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SIYE Time:10:28 on 29th March 2024
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Blood of the Heart
By kjpzak

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Category: Post-OotP, Buried Gems
Characters:Harry/Ginny
Genres: Angst, Drama, Fluff
Warnings: Death, Violence
Story is Complete
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 411
Summary: 7th Yr Sequel to Ancient Magic. It is now known the power of immortality resides inside Harry and Ginny. Will their combined powers be enough to protect them from the Dark Lord?
Hitcount: Story Total: 197800; Chapter Total: 7128







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Disclaimer — I do not own Harry Potter.





Mother’s Blood






Tap — tap — tap. Tap — tap — tap. Tap — tap — tap.


“Harry! Will you please stop it!” Hermione commanded, her hand shooting out and trapping Harry’s quill on the table.


Startled out of his trance, Harry blinked at his friend across the table in the Common Room. “Sorry, I was thinking.”


Hermione withdrew her hand and smiled at Harry. “That’s promising.”


Harry rolled his eyes. “Funny.”


“About what?” Hermione asked.


“You don’t want to know.”


Hermione cocked her head to the side. “I’m guessing it has nothing to do with transfiguration?” she asked, glancing at the text in front of Harry.


Harry threw his quill down and leaned back in his chair, running his hands through his hair. “No.”


“It wouldn’t by any chance have something to do with what happened in the Great Hall a couple of days ago, would it?”


Harry looked sideways at Hermione. “What if it does?”


Hermione smiled slyly and reached down to her book bag. She withdrew a book and laid it on the table. Turning it around so it faced Harry, she slid it half way across the table. Curious, Harry reached out his hand and pulled the book the rest of the way. It was a Muggle school text.


“Entomology?” Harry asked skeptically.


“Bugs,” Hermione said, smiling in a very satisfied manner.


“Bugs?”


“Bugs.”


Harry looked at Hermione like she was batty but took another look at the book anyway. He noticed Hermione had tagged several pages in particular. Opening the book, he trailed his finger down the paragraphs. He stared at Hermione, a bewildered look on his face. Hermione shrugged, her cheeks turning pink, and motioned for him to keep reading. Harry returned to the lines, his mouth moving as he digested the information. A smile began to play at the corners of Harry’s mouth as he nodded and slowly reached for a piece of parchment and his quill.


“Bugs…” Harry trailed off as he began to write.


++++++


“Oh, crap!” Anna exclaimed, looking at the end of a corridor she knew she had looked at only moments before. But she was almost positive she had been coming from a totally different direction. How could she have ended up in the same dead-end? Again?


“Uh, excuse me? Do you need help?”


Anna whirled around, catching herself against the wall as she almost stumbled forward. For someone who was coordination challenged to begin with, having an arm in a sling throwing off whatever was left of her balance was proving to be rather embarrassing. Madam Pomfrey had told her the sling on her left arm was more of a formality than anything else. Her shoulder was almost healed, but the sling would keep people from jostling it around too much.


Anna had tried to explain to the school nurse that her arm was more at risk from any damage she could do to it personally then the general public, but the nurse had insisted. After having watched Anna proceed to bang her constrained limb on the end of the bed, the door to the Hospital Wing and then the corridor trying to stay out of the way of a first year who had developed an impressive set of what looked like rabbit ears on either side of his head, Madam Pomfrey had trailed after her patient with a vial of an anti-inflammatory bruise reducer potion to be taken before bed tonight.


Tucking the vial in her pocket while wondering if she could ask for a spare just to have on hand, Anna had set off in search of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. That was at least an hour, three floors, two moving staircases, one unexpected secret passageway and six dead ends ago — or was it one dead end, six times? Anna smiled gratefully at the young woman in front of her.


“Yes, you may!” Anna answered. “I’m lost. I need to find the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.”


“You must be Anna Patterson,” Hermione surmised, noting the sling.


Anna grinned. “I am. It’s nice to meet you,” she said, holding out her free hand.


“Hermione Granger. I’m Hogwarts Head Girl,” Hermione replied, taking the offered hand. “Are you feeling better?”


“I am. Thank you. I had just forgotten how confusing this place can be.”


“Oh, that’s right!” Hermione exclaimed. “You were a student here.”


