Chapter 13
Harry and Hermione were glad to be in their own bed again when they finally returned to Potter Manor, while their train ride home was a quiet one as most of their usual antagonists were no longer students at Hogwarts, they had been ambushed on the platform by their entire family, including the Tonkses, Narcissa, the Longbottoms and Uncle Sev, and been whisked away via an international portkey. They had landed in a large rotunda full of bright colours and music the like Harry had never heard, they had been surprised with a month long trip to Brazil, their days had been filled with things to do, some were spent with Uncle Sev collecting rare ingredients in the rain forest, some were shopping with Petunia, Violet, or Viv, others were nothing but sun bathing on the beach, but his favourite days were the ones where he and Hermione got to do as they pleased away from the others using the resort's facilities, they spent a day together at the spa, a day in the magical book store, and his favourite was a day in which they never left the comfort of their bed in the middle of their stay.
They had returned home the day before Neville's birthday, as there was a party planned with their friends at Longbottom Hall the following day, Neville had agreed to host a joint party this year as he knew Harry and Hermione would be unavailable on Harry's actual birthday. Harry was excited to be seeing his friends again tomorrow, but was becoming anxious about what would happen the day after, bonding day as the family had taken to call it was shrouded in mystery that not even their contact in the Department of Mysteries could shed any light onto. All they knew was that tomorrow would be their wedding day, although they had already agreed to just continue to celebrate it on their normal anniversary in October.
"Sleep Harry." Hermione said from where she was laying on his chest. "You won't do either of us any good if you're exhausted when the bonding happens."
"I know I'm just worried." He sighed. "What if our magical release causes damage to the house? What if someone gets hurt? What if you can't handle my power and you get hurt?"
"Shush." She smiled placing her finger over his lips. "While there are a lot of unknowns, I don't think we have anything to worry about."
"And I know that, I just can't get passed the feeling something is going to happen."
"You wouldn't be you if you could." She said softly. "If we didn't know that this time tomorrow we would be sat waiting for the bond to form, and that it was going to be our wedding day right now you'd be asleep without a care in the world, but it's been a year and a half since we found out about this and while we sort of put it at the back of our minds it's still been there collecting doubts and worry."
"So what do you suggest I do?"
"VELMA!" She called out.
pop
"Yes Mistress?"
"Can you ask Andi for a dreamless sleep potion for Harry please."
"Is Master worried about the bonding?"
"Yes Velma I am worried someone might get hurt."
"Silly Master, we elves know more about these bonds than you humans." She smiled sitting at the foot of the bed as Harry and Hermione sat up. "At the very second you be turning 13 your magics will join together and release a wave of pure magic around you, we elves have already warded this room to contain it within, so that at 02:38:12 on the 31st of July no one outside this room will be affected by your joining, after that there will be a period of calm where I will place your unconscious bodies back into your bed to allow for the physical contact required for your souls to be joining, once you is waking you will sharing everything, and another wave of magic will be being released, this one even our elf wards cannot block, it will travel the world returning magic to places that have been devoid of it for far too long, it may even increase the magic stored in your family's blood."
"Wait are you saying we could awaken Dudley's magic?" Harry asked. "Because he's a squib isn't he?"
"Yes Master there currently be no muggles living in this manor, they may awake on your birthday with the ability to use their magic."
"Bloody hell." Harry swore.
"Mum and dad actually have magic?" Hermione asked.
"Just enough to qualify as a magical, but no where near enough to use it." Velma stated.
"Don't tell them." Hermione said quickly. "I don't want them thinking something will happen for it not to."
"As you wish Mistress." Velma smiled. "Now is you still needing your potion Master."
"No Velma, thank you." Harry said hugging the elf. "You have laid my fear to rest."
"I is happy to be helping Master." She beamed at him. "Now it is being midnight and you is needing to be at Longbottom Hall before 10."
"Sleep well Velma." Hermione said sleepily as she and Harry lay back down.
Harry lay awake for a short while after Hermione was sleeping, listening to the soft sounds of her breathing letting their rhythm lull him to sleep. The next morning Harry was awoke to the feeling of a large being jumping onto the bed, feeling that Hermione was still trying to sleep on his shoulder he sent a weak wandless stinging hex at what he assumed was Padfoot, his suspicions were confirmed when he heard the dog retreat from the room whining.
"That should teach you to wake me up before my alarm." Harry called out to his godfather.
"We should be getting up though." Hermione stated.
"But I'm so comfy." Harry retorted in mock complaint.
"Come on Neville is waiting for us to celebrate his birthday with him." She said as she stood up and offered him her hands to help him out of bed.
"I'm not an invalid you know." He protested. "While I'm still ageing I'm still younger than you remember."
"I never said you were one." She chuckled pulling him into a hug. "Now why don't we spend the day as Rose, we can wear those dresses you got us for valentines."
"Sure." Harry nodded, as he let his form shift, he shrank 2 inches to match her height, his hair lengthened to reach his elbow and turned his mohter's shade of red, then he let himself fade into the background as herself came forwards. Rose hadn't been fully on display since before the incident with the basilisk, and she looked down at herself in wonder.
"Well you've certainly started to come into your female form." Hermione stated kissing her. "They're bigger than mine, we'll have to get Poppy to resize one of the bras mum got me."
