A/N: Welcome back to God Save The Children.
Hi! How are ya?
Since it's a leap year, I reckon it's a good idea to post chapter two.
If you like artwork, check out my A03 site since I created an aesthetic for this chapter.
ENJOY.
GOD SAVE THE CHILDREN
by: tweety-src-clt9
CHAPTER TWO: In Unity, Change Can Begin
Hermione Granger was slack-jawed as Aang led them to another intricately decorated door. The sight that greeted them made her so happy because the room was filled with endless rows of books and scrolls organized in ornate bookshelves. Hermione glanced at Harry when she heard him chuckling. Throwing him a stern glare, Harry immediately stopped as he muttered, "Sorry, can't help it."
Once they reached the center of this very large and beautifully designed library, Aang sat behind an oak desk that resembled the one in the Office of the Minister for Magic. Seeing two comfortable armchairs across Aang's seat, Harry and Hermione immediately occupied each one as they prepared to be overwhelmed with whatever dark secrets Aang would be telling them.
As a legendary bookworm, Hermione could not help but ogle at the books surrounding them. Clearing his throat, Aang gave her an exasperated look.
"Sorry," Hermione muttered as her cheeks flushed.
"You do know that all this is just an illusion, right? I know how much you love libraries and all that," Aang grinned.
"Oh."
"You do know that she won't remember much of this conversation with her eyes roaming all over the library, right? You should've gone with something Hermione-neutral… Like a restaurant for example," Harry smirked and Hermione tried to kick him but his auror reflexes easily dodged her attempt.
"Now you're acting like Toph and Sokka… Well, I suppose you still subconsciously fancy each other since Toph likes Sokka and she kept annoying him," Aang muttered to himself. The young monk didn't notice the faint flushing of Harry and Hermione's cheeks.
Wanting to avoid awkward talk of her fancying Harry and vice versa, Hermione propelled the conversation forward by clearing her throat. Aang's faraway look was broken at the sound and he turned to face them once again.
"So… What would you like to know first? Rose Granger–Weasley's actions after your deaths or the manipulations you both endured, especially you, Avatar Hermione," Aang's voice was serious now, all trace of his playful mood gone.
"I think… I prefer to know what Rose would end up doing. I know it's in the future but – "
"Oh, no! Rose is destroying the world one heinous act at a time as we speak," Aang interrupted Hermione before realization dawned on her.
"Of course! The concept of time and space is irrelevant in the afterlife!" Hermione exclaimed and Aang nodded solemnly.
"Er, Harry?" Hermione turned to Harry with a reluctant voice.
"Yes, Hermione?" Harry looked into her eyes and he could tell that something was bothering her.
"Would you mind if I see Rose's actions, or hear about them by myself? You know I trust you, you of all people should know that… It's just, I feel like I should know about this alone, you know… She's my daughter and my mistake – I, please Harry – I hope you – "
"I understand, Hermione… I know how hard this must be for you. And I respect your choice… You know I'm always right here; I'll support you no matter what, okay?" Harry leaned in so he could hold her hand. Giving her hand a comforting squeeze, Hermione gave him a small smile to convey her gratitude.
"Thank you, Harry."
"Right! So, since Avatar Hermione over here will be watching Rose's actions… How about you entertain yourself, eh, Harry?" Aang remarked and Harry turned to him with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"You could talk to someone… Maybe the Peverell Brothers? Or your parents and their friends," Aang wiggled his eyebrows mischievously.
"Wha – Is that even possible?" Harry was gobsmacked but deep inside he was bouncing with excitement.
"You're dead remember?" Aang snorted and Hermione chuckled.
"Oh, so it's the Avatars versus the Master of Death now, is it?" Harry said grumpily and the two Avatars just laughed at him.
"Avatar Hermione, let me escort Harry to a separate room where he can meet his family… I'll be right back," Aang stood up from his seat and Harry followed his lead.
They walked along aisles and aisles of shelves all filled up to the hilt with books and scrolls of various sizes. Suddenly, Aang stopped in front of another door. Just how many mystery doors are in this place, Harry thought with amusement.
"Here we are…" Aang turned the doorknob for him.
"How do I call them?" Harry's voice was filled with anxiety, excitement, and uncertainty.
"You can think of the names of the people you want to see… It's up to them if they will heed your call… There is only one caveat, should the person you want to see belong to eternal damnation, if you know what I mean, then they could not answer you," Aang informed him and he could only nod in reply.
"Should I just go inside?"
"Yes. Off you go, Harry Potter… Good luck!"
"Aang?"
"Hmmm?"
"Will Hermione be alright?"
"She will be… I just have to show her the looming darkness of Rose. Once you're done talking here, just think of Hermione and you'll find yourself in the library once again," Aang gave him a parting smile before he walked away.
Taking a deep calming breath, Harry Potter entered the mysterious room.
oOOOOo
Harry's jaw dropped as he walked into the room. What had seemed empty and dark when the young monk opened the door for him, was a stark contrast to everything that was now inside. The room was just so amazing because he now found himself standing in front of a Quidditch Stadium. It's a place he always felt relaxed due to his fond association with it to his hobby – flying.
Flying had been his escape from reality in his youth. Quidditch provided an excellent excuse to indulge himself in the activity. Besides, while up in the air on a broom, he always felt free, something that was rarely accorded to him.
As his eyes roamed around the Quidditch Stadium, with the lush green grass on the ground, the bright blue sky above him, the golden hoops for both competing teams, and the wooden stands, he wished that he could fly around for a bit. Just like how the Room of Requirement would anticipate a person's needs, a replica of his first Firebolt appeared on the ground.
Remembering who gave the broom to him, Aang's words about getting the chance to talk to his parents and loved ones lingered on his mind. Right! I'm here to do something important and not lounge about flying, he chastised himself.
Closing his eyes, with his heart pounding wildly in his chest, he thought about his parents, Sirius, Remus, and Tonks…
"Oh, Harry! You look so old," the voice that he knew was his godfather's reverberated around the stadium. Turning in that direction, Harry had tears in his eyes.
Sirius Black, James Potter, and Remus Lupin were standing there, hand-in-hand, all of them looking young, vibrant, happy, and very handsome. Remus no longer had that scar on his face, Sirius' eyes were now free of the ever-present haunted look due to his experience in Azkaban, and his father just reverberated with life and energy. James Potter looked just like him indeed except for the eyes!
"I – I can't believe you're all here – " his emotional tirade was halted when Sirius yelped and the rest of the Marauders laughed at him.
"Ow!" Sirius patted his head that was recently smacked by a beautiful redhead just behind the trio of Marauders. Harry grinned despite the tears in his eyes as he recognized his mother, Lily.
