Chapter 50: Settling In
Hyacinth POV
I woke to the soft gentle hum of Atlantis.
She was softer than last night, steadier somehow, like the city had settled into her skin after the shock of being fed again. The air was warm and clean as light filtered through the upper panels with a faint aquamarine shimmer. It was the kind of light that you see while being deep under water as the morning light filtered through it. It should've felt wrong to not feel the sunlight though the window without the filter of the water above, but it didn't. Atlantis gave us its own version of dawn that wrapped around my senses in a quiet way.
For one long moment I just laid in my cot and listened.
There were footsteps in the corridor. A few house elves whispering about breakfast. Someone, probably Fred was laughing under his breath at something George had said. The familiar notes slipped into the unfamiliar rhythm of the city as if they had always belonged here.
Then someone knocked on the frame of my temporary doorway.
"Princess," Dad said, though his voice was softer than usual. "Time to get up. We have a government to form and a city to run."
I pushed myself upright and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "I think I dreamed of Atlantis," I said. "She was... humming, I guess. She didn't talk, she just hummed, while she worked. It looked like she was sorting through memories she almost forgot. It was kinda weird and also strangely peaceful."
Dad's expression softened. "I guess she has a lot that she has to remember. Don't worry too much even though we haven't been here long I am starting to think Atlantis is a lot like Hogwarts. She is alive in a way and she seems to have taken a liking to you pup." His hand brushed my hair back as if I were five years old again, fussing with stray strands. "For now let's head out. Breakfast is ready when you are and Remus wants everyone fed before the morning rush."
I tried not to laugh. "You say that like we're dealing with a morning commute."
"We might as well be," he said. "Everyone is anxious to get started in getting this city back into tip top shape."
He wasn't wrong.
I dressed quickly in the clothing the elves had set out the night before. It was a soft blue dress that was belted at the waist with simple gold trim. It didn't have any pockets and Atlantis kept it warm so I didn't need my cloak that left me with only one option for my wand. I pulled my arm holster out of my bag and strapped it on before inserting my wand.
"There has got to be a better option than a wand now that we are in Atlantis." I said more to myself than anyone but Atlantis herself answered back with a feeling of joy at my question. I guess I'll have to ask Grandpa Nicolas if there are better options for a focus that would allow us to have hands free casting.
When I stepped into the corridor, the runes lit beneath my feet in a gentle path toward the Gate Room where breakfast had been set out. The smells hit me halfway down the stairs. Warm bread, roasted mushrooms and eggs with herbs I didn't recognize but liked immediately.
"Morning, Cub," Uncle Remus called from the foot of the stairs. He looked far too awake compared to me. "The city didn't collapse while we slept. I'm counting that as a win."
"Only one?" I asked.
"I'm sure there will be more but for now let's pretend to be modest."
Dad and Uncle Lucius came up behind him with steaming mugs in their hands. While Tonks followed them with her hair stuck in three different directions.
"You look like you fought the pillow and the pillow won," I said.
Tonks yawned. "You try sleeping next to a wall that hums when it's happy."
Uncle Remus chuckled. "The city seemed to settle around us after the power stabilized. It was rough at first. But it kind of felt like a cat kneading a blanket before it got comfortable."
Atlantis brushed my shields again, It had a soft, almost shy feel to it. I sent back what I hoped was acknowledgment and it felt like she became embarrassed for making it hard for some of us to sleep. The connection was still new, I was still trying to get the feel for what she was trying to say. It felt strange but also right at the same time. I felt bad that Atlantis had to spend so much time alone with no one to talk to.
After finally making it into the room for breakfast I saw everyone else filtering through doing their own tasks, while they waited for us all to sit down and decide how we wanted to run this city.
Aunt Narcissa stood near the long table, directing elves with dishes the same way she managed any crisis: with calm precision and an expression that dared anyone to disrupt her order.
Uncle Remus after greeting me had gone back to checking people over as they finished eating. He carried a small diagnostic crystal in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. He hummed to himself in approval whenever the crystal flashed green.
