Edelgard fixed her gaze on Harry, her expression tight.
"What do you mean, you should be at war?" She asked, her expression never leaving Harry Potter. She could see that Ron Weasley had suddenly gone pale white and looked very uncomfortable, but she paid him no mind. Her piercing gaze was fixed squarely at Harry Potter.
His green eyes had drifted away from hers. He did not seem intimidated by her gaze, but neither did he seem particularly interested in answered. He looked forlorn and somehow distant. He seemed contemplative. Edelgard thought he wasn't sure where to begin.
"Voldemort." He began, ignoring the sharp intake of breath from Ron. "Has returned. He has started gathering his followers, building up his new army, and is looking for ways to take over." His voice was starch and bitter. "But no one is willing to believe it." He cast his look up at the stairs. "No one believes ME…"
That last point piqued her interest, but she thought it best to focus in on the wider issue. "No one believes has returned?" She asked sharply. "How?" But a prickling thought in the back of her mind, the same one that made itself known when she had first heard Voldemort's name. Because he doesn't want them to know.
"The Ministry of Magic." Harry said, his voice bitter. "Our government… they refuse to accept he's back." Edelgard could see his hand shaking with rage. In a sharp moment of clarity she understood why Harry was unable to explain to her the situation. He was filled with a deep rage, a passionate hatred for these people and what they had done. One not at all dissimilar to her own. Like her he was somewhat unwilling to spill out his entire heart and passion to people he barely knew. The only person Edelgard had ever met that she had shared her thoughts with was Professor Byleth, a man she respected and trusted more than anyone else. She felt a strong surge of compassion for Harry: He trusted her the same way she trusted Byleth.
"When Voldemort returned at the end of last year…" Harry continued. "He murdered our friend. I saw him. And when I tried to explain what happened-" His voice was shaky and emotional.
She found herself standing up and turning herself to the fire. She stared into it, watching the flames dance and flicker in the flames.
"This Ministry." Edelgard whispered, as she watched the flames burn intensely within their confines. "Is not working in the best interests of the people." She found herself thinking of all the leaders she had known in her life. Her father, weak and powerless. Rhea, corrupt and insidious. The Flame Emperor, who was willing to burn entire countries to the ground in order to realize a grander ambition.
Harry found himself freezing, before giving a nod. "Yeah." He said. "I'd say so. It's only a matter of time now… until things go back to how they were before."
She clenched her hand into a fist. The same sort of anger and passion, that internalized passion that drove her to take action when no one else would, or could.
"Harry." She said, her voice firm and confident. "You are not alone."
Harry's eyes fell on her, surprised, as she turned around to face her, her balled hand pressed against her chest.
"I understand how you feel, Harry." She said. "But moping about a lack of action from your government is not going to enact changes. We need to find a way to act, and take action."
She found her lips tightening as she stared at him.
"I do not know how long I will be here with you." She said. "For all I know Professor Snape has already finished his cure. But it does not matter if I go back to Garreg Mach tomorrow: I WILL help you expose Voldemort. You WILL get your war. You will take action and protect everyone you care about."
She reached out a hand to him and offered a small smile. "Reach for my hand." She said. "And we'll soar away, into a new dawn. These dark days that you fear… I promise you, I will not allow them to pass."
Harry found himself reaching forward and their fingers entwined. Edelgard smiled as she pulled him to his feet.
"Now." She said. "You need to tell me everything you know about Voldemort, and the Ministry, and their propaganda. Effective propaganda must be rooted in truth, otherwise people will question it. An outright lie cannot sustain itself without excessive, questionable censorship…"
..
Garreg Mach had intrigued her from the very beginning. Although she had no opportunity to really look around the architecture and grounds on her own due to her situation, what little she had seen fascinated her. Knights patrolled the halls of the Monastery, armed and looking ready for battle. Students filtered between them, carrying books and pens and chatting amongst themselves. And plenty of places seemed to have some kind of religious meaning behind them, although she knew so little about the religion of Fodlan that she had no idea what they meant.
"Well?" Dorothea asked, smiling at her. "Where would you like to go first?"
Hermione did not fancy walking back down to the pond that she woken up in, and so it was decided to primarily explore the Cathedral that the library was situated in. Hermione found little of interest in the upper floors: It was mostly lodgings for the staff at the Academy, certain high ranking Knights, and Rhea herself. However her attitude changed completely when they stepped into the Church proper.
"Oooooh."
Hogwarts didn't have its own Church, likely due to the magical community's history of religious persecution. However Hermione found herself rather charmed by the solemn, peaceful atmosphere, and fascinated by the differences between churches back home. It seemed far larger, and far more spacious. She could clearly see a number of students standing in front of a pedestal, their heads bent over in prayer.
Dorothea was giving her a strange look. As if remembering herself, Hermione placed a hand over her heart.
"I'm sorry." She said quickly, in a whisper. "Did I offend you? I didn't do anything disrespectful, did I?"
Dorothea's expression brightened a little.
"Oh no." She said. "Not at all. Um, do you know anything about the Church of Seiros?"
Hermione thought it prudent to be honest. "Nothing." She said. "Is that what this is? A shrine for Seiros?"
"That's right." Dorothea said, nodding. "This entire Monastery is built and maintained by the Church to honor the Goddess."
"Is Seiros the name of the Goddess?"
"Oh no." Dorothea said, sounding surprised. "Seiros is the name of the Saint that founded this Church a thousand years ago." She gave Hermione another considering look.
"What is it?" Hermione asked blankly.
