Author's Note- Hey guys! The plot is about to thicken a lot in this chapter. And while parts of my master plan will be revealed, you guys are probably going to be pretty confused by my subplots. Yes, I'm an evil genius. But don't worry, this will all make sense in the end! And look, Severus is starting us off again! On to the story!
Chapter 10: Song of the Dragoness
Severus
"No."
The chaos that had been unleashed from the statement of her name died when she rose from her seat and spoke.
"I refuse." Her voice was clear and cutting. Her facial features took on an icy appearance. Her posture showed no signs of fear. No, it showed controlled but deadly rage. Rage that would be released soon. Very soon.
"Miss Potter, if you would please enter through the antechamber-"
"Headmaster Dumbledore, perhaps I wasn't clear enough. I will not be participating in this competition. I am a minor. The Hogwarts Champion is Cedric Diggory, something I believe everyone in this hall would agree with me on. Also, that sheet of paper reads 'Harriet Potter'. My legal name is Harriet Dorea Potter McGonagall. The rules that you stated last night clearly said that anyone who finished to participate needed to write down their entire, legal name. Thus, there is nothing you can say or do that can make me participate in this tournament."
Clear and cutting. Strong and stable. Deadly and toxic. Miss Potter had just cleared her own name before anyone could think otherwise. But just to ensure that no one doubted the validity in her words, Miss Potter drew her wand.
"I, Harriet Dorea Potter McGonagall, swear on my body and magic that I did not place my name in the Triward Cup nor did I ask anyone to do it for me nor do I want to compete in the Triward Tournament." Magic shifted in the Great Hall. Everyone watched as the girl still stood tall and lived. She stepped out into the middle of the rows of tables and raised her arm once again.
"Expecto Patronum!" She shouted as a large, silver raven escaped her wand. The bird patronus soared over the heads of the students before landing in front of his mistress and taking the position of sentinel. Severus could tell Miss Potter had just shocked everyone in the Great Hall with her great magical power, with her strength, with her grace. He had never been prouder.
"I will not participate." Miss Potter turned, her robes bellowing behind her as the Great Hall's doors opened from her. Her head still held high, Miss Harriet Dorea Potter McGonagall stalked out of the Great Hall. Her raven dissolved but the magic remained palpable.
Severus glanced at Minerva, who couldn't decide on wither she was proud or worried. Albus appeared to look his age before he turned to Severus and whispered out,
"Go get her, Severus. She needs to know that Ministry removed the removal clause."
Albus flinched back as Severus' magic flared with anger. Those God damn mother fucking big bastards from Hell! He had occulemens in order to calm down before Severus rose slowly and used the escape door to exit the Great Hall.
Severus knew where she'd be. The girl was rather predictable with her hiding spot. Granted, seeing as himself and Minerva were the only ones who knew about, it was still a good escape. Her little corner of the library, shielded away by the rows of potion texts. She sat on her desk, her head leaning against the stained glass window. Her eyes remained closed but she knew he was there. He waited for her to speak.
"Do you think I could just run away?" She asked after minutes of silence. "I could just run to Remus and Sirius and get them to move to a different country. Maybe America or Australia. Would I make it?" She turned to look at him and Severus saw the unwept tears that refused to escape from her emerald eyes.
"Do you want me to lie to you?" He knew her answer.
"Never." Her whisper reminded him that she was still a child. Her words and actions made him forget that she was only just a child. Far more mature than any normal child but still a child who was lost and didn't know what to do.
"You'd lose your magic. The contract is binding because the Ministry decided that only having an age limit would protect minors. They didn't plan ahead for 'accidental' selection of a minor." She snorted.
"Accidental my arse." He agreed.
Miss Potter looked out the window, to the lake. She looked as though she was praying that the water held Lethe like qualities so she could forget all of her troubles. He wouldn't blame her if she tried. Finally, she sighed and slid off the desk.
"Will you escort me?" She asked timidly and he could see that weight of the world land on her trembling shoulders. He held out his branded arm and she latched onto the black fabric of his robes. Her nerves didn't lessen as they left the library. Severus decided against returning through the Great Hall and took her directly into the antechamber where World War III had erupted.
