Chapter Ten

Breakfast, served by the house-elves, had come and gone. Hermione spent the morning bonding with Alexander and learning to care for him even without her sight. Posey wasn't too far away and helped as much as she was allowed. Poppy, in a seemingly ongoing apology for keeping Severus from the Vale last spring, came and spent several hours watching and helping mother and child.

The rest of the Order and their guests spent their time visiting and gossiping and, quite frankly, curious as to why they had been left to their own devices throughout the morning.

After several hours of idleness, the younger members began to get restless, which led to Arthur trying to contact the Headmaster. The Floo to his office was still blocked, and wary concern was beginning to infiltrate the ranks.

"Oi! Maybe Hermione knows what's going on. She's married to Snape, after all. We can ask her what's going on." Ron suggested.

Of course, that only infuriated Harry. "I doubt she knows anything but what he lets her know. She wouldn't be any help at all." He threw himself into a plush red and gold chair as he spat, "Why would she? She obviously doesn't care about us, or she would have come back to Hogwarts rather than stay with the Greasy Git!"

"Harry, that not fair, and you know it. Hermione did what was best for her so she could continue to help you. She had no control over her circumstances at the time," Arthur said.

"Whatever; we could have protected her just as well here. She chose to stay away." Harry was determined to hold on to this stubborn opinion.

"Really, Harry? And which one of you would have taken my virginity? Would you have given me a choice?" Hermione's voice came from the back of the room where she had Floo'd with Minerva to retrieve the Order for their meeting. "Would you have slept with me yourself, Harry, regardless of what Ginny would have said? Or would you push me off on Ron? Or better yet, would you have been so concerned about the state of my virginity and who was allowed to take it that you would have left me vulnerable to Greyback and Remus?"

There were gasps of dismay and shouts of denial as Hermione's words sank in. Harry jumped from his seat, his eyes blazing. "We wouldn't have let anything happen to you and you could keep your bloody virginity. How dare you make Remus a bad guy; he wouldn't hurt any of us! You chose to sleep with Snape, and now you have to deal with it! Don't be surprised if all your old friends don't get over your betrayal so easily!"

"Even after I told you everything, you still think you're right? And how did I betray my friends? I was kidnapped, Harry. I was tortured, and I was almost raped by a werewolf! How DARE you accuse me of betraying you! Should I have just let them do it; should I have just given in and returned to Greyback when Bellatrix cast that spell on my blood? Did you not hear the story Severus and I shared? They were trying to get to Remus and bind him to the dark using me!" Hermione ranted in a furious storm.

Harry stood in silence for a moment and then started yelling again. "Maybe Mad-Eye was right, maybe you ARE a spy! I can't trust you! You didn't... "

As he berated Hermione again, Ron grabbed his arm to try to calm him down and get him away from Hermione. Minerva was shocked into action by the sudden change in her demeanour. The furious girl was suddenly replaced by a very wary, almost submissive stranger. She was trembling viciously, her sightless eyes wide, and her breathing was coming in harsh pants. Harry, Ron, and the others were so intent on Hermione that no one noticed Minerva stepping quickly into the Floo.

Ron jerked Harry back as he headed towards Hermione again, and the two stared in confusion as they watched this transformation. "Hermione? Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron was getting seriously concerned as no one was doing anything, but staring.

"I'm what's wrong." Remus Lupin stepped through the door to the Gryffindor common room. At the sound of his voice, Hermione whimpered. "She can smell the werewolf in me."

"Please, don't hurt me... " The sheer despair in her voice reverberated through the other occupants in the room.

"Hermione... " Remus reached towards the girl he looked on so fondly.

"Do. Not. Touch. Her. She is genuinely afraid of you." The venom dripped from the words Severus spoke as he followed Lupin into the room and stared down everyone gathered around. "The next time my wife is cornered for your entertainment, someone will regret it."

He moved to Hermione's side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "It's OK, Hermione, no need to be afraid. Lupin needs to speak with you and I want you to listen carefully to what he says."

Hermione nodded, but stiffened when he made to release her. "I will be here the whole time. There is nothing to fear, my love. Why don't you sit here; that way you feel more secure."

