Tale of a Time Long Gone

A/N: Welcome to the first chapter of 2007 (I think)! I wish you all a fantastic, happy new year!

Many thanks to Mina, who had beta-d this chapter as well! This was the last chapter she did, so I thank her greatly!

And another comment: I have been told that there was a mistake in my previous chapter. I'm very much ashamed to say that it's true. I accidentally used Occlumency instead of legilimency in the Hogwarts, A History excerpt in chapter 19. So, so very sorry!

In this chapter: A bit of politics, a lot of anger, a pinch of suspense and Ambrosius losing his temper!

Enjoy!

Chapter 20 - A Time for Vengeance

"Not a lot is known of Lord Ambrosius' last days.

"During those days there was a massive amassing of military forces, done under his command, but we are yet to discover why the final attack on the Founders of Hogwarts had been annulled. We certainly have enough proof to point at his arrival to the region of Hogwarts.

"Why had the attack not taken place? This is the question we shall attempt to answer in this chapter..."

- Hogwarts, A History; Author unknown

Ambrosius of York liked to think of himself as a patient man. After all, no one could possibly stay sane and calm after conferring with tedious, argumentative old bats for so many years as he has, without having a generous amount of patience. He had to admit to himself, however, that at times, even a mild mannered man such as himself is tested to the limits of his patience, and that therefore he could not be blamed for his wish to put his hands around Lord Gaius' thick neck and throttle him.

At that particular moment, the aforementioned member of the First House was droning on and on about the foolhardiness - in his opinion - of the Chief Warlock's ambitious plan to fell the four miscreants of the north.

Finally tired of the old man's single-minded babble, Ambroisus held up his hand to signal silence. "I think we have heard quite enough, Lord Gaius," he said. "Please sit down."

"With all due respect, my lord," Gaius said, affronted, "I think that what I have to say is of utmost-"

"-importance, yes, I know," Ambrosius cut him again, delighting in the confused expression on the old man's face. "But as it were, it is not of great importance to this meeting, which had been called especially to discuss what should be done about the Hogwarts four, and not whether it should or should not be done in the first place. If you are unable to participate in this conversation due to your dislike of doing any kind of physical activity, then by all means, you are excused."

His expression not changing, Ambrosius gloated inside at seeing the humiliation colouring Gaius' face red. How he loved showing the pompous old fool who was in charge! Instead, though, he just stared down Gaius until he settled back into his seat, glowering. Once that was taken care of, he felt as though the discussion could resume its original direction.

"Lords, the Hogwarts Four, whether Lord Gaius here wishes to acknowledge it or not, are a great problem to us. They undermine our authority, question our ability to govern our people. I said it once and I will say it again until you will all understand the importance of these words: they must be eliminated. We cannot allow this to go on. Once they set a precedent, many more would follow in their footsteps, questioning us. We cannot let this happen. What power over the common people would we have left if we allow this? None! This discussion is our utmost priority. What are we going to do with the Hogwarts Four?"

"Lord, we can't actually do anything before we know the extent of their forces, who supports them, what kind of resistance we should expect," Lord Keegan of the Second House said mildly. "Otherwise we would be like blind men plunging into a battle unarmed. I understand that you have already ordered Lord Severn to build training camps and that the order of the drafting has been issued, which are all reasonable precautions considering what we are up against, but we cannot continue this venture without further information."

"What are you saying, Lord Keegan?" Severn asked disdainfully. "That we should stop the training of our warriors?"

"Not at all," the Second House lord continued in the same mild voice which always managed to calm his most agitated opponent. "What I am saying is that before we send these warriors out to do war upon Hogwarts, we should first collect information about the forces opposing us. I propose that we should begin by checking the ground in our areas of control, each of us see who amongst our subordinates is inclined to support Hogwarts, and if needs be - eliminate them."

This suggestion, delivered in such a mild manner, sent a chill into every heart in the chamber, even Ambrosius', but while the others may have had qualms concerning the subject of eliminating their opponents, Ambrosius found this rather refreshing. He liked having things said to the point.

"Very well," he said. "This is the first thing we should do. Once we know the full extent, however..."

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When their meeting was over, the lords of the Second and Lower Houses dispersed and started making their way to their quarters, each readying themselves to send their men out to spy in their own realms and deduce who was loyal to the Council and whose interests lay with Hogwarts.

The First House lords stayed behind for a little while, conferring quietly among themselves, finally leaving only Ambrosius and Gaius in the echoing chamber. Seeing that Gaius did not seem inclined to leave, Ambrosius turned to face him.

