Disclaimer: Characters not mine and never will be…
My commendation to VacantSkies for his appraisal of this chapter-again lending part of his magic. His site: http://www.fanfiction.net/~vacantskies check it out.
Read Review and Enjoy…welcome to the Coronation of the Heir of Rowena…
Chapter 4
"Albus, what just happened?" Minerva McGonagall asked the man seated at her side. "The last time we experienced that surge of magic, or whatever that was, was during the coronation of Prince Harry, not to mention that of Prince Cedric."
"Minerva, even I do not hold all the answers," replied Albus Dumbledore all the while observing the dance floor before him. The two were still seated at the high table at the Great Hall of Ravenclaw even though the feast had just ended and the dancing had just commenced in earnest. Albus watched with a twinkle in his eyes when King John twirled Princess Hermione then saw him whisper something in his daughter's ear which caused her to give a stifled hearty laugh.
"I believe that Rowena has made her presence felt at her heir's coronation, Minerva."
"But then Albus… the prophecy," sniffed McGonagall in reply.
"Yes, Minerva, the prophecy of Princess Hermione has been initiated. Just like that of the princes during their coronations," he explained to the witch beside him.
"Dark times now lie ahead... and the fate of our world now lies on the shoulders of the younger generation of royals. The coronation of the crown princess was an authentication to the prophecies...." Dumbledore thought. As his razor-sharp eyes scanned the edges of the dance floor, his gaze locked with that of the mother of Rowena's heir, Queen Sara, who wore a worried, haunted look, her smile not reaching the queen's eyes.
"She is bothered… I am sure that John is, too. In fact," looking to his side glancing briefly at the King and Queen of Gryffindor who were whispering amongst themselves with the other Marauders, "So are James and Lily," noting the copied look of Sara on the couples' faces.
King Amos of Hufflepuff had arisen from his place at the table, nodding at Dumbledore when their eyes met. Amos also had the same haunted expression as the other parents. They all knew too well about the meaning of what had occurred during the ceremony. The series of events had begun. The coronation of Princess Hermione was the key, sealing the fate of the prophecies and things to come….
"It has begun."
In fact, the only person with a satisfied expression on their face was that of the steward of Slytherin, Lord Lucius Malfoy. He proudly wore something vaguely resembling a smug grin at being proven that he was right about something all along.
"Well, well, it seems as if the Kingdom of Slytherin has an inkling of what is to come." Albus' eyes hardened. It truly was a mistake to have had invited guests from that kingdom. The less knowledge of what powers were behind the walls of Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, the better. "I cannot blame John for trying to extend an olive branch to the dark kingdom, though."
The other guest from Slytherin came into Dumbledore's view. He had the same physical coloring as that of his father, but Albus noticed that the young man was not as intense. A small smirk blossomed on the face of Draco, an expression of barely suppressed enjoyment. "There seems to be a contradiction here," as Dumbledore observed father and son. "Maybe all is not lost in the Kingdom of Slytherin…. This young man may be part of the redemption of Salazar."
While still watching the scene before him, Dumbledore's gaze shifted and he could not help noticing a certain crown prince from the kingdom of the lion. Prince Harry had a dazed expression on his face as he gawked at Princess Hermione, not once tearing his eyes from her every move.
"Hmmm, interesting events are unfolding," Albus chuckled softly to himself, recalling a loud gasp heard when Princess Hermione reached the foot of the stage during her ceremony. "It seems romance is blooming tonight. I truly must keep a close eye on the proceedings of things to come with those two… with little amount of meddling, if I can help it."
Dumbledore took the goblet in front of him, taking a sip of his butterbeer, wishing that it was firewhisky- Merlin knows that he needed it for tonight at least. At the same time, a small grin started to spread across his lips as the sparkle returned to Albus' eyes.
Moments before the opening of the mahogany doors of the Great Hall….
From his position at the right side of the stage in front of the Great Hall, Prince Harry James of the House of Potter looked around at the gathered crowd. The royal families and the overseer and caretaker of Stonehenge were positioned at the front stage; the dignitaries from the kingdoms of the lion, the eagle and the badger were lined on either side of the center aisle where the procession was to take place.
