RELEASE THE TRINKEN! Watch out, folks. A tidal wave of imagination is coming your way!
Chapter 21:
Royal Castle Normandy, France
"Hermione…be careful!" Draco warned. But it was too late. His mate had already picked up the glowing orb. As soon as Hermione touched it, the sphere ceased its flashing and became silent and still. Taking its place, a pulsing started from outside. Looking out the window into the courtyard, the pair realized the thrumming was now coming from the ancient yew tree. Boom….ba-boom….ba-boom…..it felt like a steady heartbeat was thumping from its roots.
"What's happening?" Hermione wondered aloud.
"Are the orb and the Old One connected?" Draco asked, referring to the yew tree. "Do you know?"
Hermione shook her head. "No. There was nothing like this mentioned in the books we read. But maybe…."
"Maybe….what?"
She looked at Draco. "Maybe the Headmaster knows…maybe...," she began to say before she gasped. Her hand began to quiver as she pointed at his face. "Draco," she said in a frightened voice. "…your eyes…"
Draco's brows furrowed with puzzlement. "What about my eyes?" he asked, before he picked up a shard of mirror that had been lying on the floor beside him. His eyes widened when he saw what Hermione had been talking about. His irises had become stormy grey swells of the Northern Sea, crashing in the same rhythm as the heartbeat coming from below. Turning around, he looked sharply into Hermione's face. Her eyes were now dancing and leaping with surges of what looked like volcanic lava. Again, in keeping with the beat of the pounding coming from underneath the ground.
"Hermione," he whispered.
"Me, too?" she asked.
Draco nodded.
Unknown to the royal couple, there were others who were also at that moment experiencing a profound change. Pansy gasped when she saw Harry's bright emerald eyes quickly diluting to a wispy, mixed variation of sunlight and clouded shades. No one was around to witness when Blaise's chocolate brown eyes filled with throbbing mounds of earth. Only Luna seemed unsurprised, when at the mirrors of the girl's bathroom, to see her eyes morph from a placid blue to pinpricks of light dancing in a Northern nighttime sky.
"So…it has begun," she murmured.
A threatened, bonded Sovereign had touched the royal orb, signifying its call had been received. In turn, the magical yew tree had responded to the summons; it had drawn up the Powers from its otherworldly roots.
The Deep Magic had been unleashed.
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry Highlands, Scotland
When Harry and Pansy finally made it back to the castle, the first thing Pansy wanted to do was show Harry the change in his eyes. But when they entered the Hogwarts' courtyard, seeing Theo and Ginny sitting on a bench whispering to each other momentarily distracted them. Pansy looked up anxiously at Harry to gage his reaction to the pair. He appeared stunned for a moment, staring blankly at them; then he shrugged and looked down at Pansy.
"Did you know about that?" he asked her as he tilted his head in their direction.
She nodded. "I've known that Theo has had a crush on Ginny for some time. And I also know he would have never acted on it, unless…"
"Unless we had broken up," Harry finished for her.
Harry eyed the Slytherin boy before him. Theo was a handsome bloke, with light brown hair and roguish hazel eyes. He had a cheeky, mischievous demeanor, very much like the twins, but with the advantage of also having the polish and wealth of an ancient and respected house. Harry sighed. Theo would be a good catch for Ginny.
Pansy heard his sigh. "Um…..are you okay with them…?"
Harry gazed at the girl beside him. Ginny possessed a fiery, wild beauty, but Pansy had her own type of beauty. Whereas Ginny was heat and flame and excitement, Pansy was cool and unruffled and somehow delicate. Not delicate as in sickly or weak…..but refined. Rare. The contrast between Pansy and Ginny was similar to the difference between fine bone china to everyday tableware. The everyday variety was strong and durable, but…..the other was special. All of a sudden, Harry felt humbled. What right had he to have Pansy to himself? She deserved better than a scarred wizard with a looming prophecy hanging over his head like a Sword of Damocles. Even so, Harry couldn't stop himself at that moment from running his fingers through her loose curls. Pansy's hair was as dark as his but had a rich and glossy shine. It cascaded over her shoulders in a tumbling brunette waterfall. Her eyes were such a dark shade of blue, they looked almost purple. But it had been Pansy's personality that had been the hook that had drawn Harry in. She was as intelligent as Hermione, as honest as Neville and as insightful as Luna. And, he swallowed, she was as loyal as….Harry mentally stuttered. It was still hard for him to admit to being wrong for so long, but…..she was as loyal as….Draco. Yeah, thought Harry….he was more than okay with Theo chasing after Ginny.