“Only for a year. My parents’ jobs didn’t allow for them to stay in one place long, and they didn’t like to be apart from me, so my stay was brief. And I must admit, I spent much of my time getting lost around the castle then, too.”


Hermione smiled. “I’m sure you found some interesting places most students never find.”


Anna flushed. “You could put it that way.”


“Come on,” Hermione said, motioning with her head down the corridor. “I’m on my way to Professor McGonagall’s office on the first floor which is where the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom is. I’ll drop you off.”


“Oh,” Anna said, looking around in surprise. “Exactly what floor am I on?”


“The fourth, but that’s alright. Happens all the time,” Hermione said gently.


Anna snorted. “Uh-huh, I’m sure.”


“So,” Hermione chatted, leading the way toward the staircase, “I understand you know Professor Borgin.”


“Mmm…” Anna replied, her eyes scanning the walls trying to figure out how she got lost.


“Did you know him at Hogwarts?”


“Uh, yes, I did,” Anna said, looking down so as to not trip on the steps. “We met rather like you and I did. I ended up turned around in the dungeons. He was headed back to his dormitory and was kind enough to turn me around and send me in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.”


“That was very sweet of him,” Hermione commented, turning down the first floor corridor.


“Nathan was - is a very sweet person,” Anna said, not paying attention to the fact Hermione had stopped in front of an open classroom door. Anna ran into Hermione’s side. “Oh - sorry,” she apologized, wincing as a twinge ran up her arm.


“That’s alright. Are you okay?” Hermione asked concerned.


“I’m fine,” Anna assured her. “Is this it?”


“This is it. Professor Borgin’s office is up the steps in the back.”


“Well, thank you very much, Hermione. It was a pleasure to meet you.”


“Thank you! You, too,” Hermione said as she continued down the corridor to Professor McGonagall’s office.


Anna steadied herself and stepped inside the classroom. The room had not changed in the twenty years since she’d been a student here. Truth be told, Anna thought smiling to herself, not much was different in the entire castle. For a person whose childhood had centered around constant change, this fact was rather comforting. Anna walked toward the back of the room, studying the room where Nathan taught. She liked the idea of Nathan as a professor. She was sure he was an excellent one. Probably has several first years with huge crushes on him, she thought grinning as she touched the desktops she passed. Not that he’d notice. Nathan was rather thick when it came to girls. Always had been.


Grasping the banister with her right hand, Anna slowly climbed the steps to Nathan’s office and knocked on the door. There was no answer, so she knocked again. Anna checked her watch. She was a little late, but not late enough that Nathan would have left. Anna noticed the door was slightly ajar. Checking over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching, she gently pushed on the door.


Anna hadn’t planned on entering without an invitation, however, in the end, she couldn’t resist. Peering around the door jam, she found herself drawn into Nathan’s world. Her heart warmed as she envisioned Nathan leaning against the edge of the desk, his arms crossed over his chest, deep in a conversation with a student on some form of blood healing properties. She grinned at the sense of giddiness that was swelling up inside. He’d always managed to make her feel that way, even when he wasn’t around. She trailed her fingers across the spines of his beloved books, smiling as she read the alphabetized titles. She rested her hand on the back of his leather chair and imagined him sitting there, his head bent over parchment, correcting essays. She wondered if he wore glasses.


“No.”


“Wha — oh!” Anna jumped, startled by Nathan who stood in the door way. “Um, I was just waiting. I didn’t touch anything, well, not really. You weren’t here. I knocked. The door opened. What do you mean, ‘No’?”


“No, I don’t wear glasses,” Nathan said, his mouth twitching at the corners with a smile. “At least not yet.”


Anna’s cheeks grew warm. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”


“Yes, you did,” Nathan said, coming to stand at Anna’s side behind his chair. “Would you like a seat?”


Anna swallowed. “Uh, yes, I would. Not behind your desk. I’ll sit over there,” she said, taking a step back and bumping into the bookshelves. Catching the engraved brass globe that threatened to roll off, Anna returned it to its stand and smiled nervously at Nathan as she walked carefully around the end of his desk to one of the chairs facing him.