Gran Augusta already had her cane in hand and her lips pursed like we were five minutes behind schedule even though she had been awake since before any of us.
While everyone else was either eating or doing their own thing. The Twins were plotting their next prank. Hermione, Percy, Theo and Blaise were reading and Draco was talking with Charlie, Susan and Neville. It felt good to just watch everyone settle in.
After we all finished breakfast, Dad caught my eye and tipped his head toward the mezzanine balcony.
It didn't need any explanation because we were all anxious to get things started.
I wiped my hands on my clothes and followed him up the broad staircase off the Gate Room. The runes under our feet glowed in that lazy, pleased way that Atlantis had when she liked what we were doing. At the top, to the left, a set of doors slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a long meeting room that looked like it had been waiting for us.
There was a round table in the center, that looked like it was made of smooth stone and metal fused together, with a faint band of soft blue script running along its outer edge.
Dad walked in first and dropped into a chair like it was his living room. "Feels a bit like we broke into someone else's war room," he said.
"I guess we kind of did," I answered. "But I would also wager this will be your war room soon."
Chairs filled around me as people came in from different directions. Uncle Remus, with his hands in his pockets. Uncle Lucius with his usual unruffled posture. Gran Augusta, had her cane already tapping in an irritated rhythm. Professor Flitwick, who had two scrolls under one arm and a half eaten toast slice in his other hand. Professor Sprout with a smudge of something green on her sleeve. Snape, who was quiet and watchful. Arthur Weasley looked slightly overwhelmed but determined. Apolline Delacour, looked perfectly put together already. Newt Scamander's hair was in worse shape than Dad's. Aunt Narcissa, looked calm and crisp. Serena Zabini, looked neat and tidy with a quill in her hand ready to take notes. The goblin captain's armor was gleaming. While Amelia Bones, Henry Clearwater and a handful of others took seats along the wall to listen, including Neville, Draco, and Hermione.
I took my place to Dad's right. The chair felt too big, but when I settled, the runes along the table brightened. A soft warmth slid up my forearms, almost like a handshake.
Atlantis approved of me apparently.
"Right," Dad said, looking around. "We need to stop pretending we're a collection of people who just happened to fall through a very expensive ring. We're not guests by any means. We live here now. That means we need a government that works. One that doesn't turn into the second coming of the Ministry." He grimaced. "Preferably ever."
A few people snorted.
I cleared my throat. "The city already named me High Chancellor yesterday." It still felt strange to say aloud, but the table brightened again. "That is not something I picked. Atlantis did. It is tied to my blood and the way the repository settled in my head."
"And no one is questioning that, dear," Gran Augusta said briskly. "The castle, I mean the city, chose you. That is that. The question is who helps you stop us from making a complete mess of things."
"We should choose a Regent," Remus said quietly, looking at Sirius. "We are used to regents as a concept. A young ruler would benefit from an experienced partner to handle day to day until they are ready to take on the full weight. You were already doing that on Earth. This just makes it official."
"Seconded," Lucius said at once. "Black has the instincts for command but an unfortunate resistance to paperwork. Which is why we'll chain him to it with titles."
Atlantis gave another soft pulse. I could feel it under my palms.
I looked at Dad. "You good with that?"
He held my gaze for a long breath, then nodded once. "I guess I'm your new Regent, until you tell me you don't need me in that seat anymore," he said. "After that, I'm happy being your loudest general and the first one you send to shout at any other problem that shows up at our door."
"Regent and Military Commander, then," I said. "Atlantis calls it Vesperan Tyr and Aegis Mar in my head. Are you alright with being both?"
"That sounds fancy," he said, then gave a crooked smile. "I can live with that, for now."
The table warmed again, like the city was stamping a seal.
"Good," Gran Augusta said. She settled her hands on the cane head. "So... next we should focus on culture, heritage, and not losing ourselves or our past. That is as important as shields and food. If we don't learn from our past mistakes we are doomed to repeat them. You children are not going to run around Atlantis with no idea what it means to be Atlantean. So I will take up that seat just to make sure you all remember ours."
