DISCLAIMER
This is purely a work of fiction. None of the characters, places, items, or events that will be read is mine.
SHI NO MIKO
SUMMARY: Four hundred years ago a war heralded by the discovery of three deadly items known as the Deathly Hallows was ended and the Dark Lord Voldemort took his last breath. To ensure that the Deathly Hallows would never be used for evil intentions, Iris Potter partook in a ritual that would seal the Hallows with her as the instrument. But things are not as easy as it seems, the remaining followers of the Dark Lord attacked before the ritual was complete. In order to prevent the remaining Death Eaters from harnessing the power of the Hallows, Iris Potter was sent away with the resurrection stone. In the present time, a new power made its presence known to the Guild Masters, a power that threatens to take over the entire land. What is the connection between Iris Potter and the power that threatens the Land of Fiore?
CHAPTER 1: THE PRIESTESS OF DEATH
"We lost many friends and family along the way but in the end we were able to persevere and defeat our enemies. You have done more than what I thought you were capable of Iris."
Iris Potter sat in front of the Headmaster's chair in Hogwarts. It has been a week since the Last Battle where she and Albus duelled against Voldemort. It was a tough fight even if it was two against one. Albus may have had countless years of magical knowledge behind him but he was old and did not have the same agility and stamina as he did years ago when he fought against Gellert Grindlewald. Iris may have the reflexes and staying power that comes with her age but she lacks the knowledge that both her headmaster and her opponent have in spades.
Voldemort on the other hand has knowledge over magic that even Albus did not dare acquire because of the twisted gift that comes with the usage of Dark Magic. Due to his obsession with the Dark Arts along with the Neutral Magic he has mastered all throughout the years of his living time, entrapment in the Spirit Realm, and his resurrection; Voldemort knows facts that not even Albus could fathom about. Since he was resurrected into a body that was, for all intents and purposes, new; he had the reflexes and strength he once had during his prime. He was basically a better version of Iris and Albus combined.
It did not help matters that prior to the Last Battle, Voldemort managed to win the allegiance of the Elder Wand that Dumbledore possesses. A wand whose power is unmatched by any other that has ever been made. A wand that was presumably Death himself has crafted. It was a rough and arduous duel between the three of them.
In preparation for their final duel, Iris and Albus both brought one Hallow with them. Albus wore the Resurrection Stone on his left hand in guise of a ring and Iris brought his father's heirloom, the Invisibility Cloak. Both of their Hallows did not have the firepower that the Elder Wand was able to give Voldemort but it was all that they had. So in the end the Hallows that was claimed by the three brothers from Death faced one another in a final battle to decide who will give up their life and be claimed by Death.
In the end, it was Voldemort's own arrogance that finished him off. He was overconfident and relied too heavily on the power given to him by the Elder Wand. He would cast curses meant to inflict excruciating pain and then watch and ridicule both Albus and Iris as they try to get up.
It was during one of his spiels about how useless it was for them to try and take him down did Albus and Iris manage to defeat the Dark Lord. Albus poured all of his remaining magic and used the power of the Resurrection Stone. Spirits of those who fell in the hands of the Dark Lord came forth. From the prostitute that Voldemort killed back in his teenage years down to Remus and Tonks. It was a testament to Albus' magical powers as to how many spirits he was able to bring forth to the living realm. Voldemort was understandably surprised at having seen all the people he murdered stand before him. While Voldemort was distracted by the spirits that Albus was able to call from the dead, Iris wore the Invisibility Cloak, effectively hiding herself from Voldemort's sight. With the Sword of Gryffindor at hand, Iris snuck behind Voldemort and pierced his heart with the sword.
With his death, the spirits called on by Albus slowly dispersed, revealing the dead body of the Dark Lord impaled on the sword wielded by the Girl-Who-Lived. A few seconds of silence passed before the first shouts of victory were heard all throughout the battlefield. Some of the surviving followers of the Dark Lord, the Death Eaters, were captured while some of them were able to escape.
After the initial cries of celebration, cries of mourning were heard as each of the surviving fighters gathered their departed allies. Albus and Iris, together with the remaining fighters, burned the bodies of the dead and contained the ashes in a magical sphere. With their remaining magical strength, all of them used their magic to transfigure the ashes into a big statue. The survivors had no definite shape in mind but they were clear in their want to create something that would always remind them that the souls of those who departed may have passed but their ideals and the reasons they fought for would still continue on living. In the end, the ashes were transfigured into a giant statue resembling a phoenix.
After that grand feat of magic, Albus and Iris collapsed due to magical exhaustion. They were confined and medicated for a week to replenish their magical core and to cure all the injuries they obtained during the battle. Albus almost surrendered to his numerous injuries but his unfailing stubborn attitude helped him push through.
