Interlude 5: Memories
It was an idyllic isle, where no human had trod for centuries. Timeworn wards repelled all who were not already privy to the domain's secrets. Mighty glamours, the forebearers of the modern day Fidelius Charm, erased its location from history. This was a place of power, a place that many had fought and died to possess. Jealous protections had been placed to hide it. Unfortunately, when the casters had died, the secret had not been passed to even those who truly needed it.
Even the most ignorant of muggles had heard tell of regions where two or three ley lines intersected, places where magic operated at elevated levels. Here, five lines converged. There were only seven such regions on the entire planet. Atlantis had one, as did Shangri La and Mount Olympus. There was one in the Forbidden City, yet another in Northern America, and the last in South America.
There had been a terrible accident at the northern one, leaving a tremendous rent in the earth so large that people still came to marvel at it to this very day. But, like its brethren, it too was lost to modern magic users. Those who had once held sway over these nexuses had been determined to take those secrets to their graves.
This place had once been called Avion. It was a small island misplaced in a body of water, too insignificant to be noticed by cartographers, mentioned only in the most obscure of legends. On the isle was a pool of water, undisturbed and tranquil for a time unknown.
Its true power had by no means been forgotten; unlike the previous masters of the land, they remembered, as did their children, and their children's children. They lived among the trees that dotted the perimeter of the pools, tweeting what most would consider nonsense. The normal ones of their kind would have taken up residence on the ledges of sheer cliff walls, but they thrived on the isolation that the magics provided.
Truth be told, they had never seen the one who emerged from the pool before, but they recognized what he was. They remembered what he was meant to do in this place. They remembered his purpose.
As one, from every nest in every tree, they lent their voices and trilled a greeting. As one, they articulated their approval.
Vengeance had arrived.
As he covered his evidence wall, he reflected on how his life had taken a turn for the better. His dreams had been realized. Magic was real. The hidden society was real. He could understand why they had slunk away into the shadows. He just needed to make them realize that those concerns had faded into the memories of time. They would be welcomed now.
Yes, there would be those who would hold onto the prejudices of the past, but they would be a small minority. This generation grew up on the ethos of Star Trek, voiding the hate, voiding the tribalism. This generation was ready for the diversity. Humanity could be made whole once more.
He would be a herald for the changes to come, he and his new girlfriend.
Together, they would reunite what had been sundered. They would bring a new age of prosperity to all. They would show the world that the truth was out there.
What the two worlds could accomplish together, neither could do alone. They should be brought together, no, must be bought together. United, they would usher in an age of miracles.
Girlfriend. That was a word he never thought he would be able to claim as his own. Life was so much better now that he had found the half his life had been missing.
Now, if only his mother would stop giving his girlfriend those little inflatable gifts. Impregnable or not, things would happen when they were meant to happen.
Curiosity prepared.
From the quiet upstairs study, she raised her head and perked an ear. Her herdmate had just called her name, and there had been an unrecognizable feeling projected in the call on top of the obvious urgency.
“Yes?” she hollered back, worried. “Is everything okay?”
There was silence, and she was well on her way downstairs before her herdmate replied, “An owl just flew in here. It had a letter addressed to us.”
“A letter?” she questioned, still unable to place the strange emotion in the air. “An owl?”
Tension mounted before the response came. “It's from our daughter.”
The level of worry rose sharply, and her voice quivered. “Is something wrong in Manehattan?”
“No.” Her herdmate's voice also quivered. “Our other daughter.”
She froze, mid-step. Memories flooded her mind.
A frisky filly.
A charitable soul.
A hard worker.
A joy to be around.
A determined go-getter.
Devastated over rejection, a villainous conspirator.
A perpetrator of the most unforgivable of crimes.
Her baby.
“My baby!” she screamed as she tore down the remaining stairs.
It had been ten years since she had seen her daughter.
“My baby!”
Ten years since the princess herself had laid down judgment.
“My baby!” There was a piece of furniture between her and her destination.
Ten years since her failure as a parent was made known to everypony.
“My baby!” The couch never stood a chance.
Ten years of not knowing. Ten years of praying for the best. Ten years of fearing the worst.
