Chapter Ten, hooray. Updated as of 7/10/09.
Note: When I originally wrote this, I did not know what to call Serenity's father until a later chapter, and later in the story he is called "Derrik." This has been changed to "Osiris," which someone suggested was a more fitting name. In unedited chapters, it will still be the first name or no name at all until I can change it to Osiris. Sorry for any confusion!
Also, sorry for the sudden skip in time...that's what we do when we're young . And I just now realized I've been spelling "Metalia" wrong. Oops!
Anyway, enjoy!
Almost three months had passed since the Quidditch field was submerged in water. Gryffindor had won the two Quidditch games they had played so far and were leading in points for both the house and Quidditch cups. It almost seemed like things were normal again, normal as they could be. The senshi had yet to teleport and so the Death Eaters had not snuck in again, nor had any other strange occurrence appeared.
Earlier, Harry had done what Hermione called the right thing and gone to Professor Dumbledore's office to tell him about the dreams he had. Unlike the letter he wrote to Sirius, which failed to mention many things (such as Voldemort's presence), he told the headmaster everything. The older man nodded and let him speak while he recalled the Queen made of energy and the plans she had.
"That's quite a series of dreams, Harry." Dumbledore said when he was done. "Queen Metalia and Lord Voldemort...hmn..."
"Like I said," Harry added, "Voldemort seems to be only pretending to be a servant, even though Metalia seems more powerful. I think."
"You don't know who Metalia is, do you?" Dumbledore said, getting up and staring out the window at the grounds.
"No, sir." Harry said. He had a hunch, though.
"Queen Metalia is the reason why the princesses have come to this time." The old wizard explained. "She existed as a dark being in the past, where they came from. She is the force responsible for the Earth's hatred of the other planets and the moon, and the Silver Millennium's demise." He nodded. "If we were to be in Japan a few years ago...we would also know of Metalia. Though what goes on there, we rarely hear of here."
"How did Metalia transcend time like that?" Harry asked.
"When the Silver Millennium fell, the Queen sent reincarnates of her child, her guards, the other princesses, as well as Metalia to Earth to be reborn." Dumbledore told him. "Another reason why we cannot let the princesses leave our sight, if they were to travel to Japan, they could very well see themselves."
"Reincarnation is something only they can do, right?" Harry asked. "Normal wizards can't?"
"Not like that, no." Dumbledore nodded.
"So then..."Harry started, but didn't really know what to say. Dumbledore took that as his cue to explain more.
"Metalia was only supposed to exist in those two times and those two places. The fact that she has somehow awakened here is probably the work of Voldemort, who has actually been face to face with the king and queen of the Silver Millennium. He fears them. They have powers no wizard ever could have. No doubt that whatever he's thinking, he wants to exterminate hem as well, though...he is more than likely waiting until she is powerful enough so that she can then take control of her which..." He let out a dry laugh. "I don't think he can feasibly do, and will end up not only killing himself but...countless others in the process."
"He doesn't know what he's doing?" Harry asked. That was not like Voldemort at all.
"Oh no, I think he does, though if his own death is in the plan or not remains to be seen." Dumbledore sighed. He finally turned away from the window and faced Harry. "These dreams, Harry...have they made you feel anything?"
"Well..." Harry wasn't quite sure what Dumbledore meant. "When I wake up, I'm really-"
"What I mean to say is, while you are dreaming and after you wake up and think, do you feel any strong emotions inside of you, like you need to get up and do something?"
"Not really." Harry shrugged. Was that the wrong answer? "I mean, I want to stop Voldemort and Metalia...I don't want them hurting anyone else, myself included...but I don't have the urge to run out of bed and find them."
"Ah. Very good." Harry saw a smile on Dumbledore's wrinkled face. "I don't quite know what your connection is to these dreams, but so far it seems like they are not trying to lure you into a trap."
"Is it a bad thing that I can see what's going on?" Harry asked. "I mean, if we know what they're going to do-"
"In that sense no, but, the fact that you can see those things in your dreams means someone wants you to see them, either on their side or maybe ours..."
After their meeting, the days flew by smoothly; time in peace passing much too quickly. It was almost Christmas, and despite the fact that the princesses would be absent, Hogwarts was still hosting a ball. Everyone was telling everyone else who cared what they would be wearing for the ball, who they would be going with, how they planned to do their hair, and thousands of other minute and worthless details which brought smiles to the young witches and wizards. There seemed to be a split between the teachers; half gave their classes easy work to do as their heads were already filled with so much excitement it was thought to be useless to try and teach anything before the break. Others, however, piled on so much work, that it seemed like there was no end and that they would have to work through the break.
