Wow thanks so much, everyone for the reviews, they were awesome and mean a lot. Not entirely sure about this chapter but hope that you enjoy it :).
Draco brought the small vial close to his face, muttering under his breath for a few moments before shaking his head.
"No, no chance, don't have a clue who this is." Turning the label to Hermione so that she could see that the name had been smudged beyond recognition.
"Well, I suppose we don't know who most of these people are." She shrugged. They had seen quite a few of the memories in the cabinet, most of them mundane things that, while they were nice to see, did not give them any more information.
"Ahh well…here goes. Fingers crossed for another dragon riding memory." Hermione scowled at him, her stomach turning a little at the thought. A young witch, surname Surphan, had seen fit to secret away the wondrous memory of her riding a dragon and the experience had not been an enjoyable one. She secretly began hoping that whatever memory it was, her feet would be planted firmly on the ground.
The garden was a small square at the back of the hut packed full of brightly coloured flowers that seemed like tiny light sources of their own in the warmth of the summer day. The grass beneath Hermione's feet was a luscious green that Hermione knew had to have been soft. She felt a little bereft at the loss of all the memory had to offer; the touch, the taste, the endless thoughts that went along with it. A small girl sat cross-legged in the middle of yellow blossoms, her red hair getting tangled around the stems as she giggled happily to herself. Her mother sat not far away, her own hair like liquid fire cascading down her back, humming softly to herself as she pressed her wand gently against closed blooms, watching them open with a small smile on her face. Draco tipped his head to the side remembering his own mother in her own garden and how he used to marvel at the heady fragrance, his imagination running wild with adventure and mystery. While he did not know the emotions of either person, he could guess at the joy the little girl felt, the magic that surrounded her and he could see the crinkle of happiness and love in the corner of the mother's eyes, as she glanced towards her daughter.
"Fairnie, sweetheart, five more minutes." The child said little in reply to her mother, but her face screwed up with disgust at the thought of there being an end to her playtime. "I know, but we can't have you wasting away." The woman stood, brushing down the front of her dress and grinning at her daughter. Hermione was surprised by how young she was, she would have guessed about the same age as Mina, perhaps a little younger.
"Flower." The little girl pointed up at the blooms above her and her mother chuckled, nodding her head as she reached down to pick her up.
"Yes, flower. And Fairnie?" The little girl pointed at herself and at the flower beneath her.
"Yes, you're a flower too." The girl clapped happily, hugging her mother's neck as she moved to carry her inside. Pausing in horror as robed wizards filtered through the back door of her home, all bearing the insignia of the Order of Light. Arden was the last to step out, his head held high in pomposity, a smirk curling the one side of his lips that made Hermione's blood boil.
"What is the meaning of this?" The woman spoke quickly and harshly, turning her body slightly away from them so as to protect her child.
"You know why we are here."
"My husband is not home yet." Arden nodded once.
"Your husband is dead." The woman's body shook at the news as if she were just a second away from falling into despair. However, seeming to remember her company, she straightened her back, pressing her lips together in a thin line and raising her head as she clutched her child more fiercely.
"I thank you for telling me, now if you would leave my child and I in peace. We have much to grieve."
"Mamma?"
"Hush Fairnie, everything is fine." Hermione could tell from the look on the mother's face that she did not believe that.
"I'm afraid that is not possible Eerene, you know of what your husband was involved in. I cannot, we cannot allow you to continue where he left off, you must come with us."
"I know not of what you speak, and you will not do this in front of my daughter."
"Your daughter is to come too." He nodded at his followers and they moved forward, their wands in hand and pointed at the Eerene and her daughter. The mother seemed to weigh up her options, glancing between her daughter and the men before finally seeming to give up, her shoulders slumping as she let them take her away. Hermione felt a lump in the back of her throat as she watched the little girl lift her one chubby hand towards the garden as if a part of her knew that she would never see it again.
Suddenly they were once again stood beside the cabinet, staring at the memories still bouncing around in some of the bottles. Hermione watched as Draco slumped against a desk, his hand over his heart, a pained look on his face.
"Some of these suck." He mumbled, and Hermione nodded in agreement, she wanted to experience everything the past had to offer, but she had to admit that some of the memories were hard work, making her heart clench painfully in her chest.
"What do you suppose happened to her?" Hermione mumbled, shivering when she thought of ending her life like Mina's old friend Avie. Draco shook his head grimly.
