Four Kingdoms

Just an introduction to the alternative universe of Harry and company. Don't worry you'll see our favorite characters in a few days…

Disclaimer: Don't own them—and never will.

Any errors are all my fault, due to a) I stubbornly went against better advice, b) I edited something without the knowledge of my betas or c) I totally missed their corrections…So if there are mistakes—my bad.

Gratis to Syrus for his great work in beta-ing this…and to VacantSkies for his brilliant work on this piece. His website is http://www.fanfiction.net/~vacantskies -check it out!

Prologue

Merlin surveyed the immense landscape from his mountaintop abode. “Yes, the transition of Camelot into the Four Great Kingdoms has been peaceful and successful,” he thought to himself. He knew that King Arthur had recognized that his time in this world was coming to a close, yet he could not find a worthy heir to his throne. The king knew that his Knights of the Round Table did not have the charisma or the ability to handle the people of his kingdom upon his demise, and so Camelot would be banished from this world if he found no solution. Merlin, being the king's most trusted ally and mentor, had suggested an equal division of Arthur's realm—a division into four kingdoms which would be ruled according to the strengths of the sorcerer's four apprentices and upon the original teachings of Camelot.

Upon Godric Gryffindor, the most courageous and gallant wizard, was bestowed the land of the north and the sword, Excalibur. Merlin had reconstituted it for Godric, since the original Excalibur could not be wielded by anyone but Arthur. Excalibur was returned to the Lady of the Lake and with her help was remade into the Sword of Gryffindor, to play to the strengths of its new owner. Merlin and the Lady of the Lake had added charms and spells to the sword so that it would be wielded to seek justice, yet would do no harm to the innocent.

Helga Hufflepuff, the most loyal and gentle witch, was given the west land of the setting sun. She was gifted with the Round Table, which was a form of dowry from the father of Guinevere to Arthur upon their union. The table set the tone of Helga's kingdom, that of equality and loyalty. For under Helga's rule, there would be no one more powerful than the rest and no sense of prejudice amongst her people. On the Round Table is where Helga shared her judgment on rulings of honesty and only where the just may sit.

Rowena Ravenclaw, the wisest and most analytical witch, was given the kingdom of the rising sun, the land of the east. She was awarded the Holy Grail, the cup of healing. In her kingdom, great minds were produced. Her people were recognized as the wisest of all, and from her kingdom the gift of healing was renowned. She was touted to have the innate power to heal by touch and magic, and so her court had the vast knowledge of many potions and spells for curing.

Salazar Slytherin, the most cunning and ambitious of the quartet — was given the southern land. Merlin had recognized the ruthless aura and a potential for evil in him. Yet, Godric was his closest ally—and Merlin thought that Godric's inner sense of goodness was what kept Salazar in check when they were under his tutelage. So he had awarded him the ring of Arthur. Upon this ring rested the insignia of Camelot. Salazar, at first, resented this gift for it was the least magical among that of the other three gifts. Pondering on the aspects of what the ring meant, Salazar had concluded since it was worn by the greatest king of all time, it represented omnipotence. He secretly thought of himself as the most powerful wizard after Merlin, and though the ring had little to do with magic, it had a lot to do with power. In his domain, avidity and craftiness were characteristics recognized in his people.

These were the first rulers of the four mighty kingdoms. Merlin had chosen well, and King Arthur believed they were the wisest choice for the next generation of rulers. Each had their strengths and would be ingraining these strengths and the teachings of Camelot in their people.

XXXXX

At the center of the four kingdoms was the area of impartiality-- Stonehenge. In this land, no magic could be done with the intention to harm another. This is where the four rulers met for their discussions. Here is where all ill feelings could be put aside for the betterment of their people. But despite their unity, there was a subtle rift starting between Salazar and the three other rulers after a few years since Salazar Slytherin's true colors were starting to show. Godric, Rowena and Helga worked in accord with each other. They believed in the rulers and their people coming to the aid of each other, sharing their strengths in the face of the other's weaknesses. The undercurrent of hatred was felt every time Salazar would meet with them at Stonehenge. He argued with them about the weakness that the other rulers showed, stating that if they continued their practice of equality among wizards and Muggles, the price to pay would be the disappearance of magic in this plane of existence. He wanted there to be a dividing line between the wizard population and the Muggles. He did not even want to allow marriages between wizards and Muggleborns, since he felt this tainted the blood of pure witches and wizards. This notion was met with an uproar from Godric, Rowena and Helga, for they felt that meddling with the lives of humans, or any creature, was uncalled for, whether they displayed the gift of magic in their blood or not. This subject caused the largest argument among the four.

“That notion is unheard of, Salazar!” Godric exclaimed as he stood up suddenly. “Segregating the population would be going against the teachings of Camelot! The rights of equality among its inhabitants would be violated!”

“Approving marriages between Muggles and magic folk is signing the death sentence of magic in this world…” stated Salazar, watching Godric as he paced. “Mark my words, magic will die if this practice continues.”

Rowena stood up, placing a hand on Godric's arm to placate him and said, “We do have the gift of magic in our blood, it should not be put to such waste…”

“Certainly you do not agree with Salazar!” Godric exclaimed turning to Rowena as he cut her off.

“…should not be put to such waste,” she reiterated, giving him a stern look. “Yes, there should be some concealed information between the Muggles and magic folk—with that I agree. Not all Muggles can completely comprehend the powers of wizards and witches. But I do not think that ostracizing them is the answer. We should maintain the peace of living in this plane of existence in accord with each other, for were not our ancestors mere Muggles themselves before recognizing the power which flowed through their blood?” Rowena said, patiently explaining this to the two wizards, gauging their reactions.

“I agree with Godric; equality is one of the main teachings in Camelot. The Round Table is a testament to that. But Rowena does have a point, some Muggles do not have a grasp of the powers of us magic folk. We do need to protect - not ourselves, but the innocence of Muggles in their surroundings,” Helga put in.

“A death sentence, I do say—the three of you are signing a death sentence to our way of life! The three of you have blinded yourselves to this future; you wish to taint our blood to merely maintain a teaching which was upheld by a Muggle king who is now gone!” Salazar hissed.

Godric growled in protest and started to advance on Salazar. “I will not have you slander the name of King Arthur!”

“Godric!” shouted Rowena as she tried to hold him back.

“Salazar!” Helga stood up between the two wizards as Salazar rose and reached for his wand, pointing it toward Godric.

“ENOUGH!” a thunderous boom was heard as Merlin appeared in their midst.

“Put that away, Salazar. You know that magic against another cannot be wielded on this sacred ground. Godric, control your temper…Everyone, my students—please sit down.” Merlin said as he gazed upon his former apprentices.

“I wondered what would have caused such a raucous on a beautiful day such as this. I asked myself as my crystal ball summoned me from enjoying my afternoon meditation. Can you imagine my surprise when I saw this discussion unfold? I see the once tranquil land of Stonehenge being torn asunder by my four apprentices—the rulers of the new Camelot!” Merlin lectured. “You were each given a kingdom to rule to the best of your abilities, is that not so?” Seeing the four nods, Merlin continued, “I am disappointed in you for arguing over such trivial matters such as saying that one human being is better than the other merely because of the gift of magic. Yes, magic is a blessing that not all are given, yet the absence of it does not incapacitate a being—human or not. Salazar, I do not know where you have gotten these ideas…being a Muggle is not an impediment. Did I not instill this in you when you were under my guidance?”

“Yes you have, my teacher…” Salazar muttered.

“Godric, did I not comment on the little control you have over your temper? That is why I taught you the meditations you were to practice so that temper of yours would not cloud your judgment,” Merlin said as he gazed toward the other wizard.

“I apologize for my rashness, teacher,” Godric mumbled.

“This meeting is over, my students. Return to your kingdoms and rule justly and fairly among all creatures. Return here after the next cycle of the moon when all heads are lucid and you shall continue your discussion,” Merlin stated firmly, as he saw Salazar open his mouth in protest. “Till the next cycle of the moon, Salazar.”

“Yes, teacher,” they all said and then they all Disapparated to their respected kingdoms to ponder on what happened that afternoon.

But the next meeting would never occur, for the kingdom of Slytherin had closed its gates to the other three kingdoms. Salazar had made up his mind. No other occupants except Slytherin folk were welcomed in his court and Muggles and other magical creatures such as goblins, house elves and centaurs were herded and placed under the control and services of pure blooded magical families. This caused a sudden influx of exiles to the lands of the north, east, and west where they were welcomed. The kingdoms of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had wanted to wage a war against the kingdom of Slytherin to settle this injustice, but Merlin had intervened, saying that even though equality was a teaching of Camelot, so was the teaching of free will.

Merlin now thought over the events that took place, years after the peaceful division of Camelot, and with a heavy heart, he accepted the fact that he had failed Arthur in maintaining the peace that once reigned, as one of his apprentices had gone astray and had chosen the path toward the darkness of magic. For Merlin had foreseen the evil which would come from Salazar's future descendant and because of the darkness of the times ahead. He realized that it was the right moment to give his final gifts to his three remaining loyal apprentices, gifts of the light which he, the greatest sorcerer, would create - for the future of the light hung in the balance.

-->

Disclaimer: Never owned them—never will…

Many thanks and applause to the magical touch of my beta—VacantSkies. Visit his website! http://www.fanfiction.net/~vacantskies

Read, Review and Enjoy…

Chapter 1

“Are you all done there, Princess?” Hermione heard through the door.

“Almost”, she answered.

“I hate it when they rush me through these things! All for the love of pomp and circumstance,” she thought irritably while clambering out of her warm bath and wrapping her body in a large warm towel and opened the door that connected her bathroom to her bed chambers. Immediately her ladies in waiting came to prepare her for the ceremony as she took her seat in front of her mirror. She let her mind drift to the last book that she read about wandless magic and pondered on when she should start putting this knowledge into practical use and sighed as she was being primped for the events to take place that day.

Today was her eighteenth birthday and she detested all the grandeur of the events on her special day. The invited dignitaries had arrived a few days before this day and there would be much celebration in the kingdom for her official coronation and recognition as Crown Princess Hermione Jane, heir to the throne of Ravenclaw. She hated all the preparations done for this day and events to occur on this so called “blessed event.” She would have rather had a small gathering of her friends to talk about the new books that she had read or she would have rather kept to herself locked up in the Grand Library of Ravenclaw.

She smiled at the thought of the library which was the pride of her kingdom, for there was no other library that could compare with it from any of the other kingdoms with books about every topic from magic to Muggles, from dark spells to the most updated findings in healing, encompassing all collective knowledge of elves' magic, to the books written about other magical creatures; from battles of long ago to the art of weaponry since the days of Camelot till now. Legend had it that Merlin had gifted Rowena this library to satisfy her thirst for knowledge in the arts of magic and healing, hence establishing the Kingdom of Ravenclaw as the seat of intelligence and wellbeing. It was common knowledge that even the great scholars and healers of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff would journey miles to research in this library and Hermione had complete access to it anytime she felt like it. Yes, she would have loved to be in the library pouring over the endless lists of books than here, having people dolling her up for a ceremony that she believed was shallow and impractical.

The Princess of Ravenclaw abhorred being the center of attention, it made her feel like all her insecurities and flaws were magnified a hundredfold by having great numbers looking and gawking at her! Yet this was to be expected of her. She had been raised to put duty and the needs of her people first before her own personal wants for she was the heir to the throne of Rowena.

The sound of her door creaking pulled her attention back to reality. She looked up and saw her mother enter. The other people in the room immediately stopped what they were doing and curtsied at the entrance of their queen. “Your majesty!” they all said in unison. The queen acknowledged them though not taking her eyes off her daughter. Her eyes misted and with a soft smile on her face, Sara remembered cradling the woman before her as a baby as if it was yesterday. Now her daughter would be recognized by all as the young, beautiful, brilliant woman that she had grown to become. Sara could not have been more proud.

“Hermione, how are you today, my love?” Queen Sara asked, concerned about the frown that marred her daughter's soft features.

“As well as I can be, mother”, Hermione whined softly.

“Dear Merlin, Hermione is definitely annoyed,” Sara thought, knowing full well that her daughter only called her `mother' under times of exasperation.

“I come bearing gifts, my dear, something to wear for the coronation.” The queen called forth her own personal servant from behind her who was carrying a velvet case bearing the insignia of Ravenclaw on the top. As Queen Sara opened the box, collective gasps were heard as the Jewels of Ravenclaw were seen by all. “It belonged to Rowena, the first Queen of Ravenclaw, given to her as a gift from King Arthur himself. Wear it with pride as I did when your father presented me as his Queen on our wedding day.”

Hermione, looked with awe at the jewelry. She had heard and read of the tale attached to the Jewels of Ravenclaw, yet she never saw it till today. The legend stated that King Arthur had commissioned elves in setting the sapphires and diamonds given to him by the dwarves, who mined for precious stones in the ages of yore. The earrings were drops of blue sapphires dangling off their post, simple enough for the necklace to be the center of attraction. The necklace was breathtaking. At the center was a large tear shaped black sapphire stone the size of a fist, the chain links itself made of diamonds and blue sapphires. Merlin had instilled powerful spells in the black sapphire stone, which was believed that only the true heir of Rowena could unlock when the time for it was needed, though what magic spells and charms were encased in these jewels, no one knew. As she touched the center stone reverently, knowing the power that it supposedly possessed, Hermione was dumbfounded as a tingling sensation ran up her arm from the fingers which made contact with the center stone and a slight breeze entered the bed chamber, its origin unknown.

“But mum, I thought that I was to wear it only on my wedding day, not during my coronation ceremony,” she pointed out.

“Ah, yes—but your father and I saw fit that you should wear it today since it is your eighteenth birthday and you are the first princess born since Rowena.” Queen Sara answered.

“I am truly honored,” was all Hermione could say.

Hermione was the only girl to be born to the lineage of the Royal Family of Ravenclaw after Rowena the original Queen. Queen Sara and King John were blessed when Hermione was born and the kingdom rejoiced upon her birth, including the kingdoms of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.

“There is a princess who shall wield unification of all four kingdoms born from the house of Rowena, who shall tame the lion, guide the badger, and defang the snake—and peace shall prevail and love will conquer under her hand and the darkness shall be no more.” So the prophecy had foretold.

This prophecy was imparted to King John and Queen Sara by none other than Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard since Merlin, on the christening of their daughter. They did not want to burden Hermione with the knowledge, so she hadn't been told. They raised her accordingly to the laws of the land and ingrained her with the knowledge of justice, compassion, and love to rule her people. Her parents watched her grow to become an intelligent and powerful witch, able to do some impossible spells and charms when she put her mind to it, yet they noticed that she was an introvert— choosing to stay in the Great Library rather than to interact with her peers. They witnessed her bloom from a bushy brown haired bucktooth insecure girl to become the graceful yet still shy and beautiful lady she was now. Her hair had become tamed and now flowed in slight ringlets down her back and magic was done in aligning her teeth for her to flash her now confident smile. As Sara looked back to those times, she now realized that it really was her Hermione who the prophecy talked about.

“Yes, the Jewels of Ravenclaw have finally reached their rightful owner.” The Queen thought.

“Well, enough gawking at the Jewels, we have little time to get ready for your coronation,” Queen Sara stated, automatically calling out everyone from their state of awe. “Yes, little time indeed!”

The ladies in waiting turned back to the task at hand—to bring Princess Hermione to her utmost perfection.

XXXXX

A few days before the ceremony at Ravenclaw, the Royal family of Gryffindor were eating breakfast….

“Must we go, father?” Wailed Prince Harry, crown prince of Gryffindor, rolling his eyes to the heavens, praying for a reprieve.

“Yes, son, it is our duty, especially in such trying times as we are in. We need to show our support to the other kingdoms,” replied King James of Gryffindor.

Queen Lily smiled gently at her son seated across her in the Dining Hall of Gryffindor. “My son has grown to be a fine man—just like his father,” she thought.

Harry James, who had turned nineteen a few months back, was an exact replica of his father James with his uncontrollable ebony hair, chiseled features, and even the glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. However, he inherited his mother's emerald green eyes. He also had a small thunderbolt scar on his forehead which was never explained to the prince about the circumstances on how he got it. Harry had a devil may care aura around him, yet King James and Queen Lily did not raise him to be a spoiled brat. They raised him to be responsible and compassionate, brave and gallant, skilled in the arts of magic and of the defense against dark arts. Harry was a powerful wizard, acknowledged by all as someone to reckon with. Under his future rule of the kingdom of Gryffindor, they knew that it shall retain its splendor as the Kingdom of the Brave, Gallant and Good Hearted.

“Besides, the royal family of Ravenclaw attended your coronation as crown prince of Gryffindor when you turned eighteen. It is now time we returned the favor.” Queen Lily explained the situation to her son. Harry was not impressed with the rationalization; he remembered that day a year ago, loathing the ceremonies and grandeur of that summer day of his eighteenth birthday and coronation as crown prince heir of Gryffindor.

He wracked his memories to recall what the princess looked like during the ceremony. He remembered seeing her in the past when he was assigned to go the Grand Library of Ravenclaw, but it was only mere glimpses that entered his mind. “Ah yes, bushy brown hair, rarely gave a smile to anyone, and she always kept her head in a book!” Harry thought. He also remembered Lord Ronald of the House of Weasley, part of the court of Gryffindor and his best friend's description of the know-it-all princess: “Mental, that one is!” The know-it-all princess had always looked haughtily at them when he and Ron went to the Grand Library of Ravenclaw, shushing them whenever they raised their voices above a whisper.

Harry did recall one incident a few years ago when they were twelve and went to the grand library for lessons assigned. Inside the library, the princess had witnessed Ron try a new spell he had learned from one of his brothers of turning a rat yellow. After unsuccessfully casting the spell, the princess had approached them and snootily asked Ron, “Is that a real spell? Not a very good one, is it?” This instigated a verbal spat between the three which in turn caused the librarian to reprimand them. The flushed and humiliated princess hissed at him and Ron, “I had better stay away from you before you get us all into more trouble in this library, or worst expelled!” then she turned and walked away. Ron then gave a very accurate description of her being mental. Yes, the birthday and coronation of princess know it all of Ravenclaw was not an event that Harry wanted to attend.

But duty gets in the way of the life of a carefree young man and traveling to another kingdom to witness a boring ceremony was something Harry knew he had to do. Peering out a window he saw it was beautiful weather for autumn. There was a crisp breeze, not yet cold enough for a heavy cloak, yet just chilly enough to prevent a sweat—especially when playing Quidditch. That is what he wanted to do, play Quidditch with his friends. Harry loved the sport, especially since he was the seeker for his house team in his school days! The sensation of flying through the air gave him such joy and freedom—but here he was, being forced to go to this coronation ceremony in Ravenclaw! How it annoyed him to no end!

“What excuse can I give to get out of this situation?” Harry thought. “I can't feign ill health, mum would surely call upon Madame Pomfrey, and then she would tell my parents there is nothing wrong with me and I definitely would not want mum's wrath on me for lying! What can I do?” resignation to the situation began to be apparent. Harry stood from his chair and said to his parents that he would start to prepare for the journey and bowed to them before leaving the Dining Hall.

XXXXX

A few days before the celebration, a discussion between father and son about a devious plan was taking place in the Kingdom of Slytherin…

“Father, how can you even think of attending the celebration at Ravenclaw?! It is totally preposterous!” Draco Malfoy exclaimed as he looked with disgust at his father Lucius, Steward of Slytherin. “We have never attended such mediocrities of the other kingdoms nor have we even thought of going to one before. Now here we are, preparing to go to the birthday and coronation ceremony at Ravenclaw! What will the Heir of Salazar say when he finds out your intentions?”

“Son, this IS the plan of the king. By attending the coronation of the princess of Ravenclaw, we are extending… let us say an artificial hand toward peace. We are setting a false appearance that we are trying to be in solidarity with the other kingdoms, to gain their confidence. This, my dear son Draco, is only for show. Then our king will be able to start to execute the beginning of the destruction of the other kingdoms.” Lucius replied.

“And how, pray tell, father, are you going to dispel the rumors that our kingdom has always been dabbling in the Dark Arts by our mere appearance at the coronation? Especially considering that we have not held any correspondence with any of the other three kingdoms for ages since Salazar himself walked this earth.” Draco pointed out as he sat across his father.

Lord Malfoy immediately stood up from behind his desk and backhanded his son across his face. “How dare you question the plan of our king! You are treading a thin line, boy, by speaking against the wishes of the King of Slytherin! Do not dare question his decisions, for we are the mere stewards of this kingdom while our King comes up with a way to recreate himself from his last attempts at destroying Gryffindor's heir! Be proud that we were chosen among his court to hold this position! It is our honor to do this task, no matter how tedious it is to lower ourselves to exchange pleasantries with half bloods and the sort!”

“I am sorry, father, it will not occur again,” Draco muttered as he lowered his eyes, hoping his father didn't see the hatred he had for him reflected there.

“Son, you will see how slick my tongue is as I speak to the royals there. There is much you have to learn, my dear Draco, in the art of connivance.” Lucius said, raising an eyebrow and studying his son. “Much you have to learn. In a few days the plan for the destruction of the kingdoms of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff shall begin. For the start of the Reign of Slytherin under King Voldemort shall be at hand!”

A/N: Not to worry—more character appearances yet to come…

-->

Now introducing the Royal family of Hufflepuff, plots are hatched as the finishing touches are done…

Again—my gratitude for the magic touch of my beta -VacantSkies—check out his website at http://www.fanfiction.net/~vacantskies

Disclaimer: Never owned them, never will…

Read Review and Enjoy!

Chapter 2

The Royal family of Hufflepuff had arrived and was welcomed by King John of Ravenclaw. “Amos! So glad upon your safe arrival and I assume this strapping young lad is the Crown Prince Cedric?” John noted as he extended his hand to the King of Hufflepuff. “Welcome! Welcome to Ravenclaw! Please excuse the absences of Queen Sara and Princess Hermione, as they are seeing to the preparations of the coronation.

“Not a problem, John! Yes, this is Cedric—he has grown immensely since you last saw him. May I also present his fiancée, Lady Cho Chang. I am hoping you remember her father, Healer Luan Chang. Their family was former residents of your kingdom.” Amos replied, still shaking the hand of John. An attractive, graceful lady with almond eyes and hair the color of night appeared at the side of Prince Cedric and curtsied gracefully before King John.

“I remember your father, Lady Cho, one of the most excellent Healer this kingdom has ever seen. Congratulations, Prince Cedric. I see that you did not let this treasure slip through your fingers.” King John winked at the lad. “Lady Cho, I'm sure that Princess Hermione would be delighted to be informed of your return—even if for a visit to our kingdom. Please keep your afternoon open, as I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do with the recent events in your life.”

“Yes, your Majesty. I, too, am looking forward to speaking with Princess Hermione,” stated a now blushing Cho.

“Prince Cedric, I am also sure that you would like to see Prince Harry of Gryffindor. The Royal Family of Gryffindor just arrived here a few moments ago and has just begun to settle in the north tower.” John informed the prince.

“Thank you for telling me, your Majesty. Harry and I do have a lot to discuss. If you do not mind your Majesties, Lady Cho and I would like to settle down first before hunting down our friends from the past.” Cedric replied with a slight bow to the kings.

“Go then. Hufflepuff's royal guest residence it is at the usual west tower, Prince Cedric. I look forward to seeing the both of you later.” King John stated, with a bow from Cedric and a curtsy from Cho, the couple proceeded to follow the servants who led them to the west tower.

“Strong and responsible, humble too…you raised that lad right, Amos. He will be another great ruler to the Hufflepuff kingdom when the time comes,” said John as he turned to King Amos, who was staring at the back of his son and his fiancée.

“John, I am truly proud. It's a shame his mother is not with us today to see the man Cedric has become…and to see him falling in love,” Amos said as his eyes misted upon remembering the passing of his wife a decade ago.

“Cristina is watching you both and I am sure she is proud of how you raised your son to the man he has become. She would also approve of Cedric's choice on the future queen of Hufflepuff. Lady Cho comes from a respectable line, Amos, the Chang family is a long line of powerful healers…” King John informed King Amos, who was storing the information in his mind. “I'm sure your kingdom will benefit from their knowledge in the art of healing. But enough with this talk! Let my servants show you to your quarters as I am sure you would like to rest after that travel.” John then waved his hand and two servants immediately rushed to his side and started to levitate the rest of the trunks of the King, Prince and Lady Cho as they led King Amos to the west tower.

“Another thing Amos, James would like to discuss how we should take this new development of the acceptance to the invitation by the Kingdom of Slytherin…” John called out.

“Ah yes, James the great strategist and the paranoid! Very well, I'll see the both of you during tea this afternoon. I take it this meeting will be held at the East Solarium?” Amos asked. “I should also expect James' henchmen, the Marauders, to be in attendance?”

“You are correct on all accounts!” came the laughing reply of John, “I'll have a servant fetch you when we begin.”

XXXXX

A few hours before, the Royal Family of Gryffindor arrived and was also welcomed by King John. After a small chat with them he had his servants lead them to the north tower—the official guest residence for the Royal family of Gryffindor. King James walked off to the north tower with Queen Lily and Prince Harry to see that they were settled before he would join John and Amos at the East wing of the castle later.

“Father, may I join you for tea?” Harry asked.

“Why not? Prince Cedric may also be there and you can catch up on old times!” King James said while taking off his travel cloak and sitting in a lounge chair in front of the rekindled fireplace, pulling Queen Lily unto his lap.

“Lily, would you like to join us for tea this afternoon?” James asked his wife, looking at her lovingly.

“You men go on! I would rather not be bored with talk of politics as of this moment!” she chided gently as James wrapped his arms around her waist. “I'll rest for a while then look for Sara and see if there is anything I can help her with for this occasion.”

“Very well, love. Please have someone inform me when Lord Arthur and Lady Molly has arrived. I'm sure John and Amos would like to hear about the update about the Dark Kingdom and Remus is not far behind as he is gathering the Aurors that he can spare for this coronation as for Sirius, he should be arriving in a few. Just inform them where I am - I'm sure they'll join us for tea at the east wing.”

“Yes, Master!” Lily responded mockingly with a twinkle in her eye and lovingly swatted his arm.

King James then lightly brushed his lips on his wife, oblivious to their son gawking at his parents' public display of affection.

Meanwhile at the same time in the Kingdom of Slytherin...

“Lucius, is all ready for your departure?” came a hollow voice from a cloaked figure sitting on the throne in the Slytherin castle, while an unusually large snake slithered around the feet of the king in a loving manner, at the same time witnessing the exchange between the two humans.

“Yes, your majesty, all is set.” Lord Lucius Malfoy uttered from his kneeling position before the throne. “My son and I will be departing for Ravenclaw at sunset today.”

“Do not fail me, Lucius…” a voice from the throne stated threateningly. “I take it you have prepared your son for his role in my plan?” the cloaked figure inquired.

“Yes I have, sire.” Lucius replied.

“Go then, but remember I do not tolerate incompetence Lucius. I am sure that your wife will not take kindly in having to pay for your failure…” the cloaked figure threatened as he continued to stare at the steward of his kingdom.

Lucius shuddered as image of his wife, Lady Narcissa, in the dungeon below the castle flooded his mind. He recalled his failed mission, wherein he had not been able to acquire the prophecy concerning his king and that of the crown prince of Gryffindor which was embedded in the bowels of Stonehenge in the Room of Mystery. He'd almost been captured by the Aurors who guarded Stonehenge. That blasted Peter Pettigrew's information had been unreliable…he hadn't mentioned the griffin guarding the entrance to the Room of Mystery! He'd barely escaped with his life! Pettigrew might be an occasionally useful Animagus - but the damn, bumbling idiot was also a coward!

When his king, Voldemort, found out the Animagus' failure, he Crucio-ed Pettigrew for his ineptness in acquiring the complete information of the wards for the Room of Mystery, but Lucius was to pay highly for this failure. King Voldemort wanted to take out his fury on his only son, Draco! He and his wife begged for forgiveness, he even offered his life for his failure—but his king did not hear of it. While Draco was being dragged away toward the dungeons, Narcissa offered herself in her son's place to the king. Voldemort leered at his wife and ogled her svelte figure and platinum blond hair. He took her offer and from that night two weeks ago, she was held prisoner in the dungeon, to be taken to the room of their king at night and returned to her cell in the morning…Pain coursed through his hardened heart as Lucius thought of their king violating the body of his wife…Yes, under no circumstances were he and Draco to ruin this mission assigned to them by King Voldemort of Slytherin…

XXXXX

Tea time at the East Solarium in the kingdom of Ravenclaw

An amusing collection of people were gathered at the East Solarium; they were all here to discuss only one topic: King Voldemort and the Kingdom of Slytherin.

On one side was King John of Ravenclaw, behind him was Alastor Moody, head Auror of his kingdom. Alastor was a living legend, notoriously feared in Slytherin and endeared and revered in the other three kingdoms. His body carried many scars from battles—some known, some unknown and some he was willing to forget—scars which he wore with pride like medals of honor. Alastor Moody, was also known as “Mad Eye Moody” due to his magical left eye which could see past walls, invisibility cloaks, and even see through his own head. He created it himself upon the loss of his real eye - no one really knew how he lost it and no one really wanted to find out. Mad Eye Moody was looking at King John with his good eye, while his magical eye was swiveling like crazy around the room.

King Amos was discussing with Amelia Bones, head Auror of Hufflepuff, the details of the reconnaissance mission their kingdom was able to gather up since the last meeting between the three kings.

Finally the infamous Marauders from the Kingdom of Gryffindor rounded up the group. There was King James, talking animatedly with Duke Sirius of the House of Black and Earl Remus Lupin, co-head aurors of his kingdom. Known to only King John, King Amos and Albus Dumbledore, James and Sirius were Animagi while Remus was a werewolf. They also knew that the Marauders were now one member short—but the lost Marauder and the events that took place were never discussed ever again, especially to Prince Harry.

“Well, if it's all the same to you, we better get moving with this meeting before the vermin of Slytherin slithers their way into our midst!” spat Mad Eye Moody.

“We are waiting for the arrival of Albus, Alastor. Then we will begin.” James said, covering his smirk behind his hand.

“I saw that, your majesty,” retorted Moody as James saw both Moody's eyes fixed on him.

Before James could reply, the screech of a phoenix and barely audible pops signaled the arrival of Albus Dumbledore, overseer of Stonehenge (for Stonehenge recognizes no ruler. It is a free, unbiased, sacred land, Merlin created it this way) with his phoenix Fawkes. Along with him was Kingsley Shacklebolt, head Auror of Stonehenge, and the caretaker of that land, Minerva McGonagall.

“Albus, Minerva, and Kingsley, welcome to the Kingdom of Ravenclaw. Such an honor it is!” stated King John as all the others present rose in reverence and bowed slightly in the direction of Dumbledore.

“The honor is ours, your Majesties,” answered Dumbledore as the residents of Stonehenge bowed in return to those already present. “Let us not waste any more of each other's time as we should be enjoying the day before the festivities gets under way.” And with a wave of his wand the walls of the solarium started to glow white slightly after he muttered SILENCIO.

“About time we started this meeting…”mumbled Moody while masking his comment with a swig from his ever present flask attached to the side of his belt, while everyone took their seats.

“From our investigation and from reliable sources we got hold of information that King Voldemort indeed has been reconstituted into a physical being. Not that of a human—but some sort of mixed, mutated being.” Amelia Bones stated immediately looking directly at all those present in the solarium. “We have known that recently, King Voldemort has been sighted in the throne room of the Slytherin castle. He has been active lately, calling his many Death Eaters to the castle to hold meetings there.”

“When did this increase in activity occur, Amelia?” Remus inquired.

“About the same time as the release of the invitations to the coronation of Princess Hermione.” Amelia replied, evading the shocked look of King John.

“But…that was three months ago!” choked John, fear immediately tainting his voice. “Do you think that Hermione is in any danger? Is there a plot to sabotage her coronation? I knew I should have never extended that invitation to the Kingdom of Slytherin!” John lamented. “I thought that they would refuse the invitation like what they did for Prince Cedric's and Prince Harry's coronations! I just sent them an invitation as a gesture of courtesy, knowing that our ancestors would have wanted us to at least try and be civil….but now I have placed my family and my kingdom in danger!”

“Rest assured, King John. Ravenclaw is now at the moment the most secure place that you can be in. With the presence of all three kings along with all of your security plus the additional security provided by the other kingdoms, Hermione will not be harmed—none of your families will be in any danger during the ceremonies.” Dumbledore said, his voice providing a calming tone to the agitated room. “It is after the ceremonies that I am most concerned about…”

“John, you know that you have the support of Gryffindor behind you. We will pledge to keep our kingdoms safe.” James stated aggressively, his eyes glowing slightly.

“You have Hufflepuff's pledge as well, my friend. James is right. It is in uniting that we shall conquer the darkness. We have been at each other's assistance in times of need since our kingdoms were created. Yet, the darkness is almost at our door. I, too, see that evil has gained strength and for some reason, there is a chill that I feel seeping through our walls…” Amos voice trailed suddenly, as his eyes became unfocused on the present. King Amos was known to be a seer, a reliable one at that. Hufflepuff's lineage seemed to always have a knack for Divination. What he revealed did not comfort the other two rulers.

“Alastor, what are your plans on the security during the coronation?” Remus asked as the other head Aurors turned their attention to the veteran.

“I have personally placed a charm on each of the invitations distributed, it will identify whether the invitation has been tampered with or if those in possession of an invitation have been tampered with…” All in the room nodded as they thought of the many spells and potions that could be used to take on the appearance of another. “I had all the entrances and exits monitored and charmed and the grounds and the castle have been placed under an anti Apparition and anti Disapparation ward. All the wards have been placed and are now at their highest level—making it lethal to just barge in now.

“I will personally be monitoring the guests upon the start to the end of the formal ceremony of the coronation. But I wish to request that the other Aurors remain alert as they intermingle with the other visitors.” Moody ended. “The invited Muggles and magical creatures will also be scrutinized during the ceremonies and will be provided security as well, since they cannot defend themselves as we can.”

“A well thought of plan, strategy has always been one of your strengths, Alastor.” Kingsley commented. “I am sorry but Stonehenge cannot provide you our security services for this event, your Majesty.” Kingsley bowed his head slightly toward the direction of King John, “As it has been reported to all of you, there was an attempted break in at Stonehenge a fortnight ago. The Room of Mystery was the supposed goal - the criminal knew of the security around its perimeter, but did not expect the griffin at the entrance of the room. The griffin attacked and according to the Aurors on duty that night, the only description they can say is that the perpetrator had platinum blond hair peeking out of his cloak and mask.”

James was the one who gasped at this information, he knew there was a crime committed at Stonehenge, what he did not know was that the crime was in the Room of Mystery. “Was anything stolen?”

“None, King James,” replied Shacklebolt. All eyes were now turned to the Gryffindor side of the room. Everyone watched as James tried to calm down, everyone also knew of what prophecy the Room of Mystery held and about who it was about, for unlike Princess Hermione's prophecy which was kept secret known only by her parents and Dumbledore, the prophecy concerning Prince Harry and King Voldemort was known by the adults in the solarium.

“James, we will all protect you and yours. It is a pledge that began from the origin of our ancestors…” This time John was doing the reassuring.

“When is the Slytherin representative arriving?” Sirius asked, looking at Moody.

“The Lord Malfoy and his son Draco will be arriving here approximately tomorrow morning.” Moody replied. “Till then, let us devise plans to prepare for what the snakes are up to. Constant vigilance!”

The others in the room agreed and started to discuss how they were to keep their families and people safe from the threat of Slytherin.

A/N: The next chapter will be “Crown Heirs—centric” as we closely approach the Ceremony. Some of you may ask—“Where's Harry and Hermione?!” not to worry—their time will be coming soon, I'm just trying to build it up to that time…then it will be fluff galore—or something like it…

-->

A/N: Another chapter for you all!

A lot of people are waiting for HHr moments—well, I'm building the story to that point—rest assured their time is coming quickly.

As I mentioned before—this is an “heir-ccentric” chapter (is there such a word?!)—but we're finally at the doors of the coronation ceremony!

I, of course take pride in my beta—VacantSkies for weaving his magic into this story, without him—well let's say it wouldn't be a pretty picture! :D visit his website at http://www.fanfiction.net/~vacantskies

Now on to the story…

XXXXX

Coronation Day… finally.

“Well, enough gawking at the Jewels. We have little time to get ready for your coronation”, Queen Sara stated, automatically calling everyone out from their state of awe. “Yes, little time indeed!”

The ladies in waiting turned back to the task at hand — to bring Princess Hermione to her utmost perfection.

Chapter 3

All the streets in the kingdom of Ravenclaw were teeming with decorations. Banners displaying the coat of arms of its royal family waved regally in the light autumn wind, some houses even posted signs outside their windows stating:

“Long Live Crown Princess Hermione!”

“May Prosperity and Peace Reign in Ravenclaw!”

“Happy Birthday Princess!”

Even, “May Merlin Bless You, Princess!” even made a few appearances.

Some of the posters were charmed to show a waving Princess Hermione and then shifting to an image of an eagle soaring on a blue and bronze background.

There were smiles on all the faces of the citizens of Ravenclaw, magic folk and Muggles alike. A nearly palpable feeling of energy hung in the air as this was an event that they have been anticipating since the princess' birth eighteen years ago. Everyone was starting to make their way to the gates of the castle, some arriving in resplendent carriages, others by foot. Magical creatures such as centaurs, hippogriffs, goblins and unicorns could be seen intermixing with humans, some of which were clutching invitations allowing them access to the Great Hall of Ravenclaw where the coronation ceremony was to be held, while those without invitations would stand at the court yard, awaiting the presentation of the crown princess to the public.

In the north tower of the Ravenclaw castle…

“It'll be over soon…. It'll be over soon….” Harry thought, reciting the same four words in his mind like a calming mantra.

Harry James, Crown Prince of Gryffindor, examined his reflection in the mirror. He had just donned his formal scarlet cloak with gold trimmings, on its left side lay the coat of arms of the House of Potter which was a lion standing on its hind paws a crown above the lion's head and a sword with a wand crossed below the lion, the adage of their kingdom, “Animus Iam Ferox” was scribed under the coat of arms meaning—“bravery, just, courageous”. The dress robe he wore under his cloak was the typical white with gold accents which only royalty wore and fitted his body perfectly, accentuating the lean yet muscular physique of the prince, and the black shiny dragon hide boots only added on to the formality of his outfit. At the left side of his waist, the sheathed Sword of Gryffindor which was presented to him during his coronation a little over a year ago, and on his right, his sheathed wand, to cap off his royal ensemble, his crown--a smaller version his father had on.

Harry knew after the coronation would be the public presentation of the three royal families, he wondered if the Steward of Slytherin would be also with them on the balcony. This was a first, since no one from Slytherin had ever attended these gatherings, and he had heard that because of their presence, the protocol aides were researching on whether their stewards were allowed to have the same privileges to stand on the same level as that of the royal families.

After the presentation there would be the great feast followed by the formal dance and he was required to have one with her as yet again, an image of a bushy haired, haughty, prissy girl came to his mind. Harry sighed and shuddered at the prospect of dancing with the infamous Princess Hermione.

“Oh well, she'll be dancing with her father, then King Amos, followed by father, the Steward of Slytherin, then Cedric, and finally me. Hopefully she'll be too knackered out that she'll decide to cut our dance short. Then Ron and I can begin to get more familiar with the beautiful ladies of the court of Ravenclaw.”

A smirk appeared on his face while a plan for the night began to formulate in his mind that concerned the many willing ladies of Ravenclaw at the feast.

In the south tower, another plan was being hatched….

“Draco, hurry up, we will be heading for the Great Hall soon!”

Draco heard his father's muffled order from behind the closed door of his bed chamber. He had on a pure black dress robe, since he was neither a prince nor the heir to the Slytherin throne. Draped over a chair in the corner of the room was his cloak which was dark green with silver trimmings and it bore the coat of arms of the kingdom of Slytherin: a snake rising from the ring of Arthur exposing its fangs as if ready to strike with the words, “Astus, Cupititas, Potestas,” meaning, “Cunning, Ambition, Power,” along the bottom.

“Hmmm… I wonder how this night will unfold,” Draco thought to himself. In his mind, he reviewed the plan that his father had reiterated to him before they left the kingdom of Slytherin. Lucius kept telling him that his role was pivotal to the success of their twisted king's plan.

Draco resented being a pawn of both his father and King Voldemort. He hated the position that he was in: living in a repressed environment since the moment of birth, being ordered around by his king (an entity that he doubted was even human), being hit, punished or abused for even the most minuscule mistakes by his father, and enduring his mother's indifference at the abuse he took. No wonder he was so hardened and cold!

Draco thought of the women he'd be meeting at the coronation, since it would be his first exposure to the other kingdoms. He wondered what the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw looked like. He had heard years ago that she was NOT a sight to behold, which made him cringe at the thought.

“And I thought the cows were exclusive to Slytherin….” He chuckled to himself at this joke. He had not met any other women except those in his kingdom and the daughters of his father's fellow Death Eaters. His thoughts drifted over to Pansy Parkinson, "Now that was the cow of all cows, but was she great in bed!" He usually placed a disillusionment charm on her, or plainly extinguished the lights when he bedded her. Not like the list of ladies in the court of Slytherin were any better. Physically they were a slight improvement over Pansy, but her expertise in the ways of physical pleasure surpassed that of the need of a beautiful lady in bed. Draco sadly realized that his mind was beginning to become as twisted as his father's and that of his king. He sighed as he threw on his cloak upon his shoulders and exited his room to join his father as they proceeded to the Great Hall of Ravenclaw, all the while hoping that the plan his father was supposed to accomplish would not need to be executed tonight....

At the West Tower, other thoughts came to light….

“Knut for your thoughts, love,” whispered a lithe figure with almond eyes as she approached the man looking out the window.

“You love… you are what is on my mind,” replied the Crown prince of Hufflepuff.

“Well, that's not a very expensive thought now, is it?” Cho chided back as she wrapped her arms around her fiancé's waist from behind and placed her head on his shoulder as Cedric leaned back into her, both of them watching the gathering crowd outside the window. “Tell me what's on your mind, Cedric. I feel your aura is somehow saddened or worried…what's wrong, love?”

Cedric sighed and took Cho's hand, leading her to a seat in front of the fireplace. “I have a bad feeling, love,” he started.

Cedric was wearing the exact same copy of dress robes and dragon boots that Harry had on, but his cloak was that of pale gold and ebony. He wore a dagger on his left while his wand was sheathed on his right and Cedric had yet to don his crown. His coat of arms had a golden and black badger, the scales of justice and the Round Table in the background. The words “Fidelis, Parilis, Obduro” were written beneath the badger, signifying the characteristics of every Hufflepuff citizen, “Loyal, Equality, Patience”. Cho sighed at her handsome fiancé, but became worried when she saw the haunted look in his eyes.

“What do you mean, 'feeling?' Did you have a vision?” Cho knew that the king and his son were true seers. She never questioned their mastery of Divinations, yet they kept it a secret, revealing their talents only to those close to them.

“Not a vision, but a feeling… like an omen. It just started upon the arrival of Lord Malfoy from Slytherin. Cho, they are up to no good at this coronation. I discussed it with father, and he too felt the same way. We have informed King John,” Cedric said as he saw the worry creep into the eyes of his fiancée. “He told us that he would have Mad Eye Moody watching that duo from Slytherin like an eagle. In case anything goes wrong during the coronation, love, I want you to draw your wand and run. Run as fast as you can to this tower and floo immediately back to our kingdom.”

Cho let out a nervous chuckle as she imagined Mad Eye Moody watching the only two guests from Slytherin. “Dear Merlin, having Alastor watch me with that horrid eye of his is enough to make me collapse with fear! I can say that I pity the stewards of Slytherin. And love, for your information — I will NOT leave your side! I doubt that those two from that dark kingdom will do anything tonight, with the wards of the castle at its highest and all the aurors present. They cannot -- will not -- be able to escape. The protection of the castle will prevent them from doing so. Neither will the people of Ravenclaw allow any harm to come to their royal family and that of the royal families of their staunchest allies…. Besides Cedric, when I am at your side, I know that I am at the safest place in the world….”

“How can you do that, love? A simple statement from you, a smile on your face and the love in your eyes can sooth me….” Cedric said, as he took Cho in his arms.

“I do belong to the House of Chang -- the greatest healers of all four kingdoms…. I can easily heal any ailment of the heart, mind or body, plus I used to be a citizen of Ravenclaw -- and you know how wise the people here are....” Cho jokingly boasted as she returned his hug. Sighing she said, “I wish I was able to talk to Hermione before the coronation, though. But she was so busy and her ladies in wait informed me that she would not be allowed to entertain guests till after the ceremony…. Well, I guess Hermione will have to learn the hard way that the first prince to dance with her is already spoken for….”

“Oh, I don't know, Cho…. I wouldn't mind having the crown princess of Ravenclaw and the daughter of Luan Chang, the greatest healer in all four kingdoms tearing at each other's throats, fighting for my attention!” Cedric boasted laughingly as he lightly brushed his lips on Cho's, grinning as she playfully punched his arm. “You know that you have my heart Cho… only you.” Then he added, “I too was not able to catch up with Harry to tell him of our engagement. I would have wanted to introduce you two formally.”

“I love you,” Cho said as she ran her fingers through the golden locks of her prince pulling his head down for his lips to meet hers.

“And I lov… umph....” Cedric's reply was lost as his lips connected with his fiancée's in a mind searing kiss, ending the conversation.

In the bed chambers of the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw....

“It'll be over soon… it'll be over soon… it'll be over soon….” Hermione recited to herself as some of her ladies in waiting were performing the finishing touches to her hair. She glanced over at the mirror and saw that her lightly tan skin, just a bit darker than ivory was complimented by the color of her gown.

The gown's design was simple. It was basically a sheath of velvet that flowed fittingly over her body following the contour of her slim figure, accentuating the soft curves of her breasts, her flat abdomen, and her slim waist. Her shoulders and arms were exposed and the skirt of her gown ran down her legs and continued like a dark blue lake fifteen meters behind her. The cloth of the gown, despite the seemingly simple velvet material, was a gift from the fairies of the kingdom, who had somehow woven diamond dust into the fabric so the brilliance of the dust against the dark blue color seemed like Hermione was wearing a cloth cut straight out from a clear midnight sky with bright, shiny stars.

Hermione's parents wanted her to wear a magnificent gown with full skirts and petticoats underneath in the colors of blue and bronze, the colors of her kingdom, but walking awkwardly in a gown that made her feel like a porcelain doll was not her idea of beauty. She had designed this gown herself. It was simple — it was just like her and she wanted to project this image to her people. King John and Queen Sara argued with her, begging her to choose a much more elaborate gown for the coronation, but images of Prince Cedric and Prince Harry during their coronations in their ridiculously resplendent dress robes adorned with every single medal and medallion created in their kingdom was not what she wanted to do. She refused to wear any medals, amulets, or any other preposterous accessory they thought of. Her only concession was the Jewels of Ravenclaw. The necklace would be placed on her during the ceremony and she already had on the pair of earrings which were part of the set.

Her long chestnut brown hair with copper highlights ran down the length of her back and ended in soft ringlets. Half of its mass was held in place at the base of her head by a simple silver clip, just so that her hair would be kept out of her lovely face. The crown of the heir of Ravenclaw would be placed on her head later that evening along with the necklace. She imagined the responsibilities associated with that crown and sighed heavily, her brown eyes with gold flecks misting over slightly. She knew that this day was the culmination of the hard work her parents and teachers had instilled in her over the years, for tonight she had to make the impression to all that she could handle the responsibilities connected to her role as crown princess and to portray the assurance and wisdom that the Kingdom of Rowena would not be lead by some trophy ruler.

Hermione raised her chin slightly, trying to show an air of confidence which she was not feeling as her ladies in waiting led her to the door of her bed chamber, readying her for her exit and the walk to the Great Hall. As she walked silently in her silk dark blue slippers through the corridors of her castle, she noticed the eerie silence.

“All the guests must now be assembled in the Great Hall.” She nodded slightly in acknowledgment as the servants and the free house elves of the castle lined the corridor leading to the hall reverently genuflected as she passed by.

She approached the giant mahogany doors of the Great Hall, but before she reached the entrance, the doors immediately slammed shut. She heard the muffled commotion as all the guests tried to get settled down for the start of the coronation ceremony and the aides of the castle attempted to shush the crowd of dignitaries and magical creatures before she was to be announced. Hermione shut her eyes while she let out a long shaky breath. She could sense the ladies of her court lightly straightening the fifteen meter train of her gown, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles and placing the finishing touches on her hair.

Behind the doors of the Great Hall, Hermione noticed the immediate silence and heard the voice of the presenter of the kingdom in front of the closed doors speak “sonorous” as her heart skipped a beat….

“Albus Dumbledore, overseer of Stonehenge, your Majesties from the Kingdoms of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, Stewards of the Kingdom of Slytherin, dignitaries from Stonehenge, and of the courts of Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Magical beings of the land… King John and his Queen Sara of the venerable House of Granger, rulers of the Kingdom of Ravenclaw, present their beloved daughter Hermione Jane, Crown Princess of Ravenclaw, Heir to the throne of Rowena….”

And with that the heavy mahogany doors of the Great Hall of Ravenclaw burst open at the same time as Hermione's eyes….

-->

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)

-->

Ah the reviews are slowly trickling in…

There have been reviews stating that the prior chapters were kinda short—well careful what you wish for coz this chapter is QUITE LONG! :D

Without any further ado—the next chapter!

Many thanks to VacantSkies again for lending his magic to this story—visit his website: http://www.fanfiction.net/~vacantskies

Disclaimer: never owned them and obviously I never will

Chapter 5

All hail Ravenclaw!

Long live Crown Princess Hermione Jane!

Hermione, true heir of Rowena!

May Merlin bless you Princess Hermione!

These were the few chants that greeted Hermione while she waved to the crowds gathered in the court yard below the balcony. Moments ago she joined the Royal families of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and the ruling bodies of Ravenclaw who were her parent that stood at her side, waving occasionally.

Hermione chanced a look at Cedric, who was glancing at the people below. He had a large smile on his face and he too sometimes would wave in acknowledgment when someone below shouted his name. She caught his eyes and the two of them chuckled simultaneously; Hermione blushed slightly, embarrassed by all the attention.

