The Desiderata
I The Desiderata
Six months earlier….
"Coffee? Juice?"
Hermione looked up at Harry as she entered the kitchen.
"How about something to break my skull from hurting?"
"More vodka then." Harry joked as he started pouring a glass of cold juice for Hermione next to a platter of waffles, bacon and eggs for her.
Hermione rolled her eyes as she sat by the small dining table, hands up over her head.
"Why do I feel like I did something I regretted lastnight?" she murmured at him, eyes closed in pain as she listened to Harry's movements around the kitchen.
"Oh, would you like a rundown?" Harry amusedly asked moving a small platter of jam and cream cheese next to her.
"I can still do wandless magic, you know." Hermione quipped rolling her eyes at him before diving into the warm food he served her.
Harry looked down at her as he settled the platter of food and glass of juice next to her.
"Oh, you cook so well," Hermione commented as she inhaled the smell of melted cheese over the waffles Harry made for her. "This is really good."
She reached over for the plate and stopped mid-way, grabbing Harry by the arm.
"What?" he asked her, surprised.
"Excuse me," she slowly said as she realized something, "I thought you already left lastnight?"
They stared at one another for a moment.
"If I left you lastnight, you would be out by your door right now in a pool of your vomit."
"Oh." Hermione said, withdrawing her hand from Harry and settling back over her chair. "I did drink a lot lastnight, didn't I?"
"Are you kidding me?" Harry asked her, grabbing his plate and settling himself on the opposite chair. "I had to carry you out of the bar to stop you from wrestling with the bar man."
"Oh god. The newspaper will have a fest." Hermione said burying her face in her hands.
"Don't worry, they're too busy with the event over the coming weekend they wouldn't have time to write about your drinking spree."
Harry sat back smiling at her as he reached over the morning paper and showing it to her.
"I would hex you now if my head doesn't hurt this much," Hermione answered taking the paper from him.
She sat back, drinking the refreshing juice Harry made for her & trying to ignore the look Harry was giving her.
Friday nights were great until you don't remember what stupid things you did the night prior.
"So are you still up to party tonight?" Harry asked her as he handed her the morning paper.
Hermione took a bite from her waffle as she read the paper.
"You don't have to go anymore if you don't want to," Harry said enjoying his platter of breakfast waffles and eggs. "I think Kingsley would understand."
"Are you kidding me?" Hermione said as she continued to read the paper. "I should see him & explain my behavior lastnight."
"Don't worry, he didn't see any," Harry told her. "Lucky you, he was the only one who didn't."
Hermione shot him a glare and his sheepish smile immediately died away.
'Young Pureblood Heir & Bachelor About to Miss the Biggest Fund-Raising Event of the Year'
"Do they have to sensationalize how they call Malfoy in the paper these days?" Hermione snorted reading the article about Draco. "Is this really worth front-page news?"
A large photo of Draco Malfoy in a gallant set of robes was proudly smiling back at her from the front page.
"Well, he is donating a large sum of money." Harry pointed out. "The biggest donated including - wait for it - seven bars of gold-"
"I don't care what he donates-"
"And then," Harry loudly said to stop her from interrupting him, "he wouldn't be there tonight. Can you imagine? He's just throwing away his money, letting 'his people' do the work as if what he's donating isn't that much. Economically, that is big news."
"More like egotistically," Hermione said turning the page and skipping the article altogether. "And what does he have for auction anyway?"
Hermione turned to the page where the list of auctions was posted and how much the bids were guessed to start with and then a list of possible guests for the night's ball.
"A lot of the artifacts that were probably not confiscated but are neither dark objects," Harry answered matter-of-factly. "He wants to empty his mansion the way I'm seeing it."
"He can empty it all he wants, but he remains as he is." Hermione muttered under her breath. "Anyway, I would be attending if he isn't there. Where is he anyway?"
"Why are you interested?" Harry countered with a raised brow.
