At long, long last, I offer a new chapter of Seeking Time. I've spent the last year go over my plot lines, trying to work out kinks I was running into, and at this point I've mostly worked all of that out, so with a little luck we're getting this story moving again. My Lost Founder series is a merging of Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sanctuary, and the Librarians. The further along this story gets, the more characters from the non-Potterverse series will be showing up, so if you aren't familiar with them, I'd encourage you to look up these shows. I will explain things as I go so if you're not into the other series you can still enjoy THIS, but you'll enjoy it more if you go ahead and binge watch Buffy, Sanctuary, and Librarians. Now, A TON happens in this chapter, so pay attention. Ready? Set? GO!
"I don't like it," Severus claimed, shifting uncomfortably in the stiff, highly formal robes he was being forced to wear. "I did not agree to this nonsense."
Minerva chuckled at the new Head of both the Prince family, and of the newly formed Wizarding Confederation. With the Ministry's fall, and the union of five magical schools under Hermione's diplomatic finesse and hours of work with Mister Chang and her brother Robert, the new formation of a governing body had taken place, and a leader had of course needed to be elected. Given that Britain and Hogwarts were on the front line of the war against Voldemort, a British leader seemed appropriate. While Hermione had been the first choice of both Olympe and Igor, both having worked with her before, and Minerva had been first choice so far as the Heads of Ilvermorny and Mahoutokoro were concerned, both she and her partner had turned down the job, feeling it too much to take on with their respective prior appointments. Severus, baffled as he was at the notion, had been second choice to all four Heads, and they really hadn't been willing to take no for an answer. As such, Annabeth had stepped down as Head of the Prince family to provide Severus with a title the purebloods would respect, and the newly christened Severus Prince had officially become Lord Prince, Regent of the Wizarding Confederation. "Come now, Severus, uncomfortable clothing is a small price to pay considering the gains of an organized government," she offered.
"I still don't have to like it," he grumbled. "Any of it. I didn't ask for this, Minerva, and I'm not convinced Hermione didn't hit me with a confundus in order to get me to agree to take the position."
"She didn't, I assure you," Minerva soothed.
"What about you?" Severus accused half-heartedly.
"I'm afraid not," she said, patting him on the shoulder. "You got into this all by yourself. I don't envy you, though. It's a hell of a thing - Lord Regent of the Wizarding Confederation. There hasn't been a union of world wide Wizarding society since before the founding of Hogwarts. Merlin knows I wouldn't wish war in any universe, but the international cooperation that has resulted is...well, I'll be proud to tell future generations that I was witness to the birth of world peace."
"Assuming the Dark Lord doesn't kill us all and disband the Confederation before we can really see the positive results of such international cooperation," the Potions Master replied. "I must admit, however, that I'm also… proud, to be a part of this. It bothers me that Hermione won't get the recognition she deserves in all of this. History never remembers the people in the background, and she's intent on doing just that - staying in the background."
Minerva nodded in agreement, though she certainly understood Hermione's desire to remain out of the spotlight. "We need to get going."
He nodded curtly, and Severus and Minerva walked out of his quarters and made directly for the lower levels of Gryffindor Tower. While students occupied the upper levels, the first six levels of the tower had been empty and collecting dust for years, and had now been converted to office space for the newly formed Confederation. In the last two months, Hermione and Robert, along with the Heads of Durmstrang, Ilvermorny, Beauxbatons, and Mahoutokoro - who had been authorized by their own fragmented governments to act as representatives of their respective countries, had worked tirelessly with Helen Magnus from the Sanctuary, Jon Dinklage from the Library, Quentin Travers from the Watcher's Council, and Hector Stewartson representing the magical creatures division, to compose a magna carta of sorts. The Confederation Charter would be signed today, in just a few minutes' time, establishing a code of conduct and a description of rights for this reforged magical world. Minerva smiled softly when she recalled the closing lines of the the Charter they were all about to sign.
