Well, I got my inspiration right back! I am quite content with this chapter, and I expect to continue being like this, but I am sure that this state of mine wont last, so I better write everything I can xD. Now, as always I am looking for a Beta Reader for this story, and enjoy the chapter!
Herenvarno POV
It was a normal day in the castle, but the way everyone moved was depressed with concern for my daughter. Indilwen was still depressed; only moving around without speaking or only eating the bare minimum to exist. It was like watching a spirit moving around, haunting the castle with her presence. She was fading, and we couldn't do a thing to avoid it. Even sending my best wizard; Aran Ralthây to investigate every little lead he discovered was moot. I sighed, as I tried to focus on my realm, as it was my duty even when my heart only wanted to be with my daughter trying to make her come out of her depression that carried now twelve years.
Then, the noise of the door of my study opening with force distracted me. For a moment, I thought that it was an enemy without intelligence trying to kill me, so I got up with my hand reaching for my sword, but then I saw better and I could see my daughter… completely pissed off and with flames in her eyes. It was a difference from the last time I saw her, but I gulped as she reached toward me. But looking into her eyes, I could see that the fury was not directed at me, as well the sadness and… hope?
- "In the name of Ehlonna, what happened?" – I asked to my daughter, reaching for her and I was lucky in that, as she collapsed in my arms, crying in my chest. The fury was still there, but she needed to process something big. I only had to let her vent everything, and be patient, but it was heart-breaking seeing her like that, and surely if someone was the culprit of this, the kingdom would take every weapon at their disposal to kill that man.
- "Father… I need your help." – She finally said as I held her, looking at me, pleading with her eyes. I stayed silent, but I started to walk towards a sofa, and made us sat to be able to speak better. It was going to be difficult for her, but I needed to know what happened, so I could take the necessary step to help her heal.
- "You know that I will help in every way possible, except if it's something outright dangerous. But if I help, I will need to know what happened for you needing my help." – I said, looking at her in the eyes. She merely nodded, like she already took the decision to do that. She wasn't someone to take a step without taking on account every possible outcome, so if she was ready, I only had to listen to her.
- "When I practiced my spells thirty-three years ago, one of them was a spell of dimensional travel. But then, I took a misstep on the spell, and it was my spirit that travelled. I was reborn as a little human girl, a mere baby with a sister and loving parents." – She started, her eyes lost in memories. I had lots of questions; as well as forbidding her to do spells that complicated alone, but stayed silent, as she wasn't going to stop right now, and I didn't want to interrupt her.
- "I made friends with Severus Snape, a good boy in my neighbourhood that was being abused by the scum of his father. He told me about my magic; as I could at least do some minor spells like Feather Fall. That told me that the magic in that world was hidden, and soon as I was eleven, I was going to a school of wizards and witches to learn to do all type of spells with a wand." – She said, laughing a bit at the part of going to school again, as well as spat the part of the father of that boy.
- "Severus knew my true self, as well as hided it when my spirit tried to accommodate my body, giving me the ears for example. The firsts years went well, but I avoided like the plague a boy called James Potter, as he was being conceited and a jerk back then. But then, the war started to present itself in our doors, and in my fifth year, I lost the friendship of Severus as he made a mistake that he repented the rest of his life. As a parting gift, he made himself to forget my true self, to protect me." – She said, changing her smile to a one of sadness. It was changing the story to something more sinister, and I didn't like it.
- "After that, I started to see some things in James Potter. He transformed from a jerk, to someone who protected everyone he could. As more I learned of him, more I started to feel things for him. Then, I knew that I fell in love with him, and I married him when we graduated." – She said, and my brain stopped there… my daughter, married and without my approval, but with deep true love as I could see in her eyes. It was being difficult, but I stayed silent, trying to focus on the story.
- "The war started right there. Friends I made in school were killed daily, and the enemy leaded by someone called Voldemort seemed to win every battle. It was only a matter of time, and then, I got pregnant and went into hiding with my husband." – She continued, and I had to repeat her words in my mind two times to comprehend the meaning… I had a grandson, a precious child out there that I knew nothing until this moment.
- "But even then, there was a prophecy, saying that a child born at the end of the seventh month, whose parents defied Voldemort three times, would be the only one who could vanquish him. I was doubting it, as the divination in that plane was a joke most of the time, but Voldemort didn't doubt it and we stayed hidden for a year, while I tried to find a way to transport my family back here." – She said, tears starting to fall again from her eyes as despair filled her voice. I just couldn't imagine that she went into war, it was a wish that nobody of my family suffered that, but it was moot now...
