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SIYE Time:18:23 on 28th March 2024
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Abraxas
By Brennus

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Category: Alternate Universe
Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley
Genres: Action/Adventure
Warnings: Death, Disturbing Imagery, Intimate Sexual Situations, Rape, Violence
Story is Complete
Rating: R
Reviews: 369
Summary: It started with a surprising proposals from an unexpected source, but that was only the beginning. Soon, Harry finds himself dealing with forces beyond his imagination and dreams, and ultimately finds that the world is not what he believed it to be.
Hitcount: Story Total: 98723; Chapter Total: 4282





Author's Notes:
It’s taken me until New Year's Eve to get to this point, but the body count begins here. The story starts to take a darker turn from here on in, so be warned. Hmm, eleven chapters and no corpses – is this a Brennus record?

Many thanks to Arnel, as always, for continuing to disguise my grammatical foolishness.




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Chapter 12 — First Blood



Harry grinned at the small, nervous face that peeked around the door.

“Come on in. Don’t be shy,” he urged.

The face proved to belong to a small, second-year Hufflepuff who shuffled into the room. He was followed by three of his Housemates, who all eyed Harry and his friends with something approaching awe.

“It’s alright, you’re first to arrive,” Hermione added, waving them in. “Just take a seat anywhere while we wait for the rest.”

Relaxing somewhat, the four youngsters complied with her instructions. As Harry watched them, he struggled to believe that he’d been their size just a few short years before. It seemed like a lifetime ago to him now.

He and his friends were lounging casually in the large, disused classroom that Professor McGonagall had informed them had once been used for the express purpose of hosting meetings. They’d decided that this was a better choice than the Room of Requirement, as they simply didn’t want too many people aware of that immensely useful space, at least until they had signed a confidentiality agreement. Besides, all the other student-run clubs in the school used similar facilities, and Harry was determined that his new Duelling Club would be low-key and friendly, if only to prevent the Ministry from starting to get paranoid that they might be forming a secret army.

Gradually, more pupils started to drift in. Most were from the second, third or fourth years, but a sizable group of ex-D.A. also trooped in, including a grumpy-looking Ernie Macmillan who scowled at Neville as he entered. Eventually, the room filled and Harry looked on happily at the turnout. He stood and addressed the assembled group.

“Hello, everyone, and welcome to this, the first meeting of the new Hogwarts Duelling Club,” he began. “The aim of this club is to provide some practice in practical duelling, help improve your Defence Against the Dark Arts knowledge, and generally have a bit of fun.”

As he looked around at the faces of the assembled pupils, he noticed a lot of relieved expressions on the younger pupils who now realised that they weren’t going to be out of their depth, and a few puzzled ones on the ex-D.A. crowd.

“Now, I’m sure you’ve all heard about the exploits of Dumbledore’s Army last term, but what we’re doing this year will be rather different. Fortunately, this year we actually have a knowledgeable Defence Professor, so we don’t have quite the measure of urgency that we had previously.”

A few sour looks greeted this statement, as they all would have had the opportunity to sample a Snape run Defence class by now. Still, just because the man was a total shit didn’t mean he didn’t know his stuff.

“Instead, the emphasis this year will be on duelling in practice settings. As well as staging more traditional duels, we’ll also be organising team events, mostly set in realistic environments which will offer teams cover and concealment. We hope these events will be a lot more realistic than just standing on a platform hurling spells at a single opponent.”

This idea seemed to excite old and new hands alike. He planned to use the Room of Requirement to its full capabilities, and create various different settings to stage training in. The club members would soon find themselves duelling in forests, villages, caves and all manners of different places.

“We will, of course, be introducing new spells and charms to the group, and practicing basic skills, but we’ll also try and make it as fun and action-packed as possible. Later in the school year, we’ll probably host a Duelling Tournament, with prizes for the best in each year and an overall winner. It should be a lot of fun.”

“Will you be taking part? None of us will stand a chance if you are,” a young witch called out.

“No, me and my friends will be hosting the event and acting as umpires. That will keep us plenty busy,” Harry smiled. “Now, anyone wishing to join the club will need to sign a Magical Contract, but I assure you all that it is far from onerous. We just don’t want any skills you learn here to be used for Dark purposes, so the contract will specifically demand no-one can join the ranks of the Death Eaters, or otherwise use your new knowledge for illegal purposes. Apart from that, you will be free to discuss the club with your friends or family, or quit at any time. This club is entertainment and to improve your test scores, nothing more.”

There was a lot of happy nods at this statement, even from the older hands who, no doubt, remembered what had happened to Marietta Edgecombe.

“So, that’s what we’ll be up to. Meetings will be held every Thursday evening at seven o’clock sharp in this room. If you’re interested, just sign your names on the parchment by the door there. Thanks for listening and I hope to see you next week.”

Harry watched as everyone stood and shuffled towards the door. He was gratified that nearly everyone present stopped and signed the membership parchment before they left. Once the last of them filed out of the room, he turned to his friends.

“How do you think that went, then?” he asked.

“I think it went very well. We’ve got over fifty people who have signed up,” Hermione said, examining the parchment.

“If we can make a good impression during the first few meetings, we might pick up a few more members, too,” Neville added.

“I have to say, I’m more interested in who didn’t come, than who did,” Hermione said thoughtfully. “Did you notice we didn’t have a single Slytherin here tonight? I suppose they all fell foul of peer pressure, but I had hoped a few of the younger ones might attend.”

