A/N: All right, speeding things up a little bit over the next two chapters. For ease of understanding, we're going to zip through this "week" and I've separated events by date.
Reviews and feedback are always appreciated!
Monday, Nov. 22, 1999
The Great Hall was relatively quiet and Minerva surmised that it had a good deal to do with the fresh dusting of snow outside. She had passed a number of fourth years engaged in a snowball fight on her way past the Viaduct Courtyard, and while a stern glance and raised eyebrow had been met with sheepish expressions, the simple sight had felt like a balm to her battered heart.
The day had passed smoothly and for that she was incredibly grateful. There hadn't been time nor opportunity to recover from the terrible events of the past weekend and while Minerva knew that she wasn't quite putting her best foot forward on behalf of the school, she couldn't help the overwhelming exhaustion she felt nor the solemn aura of sadness that seemed to hang around her shoulders like a shroud.
Maria Podmore had been spirited away to Spain to stay with a cousin, and while The Prophet was incensed by her disappearance and ramping up the conspiracy theories, Minerva was confident that the witch would be safe until further notice. Arthur Weasley, Gawain Robards, and Filius were the only people who knew the full truth of Minerva's role in the matter, and while the Aurors had questioned her about having met Maria for lunch on Saturday, the official investigation appeared to have reached an impasse.
Maria had barely cried upon learning the news of her husband's death and that in itself had been heartbreaking. It was though the woman had already expected it. It was a reaction Minerva had seen before during the previous wars, usually whenever family members of an Auror had to be notified. The few comments the witch had made were to swear Minerva to discovering the truth about her husband's death… and to promise to notify her of any small ways that she could assist the Order if necessary. Even in grief, the witch still possessed integrity and courage that would have made Godric himself proud.
Minerva had safely delivered Maria to Zaragoza and then returned to the castle, returning to her duties as Headmistress with little fanfare, which almost made the process worse. Albus had remained quiet in his portrait and she had taken little solace from his presence as she had sifted through the endless piles of reports, correspondence, and papers pertinent to Hogwarts business. Though she had worked steadily all afternoon, there was nothing to remove the deep sense of loss and guilt that had settled deep within her bones.
Minerva sighed and sipped her pumpkin juice absently, gazing across the Hall quietly as her eyes checked the smattering of black-robed figures like clockwork. All appeared well and a number of students were nursing steaming mugs of cider as they conversed quietly.
A moment later, a group of young Gryffindors entered, giggling amongst themselves as they shook snow from their outer robes.
Minerva's breath caught.
Briefly, her mind superimposed the image of Harry Potter and his friends entering the Hall in a similar manner, their cheeks bright… snow glittering in Hermione's riotous curls as she laughed at something that one of her friends had said...
Minerva shook her head.
Strange, how clear the memory was...
So many young lives shattered by events beyond their control… and what will this generation remember?
"Ah, to be young and carefree…"
Turning slightly, Minerva found Filius following her gaze with a nostalgic smile, rubbing the edge of his goblet softly. Her lips briefly parted before she realized she had nothing to say in return. All of her thoughts were too macabre to share.
"I hope you won't mind if a few of us drop by your office this evening, Minerva," Filius said quietly, rising from his place with a subtle flourish of blue robes. "Pomona and Hestia may have uncovered a new article that may be of interest to you."
Minerva blinked for a moment before lifting an eyebrow. The deceptively calm tone indicated that her Deputy was speaking of matters outside of Hogwarts… and the strange request seemed to indicate that their colleagues had made progress in their research for the Order.
Finally some good news…
"Of course," she replied evenly, dabbing her lips with a napkin. "Whenever suits your convenience."
The wizard departed quietly, drifting past the Ravenclaw table to murmur something to a group of fourth-years studying with large piles of books.
Minerva flicked her plate away and sighed.
Her eyes found the group of Gryffindors again and saw that they were still joking amongst each other cheerfully.
At least for now, there was still peace.
Dia looked up as soon as she felt the wards shift.
Removing her reading glasses, she had just moved to stand when Eleni appeared on the other side of the room with a small pop!
"Diamantina."
"Eleni," Dia replied, absorbing the Elf's disheveled appearance and reddish skin.
Her brow furrowed in concern.