"The girl can't compete! I won't allow it!" The loud, French voice of Madame Maxime sounded out.
"It's called a Triward Tournament for a reason, Dumbledore!" Karakaroff threw in.
"I understand that, Igor, Olympe, but I don't make the rules. I can only- Ah, Severus, you found Miss Potter." The eyes of her mother, Headmaster, fellow champions, Mad-Eye (who was there for some unholy reason), Bagman, Crouch and the visiting headmasters turned to the girl. Her grip tightened but Severus could tell that she would remain strong against the accusations.
"Harriet!" Minerva exclaimed before taking her daughter into her arms. Severus step in front of them to shield the pair away from unwanted eyes. He could barely hear Minerva's whispers but knew that she was trying to comfort herself as much as Miss Potter. He glared harshly at Bagman, who opened his mouth to interrupt the union.
"She's not doing it." Minerva hissed out, her anger taking over as she stepped around her taller colleague. "She's too young! I am her mother and I say she's not doing it!" Only Crouch was stupid enough to contradict her.
"She has to. The contract has her name. There is nothing we can do short of killing her to get her out of the competition."
"Maybe that's what someone's trying to do." Mad-Eye said suddenly, causing the audience to turn their attention towards him. Something's not right. Severus glared at the short man with the magic eye. What doesn't add up?
"Someone's out to get her and probably thought that this would end it for sure." Mad-Eye continued, not worried that Minerva looked ready to kill him for even suggesting such an idea. The room exploded into argument.
"So I have no say." Miss Potter interrupted. "I have to compete against my will."
"Harriet, think of all of the fame-" Bagman had said the wrong thing.
"The fame? The fame?! Perhaps you don't remember, Mr. Bagman, that the reason I'm famous now caused the death of my parents! I don't need it nor do I want it!" Miss Potter snapped at him. Surprisingly, it was Mr. Diggory who spoke next.
"So now what?" Stupid boy has no tact.
"I believe we will be having a fourth contestant this year." Albus finished. Minerva glared a final glare at Albus before giving in.
"Fine, but if something happens, Albus, I will destroy all of you." There was no room for argument in the lioness' voice. Minerva had ushered Miss Potter out of the antechamber when Albus turned to Severus, his age catching up to him.
"Tell them that the First Task is on November 24th." It was moments like these that Severus actually pitied Albus. Many turned to him with question and problems, expecting him to fix it. But even with all of his power, he was still only just a man.
When Hope was High and Life Worth Living
Harriet
Where am I? Thought Harriet as she watched a woman lay on the ground, her Edwardian dress pooling against the flowers of a beautiful English garden. Her black hair spread out into a wavy halo around her beautiful face. She was so beautiful. Her body was not too skinny, curvier in the right places. Her royal blue dress accented with gold fit her like a glove. There was an air of grace and royalty to the woman. She looked like a queen who had escaped the stress of her day to enjoy the simple countryside.
"Big Sister! Dorea! Where are you?" The voice of a young child cried out. The woman smiled, her red lips the perfect accent to her ivory complexion. She opened her eyes, revealing golden eyes framed by thick, long lashes. The woman sat up, her hair tumbling down her back. She turned to face the direction of the child's voice.
"I'm here, Little Orion. Come and find me." Dorea laughed out and watched as a little boy, who could have been her son, spirited into her open arms. While Dorea appeared to be the age of 20, the boy couldn't be older than 5. She held the boy in a tight grip and laughed, her voice enchanting and beautiful.
"I missed you." The boy mumbled as he tried to bury himself in her rather developed chest. Dorea smiled down at him before pecking his head and saying angelically,
"I missed you too, Imp. But I'm here now. Is Father home?"
"No, he had to go to the village. He missed you. Nanny's here though. I'm supposed to be napping." Orion said shyly as his older sister smirked.
"Are you now?" She tickled her little brother, hearing him laugh out and smile. "Well, I know just what to do to make the little ones sleep." She hinted. Orion's blue eyes lit up before asking,
"Oh please sing, Dorea. Please." Dorea smiled,
(AN- I highly recommend listening to Celtic Woman's version of Ave Maria when reading this.)
"Ave Maria, gratia plena.
Maria, gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena
Ave, ave dominus,
Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
Et benedictus
Et benedictus fructus ventris,
Ventris tui, Jesus.
