ERROR 404
"Chief Enchantress, it appears that the new seat is claimed by Hermione Jean Granger"
ERROR 404 - Time and location unknown
Everything was a blur. Alura tried to open her eyes but then closed it again as a bright light was shining directly on her face. Trying to adjust to the sudden brightness, she opened her eyes again and allowed her vision to return, showing her a bright lamp right on top of her face.
Noticing she was lying flat on her back, she tried to sit up and have a look at her surroundings, only to find her back aching badly. Cursing, she tried again and groaned as she forced herself upright trying to figure out where she is.
"Oh shit." She cursed under her breath as she glanced around the dungeon she is in, with thick concrete walls and an equally dense metal door at the corner of the room.
"Nick?" She saw a figure lying at the opposite corner of the room as she crawled towards it as quickly as she could.
"Nicholas?" She shook her brother urgently as a guttural groan returned as a response.
"Oh my god Nick! Wake up! We are in so much trouble!" Alura shook him again and Nicholas blinked several times before he tried to sit upright slowly, his back also aching from whatever.
"Lou?" Nick breathed.
"Hey dummy." Alura smiled and looked around. "We have to get outta here."
"No shit." Nicholas nodded and glanced around the empty but heavily surrounded room.
"Lou, where's your pouch?" Nicholas asked instantly, noticing the missing silver chain around her black leather pants.
"My pou- fuck!" Alura quickly took off her emerald blouse and patted herself for her pouch and felt relieved when she felt the outline of the pouch
"Revelare." Alura muttered and the silver chain attached with the pouch disguised as a round silver detail reappeared, circling her bare waist below her white cropped tank top.
"Why is it there?" Nicholas asked curiously. "I thought you used it as a belt around your pants?"
"Yeah I did. Someone clearly tampered with it."
"Were you…" Nicholas asked awkwardly.
"No, Nick. I don't feel anything." Alura quickly dismissed and placed her hand on the silver detail, which quickly enlarged and revealed the pouch. Pulling the drawstrings apart, the pouch expanded and Alura quickly checked their belongings.
"Shit." Alura cursed as she went through their belongings. "Our tablets are missing. And the mirror, and our physical map of Britain."
"Our wands!" Nicholas exclaimed and started to check his pockets. "Fuck!"
"Well, mine too." Alura sighed after she checked her pockets as well.
"Why the fuck are we kidnapped? We aren't even locationally British, or famous, or powerful." Nicholas punched the wall frustratedly.
"No shit." Alura retorted sarcastically. "She fished out the camping supplied in their pouches. "Here," She threw Nick a sleeping bag. "This will fell better on our backs."
"I feel like we've been thrown across Boston or something." Nicholas cracked his neck, soothing the numbness of it.
"Well, we only have dittany, gauze, blood replenishers, ethanol, tweezers, and some herbal salve. Nothing for sore back I'm afraid." Alura said dejectedly.
"S'alright sis." Nicholas groaned as he stood up. "Where are we?"
"From the looks of it, a dungeon. It's clearly soundproof, magically or physically." Alura replied as she knocked on the walls for any hollow.
"The floor too." Nicholas added as he tapped the concrete ground with his foot.
"See if there's wards." Alura requested and Nick tried to set the wall on fire, only to have it rebound towards Nick, who quickly casted a water charm all over himself, followed with a drying charm.
"We can't do much with our wandless magic, it's still limited to basic offence and a little protego." Alura analysed as she probed around the metal door.
"Patronus?" Nicholas suggested.
"We can hardly cast our corporeal ones with our wands." Alura noted.
"Right, what's with the door?" Nick asked.
"A fake." Alura replied. "The hinges don't go through the wall. The knob's fixed."
"Magical door?" Nicholas proposed.
"Been there, done that." Alura answered.
"Do we have a ladder?"
"I think yeah." Alura said and fished into the pouch before pulling a miniatured ladder out.
"Engorgio." Nicholas muttered and the ladder returned to its original size, reaching half way towards the ceiling.
"Hold the ladder will you?" Nicholas asked and Alura spreader the ladder apart while Nicholas climbed up to the top, his outstretched hand barely reaching the ceiling.
"Adnecto." Nicholas waved at his feet and it immediately stuck to the base of the ladder. "Okay Lou, move me."
Muttering a feather light charm, Alura then moved the ladder around while Nicholas knocked on the ceiling, finding themselves an escape. If their kidnapper know to take their tablets, they must have at least a more than foundational insight of non magical knowledge.
"Anything?" Alura asked as Nicholas continued to knock on the concrete ceiling.
"Wait, go back a little, yes left." Nicholas requested and knocked the part of the ceiling again, this time more carefully until he felt a slightly rougher part of the ceiling with a more hollowed sound.
"This sounds different." Nicholas said and knocked again.
"Agreed." Alura nodded. "Let's blast us out then."
"No, our wandless blasts are too uncontrolled, we'll have the ceiling burying us alive before we can even yell help. I have to punch it in." Nicholas disagreed. "Well, get ready for some gauze and dittany."