Harry gave Pansy a smile and surprised her by giving her a kiss on the cheek. Grinning at the look of astonishment on her face, he said, "Those two can do what they want to…as long as I get to keep you."
He laughed at the surprised and pleased look on her face; a few seconds later she joined him in his mirth. As they walked through the courtyard to go into the castle, neither noticed that Ginny had stopped flirting with Theo to stare at them as they passed by. But Theo saw. He watched as Ginny's face showed a myriad of emotions but breathed a silent sigh of relief when the last one that appeared was a look of acceptance.
"What do you say we skip out on our study period?" He asked as he gave her a sincere smile instead of the impish smirk he usually wore.
"And do what?" Ginny demanded to know.
"Let's go to Paris," Theo said softly as he gently took a lock of her hair between her fingers.
Ginny laughed at him. "Well, of course! Why not? When have I ever said no to Paris?"
"Good," he said as he grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs to the seventh floor and the room of requirement.
When the door opened to let them in, he turned around to Ginny and said, "Until I can take you to the real Paris, I hope this will do."
The youngest Weasley looked around him and gasped when she saw the room had indeed transformed itself, and that she was now looking down the avenue of the Champs-Élysées. In the distance, Ginny saw the Arc de Triomphe. Squealing, she impulsively hugged Theo, but when she felt him returning her hug, she looked down and bit her bottom lip in hesitation. Overcoming her pride, she confessed, "I was pretending earlier…..I've never actually been…..I mean, my family's never been able to…"
Theo's smile became real and tender as he gently shushed her by putting his fingertips on her lips. "Ginny, I've already told you. I don't care how many vaults your family may or may not have at Gringotts; I care about you.
"Why?" she asked in a tiny voice. He could hear what her vulnerability was costing her at that moment.
"Because you're my Red," Theo stated as if there couldn't be another possible reason. "Now, come on, Woman. Let's see the sights."
Grateful and touched by his sensitivity, Ginny grinned, "I hope you're a good tour guide…because I want to see everything."
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Royal Castle Normandy, France
Narcissa had been busy while Draco and Hermione had been dealing with the orb. It would have surprised them to find out that Narcissa had not heard the pulsing of the orb or the pounding of the yew tree. Everything seemed peaceful and serene as she made the necessary preparations for their unscheduled visit to Hogwarts. But Narcissa knew the quiet wouldn't last. She grinned, and at that moment, it was clear from whom Draco had inherited his famous smirk. Yes, she had made sure that today would not be a slow news day for the press.
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry Highlands, Scotland
Hermione had timed their visit to Hogwarts to correspond to the free study period before the evening meal. As expected, the press was waiting just outside the entrance of the school. When the royal entourage materialized at their apparition point, a collective gasp was heard from the reporters who had been waiting for their Sovereign. They had assumed the Queen's visit to her old school was just a publicity event; a good backdrop to announce a new charity, perhaps. Leaders did this all the time. Although in the journalists' minds an event of that nature was not true news, a royal sighting was always popular with their readers and did help sell papers. But when they saw the Queen, they knew this visit was no ordinary one. She was wearing her royal crown, as was the Prince. Both of them were clothed in formal regalia. They had surrounded themselves with a full complement of guards. This was no publicity stunt. The Royals' appearance must be an appointment of the highest priority.
Immediately, Hermione and Draco were inundated with questions as bursts of light from the many magi-cams flashed in their faces.
"Your Majesty!" a reporter named Blanthem tried to get the Queen's attention, "What is the reason for your visit to Hogwarts?"