No one argued. Snape's eyebrows barely lifted, while Aunt Narcissa hid a smirk behind one hand.
"It fits," I said. "You already keep all of us in line now. Atlantis has words for it, Aruam Keeper, but the idea is the same. You see to traditions, holidays, history, how we teach it, how we remember who we are."
"Exactly, that sounds perfect." she said, satisfied.
"Next is education," Professor Flitwick said, clearing his throat. "If we intend to build a lasting society, we must educate our children and ourselves. Magical theory, wandless refinement, sciences, history, languages, practical skills. I would be honored to serve in that capacity. I have held a similar position at Hogwarts for many years after all."
"You're already our best choice," Hermione said from the wall before she could stop herself. Her cheeks flushed when people looked over. "I mean, sir. You are. You always were."
A few people smiled.
"I think we can all agree that Hermione is right again," I said with a smile. "Professor, you are now in charge of all our schooling for now, magical and otherwise. Hopefully we can convince Professor McGonagall to join the next expedition wave, that way we can invite her to join you. You can then refine the system together."
Professor Flitwick bowed his head slightly. Atlantis rippled a small approval down the table. "Lumin Scholar," he murmured. "I rather like the sound of that."
Professor Snape shifted in his seat, fingers steepled. "Research and development needs a clear head and firm control over what projects are permitted," he said. "You don't want five different eager minds trying to weaponize every interesting thing they see. You also need someone who understands potions, alchemy, and the scientific method." His dark eyes met mine. "The repository gave me quite a lot. I suspect that was not an accident."
"I Don't think it was," I said. "Arcanis Primus. You'll be in charge of any and all research, magical or scientific. Any dangerous lab the scouts find belong under your wards until you say otherwise. Will you need any deputies?"
"Flamel for one," Snape said, sounding almost content. "He's already much too excited but he is the only real competent Alchemist among us."
"I always did like a good lab," Grandpa Nicolas said mildly.
Atlantis brightened again.
"We need to seriously consider our external relations," Uncle Lucius said, folding his hands. "Other planets, other species, trade partners, potential threats who I would prefer underestimate us before we show them our teeth. I have decades of political experience, and I'm already used to representing a powerful family and not embarrassing them." He tilted his head slightly. "I'm also less likely than some to be charmed by a pretty speech."
Arthur frowned and Uncle Lucius pretended not to see it.
"You're right we could use you there," I said. "Verael Liaison that's what the seat is called. It's yours, as long as you remember you're speaking for Atlantis as a whole, not just Malfoy family interests."
"I understand," he said quietly, and for once there was no sarcasm at all.
"Which leaves the inside of the city," Arthur Weasley said, nervously but with a hint of determination. "People will argue. Frictions build up. We will need someone whose job it is to make sure citizens have a voice that's not just shouting at council meetings. Someone who can coordinate notices, gatherings, and listen when something feels wrong, before it turns into a riot."
"You would be good at that," Dad said immediately. "I don't think you've ever met a person you couldn't at least try to understand, Lord Malfoy excluded of course."
Arthur went red at the ears as we all chuckled. "Well... I wouldn't say that, but I do care what people think and feel, and I'm used to working with Muggles, which will help as we bring in more perspectives."
"Harmona Custos is the seat name," I said. "Internal affairs and citizen relations. You keep an ear to the ground, and work closely with Amelia Bones who we know will handle our justice department so she can do her job without turning into a hammer that only sees nails."
Amelia's lips quirked.
"Speaking of," she said. "Justice and law. Someone has to handle disputes that go beyond neighborhood squabbles. We will need a legal code, court procedures, and a proper security service. You brought me for that reason, or so I assumed Black."
"Judicar Primus," Atlantis whispered in my head.
"Head of Justice, or Judicar Primus if you will." I said aloud. "You'll handle our courts, train our investigators, and you'll make sure no one repeats the worst mistakes the Auror office made. You report directly to the council, not just to one person."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," she said.