"I can just shrink them to fit." Rose stated still transfixed by her chest. "There's no need to go to the trouble of changing your clothes for me."
"No Rose, we agreed to always change clothes to your form remember, that way you don't need to focus all the time to hold it." Hermione said putting her foot down. "Mum got me plenty and in a few sizes in case I grow while we're at school, there might even be one there that will fit you."
"Fine." Rose said dejectedly.
By the time they walked into the library half an hour later most of their house guests had gathered around one of the large tables where Remus liked to spread out his research materials.
"Did he really hit you with a stinging hex?" Remus asked Sirius in a fit of laughter.
"He hit Padfoot right on his left haunch." Sirius stated. "Where he got his accuracy from I've no idea Padfoot is invisible in a pitch dark room."
"You're forgetting that I know how tall he is and I could feel his back feet on the bed." Rose chuckled. "It serves him right anyway, he needs to learn his boundaries."
"Indeed he does." Viv smiled as she turn to give Rose a once over. "Now then young lady do I need to take you shopping like I did Hermione and Pansy at the start of summer?"
"No mum, I fit in some of the larger sizes you got Hermione." Rose blushed. "And there were still 2 to 3 sizes up if I need them."
"How I didn't buy that many?" Viv replied.
pop
"That be being my doing Mistress Viv." Poppy smiled. "Once I is knowing Mistress' choice of style I is using my magic to gather her the sizes she be needing in the next year or so. Now I is having Master Rose's size I be doing the same for her."
"Master Rose?" Remus asked.
"We is having many Mistresses." Poppy explained. "So we be calling Master, Master no matter his or her form."
"Thank you Poppy you've saved us a trip into London." Rose smiled at the elf. "Why don't you take some time off as a reward."
"I be doing that master." Poppy smiled. "I is planning on making a dress to match yours new ones, both Velma and Josie also be wanting one."
"Have fun." Hermione beamed at the elf.
pop
"So what are you discussing?" Rose asked looking at the books spread across the table.
"Tonight." Remus stated. "There's still so much we don't know."
"Talk to Velma." Hermione advised him. "Harry was suffering with insomnia until she popped in and explained it all to us."
"After that all I needed was Hermione's adorable snoring to lull me to sleep." Rose tease Hermione.
"I do not snore." She protested adamantly.
"You do sweetheart." Viv stated. "But only when you're laying in certain positions."
"Like I said it's adorable." Rose smiled.
"Oh my god." The group heard Petunia squeal from across the library. "Is that our Rose looking exactly like Lily did at 13."
"Exactly? Are you sure?" Rose asked turning to face her aunt who was walking towards her.
"Yes dear you look exactly like her on her 13 birthday." Petunia smiled pulling Rose into a tight hug as she cried tears of joy. "Even your hair is the right length right now, and I'd forgotten just how beautiful she always was."
"Are you ok Mum?" Dudley asked entering the room to find his mother crying.
"Yes Duddikins I'm fine." She said opening one of her arms to offer him a hug. "Your cousin just caught me off guard by looking exactly like their mother."
"Didn't he do that at Christmas?" Dudley asked moving in to hug Rose and Hermione.
"Not this closely." Petunia stated. "At Christmas she kept her own face, this time she's a carbon copy of Lily, right down to the position of the freckles on her nose."
"Oh Merlin." Sirius exclaimed. "She really is, I can't believe I didn't notice it, what did you do differently this time?"
"I sort of just let Harry fade into the background and brought myself forward." Rose replied.
"It's an advanced technique." Andi stated. "Nymphadora never managed to master it, but she was never as comfortable as Harry, or Rose at switching genders, she prefers the one she is."
"Where did you hear about it?" Aunt Minnie asked.
"There's a section of the Black Grimoire dedicated to Metamophmagi changes." Hermione stated. "It also explained as to why Harry has been struggling to reach a full animagi transformation."
"Oh?" Remus asked.
"I need to stop trying to force the change, otherwise my Metamorphmagi tries to do the change rather than my animagi coming out." Rose stated.
"Why not try it like you did to bring out Rose this morning?" Aunt Minnie suggested. "But there is time enough for that next week."
"It might work." Hermione nodded. "Josie can Rose and I get some crumpets please."
Once they had finished their crumpets the four teens flooed to Longbottom hall to help Neville and his parents get ready for their party, as soon as they were through the fire on the other side Rose had to put up with more gushing from Alice about how she looked exactly like her mother, then she and Hermione were taken aside by Augusta and given a run through of the etiquette they would need to show in the coming years as the Ladies Potter, which in the end just turned out to be an excuse to treat them like her granddaughters and have high tea with them, by the time they returned to help set up for the party they were calling her Gran and giggling madly at the dumbfounded looks on everyone else's faces. At midday they were all waiting to greet their guests, which unlike last year had all been confirmed by name and added to a single visit section of the ward book, neither Rose or Neville would make the mistake of leaving the wards open like that again.
"Hello." A dreamy voice called as a blonde haired girl exited the floo.
"Luna!" Rose exclaimed rushing forwards. "It's good to see you again godsister."
"Rose!?" She exclaimed launching herself across the room. "I've missed seeing you this way, and your dress is fantastic, where did you get it?"
"I had Madam Melkin make them for us over Yule, they were part of my valentines gift to Hermione." Rose stated. "I'm sure you can have her make one, just not in the Potter tartan."
