The Charm Of Avalon

By: Isis Malfoy and GaineeWop

Summery: There is an amulet that Voldemort will do anything to get his hands on and its in the hands of two girls with ideas far removed from their families. What will the Dark Lord do to get his hands on the Charm of Avalon, and who will stop him?

Pairings: SS/OC and BW/OC with hints of AD/MM for my friends in the illustrious AD/MM yahoo group

Rating: PG-13 at the moment I will not if it changes

A/N: Well guys I'm back. And it fairly full force. Gaineewop has been a friend of mine for years, but this is our first published collaboration, so I hope you guys like what we put together. I'm gonna try to actually be punctual with updates, and I think she's make sure I am. As always if you read, REVIEW. And love to everyone who reads.

Prologue

            Since before Merlin there have been traditions and laws governing the lives of witches and wizards. Despite the new democratic governments, some customs are too imbedded to be forgotten. As such, in most purebred families, feudal tradition still holds great sway.

            In times of Knights and Kings, before wizards hid themselves from the non magic folk of the world, sons became apprentices and daughters became wives. At the age of eleven boys were sent out from their noble houses to the houses of other nobles to learn the necessary magicks they would need and to be placed according to their proficiency, at the age of fifteen, with a master to train them in spells, potions, herbology, knightly studies, or creature husbandry. Young ladies of eleven were also sent for four years of basic magickal learning, but rather than be placed with a master at fifteen, they were sent back home to prepare for the inevitable day when they would become some man's wife.

            At seventeen all youths were taken to the court of the King or Lord. There the boys were given their final tests and pronounced Masters of their craft, if they passed. The girls were given by their fathers to the King that he may make the match and hand them off to marriage as he should choose.

            Once married a wife became her husband's-she was both his property and his responsibility. His orders to her were law and should he punish her, the law was on his side. There were men who were lenient of course, and marriages sometimes made from love if the King was kind; but it was not something that one would bet upon.

            Over time the feudal system gave way to equality and democracy, but within the old families, the traditions and customs were still held to. And so, when they pledged their allegiance to the new "lord" the customs were brought back as well; and it is in that sorry web that our tale begins.