“Dean and Seamus didn’t come either, the immature prats!” Ginny noted angrily.

“Hey, Cho Chang and her skanky mate didn’t put in an appearance, either,” Ron ginned. “Mind you, Cho wouldn’t have lasted very long even if she had joined. Ginny would soon have found an excuse to duel with her and then it would have been game over.”

“Oi,” Ginny protested, but didn’t otherwise dispute her brother’s words.

“Well, never mind,” Harry sighed. “We’ve still got a decent number of people who signed up. Everyone who put their signature on that parchment is one less potential recruit for Voldemort and one potential fighter for us. The casual style of the group should prevent any outside interference, too.”

“Yeah, plus it should be fun,” Ginny added.

“Absolutely. I can’t wait to start moulding those young minds in my own image,” Luna announced brightly.

Fortunately, she didn’t notice the rest of them wincing.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP HPHP

“Do you know, after spending so much time running round that replica in the Room of Requirement, it seems weird to see people actually walking around here.”

Neville looked around the busy streets of Hogsmeade in bemusement. Frankly, Harry could only agree with him. They’d obviously all become far too use to seeing the imitation that the real thing came as something of a surprise. Still, it did give him the opportunity to marvel at the accuracy of the model. Even the loose tiles on the roof of The Three Broomsticks had been meticulously replicated.

“Yeah, don’t blame me if I forget where I am and start trying to hex you all,” Ron agreed.

“You can certainly try, Ron, but, of course, you so rarely succeed,” Ginny teased.

“Hey, I got you and Harry the other week,” he protested.

“With Mad-Eye’s help,” Hermione added innocently.

“Yeah, thanks, for that, luv,” Ron said sourly.

“Come on, let’s stop quarrelling and get moving, otherwise we’ll be out of time before we’ve been anywhere,” Harry laughed, before narrowly avoiding walking into a small, rotund man who merely grinned and raised his hat.

“Will you be taking Ginny to Madam Puddifoot’s, then?” Ron asked archly. “After all, you and Cho had such a wonderful time there together.”

“I wasn’t planning on it, but maybe instead I can arrange for Hermione to have to take you to the hospital wing for a visit?” Harry retorted.

“I think you hit a sensitive spot there, Ron. I’d leave off if I were you,” Neville told the red-haired boy in a stage whisper. Ron just grinned unrepentantly.

“I really need to go to Scrivenshaft’s,” Hermione announced.

“There’s a surprise,” Ron sighed.

“Well, you don’t have to come with me, you know,” Hermione retorted angrily. “You could just…”

Whatever Hermione was going to say next was interrupted by the sound of a large detonation from somewhere on the other side of the village. The six friends all stopped in their tracks and looked around nervously.

“What was that?” Neville asked.

“I don’t know, but it was bloody loud,” Harry replied.

“It must have… wait! Look over there,” Hermione exclaimed, pointing ahead of them.

They all looked in the direction she indicated and saw a spiral of black smoke rising lazily into the air. A moment later, the screams began.

“What the hell?” Ron gasped and the distant shouts of terror began to reach their ears.

They were just about to start moving in the direction the noise was coming from, when they saw a witch come running down the street like the hounds of hell were on her heels. She barely slowed as she past them.

“Death Eaters!” she cried. “Run for your lives!”

“Wands out,” Harry said firmly as the witch vanished from sight. He felt a strange sense of pride in the fact that his friends didn’t hesitate in the slightest.

“What’s the plan?” Ginny demanded in a determined voice.

“We work in our usual pairs, but we keep each other in sight at all times, okay?” Harry informed them. “We’ll skirt around the back of the Post Office, and hopefully we can catch them by surprise. Make sure you stay in cover as much as possible, and be careful!”

“Right, I’ve got point,” Neville announced, and took off at a quick jog. The others swiftly followed.

They hurried down a small passageway that was next to the Post Office, and paused while Neville cautiously opened the gate at the end of the passage. Signalling it was all clear, they quickly headed into the tidy little garden at the back of the establishment.

The terrain was instantly recognisable from their many training sessions in the Room of Requirement, and they all moved without hesitation. One by one, they vaulted the fence that separated the garden from its neighbours, always heading towards the sound of the conflict. The screams that filled the air were chilling, and Harry fretted at the time it was taking to get into the action. Despite this, they moved at a sensible pace, being careful to watch the surrounding windows for any sign of adversaries. They had nearly made it to the back of the house that faced The Hogs Head, when unexpectedly a tall figure in back wearing a silver mask stepped out from the backdoor of the property.

Harry barely had time to aim his wand before the Death Eater crumpled into a heap, having been hit by spells from Neville, Luna and Hermione. All three spells had been cast silently, and with pin-point accuracy. He made a mental note to thank Mad-Eye Moody profusely for his excellent training when he saw the man next.

“Snap his wand and tie him up,” Harry instructed his friends, who instantly complied with his orders. Impulsively, Harry ripped the mask of the prone figure and saw the brutal features of Thorfinn Rowle underneath. The small part of him that used to be Tom Riddle almost snorted with derision that such a prominent Death Eater should be captured so easily.

“Come on, it sounds like a massacre is going on out there,” Hermione insisted, galvanising them into movement.

They decided to head into the house from which Rowle had just appeared from, moving stealthily with their wands at the ready. A muffled scream from upstairs alerted them to the fact they weren’t alone. Hermione signalled the rest of the group that she would investigate, and Ron joined her as they carefully headed up the stairs. The rest of them covered the other entry points into the house, their ears straining to hear any activity from upstairs.

