Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling, I am just playing in her world
Magic's Price
Having voted to grab the sword of Gryffindor from the fourth floor, where it was one of the items from the inventory of things salvaged from Hogwarts the other night, and destroy the locket came with a few problems. These were found after the sword was placed on the kitchen table. The first occurred while discussing what protections they should wear on the hand that was going to bring the locket here. Heather wanted to use her dragon hide potion gloves to retrieve it. Everyone was adamant Heather wouldn't be touching the locket again, seen as what had happened the last time she did. Luna hadn't brought her potion gloves and Hermione's were damaged the prior year. Hermione was going to replace the pair this summer. She didn't know if it truly was worn from use or someone had sabotaged it in the hope she would use it and hurt herself last school year.
Of course Heather's glove didn't fit any of the five of them as they had been bought for Harry's hands. Dad couldn't get his hands in them, while they were so large on the other fours' hands they couldn't manipulate the fingers to open and close. Being dragon hide, it wasn't like leather gloves that can be used when oversized. Without a fairly snug fit the gloves were practically useless. Dragon hide, also unlike leather, couldn't be cut without the correct magical tools used to craft them in the first place. The second problem was surprisingly from Kreacher.
"Kreacher bring locket for Mistress Black!" Kreacher almost yelled this time. "Kreacher touch locket all the time. Never get hurt."
"No, Kreacher, I am not allowing you to touch it without some protection, and my gloves are ridiculously too big for you. We can always go the apothecary when it opens and buy gloves." Though the length of the gloves were almost spot on, Kreacher's spindly thin fingers and palm were hopelessly dwarfed by the human sized finger holes, and body of the glove.
"No gloves small enough to fit Kreacher. No one else will touch locket, might get hurt like Mistress Black did. It could be even worse for next witch. Kreacher will bring locket. Kreacher never hurt."
"Do you have something that offers protection, and could hook the locket pulling it out of the small opening to the secret compartment that the locket is in?" Dad asked.
"My medium pestle would fit and it is sufficiently long enough that your hand could hold the wrong end and let the locket be hooked on the ring of the other end. The stone it is made from is inert to magic, and being about seven inches long it has to provide protection as good as, three-eighth thick dragon hide gloves. Hermione suggested.
So Kreacher brought the locket on Hermione's medium pestle to the kitchen table. "Kreacher promised Master Reggie to destroy locket." The house elf said before grabbing the sword that was longer than he was tall, and swinging it wildly at the locket.
Everyone was at least able to get out of the way prior to second, third and fourth strikes. Which were as useless as the first had been.
"Kreacher stop." Heather managed to get out before the fifth strike occurred. "Ideas? It doesn't appear to have been scratched by the sword. Not for want for trying either." She asked while looking at her elf a little warily.
"It is a locket. Maybe it needs to be opened first." Mum suggested.
"Kreacher tried. Locket won't open!" Kreacher close to tears angrily declared.
"Alohomora; Finite Incatatem; Cistem Aperio; Emancipare; Partis Temporus." Luna declared then followed through with more and more complex and obscure unlocking spells, barely taking a second to breathe let alone think between each spell.
Heather impressed after what appeared to be over thirty spells said to Hermione. "We're not going to be able to hide things away in locked drawers are we?"
"Is there a mechanical catch?" Dad asked.
"No catch, just a snake engraved for Slytherin on one side." Kreacher declared, with slumped shoulders resigned to failure again.
Heather looked but couldn't see anything. "Kreacher, can you flip it over carefully with the sword and then get ready to strike if it opens?"
Kreacher used the sword to flip the locket and then lifted the sword poised above the locket for a downward strike.
Heather looked at the now visible snake and imagined talking to it. "Open" she hissed and as it opened, she quickly stepped out of the way. The blade was already stabbed through the locket before it was completely open. The screaming black cloud couldn't even form into a face before the magic within Grimmauld Place tore it to shreds. It knew how to handle this type of attack, having been inoculated a few hours earlier.
Kreacher charged at Heather and wrapped her in a tight hug. "Mistress Heather promised, and she let me keep Master Reggie's promise." He said, as tears ran freely from the emotional house elf.
Heather was extremely concerned about the basilisk infused sword that he still wielded while hugging her, noticed her new name from the house elf. She starred at the rest of the room begging for help, and received none from her smiling parents, to the openly laughing, Hermione and Luna. "Kreacher, could you take the sword back to the fourth floor, please." But her request was unheard. "If I die from the sword, so help me I'll haunt the lot of you!"