"Way to announce your presence in front of your godson," Lily huffed.
"Way to go, Lil," a pink-haired woman cheered beside his mum. Harry knew who it was, Tonks.
"I can't believe I get to see you again," Harry whispered as he wiped the tears away.
"Why aren't you young again, pup? You're supposed to be at your best self when you're sent to heaven… Surely that isn't your best self," Sirius looked him up and down.
"You're so stupid, Padfoot… Prongslet over here isn't really dead… He's getting another chance," James said with a snort.
"Excuse the children, darling… How are you, Harry," Lily Potter lovingly cradled her son's cheeks.
"I – I miss you, mum," Harry couldn't help it anymore so he wrapped his arms around his mother.
"We're always watching you, darling," Lily cooed into her son's ear as she comforted her now sobbing son.
"Group hug!" Sirius yelled and Harry, still wrapped around his mother's arms, was surrounded by warm embraces from his deceased loved ones.
When they all pulled apart, they stared at each other before all six of them burst into teary-eyed laughs.
"So… Since this is a Quidditch Stadium, why don't we hover on brooms and talk with our Prongslet over here?" James had an arm around Harry's shoulders.
"No! No brooms! You can fly all over the place later. We need to be serious about this discussion," Lily insisted.
"Yes, ma'am," the Marauders chorused and Harry chuckled at that.
Tonks and Lily sat on the grass and the men followed. Since all of them were giving him expectant looks, Harry cleared his throat.
"So… how is everyone?"
"We're happy in heaven, darling. It's a great place… On the other hand, all of us are so saddened at what happened to you," Lily's voice was filled with sorrow and underlying anger.
"I – I am a disappointment, aren't I?" Harry muttered as he looked at the grass. He couldn't bear to see the look of disappointment on the faces of his loved ones.
"Of course not!" They chorused.
"We're not disappointed, Prongslet… But we are bloody livid for you! All the things they did to you – I can't even! Merlin!" James' voice hardened so Lily held her husband's hand.
"What do you mean they?" Harry asked with confusion.
"Albus fucking Dumbledore! The Weasleys! Snape! Voldemort!" James hissed.
"Wh – What? I don't understand," Harry was astounded.
"Come now, Harry! Dumbledore was manipulating you all of your life! Come to think about it, if we didn't follow his fidelius charm idea, if we took a bloody plane bound for some hidden corner of the world, we would have lived and you wouldn't have gone to the Dursleys," this time it was Lily whose anger became very apparent.
"But – but Dumbledore was like a grandfather to me! And – and the Weasleys, they're my family… Snape he – he protected me," Harry denied.
"I hate to say this pup, but if Dumbledore was indeed noble and good, then why isn't he in heaven with us?" Sirius countered.
"You mean – he – Dumbledore is down there?" Harry was gobsmacked.
"Yes! He most certainly is! Dumbledore was punished for what he did to you and most especially to Hermione Granger! She's the bloody Avatar for crying out loud… A living incarnation of the spirit of magic on Earth and Dumbledore messed with her powers through potions and spells! Hermione died not even knowing that she's the bloody Avatar!" James growled at that.
"What did Dumbledore do to Hermione?" Harry found himself asking that question. In as much as he wanted to know how his life got fucked up, he knew that Hermione had it worse. And Hermione is some sort of reincarnated goddess at that!
"When Avatar Hermione first learned that she was magical during McGonagall's visit, old Minnie returned to Hogwarts gushing about the most powerful witch she has ever seen. When Dumbledore learned about this, he obliviated old Minnie about her memories of the Avatar's powers and visited the Grangers. Using the whole concerned grandfather persona, he tricked the Granger parents and little Hermione that it's best if she started taking a potion that will stabilize her special gifts. What they didn't know is that the potion was meant to make her slowly forget her elemental powers… Also, he told them that it was best they kept her elemental gifts to herself, saying that it might give Hermione unwanted attention," Lily explained.
"Oh… That makes sense… But mum, dad, why would you guys know about what happened to Hermione? Shouldn't you only have access to me or something," Harry pointed out.
"Well, we have access to all the information about Hermione because aside from meeting her parents here, Hermione Granger was supposed to be our daughter-in-law! You were meant to be with her if not for the trickery of Voldemort, the loyalty potions to the Weasley family, and that conniving tart of a bitch, the ultimate fangirl, Ginny – " James wrapped an arm around Lily since the fiery redhead was very upset now.
"But – but, Hermione and I – we never – "
"Wasn't Hermione your first crush at Hogwarts?" James smirked.
"Oooh… I didn't know that little detail," Sirius leaned in like a little gossip girl.
"Is that true, Harry?" Remus teased.
"I – well, er – she is the smartest person I've ever met you know, and she was an adorable annoying little thing, wild hair bouncing with life… She fixed my glasses – and well, she was the first person whom I could remember hugging me and then she – "
"You know, cub, a simple yes would've been fine. You didn't need to tell us your awkward love sonnets for an Avatar," the Marauders and Tonks guffawed at Remus' statement.
"Please! I think it's sweet! Besides, it's not like any of you lot were cool confident cads in your time," Lily defended her son. Harry was blushing so hard that he felt like a clueless eleven-year-old who followed Hermione's bushy head all around Hogwarts once again.
Clearing his throat to hide his awkward blushing, Harry then asked, "so, how did you know Hermione's an Avatar?"
"Avatars are such a friendly lot… There are so many incarnations of them but one thing is common, if they know that a spirit is close to one of the incarnations, especially the current one, then they keep telling you stories… When you rescued Hermione from the troll, Avatar Roku, the Avatar before Aang, told us that we must be proud parents since our son saved the life of the current Avatar," Lily beamed with pride.
"Oh."
"Yeah! Everyone here's rooting for you and Hermione, but no! How could you get together? All students at Hogwarts drink their pumpkin juices laced with loyalty potions to Dumbledore… But yours and Hermione, your goblets were overdosed with loyalty potions to the old wanker, and Weasley loyalty potions were specifically added as well," James explained with his dark brown eyes darkening in fury.
"Snape must have made those potions, right?" Harry muttered.
"Damn right he did! And you bloody named a son after him and Dumbles!" Sirius hissed.
"Hey! Harry's not to blame… With the potions and Voldemort's trickery, Harry didn't stand a chance," Lily came to her son's defense once again.
"Could you explain what Voldemort's trickery means?"
"You know that whole diary thing, right?" James said and Harry nodded.