"Doesn't bear thinking about, does it? Wherever that arsehole took her it couldn't have been good."
Hermione leant in closer when something caught her eye, the rune that Arden used as his insignia for the order of light, carved on the inside of one door.
"You alright there, Granger?"
"Hmmm, it's just this reminds me of…" She pressed her finger against it, watching it glow faintly, the wood of the door melting into nothing before her eyes, revealing five extra bottles that held no labels.
"Whose are these?" Draco asked, removing one and turning it in his fingers.
"I think…I think they could be Arden's. Maybe…or perhaps he thought that these were more important."
"Only one way to know for sure." He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows as he tipped the memory into the Pensieve.
The leaves of the trees were like golden flames in the dying light, the grounds of the Manor littered with those that had fallen, they crunched beneath Arden's boot as he slowly walked towards the willow tree that stood at the edge of his land. Its orange leaves rustled in the wind, the lowest of its branches dragging along the ring of dirt surrounding its old trunk. Taigen stood to the side, a shovel in hand and a red-haired woman that Hermione recognised as Eerene at his side, her arm linked through his, pale skin vibrant in the low light. Hermione gasped when she noticed that the woman was heavily pregnant, the roundness of her belly evident even in the baggy robes that she wore.
"It is ready?" Arden asked, looking at Taigen who nodded down at the hole he had dug grimly. Arden looked down at the package in his hand's tears welling in his eyes. Eerene stepped forward, placing her hand on the top of his arm with care.
"They will be at rest." She muttered, her voice offering consolation. Hermione shook her head, glancing up at Draco in confusion. There was no doubt it was the same woman from the previous memory, but it seemed as though she were a different person, treating Arden with such care and consideration.
"Where's her kid?" Draco mumbled, his own confusion evident on his face, glancing around the Manor's grounds and finding that there was not a child in sight.
"I don't understand."
"Eerene," Taigen spoke quietly but Hermione could see that his jaw was clenching repeatedly as though holding back anger. The woman moved away from Arden with a nod, giving him space.
"We will leave you." She muttered, letting Taigen wrap his arm around her as they walked away.
"Taigen," Arden spoke quickly, and the man turned, "a word?"
Taigen looked down at Eerene, mumbling something to her before striding back to Arden, his back seeming somewhat bare without his two axes.
"She remembers you?" Arden asked hesitantly and Taigen picked at the leather braces around his wrists and shook his head.
"No, whatever they did has worked. But I couldn't leave her. The child is mine…" Taigen shook his head again taking a deep breath, "I do not understand how the magic works, but she believes it is her late husbands, she believes he died in better circumstances."
"And you will stay with her."
"I have told her that I will support her. This world is mine now, whether I am wanted or no." Arden fingered the package in his hand grimly.
"I feel that you are more a part of this new world than I." Taigen eyes flashed with anger.
"Remember I know your crimes, what you did to Eerene and her family and I will not forget."
"Forgive me I…"
"Never. I will no longer allow my hate to guide me, but I will never forgive you."
"That is, that is…" Arden did not finish but he seemed as though he understood, letting his head sink till his chin seemed to rest against his chest. "I understand. You will marry her, yes?"
"She said that she is a Weasley and always will be and I…it remains from before, there is truth in it and I respect that." Hermione gasped at the sound of her friend's second name.
"Take care of her." Taigen grit his teeth but nodded once, turning on his heel and stalking off.
Arden shook as Taigen's steps died away, tears glittering on his cheeks as he knelt before the hole placing the package in gently.
"I will make this right, I promise." Arden sobbed, taking out his wand and using it to fill in the dirt, placing both his palms on top of the dirt, his howls of grief echoing even as they were once again placed back before the Pensieve.
"Weasley? That must mean…"
"She's Ron's ancestor." Draco scratched the back of his head.
"But what about her kid, the other one." They were both silent, both knowing what the child's absence meant but not wishing to voice it.
"She thought that her new child was her husbands, how is that…?"
"He said something about a spell," Draco gestured to Taigen, "perhaps the council was successful, and I don't know, reset everything."
Hermione quickly took the second bottle from the shelf, pouring it into the Pensieve, allowing herself to sink into yet another memory.
The room was so familiar, the green pillars and the moving paintings along the wall. Hermione glanced up at the ceiling where snowflakes gently fell, bursting into tiny plumes of magic when they hit the floor. Arden was stood in the middle, glancing around at his work with what seemed to Hermione like pride. She had to admit that it was beautiful, and if she had performed such a feat of magic she would have been proud too. Still, it angered her to see the look on his face.