"You can't punch it out! No offence, but you're not Captain America." Alura exasperated.
"Take my jacket." Nicholas took off his black and white flannel jacket and threw it down to his sister.
"Ugh." Alura mocked as she put the flannel away.
Nicholas then tightened his fist and punched the rough patch of concrete harshly, a few crumbs of concrete raining down the room.
"Stop Nick! This is clearly a very poor built ceiling." Alura demanded and Nicholas looked down at his sister, eyeing her to give suggestions.
"Try aperire secreta!" Alura yelled.
"The secret unveiling charm?" Nicholas questioned.
"Yes, at least we'd know if we're under evanesco!" Alura nodded.
"I'm don't know if I can cast it endlessly but well…" Nicholas cracked his neck again to relieve himself from the strain and muttered. "Aperire secreta!"
Nothing.
"Aperire secreta!" Nicholas chanted again, his hands more outstretched and his voice louder.
"Maybe it's ah-peh-ri-reh? Not ah-peh-ri-eh?" Alura suggested.
"Sure." Nicholas shrugged and casted again. "Aperire secreta!"
Nothing.
"Eximo." Nicholas muttered and unstuck his foot and climbed down the ladder, slightly defeated.
"Well I guess we'll just rot in here for some days then." Nicholas sighed and sat down, his back starting to ache from all the standing. Alura then said nothing and sat by her brother, applying dittany and herbal salve around his knuckles, before wrapping it in gauze.
"You know, I'm starting to understand why Mom is always on our ass." Alura remarked as the twins settled on their sleeping bags, both fell into a deep trance.
—
19th June, 2013 - Doe Lodge, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, UK
"Harry? You there?" Ron called as he stepped into the quiet lodge in the late morning.
"Harry?" Ron called again as he put placed the boxes of food Molly cooked on the coffee table, before walking upstairs.
"Harry?" Ron knocked on the pale azure doors leading to Harry's bedroom.
"Well, I'm coming in." Ron sighed and pushed the door open. He closed the door gently and furrowed his brows at the empty bed. He then turned his head around to see Harry sitting on the sofa his eyes staring into nothingness, holding an empty teacup.
"Harry!" Ron yelled and said wizard turned his head slowly towards the source of the sudden yell, bags under his eyes.
"Well, you're not sleeping again." Ron simply stated, already too familiar with his brooding to ask any questions.
"Leave, Ron." Harry muttered hoarsely.
"No." Ron stood his ground. "The last time this happened, you ended up needing four months of nutriPLUS!"
"Ron look, tell me how. Tell me how to take this nicely." Harry turned to face his mate. "She's back! Our best friend. Gone, for fifteen motherfucking years. Without a word, not even a bloody goodbye and now she just decided she could pop back here?!" Harry vented.
"Yeah mate, it's messed up. But you are sleep deprived, you can't live off of tea, and you have a job waiting you."
"Well, tell them I'm not going in today." Harry leaned forwards, his elbows on his knees as he took a deep breath.
"Look, yes mate. This 'Hermione went missing, came back with twins' shit is fucked up in every way. But are you going to let her shit fuck you up too?" Ron asked sternly.
"Well, sounds like me. I let my shit fuck the whole entire British Isles up." Harry said sarcastically.
"Mate I might have been daft, and idiotic. Even if I didn't know then, I knew you didn't ask for that shit. Hermione created that shit. It's different and man! You gotta stop blaming yourself for every single problem." Ron scolded.
"Fine, I'll come in tomorrow." Harry sighed in defeat.
"Nah mate. I'm not asking you to go to work. I'm asking you to take care of yourself like a grown man hell! You're almost 33 for merlin's sake!" Ron exasperated desperately.
"Just- mirror me if anything comes up at the headquarters. Keep me up to date with the Firedagger yeah?" Harry asked and walked towards the ensuite bathroom, shutting the door.
—
After a long and cold shower, Harry got dressed and walked downstairs to his home office, decided that he could get some of his personal work done on this self induced day off. Reading the Gringotts statements and comparing it with his large catalog of the Potter and Black estates, he was disturbed by a serious of pecks on the window.
*knock*
*knock knock*
Looking up from his desk, Harry saw the familiar Weasley owl and stood up to open the window, with the sudden evening breeze sent shivers down his spine.
"Hey Scully." Harry greeted and fetched a couple of owl treats from the shelf nearby. Taking the mail sealed in classic gold wax from the headquarters, Scully flew off to the perch Harry had set up in his office, nibbling its treats.
Harry immediately cut open the wax and pulled out the piece of scrap parchment from the envelope, which read two words.
Headquarters, NOW!
Sensing the urgency, Harry immediately summoned his uniform and put it on in record time, before apparating on the spot, a flutter of paper left behind his sudden departure.
—
19th June, 2013 - Thunderbird Headquarters, Ministry of Magic, London, UK
"Status?" Harry bellowed as he walked out of his office, his raven hair still disheveled from the travelling.
