Chapter Three: Dumbledore Stumbles
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its affiliated characters, places, or things. Those are owned by JK Rowling and affiliated companies. I also do not own Dragon Age and its characters, places, and items. That is owned by EA and Bioware. This plot is mine, however, and sadly for me, I can't/won't make money off this. Such is life.
A/N: This is the chapter where things get complicated. I am trying to stay true to both worlds here, so don't condemn me for changing a few things. I have read the Harry Potter books and played the Dragon Age videogames. So, I am familiar with both fictions. I don't know every tiny detail for Dragon Age, but that is because I have not read the comics, or read the books. So, I will be working with just the videogames. Lastly, I am taking Hakes staff appearance in Dragon Age Inquisition as the appearance of the Key from Dragon Age 2 Legacy. So, don't kill me for that.
Hospital
London 3:40 PM
Iris was sitting there in her hospital room wondering when she'd be allowed to see her friend. The doctors had taken three different blood samples. Made her go through four physical examinations, tested to see if she'd been cursed, and checked her for potions. Now she knew what Hermione was talking about when she called some of the test women went through was embarrassing. By the end of all of this, everyone was satisfied that she was now a young woman. One did seem worried about this whole thing. Sadly, for her, that was Dumbledore. He'd only been allowed there because of Iris' wanted to keep an eye on him. The old man didn't seem happy about what happened. Thinking about this cause Iris to laugh. Dumbledore had controlled so much of her life. Now it appeared out of his control. Iris was going to have to keep an eye on him from this now on.
The sound of the door opening pulled Iris out of her thoughts. The two doctors that had been monitoring her were walking into the room. They both looked more than a little off-putting at the moment. It was like the news they had was upsetting to them. A glance to her left showed Iris that Petunia was as worried as the doctors. Dudley did look a little sour at this moment. Vernon was looking more than a little annoyed. This was something Iris had wanted for a long time. The only way this could be any better is if Marge Dursley were hear listening to all of this.
The sound of Dr Jefferson's voice pulled Iris out of her thoughts. "Well, Ms Potter, I don't know what to tell you, but you are right. You are a young woman now, and I don't know how that happened. Your primary care physician confirmed that you were a boy not long ago. I hate to ask you this, but why did you make this choice?"
Iris just shrugged. "I had just spent a hundred and twenty-six years a woman, so I felt out of place returning to the male gender. It's not that I didn't like being a young man, but I didn't want to put my wife through unpleasant life."
"So, you did this to did this for someone else?" Doctor Fir sounded more than a little shocked.
Iris nodded her head. "Yes, I know Daphne said she is bisexual, but she has known me as a woman for many years. I am unwilling to force her to get used to me as a guy."
Both doctors just stood there in silence. They looked at one another before looking back at Iris. It was Dr Fir, who spoke first. "So, all of this was done for a loved one?" Iris just nodded her head. "Well, I don't know what to say about that." Dr Fir said with a slight smile.
"I agree with you on that one Dr Fir." Dr Jefferson said with a slight frown on his face. "I just don't understand how all of this could happen. You say this was done by God?"
Iris just nodded her head. "Yes, all though I will always call him the Maker now."
Dr Fir asked: "Why?"
Iris shrugged. "Well, I'm Andrastrian now, sir."
"Andrastrian?" Dr Fir asked looking more than a little worried.
"It is one of the big faiths in Thedas," Iris said calmly. "Hell, we even saw her on our way back."
"Did you see Jesus?" As Dr Jefferson asked looking more than a little worried.
Iris shook her head. "No, but I won't say he doesn't exist. I also don't think he is the child of the Maker and Andraste."
"So, you respect the religion you grew up with?" Dr Fir asked.
Iris nodded her head. "Yes, sir. I don't think it's a wise idea to say that one religion is false and the other is not."
"Wish more people could think that way, Ms Potter." Dr Fir said with a smile. He looked over at Dr Jefferson. "Well, Ms Potter I don't think we need to keep you away from your friends anymore, but I think like the rest you need to stay here for a few more days."
Iris just nodded her head. "Of course, sir." Iris stood up and walked toward the doctors. "So are my friends in the rooms next to me?"
Dr Fir nodded his head. "Yes, ma'am. Just so you know Ms Greengrass has been asking about you."
Iris smiled at this. "Of course, she has. Is her, sister here?"
Dr Jefferson nodded his head. "Yes, she is. Do you know what is wrong with the poor girl?" Dr Jefferson seemed more than a little concerned about her sister-in-law.
Iris nodded her head with a sombre look on her face. "Yes, she is suffering from a blood curse. I think we can cure it by using lyrium and going into the Fade to break the curse."
Dr Fir looked a little confused. "What is the Fade?"
Iris smiled at the man. "It is the source of all magic, where everyone goes when they dream, and the home of the spirits."
"You can break a blood curse there?" Fir asked.
Iris nodded her head. "I think we should be able to, but I want to do some more research into the matter before we attempt it. Before you say anything, Susan, Daphne, Tracey, and I have over two centuries of experience between us. We have all been to the Fade more than once. Susan was able to use the Fade to save a man's life, so I think she will be a perfect aid in this matter."
"Can it be done here?" Dr Jefferson asked.
