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Warden Headquarters, Wednesday morning, December 25th.



The small, desktop floo flares suddenly with green brilliance, as a folded parchment shoots forth onto the desktop tray, stopping and rebounding slightly against the far lip of the 'Incoming Mail' bin.

As it is the Holiday, and 2 a.m., Marie, the office manager of the Warden Headquarters, is off duty, and has the day off. In her stead, at least until late that morning, the twins, Tomas and Jeena Rhugaugh, are voluntarily standing the extended mid-watch.

With faces buried in separate books, the two of them have been whiling away the night catching up on their reading. While Tomas pores over a text about the alchemical properties of platinum, Jeena is immersed in the lore of Ancient Babylon. In the background, a Muggle shortwave wireless continuously plays soft Christmas Carols being broadcast by Radio România Internaţional.

The sudden arrival of the parchment startles both of them. Jeena, leaning back in her office chair with her feet up on the edge of the desk, puts her book and feet down, swivels around, and reaches for the curiosity.

“Who's it from, sis?”

Jeena opens the parchment, and scans it quickly.

“It's from Charlie, Tom.”

“Charlie Weasley?”

“Yes!”

“Read it aloud, please.”

Jeena begins...

“Urgent! - Not Emergency. - Urgent!”




“Requesting meeting with Lord Aramys at his earliest convenience, to discuss matter of a magical item of Ancient Egyptian design (Blue Scarab Pendant with Magical Chain). Was told by Albus Dumbledore to defer any questions to Lord Aramys concerning nature of pendant.

“Mayumi Zark is wearing the Pendant, and it will not come off!

“Please reply ASAP! Will await acknowledgment and/or reply!”




“/Signed,/

Charlie Weasley”




“A blue Scarab Pendant? Any idea which one it might be?” asks Tomas.

“Not that I have ever seen one, but I may have read about a blue pendant,” Jeena replies, as she tries to recall an old text she had once read.

“We're going to have to tell him of the message, Jeena. Do you want to? Or should I?”

“I'll do it. If it's the Pendant I am thinking of, I'd be the best one to handle it.”

“Alright, then I will start to write a reply message to Charlie.”

Jeena closes her eyes, and begins to focus her thoughts. Telepathically, she calls out...

“/Father?”/

She waits for the sudden rush of sensation as her mind connects with that of her Sire.

“Yes, Daughter of Mine?”

“Father, an urgent message has arrived from Charlie Weasley. In it, he claims that a Scarab Pendant of Ancient Egypt, given to him by Arch Wizard Albus Dumbledore, and now being worn by Mayumi Zark, is causing them some concern. It seems that she cannot remove it from her neck!”

“Is there mention of a chain at all?”

“Yes, he does mention a Magical Chain!”

“So, the Chain and the Scarab are whole once more!”

“Father, he was told to seek you out by Dumbledore. Was this one of the pieces from your collection?”

“Many years ago, Daughter, I gave a Scarab to Dumbledore as a gift. It was attached to a chain, 'the Chain' in question, apparently. He gave the Pendant to someone he loved, but they became frightened of it when it activated its Magical ability. Because of that fear, they never received the benefits of the Pendant. Soon after, a dreadful event occurred, and the person died. At that point, the Chain and the Scarab separated. The Chain went missing, presumably stolen. It appears that it has found its way back to the Pendant.”

“Which Scarab is it, Father?”

“The Scarab of Hatshepsut, the Lady King of Egypt.”




The Enclave, The Zark family compound, December 25th, 3 a.m.




Feeling very tired, and very concerned, Charlie sits on the floor, propped up against the corner leg of the kitchen table, in front of the hearth. He softly strokes the hair of his lover, as she fitfully sleeps with her head in his lap. He thinks about how much he loves Mayumi, and how happy she makes him feel with her love. He reflects on the Pendant, and how he'd felt, the moment he'd first laid eyes on it back in the Hog's Head. To him, it had seemed to be the perfect gift for his lover. Something truly exceptional as the Pendant was surely appropriate for the woman who wanted to have his children, and wanted to marry him.

