A/N: Chap 13 review responses are on my forums as always.
Chapter Fourteen: On the Other Hand
Neville Longbottom trudged reluctantly into the last train of the car for the "free" students—those fourth year and above whose lives were not as strictly regulated as the years before. He could virtually feel the eyes of witches on his back as he moved—this was the year that witches would start to aggressively try poaching him, given the fact that he was a pureblood heir of an ancient family and designated Elder when Uncle Algie retired or died.
Of course, there were degrees of purity. His mother, Alice, was actually Muggleborn. He knew it scandalized his Gran terribly that his grandparents actually allowed Neville's father to marry the Muggleborn who poached him, rather than breaking the bond and stilling her magic, but then again there was no danger of her assuming control of the Croaker Coven at the time. Algie Croaker had his own family, and Frank was one of five generations of Longbottoms still living and not in line to assume the role.
Of course, that was until Voldemort tried to recruit Frank.
Few people spoke of Voldemort's tactics, because they were so terribly effective. He did not attack his targets at first—rather he tried to recruit them. Men were always first, and if he had means of knowing, men who were poached.
Frank had been poached, but according to Gran he harboured enough of a crush on Alice that he did not fight it at all when she made her move, and the two bonded and married while sixth years at Hogwarts. While it was not a perfect love match, Neville knew from their letters that there was great affection there, and that both considered the bonding a good match. He also knew they were in discussion with a witch named Emmaline Vance to become Frank's second wife when Neville was still a baby.
But Voldemort came demanding that Frank allow his wife to be killed and join him, and of course Neville's father refused. Voldemort killed Neville's great-great-grandparents first, and then his great-grandparents, and then grandparents, before coming after Frank and Alice. The couple by then were in hiding, and so Voldemort turned his attention to the Croaker branch of the family.
By the time the war was over, Algie Croaker had lost all his children, while of the Longbottoms only Augusta and Neville remained. It could have been worse, Neville thought. The Bones Coven suffered far worse, loosing so much they dissolved as a coven entirely.
But the fact remained that Neville was the sole direct male heir within the Croaker Coven. Other families were members of the coven, but it had to be a direct blood descendent of the coven founders to sit the Wizengamot. Whoever married Neville would be Dame when Gran died. That made him a popular target for the Purebloods; and absolute anathema for any Muggleborn who didn't want to die a painful death. He knew the Muggleborn would have been warned off, and given what happened to Hermione Granger, the warnings were especially potent. No one wanted to be Hermione Granger.
He reached the cabin he was looking for and stepped inside. Ron Weasley and Seamus Finnigan were inside playing Exploding Snap with Ernie MacMillan and Stephen Cornfoot from Hufflepuff. Though the boys had previously not had much to do with each other, it did not surprise Neville to see them now. Fifth year was also the year wizards tended to clump together for mutual protection, as much as was possible, until they were ready to be bonded. Sixth year was when the protection started breaking down, and by seventh year most boys were bonded or soon to be so.
The boys greeted him with nods as he stored his trunk. The game stopped, but no one spoke, as the train started moving. Finally, with an explosive release of breath, Ron said, "No Harry."
"What'd you expect?" Seamus said. "The boyo's gone 'round the bend. Off with the witch-hatin' poofers in America."
Further conversation ceased when Ginny Weasley opened the door to their cabin with a painfully hopeful expression. That expression changed quickly to one of loss.
"He's not here, Gin," Ron said without looking up from his cards. "Mum told us he wouldn't be."
"I know, I just…hoped, I guess," she finished lamely. "Sorry."
She turned and left the cabin, but did not close the door. Neville, being closest, stood to close it himself when another witch took Ginny's place, coming within an inch of him in the process. He felt the hairs on his body stand on end as their magic momentarily clashed before she backed away with wide eyes. "Oh, sorry!" Hannah Abbott said.
"No worries," Neville said. "How are you?"
"Worried," the Hufflepuff said. In the cabin, she saw two of her housemates, but said nothing to them. Instead, to Neville she whispered, "Could I talk to you in private? It's about something we heard this summer."