Iris nodded. "It can be done here, or in St Mungo's whichever is more convenient for you."
Both doctors looked at each other and nodded. It was Dr Fir, who spoke. "Well, Ms Potter, we will talk more about that when you are ready to do it."
"Of course, thank you, gentlemen," Iris said as she shook their hands and then walked out of the room. Iris could hear footsteps behind her, looking behind her showed that Aunt Petunia was following her. Had this been a few hours ago, she would have found it creepy. Since her return to this world Petunia had been the nicest, she'd ever been to Iris. It actually felt weird. Iris shook her head of these thoughts and continued walking down the hallway. She stuck her head in the first doorway and found Fleur and Ginny sitting next to one another. Even though they were holding each other's hands, Mrs Weasley seemed more than a little upset about what was going on. There might be something that she needed to tell Mrs Weasley soon, but that could wait. The next room held people Iris didn't recognise, but they did look like Fleur, so they were probably her family. Before she could go any further Iris heard some running down the hallway. Iris turned her gaze to the left, and what she saw caused her to smile. Daphne was running towards her with Astoria not far behind. Iris barely had time to brace herself for the incoming elven missile. Iris had to spin around in a counter-clockwise spin to counter the momentum she was hit with. "We've only been separated for a couple of seconds no need to do this love."
Daphne was laughing as her feet came to rest on the ground. "You say that, but we've been apart for over a decade."
Iris chuckled as she kissed Daphne's cheek. "I lived those two decades thank you very much."
Daphne laughed as she moved Iris' head so that she was looking the elf in the eye. "You are a monster, you know that, right?" Daphne asked with a smile.
"My enemies told me that," Iris said with a smile. Iris leaned in and kissed Daphne softly on the lips. A soft intake of air to her left drew Iris' attention to Astoria. Iris broke the kiss and looked over at Astoria. Iris looked over at the younger girl and smiled. "Hi," Iris said with a smile.
"Hi, how long has this been going on?" Astoria asked, sounding more than a little worried.
Iris looked over at Daphne. She smiled as Iris looked over at Astoria and smiled. "Oh, in this world only a few minutes, but in the other world it was like a sixty-year long love story," Iris said this with a smile on her face. Though after she said this Daphne swatted her on the shoulder. "Ouch, what was that for?"
Daphne was glaring at her. "You making me feel old right now," Daphne said sternly.
Iris was blushing at this point. "Right that's a bad thing, isn't it?" Daphne just squinted at her. Iris held up her hand. "Okay, okay, you win."
Astoria was laughing at this. "Are you both serious?"
Daphne nodded her head and looked at Astoria. "Sadly yes," Daphne hit Iris on the shoulder. ''This one just likes to remind me that I am old now."
"I am one year older than you." Iris protested.
"Still, I am your wife, and as you said, you shouldn't make me feel old," Daphne said this with a smile.
Iris sighed. "Fine, but I will hold you to that stand as well."
Daphne chuckled and nodded her head. "Deal."
The sound of someone coughing grabbed Iris attention. Iris looked behind Daphne and found Graviel Hawke standing there with his case. Standing beside him was another Thedas mage, and they looked upset. The woman wasn't here earlier, so Iris didn't know who she was. Though given what Hawke had brought with him Iris though something was wrong with the staves that Hawke had brought. There was only one way to prove that, though.
Iris nodded Hawke's direction. "Good to see you again, Lord Hawke. Do you want me to pick out the staff now?"
Hawke smiled and nodded his head. "Yes, Lady Potter. Why don't we take this to your room?"
Iris nodded her head. "Of course, follow me." Iris looked over at Daphne and Astoria. "You two are more than welcome to join me in my room."
"Of course," Daphne said with a smile.
"Are you sure?" Astoria asked more than a little worried.
"Yes, there is nothing I want to hide from you or Daphne you are family," Iris said with a family.
Iris took Daphne by the hand. She then led Daphne back to Iris' room. As they walked, Iris thought about what could have happened to her staff. The worst thing that could have happened was that it was broken. It had been sitting around for centuries now. The second thing that could be going on is that Graviel didn't even have her staff, and was hoping that she would just pick one. The third and final option is that he could have the staff, but he could have had it cursed somehow. All it would take is knowing the right mage, and he could have done anything to the staff. So, the first thing she needed to do was to make sure the staff was not cursed. If it wasn't cursed, she then needed to make sure it was the actual staff and not some rip-off. All of this was assuming he didn't do anything else that was equally stupid. Given the look on the other mages face he had to have done something to the staff, so Iris had to be careful with it. The last thing she wanted was to stay in the hospital for an extended period because she was stupid enough to just pick up a staff.
As they walked into the room. Iris noticed that Vernon and Dudley had returned from their walk around the hospital. This would make looking at the staff a little tricky. Iris didn't think the room would hold that many people, but Iris just smiled at Astoria. "Don't worry Astoria this shouldn't take that long."
"You are right Ms Potter this shouldn't take long." Hawke smiled as he said this. "Where do you want to case to be placed, Ms Potter?"
Iris just gestured to the bed. "Just set it on the bed. This will be safer and better than us conjuring a table." Iris said this as she pointed to herself and Daphne. Iris then nodded towards the woman behind Hawke. "I also doubt you want to do that."