"Let me summon a Replenishing Brew and some Burn Paste," she said quickly.
"I have no need of such things at the moment," Eleni replied tiredly, waving a small hand even as she strode forward and ascended the few adobe steps to stand across from Dia's desk. It seemed her friend wished to dispense with the debrief as quickly as possible.
"Did you find him?" Dia asked calmly, attempting to rein in the sudden spike in her anxiety. It wouldn't do to distract Hermione at the late hour. Eleni tilted her head.
"I did not," she replied softly, her large eyes apologetic. Dia's own eyes fluttered shut and she sighed softly, quelling the wave of disappointment.
"I did however encounter Avram and a few of the Riders," Eleni continued, her ears flattening slightly as her small hands came together and twisted. Dia looked up in surprise.
"And?" she whispered hopefully.
"I've relayed your message. When the Riders return home, he will ask Jethro to contact you," Eleni said. "Avram indicated that your suspicions are in concert with their own. There has been a good amount of unrest in the desert."
Dia frowned as she considered that bit of information. She had hoped that sending both the Elves would maximize the chances of finding her former Master, but it seemed that the Abrahams were still on the move and likely Disillusioned, Charmed, Transfigured, and enchanted to within an inch of their tents.
Amazing she even found Avram, considering how large the Sahara is…
"What do you mean by that?"
Eleni grimaced and rubbed a small wrist softly. Dia abruptly felt guilty for the sharp tone of voice. Her friend looked exhausted and her usual ivory tunic was practically grey with dirt, her small sandals falling apart at the seams. It seemed the Elf hadn't found time to tend to herself during the arduous search.
"Avram would not say," Eleni replied slowly. "He only hinted that the Riders had been drawn from their usual duties to the desert by… disturbances of some kind. Stelios and I both experienced ripples of it. There is Dark magic amassing out there, Dia."
Dia frowned.
The desert would always be full of Dark magic, but if the Abrahams were concerned... that is troubling, indeed.
"Where is Stelios?" she asked slowly.
"We agreed to split apart nearly four days ago. I have not seen him since that time, though I've felt that he is preparing to return soon. I imagine he will report in sometime tomorrow."
Dia nodded, feeling a bit reassured that her other friend would not be out wandering the desert much longer. Elves within the same clan possessed a low-level bond similar to one Dia currently shared with Hermione, albeit less directed from what she had understood over the years. If Eleni was unconcerned with her uncle's whereabouts then Dia knew that she had no cause to worry.
"Very well," Dia said after a long moment. "I thank you for your efforts, Eleni. You've brought me a great deal of comfort, even if you didn't manage to find Jethro. Please… let me attend to your sunburn and probable case of dehydration."
Eleni shook her head and passed a delicate hand over her downy hair which seemed rather disheveled.
"No, darling," she replied. "I shall adjourn home for the time being. I daresay you might not see me tomorrow morning, but I shall endeavor to be here in time for dinner. I look forward to hearing what has transpired since I left. Doubtless you and Hermione have gotten up to a plethora of shenanigans."
Dia nodded absently, deciding not to reveal just how many shenanigans they had gotten up to since the Elves had departed.
"Good night, darling," Eleni said, giving her a tired salute. Dia shook her head softly and smiled in return.
"Good night."
A moment later Eleni disappeared and the room fell silent… swimming, once again, with more questions than answers.
Tuesday Nov. 23, 1999
Pomona left the staff meeting feeling rather troubled.
The end of the term was coming up quickly and while the budgetary discussion had gone rather well considering the financial burden that Hogwarts had incurred after the War, her mind was shuttling through other things. Everyone had left in a rather sour mood, and despite ending on a good note with plans for the holiday season, there had been little of the customary chatter when the meeting had finally adjourned.
The meeting had been tense. There was no other word to describe it.
It was a feeling that Pomona recalled well from previous years - specifically the ones during which it was well known that Dumbledore was splitting his duties as Headmaster with those pertaining to the Order of the Phoenix, only this time… Pomona had felt rather guilty. Rather than sitting on the side of ignorance as she had done for decades, this time, she had slipped across the other side of the warding, as it were.
She had imagined that the grass would be greener, but she quickly discovered that it was not a nice feeling… and despite the irritation and oftentimes downright anger she had felt from years prior when she had known that her colleagues were sitting upon the dark secrets of war, Pomona imagined that it was almost worse to be in the know.
