Chapter 29

Autumn 1998

A couple of days had passed in uncomfortable coldness, until finally they both resumed their usual routine, albeit with icy courtesy. Ginny would have loved to annoy Tom even more; however, the delicate situation in the Balkans had prevented her from doing so. They had barely liberated England (and most of Germany from Muggles) when the Yugoslav Magic Ministry fell. It had been weakened for 5 years, after a civil war caused Muggle governments to create new countries, and with the war between Muggles and wizards, the weak ministry had not resisted.

She had to swallow her anger and went to Tirana, Albania, to the World Council, where they had all gathered. Sarajevo was still besieged by Muggles, so it was too unsafe for the leaders to meet, and Tom wanted to return triumphantly to the country where he had spent his most miserable years.

Marvy and Delphi had had to stay behind with her ladies and Tilly, but she had been so worried about her little ones that she finally decided to return them to Hogwarts. She had had Headmaster Snape come in person to take them away, and had commissioned him to keep them under his personal supervision, to supervise the ladies who would take care of them, and she also trusted Luna, who had promised to take over.

She was sitting beside Tom, both at the head of the long table at which all the ministers of Europe were seated. Percy only gave her a brief greeting look, which Ginny discreetly returned. It was the first time she had seen him in 3 months. The last time was a week before Marvy's birth.

The World Council was the parallel government that had replaced the dying Wizengamot. All the countries applied to join, and only after a long debate did the ministers of the member countries issue an opinion, and Tom and she decided whether to accept them or not. Although usually everyone agreed.

Australia had been a clear exception. No one had wanted to make it a member of the Council, yet she had expressed decisively that there would be no debate on that matter. And she was brazen enough not to care that everyone knew that the only reason she had agreed to Australia's integration was because one of her older brothers had a position in that ministry of magic. Australia had tried to contact them since the beginning of the war, they had wanted to join the council and be taken into account, but they had been ignored and belittled, and only a letter from Ron had achieved a response that Australia had waited for months.

Minister Howard had thus joined, being received coldly by all, but no one daring to be discourteous outright. And the man was too excited about their first meeting.

Ginny just watched the meeting in silence, bored, while Tom and the ministers discussed their plans. She felt so sleepy that she could hardly maintain the serious and stern expression she adopted in public, she did not allow any emotion to cross her face, she was not to show weakness in front of anyone. The perfect makeup added a couple of years to take away the girlish appearance, plus she wore her hair up in a neat bun on top of her head, and the modest and sober colored clothes were more appropriate for a middle-aged witch. She wore her waist loose, the pregnancy was not yet noticeable, but she couldn't risk it, after all Tom was right about something, being pregnant put her at risk.

They continued with the long debate of including the United States in the World Council, as they had already done with Brazil, the majority demanded their integration since as an ally it would be an important force, they were the most integrated with the Muggles and knew them well, in addition, they were a large population, and if they had already altered the original plan (they had already decided that Australia and America in general would be the home of the Muggles) by including Australia and Brazil, why not that desirable ally?

"If you will allow me, my lord, Lady Voldemort, do you think we will be able to rely on the United States?" The minister of Portugal asked directly in perfect English. Ginny gave him a cold look as she thought. Meredith (according to her visions) was still clinging to her Muggle boyfriend who was against the war. MACUSA was going strong for the time being, however, without Meredith they would never achieve a cooperation similar to what they were achieving in Europe. President Samuel Quahog had just taken power, the youngest and most ambitious president MACUSA had ever had, was a perfect leader, and being single was the most logical choice for Meredith to consolidate his power and guide his society. If they married and formed the strongest alliance, bound together by the crimson bond of blood, all would be well, but...

But Meredith didn't want to do it, Derek was more valuable to her than the entire wizarding world. She really didn't know whether to feel admiration or pity for the decision she had made. She was such a naive woman and to a certain extent so childish, but she had been ambitious and determined in her childhood, only love had upset her. Perhaps, if given enough opportunity, she could convince her, or at least Ginny could free herself from the guilt of leading her to perdition.

So, she finally made up her mind, looked at Tom, asking permission to give her opinion and asking for his support, as always when she made a decision that needed his absolute support. Her husband nodded, and she spoke.