"Oh, she has that fabric with the moving dragons." Luna said excitedly. "That dress would look amazing with them flying around it."
"That does sound like a great dress." Rose giggled, and Hermione joined her when Neville raised a querying eyebrow at Rose.
"What's wrong Neville?" Luna asked.
"Since when did Harry/Rose care about fashion?" He asked.
"Harry doesn't." Pansy answered.
"But Rose has a great eye for colour." Hermione stated. "Haven't you noticed that even though they are the same person there are subtle differences between them?"
"Not really." Neville stated.
"It's not really something I advertise." Rose stated. "It's just as Harry it's function over looks, whereas with Rose I like looking pretty."
"And you always do." Hermione smiled at her.
The next to arrive were the Weasleys, lead by Molly who came through first on her own, followed by Ginny and Percy, then Fred and George. Dean, Seamus, Lavender, Susan, Hannah, and the Patil twins arrived by portkey together not long later, and it didn't take long for the rest of the Gryffindor quidditch team to emerge from the fire. Once everyone was there Neville lead everyone out onto the rear patio that overlooked the south lawn as it sloped gently down to the natural Pond. After everyone had gathered their food Rose found herself being fussed over with Hermione by the rest of the chasers, who insisted to all those who tried to join them that it was important team building for them as a quintet, they didn't even let Oliver sit with them as their captain. It was at this point that Augusta, Molly, Alice and Frank walked into the room and everyone stared at them for a few moments before they were set upon with questions.
"QUIET PLEASE!" Alice shouted after a few minutes. "Thank you, now I'll try to explain this as best I can without going into too much detail, now after Frank and I were miraculously healed we decided that we wanted more children, we had always planned on it and thought that now was a good a time as any, but we quickly found out that my body wasn't working as it should and I became horribly depressed."
"That's when I picked up on it." Neville added. "I asked the elves and was told what the problem was."
"Then he came to us." Hermione smiled. "And we gathered all of the knowledge from our family grimoires, and gave it to them."
"Which allowed me to cure my problems." Alice smiled. "And I'm due in early December."
"Isn't it early to already be showing?" Angelina asked.
"No I held a lot of water around Neville and was showing around this early." Alice stated.
"Lily used to love teasing her about her having twins." Frank supplied. "But no just a rather large Neville came along."
"I was not that large." Neville protested.
"You weighed 12 pounds when you were born son." Frank stated. "And when Harry followed you barely 3 hours later he was only 7 pounds, thrust us you were a large baby."
"So we very nearly shared a birthday?" Rose asked.
"Yes." Alice smiled. "Neville finally arrived after 6 hours of labour at 11:44PM, where as Lily still hadn't gone in to labour when he was born and you arrived not long before 3 in the morning."
"You were polar opposites, even then." Augusta stated. "Harry was quiet, Neville screamed his lungs out, Harry was hungry, Neville refused to eat, Harry wouldn't sleep but Neville was out like a light most of the time."
"Awe." Came the collective sigh of the females in the room and caused the chasers to descend on Rose with more hugs.
"Anyway now that lunch is over." Frank smiled. "Let's head into the drawing room for presents then we have a surprise."
As they entered the drawing room, everyone was speechless, it was a large room, with white marble columns separating the windows and bookshelves that spanned the walls, three of the walls contained windows and it was clear to see this room spanned the entire width of this wing of the house, directly opposite the door was a large fireplace with a portrait above it, and looking down at them from within were Rose's family.
"Like mother like daughter." James chuckled at Lily's speechless predicament as she looked at Rose.
"My beautiful baby girl." Lily choked out with tears in her eyes.
"Hi mum." Rose smiled weakly. "Sorry I didn't pop in to see you this morning."
"It's ok little one." James smiled hugging his wife. "She's just not as used to seeing her younger self walking around out there as I am."
"Thanks dad."
"Told you she would be overwhelmed." Alice said to Frank.
"Never disagreed dear." Frank sighed. "Now then whose going first?"
Neville and Rose exchanged their gifts to each other first, each laughing at the matching expanded capacity satchels they were holding, Hermione went next having gotten both of them a homework planner for the next school year, the chasers gave Rose a set of enchanted seekers goggles that were impervious to the weather, while they gave Neville a book about rare plants of the Himalayas, Oliver joined them in gave Rose a new set of seekers gloves and Neville a selection of seeds from a nursery he had visited with his mother in Chile, Seamus, Dean, and Lavender had all gone in on a large box of Honeydukes for them both, and the Patil twins gave them both a book of Indian Spells that differed from their European counterparts.
"Right then." Susan said when only she, Hannah and Luna were left. "My gifts are going to seem slightly lopsided, you see my aunt is set to marry Rose's adoptive father next month, essentially making us siblings, so in recognition of that I got a set of linked sibling pendants one for Rose/Harry to wear and one for me, it will change between brother and sister as you change back and forth."
Rose opened the box to find a small square piece of gold engraved with the words 'Best Sister' attached to a delicate golden chain.
"It's beautiful." Rose smiled hugging her soon to be sister. "How are they linked?"
"It will vibrate if I'm in trouble, and will help you find me." She stated. "And mine will do the same for you."
