Magnus Asher and the Lost Bloodline

Disclaimer/Plot/Challenge Information/Author's Note: SEE FIRST CHAPTER

Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this story to Wrath of The Sun Deity for creating such an interesting challenge: my recommended reads are Saviour of Magic by Colt01, Harry Potter and the Revival of Soul Magic, Harry Potter: Birth of Technomancy and The Court of Shadows by AlphaPheonix, Englands First TRUE Modern Mage by JokerKing666, Harry Potter and the Shunned House by alexandertheII, Harry Potter and the Magic of Life and Harry Potter and the Magic of Life: Year of Change by Kate Carpenter, When the Thunder Breaks by WeLonelyOldSouls, Harry Potter and The Power He Knows Not Book 1 The Reluctant Champion by ACI100, Return of the Thornwood Family by Silver Scarfed Ventus, The Reclamation of Black Magic by ShayaLonnie and The Power of the Potters by RockIll

Key Pairing: Harmony

Other Pairings: To be determined

Normal Speech

'Thoughts'

'Mental Speech'

/Parseltongue/

Review Answers:

No responses for this chapter

HOWEVER, let me first say thanks to everyone who has reviewed and alerted this story; also, just in case you're wondering, I've now reverted this story to a Harmony pairing instead of the three-way idea I had before; why, I hear you ask?

Because that's what I chose to do and it makes it easier to ensure the idea flows in the direction I want it to;

Had he looked back, however, or stayed for just a moment longer, Harry would have been surprised to see what happened next.

While the rest of her remained as stiff as stone and as unresponsive as ever, a lone tear rolled down Hermione Granger's cheek before it became lost in her wild, brown hair.

In the same moment, a flicker of light shone in the brunette's brown eyes before it too became lost to the state she was in.

Chapter 2: She's Back!

To Harry's disbelief, it was another week before the Mandrake Restorative Draught was finally ready to be provided to everyone who had been petrified, returning them to their former state, much to the delight of many of the school.

Curiously, nobody seemed willing to come over to Harry and apologise for what they had said, the rumours they'd spread or even to thank him and ask him what happened, but he didn't care about any of that. He'd done his job, played his part and even allowed himself a thin smile of relief when he saw Mr Filch and Mrs Norris back together, much to the delight of the usually-snarky, disgruntled caretaker.

Now, he only wanted to see one person.

Then he would be happy.

The Lost Bloodline

For most of the day, the rest of the school reunited with lost ones, which included a rumour Harry overheard from Fred and George about how Percy had been welcomingly-inconspicuous by his absence. Once again, Hogwarts was starting to feel like home and, with Dumbledore back in the seat of power, the danger past and the victims restored, it seemed like everything was finally going to get back to whatever was meant to pass for normal at the school.

And yet, there was still no sign of the one person Harry wanted to see, which made him worried.

What if something had gone wrong? What if they'd left it too long?

Then, even as he sat down to dinner with the rest of the Gryffindors, an even darker thought suddenly crossed Harry's mind;

The Lost Bloodline

What if that snarky, insufferably-egotistical, one-track-minded prick of a Potions Master hadn't even bothered to help Hermione, thinking of it as just another weapon for his unjustified war of hatred and vileness towards Harry?

The thought of the possibility, not to mention how it was exactly what someone as pathetic and narrow-minded as Snape would be willing to do, just to get his jollies over the-boy-he-hated-for-selfish-reasons-associated-with-a-dead-man made Harry's blood boil.

For perhaps the first time in his life, Harry felt more than rage building up inside of him, both at the prospect of his theory being proven true.

But also the thought of what he would do to anyone who dared to harm someone whom was precious to him.

After all, he had a promise to keep – unofficially-speaking since he hadn't actually said the words I promise when he said how things would be from now on – and nobody, not Severus Snape, the Minister or Merlin himself, was going to make Harry break that promise.

Nobody!

The Lost Bloodline

'If he's left her out on purpose, I swear I'll…'

"Harry!"

Before he had a chance to finish his thought, Harry's head snapped up at the sound of Neville Longbottom's voice addressing him, his voice laced with surprise, excitement and no small amount of relief as he said the two words Harry wanted to hear more than any other.

"It's Hermione!"

As soon as Neville said those two words, Harry looked in the direction of the doors to the Great Hall, just in time to see the distant form of Sir Nicholas vanishing through the doorway, though, at that particular moment, and with no offence meant to the ghost, Harry had his eyes focused on a more-important, brighter and more-welcome image.

Hermione.

She was standing in the doorway, almost like Cinderella appearing at the Ball, her brown eyes fixed on his and, to his delight, she was not only recovered, but she was smiling, her smile so warm and so bright that, in that moment, every dark thought Harry might have had vanished, only to be replaced by a warm fire that lit itself up in his heart; a small fire that soon turned into a raging inferno of warmth, comfort and contentment as Harry looked at Hermione and she looked back at him.

Then, after a moment that seemed to last forever and a day, Hermione took off at a run, tearing down the space between the tables as though she was running down the aisle. Her smile never faded and her eyes never once lost their shine; she didn't even seem to care that everyone else could see what she was doing, let alone what happened next.