Ave Maria.
Ave Maria, Mater Dei,
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
Ora, ora pro nobis;
Ora, ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
Nunc et in hora mortis,
In hora mortis nostrae.
In hora, mortis, mortis nostrae,
In hora mortis nostrae.
Ave Maria."
She finished her beautiful, hypnotizing song before tightening her grip on her sleeping baby brother.
"Beautiful as always, Miss Black." Harriet watched as Miss Black blushed and smiled beautifully before rising with her brother cradled in her arms. She turned to face a man who toward over her, a man 15 years her senior. He dressed as if he was a traveling knight, cape over his shoulder, a shield plate against his broad chest. A thin sword hanged at his waist and his wand was sheathed on his right arm brace. He had long chocolate brown hair that he kept pulled back at the base of his neck. His night black eyes popped out against his pale skin. His face would not be considered handsome, for it was scarred horrible in multiple place. But he had a beautiful voice, a baritone to complement Dorea's soprano.
"Sir Tiberius Prince, you can call me Dorea remember." She teased but then saw the man straighten up before answering.
"As your protector, I cannot." But his eyes held longing and love intertwined together for the beauty that stood before him.
"But Tiberius-"
"Would you like me to take him?" The man asked suddenly. Dorea frowned but accepted his offer. Sir Prince cradled the boy in one arm easily before he raised his open arm to her. She smiled and wrapped her arm around his. He started to move but stopped when she refused to.
"Miss Black?" He asked as she laid her head on his arm and whispered,
"I missed you. I missed you so much." His eyes softened before he whispered out in reply.
"I missed you too, ma Nereida."
Harriet woke up to see the ceiling of her quarters, tears falling from her eyes for no real reason. The amount of love she felt from the pair in her dream was as beautiful as it was suffocating and tragic. Dorea Black. Harriet's middle name was Dorea. And the resemblance that Harriet shared with Dorea was uncanny. Wiping her eyes, Harriet rose from her bed and walked quietly to her bookcase. Mama had gotten this out of the Potter Vault for her so that she would know her family tree. The Potter Family Tree was rather large, not as extensive as say the Longbottom or Black family tree but still impressive. She placed the book on her desk then gently settling her wand on the spine of the tomb.
"Show me my grandmother." There was a pause before the tomb opened and revealed the family tree. At the very bottom was Harriet's full legal name and a very recent painting of her, the last of the Potters. Mama had explained that it would update itself until she was married. She traced up her line to her parents, both staring back at her. Ignoring the pain and sorrow of her parents' death, she continued to her grandparents.
There laid the names and mini portraits of her grandparents when they married and Harriet was shocked to notice the age difference between them. Her grandmother, Dorea Black Potter, was older than her grandfather by a good fifteen years. She looked older in the picture yet still a beautiful woman. However, it was the sadness so beautifully enraptured in her eyes and face at made Harriet paused. Grandmother Dorea looked defeated, angry and lost. But most of all, her eyes held a grief that couldn't be matched.
Harriet was very glad that she had given a Wizarding Vow last night to clear her name because while people were wondering how her name came out of the cup, they believed her when she said she had nothing to do with it. Ron and Hermione, such good friends they were, shielded her from suffocation.
"Back. Back I say." Ron said as he tried to push away the crowd so Harriet could sit and eat.
"Don't you guys have better things to do?" Hermione questioned and sat down next to Harriet. Ron sat on the other side of Harriet, muttering,
"Bloody vultures. Hey Harry, can you pass the bacon?" Silently, Harriet pushed the plate towards Ron, knowing now that every word she would say would be criticized and inspected until this fucking tournament was over. Double Potions with Slytherin had actually started off pretty normal. It helped that Professor Snape had started the class with,
"If I hear one word about that God forsaken tournament in my classroom, the entire class, and don't care which house said it, will lose 50 points, earn a zero for today and detention for a week with their heads of house." Yeah, that shut everyone up pretty quickly.
The class was going smoothly until Neville made yet another mistake with his shrinking solution. He had added too much of cowbane, almost a whole vial fill, into his potion before Hermione could stop him and it exploded into her face. Poor Hermione, who already suffered from bucked teeth, now had a mouthful as her front teeth grew to exceptional length. Professor Snape had stormed over to their table the moment the explosion occurred.
