Author's note I am nothing but a plot. As a favor to myself, I'm going to try to finish this out by the end of the year, so I started working on the following few chapters ahead of time; enjoy this one, and don't forget to show your appreciation or leave a comment.
January 2, 1989, 7 pm, Faversham at Pendragon's Cove, Wyvern Estate
It was rather stoic Kat that returned to the wyvern estate, as impassive as stone. Head hung facing the floor, awaiting punishment but still at attention, refusing to take a seat. However, Lola was already seated on the rather comfy sofa as Selene picked up Luna, who had been playing with Neville this entire time, while Augusta periodically checked on a loved one in the makeshift hospital room on the second floor of the manor. Luna, for her part, patted her arm in a way that was comforting. Her big blue eyes saw into her soul in a way that they understood. So much said without the need for words.
"Hello, hello, hello, how low," Luna sang the lyric softly; the words hung in the air familiar to Kat, a classic song that anthem of every disgruntle teen and a song that doesn't exist yet and Luna shouldn't know it exists. For a moment raised an eyebrow, a happy smirk on her face, grateful that Lola was tuned out and watching tv instead.
"Hey, if you like Nirvana too? Let's find a way to save Kurt then!" She hissed to Luna, who responded in a hiss of her own, "Just remember we are working on the aversion solution tomorrow then!" Who winked at her, nodded, and skipped out to her own home? Nodding to herself, knowing her punishment before it was dissed out doesn't mean she wasn't affected by her own actions in her mind; the means were justified but causing stress on her superiors, peers, and family wasn't something she liked doing.
~ "We swear to always,
Help those around us
And earn the miracle
That somehow found us," ~ Luna sang as she skipped to her home, and if I had any doubt, it's a song from a movie that won't exist for thirty years. At least someone else knows time is like water in your hands.
It was an irate Selene who left Luna with her father. While she chewed out underlying privately, asking Hermione to go upstairs. While Lola knew better and was catching up with the international news channel that was going over the news from all the magic countries under the banner of Avalon, and that was a lot of them.
As she heard about an initiative to deal with a surplus of teachers with not enough schools.
"At the moment," the woman sounded like a professional news anchor, and by this point, she had been doing her job for a long while.
"Most of these teachers who can't find employment are getting UBI until they can be accommodated or more schools could be built up. This is causing a rising need for architects, enchanters, and ward masons as jobs become increasingly in demand."
"As there has been a baby boom of magical children with the decade of more than half a million babies born this year alone around the world. As the international number of the magical population is becoming more and more significant. The magical population was now in the ballpark of nearly four million people worldwide. With some countries are unaccounted for various reasons. And there was an increase in the demand for certain careers. I will turn it over for Diplomacy Matters and Magical Being Relations."
"You got that right, Theresa! Especially with the recent sighting of the Avalon task force spotted in Italian ministry headquarter in Florence. As they went to investigate a supposed vampire hierarchy council that needs to be formally dealt with. While most species of vampires understand their position, most if not all vampires of different species understand that killing non-magical and mages will have them tried possibility for their crimes. It has been found a new subclass of vampires was discovered and nearly overwhelming in their population density compared to their easily defeated by sunlight brethren. As they seem to sparkle in the sun but are defeated by fire like any other vampire. According to the intel available to us, they had over a century of taking under the notice of society the homeless, abandoned children, and the lost at sea. Low priority people that non-magical governments would overlook and that wouldn't be noticed if they went missing, keeping from the radar of most if not all magical governments. But have brazen and have taken to feeding and draining tourists dry on tourists to the city they placed their coven.
Considering it was a legion of hundreds of non-magicals rounded up and unaccounted for on they're watch, it's becoming a problem for their local government to explain phenomena with no actual answer. Until recently, for the magical Italian government, and if it wasn't for the thorough investigation by the joint efforts of all the magical districts internationally working together? We might not have figured out they not only have strong-armed population it's clear they are unchecked, contributing to some of the crimes in near-magical towns and districts internationally over the last two decades. While there is hope, they can make "this vampire council" stand down? Many of those who are going with the task force are clear that considering the atrocity committed, it's doubtful they will listen and attack first, and they have more than prepared for a situation of that magnitude taking place. According to a few sources, they have unchecked dominion over their particular species for centuries realizing that they were supposed to be answering to someone will not be something they will understand or agree to."