"Voldemort learned so much about you because of that tart Ginny's diary entries… She kept talking about how you must be in love with Hermione already because you are always with her… And then, while you were battling Voldemort when he tried to possess you in your fifth year, he was able to confirm that Hermione Granger is your strength… He may not understand love but Voldemort knew that she was so special to you. Because of that, Voldemort tricked your mind into seeing visions of Ginny instead… That feeling you get, all possessive and feral, especially during your sixth year wasn't love, it was Voldemort induced lust… Voldemort wanted you with Ginny since she was already tainted by him, therefore, the more you stayed with her, the weaker you were against his attack… Voldemort's darkness stayed, in the dark marks, in Ginny's possession, on your scar." James ended his explanation with a forlorn sigh.
"So… all this time, me and Ginny getting together, it was me bringing myself closer to Voldemort's darkness?" Harry hugged his knees to comfort himself.
"Yes, son. That's exactly what it was," Lily confirmed.
"So, Ginny didn't really trick me it was Voldemort's doing?" Harry was determined to think of Ginny in a good light. She was his wife after all. Besides, she gave him three children and made him happy sometimes. Also, he knew that Ginny loved him because she cared for him. She may still have her fangirl fantasies and she had always seen him as a hero, but at least she gave him what he had always wanted – a family.
"That bitch Molly wanted to give Ginny love potions to dose you with but she no longer needed to. With Voldemort messing up your head, you were already mooning over Ginny… Since Hermione is of sterner stuff, she is the Avatar after all even if she didn't know it, it was her they had to dose with love potions... Three times a day to be exact," Lily told him.
"So, it means that only Hermione's children were actually born out of love potions?"
"Well yes, that's right. But yours are born out of Voldemort-induced lust… I don't know who got it worse, pup," Sirius said sympathetically and Harry cringed.
"Do the Weasleys, do they all know about this plot on Hermione and me?"
"It's just Molly, Ginny, and Ron. Fred Weasley is with us in heaven, says he's very sorry for his mum and younger siblings' behavior," Remus supplied.
"It all makes sense now… Hermione's sudden change in our sixth year. I see it now in a different light… But why would Ron want to marry Hermione? Does he love her? Given the way he hardly cared about her death, I reckon – "
"Harry, Ron's a pureblood. He's a bigot against Slytherins and the Dark Arts but he still sees himself as above the likes of you and Hermione… In pureblood culture, there's this thing about marrying the catch – " James started to explain but Sirius snorted at that.
"Yeah and it's usually a Potter who ends up with the catch of the generation," Remus added.
"I knew you lot fancied my Lily at some point," James huffed.
"Of course, we did. But we pitied you so we didn't attempt any moves on her," Sirius said pompously and Lily reached over to smack him on the head. Again.
"We're also scared of being battered husbands so we gave Lily a pass," Remus joked and Tonks punched him on the arm.
"Ow! No need to get jealous, woman," Remus pouted.
"Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," James gave Remus and Sirius a pointed look before he continued, " whoever marries the catch of the century, the most powerful or brilliant witch, they're seen as the alpha… They'll have the most magically gifted children, something purebloods all desire… Obviously, Hermione Granger is the catch of your generation, she's the bloody Avatar after all, so, Ron wanted her… Besides, Ron knows how you feel about her. So, he made it clear to you during your third year that he had some sort of claim on her."
Harry thought about what his father said and he realized that indeed, Ron did make his claim on Hermione during their third year. Ron used to babble on and on about how much fun he had with Hermione during their Hogsmeade trips. It may have been an indirect approach but because of that, he reckoned Hermione preferred Ron over him so he respected her choice. Also, when Ron and Hermione became prefects, Ron again told him how he and Hermione worked perfectly well together just like his parents. So, he never made a move on the female member of their trio. He only wanted to see his best friends happy after all. More importantly, he never wanted to get in the way of Hermione's happiness.
"Harry? Are you alright, darling?" His mother's worried voice brought him out of his reverie.
"I'm fine, mum. Just processing things," he shrugged.
"You do realize that you're still in love with Avatar Hermione though, right? No best friend, no matter how close, would mourn a friend's death the way you've been," his father said with a knowing glint in his eyes.
"Yeah, I guess you're right… Even Rose said so… It seems Voldemort's dark taint and the potions were not entirely effective," Harry muttered with a faraway look in his eyes. All the things he had seen and learned here in the afterlife was just too much to handle. His head was spinning with all the revelations and the shocking betrayal. Oh, Hermione! I couldn't even begin to imagine how hard this must be for you, he sighed.
"Prongslet?"
"Yes, dad?"
"What are your plans now? After learning all of this?"
"Well I am gobsmacked, confused, angry, frustrated, and a whole lot of other mind-boggling emotions but I know Hermione must be feeling so much worse… I am sure of one thing though; I'll keep my promise to do whatever it takes to help her… She's my best friend… And I – I love her." Harry's eyes widened in surprise when he finally said the words out loud. After saying this, he realized it was true. Ever since Hermione's death, nothing was the same. Seeing her here in the afterlife, reawakened his long-suppressed feelings since he reckoned Voldemort and the potions no longer affected him here.
"Once you're back to your younger selves so you can change things for the better, I do hope you will snap Avatar Hermione up as soon as you can. That way, no one else could sweep in. Again. Besides, the Avatar needs you, Harry. Hermione's powers are amazing. We've seen what the Avatars can do when they poke fun at each other when they challenge one another in a bending tournament, it's bloody amazing and hilarious. With that power, comes a lot of responsibility and the threat of people like that bastard, Tommy, who'd covet her powers for their personal gain. So, you have to help her, protect her, support her," his father said in all seriousness.
"I promise, dad. I'll do anything for her," Harry said solemnly.
"So… Do you have more questions for us, darling?" Lily turned to her son.
"No, mum. I'm good… What about all of you? Got questions for me?"
"Harry, we want to thank you. For taking care of Teddy, for being his father-figure… For loving him," Tonks leaned into her husband as she said that.
"Of course, Tonks. We're family, it's what we do for each other."
"Enough of this mushy stuff. Let's play Quidditch!" James said cheerfully.
"Alright!" Everyone except Lily agreed. Lily Potter only rolled her eyes and muttered, "such children," as five brooms appeared on the ground.
oOOOOo
Hermione had been squatting on the carpeted floor of this amazing library for hours. She didn't have an idea of how long really. She could not do anything except to cry and think about all that she had seen in the visions shared by Aang. Every single thing she had witnessed was just so frightening and heartbreaking.
Even after all that Aang had said, about why Rose was born to be plain evil due to her inability to understand love at all, she could still not fathom as to how and why someone she loved so deeply could turn out to be so cruel.