Mum thankfully decided that perhaps there was something to worry about and actually disarmed the house elf. She didn't stop it from hugging, and breaking down on her daughter though. Seeing Dobby, Brillit, and a few other elves, she held out the sword. "Fourth floor?" She asked, and the sword was popped away.
Luna between giggles asked. "So Heather, were you afraid of being poked with Kreacher's sword?" The comment caused Hermione to lose it, and the two girls clung to each other descending into hilarity.
"Mum; Dad," Heather looked at them but didn't see any help. Swinging toward the elves she prepared to command one. However, as if they knew what was coming next, they all popped out. Or they turned invisible so they could watch the spectacle but not be commanded to end it. Her calls to all the house elves she could recall names of, were ignored. "Kreacher!" her yelling finally got his attention. "Please let me go." Finally not with any help from the audience she managed to get free and saw the mess of snot and tears on her dressing gown. "I'm going for a shower!" Heather left, with as much dignity as she could manage, quite embarrassed.
"Luna your comment was disgusting and not funny. Hermione you should not have laughed." Mum told the two girls off after Heather had left upstairs.
"Dad smirked at it too." Hermione said.
Emma whirled on Dan, but he spoke before she got a chance. "I am sorry dear, but humor is needed after all the things that have been happening. Once Heather has time to calm down she will see the funny side. It was probably too soon though to say it to Heather though, Luna. Both of you should not have laughed so much."
"We needed a release dad, and we'll make it up to Heather. She'll be fine after her shower." Hermione said before mum could attack. "Was there anything else we need to discuss or does it have to wait 'till Heather returns?"
"Well actually Luna is the most likely to know what this means and opened the Daily Prophet to the fourth page. Where there was another headline and article, and handed the opened paper to Luna.
'First War Marshal since Grindelwald Inducted, Offers Amnesty and Pardons for Joining War Office
The last to hold the title of War Marshal was Wilhelm Hawthorn, who stepped down over fifty years ago after Grindelwald was defeated. He had held the office successfully for thirty two years. Initially he was placed to address the Burgfriedenspolitik crisis in Continental Europe in the year 1911 that he served well during, and he was still in office as Grindelwald followed as the next threat. He managed that campaign also with impeccable attention to detail and proper decorum as the position calls for.
With Madam Amelia Bones inducted as War Marshal yesterday we can hope the witch is as capable of holding such an office that has been correctly handled before by our society's best wizards. Her first order of business was to demand a patient was woken while undergoing initial treatment of healing from life threatening injuries, and then berate the elderly lady. This caused additional work forcing medical staff to monitor the elderly and infirm lady's condition to prevent her from dying. Now she has established a War Office. She has stated there will be separate divisions for any Werewolves and Hags interested in serving along with one that will allow 'Summary', 'Either Way', and even 'Indictable Only' crimes to be absolved for months of service on a sliding scale based on severity of the crime, amnesty will be granted for. Are we really expected to rely on Murderers, Thieves, Hags and Werewolves to save us from you-know-who? Is Bones right for the job? Was there not a more prominent wizard capable to provide…'
"So Luna, what power does a War Marshall hold? Is this the same Bones that was here yesterday? Should we be concerned with what she is doing?" Mr. Granger asked.
Luna looked at everyone and started to lecture on the rarely seen office holder. "The War Marshal holds absolute power in the handling of foreign and domestic threats to the citizens. So they could decide to initiate a war with anyone. They are also extremely stable once in position. Unless they step down and retire, which except once is the way they all have ended their career, there is only one way for them to be removed involuntarily, and that is with both the Minister of Magic and the Head of the Department of Mysteries agreeing to absolve the position. Even then the War Marshal has eighteen months before being removed from office, and in that time they could have caused the replacement of the Minister of Magic. It is unlikely they could cause the replacement of the Head of the Department of Mysteries as only top officials in that department if anyone, know who the Head is.
