Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING BUT THE PLOT!!
~HI!! Oh my gosh! I am so glad you like the last chapter! I was kind of iffy about it! I am trying to get to the H/Hr meeting…… almost there!
Ok, now about all the weird 'ae's, i have NO idea what is going on!!! Now i have tried re-updating each chapter and stuff, but it doesn't seem to work!! Im sorry if they are a nuisance, but i cant help them..... they appear AFTER i upload it to Portkey!!!! Im sorry!!!!
I'd like to thank ALL those who have reviewed!
Hope you like the update!
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Chapter Six: What's New?
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It had been a week since Harry agreed to the marriage. A letter had been sent to Ravenclaw of the news and preparations for the wedding were already underway. Ron had been thoroughly shocked at the news, and complained rather excessively about never being told about anything anymore. The merging of the Kingdoms would be finalized the day of the wedding, and the wedding was to take place within the halls of Hogwarts in a fortnight before Albus Dumbledore, a family friend of both parties and Headmaster of Hogwarts.
As for the attacks, another had broken out in Hufflepuff and another in the southern region of Ravenclaw as well. Twelve Death Eaters had been apprehended since the first attack. Security had doubled along the borders, and peaceful passage into other kingdoms had become nearly impossible due to the checks and searches now mandatory by law. The three Kingdoms had joined together their strength, each contributing all that they could. Ravenclaw's strategies proved amazingly helpful and Hufflepuff's skill in armory and potions were a necessity, while Gryffindor's strength kept the borders safe.
Rumors were spreading that Voldemort had risen again. Whether these were true or not, the Kingdoms were taking no chances in allowing themselves to be caught by surprise once more. They were taking every precaution they could, although Dumbledore denied these to be true, saying there were only fibs to scare the public, though he did believe a plot similar to these rumors was taking affect.
After the news of the first attack, Mr. Weasley and his sons, Bill and Charlie, set out at first light to help secure the borders with Remus and Tonks. Bill brought his strength and a rather large legion of goblins, Charlie brought his dragons. They had been stationed in Ravenclaw to assist the King.
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It was morning at the Gryffindor palace and the owls had just arrived. Soaring through the large dining hall, the owls carefully dropped their burdens upon their owners. Harry looked up to see a blaze of red and gold flash upon the ceiling. He recognized it immediately - Fawkes, Dumbledore's beautiful Phoenix. He watched as Fawkes landed onto the back of the King's large chair at the head of the table and extend his leg towards the King. As he watched his father remove the scroll from the Phoenix, Harry heard a rather loud shriek of excitement erupt from down the breakfast table. Looking over, he saw Mrs. Weasley clutching a letter tightly in her hand.
"It's from Billy!" she exclaimed. Harry smiled as Ron rolled his blue eyes.
"What's it say, Mrs. Weasley?" asked Harry. He watched her as she read the letter, her smile growing the more she read until…
"EKKKKK….." Mrs. Weasley's shriek echoed throughout the entire hall. She was smiling a large watery smile as she wiped away fresh tears.
"Mrs. Weasley, are you ok? What does it say?" asked Serenity. Mrs. Weasley sniffed and smiled at the others in the hall. She then looked back at her letter and began to read it out loud.
Xx
Dear Mum,
How are you? Is everything ok there? Everything here is going
great where I am at! Charlie and I have been stationed in the little French city of Champagne. Dad was sent a little ways northward from here but he too is close to Champagne. It is really close to the Beaubatons school. It's really nice here, and quiet. No signs of any attacks have surfaced yet, thankfully, and the people here are great!
I heard about the wedding… it's the main topic in every household around here. The people are real excited to have their Princess marry a Gryffindorian Prince. Heh, I wonder how ol' Harry took the news, they are saying it is to be in two weeks! It is true? Wow! They sure are in a hurry aren't they? Well speaking of weddings and such…
Mum, I know I have only been here a week or so, and I really hate to have to tell you this over a letter, but I have no choice. Mum, I've met someone here, in Champagne, her name is Fleur. Fleur Delacour ! She's great Mum, she's French, and has a thick accent. She is a courtier, her father is a member of the royal family, a Count. She herself is a Countess. I have been trying to teach her English, which has been going great so far. Charlie likes her too! I have asked her if she would be willing to come to Gryffindor to meet the family, and she'd be delighted! We're going to try to make it to the wedding, possibly sooner if I can manage it.
Well Mum, please tell everyone I say hello, and I promise to take care of Charlie for you! I'll write as soon as I can. Give Ginny a hug for me!