After letting her grief and pain explode during her second bout of the Avatar State, she finally came to terms with the fact that it was Rose who plotted her death. She reckoned there must be some kind of mysterious poison Rose specifically formulated just for her. Rose Granger-Weasley was a potions, arithmancy, and ancient runes genius after all. Her work as an Unspeakable would have given Rose ample training and material to create new formulas and obscure spells. So, she understood how Rose was able to do it. She even had this theory that Rose ended her life in retaliation for her denial of her request that she be promoted to the Head of the Department of Mysteries, giving her unlimited access to all the secret information only the Chief Unspeakable was privy to. Her daughter claimed that since she was the top performer anyway, she should get the promotion when Croaker retired. While she saw the merit of Rose's argument, she knew that she was not yet ready for such a big responsibility so she was only promoted to Senior Unspeakable instead. More importantly, she knew that her presence was the biggest threat to Rose's sinister plans so that's why she was killed. All these things she had already accepted.
The things Aang had shown her though, she just could not understand why. The sight of so many magical babies being sacrificed in dark rituals just to sustain and increase Rose and her coven members' magical core was so disheartening that she threw up upon seeing it.
Rose kidnapped, maimed, and killed so many children for various nefarious purposes – dark rituals, as offering to her demon patrons, and as live targets for spell practice. Hermione thought that Bellatrix Lestrange was the evilest woman she would ever see but she was wrong. The crazy Bellatrix had nothing on Rose Granger-Weasley.
Aside from the children she sacrificed, Rose was a brilliant tactician. Something she inherited from her because Ron could not do a single plan with perfect sly cunning because he was too loud and obtuse. To start a war that she was certain she would win, Rose covertly organized her followers to kill some goblins so she could create a distraction. While the ministry and the goblins were busy fighting one another, she surprised both parties with an attack. It was too late for both warring parties to realize they were tricked by the real enemy.
Hermione no longer wanted to think about all the darkness she had seen. She was determined to set things right. She promised that this time around, Rose Granger-Weasley would never be born. She would willingly kill herself rather than conceive another Voldemort, an even more cunning and brilliant version at that.
Lost in her thoughts, she did not hear the sound of footsteps coming closer and closer.
"Gr – Granger? Is that you?" Hermione turned to the sound and gasped.
"Malfoy?! What are you doing here?!"
"Hey! Don't look at me like that. The last thing I saw was the green light of an Avada and poof, I'm dead… Some little monk said I should just walk inside and maybe I'll find something… I reckon it's a test or something… Anyway, why are you here?" Draco Malfoy blabbered as he looked around.
"Let me guess, my daughter, killed you too?" Hermione said grumpily.
"It was my son who killed me. He said that he must kill me for love since he needed to be the sole owner of the Malfoy money. I reckon it was because of your daughter," Draco said angrily.
"Malfoy?! What the hell!" Another voice joined in and they both turned to find a confused Harry Potter standing there.
"Oh, you're back, Harry," Hermione gave him a sad smile.
"What happened, Hermione? And why are you here, Malfoy?" Harry asked as he walked towards them.
"Well, all three of us have one thing in common… We're dead," Malfoy drawled sarcastically. Harry only snorted at that before focusing on Hermione once again.
"Are you alright, Hermione?" He knelt in front of her. Seeing her tearstained face, he gently cupped her cheek and used his thumb to wipe her tears away. When they heard a clearing of the throat, he reluctantly let go of her face.
"Should I go? I don't want to interrupt your little mood here," Draco smirked.
"No! Stay! We need to plan. You tell us all that you know, Malfoy," Hermione said with a determined voice as she moved to stand.
"Yes, Minister Weasley," Draco immediately replied as if he were in a Wizengamot session again.
"Don't call me by that horrid name!" Hermione growled.
"Oh. Er, sorry – Granger," Draco stammered an apology.
"Sorry, it's just that I hate that name, okay? I mean, I just found out that most of my life is one big lie," Hermione sighed. Harry squeezed her shoulder comfortingly and she acknowledged the gesture with a small smile.
"Don't tell me – no! Weasley conned you into marrying him. Love potions! Bloody hell! No wonder your daughter's like Voldemort incarnate," Draco exclaimed as the realization of Hermione's obvious anger dawned on him.
"That's right! You bloody – " Hermione's angry rants were interrupted when Aang appeared in front of them riding a ball of air with his legs moving about like he was riding a bike.
"Hey, guys! I see you're complete! Well then, let's plan," Aang moved his arms and the ball of air dissipated.
"What the hell was that?!" Draco exclaimed in awe.
"Air scooters. Avatar Aang's original air bending move," Hermione supplied in the same know-it-all voice and Harry chuckled at Draco's confused look.
"What does that mean – "
"Oh, like this," Hermione winked at Harry before she moved her arms in a big circle, turned around, and then she was hovering on top of a ball of air. The young monk only shrugged before following Hermione's lead.
"Potter – what the hell! Can you do that too?" Draco turned to Harry who only laughed in amusement while shaking his head to mean no.
"It's an Avatar thing, Malfoy. Only the most powerful ones can do that," Harry said after he stopped laughing.
"But – but – aren't you supposed to be the most powerful wizard in Britain?"
"Hmmm… Maybe. But you see, Hermione's not just a witch… She's an incarnation of the ancient magical spirit of light… I guess you can think of her as a goddess."
"Bloody hell!"
"Excellent air bending, Avatar Hermione," Aang complimented as he landed on his feet when his air scooter disappeared.
"I learned from the best," Hermione grinned.
"Alright… So, I've seen you fire bend which is your natural element so you're great at it… You've nailed air bending… Why don't you show me some water bending and earth bending moves? You've only done it in the Avatar State after all," Aang mused.
"Okay," Hermione shrugged. Moving her hands from side to side, water moved in waves to the tune of Hermione's gestures. When she pulled her left hand backward and suddenly thrust it forward as if to punch someone, the wave of water formed into an iced dagger as it pierced the wall.
"Good. Now show me some earth bending," Aang grinned.
Hermione took a deep breath, spread her legs, kicked her left foot and rocks erupted from the ground. Harry gasped when instead of the carpeted floors the first time he entered this library, the ground was now filled with grass. When Hermione pushed both of her arms forward, the rocks moved to collide on another wall.
"Excellent work, Avatar Hermione! Not bad for a newbie," Aang clapped his hands.
"Thank you," she grinned.
"Now, when you and Harry go back in time, I want you to meditate and maintain your connection to the Spirit World… Also, whatever you learned during your training in the Avatar State, you must regularly practice them… You know you're far from mastering bending but at least you now have an idea how it's done," Aang reminded her like a stern tutor.
Hermione bowed respectfully as she said, "thank you, Avatar Aang."
"Potter, what's this Avatar business? Can we be one?" Draco muttered to Harry. Before Harry could reply, Aang and Hermione turned to the two awed wizards.
