Fate watched as her champion armed the extensions of his soul for battle. Sure, he didn't see it that way, but he hadn't seen the string of too small corpses left by the conglomerate. Upon thinking about it, her pond tippled and the walking corpse that once called itself Lucius Malfoy appeared as the surface stilled. As hosting multiple deranged souls mashed into one conscious entity kept him perpetually awake, his sanity had begun to fray. Bright red-rimmed eyes shone from bruised hollows. His nearly bald head pockmarked with the odd blond tuft or patch of raw scabs where he'd yanked out some of the remaining locks. Scabs also coated his lips and fingertips, both of which he'd taken to chewing incessantly.
She shivered as he began salivating over a kid falling to his death off the top of a tree he'd compelled the boy to climb. With a grunt of disgust, she banished the image. As the pool regained its transparent sheen, she heard a polite cough behind her. She turned to find Death standing in a crisp black suit holding a paper bag out to her. His age flickered between 10 and eternity without his face or physique seeming to change. Only his cold blue eyes remained constant. Eternal. Bored. And, for the moment, angry?
"Share a meal with me, Fate?"
She shook her head. "No thank you. I've never developed your taste for mortal food. But please," she summoned a quaint table and chairs to match, "eat. We have much to discuss."
"You know," Death said while he removed a foil wrapped pulled pork sandwich, a cardboard carton of onion rings and proceeded to flatten the paper bag on the table to use as a plate. "Taste is precisely why I've grown so fond of eating human food. Where other animals eat base components off the ground to sustain themselves, humans take the components and create such wonderfully complex flavours. Two humans living on the same street raised with the same culture can make the same meal with the same basic ingredients and come out with entirely different flavour pallets. Tell me my dear," he took a bite of the sandwich and wiped the red orange sauce off his chin with his kerchief. "Have you ever tried pizza?"
She shook her head.
"Amazing invention. I will bring some on my next visit."
Death hadn't visited her domain since before the humans had invented pizza. If it had not been for her champion, she thought, he may not have come by until long after pizza passed out of fashion. However, given recent events, he might very well show up again next week.
"I'm fascinated by the notion that humans take these components that literally spring out of the ground or fall from trees that are nutrient rich and vital to their survival yet they manage to combine them in such a way that, more often than not, turn those healthy components into artery clogging sugar filled toxic trash." He crunched through a few onion rings before continuing. "I have become obsessed with finding one such food that is worth the agony they seem to feel while dying or watching a loved one die. Or 'bite it' as it were," He gave a dry chuckle and shoved the last bite of sandwich into his mouth.
"And? How many items have you found worth the cost?"
"Not one," he said.
"Yet you continue."
He shrugged. "Perhaps it is addictive, as so many of them claim."
"Perhaps you have a long existence to fill and no price to pay."
"Yes," he said with a smile that held not one shred of warmth or humanity. "Perhaps."
"I assume," she said, "that since my champion has been around for some years, that it is his current foe you wish to discuss."
"Current, past, and original. You do like your rule of three."
She huffed and crossed her arms. "I certainly did not create that infernal rule."
"No? Truly?"
"It seems even an immortal can learn something new."
"Certainly not every day. Do you know whose rule it is?"
"No. I would very much like to. If you happen to find out, you will come tell me, won't you?"
"And if I do? What's my reward?"
She thought for a moment. "If you also bring the components from the mortal realm I will attempt to bake you one of those pastries humans are so fond of marking special occasions with."
"A cake?" He burst out laughing at her nod. "Deal."
After a few moments of silence, Death spoke again. "You're confident your champion can defeat this conglomerate?"
"Yes," she said with forced confidence. He had great power, but Fate had no power over and limited vision into the reality from which this entity had sprung. An alternate Chaos ruled there with absolute authority. Fate's alternate in that reality had be murdered. Brutally. She repressed a shiver.
"Good."
"Good?"
"You can't think I want that twisted mass of souls in our reality?" He scoffed at her apologetic grin . "It does not belong. What's worse is it kills indiscriminately."
"And that's a problem for you?"
"How much do you know about my function?"
Fate gave a delicate shrug. "You curate the souls of the dead for rebirth."
"Precisely. However, there is an appointed time! Like you and Samsara, I work to perpetuate the turning of the Wheel. This abomination has crossed over from its all but lawless dimension to- Did you know my alternate there is dead?"