And, for the record, neither did Harry notice nor care that everyone else saw him grab Hermione as she reached him.

All he cared about was the fact that she was all right, the truth of which he emphasised as he hugged her so closely and so tightly that he was like a serpent coiled around her, his own smile crossing his face while he screwed his eyes tightly shut, burying his head in his best friend's shoulder.

As Harry hugged her close, Hermione smiled with a mixture of consolation and reassurance as she felt Harry tremble while he held her, though he didn't lift his head from her shoulder, even as Hermione rubbed his back soothingly while she asked him, "Hey, what are you doing?"

"You know what they say," whispered Harry, though as he did so, Hermione felt her heart grow a little less-warm when she heard a tremor in his voice that suggested more than just contentment and relief.

"Hugging is a great way to hide your face…"

The Lost Bloodline

As Harry's trembles passed into her, as well as the raw emotion that filled his voice, Hermione felt her heart skip a beat when she realised something that she had never even considered before.

'God, he's so warm…'

It was a strange thing to think about in that one moment, but it was something Hermione couldn't help but realise, especially given how she couldn't remember a time where Harry had ever let anyone hug him, not even her. Even when he was touched before that day, Harry always seemed to shy away from the touch and never really initiated contact with anyone for any other reason.

But Hermione realised, almost-immediately, how wrong that statement was in this instance: Harry had initiated contact and, not only that, but he had held onto her like his life depended on it.

And…Merlin's beard, his body, his strength, his emotion…they were all so…so warm; his body, inside and out, felt really, remarkably-warm to the touch, which surprised Hermione even more because, Quidditch aside, Harry wasn't the kind of person who spent most of his time in the sun.

Yet, when she wrapped her arms around him in response to his snake-like embrace, even when she rubbed her hands over him to soothe the shakes that seemed to have risen unwillingly, Hermione felt his warmth pass into her, making her feel strong, but stunned. As previously-noted, it was an unusual occasion, since Hermione couldn't recall a time where Harry had actually hugged anyone or allowed anyone to touch him without shying away or flinching, but, at the same time, Hermione felt privileged, even honoured.

A hug was a sign of friendship and, from what she felt, Hermione knew he was as happy to see her as she was to see him.

Still, he hadn't shied away or flinched, so did that mean that he knew she'd never hurt him?

She didn't know the answer to that question.

All that she did know was how warm Harry felt.

The Lost Bloodline

While Hermione had her revelation, the third member of the Golden Trio of Gryffindor watched with a mixture of surprise and mixed emotions as he saw Hermione comforting and consoling Harry. He also saw the way Harry's body shook with pain and dread, as well as relief and no small amount of delight when he tried to hide his face in Hermione's shoulder.

And, despite the wide range of emotions felt by the redhead at that particular moment, the only thing Ron could do was smile.

As he did so, however, he felt a hand touch his shoulder, causing him to turn to see his twin brothers, Fred and George, standing behind him, both of them smiling with the same mixed senses of acceptance and surprise before Fred whispered, "Don't even think about it."

"What?" asked Ron.

"Trying to separate them," answered George, indicating the two, whom were still locked in their embrace, as he added, "Just look at them, little brother; nobody's getting their feet under that table and you'd have to be the bravest, but stupidest git alive to even think of trying."

Ron only had to look back at the two young Gryffindors to know that, for once, if not for the first time in their lives with him, his brothers were right.

And they were also more-serious than serious about it.

The Lost Bloodline

On the High Table, however, there was one who seemed intent on ending this spectacle.

However, as Severus Snape went to rise from his seat, he was stopped – fortunately for him – when both Professors McGonagall and Flitwick dragged him down into his seat, followed by a Sticking Charm from Filius for good measure, earning a furious, questioning glare from Severus as he asked, "What do you think you're doing? This is just another example of Potter trying to make everything…"

"Finish that statement and you'll never speak again, Snape!" growled Filius, earning a horrified look from Severus while the Head of Ravenclaw jabbed his wand at Harry and Hermione, the latter of whom was still trying to soothe Harry's raging emotions while he held onto her for dear life, as he explained, "The mere fact that all students have now been restored pales in comparison to the relief, delight and, yes, even gratitude that is felt by that young man right now."

"I, personally, wonder why you didn't have the foresight to ensure Miss Granger was the first restored student, Severus," added Minerva, a note of curiosity as well as warning in her voice as she explained, "Even if the two of them don't yet realise it, it's no secret to the rest of us that they have had a very strong and, as we can see now, very intimate connection ever since the night their friendship was formed. And if you want more proof of that, I direct your attention to the Slytherin Table and a certain favourite student of yours!"

One look told Severus what she meant.

Not even Draco was making anything of this, be it in a show of rare support or even to make a dig at Potter.

Instead, the blonde was smiling, genuinely-smiling, and, when another of the Slytherins went to make a move to speak out against what they saw, there wasn't one other member of the Snake Pit who let them get further than rising up, as Severus had done, before they too were pulled back into their seat.

