With the two possible leads being handled by the Delacours, Harry and Hermione refocused on their schoolwork and extra defensive studies with the House Potter allies. Professor Lupin pushed all his classes, but the fifth year OWL class was especially focused. For a couple of days out of the month he was of course unavailable. The day before a full moon he was too irritable to be around anyone and then the day after he needed time to recover his strength. When these days fell during the week, Auror Tonks was authorized to substitute. Usually she set aside curriculum and focused on dueling drills. The full moon in January fell at the beginning of the month and DADA on Thursday was led by Tonks. One time someone had called her Professor Tonks and that person was quickly set right. There was already one Professor Tonks in the castle and that was more than enough for Dora. The class focused on dueling as expected and Harry was paired against Tonks and was proud when he managed to almost settle at a draw against a trained Auror. As the dueling rounds wrapped up and Tonks finished with her usual review of methods, Harry had an idea. Hermione agreed with him completely and they stayed after to talk to Tonks. As everyone else filed out and she saw them staying behind, she got a cautious look.
"Alright you two, what are you brewing up in that merged mind of yours?"
"Well, we were thinking about how vital these dueling lessons are and the fact that we only get time with you once a month. You probably know that we have a small group of allies that meets once a week usually for extra defense studies. We're doing well, but I think we could benefit from professional guidance. I've also been thinking that twice a week would be best. I know you have your Auror duties of course, but would it be possible for us to hire you to teach our group? We'd try to work the schedule around your assignments."
Tonks seemed to think for a minute and then smiled brilliantly.
"Hmm, that sounds like fun Harry. I'd be willing to give it a go, but I'd have to get Amelia to approve it. Some Aurors take side security details with approval, so I don't think it will be a problem."
"Excellent. Well, when you talk to Amelia, just send us an owl please. I'm not sure what is a reasonable consulting fee. Does 10 galleons* an hour sound fair? We usually go about an hour and a half a night."
Tonks stumbled a bit and shook her head at Harry.
"Ten sounds fine Harry. For the night, I won't be watching a clock. It's quite generous actually. I assume with Founders' rights that you won't need to get Dumbledore's approval?"
"Technically no, but we will inform him. I don't see a problem with letting an Auror who is also a substitute professor come around a bit extra each week."
Tonks nodded and promised to talk to Amelia first thing in the morning. Harry and Hermione then left to hurry on to their next class.
The following evening an owl arrived at the window to the Potter apartment and Harry quickly read the note it brought. Tonks had confirmed with Amelia and her current assignment made her available on Monday and Thursday nights. Thursdays were practice for Quidditch, but that usually only went until dinner and the defensive studies would be after. Tonks advised she would arrive at seven, which would give everyone time for dinner.
Three days later, Harry and Hermione were in their apartment when a knock sounded shortly before seven. It was Tonks and the three of them quickly walked up to the seventh floor, where Harry paced and opened up the Room of Requirement. Hermione had explained about the room as they walked and Tonks let out a low whistle when they entered and she saw a small classroom area in one corner with comfortable seats and then a set of training dummies and a couple dueling rings.
"Merlin's beard! This is bloody fantastic. Everything we need. Although maybe one more ring would be helpful, but we can take turns."
Harry thought for a moment and suddenly another dueling ring appeared. Tonks shook her head and grinned. Then a knock signaled the arrival of the rest of the group. Ron and Luna arrived first, then the twins, Blaise and Susan and finally Neville and Ginny. Tonks looked at the different couples and smirked to see that many of Harry's allies had paired off. She would definitely take advantage of that. Everyone gathered in a loose group in front of her and waited. They were entirely too relaxed and that would have to end.
"What the bloody hell is this? We're not here to lounge for a picnic. Form up!"
Tonks' commanding, shrill tone was obviously not what anyone had been expecting and each stood up a bit taller and snapped their arms to their sides. Still, they were scattered and nowhere close to a line. Tonks shook her head and whipped her wand around as each person was pushed and pulled until they were in a straight line. Another flick of her wand saw Fred's shirt tail roughly tucked in and a flick the other way saw Neville's tie tightened until he almost choked.
