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Vox Corporis: Rebirth	By : egb67 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Harry/Hermione Views: 43015 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Vox
Corporis: Rebirth

Chapter 91

�Ents and Promises�

Original story by -> Miss_AnnThropic

fanfiction (d*t) portkey (d*t) org/story/6586/1

Email:� miss_annthropic� y*hoo (d*t) com

by the_scribbler

The_scribbler (at) shadowgard (d*t) com

Pursuant to the Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988 and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, this work is
copyrighted 2007 with all rights expressly reserved by its author unless
explicitly granted. No portion may be reproduced in any fashion without the express
written and notarized permission of the author.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry
Potter characters. All characters are creations of Joanne K Rowling, � 2007, to
whom I am deeply indebted. I make no money from any of this.

CONTENT Disclaimer: This
story may contain sexually graphic and explicit material and as such, it is not
suitable for minors. If you are a minor, please leave now, as it is illegal for
you to be here. If it is illegal for you to read or view sexually explicit
material in the community you view such material, please leave now. This story
and characters are purely fictional and any resemblance to events or persons
(living or dead) is purely coincidental.�
These stories are just that, stories, and the author does not promote or
condone the activities described herein

In Gratia: The original story was created so beautifully and so
powerfully by MissAnnThropic.�
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to her for her kindness in letting me
�play in her sandbox�. I have used direct quotes from her story, chapter 58, in
this chapter.� Fanfiction (d*t) portkey(d*t)org/story/6586/58

Note
One: To those of you who reviewed my
last chapter � THANK YOU! I was really flattered by your support and the
encouragement you have all given me.

Note Two: the terms �Ent� is
property of Allen & Unwin
Publishers, Inc. of London,
England, and of the J.R.R. Tolkien Estate. Their uses here are covered by the Fair Use Doctrine of the Copyright Act of 1976 - 17 U.S.C. �� 101-810 and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act - 17 U.S.C. �� 512 (Amended).

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From Chapter 90 -
�Molly�

�.Neville nodded,
not quite understanding what had just happened, but trusting the Headmaster to
his word. Harry turned and handed Hermione to Ron, who carefully, and with a
great deal of love for his best friend, held her gently and affectionately in
his arms. Harry, free for the moment, of the responsibility of carrying his
beloved, walked over to where the Headmaster stood.

Harry looked at
him and nodded. �Together, then?�

�Together�, Albus
replied, and with that, the two wizards focused their will on the (now) muggle
woman before them and spoke the terrible curse that only they knew and only
they could perform. �Mortuis�

Rita Skeeter began
to bleed from every orifice, even as she began to scream silently once more and
then never again.

The Aurors and
Hit-wizards who were on the other side of the fence, not thirty meters away,
never heard or saw a thing.

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Friday,
December 18, 1998 � Stonehenge � two miles west of Amesbury, Wiltshire, England

Under the black cover of the new moon, a small
procession made its way up the long path that led to the ancient stone
temple.� Each person wore simple white
shifts over white under-garments, covered by heavy, finely-wrought wool black
cloaks in order to ward against the chill that had seized the night air and to
prevent them from being seen.� The two
biers, each with its six attendants, travelled in silence � save for the
occasional scuffing of a boots� heel on the often-trod pathway.

At the head of the processional was a young boy,
carrying an incense-burner at the end of a short rope. As he gently swung it
back and forth in front of him, it filled the night air with the lingering
smell of Copal.� Behind him the fourteen draoidhean, who were marked by their long walking-staves, traditional pony-tails,
and the silver pentagrams that dangled from leather necklaces, formed seven
solemn and silent pairs. Next in line were Neville Longbottom and his fianc�e
Ginny Weasley, holding hands and walking side-by-side.

Behind them were the gift-bearers followed � in this
case, Astoria Greengrass and Gabrielle
Delacour � carrying the two priceless
crystal vases on black velvet cushions.

Harry and Hermione were next, walking quietly and
conversing silently, as they always did when they didn�t want to disturb a
situation. Immediately behind them, Ron and Luna followed. Each was carrying a
long, black silk robe, folded carefully. They were brought in the event that
the ritual was successful and Neville�s parents were restored.

A half-dozen of Hogwarts� best-known and best-loved
teachers followed their students, with Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall
leading the contingent.�

It took another twelve or more minutes for the entire
process to make its way in between the magically-lit, massive stone monoliths.
The biers themselves were brought to the middle of the formation and set down
on enormous, table-like, side-by-side slabs of stone that had magically
appeared.

The draoidhean formed a half-circle
behind the two stone tables and with one practiced move, drew back their cowls.
At the appointed moment, Neville Longbottom stepped forward alone. He could
feel, as if it were a phyiscal thing, the attention that was on him.� The Arch-Druid looked at him and spoke
quietly, but confidently. �My son, we have brought your parents here tonight
and we note that an amazing gift has been gathered for them. I must ask you
what your wish is for your parents.�

Looking
to his left and then to his right, Neville gathered all of his considerable
emotional strength and then said, �My lord Druid, I ask for Fal Tor Pan, the re-fusion�.

The
tall, handsome druid looked at the young man in front of him and considered the
request. �My son, what you have asked for has not been done in centuries. Are
you sure that this is what your parents would have wanted?�

Neville
found his fiancee�s hand suddenly warm in his; as if she was trying to give him
the strength to carry through with his request. �Yes, my Lord. I am certain. I
ask for Fal Tor Pan.� There was a
murmur of agreement with his request that ran around the circle that made the
Arch-Druid pause.

�What
you ask for is...difficult� he said slowly.