Harry easily saw Baron Rubeus Hagrid with Baroness Olympia Maxime, both being giants and all, it wasn't easy to miss them - they were also the head of the giants, at least those who were loyal to the three kingdoms. He then spotted a congregation of fiery red hair, acknowledging the location of the House of Weasley from his kingdom close to the front of the stage, Lord Arthur - the patriarch of the said family - was the Minister of Magic in Gryffindor. Harry also noted a spattering of magical creatures.
He saw the Steward of Slytherin, not on the same landing as the two royal families but one step below; they were on the side of Hufflepuff.
"Seems like the protocol aides didn't want the lion and the snake to play," he thought mischievously. Harry then looked to the immediate front of the stage, close where the center aisle met the stage stood King John and Queen Sara, who were standing on the landing behind Dumbledore. The great wizard was positioned at the middle of the foot of the stage with the King and Queen of Ravenclaw to his right and left respectively, all of them awaiting the princess.
"Well, at least it'll be over soon, and then the Weasley boys and I can begin our philandering of the ladies of Ravenclaw," Harry thought contemplatively. He had eyed a tall lady with ebony hair and almond eyes who had looked at him curiously at times. The lady was situated in the crowd on the opposite side with the congregation of the ladies of the court on the side in front of the Royal family of Hufflepuff. Harry had spied a ring on her third finger on her left hand, "Betrothed but not yet bonded. An interesting challenge," Harry thought darkly. "She does seem interested in me." But he noticed she also looked at Prince Cedric, and being unable to read the expression on the other prince's face, he did not know if Cedric acknowledged the glances of the fair maiden. "Well, if this mysterious lady is interested in a night with a prince…may the best one win."
Harry started to devise a plan on asking the lady with almond eyes to be his first and perhaps last dance for the night after the required one with Princess Hermione.
Harry continued to glance around; he admired the intricate etchings on the granite walls of the Great Hall of bronze designs of eagles and a cup or goblet of some sort, which he assumed was the Holy Grail., They adorned the walls along with banners which bore the coat of arms of the House of Granger. The dark mahogany moldings accented the warm hues of the Great Hall. He also noticed the ceiling was enchanted to copy the dusk sky outside.
"Just like that of Gryffindor. You'd think that with their fabled wisdom they could have thought of a more original theme."
A soft `ahem' brought him back to reality as he caught the subtle look of reproach his mother gave him. Harry then brought his attention back to the announcement of the arrival of the princess, looking towards the great doors which shut automatically. From the crowd at the foot of the stage, Harry caught the looks that his godfather, Duke Sirius, and that of his father's other dear friend Earl Remus gave him. They both had the same expression - a cocked eyebrow and a small crooked smile, telling him that they caught their queen's subtle reprimand of her son. He smiled sheepishly as he brought his gaze to the front of the hall where the doors were.
Suddenly the heavy doors burst open, trumpets started blasting, and the ceremony was about to begin. Harry at first couldn't see the princess, since the fairies' role that night was not only to lend their glow to the hall, but to also shower the pathway of the princess with petals of sweet smelling flora. The soft scent of vanilla, cinnamon, and flowers, though he could not identify specifically, assaulted his senses.
"They are pulling all the stops for the princess' ceremony. Cedric and I didn't have fairies at our coronation… but then again not very manly…." Harry thought. He strained his eyes, adjusting his glasses to see the types of charms and enchantments of beauty the king and queen of Ravenclaw had placed on their bushy haired, dour faced, know-it-all daughter.
The blue and white petals kept falling as a figure in blue slowly approached the stage. Harry noticed the crowd on either side of the center aisle bowing or curtsying as the princess passed. His curiosity piqued, Prince Harry continued to stare as the lithe figure advanced. When she had arrived at the steps of the stage, Harry let out something between a gasp and a snort as he choked on his own breath, causing his parents' heads to snap in his direction, but he did not notice this, all Harry saw was a perfectly beautiful woman, with long brown soft hair with copper highlights trailing down her back, wrapped in what seemed to be the midnight sky.
