Chapter 80: Rollercoaster

Hogwarts Castle, Somewhere in the Scottish Highlands

June, 21st, 1000

–

It was Erik and Selena's marriage. The duo had just graduated a week early and they were now marrying. The Erick from his past life would have been flabbergasted by someone marrying so early in life, but now he was another Erik, and by the time customs, they were marrying late. Erik was waiting in an old altar for Selena. Behind him was Robert Black as his mate, and on the other side of him was Helena Ravenclaw as the bride's maid. The person realizing the ceremony was an old druid that lived near Hogwarts.

Some music began and everyone looked to the entrance of the place and they saw Selena slowly walking in. She was beautiful. Well, for Erik she was always beautiful, but today it had something…. more. Erik thought a little and concluded: it was the dress. Selena's dress was just accentuating her natural beauty. By her side, guiding the bride to the groom, was Salazar Slytherin in the place of the 'father' figure. Selena and Helena's father had died when the girls were still small and Salazar was taking his place in the ceremony as he is her godfather.

Slowly, the duo reached the altar and, after shaking hands with Erik, Salazar 'gave' the bride's hand to him. The ceremony went well and was beautiful. The couple exchanged vows, the woman cried, the couple said their 'yes', and the woman cried even more.

The wedding party was a wild one. It had lots of food and alcohol. Godric Gryffindor was being his boisterous self, drinking, flirting with women, even with his own wife present in the party, and getting into fights. Salazar Slytherin was by the side, making company to his daughter, Jade, who, unfortunately for Salazar, had not inherited the magical abilities of her father and mother but had enough magic to become a good potion maker. She had married another potion maker that was not born with enough magic too and both were owners of an apothecary in Londinium. Helga Hufflepuff was sitting together with Rowena Ravenclaw and Aria. The three women were chatting and trading histories of the newlyweds' childhood, each one trying to make the other laugh more with each history. Helga… didn't look good. She had started to feel out of herself two months ago and her health situation didn't get better with time, it just got worse little by little. Helena was with Robert. The couple was slow dancing together with the newlyweds and the other guests. Helena would travel to the 'continent' in September. She would continue her studies as the apprentice of a family friend in Greece. While she was doing that, Robert would start to get reins of some of the family business. The young wizard was looking forward to his marriage with Helena. Robert loved Helena very much.

The party was over and, after saying their goodbyes mid to the guests' catcalls, the newlyweds disappeared with a crack sound to their honeymoon. Let's just say that Selena was not disappointed at all with Erik's performance.

–

Hogwarts Castle, Somewhere in the Scottish Highlands

August 20th, 1000

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Erik and Selena were back at the castle for a sad reason. Helga Hufflepuff was dead. The kind woman's health had not recovered and she had passed away in her sleep. The funeral ceremony was a full one. All of Helga's past students who could come to it, were there to give their second mother their last goodbyes. In accord with her wishes, her body was cremated and her ashes were spread over the Black Lake.

–

Hogwarts Castle, Somewhere in the Scottish Highlands

August 22nd, 1000

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Two days later, Helga's closest friends and those who she considered family, reunited again to read her magic will. In it, she had left some stuff to certain people, but all of her most precious belongings Helga had left to the two girls who she saw as her daughters, Selena and Helena. In her 'most precious belongings' was the Hufflepuff quarter of Hogwarts' castle.

Taking the opportunity that the family was all together again, Helena said her goodbyes to them. As planned, she would be traveling to Greece to further her studies in September.

As the night advanced, Erik and Selena were back at their quarters inside Hogwarts. Selena was resting naked on top of Erik's body after a passionate love-making session. They were basking in the afterglow of their orgasms when Selena asked Erik a question.

"Erik, what do you plan to do now?"

*sigh*

"Helga's death is really getting to you, isn't it?"

Erik said to Selena after hearing her question. The naked woman hummed in an affirmative way to Erik's question.

"Hmm… Answering your question, I will, first, put Ravenclaw's business back in order. After that, I intend to begin my advanced studies in magecraft. The area has a lot of potential to be tapped. All that while still doing my exercises to increase my control over magic, of course."

Erik replied to Selena, who hummed on top of Erik.

"I… I don't know what I want to do…"

Selena said in a very low voice. But Erik had heard it thanks to his advanced senses. Because of the perk that he had chosen in the 'between lives', Erik's senses were always extra stronger than a normal person's. Since he was ten years old, he had gotten to do morning runs to work on his stamina, and when he was fifteen years old, he started on other exercises to build his body. The result was that Erik was… Big. He was, since sixteen, turning the head of most of all females in the castle, and he had even caught Helena taking some looks at his body, much to Robert's despair. After that, he had gained a training partner that hoped to catch the eyes of the woman that he liked.

"Why don't you just do what you like to do and research magic?"

Erik suggested to Selena, who perked at that idea and turned to look at her husband's face.

"You don't have to worry about the coins, I'll take care of everything."