- "A friend who was protecting our location suffered a visit from someone of this plane, who made a Dominate Person on him, making him reveal our location to Voldemort. It took us by surprise, and James tried to give me and little Harry time to flee, but he was without his wand and fell seconds later. I tried to call on my magic to do my spells, but then, my magic was bounded. I couldn't perform even a trick, and Voldemort told me to step aside. I didn't, and he killed me… "- She said, as my blood run cold. She was dead, she felt the death in her skin; and she died along her family there. That Voldemort was going to feel the wrath of the entire kingdom if I could have it.
- "My spirit returned here, but I failed. My family was dead, and even when I had you and my brother, it wasn't the same. But today, I received communication with Aran, and I saw Severus… He was so anguished and happy to see me. He thought that he was the fault of my death all these years. And said something that gave a happiness like you couldn't know." – She said, returning her smile, a true smile shining with infinite happiness that made every part of the room light. I gave her a confused look, as losing all her family was hard on anybody, but returning that happiness in a moment it was something which had to be important.
- "He said that my little boy was going to Hogwarts… My son is alive. I couldn't believe it. But then, Aran started to tell me with Severus everything that happened…" - She continued, her smiling face slipping into one of rage that would make an army of orcs run for their life.
- "My son lived with my sister back there, Petunia… But he was not loved. He was outright abused! Bruises, broken bones, starvation, worked to the bone! And that's not all, there is more! Having to fight the spectre of Voldemort possessing a teacher, bypassing a Cerberus, a Devil Snare, fighting a troll; all of that in his first year! And topping off that, in his second year he had to kill a basilisk and destroy a cursed diary of Voldemort which possessed a little girl!" – She yelled with rage, and my own wrath was rising as well. The children were sacred in most races, and only the foulest creatures went to abuse their own kin. And the dangers the little boy had to fight, while being abused in his own home was a sight that would put every man and woman in arms to kill Petunia and her family to make them pay.
- "Where is the boy? He must be taken to safety." – I said, and the next thing my daughter was going to say died off, looking at me for a moment before relaxing and smiling a bit.
- "He is at Noyvern Academy, learning and within the healing of a cleric of Pelor. No danger is going to come at him now, and even if I wanted to take him here, his friends are there too, who came with him in their own volition." – She said, her smile getting wider, her happiness for her son spilling into me.
- "As Aran told me, his best friend is called Ron Weasley, a bit dork at a times, but with a great mind and the one who started the discoveries, and is accompanied by his twins brothers; being adept pranksters. The others who came with him were Hermione; another of his best friends whose intellect give her the title of the brightest witch of her age, and Neville, a loyal friend with confidence issues, but was the first one to step in to go with Harry." – She recounted with her fingers, like trying to get everyone right. I couldn't help but smile as the fact that, even abused, he could have true friends that would go with him to anywhere.
- "Well, for the moment he is safe. We need to plan carefully, as we have someone from this plane trying to usurp our kingdom. The fact now is that your son would be an heir as time passed, and a danger to our enemies that expected our line to die." – I said, getting serious. This was treason of the highest degree if the culprit was one wanting to usurp my throne, but as it is, the leads were colder than ice to identify the culprit.
- "Father, please. At least let me go to Tuney. I know that she treated my son like dirt, but I have to speak with her. She wasn't that despicable and even if we weren't in best terms, she wouldn't do any of that to a child." – Indilwen pleaded. I was tempted to say no, but at the evidence of tampering with spells, maybe it was something to look into. And if she was controlled, it wasn't her fault.
- "You will in its due time. And you won't be alone. But right now, we must observe. Enough waves are stirring right now. But I will assure you that you will be with your son soon. And I want to meet my grandson too." – I said, serious but at the end I finished with a smile. A thought of having a grandson to pamper was something that I could even feel a bit giddy to do, and I would need to coordinate with Aran to make sure it was the right time to let the boy know about his family. My daughter smiled, and I could already feel a weight on my mind lift. Things were going back to happy times.
Aran Raltây POV
I finally returned to Noyvern Academy, were the classes were finished and the students were retiring to their beds after a long day. I could see how Mr Weasley was joking with his friends, but they took a look at me, before returning to their conversation. It was clear that he already told his friends about the events of this afternoon, and they were trying to guess what was happening. I could see a bit of fear and sadness, possibly at the death of their headmaster. Luckily, he was not there when I contacted Indilwen, that would have been a shock for Mr Potter… and it pained me that I was sworn by secrecy to not say anything about it until they told me otherwise.