"Well?" he said in a condescending tone.

"You are making the worst mistake of your life, Ambrosius," Gaius said harshly, staring into the Chief Warlock's eyes. "This... this ambition of yours would bring about the Council's end. Your actions are foolish and you disregard a thousand rules in the process of achieving your goals. I will not stand aside watching you ruin our life's work in one, single, rash decision. I will not let you bring about the end of the Wizarding World as we know it - no matter what means I have to take in order to stop you. I have warned you, Ambrosius - remember that."

The two men stood in tense silence, watching each other, one waiting for the other's reply, and the other simply simmering in his own anger. They were both of the oldest members of the Council, both of great rank in the magic community, both powerful in their own rights. Ambrosius knew Gaius could be a formidable enemy, but he also knew that the old man was set and comfortable in his ways, and therefore may argue with him in meetings, but would never turn against him. At length, he spoke.

"I appreciate hearing your opinion, Gaius, and when the information reports arrive, it would have a mighty weight in our discussions. But for the time being, stop trying to undermine me - or you and Billius would be the ones to destroy the Council for good. Now get out of my sight. I am tired of seeing you here."

With a stiff bow, Gaius strode off.

This was the last time he had seen Gaius until the time, several months later, when an all-members meeting was called. The men sent to gather information had all returned, and it was time for review the damage that may be done.

"Marius of Cornwall and his people have declared their allegiance to the Hogwarts Four," Lord Adrian said with a grave look in his eyes, the first to actually dare speaking, "as have Ariadne of the Woods and her female thugs."

"Arvel, Aneirin and Gethin of Wales have done so just last night after a consultation with all the heads of the Welsh magic communities. While Geraint, Hopcyn, Llew, Pedr and Urien still support us, the other twelve houses have agreed, basically, to an alliance with Hogwarts," added Lord Keegan, frowning. Apparently, he had not expected the numbers to be so great.

"I checked about the rebel bands, my lord," said Lord Larkin of the Lower House. "Most of them have already sent representatives to Hogwarts. My spies did not come up with any details, but it would seem as though most of them would join with Hogwarts were they to openly go against us."

With each report made by the lords of the Second and Lower Houses, Ambrosius' patience grew shorter and shorter. He needed to hear some good news - something to break the continued fall of horrible information, but none of the lords seemed able to supply that good news.

What was most frustrating was that incredibly smug expression on Lord Billius' face, quite clearly stating, 'I told you so'. There was something unbelievably consternating in someone on his own side looking so happy at his direst of moments. Billius was leaning back comfortably in his seat, his arms and legs crossed in the very expression of satisfaction, occasionally exchanging an amused glance with Gaius who had been suspiciously quiet during the entire report.

Apparently he was not the only one to feel that Billius was too happy to be allowed, for a very sour-faced Lord Llyr said, "I have something to contribute to this discussion, my lord."

"You may speak," Ambrosius said, liking the glint in the other man's eyes.

"While the people in my own realm seem quite content to stay on the side of the Council, one of my spies has come up with a fascinating piece of information which pertains to one of our number. Would Lord Billius like to enlighten us as to why he did not inform the Council of the doings of a certain relative of his?"

Though he did not change his stance, Billius seemed to be more alert, less comfortable in his secure amusement. He did not, however, respond to the allegation. Ambrosius could almost smell his uneasiness and impatiently waved for Llyr to continue.

The Lower House lord seemed almost delighted in what he was about to reveal. It seemed that Ambrosius' order from so many weeks ago had not gone unnoticed. Llyr had managed digging out filth on the Lord Billius. Resting his hands in his lap, Ambrosius settled down to listen.

"I wonder how it is that our esteemed Lord Billius has forgotten to tell us of his kinship to one, Sir Deiniol, a former Knight of the Phoenix?"

"I failed to notify you on my kinship, since it is not the business of the Council to keep a record of all my kin," Billius said in a calm voice, but Ambrosius could see his body tense. "Being of Welsh origin it is hardly questionable. I have many kin, and Deiniol happens to be one of them. What has this got to do with our discussion?"

"Then you do not deny your kinship to this Knight of the Phoenix?" Llyr said, a triumphant spark in his eyes.

"Most certainly not," Billius said indifferently. "I would insult both myself and our ancestors were I to do so, and would be considered an outcast. Deiniol is my kin by blood and I cannot say otherwise. I have not seen him in some years now - not since the last of the Knights of the Phoenix stopped trying to do their obsolete duty. Again, I ask, what has Deiniol and my kinship to him to do with anything discussed here?"