The princess then dared to venture a glance to her right. “Honestly, what is Prince Harry thinking? I bet he's trying to unnerve me! Yeah, that's what he's trying to do…I bet he's just waiting for me to fall on my face so he and…what's the name of that red haired friend of his?...um…Ah yes, Lord Ronald Weasley can spare a laugh at my expense!” Hermione thought, their past encounters at the Grand Library and the coronation of Cedric coming immediately to mind. She looked at him challengingly, for the Prince of Gryffindor had not once tore his stare away from her. Hermione noticed that even when Queen Lily whispered something to her son, his emerald eyes not once shifted in any direction but remained steadily on her. The hair on her nape stood at attention, “Even with all these people watching at me…Why am I bothered by Prince Harry staring at me…Hmmm, do I have something between my teeth?” Hermione smiled lopsidedly at the last thought.

Looking back at the crown prince of Hufflepuff, “I've always considered Cedric like a big brother, but Harry…along with that friend of his…they made sure they were the bane of my existence!” Hermione contemplated.

“It is time to step inside, your majesties,” Albus said; all of those on the balcony stepped back inside the corridor leading to the Great Hall.

Minerva McGonagall approached the princess. “Your highness, allow me to take the Staff of Rowena and keep it first. You shall not be in need for it tonight.”

Hermione looked questioningly at her parents behind the caretaker of Stonehenge. They both nodded as she handed over the staff with a warm smile to McGonagall and for a few seconds, Hermione saw the stony face of the caretaker drop and return her grin. It had a warming effect on her and she began to relax again. Albus Dumbledore then approached; he nodded to McGonagall and after a muttered spell and a wave of the wand from the caretaker, the Staff of Rowena disappeared.

“Not to worry Princess, the staff is in a safe place in the castle. I dare not mention where, since the walls have ears,” Albus told her softly, moving his eyes swiftly over to the only guests from Slytherin.

“Let us now return, everyone has settled back to the Great Hall for the feast. I am sure all of us should heed the call of our empty stomachs!” Albus exclaimed lightly, which brought a giggle from the princess and a smile to the queens in the group who heard the slight growl from the stomachs of the men who were present and future rulers of powerful kingdoms.

Before they went in, the doors of the Great Hall had shut closed again. Hermione heard the same voice that heralded her entrance in the beginning of the coronation ceremony speak again in an explosive voice behind the doors. She was pulled back by her parents to the end of the line and the procession was about to begin.

Dumbledore stood with McGonagall at the front of the line, followed by Lord Malfoy and Draco, who looked over at the Princess and gave her a small uneven grin while his father bowed ever so slightly to her. They were followed by the king and prince of Hufflepuff. Prince Cedric took his opportunity and came over, took her hand, and with a bow brought it to his lips, a soft smile playing on his face before joining his father at his position in the line. Then the Royal Family of Gryffindor stood before Hermione and her parents.

King James placed one arm around King John's shoulders and shook his hand with the other. “Wonderful ceremony—eerie occurrences -- but wonderful all the same!” James chided John, and they both let out a loud laugh. Queen Lily and Queen Sara, who were whispering on the side, looked at their husbands inquiringly. This left Prince Harry standing in front of Princess Hermione, who was trying for her part to avoid having anything to do with him.

“Well, it's now or never,” Harry thought, looking at the vision of beauty before him. “I never noticed her height; she isn't as short as I remembered. May be she's wearing heeled shoes.” He looked down only to see the princess' flat satin slippers and he smiled. “Simple,” he thought, taking in her whole ensemble again, “She is simply radiant.” He then remembered Prince Cedric kissing her hand; he scowled at the flashback, as a pang of jealousy rose in him like a monster in his chest. “He sure moved fast…Smooth, Cedric, very smooth.” For the first time, his eyes left the princess as he turned and glared at the back of the head of the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff for a moment. “Now or never…Come on, buck up—where's that Gryffindor courage?” Harry thought as he brought his attention back to the princess before him.

“Princess Hermione…”he started. She turned her head towards him and their eyes met again. Harry forgot the line he was supposed to say. He inhaled rather sharply as he looked into her eyes. “Oh Merlin, help me!” he shouted out the prayer in his mind.

From the small distance between them, Harry became acutely aware that the princess' warm amber eyes had golden flecks in them, they were softly surrounded by long, dark lashes, eyes that he just wanted to lose himself in, and then she blinked once. Harry knew from that moment on, he was in trouble. He could feel his heart hammering; he was amazed that no one else seemed to hear it. He saw Hermione's eyebrows crease slightly and the look of annoyance that was once reflected in the pair of brown pools was now replaced with a look of concern.

With that single look, the Crown Prince Harry James of the House of Potter and heir to the throne of Godric Gryffindor had for all the life in him, lost it. Although he would not admit to anyone - especially to himself - for the moment, he lost something which usually resided in the middle of his chest to this woman who was gazing at him. He could not explain it but he felt a wave of possessiveness for the princess. Harry wanted to erase that look of apprehension from her eyes even if it killed him. He wanted to bring back the warm smile and glow on her face that he saw when she reached the stage during her ceremony. He felt the urge to knock out Cedric for touching her. He wanted to hold her in his arms and whisper words of love. Harry also felt something—something powerful fill him, though he could not put a name to that feeling nor was he given the opportunity to recognize it. “What in Hades is happening to me?” His panicked mind thought, “This is not normal!”

Harry felt a small hand rest on his arm and he heard a soft worried voice asking, “Yes?” As he experienced a slight shock from the contact, he heard a small gasp and as he looked at the princess, Harry knew that she felt the same thing. A sourceless wind enveloped them and ended when the princess quickly withdrew her hand. “Princess Hermione…” Harry began again this time in a very low, husky voice. That was all he was able to utter as his father turned him around to begin the procession.

XXXXX

“Those eyes…Merlin help her…How did he get those eyes?” Hermione thought. She could not tear her own eyes away from Prince Harry. He had called her attention, then he'd abruptly stopped when she looked at him. At first Hermione felt irritated, not wanting to even acknowledge him. But he said her name, “It would be impolite if I kept on ignoring him, considering he did want to say something to me…I will not stoop down and be as rude to him as he was to me. Harry did me no offense—yet. I should at least be civil for the moment,” Hermione thought to herself.

But when he did not continue, she saw him look down at the floor and smile slightly. Then he turned his head behind him to look at something, before returning his attention to her. Hermione was worried at what was happening to Prince Harry, he just looked at her and he seemed to have trouble breathing, so she touched his arm, hoping that it would calm him down—an erroneous move. When her hand met his arm, she became aware of the muscles that contracted under his sleeve as a tingling jolt traveled through her. She felt a soft breeze engulfing her and let go of his arm immediately.

“What just happened? Why is it with him, I feel so awkward? I bet he placed a charm on all females… yes that's it! I heard he is a powerful wizard, maybe that's what he does. Prince Harry makes any female not related to him fall under his spell. That's the only rational explanation…” Hermione reasoned with herself as she saw King James turn Prince Harry to face forward. “Yes, he makes all women feel like their hearts are going to explode out of their chest. And if you look in his eyes, his spell becomes stronger and it would make you like to gaze into them for all eternity, yes I read of this—hypnosis, a magic spell from the lands in the East, past the borders of the existing kingdoms. But what spell could he have conjured to be able to make me feel like I can't breathe when he looks at me, or make me want to run into his arms...” Before Princess Hermione could expound on her thoughts of the effect of Prince Harry James over all females in general and convincing herself that she was not the only one who experienced this, she felt her parents' hands on either side of her elbows. They gave her a gentle nudge forward and with a smile plastered back on her face, they started their walk to the high table for the great feast.

XXXXX

“Son, what has gotten into you?” Queen Lily asked the prince when they stepped down the high table to begin the next part of the celebration which was the required dances with the princess. She had noticed that her son had only one point of focus, and that was the heir of Rowena. Queen Lily knew that Harry's behavior was way beyond scolding ever since his vulgar gasp during the coronation. She had also felt the surge of magic when the princess placed her hand on the arm of her son. That action did not go unwarranted by the parents of the two young royals involved. Harry did not eat much during the great feast, he just played with his food, pushing it around his plate, and every so often he'd glance in the direction of the princess. He did not say a lot during the feast, only giving cursory monosyllabic responses.

A mother knows her offspring and Lily knew her son was having some sort of internal argument with himself. She also knew from the way her son was acting that he had somehow finally fallen in love with the princess—and had fallen very hard and rapidly indeed. She didn't need her motherly instincts to realize that, she was a woman after all—in fact, she was a woman very much in love herself. She glanced over at James who was now deep in conversation with the other two Marauders and Arthur the Minister of Magic for Gryffindor. She sighed and continued to prod the heir of Godric, “Harry”, nudging him a bit. “If you continue looking at her like that, she would surely melt…”she chided her son.

“Wha…What? Did you say something, mother?” Harry answered, still not taking his eyes off the princess dancing in her father's arms. He was quite excited now about the prospect of holding her. It seemed as if the dances were too long and he could not wait till his turn came up. Lily smirked at her son, noticing he became fidgety, craning his neck occasionally when the princess disappeared from his line of vision. “Dear Merlin, he's got it bad. I've got to talk to his father about this. I'll leave it up to James to take care of this aspect in his son's life, before Harry embarrasses himself. Oh no…” she muttered, glancing at the other two men her husband was talking to, “I better make my presence available when James talks to Harry. Sirius and Remus may wish to lend their expertise on the subject of the heart and leave my son more screwed up than he already is.” Lily thought while shifting her emerald green eyes between her son and her husband, a knowing smile growing on her face, “May be it is too soon to seek out Sara and start talking about floral arrangements, color motifs and grandchildren…” but with this thought, a sudden feeling of melancholy accompanied her wishful thinking, for Lily knew that this chemistry between the heirs of Godric and Rowena came with it a dark precursor.

For before the eternal light was to shine among the kingdoms, there will be a battle with the darkness. Lily's eyes unconsciously sought the Steward of Slytherin who seemed to be in deep thought himself.

“Before the golden age of unity shall come the war of darkness. The three founders shall send their own flesh and blood into hostilities, their successors shall crush the head of the serpent, the heir which Salazar had erroneously chosen. Upon their victory shall the golden age gush forth. Love shall bind the land of the lion and the eagle as loyalty binds the badger and the serpent that once was excluded shall be reunited with the three. But the darkness must be vanquished before the golden age shall begin…For the defeat of those chosen shall be the end of peace.”

Lily and Sara, even Cristina—Merlin bless her soul- knew this prophecy by heart. Ever since the queens were present at the birth of each other's offspring, they were told this prophecy by Albus himself. It was a forewarning of what was in store for their children. They were told this to prepare their own child for what is to come. When Lily saw the eagle during the coronation of Hermione, just like the lion that appeared during Harry's and the badger at Cedric's and the sudden gust of wind when her son and the princess came into contact—those events just confirmed the roles of their children in the war against the darkness. This was not a war that they were to fight and keep their children shielded from the horrors of it—this was a war to be fought by their children. They had no choice, Lily sadly realized as she sent a small prayer for her son, for Amos' son, and her soon-to-be-daughter-in-law.

XXXXX

“Enjoying yourself, poppet?” King John asked his daughter as he spun her around the dance floor.

“Father, my face is about to crack from smiling. I wasn't able to eat properly during the feast because of all the speeches given in my honor and now you just stepped on my toes!” Hermione exclaimed. “Do you think I'm enjoying myself?”

King John just laughed. After a look of amusement he turned solemn and asked his daughter, “Love, do you know what happened during your coronation ceremony?” his eyes probing his daughter's expression.

“Funny you should ask that, dad. After mum placed the necklace on me, I just felt a warm sensation wash over me. Mind you, I was a complete bag of nerves when I walked in. Albus' voice had a calming effect on me during the pledge but the necklace just magnified that effect. Now when you placed the cloak, I just felt a gust of wind blow over. It was during the crowning that an odd awareness came over me…” Hermione's voice trailed softly, afraid that she may have said something wrong and anxious that her father might think that she was going mad.

“Tell me love, what odd sensation was this?” John prodded gently.

“I felt like something just took over me. Like I was being embraced by a warm, peaceful sensation. It was like a new confidence took hold of me, a sudden strength and an explosion of wisdom—something which I have never felt before just burst inside me. Then when the Staff of Rowena was handed to me, I was aware of a shock radiating from my fingers to my whole body—it wasn't a scary or harmful shock, but…I do not know how to describe it.” Hermione answered honestly. She tried to look for the proper words to depict it but the words she gave her father were an understatement to what she experienced.

“Did you see anything?”

“No, why? Was I supposed to see something?” Hermione raised her eyes to her father.

“No poppet, you weren't suppose to see anything. But an image of an eagle made an appearance twice during the ceremony in the Great Hall and according to the accounts of those outside, there was an eagle of blue hovering over the castle. Hermione, you were surrounded by a golden aura when you turned towards the crowd in the Great Hall, and everyone except those on stage bowed down simultaneously when you faced them,” John whispered to his daughter in a comforting tone.

“Dad, what does that mean?” Hermione questioned, panic starting to rise in her voice.

“I honestly do not know, love. But no cause for alarm, if there was I'm sure Dumbledore would have told me immediately after the coronation,” King John assured the princess. “Well, let's just keep what you experienced under our confidence. Your next dance I believe will be with Lord Malfoy, Steward of Slytherin. So if I were you,” King John glancing over to the elder platinum blond male approaching them, “I'd get your other toes ready for another onslaught of murder!”

With that, Princess Hermione threw back her head and let out a hearty laugh as her father relinquished her hand to the Steward of Slytherin.

At an area off the dance floor, another platinum blond gentleman much younger that the one on the dance floor was making his way to a red headed maiden in a burgundy gown.

“Fair maiden of Gryffindor, may I introduce myself? I am Draco Malfoy, heir to the Steward of Slytherin.” He bowed down and took the hand of the said maiden and acted like he would raise it to his lips, but then he ran his thumb over her hand in a brief caress before turning her hand over and brushing his lips over her wrist.

After that bold action, Lady Ginevra Molly of the House of Weasley from the Kingdom of Gryffindor widened her eyes in amazement. “How dare this man commit such an improper act!” she thought to herself.

Lady Ginevra, or Ginny to everyone else but her parents, looked around anxiously, afraid that someone from her family saw the bold act done by this man before her or there would be hell to pay. He was still holding her hand, gently rubbing it with his thumb. The act was so improper, but it lit a fire inside her. “Draco…as in dragon” she ran his name through her mind—it suited him. Draco Malfoy from the Kingdom of Slytherin…the thought of her associating with a person from that kingdom seemed like she was committing an act of treason against her kingdom and family. She had noticed him looking at her when he caught her curious glance at him during the coronation ceremony; he leered at her, obviously ogling her as his eyes raked over her body.

“Master Draco, my I please have my hand back?” Ginny asked firmly, trying to pull her hand away.

“Tell me your name, fair lady, so I may know the owner of the softest hand in the world,” Draco answered with a drawl.

“I am Lady Ginevra Molly of the House of Weasley from the Kingdom of Gryffindor, sir.” Ginny spat out. “Please I ask of you kindly to let go of my hand. I shall not repeat myself, Master Draco. But if you do not end this uncivilized act, I shall see to it that my brothers will end it for you!”

Draco let go of her hand, not because of fear for her brothers, but because of the fire that lit her light brown eyes. “A storm is brewing, such a change from the warm honey,” he thought. “Lady Ginevra has not disappointed my assumption. She is fire and ice packaged in a petite form. I must be careful not to get burned,” he warned himself.

“So Lady Ginevra…”

“Ginny.”

“What?”

“Lady Ginny,” she corrected.

“But you said that your name was Ginevra?” Draco questioned, starting to become confused at the way the conversation was turning.

“Please, sir. I am only called Ginevra by my parents and sometimes my brothers when they are angry with me or simply want to annoy me. But to everyone else, I am Ginny.” She told him, with a slight grin on her face. Ginny thought the look of confusion made Draco look—adorable, if that description could apply to someone from Slytherin. “What in Merlin's name am I getting myself into?” Ginny thought, she knew how to easily put down a gentlemen if she did not want to continue a conversation with them, but somehow this heir to the steward of Slytherin tweaked her curiosity.

“Oh, I see. Well then, Lady…Ginny. May I have the pleasure of asking for a dance?” Draco inquired, already planning his next move. For some reason, he did not want to bed the Lady Ginny—yet. This was unusual for him, Draco wanted to—court—Lady Ginny, find out more about her. He could see the internal battle that she was waging with herself, for he prided himself in the art of reading a person, something that royalty of the Kingdom of Slytherin had an innate knack of doing. He wanted to know this Lady from the House of Weasley first before taking the relationship a step further. “Bloody hell, I've been outside the walls of Slytherin for only a few days and now I'm growing soft. Courtship? Who would have thought I'd be capable of doing such a thing!” he thought to himself, amazed that the word `courtship' was even in his vocabulary.

“It is Princess Hermione's time to dance. But perhaps, Master Draco, if I am still here at the ceremony, I shall allow you one dance, and only one dance. That is if I am still here,” Ginny answered, looking up at the young Malfoy.

A brilliant smile appeared on his face. “Is that a promise that I can hold you to fulfill?” Draco asked.

“Aye, an oath indeed, Master Draco. If I am still here, that is. You may hold me to my promise,” Ginny answered confidently.

Before Draco could reply, a silver head of a serpent appeared on his shoulder. He winced slightly as Ginny's eyes widened, feeling his father's walking stick, against his back. Turning, Draco's expression hardened as he faced the elder Malfoy who had just finished his dance with the princess.

“Tell me Draco, who is this that you have made an acquaintance of?” Lord Malfoy asked with a sneer, looking down his nose at the red head before him.

“Father this is…”Draco started.

“I, your grace, am Lady Ginevra Molly of the House of Weasley from the Kingdom of Gryffindor. Your son has asked me for a dance which I have promised him—if my presence is still available. I believe that he will hold me to this oath which I for one am looking forward to,” Ginny answered with a cynical tone at the Steward. She gave a graceful curtsy, to which Lord Malfoy bowed in response. Draco was flabbergasted at the woman's response, she did not shrink away as other ladies did under the calculating gaze of his father. She completely challenged his father, meeting his eyes for all her petite form would. His respect and admiration for this maiden increased by a hundredfold. “Strong willed, intelligent, and beautiful… Lady Ginny is truly fire and ice,” Draco thought proudly of this lady whom he had already marked as his.

“I see…” Lucius answered, slightly taken back at her reply. “Well, Lady Ginevra, I have come to fetch my son for his dance with Princess Hermione. So if you would please excuse us…” He then placed a hand on Draco's shoulder, tightening his grip subtly.

Draco looked at Ginny, vaguely ignoring the biting grip of his father and said, “Lady Ginny, it would be my honor and pleasure to hold you to your oath.” He smiled softly and took her hand again and kissed it the same way he did the first time they met.

“And I, Master Draco, look forward to your holding me to that promise later,” Ginny answered looking straight into his gray eyes.

Draco turned toward his father, avoiding his intense gaze and trying to ignore him as he hissed, “May I remind you that we are here on a mission and not for you to go gallivanting? Concentrate on the plan dear son, or it will be your mother who will pay for your folly!”

Draco started to walk towards the dance floor, seeing King James dancing with the princess. He smirked to himself, realizing that he had allowed the petite lady with flaming red hair and an attitude to match to have the last word…

At another part, on the edge of the dance floor, a couple watched as the princess was handed by the King of Gryffindor to a young man who was the son of the Steward of Slytherin for the next dance. The couple was standing too closely to each other for protocol, the man bearing the colors of yellow and ebony, was holding the hand of the woman with almond shaped eyes discretely.

“Cedric,” whispered the female with almond shaped eyes, “I want you to tell Princess Hermione about us.”

Cedric looked down at his fiancée and with a big grin replied, “Afraid that she'll steal me from you?”

“No, you git!” Cho answered with an exasperated sigh. “Merlin knows when I'll be able to talk to her and I heard King Amos telling King John that we are to leave the day after next. I just may not be able to tell Hermione about us. Oh Cedric, I just desperately want her to be present at our wedding!”

“She will be at our wedding, love. Etiquette you know…”

“But I would have wanted her to be my maid of honor and walk before me down the aisle. You know, you could choose Prince Harry to be your best man and stand with you, so we can pair them up, don't you think?” Cho's voice took a dreamy tone as she started to formulate a matchmaking plan.

Cedric shot down that plan by replying, “Love, I do not want you to meddle in other people's love lives. Princess Hermione and Prince Harry have enough bad water running between them as it is. It will make the beginning of their relationship quite complicated. We should not meddle.”

“But love…” Cho started to whine.

“Cho, I know that there are some things that Prince Harry did that offended the princess when they were younger. But looking at my friend,” Cedric looked over at Prince Harry who was still intensely watching the princess and scowling at her platinum blond haired dancing partner. “I believe that Harry will try to rectify his offenses to Hermione in the near future,” he finished with a knowing smile.

“Do you know something I do not?” Cho jokingly asked him. “A vision of events to come, perhaps a double wedding?”

Cedric laughed suddenly, causing those around him to look at him disapprovingly as Cho blushed with the sudden attention. “No love, not a double wedding…but a close one after ours. We must not divulge this information to anyone. We have to let those two move their relationship in their own accord, with no meddling from anyone—do you understand?” Cedric whispered.

Cho nodded slowly, the romantic side of her wanting to do more. But looking at her friend, she had to admit that Princess Hermione had bloomed into the beauty that she was now, no matter how delayed her transformation was. Yes, her friend can handle the Prince of Gryffindor, who was reputed to have a wandering eye. She knew the heir of Godric gave her a once over during the ceremony, and though it fed her self-esteem because Prince Harry is a very handsome specimen, her heart was totally taken by her fiancée. She just sighed as she resigned her matchmaking plan.

“Well, looks like it's my turn.” Prince Cedric squeezed Cho's hand as he went to take his required dance with the princess.

XXXXX

“Cedric! I am so happy for you!” Princess Hermione exclaimed as she was dancing in his arms. She gave him a fierce hug at the same time as he lifted her in his arms with a bright smile on his face.

“So when is the date?” Hermione asked excitedly as Cedric placed her back on her feet.

“Cho still has to finish her last year of healer training, so I'm not pressuring her since I know that she has a lot on her plate to deal with,” Prince Cedric replied. “She wanted to tell you herself when we arrived but you were indisposed at that moment. Cho wants you to be her maid of honor at the wedding, you know.”

Princess Hermione let out an awfully loud squeal. She could not contain herself from feeling giddy for her friend's engagement to a man she called brother. Her reactions to the Prince of Hufflepuff had not gone unnoticed by a certain dark haired prince with emerald eyes. In fact, if it was any indication, the expression on Prince Harry's face was growing darker by the second as his eyes took in the reaction of Princess Hermione toward Prince Cedric.

“Oh my! A maid of honor? I accept! Tell Cho that we must talk immediately. Cedric, please make the arrangements for a meeting between me and Cho before you leave…” Hermione's voice was pleading as she tried to scan the crowd for Cho.

“I most certainly will not! I know how you girls are when you discuss these things! You'll both talk about gowns and flower bouquets, then the topic will come to a point of ridiculing me and men in general. Knowing your intelligent mind, Hermione, you may even teach her a spell or two to make me a gibberish whipped man who she will keep under her foot—which may I inform you, I already am!” Cedric jokingly replied.

He always considered Hermione a little sister that he never had. He would write to her asking her how she was and what books she was reading at the moment. She would immediately send her peregrine falcon with a reply. Cedric would make it a point to seek an audience with her when he would come to the Grand Library of Ravenclaw for an assignment or for research. Then he'd realize that he didn't need an appointment after all since he would always find her there anyway. The Prince of Hufflepuff always had a soft spot for the Princess of Ravenclaw and it only magnified when Cho told him stories about their very timid princess. Cho used to be part of the princess' entourage when she lived in the Kingdom of Ravenclaw a few years back. She said that it always took a lot of effort for them to convince Hermione to leave the library and just unwind for the day. He knew that Cho was concerned about her friend when they were coming to the coronation. She had remembered the insecurities the princess would voice out about her appearance. But they both saw that the princess did indeed flourish into the woman she is now.

The princess kept her eyes on the crowd as they twirled around the dance floor. When she spotted her intended goal she stopped dancing abruptly, almost causing Prince Cedric to topple over her. “In fact…” Cedric heard her murmur, “There she is!” the princess gushed and without any preamble she got out of the arms which held her and pulled on the hand of the prince of Hufflepuff rather roughly, the princess then made a beeline towards the lady who use to be a close friend when the said lady lived there.

When the princess stood before Cho, who had a sheepish grin on her face, she curtsied politely and as she returned to her standing position she muttered, “I take it your highness has been informed about the current state of affairs between the Prince of Hufflepuff and I?” The Heir of Rowena then pulled Cho into a bone crushing embrace and when they pulled apart, they just shrieked and started talking excitedly as Cho showed her left hand to the princess and both gushed at the ring as Hermione turned toward a bewildered Cedric and hugged him again, “Hurt her and I swear, Cedric, you will be waging a personal war on Ravenclaw,” Hermione threatened.

To which Cedric replied, “If that is the only reason to wage war with the Kingdom of Helga your highness, then I shall assure you our kingdoms shall remain at peace.” Then all three laughed out loud simultaneously. Those around them had no clue as to what had happened and the protocol aides were almost faint as this was the first breech of proper code of behavior that was committed by the princess. But the crowd could not help but smile as they looked at the three and saw all false demeanor and tension leave the features of the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw as she gushed on with the daughter of Healer Chang and the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff.

At the edge of the dance floor a raven haired prince gawked at the scene before him of a trio that was excitingly talking about something.

“Well son, I guess you're off the hook with that dreaded required dance with the princess,” King James said as he took in the expression of his son and looked at the three young ones still oblivious to the crowd as they conversed.

“Uh…yes father you said something?” Harry answered still not tearing his gaze away from the princess and trying to access the situation so he can plan his next step.

“I just said, at least you do not have to dance with Princess Hermione,” James enunciating each word as he put an arm around his son's shoulders, he was trying to keep the knowing smile from erupting on his lips. “Did you not just complain about that since you found out that we were to attend this ceremony? As I recall, someone kept whining about how horrid an idea it was to dance with the princess, also an occasional comment about who was mental enough to create these rules of having to dance…did I leave anything out son?”

Harry awkwardly shook his head and gulped. “Did I honestly say those things? `Horrid an idea to dance with the princess'—I honestly said those things? Well if this isn't bloody irony then I don't know what is!” chastising himself. And to the horror of Harry, his godfather and his close enough to be an uncle joined his father around him looking too at the direction his eyes were fixed. “Great, as if I need this! Argh! I guess this is a cruel twist of fate as one may poetically say…the Marauders will certainly play this to a hilt now wouldn't they—do they care that I'm a son to one of them? May be they'll just let me be…' Harry thought, though knowing that it would be an impossible task for the Marauders to keep their trap shut at his expense.

“Well, well, James, what do we have here? A pouting Potter? What's wrong son? Seems to me a kneazle's got your tongue since the princess stepped through those big, heavy doors. Am I right, Moony?” Duke Sirius said as he glanced at his two best friends.

“Right you are, Padfoot!” Earl Remus Lupin answered. “If my keen wolf senses are to be believed, your son, Prongs, is in dire need for a talk on the birds and the bees.” He raised his goblet to King James. “Now if you feel the task is too daunting, your Majesty,” Remus continued with a slight bow to the King of Gryffindor, “The Duke and I will be at your undying service to handle the task for you, for I am sure our friend here, the Duke, has much knowledge which he wishes to impart to the young prince on how to tackle the confounding topic of women.”

At the end of this statement, the three older men let out a hearty laugh as the Crown Prince of Gryffindor, lowered his head, feeling a blush rising to his face.

“Please Moony, Padfoot…Let us not embarrass my son. He is already in a predicament that he has yet to solve.” James was trying to get the two off the case of his son, even though he knew that it was a lost cause.

“Prongs, when did that ever stop us?” Sirius asked.

“Very true,” Moony answered.

“Bloody hell! Can you please stop!” Harry spat out. “Father, there is no predicament that I need to solve. And it is true, I was relieved of the situation of having to dance with the princess. I have honestly no idea of what you three elders are going on about concerning women. I pride myself in knowing how to deal with them, thank you very much! I believe my expertise in that area may even exceed yours, Godfather!” Harry exclaimed.

“Well, I'll be a two headed flobberworm! Harry can certainly handle his own among us `elders' did he say?” Sirius said as he looked from the boy to his father who was trying so hard to prevent his laughter from bursting forth. “Where did that come from, boy? Learned a thing or two from your mother, `ey?”

“Yes he most certainly has, Padfoot!” came a firm soft soprano voice from behind him. Queen Lily was listening from a short distance to the conversation going on between the four men who were dear in her life. She did pity the position of her son, but she wanted to see just how far James would allow his friends to needle Harry. Lily knew that the three `elders' as her son put it eloquently, were just trying to have him admit to what they all knew he was feeling. But that would not be the case tonight and from the look of fury on her son's face, she decided to intervene before Harry could embarrass himself in public.

“Your Majesty,” Remus and Sirius simultaneously said, a look of slight guilt and mirth on their faces as they bowed down before her.

“And don't you forget it!” Lily retorted, not able to keep a serious face.

“Argh! Can it get any worse?” Harry thought as the five of them were huddled now as a group calling more attention to them than he wished. Then a sudden flash of red caught the corner of his eyes “Apparently it can…” He sighed as the Weasley brothers decided to join the fray.

“Oi, Harry. Aren't you suppose to be dancing with the princess now?” Lord Ronald Weasley asked, being the daft friend that he was. Then the twins each placed a hand on the shoulders of their brother Ron.

“Harry are you allowing,” Sir George Weasley began.

“Prince Cedric of Hufflepuff to have all the fun?” his twin, Sir Fred finished off.

“Not mighty Gryffindor of you, I might say.” The twins continued simultaneously.

Ron sidled up to Harry and whispered, “Harry, is that the same mental girl we kept on encountering all these years in the Grand Library?” to which Harry nodded slowly, watching the princess and starting to feel uncomfortable as he saw her share a glance with Cedric. Her laughter was like music to his ears and he so envied the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff since he was sharing this joyous outburst with her. Harry saw the lady with almond eyes that he noticed before Hermione walked into the Great Hall lean against Cedric. “So it's not enough to have the attention of the princess! He has to have the mysterious woman as well!” Harry's nostrils flared for a moment as he tried to control his jealousy and anger that he felt for the Prince of Hufflepuff that he once considered his close friend.

Ron, being a dense thick headed man for the moment, did not notice his best friend's conflict as they looked at the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw and admired the slim figure and gorgeous features of the princess which seemed to have magnified since she started talking animatedly to the couple before her. The princess' shoulders were now exposed as she was waving her arms around while talking, sometimes her hand would be on Cedric's arm or clutching the left hand of the lady before her. The cloak which she had on had gathered behind her and being held only by the clasp which was around her neck, completely unaware that her back and shoulders were too exposed to the gentlemen from Gryffindor who were examining her intensely.

“Oi, Harry. If you don't want a dance with her, I'll willingly take your place,” Ron said in a choked whisper.

“Brother, sorry to disappoint you, but a more senior member of the House of Weasley will have to take that honor,” Fred interjected, the beauty of the princess not leaving his attention.

“Yes, my dear twin, I very much agree with you—did you not forget Sir Fred, that I was born ten minutes before you?” George stated with a cocked eyebrow as he looked at his two siblings.

“Your Majesty, if Prince Harry would not want to dance with the Crown Princess, would that refusal not tarnish the image of Gryffindor?” Ron asked King James, taking up his cause with the ruler of his kingdom. “I regret that should happen Your Majesty, and so I humbly ask your permission for me to remove the task from his highness, who is my close friend I may add, and take the mission of being the official representative to the Crown Prince of Gryffindor and take his place for the required dance with the princess.” Ron stated with an official air in his voice, much to the alarm of his brothers and the Crown Prince and to the amusement of the Queen and elder Marauders.

“My, Lord Ronald, that was a mouthful,” Queen Lily said slowly, noticing the creeping blush on the face of the young gentleman. “What do you say, James? Lord Ronald is right. The refusal of Prince Harry to take his required dance shall surely be frowned upon by the code of ethics in these ceremonies. It could even be considered an insult by the King and Queen of Ravenclaw.” Lily subtly took into account the expression of protest starting to appear on her son's face. She continued, “Harry, I believe that Ronald is being such a gracious friend, you should appreciate the fact that he is willing to undertake this burden for you.”

As she finished her statement, Remus and Sirius had to excuse themselves from the group as their faces were growing red and tears were forming in their eyes from the pressure of restrained laughter at the comedy of the situation.

James too had tears in his eyes and sobered quite quickly from the stern look his wife gave him, but he saw in her eyes the mirth dwelling in those emerald pools. “Lily is certainly taking into her hands the situation of our son. She recognized Harry's powerful attraction to the princess, he just needs a strong nudge towards the right direction! My son in big trouble with the Marauders and with his mother on his case, he'll be proposing to the princess in no time flat… or making a big fool of himself in the process.” James thought.

“Yes dear, I believe you are right. Harry you should be proud of the quick thinking your best mate did for you!” James exclaimed, having his voice carry over to where the rest of the Marauders were standing, which added another roar of laughter from the two.

“But I have not….” Harry immediately replied as he looked at the growing smile on his former best friend's face.

“Your Majesty, as our brother so fluently said, it is true that there should be a representative of the royal house of Gryffindor to dance with the princess, but protocol also points out that a much more senior member should be the one—which would be me!” George started.

“But I was the first to state it!” Ron exclaimed.

“Listen, I have NOT…”Harry started to yell.

“Your Majesty, Sir George has two left feet when dancing, I'm a better choice!” Fred stated matter of factly.

“I do not!” George countered

Lily looked on at the three Weasley brothers as they argued amongst themselves with King James caught in the middle. She looked at Harry and a knowing smile started to form on her lips. Harry had an expression of determination burning in his eyes as he lifted his head slowly, gazing at the princess who happened to stop speaking mid-sentence, her hand still stuck in the air as she turned slowly toward the only person who could cause the hair on her nape to stand with a single look.

“Where are you going, son?” Lily asked quietly as Harry took two determined steps forward.

He stopped and looked at her with a glint in his eyes, the green darkening slightly, “Why mother, I am taking my required dance with the princess. I would not want to tarnish the name of our family and of the kingdom…” He replied with a smirk on his face as he turned to walk directly to his intended, excited about having her in his arms for a moment at last.

Harry did not see his mother's smile on her face as she looked at his husband who was still holding the attention of the Weasley boys. “Game set…” she thought and her husband returned her smile with a knowing one of his own.

XXXXX

Draco tried to make contact again with the lady of fire and ice from Gryffindor. He had a feeling that his stay in Ravenclaw might be short, which caused him to frantically try to break enough ground with Lady Ginevra Molly.

He tried to keep his eyes open for that trademark red flaming hair. After searching hysterically, he looked up at the high table and his gaze made contact with the reputed greatest wizard since Merlin who was sitting there drinking from his goblet. He saw that the old wizard's gaze moved slightly to his left. Taking the hint, Draco looked in that direction and true enough he saw his intended. Looking back at Dumbledore, he nodded his thank you and could have sworn the wizard winked at him.

He went straight to his lady and again bowed before her. He made no attempt to kiss her hand because he was afraid that he would never let her go.

Lady Ginny stood up and excused herself from the other ladies of the court who gave her scandalous looks for her acknowledgment of the handsome guest from the Kingdom of Slytherin. She curtsied to Draco and when her eyes met his gray ones, she knew that she had set her cap for this gentleman. In his eyes she saw her future, she knew that she would forever be protected and Ginny made a pact to herself that she would face whatever consequences a forbidden relationship with a member of the Kingdom from Slytherin had in store for her. For in Draco's eyes she saw kindness, compassion and she could also detect uncertainty. She knew the confusion he was going through, for she was going through it herself. But some hidden power drew her to him and so she for the first time in her life, she followed her heart.

“Master Draco, I am sorry to inform you, but after the required dance of the princess with my prince, my parents and I will be departing back to our quarters,” Ginny said, revealing a sense of regret in her voice and in her face.

“Well then, I must hold you to your promise of that one dance for me,” Draco whispered.

“But the princess' dance has not yet ended, sir,” Ginny murmured back as she felt Draco placing a gentle hand around her elbow leading her to the side of the Great Hall.

“Who said we had to wait for her to finish dancing?” Draco replied, as his anticipation for dancing with his lady of fiery red hair started to peak.

“Master Draco, I will not allow you to make me break protocol!” Ginny answered indignantly.

“My lady, you will not be breaking any protocol if no one is to witness our transgression.”

“Master Draco, I am not that kind of lady, now if you will excuse me. I have made a lapse of judgment with you and I wish to rectify it. Good bye, Master Draco, heir of the Steward of Slytherin, I wish I could say that the pleasure of meeting you is mine, but that would be an insincere statement.” Ginny attempted to turn around to walk away from the young man with gray eyes, but he was too fast for her.

“Lady Ginny, I know that you are not…how did you put it? `That kind of lady' was it? I was not implying anything other than that dance. I will not force you to do anything you are not willing to do. Whether you believe a person from Slytherin is capable of it, believe that I do sincerely respect you and will not harm you in any way. It is so important to me that you trust me…” Draco said, mustering all the sincerity he had into his voice. And amazingly, he was afraid that he had offended her. “I'm in danger. I would never be this nervous with any other woman. This Lady Ginevra is trouble with a capital T!”

Ginny looked into his eyes, and her instinct recognized the sincerity of this citizen of Slytherin. For some reason, she did trust him. So she replied lightly, “Well Master Draco, how do you propose I give you that one dance that I promised you? The dance floor is still occupied…”

“Who said we needed a dance floor?” Draco murmured as he led Lady Ginny to a small balcony on the side of the Great Hall. “Lady Ginny, may I have the honor of this dance?” Draco asked as he bowed down with suave finesse and he took her hand, turned it over, and kissed her wrist as his eyes held hers.

Ginny was surprised when he opened the doors to the alcove on the side of the hall, and then felt her cheeks burning as he kissed her wrist again. “Who needs a dance floor indeed…” she muttered as she eyed the small balcony just large enough for two people.

She closed her eyes as she was about to step into the arms of the young gentleman from Slytherin. Ginny took a deep breath, letting the allure of the brisk night air intoxicate her senses and held it. Feeling her heart racing like it was more of a leap of faith into the unknown rather than one small step toward him. Ginny felt a strong arm wrap gently around her waist as she released her breath.

“Ginevra Molly!” she scolded herself, “What has possessed you?! It's like you never dance with a gentleman before!” she shook her head slightly as if ridding herself of her nervousness and slowly opened her eyes.

She blinked once, and smiled vaguely as she felt Draco's hand a bit sweaty and cool to her touch, “Hmm…seems as if I'm not the only one who's all nerves about this…” Ginny thought smugly, confidence slowly seeping back into her and finally she dared to look up and meet his eyes.

“Mercy be Merlin!” Draco thought to himself as Lady Ginny stepped into his arms. He gently held her, staring at the top of her head as he felt her start breathing again. She has yet to look up at him, but he was grateful for these few moments as he wiped his hand on his pants discreetly trying vainly to prevent them from becoming excessively cold and clammy.

Draco knew Ginny was very nervous, whether it was because she could be caught breaking protocol by dancing out here on a balcony with darkness of night as their only witness while her kingdom's prince and the princess of Ravenclaw were waltzing OR if it was because her partner was from Slytherin—he had yet to decide. As he held her in his arms, Draco felt invincible and giddy—sensations which were new to his numb system, no one had ever elicited this from him and because of this he felt edgy.

“Suffering Salazar help me…” he gulped as Lady Ginny lifted her head and her light brown eyes full of mirth met his he reflected, “Aye, definitely and officially in trouble…”

Ginny's next move stunned him as she actually took a step and succeeded in taking the lead in their dance, he smiled at her sweetly and let her continue for a few moments before a mischievous glint invaded his once cold gray eyes and he finally took over as they continued to sway gracefully under the stars to the music filtering from the hall.

Little did the couple know that a man with an eye that swiveled wildly was watching them carefully; after he saw that Lady Ginevra was safe for the moment did he scan the Great Hall again. “Damn it!” Alastor Moody swore under his breath. He had lost the father of Lady Ginevra's dance partner!

XXXXX

“What is he doing?” Hermione stopped mid-sentence of her ranting about the disadvantages of having a winter wedding to her friend Cho and her fiancé Prince Cedric. She felt that familiar rise of small hairs at her nape and knew that only one person could have elicited that reaction. Under a power of its own, she felt her body turn toward the direction of where the person staring at her was. Princess Hermione's eyebrows shot up as she saw the Crown Prince of Gryffindor taking big strides to get to her with a determined look on his face. She felt like she wanted to shrink back and hide behind Cedric and Cho for protection, but she lifted her chin in defiance and readied herself for whatever this prince had in store for her.

The couple was surprised by the abrupt end of her lecture and they simultaneously looked behind her and saw a determined man in white dress robes with the colors of Gryffindor on his cloak approaching them. “Here we go, love…” Cedric murmured into Cho's ear. An amused look on the couple appeared and they relaxed, getting ready to watch an interesting show unfold before them.

Prince Harry, now stood before the trio. He turned toward Prince Cedric and addressed him first, “Cedric, I believed you could have had the patience to at least finish the song when you were dancing with the princess. Proper etiquette, you know. Now, I seem to remember that you were to hand her to me, and alas your song is over and we are in the middle of the song intended for our dance and I am without a partner. Lo, I should be astounded to see that my intended partner was here on the sides talking to you. Now tell me, Prince Cedric of Hufflepuff, how did this come to be?” Harry asked in a low menacing voice.

Cedric was startled, “Did Harry just question my sense of protocol?” he thought, anger flaring up immediately which was quenched when Cedric looked into the eyes of his accuser. He saw, annoyance, anger and…something…Cedric had seen that look earlier that night in the eyes of his fiancée…it was jealousy! “Oh this is rich!” he thought, trying to suppress his chuckle. Harry was jealous of him! “Is it because of Princess Hermione or Lady Cho? Hmmm…this is good fodder for torturing him. Should I be so unkind to my friend? But somehow I do not think it's a good idea to poke at a rampaging lion unless I have a death wish!” Cedric thought.

“Prince Harry, I apologize for my blunder in protocol. You see, I…” Cedric did not finish his statement since Princess Hermione interrupted him.

“Oh for Merlin's sake, Cedric…” Hermione blurted out, rolling her eyes.

Turning to the offender, she said, “Prince Harry James of the House of Potter, out of all the people present here, I can't believe you have the gall to lecture the Crown Prince Cedric of the House of Diggory on propriety? Might I remind you of that disgusting sound that you expelled during my coronation ceremony?” Hermione's voice went an octave lower as all the aggravations she felt for Prince Harry started to spill forth. All his misdemeanors that he had committed over the years which had offended her one way or another were taking hold of her as blind rage started to take possession. “How dare you lecture a close friend of mine, at my—I reiterate, MY coronation ceremony about proper behavior when you yourself along with that red headed friend of yours do not even comprehend the meaning of those words!” Hermione was on a roll, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were glowing at the speechless Crown Prince of Gryffindor. “How dare you come up here to interrupt a pleasant conversation I was having with a man who I consider my brother and his fiancée who I consider a lost friend since she's relocated to his kingdom!”

At this information, Harry's eyes widened as a look of shame started to etch its way on his face. He looked at Cedric with a look of contrition and Cedric returned his look with a smile that told him he was forgiven. Harry then looked at the rampaging princess in front of him, her chest heaving from fury and breathlessness from her rapid tirade, her cheeks were flushed and though Harry felt that she just wanted to smack him across his face, all he could think about was how her eyes glowed with anger, how beautiful she looked with her cheeks all rosy and how kissable her lips looked slightly opened as it was inhaling and exhaling deeply.

“I- I…beg your forgiveness, Princess Hermione…” Harry stuttered and he lowered his head as he could feel his cheeks burning from humiliation at making the wrong move. “What a way to blow this one—can't say that I didn't do it in style. Since I wanted to humiliate myself, I figured I might as well do it in front of a crowd in another kingdom and get berated by a beautiful princess for accusing my dear friend who is a prince of another kingdom of disregarding protocol—which, by the way, is such a shallow reason. I might as well have declared war on the two kingdoms!” Harry thought to himself, trying to figure out a way of correcting his errors. He just wanted to hold the princess, and make as good a lasting impression as he could, “Ha! What a great impression I certainly made…She obviously didn't forget about the pranks and side comments Ron and I made about her when we were at the Grand Library…That git of a friend of mine placed me in this position…and to believe Ron was to save my arse from this! I should have let him bear the grunt of her anger, then swooped in…” he thought regrettably.

Princess Hermione had lost control of her temper! She rarely let that happen. But now looking at the aftermath of her barrage, she felt remorseful. “What did I do?! How could I have let myself go like that?! Honestly, what type of spell does this Crown Prince have on me?!” she started to chastise herself. Looking around, she just wanted to cry, as she realized the Great Hall had grown silent as they witnessed and heard her outburst. She could see the parents of Harry and her parents just staring at her, King Amos was beside Dumbledore and they were staring at her as well. She didn't want to acknowledge the look of disappointment she was sure to see in their eyes at her immature behavior. And worst of all, she felt physically ill with guilt when her eyes took in the figure of the Crown Prince of Gryffindor. Harry had a dejected slump in his shoulders and since his head was bowed, she could not see what his expression held. She was so sorry for ending this night—her night on such a sour note.

Hermione was about to turn and run back to her room, tears threatening to fall, when she felt strong arms encircle her waist and a hand grabbing hers. She looked up and saw Prince Cedric take her in his arms, positioning her like they were in the middle of their dance, she spied Cho running over to the musicians telling them to start playing immediately, and as the music began she was twirled by Cedric who spoke to Harry from the corner of his mouth, “This is where you come up to me and take her for your dance, my friend.”

Harry realized that this was the opening he was praying for, his act of deliverance. Looking at Cedric with gratitude for saving face, he bowed down toward the couple and loudly asked the princess, “May you bestow upon me the honor, Crown Princess Hermione Jane of the venerable House of Granger and Heir to the throne of Rowena, of this dance?” Then begging with his eyes, he whispered so only Princess Hermione would hear, “Please princess, I implore your absolution for all my past transgressions that may have upset you. I know that I cannot make up for it at this moment, but I beg of you to grant me the opportunity to try…” Harry was fighting the strong urge to add, “Till death do us part.”

Princess Hermione looked into his emerald eyes, her vision was blurring with unshed tears, she smiled at him, knowing in her heart that she had already forgiven him, and then hugging Cedric she whispered in his ear, “Thank you so much for that save there, brother.” Cedric looked down at her and answered, “Anytime, sis.” With a warm smile, Cedric looked at his friend from the kingdom of the lion, extended his hand, and told him in a soft voice, “Take care of my sister. I entrust her to you, Heir of Godric.”

Harry heard the statements exchanged by the two before him, then when Cedric murmured the last sentence to him, he felt humbled. He placed an arm around the waist of Hermione as Cedric's arm slowly retreated. He knew that what he said would be his salvation or his sentence, looking straight into Cedric's eyes and shaking his extended hand, “I will protect the heir of Rowena which is this precious gift you entrust to me with my life and take care of her with the last fiber of my being, this I swear to you heir of Helga.” At this response, the three heirs who had unconsciously formed a triangle fortified the bonds that had previously been established - unknown to them - but recognized by their parents and the overseer and caretaker of Stonehenge. A sudden surge of magic was again felt by all present at the Great Hall. Everyone was astonished to see that the three heirs were surrounded by an aura and their eyes were glowing, their cloaks fluttering from a strong gust of wind, and then it happened…

Before anyone of the three could break their contact, a loud crack was heard and a wave of energy was felt all around as it rippled the crowd and even reached the other kingdoms, as would be reported the following day. Stonehenge rumbled and at the throne room in the Kingdom of Slytherin, a piercing wail could be heard.

Somewhere in the dark corner of the castle of Ravenclaw, a hooded figure carrying a black walking stick with a silver serpent head seemed to be speaking to air, only to the most sharp eyes can they see that he was not alone, there was a rat at his feet.

“I take it that the preparations have been made, Pettigrew?” the hooded figure asked softly.

“Yes mi'lord. I have made all the arrangements. The passage has been kept open and the creature will be guided there.” The rat having transformed into a small bulky withered man, wringing his hands in nervousness replied to the towering hooded figure before him.

“Good, Pettigrew. I expect no catastrophe in your mission. I have been paying for your failures for quite a while now. If this plan does not succeed due to your incompetence and my wife pays for it again, I swear, Pettigrew, there will be no hole you can crawl into that will keep you safe from me!” the hooded figure threatened.

“Mi'lord, you have nothing to worry about. I swear I have checked the entrance, it will remain open for the creature to enter,” a shaking Peter Pettigrew assured.

“Very well then, when will the plan be executed so I may prepare my son?”

“Tomorrow morning, mi'lord. I plan to guide the creature in the morning after breakfast,” Pettigrew said.

“Where will the creature be stationed?”

“At the gardens in the back courtyard. I heard that the princess is fond of going there to enjoy the morning air before heading to the Grand Library,” Pettigrew stated, proud of his discovery.

“Finally, some information that has worth!” The hooded figure continued, “I shall have my son waiting in the area to carry out his part in this plan. I cannot wait till this is over and I may return to our untainted courts of Slytherin. Do not fail me…”

“I shall not mi'lord.” With that the man shifted into a rat again as the hooded figure blended into the shadows as if no conversation ever took place.

XXXXX

A/N

So any rants or raves? There's a small box to fill in at the bottom, please take the time to jot something down. :D

A teaser of things to come—quidditch, another character introduction and finally Harry's “saving the world” complex makes an appearance…

Now if the reviews—flames or not—are great in numbers—well I'll be FORCED to update ASAP then now wouldn't I? ^_~

1

-->

Such great reviews! Please keep them coming! :D

This chapter was supposed to be posted over the weekend—unfortunately real life intervenes even on the best intentions…

Again—VacantSkies…I cannot thank you enough for your wand waving magic…Well just visit his website—www.fanfiction.net/~vacantskies

Disclaimer: never owned them, never will…

Now on to Chapter 6…

Chapter 6

The Crown Prince of Gryffindor had a small, serene smile on his face. He turned to lie on his back and allowed the soft morning light streaming from the window of his bed chambers at the north tower in the castle of Ravenclaw to bathe his face. Harry opened his emerald eyes for a moment and then closed them again; his grin was growing larger by the second. He did not close his eyes to go back to sleep but to recall the memories of the night before…

“Princess, I do not think that I am such an atrocious dance partner that you should find the need to cry…” Harry whispered jokingly into the ear of the lady he held so delicately in his arms leading her around the dance floor in rhythm with the music.