"Brilliant." Rose beamed as Hermione clasped the chain around her neck and Neville open his to find a pair of pruning shears.
"And now I wish I'd gone first." Hannah sighed handing both of them a small present. "Here."
Rose opened it to find a small golden snitch lapel pin for her formal robes, she looked up and saw Neville had opened a similar pin but his was shaped like Venomous Tentatular bud.
"It's wonderful." Rose smiled at Hannah, as Neville pulled the girl into a hug.
"So just me left I see." Luna smiled. "Now I'm not used to giving gifts for anything really so I hope these are alright."
The presents were small, and roughly book shaped, Rose tore off the paper to find a small photo frame that held a picture of Lily, Alice, and a woman she didn't recognise, she looked at Neville who was staring at the same image.
"It's my favourite picture of my mum that I'm not in." Luna explained. "I have a matching one on my bedside table at home I grew up with it there, I thought you would like to see Lily before she was married to James."
"It's wonderful." Hermione answered for Rose who had tears in her eyes.
"I remember that day." Lily said from the frame above them. "We had just finished our 6th year exams, and we were having a picnic on the shore of the lake when Selene suddenly had a camera in her hands and was snapping pictures like there's no tomorrow, that one was taken as I was trying to wrestle the damned thing from her hands."
"I can't believe she developed them." Alice commented taking the picture from Neville. "I would love to have copies of any others you have, I was saddened to hear of her passing."
"We all were Aunt Alice." Rose stated. "Now didn't Uncle Frank mention a surprise?"
"Indeed I did, but we need Harry to make it work." Frank smiled.
"I just need somewhere to change." Rose smiled. "Sorry Hermione."
"That's ok I can spend time with her later." She replied hugging her.
Frank lead Rose to a room on the first floor.
"I had Poppy bring you a change of clothes." Frank stated. "Don't question it just put them on."
"Yes Uncle Frank." Rose sighed as she entered the room.
When Harry left the room 15 minutes later he felt strange, the emerald green dress robes he was now wearing were a pair of his Great Uncle's, and while they fit him perfectly, it was his first time wearing robes of this sort. Frank lead him through the manor and down a different set of stairs and along several corridors all the way to the other side of the house, where his friends met him outside a set of double doors carved from a rich mahogany. Susan stepped forward and pinned his new lapel pin to his chest, before she linked her elbow with his and began to walk him towards the doors which opened at their approach, beyond them Harry could make out the rest of his family sat at a log table opposite the door.
"Presenting." Susan started to ensure she had silence. "Lord Harry James Potter-Merlin Head of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, Head of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Merlin, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Dumbledore, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Sylwen, Head of the Ancient house of Bulstrode, Head of the Ancient house of Role and heir to the Ancient and Most Noble house of Black for the traditional premarital dance with his betrothed."
Harry quickly ran through all of the dance lessons that Viv and Aunt Minnie had been giving him in his head, he had suspected that their was more to it than just getting ready for Sirius' wedding, now he knew who was getting pranked next at least maybe Hermione would want to help him.
"Right brother." Susan said as they reached the centre of the ballroom bringing him out of his thoughts. "I understand we kept this from you, but we had our reasons, now you need to face away from the door until I say otherwise, do you trust me?"
"It seems I have no other choice." He sighed. "Did Hermione know about this?"
"No." She smiled. "It's one of the traditions we knew you would both want out of, but we know you'll be glad you took part in when it is over."
"Who else do I need to add to my pranking list for next year?"
"Just about everyone in the room and Aunt Alice."
"Well for your honesty you are in the clear I'll assume you can keep this from the rest of them?"
"If that is your wish, but just so you know Hannah only found out this morning."
"Noted."
"Presenting." Alice said from the doorway, getting everyone's attention, Harry could hear the gasps around him, but kept looking at Susan. "The Lady to be, Hermione Jean Granger, betrothed to Lord Potter-Merlin, for her premarital dance with her Groom on the eve of their wedding."
Harry heard Hermione's soft gasp of surprise before their footsteps moved towards him.
"Close your eyes and turn around." Susan instructed him, once he was facing away from her he felt Hermione take ahold of his hands and grip them tightly. "3." Harry let out a breath and his heart hammered in his chest. "2." The wait was almost agonising as he didn't know what to expect. "1." His palms were becoming clammy and Hermione rubbed her thumbs against his knuckles reassuringly. "Open your eyes."
Harry took in everything about Hermione, it was like he was seeing her for the first time again, her normally bushy hair had been tamed and now hung in loose ringlets, her chocolate brown eyes seemed deeper than normal thanks to the light accents of makeup that had been applied to them, he smiled softly as he then noticed the rest of the makeup she was wearing her slight freckling had been hidden, and her lips were now a pale red. She smiled at him broadly as his eyes continued to take her in, she was wearing a ball gown made from golden silk and white lace, he was surprised to see her wearing heels, as far as he was aware she never had, and most of the shoes in their wardrobe were flats, and those that weren't were originaly Dorea's.
"You look amazing." He said to her finally as he looked back into her eyes, earning a series of 'aww's from their audience. "Can you dance in those?"
"Yes Hero." She smiled. "And you look exceptionally dashing yourself, the colour is a perfect match for your eyes."