"Then would you mind explaining your loyalty to someone who is proven without doubt to be a supporter of the Hogwarts Four and one of their inner circle?"

Ambrosius leaned in with interest, wanting to see how Billius would try to weasel his way out of Llyr's accusation. He noticed others doing the same thing, breathlessly waiting for Billius' reply.

Sadly enough, the Second House lord did not seem too impressed. "Whether he is my kin or not, I have no control over him. Deiniol is his own man, and as I have said, I have not seen him in a long while. I do not know how he fared since the Knights of the Phoenix went their separate ways, and I do not see how I can be held accountable to whatever he has chosen to do with himself. Your petty accusations mean nothing to me, Llyr, so why don't you take your seat and for the time being quench your ambitions to become one of the Second House?"

With this dry-toned answer, Billius had successfully managed to fend off any more questions, but Ambrosius was not happy. He had seen what none of the others had - that small glance between Billius and Gaius as Llyr settled bitterly back in his seat as he had been told, and it had told him that Billius had known all along of Sir Deiniol's involvement with the Hogwarts Four. It was disconcerting, and something needed to be done, more inquiries to be made.

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"Gregory had been found, my lord," said Cane with dread in his eyes and a tremble in his voice.

"Oh?" Ambrosius said, not looking up from the report in his hands. He enjoyed making Cane jittery, and Marcus Gregory's disappearance did not bother him much. The man was his best killer, and he had utmost trust in his abilities to eliminate the troublesome four. If he needed to disappear in order to get them, then Ambrosius was not worried.

"In a stable at a seedy tavern north of here," Cane finished.

Ambrosius frowned and finally looked up to scrutinize the manservant with narrowed eyes. "What was he doing in that stable exactly? Please tell me he was not messing with one of the prisoners I asked him to bring in. I did tell him I needed them all intact - at least for the time being."

"He..." Cane faltered. "He was stunned. Tied and gagged, and... well, it isn't pleasant, my lord."

"WHAT?!"

"The owner of the tavern found him stuffed in the corner. He said he heard horses coming late at night; they stopped for a while and then went on. When he went to feed his horse the next morning - he found Gregory there. Said he smelled like manure."

"Did you get him to talk?"

"We're bringing him over right now. You will be able to question him yourself. He was still unconscious last time I received the report."

Minutes later, two bulky menservants entered Ambrosius' chambers, carrying between them a lump that was only vaguely recognized as human, much less as Marcus Gregory, the Knight Monster. It looked as though someone had gone through a whole tome of hexes, jinxes and curses, maybe even two, to create this mess that barely resembled the proud man Gregory once was.

A collection of boils, extra limbs, fungi growing in objectionable places and many other repulsive, questionable marks covered the man. He seemed to be cut in several places, bruised and otherwise maimed. There was no way telling what kind of internal injuries have been added to the external mess, but the Chief Warlock could imagine. He had a very active imagination where it concerned bodily harm. Someone did a very thorough job on his best killer.

"He just woke up, my lord," one of the menservants rumbled as they put the man down on the floor where he collapsed into a heap, trembling lightly.

"Sir Gregory?" Ambrosius said after getting up, prodding the figure on the ground with the toe of his slipper.

What he presumed to be a face looked up at him, little cracks opening in the puffed skin.

"Sir Gregory, where are my prisoners?" he hissed, leaning close enough to smell the rank sweat and stink of human wastes covering the man's body and clothes. "Where are Gryffindor and Slytherin? Ravenclaw? Hufflepuff? Where are they?"

The lump on the ground gave out a small whimper and the cracks tightly shut themselves, the man curling into a ball as well as he could...

Ambrosius gritted his teeth, the memory still the most sour of recent years. Next to him a goblet of wine, delicately made of the finest glass, blew into shards. Gregory never did come back to himself. Whatever it was those pests of the north did to him, it made him paranoid and a coward. He kept to his house, living out of the annual allowance Ambrosius had promised him before he set out on his last mission.

Their presence haunted him. He could not pass a day without hearing about another loyal supporter going down, eliminated by their supporters, or another group of magic families announcing openly their full support of Hogwarts. And the rumours...

Mistress Ravenclaw could pluck thoughts out of a man's head miles off.

Lord Slytherin could make men disappear in a flash of light, never to be seen again.