"In the unanimous decision of the thirteen states of Magical Society, we agree it becomes necessary for, as one people, to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and form a new government laid out to preserve future generations. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all creatures are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience has shown, that creatures are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute tyranny, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. We must, therefore, abandon our fragmented governments lost in the wake of war, usurpation, and a long trail of political abuses, and solemnly publish and declare, that these United Magical States do so form a new government which sees to the care, protection, and growth of all these states involved. We pledge a lasting peace among ourselves, by way of continued cooperation and in the interest of all."
"Are you ready?" she asked as the pair arrived at their destination. Merlin knew Severus had more right to be terrified of today's signing than any of them, and they each had plenty right to be terrified, too. This document, once signed, would effectively be declaring war on Voldemort and any future Dark Lord, uniting branches of the magical community that had not united in known history, and forming a governing body which would either bring about an era of peace unlike they'd ever known, or create a powder keg just waiting to explode when peoples who had only ever known separation realized they couldn't survive together. It was a risk they had to take, however, because they all knew that with the rising evil, they had no chance of surviving apart.
Severus let out a ragged breath, his thoughts seemingly similar to her own. "Let's go make history," he said softly, "one way or another."
Dudley Dursley smiled softly at his girlfriend Luna as she engaged in a staring contest with Professor Trelawney. The two of them had been doing that a lot lately. Sometimes they were across the Great Hall from one another, and sometimes they were close enough to touch, but they just looked at each other, not saying a word. He'd asked Luna about it, and all she would say was that the Professor had something to tell her, and she was simply giving her due attention. What Hogwarts' strangest Professor had to tell Luna was anybody's guess.
Of course, Dudley's definition of strange no longer included words like freaky or bad. There was nothing wrong with being strange - being different - he'd learned. The person he used to be might disagree, but the teenager had accepted that his younger self had been in dire need of the harsh life lessons he'd been dealt. A part of him felt like, with as cruel as he'd been to Harry back then, he had deserved it to have to suffer through the loss of his parents in such a cruel way. His Mum - Hermione, that was - regularly tried to assure him that his mother's death hadn't been his fault, or any sort of karma for how he'd behaved, but he still had a hard time believing it. That said, Luna was helping with that. Any time he said that he didn't deserve her love, she just laughed at him and called him a dummy.
"I think I'm done speaking with the Professor," Luna declared after a few minutes of staring at Trelawney across the courtyard they'd been passing through. The older witch, upon Luna's breaking eye contact, let out a small whimper and began to walk away distractedly. Before she or Dudley and Luna could leave the area, Trelawney walked full force into Lucy Slytherin. Hermione's daughter - Dudley was still trying to wrap his head around that development - frowned when the Professor reared on her.
"Out of my way!" she shouted. "You're always in the way! It's always your fault!"
With that said, Trelawney stormed off, and Dudley moved over to Lucy's position to try to explain. She was new to Hogwarts, and she couldn't be used to what the students referred to as Trelawney's Temperament. "Uh," he said softly. "I'm sure she didn't mean all that. She's just…"
"No need to explain, Mister Dursley," Lucy assured.
"Just Dudley is fine, ma'am," he muttered. "Technically I'm your little brother."
Lucy smirked. "Yes, so I hear. You, as well as Harry Potter. And I've a sister in young Emma, too. I really need to make time to get to know the three of you, don't I?"
"Well, you don't have to," he said, blushing.
"But he'd like that very much," Luna added on his behalf. "He's the eldest between the three of them, and he likes the idea of having an older sibling to look out for him."
"My girlfriend, Luna Lovegood," he introduced with a wry grin.
"We've met before," Lucy said quietly. "Though you were very young and I appeared much older, so I'd not be surprised if you didn't make the connection."
Luna's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You knew my mother," she said. It wasn't a question.
The older witch nodded, and Dudley observed an expression of guilt on her face as she tore her eyes away from Luna's gaze. "I did. Now, if you'd excuse me, Dudley, Miss Lovegood - I've business to attend to. I will make a priority of setting aside time to get to know you, Harry, and Emma."