The woman nodded and had a bitter tone to her voice as she said: "Yes, ma'am."
Iris nodded her head and walked to the other side of the bed. Daphne and Astoria followed her. Daphne stood to her left, and Astoria stood closer to the window. Hawke placed the case on the bed and opened it. The three staffs within the case were facing Iris, and she was upset by what she saw. Iris had been expecting her staff to be hidden amongst other staffs. What she actually saw was her staff broken apart and its pieces being placed on the other two staffs. Iris wanted to know how someone broke apart the Key. It was an ancient thing that had taken the form of a staff due to her blood. From all, they knew the state could not be broken apart. Even trying to do this might actually kill the person stupid enough to do it. This item, as far as they discovered, was an ancient Elven creation. This may be dangerous to put it back together, but it had to be done. Iris reached down and grabbed the staff the Key had turned into and looked over at the mage that had come with Hawke. "You wouldn't happen to have a knife, would you? To fix this, I'm going to need blood. My blood."
"This isn't blood magic, is it?" The woman asked, sounding a little scared.
Iris looked slightly depressed as she shook her head. "It is, but it only affects the Key." Iris held up her hand before the woman could say anything. "It isn't about affecting other people. It is about affecting the Key. It is an ancient elven creation, and they don't have the same restrictions we do."
"If you were Lady Iris Hawke, you wouldn't need to do this," Hawke said with a sour look on his face.
Iris just glared at Hawke. "If someone hadn't taken apart the Key, I wouldn't need to do this. I am also wondering if who you got to do this is still alive. This is a powerful object you young fool. Messing with it is dangerous. The only thing I was able to do to it was to add the staff blade to the bottom of it." Iris said this more than a little bit forceful. She looked back at the staffs trying to see what else Hawke had done. Iris quickly wished she hadn't. If she took the gem at the top of Key, the bottom of the second staff, and placed them on the third staff, she would have Daphne's old staff. Iris looked back at Hawke. "Honestly I don't know who you need to be more worried about, but you have just stepped in a mess you don't want to be a part of."
"What are you talking about?" Hawke said, looking more than a little annoyed.
Iris pointed at the two staffs. "You took apart Merrill's staff and my own and mixed them up with another staff. Now I don't know if you are stupid, or crazy."
"What?" Daphne asked more than a little curious. When she recognised her old staff, Daphne looked back at Hawke. "I think this is why the mage is upset."
The woman nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Now if you need blood to fix this problem, we can ask the hospital to do some more blood from you."
Iris nodded her head. "That sounds like a good idea."
Before they could do anything though Daphne had picked up her staff. After that, Daphne started removing other parts to her magical sceptre. Daphne looked around the room. "What? It's not like, the Key was going to resist this. You guys are overthinking this."
"What do you mean?" the mage asked.
"All we have to do is put Iris' staff back together, and let her brick her finger. She then set the gem down and started to remove the gem that had been placed on her staff. Daphne looked at Iris and said, rather flatly. "Well, are you going to help me?"
"Right," Iris said as she reached for the Key. She started removing the blade from the bottom of the staff. Iris then took the gem off her sceptre and replaced it with the gem that should have been there in the first place. She then took the blades off the second staff and gave it to Daphne. Daphne handed her the blade off the bottom of her sceptre to Iris. Iris set the blade on the bed, and then grabbed to red gemstone and placed it back at the top of the Key. The moment she did this, the Key started to glow, and like the last time this happened, Iris felt pain in her hands. Iris bit her lip to keep herself from screaming. When the pain died down, Iris looked back at the Key. It was back to normal now. The red gemstone was glowing brightly now. It should stop glowing within a few minutes. When the light died down, Iris looked back at the Key. It was once again in its usual design. Iris attention was drawn away from the staff due to the sound of running feet. The people that came around the corner were expected. A couple of nurses, a doctor, and Dumbledore stood in the doorway. She was surprised that the old man was even here. "Before you ask everything is okay. I was just fixing a problem."
"What problem was that Ms Potter?" the doctor asked.
Iris held up the staff. "This was broken, and I needed to fix it."
"Harry dear boy, you shouldn't have done that. We don't know what kind of magic is in those things." Dumbledore said softly.
Iris just rolled her eyes. "You may not know what is in them Dumbledore, but I do, and that is all that matters. Before you say anything, there are two things you need to know. One of them is that I am now a hundred and forty years old. Two is that my name is now Iris, and no, I will not be going back to being a boy. There are ways for Daphne and me to have children, so I don't need to be turned back into a boy for that to happen."
"You're a girl Harry?" Dumbledore asked, sounding more than a little stunned.
Iris just glared at the old man. "Yes." She then lifted up her hair showing him her scar. "Just so that you know it's me."
Dumbledore looked shocked at this little revelation. "Harry, what happened to you?"
Iris rolled her eyes. "God, or the Maker, gave me a choice of what I wanted to keep from the life I had just lived. The first thing I kept was the gender of the life I had just lived, the second was for one of my eyes to be grey, the last was to have a healthy body. So, yes, Dumbledore I don't look the same." Iris let her hair fall back down.
"Harry why…" Dumbledore started.
"My NAME IS Iris," Iris said sternly. "If you don't believe me talked to the Mediwitch from St Mungo's."