Harry was about to respond when a slow waltz filled the air, he placed his hand on her hip and pulled her gently towards him, slowly she brought her hand to rest on his shoulder, and with linked hands they began their practiced steps. They started out as more of a shuffle having never danced with each other before, and never had either of them had an audience, but as the music continued their steps became more and more confident, and they were soon moving around the large space they had to themselves. Their audience watched on is awe, as they watched the magic the couple were creating, it hung heavily in the air around them, and it wasn't long before golden dust began to swirl around Harry and Hermione, neither of them seemed to have noticed as they continued their dance, but as their music reached its peak and Harry dipped Hermione as they had been shown how to do, the golden magic that had surrounded them shot out in a rainbow of colours. Hermione though breathing heavily as she stood back up kissed Harry forcefully holding his lips to hers for several second before she let him go and peppered him with smaller kisses.
"Happy?" He asked her with a chuckle.
"That was amazing." She beamed at him. "And please tell me you didn't know about this ahead of time?"
"No I found out when Susan introduce me like Alice did for you." He stated. "Was it not in any of the reading you did?"
"No but I wasn't looking up Noble traditions." She sighed. "That will teach me to overlook that won't it."
"Indeed it will." He chuckled. "What was with the light show as we finished?"
"Your bond." Sirius stated. "It's part of why we did this, Harry you were radiating magic the entire time you were dancing, some of which was absorbed by Hermione, the rest sort of hung in the air as golden dust, then as you completed this miniature ritual you expelled the spare magic away from you, each of us here received a small portion of it, linking us to the two of you, we are now all your family in a way few others get to experience, each person here will protect everyone else here as best they can, the link isn't as strong as your pendent from Susan, but we will all know if something is wrong."
"For once he is being mature." Hermione sighed.
"Remus did you check him for being an imposter this morning?" Harry asked. "Because he's never been this serious before."
"What do you mean? I'm always Sirius." Sirius laughed.
"And there he goes back to immaturity." Amelia sighed. "You had to say something didn't you Harry, couldn't leave him acting his age for once?"
"No it just felt soo wrong." Harry stated. "So will you two be performing a dance before your big day next month."
"It's undecided." Amelia stated. "It's a very old tradition, not many practice it at all anymore, but for the two of you it was important, not only did it link your family and friends to you, it also began the process of expanding Hermione's core with your magic."
"Which might reduce the discharge later on tonight." Hermione nodded.
That evening after dinner in the Longbottom's formal dining room Harry and Hermione retired to their suite to prepare for the night ahead, Remus asked them not to lock the door incase they had a problem, and they in turn asked Velma to unlock the door 5 minutes before the bonding was to take place. They knew they should rest but found that they were unable to even sit and read like they normally would, so they decided to spend their time swimming, but after an hour in the pool even that had lost the battle at keeping their attention. In the room that changed they found a surprising sight, it was empty utterly devoid of everything, it was just a 9 foot cube with perfectly white walls, it was the first time the room had failed to provide for them, it was barely 11 pm and they were already anxious for the bonding to begin. They climbed lazily into their bed and rested next to each other, neither speaking nor making any sound or movement other than breathing, after nearly half an hour of this Fawkes appeared before them in his standard blaze of emerald flames.
"You should be resting little ones." He trilled at them.
"We know Fawkes." Harry sighed. "But it's a big moment that we're approaching and everyone seems to think something is going to go wrong, Remus had us leave the door unlocked, Amelia has a friend from the Department of Mysteries sitting in the parlour, and Aunt Minnie pulled in extra elves from Hogwarts to reenforce the wards in here."
"I know child but while there are unconscious periods during this bonding, you won't be resting." The ancient bird stated. "Allow me to sing you to sleep, that way there will be no potions to interfere with the joining."
With Fawkes' sweet song filling the air the young couple drifted off into a peaceful sleep, the phoenix kept singing as he moved to stand inside his burning day chest, and as time of the bonding drew nearer he felt the wards around the room strengthen, and he watched his humans as they slowly began to glow, and at precisely 02:38:12 Harry and Hermione bolted awake and floated into the air. The magic of the bonding moved them to be facing each other as they were now floating vertically above their bed rotating around an invisible axis between them. After a minute they released a pulse of magic that barely reached the walls of the room, then another pulse 50 seconds later that crashed into the wards and rebounded a short way into the room, 40 seconds later another pulse hammered into the eleven wards a met itself in the centre of the room in a flash of sparks, all the while Harry and Hermione were unaware of anything but each other, as they shared their memories, each pulse came at a shorter and sorter interval until there was only a second between them, the last pulse that was released broke the wards, shattered the bedroom windows and spread out over the manor grounds until it reached the main wards where it was absorbed. Meanwhile Harry and Hermione had slipped into unconsciousness and crumpled onto the bed, Velma popped in with the rest of the elves who quickly set about covering their master and mistress in their sheets before the adults bolted into the room.
"How did the wards fail?!" Aunt Minnie demanded of Velma.
"We is not sure." She replied. "But the pulse did not pass the manor's wards, and only those here were affected."
"Including Fawkes." Remus commented looking at the pile of fresh ash in the chest. "He must have been here calming them."
"Well then we'd best repair the windows, and leave them to it." The unspeakable stated. "I'll reenforce the glass in case there are anymore pulses like that but I'll have to forbid any more wards, it is known that the next pulses need to be allowed to be released."
