A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or anything associated with it.
SIX
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Near Inverness
Scotland, British Isles, Holy Empire of Britannia
October 18, 1995
Albus fought the urge to sigh as he watched the Prince and his staff leave his office. Lord Alexander did not even spare the Headmaster – or the rest of the staff of Hogwarts, for that matter – a second glance as he offered his hand to his fiancée. She took his offered hand without a word – but with a smile – and he helped her to his feet before they walked out of the room.
The interaction between the Prince of Scotland and the Marchioness of Montana convinced the Headmaster of the depth of the feelings that the two had for each other, but that was not the reason that the Prince had seen fit to send his forces to the school. The Headmaster suspected that there is a reason, but for the life of him, he could not even begin to guess what that reason was.
That sigh that the Headmaster had been holding finally escaped through his lips at the same time that the door to his office closed and the last member of the staff of Lord Alexander walked across the threshold dividing his office with the foyer that leads into his office.
That was the only time that the Headmaster had thought to look into the expressions on the faces of his senior staff and the other members of the teaching staff. The Heads of Houses – with the exemption of Severus, of course – held neutral looks on their faces, but one could not miss the look of worry that was etched upon their visage. Albus knew, however, that the three senior members of his staff could weather through their uncertainties and find their path toward the 'Greater Good'.
It was Severus whom the Headmaster was most worried about. He was sure that if he had not glared at the man while the Prince and his staff were here, Severus would have said something that everyone in the room – 'well, maybe not everyone,' the Headmaster thought to himself – would have regretted.
Of course, Albus had to consider the fact that the silent treatment that Lily was giving Severus has more to do with the impromptu silence that the Hogwarts Potions Master was forced in more than the glare that the Headmaster had given the man.
In fact, Albus could have sworn that the Potions Master had tried to go after Lily before the staff of the Prince could leave, but Lord and Lady Potter had left the office behind the Prince and the Marchioness, an indication that the two Potters are part of the Inner Circle of the Prince, and that they are amongst the most trusted of the Prince. A curious Albus wanted to find out how that happened, but he knew that it would be extremely hard to find someone whose lips are loose enough for a stranger to get information.
A good minute or two passed after the Prince and his staff had left before the silence that had descended within the office of the Headmaster – uncomfortable because everyone was waiting for someone else to break the silence – ended. It was Minerva who broke the silence, and she did so with a question that Albus knew he could not afford to answer, but at the same time, he could not ignore, "What secret mission is the Prince talking about, Albus?" she asked in a clipped accent that was an indication that the Scot was close to forgetting that she is speaking with people who would have a hard time dissecting her Gaelic.
The Headmaster turned to face Minerva and he shrugged, an action that caused not only Minerva, but also the rest of the teachers in the office – even Severus – to raise their eyebrows in surprise, and as he sat at his rather comfortable chair behind his rather impressive desk, Albus Dumbledore told himself that he could hardly blame them for the looks that they are giving him.
He had just admitted that he had allowed outsiders to go through Hogwarts with the proverbial comb to find something that the Headmaster himself was not sure what. Although Hogwarts was an open school – compared to the likes of Durmstrang Academy who prided itself with the fact that no one could find their location, not even their own students – there are still those who were of the belief that not all the secrets of the school should be shared, especially with outsiders who could not even control magic.
Albus, however, suspected that most of the reason behind the indignation that was being displayed by his staff had something to do with the fact that they do not know what is going on. for all that Minerva and the other professors know, the patrols that Harry and his classmates had set up – after all, the professors and the prefects have caught the cadets patrolling the corridors of the school in two with their wands out, something that brought alarm to the minds of the professors – are mapping expeditions so that when the army moves in, the maze of corridors, rooms, and moving stairs of Hogwarts would not confuse them.
Not that the senior staff are planning on rebelling against the Golden Throne, for all that Albus knows, Minerva, Filius, and Pomona would be the first ones to kneel before the Prince and gives oaths of fealty, something that the professors knew the Prince could demand given the oath that they had all subscribed to before they were allowed to hold positions within the school.
Albus, on the other hand, was not required to give the oath before he became a professor at Hogwarts, but that was mostly because when he became a professor, the French Republic still existed and the Republic still controlled the British Isles. Albus was already Head of Gryffindor – before he became Headmaster – when the Holy Empire of Britannia landed her troops in Cornwall, Wales, and Ireland after they had defeated the French off Cape Finistere. His oath was given after he became a professor, and as such, Albus believed that unlike his relatively younger counterparts, he could go over the oath.