“Myyyyy Baaaaaaaaby!” Hooves were not made for polished wooden floors.
**Whump!**
Ten years of grief and regret.
“My Baby!” She snatched the letter from her herdmate's grasp.
Tears rendered the action moot.
“My baby . . .” she whispered.
Love endured.
In a dusty storage room, somewhere in a respectable museum, sat a box. It contained a curious artifact, the purpose of which had never been divined. The fact that it was made of gold and gems had categorized it as art, albeit art that was atypical for the region and timeframe of its creation. Too valuable to dispose of and too abnormal to display, it sat in storage, seeing the light of day only when curious academics unearthed it to marvel at its uniqueness.
It glowed red, fulfilling a part of its purpose.
No one witnessed it siphon the energies from the victim.
No one witnessed it prepare the next stage of the plan.
No one witnessed the counterattack, centuries in the making, build up to its release.
No one marveled at the forethought of their ancestors.
Paranoia was vindicated.
He stood in the dappled shadows of the forest and observed his prey. His large frame was easily concealed by the darkness.
In the glade, the protector, well aware of his presence, sent a challenging stare back. The pristine white stallion stood protectively in front of the young witch that had befriended it. This was not the first of its kind to attach itself to the young and innocent. This was not the first that had come to the aid of such a child.
However, now was not the time to strike. He would bide his time until the girl returned home and was vulnerable. Once he had the child, the protector would follow.
He just had to wait.
When the time was right he would act.
In the near future, his master would be revived, and his memories of the days of glory would become reality once more.
Hatred exulted.
In a private conference somewhere in the Wizengamot headquarters, a group sat around a large table and made plans.
What they had predicted had come to pass.
Their opposition had done exactly what they had anticipated.
Their enemies had not only taken the bait but also swallowed the hook.
What was once a toehold was now a staircase.
The most pessimistic among them predicted that blood would flow.
The most optimistic among them worried over increasing security.
Now was the time to act.
They would keep the people safe.
They would help the people prosper.
The memories of how they were mistreated were still fresh.
The old rules that favored the few were in their sights.
The old traditions would be overturned.
The older laws hidden by the corrupt would be revived.
The Iustitia est Infirma was only the first weapon in their arsenal to be discharged. Usable only against members of the Wizengamot, it was a simple yet powerful rite. Its sole purpose was to adjudicate trespasses made by lawmakers. The true strength behind it was in the oaths of office each of those in power had to make in order to hold that position.
Now the laws were no longer hidden. They had already ordered and paid for a run of self-updating law books to be made available to anyone who asked, free of charge, freely given.
Change loomed.
Far from the jurisdiction of her pursuers, her newest residence was of a higher quality than the one she had inhabited not long ago. However, it was not a home.
She had more money than she had acquired in all of her previous lifetime. However, she could not go home.
She was without allies; all she dared to contact were in custody.
She was without country; what had been her government had mutated into a ravenous beast, eager to eat her alive.
She remembered how it used to be. She remembered how it was supposed to be.
The filth had claimed what was rightfully hers.
Those who were beneath her were now in control. She could do nothing to rectify that. The ones whose loyalty she was supposed to rent had been priced beyond her means. The usurpers had persuaded them there were things worth more than mere galleons.
Even with her newfound prosperity, she didn't have enough to pay for the removal of all those who would stand in her way. Worse, they could out bankroll her if it came down to that. How many of them would drop before they reciprocated in kind?
The mongrels would need to be brought to heel, but how?
Bigotry simmered.
In the quaint cottage on the edge of civilization, he couldn't believe his luck.
He had been taken in by the kindest individual he for whom he could have hoped.
The strange little horse had healed his wounds and given him a place to stay.
In a bizarre parody of the stereotypical cat lady, his benefactor had collected more types of animal than he could shake a paw at.
Best of all, he had gotten out of Britain.
He was safe once more.
Safe and well feed.
The yellow pegasus had not been back for a day or two, but she had a friend who showed up and saw all of the animals fed.
The feeder was weirder than the yellow one. Whoever heard of an animal with rainbow hair?
Regardless, he was free to do his three favorite things -- sleep, eat, and the inevitable aftermath.