"Longbottom! Your incompetence has earned yet another zero for today and a week worth of cleaning caldrons! Now get Miss Granger to the hospital wing before I start taking points!" Neville gulped before helping Hermione, whose teeth scrapped the ground, out the door just as Colin Creevey was about to knock. Colin gulped when he saw Professor Snape glare at him.
"Now what, Mr. Creevey?" He barked out. Colin paled before replying quickly,
"Mr. Bagman said that Harriet needed to be at the Wand Weighing ceremony." Professor Snape glared even more and Colin quickly added, "Sir!"
"I see." Professor Snape hissed before turning to the class and saying probably the only thing Gryffindors had ever dreamed of hearing.
"Class is dismissed for today. I expect an essay on the aspects of cowbane in Shrinking Solution by next class." No one moved, not even the Slytherins. Of course, Professor Snape was never a patient man when he gave orders.
"Out." Quickly everyone rushed to the door. Ron looked ready to lag behind but Harriet whispered to him,
"Go be with Hermione. I'll catch up later." Reluctantly he left.
"Mr. Creevey, you are excused. I will take Miss Potter to the ceremony."
"But sir-"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Creevey, are you volunteering to join Mr. Longbottom for detentions this week?"
"No, sir." Poor Colin was shaking now.
"That's what I thought. Now go." Colin turned on his heel and sprinted away. Harriet grabbed her bag before walking up to her professor. The tall man closed his eyes and breathed out, the anger escaping his features before his normal stern look appeared.
"Shall we, Miss Potter?" He offered his arm to her. She took it.
"Ah, Harriet, there you are." Mr. Bagman said with glee when she entered the room. Mr. Crouch and Mr. Ollivander were already there, along with the other Champions. A woman with a floating quill and odd glasses and a photographer were also in the room. Mr. Bagman paled when he saw Professor Snape behind her. Then the woman walked up to Harriet.
"There you are, Harriet." She said in a voice too high pitched for a grown woman. "I'm Rita Skeeter and I'm interviewing all of the Champions for the Daily Prophet. I'm sure you've read my work before." I have and it's all horse shit. "Now if you would come with me, we'll do the interview before the ceremony."
"No, she will not." Professor Snape answered for her as he stepped forward. The woman smiled a sickly sweet smile.
"Now, Sir, I don't you think you understand. It's just a short piece about the tournament is all. No harm what so ever."
"Ms. Skeeter, perhaps you take me for a fool but I assure you I am not. Miss Potter is a minor and do to the absence of her mother, Professor Minerva McGonagall, I will be acting as her in loco parentis. And as you should know do to your… profession, Miss Potter cannot be interviewed without my permission. If you try to do so, you will find yourself facing Malcolm McGonagall, the head lawyer of Scotland, in court for slander against a minor. But please, do go ahead if that is what you wish." The Skeeter woman, who Harriet disliked more and more with each passing minute, glared at Professor Snape but cried out when she saw her quill and paper burn to ashes.
"How dare you-"
"And seeing as I never gave you permission to record me, I'm sure losing a normal quill and parchment will mean nothing to a reporter of your stature, even with your insect sized cranium." The woman paled at his words and backed away quickly just as the Headmaster entered with Madame Maxime and Mr. Karakaroff strangling behind him. Mr. Karakaroff looked at Professor Snape and Harriet felt her professor step closer to her, blocking the ex-Death Eater's sight of her.
"Ah, Severus, I see that you've joined us. Jolly good. Now Garrick, shall we begin the Wand Weighing ceremony." At Professor Dumbledore's orders, Mr. Ollivander walked up and the champions formed a semi-circle around the old wand maker. She stood in between Cedric and Viktor, dwarfed by their height. Fleur stood on Cedric's other side and smile at her. Harriet smiled back.
"Miss Delacour, if you would please." Fleur gave her wand to Mr. Ollivander who inspected it.
"Hm, very nice work. Hm, 9 and half, rosewood, inflexible and what is this? A veela hair?"