“So,” Nathan said, pulling his chair out and sitting down. “Bill said you came across some information on Blood Bonds.”


“Uh — huh,” Anna nodded. “I’ve got it here — it was in my pocket when we were attacked. Let me — “


Anna twisted in her seat, trying to lift her sling and reach across her body to get the parchment from her front pocket. After several attempts, Nathan pushed his chair back and walked around the desk.


“Here, let me,” he said leaning down and gently lifting up her arm in the sling. Nathan reached forward and pulled at the parchment sticking out of her pocket, trying desperately not to inhale the clean, crisp sent that was Anna and failing miserably. He softly replaced her arm at her side and stood up. Clearing his throat, Nathan returned to the opposite side of his desk, feeling somewhat safer behind the wood expanse, and spread the parchment out in front of him. Still standing, his eyes widened as he read the name at the top right of the page.


“Lily Potter?” he said in surprise, looking up.


Anna nodded. “Lily sent a letter with a key to a Gringotts safe box to my father. I found it when I was packing up my parents’ flat. That was what was in the box.”


“Really,” Nathan commented, sitting down in his chair and pulling the parchment toward him. “Lily was researching blood protection.”


“Hmmm,” Anna nodded, in agreement.


Nathan’s eyes scanned the parchment, his lips moving slightly as he read. He reached the end and met Anna’s gaze.


“You know what this means, don’t you,” he said.


Anna nodded. “I’ve had a little time to think about it,” she said. “What I can’t figure out is does it mean more?”


Nathan sat back in his chair and tapped his fingers together. “I don’t know. It might. Can I keep this for a while?”


“Make me a copy. Will you tell the Order?”


“I’ll go alert Dumbledore immediately and let him make the call.”


Nathan pulled open the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment. Waving his wand above Lily’s notes, he muttered, “Discribo.” Nathan’s quill began to dance over the blank parchment. Moments later, Nathan handed Anna an exact copy.


“Thank you,” Anna said, tucking it into her sling and standing up. “Well, uh, I should get going. I’ve got to get back to work before the goblins decide it wasn’t a good idea to bring me back.”


“Is that why you came back? Your job?” Nathan asked suddenly, trying desperately not to sound too hopeful.


“That’s one reason,” Anna answered truthfully.


“There are others?”


“Well, yes. This, for one,” she said, pointing at Lily’s notes on the desk.


“Ah,” Nathan replied. “And your parents?”


Anna sighed. “Yes, my parents were another reason.”


“Not there to hold you back anymore,” Nathan said, cringing the moment the words left his mouth. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”


“They loved me, Nathan,” Anna said softly, turning toward the door. “I’ll stop by later this week.”


“Did you love me?”


Anna stopped at the door, her heart dropping to her stomach. “You know I did,” she whispered, her back facing him.


“Then why did you leave me?” Nathan asked quietly.


Anna’s shoulders slumped as she turned around. “I couldn’t leave them.”


“You couldn’t? We were married, for Merlin’s sake! I’m your husband!” Nathan argued, slamming his fist on his desk.


“I know!” Anna said firmly. “Nathan, we’ve been through this. Years ago, we went through this. Why do we have to do this again?”


“I don’t know,” Nathan sighed frustrated.


“I’m sorry,” Anna apologized softly.


“You broke my heart, Anna.”


“I broke mine, too.”


“Why? Why did you?” Nathan asked desperately.


Anna swallowed, blinking at the tears gathering behind her eyelids. Looking up at the rafters, she shrugged. “I was young. I was foolish. I was a stupid idiot.” Anna lowered her eyes to meet Nathan’s. “Nathan, you of all people know what it’s like to do something you will regret for the rest of your life.”


Nathan’s jaw hardened. He couldn’t argue with that.



“I was barely twenty, Nathan. My parents were my family, my friends, my everything. I had grown up with them being the only constants in my life. All I heard, all my life, was how intelligent they were, how well respected they were, how sought after they were. And how lucky I was to be their daughter. I didn’t have friends. I had my parents! I didn’t know that it was acceptable to question them. Or maybe, I simply didn’t know how to question them,” Anna took a deep breath. “And they didn’t like you.”


Nathan snorted.