"I said form up! That means get your sorry asses in a line and ready for our exercises. Alright, obviously you all need some warm up. First person to give me 100 pushups gets a bit of a break at the end. Last person done gets to do an extra 20. Go!"
Everyone still looked shocked, but quickly dropped as Tonks waved her wand and floating numbers appeared over each person as she watched and began her lesson.
"Alright you sorry lot, I know Remus and Harry have been working on your defensive skills to a degree, but we're turning that degree up. Also, you can't defend yourselves for very long if you don't have fitness and stamina. I'm only going to be here two nights a week, provided other duties don't call me away. I expect you all to keep up your fitness when I'm not here. You may hate it, but just remember what would happen if you defeat one Death Eater and then don't have enough strength left for the four more that come up behind the one you took out. I'd recommend running, but the weather up here is bloody awful, so pushups, sit ups, strength training would work when the snow is…"
Tonks stopped her litany as her words caused the room to change. One corner now offered a set of weight training equipment. Tonks grinned and mentally thanked the magic of the castle.
"Ha! This amazing room agrees with me. It can offer you the equipment you need. Hell, for that matter it probably would give you a running track. No..not right now room. And Blaise is our first to 100 with Harry just behind him. Everyone else keep going. Blaise and Harry, first ring, start dueling. No catching your breath. Death Eaters wouldn't let you and neither will I. Susan, Fred, you take the next ring. George and Neville, you're next. Ginny and Luna, there's a new ring for you, get moving. And Hermione you just beat Ron. Ron keep going for another twenty, Hermione go wait in that last ring until he finishes, the two of you will pair off for now."
Soon Ron finished his extra twenty and almost crawled to the ring where Hermione was waiting. All the pairs were attempting basic dueling, but the exhaustion from the pushups was showing. Tonks went around, growling instructions as shields failed and she quickly revived anyone who was stunned. After ten minutes, she called them all to the side and shook her head. Most of them already looked whipped.
"Alright you sorry lot, this will be how each of our sessions begins. For a couple weeks I'll go easy and not add to your starting 100, but don't expect that to last. You need your stamina to increase and you need to get to a level of focus where you can push physical pain aside and not let it affect your spells. Some of you are already managing this to a degree, but everyone needs improvement. Now, we had a lot of shields failing and most of you are still going with a simple protego. That spell is kiddie stuff. You'll never see a Death Eater use that one. Well, expect for some stupid ones, which there are a few. Anyway, the spell you need is fortis contego. This is orders of magnitude stronger and also takes a lot more focus and power. With practice you'll get to a point where you can hold it subconsciously. For now though, let's see who can get it on the first try. It's nearly invisible, so I'm going to aim shock spells at each of you. If your shield falls, it will hurt, but will pass quickly. No worse than a bit of static discharge. Space yourselves five meters from each other and cast as soon as I give the go."
Tonks then showed everyone the spell and had them begin. Every person in the room did as instructed and tried to cast the shield. A couple attempts fizzled and then each person tried again. Harry felt his shield go up, but it did indeed take a lot of control to hold it. Once everyone had a minute to get shields up, Tonks went down the row casting shock spells. Luna's shield held for a brief moment before a crack indicated that it went down and she yelped and rubbed her arm where Tonks' spell had hit her. Ron and Neville also lost their shields quickly. Susan never managed to get hers established. Fred, George and Blaise all held on through several barrages from the auror before their shields went down. Hermione and Harry unsurprisingly held despite Tonks casting repeated spells back and forth at each of them. They were linked in the bond, each offering support to each other and pouring their magic into each other's shields. After twenty shots each, Tonks desisted.
