A/N: Someone kindly pointed out that I had no disclaimer. However, since this is a fanfic site, I figured it would just apply to every story. I highly doubt J K Rowling would post fanfics about her own work. Then again. . .(gets scared)
I do not own any of the characters from the Harry Potter series. However, Aurora Potter and Alia Roman, along with Council of Enchantresses is of my own creation. Thank you.
*~*
Bill Weasley ran into the hospital room in St. Mungo’s, his parents behind him. Molly Weasley, usually very cheerful and loving, looked as if her eyes could start fires. Similarly, her husband Arthur looked like he was ready to break something. Bill’s eyes held fear and love in them as he gazed at Aurora. She was now sweating, still gripping Harry’s hand. She muttered words as she went into convulsions.
“Harry . . . fight . . . must . . . get . . . him . . . back . . . fight . . . promise . . . fight . . . fight . . . promise . . .”
“That’s not a reaction to Vensereum,” Arthur said, his body tensing. “Someone contact the Council. She needs the others.” The Healer, Anton, came running in.
“What’s going on with her?” Anton asked. Bill pushed past him and ran down the hall back to the entrance they had come in through. He entered the room that held several fireplaces connected to the Floo Network. Take a handful of powder from one of the several pots, he stepped into the fire and yelled, “The Council of Enchantresses!”
Bill disappeared.
Back in Aurora’s hospital room, everyone was on edge. Molly took charge of the younger ones. “Harry, Hermione, Ron, I think it’s time for us to go,” she said, making to place her hand on Harry’s shoulder.
“No, she’s my sister! She’s the only family I have left. I don’t even know her that well. I’m not leaving.” Harry stood there, resolutely.
“Harry,” Professor McGonagall said, “it really will be safer for you elsewhere.” Professor McGonagall looked over at Albus. After some seemingly silent communication, they both nodded. “I have an idea. Come on, you three. I have a stop to make before we go.” Before Harry could stop the actions of himself or others, he found himself following his Transfiguration teacher down the hallways of St. Mungo’s.
There were still people along the hallways, waiting to be taken care of. Harry absently wondered if there were more people to help them. He certainly could be of no help. Professor McGonagall lead the way to a room on another level, Harry couldn’t be sure which one. The little girl was still be carried by Professor McGonagall and Harry barely registered the presence of his two best friends behind him. Thoughts consumed his brain, making it hard to do anything else but think. He was hardly aware of Ron and Hermione coming to either side of him and making him go along faster.
Professor McGonagall must have taken the little girl somewhere, because the next time Harry checked, the little girl was gone. Professor McGonagall’s face was set to determine and Harry didn’t have the courage to ask her anything at the moment.
Eventually, they found themselves in the Floo Room (Harry guessed that was the name). Professor McGonagall went first saying very clearly the name of the place they were going. “Unicorn Ranch!”
Hermione went next after making sure Harry was okay. She looked rather nervous, Harry could tell that much. She took the powder and soon disappeared after yelling “Unicorn Ranch!” Ron made sure that Harry went before him. Harry took the handful of powder and walked over to one of the fireplaces uncertainly. He stood in the fireplace, turning around to see Ron. Ron smiled at him, encouragingly. After a quick smile in return, Harry threw the powder down and yelled, “Unicorn Ranch!”
Harry felt himself turn round and round until finally he stopped and fell forward. Hermione rushed over to him. “Get out of the way, Ron’s coming yet.” Harry did his best to move but somehow felt very out of himself. Using his feet, he helped Hermione pull him across the floor. When he found himself facing the ceiling instead of the floor, he started looking around. The room was huge. The ceiling was a good twenty to twenty five feet from the floor. The walls made the room look cavernous. Ron soon made his way to Unicorn Ranch; however, he did not fall flat on his face.
Professor McGonagall came back with a tray of food and drinks. Harry was pulled on to the couch; Ron and Hermione sat on either side. “We’ll be staying here,” Professor McGonagall said, “I’ll have some of your luggage sent here within the next couple of hours.” Professor McGonagall looked upset and with good reason.