There had been an uneasy sort of guilt in her gut as the others - Rolanda, Sybil, Horace - had asked a number of questions regarding the extra safety precautions that Minerva and Filius had outlined together… a discussion that had come to an impasse when the two had effectively shut down communication on the matter citing it as a need-to-know decision.
Poppy had whispered a number of asides to her and Pomona had tried to remain silent as best she could. Part of her was still reeling with the implications of the decision that she and Filius faced at the end of the following week, though after her discussion with Hestia, Pomona couldn't imagine turning down the call to action.
Minerva's invitation to include Pomona and Filius in the Order summons had come as a complete shock in itself.
While it had been no surprise that her old friend had taken up the mantle that Albus had left behind, Pomona had been both honored and concerned that the witch sought to include them in the third incarnation of the secret organization. It wasn't as though they hadn't helped in previous years… most everyone on faculty had managed to contribute to the Order's efforts in their own way at some point, but the gesture had spoken volumes about Minerva's own mindset and the very real predicament the witch faced as a new threat began to simmer on the horizon.
The number of seasoned wands had been considerably diminished in the last War and that was made obvious at the initial meeting. Rationally, Pomona knew that while she and Filius were both experienced (her husband more so given his reputation as a noted duelist), they had long since given up old methods and habits of youth in order to raise a family and to devote their lives to teaching. That left Minerva, Arthur, and Gawain as the Order members with the most experience in war… likely followed by Hestia, Wickleffe, Renata, Diamantina, and perhaps herself and Filius.
Not exactly a regiment by any means…
The younger folk - Neville, Luna, and of course Harry Potter and his friends, would undoubtedly provide the bold sort of wandwork that would be needed on more dangerous missions, but Pomona imagined that they had little experience with the subtleties of reconnaissance work and politics… leaving a large margin of error when it came to keeping the Order's activities private.
Pomona sighed heavily and forced a smile as a group of young Hufflepuffs passed her going the opposite direction.
She couldn't imagine stepping away from her duties to her students, but at the same time… she couldn't imagine not, already knowing that they would be facing a multifaceted threat whose final goals still remained deeply veiled. Her duties to the children now extended beyond the castle walls and despite her trepidation at revisiting her old Auror ways of days past, Pomona already knew that her die was essentially cast.
The staircase she was on shifted and Pomona nodded politely as her husband emerged from a passage in a familiar flourish of blue. He must have cut across the fourth floor...
"Pomona," Filius said evenly, falling into step with her as they made their way down another flight of steps.
"Are your fledglings prepared to have their wings snipped by badger claws this weekend?" Pomona asked conversationally, willing herself to focus on more mundane issues until they arrived to the privacy of their chambers.
"I don't know about that. My ravens indicate that there has been trouble in the badger den as we've heard that both Henderson and Trawlip have been ill met by bludgers this past week," her husband replied smoothly, clearly content to follow her lead when it came to mindless small-talk. Neither of them enjoyed Quidditch with the same regard as Minerva, Hestia, or Talfryn.
"Besides, with Eliezer as our new Seeker, I hardly believe there is any cause for concern at the moment."
"Famous last words," she quipped tiredly, attempting to keep her pleasant expression in place as they arrived to the second floor.
Filius raised an eyebrow in amusement as they rounded a corner and narrowly avoided two figures bolting out from behind a tapestry. Pomona's ire was finally moved.
"Rowntree! Tatting! Five points from Gryffindor," Pomona admonished, shaking her head as the two girls skidded to a stop and turned in sync wearing matching expressions of guilt. She forced herself to let out a tense exhale.
"The Library will be open today and tomorrow," she said in a gentler voice, lifting a disapproving eyebrow. It seems the second-years have it in for Minerva this term…
"Should you require assistance on your papers for Professor Jones, I suggest you make an appointment to speak with her," Filius added, fixing both girls with a knowing look. The girls shared a nervous glance and nodded.
"Sorry, professors!"
The infraction dealt with, Pomona turned and allowed herself to walk a hair closer to her husband as they ducked behind another tapestry and finally arrived to their private corridor. The well-worn carpet and familiar breath of smells felt like a Healing salve and she unpinned her hat with a sigh as Filius waved the door open.
