Date: Thursday, January 9th, 1986
Time: 15:22 GMT
Location: Knockturn Alley, London – later: Ministry of Magic, then Buckingham Palace, London
In the narrowing slums of Knockturn Alley, the winter air bit through threadbare robes and rattled the half-rotted shop signs. Angelina Johnson, only nine years old and wrapped tightly in her father's old dragonhide coat, pushed open the door of a creaky apothecary with a bundled pouch of powdered boomslang skin under one arm. Her boots sloshed through grimy slush as she stepped into the fog-choked alleyway. Her curls, pulled back by a faded red headband, bounced with each cautious step. Her breath fogged in the cold as she clutched the delivery satchel to her chest.
"I hate coming here alone… but Mum needs the potion ingredients, and Dad's shift ran late," she murmured to herself, voice barely above a whisper. "I'll be quick, I'll be brave. Just like Dora." She never saw the eyes in the mist. Twenty pairs of them. Lurking. Watching. The first growl echoed low, bestial and wrong...like a human voice trying to bark.
Angelina froze mid-step, her legs locked in place by primal terror. The shadows surged. Black-furred forms, larger than wolves but lean like strays, bolted toward her. Fangs glinted unnaturally in the gloom, and their eyes shone with a magical sheen...red slits wreathed in violet flame.
Angelina's scream never came. Instead, light burst from her left waist...the Band of Eternity, until now dormant and unnoticed beneath her shirt, flared to golden life. Ancient Veela script shimmered, the names inscribed upon it glowing like embers: Harry Potter, Elana Hogwarts, Hermione Jean Granger, Fleur Isabelle Delacour, Nymphadora "Dora" Tonks, Susan Bones, Gabrielle Delacour, Mizukume, Penelope Clearwater, Katarina, Daphne Greengrass, Ahri... and now Angelina Johnson etched itself in a final flash.
A golden dome flared outward, shielding her from the first leaping beast. The creature slammed into the magical barrier with a yelp, claws sparking off the light. Angelina dropped to her knees, trembling. Then came the pop of Apparition.
"I've got her!" cried a familiar voice. A blast of azure magic slammed into the charging pack, freezing three of the beasts mid-leap. Nymphadora "Dora" Tonks...thirteen years old, already the Vanguard of the Circle, Co-Leader of the Covenant Guard, and First Sentinel of the Bound...stood with legs wide in defensive posture, clad in a thick grey Auror trainee overcoat over dragonhide dueling leathers.
"Hold the perimeter!" she shouted to the three other black-cloaked Ministry agents that arrived with her, all bearing armbands bearing the sigil of the Crowned Phoenix...the mark of Harry Potter's Covenant Guard. Tonks's wand flicked sharply. "Incendio Argentum!"
Silver fire burst in a wave, consuming five of the enhanced dogs. One turned tail, but the others, enchanted to feel no pain or fear, charged mindlessly. "Angelina!" Dora shouted over her shoulder as she cast shield after shield. "You're going to be okay, sweetheart. I promise, you're safe now. You're one of us. You're Bound now."
"I…I felt it…Dora, I saw Harry's eyes...in the light...before the band lit up. It saved me…" Angelina choked out through tears, curling against the cobblestones behind the golden dome. "I know, love," Dora whispered as her hair, wild and crimson in battle mode, shimmered violet in magical feedback. "That's the Soulstone answering your soul. You're family now. And no one hurts the family." Within four minutes, all twenty beasts lay dead or stunned. The alley, reeking of magical residue and scorched fur, fell silent again.
Location: Ministry of Magic, Magical Emergency Ward
Time: 15:57 GMT
Wrapped in a heated blanket, Angelina sat on a floating stretcher. Ministry Healers passed scanning charms over her, confirming no broken bones, only bruises and minor magical residue. Dora never left her side. "You did good, Angelina," Dora said softly. "You held on just long enough."
"I wanted to see Harry again…" Angelina murmured, eyes still puffy from crying. "The Band… it was warm. Like I belonged." "You do belong." Dora reached under her own coat, pulling out the gold Band of Eternity from her left wrist. "Just like me. Just like all of us. And now you're going home. To him."
Location: Buckingham Palace – Private Quarters of the Bound
Time: 16:45 GMT
The Soulstone on Harry's chest...hidden beneath a crisp white cotton shirt and velvet-lined vest...flared softly in golden light. He stopped mid-sentence in the middle of reading with Gabrielle and Hermione on either side of him, their hands in his. "She's here," Harry whispered. "Angelina's here." The golden glow flickered like a heartbeat, and the twelfth name engraved upon it shimmered into existence. Fleur looked up from where she sat on the nearby chaise and smiled knowingly. "Another sister joins us." The door opened. Angelina stepped into the royal chamber, still in her battle-torn coat and wrapped blanket. She saw him...the boy with eyes like emerald fire...and burst into tears again. But this time, they were from relief.
Harry was on his feet in an instant. "Angelina," he said softly, reaching her. "I didn't mean to…" she sobbed. "I just wanted to help Mum, and then they came...and the band lit up, and then Dora..." Harry pulled her into his arms. "You're safe now. You're home. You're Bound." All around them, the other girls stood, smiling warmly. No jealousy. Only welcome. Dora placed a hand over her own heart. "She's one of us now, Harry. The Band chose her."
"I know." Harry's hand gently touched the Soulstone beneath his shirt. "I felt it. The light of the Bound grows stronger."
Time: 17:33 GMT
Location: Western Coast of Britain, near Caernarfon, Wales – later: Ministry of Magic, then Buckingham Palace, London
The sharp winter winds of the Welsh coast rushed beneath Katie Bell's outstretched arms, her broomstick slicing through the overcast sky with practiced grace. She was ten years old, cheeks flushed pink from the chill, her ginger-blonde hair flying like a banner behind her. Clad in a thick woolen flying cloak stitched with her local school's crest...a small eagle over crossed wands...she twisted into a sharp corkscrew maneuver, the kind that always made her instructor groan in exasperation.
"Perfect form," she grinned to herself, tightening her grip on the handle of her Cleansweep Five. "Dad says flying clears the mind. And it does." But then the air changed. It wasn't the wind...it was magic. Thick. Primal. Calling.
