'' The unwritten law of triage is knowing when nothing else can be done, and actually accepting that. ''
~ A.K. Lovell ~



Chapter 24 ~ The blackness consortium


Dublin, Hibernia. Population in inordinateness of 450,000 Muggles, 1,240 witches and whiz, and 451,240 innocents.

Since mediaeval times the locus had served as the capital of the free standing Republic. The Black Pool, or so the Anglicism had stated. Now the expanse of land it rested upon stood as one of the most populated pockets of isolation upon the globe.

An island.

5.8 million Muggles in the Republic of Hibernia alone, another 1.7 million in Northern Ireland, and upon the full United Kingdom land mass, 4,694 organism of sorcerous declination.

The island contained the largest percent of charming beings per capita of any place on earth.

It could soon contain the humiliated.

At the mouth of the River Liffey, the bustling black Pool of DoC lay in postponement, as did a woman clad in the disgusting bench vise of Muggle clothes.

The rain had let up considerably in comparison to the early morning pelting, yet the harsh drizzle did nothing to mar the once spectacular dish as she stood alone upon the Lucan span, dingy fuzz flowing in the nothingness like a canvas Born of the Renaissance.

In truth, had one possessing the skill sat to immortalize her endorsement, it would have born striking similarity to a painting that had once attend 100 earlier upon the inlaid wall of Sarsfield castle.

The lonesome dissimilarity between the canvas tent lay in the instant detail of the subjects'hired hand, her pale, refined fingers gently uncorking a assoil vial, tilting it 's contents over the ancient brick viaduct until they churned upon the twist disquieted water below.

As the woman disappeared, seemingly without a hint to the heart of Muggle passersby, the beginnings of the curse word began filtering into the water organisation of downtown Dublin.

The blackness syndicate would soon reawaken a Black pest.
* * * * *


Love.

Because of it cities have been erected, and fallen. Homes have been made, and broken. Mere individual have been resurrected, and forgotten.

It holds the capableness of silencing the potent, immortalizing the weak, dashing the dearest of aspiration and destroying the darkest of fearfulness. It 's see-through power is unfathomable, and it is due to this overcome emotion that the human spirit is capable of being broken.

For one raven haired man, the pressure born of hate and preserved by his love was upon him as it had never before been. The blank shell, deadened optic of Seamus Finnigan haunting him even as he breathed in the reassuring presence of the Whitney Moore Young Jr. girl clutched in his arms, his nerve turned from the humankind to bury against her tegument, his only respite from the cruel reality that was his infernal region, and life.

It has been said that it is only strength of character that separates the sapless from the warm, for their ability to cast notion, attachment, and love aside… Therein rests their unfaltering ability to do what must be done, in the darkest of times.

Wordlessly the girl had taken him by the hired hand, silently leading him through the thickly brushwood and bramble, disregarding the way the uncouth briar tore her skin, snaring her clothing. Her silhouette seemed incapable of impression, and the offspring man 's invidia of her skill was thickening, for each thorny pricking dragging across his skin sung the guilt he felt, crying for his intercession in what they had left behind in Hogsmeade with the tug of a portkey.

The man felt guilty of forsaking, and murder. Though in his mettle, he knew which was worse.

The young man had been forced to depart his protagonist in the rapidly growing battle primer, for Voldemort 's immorality had reared again, and again he had come out upon the less face, trapped as he was in the darkened woods, incapable of helping anyone.

How was this piteous wizard supposed to defeat the darkest of them ?

It has also been said that strength of character is best not determined by one 's apathy, by their ability to outstrip themselves from the place at hand, but by their power to finger the supplication of the debile as if they were their own burdens. For it is in these individuals that the rarest of soul are found, for the few who walk upon the earth with burdened and broken souls are often the most capable of loving, and saving the rest of us.

His footsteps were sinking into the damp earth, following in the girl 's racecourse as they pushed their way through the brush, stumbling into a belittled moonlit clearing, a murky pocket billiards of H2O collecting near its edge.

It was perhaps the saddest, and roughshod of satire, that the two brave mortal standing deplumate and battered, bathed in the blueing hue of moonshine filtering between the night sky 's mottled clouds, were the perfective tense illustration of both incline of the spectrum.

Both had been through hell itself, and survived, yet only one had come out fully open of loving, despite the world crashing around him.

The other was still learning, and it would perhaps be the breaking of the other besides her that would finally teach her how to again, care without restraint.
* * * * *


Oct 31st, Hallowe'en, 1996.

It would forever stand as the day of infamy, as the night when Aurors had fallen upon the town in striking force, scattering Death feeder to the far flung recession of the Earth, to wherever their alcoves of prophylactic lay, leaving the scarcely stained Greenwich Village under the legal power of the Ministry.

There was much to sort out.

It had taken so long for them to reach it 's habitant, for Hogsmeade had not been the just township to fall down under onrush this day. And being the only all wizarding village in England, the Aurors had came to it 's aid last, for Muggle areas had few defenses, while the citizens of Hogsmeade had at to the lowest degree been armed.

Unlike the destitute Muggles who had been found, lifelessly sprawled upon metropolis streets, magical beings had held the might to struggle back.

And fight they had. As the Aurors had spilled forth from the forest the villagers had risen up, only for those drabbed in the visage of hell on earth to melt as quickly as they had come.

No others had been capable to conquer the anti-apparation wards that had been erected, but the Death eater had found a way.

Throughout the UK, from Dundee to Belfast, from Diagon Alley to capital of Ireland 's Aingingein marketplace, from the Orkney islands above Scotland to the towns bordering the English communication channel, sorcerous recesses of homes and existence, small scoop of isolated homes and adept, and places of commerce had been taken over.

They had all been targeted, held confined until night had fallen, and each surviving being of magical decline present professed to bear felt the same upshot. A cold, spoilt than death quickening of the rakehell that had seeped into their very souls, raising the shackles of animals and hair's-breadth of humans, eliciting the screeches of bird of night and cry of children had fallen just at dusk, and for those present the sentence falling immediately after, as township had risen up in defense, fighting back as the Death eater fled and Aurors arrived, it would be remembered as the time of quiet.

Something had happened that day, for the Death eater had swarmed into the villages and private nursing home, avoiding only the Muggle public, and killing only those Muggles who strayed in their way, and the few wizards and Wiccan who had persistently fought back before the arrival of the Aurors.

Thirty four dead, one hundred and sixty injured, and that was in England alone.

Most had been Muggles that had strayed in the legal injury topographic point at the wrongfulness time.

Seamus Finnigan had been amongst the fallen, the sole inexperienced person to give birth died in Hogsmeade, killed by the killing swearword erupting from the Imperioused baton of Ginerva Molly Weasley.

Ginny Weasley now lay, near catatonic with the sorrow of her natural action, with the knowledge of her unwillingly dealt sins, in the hospital flank of Hogwarts school day of witchcraft and genius.

She had been able to oppose strongly enough to carry through her chum from the killing curse she had fired upon him, but she had not been strong enough to lay aside her boyfriend.

It was a thought that would haunt her for the residue of her life, and while she remained silently mute under the care of Pomfrey, Dean Thomas sat upon the cold corridors of the hospital offstage 's hall.

The racket of the foyer was deafening, reverberating with the phrenetic footstep and echoes of frantic parents unable to settle their child. Very few had taken acceptance to Dumbledore 's assurances that there were only three baby within the hospital wing, two of whom Dean treasured above biography itself.

He hardly felt the hurting as another tumid Father of the Church trampled upon his invertebrate foot, and he pulled his legs closer to his dresser, wishing to sink into the wall for all he was deserving.

Seamus was gone ...

Ginny was no longer oral presentation ...

Kalliandra, Harry, and Hermione were missing ....

And no one was letting on what had happened to Ron ....
Silently tears of disgrace poured from his centre, the newly appointed Gryffindor beater finally succumbing to the overpowering emotions.

It was then that the sandy haired mother of Seamus stumbled into the hall, nearly knocking Luna Lovegood to the floor, her damp heart remarkably similar to how Ginny 's had been when he had found her, crumbled and shaking besides Professor Tres'unconscious form in the kitchen of Madam Puddifoots.

Pressing his frontal bone to his knack up knee joint, shame dealt it 's terminal shock, for he now knew the truth.

He was going to hell, if this was not already it.
* * * * *


Somewhere, deep in the forest, Harry calmly observed the sky. The autumn leaves struck a stark line to the night 's dark backdrop, and deep Gy cloud blotted out all illusion of starlight, save for the few unyielding speck and the sliver of moonlight fighting their way through the mottled pile.

It was exquisite.

Though no amount of stunner, nor staring, could drive the disturbing thoughts from his mind for long, and with a vacate sigh he knelt before the little pond, his knees sinking into the tone down earth besides Kaylens.

'' Are you okay ? ``

He heard her news, yet failed to respond. Instead his eyes remained glued to the fluctuation personage upon the water 's surface. Staring back at him were the accusatory plug center of one whose be intimate single were either gone, or in risk. The man in the musing was one he did not recognize, for it was a man who had killed without sorrow, and who would do it again.

The inky nigrify figure of speech was revealing how he had become all he had once abhorred, and it was a thought for which he was ill prepared.

Never looking up, he finally spoke.

'' No. ``

His cupped hands plunged into the leap, scattering the damnable reflection from its surface, rippling the weeds extending near the early embankment.

A retentive clip passed, the sound of Inner Light splashing besides him mingling with auditory sensation of the Night, as they both rubbed the stemma from their paw in the icy water.

Upon its inky surface his reddened pedigree swirled, pooling from his reopening wounds. Though the botheration was something that could not turn over him, numbed as his sess were from the hypothermic waters.

It was the touch sensation of her work force carefully wrapping around his own, that finally pulled him from his penny-pinching cataleptic state of matter. His middle rose from the body of water he had hoped to drown within, falling to rest upon her becalm countenance.

Her crystalline eyes held his, concern flickering in the dull Moon.

'' We need to do something about this. '' She whispered, her breath crystallisation upon the cooling air.

There was no doubting what she meant, for his deal were pained at her simple cutaneous senses, intertwined as they were with her cold ones, beneath the dense spring 's open. He reveled in that secrecy, grimacing only as she forcibly withdrew his hands from the mercifully numbing waters. The rough sting of the cool night air sent pinpricks of infliction shooting through his wounds, burning his branch in a way contradictory to the evening 's breeze.

The barest trace of disorder lingered upon her concerted face, for she was studying the slice along his callous manpower, the unity he had received as he fought to cut the attachment binding them within Rosmereta 's small pub.

That small pub now held some of the most important masses in his life, and he had never felt farther from it.

The tart sound of cloth ripping catapulted him from the ill fated road his thoughts were traveling upon, and where his hands had just been, enclosed in her own, now lay a strip of shredded material. She had torn a tittle of cloth, from his cloak, and was wrapping it tightly around his palm, winding it up and over his wrist where the deepest of wounding stretched.

Cringing he did not impede her concentrated progress, though his voice betrayed his skepticism. `` Do you have intercourse what your doing ? ``

Sparing not a word, the last landing strip was tugged tightly in stead. With a satisfied sigh she tilted her head to the position, a rummy construction befalling her. `` Well… '' She replied faintly, her cold thumb tracing along his pelt around the makeshift dressing. `` You 'd better Hope so. ``

He scowled at her, flexing his carpus testingly. The movements were buckram, but would suffice.

'' Not bad… '' He muttered, glancing at his rupture sleeve. `` Just had to destroy my cloak did n't you ? ''

'' Hmph. ``

She offered no boost reply, lazily trailing her bridge player within the poise amniotic fluid once again, her eyes falling shut.

Unconsciously his eyes were drawn to her, following her hands casual progression upon the glistening piddle, and for the first time he noticed the ambling drama of magic before him, for her digit were playing lithely across the H2O 's dark control surface, a wearisome gleaming radiating at the threshold where the stable surface finally broke, allowing her fingers unveiling, rose up from its depths.

He regarded the interplay, a slow curiosity rising as flecks of conjuration trailed beneath her workforce, coloring the light protrusion she was creating. Ripples, swelling out in sequent rings, bore the sparkling only a stint agency before the brightness tumbling within the waters faded away.

And it was not for the first time, nor for the last, that he again realized how little he still knew about the magical world.

He leaned towards her, curiosity crossing his features, for how could the girl who could not incant perform the display before him ? His interrogative rolled from his lips quietly, and though her human face remained averted from his, her reflection upon the rippling water betrayed her faint smile.

'' What are you doing ? '' Was what he had whispered, steadying himself with one hand upon the dew stained green goddess.

Her hair fell loose from behind her articulatio humeri, tumbling to veil her face. `` You know… '' She replied softly, `` I 'm not entirely certainly. ``

'' Experimental conjuring trick ? And you call me reckless ? ''

'' Well… '' She whispered, her reflexion grinning, `` Insane is probably a salutary term. ``

'' A compassion then. '' He quipped lowly, looking across the H2O, its very surface vibrating with life sentence. `` For we 're trapped in the Grant Wood without a likeness of sanity between us. ``

She murmured in agreement, withdrawing her fingers from the water, flicking the clear droplets from them in his commission.

His oink of protest was ignored, for her sleepless eyes had flickered out across the rippling urine, gazing searchingly into the shadowy forest. And for the thousandth time since their first confluence, he wondered if she could see things he could not.

As if in response to his cerebration, a light furrow creased her brow, barely discernable as the clouds moved to overcloud the cool moonlight, throwing shadows across her physiognomy. And as a gentle breeze sent the vibrating reed protruding from the embankment swaying, her demeanor stiffened, her shoulder joint relaxing only with the cessation of the plant life'hypnotic question.

'' Jittery ? ``

His dubiousness was met not with the expected disdain, but with something else.

'' Yes. '' She whispered darkly.

Her cold modulation were disturbing, and his eyes joined hers in sweeping the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree cable for any sign of malevolence. Yet just as before, when he had checked upon their comer, there was none to be found.

A sentiment occurred to him, and finally after the wind had risen in chroma, sending the beating-reed instrument tips tilting so as to dip into the pond 's surface, he spoke it aloud.

'' Are you familiar with port samara ? ''

She turned a questioning saying to him, her whisker scattering like a feathery halo about her typeface in the blustery snap. Such was the disturbance of her buddy-buddy mane that he could not assure whether she nodded yes or no until it had died down.

Only then did it occur to him that the object of their very displacement could also be the object of their rescue. His hands scrambled in the deep folds of his boneheaded cloak for the Kunnskap, and finally he dumped it upon the moth-eaten earthy mud, taking care to never allow it 's dulled golden range of mountains to touch his flesh.

Kaylens centre filled with understanding, `` It 's how we got here. ``

He nodded, reaching for her bridge player with his bandaged one. Though when his fell atop hers, she did not remove it.

His eyes caught hers, `` reliance me. '' He whispered.

Steadily the faltering within her oculus vanished, and slowly she turned her paw around, allowing his fingers to interlace with hers. Squeezing her script as gently as his limited mobility allowed, he guided her to the Kunnskap with him.

'' Take it with me. ``

His eyes having never left hers, he saw that she understood his meaning, for the Kunnskap had been their portkey there, and had it been somehow re-activated, they could shoot it back to Hogsmeade together with a simple cutaneous senses of their digit to its surface.

He absolved to never give her alone, not anywhere, not ever again.

With baited breath they touched the chain.

Nothing.

Sharing a half discomfited, half relieved smile, they exhaled the hint they had both been holding.

As he re-gathered the chain in his hired man, she was the number one to break the impenetrable silence.

'' Your portkey does n't seem to be working. ``

He cast her an irritable coup d'oeil, examining the runic letter carved into the pensieve 's ampoule. Unsurprisingly, not one portraying cast a whit of Light onto the spot at script. Maybe, just maybe, he would take Hermione up on her pass to instruct him ancient runic letter when they returned.

'' It must be conditional, '' He finally decided. `` It 's the only solution. ``

At this Kaylens'brow creased critically, and he explained further.

'' You know how about port key are touch on medium, taking citizenry back and forth between two places ? ``

Her head bobbed lightly, another cold gust sending her haircloth awry. This time she did not rag fighting with it, and let it lie as it fell.

He fought back a small smile as her nose wrinkled, her hanker filament clearly tickling it. `` Well… '' He continued, `` A conditional port key only activates under sure fate. You can be touching it, but it wo n't demand you anywhere because its 'condition'is not met. '' He glanced down at the vial, slipping it into his cloak once again. `` Dumbledore made this for me, so I 'm guessing it activates when the wearer is in individual peri… ''

someone peril…

He trailed off, not realizing the expression that had befallen his face until Kaylens concerned Good Book drew him back to the present, away from the snarling teeth and growls of Hogsmeade 's cover alley.

He had not known until that day, until he had felt the telling tug behind his omphalus, that the Kunnskap doubled in purpose, and his oversight of Dumbledore 's secretive method of ensuring his own protection could consume very well cost Kaylens her life.

She was saying his name, yet he barely heard. For how could his life, his very existence, be worth the endangerment to others that it brought with it ?

His mouth went dry, and a cold, unnerve touch sensation bedspread through him. Forcing his centre to raise to hers, he saw the confusion swirling within them.

'' Kaylens…I didn't…. '' He was suddenly avoiding her eyes, the shame of his lapse darkening his features. `` I swear I did n't know… ''

The inexplicable urge to drown himself within the hardhearted pond took precedence, but the urge was driven from his mind by her hand reaching for his.

He found himself staring at the back of her smooth out hand lying atop his, and it was some clip before his oculus darted to behold her.

She was smiling. In fact, she seemed to be laughing.

'' It 's okay, '' She whispered, voice tinged with entertainment. `` I know you were n't trying to leave me to fend off the wolves myself. ``

And despite her timber, he felt himself picket.

'' But if I had… If it had n't snapped and you had not been holding on I wou… ''

She was positively clamping upon her crushed lip, `` Now who 's the one stuttering ? '' She intoned, shaking with light laugh.

He merely stared, feeling her finger slipping between his own, willingly interlocking, yet he was not daring enough to look.

'' Kaylens… '' He murmured, eyes shutting in bother. `` This has been a disaster. ``

'' It could have been worse. '' She whispered, the irony of her Word of God mocking the disaster they had lived through.

And then it happened. Everything he had been fighting back suddenly came swimming frighteningly close to the surface, and the abbreviated thought process of whether or not she truly meant it flashed through his mind.

'' It could bear been bad. ``

Hogsmeade had been taken, Dean could be dying, Hermione was injured, and the others like devoid Ginny Weasley, the sister he grew to have, were under the Imperious.

And then there was Seamus…

She knew about all of this, yet could sit there and say that.

Harry 's icy green eyes flew subject, narrowing onto her. `` How…how can you possibly say that ? ''

Unapologetically she held his gaze, her expression falling. `` Because it 's the trueness. ''

He swallowed, every fiber of his being disagreeing with each of her uttered syllables.

'' Seamus is short, '' He finally whispered, regaining controller. `` We abandoned the others. We failed them. Or did you bury tha… ''

'' No we did n't. ``

He stared, ineffectual to make up the rising grief and guilt that had swept upon him as suddenly as a tidal wave, with her professions.

'' We failed. ``

She shook her head slowly, jaw setting determinedly in acknowledgement of his repetition.

'' No Potter, '' She countered. `` Luna and Weasley needed a misdirection, and that 's exactly what we gave them. All we can do now is Bob Hope they took advantage of it. If we had not done that then we would deliver failed them. ``

Lifeless blue-blooded eyes…

'' What if it wasn't enough ? ``

Her eyes flickered searchingly across his face, her brow creasing concernedly. `` Do you really have that little religion in them ? ''

Her spokesperson was as life-threatening as he had ever heard it, and as gentle, yet the bitterness could not be kept from his phonation as he pulled his manus from hers.

'' I do n't do it anymore. '' He whispered gruffly, not knowing which was risky : The scathe formulation upon her face, or the cognition that he actually believed his word, for he did not have faith in his friends.

At to the lowest degree not when it came to their avoidance of bodily harm. The section of Mysteries had proven that much, for they had fought bravely, yet their ineptness… Both had fallen almost immediately, first Ron, and then Hermione.

And Kaylens… Just for being near him, just for helping him, just as Ron and Hermione always had, she had nearly been killed.

'' I 'm of no just to anyone. '' He realized somberly, vocalizing his thought process. `` Not to anyone. Not to Ron, not to Hermione, not to Seamus, not to… ''

'' What ? ``

Failing to take hold of this his insensible vocalizations of self-loathing continued, unheard to his own ears, yet perfectly clean-cut to the daughter besides him.

'' How dare you. ``

This clip he heard her, her voice vibrating dangerously, his eyes instantly flying to her furious expression.

oceanic abyss within her oculus something frightening was stirring.

'' How dare you say that, '' She breathed quietly, her left hand shaking ever so slightly.

This shaking was her alone sign of emotion, for her deadened musical note was perhaps colder than her dramatise expression.

'' In event you did n't comment Potter, you are worth something, '' She whispered in continuation. `` Because if it was n't for you your ally would have never made it out of Hogsmeade, and not only that… ''

She stood abruptly, brushing her hands on her jeans furiously, glowering down with chilling intensity.

'' If it was n't for you I would be dead right now Potter. But perhaps I do n't count. '' Her igneous middle burned a searching trail across him. `` Not to you at least. ``

Her last words were the stale of all, and the absence of her hired hand, no longer within the confines of his own, struck him in a way he was ill equipped to explain.

He had willfully pulled his deal from hers in anger.

Scrambling to his feet he closed the distance between them, catching her around the arm before she could make it any farther. She struggled, her icy glower fixated furiously upon him, freezing him to the effect, yet it did not discontinue him from pulling her to him and holding on.

He did not let go, wrapping his arms tightly around her signifier, stroking her hair until she stopped struggling.

'' I 'm sorry… '' He whispered constrictedly, `` I swear to God I 'm sorry… ''

She uttered not a phone, dropping her face against his berm, allowing his to bury within her hair. He only pulled her closer, passion sinking through him as her bridge player burrowed beneath his robes, snaking around his midsection to declare him back.

'' I never meant for you to mean ... '' He swallowed, breathing deeply as he whispered into her hair. `` To think I did n't care Kay… ''

'' Dam n't Potter… '' She interrupted harshly, her voice barely heard, muffled as it was against his robe. `` Is there anything you do n't pick yourself for ? ``

His pharynx vibrated oddly. `` Not really, '' He ground out, a hand raising to tangle within her tresses. `` Though with good reason… ''

Her form stiffened, his os frontale falling against hers as her face swiveled to regard him. Instinctively his arms encircled her shivering form ever close, prepared to do anything to prevent her from leaving.

Her glistening centre turned up, both anger and assurance swimming contradictorily within them. `` Potter… '' She whispered, `` No skilful ground exists here. You did all you could. ''

'' Well… '' He murmured gratingly, `` It 's a issue of opinion… ''

A mild murmuration of disapproval came from behind her closed lips, the changes upon her once impassive human face startling. Unconsciously his eyes fell shut, his custody moving across her back comfortingly. Slowly he breathed her in, clutching her by her jumper, twisting it in the unconscious process as an aggravate sigh escaped her lips.

Against his skin he felt her eyelashes flickering shut, her warming decoration sliding out from beneath his cloak, `` Potter… '' She whispered, rising her paw till they lay flat against his chest. `` Sometimes I really hate you. ``

Nodding against her skin, he inhaled deeply, their unresolved conflicts fading from his mind. `` You 're in luck… '' He replied, whispering despite their purdah. `` Because the flavour 's mutual. ``

'' I 'm sure… '' She murmured back, grimace upturning as a blustery autumn air current sent her yearn tresses scattering haphazardly between them. His blazon pulled her in closer, the unloosen side of his robe billowing out and enveloping them both.

For the longest prison term they stood there, him shielding her from the duskiness'icy claws, her shielding him from regression into the darkness of all he had been partly responsible for for. And for the thousandth prison term since their way of life had first crossed, he found himself listening to her admonishments.

Predominant amongst them was his newly bestowed form of address, a reach smiling crossing his aspect at the thought.

'' King of Idiocy… '' He murmured, a solitary hired man sliding from where he cupped the back of her head, falling to rest along her cheek. `` I ca n't believe you called me that. ``

The touchy finger lingering upon his pectus curled, capturing the plica of his beer stained robes. `` From my distributor point of sight it 's jibe. ``

A sad chuckle caught in his throat. `` So I 've been told. ``

'' Mrmm… '' She murmured back. `` And I 'm sure it has sunk in as well as that froth you 're covered in. ''

He shook his question, his poke tousling her hair further. `` scarce remember… '' He growled quietly, `` I owe you. ``

'' Do you ? '' She asked, inclining her top dog to calculate questioningly upon him. `` And I thought it was I who owed you. ``

Despite his deficiency of joy, he found himself smiling. `` You do, I just owe you a drink, and I do n't mean the kind in a glass. ``

Her centre shone with understanding, `` You mean the kind overturned upon my head. ``

'' Just wait… '' He whispered, his brim falling upon her exposed ear lobe. `` You 'll sit down in the Great manor hall, and when you least defendant it… ''

'' Does it count that you deserved it ? ``

His throat vibrated lowly. `` And you do n't ? ``

'' point in time taken. ``

'' You know… '' He mused aloud, `` You 're awfully conformable tonight. ``

'' Well I do n't envision being strangled by you, '' She replied truthfully, eyeing him with amusement. `` Alone, at night, in the Forbidden Forest… It 'd be quite easy for you to get rid of me. ``

His hilltop furrowed at her words, a astute expression befalling him as he pulled away to reckon her. `` We 're in the Forbidden woods ? ``

God he hoped he had misheard.
* * * * *


The room access of the entry hall needed zip to be thrown open, for in the havoc of parents coming and going, claiming their children before fleeing, the looming entry remained tolerable to all.

Regulus total darkness strode through it, robes billowing ominously in his wake, looking for all the world as if the pits itself could not deter him from his mission.

Only those who looked him in the eye would see the doubtfulness that lay beneath the surface.

It was upon the main stairway that Dumbledore intercepted them, Tonks ushering Emily and a fully recovered Kenneth in front of her, due to their slightly drugged state.

Muggle repellant good luck charm be damned, she had military group them through the Mary Augusta Arnold Ward, for here they would be safe.

The door to Dumbledore 's agency slammed shut on an indignant knocker, Regulus wasting not a moment.

'' He 's attacked everywhere has he not ? ``

Dumbledore crossed the way, quickly climbing a small run to retrieve a minor paperback, leather-bound text. `` Of course. ``

Neither of the two men appeared nervous with the other 's presence. The unflappable elder appearing entirely unsurprised by the younger 's sudden issue to the sustenance.

'' Then his design remains the same as before. ''

'' Indeed… '' Dumbledore replied calmly, descending his pole. `` It 's a shame the Ministry did not listen to the monition. ``

Tonks cast an askance glance the schoolmaster 's way, steadying Emily 's swaying configuration with a hand. `` You knew this was coming ? ``

'' I had my suspicions, '' Replied the Headmaster, squatting in front of young Emily, extending the text edition to her. The auburn haired tyke took it without a persuasion.

'' My child… '' Dumbledore requested kindly, `` Would you do an old man the party favour of reading a bit to him ? ``

Emily 's chief bobbed gently, opening the leather bound book with robotic motions, and as she began to read, the clouded facial expression disappeared from her and Kenneth 's eyes, as did their drugged states.

Ignoring Regulus'steamed growl, Dumbledore responded to Tonks questioning facial expression. `` The only way to allow Muggles to palpate at ease within our soil, short of removing the Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth, is to interpret from this Book. ``

Tonks merely nodded, while Kenneth blinked confusedly. Emily, however, had already spied a squishy looking arm electric chair and wasted no time in making a bee line of products for it.

'' If you do n't bear in mind, there is the small matter of a night nobleman to assist. '' The sneer Regulus used paled in comparison to his tone.

Dumbledore merely smiled and pointed Kenneth towards the same chair, where the president promptly passed out, his small girl in his lap. It was only then that Dumbledore 's smiling exterior faltered, something far more sober flashing behind his half-moon spectacles.

Tonks remained silent, knowing full well she would better wait on everyone by listening, for she was in the nighttime about what was transpiring. She, an Auror, was out of her realm with the find of the multiple attacks throughout the U.K., while Regulus merely grimaced, as if having long expected such an unpleasantry.

The hold up remaining heir of the Black family gestured to the sleeping family. `` He 's come after the family before ? ``

Both Tonks and Dumbledore nodded, while Regulus paced.

'' He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named may be a lot of things, but tearaway is n't one of them, '' Regulus said seriously. `` If he 's attacked them it 's not co-occurrence, it 's targeting. And I 'm bequeath to bet it has something to do with his plan of eradication. ``

Her philia fluttered uneasily, `` eradication ? ``

Regulus paused mid-stride, `` Surely your education was not that bereft of grammar to provide suited excuse for your unsuccessful person to read such a short syllable tidings as eradication ? ``

Her gloomy eyes narrowed in annoyance, her tongue held in hitch only by the discipline born of geezerhood under the supervision of Kingsley and Mad-Eye 's loose wand.

Regulus'equally dark-skinned oculus left hers duly, his tempo resumed, `` At a time He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named desired merely the eradication of Muggleborns alone. The cleanup of our creation would take sufficed, for then he would be gratuitous to prevail it. ``

Reaching the wall he did an sharp about-face, continuing undeterred upon his straight way. `` His views eventually changed and he came to hope the deaths of both Muggles and Muggleborns, and if his plans remain similar to the plot of before, the patch I failed to help in properly, than today marks the beginning of the plague. ``

Tonks breathed deeply, `` There has n't been a pest of antecedency here since… ''

'' The Great Plague of London in the seventeenth 100. ``

All eye, including the drowsy Emily 's, turned to view the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black. Though while Emily gently tugged at her dozing Church Father 's sleeve, mumbling about the picture man in awe, Regulus glared in annoyance.

'' salute granddaddy, '' He greeted with considerable sarcasm. `` As always I am fortunate to have never been forced to suffer your deplorable, condescending presence in life. ``

Phineas ignored the insult, choosing to even out Regulus by reminding him that he was his Great-Great-Grandfather, and as such demanded a greater level of respect.

'' That irritable gemstone doorknocker demands respect as well, but that does not mean we kick in it to him. '' Quipped genus Regulus, his long fingerbreadth creating a hollow melody along the shelving.

The Headmaster 's eyes twinkled at the audio of Crusantheus'protestations from outside the door. `` Your presence has charmed everyone within hearing genus Regulus, I can only trust to garner such kudos by the end of our encounter as well. I 'm beginning to feel left out. ``

Simultaneously all of the portrayal, Tonks, the doorknocker, Fawkes, and a merman sculpture snorted.

Regulus and Phineas surveyed the room with identically critical grammatical construction, glowering at those common enough to snort in their school presences.

'' I 've wasted too many class abroad to idly stand around and be chortled at. There is again, the matter of a Dark nobleman to hang to. ``

Tonks sobered immediately, her centre fixating upon the nipper and man under her protection, the ones Regulus himself was responsible for saving when she had failed.

Her mouth formed the Word of God, her emotionless clip telling of her seriousness.

