CHAPTER 17:
PREPARATIONS
Lady Augusta Longbottom stared at the headlines of The Daily Prophet, her emotions behind her expression (which had been described behind her back as a 'resting bitch face', though never directly to her) a heady mixture of fury, hatred…and, though she would never admit it, fear. Not panic: it was rare that the matriarch of the Longbottom family felt anything as plebeian as panic. The last time was when her fool of a brother arranged that 'accident' for that Muggleborn slattern of the Potter family, and then disappeared in his own turn. As much as she enjoyed the result, and how it weakened that brat left behind, it was too risky to attempt such a blatant 'accident'.
And as these headlines showed, it was an utterly moot point.
Augusta Longbottom cursed Lily Potter and her brood. Once more, attention had been drawn away from the true Boy Who Lived, and back onto that damned family that robbed her of her son. The only consolation was that this Tri-Wizard Tournament might kill the brat. And if not…well, Augusta had had enough. It was past time the Potter family was put out of her misery.
The Longbottoms and the Potters were, nominally, in a political alliance. However, her grudge against them started all the way back in her early adulthood, when she tried to catch the eye of Fleamont Potter. She was a second cousin of her later husband, and was part of the Longbottom family already. However, Fleamont married that Euphemia trollop, and she had held a grudge against him and his family ever since, though this was only a relatively small grudge.
The moment it began to blossom into outright hatred was when her son and that Muggleborn bint Alice befriended James and Lily. She never did like James, spoilt brat though he was, and he never liked Lily or Alice for that matter. Her hatred of Muggleborns had nothing to do with blood purity, however: she wasn't stupid enough to believe magic and good genes could overcome excessive inbreeding, and fresh blood was needed every now and then to rejuvenate the bloodline. One only had to look at the Gaunts to witness the results of obsession with blood purity, those inbred yokels.
No, it was the ideas, the notions that Muggleborns could improve magical society when they lacked the power and perspective that came from being part of lines centuries old. What was the old saying? If it ain't broke, don't fix it? There was little in Magical Britain that needed fixing, save for quashing those Blood Purists every now and then.
Frank had been led astray by Alice, she felt. Oh, it was all very well for Frank to fight Voldemort, such monsters needed fighting. But it had to be done smartly, not through Dumbledore's methods or those of his followers, let alone the DMLE. Augusta had been working with her allies to throttle the Death Eaters' support in the Wizengamot. Voldemort was powerful, but he needed more than sheer magical power to achieve legitimacy. He also needed money and political influence.
And then, that drunken bitch Sybil Trelawney uttered the prophecy. If it had only been the Potters in the crosshairs, she would have been fine. It meant they would either die, or have to go into hiding and be of less influence on her son. But no, Alice had to get knocked up at the wrong time, meaning Neville could be the one the prophecy applied to. And they refused to listen to her.
And now, Frank was dead, dying to save Neville and that brat. A brat contaminated by a Horcrux. Dumbledore had disclosed it, but forced her to keep it secret, as they were looking to remove it. In Augusta's opinion, the brat should have been slain then and there. But her voice of reason was drowned out, and that was when she decided she would utterly ruin the last remaining Potters, for taking her son from her, and allowing a monster to live.
She severed an alliance that had been going for centuries, but honestly, it was a vestige of a more rational time, when the Potters knew their place, and allowed the Longbottoms to wield the power and influence they deserved. She dripped poison into the ears of as many allies as she could, and used the fame of her grandson becoming the Boy Who Lived to develop the influence of her family, diminished though it was. She groomed Neville into becoming a trained and powerful wizard.
Algernon's attempt to arrange an 'accident' for Lily Potter was his own doing, and a considerable miscalculation. While killing Lily Potter and her tainted spawn was always on the cards, it had to be done when the time was right, when that monster was exposed for what he was, and public opinion had completely turned against them. Instead, she was made a martyr, and while this made Harry weaker politically, it also meant his allies protected him all the more.
The Granger girl getting murdered was not her doing, nor would she stoop to do so unless it served enough of a purpose to outweigh the risks, but it helped damage the Potter brat. Neville getting Harry expelled from Hogwarts was a much better opportunistic action, though Croaker, damn him, worked to give him an apprenticeship. Augusta would admit later that she lost her temper then, and his humiliation of her in the atrium of the Ministry was a needed wake-up call.