Katie gasped, her fingers going numb in an instant as a golden light erupted beneath her robes. Her pendant...a small circular charm she'd worn for years and never questioned...shone with an intense brilliance that burned through her layers of clothing. She opened her mouth to cry out, but her vision blurred. Magic crackled around her like electricity, forming symbols she didn't recognize...Veela script, ancient and alive.
The broom jerked. Once stable air turned violent. The magical surge was too much...her broom's charms sputtered. Her equilibrium vanished. She fell. "I can't...no…no...what's happening?! Someone, please!" she screamed, her voice yanked away by the wind.
The ground rushed up. Katie crashed through the treetop canopy of a coastal grove and slammed into the snow-dusted forest floor with a thud that knocked the air from her lungs. Her cloak tangled around her, her broom shattered in three places, and blood trickled from a cut on her brow. Then came the pulse.
The Band of Eternity, hidden on her left wrist all these years, lit up with gold fire. The script formed as if being etched by invisible hands. And when the name Katie Bell engraved itself in finality beneath Angelina Johnson, the golden dome shimmered around her broken body...protecting her. Healing her. Marking her.
A second later, the forest cracked with the sound of Apparition. "Ministry Response Team, go wide...search perimeter, twenty-meter radius! We have a downed child under magical surge conditions," Nymphadora "Dora" Tonks barked, her wand already lit and her eyes glowing slightly violet in combat mode. "This is not a drill!"
At thirteen, Dora moved like a seasoned warrior. Her dueling coat snapped behind her, leather boots crunching the frostbitten ground. Her three backup agents...each armed with Ministry-standard wands and enchanted armor under their cloaks...fanned out through the forest, leaving her to home in on the beacon she felt in her soul.
"She's one of ours," Dora whispered, eyes locking on a golden pulse rising in the trees ahead, edner her breath she said "Harry…I found another one found us." She pushed through the brush and saw her: a girl four years older than Gabrielle, laying in a cradle of softly glowing magic, blood matted into her fringe, but alive. Dora dropped to her knees.
"Hey, hey… I've got you. You're safe now, sweetheart," Dora whispered, checking for injuries while simultaneously casting stabilizing charms. "You crashed hard, but the Band saved you. Do you feel that? That warmth? That's the Bound calling you."
Katie stirred, her lips trembling. "I…I didn't know what it was. I thought it was just a necklace. But then…it screamed in my head. Then I saw names. Harry's name, and then Mine." Dora gently brushed back Katie's hair, eyes softening. "You've been Bound all along. We were just waiting for the right moment...for your soul to awaken. And now it has. You're part of our family now."
"I want to see him," Katie said, her voice weak but determined. "Please… take me to Harry.", "I will," Dora nodded. "We're taking you home."
Location: Ministry of Magic – Emergency Arrival Portkey Terminal
Time: 18:02 GMT
Katie lay wrapped in a thick Ministry-issued fleece, resting against Dora's shoulder. The moment they landed, a healer ran diagnostic charms over her. "Stabilizing magical fracture in left ankle, slight concussion, nothing life-threatening. Magical surge signature is identical to the Soul-Bound readings. She's one of them."
"Send her through," Dora instructed. "Buckingham access. Highest clearance. She's family."
Location: Buckingham Palace – Private Quarters of the Bound
Time: 18:39 GMT
The moment Katie entered the room, the Soulstone beneath Harry Potter's shirt flared golden again. The gem pulsed like a heartbeat, vibrating gently against his chest. The name Katie Bell etched itself into the lower right facet, finalizing the list of thirteen.
Harry stood from the ornate velvet chaise he had been sharing with Susan and Mizukume. "She's coming. I feel her." Hermione looked up from the book in her lap. "Another sister, love?" Harry nodded slowly. "Yes. The girl with the sky in her soul. Katie."
The door opened. Katie stepped inside, limping slightly, her face bandaged and eyes still red-rimmed...but glowing. She saw him. And he saw her. "Harry," she whispered, her voice filled with wonder and something deeper...recognition. Without hesitation, Harry crossed the room, arms open. Katie broke into a run and collapsed against him, hugging him tightly as if she had always known where she belonged. "I heard your name before I hit the ground," she sobbed into his shoulder. "I felt you calling me."
Harry held her close, voice warm and steady. "And I've been waiting for you, Katie. You're home now. You're safe. And we'll never let you fall again." Behind them, the other Bound girls gathered, one by one...Fleur, Gabrielle, Hermione, Dora, Susan, Penny, Daphne, Mizukume, Ahri, Angelina, Katarina, Elana...each welcoming Katie with soft words and shared warmth.
Time: 19:12 GMT
Location: Diagon Alley – Spinnet Apothecary; later: Ministry of Magic, then Buckingham Palace, London
The Spinnet Apothecary was quiet for the hour. The last customers had come and gone before dinner, and most shopkeepers along the snow-lined stretch of Diagon Alley had begun shuttering their storefronts. Inside the shop, thick with the scents of thyme, asphodel, and crushed bloodroot, Alicia Spinnet stood on a sturdy step stool, carefully stirring the top beaker of a three-tiered alchemical column. She was eleven years old...quick-minded, eager, and deeply proud to help her parents with their potion work.
"Papa said the infusion needed one more rotation," Alicia whispered to herself, watching as violet vapor rose and shimmered under the hanging lanterns. Her flying cloak and uniform had been replaced with a thick cotton apron, slightly too large, tied tightly over her school blouse and wool skirt.
"I've done this before. I've got this. Just a tiny drop of flobberworm mucus and..." But she never got to finish as the column sparked then a magical surge...violent and unstable...burst from the heart of the concoction, igniting the volatile upper tier. The explosion shattered the glass column with a thunderous boom, sending shards flying like shrapnel. Shelves tumbled. Ingredients ignited. Fire bloomed.
Alicia screamed as the force of the blast threw her backward. She crashed into a row of bottled potions, knocking them to the floor as she fell, blood streaming from her left forearm where a jagged piece of glass had lodged deep with the tip touching the bone of her forearm.