"Nothing." Hermione quickly said. "Never mind."
Harry didn't say anything but they've been bestfriends for too long to know that there was 'something' behind her 'nothing'.
"He's going for a business trip as much as I know of. And sources say, it's another fund-raising event." Harry answered handing her the small cup of blueberries across the table.
"I'm not interested in his itinerary." Hermione snapped at him.
"I'm not saying you are. I'm just telling you."
Hermione darkly laughed closing the article on Draco and the auction altogether and moving to the rest of the pages.
"He's trying to change, Hermione." Harry gently pointed out to her. "One of the events he funded last week was for the department you favor the most - for the house-elves."
Hermione gave him a look but didn't say anything.
"Well about time." Hermione only said grabbing another waffle across the table. "After all that they did to Dobby."
Silence crossed the table.
They had a pact with Ron to barely ever really talk about those who had 'passed' from the war to respect what has been and to ease the painful memories of the war.
"Anyway." Hermione immediately said regaining composure. "I'll go with you tonight as originally planned. "Great to be in a social event where Malfoy wouldn't be attending for the first time in history."
"It's not like you've been talking to him in the past social gatherings and fund-raising we've been," Harry said. "Give him a break. Malfoy is trying to regain himself to where the society has placed his family - "
"Harry, I really don't care what he's doing with his life," Hermione said. "Besides, you don't even know if he's abroad for some charity event or he's basking under the sun in some island with ladies all over him - which I'm sure he enjoys thoroughly."
Harry almost laughed at her reference and then her face turned red in annoyance.
"Hermione, you don't have to-"
"Don't." Hermione warned him, eyeing him spitefully. "I'm telling you - don't you even-"
"I'm not saying anything-" Harry quickly exclaimed, holding himself from laughing. "I didn't-"
"Don't you dare-"
"I didn't say anything!"
"It was one time!" Hermione crankily said, face red. "It was just one time and I would never - never ever -"
"Alright, alright, I get it," Harry said calming her down with a smile and gently taking the paper from her hand. "Never happened. Nothing happened. Naddah. Zipped."
She was furious at him and although Harry looked like he was still going to burst into laughter any moment, he managed himself.
"So no stalking?" he slowly asked her.
"Hell no." Hermione angrily said taking a large gulp from her glass. "I'm just wondering why he would abandon a large project which is actually good for his name - which he has been desperately trying to clean since the war ended."
"As long as the galleons are rolling, 'Mione remember that the community wouldn't mind if he appears or disappears in parties."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Here you go." Harry handed her a warm cup of coffee as they reached for their favourite spot at the cafe that afternoon.
London weekends were quiet as long as you know where to stay for a coffee and a book.
Saturday afternoons were Hermione and Harry's favorite time of the week because after the morning chores or errands and things to do for work, they get the afternoons free and they can just walk around downtown and go to their favorite small cafes.
Through the years, though their popularity never really died down, at the least, they were no longer bombarded with what Ron proudly called "fans" for the three of them.
"I missed it when Ron was with us doing this on weekends," Harry commented as their pastry was served over their table.
"Yeah." Hermione answered him. "Missed him interrupting my reading wanting me to quietly murder him."
They both laughed.
After graduation, Ron did go with Harry for Auror training.
However, he realized through time that his heart does belong to Quidditch and would always do.
And so with a decision made with the help of his bestfriends, he chose to leave with his belongings and happily accepted and engaged himself with professional Quidditch training which he prospered very well.
He visits over the holidays when the schedule permits him. Other than that, they received packages of sweets and delicacies where he was around the globe including photos of a colorful life he's presently living with Ginny occasionally with him as she pursued the same dreams, helping train others for global competitions.
"Is there any article about The Desiderata?"
"None." Hermione answered him as she closed the magazine at a rack next to them. "Maybe they wouldn't put it out until tonight or something."
Harry rummaged for other magazines and then reached out for the latest copy of a thick and elite-looking one.