"Of course," he agreed, feeling rather perplexed at the exchange between his girlfriend and sister. "What was that about," he asked Luna once Lucy was gone.
Luna sighed. "I don't really know. I mean, I don't remember her, like she expected, but despite that I felt like I should be angry with her for some reason. And I knew it had something to do with my mother."
"Well Mum says Lucy's basically been around forever, so she's met tons of people I'd expect. Makes you wonder though, since she knew your mum and she was looking a bit guilty about it, what exactly happened between them," he mused.
"Well," Luna considered. "Either it had something to do with her life, or something to do with her death, and since being in someone's life usually doesn't cause guilty feelings after someone has died, it's more likely that it had something to do with her death. Which begs the question…"
"If she had something to do with the explosion?" Dudley finished.
"Yes," Luna agreed.
Dudley decided that he didn't like seeing Luna frown, but before he could muster up some form of cheer to put a smile back on her face, her hair started blowing in a wind that had come out of nowhere, and her eyes glazed over.
"Two and two make Founders four,
As history clearly tells,
But from the Lost One will be born,
The future out of knells.
The firstborn's time to rise is near
In city Angels run -
He and she will switch for years,
And he will know no one."
"Luna?" Dudley breathed as the wind died down and her eyes cleared.
"I just spoke a prophecy, didn't I?" she asked calmly as soon as she'd caught her breath. "About you and your brother and sisters."
"What?" he exclaimed. "What are you talking about?"
"Four founders of Hogwarts," she said patiently. "History knows this, but they don't know about the Lost Founder - Hermione, that is. She has two living sons and two living daughters, all of which have known the sting of death."
"Death!" he gaped. "When was there any talk about death?"
"A knell is a special bell only rung after someone has died," Luna explained before continuing to explain. The city of Angels, well, I think that's talking about Los Angeles, California, over in America. The firstborn must be Lucy. I think I'll need to get permission to go with her to California. We have a meeting we can't miss. I suspect a dimensional rift."
"Why?"
She shrugged. "It's obvious, isn't it?"
He decided to just take her word at it. "Well I'm not letting you go anywhere with Lucy by yourself. Not considering there's a chance she had something to do with your mum's death."
"Severus won't let you go without him," Luna said pointedly.
Severus Prince, while pseudo-father to him, Harry, and Emma, was particularly attached to Dudley and everyone knew it. It wasn't about playing favorites, but rather about belonging. Harry belonged to Hermione, Emma belonged to Minerva, and Dudley, well, he belonged to Severus. Dudley didn't mind in the slightest. "Well, then he can come, too."
"With the Rooms of Requirement up and running now, it won't even take that long," Luna concluded. "All we have to do is convince Lucy and Severus."
"Or we convince Mum and she'll just make them go," Dudley suggested.
Luna smiled at him. "I knew you were a smart wizard."
A little over two weeks after the signing of the Confederation Charter, Hermione Slytherin called out to the blur that was her youngest daughter running through their quarters. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"
"Promised to help Mrs. Weasley in the Orphanage today!" Emma explained, still moving toward the door. "Late! Love you! Gotta go!"
Emma's commitment to helping out with the growing number of orphans Molly and Arthur had taken charge of reminded Hermione of her own commitment to meet with Jackie McGonagall and Janet Hammond in about fifteen minutes. She got up, put her book on the table beside the sofa, and followed after the echoing footfalls of her daughter. With the fall of Mungo's, medical facilities had needed to be set up here at Hogwarts to compensate.
In fact, it seemed lately that the whole of the Wizarding world was being packed into the castle. The lower levels of Gryffindor Tower were housing the Confederation offices, the Order was in the Head Tower under her own quarters, the Room of Requirement was effectively a department of international cooperation, and the Quidditch Pitch had been converted into a shopping center housing much of what used to be Diagon Alley. Then of course the Forbidden Forest was getting more and more crowded with various Magical creatures, part of the Herbology Tower had become an orphanage, and the Goblins had taken over a chunk of the Dungeons to set up a bank. The whole setup was complete with all classrooms in the Defense Tower being moved elsewhere in the castle to make room for a hospital. Poppy's Medical Wing had been left undisturbed for student use, once September arrived and term began again. No matter how much change was happening in the magical community just now, Minerva had continued to insist that come September, there would be a place for people to learn magic. In fairness, Igor, Olympe, Agilbert, and Miyagi were all keeping their own schools running too, though none of them were housing refugees. They were, however, accommodating transport for those trying to escape Britain.