Gently and with what seemed like reverence, he took a small vial from his robes placing it on the floor in front of him. Inside a bright blue substance seemed to move of its own accord, the colour of it reminding Hermione of the Sensieve's magic. Hermione reached out for Draco's hand, threading her fingers through his. She daren't look at him, but she felt him squeeze her hand as if he knew how she felt. This was the beginning of everything they had experienced together, she could feel it and having his hand in hers felt right.
Arden removed the stopper from the vial, watching as the contents snaked out of it in blue tendrils, floating in the air before him. Hermione imagined she could feel the prickle of the Sensieve's magic all around her, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Arden broke his wand, letting the magic flow out to encase the blue, the two mixing together as he spoke.
"That not done, may it be done, through this. Rest be found at last." He paused a moment, letting his broken wand clatter to the floor. "Forgive me."
The magic seemed to be still for a moment, before it began to swirl seeming to fill the room, swallowing both Hermione and Draco in such a bright light that blinded them. When they could eventually see again they both gasped as the Sensieve floated in the middle of the room, in all its wondrous beauty. Arden stepped forward, reaching his hand out and letting fall after a moment when nothing happened.
"Not for me." The wizard said with resignation, his legs giving out beneath him. He knelt before his creation and began to sob.
"Arden, he created the Sensieve?" Hermione breathed when the memory had faded.
"It would seem so," Draco commented, rubbing his palm across his face. He had thought that he had reached his limit of epiphanies for the evening, but it seemed that the past just kept on surprising him, regardless of how difficult it was for him to take in.
"But it said that in order to create it that you needed a soul…Oh my, you don't think he took Mina's, do you?"
"It's possible, but then, what about Edward?"
"Argh I don't know, there are so many answers but…"
"A shit ton more questions." Draco finished, taking out the third bottle and holding up close to his face. Hermione noticed that her hand was still firmly grasped in his and she couldn't help the small smile that crept on her face. He didn't seem to notice even as he poured in the next memory and she was grateful, not wanting to let go just yet.
The sound was unbelievable, screams filled Hermione's ears as they were dumped atop a hill, a battle raging below. Hermione looked to the side and immediately scooted closer to Draco when she noticed that Arden stood beside her, overlooking it all. She knew that the wizard could not see her, but it was unnerving to have him so close.
"This must be the battle with, Tharin," Draco commented, gulped past the bile rising in his throat as he watched people getting slaughtered. Tharin's men wore armour decorated with large stones, their weaponry glowing in the dark night, seeming to absorb all the spells that the witches and wizards hurled at them. Hermione shook, and he let go of her hand, drawing her close to him and letting her bury her head in his chest.
"It's…"
"I know," he mumbled into her hair, focusing in the smell of strawberries, unable to look at the carnage himself. She was real and warm in his arms and what they saw was just the past. More screams pierced the night and he held her tighter, his fingers slipping into her hair, thumb brushing away the tears that fell down her cheeks.
"Why would they do this? All that death for…" Hermione sobbed, her fingers clutching at his coat. She had expected to handle the scene a little better, she had seen and felt horrendous things in Mina's memory, but nothing could have prepared her for the sight. She wondered if the people fighting really believed in all that they were fighting for, or did they suddenly realise the futility just as it was too late.
Movement by their side made Draco turn and he watched in disbelief as Arden turned on his heal and ran, leaving behind the people he had led to their death.
"Fucking coward." Draco ground out and Hermione followed his gaze, realising just what Arden had been begging forgiveness for, just what sat on the shoulders of the old worn wizard. He had to live with everything he had done to his people, all the lies he had told and, when they needed him the most, he had abandoned them. She guessed that their cries must have haunted him all the way through his long life and she was actually grateful, feeling not a shred of sympathy as Arden became a speck on the horizon and the memory faded.
"I can't believe him." Hermione cried, wiping her tears on her sleeves and sniffing, Draco's hand was on her shoulder, his thumb rubbing comforting circles.
"I can't believe he got away with it?" Draco murmured, "he should have been executed or…or I don't know turned into something nasty." Hermione found herself chuckling past her tears in spite of it all.
"Perhaps what he did get was worse, he had to live with that." Draco contemplated her words, seeming to partially agree with them after a moment.
"Still think they should have hexed him a little."
