The Empress of Magic

By the time they had returned to Hogwarts Celestia and Regulus had informed all of their friends about the Sorcerer's Stone being hidden within the school....

They had also told them about the Vision, the group was shocked, yet not very surprised to learn that Celestia had the gift of Sight.

After all Gellert Grindelwald was a known Seer.

The gift being passed down to Celestia had been more possible than her being born with white hair, and that was something every child born in the family had.

,, So the vision showed a Chessboard, a Quidditch-like task to unlock the next door, a Potion riddle, and a mirror which held the Stone." Aiden re-counted, their group having spent the past week trying to figure out when the right time came to strike.

They weren't daft.

Dumbledore obviously placed the Stone there in the hopes of a student wandering up there and trying their luck on passing the tasks.

They also had a very good idea of who that student was, but they were going to keep quiet for now.

Celestia also made sure to inform Arcturus of the situation, hoping that he and Xavier may sway the Wizengamot to set up an investigation, though she knew it was for naught.

Dumbledore after all held most of the control over the Light and many Grey families.

Lucius, Theo's Grandfather, and Blaise's mother were all pushing for an investigation as well, after receiving Letters holding the dire situation the students were in.

Susan, Hannah, and the twins were unable to do much since their families were almost entirely Light and Grey allied.

And even though Amelia was the Head of the DMLE she couldn't do anything until there was solid proof about Dumbledore.

Celestia really hated the Laws the Wizarding World seemed to follow like a herd of simple-minded sheep.

,, We already know that the Chessboard was most likely Professor McGonagall's idea." Regulus said, standing next to Celestia who was looking at the Piece of Parchment where she wrote down the sentence whispered in her vision. ,, She loves Wizard-Chess, and the Queen striking the Bishop with her sword in Celestia's vision supports our suspicion of it functioning like the actual one."

,, The flying keys and the broom are a true Omáge on Quidditch, so it is possible that it could be Madame Hooch's task." Blaise suspected, though unsure since it could also belong to Professor Flitwick because of the Charm work.

,, And the Potions task could have only been created by Professor Snape." Hannah said, the Head of Slytherin being the only teacher who could have set up such a trap.

,, For a Dungeon Bat-"

,, He does have a lot of skill." The twins chimed, hating to admit it. Even if Professor Snape was the most disliked teacher at Hogwarts and favored his House more than anyone, everyone could agree that he had skills far superior in Potion making than anyone else at Hogwarts.

Their group already knew that the Cerberus was Hagrid's idea, the half-Giant not able to understand the difference between a dangerous Creature and a Kneazle.

And the Devil's Snare had come from Professor Sprout, the woman having talked with Celestia about its usage and the ways to protect oneself from it in great detail after the white-haired Witch had asked her.

,, But the Mirror..... What could it mean..." This was the very task hindering them from going down there.

As long as the Mirror remained a mystery they agreed to wait with retrieving the Stone.

Celestia continued to stare at the paper, before summoning a Quill and writing it down in a language she knew like the back of her hand in hopes of finding the answer quicker.

,, In what language are you writing ?" Theo asked her, looking at the piece of Parchment which now held Symbols and very carefully crafted lines.

,, It's Demonic." Was the girl's reply, her eyes not leaving the words written down. ,, One of my teachers taught me Demonic and Ancient Greek in hopes of finding more Spells to use for my liking.... It also works with English or Latin sometimes." 

She set the Quill down, her eyes following the Symbols and using them to turn it into a sentence in her mind.

,, Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi..." She repeated slowly. ,, I show not your face but your heart's desire......" 

,, Cursed with Insanity shall be those who seek my View." She read out, frowning slightly.

,, Found something ?" Hunter asked, curiously observing Celestia.

,, It translates to , Cursed with Insanity shall be those who seek my View.' " She said, the others now equally confused.

A Mirror which holds a curse when looked into...........

Theo suddenly got an idea. ,, Could it possibly be the Mirror of the Erised ?"

,, The Mirror of the Erised ?" The two Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors asked, never having heard of something like that.

,, It's a Mirror having long been thought lost." Regulus explained. ,, People have gone insane after looking into it, unable to tell fantasy and reality apart."

,, And now it's at Hogwarts of all places ?" Susan asked, feeling even worse than before.

First a Cerberus and Devils Snare, then the Philosopher's Stone and to put a Cherry on top of it all a Cursed Mirror standing in Hogwarts for who knows how long.

The Hufflepuff was starting to feel like Hogwarts was the most dangerous place on Earth instead of the safest.

,, It's not that surprising when you think about all the teachers Hogwarts has had over the centuries." Aiden said. ,, One could have found it and brought it to Hogwarts years ago without anyone realizing, letting it remain untouched ever since."

