AN-Thank you bigwoof and BioHazard82.
AN-n7kairos Thank you so much. Your suggestions are always so awesome. I wasn't aware of the Uagadou school not sure if she'll have time to go there but maybe a teacher from there could give her some tips. I'd imagine Bill or Remus would know someone. I do love Kudos and I'm fond of Leta too. I could definitely imagine her faking her death then hiding out in Diagon alley or Hogsmead. I could even imagine Dumbledore knowing and keeping her secret. :)
AN-gingin1975 Hi! Yeah Steve does have that old fashion streak that was showing just a bit. I always think hes sweet. I can promise there are no little boys named Albus Severus in their future but beyond that my lips are sealed. Cheyenne and Lizzy are named after friends of mine but the personalities where turned up to 11. Tony and Bucky are doing both comforting and distracting very well in this chapter I think.
AN-Kitsune Obsessed Freak actually I've decided to go with another Weasley for Peter namely Ginny. But Steve and Remus will be a couple as will Blaise and Draco. As the main couple is Juniper and Bucky there will be nothing but couple moments and maybe kisses.
AN-N. A. Wennerholm- Don't worry MACUSA will handle the captured HYDRA members who survived and all the killers of the Muggle borns will be executed.
AN-Boa in the books Python in the movies? Anybody know why? I'm gonna go with Boa. The Story of the three brothers is shamelessly stolen directly from the books. We got all the feels in this chapter but hopefully things will be moving faster in the next.
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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Juniper was sitting on the patio floor in the corner created by the wall of the tower and the railing around the patio knees drawn up to her chest almost swallowed up by Barnes' jacket staring off into space. Tony walked over and sat beside her putting a arm around her.
"I don't want to talk about it." Juniper said softly.
"You don't have too. You can just listen." Tony answered and knew it was the right thing to say when she relaxed and leaned against his side. "My parents, your grandparents where not the best. Nowhere near as bad as your aunt and uncle but not great. My father Howard was usually either completely ignoring me or letting me know how much of a disappointment I was."
"But...I saw the articles in the paper. You where a genius even then. How was he possibly disappointed in you? What did he want from you?" Juniper asked in surprise.
"To be Steve." Tony answered. "He and Steve where close friends before he went into the ice back in 1945. Before he even met my mother. He was obsessed with finding him it consumed him. I think he wanted me to be just like him handsome, athletic, strong and so squeaky clean pure he was dripping nobility. I was more brain than brawn, a smart-ass who was when I was younger much more concerned with having fun than doing the right thing."
"I don't think I would have liked him much." Juniper said softly. Tony couldn't help the quick smile. Howard would have loved her. Beautiful, athletic if her tales of quidditch where anything to judge by with the same heroic leadership qualities that had made Steve a legend. Fate it seemed did like taunting the Starks. "What about your mom?"
"Maria. She tried. She loved me and tried to keep peace between me and Howard. But she was fragile and she spent alot of time living up to the expectations of a high society wife of the time. Honestly I was mostly raised by Jarvis until I was old enough to be shipped off to boarding schools." Tony answered. Juniper pulled away slightly to look up at him in surprise. Tony laughed. "Edwin Jarvis was my family's butler when I was a child. Our Jarvis was named for him."
"Maria is my middle name." Juniper told him softly leaning her head back on his shoulder.
"I know. I heard your friend Luna use it. I think it was probably Lily's way of giving you a piece of my side of the family." Tony answered. "My dad had a business partner named Obidah Stane, Obi. When I was 17 my parnets died. Jarvis had died a few years before. I was a wreck. In no position to take over for my dad so Obi stepped in for me. He was a mentor to me. Taught me everything I needed to know about the business, listened to my ideas, covered for my screw ups. I think Obi was as responsible for who I became as my father. When I was ready to take over he stepped aside and let me seemingly willingly. He was like family to me. I trusted him completely. And he set me up to be kidnapped and killed by The Ten Rings."
Juniper hugged him then. "Thats when you made the first Iron Man suit right?"
"Hermione really did do her homework didn't she?" Tony asked with a slight chuckle.
"She always does. And at times mine and Rons as well." Juniper answered.