Her eyes widened.
"I know! Dead. And this thing ate them. Ate you if I'm not mistaken and the removal of that dimension's Death allows me clearer sight into that realm. I'd like to know how they managed that. The wheel knows I've tried. It can not be done."
"Not here," she murmured.
His breath left in a rush. "Quite right. Not here. Anyway. It is taking children, many children, out of reality."
"You mean killing them before their time."
"No. I mean consuming their souls. When the wheel spun those twisted souls out of our reality they were never meant to return. They aren't able to exist here without devouring those that belong. Those young souls are lost even to the Wheel."
"If it continues feeding..."
"It may very well recreate the reality it came from here."
She shuddered.
"Samsara has chosen a champion to aid us."
"I'd both hoped and feared that was the case."
"She will aid your champion. They will succeed. They have to." Death chuckled to himself, the sound of a sarcophagus as it hissed open. "I never would have thought any event could make me root for the owner of that infernal cloak. Not to mention the cheap knock off of my stone"
"We may have to give him the other two."
"No. I would die first."
"Well I won't."
"An exaggeration."
"The eating I can abide," she said, "but don't go picking up other nasty human habits."
"Wouldn't dream of it my dear, "he said and kissed her cheek.
They returned to the shore of her pond hand in hand.
In the Potter's secret vault inside a vault, Hermione took a tentative step toward Harry and his pale copy.
" A soul shadow," she said and reached toward the clone. Then paused. "Can I? Is he safe?"
"He's me. Part of me anyway," they both said.
"He can only do exactly what you do?"
The copy reached out to take her hand where it still hung in the air.
"Only until he gets my wiring right." He kissed her hand. "Call me Haku."
"Like from Spirited Away!"Luna skipped into the room and wrapped her arms around Haku's neck from behind. "I get it. You sort of look like the dragon in your other form."
"Ironically," Harry said, "neither of us can fully transform while he's out."
"But I do exhibit more of our animal instincts." He pulled Hermione to him and sniffed her neck with a content growl. She shivered.
"Though I'd hoped to have another dragon backing me up in a fight," Harry said as he came to stand mere inches behind Hermione and rested his hands on her hips, "but he proves invaluable in other areas."
Luna giggled and disengaged to perch on the edge of the maple wood desk to watch the show. Her hand drifted towards her crotch as she foresaw several delicious possible futures.
"Tell me more," Hermione said, though her voice shook as Haku began to unbutton her blue blouse.
"Haven't you ever needed a third arm?" Harry ground his growing erection against her ass and unfastened her slacks.
"Four are even better." Haku pulled each of her breasts up out of her bra to suck on a nipple while he rolled the other between his thumbs.
"Plus, "Harry said, slid her slacks down, and yanked down his own jeans so he could slip his dick between her ass cheeks. "We share a memory."
"Shhh," Luna said, but knew the damage may already be done. She clung to the two favourable possibilities left and rubbed herself through her panties.
"So," Haku lost his pants. "We will remember fucking you."
"In both holes."
"At once."
She shivered.
"Remembering two simultaneous orgasms is almost as good as sex," Harry said.
"Wait, you share a memory?" Hermione asked.
Luna sighed, hopped off the desk, and straightened her clothes. "Yes that does mean you can use similacri to study, no he can't teach you now you need to master your animagus transformation first, and yes you boys did mess up a chance at some really hot semi public fornication by bragging about your memory. The mood will not reemerge fast enough despite both of your rather delicious ideas and we need to find the book anyway because Griphook will be coming down the rails in four minutes and twenty six seconds."
"Uh, "Hermione said, "that is a bit more precise than normal. You also look very... here."
Luna held up her wrist. Pythia's 'Pearls' shone in the evening light from the enchanted window. "This gives me a lot of clarity. Thanks Harry. Put yourself back together."
Haku saluted, gave Hermione a kiss and whispered "soon" in her ear before flickering back into shadow.
"Oh by the door. Of course." Luna pulled a small black book with a hole punched through the centre off a shelf on her way out of the secret office.
"I half hoped the interruptions would stop after our first night together." Harry sighed.
"At least we've graduated from house elves to Luna," Hermione said.
