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HP Chapter 42: Paris, France
🕑 Added 2025-08-17 12:01:01 +0000 UTCThe Roland family separated from a pure-blooded secluded wizarding lineage in 1873. Their family crest was a silver, shield-shaped emblem bearing the initials “RL” for Roland as a backdrop, with a proud elephant in the center.
On the second underground floor of the British Ministry of Magic, inside the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Diana knelt down and carefully pinned that silver shield-shaped badge to Anne’s robe. Patting her shoulder, she said, “Alright, Anne, from now on you can wear our Roland family crest. Don’t underestimate it, after these two days of introductions, you should understand that although our family is small, we made our name through international trade. With this badge, you can withdraw up to five percent of the family’s assets from any Gringotts branch in the world, no questions asked.”
Anne blinked, lightly touching the badge at her chest, feeling a heavy weight settle in her heart. She quickly asked, “Whoa… but what if someone… takes it?”
“Don’t worry, Anne,” Diana said warmly. “Withdrawals require your personal signature. Plus, the Ministry has registered this badge, only two exist. It’s also enchanted, so it can’t be misused. From today onward, you’re officially the primary heir of the Roland family.” Her tone grew solemn by the end.
Anne instantly tensed up.
All morning, she had been accompanying Diana around the Ministry of Magic, signing one document after another. Now, her full legal name was Anne Roland Reever. She had two guardians, Aaron and Diana, and had just become the first heir to the Roland family.
The family owned a modest estate and a small castle in the UK, which she had visited once with Diana. The castle wasn’t large, but it was tended by six house-elves.
Sensing Anne’s nerves, Diana chuckled and tried to reassure her. “Relax, Anne. You’re still young. You won’t need to shoulder any real family responsibilities for a long time. You’re not of age yet. So let’s leave the future for the future, alright? Come on, we’re done here. This afternoon, we’re flying to Paris. I’ve already prepared your room, I think you’ll love it. You’ll even have a little studio space. I haven’t furnished it yet, but you can bring what you like or shop for it once we’re there.”
That caught Anne’s curiosity. “Is there a magical government in France like the Ministry here? Do they have something like Diagon Alley too?”
Then she added nervously, “But I don’t speak French… How will I talk to people?”
Diana smiled. “The magical world in France is something you’ll have to explore for yourself. And don’t worry about the language. I’ll teach you. French really isn’t that hard, you’ll see.”
That afternoon, Anne, Aaron, and Diana boarded a flight from London to Paris. Sitting by the window, Anne’s mind was a whirlwind of emotions.
She felt almost like she had when she first arrived in this world, everything surreal and dreamlike. This sudden, massive shift in her identity left her dazed.
Fortunately, both adults picked up on her inner turmoil. Over the next few days, they showed her around Paris without mentioning family burdens or responsibilities even once. In fact, Aaron privately scolded Diana for overwhelming Anne so soon, but that’s another story.
Anne celebrated her thirteenth birthday in Paris.
Aaron stayed for nearly two weeks before work called him back. Diana, always busy herself, could only spare about five days (including two in London) before diving into her own responsibilities again.
But Anne didn’t mind. With her summer homework from Hogwarts, her own magical experiments, and a growing interest in French, she quickly found herself immersed in a productive and fulfilling routine. She even returned to two hobbies she hadn’t touched in years, piano and guitar.
Diana was the Deputy Director of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, stationed in Paris to manage diplomatic relations between the British Ministry and other European magical governments. In effect, she served as the UK’s ambassador to the European wizarding world. She was also the President of the International Association for Magical Trade Standards and the current head of the Roland family.
Aaron had once whispered to Anne that Diana was a complete workaholic, and now, living in her house, Anne saw it for herself.
Diana’s home was a three-story villa in central Paris, staffed by a house-elf named Manda. The ground floor housed the living room, dining area, and a formal parlor. The second floor held Diana’s bedroom and office. The third floor, once a guest space and storeroom, had been renovated into Anne’s personal bedroom, study, and magical lab.
What surprised Anne most was the study, it was filled with books on economics and trade in French, German, and English, plus an upright piano.
When Anne asked about the piano, Diana told her that the Muggle world had much to teach, especially in business and trade. The house itself had been purchased from a Muggle friend, and she had kept the piano because she liked it.
But that piano stirred something deep in Anne.
Memories from her past life surged up.
In her former life, she was born in 1991 in a region that had grown rapidly after economic reforms. Her family, comfortably middle-class, had poured resources into her education. Inspired by news of musical prodigies being admitted to elite American music conservatories, her parents had pushed her into piano lessons at a young age. She trained for twelve years, only to rebel in university and switch to guitar. But in that moment, standing in Paris, seeing the piano, all those memories rushed back, vivid and raw.
When she opened the lid and pressed a single white key, her tears fell silently. She didn’t even know why she was crying, but she cried.
Diana hadn’t expected that. She immediately dropped to her knees, hugged Anne, and comforted her gently.