Next to her, the goblin captain Garruk cleared his throat. "There's also the matter of money," he said. "You may not wish to think of it now, but you will need currency, accounting systems, loans, trade agreements, and safeguards so no one empties your vaults while you're looking the other way."
Dad snorted. "We learned that lesson with the Ministry."
"The Gringotts contingent," I said to the captain, "would handle economy and finance as Gorath Keepers. You set the rules for banking in Atlantis, within the system and laws Amelia writes. No cheating, no blood oaths unless someone knows exactly what they are signing, and everything transparent enough that we can audit if needed. The Goblin contingent will decide the representative they wish to speak on their behalf."
The captain considered that and nodded once. "Acceptable."
"Agriculture is a big concern for me," Professor Sprout said, lifting her hand slightly. "Food, potion ingredients, forest management, and all the plants you never want a bored second year to get their hands on. The greenhouses here will need a full overhaul, but they have potential."
"You were always going to be the one for that," Neville said firmly. "No one else can make a plant behave the way you can."
"Virdan Steward, is what Atlantis calls it." I said, feeling Atlantis echo me. "You will be in charge of every green thing that grows here, and how we use it."
Professor Sprout beamed.
Uncle Newt lifted his hand a little. "There is also the question of creatures. Not just our own livestock, pets, and companions, but the local wildlife," he said. "Aquatic species around the city. Any Pegasus natives we encounter. Phoenixes, hippogriffs, kneazles, and so on, as well as how our magic and technology affect their habitats."
"Faunal Archon, is for environmental/creature care and preservation." I said. "That one is yours."
He smiled, with a bright look in his eyes.
"Health is where we should focus next," Uncle Remus said. He sounded almost reluctant. "You will need coordinated medical services, healers, Medi-wizards, Medi-witches, midwives, and researchers to study viruses, plagues, and strange things you lot pick up when you decide to poke at alien artifacts. I can do that if everyone agrees. I have worked both as a teacher and as someone who knows what it feels like to be on the wrong end of a system that treats illness as a moral failing." He glanced at Aunt Narcissa and Grandma Perenelle. "They should run the hospital, though. They have more recent hands-on experience."
"That would make you the Therai Custodian Uncle Remus. While Aunt Narcissa and Grandma Perenelle can share the head Medi-witch title." I said.
"That works for us," They all said. Then I continued, "You set policy, build the system, decide on responses to outbreaks and crises. Aunt Narcissa and Grandma Perenelle handle day to day running of the main healing centers under you."
Aunt Narcissa inclined her head gracefully in agreement. While Grandma Perenelle just smiled at us.
Serena Zabini adjusted her quill. "We need to talk infrastructure," she said. "Planning districts, keeping water and sewage systems working, designing new expansions when needed, ensuring traffic and public spaces make sense. If no one takes ownership of that, the city will grow like a tangled vine."
"And you have been drawing floor plans since you were twelve," Blaise muttered near the wall. "She will not let a hallway sit in the wrong place. Trust me I should know."
"Pillar Architect for you then," I said. "You coordinate with Henry on what the city can support without overloading the grid, and with Gran Augusta and Professor Flitwick so you don't accidentally put the school next to something explosive."
Henry Clearwater cleared his throat. "Speaking of our critical systems," he said. "Potentia output, shield integrity, Gate function, and all the energy routes that keep this place livable. It's not glamorous, but if we do it wrong, we all drown, freeze, or suffocate."
"Core Warden," I said at once. That one had been sitting at the edge of my awareness since we arrived. "Yes, you get that. You've already been managing them since we put the new Potentia into place when we got here."
He gave a small, firm nod.
"And what about trade, industry, invention?" Apolline Delacour added in her smooth accent. "Our people will want to build, to craft, to create things worth selling, whether that is to Pegasus neighbors in the future or to each other. We will need standards, guilds, protections for workers, and someone to help clever minds turn ideas into safe reality."
"Meraxis Chair, you would also have to work closely with Uncle Lucius and Arthur Weasley" I said. Atlantis approved again. "But, I think you would be perfect there."
Apolline smiled. "Then I accept."
I looked around the table. "Have we missed anything vital?"
