Hermione Granger and the Quest for the Binding Stones

Part 2

The Gathering

Chapter 12

Leiani pulled the large shell from under the counter after Hermione and her entourage left the shop. She chanted an obscure native charm as she filed the shell with water. Then, holding the shell up to her face so that her breath made little ripples on the water, she said, "Tutu Kane."

(*)

Rose's leg bounced under the table relentlessly, and Hermione shook her head. She'd taken the chance that a stone was here on the Big Island of Hawaii, and now Rose was paying the price. Her daughter looked to the north-west every few moments and sighed. "Up in those hills," Rose said quietly to herself.

Hermione put her hand on Rose's leg, quieting it for a moment. "I know, Rose," she said. "Let's finish feeding Luna and go down to the beach as Leiani suggested. Maybe that will get your mind off it."

"Yeah," Lilly said. "And we could think about your present for River."

Lavender and Luna turned their heads to look at Rose. "Present for River?" Lavender asked with a grin.

That did take Rose's attention from the stone's call. She blushed a little and looked away. "Um, well, Lilly and I were talking, and I thought I'd send River a Christmas present, if I could," she said.

Hermione kissed the top of her daughter's head as she hugged her to her side. "What did you have in mind?" she asked.

"Something he can't buy for himself," Lilly said. "Remember?"

"Yeah, I was thinking of maybe a picture of me without all the makeup and hair stuff," Rose said, still not looking up.

"In a locket," Luna said, as she watched two myna birds fight over a French fry on the boardwalk in front of Kenji's. "That way he could always have it close by."

Lavender ran her hand down the back of Rose's head, and said, "Weave some of your hair into a cord to hang it from."

Rose looked up at her. "You think he'd like that?" she asked. The three grown women at the table all shared a smile.

"Oh, yes," Hermione told her. "Yes, he would."

(*)

Harry looked up as Megan and Blaise barged through his door. "Hey, Boss," Megan said as she dropped into the chair in front of his desk. Blaise stood behind her smiling and shaking his head. Behind both them, in the doorway, Parvati stood looking exasperated. "Come on in, Parv," Megan told her. "This concerns you too."

"Thanks for asking," Parvati said in a huff. "You know, Meg, he does have people other than you in here from time to time. You should at least try knocking."

Megan laughed, tapped the strap on the side of her head that held her magical eye in place, and said, "I knew he was alone. Close the door."

"You find something?" Harry asked.

"After a fashion, sir," Blaise said. "Falmonth copied the letter from the Muggle to your niece, and he sent it to France. I put a trace on the owl, and its flight terminated at a castle outside of Amiens."

"Excellent!" Harry said. "Well done, Blaise."

Blaise barely smiled, which Harry knew was a full on grin for the Slytherin, and said, "Thank you, sir."

Harry's shoulders drooped. "Harry, Blaise," he said. "We've know each other far too bloody long for 'sir'."

"Well, you are a knight," Megan pointed out snidely.

Harry glared at his prized lead Auror. "And you're a giant pain in my arse."

Megan smiled like she had just won the lottery.

Harry shook his head and looked at Blaise. "Really, Blaise, great work. Get me all the details about this castle you can."

"Yes, sir… Harry," Blaise said, and Megan roared with laughter as she stood.

"Go on," Harry said laughing himself. "Get out."

"Absolutely, Sir Harry," Megan said and curtsied. At Harry's scowl she laughed again and followed Blaise out of the office.

(*)

On the northern end of the Big Island of Hawaii there are a series of valleys running up the eastern side. The most southerly is well known. Wiapio Valley was remarkable, Hermione thought, as she watched Lilly and Rose play in the surf. The beach was lovely, perfect soft sand a hundred feet wide led down to the crystal waters of the Pacific. Behind the beach was a brackish pond, and then the spectacular tropical jungle filled valley. A small break of perhaps two feet lapped at the shore, and the girls were having a marvelous time swimming and attempting to bodysurf the diminutive waves.

"Good decision," Lavender said from Hermione's side. "She was about to burst."

Hermione looked at Rose with a little guilt on her face. "I really didn't intend to use her like that," she said.

Lavender looked at her friend skeptically. "It's alright, no real harm."

Hermione nodded. "Don't let me do it again."

Lavender smiled. "Done."

(*)

A quarter of the way around the world, two other women prepared breakfast.