"Ah, there you go." Harry pointed out showing the front cover of a magazine where a large jewel was plastered. "I know Kingsley told me about this article. Been looking for it for days."
Hermione looked over as he searched for the pages for the article.
A large widespread photo of a jewel with an article that was in the middle of the magazine.
It was one of the most spectacular jewels Hermione has ever seen.
It was made out of a very rare jewel that myths say is not of this world.
Even if the photo had no colour, it was described to be made of a special element of a rare stone and with the emerald colour.
The necklace hung around across the page with studded diamonds around it.
"So is it just the green thing or with the diamonds?" Harry asked curiously.
"I know it's just the gemstone." Hermione pointed out. "But we'll see it tonight, wouldn't we?"
"You've never seen it?" Hermione asked him. "I thought you guys poked around it before being auctioned off?"
The article says it was one of the most sought-after objects for the auction that night.
"First of all, we don't poke things, Hermione." Harry said laughing at her idea of what they do in his department. "Also, this bid wouldn't go below a thousand galleons. We couldn't just poke it." Harry commented as they read through the article."
"Must be some jewel. " Hermione haughtily said.
"Must be," Harry said. "Still wondering how the owner got it."
"Maybe an heirloom," Hermione said as she read through the rest of the article. "And they decided to throw it out of their house. Old rich, you know?"
"Old rich wouldn't do that," Harry said. "My team and I went there at the Department of Mysteries before where they are keeping all these kinds of artifacts. Never saw this there, not enlisted either."
"So not dark artifact?" Hermione asked him. "You sure about that?"
"No." Harry said turning the page. "But it must have passed Ministry's examination for its origin or any dark magic around it to be able to auction it for the public. But it's a rare stone, I tell you. Nothing we've seen in our world."
Harry pointed out a special code and description at the end of the page where the Ministry publishes a special 'bar code' about objects being sold and auctioned so the public would know its record, origin and
"Isn't it dangerous to be out in public if of unknown origin?" she asked him.
"Yeah, but Kingsley and the rest signed approval for it," Harry said in slight worry. "I tried talking to him about it but he says it's clean and safe and well, will give a lot of money for the chosen charity."
"I still can't believe they're putting this one out there if they don't completely know its history."
"Hermione, not everything we put in the auction is of known history and origin." Harry pointed out at her. "They pass a certain series of tests at the Ministry then they're a go."
"Yeah. But not some stone from not of this world." Hermione matter of factly said.
"It's not dangerous," Harry said. "It's been sitting in the vault for months or I don't know, maybe years. I'm not sure. It was donated or whatever and then it's up for auction. But I'm telling you, it's clean and it's clear of danger and dark magic."
"If we all die tonight because of this thing," Hermione said with a raised brow at him. "That's gonna be on you."
"Sure." Harry laughed closing the magazine and returning it on the rack. "Coffee is on me as well. I still owe you for that one time." Harry said sitting back and winking at her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It has been almost two years since the fall of the Dark Lord & their graduation from Hogwarts.
The school has been rebuilt to its former glory but rebuilding a whole community was another story.
Survivors of the war still relished at night in their nightmares the horrors of the war.
Governments recalled old ties that were broken and newly appointed leaders signed truce and treaties as a way of putting backorder and moving forward to a new world.
Kingsley retained his position of Minister of Magic alongside old and new appointees. Hogwarts had seated a new set of governors which excluded anyone who had been connected to the Dark Lord or any Pureblood families who disliked the new world order of no prejudice and discrimination for any life and bloodline.
The Golden Trio graduated from Hogwarts and Harry and Ron immediately went off for Auror Training that took months to a year to finish.
Ron however found that his love still lies with Quidditch and so he pursued another career from Harry. With the offer of touring around the world with incentives among other things, Ron decided to take chance at that life.
