Life Spirits Reborn

Twinkling diamond-like stars adorned a peaceful countryside that was gently murmuring with the sound of crickets. A faint glow was beginning to brighten the eastern sky beyond the distant wooded surroundings. Higher up, amid the stars of the sky, a bright comet with a double tail was pointing down toward the place where the sun would soon rise. The cold morning air stirred. Somewhere in the surrounding darkness, a low tone, like that of a large cathedral bell, softly rang out a few times. Slowly, the reverberations of the wind chime tone decayed back into the silence of the damp morning air.

A seldom-used gravel drive, overgrown with weeds, wound its way past a large oak tree and up the south side of a small rise. Open fields, covered in the long brown grasses of autumn, surrounded a large house that was set on the highest point of the rise. A few large pine trees stood on the north side of the house along a well-worn path that led toward a creek and the distant woods. Tables, chairs, and party decorations, scattered haphazardly around the home, were reminiscent of a recent celebration.

A warm glow of light emanated from a window on the ground floor of the home. Through a kitchen window, an elderly couple was visible. The woman wore spectacles and was thin and frail in appearance with her silver hair tied in a loose bun. The man, also wearing eyeglasses and a bit portly in stature, had a clean-shaven face and a balding head with gray hair.

The couple busied themselves preparing breakfast. The aroma of bacon, eggs, and coffee filled the room. They moved slowly, deliberately, and with a certain amount of stiffness in their steps. Each performed their specific tasks to complete the meal preparations as they routinely did almost every morning. Their motions were like a choreographed dance; each knew how the other would move as they performed in flawless precision and grace.

Then with breakfast trays ready and resting on a small trolley, the woman took hold of her cane. She slowly shuffled through a door leading out of the kitchen and onto the east-facing porch of the home. The man followed slowly behind pushing the trolley.

With a small flick of a wand in the woman's hand, a bubble of the cold morning air that surrounded them began to warm. The man positioned the trolley beside a table that was set along the railing of the porch. From here, the distant mountain peaks were a dim silhouette against the pale morning glow. Carefully hooking the cane over her arm, she lifted the trays onto the small table that had a chair on each end. The elderly man helped the woman seat herself and then seated himself opposite from her in the other chair.

He picked up a slice of toast and with his brow furrowed in concentration, began spreading jelly on it with the knife in his shaking hand. The woman took a sip of her coffee and smiled.

"You're doing better today."

Concentrating on the toast he said, "A little. It's a bit easier in the mornings."

He looked at her with concern on his face. "How are you feeling?"

"A little weak yet from the last treatment but I do feel stronger today."

Twisting his wrist, the trembling jelly knife in his hand pointed out across the field toward the eastern sky. "The comet is getting really close to the sun now."

"Yes, the newspapers are giving it a lot of attention. Some say it's an omen of death for a nobleman. Others say it means an eminent attack of heavenly beings upon the callous inhabitants of earth. Reporters for the Prophet are interviewing different centaurs for opinions. There is a great ongoing debate about the comet, what it means, and what might happen."

"Well, according to an astronomy website, the orbit will end and the comet will fall into the sun. This is the last time that comet will ever be seen."

"What a shame, it's such a beautiful sight. So bright, and the two tails fan out like giant silver feathers."

There was mostly silence between them as they ate breakfast and listened to the dawn of a new day. The stars were slowly fading from view and the birds were beginning to sing in the trees.

A gentle airy voice, barely louder than a whisper said, "Time to come home."

Their motions of eating breakfast abruptly froze. A chilled feeling of uncertainty quickly spread and they looked at each other across the table. Each face showed deep concentration for a long moment as they listened trying to hear more.

In a hushed voice she said, "That voice, just now?"

"Yes, I heard it yesterday too. I thought it was just some party conversation."

"I didn't hear it very well over the party noise either," she said. "But now that I've heard it properly ..."

"Yeah ... I think I know that voice too."