The air
around Neville began to pop and crackle with energy as his magical corona
became visible for the very first time. Ginny could tell that he was very, very
emotional and was not entirely sure what was going to happen next. �Do it anyway� he replied, his hand
moving to his wand.

Behind
him and to his right, Albus Dumbledore looked at his young charge with
something akin to astonishment. He wondered, for the very first time, whether
Harry had truly been the only one who
could have taken down Riddle. Watching the miniature lightning-bolts flash and
crack all around the young lord made him think that perhaps Riddle would never
have ever had a chance, no matter which of the two he had �marked as his
equal�.

For his
part, the Arch-Druid saw the implicit threat and realized that he did not, in
fact, have any choice but to do his best and carry out the request.

Lifting
his hands in suplication, he said �Peace, young lion. Your will will be done
tonight. Bring forth the gifts of magic.�

The two
young, beautiful girls moved forward, side-stepping Neville, and placed the two
jars, each by its intended recipient.

The
Arch-Druid looked at the two Goblin-wrought, crystal jars and then looked at
Neville. �And what is your gift, young lord? What do you bring that is equal
measure for the magic that you have asked of us?�

Neville
smiled. It was the question for which he was the most ready. Turning, he
reached back to his headmaster and extended his palm. Albus drew out the small,
golden orb which he had born close to his body since early morning.

�Thank you, grandfather� Neville said,
his voice almost breaking with emotion.

�You deserve it, son� Albus said, in a
low, equally emotional voice.

The
last scion of House Longbottom turned and brought the orb to where the
Arch-Druid stood. Lifting it up, he said �Here, take this, and rebuild your
forests.�

�What
have you brought me, that you think is so powerful and deserving of our help?�

�My
lord Druid, tonight I have brought you live Ent-Root,
so that you may rebuild your forests and protect all that is living and green.�

The
Arch-Druid almost dropped the precious-beyond-words gift in his astonishment. �Where?.....�

Shaking
his head, Neville cut off the incipient question. �We all have our secrets, my
lord Druid. Ask not, that you are not disappointed.�

Bowing
his head in supplication and in thankful prayer, the Arch-Druid drew back and
passed the mighty gift off to a pair of waiting, careful hands. Ent-root was magical and precious in the
extreme, because it gave the possessor power to grow new Ents � the powerful, mobile, sentient, long-lived tree-guardians of
the forest. No source of Ent-root had
been found by the draoidhean in almost a thousand years � making it as rare as
the Elixir of Life.

�You shall have your ritual this night, young
lord, and I pray to our gods that my hands are faithful and strong for the work
that lies ahead. For what you have brought us, you deserve no less.�

Harry
and Hermione watched Neville�s face break into joyful tears as the Arch-druid
and the rest of the draoidhean gathered close to the still-breathing, living
bodies which they were going to attempt to re-fill and thereby restore with
magic both given and taken and with their own magic. They knew that the ritual
might strech into the early hours of the dawn, but neither cared. Being present
at a miracle was more than enough reason to brave the chills of the night.

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Seven
hours later, as the rays of the sun were striking the tops of each of the
monliths that surrounded them, Harry and Hermione finally witnessed a miracle.
Neville Longbottom was embracing the strong, loving arms of his parents as they
stood fully restored, on either side of him. The draoidhean had departed
silently, literally melting into the grass all around the ancient stone temple
and disappearing, leaving only those who had come from Hogwarts to support and
protect Neville and his beloved. No one, it seemed, was safe from the happy
tears a family reunited could bring. Not even Albus Dumbledore.

Harry
and Hermione waited for a time, after which they gave both Neville and Ginny
loving hugs and acknowledged how grateful they were for having had the chance
to be present for the ritual. Quietly then, they walked to a place that was out
of view of the rest of the Hogwarts contingent, held hands, and then, in an
instant, faded into nothingness.

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Sundown,� Monday, December 21, 1998 � On top of the
north tower

Luna Marie Lovegood smiled as she looked out over the
western mountains, towards the sea. While the air was cold and brisk, her
insides were warm and humming with excitement. Absentmindedly, she played with
the end of her French-braided hair.� Gone
was the rich, yellow hair that she had grown up with. It had been replaced by
hair that was a deep, coppery red; a sign that her bond with the youngest male
Weasley was almost complete. Knowing that she was all alone on the tower, she
slid a petite hand down into her knickers and rubbed her sex slowly and
sensually for several minutes; thinking about the fact that she would soon be
pregnant with her first-born child. It meant a great deal to the young girl
that she would be the one to help Ron achieve his destiny.

Of course, Luna wasn�t alone in her feelings. Ginny
Weasley was at the same moment, near the edge of the Forbidden forest,
practicing flying; soaring above her promised loves� head and warbling to him
in phoenix-song as she did.

Harry knew were everyone was. He always did, but he
had the common sense and decency to leave well enough alone, unless one of his
charges was in immediate danger. Hermione did too, because of her link with her
beloved, but she chose not to do anything unless there was a problem.

Because it wasn�t yet time for dinner, and classes
were over for the afternoon, Hermione had retreated to the third floor of the
library and to one of its quiet study-tables so that she could compose a letter
to her parents.

�December 21, 1998

�� Dearest Mom and
Dad:

�� I
know that it�s been a while since I last wrote to you and for that I am sorry.
There has been so much going on that it�s hard sometimes to keep it all
straight or to remember what I�ve told to whom.