“Prince Harry, as long as you do not step on my toes, I promise that I shall not bawl like a baby till our dance is over,” Princess Hermione replied lightly, fighting to keep the tears at bay.

Harry looked at the treasure he held in his arms. Prince Cedric had entrusted her to him and he would not take the task lightly. Something in his chest shattered when he saw two tears escape her eyes and roll slowly down the princess' cheeks.

Now he understood what it meant when he heard the cliché that a woman crying can bring any man to their knees—Harry amusingly thought of the many women who had cried till their eyes had bled out in a last ditch effort to keep him when he ended his tryst with them. Trying to keep the appearance of being equally devastated, he would hold their hands till their tears would stop, or at least slowed in flow. Then, giving them a small peck on the cheek, he would disentangle himself from their arms as quickly as possible—but now here he was, two tears from this woman and he felt totally helpless and completely distressed.

Harry placed her hand on his other shoulder—he heard a few gasps from the crowd and thought, “Propriety be bloody damned! I won't allow any more tears to be shed by Hermione.” He brought his free hand up to her cheeks and brushed away the tears, “Please Hermione, stop crying—I'm so sorry for the past, I was a git…a daft git. Please stop crying…” he begged softly, assuming that it was solely his fault the heir of Rowena was crying.

“I can't help it! I feel that I have disappointed my parents! I feel so guilty! I humiliated myself…” Hermione began to whimper, turning her head, trying to avoid his stare, only to be cut off as the prince gently tugged her chin to bring her face back towards his and brought a finger to her lips to prevent her from speaking, her eyes grew wide, completely stunned by the intimate gesture.

“Ssh…You did nothing wrong, Princess. It was my fault, I just assumed wrong and graciously put my foot up my own arse at my outburst at Cedric. If there was any humiliating act done, then that would be mine.” Suddenly Harry noticed how soft her lips were under his finger which he still had not removed.

“Dear Merlin, what am I doing…this is not right…what is going on with me? I can't control myself! I bet Princess Hermione cast a spell on me—yes that's it! I did hear that she is the smartest witch of our age…or she probably slipped some potion in my food or cast some sort of love curse on me…That can be the only explanation for me acting like a bumbling idiot in front of her!” Harry tried to rationalize. But he could feel that his brain was not functioning appropriately. He couldn't think since his mind decided to now focus only on anything and everything that had to do with the princess. He could see that there was a confused look on the princess' face; he felt that it reflected the same expression on his. How could this woman have such an impact on him? Crown Princess Hermione was causing such havoc on his mental equilibrium and she was invading his senses so easily!

The heir of Gryffindor removed his finger from her lips, much to his regret and resumed their `appropriate' dancing position, but the arm around her waist tightened and brought them closer together. He looked down at her and became conscious again that her cloak had gathered at her back again and exposed too much of her flesh for his comfort. As they swayed together, Harry tilted his head down, touching their foreheads together; he closed his eyes which heightened his other senses to her.

He reveled at the feel of her warm breath, mingling with his and he breathed her essence of cinnamon and jasmine which he locked in his memory, knowing he'd forever associate those scents to her; he rejoiced in the feel of the soft velvet fabric of her gown under his hand on her waist, knowing that the skin underneath would be a thousand times much more supple.

Harry regrettably became aware that their song was soon coming to an end. He opened his eyes and saw that she, too, had closed hers. The prince moved his head to the side so they were cheek to cheek and as the last chords were being played, he succumbed to the temptation and fleetingly brushed his lips on her shoulder. He heard her gasp along with a few from the crowd around them and felt her shiver.

Harry pulled back; as he released the princess, he was enveloped in coldness and instantly missed the warmth she radiated. With a brilliant smile, the Crown Prince Harry James bowed down as the blushing Crown Princess Hermione Jane curtsied. Then taking her hand, he kissed it and looking into her eyes he said in a sober tone, “I hope you come to realize the truth in what I said to Prince Cedric. I do plan to protect and care for you whether you want me to or not. I also plan to do penance for the many transgressions I committed against you, Princess. But be warned that I intend to never let you go…”

And he didn't for the rest of the night.

At the bed chambers in the west tower of the Ravenclaw castle, another prince awoke, soaked in sweat wearing a troubled look on his face

Heaving, Cedric pushed a hand through his hair. Looking around, he did not see anything amiss. The Crown Prince of Hufflepuff had woken up with a feeling of impending doom. He wracked his brain, trying to recall his dream, but his mind was too clouded. Sitting up abruptly, he knew that something horrendous was about to happen— but what, he did not know.

“I must warn father of this. I will allow him to conduct Legilimency just so that we can find out the vision I had during the night.” Prince Cedric thought. He stood up, rushing to prepare himself for the day so he could be at Cho's side to protect her. “But Cho is not the one in danger…or else I would have immediately been able to recall my vision!” Cedric knew that because of the bond he'd since established with his fiancée. He would know if his foresight pertained to her. “If she is not the one in peril, then who?”

Completely frustrated, he hurriedly bathed and dressed for the day. He took his dagger and sheathed it along with his wand and fastened the belt around his waist. “Better to be prepared than to be caught flat footed,” he thought. Then he briefly glanced at his reflection in the mirror and exited his bed chambers in search of his father and the love of his life.

At the south tower where the guests from Slytherin resided temporarily in the kingdom of Ravenclaw, a man with platinum blond hair paced before the fireplace, awaiting his son to come out of his bed chambers

“Draco, get up…” Lucius said loudly as he spoke to the wooden door where his son slept. “Draco!”

“Yes, father?” Draco replied, stifling a yawn as he opened the door, dressed for breakfast.

“The plan is to be executed this morning after breakfast, so be prepared for your role,” Lucius murmured, looking around afraid that he would be heard.

“Father, I see no reason…” Draco started.

Lucius then backhanded his son across his face. “Traitor! How dare you question this mission we are on?! Do you not know what an honor it is to be so highly trusted by your king for such a pivotal role? Ever since we got here, your behavior has been questionable. I wonder how a son of mine is so weak!” Then he leered at Draco, leaning over him imperiously before asking, “How was your night with that whore from Gryffindor?”

“Father…do not ever call Lady Weasley a whore,” Draco countered menacingly. “I will do the bidding of the king—but never, I repeat, NEVER insult Lady Weasley.”

“I will do what I want to do. You are only my son Draco; you have no right to ever order me around. Do I make myself clear?” At the silence that answered him, Lucius repeated, enunciating every single word, “Do. I. Make. Myself .Clear?” waiting for his son to reply.

“Yes father, crystal.” Draco hissed back and he turned on his heel planning to go down to the Great Hall for breakfast and hoping that Lady Ginny would be down too as they had agreed before her early departure the night before.

“Turn your back to me again before I am finished, Draco, and it may be the last action you may perform on this plane of existence,” Lucius called out as he made a grab for his son's shoulders.

“Fine, fine…Are we done now, father?” Draco spat.

At the silence of his father and the scrutinizing stare he gave him, Draco nodded then he hurriedly left the tower, dreading the events to occur after breakfast.

At the Great Hall of Ravenclaw, breakfast was being served; a few round tables were assembled.

“I'm surprised that you'd rather eat breakfast here instead of at your personal chambers, your majesties,” Albus said looking at the two couples who entered the Great Hall together, discussing a topic that brought a glow to their faces.

“Albus, we were just talking about the events that took place last night,” King James of Gryffindor said while preparing to attack the meal which appeared before him.

“Yes, quite an interesting night... an understatement in description!” King John of Ravenclaw added as he took a bite from his plate, “I was quite unnerved when your son marched over to Hermione and Prince Cedric. Quite an intense young man you've got there, James!”

“Intense indeed,” Queen Sara added to her husband's statement. “I, for one, did not know what to do! I saw that Hermione just wanted to escape…Do any of you know what possessed Prince Harry to act that way?” she asked as she looked over to Queen Lily who was seated beside her husband, taking a sip of her hot beverage.

Queen Lily let out an unceremonious snort which added more laughter to those gathered for the early morning feast. “That Sara would be the fault of the Marauders! These men…”

“Elders--dear,” James interjected.

“Ah yes, these elders just would not stop needling Harry. Did you know that our son's eyes never strayed from the sight of your beautiful daughter?” the Queen of Gryffindor ended with a giggle.

John's eyes became clouded as he appreciated that his little girl was now a beautiful woman. “When did she grow up all of a sudden? The folly of a father, I guess. In my eyes, my Hermione will always be my little baby girl…” he thought with a sigh.

“Yes, Lily, we noticed that…” John affirmed as he turned to his wife, Sara and took her hand. “And let me add, that the attraction is not one sided, though knowing my dear stubborn daughter, she will try to formulate some sort of reason or calculation to elucidate her emotions. She will deny this fact till Hades freezes over…”

That made all the adults at the table chuckle again. Then they were joined by the two missing Marauders, Duke Sirius Black and Earl Remus Lupin hailing from the Kingdom of Gryffindor, they were closely followed by the ruler of Hufflepuff, King Amos.

“Well, what do we have here? Everyone is in such a good mood—I take it that you were all discussing a very entertaining topic about a certain lion prince and an eagle princess…” Sirius said as he took his seat beside one of his best friends, who just happened to be his king.

“Aye, that we are, mate!” James said, waving them to join the rest of the group already assembled.

“Let the man who produced such a remarkable son through!” John exclaimed looking at King Amos who blushed at the compliment. “I told you, Amos, you did a fine job raising that son of yours. Such a young man with a level head to be able to save a possibly ghastly situation from bearing fruit. Please extend our deepest gratitude to Prince Cedric. We thank him not as the king and queen of Ravenclaw, but as the parents of Hermione…”

“Amos, so do we,” James added immediately, then with a sheepish grin he continued, “Sorry though about the impulsive behavior of my own son. It was the fault of these two here.” Indicating with a wave of his hand to the remaining Marauders.

“May I remind you, your Majesty.” Remus drawled, “That you were there alongside us, pestering your own son?”

“True, Remus. So very true,” Lily said as she endearingly ruffled the hair of her husband.

“The younger members of the House of Weasley are just as guilty, dear!” James sputtered.

“So this is how the infamous Marauders conduct themselves when together…” King Amos said, finally able to get his two cents in the fray. He continued, “Lily, I look at you with a new, flagrant, added respect to have to put up with them!”

Again everyone laughed, continuing to eat their breakfast in peaceful camaraderie. Then the atmosphere changed upon the entrance of the father and son from Slytherin who were dressed in black robes. The previously cheerful group swiftly took on a sullen composure. King John, being that he was representing the host kingdom, welcomed the pair, indicating that they should join them, even if not one soul in any of the parties assembled wanted to. But protocol being as it was, the Steward of Slytherin and his heir joined them, the elder Malfoy attempting to smile which became a cross between a grimace and a sneer.

“Good morning everyone, I take it everybody had a restful night sleep as we did?” Lucius Malfoy stated in a soft, cynical voice.

“Yes we did, Lord Malfoy. I am pleased that you found your accommodations on par with your standards. It has been quite a while since anyone ever took residence in the south tower; I was beginning to wonder why it was even erected!” Queen Sara said with an unusually sweet voice, to blunt the double edged meaning of her statement. Some members of the previous group sniggered behind their napkins while others let out a choked cough, looking on admiringly to the Queen of Ravenclaw to deliver such a statement so eloquently.

Lord Malfoy just looked at the Queen and chose not to reply, not like he could answer without getting hexed by the lot at the table. “You will have your day, your Majesty. In fact—it may be this day that I get some payback for that snide speech you delivered,” he thought with satisfaction as he took the pretense of attacking his breakfast with fervor.

“Lord Malfoy,” Albus Dumbledore started, a rare glint in his eyes, “We seem to have missed your presence so early in the evening. I am surprised that you left so abruptly from the celebrations…”

“Ah, yes. Please excuse me, your majesty,” Lucius said while looking directly at King John. “I just felt so exhausted, having arrived just before the coronation ceremonies. Being that I had to attend to many matters before leaving the Kingdom of Slytherin, I did not have the pleasure of coming earlier as the rest did. Please forgive my indiscretion to etiquette of not having bid my leave to the Princess. By the way, how is she this morning? I hope she is not too tired to enjoy the day?”

Draco who had just forked some food into his mouth, suddenly choked at the obvious remark from his father—for him, that is—to fish out some information on the schedule of the princess.

“I believe that she will be having her breakfast in her chambers this morning so she can sleep in a little late. As to whether or not she will be up and about today, I have no idea. I do not keep a close tab on all the details of my daughter's actions during the day,” King John replied.

“Speaking of your kingdom, Lucius. How is your king?” Dumbledore inquired.

“There has not been any improvement, I regret saying. As you all know he has been quite ill for the past eighteen years and he does not have the energy to look after the everyday matters of the Kingdom.” Lucius lied, trying to avoid the eyes of the overseer of Stonehenge. “If you all knew the truth, you would tremble before the power of my king!” he thought to himself.

Then everyone continued to eat in silence.

Suddenly, Lord Malfoy having finished his breakfast in a rush, stood up and said, “Well as much as I would like to continue being in your company, I have some letters that require I owl them immediately to Slytherin.” He then bowed to the lot at the table who nodded their acknowledgments. “Draco…”

“I am not finished, father…” Draco replied.

“Draco, you must assist me in some of the letters I need to get done,” Lucius said forebodingly to his son.

“Let the boy be, Lord Malfoy. I am sure that he can find his way back immediately to the south tower as soon as he finishes his meal,” Queen Sara said.

“Your Majesty, with all due respect, my son has to learn the responsibilities needed as the future steward of Slytherin, as our king does not look like he will be fit to rule any time soon,” the present Steward answered her.

Sara held her tongue and looked at the heir of the Steward of Slytherin. She felt sorry for the young boy. She noticed how calculated he acted in the presence of his father, only once did she witness his cold mask fall when encountering a certain red headed lady from Gryffindor.

Draco glanced at the Queen of Ravenclaw, concealing his awe behind a mask of indifference. She was the first person to ever stand up to his father on his behalf—“No, she's the second woman to stand up to father,” he thought, recalling his lady from the House of Weasley the night before. Even his own mother never questioned nor answered back to his father for his cause. “I bet my life would have been easier if I had grown up in a different kingdom,” he thought, then he immediately reprimanded himself. “Again, where did that sentimental notion come from? I swear, there is something that is making me soft, maybe it's in the water—keep your mind level, Draco! Or it must be the air that is making me act so bloody ridiculous!” With a shake of his head, ridding himself of these ideas, he gave a genuine smile to Queen Sara and then stood up after taking a quick sip from his goblet of pumpkin juice. Bowing to the rest, he followed immediately on the heels of his father, knowing full well what was planned for his day, thinking about it with much trepidation.

Rushing into the Great Hall, a young couple hand in hand barged through the heavy doors, missing the exit of another pair of father and son.

“Father, a word please.” The urgency in the voice of Prince Cedric was so evident to his King Amos. Cedric was tightly holding the hand of this fiancée Cho, both were breathless from the run they did in search of the King of Hufflepuff.

King Amos stood immediately as all eyes in the group moved between Amos and Cedric, everyone sobering up. They knew that from the look on both men's faces that Cedric was not the bearer of good news.

“Albus, I believe that we need your assistance in this matter.” Amos turned to Dumbledore who had stood up knowing what the King of Hufflepuff needed him to do.

The two other kings had wanted to join them in the private antechamber off the side of the Great Hall, but Dumbledore stopped them by saying, “We will inform you of what the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff envisioned last night, though I ask you to grant us privacy since it is not appropriate to delve into the personal thoughts of another.” With that, the duo from Hufflepuff and the overseer of Stonehenge walked to the antechamber.

The group that was left lost their appetite for continuing breakfast as they realized how suddenly their bright morning just turned gray.

XXXXX

At the bedchamber of the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw, there was a figure looking out of her window overlooking the Quidditch pitch of her kingdom. She stared unseeingly ahead, nibbling nervously on her thumb. She heard a knock and bid entry to whoever was behind the door.

A member of her personal court and best friend, Luna Lovegood peeked inside. She came in and softly closed the door. “Your highness, you have not touched your food,” glancing at the breakfast tray near the bed of her princess. “Do you feel ill?”

The princess smiled still facing her window. She felt ill alright, but it was in the region where her heart was. “Luna, you do not need to keep with formal pretenses in the privacy of my room—you should know that by now.” Hermione said.

“Oops, sorry prin—I mean Hermione. I bet a Crumpled-Horn Snorkack just got to me,” Luna replied with a giggle and a wave of her hands.

“Forget about it.” Hermione shook her head at the weird tangent her friend always seemed to go off on.

Luna then bounced onto the bed of the princess, flipping on her stomach, bending her knees and supporting her weight on her elbows. She looked at the princess and started to probe, “Well, are you going to talk about it or do I have to have garden gnomes pick a game of Quidditch on your brain?”

“There is nothing to talk about, Loony…” using her private nickname for her friend.

Luna let out a very unlady-like snort, the sound almost mimicking a farm animal.

Laughing suddenly, Hermione turned and plopped down ungracefully into the soft cushion chair at her bedside. Then crossing her legs, she looked at Luna and whispered, “Loony, I do not understand what's going on with me. I can't breathe properly, I feel a certain tightness right here,” pointing to the middle of her chest. “My mind keeps thinking of…” she sighed “him.” The princess then wringing her hands together looked at her friend with wide eyes, “Well?”

“Well what?” Luna said coyly.

“Loony, what is going on?” Hermione asked anxiously “You're the empath! You should be the one who can give a name to what is it I'm experiencing!”

“Ah, well…how do you know that you are not under a nymph's enchantment? I warned you to desensitize the petals that fell on you during your procession!” Luna said, playing with a lock of her flaxen colored hair, trying to evade the princess' question.

“Stop it with your inane correlations, Luna!” Hermione spat. “You know what I'm talking about! Don't make me hex the answer out of you!”

“Hermione, you're the wisest witch alive, how can you not discern for yourself what you're feeling?” Luna groaned, appreciating the uncertainty in her beloved friend's voice. She knew that the princess had already reached the logical conclusion, but reaching the right corollary and accepting it was not one in the same.

“Oh, for bloody sake!” the princess said. “Loony, I know you felt I needed to talk to you, so you came up here by yourself sans the other ladies…Tell me what is it I'm feeling…”

“Princess, be careful what you ask of me. You may not like what you will hear…” Luna warned softly.

“Just tell me, please…” Hermione pleaded.

“You, Crown Princess Hermione Jane of the House of Granger and Heir to the Throne of Rowena are definitely and hopelessly in love with Crown Prince Harry James of the House of Potter and Heir to the throne of Godric...” Luna said smugly.

Shocked, Hermione's jaw dropped as all blood left her face and her eyes grew wide. Luna was right; she did not like what she heard at all.

On the way to the Quidditch pitch of Ravenclaw, a group of Gryffindor citizens were seen carrying their brooms.

“Well, fess up mate! Don't leave us hanging here, tell us what we need to know!” Lord Ronald Weasley asked his best mate since childhood. He looked at his future king, who had evaded the probing questions of his and his brothers. Since Prince Harry danced with the princess, he noticed a change in his friend, hanging on to her every move the night before. “Merlin, Harry's got it bad—they aren't even in a relationship yet and he's acting like a very whipped man without a doubt!” Ron thought.

“Ron, there is nothing to say, we danced and that was it!” Harry said, carefully checking his voice to remain devoid of any emotion that he felt. He kept his eyes focused forward; concentrating on every step he took, because if he let his sentiments take the better of him, he knew that he'd be skipping around like a ninny!

“That was 'it' indeed…” Sir George Weasley said with a hint of ridicule.

“Indeed, dear brother, that is why when we lost sight of him after the dance, who would have thought that the reputed Prince of the Ladies would be found following the princess like her personal lapdog?” Sir Fred said, agreeing with his twin.

“Lapdog, undeniably!” George placed an arm around the shoulders of his prince, “The Princess' aficionado here did not even stray a good two inches away from the gorgeous vision who we call the Heir of Rowena. Harry, if you plan on being a kept man, at least make it legal…we mustn't let the fairer sex know that we Gryffindor men can easily be kept under foot without a ring around our finger,” he concluded, which caused the three Weasley brothers to let out a hearty laugh, much to the annoyance of the prince.

“Honestly! You are all acting like barbaric babies!” Ginny admonished from behind the group.

“Ginny! We didn't see you there…being as pint sized as you are!” Ron stated with a sheepish grin, to which his only sister stuck out her tongue in a childish manner.

“Oh and that was mature, Lady Ginevra?” Fred muttered, and then turned to look at Harry “Now back to this perplexing situation our dear Prince now finds himself in…”

“Sir Fred, I assure you that I am in no situation.” Harry answered with shaky conviction as he continued to follow the path to the pitch.

“Yes you are, Harry,” George stated knowingly, to which Harry shook his head vigorously.

“I find you confusing,” Ron said, pointedly looking at his prince.

“I believe the right word, dear brother, is—besotted,” Fred continued.

“I think it's romantic…” Ginny said with a dreamy voice.

“Romantic?” Ron questioned, while taking a side look at his friend who blushed. “My dear innocent sister, our beloved prince only becomes `romantic' as you so described for one reason and one reason alone…I dare not share with you that ulterior motive as to maintain your morals.”

Harry suddenly turned to the three gentlemen of his court, glaring at them for all he was worth. “Lord Ronald Bilius Weasley, were you insinuating that I had wanted to merely bed the Princess of Ravenclaw, the heir apparent of Rowena?!” His nostrils flared at the appearance of his notorious temper.

The group abruptly stopped in their tracks, taken aback at the sudden change in demeanor of their usually jovial, carefree prince. Ron recognized the glint in the eyes of his friend. He knew that look and being as close as he was to the prince, he knew that it was time to take cover. Ron gulped rather loudly and his twin brothers' faces grew quite contrite.

“I…I…I was not implying anything, your highness…” Ron said, blushing profusely. Then, taking a deep breath, he gathered his reputed Gryffindor courage and added in a very soft voice, “Harry…what's happening here? What's happening to you?” He knew that his friend would comprehend his rather vague question.

Harry realized that he was contemplating on cursing his best friend to oblivion for his rather off handed insult of the princess. The four members of the House of Weasley watched quietly as their prince's countenance abruptly changed from fury to bemusement and answered Ron in a very confused low voice, “Truthfully Ron, I do not have the slightest idea of what is happening…My mind is in such chaos that I cannot even function properly! One moment I'm so angry at myself for acting so pitifully, and then the next moment I feel like I can walk on air!” The prince ran a hand roughly through his untamable, raven colored hair in a movement of exasperation. “But if any of you do not drop this subject of the princess and me, I may be forced to hex you till next year!” When he looked up at the lot of Weasleys and took in their contrite expressions, he started to grin at the foolishness they had just gone through. “Oi! Come on now, let's forget this conversation ever took place…We're wasting such a good day on such a trivial topic when we could be up in the air picking a game of Quidditch! Let's see if the pitch of Ravenclaw can hold a candle to that of Gryffindor's!” The group's mood lightened.

“Ginny, will Bill and Fleur be joining us?” Fred asked, immediately changing the topic.

“Definitely. In fact, so will Charlie.” Ginny answered rapidly.

“Good, but we're two people short to make it an interesting game…” Ron said regrettably. He was hoping to have at least an even group of ten, so that they could have a worthwhile game. He was already running plays in his mind.

Ronald Weasley had an aptitude for strategy, his expertise in wizard chess playing renowned and serving as proof of this, though he was not the sharpest mind when it came to things that mattered to others. He applied his tactical knowledge only in that which interested him, which was chess and Quidditch.

As if an answer to their prayers, a handsome couple came to them from another route, intercepting them before they entered the pitch.

“Oi! Prince Harry!”

“Prince Cedric, fancy meeting you here!” Harry replied warmly, greeting the couple with eagerness, for he was eternally grateful to them. After all, their actions last night on his behalf would keep him forever in their debt.

As Cedric and Cho approached them walking hand in hand, the group noticed that the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff had a strained expression on his face, though it was not that noticeable because of the genuine smile he had on his lips, while his fiancée's eyes had a slightly worried depth in them.

Cedric then said, “Your mum mentioned that you and the members of the House of Weasley were heading this way. Cho and I decided that it was a perfect day for Quidditch and we were hoping to join you.”

“Aye, Cedric. We were two people short for a fair game, but you arrived like an answered prayer—as usual.” Harry said sheepishly, causing the group to laugh again, knowing what Harry was implying .

“By the way, may I formally introduce the lot of you to my beautiful fiancée, Lady Cho Chang, daughter of the venerable Healer Chang,” Cedric said proudly as Cho gave a slight curtsy blushing as she did it.

“Lady Cho, it is a great honor,” Harry said as he bowed and taking her hand gave it a swift kiss. “This is Lady Ginevra Molly…”

“Please, I would rather be called Ginny,” she said, quite annoyed at the prince for using her full name while she gave a small curtsy.

“Sorry about that. Lady Ginny and this wretched lot which she calls brothers are Lord Ronald and Sirs George and Fred from the House of Weasley. Cedric, we will be shortly joined by the rest. Do you recall Viscount William and his wife Viscountess Fleur? Also Duke Charles shall be rounding out our group of ten.” Harry said to take away the formality of having to introduce them when those mentioned would have arrived.

“Aye, I haven't seen Charlie since we had that problem with the dragons in Hufflepuff! I take it that Bill is now a kept man?” Cedric inquired, to which he received an elbow to his ribs from his fiancée and a glaring look from the only red headed female in the group.

“Kept? I'd say chained would be a better description!” Fred said, suddenly getting whacked by his sister.

The group of men grinned knowingly while the females in their presence gave them piercing looks.

“Let's warm up while waiting, shall we?” Ron said. Not waiting for a reply, he flew off toward the rings, subtly declaring that he would play keeper for one of the teams. The rest of the group looked up at him and shook their heads in amusement as they got on their brooms and took off as well.

The late midmorning sun warmed the autumn air slightly as a pair of women walked though the back court yard leading to the Grand Library of Ravenclaw, they were whispering amongst themselves, giggling as they strolled slowly.

“Honestly, Luna! I felt no different dancing with the Prince of Gryffindor as I did with the Prince of Hufflepuff. In fact, I would like to state that the best dance partner I had was the Heir to the Steward of Slytherin!” Hermione said, glancing at her friend waiting for a reaction that she knew she'd get.

“Hermione! It's like comparing a wyvern to a skrewt and a flobberworm…No comparison whatsoever!” Luna said matter-of-factly.

“Loony, the correlations you use can make a sane mind spin!” Hermione said, not containing the giggle which erupted from her, for she was feeling giddy, after all.

“All I am saying is the sooner the two of you admit to it, the better for all of us!” Luna replied. Suddenly she pulled out her wand that she had twisted to hold her hair in a bun, causing her ash blond hair to tumble below her shoulders. Then as her eyes widened she spun around ready to protect her princess.

The sudden change of mood demonstrated by her close friend made Hermione's awareness of the area heighten. She too had unsheathed her wand from her side, aiming it towards an unseen enemy. “What did you sense, Luna?” Hermione asked in a soft voice as her eyes wandered around their surroundings.

“I could have sworn that there was a surge of dark aura. Do you have an idea on whether the anti-Apparition wards are still intact?” Luna whispered, still turning her head from side to side. She clutched the elbow of the princess and started rushing her out of the courtyard. Being an empath, Luna immediately sensed a threatening presence in close proximity.

“Your highness, might I suggest,” Luna said, not once did her quickened steps falter as she led the princess across the court yard, “that the sooner we arrive at the Grand Library, the better for…”

Luna was not able to finish her statement as they heard thunderous steps approaching them and a loud rumble as an unusually large troll came charging towards them. The club he was carrying rose over his head, ready to attack the two females. Then in the chaos caused by an empath pulling the wisest witch of the age it happened, the princess stumbled backward as she tripped over a loose stone backing away and while at the same time being hauled by her friend. Her wand dislodged from her hand as she crashed to the ground, dragging her friend with her. The two froze, watching in slow, dreaded anticipation for the troll's club to come crashing down towards them. Together they let out a blood curling scream which was heard through the castle.

In a shady corner of the courtyard, a father and son team was waiting, the father giving last minute instructions to his son.

“Draco, do not mess up this assignment. You best remember the first priority of this mission?”

“Yes, father. I should come out as the Princess is about to be attacked by the troll Pettigrew smuggled inside. Then as I save her, the Kingdom of Ravenclaw shall forever be in debt to the Kingdom of Slytherin.” The younger Malfoy answered, resigned to the fact that he would be doing this unpleasant task at hand.

“Good. Now get ready…” the hooded figure whispered as he stepped back into the shadows to observe the culmination of his king's plan in action.

Draco had his wand ready and pressed his back against the wall. He was all set to rescue the princess. However, both father and son had not anticipated the companion of the Princess of Ravenclaw that morning. He heard his father hiss as they observed the lady with ash blond hair suddenly pull out her wand, turning to their hiding place but not seeing them. Then the plan was swiftly executed, as the troll stumbled in and the pair ran. Draco readied himself, placing a practiced surprised expression as if he just happened to chance upon the encounter. As he jumped out, ready to complete his mission on the cue of the princess' and her companion's scream, the unexpected occurred. Ten figures on brooms suddenly appeared overhead! Draco almost lost his own composure and abruptly caught himself from letting out his own scream at the sudden intrusion; he couldn't back out now seeing on the expressions of the other rescue party that they had seen him.

Ahead of the group, Draco saw a very determined, very furious prince hailing from Gryffindor swoop from above. He jumped off his broom and stood between the fallen princess and her attacker, his wand ever ready, the tip of which was glowing, prepared to spit out a spell. The right hand of the prince extended and Draco heard the prince shout, “ACCIO SWORD!” Then after a few moments, he saw from the corner of his eye a silver blade charging towards him. He ducked in time as the sword of Gryffindor answered the call of its master and landed in the prince's hand.

Draco ran to the scene, suddenly aware that the hair on his nape standing, knowing fully well that the plan had gone hideously wrong, but trying to recover it the best way he could. His blood was pumping and he was ready to pull the princess to safety, letting Prince Harry deal with the dirty work. Draco witnessed twelve different spells including his own and the princess' companion's, hitting the targeted troll; a bunch of stupefying, conjunctivitis curses, jelly leg jinxes and even a `wingardium leviosa' hit the troll one after another as the Prince of Gryffindor took the stance of charging the troll with his sword preparing to give the final blow. The troll for its part, took a step back as the spells and hexes hit it. Blinded, confused, and livid, it swung its club, thrashing about, just wanting it to come in contact with anything. Then Draco, with his hand almost reaching the shoulder of the princess, halted as he saw a familiar fiery red haired petite figure on a broom hovering too close for his comfort to the swinging bat.

The Heir to the Steward of Slytherin felt his heart jump into his throat, as he saw the tip of the offending club come in contact with his lady's broom and she lost her balance and started to fall. He heard her scream mingling with that of her brothers' own. Forgetting the primary task at hand of saving the princess, Draco leapt into action.

Using a stone bench close by for leverage, he lunged into space, caught his woman of fire and ice in midair, and as they tumbled, he twisted in order to bear the brunt of their combined weight as they came crashing down, his wand in one hand ready to fire any spell to shield them from whatever the overwhelmed troll's next step would be and his other arm securely fastened around his rescued lady, holding her as close to him as he possible could.

Then Draco heard another scream coming from the princess who had gathered her bearings and now stood as she was straining against her companion's resilient grip pulling her away. He then became aware of the men in the group surrounding the troll and trying to contain it while two women were floating above, still casting hexes. The Prince of Gryffindor stormed toward the troll, his sword piercing the tough flesh on the troll's thigh. Draco's gray eyes widened as he took in the next unforeseen action of the troll grabbing the leg of the assailing prince and raising him over its head and brought the prince hurtling back to earth.

Hours after the pickup game started and a few moments before the attack of the troll began…

The Prince of Gryffindor, along with citizens of his court whom he identified as his second family and another royal member from the lineage of Helga with his fiancée was in the middle of their third round in a pick game of Quidditch on the pitch of Ravenclaw. They were laughing and mocking each other in good fashion as they played. The two princes were the seekers of their opposing teams, which were each composed of a seeker, a keeper, two chasers, and a single beater. They had wanted to play with complete ranks but they had to make do without due to the shortage of players. The teams were both at a draw, winning a game each and this one would be the clincher of which team would have bragging rights the rest of the day, as they were starting to grow tired and their stomachs were telling them that lunch was fast approaching.

“Give it up, Potter! You not only lack in experience but also talent, boy!” Prince Cedric yelled with emphasis on the word `boy' even though he was only a mere year older than the prince with jet black hair. The two hovered a few meters above the rest of the players as they kept an eye out for a glimpse of a small golden ball with wings whose capture would end the game.

“Diggory, since I was taught to respect my elders, I will not supply you with a reply to that statement.” Prince Harry tauntingly drawled back, then Harry stiffened as he saw the light of the sun catch on a glint of gold floating near the opposite side of the pitch near the rings, both the seekers were at an equal distance from it—being that they were almost side by side in flight, and both were on Firebolts, the fastest known brooms created.

So the race to catch the snitch was on, both princes crouching low on their broomsticks to lessen air resistance and make up for velocity. They were neck to neck, trying to bump each other off course from their intended goal. Out of the blue, the princes heard a spine-chilling screech and they turned toward each other simultaneously, forgetting the tiny golden ball. They both changed their course towards the sound, mutually aware that the other members of their group were following them as the good game came to an abrupt stop.

Harry's awareness heightened as he immediately recognized the owner of the scream, though it was combined with another feminine voice. His heart raced as he felt a sudden panic wash over him. “Please be okay…Please be okay, hold on Luv, I'm coming…Please be okay!” he thought, trying to stretch out his thoughts to the princess for comfort, paying little attention to the unexpected endearment he used. He sped off, not knowing that he left the other prince in his trail. What he saw shocked him!

There were three figures in the courtyard below, two with blond hair - one lighter than the other and a brunette with auburn highlights, who was on her bum. Harry glimpsed a moment earlier the only defense of the princess, her wand, flying out of her hand as she stumbled backwards, her blond female companion trying to pull the princess away as best she could and the male blond approaching them with his wand trained at the troll that was readying its club to come crashing down on the princess.

“Bloody hell! What's a troll doing out in the middle of the day?!” Harry fleetingly thought, anger and resolve filling him as he jumped down from his broom to at least provide his body as a screen between the woman who he swore to protect and the offensive creature before her, summoning his sword simultaneously.

He let out a stupefying hex as he prepared himself to attack the troll with his sword, vaguely aware of the burst of colors from the other spells discharged. Harry would make sure that this troll would pay with its pathetic life for its audacious idea of assaulting the Princess of Ravenclaw. In his field of vision, he saw the Weasley men and the Prince of Hufflepuff, who had all mimicked his action and jumped off their brooms as well, surrounding the troll, stepping back then charging as the troll whipped about in crude movements, each throwing off hexes and a few daggers which were now embedded in the troll's body. Harry charged, feeling his sword make contact and took a few steps to the side in an attempt to slice its leg off. Then he felt his world turning upside down, literally, as the troll grabbed him by one leg and raised him into the air in a last ditch effort to protect itself. Harry knew that it would be his head that would bear the full force of impact so he bent himself at his waist and as he came crashing down, he heard the princess' scream and nonchalantly thought, “Well, I hope she realizes that I was serious in my promise to protect her…” as his body made contact with the hard stone floor of the courtyard and distinctly felt small hands pulling at him as darkness finally envelop him.

XXXXX

“How can a simple plan go unbelievable wrong in so short a time!” the hooded figure thought as he observed an erroneous scene unfolding before his eyes. He turned his head toward the sound of sprinting footsteps coming towards them, turning to the man that shifted before him from a rat as the troll entered he hissed, “Pettigrew, do not report what just happened--yet! Shift back to your Animagus form and wait for my further instructions. I need to try to recover what little good can still come out of this…”

“Yes, mi'lord,” Peter muttered as he began shifting.

When the hooded figure saw the rat scurrying off, he took off his dark cloak which had the markings of the Death Eater emblem, inverted it to display the insignia of Slytherin, and came out of the shadows as if his true intention was that he had heard the screaming and accidentally encountered the events and lending his assistance.

The Steward of Slytherin was seething under his cool demeanor. He had just witnessed his son's rescue of the wrong maiden.

“He was so close to salvaging this mission,” he said to himself as he reflected upon the sight of Draco reaching for the princess and then suddenly being in the air, heading in another direction, catching the red headed woman “What the hell was he thinking?! The object of today's plan went completely off beam, and the worst of it is that Pettigrew witnessed my son's rescue of the wrong woman! There will be hell to pay upon our return to Slytherin! I have to do something—anything to redeem this fiasco! ” Then meeting up to the running posse from the castle, he began his charade.

XXXXX

“What the blazes?!” King John exclaimed.

A meeting at the east solarium was once again being held when shattering screams abruptly ended the discussion about security as the group of rulers, royalty, Aurors, an overseer and a caretaker stood up immediately to investigate. The women rushed to the window as the Queen of Gryffindor let out a loud gasp at seeing her son zoom by on his broomstick followed closely by another prince who was pursued closely by a group consisting of three women and five men with unbelievably red hair.

The group simultaneously took out their wands as the Queen of Ravenclaw unsheathed her sword which was immediately conjured to her side as her husband looked at her with apprehension, she gave him an assuring smile and ran to the scene of the crime along with the others, the overseer being absent from the group as he Apparated immediately since he was the only one to do so despite the anti-Apparition wards in effect around the castle.

When Dumbledore arrived at the courtyard, he was stunned at the scene before him. Before he could prevent Prince Harry from attacking the troll with his sword, his attention shifted toward the shady area of the corridor just off the courtyard. As he approached, he heard whispering, then something brushed against his foot which he knew was not coincidental. Before he could get to the spot, the Steward of Slytherin came out, as if out of breath from running toward the commotion, his wand ever ready as if to lend a hand.

But Albus was not the greatest wizard since Merlin for nothing and he knew that this man had something to do with this incident, yet he had to prove it. He glanced over at the setting before him and saw that the other guest from Slytherin was tenderly holding a young lady from the House of Weasley, protecting her from the rampaging troll while the others were trying to stun it or at least control it. Since he shifted his attention, he was not able to avert the attack of the blinded, wounded troll on the young Prince of Gryffindor. Dumbledore was about to levitate an unconscious Harry from his dangerous position under the troll's feet when he saw the fair princess struggling against her friend's hold. When she had broken free, Albus knew that the scene was about to take a more unpleasant turn. Apparating to be in the midst of the fighting and ready to end this, he was dumbfounded at the power of the princess as she protected the prince and shouted out her curse.

XXXXX

“NO! LET ME GO! HARRYYYY!” Hermione screamed, she felt like she was being torn apart, Luna was tugging her so hard one way as she was viciously pulling herself the other way towards Harry. She clawed at the hands preventing her from reaching the Prince from Gryffindor. “I said LET ME GO!” Her eyes were staring at the motionless body of the prince. Fear gripped her being when she saw the feet of the troll stomping peculiarly too close. Then she finally tore herself free of the hands clutching her and ran to the form of Prince Harry. On her way she seized her wand and then collapsed over the unconscious prince, protecting him with her own body.

Hermione then looked up and aimed her wand at the troll now looming overhead as she roared, “PETRIFICUS TOTALUS” A blue bubble surrounded herself and Prince Harry simultaneously as her spell spouted out of her wand.

Silence followed and suddenly a loud boom was heard throughout the castle as the troll, limbs frozen at its sides, toppled over. Those under its path shot out of the way. Everyone was stunned as they took in the sight before them: the princess of Ravenclaw pressed on top of the still unmoving body of the prince of Gryffindor, trying to shield him from further damage, their forms nonetheless surrounded by a fading blue light.

Slowly Hermione lifted her head, knowing that the troll was now down. She kept her concentration trained only on the man under her. A powerful sensation filled her, unaware and uncaring of the others around her, the princess touched the face of her hero of sorts tenderly. She whispered, “Harry, come on, luv. Quit playing around, please open your eyes…Let me see those wonderful green eyes again…”

Hermione felt tears starting to sting her eyes. She knew the prince of Gryffindor was alive, his warm breath had confirmed that; she could not see any major blood pool, only a few scratches on his face. His glasses were shattered so Hermione lifted her wand, and touching the tip to his spectacles, she muttered, “Occulus Reparo” and his glasses were as good as new. She became aware of a loud gasp as the Queen of Gryffindor appeared at her side. Both women looked at each other as the older members from the east solarium arrived, taking in the utter devastation of the attack.

“I am so sorry,” Hermione said under her breath as she regarded the pained expression of the mother to the man who stood between her and certain death.

Queen Lily saw the princess' eyes filled with hurt, fear, gratitude and…love. She took the hand of the princess and held it tightly. Lily knew that this woman would now be so much a part of her son's life as she was, “There is nothing to be sorry for, Princess.” Lily looked up as a shadow was cast over them; she saw her husband and the parents of Princess Hermione standing above them, Queen Sara bending down as she took hold of the shoulders of her daughter in a hug.

“Come now, Hermione, let the healers do their duty,” Queen Sara whispered to her daughter.

“No.” Hermione replied flatly.

“It will be fine, Hermione,” Queen Lily assured, “This is nothing for Harry. He once fell down from a height of fifty meters during a game of Quidditch, so a troll slamming him to the ground is the equivalent of a simple rap on the head for my son. And take it from me - Harry has a head as resilient as granite.” Lily was trying to interject humor to comfort the princess. Her husband James was readying their son to be levitated back to the north tower.

“Please…” Hermione pleaded, not knowing why. She just felt a natural compulsion to remain in the prince's presence. Feeling a strong hand on her shoulder, she looked up and saw Prince Cedric had joined their group.

“Sis, Harry needs to be attended to immediately. You can accompany him if you want, but let the healers take over for now.” Cedric explained softly. He himself was frustrated at the turn of events. “What's the use of having the power of foresight if you cannot prevent harm from falling on those you care for?” he thought, wishing he could have changed the situation.

“No, it's my fault he was harmed. He kept on telling me last night that he swore he'll be my protector…In fact…” Hermione pointed out, a rise of anger welling up in her as realization dawned on her, “it is more your fault, Cedric!” She spat out. “If you had not put that preposterous notion in Prince Harry's brain that he was to be my protector, he would not be lying here at Death's door! You placed that responsibility on his shoulders! He told me that he will not allow any harm to befall me because of your ridiculous statement!” Hermione was heaving again; a strong gust was felt by everyone assembled in the courtyard as the air cracked with energy from the elemental magic which was caused by the princess' emotions. “It's as much your fault as it was mine!” Hermione continued shouting as she stood up and started pounding the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff on his chest, who for his part, let her lash out at him standing stoically.

Cedric knew that it would help this woman whom he had adopted as his sibling if she let out her emotions instead of keeping them inside. Also because of her position as an heir, she would be forced to keep up with appearances and keep a tight handle on her feelings. A sharp intake of breath called the attention of Cedric to the companion of the princess. He knew that the ash blond woman was a member of the Hermione's entourage. She had her hands pressed at her temples as her knees buckled, and Lord Ron Weasley being the closest to the lady, caught her in his arms before she fell to the ground.

“Make her stop!” Luna moaned, while rubbing her hands at the side of her head, “Please, your highness -stop!” Being an empath, she was suddenly assaulted by the rush of powerful emotions. She tried to control the battering sensations washing over her which were projected by the princess.

“It's your fault…Your fault!” Hermione kept chanting and pounding at Cedric who now had wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to stop the princess from unintentionally harming her friend any further. As suddenly as Hermione's tirade began so did it end and she slumped weakly in his arms, sobbing wildly as she covered her face with her hands. Looking up at the Prince of Hufflepuff, she said in a hoarse voice, “I am so sorry,” realizing what just happened.

“It is okay,” Cedric murmured in her hair. “Princess, Prince Harry should be transferred now…” As she nodded, King James flicked his wand and with a heavy heart, levitated his injured son.

Everyone in the courtyard looked on as the prince was floating on air, trailed by his parents and a group of healers, who were flicking their wands as well, trying to assess the damage sustained by the heir of Godric. The Princess of Ravenclaw, supported by the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff followed too.

One thought entered everyone's mind, be it for different intent—“How could a day that started out delightfully end so badly?”[Author ID1: at Mon Nov 20 17:59:00 2006 ]

XXXXX

A/N: Again I hope that y'all enjoyed this chapter…not as long as the previous chapter but I think it's just the right length. Just tell me what you think about it! :D

Teaser: Chapter 7 just shows us how valuable the Princess of Ravenclaw is to the Prince of Gryffindor as the Princess weaves her magic and another plan is being hatched this time by the Prince of Gryffindor…

-->

A/N: I must apologize for being remiss. Obviously there was a prolonged wait for me to update this chapter, and for that I am sorry.

My many thanks to VacantSkies for adding his own brand of magic to this story again I'm pimping his website: www.fanfiction.net/~vacantskies

Keep the reviews coming, I'd really love to know what you all think about this chapter!

Chapter 7

“Immoral! Immoral, I say! …Do they listen to me? Nooo. This is not healthy at all… Decorum should always be maintained,” Madam Pomfrey muttered under her breath as she bustled around the room, her eyes reverting every so often at the two forms in the bed chamber at the north tower of the Ravenclaw castle. Her prince for the first time in a week since his heroic act was in a deep peaceful slumber, and the princess he rescued was half sprawled on his bed and half sitting on the bedside cushioned chair sleeping from sheer exhaustion at the continuous vigil she kept. Both the prince and princess' fingers were intertwined. Poppy shook her head and kept muttering to herself while she continued puttering around the room. Her eyes kept straying over the couple in the room, both oblivious to their surrounding.

XXXXX

At the infirmary of Gryffindor a few moments after the troll attack in Ravenclaw…

Madam Pomfrey, the head healer in the kingdom of the lion, was flooed by Duke Sirius of the House of Black. Seeing his head pop out from her fireplace at the infirmary, she immediately jumped up and started gathering her potions, knowing that it would be a messy scene since it was this Marauder who flooed her.

“Madam Pomfrey, our Majesties King James and Queen Lily urgently request your services at the Kingdom of Ravenclaw,” the head of the duke sputtered.

“Is it his highness Prince Harry?” the healer asked with bated breath.

The head of the Duke gave her a lopsided smirk, “Madam, who else would it be?”

“What is it now?” she asked with an accompanying sigh. Technically, the healer was relieved that the prince was not in dire straits, or it would have been his parents who would have flooed. Her movements in gathering the potions needed were not as pressing as when the duke's head first appeared.

“He came crashing down to earth, so to speak…” Duke Sirius replied, then another head came into view. It was her king. Madam Pomfrey instinctively curtsied when she saw the king with a slightly worried look on his face say, “Poppy, just bring the usual…I'm sure Harry broke no more than the regular number of bones—again. Then floo immediately here. I have temporarily connected the fireplace of the infirmary to Harry's bed chamber.”

“Your Majesty, do I need to bring any other healers?” Though Poppy knew she'd receive a negative answer to that, they were after all at Ravenclaw, the seat of wisdom and healing. She was surprised that she was even asked to go there to care for Harry, since the healers of Ravenclaw were more than adequate to fix a few broken bones in their skills.

“Poppy, Sir Neville Longbottom and Baron Seamus Finnigan will be joining you. Lord Weasley requests their company since he will be staying behind to wait till Harry recovers. But no need for any other healers, we all know that they are above adequate here. Harry just trusts you, I'm sure that he would appreciate your presence when he wakes up,” King James stated.

Madam Pomfrey felt her chest puff up with pride at the subtle compliment that her king just gave her. She was the only healer that the King and Queen of Gryffindor trusted to fix up their son since the day he was born. Poppy was the head healer after all, given the position upon the passing of King James' father and his ascension to the throne of Godric. Though she was officially supposed to provide supervision and training to other citizens of Gryffindor who were recognized to have the innate power of healing, she became Prince Harry's personal healer and she took that duty to heart and did it with pride.

“Oh Poppy, before I forget please inform Dobby that Prince Harry will be having an extended stay here at the Kingdom of Ravenclaw,” her king added.

“Yes, your Majesty, right away.” With that, the healer curtsied again as she saw the head of her king nod in acknowledgment and the head of the duke wiggling his eyebrows at her in a mock salute. Then they disappeared with a hiss of ember.

Madam Pomfrey was about to summon an owl for Harry's friends when two young gentlemen of the court of Gryffindor and close mates to her prince came stampeding into her infirmary. Clucking her tongue loudly and ready to reprimand them for such action, she saw they were out of breath from the both the sprint and dragging their trunks behind them.

“Lord Ronald Weasley just flooed us,” Neville explained in a breathless voice, bowing slightly.

“Och…” was the only reply Seamus was capable of giving.

Still giving them a disapproving look at their state, “Very well then, Sir Longbottom and Baron Finnigan, you saved me the trouble of having to owl you…Do I need to remind you gentlemen that you both are wizards and could have shrunken your trunks?” Rolling her eyes at the bewildered expressions of the two, she then said in a loud voice, ”DOBBY?”

A pop was heard as a free house elf wearing two shirts and mismatching socks appeared before them. Dobby's clan was one among those house elves who was able to leave the Kingdom of Slytherin a long time ago to escape the treacherous treatment of his kind by the citizens of that kingdom. Though all house elves were granted freedom in the other three kingdoms, they still served in their respected kingdoms not due to slavery but because the house elves simply wanted to, Dobby was granted the honor of tending to Prince Harry.

Bowing slightly, Dobby started, “Prince Harry James' Madam Healer asked for Dobby?”

“Yes Dobby, our highness Prince Harry will be prolonging his stay at the Kingdom of Ravenclaw.”

“Dobby asks Madam Healer as to why?” abruptly Dobby's eyes widened, then started to lament “OH! It is not Dobby's position to inquire about Prince Harry James' duration of stay! Madam Healer must forgive Dobby for inquiring!” Then as the house elf said the last line, he took a big white bottle labeled `Skele-Gro' from the valise of the healer and started to pound it on his head as punishment.

“DOBBY!” three voices shouted.

Neville, being the closest to the house elf, yanked on the two shirts the elf had on, while Seamus pulled the bottle the other way, separating the makeshift club from the house elf.