"Something like this happened to Molly. She said that it was Arthur calling to her. It happened just a few days before she ... died."

"You know I've heard voices in my head before. But this was different. There was a ... presence."

They looked at each other for another moment and then silently continued their breakfast, still listening. The only sound was the beating of wings as birds began to visit the feeder a short distance away. After a short while, she leaned back in her chair and looked toward the orange glow in the sky.

"Look!" she said pointing toward the brightening eastern sky. He gazed out across the field and watched as a lone bird silently circled. It slowly drifted toward the row of trees lining the path that led toward the distant woods. The bird alighted in one of the trees about fifty yards away.

"Is that one of this year's hatchlings still here?" she asked. "Will and Kate nested late this year and this one should be moving on before it gets any colder."

They had given these names to a pair of nesting hawks. The pair had returned for the last two seasons. They watched each day as the pair rebuilt the nest and tended to the new family members. This year, the young had taken their first flights just a week ago. The next day, there was no sign of them or the parent birds.

The first time the hawks were spotted, they had nested across the field by the woods. It became a daily activity for the elderly couple to pack a picnic lunch and walk closer to see them better. But this year, the walk was too difficult for her to complete. So a telescope for him and binoculars for her allowed them to watch from the porch. Her health had slowly worsened over time. At first, she had said it was just the normal aches and pains of the elderly. But the day she doubled over in pain, he took her first to a magical healer and then to a muggle doctor. Both were now giving her treatments.

He stood and walked a short distance to the telescope that was mounted on the porch railing. Placing his trembling hands on the base of the telescope, it moved to point toward the tree. His shaking hands could do very little magic now due to poor control of the necessary gestures and flourishes. The ability to perform magic had always been special and having it taken slowly away from him had been depressing and frustrating. In time, he reluctantly accepted that this was part of his life now and did only the simplest of magic.

He peered into the eyepiece. After a moment, he looked back at her. "It's hard to see in this early light but I don't think it's a hawk. It looks more like a falcon; its head has red feathers. I don't recall seeing a falcon around here before."

He looked again through the telescope and watched the bird for a moment. It seemed to be gazing back at him. Still looking through the telescope he said, "There's something about that bird. Take a look at it."

She took the binoculars from a storage drawer and looked through them toward the tree. While she gazed, he reseated himself across from her. After a long moment, she put the binoculars down on the table.

With an expression of annoyance on her face, she looked at him. "Yes, there is something familiar about it but I can't place it. Do we know anyone who's animagus is a red headed falcon?"

"None that I can remember."

Picking up her cup she said, "Well, maybe we'll remember something later."

She took a sip of coffee and looked up at the wall space above the kitchen door. Golden letters still hung above the door proclaiming,

Happy 60th Bonding Anniversary! Harry and Hermione!

Her gaze returned to a gentle old face looking across the table at her.

"It's hard to believe it's been that long," said Harry.

She sighed. "Where did all the time go? It seems like only yesterday we moved into this house and started our family."

He smiled. "By the number of people that were here yesterday, the family has grown quite large over all those years."

She smiled warmly. "Little baby Alyssa is so cute."

He grinned. "Yeah, she'll be a heart breaker when she gets older."

She took another sip of coffee. "So many happy days and fond memories."

"Tell me one of your memories."

She thought for a moment. "Remember that day I read about dragons? ..."

She placed the book on the small table in front of her and then leaned back into the sofa with a thoughtful expression on her face. There was silence in the home library except for the faint ticking of a clock just above the door. The walls of the room were lined with bookcases that reached from the floor to the high second floor ceiling. In the center of the ceiling, sunlight streamed in through a skylight. Hung below the skylight, a ceiling fan slowly turned and gently circulated the air.

The room was comfortable, cozy, and warm. Amid the seemingly thousands of thick books on the shelves there were also cherished pictures of family and friends. Mementos from travels and special times were also present. This was her inner sanctum and place of quiet solitude. However, owning to her maternal role in the household, the times spent here had always been brief.