No one really knew what was going on. Bill, Molly and Arthur, Severus, and Albus were still with Aurora while the three of them had to be at the Unicorn Ranch place with Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration professor.
“Where are we?” Harry asked, as he started to come back to being himself.
Professor McGonagall sighed, audibly. “We are at Unicorn Ranch,” she said as way of explanation.
“What’s that, Professor?” Ron asked.
“It’s Aurora’s ranch. She received it from her grandfather, Harry’s grandfather, Joseph William Potter. She’s been living her for a couple of years. Bill will also move in here after their wedding next month. I think Aurora was planning on having Harry’s birthday here as well.”
Harry started to absorb this.
“How did Bill and Aurora meet?”
Professor McGonagall’s eyes became very wide.
“Why don’t we have those two tell you for your birthday?” Professor McGonagall didn’t want to talk about it, which perked Harry’s interest. For the first time in quite a while (within hours, actually), Harry noticed how uncomfortable Hermione looked. Professor McGonagall left to tend to other things and surprisingly, Ron volunteered to go help her with whatever mystery tasks she had to attend to. This left Harry and Hermione alone in the spacious living room.
“Hermione?”
“Yes, Harry,” Hermione said, sighing, as well. She feared the worst at this point.
“You know more than I do,” Harry said. It was a sort of a question, sort of an accusation.
“Well, Harry, you tend to goof off quite a bit when it comes to your studies . . .”
“Hermione, you know what I mean.” She faltered under his gaze. How could she not tell him?
“Alright, alright. Remember how I told you I was to start training to be an Enchantress?” Harry nodded, Hermione continued. “Well, it turns out that you sister is my mentor. She and I have had a few discussions about everything during our lessons. She’s brilliant, your sister.” Hermione beamed at him.
“Okay, but what has she told you?”
“Well, obviously, I can’t tell you everything Harry. She did tell me about some stuff, though.” Hermione seemed to find her hands very interesting for as much as she was looking at them.
“Hermione,” Harry said, gently. “I need to know about my sister. She’s not here to do it. Please, Hermione, tell me something.”
“Like what, Harry? What is the one thing that can possible not wait?” She wasn’t mean or ill willed about Harry’s question. She wanted nothing more than to tell him everything she knew. However, she couldn’t do that just yet. Aurora needed to be the one to tell him any of this stuff. Sorting out her dilemmas in her head wasn’t working either. She wished Aurora were there, but then she wouldn’t have a problem.
“I’ll make you a promise, Harry. When Aurora comes back, I’ll make sure she tells you everything she can. I just can’t be the one to tell you. You understand, don’t you?”
Harry didn’t, not really. However, the burden shouldn’t be Hermione’s, so he let it go. Ron and Professor McGonagall came back after a while. Harry and Hermione had entertained ideas about the potential of Unicorn Ranch for the rest of the summer.
Fawkes, who was becoming a usual sight for Harry, came flying in through the window and landed near Professor McGonagall. Sighing, Professor McGonagall took the message off of his leg and went into another room. Fawkes turned to the trio and stared at Harry. It was as if the Phoenix was trying to tell him something.
“What’s wrong with him?” Ron asked. Harry shook his head, not understanding the magical creature. The phoenix had been around Dumbledore for years, possibly centuries. Everyone had thought at one time or another that the bird would seem as crazy as Dumbledore sometimes seemed to be. Fawkes just stared at Harry, as if there was no one else in the room. Hermione still sat beside him. Ron sat on a chair nearby. Professor McGonagall soon returned.
“Aurora will be okay,” she said, smiling. “They’ll all be coming here within a couple of hours. Why don’t you three get ready?”
“What’s there to get ready for?” Ron asked. Hermione threw a pillow at him and Ron quieted down. “Okay, okay, I get it.” Hermione led the way upstairs like she owned the place, or at least knew it very, very well. She pointed out a huge bathroom for both Harry and Ron to clean up in while Hermione went down the hall.
Before they knew, Harry and Ron had fallen asleep on the respective couches that had been placed in the bathroom. They heard a knocking and Hermione walked in. “You two have been here all this time. Did you know that it was morning, already? Let’s go, people are waiting.”