Once they were released Iris and Albus decided to talk about the aftermath of the war and what they would do to maintain the peace they so hardly fought for which lead to today, with Iris sitting in front of her former headmaster.
"Desperation and determination makes a person do things he usually does not.", countered Iris to her headmaster's word
"That is true, very true. Would you care for a lemon drop?", Albus said, his hands reaching for his candy stash which Iris easily declined
"So, what are we going to do now, Albus?", Iris asked, resting her back on the chair she was sitting on
"We already have some of the Order members along with the Ministry searching for the remaining Death Eaters and I think they are capable enough to be left alone with their job.", Albus replied, suckling on his sour treat
"What are we going to do then? If we already have forces searching for those who escaped capture then we have nothing left to worry about."
"Ah, that is where you are wrong, young Iris."
"What do you mean?", Iris said, her posture tensing and her mind going back on the past events trying to recall anything they did not manage to accomplish
"What was our biggest obstacle in fighting Tom?", Albus asked Iris, his hands joined in front of him and his blue eyes gazing at Iris from behind his half-moon spectacles.
"The Elder Wand", Iris replied instantly
"That is right, the Elder Wand!", Albus agreed, placing a wooden box containing the wand in question
"What about it, though?", Iris asked; a bit confused about the turn of events.
"You see Iris; the Elder Wand was nothing but a myth to everyone, not only the wand but the entirety of the Hallows as well.", Albus stated "But with the recent turn of events, everyone knows that the Hallows are in fact real and in existence."
"And now that they found out, some of the Dark Lord's avid followers or someone who wishes to replace Voldemort would try and steal them.", Iris finished morosely, finally getting the picture
"Those are my thoughts exactly, Iris.", Albus stood up and searched his extensive bookshelf before grabbing a dark thin book and placing it in front of Iris. "If they are stolen then we could just take them back, that is if the ones who took them are ignorant of their true purpose but if they have knowledge of what the Hallows are exactly meant to do then we would be facing an entirely different problem."
"Purpose, what purpose?", Iris asked Albus
"Do you remember the story of The Three Brothers?", Albus asked in return
"Yes, I have read it."
"Would you say that what it contains were in fact real and not fiction?"
"Of course, now that I've seen the Hallows I hardly think that the story is merely a story."
"But that is where you are wrong, young Iris. The Tale of the Three Brothers is in fact nothing more than a story with little fact contained in it.", Albus revealed to Iris.
"But I do not understand, the Hallows are real, and the three brothers in the story actually lived.", Iris said, confusion swimming in her thoughts.
"Though it is true that there are three brothers who held onto one of the Hallows respectively, the Hallows were not really given to them by Death nor have they ever met Death personified in their lifetime."
"Then how did they get the Hallows?", Iris asked, curiosity lacing her tone
"The Peverell brothers aside from being very talented wizards are rather gifted in the realms of alchemy as well.", Albus revealed "The Hallows was made by the Peverell brothers. The eldest brother has vast knowledge on wandlore, greater than Ollivander's even, and wanted to create a masterpiece that would trump the wands already in existence. The second brother was a researcher whose line of interest runs along the afterlife; he in fact was the one who created the Veil that you so unfortunately encountered during your fifth year. The youngest brother was a combatant; he wished to create something that would make his opponents not know of his presence until it was too late."
"Excuse me, Albus, but how does alchemy come in to this? I mean wandlore needs no alchemy, so does spell crafting, magic imbuement, and item invention."
"That is a very wise observation on your part, Iris. Alchemy was not used in the creation of the Hallows but it was used to strengthen and make their abilities everlasting. Though like all great things, it came with a price."
"And what was the price they paid?", Iris asked
"When they finished the alchemic ritual needed for the longevity of the Hallows, they unknowingly created a Homunculus."
"What is a homunculus?", Iris asked; her mind boggled at the news being laid in front of her.
"A homunculus is an entity, so to speak, that is created when one delves into forbidden acts."
"What is forbidden about what they did though? They merely strengthened their items."
"Ah, but the needed ingredients for the ritual were not really something you can buy off the apothecary."
"What do you mean that it can't be bo-?", Iris stopped, connecting the dots between Albus' words "Human life, they used human life?"
"That is a correct hypothesis, young Iris. They sacrificed human lives to strengthen the Hallows and that sacrifice, in turn, created the homunculus. That homunculus is Death."