The only excitement had been when the orange flightless horse had shown up. She had gone upstairs for a few minutes before coming back down into the living room with a triptych mirror.
Then came the big surprise. The orange horse was an animagus witch.
She must have been pretending to be a horse for a long time, though. When she returned to her human form, the dress she wore had obviously been from a time when she was a lot younger and smaller.
He had taken great pleasure in watching her rip it from her body. He had taken even greater pleasure in watching her model in front of the mirror.
Once she was naked before him, he was sorely tempted to resume his own human form to stun her with his master's wand before having his way with her. Only the uncertainty of his current situation prevented him from carrying through with the thought.
Still, life was good.
He could wait for a more perfect opportunity to claim the witch.
The stag wasn't the only one who would have a perfect woman.
Deceit dreamed.
In the comfort of the windowless basement, she sighed and laid down her latest book.
So close, yet so far.
She understood the theory, yet lacked the means.
She simply wasn't born with the talent.
She could only watch her daughter with pride.
She could only watch her daughter with envy.
A whole new world had shown itself to her.
A whole new world was forever out of her reach.
She wanted a wand.
A wand would be useless in her hands.
She sighed and fought down the useless tears.
If only she had a means to . . . wait a minute!
Eagerly, she took another form and referenced the first book. Diligently, she again memorized the first spell suggested, but this time with purpose.
She concentrated, scrunched her muzzle and said a word.
Joy filled her as light chased away despair.
Magic kindled.
A world away, a butterfly flapped its wings.
Events took a different path.
What was supposed to happen didn't.
What wasn't supposed to happen did.
Fate receded.
Chaos advanced.
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*LE GASP* It's HERE! I found it on FanFiction first and it's featured here? DESERVED! Love it.
I hate to say it, but I always find these chapters to be a disappointment.
The update notifications tease me with the promise of more of what I care about, then, instead, present me with a sequence of scenes that seem to be purpose-designed to be vague enough to make it difficult to cobble together a proper reason to care about them and then short enough to ensure that they end in frustration just as I'm starting to understand what's going on.
There's a reason why professional authors generally never use more than one such scene in a row. (And why fanfiction authors who are good at PR tend to either include it as part of a more normal chapter or post a second chapter at the same time.)
Chaos is a wonderful WONDERFUL thing.
At last we finally know part of what that artifact does.
Wait. How did Mrs Granger know that Equestrian unicorns could cast spells? I don't recall that coming up.
Discord: Ho Ho Ho, I'd say my job so far is really well done!
Wow, there are a lot of plot threads being set in motion here. It's not all pro-Equestrian either, correspondence from the banished (but taken into the wizarding world with open arms) offers an alternative to Equestria's gender issues in a big way.
As does the promise of spreading magic to the magicless through pony transformations (though in that case, is it not the enchantment on the transformation trinkets that is supplying the magic? If you used too much magic and weren't a magical being, would you de-transform back into your magicless self? Or does the trinket gather magic from the environment to inject into the subject, making them magical? Is that ultimately suggesting that magical items can infuse magic into the wearers, making them magical instead of having a magical core or whatever causes witches and wizards to have their own magic?
Assuming that was Applejack that was being watched, I'm pretty sure Pettigrew dodged a bullet there by not giving into temptation. Even with a surprise attack, I wouldn't have bet on him prevailing in that encounter, and if Applejack got the upper hoof she would have bucked him in half.
And in a land beyond reason, yet bound within rhyme,
A strange creature awoke, and found it was time;
There was fun to be had, and minds to be warped,
Until dusk, the spirits labored, until dawn did they work;
'Till finally, with a body complete, and into the breach interred,
Madness stirred.
Wait, was that- did Mrs Granger just cast a spell?
9118936
My thought process is that she simply had a lucky guess.
9118960
Scootaloo, actually, I think.
Yeah.
9118962
Mr. Black: "You rang?"
9118986
nah, don't forget it described her as flightless. i don't think Wormtail could understand that Scootaloo is unable to fly without assistance.
9118986
It was applejack. She showed up in Snape’s office naked because her clothes were too tight and she ripped them off.