'' Tell me more of this plague, genus Regulus. ``

And that he did, revealing the true understanding for his defection from the ranks of the decease eater.

'' Do you think the coordinated attacks in my youth headmaster ? ``

'' The one just before your disappearing ? ``

Black nodded somberly, `` Yes, only on a small scale of measurement than the I of today I shall suppose. On that day I was to deliver a phial into the River Thames, spreading the pestilence throughout the entirety of Muggle British capital. '' The man 's voice betrayed not a hint of emotion as he confessed his deed of conveyance, his deal clasped neatly behind his back.

'' It was only instinctive, '' He continued, `` For He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to organise attacks upon wizarding villages, entrapping the wizarding tribe within. The orders were to not kill nor harm the inhabitants unless absolutely necessity, and while the magical kinsfolk were trapped he unleashed a piece, a replication scourge if you will, one that would grant all those within the Montgomery Ward at the time of its casting immunity from the plague. ``

'' Wait…was n't there a risk of the counter jinx failing ? '' Another portrayal, one by the epithet of Dilys Derwent, inquired.

Her full cousin 's dark glare was solution enough.

'' So why peril wiping out the wizarding universe of Britain, his home, when there were other places where he may have tested it ? '' Tonks asked, directing her cousin 's dark regard from the defenseless portrait to herself.

Regulus thin lips went taunt, `` Nymphadora, you again underestimate him, assuming he places value in hook concept such as dear and home. '' His centre narrowed considerably, `` He does not, and what beneficial billet to prove an data-based vaccine if you will, then upon a populated island. ``

Dilys Derwent 's center widened, and Kenneth let out a jolting snore.

'' If the counter oath proved uneffective than the alone wizarding residential area lost would be those of the U.K. '' Dumbledore said sadly, `` A reasonable loss to one such as Tom, considering his strongest ohmic resistance has always been in Britain. ``

Regulus nodded somberly, `` If it was ineffective, only a small portion of the world 's wizarding population would be lost, yet millions of Muggles would be gone with them. And since it was on an island, isolated from the chief continent, the chances of it spreading to the other continents would be very slim indeed. ``

Dilys shook her foreland, `` Not with Muggle transferral. Now-a-days it could spread… ''

'' Quickly, '' genus Regulus supplied. `` There were plan to prevent this as well, to exclude down major Muggle transportation networks until the experimentation had run it 's course. However, what those architectural plan were, I was not privy to. We were on a pauperization to know ground. ``

hearing to the conversation Tonks stomach churned. The cold deliberation that must have gone into an endeavor such as that… The realization that masses, who harbored such lilliputian regard for human life, existed was chilling.

Her parents accounts of such dark clip were what had driven her to conjoin the social rank of the Aurors in the first piazza, even if she herself harbored no personal store of those days.

She had been only seven upon the ides of June, when the townspeople had been held during the day lit hours for reason never discovered.

genus Regulus Black was now revealing the unrevealed reasoning behind the 24 deaths that had occurred that day. For his job had been to unleash the Plague that night, once the wizarding communities had been safely and effectively immunized.

The Plague had never been unleashed, for Regulus total darkness, the trustworthy son of a noble pureblood family, had never shown. And now that same son was setting the vial, the same phial that he had kept for days in his will power, upon the Headmaster 's desk.

'' Whatever it does, it was rumored to make the Bubonic infestation seem like the flu. ''

It would be the deadliest plague to befall the planet, and according to Regulus, the same plague would have been unleashed under like circumstances.

Similar circumstances had occurred that very day, and Dumbledore was just informing them. Fawkes disappeared in a flaming puff of locoweed, sent to summons Severus and the skilful of healers to began examining the deathly table of contents of the vial.

With an blanched brass Tonks took it all in, only one thought resonating within her head.

God assistance us.
* * * * *


'' Kaylens ? '' He questioned hesitantly, waiting for some reception. Yet she only regarded him quizzically, nodding slowly in reception to his question.

They were in the Forbidden woods, and her with her foolish naiveness had not thought once to mention it before now.

They were in the Forbidden Forest…

How in the inferno could she induce know that ?

His expression instinctively hardened, as did his hand upon her, for temporary isolation within a forest was one matter, but isolation within the Forbidden forest was an entirely different matter.

middle sweeping the forest 's menacing tree course defensively, he remained unresponsive to her questioning center. His lonesome response was the slight loosening of his arms around her form as he silently prayed their condom would hold out.

Unsatisfied, yet helpless to amend matters, his arms fell to her waist, hands stiffening along her spine. `` Kaylens… '' He whispered lowly, `` Why did you not call up to advert this other ? ``

Her chest rose against his, her wearisome breath crystallizing on the cooling air.

'' What good would it own done ? '' She whispered back. `` It was n't worth mentioning. ''

Swallowing hard he regarded her through narrowing cunt. `` Perhaps I 'm wrong, '' He said lowly, `` But when something concerns our guard I 'd consider it worth mentioning. ''

'' If I had told you before, what would you have done ? '' She whispered dryly. `` We 're in too deep to risk travel, especially in the darkness. ``

'' I like the dark. ``

'' So do arachnid. ``

His eyes narrowed further, `` How could you possibly know about them ? ``

Lifting her chin defiantly she met his gaze, `` Hagrid. ``

He nodded, voice heavily laced with sarcasm, `` And I 'm for certain he 's in the practice of telling all his educatee about Aragog. ``

Her grammatical construction defied his test, for her centre told him she knew exactly of what he spoke as she shook her head. `` No, but I was like him ceramist. I ca n't do magic, just like he was forbidden to after his expulsion, so we had something in common… ''

Grinding his teeth to forestall an interjection he listened warily.

'' The only affair that saved him was being able to bring with the fauna of this timberland thrower, did you be intimate that ? ``

He shook his head disbelievingly, `` You ca n't work around them without a wand, it 's too life-threatening. And unlike you he at least had his… ''

'' Umbrella ? '' She whispered shrewdly. `` No. Not at first. ''

'' And what does this have to do with you not telling me where we were before now ? ``

'' Everything, because when I first came here Hagrid showed me how the timberland was divided into quadrants of each magic species'soil. ``

He inclined an supercilium questioningly, encouraging her to continue.

'' This quadrant is rather near their nest. ``

His stock grew stale in remembering of his last experience, hands tightening along her backbone further. `` You still should have told me, '' He whispered.

She smiled sadly, `` Since when did I have to inform you of everything within my head ? ''

'' Since now. ``

She shrugged impassively, `` I 'm surprised you did n't know. It was your port wine key that took us here, so I assumed you had known where it had taken us. ``

Exasperatedly his eyes fell shut, chest rising as he inhaled deeply, `` Did I just guess telling you Dumbledore made it ? Or did I not already relay that I had no cue that the ampul was a port ke… ''

'' You told me that recently, '' She interjected. `` We were here in muteness for 60 minutes. How was I to intuitively have it off that you were incognizant of our location before then ? ``

'' You should receive said something the second base I told you I had nothing to do with the port key Kayle ... ''

'' Considering that you were in mid-apology I 'm going to disaccord, '' She whispered, leveling her regard to his. `` It 's not often that one sees the enceinte Potter apologize about anything and I was n't about to disturb that. ``

His mitt dropped at her watchword, for the conversation had turned in a strikingly dissimilar commission. She merely took a stride back, regarding him from a safe distance with masked eyes.

'' It 's the truth potter. It did n't even fall out to me that you were clueless about where we were until a second ago. Before I was busy being concerned that you were actually capable of showing some semblance of human emotion…. '' Her optic narrowed, tint drowned in sarcasm. `` Asides from anger or suspicion that is. ``

With that she dropped down to the ground, becoming utterly fascinated by the swaying Reed as he was left with aught but her back to regard.

This was not how it was supposed to be. She was the one who 's emotions were constantly masked. She was the inhuman one, not him.

By the time he was done telling her that, in not quite succinct condemnation, he was reasonably certain that her expression would betray hostile intent towards him.

Though as he moved to stand besides her kneeling form, suddenly the escalation of their argument seemed worthless as he glimpsed her torn construction. Turning away from him, the back of her wrists began wiping at her heart.

It was a retentive metre before either again rung, the lonesome sound the ululation of the breaking wind between the forest 's trees.

'' Kaylens I… ''

'' No… '' She whispered, `` Do n't bother. Just realize that some us do not have the luxury to impart our feelings unmasked. ``

Only one word came to mind, and he spoke it, unable to articulate in any former way his motion as to why she had until this very day refused to picture any gloss of her true up self to him.

'' Why ? ``

Her foreland bowed low, the destruction of her farseeing tresses dangling loosely in the wavelet water. Finally, a small stretch of eternity passing play, she again spoke.

'' If you had the pick between keeping mass good, or putting good citizenry at risk, what would you do ? ``

Her speech were chilling, and he found himself standing still, frozen in that present moment, eye thudding louder than it ought. Never before had soul uttered the word, or given voice to the question that so oft haunted him.

Not in the way she just had.

She turned on the wet grass, her glossy ball rising in a determined way, betraying all the pain she had until now kept so carefully hidden.

'' How can you let yourself care for others, when it could destroy them ? ``
* * * * *


Dean felt abandon as he numbly shoved past the Fat gentlewoman 's portrayal. Whether the password had fallen from his brim or not was something he would never make love, and something the Fat Lady would keep to herself.

'' Neville. ``

He addressed his dorm fellow in a monotone, ineffective to seem the boy in the eye, even as Neville smiled sadly, hauling his automobile trunk down the stairs.

It was well after midnight, the majority of the scholar already gone, taken away by their syndicate. Those remaining till the next aurora, or indefinitely, as dean was planning, would already be in their dormitories.

Save for Neville, who 's gram had just arrived to ingest him home.

Neville shook his read/write head sadly, `` It is n't redress. I should n't leave like this. ``

James Byron Dean shrugged, walking past him up the flight. `` Then do n't. ``

The early boy paused in his rail, turning and nearly losing his trunk in the process. `` It 's not that simpleton. ``

Dean sighed resignedly, `` It is Neville. Just take a stand for once. Do n't back down. '' Like I did…

Neville 's human face furrowed anxiously, `` And what happens if she does n't let me ? ''

'' We are at war Mr. Thomas, and soon you will be forced to choose a face ! ``

A strong hired man stretched out to lie against the cold endocarp wall of the tower, and Dean steadied himself from the onslaught of bad memories.

'' dean what if she tries to seduce me ? ``

'' Make your choice ! ``

His expression hardened, hand leaving the bulwark as he turned to regard his nervous looking residence hall teammate, whose neck opening was craned richly to see where he stood gamey up upon the stairs.

'' Neville… '' He said seriously, his deep voice echoing upon the evacuate wall of the pillar. `` No one can make you do anything. Not unless you are too decrepit to stand up for what you want, '' His center narrowed dangerously. `` Or for what you think is in good order. ''

Swiftly he strode down, taking the stairs two at a time until he was again level with the skittish looking boy.

'' No one can thrust you to do anything, '' Dean imparted, his dark eyes squaring off with Neville 's. `` Not McGonagall. Not Snape. '' His continued, his own internal wrath growing. `` Not even Voldemort himself. ''

leaning in Dean let his shadow stare drill into Neville 's lightheaded one. `` And especially not your Gran, '' He whispered fiercely. `` No one can drive you to do something you do not already want to do. So if you think staying here is the right thing, then you practiced do it, lest you regret it later on. ``

Neville Longbottom looked at him as if he had never before seen him, and gulped apprehensively, for in doyen 's normally congenial middle there was no pathos.

'' There 's nothing worse than looking back and wishing you had done something differently. '' Dean imparted intensely, straightening as a tabby cat bounded down from the girl 's dormitory. `` And I would think that soul who could face down dying Eaters, defending himself the way you did back in Hogsmeade, would not be one for backing down. ``

With a end glance at the cat Dean trudged up the flight, hell bent on retrieving Ronald Weasley 's things. How in the hell he was to get Ginny 's was another topic entirely, but the only thing he really knew, or cared about at that moment, was the acceptable sound of Neville 's torso dropping to become abandoned on the stairs.

Later, when Dean came out of the dormitory, he would be greeted with an empty common room, Neville 's unforgiving shouts of being needed at Hogwarts filling the halls.
* * * * *


interior Harry felt something break, for Kalliandra 's Bible were hitting near to base than she could ever realize, for what had haunted him had haunted her.

Deep in the forest, the impenetrable quiet was again shattered by her cheerless voice.

'' Once someone cares for you, and I mean truly guardianship ceramicist, no amount of ohmic resistance will be able to push them away. '' Her haunting words fell to the hardhearted terra firma, her face once again lowered. `` Once you let soul in there really is no going back, and doing that… ''

She paused, Harry 's heart wrenching at the realizations befalling him.

'' It 's something I can not do. '' She finally whispered, middle again falling upon the night waters.

In that moment, the wind stirring the green goddess around his feet, he realized how abysmally stupid he had been. Kalliandra 's words had never rang truer. And though he felt as if he were missing some constitutional period, for how the words applied to her he knew not, he did know how they applied to him.

Ron and Hermione would never leave his side, not ever.

A long time ago they had said there had been a gunpoint where they could change state back, and they had not.

Harry Potter suddenly realized when that consequence had been, for both of them.

'' I think I can adjudicate the unseasonable sorting for myself thanks. ``

Ron 's boldness had glowed with acceptance.

'' It was my estimation professor. I went looking for the trolling. I had read about them and thought I could handle it. If Harry and Ron had not come when they did, I 'd probably be deadened. ``

A sad smile tugged at his heart, for Hermione farmer, knowing them as zilch early than cruel taunting son, had broken every lesson she had that Halloween night.

And she had done it for them.

The full point where he could protect his friends had long since passed. The fourth dimension where they could make been kept safe was over, and if he truly wanted them to live on their best chance would be together, not apart.

He had been a fool to conceive otherwise.

eye blinking rapidly, he regarded the daughter who had brought this to light, torn between whether to swim her or embrace her. Though all he could bring himself to do was quietly watch, paralyzed by the sheer thinking of public speaking when he was only just realizing how little he understood about her.

In that import he was struck by the intense pain he had failed to before notice. Even the fleeting glimpses he had before stolen… None of what had filtered through when she had been caught unaware… None of it could compare. Not to the sorrow flitting through in every pained crease of her eyebrow, in every rickety breath indrawn, and in every halting gesture.

The rather knit stitch, disheveled girlfriend before him, the one capable of holding so a good deal in, was suddenly strikingly beautiful.

In a moment of indecision he crossed to her. Gone was the stumbling boy who had once been ineffectual to articulate a coherent thought around saddened female person. Now, in the face of requirement, drawn together by setting, he found that his vexation suddenly lay with the only person he held the power to help.

Kaylens.

Laying a manus upon her shoulder, the realization that her cloak was gone mint him. Once he had removed it, accessing her thorax in the alley, he had never re-fastened the clasp.

It had been left behind, and in the rapidly chilling air she had let slip not one complaint.

Despite the rigidifying of her shoulders beneath his throbbing palm, he knelt down, one arm snaking it 's way around her quiver form. Goosebumps were rising across her cervix where her tresses had been swept aside, her skin far too chill for his liking.

Lowering his mouth to her ear his breathing time traced along her skin, his chin falling to rest on her berm as he spoke.

'' You 're unregenerate, missing your cloak, and did not think to say a intelligence, '' He whispered, pulling her against him, trapping her blazonry against her chest with his own. `` And….you look like snake pit, and I do not fancy having you not only nettlesome but sick. ``

'' Like hell… '' She muttered softly, her words vibrating with her chattering teeth. Casting his eye to the water he could see her reflection, and distracted reflection. `` You should see yourself. ``

'' I 'll let you revel in that torture alone, '' He responded softly, the chilling air sweeping the dapple aside once again, revealing the sliver of moon residing there that All Hallows Eve.

Her igniter strands tickled his face, his eyes falling shut as he reveled in the strange sense impression, only opening as he felt her crook to regard him.

Before she could verbalise his bridge player rose, silencing her.

'' Thank you, '' He whispered, watching the anger disappearance from her eyes. Now only confusion, mingled with mild surprise, swirled within her fiery orb. The crease of her brow was question enough, and he shook his head, mumbling how it was operose to explain, for how could he bestow the actualisation her undivided condemnation had brought.

Unable to do so, he tightened his arms around her, pulling her to her metrical foot before releasing her. Shrugging out of his cloak he spread it before them upon the cold earth, earning a puzzled looking at from where she stood, her own arms now wrapped tightly around herself.

Her backtalk parted slightly, though her protestation fell silent, for a thick woollen mantle now lay where his cloak had been a minute before.

Pocketing his wand he nodded satisfactorily. `` Transfiguration of Jesus, '' He offered by way of explanation, wrapping it around her shoulder joint, his hands lingering there. `` If we remain here, we 'll be safe ? ''

Haltingly she nodded, a golden twist falling loose from behind her ear, swinging freely in the light source breeze that cast it across her boldness, her wind crinkling ever so slightly as the tress tickled her nose.

His script rising to sweep it aside, he watched her eyes turn to the timberland, studying it with a barely concealed hungriness.

'' We 're welcome here, '' She whispered softly, `` For now at least. ``

And against every ingrain inherent aptitude, he trusted her unquestioningly.

'' Then here we 'll stay. ``

Sliding his bridge player down her arms, taking her paw in his, he led her away from the water and towards a large oak with a comfortable looking trunk.

Within bit a soft, smoke-free fire burned before them, his back to the oak and her resting comfortably against his chest, his arm encircling her tightly as she pulled the woolen blanket to her mentum, covering them both.

Beneath the woollen fabric, where no eyes save theirs could see, two work force intertwined around a golden chain, a small vial carefully clutched between their palms, just in case.



A/N : Happy Belated holiday everyone ! And thanks to IchigoPan for the endearing opening image. : )

Also, par reviewer request I shall post in the recommended department whether or not a story is complete, and the number of chapters confront upon recommendation.

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'' Freedom is what you do with what 's been done to you. ''
~ Jean-Paul Sartre ~




Chapter 25 ~ execration by choice


Some would believe that they had been condemned by fate, others that they had been condemned by choice. In the longsighted run, those who believe that exemption can only be found by the pick one makes with what they have been given, are closer than either extreme.

Those who had cared for the dead and dying during the Bubonic pestis, risking photograph so that others could be spared, made the best option they could with the dire circumstances sprightliness had dealt them. And though more than three century had passed since anything of standardized proportion had struck civilized society, story would soon recapitulate itself.

Bathed in the inky hues of iniquity, upon the shore of the River Liffey, a man with a fishing terminal smiled into the moonlit sky. The rainwater had long since let up, and he basked in the betimes dawn 's fragrant smell, enjoying the spray of the river splashing against the shoreline.

He would soon be the maiden to succumb to the world 's greatest pestilence.

He did not know this, not that early morning as he sat upon the dewy grass, eagerly anticipating the sunup sunrise he had awoken so early to see. He could not foreknow this anymore than he could foreknow that his married woman and three children would be the next to succumb, leaving their once vibrant home plate devoid of laugh, love, and life.

They would all be stagnant within seventy-two hours.
* * * * *


Neville .... doyen ....

Beneath a thick, sullen veil of russet toned strands, two drab eyes fluttered blurrily. The visual shopping mall of her genius were not cook to meet the signals traveling across her opthalmic cheek. The pain signals were still far too overwhelming.

Despite this the girl 's heart fluttered clear, peering into her new hell.

A fuzzy, rectangular synopsis, the vividness of a finely aged holograph 's page ... it rested besides where she lay, her body feeling unnaturally all upon the smooth satin sheets. Somehow she was left with the lurking whizz that everything should not be quite rightfield ... ..with what though ... .for certainly her skull was whole.

The girl 's brilliant psyche felt somehow ... violated. As if individual had been poking about within it, without her express mail license.

As if person had been searching through her most treasured memoirs ...

Again the names came to her, hitting her with the force of a heavily muscled snakelike tail.

Her pleasant delusions born of slumber were tattered, her lips parting with an indrawn gasp as the foreign, bleary room fell into focus, as did the woman resting within the high backed chair, legs elegantly crossed, a cruel, taunting facial expression stretched taunting across her brim. And like a vulture stalking its prey, the woman 's eye were purposeful, triumphal, and locked upon her own.

Somewhere in her recovering mind the young woman realized that the woman was intent on stealing her innermost arcanum, and what better moment to do so than within one 's waking bit, when their defense were the lowest.

Voldemort'ranks were cruel and calculating, containing master tacticians whom she both admired and loathed with every fiber of her being. Yet despite this admiration, she would die before allowing them in.

Silently she swore this, and in the dimmed room the daughter did the solely thing she knew how to.

She fought.

As the adult female 's self-important laughter filled the room, for the miss was no match for the woman 's training, a of the essence mistake was made, for in that one moment of underrating the Mudblood was able to press back, catching visual sense of what the cleaning woman was really after.

Lord Voldemort was in the room, unseen to the girl 's eyes, and the girl suddenly understood that she was the bait that was to entice in the true prey.

Hermione husbandman began screaming for her C. H. Best friend to block out everything Voldemort showed him.

A cruel light cut through the air, and as the girl fell defenseless to the Cruiciatious cuss, passing into another nuisance induced sleep, Harry Potter tossed violently within his own.
* * * * *


'' Sit ! ``

The small-scale of her spinal column hit the backboard of the electric chair, painfully.

Yet that was zip in comparison to what she would do to Regulus. Over the past few hours, where they had been all but forced to rest hole out up in Dumbledore 's situation, her popular opinion of Regulus had done a complete 180, followed by a 360. And now he had been assumptive enough to physically force her away from the door, which she had been using in an attempt to vacate the premises.

She felt needed elsewhere.

She snapped her verge out, aiming at her infuriating first cousin with every intention of ordering him to stand aside, when Dumbledore 's vox thundered loudly, its ancient barytone echoing throughout the tower.

'' Enough ! ``

Breathing heavily, her benighted eyes fixated furiously upon genus Regulus'complacent aspect, her voice addressed the schoolmaster. Unsurprisingly her note were lupus erythematosus than pleased at the information she had just gleaned from their impromptu group meeting.

It had been the intellect for her neglect attempts to leave.

'' Explain ... '' She spoke less than warily, `` How you can justify refusing to grant me, an Auror in subject you forgot, to retrieve Harry when you have just admitted that you know where he is ? I can be trusted to find him ! '' Regulus scoffed loudly at this, receiving a swift gripe in his unprotected shin.

Ignoring his grimace and failed attempts at dignity she continued adamantly. `` Headmaster ... one student has already been killed, and if Harry is out there alone he ... ''

'' He is not alone. ``

She closed her eyes, drawing an gravel breather between her tooth. `` Oh ? ''

Dumbledore seemed vaguely amused by her reaction. `` Of course not. He is with another student. ``

Tonks blinked, flabbergasted. Suddenly she was having a very hard time separating her sworn expletive as an Auror to do all she could to protect the innocent, with her swearword to the parliamentary procedure to commit its membership and its beginner. Particularly when that same founder had just finished informing her that he had known the location of three of the escape scholarly person all along, yet had failed to inform the Ministry official and dictate members scouring Hogsmeade of that apparently miniscule fact.

'' A scholar ... and who would that fall out to be ? '' She muttered, choosing to put it simply.

Dumbledore removed his spectacles, polishing them gently. `` Kalliandra Kaylens. ``

Her eyes widened in hopes that she had misheard. `` That missy Remus has been tutoring ? '' She nearly shouted. `` She 's practically a Muggle ! ``

Dumbledore cast a curious glance her way. `` Sometimes you may be surprised at what non-magical people are adequate to of. ``

Regulus sneered, `` Oh yes ... I 'm sure they are cancel at evading the Unforgivables of the dark Lord 's retainer. ``

'' Of course you 'd know all about that would n't you Reggie ? '' Tonks snapped hotly, ignoring the disapproving eyes of the Headmaster as she turned her hot peevishness directly on him.

'' What in the name of Merlin are you thinking Headmaster ? '' She questioned shrilly. `` You 've allowed half of the rescript to cogitate that Harry is missing yet differentiate the ex-Death Eater on the spot the back everyone is out of earsho ... ''

'' I 'm in earreach ! ``

'' Shut up !'Tonks and Regulus shouted simultaneously as Regulus practically flew across the room, giving the already fold door a thoroughly kick. Crusantheus, the door breast, could be heard swearing violently on the former side.

'' Tonks ... '' Dumbledore said, sounding slightly amused, `` I have my reasons for doing things. ''

Regulus'brow arched so high Tonks swore he must have stolen Snape 's patented look of smugness.

'' earmark me to venture a stake ... '' Regulus interjected snidely, looking pointedly at her. `` But I am guessing that Dumbledore does not believe everyone in this little bird society you have both spoken so adamantly about tonight. ``

It was ludicrous, yet she knew her cousin 's spot held a note of hand of truth.

'' Is n't it a disgrace, Nymphadora ... '' Regulus continued, pacing in battlefront of her invest pattern, `` When you can not even intrust your boyfriend bird security guard with the whereabouts of the baby chicks ? ''

She scowled, forcing herself to look away from his look of favourable position. Instead she observed what Dumbledore was doing, watching as the shaft finished penning upon each scroll, then rolling themselves in succession, the ink already fading upon each.

It was a legerdemain of the ordering, used only in times where the utmost of security measures was needed, for only those bearing the scar of the capital of Arizona would be capable to see the truth printed upon those scrolls.

The use of it disturbed her greatly, for why would Dumbledore pauperization risk penning program line when he could inform each recipient verbally via menstruum ?

'' master ... '' She said warily. `` Please let me think Harry. As an Auror you have to understand that I can not stand aside and grant Harry and Kalliandra to be put in peril. '' She stood, ignoring Regulus'attempts to parry her path, and strode straight to the window overlooking the castle flat coat. Dumbledore stood besides this same window, an odd look deepening his already lined features.

'' Headmaster ... '' She said, center shining with urgency. `` You know better than anyone what kind of people are after Harry. Just separate me where he is at, because wherever he is he could get .... ''

'' Killed ? '' Dumbledore supplied, tearing his eye from the saturnine scenery. `` Tonks, I understand your concern. Yet if we never allow Harry to survive on his own how can we gestate him to come through this war ? ``

She frowned, her silence his answer.

The Headmaster nodded solemnly. `` The meter when we could protect the children from the horrors of war has long since passed. Now all we can do is hope that we have prepared them well enough. ``

Tonks sighed sadly, watching as the quills began inscribing the names of the addresses upon the cast papyrus scrolls. Harry 's figure was amongst them, but not Remus.

turn to Dumbledore she questioned him with her eyes. `` What if we have n't ? ``

A comforting script touched her shoulder, Dumbledore 's twinkling heart again holding a signified of hope.

'' If I 'm not mistaken, I do believe you were always a strong advocate of giving at least Harry more freedom. If you had not believed him, a student, set, would you really have suggested that ? ``

Swallowing she nodded, glancing towards where Kenneth and Emily slumbered, a loud snore from Kenneth the sudden draw of her tending.

Dumbledore chuckled. `` Perhaps we ought to move them to my buck private twenty-five percent. I dare say they could possibly be more well-heeled there. ``

She nodded vaguely, and within minutes was levitating the Irish President in a very undignified way, his weaponry and leg hanging falloff as he sleep danced through the highly arch doorframe, leaving the office of the schoolmaster and entering Dumbledore 's private study.

Regulus followed behind, Emily in his arms, and the most queer face upon his face. He rather looked as if he had drunk sour Milk River containing the philosopher's stone of living. Regardless the verbalism vanished as he placed her upon the redact besides her male parent, a tone of relief overtaking him as he rid himself of the seven year old burden.

'' Nympahdora ? ``

Her hands immobilize upon the wool cover, the one she had been draping across her burster sleeping forms, for Dumbledore 's voice was no longer mightily behind her.

Trepidation shook her.

turning, as if in slow question, her genius recognized that except for her sleeping charges, that she was now alone in the way.

Both her full cousin and the headmaster stood just beyond the room 's doorsill, a look of resigned sedateness upon their faces.

'' I am sorry Nymphadora .... '' Dumbledore 's voice floated through the doorway eerily. `` But there is something I must do, and I have a feeling that genus Regulus may be the just one willing to stand witness without protestation. ''

What ritual ?

The written report 's finely chip at threshold began swinging shut.

She bolted for them, not knowing why, yet knowing there was no time. Her understructure flew across the floor, her heart catching view of the papyrus scroll clutched within Dumbledore 's aging paw, its addressee forever burning into the Cy Young Auror 's mind.

Tom Marvolo Riddle.

It was only then that it finally dawned on her ... what Dumbledore intended to do. And as she tripped, falling flat upon the floor, her eyes upturned, straining for a deal of the roof within the schoolmaster 's office.

Upon the towboat 's conelike ceiling were the ancient intelligence of power, and they were the endure sight she had before the cogitation door slammed shut with a resonating finality.

Lying stunned upon the floor her intellection faltered, for upon the parchment spring for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named an antediluvian curse word was surely inscribed. Dumbledore 's charming signature tune was the one responsible for writing it beneath the structure of power, and thus she knew that Dumbledore had sworn to meet with the most dire of villains to begin the negotiations for the surviving scholarly person of his.

Hermione Granger.

Beneath the threshold a fiery tendril could be seen.

The blood bound ritual had begun ...
* * * * *


In the midst of night lightning flashed.

trace were streaking across the priming, illuminating the night abyss surrounding those who slumbered far from the oncoming violent storm. There, cryptic beneath the darkened boughs of dark, dreams both haunting and beseeching plagued the girl 's listless turnings within the arms of Morpheus.

Yet something far more solid than the purveyor of dreaming clung to the girl, smoothing away the gooseflesh rising upon her cold skin, for even as the man she leant against dreamt his promise to safeguard was being unconsciously kept.

In his arms the girl failed to try the oncoming storm, only awakening from her cool down slumber as the calloused helping hand around her tightened, the man 's unwavering breathing falling and rising erratically, for REM was suddenly failing to suppress his volunteer brawny systems.

Something had changed ...

Kally was flung to the priming with a offset, her body hitting the dew kissed territory with forceful vividness.

coughing, there upon the ground, she scrambled away, rolling and slipping as the sky thundered, the first droplet of the icy onslaught catching her in the face. reflex action Max Born of one cruel monster 's sadism, and a lifespan of paranoia, sent her scattering from her guardian on instinct.

Sliding upon the dew kissed land, scrambling to her human foot, blinking back the dregs of sleep and the dark of Nox, her judgement finally processing what was occurring she ceased to act. Standing there with the wind whipping bitterly around her, the rising air 's chill seeping through her poor wear, she laid eye upon her unwilling assailant.

ceramist ...

The judgement numbing confusion that befell her, the form that always seemed to accompany his presence, returned as she watched him. His shining eyes closed against the brewing storm, his face contorted, and even from where she stood she could see the frenzied bloom and valleys his heaving chest made.

It was happening again, the affair she had merely glimpsed that night in the common elbow room, falling victim to it within the torch-lit corridors ...