"Oui, c'est le cheveux d'une ma grand-mère." Fleur winked at Harriet. Harriet sighed before translating,
"She said it one of her grandmother's hairs." Everyone turned to look at the smallest champion. Even Professor Snape looked surprised that she understood what Fleur had said. Fleur smiled once again and said,
"Merci, Harriet."
"De rien." Harriet replied back.
"I did not know you taught français here, Albus." Madame Maxime half-whispered to Professor Dumbledore.
"We don't." He said as Mr. Ollivander casted a charm that caused flowers to pop out of Fleur's wand. He handed it back to her and Fleur returned back to her spot.
Next up was Cedric, who made the inappropriate joke of having "polished his wand last night" in front of everyone.
"Diggory, detention."
"Yes, Professor Snape." Mr. Ollivander then turned to Viktor, saying that he wanted to finish with one of his creation.
"Ah, one of Gregorovitch's works I see. 10 and a quarter Hornbeam with dragon heartstring. How fitting, Mr. Krum." There was a hidden message in his words but Harriet couldn't figure out which one. Finally, it was Harriet's turn.
"Ah, Miss Potter McGonagall. How lovely it is to see you again." Mr. Ollivander held her wand with the greatest care. "You have taken very good care of your wand, Nereida."
Harriet froze when he whispered out that last word, so quietly that only Harriet heard him. Nereida, why does that sound so familiar? Did Mr. Ollivander, who was wiser than any seer, know about her dream? Did he know about her grandmother? She needed to know what that name meant.
"Here you are, Miss Potter McGonagall." The old man passed back her wand, breaking Harriet's thought process. As Harriet stood during the long photoshoot next to her fellow champions, she decided then and there that she would find out as much as she could about her grandmother and Nereida.
The First Task was going to be on November 24th, barely 20 days to find out what the task was and to prepare for it. Hermione was awesome enough to search through all the books about the Triward Tournament and figured out that the First Task would have the contestants fight against a magical creature. While an awesome hint, it was the letter from Bill Weasely, who she had become pen pals with, that gave her the answer.
Dear Harriet,
I hope your school year isn't too awful. Ron and Ginny told me what happened and I'm sorry you're going to have to deal with that. The good news is that Charlie and his friends are going to visit you before the First Task and the entire Weasely clan will be there to cheer you on! Good luck on your Runes test!
-Bill
"It's dragons." Harriet said as she barged into Professor Snape's office. Normally she would knock but her fear overpowered her rational thoughts. Luckily, Professor Snape realized that she was on the verge of a panic attack and sat her down with a calming potion. She sipped it slowly as Professor Snape read the letter she had clutched in her hands. He raised an eyebrow, probably at the fact she was pen pals with Bill.
"It amazes me how the Weaselys are able to handle stressful situation while completely screwing up easy ones." She laughed at his wit.
"Well," He started, "Since you already know what you're going to be facing in the task, I guess that I should tell you the little details to the First Task. The Ministry, in their infinite wisdom, believed that having the contestants retrieve Golden Eggs from nesting mothers was a brilliant idea." Harriet gulped.
"That's going to get us killed."
"Not if you prepare properly. Use this friendship of yours with Mr. William Weasely to get information from his brother. Once you do that, come back here and we'll work out a plan." Ok, that's a good start. But what if Bill doesn't reply back in time? What if Charlie can't answer? What if the dragons break lose? What if I break my wand? What if-
"Miss Potter, look at me." Her hysteria was broken by his baritone voice. She raised her eyes to meet his, the tears already leaking from her eyes. God she hated crying but she felt so weak, so hopeless. A dragon, a freaking dragon! She didn't want to fight and dammit, she shouldn't have too. Reacting without thought, she lunged at his kneeling body, wrapping her arms around his neck and sobbing. He froze for a second and she was afraid that he would push her away and God she felt so defeated that she didn't think she could handle that. She had put up a mask, one that showed no fear or nerves. But here in her tutor's office, away from the eyes of the World, her image crack from side to side. He wrapped one arm around her waist, the other hand coming up to lay itself on her hair.
"Miss Potter, listen to me. Look at me, child." She lifted her head from his shoulder and watched as he gently maneuvered her so that she was looking at him dead on. She stared straight in to his black eyes, searching from anything that could take away the panic.