Then, the pendant hidden beneath her blouse exploded in golden light. Time seemed to stop. The Bands of Eternity flared, forming a transparent dome around her fallen body. The golden Veela script shimmered in a circular rotation around her wrist, the names already etched glowing with magic: Harry Potter, Elana Hogwarts, Hermione Jean Granger, Fleur Isabelle Delacour, Nymphadora Tonks, Susan Bones, Gabrielle Delacour, Mizukume, Penelope Clearwater, Katarina, Daphne Greengrass, Ahri, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell… And with a final flash...Alicia Spinnet. The shield shimmered, absorbing the flames, deflecting falling debris, and pulsing like a heartbeat. It would not let her die.
Location: Ministry Apparition Hub – Diagon Alley Relay
Time: 19:14 GMT
"She's down," the male Auror shouted through the enchanted mirror. "Got one…Spinner girl...apothecary fire...unknown cause. Magical signature matches Bound readings. Level Three surge confirmed!"
"Mobilize a full team. I'm taking point," Nymphadora "Dora" Tonks barked from across the relay. She was already strapping on her enchanted shoulder guards, pulling her dueling coat tighter over her robes. Her boots, reinforced dragonhide, clacked against the stone as she stepped into the apparition circle. "Team of five. Follow me. Move." The room flared with light. Then they were gone.
Location: Diagon Alley – Spinnet Apothecary
Time: 19:15 GMT
The moment Dora appeared, the heat hit her in the face. Flames danced across the shelves, the air was thick with smoke and potion residue, but through the haze, she saw it...that golden dome pulsing like a living heart.
"There," she said sharply, casting a wave of silver mist over the nearest flames. "Shield line, five meters out. I'm going in!" She moved quickly, ducking under a half-collapsed beam and skidding to her knees beside Alicia. "Hey. Hey, love. Alicia. Can you hear me?"
Alicia's eyelids fluttered. Blood caked one side of her face, and her arm was still pinned beneath a fallen shelf. But the moment her eyes focused on Dora's, something in her spirit settled. "You came…" she whispered, voice broken. "I saw Harry. In the light… he said I'd be okay."
"You are okay," Dora said fiercely, cupping her hand around Alicia's cheek. "The Bond woke up. It brought us to you. You're one of us now, sweetheart. You're Bound." Alicia winced when goes to her arm. "My arm hurts. But the pendant...it was warm then turned into The Bands of Eternity. I heard it tell me not to be afraid."
Dora turned toward her backup. "Stabilize the structure! Portkey out in thirty seconds!" With practiced ease, the others cleared a path. Dora pulled the wounded girl into her arms, holding her like she was made of starlight and glass. "We're going home."
Location: Ministry of Magic – Emergency Medical Level
Time: 19:47 GMT
Alicia rested beneath soft yellow healing charms, her wrist glowing faintly with the newly awakened Band of Eternity. The script on it shimmered faintly...her name etched in gold beside the thirteen others.
The chief healer, an older witch with kind eyes and shaking hands, turned to Dora and whispered, "She's stable. She'll walk again. The Bond did most of the work. Without it, she wouldn't have lasted five minutes in that fire." "I know," Dora said quietly. "That's why we have it."
Location: Buckingham Palace – Private Quarters of the Bound
Time: 20:21 GMT
Harry Potter stood silently beneath the golden chandelier, his hand clutching the Soulstone beneath his shirt. He had felt it the moment it happened...the Bond awakening, the pain, the fire, and the light. Now, the gem on his chest pulsed once more, and the name Alicia Spinnet appeared with a final gleam. A soft gasp escaped Fleur, who sat by the window with Gabrielle in her lap. "Another one," she said. "They come faster now."
"She's here," Harry whispered as he nodded to Fleur. "Alicia." When the doors opened, Alicia stepped in, her arm in a silk sling, her cheeks pale but eyes wide with awe. "This place… I saw it in the light." Harry crossed the room and took her hand gently. "You saw our heart. You were always meant to come here." Tears spilled down Alicia's cheeks. "It didn't let me die."
"Because you're one of us," Harry said with quiet certainty. "And I would never let that happen." The Bound surrounded her...Hermione, Dora, Susan, Fleur, Gabrielle, Angelina, Mizukume, Penny, Daphne, Ahri, Katie, Katarina, and Elana...each touching her shoulder or hand, the warmth of their Bond connecting them, shielding her. And as Alicia smiled through the tears, the light of the Bound grew stronger once more.
Time: 20:54 GMT
Location: Welsh Countryside, Chang Family Estate – later: British Ministry of Magic, then Buckingham Palace, London
The Welsh night stretched long and quiet across the green hills of the Chang family estate, where the soft hum of nature met the soft rustle of flowing silk robes. The wind brushed gently through the pine trees lining the meditation garden...an open circle of stone and moss at the rear of the estate, surrounded by white candles in enchanted glass lanterns.
Cho Chang, ten years old and wrapped in her midnight-blue silk training robes lined with silver trim, knelt opposite her grandmother, Madam Xinyi Chang. Her hands rested upon her knees, her posture flawless, her dark hair braided neatly down her back. The candlelight flickered between them, but Cho's eyes were closed. "In stillness," her grandmother said, her voice like the soft flow of water, "the soul speaks."
"I feel calm," Cho murmured back in Cantonese, her voice steady but curious. "But I feel something else, too. Something warm. Like a light inside me." "Breathe," Xinyi whispered. "Follow that light. Let it show you." And so, Cho did as she was not.
She was no longer in the garden. In her vision, she stood in a vast, golden room. The walls pulsed gently like a living heartbeat. Above her, orbs of light floated...twenty of them, each glowing with radiant warmth. And in the center stood a boy. His back was to her, but she knew him. She knew him.
"Harry," she whispered, reaching out. Around him stood girls...dozens of them, their hands extended, wrists glowing with golden bands, each inscribed with names in curling Veela script. Fleur. Gabrielle. Hermione. Tonks. Penny. Mizukume. Daphne. Susan. Angelina. Katie. Alicia… and then hers.
A twinkling light appeared above her wrist, as though the vision itself had etched it there. The Band of Eternity...the same one worn by the others...formed in radiant detail. "I'm one of them," she breathed. "I… I'm Bound to them…to Harry." Then the vision faded.
Location: Chang Family Estate, Meditation Garden
Time: 20:58 GMT
Cho gasped awake, nearly falling forward. Her grandmother caught her by the shoulder and steadied her. "What did you see?" Xinyi asked, her voice calm but urgent. "Harry Potter," Cho whispered, blinking back tears of awe. "I saw him… surrounded by light. Surrounded by girls like me. I think...I know...I'm one of them. It's real."
