Hermione was slightly stunned by the story, but she rallied quickly.

"Well, that makes some sort of sense. I can't quite believe how messed up the legal system is though. What did you want basilisk parts for anyway?"

"Ahah - that's what I asked you here to see! Some of my ancestors did quite extensive research into various forms of magic. Since I seem to be constantly at risk for my life, I decided I need an edge of sorts. So I looked into some of the more interesting looking areas. I've discovered so much!"

"I don't know whether you've noticed, but so much of the magic we use and are taught is slightly frivolous. It's also fairly easy to use. It wasn't always like that. It used to be that the magic used was less formalised, wilder. There were no real limits, just the reality that there was always a risk, and always a price. You were imposing your will on the world, and if you weren't able to see through what was started, it would backfire. And then came along the more formal ways that we use now, with wands that make things safer and easier. The 'price' we pay for the magic we cast is a slight, temporary drain on our internal magic. The structure makes it more difficult to overdo things.

"But with the older ways, the price could be anything you want, but it *will* be paid. If you use your internal magic for something unexpectedly difficult, you could entirely drain yourself. You aren't restricted to your internal magic though. You can use rituals to sacrifice just about anything, and symbolism becomes important. Ritual sacrifice sounds kinda dodgy, but it isn't really. That's what I wanted the basilisk parts for. The blood is magically powerful, there's a lot of symbolism in using the parts of the beast I defeated, and there's a limited supply, making it a true sacrifice."

"Harry, do you mean to tell me that you've been experimenting with magic that hasn't been used for centuries? How did you get to the basilisk anyway? And what magic have you been doing?"

"It's not as bad as it sounds, honest! It hasn't been used in this country for centuries, but some of my ancestors did quite a bit of travelling. Dobby popped me into the chamber easily enough. And as to what I've been doing? I've been enhancing my mind, body and magic.

"You see I've got notes about a tribe that practiced scarification. They would cut magical designs into their skin that would enhance various things. I took what they did, and varied it a little. I'm basing it around magically significant numbers. So for the body you have sets that enhance strength, control and speed. The same for my magic, and my mental abilities. They give a slight boost passively, and a stronger boost if I activate the magic in them. Eventually the idea is to repeat them, so that the effect is enhanced even more."

"You've seriously been carving runes into yourself? Where? I can't see anything. Did it hurt? Why?" Hermione sounded slightly panicked.

"The why - people keep trying to kill me. Where - my chest, arms and temples. You can't see them because I made use of a potion. I combined a healing salve with the blood that formed the ritual sacrifice. So the cuts healed right up, but the form is still there. If I activate the runes they glow slightly red. And yes, it did hurt. That was part of the price to be paid. Don't worry, it wasn't that bad. I've been hurt worse playing quidditch, not to mention what my cousin put me through!"

"Hmmm," her lips a thin line. "How many sets have you done then?"

"The first nine. I can only manage a couple a week, since the magic takes a while to settle down. I actually only used the basilisk blood for the runes for body and magic. I went for a different kind of symbolism for the mind, rather than power and domination. I explained what I was up to to Hedwig, who was kind enough to allow me some of her blood. An owl symbolising wisdom, the blood willingly given. I'm not sure if I'm imagining things, but I feel as if I can understand her better now."

"Does it really make a difference that it was willing?"

"Oh yes! The context such really does matter. Hedwig sacrificed some of her blood for my benefit. Just that act itself has power. I think... I think that's why I survived the killing curse. My mum sacrificed her life for me. As far as I can tell, human sacrifice in itself isn't *that* powerful. The death isn't that big a loss for the person doing the magic. But a life willingly given?"

There was silence between the two of them.

"Anyway," Harry suddenly said, jumping up. "Want to see what I can do?"

The pair wandered from the sitting room into a large room that seemed split into two halves. One half was bare apart from the slightly padded mats covering the floor, and the scorch marks on the wall. The other half was taken up with an impressive work area. A large workbench was covered with bottled samples of what Hermione had to assume were basilisk parts. A cauldron sat simmering away in the corner, and a large set of shelves contained a vast array of ingredients.

Harry walked over to the bare half of the room, and propped up a large block of wood.

"The most obvious change is probably the boost in strength," he said, as a complex set of geometric patterns in deep crimson became visible winding around his lower arms. He spun, delivering a solid kick to the block. Hermione could only gape in amazement as the heavy block was flung at great speed into the wall.