"Now that we're done testing Hermione's bending, let's plan… Draco, I brought you here since you have to help Harry and Hermione when they go back in time," Aang said in a no-nonsense voice.
"Go back in time? What do you mean?" Draco frowned.
"Avatar Hermione has a destiny to fulfill but due to manipulations in her life, she wasn't able to do it. As a side effect, she ended up mothering the Dark Lady, Rose Granger-Weasley," Aang summarized.
"Oh… I see. How can I help? Do you want me to – bloody hell! I'm going back in time too?" Draco exclaimed.
"No! No! Of course not! I just need you to help them when they're back in time… In order to do that, you must tell us a secret that no one else knows. When they approach your younger self with that secret, that should give them ample time to explain and to prove to you that they're telling the truth, that way, you will help them," Aang explained.
"Alright, I will help… But Granger, could you promise me something?" Draco had a hopeful look in his eyes.
"What is it? I can't promise until I know what it is you're asking," Hermione replied.
"You're a goddess of sorts, could you – could you heal my Astoria? I don't want to lose her so early in life the second time around," Draco pleaded.
"I – I promise to try my very best, Malfoy," Hermione said in earnest.
"That's good enough for me. You're the brightest witch of the generation. If anyone can do it, then it's you," Draco acknowledged with a grateful smile.
"So… what's the secret Draco? You have to make it good. Something no one else knows," Aang prodded.
"Ah, yes… Here's the secret… I – I promised myself that I would marry Astoria Greengrass someday. I made that promise as a six-year-old," Draco blushed at that.
"Is that it? No other secrets to tell?" Harry added.
"My – father… He beats me up when he's angry or bored or – he beats me up and only the house-elves know," Draco muttered as he looked away.
"So that's why you always do your best to please him… Whatever he wants and asks you to do," Hermione mused and Draco nodded.
"I – I'm sorry to hear that, Malfoy," Harry said sincerely.
"It's in the past," Draco shrugged but everyone could tell that the memories still haunted him.
"Thank you for telling us your secrets. Maybe in the other timeline, we could be friends?" Hermione smiled at Draco which he acknowledged with a nod.
"Draco, Harry and Hermione need to plan… Let me escort you to the gates now," Aang smiled at Draco.
"Will I go – down below?" Draco looked apprehensive.
"Oh, no! If you belonged down there, as soon as you died, you would immediately go there," Aang chuckled at the look of fear in Draco's eyes.
"Oh," the relief in Draco's eyes was so apparent.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Yes."
"Goodbye Mal – Draco," Hermione managed a smile.
"See you in the new timeline, Malfoy," Harry waved and Draco only smirked before he followed Aang.
oOOOOo
When Aang entered the room while hovering on an air scooter, Harry and Hermione were at full attention. Both of them were ready to do whatever was necessary to change the course of destiny to save the lives of so many people. While Aang sent Draco off, they didn't speak. They just basked in the comfortable silence as they were lost in their own thoughts. Coming to a non-verbal agreement that silence was what they needed, they understood that they would talk once all their plans were in place.
"Hi, guys! Are you ready?" Aang landed on his feet with no sound at all.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Hermione sighed. Harry reached for her hand and squeezed it. Hermione looked at Harry and she smiled at him. When Harry nodded, she faced Aang again. "We're ready."
"Okay… So, here's the thing. The Avatars already talked about this, we have initial ideas so you can add more… First thing, if we send you back at a much younger age when the potions are still fresh, you would have a higher chance of avoiding the fall into the wormhole of manipulations, but when you start making changes, it would be harder for you to break free given the age constraint…So, here's the idea. You go back to that time in the tent, during the Horcrux hunt when you're alone… There, you perform a soul-binding ritual – "
"Hold it! Soul-binding ritual as in making love?!" Hermione interrupted.
"Well, yes… What else is there?" Aang huffed.
"Harry, are you alright with this?" Hermione looked at the blushing man.
"I – er, I promised I'll do anything to help you… So, yes."
"See? Harry's game. Besides, you have no other choice," Aang insisted.
"Fine. Carry on," Hermione said grumpily.
"Alright, so, after the bonding ritual, you perform a soul-transfer ritual sending yourselves back to your fourth year. Just before the selection of the champions," Aang continued.
"I see your point… That way, not much has happened. We could save Cedric, Sirius, and so many other things could be altered," Hermione remarked pensively.
"Why do we need a soul-binding ritual?" Harry inquired.
"Well, a soul-binding ritual prevents you from getting manipulated with love potions and other spells that can break your connection… The ultimate protection for Avatar Hermione," Aang explained as he looked at Hermione with a sad smile. As an older brother figure to Hermione Granger due to the incarnations, he felt so sad that she was abused for so many years in her previous lifetime.
"Let's do it, Hermione. We can't let Ron or anyone else for that matter, do that to you again," Harry growled.
"But what about you, Harry? You would never be with Ginny – "
"Which is bloody brilliant if you ask me! Ginny may not have used potions on me but my attraction for her was Voldemort-induced… My feelings for her, the monster inside during our sixth year, it was Voldemort's plan to distract me… Voldemort wanted me weak since he knew about my strength – you," Harry's voice was filled with emotion as he looked into her eyes.
"But Harry what about – "
"I want to do this, Hermione. I want to protect you just like you did for me during the darkest days of my life… Let me help you, Hermione. I want to help you fulfill your destiny," Harry leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers. They closed their eyes as their fingers were intertwined and their hearts pounded in the same rhythmic pattern of long-lost lovers finally reunited. They may not have voiced their feelings but their hearts knew. Their minds may have been tricked for such a long time but their hearts never wavered despite the odds.
"I – thank you, Harry. For doing this for me," Hermione whispered.
"You fought Voldemort with me… I'll stop Rose from being born, for you," Harry joked and Hermione chuckled.
"You're my best friend, Harry Potter," opening her eyes, Hermione gave Harry a beaming smile as she got lost in his pools of endless emerald green.
"I – I love you, Hermione," Harry whispered. Hermione's eyes widened in shock, not because of his words, but more so because he was brave enough to say it to her.
"I love you too," Hermione smiled as she felt Harry kissing her forehead.
"Darn! I lost the bet to Avatar Korra," Aang's muttering broke their moment. Looking at the young monk, they saw Aang with a shit-eating grin on his face.
"What bet?" Hermione grinned.
"Korra thought you would both man up and admit your feelings here, she even predicted it would be Harry who would be confessing first… My bet was on you guys confessing during the ritual," Aang shrugged while they could only blush at that.