As he pulled his attention away from the Slytherins, Severus heard Minerva clear her throat before she told him, "Perhaps you thought you were making him suffer by forcing him to wait until the very last minute before Miss Granger's recovery or perhaps you were still so fixated on the idea he is a double of James, I don't know. But, from now on, I'm going to keep a very close eye on you, Severus, and your relationship and actions towards Mr Potter and the rest of the school."

As he was known to do, Severus looked to Albus for support, but the old man subtly shook his head as he explained, "No, old friend; for once, I agree with Minerva. I must confess myself disappointed as to how long it has taken you to cultivate, prepare and brew the draught; one with your skills, as gifted as you are with your Craft, could have done that in half the time. Certainly long before Miss Granger found herself on the list."

"Of course, had it been someone like Mr Malfoy who'd been petrified…" said Minerva, intentionally letting the point hang there as she looked back to the two children before her.

"So," continued Dumbledore, linking his fingers together as he went on, "Consider this an official notice, Severus: I gave you a chance to help see Harry for who he really is and you failed. Now, you intend to make things worse than they already are, both for you and for the rest of the school, by publically showing your disdain for said student because, to look at him, you're seeing a side of him you refuse to see."

"Lily," said Filius, earning the same violent-flinch reaction from Severus that anyone else would have responded with had they heard the name of the Dark Lord.

"Correct," said Albus, indicating the two youths as he added, "His heart, his courage, his true spirit and even his sense of right and wrong: I have heard many-a-time from Poppy how he never seemed to leave Miss Granger's side for more than one day, 24 hours, at most. Some of the Gryffindor portraits also reported to me that Harry was seen up and out of bed way past curfew because he was doing assignments for Miss Granger's sake, so her grades didn't suffer."

"As if Potter is…"

Before Severus could finish, Filius put a Silencing Charm on him, leaving the Potions Master bad-mouthing in silence.

As for Minerva, she looked from her never-would-grow-up colleague to her superior as she asked, "Albus, while I approve of finally seeing you take charge of Severus and his bias, I feel it necessary to ask you about the fact Severus seems to have overlooked."

"You mean the rumour that Harry has killed Slytherin's ancient monster with the Sword of Gryffindor and survived its venom in the process, which, like the Avada Kedavra, is known to leave no survivors?" asked Dumbledore, earning a stunned, if not alarmed look from Severus, as though he hadn't known that, while Minerva nodded before Albus asked, "What of it, Minerva?"

"You told Potter that only a true Gryffindor could pull the sword from the hat," explained Minerva, earning a nod from Dumbledore before she frowned as she asked him, "Why didn't you tell him the truth?"

For a moment, a look of surprise crossed Dumbledore's face before he returned his attention to the two students before him, both of whom finally appeared to have parted, though Harry stayed close to Hermione Granger as she sat with him and the rest of their friends.

Next to him, Albus heard Minerva whisper in his ear, "You know who he is the last son of, don't you?"

"I do," said Albus, looking once to Minerva as he added, "But it can't be that magic, Minerva; it's been a long time since it was invoked…"

"Yes," agreed Minerva, looking to the student in question as she drew in a breath before she spoke again.

"Seven generations, in fact, since the last one was able to call on the true power of that magic, so, again, why didn't you tell him that?"

As Dumbledore looked to the Gryffindor Table, he felt a lump form in his throat before he looked back to Minerva with a troubled, but also surprised look as he added, "I never would have guessed you would know that much about them, Minerva."

"I was their Head of House, Albus," explained Minerva, her voice edged by a note of concern edged by reminisce as she added, "As such, I was privy to certain little bits of information, one of which involved the possible invocation of that ancient, forgotten magic in the young Mr Potter. After all, you were not the only one who was welcomed and called friend by the family…so…for the third time, why didn't you…"

"Because I was hoping I was wrong," finished Dumbledore, looking back to Minerva with an ominous stare that made his usually-twinkling blue eyes look more like the colour of midnight as he addressed his old friend. "But if your theory is correct and the Lost Bloodline has chosen Harry as its newest heir, he will need guidance and observation, as well as understanding, none of which we are in a position to give him right now when it is clear his mind is on other things, such as the life-trials and emotional war of a young man going through this particular rite of adolescence."

"So what do you suggest?"

"Keep an eye on him," answered Dumbledore, looking back to the Gryffindor Table before he went on.

"As for the theory, I will handle the confirmation as to whether or not there is truth to it: as you said, it pays to have friends in the family…or with the family, as the case may be."

Chapter 2 and while it looks like our heroes have shared a pretty emotional, eye-opening reunion, it also looks like some might know more than others about one side of that equation, but what do they know?

Also, it looks like there are friends where we usually find enemies and allies where foes may hide, but how can these allies aid Harry through his rites of passage to manhood and everything else he may yet find?

Keep Reading to Find Out

Next Chapter: Hermione has a secret to share with Harry, which leads to some questionable choices and curiosities by both sides;

Please Read and Review