For Better or Worse
Chapter 28
"Now stir it clockwise three times with the oak ladle," Aberforth instructed Captain Sharif. "Let the potion come to rest before removing the ladle."
They were in what would ordinarily have been a large dining room. It had been cleared of its usual furniture for the ritual. The small solid gold cauldron in which Sharif and Aberforth were brewing the potion was a work of art, like most other things in the castle. It hung over a low burning fire in the equally ornate fireplace that bore the Archidiaconus crest on its mantlepiece.
Two rows of benches had been conjured for the witnesses and guests to sit on, and Ginny, Lilia and the Esklove triplets had lined up on the front left row, leaving one open spot next to Ginny at the end. The Artificers, Helga, Hwang and Roverano occupied the row on the right. Hermione, Ron and Heidi, who had just come in, sat down next to them, leaving it completely occupied. Commander Ironheart, Captain Kovalenko, and Lieutenant Faust-Cliff then arrived and settled on the bench directly behind Ron and Hermione's, in front of the already present Intel Field Ops. Curse Breaking specialists Doc, Bert Wortelgraaf and Sam Wilson. Animated chatter announced the entry of the all Intel Analysis crew consisting of five women and one man, Ranger Viera. He peeled away from the women and sat with the Curse Breakers. Ginny understood his sentiments. She liked a good conversation, but those women took chattering to a whole new level.
She'd heard that most of the men from the Martial Division wouldn't be coming. Ramos and Larsson were still confined to the Cruisers, pulling monitoring duty, and she'd heard that the others would keep guarding the castle and Princess Matsu. Since Harry was one of them, there was a chance that he wouldn't be there.
Her hope flared when she saw movement in the doorway, but it wasn't Harry. Captain Faust had escorted the two Japanese wizards that had helped with the retrieval of Princess Matsu. They looked highly intrigued by the whole scene, and chose the bench behind the Curse Breakers, and Captain Faust retreated from the room again only to return moment later with a large and heavy table hovering behind him. Like lots of other pieces of furniture in the castle, it seemed to be made of gold too, and a myriad of gemstones traced along the edge of the tabletop and down the legs. Captain Sharif transferred some ingredient bowls, various ladles, and the dipper from a smaller wooden table to the larger one before vanishing the smaller table.
While Ginny kept an eye out for any new arrivals, she also noticed that the portraits in the room were getting rather crowded with many of the Archidiaconus ancestors who had flocked from all over the castle, all eager to see the continuation ritual.
Her heart began beating faster as Harry appeared in the doorway, along with Gudrun's mum, Mary and Nicolai. Gudrun's mum went over to sit next to Commander Ironheart. Harry's eyes rested on the spot next to her, but he hesitated when he raised his eyes, meeting hers. Before she could give him any sign to approach, Mary had already darted over to her bench, dragging Nicolai behind her. The two children squeezed onto the spot before she could say anything about it. But she had no right to say anything about it anyway. This was about Mary's parents, and she deserved to be in the front row.
She turned to dejectedly stare at the flames licking the bottom of the cauldron when a thought finally chose to cross her mind. She kicked herself for not thinking it sooner. If the prophet wouldn't come to the mountain, the mountain would have to go to the prophet.
Ginny smoothed her clothes and prepared to get up, but stopped when she noticed Harry in her peripheral vision. He had settled in next to the Japanese wizards at the back, and he was no longer alone. Holly was with him, and he was chatting to her like he didn't have a care in the world. The delighted expression on his face said it all, an expression that only Holly had managed to invoke recently. She sighed and resumed staring at the fire, a gritty determination rising inside of her. Her goal was clear now. All she had to do was go through with it…not chicken out. It had to be settled for everybody's sake.
*
The sudden stop of the annoyingly incessant chattering of the witches from Intel Analysis told Hermione something was up. She turned away from her conversation with Heidi to see what was going on.
Logos, no longer creaky, strode in bearing a pillow with a large sceptre lying atop it. Hermione immediately saw it was the one Mary had been talking about. The red diamond was indeed enormous, shining with its own inner light and nearly robbing all attention away from the rest of the gold sceptre, which was quite impressive in itself, covered in runes and studded with small gemstones at regular intervals.
The golem was followed by two house-elves carrying a tray between them. Upon the tray sat a jewel-encrusted chalice that was made of what seemed to be silver and gold. But as they drew closer, Hermione noticed that the silver parts weren't quite as reflective as they could be. Surely it would have rinsed and polished prior to the ritual, so the lack of reflection made her suspect it was platinum she was looking at. The sceptre and chalice were both placed on the table next to the ingredients.
Finally Matt and Gudrun arrived. Matt had changed back into the silver-trimmed, midnight-blue robes he'd worn earlier. For the wedding ceremony, he and Gudrun had both worn their dress uniforms from the Order of Illumination, which Lilia had had the presence of mind to bring along. Gudrun had deemed it appropriate since it would be a symbol for equality, so they had also removed the rank insignias for the ceremony.
Since this room was much warmer than the corridors, Matt removed the Re'em fur cloak he'd draped over Gudrun to keep her warm and handed it to the remaining two house-elves, whom had followed them in. Sharp intakes of breath could be heard as everyone beheld Gudrun in her attire. Even though Heidi tended to get carried away when playing dress-up, Hermione had to admit the end result was impressive. She had never seen Gudrun look so beautiful.