Meanwhile Harry and Hermione found themselves stood in the middle of a field of golden grass, wearing white silk togas, with olive leaf crowns on their heads, there was nothing around them as far as their eyes could see, so they decided to walk in the direction they were facing to see what they could find, all the while they made no attempt to break the silence of the world they were now a part of but instead enjoyed holding their internal conversation, talking of everything and nothing all at the same time. After what could have been endless hours or mere moments a structure appeared on the horizon, and they both found spring in their step at finally having a destination to aim for, but as the sun never moved and they never tired it was impossible for them to judge how far they had come or had to go to get there, but neither of them found they minded much. Upon reaching the structure they found it to be far larger than they could ever have imagined, it towered above them to such an extent that they struggled to see where the roof began, and as they walked around it to find a way inside they felt like they had been shrunk for the seat of a bench they passed was more than double the height of their heads, a rose bush beside the path had flowers large enough they could fit inside them, when they eventually found the door on the opposite side of the building to which they had arrived they were unsurprised to see the door handle so far out of their reach.
"Welcome my children." An airy voice said as they stood staring at the door.
They turned around to find giant woman dressed as they were, she had long flowing auburn hair, and a small button nose, she might have been mistaken for human except for the fact that her eyes were purple.
"Hello." Hermione said tentatively. "Could you possibly explain who you are and where we found ourselves?"
"Of course little one." The being smiled. "I am Eros, the Godess of Love, and you are visiting Elysium."
"Dear Merlin." Harry exclaimed. "We aren't dead are we? The bonding didn't kill us did it?"
"No child you are perfectly alive, as I said you are simply visiting." Eros stated. "We have brought you here to aid you with your bonding, the two of you were brought together to fulfil a prophecy, which I will allow my Grandfather to explain to you."
"We get to speak to Zeus?" Hermione asked excitedly.
"Of course." Eros laughed. "What good would a visit to the golden fields do without speaking to those who brought you here?"
Eros was still chuckling to herself as she strode past them and opened the door, neither of them moved as they stood staring in wonder at the sight before them, the room beyond was far larger than the outside of the structure, all of the tables and chairs seemed to be made out of gold, the walls were the purest white either of them had seen, and moving around the space were more giant people than either of them expected. Eros gently picked them up and placed them down in the middle of one of the long tables facing an elderly looking giant with a large bushy white beard, and long curly grey hair, unlike Eros he was wearing a golden chest plate above a white tunic, and his eyes seemed to crackle with lightening despite their grey appearance.
"Children this is my Grandfather Zeus." Eros smiled. "Grandfather this is Harry and Hermione Potter, our newest soulmates."
"Welcome my fated ones." Zeus boomed at them. "To the Hall of the Gods, you are our honoured guests, anything you wish for will be yours, simply ask and you shall receive."
"Thank you." Harry smiled. "But first I would like to know why we were brought here."
"You were brought here together to allow a better merging of your souls." Eros replied.
"That and I wished to inform you of the true prophecy regarding you not the fake provided to your Department of Mysteries by Albus Dumbledore." Zeus stated.
"How long will we need to be here?" Hermione asked.
"You may stay as long as you like." Zeus informed them. "And we will return you home at the right point in time."
"So what is the prophecy?" Harry queried.
"Well the first step is complete." Zeus smiled. "It stated that the two of you would meet and bond over a trauma before completing your soulbond at the earliest opportunity."
"I never did find out what happened to that troll." Harry chuckled.
"He was returned to his cave in the mountains, but sadly perished during a rockslide a few months later." Zeus sighed.
"Good riddance." Hermione stated. "That thing will haunt me for a long while."
"Sorry I brought it up." Harry said a shiver ran down his spine from seeing the event from her perspective.
"It's ok." She smiled as she hugged him.
"Now the things to come will be difficult to hear." Zeus sighed. "Your combined power has been given to you to rid the world of its evils and bring balance to the magical world, for there can be no good if there is no evil to compare it to, your trials will be difficult, as there are two dark lords you must battle at the same time, while their motives and methods are opposing both wish to see the world at their feet."
"So we aren't done with Dumbledore?" Harry asked.
"I cannot give you names child, for doing so might cloud your vision and hinder the prophecy." Zeus stated.
"Well now that the doom and gloom is out of the way." Eros said trying to raise their spirits. "Please turn around to meet your guests."
Harry and Hermione were shocked as they turned around to find Lily and James stood behind them, Harry remained rooted to the spot as he looked at his parents who looked like they could be alive, suddenly unable to speak he quickly stepped forward and pulled his mother into a hug. It was at that moment that Hermione spotted the table full of people the same size as her and Harry behind James.
"The rest of our family is here?" She asked.
"Just a few of them, the ones you have a connection to." Eros stated.
"Yes your grandfather is there." James stated as he smiled down at Hermione. "But we all agreed that Harry would be a little overwhelmed at seeing us again, while seeing him on Halloween was nice this is better."
Hermione hugged her father-in-law and after a time that neither Harry or Hermione could quantify they switched and embraced the other parent. The quartet walked to the table with Harry and Hermione in the middle, as they approached they began to recognise most of the sat around it, they could see Merlin, Fleamont, Euphamia, Charlus, Dorea, and three men who were dressed in black and had hoods covering their faces, but there was one person in particular that Hermione was glad to see.