"Hey this one was all you two," Luna called from the main vault.
"Can she hear us?"
"Think it has more to do with 'sight'," Harry whispered.
"You had to let her keep it."
"He did,"Luna shouted, "this will help us win. Plus she likes me. Two minutes thirteen seconds."
They both fixed their clothes and left the office, Hermione slipping several books into her space expanded purse. The door melded back into a solid wall upon closing. On their way out of the vault, Harry grabbed several handfuls of gold so he could take his ladies out without depleting his regular reserve.
Griphook hopped out of the trolly as they joined Luna outside the vault. He ushered them into the cart and surreptitiously handed Harry three identical golden keys.
"We're all set," Griphook said with a meaningful glance at the girls and back to Harry. "However, one person would like to meet you all before you leave."
"Who? "Luna asked.
"Not omniscient then, "Hermione said.
"Of course not. That would make me too much of a deus ex machina and be no fun besides. Spoilers."
"Her majesty Larlir the Third, Queen of the goblins," Griphook said.
"Queen of the goblins?" Harry asked.
"Don't sound so shocked Harry," Luna said. "Of course goblins have women. Why not one in power?"
"Because I had tea with the king two weeks before coming to Britain."
Griphook chortled. "Her majesty has decided, under the circumstances, to trust you three with Gringotts closest guarded secret. We are and have always been a matriarchal society."
"But then why has no one ever met a female goblin?" Hermione asked.
"Oh they have. Those that live are bound to secrecy, As you will doubtless be."
"Why now? I've been as much a friend to goblins as you let me for years and you only just met Luna and Hermione."
"I've always told her majesty you're a clever one. She'll like you."
They were ushered through a plain looking door off an inconspicuous hall back up in the bank. The other side of the door held all the pomp and circumstance one would expect to find in a royal audience room. Plush velvet furniture, persian rugs, accents of gold offset by deep oak.
By far the most striking feature, was the beautiful woman sitting at the table sipping a cup of tea. Black waves, with a bluish sheen, framed a delicate face of full lips and amber eyes. Though of modest cut, her dress clung to ample curves. Short by human standards, she would stand a full foot and a half taller than goblins. The only hints toward her species were her delicate pointed ears and nose, long fingers tipped in polished claw like nails, and the cunning glint to her Amber eyes. A gem encrusted crown sat on her head.
"Your majesty, please let me introduce Ladies Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood along with their Lord Harry Potter Traitor-Slayer."
Harry hadn't heard that title before. Had a nice ring to it. Now that he thought about it, Sirius did tell him about Voldemort making some deal with the goblins before his followers butchered several of them. Now would be a good time to remember more details from that lesson.
"Your grace," Harry said as he rose from a deep bow. "What an honor to make your acquaintance." He let the 'finally' remain unsaid, but knew those shrewd amber eyes missed nothing. He could use Draco right about now.
"Come. Why don't you and the fine Ladies have a cup of tea with us?"
As they obliged, the silence coupled with her nerves prompted Hermione to blurt out the first thing that came to mind.
"We aren't nobly born. Luna and I that is." Her statement met a blank stare. Stupid. Treat her like a guest at one of Slughorn's goddess-awful parties. Shmooze. If only the library had a book on sucking up to nobles. She'd looked.
"That is, when Griphook introduced us it sounded like a capital 'L'. It isn't. We're, umm, commoners. Harry's a real Lord though." Idiot. shmoozing and blabbering were not the same thing.
"Last we heard, the Wizarding world still ascribed to a patriarchal system."
"Yes your majesty, though we're working on that," she added, which won her a smile.
"Well it is our understanding that a, what is your word for mate? Spouse? That a spouse would join her mate's family."
"Yes, but we aren't married yet either," she said with a blush.
"You humans are so strange. You share a soul, but because you do not have a piece of paper saying you are his property you can not share his title?"
"Share a soul?" Luna asked.
Hermione had skipped over that to choke on her tea over the word 'property'. Harry pat her back.
"Of course. It does not diminish the soul my dear, but fosters growth. That is why soul mates, as we believe you call them, share a special bond. Those who foster the development of their soul can often communicate in some ways beyond the mundane."
"Like feeling emotions?" Hermione asked, having caught her breath.
"Sure."