"Where is that bushy haired girl? Where is the stern prissy know it all girl?" Harry fleetingly thought. "No powerful magic could have conjured up such perfection! This is not the same girl as at the Grand Library…." The woman turned her gaze toward him, having noted the loud gasp he released, and on her glowing face Harry saw a soft, warm smile, which slightly dimmed when her chocolate eyes met his emerald ones. Then time stood still….
On the left side of the stage at the Great Hall of Ravenclaw....
Everyone in the Great Hall looked curiously at the two platinum blond heads belonging to the Steward of Slytherin and his son. The elder Malfoy had an expression of disdain while surveying the crowd before him.
"These fools, to taint their ceremonies with such lowly creatures. Nothing like this fiasco would have ever occurred in Slytherin! To mingle with half bloods, deprived magical creatures and Muggles - unthinkable! The king should reward me grandly for the filth I have to endure for his mission!" Lord Malfoy thought, seeing house elves beside wizards and even noticing Muggles among the crowd standing as equals to pure bloods. His acknowledgment of this detail caused him to feel a wave of queasiness. "I hope that Pettigrew will be doing his job properly this time. To think of all the things I have to tolerate…."
Lucius turned slightly to glance over to his son, who was observing the multitude below the stage. Lucius was surprised to see though that Draco's eyes had a look of curiosity, no look of contempt marred his features. In fact, if Lucius was to entertain the idea, he'd even think that his son was enjoying his first event outside the walls of the Kingdom of Slytherin, but he immediately dismissed this thread of thought.
"At least the protocol fools did not make a mistake of having us mingle with the multitude of some second class citizens! I do not think that I would have continued this charade if I was among them!"
The announcement of the arrival of Princess Hermione brought Lucius' attention to the entrance of the Great Hall. A sneer started to grace his face as he thought of the devious plan which would soon be put into action.
The younger Malfoy was observing the population gathered at the Great Hall. He did not back down from the blatant looks. "I bet father is just dying inside seeing the mix of beings here. I bet he would have rather be Crucio-ed instead of staying here." Draco thought with a small satisfied grin. "Wait, I should be revolted by being here with Muggles and what nots! I guess the teachings of my father and our king, have not been totally embedded in my mind - I may not be that twisted after all."
Something caught his eye in the crowd, a group on the other side of his position with hair of red. There was a girl, no, a lady, sedate and diminutive, her difference in height and stature noticeable since she was almost surrounded by a group of tall men with the same hair color as hers. She was looking at him or in his direction with an inquisitive look in her hazel eyes.
"Fascinating, her eyes look like warm honey." Draco's gray eyes moved over her figure, "Definitely a woman and NOT a girl," he thought appreciatively. Her gown was simple. It was burgundy with gold accents; it made her pale skin almost translucent. He then brought his glance back up to her face and saw that she was now staring at him with a look of disdain, no - it was a look of fury. Draco realized then that this woman had witnessed him ogling her. But before he could challenge her stare, the lady with flaming red hair lowered her eyes and curtsied making Draco recognize the approach of the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw to the stage.
Draco then focused on the scene before him, as petals drizzled down, he had his first look at Princess Hermione, "She doesn't look bad at all. Delicate, in fact…though a bit much too delicate for my taste. Now the red headed maiden, that's more my type," he thought, immediately comparing the two women. "Where in Hades did that thought come from! How did that lady with flaming red hair cause me to set her as a standard of comparison? I do not even know her! What is wrong with me?"
Draco then felt a sharp jab on his shin, knowing all to well that familiar feeling - his father had just hit him with his infamous black walking stick. Looking to Lucius, Draco saw his father starting to bow - he too copied the movement of his father, trying to shake from his mind the image of the maiden with alabaster skin, fiery red hair and with eyes the color of warm honey he could drown in.
As the events started to unfold at the coronation, the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff had a small smile on his face....