"Janet, Jackie," Hermione greeted, stepping into the office on the ground level which she'd been directed to meet the mediwitches in. "What can I do for you today?"
"It's the long-term patients," Jackie stated without preamble. "We don't have the staff to take care of all the injured coming in on top of the long term patients."
"How many of those do you even have?" Hermione questioned. "I was under the impression that wing was hit pretty hard before the evacuation was even underway. Most of those patients were killed."
"Two," Janet replied. "But you must understand, Hermione, they require supervision twenty-four hours a day. We've been managing by pulling long shifts, but just yesterday the mediwizard watching the Longbottoms fell asleep at his post, Alice got out and decided to interrupt a surgery Jackie was doing, which nearly resulted in the loss of the patient."
"Right," Hermione remembered. "Augusta had them removed from Mungo's not long after the Sacred Twenty-Eight formed. Before the attack."
"Yes, and at first we were having no issue minding them," Jackie put in. "But that was before we had a trainload of injuries to tend to every other day. We need either more staff, or they need to be taken care of elsewhere."
Hermione considered what was being said, and knew the two women were right. She could not just put a help wanted advert in the paper to get them more help, but she really couldn't spare any Order members to watch Alice and Frank day in and day out. Given that they could be used as a tool to get to Augusta and her seat on the Council, they couldn't be guarded by just anyone.
"What is their condition?" she asked, trying to get a better picture of their needs. "Why do they require the care they do?"
"They were tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange back about the time the Potters were killed," Jackie answered. "They seem to understand language, but only have rudimentary communication skills. They were both Aurors back in the day, and Alice was incredible with wandless magic, which she uses to conduct her little escapes like yesterday."
"Frank couldn't have been bad at wandless magic either," Janet said. "According to the file, he taught the rookies basic Occlumency before they were put into the field. The ability to shield your mind comes in handy when someone is trying to put you under the Imperius. And most Occlumens are at least decent at wandless magic. Lucky for us, he usually pranks the staff rather than trying to escape."
Hermione frowned. "Stands to reason Alice was an Occlumens as well, right?"
Both women nodded. "What does that even matter, though?" Jackie wanted to know.
The Head of the Order groaned. "Honestly, don't you two read? Artemeus' Integumentum Theory?"
Janet had, evidently, read the paper in question, and her eyes widened at the implication. "I can't believe nobody has considered that! Ugh! I'm such an idiot!"
"Fill me in?" Jackie inquired, a bit sour at being out of the loop.
"Artemeus' Integumentum Theory suggests in the event of trauma, a proficient Occlumens could create a shield around their mind to protect it from actual damage. The downside of this concept is that once created, someone else would have to break down the shield, because it's created specifically so a traumatized mind couldn't undo the barrier under duress. To an outside viewer, all that would remain of the original caster is their base instincts and an almost childlike functionality, making someone inflicting trauma believe they'd succeeded in breaking their victim, hopefully stopping the onslaught."
Jackie looked very interested. "So you're saying prank playing Frank and escape artist Alice might be mentally sound behind a barrier they themselves made to prevent the very thing they appear to be suffering?"
"It's worth looking at," Hermione said. "If yes, then not only will you get two fewer patients out of the deal, but I'll get two new Aurors."
"If you try to break this so-called barrier, and there was no barrier to start with," Minerva's sister-in-law posed, "would it harm the Longbottoms? Could they end up worse than they are if they really are just as traumatized as we thought they were?"
Hermione shook her head no. "The barrier in Artemeus' Theory is on a psychic level, not a physical one. If there's nothing there to break down, the spell would just harmlessly pass through them."