Heidi and Helga had lengthened her dark-blonde hair and elegantly gathered it on top, holding it in place with an ornamental comb completely covered in tiny white diamonds, making it look as if Gudrun were wearing a tiara. A few tendrils of hair fell from the arrangement in a vaguely deliberate manner, giving her an air of regal nonchalance.
Gudrun's wardrobe had been chosen in good taste as well. The outer robe was midnight-blue velvet, trimmed in silver braid at the neckline, sleeves and hems. Flared butterfly sleeves drifted from a square-necked bodice that closed in front with a row of tiny hooks, and billowing out from the bodice and a belt of intricate silver mesh was a bell-shaped skirt that was left open in front to show the chemise. The chemise was silk, in a delicate light cyan that matched and enhanced Gudrun's large and expressive eyes remarkably well. The top of the chemise's generously scooped neckline peeked out from above the neck of the outer robe, drawing attention to the beautiful pendant she wore on a thin chain. It was shaped like two long, slender leaves connected at the bottom by their thin stalks and broadening as they spiralled around each other twice. A tiny flower with four petals sat between the leaves at top, and the heart of the flower was a sparkling white diamond. The intensity with which the diamond sparkled no doubt had much to do with the fact that the pendant was platinum. A good choice, since it went well with the light colour of the inner dress and sliver trimmings of the outer dress. And the metal's neutral colour enhanced the brilliance and depth of gemstones. But Hermione was sure the diamond also had an enchantment on it, making it sparkle even brighter.
"Heidi, you're a genius!" Hermione heard Ron mutter beside her, and Heidi looked rather pleased with herself.
The wild look Gudrun had had when they'd first met had obscured a great deal of her beauty, and while she wasn't as pretty as Galatea, she was one of the more attractive female Rangers. Heidi had decided to go sparingly with the make-up, applying just enough to accentuate Gudrun's natural beauty.
"She's glowing," Helga said quietly.
Hermione saw that the part-giantess had conflicting emotions about it all. Happiness for her friend but sad about the fact that she had lost her opportunity. No…not lost, merely missed, Hermione reminded herself. It might take a while, but she knew Helga would recover. Maybe she would even find someone new.
Matt took Gudrun's hand, kissed it and led her into the room towards the table. Gudrun's gait revealed her nervousness, betraying the rather spur of the moment timing of both the wedding and the ritual. There hadn't been a rehearsal and no time for any real decoration. With the exception of Lilia and Gudrun's mum, the guests were all people who happened to be present. Due to the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy restricting knowledge of the existence of the wizarding world to only the most direct Muggle relatives involved in the witch or wizard's life, Gudrun couldn't have invited many Muggle relatives anyway, and the most important one, her mother, was present. Matt said he hadn't ever been that close to his aunts and uncles. He'd actually thought it would be better this way, since he wouldn't have had any patience for their disapproving glances caused by their pureblood ideals. He was certain most of them wouldn't approve because Gudrun was Muggle-born.
"Yeah, I bet I know why she's glowing," Roverano whispered. "The way they disappeared right after the wedding ceremony, I'm sure they must've consummated—" He grunted as Helga's large elbow caught him in the gut.
Hwang sniggered.
Captain Faust, who had recorded the wedding ceremony for all those who couldn't be present, positioned himself in a corner of the room to get the best shot possible of the continuation ritual of the Consanguinity Charm.
Aberforth cleared his throat. "I feel I ought to make an opening speech, but I really have no idea what to say. I don't know if I would have been able to do this had it not been for Marcus Ignatius Archidiaconus, my great-great-great-great-grandfather, and the groom's great-great-great-great…" The old wizard hesitated and began counting on his fingers, giving up when he ran out of digits. "Well, it would suffice to say that he was our common ancestor. He has offered to help me lead the ritual and make sure that the couple, and myself, pronounce the Draconian enchantments accurately. This is a favour for which I am very grateful, because I've never really been proficient." He gestured towards a lone wizard in a painting a dozen feet or so to the right of the fireplace.
Hermione heard someone behind her begin to applaud, and everyone in the room joined in. The purple-eyed wizard in the painting bowed.
"Gudrun, Matt, please join me on this side of the table, for you both need to add some of the final touches to the potion yourselves," Aberforth said after the clapping had died down.
It took a while before they got to the truly interesting part. Every so often Matt and Gudrun had to add a pinch of a certain ingredient and utter the appropriate incantation. The runes on the cauldron glowed after every incantation, indicating that it had been done properly, according to Marcus Ignatius.
Then the moment finally arrived and Aberforth used the dipper to ladle some of the potion out of the cauldron, pouring it into the chalice. Marcus instructed Matt and Gudrun to take the sceptre, both holding onto it at the same spot just below the large diamond, she in her left hand and he in his right, interlacing their fingers. Aberforth was told to lay his hand on the diamonds and repeat Marcus' words exactly. The diamond began to shine like a small red sun, bathing the entire room in its light for a few seconds. When the light died away, there was a clicking sound and Matt and Gudrun both winced, but didn't let go of the sceptre.
Aberforth nodded to Captain Sharif, who placed the chalice below the sceptre. Everyone looked on as the all the gemstones along the shaft shimmered in turn, tracing a path from top to bottom. When the lowermost gemstones shimmered, Hermione discerned a droplet forming at the bottom of the shaft. It fell down into the chalice causing a reaction in the potion that made a whooshing sound and produced an amber puff of smoke.
"Exactly the right colour, beautifully done," Marcus said. "Now the brew must be drunk. Matthew must hold the cup and allow the spouse to drink first…a mouthful will suffice. Then he will hand the her the cup and she will do the same for him."