"Jürgen sent a tip just now, the mirror. They have a base in Hugstead, he said a solid one. We gonna raid it?" Ron reported as him and Harry walked around the bullpen of the headquarters, ordering various aurors to prepare for a possible raid as well as keep Jürgen on the line.
"How large of a base?" Harry asked as he quickly skimmed through the file.
"Possibly a dungeon." Ron replied. "We need to evacuate Hugstead."
"Agreed." Harry nodded. "Evacuate the west of Hogsmeade too, the predicted base is too close to the magical village."
"Roger that." Ron nodded and walked towards the other side of the bullpen to make orders.
"Figglesten, is Jürgen still on the call?" Harry asked.
"Yes Director." Hunter Figglesten said and handed Harry the mirror.
"Herr Jürgen." Harry greeted.
"Director Potter." Jürgen greeted in return.
"What's the status?" Harry asked. "Do you suggest we raid?"
"Ehrlich? Nein. Ich would suggest sie probe the base instead, see if wir can get more information." Jürgen confessed. (Honestly? No. I would suggest you probe the base instead, see if we can get more information.)
"Current plan, we're gonna evacuate Hugstead and west of Hogsmeade."
"Nein, Director. Bei allem respekt. This will raise unwanted attention, ihre spione will get caught." Jürgen disagreed and Harry furrowed his brows in deep thinking. (No, Director. With all due respect. This will raise unwanted attention, your spies will get caught.)
"Okay." Harry decided. "I will send all my aurors out to do undercover patrol in Hugstead and Hogsmeade. Five aurors to probe the base."
"Guter plan." Jürgen answered. "Us Nokkens have also found ties of Thorsten Rauscher connected to ihre nation's Firedagger."
"Oh hell this is gotten a lot more worst." Harry rubbed his face in frustration. "We need to raid the base then. I need every intel on Firedagger."
"Nein, Direct-" Jürgen started.
"My squad, my call." Harry stated sternly. "Compared with Thorsten Rauscher, the Firedagger is a much more dangerous and unknown group of dark magicals. We will raid the base, tonight." Harry said decidedly.
"Very well Director Potter. Ich will send sie the coordinates of the base, as well as every intel wir have on Rauscher. Good evening." Jürgen complied and broke the mirror call.
"Bloody Germans." Harry cursed under his breath as words started to appear on the Cross Intel Tome, informing the Thunderbirds of the base's coordinates, known associates of Thorsten Rauscher, as well as their their susceptible ties with the Firedagger.
"Okay Thunderbirds!" Harry called out for the team's attention. "Tonight, we will raid the base of Thorsten Rauscher in Hugstead. For that we will need to evacuate the whole of Hugstead Village and the west of Hogsmeade. Mind to keep it low profile. Rubies?"
"On it." The commander of Team Ruby replied and directed his team to work.
"Next. Sapphires, do a complete ward around the perimeter, Code Orange." Harry ordered and another team left the briefing.
"Now Emeralds will be going in with my Alphas. We will form a Double Radius Formation. Emeralds, you will be on the outer radius. Cast to stun. Clear?" Harry finalised.
"Crystal." The team replied in unison as they left the briefing room and went to do their respective preparations.
"Hey, Harry!" Ron called out before Harry walked out of the room. "You sure you can handle this?"
Harry stopped in his tracks and turned around, pushing his hair back frustratedly.
"I don't know Ron. But as Director, I think I have to."
"And as Deputy Director, I can you know, substitute if you don't feel confident." Ron returned.
"Look Ron. I know you're worried, and I'm glad you grew up. But I could really use a distraction right now." Harry said sternly.
"Cast to stun." Ron reminded and patted Harry on the back before walking out of the briefing room.
"Director, we just sent the evacuation notice through floo to the households. They should be leaving in ten minutes. People unwilling will be persuaded by on-site Rubies once more and if still unwilling will be left there with a protection ward around them, along with a signed no-blame contract." The Ruby Team Commander, Cale Xenakis reported.
"Good work, go to the Sapphires, see if they need help. And fix up some spare armoury, we might need it." Harry nodded and ordered.
"Roger that." Xenakis replied and strode off to his team.
"We will begin our raid in an hour, 9 o'clock sharp. Emeralds and my Alphas, grab your night vision lenses and make last arrangements, I'll see everyone in position in an hour!" Harry called out and went back to his office.
—
ERROR 404 - Time and location unknown
Shit.
"Mom." Alura and Nicholas said in unison.
"Oh gosh. I totally forgot she was here in Britain as well." Nicholas sighed frustratedly.
"Psyche! What do we do now? If she ever found out we got kidnapped and stuck in a doorless room-" Alura started to rant.
"Not to be a party popper, but she'd have probably tried to mirror us ten times at least. You know how she is." Nicholas said.
"Shit, what if she thinks we hate her because we're not answering her calls!" Alura scratched her head anxiously.