Xinyi did not hesitate. She turned Cho's left wrist upward. There, etched in gold light, the Band of Eternity had formed, curling softly with ancient Veela script. Names shimmered upon its surface, ending now with Cho Chang. "I felt it ignite," Cho murmured. "It felt like... home."
Her grandmother nodded. "Then you must go to him. We will send you with blessing and honor. This is your path. And it is sacred."
Location: British Ministry of Magic, Arrival Wing
Time: 22:11 GMT
Cho stepped through the swirling blue flames of the authorized fireplace, guided by a high-ranking Ministry official who had personally escorted her from her family estate. Dressed now in a charcoal traveling cloak trimmed with royal blue silk, her golden band gleamed faintly beneath the cuff. She held her head high, though her heart raced in her chest. "I've never seen this part of the Ministry," she said softly to her escort. "Is this where they bring those called by the Bound?"
"It is," the official replied with quiet respect. "You're the fourteenth to pass through this hall. You're not alone." She was led to a golden archway, where two guards bearing the crest of the Crowned Phoenix bowed low and opened the doorway. Within, a glowing portkey waited...hovering like a soft orb of light, bound by runes older than the castle of Hogwarts itself.
"You're being taken to the heart of the Bound. To Buckingham Palace. You'll be among your sisters… and him." Cho reached out without fear and touched the portkey.
Location: Buckingham Palace – Private Quarters of the Bound
Time: 22:23 GMT
The Soulstone beneath Harry's shirt ignited. A wave of warmth poured over him, one that made him pause mid-conversation with Gabrielle and Mizukume. The pulsing gem shimmered like sunlight through honey, and then...gently...the name Cho Chang appeared along its lower edge.
Harry placed his hand over it. "She's here. She saw us...before she ever arrived." Hermione stood from her reading chair. "A vision?"
"She saw the others. She saw me," Harry replied. "She's Bound, and she chose to come. She believed." The doors opened then. Cho stepped into the golden-lit chamber, her eyes wide as they scanned the room. The Soulstone responded to her presence, growing brighter with every step she took. She saw them all...Fleur, Hermione, Dora, Susan, Gabrielle, Mizukume, Penny, Angelina, Katie, Alicia, Ahri, Katarina, Daphne, and Elana...all watching her with kindness and recognition.
But her eyes locked only onto Harry. "I saw you," she said softly. "I saw this place. I saw us." Harry walked forward and gently took her hand. "Then you've come home, Cho. You're the fourteenth."
"The light told me," she whispered, her fingers brushing against his. "It told me to find you."
"You did," he whispered. "And now you'll never be alone again." She smiled...shy but strong. Around her, the Bound sisters welcomed her into the circle with warmth and gentle words. The golden bands on their wrists glowed faintly, and the air filled with the comforting sense of unity.
And so, as the clock ticked past the tenth hour of that extraordinary day, Cho Chang became the fourteenth soul to be Bound to Harry Potter...the one who had seen their light even before she was called.
Date: Friday, January 10th, 1986
Time: 03:21 IST / 21:51 GMT (previous day)
Location: Gujarat, India – later: India's Ministry of Magic, British Ministry of Magic, then Buckingham Palace, London
The night over Gujarat was cloaked in thick monsoon clouds, lit only by pale moonlight filtering through brief breaks in the sky. In a forested valley outside of Bhuj, under the cover of enchanted silence spells, ten masked men in ritualistic black and crimson robes stood in a perfect circle, chanting in a dark and forgotten dialect. At the center of the summoning glyph...scorched into dry earth and traced in cursed ink...two small girls stood, bound by invisible magic. Twins. Barely five years old.
Padma and Parvati Patil trembled where they stood, too young to fully comprehend the danger but wise enough to know they should be afraid. "I don't like this, Padma," Parvati whimpered, clutching her sister's hand as best she could while rooted in place by the binding curse.
"I know," Padma whispered back, trying to be brave. "They said it would be quick… but it feels wrong." And it was. The dark summoning ritual was ancient, forbidden even in the darker corners of magical India. Its goal was horrific...to twist the souls of magically-gifted twins into a single conduit for corrupted power, binding them forever to an unnamed force that had long since been sealed away.
But the ritual had miscalculated. The moment the central rune activated...its runic circle glowing crimson with blood magic...a flash of brilliant gold ignited from the girls' wrists. Identical Bands of Eternity, once dormant, now shone with blinding fury and anger. Ancient Veela script flared alive across both girls' left wrists, each inscription ending in golden letters: Padma Patil and Parvati Patil. A shockwave of pure soul-bonded magic erupted outward from the twins, violently severing the ritual, breaking the curse, and sending time itself into momentary suspension across the clearing.
The masked men froze mid-motion...hands raised, mouths open...locked in place like wax statues. The Band's magic flared again. Far across the subcontinent, nestled inside the India Ministry of Magic's Central Surveillance Hall, the soul-bond pulse was felt...a scream of protective light, screaming through magical frequencies.
In that same moment, halfway between Apparition and command post, Nymphadora "Dora" Tonks snapped upright, her own golden Band of Eternity reacting violently. The name of the twins etched themselves onto her wrist, burning their names into existence. She didn't need orders.
Location: Gujarat, India – Forested Ritual Site
Time: 03:24 IST
With a golden pulse from her Band, Dora Tonks tore through the suspended magic like a sword through ice. "I am the Vanguard of the Circle," she intoned, her voice echoing through the halted time, carried by the soul-bond. "I resume time. I bring judgment to those that seek harm to the members of the bound..."
Her boots struck scorched earth, reinforced dragonhide slicing into the dead ground with purpose. Twenty Indian Ministry Aurors appeared behind her in flash steps, their enchanted saris and robes flowing like water around their bodies. Each bore the sigil of the India Magical High Council.
"..To contain the dark casters that are the ones to cause the harm..," Dora commanded, already racing toward the circle with a simple word "..Now," the time snapped back into place with a thunderous crack. The ten masked men collapsed instantly, their magical energy ripped from them by the bond's rebound and by magic herself as recabusen for what were going to do and the twenty combined restraining spells of the Indian Response Team. Bound in shimmering magical coils, they were dragged away in stunned silence.