Severus led Hermione to the chair Harry had not long before vacated. As she sat, Severus glared around the room. "You are lucky that Minerva came looking for me." He focused on Harry. "If you ever attack Hermione again, I will deal with you, Chosen One or not. I... "

He was interrupted by a small voice and a hand on his arm. "Please, I need to go to Alex."

One last glare at Harry, and Severus answered his wife with a small sigh. "First, you must deal with the Wolf situation. Then I will take you back to our quarters before we have to meet Albus."

He nodded towards Remus who knelt at Hermione's feet. "I am so sorry this has happened, Hermione. Please know that I would never hurt you, or anyone I consider family." He took her hand gently as she made to speak. "Please, hear me out. I know about the potion. I know what Greyback planned. Severus managed to get some of the salve they used on you, and he created a counter to it. As a precaution, I have taken it. There is no chance I would ever touch you, Hermione, not in any way other than in friendship. I swear to you."

By the end of Remus' speech, Hermione was sobbing again, and Severus lifted her from her seat. "If you have all finished causing damage to those you profess to care about, you might be interested to know that the Headmaster and I have spent the better part of the morning interrogating Barty Crouch, Jr. who was masquerading as our own Mad-Eye Moody using Polyjuice Potion." With that, Severus and Hermione headed to the Floo. "Snape quarters," Severus sneered.

*****

As soon as they were gone, Remus turned on Harry. "Harry, you heard what they said about the potions and ritual to bind me to Voldemort and Greyback. Severus couldn't be sure that the modification to the aphrodisiac would disappear, and Hermione has been living in fear that I would rape her, through no fault of my own. The potion was keyed to the animal in me, not the human. Never act that way again. Your parents would be extremely disappointed, as I am. You can't always be the hero, you know, and whether you like Severus or not, he is Hermione's husband. And she has done nothing to deserve your treatment of her."

Remus then addressed the room at large. "The house-elves will bring a late lunch as soon as the women join you, and then we are expected to meet again. The Headmaster is waiting in his office. We need to finish what we started yesterday, and discuss Moody."

"What was Severus talking about? Moody, Polyjuiced?" Arthur queried.

"Yes, Barty Crouch, Jr., late of Azkaban prison. He was thought dead, but his mother traded places with him. It was she that died. He was impersonating Moody so he could kidnap Harry."

"What are we going to do?"

"Nothing. Severus and Albus used Legilimency and have recovered the real Moody who will be out of commission for a while. Crouch has had his memory wiped and has been returned to Azkaban. That's why Kingsley Shacklebolt still hasn't made the meeting. The attack at the Ministry yesterday required his attention and now this. Hopefully, he will be able to join us before anything else happens." Remus headed for the door as the elves Apparated in with food. "Don't dally; we have a lot to do today."

*****

"I hope that everyone had enough lunch; it is going to be a long while before dinner. As I am sure you know, Barty Crouch, Jr. was masquerading as Alastor Moody. We have located the real Moody, trapped in an expandable trunk in his home. We don't have anything to worry about from Crouch as I have just received word that he was given the Dementor's Kiss for his crimes. The least of which was his escape from prison." The Headmaster greeted everyone with this information as they came through the door.

He allowed everyone to sit and then continued, "I trust also that there will be no more unjustified accusations made towards any member of the Order, or our friends?"

An uncomfortable silence met this question, some knowing precisely why the question was asked, and others wondering what happened.

"I am sorely disappointed in Harry, and in everyone else who stood by and let him act so harshly towards a friend. I have already spoken to him once about his attitude towards friends and loved ones. I see that it did no good."

Harry stared at the floor, face glowing red with shame. "I apologise to Hermione for what I said."

Hermione only nodded and Severus snorted rather rudely, but Dumbledore spoke again. "Harry, you had best look inside yourself. If you are not firmly in the Light, you will not be able to use the weapon necessary to vanquish Tom. You will become what he has!"

Harry paled and looked at the Headmaster in shock. "What? What do you mean, I'll become like Riddle?"

"Severus, would you care to relate what you know about this weapon we are hoping will be the end of Tom Riddle and his threats on the Wizarding World?"

The Potions master rose from his place beside his wife and strode to the Headmaster's desk. He leaned against the front of it, biding his time. After a little while, and just before restlessness set in, he began to speak.

