrace equally spaced throughout the ground level for maximum natural lighting, along with expansive windows just below the roofline he'd sketched up.
Neither Harry nor Hermione realized that international post owls were confused by their living in the dimensional pocket of a travel trunk, nor that they were missing hundreds of letters, portkeys, and various "official" summons owls refused to deliver instinctually.
As they didn't take any magical papers, and neither did their professors, they were completely unaware of the Happenings in Europe, in Britain especially, and after a small bit of sorrow at seemingly loosing their friends from Hogwarts due to no one contacting them in so long, the two young, happily married, adults moved on while fondly recalling their past and the friendships which existed in it.
So intense was their focus on self-betterment and improvement, so devoted were they to each other and the life they planned to lead, Harry finally came to peace with loosing the Tonks Family prior to their departure from England.
The Summer of their first term at the Normal School, when they were both 19, Harry and Hermione received a most unusual post from Dudley, to the effect he'd met a girl, and they'd welcomed their first child into the world….a little girl he'd named Harriet Rose, and a request to come and visit his cousin when the baby was old enough to travel as he wanted his baby to meet her cousins.
Harry and Hermione had readily agreed and made arrangements that Dudley little Harriet, and his new wife Linda would join them at Longyear next summer...an invitation which was reluctantly extended to Petunia and Vernon, but which was politely, and to Harry thankfully, declined.
Of worth to note: Mistress Goodwin had seemingly sent out a notice to the Directory of Masteries for North America regarding the Normal School Journal, and not less than 100, of the thousands, of Masters there sent in an article for review.
Harry and Hermione were both a little perplexed when one day little Stephon, a rather young elf which was part of the last batch acquired by the family for their trunk space, requested he be allowed to not only read the article's he helped sort in the mail room for the Normal School, but that he also he be allowed to help in the Editorial and Printing Process.
Mistress Goodwin and Master Pimstickle had been in the room as the elf popped in and were carefully observing how Harry and Hermione handled the request.
Sharing a look, Hermione crouched down to eye level with the youngling and answered him.
"You're family Stephon and this is your home. You and every other elf here are not only allowed to do whatever it is that brings you joy and happiness….we encourage it and support you wholeheartedly."
She finished by giving the excited elf a hug while Harry smiled recalling Dobby, and the nights he'd snuck into the Gryffindor common room and found him reading by the light of the fire…mountain of knit hats and gloves tilting this way and that as he scanned pages.
Reading for a house elf wasn't illegal in Europe, but it was certainly taboo and discouraged.
America it seems had a much more liberal community and respectful attitude regarding domestics as they tended to be called.
If only that same spirit extended to the local muggles that thought it neighborly to spread pig entrails across the porch of Longyear, and two weeks later threw rotting boars head onto the property.
These escalations in local incivility came after Harry's lawyers decisively ended any proceedings taken before the Historic Commission and City Council regarding the Potter's residency in a local landmark.
The monthly protests were becoming more frequent, and must more vocal.
The Potters were completely unaware of the message boards filled with local radicals calling for a cleansing fire on the bourgeoisie.
0oO0oO0
It was a Saturday in mid July, nearing the end of the first term of the Normal School even as some projects, like the Journal or Greenhouses, would have to stretch the length of the Calendar year for practical purposes, when the Dan Granger answered the door of Longleaf only to discover Luna Lovegood, and her father Xenophilius in tow.
"We're here to see Harry and Hermione," she smiled brightly at the confused Dentists.
"Were they expecting you? Doctor Dan Granger, DDS…Hermione's Father," he said offering his hand to the duo.
"No; and we're the Lovegoods. I'm Luna and this is my Daddy," she bubbly replied.
"Pascal," Dan gently called as the elf appeared.
"Yes Mr. Doctor Dan," he began.
"Would you pop round and let Harry and Hermione know the Lovegoods are here to see them…I'm going to escort them to the den."
"At once Sir," he said popping away.
"Dan led the two into the den where Crookshanks loved to spend most of his time, likely due to the soft leather bench built into the wall that let him observe the outside gardens and the constant stream of birds bathing so close at hand.
The small party were soon joined by Harry and Hermione both who immediately went up to Luna and give her a deep hug.
"Oh Luna! It's so good to see you; its been ages," Hermione began.
"And so good to see you up and about Mr. Lovegood," Harry said giving the man a shake of his hand.
Pascal popped in with some of Bridgette's wonderful finger sandwiches and cucumber water for the small gathering to nip on (favorite's of Hermione).
"Oh I love her pimento cheese!" Dan said excitedly grabbing one of the small crust-less cubes packed with the homemade golden clumps of ambrosia.
They were soon joined by Emma returning from the market with a few things she and Dan wanted that the elves didn't keep in stock, or couldn't find at the local wizard grocer.
Introductions were made once more before the conversation turned to why Luna had come to visit.
"Well the Journal Obviously," Xeno replied.
"I want to submit an article on the History of the Deathly Hallows," he said passing over a thick clip of papers which were undoubtedly an article for the Journal to consider.
But with a sigh Luna spoke up.
"No Daddy; we're here because we traced the Liwo to Harry…remember….for the Quibbler?"
It didn't escape everyone not a Lovegood that Luna was a bit exasperated with her Father, or that she was saddened she had to remind him of the reason for their visit.
"Oh…right moppet…. I'm sorry," he said taking his paperwork back.
"You know about the Normal School," Hermione asked hoping to break the unease the room had descended to.
"Oh yes! Daddy and I follow all the major happenings of the ICW in order to stay abreast of things," she replied proudly.
"I was hoping you'd consider allowing me to come aboard to study Cryptozoology and refine my hand at Journalism?" he asked slowly while looking at the floor.
"Of course Luna! You're one of our dearest friends!" Harry spoke at once, and Hermione quickly agreed.
"We'd love to take your father on as staff to help manage the Journal," Hermione spoke up giving Harry a look.
"That's right!" He chimed.
Tears brimming in her eyes, Luna threw herself at Harry and Hermione and thanked them while wracked with sobs.
"My word! There's bacon in this cheese!" Xeno said unexpectedly from the side of the room where the finger foods had been carted in.
"I know!" moaned Dan.
"Oh Daddy," Luna said with a chuckle.
Though inside she knew her father was trying to recover from the horror's he'd been subjected to, she couldn't help but mourn the loss of the exuberant, if eccentric, man which had raised her.
This shell…this…..quiet, forgetful, cowering, husk…this wasn't her Daddy…but she'd resolved herself to do everything she could to either help him recover, or ensure he had a peaceable life away from the horrors of Britain.
She didn't feel comfortable explaining it to Harry and Hermione just yet, but within her travel pack was the shrunken Rookery, and all her and her father's worldly possessions, including the presses for the Quibbler which had gone dark over a year ago after Xeno's recovery took a spiraling downturn and his sanity seemingly fractured.
It was her hope that Harry and Hermione, her friends that always made things better, could help her one more time….and it looked like they were going to do just that.
Chapter 04. - Growth & Development
Harry stood outside of the massive hexagonal hole he'd excavated the weeks prior to today which would house his SMART Project…a five story, three floor, medical complex that would allow Hermione her Residency on site as they traveled to treat those in need per her licensing requirements. In the background, as though intimidated by what they were observing, Dudley and his wife, after accepting an invitation to move in with the Potters as little Harriet was clearly magical, stood holding little Harriet up so she could watch "Huncle Harry," as she'd dubbed him after hearing Hermione croon about how handsome he looked in a particular suit a long time ago, on his big Day.
Mistress Goodwin had finally approved his designs, which even she had to admit, were ambitious.
The building, modeled on the Baptistry of Florence, was going to allow for two basement levels of storage, a small commercial kitchen for patient meal prep, it's own sewage and utility systems, Provider Office Space, room for a nursing staff, a file room, Reception Area, Emergency Room, an Operating Room, and suites for the long term care of up to 25 patients in residence.
In all, the structure would have a total of three above ground levels and 2 below for a total of 5 stories, though the interior space of each story wasn't industry standard.
Of course, there would be ample space provided for the Grangers to resume their Dental Practice…it hadn't taken that long for him to redraw his designs for the 5th time after Hermione made her request for her parents after he'd already given his proposal to Mistress Goodwin.
Massive blocks of granite and Marble stood off to one side of the hole, while molds, forms, and ingredients necessary for the use in masonry were present.
Pipes of Iron, Copper, even PVC were present, as were several industrial sized machines used to heat, cool, and sanitize a hospital.
Harry finally approached the Architect's podium he'd erected where his wand, the Elder Wand, sat pinning down the blueprints his Mistress had approved for the final build.
"Just remember to concentrate, and visualize, she said as the other Master's stood back to watch his work and attest to either his success or failure for his SMARTs.
After popping his knuckled and taking a calming breath, he picked up his wand slowly.
Hermione and her Parents, off to the side by Luna and Xeno, were tracing Harry's every movement with their new Digital Camcorder while the Lovegood's took a few still and magical shots for the occasion.
After focusing on the materials, and the plans, Harry began silently casting and waiving his wand about as though conducting a symphony.
At first nothing happened, and the only thing that could be heard by those in attendance was the singing of the birds in the nearby forest, or the soft and rhythmic calls of a Stag's Bleating.
Then, slowly, a deep rumble could be heard before suddenly the construction materials spring into the air, either breaking and reforming into slabs as needed, flinging themselves into place at the base of the hole and building upward.
Faster than Hermione's parents, or even Hermione, though possible a monolithic structure began to emerge much faster than the week long process had been for Harry's first, small, greenhouse, and given the strain he was exhibiting as he conducted this orchestra of design, may be taking it's toll on him.
"For several minutes Harry waved his wand, only occasionally looking from the plans to something in the swirling mass of stone, wood, and components,
Where before there were piles and piles, veritable mountains of precious stone, gold leaf, or precious metals, slowly there was returning naught but the expansive lawn that had played host to the construction materials.
Flipping to the last page of his plans, the roof observatory of the structure and Physician Offices, Harry carefully guided the last panes of glass into place with a swish and flick, swept through his blueprints once more with a critical eye before he was sure of his casting and completing the project some 90 minutes after the project began, and ready to collapse, cast the final enchantment upon the building that would start the magical generator he and Hermione devised to power the muggle systems in place.
As twilight began to settle across the grounds, mirroring the time outside of the trunk, the lights of the new "St. Christopher's Clinic," a reference to the mobile nature of Hermione's soon to be Residency and the Trunk Space's very nature, came on for the first time, as did the central HVA System he'd integrated into he building's design.
Wet with perspiration and winded from the magic which had been flowing through and from him, Harry turned to the SMART observers and his family before inviting everyone inside for the final portion of his exam.
"Won't you all please join me for a tour?"
As the group made their way toward the Clinic, Hermione still rolling and excited for Harry, everyone was impressed at the technique that Harry had utilized, one of the, if not the, hardest to master in Magical Construction that concurrently enchanted the materials for end use and functionality while the structure was being erected….a supremely rare form of magical construction as it required supreme concentration and mastery of the mental arts of Occlumency and Legillimency to accomplish.
Where the more traditional methods of enchanting materials, or at least installing the runes, prior to construction worked just as fine, the form Harry had chosen to master allowed for the near instantaneous completion of a project rather than stretching it out for weeks or months no matter the complexity of the task.
It was, as Harry had learned during sorting his family journals in the Master's Study at the Big House, why Heinrich Potter, a German Forefather of his Father's Line, had amassed a staggering amount of wealth in the early days of the Potter family, and which allowed them to transition their family magics from that of mere craftsman to Aristocratic 'Experts'.
Hermione was glad that Harry was finding his family through his own passions, instead of succumbing to expectations and following the paths others had attempted to lay for him.
"The door's are automatic," he called out as the small group came within 10 feet of the entryway, "and open on approach."
The gilded doors depicting traditional symbols of Healing, a curious mix of Greek and Egyptian on the left, while St. Christopher looked on with open arms on the right, opened outward and the group found themselves in a vestibule with sliding glass doors leading on the left to EMERGENCY while the right OUTPATIENT.
"These waiting rooms are mirrors of the other," Harry began, "so let's go through your left to the Emergency Department first. If Master Healer Pimstickle, Hermione, and Mistress Goodwin will please join me up front," he called out as the crowd parted to allow those named to move up.
"The doors are actually muggle in origin, and prefab for Emergency Departments. They meet international standards for with requirements, and in the event my generator in the basement fail, they can be opened by pressing the bars in the middle and swinging the doors inward," he said.
"However the generator is working," he began as the door silently parted and everyone was met with the positive pressure force of the Emergency Department's waiting area, "as you can feel," he finished with a smirk and lead everyone inside.
A standard clinical waiting area, with desk area met them, before he walked them through to the emergency department itself.
"Here we have 15 small individual treatment bays, a mix between room and open space, to treat various types of illnesses, infections, and health issues ranging from the more mundane muggle illnesses and conditions, to Spattergroit."
"The central nursing station, and the entire clinic really, is a mix of muggle and magical. We have the ability to create both paper files and utilize digital recordkeeping for transfer of patients from initial care here at St. Christopher's to either muggle or traditionally magical institutions. We have clearly designated Muggle Storage and Supplies to the left of the Nursing Station, while Magical Storage and Supplies are to the right."
There is triple filtered hot and cold running water throughout he hospital, with restroom facilities spaced throughout all common areas, including here, and here," he said pointing to the corners behind his observers, "and a small kitchenette for Nursing Staff.
"The various eye wash, and required Sanitary Stations in accordance with WHO and CDC Requirements were clearly visible and readily accessible."
"Bio-waste is handled through dedicated drop-shoots that lead to an incinerator in the basement," he said pointing to garbage shoot just above a hanging red bio-hazard bag.
"Normal Garbage is handled through a separate, and similar system."
They continued through the emergency department and observed the fine stonework and masonry, the wonderful lighting that allowed the room to be brightly lit and clearly observed before moving through a set of double doors and out into the center of the structure.
There was a massive fountain of Angels and people, around which several benches had been erected, and a small garden existed.
The curve of the treatment area for both the Emergency Department and the Outpatient Patient Treatment Area framed the "back wall" of this space, while in the shadow of various marble columns Glass-Fronted Administrative Offices, Nursing Offices, and More Storage Areas were tucked away.
"In lieu of a traditional Chapel," Harry once more began, "or formal garden outside, I decided on this relaxation and meditation area. The Fountain, completely magical in operation," he pointed out "plays host to silent sentries; guardians of stone which will come to life in defense of the Clinic if called to action by the wards."
"Along the far wall there is office space for administrative staff, several nursing, or small offices, as well as main storage for both the Outpatient Services Department and the Emergency Department."
"Won't you join me as we move to the second level.
The group made their way to an ornate marble staircase just to the left of the fountain.
Looking up, Hermione couldn't help herself at the dome which capped the room, and much like the Hogwarts Great Hall, the night sky was floating above her.
"There is both a patient Elevator running the length of the building, and a service elevator for the movement of equipment and supplies," Harry continued as the made it to the first landing on the staircase before continuing up, "but then you'd have missed out on the chance to experience the stone work of this lovely Maroon Marble staircase," he finished with smirk.
"The wall sconces as you can see are magical in origin…a variant of the blue-flame charm, that is part of the integrated filtration systems for the whole clinic that burns nothing but microbes and with the micro-arrays etched into their basins, target infectious bacteria and virus'."
"It's one of the reasons St. Mungo's has so many of them scattered throughout," he said turning to Hermione and answering the questions before she could ask it.
"Also the Department of Mysteries," Luna pipped up as she gazed in wonder at what Harry had made.
"And that," came his sad reply as his mind was immediately drawn to Sirius.
"On the second floor," he continued once they' crested the landing, "we have dental services suites, waiting rooms, and staffing accommodations, as well as a modern operating room, procedure room, and three dedicated breweries for potions along this corridor, "he said pointing to the left, "while down this one, "he said pointing to the right, "we have rehab and wellness centers, a small gym, an industrial laundry, and equipment sanitation."
"Directly ahead you'll find a small area dedicated to Obstetrics and Gynecology, and at the very back of the building, comprising at least a full third of the usable space, diagnostic labs and space for the techs necessary to run them all."
"Oh Harry!" Hermione said hugging him and doing her best not to drop the camera.
"We're not done yet love," he said with a smile laying a kiss on her lips.
"Right," she said tears brimming in her eyes at the massive gift he'd given to her to make her own trials easier.
"Let's make our way to the top then," he said leading everyone to the opposite stairwell and up to the final floor.
"This is beautiful," Xeno said to the grangers running his hand along the polished stone walls, and observing the intricately laid multicolored geometric patters lining the walls.
"I have to agree," Emma sniffed as tears of her own threatened to break through at her pride in Harry's accomplishment.
All Dan could do was nod along as he took in with wonder the scale and beauty of his son-in-laws magic.
The SMART observers, took a few notes on floating clipboards with their dictaquill fountain pens…obviously giving dictation no one else could hear as the pens furiously were scratching away on their notepads.
As they rounded the final turn and entered the landing for the Physician Suites, Harry and co were greeted by a hallway of class cubicals, colorful Marble, and overstuffed furniture lining the hallway…the odd potted plant providing some greenery.
"These smaller offices are for RNs, LPNs, CRNs, or the like, while this way," he said turning to the left, "Physicians Suites line the outer walls and allow for expansive views of the grounds," he said. There are 20 suites I was able to incorporate here that provide not only a large office for a physician with a small waiting area and room for a secretary in each, but also an attached bedroom, shower, and lavatory for when it's not practical or possible for a physician to commute or leave the clinic."
He took them on a quick tour of one of the "standard" offices he'd just described which were very luxurious.
"But for my Bride and who this entire project is dedicated to, as well as those that gave her to me," he said conspiratorially to his Mistress and Master Pimstickle, "We have this," he said stopping before a frosted glass set of double doors.
The group made their way inside and gilding and decoration which wouldn't have been out of place at Versailles, met them in the large foyer, along with checkered marble floors, a fountain, and small citrus grove flanking the main hallway.
"Each of the Granger Offices," he began, "Hermione to the left Dan and Emma to the Right, "Serve as both your own offices and have ample room for staff, but also comes complete with personal conference rooms, personal library and reference center, a dining room, a small gym, coffee bar, personal laundry facility, and lounge overlooking the fountains and gardens of the Big House."
Once more the SMART committee were furiously scribbling, and one went so far as to fix himself a glass off coffee to test the functionality of the sation.
Another asked Harry his first direct question.
"What's the purpose of the Glass Dome," she asked referring to the massive glass dome roof Harry had opted for instead of the terra cotta tile the Florence Baptistry was famous for.
"Let's go see!" he said taking his wife's hand in his own and passing the camera off to Dan.
He lead the group through a bookcase, much like the entrance to Platform 9 3/4, and they found a small winding stairwell that much like Hogwart's lifted them upward.
They emerged into a massive dark room…the night sky the only thing visible.
The smell of roses immediately presented themselves, as well as the sound of water cascading into a pool.