"In other less gruesome news," Lola then lowered the volume of the tv as Selene finally gathered her thoughts and was less angry and looked like she wouldn't boil me alive for going against orders. Selene took a deep breath, her eyes focused on me.
"So let me see if I get this straight, Katherine;" Selene, for her part, looked like whatever she was going to say brokered no arguments.
"You were told to bring miss Granger and yourself back after removing five ward stone pieces from the designated locations. That you were able to point out to us because of the map. There were supposed to be no detours or side trips to get in and get out."
"You not only went rogue but tried to secure one of the many and various political cards that we need to implement on our list? On your own, brought said miss Granger with you when you were told to take it easy after the rigorous things you put your body through. Going against direct orders knowing you were defying immediate orders from your superior. Nearly costing us the mission and nearly derailed the quid pro quo with the Greengrass's only the fact I vowed the legitimacy of this cure and having everyone in the family take it and promise on their part to be open-minded. The blood curse now ends with Astoria Greengrass and the fact that she won't die from said blood curse. As well as the fact none of that their heirs being carriers of the curse or capable of having it: so long as they swear to seek truth, justice, and be of an open mind and heart."
"You disregarded the concerns of everyone in front of you, knowing how precarious and dangerous that was to put yourself through more strain." Selene's face showed all the anger and annoyance of her caution and orders being just treated like something to overlook and move past.
"Tell me why I should show you leniency for blatant disregard for your well-being and safety and the plan that you and your superiors and peers established and meticulously planned?" Selene said, tapping her feet impatiently for the answer because she couldn't think of anything that could be so important that it couldn't wait or be discussed since they had the time.
"I was able to contact my cousin Jacob," Lola was shocked; nobody had seen her cousin Jacob for years, and by the time they were eleven originally, he was dead, and his sister Lucinda was in the wind, and by the time they were sixteen, they heard the news of her death and of most of her year mates being killed by death eater raids. The only survivor of their classmates is a grieving Charlie Weasley.
"Who is part of the magical division of Interpol and MMI6 and the cadet branch of the Avalon knights on the continent. You the one that has the floating base?" She raised an eyebrow at her superior as if to say I didn't do it to be cheeky; I did it for a reason!
"I have the name of their superiors and office hours for him; he's expecting a call in the morning from you, Selene. Since Jacob has been doing his best spying and blending and feeding intel on dark and dark-leaning families and alerting them to the threat of the Hogwarts vaults. After being expelled, they realized he was their best expert in containing that situation. But having them at all our commands is only a benefit. We need protection and all hands on deck once things ramp up. The knights, King Marco, and Queen Sofia, will be swamped dealing with vetting the ministry employees, St. Mungo Healers, and the Hogwarts professors. That's a given. "
"Since most if not all of the knights on hand need to be there doing major background checks? They don't have the time to also keep street-level crime in check? Much less verify the everyday civilians won't pull anything. They are blind to which city is the most likely to rebel or cause problems with the reinstatement of the actual government."
"What Jacob and his part of the division of the Avalonian Knights supply is their specialty; it's their intel that we now have. As well as the fact that they are a resource, I sent a message to your cousin Miss Papillion, contacting her on our behalf, and she hasn't been able to contact the Avalonian Knights division in France. They have a big case right now. Most of their agents have been busy dealing with the rise of magical psychedelic drugs being imported into the country, and they couldn't send the message in response of whether they would help out."
"So, we can't count on them to act as our backup right now and make sure that everything is fine. I knew that someone was staking out dark English families, and the fact that it was Jacob was a godsend. Right now? What we need now is to have feet on the ground beside our own, and this will help make sure that those citizens who think they can hide or are in hiding.