"So nothing to lose by trying," Janet reasoned.
"Well, I'd insist on getting Augusta's permission first, regardless," Jackie replied, flicking her wand and sending a patronus to Frank's mother, asking her to come to the Hospital Tower at once.
Augusta, decidedly alarmed at such a message, arrived in only a few minutes' time and after an explanation of the proposed procedure, the Head of the Longbottom family agreed. Hermione offered to send for Neville before they tried, but Augusta didn't want to get the boy's hopes up.
Hermione, Jackie, Janet, and Augusta made for the classroom that had been converted into Frank and Alice's room directly, and after a deep breath, the Head of the Order offered a silent prayer for Neville's sake, and raised her wand. "Legilimens," she whispered, pointing first at Alice.
It didn't take more than a few minutes for Hermione to find the barrier she was looking for, though breaking it down took nearly a half hour, leaving both her and Alice breathless as they collapsed on the ground. "About...bloody...time," the former Auror panted. "Thanks, whoever you are."
"Oh sweet Merlin," Augusta gasped. "Alice."
Emma McGonagall greeted Helen Magnus, who was bringing her daughter Ashley and ward Henry into the Orphanage Wing to visit with the other kids. "Hi Doctor Magnus," she said.
Helen smiled at her. "Just call me Helen, Emma. You're my Aunt, after all."
"Yeah, but don't start calling me Aunt Emma," the teenager pleaded. "That would be so weird."
"Just Emma, I promise," Helen assured her. "How are you holding up here?"
"Oh, I'm doing fine," she said. "I'm young enough to keep up with all the munchkins. Mrs. Weasley could use a break, to be honest. She's done something to her back - keeps holding onto it like it hurts - but every time I tell her to go sit down she just pats me on the head like I'm a little kid."
Helen glanced over at Molly, frowning. "She's sweating."
Emma checked over her shoulder and confirmed what Helen was saying. "That's new."
"Molly, are you feeling alright?" Helen called, moving toward the red-haired witch. "Emma says you've got a backache."
Less inclined to be dismissive of an actual doctor than she was of Emma's concerns, Molly sighed. "Started that way. Backache, and now cramping. I wonder if I've got a kidney stone."
The Head of the Sanctuary Network moved to press her hand on Molly's abdomen. "Molly, when was your last menstrual cycle?"
The other women shrugged. "What is it? Middle of May? A while before Christmas, I think. That time of a witch's life, you know."
Helen chuckled. "Or you've been pregnant for at least the last six months and you've gone into labor."
Molly's eyes widened. "No… I couldn't possibly be... Arthur!"
The Weasley patratch wasn't far from his wife, and casually ambled over. "What is it, dear?" he asked, oblivious to her pain.
"You are in so much trouble, mister," she said, glowering at him as another cramp - something she now identified as a contraction - rushed over her. "I thought you had your bits taken care of!"
"My… what?" he asked, dumbfounded.
"Arthur, it appears you're about to be a father again," Helen explained. "We'd best get her over to the Hospital Tower."
"I don't think we have that kind of time," Emma muttered, noicing a pool of clear liquid forming at Molly's feet. When she wasn't helping at the orphanage, Emma spent a good deal of time working in the Hospital Tower and this wasn't the first time she'd seen someone's water break.
"I quite think you're right," Helen muttered.
Arthur called out to two women who were also regular helpers in the Orphanage, issuing orders for them to mind the children, as well as Helen's two. "Our room is through that door," he said, pointing. Emma moved quickly ahead to open the door while Arthur and Helen assisted Molly in walking over. "What else can I do?" she asked as the laboring woman lay on the bed.
"You've been helping in the hospital, yes?" Helen asked the teen.
"Yeah," Emma replied. "Mondays and Thursdays."
"Then you just got promoted to nurse," Helen ordered. "Arthur, if you'd kindly send a Patronus to Hermione and Minerva, I believe they should know a new Wardling is about to be born. Also, you'd better alert Rupert. I have a hunch that you're about to get a second daughter."
