Title: Code of the Griffin
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.
Harry looked in the mirror and sighed.
'I am so not ready for this.' He thought to himself as he adjusted to his tie.
"Does this look ok?"
Harry turned to see Ron in his tuxedo dress robes. The only difference between Ron's outfit and Harry's was that Harry's tie and vest were in Potter Blue while Ron's were black.
"You look good, mate." Harry replied, "Come on, let's go."
Harry picked up the Potter Family Sword as he walked past his bed and belted it on to his waist, making sure that it did not crumple his suit.
The pair made their way down through the Gryffindor Common Room, where the Twins were just exiting through the portal with Angelina and Alicia while Neville was waiting for Ginny to come down from the girl's dorm. Neville had added gloves and a top hat to his Tuxedo Dress Robes, making him look almost like a Victorian Gentleman.
Harry debated with himself for the entire walk along to the entrance to the Ravenclaw Common Room. They joined a small band of males waiting outside, primarily for the Baubuxton students as most of those waiting for the Ravenclaws were meeting outside the Great Hall. Just for the night a ward had been set up outside the Ravenclaw common room that served two functions. The first was to only allow Ravenclaws and Baubuxton students to actually approach the entrance, and the second was to alert those within exactly who was waiting outside the common room.
It was only a few minutes after Harry and Ron arrived when the entrance opened to reveal Fleur and Janet. Fleur was dressed in an elegant dark grey dress while Janet was dressed in the same shade of Blue as Harry's tie and vest. With a flick of his wand, Ron turned his black tie and vest into a matching shade of grey with Fleur's dress, which made her smile.
"Just relax." Fleur said softly to Ron, getting a grin from the younger boy.
Harry and Ron in unison, almost as if they had practiced it, bowed in front of their respective dates and presented them with the item they had just conjured. Harry presented a garland of small blue flowers that proceeded to weave themselves into Janet's hair. Ron, on the other hand, presented a single rose. Unlike a normal rose, this one was a pail, almost dusty grey, with a swirl of pink and lavender in the middle and the subtle scent of Cinnamon.
"Is that a Desert Rose?" Fleur asked in awe.
"Unique. Just like you." Ron replied with a slight blush.
The Desert Rose was the most famous magical plant that had gone extinct almost a thousand years ago. According to legend, they were used by the magical Sultans of the Ottomans as a way of indicating the most powerful woman in their Harem, who had power second only to the Sultan himself, and were said to have healing and protective properties.
Both of the boys took the arm of their date and lead them down to the Great Hall.
"Here you go." Harry said as he handed the fruit punch to Janet. "I made sure it was not the one the Weasley Twins have spiked. Firewhisky does not go well in fruit punch."
"Thank you." Janet said, in heavily accented English.
Harry's eyes automatically scanned the Hall. The Champions had yet to make their entrance to the Hall. Off to Harry's left, Kathryn Li was standing next to a decidedly nervous look Larks, clutching his hand in her own. She was dressed in a simple yet elegant black dress with her dark hair in a tight braid down her back, which made her look stunning. Larks by comparison looked uncomfortable and a bit out of place in his Tuxedo Robes.
Across the central aisle, where there were uniformed Order members in pairs every four feet, Luna and Michelle stood together, also hand in hand, Michelle dressed in a beautiful dark green dress, while Luna was dressed in a man's Tuxedo Robes, with vest and tie in matching colours to Michelle's dress and her long blond hair held back in a loose ponytail.
At the far end of the hall, opposite the main doors and at the end of the aisle, stood the three Headmasters, with Dumbledore in his usual garish robes, and The Grand Marshall Hermione Granger. Hermione was dressed in what she called her 'Evening Dress Uniform'. The dress was a dark burgundy red, with thread of gold marking out the hemline.
The dress was mostly backless, except for a diagonal section that went from her left hip to her right shoulder, roughly an inch wide, which supported the scabbard of the Sword of Gryffindor, with the sword itself sheathed inside. The front of the dress above the waist was slightly hour-glassed in shape, narrowing slightly up from the waist to just above the navel before widening out at the bust line and meeting up at the right shoulder which was secured with the gold and silver star cluster rank insignia of the Grand Marshall. There was a small tie from the widest point of the left bust that secured it to the back section. Below the waist, the skirt flowed in a graceful arc down the front from just below her right hip to just above her left ankle and then made the return arc at the back, leaving her right leg almost completely bare, except for the matching high heels. There was a simple Platinum circlet around her temples and her hair was in an elaborate, but tight, bun at the back of heir head, with a few ringlets flowing down. The circlet was the crown of the Empress of the Easter Reach.