Aberforth took the sceptre from Matt and Gudrun and placed it on its pillow again. Matt then took the chalice and brought it to Gudrun's lips, tipping it towards her ever so slightly, allowing her to take a sip. Then Gudrun repeated the process. She looked at the portrait uncertainly after Matt had taken his mouthful.
"You may put the chalice on the table again. The ritual is complete!"
"Can I kiss the bride?" Matt asked.
"It isn't part of the ritual, but it couldn't hurt. Go ahead." The portrait smiled.
Matt smiled and bent down, lightly kissing Gudrun on the lips. She wouldn't have any of it though, and she grabbed the collar of his robes, pulling him into a deeper kiss.
Again there was applause, this time instigated by Lilia. Helga followed her example with tears streaming down her large rosy cheeks. Second later the room echoed with the sound of it, and even the crowd in the portraits had joined in. Then Mary rose from her bench and rushed over to her parents and hugged them around the waist. Ooh's, aah's and an assortment of different exclamations of surprise rang through the applause as they saw the warm amber glow that surrounded her. Matt and Gudrun broke their kiss and Matt picked up his daughter, planting a firm kiss on her forehead.
By all signs the ritual had been successful. Malfoy wouldn't be able to enter the vault any longer, Hermione thought with satisfaction.
*
Draco tried to keep his features impassive as he made his way to his quarters. Anastasiou had been furious about the costly loss of so many henchmen with virtually nothing to show for it. All they had managed to take was a bunch of uncut gemstones of low quality, having the wrong colours and many inclusions. It was a meagre haul.
He had to pass the Mistress's chambers to get to his own, and there was a good chance he'd run into either Anastasiou himself or his favourite lackey, telling her what had happened. Those vampires would probably be able to smell the chemical processes in his body caused by his distress and ask questions he really didn't feel like answering.
But that wasn't what worried him the most. He had taken the Dust many hours ago, but it still hadn't worn off. Quite the opposite, he was picking up random thoughts from nearly every being in the compound. One wizard was plotting to poison another to take over his position. A witch having doubts about joining the organisation and wanting out. A wizard working out the details of executing the former, whose doubts had been discovered and had thus been marked a liability. But the thoughts from one being nearly drowned them all out. He couldn't make heads or tails out of it. All he could make out that it was a she, and that she was afraid.
An image flashed through his mind, taking precedence over the sensory input from his eyes, effectively blinding him to anything but her thoughts. He slowly moved to the side of the corridor, feeling for the wall, and leaned against the cool surface when he found it. He only hoped any passers-by would have enough sense to leave him alone until he recovered. It wouldn't do him any good for any of them to think he was going insane, or that the single dose of Mind Reading Dust hadn't lost its effect yet.
More images forced their way into his mind. He realised that it couldn't be real. It had to be a dream of some sort. The vantage point was rather low, like a child looking up at adults. There were Muggles all around. They wore roughly spun clothes and their faces were stained with dirt, like they didn't bathe frequently. It was a small village with some simple huts. Then the world whirled and he was lying facedown in the mud. He could feel the fear and incomprehension rise to the surface…not his own, but belonging to the person who was dreaming.
Something hit him in the back. The village children were throwing mud and rocks in his direction, and all he knew was he wanted to get away. The next thing he knew he was standing some thirty feet behind them. They blinked stupidly at the spot he'd previously been until one of them spotted him. The yelling, though in a language that had long ago ceased to exist in that form, was understandable. He could understand them through the person whose dream he was seeing.
Demon spawn…witch…they yelled. Draco could feel his host's confusion. She didn't want to hurt anyone. She wanted to play with the other children. The images blurred as tears filled her eyes. She spotted an adult and hope welled up inside her. He'd help her…he'd set the others straight for her. But her hopes were dashed when he didn't. Instead, he pointed his primitive pitchfork at her when she tried to approach him and roared an alert to the other villagers. The chief came rushing out of his hut brandishing a sword.
They were going to kill her! But she didn't want to die. She hadn't done anything wrong. Hadn't she helped better than the other children when they'd brought in the harvest? Hadn't she so nicely mended the chieftain's clothes and polished his shield?
The man with the pitchfork accused her of demon magic, vanishing and reappearing. Other villagers had seen it too, and they quickly joined him in accusation…so did the children. The man with the pitchfork demanded that she'd be killed. But the chief hesitated. He didn't want to kill her. Draco felt the hope flare in the dreamer's heart. She thought he would protect her! He would let her stay in the village and give her food and shelter even though she was no-one's child.
He said she was no demon, because he had seen her be burned by glowing embers a few nights before. Demons could not be burned, so she wasn't a demon. She was merely a child possessed by one, and it was not their place to kill her. Her fate and salvation lay in the hands of higher beings. She was to be banished.
She screamed and cried, not wanting to be banished. Winter was approaching. Where would she go? She wouldn't have anything to eat. But the look in the chief's eyes told her she had to go. They would kill her if she stayed. He had managed to save her from immediate death, but he couldn't allow her to remain. With a dull ache in her heart she ran out of the village. It had happened again. She had been chased out of another village.
The image in his mind shifted. Time had passed she was hungry and cold. She didn't have any strength left and she lay down under a tree to rest. It shed its leaves and they covered her completely. They felt damp at first but grew a bit warmer after a while. She began to doze off, and deep down she knew she wouldn't awaken again once she did. She heard some leaves rustle and turned her head with utmost difficulty to see what was making the noise. A horse…a beautiful white horse with a horn on its head, and next to it was a cat. The girl hadn't known about Unicorns, though she was obviously a witch. Then darkness overtook her.