On the other hand, Harry continued his Auror training and excelled like no other of his age. He was given his department and though still training with seniors, he was provided with special marks that enable him to provide training to the younger ones or if he would want to, he could go back to Hogwarts and teach as a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Hermione graduated top marks of her class - a very close neck to neck competition against Draco Malfoy who finished second to her in all their subjects when he returned with a handful of Slytherins to finish school.
She had declined the Auror training slot offered to her and had instead pursued to take further studies while working at the Ministry as a consultant in various departments where she could provide help.
Given her school records and her obvious abilities, she was provided with a job for many that she could single-handedly do.
The last they have seen of Draco Malfoy was a court hearing where he was cleared of all charges with his mother while his father was justified for a lifetime of imprisonment in Azkaban.
When they returned to Hogwarts to finish their last year, Draco seemed to be the only one unfit to be at the school he betrayed.
Eyes were on him, snide remarks from every corner but he was withdrawn.
He was never seen nor heard to backlash. Even from his fellow Slytherins, he had kept himself quiet and apart.
He endured a whole school year keeping to himself and only forced to interact if they were forced to work together for a subject.
Harry had been assigned to work with him once and although he never spoke to him, they had worked well together flawlessly and were rewarded with top marks.
Hermione on the other hand was a little tricky to work with. They were paired for a special project for Potions that lasted about two weeks - which meant, an interaction was inevitable.
They worked long hours and spent much time together at the library and worked at the special Potions laboratory that was set up and used for practice for the exams of the higher years.
Although Harry and Ron didn't hear complaints from Hermione that he had to deal with Draco's attitude, they would hear stories from her about how challenging it was to work with Draco because he presented all the problems in their project that she possibly missed. As they guessed, Hermione meant 'challenge' by the fact that someone if not smarter but as smart as her, challenged the way she worked and operated.
Working with Harry and Ron all their academic life didn't present much a challenge to her because she would tell them what to and what not to do and do the rest of their work if she deemed it necessary. Working with Malfoy meant she was faced with someone at par to her skills and abilities who would engage in a debate in problem-solving and not someone who would sit around and wait to be told what to do and how to do something.
But after school, the Golden Trio barely saw Malfoy except for court hearings.
As they've heard, he started running all the businesses and affairs of the Malfoy family provided he was the only son and heir and well, his father was now facing life in prison.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Looking sharp, Mr. Potter."
Hermione snickered as she stared at Harry's beautiful formal dress robes as he opened the door of her carriage and helped her off from it in her long flowy gown with a perfect slit right at its side.
"You don't look bad yourself, Miss Granger." Harry whispered kissing the back of her hand and staring closely over her hair that she magically tame at events like this one.
"Stop it." Hermione rolled her eyes at him knowing he was about to say something about her hair. "I'm going to hex you."
"It's nice," Harry commented. "Pretty and all that magic."
"Remind me not to save you later when girls start swooning over you -" Hermione snapped at him, "-just like that one time and you nearly didn't manage to vomit that love potion you accidentally drunk if it wasn't for me.."
"Come on, I'm just kidding," Harry said pulling her closer to him and kissing her forehead as they began to ascend the steps of the hall.
The grand auction was to take place at the grand gallery at the Ministry.
Magically designed from inside out, the hall was turned into a beautiful grand gallery. Decorated well, ceilings beautifully lit, grandeur flourished the walls and floors with carpets like an auction ball never before seen by Harry and Hermione.
Every Ministry officials were present along with Hogwarts governors and investors, businessmen and the elite alike were there with friends and some with the family dressed in the occasion.
"I thought we didn't like occasions like this?" Hermione pointed out to Harry as they passed several families whom she knew had been at the Dark Lord's side before his fall. "Look like it's an open house occasion."
"Hermione, please." Harry gently said as he pointed towards a waiter who was walking towards them with two wine glasses. "We've already talked about this. If you didn't-"
"You're right," Hermione said taking one of the glasses, "I'm sorry. I should have been more intentional. I should be more sociable for the likes of Malfoy even if he isn't here."