Without rational thinking she ran to him, the one she barely knew, who had foolishly saved her biography on more social occasion than she cared to count. Dropping besides him, her knees sinking into the weaken mud, she felt her fingerbreadth stall, dubiousness gripping her cool form.

Something was amiss ... this sensation ... the uncertainty ... .it was extraneous and fleeting ...

Though sprightliness 's pitilessness had once taught her the ogre of inaction.

Forcing herself, uncoerced herself to act, she gripped his shoulders, calling his name as loudly as she dared. In the quickening breeze the blanket that had sheltered them billowed out, tumbling with the wind to lay sprawled across the wet ground.

'' Pott-tter ... '' The chill crept into her voice, the wind stealing her tidings for its own cagey aim. Slowly she watched, nearly feeling his rim moving in a silent dialogue to which she was not privy.

Beneath her digit she felt the growing inflexibility of his shoulder, a terrifying intensity radiating from him as the rain began to fall in deep torrents, rainwater splattering upon his swither dampened brow.

When the life history giving water reached his unsightly scrape, a sizzling rose into the air.

Lightning criss-crossed the night.

One-one thousand ...

Gingerly her fingertips traced his brow, brushing along his matt hair. Before the searing sensation within her flesh even registered her paw was recoiling, a repressed cry of bother caught within her throat.

In the swarthiness she could not see her reddened fingertips, but she knew the burn mark to be there.

Two-one thousand ...

articulation constricted, from what she knew not, for nothing in the magical world could now storm her, she screamed at him. Foolishly she screamed, roaring in a competition to rise above the steer as she gripped his shoulder, shaking his already vibrating physical body.

His Adam 's apple rose and fell, as if he too were screaming to be heard by one incapable of doing so.

leash one-thousand ...

'' ceramicist ... '' She questioned, knowing her voice would not achieve him. `` What 's happening to you ? ''

Four-one thousa ...

thunder shook the sky, a animal howling carrying upon the wind from a space far too close. Her nail down eyes flew to the forest, ill-equipped as they were to reveal its hidden risk.

God Remus ... where are you .... He would be capable to see, to penetrate the night 's veil.

Unconsciously, as her ill fated thinking plagued her, her fingers coiled around Harry 's shoulders, relishing the odd tribute his proximity brought in the face of the unknown.

tooth chattering she began a silent mantra.

'' One-one M ... ''

Within her ears the steady beat of her heart pounded achingly gimcrack, and further howl cutting upon the blow of the growing onslaught sent a electric current run through her cool down veins.

'' Two-one thousa ... ''

Again the sky split capable, rumbling as if blaze itself were fighting to break through, and as if in some cruel unison with the sky infliction erupted around her slender, unclothed arm.

Tight finger's breadth now clenched callously around her wrist, her free hand slipping from Harry 's articulatio humeri, clutching at his fingers, prying them away from the crushing force of his strong hands.

In the eerie light of the storm she struggled with him, his sleeping figure writhing against her as if he were a man watching, silently reliving, the carnage of all he held dear.

She too had learnt the Truth of such horrors far too young ....

A stifle sound resounded within his throat, her own constricting at the pained fold lining his sweat soaked brow.

'' Damn you Potter ... '' She implored breathlessly, feeling his unwavering grip tightening further. `` ejaculate back ... ''

Thunder clapped across the expansive sky, her breath coming out in ever clearer swarm. `` You 're insufferable ... '' She gasped through clenched, chattering tooth. `` ceramicist please ... this hurts so much ... ''

Somehow, despite the ululation of the wind, her frightened pleas broke through, reaching the God of Sleep, for Morpheus released his vice traction upon the King of idiocy 's psyche.

In a moment, in one short, sharp cramp, she was yanked against him, thrown across his stage as he jerked awake.

Frightened and cutting trollop eyes flew outdoors, staring through the cold rain at her, not fully seeing ...

Yet pain and shame swelled within them.

cough, breathing heavily from her elbow grease and up swelling of fear for he alone, her words came unbidden.

'' What happened ? ``

wink the water from his centre, his glass long since flung to the dry land, he swallowed painfully, his vocalisation coming out in hoarse rasps.

'' Kaylens ... '' He rasped, `` He 's got her. ``

'' Of path ... '' She murmured sardonically. `` Yes ... that explains everything ... ''

With appraise movements she slowly removed herself from where she lay upon his saturated stage, collapsing onto the muddied land besides him. The thickener mud rose around her, threatening to overtake her uncaring shape.

'' Potter .... '' She finally whispered, allowing her eye to flicker shut. `` What just happene ... ''

'' Do n't make me lie to you. '' He whispered brokenly. `` I wo n't. I ca n't. ``

Somehow, as she felt his form moving to shield her from the elements, she managed a response.

'' Harry ... '' She murmured incredulously, `` Then recount me. Who has who ? ``

Her optic flickered unfold, and the sharpest jadestone in the world locked onto her own.

'' Voldemort has Hermione. ``
* * * * *


Remus staggered from the bowels of the Forbidden woodland. From where he had been drug, and left.

'' You 're services are no longer required blood betrayer. Our Lord shall summon you when our services are again ... .needed. ``

Lucius'words were chilling. Though not nearly as often as his works this night.

He remembered everything ...

Even now the stemma lustfulness taunted him, alluring him with its putrid aroma rising from his tattered clothing.

Ron 's blood ...

Before him loomed Hogwarts School of witchcraft and Wizardy, his slow down gait leading him past the ragged looking Ministry officials.

He was just another injured bystander to them, and was paid no heed.

On the grounds a dusty creme collapsible shelter flapped in the violent wind, Mediwizards roaming around the porta in the canvas. Within its illuminate interior he glimpsed haggard parents lining up with their children, bags in tow, as they waited for Ministry transport away from the scene of today 's crimes.

No one would probability a walk to Hogsmeade, not now, not even with Ministry protection.

With staggering footstep Remus made his way to the castle. He had a report to make, and a sin to beg penitence for.
* * * * *


The sure thing swim within his eyes was astounding. Even in the night of night, as he hovered above her prostate grade, she recognized that.

Her lips parted, a silent inquiry unspoken as his unconnected presumptuousness settled in, for how could one eff the whereabouts of one they could not see ?

They could n't. He could n't. And yet ...

She believed him.

In the past he had been unkind and cruel, garbled and brash, and yet he had never given her a understanding to doubt nor distrust him.

Everything that had passed between them before had been the indirect issue of her own silence, of her own perpetuated Trygve Lie, of her own sins ...

He had been right to holler her a Death eater. Though she had not know of the title, she was as salutary as one.

Blinking the pelting from her heart she took a chance.

Her first chance.

'' So ... what do we do ? '' She asked.

His silence was palpable. The cracking of breaking boughs in the timberland, their tumultuous descents to the wood floor, and their last soggy smack against it were all she heard above the wind.

His jaw remained slack.

'' Potter ? '' She whispered, knowing he now read her lips, for her subdued response was inaudible.

His wet hairsbreadth swayed as his head was shaken, slinging water upon her as his muddy hand curled around her arm. `` You believe me. ''

It was a statement. Not a question.

shivering, the bone bass chill taking over, she nodded. `` S-shocking, I k-know. ``

His solemn paying attention studied her, middle moving to where his hand lay. A perplexed expression broke his quiet.

'' Did I hurt you ? ``

His whole tone carried a note of self disgust, yet the corners of her mouth tugged gently upwards at his concern.

'' C-could n't if you t-tried, '' She stammered.

A dig chortle escaped his throat, his hand rising along her arm, smoothing away the goose pimple rising upon it. `` commodity ... '' He responded. `` Because we have to exit. ``

Her face scrunched up, her blue-tinged lips no longer felt by her.

'' How ? ``

Grasping her with both custody he assisted in up-righting her, rubbing her arm vigorously. `` We walk ... '' He whispered, `` Run if requisite, and hope that nothing eats us. ``

As if on cue, from the depths of the forest 's shadows, a wolf emerged.

Her shaky breathing froze Potter 's hands upon her, his intuition alerting him of what she already knew.

'' Run ... ''
* * * * *


He wanted to lie to himself, to severalize himself that he had not committed the deeds that he had.

The truth persisted.

Remus'feet unconsciously moved down the corridor, piddle dripping in his Wake Island upon the stone story. He had not reported into Dumbledore. He had not alerted the order of magnitude of his riposte.

There was something he had to do first.

Remus pushed open the infirmary wing door, leaving a muddy impression where his hand had resided.

Silence greeted him within the candlelit infirmary, the only respite the sound of distant roar as the storm rolled south, away from Hogwarts'grounds. At the wing 's far end three curtained off areas hung stagnant in the stuffy atmosphere, yet the scent of rain lingered within his nostrils.

And blood ...

It did n't necessitate the inner eye to lie with that his victim lay nearby.

His echoing footsteps led him to the first sectioned area, where he found what he was looking for.

Ronald Weasley sat upright, gazing out the windowpane upon the sliver of quarter lunar month peeking through the storm clouds.

Remus'tum twisted rebelliously as a phonation broke the silence.

'' You want to blab out ? ``

Remus remained frozen to the spot, nodding as he felt the finding of fact of an knotty execution trial being handed down.

Remus was sure that they had already told the Weasley 's unseasoned son his circumstances, and by now the variety would consume already begun, affecting his senses ... his aroma ...

His presence would confirm what the young Gryffindor almost likely already suspected. Ron would now know the one responsible for condemning him.

Turning on the surgically clean white tile, Remus dimly remembered the reason for why the Oliver Stone flooring had been overlain with the Muggle alternative, for even a secure turn of scourgifying spells were not enough to remove the stain of stock from antediluvian stone. The past times war had brought far too much of that within Hogwarts walls, and tile was much well-situated to clean house.

Fleetingly, Remus wondered if his own blood were about to again, be removed from it.

His center rose shamefully to the boy he had cursed, his pride forcing himself to not look away as he awaited whatever hateful words were certain to come, for he was surely deserving of them.

Though none did.

'' Ronald ... '' His articulation came out thick and gravely, articulateness abandoning him. `` Whatever you ask ... This is the second clip I 've endangered you and I ... '' He faltered. `` I am meritless ... ''

It took every ounce of his rapidly diminishing fearlessness to persist standing in the presence of one he had so horribly wronged.

Lightning illuminated the room, filtering in through the hospital wing window, and Ron set his jaw. `` You did n't mean to bite me, so do n't occupy about it. ''

big H rolled, vibrating the tile beneath his soles.

Ron cringed, obviously unaccustomed to the sudden amplification of all surrounding sounds.

Such was the issue of becoming a lycan.

As the thunder diminished, his other school-age child frowned pensively. `` For the beginning sentence in my life sentence Professor.. I 'm different. '' The teenager extended five of his digits, frowning further at the sight of the abnormality lying just beneath the surface. `` Everything ... from now on ... '' He continued oddly, `` It is all going to be different. ``

ignominy nearly sent Remus tumbling to his knees. `` All because of my recklessness ... again ... you could have been ki ... ''

'' So could receive you, '' Ron cut in sharply. `` Yet that did n't stop you from doing your duty, prof. ``

In the moment of quiet that followed, the youngest Weasley son suddenly did something completely unexpected. A slow, sad smile crept across his feature, and then Ronald Billius Weasley looked him directly in the eye.

'' Whatever the reason was for sending you out to run around with those early ... '' Ron swallowed hard, `` werewolves ... It had to be important, otherwise you would n't have been there. ``

Remus remained still. He could not give into his own self-deprecating desire to grow and flee, he owed the new werewolf more than that.

'' This is a war. Before you bit me I had no real natural endowment to offer. '' The young man 's row were easy, and for once, painstakingly thought out. `` To everyone I was just ... a hindrance, just another mediocre wizar ... ''

'' Your world power was never mediocre, '' Remus interjected painfully.

Ron shook his pass, his digit scrunching the stark Stanford White of the infirmary sheets. `` It does n't matter ... I simply could n't do anything the others could n't already do better than I. But now .... ''

brightness blue eyes looked up, meeting his haunted ones. `` But now prof ... ''

Remus again nearly choked at the ill-bestowed title. `` I have n't been your professor for some clock time Ronald. ``

A rather serious manifestation touched Ron 's mouth. `` Well ... '' He said, flexing his fingerbreadth. `` That 's about to change. ``

And with self-referent fastness, right where Ron 's fist had been clenched around them, Remus realized that the hospital bed sheet now lay shredded.

Where Ron 's fingers should be, there were claws.

common cold inclusion dawned upon him, for somehow the boy had inherited the ability to transform at will, yet the bloodlust Remus felt running within his own veins was nowhere to be seen within the boy 's eyes.

All that lay there was a grievous glint.

'' My protagonist are out there, and I intend to discover them. '' Ron avowed. `` So ... ''

A fleshly timbre edged into the young Weasley son 's voice.

Blue, ovular oculus, met his own.

'' So lupine ... How 'd the Order fancy a second set of ravenous fangs ? ``










A agile notation : The medical and biota lover may arrest a few things in this chapter and the upcoming ones, so please be forewarned that any case on the part'parts regarding such affair is entirely knowing. I want to show that they are imperfect and not entirely knowledgeable about certain things. It would n't be fun if the characters never made mistakes. *cackles*

Thank you to Njhill22 for all of your help with this chapter. I may very well bear lost my sanity had it not been for the 5 am late Nox writing academic term that we had to resort to ! And thank you to IchigoPan for putting up with a bit of lovely rambling as well ! Now on with the chapter !








'' Amidst hell there is always light, it is just a matter of finding it. ``
~ terra incognita ~


Chapter 26 ~ The cause for the War



It had taken her all of ten minutes to envision it out.

Breathing heavily, her mousey hair strewn about, she again rose her leg to ram the full force of her weight against the burnt sienna doorframe. The audio reverberated throughout the room, echoing from the ancient Harlan Fiske Stone paries in a way that mirrored her increasing, self-reliant anger.

She should have known.

Cursing she stepped back from the unmoving entryway, her infantry stumbling clumsily across the uneven floor boards. Her sour eyes swept the high balk criss crossing the cylindrical tug, at a personnel casualty.

Dumbledore had tenacious since earned the claim normally reserved for Remus alone, for that 'damnable man'had thought of every imaginable escape attempt and blocked her progress at every turn. One thing was sealed : The master was surely against anyone knowing of his plan, and from the looks of matter she would not be escaping any clip soon. Certainly not in time to alert anyone before it was too late.

If only she had realized ! Then she would n't be trapped like some mythological Rapunzel caught in a hellish fag tale.

Her heart landed upon the dark window frame, her mind briefly mulling over the possible action of growing her hair into a longsighted enough plait to transport Emily scurrying down.

She snorted. Even if the Bothans were not under an fascinate sleep Kenneth would surely skin her active before allowing her to turn his daughter into an impromptu acrobatic chimpanzee. Of course Emily had seemed rather taken by that exhibit at the phoenix Park Zoo ...

As if reading her sentiment Kenneth growled a little.

Men ... She thought angrily. Even in their nap they shot down her ideas !

turn her attention to the door skeletal frame she did the exclusively thing she could think of, and rearing back her leg she charged. Only this prison term the room access swung open as if in sync with the gods of clumsiness, and she found herself sprawled across the Headmaster 's empty office.

Rolling onto her back, flopping like a fish on the floor, her saturnine eyes fixated furiously upon her cousin.

'' You ... '' She roared, kicking the door to the sketch shut with her feet. She was not tidal bore for Kenneth nor Emily to hear this if they awoke at this rather untimely time interval.

Regulus gazed down his nose in astonishment. `` full cousin were you really waging war on his bailiwick door the entire time ? You do realize that is handmade mahogany ? ``

Growling she scrambled to her human foot, `` I swear to Merlin Regulus ... you tricked me ! You allowed him to ... ''

He scoffed loudly. `` No one allows Albus Dumbledore to do anything cousin. He merely does it whether you are in coincidence with his determination or not. Surely you would be aware of that by now. ``

'' He 's ripe you kno ... ''

'' Shut up Crusantheus ! ``

genus Regulus cast an unnaturally harmonic looking at at the door as she again rounded on him.

'' He made the Unbreakable vow did n't he ? '' She demanded. `` He 's going to trade in himself for Hermione Granger if he can is n't he ? And you let him ! ``

'' Like I could stop him ? Besides, it was n't that bad of an ide ... ''

'' You could have refused to stand witness ! '' She hollered. `` He could n't have done it without one ! ``

Regulus'eyes roamed the elbow room curiously, as if she were an inconsequential bug, before his heart finally landed upon a belittled cabinet. `` Well ... '' He commented, walking towards it. `` If not I he would accept found another person to ... ''

'' The ordination needs him Regulus ! '' She shouted, tailing him close-fitting than a shadow. `` We ca n't survive witho ... ''

Regulus spun to face her. `` Do n't devaluate yourself cousin-german. From what he said he may give birth founded your little aviary constitution, but he is no more authoritative than the repose of you within it. ``

She gasped. `` You jest ? ``

The perfect picture of Stone glowered back. `` Do I look like one to joke ? ``

Her breath came in furious pouffe as he began rummaging through the contents of Dumbledore 's deceptively humble pot likker cabinet. A considerable time passing before he emerged, a pixilated, fill bloodline straining his backtalk, and a garnet hued bottle in hand.

She was barely collecting herself, her wand arm twitching dangerously as she seriously contemplated whether or not her cousin was an alien species.

'' Le Vin de Chateau Latour ... '' Regulus commented admiringly, ignoring her as if zero of import had occurred. `` Dix-neuf soixante-dix, une belle année. ``

Her teeth soil so gruelling she swore to God he would be receiving the alveolar consonant bill.

'' For the less refined in the way, '' He continued, his firm eyes never leaving his recently procured pillage, `` nineteen seventy was an splendid year. ``

A flashy pop resonated within the way, the rising hue of her cheeks evidencing her increasing rakehell pressure. merlin ... she was getting as bad as Kingsley with that !

'' This especial vintage, '' Regulus continued undiscouraged, `` Presently runs over one hundred and twenty four pounds a bottleful. Just opine what it may have run once fully matured. A shame this Latour takes ten to fifteen old age ... ''

Between her gritted teeth she managed a growl. Regulus ignored this, painstakingly choosing a rather endure and brilliant orange mug from Dumbledore 's limited spyglass selection. His nozzle crinkled in distaste as the mug 's allegory Go Cannons sparkled up at him.

'' Allowing his time of origin to go to scourge ... '' genus Regulus grumbled disapprovingly, pouring the opaque, yet red unrest into his mug moodily. `` I would have thought in effect of the old man ... ''

'' That old man has more moral fiber than you could ever wish to possess, '' She snapped.

'' I do n't doubt that, '' He replied evenly.

Her eyes widened furiously. `` Why in the pit would Dumbledore take you into his confidence ? You were a cowardous traito ... ''

Regulus'glass slammed down, shattering.

'' NEVER PRESUME YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT NYMPHADORA ! '' He roared, optic igniting dangerously. `` I am far Thomas More familiar spirit with each one of my treacherous, traitorous Acts of the Apostles than you shall ever be. But know this ... ''

Regulus'heading rose, despite his already rigidly upright posture.

'' If it were not for those cowardly deeds of mine then the Muggle world would have been wiped out a long ... time ... ago. '' He hissed quietly. `` My cowardly nature preserved the knowledge of what could get happened ... .keeping it safe until it was needed again ... ''

'' You should have come forth with it sooner, '' She challenged. `` As soon as you heard He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was back you should have ... ''

'' Oh ? '' He snapped condescendingly. `` And how was I supposed to acknowledge that my onetime slithering Lord had crawled back from the grave whilst in the Muggle realm Nymphadora ? Particularly when those of you at the Ministry do your best to insulate our world from the Muggle realm ? well congratulations Nymphadora ! Because despite Voldemort 's skilful efforts at mayhem and misery your precious Ministry has done its job well ! Not a countersign of his return leaked to me, even though I was listening for Word ! ``

Seething venomously she leveled her sceptre at him, eliciting a derisive laugh. `` Where 's Dumbledore ? ``

'' Why at a meeting with that slithering serpent of a Dark Lord I suspect. Surely you could have guessed that at least. ``

Her heart thudded unnaturally.

'' Let me out Regulus. ``

'' I wish I could cousin, '' He said, turning back to the wine-colored. `` But it was his desire for neither of us to lead until the raft was complete. Something about pesky, meddlesome, bullheaded Aurors ... ''

She growled, resisting the itch to attack.

Regulus merely snorted. `` I would think that you, being function of his lilliputian aviary bon ton, would by now agnise that he knows what he is doing. Even I know tha ... ''

Swearing loudly she kicked the wall, rattling Phineas'portrayal, forcing their foresightful dead relative to hang onto his frame 's edge for fear of being dislodged from it.

Regulus oral fissure twitched wickedly, ignoring the selection tidings that came flying their way as he addressed his cousin. `` Now if you want to demolish the portrayal then by all means, do so Nymphadora. However, in the meantime it seems that your outflank bet is to relax and have a drink, because you clearly need one. ``

Scowling she slapped the proffer glass away.

Now it was Regulus'routine to regard her as if she were an alien species.


* * * * *

Elsewhere in the castle Remus had discovered that he had developed a shadow, one with a distinct limp and a blinding jolt of red hair.

'' You 're sure about this ? '' Remus asked, sprinting around a corner with a flying Weasley trailing behind. Ron had just finished recounting what he had overheard the grownup speaking about as he and Ginny had feigned sleep in the flank, and Remus was left with an restless tone of coldness.

Not only were Harry and Hermione missing, but so was Kalliandra. Ron had had no data regarding Tonks, and knowing her profession ....

Remus had felt slightly ill at the musical theme of any of them suffering while he had strolled leisurely down the palace 's corridors, ineffectual to go faster for veneration of leaving the disgusted ward 's escapee behind, which was precisely why he had thrown a levitation charm at the young man, sparing Ron the trouble of having to fight down with his self-sizing crutches.

Molly Weasley would own him shipped to St. Mungos in individually moldable wrapped pieces if she ever caught wind of this.

Ron 's case, screwed in careful assiduousness as he attempted to avoid hitting his top dog on the roof, shot him a withering look.

'' My protagonist are out there Remus, and I do n't intend to sit idly by while the Order hems and haws over what the best course of activeness is. I want into the Order, and I want to aid. ``

'' And if they vote against that ? ``

Ron grinned tensely. `` I 'll endanger to leave them a friendly nip on the leg. After all, I 've missed dinner tonight. ``

Remus nearly laughed, caught off safety device. `` flirt with cannibalism are we ? ''

'' Nah, Snape hardly qualifies as man so I seriously doubt it would reckon as cannibalizing. Especially since he 's probable the only one to vote against me. ``

'' You 're forgetting your mother. ``

Ron paled considerably, his lentigo standing out. `` She 'll just have to infer, '' He growled determinedly. `` About Ginny too, she 'll bounce back, and when she does she can help me obtain the illegitimate child that Imperious-ed her. ``

Remus smiled sadly. Ron was more alike to Sirius than he would ever sleep with. Perhaps that, more than than anything, was why he had agreed to take Ron with him to give Dumbledore his shabby report.

As Ron had said, the safe werewolf had to stick together, and he deserved to make out of the underground werewolf activity as much as anyone.

The other werewolves could still be out there ...

The thought spurred him into a faster dash, and ignoring the Gryffindor 's sudden protest Remus began dashing down the stone corridors, his worry rising exponentially at the unnatural quiet upon the schooling.

Snapping the password he and the floating Ron mounted the stairs to Dumbledore 's office, a lush argument increasing in volume as they approached. Forgoing formality he set Ron down hastily, grasping the room access handgrip and tugging.

It was locked.

'' Headmaster ? ! '' He shouted, pounding upon it fiercely. `` Headmaster I ne ... ''

'' Remus ? ! ``

At the vocalization his fist froze, inches above the cringing bronze Crusantheus, the literary argument within the office staff abrasion to an unceremonious halt.

'' Tonks ! '' He shouted with barely concealed moderation. `` Tonks wha ... ''

'' Oh thank God ! '' Interrupted Crusantheus, moaning. `` They 've been going at it for an hour ! I ca n't take it anymore ! ''

Remus was about to ask as to 'who'precisely had been going at it when Ron 's mazed mutterings interrupted him.

'' Since when did Dumbledore get a talking room access knocker ? ``

'' Since his crony had me imported from Scotland niggling man, '' Snapped Crusantheus indignantly.

Ron bristled, `` Little ? ``

Remus dropped a staying deal upon Ron 's shoulder. `` ripe not to betroth in conversation ... '' He muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

Crusantheus'own dropped encompassing. `` I heard ... ''

'' We know ! '' Shouted two spokesperson simultaneously from the opposition side of the threshold.

Remus'pinna reflexively picked up, the familiarity of the unidentified vox unnerving. `` Tonks let us in, '' He shouted, frowning.

'' We ca n't ! '' He heard her moaning, `` Dumbledore made an Unbreakable vow and has left to speak to You-Know-Who and he 's shut away us in here ! We ca n't get out and no one can get in ! ``

It took a moment for her word of honor to process correctly, and apparently it did for Ron as well because simultaneously they both voiced aloud their thoughts.

'' What ? ``

A distinct banging could be heard from within the spot, as if individual had taken to kicking random objects.

Again, the nameless masculine part floated beneath the threshold. `` You might as well severalise them ... ''

'' Tonks who is that ? '' Remus interjected.

There was a pause.

A very yearn pause.

'' You would n't believe me if I told you. ``

'' Try me, '' Remus insisted.

'' Later Wolfy. ``

He groaned, while Crusantheus snickered. In response Ron grabbed the rapper and began banging vigorously, only ceasing the ill will when Crusantheus nearly bit off his fingers.

Remus ignored this. `` Tonks separate me I misheard ... ''

'' You did n't, '' She groaned. `` Hermione Granger is missing. '' Ron paled considerably, his shoulder joint stiffening at the monitor. `` You-Know-Who has got her, and Dumbledore thinks it 's to tempt Harry into telling him the prophe ... ''

'' WHAT ! ? '' Ron shouted, clearly having been deprived of this knowledge. `` Tonks did they chance Harry ? He ca n't do tha ... ''

'' Remus what the hell is Ron Weasley doing with you ? Is n't he supposed to be in the ... ''

'' Hospital wing, '' Remus supplied.

'' I 'd like to put him in the hospital wing, '' Growled Crusantheus menacingly, snapping eagerly with his jaw 's hinge.

'' Bugger off you rusted piece of ... ''

'' RONALD ! ``

Crusantheus bronze spit began clinking out a gleeful tune, clearly ecstatic at Tonks'reprimand. `` Aha ! punter stifle it fingerbreadth or Ms. Windpipes in there will shut you up for me before you can say Hoggy, Hoggy, Hogwa ... ''

Remus finally gave in to the itch to silence the damn matter, unable to recall. Crusantheus'sudden silence earned him a aloud exclamation as the unidentified voice from within began praising the nobleman and maker.

He knew that part ...

'' So Nympahdora you want to tell them or should I ? '' Asked the man, sounding as if he were clearly enjoying something.

tooshie him Ron made a halter sound of actualisation.

'' Sirius ? ''

A loud thump evidenced the nameless man 's displeasure.

'' If I get mistaken for Canicula one Sir Thomas More prison term I 'll hex that door knocker ... ''

Crusantheus began pounding his hold furiously, a panicked flavor in his bronze eyes.

Tonks, on the early hand, sounded like she was tap-dancing. `` Ah-ha ! I 'm not the solitary one who made that mista ... ''

'' You 're my cousin ! You have no exculpation ! ``

'' Bugger off ! We thought you were dead ! ``

'' Really Nymphadora you have no creativity ... ''

Really ... You Gryffindors have no creativity ...

Remus'mind spun, an echo from the past tense striking a dissonant chord.

Staring at the locked door something clicked.

'' Regulus ! `` He growled, smashing himself against the door. `` I swear to God if you 've harmed her ... ''

'' Nymphadora were you and your friends hit with a paranoia charm ? You can answer me honestly with wide-cut faith that this conversation will remain confidential. ``

'' Oh yes, do n't bear in mind us ! '' Chimed in several unseen portraits.

'' So you 're a psychiatrist and a physician ! ? '' Tonks spluttered.

'' Tonks ! ? '' He shouted through the threshold. `` Tonks ! What the hell is going on in there ? ``

'' Apparently an epiphany, '' Drawled Regulus lazily.

'' Shut it both of you ! '' Tonks snapped furiously, the sound of stamping infantry reaching his perked ears.

He withdrew his ear from the door just in time, its stallion frame shuddering violently as she kicked it from the other side of meat, rendering Crusantheus cross-eyed.

sepia doorway or not, Remus suddenly wondered if that were thick enough to protect him from whatever hex the pissed off Auror had in mind for him. He knew her far too well to entertain any Bob Hope of escaping completely unscathed.

Sneakily, with stealth fact mood of the low scar she had received on the Stealth and Tracking share of her Auror examinations, a scepter tip snuck beneath the crack between the door and floor.

Remus stared at this odd action at law, bafflement the name of his expression. Unfortunately he hesitated just a second too long, for a hot stream of searing twinkle suddenly ignited his trousers, a vindicated Ah-ha resounding from the pink haired wonder enchantress as Remus hopped around, nearly tumbling down the winding stairway in his attempts to duck them.

'' Made her angry did you ? ''

As Ron snickered he had to forcibly limit himself from snarling in the Weasley 's cosmopolitan direction.

'' Tonks, '' He groaned hoarsely, leg still steaming. `` What on earth is wrong ? ``

'' What 's wrong ! ? What 's wrong ? '' She clipped with disbelief. `` You show up after nearly a month and ... ''

'' Two week, '' He corrected, re-approaching the door as if it were a shark.

'' Fine ... Two hebdomad and ... ''

'' Did the thought of talking it through like rational number adults ever occur to either of you ? '' Regulus'muffled voice interjected curiously.

'' stuff a sock in it Reggie, '' She barked. `` The fanged marvel has emerged from his self-induced isolation and now he wants to recognize what 's wrong. ``

Another loud thump shook the room access, his tummy wrenching as he practically felt her leaning against the other side.

Cautiously approaching he ignored Ron 's startled stare, pressing his hands against the rough food grain. `` Tonks ... '' He whispered gratingly, `` I ... .We do n't have time for this now ... ''

'' Gee, what a surprise ! '' She exclaimed sardonically. `` Wolfy does n't have time for me, who would 've thought ? ``

Regulus emitted a low whistle, clearly closer than before. `` Trouble in heaven Lupin ? Honestly is n't she a niggling young for you ? ``

The distinct sound of someone being smacked echoed through the door and down the stairwell. The enceinte hotshot within his chest weakness to improve.

'' At risk of being hexed ... ''

Remus turned, eyeing Ron with barely concealed annoyance.

The Gryffindor swallowed loudly. `` Harry 's still out there and we have to get him. We could get off Hedwig ... ''

'' Dumbledore already sent Fawkes, '' Tonks muttered. `` He 's a dance step ahead of us as always, yet kept muttering about how Harry could fend for himself now. ``

Remus'brow furrowed. It was not like Dumbledore to leave soul unaided. Not at all.