“You do no wrong being inquisitive, Dobby. There has been an accident - nothing to be alarmed about since Prince Harry usually finds himself in accidents at least twice every other day,” Poppy said with a warm smile. “You may proceed to his side, Dobby, if you wish. King James asked that I inform you so.”

“Dobby thanks Madam Healer!” with eyes shining, he smiled at the trio before him and with a snap of his fingers, he disappeared.

The healer and two men looked at each other. The gentlemen brought out their wands and after tapping their trunks which shrunk to a size big enough for their pocket, they approached the fireplace. Madam Pomfrey took some floo powder from a pot on its mantle. Going in the immense fireplace she turned and faced the two boys. Extending her hand she shouted in a loud, clear voice, “Castle of Ravenclaw, north tower bed chamber!” Neville and Seamus closed their eyes as green flames engulfed the healer then she was gone.

Neville looked at Seamus, “Well, go on now! Can't keep that prat of a red head waiting, I have a game of wizard's chess waiting for me!”

Entering the hearth, Seamus smiled at his friend, “In other words, you can't wait to get your arse kicked again by Weasley!” Then, uttering his destination, he too disappeared in green flames.

Neville, copying the actions of the two before him by yelling his destination thought, “I'll show him whose arse I'm going to kick!”

Looking on the bed at the form of a motionless figure, four people were discussing an imperative issue concerning the prince on the bed.

“There's something wrong, Cedric!” the princess murmured as she bit her lower lip.

“Nonsense, a mere bump on the head,” Cedric replied.

“But he's too pale!” Hermione whined, her eyes fixed on the prince of Gryffindor.

“He's been that way since the day he was born, your highness,” Lord Ron Weasley said jokingly, then gulped loudly and averted his eyes as the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw sharply turned her head in his direction, her eyes glowing with indignation.

“Princess, let the healers do their duty. Ravenclaw is the center of healing; they are more than capable of treating the Prince of Gryffindor. King James even flooed Prince Harry's own healer, the venerated Madam Pomfrey. Would you want me to floo father to the prince's side?” Lady Cho Chang asked, totally taken back at how rattled her close friend the princess was, who was usually in control even under extreme conditions. Cho tightened her hand that held her fiancé's. They both looked at each other with concern more for the princess than the injured prince.

“No… no need to floo in Healer Chang, but thank you for offering, Cho. How is Luna by the way?” Hermione said, her voice thick with feeling, dumbfounded by her own actions.

“Your highness, we thought…well…uh…we had…” Ron started, looking at Cedric and Cho for support, he was slightly frightened by the princess' reaction about what he was about to admit, “to keep her away …keep her away…uh…keepherawayfromyou.” Ron finishing in a rush then instinctively recoiled from the princess in preparation for a lashing out.

Princess Hermione looked at the best friend of the prince. Actually she had to look up at him due to his height. If she wasn't so worried about Prince Harry, she would have probably laughed at the reaction of Lord Weasley. But she just gave him a small smile in a gesture of reassurance, “Thank you very much for taking care of Lady Lovegood, Lord Weasley. I'm sure she appreciated it too.” Turning to look at the injured prince, she withdrew herself from the group.

Cho, turning to the two gentlemen with a look of anxiety in her eyes, “You do know that she'll stay with Prince Harry till he wakes up, don't you?”

“Oh definitely,” Cedric answered his fiancée. “I guess it's up to us to make sure that she eats properly till her vigil is over…but knowing Harry's resilience, tomorrow afternoon he'll be up and about,” the prince from Hufflepuff sighed.

“No worries, Madam Pomfrey will kick her out of Harry's bed chamber when she arrives. That healer even ejects both the king and queen from the infirmary at Gryffindor—and they're his parents!” Ron stated, hearing a loud growl coming from his stomach he realized none of them had eaten since breakfast. “May I suggest, Prince Cedric and Lady Cho, that we adjourn to the Great Hall for a delayed lunch?”

“Great idea, Lord Weasley,” Cedric answered, tugging his fiancée towards the door that Ron was holding open.

As they were closing the door, they heard a shriek from the princess, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S DYING?”

At the Great Hall there was an assembly of red headed individuals crowding over a young man with platinum blond hair who was being treated by healers…

“I am eternally grateful to you, Master Malfoy, for saving my daughter, Lady Ginevra,” the patriarch of the House of Weasley, who happened to be the Minister of Magic for the Kingdom of Gryffindor said.

He looked at the young man whose torso was being bandaged by a healer, while another was shoving a vial of potion into the young man's mouth. Upon his entry into the Great Hall, Lord Arthur Weasley was prepared to hug the gentleman from Slytherin, but changed his mind seeing the injuries he had sustained. On behalf of his daughter, he extended his hand to the young man instead.

“The honor is all mine,” Draco spat, trying to get rid of the bitter aftertaste of the potion he just ingested, his face now red at the attention he was getting. Apart from Ron, who, after making sure Ginny was fine, escorted the blond companion of the princess back to the infirmary during the attack. The rest of Lady Ginny's brothers never left her side and Ginny for her part, did not leave his side.

Draco was sitting shirtless and very conscious of the petite lady beside him holding his hand as the healer wound the bandage around him binding his chest; he tried to avoid the eyes of her brothers that he felt were examining him with great interest. Draco knew that his father was at the south tower, probably brooding in fury at how the plan had fallen flat. Draco made an excuse that he would not be able to walk all the way to his bed chambers at the south tower nor to the infirmary, therefore their little group had ended up here in the Great Hall.

He gave a half grin as he lowered his head thinking, “There's going to be hell to pay upon our return tomorrow…” Draco's expression darkened as he thought of his mother stuck in the dungeon at Slytherin. “Will she be spared?” Tears started to form in his eyes as he thought of the woman taking his place in that dungeon; then he felt a soft hand tighten its grip in his hand. Looking up, he saw the petite lady whom he rescued looking at him with a shine in her eyes from unshed tears. “There's no turning back now…I may not be able to change my past—but I certainly will change my future for her.”

Ginny saw the pain in Draco's eyes and knew that it had nothing to do with his physical injuries. Then the pain lifted when his gray eyes met hers as only tenderness remained, although his face remained expressionless. She had no idea how or why but she was drawn to this man who hailed from a kingdom she was taught to be cautious of. Ginny looked up at her father, who wore a wary expression on his face, not knowing how to react to this citizen from Slytherin who had saved her. Her brothers were another story - they were looking at Draco with open hostility. They were not aware that she had danced last night with her rescuer. Charlie had even apologized to her and felt sorry for her since she was not able to have one dance that night, as he'd escorted her back to their guest suite.

“I wonder what they would think about it if I told them about it now…” she wondered, covering her mouth to hide the small grin that emerged on her lips as visions of the most comical expressions of her brothers came into mind. Then all heads in the room turned toward the entrance as a loud wail originated from there. Everyone saw a middle aged woman with equally red hair as her husband and children come crashing through, dragging her blond daughter-in-law Viscountess Fleur, who in turn was dragging their other brother Sir Percy who never joined them in their frivolous activities.

Draco and Ginny's eyes widened as Lady Molly, matriarch of the House of Weasley approached. Ginny let go of Draco's hand immediately and Draco wanted to take cover.

“GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY, HOW DARE YOU GO AND PUT YOURSELF IN DANGER BATTLING A TROLL!” Lady Molly shrieked as every one in the Great Hall trembled, she continued wagging about her finger at the supposed offenders, “AND THE LOT OF YOU! WHY DID YOU NOT PREVENT YOUR SISTER FROM FOLLOWING YOU?! YOU ARE HER BROTHERS! HER OLDER BROTHERS! YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HER SAFETY AND YOU LET HER GET INTO A PREDICAMENT THAT WOULD HAVE ENDED HER LIFE IF…IF…”

Lady Molly's eyes suddenly watered as she took in the young man who was growing paler than the white bandage wrapped around his torso beside her only daughter—her youngest child, “OH! THANK YOU MASTER MALFOY! THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY LITTLE GINEVRA!” she then jumped the injured young man and pulled him up into her arms, giving him a bone crushing embrace while bawling all the while.

Those who witnessed her actions winced and actually felt sorry for the Slytherin citizen as they knew that he would have sustained more injury from Lady Molly than that from any troll. The healers, who had packed up their medical valises, sighed and then started to unpack their bandages and potions again, knowing that Master Draco would most likely have more broken ribs by now.

“Mother! Mum…MUM! Let Master Draco breathe!” Ginny was pulling at her mother as she witnessed Draco's eyes bulge wide and his lips turn slightly blue. Then she turned to her brothers who thought the scene was ridiculously amusing. “A LITTLE HELP HERE!” she shouted, making her twin brothers hook an arm under each of their mother's arms and pull with all their might. Draco then collapsed to the floor of the Great Hall at the sudden loss of support, trying to breathe deeply despite the pain of the new broken ribs rubbing against his lungs. Ginny crouched beside him, laying a small hand on his shoulder, a look of concern and panic tainting her hazel eyes.

“I'll…be…fine…” Draco trying to assure her while heaving painfully between the words. “What in Merlin's name do they feed the women in Gryffindor?!” thought Draco, feeling embarrassed that a woman—a middle aged woman - had almost been the death of him. “Must be the red hair…” Draco rationalized, smirking as the healers helped him back on the chair to add more bandages and stuff more potions into him.

“Master Draco, please be assured that we will be in your debt for your actions today. I would hope that you can visit us in the Kingdom of Gryffindor. Being that I am the Minister in that kingdom, I have discussed what happened this afternoon with my king, which he agreed should be the next proper step. Therefore let me inform you, Master Draco of the House of Malfoy, heir of the Steward of Slytherin, we award you the Order of Merlin, third class for your heroic and unselfish act of willingness to sacrifice your life for the sake of a Gryffindor citizen.” Arthur informed the young man, whose jaw almost reached the floor at the announcement.

Every one was stunned silent, even Lady Molly. They were flabbergasted! Never had a Slytherin citizen been cited for an Order of Merlin, especially from the Kingdom of Gryffindor! It was unheard of—and yet here they were, hearing and seeing it happen! Viscount William was the first to come out of his daze. He went over to Draco, who still had a look of astonishment frozen on his face, and shook his hand.

“Well done, Master Draco! Well done!” Then he started to clap, he was joined by his wife, Viscountess Fleur, then Charlie, Percy, their father--who was trying his best to prevent his wife from giving Draco another life threatening hug - and lastly and very reluctantly the twins. Even the healers were applauding and hooting at the announcement.

Ginny could not help but look with pride to the young man whose eyes warmed only for her. All she could utter was, “Congratulations, Master Draco.”

Feeling a wave of emotion crash into her core, she let her recklessness take control of her. Ginny bent down as she threw proper code of behavior to the wind and witnessed Draco's pupils dilate as a look of recognition, eagerness, and passion bloomed from their gray abyss. She slowly closed her eyes, “Oh bugger that,” was the last thought that flitted through her mind when her delicate lips met her hero's soft ones as two opposing worlds finally collided.

In the private chambers of the King of Ravenclaw in the main castle, an assembly of royalty and aurors met in the cloak of darkness to discuss topics which they did not finish that afternoon. Now it was very late and they were closing the meeting by conferring about the most recent occurrence and most pressing topic—the attack of the troll in the middle of the day…

“It was not an accident! This had to be a cockamamie plan of those two from Slytherin or my name is not Alastor Moody!”

Remus couldn't help but drawl, “It isn't, it's Mad Eye Moody.” He felt queasy as he saw the magical eye swivel so fast to focus on him.

“Come now, let's all be serious,” Amelia Bones stated, trying to defuse the situation that was about to erupt between the aurors of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.

“Well if everyone is to be serious, then who shall I be?!” Sirius said in a comical voice, trying to contain his mirth at the banal joke.

This caused them to groan, which immediately lessened the tension in the group assembled. They had not wanted to give an inkling to the guests of Slytherin that they were planning to convene, so after everyone entered the chamber, a number of “Coloportus” and “Silencio” spells were muttered and all wands were ever ready.

Considering that the son of the Queen of Gryffindor was lying gravely injured at the north tower and the daughter of the Queen of Ravenclaw was at his side, both mothers were present at this meeting too, having been effectively kicked out of the bed chamber of the guest prince at the north tower upon the arrival of the head healer of Gryffindor. The only one Madam Pomfrey had not been able to eject had been the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw, who upon being commanded to leave, let out a burst of elemental magic shattering every window of the bed chamber and vaporizing the shards before they could impact with anything. After that fine display of unconscious force by the princess, no one had since suggested anything that might have been construed as a request to depart from that room again as Albus was left with the task to repair the damage done.

“I seriously…I meant--I honestly,” Albus corrected himself before the Duke from Gryffindor could make another hackneyed gag about the use of his name, “Know that the elder Malfoy had something to do with this. Upon Apparating to the scene, I happened to notice a whispered discussion in a shady area near the courtyard. But as I was about to approach, Lord Malfoy came bounding out from that direction, stating that he was out looking for his son when he heard screaming and went to investigate. I visited the infirmary and upon conferring with Lady Lovegood, the companion of Princess Hermione during the attack, she confirmed the sudden surge of a dark aura.”

Everyone nodded gravely, absorbing the information.

“Damn to bloody Hades! I knew he was up to something! I cannot believe I lost him during the coronation!” Moody lamented.

“Sure that swiveling eye of yours wasn't swiveling to the ladies present?” Sirius said, giving Remus a bemused look. The two Marauders loved to tease Moody since he was always so grim and he could be baited so effortlessly! But before Remus could follow up to Sirius' remark, King James raised his hand in a signal for them to quit while they were still ahead. The two then remained silent but laughter could be seen dancing in their eyes.

“Actually Sirius,” Moody enunciated, “This swiveling eye was looking out for a young red headed maiden from your kingdom that happen to catch the attention of the younger Malfoy, I was watching them to make sure the lass had it under control. So tell me Sirius, did not the suggestion come from you and Remus that we aurors be designated to keep an eye on their respective citizens?” Moody's voice suddenly became low, turning almost into a growl as he went in for the kill, seeing that the two men in question blush profusely in embarrassment. “Aha! Gotcha…” Moody thought before continuing, “Now, gentlemen, as I recalled, only Amelia and I were doing rounds during the ceremonies and celebration…” he ended.

Looking at Sirius and Remus, Alastor knew that there were only a few times that he could get the better of them. He honestly had a deep fondness for the two incorrigible rogues, but it would be a cold day in July before he'd ever admits it! “Don't play with fire boys, if you aren't willing to be burned sometimes,” Alastor thought.

“I…I…uh, I…” Sirius stuttered, trying to come up with an explanation. Truth be told, after the incident at the dance floor, he had sought solace from his current lady companion in a dark corner of the castle.

For his part, Remus just looked like a fish out of water. His eyes were the size of saucers and his mouth was opening and closing repeatedly as he tried to find his own voice. He didn't have the courage to admit he had been busy `guarding' the broom closets of the castle with Nymphadora Tonks, an auror from Ravenclaw who incidentally also happened to be Sirius' cousin.

“Gentlemen, please…” Amelia started. She was used to being the referee in meetings like these. “There are more pressing topics to discuss and I wish to sleep sometime soon!”

All three nodded in a signal that they had called a truce—for the moment.

“I believe that a certain member from the House of Malfoy will be receiving an Order of Merlin from the Kingdom of Gryffindor?” Amelia turned her head to the King of Gryffindor to get a confirmation.

“You believe correctly,” King James replied as he stifled a yawn. His queen's head was snuggled on his shoulder. Both James and Lily were completely knackered from the day's events so far. Finding out that the condition of their son was not as stable as they had thought was not easy on the nerves. “If it hadn't been for the princess' constant vigil and immense knowledge on trivial topics such as trolls, Harry would be dead by now. Bloody hell, she should also receive an Order of Merlin too! I wonder if a ring on her finger and a wedding ceremony of the century could be an equivalent to an Order of Merlin first class?” he smiled at the last part of his thought.

“How is Prince Harry?” King Amos asked as he noticed the tired looks on the faces of James and Lily.

“I don't know, Amos. It just frightens me to think of what would have happened if Princess Hermione had not stayed by his side!” Queen Lily said with a sniff.

“By the way, John, thank Princess Hermione for us…we owe her a debt of gratitude,” James said, addressing the King of Ravenclaw, who had his wife on his lap.

King John chuckled and sighed; he and his wife Sara were drained from the events of the afternoon too. “We have got to stop thanking each other's children! Believe me James, if it wasn't for Prince Harry, we would be mourning the demise of our little girl. Call it even, then…but I think we still owe Amos for the incident at the coronation.”

“Aye, that I agree,” the King of Gryffindor affirmed.

King Amos blushed. “Cedric is actually frustrated. He hated the fact that he could have prevented the incident this afternoon. When Albus and I performed Legilimency on him this morning, his vision was so clouded we could not decipher any clear image, just outlines. We couldn't probe anymore without destroying his mind…I should be apologizing for not being of any assistance…”

“Nonsense, Amos! You know how unpredictable the field of Divination is…” Lily snorted.

Dumbledore tried to redirect the conversation by asking, “Amelia, you were saying? Is there a reason that you wish to confirm Master Draco's award?”

“Aye, Albus. But before I continue…King John, when do your guests from Slytherin leave?” Amelia asked again.

“Tomorrow morning…I mean, `this' morning after breakfast. Lord Malfoy sought an audience with me and Sara after dinner and made his farewell. Master Draco was inconspicuously absent. Upon Sara's inquiry, he told us that his son was resting due to injuries sustained.” King John answered.

“Well, since the rest of us have extended our visit a couple of days due to this incident, we can come up with a plan for the awarding ceremony of Master Draco in the Kingdom of Gryffindor,” Amelia told the group. “Your Majesty, may I request that the House of Weasley be kept in the dark pertaining to our plan on the citation ceremonies—we do not know how…involved…a certain member of their house is with the heir of the Steward of Slytherin…”

“Though I trust Arthur, I will heed your suggestion. But this is assuming that Master Draco accepts the award,” King James answered.

“Who in their right mind would refuse?” Mad Eye Moody sputtered out.

“Who said any mind from Slytherin was `right'?” Remus countered, having found his voice again.

“True, very true,” Sirius answered immediately.

The rest of the group chuckled in agreement.

Dumbledore then said, “May I suggest that we end this meeting before Duke Sirius starts extrapolating about the rightness of minds of those from the snake kingdom?” To which a resounding chorus of “ayes” were heard.

“We've all had a long, trying day…but let us rest our eyes and weary bodies, for tomorrow shall be a new sunrise. Our minds shall be fresh with ideas by then. Till breakfast later—twinker, barmy skitterfizz!” and with that, Albus Dumbledore Disapparated.

The group felt the wards break and then fall back into place; they knew the locking and silence spells were now broken. Looking at each other, they recalled the last three words uttered by the most powerful wizard since Merlin and then burst out laughing, all thinking that you don't have to be in a right mind to be powerful!

XXXXX

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S DYING?!”

The Princess of Ravenclaw fumed at the healer who had just informed her of the prince's condition. “YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!” she screamed, which caused the trio that initially left the room to come rushing back in.

Prince Cedric saw the hostile look on the princess. He felt his fiancée clutch his arm, which caught his attention. Following her gaze he, Lady Cho, and Lord Ron saw the knick knacks around the room start to levitate. A charge could be felt in the air, as if a strong thunderstorm was about to erupt. Looking around, he saw the healers stop their administrations over the prince as they all stared at the princess whose eyes were now glowing and transfixed on the poor healer cowering before her.

Cho cautiously approached the princess. Then, looking at Cedric and Ron, who had both brought out their wands. She nodded and then stepped forward, catching the princess in a hug. As she embraced Hermione, Cedric and Ron cast an umbrella charm over everyone in the room, therefore preventing the hovering knick knacks from falling on their heads when the princess lost her concentration upon the contact from her friend.

The three kings, two queens, an overseer, and two Marauders came charging in, wands ready because of the crashing and shrieking heard. King James and Queen Lily looked at the face of the healer before the princess. The poor healer looked as if he was just about to faint. Then they looked to the princess, whose face was now covered by her hands as she sobbed while she being held by Cho. They concluded that their son's condition was not good.

“How could this happen?” Hermione whispered unbelievingly. Then as she turned towards the anxious healers, she roared, “HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?! WE ARE THE BLOODY SEAT OF HEALING AND YOU MISSED THE FACT THAT THE PRINCE HAS BEEN POISONED?! ARE YOU BLOODY KIDDING ME?!”

Queen Lily gasped as she heard this and King James threw his arms around his wife, whose knees started to buckle. The parents of the princess rushed over to their daughter who was straining against the hold of her friend, and they too started to hold Hermione back, afraid that she would leap across the bed to attack the healers.

Dumbledore turned toward the door, ushered the rest of their group in, closed it, and then cast a powerful silencing and locking charm to the room. He looked at the Princess of Ravenclaw, and thought, “Rowena, you have chosen your heir well. She is powerful indeed, but lacks in control—for now. Yes, I see that she has fulfilled her role in taming the lion—she certainly has him under her spell, as he does her…” he chuckled which caused every pair of eyes to focus on him for the inappropriate sound he had just released. “I'm sorry but I believe that I mistakenly heard that the Crown Prince of Gryffindor -Godric's heir, mind you—has been poisoned? By who, pray tell?”

“By the troll…. Your Majesties, the Crown Prince was held by a mountain troll. Though they are normally nocturnal and do not usually venture to populated areas, they have various ways of protecting themselves,” a healer started to explain as green flames erupted from the hearth and Madam Pomfrey emerged, taking in the scene before her.

Taking one look at her prince's leg and his arms, she gasped and turning to Duke Sirius, “You did not tell me he was in contact with a mountain troll!” The duke and king from Gryffindor winced.

The healers of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor suddenly moved in synchronization with each other, pulling out potions, waving wands and muttering incantations. Another burst of green flames erupted from the hearth and Baron Finnigan tumbled out, followed closely behind by Sir Longbottom Ron approached them and then pulled them to the side so they would not be in the way. King James and Queen Lily were about to go to their son when Madam Pomfrey gave them a sharp look, causing them to move back.

“Who else has come in contact with the prince?” Madam Pomfrey asked. All of the Ravenclaw healers looked at the princess, their eyes growing wide. The king, queen, and Cho instinctively released her.

Three healer wands were aimed at King John, Queen Sara, and Lady Cho; each tip glowed blue after a moment. Then a healer wand was trained at Prince Cedric and Lord Ronald, and again their tips went blue. The healer's wand was about to aim at King James when he said, “I never came in contact with my son or the troll.” The healer shrugged but ran his wand over the King of Gryffindor. Again the result was blue. Then it moved to Queen Lily. When the result was blue, every healer let out a sigh of relief, knowing that the blue light had confirmed that they had no poison circulating in their system.

Finally the supervising healer, who had broken the news to the princess, approached Hermione, glancing back at Madam Pomfrey whose wand was trained at her prince. They uttered under their breaths and waved their wands over their assigned person, both tips glowed green. Suddenly the princess was enveloped by a white aura her eyes glowing, hair whipping around her face from a sourceless wind, the wand which was trained on her vibrated in the hand of the healer then a blue light erupted from it's tip. All the healers gasped as the princess assumed her normal appearance. Dumbfounded, they looked at each other and then at the princess.

Dumbledore, having witnessed this, was amazed too. Never before had he seen self healing magic in such a raw setting. With a twinkle in his eyes, he thought to himself, “Well, she isn't the heir of Rowena for nothing!” The princess then approached the bed Prince Harry was laying down in. Looking at Madam Pomfrey and seeing that the tip of her wand was still green, she reached out to Harry, but was stopped by the healer from Gryffindor.

“Your highness, please. You may get infected again. Let us healers do our duty. Prince Harry James will be taken care of to the best of our abilities…” Madam Pomfrey conveyed.

“Please, Madam Pomfrey… I know what I am doing. We are wasting enough time as it is; I've read what the poison of mountain trolls can do to humans. Though benign to other trolls, contact is fatal to man. Just a brush with a troll's skin can cause sickness for a week. A drop of blood if ingested by a human will instantly kill him. Harry saved my life, now it is my turn to save his,” the princess spoke softly, yet everyone in the room heard her clearly.

The princess climbed onto the bed and knelt beside the unconscious form of her hero whose breaths were starting to grow shallow. She took his face in her hands and closing her eyes, she concentrated. She had never performed anything magical of this magnitude before—yet it somehow felt natural to her, as if she was being guided by some ancient hand in her actions.

Those who looked on at the two figures on the bed were rendered speechless; the parents of the two young royals were beside each other. The mothers clutched each other's hands for support as their respective husbands held them in their arms, all their eyes transfixed on the sight before them.

The princess opened her eyes. It was glowing now and a white mist engulfed the pair. Hermione felt her hands grow warm. Reaching down, she placed a hand over the leg that the troll had grabbed and then an intense heat moved from her hand to the leg of the prince. The bruises disappeared in seconds and she smiled softly as she moved her hands to his arms. Hermione looked at the welts that had appeared from where the troll's blood had splattered. Anger filled her at the sight of the harm that the troll had inflicted, and again heat radiated from her hands to the arms of the prince. The welts vanished immediately.

Finally her hands went back to cup his cheeks, looking down Hermione whispered, “Wake up, luv…” She watched as his eyelids flickered for a moment and then she saw bright emerald orbs looking up at her.

She smiled as the prince instinctively wrapped his arms around her and he pulled her closer to him. With color rapidly filling his face, he smiled at her and she said, “It's about time you woke up, your highness.”

Then her eyes rolled back into her head as the Princess of Ravenclaw slumped heavily into the arms of the shocked Prince of Gryffindor as she lost consciousness.

XXXXX

The Prince of Gryffindor woke up. Looking through the window he could make out the foliage outside in vibrant colors of red, orange, and brown. It was the beginning of autumn after all. He then smiled to himself; there was now a familiar feeling that he was getting very used to every time his green eyes would open. Turning to his other side, he saw a recognizable head whose beautiful brown hair with light highlights was spread on the other side of the bed. She was in an awfully painful position—half on the bed perpendicular to him and half on that ridiculous bedside chair with pink fluffy cushions.

Her hair tickled his arm as he looked down at their tangled fingers. Carefully lifting their hands up, he examined her small delicate fingers in his calloused ones. Harry felt a warm feeling emanate from his chest as he thought of how natural it seemed for Hermione's hand to fit so splendidly in his as if they had been crafted for each other. He wondered how he could go back to Gryffindor and live without the presence of the princess at his side every waking moment.

An idea was starting to formulate in his head as he recalled what a certain twin from the House of Weasley had said concerning a ring…”Sometimes those prats have their moments! But will she agree?”

Harry looked down at Hermione's peacefully contorted figure, “That has got to be the most uncomfortable position to sleep in ever…” The prince made an attempt to pull her closer, then stopped when he heard a cluck of a tongue from somewhere beyond the foot of his bed. Lifting his head so ever slowly in an attempt not to wake the sleeping beauty beside him, he saw two blurry figures both sitting in the same comical bedside chair that the princess slept in…

“I wouldn't do that if I were you… You might end up in a very compromising position that would call for another ceremony and an exchanging of rings, mate,” Ron said. The man with dark blond hair chuckled, shaking his head slowly.

“Maybe I want to be in that very compromising position, ever thought of that?” Harry shot back in a hissing whisper, as he looked at the still sleeping figure of the princess.

“Who said that she wants to be in that compromising position with you—eh, mate?” Ron countered, smiling as he did so to take off the edge.

“I think we've established the fact that it is mutual,” the dark blond prince from Helga's kingdom stated with a grin.

“Shut your traps—we may wake her up!” the prince of Gryffindor said in his hissing whisper.

“Harry, take it from me—a pack of hippogriffs can come charging in and dance the tango before her highness and she'll still be out. Did you know that Hermione hasn't left your side since the troll fiasco?” Cedric informed his counter part from the kingdom of the Lion. He and Ron saw the prince raise himself slowly to a sitting position, still not breaking the contact he had with the princess.

Harry shook his head, a bit dazed. He looked around and noticed that things were blurry. Reaching over to the bed stand he tried to get his glasses, but seeing that he couldn't reach it, he looked over at the two gentlemen. He saw that they were in no hurry to help him in this simple task. Harry looked down at his hand still holding the princess', he was now officially stuck in a predicament, “Cedric, can you please…”

“Bloody hell, Harry, let go of her hand!” Cedric said then tried to conceal his silly smile as Harry glared at him.

“Ron?”

“No way, mate. Seeing you struggle like this is just rich…” Ron said, watching with interest .

Harry, letting out a deep breath to contain his frustrations at his so called friends, slowly maneuvered his lower body, every so often looking at the still sleeping princess to make sure she didn't stir. Then he reached the bed stand with his feet. He could just imagine how humiliating he looked since he heard the two men snickering at him. Harry then felt his toes come in contact with his glasses. Gripping them awkwardly he was able to inch them closer to the bed. Finally, after a little fancy `foot work,' he was able to get hold of his glasses and put them on. Looking at the princess, he let out a sigh of relief that she had not woken up. He could now clearly see Cedric and Ron, both red with restrained laughter.

“What?” Harry asked.

“Mate, for a somewhat powerful wizard and heir to an influential kingdom, you certainly are dense!” Ron said in between laughs.

“Harry it is so hilarious watching you do that! Very nimble—I'm sure Hermione will gladly appreciate it when you put it to good use in bed!” Cedric chided the now red faced prince.

“What's wrong with you gits?! I needed my glasses and a lot of help you two are!” Harry spat softly, not quite achieving the effect he wanted his sentence to have since he was trying to make as little noise as possible.

Ron couldn't contain himself; he gripped the arm rest of the chair he was seated on to prevent himself from collapsing to the floor with mirth! Looking over at the prince of Hufflepuff, Ron saw that he too, was reflecting his stance. “Your highness, I recall that you were able to call your sword which was tucked away at this tower in your closed, locked trunk with the spell—`A C C I O'. Who would have believed that getting your glasses a mere few inches away from you would be much more challenging? Is that not right, Prince Cedric?” Ron ended.

“That you are right in, Lord Ron!” Cedric burst out in laughter.

Harry felt sheepish, he certainly was not thinking right—looking at the princess still unconscious, he knew the reason why. Sighing he tried to stretch and felt pain on his back, arms and leg. Looking at the two he asked, ”Oi! How long have I been out?”

This question sobered up the two immediately. Looking at each other and then at the man who inquired, “A week, mate…” Ron answered softly.

“WHAT!” Harry said very loudly, and then he felt the bed shift as the princess moved. The three gentlemen held their breaths. Hermione moved her free hand across the bed and the prince went utterly still. Finally, the free hand of the princess came in contact with his waist. Sighing, she turned her head and went back to sleep. The three men let out a shaky breath.

“What?!” Harry whispered.

This brought the Cedric and Ron closer to Harry's bed. Levitating their chairs from the fireplace they placed it on the other side of his bed and started to explain everything that had happened since Harry was brought out from his stupor and the poison from the troll was extracted by the princess. Ron related that Neville and Seamus had stayed till the fifth day when they were summoned back to Gryffindor, and how his parents had wanted to stay but Madam Pomfrey had convinced them to return to Gryffindor since their duties at the kingdom needed to be fulfilled. So they had left as well on the third day after the attack along with the Marauders and the House of Weasleys.

Cedric then told him that his father, too went back to Hufflepuff on the same day as the king and queen of Gryffindor left. He decided it was best to stay behind to watch over the princess. They told Harry that the heir of the Steward of Slytherin would be given an Order of Merlin because of his actions in rescuing Ginny to which Harry choked, but couldn't do much more since now both princess' hands were on him and he did not want that fact to change.

Cedric told him that Lady Cho had indeed flooed her father when Hermione collapsed but after the healer conferred with Madam Pomfrey about his and Hermione's condition, Healer Chang said there was nothing he could do since all the couple really needed was a good sleep, but there was a problem: the stubborn princess refused to sleep after she regained consciousness. Then his fiancée went back to his kingdom with her father to resume her healer training, but continued flooing him every hour, asking for an update on their conditions. Ron then continued on about how the princess never left his side, because she was worried for him - although most of the poison had been removed, there was still enough left in Harry's system to cause him to have a very high fever for two days.

“Madam Pomfrey is still here?” Harry asked.

“Yeah, mate, so is Dobby,” Ron answered.

“What did Hermione do to make Madam Pomfrey have her stay here?” Harry wanted to find out, knowing fully well that the healer never let anyone stay for a prolonged period of time with him whenever he was injured—even his parents.

“Oh, it was easy. The princess here shattered every window in this room—take note, without her wand!” Ron said, somewhat amazed.

“Aye Harry, in fact when she was told by the supervising healer of Ravenclaw that you were dying, and then discovering that it was a mountain troll that attacked you, she almost blew up the tower! Cho had to hug her to break her concentration!”

Harry's jaw dropped at that tidbit.

“Yeah mate, I'd think twice before I get the princess go ballistic at me! How you're going to always stay in her good graces is beyond me,” Ron joked.

“I remember hearing her; it was dark and I heard her telling me to wake up. Then it was like I was being pulled toward her voice... I saw her and then she said something... then finally, she collapsed on top of me. Funny, it felt like I wanted to kiss her…then I was in the dark again and every so often I'd hear her voice telling me to go back to her…” Harry said in confusion, trying to make sense of what he just said.

“Harry, you almost did kiss her,” Cedric whispered. He reiterated how the princess healed herself and then he finally ended his story with how Hermione had collapsed from the sheer magnitude of the spell she'd cast.

“Hermione never left your side; she stayed in that chair Albus conjured up for her. She had her ladies in waiting bring up books which she read to you while you were recovering. Did you know that when anyone visited you, we always caught her in some state of tears? Sometimes she was bawling, complaining that you weren't listening to her—even scolding you while you were out of it for having a thick head! Other times, she just stared at you, her tears dried up on her cheeks—we were more afraid of her state of mind than we were of your recuperation! Harry, last night was the first night Hermione slept peacefully and that was only because her mother put in a little sleeping draught in her evening tea.”

“I swear, that one is scary. When you were going into fits because of your fever and the poison, all the healers would bound up here along with Poppy. But before they could do anything or slip you a potion, the princess would just put both her hands on your shoulders and whisper something into your ear. Then you'd stop and go back to a peaceful sleep—what was scary is that after doing that she'd pick up her book and read again, like nothing happened—honestly, mental that one is...” Ron explained.

The Prince of Gryffindor looked at his two friends who had stayed with him throughout this entire ordeal with an expression of deep gratitude. Then he shifted his eyes to the Princess of Ravenclaw still sleeping in a position that would certainly cause a few knots in her body. He felt something stronger for her than appreciation for never leaving him. He knew what he had to do—but the next steps were very crucial.

Looking back at his best mates, he smiled and said, “Gentlemen, there is a favor I ask of you…I have to make our remaining stay in the Kingdom of Rowena very worthwhile. It's a hunting we shall go…”

At Cedric's and Ron's confused looks, he simply stated, “Mates, this lion has to go capture his eagle!” The two men smirked, understanding what Harry meant—then they started planning their strategies in catching Harry's prey; all the while the Prince of Gryffindor never disturbed the physical hold the Princess of Ravenclaw had on him.

A/N—whew…that's it for this chapter—don't forget to tell me what you think by leaving a review! :D

…teaser for the next chapter...Red Moon, a visit to Voldie's past and HHr's relationship takes a big leap…

1

-->

A/N: Happy Holiday's to everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all—hope it will have enough fluff to make the cold days a bit warmer…

I must warn you that between the fluff there is a dark side that you will read—I did “strategically” sandwich it between the Red Moon and the Pumpkin Pie…

WARNING: I did change the ratings of this chapter to PG-13…

Again my undying gratitude to VacantSkies, as usual I'm pimping his fine beta-ing qualities by asking you to visit his website: www.fanfiction.net/~vacantskies His magic is unbelievable!

Disclaimer: Never owned them and never will…

So without further ado…

Chapter 8

She sat in the library reading as he observed her from behind a stone pillar, taking in the loose tendrils of her flaxen hair as she chewed on her lower lip, the sunlight streaming from the window beside her making her look angelic.

“I do sense your presence there, you know,” Luna said without raising her head from the book.

Ron swore under his breath and felt ridiculous at being caught. He straightened his back and stepped out from his hiding place, slowly approaching the small hovel at the corner in the Grand Library of Ravenclaw.

“Good day, Lady Lovegood,” he greeted with a slight bow, “I…”

“Is it really good?” Luna asked.

Ron looked at her frowning, “Wha--?”

Luna closed her book slowly, a dreamy expression on her face as she raised it to meet Lord Weasley, “I asked if it really is good.”

“What is good?”

“The day,” Luna replied, seeing his baffled expression she sighed then in a mimicking tone, “You just said `Good day, Lady Lovegood.'”

“That was a greeting.”

“So you are saying that the day is not good but you just decided that that was the proper way to address me?”

Ron looked at her completely bewildered; he didn't know where this conversation was getting them. He was informed about her discharge by Lady Cho and he had this unquenchable need to seek out the lady he had escorted to the infirmary the day before.

Ron began to stutter then closed his mouth as he tried to rethink his next move.

“You are staring at me, Lord Weasley.”

Ron blinked and saw an ethereal grin on Lady Lovegood's lips. He realized how eerie that smile would have been on another woman's face but on Luna, it befitted her. His eyes wandered from the ashen blond hair in disarray at being held up by her wand, the widow's peak on her forehead emphasizing her heart shaped face, the hue of her eyes like that of twilight breaking over the horizon to her lips with that ghostly smile. He caught himself as realization dawned on him that he just gave this lady from the Princess' court an improper once over. Then he saw a brow cock up as if she knew what he was thinking.

“Satisfied?” she asked softly.

“I beg your pardon?” Ron replied using the most distinguishing tone he could muster.

“No need to beg, Lord Weasley. My pardon is not worth it.”

Ron felt one side of his lips quirk up as he gave her a lopsided smile, “Quick witted one, aren't you?”

“Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure, Lord Weasley,” came her smug reply.

Ron again gawked as he felt his stability slowly ebbing away. He'd known in advance what he'd be up against if he decided to do some verbal sparring against a Ravenclaw, but this woman was surpassing his expectations and defeating him with ease.

Straightening his back he bowed before her, “Let me start again, I am Lord Ronald Bilius of the House of—“

“Weasley hailing from the Kingdom of Gryffindor—yes, yes I know all that,” Luna stated, cutting him off effectively.

“Merlin, woman! Let me finish!” Ron exclaimed running a hand through his hair.

“Why have you waste such precious time introducing one's self when I know of what you were about to say before saying it?” Luna wondered. “Very well, I love games-hence I shall play by your rules, Lord Ronald Bilius of the venerable House of Weasley from the Kingdom of Gryffindor.”

She stood up and curtsied gracefully before him, when she was upright again she said rather airily, “I am Lady Luna of the House of Lovegood, daughter of the venerated Sir Lovegood, chief scriber to the Rulers of Ravenclaw, a proud citizen from the Kingdom of Rowena, a member of the court of the Crown Princess Hermione Jane of the venerable House of Granger and—“

“Are you mocking me?”

She smiled, “Ne'er. Sarcastic parody is not a trait I regard highly. For that you must see the House of Dursley—specifically Vernon and Dudley, the courts jesters of Gryffindor. I hear they are a duo that everyone finds amusing especially if they serve as targets for vegetation cast upon them after their acts.”

Ron snorted, recalling the father and son team that had entertained them during feasts back at his kingdom. They certainly were a portly pair and they were able to cause a stitch at his side especially when they weren't even trying to be funny.

“You seem to have much knowledge about my kingdom.”

Luna sat down again and pulled out her wand from her hair, ultimately causing it to fall in soft curls around her. Swishing it about, she conjured up a cushioned chair behind Ron then tucked her wand behind her ear. Waving her hand, she gestured for him to sit down, “If we must carry on with this verbal banter then I insist that you have a seat.”

“Tiring you with this `verbal banter, am I?” Ron replied conceitedly as he moved to sit down.

“Ne'er, Lord Ronald, I do not find it tiring…in fact I perceive it to be quite stimulating. Though, I am afraid that you may need something to keep you upright as our conversation may make you feel a little lightheaded.”

Ron, who was about to sit down, stopped and raised his head to search her eyes. He just felt his mental capacity had been insulted. But all he saw was playful mirth in her deep, lavender eyes.

When he was comfortably seated, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and smiled at her knowingly, “Aye, you may be right, Lady Lovegood. I may need something to keep me upended because you are doing a fine job at knocking me off my pedestal.”

Luna shrugged and leaned back herself, closing her eyes while she rubbed her temples. Ron immediately leaned forward and asked with a worried voice, “What's wrong? Must I escort you to the infirmary again—no, wait! I'll call a healer for you—“

“No need, I am just experiencing some residual effects from the emotional outburst of my princess,” Luna said with a shake of her head as she opened her eyes to meet the clearest blue orbs filled with anxiety.

She just stared into Ron's eyes and felt her mouth go dry at the strong apprehension that she felt rolling off from him to her. Luna shivered as she felt the run of emotions that went through the gentleman's veins and she knew that there was a certain connection that was made when she collapsed in his arms yesterday at the courtyard after the troll attack.

“Are you sure?” Ron asked as he reached out to touch her. Luna nodded, looking down at his masculine hand on her dainty one which had completely engulfed it.

Ron followed her gaze and felt a jolt pass through him. He couldn't see Luna's hand under his but he could feel its warmth and softness. He let it rest there for a bit then slowly withdrew.

“I am sorry,” Ron said in a hoarse voice he didn't recognize as his own.

Luna raised her eyes to meet his, “Are you apologizing for touching me or are you sorry that you did?”

Ron saw a hurt look pass fleetingly on her face, “I apologize for caressing you without your permission, dear lady. I am sorry that I prolonged the touch to your discomfort but I do not apologize for ever touching you.”

Luna smiled and nodded, “Lord Weasley, I am very glad you said that and with such conviction.”

“Why?”

“Because kind sir, caressing and touching will all we will be doing in the future…” Luna said dreamily.

Ron blushed, completely speechless at her bluntness. He wondered if it was a Ravenclaw trait to be so brutally frank. “I…I…well…uh…Lady Lovego—“

“A very eloquent gentleman,” Luna giggled as Ron's blush deepened. “Please address me as Luna—for now. We will hash out the endearments in the coming days.”

Smiling ridiculously at her comment about endearments, he just said, “Very well…Luna. You may call me Ron.”

Shaking her head, she tenderly said, “I will not. I will call you Ronald—my Ronald.”

“Your Ronald? We have only had the pleasure of knowing each other for a few hours if we include the time from yesterday and already I am your possession?” he asked with a chuckle.

Luna snorted, “I own nothing that does not wish to be possessed. Tell me Ronald, why is it you sought me out today? I heard your friends had arrived yesterday along with Madam Pomfrey - why did you not stay in their company and explore this wonderful kingdom of Ravenclaw and all it has to offer? The notorious reputation precedes the gentlemen of Gryffindor, especially among the ladies as they are known to swoon with the mere knowledge that they will be in your presence. I must wonder why a handsome man such as yourself, would be here in the Grand Library on his own accord having a verbal tryst with someone like me?”

Ron paused before he inquired, “I will answer all your questions if you answer me this, what do you mean by `someone like you'?”

“Ah, I see that unlike you, my notoriety has not yet reached your ears,” Luna stated knowingly. “Very well, I am what you may call peculiar, odd…eccentric even. My Princess coined a very fitting pet name for me that only she uses which is `Loony'. Others may find it insulting, but I find it endearing since I know very well that Princess Hermione would never hurt me consciously. You see Ronald, I believe in things that others do not. I do not follow what is to most, the norm—hence I seem to threaten their sanity.”

Luna paused and watched his reaction carefully as she let her empath powers flow. She felt his confusion, then something that she thought she would not feel—his sorrow for her. Warmth suddenly filled her as it radiated from him. Finally she saw a smile grace his features as she felt his acceptance.

Ron leaned forward, “Luna,” he whispered, “I am sorry…”

“I need not your pity, Ronald.”

“You do not have my pity, you have my sadness, I am certain you felt that. I apologize on behalf of all those fools who had regarded you less because of your uniqueness. Now in fairness to answer your questions,” Ron took her hand, “Whatever reputation you have heard about my Prince and his court are probably true. I would never lie to you, so I will not try to hide my guilt of what you have accused me concerning the feminine gender. But rest assured that a man can change—if there is a reason to.”

Luna was quiet for a moment as she absorbed what this man had just said. She liked the fact that he declared that he would not lie to her. It made her feel special.

“I do not believe that someone should change against their own accord, even for the right reason. People, though dynamic, are afraid of change and oddity. So I beg to differ with your opinion,” Luna finished with a sigh.

She realized that though she erroneously assumed that the man before her had a certain shallowness about him, he was quite complex. The reputation that she had heard about Lord Ronald Bilius was from a good source—another lady of the Princess' court, specifically from Lady Lavender of the House of Brown who had regaled the other ladies-in-wait with tales of her short but quite passionate affair with the gentleman who now sat before her.

“Everyone is entitled to their own sentiment,” Ron said quietly.

After a pregnant pause, Luna decided to change the topic, “Well, you did promise to answer all my questions, and you have only one that remains—why are you here?”

Ron looked her straight in the eye and said rather firmly, “I felt like you needed me.”

Luna burst out laughing and then abruptly stopped at seeing the serious expression on Ron's face, “Are you claiming that you have empathic powers too?”

“And why not? You just claimed a while ago to have the third eye by predicting that you and I are destined to become friends with benefits. As far as I know, the only true seers hail from the Kingdom of Helga,” Ron quickly replied.

Luna giggled. “I did no such thing! I claim no power of foresight—although an Augurey's knack of predicting rain would be a helpful trait.”

Now it was Ron's turn to laugh, “Ah, the peculiarity has finally made its appearance! I have been warned that you like to go off in strange tangents.”

Luna looked at him with a stunned expression, then her eyes glazed over and the dreamy look returned.

Raising an eyebrow, Ron continued in a soft tone, “You are not the only one who listens to stories. You forget that my infamous twin brothers are the creators of the Extendable Ears. So you see, Lady Lovegood, I am not the only one whose reputation precedes them.”

Luna remained silent as Ron leaned closer to her, “I do know what people say about you. I know about the ridicule you endure from others when you turn your back. You tend to run away and shun yourself from the hurt it causes you by reverting to that endearingly beautiful dreamy expression of yours. But I also know that you are in need to have someone feel for you, for a change.”

Luna's eyes widened at what he said and he smiled, sensing an accomplishment at making this scintillating lady speechless and coming out of it alive. Ron softly continued, “And I wholeheartedly agree - touching, caressing, whispering sweet nothings, and calling each other silly names will all certainly be in our future.”

“Why do you say that?” Luna whispered back, feeling like she was just cornered at her own game.

“I may be a dense, thick-headed prick of a gentleman from the court of Gryffindor, but Luna, I have come to realize the inevitable.”

“And what realization is that, Lord Weasley?” Luna asked rather shakily.

“That I have finally found the reason for me to change,” Ron said plainly while looking into her eyes.

Luna slowly pulled back and placed her hand on his cheek as Ron smiled back at her, “Thank you,” was all she uttered.

They spent that afternoon talking to each other as the battle of wits ended and their romance began.

XXXXX

“CRUCIO!”

A man with platinum blond hair was on the floor curled in a fetal position, writhing in pain in the Slytherin throne room. A hairless man, with eyes of red and pale white skin adorned in green royal robes was pacing in front of him.

“FINITE INCANTATEM.”

“I am sorry, your Majesty. We were not expecting the group from Gryffindor to foil your plan…Forgive me for my idiocy…”

“CRUCIO! You will not speak unless I order you to,” the King of Slytherin hissed. It had irritated him no end that again the royal family of Gryffindor had ruined a grand plan of his!

King Voldemort watched the man before him convulse in pain as he let his mind wander to his past. He recalled with fondness his grandfather, the last great King of Slytherin. King Marvolo had been a harsh wizard and Voldemort had admired him and considered him his role model. Under Marvolo's reign, Slytherin had flourished in the Dark Arts and the mighty Kingdom of Salazar was feared by all. He remembered with pride how even their own citizens feared the House of Gaunt. But then his mother had to ruin it all by falling in love with a Muggle.

Voldemort felt his bile rise up at the mere thought of his father. Tom from the House of Riddle had been a wealthy, influential Muggle who was well traveled. He came from a land beyond the borders of the four kingdoms and happened upon the land of Salazar by chance. It had only taken that one encounter between Tom and his mother, Crown Princess Merope for everything to get shot down to Hades!

From what his grandfather had told him, his mother, a humiliation to Salazar's teaching and being weak in character, had easily fallen for the traveling Muggle. She'd always follow him around and listen to tales of his adventures as he roamed the lands of the world beyond her castle. It was during this chance stay that Princess Merope brewed a love potion that caused the Muggle to reciprocate her feelings and after a single night of passion, the princess had found herself pregnant.

The royal House of Gaunt had immediately gone into action and despite their disgust, had Tom wed Merope. They had guarded the tidbit that Tom was a Muggle by obliviating those that knew and circulating the news that he was actually a squib. They created charms and spells that would prevent the news from proliferating about the true blood line of the now Prince Tom of the House of Riddle, who by some twist of fate would be the first Muggle and first in line to ascend the thrown of Salazar.

Then Tom was born and his grandfather had taken it upon himself to educate him on the true teachings of Salazar. Voldemort had recalled the many times King Marvolo would bring him to a secret chamber far below the castle and teach him about the Dark Arts and of the prejudices that were instilled in all Slytherin citizens. He inwardly flinched as he remembered the times he would get a spell or potion wrong and his grandfather would immediately cast the Cruciatus curse on him. He was always told it helped him to build character.

“Tom,” his grandfather spat out, practically revolted by his name - the same as his father's. “You are Salazar's last chance. The time of my existence in this world is soon to come to an end. Your parents are weak and under their reign. Slytherin will be no more.”

Sighing, the old king sat down and looked at him with dark, cold eyes. “You must be the wizard who will ascend to the throne and not your parents. Do you know that Merope told me that the first law she and that husband of her's would decree would be the banishment of the Dark Arts?”

Tom was baffled. “What?!”

“Yes, they have this notion that Slytherin should be reunited with the other three kingdoms,” Marvolo answered as he pounded his hand on the table. “It will be a cold day in Hades if I ever allow that!”

“But grandfather, I have not had my coronation ceremony yet, I have no official stake to the throne.”

“Yes, I know, you have a mere two years to master these arts,” Marvolo's eyes bored into Tom, as he continued, “You must remember and practice all that I have taught you.”

