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batsutousaiTitle: Royal
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batsutousai
A/N: Yeah, you've already read all those warnings and stuff. XP
Also, I'm glad everyone likes that I made Hermione the royal gal! XD I'd hoped I was changing things up enough for everyone, and I certainly seem to have. ^.~
And, uhm, sorry. I hadn't realised Harry's Dark family name wasn't in the last chapter. *sweat* It's one I made up – more the fool I – and isn't anything special in regards to canon. Apologies.
~
The Truth About Muggleborns
~
The three friends spent the next months scouring the library for books on being proper and manners. Harry and Ron worked together to misplace Hermione's homework so she couldn't work on it and gave her books on posture and which fork to start with at a fancy dinner instead. Disgusted with her two friends' sabotage of her schoolwork, she made them study with her, saying that, if she was coming out to the world as their queen, her two best friends best be as well-bred as her.
Ron had complained a lot, at the start, but Harry had simply nodded and read over Hermione's shoulder. She'd been suspicious of how easily he'd agreed, and cornered him one day to find out. Harry had nervously commented that, as the heir to two powerful families, he felt he should be able to handle himself in public forums, even if he hated it. Hermione had been so proud of his maturity, she had hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek, making him blush an impressive shade of Weasley red.
On the other hand, Harry was quite pleased to note that Hermione's idea that Harry might teach a Defence seminar had been completely forgotten, as Hermione was quite busy enough trying to find the assignments Harry and Ron hid from her to make her work on the other lessons they were reading about. The training also kept the three from speaking out in Umbridge's class, as they were usually too busy thinking about other things to bother correcting her about things, so the scar on Harry's hand didn't get any worse.
During the first Hogsmeade visit of the year, the three friends had gone directly to the small bookshop in the village and bought all of the rather confused man's entire stock of books on propriety and had gone to talk it all over in The Three Broomsticks over butterbeer before making the long trek back to the castle without buying a single prank item or any candy.
-0-0-0-
Harry hadn't been sure when he'd get the chance to go to Gringotts, and the visit at Grimmauld Place, no matter how unfortunate the circumstances, had been the perfect chance. He took a chance while everyone thought he was moping and snuck out of the house on his broomstick, making a beeline for Diagon Alley under his cloak.
Once safe in the bank, Harry pulled off the cloak and hurried up to a teller. "I'd like to talk to an inheritance recorder, please," he said urgently.
The goblin looked him over with a scowl, then caught sight of the lightning bolt on the boy's forehead and nodded. "Follow me," he ordered, then led the way quickly into the back hallways and to a brightly coloured door. The goblin knocked once, then opened the door at a sound Harry hadn't been able to hear. "Mr Harry Potter here to see you, sir."
"Send him in," a scratchy voice called.
Harry was ushered into the stone office, where a fat goblin sat behind a huge desk covered in papers. The door closed behind him as Harry nervously took a seat.
The fat goblin folded his hands in front of himself and pierced Harry with a knowing look. "What can I do for you, Mr Potter?" he asked in the same scratchy voice that had ordered him in.
Harry took a deep breath. "I just recently learned that I was a member of the lost Kaizer family. In looking some things up with a friend, I found that there are often stipulations for Heirs of Old families, especially Dark ones. I'm wondering if there are any for myself."
"The Kaizer family?" the goblin whispered, eyes wide. "Do you mind if we do a blood test, Mr Potter? That family has been dead for almost six centuries."
Harry nodded and allowed the goblin to prick his finger and draw some blood, which he then dripped on a piece of parchment. Harry wordlessly stuck his finger in his mouth and watched the parchment for the family names he knew would appear.
Indeed, Potter and Kaizer both appeared, as well as Slytherin, with the stipulation that he was second to the current Heir. Harry scowled at that family, but otherwise ignored it. Considering the connection he shared with Voldemort and the fact that the man had used his blood to come back to life, Harry was rather unsurprised by the revelation that he was now an Heir of Slytherin.
The goblin eyed the last name. "Do you want the laws for Slytherin as well?" he asked, even as he tapped on his desk and two rolls appeared next to him.
Harry shrugged. "Sure."
A third scroll appeared on the desk, and the goblin opened it briskly. "As Second Heir, you have nothing to worry about at the moment. Are you aware of who holds the title of First Heir?"
Harry pursed his lips. "Tom Riddle."
The goblin nodded. "Once he is properly defeated, you will want to return and check up on the stipulations for the First Heir. Slytherin does not have a Lordship, so it won't be something for you to worry about."
Harry nodded his understanding. Slytherin had been a paranoid bastard; he would have made it so he was the last Lord of his family, so there was little chance of one of his children killing him for the title. After the man had died, his legacy would have made it too daunting for someone to claim the Lordship, and so it was left as simply as First and Second Heir.
The goblin pulled open another scroll as the scroll for Slytherin disappeared on his desk. "Potter has no stipulations that will affect you until you either come of age or are emancipated, at which time you will become the Lord of Potter, as the only living Potter."
Harry swallowed and nodded. Because James had died, there was no Lord Potter at the moment, and Harry was the sole Heir. "What of Kaizer?"
The goblin finally picked up the last scroll and pulled it open. He blinked twice before looking over at Harry. "Who is your current legal guardian, Mr Potter?" he asked in a strange voice.
"Uhm, my aunt? She's a muggle. My mother's sister. Why?"
The goblin looked back at the scroll and read, " 'In the event that the First Heir should be of the age of fourteen or older and under the care of those that cannot suitably care for all his or her needs, the First Heir is hereby emancipated, unless there is a Lord of Kaizer to take them in. If there is no Lord, the First Heir is hereby declared Lord Kaizer and free of the government and its laws concerning underage magical children.' " The goblin looked back over at Harry, who looked gobsmacked. "Is your muggle aunt suitably caring for you, Mr Potter?"
Harry considered back to his childhood under the stairs and being forced to do all of the housework since before he could remember. Swallowing with difficulty, Harry shook his head. "No. Never."
The goblin looked a bit surprised at the addition to the admitted neglect and nodded. "Then, you are hereby emancipated and named Lord Kaizer and Potter."
Harry bit his lip and looked blankly at the form that appeared on the desk before him with a quill. A quick read-over showed it to be an emancipation form. "Shouldn't my–my guardian sign this? Not me?"
The goblin shook his head. "Your guardian in unfit, and no longer has say over your state of being. As Lord of both of your families, only you have the power to emancipate yourself. Sign it, Lord Potter."
Harry picked up the quill and inked it, then paused before signing it. "Who all will know of my new status?"
The goblin let out a frustrated noise. "Gringotts and yourself, Lord Potter. Who are you afraid will find out?"
"Everyone," Harry stated quietly. "The Ministry, the school..."
"Lord Potter, it is your duty to inform those people as to your new status, not us. Besides, Gringotts does not follow Ministry laws, the information of our clients are for their eyes only."
Harry swallowed and signed his name quickly, before he could change his mind.
Almost immediately, the form and quill disappeared, only to be replaced by two gleaming rings of black and gold, as well as a tiny ring made of tarnished silver.
"The black ring," the goblin said, upon seeing Harry's blank expression, "is for the Lord Kaizer. The gold ring is meant for Lord Potter, though it has not actually been worn by a Lord Potter since your great-great-grandfather. The silver ring is for the Second Heir of Slytherin. The Heirs of Slytherin rarely come in here to claim their rings, as the family has been poor for almost three centuries and had no reason to come to a bank."
Harry nodded and slipped all three rings into a pocket. "Anything else I need?"
The goblin opened the Kaizer scroll again. "As your line has been supposedly dead for six centuries, there is an addendum here for you at the bottom. It states, 'For my Heir after the centuries of none, please keep your eye out for the royal family and help them back into power. We have long been their allies, and will rise and fall with them.' " The goblin eyed Harry's calm expression suspiciously. "Has the royal family returned, then?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah. I'll help her, too. I've already sworn to."
The goblin's eyes widened and he tapped on his desk absent-mindedly. A new scroll appeared and he held it out to Harry with his other two family scrolls and the teen took them with a confused look. "Give that to Her Majesty. And tell her the goblins will stand by her."
Harry's eyes widened and he clutched the scrolls to his chest protectively. "I understand. I'll make sure she gets it."
The goblin nodded. "In that case, Lord Potter, I believe we are through here. You are free to use magic at your leisure now. Please feel free to visit either of your vaults on the way out."
"I believe I will. Thank you," Harry replied, standing and sketching a quick bow before turning and leaving the office.
Behind him, the goblin hurriedly started a letter to all his fellow bankers, letting them know that the royal family had re-emerged at long last.
-0-0-0-
"Harry James Potter! Where have you been?!" Hermione screeched as the young Lord flew back into Buckbeak's room.
Harry held up his hands calmingly. "I was taking care of some business at Gringotts. I did tell you and Ron that I wanted to go, right?"
Hermione huffed. "You couldn't have just asked the Order if someone would be willing to take you?"
Harry shook his head. "No. Look, before you start yelling again, this is for you, from the goblins. Does anyone else know I was gone?"
Hermione took the scroll and frowned at her friend. "No. I hadn't yet gone down to tell them. I figured I'd give you an hour to reappear before sending out a search party." She opened the scroll and froze at the title claiming that the scroll was for the royal family when it emerged again after its fall. "What–"
"Shhh..." Harry whispered. "I'm going to go get Ron. Meet us in our room? There's a lot we need to talk about."
Hermione nodded dumbly and let Harry usher her from the room, before the young Lord hurried down the stairs to get the other member of their trio.