He reaches over and pulls the corner of a blanket up and over her shoulder. Almost without thought, he then takes hold of a small chunk of Christmas cake from the slice on the plate next to him. The plate itself lies upon the earlier note of acknowledgment that Tomas had sent. He had cut the slice for himself more than an hour ago. Carefully, he brings the crumbly piece to his mouth. He chews slowly, swallows, and then pauses to lick his sticky fingers clean.

Suddenly, the green flash that he has been waiting for occurs. A parchment shoots out of the viridian flame, landing several feet away. Charlie picks up his wand and casts /“Accio”/, causing it to fly into his grasp. He breaks the seal and opens it. He is happy to notice the signature at the bottom.




“/Charlie,/

“Please bring Mayumi along with you to HQ before 10 a.m. Tomas and I will be there until then. I have been in contact with Lord Aramys, and he has given me the proper instructions to deal with the situation.

“Neither Mayumi or yourself are in any danger! I assure you everything is fine!

“I'll see the two of you in a few hours!”




“/Jeena”/




As if a great weight has been lifted, Charlie lets himself finally relax, letting go of all the built up tension. Using his wand from his seated position, he begins to cleanup the area around him.

Satisfied, he then bends forward to plant a kiss on the right temple of May. He then whispers in her ear, “May, darling?”

A gentle interrogatory mumble is her reply.

“May, we can go to the bed now!” he whispers.

“Doan' waan' to.... Wanna stay 'ere”she mumbles.

Charlie places his hand below her head, and manages to get one foot, and then one knee, beneath him. Gently, he scoops May up into his arms, and carefully stands up. Making sure he has his wand, he carries his lover to the bedroom, and to the comfort of the bed.




Warden Headquarters, December 25th, 8:30 a.m.




Bleary eyed, but awake, both Mayumi and Charlie Apparate outside of Headquarters on the snow covered front lawn. They quick step over to the heavy door, and pull it open. May enters first at Charlie's insistence. A wave of warm heat envelops them as they step up and in, closing the door behind them.

As they remove their heavy outerwear, Tomas pokes his head out of the Duty Room.

“Coffee, or Tea?”

“Tea, please!” says Mayumi, feeling a need for something to help calm her nerves. “Some of that herbal tea in that green tin if there is any left, Tomas.”

“Coffee for me, mate!” says Charlie.

“Coming up!” is Tomas' cheerful reply.

Since November, Charlie and May had visited with Tomas and Jeena on several occasions. Mayumi and Jeena had immediately hit it off; their friendship growing by leaps and bounds every time they have been together.

With a whoosh, the office door opens, and a smiling Jeena enters, very happy to see them both.

“Charlie-bean!May!” she cries out. She makes her way directly to Mayumi.

“Jee!” Charlie replies, beaming a tired smile, as May and Jeena hug each other. With May's full knowledge of their past relationship, both Charlie and Jeena had resorted to the occasional use of their pet names for each other.

After a few minutes of chit-chat, at Jeena's insistence, the girls go off to the inner office, their hands laden with mugs of hot beverage. Charlie joins Tomas in the Duty room.

Closing the door behind them, Jeena guides May over to Lord Aramys' office door, and producing a key, proceeds to open it.

“Let's talk in here, where we won't be interrupted, May.” Jeena lights the lamps with her wand, and ushers May over to the chair she already knows rather well. Jeena, having sealed the door behind her, not taking Lord Aramys' seat, instead takes the other chair.

“Now, I understand you have a problem with a pendant?”

With a tinge of worry and fear creeping into her voice, May says, “Yes, Charlie got this beautiful pendant for me, and when we put it on, it wrapped itself around my body, and now we can't take it off!”

“May I see it, please?”

Mayumi stands and loosens her top, undoing the wrapped sash around her midsection. She gently opens the front, displaying the solid blue Lapis Lazuli Pendant in all of its glory. The Chain itself still extends outwards from the Scarab in six different directions, keeping the Scarab firmly placed between her breasts.

Having re-established a connection several minutes ago, Jeena easily reaches out with her mind and touches that of Lord Aramys – her Sire.

“/Father?”/

“I am here, Daughter of Mine.”