"There's my little cuddly bear." A tall man with grey hair, and a missing left forearm smiled as Hermione broke away from the rest of the Potters to run to him.
"Grandpa." She sighed as she hugged him. "It's good to see you again."
"Indeed it is." The man smiled. "I've missed your hugs, and I see you've someone else to give them to."
"My Harry." She nodded.
"Does he know of me?"
"We shared our memories before we came here." Hermione smiled. "He knows you as well as I do."
"All the best bits then." The man chuckled. "Come here Harry, I don't bite."
"I know that sir, but I wouldn't want to spoil Hermione's reunion with her Grandpa." Harry smiled as he joined them and Lily and James rejoined the table.
"You could never ruin it." Hermione smiled kissing him on the cheek. "Every thing in my life is better when you are around."
"Harry you are the greatest person I could ever have wished for for my granddaughter, but this old Major has some advise for you one soldier to another, know your enemy before you reach the battlefield, learn all there is to know about them, and beat them at their own game."
"Were you in the army long?" Harry asked.
"I signed up at 18 during WW2 and didn't leave till I retired in 84." He smiled as he saluted. "Major Gregory Granger, of the first Battalion, the grenadier guards at your service young man."
"It is an honour to have met you sir." Harry replied. "I only wish we had a magical portrait of you to converse with."
"I can help with that." Zeus boomed down at them. "It will be delivered by Fawkes when he recovers from his burning day."
"He's had a burning day already?" Hermione asked. "Phoenixes are supposed to go years, sometimes decades between burns."
"Your magic affected him." Merlin stated. "As it did many things."
"I wonder if that's why he insisted he be in the room with us?" Hermione pondered.
"Undoubtedly." Charlus stated. "That bird never does anything without purpose."
"I am sure he will explain when you are up and about again." Lily smiled. "Now Harry, Hermione, these are the Peverall brothers, whose items you have finally united."
"We cannot show you our faces thanks to our humiliating death as we did." One of them stated. "But it is good to feel the power of my wand within you."
"And I am glad the power of the stone hasn't tempted you to call upon any of us." Another smiled.
"Another generation joining me in using my cloak has rejuvenated me greatly after more than a decade of it getting zero use sitting there in that bloody chest." The last stated.
"Thank you all your Grimoire has provided some interesting help this last year."
"My section has nearly a year's gap, Tom is mostly silent for the next year, but I cannot see anything between now and then." The first brother stated.
"It's ok I've read most of your section now." Hermione smiled. "We plan on retrieving the remaining Horcruxes as soon as we can."
"As we would all recommend." Merlin nodded. "Be careful though they can become quiet hostile when they sense the end is near."
"We have Antioch's potion for that." Harry stated. "The ring didn't put up much of a fight after I dispelled the compulsion charm and withering curse Tom put on it."
"Excellent." Merlin nodded. "Now when do you plan to start training with Sidhe and Tilde?"
"We haven't really thought about it yet." Hermione stated. "But we're spending the rest of this summer getting ready for our electives, and getting our animagus transformations under control, so maybe next summer."
"A good plan." Lily nodded.
The reunion continued in much the same fashion for a long while, food and drink were provided although Harry and Hermione thought it was probably completely unnecessary for any of the souls at the table, eventually the gods in the room left them to their own devices not returning until their visit was at its end.
"Come children it is time to return to the land of the living." Eros stated as she stepped up to the table. "Your souls have finished their union, to stay too much longer would risk harm to yourselves and the world if your prophecy is left unfulfilled."
Harry and Hermione hugged everyone of their family for as long as they felt comfortable doing, and as soon as they stepped onto Eros' outstretched palm they were overcome with a strange sensation similar to vertigo, where moments before they had been standing as they stepped onto her hand they were now laying down, covered in their own silk sheets, and completely naked. Harry rested his forehead against hers as they waited for the feeling to pass, slowly they sat up and took in their surroundings, their room appeared to be as it had been the night before, the only thing that caught their attention was the open burning day chest but they attributed that to the fact that Fawkes had accompanied their bonding with a change of his own.
"Looks like the elves' wards held up then." Harry commented as he moved to stand up.
"It would seem so." Hermione nodded. "But something feels a little off here."
"Agreed." Harry sighed. "But I'll be damned if I can figure out what it is though."
"Come on let's get dressed and we can head out into the manor and try to figure it out." She stated.
10 minutes later they both exited their side of the wardrobe wearing matching jeans and green T-shirts.
"This is going to become a common thing isn't it?" Hermione chuckled.
"Undoubtedly." Harry laughed. "Now how about we use the advice that Merlin and the others gave us on our transformations?"
"Sounds good." She nodded. "You first, I'm still not used to the human to human transformations so I should find his easier."Hermione stood and watched in awe as Harry shifted into a large creature easily twice as big as it should be, he had a body covered in jet black fur, a slightly pink nose, and shocking emerald eyes. "Perfect." She smiled as she scratched between his ears, and began her own shift.