"But Harry…" Dumbledore cut himself off. "Iris, you have to understand that what you are saying is impossible."
"To mortal men, but the Maker, or God as you know him, can do this kind of stuff no problem," Iris said with a sour look on her face. "Again, if you don't believe me go talk with the Mediwitch."
"Why would you do this, Iris?" Dumbledore asked.
"Because we," Iris pointed to herself and Daphne, "…just met Him. I just spent a hundred and twenty-six years as a woman because of the option he gave me. So, I feel more comfortable in this body. Yes, I know I spent fourteen years as a boy, but that pales in comparison to the life I lived as Iris Hawke." Iris heard a sharp intake of air behind her. Iris looked back at Astoria. The poor girl looked shocked. It was like she had just been hit in the face with a fish or something. "Is everything okay Astoria?"
Astoria bit her lip and looked off in thought for a moment. It was almost as if she was arguing with herself about something. What she said next took Iris' breath away. "Did you have a sister that was named Bethany?"
Iris said softly "Yes, she was killed by an ogre. How do you know this Astoria?"
Astoria looked at the ground and started kicking her feet around. "I've been having dreams of her life for about two years now. At first, I wanted to write all of this off as circumstance, but it is making too much sense to say that I was Bethany Hawke. Just to prove this finish this sentence. My magic will serve that which is best in me."
"Not that which is most base," Iris said softly. Her face then took a sour look to it. "I'm going to make your father suffer for what he's done to you."
Astoria took in a sharp breath. "YOU told her Daphne."
Daphne nodded her head. Before she could say anything though the doctor asked. "So, everything is ok in here?"
Daphne said: "Yes, sir. We just had to fix something magically. Nothing is wrong in here. As for my sister, we will be talking with the Magical Law Enforcement, so don't worry about it."
The doctor looked around the room, and after a few moments, nodded his head. "Okay then, next time this needs to happen let us know okay?"
"Yes, sir, we will do so," Iris said softly. Once the nurses and doctor left, Iris turned and looked at Hake. The man just grumbled, closed the box and left the room. Her gaze then turned to Dumbledore. "YOU need to leave now, sir. We do not need you. I don't think any of us like you anymore."
"Why?" Dumbledore asked more than a little shocked.
"I won't tell you how, but I will tell you that we've known for a long time now about our lives here. Looking back on them after decades of life on Thedas let us 'see' what was going on. It is almost like you are using us as pawns in a game of chess. So, we don't want to play your games anymore."
"Ms Potter I can assure you that I have done no such thing," Dumbledore said calmly.
"If that is the case then why didn't you tell Minister Fudge that Snape was lying to him? If you had done that, then Sirius wouldn't be running like a criminal. So, if you want MY trust, then you should do something about this."
Dumbledore looked around he looked a little confused. After a while, Dumbledore closed his eyes. "Ms Potter, what are you trying to do?"
"I am trying to force you to get off your arse, and do something about this," Iris said sternly. "I don't care if I still have to live with my relatives, but Siris shouldn't have to live the rest of his life on the run."
"The man you've been threatening us with is not a mad man?" Vernon asked.
Iris looked over at him and smiled. "No, but I am a warrior who killed at least two hundred members of an invading army, and then took on more than a dozen evil mages. Granted, I did do this alone. Myself, Daphne, Neville, and a few others who are no longer with us did all of this together."
Dumbledore beat Vernon to asking a question. "Why would you do all of these things?"
Iris rolled her eyes. "For starters, this was all done five hundred years ago, so asking someone to just not invade your home was out of the question. The Qunari wouldn't have stopped anyway. As for the mages, most of the ones we were fighting were blood mages. That kind of magic is not only illegal but is incredibly toxic. You can extend your life with it, but that comes at a price."
"What kind of a price?" Dumbledore asked.
"One that none of us wants to think about sir." The mage from Thedas said softly. The woman looked over at Iris. "So, I take it, Lady Hawke, that you've never used blood magic?"
"Correct. It is not worth it to use that magic." Iris said softly as she looked at the woman. She then turned back to Dumbledore. "Back to what I was saying, either you do your fucking job, or you can kiss the trust I had I had in you goodbye for life. I will never trust you, nor will I head your council."
Dumbledore looked over at the historian. "Ma'am you're from Thedas. Is what she just said true?"
The woman nodded her head. "Yes sir, Iris Hawke lived to be one-hundred-and-twenty-six years old. You're the Grand Warlock of the UK and Supreme Mugwump of the ICW. Still, you were not personally responsible for the literal protection and governance of the Magical UK. Sure, as the vote on laws makes sure, the hearings run like a well-oiled machine. Still, you're not personally responsible for the safety and wellbeing of a city-state. You also don't have to worry about the safety of its people. Sure, you do worry about those things, but it is not your responsibility to do so."
Dumbledore just stood there blinking at Iris. "Iris, do you truly feel this way?"
Iris nodded her head. "Yes, sir. If you think for a minute that I will blindly follow you NOW, you are a fool. Because of your failures, I will worry about myself. My friends will be doing the same. As for Astoria, you do need to worry about her. When her father shows, I will be challenging him to a duel for what he has done to her."
"That isn't necessary, Iris," Astoria said softly.
