Majo Kon-ki The Marriage of Tanya the Witch
(The marriage chronicles of a witch)
Arc 3 - Prisoner of Azkaban – part 3
September, AD1993, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
It was only the morning of the first day and Tanya already regretted coming back.
"You won't ever again sleep without your personal pillow!" Luna merrily declared while clinging to Tanya in an exact repeat of last year. With the only difference that the younger girl became her self-nominated pillow! And this was nothing compared with the surprise she had reserved during breakfast.
"Tanya! Why did you never say anything?!" Lavender Brown was full of smiles.
"To think we had a real princess with us!" Likewise, Parvati Patil beamed, showing her this month's issue of the Quibbler.
Basically, Luna published the story Colin and Ginny heard from Lucius Malfoy and took the liberty to add a few new details. Such as how her ancestor saw the error of his ways after falling in love with the japanese princess and decided to fight evil from the shadows. And how, arriving in Tanya's generation, the 'frail princess' nominated Harry Potter, the heroic boy who lived, as her wizard knight and future husband.
Tanya had to swallow her scream after noticing a copy of the tabloid in the hands of every single student and teacher. They all, only stopping to read to look at her in awe.
"Should we call you your highness from now on?"
Tanya ignored her dorm-mate's last comment. She had to brainstorm a perfectly seasonable and rational explanation before the rumors got out of hand like last year.
"Is that what you were doing this summer? Doing more research on Grindelwald?" No time to think! Leading the Hufflepuffs in their apology for said rumors, Ernie Macmillan was creating some brand new ones!
"Or were you looking for his last supporters? Ah! Then Harry would take care of them later! Wow!" Too late for any damage control! She could foresee this nonsense spreading like wildfire.
"Does this mean Marcus Flint is a sympathizer of Grindelwald's cause?!" Again, Tanya ignored a stupid question. She decided to give it a rest and have breakfast.
"Miss Degurechaff!"
She hid her excitement when Gryffindor's ghost, Sir Nicholas, cut her path.
Was he about to attack her in retaliation for Myrtle's 'violent treatment'? Perfect! She kind of missed taking ghosts apart!
"The new rules can't protect them if I defend merely myself!"
"A beautiful morning today, isn't it?" Contrary to expectations, he politely greeted her.
"And you look fabulous- Sorry, I can't wait any longer! Can you please cut off my head? As a favor to another aristocrat?!"
"Thinking back, it was only a matter of time before he made this request." It was common knowledge that his greatest wish was to be properly decapitated. And, as a matter of fact, Tanya was glad to be of assistance.
With a swift move of her wrist, the last fragment of 'flesh' holding his head and neck together was cut off.
"HAHAHA! LOOK! EVERYONE, LOOK!" He was overjoyed.
"NOW I CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE-"
As expected, once his head hit the ground, it exploded and disappeared amidst sparks of light. Either moaning Myrtle never explained this part to him or he didn't listen.
By his alarm, she guessed that one had to be fully decapitated to participate in the headless hunt, but the head must be available.
At least, no one would see a grown up ghost crying after Tanya elucidated how his head would regrow in a day or two, EXACTLY the way it was before.
"This was fun! Let's do it again sometime!" This practical joke actually brought a fleeting smile to her face.
"Tanya!" Daphne Greengrass called her.
"I want you to meet my sister, Astoria."
"Nice to meet you, your highness!" The young girl gave her a bow.
"Like the Malfoys, the Greengrass wish to pledge their allegiance to your cause!" The older sister added while bowing too.
And there goes her smile! Plus, by the looks she was receiving from the Slytherin table, the sisters' sentiment was shared by the majority of the pure bloods…
"Hey wizard knight! Aren't you going to protect your princess from the dementors?!"
… maybe except for Pansy Parkinson who was busy mocking Harry.
If nothing else, it was refreshing to see Malfoy and his close friends being the same old jerks. Until it hit her that this means all her effort threatening bullies last year were all for nothing! Harry is more ridiculed than ever and Luna is back on her bed!
"Pff! Wizard knight? Scar-boy can't even be a wizard jester!" Malfoy complemented and the other three kids broke out in laughter.
"Know what? Struggling builds character! A bit of bullying may do well-"
"… Tanya is a princess, she is definitively not a Crumple-Horned Snorkack!" Hearing Luna on the Ravenclaw's table, Tanya facepalmed herself as realization struck her.
Luna divulged that nonsense believing she was protecting the Crumple-Horned Snorkack from the vampires!
"GAAAAHHHH! HOW THE FUCK IT ALL COME TO THIS?!" It was her first day and she felt a massive headache forming! Will the years until graduation all be like this?!
She took her seat relieved for only Harry and Ginny being close. Luna was still catching up with her dorm mates and Ron, aka the arachnopacifier, was telling his brave tale to the new gryffindors under the silent watch of Hermione.
"Luna published your biography- I mean, the princess' story?" Tanya's answer to Harry was a low growl.
"You almost sound like you are bothered. You can be honest! I know how much you like Luna!"
"Oh! What a surprise! Another misunderstanding!" She was beginning to get used to it.
"Relax! Without a basilisk after us, you can be with her as much as you want this year."