"We have to get out." Nicholas said.
"No shit Nicholas." Alura retired sarcastically.
"Well, we're being apparated in. So naturally there will be an anti-apparition ward. It clearly has an anti-tampering ward."
"We've been thinking like a witch. We should think like a muggle, something our magical kidnappers wouldn't know." Alura's light bulb lighted in her mind as she fished through the pouch.
"What are you on about Lou?" Nicholas asked warily as Alura threw things out on the floor.
"See, they know muggle technology obviously. But why do they take our tablets away? They couldn't possibly have known that our tablets are equipped with its own internet, and its magical compatibility."
"So that means we have an internet connection." Nicholas nodded, starting to get on board Alura's train of thoughts.
"And one other thing they don't know, is that we built the two tablets. We have this." Alura fished out a box with a red handle and Nicholas grinned.
"We build another one." Nicholas smiled and quickly opened the box, revealing various computer parts and tools to build a tablet.
The twins quickly got to work, assembling the computer parts they have, quickly creating a motherboard. They then tinkered with sensors they have to create a gravitational and cardinal sensor, so they could get their coordinates. With their new found hope, they worked tirelessly to build an emergency computer, equipped with all basic functions, along with a basic GPS and communication lines, ready to connect for help.
—
21st June, 2013 - Amba Hotel, Charing Cross, London, UK
A woman dressed in a neat navy suit, carrying a very distinct tote bag from Dior strode into the hotel midday, her aura attracting many gazes. The large lobby of the hotel echoed with the sound of the woman's heels colliding with the marble tiles, the dim lights of the lobby allowing her sapphire earrings to shine.
Perhaps dressing appropriately does get you somewhere. Hermione mused as she ignored the gazes and went up to the reception.
"Good afternoon. How can I help madam?" The receptionist lady asked politely as she stood up from her seat.
"Good afternoon. May I ask where is room 371?" Hermione requested.
"Room 371 is the first room on the thirty seventh floor of our hotel. It should be the room at the end of the hallway." The receptionist instructed.
"Thank you." Hermione smiled and hurried towards the hall of elevators, and waited impatiently for a vacant one.
Once Hermione got into the elevator, she pressed her destination and impatiently closed the doors as the elevator zoomed up the building. Seconds later, a loud 'ding' announced her arrival as she stepped out of the cube before the doors could fully open.
Following the instructions from the receptionist, she quickly found room 371 and busted in with a simple 'alohomora'.
"Lou? Nick?" Hermione called out as she closed the door and surveyed the room. It was spacious for a regular room , with catchy emerald interior. She walked in further and found the beds made up, all belongings gone, except for some toiletries and two fake suitcases.
Why would they leave behind toiletries? Hermione thought as she checked the room once more for clues.
Going through all the toiletries left behind, she noticed some of Alura's menstrual products, both magical and muggle were still stacked neatly against the sink counter. Nicholas's razor and both of their toothbrushes stashed in a empty glass next to the faucet. Looking behind her, the twin's bathroom products like shampoo and shaving cream were still lined nicely on the large shelf in the wall.
"Where are you?" Hermione took our her phone and tried to track the twins' GPS, only to find that they haven't turned on theirs yet. Not exactly a technological genius, Hermione didn't know how to override a GPS network remotely and sighed frustratedly before leaving the room.
She went back down to the lobby and strode out of the hotel, her brows furrowed as she tried to figure out why her twins hadn't answer any of her mirror calls, phone calls, owl letters, or their texts. From the looks of their room the twins didn't just vanish again like they did back in the United Sta-
No.
If they didn't vanis-
No.
It couldn't be.
Hermione quickened her steps and crossed the road hurriedly, millions of possibilities going through her head like a light speed rocket.
No.
They couldn't be kidnapped.
Or worse, killed.
No.
Hermione was on the verge of tears by then. Desperately she tried to think of her happiest memory and casted a patronus as she backed away into an unnoticeable alley. A slivery otter leapt out of her wand as the otter looked at her curiously.
"Find Alura and Nicholas, ask them where are they." Hermione commanded as the otter walked away, but returned shortly after with a confused look, circling around Hermione frustratedly.
"No." Hermione whispered, tears starting to roll down her face mercilessly.
"No." Hermione repeated, trying to convince herself that her self denial would come true.
Out of desperation, she popped into thin air and returned to her childhood home, which is now under an evanesco ward. She collapsed onto the sofa and sobbed uncontrollably, not knowing what to make of her hypothesis, and possibly reality.
It was as if an eternity passed before she ran out of tears and stood up from the couch and walked towards the kitchen. The familiar old fashioned wooden cupboards soothing her a little with a memory of Calithea singing a musical whilst making tea for the family. She fetched a glass with trembling hands and filled it with tap water from the sink, chugging it all down in record time.
She need to find them, she had decided.
She need to find her kids, her sweet babies.
And nothing is going to stop her.