'' Slow to catch on as always Nympahdora, '' genus Regulus remarked condescendingly. `` Did it ever occur to you that in lieu of sending a potentially retard scout ... ''

'' I am not slow up ... ''

'' Of course of action not, '' Regulus snorted. `` But rather than letting a search party gallivant around the area, risking farther loss of life, he did the smart affair. ``

'' Which is ? '' Remus could find out Tonks practically hiss through her teeth.

'' He sent the fastest messenger he could, '' He responded smugly. `` Surely you do n't go for yourself in the same class of speed as a phoenix, do you cousin ? ``

Remus'middle widened in understanding. `` He sent them a portkey. ``

'' Exactly ... ''
Suddenly everything came together, and it gave him an idea.

'' Ron, Tonks ... '' He stumbled to explain. `` I have to ... ''

'' We know, '' Tonks muttered. `` You have to go. ``

He hesitated.

'' What 's the hold up lupin, you 're quite good at that so get on with it already. ''

Cringing inwardly he turned and ran for the owlery.

'' I 'll just stay on here then ? '' Ron yelled sarcastically after his retreating figure.

On the other side of the threshold Tonks growled, dropped cross-legged to the priming, banged the back of her headspring against the door, and extended a pointed hand to Regulus.

Her full cousin smirked, filling her a wellspring needed glass.


* * * * *



Harry 's heart skipped unnaturally. His breath froze. Instinctual alarms ignited a fiery ire within him.

As if in answer his calloused clenched fist unconsciously coiled pissed around her articulatio humeri, clenching the soaked folds of her tear sweater as if doing so could somehow break up the bearing lurking within the shadows.

It could not.

A feral growl cut through the lead, the frigid breeze snaking around them, biting bitterly against his skin, whipping Kaylen 's soaked hair around her bloodless expression.

There was nowhere to run ... but they had to try.

Like a apparition sound upon the wind came the smacking of monstrous claws upon foxy mud, the talebearer strait of a beast bent on ferociousness as it stalked its prey across water-laden hunting grounds.

They were its target ...

Holding her resolute center with his, watching as her visage screwed into that of grim firmness, Harry knew he had no alternative.

Loosening his cargo deck upon her quietly heaving shoulders, watching the bloody bandages binding his palms sway in the wind, he ground out a individual bidding.

'' Run ... ''

His iniquity rustling was met with immediate activeness, for she took flight, mud splattering beneath her feet as she fled for the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree line, her shattered perspirer billowing in the wind as she went.

Lightning from the war torn promised land illuminated the bleak engagement ground, sending her shadowy silhouette stretching across the matted stretch of grass separating them.

Tensely he watched her, standing his ground.

He refused to follow.

Around him the tycoon of the storm surged, thunder shaking the ground as his scarred fist clenched tightly around the fateful feather of the phoenix that lay deeply imbedded in his faithful holly, his verge arm hanging loosely by his side.

eye blink the water from his eye he watched in tone down fascination. Kaylens was suddenly aware of her purdah, her feet halting into a tumultuous skid across the hunting ground as she fought to stop against the raging wind. The mud finally ceased to throw, resisting her sliding feet as her manakin went slipping beneath the forest 's threshold, the dripping canopy throwing dark across her countenance as she whorled around to see him.

Beneath the outgrowth her eyes flashed dangerously, for his illusion and what it could signify had finally struck her with frightening force. With the detached sense of an onlooker observing an unstoppable calamity he watched as her grade went rigid.

She knew there was no time to reach him. His ploy had worked.

Merely six cadence separated he from her, yet the distance was uncrossable.

It was how he wanted it.

thud, thump ...

The swift approach of the lycanthrope 's hook beat against the suctioning reason.

The brute was charging him, yet he did not move.

Silently his eyes plead with Kaylens, urging her to run.

thud, thump ...

She did not. Her brilliant middle regarded him with profound detriment and anger, reflecting the lightning shocking through the heavens.

Thump, thumping ...

He stood still, feeling death 's swift attack for another mo, closing his eyes in resignation for whatever would derive to pass.

It was stupid, it was brash, it was the act of a reliable Gryffindor.

He had known there was no metre for them to both run, so he had sent her unwittingly to what he could only pray was relative safety.

Thump, clump ...

If he survived this she would surely kill him, and an odd smile crept upon his cracked mouth at the fatuousness of the idea.

thud, thumping ...

All of it transpired in a irregular, his eyes flying wide as the sky split receptive, roaring as the graven image themselves sent their electric fists hurtling down to join the fray.

Lightning struck as he hit the ground hard, ducking as he felt the wolf springing into the air to take over him. Jaws snapped around thin air, right where the cover of his neck opening had been a bit before.

The skirt chaser 's arse claw slashed out, grazing his back, shredding the framework of his shirt, just scratching his skin 's Earth's surface. A anguish moan shot from his oral fissure, yet it was unheard as a perfervid dash of electric automobile decease struck the tree line with horrific intensiveness.

He was already screaming for Kaylens'to move.

A animal growl emanated before him, the werewolf 's escape ending as its colossal strain crashed back onto the earth with one sickening splat of mud and rain, its prodigious form skidding on the slick ground as if upon ice.

'' Kaylens move ! '' He screamed, watching as a fiery shower of ember rained down from the rent trunk upon her.

Her golden head disappeared within the Mary Jane, a burning tree limb crashing to where she had stood only a second before.

His tum lurched sickeningly, a choking shriek tearing through him, silenced only as the wolf 's snarling snout reared around to face him again.

His eyes darkened in rage behind his rain streaked glasses, his wand arm flying out, a cutting hex ripping from his throat as he dove to the incline, rolling in the blockheaded sludge.

A pained howl signified that his aim had been true.

Desperately, heart pounding, he again let the cutting hex fly, followed by an onslaught of silver medal corpuscle as he staggered to his base, stumbling backwards in a hysteria as the savage 's brutalized pelt sent its recoiling body to the ground.

The silver particles were lodging within the animal 's capable wounds, and the alloy 's toxicity was quickly infiltrating its bloodstream.

He felt no shame, only agony as a fiery tendril coiled upwards from the ablaze offset, igniting the douse canopy.

'' Kaylens ! '' He screamed, bolting for the tree seam, watching in repugnance as smoke began pluming upwards.

It was his flaw ... she had n't seen it in prison term ... she had been watching his personal conflict instead of running farther ...

And he had sent her there.

The noxious fumes came hurtling at him upon an icy gust, choking his lungs, and her epithet, which his back talk had been expelling, came out instead as a frustrate cough.

His glasses were somehow lost, dirt and smoke particles replacing them to cut against his retinas, a dull sensation overtaking him.

He did not see the gust coming.

A massive paw struck him down, sending him hurtling face down into a puddle, his panicked existence morphing into a watery Robert Brown blur.

His wand flew from his grip, skidding out of reach as he flailed, feeling the weightiness of the fauna atop him as it forced his body to make a new imprint in the malleable earth.

The shoal pee lapped around his spike, his mouth flapping around the ill-tasting soil, organic structure sputtering as his faithless lungs continued their ill-fated endeavor to expel the toxicant smoke exhaust from them, inhaling water instead.

The spine-crushing system of weights of the creature was suddenly dispelled, his head snapping up to gasp for breathing spell, his bridge player blindly summoning his wand to it. The wandless act was lost upon him as a beastly forepaw smashed besides his aching heading, an inch shy of shattering his skull.

Above him a new savage growled venomously.

Flipping onto his vertebral column, rolling out of the way, he saw a tree limb lash out, striking the beast hovering above him with a sickening crunch.

The second werewolf, the one he had failed to see in time, fell limp to the ground.

Emerging from the burning bay of trees Kalliandra callously threw the branch at the animal, ensuring another blow to its head as she appraised her handiwork. A 2nd later her burning eyes were fixated upon him, a raging expression crossing her soot stained features as he was left sputtering upon the ground.

'' What the Hades were you thinking Potter ? ! '' She coughed out, her vocalization a harsh rasp. `` This is the same stunt you pulled in Hogsmeade ! Are you that daft ? ! ``

Still gasping for breathing place he realized that he had been right. She was going to kill him.

A ridiculously warmly sensation flooded him. `` Y-you 're ... ''

'' Pissed ! '' She hissed exasperatedly, clearly irked more by him than by the wildcat who had attempted to produce a meal of them. `` You are individual handedly the most brash, imbecilic, self-centered, suicidal individual that I have ever met ! Next time, I 'll let the Friedrich August Wolf eat you ! ``

He blinked exhaustedly up at her, chest heaving with pained exertion as the disheveled, slightly charred girl above him ignored the insanely mud ridden, werewolf infested, aflame world around them, contenting herself with staring him down.

He could n't help it A low, relief filled smirk tugged at his back talk.

'' What, '' She grunted wearily, `` Could you possibly ascertain funny about this ? ''

He grinned. `` A lot actually. ``

Her jaw dropped, flapping soundlessly as the malarky sent sens billowing in a iniquity swarm behind her, her manus instantly rising to harbor her eyes from its thick remainder.

'' Kaylens, '' He commented, wiping mud from his face, `` You 're a rather raging individual you know that ? ''

For a second she appeared to stutter. `` Potter ... '' She threatened raspily, `` I 'm going to kill you. ``

He nodded solemnly, gingerly up-righting himself. `` Well ... '' He grunted, pain searing his shoulder. `` Get in line. ``

'' screw that. I get the for the first time snap at ... ''

Her Word of God ended in a diffraction grating cry, a chameleon-like script having shot forth unobserved in the billowing weed, snatching her dense hair within its pitiless confines. Her imbue braid were used as an anchor, the disillusioned man callously snapping her chief back to expose the slender pulp of her neck to the splintered Sir Henry Wood of a black scepter.

Rain droplets splattered eerily in mid-air against the unseen adversary.

'' cliff it Potter, '' Growled a voice as moody as the night.

The guttural growl sent something unsafe stirring within him, his forest biased eyes remaining glued to Kaylens'cringing countenance.

His brow furrowed as a unusual estimation began to take shape, his finger loosened around the holly coated wand.

'' ceramist do n't ... '' Kaylens'sharp cry was cut off as she was shoved forwards, nearly thrown from her understructure by the Death feeder 's swift prodding.

The decease Eater was holding her ahead of him, using her as a shield.

'' I said cliff it boy, or I 'll give for sure she stays absolutely this time. ''

Harry 's hand went stiff, his wand falling into the mud.

'' Attaboy. ``

The parry of the disenchantment charm was muttered as the baddie advanced through the coiling smoke, holding Kalliandra ahead of him, the flame'orange tree lightness throwing the Death eater 's nonrational case into stark focus.

Harry 's origin ran cold.

Broussard 's fellow traveller, the very one Harry had struck down with the killing swearword that afternoon, the same one whom he had left for dead in Hogsemead 's spinal column alleyway, now stood shepparding Kaylens before him.

The dead man was awake and well.

'' Ah ... .So you do retrieve me, '' The man hissed, eyes gleaming malevolently. `` Perhaps you remember my brother, Broussard. I do conceive you slashed his pharynx. ``

Kaylens handwriting shot up, yanking at the destruction Eater 's vice grip. `` No less than he deserved you filth ... ''

A crimson knee to the spine sent Kaylens crumbling to her knee joint, her phase suspended by the cauterise grip on her long locks.

'' To suffer one 's remaining family ... '' Continued the dying feeder with deadly calmness, `` In such a style does not endear one to mercy. ``

'' Now you know what it feels like ! '' squabble Kaylens, her hands clawing tightly at the man 's massive forearms as he drug her forward.

The expiry eater ignored her, his foul gaze fixated upon him. `` You 're a goosy boy Potter ... dabbling in Unforgivables ... I 'd toss off you if I could ... ''

Harry vibrated with repressed rage, eye darkening. `` Then why do n't you ? '' He challenged, `` Get rid of the spare, and it 'll be just you and I. ``

The villain laughed bitterly, `` I 'm not as stupefied as some of the other lackeys boy. You 'll possess to improve your manipulation if you expect that to work. ``

'' mulct, '' He spat darkly. `` I 'm unarmed, you 're not. Care to let her go before that change ? ``

'' Wandless magic trick is a bit in advance for you bo ... ''

Something within him snapped, the unconscious magic he had drawn upon in import of penury finally snapping into place.

A shot of energy flew through him, the familiar wooden handle flying back to his hand, quickly summoned, drawn, and aimed.

Only where the demise eater 's heart had been now rested Kaylens, for the villain had yanked her forcibly from her knees to again shield him. Her cry of pain sensation echoed through the clearing, rising above the crackle of burning wood.

'' As intriguing as this is Potter, we came to deliver a message. Nothing more than. ``

Harry 's voice dropped to a growling, `` Since when did a substance entail taking my head teacher off ? ``

The man 's lips curled into a snarl. `` It did n't. That was just fun. ``

'' A rather contrary idea of fun, do n't you call back ? ``

'' Considering what you did to my brother, I 'd say I 'm in the presence of alike company. ``

'' He 's zilch like you ! '' Kaylens shouted furiously.

A mightily yank sent her headland snapping back, his inside lurching as the resounding go of her protesting vertebrae.

'' Quiet girlie ! '' Hissed the villain, spit dribbling as he spoke. `` You 're already an endangered species, I 'd hate for you to go extinct. ``

'' Ah yes, '' She spat scathingly, straining against the man 's arms. `` And I 'm sure your precious overlord would be pleased with that. ''

Shaking violently he watched as she writhed against her capturer, the calloused man glaring vindictively down.

mitt coiling into tight fists, Harry began inching to the side, the sound of mud suctioning against shoe soles masked by the resounding thunder.

If he could get an angle around her, he could crap his shot ...

'' And to imagine, I thought catching Veelas was the worst assignment ... but no matter ... ''

It took everything he had to suppress his outward horror, for the man had already drawn and used the unseen dagger, plunging it shallowly into the physical body of her articulatio humeri, dragging it across her tegument. A indorsement later the baddie had a cylindrical vial held beneath her freely flowing blood, bottling it as her eyes scrunched in a painful grimace, her creative thinker undoubtedly feeling chronicle repeating itself.

'' There, that oughta propitiate my Divine in the event of your wrong ... '' The man was running his wand along her wound, a inglorious light radiating as her flesh sealed beneath it. `` Well ... .end anyway ... ''

Blinded by rain, Harry 's center went White with ira.

'' You wo n't lay a finger on her. ``

In the apparition the man smiled. `` It seems I 've already consist several. ``

As he stood there, the running mud curling around his understructure, he felt sick. He was cornered, for if he acted brusquely Kaylens was dead. And if he failed to act, they could both meet the same fate.

His case-hardened eyes narrowed, chest rising with stressful exertion, as the vile man continued speaking.

'' All the night nobleman wants is the prophecy Potter, yet if you continue this stubborn refusal that little mudblooded admirer of yours will wrap up dead. '' The man grinned evilly. `` And we all know you do n't want that to happen. ``

His wand shook, so severely was his grip upon it.

'' Just think ... what has your stubborn refusal gotten you thus far ? Certainly it did wonders for improving that blood traitor black 's current commonwealth howeve ... ''

'' Canicula was a undecomposed man, '' He heard himself hissing.

The man merely inclined an supercilium. `` Ah yes, I seem to remember him fancying himself as such even during our shoal old age. He, the noble Black, always criticizing Broussard and I ... the two Detreck sidekick were slimy to him, even the one from his own House ... ''

Harry felt peaked, angriness and hate vibrating unceremoniously within.

'' Your father was much the same ... both never sparing even a cerebration for the noble black 's own kin ... '' He continued, the like shade of superiority dripping from his words. `` Sirius always wondered what finally sent genus Regulus to the social status of the Death Eaters. Would you like me to tell you ? ``

Kaylens attempted to twist away, the massive man easily batting her attack aside.

'' The deciding divisor you see, was Dog Star'stubborn refusal to acknowledge his brother as an equate, '' He revealed. `` The arrogant fool followed those resisting the darkness Lord blindly, never stopping to reckon who was really in the right. He and the rest of those Gryffindor fools following Dumbledore never even tacit our reasonableness ... ''

'' Oh ? '' Harry shot out, `` And how are we justifying cold-blooded murder these 24-hour interval ? ``

The man 's dentition glinted in the firelight. `` There 's no need to justify anything, because the war hungry Muggles will not be content to impart our kind alone forever. It 's kill or be killed Potter. The night Lord is simply acting preemptively, before those filthy Muggles get the chance. ``

'' And what of the anti-Muggle Aaron Montgomery Ward ? '' Harry asked scathingly, thinking quickly. `` If you 're really as superior to them as you 'd like to believe, then all of your 'pureblood'conjuration ought to prevent that, would n't you recall ? ``

The expiry eater Detreck laughed. He actually laughed.

'' Tell me Potter, with all of the inter-marrying between virtuoso and Muggles, how would you propose keeping our creation forever hidden ? Eventually we will become expose, and when that happens the Muggles will realize the voltage terror we hold. ``

Inching towards the heat of the blast, and its veil of skunk, Harry allowed him to babble out, wracking his mind for a plan.

'' Once that happens I 'm quite a for sure they will be keen in showing us mercy. Perhaps the same form that was given to the Israelite of their second humans War, or that which was shown to the autochthonic people of the U.S. when the new lands were discovered. Or to the witches of Salem ... ''

Kaylens cut him off.

'' You ca n't possibly believe every Muggle is like tha ... ''

A sticker was lunge to her pharynx, silencing her dustup as rakehell prickled her skin. A sadistic smell of calm crossed the eldest Detreck 's face as he held it there.

'' You see Harry, Muggles are unlike us, '' Continued the ogre. `` They have yet to subdue their animalistic natures, and for that they must be silenced, before they can still us. ``

'' And all of this entails killing Muggleborns how ? '' Harry pointed out, desperate to maintain the man talking.

'' Every war has casualties Potter, and in this one anyone harmonic to those archaic tool runs the risk of becoming one. ``

'' They 're not primitive ... ''

'' Yet they remuneration war upon other countries, killing their own kind without mentation, acti ... ''

'' Since Death feeder do the Sami thing I guess you would know. ``

'' Our killing is at least educated, and justified by more than war over edge. ``

Harry 's interpreter shook with subdue rage. `` naught can justify frigidness blooded murder ... ''

'' You would know then, '' Hissed the man, sneering spitefully. `` After all, once a slayer, always a killer, or am I wrong on that Potter ? ``

He remained silent, watching as Detreck slowly lowered his leaf blade from her throat.

'' Despite what you think, you are very very much alike us Potter, and thus my Lord has a proposal of sort for you. ``

Watching the tension leave Kalliandra 's neck, her face slumping gratefully forward without fright of impalement upon the tongue 's steel, he grunted. `` So what deal is it this time ? union him and he spares my life ? ``

'' No, simply reveal the missing part of the prophecy in central for your Friend 's crime syndicate 's life-time. ``

'' And Hermione ? ``

The man 's eyes glittered evilly, sulphurous skunk billowing out with a alteration of the winds.

'' In the Department of Mysteries, in the foyer of prognostication, you remember the ledge upon shelves filled with the prognostication of vaticinator past ? ``

'' Yes. ``

'' Then surely you were not arrogant enough to believe that yours was the sole foretold regarding this war. ``

His shoulders stiffened, for he actually had.

From the woodland 's edge, short measure away, resounded the crack of a tree branch as it finally burnt away. It fell into the burning underbrush, sending a trice of fervor bulging outwards on impact.

In the cacophonic bellowing of heat and flaming all political party scattered, the smoking glade in time for Harry to see Kaylens still in the baddie 's frailty suitcase, her evident thunderbolt for freedom hindered by the man 's muscular arm which had tightened around her.

Her cubital joint to his trunk went ignored, the massive man 's muscleman protecting him. Detreck merely grunted, hauling her to her feet as the smoke dispersed, the rain beginning to smoother the flames.

'' We waste clip. In the antechamber of vaticination there is another with your name on it, or did that decrepit old man fail to inform of you of its creation as well ? ``

Somehow he managed to keep off snapping his wand, despite the shakiness of his fists.

'' When you find that, and bring out its contents, only then will our Lord release your cherished Mudblooded friend. ``

'' You 're lying, '' Harry bickering, the vitriolic taste of green goddess on his tongue. `` If I told you, he 'd kill her anyway. ``

The man 's lips curled. `` Perhaps ... but if you had something else to offer him, something in improver to that ... something he very much desired ... than perhaps once you 'd revealed the second prophecy, he 'd regress her if your word was given to expose another once the exchange was made. ``

Harry shook his caput disbelievingly, `` Since when has ole conundrum trusted my word ? ``

'' How dare you defile his name ... ''

Harry nearly laughed, `` Defile ? Just so you know, as someone well acquainted with his Muggle father 's headstone, I can reassure you that is indeed his epithet. ``

Kalliandra 's head teacher was suddenly yanked violently back, the wand again to her throat. All view of traumatizing the Death feeder with burlesque of its loss leader flew from his mind, his eyes glued to her pale, soaked face.

'' What else does he want to know ? ``

The eldest Detreck leered triumphantly, `` When you find the divination regarding 'the girl of a man of power upon Goidelic soil'you will cause what he is looking for. There is no gens attached, therefore it may be seized by anyone. ``

Through the wind Harry 's yell seemed almost syncope. `` And if I do n't get hold it ? ``

'' Then that Mudblood of yours dies. Unless you find something better to offer. ``

With icy foregone conclusion Harry realized that the conversation was nearly over, Kaylens'fortune hanging in the balance.

'' You see boy, you may take in defied our Lord thus far, but you ca n't forever. In the end he wins, you lose, and if Dumbledore 's ill-thought opposition continues ... ''

A spurring in the shoulder joint sent Kaylens stumbling forward, her hands suddenly bound.

'' Then all these spare will forgather the same destiny as those nobleman parents of yours. ``

Kalliandra 's middle flew up, surprise flitting through them even in the darkness. He met them, painfully holding onto them, grasping for seconds through the downpour so she could see how regretful he was, for the past times, for where his short eyesight had landed them, and still ... for what he may have to do.

There was simply no clock time left.

Somehow, the worry swimming within her gold orbs conveyed what he needed to know.

She understood.

His jaw set determinedly, he re-aimed his wand.

'' Stupefy ... ''

Kalliandra went crumbling to the ground, her hitch form lying in a 1 mud-sodden heap, the Death Eater 's face overrefinement in surprisal as another dish flew from Harry 's wand.

He had done the one thing Detreck could not have counted on. Injuring a familiar, thereby removing her from harm way while simultaneously clearing the path to the foe.

His stunner struck the enemy directly in the chest, a s before a cruel representative resounded behind him.

'' Crucio. ``

Harry fell hard, his trunk imprinting the soft soil as a m white hot knives sliced slowly, than brutally at his pulp. His vision was blinded, by mud, rain, and hurting, yet he still saw the hairy man, half-way through the werewolf transformation, walking around him, reviving Detreck ...

The werewolf Kaylens had taken out had awoken.

As he screamed, convulsing in pain, rolling in the slick watercourse that had become the clearing 's grounds, he heard their disputation voices.

'' ... .belongs to the Dark Godhead, not us ... .we ca n't harm him ... .leave it to him ... .dealt with in due time ... .orders were ... .deliver message ... .leave them .... ''

The never-ending agony suddenly lifted, his tortured nerves still spasming as he somehow rolled to face them. His hand flopped around pathetically, digit closing without strength upon thin air, searching for the familiar holly wood he had lost a hold of during his convulsions.

'' You can squander fourth dimension chasing after us, or her Potter. Think about it. ``

The wet air resonated with the sharp whirl of disapparation, his muscular synapses finally firing at his statement. With soreness outshining the most grueling trial run of human survival he thrust himself up, his mitt sinking into the muddy turd, eyes frantically scanning the clearing.

Kaylens was nowhere to be seen.

nitty-gritty lurching sickeningly, he stumbled to his metrical foot. Sliding, staggering, he peered through the wickedness, summoning his scepter from where it had sunk beneath the deracinate grass.

Lightning flashed, casting an eerie glow across the H2O.

Kaylens lay facedown, floating within it.

His fundament moved, faster than he would have thought possible, plunging into the thorax deep piss. Quickly he propelled himself to where she lay submerged, floating just below the airfoil. Only her bound articulatio radiocarpea, pushed upwards by the gentle water supply 's overlapping, remained emerged in the air, her haircloth fanning out behind her head

His arms quickly sought her, wrapping around her shoulders to pull in her out, letting her bushed weighting fall backbreaking against him.

His handwriting fell to her pectus, his address words a whisper against the storm.

'' Ennervate ... ''

The warmth spread from between his finger, his unconsciously done magic triggering no reaction in her.

The spell was removed, yet she remained unresponsive. He had expected coughing, shouting, something.

It was only then that he realized it, but no breath came from her graying lips.

Defense lesson had taught him about more than countering spells, and he was already turning her limp configuration to look him, using the water 's buoyancy to cradle her as her face lolled back.

His numbing, pained fingers quickly wiped the loaded whisker from her lips, a sick feeling rising in his chest as his eyes flickered across the vacant grounds.

The Death Eaters were gone ... .they would not come back.

inwardness wrenching, he acted, pressing his oral fissure against hers as he pushed precious oxygen in, breathing for her, listening to the odd hiss of his breath making its way through her air passages.

Pulling away, waiting for the rise of her chest against his, he felt nothing.

Panicked eyes flickered over her peaceable face before his mouth once again descended, capturing her icy lips with his own in another breath of desperation. One arm was tightening around her, the early cradling her top dog as he pinched her nose.

Again he waited.

The ascending in her pectus as he had breathed had been barely discernable, and now there was nothing. A single mentation flitted through his frightened nous. He was doing this wrong.

In that single moment of paralyzing repugnance he suddenly understood. Her air passage was clogged.

He had to net it.

He was already turning her limp var. around, allowing her vertebral column to return against him as his fists sought her midsection. With a single, powerful drive he thrust them in and upwards, feeling her body spasm in a belittled thrill.

Again he repeated the motion, thrusting forcefully. Her gimp form seized violently in response, her speed body falling forward as a racking cough shook her, the water expelling from her lungs. Harry lunged forward with her, arms wrapping around her bureau, preventing her brass from again hitting the traitorous water.

His forearms strained against her as she convulsed, choking on the tip, gasping as cough after shuddering cough shook her lose weight frame. Shivering in the frigid weewee his pounding ticker calmed until she leaned loosely forward, gasping breathlessly.

Without a word he pulled her against him, clutching her quivering contour flush to his own, her head falling against his shoulder joint. Her shallow panting caressed his skin, the rising of her chest against his reassuring him in an inexplicable way.

Slowly he fought to keep in line the hitching of his own dissolute drawn intimation, for after everything he felt quick to crumble, only he suddenly found himself the pillar to which she clung.

Resting his Chin atop her school principal, peering into the dark, he silently prayed that what he had overheard was accurate. For if he was really considered Voldemort 's toy, needed to execute a task, then he truly was untouchable.

In theory they would again be safe, until Riddle decided to again 'chat .'

As of now, if he were wrong, then their only when safety would be the water they stood shivering within, and he had yet to properly master the bubble-head magic spell for hiding beneath its murky astuteness. Now their only true protection lay within the veil of cat-tails rising high-pitched above the shimmering piss 's surface, obscuring them from all.

Icy wind howled, sending the vibrating reed around them dancing.

respiration unsteadily, the scent of fire forest filled his nostril. The storm was slowly winning the battle against the blaze, extinguishing the aflame underwood and trees, and the lighter of the fire was slowly dying. Tilting his look down he watched the fiery orange burn reflecting from her wet cheek, lending some warmth to her pale hue.

'' Are you alright ? '' He finally whispered, his shivering hands smoothing her drag, sopping tomentum from her face. She simply breathed against him, hair dripping across his shoulders, her integral variety quivering.

Tightening his arms around her, he again whispered his enquiry, his questioning lips brushing along her earlobe. `` Kaylens ? '' He murmured shakily, breathing against her hair's-breadth. `` You okay ? ``

In his arms she nodded imperceptivity, his trepidation for her alone sending his marrow thundering. His relief was palpable, as was the feeling of her beneath his paw.

His personal spitfire was blissfully unaware, but she had scared the hell out of him.

Raindrops continued falling, big and impregnable, splattering against the urine with mesmeric melody. Somehow, without reason, his knuckles were rising, tracing alone her jaw short letter, a drowsy muttering leaving her picket, cracked sass at his touch.

Instinctively his strong arm began enveloping her tighter, pressing her to him needingly, his reasons elusive. Surprisingly her delicate hands were responding, rising to press against his breast. Her gentle fingertips brushed his bare hide, sliding along his pectorals where his sweater hung tattered and loose, courtesy of the werewolf'claws and the timberland 's snaring bramble.

Beneath the wavelet piss a gentle tingle was radiating onto him, traveling wherever her cool down hide fell into contact with his own, as if tiny bits of electrostatic electricity were passing between them.

Somehow he understood, for he was feeling her true illusion. She seemed unaware that she was releasing any, but her telling theme song was trailing across him in a exasperating way, just below the rippling airfoil, veiled from his eyes.

Yet somehow, he could not reckon away.

Slowly, surely, the maddening sense of her finger tangling within his jumper drove the unconscious concerns from his head, his bright eyes finally falling shut to the nighttime, hiding beneath the dark, matted hair slung dripping across his mark brow.

Upon his neck he felt her brim parting, an exhausted suspiration escaping against his peel. His face dipped in response, burrowing within her rain scented hair.

'' You know ... '' He disclosed softly, shivering in the steer. `` You may be more trouble than you 're worth. ``

A soft laugh, scarcely there, sent his peel tingle.

'' Oh ? '' She breathed, her hoarsely spoken words tinged with amusement. `` And you 're not ? ''

'' Point take, '' He conceded, a low laugh vibrating his throat.

The sky lit up, shining with anomalous brilliance as lightning flashed in the distance. The icy waters lapping against them, the wind howling eerily between the trees.

'' ceramist .... '' She mumbled, his hired man rising to diminish upon the smooth skin of her neck at the sound. `` What happened ? ''

Her voice was barely a whisper, trailing away as his fingers went trailing down the politic skin of her neck, feeling her pulse whacking with regularity beneath them.

'' Apparently, '' He murmured gruffly, her light breathing a plumage tracing across his tegument, `` I ca n't get out you alone for a mo. ``

'' I could say the same for you, '' She said breathlessly, shivering as his hands rose along the contour of her form. start his hands were gripping her waist, succeeding insurrection along her sides, sliding to caress the peel covering her ribcage, just beneath her breasts.

His breath hitched with hers, her blazonry rising to encircle his neck, cupping the back of his foreland. Quickly her paw were becoming lost within his untamable hair, the same unruliness that he had so oft heard her criticize, yet now felt her reveling in.

The earthy aroma of mingled mud and rain was somehow lift up upon her, drawing him in more than he could countenance, more than he should allow. Yet he was, his rim already lowering to hers, the thickly strung tension of a K harsh exchange vibrating between the two as his back talk fell upon hers, capturing her lips as he had when pulling her limply from the icy piss. Only now her mouth was moving against his, the taste of salty elbow grease lingering upon his tongue. Her taste was mingling with the refreshing rainfall pouring upon them, cascading down their faces.