“Grandfather, you will be there during my coronation and together we shall instill terror among this land!” Tom shouted as he felt his blood boil at what his parents had planned on decreeing.

“Death is a weak being's escape…My time has passed,” Marvolo said a bit wistfully, “But your time is upon you, and yes, you shall be great.”

Tom smiled discreetly at what his king stated.

“You must change your name, however. Though you are Prince Tom Marvolo of the House of Riddle, I do not wish for you to carry the added burden of humiliation because of a name which you can easily change.”

“What name would you wish me to take?”

“I have given it much thought,” Marvolo replied as he waved his wand and a tome appeared on the table. “Voldemort—you shall be known as King Voldemort—true heir of Salazar.”

Tom was quiet for a moment, before he said hesitantly, “Voldemort?”

“Aye, a loose translation would be `flight from death.'”

“I do not understand,” Tom questioned hoping that he would not be Crucio-ed for asking. “How can I run from death? It is inevitable!”

King Marvolo opened the tome and showed Tom the context. “That, Tom, will be my last gift to you—immortality!”

Tom stared at his grandfather in awe, “Immortality?”

“Do not make me raise my wand to you again, boy!” Marvolo threatened, pointing to the tome before them. “It is all here, you must read this; study the finer points and learn to use it.”

Scanning the page, Tom whispered, “But would this not just be lessening my life span?”

“No, Tom, you will not be lessening life expectancy. You are assuring yourself of a resurrection!” Marvolo pushed the open book in front of his grandson. “This is all that prevents the true line of Salazar from disappearing.”

Tom looked back at the book and started to read the text, `How to create a Horcrux.'

Two years later, after his own coronation ceremony as Crown Prince from the House of Riddle, heir to the throne of Salazar, his father Tom was now the King of Slytherin, the only Muggle to ascend to the throne of Slytherin. King Marvolo had died a year ago. King Tom had been mourning for a few months about the mysterious death of his wife.

“Son, your mother would have been proud of the ceremony today,” King Tom stated softly with pride lacing his voice. “So what did you need to see me for?” he asked the prince after his entry.

Tom looked at his father and seethed with anger and hatred and thought, “How could I have been sired by a lowly Muggle! A humiliation that I will live with till the day I die! Well, not for long—his bogus reign will end tonight. I am meant to be the rightful heir of Salazar—not some deprived being!”

“Really? Well, it is a shame that she had died so suddenly—are there any leads to her murderers?” Tom asked in a low voice as he walked around the room.

“We have been looking into that, Tom, but every lead ends in a dead end!” The king replied, frustration enveloping his voice.

“A dead end for you—you worthless Muggle!” Prince Tom thought. “Look how stupid a Muggle mind is! He has no inkling that mother died in my hands! She deserved it! Marrying a creature beneath her was her downfall! And all these talks about a unification of Kingdoms! Salazar would be appalled at the idea! Have they no foresight that the Kingdom of Slytherin is meant for greatness? The kingdoms will be united—under my reign, under the flag of Salazar Slytherin!”

“Father,” Tom spat the word, “why have all the dark arts books been locked away?”

“We do not need it, Tom. It is bad enough that our kingdom has been known to be dabbling only in Dark Magic—we need to show the other three kingdoms that we have changed towards the light. Only defenses against the dark arts would be taught in our kingdom from now on. It is what your mother would have wanted,” King Tom ended in a whisper. Every time he referred to his queen, he felt a great loss.

Gazing at his son, he recognized a sense of failure at raising Tom; it was no secret that his son was so absorbed in dark magic and it did not help that he was personally educated by his grandfather, something his mother had not wanted. King Tom promised himself that his wife's death would not be in vain, so he had anything that was related to dark magic banished from the kingdom. It was not easy, but small steps would lead to the greater good for everyone.

“How do you expect defenses against dark magic to be in the best interest for the citizens of Slytherin if they have no grasp as to how dark magic works?” Tom argued.

“To study dark arts in theory would be enough. But to apply magic with the intention to harm is unforgivable…” the king started to reason.

“Unforgivable?! Salazar Slytherin had a vast knowledge of dark magic and the insight that only Purebloods are best at handling it.”

“Tom, you know that you are not Pureblood…”

“DO NOT TREAD THERE, FATHER!” Tom shrieked. “If it weren't for your dirty blood coursing through my veins I would have been renowned before my time, but despite this burden I carry—I WILL BE GREAT!”

“Tom—son, I wholeheartedly agree that you will be great and in time, you will become ruler to this powerful kingdom. But there is no need to give in to the darkness in order to achieve greatness. Look at Gryffindor…” King Tom was about to expound.

“Gryffindor is pathetic! To allow their citizens to mingle with Mudbloods, Muggles and lowly magical creatures is a sign of debility! Only Purebloods are worthy of power!” Tom said, cutting into his father's reasoning. It made him feel nauseous that he was even having this discussion with a mere Muggle who had never had the comprehension of magic.

“There are other roads to greatness. Being Pureblooded has nothing to do with it—it all has to do with the choices we make,” King Tom said in a calm voice, choosing to ignore how his son viewed Muggles as second class citizens. “Where did we go wrong? How can my son—conceived with so much love - be consumed with hatred and greed?” the king pondered sadly.

“There are no other roads to power—father—except through fear and domination and the only way to have control is through dark magic. Choices and willpower have nothing to do with it!” Tom continued. He now had a glassy look in his eyes, something bordering on madness.

Tom turned his back to his father. He cautiously took out his wand from his cloak and changing the topic, said in a low voice, “Father, you need not look any farther for mother's murderer. He is standing before you…”

King Tom's eyes grew wide. He felt panic and fury. How could his own son take away the life of another—and the woman who gave him life and love? He slowly reached for his dagger, his only defense.

Trying to control his emotions, King Tom choked out, “Son, I forgive you. I am sure your mother forgives you. I will not ask for the reason as to why you would take the life of someone whose only fault was loving you…We will get through this, I'm sure it was an accident…”

“It was no accident! Get it through that minuscule Muggle brain of yours! Mother was weak—she fell in love with a lowly creature! You are a mere Muggle and because of this, I despise you…As you said father,” Tom drawled on the word, “I will be a great ruler. Grandfather knew that and made sure that I would not be hindered by the disability of having a Muggle sire me. He made sure that I would follow the teachings of the founder of this kingdom—for I truly am the heir of Salazar, and in order for me to be a powerful king I must rid myself of the weaknesses that surround me…” Turning to the man who sired him, he raised his wand and said, “Farewell to the last of my weaknesses, farewell father…my reign now begins…”

Seeing the fear in the eyes of this man just added a sense of supremacy to Tom. He loved the look of terror he caused in the eyes of those who beheld him. With no further words uttered between them, Tom waved his wand and said:

“AVADA KEDAVRA!”

His father fell from his chair as Tom casually walked to his corpse and looked into his vacant eyes. Slowly he bent down and took the ring of Salazar from his father's finger and pushed it onto his own. Raising his hand, he admired the band and then he placed his hand on his father's neck. Feeling around the now cold body, his fingers found what he was searching for. Pulling the chain roughly, he snapped it from around the former king's neck. He stood up and looked upon the locket in his palm. With an evil leer he silently left the room and started to head down to the secret chamber below the castle to split his soul…

Annoyed, King Voldemort looked upon the two Death Eaters, one a traitor to Gryffindor who had gone limp due to the effects of the Cruciatus curse yet breathing still and the other, the steward of his kingdom who was still under the curse.

“FINITE INCANTATEM.”

Breathless, the steward of Slytherin did not speak; he did not have the courage nor the capacity to do so as he was still reeling from the agonizing pain of the curse. The king looked upon his two servants with disgust.

Voldemort came up with the plot that a rescue of the Princess of Ravenclaw by the heir of the Steward of Slytherin would cause her kingdom to be in debt to Slytherin. He would have them repay it with the hand of the princess, assuring the bond between the two kingdoms. Voldemort knew that upon his marriage to the princess, it would give Slytherin an heir and he knew of the innate power of Rowena's heir which would be an added bonus to his strength. With such power, no one would stand in his way of total domination. Yet here he was, heirless, and now from the information given to him by his Steward, it seemed as if the Crown Prince of Gryffindor was to stake a claim for the hand of the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw. If those two kingdoms would be bound by marriage, they would be invincible!

Looking at his steward, King Voldemort asked, “Tell me, Lucius, why should I spare your life?”

“Your Majesty, my son will be awarded the Order of Merlin…” Lord Malfoy panted out.

“You boast of the Order of Merlin?! Might I remind you if you had not foiled my plan I would be greater than Merlin! All the more reason to take your life... AVADA—“

“YOUR MAJESTY, WE WILL USE THE CEREMONY TO OUR ADVANTAGE! THE CEREMONY WILL BE A SHOWCASE OF YOUR INFINITE POWER!” Lucius screamed before his king could cast the spell.

King Voldemort paused and then said, “Go on, Lucius, I am now listening. I am not totally heartless—as you see, I too can be merciful…”

“Your Majesty, thank you…” Lucius let out a sigh of relief, and then he continued. “Draco, my son, will be given the Order of Merlin in a ceremony in the Kingdom of Gryffindor; all the royal families of the two other kingdoms will be in attendance, may I suggest a kidnapping of sorts or revenge on the House of Potter? My king, the possibilities are endless…”

“Interesting…We can complete the circuit of betrayal by this traitor…” Turning to the still unconscious body of Pettigrew, Voldemort muttered “Inneverte.”

Pettigrew woke, howling in pain. The king, irritated, screamed, “SILENCIO” and the throne room became eerily quiet.

“Listen well, Pettigrew, for another failure will mean your life. You are to go to Gryffindor and find out every minute detail of the ceremony for Draco Malfoy. I know that the castle has been reconstructed to prevent you from using the secret passages, so find a way in and a way out. There is some unfinished business between me and the Potters…. But Pettigrew, I reiterate—fail me and die.”

With that, the man slowly crawled out of the throne room, shifting to his rat form.

“Lucius, you have once again escaped my wrath though your wife will pay for it tonight,” King Voldemort stated, turning away to leave the throne room. He did not see the loathing in the eyes of his steward as a single tear rolled down his cheek for the benefit of his wife Narcissa.

XXXXX

“What are you doing here?” a soft surprised voice asked.

Smiling, Prince Harry answered, “I am enjoying the cool autumn weather, join me?” as he turned to the princess from where he was sitting.

The prince of Gryffindor was still a guest in the castle of Ravenclaw despite the fact that it had been three and a half weeks since the troll attack. He was not in any hurry to go back to his kingdom and his best friend Lord Ronald Weasley had remained with him. The prince of Hufflepuff had returned to his kingdom a week ago, horribly missing his fiancée and running out of valid excuses to continue his stay to aid the prince of Gryffindor in his plot of romancing the princess.

Princess Hermione looked upon the young man, who, in such a short amount of time, had become fundamental in her everyday activities. Since the troll attack she had never left the side of Prince Harry, she kept convincing herself that it was guilt that made her keep vigil. But a week after Harry regained consciousness and was slowly recovering as the troll's poison was gradually leaving his system, the princess thought she should feel relieved to be leaving his bed chambers and going on with her life. Although, in truth, Hermione dreaded the day that she would be of no use to the prince. That day came two days after the prince awoke. Then Princess Hermione was literally kicked out of the guest bed chamber at the north tower. Madam Pomfrey and the healers of Ravenclaw put their feet down, stating that they should be maintaining proper decorum.

It was scandalous enough that the Princess of Ravenclaw had stayed in the bed chambers of the Prince of Gryffindor for more than a week! The protest though, was most vocal and violent from Prince Harry—but the parents of Hermione and Harry also had intervened and stated that a certain code of behavior had to be upheld. So Princess Hermione was again back to her bed chambers in the main castle and her visits to the Prince of Gryffindor's bed chambers were now limited to the point of restriction. Therefore Princess Hermione took advantage of any opportunity she had with the prince.

Prince Harry for his part was having difficulty in acting as if he was still in poor health whenever Madam Pomfrey would check him. However, upon his insistence that he still felt ill, the healer exclaimed that the affliction was mental and not physical when she found nothing wrong except for the residual poison which was very benign and would soon be eliminated. Even so, he was still adamant that he should stay longer—just in case.

The Prince of Gryffindor told Madam Pomfrey that he needed fresh air to recuperate faster, hence the healer of Gryffindor allowed him to leave his bed chambers to wander the grounds of the castle as long as he would not tire himself, wherein Harry made it a point that those times out would be spent wooing the princess. He found out the many likes of the princess through information given by her confidant, Lady Lovegood. It helped that he had a spy from the court of the princess on his side and what made it much easier was that his best mate was completely smitten by the peculiar empath. The information that Lady Luna provided was basically a short list comprising of books and more books. So the Prince of Gryffindor would ask his best friend to go to the Grand Library of Ravenclaw and borrow them so he could be well prepared when conversing with the princess; Lord Weasley would in turn ask Lady Lovegood to accompany him. The arrangement served the prince and the lord well, making them grow closer to the ladies that were their intended.

The prince now looked upon the princess who gracefully sat down beside him on the stone bench at the outer courtyard, he knew she was near even before she spoke; being that the wind carried her scent of jasmine and cinnamon. They were always like this, having a chance meeting of sorts as Prince Harry would find out where the Princess might be heading to or what she had planned for the day, then he would “happen upon” that area for her to discover him there. They would talk most of the time, mostly about the books that the lord had borrowed for him and they would leisurely get to know each other.

Harry discovered another item he added to his growing list of why he fell in love with the princess and that was her smile. It completely made her face glow and he would feel his senses warm up whenever the princess let out a laugh—the sound was always music to his ears. Harry found out that it was easy to get a laugh out of the princess, regaling her about the many adventures and mishaps he, the Weasley boys, and sometimes the other young men in his court would find themselves in.

He'd revel in any physical contact the princess he would have: a touch on his arm to get his attention, their fingers brushing against each other when she'd point an interesting topic in a book they were reading, or when she'd act like a human crutch, which was by far his favorite (he discovered this one by accident). As he and the princess would stroll through the many gardens of her castle, she would point out certain things of interest and Harry, being totally engrossed in what she was saying and staring at her like some love-sick imbecile, tripped over a loose step. Before he could fall flat on his face, the princess tried to steady him by immediately encircling her slender arms around his waist to keep him up. Upon regaining their balance, Harry had wrapped an arm on her shoulder and Hermione did not release him either. With a worried frown she aided him for the duration of their stroll, inquiring often if he was okay. Sometimes he would fake a limp because of this, exaggerating at times so that Hermione would tighten her hold on him.

The Prince of Gryffindor deduced that he had it bad for this woman as he took pains in trying to impress her, hoping that he could banish any awful memory or impression the princess had of him in the past. He also prayed that the feeling was mutual; sometimes he would catch her staring at him, a look of confusion on her face as if she was having an internal argument with herself. Other times Hermione would have a certain look as she stared off into space with a delicate smile on her lips. So Harry prided himself that his efforts were all for not....

“What are you reading?” Hermione asked, spotting a book on the prince's lap. “Wandless magic? Did you know that I just finished that book before my coronation ceremony? I was planning to start self training for it, but for the past three weeks I had not found the time.”

“Well from what I heard, you are able to do it with a natural flair,” Harry replied.

“Yes, but unconsciously, with no control whatsoever, unfortunately,” Hermione answered ruefully.

“I have been training a bit when I was at home. Care to see what I have learned?” Harry asked her shyly.

“Please, go on then.”

At a wave of Prince Harry's hand a crimson rosebud flew to his outstretched hand. He handed it to the princess who brought it to her nose to inhale its scent. Then with another wave of his hand the rose started to bloom slowly till it was fully opened.

“That was amazing!” Hermione said excitingly.

“Your highness, I am not finished…” Then Harry waved his hand over the fully bloomed rose and it multiplied till the princess was holding not one rose but a dozen!

The princess' eyes were wide as she looked from the prince to the bouquet in her hand; she was totally astonished and flattered as she felt a blush creeping on her cheeks.

“Okay, now you are just showing off!” she joked but continued, “I am officially rendered speechless, your highness. You truly are a great wizard, you know...” Hermione complimented and seeing Harry blush made her feel pleased with herself.

“Well, conjuring up a rose and turning it into a bouquet is not equivalent to shattering every window in a tower and having the power to heal!” the prince countered.

Shaking her head, “Prince Harry, I cannot control this type of magic. Not like you, you just wave your hand and there you go—wandless magic. Those incidents with me are merely tied up to my burst of emotions.” Hermione was feeling insecure and just stared at the brilliant bouquet in her hands, afraid to meet the emerald eyes she loved to gaze into.

“Princess Hermione…” Harry continued, “All magic is linked to a burst of emotions. Why, if I was not inspired by your beauty, I would never have been able to conjure up a rose and have it bloom for you much less make it into a bouquet…”

The princess heard the subtle compliment he gave her—but chose to ignore it “Me, beautiful?—I guess Harry did crack his head…” she thought.

“Princess, you do not need to train for wandless magic, you are a natural. You are the smartest witch of our age…” Harry said softly.

“Me? Books and cleverness are not everything…There are more important things like bravery and friendship and…” the princess let her voice trail off before adding the one word she so desperately wanted to say to the prince before her.

“But all you need is a little confidence…. Want me to try to help you?” Harry asked tentatively, but seeing her eyes brighten at his suggestion made him smile widely.

“Please?” Hermione asked quietly, thinking that she was imagining his offer.

“Okay, close your eyes. Focus your magic to your hand, then move your hand in the motion that you would with your wand, and then finally utter the spell.”

Harry watched her as she put down the bouquet and followed his instructions. He heard her mutter “Wingardium Leviosa” as she aimed her hand towards a large stone.

Nothing happened.

“See?!” Hermione whined. “Told you nothing would happen,” she pouted, embarrassed that nothing had occurred.

“Wait, come here.” Harry then wrapped his arms around the princess giving her a small hug, taking her face in his hands he looked into her warm brown eyes, “Merlin! Her eyes should come with a warning `Drown at your own risk'!”

“Your highness, it is Levi-O-sa, not Levio-SA” Harry joked softly, hearing the princess giggle he continued solemnly, “I believe you can do it…Now focus.”

Harry then turned her toward the direction of the stone; he pulled her towards him so her back rested on his chest. “I wonder if she feels my heart pounding in my chest because of her?” Then he whispered in her ear, ”Try it again, love.”

“Did he just call me `love'?!” Hermione reacted by leaning in more. “Wait, he wants me to focus! How in Merlin's name can I focus with his arms around me and his breath tickling my ear?! Oh bloody hell—come on, Hermione—focus, you can do this—he believes in you, believe in yourself….”

Repeating her earlier actions, she closed her eyes and waved her hand. She felt a slight tingling sensation pass through her waving hand but then nothing. Hermione felt Harry's heart pounding against her back as his chest pressed into her and he tightened his grip around her and whispered, “Open your eyes, love—I did say you could do it…”

Hermione heard his voice and it was a while before it registered in her brain what Harry had said, since she was enjoying the feel of his solid chest and his arms around her waist, “Hmmm…smashing! He is just pure muscle.” She inhaled deeply, “spicy and very--delicious…Bugger!” then it registered in her muddled mind that Harry said something, “Get your head out of the gutter, Hermione! What did he say? Merlin, his breath is warm against my cheek…What did he say?...Oh yeah—open my eyes!” And when she did, Hermione saw the rock floating in front of her following in the direction her hand was waving. She face broke out in a big grin as she turned towards the prince behind her.

As Hermione turned her head, the prince looked down at her. Their lips were suddenly mere inches apart—both smiles dimmed slightly as their eyes met, their breath hitched slightly as lips moved closer together, and their eyes not breaking contact. The princess saw the emerald green eyes darken to a forest green shade. She saw a question in his eyes as if asking permission to proceed and she just held her breath as she felt the need to close her eyes and wait…

Prince Harry could not believe this was happening; he was so close he could count every gold fleck in her eyes. He had never wanted a kiss from any woman this badly, but he was afraid that he might be pushing the princess to fast. Harry saw her brown eyes acknowledge his questioning ones; he was afraid that if she rejected his request he'd crawl into some hole and die but then he saw Hermione's eyes close as she stilled with her lips slightly parted.

“Hermione…” Harry said reverently like a prayer, as his lips met hers.

At first the kiss was soft, each adjusting to the feel of the others' lips. Then the princess brought her hand to his cheek, caressing it. The prince's arms tightened as he deepened their kiss, tentatively, he ran the tip of his tongue on her bottom lip. Hermione gasped, shocked at the contact as a shiver ran through her body. She felt Harry begin to pull back slightly, but her mouth had a mind of its own as she opened it to his kiss and let the tip of her tongue meet his. Harry let out a groan. Pulling her more tightly into him he leaned back into the bench, taking her with him. He couldn't get enough of her, he loved the way she tasted—sweet like nectar - and he felt like a man in the desert and she was his oasis—his thirst for her was voracious.

The Lion Prince and the Eagle Princess had no idea that when their lips met there was a wave of energy that emanated from them and rocked the walls of the castle slightly. Their two companions, Lord Ron and Lady Luna who had distanced themselves when they saw the prince conjure a rose for the princess rushed back to the bench with wands at the ready, only to be thrown off slightly as if there was a shield surrounding the two who were now reclined on the bench, still kissing each other! A gust of wind swirled around the courtyard causing the Lord and the Lady to widen their eyes as they looked at each other and then at the couple on the bench.

Luna then felt a warm, powerful sensation fill her; she gasped slightly and reached for Ron's arm to steady herself as she became woozy from the energy of the combined emotions of Harry and Hermione.

“Such a pure love, their souls have finally met their match…” Luna whispered in awe.

“Luna, are you okay? Do you want me to take you away from this?” Ron asked quite concerned, but he saw her eyes were closed and her face was illuminated with something powerful that left Ron awestruck. She shook her head in reply.

Opening her eyes, Luna looked into the sky blue ones of Lord Ronald, tears hovering behind her lashes. “Ronald—their love—it's beautiful…I can't describe the intensity…but by Merlin, those two are at peace…”

Ron looked at his best mate and a woman whom he could only describe as `mental, terrifying, and beautiful,' and a wicked grin started to grow on his face, the lion had finally caught the eagle that tamed his heart. “There is intensity, all right! Luna, my best friend may have found his mate for life—but I do not think being at peace is what is on their minds and you don't have to be an empath to know it!”

Luna whacked him on the head but had a sheepish grin on her face. Turning towards their best friends, “You may be right, Ronald. Peace is the farthest thing on their minds now. Merlin! If they can cause the castle to tremble with a kiss—can you imagine when they…” Luna blushed as she realized it was not proper to speak of such things in such a public place with her Ronald.

Ron had a huge smile on his face as he knew what Lady Lovegood was about to say. Looking at her, he replied, “Well, I certainly will be moving to another kingdom if they plan to have their first night as a couple in Gryffindor. I am not too keen on having the kingdom crashing around me while I sleep!”

“What if they held their wedding ceremonies here in Ravenclaw?” Luna countered.

“Then we would be one kingdom short now, wouldn't we? Sad, all the great minds crushed under the massive rocks of Ravenclaw! All because the Prince and his wife answered the call of the flesh!” This caused Ron and Luna to crack up laughing, the sound penetrating the clouded minds of the couple on the bench.

Hermione raised her head, registering someone laughing loudly close by and that her lungs were in dire need for air. She opened her eyes and saw the Prince of Gryffindor below her with a very smug grin on his face. He looked triumphant, relieved, and in love. She wanted to scold him for his arrogant expression, but she felt that he was reflecting the same expression she had on hers!

The Prince muttered, “Your highness, not only can you wield magic without a wand…But you can definitely wield devastating magic with your lips! Which may I add will be the death of me—because I am dying to kiss you again, but I am afraid that if I do give in to that wonderful temptation, I will not stop—and I do have to breathe.”

Harry felt whole—completely whole! He had no other words to describe the sensations in his body, mind, and soul at holding the one person he needed for the rest of his life. “Sweet Arthur! Help me…I love her—I honestly love her! No other being has made me feel this way—I love her…I LOVE HER!” His mind was screaming as he felt his smile growing wider and his vision brightening as he looked into her shiny brown eyes.

Harry thought before that what he felt for the princess was just mere infatuation, something that the adrenaline rush of the troll attack had magnified; he had believed that once he tasted her, he could again move on with his carefree life—but he knew the risk of that one kiss…it had proven that it was more than mere passion, he could see that this was for eternity. And the Prince of Gryffindor saw that life would not be worth living without the princess at his side.

Prince Harry cleared his throat and said in a voice filled with awe and love for the lady in his arms, “Therefore, Crown Princess Hermione Jane of the venerable House of Granger, heir of Rowena…before you slap me for taking advantage of you and compromising your proper code of behavior—I, Crown Prince Harry James of the House of Potter and heir of Godric, do beg for your hand in marriage…”

The couple who were the best friends of the prince and princess who moments ago were laughing vigorously abruptly stopped after hearing the proposal of the lion prince. They were shocked at the unexpected turn of events!

“WHAT?!” an exclamation that came out from Lord Ron as Lady Luna raised her hand to cover her mouth in surprise as her other hand still clutching the arm of the lord tightened.

The lord and lady suddenly realized that Hermione's parents were standing opposite of them in the courtyard. Having panicked when they felt the walls of the castle shake, they had swiftly ran out of the castle in search of their daughter and the prince of Gryffindor in fear for their safety, accompanied by the head Auror and other Aurors of the kingdom.

Ron could only envision their surprise at having found their daughter on top of the said prince on a stone bench in the outer courtyard of their kingdom, snogging each other senseless, and then hearing the said prince propose marriage to their daughter who just had her coronation ceremony not more than a month ago! They were beyond disbelief. They were absolutely flabbergasted!

The King and Queen of Ravenclaw knew that the joining of Hermione and Prince Harry was inevitable—yet to hear it personally and without any preamble was like being hit by ten Bludgers simultaneously on the head!

Hermione's eyes grew wide as what Harry had just uttered finally registered in her brain. She looked down at the prince and all she could see was love, “Merlin…Does he really love me? Maybe he's just caught up in the moment…But, by all things holy, I really do love him…Wha? Where did that come from?!—From your conscience, you idiot! And they say you're the smartest witch in all the land?! Can't even recognize LOVE even if it drops on your head? Hmmm, is that fear and uncertainty I see in those gorgeous emerald pools? Maybe I should play this? How cruel can you get! Well answer him, you fool! Don't leave the poor man hanging…”

Hermione took a deep breath and exhaled shakily, the move causing her to press her breasts firmly to the chest of Harry, who let out a small groan and closed his eyes briefly. She smiled, “Do I really have that much control over him?”

“Hermione?” Harry whispered, still waiting for her answer.

Brushing an errant strand of hair from her face and trying to buy time to make her decision, Hermione realized that there was only one logical conclusion to the situation that she was in.

“I, Crown Princess Hermione Jane of the House of Granger, accept thy proposal, Crown Prince Harry James of Gryffindor.”

Then she let out a squeal and tightened her arms around him as the prince of Gryffindor let out a shout of triumph and squeezed her tightly. He jammed his fingers into her soft brown hair and pulled her head towards his as they sealed their agreement with a mind searing kiss which left them breathless and the Kingdom of Ravenclaw felt for the second time that day the walls shudder but with much more magnitude, and the magic radiating from the newly betrothed couple, which was the deepest and purest love for each other, reach to the farthest borders of the kingdom of the eagle and affecting everyone it rippled through, leaving a smirk on their faces though they knew not why, and filling them all with a sudden urge to hug or kiss someone.

A/N: So do you all like? Wasn't that such a gigantic leap in their relationship? I just couldn't help myself anymore! Tell me what you think by dropping a small review—even a big review if you have the time! ^_~

I've got to ask though—to the readers, would there be a problem if I raised the rating in future chapters? As I warned you all in the beginning of this chapter, I had to change it from PG to PG-13 for obvious reasons…I'm not completely sure about the age group of the audience…so here's another ploy to get some of you to review… but seriously I would need to know…

Teasers? The next chapter will be fluff—the only Slytherin seen will be Draco—Red moon will be taking a rest in the next chapter but the other couples will be on deck…

To everyone—enjoy your holiday!

-->

A/N: Sorry for the delay, the season has been really “toxic” and so this gift is a little late.

A million “thank yous” to all of you who have been reviewing and leaving your opinion about the ratings—so far there has been only one “strongly” against raising the rating…but everyone else said it's fine with them…hmmm—I'll give you fair warning if the chapter will be offensive to others—so I guess I have to say that I'm pushing the envelop on PG-13 towards the end of this one.

Again, thanks to VacantSkies (www.fanfiction.net/~vacantskies) for adding his dash of potions and spells in making this chapter as magical as it is…

Chapter 9

“Darling, you have a falcon…” Lady Cho told her fiancé, who was lying naked beside her.

“Hmmph…Do they not know what time it is?” Prince Cedric mumbled as he tightened his grip around Cho. They had been separated for almost a month, being that Cedric lent his services to the Prince of Gryffindor who had been recuperating in the Kingdom of Ravenclaw.

“Cedric…Let go love, just for a minute…I've got to get the letter, it has to be important…” Cho found her resolve weakening because of the prince nuzzling her. She nudged him back and swung her legs off the bed as she put on her bed robe. She padded off to the window where a royal falcon was tapping insistently.

Upon letting the bird in, she recognized with alarm the emblem around its neck. “A message from Ravenclaw?!”

Panic arose as she thought of the injured prince; she immediately released the bird of its burden as it squalled out of irritation at having to wait, then took off out of the window.

“Well, if there is no need for a reply, I guess there is no cause for alarm…” Cho then looked at the scroll and read to whom it was addressed to...

Crown Prince Cedric of the venerable House of Diggory heir to the throne of Helga

And

Lady Cho of the venerable House of Chang

Kingdom of Hufflepuff

The penmanship was unmistakably by the printers of Gryffindor but what confounded her was the stationery used was official Ravenclaw parchment, so she had no idea which kingdom sent what looked to be an official letter. She walked back to the bed, seeing her fiancé sit up while rubbing his eyes.

“Cedric, was there an official letter that you were expecting?”

The prince of Hufflepuff shook his head as he regarded the confused expression of Cho, “Is there a problem?”

Cho simply handed him the scroll as she met the eyes of the man she would be wed to in six weeks. The couple had decided that it would be foolish to wait till she finished healer training. The separation they endured made them realize that one year would be too long a time and the incident that had happened to the Prince of Gryffindor made them see that life was too short to waste it on waiting. They had set the date of the wedding a week before the winter holidays since the Kingdom of Hufflepuff was at its finest and quite enchanting all covered in white. The invitations would be sent out in two days but the planning was in full swing.

Worried and wondering what the dilemma was now, Cedric inspected the scroll as Cho waved her wand and muttered “Lumos” as she snuggled closer to him. Cedric broke the seal then immediately scanned the letter. Cho placed a hand on his arm as she saw his eyes widen in wonder. He took a deep breath, swallowed rather loudly, and then re-read the letter.

“Cedric, what is it? Is it the Prince of Gryffindor? Did something happen in the Kingdom of Ravenclaw again? Is Princess Hermione all right? Tell me! You're making me nervous! What's wrong?” Cho's voice started to rise as dread began to invade her.

Then she witnessed Cedric close his eyes as a large smile took over his features. He let out a loud whoop then slapped his forehead as he turned to her and gathered her in his arms for a tight embrace.

“Cedric…” Cho tried to push him away and made a grab for the scroll.

“Bloody hell! He did it…the git pulled it off!” the Prince of Hufflepuff roared in amazement; he let out a hearty laugh before passionately kissing his fiancée.

After the kiss that left Cho breathless she asked, “What did who do?” as she finally got a hold of the scroll and started to read it, noting the elegant Gryffindorian calligraphy on Ravenclaw parchment…

You are cordially invited to a joint kingdom celebration

King James and Queen Lily of the venerable House of Potter

Rulers of the Kingdom of Gryffindor

in union with

King John and Queen Sara of the venerable House of Granger

Rulers of the Kingdom of Ravenclaw

In the official announcement of the engagement of their children

Crown Prince Harry James, heir to the throne of Godric

to

Crown Princess Hermione Jane, heir to the throne of Rowena

The celebration is to be held in the Kingdoms of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw in a fortnight

The official presentation of the betrothed couple

shall be held at the

Great Hall in the Kingdom of Gryffindor

The already engaged couple of Hufflepuff looked at each other, both with big smirks on their faces. Then Cho squealed in joy as Cedric laughed loudly and they tumbled back into bed, happy that Hermione wasn't as stubborn and Harry wasn't as dense as they had both assumed.

XXXXX

“Lady Ginny,” Draco whispered “Ginny…Damn it, answer, please.”

A woman with red hair and bright hazel eyes appeared in the mirror Draco Malfoy was holding. He exhaled a breath he was unaware of holding; finally he smiled—something he had not done as often since his departure from the Kingdom of Ravenclaw.

But since she gave him that damned bloody kiss in the Great Hall when her father announced he was to receive the Order of Merlin due to his rescue of her, no one allowed Lady Ginevra Molly of the House of Weasley from Gryffindor to stay in the presence of the Heir of the Steward of Slytherin unsupervised, which proved quite a challenge for the new couple.

And what a kiss that had been! Draco's mind was haunted by it—the softness of her lips, the jolt he felt when their lips met, her scent of strawberries, and the sweetness of her mouth. He remembered the shocked look on her face when her mother screamed, “GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY!” which caused them to snap open their eyes. Cool gray met warm honey, then she was gone, her mother dragging her out of the Great Hall, followed closely by her only sister-in-law, and he was left just sitting there, his chest bandaged up and her brothers staring at him with unadulterated hostility. If it wasn't for the diplomacy of their father then he would probably not be alive right now.

“Master Draco…” Ginny whispered into the two way mirror which Draco sneaked to her before he left. They had been talking to each other since their separation using this, trying to take the time to at least check in with each other in the morning when they woke up, after lunch and before they slept at night. Their conversation was usually one sided with Ginny telling him about her day while he just listened to her voice as it calmed his spirit.

This was the first time that Draco had tried to contact Ginny mid-afternoon. He just simply missed her and wanted to see her and talk to her.

“I miss you,” Draco told his lady in the mirror. He saw her give him a brilliant smile and then blew a kiss to him. He smiled at the cheesy gesture which still made his heart skip a beat.

“I know how you feel Draco, but our time will soon come. Just a week before your ceremony,” Ginny whispered. She kept looking up from the mirror as if waiting to be caught.

“An eternity away from you…How are you?” Draco asked.

“Busy! We have just received the invitation to the engagement party of the prince which would take place a week after the awarding,” Ginny informed him.

This made Draco frown. “The Prince?—As in the Prince of Gryffindor? To whom?” Looking back at the mirror he voiced his questions.

“Of course. Prince Harry asked for the hand of the Princess of Ravenclaw a week ago. Rumor has it that he had to be hauled back home after that since both their parents thought it would be wisest that they separated the two before the actual formal engagement ceremony. The King and Queen of Ravenclaw in reality caught them snogging before he proposed!” Ginny giggled.

“You sure that he didn't propose because he was caught compromising the princess?” Draco asked, thinking that would have been the rational next step at being caught by the parents of the princess.

“Not according to my brother! Prince Harry had actually tried to romance the princess during his recuperation at Ravenclaw—and obviously it worked. I mean who would not want Prince Harry?” Ginny stated.

This statement made Draco flare with jealousy. Had his lady bluntly tell him that she was smitten with the prince of her kingdom? This did not settle well with the young heir of Slytherin, so he probed further.

“So you wished that you were the intended of your crown prince?” he drawled.

“Well, he is rather fetching, physically. Plus his personality is so vibrant and he is caring and warm,” she answered back which made his hackles rise. “But my tastes are with platinum blonds with eyes of gray that warm up only for me…” Ginny's voice trailed.

With that statement, Draco's insecurities were banished. He sighed and before he could continue their conversation, Ginny looked up suddenly and whispered, “Have to go, love. See you in a week.” With that, she closed her mirror, causing Draco to stare at his own reflection.

Running his fingers through his hair, Draco let out an oath in frustration of having only a short time with her. He went back to lie down on his bed, not wanting to encounter anyone, especially his father who was becoming too obsessed with their trip to the Kingdom of Gryffindor. Looking back at the two way mirror and still seeing his reflection, he placed it under his pillow as he let his thoughts wander to the petite lady with fiery red hair and the information she'd given him as he fell off to sleep, oblivious to the rat that scurried back through the crack in the wall that would lead him to the father of the young man.

XXXXX

“No worries, your highness, the gowns you have packed will look absolutely smashing on you!” Lady Lavender of the House of Brown stated. She was one of the Princess of Ravenclaw's ladies in wait. Her fashion expertise was impeccable and she, along with Lady Luna, was in the bed chambers of Princess Hermione packing her wardrobe for her trip to the Kingdom of the Lion.

“I told you—no need for formality in my private chambers, Lav,” Hermione admonished.

She looked at the other gowns and dresses that were in her closet to see if she had enough in her trunks. Usually, she traveled lightly in functions like these, carrying the necessary gowns for the functions and a couple of daily dress robe for each day which would not even fill one trunk so she would add books to just fill in the space. Now looking at her room she saw that she already had three trunks filled to the rim. One for gowns, another for daily dress robes, and the last for bed robes and unmentionables—she had no idea what possessed her to pack bed robes that were meant to impress and not for functionality. It was the end of autumn and the air was becoming a quite nippy, but the bed robes her ladies had insisted she pack were downright scandalous and quite revealing. Hermione could feel a bad cold beginning just at the mere thought of her wearing it. Not like she was planning to have any one see her wearing them—which made her wonder again why she was packing those bed robes in the first place…

“Prince Harry will never take his eyes off you, he will absolutely drool!” Lady Lavender squealed.

“I certainly hope so…From what I've heard, the ladies at the Kingdom of Gryffindor are in mourning over the death of the bachelorhood of their prince,” Luna stated as they giggled.

“Who would have thought we would be celebrating the coronation and engagement ceremonies of our princess in a span of two months? Our logical, levelheaded, bookworm princess literally swept off her feet by the dashing, womanizing prince of Gryffindor!” Lavender rambled as she looked over the footwear the princess was going to pack, she did not notice the horrified expression of the princess at what she had revealed.

“Womanizing?” Hermione choked.

“Do not tell me you had no idea of the reputation that Prince Harry has with the ladies—especially those in Gryffindor,” Lavender said, oblivious to the deadly stare Luna was giving her and the unintentional destruction her comments were wreaking on her princess.

“I do not have the faintest…obviously!” Hermione said her voice laced with irritation and disbelief as she slumped down on a cushioned chair.

“Well, from what I've heard, Prince Harry's bed chamber is one of the busiest rooms of the castle—well with all the different women that go on parading through…” Before Lady Lavender could continue with her gossip, Luna stood up and elbowed her in the ribs, effectively shutting her up before she went to kneel at the foot of the chair where their princess was seated with a look of utter revulsion on her features.

“What did I get myself into?” Hermione whispered. She lifted her eyes to meet the source of news that she did not wish to hear. “I still have a chance to change this…so rash of me to actually…I cannot marry someone with a past like that—am I to sleep on a bed with the memories of all those women in it on my wedding night?” she stuttered, starting to really feel nauseous now, literally turning green.

Luna stared daggers at Lavender who now had a look of remorse at her loose tongue. She was a little envious of the princess—having snagged a prize like the Prince of Gryffindor, considering that physically the princess was not as alluring as she. But Lavender had not estimated what the consequences of her gossiping would bring. Now she wanted to rectify it but before she could say anything…

“Hermione, as you had said, it is now in the past—Prince Harry has changed, he improved and you helped him! According to Ronald, Prince Harry was carefree and insensitive to his duties as a prince, a boy who was immature. But you tamed his heart, you made him grow up and he became a better man, the man he was meant to be. He changed not for you but because of you! And if you do not believe that, I can assure you that the love he has for you is pure and deep,” Luna stated in a firm voice.

Hermione looked at her best friend as she wiped the tears and felt the doubt in her heart melt at the reassurance of the empath. Hermione did see in the green depths of her prince's eyes that he was true to her and her alone. She watched Lady Lavender flirt with him when they made their announcement to the court of Ravenclaw but Prince Harry had eyes only for her as she did for him.

“Your highness, forgive me. It was not my place to even mention such horrid rumors. I must emphasize, Princess, that they are only rumors…” Lavender said in a contrite voice.

Sighing, Hermione saw the look of remorse on the face of her lady in wait. “No problem, Lav, whether or not what you told me were rumors or the truth, it is all in the past. I am now his present and future and as long as Harry does not forget that, then it does not matter what he did before,” she finished with a smile.

With the tension broken, the three women went back to the task at hand and in the end the Princess of Ravenclaw had seven full trunks which she would be bringing with her to the Kingdom of Gryffindor for the award ceremony of the Heir of the Steward of Slytherin and her own engagement ceremony.

XXXXX

The King of Gryffindor had his arms around his wife as they looked out the window of their study in the castle, peering at the scene taking place in the courtyard below. They spied their son laughing along with the other men of the court; they had their brooms in hand having finished a game of Quidditch. The parents of the crown prince had a gloomy expression on their faces. They saw him unconsciously rub the lightning shaped scar on his forehead and wondered if it was just by habit or if it was bothering him.

King James brushed his lips to the temple of his wife. “We should not worry too much, my love. We should just let Harry enjoy what the future has in store for him and the princess…” he said in a voice not convinced of what he just stated.

Queen Lily sighed and looked up to her husband then shifted her eyes to their son, “The prophecies are coming into play, love. Harry and Hermione must be warned of it so they can prepare. Cedric can hold his own, being that he has the gift of foresight and started training in defense against the dark arts long before. But my son and soon to be daughter-in-law are not prepared for the war they are to face…”

“Lily, you yourself said that divination is a volatile field in magic and not all prophecies come true,” James countered.

“Yes, it is a very unstable discipline of magic. But you saw that the coronation of the princess was the last piece to the prophecies. Now with the engagement of Harry and Hermione, it only confirms of the dark times to come,” Lily stated, anxiety laced in her voice.

“For in no other kingdom shall love bind except in the land of the lion and the eagle…” the words from the prophecy always came to haunt her.

“Lily, maybe Harry felt like he got trapped at being caught with the princess and thought that proposing would rectify his actions?” James stated, doubting the sentence he uttered.

Rolling her eyes, “Please, James; can you not see the love that emanates from Harry? We knew since Princess Hermione's coronation ceremony that our boy had it in for her! Our boy is now a man, and we have the Princess of Ravenclaw to thank for his evolution,” Lily retorted irritably, “he was totally devastated when you had Sirius and Remus fetch him from Ravenclaw!”

James let out a chuckle, remembering the falcon he received from his counterpart in Ravenclaw a few hours after the proposal.

James,

Salutations! This is to inform you that your son is in well spirits. Harry has been recuperating quite splendidly. In fact, he has been in the constant presence of my daughter—I have no idea how those two find each other so easily in this vast castle considering I have prohibited Hermione from visiting Harry in his bed chambers. I have a feeling that Lord Weasley and Lady Lovegood has something to do with this…

By the way, it is also my pleasure to enlighten you and Lily that we will in the near future be in-laws. Your son had asked for my daughter's hand in the bond of marriage and she naturally accepted. This was after Sara and I along with some of our Aurors caught them snogging in the outer courtyard! May I also inform you that reports are true that the walls of the castle here shuddered, I give you one guess on the reason why—this, by the way, happened coincidentally during the `emotionally laden activity' that our children were engaging in…

So I wish to let you know that the wedding ceremony may be held here at Ravenclaw but I must insist that their wedding night will be there at the Kingdom of Gryffindor for I believe that your castle is more fortified than mine and I do not wish the walls of my castle to come crumbling about me during that night!

Please come and acquire Crown Prince Harry, as I see that it will be for my own peace of mind that our two children be in separate kingdoms for the time being as Sara and I are having a hard time keeping the hands of two young ones to themselves.

Hoping that you and Lily are pleased with the news I have imparted…

Yours in Merlin,

John

I will have my falcon await your reply on when you plan to send someone for Prince Harry.

He and Lily were naturally elated! But they knew that Sara and John were at nerves end having the two kids in close proximity to each other and they knew how passionate Harry was of the princess. So that same evening, Duke Sirius and Earl Remus flooed to the kingdom of the eagle. The two best mates of the king of Gryffindor were of course not surprised to see that the prince and princess were no where to be found, and Lord Ron and Lady Luna had no idea as to where the couple were—which they knew was a lie.

Being the Marauders that they were, Sirius shifted into his Animagus form of a large black dog and Remus, with his heightened sense of smell, literally sniffed them out. With telltale signs of a blinding light and a faint roar of a lion and a screech from an eagle, they found the Prince of Gryffindor and the Princess of Ravenclaw in a heated liplock at the Quidditch pitch of Ravenclaw!

Harry was not happy about having to leave the kingdom and Hermione was shocked at the sudden loss of her fiancé! Lady Lovegood was not in good spirits either since Lord Weasley was to go back to his kingdom with the Crown Prince. Sirius and Remus literally had to pull the prince away from the arms of the princess upon their farewell as her parents were amazed at the public display of affection the usually reserved Hermione displayed. In a few days, the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw would arrive in their kingdom ahead of her parents. James had a feeling that this was a sick prank of John in retaliation of having caught their children, so now it was Lily and his responsibility to have Harry and Hermione maintain a proper behavior.

“Good luck on that!” James thought to himself, knowing his son relatively well. “John may have been thinking irrationally when he decided to send his daughter here earlier!”

Harry, being familiar with the secret passages of the castle, would find his way to Hermione's bed chambers no matter what or he would not be the son of James Potter! “Lily and I have got to sit that boy down and educate him right! I don't mind if Harry gets Hermione in a compromising situation—but I doubt John will be happy with it…”

James chuckled at this thought, thinking of how to notify the King of Ravenclaw in case it would happen, ”Dear John, it is my pleasure to inform you and Sara that my son Harry knocked up your precious daughter before they were bonded in marriage!” James now had a wicked smirk on his face. ”John will end up sending me a ton of Howlers in reply and will undoubtedly declare war on Gryffindor!”

“It is true, my love, Harry and Hermione must undergo training for the war ahead,” Lily said, bringing the King of Gryffindor back to their conversation.

“Fine, Lily, we'll talk to them when the princess arrives…I'll send John a falcon about the training,” James realized that he again did his wife's bidding. “How does she do that?”

Lily turned to James and kissed him soundly on the lips and left the study with a smug knowing smile on her face.

XXXXX

“So how was the Princess of Ravenclaw?”

“I heard that bookworms are usually tigers in bed…having all that pent up energy…”

“It is not unbridled stamina, it is their extensive knowledge on the topic, having read up on it... and when given an opportunity to put into practice, they let loose!”

“So, does she like the dominant position or are you still the man on top?”

The Crown Prince of Gryffindor was about to blow a fuse as he irritably looked at the men of his court who kept asking. His gaze wandered over to the Weasley twins and his best mate. They were beet red in the face and making subtle gestures to stop the three gentlemen of the court of Gryffindor, Sir Neville Longbottom, Baron Seamus Finnigan, and Lord Dean Thomas who was carrying on the conversation.

Lord Ron Weasley looked at Prince Harry and knew he was about to explode. The Weasleys knew how protective the Prince was when it came to Princess Hermione, being that they were once the target of his fury.

“Good luck mates, it was nice knowing you…” Ron thought as he looked at the three men who were still talking dirty about the Princess.

“Shut your traps…” Harry growled.

Neville, Seamus, and Dean, were shocked speechless at the tone of their prince. They were not used to this; Prince Harry would always serenade them of his many women conquests. Upon his return from the Kingdom of Ravenclaw, he was amazingly quiet when it came to his fiancée. He never let out a peep about what had happened in the kingdom of the eagle and Lord Ron was not the least bit informative either.

It was the loudest whisper among the citizens of Gryffindor that their Prince and the Princess of Ravenclaw were caught in a very delicate situation by the King and Queen of Ravenclaw. Everyone in the lion kingdom, knowing the reputation Prince Harry had with the ladies, thought that this was the only reason that he proposed. Only those who witnessed the actions of the prince since the coronation of the princess knew of the depth of emotions Harry had for his eagle princess.

“But…but you always keep us up to date on the conquest of the week!” Dean sputtered, and immediately shut up when blazing green eyes pinned him down.

“I will have you know that I will easily slash any tongue who speaks poorly of my fiancée. The Crown Princess of Ravenclaw is not some mere chit that I picked up—she is…there are no words to describe her…ne'er, actually there are words to describe her but you will be forever listening to me as I extrapolate on her many fine qualities! She is that valuable to me—and I will have you know, Lord Thomas, that it is treason to speak ill of your future queen…so I beg you to tread carefully on the topic of the woman I have surrendered my heart to,” Harry sneered which had the other boys in a flabbergasted state of fear.

They had rarely seen Prince Harry in such an uproar over a woman. “So it was true that love has conquered this wandering soul…” Neville, Seamus and Dean thought.

“I beg you of your forgiveness, your highness,” Dean said tersely.

The other two men simply nodded, all of them suddenly silent and red faced.

Harry lowered his head, reflecting how altered his way of life has been since a month ago when he attended the coronation of his now fiancée. He had been so edgy since his departure from the Kingdom of Ravenclaw a few days ago. The only thing that made him leave his bed chambers today in good spirits was the information from Lord Weasley which was passed to him by Lady Lovegood that the Princess of Ravenclaw would be arriving ahead of schedule to his kingdom for the planning of their engagement ceremony. He kept remembering the last time he was with Hermione which kept him sane since their separation as he looked down at the faint scar on his left palm.

They had just finished an early dinner at the Great Hall with Ron and Luna. Then, after a short walk through the castle gardens, to enjoy the sunset he felt the need to show the princess his special place.

Back in the Kingdom of Ravenclaw a week ago…

“Hermione…” Harry murmured as he walked hand in hand with his fiancée.

“Hmmm?”

“Do you trust me?” Harry whispered.

“With my life…” came the immediate response from the princess.

Harry lifted the hand that held her small soft one and kissed her fingers. He smiled as he felt her hand quiver before he released it, looking at her Harry saw the start of a blush gracing her cheeks as her eyes darkened in passion, but was soon repressed as she took a deep shaky breath.

“Accio Firebolt.”

Hermione was surprised as the broom of her prince zoomed into his hand. She watched apprehensively when Harry mounted the broom and extended his hand toward her.