Love ya,
Bill Weasley
Xx
"Wow," said Harry. "Does that mean he's going to marry her?"
"No, Harry," laughed Serenity. "He was just letting her know he met someone he's interested in."
"But he said," started Harry but just then he heard a beautiful song fill the hall. Again he looked up to see a magnificent garnet colored songbird enter the hall.
"Mai," exclaimed Serenity. Standing up, she held out her slender arm to the rather large songbird and watched as it landed smoothly upon it. She removed the scroll from the bird and handed Mai a few treats from her plate.
Serenity had arrived two days earlier with her mother Lady Sapphire, the Queen of the High Elves. The two had left to speak with their Prime Minister in aiding the Wizards. Unfortunately, though expected, the elves refused. They didn't want to get the last remaining elves involved in a possible war that hardly concerned them. Serenity, furious, began shouting about how the war would concern them soon if they didn't act now. Infuriated at the fact that they continued to refuse, Serenity left a few days earlier than she planned, refusing to attend a single meeting the Prime Minister had asked of her.
"Who is it from Serenity?" Harry asked her. Mai carefully climbed up to Serenity's shoulder as Serenity opened the scroll, untying the soft red satin ribbon around it. An excited squeal erupted from the young princess as she read, a huge smile swept across her lips. Her eyes swam across the parchment as she concluded her letter. "Serenity, what is it?"
Serenity looked up at him with her smiling amethyst eyes.
"It's from Li!" She looked back down at her letter once more and read, "He says he's to be arriving here soon." Harry looked shocked and pleased!
"Really, when?" asked Harry. He seemed to be just as excited as Serenity. He went and stood behind her, reading over her shoulder.
"He doesn't say," Serenity told him. "But knowing Li, that should mean a day or so!"
"Have you any idea why he's coming?" asked Harry. Serenity shook her head.
"Nope," she said. "But it doesn't matter, I'm just glad he's coming! I wasn't able to see him at all, he was out training in the forest and I was busy wrestling with that idiot Azraa!" Serenity made a funny face. "I mean he's a great Prime Minister, and I trust him completely with the Kingdom while I am away, but," she paused for a moment. "He's just so hard headed and old-fashioned! Voldemort isn't just after the Wizards, he wants total domination - that'll include my people too." Serenity sat down with a heavy heart and a heavy thud, causing Mai to jump off of her shoulder and land on the chair behind her with a loud screech.
Harry looked to Serenity for a moment. He admired her so much. She would give anything for her people. He only wished he too had a bit more of that selflessness. It had been the hardest thing for him to do - agreeing to the marriage. When he told his father he had agreed, he had gripped his fist so tightly, he left bruised marks within them that were still there now. He felt he was betraying himself as well as Cho. Cho. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Lately she was all that was in his mind. He missed her so much. He had heard she made it safely to Hufflepuff, and was glad to know that she was happy. Unfortunately, neither she nor Harry were able to write letters to one another, but Harry was able to acquire his news through other means, via Neville Longbottom.
Neville Longbottom was the son of one of Gryffindor's finest team of Aurors, Lord Frank and Lady Alice Longbottom. He was a good friend to Harry, in both school and at home. Unlike his parents, Neville's specialties did not lie in battle, quick wit, nor in agility, but in herbs. Neville's knack for herbology was renowned within the castle in Gryffindor, and from there, the King of Hufflepuff went on to learn of his skills and invited Neville over to his palace to help assist his healers, and eventually offered him a place beside the King's best faction of Healers.
Harry, in the last week had been writing to Neville asking about Cho, who would, in return, write to Harry, telling all that he could find out about the foreign beauty. Had King James found out, Harry would be dead, but Harry couldn't help it. He needed to know how she was, if they were taking care of her, if she was happy, if she missed him.
Harry looked up at the number of owls, searching for Neville's speckled owl or for his own Snowy owl, Hedwig. No sign of either one was present. Serenity looked to Harry and knew what he was looking for.
"Harry," she started. He looked to her sadly. She placed a hand on his arm, but Harry gently pulled his arm away.
"I'm ok Serenity," he told her curtly. Serenity nodded and let him be. She directed her attention towards the King, who was deeply engrossed in the letter Dumbledore had sent. He didn't seem too happy about the letter, and Queen Lily was nervously reading the letter behind the King. Harry seemed to notice his parents as well.
"Mother, Father? Is everything alright?" They didn't answer him. Harry and Serenity both stood up immediately. The rest of the hall seemed to have gone quiet as well, all noticing the King and Queen.
"Prongs," called Sirius. "Prongs, what's going on? What did Dumbledore say?" King James looked up from the letter, his face slightly paler than usual.
