Chapter Ten: The Connection of Three
Disclaimer: Basically, if you don't recognize it, it belongs to me, and if you do recognize it then it belongs to J.K. Rowling.
A/N: Thank you to amanda_louise_83@hotmail.com, and Gengi for their wonderful reviews. Thank you sooo much!!!!
Okay, now on to the story.......
"He was a what?" Ron cried. Ginny had herded them into her bedroom and told them immediately what Julie had told her.
"Honestly, Ron, you were surprised when Crabbe turned out to be a Death Eater." Harry commented.
"So? Who would have thought that that blubbering blockhead would have fallen to Voldemort?"
"Ron, it really doesn't matter now." Hermione replied. Ron murmured a "Fine," and allowed his wife to continue. "What would it matter that Kevin was in Slytherin? Blaise Zambini was in Slytherin and now she's a grammar school teacher."
"That's right. Her brother was a Death Eater, though." Harry said.
"Ron we fought with Malfoy repeatedly during school that it made no difference if a wizard was pure blooded or not. And he turned his back on Voldemort and his father and fought on the good side." Hermione said. "Just because Julie's husband was a Slytherin doesn't mean anything."
"He sounds odd." Ron said. "He never talked about Hogwarts, and he never followed Quiddtich."
"Maybe he was running from something." Ginny commented.
"Or someone." Harry said.
"Do you think Andrew had anything to do with his death?" Ginny asked slowly.
"But why would he want to murder his sister's husband?" Hermione asked.
"I don't think he would want to cause her pain." Ron said. "Harry said he seemed very protective over her."
"Harry also said that the men had said something about sacrifices and loyalties. Sounds like downright dark wizards to me." Hermione replied.
"Hermione, I'm glad you never became an Auror." Ron stated. "Or every person you didn't like would be sent to Azkaban."
"Ron, honestly! I wouldn't sentence everyone to Azkaban."
"No, just the ones you didn't like."
"For you information, as of now I currently decide the final sentencing of each and every criminal that goes on trial and I have yet to sentence someone to Azkaban who does not deserve it."
"Hermione, if it was an option, you would want everyone to go to Azkaban. It would be the easy solution."
"Since when, Ronald, have I taken the easy solutions out of problems?"
"How about with Andy and Abby? They just couldn't go the public grammar school. Oh no! It was much easier to pay for them to go to the private school!"
"Ron, the children of the Mister of Magic should not go to a private school! It would be impropor and tacky!"
"No, but having regular seat at the World Cup last year was just completely normal!"
"That was not my fault! My council thought it would be good for my image to sit in a commoner box so I didn't always appear superior!"
"Of course! You image, your superiority! Why on Earth would I question that?"
"Ron, honestly, why are you bringing this up now!?" Hermione yelled at him. Ginny and Harry sat and watched them in delight. It had been weeks since they had seen their best friends fight and it had been thoroughly missed. It was them, fighting was just apart of their relationship. It always had been and it always would be.
"Now, later! When does it matter, is now not a god enough time for you, Minister?!!"
"I don't think Kevin is dead." Harry said. Both Hermione and Ron looked at him.
"W-what?" Hermione managed to get out.
"Well, they wanted to know where he was." Harry stated. "Why would they ask that if he wasn't dead?"
His friends and his wife stared at him. None of them knew what to say.
"So if he's not dead, then where is he?" Hermione asked.
"And why would he not want to see his wife and daughter?" Ginny asked.
"This is so weird." Harry ran his hair though his hair.
"Harry, do we ever have normal vacations?" Hermione asked smiling.
Harry laughed. "No, I suppose not."
"Harry, don't stress over this." Ginny said. "Technically, its not our problem and it not something we need to worry about."
"I know, I know." Harry said. "But this is just something I can't let go of. Its too weird, non of it makes sense."
"So do we get to do a little investigating?" Ron asked, getting a glimmer of mischief in his eye.
Harry smiled at his friend and said, "Well, maybe just a little."
"Harry, I don't know about this..." Hermione began.
"Just pretend that we're back at Hogwarts, and we suspect Malfoy or Snape of something and we can't rest till we find out what it is and how to save the school from it." Ron said. Hermione smiled at him and shook her head.
"Ron, I never fully approved of anything we did at school."
"Except for the Polyjiuce Potion. Even Ron and I were opposed to that one." Harry pointed out.
"And you seemed eager to go after the Stone too."
"And you lead our rescue mission of Sirius during Third year." Harry said and stopped. Everyone looked at him for a brief moment, unsure of what to say after Sirius' name was mentioned.
"Well, okay, I see your point." Hermione said quickly. "But what if we get caught?"
"Caught? Hermione, we're not in school anymore. We can't get into trouble for snooping." Ron replied.
"Honestly! Ron, I think we'll need to do more than just snoop!"
"She's right, Ron." Harry spoke up, trying to steer them away from another fight.
"We might need access to files or records or official documents. I can get somethings, I do have some clearance. But not as high as the Minister, of course." He eyed Hermione and she sighed.
"If it will help Julie, then I'm in. I feel horrible for her loosing her husband, but if he's not really dead then..." Hermione stopped.
"We'll do what we can inside of the law, and try to minimize how we bend the laws." Harry said.
"Nice, Harry, we'll bend them and not break them." Ron said smiling. "I like."
"So, we decided to help, at any costs?" Ginny asked.
"Defiantly." Ron and Harry replied.
"I guess so." Hermione said.
"Hermione, you became Minister because you wanted to help people. You wanted to help people have an understanding towards Muggles. You wanted to get rid of the discrimination against Muggle borns. Helping us would allow you help people, to help Julie." Ron finished and looked at his wife. She smiled and him.