"Lights," Harry called as from a massive chandelier, and dozens of smaller ones radiating out from the central behemoth, everyone saw a gorgeous garden, a truly spectacular koi pond, and swarms of butterflies dancing from flower to flower.
"My final gift…a Secret Garden," he said placing a kiss to Hermione's brow.
"Oh Harry!" she began sobbing.
"It's perfect….and you knew! You knew…" she trailed off before, through tears of joy, she saw his smile and captured his lips with her own.
"Now that's impressive…." Glenda said over Theodore's whistle.
"I think we know how well this was received," he said taking out his own clipboard and finalizing the mark's he'd been subtly giving Harry.
"As if I'd allow anything but the best," she replied giving a smirk of superiority to her friend and colleague.
The SMART observers finished their own marks, joined Theodore in discussing his own, as Hermione excitedly drug Harry and her parents around the serene space, as Glenda moved to speak with Luna and her father.
"So pretty," Luna said breathing deeply from a Dragon Lily as butterflies flew from flower to flower.
"And how are your own studies going little Luna?" she asked sitting down on the comfortable grass.
A splash greeted them, and they looked up just in time to see Xeno, starkers, pop up from beneath the calm surface of the Koi pond.
With a sigh, Luna turned from her father and considered what Mistress Goodwin had asked.
"They're going well Mistress; Master Cecil makes the theory understandable and the practical's very fun," he said with a smile.
"He's told me that by the midterms if my progress is where he believes I will be, that he's inviting Rolf Scamander to and his Grandfather's personal menagerie for practical's," he said with excitement.
"Now that will be interested won't it?" Glenda finished with a smile as Theodore broke from the ranks of the SMART examiners and handed her a sealed envelope.
"Your formal copy of the lad's results," he said conspiratorially.
"Oh Teddy did you have to seal the damn thing…I just had my nails done," she groused before opening the letter.
Scanning the parchment quickly she allowed the briefest of smiles to break out before applying a mask of professional disinterest, and banishing the parchment to her desk in the School, she turned and began making her way to her pupil, her employer, and now her colleague to relay the official results that would be reported to the ICW's Educational Guild first thing in the morning.
As Harry began celebrating at the news of his achievements, Pascal, through his bond with the Potters, quickly arranged a celebratory dinner and part at the Big House, and popped to the new clinic to inform his mater and mistress as to the arrangements, which made everyone all the more excited as Bridgette's meals were the best.
"Wonderful Pascal! How's little Harriet doing?" she asked Pascal as the seven year old had been feeling under the weather.
Or at least that's what Dudley had hurriedly explained as they made their way back to the Big House before the tour of the clinic had begun.
"Master Dudley said she is running a fever and beginning to cough a lot," he replied.
Checking her watch and seeing that it was now just past 8:00, she resolved herself to check in on the little angel before she went to bed.
0oO0oO0
Fresh from their exuberant experience at the Clinic, the group made their way hastily to the Big House for a veritable feast in celebration of Harry's Accomplishments.
Dudley and his wife Linda joined the group for dinner as Linda's favorite elf sat with her and watched her while her parents were gone.
They quickly agreed to let Hermione look her over once dinner was over with.
As Hermione made her excuses and left the party, she swung by her office and picked up the 'go-bag' she'd put together during her time at Harvard and charmed to hold everything she'd need for house visit.
Slipping off her jacket and donning her new Medical coat she'd pre-stocked with a pen light, depressors, and suckers, she made her way with purpose to her 'niece's' room.
Slipping into the ground floor suite was no challenge and once in the room she summoned a few candles to line the bed from her bag that would light the child's bed without waking her….hopefully.
In the rising light of the candles, she was touched to see her beloved Crookshanks, at 17, lovingly curled like a kitten at Harriet's side.
Hermione set her notes and a dictaquill pen to float beside her and record her observations where appropriate, as she donned a pair of latex gloves.
A quick diagnostic spell later, and a check of Harriet's vitals caused Hermione to frown in concern.
She began examining the child's body, and her eyes widened slightly before she donned a mask and began casting a series of air purifying charms.
"Sophie?" she called quietly to the elf in the rocker beside the bed.
"Yes Mistress Doctor Potter?"
"Would you please pop over and ask Healer Pimstickle to quickly join us?"
"If he consents, please pop him here. Then once you're done, please have Pascal ensure that there are elves at the Clinic." she said waiving her wand and sealing the door with a blue glow before another wave caused the full lights of the room to come on.
The child, sweating profusely, slumbered on as Hermione summoned a pole, bag of fluids, and started a pic line to ensure the child didn't dehydrate.
"What's all this then," Theodore asked in concern after popping into being with Sophie who quickly popped out.
Hermione handed Theodore a mask, and gloves of his own before she began speaking.
"Harriet is a 7 year old first gen witch presenting with a fever of 103, persistent cough, unconsciousness, and the beginnings of red lesions along her neck," Hermione began passing along a clip board she'd been using a dictaquill fountain pen to transcribe notes on.
"Diagnistics show a bacterial infection of the lungs which is rapidly spreading to the lymphatic system; initial diagnosis is Pulmonis Draconis….Dragon's Lung."
Eyes widening and wondering how in the Seven Hells a Seven year old, being raised in a closed environment, could have possibly been exposed to the bacteria commonly found in the slums of Pakistan, began his own examination and casting his own diagnostic charms to verify Hermione's diagnosis for the highly-infectious disease.
Reading the same results Hermione had, and checking them against the nascent chart she was building for the child, Theodore had no choice but to agree, pending further testing, the child had Dragon's Lung.
"I concur in the initial diagnosis…what are your treatment recommendations Doctor Potter?"
"Immediate move to an isolation ward at the Clinic, and the immediate brew of anti-fungal potions…..pending the administration of a potion though, 100 Mg in a sterile water solution, then 50 mg every three hours thereafter for 24 hours as we await the potion."
"Are you asking or telling," Theodore asked as he move his hand so the pen could dictate her orders for the treatment plan section of the form she'd made.
"I'm telling," she said with resolve.
"Then it is so ordered," he said plucking the pen and countersigning the Orders.
"To be cautious though, I'm going to recommend the room be sanitized and we're going to contact Boston General to let them know to be on the alert in case she came into contact with this at school somehow," he said writing his own orders on the chart in case they had to admit her to the magical hospital.
"Have an elf transport her to one of the private rooms in the ER," he continued.
"You start your brewing for the anti-fungal and any other potions we don't have on stock in the clinic. Remember to account for her age and body mass in your conversions Doctor Potter. I'll go let the family know what's going on. Can you unseal the door please," he asked as he began to remove his gloves but left the mask on.
"Of course," she said flicking her wand at the door which unsealed.
She quickly complied with Theodore's recommendations, and was unfortunately in for a long night of her own.
The entire family gathered after a short, if hurried, trip across the grounds on a few of the multi person golf carts Harry had purchased for Dudley and others, but really because he loved hearing the squeals of joy Harriet made driving around the gardens.
Soon enough Harry, the Grangers, and the Dursleys were entering the ER waiting room, and met of all people by Mistress Goodwin who'd booted up one of the computers and was typing away entering patient information.
"Good news," she said before Dudley could get a word out, "she's with Hermione and Theodore in observation room 7; bad news," she continued, "she has a highly infectious magical disease," she finished passing over protective gowns, hats, glasses, masks, gloves, and booties all made of that blue itchy crap fabric hospitals were famous for.
"Put these on and we'll take you back just as soon as I finish populating her digital chart," she said clicking away as Dudley and Linda began hastily dressing.
"We'd like to go see her as well," Harry said with the Granger's in tow.
"No can do," Glenda said without looking up.
"You're going to have to wait out here Harry, but the Grangers can go back. The risk to the no-maj is significantly less than to magicals…something about the bacteria feeding off magic and being able to transmit easily."
She passed along another set of outfits for the Doctors Granger which they quickly donned giving Harry a sorry smile, but squeezing his shoulder in reassurance.
"I know you want to go back Harry," Dudley's muffled voice called from the mask, "but you don't need to endanger yourself. We'll make sure she knows her Huncle is here and wants to be with her," he said before Glenda pressed a button opening the door to admit the family to the treatment area.
Without knowing what else to do, Harry slumped into a chair and snapped his fingers turning the large screen TV hanging in the corner on to MSNBC.
Never mind there was no satellite or cable connection for the tv, and last Glenda observed it wasn't even plugged up.
It was subtle displays of power like that which gave Glenda a glimpse at the true power, and sheer force of will, Harry wielded which made his international reputation so profound.
Musical notes began playing as a chime struck for the large wall clock, a scaled up grandfather clock with pendulum, Harry had built into the wall of the waiting room.
11:45
It's going to be a long night, he said as Keith Olbermann raged against something Bush had done during his segment's re-run.
0oO0oO0
Hermione had to admit that even though the Potions Brewery was a bit away from the ER, there w as a certain logic to the layout of the room, and the entire structure, that she found appealing.
The well ventilated, and well lit, room had close to 30 independent, and various sized, brew stations throughout the room with a layout not dissimilar to a High School Chem Lab, but with gas stove tops vs. Bunsen Burners.
Going to the Cauldron Cupboard, Hermione quickly withdraw a size 3 copper cauldron, with silver plated interior.
At the end of each brew table was a dedicated faucet that dispensed Distilled Water.
Hermione quickly filled the copper cauldron with 250 ml of the water, and set the flame to low before going to the prep station and gathering the ingredients she'd need from the potion's cabinet.
Putting on a pair of thick latex gloves that were tipped in a PV coating, just for use in the potion's lab, Hermione began cutting, chopping, and measuring dry ingredients…before she got frustrated at the lack of Dragon's Breath in the cupboard.
"Betran!"
"Yes ma'am," called a voice at her knees.
"Could you pop over to greenhouse three and get me three cuttings of Dragon's Breath please? I need them immediately," she said as the little elf nodded before popping away and returning a few seconds later with the requested measure of the healing plant.
"Excellent work! Thank you Bertran," she said taking the cuttings, binding them, and the herbs she'd been cutting in a small stewing sack with a small string, and throwing it whole in the warming water.
Cleaning up the cutting station, and placing the gloves and utensils in their appropriate bins to be taken and sterilized, Hermione replaced the items in the cabinet, before moving to another, and, after unlocking it with a wave of her wand, took out a small bottle containing 3 50 mg tablets of Pennillion.
After a rough crush in a marble mortar and pestle, Hermione gently tipped the anti-biotic into the red tinged broth stewing in the cauldron.
The brew quickly changed color from a ruby red to a sapphire blue, and Hermione gave three quick counterclockwise stirs with a crystal rod, as silver mist began pooling directly in the center of the concoction.
"Now for the hard part," Hermione thought as she fetched the hood and piping for the soon to be distilled and concentrated potion before clamping it down to the sides of the cauldron and raising the heat incrementally to high.
From the conical hood she'd affixed to the cauldron Hermione next installed a series of glass tubes which would help condense and concentrate her potion, into a pre-stoppered vial a few feet from the heat of the flame.
It was an art of potioneering she'd never imagined in Hogwarts, or observed in the more traditionalist Britain.
Yet it was standard practice in the Americas, and resulted in highly concentrated, often flavorless, concoctions used for injections and treatments in the majority mixed muggle magical medical centers that existed across the nation.
Once her potion began to boil, the silver steam of the mixture began to rise and mass in the bulbous chamber at the mid-point of the glass, before gathering in sufficient amounts to travel down the remainder of the tubing and into the vial.
If the potion she was attempting was brewed successfully, she'd be able to move it from sealed vial, to a vacuum chamber in the brewery, and seal it in one of the sterile vials necessary to preserve the potion for a shelf life of 24 months, and packaged for up to 25 single dosage injections.
Dragon's Lung often proved resilient, especially in the young, and unless extreme measures were taken children could be cured from one bought to the next until the source of the bacteria was located and destroyed.
0oO0oO0
Two hours after Hermione had bottled the last of the potion in the sterile vacuum chamber, and had called for one of 5 elves specially trained in the safe disposal of medical waste for her clinic and asked he tidy up.
"Thank you Phillip," she called as she left with the, still warm, vial in her hand and made her way to the elevator to return once more to the ER.
She quickly donned the protective gear needed, gloves, cap, mask, and glasses included, and made her way into the quarantined room.
Healer Pimstickle was having a quiet conversation with the Dursley's while her own parents seemed to have nodded off in a corner while holding hands.
Catching Theodore's eye, she patted her pocked to indicate that she had the potion.
Before doing anything though she checked the chart hanging at the foot of the bed, and saw that there had been no reactions to the anti-biotics, or that more had been given since the initial dose a mere two hours earlier.
Walking to the supply cabinet in the room she removed a sterile syringe and needle before loading them with the potion, which she fed 6 ml of the 10 ml bottle into the IV.
Seeing the potion inside had not turned red, which it would if exposed to air, Hermione placed the remainder of the bottle on a small instrument table at the child's bedside for a later dosage if needed.
The potion inside mixed with the saline of the began, until the color of the drip changed to a clear gold.
"Good work Doctor Potter," Theodore said coming up behind her as she wrote out her actions and further orders on the patient chart.
"I never doubted you Hermione. I'm sorry you were tested like this, especially with family, but you've performed marvelously if unexpectedly."
The clinic wasn't supposed to be used until they'd sourced and hired a long term staff to assist the Potters in Operating a Field Clinic they planed on taking to the less fortunate African Countries to give Hermione the specialized experience she'd need to complete her specialization in Infectious Disease and Curses.
She'd only just begun looking over the list of potential recruits from WHO that Healer Pimstickle had compiled a mere 48 hours ago.
"Thank you Healer Pimstickle," Hermione clinically replied casting a few spells to check the child's vitals before attaching several electrode monitors that would feed to the muggle diagnostic machinery and assist in populating the child's digital chart Healer Pimstickle wasn't competent to administer.
With a sudden beep and whirr the O2 monitor and heartrate stats came alive…startling the Grangers who stood up to address their daughter once they saw she was back.
"What's happening then," Dan asked rubbing his eyes while Emma made a bee line for the chart Hermione was hanging and began reviewing it.
"Oh dear," Emma said.
"I may not know what this potion is, but 150 mg of Penicillin a mere two hours after the first 100 mg? Honey do you think a pre-teen can handle that?"
Dan looking over his wife's shoulder saw the same orders and notes his wife did, but read on and then glanced up to the now golden liquid drip from the saline bag, and did a quick bit of conversions in his head.
"Honey…redo your math. The drip doesn't have the entire amount of penicillin…I'd be surprised if 10 percent of the solution was antibiotic given she likely had to boil it in a fluid solution."
Emma looked between Dan and Hermione, who Theodore had taken the attention of by asking a question about the monitors.
"Her O2 count is lower than I like," Hermione suddenly said taking the clipboard back from her mother.
"I'm putting her on an oxygen line to see if we can't pump those numbers up," she wrote out as her dad swept past her to the cabinet to remove the stated line, hooked it to the assembly in the room, and turned the knob to the ordered flow.
"Thank you Daddy," Hermione said as she finished writing down Harriet's vitals on the chart and began watching the clock.
Five minutes eventually passed and she was pleased at 02 Saturation levels steadying out in the low 90s.
"It's simply remarkable what muggles have managed," Theodore, Theo as he now insisted Hermione call him.
"One of the main reasons the infection last so long is Magicals have always relied on the body to naturally take in oxygen which acts as a catalyst for the dissolving potion and clearing the bronchial pathways. I never, Magicals never," he corrected, "would have thought to force feed the body concentrated oxygen."
"Do you have an estimated time for recovery Doctor Potter?" he asked sincerely curious.
Looking between Theo and Harriet, then to the monitors and back to Theo. Hermione eventually replied.
"With the concentration of the antibiotics building in her system and being reinforced by the potion, I'm planning on giving her the last of her dosage," she said including her head toward the 4 ml of potion concentrate that was left, "intravenous once half of that bag remains," she said looking to the IV.
"I believe that so long as she has no reaction to the treatment she'll be completely clear of the infection by morning, but I'm planning on keeping her a further 24 hours for observation."
Theo nodded along as Hermione explained her plan.
"I concur Doctor Potter; write it up, then head up to update your orders and the digital chart. I'll act as your nurse tonight; we'll priorities finding staff for the Clinic once Harriet is discharged."
He shook his head sadly.
"Unfortunately, it's been my experience at every clinic I've ever set up, or worked in, bad news tends to come in threes; and I'm just paranoid enough to believe that Harriet's sudden illness should be taken as a portent of things to come. We got lucky it was just her, and Harry successfully completed the building…otherwise we'd be in a much more dire circumstance looking in at Boston General and their more traditional methods of quarantine."
"Thank you Theo; I'm going to ask my parents join me to give you and the Dursley's a bit more space…if you want I can explain the patient monitors at the nurse station…it will give you a bit more freedom of movement and comfort that the corner chair," she said as she gestured for her parents to leave to make more room for the Dursleys.
Her parents had just left as she saw Theo removing his wand to cast the same air purification charms she had cast all over Harriet's room.
Making her way to the Nurse's Station she quickly booted up the screen and knowing it would be needed she quickly wrote out, printed, and signed an excuse giving Harriet up to a week off classes for recovery before faxing it to the magnate school she attended.
Then she set about populating her chart with Provider's laptop terminal and turned on the "big screen" that would let those at the nursing station monitor the vitals as a glance for the patients in the various rooms. So far, as the only patient, Harriet's vitals filled the entirety of the 88 inch LED screen directly in front of the nursing station, controlled by the Head Nurse's terminal.
"Emily," she called as an elf popped into place.
"Yes Doctor Potter," the young elf began.
"Would you please put on a pot of coffee in the nurse's station?"
"Also, if you or the others need to go into Room 7," she said indicating the room Harriet was in," wear protective gear like we've trained you. She has Dragon's Lung."
"Yes Doctor Potter. I'll be sure to tell the others," she said popping away before returning nearly silently behind Hermione and began fixing a delicious pot of Hermione's favorite: Red Diamond Coffee.
In Sublevel 1, the kitchens, cafeterias, and pantries took up a majority of the floor, apart from some cleaning supplies, equipment, and storage facilities.
Once Emily had informed Bernadette, Bridgette's Sister and Chief of Nutrition for the clinic, that there was a patient with Dragon's Lung and family present, she immediately consulted the nutritional index for Magical Hospitals and started the process of preparing an appropriate breakfast, snacks, lunch, and dinner, for the patient, her family, and the Doctors.
"It's time to get busy!" She called out waking the two souse chefs which worked directly under her.
They cooked into the early morning making a small buffet of good eats that were hearty and nutritious.
0oO0oO0
Harriet quickly recovered under the constant supervision of both her Aunt Hermione and Healer Pimstickle.
A full 24 hours after her first morning of waking in the clinic, Harriet was discharged into her parents care, after the big house, and Academy had undergone a deep sterilizing clean to remove any fungal spores that may remain.
A month later, they'd fully staffed the clinic with live-in muggleborn nurses, and several half-blood doctors, and their families.