A sly look was given by the Headmaster toward his staff. They were all looking at him, a variety of expressions written on their faces, and with a start, the Headmaster realized that most of his staff – even if given a chance to circumvent the oath – would not challenge the Golden Throne.
Of course, there is one amongst the senior staff who would dare the challenge, but as he turned his attention toward his potions master – still in shock, though whether it was because of the fact that Lily ignored him or because the Headmaster glared at him, Albus could not be sure – the Headmaster worried if he could truly ever count on Severus Snape.
The man would probably be the intellectual equal of Albus someday, that much, the Headmaster knew. In fact, in terms of potions theory and defense against the dark arts theory, Severus probably had already surpassed him, but his seeming contempt for the other subjects – transfiguration and charms the most – and the reason that he had joined the Death Eaters in the first place – leading to a unique situation for both him and the Headmaster – could count against his budding mind. The prejudice of Severus would limit him in his search for knowledge and the Headmaster was not sure if he could instruct the man out of that dark place.
"Headmaster," the formal – cold and distant – voice of his Deputy Headmistress tore the Headmaster out of his reverie. He forced himself to return to the present and instantly wished that he was not as eager to do that as he was, because the moment that he returned to the presented, he was confronted by the sight of an angry Minerva glaring at him.
Minerva McGonagall was not a woman that even the Headmaster would dare cross on any regular day, but in days like these when she personified the angry mascot of her house, it was even more so. The self-declared Leader of the Light and one of the most powerful mages in the history of Magical Britain – possibly even the world – actually cringed at the sight of his deputy glaring at him, but even the glare of Minerva was not enough to prevent her from asking the question that Albus knew she wanted to ask, "Is what they are doing safe for our students?" she asked.
Albus wanted to reply in the negative even if he truly thinks that whatever it is that Harry Potter and his classmates are up to would not result to danger for the students. Mostly, the Headmaster wanted to see how Minerva would react to the Headmaster replying in the negative, and Albus had to admit that he was prepared to bet that the Deputy Headmistress would charge Harry – and his classmates – if Albus would answer in the negative.
The Headmaster declined to answer in the negative, however, because he was aware that doing so would not be good for his reputation. More importantly, while she and the Headmaster do not see eye to eye in many things, Minerva is still a powerful witch who is a member of the Order and the real administrative head of the school. If Minerva was gone – and charging ten cadets in the middle of an army would be a good way of making her disappear – then all that administrative work would fall on the shoulders of the Headmaster, thus, preventing him from paying attention to far more important pursuits.
"Well, Headmaster?" this time, it was Filius Flitwick who asked the question. Once more, Albus wondered how similar yet dissimilar the two most senior members of the teaching staff could be. Whatever it is that Minerva is championing, Filius would most likely be beside her in championing it. There are only a handful of instances in the past when the two head of houses had disagreements in policy or otherwise.
"I do not think that whatever it is that the naval cadets are up to would result to danger to our students," the Headmaster replied easily, using a tone of voice that the Headmaster expected would shoot down all other dissenting opinion, "Harry Potter and his classmates are members of the Imperial Navy, despite the fact that they are just cadets, they are bound to protect the citizens of the Holy Empire and our students – and ourselves – are citizens of the Holy Empire."
The Headmaster was sorely disappointed when he realized that there was a dissenting opinion amongst his staff, though it came not from the source that he was expecting. The sour-faced Potions Master of Hogwarts was finally torn out of his reverie by the last words that Albus had said, and the former Death Eater was not shy in voicing his opinion, "We should drive them out, Headmaster," he said, apparently unaware – or rather, uncaring – of the fact that even suggesting that would see him arrested, "We are far more powerful than them, we do not need them, even if what they are doing is supposed to protect the castle."
The shocked looks on the faces of the rest of the staff told the Headmaster what they thought of the suggestion of Severus Snape without the staff needing to voice their concerns. Minerva, however, looked ready to do so, if not for the Headmaster raising his hand and motioning for her to stop. Even then, Minerva looked ready to rebel against the command of the Headmaster, but in the end, she swallowed whatever it was that she wanted to say and inclined her head toward the Headmaster.
"Severus," the Headmaster said, forcing the potions master to turn his attention toward the Headmaster. Professor Snape saw the disapproving look on the face of the Headmaster, but he also saw the calculating face of the Headmaster and Professor Snape instantly realized that the Headmaster was planning something.
Exactly what that something is, the potions master does not know, but the fact that the Headmaster had seen fit to allow him to see told Severus that whatever it was that the Headmaster was planning, he was going to play a part in it. Hopeful that it would expel the muggles and the mudbloods from the school, Severus held his tongue and allowed a neutral expression to come across his face.