"Nothing would have been bad enough." Hermione countered and Draco grinned.
"I don't know, could think of a few things." Hermione laughed again, taking a deep shuddering breath.
"You okay?" His voice was soft as he gently lifted her chin with the crook of his finger. Hermione nodded and gave him a wobbly smile.
"Yes, it's just…I didn't expect that."
"We don't have to look at the others if you don't want to." He assured her, and she shook her head.
"No, we need to see this. It's important."
"Okay, but you want to stop this at any point and you tell me." Hermione smiled up at him warmly, watching as he took the fourth bottle with shaking fingers. She guessed that his care was not just to do with her, the memory seemed to have shaken him too.
"You ready?" He asked, and she nodded, watching as he took the cork out the top and took a deep breath.
"I'm not sure I am." He muttered drily but poured it into the Pensieve nonetheless.
"MINA." The boy was small, wandering through the trees, his hand cupped over his mouth as he called out. "MINA, WHERE ARE YOU?"
"You keep shouting and you'll have the centaurs after you." A girl with short brown hair countered, swinging a stick at a tree as she stepped into the boy's path.
"There are not centaurs round here," the boy countered petulantly, raising his nose in the air with a sniff, "where's Mina?"
The girl with the brown hair shrugged, a frown marring her pretty features.
"How should I know? She does what she wants."
"Oh my, is that Sonyea?" Hermione gasped, stepping closer to examine the girl more closely. Much had changed about her since her childhood but there was no mistaking Sonyea in the little girl, her pixie-like features even evident from such a young age.
"So, this little shits Arden then?" Draco commented, looking at the boy with distaste. Even when he was younger he seemed weedy and cowardly.
"I want to show her a spell I've learnt," Arden stated with pride, brandishing his wand. Sonyea tipped her head to the side and sniffed, her face seeming rather unimpressed.
"What spell?"
"I'm not telling you." He countered, drawing his wand close to his chest as though she would somehow force him to cast it.
"Bet there isn't one really, you just want an excuse to see her."
"Have too."
"Show me then." Sonyea sat herself down on a rock, looking up Arden expectantly. Hermione wondered how someone as strong and willful as Sonyea could have ever fallen in love with someone like Arden. Whatever the witch had seen in him felt as though it were hidden away from view completely.
Young Arden made a face but raised his wand snootily, producing a small ball of flame that floated in the air between them. Hermione guessed from the look on Sonyeas' face that it was nothing special.
"Is that it?" Sonyea asked with a grin, clutching her stomach as she laughed at Arden's woeful display of magic. Arden was not impressed by the turn of events, frowning at her and stomping his feet.
"I can do more, that's, that's just the start." He countered, quickly casting another spell that made twigs and dirt lift from the floor and float before them. Sonyea didn't bother to voice her disappointment but Hermione could tell by the look on her face that she was not impressed. Arden bristled at this quickly casting yet more spells, transfiguring the branches into little wooden knights that marched towards Sonyea, their swords raised above their heads.
"I don't know about you, but if I could do that at his age I'd have been thoroughly impressed with myself," Draco commented.
"I suppose Old Magic just made everything easier. Everyone was more powerful." Hermione wondered how different things would have been if they'd kept to their old ways, she shuddered when she thought of how powerful Voldemort could have been.
Both Hermione and Draco turned when a young boy stepped from behind a tree, his hands clenching and unclenching as he looked at Arden and his tiny army of wooden warriors.
"It's Edward." Hermione breathed, instantly recognising the young boy, dirt smeared across his face and anger in his eyes.
"Arden let's go." Arden shrugged her off, pointing his wand at the boy menacingly.
"Who are you?" Arden asked, trying to look down his long nose at the boy who was a good deal taller than him, dirt smeared across his cheeks and a dark anger shifting in his blue eyes. The boy said nothing, only rushed at Arden, his teeth clenched as he whirled his fist into Arden's face for the first time, watching with awe when Arden's eyes widened, and he fell back onto the floor.
"STOP IT," Sonyea shouted and Edward ignored her, moving over Arden and hitting him the face, over and over again. Hermione could see that Edward was somewhere far away at that moment, it wasn't Arden he was punching but something else, another enemy that he couldn't yet attack.
"STOP IT," Sonyea screamed it again and yanked Edward away, moving around him as he sprawled in the dirt. "Leave him alone."