"Why do you think I want her around me all the time?!"
"Because she is your friend and-"
"Harry! Are you that dense?" Ginny cut in.
"If Luna is with Tanya all the time, how are you doing boyfriend-girlfriend stuff?"
"AHHHH?SHE IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! How I didn't see this wonderful benefit before?"
"Luna probably doesn't even realize she is bothering. Let me help! I will convince her that you two need space!"
"Thank you Ginny! I take back any bad thing I may have said- Wait, what?"
"Luna! We need to have a serious talk!"
"Hold on! Ginny!" I was already too late, the girl was heading towards Luna determined to 'help'.
"Ugh! Why can't people- Eek!" Tanya almost jumped from her seat, feeling Harry suddenly caressing her hand.
For the remainder of the morning, she had to withstand the kidnap of her limb under the constant 'lovingly' gaze of its captor while eating.
"What is our first class?"
"Divination, and later, we have Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid! Isn't it brilliant?"
"Harry, Tanya- I mean, your highness!" While bowing, Fred interrupted their conversation.
"Stop calling me princess or your highness!"
"Oh, Okay! Then… lady Von Degurechaff?" George corrected.
"Whatever!"
"We want to ask you two to watch out for Ron in Care of Magical Creatures."
"Yeah, that class can be harsh to someone as sensitive as him."
Tanya and Harry had the same thought: How far are they taking this joke?
"Err, we will keep an eye on him." The twins seemed genuinely grateful and relieved for Harry's reassurance as they walked away.
Bewildered, Tanya missed the small detail that George Weasley called her VON Degurechaff.
"I should know I was only deluding myself!" Tanya came to this sad conclusion during divination class.
"… that thing you are dreading, it will happen…" Lavender Brown trembled at Sybill Trelawney's words.
"But imagine how useful it would be!Be it predicting the outcome of a fight or anticipating the most profiling commodity for an investment! The heavens would be the limit!"
"… after you've broken…" Next the divination teacher admonished Neville for his future breaking of her cup.
"However, this class is the same sort of fortune telling you get from any third-rate con artist!"
"… my dear, you have a deadly enemy."
So far, Trelawney proved her only aptitude was her impressive skill to notice what everyone already knows. You don't need a seer to tell that Lavender Brown is easily frightened, that Neville is an irremediable klutz or that the famous boy who lived has a deadly enemy.
"This is what I get for trusting Harry to choose myelective courses! A cheap show without a refund!"
"Excuse me, I am leaving." It was the last drop when her classmates began to wonder if Harry's tea leaves formed a grim or a donkey!
"Maybe I can still apply for arithmancy or ancient runes-"
"Wait, my good girl! I can see danger in your future! Not as urgent as Mr Potter, but still a perilous path!" Tanya rolled her eyes.
"Maybe the second act will be amusing."
"Fine, tell me what you see."
"Let me concentrate to unfog your future…" Dramatically, she exhaled. And like the air, all the attention of class was drawn to her. Except for Hermione who very uncharacteristically was grimacing in a plain sign of disdain.
"I see you walking in a station- a train station."
"Pff! Hogsmeade?"
"No. Not in Hogsmeade or London! Not in Britain for that matter… it looks like a distant land? OH, NO! There is someone stalking you! He has a grudge against you!"
"This story sounds familiar- No! It can't be!"
"Now he is sneaking towards- NO! BE CAREFUL!" Her audience let out gasps at her sudden shout.
"Oh! I am so sorry! You were pushed in front of the coming train…"
"Did this unmistakable fraud foretold how I first died?!"
Tanya was agape. The second act proved to be really better! And the plot twist revitalized Tanya's interest in this class. She took back her seat between Harry and Ron.
"I couldn't fully see you, but your silhouette was very tall. This means that unlike Mr Potter, you have years to prepare for your inevitable end!"
"Oh, come on! How can someone believe this rubbish? If true, all Tanya has to do is stay away from any train stations in distant-"
"Hermione! Be quiet!"
"T-Tanya?!"
"What a great opportunity! If this woman is the real deal, she canlocalize the elder wand!"
"I am not one to rejoice for bringing ill news-"
"Really? Then how about some good news? There is, well, something I am searching for. Can you help me find it?"
"No more words are necessary! What this unfortunate child is looking for is- Oh!"
"Did she see it?!"
"You little rascal! So young and already looking for a husband!"
"Ah?"
"This must be your royal blood demanding a successor, especially now that your future looks so grim. But don't worry! From the moment you walked into this room, I foresaw your future husband already at your left side!"
All eyes turned to who was on Tanya's left side…
"Merciful Merlin! ME?!"
… Ron!
"Y-you gotta be wrong!"
"Ron! YOU TRAITOR!"
From the way Harry lunged for Ron's throat, it was easy to see that he took the impending news of his best friend stealing his girlfriend very badly.
"I am never wrong, my dear boy. Miss Degurechaff's future husband was at her left when she entered this room."
"What?" Harry let go of his friend's neck, surely remembering he was originally at Tanya's left when they arrived.
"What a relief! Err, sorry Ron."
"J-just get off me, mate!"