It was as if by divine providence that the entire Potter Household was within the trunk space, as on Saturday, just as breakfast was being served on the quiet streets outside of Longyear, five black clad individuals, covered from head to toe in black unremarkable clothing, snuck onto the eight acre estate, removed several Molotov cocktails from a central nondescript Nike bag, and began circling the house.
As the church bell in the distance began chiming 6:30 that the cocktails were lit and flung through the windows into the first, and in some cases 2nd, floor of the historic structure.
Before the church bells ceased their chime, and using the bells to cover the sound of the broken glass, the arsonists scattered, each taking a different route home, and each undressing several blocks from the burning home.
It took less than 5 minutes for the fire to spread across the highly polished floors, wood panels, and other ornamental features…then the fire met the gas line and a massive explosion rocked one side of the house.
Pascal, sensing the danger the family was in, Immediately popped into the home and shrank the link door, before popping back into the trunk and banishing the link door back to it's storage closet.
An alarm began sounding as Pascal reached out with his magic to activate the magics which would allow the trunk to activate it's flight and travel magics.
Harry, appearing in nothing but pajama bottoms, appeared with a crack and sucking pop beside Pascal, clearly having jumped out of bed.
"What's happening Pascal?"
"Longleaf is burning," he replied as the trunk began shaking
"The Pedestal Rises," Pascal said ominously as Harry suddenly began sprinting to the Grand Salon to quickly program the flight path of the trunk.
A magical, almost holographic, display sprang up and Harry randomly selected a location, threw the "engines" into high gear and almost….almost…made it out of the attic window.
Then the main line for the entire house exploded…just as the engines were engaging.
Wards flaring, temporal spatial compression fields began bleeding out, as the built in intercontinental portkey activated, and the floating trunk disappeared before the activation sequence could actually begin.
Chapter 05. - The Unexpected Journey
Alarms Harry never knew existed were blaring within the trunk space, starting the small community of less than 200 humans, less than 50 elves, and thousands of animals, magical and muggle, all began to panic…not to mention that the internal gyroscope seemed to be malfunctioning as gravity seemed to be more of a suggestion than a constant.
Applying a sticking charm wandlessly to his feet, and forcing himself to stand at the control console, Harry read the instruments, such that they were, just as Hermione came sliding down a hallway that was supposed to be level.
"What's happening?!" she screamed before applying sticking charms of her own and forcing herself to her feet.
The courtyard clock, part of the alarm system began tolling rapidly a series of high pitched tones indicating the engines were damaged.
"Shit," Harry called as the screen began to flicker, the fireplaces all lit and extinguished repeatedly as the engines attempted to reignite, and the screams of the residents were heard even though they were scattered throughout the grounds.
Harry waived his wand beside him at the flagstone that covered the distribution node for the crystals and fiber optic cable that controlled the 10th Gen flight systems for the magical RV that was their luxury trunk.
"Integrum Restituo," Harry incanted with a powerful and deep voice pointing the Elder Wand at the control stone that was glowing a dim red.
Concentrating with all his willpower, imagining the complete and total repair of the trunk from any damage suffered in the last few minutes, suddenly blue arcing bolts of electricity began to jump from the tip of his wand, striking the heart of the stone, pulsing as though with the beat of a phantom heart.
The more power Harry pressed forward, the sooner the strikes until finally there was a single and continuous stream of blue electricity connecting Harry to the glowing stone….which after several seconds glowed green, and the spell ended with a flash.
The screens returned to life, while a decorative globe which tracked their location mid-transit showed they were presently over Moritania and on swift approach to Egypt.
"We've got power back!" Harry called.
"Stabilizers be back too Master," Pascal called walking calmly, and with seeming disinterest, while dusting himself off to stand at Harry's side.
Hermione, removing the sticking charm, rushed to Harry's side.
After watching him operate the controls, and saw he'd repeatedly attempted to slow their speed to no avail, allowed the briefest sensation of panic to return before tamping it down.
I'm going to secure the Clinic Harry…I fear we're going to need it if you can't slow us down," she said placing a kiss on his cheek before popping away.
Pressing one of the red braking crystals with his wand and twisting it as far as it would go to clockwise, Harry was glad to see that their speed was finally slowing.
"Pascal; please alert all the elves that we are crashing. I need them to warn everyone, then secure the livestock, before securing themselves. Hermione and the Clinic will need as much help as they can get if you all want to huddle there. I'll be find here," he said hoping the little elf would pop away.
Clapping his hands with his eyes closed Pascal remained at Harry's side.
"They know Master; they are carrying out your orders now."
"Warning, deploy flaps. Airspeed too great for safe landing," a voice called from nowhere as an orange crystal began to flash.
Harry immediately touched his wand to it, and turned it fully clockwise, and nearly flew over the console as the external flaps deployed and began rabidly assisting the airbrakes.
Taking over manual control of steering the trunk, Harry did his best to aim far enough into the desert, for they were well within the dune sea of Egypt, that they'd avoid muggle notice, but close enough to the Nile that they'd be fine in the event of extended repairs being necessary.
"Sonorus," he cast while holding his wand to his throat and imagining his voice carrying the entire space of the trunkverse.
"Now here this, emergency landing procedures are engaged. All Adults are to begin chanting the Praesidium Summa," Harry began.
The adults, many of which were gathered together at the Normal School, or were located in or near enough the big house to secure themselves in a small room all began chanting the extremely potent protection spell.
Dudley and Lisa held onto little Harried who, though tiny and wandless, began chanting along joining her voice with the others.
Having no better option, Dudley and Lisa joined in to distract themselves from the danger they were in.
A blue glow began leaving the Magicals, and seeping into the very ground of the trunk intent on forming a solid state shield outside to help protect the residents.
"After we've landed," Harry continued as he observed the effects of the residents further slowing the trunk to within it's tested tolerances, "all those which are able bodied are to begin conducting a check to ensure there is no damage to the dimensional compression wards; or respond to emergencies as able. The Clinic stands ready to receive injured…let's pray our charms succeed."
He slowly joined in the chanting, before dividing his attentions to continue warning those under his protection.
"Impact in 10, 09. 08, 07, 05, 04, 03," he stored his wand for safe keeping and pulled back hard on the joystick while simultaneously activating the automated landing sequence.
"02, 01!" he cried out as earthquakes tore through the trunk from the backlash of the hard landing, but thankfully his overpowered repair spell seemed to have helped systems reboot and come back into service for a landing within tolerances, even if not recommended.
The electrical systems of the trunk flickered, blacked out, before returning, and the weather charms began rapidly oscillating until the conditions matched those outside, hot and dry, before climate control kicked in and simulated clouds to maintain a bearable temperature and humidity level.
Pascal, picking himself from the floor, stilled suddenly before informing Harry that the Elves were repairing various sections of the trunk, putting out fires, and repairing large messes which had resulted…but that there were no injuries for the elves, livestock, or peoples apart from some bruises or minor cuts.
"Make sure the elves help folks that need a check-up make it to the Clinic. I'm going to head to my study and alert the local ministry to our arrival and call in the fire at Longyear," Harry said as the travel controls began sinking back into the floor and the control node he'd repaired was recovered as well.
0oO0oO0
Pounding.
Thumping.
Fight or Flight…..the urge to run.
God how she'd missed this!
Hermione, decked out in her physicians attire, was in the midst of the nursing staff and other doctors that were in the midst of the ER, taking patients as assigned by Theo.
"Peters! Take the broken leg in bay 01, Heart the burn victim in 02."
"Mildred you take the parents in Bay 02-03," and Stevens take the kids in 04-5."
"Potter, you're with me; grab a medkit and we're going to see what we can do for the cuts, scrapes, and simple fixes in the waiting room."
"Johnson has overflow in Outpatient Services; If I didn't call your name and you're a Healer or Doctor, go over for assignments from Johnson. MOVE!"
Hermione immediately made to grab one of the go-bags the head nurse had cobbled together, modeled on her own travel bag which stayed in the Big House, for herself and Theodore as the others quickly sprang into action and began diagnosing the injuries, treating what they could immediately, or stabilizing the injured and moving them into a room to open up a medbay.
It seemed as though every student at the Normal School, and half the faculty by the number of adults waiting for a check-up, had suffered some minor injury.
As the adrenaline pounded through Hermione's veins she couldn't help but feel a guilty pleasure at once more surviving instead of merely living.
0oO0oO0
While orderly chaos was erupting within his wife's Clinic, Harry was just sitting down to his desk, and picked up the handset was met with the dial tone, which he was grateful for, before pressing 9 for an outside line and suddenly the tone died.
"Odd," he replied placing the handset back in the cradle and selected Line 1, as he normally did, which caused the familiar dial tone of the internal coms system to sound, as he expected, but which unexpectedly terminated when he pressed 9 for an outside line.
"We paid a fucking fortune for the most sophisticated telecom system that could hack into any local lines….." he grumbled.
"Expecto Patronum," he called out and was greeted by the familiar sight of Crookshanks, as his love for his wife had caused the shape of his Patronus to change after their marriage.
"Hello Crooks," he said as the spectral visage of the smash faced half kneazel began rubbing against his leg.
"I need you to carry a message to the local ministry. Tell them that our travel trunk malfunctioned and we've crashed somewhere near the Nile; that I can't get an outside phone connection but would like to request the aid of aurors."
The ghostly Crookshanks shook it's head in the negative.
"What do you mean no?"
Patroni rarely refused their commands unless the task assigned was impossible.
"Bill's back in Egypt," he muttered while thinking over the implications of his Patronus' refusal.
"Find William "Bill" Weasley or his wife Fluer Weasley. Let them know that I'm stranded in Egypt along the Nile in a Mobile Trunk and can't get a message to the Local Ministry."
Once more Crookshanks shook his head before disappearing in puff of silvery blue smoke.
"What the shit," he asked in frustration.
Resigning himself to no other choice, he apparated to the landing pad/designated apparition pad for the trunk only to be assaulted by the sun most violently.
"Fucking heat," he said whipping his wand about and casting a cooling charm.
Once he was comfortable, and had conjured a small parasol to float overhead, he began examining the "crash" site.
A slick of solidifying class trailed to the northwest, indicating they'd come in from a southeastern orientation, and still "hot" enough from the exhaust of the breaking systems to turn the sand into glass.
Harry saw a stone city in the distance, and what he couldn't believe were men in chariots riding toward the trunk.
"Locus Exigat," Harry cast as a map began to form in front of him from the air on conjured parchment.
Landmarks that were unfamiliar, and even in the distance those that were, met him.
Hamunaptra, was the only …city… if you could call it as such that registered on the map.
A feeling of dread welling in the pit of his stomach, and trepidation taking over, Harry cast a quick tempus.
The ghostly letters and numbers which explained time relative to the birth of the caster, in terms he preferred, slowly began forming in the air.
25-05-1,290 B.C.E; 14:30, G.M.T.
"Fucking Fuck Ducks and Cock Monkeys!" Harry began cursing now so he wouldn't around Hermione latter.
He took a few minutes to catch his breath, and saw the chariots were closer, but still far away.
He cancelled the spell and cast once more with a clear mind:
25-05-1,290 B.C.E; 14:31, G.M.T.
He took out his phone and as though in a vain hope that his magic was wrong, tried to dial emergency services…yet all he got were error messages as the phone was "out of network range."
He could hear the snorts of the horses now and popped back into the trunk intent on activating the trunk defenses.
We're in this for the long haul, he thought.
We've got to stay together and stay secure.
0oO0oO0
The Guards of Seti I. had tracked the star as it sored through the mid afternoon sky, trailing smoke and brimstone behind, rattling the very walls of the palace as it passed.
Their Pharaoh had ordered them to investigate the occurrence to determine whether it be a chariot of Ra, or some other sign of the gods.
The captain dispatched with his small company of men had just crested a dune giving them sight to an object in a patch of burned and blackened sand, with a man standing upon it.
The horses whined and before the captain could signal his men to pay attention, he was gone….simply vanished as there was no where he, in the lower ground, could have possibly gone that they could not observe.
As they reached the object they saw a sea of glowing sand, molten into a dark obsidian glass the captain had sometimes observed in the bottoms of braziers as the fire maids cleaned the bronze night-lights and warming fires of the palace.
Taking his spear the captain dismounted his chariot and carefully approached the strange looking…crate?
While the sand around it was blackened, glowing red, or had cooled into obsidian glass, the crate seemed unblemished.
Giving the signal he ordered two of his men to step close and investigate the apparition.
Seeing no harm came to them after they touched the crate…they lifted it and placed it in one of the chariots for a single guard to manage….they would present this oddity to their King for his will to be done.
Whether it was a portent of the gods….that was above his station.
However the black sand…the freshly formed obsidian glass…..these were ill omens of something from the underworld….not the heavens.
Chapter 06. - Divine Will
Seti's guard had placed the crate upon the generic altar that he maintained in his home….the various statuary that framed the room looked down from their perches and pedestals on high, eyes seemingly shimmering in the flame of the torches.
"What is it," he asked of the High Priest Imhotep.
"My King, I do not know…I must study the signs of the gods and examine their will…" he trailed off walking among the shadows casting dried potions into the light of the braziers changing the colors of the flame.
They began shifting through the spectrum of the rainbow indicating the presence of many powerful magics.
More that he'd ever encountered in a single place….more so than even when he'd summoned the great god Anubis himself and had to dissipate the residual energies…
The gods have sent this….it is the answer to my prayers, he thought with a smirk
0oO0oO0
A great council, of all residents of the trunk space, including the children of the Normal School, was held on the Terrace of the Big House a few hours after things had settled and all of the injuries that could be treated without an overnight stay were completed.
Everyone save those residents on call at the Clinic were present.
"Thank you for all coming," Harry began.
"We've landed safely, in Egypt of all places….but there have been unexpected complications I didn't account for; things have happened no one could have foreseen."
"What's wrong Harry," Hermione asked from her chair near his side.
He'd not had the heart to tell her individually yet.
"Longyear was attacked," he began slowly.
"For months we've been dealing with rising tensions from locals that resented the fact that we took over their museum, or that a rather affluent individual moved into their neighborhood…the base of their hate was never quite clear…." he began.
"We were apparently attacked; Pascal had just come to inform me that the house was on fire and we'd just activated the travel engines when what I suspect was a large explosion threw our engines out of whack."
"Tempus," he cast overhead thinking he wanted information that large enough it could be seen by the entire assembly.
25-05-1,290 B.C.E; 18:30, G.M.T.
Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd while Hermione was swiftly explaining things to a panicked looking Linda and Dudley, while the older kids from the Normal School were explaining things to the younger, while their parents were discussing things furiously among themselves.
"I don't know what we're going to do," Harry began once more as his voice carried over the grounds, "but I do know that it's going to take some time to thoroughly investigate these happenings."
"The trunk will self-sustain us and the defenses are nigh impregnable with even the most violent muggle or magical methods. As of today, for as long as at least until we can understand what's sent us here, I'm asking that no one leave the trunk without my permission."
"For the kids of the Normal School that may be tempted to examine the outside, let me explain to you this: The world outside is not our own. We are strangers in an inhospitable land, an uncivilized time, and in the midst of peoples driven by war, conquest, and plagued by superstitions that won't suffer Magicals to life beyond their perceived use if captured."
"As I am at least partly responsible for this mess, and as the holder of the various contracts that drug you all into this, I am hereby invoking Conclave and the ancient rites of Coven. I may have assisted in getting you all here, in this mess, with my rotten luck, but I'm not about to usurp your right to voice your own opinions and decide your fate in the most democratic means available."
"Therefore, a week from tonight, after everyone has had the chance to come to terms with the realities of this situation, we will have a democratic debate about whether to form a Coven for magically sanctioned government or whether we shall terminate your contracts and allow you release from any obligations you owe to the Potter Family."
"No one will be forced from leaving this…our collective home for the moment," he said casting a serious gaze across the crowd.
"But it is my sincere hope that we can come together to solve the problems we will face, rather than breaking apart to find our own way home, or our individual paths forward."
"I'm not asking to lead you; I'm not demanding you trust my judgment…I'm asking that you trust in each other, and maintain as many of those neighborly bonds that we'd primed to make this community a long term success as we'd planed before."
"We are in a time, and a place, where there are no organized Ministries. The strongest rule at the expense of the weak. We can still do good though even while we try to go home, just as we can grow together in achieving the goals we set out to achieve."
"I ask that you hold comments, outrage, and even your anger for the conclave," he said holding up a hand to forestall the grumble running through the crowd.
"There is nothing we can say or do now that will benefit us. Tonight is a time for family, friends, and reflection. Those that have no close relatives, or came on this journey alone, may gather with my family in the Grand Salon in 30 minutes time; go this night in peace," he said closing the meeting, rising, and a clear dismissal of the crowd which, with a minor undercurrent of grumbling, left for their various lodgings or apartments."
0oO0oO0
Nearly a week had passed and Imhotep had cast every spell he could think of…every invocation he thought would benefit him…to no avail. The mystery of the gods still persisted, yet his priests continued to flagellate and flail about attempting to invoke the powers of the gods to solve the mystery and complete the task he'd assigned.
"How goes it my friend," Seti said coming into the small chapel of his palace home.
A dark looked crossed Imhotep's features before vanishing and he plastered a smile on his face…a task becoming ever more common, forced civility, for the High Priest.
"My King do not concern yourself with these trivialities. You should prepare yourself for the harvest feat and the presentation of your dear Anaksunamun."
The lady he mentioned was the soon to be Consort to the Pharaoh; a talented witch Imhotep had been training for years to refine her powers at forevision, and had secretly been having an affair with for some time.
The king, after observing the priests in their throws with mild disgust, agreed and exited.
A brazier flared with a red flame and a golden shimmer shown for the first time around the crate.
"Interesting," Imhotep observed.
0oO0oO0
The conclave was held on the terrace with each adult over the age of 17 able to vote, or speak.
For hours, speakers stood up and raged against what had happened, their lives lost to this unexpected time travel, and against Harry, Hermione, the Potters, and oddly enough Ralph Nader for giving us Bush which caused this rise in hostilities across the US that may have directly lead to this situation.
Finally, once all the emotion had left the crowd, and when all of the adults had said their peace, uninterrupted, Hermione stood.
"The Rites of Coven go back to a time immemorial, when witches and witches roamed the land unlearned in the refined magics we benefit from today; it was a time when a simple levitation was an act of the gods, where magical resilience to muggle disease unknown, and the use of foci almost universally restricted to Religious Chants and Invocations. It was, and remains, the most basic form of magical government across the globe, and throughout history."
"The weak banded together with the strong, sharing knowledge freely among themselves to strengthen the hole, while submitting to the leadership appointed of both the Elder's Council, which in many countries gave rise to the Wizarding Court of feudal kings, and later the Wizengamots, and ultimately the various ministries, of the world as we know them."
Everyone held her attention.
"Before the elections, before the campaigns, and before the divorce of the muggle from the magical worlds, limited democratic institutions flourished among witches and wizards."