She was no longer cold. She was very warm. She heard the crackling of flames consuming wood, and there was a spicy scent in the air. She opened her eyes and saw she was indoors, lying on a pile of animal skins with one draped over her. The same cat she had seen jumped on top of the skin covering her and settled between her legs, purring at her it regarded her with half-closed eyes.
Someone touched her shoulder and gently pushed her upright. It was a tall and powerfully built young man, but she wasn't intimidated, because he had a kind face. His eyes were strange, but very beautiful. She had never seen any eyes like them. He handed her a cup containing a spicy smelling brew and she slowly took a sip. It warmed her insides. Then he handed her a small bowl. It had several chopped roots, some edible berries and a small piece of meat…meat! Meat was for the rich, occasionally eaten by commoners on special days, or people foolish enough to risk poaching on the land of rich men. Her appetite had returned with a vengeance and she dug in voraciously. She was grateful.
He asked her about her life, why she had been alone in the forest. Haltingly she began telling him about being chased out of every village she'd been in. When he asked her why, she didn't want to tell him. She was afraid that he'd chase her out of his home into the cold winter night. Then he asked her whether it was because strange things happened every time she was around. She looked into his eyes, yet to her surprise she saw not hostility, but understanding. He drew a thin piece of wood from his boots and traced it into the air, drawing a picture rough picture of a bird.
It was magic. He could do it because he was a wizard and his parents had been wizards. But he explained that sometimes there were people who didn't get magic from their parents, and that she was such a person. He said that others were always afraid when they saw magic because they didn't understand.
Draco wasn't sure how much time had passed on the outside when he finally regained control of his own senses. Dreams tended to warp time. However, even if anyone had seen him, the information he'd just gained was interesting enough to make up for that. Interesting and revolting! As the dream progressed he'd been able to identify the dreamer…the Mistress…a Mudblood! She wasn't a witch with visions of conquest. She was nothing but a scared little girl who had become what she had become to avenge the man who had taught her magic…the man she had loved. She had been looking for ways to bring him back from the dead, experimenting with herself in the process. She had sworn never to run from Muggles again.
But when push would come to shove, Draco seriously doubted that she'd lift even a finger to come to Anastasiou's aid. She didn't share any of his goals. She was nothing but baggage, revelling in the security provided by the dumb vampire. They'd have to get rid of her as soon as possible. But how was he going to convince Anastasiou to do that? He'd never pull it off. The vampire would want to know where he got his information. There was no such information in any manuscript, and he wasn't willing to reveal the odd effects of Mind Reading Dust just yet.
He couldn't trust anyone with that knowledge, but there was a wizard he could trust not to sell him out to Anastasiou due to his own interests and agendas. Yamato! If anyone would be able to explain Draco's reaction to Dust, it would be him. And Draco also knew that Yamato was more than fed up with his forced servitude. Ever since they'd twisted his arm to get him back into the fold, he must have been working on some means to break free. Putting his pet parasitic personality in one of the most powerful wizards in the world was a good start. But he needed more allies, and Draco felt it was about time to start broadening his options. He couldn't trust Yamato, but he could trust him to co-operate because their goals coincided...for the moment. He'd have to think of a contingency plan in case their paths diverged sooner than it suited Draco.
He turned around, and instead of going to his quarters to lie down he decided to look for the artificing necromancer, finding him working on a new anti-magic-field generator in his workshop. To his surprise, he saw Wolfe sitting in a magical cage with unbreakable bars.
"Why do you have him caged?"
"Mr Malfoy, I am rather busy right now. I'd appreciate it if you could come back later," Yamato said without looking up.
"I believe what I have to tell you is important enough to warrant your immediate attention," Draco said stiffly.
"Is that so?" Yamato muttered. His unflattering thoughts jumped out at Draco.
"That's so. I assure you I'm not being a…well…something must have got lost in the translation, but I'm sure mine is bigger than yours." That got Yamato's attention, and he slowly looked up from his work, eyes Draco curiously. "No, only that one dosage." Draco answered his thoughts. "I was wondering why."
"Step into the office," Yamato said casually, and led Draco over to an overly neat office. In fact, the workshop had been very neat as well, much too neat for a workshop…clearly a sign of its occupant's diseased mind. The Japanese wizard took what look like a palm-sized version of an anti-magic device and tapped one of its surfaces with his wand. "To ensure Anastasiou's eavesdroppers hear us talking about irrelevant things," he explained. "So you've only taken a single dose of Dust, yet its effects haven't worn off?"
"That's right."
"Interesting."
"I thought so too. I want to know why!" Draco said impatiently. "I've been catching bits and pieces of people's thoughts for hours now. It's uncontrollable and more importantly, it's driving me insane!"
"You wouldn't happen to have the tube that contained the Dust, would you?"
Draco had saved it, and he patted his pockets to find it. He gave it to Yamato. "What do you want with it, anyway?"
"I'm going to check the residue to see if the dose had somehow been contaminated. If so, I need to know how to recreate it because it would obviously be much more potent than regular dust. Yet it could also be you, Mr Malfoy. I'll need to know about your medical history, allergies, any potions you might have been taking for any length of time."
"Really?" Draco scoffed. "So you can poison me and make it look like an accident…an allergic reaction?"