There was a gentle knock on the door. She looked up and saw Harry with his head poked into the room through the partway-open door. Her warm smile at him was the only invitation he needed. His footfalls made no sound on the thick carpet as he walked to the sofa. He sat down beside her, gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, and then placed his arm around her shoulders. His free hand held a small piece of parchment just delivered by morning post owl.

Hermione recognized the handwriting on the parchment. Looking at him, she raised an eyebrow. "They've only been gone three days and we've already got an owl?"

He grinned and read aloud.

Dearest, understanding, Mum and Dad,

Just a quick owl to let you know that James and I are safely back at Hogwarts. I'm happily getting reacquainted with all of my now fourth year Hogwarts friends. Just so you know, you might get an owl from the headmistress. I had to use Aunt Ginny's hex on a fifth year Slytherin who was threatening me. He had a 'misunderstanding' about me being a Potter. So, like you always say Mum, I helped him learn. He understands much better now. James had a 'friendly' talk with him too. I lost Ravenclaw ten points.
SadFace
Love you both, Rose.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "She takes after her father." They both grinned.

He looked at the parchment. "Still the same old Hogwarts."

She looked at the parchment with a soft smile. "Yes, it is."

"The kids can take care of themselves," said Harry.

"Yes, they certainly can."

He looked at her and in a tone of satisfaction said, "I'm a very proud father."

She looked at him. "And I'm an equally proud mother." They both laughed.

He glanced at the book on the table. "What were you reading?"

"One of the books we collected from your parents' cottage. It's a book about dragons and their magical abilities. I was just reading about the Ukrainian Ironbelly. It's a very remarkable and fascinating dragon."

Harry thought for a moment. "Isn't that the same breed of dragon we helped free during our escape from Gringotts?"

"Yes, it is. I was just thinking about what the goblins did to that dragon and how it seemed to know we were helping it. That must be why it flew so low over the water and close to shore for us. Somehow that dragon knew we needed its help as much as it needed ours."

"That was ... about eighteen years ago. Do you think it's still around?"

"I read the Ukrainian Ironbelly is rumored to live for a thousand years but no one really knows for sure. Some folk songs suggest it lives forever. The breed is noted for its intelligence and wisdom. Makes it all the worse what the goblins did to it."

He smiled. "Are you looking to get a dragon egg like Hagrid did?"

She smiled. "No silly. But I would like to know what became of that dragon."

After a thoughtful moment he said, "We could go to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. As someone in the MBI, I'll be able to get any information they might have about it."

She beamed a smile. "Let's do it. I'll get my bag."

...

They arrived at the DRCMC and spoke briefly with the records clerk. After receiving general directions from the clerk, they entered the restricted room. Countless dusty and derelict file cabinets formed haphazard and serpentine rows with narrow aisles. Harry led the way toward the back of the cavernous room. In places, they inched sideways between closely set cabinets. Then they began to open drawers and leaf through file folders.

"Honestly, you'd think they'd have improved their record keeping by now," said Hermione tersely.

"I looked up something here before," said Harry. "Anything older than about ten years still hasn't been brought up to the newer archive standards."

"Here it is!" said Hermione happily pulling out a folder. A label on the folder read Gringotts Dragon 1998.

"What does it say?"

She shuffled through the papers in the folder for a moment. Then she read from an official looking parchment. "The dragon was last seen flying north after breaking out of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Conflicting eyewitness accounts indicate that one or more individuals were on its back. The alleged individuals were too distant for positive identification. The dragon's tracking collar was found in the rubble by the compromised vault. A follow-up search for the dragon was not performed due to a shortage of department personnel. Gringotts bank reported twenty thousand galleons of damage and filed a request for compensation with the Ministry of Magic. The request was denied."

In a low voice Harry said, "So you, Ron, and me are the only ones who know the dragon's last whereabouts?"