Dora dropped to her knees beside the twins, her hands glowing with restorative magic. "You're safe now," she whispered, eyes locked with Padma's first, then Parvati's. "I'm here. Harry sent me to get you."
"We saw him," Padma whispered, still trembling, "in the light. He looked at us. He smiled… " then Parvati added"...He said our names," tears falling down her cheeks. Dora smiled softly, brushing a streak of soot from Parvati's forehead. "He always knows as you're his now, and You're ours as you're part of the Bound."
Location: India Ministry of Magic – Safe Ward
Time: 03:52 IST
Ten minutes after the battle, Dora stood outside the emergency family ward. The twins' parents...already alerted and brought via secured Apparition by Ministry officials...embraced their daughters with tears and disbelief. Healing charms were already stabilizing the twins' magical cores, while the golden Bands on their wrists continued to glow softly.
"Will they be safe?" their mother asked Dora, eyes filled with both hope and fear. Dora nodded solemnly. "They are now soul-bound to Harry Potter. That bond is stronger than any dark curse I've seen. I swear to my own Band, they'll never face that kind of threat again."
The mother clutched her husband's hand tightly. "Then… send them. Let them go where the light took them." "I'll take them personally," Dora promised.
Location: British Ministry of Magic – International Arrival Platform One
Time: 22:31 GMT (Thursday)
The familiar blue light of the secure portkey shimmered in the chamber. Dora stepped through first, holding the hands of Padma and Parvati, each wearing new pale violet cloaks lined with soft gold, enchanted by Indian tailors to match the warmth of their soul-bond.
A Ministry official stood ready. "Clearance granted. Buckingham bound." "Thank you," Dora said, then looked down. "You're ready, girls?" Padma nodded firmly. "Yes. We belong to him now." Parvati squeezed Dora's hand. "Take us to Harry."
Location: Buckingham Palace – Private Quarters of the Bound
Time: 22:49 GMT
The Soulstone beneath Harry's shirt ignited once more, sending out two synchronized pulses of light. Gabrielle gasped first. "Two? That's never happened." Hermione stood, her voice soft. "The twins. They've awakened." Harry's eyes closed. "I felt them. I saw their light...burning like stars." The doors opened.
Padma and Parvati stepped in, side-by-side, hands linked tightly, eyes wide in awe at the golden light, the gentle warmth, the girls gathered in welcome, and most of all...him. "Harry!" they cried in unison and ran toward him. He knelt as they flung themselves into his arms, each collapsing against him with muffled sobs and radiant joy. "I saw you," Padma whispered, face against his shoulder. "I knew you before I even knew your name."
"And I knew you," Parvati said, voice trembling. "We were waiting… and now we're home." Harry kissed the crowns of their heads gently. "You're safe now. You'll always be safe." The others gathered, each girl softly whispering their names, embracing the two youngest of the Bound. Golden bands pulsed in unity. The Soulstone gleamed with two new names: Padma Patil and Parvati Patil.
And with the circle now fourteen strong, the light of the Bound shone brilliantly through the walls of the ancient palace, touching every soul within it.
Time: 23:31 CST (China Standard Time) / 15:31 GMT
Location: Northern Mountains of Sichuan, China – Later: British Ministry of Magic, then Buckingham Palace, London
The snow-covered ridgelines of the Sichuan mountains shimmered silver under the light of the full moon, and the sacred wind that whispered through the pine groves carried with it the breath of ancient magic. Nestled in the cradle of two cliffs, the Li family ancestral lodge stood silent and serene, its curved roofs and carved beams glowing under enchantments that had protected it for centuries.
In the central meditation chamber...its stone floor polished by generations of footsteps, its walls adorned with prayer scrolls and flickering jade lanterns...a young girl sat with perfect posture on a silk mat embroidered with phoenix feathers. Her hair was braided tightly, and her small frame was wrapped in a heavy crimson meditation robe lined with fur and stitched with golden characters for balance and clarity.
Sue Li was six years old. Across from her sat her grandmother, a High Priestess of the Celestial Path and keeper of their family's legacy. Between them burned a low, blue flame in a brass lotus brazier. The incense wafting from it was made of crushed lotus petals, powdered moonstone, and mountain sage.
"Close your eyes, child," her grandmother said, her voice soft and ancient. "Tonight, the moon touches the spirit. Listen, and she will speak." Sue nodded. "I feel something. It's warm… not outside. Inside me. Like the light is breathing."
"That is your truth rising to meet the heavens. Let it be born." The chamber grew quiet, and then the wind changed. Sue's eyes remained closed, but her aura flared into view...an ethereal gold and silver shimmer bursting from her chest like a blossoming lotus. The candlelight dimmed, and the magical flame in the brazier leaned toward her, drawn to the brilliance of her spirit. Her body lifted a few inches off the mat, floating in perfect stillness, her face calm, eyes shut.
"Sue," her grandmother whispered, no longer the teacher, now the witness. Golden light erupted from Sue's left wrist as the Band of Eternity, unseen until now, revealed itself in perfect symmetry...its surface inscribed in ancient Veela script that curved and flowed with divine precision. Names emerged in brilliant gold: Harry Potter, Elana Hogwarts, Hermione Jean Granger, Fleur Isabelle Delacour, Nymphadora Tonks, Susan Bones, Gabrielle Delacour, Mizukume, Penelope Clearwater, Katarina, Daphne Greengrass, Ahri, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Cho Chang, Padma Patil, Parvati Patil… and now Sue Li.
The flames bowed. The light dimmed. The girl opened her eyes. "I saw him," Sue whispered. "His name is Harry… and he smiled at me. He told me I was safe." Her grandmother exhaled a reverent breath. "You are soul-marked. The bond formed by the will of the stars. We must inform the West."
Location: British Ministry of Magic – Eastern Division Relay Hub
Time: 17:07 GMT
The monks who cared for the Li family's sanctuary sent word via a lightning-fast enchanted crane, bypassing traditional channels. The Ministry received the scroll within the minute, and within five minutes more, it had been opened on the desk of Madam Amelia Bones herself.
"A six-year-old in the Sichuan mountains," Amelia muttered, reading the verification seal. "Unassisted manifestation. No outside trigger. The Bond wrote itself."