"You have every right to be afraid and upset. You have every right to go up to the Minister and tell him to go screw himself for making you do something against your will. However, that doesn't change your predicament. It does give you an advantage. I have been tutoring you for the past year and I know better than anyone else here that you can and will overcome this. I will not let you die. If anything happens, even if I have to break every rule imaginable, I will make sure that you are safe. Do you understand?"
She nodded and raised her hand to wipe her eyes dry. She must have looked dreadful. He gave her another handkerchief. She could start a collection of them now. God, how embarrassing.
"I'm sorry for crying, Sir." He shook his head and helped her to stand.
"Don't. Crying does not make you weaker, Miss Potter. It makes you human."
The next day, Harriet wrote her reply back to Bill and rushed off to the library. She grabbed the 'Slytherin Year Book of the Past' and searched for her grandmother's name. She found nothing but then she headed towards the back part of the library. There she searched and searched until Harriet found a different book, "Exceptional Witches of Hogwarts, classes of 1925-1950." There she is. It read.
Miss Dorea Black, class of 1926, Slytherin. Second Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black behind her little brother, the Heir Apparent, Mr. Orion Black. Miss Black finished second in her class. Miss Black was Head Girl of Hogwarts. Known for her Defense Against the Dark Arts and Dueling skills, Miss Black was a rare Nereida. Thus, Miss Black had a Chevalier companion throughout her schooling, Sir Tiberius Prince. Her years after Hogwarts were unnoted except for her defeat of Gellert Grindelwald in 1933. Grindelwald escaped before she could kill him. Miss Black would later marry Charles Potter in 1948. She had one son, James Potter and one granddaughter, Harriet Potter.
What?! No way?! Her grandmother defeated Grindelwald before the Headmaster did?! Amazing, why didn't people know this? Wait, there was that word again, Nereida. And another odd word, Chevalier. What were these words? Harriet quickly grabbed a book on magical abilities and searched.
"L, M, N, yes, okay, ne… nere… there! Nereida!" She had found it. And she had found out how she was going to defeat the Dragon. The word 'Chevalier' was forgotten for another day.
The days coming up to the First Task was filled with training upon training. While she still had her main plan, Professor Snape and Mama insisted that she had at least five back up plans. Harriet, feeling guilty that she found out the task before the actually champions, told Cedric about the dragons. He paled before thanking her profusely. Fleur, who she had become good friends with, thanked her but confessed that Madame Maxime had already told her. Her interaction with Viktor was actually quite amusing.
"Ah, da, Harriet. There you are." Harriet looked up from her Charms textbook to see the Durmstrang Champion standing before her.
"Hello Viktor. How are you? I was actually going to look for you later today."
"Good." You know, his English is really good for someone from a former Soviet country. Maybe Durmstrang offers English classes. "Do you know what the First Task is?" He asked as he sat in the chair across from her.
"I do. Do you?"
"Dragons."
"Yes. It's funny, I was going to tell you."
"Great minds think alike. Good luck, Harriet." He smiled at her and she blushed slightly before replying,
"You too."
She believed Mr. Ollivander. That man was much wiser than what most gave him credit for. Mama had held her tight before the Headmaster and Professor Snape had to pry her off. Professor Snape gave her one more nod for luck. He believed in her. The Weaselys, Hermione and Neville were all in the audience with the large 'Go Harriet!' signs. As she stood in the tent, waiting for her turn against the Hungarian Horntail (Honestly, Harriet had the shittiest luck in the world), Harriet thought of her plan. She thought of her grandmother. Then her name was called.
Harriet walked out on to the earthy and rocky terrain created just for the tournament. She could hear the hisses and the snarls of the nesting mother and could just make out the deadly tail of the beast.
"What will she do?" Bagman's voice narrated for the crowd. Harriet raised her wand and laid it gently on her throat.
"Sonorus." She casted. The crowd whispered in confusion before she opened her mouth and began her song. Her soprano voice, a near perfect replica of her grandmother's, sang out to the nursing mother. Charlie, through Bill's help, had told her that dragons loved music and it helped them calm down. He also told her that they understood and recognized human language. She hoped her song, chosen for its soft tone and Latin lyrics, would calm down the mother so that Harriet could talk to it. She walked closer to the dragon with each beat. The crowd remained hushed, entrapped by her music.