"We can give that ministry a chance. Minister Quahog would be a suitable member of this council, however, that society is too fragmented and divided. If they do not present a united front, it will be impossible for them to win the war." Ginny said calmly, looking at the minister of Portugal. She looked back at her husband and kept her gaze as she continued talking. "The only way would be for a witch; Meredith Steward. If the minister were to join as a counselor, it would be even better if they were united in marriage."

"Why her?" Ginny looked coldly at Minister Howard, annoyed by the man's interruption. It was the first time he had been in her presence, so he didn't know all the protocols that prevailed in the presence of Tom and her. The man looked directly into her face and did not bow in respect, as everyone else did, that he should even address her without asking Tom's permission was surprising.

The silence of disbelief filled the room at that great lack of respect, even Tom looked furious. The poor minister would be very hurt if he was chosen as the target of his anger. Ginny shot a quick glance at her brother, who immediately understood and intervened quickly.

Percy began to reprimand him in a cold way, so phlegmatically English that she held back the urge to laugh, her brother hadn't changed anything since they were children, she almost felt at home, with her brothers and parents, with Percy being pompous while scolding the twins for their latest joke. Or maybe in... when... Percy scolded her little Albus after the disaster with that time-turner... had that really happened? She didn't know if it was a memory, a dream, or a vision.

She felt confused, what was real? She felt that he was part of a moving painting, with a smile of happiness perpetually reflected on her face.

Was she happy at this moment? Or was everything she did to be one in the future? She was doing her duty, everything she had done and would do was in order to save her own. It was all worth it, wasn't it? She suddenly felt blurred, as if she wasn't really there, just a spectator of her own life, with no control over her own decisions. She felt like she was floating, she saw herself sitting with a stiff back, her hair in a hideous lady's hairstyle, the makeup of an old woman, and disguised in what looked like her grandmother's clothes.

A serious ridiculousness, she didn't know what to feel at that moment, terrified that the rest of her life would be like this, tied to those rules, to work tirelessly, to put the needs of her husband, her children, her parents, siblings, friends above her needs... She felt that she could not breathe, she felt that she was suffocating because of all the weight she felt on her shoulders, she felt like running... such a desperation that she could not even cry.

She felt so lost, and perhaps she would have collapsed if Tom hadn't taken her hand at that moment, looking at her out of the corner of his eye with a certain gleam of concern. Her gaze, the recognition of herself in her eyes brought her back to reality. She existed, Tom was her husband and she had children with him, children who existed, whom she had given birth to and loved, whom she had to protect.

Finally recomposed, she explained plainly how vital Meredith Steward's existence was. "She has abilities similar to mine, diluted by her mixture of blood, but still present," Ginny said vaguely, she wouldn't explain to them that Meredith wasn't in full control because her father hadn't done Lucretia Castitate on her. "If we want this ministry to be of help to us, we must make sure that it cooperates, only in this way will I accept that alliance, only then will it be useful, otherwise that society is destined to collapse."

They all murmured their agreement on the subject, and moved on to other more unimportant matters, and Tom extended and closed the meeting. Percy approached them and asked permission to speak to her.

Ginny looked hopefully at Tom, it was the first real look she had given him in days, and he looked at her almost coldly, but a flash of something she didn't recognize flashed in her husband's eyes. Whatever he had seen in it, it was enough for him to nod and leave the room.

"Reach me in 10 minutes, my dear," he said before leaving, closing the door behind him.

"Percy, what's wrong?" Ginny asked immediately, somewhat frightened by the request to speak alone with her, it's not something her brother had asked for before.

"Nothing bad sister," Percy said taking her hand in a reassuring gesture, and then letting go of it and caressing her head. "I just wanted to ask you how you are, I'm not blind, is your honeymoon over?"

"It's not that, brother," Ginny said immediately. "We had a fight recently, but it wasn't serious, we just haven't reconciled."

"Okay," Percy said with some distrust, and then continued firmly. "Sister, you know that if you need a way out in your marriage, I would do what you..."

Ginny immediately covered his mouth to prevent him from continuing to speak, smiling at him. "Don't worry about me, Percy, I'll be all right, Tom won't hurt me, and everything will work out." Percy nodded and Ginny withdrew his hand.

"I also wanted to tell you that Audrey is pregnant, we are expecting our first child," Percy said.

Ginny smiled at him happily, she had never seen her brother happier, she hugged him and congratulated him, she hoped to be in England by the time the birth happened, she longed to meet her first niece. A baby Weasley on whom their mother could pour her love. Since until now neither Delphi nor Marvy could enjoy that privilege.