She knelt down by her friends' side, gently holding his head in her hands, assessing the damage. His nose was broken, Draco could see that a mile off, bent all out of shape and incredibly bloodie. Draco felt a little triumph for Edward, at least he had got to hit the arsehole at some point, even if it was when they were very young.
"You going to turn me into a frog, witch." They were the first words Edward had spoken and they were said with a tired resignation that caught Hermione by surprise. There were many things she had expected from young Edward, but this wasn't it. He climbed to his feet slowly, examining his bloodie knuckles before turning back to her.
"Leave him be." Sonyea shook her head as Edward walked towards her, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. "Leave him be and I…" Mina was instantly between them, her blonde hair trailing behind her, her green eyes boring into Edwards with such ferocity that he instantly took a step back.
"I'll turn you into something much worse than a frog if you don't leave." Edward laughed at Mina's statement, but Hermione could see doubt creeping into his blue eyes.
"You think that scares me?"
"I know it does because you're a bully and you always will be." Edward laughed at her bitterly. "You hurt others because you're scared." The word seemed to both anger and scare Edward because even as his jaw clenched he was stepping away from her. Mina took the opportunity to turn to her friends, helping Sonyea lift Arden off the ground. Arden turned his head to look back at the boy, his one eye already swelling closed.
"Do you think he knew?" Hermione asked, watching the memory fade.
"Knew what?"
"That Mina wasn't saving him that day, she was saving Sonyea." Draco sighed, staring down at his shoes for a few minutes before meeting Hermione's inquisitive gaze.
"Probably, but you'll be amazed how much a person can delude themselves when they really want to." Hermione figured that was what Mina had done too, telling herself over and over that her intervention that day was because of Arden, but she knew that it wasn't. Mina hadn't been hiding far away, she would have seen the whole thing play out exactly as they had and only when Sonyea had been threatened did she choose to show herself.
"You seem to know an awful lot about delusion."
"Well I'm surrounded by practitioners of the art, you pick up a fair few things." Hermione scowled up at him as he grinned mischievously.
Hermione gently removed the last bottle from its hiding place.
"The last one." The words felt monumental as she said them, and a hush seemed to have settled in the room. Hermione tipped the memory into the Pensieve. They both looked at each other, then together looked down into the misty surface, letting the magic pull them into another memory.
"They call you Lightening Wielder." Arden spoke to Taigen who was stood beside him in the Great Hall. They were near the large door, a stack of wands piled beside them, held together by thin twine. The council members were stood in a circle towards the other end of the room, breaking wands and pouring the magic into a large black cauldron that sat in the middle of them. Taigen turned to Arden slowly, his dark eyes giving nothing away but pure hatred. Arden shrunk back from it but carried on stuttering his sentence.
"I…I heard them refer to you as such." Taigen simply nodded, shifting his weight slightly on his feet, looking as though he were ready to pounce on anyone and anything. Draco recognised the stance as one that Bear took quite often, guessing that the large man had probably taught Taigen everything he knew.
"I heard that your friend, a large warrior he perished in a fight to save many witches and wizards." Taigen visibly tensed but still remained silent. "There were whispers that he was the storm when you fought with lightning." Taigen turned to the wizard fully, his hand hovering over a knife on his belt that Draco recognised as belonging to Rhylan. His heart fell at the thought of both men falling because of such a pitiful war.
"What the fuck are you stammering about?" Arden visibly paled, fiddling with the large sleeves of his robes.
"I…er…I was just interested in…well, why they thought that?"
"You have no right to talk of him, or to ask such questions." Taigen turned back, letting his gaze once again fall on the witches and wizards, the cauldron glowing with all the magic it contained.
"Right, yes…I am…forgive me." There was a long silence before Taigen finally spoke.
"The call me lightning wielder because I did, through my axes. And Bear was the storm."
Arden nodded, although Hermione had to admit that she would not have been impressed with the answer he had given, a thousand more questions jumping into her head.
"What does he mean?" She whispered to Draco who shrugged.
"Not sure, but he saw the lightning thing in a vision, could be that." Hermione found Draco's answer just as vague and annoying but decided to keep her mouth shut. She didn't want to miss anything.
The dark-haired wizard that everyone referred to as His Majesty made his way over to Arden, nodding slightly at Taigen as he bowed. Arden bowed himself, his whole frame shaking underneath the other man's scrutiny.
"There is much to do once the spell is complete, you are prepared?"
"Yes, your majesty. I have help."
"Hmmm I have heard, the centaurs have been quite forthcoming."
