Harry Potter and the Fortunate Queen - Chapter 367

“Chris,” Colin called looking over a huge book he had opened in front of him about mythical creatures.

“Yeah?” Chris replied without looking back at him. Her eyes focused on the book she was reading about the magical abilities of some beasts.

“How long have the Snallygaster been there?” Colin asked frowning.

“Rosaline said after Malgino left no one came back alive from there, so probably since then? Maybe a century?” Chris said while scanning the page about which beasts can teleport themselves. More than a dozen could do so.

“Chris . . .” Colin called again after a moment and this time Chris looked up. “Snallygasters don’t live that long. All the books I have read mentioned that a Snallygaster could live up to two hundred years and in exceptional cases two hundred and fifty years, nothing more than that.”

“So a century is a stretch?” Luna, who was making some potions in a corner, turned to them hearing the conversation.

“Yeah,” Colin got up and showed the book to Chris. “This is the second book I checked to confirm. We can check more — Luna, where did you get those ingredients from?” Colin asked as Luna picked up a moonstone to grind.

“Oh, I had some of them with me, and Sol and Sarah got me the rest,” Luna said smiling.

Chris looked up after scanning the page Colin showed.

“You are right, Colin. And Luna, you got these from Sarah and Sol?” Chris was surprised but not really.

“Yes, we are friends now,” Luna replied brightly and went back to her potion-making.

“It took a couple of weeks to befriend Sol and I don’t think Sarah is still my friend,” Chris whispered to Colin.

“Well, you know Luna,” Colin said fondly looking at Luna, who was now humming a Weird sister’s song while working on the potion.

“I guess things are good between you to then,” Chris smiled.

“Er . . .” Colin quickly looked away from Luna and a little redness crept on his cheeks. “We are getting off-topic. . . Snallygasters.”

Chris chuckled but then turned serious.

“I think we will have to check some other books to make sure if there is an exception of this age thing.”

“Yeah, because if we —” Colin stopped talking and reached for his wand as the door of Chris’s room was slammed open. Chris jumped a little bit and Luna just looked at the door. They all relaxed when Ginny came storming into the room. “What the Hell, Ginny? I almost jinxed you!”

“That would have been great!” Ginny snapped looking furious.

“What have I done now?” Chris muttered to Colin.

Ginny heard her.

“As much as surprising it is, this time it was not you. . . It’s Leyla. She told Charlie about us!”

The revelation was followed by a moment of silence then Chris, Colin, and Luna spoke at the same time.

“You mean that Charlie knows we are here? In Titian?”

“Did Charlie say anything to your family?”

“Where is Leyla?”

“I don’t know!” Ginny flopped down on Chris’s bed with a huff. “I stormed out as soon as she told me ‘she had to tell Charlie.’ I didn’t ask anything else.”

“Ok then first, we need to talk to Leyla,” said Chris getting up. “Gin, I understand why are you worried but I don’t think Charlie will be reckless to expose your family to danger.”

“Of course, I know that. I am not worried about that,” Ginny said crossing her arms.

“Then what are you worried about?” Chris asked surprised.

“Leyla gave away your location to Charlie. She did the exact thing you tried to avoid by leaving all alone. We brought you problems, the ones you were trying to leave —”

Before Ginny could finish Chris threw her arms around her friend. Nobody spoke for a moment as Ginny’s eyes filled with tears, she hugged her best friend back.

“I just want everyone to be safe.” Ginny’s voice was barely more than a whisper.

“Love you, Gin,” Chris squeezed her.

“F*ck off. You are still not off the hook,” Ginny grumbled but didn’t let go of Chris.

“Group hug!” Luna said getting up and smiling she hugged Chris and Ginny.

“You left me out again,” Colin pouted.

Laughing Chris broke the hug and made a place for Colin. He joined the hug.

“I am so happy,” Luna grinned.

“Me too, Luna,” Chris said grinning back and for a moment Chris felt they were back in school. Everything was right.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough snappiness for a while,” Ginny said shrugging from the hug. “We have more pressing matters.”

“Yes, like talking to Leyla,” Chris nodded.

“Like finishing the potions,” Luna said getting back to the boiling cauldron.

“And looking for details if Snallygasters lives more than two hundred fifty years,” Colin said.

“Snallygasters what?” Ginny asked.

Colin explained to Ginny about the things they were looking for and Chris keeping track of everything on her whiteboard, while Chris wrote down the Snallygaster thing on her board.