"That's not going over the fact that my cousin has been undercover since he was fifteen years old, pretending to have gone dark and disbanding a terrorist group without implicating himself as a saboteur, as well as getting dirt on dark sympathizers that are actively plot and willing to kill and murder for their belief."
"He was hired by an elite police organization at the age of fifteen and was well educated and instructed he could help and gave him the coordinates to the bay so we could have the support cloak just outside so they could back up the monarchy; most of the knights are dealing with other issues. They only have a thousand knights on hand, according to Sam, while that's enough to cover the places of note? That his father can't spare any more of them. It's not enough to cover the magic cities or districts, Hogsmeade or Hufflepuff's Den, Verdant Knoll, Godric's Hollow, or even the entirety of Diagon Alley, which has quite a few of the people who live there." Since they are notable for their magic populations. With most business owners living above their business, most barely making enough money to afford to ward their building and allowing them to live somewhere else, less expensive.
"So, if I didn't show up to Greengrass estate, we would be scrambling, trying to find backup to help us out right now with making sure regular civilians aren't getting uppity or panicking, considering the how sheep-like the wizarding population can be; they have no sense of behaving accordingly. Keep in mind most, if not eighty-five percent, of magical Britain? They can't afford to send their children to Hogwarts and take it upon themselves to teach themselves and their children magic to varying degrees of success. Outside of Hogwarts, there are no alternative magic schools. And it's heavily discouraged to extend your search outside. So, I say this with full clarity I will be grateful that I don't get a buffalo out of my chest because someone mispronounced a spell that they taught themselves. You can ask me to apologize for not asking ahead to join you, Selene, but I won't apologize for ensuring that the plan goes smoothly; when it comes to making sure all the pieces fall into place, we forgot to account for the situation in France in 1989 into the planning, and that's my fault, and I will take the punishment and not shirk or disobey direct orders for the rest of the mission is done."
"We can't be that stripped for able-bodied knights?" Selene asked but knew she heard the news report as well as they did.
"Everyone is too busy dealing with their own affairs right now. Maybe if we gave them prior warning, they can each send ten of their finest? Most of the northeast is dealing with a rat king plague at the moment and assorted issues; the world has more pressing matters at this very moment."
"Fine when it comes to punishment? You still went against a direct order, and that can't go unpunished." Selene said taking a commanding tone as Katherine kept her head bowed.
"You stay within the barrier of Pendragon's Cove until we can begin the ritual on Sunday. You have to make preparations and make sure that we are fully stocked on everything. I doubt that anyone has brewed the bare essentials for court proceedings in quite a while. While I have no doubt that Knights from the rank of copper until gold are more than going out of their way to make sure they have enough stock, we will person need our own just in case. That doesn't consider the fact I know, just like my Luna, you have things you and things you have already put in motion before making everything you think we might need and write it all down on an itemized list. As make sure everything stays the course. Know the elves tasked themselves with making the place hospital and setting up a farm area from both magical and non-magical plants. I have no doubt they can get everything you need. As well as watch over and administer the cure for the illness affecting Mr. Longbottom. I know you know the potion. As well, make sure to keep an eye on Alice and frank. Finally, you are to make sure that Luna doesn't leave the barrier. I know that my husband is writing articles and making sure that the next printout of the quibbler is enough to socks the people who order their weekly copy. so luna might fall to the wayside of his priorities. "
"As well your final duty is to be the commanding lead for MMI6. when they dock their base in the bay. as well as to go over what their hand in this will be and to give us a share of their observations and their must-watch list of groups and people of interest currently. You want to ensure the mission is a success; you are essentially grounded here. Tomorrow Lola and I will be removing the fifty more tomorrow, then we can start on the nearby territories they own or used to own that are locked off as well. We should be back by seven pm or so. With the one in Hogwarts, the last one we have to remove in order to do the ritual."
From there, the three of them discussed all the vital things as well as informed Avalon proper through same to save on time and resources.
Upstairs At the Same Time
It was an exhausted Harry who was gobsmacked when his hug was tackled by his best friend, making both of them land on the bed in his room.
