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At three o'clock Luna and Hermione made their way towards the thestrals to meet their small group and saw them all waiting, looking slightly confused and even a little sad. Moody was the first to see Luna and spoke.
"Lovegood, we've been looking everywhere for you; or rather your body. What happened and how are you here?"
"I was never lost or hurt. I would ask why your here but I already know."
"Luna, thank god you're okay."Remus said, rather happy the quirky blonde wasn't hurt.
"You're dead for a week and everybody just ignores your presence. Remind me to never die properly." Hermione exclaimed from behind the group who were facing Luna.
"Hermione!" Everyone yelled
"Keep it down, with voices that high Dumbles might hear you from the castle."
"How are you here? You were eaten by the squid."Charlie asked
"Oh, you mean Harold? Not eaten just delivered to an underwater cave at my request. Now we really should be going and getting out of the light of day before someone sees us. Follow us please." Hermione explained before skipping up to Luna and walking towards the entrance to the Chamber.
When they arrived all eight were reasonably speechless at the sight that met them. It was recognized as the Chamber of Secrets by the statue Harry had described, but there were comfy couches and chairs all over the place. However the thing they found weird was the jar on the table beside the coat rack.
"Okay, everyone might as well put your coats on the rack and your wands in the jar." Luna said as she did just that. The others followed hesitantly, but their curiosity won them over based on the fact that there were three extra wands in the jar. "Good, now have a seat. Hermione, go get the others and if they refuse to come, convince them."
"Others?" Kingsley asked
"Others." Luna confirmed, just then three grown men ran out of the side room and made for the door. The guests were suitably surprised to see Severus, Antonin, and Corbin running and with the two girls. Luna stepped in their path and they grounded to a halt.
"Where are you three going?" Hermione asked innocently.
"I'm starting to believe this story is going to be very interesting." Remus stated from his seat beside Tonks on the sofa.
"Oh, it will be." Corbin muttered and he plonked himself down on one side of the chess board, admitting defeat. He motioned to the other side of the board and Antonin took the seat. Corbin looked up and at Antonin to give him a look that clearly said 'not you, you imbecile.' Antonin frowned but stood and made room for Severus to take the seat. This caused a few smiles to be shown just slightly as everyone else sat and Antonin was left sitting on the floor.
"Why do I have to sit on the floor?" He grumbled.
"Same reason why your animagus form is a Niffler." Severus stated.
"And why your room is super humid." Luna chimed in from her seat.
"Also why you suck at chess and most other things." Hermione smiled.
"What does all that have to do with anything?"
"They're just implying it's because your life is annoying just like your personality, only it only affects you and does things that would annoy you to no end." Corbin smirked down at him and gave him a patronizing pat on the head.
"Yeah, were going to need to hear that explanation and quick." Bill stated from his spot in between his two youngest brothers in attendance.
"Fine, the prophecy they found in the ministry is real and it's about us five. Each verse is about a different person with a different element that they have control over. That cottage that Dumbledore couldn't get past the wards to used to be where we entered the tunnel from. We were able to enter it because it was made for us to use, the five elementals to end the war from a third opposing side. We spent a while in there with the time rune that was built into the house activated and when we exited it was only a few minutes, the next morning the cottage disappeared and the entrance to the tunnel was revealed to us and whoever we want to see it. We then each faked our deaths so we could hide out here, not be targeted, and to build our small but powerful army so we can end this war." Severus drawled.
"Are there any questions?" Hermione asked with a grin at the astonished faces before her. She got up and let Antonin have her seat to stop his pouting while she walked over to sit in his spot. She made a face but persevered.
"Can you explain the prophecy a little more; maybe tell us who each of you are in it?" Charlie asked.
"We will soon enough. Not quite yet though." Luna stated
"Are we the only ones you've talked to or planed to talk to?" Moody asked
"No and no..." Antonin offered meekly.
"Wow Dolohov, never pictured you as a shy one." Fred teased.
"If you don't have a question, shut up." He answered with a glare.
"Is there any particular reason aside from those three why we had to place our wands in a jar that won't allow us to take them out until given permission?"
"Yes, it's just one of our precautions. If you do manage to get your wand out or use the spare ones I know a few of you have on your person, you can't cast a spell that has bad intent behind it." Corbin supplied.
"So you five can't duel down here?" Tonks asked.
"Never said that, seeing as how that would be an equal mal-intent situation we can do that, or we can adjust the wards if all of us are in agreement and here to do so. It has five layers, one from each of us." Antonin explained. These questions continued for quite a while longer until it was 5:45pm and Severus rose to go get the others. Hermione took his place at the chess board and was about to play his turn when he came back and glared at her with a raised eyebrow. She sat on the floor again and stuck her tongue out at him, eliciting an eye roll before he left.