"Universal suffrage for all Magicals at age 17," she continued her speech invoking the memories of the accomplishments of the ancestors, "Sexual Parity 100 years before the Muggles, Marriage Equality among Same Sex, Poly, or Poligamous, Couples equal to the rights and statuses afforded to couples engaged in traditional marriage, Religious Tolerance and Freedoms for 400 years and going strong: Magic is Amazing and assists WE, in union, to leave a legacy to be proud of when not abused."
"But as there are many storied and prized examples of progress in magic when witches and wizards come together….the stories are dwarfed by the tales of witches and wizard who lived alone, who shun the group and live in autonomy."
"From prominent figures such as the Maid of Orléans, to the Salem Sanderson Sisters….history shows that we are only as strong as we are together, and as weak as we are divided."
Before Hermione stood an ornate marble firepit on a pedestal, allowing a fire to burn at chest height, and cast it's light further than would have been possible so low to the ground. It served as a beacon for the meeting.
She slowly began to circle the fire as her voice continued to magically change, throwing small bags of various herbs, scented resins, and other "traditional" offerings for the gods' favor to befall their meeting.
With each bag added the flames rose a fraction and changed color with it.
"Therefore, these Rites of Coven are sacred to all of wizard kind and Magicals; they are recognized by magic as the basest form of legitimate government, and respond to both Power and Trust. Let this coven be invoked by all assembled, that we elect a leadership that will serve the common good, will protect the weak and strong, and ensure the will of the Council is Just, True, and Fair. So Mote It Be," she said throwing a loose sparking powder into the fire causing it to burn several feet hire in a pillar of blood red flame, before exploding outward at the top as though a misting hose spraying it's flame in a downward trailing dome.
Pascal, dressed oddly in a pure white toga, as well all of the elves, wore a woven crown of laurel and olive leaves signifying he was the leaders of the elven children of Hecate.
In his hands he bore a golden dish containing slips of parchment that had the name of every witch and wizard, or even muggle adult 17 or over written in the individuals own hand.
"Fire is a gift of the gods which long ago led proto-man from the caves and cliffs to settlements, and ultimately civilization."
"Fire Banishes the night and grants the light of day increasing production, harvest times, and the ability of an individual to advance her skills for the benefit of the group."
"With the wisdom of the gods, this fire shall make known who will be our Elder Council and ultimately who shall be our Supreme."
"Do ye here assembled pledge to abide by the wisdom of Apollo, and the council of Ra? To support and succor those selected by pure fire to light our path in this dark night?"
We do so pledge, the unanimous voice of the people assembled in Conclave, wearing ritualistic robes and capirote of various colors denoting their specialties and suitability's in magic; Hermione and those arrayed on the top step of the terrace wore highly decorative robes with runic patters more suited for a Papal Election, than a municipal ballot.
These 13 were the frontrunners, Men and Women, young and old, which had the greater power levels of all those present; conspicuous by his absence was Harry who stood even further behind them in a simple Red Robe, which he'd be shocked to realize was an exact reproduction of an Anglican Bishop's Chimere and Rochet with the major difference being that his Rochet had silver runes etched upon it, and for some reason Pascal had laid out the various Neckless and jewelry he'd received in New Orleans all those years ago from Khotic Treasures, same as he had for Hermione.
Attempting to stay out of the spotlight, he paced back and forth with the staff of Osiris clicking along the flagstone softly, the hat completing the ensemble perched precariously on his head saved only from falling by the judicious use of a sticking charm.
"Do ye here assembled pledge to support your Council of Elders and abide their decisions, judgments, rulings, and mete justice for justice and peace for peace at their command? To fight their wars, to till their lands, and to serve the Coven until ye shall die or be expelled?"
We do so pledge, the crowd said once more.
Harry, flawlessly picking up from his wife at his lofty station continued.
"Do ye so pledge your life, your magic, your love, and your support to your neighbor, to your clan, and to this Coven!"
We do so pledge!
Harry suddenly threw his arm up palm extended strait as he stood in line with the fire as magic began to pool from his palm.
"Then feed the fires of life with thine magic, and call down the fires of Olympus, of Asgard, of the Heavens themselves to purify our thoughts, and guide us this night; Amen!"
From his palm shot an orange beam of pure magic which struck the center of the fire, causing the pillar of fire to change color.
As one the 13 below him threw out their hands similarly, and soon 13 more beams of power, beams of magic, struck the fire causing it to rapidly change colors before resting the longest on Orange.
Then, as one, the hundreds of other adults participating in the Conclave of Coven joined their magic to the 13, to Harry, and finally Hermione threw her hands wide and began chanting in a tongue known only to the ages…which the vessels of the gods alone could speak in times of power such as this.
As she fished her chant, everyone as one stopped feeding the fire and lowered their hands.
"So we have invoked so freely the will of the divine, so too shall we receive their wisdom. Feed the flames the sacred names, and allow this Coven to form. Amen. Amen. Amen!" Harry called stamping the butt of his staff after each Amen.
The fire stone white hot, and was now greater than 30 feet tall…a single column of light, heat, and impossibly bright.
Pascal reverently used his magic to send the golden vessel containing the names into the flames…a sacrifice in payment for the services of the gods.
Once his task was completed, he bowed toward the flame and reverently backed away, same as Hermione.
For a few moments…nothing seemed to happen…then the flames shot even further up, 60, 80, 100 feet, before crashing down in a spectacular wave and racing through the entire assembly as though searching for something to burn, but passing harmlessly over all present.
Finally they drew back and returned to as normal flames, but blue, and the first of 14 pieces of parchment began spitting forth, 13 names that would serve on the Council of Elders, and their family's thereafter, and the final name of a Supreme who would serve a life of service as the penultimate authority of the Coven, with his/her heirs designated assuming the mantle thereafter.
Mistress Glenda had been elected to serve as official Clerk of these proceedings and would reveal and record the names of those selected in a purpose bound record book, containing a master contract of allegiance, loyalty, and family which each member of the new coven would sign with his or her blood to bind themselves, and which their heirs would sign upon their majority.
Glenda held the first name, and verified it with the master list of those which were of-age.
"Luna Lovegood!," she called in a strong voice.
From the general crowd, the startled Luna rose and made her way to the fire pit, bowed to it, and then moved to stand at the side by Glenda awed by these events, and barely holding back tears of honor at being selected by the gods.
The 13 presumptuous didn't remark or react apart from several shifting where they stood.
Another note erupted from the fire which Glenda caught.
"Linda Dursley!"
"What?" she said leaning over to whisper frantically to her husband.
"Go up there love…hurry," Dudley urged.
She nervously exited their row to the watching eyes of the hundreds assembled around her, and quickly repeated Luna's actions of bowing to the fire, throwing in a sign of the cross for good measure, and then taking a stand at Luna's side.
The fire spat again.
"Wilfred Humdinker," was Councilman Number 03, the first from the presumptive 13.
"Annabelle Mott," came next as Number 04, the resident Charms Mistress for the Normal School.
"Theodore Pimstickle," was announced as the 5th Councilman, then shortly thereafter "Noah Walters," the 6th.
On and on the selections came, coming quicker one after the other.
"Mildred Townsend."
Seven.
"Emma Granger."
Eight.
"Basil Ford," a 17 year old recent graduate of the Normal school was selected as the 9th to the shock of his friends, while the elderly "Rufus Thistle," one of those of the presumptive 13, was chosen as number 10.
"Zelda Zimmern."
Eleven.
"Evan Peterson," a doctor from the Clinic.
Twelve.
"Glenda Goodwin," she said a bit shocked to see her own name.
Thirteen.
"We have our ruling Coven," she announced as Evan settled into his place at her side.
"We await the Supreme," Hermione called suddenly.
"The Supreme Approaches!" someone called from deep in the lower tiers as the flames changed to the greatest of Ruby Reds.
The remainders of the presumptive 13 stood a bit straighter, all the while Harry looked on with pride at what was coming together.
A community indeed. A family, he thought.
"To the Supreme we show allegence," he called suddenly taking a knee, head bowed, just as the final paper shot from the red flames and the fire extinguished.
Everyone else, save Glenda, followed suit in reverence to the one the gods had selected to reign above all.
In the still of the night, none dared breath…the very air held still, and the insects stopped their symphony knowing that a sacred moment was transpiring.
A shatter-point in time, an event so momentous that it sent vibrations through the cosmic order, was taking place and all paid homage to the will of the gods.
Reading the name, and checking it once more to ensure the individual was qualified in accordance with the Rites of Coven as she had the Councimen, Glenda cleared her throat before looking up to Harry suddenly.
Oh Fucking Hell not again, he started to think having looked up and to Glenda just as she caught his eye.
Why'm I always the Universe's Bitch?
"Potter…"
Shouts met her pronouncement as the remaining of the presumptive 13 began hurling insults to Harry, and others demanding the fire be relit.
Most everyone was standing now in protest or to see what was happening.
A cannon blast came from Glenda's wand quieting the crowd.
"As I was saying," she began.
"The gods have selected as our first Supreme, from the House of Potter, Hermione Jean. LONG MAY SHE REIGN!" before she dropped to one knee.
"Long May She Reign," called Dan from the crowd before he followed suit.
Soon the entirety of the newly elected council had taken a knee and repeated the blessing, before the crowd followed suit, along with the remaining presumptive with minor grumbling.
Shocked beyond belief he'd somehow skirted past this responsibility, and thanking the gods they'd not saddled him with this responsibility, Harry once more called out in a loud and commanding tone.
"The gods have spoken and a Coven hath formed. Let all present this night of age sign the book and ceritify your allegiance to this Clan…the Sanctificetur in Circulo…the Clan of the Circle of the Hallowed," he finished.
As one everyone turned to their new Supreme who began walking the tiered steps to join Harry at an alter which contained the Clan book, the new council following shortly behind.
Taking a blood quill, she quickly signed her married name, and title, to the book, binding herself to the contract it contained.
She placed the quill back in a special well of holy water which was designed to quickly flush the quill of blood and sterilize if for the next person's use so as not to allow bleed over of magic.
She was followed shortly thereafter by the Council in the Order of their election.
Then the Presumptive signed.
And the swell of the remainder of the adults soon joined in and Harry, lastly signed.
He was shocked to see a title appear beside his name…one he didn't expect: Master of Death, High Priest.
Taking a deep breath to deal with this latter, he closed the book and held it to his chest before holding it aloft.
"The Coven hath formed and the Leaders are chosen. Let all now feast and revel this night, and each year thereafter to be marked by a time of feasting, joy, and remembrance for the grace of the gods upon us this night. So Mote it Be!" he said as the elves began popping in tables, food, and even small gazebo for music to be played by several adults and children from the Normal School.
The night was suddenly filled by the classical strains of violins, cellos, woodwinds and brass playing "evening" music for a party of this nature.
As the courtyard clock tolled 10 o'clock, the merriment truly began as the council mingled, the Supreme was congratulated upon a hastily conjured throne, and Harry made his way to store the book in a heavily warded and locked cabinet for posterity, and until the following year when new names would adorn the pages.
On the cover of the book, the lifted engraving of the symbol of the Deathly Hallows presented themselves.
The official seal of the new coven reserved solely for the High Priest's use in delivering authoritative doctrine of the coven.
0oO0oO0
The same time the Coven was forming, Imhotep was ingraining himself into the good graces of the King, as well as into the moist reaches of Anaksunamun.
So intent was he on killing his king and claiming his bride, one of many concubine consorts, to the king, that he failed to erect a protective barrier that would prevent anyone from disturbing the private "rites" he was performing for Anaksunamun, supposedly, to find favor with the gods.
Nefertiti, the gods touched daughter to Pharaoh Seti I., gifted with the ability to see the past unlike Anaksunamun's forevision abilities to see the future, merely had to follow the grunts and groans coming from the temple with her personal guard, whereupon she saw Imhotep defiling his father's wife.
Quickly signaling a guard to remain silent, and observe as well before having the others quietly observe the same, many of whom saw the priests of Osiris watching on in glee or milling about the sacred space as though the affair were not transpiring before their own eyes, Nefertiti and her guards left immediately to inform her father…setting up a chain of events that would lead to not only the death of those sinning against her father, but his murder as well.
0oO0oO0
Two nights after the founding feast, the 3rd of June, 1,290 B.C.E, Harry and Hermione lay in bed together observing the night-time stars from the expansive windows the Big House offered.
"We really need to name this place," Harry said suddenly.
"I'm getting tired of thinking of it as just Home or The Big House."
"I still can't believe you threw me under the bus like that Harry," Hermione grumbled.
"Me," he said rising up on his elbows to look at her in the moonlight.
"How in the Hell did I bloody well throw you under the bus?" he asked with a tinge of anger.
"It was supposed to be you, you great twat!" she said slapping his chest.
"Luna and I were so sure of it! You're the most powerful of us all, you're the one that saved us all…you're the one that is the natural leader….not me." She trailed off.
"Do you know how many women are pregnant Harry?" she asked quietly.
Shaking his head he guessed, "Five?"
"Thirty-seven," she corrected.
"And those are just the ones that were pregnant before the founding. One of the known side effects of the ritual we've undertaken, confirmed to at least the second generation, is fertility."
"I can't be responsible for leading everyone…not for all those babies," she said as she began to tear up holding her own flat stomach and began crying.
They'd been trying for years to have a child…but nothing they did seemed to work and had driven Hermione into a deep and spiraling funk the final semester of her last year at med school.
Holidays were also hard on her, but Harry was always there for her and he pledged always to be there for her.
"Love you know the magic spoke and searched among us for the most qualified…the ones with the best traits that would mix well with the Council and would ensure our survival beyond this first generation. Whether we ever have children or not, you can either think of yourself as a mother of none, or a mother to us all….raising us in this coven as you would a child.
"Setting boundaries; meteing discipline, and bringing us into new life as one Clan together with love," he finished placing a kiss on her brow.
She just laid there quietly thinking over what he'd said.
Even though she knew he was right, she still wished she could give him the heir he deserved.
A part of her felt as though she were less since she couldn't get pregnant…even though Harry never gave her that impression….but she saw how he looked so fondly upon babies everywhere they went and encountered one.
"How did you do it…" she asked as she relaxed into his chest and loving embrace.
"How did you manage to spend year after year, subjected to scorn, ridicule, and the machinations of the world…how did you cope? How will I manage?"
With a small chuckle he held her tight.
"You've got me, your parents, Dud and his family…your friends and colleagues at the Clinic…you're going to do fine Hermione."
"This was the year of the woman…a majority of our Coven is being led by the stronger sex, and very likely will be into the future. You'll have a sisterhood ready made to rely on, and a council to delegate to if you're overwhelmed."
He gave a deeper chuckle and she sat up and looked at him.
"What's so funny?"
He smiled and captured her lips with his own for a passionate reply before he broke off and answered.
"Ron and I may have relied on you primarily, but honey you've always had me with others to fall back on. Third Year and that damn time-turner, what did you do when you got too stressed?"
"I decked Malfoy in his cunty little mouth," she replied with sadistic glee and Harry lost it.
She reluctantly began to chuckle along as well.
The two finally settled down and Harry finished making his point.
"Aside from snapping though, you had Ron, I, and even your dorm-mates to rely on. Then later on, during the war and our circles dropped to nearly nil, you always had me…just like I knew I always had you."
"We've had each other since we left Britain, then Dan and Emma once we got them to join us in America, and then Dud and his family."
"You're not alone love…and you never will be. Not as Hermione, not as Mrs. Potter, and certainly not as Supreme….now go to bed lest the dreaded Dutch-Oven consign you to the sulfury deep on his feared ship the SS Beans & Greens."
"I swear to God you immature bastard if you ever do that to me again I'll give you the Malfoy special!"
The two continued to banter into the night burning off the tension Hermione had been carrying with jokes, immature humor, loving threats, and finally acts of love which wore them both out.
Their community was in a perilous condition…but that could change with hard work and careful planning.
Chapter 07. - Midnight Wanderings
Nearly a month after the Coven formed, the first meeting of the Council, led by the Supreme, was called to order in a new purpose built administrative building, and judicial center, which would allow the Council individual offices, deliberation space, and a public gallery where a large portion of the Coven could sit and observe.
Young Rolf Scamander, fiancé to Elder Lovegood and soon to take her name in a hand-fastening ceremony before the Coven in another month, sat in the gallery taking notes to run in the Quibbler which Xeno had taken out of mothballs to run a small weekly paper for the coven.
The first of five days of deliberations for actions to be taken in response to their present situation were had with a focus on examining the temporal aspects of their travel and attempting to better understand the events which caused them to blow through time in order to reverse them.
The Official Dicta-Quill(s) of the meeting, making the official record of the proceedings, would have a copy archived to the Council's Library, while the other would be made public and stored in the Normal School's Library.
"We have to understand how we got here before we should worry about trying to leave," Elder Townsend began.
"Temporal magic is verboten for a reason. We can't go willy-nilly dallying in the stream of eternity lest we be visited by the wrath of those who guide it's flow."
"And while that is wise advice, there are no experts on time for us to call upon Mildred," Theodore replied.
"I agree we shouldn't run off half-cocked at this, but we need to look to understand the events that led us here as we study how to reverse it."
"People are capable of completing two tasks simultaneously Madam," he replied sincerely.
"But this is Ancient Egypt; I mean, we're in Ancient Egypt," Basil Ford spoke up tentatively.
Everyone turned to look at the young man.
"And what's your point lad?" Zelda Zimmern, the heiress to a powerful line of Gypsies asked politely as she clasped a familial talisman which she claimed gave her insight and a connection to the ancients.
"Well," he continued, "it's just that everything we learned at the Academy you know?"
"Not all of us went through the Normal School…please come to your point….clearly," Noah Walters pressed.
"They're time was one where magic was so much more powerful yeah? Maybe we should send an envoy outside," he said pointing to the sky where they all knew the hatch of the trunk to be, "to see if they can find what we need….either a spell, a ritual….something to give us a leg up if nothing else."
Basil sat back into his chair and ceded the floor as mutterings broke out at his suggestion.
A few minutes later Theodore stood once more to take the floor and speak-up.
"Basil had a good suggestion, but in order to discover how to treat a disease you have to identify the source of the infection….whether it's a curse, or hex, is a subtle distinction that requires very different treatment protocols; is it an STD of Muggle or Magical Origin? Does a family have a history of having this same illness, and does it present in the same ways which may suggest a genetic defect or aberration?"
Everyone was looking at Theo as though he'd grown a second head.
"My point," he pressed, "is that in order to correctly diagnose what's caused our plight we need to know, as completely as we can know, the cause of these problems and we need to test treatment options concurrently."
"In patients we sometimes begin treatment with a broad spectrum anti-biotic cocktail that will treat fungal, bacterial, and viral infections…no-maj or wizard."
Some began having a look of comprehension as he finished.
"To that end, I'd like to propose to this Council that we begin treating with the panacea we have available: That our resident experts on Enchanting and the physics of dimensional compression form their own committee to launch a thorough and complete investigation of the status of the trunk, to analyze the data which may be logged within the trunk's systems, and to report to us their recommendation on how to return to our own time."
"This will free this body to deliberate a course of action, an immediate treatment to the body if you will, to bide time to diagnose the issue if there's no improvement, and to learn as we go along."