Iris looked back at Astoria. "You are not only my sister-in-law but also my former little sister. So, I will do everything I can to protect you."
Astoria blushed. "Iris, that isn't necessary."
"None sense. Your father beats you, and I won't let that continue." Iris said softly. She then turned her gaze back to Vernon. Iris had been thinking about ways to protect Astoria and Daphne. The best way she could think of is having them move into the Dursley household. To do that though Iris would need to magically increase the size of her bedroom. Maybe she could have whoever did this kind of work make her room have two bedrooms, and a couple of bathrooms to facilitate them. "Uncle Vernon, I have a proposition for you. I will pay you for all the time we are in your home."
"What?" Vernon asked.
"I am wealthy in the magical world, and I will be paying for all the work being done. Lastly, I will pay you two hundred pounds a month for us being there." Iris said calmly. "Surely this will be enough to facilitate the 'burden' this will place on the house. We will have our own kitchen and food so you won't have to worry about that."
Vernon looked off in thought after she said this. His eyes were squinted. It was almost like he didn't want to say yes, but the idea of getting paid for it was too tempting for him to say no. He looked over at Dumbledore. "She can do this without a problem?"
Dumbledore sighed. "Yes sir, her family wealth is in the millions of both gallons and British Pounds."
"MILLIONS?!" Vernon screamed.
"Yes, sir." Dumbledore then looked over at Iris. "This isn't necessary Iris. I will do everything I can to protect the two of them."
Iris just shook her head. "No, you've had your chance. You cannot tell me that you didn't suspect Greengrass was abusing his daughters."
"I was hoping he would learn that what he was doing was wrong," Dumbledore said calmly.
"That's illegal." A voice came from behind Dumbledore. As the man turned around, Iris could see a woman standing behind him. The fact that Susan was standing beside her made Iris think this had to Madam Bones. "Are you free to talk to me, Ms Potter?"
"I think so," Iris looked over at the mage from Thedas. "Will you want the staff back from me?"
"No ma'am. I am just a message bearer for the current Lady Hawke. She wants to speak with as soon as possible. She is on her death bed. She is the one who wanted to test you, but Mr Hawke 'destroyed' the Key. So, he lost his inheritance last week. I don't think I am allowed to say more than that though ma'am."
"That's understandable. I am more than willing to meet Lady Hawke safely ma'am. Just get the message to her." Iris said softly.
"Understood. Now if you will excuse me." The woman bowed to her and made her way out of the room.
As Susan and Madam Bones made their way into the room, Susan asked: "So did they give you your old staff?"
"Yeah. I don't think anyone wants to take it away from me." Iris said with a smile.
"Did the same for me," Daphne said with a smile. "Did they do it to you as well?"
Susan nodded. "I left my staff back in my room. Ginny is looking over it, and I think she wants to go and get one of her own." Susan said the last bit with a smile on her face.
Iris and Daphne started laughing. "I'll bet," Iris said with a smile on her face. "So, did you tell your aunt what we talked about?"
"Yes, she did. What I want to know is why I was never told about this." Madam Bones said sternly.
"It wasn't me that withheld that information. For that, you will have to talk to Minister Fudge, and Severus Snape. Before you say anything, I will never call him Professor. The man is too much of an arse for me to give him that title."
"Well, then why did Minister Fudge trust him?" Madam Bones asked.
"Because he was told we were cursed," Iris said bitterly. She then pointed at Dumbledore. "He knows that Ron, Hermione, and myself were not cursed, yet he expected us to solve the problem Snape caused."
"Snape should have never been trusted." Madam Bones said coldly. "He was bullied by Sirius and maybe trying to get revenge. From the way I understand it, he found both you and Sirius on the ground passed out. Was that from Dementors?"
Iris nodded her head. "Yes ma'am, and if it wasn't myself casting a Patronus charm, I think they would have fed well that night."
"You can cast the Patronus Charm?" Madam Bones asked sounding more than a little shocked.
Iris nodded her head. "Yes, ma'am, and I will be more than willing to show you when we leave here. I don't want to scare any patients."
"That is understandable, Ms Potter. Is there anything else I can do for you?" Madam Bones asked.
"Yeah arrest Mr and Mrs Greengrass for child abuse. The two of them have mistreated their children, and something needs to be done about that." Iris said this calmly and held up her hand to stop Astoria from saying anything. "It's either I help you this way, or I actually challenge your father and kick his arse. I am fine with both things happening though, so if he asks do tell him I set this up."
"Iris this isn't needed. I'm just happy you're trying to help me." Astoria said softly.
Iris pointed at Dumbledore. "I am not him Astoria. If I see someone suffer, I try to solve that problem. You should know this."
"Yeah," Astoria said, blushing slightly.
"This is something we should be talking about with a couple of Magical Law Enforcement Patrol officers." Madam Bones said softly. "I will go get them now. Do you have a safe place to stay?"
"We are working on that now," Iris said swiftly. She looked over at her Uncle. "Does what we talked about sound good to you?"
Vernon looked between Iris and Madam Bones. It looked like he was being torn between his joy of making Iris suffer and his great desire of 'looking' like a good person. After a few second Vernon grunted. "Yes, it sounds fine to me… girl. Just remember that I expect those payments at the first of the month. The first one should be made before the girls show up."