"I think that this ought to conclude our meeting for tonight, save for you, Severus, I want to speak with you," the Headmaster said, much to the shock of the staff who had expected the Headmaster to public dress down the potions master. The times when the Headmaster had publicly scolded Severus Snape – one of the youngest professors inside the castle – was few, far between, and could be counted on one hand with four fingers to spare. In fact, most of the staff believed that the Headmaster and the Potions Master are in a relationship, and given the particular preference of the Headmaster, that might not be too far off the mark.
Of course, that meant that whenever Severus and Albus are going to be alone in a room, most of the professors could not find an excuse to leave fast enough, and right now, they are just glad that the Headmaster had dismissed them because none of them are in any mood to think of a reason to leave.
Albus and Severus watched in relative silence as the other professors left the office. Only once everyone was out of earshot did the Potions master turn toward the Headmaster, but Albus was already one step ahead of his former student and was already staring at him. Quite frankly, the stare that the Headmaster was giving Severus scared the crap out of him.
"You know, they are of the opinion that we are in a romantic relationship," the Headmaster began. He noted that Severus actually stepped back despite the neutral expression on his face – no doubt brought about by his extra powerful set of mind shields – before the Headmaster laughed and said, "Don't worry, Severus, you're not my type."
The potions master looked at the Headmaster for a few moments – he actually thought about asking the Headmaster what his type was, but he decided that that was irrelevant to the reason that the Headmaster had asked for him here – before he nodded. He was going to remain silent until after the Headmaster had said the reason that he was not dismissed with the rest of the staff, but the silent treatment that the Headmaster gave him right after the last words that came out of his mouth unnerved Severus enough to be the one to break the silence.
"Headmaster," he began, "For what reason had you asked of me to stay behind?"
The Headmaster looked at his potions master for a few moments, and once more, silence descended between them. The Headmaster had to admit that he was being deliberate with the silent treatment because he wanted to see how long Severus could hold not speaking – and comparing it with how long he would not speak if it was Lily who was giving him the silent treatment – but barely thirty seconds had passed before the potions master started to show signs that he was getting agitated.
The Headmaster realized that the temper of his potions professor was about to run out, and with that in mind, he decided to break the silence, "I want your opinion on the matters that we are facing, Severus," he said.
Professor Snape sneered, "I do not think that there is a need for me to tell you of my opinion on the matter, sir," he replied, "I've made my opinions on the matter clear enough."
"Indeed you have," the Headmaster replied, and for theatrical purposes, he made himself sound disappointed, though he was sure that Severus had seen through the parlor tricks, after all, the man is an expert in legilimancy as much as he is in occulumency, and though the Potions Master could not break the shield of the Headmaster, he could, at least, tell the general feeling of the Headmaster.
"Mixing the muggles with our people would not result to anything good, sir," Professor Snape said, he turned his attention away from the Headmaster and toward the window in the office, one that – whether intentional or not on the part of the muggles, it does not matter – showed the Headmaster the impromptu camp site of the muggle army, "Already, they are encroaching upon our territory, you know that this would only lead to more problems for us."
The Headmaster fought the urge to sigh. He realized what his potions professor was trying to do with the very first sentence that came out of his mouth. Severus was rehashing the arguments that the original framers of the Statute of Secrecy had used in pushing for the statute. It was an old argument that, personally, the Headmaster thought was flimsy, but had worked on the governing body of magicals during their time. Evidently, Severus was of the opinion that it could still work, albeit on a different generation.
"We have sworn Oath, Severus," the Headmaster reminded his potions professor. It was the hope of the Headmaster that Severus would volunteer to do that which the Headmaster wanted him to do, instead of the Headmaster having to outright inform Severus that he wished for the potions master to re-examine the wording of the oath and try to find a loophole that they could exploit.
"The Oath says that we are to follow the Golden Throne, so long as certain conditions are met, Headmaster," Severus reminded the Headmaster. Personally, the Headmaster could not remember there being conditions, but before he could say that, Severus continued, "Magical Oaths are conditioned upon give and take, Headmaster, I could be wrong, but I am almost certain that in exchange for the oath, the muggles would leave us alone to govern our world, and this," – he motioned toward where the muggle army was encamped – "is a sign that they are encroaching upon our world, violating their oath."
"Why haven't they fallen dead, then?" the Headmaster asked as a test. He, of course, knew the reason why the muggles had not fallen dead, but he was not about to let his former student off the hook that easily.