"If you had been reading me, you would have known I hadn't been thinking that, but thanks for the idea," Yamato smirked. "No, Mr Malfoy, I need to know because such things may alter a person's biochemistry to the point that he reacts differently to some substances than others do."
"Including hereditary things?" Draco asked, remembering what the Mudblood Granger's mind had revealed to him.
"Especially those!"
Draco sighed. "When Granger discovered I was reading her mind, she made the connection to Ironheart, that Ranger commander. It would seem he is my biological grandfather."
Yamato's beady eyes lit up malevolently. "Really? Yes, that might exactly be the explanation you're looking for, Mr Malfoy, because that's how Dust works. All wizards have the latent ability to read minds. Some learn to tap into this ability through Legilimency, and through practice they can become so efficient that they no longer need to point their wand or utter the spell out loud to perform it. I am proficient enough myself. But the reason I developed Dust is because Legilimency can be blocked by something as simple as a Shield Charm. The best way is to learn Occlumency, of course, but there are other ways to defend yourself. The inborn gift of Mind Reading, however, is much subtler and more powerful. Even young Mind Readers proved to be more adept at reading people than wizards with a century's worth of experience in Legilimency, and more importantly, it couldn't be blocked by Shield Charms. Occlumency still worked, but even that wasn't foolproof against aged Mind Readers. There is a good chance, Mr Malfoy, that due to your second degree relations to a Mind Reader, your latent ability has been activated permanently."
"What?" Draco exclaimed angrily. "Are you telling me I'll be hearing voices for the rest of my life?"
"No, I'm not. In case you haven't noticed, Mind Readers don't go insane. I've read some of their journals and it would seem that they all go through the stage you are in right now, and that they eventually learn to tune the voices out unless someone is in mental distress and really "broadcasting," as they call it. However, there is no way of predicting how it might progress in your case. Perhaps the effect will wear off after all, or in the worst case scenario, you get stuck in that stage forever," he added with malicious glee.
"You can develop an antidote, right?"
"Why would I waste my precious time doing that?"
"Because I have nothing to lose and you really can't use any more enemies in your miserable life!" Draco answered sharply. He drew his wand and concentrated…not an easy task with all the voices echoing through his mind…but he finally succeeded. He moved his wand in the correct way and muttered the incantation, causing the wand to glow with a greenish light at the tip. "You will swear to either help me complete the transformation to a Mind Reader or to reverse my current condition if that proves to be impossible. If you don't, I'll be forced to tell Anastasiou about that little device on your desk. And trust me, if you submit to this hex now only to betray me later, its effects will be most unpleasant. In fact, I think it will be an exceptionally powerful hex because I can see your brainwaves in my mind. Your intelligence will be reduced to a cockroach's."
The vibes of smugness he'd been getting from the Japanese wizard transformed into waves of annoyance. "Very well, but it would only be fair for you to submit to a similar enchantment. Mutual co-operation must be the path to our goals, must it not?"
Draco was grateful for the Mind Reading ability. He could see that the wizard wasn't trying to trick him into subjecting himself to a darker hex, and if Yamato knew Occlumency he certainly wasn't using it then, because Draco still had a clear read on his thoughts. And even if he had been trying to hide his thoughts, Draco suspected what the wizard had said earlier was true. Even Occlumency couldn't guarantee a completely sealed mind against this form of Mind Reading. It must have been the reason why they developed.
They drafted a kind of contract, like a mutual non-aggression and betrayal pact, placed both their hexes on the parchment and burned the evidence. Yamato wasn't happy about it, and neither was Draco, for both hexes had been particularly vicious and mentally crippling if one of them were to break the pact. They were stuck together for better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do them part…and they couldn't even kill each other!
"So…" Draco glanced out of the office and into the workshop. "Why is he in that cage, anyway?"
"It appears Wolfe came very close to breaking Maximus' control when he saw you torture that Granger woman. If he had, we'd both be dead now."
"You're awfully calm about it," Draco said testily, trying not to let his distress show. "And you're still keeping him? If Anastasiou hears about this, he'll—"
"I can imagine what he'd do. He won't be hearing it from you, though." Yamato grinned, reminding Draco of the contract. "You can't betray any of my projects."
"You still haven't answered my question. Why risk all of our lives? Does your ego get some sort of boost from having a Ranger as a pet? If that's it, it isn't good enough a reason."
"You can't do anything about it."
"But I can certainly keep nagging, which is exactly what I intend to do."
"You remind me of my wife. She was a nag too…that's why I killed her."
"Thanks to that stupid contract, we're as good as married," Draco smirked. "Too bad that same contract prevents you from killing me, eh? And what do you mean I remind you of your wife? Are you implying something about my preference?"
"Only repeating the rumours I hear," Yamato shrugged. "And to answer your earlier question, that cage is designed to hold very powerful wizards. It interferes with wands, and I'm tuning it to detect wand-less magic as well, discharging a painful curse into its occupant whenever wand-less magic is attempted. Maximus says it is the only safe place for him to occupy for the time being, until he's established complete control."
"He still doesn't have it?"
"There are periodic struggles within, getting more and more infrequent. In time, Maximus will have complete control. As you have experienced, he already has control of most of Wolfe's skills…unfortunately, Mind Reading isn't one of them. The other parts of the memory are still tightly locked up…memories of Wolfe's life…the secrets of the Order of Illumination. I doubt we will get to those any time soon. Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment, I have to go to the laboratory and fetch some of my equipment there. I will need a blood-sample from you."
"Why do you need a sample, and why take it in here?"
