The Legend of Chastity Lorna
Chapter 12
By Alicia Marie Jennings
~
Months passed. Winter held an icy grip on the Scottish countryside, and winter held an icy grip on the heart of Voldemort. Rumors of murders by Voldemort filtered into the Potter mansion, each marked by a pushpoint pin on a map of the world in Harry and Hermione's study. The couple pored over legions of books of dark arts spells, defense spells, and more. And then, the spring came, bringing lush green out of the snow. And soon, the summer months came, and with them the departure of students from Hogwarts - which meant Dumbledore spent even more time on the cause.
And as the months passed, the baby inside of Hermione grew. Morning sickness and backaches plagued her, and often the king sent her back to bed and posted guards at the door. It was mornings like these when Anna, the butler's wife, went to the king and queen's chambers and removed anything that could be broken, as the queen was inclined to throw hissy fits at this forced rest.
There were history books strewn all about the castle. Hermione and Harry, on the way to the library one day, discovered a monstrous volume entitled The Rise and Fall of James Scott, son of Charles II on a dusty shelf. Hermione took the huge book into her arms like a child. *Soon, I'll hold a child,* she thought. Seven months along....only two more, and she'd have a child to love...or did she already love the child she carried? *Too much of a paradox this early in the morning,* she thought, shaking her head and leafing through the book as she walked alongside her husband.
*AN - this is an excerpt from the book, and obviously *muggle* book*
THE BATTLE OF EQUINOX-
James Scott met his downfall at a battle near Stratford on the fall equinox, where a lesser noble under Charles II named Perrin Allen led a vast army to vanquish him. It was rumored that these two armies had weapons of mass destruction that had never been seen before. On both sides, numerous bodies were found to have a lightening bolt scar on their flesh, if there was much of a body left at all. James Scott died of wounds days later, and his rebellion was sufficiently crushed.
-
"Harry?" asked Hermione softly.
"Hmm?" They were at the library now, seated in couches, numerous volumes before them.
"Do you remember...from our charms classes and defense against the dark arts classes...remember our professors telling us that the equinoxes and solstices were an especially magical time of year? That people almost incapable of holding a wand -" Neville Longbottom popped into her mind - "could do immense things on the equinox? That people with even remote training could do things nearly impossible?"
"Yeah....I do..."
"Well...what if James Scott was a wizard? What if he had wizard followers? That in itself would explain not only why he chose the equinox to attack but also why there's curse marks on not only his soldiers, but royal soldiers as well."
Harry's mouth was set in a grim line, and he snapped A Summarization of Muggle Battles shut. "Let's go see Dumble -" Then he took in Hermione's swelling abdomen. "On second thought....since you can't Apparate...and Floo powder isn't a good idea...mayhap Professor Dumbledore could come here."
"A wise choice," said Anna, a bit of sarcasm in her voice, from the doorway.
Hermione laughed as Harry rolled his eyes. "Anna, do you mind sending an owl to Professor Dumbledore?"
"Not at all, if it keeps Your Highnesses from traveling," said Anna, turning on her heel. Hermione, still giggling, pecked Harry on the cheek before going to her rooms to gather some notes she'd been collecting.
~
Minutes later, Professor Dumbledore sat with Harry and Hermione in the Blue Parlor, looking at legions of notes through half-moon glasses, being careful to not miss anything.
"Doesn't it make sense, Professor?" said Hermione breathlessly. "Why wouldn't Voldemort use a day of the changing of the seasons? It gives him even more power! Besides, he has to use the Equinox to launch a big attack. This age parallels the last, Perrin and Chastity's age! He has no choice!"
"It would make sense, Your Majesty." Dumbledore carefully put the heaps of parchment back on the coffee table, being careful to not upset the tea service. "How much are you planning to risk on this theory?"
"Everything," said Hermione, determined. "James Scott led series of smaller rebellions and slayings of nobles before finally reaching a climax at this, the Battle of Equinox. Everything parallels, Professor...including dates of attacks, and even places."
Dumbledore rose, the twinkle in his merry blue eyes quite hidden. "Very well. I will summon the Aurors to Hogwarts...since it is the summer months, they can stay there, and we will research precisely how we want this battle to be played out. Severus can try and gain as many details as possible - he may be our greatest help through all of this."
"Agreed," said Harry. "I will go see Ron immediately, to tell him of all this. Gather the Aurors, if you will. I'll visit them as soon as I can, once they are all gathered."
Dumbledore nodded, and bowed. "I will do as you wish, Your Majesty. May you have a pleasant day." And with that, he was gone as quickly as he came.