Still, this headline gave her pause for thought. The timing was too suspicious. Not with the Potter brat being entered into the Tri-Wizard Tournament, she doubted the Potter brat would want to get involved, even to usurp Neville's rightful place in the spotlight. Not after going into the Unspeakables. No, the appearance of that Scathach woman at the Quidditch World Cup slaying Death Eaters, and then Lily Potter turning up alive and well afterward? Augusta smelt a rat.
True, she had little proof. But the notion was enough to try and begin gathering evidence, or manufacturing it with the help of some allies. And when the time was right, then she would strike. And she would put paid to that corrupt bloodline for once and for all…
Harry watched on as Lily gave a speech to the gathered members of Dun Scaith, outlining safety and resource protocols while the time dilation field was in place. He had to admit, his mother was an impressive speaker. And not all of Dun Scaith was going to be present in the time dilation field. Trusted agents would be working during the time their HQ was incommunicado, mostly gathering information and keeping up the Evanescence mail order system to a limited degree.
Coming to the end of her speech, Lily said, "I'm sure more than a few of you are wondering why we need this period of training, when we are already so strong. Yes, all of you are strong in your own ways, far stronger than any member of the Cult of Diablos we have encountered to date. But that is only to date. There is always the possibility that there is a member, possibly one of the Knights of the Round or one of their superiors, who could overcome us. And even without the Cult, there's other possible overwhelming foes, like clones of the Three Heroes under someone's sway, or Elizabeth, the Vampire Progenitor who once ruled Lawless City, and whom I have heard is being resurrected soon by the efforts of Crimson, her former subordinate. And complacency is the enemy. It lulled the Cult into a false sense of superiority, and we must not let it seduce us. We learn, we train, we better ourselves. And even when we become as strong as we can in one area, we can always improve in others, even if it's only a little."
A few scattered bouts of clapping and cheers came from the audience, but Lily wasn't finished. "My son has been forced into this Tri-Wizard Tournament," she said. "That is a personal reason to do this. But an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us, and this will not stand. We are going to ensure that not only can he survive it, but he can win it, and show those who would cheer his demise the power of Dun Scaith!"
Harry felt a little embarrassed being singled out like this, but he appreciated the sentiment. Then again, as both a relative newbie and a boy, he did stand out quite a lot here. But at least he was made to feel welcome, particularly by some of the Seven Shades.
"Now, you have your instructions," Lily said. "We activate the time dilation field in an hour. Go get ready for that."
As the Numbers bled away along with the applause, Harry was left with the Seven Shadows and his mother. Zeta clapped. "Nice speech, Lady Scathach," she said. "Still, are we ready for this?"
"Logistics-wise, we are," Lily said. "Food and water aren't a problem, as we have our own farm and large storehouses of food in stasis. Air is refreshed by special runes, as is sewerage. However, the fact remains that we'll be having at a few dozen people in a relatively confined area for years, relatively speaking. And while Alexandria covers a large area, as does the time dilation field, it's still a confined area. Cabin fever can set in, and cause conflict amongst us. What's more, many of you are teenagers, and hormonal ones at that. I want an absolute minimum of drama between us. Especially you two, Delta and Zeta. Keep the Therianthrope pecking order rubbish down, please."
"Hey, I can't help it if Miss Doggy here needs remedial classes," Zeta said, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder at Delta.
"That's rich coming from the mangy moggy who thought Boss wanted a cult of her own!" Delta retorted.
As they snarled at each other, Lily snapped, "That's enough out of both of you! You're proving my point! We don't need you going at it like cats and dogs! Yes, I know you are a Panther and a Wolf Therianthrope, but you are also sentient beings who are capable of reining in your instincts, so try, please. A time dilation field can't be undone easily, not like pulling over and stopping on a motorway to give you time out to calm down. It takes at least several minutes to resync with normal time safely, so please try, girls, for my sake if nothing else."
Delta and Zeta, chastened, affirmed their agreement. Lily then gently gathered them both into a hug. "Sorry, girls, but I need to make sure. Back home, a man called Jean-Paul Sartre once claimed that Hell is being stuck in a room with other people. Friction can arise even between friends and family in a confined space with no way out. I don't want that happening to us. We're more than a vigilante group. By this point, I view the Seven Shades and some of the Numbers as being family."