,, *Sigh* And then Dumbledore of course had to stumble upon it." The group shared an annoyed groan.

Albus Dumbledore was the main cause of their Headaches these past few months.

----------------

A few more weeks passed, and with the Exams coming closer the group decided to go retrieve the Stone a few weeks before the End of the year, not wanting to suddenly cause suspicion to arise in Dumbledore.

Madame Pince, having taken a great liking towards their group, always allowed them to sit in a more secluded part of the library, where they could talk freely and study without having to worry about being overheard.

And as they continued on their extra work, the twins studying for their own Exams as well, nothing really eventful happened at Hogwarts.......

Well-

That was until one morning, when Celestia came down for breakfast she was met by the sight of three very annoyed-looking Houses and a very delighted Slytherin House.

Raising an eyebrow she turned to look at the Hourglasses, wondering what was going on.

And there stood the problem.

Gryffindors Hourglass had almost turned empty, at least a hundred and fifty points having been taken away from it.

Chrome who was sitting on her shoulder, wearing his Ravenclaw Bowtie, tilted his head in confusion.

The Niffler was pretty sure that the Hourglass had been filled with more the day before.

Looking around she spotted the twins looking angry, Susan and Hannah pouting and Regulus, Blaise, and Theo looking like they wanted to kill a very frightened Draco.

Aiden and Hunter weren't there yet, having ushered Celestia down for breakfast, as they waited for Jade to arrive with a very important Letter.

Not knowing what was going on she looked around for a specific Ghost, finding him standing near the Hourglasses with the other Ghosts.

So she walked up to them.

Peeves immediately perked up when he saw her, smiling brightly. ,, 'Tia! It's so good to see you!" He said, flying circles around her.

,, Good morning Peeves, to you all as well." She said, addressing the other Ghosts who greeted her back with smiles or simple nods of their heads.

,, Do any of you know what has happened for Gryffindor to lose so many points in a single night ?" She asked, curious.

,, Ahh.... Yes... That would be Potter's accomplishment." Peeves said, his bright mood soured by the mention of the boy.

The Grey Lady floated behind Celestia, letting her fingers glide through the girl's beautiful braided hair as if she could touch it.

The Bloody Baron, Sir Nicholas, and the Fat Friar were kind enough to explain further.

,, Mr. Potter and his friends Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley had the grand idea to sneak out at night and walk along the Astronomy Tower..." Sir Nicholas began, seemingly saddened by this action.

,, 'Told Heir Malfoy that they had a Dragon and the boy went after them." The Fat Friar continued.

,, He followed them and the Head of Gryffindor caught all of them, along with another Gryffindor boy I believe to be Heir Longbottom....... They earned themselves Detention with the Gateskeeper at Sundown...." The Bloody Baron finished, making Celestia hum.

So this was the reason why so many points were taken........

The Grey Lady leaned down and whispered in her ear. ,, The young Heir of the Black family was greatly displeased with his fellow Slytherin.......... There were quite a few Curses being cast around the time he came back from his little adventure....."

Celestia glanced at Draco, observing him closely....

His hands were shaking slightly, though there was no visible trace of Magic having been used on him...

, Regulus must have used an Unforgivable....' She thought, Xavier having told her that it is actually quite common within Pureblood families to use them on their children, though everyone knew the negative effects they held.

She had only ever been under the influence of the Imperius Curse, and that was under the circumstances of Niamh teaching her how to shield her mind entirely from Tom and others who could possibly try to gain information from her.

Thanking the Ghosts and bidding them goodbye she walked towards the Slytherin table, sitting down next to Regulus and simply taking his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers.

He didn't say anything, nor did he look at her, but he continued holding her hand, refusing to let go even as Chrome sat down on his shoulder and started annoying Theo and Blaise.

-----------------

Later the same night Celestia placed on a Dark Cloak, and left the Ravenclaw Tower with a basket in her hold, Chrome sitting in her pocket and keeping silent.

The Grey Lady passed by her and gave her a kind smile, nodding as she continued on her way.

She quietly walked along the corridors of Hogwarts, making sure to not wake up any of the Portraits as she made her way outside....

Looking around and making sure that no one was following her she made her way toward the Forbidden Forest, placing a Hood over her head so she wouldn't be recognized.

Her Bi-colored eyes followed the tree lines as she calmly walked into it, only stopping once when she heard Hagrid, who was leading Harry and his friends ( excluding Draco ) further inside........

When she was sure that they were gone she continued, not stopping until she finally reached her destination.

She brushed aside the leaves and twigs, kneeling down and setting the basket beside her as she tried to get all of it off the marble Stone with a certain Mark on it.......