"Alright, most of you need to work on that. The Potters were the only ones to hold up and that's due to their bond. Still, Harry and Hermione, don't get complacent. Yes, you two are bloody strong combined, but if a group of Death Eaters focused on you together, even your combined strength would have a limit. Now, let's duel again with the new shield. I'm dividing you up differently and I'm keeping Harry and Hermione split."
The rest of the time was spent in rotation as everyone practiced their shield strength. As the time wore down, everyone was ready to drop when Tonks called them all back together.
"Okay everyone, we're almost done. Ten minutes to go. I want fifty jumping jacks, fifty squats and fifty sit ups now. Once you finish that, I'll show you some cool down exercises. Ron, you were the slowest earlier, I want the three sets of fifty and when you get done, I want another five minutes of pushups from you. Blaise, you get five less of each for finishing first earlier."
Several people suppressed groans, while others didn't bother as everyone dropped to the floor to push through the exercises. A couple took breaks in between and Tonks went easy by not reprimanding them. It was just their first day after all. Ron grumbled through everything, but continued on with his extra pushups. Finally their time came to an end and Tonks surveyed the ragged group.
"Alright, that wasn't an entirely bad session. I'll be back on Thursday and expect everyone to be working out and practicing until then. Dismissed."
Everyone stumbled out of the room, with Harry and Hermione waiting until the end. They talked to Tonks for a minute and thanked her, even though they were both in pain, they knew it was needed. They returned to their apartment and enjoyed a long hot shower together. Then, despite their fatigue, they both spent a couple hours on homework.
The next few weeks were spent with much the same routine. Mornings began with Harry and Hermione meeting their friends at the Room of Requirement, which did provide a running track for them and then switched to become a weight room. They all arrived at 6:15 and worked out until 7:30. Then it was showers and breakfast before classes started at 8:30. Everyone grumbled over the time, but only Ron and Susan missed a couple times.
Classes remained insanely busy, with Professor Lupin pushing them hard in DADA, alternating active and passive days. Active days were spent learning spells and shield methods. Passive days were spent learning about some of what they might face in the way of dark creatures. The start of the year also signaled Lupin's beginning coverage of minor undead, including the inferi that Voldemort seemed to favor. Outside of classes, Quidditch practice happened despite the weather, although no matches were scheduled until February. Tonks was at the castle two nights a week for the additional defense practice as planned, with the exception being the third week of the month when she had been unavailable on Monday, busy with Auror duties. She continued their shield work with the fortis spell and also began instruction on conjuring material and items to use as shields, which was infinitely more difficult and draining. She also worked on their offensive spells, and some of what she taught them was borderline dark. They learned advanced cutting spells that could have a minor addition that would add a slight curse to the wound, making it more difficult to be healed quickly. They also learned spells for slowing the enemy, everything from sound bludgeoning spells that would disorient, to a spell that shot sticky webs that wound around an opponent, making movement and casting difficult. Harry called it the Spiderman spell and then had to explain Spiderman to the confused purebloods. The training progressed well and they all knew it was useful, but Harry was still frustrated as no word came from France and Dumbledore didn't have any new horcrux leads.
As the first week of February drew to a close, Harry and Hermione were racing from Potions to Charms after staying a bit late to talk to Professor Tonks. As they skidded around a corner, they almost crashed into a second year. Catching his breath, Harry took the note that the shocked boy offered him and waved his thanks as they continued on, just managing to slide in before Flitwick closed his door. Once the professor started talking, Harry glanced at the brief note:
Letter for the Potters waiting in the headmaster's office.