"Death, you mean they created The Death?", Iris asked
"No, the homunculus was the reason of their death and that is why the youngest brother named the homunculus Death before he passed on.", Albus clarified for Iris
"But what about the reasons of their death, was it different from the ones that were mentioned in the story?", Iris inquired to Albus
"Yes and no. The eldest brother, believing that the wand he created would be able to defeat the horror they created, faced against Death in a duel. As you know, he died and the wand was passed on to various hands. The second brother, whose pride is his intelligence, invested his time in researching. With the constant threat of death and the stress he got from researching, his mind unhinged and he slowly but surely fell into insanity.", Albus explained
"And what happened to the youngest brother?", Iris asked
"He was a combatant Harry, he had the honour and dignity that his older siblings did not have. Like the first brother he duelled with the homunculus. But unlike the eldest whose overconfidence lead him to boast his powers over the homunculus, the youngest brother treated the homunculus like a warrior, something that even the homunculus itself respected. He got defeated by the homunculus and graciously accepted his death. Before taking his dying breath he named the homunculus Death and he fell into Death's embrace."
"But I haven't seen or heard about this homunculus ever since we got the Hallows. Shouldn't it be already here and trying to kill us all?"
"A very good question, Iris, you see the existence of the homunculus was tied to the connection of the Hallows. When the Hallows underwent the alchemic ritual, they formed a bond with each other that was linked by the lives of those who bound them in the first place, the three brothers.", Albus explained to Iris
"And with all three brothers death, the connection between the three were broken thus erasing the homunculus' existence.", Iris finished Albus' thoughts
"Correct.", Albus affirmed Iris conclusion
"So you see if an enemy manages to steal the Hallows and bind it to himself then he would unknowingly remake the connection that bound the Hallows together, thus releasing the homunculus once again."
"How do we prevent it?", Iris asked, her mind going a mile a minute, thinking about ways that could work "Can't we just destroy them?"
"No, Iris, as I told you before the brothers used a ritual that would make the Hallows' ability everlasting. I am pretty sure there is a way to destroy them but that knowledge is still far away from us."
"Then what if we just place them somewhere no one could ever find them?", Iris suggested
"Nothing remains a secret to those whose mind is set on a goal. We may be able to stall the reunion of the Hallows but we can never stop their eventual gathering."
"What else is there then?"
"We seal them.", Albus answered Iris
"We-what-them now?", Iris asked
"We seal them Iris, we seal their vessels to a dormant state where no one would be able to draw on their abilities."
"How do we do that then?"
"With this.", Albus said pointing to the book that he placed on the table earlier on their conversation.
"In here is the sealing method that the second brother was able to create before his demise. Luckily for us, we already have most of the requirements needed for the sealing ceremony.", Albus continued
"What do we need then?", Iris asked
"We would only need a place where the energy of departed lives are abundant, a centrepiece, and a conduit, so to speak."
"What do you mean by the energy of departed lives? There would be no need for sacrifices, right?", Iris asked, a bit worried about the requirement
"Do not fret, Iris, we won't shed a single life. I wouldn't suggest it otherwise. The energy of departed lives is just a term for the last burst of magic released by an individual.", Albus assured Iris "Our bodies, as you know, serve as a vessel for our magic. Once that vessel is destroyed then the magic leaves the vessel and with no vessel to contain it lingers on the very same place where the wizard or witch died. For the ceremony to work, we need to hold it in a place where those magical energies without a vessel reside."
"So basically it is a place where lots of magical died. Like the grounds of Hogwarts?", Iris concluded
"Correct. The centrepiece of course would be something where we would draw the energy in that place in, making it a new vessel for magic. The phoenix statue in the middle of the grounds would be more than adequate for that job. ", Albus shared with Iris "But, alas, we are at a loss about the conduit."
"What about the conduit? Can't we just transfigure something for it?", Iris asked
"The conduit is, in fact, not an object but a person; a person who will guide the magical energies into the centrepiece. That person would be the bridge that would complete the sealing process."
"I guess you already have someone in mind?", Iris asked Albus, recognizing the fact that Albus never forms a plan that is only halfway finished.
"Yes, I have in fact, you.", Albus stated to Iris
"Me?", Iris asked, her face showing her clear confusion "Why me?"
"Iris, magical energies left by the departed are, for a lack of a better word, wild. The conduit must be at one with his or her magic for them to be capable to tame the energy and follow its bidding."
"So, the conduit is like a priestess in those temples that calm violent spirits? I don't know about you Albus but last time I checked, calming is not exactly my forte. I have more of a gift in pissing people off than calming them.", Iris reminded Albus
"It may be true that your personality has always managed to let people act outside of their comfort zones but that is what exactly makes you calming Iris.", Albus said
"I do not understand, Albus."
"Being calm doesn't necessarily mean that one is quiet or laid-back. Being calm is achieved when you feel confident enough to do things in regards to what you feel. You are calm when you manage to be at one with your emotions and are able to act on them.", Albus explained to Iris, his eyes shining with a joyous light "People who interact with you, whether they be friends or enemies, feel calm enough to let their inner self out. They are able to show you stuff that they would often try to hide from the public. Just like the way you were able to bring forth the bravery in the once meek Mr. Longbottom, the same way you were able to make Lucius act on his baser emotions instead of his calm facade."