Xenophilius Lovegood raised his hand from a chair along the wall. "News," he said. "Stories. Somebody needs to tell people what is happening so they don't fill the gaps in with wild rumors. Well... with the wrong kind of wild rumors."
"It's not a council seat," Augusta said, "but a necessary role."
"We could call it the voice of Atlantis," I said, meeting his eyes. "You run media and information. I want it run fairly with no slander and absolutely no false propaganda."
He nodded, serious for once. "Understood."
The goblin captain Garruk shifted again. "What about species representation?" he asked. "Goblins, house elves, merfolk, any centaur clans that join, cured werewolves who prefer to identify as such. Each group should have a voice on the council, even if not all of them hold functional seats like finance or health."
"Adjunct seats," Amelia mused. "Non voting in some matters, decisive in others. We can draft that structure."
"Atlantis can help us sort that out," I said.
As if in answer, the ring of script around the table flared gently all the way round. A hum rose through the floor, soft and pleased. The words that rolled through my head were clear.
Council acknowledged. Seats recognized. Archian Primara confirmed. Regent confirmed. Protocols may proceed.
I let out a slow breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
"Alright," I said. "We have a council. Now we need to talk about what's already been done, that way we don't waste time repeating tasks."
Dad leaned back and tipped his chair onto two legs until Gran Augusta cleared her throat and he set the chair on all fours again. "Defense first," he said. "Remus, Snape, Lucius?"
Uncle Remus laced his fingers together. "Three rings of corridors around this tower are clear of immediate danger," he said. "No major structural breaches near the Gate Room. A few hairline cracks that Henry and Serena's teams will shore up before we expand further. One sealed lab with signage that suggests 'energy anomaly, do not open unless you have a death wish' in Atlantean. Severus has that one locked under three additional wards."
"I refuse to let anyone touch it until we understand it," Snape said. "I may let Nicolas and Newt look at it from a distance."
Newt looked delighted.
"Who is on perimeter guard rotations?" Sirius asked.
"Tonks, Bill, Charlie, and a handful of the cured werewolves have taken shifts with goblin teams," Remus said. "No obvious internal threats so far. A few doors that refuse to open. We'll catalogue those as we go."
"Good," I said. "Professor Sprout?"
She straightened. "The main greenhouse level attached to this central tower is intact," she said. "Thankfully they were sealed tight. However, whatever plants were left inside are long dead, dried to dust, but the structures are sound. We can begin setting up soil beds today and import seedlings from the trunk farms. The hydroponics labs need more work. Some flooding, some algae overgrowth, but nothing catastrophic."
Neville added quietly, "We can have the first crops growing within weeks if we prioritize fast growing greens and essentials, and supplement with the food trunks until the harvests come in."
I nodded. "Henry?"
He consulted a neat little tablet he had picked up in the Potentia core room. "Power output from the three Potentia is stable," he said. "Shields are holding at a fraction of their capacity, which is good. It means we have room to grow. The Gate is idle at the moment, and there doesn't seem to be any strain on the crystal conduits. Some secondary systems are still offline, but nothing critical for survival."
"Water and air?" I asked.
"Clean and circulating," he answered. "Atlantis handled that the moment we slotted the cores."
"Medical?" I asked.
Aunt Narcissa folded her hands. "The primary medical bay in this tower is intact," she said. "It needs a thorough cleaning, but the beds, storage units, and diagnostic equipment are usable once we calibrate them to our magic. Though several smaller infirmaries on lower levels are water damaged and will need to be rebuilt."
"Perenelle is already rebuilding a proper apothecary," Remus added. "Once potions stocks are arranged, we'll have a proper working hospital floor."
"Education?" I asked.
Professor Flitwick cleared his throat. "We have located three levels of rooms that were likely once used for training and instruction," he said. "They have plenty of space for classrooms, workshops, and study areas. Once Serena declares them structurally sound, we can begin redesigning them for our own uses. For now, we can start with informal lessons in the Gate Rooms adjacent spaces."
"Mrs. Zabini?" I looked toward her.