That was intriguing and Harry was left to spend the rest of Charms itching to go retrieve the letter. Only Hermione's mental nudging kept him on task and somewhat focused on the lesson. As soon as Flitwick dismissed them, they immediately made their way to the headmaster's tower. When they arrived, only Fawkes was there to trill a greeting. Harry found a sealed parchment waiting on a small table in the middle of the room, obviously placed to get their attention. While Hermione went to give Fawkes a scratch, Harry began to open the parchment. It had a heavy seal on it though that resisted cracking. Looking closer, Harry saw his name etched into the edge of the seal. As he looked closer, he saw that the seal was the same that he had seen at the Delacour's chateau. Realizing that the parchment was bound to only be opened by himself, Harry took his wand and sliced his thumb slightly. He then pressed the blood to the seal and a small puff of smoke accompanied the seal cracking open. He healed his thumb and then opened the parchment to read what Jean-Louis had sent:
Lord Potter,
My wife has returned from her trip to her sisters and has progress to report. In addition, I have located the rock you requested, but need to discuss details further. We would be pleased to have you and Lady Potter join us for dinner on Saturday. A simple floo response will be sufficient. This letter will serve as a portkey for five o'clock your time if you can attend.
Regards,
JLDAD
Hermione turned from the phoenix and smiled, having heard the letter's contents through their bond.
"Fancy dinner in France on Saturday my love?"
Hermione nodded and Harry pulled a small piece of parchment out of his bag. Writing a simple one word response 'yes', followed by his initials, he then went to the floo and sent the note to the Delacours. With that complete, he said goodbye to Fawkes and they made their way to lunch.
That evening was a Thursday and saw the Potters and their allies back in the Room of Requirement for Tonks' second visit of the week. In the month she had been training them, everyone's endurance had increased and even those who were disgruntled with the workouts couldn't deny that it was having an effect on their casting and dueling. She gradually increased pushups and sit ups, as well as the punishment for lagging behind. For the first couple weeks, Hermione had always been one of the last, but she pushed herself with Harry's help and was happy when she managed to stay in the middle of the pack.
On this Thursday, Tonks decided on a full round of dueling, pairing off everyone and then having the winner of each round pair off with another winner. When there was an odd number, she would join in to balance the numbers. She hadn't done this exercise in a couple weeks and it had been a favorite the last time she had tried it. She started with a few spell warmups and then paired everyone off, making sure to split everyone differently. She never paired Harry and Hermione because she honestly didn't think it would be possible for two soul bound individuals to properly duel each other. Harry started off against Neville and found himself challenged more than he would have expected, but Neville had taken the recent training quite seriously and was making great strides. Nine minutes into the duel, Neville was incapacitated.
With the group of ten down by half, Tonks joined in and Harry was paired with Blaise. Everyone else finished dueling and Harry and Blaise were still waging a fierce battle all around the room, causing their friends to put up shields while they watched. Seventeen minutes in, Harry finally took him down, but was feeling the effects. With three people left, Harry, Ginny and Fred, Tonks grabbed Harry and looked at him maliciously. This left Fred to duel his little sister, but his complaints made not a dent in Tonks' decision. The final two duels were both spectacular to watch as the Weasleys used a variety of inventive and funny curses and spells. Fred was quite right that his little sister couldn't pronounce her spells well when she grew an elephant trunk. Unfortunately for him, he didn't realize that she had a couple spells memorized enough that she could cast non-verbal, including her famous bat bogey. He quickly found out that having bats growing out of your nose distracted you from any type of casting. He still tried a few non-verbals as Ginny's shield held while she cancelled her trunk. A few curses later she took down her older brother, but not before he hit stronger than intended with a curse that broke her arm. He was dismayed at what he had done and was ready to head to the infirmary, but then Neville took Ginny in his arms and glared at him. Ginny insisted she could wait and wanted to watch Harry and Tonks.
The duel between Harry and Tonks was at twenty minutes and both were visibly wearing down, but Harry had the advantage that Hermione was pouring some energy into him. Tonks had told him to go for anything but the unforgivables and his early hesitancy was long gone as he threw everything at her. When Tonks sliced him across the chest with a diffindo that just broke through his weakened shield, Hermione felt his pain and couldn't control her rage. That caused her to pour magic into Harry as he sent a massive reducto at her. Tonks' shield took most of the hit, but eventually went down as the rest of the spell hit her and knocked her to the ground, looking dazed. Hermione was immediately distraught, but had eyes only for Harry's blood soaked shirt. Stepping past their instructor, she went to her husband and ripped the mangled shirt off to get a better look at his injury. It wasn't as bad as all the blood made it seem and she cast a healing spell that staunched the worst of it. He would still need some dittany and a check with Madam Pomfrey, but he had endured worse. As he mentally soothed her, she ran her hand down his chest and leaned in for a kiss as their minds and lips locked together. For them there was no one else present as they existed only for each other. Their kissing and fondling became a bit heated before Blaise and Ron physically pulled them apart.