She whispered back, "I think so."

In a quiet voice he said, "Well, that's not much to go on but it's a place to start. I hope you packed warm hooded coats in your bag. That area will be windy and cold this time of year."

She tilted her head a bit and just looked at him with a pressed lip smile.

Harry grinned and shook his head in self-amusement. "Sorry, I know better than that." They replaced the folder and walked toward the exit.

...

With a loud whoosh, they apparated onto a small hill above a lake. A cold wind blew and the sky was gray and overcast. There was a light dusting of fine snow on the ground. Hermione quickly pulled two heavy hooded coats from her bag. They each donned a coat and pulled the hood up over their head. Then with hands in their coat pockets, they slowly turned and surveyed the surroundings. It felt vaguely familiar.

After a moment, he turned to her and said in a loud voice over the wind, "I think we should look on the far side of the lake below the mountain. There might be caves by that sheer cliff."

"That seems like the best plan to me also, she replied in a loud voice. "How do we get there? By broom?"

"Yeah. It's going to be dangerous flying in this wind, especially when we get close to the cliff. The mountain will cause a lot of unpredictable turbulence."

She reached into her bag, withdrew a broom, and handed it to him. After withdrawing a second broom, she tucked the bag securely inside her coat. They put on flying gloves, mounted the brooms, and kicked off.

It was a very bumpy ride as they started out across the lake. White capped wavelets, driven by the wind, covered the murky green water below. Strong downdrafts pushed them very close to the water at times making them each feel queasy. It took determined concentration and effort to steer their course. After about ten minutes, the wind sheers became very strong as they neared the cliff. At one point, he veered sharply away narrowly avoiding a midair collision with her. Abruptly, the wind and turbulence abated. Turning to fly a parallel path along the cliff face, they slowed to a hover to get their bearings.

"That was a nauseating ride," said Hermione, the remnants of an unpleasant expression still on her face. "There were a few times I felt like I would lose my lunch."

"You and me both. Let's rest a bit."

They hovered about twenty feet above the water. The nearly vertical cliff face was solid rock and it descended directly into the watery depths.

She pointed up. "Harry, just over there. It looks to be part of a ledge."

He nodded. "Let's give it a closer look."

She took a deep breath and then began to glide slowly upward. He followed her closely. As they neared the ledge, they both began to feel disoriented. They stopped, backed away, and then hovered side by side.

She took out her wand and swept the area ahead. "There's a confundus charm trying to repel us. There are other protections too. We'll need a strong shield charm to have any chance of getting past them."

He took hold of his wand and pointed it at her. She pointed her wand at him. Harry said, "On three then; one, two, three."

"Protego Maxima!" they said together. A transparent bubble encircled them. The air rippled and momentarily distorted the vision of their surroundings.

They pocketed their wands and after glancing at each other, slowly moved forward. A brief buzz sounded in their ears as they passed through the magical barriers. Reaching the ledge, they touched down and dismounted from their brooms. The ledge, about three feet wide, was now fully visible and wound its way toward an opening in the rock. It was a sheer drop to the cold water two hundred feet below. With wands at the ready, they cautiously moved forward. As they reached the edge of the opening, a deep raspy voice was heard.

"Leave this place or suffer the consequences. This is your only warning."

They froze on the spot. Hermione called out, "We seek the dragon that helped us escape Gringotts many years ago. Can you tell us where it can be found?"

There was no reply. After a moment, Harry took a small step forward. "We mean no harm to the dragon and we're not here to capture it."

There was a low rumble and Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and quickly pulled him back. A jet of flames narrowly missed him and they staggered backwards in the blast of heated air.

Recovering, she called out in desperation. "Please, we only want to talk. What can we do to show our sincerity?"

The deep, hollow, and impatient voice said, "Nothing that you are capable of; only a spiritual sign. I tell you for the last time, leave while you still can."

She thought to Harry, "I know what we need to do. We have to show the griffin. It's a spiritual sign. A simple lumos will do."