"You all know who I am; what you don't know is that I am the Knight of Carnwennan, descended from the first Knight and the eldest priestess of the Vale. I am protector of the Vale of the Carn, and the Ladies who rule there. Hermione is a Lady of the Vale, descended from one of the other four priestesses that Nimue, Lady of the Lake, sent to conceal and protect the last weapon of Arthur, after his fall. Miss Lovegood is also a Lady, descended through maternal lines from yet another priestess." He cleared his throat and paused to ensure there would be no interruptions. "The last two lines are represented by the Ladies waiting in the hospital wing."

Arthur frowned at Severus. "How can we be sure of all this? King Arthur is a myth, a legend, as we discussed yesterday. We all know the story of Merlin and his decision to share his magic."

Severus sighed. "Did no one listen to me yesterday? Merlin was a fraud. He was the Lady of the Lake's uncle, not her lover, and he certainly wasn't her teacher. Magic was passed down through the maternal line, and that took power out of his hands. The magic that is now part of us was derived from Nimue's priestess. Each was from magical lineage and came from the Isle of Avalon. The fall of Arthur and Camelot was a move on Merlin's part to attempt to secure his position of power in the mundane world."

"Incredible, Severus; do you have records of this?"

"Indeed, Headmaster. The Vale library is full of genealogies and historic records. I have read quite a few over the years."

"Why did Merlin act against his niece?" Molly was curious on that point.

"She fell in love with one of the Knights of the Round Table. If she had consummated the relationship, and had borne this knight a child, the babe would have been magical, a worthy ruler in his own right. Merlin wanted to be the only magical being in Arthur's world."

The doubt on the faces of some of the Order was beginning to clear.

"So, what happened? Are all the legends true, or is the truth a different story completely?"

"That is where it gets interesting. Merlin used a love potion on Arthur's queen and used her to dose and distract Nimue's love. When that in turn distracted the Lady, Merlin summoned a dark witch to help him cement his control over Arthur and the Round Table."

"Nimue's love? Lancelot of the Lake?"

"Precisely, Minerva. He was 'of the Lake' because they were bound in matrimony. When he broke his vows to Nimue, he also broke his vows as a Round Table knight. This action resulted in others that led to the fall of Camelot, and the disappearance of Merlin. And yes, he was trapped in a cave by Nimue. Between that act, and the magic she performed to hide away the traces of Camelot and the Battle of Camlann, she hadn't the strength to cross back over from Avalon."

"Then how did the Vale come to be?" Minerva asked. "I am Highland born and bred and I know nothing of this place."

Severus chuckled. "No, you wouldn't. The Very Black Witch was summoned and terrorized the countryside, and finally Nimue gave Arthur himself the Dagger she called Carnwennan. At this point, she suspected that Merlin was behind the terrible things happening, and she no longer trusted him to safeguard the fey weapons she had given Arthur. Arthur managed to kill the witch and hide the dagger at Camelot because it had been tainted by the evil it touched. He knew that if anyone, especially Merlin with his ambitions, handled the Carn, they could potentially absorb that darkness themselves."

"Merlin manipulated events that led to the Battle of Camlann. His intent was to destroy Arthur and set a new king on the throne, a king he could control. Nimue and her ladies got to Arthur in time and took him with them to Avalon before he could succumb to his wounds, but not before she did her last bit of magic."

"She summoned a trusted Round Table knight, Gareth, and he was charged with protecting five priestesses from Avalon that were handpicked to safeguard the dagger. Eventually, they found their way to the Vale where they created a home using all the magic at their disposal. Only those with the Blood of the Vale can cross the boundaries. I am able to do so because Gareth and Lynette were handfasted, and I am their descendant. There is only one Knight at any given time and you can tell us by this mark."

Severus took a deep breath. "I am only doing this so there will be no doubt as to who I am, that I speak the truth. Only the Knight bears this mark." He removed his robes and unbuttoned his shirt before turning around. Between his shoulder blades, following his spine was an exquisitely wrought dagger tattoo. The blade itself was inked in black, but it had a silver shimmer that seemed otherworldly. The handle was also black, but it held a golden shimmer. Severus turned back to face his audience, buttoning his shirt as he did. "No one else will have this tattoo until I die. Then Alexander will bear the mark."

"The other Ladies, when they decided to take a husband, were directed to their mates by way of magic. That was how magic was propagated. The stories Merlin's followers passed down were lies."