I retired to my chambers, and tried to approach my bed to try to rest, but before I unpacked, the doors of my chamber opened with a guard, clearly in a state of panic. – "A dragon is attacking the academy!" – He shouted, making me freeze. A dragon!? How the heck is happening every single bad thing today!?
- "If a dragon was attacking, the guards of the city would have picked it up and we would have been called way sooner before the dragon approached this place, soldier. If this is your idea of a joke…" - I growled, while preparing my spells to confront that menace; or try to fry the guard for his idea of a joke.
- "No sir! The dragon was disguised as a woman with red hair like some of the new students. She wanted to have her sons back, but the front guards told her that she couldn't do that, so she waved a wand and stuck them to the floor. Right now, she is approaching the bedrooms." – The guard said, and I remembered the woman who was trying to prevent her sons to accompany Mr. Potter. Surely she had guts trying to "break off" her sons, like if this place was a prison, but something that surprised me was the frontal assault and the similarity that the guard made.
I ran towards the dormitory, and I waited. Soon, I heard the scuffles of a fight, and I saw how one of the guards, a dwarf shouting something about killing the dragon, was flung back at a speed very quick, and I put the shields quickly enough to avoid a barrage of five spells in less than three seconds. Then, I understood why the similarity with a dragon, her face and presence was equal to an adult red dragon mum trying to protect her eggs. Before I could say anything, the door of the dormitory opened, showing three red heads.
- "MUM!?" – They shouted, and the fight stopped then, most of the guards looking between the woman and the three kids, and surely they were thinking of dragon sons or something like that. I couldn't avoid laughing at their expenses.
- "Guards, stand down. She isn't a danger. Miss Weasley, before you try to remove your sons from here, can I speak with you? I promise on my magic that no danger will befall to you or your sons, so mote it be." – I said, and a flash indicating that my magic accepted the oath was seen, making her relax a bit and lowered her wand.
- "Mr Ralthây, my children are going to come home with me. And you should do the same toward Hermione and Harry, surely her family is missing her, and Harry could stay the summer at the Burrow." – Molly said, steel in her voice and still feeling the presence of a red dragon in place. Surely she didn't take the security of her children lightly, and by the tone she already adopted Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger.
- "Miss Weasley, they chose to come here. I am not going to force them going back to their home, but before we continue let's take our conversation to a place more comfortable." – I said, starting to walk, and Miss Weasley followed but her eyes looking at me with suspicion. At least she was agreeing to listen to me, and I could start to see the differences in our magic. The wand-magic they used was way quicker than our spells adapted to the meta-magic, but their strength was reduced. I would need to check on the differences in spells too later, as I had to focus on dealing with someone who could be a descendant of a red dragon; and that was taking it easy.
We reached my study, and I sat in my chair after I offered a chair to her, that agreed graciously. – "Tell me why I shouldn't take my children off here." – She said, clearly to the point and without any type of subterfuge.
- "Well, for one we offer the education all year round, but we usually give more holidays distributed in weeks more than months. And the subjects available to them is bigger than in Hogwarts, so they are advancing rather quickly than their peers that don't come here." – I said, looking at her in the eyes, and I could see how her rage was diminishing in thought of an actual education.
- "And the payment for this school, and methods of maintaining communication with them?" – She said, sounding worried. Now I understood clearly what happened to made her like that. She was thinking that we were taking away her children… something I understood. I smiled kindly at her.
- "There isn't any payment, as the money come from the crown itself. And you can continue using owls, they only would take a day more at most. And if you are willing to stablish near here, we have some vacant posts in some places, as we have to continue your type of magic with a wand, along other posts." – I said kindly, and I could see how she was already thinking the possibilities.
- "Before I take the decision, I will need to speak with my husband and my children. But only to know, is there any post in the kitchens? I haven't any mastery to teach magic to children, but my household skills are good." – She said, smiling at me, and finally disappearing that presence of a dragon. I nodded at her, before getting up.
- "Then, why don't you stay here tonight, and tomorrow we all speak? I am sure everyone have more questions, and I will gladly answer them." – I suggested, and she nodded. One guard; who was terrified of her, took her to the guest's chambers, and I went back to my chambers to sleep like the death… Today was a crazy day, and surely more days like this would be coming… Something that wanted me to shout that this was already beyond my salary.