Think of Consequences (Hermione)

Sophia walked down the Knockturn Alley, her hood covering any recognizable feature on her face, as she entered one of the Taverns. She looked around, quickly finding, whom she was after. Silently, using the shadows that dim light of the establishment offered, she moved through the room practically unseen as she sat down opposite to her sister in law, Hermione. "You called, I came. What is it you wished to discuss?" Sophia asked, keeping her voice steady and void of emotions. Not because she wanted to intimidate Hermione. That was highly likely impossible anyway. But she could not afford to break appearance anywhere in even remotely public place. Neither of them could.

Hermione sat in the back of the pub, her hair braided and tucked under the knit cap she wore. She kept her appearence plain and was careful to blend into the area. When Sophia slipped into the seat opposite her, Hermione drew a line with her wand, the lines dissapeared and the booth found itself secured. "We can speak a bit with some protection" she explained softly "other patrons will see two men in this booth and they wont hear us or see us."

She placed her wand on the table and pushed a stray hair off her face "Your father told me we are meeting tomorrow to create a plan of a attack." she said without much preamble, she knew her sister in law wouldnt care for small talk. "Will you take part in the mission?"

Sophia nodded, noting the wards Hermione placed, ready to listen to what she had to say. "Yes, there is no way in Hell I will stay behind when I can help in saving my mother. Why?" she asked, curious about where this was heading.

"Well. Do you have a way out? an escape plan? once you get to the twins" she didn't dare say there names even with the wards up still she remaind cautious. "Once you get to them how will you get out?"

Sophia had to admit, she did not think of that. "Well, knowing us, tha plan is to kill our way through. There is really no other solution to this, is there," she pointed out.

"Moony said that the twins are very very unwell. they may not survive the fight...I may have a solution to this if your willing to hear me out." she said

"Hermione, I am sitting here, because I want to hear you out. I may have never been the good little girl your late husband would wish me to be, but we are still a family and I still care for both your health and your opinion," Sophia spoke, feeling like she needed to clarify things. "Besides, you are smart. It would be foolish not to listen to you," she added with a teasing smirk.

Hermione chuckled "patience, little sister." she teased in reply. Hermione placed her bag on the table and pulled out a small metal box. She opened it and slid it to sophie.

The capsules in the box looked like metalic pills. "Portkey pills."

Sophie examined the object in front of her with fascination. "Portkey pills? How exactly is that supposed to work?" she asked, curious, as she picked up the small object.

"They are spelled for a specific destination and you keep it in a pocket close to your mouth or in your mouth. If your in a bind you bite the pill and your transported to that destination" hermione said with a grin

Sophia examined the tiny thing once more. "But what if someone jumps at you. You will just bring enemy straight to the safe location," she pointed out. It was a good idea. Better, than anything else they had. And the concept was quite genius. Nothing less knowing it was Hermione, "Do you have a safe location though?" she asked after, thinking she might just have a solution to that one, if Hermione didn't.

Hermione nodded "i thought of that. it only has power to carry one person, if an enemy jumps at you they wil..um" she covered her smile with her hand "they will find themselves very badly splinched, as for a location no i dont know of one.."

"Hermione Jean Potter, I never knew you had a vile bone in you," Sophia teased with a wicked smile. The device sounded like a perfect way to escape. Small, untraceable and capable of only carrying its owner. Not only it would work perfectly, it will also take ages for Voldemort to figure it out and duplicate. "Well, I might have a perfect place," she suggested. 

"My mom and aunt were Travellers once. And while the group fell apart for good after Voldemort, they left behind a memento, a legacy or so to speak. An underground city. It has everything from shops, squares, its own entertainment amenities such as theatres, to fully furnished yet abandoned housing. It can easily house hundreds. Of course its nearly impossible to get out, because it is protected by a maze that changes on its own accord, but it is also completely impossible to find. There is no way Voldemort could ever get down there. Everyone would be perfectly safe there for a timebeing," she said.

Hermione giggled a bit, feeling a spark of pleasure from the comment. It was nice to get along with a member of her family for once. As Sophia spoke her eyes widened a bit "I didnt know such a place exists."

"Nobody does. It was used as a safe sacred grounds for Travellers for centuries. It is hard to tell where exactly it is, because the only way to get there on foot is by the same maze, that also lives, and I mean lives because it is very much alive, beneath Wolfclaw. It has one entrance point only as of now, which is the fortress in the middle of Czech mountains and after Travellers died, it remained in hands of my family," Sophia explained. "Mom and Aunt put some new spells around and basically remade it as a precaution if something were to happen to them. It probably kept us all alive thanks to their quick thinking. The best part is, that just like you, nobody really knows it exists," she winked. "I could show you, if you wish," she suggested.

Hermione snapped the box shut and slid it away. "And you would offer this to even the order?" she asked chewing her lip.

"Of course I would," Sophia said casually, examining her nails. "It makes zero sense to have order figure out their own hideout. How would we communicate? I'm practical. I am not going to risk my home and lives of my people and my family by being reckless, selfish and arrogant, by not allowing our allies to share perfect place with enough space for us all, and risking sending messages instead," she pointed out with heavy sarcasm in the end. 