Harry laughed as she watched her roll her eyes and gulp most of the glass in one go.
"Now, we have a whole night ahead of us." Harry said reminder her, eyes furrowed at her drinking. "If you're not feeling up to it, we can just go home-"
"No, I'm very much up to it," Hermione said as she finished her glass and quickly replaced it with a waiter passing by.
Harry watched as she slid her empty glass at the waiter's tray and grabbed another.
"Have you been visiting-"
"Yes." Hermione quickly cut him short. "Now, let's go somewhere where we can view the auction before all these elites get the best view."
Harry let himself be dragged by Hermione across the room where circular tables were spread across the hall.
The lights in the room were slightly dim as a signal that the program was about to begin.
Harry and Hermione were seated in one of the circular tables near the front of the stage at the middle of the room.
"Thank you." Harry said as they were helped to their VIP seats. "Guess we have a good view?"
Harry and Hermione looked up across the room where the Minister raised his glass to them momentarily before getting back to his conversation with whom they recognized as two Hogwarts governors.
"Money coming in?" Hermione casually said staring at the napkin over the table as two waiters started to set up their table.
"You know he's not like that." Harry muttered at her. "He's being polite."
"Right." Hermione said sounding a little apologetic. "So what's up for auction first?"
Harry pulled out the thick and elegant-looking programme notes handed to him upon their entry.
"This reminds me of the Yule Ball." Harry commented looking around the decors and set up around him. "Not that it was a memorable one."
He looked up at Hermione next to him who was occupied in reading the flow of the program for the night.
He would never tell her and would only choose to keep it to himself but he had always admired her how she carried herself on such occasions even if she didn't like them at all.
"Hermione." Harry said as he moved closer to her, reaching out for the programme in her hand. "Hermione, listen, about the last time- the other night when we were talking about us-"
"What about us?" Hermione asked back although she shifted slightly from her chair, a tensed look came across her face as Harry scooted closer to her.
Harry opened his mouth to say something but the lights had changed that signaled them both that the program was about to begin.
"Here we go." Hermione said quickly shifting away from him and smiling as he got distracted with the crowd's applause for the minister as he moved to the center of the room to take the small stage.
"Right." Harry whispered in a disappointed tone as he sat straight in his chair, clapping and smiling like the rest of the crowd.
Minister Kingsley took the stage and made his speech while ministry officials started pushing glass carts across the room.
They contained the objects for auction for the night.
"As you would know," Kingsley said with a smile as he neared the end of his speech. "If you would look below your chairs, attached are your auction cards."
Harry and Hermione, like the rest of the crowd, started pulling up auction cards from under their table.
"15 and 19." Harry read the card in his head and Hermione's.
Hermione stared at the number 19 on her card.
It glowed black and gold as she stared at it.
Kingsley continued his speech, "Ofcourse, we all know how to use this?" he raised a sample card in his hand and everyone laughed.
"Right. I guess that is about it. The house is now open for auction."
And the first item pushed to the middle of the stage was a very large portrait of Hogwarts. It was a very beautiful compilation of moving faces of all the heads of houses that have been through the centuries.
"Beautiful. Where did they get that?" Hermione said agreeing at the first item.
"Donated by a Pureblood Hufflepuff. Forgot her name. But saw her note that came with it when it was delivered." Harry explained to her.
The first bid was up and the bidding began as cards were raised, laughter echoing around the room as Kingsley continued to raise the amount with his side jokes.
"Are you going to bid for that?" Harry asked Hermione after a while as the 6th item was raised over the stage.
It was a very beautiful jewel-designed hardbound book.
"They call it the Book of Shadows, Harry." Hermione said. "It does not sound right to me. Besides, I wouldn't buy something like that - ten thousand galleons? Are you kidding me?"
They continued to watch as the elite crowd raised one card after another.
