Fated

Chapter 6: The White Crow Promise and Imprinting

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Everyone in the room -except Jacob- were stunned silent at her revelation. Seth was the one who first recovered.
"But... you don't look like a witch." He said with a frown on his face.
"Sorry, Seth. I left my pointy hat and warts at home." Hermione rolled her eyes, but smile at the boy good naturedly. "Witches and wizards actually just human beings with a little extra power. So, no, nothing physically distinguished us as people who wield magic."
Billy cleared his throat. "Hermione, it's not that we don't believe you, but can you show us what its mean to be witch or wizard?"
With a flick of her wrist, a wooden stick appeared on the palm of her hand.
"This is a wand, a device we used to channel our magic. A witch/wizard have a concentrated power source, an energy ball that we call 'magic core'. When a witch/wizard performing some magic, we draw our power from this so called core with our wand as our conduit. So the wand is not what made us magical -even if the wand have magical properties- but we use it as an aid to focus our magic. Unfocused magic can lead to accident, ranging from mild damage to total destruction, that's why it is called 'accidental magic', usually happened to children or even adults when they're feeling extreme emotions. There were only a few who can focused their magic without an aid of the wand, that's why they're called 'wandless magic'."
She proceed to conjured her trademark Blue-bell Flame with her wand to the amazement of the Hall occupants, before floating the said flame with wandless magic. She flew the flame to Jacob.
"Try to touch it, Jake." She urged.
Jacob look unsure, but complied to his imprint's request. To his amazement, the fire had not burn his skin even if his fingers engulfed in it.
"How does it feel, Jake?" She asked.
"It's... it's warm, but it doesn't burn. How can you do that?"
The witch smirked. "Magic."
The others groaned at her answer.
"Come on, Hermione. You know what he -us- mean." Seth whined.
Hermione laugh at that. "It's just like I said, Seth. It's magic. So the fire was created with a spell. A spell is actually manifestation of our will, but we translated it by arithmantic formula into words and motions so it's easier to get what we wanted. The spell used will create a fire, but not with the usual colour. And even it can radiate heat, it wouldn't burn anything in contact." She prove this by conjuring a wooden stick and thrust it into the flame. "See? The stick won't burn. But there's another fire spell that could burn what everyone thought can't be burned. The fire was called Fiendfyre and some considered it as dark magic for how destructive it can be."
"How come you know all of this?" A man -who she later found out named Sam- asked her.
"On my eleventh birthday, a letter arrived informing me and my parents that I've been invited to join a school named Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. We all thought that it was a joke since the letter was sent via owl."
"Owl? You mean the bird?" Seth asked, eyes wide in wonder.
"Yes, Seth. Turns out witches and wizard in the world still using them to send their letter. Now can I get on with my story?" She asked, smiling a bit at the young man. The said man nodded. "Okay, obviously we thought it was a joke, but three days later, an old lady came knocking into our door wearing some sort of robes, like what we saw on history book of Victorian Era's clothes, asking to meet me and my parents about our respond to this invitation."
She then told her story about her Hogwarts days, some of her adventure, and even the war that shaped Magical Britain to this day.
"I actually works in Britain's Ministry of Magic, specifically in Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creature. You can call me a lawyer for magical being's equality. I was given my long holiday after I passed a bill lifting the ban on werewolf to work on any of magical establishment, since it was forbidden before thanks to a bigoted toad-like woman named Dolores Umbridge." She spat at the name.
"The Inquisitor?" Jacob asked. Hermione nodded.
Billy cleared his throat. "Hermione, you have mentioned that our warriors are not werewolf. Can you tell me more about that?"
"Oh, sure." She said, before rummaging around his purse and took out... Pride & Prejudice?
"Uh, Mine? That's a romance novel." Jacob said, frowning.
Hermione laugh. "Sorry, it was charmed to show that when non-magical people see it." She then wave her wand and the title changed into Fantastic Beast and Where To Find Them by Newt Scamander. She opened the page about werewolf before casting her spell. "Projecto Liber." She casted, before a 3D hologram image appeared. The image shown a normal man, who when exposed to the full moon changed slowly -and agonizingly- into a humanoid-wolf, since his too long limbs and the fact that he stood on his back legs looks nothing like the tribe's protector. They actually winced seeing the man transformed in silent scream since it look painful, reminding them of their own first phase.
"That's a real werewolf?" Billy asked for confirmation.
