Gardenia

“So Hermione’s boggart was..? Really?”

“Yes. ” Harry answered with a smirk. “It was quite funny to be honest. She actually believed that McGonagall was real.”

They both chuckled at that.

Both were silent for a while and Harry almost regretted asking the next question when he saw the small smile on the blonde’s face.

“Why did you never launch an attack?” At Draco’s confused look, he elaborated, “Achlys, Why did you never launch an attack?”

Draco sighed. “We should never underestimate our enemies.” He started softly.

“Though most of us knew that Achlys was behind the attack, we didn’t have proof. The attackers always wore masks and cloaks to cover their identities. And yes, I know that we could have just launched an attack because of our suspicions which are most certainly true, but..” The blonde gave a deeper sigh at that.

“Achlys is really powerful you know. Dark magic is looked down upon by most of the people because it is powerful. And Achlys.. I think you understand what I mean.” At Harry’s nod the blonde smiled slightly.

“A war would result in the death of hundreds, especially with venenum. Keir and Medea have given us a rare opportunity when they asked Achlys to be bonded back to Gardenia.

We have a rule about a trial being held against a representative or heir of a territory. If the accusation against them is true, they would be stripped of their titles.”

“Is that why you didn’t oppose the bond?”

“Hmm. It was a rare opportunity and I didn’t want to lose it. As the temporary ruler for now, the decision was in mine and Carina’s hands.”

Harry nodded. It did make sense.

“Do you think we should go back?”

Harry was a little startled at the question, but then nodded after looking at the sky.

“You do have the second task tomorrow.” He turned to the other, a little concerned. “You look like you’ve healed but are you sure you are alright? I mean, the task must be more hard, you are going into the Dark Woods aren’t you?”

“Yes and no. I’m healed quite well, thanks to you.” The blonde offers him a warm smile. “But don’t worry about the next task. Achlys won’t be able to interfere this time.”

Harry nodded choosing to believe the blonde despite his doubts, standing up he offered his hand to the blonde. Draco raised an eyebrow in amusement before taking the offered hand with a grin.

The two men enlarged their brooms before taking flight.

Fortunately, they still got some hours of sleep before breakfast. Pansy was still fussing over Draco, the others shooting the unimpressed blonde amused looks. Blaise had only smirked and snuggled closer to Ron when the young heir had pleaded for help.

The task would of course take place at night, the duration was an hour. Their bags were filled with necessary stuff for the journey to the mountain as they had to leave as soon as the tasks were over.

Harry had been walking through the corridors when a figure walked his way. He stiffened when he realised who it was.

“Harry Potter. You are a friend of Draco’s, aren‘t you?” The woman asked with a smile. Yet her eyes showed a different emotion.

Harry only nodded, offering a polite smile. The woman bristled slightly at that but continued.

“I heard that he was injured during the task. Is he alright?” If Harry hadn’t seen or heard of the woman before, he would have surely believed that her concern was real. The slight curl of her lips was the only clue on what she was really thinking.

“Draco is quite fine now, Lady Medea. Thank you for the concern.” He gave her a mocking smile at that.

The woman’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, anger flashing in her eyes. But it was gone as soon as it came. She scanned Harry from head to toe, smiling slightly after some time.

“I do hope the boy is okay. He is too young for this. He should be careful about who he trusts, we never know  when it will be broken.” The woman offered a mysterious smile at that, eyes glinting before she walked away.

Something about the way she said it and the expression in her eyes didn’t sit well with Harry. He quickly went to Hermione’s room since Draco had told them that he wouldn’t be available till an hour or two before the task.

He opened the door only to be greeted with a sight that he wished could be erased from his memory. “What the fuck, Hermione?”

He quickly covered his eyes before turning around, not facing the bed.

He heard a laugh (Pansy) and an embarrassed squeak (Hermione) before his friend spoke. “Really Harry? Why didn’t you knock?”

“Why didn’t I knock? How the fuck was to I know that-that- you and Pansy would be- Seriously? Why didn’t you lock the door?”

He heard Pansy cackle and Hermione groan before he turned around. Thankfully, the girls were not half naked this time. “God! Someone please obiliviate me! I really don’t want the image of my sister half naked with another woman in my head!!”

Pansy snorted, “Really Potter? I’m quite sure you have even filthier thoughts of Draco in that little head of yours.”

Harry turned red at that, sputtering a no, eliciting laughter from the two females.

“What were you here for, Harry?” Hermione asked softly.

Harry sighed before reiterating everything that Medea had told him.

Hermione and Pansy frowned at his words, the atmosphere turning tensed. “She basically admitted that there was a traitor, someone she has employed.”

Harry nodded, “Shouldn’t we tell the others?”

“Not now.” Pansy and Harry frowned at Hermione’s answer. “The task will start in a few hours, we can tell Tae but not Draco. He’ll be distracted.”

Harry could see the concern swirling in her brown eyes as she spoke, the blonde had grown on her quite quickly.

“We’ll tell the others then.” The two friends nodded in answer.