"Somebody's broken into Hogwarts. Seems they were after the stone…" said the King. The hall gasped.
"But, but," stuttered Ron. "That's impossible, isn't it? Nobody can break into Hogwarts! It's got more spells on it than Gryffindor's Palace!"
"Does he tell you how, Prongs?" asked Sirius. The King shook his head.
"No, Padfoot, but Albus suspects there's a spy within the castle." James told his friend.
"Heh, I place my bet upon ol'Snivellus, personally. Never did trust him, the grease ball, I don't care how much he begged for forgiveness, he's still a former Death Eater!" replied Sirius. "You remember, obsessed with the dark arts he was! He was swimming up to his ears in the stuff, there's no way he could have put all that behind him, he still loves it!"
"Sirius," started James. "I don't know, Albus trusts him, I know what you are saying, and truthfully I don't trust him either, but…if Dumbledore…"
"Yes, but listen Prongs," Sirius interrupted. "With the start of the attacks, we have been seeing the true faces of the people. Who is to say that Snape really did change for the better? This could all be a cover! You know how good of an Oclumens the man is, he could have been lying to us this entire time. Perhaps the rumors are true, James, and if they are, then perhaps dormant evil is beginning to stir!"
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A cool breeze whipped through the hair of the young Princess Hermione as she sat upon her tree-swing in the courtyard of the palace. It was early in the morning and many of the courtiers were still in their chambers pruning and pampering themselves before gracing the public with their presence. Hermione had no interest at all in that sort of stuff, which was why she didn't seem to get along so well with the other princesses she knew. They were, of coarse, friendly towards one another, but she could never call any of them "close friends". Though, of course, she took care of herself and of her appearance, she wasn't the type to go all out, donning endless pounds of make-up to enhance her beauty. She still wore her hair natural, though adding a few oils and charms as to tame it, it was still slightly bushy but more controllable now.
'A fortnight.' Hermione thought. She had just been told three days prior that the wedding had been fully agreed to and that it was a fortnight away. She was nervous, she didn't even know him! Everything and everyone was getting ready for what was supposed to be the biggest wedding of the century. Ha! Yea right!
She had asked Cho to tell her all that she knew of the Prince. Boy was that a mistake! One thing Hermione had learned in the past week was to never ask about someone while the other is in love. All she heard about was how green his eyes were, and how his hair flew every which way, and how strong his arms were when he held Cho…
'Eugh!' Hermione shuddered. Hermione wondered if she would have found Harry a little more attractive had she not have been forced into this marriage. Perhaps she would have been able to share in Cho's breathlessness.
"Well, it doesn't matter anyways," she said to herself.
"What doesn't matter?" came a voice from behind. Hermione turned to see a familiar face.
"Oh, hello Luna," said Hermione as she turned to face the ocean view before her once more. Luna walked up beside Hermione, her long blonde hair swaying behind her. She still wore the same bottle cap necklace she always wore in school, no matter what dress she chose. Her eyes were still the same blue and still held the same dreamy look they always had. The girl never changed!
Luna was the daughter of Lord Lovegood, a member of Parliament in Ravenclaw. In his spare time he was an active writer, starting up a magazine/newspaper called The Quibbler. It was an interesting newspaper as Hermione called it, not always believing what was written, though never telling Luna that!
"Hello Your Majesty," replied Luna. "Beautiful morning, isn't it?" Hermione nodded. "Father says that days like this, when the sky is cloudless and the sun is bright, that it is a day of good luck." Luna said in her dreamy, far-away voice. Hermione smiled to please Luna and made to stand from her swing.
"Ugh," replied Hermione. She had just felt her shoe sink into something mushy beneath her. Looking down, she noticed she had just stepped into the small patch of mud that was under the swing she had been avoiding all morning. "Yes Luna, some lucky day," and with that Hermione made her way back towards the castle, in a mood worse than what it had been when she woke up.
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Wow! Ok I have concluded that my average amount of writing is 6-7 pages on Word and about 2600 - 2900 words per entry! That is a LOT of writing! I s'pose I am way too detailed, huh?! :P
This chapter was actually 12 pages long! But I decided it was way too long and split it into two!
Now I was trying to have Harry and Hermione meet in this chapter, hence the length, but obviously that isn't happening, but it should in chapter 8! There was just too much stuff I needed to start before I could write their meeting! So in Ch. 8 should be the meeting…. Lol
I hope you like this chapter, though it is quite uneventful in my opinion, it is just a starter to what I want to come up.
Hope ya guys enjoyed!
Silver_Magick131