"Where's he going?" Tonks asked
"To get the others who will arrive at 6. All the questions you've asked where we've given vague answers will be answered when they arrive so you just need to ask them again." Antonin told them.
"Just keep in mind that while you all have things in common." Corbin explained
"Does this mean we can finally touch on the subject that we needed to have a potion in order to read your note and then come here immediately?" George asked
"Yes, but remember what we told you about the wards." Hermione said as she saw the others join the group in the chamber. She conjured, with her extra wand, a love seat couch and two armchairs to add to the two, three cushion couches, two wing back chairs, and two arm chairs already in the room. She purposely left the room without one seat and smirked at Antonin. Moody was the first to notice the newcomers and growled slightly. All the others looked at the new arrivals with a mixture of fear, disgust, and contempt all of which was returned by the newcomers.
"Now, now children, calm down." Severus drawled as he went back to the chess board and took a seat after motioning to the jar with the wands. All four reluctantly added theirs to the collection before taking seats in the empty places. Hermione looked around the assembled group and took in the seating arrangement. She shook her head and rolled her eyes before shifting slightly in her spot on the floor and muttering a curse. Everyone looked at her to see her rubbing her hip with a small frown.
"Hermione, you should've told us your hip was still bothering you." Corbin chided.
"If I told you now would one of you be a gentleman and offer me their seat?" She asked.
"Nice try kid, no can do. Us men are getting older and can't sit on the floor any longer and we all know none of our guests are gentlemen."
"Douche canoe."
"What did you just call me?"
"You heard me old man." Corbin's eyes narrowed and he was about to respond when Antonin chimed in.
"Hey he's only two years older than Severus and I, what's that make us?"
"Almost old men?" Luna asked from her spot to his right.
"That's just not fair."
"It's plenty fair, now shut up and leave us to our discussion." Corbin said before turning back to Hermione. "I am not old."
"You literally just called yourself an old man."
"I didn't mean it!"
"The prophecy said your old too."
"I hate you and you're a piece of-"
"Then why did you say it? Face it Corbin, you are old and you may need to go to a special care home soon. It's either that or get a wife but I don't know anybody who would want to date an old man." Hermione cut him off with a smirk.
"Plenty of people would want to marry me!"
"Only if they're into necrophilia, you're dead to the world right now and you'd be dead shortly after the wedding from old age meaning it's either necrophilia or a gold digger after your fortune."
"What's necrophilia?" Antonin asked Luna.
"How much is Corbin worth, is it really worth it to a gold digger to marry someone so old just for the money?" Luna asked
"I'M NOT OLD!"
"All of you shut up!" Severus finally snapped, everyone went quiet and all the guests were trying very hard not to laugh at the three wide eyed innocent looks sent at Severus while Corbin just put his head on the table in front of him.
"Something wrong Sev?" Hermione asked, he rolled his eyes and looked at their guests.
"What questions do you have?" He directed at them.
"The floor is cold and uncomfortable."
"Are they always like this?" Trystan Avery asked
"Unfortunately yes."
"Will you explain the prophecy now? I'm still confused about who is who..." George trailed off as Hermione stood from her seat and plonked her butt onto Severus' lap. He rolled his eyes and glared slightly at Hermione but she just smiled and snuggled in closer to the man.
"We will let Hermione and Luna be the ones to explain since they're the ones who figured it out." Corbin said with amusement tinting his voice.
"It's simple really, Corbin is the Air elemental, Severus is the fire, Antonin is the earth, Luna is the spirit, and I'm the water."
"Okay, that helped a little but how did you figure that out and how do you mean a third opposing side in the war?"
"The verses of the prophecy each point towards specific people and hint at different elements. Like Hermione's asks how can she not drown in a hole? Hermione almost drowned once but then realized she could breathe underwater, then there's the whole knowledgeable old soul, we both have eidetic memories. That and what we already knew about elementals is what gave us the information needed to solve it." Luna explained.
"As for the third party in the war and why we don't just join one side... well, Dumbledore used loyalty potions on you 8 because you suspected something off with some plan of his at some point. There's a reason his plans cause pause in you guys and it's because he doesn't want the war to end unless it's on his terms. Then for Voldemort, well we can see his destruction quite easily, but he also used imperious curses on you four and a few others, but they all died doing his bidding or are too crazy to know the difference between the two mind sets." Hermione explained. "In other words corruption and manipulation with different names..." To say they were surprised was an understatement, but... they were surprised. The silence in the room lasted a long time before everyone seemed to absorb everything.
"So..." Bellatrix started "Severus..." She seemed to want to ask something but didn't know how to phrase it if her looking around was any indication.
"I think what she wants to know is what is going on between you and the girl in your lap." Rabastan said with a smirk. Everyone looked at the duo and they looked at each other before Hermione smiled and Severus shook his head.
"Oh, it's quite simple really. We are deeply in love and plan to elope as soon as we can sneak out of the room without anybody noticing." Hermione exclaimed, everyone laughed at that before Severus spoke.