“Mayumi is standing here in front of me. The Chain is a rope/chain, made of finely inscribed links of gold, with tiny obsidian beads strung at different intervals throughout the entire length. The glyphs inscribed on the links are too small for me to read at the moment.”

“Tell me about the Scarab itself,” Aramys asks, his voice a solid presence in her mind.

“Blue, Lapis Lazuli, with gold filigree in the etched details. Approximately three inches tall, by two inches wide.”

“Are you able to turn the pendant to see the backside?”

“One moment...”

“May, would you mind if I touch the pendant? I'd like to try and see the back of it.”

“Go ahead, Jeena.”

Jeena places the fingers of her left hand on the Scarab, touching the smooth surface. Gripping the sides of the carved rock, she tries to turn it over, but to no avail.

“Father, the chain is too taut. I cannot see the back.”

“Before I put it on, Charlie and I noticed that there are hieroglyphics on the back. There is one set of characters inside a vertical oval, and then another set in a horizontal oval, below the vertical one.

“May confirms that there are two cartouches on the back. One is vertical and the other, below it, is horizontal.”

“That is the Scarab of Hatshepsut, and the long lost Guardian Chain of Senemut, then.




“Have you thought about when you are going to ask Mayumi to marry you?” asks Tomas.

“I've got it pretty much figured that I would ask her on her birthday, February, the eleventh.”

“Ah!A wise idea! That way you'll never forget the date in the future.” Tomas winks at Charlie as he raises his mug of tea to his lips.

“Yeah, right, mate! As if I'd ever forget anyways!”

Tomas laughs, while Charlie only smiles briefly.

“Have you thought about having a party, or are you going to make it a quiet affair?”

“Actually, we're both on duty that day. I'm not sure how, or when, I'm going to propose, Tomas. I guess it's the price we have to pay for all the time off we've had during December.”

“I'll tell Jeena later on, then. I think she was hoping for an excuse to throw you two a party!” Tomas says, his voice light hearted.

Charlie, however, begins to brood.

A short silence ensues as they both sit back, sipping from their mugs. Charlie wonders what the girls are up to, while Tomas listens in, telepathically, on the conversation between his sister and their father.

Noticing Charlie begin to fidget, Tomas tells him, “I'm sure they'll be done talking soon, Charlie. Lord Aramys sent Jeena a lot of solid information about that Scarab. You know, from what I've read, it's quite magical! Supposed to be loaded with all sorts of protective abilities.”

“Well, all that I know, Tom, is what Professor Dumbledore told me. Scarabs, as symbols, are usually protective. He said this Pendant has protective magic abilities.”

Charlie sets down his mug and suddenly stands. He begins to pace back and forth, his hands wringing each other.

Worried, Tomas opens his mind link to Jeena and Lord Aramys.

“Excuse the interruption, Father!

“Go ahead, Son.”

“Jeena, are you and Mayumi almost finished? Charlie's acting like a caged lion out here, pacing back and forth.”




Back inside the small office, Jeena replies telepathically, “We're almost done, Tom. Keep Charlie busy for another three minutes or so, and we'll be finished.”

“Alright, but if Charlie bites my head off, I'm not preparing supper tonight!”

Jeena laughs silently to herself, then focuses on May once more.

“Did it hurt at all when the chain wrapped itself around you?”

“No, not at all, Jeena. It just surprised me, and almost freaked out Charlie afterwards, when he couldn't get it off.”

“Might I have a look at your back, and see how the chain wraps around you?”

“Sure,” May replies. She stands and turns her back to Jeena, lifting the bottom edge of her top as she does so, revealing the complete lower half of her back, the chain, and of course, her Dragon tattoo.

As Jeena sees the tattoo for the first time, her mouth opens slightly in admiration and wonder.

“May, I had no idea how far along you are with your tattoo.” Jeena's left hand reaches up and gently touches May's skin, while her right hand holds the fabric of her top, lifting it slightly higher. “She's so beautiful!” Jeena can feel the texture of the Opaline scales, the leatheriness of the wing tissues, and the hard ivory-like horns. As she 'strokes' the back of the Dragon, it appears to stretch and preen.

May feels Jeena's touch on her back. She senses something... different about the touch; about her back. Then, catching Jeena's use of the word 'She', May asks, “Jeena, what did you mean, /She's/beautiful?”

