Chapter Eleven
Harry had been reluctant to leave Hermione's side but she needed to speak with her cousin alone. After he had left their company, Ron took a seat on a bench, the silence permeating throughout the large structure.
"I love him, Ron," Hermione said, breaking the silence. "I love him like you love Luna."
Ron sighed and slumped. "I know," he said quietly. "I had my suspicions when I saw your necklace around his neck. Why didn't you tell me?" He looked up at her.
"You're very overprotective, Ron," Hermione sighed.
"But I thought you would be able to trust me with this," his voice had a hint of hurt in it.
"I would trust you with this…I will. But look how you are with Viktor. You've barely spoken any words to him since you found out about our engagement."
"Speaking of him…what are you going to do?" he asked.
"What can I do?" she sighed, sitting next to her cousin.
"Break it off with him," Ron urged.
"You're not the only one who has asked that of me."
"Malfoy?" he asked and Hermione nodded.
"If I go back on my word to Viktor, Si-King Draco will hound me. The mere thought of being his queen…" Hermione shivered.
"He hounds you even though your hand is already taken." Ron sat back thoughtfully, remembering Harry's warning to watch over Viktor. "I wish he were of noble blood because if there was anyone I could trust to watch over your well being and safety, it would be him." Hermione burst into tears. "When we were captured by the False King, the necklace that you gave him was taken from him. While we were escaping, he risked his life by getting it back. That says more to me than any actions Viktor has taken." He embraced his cousin. "I cannot imagine what you are going through. The thought of me not being able to love Luna freely pains me greatly. But you are stronger than me, the strongest person I know. What you did for these people today is a mere hint of the character that you will bring to the throne. This is what the land needs."
"Thank you, Ron."
Ron left his cousin's side and walked out of the Great Hall. Harry was waiting outside.
"She loves you, you know," Ron said to his new friend.
"And I love her," Harry replied.
"I saw you…with the maiden Cho Chang," Ron began but Harry cut him off.
"There is no other. She was too late to take a place in my heart."
"If what you feel for my cousin is any bit like how I feel for Luna, then I understand why you would torture yourselves like this."
"I would a go a lifetime being happy knowing that I had only a few moments with her," Harry said sincerely. "She will be the queen."
"Yes…she will," Ron nodded solemnly.
~*~
Narcissa Malfoy walked hastily down the corridor, her cloak billowed behind her, the hood covering her head as she met a bulky shadow in the dark.
"My Queen," the figure bowed respectfully.
"This is to be delivered to Severus Snape at the Ravenclaw castle with you," she said quietly but firmly, handing him a rolled parchment. "I have a small group of men waiting for you in the courtyard. These are your orders," she handed him another small piece of parchment.
The man read it then raised his eyebrows as he looked up at her.
"No one is to see you go in or out of the castle. Slit her throat quickly and quietly. Leave her to be found for the chambermaids in the morning," Narcissa said sharply.
"As you wish, My Queen," he bowed respectfully.
"Upon your return, you shall be rewarded greatly," she finished then left hastily.
"Indeed I shall," the man said.
~*~
There was a celebration that night in Hogsmeade, a celebration of victory that they shared with their new Ravenclaw friends. The ale flowed, the musicians played and the people's spirits soared as they danced and sung along. Harry did his best not to show the whole village he was in love with the future queen. They had to keep it a secret but every once in awhile they would share a look that spoke sentences of their adoration for each other. He shared a dance with her, holding her in his arms, looking into her eyes with love that was reflected back in hers.
The next day they rode to Eaglesview together. They started out on separate horses but when they were well out of the village, Harry brought Hermione onto Hedwig, riding the rest of the way with the other horse following behind.
They lay down together in the soft grass, his head next to hers as they stared up into the blue sky. Harry's hand gently twirled a curl of her hair around his fingers lazily.
"I've made up my mind," Hermione said softly. "I'm going to break off the engagement."
Harry stopped playing with her hair. "No," he said firmly.
"No?" Hermione asked quizzically.
Harry sat up. "You can't, Hermione," he sighed. "Another suitor will come along, this one not as good for you as Sir Viktor is."
"I'll not marry," Hermione said stubbornly, sitting up as well. "Harry, the thought of another man…"
"I know," Harry cut her off. "I know, it kills me inside too."
"It isn't fair," Hermione cried. "I love you!"
Harry drew her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. "And I love you. I love you enough to give you up to Sir Viktor than the Slytherin King."
He lay her down gently on the soft grass, kissing her passionately and committing to memory the feel of her underneath him. She returned his kisses, losing herself in the flame of desire that Harry fanned with each caress over her body. His hand rested on the knot that would undo her dress.