“They didn’t like you because you took me away from them and back then, I had no way to fight them. I didn’t know how.”


“I would have fought with you.”


“I know,” Anna replied sadly. “I know that now. But I didn’t know that then.”


“I told you then!”


“I know! Nathan, I couldn’t stand up to them! I just couldn’t. They were my parents! I put them on pedestals! They weren’t human! In my eyes, they were perfect!”


“How could I compete with that?” Nathan asked, his voice rising.


“You couldn’t! No one could!” Anna cried. “That’s why when they told me I had to leave you because of your past, I did! I didn’t want to, but I had no way of telling them no!”


“No. N. O. No. Anna, it isn’t that hard to say,” Nathan replied bitterly.


Anna brushed at the tears running down her cheeks. “I know, Nathan. And I’m so sorry. I will never, ever be able to make it up to you and for that, I’m terribly sorry,” she whispered, and turned toward the door.


Nathan placed his hands, palm down, against his desk and closed his eyes, hoping the darkness would ease the ache in his middle. He wasn’t sure what made him ask, but he did.


“Anna?”


“Yes?”


Nathan cleared his throat, keeping his eyes on his hands. “Did - did you meet anyone else?”


Anna stopped in the doorway and looked back. “My parents tried to get me to, but they gave up when they realized it was hopeless,” she replied softly. “Nathan, there will never be anyone for me but you. How could there be? I love you. I always did. I always will,” she whispered before slipping out of the room. She didn’t want to know if Nathan had found someone else. She didn’t want to know if hers was a lost cause. She could live with wondering. She just couldn’t live with the rejection.


Anna’s words washed over Nathan, soothing the ache in his heart. He reached deep inside, knowing the scars would always be there. But he would be fibbing to himself if he claimed he wasn’t in the same boat as Anna. Slowly, Nathan raised his head. He nodded in silent agreement at the spot where Anna had stood moments before. The doorway might be empty, but his heart wasn’t. And that was a very good thing, he decided, pulling the parchment toward him again.


+++++


“You should really watch where you’re going, Borgin,” Snape sneered as he sidestepped Nathan in the dungeon corridor.


“Severus, sorry. I was reading,” Nathan apologized, stepping over to the wall to let several Slytherins pass.


“Yes, I noticed,” Snape commented dryly.


“Do you have a minute?” Nathan asked. “I’ve got something Dumbledore thought you should take a look at.”


“I suppose, if the Headmaster has deemed it worthy of my attention.” Snape led the way to his office and shut the door behind Nathan.


“How is he?” Nathan asked, ignoring the chair Snape motioned toward as he walked around to the back of his desk.


“He’s alive. He’s not in pain. He thinks he’s getting better.”


“You do good work, Severus,” Nathan said. “I couldn’t do what you’re doing.”


“I know,” Snape said scornfully. “What do you need me to look at?”


“This,” Nathan said, placing a piece of parchment on the desk and pushing it toward the Potions Master.


Snape extended a finger and pulled it toward him. Snape’s greasy black hair fell forward, hiding his face from view as he scanned the writing on the page. Reaching the end, Snape looked up and met Nathan’s gaze.


“Sanguis,” Snape said tonelessly.


Nathan nodded. “Sanguis.”


++++


“Hermione thought of this?” Ron asked several days later, reading the piece of parchment Harry had given to him.


“Yup,” Harry said, bouncing on his heels.


“Hermione? The woman I love? Brown, bushy hair? Has a badge on her robes that looks like yours but says Head Girl instead of Head Boy? That Hermione?”

“Yup,” Harry repeated grinning. “That Hermione.”


“Here,” Ron said, shoving the parchment back at Harry and pushing past him.


“Hey, where you going?” Harry called down the hall.


“I have a sudden urge to snog my girlfriend senseless,” Ron shouted over his shoulder.


“Well, that was more information than I needed to know,” Ginny said, coming up behind Harry. “Hey,” she said, stepping up on her tiptoes to kiss Harry who was looking bemusedly at Ron’s retreating back.


“Hey yourself,” he said, turning to grin down at her.


“So, what are sending?” Ginny asked, peering over Harry’s arm to the parchment he held.


“It’s an order,” Harry said, folding the parchment up. Patting his robe pockets, he grimaced. “Do you have a quill?”


