Chapter 9
The Mirror of Truth
The last of the numbness finally went away, but Jade was still in no condition to deal with them right now. She was so drained, not even enough energy to do the simplest of magic. They would just have to wait. She would form her plan and they would form their, but Jade's would be better.
~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
It felt as if the battle was won, everyone was fully recovered and others were freed from what ever prison they were held.
But Atlantis was still a prison itself, and Jade was no where to be found. All the students were instructed to stay in their dormitories, except for a select few of course.
"You were up there again weren't you?" Draco asked. Both he and Aeryn had secluded themselves to a quiet corner, yet still see by others in the room; most of the Professors where out on the hunt for Jade.
"I guess," Aeryn replied. "I can't really remember what happened up there this time around, it's all fuzzy."
"Probably nothing happened at all," Draco said to her, "They probably just sent you right back down."
"Something happened up there, I know it, something important," Aeryn said rubbing her temple from an oncoming headache, "I just can't remember."
"I've just decided," Draco declared, "I'm never losing sight of you ever again."
"I can't always be in your line of sight," Aeryn laughed.
"Well I can try," Draco laughed with her, "I just can't believe I couldn't tell the difference between you and her."
"I was just joking about that," Aeryn told him, "Even I was fooled."
"How can you trust yourself after all that?"
"Part of me can't, but the other part knows who I am, I just have to trust that. I just hope that I won't have trouble with other people trusting me. She's destroyed that for me." Aeryn confessed.
"You have your family, they will trust you. Who cares what other people think, you've never let that stand in your way before." Draco told her.
"You give the best pep talks. But just in case, if I ever get depressed like I did, keep me away from my potions."
~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
"Where ever she is hiding, she's hiding well." Someone reported the next mourning. But that stuff faded away as Harry, Ron and Hermione were having their own conversation.
"Please," Harry pleaded, "Can we get off the subject of where Aeryn and Draco might be right now. It puts too many bad images in my head."
"I was just wondering," Ron said.
"Where do you thing she is, Jade I mean." Hermione asked.
"I guess all we can do is wait for her to make the first move." Harry stated, "Besides, I'm useless against Jade, both Aeryn's and my powers cancel each other out."
Aeryn and Draco both came in then, some people looked at her cautiously. She never noticed, or at least didn't let it bother her.
"Hey guys," Aeryn greeted them with a great big yawn.
"How'd you sleep?" Hermione asked; Harry rolled his eye.
"Sleep? Are you kidding?" Aeryn said as she plopped sown in her seat.
"Hard to sleep with evil on the loose," Draco said.
"What are you talking about?" Aeryn asked him, "You slept like a log."
"Well you wouldn't let me help you with your little project," Draco said, "What else was I suppose to do."
"What little project?" Ron asked.
"It's nothing," Aeryn said.
"Bull!" Draco told her.
"We've agreed to disagree on that subject." Aeryn snapped at him, but then realized her tone, "It's my decision." Aeryn made to leave; she halfway stood up when Harry caught her arm.
"You can talk to us, whatever's bugging you." Harry told her.
"I know, but if I told you, you would stop me." Aeryn told him. She stood up all the way but froze.
"What is it?" Draco asked.
"Did you not feel it? Magic just went by." Everyone looked around the room. Then Aeryn suddenly fell as if someone had pulled a rug out from under her.
"Ow," was all she said before some invisible force dragged her out of the room by her feet.
The `adults' didn't seemed to notice that anything was amiss so Harry and the others went after her, Draco in the lead.
"You do realize this is a trap." Hermione said as they ran after Aeryn trying hard not to lose sight of her.
"So what are we suppose to do?" Harry asked.
"We spring the trap of course." Draco replied.
After winding their way through hallway after hallway they finally arrived. Jade was standing looking smug, while Aeryn was struggling to her feet.
"Well, here we are at last. Though last time I checked you were dead." Jade said. They were in a room none of them had ever seen before. It must have been another one of those ancient rooms where things like the big time tuner where kept. Here there was a mirror and it showed no reflection of any person in the room, just the room itself.
Suddenly the lights went out and the windows darkened. They all heard Jade laugh and then the lights went back on. Both Jade and Aeryn were sprawled across the floor.
"Are you ok? Draco asked Aeryn as he helped her up. She just nodded.
`Over here!' Harry heard coming towards Jade.
`You switched?' Harry asked trying not to give anything away.
`Get Draco away from her now!'
Harry moved towards Draco and quickly grabbed him and pulled him away from `Aeryn.'
"What are you…?"
"That's not her." Harry told him, and as Jade was distracted with what Harry was telling Draco, Aeryn made her move, she set her plan into motion. She had made sure that mourning to wear something that hade a lot of pockets. There was one by her right shoulder and another by her left thigh that she paid close attention to as she had place two special vial filled with very dangerous substance. Now Jade was wearing those clothes. Aeryn removed the charm to make the vials unbreakable, and then she made them explode.