Hermione sighed, rubbing her hands absentmindedly over her belly - a habit she'd gotten into doing lately, being rewarded with a kick every now and then. So much sifting through books, only to be found in such a small paragraph....she smiled. Life was ironic. After all, she was Queen of wizarding Britain, and pregnant to boot. And she was honored and revered, wheras only months ago men treated her as property, simply to be used to have a good time.
"Penny for your thoughts?" asked Harry, smiling softly as he scooted closer to her, putting his arms around her.
"You forgot to add in inflation and taxes," she teased him.
"Oh, whatever," said Harry, kissing her on the cheek. They sat in silence a few moments. Then Harry spoke again. "How can you stand it, Hermione?"
She looked at him in suprise. "What?"
"Being pregnant. The morning sickness, the back aches, the head aches, the weight gain, the hormones out of whack, then the pain of delivery....how do you do it?"
She smiled at him. "Well, it's sort of hard to explain, I think....I'll try to, though. Every time I feel as if I could give up, I imagine what our child is going to look like. Then I imagine what their first word will be, when they'll walk, when they'll run....then I imagine what they're going to be like in school, who will be their friends....and then I imagine when they're going to have children, and what that will make us - grandparents. All because of our love."
"Or a one night stand."
"No, no," she reprimanded him gently. "This was meant to be. This is what love truly is, Harry. A child is simply love manifested."
And then they sat in silence, until the weary mother-to-be drifted off to sleep. With that, Harry donned his cloak, and set off for the Ministry of Magic. He had some business with the Minister.
And it was quite the matter of urgency - the equinox was only roughly two months away.
~
A/N - Gah!!! I'm so sorry it's so short, and that i haven't posted in ages, and that it isn't beta-read (i just had to post it...if she finds any mistakes, i'll change it, but geez! I just had to post!).
SO much has happened! I will truly tell you - this story is nearing it's end. maybe two or three more chapters. I'm not the absolute die-hard H/H shipper anymore (although it still owns). I've become a bit more open-minded. In fact...you might see a Hr/someone else fic up soon........other than Fleur d'ecarlate (which was a bit stupid and pointless...my muse is on crack). Oh well. I better go to bed. I need sleep...ballet tomorrow...yes, you heard me, i'm now taking ballet (that damn muse is up to NO good, i tell you.).
Love, and Cheer - Alicia
Chapter 12
By Alicia Marie Jennings
~
Months passed. Winter held an icy grip on the Scottish countryside, and winter held an icy grip on the heart of Voldemort. Rumors of murders by Voldemort filtered into the Potter mansion, each marked by a pushpoint pin on a map of the world in Harry and Hermione's study. The couple pored over legions of books of dark arts spells, defense spells, and more. And then, the spring came, bringing lush green out of the snow. And soon, the summer months came, and with them the departure of students from Hogwarts - which meant Dumbledore spent even more time on the cause.
And as the months passed, the baby inside of Hermione grew. Morning sickness and backaches plagued her, and often the king sent her back to bed and posted guards at the door. It was mornings like these when Anna, the butler's wife, went to the king and queen's chambers and removed anything that could be broken, as the queen was inclined to throw hissy fits at this forced rest.
There were history books strewn all about the castle. Hermione and Harry, on the way to the library one day, discovered a monstrous volume entitled The Rise and Fall of James Scott, son of Charles II on a dusty shelf. Hermione took the huge book into her arms like a child. *Soon, I'll hold a child,* she thought. Seven months along....only two more, and she'd have a child to love...or did she already love the child she carried? *Too much of a paradox this early in the morning,* she thought, shaking her head and leafing through the book as she walked alongside her husband.
*AN - this is an excerpt from the book, and obviously *muggle* book*
THE BATTLE OF EQUINOX-
James Scott met his downfall at a battle near Stratford on the fall equinox, where a lesser noble under Charles II named Perrin Allen led a vast army to vanquish him. It was rumored that these two armies had weapons of mass destruction that had never been seen before. On both sides, numerous bodies were found to have a lightening bolt scar on their flesh, if there was much of a body left at all. James Scott died of wounds days later, and his rebellion was sufficiently crushed.
-
"Harry?" asked Hermione softly.
"Hmm?" They were at the library now, seated in couches, numerous volumes before them.
"Do you remember...from our charms classes and defense against the dark arts classes...remember our professors telling us that the equinoxes and solstices were an especially magical time of year? That people almost incapable of holding a wand -" Neville Longbottom popped into her mind - "could do immense things on the equinox? That people with even remote training could do things nearly impossible?"
"Yeah....I do..."