Mistress Hufflepuff could fell solidly built houses on the heads of men who had angered her.

Lord Gryffindor could chop a man in half without even swinging his sword.

Even more fantastic rumours traveled around, each growing bigger and crazier with each telling from mouth to ear. Rumours were normally so, and usually died out after a short while, but these only seemed to grow wilder and wilder.

They had the powers of Gods and Deities, some said, their eyes bright with wonder. Others said they were invincible, or invisible, looking about them and speaking in a hushed voice. They could fly without a broom, according to some, and those same people also claimed that they could be in two places at once, which was preposterous, of course, but tell that to country idiots... Even magic could not make that possible.

Ambrosius' alliance was falling to pieces all around him, its shards slipping through his fingers, unchecked. In the Council, the section that quietly supported Lords Gaius and Billius in their opposing to his plans grew stronger with each passing day. None of them would openly say anything like those two, but the shifty glances and the eyes that did not quite meet his said enough. They thought he was losing his grip. He had to do something and do it soon, or he would lose his grip on the Council, and with that, his grip on the Wizarding World.

"My Lord?" his personal manservant's voice interrupted his dark musings.

"What is it, Edwin?" Ambrosius asked tiredly, his eyes trained on the map spread on the table in front of him, showing the estimated locations of all rebel bands and the various Hogwarts connections. Each day added more marks on that too small piece of parchment.

"I have a letter here from Lord Gaius' personal manservant for you. He said his master says it is urgent and should be delivered to you posthaste," Edwin replied, holding out a carefully folded parchment with Gaius' horned owl crest on it. "I came as soon as I got it."

"Very well. Let's see what that leprous imbecile wants this time. I am tired of him and his proposals..."

His manservant handed him the letter with a reverent bow and retreated a few steps back, taking his customary place by the door.

Ambrosius slit the seal open with the tip of his wand, shook out the parchment and started reading disinterestedly. However, as he took in what the words within spelled, his face grew redder and blotchier, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"WHAT??!!"

Later it would be said that when Lord Ambrosius of York had heard of Lords Gaius and Billius' defection to the side of the Hogwarts band his cry of fury could have been heard all the way to London. His tantrum of rage would become famous in the high society, a lesson to be learned.

A few minutes later found Edwin cowering in fear as Ambrosius paced back and forth in his extravagant sitting room, the crumpled parchment of Lord Gaius' succinct message sizzling merrily into nothing in the roaring fire. There was no telling what was more dangerously fiery - the man or the flames.

"How dare he? How dare he? Turn against me? I, who had gotten rid of those meddlesome Slytherin and Gryffindor lines? I, who have brought the Council more success than all the Chief Warlocks before me? He should be groveling at my feet! And Billius! That scabby weasel! I should have known he was a no-good lout the moment I learned of his relative's involvement with those four nuisances!"

Another roar of rage escaped the Chief Warlock's throat, making Edwin jump yet again.

How could this have happened? At the worst of times, at that! He was already losing supporters in the Council rapidly, and now that those renegade lords had done their deed, who was to say what would be left of that meager support? He needed to act quickly, and the worst thing about it was that he no longer had time to think. His actions needed to be decisive and they needed to be complete at that very moment.

Chief Warlock Ambrosius made his decision. Turning his anger-contorted face to his cringing manservant, he bellowed, "Summon the lords of the Council! Tell them that those who would not come shall suffer the consequences!"

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As soon as Ambrosius thundered into the Chamber he was surrounded by worried lords who all shot questions at him, made too anxious by the rumours going around to take consideration of his foul mood.

"Is it true that Hogwarts has declared war?"

"Where is Billius? He hasn't been seen in two days!"

"What shall we do?"

"Are Gryffindor and Slytherin invading?"

"Why isn't Lord Gaius here?"

"Will we be in danger?"

"Where is Billius?"

"Should we call for truce?"

"What is going on?"

"Why the urgent summons, my lord?"

"What happened to Billius?"

"Silence!" he roared finally, too angry and too agitated to show any patience or manners. "Sit down and be silent! If not, I shall gag you all!"

Alarmed, the lords of the Council settled in their places. Quietly, their eyes wide open, all wondering why they were missing two of their number, they watched as Ambrosius paced back and forth in front of them, his face a thunderstorm, his eyes practically shooting lightning.