When they were all in Harry and Ron's room, Harry quickly outlined everything that had happened at Gringotts and showed off his rings. Ron thought the whole thing was a great riot and borrowed the Potter ring while Hermione's eyes gleamed at Harry in a way that made the youngest member of the trio cringe.
Before Hermione could divulge her latest scheme, Ron commented, "You know, the way that scroll was worded, Harry, you're now above age. Since you could be emancipated at fourteen, and now you're fifteen..."
Harry blinked. "I'm not sure how much I want to join the Order right now, Ron. We've got more important things to think about."
Ron eyed his two best friends sadly. "You two do, but what about me? I'm the youngest son of the youngest son of the poorest Old family. Hermione's a queen and Harry's a Lord. I'm just a joker next to you two," he commented as he handed Harry back his ring.
"That's not true!" Hermione snapped, standing. "Ronald Weasley, you're our best friend and a Light wizard! You're important to us!"
"You're also the best strategist I've ever met," Harry agreed softly. "Hermione may be the one who ends up having to lead this world, but we're the two people who have to stand under her and make sure she can do it. She can't rule the world without a strategist. And goodness knows what she'll use me for, but, Ron, we were in that prophecy for a reason, all three of us."
Ron bit his lip and nodded. "Right."
"Let's make a promise right now," Hermione decided. "Let's promise that, no matter what happens, we'll stand by each other until the end."
"Agreed," Harry said, grabbing Hermione's hand in his own and holding out his free hand to Ron, even as Hermione did the same thing."
Ron took their hands and smiled, eyes bright. "Agreed. Until the end."
-0-0-0-
All around Magical Europe, Old Lords were receiving letters with the Royal Crest on them, ordering them to a meeting of the Lords at the ancient chamber under Stonehenge on the Eve of Christmas, by the order of the royal family and the Lord Kaizer.
Some thought the letters to be a joke, but the magic that made them Lords made them have to go, or forfeit their station. Some did forfeit, rather than believe this foolish tale. And that was why, that evening at dinner in the hospital, an opened and crumpled letter appeared on the table before Arthur Weasley with the Weasley's Lord ring.
The room fell into silence as all in attendance stared in surprise at the letter. None were more surprised than the three who had sent the letters. They had invoked Old family magic to make sure everyone came, but this outcome was unexpected.
The three had decided that they needed to call a meeting of the Lords to announce Hermione's return. They'd set on it being the day before Christmas both so it would have more religious impact for those who were religious, and so they would be able to brew sufficient potion to age them to be old enough to make the Lords believe the trio were able to rule their world in the Ministries' stead.
"I guess," Arthur whispered, "that my brother decided this was a hoax. But...why is his ring here, too?"
"Because," Harry said softly, ignoring the weight of the eyes of the entire room as they all turned to him, "he denied his right as Lord when he refused to answer a summons."
Arthur nodded heavily. "But, I can't go..." He glanced down at the snake bite that was slowly draining away his life.
"You can name a proxy," Ron pointed out, mouth full of food. "If you have a valid reason, anyone can go in your stead, you just have to trust them to talk for you."
"You two certainly know a lot about this," Arthur said, starting to feel a nagging suspicion about his youngest son and the boy's two friends. He'd heard from Molly that they'd been a lot more withdrawn during the holiday, and the Twins had reported that the three had been acting oddly since a few weeks into term. What were they up to?
Harry and Ron smoothly pointed at Hermione, who flushed. "Binns mentioned a royal family one day, so I decided to look it up. And Potter is one of the Old families; I thought Harry should know more about his family. Ron too."
Arthur shook his head in amazement. "Only you three. Well, if I need someone to go for me.... Molly?"
Molly shook her head. "Someone has to watch the children," she pointed out, "and Sirius has likely gotten his own letter."
Arthur glanced over the sea of hopeful faces. And then he realised that his youngest son wasn't looking hopeful, in fact, he was simply watching the minor drama unfold with a fond smile. Next to him, his two best friends had calmly returned to their food. Once again, suspicion nagged at him.
"Well, Ron, since you and your friends seem to know so much about this, why don't you go in my stead?" Arthur finally said when his elder children had started to twitch.
Ron startled badly and turned to his two best friends. The three seemed to silently speak through their eyes, then Harry and Hermione both nodded and Ron turned back to his family, who had all watched the exchange with curious eyes. "If that's what you want, Dad, sure."
Molly narrowed her eyes at her youngest son and wondered when he'd suddenly matured, while the Twins started going on about Ron being the new Lord and, woe is us, having our little brother to order us around. Ron simply ignored them while he got up to take the letter from his father. As he took the letter, a small ring appeared on his left hand, where the Lord ring would sit, but much smaller. "The proxy ring," Ron murmured, surprised.
Harry and Hermione traded smiles. This would make getting Ron out of the house that much easier.
-0-0-0-
Christmas Eve, Harry and Hermione drank the potion up in Buckbeak's room, while Ron sat downstairs, watching Sirius pace. The Weasley proxy had been ordered to go with Sirius, for his own protection, so he wouldn't be taking the potion or have Harry cast some hastily mastered spells to protect his identity, like the two upstairs. Ron wouldn't even know what his two best friends looked like until he saw them in the chamber room under Stonehenge.
By the time Sirius had stopped pacing, Ron knew that his two friends were already gone. The two walked out to the back garden and waited for the letters, which doubled as portkeys, to activate and bring them to the secret meeting place that hadn't been used since the creation of the Ministries.
Once they appeared, both men smoothed their formal robes and took seats.
Lucius Malfoy walked up to them with a chilled look on his face and said, "I wasn't aware this gathering allowed outlaws and children."
"I am here as the proxy of Lord Weasley," Ron replied coldly. "And you should be quite aware that the Ministry's ruling on any man, especially a Lord, has no sway here." Ron smiled. "After all, Lord Malfoy, you're here, aren't you? And you have your outlawing Mark burned onto your forearm."
Next to him, Sirius smirked at the outraged face Malfoy wore. "I was under the impression that Malfoy wasn't an Old family," he commented.
"They're not. Not officially," Ron agreed, enjoying knowing things for once, especially things which taunted his father's long-time enemy. "The Malfoys married the last Heir to the Silurian family, who was a woman and unable to claim the Lordship due to her family's stipulations. Her family's Old status transferred to the Malfoy family. Lord Malfoy only holds that title because of his great-great-great grandmother."
"Wow, not an Old family except by chance? I wonder how my father let that marriage happen." Sirius grinned cheerfully, referring to Narcissa, his cousin and Lucius' wife.
A sharp voice cut through the chatter before Malfoy could respond, "Will all the Lords and proxies take their seats?"
As people sat, everyone turned to the head of the room, where a sharp-eyed man in his mid-twenties stood. The man wore impeccable dark red robes with the Kaizer family crest emblazoned on one shoulder and three rings gracing his fingers. His black hair was long down his back and clasped into a neat ponytail, the form the Lords of Old preferred. Somehow, Harry had managed to hide his scar, and had changed his eyes to a dull reddish-brown.
Once silence had fallen in the room, Lord Kaizer nodded, eyes flickering quickly over where Ron and Sirius sat peacefully. "I am Lord Kaizer," he stated coolly. "You have all been called here because of a prophecy, one which stated that the royal family would rise again. That prophecy comes true tonight. May I present to you all, Her Majesty, Queen Perdita of the royal family!"
Ron grinned at the name. They'd spent a lot of time agonizing over what to call Hermione when they announced her, as queens always had names known by the public, even if it wasn't their birth-given name. Hermione had eventually mentioned that her parents had named her for the queen in Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale. There was a young princess in that story, Perdita, who hadn't known she was a princess until nearly the end of the play. Hermione had felt that Perdita fit her better than the name Hermione at the moment, so they had agreed that her name as queen would be Perdita.
Ron's grin disappeared when he saw his best friend walk out next to Harry. Hermione wore a floor-length gown of pure white, with gloves past her elbows and a dainty necklace with her family crest about her throat. Her brown hair had been streaked through with red highlights and was pulled back into a tight bun, which was wound around a lock of free curls that fell down her back to the top of the gown. The brown eyes were calm behind a makeup mask of light blues, which completely transformed her face into someone else's. A top her head sat a glittering silver crown which Ron couldn't recall ever seeing before.
"Wow," he whispered, drawing an amazed chuckle from Sirius.
Hermione let Harry take her arm and the two held still as the entire congregation stood as one and got down on their knees. Hermione let out a strained breath and Harry squeezed her hand gently, eyes meeting the bright blue eyes of their other friend. What Harry wouldn't give to have Ron up there with them. It felt so wrong to be standing at the head of a room of bowing wizards and witches without the last member of their trio.
Hermione cleared her throat and smiled at the gathered people. "Please," she said softly, "return to your seats. We have much to discuss, and only one night to do it in. I'm sure you all want to get back to your families, goodness knows I would, so let's try and work through everything quickly."
A noise of assent travelled through the room as everyone once again sat.
Harry took over, as they'd rehearsed, "As it currently stands, Her Majesty is not ready to officially take over for all the Ministries, but we would like to change a couple of things that have been going horribly wrong since their creations."
"In the time of my ancestors," Hermione continued smoothly, "non-humans – goblins, werewolves, vampires and the such – were given the same respect and understanding as the humans. These days, they are scorned and labelled as creatures. Noble centaurs and sphinxes are taught to our children in classes about dangerous creatures and how one might go about protecting themselves against these beings. Even when they had less control over their monthly transformations, werewolves were treated as people, rather than the monsters society treats them as now."