He turned from his spot to focus on Basil.
"The boy," he said without malice as Basil was the youngest member of the Council of Elders, "makes a good point. I believe this Committee should appoint a small number of individuals to blend in and seek out the knowledge of this time so we might have the best chance of returning home."
He sat and vacated the floor for another to rise.
"I like how Theo put it," Glenda said suddenly.
"It makes sense to assemble the experts as it were….a special disease calls for a specialist to treat; There're at least five individuals in our community, I know off hand, that have the same proficiency at enchanting I'd name them as experts of the field, discounting myself and the Supreme's Husband."
"I'd be willing to put forth their names in consideration and serve on the committee as liaison to this Council," she finished.
"Harry would make a lovely choice to go and investigate the city we're in," Luna spoke up.
"He can handle himself well, and would know what to look for or ask about given his education and talents."
More muttering broke up at this.
"He looked the part well enough to pass for a local," someone toward the back of the chambers spoke up to a general current of agreement sweeping the room.
Harry's going to hate this, Hermione thought while knowing she couldn't speak out about Harry being selected.
0oO0oO0
Discussions continued into the afternoon on the powers, scope, and limitations of the investigative committee they'd decided to form, as well as those parameters they wanted Harry to operate under before being consolidated by the Clerk of the Coven, a lovely young witch that was a classmate to Basil, and the Parliamentarian of the Coven, her twin brother, called the roll and assisted the Supreme respectively in closing the vote.
After the entire council have voted, Hermione read the results.
"On the Adoption of the Resolution No. 00001, "A Writ of Appointment: Creating the Committee on Investigation" the scope and powers thereof, and proposed membership thereto, the Ayes are 10, the Nays are 2, and there is 1 abstention.
"The Motion Passes, the Resolution is Adopted, and the Clerk of Court shall certify a true copy of this act to the Record, to the Media, and to the various Libraries and lawbooks this Coven maintains," Hermione said whist signing her name and stamping the seal of the coven in the space provided to show her approval for the act.
She was handed another long-form set of paperwork, and several other cards.
"On the Adoption of the Resolution No. 00002, "A Writ of Appointment: Creating the Office of Chief Ambassador" the scope and powers thereof, and proposed membership thereto, the Ayes are 9, the Nays are 4, and there are 0 abstentions."
"Council Members," Hermione began unexpectedly going off script, "I'm half tempted to veto this appointment for Harry…not because I don't think he is incapable of fulfilling the task you've assigned to him, but because I fear he may see this, some of the votes cast, as punishment for having no fault in getting us here…but serving as our scapegoat nonetheless."
She cast a hard eye over the assembly.
"So let me be very clear in this: My husband is as much a victim in this as anyone else, and it's his magic which saved us when the trunk was in danger."
"I say this more for the benefit of those that will read than hear these words, but nevertheless it must be said: My husband is a man of supreme character, who is devout to those he loves…including those in this Coven. I will endorse his appointment to this post this day, but there shall be no more whispers, no discord, no disrespect tolerated just because Harry makes a scapegoat of convenience," she said as she quickly stamped and signed the Resolution.
So ends the day's deliberations," she said looking at the clock.
"We convene on the morrow at 7:45 for group breakfast and the session will resume at 9:00. So mote it be," she said tapping her gavel on her desktop and ending the session.
Rolf, scribbling furiously made his way immediately down to the Clerk's office to get a certified copy of the resolutions, the first bit of legislation of their coven which the paper would no doubt run specials on, as well as a complete copy of the transcript of the day.
"Old Xeno may decide to run a series of articles focusing on each day if this was going to be the norm."
0oO0oO0
Harry received the news of his appointment about as well as Hermione could have expected, and eventually calmed after she explained why she couldn't just insulate him from life in, or service to, the Coven.
"Still love," he said over his tea as the two sat in Hermione's study sipping their afternoon tea.
"Do you think we're likely to find anything of interest our there?" he asked looking up.
"That depends," she responded.
"Have you found anything interesting on the map? Is it even done?" she asked sitting her tea down to give him her undivided attention.
The map was a project he'd begun working on prior to the founding of the Coven, and which took up a majority of his spare time.
He was attempting to recreate the Marauders Map…but instead of showing a fixed location like Hogwarts, he wanted it to show, and be interactive, with at least a 50 mile radius of their surroundings.
"It's coming along," he said slowly wincing at the massive pile of books' he'd left strewn about his private study and cauldron he'd set up for the fire to brew a soaking solution that would help the parchment map not only absorb magic, but be powered by ambient magic to survive the harsh climate it would be exposed to should it work.
"What more do you need?" she asked with sincere confusion.
"Honey I'm having to whole cloth develop a new branch of magical cartography. It's going to take time. Plus…" he trailed off and dove back into his cup while muttering something.
Confused by his behavior, Hermione moved to sit nearer her Chosen One.
"Harry," he said placing a hand on his arm and lowering the tea.
"What's wrong?"
He laid a hand lovingly on her cheek and cupped her face…the face of an angel, before replying.
"Something's majorly off…I can't locate a ley line," he said.
"Well, I know they aren't that common, but they aren't really that rare now are they?" she aske din confusion."
"That's just it love….they're not where they're supposed to be!"
He stood suddenly, dragging her with him, and apparated them across the house and into his study, or Great Cabinet as it was known on the plans for the house.
Tables, desks, and all flat spaces were either stacked high with books, parchments, maps, and resources, the shelves were in such disarray Hermione nearly began vibrating with a desire to restore order to the books.
"Here," he called suddenly from behind her, "is the definitive treatise on Ley Lines, their Properties, and known locations from 1709," he said slamming a thick tome onto a space in front of Hermione, "and these are the updated volumes of the series….about every hundred years or so," he said placing several more books down on top of the first.
"Universally, the ley lines once identified, rarely moved…and if they did it took an act of supreme power, we're talking the combined loss of life of 10,000 thralls with the Maya, to the granting of a petition by the Greek Pantheon," he said laying down two more books which were historical studies of the ley lines of Earth.
"Generally though, once settled….they don't move."
"What's your point Harry," Hermione asked.
"Honey Ley Lines power passive magic…they're like the magnetic charger for your Macbook…when close enough, it will automatically snap into place and power your computer, but in the case of magic, it can either sustain a spell, ritual, runes, or enchantment until it is cancelled the closer to a ley line you are."
"Think of them as a never-ending source of magical current."
"The closer you are to one, the easier casting magic will be, and the stronger or longer your spells will last. It's why Hogwarts was built where it was…there were three ley lines overlapping the grounds, the school, and the lake."
"Ok," she said vaguely recalling reading something to this effect while they were kids but burying the information as she prepared for University.
"I'm starting to recall this," she told him.
"Conversely, the farther you are from a ley line the more you rely on your own innate magic, power, and self, or group of Magicals, to power spells, enchantments, etc. that have a constant draining effect on the magic of a witch or wizard."
"Do you have a map of the ley lines?" she asked suddenly seeing where he was going with this.
He led her to another table where a large parchment stood, showing a scaled and proportionally accurate representation of the continents, countries, and oceans of Earth.
"Ostendo Ocultus," he said waiving his hand over the map.
Suddenly lights began emerging, the parchment began levitating, and folding until it was a globe.
Dozens of bands of light, different in color, length, and direction began popping up all over the globe.
"Beautiful," Hermione began as Harry spun the globe to showcase their present location in Northern Africa.
"There are not less than 13 well known major ley lines in Africa, made famous by theorists as having been the source of the magic necessary for Moses' plagues."
He withdrew a small silver pen from his pocket and began pointing to a spot on the globe with a laser pointed.
"Here we are," he said showing that they were in the confluence of at least two major ley lines.
"Well that's good right? We won't have to move the trunk or worry about taxing our magic?" Hermione asked.
"Ostende Foras," he cast once more waving his hand at the globe.
Suddenly the lights of the world shifted, blinked out, or radically shifted to a different location.
"What's happening," Hermione asked in alarm seeing that where before they were well covered by a ley line, they were now in a literal desert of magic.
"This is a representation of the Ley Lines as they exist outside," he continued.
"I'm honestly trying to make sense of it darling…the best I can figure is that this," he said pointing to dot on the Nile positively glowing with a huge number of ley lines, "would be the ancient capitol of Thebes….that's where I guestimate at least based on maps of the region I happened to find in the Encyclopedia Britannica….but the world looks wrong."
"That kind of shift in magic…..it just doesn't happen love."
"Africa's lost quite a few ley lines, and the oddest damn places seem to have gained them," he finished plopping down into a chair but staring a hole through North America which seemed to have exploded into a spiderweb of light.
"I just can't understand this…."
"Do we need to move?" She asked looking across the map and wondering what this could mean for them all.
"We're going to have to…and sooner rather than later," he replied.
"I'd estimate at most we have a two year store on magical reserves for the trunk in peak condition before we'd have to "refuel" as it were and soak in ambient magic. That's part of the reason why I loved Longyear…it was damn nearly on top of a minor ley line and was constantly "plugged in" so to speak."
"Are we in peak condition though?" she asked with a raised brow.
"That's something the committee will have to conclude Moine…but from the gauges I can read….I'm seeing we're at near a quarter of our reserves. Whatever happened to us, drained us."
"I'd estimate we have just enough power available now to slowly limp to Thebes and recharge for a few months…the Council is just going to have to work around that," he said slowly.
"I've cross checked every reputable source in my library love….it should be a ruin by now, and will afford us some measure of privacy as we regroup and rebuild if necessary."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner!" Hermione asked rounding on him.
"Because I had to verify…and you've been busy," he said with a sigh before enveloping her in his embrace.
"I hoped for so long that it was me…that I was doing this all wrong…"
"You've done your best love….and you've done well briefing your Supreme on what you've found," Hermione began slowly.
"Have you scouted a location near there," he asked pointing to Thebes.
"No….all we have to do is get close….within 10 miles," he said tracing the 10 ley lines that where present, "and within 30-60 days we'll have our stores built up and repairs time will drop as the automated repair charms return to full power."
"We're losing about a percentage of our stores per day due to the levels of magic we need to expend to maintain the environment Moine," Harry said pulling away from her.
"We're at approximately 25 percent of full reserves; anything below 20 percent and we won't make the jump to where we need to go…below 10 percent we'll have to abandon the trunk before the dimensional compression fields fail or worse….the ship goes into long term stasis."
Hermione was faced with a dilemma. She could act as the Supreme Authority and Order Harry to move the trunk, or she could delay, take this to the council, and let them deliberate.
She pulled away completely and began pacing.
"You didn't know about this before now?" she questioned.
"I suspected, but didn't have any proof until I'd completed the world map and managed to link it to a live reading…that happened yesterday," he honestly replied.
"Move the trunk; right now. Get us to the place you've selected and let's start recharging…it's the most pressing danger facing the Coven and we can't delay…I Order this as your Supreme," she finished as a clap of thunder met the pronouncement…her increased anxiety causing a rapid shift in the weather.
"At once," Harry said with a bow leaving Hermione alone in the room to contemplate the realities of their situation.
0oO0oO0
Pascal, once more, was waiting in the Grand Salon for Harry.
"The Pedestal Master," he said before popping away.
Touching the master reset with his wand, Harry cleared the previous actions the pedestal had undertaken, and summoned the travel globe and support monitors to indicate what was going on.
A Chime in the clock tower tolled warning of low power.
"I see that, thank you dear," he said making the selections necessary to power a jump to Thebes.
Outside the trunk space, the actions of the frantic priests ceased as the crate of the gods began to levitate and glow with a golden hue.
"Get Imhotep at once!"
"Right away Sir!"
"Someone fetch the King!"
The priests sprang into action, scrambling to report that the gods were moving about.
Finally Harry had programmed their destination, and with an audible hum building in the distance, a hum that should not have been present, a gateway before forming above the trunk which would in effect allow it to travel through portkey space, portal space, and near instantaneously appear at their final destination.
Slowly Harry dialed up the power which caused the trunk to rise up and finally breach the portal.
Seti, his guard, and the rest of the palace had arrived in just enough time to see the crate of the gods rise into a swirling thing and disappear.
"Go after it!" Imhotep ordered one of his priests who hastily climbed atop the altar and had just enough time to stick his head, and upper torso into the portal before is snapped shut with an audible hiss, and the scent of burning flesh met the assembly…while the convulsing remnant of the priest collapsed into a bloody mess upon the altar.
A smoking stump of half cauterized flesh and sinew a few inches above the belly button laid bare how the gods felt about mortals intruding upon their domain.
"You fool….you've damned us all!" Seti cried in fear.
"My king we must study what this means…do not jump to any assumptions," Imhotep began, only to be backhanded by the king.
"I can see with my own eyes priest the wrath of the gods for one daring enter their realm….on your order. Remove this incompetent fool from my sight…this is just what I need on the eve of my marriage…" he trailed off muttering to himself, his beloved Anaksunamun draped on his arm attempting to placate him, and rage burning within the heart of Imhotep.
With only a few sparks, the trunk emerged in the ruins of a temple at Thebes, sat down in the shade of a broken altar, and the trunks systems began shutting down leaving a mere 19 percent of power available.
Acting quickly Harry cast the spells shown to him by the designers of the trunk to open the magical sinks that held the "charge" of magic to the area and the passive collection of magic began.
Pascal popped back in as Harry continued his work.
"Master the collection panels have deployed, and the elves once more report a connection to Mother Gaia. There are at least three cracked sinks we didn't know of before which the elves are checking and patching now, but which will require your direct supervision to replace."
"Please inform Mistress Goodwin about this, ask her to look into it as I'm popping up to ward the area we've landed in and secure it as our base of operations," Harry said before apparating away leaving Pascal alone to descend the pedestal and other navigational equipment once more, and then deliver the message he'd given.
0oO0oO0
Harry appeared once more on the roof of the trunk, at the apparating pad, and observed that the trunk was near a collapsed altar, in a roofless temple, and a sea of sand covering what he suspected were sandstone floors.
Massive columns of stone rose to support beams of rock that undoubtedly held a papyrus roof shade in times past.
"Locus Exigat," he cast once more and a new map of the surrounding area formed, detailing the "Precinct of Mut."
He saw that there were no settlements nearby, and after casting a few Hominum Revelo, was satisfied that there were no people present.
What are we doing Harry," came a hissing voice from beneath his robe.
The head of Chac rose slowly as he began sniffing his surroundings before he jumped down and morphed into a jackal and began sniffing the ground.
This is a very old scent Harry, the hissing voice of his familiar came from the open mouth of the canine.
Where are we?
We are in the ancient lands of Egypt…across the Atlantic Ocean on the continent of Africa my friend, he replied.
Something happened when we were leaving Boston that caused us to fall through time. Have you ever experienced anything like that in your travels?
Chac was silent as Harry began repairing the alter and placed the trunk upon it before he transfigured dozens of braziers from the sand and conjured a blue flame which gave off a bright white light for them.
He'd just begun banishing the sand from the temple as though giant brooms were sweeping it all out leaving no grains behind, when Chac replied.
I have heard many tales of the gods using time as a plaything….and Newt often spoke of having met men and women that had encountered the Fae and emerged from their realms in a time not their own.
What of the peoples you were born to? What of the Maya descendants?
Harry, by this point, was using his wand as though conducting a symphony, and as the floor cleared he moved a fire to the area and suddenly the Precinct emerged from the sands once more able to see the night lights of the absent day.
Once his task completed, Harry, joined by Chac, began walking the perimeter of the structure and he began conjuring doors, locks, or reinforcing existing blockades to the temple in an effort to not only keep the desert sand out, but protect those within.
There were some stories that the great one Quetzalcoatl could sail great river, or that his wings were dipped in the great river….I'm honestly not sure as I spent very little time among my people before Newt rescued me Harry.
I'm not exactly the best source on Maya lore as I only know what I do because Newt was kind enough to read with me and share my origins in my youth, or what I've discovered in my own studies.
Let me just say English is a bitch of a language to learn…I had to shift into a, he shuddered, Chimp just to have the eyesight necessary to process the letters.
I can imagine your suffering Chac, Harry said with a chuckle as he cast a few spells over the trunk that released a gateway door, and owl window from their storage inside the hard shell of the trunk, and which he promptly installed in an interior room of the Mut complex before casting dozens of protective wards, intruder alerts, and defensive spells for those will ill intend from accessing the room.
After the doorway was secured, he tested it and found it lead to the entrance hut on the grounds of his estate as it should, and he sent a quick Patronus to announce this to Hermione and the Council.
Hermione, Glenda, and surprisingly enough Basil soon came through the doorway and joined Harry in the court of Mut as he finished conjuring and securing a reed woven shade over much of the courtyard in expectations that the day's sun would be quite brutal.
"What's going on Harry," Hermione called to him as he finished securing the reed shade and next turned his attentions to conjuring large basins and troughs of water he placed throughout the complex.
"I'm just trying to get this place ready for tomorrow….the desert air will be a bitch and I'm trying to influence the local humidity in an effort to have cool spaces for people to work in while we examine the trunk."
"What about making a swamp cooler Mr. Potter?" Basil called suddenly?
"I did a project on them a few years ago at Ilvermorny," he said conjuring a small basin of his own, which he filled with water, froze, and then conjured a metal box fan he placed behind the basin and charmed to blow with a medium wind.
"Oh that feels nice," Hermione said as the cold wind struck her first as she was standing closest to the frozen basin.
Glenda cast a quick charm conjuring a mercurial thermometer and she stuck it to one of the more prominent columns off to the side.
She kept an eye on it for the next ten minutes while it stabilized and adjusted to the temperature of the open air temple.
"It's nearly Midnight Harry," Glenda called after seeing the mercury settle at 20 Degrees.
"Where are we?"
Harry summoned the map he'd lain on the repaired altar and trunk to answer her question.
"We're in what I've identified tentatively as Thebes along the Nile…approximately 50 miles from where we originally landed…you can just make out Hamunaptra along the bottom of the map," he replied.
Chac suddenly hissed, shifted into his Liwo/base form, and devoured something in the shadows out of the sight of the assembly.
"Get 'um Chac!" Harry cheered on.
Scorpion is a delicacy you should partake in Harry, came the sarcastic reply.
There's a ton of them here too, he said with glee.
"What was that about," Hermione asked.
Harry rolled his shoulders and replied flippanty.
"There's apparently a ton of scorpions here, they're delicious, and Chac thinks I should try a few."
"Lumus!" Basil called and trailed his wands at the shadows not lit by the braziers and indeed saw dozens of scorpions….everywhere.
"Revelare Occultatum!" Glenda cast sweeping her wand wide.
"What's going on Glenda?" Basil asked a bit frightened as the, now hundreds, of scorpions were turning their attentions to Chac and attacking him.
Harry snorted as the attacks seemed to merely fuel his familiar's appetite and he began blowing through the small black creatures like a Klump at a Buffett.
"That's an unusual concentration of scorpions," Hermione began.
"Did you see these or where they're coming from while you were cleaning this place Harry?"