This was the life they knew way before the fall of the Dark Lord and this was the first big auction in years that has been opened - giving way for them to go back into their golden years.
"Don't hate them." Harry reminded her reaching for her hand. "It's their money that will save the departments and charities we opted to help."
"I know." Hermione whispered back. "I just can't believe they still have this much money. It's like much of them weren't raided at all."
"They were supporters, Hermione." Harry said. "They are the old rich. But that doesn't mean all of them are or were Death Eaters. Just think that the good outcome of tonight is that we can finally build that small house for house-elves that are of retirement age."
Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed heavily knowing the fact behind Harry's words.
The lights changed and dimmed slightly again.
The music changed and the stage was on focus as only Kingsley's voice was heard from the middle of the room.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked Harry.
"This is it." Harry whispered back at her. "The Desiderata."
And sure enough, two well-dressed ministry officials moved to the center of the stage. Two others began preparing a beautiful table as the two others opened the large box they were carrying.
The crowd gasps as Aurors came in sight, wands out guarding the object that was brought in.
The excitement and curiosity in the room heightened.
Kingsley moved to the middle of the room as he nodded and he faced the crowd.
"Previously owned & laid forgotten. In a vault, it has been housed & kept secured, guarded. Prided as a very rare magical stone. History says & calls it as a once in a lifetime find - bound to earth but not of ours. A true rare stone. Our seventh auction for tonight - I bring forth, the Desiderata."
The officials unveiled the glass and the Aurors stood straighter in their position.
Gasps.
A beautiful gleaming stone with several studs was visible inside the glass looking back at each of them, mocking them with its beauty.
Kingsley let the silence sink in for a few minutes as he allowed the crowd admire the beautiful stone.
It was indeed more beautiful than how Hermione remembers it from the magazine they read.
"We will start our bidding for 10 thousand galleons!" Kingsley announced and Hermione's choked in her drink.
It was the highest price to start with tonight and she quickly looked across the room in fear nobody would take it.
But to her great surprise, the elites from the back of the room who had been quiet the whole time, started raising their cards for the bidding.
They had obviously attended the event in the sole purpose of bidding and hoping to take home the Desiderata.
"Does it do any magic?" Hermione curiously asked Harry who was watching the crowd throw money away for the stone.
"Twelve thousand!"
"Fifteen thousand!"
"Twenty five thousand for the Desiderata!"
Hermione had not seen an auction gone this wild and far - not that she has attended many. But now she understood why it was such an event for the crowd that was in the room.
It wasn't the money.
It was parading not only the money but the pride and the right to own something no one else would be able to do so in the room.
"Thirty thousand galleons!" screamed an old man from the end of the room.
Harry and Hermione looked and realized that it was one of the Pureblood wizards that has been acquitted from Death Eater trials.
"Looks like they still have money." Hermione quipped at Harry as they continued to watch and listen the bids went higher and higher.
"Fifty thousand!"
"Seventy thousand!"
"This is crazy." Harry said amused as the crowd boomed. "I bet someone will get it for eighty. That's as far as I would get it. I don't understand why it's very, very popular with them. They don't even know what it does."
"You don't." Hermione said. "But maybe they do-"
"Seventy-five thousand!" screamed a young man for an elderly woman next to her.
Hermione and Harry looked at their direction.
She was old rich. Looking thin, old and sickly but obviously still had fire in her to bid her money.
"I'll take it for eighty!" battled the same old man across the room.
He smiled proudly across the room and Hermione almost laughed.
"He looks like Malfoy if Malfoy grows old." Harry quietly mocked unable to help himself from saying what Hermione was already thinking.
They both laughed as they stared at the direction of the old man.
The young man countered the bid for his boss, "Eighty-five thousand and a pledge of lifetime support for the charity that it will help."
They looked at the old man who looked stricken but still ready to counter the bid.
"Ninety thousand!" he screamed waving his staff across the room. "And a lifetime support for all the charities in this room!"