"Not an hour ago I had gotten a letter from Gaius. A letter. The filthy coward had not had enough courage to face me while he informed me of his treachery. Yes, my lords of the Council - treachery. It is my unhappy duty to tell you all that as of this evening two of our number have left us for good. They are as good as dead to us now, and if any of you is to see them, you are charged with the sacred duty of eradicating them and all those in their company. Gaius and Billius have betrayed us. They have decided to side with the Hogwarts filth and therefore their fate is to be the same as those of the four, as shall be that of any of you who decide on following their dastardly deed.

"I shall wreak vengeance upon you, and it shall be worse than any you could have imagined. You shall be tainted with the same brush as that of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. You shall lose everything, starting with your lands and families and finishing with your lives. Do not test me."

The lords of the Council all stared at their leader with horror written on their faces. None of them had ever thought Ambrosius' wrath would turn on them, and seeing what would be Gaius and Billius' fate, they did not want to follow.

At long last, Ambrosius stopped his pacing and stood at the exact center of the Chamber, his smoldering eyes trained on them all. "Lords, this morning was the point of no return. You can thank Gaius for that. This is an act of war, and we shall respond to it as we shall respond to every threat. He and his friend Billius have forced my hand. Our plans are to be set into action. There is no more time to waste."

The lords exchanged glances, worried, anxious glances. They all thought the same. The timing was wrong; they were not even near to being prepared for that final step. The warrior recruits could barely hold a straight line, not to speak of fending off an attack of some of the most vicious warriors out there. None of them dared open his mouth and protest. None, that is, but Lord Severn, who appeared to be the most outraged of them all, and for good reason. If the warriors in training would fail to win Ambrosius his ambitions, he, as the commander of that operation, would be the one to be punished.

"Lord Ambrosius, surely you do not mean to go openly against them now of all times?" Severn protested from his seat. "It is the dead of winter and we did not yet have time to study the lay of the land and what we might encounter on our way there. Our plans are not yet ready; our people not well trained enough. In my opinion this is a foolhardy decision and I think you should reconsider it."

The entire Council, including Severn, realized that this was the wrong thing to say at that exact time just as soon as the words had left the First House lord's mouth. Ambrosius' face darkened and turned a murky shade of red in an alarmingly short time, his eyes narrowing and his mouth thinning so much that his lips were almost not to be seen.

"I don't care what you think, Severn!" he roared at the surprised lord. "The next one to open his mouth would spend an eternity wondering where he did wrong! I'll have silence! I'll have obedience! Do you understand me? Do you follow my meaning now? I will have them dead and buried, their names wiped off history! No one will ever know such people had ever existed. Their legacy shall be destroyed - their homes put to the torch and their lines broken! Should any of them beg for mercy, they shall be cut down even more cruelly than the others! We shall give no mercy! They shall be killed - all of them! Men, women, children - all of them! All those who would oppose me shall die!

"In ten days," he snarled at the cowering Lords of the Council, "we are setting out for war."

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"Ah, Edwin!" Ambrosius called delightedly as his manservant entered the room on the dawn of the preordained day. The Chief Warlock was contemplating which of his robes he should wear for the momentous occasion that would begin in only a few hours. He had been up ever since three hours past midnight, trying to plan his appearance ahead, wishing to look at his most impressive for that day.

"Already awake, my lord?" Edwin said in mild surprise. "I do believe you have asked to be woken only at dawn?"

"Ah, I have changed my mind," Ambrosius replied with a small smirk. "Edwin, my good man, I have a job for you. I need you to pack clothes for me and all my potions and magic tomes, as well. Also, I would need a good horse with the proper attire to carry a man of my status and for you to make sure that my tent would be packed and put atop the rest of the gear. Do you understand?"

"My lord! You cannot possibly mean to go there yourself!" Edwin cried out uncharacteristically, his thin face the very mask of horror. "The community needs you! You cannot put yourself at such risk!"

"Oh, my dear Edwin," Ambrosius smiled mirthlessly, putting on his most elaborate of robes and smoothing its front almost absent-mindedly. "Your care for me is commendable, but this one thing I cannot leave to my underlings to do. You have seen through the past few years how they have failed me again and again. This shall not recur here. I will crush the Hogwarts Four, and I will be there to witness their grimy end, no matter what. This has gone for too long, Edwin, and I intend to be there at the finish. Now go and see to that that they prepare my horse properly and then get to packing. I have utmost confidence in your abilities, and I expect you to be ready yourself in two hours. You are coming with me."