After an agonisingly long period, they heard a heavy thump coming from above, and a moment later they heard Ron calling ‘clear!’ letting them know they were alright. Few moments later, Hermione can back down the stairs with her boyfriend on her heels. She had a strange expression on her face, like she wanted to scream and cry simultaneously.

“There was a pair of Death Eaters up there, raping a woman,” she spat, visibly trembling with anger. “We did what we could, but we were too late to help her. She was barely able to talk she was so badly injured. She kept repeating about how she couldn’t get away. The Death Eaters must have erected Anti-Apparation Wards around here. That poor, poor woman!”

“Standard tactic,” Harry noted grimly. “Right, it sounds like most of the fighting is going on in the main street. We’ll head out of here and turn left, but remember to move from cover to cover. I expect this is where things will get interesting.”

“Just let me at the bastards,” Ron growled in a furious voice. Harry hated to think what his friend had witnessed upstairs.

“Okay, just keep your heads,” Harry insisted, headed to the front door and opening it a crack. Seeing no sign of Death Eaters, he edged out, before signalling his friends to follow. As soon as they were all outside, they began to head down the street towards the main part of the village. They’d nearly reached the junction when a brace of bright green bolts of light shot past them at a right angle.

“They must be by Zonko’s,” Ginny declared, her eyes wide but the grip on her wand was unwavering.

“Let me just have a quick look,” Harry told them, before casting a Disillusion Charm on himself. He hurried to the corner and peeked round.

The main street of Hogsmeade looked like a battle ground. Nearly all the shops and houses had broken windows and doors, while Gladrags was on fire. Several bodies lay in the street, including a couple wearing the distinctive robes of Aurors. Harry said a silent prayer that Tonks wasn’t working today, as it looked like the Ministry staff had been targeted first. He remembered this was a standard Death Eater tactic: eliminate anyone who would be likely to fight back and break the will of those less brave. Terror was their primary objective, and it looked like today they were succeeding in their goal admirably.

Harry’s blood ran cold as he noticed a group of four Death Eaters gathered around a man who was lying on the ground. It looked like they were taking turns casting the Cruciatus Curse on the poor fellow, and he was thrashing about where he lay, his voice ragged from screaming. Harry was just about to act, when one of the Death Eaters, obviously bored of the game, cast a Killing Curse, silencing this victim forever.

Darting back into cover, Harry dispelled his Disillusionment Charm and waved the others to him.

“Four Death Eaters standing in front of Zonko’s,” he informed them briskly. “Hit them with Blasting Curses, as hard and fast as you can. Ready? Okay, on three: one, two…three!”

The six of them charged from cover and immediately began hurling spells at the Death Eaters at a furious rate. The effects were devastating.

Both Ginny and himself had demonstrated they were enormously powerful many times in the last few months, and his other friends were no slouches, either. Even Neville, often called a Squib by unfriendly Slytherins, had been gaining in ability remarkably since he obtained a new wand. The results were that the four Death Eaters virtually disintegrated under the combined assault, as did a large portion of the front of Zonko’s.

“Stop!” Harry called and silence instantly fell.

“Fuck me,” Ron gasped as he surveyed the damaged they had caused, and the mangled bodies of their foes.

“Come on, we need to keep moving. We’re sitting ducks here,” Harry insisted and led his friends forward. He glanced at them worriedly, but fortunately none of them appeared to be too affected by what they had just done. That would probably change later, he suspected, but for now they were focused on the task in hand.

They headed down the main street, and soon encountered another pair of Death Eaters. Harry dropped into a prone position so he didn’t obstruct his friends’ field of fire, and the pair fell before they realised what was happening. Surprise was on their side, Harry realised, as the Death Eaters seemed to believe that having taken out all the Ministry staff they would face no further opposition.

“We need to keep moving,” Harry said, climbing to his feet. “These types of raids are generally over very fast. The aim is to get in, do as much damage as quickly as possible, and then get out before reinforcements can arrive. We need to take down as many of the bastards as we can before they leg it.”

“Fine by me,” Hermione agreed, with a hard look on her face. Harry made a mental note to talk with his friend later, as whatever she’d seen upstairs in that house had clearly affected the normally kind-hearted girl deeply. War had a way of doing that, of course.

In fact, they didn’t encounter any further Death Eaters as they made their way down the street. There was still the sound of screams and crying all around, but Hogsmeade seemed strangely deserted. They had just reached The Three Broomsticks when a crash from inside caught their attention. Cautiously, they peered in the window but couldn’t see anything. With his wand at the ready, Harry entered through the shattered front door and looked around.

A Death Eater was standing over the body of a young woman whose clothes had mostly been torn from her body. For some reason, the man had removed his mask and he was grinning manically at the sobbing girl, whom Harry realised was his Quidditch teammate Katie Bell. At that moment, the man looked up and saw him, and a triumphant expression came on his face.

“Harry Potter!” he exclaimed. “The Dark Lord will reward me well for this!”

Harry recognised the man instantly: Antonin Dolohov, a sadistic madman for whom rape and torture were his only pleasures in life. It was this man who had nearly killed Hermione at the Ministry just a few months previously, and the man’s arrogant assumption that he was an overmatch for him set Harry’s blood afire. Dolohov started to move forward, stepping over Katie’s shaking body, but purposely Harry raised his wand. Dolohov was ready with a Shield Charm, but it was no use.