"The betterment of the treatment of magical creatures is one of the things that must change," Harry said, eyes narrowing at those in the crowd who wore disgusted looks on their faces at the thought of non-humans getting the same rights the humans enjoyed. "Another is the Ministry's tendency – particularly the British Ministry – of sticking their noses into places where they are not welcomed, nor wanted. I am speaking of Hogwarts."
"My ancestors," Hermione agreed, "made a statement during the opening of Hogwarts, that no public or private magical school would ever face outside interference, unless the school asked for it first. Headmaster Dumbledore never asked the British Ministry to step in, but they did. Other private and public institutions have, at one point or another during the past century, been meddled with by the local Ministry, despite all fights the Headmistress or Headmaster put up against the invasion. This meddling will stop. Now."
"These are the main things we are here to discuss today," Harry said, squeezing Hermione's hand gently. "There is also one more thing we must discuss, something which is very near and dear to British hearts."
"Voldemort," the two said together, smiling when half the room jumped and the other half twitched nervously in their seats. After weeks of rehearsal, Ron managed to suppress his instinctual twitch at the name and simply smiled calmly as he saw the faint look of panic on Malfoy's face.
A murmur suddenly started in one corner of the room and the two turned to it. "Lords? Is there something the matter?" Hermione inquired softly of the disturbance.
The Lord who had started the ruckus stood, brown eyes gleaming angrily. "The belief that You-Know-Who is back was proven to be a lie spread by Dumbledore and Potter, to put us all into a panic."
Hermione and Harry traded looks, even as Sirius stood up on the other side of the room and called, "Are you calling my godson a liar?"
Next to Sirius, Ron groaned and tugged on Sirius' robes. "Sirius, sit," he ordered, as surprise spread across the room at the convicted Lord's presence.
"Godson?" the other Lord snorted. "Everyone knows you're just out to kill the boy."
"That is enough." Harry demanded, silencing both Sirius and the other Lord with a flick of his holly wand. "Let me end this argument now, gentlemen, and please keep in mind that you cannot speak something you know to be a lie in this chamber while this court is in session." Harry took a deep breath, then said, "I have seen Voldemort, alive, with my own eyes. Recently. Yes, he's back. Yes, Potter and Dumbledore are telling the truth."
The room broke out in shouts and sounds of people panicking. Ron sighed and tugged Sirius back down into his seat. "I did warn you," he commented to the Lord of Black as the man scowled and wordlessly freed himself from the spell.
Sirius huffed. "They're acting like a bunch of children."
Ron smiled and eyed Hermione, who was starting to look like she'd blow at any moment. Next to her, Harry looked resigned. The three friends had studied all of the spells on this chamber and Ron knew that, once Hermione had enough, she would put everyone in their places. Forcefully.
Finally, Hermione yelled, "That is enough!" and everyone who'd been up and arguing were thrown back into their chairs and found their mouths gone. Everyone turned to where Hermione stood apart from Harry, hands on her hips and looking more like the Gryffindor Prefect she was at school than the queen of the wizarding world. "Honestly," she huffed into the silence, "you're all behaving like a bunch of children."
Ron hid a smile behind one hand. That was their Hermione.
"I daresay that the Hogwarts students handled the news better than you just did," Harry commented drily, stepping forward, next to Hermione. "Now, are you all ready to face the music, as it were, like mature adults? Or do we all need to go back to the nursery?"
Slowly, the tension in the air calmed and, as the Lords regained their equilibrium, their mouths returned. Once sure that the room was calm again, Harry and Hermione traded looks, then set about discussing everything they felt needed to be covered, and making sure everyone would do their part to soothe the transfer over, starting with the two major points they had started the meeting with.
-0-0-0-
Ron and Sirius got back late that night, both tired from the long talks. When they walked into the kitchen, they found the entire Weasley family and Remus Lupin, plus a brightly smiling Harry and Hermione, both of whom looked perfectly refreshed. Ron blinked at them, disbelieving, even as he walked over and sat down between his two friends. Ron didn't get the chance to ask why Harry and Hermione had been back before him and looking so well until after dinner, as the meal was spent discussing the meeting, in spite of Molly's complaints about letting the six non-Order members in on the discussion. (Sirius helpfully pointed out that Ron, one of said non-members, had been at the meeting.)
When they finally made their way up the stairs to bed, Ron grabbed Hermione's arm before she could go into the room she and Ginny shared. "Hey, Hermione, can we borrow you for a moment? Sorry, Ginny."
Hermione nodded and Ginny shrugged, so the elder girl continued down the hall to the boys' room and they all sat on the beds once the door was shut. "What's up, Ron?" Hermione asked, brown eyes dancing.
"You know what's up," Ron shot back, crossing his arms over his chest.
"We made a stop by Gringotts before the meeting," Harry answered. "The goblins gave Hermione the family crown and a time-turner. No one was the wiser about our disappearance."
"Good thing, too," Hermione agreed, scowling. "The Twins wouldn't leave us alone. They seemed to think we were up to something."
"We are up to something," Ron pointed out cheerfully. "Alright, I suppose I'm okay for now. We'll see you in the morning, Hermione."
Hermione smiled and gave both boys hugs before heading back for her own room.
Once both Ron and Harry were ready for bed and the lights were out, Ron asked, "What's it like, standing up there and being important?"
"Absolutely dreadful," Harry replied softly. "As bad as facing a dragon down for a fake egg. Or having to jump into a giant lake to get something that was taken from you and thinking your two best friends might have abandoned you in your time of need."
Ron swallowed and closed his eyes to the darkness. "I'm sorry."
Harry smiled sadly. "So am I."
There was a long silence and Harry was almost asleep when Ron's voice said, "You know I'll never abandon you again, right? Not you. And not Hermione."
Harry's lips curled with a true smile. "Thanks, Ron."
-0-0-0-
Umbridge did not go without a fight. In fact she fought so long, and so hard, that when the Christmas Hols were over, she was still there, fighting to keep her control in the school. Harry, Hermione and Ron traded disgusted looks over the table at dinner and, that night, met up in the common room after everyone else had gone to bed.
"We have to do something," Hermione hissed, punching the Ministry-regulated book for Defence. "She's going to make us all fail."
"Hermione, they can't fail you," Ron said with a hint of a smile, hoping to lighten the mood.
Harry tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps it's time for Her Majesty to make a public appearance?"
"I'm going to be stuck on the side-lines again, aren't I?" Ron grumbled good-naturedly.
Harry's smile was almost terrifying. "Not a chance."
The three huddled together and quickly sketched out a plan for the next morning at breakfast.
-0-0-0-
The Golden Trio were calmly eating their breakfast with a few of their year mates when the doors of the Great Hall slammed open and three imposing people stepped in, completely silencing the entire room.
Queen Perdita led the way in pale blue battle robes and with the silver crown resting above her hair, which had been pulled tightly back so it was out of her way, in case a fight broke out. On her right was Lord Kaizer, who wore tight black battle robes and had tied his own hair back in much the same fashion as the Queen. On the Queen's left stood a man none of them had ever seen before. The man had short-cropped red hair and deep black eyes. He wore battle robes in white and wore a sword at his side.
Both men eyed the crowds of students coldly as they followed the Queen up to the dais, where Dumbledore and a number of the staff were standing to bow. Many of the students had also gotten up from their seats to bow as the Queen passed, including the trio, who didn't miss the irony of bowing to themselves.
As the procession reached the head table, Dumbledore straightened and asked, "To what do we owe this pleasure, Your Majesty?"
Hermione smiled faintly at the Headmaster. "I asked that the Ministry remove their claws from your school, Headmaster, and it seems they haven't." She glanced over at where Umbridge was furiously glaring at her. She hadn't bowed. "What do you have to say for your actions, Dolores Umbridge?"
"The Ministry has no reason to listen to someone who calls themselves a 'queen'. The royal family died off centuries ago, girl. Everyone knows that," Umbridge spat.
Hermione just continued to smile while, next to her, Ron pulled out a scroll and recited, " 'In accordance with the last Will and Testament of King Arthur the Sixth, Head of the Royal Family of the Wizarding World, all Ministries will bow to the Will of the continuation of the Royal Family when it reappears. The Royal Family will be the only one able to take from the vault held by the goblins one Crown, gold or silver, and wear it upon their head without death. This Crown will have the Royal Crest burned into the brim, over the mark of the Royal Metal Smith.' Your Majesty, if you would?"
Hermione took off the crown and pointed to the royal crest, which was burned into the brim over a jewelled anvil.
"This statement," Ron continued, "comes from your own vaults in the Department of Mysteries, lent to Her Majesty by the Head of the Department in the hopes of expediting your removal from Hogwarts. It has been signed by all of the Ministries around Europe, and each Ministry has a copy. It has spells on it to keep it from ever being destroyed by muggle or magical means, and to keep it from being changed."
Hermione set her crown back on her head. "If you would please pack your bags, Madam Umbridge?"
Umbridge smiled smugly. "If I leave, who will teach Defence Against the Dark Arts?" she asked. "The entire reason the Minister sent me was because Dumbledore couldn't find anyone for the position."
"I believe, Madam," Harry broke in sharply, "that finding an applicant to fill any teacher's position has always fallen to the Head of Hogwarts, and does not fall into the Ministry's jurisdiction, unless the Head requests their assistance. If such a development occurs, the Ministry should send in someone competent in teaching the required subject, such as an auror. You, Madam, barely managed an Acceptable on your OWLs in Defence, and failed your NEWTs."