Harry returned to his seat at her side, and like before at breakfast, he kidnapped her hand!
"P-professor, will it take long? I mean, our m-marriage?"
Poor Harry Potter, he had the worst timing ever. Tanya was feeling frustrated after her hopes were crushed twice in this mockery of a lesson. And a secret fact about her is that she hates to suffer alone!
"Don't put the cart before the horse! It's a million years too early for a naive little boy to concern himself with those matters!"
Tanya almost laughed grimly at the sight of Harry's stunned face after she forcibly pulled her hand back.
"Getting married is not an easy task, it should only be carried out by two adults fully aware of their responsibilities. For starters, you need to have a steady income, enough to support and sustain a family. Unnecessary to say you must own a house."
This is Tanya's honest opinion on the theme of marriage. But more than anything, she wished to scare Harry Potter into never bringing up the subject again.
"And be aware the huge expenses start at the engagement. It's not like in the old days when a bride-dowry-"
"Huh?! What is a dowry?"
"It's a payment made by the groom for the family of the woman he will be married to or is about to marry." Hermione explained fast.
"You want Harry to pay for you?! You are joking, right?" Tanya sighed hard. If Ron was any indication, the other must be thinking the same absurdity.
"What I meant to say is-"
"Of course Harry has to pay for Tanya's hand! She is a princess!" Lavender Brown brought up this 'relevant' topic.
"Right! And it can't be cheap! Either he gives lots of gold to her or gives away his most valuable possession!" Parvati Patil added.
"I-isn't that a tad too much?!"
"I never said-"
"Hey! Rather than money, can't Harry do something heroic?" Dean Thomas' solution was very well received by the boys in the room.
"Yeah! Like fighting to the death all her other suitors!"
"Tanya has no other suitors. She loves only Harry!"
"No! It's cooler if he slays a dragon!"
"Can't you let me-"
"Wow! That would be brilliant!"
"And very romantic!"
"Won't that be too easy for him? He already killed a basilisk."
It took some time but after a full deliberation, the class reached a consensus:
The condition for Harry and 'princess' Tanya's union would be for him to either slay a powerful dragon (as a sicken or a baby wouldn't suffice), pay a huge sum of money or the abdication of an equally expensive property.
"How did this get out of hand so quickly?!"
Later, a new rumor would spread out saying how the way Tanya declared her fancy way to start an engagement was the final proof she was a princess!
"HOW THE HELL I AM KILLING A DRAGON?!"
It was dinner time, and Harry Potter didn't have the spirit to even touch his food so lost in his own misery.
"Maybe I could afford a house with all the gold from my parent's vault, but what should I give as a dowry?"
Tanya had to be angry with him. That is the only explanation for making such demands!
"Or maybe she is disgusted with me for fainting in front of a dementor! And those were the motives she made up to break up with me!"
Besides, the mention of a house seemed like she was giving hints that even Malfoy was a better candidate than him!
"Are you okay, Harry? You have been looking kind of down for a while."
"No, it's nothing."
"You aren't like this because Tanya was all over that git Malfoy during care for magical creatures, right?"
Truthfully, no. Harry, like everyone else, knew Tanya was merely making sure Malfoy behaved after his attempt to mess with Buckbeak.
No, he definitively wasn't feeling troubled looking as all the Slytherins were basically idolizing his girlfriend! And mostly of them being rich boys who could surely buy a big house and pay her an expensive bride-dowry!
"Or is this about Hagrid? I told him Tanya was only worried about our safety. He wasn't upset."
Indeed, Hagrid wasn't upset, but wasn't happy to see how Tanya dealt with their copies of The Monster Book of Monsters either.
"I swear!I said there should be another way to read those books without killing them!"
Tanya's answer was that she would never let another sentient book close to Harry.
"It's not like they could eat our souls! Now, if they at least looked like the grim…"
"Are we still talking about this disparity? Professor McGonagall told us Trelawney does this every year and no one ever died!"
"But Harry saw the grim!"
"He saw a dog! Tanya also saw it! It wasn't an omen!"
"Harry, are you sure Tanya saw it too?"
"Yeah. She actually scared it away."
"That girl scared away the grim?! Blimey! Who doesn't she scare? Only Snape!"
At the mention of the potions' professor, Harry looked across the room to see him having dinner with Tanya.
As with lunch, this was one of the few times of the day when Harry wasn't too keen to be around her. Although, this doesn't mean that he wasn't jealous.
"Why does she look more happy with him than when she is with me?"
"Don't forget one day you will need to ask him for her hand." Hermione mentioned, guessing what was in his mind.
"Please, don't remind me."
"And pay him a small fortune!" Ron added.
"GAHHH! Don't remind me!" Again, Harry gazed at Snape at the other table.
"Wait! Could that dowry thing be his idea? No, he already agreed tous dating. Hmm, maybe he willhelp me if- Eh? Did he just shake his head at me?"
In any case, it was becoming awfully likely that a showdown with a dragon was the only way he could prove his worth.
"Ah! Is this how Trelawney's prediction will come true? I die fighting a dragon?!"
"I already said she made lots of contradictions!" Hermione uttered what became her favorite phrase of the day.