Another reporter jumped on that theme. "Is it true that your Majesty is more concerned with the upcoming banquet you've scheduled with Hogwarts than with the attacks upon your people on the mainland?"
Hermione stopped walking when she heard that and turned around. Her hair crackled with energy, and the pulsing heaviness of great magic pushed out from her to the reporter that had asked her that question.
"My people's welfare is of paramount concern to me," she said softly but with deadly earnest. The reporter gulped when he saw what looked like flames of fire brightening her purple eyes.
Another reporter, who had obviously not paid attention asked, "Then why is your Majesty meeting with the Headmaster of Hogwarts? Wouldn't she be better employed by conferring with the different ministers of Europe?"
Draco's eyes flashed dangerously at that correspondent. He noticed her press pass said she was from the United States. "I suggest you rethink your question," he uttered coldly.
Just as that reporter was about to rip into the Prince regarding freedom of the press, and her right to ask any question she pleased, a loud crack was heard nearby. All heads turned toward the noise to see that every prime minister and chancellor of the entire empire had all apparated together to the rendezvous point the Queen had given them. The press suddenly went berserk and questions flew while the bright lights of the magi-cams once again lit up the ever darkening sky.
Suddenly the massive double doors of the castle opened. Albus Dumbledore came out and bowed before the Queen and Prince. Taking her old Headmaster's arm, Hermione tried to lead the group of leaders inside but was stopped when she heard a sickeningly familiar drawl.
"Your Majesty," Rita Skeeter sneered in an insolent tone, "Can you tell us why the press was alerted to this meeting if we are not allowed to know particulars? So far, nothing substantial has been said. Why were we summoned here, if nothing is going to be given us to report?"
Hermione raised her head and stared imperially at the salacious gossip journalist. "Ms. Skeeter…you are quite mistaken, my dear," she said in her best Narcissa Malfoy impersonation. Draco actually grinned and Narcissa covered her chuckle with a cough. Raising her voice so all could hear, Hermione announced, "You were all called here this evening for one specific purpose."
"And may one ask what that one specific purpose is?" Rita mockingly asked.
Her scorn immediately evaporated when she saw Hermione's eyes flash dangerously. "You were called to do what you do best…..to report."
Another member of the media called out. "Your Majesty…what are we reporting?"
Draco stepped forward. "It was asked earlier why we weren't meeting with the heads of the different European governments. As you can see," he motioned to the leaders standing by him, "that question was premature. We are meeting to discuss what needs to be done and what her Majesty's position on this wave of terror is."
Quick quills immediately began to furiously write down all that Draco had said.
"And can you give us any hint as to what will be the outcome of tonight's meeting?" An earnest reporter from Germany asked.
Hermione smile and gaze turned lethal as she answered the reporter's question. "Yes. Yes,we can. We will be going to War."
The press went nuts.
"And then, after the orb became silent, the yew tree started thrumming." Hermione finished briefing the headmaster and heads of state as to what had happened earlier in the day.
The leaders whispered to each other while Dumbledore sat with his hands clasped together. Gazing at the Queen with his wise, kind eyes, he asked, "Was everyone at the castle aware of what was happening with the orb and the yew tree?"
Hermione looked at Draco as he returned the look. "I…..I'm not certain," she began when Narcissa interrupted from a place near the back of the room. "Headmaster, I didn't see or hear anything," she said. "I only saw the evidence of the event after it happened."
"Evidence? What type of evidence?"
Narcissa daintily crossed her ankles. "Well, for one thing…the broken glasses….and the crushed decanters. All the mirrors."
That got everyone's attention.
"What?" Draco asked as he looked at the men around them. "Does that mean something?"
The prime minister of Austria nodded. "Yes, your Highness. It does."
Dumbledore stepped in. "I believe in this case, it was done as a safeguard. The orb was protecting the Queen and the Prince from those who might have been watching."
Hermione's face turned pale. "We've been spied upon? For how long?"
"Forget that for a moment," Draco blurted out. "Who's doing the spying?"