"Yes this is the same Bones, and likely why she wants to get Susan behind the wards. Susan is Madam Bones only relative alive. So her only weakness that someone could exploit against her. As to what the War Marshal is doing it is similar to what the prophet decried Hawthorn of doing eighty odd years ago. Unfortunately, seen as how the Ministry of Magic turned against the hags and werewolves after the war with Grindewald ended, she might not be as successful. She needs to get them to believe that they won't be persecuted once more, when the threat is neutralized. Considering most magicals are lazy and expect their problems to be solved by others, Bones is appealing to the only groups likely to join up for fighting a war.
"Another problem Bones has is she is being given office late in the game. Hawthorn was instigated against a gang of magical thugs that started later using muggles as front men causing political upheaval in Europe that eventually led to the muggle World War One. This meant he could mess up for the first few years and had a solid War office in place with about twenty years of experience before the Dark Lord rose. The new threat was also rising in Germany. Bones has to resurrect the office from scratch, and you-know-who has had over two years to solidify position in our country. Considering Hawthorn had mixed results for several years initially, she will have to be substantially better. She needs to do something he didn't think of and it work well, or she will likely fail."
"So she is on our side, in an official capacity. Helping her get up and running will help us?" Dad asked.
"She is on the same side as us, and she has done well with all positions she has held in the Ministry. She is one of the few witches in a powerful leadership position. Now she is virtually untouchable, she will either be great or terrible." Luna replied.
"So we should get Susan, her best friend Hannah, and Neville behind our wards, as it will enable Madam Bones to help us." Hermione stated.
The hag fingered the polyjuice potion in her pocket while sitting in a waiting area that allowed her to see the guard she had decided as the weak link. Unfortunately her plan was delayed and there were only ten minutes 'till the window of opportunity closed. The next guard shift would start before she completed what she needed to get done. Why must the potion last an hour? Couldn't they have a twenty minute variant? She would wait slightly more than ten more minutes, because this guard's next shift here was in two days, and that might be too late. Why did there have to be this meeting interrupting her opportunity. There should have been a two hour window of uninterrupted access right now and she only needed ninety minutes for her plan. Even with the wasted forty minutes waiting for the potion to end.
"Augusta I really think you should drop the requirement for forcing her to have a child with your son." The paper destroyed you this morning." Amelia tried to reason with her old friend. "You are courting magic's penalty. Don't you think maybe the fact you are here in the hospital was magic giving you fair warning?"
"I am not some superstitious hedge witch Amelia. I'll be safe with my grandson behind the lock down wards. There were a fair few attacks on your character too in the paper this morning. Perhaps you should worry more on them. No, it is final she will within seven years consummate and by faithful to my Neville until their first child is eighteen months old. Then she can do as she pleases, as long as she has a second child with whomever she desires before thirty-five years old. Her two friends have options to be consorts with Neville for ten years and an option of the same length to choose to take the last name Black. All Longbottoms will be able to safely live behind the lockdown wards for as long as wards are active." Augusta confirmed her final standings and signed the legal paper work. Three of the four documents flashed as the names of the parties turned silver. The silver indicating that one side had signed valid legal documents. The fourth already signed by the Abbotts changed from silver to gold.
Amelia placed them all into a folder that deposited them on file within the Ministry. As magic will acknowledge the other parties of the three contracts being partial creatures, and not needing to sign to accept them, then after official filing within that office several minutes later all the names will turn gold.
"So when do you get released from the hospital?" Amelia asked.
"I am hoping tomorrow it all depends on results from their tests, but I am improving quickly." Augusta replied while resting back into the bed from the sitting position she had been in to finish the paperwork. "Tilly has ensured everything we will need is packed so I will go straight from the hospital there. Will you have the arrangements on travel set up?"
"Yes I will. Neville plans to go with Susan, Hannah and the Abbots you know?"
"I am fine with everyone hating me. I did this for my grandson. I have already lost my son. He is all I have left. You and the Abbotts benefit on my deed; without the negativity too." Augusta stated.
The folder warmed within Bones hands and she opened and gave one copy of each of the four contracts to Augusta. All names were now golden. The four contracts were a marriage contract for her grandson Neville to Hannah, a consort marriage between Neville and Heather Black and the last two being the ten year consort options between Hermione and Luna each with her grandson. The last two options each contained the additional option allowing the two girls to choose at any time to change their last name to Black. The first two both had optional ceremonies to occur on October thirty-first. They would become valid on the end of that day regardless of a ceremony actually taking place.