I guess I�ll begin with everything that happened with
Grandmother.� I know I told you she was
sick and that she was feeling guilty about what had happened between her and
Grandfather. Well, that guilt finally got to her. In the middle of last month,
Grandmother underwent the Sanguine Veneficus ritual.� She gave up her magic as a sacrifice in order
to deal with the guilt she felt (which was slowly killing her). Harry and I
helped perform the ritual, which was the hardest thing I�ve ever done.

Mom, I can already hear you asking Dad why she did it or
what�s going to happen to her now. I can tell you that once she was stripped of
her magic, her memories of magic and everything associated with it were taken
as well. I do not know where she is now or what she is doing, but I know that I
will never see her again � because she will not remember me and because trying
to find her would violate the Statute of Secrecy�which is something that I have
to take seriously. Don�t worry about me on this though. I made my peace with
Grandmother before she underwent the ritual. Harry made sure that I did and
that I told her everything that I felt about her. She went into the ritual
knowing that I loved her and that even though she and I had a short time
together, she was important to me and I was grateful to have known her. I know
that Rowena Granger � witch, mother, daughter, Auror, and professor � were all
proud of me and what I�ve done. I wish we had had more time�but I know that
something was better than nothing. I have all the memories that she left with
me and someday, I will find a way to show them to you, too. That I promise.

One thing that Harry just reminded me to tell you is that
Grandmother�s magic was used to help restore Neville Longbottom�s father,
Frank, to health. Both Frank and his wife Alice had been tortured into insanity
by Bellatrix Lestrange during the first war against Voldemort in the 1970�s.
Grandmother�s magic was the necessary ingredient the other night, under the new
moon, for the ritual that was done for him and Alice at Stonehenge. Yes, the
rumors are true. Stonehenge is, in fact, still used for real magic. We just do our
damndest to hide it from the Muggle world.

I would not have believed it if I hadn�t seen it with my
own eyes. The most senior Druids (and yes, there are still Druids just like the
ancient stories) in the country gathered to channel Grandmother�s magic back
into Frank, just like they did with the magic that the Headmaster took from a
woman he defeated in single combat. When it was over early the next morning,
Harry and I watched Frank and Neville Longbottom stand and hug their son �
something they hadn�t done in more than fifteen years. It was really amazing.
If Frank and Alice had been in a non-magical hospital, they would have been
written off as �unrecoverable�. That�s one thing that makes magic much more
powerful�.or at least wildly different from Muggle science.

I should also tell you that two of our best friends, Ron
Weasley and Luna Lovegood, are getting married on New Year�s Eve too. They were
supposed to get married right after the big feast in November, but that went
all pear-shaped when the business with Molly Weasley happened. Anyway, there�s
a prophecy about Ron just like there was about Harry�and the really funny thing
is that Ron not only has to get married, but he has to father a child before
the clock strikes midnight. Talk about pressure!!! Fortunately, there are a
number of fertility potions that can (and WILL) be used to �help them along�.
Ron has totally changed the way he looked at Harry because of it. It used to be
that Ron was really jealous of the fact that Harry got all the attention and
had all the money, got the girl (me!), etc. Now, because of the prophecy that
was revealed about him, Ron�s figured out that having a prophecy made about you
is not fun and means a great many more complications in ones� life.� Here�s what the prophecy says. Tell me if you
can make any sense of it. I�m not sure that I can:

�Darkest clouds of evil pursue; the House of
the flame-haired folk weakens and falls. For the family to survive, obscurity
demanded. Years of doubt and turmoil prevail. Fortunes lost. Seven
pillars of flame, each ready to do his duty; seven women, loyal to the last.
Six pillars burn and fall.

Only the Ghost survives.

Seventeen turns shall pass.� The youngest son; shadowed and shamed for so
long� last son of the Ghost� shall rise and bring glory to his family�s name;

Burdened by the guilt of battles missed, the
youngest must prove his line or else the line shall die and the next dark lord
shall rise. The youngest son must walk with the moon or all shall perish.�

We think � and by
�we�, I mean Harry, the Headmaster, the Headmistress-designate (Prof.
McGonagall), and a few others � that �the ghost� may refer to Mr. Weasley (whom
you�ve both met). We can�t prove, but have reason to believe, that he may have
been an Unspeakable (a very, very secret agent within the wizarding
government) when he was young. We also believe that the line about �prove his
line� means that he has to conceive a child with his wife, Luna. That�s a bit
iffy, actually, but it�s one interpretation. Ron�s anxious over that, but Harry
and I have privately promised to them that we will do everything we can to help
the two of them when the baby is born and that they shouldn�t worry about money
- ever. Ron doesn�t know just how much Harry has, but I�ve assured him that
it�s more than enough to take care of all of the �start-up� costs for a family.

Dumbledore said that
there�s quite a bit missing from the prophecy � which is a huge problem � but
Ron�s strong and I know that he�ll do what he can to be worthy. Luna is already
stronger than most everyone has ever given her credit for being, so between the
two of them, I think they�ll be fine.�

OH! I should tell you
that Ron and Luna both completed their animagus transformations. Ron�s can
become a NIGHTMARE � which is a huge, coal-black horse with re-curved horns,
massive wings, and the ability to travel at the speed of thought. They�re
called Nightmare�s because they are often the harbingers of things that only
come at night. Do you remember the story � �The Lord of the Rings�? Well �
Tolkien must have been a squib (Remember what I told you? A squib is someone
who�s magic-sensitive, but can�t use a wand). Anyway, the horses that the Nazg�l rode were patterned
after the creature that Ron can become. As for Luna � she can become a Queen
Unicorn � which means she is about � bigger than a typical Unicorn (they get to
be about 16 hands high). She has a single, glowing-white horn and she has the most
amazing white wings!!! She and Ron can fly together whenever they want. I
watched them the first time they transformed and it was so cool! Ron even let
me ride on his back (in human form�.I don�t think he�d be so happy about having
Sagehunter riding on his back!).