The older wizards looked at each other. None of them wanted to be the one to tell the young royals. Finally, Snape rose up from sitting beside Narcissa and came up to the front to crouch beside Hermione. Taking her hand, he said, "The Moirai, your Majesty. The Fates…..the Old Ones."
"I don't understand," she said.
Instead of answering the Queen's unspoken question, Snape stood up and went to the table where the orb was now residing peacefully. "You brought this here with you…..why?" he asked.
"I….wanted the headmaster to check it. To see if he could tell us why it had done what it did. To know….what it all meant."
"Your Majesty," Dumbledore asked. "You earlier said that when you picked it up, the strange pulsing and flashing stopped. Did anything strange happen to you when you touched it?"
Hermione looked at Draco, who nodded back at her. "Yes…..my eyes changed. Draco's did, too."
They told the men in the room what each had seen in the other. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in triumph. The heads of the government looked relieved; Snape looked cautious.
"But I still don't understand what's happening," Hermione said, growing more and more frustrated. Instead of getting the answers she'd come for, she felt like she'd been the one giving all the information. Feeling her anger flare within her, she stood up and snarled, "Somebody tell me now!"
The immediate silence in the room was deafening. The frightened looks of the seasoned leaders would have been a comical sight to Hermione had she not been so irritated.
She wasn't aware that when her anger flared, swirls of flames ignited around her body. Her eyes glowed like embers. The wooden chair she sat upon burst into flame. The only wizard not alarmed by her demonstration stood up and folded her into his arms. "Shh, Love…..I promise you….you will have your answers." The men watched in amazement as Draco put out Hermione's fires with a touch of his hand. Mist flowing from his body to hers doused every small flame, and with one motion of his hand, the smoldering chair was extinguished.
"Gentlemen…..this is proof!" the German chancellor excitedly exclaimed.
Hermione wanted to scream. She was once again being ignored. Her body began to smoke dangerously.
"Her Majesty has asked for an explanation, My Lords," Snape quickly said to avoid another fiery outburst. "She is due her subject's obedience."
"Forgive us, your Majesty," said the headmaster contritely. "There is no excuse, but we truly meant no disrespect. It's just….…it's not often we get to see a legend come to life."
Hermione wearily looked at the ministers and chancellors of Europe. Then she shifted her gaze to her former professors. Taking Draco's hand, she ordered, "Tell us everything."
"The Fates have not always been what they now are," began Dumbledore. "In the beginning of this world, they were the representative spirits of the three Universals; Heaven, Earth and Water and were tasked to guard and nurture all the souls who lived and breathed on this earth. Fairies, dwarfs, river spirits and all other manner of magical creatures….and wizards. They tended to them all. Their home was said to be located deep within the roots of the ancient yew tree that resides now in your courtyard. And there, nestled within the strong roots of the evergreen, the heart of this world pulsed." Dumbledore paused and asked, "Can you guess what the heart was?"
Hermione's eyes went to the sphere lying on the table. "The orb?"
He nodded. "Yes. The orb. Its power is that of Evergiving life. As long as it pulsed, the world remained green and true and bright. But then, something happened. The three guardian sisters succumbed to temptation. It occurred when they took a wounded creature to the pool of mirrors."
"The pool of mirrors?" asked Draco. "I didn't know it had actually existed. I thought it was a fairytale."
"I've never heard of it," said Hermione. "Tell me."
Draco smiled at his wife. She was calm now, since she was finally being given information. He knew Hermione had always hated being kept in the dark. "Well, the way I'd always heard it tell, the pool of mirrors was an enchanted spring that could cure any injury. But it was forbidden for anyone to look upon the waters. If the pool was needed for healing, the injured person would have to be blindfolded first. And the ones bringing the injured to the pool were warned never to gaze into its waters."
"Why ever not?"
"Because….because the pool was meant for healing only. If anyone used it unworthily, they would be cursed."
"So…..getting back to the Fates. What happened to them?"