"So, that's what past Avatars do in their spare time eh? Gossip about the current Avatar?" Hermione huffed.
"Well, we do get bored from outperforming each other during our tournaments… Besides, you're the most interesting Avatar ever," Aang smirked.
"So… Mighty Avatar Aang, do you have more ideas and plans for us?" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"No, not really… That's all we have come up with for now… I know you already have an idea about what ritual to use, other Avatars did it after all… Once you're back in your timeline, I will be meeting you in the Avatar State… The others are there for you as well," Aang smiled.
"Thank you, Aang," Hermione said sincerely.
"You're one of us, Avatar Hermione… And we Avatars, with Raava's guidance, always stick together."
"Thank you, Avatar Aang, for helping Hermione and for bringing me to her," Harry respectfully bowed to the young monk. Aang happily returned the gesture.
"Now… are you both ready to be back in the tent in your teenage bodies?" Aang smiled at them.
Looking at Harry, Hermione said in a voice filled with determination, "we're ready!"
"Hermione?"
"Yes, Aang?"
"I hope you will be happy this time around."
"Thank you."
"I only have one thing left to say before you go…"
"What is it?"
"Please be successful in your mission because – God, save the children!" With that parting statement, Harry and Hermione disappeared with a gesture of Aang's hand.
oOOOOo
Fluttering her eyes open, Hermione Granger gasped in shock as she saw the ceiling made of cloth. She was in a tent once again. Touching her face and her abdomen, she smiled. She was young again! She was back! This was her second chance.
Harry, she thought with a smile. Getting out of bed, she let her eyes roam around and she noticed Harry still sleeping on the floor. Lightly poking him on the arm, she whispered, "Harry, wake up."
"Five more minutes," he muttered sleepily as he swatted her fingers.
"Voldemort's standing outside," she laced this statement with a shiver of fear.
"Wha – what!?" Harry immediately sat up and groped around for his wand. The startled and determined look on Harry's sleepy face made Hermione burst out in giggles. Turning to the sound, Harry's brow began to furrow until he noticed that Hermione was a teenager again.
"Hey, Sleepyhead," Hermione teased.
"You – you're young again!" Harry exclaimed and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Gee, Harry, way to kill a woman's self-esteem," she said dryly.
"Sorry, it's just – well, whatever happened to us in the in-between, I thought it was a bad dream, your death I mean, and then, you said Voldemort was here, so I thought we're being attacked, and wow! You're young again," Harry said sheepishly. He fumbled about to touch his face and his upper torso before his lips furrowed in a frown.
"What's wrong?" She asked with worry.
"I'm a skinny runt again," he pouted and she chuckled.
"Oh, Harry," Hermione said with fondness.
"We should've gone back in time as our older selves," Harry muttered under his breath.
"Well… wouldn't you rather do a sex ritual with a teenager than an old woman?" Hermione tried to cheer him up.
"I'd rather please you and look impressive than to enjoy doing the ritual with you in this skinny version of me and end up being a disappointment," his cheeks heated up at his admission.
"You're so sweet, Harry," Hermione held his hand and smiled shyly at him.
"Maybe – maybe we should talk first… Make plans before we, you know, do the ritual," Harry stammered.
"What do you want to know?" Hermione squeezed his hand in understanding. She was flustered and nervous about doing the soul-binding ritual too but she trusted Harry. She knew that he would never hurt her.
"If the Avatar is the only one to master all four elements, then, why is it that with wands, wizards could do multiple forms of magic regardless of elemental affinity?"
"Good question… I was thinking of that myself when Aang first told me I was the current Avatar incarnation. But during the Avatar State, I learned the reason why… You see, each wand has a core, right?" She looked at him and he nodded.
"Well, the cores as you know are made from energy conductors from various magical creatures… So, it means that the core, like your phoenix feather wand, for example, is already infused with magic… Adding the pulsating energy from your wand or focus core really, since some cultures use focus rings instead, add to that the magic of the words from the spells, it makes a magical person even more capable of doing something that they weren't predisposed to do… Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, I guess it does… So, if magical beings are originally benders of an element, that would make me an Airbender, right?" Harry looked at her for confirmation and she nodded.
"Cool. I want to try learning that air scooter thing," Harry grinned before adding, "maybe the mighty Avatar Hermione could teach me a lot of her moves, eh?"
"Of course, I will teach you… It's just, bending is really difficult, Harry… I know you can do it, you are very powerful after all, it's just you're rather impatient, and well, bending is way more difficult than learning non-verbal casting," Hermione explained.
"Don't worry, Hermione. To be able to fly without a broom or to do the air scooter, I am willing to spend long hours of training… Besides, if I were to marry the living incarnation of a spiritual goddess, I must be capable of helping you, right?" Harry gave her a lopsided grin which made her heart flutter a bit.
"Do you have any more questions?"
"Well, just one… What does the soul-binding ritual entail? Do we have to use runes or learn a chant? Also, er, the soul-transfer ritual after that, do we need to prepare something? I've never really learned runes you know," Harry was sheepish.
"The soul-binding ritual, well, based on what I've seen from one of the Avatar's who did it, I only have to draw a ritual circle using four elements, there is a chant too, I'll take the lead and you just have to follow… And then, we do it." Hermione fought the blush but she knew it was for naught.
"Oh, I see… What about the soul-transfer ritual?"
"Er, we need runes for that… I'll be drawing runes all over our bodies, draw some blood from our wrists afterward, and then there will be chanting again, it will be like an offering to the spirits. If we're deemed worthy, we go back to our desired time… This has only been done once, by an Avatar who turned dark because she thought that she was betrayed by her husband… Anyway, this ritual is more about intent really," Hermione expounded.
"Should we… start doing the soul-binding ritual now?"
"No, not yet… I have to give you a copy of the chants. You have to memorize it… Wait a second," Hermione groped her pockets for her wand before she summoned some parchment and quill.
Hermione began scribbling away as she wrote the lines of the chants they needed to master for the rituals. With her hair bouncing with life was once again, her cheeks flushed, and her magic rippling against her skin, Harry smiled. This version of Hermione had been lost for the last five years before her untimely death. He had one question though.
"Hermione?"
"Hmmm?" She didn't look up from the parchment since she was busy scribbling away.
"Were you really sick, just like the healers said?" At his question, Hermione stopped writing and she looked at him with her mouth agape.
"How did you know that?"
"Coleen found you dead, she panicked and sent a Patronus to Susan. I rushed to your office and I just had a gut feeling that you were killed… So, I asked the healers and they said you died of natural causes, that you had long been sick… Is that true?" Harry had a pained and haunted look in his eyes as he said that. The sight of her sitting behind her desk, lifeless and cold, would always remain with him.