"Yes. You see, they were forced to change, and it was really painful for them. To make ones a werewolf, they would have to be bitten by a transformed werewolf. That was the only way to infect someone since the disease is not hereditary. I'm positive of it, since my Godson's father was one."
"So our warriors are shape-shifters?"
"Yes, and there were others documented around the world, such as Jaguar ones in Amazon, Bengal Tiger ones in India, Bear ones in Russia, Panda in China, and some other country. I believe American magical government have documented your tribe, too, even if I didn't know about that."
Billy frowned. "What does it mean? Are we in danger because of that?"
"Oh, no, no. As long you're not in danger of exposing supernatural world, you're safe, since I assumed only some privy to the information. They're just keeping track of things."
Billy nodded, relieved. The same feeling radiated from the others, except for Old Quil, who seems like he's in another world.
"What's the matter Old Quil?"
"I... I can't believe it." Old Quil said with awe, looking at the young woman. "You... you're really here."
The council meeting's attendant all look at the old man strangely.
"What do you mean, Old Quil? Is there a prophecy or something?" Billy asked.
"No, no. Not a prophecy, rather a legend. Do you remember about The White Crow promise?"
Billy froze. "Do... do you think it's her?" He said, his awe comparable to Old Quil.
"I can't think of any explanation other than that."
The wolves, the imprints, and Sue look at each other, clearly confused.
"Can you two explain what do you mean? We're all clueless here." Sam voiced the other's opinion.
"There's more to the story. What all of you don't know is, Yaha Uta, Taha Aki's eldest son from the Third Wife had an imprint, a hokwat that one day appear out of nowhere. This young woman have tremendous power, yet never use her power to harm. She become the first hokwat to be accepted and even loved by the tribe. Like the Warrior of our tribe, she can change her form, that to a Crow, allowing her to help protect the tribe by flying above the village, watching for any harm that can befall the tribe. Her healing power, whether by her staff or by remedies she made are superior to other Shaman of that age. On the day the Cold Woman attack the village, she was out to find ingridients to heal one of the tribe's child. She come back immediately after experiencing a burning feeling on her chest. She appeared on the center of the village to the bodies of the villager and her own imprinter. She wept for days, and when she recovered enough, she said that she would leave the village, unable to live where her imprinter used to lived. But before she left, she vowed that one day, when the tribe is in danger, her descendant would come to save the tribe from another tragedy like what had befalled them. Therefore, the legend was called the White Crow Promise."
"Wait, the woman was clearly a witch, but it doesn't mean that I'm her descendant. I mean, well, it's possible but I don't... I'm... I can't be." Hermione said, disbelieving.
"It was said her name was Branwen, but the tribe called her Angwusnasomtaqa, mean crow mother spirit, because it reminds her of her mother maiden name, the mother that was said killed by a Baron that vying for her affection." said Old Quil.
Hermione's eyes widened. She had taken heritage test in Gringots and found out she was a descendant of Dagworth-Granger family. She recalled that at one point in the late 10th century, the family trees revealed that one Grigor Dagworth-Granger married an orphan named Branwen. Maybe... maybe she was the Branwen that the tribe revered to.
Another thing that pique Hermione's interest is the story of this Branwen's mother. It was to similar with the story of the Grey Lady and Bloody Baron. Could it be...?
"This Branwen's mother, is it possible that the name was Ravenclaw?" she asked.
Old Quil look shocked. "How do you know that?"
Now it's Hermione's time to be shocked. Raven and Crow look similar, so it was normal to mistake one with the other, hence the crow reverence. If what they said was true, then the Ravenclaw's bloodline's not ended with Helena like everyone in magical world believed, but continued on to her generation, or her to be exact.
"Uhm... a ghost that had taken a residence in my old school was named Helena Ravenclaw, and she was killed by a Baron that wanted her for himself. There was no mention about her having a child, but I guess it was for the said child safety. But, this is huge. Really huge."
"What do you mean? Is it dangerous? Will it harm you?" Jacob asked, panicked.
"Well, no. At least not physically." She sighed. "Ravenclaw is one of the prominent name in Britain wizarding world. Helena's mother, Rowena Ravenclaw is one of the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, one of the best magical school in the world to this day. If this goes out, I will be treated like royalty. Those man in wizarding world will treat me as if I'm a prize to be won." she groaned.
Paul scoffed. "As if Jake would let those men getting close to his imprint."