Neville was not an Aether like Harry. He could not see magic, but he felt a lingering tingle that spoke of magical nervousness coming off Hannah in waves. It could easily be a trap, but he'd known Hannah for years and never knew her to be one to poach. With a glance back at his companions, he finally nodded. "Sure."
Hannah led him to the next car up, since most of the fifth years actually used that car. The cabin she led him to was not empty—inside he saw the red tresses of Susan Bones. She was speaking to someone obscured by the wall, until Hannah opened the door and he saw Deanna Thomas and Jessica Rivers of Gryffindor.
With Hannah, that made four attractive young witches in a cabin. "Er, ladies, I don't mean to doubt any of you, but I don't think it's a good idea for me to be in there…"
Hannah pushed him inside and closed the door, while Susan started casting a huge, daunting array of warding a privacy charms, some Neville knew for sure were not taught in Hogwarts. He started to reach for his wand when Hannah placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Neville, I swear we aren't going to try poaching you," Susan said. "Instead, we have a very, very important question to ask you."
"What happens if I don't answer it right?" Neville asked.
"I'll Obliviate you." Susan said it without a trace of humour. "My Aunt's taught me a lot off the curriculum this summer. Now, here's the question. If you had to choose between helping Harry and defying the Covens, or obeying the Covens and betraying Harry, which would you pick?"
"You know that my Gran is your Aunt's coven dame, right?" Neville asked.
"Yes," Susan said. "Answer the question, Neville. Please—it's very important."
Neville looked from Susan's imploring eyes to the attentive gazes of Deanna, Jessica, and finally to Hannah, before nodding abruptly. "What they did to Harry was wrong—and it could just have easily been me. My first wand was so limited it was actually causing magical feedback. If I tried to actually use it for anything powerful, I would have blown it too."
"And given the covens the excuse to forcibly bond you, like they wanted to do with Harry," Susan said. "So what would you choose, Neville?"
"I would choose Harry," Neville said, feeling a sudden surge of rightness at the decision. It wasn't just the fact he said it, but rather the fact that he meant it with every fibre of his being.
"Now we have another question for you," Hannah Abbot asked. "Do you remember that dinner at your house, summer before last? The one where Harry got sick?"
Neville nodded, his sense of rightness turning to one of dread.
"He didn't get sick," Susan said. "After all that happened this summer, my Aunt sat me down and we had a long talk about everything that was happening. Neville, Harry gave a true prophecy. The Department of Mysteries Obliviated all of us, but they recorded the Prophecy. It said Harry was the only one who could defeat You-Know-Who. But it also said that the Dames and Elders would fall."
"But before that, he said that Susan, me and you would bond," Hannah said more softly, blushing brilliantly. "He said we had to."
As bothered as Neville was at the thought of Harry delivering a true prophecy, it was the memory of what he said prior that made Neville's stomach turn. "I remember that part."
"Have a seat," Jessica said. She moved aside and patted an empty spot between herself and Deanna.
Hesitantly, Neville settled between the two witches, intimately aware of their magic and the smell of them, which felt like a dual assault on his senses. Hannah settled in beside Susan and the two witches stared intently at Neville. He did not feel their magic reaching for him, but it was still disconcerting to look directly into a witch's eyes, especially two witches as pretty as Susan and Hannah were.
"We would like you to bond with us, Neville," Susan said. "Or at least, with Hannah. She will need to be your first bond mate, since any of my children will need to be Bones so we can continue the family."
Neville felt his mouth go dry. "When?"
"Now," Hannah's cheeks blazed. "Or, really soon. And we would need to get married soon, too. Married quarters are not by house and are in a separate wing of the castle."
"But why?" Neville asked, too shocked by the blunt proposal to think about what it would mean if he did bond with her.
Susan looked nervously at Hannah before returning her eyes to Neville. Despite all her privacy charms, she whispered. "Neville, something is really, really wrong in the Sabbat. Since the Griffin Coven realigned itself, the Dark Covens have grown too powerful, and Auntie says they're pushing things in a bad direction. They're trying to force McGonagall and Dumbledore both to step down, and some of the dictates they're talking about… Neville, they're talking about force-bonding all wizards at age 15. Wizards would be a reward to witches who please their dames."