"Incendio!" Glenda suddenly cast setting a mass of the arachnids ablaze which had seemingly began to gather in the shadows near the altar.
"No; there weren't any here when I was cleaning the area."
He took his wand and cast a tracer spell trying to find the origin point for the little bastards, and located several odd energy readings in the corners of the complex that seemed to have magical residue on them of an origin Harry was having difficulty identifying.
He ran through the information in his mind, as a new wave of scorpions, their chittering and clicks filling the yard suddenly overwhelmed his sense.
"Harry this is getting serious!" Hermione called as Chac, in apparent glee was diving in and through the rising walls of Scorpions.
A head suddenly emanated from Harry's chest, a burning heat he didn't recognize, until he suddenly felt the familiar weight of his ceremonial necklass and discovered he was suddenly dressed in his garb from the night of the Coven…he looked over and saw the witches and Basil were dressed similarly.
Suddenly, as though punted, Chac flew through the air and landed before Harry with a large belch just as his staff of Osiris materialized in his left hand.
"I don't like this," Glenda called while Hermione's eyes began to white over in power as she summoned her link to the Coven's collective power in order to defend her territory and her people.
As suddenly as it began, the clicking and chittering of the little devils ceased, and from the shadows a form emerged springing to existence as a pillar of smoke from the very ground itself.
In the darkness and flickering light all Harry saw was white fangs and blood red eyes.
He magically threw the others behind him and cast the strongest banishing charm he knew, which impacted with the being and reduced it to sand.
A clear path suddenly formed in the midst of the sea of scorpions and once more the dark figure emerged from the sands.
This time, preceding the being emerging into the light, a growling voice called forth chilling the assembly to their very core.
"We can play this game all night Master of Death. We can truly test your metal and strength against my own powers, or we can meet as equals," the being with dark fur lining his incredibly muscled body, seemingly human apart from the jackal's head from which the voice originated.
Suddenly the staff in Harry's hand began to glow a brilliant white, and from the top, from the jewel between the winged serpents, a lance of crackling and arcing power shot forth and struck what could be nothing but Anubis, in the chest, sending him flying back and breaking through a mud brick and limestone wall.
"Umm…..I didn't do that," Harry said in confusion looking at his staff, then to the others for some kind of explanation of what had happened.
A deep snarl suddenly sounded, seemingly bellowing from the bowels of Hell, before Anubis shot out of the hole he'd made in the wall, Khopesh of Celestial Gold Gleaming, and made to strike at Harry.
The attack came so quickly, Harry had no time to react…yet a glow erupted from his necklace, the ring on his dominant hand, and once more the staff, which raised itself in a defensive position and caught, then deflected the blow from the god.
A wave of destructive power flew from the impact of sword and staff, once more blowing Anubis away slightly and onto the flat of his back, while sending the other member of the coven stumbling.
"I'm not doing this….so please stop attacking," Harry honestly called out to the downed god.
The Lord of the Underworld, laid prone…chest rising and falling, sword embedded in a column and forgotten.
"It has been too long since I last felt that power," the downed god began,
"I had thought you were lost to the void Father," he said sitting up slowly while looking at Harry.
Harry, perplexed, looked over to his wife for an explanation.
"Don't look at me Harry; I've got no clue what's happening," she began until her own jewelry began glowing the same as Harry's.
"And the family reunion is complete; Hello Mother," Anubis called.
"Have you both decided to spank for wrecking your playthings?"he asked with a smirk.
"Look this is about all I'm going to take!" Harry growled.
"I don't know what you're going on about or why you though it would be a good idea to attack me and mine, but what do you want?" he asked lacing power into his voice and calling on the powers of Death he'd shunned for so long to strengthen him.
"Yes…draw on the powers of the Underworld. It does nothing but give me strength Master of Death," Anubis chuckled.
From deep within the trunk, in Chac's one private sleeping area in Harry and Hermione's bedroom, the silver Egg began to vibrate and shake…actions followed even more swiftly by the golden egg he'd long guarded.
Cracks began to form, oddly enough in the shape of an Ankh.
A golden fire suddenly surrounded both eggs as they were transported in a puff of green smoke to lay at the half way point between Harry and Anubis.
My Eggs! Chac suddenly cried out drawing everyone's attention to their mysterious appearance.
"How…" Harry had just enough time to mutter before the eggs exploded with an inner power that sent him, Anubis, and everyone to their backs…and incinerated the scorpions, cleansing the temple from the taint of Anubis.
From the silver egg had emerged a Glamorgan Serpent, a being so magical and pure they were thought to be the embodiment of the moon goddess in Welsh folklore…potent symbols of healing, protection, and the purest of powers.
From the gold egg emerged a golden Wadjet, burning with the same fire as a phoenix, and with a hiss flew to Anubis sinking it's fangs into the god's neck pumping him full of golden venom before wrapping its massive body around the clearly terrified god and binding him in place.
The Glamorgan turned to observe Harry and company, and finding no threat moved on to begin ripping the god of the underworld limb from limb and swallowing him.
His screams broke three dimensional space and shattered reality.
From deep in the underworld a call rang out for the armies of the damned to rise and save their master.
Black sand began bubbling up throughout he desert as the armies of Anubis, once more commanded by the Scorpion King, rose to descend upon the ancient city of Thebes, only for most of the Jackal soldiers to explode in golden light as more of the strange venom was pumped into their god.
The scorpion kind felt a burning in his chest, and slowly he began to hack and cough black ichor from deep within….
Pain wracked his body which had for so long existed as a freak amalgamation of man-scorpion terror, and his mutant demigod body was converted once more to human flesh and bone.
His howls of pain caused the dessert to still in fear of the forces walking the Earth once more this night.
As the armies he'd summoned were proving useless, a supremely weakened and badly damaged Anubis began turning to black sand, coughing up the green blood which flowed through his veins.
"You may serve my Father," he spat to Harry, "but his power should be MINE! I will end you Master of Death, and those you love for this insult," he choked out before dissolving into a mass of black sand, spiders, and other creatures of the night as his spirit once more descended to the underworld to recuperate and restore itself.
The two winged serpents flew about the area, and quickly left the confines of the small courtyard before disappearing into the dark night of the dessert.
"Can someone tell me what the fuck just happened?" Basil cried in alarm.
"I think," Glenda said approaching the spot where Anubis had bled, his green blood still pooling which she hastily gathered into conjured glass phials for later examination, "we're not in Kansas anymore. I'm going to wake the council so we can begin warding the area from those which would seek to harm us."
Her point was emphasized as suddenly the Wadjet returned with a man, mostly naked, coiled in its body and depositing his unconscious form before them, before literally flaming away to parts unknown.
The cry of the Glamorgan could be heard as suddenly the night sky filled with a rainbow of colors.
Chapter 08. - Local Politics
By Morning the entirety of the Council had been summoned topside, as the Precinct of Mut was coming to be referred to, and had warded the area to High Heaven with all the standard spells they collectively knew as the Supreme spent her time researching and compiling custom protection spells that would be affective as against the divine.
By the second day straight of researching, she'd recall that the same shop where she and Harry had bought these ornamental dress they'd also come with books….odd books, but books nonetheless, and they'd been stored somewhere in Harry's private collection, meaning in his Cabinet Room and not the main library, since he'd picked them out.
It took Pascal only a short time to find all the books and items requested, and present to his mistress, only for her to received a headache at the language they were written in.
"Greek I can muddle through…Latin I'm good….but it had to be hieroglyphs," he whined to herself as the lack of sleep, and abuse of caffeine, began taking their toll on her body.
In disgust and too tired to care she went to bed and slept for the next 14 hours as her body protested the stresses she'd put it through.
The unconscious man dumped at their feet had immediately been taken to the Clinic, where he was immediately given fluids, a general purgative, and around a dozen different nutrient potion to counteract something truly wicked which had nearly destroyed his body.
He was completely unconscious and responsible, but spells and scans showed a high level of brain activity.
Whatever daemons he was fighting, his doctors hoped sincerely he won the battle to awaken…and soon.
There were many which had questions for him.
0oO0oO0
Harry, at the insistence of the council, went out and began exploring the nearest settlement…inexplicably in his garb as High Priest of Osiris.
Thebes by this point had been abandoned by the locals after its sacking some 2,000 years prior by the Scorpion King; or so the legends said, but there was a small farming village along the banks of the Nile that would prove a source of invaluable information to Harry.
It had surprisingly only taken Harry three attempts at the language spell he'd fished out of his library to assist his rapid acquisition of the local dialect using the skills Mistress Goodwin had taught him so long ago it seemed.
The locals, once they truly understood him, were able to point him to the "distant" city of Hamunaptra as being the present location of his order, and that they would be most likely to offer him aid and assistance for his tasks.
So after bidding the small family which had taken him in for a small lunch of fish and breads, he offered them his "blessing" by touching the tip of his staff's jewel to each of their heads, unknowingly flushing their systems of a bacterial infection that was about to sweep the small community and lead to the deaths of dozens, purifying their bodies and granting them an immunity to the more common diseases of the time.
When he was some distance away he apparated, never knowing the child had followed him out only to see the holy man "collapse as a pillar of sand on the wind" and disappear.
His parents would say it was a sign of the gods.
The little child would believe they'd been visited by a god.
Several years later, word of this family's experience would reach the newly formed Order of Medjai, and the child would be offered a spot in their ranks. His acceptance would found the line that would one day lead to a line of Chieftains of the Medjai and Ardeth Bay.
0oO0oO0
Harry appeared silently, much like the wind, as night was falling in Hamunaptra.
He was greeted at the city gates by several guards who informed him that this night was meant to celebrate the wedding of their king to his newest bride, and that there was to be a grand festival…that all travelers were welcome, and upon recognizing his symbols and jewelry of office, directed him to the 'high temple' of Osiris to be amongst his brethren.
Harry thanked the guards but had no desire to meet with the local priests just yet.
He made his way slowly through the streets, having no known path of travel, and simply marveled at the majesty of the simple, if monolithic, structures before him.
As he neared the king's palace, with the festivities reaching their heights, the emerald on Harry's staff began to glow a curious green, and intrigued…he continued on into the palace.
His presence was announced as a wandering High Priest come to pay tribute to the king, and he was immediately taken before the senior courtesans and the king himself.
All the while being led, Harry subtly cast the language charm once more to let him begin picking up and assimilating the spoken dialects and languages he heard, most prominently the muttered words of the Hebrew commoners he found to be welcomed among the outer court…most likely as they were clearly merchants.
Finally, Harry was presented before the King and his Court and he was announced.
"Your Majesty," Harry said with a polite bow.
"I come traveling from the far North where word of your marriage rings with joy throughout the land. The village I serve is humble, and full of loyal subjects to your Majesty, but they have sent me on to present gifts of splendor and unmatched beauty to yourself and your bride," he said laying it on thick.
"But first," he continued, we shall need a bit of sand," he said requesting that several guards run outside and fetch several containers of the material.
"What is this silly fancy," Imhotep, drunk, or seemingly so, spoke from his king's side as his most trusted advisor.
"What need have you to sand?"
"Patience Sir," Harry said with a mischievous smile.
"It shall be revealed shortly."
The King, before fairly disinterested, now looked on in interest at the words of gentle rebuke spoken by a lesser priest to Imhotep…High Priest of the Order of Osiris, whom this man seemingly belonged to.
The mood of court suddenly changed and the mutterings died down as the King began showing an unusual interest in the fellow before him, causing all to shift their attentions to what was happening or fill their neighbor who'd not been paying attention to events on what had thus far transpired.
Before Imhotep could respond the guards returned with three small cubic meter boxes of sand.
"These will do nicely." Harry said.
Suddenly, the lights began to dim sending a mild panic through the room.
Imhotep sat up, intrigued on how another priest was able to channel the magic of the gods as he was their true vessel.
"Good King, what is it that a king requires to be loved? Hmm?"
"Is it gold aplenty to shower the poorest in his kingdom during times of famine when bread and meat must be purchased from the salt-barges of afar?"
"Is it unrivaled beauty both for himself and those he loves?"
"Or is it something else?" Harry pondered aloud as mist began to rise from the floor cooling everyone from the parching heat of the lasting heat of the desert sun.
"A good king is just, wise, and slow to wrath," the King replied.
"As you are my father," Nefertiti said with a smile and a round of agreements came from the court.
"That is true, and possibly the best answer one could expect. Now how can a king be just, wise, and slow to wrath?"
The King looked Harry up and down but made to move to reply.
"Is there a point to this wanderer?" Imhotep rudely interrupted not liking where this was going.
With a smirk, the jewel of the staff began to glow, and sand slowly started to rise into the air and hang as if suspended in a tumultuous wind.
"Sand is a representation of time oh wise king…even the mightiest of structures will eventually wear down to its ravages and the movement of the dunes. A reminder that all things must come to pass for from the dust of the Earth were we made, and unto the dust shall we return….but this need not be hastened!" he chuckled and several others chuckled back nervously.
Suddenly the sand began to heat up and glow as molten glass formed as Harry added more sand an from a separate stream of stand from the bucket formed an ornate silver frame into which he directed the molten glass to settle creating a perfect mirror with golden runes in flowing script along the edges.
Shock met him.
None had ever before seen magic of this level.
"A just king shines his favor on the richest of his kingdom the same as the lowest. Good king, stand and speak the name of any person or place known upon the Earth and it shall be presented before your sight.
Skeptically the king rose and in a clear voice, called out the name of the village he'd grown up in.
The mirror flashed blue before showing an image of the village, now little more than two or three huts scattered along the Nile Delta.
"Amazing," Anaksunamun said rising to see for herself the miracle performed this night.
Nefertiti observed with quiet contemplation, and Imhotep eyed the stranger with unfettered greed and lusted for his staff…mistakenly believing that to be the source of his power.
Harry gave the king time aplenty to call out the names of villages, cities, near, far, even going so far as to call out and see Athens, and being amazed at the glowing streets of the city lit by massive bonfires, and bathed in the glow of many temples.
Finally, the King Returned to his seat, now truly eager to see more from this magician.
"What must a king have to be wise?" Harry continued after letting the tension build to a fevered pitch of anticipation at his next acts.
"He must be strong," someone from Court called hoping to please their king.
"He must lead his armies to victory," called another.
"He must appease the gods and ensure the crops prosper," another called.
"Yes," Harry said interrupting the masses.
"These are all good traits of a wise king…but what makes a king truly wise?"
"The knowledge of truth from falsehood," one of the Highborn Hebrew merchants called from far away from the king.
"Exactly," Harry said with a smile.
With the wave of his hand the first bucket, now empty, flew away to the shadows of the room, while the second sprouted legs and crab walked to sit before him much to the shock and amazement of those near enough to see.
Much like before, sand began to rise in a swirling mass…a nimbus of light before condensing.
Finally, Harry banished the bucket and in its place now sat a small marble column, from which sprouted a brass set of scales.
Permanently affixed to scales on the left was a weight reading in Hebrew, of all languages, "True" in gold script, while the right read "False" in silver.
Seeing the confusion of the King, the Hebrew National translated for the assembly.
"I am a woman," Harry suddenly said while placing his palm upon the point of the scales.
The side of false fell down indicating he'd told a lie.
"I am male," Harry continue, and suddenly the weights shifted to show the weight of the truth.
"I seek to kill the king before me," he said as once more the falsehood of this statement weighted down his answer.
"There is a colony of gods which live on the moon," he finally said in which the scales remained balanced.
Removing his hand he sought the kings gaze as though hoping he would understand.
"The scales operate," he spoke when no questions arose, "by weighing the truth as it is understood by the speaker…so tread cautiously good king."
"The truth as it is understood can be a dangerous thing, and could honestly be believed even if false."
"For instance," he said bringing the Hebrew merchant up to lay his hand on the scale and prove a point.
"Am I a Priest of Osiris," he asked of the Hebrew.
"Yes," he said with a timid voice after looking over the odd dress, but obvious symbols of those devotes to Osiris.
The scales shifted to show he was speaking honestly.
"Good king observe that the scales reflect the truth as this man understands it; however, I am not a Priest of Osiris…beware relying fully on this tool, as it is meant to show whether someone is being honest and forthright…not speaking true…a wise king investigates, and employs those to seek the truth in his name."
Touching the glowing gem of his staff to the Hebrew, Harry gave him a "blessing" similar to that of the young boy and family, unaware that the man would later go on to lead the fight against the Jebusites that had sacked Jerusalem, and found the line that would eventually birth David.
The teachings he'd observed from the man would be passed down through his family and recorded for all history, but mostly absorbed and reflected in the reign of Solomon the Wise.
He once more sat down, and focused as best he could for the remainder of the night, shunning wine and
"And now good king," Harry said theatrically, "we come to the last gift your loyal subject seek to bestow. How may a king be slow to wrath? What tool may he use to calm himself so as to maintain his wisdom and always be just?"
Without waiting for a reply Harry turned his full attentions to the bucket of sand which rose much more swiftly than the prior two, and in a brilliant flash of light left behind what could be mistaken for a pensive, floating silver bowl basin and all, and a wadjet cobra crown in its place, along with matching serpentine bracelets.
"These good king," Harry said inviting him to stand and once he stood hear he fastened the bracelets upon him, and crowned the man with the traditional hood of a king, "shall serve you well but you must remember to use them; you must be slow to anger and use the tools presented to save yourself, and your people, from the heat of passions, which bear permeant repercussions."
"A king which is slow to wrath is one which reviews his actions, and those of others, to determine the wisest and most just course in response."
"Guard, you there, come forth," Harry said to a guard half bathed in shadow.
He slowly came forth, after receiving a nod from his king, and stood awaiting further orders.
"Good king, let us pretend that this man has been accused of raping a member of court. Let us further assume that he has denied the accusations. Command him to recall the full events of this day, then place your palms on either side of his head."
The king did just that, and soon enough the guard was scrunching his eyes in concentration attempting to remember the entirety of the day's events.
The bracelets given to the king began to glow, and the eyes pf the serpent glowed the deepest green while a white light began to shine from it's mouth.
Harry took the bowl, and placed it between the king and the guard…the silver bowl floated in midair between the two.
"Good king, command the day to replay and rise from the mist of the bow," Harry finished as Seti did just that, and slowly a fog spread along the basin flowing from the mouth of the serpent atop his crown, before finally shapes, images, and sounds began playing..and showing the entire day of events the guard had partaken in…from rising with the light of Ra, to pathing in the Nile, to supping with the guard, and finally ending at the present.
"Good king you've seen the answer, and searched this man's memories for all of the Court to see," he said waiving his hand and the basin floated back into it's rough-hewn stone bowl/pedestal before being covered by a hastily conjured top…an ankh serving as the handle to access the basin within.
"Now good king you have a means of seeing your friends and foes, of observing events as they transpire, of telling truth from falsehood, and seeing the past to measure the character of a man," he said laying his staff upon the brow of the guard the same as he had before when bestowing a blessing.
He made eye contact with Imhotep one final time after catching fleeting glances throughout the night, and finally the bastard thought of the location of his secret library and spell books, that may contain several answers to Harry's questions, and then the knowledge of reading the Pictor-script suddenly blossomed in his mind.