“Harry, I hate flying,” she started.

“I know, love, but do you trust me?” Harry looked deep into her soft brown eyes.

“I reiterate, with my life…” Hermione muttered softly as if hypnotized by his brilliant emerald eyes.

“There's a place I want to share with you—no one has ever seen this…I want you to be the only one who knows of my secret…sanctum if you wish to call it. I always go there when I want to think or merely get away from everything,” Harry said.

“Are you sure you want to show me this place? You may want to escape my insufferable nagging in the future, and you are showing me where you run off to?” Hermione joked with a big grin on her face which brought about a small dimple on her cheek.

“Merlin! Will her beauty never cease? I never knew she had a dimple... It's…adorable!” Harry cleared his throat, noticing it had gone dry all of a sudden. “I will never run from you! Get that in your brilliant head, love, I told you before I will never leave your side. I just do not want to hold any secrets from you.”

Hermione detected Harry's voice take on a hurt tone at her accusing him of leaving her. She took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, smiling at him she leaned in and kissed him. Her smile grew as she continued their kiss, sensing the shock of the prince - this was the first time she took the initiative to start a kiss—and by Merlin, she loved it! She broke away and said, “Well then, let us go to your hideaway, your highness.”

“Yes, dear,” Harry replied.

“Good answer! You better get used to saying that a lot when we wed,” Hermione laughingly stated as she positioned herself in front of the seated prince. She felt one arm encircle her waist tightly as Harry pulled her securely into him; with another hand on the broom, he kicked off and flew into the air.

Hermione's hair was flying into his face, not that Harry minded. He loved the silkiness of the strands as it brushed him. He deeply inhaled her scent, and it made him heady as it was. Flying had always brought joy to Harry, to feel the freedom of soaring—wind whipping around him; he was in his element when he was in the air. Now he knew that flying WITH Hermione would be when he was happiest—actually just being with her was when he was…at peace.

Having her trust him was what did him in—he didn't think his love for her could still grow, but it did. Harry knew how terrified Hermione was of flying, telling him before that there was no coherent explanation on how a fully grown human being could be suspended in the air by a few inches of wood—even with magic, so she just avoided it. But here she was, tucked in his arms, completely having faith in his ability on the broom. Harry looked down at her. Feeling her gradually relax, he spied that her eyes were closed and she was smiling as the last rays of the sun played on her face, giving her the look of an angel. He tightened his arm around her as they zoomed higher then he stopped soaring and leveled off his broom, now they were hovering in space.

“Open your eyes, my love…” Harry murmured in her ear as he kissed the skin below it. Her immediate reaction was a soft purr and tilting her head to the side to give him better access. Harry promptly continued to nuzzle her neck, inhaling, kissing, and nipping at the soft skin she exposed.

Hermione brought an arm up and buried her fingers in Harry's raven colored hair, savoring the feelings he elicited with his magical lips. Then she let her eyes flutter open, she gasped as her eyes took in the beauty before her as she dropped her arm in awe. The sun had set and all she could see was the sky with brilliant stars puncturing the dark blue canvas. She shivered at the perfection of Harry's hideaway as she whispered reverently, “Harry…It's beautiful…”

Harry had stopped his attack on her neck and looked at her directly as he said, “Yes, just perfect.”

Hermione looked up at him questioningly, feeling they were not referring to the same thing. But seeing his shining green eyes staring at her, she knew what he meant. His look left her breathless - as she blushed at the fervor and love in Harry's eyes, she tried to comprehend all the books she'd ever read about love and romance and knew that they did not do justice to the topic.

Sighing and looking around she said, “I can see why you come up here to get away from it all. You could just lose yourself…”

“Do you know, the first time I saw you clearly during your coronation I gasped not only at your beauty but also your gown—it reminded me of the times I came up here, I wondered how appropriate to have a goddess wrapped by the night sky…” Harry said in wonder, remembering that night.

Hermione blushed profusely again at his reference of her as a goddess. She at first thought of him just giving her a line, but the admiration in his voice was sincere. She felt more love for this man gush through her and had only one way of expressing it. But it would mean that they should safely have their feet planted flat on solid ground. Looking up at the man who shared with her his haven, “Harry, bring us home…please?”

“But Hermione…I thought you loved it up hmph…”

Harry did not finish his sentence as Hermione twisted her torso and buried her hand in his hair to pull him forcefully down to her lips. Harry could feel the passion in her and he was stunned when he felt her tongue push against his lips and into his mouth. He moaned as he tasted her, Harry took hold of the broom with one hand and with the other he pulled the princess tighter to him; as he dipped his Firebolt in a maniacal dive down to earth. The wind rushing against him and the tentative tongue movements the princess was experimenting with in his mouth made Harry almost reach orgasmic heights! He could totally let go of himself right there—something which never happened, since he prided himself of control over his body ever since puberty.

Harry tore his mouth from the princess, afraid that if he continued they would come crashing down. Opening his eyes and looking for a place to land, he instinctively searched for the north tower when the castle came in sight, but then he felt her start kissing his neck as her small hand started making circular motions on his thigh where it rested. Her other arm raised itself above his head as she embedded her hand into his hair. Harry shuddered and a loud groan escaped his lips, he felt all the blood leave every part of his body and start to pool in the area between his legs. He was growing dizzy with all the sensations Hermione evoked in him. He had been with women before; in fact, a lot of those women were very experienced in pleasuring him in bed, but Hermione was in a class of her own. Her awkward, hesitant movements caused him more gratification than any woman in his past—for him there was no other woman except Hermione. She'd erased all the memories of any others in his past already.

“Hermione…um…love, if you don't stop what you're doing, I will not be responsible for my actions!” Harry growled.

“Then be reckless, your highness,” Hermione murmured back between her kisses as she continued her assault, now kissing his jawline. The princess did not let her inexperience in these matters hinder her as she tentatively ran her hand up Harry's thigh and cupped his buttocks, hearing the prince gasp and shudder violently. This reaction spurred her actions as her hands and lips took on a new confidence.

Harry almost died when he felt Hermione's hand squeeze his rump. Looking around, he knew the castle was too far away for his sanity, so he headed toward the Quidditch pitch of Ravenclaw, which was the closest as he bent his head down and claimed the lips of the princess. He thanked all heavenly beings for his expertise in flying as he knew lesser skills would have meant disaster by now, but as he felt his feet touch down on the soft grass, he immediately let go of his broom, tightening the arm he already had on the waist of the princess. Not breaking their overheated kiss, he carried her towards the entrance of the pitch, his Firebolt was left forgotten on the spot where they landed as Harry swept Hermione's legs off the ground.

Hermione squirmed till she was able to wrap her legs around Harry's waist. He groaned into her mouth as she purred when her actions brought her warm core to his hard one, separated by layer upon layer of clothing. They both moaned in frustration.

Thankfully Harry remembered where the locker room of the pitch was located, having gone there before the troll attack. He turned and entered the locker room. Placing her down on her feet, he pulled away as he took off his cloak and spread it on the grass. He then pulled his princess down on the makeshift cot.

Reclining back and resting on her elbows, she looked at her fiancé kneeling beside her, pulled out her wand, and cast a cushion charm under them. Looking into the passion filled green eyes of her love, she did not break their eye contact as she aimed her wand to her abdomen and uttered a charm which caused her stomach to glow slightly and feeling a warm sensation fill it; she saw Harry's eyes widen and darken at the realization of what her action meant. His hand cupped her face and he searched her eyes looking for some uncertainty.

“Though I look forward to providing you an heir, my love, I do not think both our parents would like it if there was a bulge in my wedding gown,” Hermione jokingly said in a soft voice.

“Oh, Hermione, love not here…Your first time should be in my bed at Gryffindor with candles and flowers around…Love, you deserve much more than the ground on a Quidditch pitch…” Harry began, amazed at his control. Here was the one woman he wanted above all else and here he was, thinking solely of her.

“I deserve you…” Hermione replied.

Harry closed his eyes, his will power crumbling at the three words she'd just said. The next action Hermione did, completely shattered the last resolve he was clutching…

Hermione smiled as she rose to a sitting position; wrapping her arms around his neck, she hugged Harry, raising her lips to his ear she whispered for the first time, “Harry James Potter, I love you…”

Harry felt tears spring up, and he knew his heart had just burst at hearing the words he so desperately wanted to hear. Despite their engagement of only a few hours and him uttering his love for her between kisses and every moment he could sneak it in, this was the first time she'd ever declared her love for him - and she'd said it with such reverence that it filled his very existence with devotion for the lady in his arms.

“I have not even given you an engagement ring yet…”

“Harry, I do not need one. I love you and I know what we are getting ourselves into. Now, if you do not want to…”

“NO! You have no idea how much I want to make love to you, I could just die out of wanting…but love, what would everyone say…”

“I really do not care…”

“I know that and neither do I, but …”

“Harry, to be honest, you make me feel things I have never felt before with anyone and it scares me! Despite the fact that there have been suitors in my past-” Hermione heard Harry inhale sharply in jealousy, but she continued as she placed a hand on his cheek. ”For once I do not want to think. I do not want to have a proper explanation to the fact that you have ruined the equilibrium of my life and I love you for it! I will be your wife and you my husband. It is inevitable that we shall be doing this—we are just getting the ball rolling ahead of schedule--if that does not suit your proper decorum then consider this practice for things to come...I want us to make love, it does not matter where. All that matters for me is that it is you I make love to. Do you understand, my prince?”

Harry looked at her with such admiration, respect, and love, that it was bordering on worship. He held his wand with his right hand and though he did not know what had possessed him to do it, he felt that he had to forge a bond between them no matter how crude it was. He would not allow himself and Hermione to give in to the cravings of their flesh with out any bond. He took his left hand and without breaking eye contact with her he muttered, “Diffindo” as he made an incision on his palm.

The princess' eyes widened as she saw what her prince did. She suddenly knew what he wanted them to perform. She held up her left palm and looking into his eyes, she heard him repeat the spell as she winced slightly at the pain of the cut, seeing the eyes of her prince cloud when she flinched.

Together they held their left palms together, their blood intermingling and both said at the same time, “I bind my love, my soul, my life, my body and my magic to you, my mate who the gods have given me and who I have chosen for now on any plane of existence for eternity. Vita amor phasma largior ut mei socius enim infinitio.” They felt a wind envelop them and in the distance they heard the roar of a lion and the screech of an eagle. As they sealed their pact with a kiss, they saw a blinding white light and an energy surge from within their souls moving to their mates.

As they pulled apart, panting, each saw the other's eyes glowing. Then it was over. Hermione looked at their hands as the blood was now dripping to the side. She took her wand and waved it over their joined hands as they felt warmth on their palms. The incisions were healed and all that was left was a faint scar. Looking down at their mended palms, a grin grew on both their faces.

Hermione raised her arms as Harry wrapped his around her and they kissed with all the passion they had pent up. Hands were exploring, pulling on clothes as Harry leaned down, pushing Hermione onto the cushioned cloak. He kissed her lips, their tongues playing with each other. Then he moved down the column of her slender neck as she kissed his temple, burying her fingers in his luxurious, soft ebony hair, inhaling his scent. She felt his fingers move down her side, tickling her slightly, then they moved up as they came to rest under her breast, causing both of them to moan at the contact. Harry moved higher; meeting the clasp of her own cloak, he released it and her décolletage was now fully exposed to him. He moved up to kiss her lips again as one hand was raising the skirt of her dress robe.

Hermione copied every move of his hands as her small ones gently ran up and down his lean, muscular back, his sides, over his shoulders - everywhere that she could reach. Harry's hands became bolder as his fingertips brushed on her inner thigh, moving up slowly.

He watched her intently, waiting for any sign she were to give him that would make him stop, but Hermione's hands inched closer to his manhood and when their hands simultaneously met the core of the other, they let out a shaky moan as they shuddered in each other's touch and bucked into the other's hand. Harry then moved up as he kissed her roughly and deeply; Hermione met his meandering tongue every step of the way. As Harry kissed the pulse point on her neck, Hermione turned her head to expose the area further. When she opened her eyes, she saw a black dog and one of the head Aurors from Gryffindor staring at them—she screamed in shock and pandemonium broke loose.

A/N: So how do you like it? I didn't raise the rating to “R” since in my opinion, it didn't really reach that rating—but I know that I'm definitely “toeing the line” at PG-13.

I decided to put this out right now since my Christmas was so hectic and it seems that my New Year's will be going the same frantic route—Da Bears are playing a game on the 31^st and my friends and younger family members “volunteered” my place as the party & game zone…so during this calm before the storm—I give you this chapter…I won't be leaving a teaser since I'll be leaving a greeting…

Have a Happy and Safe New Year—don't drink and drive and I hope that the next year will be better and more prosperous than the one we're leaving behind…

-->

A/N: Some people have been asking me about what really did happen after HHr were caught…well here it is!

I wasn't supposed to write this but since some are more curious than others—I caved…hence the title Chapter nine and three quarters--a filler before the tenth chapter…

To my ever diligent hard working beta, VacantSkies…muchos gracias! Kudos to you for keeping up with me and my annoying habits of repeating the same words more than twice and those darn grammatic errors…

To those who don't remember his site here's a fast recall: www.fanfiction.net/~vacant skies

Disclaimer: The characters were born from the mind of JKR, but I just want to play with them…

Now on to…

Chapter 9 and 3/4

“Today's the day!” he thought as his eyes snapped open. It had barely been a week since he was forcibly brought back home.

Harry jumped out of bed, a silly smile plastered on his face as he headed to his bathroom. He recalled the humiliating situation caused by his godfather and werewolf uncle at the Quidditch pitch at Ravenclaw, but his lovely princess did get them back. Harry chuckled as he remembered the outrageous expressions on Sirius and Remus' faces.

“Note to self—never get Hermione furious.” His fiancée had been shocked out of her skin at yet another compromising situation that they'd been found in; they had not been very happy either when his darling godfather literally pulled him out from his lover's arms before their abrupt departure. “Well, almost, lover…” He blushed at the thought as he finished his bath and dressed himself up for breakfast with his parents and whoever decided to drop by the Great Hall of Gryffindor at this time in the morning.

”My princess, what have you done to me? ” he thought while looking at his reflection as he tried desperately to tone down his ridiculous grin, but couldn't, knowing that at that moment his fiancée would be preparing to leave her kingdom. “Just a few more hours and she'll be here…” This thought made his grin even more ridiculous and he felt that if he smiled any larger his face would crack.

Taking one last look at his reflection, the magical mirror said, “My word! Someone's very chipper today!” Harry raised an eyebrow in reply and rushed out of his bed chambers, heading towards the Great Hall.

That same morning in the castle of Ravenclaw…

“All ready now?” Queen Sara asked her daughter. She saw the apprehension on Hermione's radiant face.

Hermione was a complete wreck. She had met the king and queen of Gryffindor a lot of times before and she knew them to be a kind, lovely couple, but this would be her first encounter with them as the fiancée of their son, not merely a princess of Ravenclaw. It would also be her first time seeing them without her parents.

“What if they don't like me that way?” she thought while rechecking her reflection for the nth time. She wore a dark green day gown instead of a formal dress robe; it wasn't an official visit anyway so she dressed quite casually for the trip. She was particularly fond of this gown because the color reminded her of Harry's intense eyes, but it was when she wore it she realized why Lady Luna and Lady Lavender insisted that she wear it upon her arrival at Gryffindor Castle.

The gown was modest enough; it was made of simple muslin cloth which had a scooped neck, long sleeves, and a full flowing skirt. The soft cloth made the day gown cling to her body in a very subtle, seductive way, but it was the very low cut which exposed her back that made Hermione have second thoughts about wearing this creation. Lady Lavender stated that the princess would not have to worry about her bare back being exposed since she would be wearing two cloaks. Her travel cloak would bear the colors of Ravenclaw and keep her warm as the inner cloak was not to be taken off which had a soft golden hue and made of velvet meant to complement the green day gown.

Her hair was styled flowing gracefully straight down her back and a small tiara to represent her title was placed on her head. She wore no jewelry except for the tiara and no make up was needed since the princess was naturally glowing.

It was a frustrating and hectic few days since the departure of Harry from the kingdom of Ravenclaw, with all the packing and planning she had to do. To top it all off, her parents and her future in-laws forbade any sort of direct communication between her and her prince which really left her wired! But the waiting was over and in a few hours she would be sharing lunch with her love. She sighed as she ran a finger unconsciously over her left palm. Feeling the faint scar there she smiled, knowing that she and Harry were now actually bonded magically, spiritually, emotionally… now all that remained was for them to get to work on the physical aspect of that bond.

Princess Hermione became conscious of her mother looking at her peculiarly, “Mum?”

“Tell me the truth, Hermione, did you disobey the request of your father and mine on not having any communication with Prince Harry?” Queen Sara inquired.

“Mum, I gave my word that I will not have any direct interaction with Harry during our separation. Is that not what you and dad specifically asked of me?”

“Hermione, somehow I have a feeling that you found a way around our request. Call it motherly instinct, my dear.”

“Mum, I gave you my word…”

“So Prince Harry has no idea whatsoever of your arrival to the kingdom of Gryffindor today?” Queen Sara gave her daughter a calculating look, trying to decipher whether Hermione was lying or not.

“I have no idea on whether Harry knows of my arrival or not. Mum, as I have told you, I have had no direct communications with my fiancé since his departure from our kingdom. If I told you that Harry has no inkling of my arrival to his, then would I not be convicting myself of knowing, ergo having been in touch with him directly?” Hermione reasoned.

The queen of Ravenclaw looked at her, completely perplexed. She had not realized that Hermione would have seen that play of words she did—but then again her daughter is the smartest witch of her age. With a sigh of resignation, Sara dismissed the topic.

Suddenly a look of sadness invaded her eyes, a mother's sense of loss for a daughter. Though Sara knew that this day would come, she had no idea that it would be so soon. Her eyes misted as she looked at her radiant Hermione. “Come now, you will be late and I would hope that you will be having lunch at Gryffindor,” Sara said with a warm smile.

Then, as she hugged her precious child she whispered in her ear, “Hermione, are you certain?”

“Mother!” Hermione whined, “Prince Harry and I practically grew up together!”

“True, but you both never seemed to hit it off right.” Sara reasoned, then waving her hand about, continued, “This is all quite so sudden, don't you think? It has been a little over a month since your coronation, and here you are betrothed to the Prince of Gryffindor.”

Hermione, wrapped in the arms of her mother, was holding back her own tears. She pulled back slightly to look at the woman who had given her life and love and then she answered, ”Mum, this is the most confident decision I have ever made. I love him and I know that Harry loves me.”

Sara smiled at the simplicity and honesty of her daughter's reply. She hugged Hermione again who returned it with fervor as mother and daughter pulled back, tears were falling from each others' eyes. “Look at us, it's not like we will be separated for long! Your father and I will be following in less than a week. Now, Hermione…I want you to uphold a sense of proper conduct in the kingdom of Gryffindor…I know that you and Prince Harry are madly in love—it does not mean that you will give in to whatever passion you carry for one another without the formal bond of marriage! Your father and I have raised you well—do not disappoint us. Promise me that?”

Hermione wanted to laugh, but she was afraid that her reaction might make her parents prevent her from leaving. Looking at her mother she said carefully, “Mum, I promise to not give in to the callings of passion without a sacred bond between me and the prince.”

Her mother gave her a smile but she had a feeling that there was a double entendre to the words of the princess. As she pulled her daughter's hand to lead her out of her bed chamber, Sara felt the faint scar on Hermione's left hand; looking at it, she raised her eyes in question to Hermione who in turn lowered hers. “Umm…I cut it at the Quidditch pitch when I was with Harry,” the princess mumbled.

Queen Sara did not say a word as she led her daughter to where her father was waiting to bid her farewell and Lady Lovegood was waiting for her to board the carriage. Upon reaching the great doors of the castle, Sara was still unusually quiet as she watched her husband embrace their child and helped her into the carriage followed by her lady in wait. King John then whispered instructions to the head of the security detail who would escort the princess on this journey.

The queen saw Hermione lean out of the window; a knowing look was exchanged by mother and daughter as her husband arrived at her side and they waved as the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw blew them a kiss. With that, the winged horses flew off, carrying the magnificent carriage of Ravenclaw towards the north, to the kingdom of the lion. When they were out in a distance, the queen sobbed as the king held her in his arms, whispering words of assurance in her ears. Sara looked into the eyes of the man she pledged her life and love to and smiled, they shared a kiss then they turned to go back into their castle hand in hand. With a last look back over her shoulder, Sara tried to search for a dot in the sky marking the position of where her daughter was. Then the queen of Ravenclaw looked down to her own left hand and saw the faint scar - an exact replica of what she had seen on her daughter's. Tears started to fall again on her cheeks.

Back in the Kingdom of the Lion at the Great Hall…

“She did what?!” Queen Lily asked, an incredulous look on her stunning features. She had heard an abbreviated version from her husband of the story now related by their best friends who were still harboring welts and bruises on their faces.

Seated beside the queen, her husband King James was red from suppressed laughter. He looked at Sirius and Remus, who both were shoveling their breakfast in their mouths, “That's the reason why I didn't tell you the full story, love. You had to hear it from the victims themselves!”

“Had no idea of where those bloody damn birds came from! Honestly, was caught off guard by Harry's lady. James, remind me never to startle that girl! The prince will have his hands full with that one....” Sirius grumbled. It was his bruised ego that made him complain.

Remus then continued retelling the story to his queen of having found her son and the princess in the locker room at the pitch in the heat of the moment. They'd decided to have their own fun and surprise the couple. It was the princess who had seen them first.

“What was Harry doing?” Lily asked immediately regretting her reflex question.

The three men in the Great Hall looked at each other, each flushing slightly.

“Um…the young prince was…uh…quite busy at the time…” Remus stuttered.

“Well, if the princess hadn't turned her head to give my godson better access to her lovely neck, she would have not seen us!” Sirius hissed.

“Oh…” was all Lily could say. But instead of letting the topic die a natural death, she had to ask, “Then?”

“Then, after Princess Hermione screamed to the high heavens, the young couple raised their hands simultaneously as if in defense, but before it registered who we were to Harry, the princess uttered `Avis!' and the duke here and I found ourselves being fodder for the birds! I swear Harry and Hermione together will be a force to reckon with. It'll be daunting going against them. Their raw power by themselves is something—but together and with training, they will be the most powerful couple—they, along with Prince Cedric may be our only hope,” Remus stated.

“That is what we are praying for,” James replied.

“So when are you going to tell Harry?” Sirius asked gravely.

“Tell me what?” interrupted the crown prince of Gryffindor as he came bounding through the doors.

The four adults in the room looked at each other anxiously. Then, as immediate as the expression had appeared on their faces, so did it vanish as they turned their attention to the prince when he sat down with them after kissing his mother's cheek.

Harry took a bite out of his buttered toast then mumbled, “Well, what were you going to tell me?”

“Umm…” Sirius and Remus started.

“Well…” Lily began.

“We were going to tell you that the Princess of Ravenclaw will be arriving today, it was to be a surprise—but since you caught us… well—surprise!” James stated with a false smile plastered on his face. While the other three let out a soft sigh of relief at the quick thinking of the king, what they were not expecting was the reaction of the prince.

Harry kept eating nonchalantly and shrugged his shoulders, “Knew it two days ago…”

“What?!” the four adults said rather loudly. Groaning inwardly, Prince Harry suddenly realized he'd said what he was thinking out loud.

“But I told you that there would be no falcons to be exchanged between you and the princess and no communication whatsoever till the two of you get better control of your hormones! I will have to tell John about this so we can think of proper sanctions for you and the princess at having broken your promise,” James said as he was about to head over to the fireplace to floo the king of Ravenclaw.

Harry choked on his food as he sputtered to his father, “But Hermione and I did not break our word! We have not been in any direct contact with each other since I left!” His anger started to rise at being accused of breaking his promise and the prospect of having Hermione punished because of his slip of the tongue.

“Then how did you know?” James stated, eyeing his son.

“Well…as they say father, `the court has ears' and I do have my sources,” Harry mumbled.

“Son, only the king, queen and their daughter of Ravenclaw knew of the early arrival of the princess at our kingdom aside from the Marauders and your mother. It is highly unlikely that you got your information from us,” James glanced at his two friends who shook their heads violently in reply. “And I so doubt that neither John nor Sara would volunteer that information to you. Now the only one left would be the princess—who happens to be your fiancée. Hmm…not looking good for you, is it?” James continued.

“Did you and King John not state that the princess and I were not to have any direct contact with each other?” Harry asked.

James nodded slowly. Looking at his wife, he caught the twinkle in her eyes as it suddenly dawned on him, “Lord Ronald Bilius of the House of Weasley…” he growled.

As if on cue, the said Lord came in the Great Hall practically beaming with the knowledge that Lady Luna Lovegood was the chosen chaperone of the princess. Ron felt so unbelievably giddy at knowing that he would see her again that he almost forgot he was hungry for breakfast…almost, but not quite.

Seeing Harry already at the table, he raised his hand in salute, “Oi, Harry!” Then realizing the other four pairs of eyes suddenly zeroing on him, he halted then bowed rather stiffly and said, “Good morning, your royal Majesties.” Turning to the other two males he nodded to each of them, “Your highness.” Then he proceeded toward his best mate, oblivious of the predicament that his crown prince had placed him in.

Now Lord Ronald Bilius of the House of Weasley was easily not the brightest crayon in the Weasley box, and to add insult to injury—he was rather daft. So having mentioned these rather adorable traits of the lord, one would understand why Ron would have sat beside his best mate, Prince Harry, and started eating his breakfast with much gusto. Lord Ronald, being who he was, was ignorant to the fact that the rest of the table had grown quite silent. Four pairs of adult eyes were focused on him and his best mate was fidgeting beside him, but onwards Ron went, enjoying his breakfast. When he lifted his head to take a sip of his pumpkin juice, he turned to Harry and asked, “Oi mate, fancy a quick game of chess after breakfast?”

Harry looked at Ron disbelievingly, “Oh he cannot be this dense! Can he?” Watching his friend stuff another mouthful of kippers, Harry thought, “Yup, he can…”

King James did not know whether to erupt in laughter at the scene before him or erupt in fury. He contemplated the situation that he was in. “Yes, John and I specifically asked both our children to cool down a bit, no communication whatsoever between the two… Then Harry asked `No DIRECT communication, father?' to which John and I affirmed…. Hmm—cunning, Harry! Just bloody crafty!” James then knew that his son had sneakily outwitted him.

Shifting his gaze to the still eating Lord Ronald, the king just shook his head as a smirk appeared. He had to credit his son on his resourcefulness though. Looking directly at Ron, James asked, “So Lord Weasley, I believe you to be quite excited at the arrival of the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw—or maybe I should say Lady Lovegood? Seeing that you and Harry knew about it two days ago.” Then he erupted in laughter as he watched Ron start hacking as he choked on the food in his mouth. Harry was already hammering his best friend on the back.

Both boys were now red in the face with embarrassment. “I must commend you, Harry. It takes a brave man to pull one over a Marauder, and I must say that you, the princess, Lady Lovegood and Lord Weasley have done quite good job at it!” James looked at his two best friends smiling sheepishly who then grimaced as the smile brought pain to the cuts and bruises on their faces caused by a very upset princess. “Seems like we have a new generation of Marauders in our midst…” Then as James was about to continue, a loud hiss came from the hearth in the Great Hall as embers started flying about it and a voice was heard, “JAMES? JAMES? LILY? ANYONE THERE?”

James immediately approached the fireplace followed closely by his wife. Looking at the logs, he saw the head of the king of Ravenclaw looking about and beside him his lovely queen. “John? Good morning! I take it the precious package has been sent?” James replied as he and Lily simultaneously stuck their heads in the massive fireplace.

“You guess right, my daughter has now just crossed into the Kingdom of Gryffindor according to Alastor,” John answered.

“Moody is the head security detail of the princess? My John, you are pulling all the stops!” James then realized the swiftness of the arrival of the princess. “Wait, did you say Princess Hermione just crossed into Gryffindor?” He and Lily suddenly exchanged glances as they heard a chair screech across the floor rather forcibly.

“Why, yes, James, I had Hermione use the Royal Ravenclaw carriage. Though I know this isn't an official visit, I wanted Hermione to be as comfortable as possible in her travel there. The carriage was outfitted with a pair of extra Aethonons, hence cutting the flight over there by half. Sorry to inform you about this rather suddenly. I hope you and Lily wouldn't mind the sudden intrusion of the Princess, I knew we agreed her arrival would be around midday, but I was informed about the extra winged horses right before she departed. If there is any problem, I can have Alastor take a stop over at Stonehenge…” John trailed off.

“Not a problem, your majesty…Please, there is no need for the princess to stop by Stonehenge!” Prince Harry said rather loudly as he too joined his parents in the fireplace.

“HARRY JAMES POTTER!” Lily shouted, reprimanding her son at his rather rude intrusion into their conversation.

John's head laughed as Sara shook her head with a smile, “Well, good morning, Prince Harry!” John greeted.

Harry bowed his head at his future in-laws and greeted them, “A very pleasant morning to your Majesties.”

Lily, looking back at the other royal couple, answered for all of them, “John, Sara like what Harry has stated, there is no intrusion at an earlier arrival of the princess. We are looking forward to it actually. Just let them stay their course.” Then she turned to Sara, “We have a lot to plan, Sara. I hope that you do follow immediately.”

“Believe me, we will be there in a few days,” Sara replied immediately.

“Prince Harry, I trust that you and Princess Hermione will maintain a sense of proper behavior worthy of a crown prince and princess?” John stated firmly as he gazed at the prince.

“There is no need to worry, your Majesty. I love the princess and respect her with my entire being. We will be bonded before anything out of hand happens. Besides your Majesty, Hermione and I will not be doing anything that both our parents would not have done during this stage. Now, if you will excuse me, King John and Queen Sara, I have to prepare for the arrival of my fiancée who I desperately miss!” With that, Harry bowed his head and ran off with Lord Ron following closely behind.

The two pairs looked at each other, then John asked, “Did Prince Harry say that he and Hermione would not do anything we would not have done when we were engaged?” as his gaze shifted to his wife then to James.

James replied slowly, “Aye, we heard right.” He too had a worried expression as he looked at his wife and then at the King of Ravenclaw.

Sighing heavily, King John said, “That's what I was afraid of…”

In the Royal Carriage of Ravenclaw…

Hermione looked out the window as she absentmindedly fiddled over the faint scar on her left hand. She could feel the eyes of her best friend intensely boring into her as if reading her thoughts.

“So when were you planning to tell me?” Luna asked softly.

“Hmm…tell you what, Looney?” the princess answered, trying her best to evade the eyes of her lady in wait.

“Now do not have me let loose a doxy on you, Herms.” After looking out her window, Luna suddenly said, “Oh I do hope that we will not encounter any hinkypunks... I do not want to get lost while my Ronald is waiting for me…”

Hermione looked at her friend, again baffled how Luna could be lucid one second and then incoherent in the next. “What now, pray tell, am I to tell you, Looney?”

“Oh, like when you and Harry performed the ancient bond by merging your blood - ergo your life, love, soul and magic?” Luna asked as she straightened her wand stuck behind her ear.

Hermione's jaw dropped. She was utterly shocked, “How…”

“Herms, how many times do I have to remind you than I am an empath? I can feel your life energy has been somewhat magnified and your aura has changed. I do believe you now carry part of Harry's aura as well,” Luna said in a firm voice.

Hermione, thankful to the fact that her best friend had known but kept her mouth shut the whole time, realized just how much she could trust her. Smiling at the ability to tell someone the truth, she raised her left hand to show the scar to Luna and said, “The day Harry left, we performed the ritual at the Quidditch pitch…But it did not get any further since his godfather and uncle... umm… arrived.”

Luna nodded. Then, after pondering upon what her princess had told her she said, “Well, knowing, err… feeling the emotions you and the prince have for each other, I can honestly say that whatever failed attempt you and he were supposed to be doing at the pitch will be successfully seen through tonight?”

Hermione, shocked at what her friend was implying, could only blush and stutter, “Umm, well…uh…”

Luna burst out laughing at the awkwardness the princess displayed. It took a lot before one could cause the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw to be utterly speechless. Having achieved that task, Luna quieted down with a very pleased look on her face.

“I'm quite looking forward to have the walls of Gryffindor crumble around my ears then…I, too, am planning to cause some wall shuddering myself… You see, my Ronald, being the gentleman he is, has been restraining himself... much to my dismay. He needs a nudge in the proper direction and I am very willing to give him that final push there. Now do you think the Gryffindor castle has been searched for nifflers? I do not wish to have my finger bitten off while I sleep with my Ronald!”

Again Hermione was quite put off by Luna moving from one rational topic and ending on a very non sequitur item. Hermione let out a very unlady-like snort as she tried to prevent her laughter, which bubbled up nonetheless. Luna, hearing the sound, stared wide eyed at the usually demure princess and the two ladies burst out in uncontrollable laughter which ended in joyful tears.

“Honestly Looney, how `your' Ronald will keep up with your ideas will be beyond me! But I must ask, Luna—are you happy with Lord Weasley? I mean this is not brought about by Harry and me, having thrown you basically together. I could not bear it if you got hurt because of this…”

Luna's expression softened and a look of gratitude appeared on her face as she took hold of her princess' left hand and traced the scar. Closing her eyes, she felt the energy radiating from the faint mark which warmed her up. Then, looking at her friend who had always accepted all her idiosyncrasies without any question, she answered softly, “I will be eternally indebted to you and Prince Harry for having me encounter the man I am meant to pledge my life to. And Ronald will be, too—once he stops being a rather daft prat! But if Ronald and I will be lucky enough to experience only half of the immense love you and Prince Harry have for each other, then I can die a fulfilled woman.”

With a radiating smile which made Luna's being practically glow, she continued, “Hermione, what you do not understand yet due to the constant intrusion of that highly intelligent brain of yours is that you and the Prince of Gryffindor are destined to be together. Call it soul mates or even karma buddies, as people beyond our kingdoms coin it. But no matter what, you were and always have been fated to be with Prince Harry. No matter where you roam in this life or the next, your heart and soul will always call out to the other. So promise me one thing, princess…” Luna looked at her friend and seeing her nod, she went on, “Give me your sworn oath that no matter what your quick mind tells you, your quicker heart will always prevail when it comes to your Prince.”

“But Luna, there is a code of behavior that Harry and I must always maintain! I mean I just can't jump him or ask him in the middle of a ceremony, `Harry mind a little snog?' I mean, honestly, social etiquette should still be followed and with all the duties as a crown prince and princess, plus the added burden of being the heirs to the throne of Godric and Rowena, we still have to…”

Hermione did not finish her statement as Luna raised her hand to stop the ranting of her princess. Luna then looked into the soft brown eyes of her future queen, whether she remains a citizen of Ravenclaw by birth or Gryffindor by marriage and stated rather firmly, “Princess, I am not saying that you must be at the every beck and call of Prince Harry! No! One must still maintain one's identity even if it is only half of a whole…” Luna waved her hands dismissively explaining this, then her expression darkened, “But Herms, I can feel an evil lurking in our midst—there are dark times ahead and this feeling of darkness will have the power to drain the light. My soul absolutely shivers when the aura of the evil one surges... and those times have been frequently felt not only by me, but by father as well. I know that you and the Princes of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff - even the Heir of the Steward of Slytherin have an important hand in what lies ahead. But you must lay your doubts and insecurities about your love for Prince Harry to rest. Herms, he loves you more than you can even comprehend as you love him. I can feel it and it warms my spirit. Hence, just let your emotions rule you instead of your mind sometimes…”

The Crown Princess of Ravenclaw was silent, letting all the information that her lady in wait and most trusted friend had said sink in. Then looking directly into her friend's lucid, violet eyes, she said, “Luna, I swear to you that I will not let anything come between me and my Harry…”

The two friends gave each other a hug as excitement started to take hold of them and they chattered about their intended. Hermione kept laughing till her sides hurt as Luna regaled the princess with the plans that she had for `my Ronald.' Then they saw Alastor Moody bring his broom up to the window of the carriage. With his magical eye zooming all around, he said, “Crown Princess Hermione and Lady Luna, welcome to the castle of Gryffindor!”

At the courtyard of the Castle of Gryffindor two young men, one with raven colored hair and the other with fiery red hair could be seen fidgeting with their clothes and appearance.

Duke Sirius of the House of Black had an evil grin on his face as he nudged Earl Remus Lupin and nodded his head in the direction of his godson and his best friend. Remus, looking at the two, turned to his best friend and had a copy of the evil grin plastered on as well. The two co head aurors and best mates of the King of Gryffindor swaggered over to the king who had a smirk on his face as well. The three Marauders looked at the hopeless young men who were nervous as the arrival of the Royal carriage of Ravenclaw had been heralded. James felt pity for his son, who was desperately trying his best to tame his pathologically messy hair he'd inherited from him.

“It's so easy, just so easy to mess with him,” Sirius muttered to the other two.

“Padfoot, Moony—be nice. Your intended victim is my son, you know, and I think his fiancée who will be arriving any time now will not take too kindly at having the two of you messing around with Harry. Honestly, have you not learned your lesson? I mean, you are still carrying the marks,” James answered, recalling the days when it had been he in his son's position, waiting for his future bride. As if being called by the memory, Lily slipped beside him and he instinctively took her hand and kissed it as they both gazed at their son who was suddenly a grown man.

“I came as soon as I heard,” Lily whispered to her husband, “Knowing Padfoot and Moony would be here, I knew that Harry would need reinforcements.”

James smiled down at his wife and they shared a kiss. Sirius grunted as Remus guffawed at their friends' public display of affection. “C'mon James! Let Remus and I go on and play!“ Sirius whined.

“Oh, stop it, you two. You've done quite enough at the expense of my son! Let him be,” Lily admonished.

“Fine,” came the grudging reply from Sirius as Remus just smirked.

Then the four elders saw an identical pair of young men also with red hair join the prince and the lord. Remus immediately looked at Sirius, who was now looking with interest at the other quartet in the courtyard. James cautiously looked on as Lily whispered, “Oh no, not them…”

“C'mon Harry, you don't think that we would…” George started.

“...humiliate you in front of the Princess of Ravenclaw, do you?” Fred finished.

“Yes, you would. Now get out of here, you gits. The farther you are from me and Hermione, the better,” Harry hissed.

“Ronniekins, come to greet your lady too?” Fred asked.

“Get going now, you two, before I hex you into next week!” Ron growled.

“Oh ho! Did I hear right, dear brother? Did our dear Ronniekins just threaten us with a hex?” George asked mockingly as he placed an arm around the shoulder of their youngest brother.

“Bro, I believe you're right,” Fred replied, smirking.

“Look, you two, if you don't believe us, then here; try the breath mints. Prince Harry, I'm sure you would kiss the princess upon her arrival—being that it's just the lot of us here, no need to follow protocol! Here I'll sample it for you,” George then popped a mint into his mouth, rolled it around then smiled.

“See, perfectly safe!” Fred answered.

“Don't believe them, Harry! They have something up their sleeves, I tell you!” Ron warned.

“Come now, bro. Look at the mints! It's all mixed - there's no way that we could mark the safe ones from the trick ones…if there are any.” George showed off a tin with uniformly colored mints. “Now here, we are thinking of the two of you with only good intentions and you shoot us down?” George and Fred then covered their chests in mock gestures of being hurt.

Harry eyed the tin of mints being offered. He did brush his teeth an extra time knowing fully well that when his fiancée stepped off the carriage he would more or less make a fool of himself in front of his parents by snogging her senseless. “Well, Hermione's parents caught us—I don't think mum and dad would mind,” he thought.

Because of the Weasley twins he suddenly felt less confident about kissing the princess but he missed tasting her sweetness, so he might as well take any chance to make the experience better.

“George didn't transfigure into a chicken,” he thought to himself.

Then he saw Fred pop a mint into his mouth and nothing happened to him, either. Harry saw Ron's doubtful eyes meet his and then he saw his best mate cautiously reach out for the tin and take one mint. Ron examined it, then closing his eyes as he popped it in his mouth and blew his breath on his hand, he sniffed and his breath smelled unbelievably minty. Ron looked over to the prince and smiled. “They aren't lying Harry! It tastes great and my breath smells the best it has in years!”

“Naturally, bro, considering you only brush your teeth once a week!” Fred retorted and moved his head as Ron tried to hit it.

The Prince of Gryffindor did have a sinking feeling in his gut but as he watched Ron take two more mints and still nothing happened, he felt a bit more relaxed. Then Harry heard the trumpets blare, signaling the arrival of his princess and as he looked up he saw a magnificent sight.

A large blue carriage with bronze trimmings being pulled by twelve chestnut hued Aethonons was truly a sight to behold. There were three Ravenclaw Aurors on brooms on either side of the carriage, who were obviously the security detail for the princess. Then as the carriage came gliding down gracefully, Harry did not hesitate as he took two mints and immediately popped them in his mouth. What he missed were the knowing looks exchanged by the twins and the looks that passed between his godfather and semi-uncle.

Harry felt the effect of the mints immediately, then spying Ron take another two mints, he waited with bated breath as the coachman swung open the door and placed the steps to it for the occupants to go down on. He saw Lady Lovegood step out and curtsy before his parents. She did look absolutely beautiful and she gave a wink to his best mate beside him and Harry heard Ron gulp loudly but he did not go towards Luna.

Harry was about to rush to the door but was held back with a firm hand on either shoulder by Sirius and Remus who had somehow flanked him as he watched his father and mother approach the carriage. “Not yet, Harry. Even if we don't have to follow any formal arrival ceremony, there are still some things that have to be done by your mum and dad,” Remus whispered.

“Your Royal Majesties of Gryffindor, King James and Queen Lily of the venerable House of Potter,” Alastor started with a bow to the king and queen, who in turn acknowledged it with slight bows of their own. “It is my honor to present her highness Crown Princess of Ravenclaw Hermione Jane of the venerable house of Granger and heir to the throne of Rowena.”

Then a hand appeared out of the carriage as Alastor took it, Harry too took a loud gulp and he could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage. When the last occupant came out of the carriage, Harry could hardly breathe. He watched as the head Auror of Ravenclaw assist his fiancée out. A hand, then an arm wrapped in dark green, then a green slippered foot, then a brown head with a small tiara on it, then all of her was out of the carriage and Harry exhaled rather forcibly. He saw his fiancée meet his gaze and smile. Then she shifted her eyes to his parents before her and curtsied so gracefully before them. Harry then saw his father take her hand and Hermione rose slowly.

James looked at Mad Eye Moody and said, “Alastor, tell John his precious daughter has arrived safely and will always be welcome in the Kingdom of Gryffindor. Tell him that Lily and I look forward to his visit here with Sara. By the way, you are welcome to stay and rest before you head back to Ravenclaw.”

Alastor murmured a thank you and the two bowed to each other. Then Harry saw his dad pull Hermione into a big fierce hug which caused a shock expression on the face of the princess. The king then whispered something in his fiancée's ear which caused her to giggle and blush. Then Harry's mother opened her arms as Hermione drifted into them; again he saw his mother whisper something to his love's ear which made the blush turn deeper as both women looked at him.

Harry, not feeling the hands which restricted him, ran to Hermione, who stood there looking at him rather intensely. He gathered her in his arms and hugged her, his arms wrapped around her under her cloaks and he groaned as his hands touched her bare skin at her back. They pulled apart and Harry placed his forehead against hers. As his thumbs traced her spine, he saw her bite her lower lip and she closed her eyes at his touch. When she opened them, her brown eyes were unbelievable dark with love and passion for him. “Merlin, you are so beautiful. I missed you so much…”

Hermione smiled. Looking up, she whispered, “I chose this dress with you in mind, my prince.” Harry moaned and she could feel his hands running up and down her back rather possessively now. “Harry, your breath smells absolutely delicious…Mind if I have a taste?” Hermione boldly asked.

Harry silently thanked the Weasley twins for their mints and smiled down at his fiancée. “Hmm…your wish is my command, love.” He then lowered his lips to her soft ones and their mouths opened simultaneously as their tongues met midway.

Then Harry and Hermione's eyes flew open as a tingling sensation invaded him and the princess felt her mouth suddenly fill up. The prince pushed Hermione back as she started to gag. The princess' eyes were wide as she watched Harry's tongue grow ten times its normal size and hang out to almost reach his chest. Hermione turned as she saw Luna also pull away as the same thing was happening to Luna's Ronald. Then it struck her as she saw her fiancé draw out his wand and aim it at the twin red heads that were rolling around the courtyard in laughter.

Hermione looked at her future in laws and saw a restrained smirk on the face of the king while the queen was just livid. Harry and Ron were trying to hex the twins but couldn't say any spells right being that their tongues were still growing; from the looks of it Lord Ronald's was four times longer than Harry's. Hermione couldn't help herself and started laughing at the scene before her. Luna looked at the princess and gladly joined her, each of the women holding onto the other as they doubled up, holding their sides. The queen, seeing that everyone was getting a good laugh out of the expense of her son couldn't help herself as a chuckle erupted from her, followed by another and another.

Harry and Ron could not believe it! They had been doped by the infamous products of the Weasley twins again! They did not know whether they should applaud the twins on such a brilliant creation, a mint that had been charmed to activate only upon a kiss, or hex the twins till next year! Worst of all, their lady loves were laughing at them! They could not believe the situation they were in.

Then Hermione, while wiping the tears from the side of her eyes went toward the prince and said, ”Love, I know that you're excited to see me—but really there's no need to drool!” which ignited another round of laughs from everyone.

“Princess…please…stop with the…one liner…we are…about…to…have…a…an...accident in our pants!” Fred tried to say between laughing as he rolled around the courtyard and was joined by his twin, Sirius, and Remus.

“Mmph thathatha ungh mmph” Harry tried to say, which again caused the lot to keep laughing. Now Harry and Ron were purple with fury. They couldn't properly utter a spell to fix their tongues nor could they hex the culprits. They were stuck in the predicament till anyone would wish to help them.

After a while, Hermione finally took pity on her fiancé. Taking out her wand, she muttered a shrinking spell and added a healing charm which immediately brought Harry's tongue to its normal size. Harry then kissed her cautiously in gratitude. Ronald was not as lucky since he'd eaten around five mints. It took Luna quite a while to reduce the size of Ron's tongue to at least half. Luna then looked at the princess for help, she in turn walked over to her lady in wait and `her Ronald.' With a wave of her wand and a muttered charm, she cured Lord Weasley of his predicament. Ron and Harry chased the twins as the ladies rolled their eyes. Finally George seized the princess around her waist and used her as a shield, putting her between him and the prince and trying in vain to hide behind her petite figure, while Fred copied his twin but with a very giggly Luna.

“George, if you value your ridiculous life, then carefully let go of the princess and I may just spare you by hexing you till next week instead of next year!” Harry growled.

George was either feeling lucky or just simply mental. He shook his head, “Sorry, your highness, but I'll take my chances with the princess instead of taking my chances with you!”

Princess Hermione, listening to the exchange, muffled a giggle and said, “Umm…wrong answer!” Waving her wand at the feet of her captor who was still standing behind her, she uttered, “Levicorpus” and before Sir George Weasley knew it, he was hanging upside down in the air. The princess, seeing that his twin was laughing, said, “Oh, honestly!” Then she said the same spell and now both twins were hanging upside down by their ankles beside each other.

The Prince of Gryffindor then strutted toward his talented fiancée. As he placed his arm around her shoulders, she immediately wrapped hers around his waist. They were joined by Lady Lovegood and Lord Weasley, the King and Queen of Gryffindor, Duke Sirius and Earl Remus.

“Sir Weasley, consider this payback at having my arrival marred by you and your twin's petty pranks. Also remember this—I do not take kindly to having my time with my fiancé interrupted as you can ask Duke Black and Earl Lupin!” With that said, Hermione turned to the Prince of Gryffindor and said, “Well, love, I find myself quite hungry at the waste of energy at cleaning up after you…I believe you owe me lunch!”

“Ah, yes, my dear—as I said before, your wish is my command!” and with Harry's answer, the couple, arms around each other, headed to the Great Hall of Gryffindor, followed closely behind by Lady Lovegood and Lord Weasley.

Sirius, taking sympathy for the Weasley twins, took out his wand and said, “Liberacorpus” and as the two fell down with a thump he told the twins, “Be grateful that she did not have the birds attack you!”

The Duke turned to his king and queen and mumbled, “I must say, the princess is definitely brilliant!” to which the Earl nodded in accord, then Sirius continued, “Just bloody brilliant—scary, but brilliant!” and the four of them burst out laughing once again.

A/N: So what did you think about this chappie? Just be sure to state your opinion in the “reviewer box”

To those who believe that I should have raised the rating to an “R” (refer to Chapter 9) instead of keeping it “PG-13”…I don't see why I should—the following chapters (including this one) does not seem to fall into that category, although I must admit that Chapter 9 is a bit racy. Those of you who still believe that I overstepped this rating then tell it to me again—I easily cave you know…

Teasers…Must I? Oh alright…For Chapter 10—the awarding of a Slytherin citizen in the kingdom of Gryffindor…a prophecy revealed…the die has been cast by the Steward as the storm intensifies…

-->

My heart felt thank you to VacantSkies for his added dash of potions and a wave of charms to this story. His website is www.fanfiction.net/~vacantskies

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine…

On to…

Chapter 10

A young man robed in black with a green cloak with silver inlay was in a genuflect position as a ribbon, scarlet and gold with a medal at the end, was placed above his head. As the medal settled down on his chest, the Minister of Magic of Gryffindor stated, “It is my pleasure to award the Heir of the Steward of Slytherin the Order of Merlin, third class, on behalf of the Kingdom of Gryffindor for services rendered above and beyond the call of duty for a citizen of Gryffindor. Arise, Master Draco, and congratulations!”

The young man stood up slowly as the crowd cheered. Draco could feel his cheeks warming at the attention. He turned and looked at the crowd gathered below the stage at the Great Hall of Gryffindor and then he bowed slightly. On stage with him were his father, the royal families of the three kingdoms with the exception of the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff, the overseer and caretaker of Stonehenge, and the members of the House of Weasley. Draco felt someone approach from behind and a small hand reached for his. He smiled as he knew the touch of the lady who had just claimed his hand. “Ginny,” he thought as he felt his face flush. Turning towards Lady Ginny he saw unshed tears in her eyes and a look of pride as she smiled back.