"But there are people who are better at all this calming stuff, like Luna! Luna would make a good priestess!", Iris exclaimed
"Ah, yes young Ms. Lovegood does have a way of calming people but be that as it may she does not have the magical prowess that you possess.", Albus countered Iris "The energies you would be taming does not listen to words for they are not sentient and merely energies. They won't be sentient unless they are within a vessel. These energies while vessel-less have all but one desire and function and that is to find a vessel that they could reside in. Words won't be able to tell them that a vessel is prepared for them but an energy similar to them that is controlled by a vessel would surely attract them."
"Like a magnet.", whispered Iris to herself
"Yes! Like a magnet!", Albus exclaimed enthusiastically, the same way he goes on stuff when his partner joins in a conversation "Your magical energy Iris would act like a big magnet that would coat the centrepiece and attract all the energies of the departed. That is why it must be you and not anyone else who does this, you have control over your magic that not even I in my age am able to do."
Iris looked undecided for a moment before acknowledging the truth in Albus words.
"Alright, but how do I do that?", Iris relented
Albus smiled serenely at Iris. Iris suddenly felt nervous when he saw Albus' eyes twinkling. Things tended to be bad for her whenever Albus gets those kinds of eyes.
"Tell me Iris, aside from that disastrous thing you showed in the Yule Ball, did you learn how to dance?"
"I hate Albus."
Iris said to her friends as she lies panting on the grass of the Hogwarts castle grounds. She opened one of her eyes when she heard several chuckles and giggles. She gave a deep sigh and reprimanded her friends.
"You are my friends, you are supposed to take my side and not make fun of me.", Iris said placing her hands over her eyes to prevent the sun's rays from blinding her.
"Well mate, seeing you trip over your feet is actually pretty funny.", her friend Ron said while munching on an apple.
"I no longer trip on my feet, thank you very much and do you ever stop eating?", Iris asked, hearing the tell-tale sign of Ron's eating.
"Well the point is that you used to trip over your feet, Iris.", Neville exclaimed "I do miss those times that you fall on your face. It is a pity you learned how to dance; I had to find a new form of entertainment when you suddenly became graceful.", Neville continued amidst the laughter surrounding him and his friends.
"Hardy-har-har", Iris said sarcastically "some friends you are, making fun of me when I was clearly struggling."
"It is a friend's job to find the good things in bad times, you know.", Ron stated, grabbing another apple "And the stand-up act that you so often gave us back then was the light in the darkness that is your dance moves."
"Just you wait Ronald! I'll dance on that ritual and I'll be the most elegant priestess you have ever laid your eyes on!", Iris challenged Ron "I'll be so elegant that you will be awed by my presence and have no choice but to profess your unwavering devotion to me! The same goes for you Neville!"
"Dream on Iris!", Ron and Neville said in between gales of laughter
"Don't mind them Iris. They're heads are just swimming with Wrackspurts, they mess with your thoughts you know.", Luna said sagely, her head not lifting from the upside-down Quibbler magazine she is reading "And you were always graceful Iris, it was just that the Dumberinnas were tripping your legs while you were dancing. They are the worst dancers out there, you see, so they like to mess people who are good at it."
"Yeah, it was just like what Luna said! At least I know that Luna is a true friend not like you.", Iris said, using Luna's words as an excuse and sticking her tongue out at Ron and Neville.
"Really Iris?", Hermione said, exasperated "Don't use Luna as an excuse. And you're way too old to be sticking your tongue out.", She then turned her attention to Neville and Ron "And stop goading her you two, you know how she gets when you mention her dance practices before."
"Well, they started it.", Iris said with a huff.
"Real mature Iris.", Hermione said with a fond sigh "Before I forget, do you still need that book you asked me to get for you?"
"Yeah", Iris said sitting up and glancing at Hermione "You have it already?"
"I have it here", Hermione said, ruffling through her book bag to get the book Iris wanted "My mom sent it to me earlier today. She also added this for you. She bought a lot of this last time when she was making our curtains and there were a lot of leftover cloth."
Hermione handed a book and some yellow and turquoise coloured cloth to Iris. Iris took them excitedly and stashed the cloth in her bag and opened the book for her to read.
"What book did you ask for Iris?", Neville asked curiously, trying to peak at the book's cover to get the title."
"How to Make Your Own Stuff Toy", Iris replied, lifting the book to show them the cover which has a group of girls knitting different parts of their respective teddy bears.
"How to make your own stuff toy? Since when were you into all those girl stuff?", Ron asked incredulously
"In case it escaped your notice Ron, I am a girl.", Iris deadpanned, silently daring Ron to say otherwise
"We know that Iris", Neville interjected before Ron puts his foot in his mouth "but you got to admit, you would rather wrestle with the guys than knit with the girls."