"They're not magical, Headmaster," Severus replied easily, and because he was pacing, he missed the slight smile that appeared on the face of the Headmaster, a smile that appeared there because Severus got the answer in one.
"This requires further thinking, Severus," the Headmaster said, and in truth, it did require much thinking. For one thing, the Headmaster was not sure if he truly wishes to go against the wishes of the Empress of Britannia. That concern was probably least, however, because his most important concern was the accuracy of the arguments of Severus, it was something that the Headmaster would have to see for himself.
The scowl on the face of his potions master forced the Headmaster to return to the present, and before Professor Snape could say anything, the Headmaster said, "Develop on this further, if you could, Severus," he said, "but in the meantime, we should keep this in the backburner," a theatrical sigh – again, one that did not fool the potions master – escaped through the lips of the Headmaster before he added, "We need to consider all of our actions before we make them, Severus, as I had tried to teach you before numerous times."
The potions master glared at the Headmaster for a few moments. It was obvious that he wanted to say something in response to what the Headmaster had said, but at the same time that he opened his mouth to do so, he seemed to realize that it would be for the best if he were to keep his mouth shut, so that was what he did. Instead of pushing words out of his mouth, the potions master merely nodded.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Near Inverness
Scotland, British Isles, Holy Empire of Britannia
October 18, 1995
Harry and Hermione watched in silence Lord Alexander walked away before he turned toward her with a look that clearly said that he was sorry that he had to leave her. He gave the hand that he held on his own one final squeeze that told her that he would be back as soon as he could manage it before he – obviously reluctantly – allowed her hand to fall from his.
He did not look at her before he followed after his liege lord, but Hermione could understand that, since she also did not want to look at him as he left the tent where the two of them had been waiting since the welcome parade ended a few hours ago on their own. Hermione was sure that there would be a disappointed look on her face and that was something that she does not want Harry to see.
For a few moments, there was silence inside the tent. Hermione continued to stare at the flap of the tent that Harry and his liege lord had used and because of that, she failed to notice that while Lord Alexander and Harry have walked out of the tent, and while most of the staff members of Lord Alexander had also left, two people remained inside the room, in the form of the Count and Countess of Lisbourne.
James and Lily looked at each other for a few moments, a silent communication passed between the two of them during which time they informed the other that they could not believe that their son would introduce a girl to Lord Alexander – both believed that Harry would after he graduates from the Academy, because essentially, what Harry just did was to inform the Prince that there is a chance that Hermione would someday stand beside him before an altar, one after all, does not introduce a girl to one's liege lord without consequences, whether intended to or not.
After a few moments – during which time, Hermione continued to stare at the flap of the tent – James gave his wife a shrug before he subtly shook his head. Lily shot James a look of incredulity for a few moments, but that look was quickly replaced with an amused smile, a smile that remained on her face as she watched her husband figuratively throw in the towel and walk out of the tent the same way that they had came in.
Once her husband was out of the tent, Lily returned her attention toward the young girl – 'no, young woman, she is going to take her OWL's this school year, and in the magical world, that was all that was needed to be considered an adult even if they don't emancipate them till they are seventeen,' Lily thought to herself, mentally scoffing at the absurdness of the magical system – and noted that she was still staring at the tent flap that Harry and Lord Alexander had used.
For a few moments, Lily wondered exactly how long Hermione – she remembered her name because Harry had introduced them this morning – would continue to stare at the flap, but because she knew that she does not have all the time in the world, Lily pointedly cleared her throat.
That was all that was needed to inform Hermione that she was not alone inside the tent, and the young woman turned her attention toward the source of the sound that had disturbed her melancholy only to find the smiling face of the mother of the person that she was being melancholic about staring at her. Hermione had the good grace to blush, but it only brought a smile to the face of Lily.
"You've been staring at that direction since they left," Lily began with a smile. Somehow, the smile on her face did nothing to assuage the growing sense of dread that was forming inside Hermione; on the contrary, it seemed to stroke it more.
Lily seemed to sense this, if the next words that came out of her mouth were to be of any indication, "Don't worry Hermione," the Potter matriarch said, "I won't bite you."
Hermione nodded in response at the same time that she found herself surprised that she was actually acting like a stuttering teenager, minus the stutters, of course. She had, after all, managed to out-speak almost all of her professors; yet, here is this one woman whom Hermione found so intimidating, she was reduced to merely nodding her head in response.
"Would you care to sit?" Lily asked as she took a seat. Hermione stared at her for a few moments before she nodded and resumed her seat, taking the exact seat where she and Harry had sat as they waited for the meeting with the Headmaster to end.
