Years passed, flowing like a calm, steady river after the turbulent rapids of the war. The world, under the competent leadership of Minister Amelia Bones and the quiet, guiding influence of a still strong Albus Dumbledore, healed and grew stronger. The name Voldemort became a children story of a boogeyman, a ghost of a bygone era, his memory eclipsed by the dawn of a new age of discovery.
Hermione Granger and Daphne Greengrass completed their Hogwarts education with a string of N.E.W.T.s that, while not matching Ariana's historic perfect score, were still among the most brilliant the school had ever seen. They did not enter the Ministry or seek careers in traditional fields. Their path lay with Ariana.
The "Chimera Trio," as the press had affectionately dubbed them, became the undisputed pioneers of the new age. Their names were on patents for everything from self-sustaining magical power cores to new, more stable healing potions derived from space-born magic. They were the world's leading minds, a formidable and inseparable unit of intellect, ambition, and power.
Their greatest achievement, however, remained Project Chimera.
The lunar habitat, a beautiful, sprawling biodome of enchanted glass and silvery, magic-infused alloy, was named 'Tranquility Base' in a nod to the Muggle pioneers who had first touched the dust. It was a thriving, self-sustaining magical settlement, a glowing jewel on the grey plains of the moon. The Portkey platform at the Ministry was constantly active, a steady stream of witches and wizards making the instantaneous journey to experience the low-gravity wonder of their world's first off-planet colony.
One quiet evening, Ariana stood in the main observation dome of her private residence, a small, elegant structure she had built for herself on a ridge overlooking the main settlement. The Earth hung in the black, star-dusted sky like a magnificent blue-and-white marble, a constant, beautiful reminder of home. Below her, she could see the lights of Tranquility Base, and the tiny, buoyant figures of witches and wizards leaping and floating across the lunar surface in the low gravity, their laughter silent but visible in their joyful movements.
She had done it. She had taken a world steeped in ancient traditions and simmering conflicts and had given it a new, shared frontier. She had given them the stars.
A soft sound behind her pulled her from her reverie. She turned, a warm, genuine smile on her face. Hermione and Daphne stood there, having just arrived via the private Portkey linked to their shared London flat.
"The new energy converter is running at ninety-eight percent efficiency," Hermione announced, already pulling out a roll of parchment. "The arithmantic dampeners are working perfectly."
"And Father sent word from the Wizengamot," Daphne added, a smirk on her lips. "They've officially ratified the 'Dumbledore Doctrine,' claiming magical sovereignty over any non-sentient celestial body where a permanent habitat can be established. We technically own Mars now, we just have to get there."
Ariana chuckled, a soft, musical sound. "One project at a time," she said.
They stood together for a moment, the three of them, looking out at the Earth, the silent architects of this new reality. They were no longer schoolgirls. They were women, leaders, pioneers, their names etched into history. But in the quiet moments, in the privacy of their shared homes on two different worlds, they were still just Ari, Mione, and Daph.
Later that night, in their comfortable living quarters, the old, familiar argument began.
"I believe it's my turn to share the main bed tonight," Daphne stated, her tone one of cool, aristocratic reason. "I handled the diplomatic correspondence with the International Confederation of Wizards all week. I've earned it."
"That's completely illogical!" Hermione retorted, her hands on her hips. "I successfully recalibrated the entire atmospheric recycling system today. That's a far greater contribution to our shared wellbeing. Therefore, the privilege is clearly mine."
"Emotional attachment and recent accomplishments are irrelevant variables in a pre-established rotational system," Daphne countered smoothly. "It is, quite simply, my turn."
"Your rotational system is fundamentally flawed and doesn't account for daily contributions!"
Ariana watched them, a deep, fond amusement welling up inside her. They could map the stars, they could rewrite magical law, they could advise world leaders, but they still bickered over bed space with the fierce, competitive passion of the schoolgirls they once were. Some things, she mused, were a wonderful, unchanging constant.
As their playful argument escalated, she finally stepped between them. She didn't say a word. She simply opened her arms.
The argument stopped instantly. Hermione and Daphne looked at each other, then at her, and their competitive expressions melted away into soft, loving smiles. They moved into her embrace without hesitation.
Ariana hugged them both tightly, one on each side, a perfect, stable, three-point system of love and logic. She rested her head between theirs, breathing in the familiar scents of old books and expensive perfume.
"The bed," she said, her voice a soft, final verdict, "is large enough for three."
They stood there for a long time, wrapped in each other's arms, a silent, happy tangle of limbs and hearts. Outside, the silent, magnificent universe wheeled on. But here, in this small bubble of life and warmth on the quiet surface of the moon, the three most powerful witches of their generation had found their own perfect, tranquil, and complete world. The future was unwritten, full of endless new variables and exciting new projects. But as long as they had each other, she knew with an absolute, logical certainty, the outcome would always be outstanding