“Uh, yeah, here,” Ginny said, rummaging around in her book bag. “Order for what?”


“Satisfaction,” Harry said as Hedwig flew down to sit on Harry’s shoulder. “Here, can you tie this on her leg?” he asked as he scratched Hedwig’s head.


“This is to Fred and George,” Ginny read. “Harry James Potter, you’re up to no good, aren’t you?” she surmised, her eyes narrowing. Putting her hands on her hips, she tapped her toe expectantly.


“Perhaps,” Harry grinned at her, looking so pleased with himself Ginny couldn’t help but giggle.


“So,” Harry said, reaching out for Ginny’s hand. “What did you come all the way up to the Owlrey for?”


“Besides missing you?” Ginny teased. “I have a letter to send to Mum,” she said, pulling her hand back and reaching into her robe pocket to pull out the note. “And I did want to talk to you.”


“About what?” Harry asked, as he watched Ginny tie the note to one of the school’s barn owls.


As the owl flew off, Ginny linked her fingers with Harry’s and tugged him toward the doors. “We need to go someplace.”


“Where?”


“I’ll show you. And on the way, you can tell me why you are writing my brothers. Come on,” Ginny said, pulling Harry after her.


+++++


“You wanted to bring me to the girl’s bathroom?” Harry asked skeptically.


“Not just any bathroom,” Ginny said.


“Hello, Harry.” A misty voice floated out of one of the bathroom stalls followed by a young female ghost wearing glasses.


“Hi, Myrtle,” Harry replied, his eyes not leaving Ginny’s face.


“You haven’t come to visit me in a while,” Moaning Myrtle complained. “Too busy to visit me now that she is hanging all over you?”


“Myrtle, don’t you have a u-bend someplace you need to go flush out?” Ginny asked annoyed.


“Oh, fine,” Myrtle spat. “This is my bathroom, but could you be nice and polite to me? No! Harry, next time you come visit, leave your girlfriend at home!”


With that, the off balanced ghost dove into the nearest toilet spraying water out over the floor. Harry sidestepped the puddle racing toward his shoes and looked up expectantly at Ginny. Ginny stood there, her hands clenched, her brow furrowed, biting her bottom lip. Harry realized she was nervous. Reaching out, he took her locked hands in his and smiled.


“What’s up, Gin?”


Ginny took a deep breath. “Harry, I’ve been having dreams about the Chamber again.”


“Really? How many? What are they about?” Harry asked, concern flooding his features. “What’s Tom doing to you?”


Ginny shook her head. “No, Harry, it’s — it’s not like that.” Ginny pulled her hands away and tucked her hair behind her ears. Starting to pace, Ginny began to gesture with her hands like she always did when she told stories. “They started after we got back. At first they were dreams of what happened my first year. Then, it was strange, they — we became older, like we are today. Then, Tom disappeared and Catarina was there.”


“Catarina became Tom?” Harry asked confused.


“No, I don’t think so,” Ginny replied. “Catarina was there to tell us something.”


“Tell us what?”


“That we should do the bonding in the Chamber of Secrets.”


Harry’s mouth dropped open as he stared at Ginny. “She’s batty,” he said incredulously. As the words left his mouth, Harry cringed. “I’m sorry, Gin. I know how much she meant to you. I didn’t mean that.”


“That’s alright, Harry,” Ginny replied. “I thought so too. But now, I think she might be right,.” Ginny said, taking a step toward him.


“But, our place, it’s supposed to be a spot that —“


“A spot that means something to both of us, a spot that links us,” Ginny finished for him. “What place in Hogwarts links the two of us better than the Chamber of Secrets?” Ginny took another step toward Harry and rested her hand on his arm. “Think about it, Harry. In a sense, that is the place we first bonded.”


Harry stared at her. This just sounded like a bizarre joke to him.


“In my dreams, Harry,” Ginny continued softly, “the last one I had, Tom was no longer in it. It was just Catarina. She was saying, ‘Here.’ I think she was trying to tell me — us that if we bonded in the Chamber, Tom wouldn’t have power over us there anymore.”