Some of the others who
also became animagi have really funny forms. One boy in our year, Ernie
McMillan, became a Red Kangaroo, which Harry thought fit him perfectly �
because it�s a totally brainless animal � and well�let�s just say it�s not too
far off the mark. Another, Seamus Finnegan, became an Irish Setter.� Some though....pretty amazing. One of our
other friends, a girl, became a huge antelope, called a �greater kudu� (from
India, apparently) and another became a European red fox. Some I�m not supposed
to talk about though, because they�re magical forms that are really, really
rare and the Headmaster (and I support him in this) has said quietly that there
are some things that just should remain secret � both to protect the individual
and so that in the event that surprise is ever needed, we�ll still have it on
OUR side.� I wish our forms (Harry�s and
mine) were still secret�.but there�s nothing I can do about that now.�

I am glad that you and
Dad were able to get the time off for our wedding. I wasn�t sure whether or not
you�d want to come, but I�m glad that you do. I should remind you that it will
be a magical wedding, with all that implies. I�ve enclosed a booklet that Lily
Potter (Harry�s mother) wrote when she was a seventh-year student here. It will
explain a lot of you�re going to see � though probably not everything. I�ll do
what I can to make sure that there will be people around you who can explain
things that you don�t know about.

There�s more to tell,
but I�m running out of time before dinner and want to get Hedwig winging her
way to you before a storm hits here.

I love you and I miss
you both. It will be wonderful to see you both Christmas Eve.

Love,

Hermione

PS = Mom, if you want
a new dress for the wedding, take the feather that is enclosed and hold it up
and say the words, �Dress me!�. It will be a two-way portkey that will take you
to our new favorite magical dress-shop in Kensington. Harry established an
unlimited line of credit for us there and all you have to do his give them a
small drop of your blood to prove your identity. If you have ANY problems at
all, remind them that your daughter wears MORGANA�S STAR.� That should get them past any issues of
�superiority� that they might have (though I don�t expect any). Have fun!!!

P.P.S � FEED HEDWIG
WITH THE BACON!! She�s an impatient piggy-wig, but she�ll do almost anything
for bacon! DAD � DON�T TOUCH!

Hermione looked down at the three pages she had
written and decided that it was enough. With the booklet enclosed, it would be
a heavy enough package for Hedwig. Taking them in hand, she did a quick
three-part fold and then magically sealed them, so that only her mother could
open it. It was a neat little charm that she had invented for sending materials
securely to �c-mugs� or card-carrying Muggles (those Muggles who were allowed
to know about magic and to use charmed items that were given to them by magical
members of their families or magical friends).

�Hedwig?� Hermione called silently.

Sooner than she could have believed, the gorgeous
white owl flew to her arm, from where, she didn�t know. �Hi girl. Didn�t expect to see you so fast.�

Hedwig clicked her bill softly and then walked up
Hermione�s arm to a point near its crook, so that she could rub her head
against her mistress. Rubbing the back of Hedwig�s head softly, Hermione coo�ed
and said, �You�re the very best girl,
aren�t you? You know we love you, don�t you?�

It was amazing to Hermione that an owl could be so
communicative, but she was far from minding it. She stroked two fingers down
the adoring familiar�s chest before saying, �Will you take a letter to my parents for me, please?�

Hermione smiled when she felt a sudden craving for
bacon. It was Hedwig�s favorite food, irrespective of the fact that it wasn�t
particularly good for her.

Laughing, Hermione said, �Ok, ok. I�ll get you some
bacon!� Her acquiescence made the beautiful owl bob her head several times in
what truly appeared to be happy anticipation.

�Dobby!�

�Yes, Mistress?� Dobby said, appearing out of nowhere.

Hermione�s hands flew to her chest, sending Hedwig
winging away from her in a panic, as she all but jumped out of her skin, or at
least several feet to the left of where she had just been sitting.

�Oh my God, Dobby! You scared the hell out of me! You were totally
silent when you popped in!�

Hedwig, for her part, was flying around Hermione�s
head in tight circles, barking at Dobby for having scared her mistress.

Dobby started to move to a place where he could whack
his head against the table when Hermione�s hand shot out and caught him. �NO!
You will not punish yourself for being so silent, Dobby! You should be PROUD
that you are able to do it! You did absolutely NOTHING wrong!�

The elf looked up with a grateful expression. Even
after several years, he still had to fight against all of the bad habits that
had been literally beaten into him by his long service to the Malfoys. �I thanks Mistress �Mione. Dobby was too long with bad
wizards.�

Hermione reached out and softly stroked his ears.
�It�s all right, Dobby. I know the Malfoys hurt you and made you punish
yourself. But that will never happen here, ok?�

Dobby�s eyes were downcast for a moment before he
looked up again with clear eyes. �What can Dobby be doing for Mistress �Mione?�

�Bacon. I need bacon for this piggy-wig here.� She pointed
upwards towards Hedwig, who had landed on one of the unlit wall sconces. �She
won�t deliver my letter to my parents until she gets bacon. It�s blackmail, I
tell you!�

Before she could even say �please�, Dobby was gone and then back with a plateful of crispy,
golden-brown bacon. �We saved some, Mistress, from this mornings� breakfast.
Master�s familiar is not the only one that likes our cooking!�

�Thank you Dobby! That�s wonderful! There�s enough
here that I can send some along with the letter and she can eat it when she
delivers the letter!�

�Is there anything else I can be doing for Mistress
�Mione?�

Hermione kissed two fingers and then placed them
lovingly on his head. �No, my elfish friend. Go find
your lady-love and be with her, ok?�

If elves could blush, Hermione was sure that Dobby
would do it best. He batted his eyes in an expression that almost looked like
shy embarrassment, nodded his head, and then disappeared silently. It left
Hermione to laugh at her friends� ways, before she got down to the serious
business of feeding her hungry, winged mail-carrier before she sent her on her
way south.

