Four Kingdoms

Chapter 1

"Are you all done there, Princess?" Hermione heard through the door.

"Almost," she answered.

"I hate it when they rush me through these things! All for the love of pomp and circumstance," she thought irritably while clambering out of her warm bath and wrapping her body in a large warm towel and opened the door that connected her bathroom to her bed chambers. Immediately her ladies in waiting came to prepare her for the ceremony as she took her seat in front of her mirror. She let her mind drift to the last book that she read about wandless magic and pondered on when she should start putting this knowledge into practical use and sighed as she was being primped for the events to take place that day.

Today was her eighteenth birthday and she detested all the grandeur of the events on her special day. The invited dignitaries had arrived a few days before this day and there would be much celebration in the kingdom for her official coronation and recognition as Crown Princess Hermione Jane, heir to the throne of Ravenclaw. She hated all the preparations done for this day and events to occur on this so called "blessed event." She would have rather had a small gathering of her friends to talk about the new books that she had read or she would have rather kept to herself locked up in the Grand Library of Ravenclaw.

She smiled at the thought of the library which was the pride of her kingdom, for there was no other library that could compare with it from any of the other kingdoms with books about every topic from magic to Muggles, from dark spells to the most updated findings in healing, encompassing all collective knowledge of elves' magic, to the books written about other magical creatures; from battles of long ago to the art of weaponry since the days of Camelot till now. Legend had it that Merlin had gifted Rowena this library to satisfy her thirst for knowledge in the arts of magic and healing, hence establishing the Kingdom of Ravenclaw as the seat of intelligence and wellbeing. It was common knowledge that even the great scholars and healers of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff would journey miles to research in this library and Hermione had complete access to it anytime she felt like it. Yes, she would have loved to be in the library pouring over the endless lists of books than here, having people dolling her up for a ceremony that she believed was shallow and impractical.

The Princess of Ravenclaw abhorred being the center of attention, it made her feel like all her insecurities and flaws were magnified a hundredfold by having great numbers looking and gawking at her! Yet this was to be expected of her. She had been raised to put duty and the needs of her people first before her own personal wants for she was the heir to the throne of Rowena.

The sound of her door creaking pulled her attention back to reality. She looked up and saw her mother enter. The other people in the room immediately stopped what they were doing and curtsied at the entrance of their queen. "Your majesty!" they all said in unison. The queen acknowledged them though not taking her eyes off her daughter. Her eyes misted and with a soft smile on her face, Sara remembered cradling the woman before her as a baby as if it was yesterday. Now her daughter would be recognized by all as the young, beautiful, brilliant woman that she had grown to become. Sara could not have been more proud.

"Hermione, how are you today, my love?" Queen Sara asked, concerned about the frown that marred her daughter's soft features.

"As well as I can be, mother," Hermione whined softly.

"Dear Merlin, Hermione is definitely annoyed," Sara thought, knowing full well that her daughter only called her 'mother' under times of exasperation.

"I come bearing gifts, my dear, something to wear for the coronation," the queen called forth her own personal servant from behind her who was carrying a velvet case bearing the insignia of Ravenclaw on the top. As Queen Sara opened the box, collective gasps were heard as the Jewels of Ravenclaw were seen by all. "It belonged to Rowena, the first Queen of Ravenclaw, given to her as a gift from King Arthur himself. Wear it with pride as I did when your father presented me as his Queen on our wedding day."

Hermione, looked with awe at the jewelry. She had heard and read of the tale attached to the Jewels of Ravenclaw, yet she never saw it till today. The legend stated that King Arthur had commissioned elves in setting the sapphires and diamonds given to him by the dwarves, who mined for precious stones in the ages of yore. The earrings were drops of blue sapphires dangling off their post, simple enough for the necklace to be the center of attraction. The necklace was breathtaking. At the center was a large tear shaped black sapphire stone the size of a fist, the chain links itself made of diamonds and blue sapphires. Merlin had instilled powerful spells in the black sapphire stone, which was believed that only the true heir of Rowena could unlock when the time for it was needed, though what magic spells and charms were encased in these jewels, no one knew. As she touched the center stone reverently, knowing the power that it supposedly possessed, Hermione was dumbfounded as a tingling sensation ran up her arm from the fingers which made contact with the center stone and a slight breeze entered the bed chamber, its origin unknown.

