Molly stood in the hall, looking over the banners around the hall. Most were red and gold, and looked to be a modification of the Gryffindor coat of arms to instead be an actual, pitch black griffin but the three over the table…
One showed what was clearly Harry, Ron and Hermione meeting with Alfonse and two others. The second showed Alfonse impaling a red headed man through the chest. The third showed Harry aiming a strange instrument at a skeletal creature.
Before she could ask what they meant, Ron came back out, elbow held by a short, delicate girl with white hair and pink eyes, wearing a black and gold uniform.
"Mum, Dad," Ron said, "this is Lysithea Von Ordelia. My- my girlfriend."
"A pleasure to meet you," Lysithea said, and Molly took the offered hand, feeling that she was even more delicate than she looked. Molly pulled her into a hug, being careful not to crush the girl.
"It's nice to meet you too," Molly said, before letting go and letting Arthur shake her hand.
"Oh, uh, I should probably warn you," Ron said, like something had dawned on him, "Lysi, there are ghosts at Hogwarts."
Lysithea paled dramatically and snapped her head to look at Ron, "What!?"
"Hogwarts is considered a safe haven for Ghosts. They're brought here from all over Britain," Molly explained kindly.
"I'm, uh… I'm not sure I'll go," Lysithea said, "not that I'm scared, I just- uh- have a lot to do. Yes. Quite a lot."
"You'll be fine," Ron said soothingly, "They can't hurt you. Literally, they can't touch people."
"Talking about the ghosts?" Harry asked as he entered the room wearing red pants and a black suit coat. Behind him followed three young woman.
The most notable of the three, in Molly's opinion, was the blue haired, blue eyed one wearing apl blue, with the exception of the inside of her cape, which was red. At her hip sat a tan sword in a red sheath, a hole in the middle of the guard.
The next most notable was the girl with lilac eyes and long silver hair, wearing the same uniform as Lysithea, but with the addition of red tights and an equally red cape. A bone ax sat on her back.
And finally there was the one with blond hair that changed, strangely, to light blue, and blue eyes wearing an extravagant armored ball dress. On her back was another ax, this one made of gold and blue crystal.
"Professor," Harry said to Dumbledore, "these are Lucina, Edelgard and Fjorm. They'll be joining us for lunch."
—
Edelgard walked alongside Harry towards the stables, reaching out to touch his hand. She had learned much since coming to Askr, had seen other versions of herself and how they ended. The her that became backed into a corner enough to fully rely on Those Who Slither in the Dark, the one that entered a happy relationship with Professor Byleth, the one who stood alone as the Black Eagles abandoned her.
It had made her more cautious in how she tread forwards into the future. Made her realize she needed someone to bind her to reason and allies she could absolutely trust. Which is where Harry had stepped in, with the Order of Heroes behind him, she hadn't felt the need to grudgingly rely on Those Who Slither anymore.
"I think we can afford to get rid of the Agarthans now," Harry said quietly, as if reading her mind as he took her hand, reaching up to touch a surgical scar, "I get Solon, you get Thalas, Byleth gets Kronya."
Edelgard's lips twitched upwards as she mounted a Wyvern, Harry mounting his Griffon Deathclaw, and Fjorm and Lucina climbed on Pegasi. Rom and Lysithea took off before them, followed by Hermione. Taking off, they soared over the battlements of the Aether Keep and down towards Hogwarts. So this was the school Harry loved so much.
It was bigger than the Officer's Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery, that was for certain. Seven floor, as opposed to the Monestary's two, and a sprawling grounds leading into a forest, notably without any guards. They did a loop over the forest before landing in front of a relatively small hut at the edge of the forest, where a giant of a man, easily eleven feet tall, wearing a rather tattered brown long coat and with all but his beatle black eyes covered by a mess of brown hair stood. Harry leapt off Deathclaw, running forwards and being pulled into a hug by the man.
"Hagrid," Harry said, "it's so good to finally see you again."
"'Arry," Hagrid said in a gruff, booming voice that nonetheless carried in it boundless joy, "It's good to see ya. Ya gave us a righ' scare when ya disappeared off the Hogwarts Express."
"Sorry," Harry said, "we weren't expecting it either. Can I introduce you to these three?"
"'Course, I'm always 'appy to meet freinds o' yours, 'Arry. I'm Rubeus Hagrid-"
"Grounds and Gamekeeper of Hogwarts," Edelgard finished, "Harry's told us about you. My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg. It's a pleasure to finally meet Harry's oldest friend."
"My name is Lucina," the blue haired princess of Ylisse said, "I'm glad to meet you too, Hagrid."
"I'm Fjorm," the princess of Nifl said, "Thank you for being Harry's friend. He was so lonely when he was younger."
"Think nothing o' it," Hagrid waved a massive hand dismissively, "'Arry, is that a griffon behind ya?"
"Yeah," Harry said, "Deathclaw. He'll let you pet him, if you're careful. We have a variety of creatures at the Keep, I'd be glad to show you around after."
—
Lysithea stayed closer to Ron than she normally would, clinging to his arm as subtly as she could while her eyes snapped around as they entered Hogwarts. She wasn't looking forward to entering a building that was definitely haunted.
Atill, she could admit it was a castle as grand as the Royal Palace at Enbarr. Large and old, it was a castle that had clearly lasted the test of time well, with magnificent towers that ended in rounded roofs and Gargoyles crouching on perches across it. As they stepped inside, she looked at the suits of armor standing at attention. They walked into the hall clearly meant for dining. Four great tables, each easily over a hundred feet in length, stretched from one end of the hall to the other, where a fifth, smaller table stood on a raised platform with tables all around it. Hermione was already there, talking with a stern looking woman wearing a pointed hat.
"That's Professor McGonagall," Ron said quietly, "She's head of Gryffindor house."
"It will be quite brutal," McGonagall said in a deep accent, "but I think we can get you up to speed if you wish to return to Hogwarts, Miss Granger."
"I would love to, professor, and I'm sure I can convince Ron and Harry to too!"
"Ah, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said, "I'm glad to see you made it home in one piece. And who is this?"
"My name is Lysithea Von Ordelia," Lysithea introduced herself.
"Really now?" A voice came from behind them, and when Lysithea turned, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Floating in front of them was a silver, translucent man wearing a nobles uniform with a ruff around his neck, "It's a pleasure to meet you, I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsey-Porpington, Gryffindor House ghost."
"Sorry, Nick. Lysi's scared of ghosts," Ron said apologetically.
"I am not!" Lysithea denied vehemently, even through it was true.
"Ah, I'm sorry to have scared you then," Sir Nicholas said, clearly not believing her denial.
Jusrlt then, Harry, Edelgard, Lucina amd Fjorm stepped into the hall, walking in a horizontal line in lockstep.
"And who are these?" a black, greasy haired man with a hooked nose said, reminding Lysithea of a less pleasant Hubert.
"Snape," Harry said without looking at him, "Professor Dumbledore, I hope you don't mind me inviting those closest to me to lunch?"
"Not at all," the old man with a crooked nose said, eyes sparkling behind halfmoon glasses, "You are in a, ah, unconventional relationship, I assume?"
"Do you have a problem with that?" Harry asked, sharply.
"Not at all, love is one of the most powerful forces in this world, Harry. The more there is, the better in my opinion."
—