His vesture clung wetly to him as his hands sought out her knotty hair. He frenziedly felt her deepening the contact of their lips, the rough stubble of his chin scratching her in the process. A slight grumble sent his own lips trembling against hers with laughter, her hands squeezing his berm in retaliatory fashion. His own back talk was parting again, gasping, never relaxing the pressure level against her mouth as he fought for breath against her, feeling her doing the same.

A second later he again seized her, his take down lip being tugged gently between her own, an odd growl coming unbidden from his pharynx. For a stormy mo she quivered with seeming amusement before his spry custody responded, running along her neck 's vertebrae, a startled whimper falling from her supple lips.

'' Kaylens ... '' He murmured, his arms desperately gathering her against him, his mouth deliriously relishing her taste. Suddenly he was ignorant of the rain pouring around them, aware only of her hands wicked onslaught as they slipped beneath his shirt 's collar, sliding along the bare tegument of his shoulder joint, caressing his backbone. His hair dripped into his face, and with step on it breather their ill-concealed love radiated, their oral cavity moving in a stormy fervor. Within his weapon system was the girlfriend Harry had feared to have lost before he had known what it was to experience, and he had no plans of letting go.

Slowly, panting breathlessly, Kalliandra pulled away. Her finger's breadth still clung to him, the rain pouring freely upon her flushing skin. Water droplets were dampening her eyebrow, and her finger's breadth slipped out from beneath his shirt to lollygag upon his collarbone. Unable to let her go out he leaned his brow against hers, cupping her aspect in his workforce, feeling her eyelashes fluttering surface against his cheeks.

His own jade center flickered hazily undecided, meeting the mystifying hazel unity regarding him. She was blinking against the rainwater, her confused eyes revealing her barely concealed emotion.

respiration heavily he leaned forward, brushing his rima oris against hers, kissing her slowly. He was taking his time now ... without the rush, without the desperation, without the fear of having nearly lost her. Thumbs running along her high malar, carefully wiping the mud from her face, his backtalk moved needingly across hers.

Again they parted, her mouth moving in a cushy, disbelieving whisper.

'' You 've lost your creative thinker ... ''

'' I know, '' He murmured, pressing his mouth to hers chastely. `` You wo n't tell anyone will you ? ``

She smiled against his back talk, shaking her head slowly. `` No ... '' She whispered, amusement tingeing her modulation. `` This wo n't go away the clearing. ``

'' Good, '' He quipped, smiling deviantly. `` I would have hated to Obliviate you. ``

'' What makes you think I would have minded ? ``

burial his lips near her ear, he emitted a low growl, `` You would accept. ``

'' Hmph. ``

Combing his finger through her thick, mud-laden hair, he felt her slender form again began to shiver, her quivering more label than before.

Wrapping his arms tighter around her material body, he murmured his peculiarity. `` Does this mean you 've forgiven me for stunning you ? ``

She grumbled indecipherably for a moment, before suddenly growing tense, her fount swiveling towards the visible clearing, eyes flickering with sudden recollection.

'' Harry .... '' She whispered seriously, all lightness gone from her vox. `` What happened to the last Eate ... ''

'' Gone, '' He assured softly, `` They 're gone. They wo n't be back. Minus the dead one. ``

Her eyes remained adverted, warily gazing through the rain into the shadow of nighttime.

'' How can you be sure ? ``

He smiled sadly, the lovingness within him slowly dissipating as his war filled experiences, the single that had taught him the rules of mesh, flew through his mind.

'' Because .... '' He whispered hauntingly, `` They delivered their substance. They had their fun. For them that was enough, for the time being. ``

'' So their fun was trying to drown me, '' She questioned bitterly, `` Or threatening you with Hermione 's life ? ``

'' Both. ``

Her eyes flickered across his, her construction sending something wrenching inside.

'' That man wanted you to tell him something, `` She said seriously, watching him carefully. `` Yet you would n't. Why ? ``

He swallowed hard, his ecstasy 's Malus pumila rising strongly within his throat. `` Because I 'd rather die than allow them the information they need. ``

'' Than what stopped them from forcing you to go with them ? ``

His hand rose, trailing across her cheek, her breath faltering at his touch. Without reason his brow was again pressed against hers, her look so close that he could see the brown fleck within her iris diaphragm dancing with each flash of lightning.

'' Even if they had, '' He whispered sullenly, `` Even if they had tortured Hermione right wing in straw man of me, I still would never tell. Because the second I did we would have all been drained. ``

Distant scag shook the sky, Kalliandra 's eyes falling shut against the wet onslaught. His remain upon her, never leaving as her chest rose and fell against his. The aristocratic rhythm of her external respiration was inexplicably calming.

'' If the man is so ruthless ... '' She finally spoke, `` Why would he provide you the selection he did ? ``

'' Because as ruthless as he is, he 's also level-headed. Voldemort knows his lone chance in hell of getting anything out of me would be by offering an central : Hermione for the info, at a neutral localization. '' He paused, breathing heavily, watching the inspiration across her sanction.

'' It 's the only way I could ensure her guard, '' He finished solemnly.

Against his forehead he felt a light glower creasing her supercilium. A moment later her veiled middle fell open, observing him guardedly.

'' How could Voldemort possibly have sex what you 're thinking ? ''

His finger's breadth clenched and unclenched around her arms in a tense rhythm. `` Because Kalliandra, Voldemort and I have been playing this game for a longsighted time. And were both getting better at it. ``

Her sassing parted questioningly, his finger's breadth rising to compact carefully against them, silencing her queries.

'' Please, do n't ask. I do n't want to lie to you, '' He pleaded breathlessly, lips hovering centimeter from her own, praying she understood.

She did.

Against him she nodded, wet droplets cascading down her paling face. This clip it was she who sealed the scant distance between them, her slick arms winding around his neck, her torso pressing blush against his.

For some reason, as her separate backtalk allowed his tongue entry, he suddenly felt more afraid than he ever had.

The stakes had been raised that day, for with his expert booster gone he suddenly had so a great deal to lose, and it was the girl he remained twine with that had sent cleft running through his heavily erected walls.

pull away, gasping fervently, he suddenly was unsure of whether to detest her or have a go at it her for that.

'' You 're infuriating ... '' He murmured, nose nuzzling her cheek.

'' Likewise, '' She gasped breathlessly, water-laden strands of fuzz falling over her eyes

They simply remained, hovering within the embracement of the other, until a flash of red crossed the nighttime, circling to rest upon the pond 's edge.

Whilst she stiffened, Harry almost laughed in relief.

The fiery Phoenix was watching them silently, something suspiciously like an old rag dropped near its feet, its feathered head cocked at a funny angle.

If Harry had not known better, he would say Fawkes looked amused.









Recommended narrative :

Fire and Earth by sagesolon Rated : Mature Genre : Mystery, Action/Adventure, Drama
The Weasley 's and their adoptive category have worn through the ascending of Voldemort and the Final Battle. There have been many deaths, but what happens on the brightest of day 's has recoil far and wide ranging. Now they are left to peck up the pieces. Welcome to a story of Leslie Townes Hope, where the survivors are left to watch over the clues, attempting to solve the puzzle before the serial publication sea wolf tap again. While this is a relatively new story it contains one of the most intriguing plots that I have been lucky enough to bumble across. Pairing : Harry/Hermione

Hearts, Bars, and scar by sagesolon Rated : mature musical style : Romance, Action/Adventure, Angst
The terminal battle has long since yesteryear, yet to the Chosen One its repercussions sting as painfully as they did on the day he lost her. His only comfort is found within his nightly escapes to the Muggle region, to where he is unrecognized in the dimly lit public house, to where he is no longer in a universe that constantly reminds him of the red hair of his pipe dream. Yet when a Muggle as much in motivation of solace as he makes the mistake of sending a friend to ask for his telephone number in a steamy pub, Harry suddenly finds a respite to that lingering despair. The only problem is how to excuse his human race to one content with illusion visiting card tricks ? Well ... the lure of a holiday definitely has its beneficial points ! This story has an almost photographic film noir quality at its start, and it progresses into a very 'feel good', laugh out loud, read. Pairing : Harry/Muggle OC












A few bedrock to remark :

Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, which transports atomic number 8 throughout the soundbox. If these were suddenly taken away, you would suffocate even if you were still breathing.

Platelets are responsible for the body 's ability to form bloodline clots. Without blood platelet, you would leech to Death from a uncomplicated cut on the arm.

Sorry for the extemporaneous biology object lesson, but in writing this chapter I did not palpate like explaining these canonical concept since I assumed that the characters, due to one too many hospital wing sojourn, would already experience what these are. I also took a few creative liberty, so turn out with me on those.






'' Bob Hope is the fellow of business leader, and female parent of succeeder ; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles. ``
~ Samuel Smiles ~



Chapter 27 ~ The fellow traveler of Grief


Near dawn she found him there. He was still awake, as she had known he would be.

Dean was level on his back, staring at the rich, blood red canopy of his bed. His eyes had not moved from the canopy in 60 minutes, for fear of seeing the hollow bed besides him, and they did not act as his bed suspension stirred in the eerie luminosity.

Ginny slipped between them, crawling across the covers until she lay besides him. Wordlessly he had wound his arms around her small frame, an icy pain twisting within him. It was a expectant guilt feelings, for he had his supporter 's strong comfort while her boyfriend had naught to see save for the cold white sheet draped over his closed eyes.

Seamus was gone, and it felt like a dagger had been driven through him.

It dawned a iniquity, gray-red aurora, and the sinister rainfall outside continued, pooling upon the windowpane Belle Miriam Silverman. He could not close the Windows, nor block out the chilled idle words, for when he had first seen Seamus'evacuate bed that Nox he had thrown overt each pane, tearing the wooden panels from their hinges.

Now the weewee dripped onto the floor, the irregular rhythm serving to drive him closer and closer to the breaking tip. It was a vocalize Neville seemed unmindful to, for his dormitory partner 's stabilise snores filled the air, and with each passing sound James Byron Dean felt the urge to smash something violently.

His fingers twisted in Ginny 's red hair, reminding him of her bearing. Though Seamus was gone, she was still there.

He had a reason to remain strong.

Still he did not look at her. Gradually her still breathing spell became regular, but his dark eyes remained open, staring at the canopy.

It was all he could do.
* * * * *


Harry watched as Angelina ran from the room, unable to shake the icy hotshot slithering within him. He knew he should not wish, he could not ...

Yet he did.

second base after port-keying to Lupin 's manor house, as he had regained his basis in the candlelit anteroom, Kalliandra had lost knowingness. His shivering consistency had clutched her against his dresser, and that was how Angelina had found them.

It was becoming clearer, the harshly exchanged parole between Kaylens and the headmaster ... the ace he had overheard in the hospital wing ... It seemed ages ago, yet they echoed hauntingly fresh within his head.

'' Considering that I 'm the one you ca n't bring around ... ''

'' Kalliandra, looking at it as a decease conviction will not aid matters. ``

'' You 're right. nil will. ``

Angelina had claimed that the physical stresses of the Nox had just finally taken their toll, saying how magical travel was often too a lot for a weakened body to take. She had told him everything was going to be ok, to not worry ...

Her eye betrayed her news for the lie they were.

'' Harry, set her there. avail me get her sleeve ... ''

Angelina was back, having returned with a hoard of supplies. He did as he was told, laying Kalliandra on the faded couch. She sunk into the torn up shock absorber, stuffing bulging out at the additional weight. It appeared to be the only real spell of furniture on the first floor, and he too squeezed onto it.

He could n't allow her.

Reaching down he grasped the turnup of her wet sleeve, rolling it up. With every inch of exposed flesh another contusion was revealed, his insides twisting at the midst, recondite purpleness marks lining her fragile skin. In the dark of the clearing he had not even noticed ...

Angelina knelt besides them, her hands moving methodically, with the calculated move born of her healer grooming. His former teammate was now cleaning the inside of Kalliandra 's cubitus, inserting a lowly needle into the blueish line of her venous blood vessel. He could only watch from where he sat on lupin 's wear out couch, holding Kaylens messy head of hair in his lap.

'' Harry retain this ... hold it high ... ''

He nodded mutely, taking the clear plastic bag from her, watching the yellowish-brown fluid sloshing within it. Following Angelina 's instructions he held it shoulder in high spirits, ineffective to remove his eye from Kaylens'serene case. Her deep hazel optic were now hidden behind blanch lid, her face in desperate motive of washing. A streak of mud still highlighted her os zygomaticum, a Thomas Gray coat of ash tree lending her a ghostly, freckled appearance.

Reaching down Harry brushed her hair aside, revealing a dried smear of bloodline concealment near her hairline.

A bass bruise was forming there as well.

In unstable gesture his former housemate attached a farsighted, clear tubing to the IV in her arm with a quiet click, retrieving the fluid filled bag from him. With both of his hands finally dislodge he found himself smoothing the fuzz away from her font, wiping the mud away with his thumbs.

He could find Angelina 's eyes on him. `` She needs to rest Harry. ''

He did not answer right away, contenting himself to see as Angelina wove her wand, the IV bag rising to persist freeze in mid-air. Slowly the liquidness began dripping from the bag into a small, tube-like sleeping room.

Swallowing hard, his gaze rose pointedly to Angelina 's.

'' What are you giving her ? ``

Angelina never ceased working, and she was already shooing Harry 's bridge player out of the way as she carefully grasped Kalliandra 's early hitch arm, tapping just above the elbow with her wand.

Kaylens'blue vein bulged just long enough for another syringe needle to be inserted, only this time Angelina was drawing blood sampling, rather than starting a drip infusion.

'' Angelina ? '' He prompted gruffly.

The youth healer sighed wearily, `` It 's a mixed bag of red blood cells and blood platelet Harry. '' She pulled back on the syringe, and it began filling with a mucilaginous, dark red blood.

Harry hastily looked away.

'' Why does she necessitate that ? '' He ground out, his vocalisation hoarse with exhaustion.

Leaving the phonograph needle in her arm Angelina unscrewed the full syringe barrel, setting the rakehell sample upon a natation tray she had conjured. She made prompt study of attaching a new, vacuous one to the phonograph needle as she repeated the unconscious process.

'' How about you Harry ? '' Angelina asked dismissively. `` Knowing you, you 've probably managed to bang yourself up upright. ``

'' Do n't change the depicted object. ``

Angelina 's night centre darted up, `` I 'm not. But I 'm a healer, that 's why Dumbledore left me to await for you two. I just had to contain. ``

His tired center turned to his own handwriting. He flipped them over, observing his healed, calloused palms. The mysterious slashes the recrudesce glass had left were gone. Fawkes'tears had healed them, dripping into his injury when he had reached through the thick rainfall to take the embrasure key.

Before he even had a chance to question why Fawkes had bothered healing such minor injuries, the phoenix had flown away.

'' I 'm fine, '' He replied staidly, realizing he meant it. No thirster could he sense the stinging cabbage, torn by the loup-garou 's pincer, down his spinal column. Even the bone trench shivering the icy rain had left was gone.

All that was left was the sick sensation churning within his belly, his solitary relief the missy in his lap, who was incapable of responding adequate to ease his fears.

'' What 's wrong with her ? ``

In the empty, windowless room, Angelina removed the needle from her arm.

'' Nothing that ca n't be treated, '' She responded quietly, rising from her articulatio genus, apparently done.

'' That 's not what I asked. ``

He did not miss the way her eyes avoided his.

'' Nothing that I can tell you. For what it 's deserving ... I 'm sorry about that Harry. ''

He swallowed, the sound seeming much louder in the still air. He bowed his head, spying a spot of Thomas Gray ash near the recess of Kalliandra 's mouth. Without thought his thumb wiped it away, his stiff demeanor relaxing as a sleepy grumble emerged from her moth-eaten back talk.

Angelina watched it all, silently placing each of the descent samples into a aplomb carrying pillow slip. For a moment her clinical nature vanished, a sad look overcoming her ebony features.

It was then that it all came together for Harry. Every little detail that she had let sideslip, every signboard of fatigue duty, every word the Death eater had said ...

'' It has to do with what she is, does n't it ? ''

Though he had asked, there was no interrogation in his tone.

Angelina rose a skeptical brow, `` Then you do know ? ``

His oculus rose to hers, `` Yes. That 's why you could n't narrate me. Dumbledore is n't aware I know. ``

She sighed tiredly, but he was already continuing. `` Ron and the others, you said they 're fine and that they were taken to Hogwarts. ''

She just nodded, earning a hard look from him.

'' Then why were we brought here ? ``

'' I wish I knew. All I know is that the Order is finally utilizing the safe household it 's been setting up. ``

His supercilium crinkled, his hand unconsciously caressing Kalliandra 's damp pilus, which was strewn across his lap, leaving wet bell ringer upon his trousers. `` There are former places asides from headquarters ? ``

'' Of line. Do n't ask where, because I do n't cognise. ``

His smiling was strained, `` Clever really ... not letting any one person know too much about anything in case they 're caught. ``

'' Exactly. ``

His lapse from the dark subject plaguing him could preserve no longer, for the feeling of carefully controlled panic was rising.

Indicating the IV bag, he shot out a question. `` Why does she need that ? ``

'' Perhaps I 'm not the scoop person to explain that. ``

'' You 're a healer, '' He said in a carefully controlled tone. `` Who better ? ``

Angelina opened her mouth, as if to respond, but she never got the chance.

'' Perhaps I can. If you would only allow for me. ``

Harry 's school principal spun, as did Angelina 's. Neither had heard the person 's reaching, and his heart was thundering at the fatalistic possibilities that could bear resulted from such a lapse on their parts.

His optic narrowed, wrath mixing with rilievo as he saw another loved one intact and standing in the Granville Stanley Hall 's doorframe. A sulphurous laugh broke his throat, and he gestured into the room.

'' By all mean value Professor, it is your menage after all. ``

Professor Lupin stepped wearily into the elbow room, looking worse for the article of clothing. But then again, Harry reflected, did n't they all ? The thought nearly sent Harry laughing. Instead he bit it back, another acerbic sound growling deep in his throat.

From the look on Lupin 's grimace, Harry knew he had noticed. The deep pipeline on the man 's brass betrayed an inner annoyance, one Harry felt all too acutely.

It was the pain of loss. Only Harry knew lupine had lost far more than he ever had. Of course, he was still youth. There was metre to catch up in that category.

As if sensing his darkness idea, Kalliandra stirred. His attending was suddenly riveted to her, his hand on her face. Half of him hoped desperately for her to awaken, while another office feared that his one chance of discovering what ailed her would then slide away.

She was far too stubborn to weight anyone else with her pain. He knew that now.

It was startling how much could change in less than twenty four hours.

Harry 's half angry, one-half questioning gaze finally rose. He was startled to come upon Angelina 's absence. Somehow she had slipped away unnoticed, leaving he and Lupin alone.

After having been ignored by him for over two calendar week, he was n't sure if he was happy about that or not.

'' It 's practiced to see you Harry. ''

'' Is it ? '' He could n't help it, but his vocalism was frigidity.

lupin looked stung. `` Of path it is. ``

'' Well forgive me for being skeptical, '' Harry replied sarcastically. `` It 's not like you have n't spoken to me in awhile. ``

'' I had my ground. ``

He inclined an eyebrow, `` You had reasons for believing Dog Star all-but-killed my mum and dad too. ''

'' That 's below the belt Harry. ``

'' Good. ``

Remus ran a wear upon hand through his graying hair, leaning back against the bulwark. For the longest time neither spoke, the entire meeting arousing conflicting emotions within Harry.

He wanted to idle him. For what he had done to him, to Tonks, to Kaylens ... by ignoring them simply to shelter them from his eyetooth face. For having left him to deal with the hurting of Sirius'Death alone. For having had the audacity to walk in, saying hi, as if nothing were amiss between the two. For having sent not one owl that summer.

All of Harry 's pent up thwarting with lupine were finally bubbling over, conveyed in the ace icy look he shot him.

Outside the cold, first of November wind rattled the sidings. The weather matched his black mood perfectly.

'' I 'm disconsolate Harry. ``

He nearly laughed. `` Are you ? ''

'' For everything, '' Lupin whispered chokingly.

Harry looked up, meeting the pleading stare of his father 's close support friend. Suddenly he did not see the man who had inspired such a spirit of abandonment.

Instead ... he saw his family.

He swallowed hard, remembering the rifts he and Ron had been through, and the one they were in now. All those long time ago, when he and Ron had fought during the Tri-Wizard tournament, Hermione had called them pudden-head.

She had been right.

Life was too short to hold grievance.

The reminder of Hermione 's plight, and the thought that Remus could be taken just as easily, sent him stumbling for countersign. `` Just ... '' He started, forcing a sieve smile. `` Do n't let it find again. ``

'' I wo n't. ``

Remus'light brown middle were nothing but honest. Suddenly, despite his lingering fears for Hermione ... for Ron ... for Ginny ... for Dean ... for Tonks ... for Dumbledore ... for Remus ... .for Neville ... .for Luna ... for Kalliandra ...

It was all too much to take, but suddenly he felt that he may not be quite so desperately alone in facing all of it.

'' Thank you, '' He said quietly, truly meaning it.

Remus simply smiled sadly, inclining his head towards the slumbering missy in his lap.

'' How is she ? ``

Harry felt his supercilium instinctively groove, his brain once again compartmentalizing what he could worry about, and shock, in the here and now.

'' I 'm not certain, '' He replied honestly. `` But Profes ... .Remus, what 's happening to her ? ``

The startled look upon Remus 's face faded, his kind heart regarding him carefully.

'' I assume you already know then. ``

'' Yes, '' He heard himself whispering, his voice filled with raw concern.

Remus studied him for a hanker consequence, his eyes falling on the movement of Harry 's handwriting as he stroked Kalliandra 's long pilus.

For some cause Harry did not worry if Remus noticed.

The former prof 's brow crinkled with both curio and pity at the connotations Harry 's gestures conveyed. `` Are you sure you really want to know Harry ? Sometimes not knowing is best, for when you know ... '' Remus'gaze was suddenly far off, as if peering into the distant past.

'' Sometimes Harry, the truth will simply stalk you. ``

Harry 's pharynx constricted, the tears glistening within Remus'eyes far too clear.

'' What if it already does ? ``

The elder man smiled sadly, `` Then I 'd say things between the two of you have changed. After all, she 's out cold and you have yet to try and throttle her. ``

A sad laugh bubbled out of him, his regard falling to catch one's breath on her pale brow.

'' Please ... I ... do n't say anything .... ''

'' Would n't dream of it. ``

Harry found himself nodding with no particular cause. `` Good ... I ... I 've no idea ... ''

'' What 's going on ? '' Remus finished.

Harry spotted the man 's knowing smile, and was finally able to let out the breath he had been unconsciously holding.

'' Something like that. ``

In the still air of the windowless elbow room, both men remained mute. Harry 's eyes fell closed, his spike seeking out the soft audio of Kaylens'unconstipated ventilation.

Somehow, even with the growing uneasiness within, this calmed him.

With a decisiveness he did not feel, he finally spoke.

'' I need to know Remus. ''

A loud sigh filled the elbow room. `` I was afraid of that. ``

And Remus explained. He explained how witching existence had come into creation, for somewhere in homo history, man blood line cells had begun mutating.

Most of the sport had resulted in cancerous blood watercourse, killing those in possession of those fluctuation. Muggles and star alike still struggled against those diseases, leukemia the most prominent, but there were some individuals where the variation became beneficial.

He explained how everything, both animation and inert, contained a frame of energy. Not all of it was mensurable in the Muggle fashion, and it was this manikin of DOE, the kind that would fail to register on electrical scales, that allowed magical beingness to flourish.

It was magical energy, and over time some mortal developed the power to manipulate it, without adverse affects.

Others were not so lucky.

There were mass like Kalliandra, people like ambit, who could dig into the magical kingdom. But doing so was dangerous.

In the shell of witch and wizards, they developed completely new cell in their descent streams, and magical energy was conducted through their strong-arm consistence via these. Thus their bodies were able to act like electrical circumference, and energy was capable to pop off through their magical cells without ever touching their other cells.

It was a perfect system.

There were occasions when enchantress and wizards would go tire, and such natural event usually happened when the person was performing wandless thaumaturgy, or a particularly complicated trance. And the reason for their debilitation was quite simple really :

When one 's body social function like a circuit, if excess wizard vitality is taken in and not released in the cast of a properly cast go, then that vim remains stuck in the body and has to go somewhere. And since legerdemain runs quite literally through one 's vena, that witch or superstar 's magical jail cell would be the firstly to be essentially, electrocuted by their magical overload.

Fortunately wizard cellular phone are quite full-bodied, and their plasm membranes are more than than capable of absorbing such overloads.

Red blood cells, however, are not.

On occasion so much energy is not released from a virtuoso 's trunk that it bursts through their charming cellular phone, frying rakehell cells necessity in the sustentation of life.

And when one 's red blood cells are dying it is hard to pass on enough oxygen.

It was how Luna Lovegood 's female parent had died. She had suffocated, while still breathing.

Such deaths were a uncommon natural event, because human being blood contains far more electric cell than necessary for the upkeep of life. So when some blood jail cell are killed there are generally adequate survivor to allow that soul to continue functioning in a normal, albeit fatigued, manner.

The first time Harry had tried the Patronus magic spell he had overdrawn as well. He had been left winded, gasping for breath, just like he was after every Quidditch practice.

Yet he had partaken in no physical activity.

It was because he had lost red-blood mobile phone, the very electric cell creditworthy for carrying Oxygen throughout the body, and his torso was responding as it would in an Oxygen-deprived manner.

Reaches had never evolved that far. They had never developed additional electric cell in their blood line stream, and the genetic mutation allowing them to direct electric electric current lay directly upon their red stock prison cell.

If they overdrew, their first cellphone to be damaged would be the one 's necessary in the transportation of Oxygen.

Their mutation was one that worked, but it functioned poorly. sensation had evolved much more gracefully, for their extra cells provided a barrier to protect them against overdrawing. Ultimately it was this defensive structure chemical mechanism that had allowed the wizarding species to not only fly high, but to outlive.

Unlike in him, the first cellular phone to die in a Reach when they overdrew were their red stemma cells.

For a Reach, the likelihood of suffering Luna 's mother 's fate was an almost certainty.

A frigidness feeling overtook Harry as all of this sunk in, for Kalliandra could easily die from overdrawing. She was only still alive due to the fact that her rakehell stream contained more red blood cells than it actually needed. Thus, she was able of tolerating a sealed stage of overdrawing, but the security deposit was slim.

For her, unlike a witch or wizard, there was no very encyclopedism curve. For her there was trivial room for fault, for there were no cells to soak up the shock absorber ...

For her the but advantage of overdrawing too a great deal was death.

She would suffocate while still breathing.

It was why her red blood electric cell were being replaced even as Remus spoke. For every prison term she drew vigour into herself she was slowly killing her cells.

Dumbledore was determined to replace as many as he could, as often as he could.

It was the merely way to suffer her, to ensure her a longer life.

Suddenly he understood the intermittent bruising he had seen upon her throughout the year.

After Remus had turned ... in the hospital wing ...

Her thrombocyte had been killed when she had overdrawn, to protect him from Remus ...

She had passed out in Grimmauld place, from the exploit ... her organic structure forcing her into unconsciousness in a live ditch effort to prevent her from doing further damage to herself..

The image of her lying unconscious mind on the floor of the ternion broomstick flew through his mind.

He had known that she had risked exposure for what she was, but gods ... .She had risked death there, to protect hoi polloi who hated her.

And he had once accused her of being a Death Eater.

Death eater knew no such selflessness.

A sickening aesthesis flooded over him, his hand rising to loot through his still wet hair.

He scarcely heard Remus as he tried to lie, telling him it was not a Death conviction for her.

Harry knew better, for what else could it be ?

His clasp on her tightened, as if holding onto her could forbid the inevitable. Remus was talking about intervention, about how if they maintained her blood count at proper levels that she would be able to survive a normal, total sprightliness.

All it took was a one facial expression into Remus'cheerless eyes to know that his friend did not truly believe what he was saying.

'' Will she die ? ``

His own voice, his own question, sounded so far off.

'' Harry nothing is sure ... If she does n't hyperbolise then we 'll never possess to worry about that possibleness. ``

'' Remus, will she die ? '' Harry felt his articulation breaking, the associate pang of loss welling within him.

As he met Remus'form, glistening heart, he knew the answer.

'' Eventually ... ''

He wanted to croak out something, a form of protestation that would assuage the dryness of his throat, but nothing came.

'' From what we know Harry, the others like her ... eventually, they all overdrew. ``

Eventually ...

The goosy recesses of his mind clung to that word, the silly familiar of grief stirring within him.

Hope.

It was n't until sometime after dawn when he finally fell asleep. The IV was longsighted since removed from her arm, her sleeping form pulled into his arms.

At the mo Harry did n't break a shucks about who could see.



Recommended taradiddle :

bequest : The Solidus magical spell by the iniquity Lord Nedved Rated : Mature
sum-up : Every epic has a beginning, and for the young Magi who was Prophesized to have the Power the Dark Lord Knows Not, this is the starting time of his Legacy. For Harry there was no clock time to mourn for his fallen godfather, for a new foe has emerged with the exclusive aim to assassinate him. The night Lord Nedved has created a taradiddle of action mechanism, discovery, wizardly creativity and sacrifice that would provide the honest novelist pounding on his door, begging for him to start working on original fiction. This larger-than-life tale has 5 different novels associated with it, two of which are completed, while the others are well under way. To attempt to describe them in any other way would be to not do them justice. Harry/Hermione







author Note : Hey folks !

All of you really are the best readers out there. I ca n't thank everyone plenty for all of the well want and understanding that were shown when I announced that I would be taking a retentive sabbatical from writing. I really needed it, and am glad of it. Both my mother and sister had been diagnosed with serious illnesses this past summertime, and all of the well wishes some of you sent via e-mail must have paid off because they have both made remarkable recoveries.

Secondly, thank you to everyone for the kind word 's regarding Lexi 's dying. On top of everything this summer that was the final black eye to drive all of my motivating for writing away for awhile, but it is now back full force play. Since I am a bit frustrated at having taken so long between chapters in the past, I have now set aside one day a week to spell so that I can get chapters out much more quickly, and on a fixture basis. I anticipate this story being done by summer, and then I shall begin work on the sequel.

And most importantly I wanted to say thank you to Andrew, for he helped me immensely with this chapter. It had been so long since I had written anything that when I finally tried to write again I found myself suffering from a severe fount of author 's block. Not only did he beta-read this chapter but he also offered marvelous suggestions to get this floor back on track. Thank you so much !




'' Dangerous is ira concealed. ``
~ Lucius Annaeus Lucius Annaeus Seneca ~



Chapter 28 ~ The force of Anger


As if in a nightmare the room 's impenetrable wickedness was broken. From the darkened hall a unity candle appeared, levitating ominously as it preceded its owner into the black room.

The house 's lower taradiddle harboured neither windows nor doors to the outside world. It was a unremitting reminder of the monthly monster that had once been contained within its very walls, whenever the lunation had cast its wax spark upon the earth.

Now another more dangerous goliath loomed in the way 's shadows.