Harry’s eyes darted to the sink which was the entrance to the Chamber. Despite all the other things he had experienced in the wizarding world, this was just downright…well, creepy. But even Harry had to admit, it made sense.


“We’ll have to tell Professor Borgin and Dumbledore,” Harry said, his eyes turning back to Ginny.


Ginny nodded solemnly. “And we have to figure out a time to do it,” she said. “A time when opening the Chamber won’t be noticed.”


Harry thought about it for a moment. “Well, Madam Pomfrey said it wouldn’t be mid-October until my magical reserves would be back to normal.”


“At the last prefect’s meeting, you remember it was suggested the Halloween Feast be a Halloween Ball?” Ginny mused. “Everybody else will be busy with that. We could do it then,” she suggested.


Harry thought for a moment and nodded his head. Then he sighed dramatically.


“What?” Ginny asked.


Harry shrugged his shoulders. “I guess that means I have to be your date to the ball,” he replied. “And here I was hoping to ask Hannah Abbott — oof!”


Harry doubled over in mock pain as Ginny swatted him in the stomach.


“I’ll be your date to the Halloween Ball,” Myrtle offered from a stall two doors down.


Harry looked up at Ginny for help but she just smiled at him and waved as she backed toward the bathroom door leading out to the corridor. Harry glanced back at Myrtle who was floating expectantly toward him.


“Uh, thanks, Myrtle, I’ll keep that in mind,” Harry said, backing toward Ginny a few paces before twirling around to run after her. As the bathroom door swung shut behind him, Harry heard a frustrated shriek and the sploosh of toilet water landing on the floor. Looking down, he saw the puddle swelling under the door and surrounding his shoes once more. Ginny giggled from across the corridor.


“Thanks for the support, Gin,” Harry said, shaking off his shoes.


“Anytime, Harry,” Ginny smiled. “Anytime. Come on,” she said, holding out her hand to him. “Let’s go find Professor Borgin.”


+++++



“Halloween,” Professor Borgin nodded. “I like it.”


“Good,” Ginny said smiling at him. “Then it’s settled.”


“But, ah, Ginny, Harry,” Nathan said, sitting down behind his desk, “I wouldn’t say anything to anyone else about this — not even Ron and Hermione.”


“Why?” Ginny asked. “They won’t tell anyone.”


“I know they wouldn’t,” Professor Dumbledore said from the doorway, “however, in this case, the fewer people who know about this until after it is over, the better.”


Harry looked suspiciously over his shoulder at the Headmaster. “Why?” he asked slowly.


“It has to do with your mother, Harry,” Dumbledore said calmly, entering the office and closing the door behind him.


“My mother?”


“Lily was an exceptional witch with a very strong desire to protect her family,” Dumbledore nodded, coming to stand next to Harry. “Harry, you know that at the time of her death, your mother was able to cast a spell that protected you from Tom’s curse.”



“Yeah,” Harry answered. “I’m aware of that.”


“This might be because at the time of her death,” Nathan said, “your mother was researching such protection. There is a bond that is formed between mother and child while the child is in the womb.”


“That’s what you read about, Harry, at Catarina’s,” Ginny said, looking between Nathan and Harry.


“You were reading about it?” Dumbledore asked mildly.


“Uh, yeah, I found a book at Catarina’s on it. It described how my mum was able to protect me because of the blood we shared when she was pregnant with me.”


““The Force is Within You — The Ancient Practice of Protecting the Ones You Love.


Harry looked up at Nathan in surprise. “Yeah. How did you know?”


“The author is a man by the name of Jonathon Patterson.”


“Patterson? As in Anna Patterson?” Ginny asked.


“Jonathon was her father,” Nathan said, leaning back in his chair behind his desk. “Jonathon Patterson was a curse breaker by day and a spell researcher by night. His specialty was blood protection. Your mother contacted him with some questions regarding some research she was doing.”


“How do you know this?” Harry asked, leaning forward.


“Your mother sent Jonathon Patterson a letter and a key to a Safe Box where she had put her research. Anna found it when she was packing up her parents’ flat after they passed away this past summer. She and Bill were on their way to take it to the Order when Diagon Alley was attacked. When they ended up here at Hogwarts, Anna shared it with me.”