"They have seen it in the stars, your majesty. They have been preparing for many years."
"Very well, once we have cast Obliviate, you know what you must do. We will need a guardian to fully run Armour, you shall appoint them." Arden bowed again.
"Taigen Lightening Wielder." Taigen stood straighter at his name and the dark wizard smiled at him.
"You have done a great service to our people, but I fear that I must ask more."
"Name it." He said quickly.
"I must ask you to watch Arden. I am giving you this chance," he turned to Arden, "you will not fail me. Do and Taigen will take from you what you have taken from so many others."
"Yes, your majesty."
The man turned, his black robes billowing behind him. The council members at the end of the hall were no longer breaking wands but waiting expectantly. He walked to the edge of the cauldron, raising his wand as though to conduct an orchestra and as the magic rose, Hermione felt as though he actually was, drawing forth a myriad of colours from the cauldrons depths and making them float into the air. The air seemed to hum with the magic, a sweet and powerful song that only grew louder as each council member lifted their wands too, muttering under their breath.
Another room seemed to form within the one they stood, shimmering in and out of reality. Hermione gasped as she recognised it. ARMA, she and Draco were witnessing its creation, the beginning of life as they now knew it. The magic swirled around them, forming the pillars, the shelves, the intricate mosaic floor where mermaids were brought to life and swam around their feet. Eventually, the magic disappeared, and a small wand floated down to land in His Majesty's outstretched hand. He gestured for Arden to walk forward and take it.
"You will give this to the guardian of your choosing," Arden nodded at his words, "protect it with your life and magic."
The dark-haired wizard sighed sadly and nodded at his fellow council members, who muttered under their breath and instantly the room disappeared, leaving them once again in the Great Hall.
"Wow," Draco muttered under his breath.
"I know…I know it's…" Hermione didn't have the words, shaking her head and opening and closing her mouth in disbelief. There was such an ease to their magic, a simple and as easy as breathing. There had only been a few mumbled words and they had created something that had lasted centuries, that recorded the use of magic from all over the world, the magnitude of it was unbelievable.
"Where did it go?"
"Mr Gregory said that it's constantly moving. I guess it must be some sort of safety measure."
Lady Greengrass, gently flicked her wrist, a small crackle leaving the end of her wand. The large black cauldron instantly blinked out of existence, leaving the council members stood in a circle, glancing at one another with apprehension. His Majesty stepped forward, running his fingers through his jet-black hair before looking at each of them in turn, his expression grave.
"Once we begin this spell we cannot stop. All emotional ties to the past, both good and bad must be forgotten, lest they influence the memories we are trying to recreate. This will not be easy, and it may…it may go wrong…" There were a few mutters from the other side of the circle where Slughorn stood, his shoulders hunched. "I will not force any of you to perform this spell with me but know that without your support, it will be made all the harder. You are the most powerful witches and wizards who have made their way here and I need your help to take our people into a new age. I would ask that you each state your name and your agreement, should anything go wrong…" He did not complete his sentence, but the meaning hung heavy in the air. "I will begin."
He cleared his throat and stepped forward, "I, Phaldayus Prince, of the Royal Household Prince and acting leader of the magical council, do so pledge my magic and my life to the new cause." There was a brief silence after he had finished, the witches and wizards looking at one another, wondering who would speak next. Draco's ancestor was the next to step forward, head held high and blonde hair tied back from his face. She could see the famous aristocratic features that all the Malfoys seemed to have
"I, Avernon Malfoy, do so pledge my magic and my life to the new cause. May it be a new start for us all." Lady Greengrass was next, shuffling forward and making her pledge with a loud voice. Next, the handsome wizard stepped forward, flashing a grin to all those gathered.
"I, Dorian Parkinson, pledge my magic and my life to the new cause, although I'd rather not have to pledge my life." None of the others gathered laughed and the young man seemed to sober, nodding at Phaldayus, Lady Greengrass and Avernon.
"Parkinson?"
"I know it's like a reunion at the common room."
Castien Lestrange and Sheilan Knott followed suit both making their oath and closing up the circle. Only one wizard stood outside of it, shaking his head and mumbling to himself.
"Slughorn." Avernon Malfoy spoke, shocking the plump wizard out of his thoughts.
"I cannot, I cannot do this…" He shook his head again.
"No one will force you, but we are so few already, without your aid there will be less chance of success." Slughorn nodded, but even as he did so he stepped out of the circle.