They were surprised to see a group of people in the living room, despite Hermione’s warning. “Aurora?” Harry asked, since he couldn’t see her.
“I’m right here, Harry,” she said, coming from the kitchen into the living room. She was dressed in very nice robes; they sparkled and shined from the sunlight that had started shining through the windows. “We’ll talk later, Harry. I don’t have the required energy right now.”
It was quite noticeable that she limbed when she walked. Everyone else, however, could be found dancing and singing all through the first floor of the house. “What’s going on?” Ron and Harry remained on the stairs as Hermione went off to help Professor McGonagall get everyone breakfast.
Ron nudged Harry. “There are an awful lot of women here. I wonder what for?” Harry only shrugged. At the same time, however, they had spotted Alia Roman. She had been the Witch that had taken Snape away from Aurora’s room. Snape was beside her. He seemed to still be in shackles.
“Ah, there he is, Albus,” Alia said, pointing to the stairs. Albus looked at the stairs and smiled at the two young men. He waved them over, a flute glass of champagne in his hand.
“Professor,” Ron asked, “what are we celebrating?”
“Aurora’s return, for one, Mr. Weasley,” Albus said, putting an arm around his shoulder, “Harry’s family, as small as it is, for another. Of course, the presence of the Council of Enchantress’ here at Unicorn Ranch.” Albus smiled. “You two remember Alia Roman, of course,” Albus said, with a sweeping gesture towards the Enchantress. “She is the head of the Council of Enchantress’.”
“That makes her Aurora’s boss, doesn’t it,” Harry said.
“Nothing gets past you Potter,” Snape said, sarcastically. Alia turned to Snape, a frown on her lovely face, and poked him in the shoulder. Snape went down to his knees, yelling in pain. Harry and Ron smiled.
“You’ll have to teach us how to do that,” Ron said. He stopped, after catching Professor Dumbledore’s eye.
“No need to teach you, lad,” Alia said, her smiled returned. “Aurora, over there, can take care of Snape better than I can. She’ll be around him the whole term. You tell everyone to go to her with complaints of Snape. He steps out of line too bad, then I’ll intervene.”
“Now, now, Alia,” Albus said, “there’s no need for all that. I’m sure that Professor Snape has learned his lesson well.” Snape took several minutes to stand up. Harry and Ron took a step back. “Professor Snape will be punished at Hogwarts, of course, for his actions against a fellow teacher. However, that will between him, myself, and the Enchantress Aurora.”
“Ms. Roman,” Harry said. “I was wondering about something. I haven’t had a chance to ask Aurora, but maybe you can help.” Alia smiled even more (which didn’t seem possible) and looked eager for the chance to help. “What’s an Enchantress anyway? I mean, what’s difference between an Enchantress and a witch? Let me think of an example. Okay, Ginny, Ron’s sister, is not in training to be an Enchantress. Hermione is. What’s the difference between to two of them?”
“Nothing really,” Alia said, without hesitation. “I’m sure the Mrs. Weasley could do an excellent job if given the chance. So few young ladies are, I’m afraid, given the chance, that is.” She accepted another drink from Bill, who had Ginny in tow. Albus smiled at her and Ginny went around and stood between Ron and Harry as if she had been there the whole time. “As I was saying,” Alia said, “it’s a matter of criteria. Take your sister, Aurora, Harry. We asked your parents shortly after Aurora’s birth. I believe we tracked them down to the hospital in Ireland. We had a long talk with your parents. The agreed, of course, but Aurora didn’t get to see much of Lily and James. It’s a shame, really.”
Harry didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say. Aurora hadn’t known their parents either. Oddly, that made him slightly happy. More so, however, it made him sad. Aurora missed out on their parents, too. Wait. . .
“So, that means Aurora wasn’t at the house when . . .”
“That’s right, Harry, we had her, safe and sound. Had we known. . .” Alia trailed off. “Things may have been different. No use dwelling in the past, however. There’s lots of time later for chitchats. We have a war to be fighting.” She walked away, Severus Snape in tow. Harry was glad he hadn’t said anything. Then again, maybe Snape couldn’t say anything.