Mr. Weasley did as he was told without asking questions and ten minutes later, Minerva, Hermione, and Rupert walked into the room just in time to hear Helen confirm that Molly was fully dilated and could begin pushing when the next contraction hit.
"I'm cutting off your bollocks as soon as I get this kid out," Molly declared.
Emma chuckled at the way both Mr. Weasley and Mr. Giles moved their hands protectively toward their crotches. Men.
"Molly, I didn't know you were pregnant," Minerva commented.
"She didn't either," Emma answered for the laboring woman, to which Molly nodded vigorously.
"Not to be rude," Rupert asked, addressing Helen. "But while I certainly appreciate the miracle of life, I'm not sure why I've been invited to witness the birth of this child. I'm hardly close to the Weasleys."
Helen didn't spare him a glance, but she did explain. "Because on my way down here you told me that word had reached you of India Cohen's death, which occurred this morning. Molly is not full term, I can assure you of that, nor has she suffered a trauma that might promote an early labor. As such, I suspect that the child about to arrive is a girl, and that she's a Potential. You know the spells to confirm that."
Rupert looked shocked. "A magical Potential? That's unheard of!"
"I could be wrong," Helen agreed. "But firstly I do not believe in coincidence, and secondly, I seldom am wrong, and thirdly, if I'm correct then you're about to witness history in the making. So humor me."
"Consider yourself humored," Rupert agreed. "And good lord, you sound just like Hermione."
Hermione chuckled. "Yes, you rather did just then."
"Blood is blood," Helen mused. "Now, Molly, push!"
Half an hour later, a small, but healthy baby girl was being laid in Molly's arms, and a few minutes after that, Rupert was able to confirm - surprise, surprise - that Helen had been right about the girl being a Potential, whatever that was. Emma had remained mostly quiet through the whole thing, but now that the panic was wearing off, she stopped to appreciate the newborn baby.
"We're calling her Vala Emmelia Weasley," Molly announced after conferring in hushed tones with her husband. "Emmelia after you, Emma. I don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't alerted Helen to my condition. She'd have come and left and I'd have been without help when I realized what was happening. That kind of panic could have cost us the baby's life. Thank you for being so observant, young lady."
Emma blushed a shade of red to make a Weasley proud.
"And Hermione and Minerva," Arthur added. "Of course, you'll be godparents. War on and all, we trust that if something happens to us, you'll make sure our youngest grows up safe and sound."
"Not one of your older children?" Hermione questioned.
"If something happens, it'll likely happen because of the war," Arthur explained. "Even Bill, with his wife, would be hard pressed to take on a baby in the wake of losing his parents. And it wouldn't be fair to Fleur to force her to be a first time mum in the wake of all this. If you'll agree, this one goes to you."
Hermione glanced at Minerva, who nodded. "Of course we'll accept," the Headmistress agreed. "Though Merlin forbid we need to fill that role. This little girl deserves more than that."
Emma's gut lurched at the scene unfolding before her, thinking of the prophecy that Luna had made that had set Dudley, Severus, Luna, and Lucy on a trip to California. From what Dudley had written, they'd met a creature called Lorne and were helping him acclimate to life in a dimension that was decidedly not his own. The prophecy had talked about four offspring of Hermione's, and they'd assumed it meant Lucy, Dudley, Harry, and herself. But what if they were wrong? What if Lucy wasn't a part of the prophecy at all? Emma wondered if she, Dudley, and Harry were destined to get another sister before the end. What if the baby girl Mum and Mother had just agreed to take in if something happened to the Weasleys was meant to be that sister?
She could hardly bear the idea of this baby having to live with the knowledge of dead parents like she and her brothers did.
The teen's train of thought was broken as the door to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's rooms opened and in walked Severus and Dudley, obviously having returned from America. Likely, they'd inquired where Hermione and Minerva were and been directed here.
"So…" Dudley said awkwardly, taking in the scene he'd stumbled into. "What did we miss?"
A/N - Yes, I did use the Declaration of Independence as a template for the Confederation Charter. PLEASE REVIEW!