"You may deign to control the future, Your Majesty, but I will have no part in it. This is dangerous, needlessly dangerous."
"Very well.' The dark-haired wizard nodded, joining hands with Avernon and Lady Greengrass who were either side of him. They, in turn, did the same till the whole circle was connected, their wands placed before them at their feet. Slughorn hurried past Arden and Taigen, head lowered as he exited the room.
"Well can't say as I blame him," Draco commented, turning back to look at the council.
"But staying was the right thing to do," Hermione muttered in reply.
"Yeah, but possible death does not sound like a tempting offer." Hermione didn't answer him, but she had to admit he was right. The witches and wizards gathered would have had to have been incredibly brave to stand as they did and cast the spell, and not one of their descendants was a Gryffindor.
The witches and wizards gathered began muttering quietly and from what Hermione could tell, each person was saying something slightly different. she wondered how such a spell could ever be cast with any sort of success when each person was casting something completely different to the other. Her thoughts were interrupted by a grey wisp flying past her head, floating towards the gathering and joining other wisps till a great grey cloud hovered in the middle of the council. Images shimmered in the cloud, snippets of sounds echoing and falling into silence.
"You think those are people's memories?" Draco asked, leaning down close to whisper in her ear.
"They must be."
Suddenly there was a gasp to the side of them and Arden had stepped forward, hesitating before stepping back into place beside Taigen, his eyes wide with horror.
"No…"
"What is it?" Taigen turned to him angrily, his hand drawing the dagger on his hip out of its hilt so quickly that Hermione almost missed the action.
"The spell…" Both Hermione and Draco followed Arden's finger, their own eyes widening as they noticed the black tendril that seemed to grow from the side of Lady Greengrass's head and was gradually moving around the circle.
"What is this?" Taigen grabbed Arden by the front of his robes, hoisting the man off the floor with ease, "what have you done?"
Arden blubbed a couple of times shaking his head, holding his hands up before him.
"I…nothing…it's…" Arden sucked in a breath quickly, "It's hate."
Taigen dropped Arden unceremoniously, the action reminding Draco of the way Bear had handled Taigen when they had first met.
"Is there anything that can be done?" Taigen asked, his jaw clenching as he watched the tendril finally complete the circle, becoming darker and more ominous as the spell continued.
"No, once the spell has begun it cannot be stopped."
"What will it do?" Arden shrugged at Taigen's question, hesitantly climbing to his feet and adjusting his robes.
"It is hard to say, it may influence the memories of all, or it may simply affect those gathered here today. It may be prevalent, it may be subtle. It is hard to tell such things." Taigen nodded wearily, sheathing his knife
The two of them watched the spell continue, both jumping slightly when the orb in the middle of the council exploded sending the grey wisps in thousands of different directions. When the mist had cleared the council members all lay on the floor, their eyes closed and faces ashen.
"They can't be dead," Draco muttered, something in his tone giving away his disbelief in his statement.
"No, it's not possible."
Arden rushed forward, quickly checking on each of them and letting out a sigh of relief, sinking to the floor.
"Let us hope there is not too much damage." Taigen began collecting their wands and Arden followed behind him, placing down replacements.
"You're sure these will work?" Taigen asked, glancing down at the replacement wand that had been placed beside Lady Greengrass.
"As well as they can. It will not be as powerful but magic will live on."
"What will we do with their wands?" Taigen asked, holding them out to Arden.
"We must destroy them." Taigen nodded quickly, moving to snap them in half but Arden stopped him.
"Your friend?" Taigen's expression darkened again.
"What about him?"
"Why do believe that he was the storm?" Taigen took a deep breath, before looking up at Arden.
"His people believed that when death finds you, you are taken back to the sky. You become it." Arden nodded, gesturing for Taigen to give him the wands.
"Everything we were has died here today," Arden muttered, breaking each of them in turn, the magic floating above his head. He took out his wand pointing it towards the glowing mass.
"Muro a'din"
The light almost blinded them, but when it faded, Hermione could not believe her eyes. The ceiling of the Great Hall was as she had always known it, the sky staring down at them as if it bore no ceiling. Draco was once again gripping Hermione's hand, a grin on his face as he took it all in. He knew the moment would mean a lot to her, but it meant a lot to him too, seeing how something of such import in their lives had come to be. Knowing that the magic of their ancestors, ancient and wise had always above their heads felt somewhat comforting.