"Well...what if James Scott was a wizard? What if he had wizard followers? That in itself would explain not only why he chose the equinox to attack but also why there's curse marks on not only his soldiers, but royal soldiers as well."
Harry's mouth was set in a grim line, and he snapped A Summarization of Muggle Battles shut. "Let's go see Dumble -" Then he took in Hermione's swelling abdomen. "On second thought....since you can't Apparate...and Floo powder isn't a good idea...mayhap Professor Dumbledore could come here."
"A wise choice," said Anna, a bit of sarcasm in her voice, from the doorway.
Hermione laughed as Harry rolled his eyes. "Anna, do you mind sending an owl to Professor Dumbledore?"
"Not at all, if it keeps Your Highnesses from traveling," said Anna, turning on her heel. Hermione, still giggling, pecked Harry on the cheek before going to her rooms to gather some notes she'd been collecting.
~
Minutes later, Professor Dumbledore sat with Harry and Hermione in the Blue Parlor, looking at legions of notes through half-moon glasses, being careful to not miss anything.
"Doesn't it make sense, Professor?" said Hermione breathlessly. "Why wouldn't Voldemort use a day of the changing of the seasons? It gives him even more power! Besides, he has to use the Equinox to launch a big attack. This age parallels the last, Perrin and Chastity's age! He has no choice!"
"It would make sense, Your Majesty." Dumbledore carefully put the heaps of parchment back on the coffee table, being careful to not upset the tea service. "How much are you planning to risk on this theory?"
"Everything," said Hermione, determined. "James Scott led series of smaller rebellions and slayings of nobles before finally reaching a climax at this, the Battle of Equinox. Everything parallels, Professor...including dates of attacks, and even places."
Dumbledore rose, the twinkle in his merry blue eyes quite hidden. "Very well. I will summon the Aurors to Hogwarts...since it is the summer months, they can stay there, and we will research precisely how we want this battle to be played out. Severus can try and gain as many details as possible - he may be our greatest help through all of this."
"Agreed," said Harry. "I will go see Ron immediately, to tell him of all this. Gather the Aurors, if you will. I'll visit them as soon as I can, once they are all gathered."
Dumbledore nodded, and bowed. "I will do as you wish, Your Majesty. May you have a pleasant day." And with that, he was gone as quickly as he came.
Hermione sighed, rubbing her hands absentmindedly over her belly - a habit she'd gotten into doing lately, being rewarded with a kick every now and then. So much sifting through books, only to be found in such a small paragraph....she smiled. Life was ironic. After all, she was Queen of wizarding Britain, and pregnant to boot. And she was honored and revered, wheras only months ago men treated her as property, simply to be used to have a good time.
"Penny for your thoughts?" asked Harry, smiling softly as he scooted closer to her, putting his arms around her.
"You forgot to add in inflation and taxes," she teased him.
"Oh, whatever," said Harry, kissing her on the cheek. They sat in silence a few moments. Then Harry spoke again. "How can you stand it, Hermione?"
She looked at him in suprise. "What?"
"Being pregnant. The morning sickness, the back aches, the head aches, the weight gain, the hormones out of whack, then the pain of delivery....how do you do it?"
She smiled at him. "Well, it's sort of hard to explain, I think....I'll try to, though. Every time I feel as if I could give up, I imagine what our child is going to look like. Then I imagine what their first word will be, when they'll walk, when they'll run....then I imagine what they're going to be like in school, who will be their friends....and then I imagine when they're going to have children, and what that will make us - grandparents. All because of our love."
"Or a one night stand."
"No, no," she reprimanded him gently. "This was meant to be. This is what love truly is, Harry. A child is simply love manifested."
And then they sat in silence, until the weary mother-to-be drifted off to sleep. With that, Harry donned his cloak, and set off for the Ministry of Magic. He had some business with the Minister.
And it was quite the matter of urgency - the equinox was only roughly two months away.
~
A/N - Gah!!! I'm so sorry it's so short, and that i haven't posted in ages, and that it isn't beta-read (i just had to post it...if she finds any mistakes, i'll change it, but geez! I just had to post!).
SO much has happened! I will truly tell you - this story is nearing it's end. maybe two or three more chapters. I'm not the absolute die-hard H/H shipper anymore (although it still owns). I've become a bit more open-minded. In fact...you might see a Hr/someone else fic up soon........other than Fleur d'ecarlate (which was a bit stupid and pointless...my muse is on crack). Oh well. I better go to bed. I need sleep...ballet tomorrow...yes, you heard me, i'm now taking ballet (that damn muse is up to NO good, i tell you.).
Love, and Cheer - Alicia