"Oy you two! We don't want that kind of a show. Enough already."
Harry's instincts flared with annoyance at his friend as he rounded on Ron with anger flashing in his eyes. Ron withered a bit, but then Harry noticed everyone smirking at them and he realized that they really had gotten a bit carried away. Then he looked to where George was holding up a pale Tonks and his heart sank. His anger subsided and he stepped over to apologize, but Tonks cut him off before she could.
"No Harry! I told you to give me everything. I should have specified only to give me what you had. And everyone, this is why you should always be careful when fighting soul bonded individuals. Not that you will have to worry, I think these two are the only pair in Britain and maybe the world right now that I know of. Anyway, in the future when we duel, please don't pair up against me."
Hermione blushed and stepped to Harry's side.
"Sorry Tonks, I didn't realize what I was doing at first. I felt Harry's pain and lost control."
"I understand Hermione. That is something the two of you need to work on. Your bond is wonderful, but you need to be able to control it. I know you probably hate to hear this, but there may be a time when you need to block that connection and focus on your own tasks and battles. Now, I think I need a pepper up and Harry and Ginny need Poppy to take a look at them as well. Everyone else dismissed. Keep up your exercises. Next week I've got a couple new spells to put your strength to the test."
Neville insisted on going with Ginny and also put an arm around Tonks for support as Hermione and Harry followed them to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey wasn't pleased to see the results of their latest lessons, but quickly began to set them right. Ginny's broken arm was the worst and would require an overnight stay for the skele-gro to work, but the others were all dismissed before long. Neville looked like he wanted to stay, but the healer glared at him and shooed him out.
After a long shower with his wife and a good night's sleep, Harry was back to new and didn't even look like he would have a new scar thanks to the quick healing he had received. Friday and Saturday seemed to drag forever as he wondered what information would be waiting for them in France, but Hermione as usual kept him focused on his tasks. After a mid-morning Quidditch practice on Saturday, he and Hermione joined everyone in the Gryffindor common room to catch up on their copious homework. Finally, at half past four, they excused themselves to change into House Potter robes and prepare for dinner in France.
At five o'clock, the Potters joined hands and both gripped the letter from Jean-Louis as they made the trip to France in just under three minutes, arriving in the central foyer of the chateau. They were a bit surprised to see both Apolline and Jean-Louis waiting, but recovered their footing and stepped forward to greet their hosts. Jean-Louis greeted them as effusively as ever.
"My Lord and Lady Potter, welcome!"
"Please, can we dismiss the formalities Monsieur Delacour. It's Harry and Hermione."
"Of course, and please, it's Jean-Louis. It is best not to assume though. Now, can you please come to the library, there is much to discuss and that room has some additional wards. Also, Fleur regrets she won't be able to attend. Gabrielle will join us for dinner. She was quite perturbed when I banned her from joining us sooner."
Harry smiled and held back a chuckle as he followed his hosts to the library. As soon as they entered, he noticed that Jean-Louis cut a finger and wiped a bit of blood on the door seal as a palpable warding became evident in the room. Obviously what they needed to discuss was of dire importance and Harry and Hermione were both conflicted. They were concerned, but also excited that perhaps they would finally get some answers. Once everyone was seated, Jean-Louis looked at his wife and nodded for her to begin. Apolline graced them with a slight smile as she took the lead.