"Harry!" Hermione screamed happily.
"Hey Hermione," his voice muffled under her shoulder. Her presence was a balm after a day of revelations and one shock after another.
"Today has been a rollercoaster of confusion, but I think I made a new friend. And it was so exciting. Katherine's ability was so helpful, and she hasn't been wrong about anything. I'm just so happy to see you and hear about your day was." All of this, as was said in a mishmash and rash of words barely comprehendible for someone who didn't know Hermione Granger as well as Harry Potter did. Like she always did, she was comforting and eased his heart when everything in his life seemed to be upside down and made no sense to him. Since the moment they became friends, he could lean on her to be a comforting ear and shoulder when things were too much or to help make sense of things he didn't know before or needed help understanding.
"So, how was your day? Was it as much of a rollercoaster for you as it was for me? Probably more so than I expected, Lola made it seem like going to Gringotts would be so quick we would barely notice going in. It became a mess really fast, like my name not actually being Harry, for starters."
"What!"
From there was a long explanation of essentially as a measure of protection and to make a sure message for undesirables, his real name was made a taboo word that would correct itself to Harry when people spoke his real name out loud.
"It seems silly, but it's a tactic, so I wouldn't be able to claim my inheritance. When you don't even know your name, of course, you aren't fit to have what is owed to you, especially since Dumbledore has been enforcing some esoteric laws that are still in the book that if you don't know yourself and history, you can't claim that inheritance it doesn't help any non-magical that can't trace their family that far back on their own and their already law being written that goblins can't handle inheritance testing leaving that to the department of family heritage in the ministry."
"Pretty big words from you, Mr. Potter?"
"Hey, my account manager Mr. Bloodstone used those words. I might as well learn while I'm allowed to. I had to pay for them to remove the taboo of my name since it's a curse that is placed on my birth certificate for a small fee. I saw Bill Weasley; no earring in his ear yet. He looks like a kid, but then again, he's still a recent graduate of Hogwarts!"
"So, are you going to let me know what this enigmatic name of yours is?"
"Apparently, I was born Hadrian James Potter after my Mother's Father. Who she lost in a death eater raid when she was celebrating getting the position of Head Girl? If it wasn't for her dad, she would have died in Diagon alley that day he took the curse for her?"
"That's…" Hermione, for the first time in a long time, was speechless.
"I know it's almost poetic and twisted. She named me after the father who sacrificed his life to save hers. Only for her to do the same for me when the time came, both of them did. The worst part is that isn't the only bombshell I got today." He went over the severe abuse of andromeda Tonks using her as a proxy to steal from me, claiming that I lived with her as, according to the will, my parents left? The line of succession of guardianship had them at the very bottom since the Tonks had a young daughter of their own who was already, and that the burden might be too much considering what was left of the Black family were hunting them down, which with me ending up in their care would be a just golden ticket to any black trying to end any impurities. Since my grandmother was a Black by blood. But out of the list, Brian," he nearly spits the name out.
"Saw Andromeda was easier to manipulate out of the list of potential guardians. Since she purposely stays out of pureblood circles and works as a local healer at her own clinic, in her own city."
"Why can your life ever be easy and uncomplicated?" Hermione flopped on the bed, making harry smile.
"Because the being controlling destiny might actually hate me in particular, Hermione. Just so you know, you can me harry if you want, but just you, everyone else, has to call me by my name if for no other reason, then it was done with the purpose of me never getting my family history. He said, making a face and spending an hour discussing things while Harry was able to convince Hermione to join him in watching TV. Using a pout that Katherine seemed to show him unintentionally when she was discussing something during the planning stages. Reminding Hermione that he spent most of his life deprived of things like this constantly, and it wouldn't kill them. Which is how they found themselves watching a marathon of Doctor Who until they went to bed for the night.