"Okay, I'll help. I'll do whatever I can and find out whatever you need me to." Ginny reached over and gave her sister in law a hug.
"That's the Hermione we know and love!" Harry said. Hermione was stubborn and a stickler to the rules, but she was a sweetheart deep inside.
"We should probably go and see what our children are up to." Ginny said.
"Don't worry, they"re playing chess." Harry replied.
"How do you know?" Ginny asked.
"I, I don't know." Harry stammered. But he didn't know how he knew that.
Ginny got up from the bed and went to the stairs. She called down to her children and they confirmed what Harry had said.
"Harry, how did you know that Reagan was playing chess?" Ginny asked.
"I think I know." Hermione said before Harry could say anything. "Harry, I thought about what you told me, about you and Reagan. I knew it sounded familiar so I consulted some of my books, and was rather startled at what I found. After seeing you two at the Quiddtich match and after hearing you just now, my thoughts were confirmed." Harry eyed her and she continued. "There is this really old magic, called The Connection of Three."
"The Connection of Three?" Harry asked suspiciously.
"Oh, I've heard of that!" Ron cried. Harry, Ginny and Hermione starred at him.
"You have?" Hermione asked slowly.
"Yeah," Ron replied. "The third born and the father have a special connection, a bond. But the third born has to be a girl for it to work. Its kinda rare, but it does happen."
"Is that true?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione.
"Yeah, it is." Hermione stared at her husband, amazed that he had heard of it. "If the third born child is a girl, and she has only two older brothers, then she and her father share a special bond, their souls are connected. They can share thoughts, and experiences and emotions. It is rare because there has to be a very powerful family lineage. Both sides of the family must have powerful magic behind them. The more powerful the magic, the more powerful the Connection."
"So this explains how she knews about Sirius." Harry stated. Ron stared at him and then at his wife.
"So you're saying that Harry and Reagan have the Connection of Three?" Ron replied. Hermione nodded.
"It will also effect her magical ability. She will be a more powerful witch because of it, and more brilliant." Hermione paused and allowed Harry a moment to let things sink in. "Its old magic, Harry. It based on the love between father and daughter. A long time ago, in the anciet civilizations, when a man and woman got married, they were to have a son to carry on the family name, a son to continue the family business, and a daughter to help the mother and to produce babies. It goes back to the principal that a father is the only man a girl is to love until she is married." Harry nodded again and continued to stared at the ground. "There are so many circumstances that effect this though. It is more powerful if there is evidence of a Connection in your bloodline. And in yours Harry, there happens to be. Your great-grandfather had three children."
"I thought he only had Brandon and Bradden." Harry replied looking at her.
"Nope, they had a younger sister." Hermione stated. "Marian was three years younger than them, and she died when she was almost four."
"How did you find that out?" Ron asked.
"When I was doing my research, I came across that factor and I looked it up." Hermione looked at her three best friends. "What? I'm the Minister of Magic, I can get to any information." She smiled and Ron and Harry laughed a little. They both knew that Hermione was never one to boast about her position, but she always kidded around about it with them.
"So my great aunt had the Connection with my great grandfather?" Harry asked.
"Yes, and actually, late Benjamin and Carley had the Connection. There is usually one each generation. The magic is so old, that its hard to start it. There haven't been any in the Weasley line, so its unlikely that Bill will have one."
"So he'll all have boys next, if he has any more children?" Ron asked.
"Precisely. I'm pretty sure that Bill and Elizabeth are done having children.
"So are there any......consequences to this Connection?" Harry asked. He glanced at Hermione and she bit her lip.
"Not entirely." she began. "However, if the connection is broken then the other doesn't ..... survive."
"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.
"Well, take Benjamin and Carley for instance." Hermione said. "Benjamin died less than two months ago. So....."
"Carley will die soon." Harry finished for her. Ginny gasped beside him.
"Harry, this also means that if something should happen to you or Reagan, then the other won't survive." Hermione stated.
"So all this time I've been putting my daughter's life in danger?" Harry asked.
"Sort of. If something were to happen to you, and you were not able to survive, then she wouldn't as well. But because you have the Connection, it makes you both stronger and less likely for something to happen."
"Hermione, that doesn't make sense." Ron said.
"Okay, let me spell this out for you." Hermione began. "If something happens to the one of them, the other doesn't survive for very long afterwards. However, the connection allows both to hold on to life more and are able to withstand more harm than normal. Its like having the power of two people."
"Oh." Ron replied.
"So, I even thought I'm an Auror, I don't put Reagan in danger?" Harry asked slowly.
"Yes. Exactly." Hermione replied.
"Well, good." Harry said, relaxing a little, but only just. "How did you know about it, Ron?"
"Oh, its old wizarding folklore. Mostly tall tales, and I've never actually met anyone with a Connection." Ron said.
"I didn't grow up with magic, Harry, so I didn't know what it was right away. I had to look it up." Hermione said.
Harry sighed. "I guess we're not going to have a peaceful summer."
"Harry, I'm sorry." Hermione said to him. "You've had a lot to deal so far."
"Nothing more I haven't had to deal with before." he replied.
"Well, James' birthday is in a week or so, that will add some excitement." Ginny said.
"Speaking of birthdays, did we decide if we're staying until Harry's?" Hermione asked.
"I think in light of our new project, we should stay as long as it takes." Harry replied.
"True." Ron said standing up. "Hermione, honey, we should find out where our children are. We don't have a magical connection with one of ours, we have to actually look for them." Harry laughed. The four of them left the room and went down the stairs. And to Harry's surprise someone was standing in the kitchen, someone he had least expected to see.
A/N: Oooohhh!!! Who could it be???? Just you'll have to wait and see. Probably not for too long, I'm in a writing mood.....:)