It was a week before the second task in the Triwizard tournament and it was time. In the end the final team was to be kept to a minimum. Team blue was there of course. They would provide the power. The combination of Harry, Lafiel, Luna, and Hermione was more than sufficient there.
Aimee and Fleur were there, the former to help Astoria, and the second because Aimee was her friend.
The Greengrass family was limited to the sisters and their mother. It was decided that the inclusion of their father would add a variable they definitely didn't need, since he had the same curse and was not going to be treated since there was no need.
Samantha was going as the sole representative of Garnok's team.
The final two were Fawkes and Dumbledore. They had learned earlier that twelve was this rooms limit. Any more and the room vanished, ejecting them into the hallway. They had previously discovered that Fawkes most certainly counted as one of the twelve.
Lafiel could hardly believe they were in a magical recreation of a room from a civilization that predated modern man, that made her own species existence seem but a flicker in the great hourglass of time. This was a room from the legendary Atlantis, created by a magical castle with difficulty yes, but not that much difficulty.
The room appeared to be carved out of a great crystal. Above seemed nothing but white. The room was very cold, which made no sense, given that they were in a warm castle, but it was. The walls especially so.
The room was triangular in shape, with the door to exit vanishing once they closed it. Inside there seemed no exit. Albus and Fawkes took one of the safe corners, while Fleur took another with Aimee.
Daphne and Astoria's mother stood in the remaining corner.
The runes they laid out the day before lay faintly glowing on the floor. The floor took to it like a chalkboard further reinforcing the purpose of this place of light.
Light. It was strange that such a cold place should feel warm, and be bathed by soft light from every direction.
Daphne sat in the center of the floor. Each of the participants wore the same simple white robes they had worn at Gringotts. Across from her sat Lafiel. Around them at least six feet apart sat Harry, Hermione, and Luna, each facing the center, as Lafiel and Daphne also faced.
Harry asked, "Are you both ready? We can't stop once we start. This has to be finished."
Lafiel turned to Daphne, "Are you ready? Do you truly accept this?"
"I do," Daphne said solemnly.
Lafiel smiled. "Then I too am ready."
Albus Dumbledore had seldom been so focused in all of his life. Even when he last fought Riddle the anticipation was less than it was now.
Harry's magic began to flow first, but the other two were less the a second behind as the rune scheme flared with power.
The power rapidly swept inward, converging on Daphne who screamed.
The wards held her firmly as her blond locks shot out and flowed in all directions.
Astoria started to go for her sister, but her mother held her back.
Daphne's screams continued as the light from the three was unrelenting in its punishment.
Seconds turned into minutes as a dark miasma was forcefully expelled from her body. The miasma wasn't the only thing as find streams of blood were forcefully expelled from her pores, leaving her a gristly sight.
Ten minutes later it stopped, the magic died as Daphne tried and failed to collapse. The rune scheme held her in place.
Dumbledore was more than a little worried. He wasn't entirely sure if Daphne would survive if they stopped now, but then that was not the plan. Had that been the plan they would have used their original rune scheme, and not the one that left Daphne's magic the only thing holding her together. This would be fatal for a muggle, but then muggles didn't get blood based cursed on their entire bloodlines. They also didn't survive losing that much blood and whatever else she lost.
Daphne's voice was weak when she said, "Please. Finish it. Can't stay like this."
Lafiel said quietly but firmly, "Do it."
Luna started first this time, Harry and Hermione quickly following as their magic again flared, but this time it smacked directly into Lafiel, who stood perfectly still, refusing to be moved, despite the pain.
Her lavender magic flared, started to pour from her into Daphne. This was quickly followed by a fine mist of blood. It wasn't as much as Daphne herself had lost, but it had to be painful as the magic compelled its programmed actions to be done.
Daphne smiled a small smile as the lavender magic touched her, and seemed to be comforted by the fine mist entering her body, changing her. Blonde hair became light blue. Her ears took on a mix between Lafiel's and her own. Her features both softened and hardened, making her look a touch more elven in nature. It was almost twenty minutes before it ended and she was allowed to collapse. Lafiel caught her and eased her to the floor.