January 3, 1989, 5 am, Faversham at Pendragon's Cove, Wyvern Estate
~ "I wonder if I take you home, would you still be in love, baby? In love, baby?" ~ Katherine sang alone, knowing that no one would be up until at least seven-thirty, and she wanted to leave breakfast; the elves were making their own settlement on the property, anticipating when the wards fall, and they could be back to the capacity, and their permanent enslave ends with its termination. And they go back to what they had done before the mutually beneficial arrangement they had between magical humans and themselves. They protect each other, the elves living on a plot of land for free. Their only duty is to act as a guard to the prosperity of both. And half of them were building up the city, knowing that once the barrier on the United Kingdom comes down, they will take the form of all the Hearth elves across the world; they act as sentinels for their wizard counterparts, even natural plant caretakers since their magic is attuned to nature. So, families with businesses where crafting and gardening were prime resources, they ask elves to lend their magical protection to better yields. Right now, between them, they are creating a secondary potion lab for me to work in, considering the number of cauldrons I will be boiling, attending, and creating that my superior doesn't know about, nor does she need to know about just yet. I felt it was essential as well as optimal for brewing to do it out of a home where cross-contamination is a remote possibility that she takes seriously.
And while I was making the bacon crispy while making sure the pancakes and the eggs were perfect, she let song morph into her own plans for the day, muttering since she and Luna were real deal seers, and she apparently had seen as far as she has in the past. Another chosen from Lord Death to fix these mistakes. Considering the path of things is only going to get worse at the end of the day. Finally finishing up the stack of French toast, she gets started on the potion stores she needs to replenish and that she needs to have on hand, as well as the ingredients and supplies that need to be set and read because the Longbottoms are going to wake up and start function and I still have to give them salve for their atrophied muscles. As well as the healing potion for the disease ailing lord Longbottom. With that potion, it looked like she took a piece of the night sky, made it liquid, and put it in a goblet. As well as letting Augusta know her son and daughter-in-law should wake up very soon and to be gentle, they will need time as much as loving care to recover from what was done to them with the potion, she had brewed to assist it they should be back to themselves in a two days' time. Which caused the normally rather stoic woman to hug the girl so tightly that her ribs near cracked from the grip alone. As well as Katherine offering to her if house Longbottom needs it? Someone teach Neville or watch out for him for any reason, that she was already providing that for the Luna.
Who was currently helping with final touches on aversion to hard drugs solution guaranteed to make you hate the high feel and text of heavy drugs like heroin, cocaine both liquid and powdered, meth, as well as drugs that haven't been invented and they know are coming? As well as making several drafts of the werewolf curse. Things were exactly as she expected as Selene and Lola came to check in on her progress.
Humming a song familiar to her as she worked a day in and day out with no complaints. The desire for a Bluetooth speaker was aching in her heart so she could blast the music and make work so much easier. She would settle right now for even a basic sound system or even a dinky radio to listen to while she works, and right now, the electric wiring for the potion lab is still being worked, so she had to settle for her own voice humming Attack Of The Killer Queen, as she got to work knowing damn well? That she was effectively Selene's grunt until the end of the mission, especially when the base docked essential something right out of an Avengers movie. Which made her dance when she finally saw a floating island filled with wide-eyed recruits who had been waiting for something like this while I gave them what areas needed their attention and who to watch or possibly arrest to stand trial sometime during the week. With those orders, she knew she would be too busy to try anything she hadn't planned ahead of time.
She got back to her main priority as she made sure that she even had a cage for a certain ready. Without him, the case would be a lot harder; the only thing making it easier is the fact that she knows where he will be. And considering the various drones tied to her that have to do her bidding that she could control remotely. Knowing damn, she was technically answering to a very high authority. Who can snap like a twig if she doesn't follow orders as she sent out the drones out to their tasks, including one of them as a plant, to get quite a few people arrested or outright implicated in evil deeds they are committing? No one said knowing the future means letting horrible things happen to innocent people. Much less the avoid overdose death of certain musicians. As well as implicating a few non-magical politicians and certain businessmen so that they have resigned in shame as well as dealing with an issue that needs to be dealt with, and some Avalon asked her personally to kick start before it was too late.