"As a future teacher you should frown on that sort of thing." He responded his tone teasing then turned back to his story. To the hardest part of his story. "Once I came back from the kidnapping Obi decided to take more direct methods to kill me. He drugged me and ripped the arc reactor right out of my chest. As he was telling me what a loser I was and how he was not going to let me destroy the company he'd worked so hard to make a success. If it hadn't been for my bots, and Pepper I would have died. Pepper never trusted Obi. I should have listened to her. There was a part of me that almost wanted to die because of what Obi said. He was such a big part of who I was. I trusted him. I...I loved him. Afterwards I realized it was Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy I should have been listening too and trusting in. At the time though...You don't always know at the time who you can trust Kiddo and its not always who you think it is, who you want it too be."
"I can't...Dumbledore has been my guiding star since I was eleven years old. Anytime things got to overwhelming he was there protecting and guiding us. Anytime I didn't know what to do I'd just try to figure out what he would do. I've spend so many years trying to make him proud trying to honor his legacy. Rita Skeeter's book has to be lies. I mean you should read some of the absolute garbage she wrote about me and Hermione during the triwizard tournament. And they could have found out that other stuff some other way right dad?" Tony's heart leapt. She'd called him Dad. He didn't think she'd noticed though so he was determined not to make a big deal out of it.
"Its possible I suppose." He conceded. "But Juni I really think you should pay attention to Ron's instincts. Especially since Hermione seems to be starting to see his side of things. I think if you can trust anyone right now its them."
"I can't. I need something steady. The world keeps shifting around me. Everytime I turn around the world spins and everything changes. Dumbledore was always there he always believed me and believed in me. He was always a hero. I need him to be a hero." Juniper answered burying her face against his shoulder. Tony tightened his arms slightly stroking her hair feeling a wave of anger wash over him. Surprisingly it wasn't at Albus Dumbledore but Lily Potter. All of this could have been avoided if she'd just told him about Juniper. Even if they'd stayed in Britain, even if James and Lily had still died he would have found Juniper as soon as he heard. It had taken him less than 15 minutes to find the Dursleys once he'd sat at his computer while Juniper and Bucky had been on their date. He at this point probably knew more about them than they did about themselves. Better to destroy them. But the point was even if everything had still happened the exact same way Juniper wouldn't have spent more than a day in the hands of those monsters who'd destroyed her self esteem to the point that she'd latched onto Dumbledore with a almost religious devotion.
"Alright kiddo. Whatever you need." Tony said gently willing to concede for the moment at least. If she needed this so badly right now he wasn't going to be the one to force her to see the truth. Hell maybe it wasn't the truth there was still a chance the old man had just been manipulative and a bit senile. There was no point in forcing her to accept it right this minute. He wondered briefly if he and Juniper could get a family deal on therapy. God knew they both needed it. He glanced over and saw that Bucky had stepped out onto the patio area Tony wasn't sure how long he had been there but the look on his face let Tony know he'd heard at least a bit of their conversation.
They exchanged a nod and Bucky came over to them sitting on the other side of her at her feet as her other side was against the railing and took her ankles pulling her legs onto his lap, rubbing the chilled skin. He reached out his metal hand and caressed her cheek and then ran it through her hair. "A bullet through the brain from behind. Thats the better plan." Bucky said softly. "I'm betting your Grindelwald can't heal that. No prophecy says you have to be the one who kills him. Between me, Natasha, and Clint I'm betting one of us can get off a shot at him." A look of surprise came over Juniper's face as she'd obviously never considered a muggle solution to the problem.
"You'd have to take him unaware. If my protego can stop a bullet no doubt his can as well." Juniper said softly.
"I've been a sniper since world war one. I think I can handle that." Bucky said his voice still soft. "I could take care of your uncle for you too. Your aunt and cousin too if you want."
"Take care off... Are you... NO oh course not. Why do people keep offering to kill people for me?" Juniper asked the tone in her voice actually made Tony chuckle a bit.
"Must be the big green eyes. No one never offered to commit murder for me." Tony told her.
Juniper let out a bit of a huff. "Dudley is...he apologized. He never really did anything after we where like 15. He could be a good guy if he gets away from his parents. My aunt and uncle." She paused shaking her head. "They never wanted me. I scared them and they weren't wrong but its over now. I never have to go near them again and they aren't a danger to anyone else. I just want it too be over. I don't want to waste my time on something that would just be for revenge."
"They where wrong." Tony said gently. "You can't control being afraid even if its illogical but you can control how you react to that fear. Hurting someone only because your afraid of them is not only wrong its stupid. Provoking a powerful witch like that...they are idiots. The very fact that you never hurt any of them and even now don't want them hurt proves that they where the dangerous ones not you."