Augusta had been surprised but apparently Hannah wanted that day for her wedding and Heather didn't want a ceremony at all. By doing this Hannah would manage to marry first by doing it in the middle of the day and Heather would be forced a consort bound by the agreement when the day ended regardless that she had no ceremony.
"Tilly." Augusta called and when the house elf arrived gave the paperwork to be packed in the official Longbottom files she was taking behind the lockdown wards.
"Well I have to leave." Amelia said packing the file she would use to give the others their copies of the contracts. Getting a nod from the dowager that then closed her eyes to rest, Bones left.
Finally the hag thought. She had been about to leave as there really wasn't enough time now. Ducking into the empty room she removed her clothes and drank the potion. She then put the young nurses uniform on that was stolen earlier from the nurse that had been flirting back to the guard's interest previously. Ensuring everything looked right she now waited thirty five minutes hoping no one found her and requested her to do the missing nurses work.
Finally, the wait that had gone on seemingly forever over, she left the room and turned the corner. She smiled to the guard as she approached.
"Michael I am glad they still have you on this detail. It makes my day." The hag said while walking toward him.
"Love, the only bright spot of having to protect that, in there is when you come by." Michael replied. What was her name again he tried to recall.
"I would rather spend the time with you than having to take care of her and give her the next medication doses." She approached and allowed his hand to grasp her waist pulling her against his young body. As his hand wandered onto her backside she blushed and looked at him. "If you do that I'll need you, and I need to do my rounds."
"I finish in a few minutes. We could go somewhere." Michael offered.
"I have rounds with the healer shortly. If I were to skip taking care of this patient I have time right now. There is an empty unoccupied patient room just around the corner."
"What, right now in the hospital? I am on…"
"Time to prove you're not all talk lover boy. I will give you everything right now if you think you can handle me. Otherwise I'll know not to bother with you."
"Show me to your boudoir and I'll prove I can walk the walk." Michael replied, allowing the cute nurse to show him where to go. When she opened the door for him he entered first.
The disguised hag left the room a few minutes later. She would be becoming herself shortly. She headed back to the patients unguarded room. It was cutting it really close. There wasn't much time 'till the next shift's guard arrived. Hopefully he wouldn't check the room right away.
Entering the room she smiled at least the patient was sleeping. She crossed to the bed knocked the witch's wand off the side table so her victim couldn't get any help. She then waited for the potion to wear off. It was slightly over two more nerve racking minutes, but then she dug her own hag nails into her victim's neck. Her head lowered above the dowagers face 'till a couple of inches above. She breathed in deeply the expelled breath, which enabled her to suck the life force from the patient.
The painful puncture of her neck woke Augusta up and she tried to reach for her wand as she felt her life being drained. Her hand frantically scrambled across the side table trying to gain purchase of her wand while her other hand tried to pry the nails from her neck. She was still recovering, and not having got her last dose of medication had set her back. She didn't have the strength needed to get the hag off of her.
The hag had everything planned. Once she had drained the victim and vanished the corpse she could wear the dowager's skin for several weeks. Enough time to get safely behind the lockdown wards and work out what she needed to kill everyone there except Neville and Heather. Once the two had a child, they would be unneeded. She and the hags she chose would raise the new Black heir, ensuring to keep the line alive. Wizarding society that had persecuted hags could not get them. They could live at the expense of a few drained wizards or witches. Their immortal lives protected for as long as the wards were active. Well as long as she wasn't interrupted. Nearly finished, just two to three more minutes and the dowager would be dead.
Translations / quotes
Cistem Aperio – Chest Open – used in movie by Tom Riddle to blast open the chest Aragog was in
Emancipare – I set free – used in movie Prisoner of Azkaban
Partis Temporus – to divide temporarily – used in movie by Dumbledore to part flames set on inferi in cave
Burgfriedenspolitik – Castle Peace Talks or more accurately 'party truce' – I know next to nothing about this other than it was around at the start of World War I and was linked to a Social Democratic Party of Germany and others – I just decided that with wizards liking quidditch and wizard chess the whole idea of peace talks 'forced' by a castle or rook chess piece was perfect for a wizard gang of 1911 that stirred up trouble leading up to the start of the war. Doing their crimes all in the name of peace. I do not mean to offend anyone and purely decided to name the magical gang this. It is complete fiction and I have no idea if the 'party truce' had anything even remotely to do with the instigating the war rather than just presenting a consolidated front against the other side.