"Harry," she whispered.
Harry stopped to look at the fear and sadness in her eyes. The reality that she wasn't his to take began to settle around them. He moved his hand away from her and kissed her softly one more time.
They decided to walk together, hand in hand until they reached the waterfall where they could refresh their horses and ride back to the village. As they neared it, Harry suddenly stopped and drew his sword.
"What it is?" Hermione whispered fearfully.
Harry put a finger to his lips in a gesture of silence. Stealthily they walked, silently approaching a clearing by the water fall. They found that they were not the only ones who were seeking the solitude of the forests.
Luna and Ron sat by the waterfall, a goblet rested between them. Ron drew out a small flask of wine and filled the goblet. Luna drew out a small dagger from its sheath.
"What is she doing?" Hermione whispered.
Harry gave a small smile. "Binding herself to him," he whispered back. "It's a proclamation of her love for him. We've been doing it for ages. She's telling him that she could love no other, that her body and soul belong to him and him alone."
"Really?" Hermione's interest was peaked.
She watched as Luna made a small cut on her palm then making a small one on Ron's. She held her palm over the goblet, letting a few drops fall and Ron did the same. They joined their hands, bleeding palms face to face as Luna wrapped a handkerchief around their wrists and together they tied the knot.
Harry moved Hermione silently back to the horses.
"They'll say their vows of love to each other then drink the wine," Harry said as he mounted Hedwig.
"Ron will marry her," Hermione said smiling. "He told me yesterday. He's just waiting for the King's approval."
They shared a sad look with each other, a look mingled with longing.
If only…
~*~
Draco sat silently as he watched his mother across the table eat her dinner. The food before him lay untouched.
"Do you like it?" Draco asked.
"You know it is one of my favorites," Narcissa answered, daintily placing another morsel in her mouth.
"Good, I had the cooks specially prepare it for you," he said, smiling.
Silence fell over the table before Draco broke it again.
"I heard the most interesting rumor."
"Really? About whom?" Narcissa raised a goblet to her lips.
"About Ravenclaw," Draco replied.
"What could possibly be interesting about that dismal place?" Narcissa said dismissively.
"I heard that someone formed a plot to kill the Lady Hermione," Draco said disinterestedly.
"Really?" Narcissa raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, the plot was to sneak into the Ravenclaw castle and slit her precious throat," Draco picked up a knife and sliced it through the air. "Letting her bleed to death until she was found the next morning."
"How terrible," Narcissa replied.
"Yes, such an awful thing to do to the future Slytherin Queen. But do you know the worst part of it?" Draco asked. "The mastermind behind this…sinister plot lives within these castle walls."
Narcissa carefully folded her napkin in her lap. "Well…thankfully it was just an awful rumor."
Draco placed the knife back on the table. "Yes thankfully, because if it were true the mastermind would have soon found out that the ones she could trust before to carry out her dastardly deeds now have loyalty to me. I would have been told every detail of that plan, intercepted whatever messages she wanted to send to others and punished her for this crime by poisoning the very meal in front of her."
Narcissa paled and her heart beat loudly in her chest. Tears welled in her eyes and dropped slowly down her cheeks as her son got up from his chair and slowly approached her.
"The poison will work slowly," he said, "by now you will realize you cannot move a limb."
Narcissa tried to move her hands but they lay still on top of the table, her legs unmoving under the table.
"But I am a just king and I will give you a chance to plea for your life," he sat next to his mother and drew out the rolled parchment with its seal broken. "Is it true what is going to happen to Ravenclaw?"
Narcissa said nothing. Draco reached into his cloak and brought out a small vial. "This is the antidote. Play nicely mother and I'll give it to you."
"It's true," Narcissa said quietly, "Lord Voldemort's army will overtake Arneau Tak then seize Rowena."
"You say his name," Draco said surprised. "My, my. What have my loving parents been up to?" He tapped the parchment, "It mentions something in here about the Lost Heir being found. Is this true as well?"
Narcissa trembled. "Yes," she said meekly.
Draco leaned in close to his mother. "I want you to tell me everything."
~*~
Cedric and his Riders waited with baited breath, the arrows notched and quivered in their bows as the clatter of hooves grew louder. Was it another attack? The horses appeared through the clearing mist, riders atop bearing the colors of Ravenclaw.
"Hold!" Cedric called out.
The Riders relaxed their arrows and the Ravenclaw soldiers stilled their horses as Cedric left to meet them.
The doors of the Great Hall burst open as a wounded Ravenclaw soldier and Cedric held up a third person who was gravely injured.
Dumbledore rose to his feet and met the trio. "What happened?"