Without conscious thought, Harry gathered the ambient magical energy from around him, and moulded it into a five foot long spear of hardened ice. Faster than the human eye could track, he propelled the spear forward and it pierced Dolohov in the stomach. The man grunted from the force of the impact and staggered backwards. With a disbelieving expression on his face, he looked down at the shaft of ice protruding from his body, before his legs gave out on him and he collapsed to his knees. Feebly, he pulled at the spear with trembling hands, but could barely grasp the thick weapon. He vomited blood and began to shake uncontrollable, before toppling over on his side and laying still.

“Katie!” Ginny cried and ran to the girl’s side. Hermione and Luna hurried over to help, but the boys hung back, wanting to allow the near-naked girl some privacy.

“Nice spell, Harry,” Neville said in a hard, unemotional voice.

“It was more than the bastard deserved,” Harry replied.

Neville just patted his shoulder and turned away.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP


The next few days proved to be difficult ones for Harry’s little group of friends. He noted that all of them had reacted to the battle at Hogsmeade in slightly different ways, although he could tell they were all troubled to some degree.

He was certainly concerned about Hermione, even if the girl herself seemed to be going to great lengths to rationalise her actions. She’d even gone to the library and found accounts of previous atrocities the Death Eaters had committed during the first war, presumably to justify their killing the ones at Hogsmeade. Hermione’s resolve had been stiffened by the reports of Katie’s condition and the news that the dark-haired witch had been transferred to St Mungo’s where she was likely to remain for some time. Harry knew that it was his friend’s greatest fear to be tortured and raped by Voldemort’s followers, a common fate for Muggleborn witches that fell into their grips. Silently, he vowed that if he had to kill every last Death Eater to prevent that, he would do so willingly.

Ron had been totally the other way, almost boastful about their actions. It was all bravado, however, and in his quieter moments when he thought no one was around, Harry had seen his best friend with tears in his eyes. It was desperately unfair that teenagers such as themselves should be forced to become warriors and take life, but sometimes the world was a cruel and unforgiving place.

Ginny had been quiet and rather clingy, not that Harry minded that too much. She chose not to talk about the fight, but when he looked into her eyes he saw a steely determination. His girlfriend might not like the circumstances she found herself in, but he knew she wouldn’t shirk from the fight for a moment. She was a rock, and he loved her for it.

Neville was probably the most relaxed about the whole thing. The timid young man was rapidly turning into a tiger, and from what he’d heard about him from Sirius and Mad-Eye, Neville was starting to become more like his father every day. He went about his daily activities with a grim determination, and scared the living daylights out of anyone stupid enough to start trying to question the group about the events that day. Zacharias Smith had physically fled from his wrath just the previous day.

Luna was something of an unknown to Harry, although she did seem quieter than normal. She’d also given up any pretence of being a Ravenclaw and ate all her meals at the Gryffindor table, and only returned to her dorm to sleep. Harry thought she was doing alright, but nevertheless kept an eye on her.

In truth, the person Harry worried most about was himself. The deaths of seven Death Eaters had left him unaffected, and that was what worried him the most. The fear that he’d had when he’d first accepted part of Tom Riddle’s soul into his came crashing back at him, and he fretted that he really was becoming like Voldemort. Was that how he’d end up? A cold, ruthless killer with no regard for human life? The thought left him frightened and depressed.

With these thoughts running loose around his head, Harry had slipped out of the common room that evening, leaving Ginny and Hermione quietly talking in one corner. He needed time to think and examine his own actions, he decided, and that meant finding some solitude. Being a cool, clear evening, he decided to venture down to the Quidditch Pitch, knowing it was unlikely that anyone would be there in the gathering dusk. He was proved right, as he found the place deserted. He took a seat in one of the lower stands, and began to analyse his actions in recent days.

He hadn’t been sitting there very long, when he felt a pair of arms snake around his middle and someone lay their cheek against his shoulder. At first, he thought Ginny must have followed him down, but then he realised that whoever this person was, she lacked his girlfriend’s distinct, flowery aroma. He whipped his head around, and found himself staring into a pair of large, blue eyes.

“Hello, Harry,” Luna said warmly. “You look troubled and in need of a hug. As Ginny isn’t here, I thought I’d better take care of it.”

Harry laughed and instantly relaxed.

“Evening, Luna. How did you know I was down here?” he asked.

“Oh, I often come down here in the evenings. Dabberblimps are often found here as darkness falls, you know. They follow the insects that come off the lake. Strangely, I haven’t seen any tonight.”

“Ah, they must be hiding,” Harry said kindly.

“They must be,” she agreed. “What’s troubling you, Harry?”

He sighed deeply. “I’m starting to doubt myself, Luna” he admitted. “Am I becoming too ruthless? Should I have made more effort to capture those Death Eaters, rather than killing them? I effectively butchered Dolohov in cold blood, how will that change me? Do you think I’ll end up a cruel murderer just like Voldemort?”

Luna actually laughed. Her laughter was like the sound of tiny bells ringing, and for some reason immediately made him feel better.

“Oh, Harry Potter, you silly boy!” she giggled. “You? Like Voldemort? There’s no one in the world more different to him than you.”

“But we share the same sort of upbringing,” Harry argued. “I crossed a line when I killed Dolohov and… mummph!”

Harry was silenced by Luna grabbing him and planting a firm kiss on his lips. He froze, not knowing exactly why this was happening or what to do next. He was just about to gently try to push the girl away when she released him of her own volition and smiled at him.