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Tuesday, December
21, 1998 � early morning - 57
Mill Lane, Nonington-on-Kent, Kent

The first rays of dawn were breaking over the trees
that lined the Granger�s back yard when Miranda Granger heard the tap-tap-tap of a birds� bill on the
kitchen window. Her latest murder-mystery book in one hand, Miranda got up from
her favorite chair near the kitchen�s fireplace and moved to the window. While
she was not expecting any owl-mail, she also knew that there was always a
chance that her daughter might have sent her something and so it wouldn�t do to
ignore a tap-tap-tap.

�Miranda smiled
when she saw that it was indeed her daughter�s owl sitting on the branch
nearest the window. She reached out, undid the clasp, and let the beautiful,
all-white owl into the house.

The bird gave out a soft �pyee-pyee�, shook her wings, and then settled onto the
back of the chair near the fireplace that Miranda had just evacuated.� Walking over, Miranda noticed that Hedwig had
developed some soft, black scalloping on some of the feathers on her lower
back. She knew, because she had looked it up, that all-white female
snowy owls were all but non-existent, as the females needed the barring along
their backs in order to make them more camouflaged and therefore less easily
spotted from the air by other predators when they�re incubating eggs or
guarding their nestlings.

��You�re
such a pretty bird� Miranda said gently as she walked over to a spot next to
the chair. �Now what brings you here this chilly morning?�

Hedwig held up her left leg, allowing Miranda to get a
good look at the message tube that was tied to it. She did a small happy-dance
when she saw it, because it meant that Hermione had sent them a letter and
possibly other things as well. Carefully, she untied the letter and then petted
Hedwig in thanks. �You just stay still. I bet Hermione has sent a treat along
for you, too.�

Tapping the scroll with her finger, she said �I
solemnly swear I am up to no good!� Immediately, the simple scroll became a
more ornate carrying tube, expanded to five times its original size, quivered
for a moment or two, and then lay still. She picked it up, untied the knot that
held the missive closed, and began taking out the contents.�

Enclosed was a letter as well as a long, perfect white
feather. However, far more important than the letter or the magicked feather,
as far as Hedwig was concerned, was that there was a package of still-warm
bacon for her.� Hedwig began bobbing up
and down anxiously and Miranda laughed as she watched Hedwig walk along the
back of the chair to get closer to her treat.

Holding up the letter and then waving it around, she
said �Hedwig, Hermione says you�re an impatient piggy-wig who loves bacon�and
so I suppose I�ll just have to feed
you.�

Clacking her bill several times in mock annoyance,
Hedwig leaned forward, spread her wings for extra balance, and then flew/hopped
to the tables� edge so that she was right next to where the package of warm
bacon lay. Miranda shook her head in exasperation, realizing that she wasn�t
going to get to read the whole letter immediately � or at least not until she
fed the insistent owl. �You know Hedwig, Crookshank was never this demanding.�

Hedwig was not one to put up with gratuitous insults
and she let Miranda know it by nipping her finger just a little harder than
necessary the next time a piece of bacon was put close to her bill.
Fortunately, the message got through loud and clear � which caused Miranda to
keep her choicer comments to herself. When the bacon was all gone, Hedwig shook
herself once all over and then flew out of the room and up to the perch that
was in Hermione�s old bedroom.

As she flew out of the living room, Miranda thought
about her prior belief that birds were essentially stupid. �So much for that� she thought to herself
as she went back to reading the letter.

<><><><><>

A few minutes later, Miranda finished the letter and
held up the single feather that Hermione had sent. She wondered if it were
possible to take the morning off from work and go and get a dress for the
wedding. It wasn�t as though she had much time left or that any time was going
to be more convenient � but she also knew that taking time off also meant
putting a heavier burden on her husband at the office and that was never
something that she took lightly. Setting it aside, she decided to wait until he
had woken and had had his first cup of tea before asking him whether it would
be alright for her to go. In the mean time, Miranda decided to sit and pen her
own letter to Hermione in response; hoping that she could be as loquacious as
her daughter had been.

�{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

South and
east of Gonfirth, Shetland Islands � Tuesday
evening, December 21, 1998

Draco Malfoy sat on a transfigured chair, in front of
a small, hot fire, to ward off the looming darkness. Unsteadily, he held a cup
in his right hand and poured into it the remaining bit of healing draught that
he had procured in Knockturn Alley some weeks before. The half-healed scars
that ran up and down his left arm were causing him almost blinding pain and he
knew that if he didn�t get them healed � and soon � he could die of an
infection.

Bringing the cup up to his lips, he steeled himself
against the awful taste and promised himself that no matter what, he�d swallow
it all down, so as to not waste any of the potions� healing effects.

It was a rough go, but finally, he got down the last
of it and sat back in the chair.� Gone
was his trademark platinum ponytail and gone too was his all-consuming concern
with his looks. There was only one thing on his mind: Kill Harry Potter. It was all he ever thought about any more. His
parents were dead, his fortune gone, his house burned to the ground, and his
status in society reduced to that of wanted criminal.