"Come with me, I'll show you," she added afterwards and did not really wait for her answer as she reached for her hand and apparated the, both to the gates of Temná Vež. A dark rusty gate appeared in the mist of freezing mountains, covered in snow and ice as Sophia reached out and gently touched it with her ring. With haunting creaking sound, the gates opened to reveal two majestic and terrifying black towers, which seemed abandoned for centuries, only a few ravens here and there sitting on the rusty windowsills, crying into the darkness for a fallen empire that Travellers once were. 


 It was when they approached closer, that the whispers can be heard. Eerily haunting voices, whispering sweet lies and empty promises, luring the next victim in, inviting them to get lost in an endless maze only to die alone and scared, to become one of them. Sophia bowed her head as she stood in front of heavy enteance door and she motioned for Hermione to do the same. Then she hissed in parseltongue, her skills with the laguage far from the natural ability, but it was enough to get into the good graces of the tower and the two were let in. 


 “Never, under any circumstances, let go of my hand,” Sophia practically ordered Hermione. “ You cannot apparate to Avalon on your own, hence why the portkeys are the only possibility. This place has been protected by ancient spells and curses. It stands proud and alive thanks to it. You cannot apparate in on a skill alone. And you cannot walk in unless you belong here,” she explained as they slowly descended into the ground levels, towards the maze. “You will hear whispers. Threats, sweet promises. You will see things in mirrors, that will try and make you separate from me. But you can’t let go of my hand. Ever. Even if I turn into Voldemort himself in your eyes, even if you feel like you are on fire. Don’t let go,” Sophia repeated.  


As they entered the maze, Sophia felt the familiar chill run down her spine. She knew this all too well. From school and from home which her family found here after the Hogwarts curse was broken. The towers themselves were enough to send people running for the hills. But to her, it was never scary. She loved this place. She just couldn’t exactly afford to lose her sister in law here. It would be hard to explain to everyone that she somewhat managed to fuck everything up by losing precious Hermione Potter in a freaking maze. It took five long corridors, four doors and two elusive mirrors to reach their destination, Avalon.


“Here we are, Sophia said as she released her hold on Hermione to reveal beautiful underground city. “A land without a sky, lost everything, even itself,” she said lost in thoughts, as they stood on a bridge across crystal clear water, surrounded by houses and a beatiful palace on their right hand side. “Home.” She exclaimed.

Hermione pulled up her hood as they stood in the cold, watching Sophie open the gate. She followed her closely and as they entered further into the cold cave and towards what could only be a maze, Sophie instructed her to hold her hand and not let go. Hermione took her hand and twined there fingers securely, "I trust you Sophie, don't worry." she said with a gentle smile.

As they slipped into the maze it grew impossible cold and the voices she heard called to her. She could hear her mother singing the song she would since when she had been a child and scared of the nightmares. She could hear her father laughing, Hermione kept her eyes trained on the ground until one voice made her look. "Hermione" Harry's voice called to her and she looked up as they passed a mirror, he stood there smiling at her, all floppy hair and happy green eyes. "Come here love" he said.

"Harry" she croaked but she didnt pull on Sophia's hand, merely held it tighter and followed her sister in law. Hermione closed her eyes, she hummed under her breath to block out the voices and trusted that Sophie would bring her out of the maze safely. When they came to a stop and Sophie said "Here we are." She finally opened her eyes.

She gazed around in awe of what she saw, stepping away from the younger girl to gaze around in wonder. "Avalon" she gasped "Its..its avalon from the tales of ancient witches and the legends of King Arthur!"

Sophia smiled at the name. "Yes, it is," she replied, impressed by Hermione's knowledge. "My mother and aunt are direct descendants or Morgan Le Fay. Or Morgana Pendragon. Depends on which tale you read. Avalon was lost to everyone for a long time. Except for Travellers. There is a lot of history here. And some of them, only a very few, are still alive in the darkest corners, running their own shops, reading their cards as the World spins around. Mom would say they are mostly squibs, practicing the art of magick. They never left this place. Never knew sun, never seen actual stars. That's the price, I suppose," Sophia said as she looked towards the darkest corners of the city.

"Come, let me show you where my family lives," she said, walking towars the palace. "All the houses you saw behind us, they are furnished, but empty. Their owners long gone. Order members can use them for themselves and their families. The river beneath us offers clean water. We will take care of the food. Everyone will be safe here. Including children and elderly. As long as we don't disturb the ancient ones," she explained, once again mentioning the very few remaining Travellers. 

As they entered the palace, Sophia led them through the luxurious hallways and rooms, mostly decorated in emerald green, silver, black and dark purple. Snakes, spiders and occasional wyvern or basilisk were everywhere, showing the obvious house pride of the Gaunt family. Finally, they reached her room.

Hesitantly, she opened the door, as she hasn't been to her room for at least half a decade. They moved here just before her mom ended up in Voldemort's hands and pretty much left the place a few years after, when they were officially dead to the World. But they always knew they can come back and seek sanctuary.