The overseer of Stonehenge approached the front of the stage and, lifting both hands which immediately quieted the crowd, said, “Without further delay, let us all enjoy this evening and the wonderful feast prepared in honor of Master Draco Malfoy, heir of the Steward of Slytherin.” Then suddenly tables appeared in the Great Hall with plates and abundant food. On the stage a high table also appeared. Draco, still holding the hand of Lady Ginny, guided her towards his seat.

“Master Draco, I am not sitting at this table,” Ginny said softly.

Draco looked at her confused and replied, “What? You're the reason why I received this award and you are not sitting with me?”

Ginny shook her head with a rueful smile. She pointed out a table close to the stage which already seated some of her other brothers, though her parents were assigned at the high table.

Draco pulled her gently as they descended the stage and approached the table she indicated, he pulled out a seat and held it for Lady Ginny; when she was seated Draco then pulled out the seat beside her and sank into it. This caused the occupants of the table to stare at him with a shocked expression. Draco heard a loud gasp from the high table on the stage and saw that the Minister of Magic of Gryffindor and Lady Molly held the same expression on their faces. Lord Malfoy stared at him, dumbfounded.

Draco defiantly returned their looks, turning to the siblings of Lady Ginny said, “Well, I am the honoree, so I would think it should be my decision on where I wish to be seated.”

That said, the Weasley brothers looked at each other then turned their gaze to their only sister who sat there blushing, but she met their eyes, daring them to have their say about the situation. The brothers shrugged and then continued with their previous conversation.

“Bloody hell!” exclaimed Lord Ronald Weasley as he approached the table and saw that his assigned seat was occupied by the heir of the Steward of Slytherin, who looked back at him with steely cold gray eyes.

“Ron, why don't you join Lady Lovegood, eh?” Ron's eldest brother, Bill asked.

“Aye, be a good boy and go run to Lady Luna, Ronniekins!” Fred continued with a smirk.

Ron, though delighted with this idea, was not easily swayed. Frankly speaking, Ron did not like the Heir of the Steward of Slytherin one bit. “Something shifty in those eyes of his…” and the mere fact that he had those shifty eyes set on his only sister did not help one bit.

Turning to the man occupying his seat, Ron asked in a threateningly low voice, “Excuse me, but are you not supposed to be seated at the high table, Master Draco?”

“Aye, that I am…but I want to be seated here beside Lady Ginny,” Draco drawled, his chin rising up a notch as he sneered.

Ron felt his face burning in fury; he just despised the arrogance of this man from Slytherin. “Well, Master Draco, what you desire and what you are required to do are not one in the same now, is it?” Ron paused. Cocking one eyebrow, he scoffed, “But then what should I expect from a citizen who hails from the kingdom of Slytherin but to defy any sense of decorum at events such as these. Being that you are now just introduced to the common courtesies that we have been exposed to all our lives.”

Ginny gasped at the unwarranted attack of Ron towards Draco. She could feel her blood boiling and was about to let it loose on her brother who was a year older and a foot and a half taller than her but Draco, just grasped her hand and then looking up at his attacker said, “Well done, Lord Ronald! May I compliment you on such a wonderful observation of my sense of propriety or lack of it? But I must say that for a member of the court of Gryffindor, your tongue hails from that of Slytherin!”

Ron gawked at him, and felt totally insulted at having a similar trait from those of Slytherin. Looking at his brothers for support, he was met with disappointment in Bill and Charlie's eyes; Percy chose to ignore him, looking pleased at being seated beside the honoree of the reception; and as for the twins, they were gazing at him with interest and just itching to know what would come next. Ginny was a whole different picture. He had never seen his sister that angry at him—ever!

Something registered in his mind. The reception seemed to be much quieter as he turned and saw that the other tables were now watching them. Looking up at the high table, Ron saw his mother was irritated with him and his father had quite a disgruntled expression. “Mum's going to have kittens over this!”

“Lord Weasley! Fancy bumping into you like this! I seem to have lost my way to my table, there seems to be a sudden infestation of Wrackspurts. Now we mustn't let our guard down, heaven knows what type of havoc they can reek!” Lady Luna Lovegood said in a dreamy voice, her eyes unfocused, then looking up at the man before her she whispered “Lord Weasley, mind if you help me search for my table?”

“Um…certainly, Lady Lovegood. My pleasure.” Taking her hand, Ron gave one last glare at the platinum blond haired man beside his sister then guided the lovely lady to any table with a vacancy for both of them.

Ginny let out a sigh of relief and silently thanked the lady from Ravenclaw, “Crisis averted for the time being…” she thought.

Peering at her brothers, Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George, she saw the look of disapproval at the gesture of the young man beside her. Though they did not like the way Ron handled the situation, it didn't mean that they were going to welcome a Slytherin with open arms. Glaring at them one last time, she started to eat.

“Are you all right?” Draco murmured.

“I should be asking you that question, Master Draco,” Ginny replied.

Draco gave her a small, sad smile, “I understand where your brother was coming from. Though I must say, he needs a little lesson on the how to handle situations with some finesse. I still cannot believe that he is related to you!”

Ginny felt her anger rise once again. Ron may have been a prat—but he still was her brother. “May I warn you that though I do not agree with the way Ron behaved, he still is my sibling. So, Master Draco, if my family appalls you, then maybe you should go to your seat at the high table.”

Seeing her cheeks flushed with mild fury made him swallow rather loudly. “I apologize, that did not come out right.” The word was new to his vocabulary, he'd never needed a reason to use it before. But trying to maintain a calm façade, he let his awkward apology stand. Looking at his lady, he held his breath. Then, seeing her tense posture relax slightly, he started to breathe normally, but he saw that she did not smile.

Draco then took a small bite as he felt the eyes of the other Weasleys bore into him. “This is going to be a long night…”

XXXXX

Lord Ronald Weasley was still agitated over the encounter with the Slytherin honoree, but somehow, along the way of looking for a table to accommodate him and Lady Lovegood, their positions changed and she was the one leading them through the Great Hall. It was full and he was still irate but then he felt a sudden serenity wash over him. Luna turned to him slightly and gave him a small smile. Then it struck him that the calmness which had seeped into him was her doing. He returned her smile. “Hmm...did she just channel some of her emotions to me?”

As if seeing her for the first time he noticed her natural glow. Her gown bore the colors of Ravenclaw and it was simple in design but still alluring. He chuckled as he saw her chosen headpiece ; it was her wand stuck in her hair, holding it in an elegant twist. Around her neck was a necklace that seemed to be made up of…butterbeer bottle caps. “She certainly is beautiful. Odd taste in jewelry, though…” Shaking his head as if to clear it while pulling on her hand slightly, he recalled the conversation that had happened moments ago and asked, “Lady Lovegood… uh, just what is a Wrackspurt?”

She giggled, which caused Ron to think that she'd made it up. Relaxing a bit at this knowledge, thinking that she wasn't as mental as she seemed but knew how to defuse a stick situation she whispered back, “Lord Weasley, you do not know what Wrackspurts are?” She gave him an incredulous look.

Ron dumbly shook his head.

“Well, Wrackspurts are creatures which invades one's mind causing it to become unfocused.”

Ron stared at her and started to wonder how many Wrackspurts took residence in her brain. “What is it with Ravenclaw women? Are they all this mental?” His thoughts briefly flickered to the Crown Princess of the said kingdom along with her lady in waiting.

Luna then stopped at a table. Looking at Ron she said, “Well, Lord Weasley, I hope this table is to your liking?”

Seated at the table were Lady Chang who Ron had met in Ravenclaw and had the pleasure of playing Quidditch with, beside her was Baron Finnigan, a few gentlemen from the court of Ravenclaw, and Duchesses Pavarti and Padma of the House of Patil from Gryffindor. To the other side of Lady Cho there were two vacant seats. Smiling at those he recognized, he pulled the seat for Lady Lovegood and waited till she was seated, then bowing to the ladies and nodding to the gentlemen at the table, he too took his seat. Plates appeared before him and Luna and they started to eat as they listened in to the different conversations already taking place.

“Lady Cho,” Luna asked, “Where is the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff?”

Cho's expression turned grim. “Prince Cedric is quite ill tonight, hence his absence.” Then brightening up suddenly, “Change of topic...Let's talk about weddings instead. Lady Lovegood, you must come to my wedding! It will take place a week before the winter holidays. I believe the invitations have been sent. We will be granting the Quibbler an exclusive on it!” she said, adding an incentive knowing that the official periodical of Ravenclaw was owned by Luna's father, Viscount Lovegood. Cho then looked over to the young man beside Luna. “Lord Weasley, an invitation has been sent to you to and to the House of Weasley. Cedric and I hope that you shall all make it. Hufflepuff is beautiful during that time of the year. It already is tranquil and beautiful but with the snow it adds more to the enchantment,” Cho finished in a whimsical voice as visions of her wedding came to mind.

Ron, having his mouth full of food, just nodded his reply.

“Lady Cho, thank you for the invitation. I will make sure to arrive earlier so that I may de-nargle the mistletoes for your ceremonies. Hmm…I hope that the yetis won't make an appearance since Hufflepuff is a mountainous region...” Luna's expression looked like she was planning some plot against the so called yetis.

“Oh, thank you for the offer of de-nargling the mistletoe! I would not have the time to rid myself of the infestation personally; your help would certainly be needed. Not to worry; I shall have Cedric line the area with torches to scare off the yetis,” Cho answered with a laugh. She had been a member of the court of the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw before she moved to the Kingdom of Hufflepuff, so Luna's bizarre remarks were not surprising to her and to those from Ravenclaw present at the table; in fact it endeared her more to the court members. But to those at the table from Gryffindor, with the exception of Ron, the exchange was baffling. Baron Finnigan choked on his drink and the Ladies Pavarti and Padma exchanged looks that seemed like Luna and Cho grew a second head as Ron went on eating.

Luna, satisfied with the tactical plan of Lady Chang against the yetis and pleased at her assignment on the mistletoes, continued with her meal, oblivious to the fleeting looks given to her from some of the Gryffindor citizens as their table became one of the quietest in the Great Hall.

XXXXX

“Hmmm…”

“What is it, Moony? Smell something fishy?”

Earl Remus Lupin brought his gaze to one of his best mates, Duke Sirius Black. “Ne'er, not fishy, but I do smell a rattlesnake.”

“Of course, the stench is from the Slytherin duo!” Sirius hissed as he looked toward the high table at the Steward.

The two were making rounds since they decided to make up for their lack of attentiveness during the coronation of the princess of Ravenclaw. As they walked amongst the tables at the Great Hall of Gryffindor, sometimes stopping to chat with members of the court, they kept a sharp eye out for anything amiss.

“Does it not surprise you that though this ceremony was held in honor of the Heir of the Steward of Slytherin, only the honoree and his father made an appearance? Not even his mother nor any other citizen of Slytherin came,” Remus said rather warily.

“Good for us, I say, less people to take into account for!” Sirius answered smugly as he looked over to where Mad Eye Moody and Amelia Bones seemed to be in a deep and serious conversation, while Moody's magical eye kept spinning around.

“Padfoot, something is amiss. I cannot place my finger on it but I have this gut feeling that something menacing is about to take place…”

Sirius saw the troubled look in his friend's eyes, “Those damn werewolf senses. If there is something forbidding that is to occur, Moony will surely pick up on it.”

Searching around, Sirius pulled forth some of his heightened senses which he'd acquired from his Animagus form. Sniffing the air like a dog, he felt the hairs at his nape stand at attention. “Damn it to Hades, Remus! I hate it when you're right! Then there was that warning last night…Do you think it's Pettigrew?” Sirius growled.

“I don't know…” Remus paused and looked around. “We did check up on the sealed secret passages of the castle. Dumbledore fortified the wards. I am sure we would have felt the presence of our former comrade.”

“We should inform Mad Eye and Amelia immediately—constant vigilance, you know. You think James should know, too?” Sirius murmured.

“Let us play it by ear, Padfoot. You go inform Mad Eye and Amelia; I will have a talk with Auror Tonks…”

Sirius looked at Remus skeptically. “Is that a subtle way of telling me that you will be checking the broom closets with my cousin?”

Remus blushed, then retorted, “Sod off, Black,” causing Sirius to laugh cynically considering the tasks they were to undertake.

XXXXX

“All is prepared, Pettigrew?” inquired the King of Slytherin.

“Aye, Your Majesty. It has been set in place at the chamber below. The Death Eaters are awaiting your order for them to proceed,” came the garbled reply.

“Finally, you have done well, Pettigrew. Now it is up to Lucius to see that all will succeed.”

A tall woman with ebony hair and deep set eyes entered the throne room and prostrated herself before her king.

“Ah, Bellatrix, be prepared to lay siege to Gryffindor. This is only meant for a preview of things to come. I want maximal damage, but take no prisoners. I would like to come and see the fear on the faces of the Potters and those in attendance, but it is not wise to reveal my presence yet,” King Voldemort said.

Marchioness Bellatrix Black Lestrange was one of the king's staunchest allies. Once belonging to the venerable house of Black from the Kingdom of Gryffindor, she and her sister Narcissa Black Malfoy broke off from their family when they married their husbands Marquis Rodolphus from the House of Lestrange and Lord Lucius hailing from the House of Malfoy, respectively. The two sisters were very much intrigued by the dark arts and found themselves perfectly happy at relocating to the Kingdom of Slytherin and joining their husbands as members of the Death Eaters—King Voldemort's personal guards, causing their family to disown them by burning their names off the Black family tree tapestry.

“Your Majesty, your wish is my command.” Bellatrix curtsied as she stood up, quite proud of herself at being chosen by her king to head this attack. She proceeded to the chamber below to await their signal to proceed.

“This will be one of Slytherin's finest hours! And the King chose me to bring this glory to him!” She felt practically giddy with anticipation at what was to take place that night.

Upon entering the dark chamber, Bellatrix noticed the hooded wizards and witches assembled. Each had an excited aura among themselves. She felt strong arms around her waist. Smiling, she turned to her husband and gave him a very heated kiss.

“Ready, Bella?” Rodolphus asked.

“Love, you know that I live for nights like these!” Bella replied in a childlike voice.

“Hmmm…you just love it for the hunt!”

“Rodolphus, I love it for the power! Gryffindor will fear our name tonight!” Bellatrix then pulled her husband's face down to hers.

XXXXX

The night before the awarding ceremony in the Castle of Gryffindor at the guest bed chambers of the Princess of Ravenclaw in the East Tower

“Come in…” a soft voice answered.

The door opened to a scene with the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw seated in bed, a book on her lap as she was running a brush through her hair. She was wearing only her bed dress and did not feel the need to cover up, thinking that her late night visitor would be Luna.

Looking up, she was surprised to see her parents along with her future in-laws piling into her bed chambers. Hermione stood up abruptly, dropping her brush and book while she curtsied instinctively. Queen Sara rushed to her and handed her a robe as the three lagged behind. Lily took a seat at the couch in front of the fireplace as Sara led Hermione and positioned her between the two queens as the kings conjured up two armchairs and sat across the ladies. The four adults wore grim expressions as they gazed at the princess.

“Mum, what is wrong?” Hermione asked, wringing her hands anxiously at what the reply would be.

“Princess…” King James started.

“Please, your majesty. You should know that in the privacy of our chambers we can do without any formalities,” Hermione said with a warm smile for the king who looked like an older version of her fiancé.

“Ah, yes, um…Hermione. We are here to discuss a pressing topic with you. I am sorry child, for disturbing you at such a time but we seem to all agree that there is no time better than the present,” James replied, somewhat uncomfortable with the task at hand.

“Hermione, there is something that you should know concerning your life and that of Harry's,” Lily continued, but seeing the stunned expression now on the face of the princess, she rushed to say, “You are a highly intelligent witch, Hermione. Beautiful and brilliant; my son is truly lucky to have you at his side for the rest of his life. Now tell me, do you believe in divination?”

Hermione's frown deepened; she did not understand where this conversation was going. She was caught off guard by Queen Lily's question about divination. She believed that divination was a very unstable field of magic. If it wasn't for Cedric, she would have dismissed divination as a totally bogus form of magic. Meeting the gaze of the Queen of Gryffindor, she answered, “To be honest with you, I see divination as an erratic field of magic. Cedric and King Amos are said to be gifted with foresight, yet they have no means to conjure predictions at call. So to be frank, if it were not for the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff, I would not waste time with Divinations.”

The four adults again looked at each other. “Okay, this is starting to become annoying…” Hermione thought, “Why all these questions and those looks?”

Looking at her father, she asked, “Dad, what brought you all here tonight? I'm sure it is something important since all four of you came here.” Turning to Lily she continued, “If this discussion concerns Harry and I, do you not think that it would be pertinent that Harry be here too?”

James began, “We thought about that but we decided it would be best if you heard what we have to say separately.”

“Hermione, there have been prophecies made, ancient prophecies which were handed down from generation to generation. Some even made from the time of King Arthur,” Sara addressed her daughter, gauging her reaction. “Well, we have come to recognize these prophecies to concern you, Harry, Cedric and even the heir of the Steward of Slytherin, Draco Malfoy.”

Hermione looked quizzically at her mother, she had not known her to believe in such things. “Mum, you always told me that we are the bearers of our own destiny. No one controls it but ourselves. Neither the fates nor destiny hold the upper hand to our own future. You and dad had always said that the power to choose will always be an option to everyone, not something foretold. Why are we even having this discussion?”

Sara, wringing her hands, looked at John for help, who decided to take up the thread of the discussion. “Hermione, what we have taught you is true. Willpower and the option of given a choice will always be more powerful than any prophecy. But we have to look at the sign of the times. To be honest poppet there is a darkness lurking at our front doors. No matter how James, Amos and I want our children to live in the ways of the light—we cannot always keep you sheltered and uninformed. Now it even may be our follies as fathers that we open your eyes to this only now, when we should have trained you for things to come ever since you were born.”

Hermione stood up and began pacing. She had heard of “dark times ahead” way too many times these past few days for it to be coincidental. This discussion was starting to give her a headache, as she placed her fingertips to the side of her head and rubbed. Feeling four pairs of eyes staring at her, she sat back down and asked, “Well, what are these prophecies?”

Lily took the hands of the princess and squeezed them. Then she smiled as her eyes misted. “Is it right to burden the future wife of my son with a load which I have carried for nineteen years? Is this fair to her and Harry? O Merlin, guide us!”

Clearing her throat, she told Hermione, “This prophecy refers to Harry. I'm sorry to have to inconvenience you with this which James and I have been carrying since his birth—but being his future wife, it is your right to know.”

The other three adults nodded solemnly as Lily dictated the prophecy, “The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Ruler approaches… Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…And the Dark Ruler will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Ruler knows not… and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.”

Hermione was slack jawed as she stared at Lily who was crying. The princess turned to her own parents as King James placed a comforting hand on his wife. The mournful expressions they all wore confirmed that it was true. Standing up, she tried to maintain her composure but she could feel her eyes watering up. The four adults in the room kept silent as they watched the princess walk over to her bed and sit on its edge. They watched in silence as Hermione reached out towards her headboard and stopped midway, seeming to brush something away. They did not know what to think of this odd behavior, but they remained quiet. Still sitting on the edge of the bed and looking at her parents, she softly asked, “Mum, do I have a prophecy attached to my birth as well?”

She started to rise but Hermione lifted her hand in a sign that asked her to stay there. Sara then sat down slowly as John stood to be by his wife. Looking at their daughter, they nodded simultaneously and Sara recited the prophecy that only she, John, and Albus Dumbledore knew.

“There is a princess who shall wield unification of all four kingdoms born from the house of Rowena, who shall tame the lion, guide the badger, and defang the snake—and unto her an obscure power instilled for peace shall prevail and love will conquer under her hand and the darkness shall be no more.” Queen Lily gasped upon hearing this, they had not known about this prophecy of the princess. James was now seated beside her and holding her in his arms as the royal couple of Ravenclaw remained quiet, tears running down their faces.

Lily looked upon Sara and Hermione, finally coming to realize the gravity of the situation which was now shoved on the shoulders of her future daughter-in-law and her son. The two prophecies were interlinked and part of the princess' prediction had come true. “…Who shall tame the lion…” kept repeating itself in her mind. It was now burned in her psyche.

James stood and placed a comforting hand on the shoulder of John who turned and said, “James, we are sorry to have kept this from you and Lily, but Albus asked us not to reveal it till the time was right…I believe that time is now.”

James nodded. “We understand. The life of the princess would have been in jeopardy if this was heard by the wrong ears.”

They turned to the princess. Her posture was quite strange and she seemed to be slumped against air. Then she abruptly sat up, one hand resting midair above her pillows as her other hand was rubbing her forehead. They could see tears flowing down her face.

She muttered softly, “This is all too much…Too much to comprehend in one night.” She looked at her parents and asked again, “Is that all that I need to know or are there other revelations that you have been hiding from me?”

Sara closed her eyes, acknowledging the subtle accusation in her daughter's voice at being kept in the dark. She turned to Lily, who nodded. Hermione, watching the exchange, could not help herself, and scoffed, “Merlin! You have got to be joking! There's more?” She again leaned down towards her bed but seemed to be suspended midair, not quite collapsing on her pillows.

“Actually, poppet, this concerns you, Harry, Cedric, and we think even the heir of the Steward of Slytherin,” John started.

Lily continued, “Hermione, this was told to your mother and to me and Cedric's mother upon each of your births.”

Taking a deep breath, Lily narrated the last of the prophecies, “Before the golden age of unity shall come the war of darkness…Helga's chosen shall pave the way for Rowena and Godric's heirs. The three founders shall send their own flesh and blood, and their successors shall crush the head of the serpent, the heir which Salazar had erroneously chosen. Upon their victory shall the golden age gush forth, for in no other kingdom shall love bind except in the land of the lion and the eagle, the badger will remain loyal and the serpent that once was excluded shall be united with the three. But the darkness must be vanquished before the golden age shall begin”

Hermione gasped. She felt like her head was about to explode! Three prophecies which seemed to be too much to handle. Looking at the four adults in the room, she felt lightheaded. “So that shall be it…kill or be killed. That is what you are all informing me?”

“No love, we did not mean…” John began.

“Let me see, `and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.' That is Harry's license to kill, isn't it, or maybe it's just his death sentence. Now the last prophecy given to our mothers basically serves us our death warrant, wherein Cedric is to `pave the way' for Harry and me,--pave the way for what? To become murderers for the sake of this golden age? That was clearly stated in the line `that darkness must be vanquished before the golden age shall begin'…Oh, but wait! We still have not heard the personalized prophecy of Cedric…So there's more in store for us, isn't there?” Hermione screamed.

She started to laugh hysterically, then midway through, she broke down and sobbed. Covering her mouth with a hand, the princess let her tears fall free as she collapsed from her sitting position on her bed to a reclining one as she cried harder till only dry heaves could be heard. Sara and John were about to rush to their daughter who again was reclining in midair. Catching her parents approaching, she again raised her hand as if to stave them away. They stopped in mid stride.

“NO!” Hermione bellowed, “No…please…I do not want to harm you…this…what…you all have told me…it is just too much to handle…please, I cannot control my emotions right now…I do not want to hurt you…”

The rulers of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw could feel the air in the bed chamber of the princess charge up. Amazingly they felt it was too intense, as if the princess' emotions weren't the only one causing this. The small objects in the room started to vibrate and the fire in the hearth roared.

“Hermione, poppet…”Sara again tried to approach her daughter.

“Mother, I suggest that you, Father and their royal majesties of Gryffindor please see yourselves out…Just give me time to digest the information that you have told me, you have had eighteen years to digest these predictions, and now you expect us to comprehend its meaning in one night?…Please mum, I do not want to do something unintentional towards the four of you when my emotions are not in check…please.”

Sara, having a pained expression at the torment that they had caused their daughter, turned back to her husband. Then the two couples walked slowly with heavy hearts out the door as they heard her continue to sob. With a last look at their daughter, John and Sara closed the door softly.

Hermione continued to weep, wiping away the tears which just seemed to keep falling. She took off her robe and reached for her wand at the bed stand. Flicking it, she placed a locking and silencing charm on her room. Lying still, she was slightly comforted as the arms that held her when she first sat on the bed in the beginning of this conversation, pulled her tighter still.

“So you heard everything?”

A hand appeared in the air, then the naked torso of a man with raven colored hair appeared as an invisibility cloak was thrown off the bed where he was stretched out on. He pulled his fiancée closer, feeling tears trickle down his cheeks as he replayed the conversation that took place before him by the adults who had no inkling to his presence in the bed when they entered.

He and the princess had been sleeping together since her arrival in his kingdom, but they still had yet to bond physically. There seemed to always be unforeseen hindrances, such as a late night meeting that the prince had to attend with his father, the princess' meeting concerning the planning of their engagement ceremony, introducing her formally to the royal court of Gryffindor, paperwork or a simple dinner invitation—the list of obstacles were endless!

Due to these deterrents they would both end up completely exhausted every night and despite his sneaking into her bed chambers with the use of the Marauder's map, secret passageways and his invisibility cloak—the farthest they'd both gone was very passionate snogging before falling asleep due to exhaustion in each other's arms. Prince Harry knew that again their lovemaking would be postponed as both he and his fiancée would be mulling the events which had just taken place.

Kissing her now bare shoulder he whispered, “Every word, Love…every bloody word…”

The same night in the west tower where the delegation from Hufflepuff was sleeping…

“Cedric!...Cedric!...Wake up, darling…Cedric!” a soft alto voice whispered while nudging her fiancé awake. Lady Cho knew Cedric was having a dreaded vision during his sleep when he would thrash about in bed. It was pertinent that he be woken up immediately so he could recall the revelation.

“Cedric! Love, wake up!”

The Crown Prince of Hufflepuff suddenly sat up, his eyes unfocused, his skin glistening with sweat and in a voice unrecognizable to Cho he said, 'IT WILL HAPPEN TONIGHT.'

“CEDRIC!” Cho was now frantically shaking her fiancé, which caused him to turn his eyes to her, “Cedric! You're scaring me! Wake up!”

'THE DARK RULER SITS ALONE IN HIS THRONE ROOM… HIS SERVANTS HAVE BEEN CHAINED THESE EIGHTEEN YEARS... TONIGHT, BEFORE MIDNIGHT, HIS SERVANTS WILL BREAK FREE AND SET OUT TO DO THEIR MASTER'S TERRIBLE BIDDING. THE DARK KING WILL RISE AGAIN WITH HIS SERVANTS' AID, GREATER AND MORE TERRIBLE THAN EVER HE WAS. TONIGHT ... BEFORE MIDNIGHT ... THE SERVANTS WILL DO THEIR MASTER'S BIDDING ...'

Prince Cedric's head fell to his chest. His body slackened and dropped to the bed; his breathing was harsh and rapid. Cho immediately ran out of their room, and knocking frantically on the door of the bed chambers of King Amos, she managed to wake up Cedric's father, “Your Majesty! Cedric! He had a vision!”

King Amos ran toward his son's bed chamber, followed closely by Lady Cho. Amos sat beside his son, still thrashing about and placed his hand on his son's head then uttered, “Legilimens!”

This caused the prince's body to stop seizing as the King's body went rigid. Cho saw beads of sweat starting to form on the King's forehead as his eyes moved rapidly under closed lids. Cho decided that something abhorrent might happen with the King and Prince of Hufflepuff so she ran out of the room again to summon the head Auror of Hufflepuff, Amelia Bones who was also in the west tower.

Amelia followed Cho to the Prince's bed chambers and upon assessing the situation of her ruler, she took out her wand, uttering a spell softly, she sent out a Patronus. The King and Prince had still not come out of their trance when a rush of footsteps were heard, as the rulers of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw along with their wives and their head Aurors also came hurrying into the room. They were then followed a moment later by Princess Hermione, whose eyes were still swollen from her weeping and a very reserved Prince Harry. Cho had tears falling from her eyes; it seemed a lifetime since the father and son of Hufflepuff had entered their stupor.

“John, please inform Albus and Minerva of the conditions of Amos and Cedric,” James instructed. Nodding, the king of Ravenclaw sent his Patronus while Lily waved her wand to lower the Anti-Apparition wards in the tower. In a matter of seconds, they were joined by the pair from Stonehenge.

“When did this all begin?” Dumbledore asked the group, who had kept their distance from the pair, knowing that it could be fatal if they interfered with the Legilimency cast by Amos.

After she had explained to Dumbledore what had happened, her voice broke as she whimpered, “Will they be all right?”

“You did right, my child, in informing Auror Bones immediately. Prince Cedric seems to have experienced a very sinister insight. King Amos should have summoned me…” Sighing, Albus conjured up seats for those present.

“Minerva, please, a strong Colloportus and silencing charm. King James, may I request that you reinforce the wards to this tower. Alastor, if you may please look towards the South tower and see if all is at peace there. What is happening right now must not be known by our guests in the South tower.”

Moody's magical eye swiveled to the back of his head and steadied itself. “Albus, Master Draco is asleep, but I cannot seem to find the presence of Lord Malfoy in his bed chambers…”

Dumbledore's eyes lost its natural twinkle as his expression hardened, “King James, can you lower the wards at the South Tower for a moment?”

The King of Gryffindor nodded and muttering a long spell while waving his wand in the air, the group saw Dumbledore's eyes close, upon opening them, he looked at James and said, “Thank you, King James, you may now replace the wards.”

King James obeyed and Sirius looking at Dumbledore asked, “Well?”

“I cannot seem to place the presence of Lord Malfoy at the south tower at all.”

“We can use the Marauder's map,” Prince Harry suggested.

King and Queen along with the co head Aurors of Gryffindor turned to the prince, their eyebrows raised inquiringly.

“What?” Harry whispered to the group.

“What is this Marauder's map, Prince Harry?” Albus asked.

“It's a map created by the Marauders that shows all the different areas of the castle of Gryffindor and it plots the positions of all those in the castle,” Harry started to explain.

“Well, get it, my boy! The passage to the main castle is not far from here anyway,” Moody growled.

At this, Prince Harry nodded slowly, looking at the princess with a small smirk as Hermione blushed, "Well...it's across the castle...um...it is at the east tower..."

Sirius slapped his forehead with his hand as Lily uttered a small `Oh,' Remus pinched the bridge of his nose as he looked at James, who was now staring at his son with an annoyed expression. The quartet now knew that Harry had been using it to get to the princess, who was showing signs of being completely embarrassed.

McGonagall then took off the locking spell she had placed, oblivious at the undercurrent being exchanged by the Gryffindor group. Waving his wand, Harry muttered, “Accio Marauder's Map” and after a few moments, the map flew into his hand. McGonagall then reiterated her past locking spell, securing the west tower once again.

Moody approached Prince Harry, quite curious as to how the map worked. Aiming his wand at the parchment, Harry said, “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” Suddenly the blank parchment showed the different areas of the castle of Gryffindor; on it were dots showing where everyone was, both he and Moody searched for the dot which would confirm where the Steward of Slytherin was.

“Well I'll be a five legged hippogriff! This is brilliant! Hmm, wonder what's so interesting in the dungeons that would catch the attention of Lord Malfoy?” Moody asked, watching the dot pacing the dungeons which was situated below the Great Hall of Gryffindor.

The co Aurors of Gryffindor looked at each other and shrugged. “No prisoners are being held there now. We'll go down there to investigate,” Remus replied as Sirius nodded, both turned and after the locking spell was down, they left for the dungeons, wands ever ready.

Harry then waved his wand over the map and muttered, “Mischief managed.” The parchment was blank again, folding it up he was about to pocket it in his bed robe when his father approached him.

“I'll take that, thank you very much…” James said, giving his son a reproachful look. Harry handed it over, blushing as he moved to the side of his fiancée. Placing a hand around Hermione's shoulder, he gave her a kiss on her temple and she in turn placed her hand on top of his, providing comfort to each other in this horrid situation.

“What do we do now, Albus? Can you not assist King Amos?” Minerva inquired after a while.

Releasing a deep breath, Dumbledore shook his head slowly, “If I interfere now, I may do more harm than good for King Amos and Prince Cedric.”

Looking around at the assembled group, he conjured up a chair for himself. Sitting down rather heavily, he stated, “Now we wait…”

XXXXX

Laughter and revelry continued in the Great Hall of Gryffindor. Those sitting at the head table on the stage at the front seemed to have a good time, considering most of them had little sleep, but if one looked closer everyone had tense expressions, except the Steward of Slytherin and the Minister of Magic of Gryffindor and Lady Molly. King James gave his son a peculiar glance and then he shifted his eyes to the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw. He saw her pushing her food around on her plate, her expression heartbreaking. Gone was the natural glow she always had around her - it seemed to have diminished and James felt guilty at being one of those responsible for extinguishing that glow last night.

“Harry, why were you using the map?” James asked his son.

“I always had it in my possession. Why?” Harry replied cautiously.

“Nothing. Just plain curious.”

Harry looked at his father and then at his fiancée who was a few seats away from him. She instinctively met his gaze and gave him a small smile before going back to staring at her plate. “Wouldn't you like to know, father? Truthfully, I've been using it to get into Hermione's bed chambers. Then last night you barged in my fiancée's room and bombarded her with the weight of the magical world. You kept the prophecies a secret even from me and when I gave you the opportunity to come clean this morning, you continued to hide it from me…You, mum and Hermione's parents just shattered my love's heart and the lot of you are pushing her to the edge of insanity! Now Prince Cedric lies unconscious in his bed and we have our hands tied knowing that something's going to happen but we just don't know what it is nor when it shall occur…” Harry thought to himself, but forcing a smile, he addressed his father, “Nothing to talk about, dad? Maybe there's a pressing issue you want to get off your chest?”

Harry felt his mother stiffen at his side, while his father looked at him with surprise and lowered his eyes, “Um…Something to talk to you about, you ask? Well…ah…I just…I just…erm…What makes you say that, Harry?”

Harry continued to smirk as he pushed his food around his plate. “Nothing, you just seem preoccupied. That's all…”

James stared at his son. Looking over his head, he met Lily's eyes. She shook her head subtly and James took it as a sign not to push the issue further. Though he had been thinking, ”Did the princess say anything to Harry since we've told her of the prophecies? If she did, Harry would have just come right out and confronted me and his mother…” He dismissed this line of thinking. He was just being paranoid.

“Unless…was Harry in Hermione's bed chambers when we went in?” He tried to replay the scenes from last night, suddenly remembering the odd gestures of the princess, then realization hit him—“He was on the bed! Harry was using the invisibility cloak!” James recalled the princess's odd movement and how she kept collapsing a few inches above the bed! He had thought at the time that maybe his eyes were just playing tricks on him, but now he knew the truth. “Harry, why did you not reveal yourself last night? It would have been easier on all of us…” James then looked at his son with a guilty expression, he was about to deal with the truth with Harry when his son stood up abruptly.

“Excuse me, father. The music has begun and I would want to dance with my fiancée before someone beats me to it.” Harry, bowing to his father and giving a quick peck on the cheek of his mother, started to move towards Hermione.

Putting a hand on his son's arm, James looked at him and said, “We shall talk later, Harry. Your mother and I do have something to tell you. I'm…I'm sorry you had to find out the way you did…”

Harry froze. He then knew that his father finally realized where he was last night. Nodding stiffly, he continued walking towards his Hermione.

XXXXX

Lucius looked at the dance floor at the Great Hall of Gryffindor. He watched as the citizens of the three kingdoms moved gracefully with not a care in the world. He sneered at the frivolity of the occasion. Taking a sip from his goblet he started to plan his next move which was critical. He recalled the events last night and was thankful that he had finished his task when the head Aurors of Gryffindor ran into him as he exited the dungeons.

Surprised by the encounter, Lucius made a lame excuse that he was in search for the kitchen but got lost in the vastness of the castle. He saw the suspicion in the eyes of Duke Black and Earl Lupin, but he moved nonchalantly so as not to aggravate the situation. He even accepted their offer to lead him back to the south tower, just in case he got lost again.

Looking around, he noticed that Alastor Moody watching him intently. He nodded his acknowledgment to the infamous chief Auror of Ravenclaw. Shifting his gaze, he saw his son dancing with the red haired lady of Gryffindor who was the reason for this event.

“I wonder what the king of Gryffindor would think if he found out that due to the foolishness of this award ceremony they brought upon themselves the wrath of my king?” Fighting the urge to feel sick, he kept his eyes on his son, who for once, had a genuine smile plastered on his face as he gazed intently on the lady before him. “Draco, you idiot! How dare you betray my lessons on indulging in such stupidity of the practices of the other kingdoms! Though I cannot deny you quenching the thirst you have lusting over that filthy blood traitor, I will have to teach you a harder lesson about being loyal to your own kind…”

Lucius then searched for the Auror who seemed concentrated on watching his every move. He smirked as he saw Duke Black talking to the Head Auror of Ravenclaw. “This is my chance…” He abruptly stood up and made a quick exit, rushing over to the dungeons using the secret passage way Pettigrew had told him of.

Lucius was grateful for the foul up of the Aurors of Gryffindor. “They may have sealed the secret entry and exit passageways, they did not think of warding the secret passages inside the castle itself. This mistake will cost the kingdom of the lion greatly.”

Upon reaching his intended destination, he took out what seemed to be a small box from his cloak. Placing it against a wall close to the exit of the dungeons leading toward the Great Hall, he whispered 'Engorgio', and the small box expanded into a very large cabinet. Opening the door of the cabinet, he aimed his wand and let out a shot of red inside. As he kept the door open, he waited for reinforcements.

XXXXX

“Damn it! I lost him again!” Moody growled as he walked to the head table while his magical eye kept moving around.

Sirius looked where the Steward of Slytherin had once been sitting. He quickly left to alert the other Aurors of Gryffindor who were positioned strategically around the Great Hall. He gave them their signal and they started to move inconspicuously to mingle with the guests to be in better positions to protect them.

Pulling out his two way mirror he called, “Remus!” and immediately the face of his friend appeared. “It's about to begin…” he muttered as he and Moody made their way to the head table to protect their respective rulers.

Remus nodded slightly and closed his mirror as he informed the Ravenclaw Auror with him. His gaze looked towards his rulers and witnessed Sirius and Moody arrive at the head table at the same time as Bones approached King Amos. James looked at John and they then stood up along with Dumbledore and McGonagall. Lily and Sara searched the dance floor to locate their children.

Not wanting to scare the guests, the rulers and Aurors subtly unsheathed their wands. Moody saw the Heir of Slytherin still at the dance floor with Lady Ginevra. He signaled to Sirius where the boy was. They both kept their eyes on him, wondering why it seemed like he was oblivious to the absence of his father. They did not know whether he was in cahoots with his father or if his actions were a charade.

“James! Where is Harry and the princess?” Lily whispered to her husband urgently. Sara was with her and looked on anxiously, still searching the hall for their children.

Suddenly there was screaming from the back of the Great Hall near its grand doors, those on the stage at the head table whipped out their wands and aimed it at the entrance, John conjured a crossbow and immediately handed it to Sara. Different colored spells burst forth as dark hooded figures seemed to pour out of every corner of the Great Hall. They heard spells such as `Crucio,' `Sectumsempra' and `Diffindo' The group was only slightly relieved that they had not seen any green lights nor heard the `Avada Kedavra' curse. They hastily moved into place to protect their people.

Lily and Sara called out the names of their children as they leapt off the stage in graceful unison.

Queen Lily muttered shield spells and counter curses against the Death Eaters as Queen Sara took aim and hit some of them with exact precision with her crossbow. The queens of the two kingdoms looked at each other as Death Eaters advanced towards them. Nodding they stood back to back, one armed with a wand, the other with a crossbow. They knew that they had to protect their people, their kings and their children, even if it meant sacrificing their own lives...

A/N: yes, I know I'm evil…there IS a part 2 to this chapter.

I think the readers are now officially bored with my story—so I'm putting in the action part…trying to see how or if I can write this…

Don't forget to tell me what you think in the review box.

Thanks for all the reviews, especially to those of you who have been faithful since the start. As for the new reviewers—welcome and I hope that this story reaches your expectations…

Oh yeah! I almost forgot: Teasers!

It's simple—the continuation of where we left off here… `cue: evil laughter'…

-->

A/N: My apologies for being remiss in updating. It seems mean of me that I had left all of you hanging with that cliffhanger in the last chapter.

I am actually still in bed, nursing the remnants of what I had thought to be the mere flu going around—unfortunately it wasn’t that simple and so now I have been diagnosed to have pneumonia which has down me for the past two and a half weeks. It goes to show you that the flu shot has no effect on me. =P

My kudos to VacantSkies for adding his own brand of magic to this story. His website is: www.fanfiction.net~vacantskies

Well enough about me, on to part 2.

DISCLAIMER: characters are not mine, just the plot…

Chapter 10 part2

At the west tower of the castle of Gryffindor, there was a small group congregating in the bed chambers of the unconscious prince of Hufflepuff.

“Thank you…” Hermione placed a small kiss on the cheek of her prince on whose lap she was sitting on.

Harry smiled at her. “Not that I’m complaining, but for what, love?”

“For being here….” Hermione replied as she snuggled into the crook of Harry’s shoulder.

“You know I hate it when you worry, and it just wouldn’t be right to enjoy this night knowing that Cedric is in this condition,” Harry stated as he gazed at the form on the bed.

“Just wouldn’t be proper at all, mate,” Lord Ronald Weasley seconded, who was sitting in one of the chairs conjured by Dumbledore the night before. Lounging contently on his lap was Lady Luna Lovegood.

“Oi Harry, you said Dumbledore conjured up these seats?” Harry nodded in response. Ron shifted, looking around at the many pink fluffy arm chairs. “Kind of makes you think hard about his inclinations, you know…he always chooses the weirdest colors—pink here, at Ravenclaw it was purple…Not a very manly choice, get what I’m saying?” he said with a wicked smirk. Luna smacked him playfully on his head; they all chuckled as Luna placed a small kiss on his lips as an apology, causing the young lord to blush.

“That so, mate? Well, from the looks of it, you can easily blend in with the chair!” Harry joked causing Hermione to laugh and Lady Cho to smile.

“Oh sod off, Harry!” Ron mumbled. Luna looked at him and gave him a hug since he looked so adorably uncomfortable to her.

Cho, who was seated on the bed holding the hand of her fiancé said, “I do appreciate you all for being here, though I assure you, it is not necessary. I am quite sure Cedric would have wanted you to enjoy the ceremonies.”

“Nonsense Cho. Like what Harry and Ron said, it would be wrong to be dancing the night away while Cedric’s here. Not to worry, we’ll all make up for it during our engagement ceremony!” Hermione said with a wink, as Harry tightened his arms around her.

“It’s just that…” Cho started to whimper, “It’s just that Cedric was fine before we slept, we were talking about our wedding, and your engagement ceremony. He even said that he was glad that Harry wasn’t a dense git like before and did right with you…”

They all laughed softly as Harry exclaimed, “Hey! Um…thank you?” with a sheepish smile.

“Then I woke up, he was thrashing about wildly! I've never seen him this way before…He spoke in this voice which scared the life out of me…I was so terrified - not for me, but for him! I thought he was possessed by something or someone. I never thought that it could be this bad for him…” Cho explained as tears rolled down her face.

“Maybe…umm…maybe I could help…” Hermione offered softly.

“Hermione no, I do not think Cedric would want you to do anything that would harm you,” Harry immediately protested.

“Love, nothing is going to happen to me,” Hermione reassured him, caressing his cheek.

“Remember when you healed me? It practically sapped all of your magical energy! Cedric would not want you to do that…especially since we don’t know what will occur tonight. You may need your magic,” Harry reasoned.

Cho nodded in agreement with him.

“Maybe it’s the wrackspurts!” Ron blurted. Realizing what he just said, he blushed and shook his head in disbelief, making Luna’s eyes dance with mirth. Harry and Hermione exchanged surprised looks at Ron's comment and Cho looked amazed too.

“Must be contagious…” Harry whispered, which earned him a small kiss from his princess, a chuckle from Cho and a glare from Ron as Luna stuck her tongue out at him childishly.

Hermione got back to the previous topic by stating, “Look, I’ve got to try. Anyway, if I collapse... Cho, you’ve got enough training to revive me in case I do collapse, right?”

Harry and Cho started to protest but Luna said, “Let Herms try it…Nothing wrong with attempting it…” She looked to her Ronald seeking support, but the glare thrown at him by his prince, prevented Ron to comment further.

“See, the empath has spoken…” Hermione said triumphantly. “You know you can’t stop me, love. We owe this to Cedric anyway…”

Harry just sighed in surrender. “Fine, but I want you to stop if you feel it draining you too much, okay?”

Hermione nodded her agreement and gave Harry a kiss in gratitude. Smiling at him adoringly she stood up and walked over to Cedric’s bed.

Cho looked at Harry disbelievingly. “Surely you’ve got to be joking! Harry, how could you agree? You heard what Cedric predicted. Something dreadful will occur tonight. We may need the princess at full energy!”

“Cho, you know how Herms is when she sets her mind to it,” Luna said.

“Stop calling me Herms, Looney!”

Ron let out a snort as Harry tried to suppress his laugh at Hermione’s nickname for her odd friend.

Hermione, seated on the other side of Cedric, placed her hands over his head and closed her eyes in concentration. Cho moved back and took a seat beside the bed instead as Harry moved his position closer to Hermione. Ron and Luna just stayed put, as this was Luna’s first time to witness the healing magic her princess was about to perform.

Again a white mist surrounded Hermione and Cedric. A wind ruffled the hair of the Prince of Hufflepuff and the Princess of Ravenclaw. Then the four who were witnessing the events closely heard Hermione gasp as her eyes snapped open then closed. Harry instinctively stood up to rush over to his fiancée. Cho prevented him, saying, “She’s in his mind…I recognize the signs. That’s how King Amos looks when he performs Legilimency on Cedric’s mind sometimes. I never knew Hermione could perform Legilimency, though. Don’t attempt to break the connection. We may cause Hermione mental damage if we do…”

Harry looked at Cho and back again at the couple on the bed. Running his hands through his hair he thought, “Mental damage? What did I do? Why did I allow Hermione to do this?—Because you knew that it would be a losing battle if you argued with her…Her intentions are good, she’ll pull through this and maybe—hopefully- in the process, she’ll pull Cedric out as well.”

Harry slumped back down on his chair as he said a prayer for the safe return of his friend and his fiancée.

XXXXX

“Cedric?...Cedric?” Hermione moved forward in the darkness which had engulfed her. There was no source of light, just blackness. She felt like she was floating as she advanced more, she raised her hands before her as if trying to grasp something or trying to make contact. She remembered and grasp her wand at her side. Taking it out she uttered ‘Lumos’ but nothing happened. Disappointed, she sheathed her wand and continued to move with arms extended before her.

“Hermione? Is that you?” came out a soft reply.

“Cedric? Aye, it is me… what is this place?”

“Merlin, if I knew! Where are you?”

“I have no idea, try to follow my voice, brother…”

“Hermione…what are you doing here? …did you just perform Legilimency?”

“Honestly, I do not know. I was supposed to heal you to bring you out of your comatose state.”

“Comatose state? How long have I been out?”

“Too long for our comfort, but it has only been one day. You scared us! What happened?”

“I was having another vision, I think…Hermione, where are you?” Cedric’s voice started to take on a nervous tone.

“Just keep talking, Cedric. I shall find you…”

“Okay, but before I forget…Thank you, sis.”

Hermione could hear the smile in his voice, which offered some comfort in this dark place, “Not a problem, brother.”

“Amazing that Harry allowed you to perform this healing magic. He knew how much of your energy it takes out of you.”

“Well both Harry and Cho were against this…Wait! Focus, Cedric! Focus…”

“Sorry…where was I…ah yes. I was having this dream, there were many hooded figures and they were all laughing, about what I do not know. I could not really comprehend what they were talking about. I could feel that they were planning something sinister...You still there, sis?”

“Yeah, just keep talking…”

“Then I finally heard it, this cold voice... it raised the hair on the back of my neck. When he spoke, all the hooded figures prostrated. I kept walking through them and then I saw him…”

“Him?”

“The ruler of Slytherin…”

Hermione stopped suddenly, “No…it can’t be…was he not ill? I mean did he look as ill as we were meant to believe?”

“He looked ghastly, I must admit…pale…too pale, actually. His face had the features of a snake! It was terrifying…he spoke of his return to glory…something about an attack that was to occur, the spark that will start the fire of darkness…”

“Oh, Cedric…” Fear started to invade her being, but she kept moving toward the voice of her brother by heart.

“Aye, tell me about it! It seemed as if he had no inkling that I was present—no one acted like they could see me. I thought that I was a mere observer like if you were looking into a Pensieve. I just kept quiet, hoping that I would not be discovered, and then he looked straight at me…”

Hermione gasped, trying to compose herself she asked what happened next.

“He said, ‘Welcome, Crown Prince of Hufflepuff, I believe we have not had the pleasure of meeting each other.’ The next thing I knew, I was plunged in darkness…” Cedric felt small hands touch him and he knew that the Princess of Ravenclaw had saved him.

“Cedric!” Hermione exclaimed, once she came in contact with him, she grabbed and hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go, but they could not see each other still.

“Sis…I swear to Merlin…you have no idea how relieved I am that you are here with me,” as Cedric clung to Hermione.

Hermione laughed, joy filling her senses. “Let’s go home, brother. There is a certain lady waiting to whack you on your head when we get back…”

“Hermione, will we be able to get back?” Cedric asked nervously.

“Certainly! I have a lot to plan for my engagement ceremony! Plus I have a lot of snogging to do with Harry…Merlin knows I wish we would be doing something more though!”

Struck by the frankness of the princess, Cedric joked, “Too much information, sis…I think I am now scarred for life by the mental images!”

Laughing, Hermione pulled on him. Then something occurred to her - what if this wasn’t Cedric? What if this was a malicious entity waiting for her to bring it out? There was only one way to find out by asking him something that only the Prince of Hufflepuff would have accurate knowledge in. Hermione paused and then asked, “Cedric, where and what did you tell Harry during my coronation ceremony?”

Cedric smiled, understanding why the princess asked him this question, he too felt some doubt at her presence in this limbo. “Good question—it was at the dance floor and he just made an utter fool of himself by acting like a prat for not getting his required dance with you. Then Cho and I salvaged you both from an embarrassing situation and I said, ‘Take care of my sister, I entrust her to you, Heir of Godric.’”

“Good enough for me!” Hermione smiled, relief filling her.

Together they turned and started toward a direction that Hermione felt she came from. After a while of silently moving Cedric asked, “How are we going to get out?”

“No idea, actually…”

“Do you have your wand?”

“It does not seem to work here, brother.”

“Why do we not try together?”