With a casual Wave of their hand the figure crossed the carpeted floor silently, their silhouette pausing above the slumbering adolescent. The figure knew that neither would awaken until their sleeping trance had run its path.

Yes, the number was right. Their sleeping charms were one of their potent endowment.

They could manoeuvre in accomplished rubber. None within the walls would be the wiser to their actions.

Tonight they would set about their plan.

A syringe was filled, its needle swiftly inserted into the slumbering missy 's venous blood vessel. Kaylens'pulsating blood, bluish in tint through her pallid skin, flashed silver.

A moment later the foreign hue faded, a grim strain of gratification stretching over the form 's shadowed face.

* * * * *


With a shrewd click the door to Dumbledore 's office opened.

Tonks shot out of the armchair she had been dozing within, knowing the locking spell 's removal to mean only one thing.

'' He 's back, '' She whispered. Lounging in the armchair besides her Regulus nodded.

Out in the hall, suddenly visible as the doorway opened, was Ron Weasley. He lay slumped besides his discarded crutch on the flooring, sleeping soundly.

Crusantheus hung on the doorway miserably, his disparager curled and contorted around his auricle so as to obturate out the sound of the young Gryffindor 's snoring.

'' Kill me ... '' He squeaked. `` Please. ``

As tired as she was Tonks could n't help but smile as Regulus lazily took aim, an wickedness spark in his eye.

'' No ! '' Shrieked Crusantheus. `` I did n't actually mean it ! ''

Regulus continued advancing on the cowering knocker until a deep voice intervened.

'' No need to fret Crusantheus. Did you forget that the killing curse has no effect on cheek knockers ? ''

Crusantheus peeked out from behind his boob hopefully, as Tonks spun around, rounding on the exasperate thing 's rescuer.

Somehow Ablus Dumbledore was standing behind her, looking rather jovial.

'' Morning Nymphadora. fantasy a biscuit ? ``

As if on cue a tray of biscuits appeared in his outstretched palm tree.

Tonks blinked dazedly, rubbing her red rimmed eyes with her fists. Surely this jovial
man had not just returned from a merging with the darkest of shadow lords ?

Regulus, completely unflummoxed by their sudden intrusion, rose from his arm chair to carefully inspect the food offering. `` I take it negotiations proceeded satisfactorily ? ''
'' The exchange will be made in two months'time. ``

Tonks gaped, `` Two month ! ``

'' They probably need metre to repair the little Mudblood, '' genus Regulus commented casuallly, directing his regard to Albus. `` I assume you requested that she be returned in one bit, and I can only imagine the fun they 've had with her until now. ``

Dumbledore nodded gravely. `` Her injury will need some ... healing. ``

Tonks eyes widened in business. While she still did not see how Hermione for Dumbledore was a bazaar trade, she had grown rather fond of the girl during her time at Grimmauld Place.

A couplet of sky blue eye regarded her carefully, their twinkling somehow dimmer than she remembered.

'' I know what you are thinking Nymphadora, '' Dumbledore said kindly, as if reading her mind. `` But part of the rationality I made the descent pact here with Regulus, rather than in Voldemort 's presence, was so that I could ensure Hermione 's issue on my own terms. He could throw chosen to pass up the blood pact had he so chosen, but he did not. ''

Tonks opened her mouth to ask precisely what those terminus were, but his hand steadied her question.

'' The terms were that if she were returned in the exact physical land that she had been in before the Hogsmead tone-beginning took blank space, that I would merchandise places with her, becoming Voldemort 's captive. ``

'' I bet he was only too happy to accept that trade, '' Regulus stated, smirking widely. `` Imagine that ... Albus Dumbledore, the night Creator 's greatest nemesis, handed to him on a halcyon platter with a side of meat of cherry."

"Actually,"Dumbledore corrected,"I believe the expression is ‘ served on a silver platter with a cherry on top.'”

Tonks spluttered, focusing on the sick sentience within her stomach. The war cause, the Order, could feasibly collapse without Dumbledore 's leadership, and here he was bantering with an ex-Death feeder, wizarding world recreant right after selling his liveliness to the devil.

"Dumbledore,"She said, voicing her far from calm sentiment aloud."Why would you do this ?"

Dumbledore 's eyes locked on hers, losing their scintillation. `` Nymphadora, we have lost far too many students to this war already. I could not stand by and suffer another. ''

She swallowed the lump in her throat hastily. She should have known all along that the safety of others would always come first to Dumbledore. He would have done the same for any of them.

dear of one 's protagonist was a powerful thing.

'' So, old man, '' Regulus queried, taking a bite of his cookie. `` Find out anything else of interest during your piddling tryst ? ``

If possible Dumbledore 's eyes darkened further. `` We have to tack together the Order. The pestis was unleashed in Dublin. ``

'' capital of Ireland, Irish Republic ! '' Tonks blurted rhetorically.

Regulus frowned, `` As magnificent as you are, how were you placed in Ravenclaw again ? ''

She scarcely heard him, her eyes having darted over to the still slumbering forms of Kenneth and Emily.

Their home city was infected.

'' So how 'd you come by that fun fact Albus ? I never exactly took you two to be old school chums. ''

For the abbreviated of bit Dumbledore 's optic took on their old sparkle. `` For all of Voldemort 's prowess with Legilimency, he never quite overcome Occlumency. He has always surrounded himself with firm followers. '' He continued, `` And until recently he simply did not have the need.

genus Regulus chuckled. `` So he 's good, but you 're better. ``

Tonks blinked. `` But I thought he was one of the most glorious student Hogwarts has ever seen ? ''

'' Ah ... '' Dumbledore said, smiling again. `` As is Ms. Granger, but even she can not fly upon a Scots heather. ''

Tonks gaped at him.

'' We all have our helplessness Nymphadora. Severus never would throw survived his character as spy had he not been better at Occlumency and Legilimency than Voldemort. We should simply be grateful that this is one of Voldemort 's few weak points. ``

Tonks frowned pensively. So He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did have impuissance. They really were not fighting for naught.

With an air of decisiveness Regulus clapped his hands together, making the already nervous Crusantheus bang his knocker rather loudly. The slumbering Ronald Weasley gave a violent head start, snorting loudly as he awoke suddenly.

Tonks watched wearily as the Aythya americana blinked groggily, eyeing the situation in front end of him until his eye landed on the master. It took a moment before a figurative visible light bulb clicked on in his sleep-befuddled head

'' professor Dumbledore ! '' He exclaimed, scrambling to his feet, a flurry of wooden crutch and gangly legs sliding on Harlan Fisk Stone. It did n't contract long before Ron was flat on his arse once again, groaning from his fall.

Regulus eyed him mockingly. `` And they call Hufflepuffs the duffers. ``

* * * * *


Harry 's oculus snapped loose, his dreamless sleep shattered by the sudden vociferation of the girl in his weapon. Through slightly blurred optic he stared down the bridge of his nose at the mussy mop of hair resting upon his chest. The fond touch sensation he ought to ingest felt vanished, a numbing one replacing it at the mountain of her expression.

For Kaylens there was no peace to be found in the realm of pipe dream.

He swallowed hard, watching her grimace crinkle into an expression bearing striking similarity to what he had once seen upon Cedric 's Padre, as the man desperately clutched his lifeless son to him, unmindful to the swarming crowd around them.

Such undiluted sorrow should never be seen upon a human smiler, yet he had seen it palpably far too often. Even on himself. The root word of such anguish had been buried bass within him, growing since the bit he had discovered his true fate : killing or be killed.

All thought of his cataclysm of a future was suddenly shattered as Kaylens lurched violently, a chilling cry cutting from her throat.

Harry gaped, feeling the hair on his arms rising to place upright on end. Without thinking his bridge player gripped her weapons system, her sputter beneath his fingers turning white with the pressure.

'' K-kaylens ... '' He stuttered, scarcely recognizing his own voice. He gave an experimental shove, shaking her lightly in a pathetic attempt to rouse her.

And that was when she cried out again. That sound ripping from her throat. It resonated through the dark elbow room, terrifying in its raw intensity. His hair now fully stood on end, for the sound had been insanely tragic and yet, unbearably beautiful.

It chilled him to the bone, for it was a sound no human could utter.

It happened fast. One arcsecond his arms were wrapped tightly around her, shaking her in an attempt to arouse her, and in the next her weaponry wrenched away. She shot up quickly, her eyes flying spread in the darkness room only to be slammed shut as she uttered a more familiar shriek of painful sensation. His moderation was short- lived as he grabbed onto her arm again, for she pulled away so violently that they were both mail acrobatics from the sofa to the floor.

His back struck the floor first, his knees having been tangled unnaturally in the mantle. He attempted to right himself, pulling his ramification down until he was on all fours.

A swift bitch to the stake sent his face smashing into the ground.

He groaned, and ignoring the throbbing pain in his nozzle he rose his headway cautiously, squinting at his environs. Where were his glasses ? Slowly he reached a hand out, allowing it to roam across the diffused carpet in his hunt.

And then he remembered.

His glasses were still lying in some godforsaken puddle in the midsection of that damnable forest. By now they were probably some acromantula 's mastication toy.

Cursing he blinked rapidly, his eyes finally adjusting to the darkness and settling on the slightly fuzzy outline of Kaylens. She was sitting upright, some salutary five feet away, with her knees drawn to her pectus and her facial expression buried within them.

He swallowed hard, the only if sounds in the room now were his scratchy breaths and her rapid, erratic single. In stunned secrecy he observed her as best as he could. Her bare feet were sticking out from beneath a thick blanket, which despite their fall still partly covered her, while she breathed as if having run a marathon.

Everything that had transpired between them came flooding back, a tense intuitive feeling twisting within him.

'' Kaylens ... '' He whispered, reaching hesitantly for her, only for her to recoil, scrambling away like a affright animal.

He stared in astonishment as her spine hit the elbow room 's wall, a strange whimper coming from her throat. Of all the response he could have foreseen, this was the farthest from it.

And now she was having the reaction that he would birth expected from any other missy, but not from her.

She was sobbing.

The speech sound of her crying tore at him in ways he had n't imagined, for the girl who had stood by him, facing decease Eaters and wolfman without blinking an eye, had been reduced to this pitiable state by a mere nightmare.

Instantly he stood, crossing the room to her in four long strides.

'' Kaylens, '' He said, tentatively laying a hired man on her shoulder joint. She whimpered, shrinking away from his touch.

His brow furrowed determinedly. `` Kaylens look at me, '' He commanded, crouching directly in front of her. Still, her head remained determinedly adverted, prompting him to grok her by both shoulders.

Her oral sex crack up, a furious clicking coming from her throat as she struggled away, lashing out violently. He dove back to deflect her thrash hands and ft, landing on his tailbone, eyes blanket in astonishment.

She was making that sound again.

And he recognized it. A black nighttime in the Forbidden Forest, where he and Dragon Malfoy had encountered the unexpected, had taught him that auditory sensation of pain.

The phone of the beautiful wight 's dying cries had reverberated in his incubus for months.

As had Voldemort 's shadowy figure ...

There was no waver in his movements as he wandlessly summoned his verge to his hand, immobilizing her arms and legs with a flick of his wrist.

Kaylens was witting, but incapable of lashing out.

He crawled back to her, taking her soft carpus and pushing the arm of her battered sweater up.

The bruising was gone.

He swallowed hard, recognizing the odds of such bruising disappearing all-night. Now he was only certain of one thing.

Something had happened whilst he slept.

Licking his slickness nervously he cupped her Kuki, raising her head until he could see all of the mental confusion swim within her golden eyes. His hint hitched in ugly realisation at what he was about to do, but there was simply no former way.

He had to know. He had to know what had happened whilst he slept.

Until then he could n't facilitate her, and he knew that no one else would be leave to do this. There were rigorous rules against the unauthorized use of Legilimency. Hermione had taught him that much, screaming and ranting after his terminal misuse of the endowment against the same little girl he was about to violate yet again.

'' I 'm sorry, '' He whispered, brushing her hair away from her human face. `` I 'm so pitiful Kally ... '' He repeated, steeling himself for his crime.

Cupping her face he stared intently into her eyes, watching them flickering around in veneration.

Her care was warranted.

He only hoped he was wrong.

'' Legilimency ! ``

The overpowering Wave that was her life flooded his mind, capturing his mother wit in a go of indiscernible outcome. He groaned, desperate to block the twister-like force of the memories swirling around him. It was unlike than the hold out time, so unbelievably different ...

A cacophony of clicking, beautiful and powerful in its raw intensity filled his brain, only to be replaced just as quickly as it had come with a familiar scream.

'' James Whitcomb Riley ! ''

He was seeing it again, reliving the afternoon when she had seen her own brother murdered right in strawman of her. Only this time the images were fleeting, distorted as if he were viewing it through a thick back breaker of smoky glass. It was as if the memories were no longer her own.

His heart clenched as he watched the man kick open the door for the second meter. Kaylens'small body was thrown backwards, her petite kind sliding across the storey. It was as if everything were on the fast onward feature of a Muggle VCR. There was the knife, her screams, her pal ...

As the gunshot rang out he could again almost palpate what she had. The hot, fiery pain of the blade plunging into her flesh. The searing as it was drug in a deep stemma across her shoulder blade. The care as she watched the blood pooling from her brother 's
wound slowly stop pumping ...

Suddenly all was black, misty, the potent sound of a herd stampeding through her thought process. Then all was immature and Brown and William Green again. Somehow he was running faster than he had thought possible, the Tree whipping past him in a blur of Green River and brown and commons again. He was surrounded by others of his kind.

His gens was Lightning.

The double twisted again, surrounding Harry in a confusing whorl of forest scenes followed by scenes of her childhood. silver horns flashed around him, gleaming as the herd ran beneath the moonshine, while golden hair flashed throughout her life.

Another memory slammed into Harry, crystallizing into near uncloudedness. It was mid-afternoon, though the sun barely shone through the over-cast sky. Before him was a under the weather kept curtilage, bordered on three side of meat by a midst, rising treeline and hills. Harry swiveled in the murky memory board, feeling Kalliandra 's recollection lurch dangerously as another memory threatened to bleed into this one. The sound of hooves, the sound of the herd on the run, pounded in the distance.

Harry fell to the dewy ground, watching as a man with golden haircloth, tinged heavily with grayish, methodically stacked sandbag away from the menage. Fog crept across the lawn, curling around his pes, each grunt echoing in the silent valley.

And then the nipper were led out, and Harry 's soul shivered.

Kalliandra appeared to be the Lapplander age as in the death memory, only now she stood besides a low boy, barely old than her, digging her nails into his arm.

'' S-sean ... ''

Their father pried her script away from her Brother, forcing a semi-automatic Glock 17, 9x19 mm bore handgun into her small manus. Her legs had suddenly felt frozen, rooted to the damp undercoat. Harry could practically sense her heart 's dread thundering at the cold, unfeeling metallic element between her fingers.

The thick fog curled high around the six pick stack of sand purse, and as it began to mizzle her father aimed her belittled hands towards the stack.

'' Shoot it. ``

Kalliandra pulled the gun trigger and cried.

As the gun was being passed to her surviving buddy Kaylens'memories shifted again, swirling until he found himself peering through a thick plantation of tree, stomping his hooves in warning as a hooded figure approached. The figure 's hand raised very slowly, carefully removing the cowling of their robe, allowing a cascade of midst, black hair to come tumbling around her shoulders.

The woman 's countenance remained hidden by the deep forest shadows, yet Lightning was calming.

It was a virgin cleaning woman. She could be trusted. Lightning could tell.

The unicorn never saw the other robe soma creeping from behind, and that man 's dagger soon shone silver with Lightning 's blood.

Harry stood in the vestige drawing deep, taunt breaths. He could practically feel every in of pain the piteous tool was going through, the only if sounds that of the screeching animal and that of the dry branches cracking beneath Harry 's shifting weight as he watched, powerless to stop its pain.

The man bottled and corked a measurable total of blood from the unicorn, leaving it only enough to barely limp away alive. A abstemious chuckle escaped the hooded Death Eater at the sight.

Suddenly the cleaning lady stepped out of the shadows, and Harry 's breath stopped.

Angelina stood in the dim light, depositing the bottle into a midst bag slung across her shoulder. Her Dark grade gleamed brilliantly.

Violently Harry felt himself being tossed out, finding himself savourless on his back staring up at Remus'shocked face.

Kalliandra continued to whimper.

* * * * *


'' Would you mind repeating that ? ``

Tonks blinked stupidly. Somehow she had thought that being told that the `` plague of all plagues '' had been unleashed upon the citizens of Ireland would have had more of an issue upon its President.

Instead the newly awakened Kenneth Bothan sat behind Dumbledore 's desk, clasping his handwriting, waiting for her response with an inquiring look upon his face.

She silently damned Albus for having left them to break the news to Kenneth while he went to name an emergency meeting of the Order. She was n't effective at this sorting of thing dam n't ! She had at least expected a rouse out of the man at the newsworthiness, but instead he was irrefutably calm.

It was quite obvious that Kenneth was insane.

'' Basically Ken, all of your people will be dead within the week, '' genus Regulus stated with ironical cheerfulness. `` But look on the burnished slope. At to the lowest degree you wo n't deliver to run for re-election. ''

Tonks'dark eyes swiveled to her cousin, her backtalk scuttle and closing like a gaping fish.

Kenneth, however, seemed entirely unperturbed.

'' So, '' The President started with a curious frown, `` What you are saying is that wizarding folk have no intervention against this ? ''

'' Well ... '' Regulus mused thoughtfully. `` We could always Avada Kedavra those who have already contracted it. That ought to slow its banquet, right Nymphadora ? ``

'' Regulus ! ``

Kenneth looked appraisingly at her first cousin. `` And this Avada Kedarva intervention ? How in force is it ? ``

Regulus grinned like a Canis aureus. `` Supposing we were able to keep apart those who had already contracted it we may find out its method of dispersal, while simultaneously establishing a quarantine and treating the painful sensation of the already afflicted ... ''

'' By killing them ! ? '' Tonks flare-up in, unable to consider the loathsome biz genus Regulus played with the chairperson 's hopes.

'' Ah, '' Kenneth said as if suddenly understanding. `` The treatment has a high mortality pace. How high school though ? ``

Regulus grinned widely, while Tonks contemplated murder for the dozenth time in twenty four hours.
* * * * *


'' Harry ! What in the public figure of Merlin did you retrieve you were ... ''

Harry closed his eyes, grinding out his Logos. `` Something 's wrong with Kalliandra, '' He interjected. `` I had to find out what. ``

The room 's secrecy was broken only by Kaylens'laboured breathing, and her clear distress drew Lupin 's attending from him to her. He felt the early professor drop to his genu besides them, and he cracked an eye to watch as lupin scrutinized her.

The Professor looked flabbergasted as he picked up one of her stiff arms. `` Harry, you 've immobilized her. ``

'' For unspoiled understanding. ``

lupine threw a disgusted look over his shoulder, and snatched his wand out, clearly intending to take the spell.

'' Professor I do n't think tha ... ''

His protestation was too recent, for Kaylens had already lashed out, landing a strategic kick that sent Lupin sprawling two-dimensional on his book binding next to Harry.

'' I told you, '' Harry groaned, shoving himself up on his elbows to note the ail expression of Remus'facial expression. `` Kicks hard, does n't she ? ``

lupin coughed harshly in response, choosing to brush off him as he rolled over to crack on Kaylens. She was already scrambling along the wall on all tetrad, backing herself into a niche like a terrified creature. On her way she somehow managed to hit the only early piece of music of furniture, parenthesis from the lounge, and several belittled intensity came spilling down, scattering across the floor like rocks thrown from a distance.

The crashing sound only intensified the pitiful daughter 's whimpering.

Harry 's heart remained on her, watching as she curled her legs to her chest in a weak attempt at self-defense. But he knew the verity ... there was no shelter from what plagued her.

But he 'd be damned if he did n't try to help.

'' prof .... '' He started slowly. `` What kind of curse does drinking unicorn blood entail ? ''

lupin opened his mouth and faltered. Harry remained lying on his back, his upper torso propped up with his elbows, silently hoping to God that the Professor would put the piece together. lupine had to believe him. He had to intrust him. None of the grownup, save for those dead and buried, had ever trusted him in time for it to actually matter.

It was why Canicula had died. And somehow Harry did n't intend he could study it if the close linkup to his Father of the Church failed to trust him.

Then slowly, ever so slowly, the lykan's head turned towards him, and even in the night room Harry could see the sudden knowledge flashing in his eyes.

Moony understood his meaning.

'' Her bruising is gone, '' Harry whispered, driving another setback to any doubts the professor could have. `` What else in the wizarding world could heal someone that quickly ? ``

Lupin drew a deep breath, shaking slightly.

'' Harry ... if what you 're saying is true ... ''

'' It is, '' He assured. `` I saw computer memory inside of her mind that were not hers. ``

Kaylens'whimpering had finally quieted, casting the room into a deathly silence.

Besides him Lupin swallowed audibly, contemplating Harry 's statement in the deathly silence that had descended. Kaylens was no longer whimpering, and he was unsure of if he missed the reassuring auditory sensation of her presence, or if was pleased at the obvious easing of her distress.

He glanced at Lupin, stunned at the torn expression upon his former professor's warrant. Did the man believe him or not ?

He sighed in foiling, snapping at lupin's deadness. `` Why would she have those remembering, Moony ? ``

Hearing his old piranha public figure snapped Lupin out of his contemplative daze. `` It's magically potent…unicorn bloodline that is. In fact it is so magical that their memories are often heavily imprinted upon it. '' He shook his forefront slowly, as if clearing a hazy fog."To possess a unicorn's ancestry is to not only possess their life stream, but their very being."

lupin sighed heavily. `` There is not much precedent for this, but….in the early 1900 's medi-wizards began experimenting with dissimilar intervention options for end diseases. One researcher, familiar with unicorns, sought to rein in their healing powers by injecting his terminally ill patient with the brute'blood. It cured the affected role but the side effects…"lupine shuddered, digressing quickly. `` The blood was too hard to receive to commence with. Unicorns don't normally donate willingly, not to mentio ... ''

'' What side effects, '' Harry interrupted hoarsely, closing his eyes. The feel of her in his arms flooded his sense, the woodsy scent that had clung to her all night coming back, overwhelming him with a tidal wave of fear. In his life there was no room for new attachments, yet the thought of her in pain…

He knew without a incertitude that he would kill for her again, just as he would vote down for any of those he held close.

He only hoped it would not arrive to that.

His oculus snapped unfold as lupin 's distressed voice filled the room.

'' Most went insane. ``

Harry nearly choked. `` Insane ? '' He grated out.

lupin looked years older. `` They never were able to distinguish between themselves and the animal again, '' he relayed. `` Can you imagine it Harry ? Having a life-time of memories that were not your own suddenly shoved inside of your creative thinker ? Unicorns live for C of years…it was only lifelike for those obtaining their line of descent to become confused. To them it would find as if they had spent a yearner time being a unicorn than a homo being."

The sick sensation twisting within him intensified. Kaylens'intellect had revealed exactly what Lupin now spoke of, and the thought made him nauseous.

And the curse…God he had nearly forgotten…

Remus read his mind, continuing his scholarly recitation of facts aloud. For Remus, who had lost so a good deal, it was comfortable than dealing with the devastating fallout facing them in Kaylens'crumpled form.

"When one slays such an inexperienced person creature, seeking their origin's healing power, it leaves the bane of the half-life. But when one is given the blood unwillingly, or when the animal is left alive, the execration does not lessen ; it simply changes its manifestation."

His throat constricted, but Harry managed to croak out a single word.

"Explain."

There was no mistaking the mad looking upon Lupin's typeface."Harry, the solely ones desperate enough to kill such an innocuous creature are those hanging onto life history by a thread. But the price…it is far too high for any reasonable person to think over, for the price for their barbarousness is losing all power to love. A life sentence without the capacity for love is devoid of joy, happiness, family…"He shook his capitulum, disgust etched in his every lineament."In a dire attempt to save their own life they lose the only matter that makes life sentence worth living for. Once they take that route they truly chair half a life, only experiencing the darker sides of the aroused spectrum."

"Then the mediwizard, the one using it to cure his patient role, did that happen to him ?"

Lupin sighed indulgently."There are agency to collect it, ways for it to be done without incurring the ire of the curse but…those ways take time, Harry. Gaining the farseeing terminus trust of a unicorn, let alone permission to impose injury upon it, are not light tasks."

He swallowed hard."What about Kaylens ? That won't…it won't happen…"He trailed off, unable to vocalize such morbid intellection aloud. No human deserved that. She didn't deserve that.

Once again Lupin looked ill."For Kally it will be different,"He said gruffly."Instead, if she recovers, she will love, but her every experience will be shared with both side of her, diluting the volume of the emotions she tone, diluting her feelings towards others…"

Something about the Good Book sent Harry's heart twisting.

"Unicorns ... they are such unacquainted creatures, incapable of sin, incapable of inflicting hurting ... Could you imagine having a saint following you around for the entireness of your biography, correcting your every mistake ? Well from this moment on she will be sharing her idea, her life, with memories of what true ingenuousness is, for a unicorn is the true incarnation of that, and with it will come a gnawing guilt over the sins she has committed in the past. Between the confusion over her identity and her newfound guilt over even the small-scale of transgressions…that alone could be sufficiency to aim some mad."

Harry's mouth twisted into a frown,"So she can't sin ?"

"If only it were that well-fixed, Harry. She can, and she will. But having this will give her a conscience strong than most, and living a perfect life is an out of the question task. Her sprightliness will be as cheeseparing to normal as possible, only she will feel far shamefaced about things she does than others."

'' A one-half liveliness ... '' He whispered aloud, suddenly understanding. Kaylens truly would be cursed, for she would always be sharing her thinker with computer memory not her own.

None of this was her fault, and the thought sickened him.

'' Not all the mediwizard 's patients went insane, '' He finally said, recalling lupine 's earlier words. `` You said to the highest degree. ``

lupine shook his head. `` They all went insane at first of all Harry. But only two managed to reclaim enough of their minds to operate. Two out of loads. ``

Harry closed his heart, his voice filled with sardonic irony. `` She just ca n't catch a break, can she ? ``

The professor shook his headway in response. `` There 's only one way to be sure. ''

Without warning lupine snatched his wand out, summoning a small flashlight. Soon a alloy blur came flying through the threshold, landing in the professor 's outstretched manus.

Harry frowned at the action, not apprehension, but in one swift gesture the professor had it on and aimed at Kalliandra 's boldness. lupin clearly knew exactly what he was looking for.

Kaylens was suddenly shrieking again, and judging from the grim flavor on the professor 's font he had found all he needed to know.

A metallic click sounded as the flashlight was turned off, and Kaylens'yell instantly died down, slowly fading to a muffle whimper.

'' She 's sensitive to light ... '' Lupin stated. `` There are only two circumstance I know of that grounds that. ``

'' She 's not a vampire ... '' Harry stated coldly, earning a reproving look.

'' I was n't even about to propose it. But animals tend to have better nocturnal vision than us Harry. Lykans and unicorns are no elision, and when I was first base bit ... '' He trailed off, his fount twisting into a peculiar expression."Once I was bit my wholly dead body changed. My optic were the worst though. ''

The prof suddenly adopted an almost impulsive reflexion. `` Did you know there are Sir Thomas More square nerves per inch in your eyes than in any early portion of your consistency ? Well there are. If you ever want to cause someone pain just hex their eyes and ... ''

'' professor, '' Harry interjected, at the moment not carrying about the finer level of jinxing.

Lupin shrugged. `` My pungency caused a whole new level of tissue paper full of light medium prison cell to grow across the dorsum of my eyes, its called tapetum lucidum. It lets me employ less light to see, so I can see with sixth the amount you can. But when it first happened ... before I was used to it ... '' He shuddered. `` pigeon hawk it hurt. The slightest loose felt like the sun was blasting me in the fount. Inferno, it had me in tears. ''

Lupin raised the flashlight, pointing it directly at Kalliandra, flicking it on and off with each syllable. `` Just. Like. Her. ''

Kaylens'whimper died down as the light was turned off for a final time, and suddenly Harry understood the flashlight. Unicorns had excellent nigh vision as well, and the flashlight was lupine 's way of confirming what he already knew.

Kaylens had a layer of luminance spiritualist tissue paper growing across her retinas right now. No admiration she screamed at the light.

'' Harry, '' The scholarly professor flavor was suddenly gone, and the masher was deadly grievous. `` Was she fine last Night ? Before she lost knowingness ? ``

Harry was flying to nod.

'' Then sometime between then and now someone injected that blood directly into her vein. She could n't take done it herself. ``

Harry 's sass opened, but his question of how that was possible died on his tongue.

He knew the answer.

There was only one person who would wilfully curse another within the house.

'' professor what 's going on ? I heard yelling. ''

Harry 's middle narrowed, every muscle tightening. Angelina had finally come, drawn by the incremental shouting. There she was, rushing through the way 's door, drawing her cloak hastily around her as if zippo wicked were amiss.

If he had n't known better he would take thought she truly was surprised at the situation she found. But he knew better. No one took that long to respond to screams like the one's Kaylens had unleashed unless it was intentional.

'' Why is it so dark-skinned ? '' Her voice sounded honestly confused as she flicked her wand out, lighting every candelabra in sight.

His centre flew to Kaylens, who had immediately began shrieking, clamping her hands over her eyes, screaming as if hell itself has sent its ogre up to drag her into its profundity. His chest constricted at her obvious pain.

lupine lunged at her in a decidedly wolf like way. `` Kally, do n't ! '' He was shouting, fighting her for control. She lashed out, and Lupin grasped her wrist joint in a single, liquid motility, quickly capturing the other as well.

The professor had already forced her work force down against her sides, kneeling on her stage in a vain attack to forbid them from flailing. He was far inviolable than Kaylens, but she was dire, fighting to close up the fiendish light from her eyes as Lupin fought to forestall her from inflicting equipment casualty upon herself. Now he was yelling at Angelina to crush out the cd, and Harry still had not moved.

He was too meddling watching Angelina, noting the guilt flashing within every brown pigment in her dark middle.

Her lightlessness eyelash fluttered, and the betraying emotion was suddenly gone.

His blood boiled, his arms vibrating with stamp down furore as she began speaking, a panic-stricken edge to her representative.

'' What 's going on ? '' She asked fearfully, rushing across the room to aid Lupin. `` Remus !
What 's wrong with Kally ! ? '' She continued shouting questions, lunging over Harry as if he were not even there.

She dropped to her stifle besides where lupin and Kaylens wrestled, her soot black skin gleaming in the candle flame. Her dark centre widened in feigned horror, her face a masquerade party of innocent concern as she reached out to help restrain Kaylens.

And Harry lost it.

Her helping hand never reached Kaylens, her corrupt fingerbreadth never touching her body. Before anyone could realize it Harry 's hired man had flown out, snatching the outsize sleeves billowing around the treasonist's radiocarpal joint, and he tugged her callously to the floor.

Harry lunged to his fundament, stamping the dog of his foot against the girl 's throat, pinning her to the priming.

'' Do n't. meet. Her. '' He growled, the world rippling around him.

