Fleur was agitated. First off, her mamman owled her and suggested that this would be a good time to review The Accords with the Watcher's Council. With rumors of more than one Slayer around it made sense to try to make sure The Accords were kept. Fleur agreed but was agitated because her Maman had already taken the liberty of setting up an appointment for her, Fleur, to visit the Council the day after next. Then Victoire hearing that her mother was going to London, decided to press her into taking her with so she can get her Hogwarts supplies. Normally she wouldn't object to her daughter coming to London with her but she didn't want her daughter anywhere near the Council of Watchers. That was a danger but how do you explain such a danger to a little girl of eleven? After explaining to Victoire that she wouldn't have time to take her to Diagon Alley, her daughter pouted for a bit but was mollified by the promise of sweets when she returned from London. Oh to be eleven again. She would make another date to take her to Diagon Alley. When she went to the study to retrieve her copy of the Accords, she noticed that it was already out on the desk. Victoire wasn't old enough to understand her heritage yet plus she never entered the study alone. That meant Bill was looking through it. Why would Bill be looking at them? He, like most English wizards, believed that the Slayer was a myth. So why would Bill be reading through the Accords unless it was for his Goblin employers. It still didn't make any sense since the Goblins were signatories to the Accords and would have their own copy. She confronted him about it when he came home from work.
"Why were you looking at the Accords?" she asked him pointedly.
He at least had the decency to act sheepish. "Well the Goblins have been rather skittish of late. There has been lots of grumbling by the Goblins about the Accords and veiled references to a Her. The Goblins seemed to be slightly afraid. So I decided to find out what all the fuss was about. I knew you had a copy of the Accords so last night after you went to bed, I took out the Accords and began to read them. But I didn't get very far. I originally thought they were written in French but I could only get every tenth word."
"That is because it is not written in French but Veela."
"Oh." was all he replied.
"So does this mean that you believe in the Slayer?"
"Not really. I'm still leaning towards myth but the Goblins seem to believe as well as you and the rest of the Veela"
"Then I guess you won't mind my visiting the head of the organization that is in charge of said myth." Fleur replied.
Bill fell of his chair. "What? When is this happening?"
"The day after tomorrow. My mother set up the appointment for me."
"It's not safe for you." Bill protested.
"But it is perfectly safe for me. I have the protection of the Accords. Besides, according to you, the person you fear is a myth."
"I meant it is not safe to wander around Muggle London. Do you even know how to get there?"
To be honest, Fleur hadn't thought that far ahead. She normally would have had Bill take her but to admit that now would be to admit defeat. "I will just ask Hermione."
Bill couldn't fault her logic: Hermione, being Muggle born and having lived near London, knew the area fairly well and could also navigate getting there if she didn't. Plus it had the added benefit of Victoire minding Hermione's children, thus solving the problem of what to do with Victoire. But before Fleur could fire call Hermione, there was a knock on the door and the voice of her sister-in-law asking for admittance. Fleur opened the door and was shocked to see not only Hermione but her whole family and Harry and Ginny's family too.
"Sorry to barge in like this, but something important has come up and I wanted to run it by your husband tonight." Hermione said with a gasp.
"But why did you bring your whole family and Harry's family too?"
"Er, it's complicated and I am willing to explain but I would like to do it only once."
Fleur gave a put-upon sigh and stepped back, allowing Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ginny and their respective family's entrance to her home. After the children had been settled, Hermione launched into her tale.
Bill was the first to interrupt her when she told about the cursed sword.
"What do you mean when you say she gave you a cursed sword? How do you even know that it's cursed?"
Hermione glared at him, pulled on a pair of gloves and pulled out the sword. "I did a preliminary scan and I am perfectly capable of determining if the sword is cursed, which it is. Plus, Mrs. Miller told me that it was cursed and she has not given me reason to doubt her word. What I am unable to determine is whether or not it is a Goblin curse. This is why I brought it here. Now if I can continue with my story, you are free to examine the sword."
Bill gingerly took the sword from her, laid it on the table, pulled out his wand and examined the sword. He was surprised to find out that the blade was goblin made. Blades of this quality were never let out of the Goblin Nation. He recognized the curse though. It was meant to affect all non-goblins and had similarity to the Draught of the Living Death. He mentioned this to Hermione.
"So do you know the antidote or counter for it?" she asked him.
"Yes, but you have to get it from the goblins." Bill replied.
Hermione frowned, "That would mean that this whole thing was a set up."
"How do you figure that?" Bill asked
"Because of the Accords, the goblins were trying to change the Accords, so they set this up." Hermione explained.
"That would only make sense if the Goblins were trying to change the Accords. But according to my sources, the Goblins are very happy with the status quo. They were very upset about something and I guess that this is it."Bill explained.
Fleur looked puzzled, "How do you, Hermione, know anything about the Accords? The Goblins version is written in gobbledygook and the Veela pact is written in the Veela language and both are held tightly by their respective elders."