"She insinuated that you will die soon but also that you two will marry someday."
"I reckon Harry will die on their honeymoon. Knowing Tanya, she will reveal her true monster form, kill Harry and lay her eggs on his corpse…"
"RON!"
"… and inherit a house and lots of money!"
"Are you badmouthing her because of what she said at divination? Tsk, tsk! You definitively can't understand an innocent maiden's heart!"
"Hermione always seems to know what Tanya is thinking! Maybe she saw something that I didn't."
"Err, Hermione! About divination, Tanya wasn't mad with me, right?"
"Harry…" She gave him a reassuring smile… not.
"What were you expecting?! You heed that fraudulent woman's words and bothered Tanya about marriage after you two dated for only a few months! You are lucky she didn't break up with you!"
"UGH!" Harry felt like he was stabbed in the heart! If Hermione was this indignant, then Tanya must be furious!
"She was probably scared when this matter was brought up out of the blue. Tanya may be mature but she is still a little girl, for Merlin's sake!"
Harry tried to defend himself saying it was Trelawney's fault but Hermione left no room to argue.
"Also, her conditions weren't that absurd. In truth, they are common sense for any couple."
"Oh yeah, I remember mum telling the story of how dad killed a dragon for her!"
"GAH! Do I really need to kill a dragon?!"
"Of course not! Forget that nonsense our classmates put together."
"Phew!"
"Tanya would never demand for you to confront a dragon, she loves you! Just don't rush things, let everything happen naturally. Apologize for your insensitive behavior…"
"Okay."
"… and dismiss anything that joke of a teacher ever says from now on!"
Despite Harry thinking that Hermione was dumping all her frustration with Trelawney on him, he decided he was still going to apologize. Even if he didn't fully understand what made Tanya so fussy!
"Mate, you also better start working hard if you want to marry her before you reach thirty." Ron told him earnestly.
"What do you mean?"
"It's just, if the dragon is out of question, you will need lots of gold for her dowry thing."
"Eh?"
"And a big house." Hermine reminded him.
"Ah?"
"Be grateful she didn't ask for a castle!"
"Good grief! Why couldn't I fall in love with a commoner?!"
"I warned you! Told you in our first year she was hiding something!"
"Well, I'm glad you were wrong about the part about her actually being a man."
"Can't people cut me some slack?!"
It was anyone's guess if Trelawney predicting the salaryman's death was merely a coincidence or a fluke. Or even if the woman has any power to begin with.
What Tanya knows is that the incident in divination cemented her reputation as 'the witch princess'. Everywhere she goes is 'princess Tanya' or 'your highness' or someone giving her bowing gestures!
"ARGH! It's infuriating! For the first time, I wish people were mocking me!"
She thought at least Harry would calm down a bit, only for him to make a scene begging for her forgiveness! She had no choice but to give in. Further, he declared his intention to work hard to someday be worthy of her. The bright side was the boy was so eager to please that he agreed to start training.
"Hopefully not to fight a dragon- Hold on!" A disturbing thought popped up.
"Could this be an excuse? Is he planning to use this opportunity to be alone with me to KISS?!"
Their promise to not do anything in front of people is the only defense she has left. She found herself in a paradox: How does she train Harry without being alone with him?
She can't even involve Ron and Hermione, because, like Luna and Ginny, they were keen on giving the couple some space to do 'boyfriend-girlfriend stuff'!
"Should I look for more 'students'? Or maybe an assistant instructor?"
The first idea would be a bother, the second had its merits. She would be solving the kiss issue and as a bonus, have someone to help her.
"Professor Snape is out of question but a teacher would be a good idea. Humm… Lupinalready proved himself with the dementors."
Of all teachers, he was at the top of the list. Tanya would decide after watching his first class, which, by the way, was right now.
Professor Lupin arrived late, this wasn't promising for her assistant candidate. However what caught Tanya's attention the most was the 'disease' in his mana. She could better perceive the anomaly observed in the train. It was rooted on his body, similar to a magic formula just waiting for the right condition to activate.
Now, Tanya was almost certain of what afflicted him and if she was right, AGAIN Dumbledore found a dangerous person to teach this subject!
They moved to another room to have a practical lesson. After a quick last harassment towards Neville by professor Snape, their teacher declared this class would be about learning the boggart repelling spell.
This piqued Tanya's interest. Boggarts are amortal beings comparable to ghosts. Would her spell work?
"Who needs a'ridiculous' charm when you can destroy them?" Still, thinking how the professor wouldn't like it if she blew the subject of study before class was over, she took the end of the line to be last.
Neville was the first to try. Unsurprisingly, professor Snape emerged from the wardrobe.
"R-r-riddikulus!" After a noise, their potions teacher was wearing women's clothing.
All the others glanced at Tanya's direction looking unsure if they should laugh. Everyone knew how close she was to professor Snape and didn't wish to feel their combined ire.
Neville was reminded too late of this fact and flinched when their eyes met.
There was a change with the boggart. Professor Snape vanished and in his place was Tanya.
'How dare you!' The second Tanya said in a very frightening voice.
"I-I am sorry-" Neville looked at both Tanyas, not knowing which one he was supposed to ask forgiveness from.