The hall filled with whispers at this announcement, and Umbridge turned a lovely shade of puce.
"If the Headmaster feels himself unable to find a replacement for you, Madam Umbridge, and wishes to ask the Ministry for their assistance in supplying an auror or someone equally qualified for the position, there will be ground rules placed down. Headmaster?" Hermione continued, despite the noise from the students.
Dumbledore's eyes were dancing in amusement. "Please, Your Majesty, what rules would you suggest?"
Hermione glanced over at Ron, who pulled out a small piece of parchment and handed it over. "The replacement will agree to not have any contact with the Ministry between the time they enter the school and when the year is over. The replacement's family will agree to the same. Also, the Headmaster has the power to deny anyone the Ministry suggests."
"One last thing," Harry said suddenly, then spun and sent a blasting curse at the wall of Ministry Decrees, carefully controlling the power so he didn't damage the building. As he turned back around, he smirked at the horrified Umbridge. "Those are no longer required."
"And they're ugly," Ron agreed. He and Harry shared smiles behind Hermione's back.
Hermione ignored them. "Do these meet your approval, Headmaster?"
"I believe they do, Your Majesty," Dumbledore agreed.
Hermione nodded, then turned to Umbridge. "Madam Umbridge, you have twelve hours to vacate the premises. If you have not vacated by then, we will return and you will be removed by force. Am I understood?"
Umbridge swallowed. "Rather."
"Then we will take our leave–"
"Actually, if I might impose some tea upon you in my office, Your Majesty?" Dumbledore hurriedly requested.
Ron and Harry traded sharp looks behind Hermione, then Harry stepped forward and met Hermione's gaze. "It is permissible," he finally said, turning back to the Headmaster. Next to him, Hermione smiled and handed the parchment back to Ron, who put it and the scroll in a bottomless pouch at his waist for safekeeping.
The three guests followed the Headmaster from the room, leaving behind a cacophony of voices.
Once in the office, Dumbledore supplied the three with tea, then looked at them over his glasses. "Professor Snape mentioned to me over the holiday that an interesting family crest came out of one Harry Potter's cauldron near the beginning of the term."
Harry grinned over his cup of tea. "Cheers, Professor."
Dumbledore smiled at the other two silent occupants, both of whom were smiling expectantly. "Miss Granger and Mr Weasley, I presume?"
"Indeed," Hermione agreed, while Ron reached forward and snatched a biscuit off the tray on the Headmaster's desk.
The Headmaster's smile faded. "Then, Miss Granger, you truly are of the royal line?"
Hermione set down her tea. "From the journals in my family vaults, as well as Harry's, we have deduced that a Seer warned the royal family of their impending doom almost three years before it occurred. Rather than run and hide, the Kaizer family staged the death of their youngest son, Georef, and sent him off with Princess Jessica's newborn daughter, who was said to have been miscarried, to hide in the muggle world. They disappeared rather effectively, and since no one knew they were still alive, the two were able to raise families, which were told to keep marrying into the muggle world for a few centuries."
"From what we learned, with the goblins' help," Harry continued, "the continuous addition of non-magical blood eventually buried the magical blood, making it a sort of recessive gene, as it were. My mother was the first true rebirth of the Kaizer family into the magical world, but she never knew; it wasn't something she would have thought to check for."
"No, I don't suppose it would have been," Dumbledore agreed faintly. "How were you three also seated at your House table? And your appearances?"
"When we went to pick up my family crown," Hermione said, "the goblins foresaw our difficulty in trying to be two different sets of people and gave me a time turner. As to our appearances? Aging potions and some hair and eye colouring potions. Harry used a spell I found in one of my roommates' magazines to lengthen his hair. And I don't know what he did to hide his scar." Harry grinned knowingly while Hermione shot him a disgusted look.
Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "And the scroll?"
"Ron's idea," Harry answered, smiling at where his best friend was shoving biscuits into his mouth; they'd all been a bit too nervous to eat breakfast that morning. "He got Hermione to write a letter to the Head of the Department late last night, while we were still in the middle of figuring everything out for today. We got the scroll early this morning, not long after going to sleep, actually." He grimaced.
Dumbledore chuckled. "It was a masterful performance. Do you truly intend to come back if Dolores doesn't leave?"
"Yes," all three chorused coldly.
"And I will use force to remove her," Harry added, clenching his right hand so tightly that the pale writing faded into the back of it. Ron and Hermione nodded, grim-faced.
Dumbledore sighed. "Now, Harry–"
"I looked up the laws about a certain Dark artefact she has in her possession, sir," Harry cut in, "and if she were to be reported to a non-corrupt Ministry for having it, she would be sentenced to Azkaban for ten years. If it was discovered that she was using it on children, she would be given the Kiss. No questions asked."
Dumbledore blinked, confused and a little horrified. "Dark artefact?"
"A blood quill, sir," Hermione said softly. "She's been having students use it during their detentions."
Dumbledore closed his eyes, looking ancient. "No..."
"And if she isn't rid of it by the time we're out of school, she will be getting the Kiss," Hermione added.
"I don't understand why you're giving her the chance to get rid of it," Harry muttered, crossing his arms over his chest like a petulant child.
"Because the royal family has always been fair," Ron said around a biscuit. "Come on, mate, we've discussed this before."
Harry slouched even more in his chair and scowled.
Dumbledore smiled tiredly at the children. "Why wasn't I or another member of the staff made aware of this artefact?"
"What could you have done about it, sir?" Ron replied.
Dumbledore bowed his head against the truth of that question.
The office was silent for a long moment.
Dumbledore finally looked back up and inquired, "Harry, my boy, I notice you're not wearing the three rings you were said to have worn during the meeting on Christmas Eve."
Harry glanced up quickly, knocking his head on the soft back of the chair he was sitting in. "Oh, yeah. I figured that, since we'd be so close to people, it was best to not wear them. They might be recognized."
Dumbledore blinked. "I was under the impression that only of age wizards were allowed to wear their family rings, unless it's for something like that meeting."
Harry sighed and sat up fully. "Sir, my ancestors said that, were I not in the care of a guardian that would or could care for all my needs, I was to be emancipated. When the goblin asked, I had to tell him that my relatives don't take proper care of me."
Dumbledore closed his eyes again and looked so terribly old that Harry rose to his feet, concerned. "Professor!"
Dumbledore opened his eyes and smiled sadly. "I'm so sorry, my dear boy."
Harry shook his head. "You didn't know. I mean, they gave me food and made sure I had clothing and a place to sleep, but they did it to the barest minimum possible, and that's not proper care, no matter what time period you're in, so I don't think my ancestor would have accepted it. But, I survived, didn't I?"
Dumbledore's smile was a little less sad at that. "I suppose you did, yes. What do you intend to do with your new-found freedom, then?"
"Get rid of Umbridge, sir. I thought we'd already been over that," Harry replied, teasingly, as he sat back down in his seat with relief.
Dumbledore nodded, the twinkle back in his eyes. "Of course. But, after you've kicked her out, what do you intend to do?"
The three teens-turned-adults leaned forwards with bright eyes. The four spent another hour discussing plans for the future, before the students finally left to remove their disguises and go back in time to attend class.
Unsurprisingly, Umbridge was gone by lunch, and the Minister had sent a list of suggestions to Dumbledore of aurors who could replace her. Just in case.
-0-0-0-0-0-
A/N: Goodness! Some of your cried about having to wait three days like it was the end of the world! (Alas, for the days of Abandon, when readers were perfectly willing to wait a week. XD)
Was it fast enough for you, in the end?
~Bats ^.^x
Chapters:
1 - Descendants |||2 - The Truth About Muggleborns ||| 3 - Defence ||| 4 - The Ministry
5 - DoM ||| 6 - America ||| 7 - Playing at Life
Author:
batsutousaiA/N: Yeah, you've already read all those warnings and stuff. XP
Also, I'm glad everyone likes that I made Hermione the royal gal! XD I'd hoped I was changing things up enough for everyone, and I certainly seem to have. ^.~
And, uhm, sorry. I hadn't realised Harry's Dark family name wasn't in the last chapter. *sweat* It's one I made up – more the fool I – and isn't anything special in regards to canon. Apologies.
The Truth About Muggleborns
~
The three friends spent the next months scouring the library for books on being proper and manners. Harry and Ron worked together to misplace Hermione's homework so she couldn't work on it and gave her books on posture and which fork to start with at a fancy dinner instead. Disgusted with her two friends' sabotage of her schoolwork, she made them study with her, saying that, if she was coming out to the world as their queen, her two best friends best be as well-bred as her.
Ron had complained a lot, at the start, but Harry had simply nodded and read over Hermione's shoulder. She'd been suspicious of how easily he'd agreed, and cornered him one day to find out. Harry had nervously commented that, as the heir to two powerful families, he felt he should be able to handle himself in public forums, even if he hated it. Hermione had been so proud of his maturity, she had hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek, making him blush an impressive shade of Weasley red.
On the other hand, Harry was quite pleased to note that Hermione's idea that Harry might teach a Defence seminar had been completely forgotten, as Hermione was quite busy enough trying to find the assignments Harry and Ron hid from her to make her work on the other lessons they were reading about. The training also kept the three from speaking out in Umbridge's class, as they were usually too busy thinking about other things to bother correcting her about things, so the scar on Harry's hand didn't get any worse.
During the first Hogsmeade visit of the year, the three friends had gone directly to the small bookshop in the village and bought all of the rather confused man's entire stock of books on propriety and had gone to talk it all over in The Three Broomsticks over butterbeer before making the long trek back to the castle without buying a single prank item or any candy.
