Chapter Text
Hermione Granger and the Quest for the Binding Stones
Prologue
A trí déag
“Thirteen,” Seamus said.
“Thirteen!” Hermione slumped in the chair of her study.
Seamus nodded. “Aye, that’s what it says. ‘Merthin labhair. a trí déag chruthódh sé.’ Merlin spoke, thirteen would he create.”
Her hands went to the side of her head and her elbows hit hard against the top of her desk. “Thirteen,” she whispered. “I’d hoped at most it would have been seven left. Damn it!” her fist hit the top of her desk. “Walpurga’s going to be very angry; she thought here were only nine. Damn it!”
Seamus smirked at her outburst and flipped back a few pages in the old book. “I shall bind them to our service, I shall give them purpose, I shall make them whole, I shall redeem them.” He looked up from the book at his friend. “You sure?”
Hermione stood and walked to the glass fronted cabinet on the wall of her study. On the top shelf sat two small statues about a foot tall. She placed her hand on the glass, bowed her head, and a single tear slid down her cheek. “They’ve been slaves for thousands of years, it’s time they were free. We certainly don’t need them as servants, as much as some may complain we do.” She turned and faced him. “I should have taken up this quest years ago, when we found the first one in the attic at Grimmauld, I should have started right then.”
“Yeah, Luna… Luna and Dean, they told me.” Seamus said. The Irishman hung his head and growled in frustration.
“Seamus, it was Dean’s decision, Hobson’s choice, really. He had to take care of his Mum, and we’re getting off point.” She looked at the statue on the left. “I can’t believe this other one was sitting right there in the British Museum the whole time.” She shook her head. “If Lavender and I hadn’t taken the kids on that excursion last week I’d have never known.”
Seamus laughed dryly. “Aye, she thought it quite funny, your reaction. She says to me, she says, ‘there’s Hermione walking through the Greek section, and she stops dead in front of one of the cases’.” He looked at her. “Did you really say ‘what the fuck?’ out loud?”
“Yes.” She blushed. “And with vigor, too. Luckily, apart from Lavender, only James and Fred heard. I told them I had several rather nasty curses for them if they went telling tales.”
He nodded. “Well, that’ll shut them up, for a while at least.” He walked across the room and stood next to her. “Lav and I’ll be seeing a lot more of your brood, I’m thinking.”
“I have to, Seamus, I have to.” She looked at him and the fire Seamus had seem in the common room all those years ago still burned as bright as ever. “The elves cannot remain slaves. It’s immoral.”
Seamus hugged his friend to his side. “I’ve know you for better than twenty years, believe me this is no surprise. Lav knew it too when she came home with the book three days ago. We’re ready.”
“So the book tells of Merlin making the stones but it doesn’t give and clue as to where he put them?” she asked, looking back up at the two stone elves.
“Not really, read it cover to cover, I did. It’s just those two passages mention the stones at all. It talks about his travels a bit, a lot actually.”
“He probably hid them everywhere he went,” she sighed. “As it’s my only clue, can you make me a list of the places the book says he went?”
“Aye, It’ll take a few days.” He looked at her with raise eyebrows. “Surprised you don’t know Gaelic.”
“Never was important to learn it. We touched on it in Ancient Runes, but that was just briefly.” She laid her hand on his arm. “Thank you, Seamus. I know most people don’t get why I’m so adamant about elf rights, but you have always supported me in this.”
He shrugged. “They’re smart, helpful, loyal little guys. Doesn’t seem right.” he went back to the book. “Any idea where to start?”
“Well that this one was here in England,” she said, looking at the small figurine on the right. “And that one was in Greece two hundred years ago, means they’re probably scattered all over the world.” She shook her head. “It’s the Horcrux hunt all over again.”