Her room was just as she left it, typical room of a Wolfclaw graduate. Unlike the rest of the palace, her room was in metalic blue and silver, with a huge painting of a wolf just above her bed with silver sheets. There was framed photos hanging on her walls. One with Lethia, two Wolfen girls smiling while studying at their domitory. Another with Marcus and Mariya, all three in their school uniforms, annoyed to be taking picture just before leaving for school, Marcus in purple and black, Sophia in blue and silver, Mariya in emerald green. 

There was also a picture from her date with Victor, back when he was still alive. And a family photo with her mom and dad, showing Bartemius Crouch in a different light and also as a man he never really was. Sophia suspected it was because he was not really looking into the camera, but kissing her mom on the cheek, lovingly. The madness in his eyes perfectly hidden. "I think I will have to redecorate soon. I mean, I am going to share room with Hannibal I think," she said out of nowhere, looking around.

Hermione looked around the room, at the pieces of sophie's life. "Its beautiful" she said "I try to give Albus a normal life but my room looks nothing like this." she shook her head "most of my things are packed and ready to move if needed. I can't seem to relax even though its been so long since it all happened."

She walked over to the picture of the family and smiled at the one of young sophie, "You look so much like Harry here, had you been standing together there would have been no mistaking your relation."

"You could always settle here, you know? At least until Albus grows up a bit. You are my family, and no matter who she is, mom won't ignore that if I play that card. Obviously you stay here with order, but even after, for a timebeing, if you wanted," Sophia offered casually,

"Yeah, that," she chuckled bitterly. "It was the last day we had as a family. Mom and dad were trying to cheer me up actually. I was supposed to spend a year at Hogwarts for that stupid triwizard tournament, knowing Remus and Morgan didn't want me around and in fact threatened me and my brother and sister just to get back at mom. A week later. Harry sent me to hell for not being the sister he dreamt of," she scoffed. 

"I never saw dad again after that. I mean his real face and stuff, because of polyjuice. And then he was dead," she said sadly. "I don't care who he was, you know? And I care even less what it makes me. I loved him. He was my dad. He taught me almost everything I know. He was hard on us. Marcus especially. And he treated mom like shit by the end. But nothing can ever change who he was to me. As sick as it sounds."

"Family is family" she said with a sigh "we do not choose it though they choose us. I often worried that my parents regreted choosing to have me when they found I was a witch. Now that they died at the hands of the first army or well...the death eaters loyal to voldemort at the time, i wonder still if in that moment they regreted every choice they ever made. But still I love them."

She put down the frame and smiled sadly at Sophie "I understand, though I hope you know how much Remus loves you Sophie. He speaks of you often and with pride and warmth. Though i was friends with his ex wife, I always knew her expectations stifled him and he hated himself more then he hated even the dark lord. His idea that he is unworthy of love and appreciation well..." she sighed and sat down on a over stuffed arm chair "Well it came out alot, he pushed you and your mother away, he even pushed Harry away. When we all emerged from the curse and I saw him Marry your mother, I was just so over joyed that he had finally accepted himself, that Morana could teach him to love himself even the beast he struggles with. Your mother, You, your family saved his life, his mind. You all gave him something i never saw him have before, and that was hope."

She leaned back in the chair tuckng a loose strand of hair into her braid "Remus is my Uncle by marriage much like you are my sister by marriage but those words dont matter to me. You are my sister, he is my uncle. You are the family i've chosen."

“When the curse broke and we learned about mom and Remus, I was not happy. Not only he was one of those who rejected me, he also came to replace my dad. But I know now what my dad and him probably knew for a long time. Mom loved dad. And part of her always will. But Remus is her soulmate. How else would the two of them work? So I let it go. He is doing his best to prove to me, that he cares. And I believe him. He is my family. It’s just that the father position has already been filled before. And nobody, not even James Potter rising from his grave, can change that,” Sophia replied, sitting on her bed. “But enough staring at my personal graveyard in pictures, what do you think of my siggestion?” She asked, stiring conversation somewhere else. She didn’t want Hermione to ask about the other people. Their deaths still hurt.

Hermione allowed the younger girl to end the conversation, understanding her stance. She walked to the window and looked out on the city "I think its a wonderful idea." she said "It will take a little pushing to make the order accept it but i think it will work. Bill and Nymphadora are good at making the masses relent."

"is there a city square? somewhere centered and where lots of people can arrive at?"

“You are pretty much looking at it,” Sophia pointed towards a square near the bridge they came across to get to the palace. “It’s dark and empty now, but once people are in, it will look more alive. There are empty shops and pubs where people can entertain themselves for the time we will be here. There is even a library, so the kids can still study even when the school is not safe for them,” she explained. 

“Anyone can take any house in this quater. I wouldn’t venture anyway further. This place can be as dangerous as it is beautiful. And this part alone can house couple hundred people,” she said staring from her small balcony. “You can get a little house for yourself and Albus. Or you can stay here in the palace with us, since we are a family. Albus could hang out with nymeria and Harry. But keep in mind who we are. You might just be happy with occasional family dinner instead,” she winked at her sister in law.