Harry hadn't been sure when he'd get the chance to go to Gringotts, and the visit at Grimmauld Place, no matter how unfortunate the circumstances, had been the perfect chance. He took a chance while everyone thought he was moping and snuck out of the house on his broomstick, making a beeline for Diagon Alley under his cloak.
Once safe in the bank, Harry pulled off the cloak and hurried up to a teller. "I'd like to talk to an inheritance recorder, please," he said urgently.
The goblin looked him over with a scowl, then caught sight of the lightning bolt on the boy's forehead and nodded. "Follow me," he ordered, then led the way quickly into the back hallways and to a brightly coloured door. The goblin knocked once, then opened the door at a sound Harry hadn't been able to hear. "Mr Harry Potter here to see you, sir."
"Send him in," a scratchy voice called.
Harry was ushered into the stone office, where a fat goblin sat behind a huge desk covered in papers. The door closed behind him as Harry nervously took a seat.
The fat goblin folded his hands in front of himself and pierced Harry with a knowing look. "What can I do for you, Mr Potter?" he asked in the same scratchy voice that had ordered him in.
Harry took a deep breath. "I just recently learned that I was a member of the lost Kaizer family. In looking some things up with a friend, I found that there are often stipulations for Heirs of Old families, especially Dark ones. I'm wondering if there are any for myself."
"The Kaizer family?" the goblin whispered, eyes wide. "Do you mind if we do a blood test, Mr Potter? That family has been dead for almost six centuries."
Harry nodded and allowed the goblin to prick his finger and draw some blood, which he then dripped on a piece of parchment. Harry wordlessly stuck his finger in his mouth and watched the parchment for the family names he knew would appear.
Indeed, Potter and Kaizer both appeared, as well as Slytherin, with the stipulation that he was second to the current Heir. Harry scowled at that family, but otherwise ignored it. Considering the connection he shared with Voldemort and the fact that the man had used his blood to come back to life, Harry was rather unsurprised by the revelation that he was now an Heir of Slytherin.
The goblin eyed the last name. "Do you want the laws for Slytherin as well?" he asked, even as he tapped on his desk and two rolls appeared next to him.
Harry shrugged. "Sure."
A third scroll appeared on the desk, and the goblin opened it briskly. "As Second Heir, you have nothing to worry about at the moment. Are you aware of who holds the title of First Heir?"
Harry pursed his lips. "Tom Riddle."
The goblin nodded. "Once he is properly defeated, you will want to return and check up on the stipulations for the First Heir. Slytherin does not have a Lordship, so it won't be something for you to worry about."
Harry nodded his understanding. Slytherin had been a paranoid bastard; he would have made it so he was the last Lord of his family, so there was little chance of one of his children killing him for the title. After the man had died, his legacy would have made it too daunting for someone to claim the Lordship, and so it was left as simply as First and Second Heir.
The goblin pulled open another scroll as the scroll for Slytherin disappeared on his desk. "Potter has no stipulations that will affect you until you either come of age or are emancipated, at which time you will become the Lord of Potter, as the only living Potter."
Harry swallowed and nodded. Because James had died, there was no Lord Potter at the moment, and Harry was the sole Heir. "What of Kaizer?"
The goblin finally picked up the last scroll and pulled it open. He blinked twice before looking over at Harry. "Who is your current legal guardian, Mr Potter?" he asked in a strange voice.
"Uhm, my aunt? She's a muggle. My mother's sister. Why?"
The goblin looked back at the scroll and read, " 'In the event that the First Heir should be of the age of fourteen or older and under the care of those that cannot suitably care for all his or her needs, the First Heir is hereby emancipated, unless there is a Lord of Kaizer to take them in. If there is no Lord, the First Heir is hereby declared Lord Kaizer and free of the government and its laws concerning underage magical children.' " The goblin looked back over at Harry, who looked gobsmacked. "Is your muggle aunt suitably caring for you, Mr Potter?"
Harry considered back to his childhood under the stairs and being forced to do all of the housework since before he could remember. Swallowing with difficulty, Harry shook his head. "No. Never."
The goblin looked a bit surprised at the addition to the admitted neglect and nodded. "Then, you are hereby emancipated and named Lord Kaizer and Potter."
Harry bit his lip and looked blankly at the form that appeared on the desk before him with a quill. A quick read-over showed it to be an emancipation form. "Shouldn't my–my guardian sign this? Not me?"
The goblin shook his head. "Your guardian in unfit, and no longer has say over your state of being. As Lord of both of your families, only you have the power to emancipate yourself. Sign it, Lord Potter."
Harry picked up the quill and inked it, then paused before signing it. "Who all will know of my new status?"
The goblin let out a frustrated noise. "Gringotts and yourself, Lord Potter. Who are you afraid will find out?"
"Everyone," Harry stated quietly. "The Ministry, the school..."
"Lord Potter, it is your duty to inform those people as to your new status, not us. Besides, Gringotts does not follow Ministry laws, the information of our clients are for their eyes only."
Harry swallowed and signed his name quickly, before he could change his mind.
Almost immediately, the form and quill disappeared, only to be replaced by two gleaming rings of black and gold, as well as a tiny ring made of tarnished silver.
"The black ring," the goblin said, upon seeing Harry's blank expression, "is for the Lord Kaizer. The gold ring is meant for Lord Potter, though it has not actually been worn by a Lord Potter since your great-great-grandfather. The silver ring is for the Second Heir of Slytherin. The Heirs of Slytherin rarely come in here to claim their rings, as the family has been poor for almost three centuries and had no reason to come to a bank."
Harry nodded and slipped all three rings into a pocket. "Anything else I need?"
The goblin opened the Kaizer scroll again. "As your line has been supposedly dead for six centuries, there is an addendum here for you at the bottom. It states, 'For my Heir after the centuries of none, please keep your eye out for the royal family and help them back into power. We have long been their allies, and will rise and fall with them.' " The goblin eyed Harry's calm expression suspiciously. "Has the royal family returned, then?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah. I'll help her, too. I've already sworn to."
The goblin's eyes widened and he tapped on his desk absent-mindedly. A new scroll appeared and he held it out to Harry with his other two family scrolls and the teen took them with a confused look. "Give that to Her Majesty. And tell her the goblins will stand by her."
Harry's eyes widened and he clutched the scrolls to his chest protectively. "I understand. I'll make sure she gets it."
The goblin nodded. "In that case, Lord Potter, I believe we are through here. You are free to use magic at your leisure now. Please feel free to visit either of your vaults on the way out."
"I believe I will. Thank you," Harry replied, standing and sketching a quick bow before turning and leaving the office.
Behind him, the goblin hurriedly started a letter to all his fellow bankers, letting them know that the royal family had re-emerged at long last.
"Harry James Potter! Where have you been?!" Hermione screeched as the young Lord flew back into Buckbeak's room.
Harry held up his hands calmingly. "I was taking care of some business at Gringotts. I did tell you and Ron that I wanted to go, right?"
Hermione huffed. "You couldn't have just asked the Order if someone would be willing to take you?"
Harry shook his head. "No. Look, before you start yelling again, this is for you, from the goblins. Does anyone else know I was gone?"
Hermione took the scroll and frowned at her friend. "No. I hadn't yet gone down to tell them. I figured I'd give you an hour to reappear before sending out a search party." She opened the scroll and froze at the title claiming that the scroll was for the royal family when it emerged again after its fall. "What–"
"Shhh..." Harry whispered. "I'm going to go get Ron. Meet us in our room? There's a lot we need to talk about."
Hermione nodded dumbly and let Harry usher her from the room, before the young Lord hurried down the stairs to get the other member of their trio.
When they were all in Harry and Ron's room, Harry quickly outlined everything that had happened at Gringotts and showed off his rings. Ron thought the whole thing was a great riot and borrowed the Potter ring while Hermione's eyes gleamed at Harry in a way that made the youngest member of the trio cringe.
Before Hermione could divulge her latest scheme, Ron commented, "You know, the way that scroll was worded, Harry, you're now above age. Since you could be emancipated at fourteen, and now you're fifteen..."
Harry blinked. "I'm not sure how much I want to join the Order right now, Ron. We've got more important things to think about."
Ron eyed his two best friends sadly. "You two do, but what about me? I'm the youngest son of the youngest son of the poorest Old family. Hermione's a queen and Harry's a Lord. I'm just a joker next to you two," he commented as he handed Harry back his ring.
"That's not true!" Hermione snapped, standing. "Ronald Weasley, you're our best friend and a Light wizard! You're important to us!"
"You're also the best strategist I've ever met," Harry agreed softly. "Hermione may be the one who ends up having to lead this world, but we're the two people who have to stand under her and make sure she can do it. She can't rule the world without a strategist. And goodness knows what she'll use me for, but, Ron, we were in that prophecy for a reason, all three of us."
Ron bit his lip and nodded. "Right."
"Let's make a promise right now," Hermione decided. "Let's promise that, no matter what happens, we'll stand by each other until the end."
"Agreed," Harry said, grabbing Hermione's hand in his own and holding out his free hand to Ron, even as Hermione did the same thing."
Ron took their hands and smiled, eyes bright. "Agreed. Until the end."
All around Magical Europe, Old Lords were receiving letters with the Royal Crest on them, ordering them to a meeting of the Lords at the ancient chamber under Stonehenge on the Eve of Christmas, by the order of the royal family and the Lord Kaizer.