"The Wizengamot wouldn't tolerate that," Neville said.
"That's just it, Neville," Hannah said. "It's almost like the Sabbat is pushing for a schism with the Wizengamot."
"We think the Sabbat is trying to eliminate the Wizengamot altogether and go to just a straight matriarchal oligarchy with the Sabbat handling all affairs of the Ministry," Susan said. "That's how Brazil does it now."
"Wow, you sound just like Hermione," Deanna said admiringly.
Susan smiled at her before continuing. "Auntie said that they're negotiating to get Harry back, but that Dumbledore is going to have to give a lot to get it accomplished. Neville, if this goes through, then any un-bonded wizard at age fifteen would be forcibly bonded to a much older witch. You would too."
"But Harry said we had to bond," Hannah continued. Blushing, she added, "And…well, I do like you."
"Me too," Susan admitted. "You feel a lot more comfortable to me than most of the other Hufflepuff boys, and the boys in other houses just don't do much for me."
"Harry said I had a touch of Hufflepuff in me," Neville admitted, blushing himself. "I like you two too, but it's just…I just turned fifteen a month ago. I'm not ready for this. I mean, the law hasn't passed yet, so what's the rush?"
"When Harry comes back, he's going to be in the married wing," Hannah said.
"We want to make sure a friend is with him," Susan said.
"We?" Neville asked with a quirked brow.
"We," Susan affirmed. "Friends of his. Of his mother. There's a lot more to the story than you realize, Neville. More than I ever realized—like how your parents died the day after You-Know-Who was defeated."
They talked quietly for the rest of the trip, while a car further down Ron Weasley played exploding snap and ate chocolate frogs.
~~Firebird~~
~~Firebird~~
On the morning of the 16th of September, when the Daily Prophet announced not just the return of Harry Potter, but also the resignation of Albus Dumbledore from the Wizengamot, Neville felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach, but not just because Dumbledore had been routed.
According to the paper, the Griffin Coven had formally realigned itself once again, from Traditionalist to Dark Traditionalist, and formed the core of a new Dark voting block within the Sabbat that included the Umbridge and Malfoy Covens among others. The new block gave the dark-aligned covens a slight plurality among the other coven blocks, and already they were talking about changes made "for the good of magical England."
There was no mention of Hermione or Justine at all.
At the staff table, Dumbledore sat eating breakfast as if nothing untoward had happened at all, while everyone else was talking excitedly about Harry returning. However, as he scanned the crowds, he saw at least two people who were not talking excitedly. Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot sat next to each other at their own table, and both were looking right at him. Blushing and fighting down the butterflies in his stomach, Neville nodded. Both girls blushed and Hannah smiled shyly before they nodded as well.
"Hey, mate, aren't you happy Harry's coming back?" Ron asked around a mouthful of eggs.
"Yes, absolutely," Neville said.
That morning, in Care of Magical creatures—one of the two co-ed classes—Hannah slipped Neville a piece of parchment. Seventh Floor Corridor by Barnabas the Barmy.
Neville stuffed the slip of parchment into his pocket and pretended his best to listen to Professor Kettleburn talk about dragons.
That night, after a long day of class including a double potions class since it was their OWL year, he made his way to the seventh floor corridor and walked along looking at the different tapestries until he found the one of Barnabas the Barmy attempting to teach trolls Ballet. Not surprisingly, he found both Hannah and Susan waiting for him.
"Thanks for coming," Susan said. "You saw the article? Do you…do you want to bond with Hannah?"
Neville nodded, too nervous to speak.
"Come on, then," Susan said. "We found a place that is perfect for what we need. You walk in front of that wall three times thinking about what you need."
She did as she advised, and to Neville's shock the wall opened to reveal…a bedroom.
A bedroom with a large bed.
"Wow," Neville breathed, shaking now. Hannah took his arm, blushing and trembling herself, and led him into the room. Surprisingly, Susan came as well.
"Wait, are you…what… I mean…"
"If the bonding is witnessed as being mutually agreed to, it will support a request for an immediate marriage," Susan said. "I'm going to act as your witness. Hannah's parents will agree just because you're…well, you're Neville Longbottom. The trick will be convincing your Gran to let you marry immediately."