'You are sorry?! No! Not yet! Not until I make you, my fat big pixie!' The fake Tanya raised her red wand at the trembling boy, a big grin on her face.
"WAHHHHHH!" It was too much. He ran away from the room screaming all the way.
The professor was caught completely off guard.
"Pixie?"
"Long story." Harry signaled he would explain at another time.
"Bah! I am going after him." As soon as Seamus was out, the professor locked the doors to avoid another case like this.
In Tanya's defense, she wasn't going to seek retribution. She may like professor Snape, but he had this coming after so much bullying against Longbottom.
"Err, next?"
Parvati Patil was next in line, but like most of her classmates, she wasn't feeling so brave anymore.
"Huh?" Tanya noticed that after Neville ran away, professor Lupin was the closest to the boggart.
"Crap!" She really wished she was wrong, but a full moon boggart could only mean one thing!
"I will go!" Hermione volunteered, probably seeing this chance as an opportunity to shine in front of a teacher.
As she got near, the full moon transformed.
"Professor McGonagall?!" Like the girl said, the transfiguration professor appeared with her back turned.
Hermione widened her eyes when the professor moved and revealed she had been fixing a badge in Tanya's robes.
"I-i-is that A PREFECT BADGE?!" 'Tanya' showed off her badge, Hermione by her part seemed more affronted than anything else.
"As if I won't be the prefect of our house! Humpf! Riddikulus!" Hermione fired her spell directly at the shiny object immediately turning it into a head girl's badge!
"NOOOO!" Hermione screamed and again shot a spell. This time, the change was on professor McGonagall.
'Congratulations miss Degurechaff, you are by far the best student this school ever had!'
"R-riddikulus!"
'What about Hermione?'
'You mean that INCOMPETENT and OBTUSE girl? Have you forgotten? She was EXPELLED years ago after having the WORST grades this school has ever had.'
Professor Lupin put an end to her attempt when Hermione burst into tears. Afterwards, Ron becomes the new 'victim'.
As expected, an acromantula appeared. But strangely, it had BLOND fur.
"I think I know how this will turn up."
"Riddikulus!" Ron shouted and the golden spider lost its legs.
It seemed like Ron would be the first to be successful until the acromantula shrunk and morphed into Tanya.
'Not nice Ron Weasley! Not nice at all!' The new fake Tanya grew back into an even bigger acromantula.
'NOW I AM GOING TO EAT YOUR HEAD AND LAY MY EGGS ON YOUR CORPSE! MWAHAHAHA!'
"WAHHHHHH!" Like Neville, Ron meant to run away, only to find the door closed and locked.
"O-OPEN UP! LET ME OUT!"
Lupin seemed absolutely miserable with his students' lack of success.
Tanya herself was thinking twice about trying her luck. Who knows what sort of fear her twisted mind could create.
Both teacher and student were so busy with their own thoughts that they failed to notice Harry approaching the boggart.
"Riddikulus!" Harry shouted in vain, his consciousness hanging by a thread.
"Can't I win even against a fake?!" The same as it was with the original dementor, his vision was dimming and he could hear someone scream his name-
"HARRY!"
"Just like- hang on!" The person who called his name, also pushed him out of the dementor's way.
"Tanya?"
"Can't I take my eyes from you for a few seconds?! Why are you always so careless?!"
He felt utterly humiliated. His girlfriend saved his ass again!
"Sorry-" Harry's apology was cut short by the sound of laughter.
"Are they laughing at me?!" NOW he was truly ashamed. He boldly challenged his fear only to fail miserably. He could hear even Ron mocking him!
"Oh boy! You once said hating skirts! Could it be that you are actually afraid of them?! Seriously?!"
Harry couldn't understand Ron's meaning. It only became clear when he gazed at the boggart.
It was no longer in dementor's form. Once more, it became Tanya, wearing what he considered to be princess garments.
"This is Tanya's boggart?" Apparently, when Tanya knocked Harry out of the way, she entered its reach.
"Could she be scared of being a princess?" Ron mentioned skirts, but Harry had a different assumption.
"Wait a moment! Isn't this dress-" Harry forgot what he was thinking so distraught over the other Tanya's face. Her eyes were so frightened, like a child about to be spanked.
'Please… help me.' The boggart voice, so lifeless, so mechanical and lacking Tanya's usual strength further disturbed him.
"No!" His girlfriend's face mirrored the same horror struck look.
She slowly back stepped from the boggart, but unlike anyone before, it moved without using its legs to keep up with her.
'For a long time I felt so cold…'
"NO! MAKE IT SHUT UP!" Tanya covered her ears trying to block her doppelganger words.
Harry saw professor Lupin position himself between the two. Tanya let out a breath of relief-
'This is not caused by the blizzard outside, no…'
Strangely, the boggart still had Tanya's appearance.
"What?" Professor Lupin was taken aback.
"The boggart! It has latched on you! I heard of this happening on rare occasions. Your fear is so big, it can't feel other 'weak' ones. Try to calm down a little."
'… but because my innocent heart closed itself against warmth, fearing the soiling of man's touch, for far too long.'