The task would start as soon as the sun had set. Harry and the others were walking to the borders of the Dark Woods. The forest was thick with vegetation, it would be quite hard to see even your own hand due to the leaves covering the moonlight.

Draco suddenly stiffened next to him and Harry quickly turned to see what had caught the blonde’s attention.

Draco was looking at a group of four on the side, but Harry couldn’t decipher who exactly the boy was watching.

“Is something wrong?”

Draco turned to him before shaking his head. “It’s probably nothing.” He muttered softly.

But Harry was still concerned, they were all on edge after Harry’s conversation with the Achlys leader.

Just then a girl with golden hair and brown eyes ran to them. She looked quite familiar.

“Lunae!”

Draco turned to her quickly. “Lilian?”

“What’s wrong?” He asked softly as the blonde, Lilian, hugged him tightly.

The girl shook her head, she looked to be about eleven years old.

“Did you have another vision?” He asked softly.

The younger gave a hiccup at that, turning her face to the older blonde. Tears stained her cheeks.

So the girl is a seer. Harry thought.

“It was dark, there was a shadow holding a knife but then there was a soft voice and the knife was dropped. There was a wisteria tree next, the rock under it had a handprint. Someone placed their hand on it and a passage opened, I think it was your hand”

Draco’s eyes widened at but nodded at her to continue.

The younger sniffed softly. “There was a pillar with a stone- No a pearl in the middle-” Both Harry and Draco inhaled sharply at that “-when it was removed the pillar crumbled, then chaos.” The girl whimpered at that, tears flowing.

“It’s ok Lilah, nothing like that will happen okay.” Draco said softly.

Lilian shook her head again. “But the I saw you, Lunae! You were the first one to try taking the pearl from the pillar but something stopped you, then there was blood and the pearl disappeared.”

“I’m here, aren’t I? I’m perfectly fine Lilah.”

“And I promise that I won’t let anything happen to him, Lilian” Harry added softly.

“Really?” The little girl asked.

Harr smiled at her reassuringly and Draco gave him a grateful smile.

“Why don’t you go see your father?”

Lilian nodded, wiping her tears and offering Harry a shy smile, the girl ran back the way she came.

Harry’s eyes widened slightly as she watched a figure holding the little girl’s hands.

“Is she..?”

Draco grinned. “That, dear Harry, is Lilian Peyton. Oscar’s daughter.”

Harry was still staring at the normally unemotional man lift the little girl and placing her on his shoulders, laughing!

“Miracles can happen.” Harry muttered.

Draco just chuckled at the wide eyed boy.

The task was quite simple to understand, silver arrows with a flag would be shot to the forest. The four competitors had to bring the flag of their territories back. They could use any tricks to find the flags, the only specific rule was that the flag should be returned undamaged. They would get an hour to come back.

A whistle was blown as soon as the last of the sunrays had disappeared, the moon shining brightly. The heirs ran in to the forest without any delay, their forms disappearing in a few minutes.

“Are you sure he will be okay?” Ron asked.

Tae smiled in answer. “Don’t worry, I promise you that Draco will be the first to return.” His reply was confident.

“Are you sure?” Blaise frowned. “I know that Draco’s good in hide and seek but the forest is supposed to be dangerous right?”

Jasper snorted at that. “There is nothing dangerous in that forest unless you provoke the animals.”

“But that doesn’t explain your confidence in him.” Pansy said.

“Do you remember the thing I said about Draco sensing auras?” They all nodded at Tae’s question. “Draco’s magic is quite sensitive to those around him, and has a special bond with nature.”

“You mean..?” Hermione’s eyes widened.

Tae nodded. “Gardenia, its people, the wards.. They are all closely connected. You can feel the thrum of magic if you concentrate enough. That is part of the task actually. The most attuned to the magic surrounding him or her gets to their flag first. Gardenia herself will guide you.”

Harry took it all in, mesmerized. It reminded him of Hogwarts, the room of requirement..

Almost half an hour had passed when they saw a figure crossing the borders. Tae and the others grinned when silver hair came into view. Draco smiled widely, holding the flag up.

Keir returned about ten minutes after Draco, June and Ethan following soon after. Ethan didn’t pass the test though, his flag unfortunately had a tear.

All three of them were given a crown each, signifying each of them as eligible heirs for the moon ritual. As Gardenian royals.

Harry, Hermione and Draco quickly took their bags, all of them assembling in Draco’s room.

The third task would take place in three days and they had to get the pearl.

Draco turned to Casey who nodded slightly, "The connection will only be at the base of the mountain. The magical waves are too strong at the top."

With that Casey closed his eyes and started muttering in an ancient language. When he opened them, they were an orange-red. His fingers glowed too and he waved them in a circular motion.

Harry watched in awe as a ring was formed, a portal. They exchanged one last look before stepping in one by one. Draco being the last as he had whispered something to Tae before he entered. The portal closed behind them and all three started looking for the wisteria tree that Lilian had mentioned in her vision.