"Can you help him?" the soldier Dumbledore now recognized as Sir Viktor Krum asked.
Sirius and Remus ran over to offer their assistance.
"It was an ambush!" Viktor gasped out. "The King was injured badly so we tried to ride back to Rowena but we were blocked by more armies of the false king."
"Hermione! My daughter!" the King gasped aloud, wincing in pain.
"Please, I must leave and rejoin the group outside your borders. We are trying to reach Rowena and the Lady Hermione before the False King does."
"The Lady is safe here in Hogsmeade," Dumbledore said calmly and Viktor gave a confused look. He unwrapped the bandage around the King's middle to see the wound. He nodded gravely then looked at Sirius.
"Find the Lady and her cousin and bring them here immediately," he said.
There was no need as the doors burst open and Hermione, Harry and Ron ran through.
"What has happened?" Ron asked.
"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed at seeing her father wounded before Dumbledore. Harry just stared in shock. "Father," she whispered falling to her knees at his side.
"Can you help him?" Ron asked quietly.
"I will do my best," he smiled kindly, "but I'll need everyone to leave the room." Ron and Hermione opened their mouths to protest but Dumbledore stopped them. "Everyone but you two."
The wait outside the Great Hall seemed to take forever. Sirius sat with Remus while Harry paced back and forth, worried about the Lady Hermione and her father. Viktor sat on a nearby boulder, deep in thought.
"You should have your injuries checked," Harry spoke up to Viktor.
Viktor blinked as he was ripped out of his thoughts and looked at his wounds. "I will," he said quietly. Then he looked at Harry. "Why are the Lady and her cousin here?"
"We were attacked by an army of the False King. A small Ravenclaw army was sent to assist us," Sirius spoke up. Viktor's eyebrows raised but he didn't look at him, he still kept his eyes on Harry.
"That doesn't explain why the Lady is here," Viktor said.
"She was the one who sent the army, I assume she wanted to ride along," Remus spoke up this time.
Viktor was still looking at Harry. "I'm not a fool," he said quietly to him.
"She chose you. She loves you," Harry lied.
Sirius and Remus stared back and forth between the two men. There was a tension in the air that was broken when Dumbledore walked out of the Great Hall. The look on his face was grave.
"I cannot heal his injuries, they are too great," he said solemnly. "But I took away his pain, he shall pass away in peace."
The men all hung their heads.
"How long?" Viktor asked, his voice breaking.
"We will be lucky if he lasts until the morning," Dumbledore answered.
Sorrow for Hermione and Ron filled Harry's heart. He was too young to remember what it was like to lose his parents, but the thought of losing someone close to him now filled him with pain. He so desperately wanted to comfort Hermione, to hold her in his arms, to be the one to wipe the tears from her eyes. But it was not his place to do it. He watched as Viktor left the group to be inside with the other two.
"The Lady Hermione will be queen sooner than she wants to," Sirius sighed.
"She is ready," Dumbledore sighed.
"If there's a Ravenclaw left for her to rule over," Harry added.
~*~
Generals and other soldiers of rank gathered in the Three Broomsticks, pouring over the map of Ravenclaw. Harry and Neville stood among them. Viktor had protested but Ron wouldn't hear anything of it.
"So Arneau Tak has fallen," Ron said quietly.
"We tried to ride to Rowena as fast as we could but we were cut off here," Viktor said, pointing to the map.
"Two armies…" Ron sighed.
"The soldiers broke in two, half just outside the border of Hufflepuff, the other half is winding its way to Rowena," Viktor said.
"We can lead the soldiers that are here, through this pass," Harry said pointing to the map. "We can reach Rowena in two days."
"We?" Viktor asked, staring hard at Harry but Ron didn't notice.
"Yeah…yeah we'll do that. Viktor, you will rejoin the group just outside our borders and head to Rowena. Harry and I will take the others through the mountains and meet you there."
After more planning, Ron and Harry left for the Great Hall to see the King.
"You don't have to do this," Ron said quietly as they walked. "This really isn't your battle."
"It's the least I can do," Harry answered.
Ron stopped and faced Harry. "You're a good man Harry. You have more honor in you than anyone I know of. Even those of noble blood."
Harry gave a small smile then walked into the Great Hall. The King was with Dumbledore, resting peacefully on a soft bed.
"Ronald, my nephew," the King's voice was hoarse. "What news have you?" Ron and Harry kneeled respectfully before him then took their places at his side.
"Sir Viktor will leave to rejoin the army outside the borders and will ride to Rowena. Harry and I will take the soldiers here and lead them through the mountains to Rowena," Ron said.
The King raised his eyebrows. "You and Harry?"