"Yes, it's true… I was slowly deteriorating but they didn't know why. I too wasn't able to find anything when I tried looking up my symptoms… During my training with the other Avatars, we all had a theory that my body was deteriorating due to the extreme energy of the Avatar Spirit trying to fight all the manipulations I was succumbed to… So, because of that, the warring effects of my Avatar powers and that of potions, spells, and obliviations was killing me little by little," she said sadly. Hermione felt she was such a disappointment because she wasn't able to defend herself the first time around.
"Hermione, look at me," Harry whispered. "You are not a failure, alright? Despite all the manipulations, you still performed your duties as the Avatar by helping me defeat Voldemort… And, you did all that successfully without even using your true capabilities… You should be proud of that," Harry said sincerely.
"But I – I also mothered the one darker than Voldemort and Grindelwald combined," Hermione sniffed.
"Hermione, that was in the past. We are here to change things. This time around, Rose Granger-Weasley will never be born," Harry proclaimed.
"I can't thank you enough, Harry… For doing all this," she smiled despite the tears.
"There's no need to thank me… I'll do anything for you, just like I know you'd do the same thing for me."
Suddenly, Hermione chuckled mirthlessly and Harry frowned a bit. "Is something the matter?" He asked.
"It's just… what if I kissed you in our previous life? Kissed you before you went after the Philosopher's Stone… Or, I asked you to the Yule Ball… Maybe kissed you when we went back in time to save Sirius and Buckbeak… I just, I could have prevented all this madness if I took the risk," Hermione shrugged.
"I – well, maybe it would've worked out, because you know I could never deny you and reject you… But, why didn't you do any of those things?" Harry asked gently.
"You never seemed to be interested in me. Besides, I'm not your type," Hermione shrugged. When Harry snorted, Hermione raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"I followed you around all over Hogwarts, Hermione… Visited you every single day and night when you got petrified! I – well, nobody knows about this, but I bloody fancied you since our first year, even if I didn't understand that's what it was. I just liked being with you every day. Never knew much about social interactions so I didn't understand my feelings for you…. When the hormones kicked in sometime during our third year, I gave up on you because Ron said that you liked each other and I respected that… You wanna know why I fancied Cho? It's because she's a Ravenclaw so I assumed she was smart… Just like you," Harry admitted.
"Oh… So, it's my fault then?" Hermione muttered.
"No! That's not what I meant! It's just, we're victims of the situation you know? I made the mistake of not confirming Ron's claims on you… And you, well, I guess you underestimate yourself," he shrugged.
"When did you get so wise?"
"Well, I spent most of my life with the Brightest Witch of the Age as my best friend," he winked.
"I'll finish writing the chants… You're entertaining me too much with your conversation skills, Mr. Potter." Hermione grinned at him before focusing on her parchment again.
"I missed talking to you."
"Me too, Harry. Me too."
oOOOOo
Harry had already memorized the chants. Hermione thoroughly explained what he should expect for the ritual hours ago. Now, they were looking at each other, just a few feet separating them. They stood in a clearing of the Forest of Dean in nothing but conjured robes covering their naked bodies. Despite the thick layer of snow on the ground, they were warm because of the heating charms.
"Are you ready, Harry?"
"Always, Hermione," he nodded.
"May the spirit of Raava unify our souls and bless our bonding," Hermione whispered before closing her eyes. With a deep calming breath, both of them unfastened their robes letting it drop to the floor. Harry did not bother to look at the parts of Hermione's body that he'd never seen before because he needed to focus.
"Fire, to light our bond and to ignite our passion," Hermione moved her hands around in the shape of a ball conjuring a scorching hot flame. Kicking her legs and pushing the fire with her hands, Harry shivered as they were now surrounded by a ring of fire.
"Air, to bring life in each of us and to keep our balance," Hermione pushed her hands down before she raised them again in a circular motion. With that movement, they were enveloped in a strong yet comforting wind that didn't put out the fire.
"Water, to heal our wounds and to fuel our union," with a graceful wave of her hands, water flowed freely in a circular pattern on the ground, one foot away from the ring of fire.
"Earth, to anchor our bond and to solidify our souls," kicking the ground, a thick wall of rocks surrounded the elemental ritual ring and Harry knew it was time.
Moving closer to Hermione so he could hold both of her hands, he said, "I choose you in life so our souls may be one… Death, time, and no one shall sever my promise to you… I offer myself to you, mind, body, and soul… Forever and for always… In the afterlife, I shall wait until you join me once again, so mote it be," Harry's tears were free-falling as his heart pounded heavily at the weight of his promise.
"I choose you in life so our souls may be one… Death, time, and no one shall sever my promise to you… I offer myself to you, mind, body, and soul… Forever and for always… In the afterlife, I shall wait until you join me once again, so mote it be," Hermione ended her promise with a teary-eyed smile.
"Inprecantes Prospera amor noster"
"Nostris animabus coniungens"
"Adhaeret corpora nostra"
"Et sic erimus"
"Aeternus et umquam"
"In hac vita"
"Et in Mortis"
"Hoc enim pignus"
"Arca clausus est magicae"
They repeated this chant over and over again until they were blinded by a bright white light. They could feel their bodies being levitated by a pulse of magical energy that neither of them had any idea where it was coming from. The only thing they knew was that their auras were reaching out towards each other, bringing them closer together forever.
When the blinding light dissipated and their feet were once again touching the ground, Harry and Hermione opened their eyes and smiled at each other.
"So… I guess that makes you my wife now, eh?" Harry joked.
"Not quite," Hermione whispered before she pulled her bond mate's face closer to her own. At the first meeting of their lips, Harry and Hermione forgot about their past and the future they have to rebuild together.
Taking the lead, Harry deepened the kiss as they savored the feeling of finally being together after all this time. He lifted his bond mate and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Seeing the conjured robe they haphazardly left lying on the floor, Harry slowly walked towards it. Gently lowering Hermione to sit on the large cloth, their lips connected in a passionate frenzy once more. Hermione pulled away and Harry thought he did something wrong but seeing the smile on her face reassured him that everything was fine.
"You sit on the robe… I'll straddle you," Hermione's voice was husky as her eyes darkened with arousal. With the moon and the ring of fire lighting the now darkened forest, her skin seemed to glow in ways that could only be labeled as carnal and arousing.
The thought of Hermione straddling him as he plunged deep inside her body was making Harry's head spin as his arousal grew to unprecedented heights. Something about the simplicity and the urgency of the consummation of their bond made him feel primal with a passion that he had never experienced before.
Obeying her command, he stood up. Holding a hand to her, he helped her stand and she pecked his lips in a featherlight kiss that made his blood boil with pure unadulterated lust. With his mind clouded with desire and passion, he merely managed to sit on the robe.