"That was one more story, Severus. I can't believe that no one has ever heard of the Vale, though." Remus said. "You would think that guardians of a magical weapon, especially one used more than once, would be well-known."

"Nimue used her magic to erase the existence of Camelot and Arthur. Unfortunately for her, the bits of magic that remained didn't allow all of the traces to disappear. This, in turn led to the legends."

"But, Severus, why haven't these stories been passed down in Pureblood families, at least?" Minerva asked. "They are known for collecting their histories."

"It's simple." Hermione spoke for the first time since they had begun the meeting. "Magic was known, even to the mundane world, for years, as long as the Old Ways and rituals were practised. When the families let go of the traditions taught to them by the Ladies of the Vale, magic began to fade, and the histories became legends at the best and forgotten at worst.

"As Severus' mum and I went over the genealogies, we discovered entire generations missing from some lines and others that just ended. The last time we can positively pinpoint a gathering in the Vale was during the terror of the Dark Lady Elisabetta in 1682. It was around that time that Muggles stopped executing Witches, but the magical world truly began to hide itself from the mundane world. Over the years, the stories just faded away."

Albus interjected at this point, "So the weapon we seek is the dagger King Arthur used to destroy the original incarnation of whatever has possessed Tom. How do we find it?"

"The Carn is indeed the weapon," Severus acknowledged. "The four priestesses can summon the dagger if they go to the Vale and complete the ritual."

Molly asked. "Do we know the ritual? Was it written down?"

"Yes," Hermione answered. "The ritual is quite simple. It simply requires the four Ladies of the Vale to cast a circle and call forth Carnwennan."

Minerva chuckled. "Well, if it's as easy as all that, I reckon we should bring the other two Ladies in so we can finally meet them. I certainly hope they are willing to help!"

Albus called for a house-elf and directed it to have Poppy Floo her guests to his office. He, Severus, and Remus looked at each other, knowing the introductions would make for an interesting event.

*****

The Floo flared, and two women stepped into the room. The first was Andromeda Tonks.

"Mum! What's this? You're a Vale Lady? Who's that with you?" Nymphadora Tonks leapt from her seat, her hair flashing several different colours as her emotions raced.

Andromeda Tonks didn't answer her daughter, but stepped forward to address the group. "I understand that I was summoned here by blood magic. I have brought another that was lost." She beckoned at the hooded figure who joined her at the front of the order. "You can show yourself now," she said.

A gasp was heard when the hood was dropped and several of the Order recognised their guest. Molly jumped from her seat and exclaimed, "Alice!" before enveloping the woman in a huge hug.

"Alice?" was murmured over and over before Albus decided to speak.

"For those of you who don't know, this is Alice Longbottom."

Stunned silence filled the room, then Ron shouted out, "We need to get Neville!"

Alice looked at Ron. "Neville? He is well?"

Ron smiled. "Yes, he has become a really good wizard. You would be proud."

Alice smiled in return. "I would love to see him. But it will have to wait until the vale business is complete. We must keep our presence here as secret as possible."

Remus, Molly, and Arthur then took Alice's attention back. The four traded stories and tears as the Order milled around digesting this newest turn of events. After several moments of reminiscing, the Order settled back down and everyone returned to their seats to continue planning the end of the Dark Lord.

"Andromeda, I thought that Bellatrix was older than you. She has always made it seem that she was the oldest sister, anyway," Severus stated.

Andromeda nodded her head. "Yes, well, she would, wouldn't she? I was never pure-thinking enough for her, and her Dark Lord would not have been happy to know that the control over the Black sisters' fortune was mine. She and I are twins. Obviously we aren't identical, but I am the older twin by about ten minutes. I never said anything, because it was easier not to rock the boat, and it kept me from marrying Rodolphus Lestrange. Then when I met and married my husband, it eventually kept Ted safe."

Minerva added, "I'm thankful you are the oldest or we would have been in even more trouble, I'm sure!"

"Indeed," Albus agreed. "Now, we've been here for hours. Let's adjourn for dinner in the Great Hall and we will make plans after we eat. It shouldn't take too long to plan the trip to the Vale and the summoning of the dagger. After that, it is merely strategising a final push to defeat Tom once and for all."

With that, Albus led the large group to the dinner waiting for them.