"Yes Your Majesty," Harry answered respectfully.
"When I heard my daughter was safe here within the borders of Hufflepuff, a great burden was lifted from me. I feared she was still at Rowena. Once again our neighbors have come to the aid of Ravenclaw as I heard we have come to your aid. And now, a son of Hufflepuff, wishes to place himself in danger so that Rowena will not fall."
"Rowena must not fall," Ron said.
"Yes, yes," the King muttered. "I have been speaking with Dumbledore about this young man. Such an honorable young man to do this without seeking reward."
"Actually…Your Majesty…I have thought of a reward," Harry said timidly.
The King's eyebrows rose. "Is that so?" he said.
"Yes…" Harry paused and swallowed, "knighthood. I wish to be a Knight of Ravenclaw."
Silence followed this. Harry's heart beat loud in his chest. Did he ask for too much? He looked up at Dumbledore. His expression was soft, his eyes twinkled. He looked at Ron who was looking back at him with admiration. The King was silence in deep thought.
"Knighthood is usually bestowed upon those of noble blood," the King began but Ron cut him off.
"I can vouch for him."
The King waved his hand in impatience. "Ronald, you never learn when to hold your tongue, do you?" Ron blushed to the roots of his hair. "Always too hasty. Anyway, what I was saying was that Knighthood is usually bestowed upon those of noble blood. But they can also be granted to those whose character and valor have been of great asset to Ravenclaw. You, Harry, have shown such bravery and honor and have many times come to the aid of Ravenclaw. I was hoping you would ask this of me. Yes, Harry, Ravenclaw would be honored to grant you Knighthood."
~*~
Ron stood quietly with Harry in a room off the side of the Great Hall as he was dressed by a page. Hermione stormed into the room.
"Leave us," her command was short and curt, her eyes flashed dangerously with anger.
"Milady!" Ron protested.
"I said, leave us!" she hissed violently.
Ron audibly gulped and looked apologetically at Harry before he and the page left them. Harry was wondering when this news would reach her.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked.
"I would say for honor and glory of Ravenclaw but that would be a lie," Harry answered plainly.
"Don't do this," Hermione pleaded. "This isn't your battle."
"If it concerns you, it is my battle," Harry answered softly. "Rowena is your home and I wish to protect it."
"I would not put you in harms way because of me," Hermione's eyes filled with tears.
"I can think of no other end to me than protecting you and with your name on lips."
"Lips that I wish I could kiss but cannot, arms that will wield the sword that I wish would hold me?" Hermione's voice was filled with longing.
"I cannot bear another moment without you nearby," Harry said sincerely. "I would rather live as a Knight protecting you and all you hold dear than to spend another moment so far away from you."
"And who will protect you?" Hermione asked.
"Your love is all the protection I need."
Hermione stepped toward him. "Don't do this. I'm asking you. Please do not do this."
Harry put a hand tenderly on her cheek. "My Queen," he whispered.
A knock at the door broke the moment and Harry stepped away from her. Ron poked his head through the door.
"Milady, your father is ready," he announced.
Ravenclaw Knights filled the Great Hall standing alongside Neville and the other Riders Harry rode with, Remus, Sirius and Luna. At the dais, Dumbledore sat next to the King, who was too weak to sit and who lay in his bed. Ronald would do the induction. Hermione stood next to him and Viktor next to her. Harry stood alone in front of them.
"Kneel, Harry Potter," Ron spoke aloud and Harry obeyed, kneeling on his right knee. "Your sword."
Harry withdrew his sword and placed it in front of him, point down, his right hand on the hilt. Dumbledore inhaled sharply when he saw the sword. Its gold hilt with the lion emblazoned upon it, gilded with rubies. The sword of Gryffindor.
"Do you swear your allegiance to Ravenclaw, its land and its people?" Ron asked.
"I swear it," Harry replied.
"Do you swear to serve those who are less fortunate, to uphold the law and be just and fair of judgment?"
"I swear it," Harry replied.
"Do you swear allegiance to your brothers in arms, to fight alongside them, to protect them as they protect you?"
"I swear it."
"Do you swear your allegiance to the Queen, to protect her and her honor and glory?"
Harry's gaze shifted briefly over to Hermione, whose eyes bore into his. Don't do this, please don't do this, they begged.
"I swear it."
Hermione let out a small breath, closing her eyes and biting back the tears that threatened to fall. Ron drew the King's sword and tapped Harry on the shoulders.
"By proxy of the King, I dub thee Sir Harry Potter, Knight of the Highest Honors of Ravenclaw." Ron sheathed the sword and smiled down at him. "Rise…Sir Harry."
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