"My uncle said once they where doing me a favor. Trying to stomp the freakishness out of me." Juniper said softly. "All they ever wanted was to be normal. Have a normal life. They couldn't very well do that when I was moving Dudley's toys and turning teachers hair blue."
"Your magic isn't a thing that can be stomped out...Wait you turned a teacher's hair blue? Thats so cool." Tonys surprised exclamation caused her to raise her head looking up at him surprised at the delighted look on his face.
"Sorry I've had a few teachers who I would have loved to do that too." Tony said gaining a small smile from Juniper. "Accidental magic right? Bill told me a little about that the other night. What other things did your accidental magic do?"
It was a bit of a surprise to both men when her smile widened turning almost wicked. A smile that was 100% Stark. "Dudley's eleventh birthday we went to the zoo. My usual sitter had broken her leg and they where convinced if I was left alone in the house or car I'd wreck them so I got to go. Best day I ever remember before Hagrid came for me. It was also the first day I ever talked to a snake. It was a boa constrictor. Dudley had been tapping the glass annoying it and when he walked away I just walked over and started talking to it. I didn't even know I was talking Parseltongue. I usually don't to me it sounds like English. When the Boa kinda raised its head up to talk to me Dudley saw and came back over shoving me out of the way." A bit more than shoved as she could still feel the sting of her hands hitting the ground when she thought about it but as Bucky and Tony already both seemed fully on board with ending the entire Dursley family it seemed best not to tell them that. "My accidental magic vanished the glass of the snake's cage." She couldn't hold back the giggle as she remembered Dudley's face when that had happened. "Duds was leaning on it when it happened so into the cage and the stream going through it he went. Aunt Petunia was screaming and freaking out, Piers Dudley's friend ran out of the snakehouse completely and out came the boa. Everyone was yelling and running and he was just snapping at people's heels like a playfully little puppy. I remember him saying. 'Thanks Amigo, Brazil here I come.' I hope he made it." The look on her face as she said the last sentence as if she was thinking and it just slipped out was the last straw for Tony and he burst into laughter Bucky only a second behind.
"Thats perfect absolutely perfect. Accidental magic is the best thing ever." Tony declared. Juniper grinned back deciding never to tell her dad about the punishments she had gotten for the incidents. "Hermione loves you ya know."
"I know but when she gets her teeth into something she just does not stop. Most of the time its a good thing but others I just got to get away from her." Juniper shook her head. "She doesn't get it. I'm glad she doesn't. I wish I didn't. Hell I wish Ron didn't know as much as he does. Wish he'd never met them at all. But hearing her say she understood just hit me wrong."
"Understandable." Tony answered wondering if he should feel guilty about learning how to side step Juniper's hot buttons by watching other stumble over them. But nope he wasn't going to. She was his daughter and he was going to take all the cheats he could get.
"I hate fighting with her. I always feel guilty after. Me, Ron and Ginny can scream at each other and we're all fine. Neville just lays out his opinion then just stays so calm no matter how much the rest of us shout. Luna will smile, nod, then steer us into doing exactly what she wanted. The twins just do that creepy twin talk think they do til I'm so confused I just agree to get them to stop. But Hermione gets her feelings hurt and I feel like shit. Even though I'm always right." Juniper said with a sigh.
Bucky couldn't hold back a snicker. "Yeah shes your kid alright." He told Tony before leaning closer to kiss Juniper's forehead.
Juniper looked up at Tony. "I have the feeling he just insulted one of us but I'm not sure which."
Tony shrugged. "I'm clueless. Its not our fault Starks are more likely to be right than everyone else."
"You are a bad influence on my girlfriend." Bucky accused Tony.
"Your girlfriend is a Stark. Your gonna have to learn to deal with a bit of attitude." Tony said with a smirk.
"I guess I got at least as much Stark as I do Potter." Juniper said softly.
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Hermione was sitting in the floor of the room Tony had given the trio when Natasha entered. Some of the items from her bag where spilled over the floor as if she'd been frantically searching for something and hadn't bothered to put anything back when she'd found it. She was crossed legged with a book on her lap as she flipped pages back and forth as if searching for something specific another book open on the floor beside her.
"Why can't wizard books have indexes." Hermione asked in frustration looking up at Natasha with red eyes. But at least she wasn't crying anymore which gave Natasha the confidence to cross and sit in front of her reaching out and taking the book from her. She closed it to study the cover.