"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" Contrary to the professor's advice, she lost herself in a frenzy! Madly blasting at the boggart, but only damaging the room.
"Tanya! You will hurt yourself!" Hermione tried to reach her.
"Out…"
With a fast twist of her wrist, the doors were magically blown away.
"OUT! OUT! OUT! NOWWWW!"
"DEGURECHAFF LOST HER MIND!" The sight of their freaked out classmate pointing her dangerous red wand was enough to drive everyone away screaming in terror.
'It was worth keeping my purity… to give to my rightful lifelong mate.'
"T-Tanya! Please, let me help you!" Professor Lupin, like Harry, refused to leave the room.
"YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE!" Harry felt a shiver run down his spine. The tone of threat in Tanya's scream made it pretty clear she was going to KILL their professor!
He anxiously waited to see the teacher cut in half like the troll back in their first year but no spell came out.
"M-my magic?! My mana?!"
Harry didn't miss this opportunity. He pulled the hysterical girl into his arms, concentrating his efforts to restrain her wand arm.
"LET ME GO!" He gritted his teeth expecting to receive one of her mind blowing punches. Instead, he was able to easily overpower her. Tanya became the weak little girl she was supposed to be.
'So please, take this freezing cold away with your blazing manly passion…'
"P-passion?" Harry unconsciously repeated the boggart's last word.
"N-no! Please, don't listen!"
'I beg you, my cute body is filled only with desire to satisfy you…'
"It was not my fault! He- the water- the drug- I was drugged! You have to believe me!" Tanya pleaded with him, but Harry was still trying to make sense of this whole mess.
"I am not like THIS! So WEAK!"
"Tanya, what-" The boggart Tanya slowly lifted her skirt, her naked knees in full view.
'… make me your dirty little girl… ravish me while I am still fresh.'
"Oh god!" Even the naivest person alive could figure this out.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Tanya let out her loudest scream and subsequently, went limp in Harry's arms.
With his main victim unconscious, the boggart changed back into a dementor.
"Funny, it doesn't look so scary anymore…" Harry nonchalantly declared.
Still holding Tanya with an arm, he raised his wand with the other.
"Phantasma exumai!"
Harry felt a somewhat sick satisfaction seeing the boggart/dementor break into thousands of pieces and vanish forever. He didn't know if the spell would work, he only felt an urge to blow it up like he did previously with Myrtle's head.
"Should have done that from the start!"
"Hmm…? Where?"
"… the world leaders are scared. They believe you can create another explosion of that scale."
"Brigadier general Rerugen?"
"I said it's impossible! The Elenium Type 95 is gone!"
"Aff,here we go again!" This was a recurrent nightmare for Tanya. From time to time, her unconscious mind replayed her last memories of that world.
"And we passed forward your report, only to be met with skepticism. The entire cease fire is about to fall apart if we don't surrender you!"
This was the result of her turning the type 95 into a bomb. The radius of the explosion wasn't that big but the tremendous energy generated, obliterated all matter within its area of effect. Not even ashes were left, be it from structures or even the two dead soldiers. Everything was equally put out of existence. Tanya had unintentionally created the magical equivalent of a small NUCLEAR device!
"Please! You of all people worked so hard for this. Peace is finally in our grasp!"
"Oh, yeah! And you only need to sacrifice ME!"
"The Russy assured you will be treated with the utmost humanity as specify by law-"
"YOU CAN'T KNOW THAT!"
"I- you are right, I can't!"
A heavy silence followed.
"After Being X's warning, I was going to flee but Rerugen arrived shortly thereafter."
"Are those orders from central?"
"We'd rather ask you. If it means anything, lieutenant General Zettour and Rudersdorf tried to offer themselves in your place."
"The only way for me to escape would be over his dead body, but then, where would I run to?"
"Okay. I agree." The disbelief on his face showed he wasn't counting with her consent.
"What other choice I had left?"
"Survive!"
"Huh?"
"Whatever happens, survive! Someday I will bring you back home! I swear under my honor!"
"You liar."
The scene changed, now Tanya was looking at a luxurious big house somewhere in the Russy Federation.
"Why is she handcuffed? Remove those at once!"
This was her first meeting with Loria.
"Comrade, she-"
"Immediately!"
Quickly, she was freed.
"Forgive my fellow countrymen. It's just that your reputation precedes you. They call you a devil, but to me, you are a goddess of war, victory and beauty!"
"Goddess? You are overestimating me."
"No need for false modesty, Lieutenant colonel Degurechaff! I am your greatest fan! I have been watching you since you invaded our capital. I was there when you raised your flag! Oh! Your visage left me breathless that day!"
Afterwards, he showed her all the courtesy reserved to a guest of honor. She was given a delicious dinner and even wine!
"I should've known something was amiss. I thought my childlike appearance earned some pity."
As wine was served in her glass, she hid a smirk with her other hand.
"You don't resemble any child he lost you imbecile!"
"Miss von Degurechaff, do you mind if I call you Tanya?"
"By no means! Tanya is fine."
"Oh, thank you. And in the matter of favors, I wish to ask something else." At his gesture, one of the maids placed a box in front of her. Inside was a pink dress.