Harry looked at her and nodded. Pointing their wands toward the opening of the cave, they touched the wand tips. Then in whispered voices, they both said, "Lumos!"

Their wand tips glowed and a bright vaporous golden colored griffin appeared. The griffin floated forward, turned the corner, and disappeared into the cave.

They anxiously glanced at each other and then watched the cave opening. For the next few moments nothing happened. Then, a vaporous golden griffin floated out of the cave moving slowly toward them. It stopped and hovered a short distance in front of them. Then it silently dissolved into the air like a wisp of smoke.

She called out in a gentle pleading voice. "Please, we just want to thank you properly. Please trust us."

After a short pause, the gruff voice responded. "You may enter."

They looked at each other in apprehension. This is what they had hoped to hear. But now, they had to trust the voice as much as it had to trust them. She looked at Harry and nodded. He exhaled a deep breath and took firm hold of her hand. He stepped forward, with Hermione close behind, into the opening of the cave. From the darkness at the back of the cave, two orange colored eyes glowed and looked back at them.

There was a long agonizing moment of silence between them. Then the voice said, "I remember you. Where is the third?"

Harry said, "He's not with us today. Just the two of us are here. I am Harry and this is Hermione."

"I am слойка (Sloyka) and pleased to meet those who helped me escape the goblins."

"May we see you better?" asked Hermione. "We truly mean you no harm."

Torches set along the walls of the cave slowly erupted in flames. The light revealed the same immense fifty-foot long dragon they remembered. It lay feebly on the floor of the cave breathing heavily and seemed to be in pain. The dragon was covered with wounds from their escape and still wore some of the chains and manacles that dug into its neck and legs.

In a shocked tone she said, "Oh you poor thing! How have you endured all these years like that?"

"Time passes much differently for me. I have slept for a week of my time and awoke just this morning."

Harry said, "May we remove the restraints and tend to your wounds?"

"Yes, that would be kind of you."

Harry began working on removing the restraints while Hermione tended to the dragon's wounds. She needed to conjure many extra vials of Essence of Dittany. The dragon lay quietly and began to breathe easier as the pain it was experiencing subsided.

Harry thought to Hermione, "Will a rennervate charm work on a dragon?"

"I don't know, you'll have to ask."

"Sloyka, may we use a rennervate charm on you? It will help you regain some of your strength."

"You are kind but I think your magic is not that powerful."

"We possess some special extraordinary magical power," said Hermione. "Do you trust that we only want to help you?"

"Will you trust me with your safety when I am stronger?"

Harry and Hermione looked at each other carefully considering the dragon's words. Then, looking at the dragon, Harry said, "Yes, we will."

"Then so will I trust you."

Standing before the dragon, they extended their wands over the dragon's head. The wand tips touched and they said together, "Rennervate!"

The golden griffin appeared and settled onto the dragon's head. They both felt a throbbing sensation as magical energy drained out of them. After only a moment, they began to waver, weakened from the great strain upon them. Harry put his free arm around her and they struggled to remain steady.

"Enough," said the dragon.

Their wands separated and Harry and Hermione dropped to their hands and knees exhausted and breathing deeply.

"Thank you," said the dragon. "I feel much better. Now, I will help you."

The dragon turned its head and looked at them as they knelt in front of him. They both looked up at the dragon's eyes. A yellowish glow, like sunlight, emanated from the dragon's eyes and gently enveloped each of them. A warm tingling sensation spread throughout their bodies. They each felt invigorated by the magical glow. Strength returned and a feeling of well-being settled within each of them.

Hermione smiled as they both got to their feet. "Thank you."

"You seem not as weak as we thought," said Harry.

"You are both kind and compassionate. Seeing the griffin, I thought certain I could trust you. But I needed to be sure. Please forgive me. I am the last of my kind."

A small table appeared in front of Harry and Hermione containing biscuits and tea.