She had a small stack of maps in front of her, that she had drawn herself. "The central tower and immediate spokes are sound," she said. "A handful of stairwells need reinforcement, which the goblins and construction crews are already on. Two lifts were unresponsive, I have them marked for later repair. Tower Three took the worst of the pressure over the years. I recommend we leave it sealed for now and focus on fully reclaiming Tower One and Tower Two before we try to expand."
"What about our environmental impact and creatures?" I asked.
Newt smiled faintly. "Aquatic life outside the shield is very curious," he said. "Several large species use the city's silhouette as a kind of reef, but none have tried to breach the shield. Inside, other than the polite thing in the cistern, we have nothing active yet. Once the greenhouses revive, we can begin introducing carefully chosen species."
"And industry?" I glanced at Apolline.
"For now, we focus on essentials," she said. "Tailors, cobblers, toolmakers. Those with experience can begin organizing their crafts into guilds. Trade beyond the city can wait. We don't need to advertise ourselves before we're ready."
"Internal relations?" I asked Arthur.
He smiled a little. "People are anxious," he said honestly. "But they are also excited. Once we post a simple statement explaining who is responsible for what, and where citizens can go with questions will help."
Amelia nodded. "I can begin drafting a basic charter and legal code," she said. "Nothing elaborate yet. Clear rules for safety, property, violence, and rights. We can expand as needed. Don't worry I know we'll be voting on everything before it's locked in as law."
"Good," I said. "That gives us a foundation."
We talked through the day's priorities next. Assigning temporary sleeping quarters in the central tower. Dividing people into teams. Rotating guards. Scheduling first passes on water damaged sections. It wasn't glamorous, but it was necessary.
By the time the immediate tasks were divided and accepted, my head felt full but in a solid way, not the drowning way it had been when the repository first downloaded. The council meeting began to drift toward a natural pause, the sort where people were ready to stand, stretch, and go do the work we had been talking about.
That was when the door banged open.
Luna almost floated in, hair wilder than usual, her eyes distant and sharp at the same time. Grandpa Nicolas walked in beside her, his face pale and intent. The air around them felt charged.
Every conversation stopped.
Luna's gaze fixed on me first, then on the table. "Sorry to interrupt," she said softly. "The Nargles were very insistent that we hurry."
Nicolas rested one hand on the back of an empty chair as if he needed the support. "It's not just the Nargles," he said. "We both saw it. At the same time."
My stomach tightened. "Saw what?"
Luna's voice was soft, frightened, but certain.
"The Astria Porta will open again. Not today. Not tomorrow. But soon for them, and too soon for us. A team will come through wearing Earth technology. They'll call themselves explorers. They'll look at Atlantis like it belongs to them."
Grandpa Nicolas added, "They will be armed and some will be hurt. I don't think they expect to find anyone here."
A chill slid down my spine.
"How long do we have?" Dad asked quietly.
"From their perspective," Grandpa Nicolas said, "We have about twelve years. We left Earth in the summer of 1992 and they won't get here until around Earth's year of 2004."
Luna's fingers twisted in the hem of her robes. "From our perspective," she said, "it doesn't have to be twelve years."
Dad straightened. "What does that mean?"
I swallowed. "You're saying we need to make ourselves more time."
Luna squeezed my hands and nodded. "We must slow time. Around the city, and around all of us. So we can build our people before they arrive."
Grandpa Nicolas took a shaking breath. "If we don't... we won't be ready." He met my eyes and then continued "If we want to meet them as Atlanteans and not as refugees who just arrived, we're going to need decades. Generations of experience and a culture that is not just a half built scaffold."
The room went silent.
Everyone looked at me.
And for the first time since stepping foot in Atlantis, I felt the weight of the title Atlantis had given me.
High Chancellor, her Archian Primara.
The one expected to lead.
I swallowed hard and met every gaze at the table. At Dad, at Uncle Remus, at everyone. "Then we had better figure out how to give ourselves that time," I said. "We'll use the time to be prepared. Atlantis is ours now. We'll just have to make sure we're ready."