“The next stage of your advancement as a Dragon Rider is when you learn the name of the Dragon you will ride for the rest of your life, isn't it?”

“Y-yes”

“And isn't it true, that the name will be added to the tattoo, and the tattoo itself becomes a manifestation of your Dragon?”

“Yes, but how did you know?”

With a degree of self assurance, and even pride, Jeena replies, “I know a lot about the Preserve, May. I told you back in November that I'm a historian, of sorts. I've been told about the rituals of the Dragon Riders.”

“But how do you know... Will my Dragon actually be a female?”

“All that I can tell you, May, is that this wonderfully powerful, magical, and incredibly lovely piece of art on your back is of a female White Hellion.”

As May begins to ask a question, her face staring at Jeena over her shoulder, Jeena continues, “Please don't ask me how I know, May. If I even knew, I'm not sure I could explain it to you!”

Jeena then begins to examine the chain. Her fingers run back and forth the lengths of both parts, as they criss-cross behind May. There is no harm to her skin.

“Father, did you see what you needed to see?”

“Yes, Daughter, I did. Ask Maiden Mayumi to turn back around, and I will tell you how to de-activate the Chain's charm.”

“May, go ahead and turn around. Let's see if I can show you how to turn off the Chain's magical charm.”

May lets her top fall back into place as she turns back.

“Please hold your top and open it slightly wider. I want you to see how this is done, so you can do it on your own.” She looks up into May's eyes, smiles, and says, “I'll let you be the one to teach Charlie!”

May smiles, relaxing a bit, after feeling first, disconcerted, and then, excited, about the information Jeena had revealed to her.

“Alright, Father, how do we do this?”

“Using the fingernail of the forefinger of the dominant hand, touch in between the two 'folded wings' of the Scarab, up near the top, where the head is. Then run the fingernail downwards sharply. The Guardian Chain should relax, and permit her to remove the Scarab.”

“May, are you right handed, or left?”

“Right handed!” Still holding her top open, she waves the fingers of her right hand.

“What you do then, is, using the fingernail of the forefinger on your right hand, insert it right here, near the head, between the two wings.” Jeena indicates the spot she wants Mayumi to touch.

May places the tip of her fingernail in the special spot as directed.

“Alright, now slide it down quickly along that engraved line between the wings.”

May makes the quick motion, and then gapes, as the bands of chain speedily disconnect and retract, slipping back into the Pendant itself. The Scarab settles itself lower between her breasts, coming to rest only a few inches above her navel.

Jeena smiles up at May, who beams her own radiant smile in return.

To reset it, Father, does she do the opposite?”

“No, using the same finger, rub the head a little, and make the same finger motion, top to bottom.”

“Now, to reset the charm, and reactivate the Guardian Chain, use the same finger, and rub the head a little.”

May extends the finger, and rubs the head in a small circle.

“Next, use the same motion as you did to deactivate it.”

The fingernail slips quickly between the wings, and slides downwards. Once again, the Chain heads poke out and quickly encircle Mayumi's torso, lifting the Scarab upwards, back into place between her breasts.

Her happiness now overcoming any latent feelings of fear, or even fatigue, May reaches out and hugs Jeena, who returns her friend's feelings.

Sitting back once again, May reaches for the pendant, once more deactivating it.

“One last thing before we let Charlie-bean in, let me look at the back of the Pendant, please.”

May leans forward and holds the reverse side of the Scarab up to Jeena for her to see.

Jeena holds the Scarab between her thumb and forefinger, and examines the two cartouches.

“Any question this is what you thought it was, Father?”

“No question at all!”

“How much can I tell them about the pieces?”

Jeena's mind is suddenly filled with new knowledge about the Scarab, the Guardian Chain, and information about its original owner.

“I'll leave it to your discretion, Daughter.”

The connection with her Sire fades, leaving a lightness behind, as if Jeena had been carrying a weight around with her.

“/Tom?”/

“Yes, Jeena?”

“You can bring Charlie in now!”

“On our way!”