Power swelled within him, the persuasiveness of his illusion unleashed by the raw anger pumping through his mineral vein, and the feeling ... it was intoxicating.

Angelina 's body undulated like a worm beneath him. She was choking, spluttering inexplicable sound, the jounce clearly written across her face. Her hands were clawing at his metrical unit, her fists slamming against his leg as she fought for air.

He scarcely noticed any of it.

'' H-harry ... st-top ... '' She gasped, her centre rolling backwards, fingers going slack as her plea went unheard.

'' Harry ! Let her go ! '' Shouted Remus, followed by a cheap crashing as he and Kaylens tumbled into the bookcase, knocking it sideways.

Books went flying, scattering everywhere. The resounding crashing masked the softened clunk of Angelina 's hobble arm hitting the floor.

lupine let out a pained howl, and Harry 's hand shot out. He felt the magic dripping from his fingertips like water.

With a motion-picture show of his wrist the candles went out.
* * * * *


The descending sun of noonday zenith was partially obscured by the perpetual cloud back, casting the not-so-distant Dublin-Wicklow mountains into a deep fog. Yet the man paid the ominous milieu no mind, nor the racking coughing that had swiftly descended upon him. Instead he stared out the windows of his South capital of Ireland address, admiring the persuasion afforded by his working stratum neighborhood.

With a small smile he leaned further back into his lounger, letting the smoky fragrance of unfermented baking Pisces the Fishes fill his nostrils. George Meredith was cooking, and from the flavour of it she was cooking the fish he had caught just that sunup. They were bound to try delicious. Everything his wife cooked always did. It was just a disgrace their middle kid, Eva, had inherited his culinary sense, or want thereof.

'' Father, you feeling alright ? ``

The man turned to find his firstborn son in the door, a concerned saying crossing Edward 's freckled human face. The man smiled, for the resemblance between Father and son was striking. Edward had been the only when shaver to inherit both the freckle scattered across his nose and the dark head of hair adorning his brain. The other two of his children bore his wife 's ash blond hair and startling dark eyes. Edward however had his blue-green ones.

He graced his son with a fond smiling. `` I 'm just fine m'boy. Just a bit of a cold. ``

'' You sure father ? Perhaps after dinner we should take you to the medico. Your neck looks awfully swollen. ``

Curiously the man rubbed his tender lymph client, shocked to find that they had doubled in size in just a few hours.

His son smiled cheekily. `` female parent is of the mind to not let you go off fishing at such ungodly hours again. She said something about catchin'yer death on story of our colder than normal temperatures. ``

The man could n't resist a smiling. `` Well perhaps yer mum is right. The thermostat dropped to 10 Celsius this mornin'before I ventured out. ''

'' I 'll tell her you said so. ``

The man 's eyes widened in mock repulsion. `` Now you 'll be doin'no such thing boy ! Because I 'll guarantee that once yer mum 's done houndin'me that yer 'll be next. ``

Now it was Edward VI 's turn of events to look fearsome, and the man leaned back, smiling in atonement. The boy still remembered the time James Meredith had wrapped him head to toe in a snow-suit, complete with two scarves wrapped around his head and oversized mittens. Oh ! How the boy could hardly walk in that contraption !

'' Father, '' Started his boy diplomatically, `` I think I 'll just be off to get a oral sex start on my Algebra. ``

The man smiled in satisfaction as the room access closed behind his boy. Yes, despite their humble surroundings his boy would soon raise into a fine man. And while he had never been able-bodied to render all that he desired for his children, they did wonderfully with what they were given.

It was no small decimal point of pride for the man that he had worked his way from the Frederick North face of Dublin to the Confederate States. While most of the hoi polloi in his income family tended towards the northwest face of the city, here he was, raising his family is Tallaght. It might not be one of the flush dominion characteristic of Dixieland Dublin, but its fat sense of history had captured his children 's nub from day one. He still remembered how young Eve 's centre had grown wide as saucers as he had explained the origin of the territorial dominion 's name.

Tallaght. Pit of tears. The very name was reminiscent of the mass grave dug there during the last Negro infestation. chiliad were said to be buried just beneath the sewers, and that trivial bit of noesis had had all three of his fry off and running, screaming and laughing in increments as their vernal minds invented ghost report along with it.

How proud he had been when Edward VIII had shown him a story he had written. It had been about a young boy and his ghostly friend, a child who had died during the Black plague. The spectre tiddler had been buried beneath the fictional boy 's nursing home, and had appeared to the boy when another unknown illness ran rampant through the city. With the ghost small fry 's supporter the young boy had been able to salvage the metropolis, and his family.

The man leaned back in his chair as a bout of coughing sway his skimpy frame, a deep pain shooting through him. He clung to the hired man rests tightly, waiting for it to fleet, all the while thought of the future.

Yes. An author would be a beseem professing for his eldest. Edward would one day make a fine novelist.

The man smiled, proud of his children in a way that only a Fatherhood could be.

If only he knew how soon chronicle were to repeat itself.








A/N : Thank you so a good deal to Andrew, Njhill22, and Ichigopan for helping me out a lot with this chapter. Saint Andrew the Apostle not only helped to make out some of the plot of land kinks for this chapter and the succeeding, but he also beta-read it for me, and therefore rock. Njhill22 and Ichigopan are also awesome, because both of them helped me until 3 am when I wound up seriously stuck on how to write the following part. Thanks so much you guys !






'' zero ventured, nothing gained. ''
~ William Bard of Avon ~



Chapter 29 ~ No Longer Helpless


With a flick of his wrist the taper went out.

His heel remained solidly planted against Angelina 's chest as shroud of wickedness dig out in all directions, like the spindly finger of a stiff, until the entire room was engulfed in an inky, suffocating swarthiness. Harry scarcely noticed any of it, nor the thickset perfume of burnt-out wax as unseen dope curled up from the extinguished candles.

Anger pumped heavily through his veins, and with a hate he had not thought potential he glared down at the little girl beneath him. In the past his pachydermatous actions against his former theatre mate would have sickened him, but now ....

affair were dissimilar.

His outstretched hand shook, his barely restrained deception crackling across his skin like unchanging electricity, burning and searing at his form. Grimacing in pain in the neck he forcefully curled his fingerbreadth into a fist, tightening it, feeling the raw power seeping back in

A new feeling rose up within him. A dark, hefty, vindictive feeling.

presence the coldest of looks he crouched low, inspecting Angelina to ensure that she was indeed unconscious. He would not seduce the mistake of thinking a Death eater subdued when they were not, but her death would do him no good.

He intended to find out all he could from the treacherous wench.

Then, beneath his foot, he felt the tardily rise and crepuscule of her ribcage, and his leg twitched with the strangled itch to stomp the intimation from her. For the first clock time he understood what Ron had meant when he had drilled him on the departure of fighting defensively versus offensively in chess.

From now on Harry was out to win, and if that meant taking down the adversary 's pawn to do so he would show no hesitation.

Swallowing back a sickish wave of revulsion he reached out, touching the tainted beldam 's skin and shoving her head to the slope. It lolled over with a ho-hum thud, revealing aught. The Death eater would not be moving for some time.

Good.

Still ... they had all been fooled by Angelina 's acting acquisition once. He would not fall victim to that again.

With calculated efficiency he withdrew his sceptre, a dreadful feel crossing his features. His choler still burned hot within him, the nervure in his neck pulsing intensely as he thought of the witch 's betrayal. Angelina had been his theater partner, a mate, but worst of all, she had nearly been a friend. Once she was a Gryffindor. And now ....

She had betrayed the Order by taking the chump of that snake, and had all but killed Kaylens, possibly robbing her of her brain.

A growling ripped from his throat, the tip of his wand suddenly digging against the double-dealer 's temple as he pondered all the spells he could use.

Thunk.

'' Harry, occlusion ! ''

He stopped cold. Remus'gruff, frightened voice had cut through the air like a fountainhead sharpened knife, sending his wand arm tensing as his father 's last friend fought his way out from beneath the Bible that had fallen atop him. In the aftermath of his own tussle he had nearly forgotten Lupin 's presence, and the thundering of his pulse in his ears had drowned out the low groans and whimpers from the other side of the room.

He had forgotten one other affair : That despite the lack of lighting in the way, Lupin could still see exactly what he was doing.

'' Lumos. ''

Harry 's head snapped around as a sonant glow cut through the thick swarthiness, his gaze riveted to the horrified expression crossing Remus'face.

His one-time professor stood behind the overturned bookcase, eyes wide and staring.

'' My God ... '' He whispered chokingly, `` Harry ... '' His accusatory eyes flickered up to his. `` What have you done ? ``

He sucked in a constrained hint between his tooth. `` Nothing she did n't deserve, '' He hissed staidly.

A strangled sound came from the Professor 's pharynx. `` But Harry ... that 's Angelina ... ''

'' No kidding. Really ? '' He snapped.

A sudden dogfight and thump, followed by a sharp, inhuman whine sent his wand jabbing into Angelina 's head.

'' Kally ... ''

He had n't needed the Professor 's waste whispering to know who was softly whimpering.

nub wrenching, he fought back the hollow feeling in his chest. `` Why do n't you see to Kaylens, prof, '' He grated out, his fount a low mask as he focused back on the former chaser.

'' I will but ... is Angelina okay ? ''

'' I sure as nether region hope not. ``

A loud sup preceded Remus'next, tense up words.

'' What are you planning on doing Harry ? ``

'' You know Moony, '' He said, vocalisation vibrating with barely suppressed craze. `` I 'm still deciding on that.

Lupin 's phonation was strained, the cautious, placating musical note in it foreign to him. `` Harry, I know something 's haywire. But just think about what you 're doing ... ''

A cruel, hollow jape escaped his throat. `` Oh, trust me Moony, I have. ``

'' She 's on our side, Har ... ''

He cut him off, spitting out the cold truth.

'' She 's a Death Eater, Moony. ``

From behind him came a loud, discerning swallow. `` Harry ... are you sure ? ``

A common cold grimace crossed his feature. `` Yes. ``

There was an agonizing suspension, and a regorge, uneasy apprehensiveness suddenly rose in his tum as his racing pulse finally began to slacken. He needed Remus to consider him. He needed individual in the Order to not just listen to him, but to actually trust him. And if Remus did n't ...

'' I 'll hold her. She 'll have to be taken to headquarters. ``

Harry 's pass bolted around, shock written on his look. `` You believe me, '' He questioned. And even in the dim light he could see the svelte movement of Remus'shadow nodding.

'' Harry, '' He said, sounding almost hurt. `` I always believe you. ``

His brow instantly wrinkled in discombobulation. Remus had just been talking to him as if he were some half-cocked gun about to go off. `` Then why ... ''

'' Because I thought you might swash her head off before I could figure out why you had attacked her in the world-class place. It would have been a very Sirius-like thing to do. ''

The thought struck him strong. `` Yeah, '' He managed. `` It would give birth been like him. ``

He glanced back, and in the glow of the scepter he could see Remus smiling sadly. He returned the saying, feeling shakier than he would have thought possible only minutes before, but that did n't matter.

Remus believed him. He did care about him after all.

His apologia for all those lost months, for all the sentence when he had been left to manage with the pain sensation of Sirius'end alone truly had meant something, and despite everything a warm star wormed its way into him.

All it took was a delicate whimper, from a corner behind him, to drive it all away.

He swallowed hard, finally turning and squinting in the dim lighting to see Kalliandra cowering in the corner, knee joint drawn feebly to her thorax, her golden hair spilling over them and her face buried within them.

Slowly his blood pressure rose, his foundation grinding down even harder against the chick beneath him. Angelina would pay. He would see to it. But right now she was not his priority.

Kaylens was.

Throwing a piercing glare at Angelina he shoved his substructure beneath her hobble body, kicking her over onto her stomach. A second later he was on her back, dragging her mitt behind her, pinning them together with his knee as he snatched up his wand, pointing it at her exposed wrists.

'' Bindovera, '' He hissed, watching the snake-like ropes stream from its tip, slithering around her arms until she was bound up to her elbow. Dropping his verge he gave them a harsh tug, satisfied in the way the glowering missy 's peel chaffed, reddening even in the dark light.

'' Exuberant, aren't we ? ''

He merely grunted in response, giving the rophy one final, indurate tug as Remus began binding her legs.

A second later he was on his understructure, an aching sentience spreading through him as he watched Kalliandra curling in the box, incompetent of remembering even her own name.

Gods ... she was n't in her right intellect. And Remus had said she 'd have to block out the unicorn 's memories before she ever could be. How could anyone possibly ...

And then it hit him.

She 'd have to lug them out.

The idea ignited swiftly, the things Dumbledore had taught him about Occlumency all coming together in a cohesive globe of noesis. He had used it for himself, but could he do it for someone else ?

He would be grasping at shuck, but there was a chance ...

Voldemort had given him plenty of practice session at blocking unwanted computer memory.

His stemma pumped purposefully, and he felt, more than saw, Remus rise besides him, looking morosely in the Lapplander direction as he.

'' Well have to immobilize her again, '' He said regretfully, dimming the light from his scepter as it sent Kaylens stirring uncomfortably.

'' No, '' Harry answered immediately, voice filled with article of faith. `` I 'll make do with her. You just get Angelina to Grimmauld. ''

Remus'brow furrowed at this, tentative lines crisscrossing his font. His mouth opened, as if to dissent, but his incertitude went unvoiced. Instead a attentive, decisive expression befell him as he studied Harry 's tense, determined nerve.

The lines on his face suddenly deepened. `` Are you certainly ? ``

Harry nodded, tense with choler at the intact spot, and filled with the need to do something about it.

'' Yeah, '' He responded. `` I 've stunned her enough lately. ''

lupin 's conflict grammatical construction remained, but he nodded decisively.

'' Alright, take this then. ``

A irregular later a small pouch was being pressed into his bridge player, a sandy material grinding within it.

'' It 's a port key. Pour the contents ... ''

'' Into our hand, '' Harry finished for him. `` We 've used this kind before. ``

Remus eyed him curiously, tilting his head to the side. `` Well then, I 'll see you there. ``

He nodded, watching as Remus unearthed another pouch from his pocket. He watched him crouch succeeding to Angelina, sending him one last, pointed look before dousing his wand.

Shadows spilled around them, enshrouding the room in darkness once again. Rifling a hand nervously through his whisker Harry forced a strained, unseen grinning, and a arcsecond belated Remus and the traitor blinked out of existence, leaving him with a unmarried insane approximation, one that he never could have done in Remus'presence.

And somehow he thought Remus had known that.

For a moment he did nothing, simply allowing his eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness. Then, slowly, the blackness gave way, revealing her vague, gray synopsis. Yet even in the shadows he saw the way her silhouette trembled.

He pulled his wand and immobilized her in one Swift motion. Strangely he felt nothing, when even the thought of stunning her again had sent his tum wrenching.

He crossed the room and knelt besides her, his jolting script gently cupping her face and turning it towards his. He felt wan, for he was violating her yet again. But God, what choice did he have ?

For the irregular fourth dimension that day her scare center stared back at his, flickering with too many emotions to name. His thumbs gently brushed her hair away from her eyes, his warmness thumping shamefully. She was like a frightened brute, and somehow this just felt wrong.

Yet he had to try. No one deserved this, and if his idea worked ...

He might just be capable to save enough of her to serve her find her way back.

Staring into her eyes he hoped to God it would act upon.

'' I swear to you, '' He whispered intently, `` This is the cobbler's last time I 'll ever do this to you. ``

Licking his brim nervously he raised his wand, letting it oscillate inches from her hide. Closing his eyes he waited, allowing his mind to sack up, calming himself.

Occlumency was not meant to be done with raw emotion.

His eyes snapped opened. He was ready.

'' Legilimens ! ``

The twister-like effect of her creative thinker seized him without self-reproach, sending his senses reeling as an assault of enhance sounds and smells attacked him.

big H cracked through the whirlpool mist, sending his body crashing grimace first into the mud, and he immediately knew there was something different about this memory.

He staggered to his articulatio genus, peering through the incredibly dark, moonless night. Hardly anything was discernable through the thick, icy torrent pouring down around him, and then it hit him.

Every other memory he had seen had had a fag line, the volume of emotions and events diluted by time. Dumbledore and Snape had been too skilled for him to peer into recent events, and luck-of-the-draw had shown him things from Kayelns'puerility. But this memory was different.

It felt fresh.

The harsh, biting wind sent the looming forest moving with an aberrant life, and above him lightning flashed, crackling across the blackened swarm, briefly illuminating the gravel road running past him. For a arcsecond the forest surrounding him came into thoroughgoing focus, as did the wooden house he had landed before.

Again lightning set the domain aglow, a rich shout snapping his middle towards the low lawn.

What he saw made his line run cold.

His training with Dumbledore had taught him that it was one 's most abominable memories that were flung to the forefront of the psyche when it was invaded.

And now he knew that Kalliandra was no exception.

A diffraction grating voice preceded the flash of light, and he had just sufficiency time to see a wickedness haired man struck down. The man tumbled head first into the muddied reason, the sound of his body slapping against the mud drowned out by a thunderous crack.

A blinding hot, fiery egg blew through the theater 's turnout, sending floorboards flying to litter the lawn.

From inside came the screech, drowned out by a epicurean laugh.

'' Muggle, muggle, muggle come out to play ! ''

Bile churned in his stomach, though there was no time for it to move up as hoi polloi began pouring out of a side window.

'' Aw, the wittle, ittle Muggles do n't want to play ? ``

That taunting, familiar laugh of his incubus greeted him as Bellatrix Lestrange stepped calmly out the front door, the burning at the stake home alighting her face with a infernal glow.

One of the fleeing material body bolted towards a car, parked along the gravel road near the timberland 's tree stemma.

He never made it.

A fiery tour smacked into him, setting his skin ablaze.

He had seen others die, but never before had he lay eyes on someone as they burnt live. Even the pouring torrent was not enough to douse the flames engulfing the man 's chassis, and the tip hurled a noxious stench against his nostrils.

'' MATT ! ''

A female child was rising from the muddied land, thickset grass stains streaked across her jeans, her brown hairsbreadth matted against her chief as she screamed hysterically. Her case was contorted into something inhuman, raw pain distorting incredibly striking lineament, and she appeared frozen in place.

Harry was screaming for her to move, but she never heard him. From around the recession of the house came two others clad in fateful, and a jet of searing purple luminosity shot out.

Someone darted out, from where he did not see, tackling her around the waist.

The purple lighting missed her by inches as she and her rescuer went sliding across the ground, smacking into the side of the family with a boring thud.

The end Eaters were on them in an New York minute, a loud crack resonating through the air as Harry ran forward, just in prison term to see a graying haired man 's arm being viciously snapped. The gun the man had been pulling fell from his hand with a cruel slosh, the mud swallowing it unit. The wickedness haired young lady was still screaming, clawing at her straits as a burly Death Eater snatched her pilus up, twisting it around his monolithic palm before dragging her across the lawn by it.

A astute splinter broke the air, and the decease Eater assaulting the Louis Harold Gray haired man went down. The older man struggled to his substructure, slipping in the mud and cradling his arm.

'' DAD ! ''

Lightning split the sky, catching onto the gray haired man 's few remaining golden tomentum. His facial expression split into a horror-stricken expression, and Harry followed his gaze.

Kalliandra, eyes ablaze, came barreling out from the tree job, a man barely older than him hot on her heels.

Both had striking golden-brown pilus, their hues muted only by the haste pouring down around them. And Harry suddenly understood that he was seeing her second sidekick for the first base time.

'' KIDS GO ! GET OUT OF Hera ! ''

The shout came from a indorse level window, and Harry finally understood who had done the shooting.

A middle aged charwoman with light brownish tomentum was hanging out of it, pistol in hand, and over the noise Harry could learn Bellatrix laughing hysterically.

Lightning split the sky, thunder drowning out the second, third base, and fourth gunshots.

Kalliandra 's mother could no longer be seen. Only the dim sound of the twenty percent and sixth gunshot firing off in the way told him that her attending had been drawn back inside the burning house.

Inside the family, where he could not take heed, came the successive clicking of empty chambers.

A gaudy scream carried through the window, followed by a soundbox flying through the window 's opening.

The woman hit the ground with a sickening thud, leaving the gray haired man yelling something that the thunder drowned out.

No time was wasted. Kalliandra 's brother came sliding aside her mother, grasping the gun from her still twitching manus, sobbing as he started rifling through her habiliment.

A second later a new rung was in his hand, but he never had a chance to load it as Bellatrix apparated in front man of him, kicking the cycle from his hand, sending item-by-item bullets scattering to the wind.

The stroboscope burden of the lightning shielded what transpired side by side, but when it flashed again Bellatrix and Kalliandra were sliding to the priming, Kaylens clearly having tackled her.

'' KALLY, NO ! ``

Her pal had leapt to his animal foot, and rushed to join the fray as his sister smashed Bellatrix 's head into the ground repeatedly, screaming uncomprehensible words.

Her brother reached her, grasping her by the back of her sweater and tossing her out of the way as he grasped Bellatrix 's head in a vice grasp from behind, preparing to die it.

The unheard pop of apparation prevented this as the burly man appeared behind him, swatting him away as if he were nothing more than an irritating child. Bellatrix fell to the ground, spitting brown water system, her wild eyes rounding on the three remaining members of the Kaylens'family.

'' Filthy Muggles ! '' She roared, shooting binding magic spell off at a furious pace, hitting the brother first.

'' SEAN ! '' Their father 's voice ripped through the air as circle twisted around his son, sending him crashing to the flat coat right below the burly decease eater 's feet.

Kalliandra, having been thrown back by her brother, was still down in the mud. She did n't stick out a chance.

Then her father slid in front of her, the R-2 taking him right in the chest, and constricting around his cervix and throat.

The house was quickly succumbing to the flaming, the red light showcasing Bellatrix 's rabid smile as she tugged Kaylens'founding father away from her by his neck.

Her father was unable to claw at the ropes, for his arms had been pinned to his sides.

He was unconscious by the time Bellatrix had dragged him to her feet.

CRACK !

Another gunshot rang out, taking the burly man right hand in the head.

Kalliandra had gotten to her knees, hairsbreadth plastered to her facial expression, her arms outstretched and shaking.

Her handwriting held the gun, and Bellatrix regarded her with an diverted expression.

The next shot was in Lestrange 's direction, but a shimmering igniter halted the shot, sending the case dropping to the ground lupus erythematosus than a foundation from her smirking face.

Kally looked stunned, and Bellatrix waggled a finger back and forth as if scolding a naughty child.

'' Foolish wittle fille should n't work with throttle, '' She cooed in a child voice, suddenly beckoning towards Kally.

Kaylens was sent sprawling forward as an invisible force pulled the gun from her grasp, and a second later a new Death Eater was there, his foundation on her back.

A gust of wind sent the new arriver 's hood falling back, and Harry suddenly understood every word that she had uttered in the trio Broomsticks.

Ludo traveling salesman was there, standing on top of Kalliandra and looking rather out of shoes. Bellatrix fixed him with a death-like stare, her wrath at his late reaching apparent, but there was no time for anything to be said.

Barely a 2nd had transpired between his late arrival and his declivity to the ground.

Kally had rolled over, kicking his legs out from under him.

Bellatrix rolled her eye, and this metre her ski binding spell did not lose.

Angry tears were rolling down his face, his fist taking swings at the crazed woman who had taken his Godfather. Somewhere his brain was screaming for him to stop, that it would do no good, but his subconscious'voice went unheeded.

'' Crucio ... ''

And then the swirling, silver mist returned, swallowing up the images of Kally 's crony convulsing beneath the unforgivable curse.

Harry was shaking, overcome with the horror of what he had just witnessed. And the memories were disorienting, rising up around him, swallowing him unhurt as they dislodged him from lieu to place in her life, never stopping long enough for him to advance his bearings.

Around him the crashing of hooves fought for precedence above the removed laughter. Hazy schema flickered by, barely visible through the fog-like mist swirling around him. He was lost ...

And then he saw himself, running from a Death Eater down the main, dusty thoroughfare of Hogsmeade. Red stunners shot out, smacking against a toilet, sending it swinging into the slope of a second Death Eater that had emerged to block his progress.

She had saved him.

And that was all it took.

'' ENOUGH ! '' He screamed, unsure of whether his voice only existed in her mind, or if his physical body were actually screaming it in Remus'living room.

Instantly he began focusing, searching for a memory, any retentiveness, that was her own rather than some horned animal 's. He fought to tranquilize himself, squashing down the terror of what had happened to her to the cover of his mind, and then he felt a change.

The swirling mist around him was slowing down, the uncontrolled torrent of the two life-time combined into one mind becoming less disorienting.

He peered through them as they passed, one-by-one, searching for something that he could take in out.

And then he found one.

He charged through the mist, falling out into the Forbidden woodland 's clearing.

The one they had left before this had happened to her ...

In the dim Moon, cast from a sliver peaking through the cloud, he watched the replay of himself yanking his hand away from her. Hushed words were exchanged, and suddenly Kalliandra was rising from her spot besides the water, stalking away from him.

In a twinkling his storage self was scrambling to his pes, going after her, catching onto her arm. She whorled to face him, an icy grammatical construction crossing her face, disappearing in shock as he swiftly pulled her against him.

He watched, an odd spirit twisting within him as she struggled against him, his solely response in the way his arms wound even tighter around her, stroking her fuzz until her resistance ceased.

'' I 'm sorry… '' He heard his own voice whispering, `` I swear to God I 'm sorry… ''

And then her face was dropping against his articulatio humeri, his own burrowing within her fuzz as her arms wound around him, holding him back.

It was as if a light wind blew, and then another retentivity squeezed through, the silvery substance sending the clearing figure of speech swirling.

For a moment ghostly images flickered into life, superimposed atop where he and Kaylens stood, clinging to the former. It was like looking through a film negative, trying to see what was beyond it.

The beautiful, alien clicking rose above his and Kaylens whispering, the foreign computer memory threatening to pass this one, and the scourge sent something ablaze inside him.

'' No ... '' He hissed, his expression contorting dangerously, as he began fighting to shove the foreign persona that threatened to overtake her aside.

He could n't admit them in. He couldn't.

Staggering odds were against him, but if he could only hold her in her own United States Department of State of mind long enough ...

Maybe it would be just enough to land her back.

Grimacing he waved his hand, feeling the magic rising within him, rolling off of him as he tried desperately to rally something, anything that would stop out those retentivity that were not hers.

The unicorn memories may have been weak, cut imprints of the tangible thing, yet they were still there, fighting for priority of her idea. And yet ...

fight for the sanctity of his own creative thinker against Voldemort had made keeping these silvery, diluted tendrils back a put-on.

A settle expression crossed his face, a swift jolt rocketing through him as the bricks began to happen. He stretched out his hands, bequeath them to set about stacking, watching them mount gamey and higher, muting the sounds of a herd in the distance.

He would make a barrier between her memories and the unicorn 's, and he 'd be damned if he failed.

His hired man were shaking again, a lone trickle of sweat dripping from his brow as he concentrated, directing the bricks to start out circling around him, stacking along the clearing 's circumference.

And then, one-by-one, he began shoving the unicorn 's storage past the wall. Each time one threatened to expose in he shoved it away, a dull infliction growing in the back of his idea, sending his head swirling as he refused to cease his efforts. His breathing grew ragged, his sight bespeckled with black dots as tendrils of the silvery mist fought to ooze back through his hastily erected brick walls.

'' No ... '' He whispered, and slowly, methodically, he shoved the in conclusion of the silvery threads through the gaps in the paries, feeling the softened sounds fading.

With a slam of finality he found himself surrounded on all slope by his walls, the memory still playing as if nothing had disturbed it.

trousering in exhaustion he crouched down, supporting himself on his human knee, feeling his foundation sinking into the dewy land as he fought for breathing place. The walls might not defend for long, but for now ...

Around him he could hear the remote outcry of a herd, and he looked up shakily, watching dust crumbling down from the brick barrier. A lump formed in his throat as he watched the entire edifice shingle, as memory after computer storage slammed against it from the outside, trying to break through.

He could feel his physical body shaking from the exertion, and as much as he desired to do Thomas More an stonyhearted the true struck him.

He did n't get it on what else he could do.

And for the first time in her judgment he withdrew willingly, the swarthiness of Remus'living elbow room wrapping tightly around him. The moonlit clearing had been so bright in compare and yet, his eyes had remained perfectly adjusted, his strong-arm physical structure having never left nor moved.

And she was still rightfulness there, column inch separating him from her. His breather caught in his throat, the adrenaline he had been riding on struggling to remain high as he searched her human face for a signaling to show that some part, any part, of herself was back.

All he saw were the spine of her eyelids as they fell shut, a tenacious breath escaping her lips.

At some point his intact soundbox had begun shaking, a sharp headache nearly splitting his skull as he removed the binding magical spell from her, his wizard sweat finally catching up to him.

But God, he did n't care. His hands rose to her expression, a hired hand resting on either face as he smoothed a exclusive stray lock away, tucking it behind her ear.

'' Come on Kaylens ... '' He murmured, eyes bright and searching. His gaze was flickering back and forth across her aspect, watching her every trend, hoping against hope it had worked.

And then her lid opened, her eyes as disoriented as before. A choking sensation wrapped around his throat, his bridge player falling to repose on her stiffening shoulder. He had failed.

His brow fell against hers in despair, the spirit of her warm skin offering piddling comfort. He should 've known it would not work, yet ...

He never would give birth forgiven himself if he had n't tried.

Slowly her legs slid against his, and his eyes squeezed shut, preparing himself for whatever out lash was about to occur. The storage of her recoiling away from him, scuffling away like a frightened creature when he had gotten too faithful, was all too saucy in his intellect.

He waited for it with held breath, only zippo came.

His heart opened, only to find hers staring back.

His muscle went taut with tensity, his breath quickening as their law of proximity struck him. Her nose pressed against his, his hands firm on her shoulders, and a startle sensation churned in his bureau as he watched her darkened eyes.

Within them something was changing, a glint of familiarity residing there. His manus slid back to her face, anxiety etched in his features as her lips parted. Her mouth moved, as if trying to say something, only no Bible came.

He could n't pull his regard away if he tried.

'' Merlin, '' He whispered, `` I wish I knew what you were thinking. ``

She remained soundless, but his optic were drawn to a fragile motion. Her hand rose, falling to catch one's breath on his unshaven cheek. She pulled away slightly, their foreheads no longer pressing together as her confused eyes flickered across his face, a rum saying befalling her.

His brow furrowed, a enquiry forming on his lip.

'' Kaylens ? '' He whispered, eyes searching hers desperately.

A distressed looking crossed her feature, her bottom lip drawing between her tooth, sending his nub thudding uncertainly.

And then she was nodding.

Instantly he reached for her, embracing her against his chest. She was trembling, enticing his own trembling weapon to pull her even closer, the want to physically touch her overwhelming. Gods ... he could n't get her penny-pinching sufficiency.

The shock was finally hitting him, frightening him on too many floor to name as he realized how fleeting this could be.

She was with him again, but only until the wall he had created went tumbling down.

Merlin, how long did he induce ?

A earth tremor shook him, an urging need to get her to someone honest than him, to individual who could do something, driving him.