"You know a lot about soulmates," Luna said.
"Because we haven't lost our connection to the world. Most sentient magical creatures have one true mate and take for granted what wizards now know to hold dear."
"Now?"
"Yes child." She patted Luna's hand. "Once all wizard kind had true mates, but they blended with the muggles who resembled their species. Worse, they began to develop tools like the muggles, until one day a weak half breed discovered that if he bound wood with a magical component, he could focus the earth's energy through the stick to bolster and focus his own power. Wizards gradually lost their true mates as their natural power dwindled, not from interbreeding, but from using wands as a crutch."
"But then why do goblins want to use wands?" Hermione asked.
"Both inquisitive girls. They're certainly your equal Lord Potter."
"More than equal in that department. And it's just Harry, if you please your majesty."
Her eyes narrowed. "We understand that you are used to your simpering former slaves and the reminder of your race's arrogance unsettles you, but do not think to treat us the same. We use your title as a show of respect to one below us."
"My apologies majesty. When one wishes to establish an equal friendship among our people, we use our first names to foster familiarity." Dammit Draco, why aren't you here to charm her?
Her predatory amber gaze gave him a long measured look. "We are not friends, Lord Potter. Not yet."
He expelled his held breath.
"If I may?" Luna asked and, at the queen's nod, continued. "We are honored to be here, but I'm sure you didn't invite us here to give us an albeit fascinating history lesson on soulmates."
"No, child, we didn't, though the lesson is important for you to understand what we have to tell you." She took a sip.
During the pause, a goblin dressed in livery knocked once and entered.
"My apologies," he said to the floor in a deep bow, "but there is a young wizard lordling here for Lord Potter."
"He may have him once we are done."
"Yes majesty. I told him that, only, he requested to speak with you as well."
"Well then bring him to the king."
"I did. He- well majesty he asked to speak to the queen."
The queen blinked at him.
"When I laughed at him, he drew me this." The guard passed her a budget report from one of the front desks. On the back sat a picture of the queen as she sat in front of them, tea cup and all.
"Majesty," Luna said, "this Lord is a dear friend of ours."
Murderous intent cooled, replaced by a curious glint in her amber eyes. "Show him in."
"Presenting Lordling Draco Malfoy."
He strode in with the arrogance and assurity of being born and raised to carry the title.
"Your Majesty," Draco sunk to one knee before the queen and kissed the back of her hand. "It is truly an honor to meet you. Forgive my stare, but I had not been prepared for your beauty."
She took back her hand to pick up his drawing. He remained on one knee.
"You seemed prepared for one who has not been trusted with the closest kept secret of the goblin race. Even if your weasel of a father had possessed the skill to circumvent the oath, he certainly was not trusted with said secret to begin with. He spent years with his tongue so far up my husband's ass we worried the king had grown a second tongue."
Draco cracked a charming smile. "A colourful image, your majesty, and a fitting description of his personality. But these impressions?" He looked at the skillful scotch in her delicate hand. "They are nothing but dreary shadows."
"You go down smoother than your father, young man. Speaking of whom, how do you speak ill of him so freely?"
"My father has betrayed my family, else is dead. The ring appeared on my bedside table last night." Draco pulled at the ring on a chain around his neck. As Poppy reminded him multiple times a day, he had much to learn before he would be worthy of the responsibilities slipping the ring on his finger would bestow.
"And how did you know we existed?"
"A vision, coupled with my Lord's insistence I come meet you." He glanced at Harry over his shoulder and gave a wink.
Harry kept his face neutral.
"I brought Lord Longbottom as well, so you might meet our Lord's core retinue."
The queens' gaze flashed to Harry. "My, my, you have been a busy boy in Britain."
Harry inclined his head.
"Lordling Malfoy you may take a seat." She summoned two chairs and once he took the closest said, "Let in the other."
"Presenting Lord Neville Longbottom."
Neville, slightly pale but with a set jaw and ramrod posture, entered. He gave a stiff but proper court bow. "Your majesty. My gratitude for welcoming me into your abode. Please accept this gift of food for your hospitality."
"The nervous one has such manners. I take it this is a human custom?" she asked as Neville set a tin of biscuits on the table.
"Yes ma' am," Neville said.