After a few moments, she deemed it clean enough and opened the basket, taking out food the House Elves had kindly prepared for her.....

Positioning it around the Mark, her hands then went to the clasps of her necklace which gave a faint glow in the chilling air of the Night..............

She laid it down above the Mark and began singing in a hushed whisper.........

,, Hush now, and listen!

To the sound of my voice,

That serves as messenger of the dead who rejoice :

My blood I offer, for I am death's loyal daughter.

My body I give, so that other's may live.

My soul I keep, to escape eternal sleep.

And through this sacrifice, the flames in my veins, golden as a dragon's roar and black as the night, will grow to become alike.

One drop, to strenghten myself so that I may never be stopped!

Two drops, to sharpen my blade, so that all of my enemies will be rightfully slain!

Three drops, and they will follow you nonstop!

A dragon's child in the care of death, flourishes under his guide to steal all your wealth.

Your body will rott, and the way to paradise blocked....

My golden eyes, the mirrors of my dragon's heart, set ablaze, will be the last thing you see, for they are the cause of your demise.

I am deaths' most loyal child, but careful he must be, for I am his dragon daughter, and will offer him a beautiful smile as I kill him in his sleep."

The Mark began to glow softly, the food rotting at an extremely fast pace as all the plants around her died......

The Creatures of the Forest ran away, only those who are fellow Creatures of the Night daring to remain where they were.

Celestia looked down at her Rings, seeing the Peverell and Gaunt Rings react to the Magic around.......

Her eyes turned Golden and she closed them briefly, taking in a breath of air............

,, You are standing there awfully quiet.." She suddenly said, having noticed the presence of a certain someone near her. ,, ..Regulus."

The Slytherin waited a moment, before slowly stepping out of his hiding place, wearing a Cloak similar to hers, his expression empty.

He walked up to her, only stopping once he was by her side.

It was quiet for a couple of minutes, only the sounds of the forest accompanying them.

Eventually, Regulus broke the silence. ,, I used an Unforgivable on Draco last Night..."

,, I know.." Celestia replied, opening her eyes again, their color still golden.

,, .... He won't learn.... No matter how much I try to make him realize, he is slowly turning for the worse each day..........." He said. ,, I fear that it won't be long until he has fallen victim under Dumbledore as well."

,, You want to protect him." Celestia stated, not questioning his words like one would usually do in this kind of conversation.

Regulus nodded, his hands balling up into fists. ,, Since we were young I've seen him more like a brother than a cousin......... but Lucius turned him weak...... Sure he is prepared when it comes to the Laws of the Wizarding World, but he isn't for the cruelty and the bloodshed one would go as far to as to ensure one's own comfort or that of their family......... Grandfather and our Great-Aunt Cassiopeia have prepared me for that so that I won't turn into a disgrace of the Black family name like my father................. "

Celestia gave a hum, turning to him. ,, Do you fear you'll ever turn into him? Your father I mean."

Regulus' gaze wandered to her, her Golden eyes doing nothing to faze him...

,, When I was younger I was always jealous of those around me......" He said. ,, They had loving parents and a place they could call their home.......... I hated it... always asking myself why my mother decided to leave me in favor of fighting in the War with her brothers, or why my own Father left me in favor of his Godson.............. Yet, while I held not even a single memory of them the people surrounding me expected me to be exactly like them... and when I turned out to look like Uncle Regulus they all sealed my Fate by expecting me to become a replica of him."

He gave a bitter smile. ,, Even though the Professors and adults keep quiet I can see it in their eyes......... They all only see me as a copy of my Uncle and it becomes even more obvious when I am with you.... For them, it's probably like seeing Violet and Regulus all over again and I bloody loath them for it."

Celestia gently reached out to him, making him kneel beside her as she took him into her arms.

,, But you're not your Uncle." She told him calmly, glancing at the ends of his curls which had turned a somber Blue. ,, And I am not my Aunt......... Violet Grindelwald and Regulus Black the Second both died in the last War and will remain with the Dead............. They may have been related to us, and we may even look similar to them, but we never met them, Reggie. If people really think that we're turning into mini versions of them based on those facts then they're even more blind than a Gryffindor when looking at Dumbledore and seeing him as the Saviour of the Wizarding World."

He listened to her, keeping still in her hold....

After a few minutes, he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her and buried his head into her shoulder, finding her Scent calming...........

,, You're right....." He muttered, noticing Chrome poking his head out of the pocket he was staying in.

Celestia gave a close-eyed chuckle, letting her fingers run along Regulus' hair, something he strangely found he enjoyed more than just a little.............

,, I know." She replied, the both of them in their own little world, ignoring everything around them for now.