"Congratulate Audrey on me, brother, and also… There's another thing that... I wanted to tell you..." Ginny stuttered a little and almost blushed in front of Percy, embarrassed to admit her sex life in front of him. Luckily her brother knew her too well and spared her words.

"About your pregnancy?" He said with a half-smile. "I realized as soon as I saw you Ginny, you're tired, you shine and wear those loose robes, besides, why do you dress like Aunt Muriel? Sister, let me tell you, it makes you look like an old lady."

"It's the intention, they still see me as a child," Ginny said bitterly as she crossed her arms with an almost childish gesture, "All of them, if it weren't for Tom not leaving me, wouldn't even take me seriously. The first time they saw me, they all smiled mockingly."

"That's what you have for being a teenager, pumpkin," Percy said with a sad smile, Ginny put on a sulky expression to avoid darkening the atmosphere.

"I'm of legal age, Percy, I'm 17," she said, raising her chin with false arrogance. Getting a smile from her brother who only murmured that she was an adult then. "And now that I heard from Ron, after demanding that Australia join the Council, I noticed that someone dared to steal one of the letters he sent me."

Percy was surprised at this, it was rare that anyone dared to do that, and he saw that his sister was very worried about this, so they continued chatting for another few minutes, until the deadline that Tom had allowed him was over. They both hugged and said goodbye sadly, it would be a while before they could speak again. Percy accompanied her to her chambers, and she watched as her brother's customary upright posture faltered a little as he saw her enter her room to join her husband. She just looked at him and smiled calmly at him, making a goodbye gesture.

Her brother could not free himself from the guilt he felt for having given her to her husband.

But it wasn't something she could help him with, Ginny had her own guilt to carry.

o-o-o-o

Harry didn't feel so ridiculous anymore in those light yellow robes, his bare feet inside rough sandals that itched and had already made him bleed several times. He had already spent a couple of weeks in that temple, performing the first ritual to purify the Horcruxes, the Banthe had indicated that that day they would begin with their private lessons. An addition to the lessons he took with the younger monks.

"Brother, there are 4 Noble Truths in this world," Banthe Genjyo said calmly, "The first truth is dukkha; Birth is suffering, old age is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering. Sorrow, lamentation, pain, affliction, tribulation are suffering. Associating with the undesirable is suffering, separating oneself from the desirable is suffering, not getting what one desires is suffering. It is irrefutable and cannot be denied that we will all live through this."

Harry looked at him with a stirred head, so he would just always suffer and have no way out? All his life he had suffered, and at times he thought that he had already paid his full share of sufferings in this life.

"The second noble truth, samudaya, is that suffering is caused by desire and aversion. We will suffer, brother, if we expect other people to conform to our expectations of life, if we want them to like us, if we don't get what we want," Banthe said. Harry listened attentively, and curiously felt burning in his eyes when he heard those words. "And getting what you want does not guarantee full happiness. Wanting deprives us of joy and above all, of happiness. A life of desire creates a powerful energy that causes the individual to be born again. So, desire leads to physical suffering, because it makes us reborn."

"It sounds very difficult to be happy, then." Harry said quietly, his throat scratchy.

"This brings me to the third noble truth, nirodha, suffering is possible to overcome and happiness is possible to achieve," he said, giving him a calm smile. "That true happiness and satisfaction are within everyone's reach. If we let go of the futile longing and learn to live each day without dwelling in the past or the imagined future, we can be happy and free. Then we will have more time and energy to help others, something that will give us immense happiness. This is called Nirvana."

Harry thought of Ginny, of the unhappiness she had shown since he had known her, of the pain that had plagued her whole being for a future that had not even happened, in words it sounded very easy, but... he also thought about himself, about the bitterness that filled him, about the anger he felt with everyone, with the life he had been given, the pain of not being enough for Ginny, the bitterness of the deception, and the sadness that happiness seemed to always escape him.

"The fourth noble truth, brother," continued the monk, interrupting his maelstrom of thoughts. "The Noble Eightfold Path is the path that leads to the end of the suffering of our existence to find happiness."

Harry waited impatiently for the monk to continue, what would it take to be happy? To avoid suffering?