Hermione reached into her bag again and pulled out a rather large manuscript. "I have a copy of the Accords written in English given to me by Mrs. Miller."
Bill reached over to grab the manuscript and was given the equivalent of an electrical shock. "Ow, what the hell was that?" He remarked while rubbing his hand.
"Sorry Bill. I guess that was the protection Mrs. Miller mentioned in her note. Apparently, I have to give permission to anyone else who wants to read it."
Fleur laughed. "My husband seems to think it is his right to read the Accords." Then on a more serious note, continued "It would make no sense for the Goblins to break the Accords. They would lose all of their rights and become fair game for the Slayer-"
"But the Slayer is a myth; all of the books say so." Hermione protested.
Fleur shook her head. "Non. The Slayer is not a myth. She is real. In fact your own daughter is a potential. In fact, I am surprised that this Watcher woman did not take her away from you." This statement drew a howl of protest from both Ron and Hermione. "But she did not which is unusual but seems to be consistent with the news I have been receiving from my Maman: there have been many changes in the Watcher's Council these past few years."
"Wait," Ron protested, "How can you tell that our little Rosie is one of these Slayers?"
"Because of her magical aura. I have seen the aura for the Slayer when I was young teenager. A Slayer came to our household visiting my Father. Rose has a similar aura. Not quite as bright if she were a full slayer but there just the same." Fleur explained.
Hermione frowned as she tried to make sense of everything from her visitor this morning and this new information. Then she shook her head. "The reality of the Slayer is neither here or there. What's important is the question of who had the sword cursed and why give it to Mrs. Miller?"
"It's a wizard."Harry blurted out. "It makes sense. A wizard would have the most to gain if the Watchers were to rip up the Accords and declare war on the Goblins. Though if I had to say which one I would guess -"
"Malfoy!" Ron interrupted.
"No, actually that is the one wizard who it can't be. I was thinking Nott or Zabini. Plus someone who knows the Watcher's Council, the Ministry has been leaning on the Chief lately to find out more about this mysterious organization."
"I bet Zabini complained to the Ministry." Hermione interjected.
"Why Zabini?" Harry asked her.
Hermione let out a put upon sigh "If you would have let me finish my story, I could have told you about the meeting between Mrs. Miller and Zabini."
Harry raised an eyebrow but before he could comment, his eldest son burst into the room, brimming with excitement. Trailing him with much less exuberance was Harry's niece, Rose followed closely by Victore, whose face was drawn to a frown.
"Daddy, Mummy, Rosie has a pet monster. Can we get a monster? I'll take-"James blurted out only to be interrupted by his cousin.
"I did not say I had a pet monster!" Rose protested.
"Did so." James rebutted.
"Did not."
"Did so."
"Did-"
"Stop!"Fleur cried out. She turned to her daughter to get the true story.
"Victoire, did Rose say she had a pet monster?"
"No Maman, she did not." Rose took this time to stick out her tongue at her cousin.
The adults tried to hide their amusement of their children's actions Harry thanked the children and then dismissed them, sending them back to the playroom.
But before they left, Hermione asked Victoire "Wait, Victoire, before you go, what did my daughter said?"
Victoire grinned and answered "She said a monster lady visited her today."
Hermione was silent for a few moments while she processed her daughter's statement, then she continued with her story explaining how Mrs. Miller had visited Zabini at his Italian Villa and how she found Hermione.
Fleur was grateful that meeting wound down fairly quickly from there.
Bill said he would explore finding an antidote with the Goblins while Harry would try to chase down the wizard or witch that was responsible for cursing the sword. Before the families departed, Fleur broached one more subject. "Hermione, I need a favor from you."
"What is it?" Hermione asked warily.
"I need someone to escort me to the Watcher's Council Headquarters the day after tomorrow. Can you take me?"
Hermione pondered this for a minute but Ron didn't. "Hell no! There is no way that you are going to go near that crazy lady again."
Hermione scowled at her husband, "Ron, you will not make decisions for me. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself and our daughter."
"Daughter? You're not taking Rose, are you?" Ron replied.
Hermione sighed, "Yes, I am afraid I must. This Mrs. Miller seems to have some sort hold on Rose and I am determined to find out what it is."
Fleur smiled, "Then it is settled, you will go with me to the Watcher's headquarters. You can see your Mrs. Miller and I will meet with whomever my Maman contacted."
"Yes, but Victoire must come too. I need some help with Rose and Victoire is very good with her." Hermione replied.
"But who will take care of Hugo?"Fleur asked. She was feeling very nervous about the direction that this was going. She didn't want to introduce her daughter to that aspect of her life so soon. She still had a healthy fear of the Watchers Council and the unknown it represented. But she didn't have a choice when Ginny volunteered to mind Hugo. So the date was set and with that, the meeting broke up leaving Fleur more agitated than when she began the day.