Especially as she made sure that she had everything she needed for the ritual. Including grounded moondust and grain quality sapphire, a bucket of snail slime and a murder of crows, and a conspiracy of raven feathers willingly given for the potion that is vital for the ritual. Even Luna seemed concerned that they might not get everything with enough time, knowing better than anyone that getting the blessing from the Lord Death is the only assurance we can get for the ritual actually succeeding. Knowing that summoning death to ask had to be done in darkness and without eyes on them.
"Luna, your mother is asleep?"
"Out cold, my lady, we need to do this quick. We need a song that would get Lord Death's attention over anything else. It needs to be something powerful."
"How about this? I got the perfect song in my head. I need to get my guitar that way; we can be sure that he shows."
There was silence several hours later as Luna came to the field under the veil of the darkness and cloudy night. As Katherine finished inscribing the runes circle of summoning. Luna placed herself in the right position knowing that if either of them did the summoning prayer, it would have to be her. As Katherine strummed the opening, Luna said the pledge few knew and fewer would utter, much less summon death to the mortal plane.
With all the pent-up anger, they were grateful that it was late and they were far from the homes or the elves building the town square. Feeling the song could describe both of them.
Singing a duet of the song She's a Rebel by Green Day, the runes glowed so bright that it was nearly a shock where death stood looking at them imperiously.
"Katherine Zacharia, Luna Lovegood, nice to see you out of my office," stopping to look at Katherine closer, "well, one more than the other. But it's nice to see both of you on the mortal plane." He nodded.
"Lord Death. Good evening; thank you for gracing us with your presence." They both said in unison
"I can see that you have already set things in motion for predestined death of some and averting the untimely death of others. I wasn't sure if my agents, the angels of death, made it clear that we wanted to reduce the amount of paperwork on those untimely deaths from the lack of Riddle's death. As well as clear any misconception that sending a riddle to my office personally wouldn't be the highest priority on my docket. Avoiding me is a one-way ticket to getting to me faster; both of you know that better than most. One of you dying in earlier life from soulmate collapse wasn't intended, but I am grateful that it was enough for you to take steps to fix things to what they are meant to be. As well prevent the beginning of the end, it's up to the two of you. Once everything you need to do is set in stone and unbreakable, will I change the conditions of your gifts? I can tell they are cumbersome to both of you." Both nodded gratefully, knowing that the gift at its worst can be a curse with the amount of pressure it can give the person who has it.
"Lord Death, we have everything to do a soul purification for Hadrian Potter, as well everything thing need soul banishing to your office, we humbling ask for you blessing for the banishing potion so we can be sure that Riddle has no escape."
"You have my blessing, as does the potions you brewed." Putting his finger in both vials since both need a touch of death in order to work.
"I bid both of you a fond goodbye, and next time, pick some NSYNC or something happier and less angry-sounding in three years' time."
"No Promises, Lord Death," Katherine was nothing but honest. as he faded back to the afterlife, both of them sighing in relief as the ritual was tomorrow and they were crunched for time, gathering what was needed to have made them pressed for time, especially since Luna nor Neville could help with the ritual and had to see the result with everyone else.
"Next time?" she said as both of them walked back to the house, Luna's hand, held in hers, grateful for her friend's presence as they walked home together.
"We sing Bones by The Killers; it would be hilarious if I could even pull out some dancing skeletons just for Lord Death. Reenact the music video nearly a decade before it will exist." She said, but they both said she was nervous about tomorrow; regardless of anything, it would be the beginning. She still had another week before her replica would become inactive. And worse still, she needs to make sure that everything, like the police case against the Dursley's. So much going on inside her head that even Luna was only able to pat her shoulder, knowing she had to do her own part.
final note: I know for a fact I will not be updating this story for a few months while work on other stuff. as well have a decent chapter 14 considering that 15 will be the beginning of the end so I need time on them more than anything this is the first story I ever wrote so completing it here and now is a goal onto itself and once I do that, I can say that I never abandon anything I've written even if I felt like I doing so a bunch of times.