Dora, seated beside her, immediately stood. "That makes her the eighteenth." "No need for extraction," Bones confirmed. "The family already requests transfer under protective rites. They are old allies. And the girl asked to meet him the moment the Band appeared."
Location: Buckingham Palace – Private Quarters of the Bound
Time: 19:38 GMT
Harry stood before the fireplace, the Soulstone beneath his shirt already pulsing with a soft, steady beat. He felt the moment Sue's name appeared...not like a crash of magic, but like a breath of moonlight settling on his skin. "Sue," he said quietly. Hermione looked up from her scrollwork. "Another? Already?"
"She saw me in a vision," Harry whispered, touching the gem. "She knew me." The others gathered, sensing it...Fleur, Gabrielle, Dora, Penelope, Angelina, Mizukume, Alicia, Cho, Katie, Daphne, Ahri, Katarina, and the Patil twins. The Band glowed softly on each wrist.
The fire turned white for a moment...and then flared open. Out stepped Sue Li, guided by an escort monk in dark red robes. Her tiny form was straight-backed and composed, though her cheeks were flushed from the long journey. The golden Band of Eternity gleamed clearly on her wrist.
She stepped forward with calm eyes and a small, polite smile. "You're Harry," she said quietly, in perfect English. "I saw you. I heard your voice even though I had never heard it before. And I know I'm supposed to be here."
Harry knelt before her, lowering himself to eye level. "I've been waiting for you, Sue." Her lips trembled for only a second, and then she moved forward and hugged him tightly. "I feel safe now," she whispered. "You always will be," he whispered back. "You're one of us now."
And as the other Bound sisters knelt to welcome her, the glow in the room brightened...and the circle of twenty continued to grow, stronger, deeper, and more complete with every soul that found its way home.
Time: 17:53 GMT (Dusk)
Location: The Brown Estate, Forest of Dean – later: British Ministry of Magic, then Buckingham Palace, London
The dusk settled like a velvet curtain over the pine-swept hills of the Forest of Dean, and the thick canopy above the Brown family estate shivered in the wind. Smoke drifted from the stone chimney, mingling with the sharp, wild scent of pine resin and cold air. Inside the lodge...built long ago in the Lycian style with open beams and heavy fur pelts...Lavender Brown clutched her chest, eyes wide and unblinking. She was eight years old, and everything hurt.
"Mum… something's wrong with me," she gasped, her back arching. Her voice was cracking, deeper than normal, as if something beneath her skin was trying to surface. "It feels like fire...but not bad. It's like...like I'm being called."
Her mother, Lady Mariah Brown, Matriarch of the Trueborn Lycian bloodline in Britain, stood calmly by the hearth. She wore a long crimson cloak over dark ceremonial robes, and her golden eyes glowed faintly in the shadows.
"I felt it too," Mariah said, stepping forward and kneeling beside her daughter. "Your aura is shifting. The Bond has awakened in you, Lavender." "My wrist," Lavender whispered, lifting her trembling hand.
There, as if burning its way into existence, the Band of Eternity flared into golden light. The Ancient Veela script shimmered in the firelight, dancing across her delicate skin with authority and grace. The names already etched glowed brightly: Harry Potter, Elana Hogwarts, Hermione Jean Granger, Fleur Isabelle Delacour, Nymphadora Tonks, Susan Bones, Gabrielle Delacour, Mizukume, Penelope Clearwater, Katarina, Daphne Greengrass, Ahri, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Cho Chang, Padma Patil, Parvati Patil, Sue Li…And now, Lavender Brown.
Then, her transformation began…Lavender screamed...not in pain, but in release...as a low growl escaped her throat. Her pupils dilated into golden slits. Her fingernails sharpened. Faint patches of silver fur spread across her arms and legs, and her small canines lengthened into wolven tips. She fell to all fours as the transformation overtook her, and then… she stopped.
Breathing heavily, panting like an exhausted pup, Lavender looked up at her mother. "Why do I feel like I'm going to fall apart if I don't find him?" "Because you are being called home," her mother said, reaching gently to stroke Lavender's soft fur. "Your soul has recognized the Alpha. The Bond cannot be denied."
Without hesitation, Mariah turned toward the enchanted mirror above the hearth and spoke a single command in Old Lycian. The mirror shimmered "Office of Magical Defense, this is Matriarch Mariah Brown," she said calmly. "My daughter, Lavender, has activated the Bond of Eternity. She's partially shifted. She needs transport to Buckingham Palace. Immediate clearance under Pact Law 13-Alpha."
Location: British Ministry of Magic – Arrival Platform, Magical Creature Liaison Wing
Time: 18:35 GMT
Lavender arrived barefoot, her robes torn from the transformation, her body wrapped in a reinforced stasis charm that shimmered with white light. Her golden eyes were wide with instinctive panic, her breath shallow. The stasis broke the moment her feet touched the floor. She bolted.
Claws scraping stone, growling softly in fear and confusion, she skidded past two stunned guards before Dora Tonks appeared, with her wand already at the ready but lowered. "Don't hurt her!" Dora barked. "She's not a threat...she's one of us!" Lavender froze at the sound of Dora's voice, golden eyes flicking toward her with recognition. "You… you're part of it too," she growled through clenched teeth. "But you're not him." "No," Dora whispered gently. "But I'll take you to him now."
Location: Buckingham Palace – Private Quarters of the Bound
Time: 19:08 GMT
Harry stood at the center of the Bound chamber, barefoot himself, the Soulstone beneath his shirt pulsing violently with magic. It was more than a flare...it was a storm, and it beat like a second heart against his chest.
"She's here," he whispered, voice low and urgent. "She's scared. She's fighting herself." The others...Hermione, Fleur, Gabrielle, Susan, Penelope, Katie, Alicia, Cho, the Patil twins, Sue Li, and Ahri...looked to the grand door as it opened with a boom.
Lavender stormed into the chamber, breathing hard, her eyes still golden, her claws still half-formed. Her bare feet padded silently across the royal carpet, leaving traces of the forest in her wake. But the moment her eyes met Harry's...everything changed.
She froze. Her muscles relaxed. Her claws retracted. Her breath slowed. Her pupils returned round. She dropped to her knees, hands gripping the floor. "You're real," she whispered. "You're him. You're mine."