"These principles have to guide us, and they boil down to being completely moral through what we say, do, focusing the mind on being fully aware of our thoughts and actions in our daily lives, and developing wisdom by understanding the Four Noble Truths and developing compassion for others with no expectation of receiving anything in return. Perfect Vision, Perfect Emotion, Perfect Speech, Perfect Action, Perfect Subsistence, Perfect Effort, Perfect Mindfulness, Perfect Samadhi." The monk's words sounded curious to Harry's ears, almost like chants, like Gregorian chants, but with different tones, although with the same characteristics as when he heard them in the occasional horror movies.

"We must therefore follow moral precepts, young brother, and there are five that are the main ones. The first is not to take the life of any living being," the monk said with a smile. "That includes animals, young brother, even an ant fulfills a destiny in the great order of the world, and we must not interfere in nature."

"That's why I haven't eaten meat here then," Harry said almost to himself, embarrassed by the smile the monk gave him, he couldn't help but miss the steak and kidney pie, or the meatloaf, even a fish and chips. But in that place, they only ate unsalted rice and vegetables, with the occasional fruit.

"That's how it is, young magician, we don't take any life, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. Our second moral principle is not to take anything that is not freely given by others," he continued. "Theft, fraud, scams or any other dishonest action that involves misappropriating what is not one's own is an affront to our own lives."

Harry nodded, at least with that principle he could fully identify, it was shameful to steal.

"Our next precept is not to engage in sexual misconduct," the monk said, causing Harry's ears to light up with shame. "Misconduct leads to adultery, promiscuity, rape, aberrant behavior for yourself and those around you."

"So, it implies... abstaining sexually?" Harry asked curiously, he had spent 17 years of his life without it being a problem, but now that he had experienced it would be something impossible to lose himself.

"Only if you yearn to join us as a monk, brother," said the Bhante with a calm smile, which Harry returned. "Each branch of our beliefs has different practices in the numerous temples, in our case I can say that we are considered among the strictest, we do not even allow ourselves to be in contact with women to avoid these desires. However, being a layman, you should follow this precept only in order to avoid sexual conduct that harms others or oneself. Sex attachment and sex addiction are very harmful to people and it would be good for you to avoid them. If you are going to maintain a sex life, it must be balanced and not obtained by shameful means, coercing your partner, either by physical or mental force, or through deception."

Harry nodded, feeling a twinge of shame for his actions at the thought of Ming and how much he had hurt her, trying to convince himself that he hadn't used her, that he had never lied to her... But... was omitting lying? He knew that she had fallen in love, he knew it for many weeks in which he only ignored that to continue sleeping with her. And in the end, he had hurt her. He had not done well, that was clear, and the guilt he had ignored filled him, he regretted his lack of character, his arrogance in thinking that only because he had suffered, he had the right to take from others what he wanted.

"The next precept is to refrain from speaking falsely or lacking the truth, never forget brother that we must unmask the lie and eliminate the suffering it generates. Always remember that a lie can save the present, but condemn the future," Bhante said in that strange language. To lie… He was really very good at lying to himself. "The last precept is to avoid intoxication due to distractions towards Nirvana, in order to reach our destiny, we have to have a clean karma."

"Bhante, on karma...I don't understand..." Harry began, hesitating, he didn't want to bother with his questions, he didn't forget that religious people didn't take them well. He still remembered the anger of the pastor of the church he went to with his uncles, when he questioned the existence of a God, it had earned him a beating when he got home, accompanied by cries that he was an evil being and a demon. The monk looked at him patiently, waiting for him to finish his question without pressuring him. "If every action has a reaction, and everything sent to the Universe, sooner or later will come back to us... why do people suffer then? Beings who have done nothing to deserve it."

Harry let out the last thing like an exhalation, he had always wondered if he had deserved everything that happened?

"Brother, our actions have results or consequences. And many do not like this, but it also explains the inequality in the world, why some are born disabled and others endowed with infinite talents and why some live only a short life. All individuals are responsible for our past and present actions, taking into account the consequences they will have. If you did something in your previous life, you will pay for it in the next. If, for example, instead of purifying those corrupted fragments, you had eliminated them, you would not have escaped your cruel fate, perhaps even in this life. There is no greater affront than breaking with nature."

Harry nodded, and the Bhante finally finished that lesson. The young wizard joined the prayer room and next to the monks sang that chant he had spent days learning. Harry found comfort in that rhythm of the monk who beat the bowl to the rhythm of the chants performed by the monks who remained with the Slytherin locket, performing the funeral ritual.