(AN- This section will require your imagination and I strongly recommend that you listen to Celtic Woman's version of Pie Jesu to truly understand what I'm trying to do hear. Imagine Harriet walking and singing to calm a raging beast with the world watching and listen to the beauty that is her voice while you imagine it.)
Pie Jesu
Pie Jesu
Pie Jesu
Pie Jesu
Qui tollis peccata mundi
Dona eis requiem
Dona eis requiem
Pie Jesu
Pie Jesu
Pie Jesu
Pie Jesu
Qui tollis peccata mundi
Dona eis requiem
Dona eis requiem
Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei
Qui tollis peccata mundi
Dona eis requiem
Dona eis requiem
Sempiternam
Sempiternam requiem
Finally, at the end of the song, Harriet stood tall in front of the giant beast. It started at her, calmed by her singing. Such a magnificent and beautiful creature. Keeping her eyes locked on with the dragon's golden ones, Harriet curtsied and spoke in a whisper, for the charm was still in effect.
"Mother Horntail, I come to you not as an enemy but as a sister. As a fellow daughter of Eve and Pandora. I know that you protect with your great strength your young and I can find no greater act of courage or bravery. I come to you for you have been tricked. There is a fake among your younglings. I have been ordered to retrieve it. But only by your great mercy will I try to do so." Please work. Please work!
The Hungarian Horntail then turned to sniff her eggs. Then it grabbed the golden egg in her large jaw and turned back to Harriet, who hadn't moved from her curtsy. The dragon placed the egg down at Harriet's feet before returning the bow. Finally, Harriet straightened along with the dragon and held the egg with the greatest care.
"Thank you, Mother Horntail."
"Your song was beautiful, Sister Nereida." The Dragon hissed gently. Harriet's Parselmouth kicked in and her eyes widen when she understood the dragon's words.
"You are young and beautiful, so innocent yet so damaged. You bear far too much for one so young, Little Nereida. I sense a Chevalier with you, one who doesn't know what he is but still acts in order to protect you. Your future shall grow darker but as long as you stay together, you shall prosper and grow. Till we meet again, Sister Nereida." Harriet bowed again as the words sunk in.
"Thank you again." As Harriet turned and walked calmly back to the Champions' tent, the audience remained shell-shocked. The words that she read back when she found out the truth about her grandmother returned to her.
Nereida, the Queen of Sirens, are witches or magically connected Muggle women with great beauty, power and voice. Their voice, wither in talk or song, can entrap all those around them. Nereidas, while rarer than Metamorphmagus, are destined to be great leaders in times of trouble. Some notable Nereidas of Wizarding history are Queen Astrid of Wizarding Sweden, Queen Colette of Wizarding France and Monaco, Lady Morgana of England, Rowena Ravenclaw, President Mary Barrington of the Wizarding United States of America, Empress Anima of Wizarding Ottoman Empire, and Lady Daphne of Wizarding Greece and Albania. Some more notable Nereidas in Muggle history are Queen Elizabeth I of England, Queen Victoria of England, Maria Theresa of Austria-Hungary, Nefertiti of Egypt, Isabel I of Castile, Catherine de Medici of Florence, and Catherine the Great of Russia.
Author's Note- Ok guys, I have a confess to make. I have edited with canon more than I planned to. When I was really researching for this chapter, I found out that Dorea Black and Charles Potter were not James Potter's parents. His parents actually have some crazy ass names that I'm not going to even bother writing. However, I had already made it set in stone about the connection between Dorea and Harriet so I can't change that now. Oops. Anyway, some of you may be wondering, why a Siren or Nereida as I like to call them. I did this because it's different. Don't get me wrong, I love the fics that make Harry a veela, metamorphmagus or werewolf. However, those are canon and I also have my Chevalier (which you guys probably have an idea of what it is) to prepare a story around. So what does this all mean? It means that Harriet has more powers than we expected. However, this will not be a Dues Ex Machina or Godlike fic. Really development, cliffhangers and set backs are on their way. I love you guys so much and for the love of God and my sanity please review your hearts out! See you guys next time!
-V.I. Winthrop