You know there is an interesting plot somewhere in here. Too bad the story feels the need to constantly jump from plot thread to plot thread as if it can't decide what it wants to be about.
9118976
Yes.... Yes she did.
And squibs everywhere will rejoice.
yah stunning applejack in fluttershys house then trying to rape her is a sure fire way to get mauled by every animal she has.
9118933
I actually find thees chapters dilightfull so long as ther is enof time between them.
And they let you see what is happaning in the world(s).
And they speck to my poetic sid... so that helps.
9119118
They certainly take a bit of effort to understand but yea, now that I understand what they are it’s not as jarring. In fact it’s fun to try to piece the vague stuff together. As for one of the other bits, it’s only paranoia until you’re proven right.
9118936
Well, you only need a least bit of observation to notice the similarity between wand and horn - and unicorn is regarded as magical creature. (At least from the muggle point of view?)
9118960
Shit, I just realized something. He said his masters wand. Voldemort’s wand is in Equestria now?
And with that plan of his Wormtail needs to have more rather nasty things happen to him.
9119034
I know what you mean. Whenever a knew chapter like this comes out I feel like the story gets change and there's a new wrench thrown in somewhere.
At least there will be no shortage of ideas about any future conflicts to keep the story from going stale.
9119108
AJ probably had the muscle density of a dragon in her human form. I would bet a stun spell would have no effect.
I love how you structure chapters like this so plot points are set up later in the story and make me want to check back often to see if there’s been an update.
This is just annoying as fuck to read.
9118936
Corrected due to the next comment on my comment.
You're right, probably a continuity error. At this point, Hermione knows but unless she's told her parents, THEY shouldn't know yet.
9119249
When?
For as much as they have been playing around with those pendants, they don't have Lodestone to ferry them back and forth and they only met Discord twice. At the mall and when Hermione opened her trunk with the library inside. I don't recall there even being anything saying they know about Equestria.
I have context for several of these. The others are certainly intriguing. Many things have been set in motion. The collisions should be quite the sight.
A bit of a recap in spots, all of the current players made known if one has paid attention so far.
Anyone else think Wormtail will end up feeding one of the other critters?
9119448
I'm pretty sure those were changelings that came with the changeling plant that went to Hufflepuff.
Ponyville. Vulnerable.
Well, at least his demise will be swift as the Elements rip Voldemort from his skull.
a grate chapter i see we now have changelings in the story, interesting.
i have a feeling we will see Voldemort & Discord facing off, it is going to be a vary vary short fight.
i see Voldemort being turned in to a mouse and being fed to Nagini. yum .
9119666
Discord and Voldemort already faced off, though Discord let the snake off with a warning
9119691
yep i know the one you are talking about.
i mean when they really dance.
Hermione's mom has got it(magic) going on!
The young witch and pristine white stallion combo utterly confused me.
(will search comments for clues)
Glad to see the box although forgotten still got to fulfill some of it's purpose.
9118983
I also think it was a lucky guess. Ponies are magical by nature and I don't think it's far fetched that Mrs Granger thought she might have better luck in that form.
9119282
I think he got Miss Granger and Mrs Granger confused.
9119592
Was that Voldemort? It's described as a large presence and last I recalled Voldemort was still in Quirrell who is hardly intimidating. And since it said stallion it can't be Magah. Which implies it can't be Sweetie Belle, which makes me think it isn't a pony so their home wouldn't be ponyville. I'm totally confused on the hatred segment.
9119913
Voldemort and Quirrel, yeah, who can take on a pretty intimidating shape if we remember Harry's encounter with the duo in the Forbidden Forrest feasting on unicorn blood.
Wait wait wait, who's Hatred again? And I still have no idea on what that gold thingamajiga is
There is a reason I love Chaos, and this is story is but one of them.
9119448
That was her daughter Hermione he sent to Equestria. And what do the changelings have to do with this?
Soo... Hermione's mom is practicing magic as a unicorn in her basement? How very interesting. Discord is shaking up the entire world.
And is that... Scootaloo's birth mother? Rainbow Dash will not be happy about that.
As always, thank you for updating this story. This one always, always makes me smile. I cannot overstate how valuable that is to me. Thank you.