Harry stepped forward slowly and knelt in front of her. "You've been running a long time, haven't you?" Lavender raised her trembling hand and showed the Band. "I've felt this forever, even before it appeared. I didn't understand it. I thought I was broken. But now… I know. I'm yours."
He reached out and touched her shoulder gently. "No," Harry said softly. "You're not mine…We are each other's. You belong here, Lavender. You're safe." A sob escaped her lips, and she collapsed into his arms.
Around them, the other Bound gathered in a circle...welcoming, accepting, steady. Mizukume laid a hand over Lavender's heart, whispering a calming charm in the ancient kitsune tongue which helped to calm Lavender. Gabrielle and Sue stepped forward and embraced her gently, their magic warm and soothing. The Soulstone on Harry's chest shone brighter than it had in hours. Another sister had come home. And the light of the Bound blazed on.
Date: Friday, January 10th, 1986
Time: 19:46 GMT
Location: Parkinson Estate, Wiltshire, England – Later: British Ministry of Magic, then Buckingham Palace, London
The Parkinson Estate in Wiltshire was a cold, grand place...stately, polished, and silent in the way only old pureblood homes could be. The dining hall, tall-ceilinged and cold despite the fire roaring in the hearth, was lit by enchanted gaslight sconces and lined with portraits of ancestors long past, all watching the evening proceedings with haughty detachment.
Pansy Parkinson, dressed in a deep green silk robe trimmed with pearl buttons, sat stiffly at the children's table near the west wall. At just five years old, she had already learned how to wear the look of disinterest that was expected of a Parkinson. She knew how to speak when spoken to, how to cut her food without magic, and how to sip tea slowly, elegantly.
But tonight, something felt off. "My tea tastes strange," she whispered, her voice just loud enough for her nursemaid to hear. "Do not be ungrateful, Miss Pansy," the older woman said crisply, adjusting the hem of the child's robe with a dismissive tug. "It is a rare blend from the Selwyns. Quite expensive. Drink it all."
So Pansy did. She was a Parkinson, after all, so she sipped the tea again, And that's when the pain hit. Her small hand dropped the cup, which shattered against the polished mahogany floor. Her chest burned. Her throat clenched. Her vision blurred. She opened her mouth, but no scream came...just a strangled gasp. Around her, everything slowed.
The Band of Eternity, which had appeared on her wrist weeks ago but had remained hidden beneath lace cuffs and pureblood denial, erupted into golden light. The glow burst outward in a pulse that blew open the French doors of the dining room with a deafening crack.
Ancient Veela script ignited in living flame along her wrist, the names now visible even to the stunned aristocrats staring in horror: Harry Potter, Elana Hogwarts, Hermione Jean Granger, Fleur Isabelle Delacour, Nymphadora Tonks, Susan Bones, Gabrielle Delacour, Mizukume, Penelope Clearwater, Katarina, Daphne Greengrass, Ahri, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Cho Chang, Padma Patil, Parvati Patil, Sue Li, Lavender Brown… And now, Pansy Parkinson.
A sphere of radiant golden light enveloped the girl, floating her inches off the floor. Within it, the corrupted potion dissolved, the magic unraveling in threads of black vapor that were torn apart by the Bound's purifying magic. Her breathing steadied. Her eyes fluttered open.
"What…" she gasped, dazed. "What just happened to me?" Around her, the entire Parkinson family...pureblood elite, polished and powerful...stood frozen. They had never seen anything like it. Then came the Apparition snap.
Location: Parkinson Estate – Outer Courtyard
Time: 19:49 GMT
"Secure the perimeter. Retrieve the child. No questions answered." Dora Tonks' voice was steel as she barked orders the moment she touched down outside the estate walls.
Clad in a Ministry-issue night cloak reinforced with dragonhide and the seal of the Covenant Guard stitched over her chest, she moved swiftly alongside her four operatives, each marked with the gold phoenix of Harry's circle. The retrieval team had been standing by ever since Lavender's call...this activation only minutes later confirmed what the Soulstone already predicted.
"The child is shielded. Magical dome is still active, but stable," reported the lead scout. "The Bond has neutralized the poison. No hostile magic detected. Family is stunned." "Move."
The great hall doors burst open as Dora entered, her wand lowered but ready. She ignored the gasps and stares of the Parkinson elders as she walked directly toward the floating girl. "Pansy," she said gently. The girl's eyes snapped to her. "You know me."
"I feel you," Dora replied. "You're one of us. You've been Bound all along." "Is that why I'm… glowing?" Dora smiled. "That's just your soul showing the world it was never theirs to control." She reached out, and Pansy, still dazed but calm, extended her hand in return. The light dimmed just enough to let Dora pull her gently into her arms.
Location: British Ministry of Magic – Private Holding Room
Time: 20:07 GMT
Pansy sat quietly beneath a thick woolen blanket, sipping a warm ginger tonic brewed by the senior healer on duty. She didn't speak for several minutes. Then spoke to dora "It was the tea," she said flatly. "I think someone tried to poison me." Dora raised an eyebrow. "And yet… you're alive. Because the bond..our bond wouldn't let you die."
"I felt him," Pansy whispered. "I don't even know what he looks like, but I know him. I saw his eyes in the light, with a smile Dora tells Pansy "You'll see him for real soon."
Location: Buckingham Palace – Private Quarters of the Bound
Time: 20:41 GMT
Harry stood before the window, the Soulstone beneath his white shirt pulsing with steady golden warmth. The newest name...Pansy Parkinson...had burned into the crystal just minutes ago. He already felt her presence, tense and uncertain, like a thread of silk stretched too tight.
"She's afraid," Harry said softly. Hermione walked to his side. "But she's coming. That means she chose us. She chose you."
"I think the Bond that we share chose her before she knew what choice meant," it is at that moment the chamber doors opened, and Pansy stepped in, still barefoot, the silk Ministry-issued robe trailing behind her. Her hair was disheveled, her cheeks pale, but her eyes...those stormy, sharp eyes...locked onto his with immediate, stunned recognition.
"You're the one," she said, barely above a whisper. "The one who pulled me back." Harry moved toward her, calm and open. "And you're the one who trusted the light to lead you here." Pansy hesitated only a moment before she ran the last few steps and buried herself in his arms. "Please don't let me go. Please… don't send me back."