"How many we got tonight, Moll?" Carla asked.

"The three of us," Molly replied. "Rose, Lilly, Hermione, Lavender, and Luna. That's eight. Ron and Hugo should be here shortly, so ten. Is Jarra coming?"

"I think so," Carla said. "He likes Luna a lot."

"Who doesn't?" Molly said with a laugh. "We'll plan for twelve with Obo."

"Obo has neatened the beds," the old elf said as he entered the kitchen. "Will the mistresses be needing Obo's help with dinner?"

Carla smiled at her treasured friend and companion. How she had managed her first eighty years without him she couldn't fathom. "Always, Obo," she said. "Always."

(*)

As he sat in the Cairo Port Key Terminal with Hugo, Ron read her most recent letter again.

My Knight

She did it! Again. We have the North American one, and we will be home before Christmas. We also met with another of the keepers. We now know there were five, but only four still live apparently. This one knows of the South American location, so we will be returning shortly after the winter holidays. All five of us are well, and we looking forward to stopping through Cohn Manor and collecting your parents on our way home. I have so much to tell you, but that will have to wait until we've said a proper hello.

Ron smiled. A "proper hello" was one of their code words. He was looking forward to a "proper hello" himself.

As I wrote you previously, we have acquired a travelling companion. William will be joining us after we return to the quest, but for now he is enjoying being pampered by the keeper of western holds. She is just as special as the other keeper we have met, and the space she keeps is spectacular. I must show it to you.

My companions say to tell their husbands that they will be home soon and to expect a warm reunion.

Ron sniggered. Rolf and Seamus were aware, and they just as eager to see their respective wives.

Tell your sister her daughter behaved perfectly.

Ron nodded. He had.

I love you more than words can convey.

Yours forever,

H.

Ron folded the parchment and put it back in his pocket. Hugo, sat next to him, was entranced by the parade of strange people that came and went in the terminal. Cairo was a central point in the port key system. They keys could drop a person or group off anywhere, but it had been determined, through hard experience, that most long distance travelers should come and go through specified points. The larger terminals had been constructed in the late nineteenth century, secured from the Muggle world, and it was through these that the wizarding population traveled until it was time to port to their final destination. The diversity of people was incredible here, and Ron had to admit the costumes were amazing.

A group of tall black men in brightly colored robes made up of layers of gauzy fabric strolled by. They conversed in a language Ron couldn't even begin to grasp. Welsh was strange, but the clicks and pops that apparently made up part of this particular tongue were other worldly. A group from India walked by going the opposite direction from the men. Ron recognized their origin from the saris the women wore and the plain white attire of the men, it reminded him of the outfits Parvati and Padma's family wore to Parvati and Anthony's wedding.

In his pocket, his watch spoke up. "Five minutes," it said.

"Right, time to get ready for the hop to Perth," he told his son.

Hugo smiled as he stood. "Mum and Rosie still don't know we're coming?"

Ron grinned back. "Nope," he said, taking his son's hand and starting toward the departure pads. "They think we're back at the Burrow setting up Christmas." He laughed. "Harry, Ginny and theirs can get it sorted this year. We'll be back in time for dinner, and Ginny's got all mum's recipes."

Hugo smiled. "I can't wait to see Rosie and Lilly again," he said. "But I really can't wait to see grandmum, granddad, and Carla."

"I was quite surprised mum and dad took this week," Ron said, looking bemused. "But autumn has been rough on your grandmum's knees, and dad said the bath and Kata Juta helps with mum's aches so much they just had to go." He sniggered. "At least they know we're all coming."

The large chalk board over departure pad three had two names in front of theirs. Nakamura departed for New Deli, then Sanchez departed for Cape Town, and it was their turn. "Underhill!" the attendant called and Ron and Hugo stepped up to her. "Here you are," The young woman said as she handed them a crumpled newspaper. "One, two, three."

(*)

"You keiki like da ocean?" Leiani asked Lilly and Rose, as Hermione and her group reentered the shop.

Lilly ran to Leiani and hugged her around the middle. "Thanks," she said. "It was brilliant."

"Glad you had fun, lil sista,' Leiani said, hugging Lilly back. "How bout you? Whoa!" Leiani exclaimed as she looked at Rose. "Your hair just like mine. Get it wet, it twice as long."

Rose giggled and nodded. "Mum keeps it trimmed," she said. "Otherwise I'd walk on it after a swim."