"My friends, I returned from visiting my sisters earlier this week and have news for you in regards to the knowledge that you seek. My stay there was longer than usual, as the matriarch had much to consider and the portents had to be read at the time of the moon's rebirth. I am pleased to tell you that she has agreed to assist and there is a way to counter this darkest of magics that has infested on you Harry. The way is not easy, but the matriarch and elders all believe it is quite probable to be a success. To explain further, I will need to tell you a bit more about my people and ask that you never repeat what you are told, even to your allies."
Harry had no problem with the request and felt Hermione's acceptance as well. They each quickly made a vow of secrecy and Apolline smiled in thanks as she began to explain.
"To begin, you need to know more of the veela to better understand our magic. Our origin is shrouded in myths, but the elders tell us that we came to being in the chaos of the forming of the world. We were created as playthings for the gods, who desired human flesh without human weakness. The gods were temperamental and often fought among themselves, so we were also created to be weapons. The origin of our magic came from the gods' fleshly desires and we remain creatures of lust, although we have harnessed our own desires through the past millennia. I am one of a lucky few veela who has found a man who will love me completely for all that I can offer, not just for my sexual gifts. From the time the gods disappeared from the realm of man and left us here, we have been sought as toys and treated poorly. Many of my ancient sisters were killed, but the few who remained joined together in small groups and retreated to hidden enclaves, such as where I grew up. To populate, the sisters would select human men to breed with at the time of the season's turnings. These liaisons are usually temporary and a veela will leave to return to the nest once she is impregnated. Except for the rare few of us who find a love match. Veela all breed females so this is the way it must be. You are aware of the allure, but of course your bond makes Harry immune. Fleur said it caused a few issues at school and she is only one quarter veela. My allure is four fold stronger and my mother's is sixteen fold stronger than my own. If we wished, we could rule men of power, but my sisters prefer to be left alone and bother with men only as is necessary. A veela's magic is strong, but it is rooted in desire and lust. Our magic is what is referred to by outsiders as sex magic, although that is an oversimplification. It is this magic that the matriarch believes may hold the answer you seek."
Apolline paused for a minute to give Harry and Hermione a chance to absorb what she had said. They didn't seem shocked, but were clutching each other's hands. Seeing that they were handling this well, she continued.
"The rite that the matriarch suggests for you is a soul purification. Or that is the closest translation. In ancient times it was used when a sorcerer would capture one of our sisters and enslave her with powerful blood magic. To break such a curse, the ritual was used. The ritual is complex and requires a full seven days preparation before the full moon. Then, at the time of the moon's full power, the matriarch and elders must use their power to attempt to break the soul of the focus. This must be done while the focus is in a joining, weakening them to the matriarch's power as her magic of creation battles the dark magic of destruction. If the focus is strong enough, the soul will not be broken, but any burdens upon it will be shed. The partner for the union does not need to be one of desire, although a veela cannot be included. Still, the ritual does mention that a true partner will hold the soul strong for a longer time. Your soul bond offers a unique component to the ritual that has never been attempted before. The elders believe though that the bond will help to virtually ensure success. You should know that the ritual can be painful. Given your bond, that pain will be for both of you. It is also most tiring on the emotions, as the most powerful of my sisters will be pouring their magic into the focus. This will not be easy, but it should break the dark one's soul piece that you harbor."
Apolline waited again and let her guests think on what they had heard. Hermione's brain was flying around a number of questions and seemed unable to stop, as she was assaulted with thoughts and concerns. Harry mentally comforted her and helped to line up the questions she had. After a couple minutes, Hermione took a deep breath and looked back at Apolline.
"Alright Apolline, this is all a lot to understand. A couple questions. The focus is Harry, correct? And you mentioned a union and a partner? Obviously I would be the partner. By union, do you mean that we need to have sex during the ritual? In front of everyone? What does the seven days of preparation entail? If we decide to do this, where will it happen? What will we need in supplies?"