Epsilon stepped forward. "I can't speak for the rest of us, but Lily, you did more for me than my own family did. The moment I showed signs of Demonic Possession, they cast me out, as they did to almost all of us. Only Zeta's father bothered to try and cure her, and we know what happened in that case. You gave us not only bodies free of that affliction, but also hope for the future, and a place to belong. While Zeta may have been wrong in making you a goddess, you are still our leader, and indeed a mother, even if it's by choice."
The rest of the Seven Shades uttered similar agreements. Alpha then spoke up. "Lily…we owe you our lives. If you hadn't saved me, then…I shudder to think what would have happened to me, never mind to the rest of us. But you proved that Demonic Possession is not a death sentence, that we did not deserve to be pariahs for something out of our control. I…I resent my family for discarding me, I even hate them a little. But in the end, your affection for me filled that void, and that could be said about the rest of us. So you are right, we are a family. An unconventional one, but I do not care."
"Well said," Lily said with a smile. "So, Harry, girls…you ready to make space-time bend over and beg for mercy?"
A chorus of agreements came from their throats. As they separated, going to their respective assigned stations, Harry, walking alongside Alpha, said, "Here's hoping things go well."
"They will. Have some faith in your mother's abilities," Alpha said. "Still, I may have to mediate in any disputes that happen. Would you help me?"
"I'll try, but I'm not that much of a mediator though. I tend to escalate arguments. I…have to admit, I'm kind of nervous. Time manipulation isn't trivial magic by any means, and Mum's right, if we're stuck in here for a long enough period. I've lived with you all long enough to form bonds with the Seven Shades, but…"
"Don't worry," Alpha said, taking hold of his hand and squeezing it gently. "I know you can help. And we'll make sure you get through this Tri-Wizard Tournament."
Harry looked to the blonde Elf, and returned her smile. Not for the first time, he was glad his mother got to save her, and that he got to meet her, and the other members of Dun Scaith. After all that happened to him in his life, after Hermione was murdered, he needed something like this, to help give him purpose, direction, and some more happiness in his life. He got his mother back, and with more in tow.
He just hoped this upcoming training wouldn't be too taxing on their psyches…
CHAPTER 17 ANNOTATIONS:
So, there you have it. Augusta's planning, and Dun Scaith is preparing for training.
Now, I said there'd be a timeskip to the First Task at the end of the previous chapter, but I decided we needed a look into Augusta's psyche in this story and why she has a hate-on for Harry and Lily. I also wanted to make her Blood Purist without being a Death Eater.
Anyway, next chapter will have the timeskip to the First Task, though I'm not sure when it will be out. Hopefully, not too long. I've got quite a few fics I've been trying to get off the ground with limited success. I have another Genshin Impact story, a Final Fantasy VII one, and I've got ideas for a Honkai Star Rail crossover with a Harry/Firefly pairing. Oh, and I learned belatedly that the first light novel volume of Tsukimichi has had an official English release, albeit as an ebook, so if you're a fan of that series, I may or may not be doing a crossover with that in the near future.
Review-answering time! Beleriond: I do it as a sort of standard thing for Harry in some crossovers. Given that the girls are both magical beings and have vast reserves of magic, it actually has non-intimate connotations. Alpha and Beta are hoping it gets to that stage eventually, while Delta is more blasé about it. Gamma is more neutral.
WearyCurmudgeon: True, but I think that sort of thing is used by people as excuses for Potterverse harems, and I feel ill at ease doing that. And besides, the Judaeo-Christian religions have at least one notable figure who had a harem: King Solomon. I'm not sure what religion, if any, the Purebloods would follow, though.
6258489: A fair point about Harry's second year. In a lot of WBWL fics, I have it so either Harry or the WBWL went down there, and in this case, Harry didn't go down, but Neville, who has Parselmouth abilities, did. If this seems OOC, there's a reason for this. This isn't the Neville from canon. In other fics where Harry is absent up to the TWT, it's trickier, but for one variant of my (potentially) upcoming One Piece crossover, I had Hermione discover the Diary after Ginny disposed of it, and she brought it to Dumbledore. From there, they managed to stop the Basilisk.
No numbered annotations this time.