"The Granger hair," Hermione said with an eye roll. "My father, me." She shrugged. "Sorry, Rose."

"Nah," Leiani said. "It's great. We got shade wherever we go, yeah?"

Hermione chuckled. "That is a good way to look at it," she said.

"Talked wid Granfada," Leiani said to Hermione. "Just let us know when you wanna meet. He'll be happy to."

Hermione took her hand. "Thank you so much, Leiani," she said. "I'm sad we're in such a rush."

"Make some time when you come back, yeah," Leiani said with her never ending smile. "You be on island time 'fore you know it."

"Probably," Lavender said. She looked at her travelling companions and tilted her head toward the terminal room door. "Go on, I'll just be a moment."

Leiani and Lavender watched the rest make their way into the store room terminal. "Sup?" Leiani asked.

"You say you know who Hermione is?" Lavender asked.

"Oh yeah," Leiani replied. "Read all about it in magic history at school. You were dere wid her, yeah?"

Lavender nodded solemnly. "Yes, I was," she said. "And you have probably read about me too. My real name is Lavender Brown."

Leiani's eyes flew wide. "Holy shit!" she said, and gaped at Lavender.

Lavender sniggered and took the other woman's hand. "Keep that to yourself, please." she said. "Leiani, trouble follows us. It's currently actively trying to find us, and it may come looking here. You're the only one that would have any information that the people who are currently angry with us would want. Be very careful if they come asking questions, they are extremely dangerous."

Leiani's face became hard, a sudden transformation that made Lavender proud of the young woman. She could see a hundred generations of Polynesian warriors reflected in pretty young woman's face. "You want 'em to disappear." She asked flatly.

Lavender smiled. "No, we'll handle them," she said. "Just be careful and aware."

"Don' worry," Leiani said, and she looked toward the back room. "Keole, my cousin in der? He may look like a lolo. He's a bad ass."

Lavender nodded. "Good," she said. "But don't depend on that. Just be safe, and if they come, play the fool."

Leiani smiled grimly. "No problem, Good Wolf," she said.

(*)

Jakarta smelled like a flower shop drowning in fish, with a restaurant and an open sewer attached. It was overpowering.

"Ugh," Lavender said, and she dabbed at her eyes.

"Wow," Hermione agreed. She pulled her wand and cast the air freshening charm in a bubble around them.

The Jakarta Terminal was located west of the downtown area in an industrial park filled with metal buildings. Some were factories, some were warehouses, and some were fish processors apparently.

"We're only here for twenty minutes," Hermione said. "We'll just have to muddle through."

Luna looked across the busy terminal as they left the arrival area. "There appears to be a lounge area just there," she said, pointing to a raised platform that had tables and chairs on it. They found an empty table and set about waiting for their next jump.

(*)

"Aloha," Keole said to the group of people that appeared in the store room. "Manifest said the last group was it for today. Who you?"

A man in a business suit approached him. "Good day," he said. "We are friends of a group that came earlier, three women and two girls, and we're just trying to catch up with them."

Keole looked at him for along moment, then he nodded. "You need go Fiji den."

'Fiji?" The man said.

"Yeah, brah," Keole said with a smile.

"Alright, can you make a key for my friends and me?" he asked.

Keole shook his head. "Don' make keys here," he said. "Oahu. App der, dey make you a key. Dey just send us keys for da day."

The man turned to his friends and they huddled in conversation. Keole counted eight. More than he wanted to take on at the moment, even with Leiani disillusioned in the corner. The man turned back to Keole. "Where are we going?"

Keole pointed to a map and a picture on the wall. "Dat's Oahu terminal. App der, dey take care a you."

"Thank you very much," the man said. His group studied the picture and map for a few moments and then they disaparated.

"Dey'll be back," Keole said. "An dey won't be happy."

Leiani cancelled the Disillusion, walked up to her giant of a cousin, and leaned against him. "Yeah, and we'll be ready."

(*)

They'd been traveling for close to ten hours since they left George's Ranch in Idaho, racing the sun. It was climbing into the sky over the desert as Hermione and her four companions appeared under the shade of the trees in the small park. "Almost there," Hermione said as she gave Lilly and Rose a bottle of water from her bag. Even in the mid-morning the heat was already starting to build in the outback. "It's hot, but the air certainly is cleaner

"Thankfully," Lavender said. "We need anything while we're here in Alice Springs?" she asked.