"Well, if you must know, I am planning to make a stuffed Hedwig.", Iris said
"A stuffed Hedwig?", all of them asked except for Luna who was still reading The Quibbler.
"Yeah, I never got Hedwig's body back so I decided to make a stuff toy based on Hedwig."
All her friends, including the still-reading Luna, gave a small smile at her words. Hedwig may have been an owl but there was no doubt that Hedwig was the first and closest friend that Iris had ever since she came to the wizarding world.
"Not to underestimate you or anything mate, but do you think you can actually make a Hedwig stuff toy?", asked Ron "It would be better if I ask my mom to make it for you, you know."
"That is why I asked Mione for the book so I can learn how to make one. Besides it won't feel the same if Mrs. Weasley did it instead of me.", Iris said
The rest of their time together was spent in silence as Luna continued on reading her magazine, Neville and Hermione chatting, Ron continuously eating through the basket of apples, and Iris absorbing the contents of her newly-acquired book.
Their group only started to leave when the last rays of sunshine completely vanished. As they were headed for the castle a small pop came and a house-elf stood in front of them.
"Excuse me Ms. Iris Potter, ma'am.", The house-elf said playing with the hem of her pillow case shirt.
"Yes, Winky? Are we needed for something?", Iris asked kindly
Winky gave a nod to Iris.
"Yes, Ms. Iris Potter, ma'am. Professor Dumblebee's asking for Ms. Iris Potter, ma'am, and her friendzies to go to the headmaster's office.", Winky said in her low squeaky voice.
"Alright Winky, we'll head there now, thank you.", Iris said
"It was nothing Ms. Iris Potter, ma'am.", And with that Winky disappeared with a soft pop.
"Dumblebee? Seriously?", asked Neville while they were walking towards the headmaster's office.
"What? I personally think it is a cool name.", replied Iris while trying to stop her laughter "Come on friendzies better not leave Professor Dumblebee waiting."
Laughter echoed down the halls as Iris and her friends continued to walk towards their destination.
"So what have you called us for, Albus?", asked Iris as she and her friends sat down on the chairs that Albus conjured when they entered his office.
"I would just like to tell you that everything is ready for the ritual to take place", Albus said "and to give you your instructions on what would be expected of you during the ritual."
"Alright, what is it?", Iris asked
"Each of us would be guarding one of the Hallows respectively.", Albus said to all of them "I would be beside the Resurrection Stone."
"Miss Granger and Mister Weasley would be guarding the Invisibility Cloak."
Hermione and Ron nodded their assent.
"Lastly, Miss Lovegood and Mister Longbottom would be placed with the Elder Wand."
Luna and Neville gave a smile to show that they understood.
"The three hollows would be placed on three points forming a triangle with the phoenix statue located in the center. You would be inside the triangle, Iris.", Albus informed them.
"You should remember that once you start the dance that you could not make a mistake or stop the dance. And no matter what, you must remain inside the triangle during your dance."
Iris nodded to show that she would take Albus' warnings to heart.
"In any case that we are attacked during the ritual-"
"Wait attacked?", Iris asked, cutting off Albus' words "Won't there be wards or any form of defence during the ritual?"
"Ah, any form of magic, aside from what will be used during the ritual would disrupt it. The magical energy of those who died might latch on to the wards instead of the phoenix statue, which would make the whole point of the ritual, useless. It leaves us vulnerable to attack, which is why we must have a plan just in case things go down south."
The five teens understood the meaning of Albus' words and allowed him to continue on.
"Now the Hollows would be encased in a magical sphere. In case we are attacked I want each of you to release them from that sphere and take the Hallows within. I would lift the anti-apparition wards in the Hogwarts grounds during, and only during, the ritual. Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley use the Invisibility Cloak, Ms. Lovegood and Mr. Longbottom use the Elder Wand to cast Disillusionments and Notice-Me-Not Charms on the both of you while you Iris must make your way to me.", Albus instructed them "Once all those are done we would Apparate out of the grounds. Do not tell the other groups where you are heading so that even if the enemies look inside your minds they would not see where the others are in case that one of us gets caught. Do any of you understand?"
"When would we meet then Professor, after we separated?", asked Hermione
"We all wait for three days. After three days we must all go to number 12 Grimauld Place, it would be the safest rendezvous point we have at the moment since the only ones privy to its location are Order members. Make your way to the headquarters along with the Hallows, then we would make a plan to re-enter the Hogwarts Grounds.", Albus replied "That is, of course, if an attack takes place during the ritual."
"Let us hope that there will be no attacks then.", said Iris
"I hope so as well, Iris, I hope so.", agreed Albus solemnly "Now on to brighter things, I had Winky get the clothes you would be wearing for the ritual."
Albus opened a drawer from his table and grabbed a package which he then gave to Iris.