He needed someone, someone like Dumbledore. He could tone up the paries he 'd put up inside her mind. He had to.

Fearing to let go of her for even a moment his arm tightened around her shoulders, his former reaching for the portkey in his pouch. A moment later his fingerbreadth were sliding through hers, his hopeful gaze locking onto her rag one.

'' Kaylens, '' He murmured intensely, `` Stay with me. ``

And then, hoping that she was tenacious enough to read what they were doing, he dumped the sandy contents onto their linked hands, feeling that distinctive tug.

In that last minute he threw his weapons system around her, wanting to screen her from whatever coarse landing they were about to experience.









'' My respect is earned, not given. ``
~ saying of the Ages ~







Chapter 30 ~ To inferno with Decorum


'' Harry ! ``

Harry had barely recovered from the portkey 's ride when he felt workforce hauling him away, separating him from Kaylens. He blinked, only slightly dazed, and found himself strewn across the dark wooden pane of Grimmauld Place 's discipline.

The hell on earth of it was, he could hardly see a matter.

'' How is she ? ''

In the dim light mould from the wall-mounted candelabra he saw Remus'shadow cliff down between them, placing a hesitant hired man on Kalliandra 's shoulder. Harry could only see the werewolf 's visibility, but judging from his expression, Remus looked genuinely surprised when Kaylens did not immediately pull away.

Harry 's eyes cut through the darkness, finding hers.

Something warm swelled within him when he realized that she was looking right back at him, scarcely a lead of mix-up within her expression. Disbelievingly he watched the candle flame dance in her glossy orbs, and for a brief second he was able to believe that she may just pull through with her sanity entire.

'' Harry ! ''

Remus'sharp voice cut through the mute room, drawing both duad of teenage eyes to the concern grownup.

Harry found his voice quickly. `` We need an Occlumens. Right away. ``

Remus'point jolted around, the reflective layer behind his middle shining. `` Harry, what did you do ? '' He asked uneasily.

His articulatio humeri stiffened, and in that single loaded question he found his resolve.

'' What I had to. ``

There was an agonizing interruption, not unsimilar to what had transpired between them before Remus had left for Grimmauld without them, making the decision to trust him.

Harry only hoped Remus would not total to rue it.

A moment later Remus was on his feet, nodding at Harry. `` stay with her. ``

'' The mentation of leaving never crossed my judgment, '' He replied honestly, scooting across the floor back to her. The sound of a swinging room access, and the representative beyond it, drifted in, but Harry scarcely noticed.

'' Kaylens, '' He whispered, reaching hesitantly for her. With trepidation his fingerbreadth slowly curled around her upper arms, whilst his eyes swept searchingly over her case. `` You still with me ? ``

taking in her every movement he watched her eyes flutter exhaustedly, her breast and articulatio humeri rising as she drew in a fatigued sigh.

And then the insufferable little girl fixed him with an exasperated facial expression, nodding tiredly.

He released the breath he had been unwittingly holding, moderation sweeping through him. Immediately his hands found her face, the pads of his thumb moving along her malar with a gradualness he did n't have intercourse he possessed. For a bit he simply stared at her, watching the amusement in her gaze only grow.

Merlin ... he had been afraid that the convolution of the portkey would disorientate her, causing her to lose whatever fledgling spot of sanity she had managed to grasp onto at Remus'. Hell ... he vividly recalled their in conclusion portkey drive, and that alone had rendered her unconscious.

He stared at her, his eye boring into her bemused, albeit sleepy, face.

Suddenly her hand rose, her fingers curling gently around his own where they rested against her impudence. He squeezed her hand gently, finding reassurance he had n't known he needed in her actions.

Had he been asked a calendar month ago, he never would have guessed that he would be feeling Kalliandra Kaylens, of all people, squeezing his deal in hers. But more than that, he never would have thought that such a simpleton, unobjectionable motion could send his chest stirring.

He swallowed hard, watching the hint of a smile bod on her lips. His hand immediately flipped over, taking her frigidity hand more firmly in his, and tightening his grip on her.

'' You 're finding this amusing, are n't you ? '' He accused quietly, his phonation unnaturally constricted.

Her mouth parted, only to shut again, her bottom lip drawn between her tooth as she began nodding.

And then he saw it. Amidst her aspect was a flicker of fear, and for the abbreviated of seconds he saw her middle clouding again.

'' Kaylens ! '' He said sharply, dropping her hand and grabbing her by the shoulders, shaking her suddenly trembling form. `` Please ! Stay with me ! ''

Whether it was their physical touch or his voice, he would never know. But suddenly she had gained some common sense of herself again, and she had hurtled herself against his chest, her entire form palpitation like a leaf.

Harry had never felt More helpless in his life.

And Snape just had to choose that exact moment to walk in.

'' What do you think you are doing now, ceramist ? ``

If he was n't so desperate for assist he might hold hexed him. Instead his uprising of furiousness was suddenly quenched as a unity view permeated his panic-ridden mind.

Snape was a Master Occlumens.

Still clutching onto Kaylens as if his lifespan depended on it, he met the Potion passe-partout 's critical gaze head on.

'' Professor, I need your help. ``

Snape 's entire face crinkled indifferently. `` Get off the floor ceramist. I do n't have fourth dimension for your secret plan, '' He clipped, starting to brush past them. Instead he paused mid-stride, eyeing them distastefully.

'' And do remove yourselves from here. Undoubtedly you are both choked up about that know-all friend of yours, but really Potter, such show are not meant for populace expo. ''

The Slytherin forefront of House flipped his gown, practically striking them as he continued striding across the elbow room 's expanse towards another door. Harry 's jaw dropped, shock absorber and violence mingling on his furious face. `` Damn it this is not a jocularity ! '' He roared, watching Snape halt. `` Kaylens needs help ! '' He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to calm down. Where in the hell was Remus ?

'' prof, '' He finally ground out, as if the respectful term pained him. `` This is not what you think. This is not a display. Something happened to Kaylens. Someone injected her with unicorn blood and I ... '' He plowed Forth, ignoring the fact that he had not a semblance of a clue on how to explain the situation. `` I tried something on her. I used Legilimency to get into her mind, to try and help, but ... ''

He hesitated, meeting Snape 's emotionless look. `` I created a paries, standardised to the one they teach beginners in Occlumency, to separate her memories from the foreign one. But I 'm not sure it 's working. ''

His sharp gaze locked onto the white reflexion of his most scorned prof.

'' She needs aid. I need someone to reinforce the wall I made, and I sure as netherworld am not able of doing it. ``

Unreadable as he was, Snape did n't look to be about to help. But he did n't ca-ca any far attempts to impart.

Running his hands through Kaylens'hair comfortingly, feeling her trembling slowly subsiding, he felt ire at Snape 's unresponsiveness Begin to stir.

Harry 's facial expression suddenly grew challenging. `` Now, '' He demanded, voice ablaze. `` Are you a schoolmaster Occlumens or not ? ``

A spark of infliction crossed Snape 's look. `` Your endeavour to attract to my ego and better nature are wretched, ceramicist, considering that I am secure in one and miss the other. ``

His blood practically boiled.

'' flavor, '' Harry spat, dropping all pretense of respectfulness. `` You hate me. I hate you. I get that. But this is n't about either of us, and I 'll be damned to admit this, but you are the just one here that can help her at the minute. inferno, I 'll even give you a free nip at me. Just avail her. ``

Snape 's sassing curled angrily, as if considering.

'' Follow me, '' The former Slytherin finally sneered, snapping a hand towards the far door.

Harry 's fist clenched as the man disappeared through the doorway, not bothering to wait around for an acknowledgment. Drawing a strained breath between his dentition he glanced down at Kaylens, and the stress drained out of him.

Her entire, mud-streaked face was crinkled in concentration. God ... she had been so wrapped up in trying to persist in her powerful mind that she had barely noticed the tense verbal spouting match around her.

'' Hey, '' He murmured, a rough out mitt reaching out and cupping her chin, forcing her to look up at him. `` You still okay ? ''

Her eyes glittered with confusion, but she managed another nod.

He forced a smile. `` Try not to hold this against me, '' He whispered, standing up and scooping the startled girl into his munition. `` But frankly I 'm not sure enough I trust your walking ability at the minute. ``

She uttered not a sound, simply nodding resignedly, eyes one-half closed. He swallowed hard as her head fell to rest against his berm, and he found himself carefully adverting his gaze from her as he crossed the elbow room quickly, kicking open the room access after Snape.

The fact that he did n't hit the man with it disappointed him only slightly.

'' Put her on the lounge. ``

His brow crinkled uncertainly. Was he really about to just hand her over to the same cruel, bitter man whom had wreaked havoc on his own mind in the past ?

He realized that he had very few options at the moment.

He sunk down into the cushions, clutching her to him. Readjusting only slightly, so that her legs lay loosely draped over his own, with her forefront resting against his shoulder, he wound his arms protectively around her, sealing her in a vice hairgrip that he was sure she would protest to if she felt up to speaking.

He did n't wish though. There was simply no way in Hades that he would be leaving her to front the Potions'Master 's clemency alone. And irrational as it was, his exhausted, battered idea somehow equated squeezing her to easing whatever ordeal the Occlumens was about to put her through.

He tilted his question down, burying it in the top of her messy head teacher of haircloth. `` Let him do what he has to do. It 'll help, '' He reassured quietly, hoping he would not regret placing his faith in the sulfurous man 's abilities.

He pulled away only slightly, his munition still looped around her waist, and her Pomaderris apetala colored centre turned up, studying him intently.

'' How very touching. ``

Harry 's head jerked up, only to be greeted with Snape 's mocking sneer, and an expression that clearly told him to get the hell out of the way.

'' Move aside boy. ``

Harry 's middle hardened, his handle reflexively tightening around her. `` No. ``

Snape practically twitched. `` Insolent nestling, move. I will not be doing this with you in the way. ``

'' The last time I checked, '' He retorted, `` This only compulsory eye contact. Even you taught me that a good deal. And seeing as how I 'm not blocking you from that ... '' He let his caustic reply trail off.

With a growl Snape leaned forward, grabbing Kaylens chin and practically snapping her head towards him.

The quash impulse to strike the man rose up, furiousness rifling through him at her distressed, shocked verbal expression, but Snape 's wand was already drawn and aimed, an acute looking in his eyes.

'' Legilimens. ''

An eerily calm expression suddenly befell Kaylens'face, while Snape 's contorted into one of the furthermost immersion.

Harry could only wait.

He dropped his head back against the rampart, heaving an play out suspiration.

The grandad clock chimed. Kaylens'pelt grew frigidity to the touch. Snape 's dark, frightening eyes bored into her wide, doe-like ones.

He watched the clock

Twelve minute and thirty-three seconds later, lupin still had not returned.

But his two dumb fellow did.

Kally jerked, almost violently backwards, her back hitting the armrest of the couch. Harry barely managed to stop her question from smacking into the wall as she slid off of him.

Snape 's movements were not nearly so sudden.

Unnoticed to Harry the man rose from the story, a blench hand brushing complex number scandal from his robes. And then slowly, almost methodically, the man 's digit tightened challengingly around his verge, his knuckles turning Edward White with the pressure.

It took Harry a second to notice the man 's penetrating gaze, but when he did an unsettling esthesis overtook him.

The Potions Master was looking at him, a unusual looking in his eyes.

Fear.
* * * * *


Blue-green oculus appraised the rather full waiting way of the Adelaide and Meath Hospital 's emergency room.

'' Bugger. ``

'' sire, this is for your own secure. ``

'' Could n't this wait until Monday ? '' He ventured, trying to plead to his son 's better sensibilities as his eyes took in the mass of hoi polloi. `` By the clip we finish waiting in line it 'll be tomorrow and the Dr. 's position will be assailable anyways. Is this really where you want to spend your William Ashley Sunday ? ``

The man turned around to recover his firstborn son 's eyes narrowed in reproach.

'' begetter, you were coughing up a tempest at plate and ... ''

'' It was just a humble itching in my throat ... ''

Edward II ignored him. `` Dad, you collapsed at the dinner board from that belittled itch. ``

'' wellspring really, I was actually just choking on some of your mother 's cooking. It was positively unpalatable. Honest. ''

The boy arched his eyebrows skeptically, clearly not buying this. `` funny story, considering how you were praising that fish fillet just before your lungs seized up. ``

The man groaned. `` Honestly, Edward. Do you really think that I would criticize your mum 's cooking to her face ? ``

Yes. waiting for it. Ah, there it is.

His son was now full moon out laughing at him. Of course, he could hardly fault him. His wife, Meredith, could throw been a chef had she wanted to. The fair sex had never cooked nor scorched something sub par in her life.

But that was n't about to stop him from trying to get out of this cursed, congested waiting room.

'' sire, '' croaked out his son, `` Are n't you a bit old for harboring phobias of doctor visits ? ``

He grunted in response, racking his pounding headway for another alibi. Honestly, he really thought that his menage was overreacting. His lymph lymph node might be swollen, and indeed his psyche was pounding as if Xerxes himself were waging a small-scale war with his neurons. But really all he needed was a good dark 's rest.

Perhaps he could find fault the coughing fit and his wheezing on having tried some coffin nail while fishing that morning. Of course, Meredith would have his hide skinned and filleted before he would even have a chance to shout for helper ...

The man was caught unaware when his son rather abruptly shoved him into a wheelchair.

'' Edward ... `` He hissed gruffly, only for his threat to fall on deafen spike as Edward bypassed the primary line, shoving him to the secondly check-in window reserved for those experiencing either chest pain or abruptness of breath.

And it was then that the racking cough again shook him, the knife-like pain attacking as if the Grim Reaper himself were holding the blade. He clutched onto the wheelchair 's arms, gritting his tooth, an acidy suntan working its way up his throat.

A painful stab began in his thorax, sending his consistence jack-knifing forward, nearly out the chair. A sharp shout near him made him aware of the frenzy of activity that had begun beyond the check-in desk, and inviolable hands abruptly latched onto his shoulder joint, preventing him from falling face forward.

A foot shot out, kicking the wheelchair 's brake into station with a metallic pawl, and suddenly the rocking, swaying gesture that he had not even realized to be going on ceased.

The botheration in his chest dulled down to a dull burn, and his hand flew to his mouth, feeling the sputum expelling with the next shuddering gasp.

He coughed once, twice more, before leaning gratefully forward onto his son 's shoulder, gasping for air.

It was then that he noticed the man in the Theodore Harold White lab coat kneeling next to him, and it dawned on him that the frigidity, metal touch sensation on his back was the stethoscope, which the doctor had already managed to drop away beneath the back of his shirt.

look winded, he looked at the physician 's interest cheek, and forced a weak grinning. `` Well, '' He gasped wryly. `` I think it 's rubber to say, that I am short of breath. ``
* * * * *


Lupin bowled into the elbow room, Dumbledore in tow. The forceful thud of the doorway flying surface and slamming against the rampart effectively causing Snape 's white-knuckled travelling bag on his sceptre to loosen.

Harry 's gaze snapped to where Remus stood, asking him what had happened.

He barely heard him, suddenly feeling so, so incredibly unintelligent. In his desperation to obtain help he had failed to be patient role, unable to wait for lupin 's restitution. And it only now occurred to him why it had taken the werewolf so long.

It would never feature occurred to Remus to give birth gone to the nearest superior Occlumens for avail. The cartel between the old Marauder and Snivellus was nonexistent, so there was no way in blaze that lupine would have trusted the man to delve into Kally 's nous.

So he had gone for Dumbeldore.

Harry already felt like an retard. Snape simply seized the moment to utter his agreement.

'' ceramicist could n't possibly have got done this, '' He declared.

Snape 's statement hung on the air as Dumbledore, looking only slightly pall, swept his gaze back and forth between the three of them. First his blue eyes studied Kalliandra, pathos and curiosity mingling together on his lined case, before turning his kindly gaze to Harry. And then, finally, his spectacled gaze locked with Severus Snape's.

A foreign silence filled the elbow room as the two became locked in a utter peer. It took Harry only a moment to substantiate what they were doing.

They were communicating through Legilimency, the two masters exchanging all of the information about the berth that they needed to know.

Remus seized the second of privacy, kneeling in front of where he and Kaylens lay tangled up. `` Harry, '' He began quietly, so as not to interrupt the two. `` Please separate me you did n't let him ... ''

Harry grimaced. `` I did. ``

The werewolf released an worsen sigh, fixing Harry with an annoyed stare. `` I 'm not even going to ask what you were thinking. It 's quite obvious that you were n't. ``

'' He is a superior Occlumens, '' He argued, feeling almost dirty at having just defended Snape. `` I would n't willingly allow someone to offend her. ``

A flash of entertainment temporarily replaced the critical look on Remus'face. `` This coming from the person who personally removed quite a bit of her tomentum, in what Crusantheus assured me was a full-out brawl in the Headmaster 's position. ``

Harry cringed. `` You heard about that, huh ? '' He asked sheepishly, glancing to where Kalliandra lay, looking for all the world as if she were sleeping.

Remus followed his gaze. `` Hermione actually wrote me about that. Something about wanting me to talk some sentience into the both of you. Personally, I 'm still trying to figure out how she knew I was tutoring Kalliandra in the first place. ``

'' You were tutoring her ? ``

Remus nodded, looking at him curiously. `` How did you think we were acquainted ? ``

'' She was a master groomer and Moony was in need of a cut ? ``

lupin sent him a withering glare. `` Of all the thing to inherit, you had to get your Fatherhood 's cheek. ``

'' I did n't realize it was his. ``

Remus seemed to consider this. `` Yours is actually a bit more bitter, '' He related. `` Unless Prongs was talking to somebody he severely disliked, his input were never quite so biting. ``

'' So I 'm vitriolic. Can you charge me ? ``

Moony 's expression softened considerably. `` No, Harry. I can not. ''

Abruptly lupin 's attention turned firmly to Kaylens, his concerned look returning good power. Harry simply watched as Remus reached out, carefully brushing a ringlet of her persistently tangled tomentum away from her face, studying her like a concerned father.

Remus paused, as if considering something. `` Well, '' He finally commented, `` You two certainly look uncomfortable. ''

Despite himself, he nearly laughed at the absurdity of the instruction. Not that it was lacking in truth, for when Kaylens had jerked back she had wound up with one leg still draped over his own, one hanging halfway off the couch, with her thin form half-slumped between him and the armrest.

And now, she had apparently fallen asleep in debilitation.

Harry smiled strainedly. `` Yeah, well ... I would n't want to risk incurring her wrath by waking her, now would I ? ``

Nevertheless he found himself adjusting, to the distributor point where he felt rather secure in knowing that if he let go of her, that she would no longer be in danger of sliding down to the floor.

Remus simply watched this, a fold forming across his forehead.

'' Harry, '' He ventured. `` What exactly did you do for her ? Specifically. ``

Harry frowned, considering how to reply to this. However, he did not get the luck.

The two Occlumens in the room had started blinking again, their exchange, apparently, complete.

'' As I said, ceramist could n't possibly ingest done this, '' Snape restated, ignoring the questioning feel lupine was throwing at all of them.

Kally chose that moment to let out a sleepy grumbling, stirring in her sleep. And somehow that small sound of hers reawakened Harry 's fear that he had somehow harmed her idea in his endeavour to help oneself her in the firstly place.

'' I did n't hurt her, did I ? '' He blurted out, earning a discriminating stare from Remus.

Fortunately Dumbledore responded quickly.

'' No, Harry. You did not. ``

Snape let out a phone not unlike that of an angry cat. `` Albus, '' He disrupted, clearly in disagreement with the Headmaster 's acceptance that Harry had, indeed, constructed the mental barrier. `` The point of proficiency in Occlumency that one would have to own to have done this would be staggering. There is no possible way that Potter could stimulate done this. '' Snape hesitated. `` I 'm not even sure as shooting that I could have done this. ``

'' What ? '' Harry shot out, startled by the admission.

'' Would someone terribly mind filling me in on what exactly the three of you are talking about ? '' Interjected lupin, sounding only mildly annoyed.

Snape acted as if the man had not even spoken, his dour heart swiveling to Harry instead. `` I do n't know what you are playing at ceramist, '' He snapped heatedly. `` But you did not do this to this miss. ``

Harry 's optic narrowed, a tardily burning anger growing at the Potion Master 's stubborn refusal to believe him able of anything.

The greasy haired man 's gaze grew more take exception. `` Who really constructed that barrier, Potter ? ``

Harry 's dentition clenched. `` I did, '' He ground out.

'' LIAR ! ``

Dumbledore rose a gruntle hand. `` Now Severus, lets not be headlong. Harry has been under my tutelage since the commencement of term, and he has improved greatly. Particularly in regards to his ability to construct mental barriers. ``

'' No one improves that often in so short a clock time. Especially, '' He bit out, gesticulating in Harry 's direction, `` Not such an incompetent child ! ``

Harry 's oculus hardened. `` Like you would have it off, considering you 're the one who refused to teach me. ``

'' You are out of the question to teach thrower. ``

'' Perhaps if you were able of dropping petty school day grudge I would n't be. ``

'' You are just like your Church Father, '' Snape practically growled.

'' I would n't know, '' He spat matter-of-factly. `` Perhaps you could share stories sometimes. Reminisce about having your unmentionable placed on public exhibition. ''

Remus snorted.

'' Harry, that was uncalled for, '' Dumbledore admonished.

Harry bit back a laughter. `` Considering everything he 's put me through over the years I highly doubt that. ``

Snape 's normally controlled features twisted into something livid. `` How dare you speak to the Headmaster with such discourtesy ... ''

'' I respect the headmaster plenitude, '' Harry snapped. `` It 's you that I have no respect for. ''

'' Has it occurred to anyone that arguing will get us nowhere ? '' Remus interjected.

'' If Potter had n't blatantly displayed such a lack of decorum ... ''

'' Decorum ? '' Harry interrupted. `` This is n't your little class with all of its ridiculously anti-Gryffindor principle ! So forgive me if I do n't grovel at your feet to take in your approval ! ``

'' That is the finally fourth dimension I ever help you, you ungrateful ... ''

'' YOU DID N'T facilitate ME ! YOU HELPED HER ! '' Harry screamed, launching himself off of the couch and to his foundation. It was only Remus'spry instinctive reflex that kept Kally from tumbling with him.

Grunting in annoyance, Remus turned to Dumbledore. `` Do you get the feeling that this argument was a retentive prison term coming ? ``

Dumbledore nodded. `` Why do you opine I 'm letting them transmit on ? ``

Harry and Snape remained oblivious to the exchange, the latter suddenly looked unbelievably smug. `` That 's funny ceramist, I do n't recall telling you that I helped her at all. Come to think of it, all I did was take in a flavour at that barrier. I must admit though, she does have some rather concern recent memories ... ''

Harry 's eyes took on a groundless look. `` That has null to do with ... ''

'' You 're right hand. But this has everything to do with your inability to abide by your betters and to follow the regulation. ``

Harry snorted. `` Funny, considering you 're the one who 's always saying how the normal rules do n't utilize to me. ``

'' No you idiot boy ! I 'm always telling you how chesty you are to think that the normal ruler do n't apply to you. ``

'' Considering I 'm the one who has to off just ole'brain-teaser for everyone you 'd better hope the prescript do n't hold to me. Otherwise next clock time the killing curse might actually turn. ``

Snape scowled dangerously. `` Ill see if it works, '' He hissed, fingering his wand.

'' ENOUGH ! ``

Harry 's mouth snapped shut, his rejoinder lodging uncomfortably in his throat.

exterior, in the independent entrance hall, Mrs. Black began screaming.

'' If anyone did n't induce a headache before, they certainly will now, '' Remus practically groaned.

'' Severus, '' Addressed the schoolmaster, absentmindedly nodding his agreement with Lupin. `` From what you 've shown me, it looks like all that was done was a separation of Ms. Kaylens'remembering from the unicorn's, and that is all. ``

'' That 's all ? '' Snape responded edgily, his anger apparently undiluted despite the sudden change of subject. `` You make it sound as mere as identifying one species from the other. ``

Dumbledore shrugged, looking at Harry with a sudden salvo of superbia twinkling in his middle. `` It 's true, that what Harry did required a mellow arcdegree of skill in the area. But I think if you really think about it Severus, you 'll find that Harry was to a greater extent than capable of having accomplished this. ``

Severus snorted.

'' After all, Severus, all Harry really did was concept a wall interior of her nous ... ''

'' Not just a bulwark, Albus. It was a perfect wall. ``

Harry could n't facilitate himself. `` Perfect ? It was broad of holes ! I thought the affair was about to collapse ! ``

'' You mean to say that you were attempting to create a rigid anatomical structure ? ``

'' Yes, '' He hissed. `` Now will someone please excuse what he meant by perfect ? ''

'' volition person please explain what rampart we are talking about ? ``

Again everyone ignored Remus'attempt to extract what was going on from them.

'' ceramicist, '' Snape drawled, as if talking to a particularly behind pupil. `` Had a strict wall been constructed, there would have been a pure detachment of the two sets of memories in the girl 's nous. ``

'' Yes, I get that, '' Harry snapped, feeling frustrated. `` That 's what I was going for. ``

Snape 's dark, greasy eyebrows arched up. `` Even a stiff paries would have eventually crumbled, and when that happened it would accept been akin to releasing a floodgate of foreign memory board in her mind. So the effect would have been the same as it was initially. ``

'' Meaning ? ``

Snape practically rolled his eyes. `` She would have gone insane again. I know this floor of conversing is a bit of a tune on your mental facilities, but please, do try and hold on up. ``

'' That 'll be enough, Severus, '' interjected Dumbledore. `` What he means to say, Harry, is that a watery barrier with hollow will allow the foreign memories to slip into her judgement a few at a prison term. It 'll allow her to get slowly acclimated to the new memories, as opposed to her being forced to manage them all at once. Now I imagine the task of sorting through everything will be rather draining on her ... ''

Snape snorted. The master ignored him.

'' But in a few hours she should bear a pretty solid compass on what memories are hers, and what are not. ``

'' A few hours ? `` Harry would confide Dumbledore with his life, but somehow this seemed far too well-situated. He would have thought cramming a lifetime worth of memories into a new head would accept far longer.

Suddenly the Headmaster smiled. `` Ms. Kaylens has been rather golden to have been given the bloodline of a relatively young unicorn, Harry. In fact, the animal is barely onetime than her. For the next few weeks she 'll gradually gain to a greater extent and more of its memory board, but the sorry should be over relatively soon. ``

"How can you know how old it was ?"

"Is, Harry. Just because the unicorn's line was taken does not mean that it was killed. And one of its latter store had already slipped through your concept. So Severus was able to see it, and pass that information on to me. She's actually sustain very lucky."

Despite this reassurance, he was still uneasy. `` And what happens when that wall I made completely breaks down ? ``

'' A slight vexation, I would ideate. Nothing more. ``

'' But ... ''

'' For the erotic love of Merlin ! She 'll already be acclimated to the memory board Potter ! '' Snape practically shouted, apparently unable to hold himself any longer. `` Your little girlfriend will be hunky-dory ! ``

Harry balked. `` She 's not ... ''

Snape waved him off dismissively. `` Like I care. ``

Dumbledore casually flicked his wand in their counsel, silencing them both. Harry gaped like a fish, noticing Snape doing the same.

Dumbledore let nothing show on his face, but simply turned to where Remus and Kaylens still sat.

'' Remus, as matter to as this verbal fray has been, I think that the dear matter for Ms.Kaylens, at the moment, is rest. ``

lupin looking rather like a worried father, nodded his assent. And before Harry could even protest, Moony had scooped the girl up in his arms.

Fixing Harry with a indicate stare, Remus inclined his head as he left. `` She 'll be in the way Hermione and Ginny used. ``

Snape, apparently having unsilenced himself, let out a derisive scoffing that bore a unusual resemblance to the words `` I 'm so trusted. ``

It was only after that they had left the room, that Dumbledore 's reflexion grew far more life-threatening.

'' Harry, '' He stated seriously. `` I think it 's time you explained exactly what happened with Angelina. ``
* * * * *

'' VHERE IS SHE ! ? ! ? ``

The man 's voice rose furiously, awakening her from her Crucio-induced slumber with a start.

Her sour eyes snapped spread, her unfocused regard shooting uselessly around the black elbow room.

She had been left in complete and number darkness, ineffectual to spot even a unity detail of her surroundings. The cold, silk tabloid beneath her were the sole hint she had to intimate that she remained in the same elbow room as before.

Only now she was mercifully alone, with only the lingering, bone-deep pain of the visit swearword for company.

An faze touch of futility settled firmly within her bureau, but she would not, could not, lose hope. Instead her declaration strengthened, and she forced herself to listen very carefully.

outside in the hall two people were arguing fiercely, their exact words muffled, though every so often the one would prove about the former, a dangerous note in his accented speech.

Her hilltop creased fretfully, anxiety filling her. There was something very familiar about that voice. Something her level-headed mind screamed she should give been able to know instantly.

But to her core she understood that whomever the person was, that she should n't be hearing them here.

Not in a place where only Death Eaters roamed freely.

An icy boding flooded her mineral vein ...

The doorway to her elbow room suddenly flew unresolved, a broad shoulder man forcing his way in, his silhouette shadowed by the G. Stanley Hall 's firelight.

It felt as if someone were suddenly choking her, an agonizing chill overtaking her in a way that the Cruciatus curse would never be able-bodied to touch.

The man 's defined jaw credit line, one so very familiar to her, was set firmly.

A heart-wrenching betrayal ripped through her, snatching her core in its frailty grip as she watched his mouth open up, forming the words she had once loved to hear.

'' Hermy-owh-ninny. ``







Author's notation :

First, I just wanted to say thank you to Andrew for having helped me out so much with this chapter. He has not only beta-read the hold out few chapters, but has also helped me to pull off them to realise them gentle to read.

Secondly, I wanted to apologise about having taken so long between chapters over the retiring year. I honestly needed a disruption from writing, and now that I have had that I plan on updating approximately every two hebdomad or so. I 'm really excited about finishing the story, and I figure that two workweek is definitely a deadline that I can suffer, considering that I used to brand daily chapters for the Quizilla version of this. Of grade, those were only about 2500 words a piece, but nevertheless I figure once every two workweek or so should work out well. Again, I am really sorry about having taken such lengthy breaks this past year. thing were very busy and frankly I just needed to really reload. thank you all for having stuck around though ! Chapter 31 is being worked on presently, so expect it in about two calendar week.

And just to keep off confusion, the terminus for a practitioner of Occlumency is Occlumens. For some cause in the rough draft of this I had a lot of people trying to discipline me on that.

Recommended Story :

And the Greatest of These ... by Edward Ollivander
Rating : 12+ condition : WIP - 24 chapters

In the wake of Dumbledore 's death Harry is consumed with a burning desire to accomplish one thing : frustration Voldemort, by any means necessary. As he sets out to destroy not only the villain himself, but also the awe that has the wizarding world 's mettle in a vice adhesive friction, he has to modify the way he sees the cosmos around him, as well as the way he functions within it. Now, as he prepares for the terminal conflict, he becomes the one thing the wizarding world needs : Bob Hope. Harry/Ginny pairing.