"To make a chemical analysis and catalogue the results. I'm certain they'll be different from samples from other subjects. The information will help me synthesise an agent that might help you if you remain stuck in the current phase. And this office is the only place I know that is completely secure. You don't want anyone to ask the wrong questions, do you?"
And Yamato wanted to go alone because it wasn't a good idea for them to be seen together. Draco nodded. "I'm not going anywhere."
After Yamato had departed, Draco wandered around the workshop, consciously keeping as far away from the cage as possible and pretending to ignore the Ranger. But his curiosity was piqued when he saw him toying with a pendant. "Where did you get that?"
"I found it lying in one of the hallways when I was searching for Kelly."
Draco remembered that Maximus had indeed briefly searched for Kelly after Draco had insisted upon this with Yamato, only to be called back when they'd heard the noise behind the heavy doors that led to parts of the vault they hadn't been in yet.
"It wasn't in the vault?"
Maximus shook his head.
Draco stepped a bit closer to take a better look at the jewel. It was a simple tear-shaped pendant. Maybe it had belonged to one of the Rangers or even one of their own people who hadn't made it back. It was unimportant. As far as he was concerned, Maximus could keep it, and he continued to prowl around the workshop, pinching his nose as he passed the foul-smelling body made up of several mismatched body parts. It wasn't the smell of rot, but the equally foul smell of the special preservative used on this type of zombie, or flesh golem, as Yamato referred to them.
He was annoyed by the sudden return of the whispering voices in his head. His annoyance was replaced by curiosity when he realised that it was another strange language. Gradually, his subconscious was able to interpret the language. This voice was different. It was trying to communicate with him…calling to him. It seemed to get louder when he walked in a certain direction, fainter when he walked in another. Feigning nonchalance, he casually strolled over to a pile of uncut gemstones, the same ones they'd captured. One of them seemed to draw his gaze towards it. It looked like bloodstone…rough and of poor quality. When he picked it up, his senses were assaulted by thousands of sounds and images. It lasted a few seconds only, but Draco knew there had to be something about that stone…something that the one who had taken it to the compound had obviously missed. He briefly checked whether Maximus was watching. He was toying with the pendant and not paying any attention to Draco, so he quickly slipped the stone into his pocket. It seemed to sense that it was not the best time to resume communication attempts, and its call lessened to an indistinct buzzing at the back of Draco's consciousness.
*
"Ginny! Ginny, you haven't seen a tear-shaped gold pendant anywhere, have you?" Aberforth asked with a worried look on his face.
Ginny shook her head.
"Oh dear, I must have lost it when I was unconscious," the old wizard muttered. "They must've taken it…can't believe it I lost it…"
"Was it really important, then?" Ginny asked.
"Terribly important…it was one of the pendants that used to belong to Maximilian and Jasmine. That pendant had hidden magical powers. I brought it over to see if I could find references to it in the library here. Oh dear, in the wrong hands…in the wrong hands—"
"I think they could have searched you when you were unconscious and taken it," Ginny suggested. "Maybe one of the people we caught had it with him. You ought to ask Captain Kovalenko if she found it."
"Ah, I hadn't thought of that," Aberforth said as some semblance of hope returned to his old face. "Thank you, Ginny!"
Ginny nodded and forced a smile onto her face. It wasn't easy, considering she was about to do the most difficult thing she'd ever done. She'd had wanted to get it over with much sooner, but she hadn't had an opportunity to do so, and she'd wanted to wait for Holly to leave first. The Typhoon had taken her, Nicolai and Mary back to the Citadel an hour ago.
She saw Ron coming out of the vault, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep. "Oy, Ginny, how's the Cruiser coming along?" he asked, stifling a yawn.
"Nearly done. Weren't you supposed to have been relieved?" she asked. The Artificers, aided by the Curse Breakers who had pitched in to get the work done more quickly, had worked in teams of three, with the hours of two teams overlapping while the third team took a rest. She hadn't been able to take advantage of that period, though, since the anxiety she'd been feeling had been too severe. Instead, she'd lain awake as the words she was planning to say spiralled around and around inside her mind and heart in ever-tightening chains, squeezing her misery out drop by drop. Now that the moment had arrived, it was infinitely worse, however, and she barely felt the fatigue she should have been feeling.
"Something came up. Logos went bonkers when he found out that something very important was stolen. He said it had been hidden in a pile of worthless stones in a vault with no security charms."
Even though she was tired and her mind on far more personal matters, Ginny saw the paradox in that statement. "Why put it there if it were so important?"
"That vault did have one type of security charm on it, specifically for that thingy. It ought to have rendered it invisible, tug it away from groping hands and protect it from summoning charms and such things. The charm failed, though. We think the anti-magic device could have interfered with that particular charm. Lucky it didn't disable the other security."
"How does Logos know it's missing?" Ginny asked, wondering how Logos knew it was gone when no one was supposed to be able to see it.
"He could see it. That thingy was the reason Logos was created in the first place. He was supposed to help guard it. It's called the Periapt of Absolute Power, but it doesn't really look like an amulet. He says it looks like a plain old and ugly bloodstone. But it's supposed to have awesome powers. Hermione, Harry, Matt and I spent all this time poring through books to find information about it. Kelly wasn't much help, though." Ron grinned. "He couldn't think coherently after Gudrun was through with him, though I heard Gudrun wasn't much help with the Cruiser either."