"The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore." The cover had a picture of the man she knew was Dumbledore from Juniper's memory they'd viewed the day before and on the back..."So much trouble from someone who looks like a cartoon character." She said studying the picture of the blond woman. "Stripping away the popular image of serene, silver-bearded wisdom, Rita Skeeter reveals the disturbed childhood, the lawless youth, the lifelong feuds and the guilty secrets Dumbledore carried to his grave." She read from the back then looked over at Hermione raising one eyebrow questioningly.
"Rita Skeeter is a liar of the worst kind. You can't believe a word she writes. Shes done more than any other person in Britain to turn public opinion against Juniper. It worked for a while because a lot of people where more willing to believe Juniper was a dangerous, attention hungry, lying psychopath than that Tom Riddle was back." Hermione told her eyes wide and earnest.
"So what are you looking for?" Natasha asked.
"Proof." Hermione answered. "One way or another. Matching dates from official accounts of where they both where when, mismatched school records, quotes from people who shouldn't have know about the things they are talking about."
"And?" Natasha asked.
Hermione sighed closing her eyes for a second then focusing them on what seemed like a baseball card in her hand. "Grindelwald was expelled from Durmstrang at exactly the right time to have met Dumbledore while he was staying with his aunt. Theres not a lot of information about Dumbledore's family but what she wrote does line up with available information. The people who commented on their relationship lived in and around where they where at the times they said, and...and...oh Merlin." Hermione reached over and grabbed the book back from Natasha and flipped through it until she found a picture of a ridiculously attractive 20 something man with blond curls and a mischievous gleam in his azure blue eyes giving the camera a wicked grin. That grin said yeah I'm up to something but I'm soooo good looking your gonna forgive me anyway. Natasha hated him instantly.
Hermione put the card which Natasha could now see was a image of Albus Dumbledore next to the photo as if comparing them and she saw something that made her go pale. Then she reached over grabbing another book. "No no no. That can't be right. It just can't be."
Natasha looked over to see the title of this one. The Tales of Beedle the Bard. From the title and the illustrations on the cover Natasha suspected it was a children's story book. She must have found what she was looking for and looked up at Natasha eyes wide. "Where are Juni and Ron?"
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"I think when we get to England you and me should sneak away to go see Juniper's family." Ron who was pounding on a heavy bag looked over as Peter entered the room and as angry as he was and as much as he agreed with Peter's sentiment a small grin tugged at his lips.
"Your not coming mate." Was all he said not pausing in his pummeling of the bag.
"Oh course I am. I'm a member of the team and Juniper's family. When its family its all hands on deck." Peter answered moving to brace the bag.
"One of the first thing we're gonna be doing is evacuating everyone under age. This isn't a typical battle Peter its all out war. Your not ready for this. Hell we've been fighting since we where eleven and we aren't ready for it." Ron answered. It was already gonna be hard enough trying to force some of the older kids to go. He wasn't looking forward to the absolute fits Ginny, Luna, and the Creevey brothers where going to throw when they realized they where included in the evac order adding Peter to the mix wouldn't help. The 15 year old would cement in the 6th, and 5th years that they should be allowed to fight.
"I can help." Peter said trying not to whine.
"Its not about that Peter. Its about keeping underage kids out of the line of fire. Besides I don't think your Aunt would fancy you taking off to another country like that." Ron answered.
"She'll let me if I'm with Mr Stark. Besides you, Juniper, and Hermione fought at my age." Peter replied.
"Yeah and look at what pictures of mental and physical health we are." Ron snorted. "You don't want to see or do the things we have Peter. Especially Juni. She had to kill a man when she was eleven. It was to save her own life but it still left a mark on her."
"Then why are you fighting?" Peter challenged.
"Because the alternative is worse. I will not let Juniper stand alone if she falls I fall thats how it is. How its been since practically the moment we met." Ron shrugged. "Sometimes you gotta choose the lesser of two bad choices Peter. You wanna be the guy who didn't fight or the guy who made it possible for a load of teenagers who should have run to fight and get killed?"
Peter sighed. "They'll need to have somebody as guard as they evacuate make sure they get where the need to be and stuff right?"
Ron smiled. "I think you would be excellent in that capacity. As long as its alright with Juni and Tony oh course."
"I still wanna beat the shit out of her family." Peter said.
"I think I'd be safer to wait. Eventually Bucky, Tony, or Natasha are gonna go after them if we follow we get to maybe get in a couple of blows ourselves but they get the blowback from Juniper. All the satisfaction half the risk of getting cursed."