In the following days they would teach him to write in that language they spoke, Sanskrit? The day before he had felt very stupid to realize that he understood it without doing the translation charm because he was Parseltongue. And now that they knew that he could speak that language they had decided to teach him to write it, many enchantments could do so, he could even learn to make those curious portkeys.

Every day he spent hours in that room, singing those prayers. At first, he had felt strange singing almost for the salvation of Voldemort's soul, but it gave him an inexplicable tranquility and comfort, he felt sometimes that he was saving himself.

It was easy to identify with Voldemort, with Tom Riddle, with the orphaned boy growing up in a hostile environment, finding a home at Hogwarts, a better world in wizarding society, and now, surely, finding affection in the very breast in which Harry had known love. Gin... Ginny... Ginevra, what would he call her? Would he love her? Did he treat her well? Was she happy by his side?

He wanted her happiness, he loved her and no matter what she had done, he just hoped that she would be happy, she deserved to be happy. He didn't want nightmares to invade her dream, he didn't want fear to prevent her from living well.

He longed for her to return to his side one day, but if they remained apart, she was happy... he would not intervene. If she loved her husband...

If the time came when she was happy with her husband, he would be free to move on with his life.

o-o-o-o

Meredith was scared but the touch of her father's hand calmed her, she clung to him while trying to relax her face. They both walked down the corridor and finally reached the door where the witch girl who was guiding them indicated that it was the meeting.

"I'll wait for you here, Mer," her father said as he let go of her hand and she nodded in fear, reluctant to beg him to come in with her, but she had been told that she should go in alone. A letter had been sent to her a couple of weeks ago to summon her to a meeting, the minister and all his heads of departments were watching them as she walked into that elegant dining room at MACUSA. She felt judged and the palms of her hands filled with sweat, she felt her heart beating crazy and she could barely walk and sit in the place they pointed out.

It was a rectangular table with 20 chairs, the young minister for magic was sitting at the head, with his department heads occupying 10 chairs, on each side of him. Meredith had sat in the middle, next to the head of the security department, and with empty chairs on her right side. In front of her were empty chairs and her reflection in the large mirror that adorned the wall of the living room looked back at her. She concentrated on observing herself so as not to succumb to nerves.

The mirror showed her a beautiful young woman, she admitted to herself without any shame, she was wearing comfortable jeans, white Converse, and a cerulean long-sleeved blouse that matched her blue eyes. She wore her blonde hair down, with her chin-length cut and straight bangs. Her mother had almost screamed when she saw her come out of her room like that, and they had had a big fight, she insisted that she wear a robe "like a decent witch would do", and there in the midst of all those old men she reluctantly admitted that maybe she should have worn something formal.

She knew why she had been called, even her poor cousin Agilbert (before he died) had come to accept that she could see the future, but for her it was all very confusing, they were just disconcerting flashes accompanied by the most horrible feelings in the world, fear, panic, anger, sadness. She knew that she had ordered them there, that arrogant English witch who considered herself queen of the world.

She glanced at Minister Quahog, he was a handsome man, dressed in a Muggle costume, quite like her, very tall, with dark blonde hair slicked back, blue eyes and an attractive face, with a straight nose and almost feminine lips. He was the complete opposite of Derek, where the minister was pure arrogance, Derek was kindness, even physically they were opposites, Derek had green eyes and beautiful dark brown hair, with an aquiline nose and thin lips.

The minister looked at her curiously, as if wondering what she had to do in that place. Meredith just looked down and waited, she didn't have to do it long, because the door opened and the witch who had guided her announced their arrival.

"Lord and Lady Voldemort," said the witch as if she were announcing the late Queen of England. Meredith raised her gaze again and directed it towards the door, a couple entered, and everyone (except her) stood up. The young redhead looked very young, (it crossed Meredith's mind that they were the same age), with her long red hair loose below her hips, in carefully combed waves.

She's very beautiful, she thought with a certain bitterness, barely paying attention to the 8 people who entered with their. She realized that they were the only two women in that room, and she couldn't help but look at her to look for flaws, to feel more beautiful than that girl. Her hair was striking, although many men didn't like redheads, and blondes are always preferred, she thought with some arrogance, although she felt a little masculine as she felt the cold on the back of her neck uncovered by her short blonde hair. The redhead's face was pretty, with bushy eyebrows arched over large, almond-shaped brown eyes, almost hazel, the nose was upturned and small like a girl's, the cheekbones were prominent and the chin delicate, giving her face a heart shape, the skin very white, suspiciously free of freckles so she was surely wearing makeup, the cheeks with a natural blush and the lips with an almost outlined shape and somewhat thick although not exuberant, pink in color.