—
19th June, 2013 - An Abandoned Manor, Hugstead, Scotland, UK
At exactly 9 o'clock sharp, figures tarted to pop out of thin air as the Thunderbirds descended to the ground expertly. The loud pops of their apparition only heard within the silencio ward. They all got into place respectively as planned, with the Sapphires forming an outer reinforcement radius, as well as Rubies stationing around the radius as temporary armoury bases and healing stations.
Harry arrived last, in his full uniform and armour as he got into position himself, adjusting some of the strategic positions of his own Alpha team. With a golden spark shooting towards the sky, the Thunderbirds began to infiltrate the Hugstead base of Thorsten Rauscher.
Harry bused the door open with a quick wave of his hand as his Alpha team quickly went in, wands ready in front of them as they proceeded carefully, moving every obstacle away with a quick wave of their wands.
"Clear." Ron reported at the team met at the edge of the stairs.
"Proceed down." Harry gestured and walked down, casually conjuring a lighting orb to guide their way in the dark.
The team surveyed the basement in detail like they did on the ground floor. After everything thing was misplaced to reveal any hidden entrances or cabinets the team proceeded to the first floor to do the same.
"Clear." Ron reported again, frustrated.
"Did Sapphires pick up any wards or charms?" Harry asked impatiently.
"No, nothing. It's all clear."
"Merlin's balls!" Harry cursed frustrated as he ordered to abort the raid.
"It's a fucking false inte-" Harry started to rant but stopped midway.
"Jürgen." Harry said, his tone murderous.
"Holy Merlin! He's the spy all along!" Ron exclaimed as he pushed his red hair back infuriately.
"I should've noticed, the way he resented the raid. Nein Director my ass!" Harry cursed as him and Ron apparated back to the headquarters and into his office.
"Drop the act Harry." Ron said sternly as they enacted the privacy wards on Harry's office.
"What?" Harry asked annoyed.
"Drop the act." Ron repeated. "I know you mate, been your mate since we're eleven so drop the act."
"What do you want me to say Ron? What do you expect me to do? She came back. With twins. Jürgen's the spy. We wasted six months doing intel with him. What do you expect me to say?" Harry exploded.
"What do you want mate? What's stopping you from running to her? I'm not as daft as you think I am Harry. I know how you feel about her, since forever. You might not have admitted it, or even realised it, but Every. One. Knows." Ron retorted. "Yes, I reacted badly about your interest in Hermione when I was a young prat. Yes, I was an envious prick, but over all that shit I'm not daft!"
Harry remained silent, not knowing what to make of the situation.
"I don't know what happened in that tent after I left. I don't know what happened between you two. I'm so sick of you trying to get you to realise that you're not seventeen any more! Mate, what in Merlin do you want?" Ron asked again at the top of his lungs.
"Her." Harry slowly answered. "I've always wanted her badly. I've… I've always loved her. But then she left Ron! Without a word. Without a goodbye. Without telling us why, her best friends! And now she came back, still unwilling to see us, and have a pair of fourteen year old twins, trying know the truth of their parentage! I was never more hurt, she just casually shattered me into a million pieces and decide she could come back? Ron, I'm…" Harry paused, trying to hold his tears back. "I'm scared of what I would do to her if I ever meet her again. I don't know if I'll be able to reign my hurt in. And the thing is I couldn't even be angry at her! I couldn't even dislike her, much more hate! Because Merlin! How can I be angry at her? How can I even hate her?" Harry was on the verge of tears as he vented, his hands trembling and his vocal cords quivering.
"Geez mate, that's some serious shit." Ron commented, not really sure how to comfort his friend.
Without a word, Harry summoned half of his paperwork and disapparated out of his office, more accurately, out of the situation.
"Bloody hell." Ron sighed before leaving the office, hoping Lavender isn't knackered from work today because he has loads to share tonight.
—
22nd June, 2013 - 5 Back Lane, Hampstead, London, UK
Hermione pushed open the door to her girlhood bedroom for the first time in years, knowing that her back wouldn't be able to take it anymore if she continued to spend her nights on the couch. The warm sunlight shining in, giving a warm tint to her white bookshelves and a ladder. She closed her eyes in reminiscent, remembering all the memories she had in this very room, where she learnt to read, where she picked up her passion for books, where her father tucked her in every single night, reading her a chapter of Mary Poppins before she drifted asleep. She smiled at the warm memories and sat on the bed. She wouldn't dare imagine then, the bushy haired bookworm would ever made her way to where she is now, a artefact researcher for the Met, a witch, a mother to two-
A coward.
She winced at the realisation. Glancing towards the coat rack at the corner of her room, next to the door introducing her closet. A Gryffindor scarf hung there loosely, standing out in the rest of her dimly toned room. She scoffed at the scarf, more so at herself. She got sorted into Gryffindor, a house full of courageous people and yet here she was, still running away from her own insecurities.
Standing up, she walked towards the closet and entered, until she reached a particular shelf with a few bracelets. She removed the bracelets and pressed her wand to the wall of that shelf, where the wall retreated, revealing a hidden compartment.