"Hermione, has certainly… matured since I last saw her," Cedric thought, remembering the last time they met, which was during the coronation of Harry. He would not say the Princess of Ravenclaw was ugly, but she was… what would be the more proper term? She was plain. For in the mind of Prince Cedric, he did not allow his thoughts to slander anyone - he was too much of a gentleman for that. He continued to appreciate the woman when he heard a grunt to his far right. Sparing a quick glance to the side of Gryffindor, he could make out two heads turning to the origin of the noise. "Could that have come out from Prince Harry James?" Cedric sniggered at the thought. He glanced at his fiancée, who stood at the bottom of the stage across him. Since they were not married yet, etiquette had to be followed and Cho was not allowed to stand with the Royal family of Hufflepuff but to join the ladies of the court. When their eyes met, after Cho had risen from her curtsy, she had a goofy smile on her face, subtlety cocking her head toward the side of where Gryffindor's royal family stood, confirming Cedric's assumption of the origins of the grunt.
Cedric then looked at Princess Hermione; he too was awestruck at her beauty. If he was not in love with his fiancée, he would have probably joined Harry in letting out a gasp - the princess was truly breathtaking and it added to one's astonishment if you knew how she had looked before. Prince Cedric then looked at Cho, having felt like someone was staring at him, boring a hole through him, and he saw that his fiancée had an expression of anger - towards him and a look of… jealousy! Heaven help him, the only perfect creation in his eyes was jealous, the only owner of his heart... but the idea of Cho's jealousy fed his ego a bit though. The Crown Prince of Hufflepuff saw that Cho was shifting her look from the princess at the foot of the stage and him.
"If looks could kill, Princess Hermione would have been buried by now." Cedric thought. Looking at Cho, he projected all his love for her in his eyes. He saw Cho's jaw slack slightly when their eyes met, and the look of anger and jealousy melted away from her dark almond eyes to be filled with love and a little shame. She returned Cedric's amorous look with that which tried to equal his own. Then both lovers brought their attention to the proceedings of the ceremony.
"Breath Hermione Jane, breath. It'll be over soon. No one is laughing at you, don't look around. Come on, just keep your eyes up front…. Don't acknowledge that feeling of nausea or the dryness in your mouth, forget the fact that your stomach just sunk to your toes… Just a few steps then it shall be over…. Just a few more steps…."
The center of all the attention of everyone in the Great Hall had been repeating this thought to herself since she first stepped through the big heavy mahogany doors.
"It helps to have all the petals obscure your vision," Hermione thought as she looked up for a moment, sending a silent thank you to the fairies showering her with flower petals. As she passed, people bowed and curtsied. She just nodded from side to side, not once breaking her gaze to the front-to her end goal, the stage where her parents and Albus Dumbledore stood.
When Hermione reached the foot of the stage where she would stand till the end of the ceremony, a loud rough snort caught her attention. She looked up towards the left of the stage, the smile on her face almost falling - "Well, that's just rude!" she thought. Then as she looked to the perpetrator, her eyes encountered the greenest eyes to have ever graced a mortal and she felt something like a tight fist slam right at the center of her being.
Immediately recognizing the person, she felt rage, "How dare he! What's the prince up to? Do I look that ridiculous that he would add more humiliation?" Hermione thought as she jumped to the wrong conclusion, recalling their encounters in the past in the Grand Library. "Why I ought to…."
However, before she could finish her thought, the voice of Albus Dumbledore rampaged through her reverie.
"We are honored to be here at one of the great kingdoms of Camelot's past-let me first welcome everyone to the Coronation of the Crown Princess Hermione Jane of the venerable House of Granger of the Kingdom of Ravenclaw. I can assure everyone that the spirit of the founders of all four kingdoms who are truly represented today are within our midst," Dumbledore began. "You here at this great hall are to bear witness to the official induction of Princess Hermione Jane of the House of Granger as heir to the throne of her ancestor Rowena, the first ruler of the Kingdom of Ravenclaw."
Albus then looked at the beautiful woman before him. "Princess Hermione Jane of the House of Granger, do you accept the responsibilities that come with the throne of Rowena?"
"I accept." Hermione said with a surprisingly firm voice, never taking her eyes off the greatest wizard since Merlin.
"Princess Hermione Jane of the House of Granger, are you willing to defend the throne of Rowena from any adversary who threatens the basic principles and teachings which were written by King Arthur and instilled in your ancestor by Merlin?"
"I shall defend."