Since a lot of people seem unsure about this chapter, here's what I think is going on:
Part 1/Vengeance: That guy who's going after the possessed doll/goblin king arriving on some hidden island
Part 2/Curiosity: The muggle who learned about magic on the BBS and has been investigating
Part 3/Love: The parents of one of the mares exiled for attempted rape get a letter (I assume to mention Earth and that she's doing better)
Part 4/Paranoia: Whatever that artifact we've been hearing about for awhile protected Abigail and is now doing some sort of counterattack.
Part 5/Hatred: Quirrel is watching some young witch (probably an unintroduced character) befriend a unicorn; he plans to use a unicorn and phoenix for the resurrection ritual to bring Voldemort back. Edit: Actually I've been corrected and it was probably Macnair, who met with Quirrel earlier.
Part 6/Change: The new half-blood and muggle born wizengamot members plan.
Part 7/Bigotry: Umbridge after she fled, she now has money since she looted the stuff Fudge embezzled.
Part 8/Deceit: Pettigrew spies on Applejack before she goes to visit Snape.
Part 9/Magic: Hermione's mom has been reading the magic books from the trunk, then discovers she can do magic by using the necklace to turn into a pony.
Part 10/Chaos: I believe a reference to whatever plan Discord has going on, probably involving the gems. He seems set on breaking fate/destiny in the Harry Potter world I guess?
9116469
Lets see:
1) Trials are generally taken to be for the purposes of determining guilt or innocence. If you cannot determine guilt or innocence because all sources of evidence are uncertain, than - regardless of your opinion - trials have no value. If we weren't looking for ways to obtain actual facts, then Trial by Ordeal and Trial by Combat would still be valid options.
2) For the purposes of examining this work statements in it necessarily supersede those from any other source.
3) Even in the original source material, Barty Crouch Jr. was explicitly being deceptive (using someone else's identity) - and so even if he knew of a method of obtaining the truth, it would not be in his interests to mention it.
Of course, we can always take another quote from him:
"Avada Kedavra’s a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it – you could all get your wands out and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I’d get so much as a nosebleed." -Barty Crouch Junior
And how could he know that unless people have survived being hit by the Avada Kedavra curse before? Wait, isn't Harry being the first to survive a really important point in the books?
4) When it comes to Moody, your opinion of the "character" of a secondary figure from the original books has no relevance to the original works, much less to a fanfiction where the setting and many of the characters have differences from the original works and where he - as a government employee - is required to obey the directions of his employers.
If you want to make a worthwhile argument about a work, you need to base it on the work in question, support your points logically, and account for their requirements and secondary implications. A theory that does not account for all available facts and make predictions about future observations is valueless. A theory that accounts for all available facts and is less complex, or contains fewer arbitrary elements, than another theory that also accounts for all available facts is preferred.
If the rite could be countered, why conceal it in the first place? Since it could have been brought out at any moment, why weren't at least some of the victims prepared for it?
So to summarize... Your four primary statements are 1) Incorrect, 2) Incorrect, 3) Both irrelevant and likely incorrect, and 4) Both irrelevant and not supported. Quotations and references are your friend.
9121056
I added in the variable of Percy and the other reasonable people to slow them down
9121071
those same types of resources were present in Equestria...how much did it slow them down?
>
9121095
Are we including eq cmc
And one time where it took about 30min
9120240
You're right. My mistake
Iantine said that Hermione's mother had read some of the books from the trunk. That's my best guess, too.
Assuming that it IS Hermione's mother & not, say Moaning Myrtle's.
Pronouns
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=schoolhouse+rock+pronouns+video&&view=detail&mid=AB01D0743A4B954A5809AB01D0743A4B954A5809&&FORM=VRDGAR
Interesting chapter.... my first thought though is that "Chaos" is going to need to step up production on those rings.
There is going to be a LOT of demand for them in the near future. 
I'm also a little worried that "Vengeance" will go after the recipients of the bug's power thinking they are they bug.
9121133
It happens.
And if I'm not mistaken, outside of the herd, only 3 humans can turn into ponies. Hermione's parents and the former werewolf.