"Can you wear this for me?" She blinked at this strange request.
"Don't take this the wrong way. I am not comfortable with this sort of attire."
"Oh! Can't you make an exception? Especially, taking into account the occasion?"
"The occasion?"
"Us finally meeting, of course!"
"W-well, sorry, but no." She closed the box to bring the matter to an end.
"Ahhhh! What a pity. I ordered the prettiest dress, just like I dreamed you were wearing when I- oops!"
"This small slip was the first clue that something was gravely wrong."
Loria got up, knelt down and took one of her hands.
"Tanya, I want you to be my wife!"
"Eh?!"
"This is only a small sample of the life you can have with me. The best food, clothes, even jewelry! I can give you anything your heart desires!"
"Is this a joke- EEK!" Loria licked the hand he had grabbed.
She immediately pulled it back, almost wishing to cut it off so much was her disgust seeing her fingers drenched with his saliva!
"Hehehe! My apologies, I couldn't help having a small taste!"
"K-keep away from me! YOU PERVERT!" She yelled, putting some distance from him.
"Pervert? What an insult! I was only showing a bit of affection to you."
"I said, KEEP AWAY!" This time, she took a knife from the table to show she was willing to defend herself.
"WHAT- HEY!" Again, Loria gestured and out of nowhere, two soldiers grabbed her.
"I take this as a 'no' to my proposal."
"Y-YOU CAN BET!"
"Don't SCREW WITH ME!" Like a raging bull, he advanced towards Tanya, his nostrils flaring.
"IS THIS HOW YOU REPAY MY KINDNESS?!"
He stole the knife from her hand and began to rip her uniform with it.
"NO! STOP IT!"
"Hehehe! You were born only to be mine!"
With sick pleasure, he slashed away her clothes, until she was as naked as the day she was reborn.
'Evil will choose this moment to try to feast upon your sinful soul.' That piece of shit's words, like always, become a reality.
"CURSE YOU BEING X! YOU SEND EVEN A PEDOPHILE AFTER ME!"
"Ohhhh! You are even more gorgeous than I could ever imagine!"
The two guards had such an iron grip that Tanya was unable to cover herself. Everything was laid bare to his repulsive gaze.
"Just to be sure, are you a virgin? Am I the first man to ever see you naked?"
"G-GO TO HELL!"
"M-mind if I have another taste?" He licked his lips, but that didn't stop drool from running down his chin.
"DON'T TOUCH ME YOU- YOU LOLICON!"
"Lolicon? Are you still insulting me? HOW DARE YOU TEASE ME YOU LITTLE WHORE?!"
Tanya shrieked as he hastily began to unfasten his belt!
"No, this is not how I envisioned our union." He halted.
"You are also not exactly as I dreamed. Oh! I don't blame you. The Empire put in your head those filthy notions that as a mage, you are superior to the common folk."
Watching him refasten his belt, Tanya almost felt relief but his creepy leer continued to send shivers down her spine.
"I will fix this! With patience, I will unveil the sweet angel inside you!"
Another scene change, Tanya was in a dark cell in the basement of the same house.
Left completely naked with only Loria's gift, she had no choice except to wear the dress.
"It was too cold. Even wearing it, I could barely contain any body heat."
Tanya was curled up in a corner shaking.
"D-d-damn y-y-you B-B-Being X! Y-y-you w-w-won't b-b-break me!"
"To this day, I don't know how long I was there. They gave me food in random time intervals. And the water had a strange taste."
"My name…? Who… am… I…?"
"I can only guess they gave me some sort of psychotropics because I completely forgot who I was."
"Why… is it… so dark? This is scary!"
"I forgot everything. Eventually, I was overwhelmedby despairand…"
"NO! SOMEONE HELP!" She began to pound at the door of her cell.
"SOMEONE! ANYONE! PLEASE!"
"Was it another effect of the drugs? My mind was blank and yet I felt an irrational fear."
"Sob! I don't want to be alone!"
In answer to her distress, the cell was illuminated, and the door opened revealing Loria.
"W-who are you?"
"I came to save you, of course!"
"I- THANK YOU SO MUCH!" Tanya lunged into his repugnant arms, gleeful that her predicament was over.
The Tanya observing tried to avert her eyes in vain. She had to witness in third person perspective Loria running his hands all over her body.
"W-what are you doing?"
"It's cold, I am warming you. Why? You don't like it?"
"W-well…"
"I see!" He pushed her away and stood outside the cell. The room was immediately plunged back into darkness.
"I will come back when you can show some appreciation."
Tanya watched in horror as he very slowly began to close the door.
"NO! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME ALL ALONE AGAIN! I WILL- WILL DO ANYTHING!"
"DON'T SAY THAT!"
"Ho? Anything?"
In the next few minutes, Loria instructed her about the way she could fully show her appreciation.
"Begin now." He said, getting comfortable on a mattress on the cell's floor.
"Please… help me."
"He couldn't just rape me! He had to make me beg for it!"
For the second time this day, Tanya had to witness her most disgraceful state ever.
"… desire to satisfy you…"
In her terrified state, her brain didn't register the meaning behind those words. She only repeated them exactly as he ordered.