"Please, eat and drink," said the dragon.

Hermione said, "Can we get anything for you to eat?"

"My sustenance comes from the sun, even when skies are gray. I do not need to eat food so long as I am not too deeply shielded from its light."

After seating themselves and pouring tea, Harry said, "Tell us, how did you come to be in captivity at Gringotts?"

"Long ago, I was trapped and captured by a group of men in a distant land. They accused me of destroying their crops and killing their livestock for food. None of what they said was true. They wanted a tale they could tell and boast of the harrowing danger of their deed. They were about to slay me when one in their group spoke. He told them that a live dragon could fetch a large sum of money from the goblins. That man saved my life. On the day I was sold to the goblins, I saw the man in the crowd weeping as they carried me away."

"Did you ever see that man again?" asked Hermione.

"Just once, about a year later when he passed by me in a goblin bank. He was with another man and goblin going to a vault. He called out to me saying how very sorry he was. The others laughed at him saying it was better that a dangerous creature like me was safely locked away."

Harry said, "Did this all happen at Gringotts?"

"I have been sold many times to different banks. I was always kept in the deepest and darkest vaults, away from the sunlight. Without the sun, I was weak and forced to eat whatever they gave me."

"That is so cruel and barbaric," said Hermione as her face turned a shade of red. "It's the kind of injustice we've always fought against. We feel so very sorry for you and wish we could have helped you sooner."

"Please tell me, how did you happen to be near that vault in Gringotts?"

They talked for hours not noticing the passage of time. The dragon was quite entertaining and told them many tales from the pleasant parts of his long and interesting life. At the ripe old age of nine hundred and fifty-four, he had lived and traveled to just about every place one could visit in this world. He had been a friend to magic and muggle folk from all walks of life. As he told stories, he would sometimes act out parts of the story using different voices and sound effects. And whenever he laughed, puffs of colored smoke would rise from his nose like the Hogwarts Express steam engine. There was much merriment and laughter in the cave.

Much later, Harry looked toward the cave entrance and saw that the light of day was turning to dusk. He turned back to the dragon. "Sloyka, it's getting dark and we must be going. This has been a most enjoyable day for us. We hope you'll let us visit with you again from time to time."

"Yes, that would be very nice. I've so enjoyed your company. This is my home now and where I will be. You are always welcome. Send the griffin ahead so I'll know it is you."

Harry said, "Please call on us in the same way if you're ever in need of our help."

The dragon nodded.

"Sloyka," said Hermione with concern in her voice, "How long will you stay here? Won't you get lonely?"

"Mostly, I will rest now. Only one charge left for me to do; carry the two of you onward when you are ready to leave."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other quizzically in disbelief. The dragon gently laughed. "Put it out of your minds. That is a very many years in your future. When that time nears, you will know what to do."

They collected their brooms and put them back into Hermione's bag. After bidding Sloyka a final farewell, they moved to the entrance of the cave and joined hands. Disapparating, they returned to their home in Godric's Hollow.

Harry said, "How long do you think it's been since we last visited him?"

"Maybe four of five years? It was difficult for us to get there the last time. Remember? Even then, our magic wasn't what it used to be. And the cold and damp made our joints ache. I think he knew it would be our last visit."

There was silence for a while as they gazed out across the yard. The sun was up now and hung just above the peaks of the distant mountains.

"Did you enjoy the party yesterday?" asked Harry.

"I enjoyed seeing everyone and I love them all very much. But it was so tiring for me. I was so sorry to have to go to our bedroom and lie down. I hope no one was offended."

"They understood. It was hard for me too, especially trying to keep up with some of the conversations. Their words came so fast and sometimes I didn't understand right away. By the time I did understand, they had moved on to another topic. I caught myself about to make a point for something that was already discussed."

Hermione said, "I sometimes feel treated a bit like a child. They think that something might be too hard for me now and so they do it for me. I know they mean well and are just trying to help but I still want to do things. Sometimes I think we shouldn't have mentioned our medical problems to them."