Once she was seated, Lily let out a smile of triumph before she pounced – figuratively – on the young woman that was seated beside her, "Tell me about yourself, Hermione," Lily said, a subtle command, perhaps, but a command nonetheless.
Hermione stared at Lily, unsure of what to say in response to the question that the Countess had asked. It was a question that she had not answered in so many years and one that had not been asked of her since she came into the magical world. Her actions – and her reputation – had always answered this question without the need for anyone to ask her the question directly, and therein lies her dilemma.
Exactly what should she tell Lily about herself?
As with everything, Lily seemed to sense the turmoil that was brewing inside the young woman seated beside her. In truth, Lily had asked the question as a way to break the ice that seemed to have descended between her and Hermione. It was, admittedly, a prologue to Lily asking leading questions that would allow the countess to ascertain exactly where the loyalty of Hermione lies.
Lily was well aware that a mind-reader had subtly looked into the mind of Hermione this afternoon, but that report would not be available for her until after Lord Alexander had seen it, and Lily sincerely doubts that her liege lord had asked for her son to discuss that report, at least, not in its entirety.
"I don't know what to say," Hermione said a few moments later, an action that forced Lily out of her reverie. Now firmly in the present, Lily stared at Hermione for a few moments, though before Lily could say anything, Hermione continued, "I've always let my reputation answer that question for me."
Lily would not say it, but she was well aware of the reputation of Hermione, and unlike most of the classmates of Hermione, Lily had access to the muggle files of Hermione, or at least, those parts of it that were not classified as part of the National Security Act. The files of the young woman that was seated beside Lily had been placed under the umbrella of the National Security Act because her father was part of the Imperial Navy.
Lily, however, decided to focus on the reputation of Hermione as a student. The Countess knew that Hermione is the top student of her year, with a weighted average that was a good eight points higher than the weighted average of the number two of her year – strangely, a Slytherin named Daphne Greengrass. Lily also knew that Hermione had a contradicting reputation amongst the different groups within the school.
Her year mates and upperclassmen view her as a pain and unapproachable, but the younger ones – specially the first years – view her as very approachable and always ready to help, or at least, until after those people had been corrupted by the upper-class who spin tales about Hermione. It was little wonder that while Hermione has a lot of casual acquaintances in the school, she has very few – if any – friends amongst the rank and file of students.
As for the professors, they all like Hermione, but most of them are intimidated by the muggle-born student who already looked dead set to best them at their own game. Lily had it in good authority that Hermione is already performing transfiguration and charm work that was equal – if not superior – to that of Minerva McGonagall and Filius Flitwick, the transfiguration mistress and the charms master of Hogwarts respectively. It was these same two professors who are full of praise for the young muggle-born.
A small smile graced the face of Lily at that when she finally realized who the person that Hermione reminded her of. With her academic record, her tenacity, and the fact that she prefers to help the younger students rather than her own classmates, Lily realized that Hermione Granger reminded her of herself.
That small smile on the face of Lily broadened as she realized that she had to add one more thing about Hermione that reminded Lily of herself, 'the fact that she is attracted to a Potter,' the Countess mused to herself.
"You are probably well aware of my reputation, already," Hermione said a few moments later. Her tone was neutral, as if she could not decide if Lily would find her reputation as a count against her or a count for her. Quite frankly, Lily does not care, so long as her son is happy, and the Countess would be the first to admit that Harry appears to be happy whenever he is with Hermione, or at least, as far as she could see. Lily knew that he would have to talk to Harry about his later, but for now, she is going to reserve judging Hermione based on her reputation, after all, as a lawyer, that is not her job.
"Indeed, I am," Lily replied a few moments later. An uncomfortable silence descended between the two, but that silence was quickly broken by Lily, "Tell me about your family, Hermione," she said, "I find it curious that while your uncle – Admiral Richard Granger – continued his career with the navy, your father opted not to."
Hermione blinked, "I'm sorry, do you not have the records for that?" she asked curiously. It was not meant to be an offhanded comment to signify that she does not want to talk about that, it was an honest question, despite the way that it was delivered, and Lily knew that.
"I don't," the Countess replied truthfully, and before Hermione could say anything, Lily continued, "I am still a civilian, as is my husband, your father's service files are only available to members of the military," she grinned before she asked, "Are you aware that he was with Special Forces? After all, that is the only logical explanation why his file was sealed."