The only thing Harry could remember was the sexy smirk on Hermione's face, her wild hair being blown by the wind surrounding them, and the way his heart pounded wildly in his chest.
What happened next was just a blur of wild and frantic movements – a combination of experimental touches, passionate kisses, and the joining of their bodies in the most intimate of ways… They didn't even notice that their bodies were glowing as they shared each other's pleasure while they danced to the old familiar tune of lovers underneath the moonlight...
As they called each other's name in ecstasy, Harry pressed his forehead against Hermione's while alternately pecking her lips over and over again as if to say, 'I love you… I love you… I love you.'
oOOOOo
Harry's eyes opened and he felt the warm body pressed against his. Shifting on his side, he kissed Hermione's lips. Since she was greeted by the sight of his gorgeous emerald green eyes sparkling with love for her, Hermione only smiled as she whispered, "hi."
"Hello, Mrs. Potter," Harry said huskily.
"I am Mrs. Potter now," she had a shit-eating grin on her face as she realized that her girlish dreams of marrying her best friend had now finally come true.
"Yes, you are indeed," Harry pinched her nose.
"Hey!" She swatted his hand away.
"Are you alright, Hermione? You're not sore or anything?" His tone was laced with worry since they needed to do one more ritual and again she would be the one to take the lead.
"Never better," she smiled brightly.
"Good. I was worried I hurt you or you're too tired – or maybe you won't be able to do the – "
"Should we do the other ritual now?"
"I guess," Harry shrugged. "I like the bonding ritual better though," he muttered and Hermione giggled.
"You're such a boy!"
"Hmm… I don't know about that… You made this boy a man now," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and she rolled her eyes.
"Honestly!"
"When we go back in time… will you be my girlfriend?" Harry twirled a curly ringlet of her hair around his fingers.
"Girlfriend in public… fiancée in private?" She suggested.
"Do I get ritual privileges as your fiancée in private?"
"Maybe when you're sixteen, we can renegotiate about rituals," she snorted.
"Fine," he pouted until a brilliant idea formed in his head and he said excitedly, "we can get married at Gretna Green on my sixteenth birthday!"
"You want to marry me at sixteen?" Her jaw dropped.
"Why not? That way our first time in that timeline would be on our wedding night… Also, I need to make sure that Ron can't potion you again," he growled at the thought of his supposed best mate abusing Hermione for such a long time.
"He can't do that anymore. We're bonded now," she tenderly cupped his cheek.
"I can't relax until we're married. I can't let him – them – do that to you again," his arm around her waist tightened.
"We'll be fine, Harry. We will always be as long as we're together."
"Should we do the ritual inside the tent? It only requires chanting, runes, and blood after all," Harry suggested.
"Good idea."
oOOOOo
"I really don't like this ritual," Harry muttered as Hermione drew runes on his back using a mixture of crushed rocks and water. In short, she was using mud to paint symbols all over his back. She had already finished with his legs and arms.
"Yeah, well, Avatars practice elemental magic so the mud makes sense," Hermione chuckled.
"Somehow I'm scared to find out what we'll be doing with the fire later."
"We'll just have to stick our hand in the fire after making a small cut on our wrists," Hermione said nonchalantly.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"Nope," she said popping the p.
"The things I do for you, Mrs. Potter," he feigned annoyance.
"There! All done," Hermione announced after finishing the runes on his back. Hermione had already drawn runes on her chest, arms, and legs so they were now ready.
"Should we stand for this ritual?"
"No, we should just squat… Ready?"
"Yes."
"Hold my right hand, Harry."
When Harry firmly held her hand, Hermione closed her eyes as she sought the spirit of Raava inside of her. Despite being told that Hermione would be in her Avatar State for this ritual when her eyes glowed white, Harry gasped. Hermione's power was something that he would always be in awe of. Seeing her like this reminded him that she was an extraordinary woman blessed by the spirits. There could only be one Avatar incarnation living on Earth and Hermione was the one selected by Raava. He was literally in the presence of a spirit goddess.
"Song wo de linghun shiguang daoliu. Di er ci jihui jiuzheng cuowu, gaibianle wo de shenghuo weile geng hao, geng zhongyao de shi weile dajia de hao," Hermione chanted.
"Song wo de linghun shiguang daoliu. Di er ci jihui jiuzheng cuowu, gaibianle wo de shenghuo weile geng hao, geng zhongyao de shi weile dajia de hao," Harry repeated.
With a swift movement of her hand, Hermione conjured an ice rod with a sharpened tip. Still under the Avatar State, she made a little cut on her wrist just to let some of her blood flow. Handing the rod to Harry, he followed her actions. After that, they chanted the words once again.
When Hermione moved her bloody wrist in a circling motion, blue flames began to form. Leaving the flame to hover beside them, Hermione held Harry's bloody hand with her own as she moved their joined hands to the flame as they chanted once again.
They continued to chant until Raava deemed their souls worthy to be sent back in time so they could fulfill their purpose…
oOOOOo
Harry and Hermione's souls merged with their younger bodies as they returned a couple of nights before the selection of the Tri-Wizard Champions. While in their sleep, the memories of their past life flashed in their mind in a series of vivid dreams.
Hogwarts and the rest of the Wizarding World would be in for a rude awakening when Avatar Hermione exposes the long-buried origins of magic that history had chosen to forget because of the inherent laziness of human beings. Along with the Master of Death, they would be changing the magical community forever through their revelations, plans, and the changes they would introduce.
Meanwhile, in the afterlife, Aang along with the other incarnations of the Avatar was so delighted to see the progress Harry and Hermione had already started to make.
A/N: For the bonding ritual (Latin – English Translation):
Inprecantes Prospera amor noster = Invoking our love
Nostris animabus coniungens = Uniting our souls
Adhaeret corpora nostra = Joining our bodies
Et sic erimus = So shall we be one
Aeternus et umquam = Forever and ever
In hac vita = In this life
Et in Mortis = And in death
Hoc enim pignus = This we pledge
Arca clausus est magicae = Sealed in magic
For the soul-transfer ritual (Chinese Mandarin – English Translation):
Song wo de linghun shiguang daoliu. Di er ci jihui jiuzheng cuowu, gaibianle wo de shenghuo weile geng hao, geng zhongyao de shi weile dajia de hao = Send my soul back in time. A second chance to correct my mistakes, change my life for the better, and more importantly for everyone's good.
If you've read my on-going story, My Cheating Heart, the chant for the bonding ritual is surely familiar to you (wink wink nudge nudge). Read MCH if you like action-filled fics. (shameless plug)