Samantha called out. "Clear the floor."
Astoria looked confused as Harry, Hermione, and Luna once again touched the floor, this time all the delicate rune work was wiped away, leaving the cold room, warmer and brighter somehow.
Samantha immediately went to Daphne and cast several diagnostic spells charms, looking at the results for several minutes. Finally she said, "It's done. She is free of the curse." She then repeated her spells on Lafiel. "She is good as well, but should recover for a few hours before we attempt the second half of this."
"What about the runes?" Astoria asked. "Won't those take hours to rewrite."
Samantha replied, "This room has no other purpose. It will remember when we ask it to."
Astoria asked, "Is she truly free of it?"
"I believe so, but let's take her to Madam Pomfrey for a second opinion. Food and a break are in order before we attempt to repeat this, particular since your case promises to be no easier."
"Not helping," Astoria muttered.
Below the long lost original version of the room they were in, a blue crystal grew brighter.
It turned out that Daphne was healed. The Gringotts master healer was summoned and confirmed it. She would never suffer the curse. That was unlikely in any event since it had not affected her by now, but prior to today she would have passed the curse down. Now it was just gone.
Astoria's ritual was similar in most respects, except Lafiel also contributed, but only magic this time. The room automatically modified the runes to allow the fourth source of power. It was well it did, since Astoria got far closer to death before she received help from Aimee and the others. She turned out fine, and seemed to have almost no physical changes beyond lighter colored hair and the ability to speak French as if she had grown up with it.
After the ritual the far away blue crystal grew brighter still. In a locked cabinet inside the Headmaster's office the Goblet of fire also glowed a soft blue under its covers.
Lafiel headed to the Slytherin dorms with Daphne and Astoria for the night. They split off when they got there. Lafiel continued with Daphne. After they closed the door Daphne glanced around, before whispering a locking spell.
She turned to Lafiel and spoke for the first time in Baronh, the language of the Abh. She said, "Thank you. Thank you so much."
Lafiel smiled before asking, "How much did you learn?"
"I think the last thing I remember that came from you is your father saying that your cat was the source of the other half of your genes. He wasn't right?" Daphne asked hesitantly.
Lafiel laughed. "No. Father was playing a joke on me. I am a child of love. I'm pretty sure I told you this. Though my mother used an artificial uterus for my birth, she loved and still does love my father. She is a captain in our star forces."
"Amazing, and yet there is no marriage?"
"Marriage always puzzled us. Often couples promise and intend to stay together, and generally do. We just didn't see the point in adding a name to that."
Daphne nodded. "Perhaps it is better than what we do in the wizarding world. It's rare now, but it is not unknown for traditional families to trade daughters like gold, oftentimes looking for advantage for the family above their own daughter's interests. A few even transfer bindings of their own progeny to their would be husbands."
"That is horrible! It must be stopped."
"Hey, you saved me, and I know, while Story isn't free, I know my dad is only watching out for her. I wonder if her and Draco will work out now."
"Why would they not?" asked Lafiel.
"Who knows. Draco wouldn't have been my first choice, but he has certainly gotten better." She hesitated for several seconds before adding, "Did you really mean that about stopping forced marriages?"
"I did."
"We'll I don't know how to do it yet, but count me in if we can come up with a reasonable way to do it."
Lafiel smiled at her new almost daughter.
Daphne then held out her hand, which Lafiel immediately took in her own.
Daphne then conjured a simple ball of fire in her bare hand, only to smile as the lavender magic flowed through her and made it flare brighter.
Daphne grinned, "Five is better than four I think."
Lafiel's smile widened. She said, "We should work on the next project soon. Our new workshop should be complete not long after the second task."
"And if you succeed. Will you ask the others?"
Lafiel appeared puzzled. "I want to say of course, yet even now I'm uncertain. The Earth was our distant past. What am I changing? Will having anyone come with me change things too much? Should I even go?"