Raye soon found herself getting angry every time she stepped into Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and Charms, all of which were classes that had a certain Slytherin in them. Rather then hide the fact that he was lusting after a Gryffindor, he instead boasted about how he was going to go to the Silver Millennium of the past and how he would take as many ancient artifacts back with him to the present as he could. It wasn't the loud bragging that got Raye irked, it was when her sensitive ears swore that he had said the cursed words - "My girlfriend."
"Hey!" Raye practically dragged him from the circle of Slytherins where he was holding court during a dull class in Defense Against the Dark Arts. "I am not your girlfriend! And this ball is not some place to play around and mess up the future! We are going to a formal ball held annually by Queen Serenity the fourth that has been regarded as the most anticipated social event in our time! It. is. no. big. deal."
Mina and Lita kept joking on how any moment Snape would come bursting through the door on bended knee and ask Serenity to take him with her to the ball. Serenity however teased them on how she and Raye were the only ones with dates.
"We're taking our time." Mina said. "Let them ask us." Professor Mynci had overheard them and giggled slightly.
"What are you doing over Christmas break, Professor?" Amy asked. "Are you staying to chaperone the ball?"
The young professor's cheeks flushed. "Actually...er...I...I'm getting married..."
"Really?! That's so exiting..." Serenity exclaimed. Serenity adored weddings and could hardly wait for the day when she and Endymion could be joined as one.
"Where is the wedding?" Lita asked.
"Mm...somewhere up north, I think...." Mynci pressed a slender finger to her bottom lip. "You see, he's a scientist for the Ministry inspecting abnormal power radiations by the arctic circle. That way we can go skiing as well!"
Slowly, Serenity and Mynci's talk of weddings had drawn a small crowd of girls, all hopeless romantics, leaving the guys in the class to watch and guess what was going on.
Unlike the ball held the previous year where only certain students could attend, this ball was open to everyone, and then the day after was the start of Christmas Break. There were very few people skipping the ball to leave early, most of them were with Serenity's party; going to the moon. Ron had also joined their group, roped in by Mina. Lita was begging Amy to ask George because Fred wouldn't go with her unless George was going. Amy flatly refused. Then she changed her mind as soon as Lita left her alone.
"Do you think we should ask Harry, Hermione, and Ginny to come with us?" Serenity asked the day before leaving."You know, so we'd know other people besides ourselves. It gets very tiring, greeting and talking with people you don't know."
"Ginny and whoever she's going with, yes, but I don't think that Harry and Hermione are going togeth-" Lita started. Mina jumped up.
"No!" She shouted making a fist and hitting it into her open palm dramatically."They have to go together! They're so cute together!" And thus, Mina had a new mission. She shot off to the library to find Hermione.
"Hermione!" she whispered quite loudly as soon as she saw the bush of hair that was sitting at one of the study tables. Mina ran over to her and sat at the seat across from her. "You have to ask Harry to the dance! You can come with us to our ball! To the moon!"
"I'd really like to go to the moon," Hermione said, "But Harry already told Ron that he was going with Cho Chang." Hermione said.
"...No he's not." Mina said in disbelief."I saw her crying yesterday. I asked what was wrong and she said something about she couldn't go to the dance cause it was too sad or something...Ah! I understand!"
"Understand what?" Hermione asked.
"I understand why he said that! It's the classic romance story!" Mina exclaimed."Why didn't you see it earlier? Don't you read novels?"
"Not often." Hermione said wondering where all this was going.
"Ah, well, that's no the most important thing right now. Harry probably had no desire whatsoever to go to the ball with her. What is important is that you come with us for the ball with Harry. It'll only be one day..." Mina smiled happily at the brunette.
"I'll go...but Harry...I...I really don't know if that's-"
"Great!" Mina said. Before Hermione could protest, Mina ran off in search of Harry.
"I think we should bring Sirius." Serenity said at lunch. "Him and Remus. Saturn disappeared just like that, it would do him good to get out of that cave and into the light. And maybe we could even find out what happened."
"He can't, Serenity. He's an international fugitive. Ginny and her date might get scared or tell." Raye said, frowning slightly. She had also thought of inviting the two. "And Draco'd run about the school yelling 'Harry's been keeping Sirius Black under his cloak the whole time! Take him to Azkaban!'"