"I never will…no we will never send you back," Harry murmured, holding her gently. "You're one of us now. Forever." Behind them, the other Bound moved in with soft words and open arms. Hermione offered her hand. Gabrielle smiled shyly. Lavender, her eyes still wolf-gold, moved to stand protectively beside her. And for the first time in her life, Pansy Parkinson felt safe...truly safe...in the arms of those she could finally call family.
Date: Saturday, January 11th, 1986
Time: 19:00 GMT
Location: Buckingham Palace – Magical Wing, Hall of the Silver Flame
The sun had set behind the white-stoned towers of Buckingham Palace, casting soft winter shadows over the palace gardens dusted in fresh snow. A hush had fallen over the Magical Wing, sealed off by ancient spells and guarded by two full detachments...one Royal Guard in formal scarlet and bearskin, and the other: the Covenant Guard, each member cloaked in enchanted battle-weave and bearing the symbol of the Soul-Bound Circle.
Inside, the Hall of the Silver Flame stood aglow. Massive arching windows lined with frost enchanted from within reflected the light of the ceremonial fire dancing at the chamber's heart. Ancient Veela magic pulsed through the polished marble floor, inlaid with interwoven sigils of flame and feather...symbols of bond, soul, and rebirth. This was the sacred place where the Veela Court had chosen to host the first Flame-Binding Rite on British soil in over five hundred years.
Harry Potter stood in the center of the room, dressed in ceremonial silver-white robes trimmed with phoenix-red thread. A white sash lined with flame-shaped embroidery marked his status...not just as Soul-Bound, but as Flame-Bound Lord of House Delacour, by ancient Veela recognition. Beneath his robes, the Soulstone of the Bound glowed steadily against his chest, pulsing softly with the magic of twenty-one souls now intertwined.
Surrounding him were his Bound...Fleur, Gabrielle, Hermione, Dora, Susan, Mizukume, Penny, Katarina, Daphne, Ahri, Angelina, Katie, Alicia, Cho, the Patil twins, Sue, Lavender, Pansy, and Elana Hogwarts...all in ceremonial Veela gowns tailored to each of their heritages and magics, though united in color: flame-white and gold, the mark of completed bonding. Each girl's Band of Eternity shone on her left wrist, the full roll of names etched in brilliant script that shimmered with living warmth.
Gabrielle held a bowl of Veela-blessed flame. Hermione stood on Harry's right, her eyes misting already, while Fleur stood on his left...radiant, poised, and veiled in a mantle of silver phoenix feathers, symbol of her role as the primary Flame-Bound of the Delacour line.
Queen Elizabeth II stood just beyond the ceremonial circle, regal in a black and silver ensemble of state, her eyes filled with quiet pride and unspoken emotion. To her right, Amelia Susan Bones wore formal black Ministry robes with the red sash of the Office of Magical Law. Albus Dumbledore, resplendent in deep blue robes stitched with runes of respect and neutrality, held a silent wand at his side, his gaze piercing but warm.
On the left side of the gallery stood Ted and Andromeda Tonks, holding hands. In front of them, Dora stood tall in her ceremonial robes, her metamorphmagus hair swept back in a braided flame-pattern crown. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, Hermione's parents, stood near Queen Elizabeth, her father in his British Army SAS dress uniform, proudly bearing the rank of Captain. Behind them, elite members of both the Royal and Covenant Guard stood at silent, unwavering attention.
The ceremony began. A Veela Flame-Speaker, a graceful woman with golden wings tucked behind her shoulders, stepped into the circle and spoke: "By rite of fire, soul, and bond, we gather to honor the one chosen by the Bands," she said, her voice echoing with gentle power. "Harry James Potter, son of Lily of the Flame, scion of the Forgotten Thrones, has been acknowledged by the magic of our people. He is named not by blood, but by bond, as Flame-Bound Lord of House Delacour."
She turned to the circle of girls. "And you, the Chosen...sisters of flame, soul, and eternity. Twenty in number, by Veela count. One soul unbound, yet all entwined in him." Each Bound girl stepped forward in turn. Hermione spoke first. "I found Harry when I was still afraid of magic," she said, voice trembling with feeling. "But he never feared me. He accepted me before I accepted myself. That's why I'll stand by him...always."
Fleur stepped next. "I felt the Bond the moment I touched the Soulstone," she said, voice smooth as silk and strong as fire. "Harry is flame, and I am fire. We are one." Gabrielle clutched her bowl of Veela flame. "I saw his heart before I even understood my own. I will follow it always." Dora, placing a hand over her chest, added: "He gave me a purpose. A place. A family."
One by one, they all stepped forward. Susan. Mizukume. Penny. Katarina. Daphne. Ahri. Angelina. Katie. Alicia. Cho. Padma. Parvati. Sue. Lavender. Pansy. Elana. When all had spoken, the Flame-Speaker raised her arms.
"Harry Potter, by the ancient rites of the Soul-Flame, do you accept your role as Flame-Bound Lord...not to rule, but to protect. Not to command, but to cherish?" Harry stepped forward, eyes meeting each girl's in turn. "I do," he said quietly. "And I promise, on my soul and blood, I will never let them walk alone."
The Soulstone burst into golden light, sending a ripple through the room that gently warmed every heart within it. The Bond flared on every wrist, and flames rose from the bowl Gabrielle held, curling high into the ceiling before settling into a calm, eternal glow.
The ritual was complete. As the ceremony ended, the Bound surrounded Harry, wrapping him in a warm, unbreakable embrace. The royal guests respectfully stepped back, letting the circle hold. Harry looked up to find the Queen smiling faintly, her eyes shining.
"You have done something no monarch or minister could, Harry," she said softly. "You have created unity from magic, loyalty from pain. You have gathered light." "And I'll never stop protecting it," Harry said, his voice resolute. Dumbledore bowed his head. "May magic itself learn from what you have forged."
The Hall of the Silver Flame remained warm long into the night, and the light that flickered from the Soulstone never dimmed. For the first time in centuries, the Veela rites had chosen a human. For the first time in living memory, twenty-one souls had found a home in one boy.
And from that night onward, Harry Potter was more than just heir, wizard, or chosen child. He was Bound. He was Beloved. He was The Flame-Bound Lord.