She almost smiled with satisfaction as she observed how short she was, the size of a child, 4.9 ft, maybe a little more, but she was much shorter than her 5.9 ft. She also wore tunics, like a old-lady, and her body must not have been so attractive if she wore such loose clothes. They couldn't compare, she decided with satisfaction, she was a pale pygmy, and Meredith was a beautiful, tall young woman, with large breasts and buttocks and a defined waist, her own clothes made it clear how attractive her figure was.

Lady Voldemort entered with a haughty attitude, with arrogance, as if she were the owner of that place and they were only servants. At her side was Lord Voldemort, and Meredith recognized to herself that he was quite handsome, a mature man with black hair, though very formally combed, (he looked as if he had emptied the whole bottle of gel on his head), gray eyes, a marked jaw, a straight nose, and pretty lips. They were both arm-in-arm, and for the first time Meredith realized that they were married, that is, she did know that they were married, but they were a couple in truth.

Hadn't she dated another guy for years? That Potter? What a shameless woman she was.

She watched in silence as they all introduced themselves to each other, until finally the redhead looked at her coldly and spoke to her, and everyone looked at her, as if they had just noticed her presence.

"Miss Steward, aren't you?" she said with a cold smile. "I'm Ginevra Voldemort, but you've probably heard, or even seen, me before."

"Yes, I'm Meredith Steward, and I know who you are, you're wasting your time bringing me here," Meredith said arrogantly, content to draw sighs of fear from almost every man in the room.

"You're pretty stupid to think I'd do something just to waste my time," the girl said with a sweet smile that made her shiver. The redhead sat at the end of the table, on the right side of the headboard, where Voldemort had sat. "I'm not going to ask you for help, girl, I'm here to explain what will happen if you don't cooperate."

Meredith remained silent, afraid of the terrifying look that the girl's husband had thrown at her, he seemed ready to kill her at any moment.

"You will marry Minister Quahog, serve your ministry of magic and cooperate with the World Council, if you don't, your fate will not be fortuitous, nor Derek's," she said smiling. Meredith was not surprised that she knew everything about her life, she knew that for some unknown reason the redhead was a master in divination, if she had to compare her gifts, while she had a river, the redhead had the sea. However, she wasn't going to tolerate that arrogant slut.

"If you're as wonderful as you think, you can do it perfectly Gin, I think you're perfectly capable, aren't you?" Meredith said petulantly, hiding all the fear she felt, and she felt a morbid pleasure when she saw that the girl's face contorted for a few milliseconds and she almost believed that she would order the slaves around her to finish her off.

"You may think you're a smart girl, true to her lofty ideals, a good person who does the right thing, but you're just a fool who has allowed her friends and family to be slaughtered. Apparently you didn't love your beloved cousin very much, right?, too bad, he was even your teacher, and he was killed by Muggles after his torture. Nor do you love your sister, little Alexandra, despite knowing what awaits her, or your parents. I honestly don't care what you think of me or my actions, but you won't dare to question them, if you're an idiot it's not my fault," the vixen said with a sweet smile that Meredith hated, but she didn't dare to answer him, she was terrified of Lord Voldemort's presence and felt like crying out of rage, but guilt also filled her.

"Does the minister have anything to say about this?" Meredith asked between her teeth, trying to evade that obligation. "Since I'm just a stupid girl, as you say, I don't think he wants to marry me."

The redhead's expression didn't change, and Meredith wasn't surprised when (like a bootlicker) the minister immediately intervened.

"I will do whatever it takes to get the support of Lord and Lady Voldemort," he said calmly, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Meredith let out a slight snort, disgusted by that situation, it was extremely unfair, she was very young, just a happy student with a boyfriend she was in love with and with a passion for fashion design. She didn't have to carry the burden of saving everyone, it wasn't her responsibility, but she couldn't let Derek or her family suffer.

So, with everyone watching her, the MACUSA members with a warning look, and the English with a look of smugness and arrogance, she finally muttered, "Okay, I'll marry him."