This time Seamus really laughed. “Not at all, me dear. This time there’ll be no hiding in a tent for months, I’ll wager. You’ll be in hotels, libraries, and probably museums most of the time.” He looked at her, and all humor left him. Seamus Finnigan was an Auror, and a very good one. “However, Madam Department Head, If you are leaving the safety of one of those places and heading into the wild, especially if it’s to a place you think there’s one of these hidden, you will use your galleon, and you will contact Lav and me. Am I clear?”
“But..”
He stopped her mid sentence. “There’ll be no ‘buts’. This is not a discussion, Hermione. If you don’t agree to this, willingly and truthfully, I will send an Auror with you.” He smiled. “Artis, I think.”
“Artis smells.”
“That curse’ll wear off eventually,” he said. “I’m serious, no muckin’ about on your own. Lav and I are proud to be the Weasley and Potter children’s security, and part of protecting them is protecting you. Kingsley knew it’d come to this eventually, that’s why you’re my superior in the Ministry building and nowhere else.”
“He really didn’t have to do that,” she said petulantly.
“Yes he did, and you know it. Do I have to cite examples?”
She sighed, defeated. “No.”
“Good, so you’ll be keeping in touch from day to day, coming home often, letting us know where you are and where you’re headed.” It wasn’t even close to a question.
“Yes.”
“Aye, that’s a good girl.” he said.
Hermione glared at him. “I am not Rose!”
“Aye, she’s a fair bit sneakier than you are.” He winked.
Hermione looked at him from under her eyebrows. “Fuck you, Finnigan.”
He laughed loudly. “Ah, your husband is bad influence on you, he is. Pretty soon you’ll be putting galleons in the swear jar too.”
Hermione frowned. “He’s not going to be happy.”
Seamus looked at her sideways. “Take him with you.”
“He’d be so bored,” she said. “You’re right, I’ll be in research mode most of the time, and that makes him a little crazy.”
“Only cause it makes you a lot crazy,” he said, smiling. She looked at him with the sly smirk again. “I know, Fuck you, Finnigan,” he said, and laughed. Seamus put his arm around her. “You want Lav to come help you pack?”
“No, I need to do that alone, and I need to have these few lasts night with Ron, Rose and Hugo.”
“Aye, alright, Lav and I’ll move our stuff into our room then.” At her look he put his arm around her. “You’re not abandoning them.”
“They’re seven and nine, how could I not be?”
“It’s important. Probably the most important thing you’ll do. You’ll come home a lot.” He smiled. “And maybe take Rosie with you some times. She’s her mother’s daughter you know.”
She smiled. “That’s a good idea. She’d be helpful and get to see some sights, but what about Hugo? If I take her he’d want to come too.”
“Quidditch season is coming up. Ron and I’ll take him to Harpies practices and Cannons games. He’ll think it’s a treat. I’ll get James and Al in on it too.”
“You’re the best, Shay.” She smiled at him with affection. “I’ve no idea how we’d have managed without you and Lavender.”
He bowed. “It’s our pleasure, Hermione.” A flick of his wand brought the book to his outstretched hand. “I’ll have your list by Saturday. Even without it I’m betting you’ll have a few places in mind.”
“I already have several. Like you said, there are the great museums of the world for one. That this one was sitting in a case in central London tells me that I might find another in a similar situation. And then there are the libraries. That book is a good case in point. With that breakthrough last year that allowed us to shield electronics from magic we’ve been able to scan and cross reference the whole of the libraries at Hogwarts, the Ministry, and dozens of private collections. I’d never have found that book without Marietta’s work.”
“She’s worked hard on it, she has. It’s helped us too. So much of Muggle society is carried out on the internet now we need to be able to monitor it. Did you see her at the award ceremony? Though she was going to die from embarrassment, I did.” He laughed, and then looked in her eyes. “We’ll all be here to help, Hermione. You’re not alone.”
“I know.”
Seamus put his hand on her shoulder. “Lav and I will see you Saturday.” He stepped back, turned on his heel, and was gone.
Thirteen she thought.