If Edwin did not like the sound of this plan, he did not show it. His face resumed their practiced, mild indifference. "Yes, my lord," his manservant said with a curt bow and retreated out of the room, leaving Ambrosius to primp himself alone in his chamber. This would be a great day to Lord Ambrosius. This day was the first real step in his plan to wipe out the Hogwarts Four, and by Merlin, he was going to destroy everything associated with that crowd.

Two hours past dawn, the Chief Warlock of the Council stepped out of the formal entrance to Stonehenge, his richly gold-stitched black robe easily the most wondrous garment there, his deep red cloak billowing in the wild wind, his hair trimmed and his expression cold. He surveyed the forces massed before him and a thin smile graced his lips. This had to be the greatest power ever amassed in the history of the Wizarding World.

Hundreds if not thousands of people, all geared up for war stood in front of him in straight lines. True, every now and then the lines were crooked and quite a few of his wonderful warriors belched, scratched their behinds or yawned in his face, but either way, they were a formidable force, armed and ready, prepared in both Muggle warfare and magic. Hogwarts and its supporters had no chance. They would be crushed.

"My people!" he cried out, his voice magnified so they could all hear. "This day shall appear in the pages of history as the day that marked the downfall of the people who had marred the perfect harmony of the magic community of the British Isles. You will all be part of that downfall! Your names recorded in that great book of heroes, ready to sacrifice their all on the altar of all that is good. Today, we march to eradicate their presumptions! Today, we march to correct that which is wrong! Today, we make men out of boys! Today, my friends, we march out for war!"

There were half-hearted cries of praise coming from his army, most coming from the members of the Chamber Guard implanted in the rows. Ambrosius ignored this lack of enthusiasm, knowing that those who did not call out would do as he commanded anyway, knowing the repercussions of refusing to follow orders. He had no doubt anymore, though he would never admit to ever having any. He would win. He would prevail.

They marched a forced march for days. The commanders of the army, under Ambrosius' orders, did not allow more rest than absolutely necessary. Had this been a Muggle army, many would have been lost to exhaustion and broken limbs. As this was not so, however, they were merely sent to the healers and then mercilessly brought back to their war bands. Only few were lost.

And then, finally, one evening, almost without warning, they were there. That night Ambrosius had allowed the opening of many wine kegs and ale barrels. Tomorrow, they would go and fight. Tomorrow, his victory would come.

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The Castle of Hogwarts loomed in the hazy distance, perched like an overgrown vulture at the top of a cliff overlooking the steely lake. Dawn was slowly coming and all Ambrosius' feverish mind could come up with was that Hogwarts would not wake up to see another day. This was the day where all would come to an end, with Ambrosius as victor.

When sun dawned again, he swore, Hogwarts would be in ruins.

My, oh my, but Ambrosius is pissed. Hope the lot of you liked my foray into the mind of a madman... I hate him, I really do, but once upon a time Ambrosius did have the potential of being a great man. That was before power got a complete hold on him, of course.

Thank you to all of you who read this story, and to those who reviewed:

Ariesfire: Yes, I do tend to do that, don't I? :) The rest... well, the rest will be answered soon!

Affienia123: Thank you very much and I'm very happy to hear that you've found the story again and still like it :) While the pairing of Godric and Rowena would stay true, we all know what happens with Salazar in the end, so the Helga/Salazar pairing will have a slightly different ending, sadly enough...

Tbmsand: Some things just can't be done, at least not at that period, I think. Remember, it is the tenth century and things were slightly cruder at that time. Heh. Not going to tell you - it might ruin something. But I promise, I think I've done Salazar's departure quite convincingly! A bit more political wrangling for you and I hope you enjoyed that, too!

12345: Ahhhhhhh! I'm so ashamed... I haven't spotted that mistake when I went through the chapter again... *tears* Thanks for letting me know. If I ever edit this again then I'll fix it... Heh, I do hope I left you some more food for thought in this chapter about familiar names and such ;)

Kitt: Yes, it is sad about Rowena not having more children, but I do think that later she would be quite thankful for it. Those two kids of her are quite a handful, I assure you. And about the hat - of course you're right ;) Not going to kill 'em off yet, I promise - not in this war, anyhoo!

Magicalkairi: Thanks again! :D Babies are indeed cute, but I don't think I could handle Ryan and Ceri in Rowena's stead. They're quite hyperactive, I promise you that. The War's almost there!

Siriusisnotgay267: Bah... I know I've done that mistake and I am so very ashamed of myself for failing to spot that :P Heh. Glad you like ;)

And that is it for this time! Thank you all and wait until next week's update!