A little while later, all four of them are sitting together in the main office, each with a hot mug of the beverage of their choice. Charlie, having already seen May demonstrate her ability to turn the charm off and on, sits contently, his left knee supporting the weight of his right ankle and booted foot, as he finally is able to relax. Mayumi sits next to him, her arm loosely around his back, her head against his shoulder.

Jeena talks briefly of Hatshepsut, the Lady King of Egypt, and of her many achievements during her long reign. She tells them that the magical Pendant was a gift to Hatshepsut, given to her by her parents, the Pharaoh, King Thutmose I, and his wife, Queen Ahmose. She speaks of the Guardian Chain of Senemut, and how the two pieces were first brought together.

Charlie, half listening to the history lesson, cocks his head slightly as he studies Mayumi, as she soaks up every word Jeena is saying.

Jeena begins to talk of the daughter of Hatshepsut, Neferure, and how she was being raised to be the heir of Hatshepsut.

“Did Neferure inherit the Scarab?” asks May.

“No one knows for sure, May. There is a lot of controversy about when Neferure died. Many of the Muggle archaeologists and Egyptologists believe she may have died before her mother.”

“Jeena, just what are the abilities of the Pendant?” Charlie asks, trying to steer away from its history, as he flashes back to the deathly boring history lessons, taught by Professor Binns, at Hogwarts.

“There is no written record of what it does exactly, Charlie. After Neferure died, the Scarab disappeared. Some thought it was entombed along with either Hatshepsut, or Neferure.”

“How does Lord Aramys fit into the picture? Was he the one who gifted it to Albus Dumbledore?”

Jeena takes a two-handed sip from her mug, trying to disguise the questioning look she gives her brother, a tinge of apprehension and uncertainty in her expression.

Tomas gives her the slightest of nods.

Setting her mug down on the desk once more, and licking the excess hot cocoa from her upper lip, Jeena answers, “As I understand it, Lord Aramys did have it many years ago. He did gift it to Arch Wizard Dumbledore. It may be that he knows exactly what the Scarab does. If so, he didn't leave that information with the two of us.”

“Professor Dumbledore only speculated it had protective abilities,” Charlie comments.

“Well, yes, Scarabs are associated with that. They also have been associated with renewal, and regenerative abilities, Charlie.”

“You mean, not only might the Scarab offer some form of protection to May, but it might heal her?”

“I wish I knew, Charlie. I really do!” Then, turning to face May, Jeena says, “May, if you ever notice anything peculiar, or particular, you will write it down, and let us know, won't you?”

“Of course I will, Jeena!”

Tomas speaks up, saying, “I would guess that Lord Aramys might want to keep a closer eye on that Scarab from now on.”

“Tomas, Jeena, how is it that you two know Lord Aramys so well?” Jeena suddenly sputters into her cup of hot chocolate, as May continues. “I mean, although Charlie and I seem to have had more contact with him than usual, lately, he doesn't seem to be around all that often.”

“And when he is,” adds Charlie, “most people get somewhat nervous.”

Tomas, laughing at his sister's messy situation, answers May's question.“Umm, Lord Aramys was a good friend of our Mother, when she was alive.”

On the office wall, the clock begins to chime the tenth hour. As it hits the third chime, the loud sound of the outer door opening can be heard.

“Well folks, it sounds like our relief is finally here,” says Tomas, as he unfolds himself from the metal folding chair that he has been sitting in.

Charlie and May stand up and stretch. As May lifts her arms up above her head and leans back, working the kinks out of her tired body, Charlie, feeling a sudden burst of mischievous energy, scoops her up in his arms, and spins her about.

Jeena watches as the two love birds affectionately laugh and frolic. Finished cleaning up the splots and splashes of her drink, she begins to shoo them from the room, saying, “Go on and get out of here, you two. Go and get some breakfast, before it's too late.” Then, as the two new watch-standers enter the room, she adds, “Tom, go on with them. I'll finish up here and turn over the duty log to Peter and Amariyah, and then meet you three over at the cafeteria. Make sure you save some hot food for me!”

As greetings and goodbyes are exchanged amongst the six wardens, and as Jeena finishes her departing log entries, a small rush fills her consciousness, as Lord Aramys once again makes contact, saying,“Don't forget to lock my office and turn out the lights, Daughter!”