-----------------

The two stayed there for a while, before beginning to make their way back to the castle.

,, Say, have you received a reply ?" Regulus asked, referring to the Letter Aiden and Hunter had been waiting for earlier that morning.

,, I did." Celestia replied, the two walking through the Forbidden Forest with their hands intertwined and Chrome sitting on Regulus' shoulder once again.

,, Lord Flamel was in great shock when he learned that one of his oldest friends stole his creation and tried to use it as part of his schemes, but he'll be fine." She said, her still Golden Orbs shining under the Moonlight. ,, He also gave us permission to retrieve it and asked us to send it back to him as soon as possible so that he can place it somewhere Dumbledore won't be able to get his fingers on." 

Regulus rose an eyebrow. ,, And did he tell you where he intended to keep it ?"

Celestia gave a small smile. ,, He was rather curious about the Wards surrounding Pendragon castle... And Perenelle always wanted to live somewhere secluded."

,, You invited them to live at the castle ?" He asked, amused.

She nodded. ,, I did indeed.... The rooms of the Crowns have stayed empty for many years and I thought it would be for the best to fill them once more."

The Crowns had been Queen Eve's and King Xavier's most trusted Allies, having sworn on their lives to serve the Royal family until they took their very last dying breath.

They had been of different Statuses, yet all served the same purpose and lived together in Pendragon castle, each Crown having its own Chambers to reside in.

Most Crowns stayed even after they started their own family, their children playing and growing up with the Heirs and Heiresses that they would one day serve.

And with a war undoubtedly reaching nearer and nearer Celestia had no choice but to establish the Crowns once more.

"AAAAAAAAAARGH!" Suddenly hearing a scream close to them they froze, Regulus' first instinct having been to step in front of Celestia and shield her.

,, Quick! Place your hood up.!." He whispered, placing his own Hood over his head, Chrome diving into Celestia's arms as the girl did the same.  

They took their Wands into their hands and walked forward, just in time to see Draco bolting away, a Dog by his side doing the same.

,, What in Salazar's name is he doing ?" Regulus asked no one in particular, wanting to know why his cousin was running as if a Dementor was right on his heels.

,, Reggie..." Celestia brought back his attention, as she lightly tugged on his cloak.

As he followed her gaze he spotted another hooded figure, only that this figure was leaning over a dead Unicorn, the creature's blood dribbling down its front.

And as if that wasn't enough Harry was standing a few feet next to it, frozen and looking like he was ready to faint.

,, Oh for Rowena's sake." Celestia said, lifting her own Wand.

An Arrow, oozing with Dark Magic was heading straight towards the figure, though it hadn't so much as reached it when another Arrow was fired, meeting her's in the middle and causing a small explosion that immediately made the figure stumble to its feet and run away.

She Tch'd, displeased by the fact that her arrow was stopped, and looked at the Culprit.

A Centaur.

The Centaur noticed her and bowed his head in apology, not having realized that she had fired one as well.

,, It's fine... just take the boy somewhere safe, please." She requested and the Centaur immediately went to Harry, taking him away.

Regulus and her waited a few moments, before making their way towards the dead body of the Unicorn......

They kneeled down, inspecting the poor creature.....

,, Your grace........I must apologize for the earlier events." said Bane, entering the clearing with Ronan and a couple of other Centaurs.

,, It is all right, Bane........Though I must ask you to Patrol the Forest more regularly from now on... If Voldemort is in such a weak state that he refers to slaying an Unicorn I do not wish to take risks." Celestia said, gently placing her hand over the deceased Unicorn.

Regulus knew what she was doing and followed her lead, closing his eyes as he gave a silent Prayer to Mother Magic.

Celestia nodded at Chrome, the Niffler jumping out of her arms and taking an elegantly decorated box out of his pockets.

She opened the lid and faced the Unicorn, letting her Magic flow through it...

, Spirit who has been slain..... I Apologize for the actions taken place today...... The man who has done this is not in the right of his own mind and is unable to fully grasp what grave sin he committed.......... Please find it in your Heart to forgive his foolishness....' thought the girl as she remained patiently waiting........

Slowly the unicorn's body began to disappear within the grounds of the Forest, only leaving behind the Horn and two pieces of its tail hair.

Celestia took them and put them in the small Box, letting Chrome store them back in his pockets.

Regulus and she then watched as a Flower rose from where the Unicorn once lay..........

It had accepted the apology and moved on.....

,, ................ It won't be long until he decides to make his move..." Regulus said, his hand holding Celestia's as the girl gave a nod.

,, We have to inform the others....... By the end of the next week, the Sorcerer's Stone will be taken back by us."