Some thought the letters to be a joke, but the magic that made them Lords made them have to go, or forfeit their station. Some did forfeit, rather than believe this foolish tale. And that was why, that evening at dinner in the hospital, an opened and crumpled letter appeared on the table before Arthur Weasley with the Weasley's Lord ring.
The room fell into silence as all in attendance stared in surprise at the letter. None were more surprised than the three who had sent the letters. They had invoked Old family magic to make sure everyone came, but this outcome was unexpected.
The three had decided that they needed to call a meeting of the Lords to announce Hermione's return. They'd set on it being the day before Christmas both so it would have more religious impact for those who were religious, and so they would be able to brew sufficient potion to age them to be old enough to make the Lords believe the trio were able to rule their world in the Ministries' stead.
"I guess," Arthur whispered, "that my brother decided this was a hoax. But...why is his ring here, too?"
"Because," Harry said softly, ignoring the weight of the eyes of the entire room as they all turned to him, "he denied his right as Lord when he refused to answer a summons."
Arthur nodded heavily. "But, I can't go..." He glanced down at the snake bite that was slowly draining away his life.
"You can name a proxy," Ron pointed out, mouth full of food. "If you have a valid reason, anyone can go in your stead, you just have to trust them to talk for you."
"You two certainly know a lot about this," Arthur said, starting to feel a nagging suspicion about his youngest son and the boy's two friends. He'd heard from Molly that they'd been a lot more withdrawn during the holiday, and the Twins had reported that the three had been acting oddly since a few weeks into term. What were they up to?
Harry and Ron smoothly pointed at Hermione, who flushed. "Binns mentioned a royal family one day, so I decided to look it up. And Potter is one of the Old families; I thought Harry should know more about his family. Ron too."
Arthur shook his head in amazement. "Only you three. Well, if I need someone to go for me.... Molly?"
Molly shook her head. "Someone has to watch the children," she pointed out, "and Sirius has likely gotten his own letter."
Arthur glanced over the sea of hopeful faces. And then he realised that his youngest son wasn't looking hopeful, in fact, he was simply watching the minor drama unfold with a fond smile. Next to him, his two best friends had calmly returned to their food. Once again, suspicion nagged at him.
"Well, Ron, since you and your friends seem to know so much about this, why don't you go in my stead?" Arthur finally said when his elder children had started to twitch.
Ron startled badly and turned to his two best friends. The three seemed to silently speak through their eyes, then Harry and Hermione both nodded and Ron turned back to his family, who had all watched the exchange with curious eyes. "If that's what you want, Dad, sure."
Molly narrowed her eyes at her youngest son and wondered when he'd suddenly matured, while the Twins started going on about Ron being the new Lord and, woe is us, having our little brother to order us around. Ron simply ignored them while he got up to take the letter from his father. As he took the letter, a small ring appeared on his left hand, where the Lord ring would sit, but much smaller. "The proxy ring," Ron murmured, surprised.
Harry and Hermione traded smiles. This would make getting Ron out of the house that much easier.
Christmas Eve, Harry and Hermione drank the potion up in Buckbeak's room, while Ron sat downstairs, watching Sirius pace. The Weasley proxy had been ordered to go with Sirius, for his own protection, so he wouldn't be taking the potion or have Harry cast some hastily mastered spells to protect his identity, like the two upstairs. Ron wouldn't even know what his two best friends looked like until he saw them in the chamber room under Stonehenge.
By the time Sirius had stopped pacing, Ron knew that his two friends were already gone. The two walked out to the back garden and waited for the letters, which doubled as portkeys, to activate and bring them to the secret meeting place that hadn't been used since the creation of the Ministries.
Once they appeared, both men smoothed their formal robes and took seats.
Lucius Malfoy walked up to them with a chilled look on his face and said, "I wasn't aware this gathering allowed outlaws and children."
"I am here as the proxy of Lord Weasley," Ron replied coldly. "And you should be quite aware that the Ministry's ruling on any man, especially a Lord, has no sway here." Ron smiled. "After all, Lord Malfoy, you're here, aren't you? And you have your outlawing Mark burned onto your forearm."
Next to him, Sirius smirked at the outraged face Malfoy wore. "I was under the impression that Malfoy wasn't an Old family," he commented.
"They're not. Not officially," Ron agreed, enjoying knowing things for once, especially things which taunted his father's long-time enemy. "The Malfoys married the last Heir to the Silurian family, who was a woman and unable to claim the Lordship due to her family's stipulations. Her family's Old status transferred to the Malfoy family. Lord Malfoy only holds that title because of his great-great-great grandmother."
"Wow, not an Old family except by chance? I wonder how my father let that marriage happen." Sirius grinned cheerfully, referring to Narcissa, his cousin and Lucius' wife.
A sharp voice cut through the chatter before Malfoy could respond, "Will all the Lords and proxies take their seats?"
As people sat, everyone turned to the head of the room, where a sharp-eyed man in his mid-twenties stood. The man wore impeccable dark red robes with the Kaizer family crest emblazoned on one shoulder and three rings gracing his fingers. His black hair was long down his back and clasped into a neat ponytail, the form the Lords of Old preferred. Somehow, Harry had managed to hide his scar, and had changed his eyes to a dull reddish-brown.
Once silence had fallen in the room, Lord Kaizer nodded, eyes flickering quickly over where Ron and Sirius sat peacefully. "I am Lord Kaizer," he stated coolly. "You have all been called here because of a prophecy, one which stated that the royal family would rise again. That prophecy comes true tonight. May I present to you all, Her Majesty, Queen Perdita of the royal family!"
Ron grinned at the name. They'd spent a lot of time agonizing over what to call Hermione when they announced her, as queens always had names known by the public, even if it wasn't their birth-given name. Hermione had eventually mentioned that her parents had named her for the queen in Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale. There was a young princess in that story, Perdita, who hadn't known she was a princess until nearly the end of the play. Hermione had felt that Perdita fit her better than the name Hermione at the moment, so they had agreed that her name as queen would be Perdita.
Ron's grin disappeared when he saw his best friend walk out next to Harry. Hermione wore a floor-length gown of pure white, with gloves past her elbows and a dainty necklace with her family crest about her throat. Her brown hair had been streaked through with red highlights and was pulled back into a tight bun, which was wound around a lock of free curls that fell down her back to the top of the gown. The brown eyes were calm behind a makeup mask of light blues, which completely transformed her face into someone else's. A top her head sat a glittering silver crown which Ron couldn't recall ever seeing before.
"Wow," he whispered, drawing an amazed chuckle from Sirius.
Hermione let Harry take her arm and the two held still as the entire congregation stood as one and got down on their knees. Hermione let out a strained breath and Harry squeezed her hand gently, eyes meeting the bright blue eyes of their other friend. What Harry wouldn't give to have Ron up there with them. It felt so wrong to be standing at the head of a room of bowing wizards and witches without the last member of their trio.
Hermione cleared her throat and smiled at the gathered people. "Please," she said softly, "return to your seats. We have much to discuss, and only one night to do it in. I'm sure you all want to get back to your families, goodness knows I would, so let's try and work through everything quickly."
A noise of assent travelled through the room as everyone once again sat.
Harry took over, as they'd rehearsed, "As it currently stands, Her Majesty is not ready to officially take over for all the Ministries, but we would like to change a couple of things that have been going horribly wrong since their creations."
"In the time of my ancestors," Hermione continued smoothly, "non-humans – goblins, werewolves, vampires and the such – were given the same respect and understanding as the humans. These days, they are scorned and labelled as creatures. Noble centaurs and sphinxes are taught to our children in classes about dangerous creatures and how one might go about protecting themselves against these beings. Even when they had less control over their monthly transformations, werewolves were treated as people, rather than the monsters society treats them as now."
"The betterment of the treatment of magical creatures is one of the things that must change," Harry said, eyes narrowing at those in the crowd who wore disgusted looks on their faces at the thought of non-humans getting the same rights the humans enjoyed. "Another is the Ministry's tendency – particularly the British Ministry – of sticking their noses into places where they are not welcomed, nor wanted. I am speaking of Hogwarts."
"My ancestors," Hermione agreed, "made a statement during the opening of Hogwarts, that no public or private magical school would ever face outside interference, unless the school asked for it first. Headmaster Dumbledore never asked the British Ministry to step in, but they did. Other private and public institutions have, at one point or another during the past century, been meddled with by the local Ministry, despite all fights the Headmistress or Headmaster put up against the invasion. This meddling will stop. Now."
"These are the main things we are here to discuss today," Harry said, squeezing Hermione's hand gently. "There is also one more thing we must discuss, something which is very near and dear to British hearts."
"Voldemort," the two said together, smiling when half the room jumped and the other half twitched nervously in their seats. After weeks of rehearsal, Ron managed to suppress his instinctual twitch at the name and simply smiled calmly as he saw the faint look of panic on Malfoy's face.
A murmur suddenly started in one corner of the room and the two turned to it. "Lords? Is there something the matter?" Hermione inquired softly of the disturbance.
The Lord who had started the ruckus stood, brown eyes gleaming angrily. "The belief that You-Know-Who is back was proven to be a lie spread by Dumbledore and Potter, to put us all into a panic."
Hermione and Harry traded looks, even as Sirius stood up on the other side of the room and called, "Are you calling my godson a liar?"
Next to Sirius, Ron groaned and tugged on Sirius' robes. "Sirius, sit," he ordered, as surprise spread across the room at the convicted Lord's presence.
"Godson?" the other Lord snorted. "Everyone knows you're just out to kill the boy."