"But mum, I thought that I was to wear it only on my wedding day, not during my coronation ceremony," she pointed out.

"Ah, yes--but your father and I saw fit that you should wear it today since it is your eighteenth birthday and you are the first princess born since Rowena," Queen Sara answered.

"I am truly honored," was all Hermione could say.

Hermione was the only girl to be born to the lineage of the Royal Family of Ravenclaw after Rowena the original Queen. Queen Sara and King John were blessed when Hermione was born and the kingdom rejoiced upon her birth, including the kingdoms of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.

"There is a princess who shall wield unification of all four kingdoms born from the house of Rowena, who shall tame the lion, guide the badger, and defang the snake--and peace shall prevail and love will conquer under her hand and the darkness shall be no more." So the prophecy had foretold.

This prophecy was imparted to King John and Queen Sara by none other than Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard since Merlin, on the christening of their daughter. They did not want to burden Hermione with the knowledge, so she hadn't been told. They raised her accordingly to the laws of the land and ingrained her with the knowledge of justice, compassion, and love to rule her people. Her parents watched her grow to become an intelligent and powerful witch, able to do some impossible spells and charms when she put her mind to it, yet they noticed that she was an introvert-- choosing to stay in the Great Library rather than to interact with her peers. They witnessed her bloom from a bushy brown haired bucktooth insecure girl to become the graceful yet still shy and beautiful lady she was now. Her hair had become tamed and now flowed in slight ringlets down her back and magic was done in aligning her teeth for her to flash her now confident smile. As Sara looked back to those times, she now realized that it really was her Hermione who the prophecy talked about.

"Yes, the Jewels of Ravenclaw have finally reached their rightful owner," the Queen thought.

"Well, enough gawking at the Jewels, we have little time to get ready for your coronation," Queen Sara stated, automatically calling out everyone from their state of awe. "Yes, little time indeed!"

The ladies in waiting turned back to the task at hand--to bring Princess Hermione to her utmost perfection.

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A few days before the ceremony at Ravenclaw, the Royal family of Gryffindor were eating breakfast....

"Must we go, father?" wailed Prince Harry, crown prince of Gryffindor, rolling his eyes to the heavens, praying for a reprieve.

"Yes, son, it is our duty, especially in such trying times as we are in. We need to show our support to the other kingdoms," replied King James of Gryffindor.

Queen Lily smiled gently at her son seated across her in the Dining Hall of Gryffindor. "My son has grown to be a fine man--just like his father," she thought.

Harry James, who had turned nineteen a few months back, was an exact replica of his father James with his uncontrollable ebony hair, chiseled features, and even the glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. However, he inherited his mother's emerald green eyes. He also had a small thunderbolt scar on his forehead which was never explained to the prince about the circumstances on how he got it. Harry had a devil may care aura around him, yet King James and Queen Lily did not raise him to be a spoiled brat. They raised him to be responsible and compassionate, brave and gallant, skilled in the arts of magic and of the defense against dark arts. Harry was a powerful wizard, acknowledged by all as someone to reckon with. Under his future rule of the kingdom of Gryffindor, they knew that it shall retain its splendor as the Kingdom of the Brave, Gallant and Good Hearted.

"Besides, the royal family of Ravenclaw attended your coronation as crown prince of Gryffindor when you turned eighteen. It is now time we returned the favor," Queen Lily explained the situation to her son. Harry was not impressed with the rationalization; he remembered that day a year ago, loathing the ceremonies and grandeur of that summer day of his eighteenth birthday and coronation as crown prince heir of Gryffindor.

He wracked his memories to recall what the princess looked like during the ceremony. He remembered seeing her in the past when he was assigned to go the Grand Library of Ravenclaw, but it was only mere glimpses that entered his mind. "Ah yes, bushy brown hair, rarely gave a smile to anyone, and she always kept her head in a book!" Harry thought. He also remembered Lord Ronald of the House of Weasley, part of the court of Gryffindor and his best friend's description of the know-it-all princess: "Mental, that one is!" The know-it-all princess had always looked haughtily at them when he and Ron went to the Grand Library of Ravenclaw, shushing them whenever they raised their voices above a whisper.