“Do you know, that was my first ever kiss? I’d always hoped it would be with you. It was rather nice, I have to say.”

“Luna, I…” Harry began nervously.

“I love you, Harry,” she said firmly, “and I love Ginny, too. I love Neville and Hermione, and even Ron, although perhaps him a bit less than the rest of you. I trust you, Harry, unconditionally. You will never turn to evil; it just isn’t part of you. You might become a bit harsh in your dealings with the Death Eaters, but it’s only because you don’t have a choice. Those people have made bad decisions throughout their lives, and have warped their minds and their souls. The best thing you can do for them is to free them from the shackles of the awful lives they have created for themselves, and let them try again in the next life.”

Harry looked at her in shock.

“Besides, do you really think Ginny will stand by and let you turn Dark? She’ll make sure you never turn to evil, Harry, and your love for her will mean you never have to. Just put your love and faith in her, and everything will be alright.”

For some reason, Harry felt himself tearing up. Luna’s unquestioning faith in him left him feeling humble. She was right; while he had friends like her, and a love like Ginny’s, he would never turn Dark. He just needed to trust in them, as much as they trusted in him. Ultimately, Voldemort was always alone, and his obsession with immortality meant he always would be alone. He might surround himself with sycophants and servants, but none of them meant a damn to him. Hadn’t Tom said exactly the same thing to him before their souls merged?

“Are you feeling better, Harry?” Luna asked him dreamily.

“Yeah, you’re right, Luna. I need to have more faith in my friends and myself. I’m sure Ginny will kick my arse if I ever start going wrong,” he grinned.

“Good. Right, I’m off to look for Moon Frogs. Don’t stay out here too late, Harry, I’m sure Ginny will be worried about you. Night!”

And with that, Luna jumped out of her seat and skipped off into the gathering darkness. Harry watched her go in silent amazement. Luna certainly was something!

A strange thought occurred to Harry as he watched her blonde hair vanish into the night. Tom had told him that any of the three girls who had accompanied him to the Ministry would make a better match for him than Cho, and he realised, with absolute certainty, that if Ginny had rejected him for any reason, he would have ended up with Luna. While, on the face of it, Hermione would have been the more obvious choice, any relationship with her would have been based purely on respect and friendship, and would probably have been rather flat and passionless. Luna, however, always seemed to be able to look directly into his heart and understand what he was feeling. While he wouldn’t have given up Ginny for the world, he felt a brief pang of regret that he would never get a chance to develop a closer relationship with the eccentric Ravenclaw. Luna was just another girl who had been there right under his nose, whom he’d ignored in favour of Chang’s vapid good looks. Sometimes, he realised, he could be a complete idiot.

Shaking his head, he stood and headed back to the Gryffindor common room. He was halfway there when another thought occurred to him.

“Oh, bugger! How am I going to explain to Ginny that another girl kissed me?” he moaned.

It was a very nervous Harry Potter who headed back into the castle.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPH P

As luck would have it, Harry found Ginny sitting waiting patiently for him in the common room. She looked up at him with a slightly worried expression on her face as he entered.

“Where did you go?” Ginny asked as he sat beside her on the sofa. “You just vanished without saying anything to anyone.”

“Sorry, luv,” he replied. “I just really needed some time alone.”

“What’s been bothering you, Harry? You can’t be upset that you killed that piece of filth who tried to rape Katie, can you?”

“No, it’s not that,” he confirmed. “It was more that I wasn’t upset, if you get my meaning. I was afraid that taking a human life seemed to mean so little to me.”

Ginny looked at him with a frown.

“Harry, Dolohov barely counted as a human being. He was just a murderous monster. If you hadn’t stopped him he would probably have gone on and killed again many times. Just imagine what he would have done to Katie, for instance. I think the simple reason that you’re not upset is that you realise that you’ve done the world a favour.”

“Perhaps, but sometimes I worry that I’ll end up like Voldemort. Or, at least, I was worried about it,” he assured her.

“Oh, what changed?”

“Luna talked some sense into me,” Harry explained. “She basically told me that she trusted me and didn’t believe I could ever turn out evil. She might have suggested that you would knock some sense into me if I ever did show signs of turning Dark, too.”

“Damn right. She talks a lot of sense, does Luna,” Ginny grinned.

“Yeah, and she…umm… she also kissed me,” he admitted.

“What?” Ginny exclaimed.

“She kissed me,” he repeated.

“I… see. What did you do after she kissed you?” Ginny asked in a neutral voice.

“To be honest, I was so shocked I didn’t do anything. Then Luna basically told me that she loved all of us, even Ron amazingly, before skipping off into the night to look for Moon Frogs.”

Ginny stared at him for a moment, before busting out laughing.

“Oh, Harry, you should see your face! You were genuinely worried about this, weren’t you?

“You’re my girlfriend and I love you. I was worried because I don’t think I should be kissing other girls,” he said defensively.

“Yeah, and if it had been any other girl than Luna you would have been picking bogies out of your hair by now. Luna just likes to show these impulsive little displays of affection. She hugs and kisses me all the time,” Ginny explained.

“On the lips?” Harry asked pointedly.

“Err, no. I admit I’d be a bit concerned if she did that,” Ginny conceded.

“She told me it was her first kiss,” he told her sadly.

“Oh, poor Luna!” Ginny exclaimed.

“What, because her first kiss was with me?” he asked indignantly.