"Thank the Founders," she murmured, stoking the hearth with a sure flick before divesting herself of her heavy outer robes and banishing her hat to its familiar hook. Filius muttered a similar assent and quickly disappeared in the direction of the bedroom, likely intending to change into something more comfortable as well.
It was a gift that neither of them had rounds that evening.
Pomona took a moment in their shared study to organize the stack of parchments she had shrunk for marking tomorrow. Neville would see to the first two periods with underclassmen giving her the opportunity to sleep in a bit and attend to her grading after breakfast.
Filius re-appeared as she stepped back into the living area, his feet encased in the ridiculous bunny slippers their granddaughter had gifted him last Samhain. He insisted they were soothing.
"I take it the meeting elicited a number of troubling thoughts and feelings?"
Pomona took a deep breath and cocked her head, moving to settle in her favorite armchair as Filius waved over two cups of tea for the both of them, settling in on the chesterfield with his favorite throw. He must have called Josie…
She took a fortifying sip of mint before wrinkling her nose and flicking her wand as Filius did the same. They exchanged cups deftly. Her husband was forever mixing their teas, his mind usually preoccupied with other matters.
Pomona allowed pumpkin spice to wash over her tongue before answering, gazing sadly at her husband who was watching her with a sympathetic expression.
"I wish we did not have to resort to such artifice," she said eventually, giving voice to the quiet pool of guilt that had grown the longer the faculty meeting had continued.
"Do you regret attending the Order meeting?" Filius asked in response, tilting his head slightly.
"Not at all. But I do regret the wedge it will create between our colleagues should matters grow worse," she replied. Filius nodded, his white brows drawing together in thought.
"I suppose Minerva will likely work to keep the both of us from participating in the Order to a concentrated extent. Perhaps with the others as well… I imagine she will take a more conservative approach involving any ties to Hogwarts than Albus would have done."
Pomona frowned, as she waved her cup away.
"Has she revealed to you how Dumbledore negotiated participation for the other professors during the last War? I can't imagine Minerva McGonagall sitting on the sidelines if she knew that Severus was being sent out into the field," she remarked.
"We have never spoke of her participation in the Order, however I gather it is still a sore point for her," Filius said softly, admitting something that Pomona had suspected but never pressed.
While the both of them possessed a strong friendship with Minerva, it was an unspoken agreement that they were separate relationships and that their respective interactions with the witch were private - at least when it came to matters of confidence.
Being a friend to Minerva McGonagall was no small thing and Pomona knew that many a witch and wizard had found fault with the woman's mysterious methods and private nature. She engendered a very specific kind of respect - one that felt very black and white at times, though Pomona knew it wasn't intentional.
During the last War, Pomona had watched her husband struggle within the limitations that Minerva set… stepping in on three or four notable occasions to cover her duties at Hogwarts after Order business had created conflict. Even for a Gryffindor, she knew that the woman's sense of loyalty was over-developed, almost to the point of detriment, and Pomona knew how hard it had been for Filius to watch his friend suffer without knowing why and without being given license to help.
The witch had simply refused any opportunity to make her life easier, believing it imperative to keep her two loyalties separate.
"It seems we are speaking of matters as though they are already set," Pomona commented after a moment, letting her gaze drift into the relaxing play of flames in the hearth.
"Are they not?"
"Have you considered, Filius, that there are few senior members of the Order left?" she asked softly. She heard her husband shift.
"I have," came the succinct reply a moment later. "And while I have no doubt that the younger members will quickly rise to fill in the ranks, I believe it my duty to stand at Minerva's side until which time others can step forward to replace me."
Pomona sighed, nodding to herself even as her eyes flicked up to consider the faces of their family, smiling back at her. They were her duty... and Filius was right - if the Order was going to gain its footing in the coming weeks and months, the both of them would have to do their part to build its presence, regardless of her fears and misgivings.
Taking a long moment to stir her tea again, Pomona sipped it quietly and smiled, allowing herself a moment to be soothed by the simple and familiar action. The memory of her children laughing echoed and she felt her conviction coalesce into a decision.