"Have a seat." She took a biscuit, sniffed at it, and ate it. Her eyes widened and she took another. "Why, this is delicious! I expected to hate it, as goblins lack the taste buds to appreciate sweets."
Harry noticed she dropped the royal we in her surprise.
"I know," Neville said. "They're made with dragon liver. My Gran's recipe."
"Augusta Longbottom. Fine woman. We knew these tasted familiar."
Neville's eyes widened.
"Oh yes. One of five humans we've ever had the pleasure of calling a friend."
He looked at his hands, limp in his tap. "She never said."
"She could not. True to her oath that one. But oh how she longed for us to meet. Talked about you constantly."
"She did?"
The queen nodded. "She would have been proud that you wear the ring with grace and humility now."
Neville looked away, eyes glassy.
"Stubborn old bat probably taught you the recipe because she knew they were my favorite. We suspect she taught you quite a lot about goblins."
He nodded, eyes on the ceiling. Draco's hands twitched, but he held them still in his lap. The queen looked from Draco to his hands and to Neville with her keen eyes and took a deep breath to taste the pheramones. Listened to the blond's quickened heartbeat. With an uncharacteristically kind smile, she held Draco's gaze and cocked her head toward Neville. His eyes widened, but he squeezed Neville's hand.
He looked from Draco to the queen sharply then relaxed. His smile wan.
"She taught me to be kind and polite always, though she rarely was herself."
"Those older and wiser are given that leeway. We would bargain she also taught you to be weary and keep a proper guard."
Neville hesitated, but nodded.
"Sound advice when dealing with any species," Draco said. "Especially our own."
The queen chuckled.
"You've amassed a diverse group of followers, Lord Potter. Powerful ones at that. A Seer, Samsara's Champion, if I'm not mistaken, a fine young lord, and the reformed Malfoy heir."
"I prefer to think of them as friends."
"So too did Tom Riddle." She fixed him with her amber stare. "In the beginning."
"Tom Riddle is dead."
"And yet I see some of him in you."
"Any monster can leave a scar, but wounds heal."
emAnd the darkness behind your eyes?/em she thought to him loudly enough that the minimal telepathy he had in his human form caught the thought. Goblins did not have telepathy but the focus and strength of the single thought coupled with her faint smirk told him she knew he did. Or that something in his minute reaction had confirmed her suspicion.
"Samsara?" Hermione asked.
"Yes child. The goddess of rebirth. She is worshipped in most Indian religions, but largely unknown to white magicals. I can sense her essence woven through yours. There is something, a snag, that keeps you from knowing her. Tell me about your parents."
"My parents?"
"Were they kind, religious, affectionate, distant?"
"Affectionate at first, but religious. Catholic. Once I got my letter … Well, things change."
"And your own religion?"
"Science, though of course I believe in the pantheon now. I umm met Gaia and Selene."
"Your essence is confused. You will need time to heal the parts of yourself that remain at war before the weave can be complete. You must feel frustrated, confused, perhaps even in pain since Samsara chose you."
Hermione's eyes grew glassy. "Can you help?"
Linlir gave the girl a tender smile. Poor soul. "I can tell you that there is nothing to fear. Sasara would not have picked you if she believed you lacked the internal strength necessary to face your demons, heal, and become one with her light. Only six mortals have been chosen before you in all of the goblins' far reaching history. A great power comes with being the seventh.
"She is a goddess with two faces. She is a fierce warrior capable of reducing everything in her path to ash. Yet pine seeds only take root after fire cracks their casing. She is a nurturer. Protective of the life her light births. Through you, she will protect the world.
"Visit your parents child. Confront your path and yourself. Burn what you must to allow new growth to bloom. Your mates will help you."
Hermione sat stunned. Eyes wide and hopeful.
After several minutes of silence, Harry said, "You were about to tell us why you summoned us."
She smiled, showing her pointed teeth for the first time as her eyes flashed gold, like headlights passing over a wolf's gaze in the night.
"Goblins had Seers long ago, before our greed for gold drove us into the earth and away from the sun. Many unfulfilled prophecies lay in our library, but the oldest reads: A man of many souls. A friend. A foe. Several pieces serve as one. Empower the downtrodden or feast on fear. Annihilation or absolution. Assist sight, fire, and light or bring on the blight."
Harry groaned. Another fucking prophecy.