The screams that came from Jade where unbearable, as was the pain she was obviously feeling.
"Sorry, did that hurt?" Aeryn taunted her. Jade's skin seemed to be melting, "Flesh eating acid, my own special recipe just for you." Then suddenly Aeryn was hit with a wave of pain herself. She then realized what Draco was trying to tell her the night before about revenge, it sure isn't what its all cracked up to be, especially with the ability to feel another's pain.
She turned her back on Jade in shame.
"So that was your little project," Harry said barely above a whisper, "Revenge".
"Didn't turn out quite like I planned." Aeryn replied.
"I tried to tell you," Draco said, "I wanted the same from my father."
Aeryn smiled, "Thank you for not saying `I told you so' exactly."
"You are weak and pathetic." Came the hoarse voice of Jade. And before anyone could do anything at all, Jade lunged out at Aeryn and they went crashing through the mirror. Except they did just that, they actually went into the mirror. And what previously has no human reflections now shown Aeryn and Jade in the mirror.
Harry tried to follow but all he got was glass. "What is this thing?" Harry asked.
"I don't like this one bit." Draco said.
"What did you do?" Aeryn screamed at Jade.
"This is the Mirror of Truth. This will solve all my problems. This body belongs to me." Jade said.
"Your right," Aeryn said, "But you also belong in your own time."
"Well this not everything can be as it should."
"I have one last thing to say to you. You were right about me invading and keeping your body, I shouldn't have been selfish, but like you I wanted to protect my existence. But that's not an issue anymore. When you killed me, I came back, from my own fiery grave. And you don't belong here."
Jade's eyes widened at this and quickly tried to get out of the mirror, but all she got was glass.
"This is the Mirror of Truth, and the truth is Jade, you lose! Goodbye Jade."
There was a blinding light and only one emerged from the mirror. Aeryn took a few steps and looked to the sky "A deal is a deal." And dropped faint to the floor.
~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
Students were sent home for Christmas holidays and the hospital wing population was thankfully one sole occupant. Madame Pomfrey could find nothing wrong with Aeryn. She was just sleeping.
They had told Dumbledore what Aeryn had said right before she went under. Dumbledore suspected that in order for Aeryn to come back from the dead she had to give up something.
It wasn't until four days after the New Year that Aeryn woke up. She woke up in the middle of the night. She had started to be a little freaked out because she had no idea were she was. She felt better when she saw Draco sleeping in one of the other beds. Aeryn quickly woke him up.
"Draco, wake up."
"What?" was his groggy response, but quickly snapped awake, "Aeryn, you're awake."
"What happened?" Aeryn asked.
"We are finally rid of Jade…" Draco started.
"Wait, who's Jade?" Aeryn asked confused.
"What do you mean? You don't remember?" Draco asked, Aeryn shock her head, "What's the last thing you remember."
"There was a forest; Harry and I were on our way to kill Voldemort." Aeryn answered.
"Aeryn, that was half a year ago." Draco told her.
"Well did we succeed?" Aeryn asked.
Draco nodded, "Killed him right and proper."
"Any casualties? Harry's ok right?" Aeryn asked.
"There was only one casualty," Draco said, "You."
"I've been dead half a year?"
Draco went on to explain all that has happened. And that was Aeryn's sacrifice. She unknowingly gave up half a year of her life and in the long run it was better this way, she would never remember the nightmare they all lived.
~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
15 years later
"Quiet, she'll hear us," said one of the girls. She had wavy dark reddish brown hair.
"Well we shouldn't be out of bed in the first place." Said the black haired girl.
"If you're so concerned Em," said the sandy blonde haired boy, "Then go back to bed."
"I'm not concerned," Emily said, "I was just stating the obvious."
"Emmy," came a voice from behind them.
"Evan, go back to bed." Emily told her five year old brother.
"I don't wanna," the little boy wined.
"Evan, if you don't get back to bed RJ will turn you into a toad." Emily told him. Evan looked to the other girl wide eyes and quickly retuned to his room.
"Em, why did you have to do that?"
"Well, it would have been an empty threat if I told him I would turn him into a toad." Emily explained, "Mom told me if I ever used magic on Evan without a good reason I'd have to read from the encyclopedia again."
"You know I'm starting to feel sorry for the teachers at school already." The boy said.
"Jacen, we haven't even started school yet." RJ said to him.
"Exactly," Jacen said, "And we're most likely to get into the same house."
"The two of you are still predetermined to cause trouble aren't you?" Emily said as she attempted to use one of her mother's disapproving looks.
"Just as you are predetermined to ruin our fun." Jacen said.