He looked back at the time he had spent scouting
around Hogwarts almost longingly � because it had been spent in relative
comfort. He had trained with his father�s old animagus/transfiguration teacher
and then had had use of one of the man�s hunting lodges for almost nine months.
It was only after the man had been captured by the Aurors and dragged away,
stunned and bound, that things had begun to go badly for the last remaining
Malfoy. Reduced to living in a dry, cold, dark cave north and west of Hogwarts,
Draco Malfoy had begun to learn about what it meant to be a man and to have no
one to rely on but ones� self. He had also started to learn what all-consuming
hatred was all about and what it could drive one to do.

Draco had several immediate problems that needed to be
dealt with if he was going to have any chance of getting ultimate revenge on
Harry Potter. The first was that he had to find enough food to survive the next
ten days. That was the overriding priority. The second thing was finding
sufficient resources to buy the things that would allow him to complete his
work. That meant either stealing what was necessary from a Muggle or finding
some hapless wizard or witch and forcing him/her to obtain the needed items on
his behalf.� Both paths presented
significant challenges and Draco knew it.�
Muggles, even given their relative weakness against all things magical,
still had some potent defenses. He remembered, angrily, having his wing almost
completely blown off by a hunter while he was in his animagus form when he had
accidentally flown too close to a Muggle-inhabited area during his training period.
The experience had taught him to have a very healthy respect for what Muggles
could do and that he couldn�t take them nearly as lightly has he had in school.

As for taking on a wizard or witch � well, that had
some problems associated with it as well. Picking the wrong wizard or witch
could get him dead or worse, captured. There was a 10,000-galleon bounty on his
head in all parts of the magical world, from the United Magical States of North
America � which stretched from the Muggle country of Mexico all the way up into
Canada � then all the way across to what used to be Tzarist Russia. The bounty
was also in force in most of magical Africa as well � but the �dark� continent
was vast and he was sure that he could escape �justice� there. The only problem
with running, which had crossed his mind as a temptation more than once, was
that it prevented him from seeking his ultimate revenge and revenge was really
the only thing he had to live for any more. The bounty on his head assured him
of that. Being caught meant being executed � either by the veil or by dementor
� and since dead was dead no matter how it happened; he had to continue his
quest carefully and without recklessness. Somehow he knew that he couldn�t face
his father in the afterlife, if there was one, unless he had honestly done
everything he could to destroy Harry Potter.

However driven he was to kill Harry though; he still
had to get passed the immediate problem of having no food. The loss of Dobby
the house-elf was just one more reason to hate Harry Potter. Dobby had taken
care of their daily needs as a family and one of those needs was rich, abundant
food. Without the elf, Draco Malfoy was forced to do both the mundane and dirty
chores which kept a person alive.

Looking down at his bag, he wondered if he had enough
energy to apparate to the outskirts of the town that he had seen when he had
first flown over the island. He knew that where there were Muggles, there were
usually stores that sold food. �Breaking
into such a place shouldn�t be hard� he thought. The slow tightening of his
stomach, combined with the worry that if he didn�t get some food soon, the
healing effects of the potion wouldn�t be as great, Draco made up his mind.
Gathering his meager belongings together, he took out his Nimbus 2001 and mounted it. Since night had fallen, he didn�t worry
about being seen by Muggles and knew that even if he were seen, that it would
be unexplainable to the Muggle authorities.

Mounting his broom, Draco did one last check of his
things; snuffed out the fire, and pushed off the ground, heading south and
east.

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St.
Mungo�s Secure holding treatment facility � Tuesday night, December 21^st,
after final rounds

Molly Weasley, n�e Prewitt was as miserable as one
could be, given the circumstances. The Hospital�s long-term care workers had
been as solicitous as they could be, given the deference that her husband now
commanded within the Ministry for Magic�
and the fact that Harry Potter
himself had made it clear that he expected nothing less than the best care for
her, but she was still miserable. She�d only come out of the medically induced
coma a few days earlier and her mind and judgment was still clouded by the
cocktail of drugs, both magical and Muggle, that were in her system.

She tried to move, but found that parts of her body
absolutely did not want to cooperate. Her left leg, in particular, was still
unresponsive to her mental commands and she couldn�t feel the fingers on either
hand. When she lifted her arms, she saw that they were shorter than they should
be and that they were entirely wrapped in white medical gauze. Molly wondered
why that was, as she had no recollection of hurting her arms.

Putting the arm back down by her side, she tried to
call out, for she had no idea where she was. �Help! Someone, please help!�

Someone, somewhere, must have heard her, because soon
enough, two attendants, both dressed in the medical garb worn by St. Mungo�s
senior-most healers, came in. Neither had a wand visible, but they were clearly
alert and ready for anything.

�Where am I?� Molly
managed to get out.

The taller of the two women, one of whom
looked very, very familiar indeed, but Molly couldn�t place her name. The
shorter, a dark brunette of Southeast-Asian or Indian extraction,
said �It�s all right, Molly. You�re safe. You�re in St. Mungo�s.�

�How long have I
been here?� she croaked out, feeling agitated.

�What�s the last thing you remember?� the taller,
striking blonde witch said.

Molly thought about that for a moment. There were
images that kept banging into each other in her head, but she was having a hard
time making sense of them. One image, in particular, seemed to be more
prominent than the others. It was of a very, very large cat (lion?). She told
the healers that and the two turned and grimaced at each other.