She took out a letter, a journal and a key and pressed her wand on a little dent beside where the wall was supposed to be, and the wall reappeared to hide the now empty compartment. Replacing the bracelets on the shelf, she walked out of the closet and sat by her desk, looking at the three items intently.
A letter. The letter she was too scared to owl. An action she should've at least done before leaving Britain. An action that would make today so much easier.
A journal. The journal she wrote in before she went on the quest in her last year in Britain. A journal that documented her most intimate and personal thoughts, a journal that had every detail of the quest, of what they're doing, what they're about to do.
And finally a key. The key that will finally unlock her past, the key that will announce to the wizarding world of her return, the key that will force herself to face her past.
The key that will aid her in finding her kids.
Putting the three objects in her purse, she flicked her wrist and her less bushy hazel locks turned honey blonde and wavy, like a Hollywood blow-out. Satisfied with her glamour, she went into her purse and fished out a few of Alura's clothes, putting them on. Hermione's style and her daughter's style can be said as polar opposites. Hermione thrived in business suits, matching comfortable lounge wear, and heels. Whilst Alura found her element in leather, combat boots, and bold prints. Hermione felt foreign in her daughter's clothes, a purple printed pants and a loose lacy black crop top. Feeling slightly exposed, Hermione added a zebra printed coat on top, also a choir Alura would definitely make. Pleased with her disguise, Hermione flicked her wrist again and changed her eyes from hazel to icy blue and apparated out of the house.
—
22nd June, 2013 - Gringotts Banking, Diagon Alley, London, UK
Hermione landed on the white marble steps before the askew bank. Steadying herself, she walked into the bank, pushing the heavy metal doors of the bank open.
She hadn't been here since she rode out on a dragon the last time. It was the most fortunate that the goblins decided to pardon the three of them of their spontaneous and dangerous act against the Goblish Sovereign, due to the fact that they helped remove an extremely dark and evil object from their bank and that they took nothing else.
"Good afternoon Swordfire." Hermione greeted as she walked up towards the counter, ignoring the stares coming from the customers at her bold fashion choice.
"Do I know you?" The goblin grumbled, his nose buried in his stack of paperwork.
"Yes." Hermione replied simply. The goblin looked up slightly and studied Hermione's face before diving his nose into the paperwork again.
"I don't remember such face. What do you want?" The goblin mumbled.
"An appointment, in private." Hermione requested.
"Send an owl like everyone else, puny witch." The goblin grouched.
"It's urgent." Hermione remained neutral, and slid the key across the table to the goblin.
The goblin widened his eyes slightly, before staring at Hermione again, studying her closely and dived his nose back into the paperwork.
Hermione waited patiently, as she stood there, feeling slightly self conscious as she heard whispers about her choice in fashion behind.
"Very well." Swordfire finally replied. "Follow me."
Hermione allowed room for the goblin to get out of his counter and followed him through a big golden hidden door along the walls. They entered a long hallway of similar design, only this time various names of goblins were written on the plaques on golden doors with bulky handles.
"This way." Swordfire pointed as they made a left turn before arriving at a door. Swordfire then traced his finger on the door, creating a golden pattern as the door busted open to reveal an office.
"Thank you." Hermione said and entered the room after Swordfire.
"Now, what did you have to discuss, Miss Granger?" Swordfire asked directly, jumping onto his seat behind the sturdy desk.
"I wish to move all contents from an account in Celestial Mines US to my personal vault here in Gringotts."
"You do understand that, after your spontaneous act, Gringotts and the Ministry have signed a new treaty, that inclined us to report any potential money laundering, big movement of assets and storage of unknown grimoires and objects to the Ministry. In your case, this move of assets will alert the Celestial Mines US, MACUSA, Us Gringotts and the Ministry." Swordfire warned.
"I understand." Hermione nodded solemnly.
"Very well, please leave your Celestial Mines US account card here and we'll start the transferral." Swordfire requested.
"In the mean time," Hermione started. "I would like to visit my vault."
"Very well." The goblin jumped off his seat and wobbled towards the door, urging Hermione to follow him as they walked through the hall again, until they reached a second station of mining carts where Hermione hurdled in and the goblin jumped in the driver's seat. Without warning, Swordfire pulled the lever and the cart busted forward, sending Hermione down a tumbling hill of adrenaline.
After a few crazy loops that Hermione had certainly not missed, she stepped out of the cart, her knees wobbly as she tried very hard to hold in her prompting vomit. Swordfire jumped out of the cart and ignored Hermione's sickness, walking towards the vault purposefully he turned around and asked.
"Key please." Swordfire demanded.
Hermione handed the key to Swordfire shakily before readjusting her clothing, wandlessly calling herself down as she tugged her coat closer.
Swordfire then pushed the key into the hole and twisted it hard as the gears behind the heavy metal door started to twist and turn loudly, making squeaky sounds as if reminding the goblin to grease their gears.