"Genius." Peter said brightly. Ron grinned. That was one thing he'd never been called especially since he was compared to the company he kept and compared to Juniper and Hermione he was well not the sharpest of the group.
Peter was making him start to see the perks of having a younger brother. As a matter of fact..."Hey Peter you like redheads? Cause I'd love for you to met my sister."
"As much as I hate to interrupt match-making attempts Ms. Granger has requested everyone return to the family room. She insists its quite urgent." Jarvis interrupted.
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"Juni." It had actually taken Hermione a few minutes to gather her things and assemble her evidence after she'd asked Jarvis to gather the others so they where the last to arrive. Natasha may never like Hermione as much as she did Juniper but she did find the girl amusing. She was a more than competent fighter, a loyal friend, and the brains of the golden trio but she still had the same moments of scatter brained genius that Tony and Bruce where capable of. When she'd entered Juniper was already there standing a little apart from the others with Ron who was talking to her intently about something that had her rolling her eyes but nodding.
Juniper turned at the sound of her voice. "'Mione." She stepped a little closer. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."
"I shouldn't have pushed. I'm the one whos sorry." Hermione replied stepping forward to hug her.
"There good we're all friends again." Ron said then Hermione gave him a withering glare.
"What did you do?" Juniper asked giving Ron a hard look as he shrugged trying to look innocent.
"We'll talk about it later right now we have a more important conversation we need to have." Hermione said and looked over at Juniper. "Juni what happened to Dumbledore's wand?"
A surprised and confused look flickered over Juniper's face. "Umm. He was buried with it. He requested it in his will."
"Are you positive? This is important Juniper." Hermione said intently.
"Yeah I'm positive. Aberforth refused to have anything to do with the arrangements so it was all left to Mad-eye, and McGonagall they both talked to me." Juniper answered. Hermione nodded. Yeah that made sense as Newt hadn't been able to make the trip those three had been the nearest thing Dumbledore had to family after his brother.
Hermione sat in the floor at the table and put first the book on the table. "Gellert Grindelwald at 23." She said taping the picture.
"Thats the most powerful wizard in the world?" Rhodey asked. "He looks like a frat boy bro."
Ron looked at Juniper in question but she just shrugged as puzzled as he was but let it go as it was obviously a insult.
Hermione put Dumbledore's chocolate frog card next to the picture in the book. "Look at the wands." She ordered them. "Thats the same wand."
"Grindelwald's wand was suppose to have been destroyed." Juniper said softly then shook her head. "So what? Maybe it was Dumbledore's wand that was damaged and he just took Grindelwald's it was his by right of conquest. Lots of wand will bond that way."
"Juniper do you remember what you said during your vision before Diagon Ally?" Hermione asked.
"No I can only remember what I see when that happens. Never what I say." Juniper said a note of strained patience entering her voice. "Hermione are we nearing the point this is all kinda disjointed at the moment."
"She said 'Ollivander. He wants Ollivander. Gregorovitch didn't know where the hallow went.'" Tony supplied his photographic memory coming in handy.
"Yes Ollivander the best wand maker in Britain. Gregorovitch the best wand maker in Eastern Europe. Then Grindelwald who held the wand before Dumbledore. Like Tom is chasing not just a wand thats not a brother to yours but one specific wand." Hermione said.
"But why that one. I mean if he wanted Dumbledore's wand as like a trophy I could see it but he didn't know it was his?" Ron asked.
"Juniper you know wand lore whats the most powerful wand in the world?" Hermione asked.
"Theres no such thing Hermione. Every wand has strengths and weaknesses. A wand that is great for charms could be crap at transfiguration..."
Hermione put the other book down on the others and pointed at a drawing of a wand that looked remarkably like the one in the picture. "The Deathly Hallows." She said softly.
"The Elder Wand? Hermione thats a children's story." Juniper protested.
"Then why did Dumbledore leave me the book with the story in it in his will?" Hermione asked making Juniper's eyes go wide and sat beside her with a thump.
"MERLIN. Why couldn't the man just be straight out for once? Just leave a note in the book. 'Hey kids my wands the death stick grab it so you'll have one of the hallows love from the afterlife Dumbledore.'"
Juniper couldn't help it a burst of laughter escaped her even as Hermione said softly. "Two."
"What." Juniper asked her.
"The third Hallow the cloak." Remus answered for her having paled himself. "Oh Merlin we should have seen it. A invisibility cloak that lasted for at least four generations without the spells degrading or having to be renewed. We used one of the Deathly Hallows to snitch biscuits from the kitchens!"