"Well…" Dorothea said. "I don't believe in the Goddess, so I'm probably not the person to ask these kinds of questions." She spoke casually, but she seemed somehow hesitant to elaborate.
"They allow nonbelievers to attend school here?" Hermione asked, without thinking. She had assumed that every student in the academy was a devout follower of the faith.
"Shhh." Dorothea placed a finger to her lips. "Let's not talk about it here, okay?" She didn't seem frightened, but Hermione quickly understood that she was reluctant to elaborate more in a room dedicated to prayer.
"Of course." Hermione said quickly. "Um, lead the way." Dorothea smiled at her and touched her shoulder, pulling her out of the room.
"You're a smart girl." Dorothea told her, as they stepped down the stairs to the bridge that led to the other building. "Asking all of these questions."
"Oh, thank you." Hermione said, pleased at the compliment. "Um, that… that conversation wouldn't have gotten you into trouble, would it?"
"Well, not really." Dorothea said. "Plenty of people in the knighthood aren't true believers… Petra from our house is from Brigid. They don't worship the goddess there. And I think Claude from the Golden Deer House isn't a believer either, and he's supposed to be house leader."
The culture in this world seemed to differ from her own. Although it was a medieval society, they didn't seem to have any of the problems that hers had had. There was no persecution against magic, no disease, everything was polished and clean. And now she was being told there was a certain degree of religious tolerance as well.
Dorothea smirked to herself. "Supposed to be." She said. "Claude is kind of a… well, he's nothing like Edelgard, like me tell you." She spoke wistfully, with a hint of sadness. Hermione found herself feeling a burst of sympathy for her new friend.
"Do you miss Edelgard?"
"Miss her?" Dorothea touched her hair and began to run her fingers through it. "I'm worried… deeply worried. I'm scared she isn't going to come back."
"She will." Hermione promised her. "I guarantee it."
Dorothea nodded, although her eyes betrayed her unease at her statement. She was not sure whether to take her reassurance at face value.
"Look." Hermione said. "Professor Dumbledore is the greatest wizard of our age. If anyone can figure this out, it's him. You'll have your friend back in no time."
Dorothea offered her a small smile.
"Such a sweet girl, on top of everything else." She said. "You know, Hermione, I'm beginning to worry that when I do get Edelgard back I'll lose another friend."
Hermione felt her cheeks going red.
They took a turn around the pond and the greenhouses. Plenty of students offered them respectful greetings, and Hermione found herself freezing at the amount of eyes on her.
"Word may have gotten out among the Golden Deer." Dorothea whispered to her. "Caspar can't keep his mouth shut… The Blue Lions aren't back from their mission yet, so they probably don't know. We'll have to explain it to them when they do return."
"Mission?" Hermione repeated, bemused.
"Oh yes." Dorothea said. "You wouldn't know… well, every month the Church sends each of the Houses on various missions around the Continent. To rout bandits and such for the citizenry."
Hermione found herself stopping in her tracks as she stared at Dorothea, open mouthed.
"You go out and fight?"
"Well, yes." Dorothea said, surprised, as she turned around and faced her. "This is a military academy, after all."
"I wouldn't think that you would be allowed to take to the field." Hermione told her.
"Well, it's first hand experience." Dorothea said. "There's only so much you can learn out of books, you know."
Hermione found herself taking in a large incline of breath. The image of a toad suddenly filled her mind's eye. (You will learn out of this book for your O.W.L. Granger, and you will like it)
"I agree." Hermione said, her voice taking on a new edge to it. "I wish we did that."
Dorothea giggled, placing a hand on her mouth. "Well, maybe you can make the most out of your time here?" She suggested. "And learn how to fight."
"I know a little bit about fighting." Hermione said defensively. She had helped Harry work train for the Triwizard Tournament last year, but again she thought of Professor Umbridge. That foul, disgusting Toad…
"But I think I will try to learn." She said. "I'm interested in how you use wandless magic."
"Ah, are you?"
Dorothea flicked her wrist and an intense flame burst from her palm and into the sky. Hermione jumped as Dorothea giggled again.
"I'm sure we can work something out with the Professor." She said. "Edelgard hasn't been training in magic, but you have. I'm curious to see just how well you take to our curriculum here."
"Will I be allowed to do that?"
"I don't see why not." Dorothea answered. "Let's speak to Byleth about it when we see him."
She turned around, as if to walk away, but then stopped mid step as she came to a door in the dormitory
"Oh darn, I forgot." She muttered, as she turned to the door. She raised her hand and began banging on it loudly. Hermione found herself jumping. "It's time to come out!" Dorothea shouted. "Edelgard usually handles Bernie." She told Hermione. "Bernie doesn't like leaving her room. Edelgard is usually the one who gets her out-"
"I'm sick!" A small, mousy voice from the other side of the door said. "I had something nasty for lunch and… ugh…"
There was a strained, somehow false sounding noise. Dorothea rolled her eyes at Hermione.
"Don't you want to meet Hermione?" Dorothea asked. "She's very nice."
…
A/N
Alright guys. The DLC is coming out soon and I THINK I may be required to either
Declare it non canon to the story
Hold off on updating for a bit so I can play it and incorporate elements of it into future events.
I'm not completely sure just how drastically the DLC will change our understanding of the plot or characters (Personally I'm just expecting more Edelgard/Dimitri/Claude moments at school) Obviously I have a general idea of where I want the story to go, but I'm not sure yet whether the DLC will interfere with that yet.
Please read and review. Offer me feedback on the characters, the stories, and what you expect going forward. Thank you.