"Huh? Do I need to wear dress robes for the ritual? I already have the one I used in fourth year.", Iris said hesitantly accepting the package.
"Do not fret Iris; it is something that would be more fitting for your role as, what did you call it, a priestess."
Iris was about to open the package when Albus stopped her.
"Before you do that, could you please show me your wand Iris?", Albus said
"Okay?", Iris said a bit confused as to why Albus was asking for her wand now of all times.
Albus opened the wooden case carrying the Elder Wand and took it from its confines. He proceeded to ask Iris to raise both her hands which Iris did. He pointed the Elder Wand at Iris' holly wand and gave it a complicated wave. The holly wand that Iris was holding gave off a small shine before levitating a few centimetres away from Iris outstretched hands. All of them looked transfixed at the showcase of magic in front of them.
They watched as the holly wand seems to become wider until it split into two. Iris gave a gasp of surprise thinking that her wand broke. She reached for it before Albus signalled to her that it was okay and for her to continue watching. She nodded uncertainly at Albus and nervously watched her wand that is now split into two. Her wand shrank and widened before forming wooden bangles.
Once the bangles were formed, Albus waved the Elder wand one more time. The bangles levitated towards Iris where it placed itself on her wrist and shrank to fit her wrist.
All of them looked at Iris' wrist which is now adorned with two wooden bangles. Iris lifted her wrist up to her face and examined her wand-turned-accessory.
"Wha-what the hell is this, Albus?!", exclaimed Iris
"I think you've seen for yourself what it is. The Elder Wand is truly a powerful instrument is it not?", Albus stated, his eyes twinkling like there is no tomorrow.
"I don't give a bloody fuck about the Elder Wand! I want to know what in the hell did you do to my wand?!", ranted Iris, ignoring Hermione telling her to calm down.
"Ah, I simply made it more suitable for the ritual and added a few additions that I am sure you would like.", Albus calmly replied
"My wand is holding my wrist, the last time I checked it should be the other way around, Albus, so just tell me plainly what it is you did.", Iris said in a faux-calm manner.
"Ah, it would be awkward would it not if you are dancing while holding a wand, and it is necessary to release your magic on both your hands instead of just one so I fashioned your wand into something that would be able to do just that."
"And the additions?", Iris asked, finally coming down from the high that seeing her wand suddenly split gave her
"You would never lose it, it would stay on your wrists no matter what force is exerted upon it."
"Would it still work as well as before, Professor?", asked Hermione turning her gaze from Iris' wrists to Dumbledore
"Yeah, wouldn't she have a problem without a wand now?", asked Ron
"Do not fret everyone, it would still function as well as it did before. Technically it is still Iris' wand. Put it this way, the wands you are carrying now are the regular or standard ones given to everyone but just because it is the standard does not mean it cannot be changed. I admit that if we do not have the Elder Wand in possession then I would not attempt to do what I have done. But as it is, we are indeed in possession of the Elder Wand, and the Elder Wand can mend a hopelessly broken wand and make it function once more so changing the shape of a wand is not a problem for it."
"I swear Albus, the next time you try and surprise me would be the day you regret living.", Threatened Iris, but everyone took no notice of it since they know that there is no real heat behind her words.
"Now I believe, you have a package to open.", Albus said pointing to the forgotten package at Iris' feet where she dropped it when she tried to retrieve her wand.
Iris picked up the package and proceeded to open it. She stared, flabbergasted at the contents. All of them were shocked into silence as Iris lifted the contents of the package for the rest of them to see.
"Well, at least it has Gryffindor colours mate.", Ron broke the silence.
Iris glared at Ron, Luna was gazing at Iris' newly revealed clothes with a serene smile, Hermione has an amused smile on, Albus' eyes were twinkling madly, and Neville was barely restraining his laughter.
"RONALD!"
"What?! What did I say?!"
Sounds of pained screams, enraged shouts and joyous laughter carried through the halls.
"I have to admit, Iris, you look good.", said Neville while circling Iris
"I do not! And will you stop doing that Neville!", Iris said, a red flush staining his cheeks caused by embarrassment as she tried to cover her body.
She was wearing clothing reminiscent of a traditional Indian sari; the same as what the Patil twins wore during the Yule Ball but in Iris' opinion, more revealing. Her upper body was covered by a cloth placed diagonally which does not cover her right shoulder and a large portion of her abdomen. It was barely just covering her chest. Her lower body was dressed in the same type of cloth which serves as a long skirt that goes down up to the middle of his lower thighs which ripple with every movement she makes and occasionally reveals her long lean legs. The whole attire was designed with a primarily scarlet colour scheme while framed around the side with a gold, white, and orange pattern-like design and has a white choli that is worn underneath.
Her body is also adorned with several accessories. There were her wand-turned-wooden-bangles around the wrists of both her arms, gold brassards worn on the middle of both her upper arms as well as gold anklets worn above her ankles and finally brown sandals for her feet.