Hermione shook her head, "My mother told me that he was with the Imperial Navy before they met, not what he did there," the young woman replied, "I'm sorry, I can't,"
"That's alright," Lily replied, she paused for a few moments before she asked, "Tell me about your plans for the future."
Hermione blinked, "My Lady, I..," Hermione began.
Lily cut her off, "I'm not asking because I want to see if you and my son could have a connection," she shook her head for emphasis and added, "Quite frankly, Hermione, I think you and Harry have a connection, one that you are both aware exists yet refuse to act upon," Hermione looked ready to protest, but before the younger woman could open her mouth, Lily motioned for her to stand down, "I think it's good that the two of you are not acting like love struck teenagers that we both know the two of you are capable of being, because quite frankly, we are not sure what that connection between you and Harry is, it could be nothing more but a connection of friendship, or it could be something else" – Lily smiled, she remembered exactly the feeling that she is sure both her son and Hermione are experiencing right now, and with that, the Countess realized that there is another thing that she and Hermione shared.
"I…," Hermione began, momentarily mentally cursing herself for having failed to come up with something better than the stutter that came out of her mouth.
Lily once more motioned for Hermione to allow her to speak, and the younger woman had no choice – mostly because she could not think of anything to say – but to allow Lily to proceed, "I asked about your future plans because I want to know if you are aware of the roads that are open to you after you graduate."
"I don't understand," Hermione began.
"The discrimination today is no longer as bad as it was when I graduated Hogwarts, Hermione," Lily replied by way of explanation, a sigh escaped through the lips of the Countess of Lisbourne and she elaborated, "There was a time when even the best student from Hogwarts – Head Girl, highest NEWT's score in more than a hundred years, and all that – could not even get a post in the Ministry higher than a secretary to a man who barely passed his OWL's because she was born in the wrong side of the tracks."
Hermione blinked as she instantly realized who the person Lily was talking about was, but before she could say anything, Lily continued, "It didn't really matter to me anyway, I married the man of my dreams and had my family," he actually smiled before she continued, "Having Voldemort come after us was terrifying, but was probably the best thing that had happened to our lives, after all, we left the magical world and entered the non-magical world thanks to him."
Hermione looked surprised at that statement, something that Lily, admittedly, had expected. The smile on the face of Lily broadened before she said, "I would not be Countess of Lisbourne if I had not entered the non-magical world, I would not have finished my degree in English or law," – here, Hermione gasped, and Lily knew it was because the younger girl had not thought that it was possible for a magical educated in the magical world to be able to continue non-magical education, though as things stand, in this magical world, it is impossible – "and I most certainly would not be alive."
"Tell me, how do they say we killed the 'greatest, most powerful, and most terrible Dark Lord to ever walk the face of the earth'?" Lily asked, the humor in his voice evident, and all that Hermione needed to hear in order to realize that Lily – and Hermione suspected, Lord James as well, possibly even Harry – was amused by the title that was given to Voldemort. It was something that Hermione agreed with, though it was something that she dare not voice out loud.
"The official historical account says that you defeated him with ancient and powerful magic based on love and sacrifice," Hermione replied, "A love-based ritual that drove the soul of You-Know-Who from his body and turned his physical body into ash."
"No explanation at all? No details about the ritual?" Lily asked with a smile that told Hermione that the older woman was having fun. For the life of Hermione, though, she could not see why Lily was having so much fun with this.
Hermione shook her head, "None, the details are completely glossed over," she replied, "I suppose it was to prevent everyone else from doing it, but then again, I would have included the details since it's supposed to be a light based ritual of protection."
Lily smiled, "Hermione, I know that you've been taking up runes, so answer this, how long would it take for me to carve a simple rune in a marble tile, at the same time that we are under attack?" she asked.
"Probably a minute, certainly no less than that," Hermione replied instantly, "but you could have prepared the rune even before he arrived," Hermione pointed out.
"I suppose I could have," Lily replied, but she shook her head and pointed out, "We were in hiding though, and we are behind powerful wards, we did not expect Voldemort to be able to find us," she shook her head once more, "The truth of the matter is, Hermione, James killed Voldemort with a simple bullet to the head."
"But the reports…," Hermione began, though she stopped herself as she realized that the reporters who had made the report and whose accounts had made it into the official history books were not there when the event occurred. She was speaking with a person who was not only there when it happened, she is the reason that it happened.
This narration also told Hermione the reason that James and Lily had fled the magical world right after they had defeated the Dark Lord. Hermione was aware that it was highly illegal for a magical to kill another with a muggle weapon, it was the law now, it was the law then – though personally, Hermione saw little sense in it – and despite the fact that they had killed the dark lord and ended his reign of terror, Hermione realized that the Ministry would have counted the fact that James had used a gun against the Potter family.