"Place your thumb on the dent please." Sworfire requested again as Hermione walked forwards and did as she was told, feeling a slight prick as blood was drawn from the door. Hermione then removed her thumb and allowed Swordfire to heal it promptly as the gears started to turn again.
The gears stopped turning and the vault door opened slightly, enough for Hermione to push it in further and entered the vault for the first time in so long.
"I would like to have a moment of privacy." Hermione requested and Swordfire turned his back away from the vault. Hermione then stacked some galleons into her drawstring money pouch, as well as some pounds. Her eyes then wandered to the tomes set aside in the vault.
The first tome was a Dagworth-Granger Grimoire. Hermione had found out about the dormant bloodline that lies with her family shortly before she fled Britain. As she thought of her kids, she quickly took the grimoire and stuffed it into her pouch, hoping that family magic would allow her to find her kids.
The second tome was a Ravenclaw Grimoire. When Hermione found out that through her mother's parentage, a dormant Ravenclaw blood flows through for centuries she was no doubt shocked to the core. She was surprised to know of this heritage as well as made sense of the sorting hat stalling her between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, to which she begged for Gryffindor because according to the numerous books she had read before her first year, Gryffindor was a house of courage, which she had longed for since she was bullied in primary school. Now that she thought of her sorting, she understood why the sorting hat had desired to put her in Ravenclaw. Hermione scoffed at the thought, courageous her ass.
She looked at the Ravenclaw Grimoire intently as she prayed on the wisdom of Rowena Ravenclaw that the grimoire would air her in finding her kids, hoping that the infinite wisdom of her ancestor would bless her luck.
Stuffing that into the pouch as well, Hermione glanced around the vault once more, preparing to leave until two rings that weren't in one of the heirloom boxes caught her eye.
She walked over and took a closer look, then her eyes widened in realisation. She had never really understood the magical society fully, but seeing the two rings before her made her feel slightly queasy, if not shocked. She knew that after she discovered her descent she would have to take up the family mantle, but looking at the imminent reality in front of her had dawned her on one truth.
She had been running away for far too long now.
She turned to the exit of the vault and saw Swordfire still standing outside, his back turned away from her. She had read about family magic and everything related, and knew that these special magic usually shields and give one protection as a family member, especially strong if the family is at the brink of extinction.
She couldn't resist the aid, any aid at all in helping her find her children but she knew, that once she put on the rings and claim her title as Lady of the Houses, especially Lady of not one, but two dormant pureblood Houses, the Wizengamot would be alerted almost instantly, and her return would turn the society into more turmoil that it already is. Besides, who would've thought a mere muggleborn like Hermione is a descent from two such powerful houses?
"Swordfire?" Hermione asked and Swordfire turned to face the vault.
"Ah, Miss Granger. Glad to see you're finally taking up the mantle." The goblin mused. He had failed to convince his client to take up the mantle as Lady Ravenclaw and Dagworth-Granger since the day Hermione took an inheritance test as Gringotts had urged, realising that many muggleborns are actually descents of dormant bloodlines that could bring Gringotts a lot more extra revenue.
"I need any aid I can right now to find my kids."
"You have heirs?" The goblin widened his eyes in amusement.
"Yes." Hermione nodded hesitantly. "And I have reason to believe they are in danger, grave danger."
"I see." The goblin pondered. "With evidence?"
"My patronus couldn't find them, it was confused." Hermione stated.
"Why haven't you seek help from your Ministry?" Swordfire accused.
"That's complicated." Hermione simply replied, averting the question passively. "I am going to find them on my own and I believe I need every aid I can."
"Family magic is a wonderful thing, Miss Granger. It'll work better, however if you could invoke family magic of their paternal parentage after all, Magic is passed majorly through patriarchs." Swordfire suggested.
"That…" Hermione seriously contemplated the option before replying. "That would not be an option."
"Very well. The rings are oversized. If you are deemed worthy by your houses, the rings will resize to fit your left ring finger. If you are deemed worthy by both houses, the houses would automatically merge and as will the rings. In your case since both your houses are Ancient and Noble and your patriarch house is Dagworth-Granger, the Ravenclaw house shall merge into the patriarch house." Swordfire informed. With his client now finally taking up the mantle of two such powerful and wealthy houses, he would indeed gain a lot more income for himself, as well as bring a lot more profit for Gringotts and hopefully, he would be able to make it to his promotion.
Without another word, Hermione slipped on the Dagworth-Granger ring and almost instantly, a bright violet aura enveloped Hermione as she felt a rush of magic flowing into her, feeding her knowledge on her own House and a shift in her magical core to accept the new change. After the magic rush, Hermione calmed down and saw the Dagworth-Granger ring encrusted with a beautiful violet tanzanite that glowed brightly in the dim mines of Gringotts.