"He's right you know. You do look beautiful.", Luna said in her usual dreamy voice "You just have some Nargles around you, that's why you feel embarrassed right now."
"Luna, I'm pretty sure that the reason why I'm embarrassed right now is because I'm wearing nothing but a sash and not because the Nargles are surrounding me!" Iris exclaimed as she started to freak out.
"Oh, it looks like the Wrackspurts got to you as well.", Luna added while nodding to herself.
Iris turned her mortified eyes to Ron and Hermione, silently asking them to side with her.
"I've said it once and I'll say it again, mate. At least it is in Gryffindor colours.", Ron said
Iris then set her stare on Hermione, hoping that she would see her dilemma.
"You're being overdramatic, Iris. There is nothing wrong with what you're wearing.", Hermione said, ignoring the betrayed look Iris was giving her "It covers what needs to be covered and it looks good when you move. Besides you have a great figure, there is no need to hide your body. I don't even know how you got that kind of figure when you and Ron can out-eat the entire Gryffindor house."
"But I don't want to show my figure, as you so put it, to anyone else!"
"That's it! Ron, Neville take a hold of her; Luna, would you open the door please", Hermione instructed her friends "thank you now we will go to the Hogwarts grounds whether you like it or not."
It was a fight to get Iris to the grounds when she did everything she could to stop them from their goal. She tried to put her whole weight down, tried to wrestle the two boys holding her captive, and even tried to bribe Neville with some rare plant and Ron with an all-you-can-eat buffet. It wasn't until Hermione casted Petrificus Totalus on her that they were able to haul her out of the castle.
Hermione did not lift the spell until they were near the grounds. Luna fixed her hair and face while Hermione arranged her clothing which became ruffled from all the struggling she did. Once the two girls were done on fixing her up, Hermione lifted the spell from Iris. Iris looked at Hermione and mouthed I hate you with Hermione giving her a smug smirk in reply.
Once on the grounds they were met with the members of the Order, D.A., and several survivors of the war. Everyone was chatting with each other and clear peals of laughter were heard. Iris looked at the group of people and can't help but smile at the scene in front of her. Though she knows that this ritual is important for their continued well-being, the entire event has more of a celebratory-feel instead of a sombre one.
Several people noticed their arrival and gave all of them smiles as they passed by them.
"Why hello there little Iris", the Weasley twins greeted her, standing on her sides and their arms flung around her shoulders
"Well aren't you-"
"-looking incredibly-"
"-daring and sexy-"
"-on this fine and wonderful day.", said the twins alternately and finishing their sentence together.
"And it would certainly be more wonderful once I get decapitated twin redheads served in a tray.", Iris said with a smile that promised them a world of pain and suffering.
"Oh, you want to ravage us then?" Fred asked, a teasing smile appearing on his face
"I won't object if you want us served for you to ravage, Iris dear.", teased George
Iris felt herself flush at the twins unabashed teasing.
"Would you please not twist my words into something perverted!", exclaimed Iris lowly so that only her friends could hear her.
"Nah, you're too easy to tease Iris.", said the twins at the same time causing Iris' blush to deepen.
"Oh, what have you been telling Iris, you two!", admonished Mrs. Weasley as she neared their group "Now let me see you dear."
Mrs. Weasley took hold of Iris shoulders and had her turn in front of her.
"Well, you look wonderful my dear! Though I wish Albus bought you something that covers more of you but you know how he is. Can't seem to make sense of what is inside that mind of his.", said Mrs. Weasley
Iris gave her friends an I-told-you-so look when Mrs. Weasley unknowingly sided with her.
"Now, let's go to Albus, the sooner we start, the earlier we finish.", Mrs Weasley said as she guided them towards the phoenix statue where Dumbledore was waiting for her.
"Ah, there you are, please go to your places so we can start."
Hermione and Ron went to the southwest of the statue where the Invisibility Cloak encased inside a green magical sphere resides. Luna and Neville made their way to the southeast of the statue where the Elder Wand is contained in a red magical sphere. Albus turned to the north of the statue where the Resurrection Stone lies inside a blue magical sphere. Iris walked to the center so that she was facing the phoenix statue.
Once all of them were on their assigned position, the gathered people formed a circle around all of them. Albus looked at Iris and her friends and once he was sure that they were all ready, he gestured for Iris to start her dance.
At Albus' signal Iris raised her hands and gathered her magic there. She looked into the eyes of the phoenix statue and started her dance. She made graceful arcs with her hands leaving behind a faint yellow light that fades after a few seconds. She pirouettes around the statue, her hands and feet leaving the same yellow lights as she continued on with her dance.