"I won't bore you with the details of how we came to serve the Duke of New York," Lily said, she smiled before she added in response to the confused look on the face of Hermione, "Lord Alexander was just Duke of New York when we first came over to the non-magical world."
"Why are you telling me this?" Hermione asked a few moments later, genuine curiosity in her eyes.
Lily sighed, "You could take the path that I've taken Hermione," Lily replied, "I admit, Her Grace, the Marchioness had asked me to look for people within Hogwarts that we could possibly recruit, and your name came up at the top of the list," she smiled and added, "the fact that you and my son have a connection has nothing to do with this," she assured him.
Hermione paused for a few moments and realized that she was weighing her choices. The smart young woman could not deny what she wants to do – the moment that Lily told her about the fact that she had gone through university and had earned a degree, Hermione would have turned green with envy if she could – but she needs to be sure, "Can I," she began, she turned her attention toward Lily and asked, "Can I think about it?"
Lily smiled at her, "Of course you can," she replied, sounding positively ecstatic that that was the option that Hermione had chosen, but before Hermione could ask for the reason, Lily volunteered it, "The way that the magical world operates right now, Hermione, it is expected of you to not think, after all, why else would they force structured spells and wand movements when it is possible to perform magic without resorting to them?"
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Near Inverness
Scotland, British Isles, Holy Empire of Britannia
October 18, 1995
The Great Hall of Hogwarts was in a festive mood, even if a full third of the students that are currently inside the Great Hall looked as if they had swallowed a bug whole.
The traditional colors of the Four Houses of Hogwarts that hung from the pillars that supported the ceiling of the Great Hall – and its world famous view of the outside sky – had been replaced by the colors of the Holy Empire of Britannia. Every pillar in the Great Hall sported at least two of the flags, and behind the long table that serves as the table for the professors, a giant Britannian flag had been raised by the Britannian sailors that had accompanied the mission.
Seated at his usual position at the center of the table reserved for the professors, the Headmaster tried to present a jovial mood for the students, but deep inside, the Headmaster was worried. The muggle-born students under his care appear to be ecstatic with the presence of the Imperial Army, and the Prince of Scotland, while quite a few of the half-bloods were with them. The rest of the student population appears to be barely keeping their contempt in control.
For a few moments, the Headmaster wondered if the Prince of Scotland was aware that his appearance had polarized the students of Hogwarts, before he belatedly realized that with the intelligence of the man – there are rumors that the Empress would have Lord Alexander succeed her because of that intelligence – Lord Alexander is surely aware of what his presence is doing for the children.
The sound of laughter that came from a muggle-born group within the Hufflepuff table tore the Headmaster out of his reverie, but it was not toward the Hufflepuff table that the Headmaster had turned his attention; rather, it was toward the table right next to the Hufflepuff table, the Slytherin table.
As the Headmaster had expected, several of the students seated at that table looked at the celebrating Huffepuffs with barely disguised contempt, and the Headmaster visibly fought the urge to sigh. The situation inside the school was so bad right now; the Headmaster was expecting a brawl to erupt at any time. The Headmaster wondered if that was the reason that the army had been sent here – after all, with disturbances like that, an excuse to send in the soldiers could be easily found – but easily dismissed it, not because it was unlikely, but because there was nothing that he could do about it anyway.
The Headmaster turned his attention toward his potions professor with the intention of gauging exactly what Professor Snape felt at that moment, had it not been for a group of Slytherin students suddenly entering the Great Hall. That would not have been unusual, had it not been for the saunter that Draco Malfoy and his group of Slytherins had entered.
Albus may have problems with the son of Lucius Malfoy but he could not deny the leadership ability of the young blond. In less than a year, Draco had united his classmates under his banner and was well on his way to uniting his whole house by his second year, had it not been for an unfortunate incident that nearly saw the boy shunned by the whole school. Nowadays, while unable to command the respect that he truly craved, the boy still has the support of his Slytherin classmates.
Draco walked into the hall as if he owned it, and in his mind, Albus was sure that the boy was of the opinion that his family owns the Great Hall. A part of the mind of the Headmaster wondered what would happen should the Malfoy heir directly challenge the Prince of Scotland, but the greater part of the mind of the Headmaster prayed that that would not happen, because if it did, the Headmaster was sure that things would turn out for the worst.
Unfortunately for the Headmaster, that was exactly what happened.