Hannah kept leading Neville to the bed, where he sat and stared at the two girls. "I've never done anything like this," he finally said, his voice cracking as he spoke.
"Neither have we," Hannah admitted. "But we did think about it." She reached into her robes and removed two phials of pink potion. "Love potion. It'll last only a day or two, but it will make it a lot better, I think."
Neville took one of the phials before looking at Hannah and Susan. "Are…are we sure about this?"
"Not one whit," Hannah said, before she downed the potion in a single gulp. Immediately her cheeks began to glow. "Wow! Is it hot in here?"
"Neville, you've known us most of your life," Susan said. "You're going to bond with someone, why not us?"
"Yeah, why not?" Neville whispered, before he took the potion as well. Instantly a flush of heat ran up from his groin to his face. He became acutely aware of the feel of Hannah's magic against his. It wasn't clashing any more—the love potion worked by tweaking their magical auras until they were perfectly aligned.
"You are beautiful," he said.
"You are too," she whispered, right before diving onto him with a growl.
~~Firebird~~
~~Firebird~~
Amelia Bones stood with a contingent of British Aurors in the lobby of the Eastern Confederation Senate House in Boston. on the Sunday after the Western Confederation agreed to surrender Harry Potter. Surrounding them were their Eastern American counterparts, as well as an American Dame and Elder.
The building itself was typical of American architecture in the Muggle capital nearby—monolithic Greek Revival. The hall in particular had featureless granite walls rising to a large dome of stained glass forty feet overhead. A twin pair of wide, charmed spiral staircases rose on either side of the atrium, ferrying witches and wizards up to the second level much like escalators.
Behind the Aurors, American reporters came to watch. Potter was known because of his performance in the ICW Junior Quidditch League, and because of that the rest of his story had come to the interest of the Yanks at large. If Amelia remembered correctly, they were about to get a show they were not expecting.
The wards chimed to alert them to an incoming Portkey, and a second later Harry and Luna Potter appeared. A second after that, Harry groaned and fell to his knees, while Luna was loudly sick all over the immaculately cleaned granite tiles. Around them, magical cameras flashed, recording the Potters' misery for the public.
An American Hit Witch vanished the vomit, while another assisted the two teens to their feet. Harry reached for Luna's hand, steadying her before he himself was really straight. "Mr and Mrs Potter," the lead American hit witch intoned loudly, for all to hear, "as part of the release agreement, we must conduct a Legilimency exam. Do you both consent to this examination?"
"We do," Harry said.
"We do," Luna echoed weakly.
The witch leaned down to better look into Luna's eyes and performed the spell on her first. She then did the same to Harry, who stood almost at eye-level to her. The witch turned to Amelia bones. "Madame Bones, I have completed my exam."
"Very well. Auror Vance?"
Harry blinked at the witch who came forward—she looked familiar, but he couldn't place where from. The fact that she had the same last name as the woman who woke Harry up that morning and explained what was happening seemed odd as well.
The British witch performed the spell on each of the teens before stepping back. She nodded to the American, who said, "I could find no trace of memories from their stay in the Western territories."
"I could also find no trace," Auror Vance said. "They have both been extensively Obliviated of all pertinent memories to right before the Junior Quidditch World Cup."
"Thank you," the American Dame said. "Madame Bones, as agreed, we hereby release custody of the Potters to your care."
"Thank you, Dame Agatha," Amelia said with a bow of respect. "And thank all of you for your help in returning these innocent victims back to homes. The people of Britain owe you all a great debt. Good day to you all."
"Not another Portkey," Luna whimpered. "Could we maybe go on an aeroplane? I can sleep then, right?"
"Sorry, child, you're expected back quickly," Amelia said. "Aurors, to me."
The squad of Aurors formed a circle around Harry and Luna and passed a rope around themselves, looping it finally over Harry and Luna.
A moment later, the world was once again ripped asunder as they soared through space and time, appearing moments later in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic. This time, even Harry lost his lunch, once again to the constant flash of magical cameras.