Dumbledore took over then. "In a moment of curious vanity, because they had heard their charges speak of their great beauty, the three sisters succumbed to the temptation of desiring to see the glory that was only ever meant for the eyes of others, and looked into their reflections. For a moment, they were overjoyed with their beauty. But then, a pride as magnificent as their loveliness consumed them and their very souls were cursed. Since they were immortal, they couldn't actually die, so they were condemned to walk around this world, an empty, ugly shell of the Spirits they had been. They became bitter. They eventually blamed the lower creatures for their fall, since it had happened when they had been caring for one. They cursed the lower life and sought revenge when they could. They craved the blood of the living. Finally, one of them thought; why not take the heart from the eternal evergreen? It could make them fresh and new again. The other two agreed. So…they did just that. They took the orb away from the yew."
"What happened?" Hermione asked, completely mesmerized by the previously unknown story.
"The world died."
Hermione frowned. What was the headmaster saying? "Sir…..I don't know what's been passed down as history in the magical world, but in the muggle world, there has been no indication that our world has ever died before."
"That's because there is no way for muggles to measure and track a purely enchanted existence."
"Sir?"
The headmaster sighed. "The first creation was a purely magical one, your Majesty. Muggles didn't exist until the earth was remade. In fact, in the first world, there were only three directions…above, below, and around; and just three elements; air, earth and water. It wasn't until muggles came into being that the world had need of the four points of the compass. And….of the fourth element. Fire. Which, I believe, now resides in you, your Majesty."
Hermione looked puzzled. "Well…"
"Dumbledore…..I believe we're getting off track a bit, and there are other matters to discuss. Can we wind this up?" the Grecian minister asked.
"Of course, Minister. To sum it up, I believe the facts of the matter are this. Voldemort wants the crown, the Moirai want the orb and all parties are determined to get what they're after. Voldemort has beseeched the help of the Fates; he has offered them sacrifice, and we can assume that some type of understanding has been made."
Deep dread filled Hermione's heart. "Is there a way to defeat the Fates?"
Dumbledore nodded his head, the twinkling in his eyes once again appearing.
"How?"
He gave her a hopeful smile. "By your gifts. You were born for this time, your Majesty. You and others like you who have also been selected. Chosen."
Hermione looked at Draco. He had a pained look on his face. She believed she knew what he was feeling. How could some young, inexperienced witches and wizards match the might and magic of the Moirai?
"Headmaster...I don't see how we can win." Hermione hated herself for saying it out loud, but when she looked up, the tenderest expression she had ever seen was on Dumbledore's kind, weathered face.
"Your Majesty….., " he said softly, "three is not higher than four. Four will always rise above."
Hermione didn't know what to say to that. The other ministers were nodding their heads and agreeing, but she couldn't make sense of it. She looked at Draco. He seemed to be as confused as she was.
"But beware," the headmaster said as he raised his blackened hand in caution. "You need to be prepared and careful."
Looking at Draco this time, he said, "Your Highness, mirrors are what the Fates will use to track the orb. They can sense it. They will hunt for it. And if they see you, they will have found it." He looked over his glasses and down his crooked nose to make sure the pair in front of him understood him. "Do not let them find you before the appointed time. Do not let them see you looking into a mirror."
Hermione squeezed Draco's hand and looked at him fearfully. He didn't understand her look of worry until she mouthed, "Your eyes…."
Then he understood. He had looked into the shard of a mirror after Hermione had touched the orb.
Now the question was…..had the Fates seen him?
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AN: I've been sitting on this for a while. I edited so much. Had to; it would have been information overload if I hadn't. But it's hard for me to do it! I'm like the excitable kid who wants to tell everything all at once. It's a real test of discipline to hold some cards to my chest.
But still….this is so much fun! I hope you're having fun with me.
A couple of housekeeping notes:
Both the yew tree and the Fates are called Old Ones. That's because they were a part of the first world.
The governmental leaders accepted Dumbledore at this meeting because they recognized him as being at one time the Supreme Mugwump, who is the head of the International Confederation of Wizards.
Luna's gift is not one of the four elements. She is the watcher, the warner and the witness. A very important role.