Erik said to Selena. Since her father, Lord Ravenclaw's death, the family's vault income has diminished. It doesn't help that Rowena was constantly spending money on her research. Erik hoped to turn the situation around and, even with two women in the family doing their research, start to grow back the number of coins in the Ravenclaw's treasure.

"Really? You would do that for me?"

Selena asked Erik, who nodded his head and hummed in confirmation.

"Of course, I would."

Erik said decisively. Selena smiled at him and started to give small kisses to Erik's chest.

"Thank you… Thank you…"

Selena said repeatedly between kisses. Slowly, the situation evolved with Erik's tool getting hard again inside Selena and her walls starting to squeeze him. Soon, the young wed couple was in another wild session of intense lovemaking.

–

Hogwarts Castle, Somewhere in the Scottish Highlands

March, 2nd, 1001

–

Helena had come back from Greece temporarily to party with her sister and brother-in-law. Erick, Selena, Helena, Aria, Robert, and Salazar, were celebrating the news of Selena's pregnancy. She was still only a few weeks on her gestation, but it was already confirmed by the Healer witch that works at Hogwarts.

Sadly, Rowena was not with them. The woman had isolated herself again to do her research in the second week of September and has still not come out. She had done that before, but this one was the longest period of self-isolation until now. Salazar had said that it was because of Helga's death. Both women were like sisters, and Helga's death had hurt Rowena profusely. Even then, Selena had wanted to share this moment with her mother.

–

Hogwarts Castle, Somewhere in the Scottish Highlands

August 28th, 1001

–

Selena was in the hospital wing of the castle. She had received a letter early that day from Greece. But it was not from Helena. It was from Helena's tutor, the family friend, informing her that Helena was dead. She had gone out to do some research and was chased by a brood of vampires. They had used their magic to block her apparition and were toying with her. They chased Helena for an entire night until they tired themselves and attacked her at the same time, draining her of all her blood and killing her in the process. Helena's tutor had found her drained body after she had not come back at the agreed time and followed the signal of the enchanted amulet that she always wears.

Selena had gone into shock after reading the news and started to feel pains in her belly.

Erik had rushed her to the medical wing, but it was too late. Selena had lost the baby because of the shock. That night, the couple cried to sleep together, mourning the loss of their sister and their unborn child.

–

Helena's Tutor's House, Athens, Greece

September, 10th, 1001

–

Erik had traveled alone to Athens to bring Helena's body home. But he was going back to Hogwarts with two bodies instead of one. Robert Black had not received the notice of his fiancee's death very well. First, he went into denial about it. Then, he asked Erik how she had died. Erik, as the one who had relayed the news to Robert, told the man what he knew about it. How a brood of vampires had toyed with Helena, chasing her for an entire night, to only then mob her and drain all her blood, killing her in the process. After that, Robert went into mourning. Erik had left the Black manor at that point because he had a wife to take care of at home.

Two days later, Robert's father asked Erik if he had seen Robert. The man had disappeared from home, and now Erik knew where he had gone. In accord with the local wizards, Robert arrived at Athen a week ago and started to ask questions about the vampires. They said that Robert had a hardened look on his face, a look from a man that was resolved to do something crazy. And he did something crazy. After getting his hands on all the information that he could, Robert marched into Vampire's territory as soon as the sun started to rise. He had then gone on a rampage. Robert killed the entire brood of vampires alone. It was a massacre. No thrall or vampire had survived Robert Black's sword and wand. The only witnesses to the one versus all battle were the blood sack slaves that the vampires kept around their den for a quick meal. Unfortunately, Robert Black had succumbed after the battle had ended due to extreme exhaustion and the injuries he had got. In his last words, Robert asked Helena for forgiveness because he was not there to protect her as he had promised.

With a heavy heart, Erik stored both magically preserved bodies and went home. He had news of his friend's death to give to his family, a funeral to plan and another funeral to attend.

Robert Black's feat of killing an entire brood of vampires alone traveled far and gave the wizards and witches around the world some breathing space when the church took the 'opportunity' to allocate their resources to battle the vampires in Europe, relaxing a bit in the witch hunts.

–

Hogwarts Castle, Somewhere in the Scottish Highlands

November, 2nd, 1001

–

Rowena was finally out of her self-imposed isolation and almost had a heart attack when Erik told her why the castle was in a somber mood. The woman had an emotional breakdown. She, in one day, had lost a grandchild and a daughter. Rowena went into a catatonic state for some hours and Erik thought that she only managed to come back due to still having Selena.

After that, Rowena stopped totally with her periods of self-isolation for research and focused on the family that she still had.

Sadly for the Ravenclaws, more bad news soon arrived. Due to the miscarriage, Selena's healer said that it would be very difficult for her to get pregnant again. That news had thrown the family in a very depressive mood. Selena was the worst of them. She started to call herself 'damaged' and isolate herself from others, even Erik. It took Erik weeks of assurance, coercion, and talks to bring her smart wife back.

One year later, Salazar Slytherin died while sleeping.

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