"Yes Hermione, Harry is the focus with you as his partner. And yes, you will need to have sex in the presence of the matriarch and elders as they pour their power over you. The emotions of desire are crucial to our magic. The preparation phase will consist of separating the two of you and purifying the body and mind with diet, cleansings and exercises. If you decide to pursue this, it will take place in a ritual grove near the home of my sisters. The supplies are basic and we can supply them. There is something else that you should know. I explained to the matriarch that it is believed that the dark lord formed a number of soul containers. She was appalled at the thought and offers another rite that can be included. If the first rite is successful, the broken soul piece should be vulnerable for a period of time before fleeing. The elders should be able to bind that soul piece into another being. While that soul remains bound in another, our sibyl can do a casting and may be able to help locate the additional parts of the soul. The preference for the other being would be to use a pig. Once the casting is done, the pig will be slaughtered and burned and the soul will be gone forever. The matriarch only offered this after a good deal of contemplation. While these rites and rituals are well documented in our history, this particular application of them is unique and there is no guarantee, although the portents are favorable enough that she is willing to offer this."
Harry was shocked and happy at the prospect of a way to locate the other horcruxes. He momentarily felt sorry for the pig, but that thought fled quickly as he remembered the bacon he had eaten that morning. Of course, there were no guarantees. As he thought about the second part of the ritual, a question came to mind.
"That is promising Apolline and tempting to be sure. You mentioned a sibyl. Is that like a seer?"
"Yes, she is an ancient being. Older even that the matriarch. She has seen much happen throughout this world and this new dark lord troubles her more than anything has for several centuries."
Harry nodded and both he and Hermione's thoughts linked as they mentally examined what was being offered.
What do you think my love? It sounds dangerous and a bit sketchy, but I favor it over dying to remove this damn soul piece in my head.
Well of course it's the better option to that. I suppose the embarrassment about having sex with an audience is something I can get over. I am worried though about what might go wrong. They seem hopeful, but she's not offering a guarantee.
Perhaps you should ask.
Hermione gave a mental nod and looked back to Apolline, who waited patiently.
"Alright Apolline, my husband and I are leaning in favor of this, but I have concerns. What happens if this fails?"
"The likelihood is slim, but if the ritual fails, then Harry's soul will be broken. How much is unsure. A piece of his own soul may fracture, causing unknown mental fatigue and possible loss of magic. Or, if the break is greater, there may not be enough soul to maintain his body and he would die. Of course that would be a double tragedy given your bond."
Hermione sat back, rocked by what Apolline had said. This sounded promising, but it could kill Harry. And her as well.
Love, my life has been much more in danger in the past. My only hesitation is for you. Still, would you really want to remain bonded to me for eternity if I have to hold onto a bit of Voldemort as an unwanted hitchhiker?
I suppose not. And I know this is a small risk in comparison, but I can't help but be scared. You want to go ahead, don't you?
I think it's the best way. Preferable to dosing me with basilisk venom or casting fiendfyre at my head.
Well that's certainly true. Alright, let's go for it. Time for the Gryffindor courage.
Harry smiled at his wife and pulled her close to give her a tender kiss before turning back to his hosts.
"Alright Apolline, while we are of course scared and a bit hesitant, this seems like our best option. Can you arrange this with your sisters? What do we need to do and when will this happen? Also, I'd like to provide a gift for the assistance if that is allowed?"
"Very well. I am glad you chose this. I am quite hopeful. I cannot contact my sisters without traveling to them, so they are assuming we will agree and will be waiting for our arrival. If you had declined, I would have traveled to give word at that time. The next full moon is on March 23rd. Your purification will need to start on the 16th, so we should travel to my sisters on the 15th. While a gift is not necessary, it would not be denied. My sisters produce most of what we need, but there are a few items that require gold for outside purchase. Whatever amount you feel is appropriate would be well received."
Harry nodded and held back a grimace. March 22nd was the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff Quidditch match. Still, a Quidditch game was nothing when compared to ridding himself of Voldemort's soul.