"Okay alright. So the Elder wand is buried at Hogwarts. So why haven't Tom or Grindelwald tried to reclaim it yet?" She looked over to Ron automatically.
"Possibilities. Lets see. Maybe Grindelwald didn't tell Tom he could be biding his time so he can get to it himself or maybe he really did care for Dumbledore and doesn't want his grave desecrated. Maybe they don't realize its buried with him they could think you or Aberforth have it." Ron answered his thinking face on.
"Alright whats the Elder wand and these Deathly hallows?" Tony asked with a deep sigh and the introduction of another thing he didn't understand.
"Its well we thought a kids story a myth. But maybe not." Juniper said. then glanced over at the book and picked it up handing it to Hermione who took a deep sigh.
"Okay heres how the story goes. "There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river, too deep to wade through, and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands, and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it, when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure. And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for being clever enough to evade him.
So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the older brother.
Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead.
And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.
Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so, talking with wonder of the adventure they had had, and admiring Death's gifts. In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination.
The first brother traveled on for a week or more, and reaching a distant village, sought for a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible. 'That very night, another wizard crept upon the older brother as he lay wine-sodden, upon his bed. The thief took the wand and, for good measure, slit the oldest brother's throat. And so Death took the first brother for his own.
Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and he turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him. Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as truly to join her. And so Death took the second brother for his own.
But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life." Hermione looked up from the book. "The legends say any who can reunite the three Deathly Hallows will become the Master of Death."
They where silent for a moment then Hermione spoke again. "Juniper do you remember the necklace Xeno was wearing at the wedding at how angry Viktor got when it saw it?" Juniper looked over at her and nodded. "It was Grindelwald's symbol. Turns out it was original the Deathly Hallows symbol." She pulled out her wand and traced a glowing white circle in the air. "The resurrection stone." A triangle inside. "The invisibility cloak." And a line through both. "The elder wand."
Juniper let out a breathe and leaned her head back against the couch. "Got a headache." Hermione pulled out a potions vial and held it out to her but Juniper shook her head. Bucky sat on the couch behind her and gently rubbed her temples. Making her let out a soft sigh leaning back against his leg.
"Okay. So heres the thing even if they get it they can't use it." Juniper said.
"What? Why not? Are you sure?" Hermione asked.
"Reasonably sure." Juniper answered. "There are two ways to win the Elder wand. Disarm or kill the previous owner. Otherwise it will never walk properly for you."
"So Snape is the master?" Ron asked. "Is that suppose to be better?"
"No." Juniper answered that same wicked grin from earlier appeared as if she'd just remembered a wonderful prank. "Snape killed Dumbledore AFTER he'd been disarmed. By Draco Malfoy. Draco is the Master of the Elder wand. Unless hes been disarmed since."
"Juni you have to disarm Draco and claim that wand quickly." Ron said. "And we gotta find that stone."
"I don't wanna be Master of Death. Merlin don't I have enough titles already?" Juniper almost whined.
"Well yeah but this could be the power he knows not." Ron pointed out.
"Well crap." Juniper complained.
"Thats the thing that makes a impression on you." The all looked up to see Bill, and Bruce in the doorway. Bruce's face looked hard and cold but the look on Bill's face was terrifying to behold. Anger didn't cover it. It was rage. Ron had seen this look on his brother's face only once and even though he'd been only a toddler he still remembered. The twins had been trying to get him to make a unbreakable vow not to tattle on them for something they'd done. A vow that probably would have killed him as he'd had a bad habit of tattling back then. Oh course the twins hadn't understood that as they hadn't been very old either but that hadn't stopped their oldest brother's literal explosion. More than half the glass in the house had been turned to powder by his accidental magic and he'd literally carried Ron with him everywhere for nearly two weeks. The only thing that could make the oldest Weasley sibling that furious was witnessing one of his siblings putting themselves or each other in danger and at the moment his eyes narrow and practically glowing where focused on Juniper.
Hermione's eyes flashed down and saw the notebook clutched in his hand. "Uhoh Juni I think he knows."
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AN- Cats about to be out of the bag. *grin* Nobodies gonna be pleased with Juniper or Hermione. But poor Juniper still has ingrained reactions that are gonna make everybody almost as annoyed with Bill. Hermione is gonna get a new lead for a solution from a unexpected source though. Dobby with definitely be back next chapter. Fury has been pushed back a bit as I realized a thing I need to do has to happen in the tower.