"… ravish me while I am still fresh."
Not even the act pulling the dress up in a disgusting invitation felt wrong to her. Anything was better than being alone in the dark.
"I-I can't stand any longer! Come my beloved! Let's continue this on b-bed!"
Like a zombie, Tanya walked steady in his direction.
"OH GOD! MY BLOOD IS BOILING- NO! MY ENTIRE BODY IS ON FIRE!"
"… god?!" Before he could lay a single finger on her, life returned to Tanya's eyes and she didn't miss the opportunity to punch the man straight in the face.
"Perhaps the drug's effect wore off sooner than he expected. Or maybe, his bad choice of words didn't sit well with my atheism. What mattered is the fact that it was…"
Loria was stunned. This would be her only chance to escape. Not thinking twice, she made a mad dash out of the cell.
"… all for nothing."
"NO! LET ME GO!"
She was intercepted by a soldier and forced back to the cell. There, a surprisingly composed Loria was waiting.
"What was your idea? Try to fly away? How can you do that without your magic?"
"W-what?!"
"I never figured out how he did it. My magic so present during all my life as Tanya had just vanished. Even if I could find an operational orb, it would be useless in my hands."
"Ah! What a let down. The small doses of the ET96 should be enough to help you see reason. But it was a waste of time!"
Both Tanyas watched in horror as he brought a syringe out of his pocket.
"I am afraid this overdose may completely rob you of any free will. But I see no other way to open your heart to me."
"Somehow I could tell he wasn't bluffing.If he injected me with it, I would never wake up!"
"I will give you a last chance. Either you become my obedient wife or I will turn you into a doll."
"Fuck you!"
"Hehehe. You will, soon."
He lifted up her sleeve and was about to press the needle.
"No! Help, Visha! Rerugen!"
"Huh? Who is Rerugen? Is it a man's name?!"
"My commanding officer! He will come to rescue me!"
"I held onto this hope until the last minute. The general would suddenly appear and take me home like he promised."
Loria began to laugh aloud.
"You really think somebody is coming for you?! That he will risk the treaty to save a single person?!"
"What the- I don't remember this part! This nightmare always ends with his laughter!"
"Pffff! Don't you wonder who manufactured this experimental drug?"
"Eh?"
"Doesn't the name ET96 ring any bell?"
With a startle, the words formed in her mind.
"Elenium Type 96?"
Tanya never saw official records about an orb, or even a drug for that matter, with this code name and she kept well informed about any new technology.
Even if it was being developed in secrecy, she had many contacts in central HQ who would have mentioned it to her. Besides, Schugel would never resist babbling about his newest masterpiece.
She reasoned he was only trying a way of getting under her skin.
"Think I am lying? Look for yourself."
He showed her the syringe up close. It definitely had the Empire's unique numeric codes for classified research!
"Does this mean I-"
"I was forsaken?!"
"Do you see now? Your motherland ditched you. I am the only one willing to take you in."
"… no…"
She was assaulted by a whirlwind of thoughts forming a storm of feelings.
"… why… how… when…"
Anguish, hopeless, frustration, betrayal and even hatred. This turmoil of emotions threatened to overwhelm her mind.
"… this is not… can't be… was it because… after I did…damn them…"
But it was her soul which broke first!
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! IT'S A LIE! LIE! LIE! LIE! YOU ARE LYING!"
Down there, the past Tanya was in a similar helpless state.
"Shh! Don't cry, my doll. With this 'serum of happiness', you won't feel pain ever again. Now, sleep. I will take good care of you!"
"Stop! Please, ANYONE MAKE IT STOOOOP!" As soon as the needle pierced her arm, everything went black.
AN: Many thanks to Sappy3 from AO3 for pointing a great lot of mistakes in this story. Again, I would like to ask people to send me a message should you find any misspellings, so I can correct them as soon as possible.
Sorry for the delay, but this chapter was HELL! I had many troubles with Loria's scenes. I wished him to be disgusting but without clear profanity because I believe that Loria doesn't consider himself a pervert. I think he would wish sweet words from Tanya's mouth in their first time and this is the main reason he drugged her instead of just raping her.
This is my answer to what Tanya's boggart would be. Someone so strong, so in control all the time, can only fear to lose those and have it shown to the whole world.
Oh! And again, I must remember that no rape will or did happen in this story. In two arcs from now, I will reveal what happened during her blank memory.
Next chapter: The nightmare continues. And two young time travelers arrive on the wrong day.
Reviews:
Ocansino: You may be on something… Sorry, but I can't use more characters, the few I am using will turn this story too big already.
Hank22117: I really don't know. Maybe after I finish this one.
Setokayba2n: The ghost destroying spell is useless against them, but maybe used together with the patronus charm it could work.
Guest: Peeves death happened because I had no use for him. Please, don't be too hard on Harry. Remember that Tanya was pulling his strings, trying to manipulate fate to her own gain.
Schelker2games: Thank you. There will be more humor, but also some dramatic moments.
Eragon135790: Sorry if it feels forced to you, but I am doing the best I can. All interludes are going to happen, unless two particular boys change the past during their travels…