As she continues with her dance she felt some foreign magic trying to merge with her own. This, she knows, is the magical energy that she needs to transfer to the statue. But before she does that she must make sure that she has all the energy there is around her so that the ritual won't fail. As time goes on her moves became faster, more graceful, and more confident. Her clothing accentuating every turn and twist she makes making her look ethereal.
Once Iris felt the last of the remaining magical energy is attached to her, she began the process of transferring them to the phoenix statue. She made her last turns until she was finally in front of the statue. She raised her hands and started the arduous process of transferral of energy from her to the statue. But before she could even transfer the energy she gathered, a scream sounded in the air.
She turned to look at the source of the sound and saw Susan Bones standing in front of a male who was lying bloody on the grounds. Susan turned her eyes to meet Iris. Iris stared at Susan's dazed and milky eyes, a clear sign of the Imperius Curse. After that first scream and the tense silence that followed, pops of apparition sounded in the air and the once gathering of the war survivors was joined by the remaining followers of the Dark Lord.
Everyone turned into action curses and jinxes are cast all around. Hermione and Luna began extracting the Hollows from their containers just like what Dumbledore told them to do as Ron and Neville stood before them deflecting any curse that would come their way. Iris was about to take action when she suddenly felt the stirrings of pain. The disruption of the ritual caused the gathered magical energy to try and incorporate themselves inside her body instead of the phoenix statue.
She curled in pain caused by the sudden magical influx and was left immobile for a few seconds. The battle happening around her was forgotten as sudden pinpricks of pain made itself known to her. She felt someone grab her arm and she tensed, preparing to fight despite the pain she was feeling. She was about to lash out when the tense and angry visage of Albus Dumbledore appeared on her line of vision.
She felt herself relax and gave a gasp as the pain that she momentarily forgot came once again with a vengeance. She felt herself getting sucked through a straw, Albus was surely following their plan and had apparated them out of Hogwarts grounds.
Albus laid her down on something rough, must be the floor then. She wanted to protest and ask Albus to let her return and help those who remained. She wanted to but the pain she was feeling was beginning to intensify. It came to a point that her back arched due to the heat that is making its way to her body.
She did not even notice that she closed her eyes in pain. She heard Albus muttering some words to her and placing something on her fingers. She can hear Albus' words but she can't concentrate on them with all the pain that is racking through her body. She tried to open her eyes and saw Albus standing over her while waving his wand towards her when she finally succeeded in opening them.
She lifted her hands, seeing a glimpse of a ring sitting on her finger before the pain overwhelmed her and she blacked out in pain.
Back at the Hogwarts grounds, several bodies laid on the floor, all unresponsive and dead. Men garbed in black cloaks with white skull masks were roving and inspecting each body before kicking them aside.
"Report.", a masked man standing in front of the phoenix statue said.
"None of the bodies here have the Hallows; we also haven't seen any of the Weasleys in the bodies here.", another masked man answered
"The others?", the man who appears to be the leader questioned further.
"The Longbottom boy along with the Lovegood girl and the mudblood are also not here. I have seen Dumbledore and Potter apparate out of the grounds before we can subdue them."
"So all-in-all you are telling me that we were able to accomplish nothing, isn't that right Dolohov?", the leader asked.
"It seems so.", the man now known as Dolohov nervously answered.
"No worries, they would have to return here anyway, if we cannot ambush them then we simply wait until they make their way here to us."
"What would we do now?"
"As for now, try and identify the bodies here. Any person with connections to the ministry, isolate them in a room. Make a batch of polyjuice potion and take the place of those people. We will implant our people inside the ministry once again."
"It shall be done.", answered Dolohov
"Clean this place up, will you? It won't be suitable to start a kingdom in a castle littered with dead bodies now, will it?"
"A kingdom? Really?", the man named Dolohov asked doubtfully.
"Of course, by the moment they realize that we are in action would be too late. Dumbledore's secrecy about this whole stuff to begin with actually helped our plans. With the entire British Wizarding Society ignorant about this turn of events then taking it as ours would be very easy."
"But Malfoy, a kingdom? Here in Hogwarts?"
"Why the tone of surprise Dolohov? By the moment Iris Potter returns here with the Hallows then the entire castle would already be in our hands. She would be playing by our rules in a game that she can never hope to win.", the man now revealed as Lucius Malfoy replied; a sinister smirk appearing on his face "And Dolohov, what do you think of the name Veronica?"
=END OF CHAPTER 1=
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello everyone! I just watched Fairy Tail: Houo no Miko and this plot bunny came barrelling in. As of now I am a bit unsure as to who I would pair Iris with. So your suggestions would be highly accepted. The pairing would just be a battle between Natsu, Gray, or even Natsu and Gray if you want them to be in a threesome. Just know that your inputs would be appreciated. Please review so I know what I should improve on!
QUESTION: Which Harry Potter Crossover do you like the most and who do you like Harry being paired with? (Hinting at idea for future fics)