�What else do you remember?� the shorter one said,
leaning over and waving a hand up and down her body. Molly thought about that
too, as she watched the witch perform what surely looked like wandless magic.

�Pain� she
said quietly. �What happened?�

The taller witch leaned over and wiped away beads of
sweat that had gathered on her patients� forehead. It was from the exertion of
moving and trying to re-establish command over her own
body.

�You fought a duel, Molly. You fought a duel and you
lost rather badly. That�s the pain you remember. You were lucky though. You
died three times on the way to our emergency room but we were finally able to
recessitate you and keep you stable. I will tell you that it was touch and go
though for a very long while.�

Molly lay still for a moment and contemplated what she
had just been told. She knew three things immediately, though how was still
foggy to her: (1) either she had picked a fight with someone and lost or someone
else challenged her to a duel and she lost; (2) she had died on the way to St.
Mungo�s, so all of the promises and unbreakable vows that she had ever made
were gone, and (3) she had made one very, very bad enemy�bad enough that the
person wanted her dead.

��Who?� she asked, before
she could stop herself.

It was the question that both healers didn�t want to
answer. That much was plain from the expressions on their faces. �Who!?� she asked again, with a bit more
agitation in her voice.

Finally, the taller, blonde healer bent over and said,
�Lady Potter-Black�.

It was not the name that Molly was expecting. In fact,
it was very much the last name she expected. �WHAT?�

Her outburst caught the two healers by surprise, but
only for a moment. Very quickly, they used their healers� touch and did the
best they could to calm the traumatized woman. �Shhhhhhhhhhh. It�s alright, Molly. It had to be done. The Lady Potter-Black
hates herself for what she had to do to you.�

Molly was having none of it. �What do you mean, had to be done?!�

�Belle-m�re! S�il vous plait! Essayez de
comprendre!� The blonde witch said, before she caught herself. Molly
recognized her immediately. �Fleur?�

She nodded and said lovingly, �Oui. I�ve been watching
over you ever since you were brought in.�

Molly�s face softened and her posture eased. Fleur
would take care of her, of that much she was sure. �Water� she said. �Please�

Fleur waved her hand over a tray near the bed and a
cup of water appeared. She handed it to her patient and then stepped back, out
of hearing-range.

�What are you
going to tell her?�

�As much as
she can take, otherwise she�ll stew on whatever she feels we�ve not told her
and it will impede her recovery.�

�Are you
sure?�

�Yes, I am.
Molly has an insatiable desire to know everything that she can about her family
and about what�s going on around her. She�ll not stop asking until she feels
like she knows everything that she wants to know.�

�And you
lived with her?�

Fleur laughed. �Merdi! Non! �Bill and
I got out as fast as we could. I spent one or two summers there, but that was
enough.�

�Well, better you than me. Signal me if you
need anything. I�ll be on-station.�

Fleur kissed her
colleagues� cheek in thanks and the woman disappeared out of the room silently.

Walking back to
the edge of the bed, Fleur looked down and said, �Tell me, Belle-m�re,
what you want to know.�

And she did. For more than
an hour, until her strength gave out and she fell asleep, Molly Weasley asked
every question that she could think of and took in all that Fleur had to say.
At the end, she asked for some more water as well as some pain-killer, though
it bothered her to have to do so. Fleur assured her that pain management was
important and that she shouldn�t be afraid of telling them when she was uncomfortable.
She couldn�t get better, Fleur assured her, until her pain was under control.

Once her patient had fallen
asleep, Fleur slipped out of the room and began pulling memories of the session
out of her head and putting them into the medical pensieve that was maintained
at their station. One thing that came of the session was the distinct
impression that Molly no longer harbored any of the instincts to kill or hurt
Hermione Potter that she had shown when she had first been arrested for using
the killing curse on the garden-gnomes. It was as if she was a completely
different person now. As a member of the Weasley clan � because of her marriage
to Bill - she realized that she was going to have to get word to Arthur sooner
than later, so that he could have some say as to what happened next.

She looked at the clock. It
was 4 AM. She�d be going off-shift in two hours. It was still early, but she
knew that as soon as she was on her way home, she could send her Patronus to
Arthur. That would begin another chain of events and she prayed that it would
be the right one.

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Wednesday, December 23^rd � The Burrow
� just after dark

�

The wizarding wireless sat
in the corner of the family�s great-room, softly playing Muggle Christmas
carols while a tall, handsome red-haired man went about the happy

work of putting up decorations.

�Angels we have heard on high

Sweetly singing o'er the plains,

And the mountains in reply

Echoing their joyous strains.

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee?

Why your joyous strains prolong?

What the gladsome tidings be

Which inspire your heavenly song?�

He was a man whose life had just been blessed and
liberated and there was no suppressing his joy. Around him were all the signs
of family � and that meant more to him than he could describe.

�Ron!�

�Right here, dad!� his youngest son called, stepping
out of his mothers� off-kitchen prep-pantry.

�Did you get everything in order for the wedding?� his
father asked, as Ron walked into the living room.