“What kind of research was my mother doing?” Harry asked, interested.


“Your mother was researching how far the mother — child bond would go. She was researching what is known as Sanguis or the study of Progeny Magic.”


Nathan looked between Harry and Ginny and almost smiled. He’d never seen blanker faces.


“Sanguis,” Nathan continued, “is the study of blood relationship and the power that it holds. As is the case in all Ancient Magic, Sanguis is centered on blood, namely life-blood or the blood that gives you life - your mother’s blood. It is how your mother was able to protect you from Voldemort as a baby. It is also how Dumbledore was able to place you in your Aunt’s care and know you would be safe.”


“Harry, according to the research your mother left Jonathon, she was researching if the blood bond between mother and child could be extended to other family members.”


“Which as you know, it can, as in the case with your Aunt,” Dumbledore explained. “Your mother also touched on the possibility of such blood protection coming from a non-relative and being strengthened by an emotional bond.”


“That sounds like a blood bond,” Ginny mused.


“It is very similar,” Dumbledore nodded.


“In the case of a blood bonding ceremony,” Nathan stated, standing up from his chair and moving around to the front of his desk, “the tie between mother and child is weakened because the blood is altered.”


“It has been mixed with other blood,” Harry said, recalling Catarina’s comment about the blood she had bonded with in Tom Riddle being polluted with his blood.


“Exactly,” Nathan nodded, leaning his palms against his desk.


“Which would mean Harry won’t be safe at his Aunt’s home once we’re bonded,” Ginny deduced, looking worriedly at Harry.


“True, however,” Nathan said, “he will be just as safe, if not more so, once he is bonded with you, Ginny, as long as you two reside under the same roof.”


Ginny blinked at Nathan, her cheeks growing red. “We have to live together?”


Dumbledore chuckled. “Hogwarts has a pretty large roof, Miss Weasley.”


“Oh,” Ginny said embarrassed. “Right.”


“I’m not sure I understand,” Harry said. “Being bonded to Ginny gives me the same protection?”


“Yes — and more,” Nathan explained. “Mediator or not, all mothers protect their children, thus Ginny is protected by her own mother. When Ginny bonds with you, the blood protection offered by that bond flows through you, giving you the protection Molly Weasley gives Ginny. On top of that, your love for each other, strengthens that bond, thus strengthening the protection.”


Harry sat in his chair, letting the words soak into his mind. The blood protection his mother had given him would be reinstated because this incredible witch sitting next to him loved him. A little stunned, Harry turned to meet Ginny’s eyes. Ginny giggled.


“What’s so funny?” Harry asked.


“Mum always wanted more kids,” Ginny said grinning. “Welcome to the family, Harry.”


Harry chuckled. “Thanks.”


“That being so,” Nathan said, “we need to keep this information to ourselves. I know Ron and Hermione would never tell a soul, however, this bonding needs to happen without issue.”


Harry and Ginny nodded.


“Very good, then,” Dumbledore commented and turned to Nathan. “So, Nathan, have you thought about a date to the Halloween Ball?”


“Date?” Nathan replied dubiously.


“I understand Anna Patterson is quite the dancer,” Dumbledore said reaching for the door knob. “You might want to ask her before I do.” With a wink at Harry and Ginny, the Headmaster exited.


Harry and Ginny looked back at Nathan and grinned.


“Don’t even start, you two,” Nathan cautioned. “Don’t even start.”



++++





A/N — Apologies for the delay in posting. Life, summer, computer crashes, Book 6…


My thanks to wvchemteach for all his collaboration help.


Many thanks to Anya as well for beta-ing this while standing in line to buy Book 6 — why she wasn’t reading HBP, I’ll never know.






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Sink Into Your Eyes is hosted by Grey Media Internet Services. HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related characters are trademarks of Warner Bros. TM & © 2001-2006. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions on this site are those made by the owners. All stories(fanfiction) are owned by the author and are subject to copyright law under transformative use. Authors on this site take no compensation for their works. This site © 2003-2006 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Special thanks to: Aredhel, Kaz, Michelle, and Jeco for all the hard work on SIYE 1.0 and to Marta for the wonderful artwork.
Featured Artwork © 2003-2006 by Yethro.
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