With that all done up, it's Party Time.
I made my way to the center of the backyard pitch and with a pulse at the wards I gather attention to me. The kids stop playing and those flying land, the Ladies and mom step out from the house, and the Lords and dad pull away from corner where they were having their talks.
I stand tall and with a touch of magic in my voice I call out to everyone gathered, "Thank you all for coming to the celebration of my 11th Birthday! Today is a day that comes only once for each mage, and tomorrow I will begin my journey through magic in truth. You each honor me by your attendance, and I thank you greatly. Now, lets get some grub in us before the masses arrive, we have about 2 hours before Minister Spavin arrives and opens the flood gates. Dig in!"
With my final two words, the meal appears on the buffet table on the far side of the lawn and a mad rush of kids and adults behaving as such run to the table. I love my family.
This universe has its quirks. All matter of decorum is lost for a mage's 11th birthday. We let ourselves feel the magic truly and nothing else matters. A food fight is about to start. Lady Dumbledore is practically wrestling with Heir Gaius over what looks like haggis. Dad and Lord Marchbanks are both grabbing for the same baguette. Cousin Sirius is actually trying to steal off Cousin Ominis's plate without him 'seeing'. Its bedlam and free and pure joy for about a whole hour before we start cleaning up to prepare for the political party that is to come.
%^&*—line bar thingy—*&^%
What follows after is most truly a boring affair. It may be my 11th birthday party, but other than Minister Spavin and the heads of the various guilds, no one talked to me the entire time. I was a showpiece and a reason to politic.
Eventually the press arrived as well, and after they got their questions in, they too ignored me. A story would later be featured on the whos who of the guest list, as well as an announcement that I wouldn't learn about until much later in the evening.
I mean, sure, 'Happy Birthday' and 'Thank you for inviting me' and 'Here's some junk I had lying around that costs less than 20 galleons and is socially agreed upon as the most one can spend for a political birthday gathering like this even if most people got you the same thing as a result', but truly, I stood there for the next 4 hours silently waiting for it to be polite to ask them to leave.
%^&*—line bar thingy—*&^%
Once the party cleared up a bit, and the public left. I said my goodbyes to the family, promised to write, arranged some meetings with family in about a weeks time to see how my the first stage hit and the like. Until there was naught but my parents, Jeff, the Dumbledores and Gellert left. That's when things shifted again.
Attention was once again upon me and as if scripted Abe, Albie and Gellert, together as one, seemed to slowly step away a bit before something happened. As if they knew and didn't tell me. But together? That was super odd.
Even more odd is what happened next. Something I should have foreseen, but didn't even think of. It's right there in mum's family tree, and in my lessons from my tutors, but I didn't even stop to think it would happen to me or nearly this soon.
"Benevolence," My attention snapped to Lord Dumbledore as he began, "You have truly grown into a marvelous 11 year old and I can honestly express that I am most excited to see what heights you will find yourself at." He briefly pauses before gesturing between himself, my parents and his wife. "The four of us agree that a more formal bond should be between our families, and I, as Lord Dumbledore, offer onto you as such:" And then without even a moment to grasp what I'm hearing, and also he without taking a breath, "I offer to you, my daughter's hand. Not now, surely, but a contract penned and signed today, a promise of courtship for your years in Hogwarts, and finally either a year long betrothal at my daughter's 17 years, or a declaration of vassalhood. I offer you this out, at your parents insistence, for saving Ariana. I'm sorry, the life debt must be repaid, but for removing her from the courting pool a penalty must then be paid instead."
I am thrown completely off guard, and at the same time I can see it. I am an Idiot. A life debt and a betrothal to cover it. 17, a formal betrothal, and married well enough before 23 when a marriage bond might influence the final inheritance.
I look from Lord and Lady Dumbledore to my parents for anything other than what looks to be already a done deal. And they four grin as if they know something already. So I turn to my best friend, who is oddly enough standing across the yard with his brother and Gellert noting the details on the flowers in the garden. Then I turn to Ariana, whose smile is brighter than any star could ever shine, she's as blindsided as me in this but she's happier than anyone I've ever seen. And maybe I played the role of a white knight when we met, and maybe I still believed I was just crazy at that point when I did save her. But. That smile. Something in my magics clicked. And Jeff, who was curled in her arms looked up at me and into my eyes at that moment and I could practically hear him say 'altered fate' to which I replied, out loud, "I Benevolence Valor Prince, do hereby accept the courtship offer as spoken, with a formal contract to be written up, and should the young lady have me, a betrothal in due time as well."
What have I gotten myself into this time. Happy 11th Birthday, me...