"Actually I do believe we planned to wait until we were safe in Russia to do that." everyone seemed to clue in that it wasn't entirely a joke and sobered quite quickly.
"You're serious?" Corbin asked. "How did I miss this? How long has there been a this to miss?"
"Hey, that rhymed!" Hermione cheered
"Since we were still in the cabin..." Severus muttered giving his girlfriend a look at her choice in answer.
"Hey that means you were before Antonin and I! We waited until we were here to start!" Luna seemed joyous for reasons now uncovered.
"Seriously? This is a war not a dating service!" Corbin yelled
"You're just upset because you have nobody." Antonin stated, Corbin frowned and glared at him.
"And that he never will because he's going to die and old man very soon." Hermione pointed out, Corbin turned his icy glare on her which just made her smile widen.
"Wait, did you just say Russia?" Trystan asked
"Oh, yay, another question, I was starting to think there weren't anymore!" Luna exclaimed
"Why are you going to Russia?" Tonks asked
"Not just us five... any of you who want refuge can come with us."
"Refuge from what and how would that work?" Kingsley asked
"After Voldy is dead, we are going to go after Dumbledore. However we need one of you 8 to do that because, well, three of us are confirmed dead and two of us are convicted death eaters. You four are also out for the same reasons and since your here that means you're on our side so you get to be our spies until the war. When Voldy attacks we will come out of the Chamber for the final showdown and assemble our side to kill or immobilize as many of the 'dark side' as possible, before we hand over all the evidence we have against Dumbles to the court, anonymously, and then skip town for Russia. Since you are all here, and have stayed, you can join us in Russia since you will be ousted as working with death eaters or blood traitors, depending on your side of the war." Severus explained the plan he and Corbin came up with.
"Won't you be recognized and brought back here from Russia's ministry?" Charlie asked
"Not if we're already citizens at that point. If we're citizens of Russia then the laws and wanted posters in London won't apply to their ministry. It's an old law but it fits our purposes perfectly. We need to know before the final showdown if you want to skip town so we can arrange it, but we already have the process started. I suggest you plan on this as it will be for the best." Corbin explained
"Why should we go to Russia? Some of us have time right now to try and get citizenship anywhere else, so why Russia?" Moody asked
"Russia and England have had problems in the political world for years. Russia is safe for us; they won't trade our freedom for anything because they're stubborn and relentless." Corbin explained
"If you think you will be safe after siding with even just one death eater then you're delusional. The ministry is invaded with Voldy's real followers and once that's found out the population will go with a total recall and crucify everyone that's associated with one, loyal or not. We told you we had stuff on Dumbledore, and we do. It's good and punishable by law no matter your standing, potions and spells that should never have been used. This is what we've been doing since we got down here. Corbin and Severus plan everything, Antonin spies on Dumbledore, Luna and I try to convince other species to join our side. It's working and we are looking at winning, but we need all the help we can get and we need to be able to run somewhere safe when the dust settles." Hermione explained without sympathy
"Plus, Russia has been trying to get me back there and working for them since I applied for leave for here. I told them I would come back if I could bring anybody I wanted to get full citizenship and immunity from the previous crimes committed here. They said we would be the top of the list.
"Hermione and Luna have a list of jobs a mile long to chose from, I have an excellent job in the hit wizard division lined up, Severus has a potions business starting to gain anticipation already and all that's been done is the building being bought, and Corbin is the Ministers right hand man already.
"They need Aurors, that's Tonks, Moody, Kingsley, and Trystan set. They have a nice dragon reserve with a lot of dragons and a few keepers, Charlie and Roudolphus could have a job there. Plenty of empty store fronts for a joke shop for the twins, and their school has rehiring after each year of teaching so Bellatrix and Rabastan can get their dream jobs. Bill, curse breaking in Russia is a golden opportunity, all those royal castles and hidden magic sights and tombs. Even the werewolf rights are better over there, you would be respected and could get any job you wanted Remus. Just fill out the form and we will send it over, there is enough for all of you over by the wand jar."Antonin persuaded, everyone jumped up and ran to get a form.
"Well that went well." Hermione muttered, Severus chuckled and kissed her cheek before going his turn on the board. Everyone sat in silence for the next half an hour as the forms were filled out and handed to Antonin. The next few hours were spent detailing the plans for the final battle, placing the spells that were continuous, and teaching the ones that weren't. They shared the information the group had dug up so far on Dumbledore, and they explained some of their powers that they got as elementals. When the others left their brains were fried and they were ready for bed and to end the stupid war as quick as possible. It was a long road ahead of them, but they were ready.
A/N: Thank you to Saamon-sama for pointing out that mistake with the word prophesy and prophecy, I didn't even realized I was confusing the two. Also thank you to the guest reviewer who helped me with a name for Avery (Trystan).