He said, "And they only know the generalities. Imagine what it would be like for us if they knew all the details. We'd hear a lot more: We'll do it for you, just take it easy and enjoy your retirement."

With a distant gaze on her face, she said in a quiet voice, "That seems to be all we ever do now. It's rather boring. I miss being involved at the Ministry and working to make a difference. We used our knowledge and special magic to help others have a better life."

After a long moment of silence, he looked at her and quietly said, "Does it seem to you like we're just waiting around to die?"

She looked back at him. "Yes, it does."

After a short pause she looked into his eyes. "Do you remember when we discussed this all those years ago?"

He looked into her eyes. "Yeah, I do. I remember the spell too."

After another moment he said, "Hermione, we've both been thinking about this off and on for at least a year now. I don't think either of us can keep our thoughts private from each other anymore."

"Very true, that particular ability is working quite well." She looked at him with concern. "I hope I haven't offended you with some of my more frustrated thoughts. I am very sorry if I have."

"You've gotten a fair share from me too. I am very sorry too. But now, more than ever, we need to be totally honest with each other. There is nothing you could think or say that would stop me from loving you."

"I feel the same about you Harry."

She looked deeply into his green eyes, the ones that had always provided the most intimate connection they shared. Her special Harry, her soul mate, was there and still warming her heart. His eyes always made her feel that she was the most important person in the entire world. Now his eyes were also looking tired. The sense of purpose, which had been there throughout his life, was mostly absent.

"Harry ... do you think the day is getting close ... when we'd maybe want to make that decision?"

He looked back into her eyes, the same ones that had shown him so many years ago, that she was his one and only, his soul mate. They had given him strength and always told him that he was her most cherished and truest love. But over the last few months, he had seen them grow weary of all the things she now had to endure to hold onto her life.

"Yes. ... I can't think of anything else I want to experience. Even if I did, there is very little, magical or muggle, that I can do in my condition. All of the important things people might want to know about me are in biographies and Hogwarts textbooks. There is nothing more to add."

After a short pause he said, "Hermione, what do you think?"

"I think the time is close too. It's been years since anyone contacted me from the Ministry. They have bright young people now who are making new discoveries and regulating the wizarding world. All of my work is available in the Department of Mysteries library and the Wizengamot records archive. I haven't been able to contribute anything new for twenty years; just a few minor revisions to my earlier research."

They were both quiet. After a moment he said, "What about our kids and their families?"

"That ... is the most difficult and heart wrenching part. We both love them all so dearly."

In a gentle voice he said, "Nothing will ever change that. But their sorrow is inevitable, whether we decide today, in six months, or just let nature take its course."

She sighed softly. "How do we know if it's the right time?"

They were quiet for a long time. There was a slight uneasy feeling that flowed over into each of them from the other. Their ability to share feelings, also a result of their Vinculi Spiritu marriage bond, was still working well between them. They had each felt the other's uneasiness over the previous months when these types of thoughts had been on one or the other's mind. Somehow, each time, the uneasy feeling became less. Somehow, it was working itself into an answer to their question.

She glanced at the clock through the kitchen window. "We have a date with Neville this morning for tea. He felt so sorry about not being able to attend the party yesterday. We'd better get breakfast cleared up and start getting ready. Neville said he would be here at ten."

Chapter Index

Chapter 2

Life Spirits Reborn is an original fanfiction story based on the seven book series 'Harry Potter' written by J. K. Rowling. Harry Potter, the characters, names and related characters are trademarks of Warner Bros., Inc. Harry Potter publishing rights © J.K.R. This is an unofficial, not for profit site and is in no way connected with J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury Publishing or Warner Bros., Inc. This site is not endorsed by any of these aforementioned parties. Rights to characters and their images is neither claimed nor implied. This fanfiction story is owned by the author and subject to copyright law under transformative use.