�Mostly. Luna and Hermione are organizing most of it, with the
help of the Hogwarts Elves. I was fitted for my robes over a week ago and
they�re waiting for me at the school. Once Christmas is over, I am expected
back, so that Professor Dumbledore can go over with me what I should expect to
happen and so that Luna and I can be blessed by the Wiccan Council.�

Arthur looked at him approvingly. �What about Harry
and Hermione?�

Ron laughed. �Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!
C�mon, you know they�re already bonded. New Year�s Eve is a formality for them
at best. They�re doing it because it will give Professor Dumbledore a chance to
do a ceremony for them and because it�s expected�.but not because they have to do it.�

Arthur leaned against the fireplace mantle for a
moment and rubbed his chin. �Didn�t think about it that way.
Guess I should have expected that.�

Ron looked at him and then nodded. There wasn�t a
whole lot more to say on the subject, since it seemed that both understood what
was going to happen. Then something occurred to Ron that had not occurred to
him before. �What about you and mom. You never told us about your wedding.�

Arthur�s eyes were drawn to a picture of him and his
wife that sat in the middle of all of the other pictures which crowded the
mantle. Then he stopped and put his hand on Ron�s shoulder. �Do you really want
to know? Or are you just �kind-of� curious?�

Ron swallowed hard and then said, �I think I need to
know, given the prophecy and everything. The more I know, the less likely I am
to screw something up because I didn�t
know enough.�

By this time, both Bill and Charlie had come into the
room, along with the twins. Ginny was off, having fun with Luna before her
life-long friend got caught up in married life and had ongoing duties to which
she had to attend that would interfere with spending time together as
friends.� Percy was busy, as he usually
was, but had already fire-called once in order to say hi and to let his father
know that he�d be by later on for a drink and some food.

Bill looked at Ron and realized that something
important was afoot. �What�s up, bro?� he said.

Shrugging, Ron said �Dad was about to tell me about
how he and Mom really got together and about their life early on. I figured
that I needed to know and he said he�d tell me. Now seemed as
good a time as any.�

That caused one arched eyebrow and made all of the
boys, except for Ron, move to claim chairs around the room. None of them had
ever heard the story and it was apparent that each was more than passingly
interested.

Arthur looked at his fine sons and smiled, before his
face became more serious. �I�m glad you�re all here. I think your mother is,
too.�� Putting a hand on Ron�s shoulder,
he continued, �It�s not a pretty story, I want you all to know that, but it is
the truth. For what it�s worth, let me say at the outset that I am really happy
that none of your relationships began the way my relationship with your mother
began.�

Charlie � the only one of Arthur�s boys who wasn�t
currently in a steady relationship � looked up at his father. �Why?� he said
quietly.

�Because your mother � well, the way she went about
getting my attention was not�.good.�
He leaned on the word a bit, and his two older sons nodded. They had been around
and had dealt with enough girls to know that not all young women were ethical
or above-board in their behavior.� �Your
mother was born a Prewitt, with all than entails, and she originally had her
eye on someone else. When he showed her what he really wanted�well, let�s say
that she wasn�t happy.�

�What�s that got to do with you?� Ron asked, somewhat
obtusely. His father shook his head and wondered when Ron would know enough to
not have to ask such questions. He thought that Harry would probably not have asked
such a question�and then it occurred to him that Hermione Potter was probably
the reason for that.

�Everything, Ron� he said, looking at his youngest.
�Your mother was not one to be deterred easily. She had been raised to expect
the attentions of a pure-blood scion and to get her way in pretty much
everything. When she lost out in her initial bid, she turned to me.� I was an up-and-coming sixth-year student,
ranked number two in the class, right behind Charlus Potter�s eldest child,
Belinda Potter � James Potter�s eldest sister. Anyway, our family had been
bankrupted by Lucius Malfoy�s father, when he cheated us out of a
coal-production contract that my father had negotiated in good faith with a
Goblin-backed consortium. We would have been a great deal richer as a family if
that hadn�t happened�..� He stared off into space for a moment before
continuing. �Anyway, word of our losses hadn�t gotten out really, so Molly and
her parents didn�t know that the Weasley family was no longer the wealthy
family that it had once been.�

Bill put aside the Firewhiskey he was sipping and
said, �What�s that got to do with Mom?� unsure of where the conversation was
going.

�It�s the reason that I took the career-path that I
did Bill, if you must know. It�s also the reason that your mother pursued me as
aggressively as she did.

�What do you mean, aggressive?�
Fred said as he leaned against the door frame.

�Potions, Ron. Potions� Arthur said, sadly.

�WHAT?� all of them exploded, almost at once.

Arthur lifted his hands and made motions as if to try
to get them to ease back and calm down. �It�s something I�ve suspected for a
long time, but once your mother was arrested, I went to Madame Pomfrey and had
myself checked. She confirmed that I showed very long-term exposure to a combination
of potions. The worst was Amortentia, but it was by no means the only one that
she�s used on me.�

His revelation caused a huge uproar among his boys and
it was more than ten minutes before a rational, clear-headed thing was said.
When the four five boys had calmed down, Arthur looked at them. �The good news
is that because she died three times on the way to St. Mungo�s, before they
finally stabilized her, the curses that were placed on her lifted. Once your
mother has served her time for using Unforgivables, she and I will have the
chance to re-build and renew our marriage.�

The boys looked at him with sadness in their eyes.
While Bill and Charlie had been out of the house for a number of years and away
from their mother�s influence � and therefore less touched by what had happened
between their parents, Ron felt like he could touch the sadness that his father
was feeling.

�What can we do to help, Dad?� Ron asked, softly.

�Take care of your sister. Your mother and I are
probably going to go away for a year or so and try to reconnect, without the
influence of potions or others around. We�ll want to make sure that Ginny is
well-protected.�

Both Bill and Charlie, as well as the twins, nodded before
Charlie spoke up. �We can do it, Dad. She�ll be protected, I promise�.

The relief that Arthur felt was obvious on his face
and soon he found himself being hugged by his boys in a group-hug, for the
first time in many years and something told him, as they hugged, that it was
going to be a good Christmas.

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Vox Corporis: Rebirth