The guard, oddly enough, upon the death of King Seti and the fall of Hamunaptra would briefly serve with the Medjai, before traveling to Rome, and starting a line which would one day immigrate to North America, and the last daughter of his male lineage could marry a "Brandon O'Connell" giving birth to Jack O'Connell who would later father Richard "Rick" O'Connell.
Finally, Harry thought as he began rapidly assimilating all the knowledge of languages, dialects, and the like from the rather sick minded priest.
After finishing his blessing with the guard and breaking the seconds long eye contact he'd maintained with Imhotep, Harry took a bow, and begged leave of the king to take in a bit of fresh air, feigning such magic had exhausted him.
After receiving permission, and a withering gaze from Imhotep, Harry made his way into the shadows of the room, before apparating once hidden behind a massive pillar and appearing in Imhotep's Private, and wrongfully thought impregnable, library.
Harry immediately conjured a bag and began shrinking down and storing every scroll, parchment, book, and plate he found.
Less than an hour later, he had apparated away.
It would be two hours later than the king requested his presence to learn his name, and dawn before reports returned that the wanderer had disappeared.
After recalling the mysterious man's words after the Hebrew spoke, and recalling the blessings which seemed to flow from him and to those which had assisted in his demonstrations, many of the Court upon learning the man had disappeared began whispering that he was Osiris…and he'd come to bestow his favor upon Seti.
By nightfall the legend of the wanderer had grown to such proportion that Imhotep had resolved himself to set the curse of the desert sands upon the man.
Upon finding his private library looted, and correctly though unjustifiably blaming Harry for the theft, summoned his men and bade them prepare for the ritual this night…he would ascend to godhood with his precious Anaksunamun, and ravage the kingdom of Seti with his power.
It was this night, in his rage, which he killed Seti, when his precious killed herself, and Nefertiti cause both himself and his men to suffer the fate of the Hom-Dai.
The screams of him and his men carried forth on the desert winds, but Hamunatra, as it burned from his hired bandits, provided him no relief.
Having lost her father, his city, and her best friend Anaksunamun to the ravages of a madman, Queen Nefertiti rose and ordered the city be abandoned before assigning a sacred order to forever guard the city of the dead against Imhotep's rise…creating the Order of the Medjai.
She would go on to marry a King of the Upper Kingdom, and travel south to serve as his bride…all while the sands buried the mistakes of her father…and the evils which he'd long allowed to fester.
0oO0oO0
Completely unaware that his little excursion had caused a bout of murder, mayhem, and the downfall of at least one government and two regional powers, Harry apparated straight to the courtyard of Mut and after greeting several people that were milling about made his way once more into the trunk space to deliver the goods he'd plundered and begin making the Babel Brew which would allow him to impart the languages, written and spoke, he'd acquired for the Council's, or Coven's, use.
So intent was he on fulfilling his task, he neglected to change draw his wand, and instead began casting with the staff…as though it were second nature to him.
Chapter 09. - Hehu
A week finally passed, during which time Harry had been made aware of the presence of their resident Coma Patient, and He, Hermione, and the Council had been pouring over the texts seized from the Imhotep chap.
A text, spelling out the ritual to invoke Hehu, the Ogdoad representing infinity…or more importantly time, was discovered, and after some deliberation it was decided that Harry and Hermione, as High Priest and Supreme respectively, would undertake to invoke the entity.
"We literally fought Anubis….how is this any weirder," Harry asked one night over dinner after Hermione had launched into a third tirade against the wisdom of the Council.
Her good Anglican sensibilities were deeply….disturbed…by the realities she was coming to recognize.
Harry found the whole damn thing hilarious.
0oO0oO0
She was making her rounds at the clinic…that was the only normal part of her days now…damn it.
She'd become so accustomed to being normal…they'd left Europe in Kingsley's capable hands after Voldemort, and she and Harry had eloped after a proving that night in the tent wasn't just an accident or caused by the locket.
They'd spent the night after the battle of Hogwarts in each others arms, and in the naked embrace of the other.
The decision to elope had come from her, surprisingly. Using the guise of him helping her find her parents had been a brilliant contribution on his part.
The pain they'd likely caused their friends had seemed justified at the time, because they deserved to live damn it!
They loved all those they were leaving behind, but the war was over…the two were in love, and it just made sense at the time to hop a train, take a plane, and then set said for the future…
Oh what a future indeed!
As she reviewed the chart in front of her, Mr. Robert Boucher, a husband to one of the nurses they'd hired at the clinic, had unexpectedly come down with odd symptoms reminiscent of Dragon Pox…though noticeably absent was the green skin or sparking nose hairs.
That though wasn't what most interested Doctor Potter…..the man was a muggle. He shouldn't be able to come down with any magical disease or their variants.
Yet biopsies had clearly shown the presence of magical cells and the man reacted positively to Gunhilda's Solution.
"Seen Mr. Boucher yet?" Theodore asked sliding in beside her as they walked the floor and toward the room where the patient was being kept in isolation.
"No Theo," she replied.
"These labs make no sense," she said stopping in the corridor and began leaning on the wall before leafing through the chart.
"He's got between a 0 and a 1 on the Merlin Index, as muggles should…as anything alive should, but yet he'd clearly carrying a variant of the pox! The nodules which had formed under his skin wouldn't have reacted to any magical treatment unless it had been magical in origin."
"Perplexing isn't it," Theo said with a smile as Hermione huffed and he lead her into the patient's room.
0oO0oO0
The work of the committee had been finalized concerning the status of the Trunk, and all needed repairs recommended had been approved by the Council.
Their little government was handling itself competently and surprisingly well to Harry's tastes.
Things had actually gone so good they'd advised him that he need not travel any further or mix with the locals anymore after his most recent raid had turned up valuable information they'd needed concerning Hehu, and verified what they'd discovered from Hamunaptra.
And so it was that their group met top side, council arranged in a sacred circle, as Harry served as Chief Officiant in their quest to summon the god of time.
Roughly translated the chant everyone was to speak said:
Let him rise which flows through time.
Let him rise which hear our cries!
Let him rise the eternal man.
Let him rise, boldly Hehu here...stand!
Let this call ring loud and true.
Let our voice reach out to you!
Hehu.
Hehu.
Hehu.
It is to you we raise this cry!
It is to you, our dreams to fly.
Rise Hehu the just.
Rise now and come to us!
The chant was roughly divided into three "stanzas" and the Harry was looking forward to seeing what would eventually happen.
They'd just finished marking out the summoning circle, and were preparing to get the chant ready to go, just as Hermione, once more dressed in her Priestess regalia that was coming to signify her time as Supreme, and throwing fresh herbs and incense into the braziers when a voice, once more from the shadows, began speaking.
"Yeah that ritual's a bit thick on formality, and I prefer Huh or Hue," a man, vaguely Arab in looks, but shockingly wearing a bomber jacket and pair of aviators, jeans, and black boots which wouldn't look out of place on late 20th century infantryman, said as he walked toward Harry.
The entire council stopped...they couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"You're...Hue Huh?" Harry asked repeating himself extending his own hand to take that offered by the god.
"Oh yeah. I like you," he said as Harry's brain had to reboot, looking between himself, the summoning circle, and the summoning ritual affixed to the podium he'd been using for reference.
"But," Hermione said trailing off looking between Hue and her load, arms still laden with incense and various herbs as she'd only been to two of the dozens of braziers so far.
"I know...your ritual worked, but summoned me from the bed of this rather delightful young Persian thing I'd taken up with in 2018..." he said taking off his glasses and tucking them into his outer pocket.
"I'd rather not leave her waiting too long, as New Years Eve in New York tends to be the most fun; next to the Apocalypse, it's the tits!" he said with a goofy grin.
"I'm Harry," he said as the words of the god likely caused him to have a small stroke.
"Yeah, Master of Death...we know ye well and all that," he said landing a playful punch on Harry's shoulder.
"All the pantheons are up in arms about you ya 'lil bastard," he said with a chuckle.
"Last I heard the old man," he said referencing Ra, "was demanding you be ejected immediately from Egypt or those lands where he holds sway...he may be the sun god but 'tween you and me, he's not as knowing as all may claim," he said with a conspiratorial smirk.
"But we didn't even say the damn chant," one of the elders whispered too loudly.
"I know darling, but when you're working with Harry the unexpected happens," Hue said with a smile.
"So we don't know how we ended up in this time," Harry said coming out of his stupor.
"We were hoping you'd be willing to send us home?" Harry said sweeping his hands and indicating his friends and the trunk behind them.
"Of course you are!" he said throwing his arm around Harry and marching him around to Hermione before throwing her other hand around her as well.
"Just one little problem chickadees...I can't do it."
"Now hear me out," he said the council began protesting his statement, and Harry and Hermione sagged beneath him.
"You all are missing out on some vital information you need to know though...and it's only fair I get to tell you considering the prank you pulled on me the first time we met," he said cryptically.
Hermione and Harry shared a wide eyed look and let the god ramble on.
"To that effect, I'm leaving your Supreme Majesty this book," he said breaking away and turning to Hermione, "and to you oh smiter of the gods, this Time-Turning attachment and instruction manual to add to your trunk, as well as this handy-dandy magical intelligence that will take up residence in your trunkverse and help you with repairs and basically anything you need. We call her, Janet."
"Hi there!" a brunet woman in a polka dotted blouse and purple dress uniform called.
"Please install this in Harry's trunkverse Janet," Hue said passing over the time turner to her.
"Right away Hue!" she said in a bubbly manner before popping away.
"It's done," she said immediately returning.
"Is there anything else I can do to make your day more pleasant?"
"Not right now Janet, but why don't you go and install yourself, ensure the trunk is fully functional and introduce yourself to everyone; Harry's your architect by the way. You can set up with him later," he said with a wink Hermione didn't trust.
"Ok," she said immediately popping away.
"I'm sorry but I'm lost." Harry said chuckling at the absurdity of their situation.
Hermione could only look at the book in her hand.
Dimension Hopping for Beginners
by St. John of Nohn
She had no idea what the book was about or who the author was, nevertheless the slight golden glow betrayed its divine origins.
"Alright you lot, listen up," Hue said clapping his hands seeing that he wasn't getting anywhere with Harry and Hermione.
"The Time Turner I've given y'all works backward and forward in time...one full run of the sand from the top to the bottom of the glass depending on the intent of the wielder, and you're zooming up to 25 years forward or backward. It's marked in such a way as you can stop or travel less than the full 25 years, and I included all the info on how to work it with Janet...best leave it to her to operate for safety purposes though."
"Now then," he said rocking on his heals, "the only catch is for each time you use the thing, it's gonna take a full month of normal time to recharge the chronitons in the sand. Anything else y'all need help with, ask Janet! She's just a peach!"
He finished with a smile and disappeared like a flame in the wind.
Everyone just kind of stood around looking at one another.
"What the actual fuck?" Basil eloquently articulated only to be slapped in the back of his head by Glenda for the language he used.
Everyone else just blinked among themselves.
0oO0oO0
Life for the travelers had become decidedly….odd.
Janet was amazing, but no one could shake the unease they'd experienced when they'd been confronted by the primordial entity Hue.
Harry and Hermione had taken to studying what they'd been given, and with the limitations on the device had discovered that they'd still be traveling for the better part of 11 years in order to get back home to 2008.
The Book given to her by Hue from St. Nohn had been read over, but made no sense, and she'd placed it in her private library for further review, only to be forgotten and buried in the nearly bulging stacks.
"There's no way around it everyone," Hermione said with a sigh from her place as Supreme to a packed council chamber and gallery as video cameras floated before her transmitting along broadcast infrastructure Janet had magic'd up.
"The way this solution works it will take 132 turns of the time-turner to get us home. That's a132 months we have to let it charge once it's been used to move us forward 25 years….we're going to be traveling for the next 11 years one month at a time."
"And so, as your Supreme, I report this not to enforce an edict, or sap your will to live life as abundantly as you should, but to honestly inform you and let you know the realities of this coven…half a generation, the better part of a full decade…."
"We will endure, and we will Survive this together."
"We have here all we need, schools, hospitals, farms, and housing abundant!"
"We have over the last several months welcomed at least a dozen new children to our Coven, and plans for the next Induction Ceremonies in the coming years will only grow grander, bolder, and more joyous as we continue to grow together as one people."
"I have been selected as your Supreme by the magics we all share; I ask you please, have faith, not in me for I'm as human and fallible as the least among you….instead, have faith in each other. Have faith in this Coven, have hope that together We Are Strong!"
"Janet," she called and the being popped into being beside her.
"Hello!"
"Please recall the gateways, engage the travel features of the trunk, and set course for the closest major Magical Nexus: Great Britain. Once we arrive, engage the time-turner, and aim for 2008."
"Alrighty then! Course is laid in, pre-planned recharge points have been calculated, and we're underway for what will become the United Kingdom now. We should arrive in 3 minutes on the outskirts of what will become London and the confluence of 12 major ley lines."
"From there we will activate the time dilation field. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Thank you Janet, and thank you all," Hermione said as Janet popped away.
"In two hours time a communal meal will be served on the lawn of the Commons Court of the Normal School. All of you, age 17 and over, will then be welcomed to join my family and I for a nightcap in the Great Salon of Windsong Manor," she said with a smile directly into the cameras.
"We are all in this together. We are traveling literally through perilous times. We must be ever vigilant to minimize our impact on the timeline, while also using this as a chance to live a life no other witches, wizards, or muggles, could possibly hope to live."
"As you all know the Council District's we've established are to allow you the chance to have a direct voice in this government, and a councilman responsible thereto. Each Councilor, by my own hand," she said raising an Executive Order for the Camera to view, "has the authority to grant approval to limited observational missions of not more than 2 contiguous weeks we are in normal time for those which wish to observe history, explore the world we live in, and make use of normal time as we exist in it."
"This is not a dictatorship, or a Cheerocracy," she said to a smattering of laughter from the younger members of the chamber, including Harry, "we are family…and you are allowed to want to better yourself, your talents, and enrich the knowledge and resources of the Coven as a whole."
"God bless you and keep you, and God bless the sacred Sanctificetur in Circulo."
From his place in the gallery immediately in front of the dais, Harry stood with others and began applauding the address his wife had made. He was so proud of her; with each passing day the layers of her childhood uncertainties were being peeled away that had slowly crept back in with the uncertainties of "professional life" and all the trials leading to it…but Harry knew that deep down, Hermione was a leader…a raw talent that required regular practice to shine.
Now everyone saw the woman he loved as he saw her: his rock, the jewel of his crown, and that reassuring smile and knowing glint in her eye was more reassuring and powerful than even the threats of a god.
0oO0oO0
Hermione was making her last rounds of the day after leaving the Council chambers in the Clinic, not only to prove she was a normal person and Supreme, but because the case of the John Doe fascinated her.
By all reports, he should have woken long ago.
His brain activity was off the charts.
Every time they cast an Enervate at him, his brain activity would spike, the Delta Waves being measured would peak, and then he'd settle down…as though he just couldn't wake.
"Having fun with the new patient," Theo asked the nurse, a young RN in training named Jeremy, who was giving the unconscious man physical therapy to help stave bedsores.
"He's a challenge alright!" Jeremy replied with a grin doing his best to gently take care of the massively muscled limbs he was there to massage, work over, and hopefully keep from atrophy.
"Remember to keep the mattress as firm as possible," Theo said dialing it up a notch or two so the air pressure would help.
"I wonder," Hermione began reviewing the chart and thinking things over.
"Stand back everyone," she called suddenly and slowly slid her wand into her hand, and pointing it at the slumbering mass of muscle.
Theo, Jeremy, and the nurse changing our his fluid bag quickly complied.
"I'm going to attempt a quick experimental treatment to see if this will work…if nothing else it may draw the consciousness of the man closer from wherever he is," she said with a sigh.
"You can't be serious about attempting Legillimency…on a coma patient?" Theo blustered.
"No Theo…"
"This is much more experimental…and just something I want to try."
"Imperio," she cast while focusing her will on dominating, controlling, commanding, and owning the mind before her.
She immediately felt a powerful presence within the mind of this man, and 'saw' flashes of light, predominantly reds and blacks, felt power, and so much anger.
"Doctor Potter!" Jeremy called in shock.
"Lay hands on me! Quickly," he ordered as Theo and Jeremy scrambled to follow her orders.
Face scrunched in concentration, she grit out new information for the medical team.
"He's being possessed by some malevolent force. It's fighting me for control….open yourselves and link to me…we have to join our power and push this thing out!"
Jeremy and Theo closed their eyes and began concentrating on touching their magical core to Hermione's….an uncommon, but not unheard of, and dangerous feat that was reserved for Healers' use in the direst of situations where brute magical strength was necessary.
Feeling a rush, Hermione battled on and poured this new combined power into her spell.
Her consciousness now had the full attention of the malevolence and it began battling with her.
She fought, raged, and finally commanded the magic singing in her veins to expel the intruder and for the patient to obey.
"Awaken!"
A flash of light, and poof of red smoke billowing from the slumbering man's ears surprised the Doctor's present, and suddenly the man's eyes….glossed over and clearly Imperioused, met them.
"Can you understand me? If yes, raise your right hand," Hermione called as Healer Pimstickle and Jeremy broke their connection.
Slowly the man's right hand raised.
"Good; you are no longer in the desert. You are in a place for healing, and you are being treated in ways you've likely never experienced before," she began slowly.
"We speak a different language than you, and are magical. This is a spell that allowed my mind to connect to yours and force you to awaken from your battle with whatever demon you had within you."
"I am going to end this spell, but you may no longer be able to understand me. I want you to be calm, patient, and know we mean you no harm. We will accept no violence or threatening behavior on your part when you awaken."
"You are to remember this discussion, and remain calm upon my lifting this spell."
"Do you understand me? If so, lower your hand."
Jeremy and Theo slowly removed their wands and had them at the ready in case the patient proved dangerous.
"Finite," she cast ending the curse.
Slowly the man's eyes unclouded, and he immediately began gagging on the foreign feeling of the feeding tube running though his nose.
"What is wrong with me?" he asked in a dialect Hermione and Theo understood from Harry's travels.
"Remain calm; we utilize medicine in ways to which you are unaccustomed," Theo began.
"Hold still and I will slowly remove the feeding tube from you," he said drawing his wand and slowly giving a few waves and a poke as the tube slowly began to remove itself from the formerly comatose man.
He coughed and gagged as it rose, before immediately slapping his hand to his nose in disbelief that something such as the tube had been inside of him.
"What is this place….what is this magic," he asked shielding his eyes from the harsh light of the LED lamps overhead.
"We are travelers," Hermione began speaking the same language as the other two.
"What is your name?" she asked attempting to help him come ease.
"Mathayus….I am, I was, the Scorpion King," he responded as though that should hold some meaning to them.
The three healers shared a look between them before Hermione once more turned her attentions to Mathayus and explained a little bit of their own backstory and how they'd come to have him int heir care.