"Practicing for Hogwarts I see," came a voice from the shadows of the hallway.
The three children froze in place.
"The three of you should be in bed, asleep." Aeryn said.
"Jace and I couldn't sleep Mum," RJ explained.
"And naturally you woke Em up." Aeryn said.
"We would never hear the end of it if we didn't." Jacen said.
"Well, I just came to check on Isabel," Aeryn said as she walked passed them, "I'm pretty sure I saw three mugs of hot chocolate sitting in the kitchen though."
"Thanks Mum," RJ and Jacen said in unison.
"Yeah, thanks Aunt Aeryn," Em said as she followed after the twins.
When Aeryn came back from checking on her three year old, the other children where sitting in the kitchen.
"Daddy still working?" RJ asked.
"He should be home soon." Aeryn replied.
"Why does Uncle Draco work so late?" Emily asked.
"It's too dangerous for Mum to work in the lab until she has the baby," Jacen said.
"So Daddy stays late to make sure everything runs smoothly without her." RJ finished.
"I hate it when you do that twin thing." Emily said. The twins stuck there tongues out at Emily.
"Hey, none of that now." Aeryn scolded them, "Now I heard you earlier about causing mischief at school. And I'll tell you this only once, I have no problem send howlers."
"And you thought my Mom was bad." Emily said.
"Now off to bed with the three of you, the train leaves at 11 sharp." Aeryn said to them.
"Night Mum," the twins said again in unison.
"Night Aunt Aeryn." Emily said.
"Suck up," Aeryn heard RJ say.
"Rylee Jade Malfoy, no name calling."
It was an hour later that Draco came home.
"So, how's Hermione?" Aeryn asked.
"The question should be `how's Harry?'" Draco said, "We can surprise Emily with the news that she finally has a sister."
"She'll love that, she and the twins where up not an hour ago." Aeryn said.
"Sneaking around again?"
"They are going to drive their teachers' nuts." Aeryn said.
"How are you doing?" Draco asked.
"Other than feeling like a beached whale, I'm fine." Aeryn said as she rubbed her bulging belly.
"It'll be quieter with the twins gone." Draco said to her.
"Ha, have you forgotten the holy terror that is Isabel?" Aeryn reminded him.
The next day Aeryn and Draco took the five children to St. Mungo's bright and early. Emily was so surprised to learn the real reason why she had to stay with her Aunt and Uncle.
But the family get together was short lived as two Malfoys and a Potter had to head for platform, their own adventure was about to start.
"Now you two behave your selves." Draco told the twins as the train was about to leave.
The twins had one last request as they peered out the train window at their mother, father and little sister.
"Dad, one thing," Jacen said.
"Keep Mum away from the Howlers." RJ finished.
"We'll at least some good will come out their going to Hogwarts," Aeryn said, "It will most likely get Snape to finally retire."
~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
Now the thing you have to understand is that after Atlantis was taken over and the school year ended, the ministries declared that having Atlantis as a school was not a good idea. The schools that were destroyed were rebuilt. Hogwarts was tricky though. The founders had used their own magic to create the school. It was recently discovered that they could use the magic that was left over and from the earth to restore Hogwarts to what it once was.
Atlantis was now one giant research facility, one that was funded by none other then the Malfoys. They research everything from potions to new charms. To create and evolve the use of magic. It soon became a family thing, because even Hermione started working there.
Aeryn and Draco had gotten married two years after graduating from school in 2000, Harry and Hermione a year after that in 2001.
Emily Lily Potter was born spring of 2002. Jacen and Rylee Jade `RJ' Malfoy were born Halloween of the same year.
Six years later Evan James Potter was born. Isabel Malfoy was born two years after that.
The day before the twins and Emily went to Hogwarts the Potters welcome their last bundle of joy, as Jane Rose Potter was born. A week before Christmas Julian Malfoy was born.
And they lived happily ever after, to the end of their days.
The End
Last Note: Thank you to all my readers and all my reviews. After about three year I have finally finished my story. It is a rare accomplishment for me, because I'm one of those writers that comes up with an idea and never quite sees it to the end. This is the first time I have finished a story. Ok, so it's a trilogy, but the other two left off with cliffies. This story is my pride and joy. You don't know how many possibilities went through my head about how all this would end. Hopefully I picked the right one.
I hope you read my other two stories, because I will sure try to work on them. `Everlasting Daystar' is my newest pride and joy and `When Fate Comes Knocking' has turned out to be quite a hit, (Although I haven't a clue as to what happens next, any suggestions?)
I will try to update on those stories when I can. Sadly I will not be continuing `The Greater Power of Three' but if anyone wants to use what I have and continue it, I would hate for it to disappear completely.
Well, Happy Reading (and Reviewing (please review!!))
Love
Kayla aka Sk8erWitch
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