Applause and gasps filled the room.
Even the Ministry officials and the Aurors looked as surprised at the focus and want to avail the stone before them.
Hermione could see the old woman whispering something to his assistant from across the room. The young man nodded and he moved across the room with a smile.
"My lady would like to offer-"
But he stopped in mid-sentence as the lights dimmed and changed.
The air was filled with sudden coldness and the lights changed.
"What's going on?" Harry asked immediately taking his wand out from his pocket.
"What's what?" Hermione asked, slightly alarmed and she could see the Aurors moving closer to the glass behind them.
Even Kingsley looked slightly surprised at the change of lights.
It was obviously not part of the program but nobody was paying attention. They all still seem to think that it was part of the auction.
"Harry-" Hermione said as she also started taking out her wand from under her dress.
The Aurors stood on alert and even some of the officials started taking out their wands.
Suddenly, the double doors opened up and Hermione could swear that the Aurors up the stage were ready to strike at that movement.
Four strong-looking men marched into the room with each of them holding what looked like a staff with a flag at its end.
One of them spoke in a big voice as they settled in the middle of the room.
"Five hundred thousand galleons for the Desiderata from our grace."
"From what?" Harry asked as they turned their heads to the door.
"What in the world-" Hermione muttered as two of the four men had rolled out two large and long gold and black carpet right across the hall.
Heads turned towards the doorway and Hermione even heard some of the women in the room gasp as they moved closer to the door to see who was making the grand entrance.
"Who is that?" Hermione asked Harry craning her neck up as some of the crowd began blocking their view from the table to the doorway.
The men moved forward and made some hand gestures before aligning themselves at the side as they raised the golden staff with flags again.
Hermione almost laughed at them but one of them shouted something and a breath-taking silence followed suit.
"Behold!" shouted one of the men. "Loki Odinson, Prince of Asgard."
Heads turned, gasps were heard as a very tall man with a handsome physique and elegant demeanor walked into the room.
"Prince of what-?" Hermione asked Harry, unable to stop herself. "Did he just say prince-" she stood up to have a better view of the man who entered the room.
There were claps from the room and the ladies were already charmed heartily by the man.
"Why are they clapping?" Hermione asked in awe as most of the women in the room moved and edged over to the middle as the man walked in. "What's going on-"
"I don't think I know that flag," Harry commented as he started clapping out of respect as the rest of the people around them.
Hermione although reluctant as she was, started clapping slowly as well.
A very tall man walked through the double doors as he was warmly welcomed by the people in the room.
He walked down with such grace and eloquence down the carpet laid out for him. The men who entered before him slowly bowed as he walked past them.
He was wearing a set of very elegant and expensive-looking emerald & gold robes with his long ebony hair gently flowing past his broad shoulders.
All eyes were on him and even Hermione couldn't help but be charmed by his presence in the room.
He had very beautiful eyes.
Hermione quickly looked away when she noticed the pair of eyes had laid past straight towards her despite the faces looking back at him in the crowd.
"Welcome, your grace." Kingsley audibly greeted him and it took a while to settle the crowd around them. "I hope your journey was well?"
"I apologize for the delay. Otherwise, I am good." the prince had answered gently and respectfully, "I hope I am not yet late for the Desiderata?"
His eyes moved and settled upon the glass behind them where Aurors surrounded it protectively.
"My manners, I apologize." he had smiled at Kingsley.
Slowly, he gestured his hand across the air and before everyone's eyes, had conjured the same card for auction in their hands with a glimmering number 7 in it.
Wandless magic, Hermione and Harry quietly thought.
"I hope I'm not yet too late to bid for it." his handsome face smiled back at Kingsley and he slowly looked up at the crowd who was in obvious awe and wonder who he was.
The prince smiled charmingly and he shook hands with Kingsley and the rest of the governors and officials right behind him who was for some reason, was looking not only charmed but smitten by his presence.