Ginny nodded, inwardly wincing at the memory. A glowing Gudrun had stumbled into the Cruiser with a blissfully vacant expression on her face, and Hwang had sent her away again when it became apparent that she wouldn't be of any help. The men shared a hearty laugh after Roverano made a rather rude comment about Matt being responsible for Gudrun's temporary senselessness.
"Ah, well, I suppose it would've been cruel to ask those two to abstain," Ron chuckled.
Ginny felt even more miserable as Ron reminded her of it. Gudrun and Matt had been in the same boat as she and Harry. Then it had turned out that Mary had been Matt's daughter all along. So instead of coming between them, Mary had brought them together. But Holly wasn't her daughter, only Harry's…
"Find anything about that Periapt thingy?" she asked, trying very hard not to lose her composure and break down there and then.
Ron nodded. "Yeah, but not much. All we know is that it is supposed to be really powerful. The bright side is that it takes a Mind Reader recognise it, because it had telepathic abilities. The downside is that the bad guys have one…Wolfe. I just told Commander Ironheart about it." He gave her an inquisitive look. "So, are you going to talk to Harry now?"
"Yeah," Ginny faked a smile. She knew it wasn't very convincing, but thankfully, Ron seemed to be too tired to notice.
"Great! I don't think he's in the library anymore, though. I think he went to the kitchen. Know where that is?"
Ginny was sure she could remember. "Yeah."
"Good luck," Ron gave her shoulder a squeeze and headed back in the direction of the stairs. Dragging her feet, Ginny made her way to the kitchen. She paused outside the closed door and tried to will herself to remain calm, but her stomach felt like it was tied in knots with barbed wire. She gulped for breath and opened the door. Harry was alone, sitting at the table with a cup of tea in front of him.
"Ginny!" he said and started to get up. But she gestured for him to remain seated. She deliberately took a seat on the opposite side of the table, instead of one of the seats next to him. She finally looked at him directly, but found it hard to actually meet his eyes.
"We've put this off long enough, haven't we?" she asked with a sad smile.
Deathly pale, Harry nodded uncertainly.
"We need to talk about the impact Holly will have on our lives."
"Ginny, I'm sorry I didn't tell—"
Ginny cut him off. "That doesn't matter. My reaction more than justified your fears."
"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" he asked hopefully.
She stared at her reflection in the polished tabletop without answering, knowing she had to choose her words carefully. "When Holly turned up…I was hurt, Harry. I was hurt and I was angry. I was briefly angry with you, until I realised it was my own fault. Holly wouldn't have been born if I hadn't been so horrible to you to begin with."
"Ginny, if I hadn't become a Ranger, lots of things would have gone differently, and not all of them for the better. It's no use dwelling on what could have been."
Ginny swallowed away the lump forming in her throat. She had reached the same conclusion. It was useless to dwell on what could have been.
"I was jealous because I wanted to be number one in your heart, but I knew that would be impossible with Holly around. I even thought about asking you to send her back to the Mirror Realm," she continued, before Harry could deny the obvious. "I was going to ask you if you even could choose between us…but after what you said earlier, it seems obvious that you've already made your choice. 'Holly, Holly, Holly,'" she repeated slowly, "'you're the best thing that ever happened to me!'" She tried to breathe around the lump that had stubbornly risen in her throat again. "If she's the best thing that's ever happened to you, then where does that leave me? Maybe I was first in your heart before you met her…but that obviously isn't the case anymore."
"But—"
"She is…and I have to accept that you don't need me as much as you need her."
"Ginny, that's not true!" Harry erupted. "Holly's my daughter. You shouldn't see her as your rival!"
"It isn't like that!" she snapped back. She cursed inwardly as her voice rose, but she couldn't stop the words now. "It was about being the first one in your heart—the one that you love most! Perhaps it's selfish of me to think like that…but it's what I feel in my heart. I can't just ignore that! I can't just lie and pretend that it's not true!" She placed her hands flat on the table with exaggerated care, willing herself not to gouge strips out of the wood with her fingernails. "If she'd been my own daughter, our daughter, I could have taken second place to her. I would have understood if that had been the case… I know how much you've wanted a family of your own. But the fact remains that she isn't mine. She isn't ours. And I… I don't know where I fit into your life anymore. I don't know if I fit into your life."
"We're Twin Flames, Ginny!" Harry said desperately. "Lieutenant Cliff said so, and you've seen the evidence yourself! Don't you remember the light that always shines when we're together? We're two halves of the same soul!"
Ginny was momentarily taken aback by that revelation, but she recovered quickly. There was no denying that there was a unique connection between her and Harry. They probably were Twin Flames…but she also knew a thing or two about the phenomenon, and that gave her new ammunition. "Maybe you're right. But the two halves can become separated as times and circumstances change, Harry. And lest we forget, they don't have to be lovers. We used to be lovers, but our circumstances have changed."
Harry's eyes widened with fear and worry. "What are you saying? Are you saying you don't love me anymore?" he asked with a wavering voice. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me anymore!"
Ginny couldn't tell him that, because it would be a lie. She did love him, and that was why she had to do this now. She couldn't give up when she'd already come this far. His happiness meant everything to her, and he would never be truly happy with her. Her jealousy would cast a shadow over everything they might have tried to build together in the future. She hoped that in time, he'd understand her decision to clear the way towards his happiness, even if it meant ripping out her own heart.
She pulled the ruined engagement ring out of her pocket. "You told me the goblin who sold you this told you the diamond would reflect my love for you. I think this answers your question." She placed the ring on the table and slid it over to him. "I'm sorry. It…it's just better this way. Better for you, and better for her. I—I'm sorry."