"We come from a land, and a time, not your own. You were found, near lifeless, at the gates of the place we were visiting and recuperating after our battle with Anubis…." Hermione was interrupted by his actions.
The man growled and began thrashing in rage at the name of the cursed god of the damned.
"He cursed me….and then took everything from me…I was his slave so long…..I assisted in his patricide…the deicide as he ravaged the entire pantheon in his quest for power…" the man trailed off with a weak voice, before he fell unconscious…his body suffering too much shock in too short a time.
"Vitals are normal," Jeremy suddenly spoke up and slipped a pressure cuff onto the man's arm to get a BP reading.
"BP is normal," he read off the screen after the cuff activated.
"I'm sure he's exhausted," Hermione began.
"He's likely been fighting that thing…whatever it was, since we found him months ago."
She shared a look with Theo and knew the two would be having words later…and not just about her use of that curse in her practice.
"Get a regular room prepped for him and let Psych know they'll need to give him a full exam before we turn him loose. He's also going to need a course on English, written and spoken, in order to best assist in his recovery," Theo ordered while scribbling his statements out on the patient chart.
"Until we know whether he's a danger to himself or the community, I'm limiting his movements to the Clinic, or the grounds and gardens," Theo finished handing the patient file back to Jeremy.
"Won't you join me in my office Doctor Potter," Theo 'asked' placing particular emphasis on Hermione's title.
Bollocks, she thought as the two quickly left the isolation ward and made their way up to Theodore's Office.
Chapter 10. - A Jaunt Through Time
A month in primitive Britain had bored the Coven nearly to tears, but everyone had to admit meeting living Druids, studying with them, and sharing in their language, beliefs, and love for Nature had been more than enlightening.
More than a few of the young men of the group had been led into the forests by beautiful young maidens, in the area which would become the Forest of Dean, and returned the next morning with goofy grins and tails of magic most marvelous.
The group spent nearly three full months of recharging time in the same forests, teaching the locals herbs, simple potions, and instructing them on the recognition and taming of magical creatures.
Four poor souls had been aboard the trunk when they'd left the first time, then had to recharge for a whole month in the future, only to pop back and leave them a year after they'd originally visited, which caused quite a stir among the locals for the remainder of the time they visited whenever their arrival was announced.
The fair folk of the trunk would have no clue that their travels gave rise to the local's belief that they were the Seely Court, and that men and women were taken for their pleasure, and returned through time if at all.
It was a legend that would only gain strength as several of the girls which dallied with the Fairy men gave birth to magical children, exhibiting the same dominion over nature and nature's magic as their parents had, if not as controlled.
The influence of their magical genes, the light education they'd provided, would give rise to a society of witches and wizards that would live and commune with nature, in balance and peace, until the conquest of the Romans.
One of the few surviving lines of Druidic Priests, able to trace their lineage back through time to the visits by the Seely…would give birth to an unusually powerful Myrddin Emrys….Merlin who would go on to battle the dark forces of his own time, acting as a magical wise man, a mage, refining magic and his understanding to such a degree not seen before.
He'd assist in breakthroughs of wand crafting, pioneering, and lead to his greatest accomplishment, or so he thought, the creation of a magical school at the muggle capital: Camelot.
His four prized pupils, none known to the other and known only by reputation as Merlin only apprenticed individuals, would later meet at their former master's death, at his burial site in the highlands of Scotland, and would drink of the good old days, and speak of his failure at Camelot.
In a fit of pique and intrigue, a drunken Godric Gryffindor would bet the smug and smarmy Helga Hufflepuff, that she couldn't out-teach their former master…and as the beautiful Lady Ravenclaw, a nom de guerre, for the bastard child birthed to Guinevere by Lancelot, would raise the stakes by betting none of them could serve a better master for those she apprenticed.
"It is on then!" Slytherin declared throwing his own hat in the ring, and over the tomb of their beloved Merlin, a vow was made, one to the other, to carry on his legacy and found a school of magic which would succeed where his would fail.
In time the erection of a small wooden Mott and Baily would be erected, and for a time the four would teach personally those they identified or which sought them out, until the Normans came and brought with them innovations of magic from the continent, including how to magically mold and shape stone, how to enchant the rock to be more durable against attack, and how to obscure the presence of the Castle and Village from non-Magicals.
In exchange for their tutelage in the local magics of potions, herbology, and instructions in dueling, and access to the local language and Lord's Library, the Normal Mages made peace with the Schoolteachers, and assisted them in raising curtain walls, a great stone hall, and proper keep. Towers would come later as the school expanded, and the old castle would be divided from the new…but the influence of the Norman Mages could be felt even to the modern era and long past the natural lives of the four "founders" of what would become Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Runes, Charms, Transfiguration, and Enchantment were just some of the skills these Mages imparted once the castle was erected, and they'd accepted an invitation by the Hogwarts Four to pass on their own knowledge.
It was a development in history that was greatly affected and influenced by the travels of the Coven, and their various interactions, and dalliances, throughout continental Europe as they explored what they believed to be their past, unwittingly shaping their future fulfilling a cycle of events that had transpired before, were currently in progress, and would exist perpetually in a loop for all eternity.
"Time after all, is not linier," as Janet would explain to someone which asked the question.
"It's more….Jeremy Bearimy."
Elsewhere, observing the progress discretely of the Coven as they attempted to reach their home, Hue laughed at the chaos which was spreading through the timeline, sending a shock of life back into the old girl as time consumed itself, reversed course, and self corrected all in nanoseconds with each use of the time turner he'd given them.
He looked deep and saw the repercussions that were already emerging amongst the elders because of the actions of this wayward Coven and he was filled with a sense of superiority at a plan well executed.
"Oh yes!" he cried suddenly before flopping into bed after his tryst with the beautiful Persian he'd spoken of that first meeting with Harry and Co.
"I know," she replied lighting a cigarette… "I'm that good."
Sure….but I didn't mean you baby, he thought with a smirk before rising to fix them both a drink.
0oO0oO0
Their fourth month of travel, not counting the loop-back they had to do to return those Celtic men and women, saw the group arriving in the year 1090 BCE Norway.
The locals were….very….well, as Luna said so eloquently: Hawt.
The Coven voted to remain in this time for a full two months to allow for a full….immersion in Viking culture, and to study the religious influences and Norse Pantheon.
Harry, once they recognized him as high priest of this Coven, was asked to jointly partake in a ritual feast to Loki, and seeing no harm, lent himself, and his magic unknowingly, to the ritual.
While nothing would seemingly result from the invocation, immediately, the spell Harry assisted in casting would awaken the God of Magic once more and call his attentions to earth and see that Seidr had finally returned to those which worshipped the Asgard, and while not yet enough to awaken the entirety of the Pantheon, was enough to assist Loki in growing his strength.
Oh what mischief shall we manage while father yet slumbers, he thought with glee before plotting his first set of pranks and activities and to once more step foot upon Midgard as he hadn't done in over a thousand years.
The final night of their visit, after the exchange of some basic methods of cultivating herbs, the process of stone-masonry, the muggle method, and exchanging a few healing potions, the Coven took leave, reluctantly, from their visit with the Norse and set course once more to the future, and their travels through each culture of magical import in Europe, Asia, the Americas…..unaware that their actions, dalliances, and interventions were literally laying the seeds which would one day blossom and germinate into what they recognized as the magical world.
They were, unknowingly, the source of magic for many of the wizarding populations of the world which had the longest histories of natural born magic and would become the last keepers of the lore and means for muggles to either wield or acquire magic from these primitive cultures.
They would also amass, unknowingly, the single largest concentration of divine magics and invocations in the world.
Their raid on the library of Alexandria, around the 7th or 8th "jump" they took, would see the need for Harry and Glenda to build a dedicated Library and Archive, just off the main estate, outside the gates which led to the Normal School at Windsong Manor.
The towering structure modeled on the New York Public Library Hermione had fallen in love with, but thrice the size above and below ground and divided into a five continental "zones," for Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
It was a massive temple to knowledge as well as designed to be a practical building which would serve to house the wealth of generations: an accurate chronicle of human, and magical, history from each time period they visited.
It was such a unique endeavor that few in the Coven vocally complained when they spent more than a week or two in a certain place across the globe, even if it meant added time they didn't require to recharge the time sands.
"Who ever would have thought to damn well do that!" Sylvia Hester, one of the Coven tasked with archiving their books in the Ancient Archive they'd, the Coven on the whole, jokingly named the Library after a relatively popular TV Franchise's plot device, exclaimed reading about the same spatial compression charms used on in the open to create the lost continent of Atlantis.
"What's that V?" one of her colleagues called.
"I'm working on those scrolls from the enchantment section of the Library at Alexandria," Sylvia called back, "and they charmed a gateway…they keep calling it a Heavens-Gate somehow anchoring the spatial compression charms we've heard of to freaking huge columns of various rock, and somehow making an open air continent within a space as small as Athens."
Discoveries such as these were catalogued, indexed, archived, and then opened for inspection and review by those wishing to study, and carefully test, their effectiveness.
No subject was taboo, but admission to the archive was limited to adult and fully initiated members of the Coven, or those accompanied by such an adult.
As the local artisans continued filling spaces, and exhibitions to local artists collected from their own private excursions into whichever present they happened to fall in, a routine developed inside and outside the museum, and while none took overt actions to change the course of history, they nevertheless impacted it greatly by inspiring those they met, challenging their preconceived notions of magic and nature, and inspiring ordinary people to be the best that they could be.
Well into their fourth year of travelling, and by the 52nd time the Huh Glass had been turned forward in time, the trunk emerged into the Common Era, and where else did they explore but Jerusalem, again, and the High Mages of the Temple of Solomon, exchanging wisdom, theories of the divine, and managed to duplicate several rare Rabbinical texts and magics from the Levites prior to the sacking of the temple and the Jewish Diaspora.
Upon finding the temple relatively unchanged since their last visit, and not wishing to influence the events leading to the Diaspora, they traveled to Athens.
0oO0oO0
The once proud and gleaming city still bore the scars of the Roman sacking nearly nine decades later.
Where once grand mansions, tall proud columns, and grand boulevards dominated…now most everything was in ruin with only a few sections of the ancient center of knowledge and culture habitable.
The natives had been driven from their home in the West, and many moved to the far north east and Rome, to join in the caravan of Greeks seeking to eek out some form of life in the capitol of the civilized world.
"This place is a wreck," Harry observed as he and a small group of friends traveled about.
"I don't remember this happening in my studies…..Athens was rebuilt after the sacking and a thriving, if small, city until the Germanic forces came near 300…" Hermione chimed in.
"Integrum Instaurabo," Luna's voice called with a wide sweep of her wand clockwise as suddenly the ground began to shudder and long buried columns, bits of rock, and entire buildings lining the boulevard sprang back into being…the missing pieces forming from the motes of duet in the air.
"Luna," Hermione practically hissed.
"What?"
"We're not to interfere…." She trailed off trying to stop the girl who'd already turned from that street and begun repairing two others before she could be stopped.
In a matter of seconds, given Luna's extreme power and supreme focus on her casting, four entire city blocks soon emerged from the rubble, and caught the attention of the few locals nearby.
All of the Potter's and their party had been traveling with their Coven Cloaks, which fit in with the times, and with an uncharacteristically strong breeze, Luna's hood suddenly flew back as she was facing the wind as she turned to answer Hermione.
The locals which observed would forever capture her beauty and likeness, with hair of spun silver, and a face of delicate porcelain, in a new temple, hidden beneath the streets of the newly restores section of the outskirts of Athens, and so the Cult of the Titan Selene re-emerged from decades of rest, drawn to the ancient city and thrived among those which witnessed the titans walking the Earth once more, questioning the continued existence of their former gods if the Romans could so easily have destroyed their kin and allowed the Titans to re-emerge.
Stories would grow, and reputations with worship increase, for Selene, Artemis, and surprisingly enough Hecate to be worshiped as a new triune, and their worship would flourish if transmuted to the new aspect of Freja upon the next sacking to come as the stories of the reborn Titan were twisted to the tastes of the Germans that Freja had visited the lands they concurred.
Her temple, the temple of Selene which Luna inspired, would be lovingly stripped, and shipped with care to Hafrsfjord where the influence and invocations of Mother Freja would see the Goddess awaken in time to influence the battle, restoring faith in both her magic, battle prowess, and the elder gods of the Norse…
It was enough that Odin would awake, along with the remainder of the Pantheon and begin dabbling once more with mortals, none more prominently so than Thor, and rekindling the blood of the gods amongst those which shared in their faith.
"It needed fixing," Luna said with a shrug as she and those with her, including her new husband Rolf Scamander-Lovegood, as magic it seemed was preserving the names of the council chosen for posterity, began their search for the creatures and potions ingredients they'd come to find while Harry and Hermione's groups went their own respective ways.
Hermione and the nurses with her began treating the injured they came across, with love and devotion, while Harry and his began instructing the more knowledgeable in rebuilding techniques and how to use the existing materials of the city to rebuild.
In the shadows of the crumbling remnants of buildings, in the dancing of the firelight, an ethereally beautiful man, near translucent and bathed in a blue flame atop the crown of his hair as though it were his hair, observed the goings on in his niece's city which the other Olympians had abandoned long ago before the conquest of the Romans.
"This bears need to witness," he muttered and the shadows which bathed him as a toga broke apart and formed a rather pale and gaunt man, whom the god tasked with observing and reporting to him the activities of these new folks.
"Discover their pantheon, and report to me. Ingrain yourself in their lives as a slave to gain their trust. Serve me faithfully Agamemnon and you shall reach Elysium. Fail me, and your punishment shall reflect the level of this betrayal of trust," the being, which could only be Hades, said as he collapsed into shadow and slipped back into the underworld leaving Agamemnon reborn, and beginning to recover some of his human color.
He stumbled through the city, acquiring cuts, bruises, and enough dirt to convincingly pass for a long time resident, and made his way to the group seeking their mercies and healings….and swearing his life in service to these new beings for which he would accept no refusal.
It was an interesting excursion in Athens to say the least.
0oO0oO0
By the 129th rotation, the group had expanded quite a bit either in folks they'd rescued and taken into their Coven, new births which had happened, or spouses met, and were well on their way to the 14th year of their travels…a significant departure from the timeline initially projected given that the council had ordered more time in "research" of the eras than originally planned.
Once more the group found themselves recharging in Thebes, in the little temple complex they'd started their journey in so long ago, and decided to explore the remnants of the city's they visited in their travels along the Nile eventually reaching once more Seti's City, finding it now little more than ruins being overtaken by the desert sands.
"What's going on out there," Harry asked as he and several council members which had assembled for a lunch asked as they observed a large number of mounted men charging what appeared to be a woefully outnumbered garrison of mean behind minor fortifications offered by the long lost city.
"Those almost look like legionaries," Hermione muttered as she concentrated and attempted to get a better look as her, now adult, familiars began brushing up against the viewing mirror as though entreating her to intervein or pay attention to what was happening.
What is all this noise, Chac called from Harry's side as he raised his head to look blearily through a single bloodshot eye at what cause Hermione's cats to go berserk.
I told you to lay off the brandy old man….don't be ill at us for your choices, Harry said with a smirk.
Suddenly the mirror shown a man, clearly American by his features, and another abandoned by their comrades and about to be killed.
"We have to do something!" several yelled in outrage fearing that they were to witness a murder…as this was no honorable battle.
"Chac go scare away the cavalry," he said to his familiar.
Finally I get to play again…..those horses do look rather tasty, he hissed before popping away and reappearing above the mass of riders, flapping wings he spouted and causing dark storm clouds to emerge from nowhere for miles into the desert.
"This should be interesting," Harry said waiving his wand as sound began emerging from the Mirror.
A sudden clap of thunder and bolt of lightning thrown into the charging horde caused many of the Taureg Horsemen which trapped the Legionnaires in the ruins to break lines in fear, and the mighty screech of Chac send shivers down the spines of the quivering Legionnaires who finally looked up, saw the beast, and fled for the camels.
Rain began pelting all assembled, turning the land of Hamunaptra into a mud pit, snaring the horses of the Taureg, and causing many riders to be thrown and trampled, while Chac delighted in swooping down, scooping horses, and riders, into his massive jaws while swallowing them live, and often whole.
Lightning flew from his wings, from the clouds, and to the Taureg, frying man, exploding several, and driving most away.
Rick O'Connell turned to his friend Beni, and shouted over the wind and sheer noise the monster's presence was calling, asking if he could believe what was going on, only to turn and see Beni rapidly galloping away atop the last of the camel(s) leaving Rick no way to escape.
The sand beneath Rick's feet began to boil and froth, causing him to jump from foot to foot distracting him from cursing or chasing after Beni, and he found respite only as he climbed a massive downed column of sandstone that protected him from the suddenly black, and oddly green, tinted sands which began to flow as a tsunami toward the hell beast laying waste to the Taureg raiders.
In the sands, Rick swore he saw the face of a man, then a dog, as the surging tide swept ever closer to the beast that was feasting on a raider, when it suddenly took to the skies, and rained down unholy and powerful bolts of lighting into the mass.
The Medjair, gazing upon the battle from afar froze in terror at the open movements of Anubis once more, and observed the face generations of their clan had been warned against.
"Imhotep stirs," Ardeth Bay called to his men.
"Regroup! Summon the Council, and alert the villages," he ordered rearing his horse away and leading his men to fall back from the clashing of the gods.
The black sand rose, forming a wave 100, 300, then 600 feet tall in an attempt to grab at the rising and winged serpent, before the mother of all lightning strikes, which surely, Rick thought, carried enough voltage to light the world, struck it in a continuous blow of power while the demon snake bellowed in anger.
Finally, the now molten and falling sand, stopped its advance, staggered, before beginning to collapse in a cloud of green smoke and the ungodly smell of burnt ozone and hair.
"What the Hell was that!" Rick cried as the beast snapped its attentions to him before blinking out of existence, and then reappeared perched, on the collapsed wall and columns around him blocking any chance of escape.
Rick began screaming and fumbling with his sidearm as his rifle lay forgotten beneath the beast.
"That's quite enough Chac; you've had your fun with the others," Harry's voice suddenly called.
Rick unable to process the voice, spun behind him and observed a decidedly not Arab dressed too hot for the dessert, carrying a glowing stick which he promptly touched to his forehead, and all he knew was darkness.
***To Be Continued***
Author's Commentary:
Dimension Hopping for Beginners: Fanfic Author: Nonjon. ***READ IT***
One of the first, and still best, fics I've ever read, I never purposefully name drop authors in the stories I do, but this just fit too well.
I hope St. John would accept this reference in the spirit it's given.
The European Dating Method, Day/Month/Year, is used in this story.
Original Chapter Date: 11/14/2018
Polished Date:
This the First Part in what I envision a two, possibly three part arc solely for the Mummy and O'Connell storyline as a stand alone fic.
I'm toying with the idea of making this into a three part series with Part I. being HP x The Mummy, Part II. Being HP x Percy Jackson and finally Part III. Being HP vs. The Magical World
I hope you enjoyed this. Let me know with your comments and reviews.
Page 116 of 116