The reporters started shouting questions before Harry even had a chance to wipe his mouth, but Amelia shepherded him and Luna away toward a waiting conference room. Once the doors were shut, Harry and Luna both collapsed into two of the chairs around the ten chair table that dominated the room. After the din of the atrium, the silence of the conference room seemed profound.
Amelia walked around the table to sit facing them. "What do you remember?"
"I remember getting ready for the Championship Game," Harry said tiredly. "Nothing else after that. I don't even remember bonding with Luna. I mean, I know we did—we can both see our bonds. But I don't remember it."
"The amount of memories to be Obliviated was determined by the Sabbat during the negotiations for your return," Amelia said. "So let me catch you up. The Sabbat has determined that a single bonding was not sufficient to reduce your power to an acceptable level, and so you are to be bonded a second time. However, it is an ancient tradition that the first spouse selects the second. Therefore you, Luna, will need to find Harry a second wife. The assumption has been that you will select Hermione Granger."
Luna nodded quietly, even while she clutched at Harry's hand.
"You have no memory of it, but there was a threat against both Ms Granger and Justine Finch, forcing the two of them and their families to go into hiding. However, Ms Finch's father began an organization which hunted, tortured and killed witch-born in an effort to design weapons specifically to be used against us. Miss Granger and Miss Finch risked personal harm and their own families to notify the Ministry of this threat. Therefore, they have had their charges commuted. Neither will ever be able to work for the Ministry of Magic, nor any allied Ministry abroad as they now have a criminal record. Additionally, you should be aware that Headmaster Dumbledore stepped down as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. This by extension means he also lost his position with the International Confederation of Wizards since the Chief Warlock traditionally attends for the member countries."
It felt as if Harry were being assaulted by the information, given his already hazy state of awareness. He was still trying to figure out how he bonded with Luna.
"Because of the political nature of everything that has happened this summer," Amelia continued, "the Sabbat wishes very much for you to bond sooner rather than later. Mrs Potter, are you willing to allow your spouse to bond a second wife?"
Pale and wordless, Luna nodded again.
"Mr Potter?"
Harry nodded.
Amelia stood and walked to the door. When she opened it and stepped aside, Harry felt his breath catch. Hermione Granger stood right outside in a plain, unadorned white dress that hung to her ankles, with a silver crown of the three-phased moon holding back her bundles of hair.
"She is beautiful," Luna whispered. It sounded as if her heart were breaking.
Hesitantly, Hermione stepped into the room. Closer, now, Harry could see her eyes and nose were red, and her magic was throbbing with emotion. "You mean, now?" Harry asked, stunned.
"Yes," Amelia confirmed. "You must be bonded before you are allowed to leave. Luna, this you must do."
With a sudden sob, Luna said, "I don't know how. Mum never taught me, and they made me leave class that day since I was proscribed. If I learned this summer, I forgot!"
Amelia sighed. "Of course, why would it be simple?"
"I'll show her, Madam Bones," Hermione said with a quivering voice. "Just…does it have to be witnessed?"
"No, not for a second bonding," Amelia said. She raised her wand and whipped it in a circle around her head, deactivating dozens of listening charms just the way Snape did for the Talk in Harry's third year. "When you're done, knock three times on the door. Once the bond is confirmed, you will all be released on your own recognizance. I would recommend afterword that you go to the Lloyd Covenstead to have your dame marry you. Good luck."
Amelia left the room, and the silence she left behind was profound. Luna sobbed again, and said, "Harry, I don't want to do this. I don't."
Hermione blinked in surprise. "I'm the one being sold into marriage, Luna!"
"But you're beautiful and brave and smart and I'm just plain, ugly Luna. Once Harry has you he won't need me anymore! I know I have to, but I don't want to. I don't."
Her sobs grew louder, until Harry sighed and pulled the petite girl into his lap, where she cried into his shoulder. Looking at Hermione, he said, "I don't even remember bonding with her."
Hermione wiped at her own eyes. "I know. But it has to be this way—both of you told me, even if you can't remember. So, do either of you know any good cushioning charms?"
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Author's Note: Very special thanks as always to Teufel1987, JR and Miles for beta reading. If there are any major faux-pas, they are entirely of my own doing.