“No, you plonker! Because she’s never been kissed properly before tonight. She’s really pretty and has a lovely figure, but because she’s a bit unconventional no boy will go near her. It’s pathetic, really.”

“Maybe we should set her up with a boyfriend?” Harry suggested. “We did pretty well at getting Ron and Hermione together.”

“Who would we set her up with?” Ginny demanded archly.

“Well, err… how about Neville? We know he’s available,” he said brightly.

“I don’t think so,” Ginny disagreed. “I think Luna terrifies Neville half the time. He might be becoming more forceful and outgoing lately, but deep down he’s straight-laced and unadventurous. I hate to say it but Hannah was probably the perfect match for him. Luna would just blow his mind.”

“Maybe you’re right,” he conceded. “Can you think of anyone else?”

“Sadly, no, not at Hogwarts, anyway. The right boy for her is out there somewhere, but he’s probably wading through a swamp or something right now, looking for some bizarre creature.”

“Oh, well. It was just a thought.”

“It was a nice one, though. Oh, by the way, this doesn’t mean you can keep kissing her to make up for the lack of an available boyfriend,” she added primly.

“Not even if it’s an impulsive display of affection?” he grinned.

“Only if you want me to demonstrate an impulsive display of castration on you,” she replied in a level voice.

“Err, I’m sure I can fend her off next time,” he confirmed with a gulp.

“Good boy,” Ginny nodded approvingly. “Now, as we appear to the last ones down here tonight, you can use those delicious lips on the person they were meant to be for.”

He very nearly made a joke about Cho being in the room, but stopped himself at the last moment. After all, Harry would admit to being many things, but suicidal wasn’t one of them.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP


“Hey, guys.”

The friends looked up from their breakfasts to see a familiar person standing by the table looking at them nervously.

“Katie!” Ginny exclaimed and leapt up to hug her Quidditch teammate. Harry and Hermione quickly joined her, while the others, who didn’t know the girl so well or were embarrassed, hung back.

“When did you get back? How are you feeling?” Hermione asked the dark-haired girl.

“Just a few hours ago. I’ve been with Professor McGonagall since I arrived, talking things through, and she’s been great. I admit I was really nervous about returning, but I’m starting to think it was the right thing to do.”

“Of course it was,” Hermione agreed, “and if you need anything, you have only to ask.”

“Thanks, guys, but you’ve gone enough already. If it wasn’t for you, that bastard would have… would have…” Katie stuttered, and for a moment looked like she was going to break down crying, but managed to get a hold of herself at the last moment.

“It was nothing. I’m just sorry that we didn’t find you sooner,” Harry told her.

“Seriously, Harry, I can’t thank you enough. I don’t think I would have had the courage to come back if I didn’t know that bastard was dead. You saved me, and I’ll be forever grateful.”

“As Harry said, we’re just sorry that we didn’t get there sooner. That slimy piece of shit Dolohov will never lay his filthy hands on another young woman again,” Ginny declared fiercely.

“And that alone makes me feel better,” Katie agreed. “Harry, I hear you’ve restarted up that Defence Club of yours. I’d like to sign up for it. No stinking Death Eater will ever touch me again, I swear it.”

“You’ll be very welcome,” he assured her. “Oh, we’ve saved your place on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, too. We held trials a couple of days ago but insisted your spot was reserved.”

“No one was half as good as you, anyway,” Ginny added encouragingly.

“Thanks, guys. I’d love to play and I’m looking forward seeing how our new captain runs things, too,” Katie smiled.

“I think you’ll like it. He’s not half as manic as Oliver or Angelina was. We actually finished our first practice session before midnight, would you believe,” Ginny laughed.

“Well, that will take some getting used to!” Katie giggled, before turning serious again. “I’m going to go and see my friends now. Once again, thanks for everything and especially you Harry.”

With a grateful smile, Katie leaned forward and planted a kiss on Harry’s cheek. Unfortunately, half the hall had been watching the exchange between the Gryffindors and a few couldn’t resist commenting.

“Look at that!” a voice called out from the Slytherin table. “The slut will spread her legs for anyone. Raped? I bet she was practically begging for it!”

“WHO SAID THAT?” Harry yelled, leaping forward. Behind him, half of Gryffindor were already on their feet and a few of them had already drawn their wands.

“That’s enough!” a stern voice cried.

Professor McGonagall strode purposefully into the hall and positioned herself between the Gryffindor and the Slytherin tables. A few intense glares were enough to make her angry charges back down and retake their seats. She looked Harry directly in the eye, almost daring him to say anything. Taking a deep breath, Harry forced himself to relax. Hermione and Ginny in the meantime had both grabbed Katie and were whispering furiously to her in an effort to comfort the distraught girl.

Once she was sure there would be no reaction from the Gryffindors, McGonagall turned to face the Slytherins, many who were openly smirking in her direction.

“Who said that?” she demanded in a cool, but controlled, voice.

Someone sniggered, but no one admitted to making the remark.

“Very well, if the coward who made that disgusting comment won’t speak up, I will be forced to punish the whole House. Two hundred points from Slytherin!”

A cry of protest came from the House of Snakes, and several of them leapt to their feet, Draco Malfoy included, Harry noted. Movement from the teachers’ table caught his eye, and he turned his head just in time to see Severus Snape rise to his feet with a furious expression on his face. He looked like he was about to confront the Deputy Head when a clear, calm voice stopped him.

