Author's Note: Anything related to the Harry Potter universe obviously does not belong to me, no matter how much I wished it did. Sigh. And the Latin in this chapter may be incorrect. I admit I used Google Translate.
May 15th, 1998
The war was over. Many lives had been lost, but many had been saved. Harry Potter had died, and yet lived. That was the strangest part of the war. At least, it was for him and the other two thirds of the Golden Trio. In the weeks that followed, there were many funerals and parties to attend. While many mourned the loss of loved ones, many celebrated a newfound sense of freedom: freedom from Voldemort, freedom from fear that had held the country captive for many, many years.
Finally with a relatively quiet night in, the trio found themselves comfortably sitting around the table at the Burrow with the entire Weasley family, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Tonks. The last two had formed some attachment previous to the battle, but it had quickly fizzled out. Whether this was from the danger of the war or a lack of true attraction from both parties had been undetermined, but neither wished to try again. They were all merely glad to still be together, and alive.
That was not to say that the group had not lost some dear to them. Lavender Brown had been one of the hardest for Ron. The two had briefly been back together and losing his girlfriend had been hard on the youngest Weasley boy. He had yet to fully recover, though none expected him to after only a few short weeks. Colin Creevey had also perished, taken at too young an age. Severus Snape, who would never be completely forgiven, was also mourned, as it appeared he had not been as evil as they had all once thought.
Still, they all attempted to put such losses from their minds, even if they would never leave them completely. Molly Weasley had cooked up a meal to feed an army which had been gratefully received by the people gathered around. The air was filled with laughter and smiles, everyone clearly enjoying themselves. Ginny and Harry had disappeared at some point during the celebration, though no one bothered to go looking for them. Everyone had decided they had earned the right to be together without any interruptions, though Molly could occasionally be heard muttering goodnaturedly, "Better not get her pregnant too young."
Though she was enjoying the festivities, Hermione Granger found herself needing a breath of fresh air, and had politely excused herself from a conversation with Arthur and Percy over Kingsley Shacklebolt's landslide win for Minister for Magic and how legislation was hopefully soon to be passed to put the Wizarding World back together. She knew better than to go far from the house as Death Eaters were still being rounded up, but the land on which the Burrow sat was protected with increased wards that would keep those with evil intentions away. It was a beautiful night, cloudless with a soft breeze that made for the perfect temperature. The young woman settled down beneath a tree to glance out at the stars, a small smile upon her lips.
She remembered gazing at the stars with her parents when she was younger. Every Friday night they would sit out on a blanket in their backyard, pointing out constellations they remembered and recounting the stories behind them. She had loved all of those moments and wished she could bring them back. However, she had lost them. Her parents continued life in Australia without her, oblivious to the fact they once had a child. Even with the war over, Hermione had found she was unable to reverse the charms she'd placed upon them. It seemed being the Brightest Witch of her Age had backfired for once.
The Weasley's had adopted her in even when it became clear she and Ron were never going to be an item. It hadn't mattered to Molly Weasley. She loved Hermione as a daughter either way, and the family they provided chased away most of the pain losing her parents had caused her, much like they had done for Harry. Sirius and Remus had also been of immense help. The pair had been around often to talk with the younger crowd, and everyone together and safe made life much more easy to bear. At times she felt they cast odd glances her way, but it was always too quick for her to be sure, and so she never brought it up. Not to them, not to anyone.
Sighing, she lifted a hand to grasp the locket around her neck. It had come to her in a package by owl the day before and, after having it scanned over many times for signs of possible danger, she'd found it harmless. It was a beautiful piece, a silver heart with a sapphire placed in the middle. The only problem was she seemed to have trouble opening it. No matter what spells she tried, it refused to open. Even Harry and Ron couldn't figure it out. She had intended to ask the others about it that night, but she hadn't gotten around to it yet. Nobody had seemed to notice it, either, though it wasn't strange for that to not happen.
The young witch would be lying if she said she wasn't curious as to what was inside. It wasn't dangerous, she knew, and that only added to her curiosity. Inscribed on the side was one phrase: Sit Tempora Nova Initia. She had done some research earlier that day and found out it was Latin. Unsurprising, really. "Let Time Bring forth New Beginnings..." She murmured, translating the words. It was the first time she'd spoken it aloud. Without much hope, she pressed the button to try and unlock it again, though this time it opened and an intense light flashed before her eyes, blinding her. It was too much, and a tug at her belly caused her to lose consciousness.