Hermione chuckled. "Molly, Carla, Obo," she said, listing the team at Cohn Manor. "I think not."

Lavender smiled. "Too right," she said. "I'll take the girls."

Lavender appeared in the yard with Rose and Lilly first, then seconds later Hermione and Luna snapped into existence on either side of them. Lilly closed her eyes for a moment, and then Mola the goanna shot from under the porch, running full on toward her.

"I'm happy to see you too," Lily said as the lizard leapt from the ground into her arms.

Luna ran a finger down Mola's forehead and back. "She has made her home here," she said. "You did a good thing, Lilly."

The door to Cohn manor opened and Carla emerged with a tray full of salt rimmed glasses of lemonade. She set them on the porch table and turned to her friends. "Obo said you just got here, have a seat," she said. "We've started dinner, Lunch is ready when you are, Moll and Arthur are over at the bath, think that's all. Yer caught up."

Luna smiled, mounted the steps, and hugged Carla. "How were the two groups of students?" she asked.

Carla laughed. "Well, think I got myself a welcome speech," she said while Hermione, Lavender and the girls approached. All of them save for Lilly hugged the old woman, and then sat at the porch table and took up their glasses. Lilly stood next to Carla, leaning against her and stroking Mola's back while Carla wrapped an arm around her.

Lavender chuckled. "Got a speech, do you now," she said, and she took a sip of the lemonade. "This is so good."

Carla nodded. "The first group taught us a bit so the second one got this," she said and cleared her throat. "'Welcome to Cohn Manor,' I said. 'There's a few rules we figured out. The first is Obo is our friend, not your servant. If you need something, you ask me first. Two, this here is Mola.'" Carla stroked her finger down the lizards back and the goanna leaned into the caress. "She likes me, Obo, and anyone with the last name Potter, Weasley, or Scamander. If you don't fit that don't try to touch her, or you may pull back a stump. Three, quiet time is ten, including the rec room. Keep us up and you will regret it. Four, when I say it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner time, it is. Eat or go hungry. And five, It's hot here. Drink."

The gathered women laughed. "The students behaved?" Luna asked after a few moments.

"Oh yeah," Carla said. "The second group set up a temporary pen for a while out back in the courtyard. They were Apparating all over the country collecting creatures. They'd study them a bit and send them back where they came from."

Lilly set Mola down on the porch and watched as the goanna dropped over the side and scooted under the deck. She turned and hugged the old woman. "Bet you've seen a few things you didn't know existed," Lilly said.

Carla hugged Lilly back. "Sure have, Lil," she replied. "Them too. We got ourselves a dwarf dragon species down in Tasmania they didn't know about."

"Oh, how intriguing," Luna said. "Did they write a full report?"

"Yeah," Carla said chuckling. "Your man, Hollister? He was giddy. Handled the kids like a cattle drover too. You best keep him."

"You say Molly and Arthur are at Kata Juta?" Hermione asked.

Carla smiled fondly. "Arthur makes sure Moll goes at least twice a day," she said. "I've been goin' with 'em in the evenings. It's good for me, but it's great for her. She's movin' better now than she has in years, she says."

"Healer Allistone will be happy to hear that," Hermione said. "I…"

There was a snap of apparition in the yard as Hugo and Ron appeared, and Hermione leapt out of her chair. "Ron!" she cried as she ran.

Ron let go of Hugo's hand and caught his wife as she crashed into him, crushing him with a hug. "I missed you so much," she said.

He spit some of her hair from his mouth, and said, "'ve missed you too."

She was kissing Ron again. However obsessed she was, whatever was occupying her mind, all the cares she carried with her, everything was swept away when she was in Ron's arms. He responded with equal passion. They were lost in the reunion, not hearing Carla call Hugo to her, not hearing Luna's sigh of joy at the love they radiated, and not hearing Lavender approach, sniggering the whole way.

"How long is this show going on for?" she asked.

Hermione heard a voice. Lavender. Did she ask a question? Ron. Oh, Ron.

"Seriously," Lavender said. "There's a room for you, you know."

Ron disconnected himself slightly from his wife. "Wha?" he asked, somewhat dazed.

Lavender shook her head, picked up Hugo's bag he had dropped, turned, and walked back toward the porch. "Come on," she said to Hugo, Rose, and Lilly. "Let's get you to your rooms."