"Okay, we'll be ready on the 26th. I'll let the headmaster know in vague terms why we need the time off. And I'm sure my lovely wife will keep us on task to work ahead before then and then catch up on our studies after. My thanks for your help with this. Let's hope that our concerns are unwarranted."
With their fateful choice made, Jean-Louis moved his chair a bit forward and spoke up.
"Now that your arrangements with my lovely wife are complete, let us discuss the matter you put before me. I have a gems supplier in Krasnoyarsk who has heard of the rare stone you seek. There is a complication though and I needed to discuss the reason for your procurement of the stone before deciding on whether to proceed. Now that our conversation is secure, can you tell me why you want this stone and especially so much of it?"
Harry gave Hermione a mental nod and she explained Charlie's research and the use of the stone for dragon fire fuel to destroy horcruxes. When she finished, Jean-Louis let out a long breath.
"Alright, well then the risk is obviously worth it. To explain the concern, this particular stone is rare and difficult to mine. It is also mildly radioactive. This is not something that magic quantifies, but you both have non-magical backgrounds, so I believe you will understand. Anyone mining it cannot remain in the area for longer than two hours and then must remain away for eight hours. The mined stone then needs to be stored in lead boxes for transport. Finally, the Russian government tracks the sale of any radioactive stone. This particular type doesn't have enough uranium to interest them for their weapons and such, but they still want to ensure it doesn't fall into enemy hands. Now, I have some contacts with the non-magical government that can help us get it out of country once we have it mined. Once I give my contact the order to start mining, he estimates that it will take two weeks to organize a trip and another three weeks for the mining. Then it has to be transported out of country. How quickly it leaves the country will depend on how liberally I tithe to the appropriate officials. I would say six weeks at minimum. I would assume then you would want it to go to Romania?"
Harry shook off his shock at the disclosure as he formed a reply.
"Yes, Romania. Charlie has a cave where it can be stored until we are ready to use it. I should warn him about the radioactivity thought."
"Alright, that's a bit far. At least 5,000 kilometers and probably more by my guess. It would probably be best to get it to Krasnoyarsk and then portkey it. We'll arrange the details with the in country officials. Russia's not the easiest place to do business, but muggles and magicals alike all do better with gold in their pockets."
"Thanks Jean-Louis. I know this will be expensive and I'm willing to cover the costs. How much do you think it will cost?"
Jean-Louis pondered for a moment and ran some mental calculations.
"It's hard to say exactly Harry, but to start I'd say 10,000 galleons. I can cover…"
"No, that's alright. I'll arrange a draft at Gringotts on Monday for you. If it goes over, let me know. It's a small price to pay to destroy parts of Voldemort's soul."
Jean-Louis nodded and promised that the arrangements would begin on Monday. With their business complete, he dissolved the privacy wards on the library and led them out to the dining room. On the way, he sent an elf to fetch Gabrielle. Harry was just pulling out Hermione's seat when the small blonde came barreling into the dining room and hugged him as her mother sighed with exasperation and chastised her in rapid French. Hermione understood a bit of it and smirked as the young girl backed off.
"Pardon Harry. My manners are forgot. It is good to see you. You will visit more now? And Hermione too?"
"It's good to see you as well Gabrielle. How much we visit will be limited by our studies, but I will happily accept any offers to come partake of fine French cuisine."
Jean-Louis chuckled and then told his daughter to sit as Harry took his seat next to Hermione. Dinner was pleasant with casual conversation encompassing current news and events. Harry and Hermione both found it interesting to hear Jean-Louis talk about his struggles at the Bureau. It seemed that the perils of diplomacy were much the same on both sides of the Channel. Dinner took a couple hours and then the Potters excused themselves with many thanks so that they could return to school. Jean-Louis provided them with a portkey and in a couple minutes they were back at school, landing in Dumbledore's office. He was out once again, so they decided to talk to him about their leave later in the month once he returned. They then departed the office to return to their apartment where they spent the rest of the evening relaxing and trying to absorb everything they had learned and the plans that were now in place.