Everyone except Jake and Hermione gasp and shifted nervously at Paul's declaration. If look could kill, Paul would be six feet under after Jake glare at him, while Hermione frowned in confusion. "That's the second time I heard about that word. What does imprint means?"
"Jake, do you want to tell her yourself?" Billy asked.
"I... yeah, I guess."
"Alright, then. So, this meeting is adjourned. May I asked for another meeting in the future, Hermione?" He asked. Hermione smiled at the man.
"Sure. I mean, I don't have anything important to do."
"So, shall we?" Jacob asked tilting his head to the outside. Hermione nodded.
"Sure."
Jacob directed her to a familiar dirt road, one which lead them to the First Beach. They walk to one seclude area before he prompted her to sit on a log. Hermione smile.
"Is this where I told you stories that summer?"
Jacob smile back. "Yeah. This is my special place to just... think. No one else ever been here. Not my best friends or even Bella."
"Well, I'm flattered that I'm the only one you shared this place with." She said, a bit teasingly.
Jacob blushed, but just smile at her.
"Um, so... what's an imprint?"
Jacob took a deep breath, before he opened his mouth. "Imprinting is... It's not like love at first sight, really. It's more like... gravity moves... suddenly. It's not the earth holding you here anymore, she does... You become whatever she needs you to be, whether that's a protector, or a lover, or a friend."
Hermione's eyes widened, but after a moment she finally nodded, understanding. "So basically, you mean to tell me that I'm your soulmate?"
"Uh, yeah. Are you... mad?" He asked cautiously. Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Why would I be mad?"
"I mean, you're this English Rose, have a career, wealthy, and I'm just a Rez guy, don't even finish with highschool yet, and money is not something that I have, not much anyway. Basically, I'm not in your league."
"Well, that's not for you to decide, isn't it? Or mine for that matters. Something bigger than us choose to paired us together, for reasons we don't know. And things like money or prestige didn't mean anything for me. Don't sell yourself short, Jake." She smiled, but then sighed. "I honestly more worried about how you feel. I mean I'm much older than you. And I'm not exactly pretty, so..."
"No, Mine. I don't have a problem with the age difference. I mean, since I phased, my body aged to that of a man approximately in his mid twenty, so you don't have to worry about what people thinking. They may even think I'm older than you. As for pretty, you're right, you're not exactly pretty," He said, looking into her eyes. "you're beautiful."
Hermione can't help but blush. "O-kay, we just have to agree to disagree on that."
Jacob wanted to protest, but understood that she either not used to be called that, or she don't believe it when people said it to her. He shrugged. Well, he can convinced her another time.
"Hey, can I ask you something?"
Hermione nodded. "Sure."
"Why aren't you freaking out? I mean, you just told that I'm a were- um, I mean shape-shifter and that you're my soulmate. Any other imprint have been screaming that we're lying, or worse, running like they're being chased by the demon." He winced, remembering Emily's screaming and Kim's running from Sam's and Jared's memory.
"Well, you forgot that I'm not exactly... normal. I live in the magical community since I'm eleven, where everything that people with no magic thought as impossible can happen. The idea isn't exactly foreign, although it was rare." She then smirked at him. "Lucky you If I don't know about magic, I probably will call you... what's the word? Ah, 'nuts'."
Jacob laugh at that.
"Um, so... you're okay with this?"
"Well, I wouldn't say that it's perfectly okay." she said, making Jacob somewhat feel bad. "I mean, I came here to attend my cousin's wedding, then suddenly I meet my soulmate? There's a lot to think about."
"Like?"
"We don't really know each other, Jake. Last time we met you're what, nine? People changed with time, Jake. And we're practically strangers. One summer is not enough to know each other. If I asked you now, you maybe don't even know what my favorite color is."
Jacob reluctantly agreed.
"But, if you asked if I can accept this, I'll tell you that I do. I just don't want to... what the saying? Ah, jump the gun. I need to know that we're on the same page before we decided what to do. So, can we start as friends?" She asked, offering him her hand.
Jacob took his imprint's hand and smile. "Yeah. Friends."
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TBC
Angwusnasomtaqa: Native American Hopi name meaning "crow mother spirit."
Branwen : White crow in welsh
A/N: I know it was said that The Cold Ones legend happened in 14th century while Hogwarts founder lived in medieval era, so just pretend that the legend happened in 10th century.
A/N2: I know I said that I probably wouldn't be able to update for a while, but I guess I just can't help it :-D so, enjoy.