“Sit down, Severus. Minerva will handle this matter fairly, I’m sure,” Dumbledore announced in a soft voice that still seemed to be able to carry right across the hall. Seeing that he was not to be allowed to have his way, Snape sat back down and scowled at McGonagall. The witch ignored him, and continued to glare at the Slytherins.

“Now, does the person who made the comment have the courage to admit what they did? No? What a pity. Well, I must tell you all that in all my years in education I have never heard a more disgusting, repulsive, offensive comment made in public. If you think I’m going to rest until the perpetrator of this revolting remark confesses, you are sadly mistaken. Until that person makes themselves know to me, Slytherin will be hereby banned from playing Quidditch this season.”

There was an audible gasp of shock from all around the hall. The Slytherins had never been punished this harshly before, and many couldn’t believe it was happening.

There was some frantic activity among the Slytherins, and even some pushing and shoving. Eventually, a tall, ill-favoured boy Harry recognised at the current Slytherin Quidditch Captain stood up.

“I made that remark, Professor,” he admitted.

“I can’t begin to say how disgusted I am with you, Mr Urquhart. I would have hoped a senior pupil in your position would have known better, but clearly not. You will report to the Headmaster’s office at eight a.m. sharp tomorrow morning, where we will discuss whether you are to be expelled or not. Now sit down and I don’t expect to hear another word from you tonight.”

McGonagall turned and strode to the teachers table, where she sat next to Dumbledore without a world. Urquhart slumped back down with his head in his hands. A few of his Housemates were trying to comfort him, but he looked inconsolable. Harry’s eye was caught by Draco glaring at him with a look of utter hatred, as if the whole incident had been his fault. Harry just returned the boy’s gaze unfalteringly. Then, on impulse, he raised a finger and drew it across his neck before pointing at Draco. The blond boy actually looked taken aback that Harry would threaten him in such a manner, and looked appealingly towards the Teachers’ Table. Snape, however, appeared to be too busy fuming to have noticed the incident. With a smirk, Harry retook his seat.

“We watch Katie carefully from now on,” he told his friends. “If anyone so much as looks at her funny, they’ll have us to deal with.”

Without any further comment, the six of them returned to their meal, the unspoken agreement that anyone who threatened Katie Bell would suffer firmly in place.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

“Come on, lover, we need to get back before curfew,” Ginny crooned in Harry’s ear as they left the Room of Requirement. They’d been making use of the place for some ‘private’ time quite frequently of late, and they were both finding the arrangement more than satisfactory.

“I suppose,” Harry agreed, closing the door behind him firmly. In truth, he was in no hurry to return to the common room, and could have happily stayed with her here all night.

They’d just reached the end of the corridor when a hissing sound caught their attention. Looking round, Harry saw a willowy blonde girl dressed in Slytherin robes lurking in a dark alcove. The girl waved them forward impatiently.

Seeing Ginny already moving, Harry followed her. The alcove was much deeper than he was expecting and had at one time probably housed a large statue or something similar, he supposed. Now, it served as an ideal clandestine meeting place.

“Merlin, I thought you two would be in there all night,” the girl complained.

“What do you want, Astoria?” Ginny asked in a frosty voice.

“To talk to you both, obviously,” the girl replied in irritation.

Perhaps catching Harry’s confused look, Ginny introduced the blonde girl.

“Harry, this is Astoria Greengrass, who’s in the year below me. You probably know her sister, Daphne.”

“Oh. Yes,” Harry confirmed in a cold voice. Daphne was one of Pansy Parkinson’s gang, and a thoroughly unpleasant young witch.

“Just don’t judge me by the actions of my idiot sister, okay,” Astoria said firmly. “She doesn’t have a brain in her head, that girl.”

“No arguments from me,” Harry confirmed in an unfriendly tone.

“Look, its late and nearly curfew,” Ginny interrupted wearily. “What do you want?”

“I just wanted to warn you,” Astoria began in a low voice. “Some of the senior Slytherin boys are plotting to teach Katie Bell a lesson. They’re infuriated that Urquhart got suspended and that she escaped punishment by a Death Eater. They’re planning to snatch her after Quidditch practice next Tuesday.”

“What do you mean; ‘escaped punishment’? Katie was just having lunch in a pub when that black-hearted bastard tried to bloody rape and kill her!” Harry raged. “What the hell did she do to warrant calling that punishment?”

Astoria looked at him with a mixture of sadness and contempt.

“She’s a half-blood who was sorted into Gryffindor. That’s enough for that lot to think she should be punished,” she replied. “She’s stuck her neck out a few too many times, too. Bell has openly confronted members of Slytherin on matters of blood status and treatment of Muggleborns. There were a lot of people in our House who were looking forward to her falling into the hands of a Death Eater.”

“Bastards,” Harry growled.

“Hey, I’m not arguing with you,” Astoria said quickly. “I think the whole thing is ridiculous. I’ve yet to see any evidence that there’s a blind bit of difference between Purebloods, Half-bloods or Muggleborns. All this blood supremacy crap is just a means of the old, established families maintaining their wealth and power. Frankly, I can think of a lot of better ways of doing that then following that homicidal maniac who calls himself the Dark Lord.”

“Okay, so why are you warning us about this?” Ginny demanded. “If this gets out it’s bound to put you in danger.”

“Why do you think I’m being so careful about this meeting?” Astoria demanded. “The fact is that this plan to attack Bell is stupid and will start a whole heap of trouble. I’m fully aware of how powerful your boyfriend here is, Weasley, and I don’t want to be in the firing line when he starts decimating my Housemates for this moronic attack. Besides, the whole idea that a witch ‘deserves’ to be raped because of her blood status is despicable. I refuse to follow anyone who would endorse such actions. Witches are just as powerful as wizards, and there’s no reason we should be looked down upon by a few self-important male cretins who want to feel superior.”