"We will have to figure that out as well then," stated Daphne.
"Yes, and I have no idea where to start. After the task, we should all talk. Ultimately going our staying is everyone's choice, but we need to know, if we can know if others going is safe to the timeline."
"And if you can't?" prompted Daphne.
"Then I will go, and those who wish it may come with me. I will always go, if the choice is unclear. It is our way."
Daphne nodded.
They heard a knock and Daphne quickly dropped the silencing ward and opened the door so Tracey could join them.
Tracy's eyes widened as she stared at Daphne then spun her around. "We'll I think I like the new look. Who knew Blue was a good hair color?"
Daphne scowled at her.
"I meant it," Tracey said.
Daphne nodded.
"Did it work then? Are you free?"
"It did. The curse and all that remains of the family that cursed us is gone, from myself and Story at least."
"That is great! Tell me, do you feel okay. Do you have any sudden impulses to command peasants?"
Lafiel looked confused until an amused Tracey added, "Or perhaps your impulses to command peasants is reduced now?"
Daphne rolled her eyes. "Yes, as my servant I command you to clean our room."
Tracey rolled her own eyes, even as she eyed her side of the room dubiously, particularly since Daphne's bed faced part of it.
She reached down and started picking up clothes, only to be joined by Lafiel and Daphne.
When they were done Tracey asked Lafiel, "Hey, you think you could help me with this book of yours? Daphne has tried, but I haven't quite got it."
"Of course. It is not my book of course, but rather one I learned from, and even now I review the lessons it contains."
Tracey asked, "Your obviously not a British pureblood, since the potions accident obviously wasn't what happened. Daphne wouldn't look like that now if it was. So what gives? Daphne's been largely mum about you, other than she trusts you."
Daphne looked on in curiosity, but said nothing until Lafiel glanced at her.
At that point Daphne said, "Tracy has kept all my secrets, never once revealing them to others, and I know her family doesn't practice what mine did."
Lafiel asked Tracey, "I'm curious. Why have you not taken the courses your friend does?"
Tracey sighed. "I'm not Daphne. Your book has helped and I do what I can. Heck, I'm a half blood in Slytherin. Sometimes I just try to keep my head down. I know Daphne has protected me, but she can't be everywhere."
Daphne nodded sadly.
Lafiel asked, "What do you want?" Her question had the tone of simple curiosity.
Tracy started to answer, but Lafiel held up her right hand. "Not right this minute, but after you are done with school, when you have a chance to choose your own destiny. Where do you see yourself? What would you like to change?"
Tracy blinked. "I don't think anyone has ever asked me that before. To be honest, the biggest thing is I'd like to move past all the BS where people think an accident of birth somehow matters. I don't mind working hard, but I'd kind of like to make a difference in some way. I thought maybe about learning healing. I'm not sure I'm good enough to be a healer, but I could maybe be a nurse?"
Lafiel turned to Daphne, "Does she have the potential to be a healer?"
"Yes," Daphne said without any doubt.
"Then that is my answer. Join us. Live up to that potential. We will help you, and if you want, with the other things as well."
Tracy looked over to them. "I thought you were going to tell me some deep dark secret."
Lafiel looked at her curiously and asked, "Which secret would you like us to tell?"
Tracy looked surprised before gaining a contemplative look. She looked between Daphne and Lafiel and then asked, "I don't suppose I could save the question for another day?"
"Nope," replied Lafiel with a grin.
Tracy again looked between them, and then spotted the book that Lafiel had given her and Daphne. She grinned as an idea occurred to her. She asked, "Tell me about who wrote that book? From what Daphne is saying, it teaches better occlumency than the best known book, except its not really occlumency. It's written from a non magic perspective, and yet it all works. It all makes sense. I've asked Granger if she had heard of such a thing, but she just clams up. If this was a muggle book, I'd think she might have known. You say you didn't write it, and I believe you. It seems the work of many people over a very long time. Just what is the story there?"
Lafiel asked Dobby for some refreshments and once they arrived told her tale, leaving off only that they still practiced genetic manipulation and used artificial wombs.