Hermione then didn't hesitate to slide the Ravenclaw ring onto her ring finger as well, situated at the top of her Dagworth-Granger ring as a warm cerulean aura now enveloped her, another magic rush coursing through her veins as her first house tried to dominate the newcomer with much success. Her core then shifted again to make room for all the new reserve coming from Ravenclaw and her brain coped with the sudden large feed of knowledge. After a while, Hermione felt the magic rush loosened as she felt herself returning to reality, a bright aquamarine now shone beside the tanzanite on her new ring. Satisfied with her claim, she then exited the vault and Swordfire grinned inwardly, excited for what the new investment opportunities could bring him.
Hermione then took off her zebra printed coat and stuffed it into her pouch as the magic rush had her feeling warm and giddy, like she could take on anything. With the newfound confidence, Hermione braced herself as Swordfire pulled the lever and zoomed them out of the underground and back to the station. Hermione was ready by then, to rescue her children.
—
22nd June, 2013 - The Wizengamot Amphitheatre, Level 2, Ministry of Magic, London, UK
"SILENCE!" Augusta Longbottom, the Chief Enchantress of the Wizengamot bellowed with a sonorous charm, causing all the Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot to settle down from the chatter.
"Please. Discipline yourselves!" Augusta said distastefully as she gestured her secretary, Thomas Freyall to announce the agenda for this month's general meeting.
"My Lords and Ladies, First on the Agenda is reserved by Lady Susan Bones." Freyall announced and Susan stood up from her seat.
"Lady Bones, the floor is yours." Augusta gestured and the Bones Seat encrusted with a golden pearl and its house crest glowed in a soft golden hue that brought warmth to the amphitheatre.
"Thank you, Chief Enchantress. I would like to use this opportunity to raise awareness in the incapability of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. This department is vital in cultivating a healthy relationship with magical creatures that inhabit Britain and so far, I deem them incapable. They have failed to educate us on the customs and potential dangers of known species, causing many ignorant and innocent witches and wizards to get injured, or even passed away due to their lack of knowledge of some creatures. A good example would be the increased accidents caused by Cornish Pixies and Trolls in recent years. The goblin liaison office has also continuously failed to improve the relationship between wizards and goblins as us wizards and witches still hold a bigoted belief that creatures are beneath us. A belief quite nonsense seeing as our entire economy is being handled by the very 'creature'. I would like the Wizengamot to inspect the department in detail and make improvements by recruiting the right people and by the right people, I mean with no regard of their blood status." Susan Bones glanced at the head of the Ministry's Human Resources Office briefly before continuing. "Since the signing of the new treaty between Goblins and Wizards, the goblins have already become more wary of us than they already were, if we do not seize to cultivate a better and less strained relationship, I fear the harm that would be done to our economy." Susan concluded before nodding towards Augusta, signifying that she has finished her speech and sat down as her seat dimmed.
"A lovely speech, Lady Bones." Augusta acknowledged. "The floor is now open. Any questions should be raised in the next ten minutes or we shall go straight to opting a second in Lady Bones' motion."
A wand at the other end of the Wizengamot glowed and Augusta gestured for the person to stand. As the person stood, the seat glowed a vivid olive colour and all eyes on the Wizengamot turned to him.
"The floor is yours, Lord Greengrass." Augusta nodded and Lincoln Greengrass nodded slightly in gratitude.
"Thank you Chief Enchantress." He begun. "I agree to some extent that Lady Bones' motion is definitely beneficial towards the British Magical Society. However I would like to question the motion on how inspecting the department would effectively solve our problems. The inspection would much likely take up at least several months, given the size of the department and whilst inspection is going on, I fear that the department's efficiency will be lowered as employees would have to go through at least one interrogation by our inspectors during their office hours. Especially with the increase in magical accidents concerning magical creatures, the solution to this burgeoning problem might not be an inspection, but an alternative to cleanse the department without impending their work efficiency." Lincoln Greengrass stated and nodded towards Augusta before sitting down again as the Lords and Ladies in the chamber contemplated his argument.
"The floor is now again open, any other questions against the motion?" Augusta searched for a reaction and then continued. "Lady Bones, do you have a response, or an adjustment made to your motion?"
"Yes Chief Enchan-" Susan Bones halted as she felt her seat shift, as did the other Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot and chatter immediately rose to speculate what was happening. The Wizengamot was almost sent into turmoil whilst the press at their box was having a field day. It wasn't until Augusta who was calmed enough to cast a sonorous charm over herself again and yelled once more.
"SILENCE!" Augusta bellowed.
The Lords and Ladies immediately settled down as quickly as they could as chatter diminished, whilst their eyes now focused on a 'new' seat that emerged from the Lordship section of the amphitheatre. As they chatter finally ceased to exist, every stared at the Chief Witch in question, in hopes that she would have an answer to the sudden disturbance. Augusta then turned to her secretary, who was searching the seating arrangement of the Wizengamot for answers and Freyall looked up.
"Chief Enchantress, it appears that the new seat is a combined seat of a newly merged House of Dagworth-Granger and House of Ravenclaw, claimed by Hermione Jean Granger."