"I suppose you're right...it's just that...all these things happening, all these people dying..." Serenity started and sighed.
"Not even Voldemort could do such things." Said Amy. Some of the people sitting around the five gave them wide-eyed looks; the senshi had never been informed that saying Voldermort's name was taboo.
"So are you saying that," Mina whispered,"There is someone over him? Like a master or something?"
"It's a theory." Amy said. "The Dark Kingdom has come to this time maybe they...recruited him?"
"We don't really know much about him, though." Lita said. "If he would be the type of person to be willingly led or not."
"Maybe Harry could fill us in." Raye suggested.
"We could always ask Professor Dumbledore, he said he would help us if we need it." Amy said.
"I don't want anyone else here to worry..." Serenity muttered.
"Could we talk to Sirius?" Raye asked.
"He's our friend now, and he probably knows more that Harry about the matter." Serenity said. "Let's go today."
After having to use their best excuse to get past Filch ("We're the warriors of the past, we're here to help you guys! There's an emergency at Hogsmeade!") The five arrived in the small town.
They had hoped that Sirius was still in his cave, despite the weather growing cold, and luckily he was. After catching one another up on certain things, they asked about who Voldemort was, his connection to Harry, and anything else they might have needed to know. After a long story about the history of Harry and Voldemort, Sirius then told them many of the rumors he heard over at Lupin's. They consisted of the always popular "Harry will die" because of Voldemort, the "some people say Dumbledore's related to Harry and that's why Harry survived," and there was even a rumor that Harry was an unregistered Animagi who can turn into a snake and the whole Boy Who Lived thing was part of a big plot of Voldemort's.
"Those all sounds ridiculous." Amy pointed out.
"That's how things have become." Sirius shrugged. "Then there was a very peculiar one...two of them, really. Came from some woman around here. She said first that Harry is the reincarnate of your father, Serenity." Her father, the noble and wise King Osiris. Yes, he was still alive, Serenity thought to herself. He was on Earth, currently, but it was the Earth of the past, though he and the Queen had been to this time. Was he here now? But could he really be in this time, or even reincarnated? Did that even exist? "And the other one was that Dumbledore is the reincarnate of Serenity's father and Harry is the reincarnate of Prince Endymion."
"But..." Serenity said, asking what they were all thinking. "Why would my father and Endymion have reincarnates here? That doesn't happen. We are born, we live our life to the fullest, and we die. That is the cycle of life on any planet or moon."
"I was always told that reincarnation was something of legends." The smart Amy said.
It now occurred to Sirius that he had made a very big mistake in saying what he had just said, they were from the past, so there was no way they could know the terrible events that would happen to them. He even recalled flipping though a copy of the book that Lupin had bought and seeing the warning in the back. Had people been that faithful, fearful, or was there magic at work preventing them from knowing? Either way, Serenity wanted to know. He couldn't let her go with no information, but how could he tell her that not so far in her future, she and everyone she cared for would be dead and sealed away?
"Reincarnation seems to be something rare that happens, and only people of the Silver Millennium can do it." He told them reluctantly. "There are people in this time who used to exist then, but were able to be born again here. Some know it, some don't."
"That's...incredible!" Mina exclaimed. "People can actually be in two times?"
"And the people who know, could they go back to the past and see themselves?!" Raye asked. The five were getting more excited over this then Sirius had intended.
"Look," Sirius started, not meeting any of their eyes. "You know those Moon Kingdom books they've been selling?"
"Yes..." Serenity said. She wondered where this was going. She had yet to open her copy since
"Just...read it. I think what you're looking for would be in the back." he said.
"Alright...." The moon princess nodded. She did not like the tone in his voice.
After the girls bid Sirius farewell, they returned to the castle and slowly made their way up to the Gryffindor dorms. They were still confused about most of what Sirius had said. This future was so different from their own time, yet in a way, just the same.
"Serenity!" Luna exclaimed as the five stepped in. "Someone's been in all the rooms, I think they were looking for something!" Fearing the worst, they ran up the stairs into the fifth year girls' dorms. Parchment and quills scattered the floor, bottles of ink stained the carpets and bed sheets. There were clothes and papers everywhere. There was no long-lasting damage to any of the items in the room, however.
"Who did this?" Amy muttered as she picked up her first editions slowly.
"We don't know." Artemis said from the bed. "We've been in the library looking something up, we just now got back."
Within minutes, thanks to their wands, everything was, for the most part, back in order.