Tracy looked over to Daphne several times to confirm that she believed Lafiel.
When Lafiel was done, Tracy said simply, "Prove it."
"The ears and blue hair not enough?" quipped Daphne.
"Please," Tracy said, a touch exasperated. "With the stuff the Weasley twins come up with, and the strange things in the magical world, well you could just have some weird lineage curse like Daphne that creates blue hair. Maybe your family annoyed the Weasley clan a thousand years ago, and cursed you blue so as to always be able to find their eternal enemies?"
Lafiel laughed.
Daphne glared at her. "She told the truth."
"What proof would you require?" asked Lafiel.
"Well you could show me your spaceship?" said an amused Tracey.
Lafiel fished into her pocket pulling out her trusty tablet, pressed the screen a few places and asked, "Ship. Authorization to temporarily decrypt necessary records is given. Respond with identity confirmation using this language."
"Viscountess Abriel Paryunu Lafiel confirmed. Records decryption pending records request."
"Please show us our arrival on this planet starting from ten minutes before the landing sequence was initiated."
The screen lit up showing the blue marble of Earth and the view outside the cockpit as her past self made inquires to the onboard computer. Tracey tried to get closer till Lafiel handed her the tablet. Daphne pushed up close to her as they watched the vision of Earth flare red as atmospheric entry try to burn her little ship to pieces and failed.
They watched the entire sequence in silence, only drinking a bit of tea. When they were done Tracey said in awe, "It's true. I mean I know Daphne wouldn't lie to me, but still. It's so hard to believe, and this computer thing. The muggles don't make anything this good. I watch TV. I'd know if they did."
Lafiel said, "They are not far off the creation of something that looks similar, though this one will likely remain in advance of what is possible for this planet for several hundred years."
"But you could change that?" suggested Tracy.
"I will not. The danger of introducing technology far in advance of what this society can handle is unacceptable."
Tracey said, "I know, its like on those scifi stories, but wait if you change the future you could delete yourself from existence, or who knows what?"
"It is also possible that a temporal loop has formed, and me failing to take action destroys my people from existence. There is no way to know, unless..." She held her hand back out for the tablet and asked, "Ship, have you been able to determine whether my actions are a threat to our known future, and if so, in what way."
"Negative. Insufficient information is available to determine outcome. The process to determine this answer will continue until terminated or information becomes available."
"Continue the investigation. What is your current supply status?"
"Antimatter supply remain unchanged, and will likely remain so for the next two years until such time as onboard systems must be recharged, or until flight systems are next required. All systems are functioning normally."
"And of my plan to use the runic ward scheme as a substituted for the antimatter engine?"
"Results are unchanged. Space is insufficient to add a second drive system and imperial law forbids discharge of antimatter onto this planet's surface. A new capital ship is required. The runic ward scheme may be a substitute for antimatter in such a ship, if results scale as expected, but the technology currently does not exist to fabricate a safe vessel, and releasing such technology on this planet, while not forbidden, is recommended against in imperial law. Furthermore the design of Planar Space engines is not allowed on a planet such as this. Such development would have to take place off planet..."
"End," Lafiel commanded.
"Confirmed."
Tracey said, "So I take it you have a few problems to solve?"
Lafiel laughed musically. She said, "Even if I solved all those problems, the method I used to get here could just send me further into the past, or shoot me, and anyone with me, into a sun or some dark region of space where everyone eventually dies when the supplies run out."
Tracey put an arm around her shoulder. "So you have a few problems, but you have magic now right?"
Daphne expression shifted to a small smile that both Tracey and Lafiel caught.
Daphne said, "Hey, you have magic on your side now. We will figure it out. Heck, we just cured an incurable curse. This can't.. Nope, I'm not going to jinx it."
Lafiel smiled. They had at that, so what was one more impossible thing.
Next up was the second task, whatever that was. She hoped they were ready. Unfortunately, preparing for the unknown was difficult. They had all practiced, both as a team and individually. Hopefully it would be enough.