"That is enough." Harry demanded, silencing both Sirius and the other Lord with a flick of his holly wand. "Let me end this argument now, gentlemen, and please keep in mind that you cannot speak something you know to be a lie in this chamber while this court is in session." Harry took a deep breath, then said, "I have seen Voldemort, alive, with my own eyes. Recently. Yes, he's back. Yes, Potter and Dumbledore are telling the truth."
The room broke out in shouts and sounds of people panicking. Ron sighed and tugged Sirius back down into his seat. "I did warn you," he commented to the Lord of Black as the man scowled and wordlessly freed himself from the spell.
Sirius huffed. "They're acting like a bunch of children."
Ron smiled and eyed Hermione, who was starting to look like she'd blow at any moment. Next to her, Harry looked resigned. The three friends had studied all of the spells on this chamber and Ron knew that, once Hermione had enough, she would put everyone in their places. Forcefully.
Finally, Hermione yelled, "That is enough!" and everyone who'd been up and arguing were thrown back into their chairs and found their mouths gone. Everyone turned to where Hermione stood apart from Harry, hands on her hips and looking more like the Gryffindor Prefect she was at school than the queen of the wizarding world. "Honestly," she huffed into the silence, "you're all behaving like a bunch of children."
Ron hid a smile behind one hand. That was their Hermione.
"I daresay that the Hogwarts students handled the news better than you just did," Harry commented drily, stepping forward, next to Hermione. "Now, are you all ready to face the music, as it were, like mature adults? Or do we all need to go back to the nursery?"
Slowly, the tension in the air calmed and, as the Lords regained their equilibrium, their mouths returned. Once sure that the room was calm again, Harry and Hermione traded looks, then set about discussing everything they felt needed to be covered, and making sure everyone would do their part to soothe the transfer over, starting with the two major points they had started the meeting with.
Ron and Sirius got back late that night, both tired from the long talks. When they walked into the kitchen, they found the entire Weasley family and Remus Lupin, plus a brightly smiling Harry and Hermione, both of whom looked perfectly refreshed. Ron blinked at them, disbelieving, even as he walked over and sat down between his two friends. Ron didn't get the chance to ask why Harry and Hermione had been back before him and looking so well until after dinner, as the meal was spent discussing the meeting, in spite of Molly's complaints about letting the six non-Order members in on the discussion. (Sirius helpfully pointed out that Ron, one of said non-members, had been at the meeting.)
When they finally made their way up the stairs to bed, Ron grabbed Hermione's arm before she could go into the room she and Ginny shared. "Hey, Hermione, can we borrow you for a moment? Sorry, Ginny."
Hermione nodded and Ginny shrugged, so the elder girl continued down the hall to the boys' room and they all sat on the beds once the door was shut. "What's up, Ron?" Hermione asked, brown eyes dancing.
"You know what's up," Ron shot back, crossing his arms over his chest.
"We made a stop by Gringotts before the meeting," Harry answered. "The goblins gave Hermione the family crown and a time-turner. No one was the wiser about our disappearance."
"Good thing, too," Hermione agreed, scowling. "The Twins wouldn't leave us alone. They seemed to think we were up to something."
"We are up to something," Ron pointed out cheerfully. "Alright, I suppose I'm okay for now. We'll see you in the morning, Hermione."
Hermione smiled and gave both boys hugs before heading back for her own room.
Once both Ron and Harry were ready for bed and the lights were out, Ron asked, "What's it like, standing up there and being important?"
"Absolutely dreadful," Harry replied softly. "As bad as facing a dragon down for a fake egg. Or having to jump into a giant lake to get something that was taken from you and thinking your two best friends might have abandoned you in your time of need."
Ron swallowed and closed his eyes to the darkness. "I'm sorry."
Harry smiled sadly. "So am I."
There was a long silence and Harry was almost asleep when Ron's voice said, "You know I'll never abandon you again, right? Not you. And not Hermione."
Harry's lips curled with a true smile. "Thanks, Ron."
Umbridge did not go without a fight. In fact she fought so long, and so hard, that when the Christmas Hols were over, she was still there, fighting to keep her control in the school. Harry, Hermione and Ron traded disgusted looks over the table at dinner and, that night, met up in the common room after everyone else had gone to bed.
"We have to do something," Hermione hissed, punching the Ministry-regulated book for Defence. "She's going to make us all fail."
"Hermione, they can't fail you," Ron said with a hint of a smile, hoping to lighten the mood.
Harry tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps it's time for Her Majesty to make a public appearance?"
"I'm going to be stuck on the side-lines again, aren't I?" Ron grumbled good-naturedly.
Harry's smile was almost terrifying. "Not a chance."
The three huddled together and quickly sketched out a plan for the next morning at breakfast.
The Golden Trio were calmly eating their breakfast with a few of their year mates when the doors of the Great Hall slammed open and three imposing people stepped in, completely silencing the entire room.
Queen Perdita led the way in pale blue battle robes and with the silver crown resting above her hair, which had been pulled tightly back so it was out of her way, in case a fight broke out. On her right was Lord Kaizer, who wore tight black battle robes and had tied his own hair back in much the same fashion as the Queen. On the Queen's left stood a man none of them had ever seen before. The man had short-cropped red hair and deep black eyes. He wore battle robes in white and wore a sword at his side.
Both men eyed the crowds of students coldly as they followed the Queen up to the dais, where Dumbledore and a number of the staff were standing to bow. Many of the students had also gotten up from their seats to bow as the Queen passed, including the trio, who didn't miss the irony of bowing to themselves.
As the procession reached the head table, Dumbledore straightened and asked, "To what do we owe this pleasure, Your Majesty?"
Hermione smiled faintly at the Headmaster. "I asked that the Ministry remove their claws from your school, Headmaster, and it seems they haven't." She glanced over at where Umbridge was furiously glaring at her. She hadn't bowed. "What do you have to say for your actions, Dolores Umbridge?"
"The Ministry has no reason to listen to someone who calls themselves a 'queen'. The royal family died off centuries ago, girl. Everyone knows that," Umbridge spat.
Hermione just continued to smile while, next to her, Ron pulled out a scroll and recited, " 'In accordance with the last Will and Testament of King Arthur the Sixth, Head of the Royal Family of the Wizarding World, all Ministries will bow to the Will of the continuation of the Royal Family when it reappears. The Royal Family will be the only one able to take from the vault held by the goblins one Crown, gold or silver, and wear it upon their head without death. This Crown will have the Royal Crest burned into the brim, over the mark of the Royal Metal Smith.' Your Majesty, if you would?"
Hermione took off the crown and pointed to the royal crest, which was burned into the brim over a jewelled anvil.
"This statement," Ron continued, "comes from your own vaults in the Department of Mysteries, lent to Her Majesty by the Head of the Department in the hopes of expediting your removal from Hogwarts. It has been signed by all of the Ministries around Europe, and each Ministry has a copy. It has spells on it to keep it from ever being destroyed by muggle or magical means, and to keep it from being changed."
Hermione set her crown back on her head. "If you would please pack your bags, Madam Umbridge?"
Umbridge smiled smugly. "If I leave, who will teach Defence Against the Dark Arts?" she asked. "The entire reason the Minister sent me was because Dumbledore couldn't find anyone for the position."
"I believe, Madam," Harry broke in sharply, "that finding an applicant to fill any teacher's position has always fallen to the Head of Hogwarts, and does not fall into the Ministry's jurisdiction, unless the Head requests their assistance. If such a development occurs, the Ministry should send in someone competent in teaching the required subject, such as an auror. You, Madam, barely managed an Acceptable on your OWLs in Defence, and failed your NEWTs."
The hall filled with whispers at this announcement, and Umbridge turned a lovely shade of puce.
"If the Headmaster feels himself unable to find a replacement for you, Madam Umbridge, and wishes to ask the Ministry for their assistance in supplying an auror or someone equally qualified for the position, there will be ground rules placed down. Headmaster?" Hermione continued, despite the noise from the students.
Dumbledore's eyes were dancing in amusement. "Please, Your Majesty, what rules would you suggest?"
Hermione glanced over at Ron, who pulled out a small piece of parchment and handed it over. "The replacement will agree to not have any contact with the Ministry between the time they enter the school and when the year is over. The replacement's family will agree to the same. Also, the Headmaster has the power to deny anyone the Ministry suggests."
"One last thing," Harry said suddenly, then spun and sent a blasting curse at the wall of Ministry Decrees, carefully controlling the power so he didn't damage the building. As he turned back around, he smirked at the horrified Umbridge. "Those are no longer required."
"And they're ugly," Ron agreed. He and Harry shared smiles behind Hermione's back.
Hermione ignored them. "Do these meet your approval, Headmaster?"
"I believe they do, Your Majesty," Dumbledore agreed.
Hermione nodded, then turned to Umbridge. "Madam Umbridge, you have twelve hours to vacate the premises. If you have not vacated by then, we will return and you will be removed by force. Am I understood?"
Umbridge swallowed. "Rather."
"Then we will take our leave–"
"Actually, if I might impose some tea upon you in my office, Your Majesty?" Dumbledore hurriedly requested.
Ron and Harry traded sharp looks behind Hermione, then Harry stepped forward and met Hermione's gaze. "It is permissible," he finally said, turning back to the Headmaster. Next to him, Hermione smiled and handed the parchment back to Ron, who put it and the scroll in a bottomless pouch at his waist for safekeeping.
The three guests followed the Headmaster from the room, leaving behind a cacophony of voices.
Once in the office, Dumbledore supplied the three with tea, then looked at them over his glasses. "Professor Snape mentioned to me over the holiday that an interesting family crest came out of one Harry Potter's cauldron near the beginning of the term."