A mere ten seconds after Draco walked into the Hall – and while the boy and his group was still making their way to their table – every muggle-born inside the room stood. At first, the Headmaster thought that it was a prank, then it was in response to some unseen signal, and in less than a second, the Headmaster was proven right.
Lord Alexander walked into the Great Hall arm in arm with his fiancée who was laughing at something that the Prince had said. Behind the Duke, his principal advisors followed, dressed in their most formal, but all of his military staff – including some people whom the Headmaster had not met before – are armed, and as if that was not insult enough, they are armed with firearms.
As the Prince and his contingent walked into their position – their table was placed behind the table of the professors and in a higher dais, reflecting the fact that the Prince is higher than the Headmaster who could not even complain because Hogwarts herself placed the table there – the Headmaster realized that he had forgotten that Draco Malfoy and his friends are still standing.
The Headmaster – indeed, most of his staff who realized that the Malfoy boy was still standing – turned their attention toward the direction of Lord Alexander at the same time that they found themselves praying that Draco Malfoy would not cause an incident. Their prayers were in vain.
With a saunter, Draco walked toward the Prince of Scotland – he was stupid enough to actually abandon his bodyguards – until he stood in front of the Prince. The taller prince stared at the fifteen year old with an expression on his face that was half-amused, half-uncaring, and seemed to convey the message to everyone – everyone not named Draco Malfoy that is – that the Prince does not really care about the person that had just intercepted him.
"I'm not sure how it works your world, but in our world, its illegal to carry guns," Draco replied, his tone suggesting that he was lecturing a muggle who does not know anything about the magical world.
If the Headmaster did not think that it would demean his reputation, he would have smacked himself on the face the moment that the Slytherin prince opened his mouth. As it stands, the Headmaster knew that he could not afford to remove his attention from Draco Malfoy because if he did, then the boy might suddenly disappear.
The Prince, however, merely smiled at the boy – and the smile was so devoid of contempt and warmth that it was impossible for anyone to misinterpret it as anything but contempt – before he said, "I would remember that the next time that I meet with parliament," before he turned his attention away from the boy and resumed his walk toward his position.
The Headmaster let out a sigh of relief – and if he was being honest with himself, he knew that he was not the only one – as the Prince started to walk away from the Slytherin prince, obviously of the opinion that the confrontation was over.
Draco, however, was not one to back away from things, and unfortunately for him, while his charisma was undeniable, so was his temper, and with the perceived insult – the fact that Lord Alexander showed his back to him – was more than his ego could take. Without really thinking about it, he quickly drew his wand. His quick motion, however, was not as quick as he liked to think, because his friend and bodyguard – Gregory Goyle – actually managed to draw his wand faster than Draco.
Without direction from his boss, the young Slytherin – who was probably dead last in his year – pointed his wand toward the direction of Lady Emma – probably because he thought that Draco had his wand aimed at the Prince – and was about to fire a curse – exactly what the curse is would be hard to ascertain – when James Potter – who was keeping watch – jumped into the fray.
Lord James saw that the intended target of the confirmed threat was Lady Emma so he threw himself toward her, not with the intention of shielding her from whatever curse it was that the threat wanted to throw at the back of the Marchioness, but rather, to move her out of the line. It was the sensible choice because Lord James stood at the right side of Lady Emma while Lord Alexander was at her left. His move caused him to crash into both Lord Alexander and Lady Emma, forcing the two into the floor at the same time that a green bolt of light erupted from the business end of the wand of Gregory Goyle.
Exactly what the curse was, however, would not be known because a second or two after the move of Lord James, Vice Admiral Cline had drawn his service sidearm and had it aimed. With calmness that could only be brought about by years of training – Vice Admiral Cline is a qualified naval sniper – the chief of staff of Lord Alexander pulled the trigger, sending a single bullet flying off the barrel of his pistol. It took less than two seconds – with the distances involved – before the bullet tore a neat hole in the forehead of Gregory Goyle, but the unfortunate did not have the time – or the inclination really – to comment on how perfect the whole on his forehead was, he was long gone by the time his body hit the floor.
A shocked silence descended along the ranks within the Great Hall, but it was the Headmaster who first recovered. Shocked and angry, the Headmaster started to reach for his wand – and using his peripheral vision – he saw the Professor Snape was just behind him in doing so, but before either man could truly pull their wands out of their sleeves, the whole of the Great Hall was flooded as men wearing camouflage and totting rifles flooded into the room, their weapons pointed toward the direction of the staff table. The fact that there are close to fifteen hundred children between their position and their targets did not even cross their minds.