Hermione never thought of that. She reached for her wand and then moved toward Cedric. It took a while since they kept fumbling into each other because they were still in pitch darkness.

“Okay, we’ll try Lumos on three…. One…two…three!”

“Lumos” was said simultaneously. As they held on to the wand, a small flicker from its tip appeared. Hermione looked up at Cedric, what she saw made her gasp.

“Cedric! You’re hurt! How did you get those wounds?”

“What? I was never attacked Hermione. What wounds are you talking about?”

Hermione looked at him through the faint light. There were gashes on his face and arms. He was wearing his bed pants and was topless, and his torso looked like it had been whipped repeatedly. Hermione looked down at her attire and was relieved to see she was wearing her gown. Not thinking she reached out to touch his face and gently ran her fingers on his wounds. She couldn’t help herself but she felt a sudden sadness at the horror Cedric had had to go through alone.

“Oh, Cedric…” Hermione whimpered.

“Hey…Hey…Shh…” Cedric wrapped his arms around her in comfort as she cried for him. “Hermione, come on…no need for tears. You saved me. That’s all that matters…Now you’ll be leading me out back into the light…”

“King Amos performed Legilimency on you when Cho immediately informed him what happened to you that night…”

Cedric frowned as he took in what the princess had just told him, “I never saw him nor did I feel his presence.”

Hermione nodded, then thought of the task at hand. Moving the wand around, she could not decipher anything that would give them an inkling of where they should be headed. She started to feel anxious and wanted to smack herself for not planning so far ahead.

“You have no idea of how to get out, right?” Cedric asked with a smirk on his face.

“No…I know how to get out…I know what we should do…” Hermione stated with a frown, but doubt betrayed her statement.

“Right…”

“Okay, fine. I have no idea what to do next…” Hermione exasperatedly admitted.

“Then we wait…” Cedric said as he sat down.

“Wait for what? For who?”

“Well, you got here. Harry and Cho would certainly call Dumbledore for help after a while.”

Hermione sat down too. Cedric wrapped his arms around her in comfort. But the princess didn’t stop thinking of ways on how to get out. “Harry, love…Cedric and I need a little help…” Hermione thought really hard as they kept waiting.

XXXXX

“WHAT IN HADES NAME!”

The Heir of Slytherin was dancing with Lady Ginny Weasley, and for the first time in his life he was enjoying himself; this was his reception, after all. Then there was a commotion at the entrance of the Great Hall of Gryffindor Draco reflexively held on to Ginny while pulling out his wand with his other hand. He noticed that Lady Ginny also had her wand out. Looking up toward the stage, he saw that the kings, queens, Aurors of the three kingdoms, Dumbledore and McGonagall were all in a defensive stance. He did not miss the absence of his father.

“I knew it! He had something to do with this!”

“Lady Ginny, go to your parents and get out as soon—’’ Draco was not able to finish his statement.

“I most certainly will NOT go running away to hide, Master Draco!” Lady Ginny shot back. But she had a look of doubt in those blue eyes, “Did he have anything to do with this?” she asked herself.

“Fine then, but stay close to me!” Draco answered tersely. He caught a fleeting vision of the offenders. “Death Eaters? Here? Father certainly had something to do with this! How dare he use my ceremony like this! The egotistical git! It has Malfoy written all over it!”

He tried to make his way to the rear of the Great Hall, hoping to escape the melee. Draco kept a firm grip on Lady Ginny’s hand, sometimes stopping to evade a jinx or counter a curse. He looked at Ginny from time to time and saw her sending hexes at the hooded figures around them.

A thought suddenly occurred to him. “Please don’t let her think I was part of this plan…”

As they neared the stage, Draco wanted to be able to bring Ginny as close as possible to the place where the protection was the strongest. He looked at the rulers and Aurors of the kingdoms of the lion, the eagle and the badger. He was amazed that he could not find the princes and the princess, though. “Father wouldn’t think of kidnapping the princess now, would he? She is now betrothed to the Prince of Gryffindor; I told him that—father would know that that would be declaring a war against the three kingdoms…even my King would not attempt something this insane!”

“Draco!” Ginny exclaimed as a Death Eater moved to aim at her.

Draco instinctively moved between Ginny and her attacker but before he could throw a hex he felt intense pain that ripped through his insides. He knew that he had been hit by the Cruciatus curse, having experienced it before in the hands of his father as he fell to his knees.

“Stay with me, Master Draco…Stay with me…” Ginny whispered as she knelt by the young man. “Draco couldn’t be a part of this! He wouldn’t be attacked by his own kind if he was in conspiracy with them! I’ve got to protect him…but how? We’re here like sitting ducks!” A sudden flash of red hair at the corner of her eye caught her attention. “Charles! Charles! CHARLIE!” she screamed out to her brother.

Duke Charles Weasley heard his name above the din of the attack. Looking around as he cast a shield charm, he saw his sister kneeling beside Draco. At first he thought that Ginny had been attacked by the young man but he caught the concern in her eyes and knew right away that he was a victim in this.

“Ginny, stay low and put up a shield charm!” he shouted back as he tried to make his way towards her.

Then he heard her scream, “Charlie! LOOK OUT!” Turning, he saw a Death Eater with his wand aimed at him, but before he could take action he heard the voice of his sister shouting a hex and saw bogeys with bat wings come out of nowhere attacking his supposed assailant. With a smirk, he ran to his sister.

“What happened?” Charlie asked, somewhat out of breath. He reached out to his sister and pushed her head down as they both ducked a hex.

“Draco was hit by the Cruciatus…” Ginny said.

Charlie looked at the young man from Slytherin with sympathy as his body twitched with the aftermath of the curse. He knew that this man admired his sister and the feeling was mutual. He had his doubts about the young Malfoy, being from Slytherin and all that, but no matter if he had been caught in the crossfire, attacked directly, or even taken the curse for Ginny, he knew that he would not wish the unforgivable curse on even his worst enemy.

“Finite Incantatem,” Charles uttered as he waved his wand over Draco. Immediately the twitching stopped and he laid still.

“Ginny, we cannot do much for him right now, and considering the fight is still continuing, you both are not safe here. You have to keep your shield up and counter any hexes that come your way. So far we have not seen the killing curse yet, but you never know.” Charlie quickly surveyed the scene behind him, then turning back to his sister he said, “I shall send George or Fred over here for reinforcements.” Without another word, he stood up and joined the conflict.

Ginny glanced briefly at the now unconscious Draco. Sighing, she knew that it would take a while before anyone came to help them. If she levitated him somewhere safer, it would just lower her chances of defending the both of them. Hovering over Draco’s body, she did the only thing she could do – she kept casting the shield charm and waited.

Back at the west tower in the castle of Gryffindor, four people were waiting anxiously for the couple on the bed to regain consciousness.

“It has been far too long…” Harry growled.

“We cannot do anything, Harry, we just have to have faith in both their abilities,” Cho reasoned, but even as she said that she was wringing her hands, looking nervously at the pair on the bed. Princess Hermione had not moved from her sitting position and Cedric still did not stir, but the four observers could see that their breathing were becoming more shallow.

“This can’t be good…I’ve got to do something!” the Prince of Gryffindor exclaimed, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

“Mate, that princess of yours is a strong woman. If there is anyone who can pull through this, it would be her, and she will bring back Cedric,” Lord Weasley assured him.

He had never seen Harry this distraught before and it bothered him. The lady seated on his lap had a look of concern as she gazed at her princess and the Prince of Hufflepuff. Ron covered her hands in a comforting gesture; Luna looked at him and gave him a small smile but turned her gaze back to the couple.

Harry turned to Ron and had to grin at his reassurance, but he had a nagging feeling that all was not right. He rubbed his hand over the scar on his forehead and for some reason, it tingled. The scar had never bothered him much before, even though sometimes it would hurt excruciatingly. Now after being dormant for many years, it started to sting. Harry attributed it to thinking too much of what was happening to his Hermione and thought nothing more of it.

Suddenly Luna let out a loud groan and covered her ears with her hands, “It is beginning!” She turned to Ron with frantic eyes, “Dear Merlin! Something terrible is happening at the Great Hall!”

She immediately stood up and pulled her wand from her hair, causing her ash blond locks to tumble down as she ran to the door. Lord Ron stood up, wearing a stunned expression. Giving one fleeting look at his prince, he too took out his wand and followed closely behind Lady Lovegood. Nothing registered in his mind about asking what was happening or what to expect, but he knew that it could not be good.

“Do not let anyone in!” Harry ordered Cho as he took off for the door, following in the wake of his friends.

Cho, looking confused, suddenly ran to cut him off. “Where are you going?” she demanded.

“The prediction of Cedric must be coming true. Luna must have felt something horrible to have reacted that way,” Harry explained impatiently. He gently pushed the lady aside to get to the door, but he could not open it. He turned towards Cho and asked quietly in a firm voice, “Lady Chang, please open the door. I need to assist my parents in defending my kingdom.”

“No, you are needed here!” Cho exclaimed, as she stomped her foot, “I cannot adequately defend this quarters without any help. I am a healer, not a warrior.”

“I will reinforce your locking spell from the outside. You have to let me go!” Harry’s voice was starting to rise.

Shaking her head, Cho replied, “Prince Harry, if anyone was to come charging in through that door, it would mean the end for both our loves. The princess is in a trance and may not come out of it if she was to be attacked in her state, the same goes for Cedric. I need you to defend this bedchamber!” Cho noticed her voice going an octave higher as she started to grow frantic by the daunting task of being left alone to protect the heirs of two kingdoms. “Harry, please, not for me, but for Hermione.”

Harry felt like he was being torn in two. He knew that his duty was to his kingdom first, to defend its citizens’ lives before his own. But he looked back at the pair on the bed and started to feel confused.

“Hermione, now would be a great time to come out of it, love... What should I do? Merlin, guide me! What should I do?” Harry looked down as he contemplated his next move. “Hermione and Cedric know of our duties…they would understand my decision…”

“Cho, you are a great witch. Strong and intelligent—Cedric would not have been attracted to you if you weren’t. Place a little faith in your abilities. I have to go down to defend my people and my kingdom. Cedric and Hermione would understand as I know that if they were in my position they would go and join the battle.” He placed a hand on Lady Chang’s shoulder. “If I do not go down there I will not be able to face myself and neither will Hermione. The three of us gave a vow to place our people before ourselves. It is a duty of being an heir. As much as it tears me up inside to leave Hermione’s side, I know that she and Cedric would not have it any other way…”

Cho, her eyes teary, knew that what Prince Harry said was true. Cedric would have done the same and so would the princess. “Damn you, Cedric, my love…Great time to be out for the count.” She lifted her wand and released the locking spell. “Go then, but please be careful.”

Harry gave her a small smile and nodded. Looking longingly one more time at his princess he said, “I shall be back as soon as I can. Just keep the door locked. Open it for no one, not even King Amos, just me.” Cho nodded. “I will give you a password…Do not open this door for anyone, as I too will cast a locking spell from the outside.”

After the Prince told her their agreed password, Cho went to the door to close it. As the Prince Harry made his exit, he stopped and said, “Take care of her for me…” Cho smiled in response as she cast the locking spell once again and the door glowed white, then it illuminated again indicating that Harry had also cast one. She turned back and continued her bedside vigil for her fiancé and friend but she sent a prayer for those at the Great Hall and hoped that she would not have to defend this bedchamber from the unknown assailants.

XXXXX

“Where are the youngins?” Sirius yelled to Remus as they formed a strong defense against the Death Eaters of King Voldemort.

Remus scanned the room and noticed many people on the ground, some cloaked in black and others in their best dress robes. The other Aurors of all three kingdoms were busy defending those present at the reception. He sniffed the air and said, “I cannot find their presence here!”

“Padfoot, do you see Wormtail anywhere?” James asked, referring to their former friend as he continued to throw hexes and counter curses.

“No, Prongs, I don't believe he is here!” Remus answered as he edged toward the queens. He saw that Queen Sara had a very deep gash on her arm; she had probably been hit by a severing curse and so now she was aiming her crossbow with her left arm. Queen Lily looked tired as she kept up a protecting spell as many Death Eaters kept trying to advance towards them.

“Prongs! John! The queens!” Remus shouted as he continued to move. At the edge of his vision he caught sight of Auror Tonks as she too edged towards the pair.

John looked up from his area; he knew that Sara and Lily had gone down the stage, charging toward their people to defend them. What he saw made him nauseous: Sara’s gown was bloody and she was using her weak hand at aiming her bow towards their offenders. He too jumped down and almost landed on the honoree of this reception, fury filled him as he gazed upon the unconscious man. “He and his father had something to do with this!”

Then he acknowledged the presence of the petite young lady who was protecting him at the same time trying to volley hexes thrown at her. “What are you doing defending him?!” John exclaimed.

Taken aback by the sudden appearance of the King of Ravenclaw, Ginny wanted to instinctively curtsy but she resisted the urge. She was starting to tire as her brothers nor her parents, had appeared to aid her. She looked up at the king and explained, “Your Majesty, Master Draco was under the Cruciatus curse. Duke Charles, my brother, was supposed to send someone to help me, but so far no one has arrived.” Ginny could feel the tears welling up in frustration, she saw the contempt and silent accusation in the eyes of King John, but it softened when she mentioned that Draco was cursed.

King John looked at where his wife was and then shifted his gaze to the pair he was beside. His decision was made, “Lady Weasley, can you levitate Master Malfoy to a safer location while I provide you with the protection both of you need?”

Ginny nodded vigorously. She could not speak as a lump formed in her throat. Thankful for the help that she so desperately needed, she had already scanned the area and knew where to bring Draco. There was an niche much like the one at Ravenclaw where she and Draco could take cover in towards her left. She pointed the alcove to the king who looked and gave her a small nod. “Very well then, Lady Weasley, on three. One. Two. Three.”

They stood up simultaneously as King John muttered, “Protego” and Ginny waved her wand over the body of Draco and said, “Wingardium Leviosa” which caused Draco to lift up slightly. She ran as she kept Draco floating beside her while King John stood before her acting as a shield, countering each spell that flew their way. They reached the niche and Ginny placed Draco in first then followed; King John stayed in front of the entrance, dodging spells at the same time. The king looked in at the couple then turned his attention at the many attackers. “You will be safe here?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Yes, your Majesty!”

“I must leave you to assist the others. Keep this niche secure; I will try to locate one of your brothers…I take it that it will be easy to find one, all I have to do is follow the flaming hair!” With that comment the king was gone and Ginny again trained her wand toward the opening as she placed the head of Draco on her lap, and again she waited.

XXXXX

“Sirius…Is that you?” a feminine voice asked.

He knew that voice from somewhere, but he could not place his finger on who it reminded him of. “That is quite unfair milady,” he responded, looking hard into the veiled face of his opponent as he sent a curse her way. “You know who I am, yet I don't have the honor of knowing you…”

The Death Eater took her mask off; Sirius gasped as the features of his attacker were revealed. She had a cold smirk on her face, with an eyebrow raised in an expression meant to ridicule him.

“Bella!”

“The one and only, my dear cousin! Tell me, is that wonderful tapestry of the Black family still gracing the venerable House of Black?” Marchioness Bellatrix asked.

“How dare you show yourself in this kingdom! We did right to banish you from the family tree! You and Narcissa are a disgrace to the family!” Sirius retorted, fury rising up as they circled each other, wands ready. Bella aimed and a red jet of light came out of her wand, which Sirius dodged with ease.

“Come on, Bella, you can do better than that!” Sirius goaded.

Bella laughed in her girlish way, “You, dear cousin, are the disgrace! Still being a lackey to the King of Gryffindor?”

“Look who's talking! You set your allegiance to a king who is knocking at Hades door!”

Bella’s eyes narrowed as the dark, playful smirk gave way to a sneer. “My king is very much alive! He was the one who orchestrated this event! It is my honor to have led my fellow Death Eaters on this mission—a mission that will show the glory of my king! You all will bow before him!”

“Bow before him? I'd rather be dead!” Sirius replied, his wand’s tip glowing.

“Very well then, cousin, that can easily be arranged…Avada Keda—” Bellatrix was not able to finish her curse as her wand went flying out of her hand.

“Expelliarmus!”

Both Sirius and Bellatrix looked in the direction of Harry, who was being flanked by Lord Ron and Lady Luna. Bellatrix let out a cackle. “Tut tut, dear cousin. Sending a boy to do a man’s job? And what is this? He brought his playmates! My, you are losing your touch!”

“Mighty strong words coming from an unarmed witch like you…” Sirius retorted.

“Oh, but cousin, you have your backup and I have mine…”

Sirius was then hit from behind as his assailant said, “Sectumsempra!” Rodolphus, the husband of Bellatrix, stepped around the Auror wearing a smirk as he fell forward, blood spurting out from his back, his eyes wide with shock.

“NO!” Harry screamed as he rushed forward.

“Aw…isn’t that sweet? The little prince of Gryffindor crying over his godfather? Boo hoo hoo for you. Well done, love!” Bellatrix exclaimed as she saluted her husband.

“Accio wand!” Rodolphus uttered as is wife’s wand flew into his hand, he immediately handed it over to her.

Bellatrix then lifted it up and shouted, “MORSMORDRE!” Immediately the fighting in the Great Hall of Gryffindor ceased as Death Eaters hastened to Disapparate, leaving the horrific dark mark in the night sky of the enchanted ceiling.

Screams of terror were heard as all eyes of those in the Great Hall turned upward.

Harry clutched his head in pain as Luna buckled down beside him, rubbing her temples with her hands. Ron was immediately beside her as he held her close to him, trying to offer solace. Luna waved him off, saying, “Ronald, your prince needs you more than I…”

Ron turned his attention to Harry and saw that he was pale and beads of sweat were forming on his face. Harry was still rubbing his scar as he grimaced. “Ron, what is that?” Harry looked up.

“That, mate, is the Dark mark of the King of Slytherin,” Ron whispered.

“Well, whatever that is, it’s causing my scar to burn.”

Ron didn’t know what to think of what Prince Harry said. He peered at Harry and asked, “Will you be all right?”

Still rubbing his scar, he nodded, now looking at his godfather who was lying in a pool of blood. Harry’s eyes grew wide. “Please don’t be dead…Please don’t be dead…”

He was about to call for help when he looked around and saw for the first time the carnage that was left. Harry anxiously searched for his parents and as he did so he saw Hermione's mother standing with his own mother, a crossbow in her hand; her gown, which once was gold, was now soaked in blood. Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he saw his father and King John rushing towards their wives, but his respite was cut short as he witnessed Queen Sara collapse. His mother caught her and then watched as King John carried her off. Harry could feel his throat tightening with emotions when he heard a moan coming from Lady Lovegood.

“Ron, take her away from here. Luna cannot handle the high levels of emotions running here at the Great Hall…” Harry ordered.

“No, your highness, I am needed here,” Luna replied weakly.

“Lady Lovegood, please go. It is not healthy for you to be here…” Harry said with a thick voice as he looked upon the still figure of his godfather. He did not want to touch him for fear that it would confirm his suspicions.

“No, Prince Harry. My princess would not want me to leave you like this,” Luna answered.

“Might as well give it up, mate, you should know how stubborn Ravenclaw women are…” Then Ron stood up and called the attention of a healer, leading him toward Sirius.

The three watched as the healer waved his wand over the still figure of the Duke.

“Is he alive?” Harry whispered.

The healer did not respond as he placed his hand on the head of Sirius and both Disapparated.

Harry let out a shaky breath. He stood up and faltered, Ron caught him as Luna also clutched the prince’s arm. Harry, upon gaining his stance, kept rubbing his forehead. He felt pain and his mind was sluggish.

Suddenly he heard it…a soft whisper…“Harry, love…Cedric and I need a little help…”

Harry snapped to attention which startled Ron and Luna.

“What is it, mate?”

“Hermione…she needs me!” Harry ran towards the entrance of the Great Hall. Ron and Luna looked at each other and tried to catch up to him.

“What do you mean Harry? Is she awake?” Ron asked.

“I don’t know. But I heard her…I heard her in my mind…”

Ron stopped suddenly as he grabbed the prince’s arms.

“What do you mean ‘you heard her in your mind’? Mate, hearing voices in your head isn't healthy at all. Maybe everything that's been happening to you lately has made you snap…” Ron said, searching his best friend's face for any sign of a nervous breakdown.

“I know it’s strange, Ron, but I know what I heard…Hermione’s asking for help for her and Cedric!” Harry paused, a glazed look in his yes. He glanced at Ron and said, “There it is again! She’s asking for help…”

Ron took in everything. He too was worried about the princess but he was also worried about his family. He had not once seen a red haired being in the Great Hall and now he didn't know where they were. But duty always came first - he'd sworn his loyalty to his prince and best mate, and now his prince needed him to stay grounded for all of them.

Nodding, he made eye contact with Luna, “Love, please inform the kings and the overseer of the situation at the west tower, even though I doubt that they will be able to respond quickly enough, considering all that has occurred…but please try.”

Luna gave him a brilliant smile. She'd heard him call her ‘love’ and it warmed her up inside. She nodded and, bracing her shoulders, she rushed back into the Great Hall to do her task.

“Let’s go then, mate,” Ron said as they sprinted toward the west tower.

A/N

What scene will the Prince of Gryffindor meet when he gets back to the West Tower?

What will happen to the Princess of Ravenclaw and Prince of Hufflepuff?

What will be the body count after this attack?

Well, we just have to wait for the next update…Hopefully I’ll be healthier

A/N: Feeling much better now, just a nagging pain when I cough…Could it get anymore colder here? We had a snow storm that certainly made up for the lack of snow over the holidays…

Thank you to all you who reviewed and sent a “get well soon” greet.

To VacantSkies, I know I have been “out of the matrix” for quite awhile now…But my appreciation for your above and beyond the call of duty that you have done in this daunting task of beta-ing this story. To those of you curious about his “magical” touch in the beta-ing field visit his website: www.fanfiction.net/~vacantskies.

Now off we go to Chapter 11…

Chapter 11

“Harry…Wake up, son…”

“Harry…”

The Crown Prince of Gryffindor shifted. He vaguely registered the fact that someone was speaking to him when he felt someone insistently shaking his shoulders as he opened his eyes.

“Wha…” groaning, he cleared his parched throat. “What?”

“The prince is awake! Get Madam Pomfrey…”

Harry heard a door open; he felt so disoriented that he just wanted to fall back to sleep, but then his eyes snapped open and he abruptly sat up. “HERMIONE!”

“Calm down, son…Calm down…The princess is all right; so is Prince Cedric. Not to worry, they're fine,” King James reassured while he hugged Harry.

Harry looked at his father, feeling anxious despite the spoken reassurance as he recalled the horrible scene that he came upon with Lord Ron Weasley at the west tower of his castle.

After the attack at the Great Hall of Gryffindor two young men were dashing through the castle to make their way to the west tower…

Harry and Ron returned to the guest bedchamber of the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff. After releasing the locking spell from the door, Harry gave the agreed password to Lady Cho, who they had left there to watch over the Prince of Hufflepuff and the Princess of Ravenclaw. He was sickened when he saw the distraught expression on Cho's face.

“Harry…something has happened!” Cho sobbed upon the entry of the pair.

Rushing over to the side of the bed, he saw that the positions of Hermione and Cedric had not changed but now there was blood trickling out of the nostrils of the pair. Feeling his gut twist, Harry turned to Cho and softly asked, “When did this start?”

“A few minutes after you left! I just happened to look between them and the door, trying to keep my wits about myself, when I noticed the blood. Harry, blood is a grave sign when one is under the Legilimens Spell!” Cho's voice went up a notch as she started to get more hysterical.

“I heard Hermione calling for help,” Harry whispered.

Cho looked incredulously at the prince, and after a pregnant pause asked, “What do you mean you `heard' Hermione calling for help?”

“I heard her voice in my…in my head,” Harry admitted and expected ridicule, but Cho's nervous expression did not waver.

“Did you inform Albus?”

“Luna is seeing to that,” Ron answered. He too was shocked when he saw blood on the prince and princess. Ron could see the turmoil on his prince's face as he stood frozen at the foot of the bed.

All three turned towards the door as they heard footsteps climbing up the stairs. Lady Lovegood entered, followed by King Amos of Hufflepuff and Albus Dumbledore.

Lady Luna took her place beside Lord Ron and then gave him a faint smile before she turned her gaze to her princess; she then gasped and clutched his arm as she gave him a questioning look. Ron placed his hand over hers and guided her to a place where they would not be in the way but not too far to see what was going on.

“What happened?” King Amos asked as he looked at Cho.

Harry answered, “An hour or two before the attack Hermione offered to heal Cedric, thinking that maybe he just needed a jolt to wake up.” Everyone in the room noticed the prince's voice cracking at mentioning his fiancée's name.

Amos looked at the future ruler of Gryffindor. “Prince Harry, I am surprised you allowed the princess to perform such a risky task, considering we all knew the danger this night held.”

Harry lowered his head in shame. He should have insisted that they wait till whatever peril had passed before allowing Hermione to try to heal Cedric. But now his rash decision might have cost him his fiancée along with his friend's life. Harry was about to mumble his apology when he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at the King of Hufflepuff.

“Harry, there is nothing to be sorry for. What I said did not come out right. Let me rephrase what I just said,” Amos addressed the prince. “I am truly grateful that you and Princess Hermione along with your friends decided to kept Cho and Cedric company tonight, even if you were not obligated to do so. I too am thankful that the princess offered her magical healing skills for my son and I also know that she is a very stubborn witch and that meant you would probably have no say once the princess made up her mind to try to heal my son. I had no idea that she could perform Legilimency, a magic which is quite dangerous without the proper training.”

With a smile, the King of Hufflepuff squeezed Harry's shoulder and moved to the side of his son and the Princess of Ravenclaw. Harry followed and stood at the side of the king, he saw that the king made no attempt to come too close to the figures. Dumbledore stood silently at the foot of the bed; Amos then turned his head and faced the overseer of Stonehenge.

“Albus, what do we do? There are now two of them in there. We cannot merely wait.”

Dumbledore looked at the king and shifted his gaze to the Prince of Gryffindor as he pondered their next move. “This is not good, bleeding means that the prince and the princess are in mortal danger and any harm to them mentally will manifest physically…what to do now, indeed?”

“I have to do something…” Harry said in anguish. “Hermione's in trouble, she told me that she and Cedric needed help…”

Dumbledore and Amos turned sharply to regard the young prince. “When did the princess tell you this, Prince Harry?”

Harry blushed slightly and looking sheepishly at the two he said, “Well…um…you see, I heard her voice in my head.”

Albus and Amos looked at each other then turned again to Harry. “You mean she sent a telepathic message to you?”

“Uh…I guess…” Harry shifted awkwardly under the intense gaze of the two older wizards.

Amos looked again at Dumbledore who nodded his head. “Prince Harry, have you and the princess been able to exchange telepathic messages before?”

“Umm…no, not that I'm aware of…this would be the first.”

“Excuse us, Prince Harry, Albus and I have to discuss this connection between you and the princess and see if there will be a way that we can try to coax them out of wherever they are.”

Harry just nodded stiffly, still feeling odd at having to admit hearing Hermione's voice in his head. The King and Overseer moved to a corner where they conversed under a cone of silence.

He looked over to Lord Ronald and Lady Luna, they too were discussing something under hushed whispers; from the expressions on their faces Ron was not too happy with whatever their talk was leading to. Cho was still seated beside the bed with an anxious look as she stared upon the prone forms on the bed. Harry's attention was drawn to his fiancée. He noticed beads of sweat had formed on her forehead; her eyes were closed and though her face remained expressionless, blood continued to trickle from her nostrils. Her back was rigid, one delicate hand rested on her lap, the other on the forehead of Cedric.

He was starting to feel desperate. “Hermione's a strong woman. She'll get through this. I know she will and she'll bring Cedric out too if it's the last thing she does…But dear Merlin, let it NOT be the last thing she does…”

He did not notice the approach of the two men until he felt a hand on his shoulder and his eyes met the sober ones of Dumbledore. “Prince Harry, we have a proposition for you, a very hazardous one, though…”

“Just tell me. I'm willing to do anything to bring Hermione back…”

XXXXX

“What's the damage?” the King of Ravenclaw asked his Gryffindor counterpart.

“Hard to estimate, John, reports are still coming in. Good news is no deaths…so far,” James said, remembering Sirius' unstable condition.

John and James were seated at the bedsides of their respective wives in the hospital wing of the Gryffindor castle, which had been magically extended to fit all those harmed during the attack . Queen Sara had been hit by a severing charm on her right arm. If Queen Lily hadn't cast a shield charm in time, then she would have been mortally wounded. Since she was a Muggle, she was more vulnerable to magical attacks and her healing would take a much slower course, even with the aid of potions and magic.

Queen Lily had been given a sleeping draught so she could regain her strength. She'd expended too much magical energy during the attack and now she was in a state of pure exhaustion. Both kings felt quite guilty that their wives were the ones lying on the hospital beds and not them.

“Where's Amos?”

“I saw him leave the Great Hall with Albus. As to where they were headed to, it's anyone's guess,” James replied.

The rulers of the kingdom of the lion and the eagle looked around at the others at the hospital wing. John's eyes strayed to the platinum blond gentleman from Slytherin who was confined to a bed as Lady Ginny stood vigil at his bedside. The father of the awardee was conspicuously absent.

“Did you see the children?”

James shook his head slowly. “I pray just this once that my son and your daughter were snogging safely somewhere unaware of the horrors in the Great Hall…”

John chuckled softly. “I hear you on that, James. I hope those two got locked up in a bloody broom closet in the castle.”

“Don't fret, John, the Aurors will locate them.” The King of Gryffindor noted the anxious tone in the Ravenclaw ruler's voice despite his joke.

John stated softly, “James, you know what this means…”

“Aye, John…Slytherin has formally declared war.”

John met the eyes of James, “The darkness has begun.”

XXXXX

In the throne room of Slytherin, a circle of hooded figures stood with heads bowed down. A married couple stood at the center of the circle. An eerie and hearty cackle filled the silence.

“Tell me, Bella, was there fear?”

“Aye, my King, fear and terror on everyone's faces and in their souls,” the Marchioness proudly exclaimed.

“Lucius, I see that you finally fulfilled your duties.”

Lord Malfoy kept his head bowed as he stood on the sidelines. He gritted his teeth in an attempt to prevent any reply. His son was left at Gryffindor; he himself had performed the Cruciatus on Draco. He knew that it would be the only way that he could keep himself and his son in good graces with his king by using Draco as a spy—he'd be much more useful than Pettigrew . Marquis and Marchioness Lestrange were starting to gain the trust of King Voldemort and if he did not play his cards right, Lucius knew that his position as the right hand man of the King would be very much threatened by them.

“Tell me, Bella…were you able to play?” King Voldemort asked, his voice becoming nauseatingly childlike.

“My king, the time was too short! All I was able to do was duel with my cousin…”

“From what I heard, Rodolphus saved your arse…”

This caused a few snickers from the other Death Eaters assembled. Bellatrix looked around and mentally filed those who had ridiculed her. “Let me see... McNair, Crabbe, Goyle…. Yes, I will get you for that…”

Bellatrix cleared her throat. “My husband was very helpful during that time, he—unlike some here who cast pitiful hexes -was able to literally cut my cousin down to size.”

Marquis Lestrange took his wife's hand and kissed it. “Ah, Bella, you simply inspire me to do my evilest!”

“And the Potters? What of them?” the king of Slytherin quickly inquired.

Everyone in the room became silent, not knowing what to tell their king. The Death Eaters knew that none among them had been able to harm any of the Potters. This was a sign that they had failed in one of the objectives of their king's plan, but no one in the lot was willing to inform King Voldemort of that in fear of their leader's reaction. Unlike in other kingdoms, Voldemort had a nasty habit of killing the messenger.

“Well?”

“The Queen of Ravenclaw was physically harmed, your Majesty,” someone answered.

“I did not ask about the Queen of Ravenclaw—why should I concern myself with a mere Muggle?” Turning towards the other Death Eaters he asked, “Did I not ask about the Potters?”

“The king and queen of Gryffindor remain unharmed,” Baron Antonin Dolohov replied.

“I see…and what of the prince?” Voldemort asked slowly.

Rodolphus answered, “He was not seen at the Great Hall at the beginning of the attack, your Majesty. His presence was known only towards the end…”

“And tell me, Marquis Lestrange, who encountered the young prince and was he challenged to a duel by any one of you?”

The Lestrange couple quickly traded glances; the exchange between them did not go unnoticed by Voldemort.

“Tell me, Bellatrix and Rodolphus, did any of my followers encounter the young prince of Gryffindor?” asked the King of Slytherin in a soft, steely voice.

“Your Majesty, Bella and I were the ones who encountered Prince Harry.”

“And?”

“He managed to disarm me, your Majesty,” stated Bellatrix. Then she added in a rush, “But Rodolphus was able to take revenge on the young prince…”

“Really now,” Voldemort replied raising an eyebrow, “and how, may I ask?”

“I mortally wounded Duke Sirius of the House of Black, sire,” Rodolphus replied with a bow.

There was a deafening silence in the throne room of Slytherin, then a chuckle was heard from the King himself. The Death Eaters gathered, looked at one another as if trying to search for a signal if they should join him in his laughter. King Voldemort continued to laugh and Death Eaters started to join in. When everyone was laughing along with the King, he abruptly stopped and menacingly asked, “Enlighten me, how does mortally wounding the cousin of your wife seem like you were attaining retribution for what the Prince of Gryffindor did to me, Marquis Lestrange?”

Rodolphus remained silent as his wife answered for him, “Your majesty, Sirius is…was the godfather of the prince. We saw how shattered the prince was to have witnessed the demise of his beloved godfather. It worked better than any Cruciatus could have.”

“Is that so, Bella?” Voldemort asked in a slowly, “And can you confirm that Rodolphus was able to finish the task?”

“Aye, sire. We saw it with our own eyes,” Bella replied.

“So you did not directly harm the prince, is that so?”

The Lestranges hesitantly nodded.

“No hex, no curse, not even a single jinx fell upon the Prince of Gryffindor?”

Not one Death Eater replied.

“ANSWER ME!” Voldemort demanded as he watched some of his Death Eaters jump.

“None, your Majesty.”

Voldemort paced in front of his hooded followers, his head bowed down. Raising a wand, he muttered a curse and one of his Death Eaters collapsed, a pool of blood surrounding the fresh corpse. A large snake slithered toward the remains as it unlocked its jaws.

“Rodolphus and Bella, did the death of that Death Eater hurt you in any way?”

The couple shook their heads, a cynical smirk started to grace the face of the Marchioness.

“Does anyone in this room feel otherwise over the demise of that man?” Voldemort asked, observing the shaking of some heads while others remained stoically silent.

The King of Slytherin, in a rare display of agility, darted towards the couple at the center of the circle, his black cloak billowing behind him. The Lestranges found themselves prostrate on the floor. When they raised their heads, they found Voldemort's wand pointed at them. Then they heard him mutter, “Crucio” in a loving tone. They felt extreme pain, as if they were being burned from the inside out. The couple screamed in unison as they convulsed on the floor.

Voldemort turned and looked around, gauging the expressions of his followers. “Do you see the difference? The death of someone else has no satisfaction whatsoever compared to a direct attack!”

The Death Eaters nodded their heads slightly as they watched the Marquis and Marchioness writhe under the curse.

“I did not command you to wage psychological warfare! I ordered you to perform such unforgivable curses without any remorse even if you had to cast it on your own flesh and blood!” Voldemort looked directly at his steward.

He turned his attention to the couple on the floor. “Remember this lesson, Bella and Rodolphus…I am dissatisfied with your performance tonight. You had the Crown Prince of Gryffindor before you and what do you do? You aim for his godfather?! What will that achieve—a few tears of grief from the prince, but then what?”

King Voldemort walked slowly towards Lord Malfoy. When he stopped directly in front of him, Lucius automatically genuflected and bowed his head. Voldemort reached out his pale, thin hand and Lucius felt cold skin brush his cheek.

“I did not make a mistake in choosing you, Lucius. Despite your dismal performance as of late, you've willingly sacrificed your own son for my satisfaction.” The King looked around and stated, “Lord Malfoy is the Steward of this Kingdom, for I know where his loyalties lie. His only son, his heir, he willingly cursed and abandoned at the Kingdom of the Lion—why? To serve a greater purpose for his King.”

Voldemort placed a finger under the chin of his steward. Lucius suddenly found himself looking into the cold red eyes of his master.

“For what you have done, I return your wife to you, Lucius. You have served me well.”

Lady Narcissa Malfoy suddenly appeared at the side of her husband. A thin sheet was wrapped around her figure; she was obviously naked underneath, and her pale skin bore bruises, signs of being manhandled by their king.

“Thank you, your Majesty, you are too kind and charitable.”

Voldemort smiled at this. On his way back to the throne, he turned and stepped on the Lestrange couple, who were still twitching from the Cruciatus curse. He waved his wand and the couple on the floor stopped moving, their haggard breaths piercing the silence in the throne room.

“Take them to the dungeon. A few nights there will clear their minds of this psychological babble and make them realize that direct force is what causes genuine harm and terror!” Voldemort said in disgust.

Two Death Eaters approached the Lestrange couple and levitated them towards the door leading to the lower dungeons.

The King of Slytherin looked around again. He felt his pet, Nagini, slither on his feet as she coiled herself at the foot of his throne, her body now bulging with a large mass, hissing and bearing her fangs at those still gathered as she prepared to rest.

“There is much to prepare, my followers…for we are now at war!”

Cheers followed in the wake of his grand announcement.

XXXXX

“Harry?”

“Hermione!”

“Oh Harry, don't tell me you are in this place too!” Hermione said in an exasperated tone.

“Where exactly are you?”

“Harry, if Cedric and I knew where we were, do you not think we could have found our way back?”

The Prince of Gryffindor chuckled, for he knew that tone in her voice. He'd heard her use it with him sometimes when he was being a prat. Right now, his fiancée was downright incensed!

“Hermione, darling, I am not where you are. I am merely conversing with you…um…telepathically. Albus and King Amos are using me as a bridge to you. They are asking if you can hear them.”

Hermione paused. “Ne'er my love. I can only hear you.”

“Does Cedric hear me?”

“Loud and clear, mate. Words of advice though—let's leave the endearments to a low. I'm starting to feel a bit nauseous at the exchange between you two!” Cedric replied.

Hermione waited for a response. “Love, did you hear Cedric?”

“His voice sounds distant—I heard him, I just cannot make out his words…Wait, maybe if I can concentrate more…”

“Do not strain yourself, love…” Hermione's voice took on a nervous edge.

Harry smiled to himself. He always felt good whenever the princess worried about his welfare, though he would never openly admit that to her. He tried to focus more. He was hearing the voices of King Amos and Albus, who were asking him questions which he was to relay to Hermione and Cedric.

According to King Amos, he too could hear Cedric, but only faintly. Dumbledore and the King of Hufflepuff had performed some sort of connection with him and asked him to focus on his connection with the princess. The whole time Albus and Amos would be his anchor. They added on an empath to the formula too, since Lady Luna fervently insisted that she could channel some of her feelings to keep everyone calm and try to sort out any dark auras involved. As Harry continued to concentrate, he heard a male voice trying to imitate Hermione's tone.

“Do not stain yourself, love. Oh, love, I'll snog your face off when you pull me and Cedric out…Love this, love that…” the Prince of Hufflepuff mimicked in a falsetto voice.

“Cedric, stop that! Harry may be putting himself in danger too with what he's doing!” Hermione chastised.

“Aye, Cedric! I am putting myself in danger to save your sorry arse!” Harry replied.

“Ah, so I have a sorry arse—is that what you're implying?” Hermione demanded, she felt a whole lot better, taking comfort at hearing her fiancé's voice.

“No love, I'm saying that Cedric has a sorry arse…Your arse I love…soft, yet firm and I love it when you make that sound when my hands are-”

“Eww! Stop! Harry! Too much mental imagery! I beg of you to quit it!” Cedric demanded as he made gagging sounds.

Harry laughed heartily. “Great to finally hear you, Cedric!”

“Believe me—the feeling is mutual!”

“Okay, can we stop this type of talk? The sooner we figure this out—the sooner we will be out of this situation!” Hermione stated in what she hoped was her most business-like voice. She could feel her face burning not only from embarrassment at what Harry said over `her arse' but also from the passion he ignited when he talked that way about her body.

“But I can talk about your arse all day, Hermione!” Harry whined. He knew that the princess was turned on when he talked like that, it was confirmed when he felt the grip of Lady Lovegood tighten slightly on his arm and when he opened his eyes he saw that Hermione's lady in wait was blushing furiously.

“Harry James Potter—behave, or no thank you kiss when we get out of this!”

“Aye, your highness…”

“You are so whipped, Potter!” Cedric laughingly exclaimed.

“I know—titillating, isn't it?”

Hermione rolled her eyes as both princes erupted into laughter and she could hear it in all its loud glory as she thought of ways that she could extract her revenge at her fiancé's attitude.

“Boys! Get your mind out of the gutter!”

“Getting our minds out now, your Highness,” they replied together.

Harry straightened himself in his chair when he heard the overseer clearing his throat as a subtle way of interrupting their exchange.

Harry asked in a somber tone, “Describe where you are.”

“It is pitch black, not too hot, but not too cold either. Hermione's wand worked only when both of us were holding it, and casting only the Lumos spell drained us a lot,” Cedric replied.

Harry related what he learned to the overseer and Cedric's father. The two wizards conversed first, trying to assess their next step. Those in the room watched as the Prince of Gryffindor suddenly groaned and clutched his forehead. Lady Lovegood let go of the prince hastily as if burned and her eyes flew open, panic etched on her face.

“Evil! Pure evil! Princess Hermione and Prince Cedric are in danger!” Luna squeaked, now clutching the arm of the overseer. Lord Weasley was at her side and he wrapped his arms around her.

“Amos, we have to get them out now!” Dumbledore stated as he approached the bed.

Lady Cho immediately blocked the path of Dumbledore. “Please Overseer, you will be doing more harm than good.”

Dumbledore placed a hand on her shoulder as his eyes took on a soft twinkle. “My dear Lady Chang, if I do not do anything now, we may lose them forever…”

Cho let out a sob as she backed away from the Overseer. She started to cry as she collapsed in one of the chairs in the room, not willing to witness what could be the mental death of her fiancé and princess.

Harry kept rubbing his scar; it burned so much. Then he heard Hermione's voice again and this time she was screaming. His emerald eyes took on a glazed look as terror enveloped him too.

“HERMIONE!” Harry did not know that he spoke aloud, he thought that he was still channeling his thoughts to the princess. He saw Cedric and Hermione convulsing on the bed, blood still oozing from their noses. Cedric coughed and blood sputtered out of his mouth.

Amos leapt into action. Approaching the opposite side of the bed from where Dumbledore had situated himself he gave one look at the Overseer as they both brought out their wands, but before they could do anything Harry had waved his hand over the couple and screamed, “LEGILIMENS!”

XXXXX

“HARRY!” Hermione screamed.

She felt Cedric grip her arm tightly as they ran. Where, they had no idea. Hermione kept a tight grip on her wand, waving it behind her side to side, trying to figure out what was happening. She and Cedric felt a strong gale slam into their bodies, making them literally fly a few meters away from where they began.

Then she felt something physically hit her and Cedric, separating them from each other.

“CEDRIC!”

“HERMIONE!” Cedric yelled back. Hermione heard rather than saw something or someone crash into the prince.

Cedric groaned from the massive force that attacked him; for once he was thankful that Hermione was not with him at that moment. He tasted blood on his tongue but he immediately stood up. “Hermione, stay where you are!”

“By Merlin, try to stop me, brother! You're hurt! I'm coming for you!”

Hermione groped in the darkness, her hands made contact with something, as she gripped it she prayed that it was Cedric.

“Hermione?”

Hermione exhaled sharply realizing that she did have Cedric in her hands. She lifted the wand and pointed it at the figure, though it seemed that he was bloodier than when she saw him at the start, she knew that this was the real prince.

“Hermione, I want you to run! Run anywhere but get away from me! You are in more danger just staying with me—I do not know when it will strike!” Cedric stated.

“Cedric, if you expect me to go running—you got another thing coming! I do not back down from a challenge!”

An unknown voice was heard, “Ah—famous last words, princess!”

Hermione and Cedric turned toward the direction of the voice and saw that the scenery had changed from pitch darkness to a throne room in green and silver. Before them stood none other than King Voldemort himself.

“This is quite my lucky day now, is it not? I not only have the Crown Prince of Hufflepuff to play with at my leisure but now I have my bride—the Crown Princess of Ravenclaw!” the King of Slytherin spat as he circled the duo.

Hermione was trying to keep Cedric upright and held on tightly to him as she clutched her wand which she aimed towards the hideous being before her.

“You are the King of Slytherin?” Hermione asked softly.

“Yes, my bride—that I am. You see, unlike Prince Cedric here, we have not had the pleasure of meeting. That unfortunate circumstance is due to the fact that both of you were mere infants when I fell…suddenly ill,” Voldemort explained smoothly.

The princess looked at him with disgust. “Stop calling me `your bride,' your Majesty, for I am betrothed to the Crown Prince of Gryffindor.”

King Voldemort actually chuckled and the sound made her blood curdle. She was now struggling with the weight of Cedric, who was trying his best to stay on his feet.

“Aye, from what I have heard, the Prince of Gryffindor has again foiled my plans. Nonetheless, that will not hinder me from gaining a lovely bride such as yourself…Tell me, Princess Hermione, why give your attention to a prince when you can have a king?”

The princess had to resist the urge to gag against the taste of bile. She focused her concentration on her fiancé but was rudely interrupted.

“It is no use, Princess, your connection with the Prince of Gryffindor has been severed. You are in my domain now…”

“And what domain would that be, your Majesty?”

“Why, your mind, Princess, and that too of the Prince of Hufflepuff. In this world I have supreme power over everything!”

Cedric and Hermione collapsed as they felt themselves assaulted and totally powerless as if their very souls were being sucked out and their memories were being ripped from them. The last thought that went through Hermione's head was of her fiancé. “Harry, remember I love you…” as she let herself succumb to oblivion.

“NO!” screamed the Prince of Gryffindor, now he too was in the throne room of green and silver.

Harry took in the scene before him, horrified at what he had just witnessed, but then fury took over as he saw his fiancée, lying unconscious in a fetal position with Prince Cedric at her side.

Voldemort could not believe his fortune - here was the object of his obsession and on his own field! He prided himself in his skill in Legilimency and here were the heirs of the three kingdoms—their minds his toys!

“You will not harm them anymore,” Harry said.

The King of Slytherin merely laughed. “You do not know who you are up against, young prince! You have no right to order me around.”

“I will not allow you to harm my fiancée,” Harry growled.

Voldemort walked around the pair on the floor, keeping his red gaze on the prince.

“So it hurts you to know that the princess is in pain?”

Harry remained silent, keeping his eyes on the king and his wand aimed at the grotesque figure.

“ANSWER ME!”

Harry still remained silent.

“Your arrogance will be the death of the heirs of three kingdoms,” Voldemort ridiculed.

“You will not harm anyone,” Harry replied.

“Really, now? And who will stop me? You?” the king laughed. “As I told you before, you have no idea who you are up against. Your father was arrogant like you. In fact this encounter reminds me of that day eighteen years ago…your father had the same stance as you, trying to protect you and your Mudblood mother. But you know what astounds me? How can an infant overwhelm one of the most powerful wizards of all time?”

“Merlin and Albus Dumbledore are the greatest wizards of all time,” Harry replied with conviction. He was still processing the information that the King of Slytherin revealed but he knew that he had to focus on the situation at hand.

Voldemort's anger flared. “Where are these wizards you pledge your alliance to? Are they here to come to your aide? They were no help to you eighteen years ago and they will be of no use to you now!” Harry remained silent as his green eyes blazed.

The king sensed the prince's hesitance. “Ah…so you have no knowledge of what happened that infamous Hallow's Eve eighteen years ago?” Voldemort tsked. “Ignorance is not an excuse, Crown Prince of Gryffindor.”

A moan was heard, which drew the attention of the men. Harry knew the princess had regained consciousness. He wished she hadn't but now the circumstances were shifted in the favor of the Ruler of Slytherin.

“So glad you came back, Princess, and look who's joined us.”

Hermione did not have the energy to move but she knew the presence of her love. She tried to open her eyes and it took her a while before she could focus. She felt so weak and hollow; her head was in pain.

“Harry…” she managed to whisper.

The Prince of Gryffindor heard her plaintive voice. It tore his heart but he could not, would not, allow himself to react.

“Your prince didn't even flinch at your plea, my bride.”

Hermione knew that her fiancée was not reacting for a reason, though she was not aware of what had occurred while she was unconscious.

Hermione said in a firm yet weak voice, “Again, your Majesty, I am not your bride.”

Voldemort snorted. “You will be after I mutilate the mind of your fiancé before your eyes.”

“Nooooo….” Hermione moaned as Prince Cedric started to stir from his position. His eyes automatically became focused as he took in the situation.

Before the king could make good on his threat, the princess found her strength renewed. Acting on pure instinct to protect Harry, she raised herself from her prone position and brought up her hand screaming, “PROTEGO!”

A blue dome formed around the three as the King of Slytherin's eyes widened in shock.

Harry immediately ran towards Hermione while Cedric pushed himself up. The princess collapsed into the arms of her fiancé who pulled her up, Harry then extended his hand for Cedric to take as the blue dome which protected them dissipated.

“You may be right, your Majesty, I may not know what I am up against…but neither do you,” Harry said in a low voice.

The princes now flanked the weakened princess. As the trio raised their hands, Harry noticed the quivering hand of Hermione and he fought the urge to completely wrap her in his embrace. They had no idea where the words came from but the three chanted in unison, “Desinii tuum nutum nostorum mentorum; reverta ad primordium!*

A golden light erupted from the princes and princess. The last thing they heard was an anguished wail from the Ruler of Slytherin as they felt themselves being pulled back.

XXXXX

Lord Ron, Lady Luna, Lady Cho, Dumbledore and King Amos felt a surge of energy ripple from the three heirs. The five heard them gasp as they witnessed the future rulers regain consciousness. They immediately went to their aid.

“The king…the King of Slytherin has returned,” was all Cedric said in a choked voice as the three collapsed in exhaustion.

XXXXX

*(”Cease your possession of our mind; return to your origin”)

A/N: An explanation as to what had just happened to the three heirs…The rulers try to solve what to do with the heir of the Steward of Slytherin…The heirs will find out the art of war…

Till the next…

1

-->