After the sobs faded, Anne offered a made-up explanation: that as a child, she had often envied kids with pianos and never thought she’d have the chance to play one, let alone live in Paris and explore the world. She’d once thought she’d grow up in an orphanage, alone.
Diana was deeply moved. She immediately promised to hire a piano teacher and told Anne that whatever she wanted, whether to learn, buy, or do, she could always come to her.
Anne felt a mix of warmth and guilt… but even more than that, a growing awareness that this world was real, and filled with kindness.
By July, the heart of summer had arrived.
In central Paris, Anne now carried a guitar case on her back and sipped coffee as she walked to her teacher’s home. She had convinced Diana to let her study music with a Muggle teacher, Kacey Acks, a 45-year-old graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London who had married a French woman and now lived in Paris teaching instruments.
Anne loved her new summer routine: like an ordinary girl, walking or biking through the streets of Paris, immersed in music. She saved magic for the evenings, doing her Hogwarts homework, experimenting, and chatting with Diana when she came home late. They shared jokes, swapped language tips, and Anne often practiced her French with Madame Acks, who was delighted by her talent and charm. The whole Acks family adored her.
At the end of July, Anne received a letter from Fanny:
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Dear Anne,
This is amazing, I didn’t expect you to be in Paris too! Hmph! How dare you come here and not tell me? Were you planning to explore all by yourself?
I’m here with my parents, they’re here for work, and we’ll be in Paris for about a week. They heard you’re here too and would love to meet you, if that’s okay with you?
I can’t believe you’ve been here over two months without saying a word! No matter what, you have to meet up with me. I want to know everything you’ve been doing here. Since my parents are busy with work, you’ll have to take me out and entertain me!
Fanny
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Anne wasn’t thrilled about meeting Fanny’s parents. She figured they probably wanted to thank her for saving their daughter, but Anne didn’t feel she deserved thanks. She partly blamed herself for Fanny getting into danger in the first place.
Still, it didn’t feel right to refuse. So she told Diana.
That evening over dinner, Diana encouraged her to accept. She also pointed out that after the Chamber of Secrets incident, Fanny was likely under strict parental supervision, and any outing would definitely need approval. Anne wasn’t sure if Fanny had done it on purpose, but she suspected she’d been roped into something.
On the day of the meeting, Diana accompanied her to give moral support. Anne had heard all about the prestigious Charles family, even Malfoy never dared mess with Fanny.
Fanny’s parents were gentle and refined. They thanked Anne politely and invited her to visit their home sometime. They readily agreed to let the girls explore Paris together, though they did arrange a car to pick up Fanny at Diana’s place by 8:30 p.m. sharp.
As it turned out, Diana also worked with the Charles family on occasion.
When Fanny saw the crest pinned to Anne’s robes, she was shocked. But in front of her parents, she leaned in and whispered, “You have to explain that to me later.”
After the adults had exchanged pleasantries and left for work, the girls were finally alone.
“So, where are we going today?” Anne asked.
“Hang on, what’s that badge?” Fanny pointed excitedly. “Wait… you’re really from the Roland family?”
Anne nodded. “Yeah. It’s true. My full name now is Anne Roland Reever. My mother’s name was Sonia Roland. The woman earlier, that’s my aunt, Diana Roland.”
Fanny’s eyes widened. “Then you have to tell me, why did your family split from that pure-blooded wizarding line? Which one was it? What happened?”
Anne shrugged. “I don’t know. Diana won’t tell me until I’m of age. So honestly, you probably know as much as I do. Now, where are we going first?”
Fanny pouted a little but quickly brightened. “Fine, whatever. So, what’ve you done all summer?”
“Hmm... Well, I’ve been here just over two months. I’ve visited most of the big sights with Aaron and Diana, Louvre, Notre-Dame, Eiffel Tower, Musée Guimet, Sacré-Cœur… all of them. The Eiffel Tower’s nearby, want to start there?”
“Perfect! I haven’t been here since I was ten. I’ll leave it to you, your sense of direction’s way better than mine.”
They spent two wonderful days together. Every evening, they had dinner at Diana’s house, and Fanny was picked up at exactly 7 p.m.
On the third and final day, Fanny arrived early, excited for their last adventure together.
In the car, she asked, “So, what’s our plan today?”
Anne tossed a French franc in the air and grinned. “First, we hit the Louvre, and should be able to see about half in the morning. Then lunch at a gallery café in Place du Marché, try the savory crêpes and cheese, with a fruit juice. After that, we’ll continue at the museum. Around three, we can rent bikes or take a boat along the Seine. Then we’ll head back toward my place and have dinner at a shop nearby, their orange-glazed pork is amazing.”
Fanny beamed. “Sounds great! And you’ll keep telling stories about the exhibits like yesterday?”
Anne nodded. “Yep, same as before. We walk and talk.”
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A/N: Just a fun hint: the Roland family crest has a deeper meaning… try guessing why the elephant was chosen and what it symbolizes about their break from the pure-blood wizarding line.