Harry grinned over his cup of tea. "Cheers, Professor."
Dumbledore smiled at the other two silent occupants, both of whom were smiling expectantly. "Miss Granger and Mr Weasley, I presume?"
"Indeed," Hermione agreed, while Ron reached forward and snatched a biscuit off the tray on the Headmaster's desk.
The Headmaster's smile faded. "Then, Miss Granger, you truly are of the royal line?"
Hermione set down her tea. "From the journals in my family vaults, as well as Harry's, we have deduced that a Seer warned the royal family of their impending doom almost three years before it occurred. Rather than run and hide, the Kaizer family staged the death of their youngest son, Georef, and sent him off with Princess Jessica's newborn daughter, who was said to have been miscarried, to hide in the muggle world. They disappeared rather effectively, and since no one knew they were still alive, the two were able to raise families, which were told to keep marrying into the muggle world for a few centuries."
"From what we learned, with the goblins' help," Harry continued, "the continuous addition of non-magical blood eventually buried the magical blood, making it a sort of recessive gene, as it were. My mother was the first true rebirth of the Kaizer family into the magical world, but she never knew; it wasn't something she would have thought to check for."
"No, I don't suppose it would have been," Dumbledore agreed faintly. "How were you three also seated at your House table? And your appearances?"
"When we went to pick up my family crown," Hermione said, "the goblins foresaw our difficulty in trying to be two different sets of people and gave me a time turner. As to our appearances? Aging potions and some hair and eye colouring potions. Harry used a spell I found in one of my roommates' magazines to lengthen his hair. And I don't know what he did to hide his scar." Harry grinned knowingly while Hermione shot him a disgusted look.
Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "And the scroll?"
"Ron's idea," Harry answered, smiling at where his best friend was shoving biscuits into his mouth; they'd all been a bit too nervous to eat breakfast that morning. "He got Hermione to write a letter to the Head of the Department late last night, while we were still in the middle of figuring everything out for today. We got the scroll early this morning, not long after going to sleep, actually." He grimaced.
Dumbledore chuckled. "It was a masterful performance. Do you truly intend to come back if Dolores doesn't leave?"
"Yes," all three chorused coldly.
"And I will use force to remove her," Harry added, clenching his right hand so tightly that the pale writing faded into the back of it. Ron and Hermione nodded, grim-faced.
Dumbledore sighed. "Now, Harry–"
"I looked up the laws about a certain Dark artefact she has in her possession, sir," Harry cut in, "and if she were to be reported to a non-corrupt Ministry for having it, she would be sentenced to Azkaban for ten years. If it was discovered that she was using it on children, she would be given the Kiss. No questions asked."
Dumbledore blinked, confused and a little horrified. "Dark artefact?"
"A blood quill, sir," Hermione said softly. "She's been having students use it during their detentions."
Dumbledore closed his eyes, looking ancient. "No..."
"And if she isn't rid of it by the time we're out of school, she will be getting the Kiss," Hermione added.
"I don't understand why you're giving her the chance to get rid of it," Harry muttered, crossing his arms over his chest like a petulant child.
"Because the royal family has always been fair," Ron said around a biscuit. "Come on, mate, we've discussed this before."
Harry slouched even more in his chair and scowled.
Dumbledore smiled tiredly at the children. "Why wasn't I or another member of the staff made aware of this artefact?"
"What could you have done about it, sir?" Ron replied.
Dumbledore bowed his head against the truth of that question.
The office was silent for a long moment.
Dumbledore finally looked back up and inquired, "Harry, my boy, I notice you're not wearing the three rings you were said to have worn during the meeting on Christmas Eve."
Harry glanced up quickly, knocking his head on the soft back of the chair he was sitting in. "Oh, yeah. I figured that, since we'd be so close to people, it was best to not wear them. They might be recognized."
Dumbledore blinked. "I was under the impression that only of age wizards were allowed to wear their family rings, unless it's for something like that meeting."
Harry sighed and sat up fully. "Sir, my ancestors said that, were I not in the care of a guardian that would or could care for all my needs, I was to be emancipated. When the goblin asked, I had to tell him that my relatives don't take proper care of me."
Dumbledore closed his eyes again and looked so terribly old that Harry rose to his feet, concerned. "Professor!"
Dumbledore opened his eyes and smiled sadly. "I'm so sorry, my dear boy."
Harry shook his head. "You didn't know. I mean, they gave me food and made sure I had clothing and a place to sleep, but they did it to the barest minimum possible, and that's not proper care, no matter what time period you're in, so I don't think my ancestor would have accepted it. But, I survived, didn't I?"
Dumbledore's smile was a little less sad at that. "I suppose you did, yes. What do you intend to do with your new-found freedom, then?"
"Get rid of Umbridge, sir. I thought we'd already been over that," Harry replied, teasingly, as he sat back down in his seat with relief.
Dumbledore nodded, the twinkle back in his eyes. "Of course. But, after you've kicked her out, what do you intend to do?"
The three teens-turned-adults leaned forwards with bright eyes. The four spent another hour discussing plans for the future, before the students finally left to remove their disguises and go back in time to attend class.
Unsurprisingly, Umbridge was gone by lunch, and the Minister had sent a list of suggestions to Dumbledore of aurors who could replace her. Just in case.
A/N: Goodness! Some of your cried about having to wait three days like it was the end of the world! (Alas, for the days of Abandon, when readers were perfectly willing to wait a week. XD)
Was it fast enough for you, in the end?
~Bats ^.^x
1 - Descendants |||
5 - DoM ||| 6 - America ||| 7 - Playing at Life
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Date: 21/2/10 09:22 (UTC)And I'm sooo happy this is gen. Romance can get in the way of a good plot, and this is awesome so far.
"Alas, for the days of Abandon, when readers were perfectly willing to wait a week." A week? I remember waiting for longer than weeks, my dear. (btw, I reread that not too long ago. It is amazing your progress as a writer over the years.)
luv ya!
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Date: 21/2/10 11:40 (UTC)I dunno. Sometimes, a bit of romance is just what a fic needs. (But I do agree, sometimes the romance just completely screws up a brilliant story. XD)
Well, it was a week in the beginning. I eventually started taking a lot longer to update – one month here, three months there...
(You're telling me. You should see the crap I wrote for the Digimon fandom 8 years ago. Or, no, maybe you shouldn't. Now THAT stuff was crap.)
^.~
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Date: 21/2/10 16:19 (UTC)no subject
Date: 21/2/10 18:19 (UTC)no subject
Date: 21/2/10 18:47 (UTC)Was it fast enough for you, in the end?
Maybe fast enough, you still kept me wanting more you evil evil writer.
Now that I know that Crying is an effective method, I might just cry at you after everything single update to make you post/write faster. XD
What do you mean that I could have done this for Abandon? Now you tell me 5 years later, well better late than never*points to icon* How can you resist Sabastine's wibbles!
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Date: 21/2/10 20:19 (UTC)Also, very nice, subtle way to give Ron some recognition from his family.
... I did get some horribly distracting flash to the Princess Diaries (You know, frizzy haired teen girl finds out she's royalty and has to take etiquette lessons?) For some reason, that hit me right in the middle of the Gringotts scene. Go figure.
love,
cloe
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Date: 21/2/10 21:11 (UTC)no subject
Date: 21/2/10 21:27 (UTC)*snicker, snort* Sebastian's is super cute, but not quite wibbly enough. XD
No, alas. Abandon was more often than not a case of writer's block when I had trouble updating. And, anyway, back then I didn't have the concept of giving you lot new chapters quickly. I liked a schedule. Not to mention, I also didn't quite have the same concept of lots and lots of reviews back then and how very much I love them.no subject
Date: 21/2/10 21:38 (UTC)LOL. I do try.
Oh dear. It's so true. My girlfriend was just watching that film the other day, and though she didn't have the sound on, I kept looking to watch it...
Didn't even think about that. ^.^"
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Date: 21/2/10 22:30 (UTC)Ok, I have to pull out the big guns. Even Ogres can not say no to Puzz in Boots. :D
I remember the schedule, that was nice and like clockwork. Except when you missed the occasionally and it kept me refreshing your page like a crazy lady all day until you updated.Oh noes, we spoiled the authoress with reviews, and now she is going to expect it every single time. It is like the we created family guy's cookie monster...hmmm...I know we can switch your addiction to something else more manageable like cookies so we can get updates faster! :DHey, amazing author here is some yummy virtual chocolate chip cookies for you for doing such a wonderful job! ^_^
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Date: 21/2/10 22:49 (UTC)Ah, Puzz and Boots. Cute, but never quite as cute as my kitten when he's doing something wrong. XD
XD It's a pity I didn't do that on purpose. If I'd known people were going so nuts looking for an update I woulda. XD*snatches cookies* It's not going to work! *stuffs more cookies in mouth*
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Date: 21/2/10 23:06 (UTC)that is why I am telling you this 5 years after the fact. XD You are an evil authoress and I know it all too well*cackles insanely* everything is going according to plan >:)Here are some more yummy virtual cookies for the awesome authoress:
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Date: 21/2/10 23:32 (UTC)Of course I am. I'm a Slytherin.
*hordes and runs for it* IT WON'T WORK!! *noms on cookies*
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Date: 21/2/10 23:49 (UTC)I love it when a plan comes together, because you ain't seen nothing yet >:)Oh Amazing authoress I am not worthy, have some more of my humble offerings:
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Date: 22/2/10 15:03 (UTC)