Hello, this introductory chapter will be rather short, as I'm attempting to figure out how submissions, etc. work with this website. I have another chapter pre-written, just waiting for edits, so it won't take long.
I've been reading fanfiction for years, dabbled in writing for a while, but found that my English just wasn't good enough yet. I still struggle from time to time. English is not my first language, so please be patient with me. I'm sure I'll improve with practice.
This story will contain spanking of minors. If you are opposed to reading a story that contains/mentions, or even graphically depicts those acts, I ask that you not read this story, as I will not warn ahead of future chapters.
Please enjoy, and be patient with me. Thank you very much for reading my story.
Chapter 1 – The Veil
Harry stood silently in front of the dark door in the Ministry, Hermione and Ronald at his side. All three stared straight forward, Ron and Hermione holding hands, while Hermione's right hand was latched to his blazer, holding onto him tightly as well. The last time they had stood before this door was roughly four years ago. A door he had seen in his dreams many times after that. A door that held nothing but terrors for him. He knew that once he stepped through this door, he could never turn back. It had been the same the last time. The last time he had led his group of friends through this door, in their panic to get away from the Deatheaters hunting them down, life had changed forever.
The three were to be honored for their services for the Wizarding Society of Britain, the Wizarding Society of the World, and the Muggle World. They had already received their Order of Merlin First Class the previous week, plus numerous other accolades Harry had not given many thoughts to. But, according to the Minister of Magic, today was as high an honor bestowed as he had never seen before. Arthur Weasley, the new Minister of Magic, the man that had made it his mission to present the awards and honors on those veterans of the war. Minister Weasley, Harry smiled softly, had made it a point to announce to every newspaper that today's honor had not been bestowed since the founding of Hogwarts. Only the four founders had ever been through the Veil to receive their honors by the founders of magic themselves.
The three stood silently, side by side, stomachs tight with nerves as they listened to the muffled sounds through the door. Chairs were being placed, voices spoke inaudible words, spells were cast. They had all been here before. And their last memory was not a fond one, especially for Harry. The room behind this door held the Veil that had taken his Godfather from him. The Veil that swallowed souls, shrouded in so much mystery that no living Wizard had ever dared to willingly cross through. Little was known about the Veil. Hermione had spent weeks researching the Veil and had come up with no more than rumors and ideas. It had frustrated her endlessly, and Harry and Ron had finally given up trying to convince her to stop her research and had simply let her be, realizing that research was the only way Hermione knew how to deal with all that had been going on.
She had learned that whoever crossed through had never been seen to come forth again, except for the founders of Hogwarts. She also shared that upon its delivery to the Ministry of Magic, nearly 500 years ago, the Minister of Magic, the honorable Gilroy, had taken many steps to safeguard its existence before falling intrigued with its mystery. He had promptly discovered its ability to swallow souls and had henceforth used it as a punitive device, the finality to life. Gilroy had sentenced his first wizard to death following the discovery of numerous crimes and had forcefully pushed a wizard through its shroud for the first time in its known existence. He declared it more humane than the killing curse or the Dementors kiss. He had claimed that the finality of the Veil ensured none were to ever return from death. In the first 30 years, over 60 wizards were pushed through the Veil. It was as much for science as it was for peace.