Harry loved the sight of her change, she was smaller than he was in her new form but not by much, her golden fur was covered with dark spots, her chest, legs, and the very top of her tail were dappled with white, and the very crown of her head was her normal brunette hair colour. Harry nuzzled his face into her neck, which he figured was the best way to show affection in their changed forms, before he pounced towards the bedroom doors which opened for him as they always did, and together they took off running through the house, they marvelled at the change to their senses, they could see clearly even in the darkness of the corridors, they could smell the trails of different people as they passed them but were unable to put a smell to a person just yet, and their hearing also appeared to have been enhanced, which they noticed as the approached the Dragon Room and they could make out several hushed conversations happening at the same time from a few hundred meters down the corridor.
"What if they never wake up?" They heard Viv ask.
"I'm sure it's just exhaustion after all the magic they gave off." Aunt Minnie answered.
Harry and Hermione shared a look there something was definitely up.
"Will the wards hold if they come here?" Sirius asked.
"As best I can tell they're stronger than they were before the bonding." An unknown voice stated. "They won't get passed them even with an army of curse breakers."
"Good." Remus replied. "Did Amelia say when she would be back?"
"No she has been kept busy by the aftermath of those pulses." Sirius sighed.
At that point Harry and Hermione knew they needed to get in there and find what had happened, they took off running again and barrelled through the tearoom's door together much to the shock of the inhabitants sat around the tables.
"Well I think it's safe to assume they're awake." Richard chuckled when his shock at seeing to large animals charge into the room wore off. "And figured out their transformations."
"Indeed." Remus said as he walked over to them. "May I check you two over." They both nodded. "Thank you, let's see here. Harry is a black panther, more than twice the size of the average grown male if my memory serves, his defining feature is of course his emerald eyes. Hermione is a leopard, again more than twice the average size, with the colour at the top of her head as her defining feature." He then scratched between their ears. "Astonishing, neither of them had made it passed a paw in our last session."
"Ahh, but the question is can they make it back to themselves with their clothes intact." Sirius chuckled mischievously.
Harry and Hermione didn't even give him the chance to laugh as they stood up as themselves and moved to hold hands, Sirius stopped laughing immediately as they stood there in their matching attire.
"Now would someone fill us in on what's been happening since we bonded." Harry requested.
"Do you know how long you were out?" Remus asked.
"I assume by the darkness it's been most of the day." Hermione stated.
"Try nearly 4 days." Sirius informed them.
"Bloody hell." Harry swore as he and Hermione sat down in the only free chair in the room, with her sitting in his lap. "Ok so start filling us in."
"Well first of all." Aunt Minnie started. "The elf wards failed completely, even with them being reenforced by the entire Hogwarts staff of elves, all of the windows in the manor had to be replaced, a small price to pay for the strength of our wards your initial magic pulses seem to have tripled their strength and as far as I can see they are now linked to you in some way."
"Indeed, it would appear your ward book is of secondary use." The black cloaked figure stated. "The only reason I'm even able to be here right now is that I was brought in on the old system."
"So if someone we don't want here tries to enter we can block them with a thought?" Hermione asked.
"Most likely." He replied. "Honestly I don't know, I've never seen wards like them."
"Ok well that's not too bad." Harry sighed in relief.
"That was only the initial pulse of magic." Remus stated. "Your next pulses continued every 30 minutes for the next 2 days."
"What did we break?" Hermione asked pessimistically.
"Every trace detector in Europe for a start." Sirius chuckled. "And all attempts to replace them have failed."
"Oh I bet the ministry is out for blood for that one." Harry chuckled.
"Indeed they are." Aunt Minnie smiled. "The other issue is you affected everyone with a dark mark, all of them have been seen by St Mungo's for nerve damage."
"No loss there." Sirius stated. "Except for Severus, who is in Poppy's capable hands."
"Is he ok?" Harry asked.
"He will be fine." Viv smiled. "Poppy was with him when it happened."
"Any better news?" Hermione asked hopefully.
"Indeed." Petunia smiled. "Dudley will be joining you at Hogwarts this year, he will be spending the next month learning everything you have in the last 2 years, I am also learning but I'll only learn what Minerva feel's will be helpful."
"Your father and I are in a similar position, but we haven't decided what to do yet." Viv stated.
"How are you feeling about it?" Hermione asked.
"Confused, and happy, I think." Richard stated. "I spoke with Charlus, Fleamont, and James about the promise Harry made to my on our first day here at the manor, and I've spent the last two days trying to figure out what I want to do about it."
"Is there anything you can do?" Harry asked. "My promise was fairly iron clad, and honestly I don't regret making it."
"He has magic now Harry." Remus said. "He has the ability to release you from it, but it's not an easy decision for him to make."
"Oh."
"Exactly why he's confused." Viv stated. "He hasn't even spoken to me all that much."
"Could be worse." Harry sighed. "But I get the feeling you're not telling us everything."
"We aren't." Sirius stated. "And some of us don't want to tell you at all, but I believe you should know all of the facts, your magic affected every living magical being in this country, most of us humans just got a power boost, the houseelves are less dependent on their bond to us, the centaurs regained the ability to cast their magic, and so on, but the biggest effect you had was on the Dementors, they retreated all the way to their hive chamber deep below the surface under Azkaban, it took 6 hours after the pulses stopped to get them out of there again, and in that time some of the prisoners escaped."
"There just weren't enough human guards on the island." Remus continued. "Amelia was doing all she could but, some still slipped through."
"Who?" Hermione asked.
"Albus Dumbledore, Peter Petigrew, and Belatrix LeStrange."