She rose from her seat and calmly walked out of the kitchen, trying her best not to appear too upset, fighting her impulses to run away because it would ruin everything. She locked herself in the first room that looked it would lend her a few minutes of privacy. She stood there for a moment, then leaned back against the door and slid to the floor, her shoulders shaking violently. Only then did she allow herself to cry.
***
Author's Note: You guys can bitch about Ginny all you want. True, her actions are misguided, but remember that she's still very shaken up, and her special connection to Harry makes things worse.
BigDaddy: Not everyone gets a happy ending.
LadySiri: The prophecy was very specific. Only one will emerge.
Gogirl: Now you know what the evil cackle was about. *evil cackle*
Foxfur: The mistake should have been corrected. And Ron's quick reaction was out of experience. ;-) Parselmouths are special. The power of a Lingomagus doesn't include Parseltongue. It's sort of hard to describe this made up power.
It covers all the intelligent creatures, with some exceptions. Troll is among the languages a Lingomagus could speak, even if the native speakers are dumb. And while Unicorns and Kneazles have been described as very intelligent, a Lingomagus can't talk to them because they can't formulate human speech, whereas trolls can, though they typically never learn more than a few words. I know Merfolk can't vocalise human speech either, but the reverse is true, so Lingomagi can speak Mermish. It's tricky, I can't use intelligence nor being humanoid as criteria. But I hope I've given you an impression what the gift covers. Oh yeah, and I suppose they could speak to gnomes and leprechauns if these creatures have native languages. Same goes for centaurs.
devilsbard: I would have been more happy if you'd told me exactly what you liked about it, but thanks all the same.
Stefanie: First of all, don't mention it.
Second of all, they are cute aren't they? There's no guarantee that they'll end up together, though. People as intelligent as Nicolai often have trouble relating to other people.
Thirdly, sorry I couldn't accommodate your request.
Fourthly, I'm sorry, but like I said, the prophecy is very specific. Only one will emerge.
Fifthly, I also agree with Jane Grey. My betas warned me that I was going a bit overboard too.
Brdurf: I'll keep updating. But next time try to tell me what exactly you liked, and disliked.
someone: I'm not sure if you're a real person or a double reviewer. If you want a specific answer, leave a specific name.
R.J.: Yeah, I know it is hard to keep track of every single detail in every little fic you follow.
bane: Well, it's true!
nycgal: Can he convert? Well, that's actually a good question. In my little version of that Harry Potter universe the Japanese wizarding society will occasionally intermarry with a gajin, (the Japanese term for what you would call gentile) if their achievements (or lineage) are particularly exceptional. These individuals would be adopted into one of the clans, which would be akin to conversion, I suppose. But the imperial line is still off limits…
Starwest45: Holly's staying out of Ginny's way for the greater good. (That doesn't mean that she doesn't get to see Harry from time to time.)
Link76: The bonding between Holly and Harry won't happen on screen.
Lamina Court: I'm using this method to stimulate reviewers because statistics with a broader base are more reliable. For example, that fact that so many people complained about Ginny tells me that I should have written it differently to evoke more sympathy for her plight. I thought about writing a narrative from Hermione's POV to explain Ginny's actions, but I decided against it because even Hermione could possibly know exactly why Ginny's reaction is so extreme, and as a writer I didn't want to pre-chew my entire subplot for the readers. I was hoping you'd sink your teeth into it like Foxfur and my betas did and understand instead of just react.
You think I'm doing this for the reviews and not for the enjoyment of writing? You don't know anything about me. I'm one of those people who occasionally talk to himself due to an overactive imagination. Thanks to the therapeutic quality of writing I don't do that anymore because I have an outlet.
When my PC broke down I nearly went nuts because I wouldn't be able to write for a while. I'm saving for a second one to have an immediate replacement in case that happens again.
I love writing, and now you accuse me of doing this? Fuck you! You can go to hell! You might as well stop reading because I don't give a shit about your opinion anymore.
Lady Reaper of the Shadows: I know I said 605 before the next chapter, but 603 are more than enough. It was never about the amount of reviews, though some people might accuse me of that.
Philip: I was going to make this a trilogy, but now I'm not so sure anymore. People might accuse me of worrying more about getting reviews than writing it properly.
Wouldn't U Like 2 know: This chapter should have granted you all your wishes.
RicaSieg(akaBlossom): Long time no hear. Nice to know you're still alive. Could you review or e-mail me with your exact likes or dislikes, if it isn't too much trouble? I really appreciated your critique on EaL.
x wolfpup x: You managed to do it in a single night? Either you're the new world-champion speed-reader or you missed a lot of important details. Not that I don't appreciate the fact that you took the time to tell me you like it. :-)
Lioness-07863: Nah, I don't think she's threatened by Carey's looks.
Lord Dreadnault: Harry isn't an ordinary man, but wise words all the same.
Petals: Nicolai's a prodigy, meaning he had an I.Q. of 180 plus. Definitely plus! Such kids realise that grownups are hypocrites by age 4. Oh, and you'll always be Petals to me. ;-)
Casual Reader: You were right about Nicolai getting a big role in the future. I was planning it for the third instalment of the saga. Unfortunately I may not write that story anymore, due to a very demoralising comment I got.
Jake: Curry sympathy? Oh man, not you too!
Siri Kat: Not every chapter can be action packed. But I see your point. I need to find a way to keep up the suspense even in the slow chapters. Thanks for your input.
Ginny1946: I'm looking forward to it.