Harry did recall one incident a few years ago when they were twelve and went to the grand library for lessons assigned. Inside the library, the princess had witnessed Ron try a new spell he had learned from one of his brothers of turning a rat yellow. After unsuccessfully casting the spell, the princess had approached them and snootily asked Ron, "Is that a real spell? Not a very good one, is it?" This instigated a verbal spat between the three which in turn caused the librarian to reprimand them. The flushed and humiliated princess hissed at him and Ron, "I had better stay away from you before you get us all into more trouble in this library, or worst expelled!" then she turned and walked away. Ron then gave a very accurate description of her being mental. Yes, the birthday and coronation of princess know it all of Ravenclaw was not an event that Harry wanted to attend.

But duty gets in the way of the life of a carefree young man and traveling to another kingdom to witness a boring ceremony was something Harry knew he had to do. Peering out a window he saw it was beautiful weather for autumn. There was a crisp breeze, not yet cold enough for a heavy cloak, yet just chilly enough to prevent a sweat--especially when playing Quidditch. That is what he wanted to do, play Quidditch with his friends. Harry loved the sport, especially since he was the seeker for his house team in his school days! The sensation of flying through the air gave him such joy and freedom--but here he was, being forced to go to this coronation ceremony in Ravenclaw! How it annoyed him to no end!

"What excuse can I give to get out of this situation?" Harry thought. "I can't feign ill health, mum would surely call upon Madame Pomfrey, and then she would tell my parents there is nothing wrong with me and I definitely would not want mum's wrath on me for lying! What can I do?" Resignation to the situation began to be apparent. Harry stood from his chair and said to his parents that he would start to prepare for the journey and bowed to them before leaving the Dining Hall.

XXXXX

A few days before the celebration, a discussion between father and son about a devious plan was taking place in the Kingdom of Slytherin...

"Father, how can you even think of attending the celebration at Ravenclaw?! It is totally preposterous!" Draco Malfoy exclaimed as he looked with disgust at his father Lucius, Steward of Slytherin. Pacing he continued, "We have never attended such mediocrities of the other kingdoms nor have we even thought of going to one before. Now here we are, preparing to go to the birthday and coronation ceremony at Ravenclaw! What will the Heir of Salazar say when he finds out your intentions?"

"Son, this IS the plan of the king. By attending the coronation of the princess of Ravenclaw, we are extending... let us say an artificial hand toward peace. We are setting a false appearance that we are trying to be in solidarity with the other kingdoms, to gain their confidence. This, my dear son Draco, is only for show. Then our king will be able to start to execute the beginning of the destruction of the other kingdoms," Lucius replied.

"And how, pray tell, father, are you going to dispel the rumors that our kingdom has always been dabbling in the Dark Arts by our mere appearance at the coronation? Especially considering that we have not held any correspondence with any of the other three kingdoms for ages since Salazar himself walked this earth," Draco pointed out as he sat across his father.

Lord Malfoy immediately stood up from behind his desk and backhanded his son across his face, "How dare you question the plan of our king! You are treading a thin line, boy, by speaking against the wishes of the King of Slytherin! Do not dare question his decisions, for we are the mere stewards of this kingdom while our King comes up with a way to recreate himself from his last attempts at destroying Gryffindor's heir! Be proud that we were chosen among his court to hold this position! It is our honor to do this task, no matter how tedious it is to lower ourselves to exchange pleasantries with half bloods and the sort!"

"I am sorry, father, it will not occur again," Draco muttered as he lowered his eyes, hoping his father didn't see the hatred he had for him reflected there.

"Son, you will see how slick my tongue is as I speak to the royals there. There is much you have to learn, my dear Draco, in the art of connivance," Lucius said, raising an eyebrow and studying his son, "Much you have to learn. In a few days the plan for the destruction of the kingdoms of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff shall begin. For the start of the Reign of Slytherin under King Voldemort shall be at hand!"

A/N: Not to worry--more character appearances yet to come...