Iris nodded her head. "Understood, I will get stop by the bank before we get home to make that payment." Iris turned to Dumbledore. "I expect the goblins to be informed of my gender change. Since you have been doing everything else concerning my life, this shouldn't be too much for you to do."
"Ms Potter, we don't know how long this will last," Dumbledore said swiftly.
Iris laughed. "I do sir. I don't think the Maker will just up and change my gender for no reason."
"Ms Potter, I am still finding it hard to believe that you met God," Dumbledore said calmly.
"Well, that is your business, but you cannot change that opinion for myself and my friends," Iris said coldly. "Don't even think about checking our minds. I don't think the Maker would like you barging into those memories."
Dumbledore sighed. "Understood Ms Potter." Dumbledore turned around and walked out of the room.
Iris sighed. She didn't know what the man was thinking, but it had to be concerning ways to get her back under his control. While she didn't think he was malicious enough to do something illegal, but he might do nothing when something did happen. "Well, here's to hoping that he does what is right."
"I will be right back with Patrol Officers Ms Potter. I expect you to watch over Astoria, Potter. If you were the Hero, Susan told me you were this shouldn't be a problem." Madam Bones said as she made her way to the door.
Iris tightened her grip on the Key. "Yes, ma'am," Iris said as Madam Bones made her way out of the room. Once Madam Bones was gone, Iris turned to Susan. "So, who is on patrol first?"
Susan laughed at this. "I think I'll take first watch Champion of Kirkwall."
"Understood," Iris said with a laugh. "I'll take the second watch. Why don't you tell the Inquisitor about this idea?"
"Absolutely," Susan said as she walked out of the room. "I'll have to go grab my staff. Sadly, they won't let me have my sword."
Iris laughed. "That doesn't surprise me, Arcane Warrior."
XoXoXoXoX
5 Hours Later
The fifth floor of the Hospital
Ron Weasley was walking around with Ginny and Susan Bones. He felt a little lost at the moment. He didn't know why the two of them were wanting to protect a couple of Slytherin girls. There was nothing that those two could have done that would warrant this kind of dedication. The two girls wouldn't tell him why they were doing this, but they did say to him that this is what they should be doing. For some reason, the staff of the hospital were letting them do this. They didn't raise a fuss about it. It was almost like they believed the story that he'd been told about his sister. He thought that both girls had gone bonkers. Susan was walking around with a staff, and Ginny was walking around with her wand drawn. He didn't know why his mum brought the wand, but there had to be a good reason for it.
"Why are you following us, Ron?" Susan asked.
Ron was a little shocked at this for a moment. Ron shook his head of this and dove right into his concerns. "I am worried about why you two are doing this. It is almost like you've been bewitched."
Ginny sighed. "Ron, I know you don't believe us, but the fact still stands we spent weeks held within lyrium. There was nothing that could be done to use without causing problems. Also, there is no jinx, curse, or other spell placed upon us. So, lyrium is something you don't mess with. Beside it is something that this world didn't know about until the Maker wrapped us in it."
"But what if that was all a trick by dark wizards and witches," Ron said swiftly.
"Then explain the planet that just showed up orbiting the Sun alongside the Earth," Susan said quickly.
"It's all just a trick," Ron said with certainty. There was no way a planet would just show up orbiting the Sun beside the Earth.
"Ron stop being stupid," Ginny said sharply. This caused Ron to jump. "There is no way to magically create a planet. Not to mention the planet is filled with life. I mean, look at Susan. She kept the elven biology she had during that life on Thedas. So, how did that happen? Was she cursed by a dark wizard in Madam Bones house? Or maybe here at the hospital under the protection of muggles and the Ministry they somehow bewitched them?"
Ron looked at his sister like she'd just fallen off her broom. "Ginny, when did you get this way?"
Ginny sighed. "Ron, I spent a lifetime as a bard in Thedas. And unlike bards here an Orlesian Bard is kind of like a spy. We are players of the Grand Game, and before you ask this not a game for the weak-hearted. There is espionage, and murder, so do not let the singing of a bard deceive you."
As they made their thirteenth turn around the girls stopped in their tracks. Ron followed their tracks and found two people running in their direction. Ginny pointed her wand at the two of them. Susan tapped her staff on the ground bring a wall of ice between the two of them and doorway. Susan growled as she said: "You two need to stay right there."
"What are you doing girl?" the woman said coldly. "This is underage wizardry."
"Not in our case," Susan said with a smile. She pointed to herself and Ginny. "The two of use are over seventy years old now—the joys of living two different lives. In Thedas, we died at over sixty years of age. So, it seems that our magic detection system here recognises that. A fun time for us, I guess." Susan said this last bit as she walked up to the door to Daphne's room. She knocked on it three times. Within seconds the door was open. Standing in the doorway was a young woman who looked more than a little pissed. Ron was confused by her eyes. One of her eyes was green, but the other was a light grey colour. The green eye looked familiar, but Ron couldn't place it. Before Ron could say anything, Susan said: "They are here."
The girl's face got really sour really fast. "Thanks, Susan." The cold tone of this girl's voice made Ron standstill. The girl turned to look down the hallway. "You two are SO lucky the Magical Patrol is here."