"Princess Hermione Jane of the House of Granger, are you willing to protect the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Ravenclaw from any menace be it from outside or within the walls of your kingdom?"
"I shall protect."
"Princess Hermione Jane of the House of Granger, do you pledge your alliance to the other kingdoms to provide them strength at their times of weakness, to lend aid when they call for assistance and to provide counsel at times of uncertainty?"
"I pledge my alliances to the other kingdoms."
"Princess Hermione Jane of the House of Granger, are you willing to give up your very existence to maintain that peace and justice shall prevail through the Kingdom of Ravenclaw, to sacrifice your very self for the greater good of the inhabitants of your kingdom and that of others?"
"I give you my oath to sacrifice my very life for my kingdom and its inhabitants and that of peace and justice if need be it," Hermione answered with such reverence and conviction, which caused Dumbledore to raise his eyebrows slightly and caused her mother to let out a small whimper.
"You here assembled in this Great Hall of Ravenclaw have just bore witness to the pledge given by Crown Princess Hermione Jane of the venerable House of Granger, heir of Rowena." Albus then turned to his left, and looked at Queen Sara who took her cue.
Queen Sara turned to the valet who suddenly appeared behind her and took the necklace of the Jewels of Ravenclaw. Her eyes began to mist as she took calculated steps towards her daughter who had now genuflected and lowered her head. Sara gently placed the necklace around Hermione's neck and clasped it behind her, saying in a soft voice which carried over to the ends of the great hall, "I, Queen Sara of the House of Granger, wife of King John ruler of Ravenclaw, mother of Crown Princess Hermione Jane, bestow the Jewels of Ravenclaw to its rightful owner. Ne'er shall anyone deny the true ownership of this gift of King Arthur to Rowena, for I was only its custodian. For today, before all here present, the Jewels of Ravenclaw lie on the neck of the heir of Rowena. It has finally reached its true home."
A sudden gust of wind entered the Great Hall to the amazement of all present, for no one could define its origins. It lifted up the petals which once lied ignored upon the ground and encircled the princess. Suddenly, the center stone made of black sapphire glowed ever so slightly, witnessed by only those present at the stage. The eyes of the occupants on the stage started to widen. Sara stepped back, as a tear ran down her cheek. She had no idea where the words she uttered came from, but she realized the implications it meant for her daughter. She sent a silent prayer to Rowena to keep her daughter safe.
Then Albus, with a solemn expression, turned to King John, who gave him a slight nod and stepped up to his daughter who had not yet moved from her position. A valet accompanied him, carrying a pillow upon which rested a crown; a cloak was also spread on the valet's extended arms.
"I, King John, patriarch of the House of Granger, ruler of the Kingdom of Ravenclaw, husband to Queen Sara and father to Crown Princess Hermione Jane, bestow the colors of our kingdom to the heir of Rowena's throne," John's every word reached those in the Great Hall. He then took the cloak and wrapped it around his daughter's shoulders. "To all here, look upon the heir of Rowena and bear witness, for upon her shoulders now rests the colors of Ravenclaw, bronze and blue. Upon this cloak rests the coat of arms of my house and on it the words every inhabitant of this kingdom carries in our hearts, `Consilium, Comis, Sanitas.' Words of wisdom, kindness, and well being."
John then turned to the valet and took the crown; the valet having fulfilled his purpose suddenly disappeared. Raising the crown to show to everyone, John continued in his booming voice, "Ne'er shall anyone remove this crown off the head of Rowena's rightful heir, it is a representation of the future of Ravenclaw, for this crown is only a substitute and shall be replaced upon the end of my existence. For upon the head of my daughter, I do entrust the duties associated with her role as the heir of Rowena's throne. May King Arthur protect her, may Merlin guide her and may Rowena's spirit live in her during the reign of Crown Princess Hermione Jane of the House of Granger, true heir of the Kingdom of Ravenclaw."
And with that, King John placed the crown on Princess Hermione's bowed head.