"Good," said the redhead calmly, and with an exasperating assurance, and then turned to her elderly husband and gave him a strange look. He nodded, and she turned to the minister. "Now, I have to talk something with Miss Steward in private, please all wait outside."

As if they had a spring, they all stood up immediately, following Lord Voldemort. Meredith felt like screaming, with a last trace of rebellion she exclaimed. "Whatever you want to tell me, do it in front of everyone, since you haven't had filters until now."

She watched in horror as the redhead giggled and her eyes lit up with pleasure. That made everyone sit down again. "Well, I wanted to give you a glimpse of privacy, Miss Steward, but— Well, I need to know if you're a virgin."

Meredith blushed hard, how dare that bitch ask her such things!, that didn't matter to anyone, what obsession did they have with that? She spat angrily: "It's none of your business."

"I don't care if you've already slept with your boyfriend or 100 others, I just need to know if you're a virgin or not," said the redhead as she saw her husband, smiling sarcastically, whatever she said with her eyes, he got up and the others followed him. After that, she just looked at her calmly.

"I'm not a virgin," she finally said, understanding that he would force her to answer.

"A shame then," the girl said with a deep sigh.

"I don't understand why that's important, virginity isn't even something tangible, the hymen is just a membrane that can be broken even by mounting the broom, and sex is just sex," Meredith said annoyed.

"Meredith, I can understand your arguments," the girl said calmly, with the closest thing to sincerity she had shown. "Some of those things I've thought about myself, but you're thinking like a muggle, a no-maj as you call them, the truth is that sex itself has magic and a lot of ancient rituals for harvesting and luck involves it, and our abilities to see the future are strongly intertwined with sex."

"What do you mean?"

"Your mother is Hafsa Shafiq and your father is Abilor Steward."

"That's right. My mother comes from England, which you probably know, and my father is a descendant of the founders of Ilvermorny."

"I'm aware of this, and maybe your mother has told you about a ritual with your familiar runes."

"Ahhh, that strange ritual of chastity, my mother wanted to perform it when I was going to enter Ilvermorny, but my father objected, he said it was forbidden, I think my grandparents also performed it on her," Meredith said, reasoning quickly. "So that ritual is something important?"

"Yes, I know no one taught you this, since your mother didn't have the ability and divination hasn't been taken seriously in the Steward family, but in the Weasley family it's a skill inherited from centuries ago, and every Weasley woman who has had it has written everything in our books. One of the first relationships they found is that only the daughter of a magician with divination inheritance and a witch who had the chastity ritual performed can inherit divination," the girl began, surprising Meredith, it had never occurred to her that this was inherited, although to tell the truth she had never asked herself that. "Only with these two factors does a witch inherit the ability, to control it something else is needed."

"What?" Meredith asked with excitement, maybe she could finally control her visions completely.

"The only way to control it so far is with the chastity ritual, when a witch has it performed, she gains complete mastery of her abilities, and it increases even more after a runic marriage," she said with a sigh.

"Then I have to do the ritual, I will finally be able to control the visions," Meredith was excited about the idea, after all, it was very annoying just to have weird and uncontrolled visions.

"Unfortunately we can't," she said with disappointment. "The ritual can only be performed if you are a virgin."

Meredith blushed with embarrassment and anger, she felt like a fool, just a week ago she had slept only once with Derek and so what? Had she already lost her gift because of that?

"Runic marriage may strengthen your skills, but your father will have to follow very specific instructions when you marry," she said tapping her long nails on the table. "You won't get complete control, but it will serve us, at least you can protect your husband, and by being the minister you will protect your entire magical community."

"Is that why you married him?" Meredith said curiously, looking towards the door where the others had left, making the redhead stop moving her nails and look at her seriously.

"Yes, the runic marriage unites your soul and destiny to your husband and makes his future your priority, therefore, your visions will naturally be oriented to protect him, to protect his soul and his being. In our cases, by protecting them we will protect our society," the girl said seriously. A slight hint of sadness flashed in the girl's eyes, surprising Meredith, she didn't imagine that this cold harpy had feelings.

The following was a maelstrom of events that at times surpassed her understanding, and so, one day she arrived at the altar holding her father's hand to unite her life to that man she did not love, Ginevra Voldemort had told her that she had to protect him, certainly it did not equate to loving him.

Nothing would stop her from loving Derek, and she owed no loyalty to her husband.

Thanks for reading, Sorry for the delay, it's been a tough few months, thanks for you review.