“Okay, so we divide and conquer like always,” Chris said after finishing writing. “Colin, you and Luna find Sol and gather more information about Snallygasters. Ginny and I will talk to Leyla.”

“I have to finish the potions, first,” Luna said.

“We can go after you are done and I will help you, Luna,” Colin said walking to her.

“Ok then—”

“Christina, whatever you are doing have to wait,” Oziyat strode inside the room. “And when you are discussing something, please, close the door.”

“Everything okay, Oziyat? You okay?” Chris asked concerned.

Oziyat gazed at Chris with a small smile then instantly his expression was back to normal.

“I am fine and I have talked to my mother. We are going to meet her today.”

“Today?” Excitement built up inside Chris. “Like now?”

“Yes,” Oziyat nodded. “If you don’t have a problem.”

“Of course not, but . . .” Chris looked at Ginny, who nodded.

“I will handle Leyla. You go.”

“You sure?” Chris asked.

“Don’t worry,” Ginny rolled her eyes.

“Okay,” Chris looked down at herself. “But should I wear something else to meet the Queen?”

Oziyat looked at Chris surprised. She was still wearing a loose dress for her injuries and her bandages were showing.

“You look wonderful, Christina. It is necessary for you to not put too much pressure on your wounds. You don’t have to dress up if you want to.”

Ginny and Luna chuckled and Chris rolled her eyes at them.

“I highly doubt that the Queen will share your sentiment,” Chris told Oziyat. “Give me a moment to change.”

“But please be careful of your injuries,” Oziyat said.

“I will help you, Chris. Colin, watch the potion,” Luna started to get up.

Colin looked startled. He had no clue what Luna was making. Lucky for the potion and him, Ginny noticed it.

“It’s fine, you two work on the potion. I will help Chris,” she said.

Chris smiled and grabbed some clothes from the closest and Oziyat watched her and Ginny disappearing behind the bathroom door.

“So they are fine now?” he asked.

“At least for now,” Colin replied.

“I will be back,” Oziyat walked out unexpectedly.

Inside the bathroom, Ginny helped Chris into a comfortable but pretty light green silky long-sleeved short dress and combed her hair.

“Good?” Chris asked as Ginny put down the comb.

“Yeah,” Ginny smoothed Chris’s hair over her shoulder. “You never cared about your looks, is it something to do with that stupidly handsome Prince?”

“What? Of course not. It’s the Queen. She is really particular about her audience. You should have seen what she sent me for our first meeting.” Chris quickly adjusted her dress. “I should go.”

“Ready?” Oziyat was back and he gave a warm smile as soon as he saw Chris stepping out.

Chris nodded.

“Great but before we go,” Oziyat held out a wand to Ginny — her wand. “Your wand Miss Weasley.”

Ginny stared at Oziyat for a moment before taking the wand. “Thanks.”

Chris smiled happily.

“Now that the wand drama is over, I think

. . . wand . . .” suddenly Chris trailed off looking at Ginny’s wand.

“Wand what?” Ginny inquired but Chris kept staring at the wand, her mind working furiously. How could have she missed that?

“You okay, Christina?” Oziyat looked worried.

“She just realized something,” informed Luna. “It’s her realization face.”

“Guys, Wand!” Chris shrieked lunging for her wand which was resting beside her whiteboard.

“I told you,” Luna smiled.

“Your wand and?” Ginny asked ignoring Luna.

“My wand core, Gin!” Chris announced staring at her wand intensely.

“Your wand core?” Ginny looked confused but then she remembered. “Your wand core is a Snallygaster heartstring!”

Ginny’s words met with silence. For a long moment, everyone just stared at Chris’s wand.

“But there are many Snallygasters in this world,” said Oziyat breaking the silence. “How do you know this is connected to this specific one.”

“So you think it’s a coincidence?” Ginny said with a challenging tone.

“If we learned anything in all these years, Prince Oziyat, it’s that nothing is a coincidence. Specifically not wand cores,” Colin looked meaningfully at Chris.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence but . . . I don’t know what is it?” Chris looked back at her whiteboard and waved her wand. The things she had written down appeared on the board. Chris added the new details. “An almost immortal Snallygaster who doesn’t feel compelled to obey me . . . Memory charm that doesn’t affect me . . . Snallygaster heartstring wand core . . . what am I missing?” Chris held her head feeling frustrated. “I know I am missing something.”

Oziyat lightly pulled Chris’s hands back.

“You are missing a lot of things but not for long. It’s time to meet my mother.”

⟦To be continued⟧