Many things happened all at once when the crown was placed on Hermione's head. A deafening screech was heard and then an image of a blue eagle suddenly appeared above the stage, its wings outstretched, almost covering the width of the entire Great Hall. As suddenly as it had appeared it let out another screech and vanished. A hushed murmur ran through the crowds gathered outside in the courtyard, unknown to those inside the Great Hall, an enormous mystical eagle of blue was seen above the castle. It also let out two screeches, which coincided with the screeches heard in the Great Hall and disappeared suddenly.
The occupants assembled on stage looked at each other, enthralled, not knowing what to say. Stillness was blanketed in the Great Hall, as the crowd was also dumbfounded at what had just occurred. But it was not over yet….
Albus Dumbledore looked towards the caretaker of Stonehenge, who came up to him carrying a staff. Princess Hermione silently stood up, it seemed to everyone who saw her face that she was in some sort of trance. The jewel at the middle of her neck was still glowing and the same glow was reflected in the eyes of the princess as she looked forward to Dumbledore.
Albus Dumbledore then took one step and stood before her. Hermione's parents were now holding on to each other and stood behind Albus, panic written over their faces at what had just occurred, yet they could not hide their curiosity as to the staff Albus conjured up.
"This was not part of the ceremony." John cast a look of question to James, who just shrugged. Then John looked over to Amos who had a frown on his face. It was when John's gaze traveled over to Malfoy that he felt the consequences on his invitation to the Kingdom of Slytherin, for on the face of Lord Lucius Malfoy was an expression of sinister glee.
"I present to you, Crown Princess Hermione Jane heir of Ravenclaw and Rowena's chosen the staff of the first ruler of your kingdom. I, too, am just a humble custodian of this venerable artifact left by Rowena to be given to her rightful heir. For only the one whose blood carries that of Rowena's can wield this staff and unleash its powers. For centuries this staff has remained dormant. To all here present, bear witness, for I believe that the staff of Rowena Ravenclaw has found its rightful home in the hands of your Crown Princess." Albus then handed the staff to Hermione.
When Hermione reached and took the staff in her right hand, a sudden gust of wind enveloped her again, this time stronger than before. Then the crystal entombed at the top of the staff began to glow. Hermione looked at it and felt a calming, peaceful sensation traveling from her right hand to her arm and then encompassing her whole body.
She closed her eyes and felt ancient magic entering her body and mind. A sudden surge of wisdom and enlightenment rushed through her, causing her to catch her breath. When she opened her eyes, they were glowing brilliantly. Unexpectedly she looked at Crown Prince Harry, she noted that his eyes were glowing, he had an intense expression on his face as his eyes held hers-not wanting to let go. Hermione, with a conscious effort, tore her gaze from him and shifted it toward Crown Prince Cedric, his eyes were glowing too, but instead of an intense appearance, he had a warm friendly smile. His gaze did not hold hers any longer than what she would have wanted. She returned his friendly smile with a small one of her own. Though the temptation was strong, Hermione willed herself not to return her eyes to Prince Harry.
Albus then whispered to her, "It is time, princess, to face your people."
Hermione took a deep breath and then swiftly turned around to face the crowd. As she turned, her eyes were still blazing, the blue and bronze cloak spun graciously around with her, her gown shimmered beautifully, the staff held firmly in her right hand, the crown rested securely on her head, and the Jewel of Ravenclaw were still glowing. Then another unexplainable event happened. The mystical blue eagle made another appearance this time a bit smaller and was hovering above Hermione who was now bathed in a soft, golden aura.
The crowd whose attention was focused on the literally glowing princess and the blue eagle collectively gasped as the eagle flapped its wings once, and as if the action caused a ripple in the crowd, everyone genuflected to the princess. Those left standing were the people on the stage, still in awe at what just occurred.
Then the voice of Albus Dumbledore was heard, "It is my honor that I, Albus Dumbledore, overseer of Stonehenge present to all here in attendance, Crown Princess Hermione Jane of the venerable House of Granger, TRUE heir of Rowena and future ruler of the Kingdom of Ravenclaw."
A/N: Finally Harry met Hermione! But not the encounter y'all wanted I bet…
Do not fret-it gets better in the NEXT chapter…but if you really want to see the next chapter earlier than later…well review this one and the previous ones…(evil ploy-I know! :D)
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