Harry saw Hermione touch her ear, and whisper something.
"Here we go." Harry said to himself.
The doors opened and an Order Herald stepped in.
"Representing the British Ministry of Magic, Head of the Department of International Co-operation, Mister Bartamus Crouch." The Herald called.
Mister Crouch entered the hall alone.
"Representing the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic, Head of the Department of International Co-operation, Mister Vladimir Artinov, accompanied by his wife, Misses Tatiana Artinova."
The Bulgarian Ministry official entered, a stout but handsome man with dark hair, accompanied by his wife, a tall, blond and elegant woman.
"Representing the French Ministry of Magic." The Herald said, pausing for a second. "The Minister for Magic, Lord John-Claude Renault, accompanied by his wife, Lady Stephanie Renault Nee St Clair."
The Lord and Lady who entered were both tall, dark haired and elegant. And Harry instantly recognised them as Janet's parents.
"Well now I'm in trouble." Harry groaned.
"Oh relax, Harry. You are a lord too, no?" Janet whispered to him in French, to which he dumbly nodded.
The herald then introduced the Champions and their Dates. First up were Fleur and Ron, followed by Cedric and Cho Chang, a fifth year Ravenclaw who was in a silver traditional Chinese dress, and finally Victor Krum and Susan Bones, who was in a pail red dress that set off both her hair and Victor's dark red Durmstrang dress robes.
The three Champions and their dates started off the dancing. After one minute Professor Dumbledore led Professor McGonagall out on the dance floor. They were joined almost immediately by Luna and Michelle, Lord and Lady Renault and Kathryn Li dragging a reluctant Larks out onto the floor.
"My Lady, would you care to dance." Harry asked in French, bowing to Janet.
"It would be an Honour, my Lord." Janet replied in kind.
Harry led her out on the dance floor and saw Marie St Clair being asked to dance by five boys, three from Hogwarts and two from Durmstrang, simultaneously. Harry quietly thanked Marie for her dance lessons, and then wondered if Marie was related to Lady Renault Nee St Clair.
Harry was tired when he came off the dance floor. He had had several dances with Janet and had danced with a number of other girls. He had taken Luna, Michelle and Kate West out on the floor. He was pulled out on the dance floor by Kathryn Li, Marie St Clair and all three of the Gryffindor Chasers, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet.
Harry was escorting Hermione off the dance floor when he was approached by Lord and Lady Renault.
"Lord Potter." Lord Renault said in only slightly accented English. "My Wife Stephanie."
"Lord Renault, Lady Renault." Harry replied. "May I introduce Lady Hermione Granger? Ruling lady of House Gryffindor, Grand Marshall of the Order of the Griffin, and my commanding officer."
"Commanding Officer? I was not aware you were old enough for the British Military." Stephanie said.
"Minister, were you aware of the recent action that freed seventy three children from a paedophile slave ring?" Harry asked.
"Yes. The nice of one of my Department Heads and the son of our Head Auror were freed in that action." Jean-Claude replied with a nod.
Harry simply waved at Hermione.
"The Grand Marshall and Sniper Sergeant Lovegood took down that entire operation by themselves." Harry replied. "Excuse me."
Harry turned and walked towards the refreshment table.
"Father." Janet said from behind her parents. "Lord Potter left out one crucial piece of information."
"And what would that be, sweetheart." Jean-Claude asked.
Janet met Hermione's eyes as she spoke.
"Lady Granger freed those children while rescuing Lord Potter from organisation four on the European Terrorist Watch List." Janet replied.
Janet turned and walked away.
"And after that he asked Janet to this Ball?" Stephanie replied.
"No, Lady Renault." Hermione replied. "Your daughter asked Lord Potter to this ball."
Jean-Claude and Stephanie silently contemplated this for a while. They looked over and saw Champion Fleur Delacour asking Harry for a dance.
"Lord Potter seems very popular." Stephanie observed.
"Yes, my brother is."
Lord and Lady Renault turned at the new voice, but Hermione did not.
"Lord and Lady Renault, may I introduce Kate West." Hermione said. "Kate was with Harry in the incident your daughter spoke about."
"We all just want to protect him. While we can." Kate said.
"What do you mean?" Jean-Claude asked.
Hermione simply sighed and began to explain.
TBC…