Pomona turned to find Filius stifling a yawn and her heart softened, at once proud of the caring man she had married… his tireless dedication to his students… the calm, gentle way in which he listened to her and somehow managed to affirm their partnership even as he continually upheld his moral compass.
"Then it seems we have some planning to do, my dear," she murmured, smiling even as bright blue eyes flickered her way in curiosity. "And some scheming as well, since you and I both know it will take a good amount of convincing to allow Minerva to let us do our part in the Order's plans."
Filius gave her a long searching look before smiling, the wrinkles around his eyes creasing in the familiar way that she loved.
"It's been a long while since we've schemed together, my love," he replied softly. "It would be an honor."
Pomona chuckled at her husband's overly gallant tone of voice and shook her head as she sipped her tea thoughtfully.
"Minerva won't know what hit her."
Her husband's answering laugh warmed her from within.
Hermione groaned as she lowered herself into her bed slowly, pulling the covers over her aching legs and reclining back against the pillows. Despite the Strengthening Potion she had taken, her body was protesting the last three days vehemently.
She was briefly grateful that Eleni and Stelios had returned. The younger Elf refused to answer any questions about their mysterious trip, though to be honest, Hermione hadn't had the time nor energy to devote to that particular mystery. The Elves had resumed their usual schedule and she had been exceedingly grateful when the kitchen had suddenly been restocked with a plethora of pre-portioned meals high in protein.
Hermione was quickly learning why Master Kallas had been anxious to move her schedule forward. Her new lessons were already evidence that there were plenty of avenues in the magical world still left to be traveled. While yesterday, Konstantinos had worked her for hours on recovery rolls and circuits meant to build upper body strength, today Ana had pushed her mental abilities by working on formal dueling in a manner that had repeatedly destroyed the gym in Athens, much to the other witches and wizard's delight.
Whereas Konstantinos worked on blending physical agility with magical ability, Ana strove to challenge Hermione's ability to duel creatively. Unlike the days previous there had been a number of other people training at the gym when they had arrived, and while Hermione had briefly been interested to meet more people in the Greek Wizarding world, the majority had cleared out when they had discovered that Ana would be training her.
It hadn't taken Hermione long to understand why. Even though the formal style of dueling required far less physical effort and movement, Ana had quickly revealed her formidable arsenal of methods. She had begun by teaching Hermione how to observe an opponent and to test for their habits. From there began the extremely difficult task of learning to layer one's spells in succession so as to trap one's opponent or utilize their spells against them.
Their first duel had resulted in Hermione's spell backfiring as she meant to transfigure a barrier that Ana had conjured around herself. The witch had layered in a charm that resulted in Hermione getting blasted backward and suddenly finding herself bound by the explosion's remnants which had reshaped themselves into fiery ropes. The second and third rounds had largely ended in a similar way before Ana had forced Hermione to consider their surrounding environment and the way it could be manipulated in a duel.
From there they had succeeded to destroy the gym several times over to several rounds of applause, though Hermione knew that she hadn't even come close to disarming the other witch. It had been both frustrating and entirely eye-opening.
She had only seen her master for a brief moment in the kitchen at lunch. Master Kallas had been firmly ensconced in her study for most of the day and Hermione knew that she had been busy planning her trip to Guatemala.
The bed jolted suddenly and Hermione sat up in the darkness, her wand already in her hand and lit before she realized what was happening.
"Schlif!" she hissed, scowling as two yellow eyes blinked back at her, clearly affronted by the brightness of her Lumos.
Extinguishing it elicited a loud purr and Hermione fell back against the pillows, sniffing slightly as she felt heavy paws trod along one side of her bed. The large cat settled off her left shoulder, kneading peacefully as his purr continued to motor in her ear.
"Charming," she muttered, pulling her hair out of the reach of his grasp. There was a small sound and the sharp pricking of claws as Schlif batted at it.
Grunting in annoyance, Hermione turned away from him and closed her eyes.
You better get some sleep…
Tomorrow would bring a meeting with Yiayia in the Pharmakeion followed by several hours of revisions before she met with Konstantinos again. Plus, Master Kallas had indicated that Stelios still needed to meet with her before the end of the week.
Yawning, Hermione smiled slightly as she felt a reassuring warmth press into her back.
With Schlif providing a quiet backdrop of monotonous purrs, she quickly drifted off into sleep.