The woman screamed: "Those two girls aren't the Magical Patrol!"
"No, they are heroes from Thedas. Well, all of us saved for Ronald here, and Astoria are heroes from Thedas." The girl said coolly.
"What are you talking about?" The man said sternly.
"While we were trapped in the Lyrium Daphne, Susan, Ginny, and myself lived different lives. Those situations we were living required us to put other people before ourselves. So, we are used to this." The girl said this as she tightened her grip on the staff in her right hand. "I may not be a Patrol Witch, but I can tell you that you're probably under arrest." The girl said this with a smile on her face.
"What are you saying about my daughter?!" The woman screamed.
Susan laughed and tilted her head towards the woman. She then lifted up her hair so she could see her ear. "She means this." Ron's mouth fell open when he saw Susan's ear. It was slim and pointy. It was almost like a house-elf's ear, but it wasn't droopy. "The funny thing is the moment the Ministry learned that other elves weren't like house-elves they altered Wandlore restriction law. According to Aunt Amelia, they removed the law yesterday."
Ron shook the shock off. "You're an elf now?"
Susan nodded her head. "Yep, and if they don't want me to continue learning magic here. I will go back to Thedas. So, the Ministry is utterly powerless to stop me from learning magic. Not that I need it."
"What are you talking about, girl?" The man said stiffly.
"She's talking about the fact that Thedas wants us to come back. That includes Daphne and knowing Daphne she'd take Astoria with her. Given how much I'm worth we don't need you." The girl who came out of the room said coldly.
Ron was looking at the girl more than a little shocked at this. It was at this moment that he saw something that shouldn't have been there. Above her green eye was a lightning bolt scar. It was a scare he'd seen so many times now. It was out of place seeing it on a girl's body. He couldn't stop himself from asking: "Harry is that you?"
The girl sighed. "Yes, Ron, It's me. That isn't the important part of what is going on."
A voice came from behind him. "You aren't wrong, Ms Potter." A wizard walked up to stand beside them. "Mr and Mrs Greengrass, I will ask you to set your wands down."
"Why?" Mrs Greengrass asked.
"I am afraid you are under arrest." The Patrolmen said calmly as he drew his wand. "Now, I will ask you once more. Please set your wands on the ground."
Mr Greengrass reached into his sleeve and drew his wand. He looked once at his daughter, and then at Harry. "You don't know what you've done, Potter."
Harry scoffed at this. "No, you don't know what you've done Greengrass. Now set the wand down, or I will disarm you."
"Bold statement girl," Greengrass said coldly. Greengrass made a quick flurry of his wand. "Sectumsempra!" The white beam of light was heading for Greengrass' daughter. Before the beam could even touch her flesh, Daphne spun out of the way. The beam of light hit the wall with a loud crack. There were four deep lacerations placed on the wall after this. Before Mr and Mrs Greengrass could do anything, five spells were heading their way. Four of them were elemental in nature. The one that came for Ginny's wand was a fire in nature. The one coming from Susan's staff was of ice. Daphne and Iris had thrown bolts of lightning at Mrs Greengrass. The Patrolman had cast two stunners. Sadly, for Mr and Mrs Greengrass, the spells hit them at the same time. The ice spell froze Mrs Greengrass in place. Ginny's spell singed her clothing. The lightning spells made Mr Greengrass convulse as he fell to the ground.
Once the dust had settled the patrolman turned to the girls. "What are you four doing?"
"Nothing," Susan said calmly. "Before you say anything we probably classified as adults considering we've all lived close to a hundred years in life. Well, that would be Ginny and me. Daphne and Iris are over a hundred years old."
"Oi, there is no need for that," Harry said with a smile on her face. She started walking towards the ice wall. "Do you mind dropping this?"
"No problem," Susan said with a smile on her face. She flicked her wrist, and the ice wall disappeared in a puff of icy particles. Harry walked up to Mr Greengrass and took his wand off the ground. She bent down and picked up Greengrass' wand off the floor. As she did this, Harry let out a sharp whistle. "What's wrong?"
"He broke his wand," Harry said with a wicked smile on her face. "Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy." She looked over at Ron. "Sorry about that, Ron, but he truly needed this."
"Don't worry about it, Harry. How did this happen." Ron asked as Harry handed Greengrass' wand to the Patrolman.
"God gave me a choice of keeping somethings of the life I had just lived. Seeing as I'd lived over a hundred years as a woman, I couldn't see myself going back here as a boy. That and she," Harry said as she pointed to Daphne. "…probably would feel out of place loving me as Harry Potter. So, I went with my first instinct and stayed a woman. I am so thankful that I didn't feel the pain of the transformation. My name is Iris now, Ron."
"Why?" Ron asked more than a little shocked.
Iris laughed at this. "Well, that is the name I've had for hundred-and-twenty-six years. So, I would feel really odd now answering to the name Harry, or some female version of it." Iris just stared at him like she'd been stabbed by something. "Ron eyes up please."
It was in this moment that Ron had realised he'd been staring at her chest. "Sorry H… Iris. I just didn't believe you were really a girl."