“I agree,” Ginny noted with approval. “So, who is it that will be making this attack on Katie?”

“Mostly Urquhart’s Quidditch mates; Higgs, Pucey, that mob,” she confirmed with a sniff. “They intend to Disillusion themselves and stage an ambush as the female Quidditch players leave the changing room. Apparently you girls take somewhat longer than the boys, so they reckon that’s the perfect time to attack. Anyway, I gather their masterplan is to Stun the rest of you and drag Bell off into the forest and finish what that Death Eater started. They think it will be a sure-fire way of ensuring they all get a Dark Mark later.”

Harry snorted. “So they plan to take on Ginny, do they? That might backfire on them.”

“Possibly, but I’m sure we can come up with a little ambush of our own,” Ginny noted with satisfaction. “Thanks, Astoria. We won’t forget that you’ve told us this.”

“Actually, I do have one favour to ask,” Astoria said quickly.

“What’s that?” Harry asked, noting the girl’s sudden nervousness.

“Just… please don’t kill Draco! He’s not as bad as you think,” Astoria blurted.

“Not as bad as we think?” Ginny repeated in disbelief. “Do you know what happened to me in my first year, Greengrass?”

“Umm, yeah. You were possessed by that book, weren’t you? It’s pretty common knowledge within Slytherin,” Astoria admitted.

“Well, did you know it was Draco’s father who planted that bloody book on me? Oh, and I’m pretty sure Draco helped him do it,” Ginny spat.

“Yeah, and I had to stand and watch him crow about how the Mudbloods would all be next. It was sickening,” Harry said angrily. “Not to mention that little ponce nearly got Hagrid sacked, he was part of that idiotic Inquisition Squad last year, and, trust me, he’s been planning some nasty tricks this year, too. You’ll never convince me that Draco Malfoy is just a misguided boy who really has a heart of gold.”

Astoria signed. “Look, I know he isn’t very pleasant, but I’m certain he can change! He just needs to get away from the influence of those awful parents of his.”

“What’s your interest in this, Greengrass?” Ginny asked. “Why are you so keen to defend him?”

“Well, you see… look, please don’t mention this to anyone, but I’m betrothed to be married to him as soon as I turn eighteen.”

“Oh, you poor cow,” Ginny said sympathetically.

“No, it’s alright, really,” Astoria disagreed. “Look, I’ll level with you. I might not be interested in any of this blood status crap, but I am ambitious. I want a life full of the finer things: a beautiful home, the finest foods and wines, holiday homes in sun-kissed locations, expensive jewellery; the works. Draco is my passage to that lifestyle. Yes, he might be a pompous little shit at the moment, but I’ve been watching him carefully ever since my father told me about the arrangement. He has a sensitive side, and a good head on his shoulders. If I can just break him of the influence of his status-obsessed father, I’m sure I can turn him into a good businessman and a decent husband. Hell, I know he likes all the things I do, I just need to convince him to stop worrying about politics and start worrying about making more money. I don’t think it will be that hard to do, actually.”

Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance.

“What if I was to tell you it was too late?” Harry asked cautiously. “What if I was to tell you that he’s already taken a Dark Mark?”

Astoria’s face fell. “He wouldn’t do that,” she objected. “The Dark Lord wouldn’t want him until he’s graduated, anyway.”

“Not even to ensure that he maintains control of his father?” Harry asked. “By slapping a Dark Mark on Draco, Voldemort has ensured Lucius’s total obedience. I gather old Snakeface wasn’t too happy with Lucius after that debacle at the Ministry, and might decide to punish him by giving his son tasks which Draco couldn’t possibly hope to complete.”

“Besides, if the bastard Lucius does go insane in Azkaban, Voldemort will still have direct control of the Malfoy fortune this way. Sorry, Astoria, I don’t think there’s going to be much gold left by the time you wed Draco, assuming he survives that long,” Ginny added.

Astoria closed her eyes and grimaced.

“Damn,” she muttered bitterly.

“Look, I’m not going to make you any promises regarding Draco. If he keeps his nose clean and doesn’t cause any trouble, then he’ll have nothing to fear from me. I might even arrange for the disposal of those awkward in-laws for you. But if Draco does anything to endanger innocent life, I swear he’ll end up like that miserable piece of shit, Dolohov. You might want to tell him that,” Harry said firmly.

“That might be a problem,” Astoria smiled weakly. “I don’t think Draco even knows I exist. My father might have told me about the arrangement for us to marry, but I know for a fact that no one has told Draco. Why do you think Pansy still clings onto him like a leech?”

And with that, the blonde Slytherin girl slipped passed them and vanished down the dark corridor.

“What do you think?” Harry asked his girlfriend.

“I think she’s barmy if she can make anything of Draco Malfoy but, hey, I know all about unrequited love,” she replied with a grin.

“It wasn’t unrequited, I just hadn’t noticed you properly at that point,” Harry sniffed. “Still, I’ll stand by what I said; if Draco behaves himself he has nothing to fear from me. I think there’s a snowball’s chance in hell that will happen, but still.”

“And the Slytherin boys who aim to teach Katie a lesson? What are we going to do to them?”

“Something very, very nasty,” Harry grinned evilly.




















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