"Was anything stolen?" Luna asked. "It's the only reason I can see why someone would do this."
"Yes." Serenity said removing ink from the rug and placing it back into the bottle. "All of our Moon Kingdom books, and some of Lita's clothes...it seems like there's random small things gone as well, like Mina's ribbon and Amy's quill...oh, wait..." Serenity spied something under her bed. She got on hands and knees and pulled out a piece of parchment rolled up and tied in Mina's ribbon.
"What's that?" Lita asked. Serenity shrugged and untied it, giving the ribbon to Mina.
"Hello, Little-Moon-Princess!" Serenity read."You don't know me...Yet, you do. I'm sure you're wondering what terrible person ransacked your private quarters and took all your little moon books...I am not such a bad person, no, it's for your own good, you know. Anyway, when I was done, some filthy crows came in and scratched me! I used your dear friend's shirt to dry the blood! Don't worry, though, I'll give it back eventually. Anyway, Princess, don't worry about the generals! No, not at all! They're alive! They are here, in this time, did you know? And you want to know something very funny? While you are here, reading this, probably with your friends, you're messing up somewhere else! But maybe not. Maybe you're getting in trouble. Or maybe you're kissing your dear Endymion, like you will at Christmas. Oh, but you better savor it now! It will be quite some time until it happens again. I believe I will see you later, my princess. Much sooner than you think. Tomorrow, even. Oh, yes, I should stop writing now. I cannot wait.
Sincerely, your Hoste."
"What does it really say, Serenity? That's not something to joke about." Amy asked.
"That is what it says!" Serenity handed over the letter, and that was indeed what it said. It was written in a female's handwriting, and it was full of a terrible dry humor.
"She'll see us tomorrow?" Lita asked. "Is she going to try and sabotage the ball?"
"Either the one on the moon or the one here could be a target..." Raye said, biting her thumb lightly.
"Should we stay here?" Mina suggested. Serenity bit her tongue; staying on Earth and not seeing her Endymion was the last thing she wanted.
"If we stayed here, though, what if something happened on the moon and we weren't there to stop it?" Amy pointed out. "I think it's best if we go about our day as planned. If we do anything different, it might have bad consequences."
"And besides, they have enough powerful wizards here that if something did happen, they could at least hold it off until someone told us." Artemis said, smiling at Serenity. It seemed like he was trying to get her what she wanted.
"I suppose..." Luna said slowly. "I don't like the feeling I have but...maybe it's nothing to worry about. Hostes...they can't do much damage on their own."
"We can hope." Serenity said.
"Wait, this person, the Hoste, said that crows attacked her..." Raye realized. "Do you think Phoebes and Deimos..." Raye said. Serenity put the note in her pocket and they headed to the owlery.
The two reached the tower quickly, the smell making the two royals choke slightly. Owls of every color and size sat on perches, some awake and grooming, others asleep with their heads tucked under their wing. Sitting in the open stone window, however, were two thin women; Phoebes and Deimos.
"Oh, Princess Serenity-" One twin noticed the two had come in,
"-Princess Mars." The other finished. The two got onto their knees and bowed. Serenity and Raye could see that they each had small wounds on their arms.
"Are you two alright?" Raye asked, rushing over to her guards and inspecting them.
"It will heal." Phoebes said.
"Who was it in our rooms?" Serenity asked.
"A student." Deimos said. "A young boy. I think he was possessed."
"So it could be anyone?" Serenity asked.
"It was a boy's body, but it was a woman's voice, a woman's body language."
"The Ravenclaw prefect!" Raye recalled. "There was something off about her, maybe she was possessed by...the Hoste. The Hoste must be possessing students!"
"I noticed it, too!" Serenity exclaimed. "So when she wrote "tomorrow," maybe that was all she meant...she was going to posses someone else."
"We need to catch her in her tracks." Raye said. "But...what do you think she meant about the generals being here?"
"Reincarnates?" Serenity suggested. Ever since Sirius had mentioned it, she couldn't get the thought out of her head. The moon princess sighed and looked into the air, where a majestic white and silver owl that had just delivered its letter flew overhead and perched, taking a well deserved rest. It reminded her of the rare birds she had seen in captivity on the moon. It looked very lunar indeed, what with the silver streaks in its talons. It probably was from the moon, delivering a letter to her or one of her friends. Or maybe it was a reincarnate.
"I think that, maybe, things will come into focus once we return to the moon." Raye said.