Iris just shook her head. "Trust me, Ron, I am a girl now." Iris walked up to him and hit him lightly on the shoulder. "Now pull your head out of your arse, and say hello to my girlfriend. Really, she's my wife, but that was from a lifetime ago now." Iris was gesturing towards Daphne Greengrass. "And Ron," Ron looked back at Iris. "…don't stare at her ears."
Ron looked at Iris more than a little confused. He looked back at Greengrass. There were other things he could stare at other than her ears, Ron thought. "What are you talking about H… Iris?"
Greengrass walked up to him and showed him her right ear. She had ears like Susan. Now that he could see them a little more clearly, Ron was a bit speechless about them. Unlike a house-elf ear, it was thin, and point clung close to her head. It almost looked like a knife blade. It was going off at a diagonal angle. "Is this something you chose to stay Greengrass?"
Greengrass nodded her head. "I spent my life over there as a Dalish Elf. Before you say anything, there are only one species of Elf over there. The Dalish part is a lifestyle. I honestly am wondering what their lifestyle is like now."
Iris walked up to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry love. We will go over there one day, and find out." Iris then leaned in and lightly kissed her on the lips.
There was a part of Ron that wanted to say that Iris had been bewitched. However, Greengrass had been trapped in the crystal just like Iris. Her sister was too timid to have jinxed Iris. Ron couldn't stop himself from asking: "Are you sure this is how you really feel Iris?"
Iris broke the kiss. She then nodded her head. "Yes, Ron, I love Daphne, and there is nothing that can change this. If it ever changes, I am being drugged then." The door to the other office opened up. A patrolwoman stuck her head out of the doorway. "Is it safe, Johnson?"
The other patrolman nodded his head. "Yes, these girls helped me deal with the Greengrass' parents. I think we need to check on their status as minors. They just cast very advanced magic, so if they are still under the Trace, the Ministry is probably in an uproar right now because I've never seen these spells."
"There from Thedas." All four girls said as one.
"Wow, when did they teach it to you?" the female officer asked.
Iris looked off in thought. "I think I learned it when I was fourteen. The basics that lead up to these spells would have been learned when I was ten."
"Those wouldn't have been combat-oriented I hope." The female officer asked.
Susan shook her head. "Nah, they were all simple spells. Like how to start a fire, how to conjure water, and how to levitate things."
"So, like here at Hogwarts?" Johnson asked. As the man walked behind Mrs Greengrass, Susan unfroze her. Johnson grabbed her by the waist before she could fall to the floor. Johnson then gently lowered her to the floor.
"Kind of. The classification of magic is different." Daphne said as she watched her parents get handcuffed. "There is a total of thirteen different classifications of magic. Before you ask that is as simple as it can get. Jamming all of it into Transfiguration or Charms would be mind-numbing. It is best to figure out what classification one is good at and focus on that. There is only one of these that is forbidden, and that would be Blood Magic."
"Why is that?" Officer Johnson asked.
"That is the classification of magic that allows you to do mind-control, torture, and summoning of demons. So, all around, not good magic." Susan said with a bit of hatred in her voice. "The others can be used to 'hurt' people, but they pale in comparison to Blood Magic when that is concerned. Blood magic can put someone in a comma, force them to be possessed by a demon, summon a demon, or turn a benevolent spirit into a demon. Trust me, officer, compared to the Unforgivable this shite is truly scary."
"Wow, so things that you don't want to be taught at Hogwarts." The female officer asked.
"Definitely," Iris said in a calm voice as the Greengrass parents were revived. The two of them looked around, and when their eyes fell on Daphne, they narrowed into glares of death. This just caused Daphne to laugh. "Please, I've been threatened by professionals at this point in my life. So, the two of you don't scare me. I've had thirteen assassination attempts on my life, and none of them worked. You'd think that people would learn after the first five that it was a stupid thing to do."
"What are you talking about?" Mr Greengrass spat out.
"I was the Viscount, and unlike here that made me the leader of a city-state. The Free Marches are a collection of city-states. No king or queen. However, I don't know how it is run now. The Free Marches could be like the United States now. So, your guess is as good as mine concerning its modern governance. Yet, none that is why you are being arrested. You are so lucky that the Patrol Officers talked me out of challenging you to a dual."
"YOUR standing in that life means nothing here!" Mrs Greengrass screamed.
Iris laughed. "True, but it does mean something over on Thedas. So, you might want to watch your action. The last thing you want to do is start a war with Mages who don't give a shite about Blood Supremacy. So, your 'blood status' is equally pointless to them."
"What are you talking about?" Mrs Greengrass asked.
"The history of Magic on Thedas is long and complicated. Suffice it to say unlike over here it didn't go into hiding. Mages weren't killed because they were mages. Instead, they were corralled into buildings and allowed to be magic users. Now that was in the non-Qunari magic users. The Qunari just sow their mouths shut. Well, those that follow the Qun. The others don't care if you can use magic."
"That still doesn't scare me, girl." Mr Greengrass said coldly.
"Again, father we don't care if it scares you," Daphne said swiftly. "All we care about is that there is a safe place we can go."
"There are two of those places," Iris said. "One of them is my house, and the other is Thedas." Iris took Daphne's hand. "Come on, love. There is still stuff to tell Patrol Officer Johnson."
As Iris and Daphne walked back into the room, they left. Ron wondered just how close those two really were.