"It's quite impressive, but it would be utterly useless without the control enhancements. I would be accidentally destroying things left, right and centre otherwise. That's always the first set of enhancements I do in a triad. I'm can be much better at detail work, with magic or with my hands. Probably the biggest one though has been the mental control. The ability to concentrate on just one thing, to tamp down emotions. Malfoy will find it much harder to get a rise out of me this year!"

"It's all very impressive Harry, but I'm a little worried. How much are you going to be using them? Is it even allowed for quidditch? And I'm not sure I approve of using them for school work - it seems almost like cheating."

"I've decided that I won't use the active version unless needed. I don't want to have to rely on them. I'm not sure about quidditch. At the moment the passive boost isn't that big, and I already the had the quickest reactions on the pitch. But as I add more layers I'll have to think quite carefully. If I have to quit, I don't want people to know why. Maybe you can help me come up with a reason?"

"I'll try Harry. What about exams though?"

"Well, it depends on how you view them. If it's about who has the most natural ability, them yes I'll be cheating a little. If it's about what you are able to do, then I'm not. I've always been holding back with schoolwork. The Dursleys got upset if I did too well. I've actually been studying ahead since halfway through first year. I've covered everything for this year, and I'm at about fifth year level for runes and arithmancy. Since I decided to stop holding back, you'll have some competition this year! I hope you won't be upset with me?"

"I hope not. I've never been second best at anything academic. If you start doing better than me I don't want to get jealous."

"If you want, I can show you what the enhancements are like? Don't worry - it would be completely painless, and temporary. I'd paint the designs onto you. It's what I did to make sure it would work."

"Would you? Can you do the mind enhancements please?"

"Sure. Now where did I put that quill?" He muttered, rummaging through the things on the workbench. Finding it, and a small bowl, flicked his thumb across the palm of his hand. Hermione could just about make out a crimson design glowing, before blood began to drip into the bowl.

"Blood is so useful, I thought I would add a small design so that I can extract it without having to cut myself. Completely painless. Willingly given, and magically quite potent. For some reason the basilisk venom and phoenix tears haven't disappeared - they just counter each other. So I've got a couple of extremely potent magical substances floating around in there as well. Now, sit down."

As he moved towards her with the bowl and quill, she saw a design around his hands begin to glow.

"Are those the control enhancements?"

"Yup. The designs I'm drawing are quite detailed. Now, I'm going to have to concentrate on the magic while I'm doing it, so hush." He said it with a smile, taking any bite out of the words.

After half an hour, he was done. As the last line was put into place, Hermione felt a warm glow from her temples, that soon subsided. She also felt that everything was subtly clearer. She remembered subtleties from her earlier conversation with him. She could concentrate on details better. And she could make connections between those details quicker.

"Good, isn't it? The improvement you're feeling should be somewhere between the passive level I currently have, and what I have when I'm activating the designs. By the time school starts, I should have things up to that level passively."

"What is it like when the boost goes away? I already don't want to lose this. It's subtle, but so glorious thinking with such clarity."

"Ah, you see the danger, I think. It helps to know that keeping them active constantly will eventually drain you of magic. It isn't so bad. You know intellectually what the boost will do, but you don't feel it. That awareness seems to come with the boost."

"Can I have this permanently? How much does it hurt?"

Harry sighed. "I don't know whether you will be able to cope. The only real way to find out is to try it. The trouble is that you can't stop halfway through the ritual safely. I'm not exactly a stranger to getting hurt. I don't think you could jump straight to the mental enhancements. You would have to do the muscle control one first."

"What if I tried the patterns without doing the actual ritual? Then I would find out if I could cope with that."

"That could work, I suppose. I'm not really comfortable with it though."

"Why not? Is it because I'm a girl?"

"No! No, it's not that. I don't want to see you hurt. You're not used to it, and I don't really want you to become used to it. I don't... I don't want you to become like me." He looked away, throat swollen.

"Oh Harry," she cried, drawing him into a hug. "Don't forget, I haven't exactly been safe at Hogwarts either, what with the troll and running after Quirrel and getting petrified and one day Malfoy will go beyond just words."

"I'm going to do this," she resolved. "At least, I'm going to find out if I can cope with it."

"Very well. I'll sketch out the design that would be needed, and leave you with potions for after. The knife is perfectly clean. I don't think I can cope with watching you. I'll be here, working on a project, but I can't watch."

He fetched what would be required, drew the design in pen on her bare arm, then turned away, swallowing thickly. He tried to concentrate on his latest project, carving down a basilisk fang for use as knife, and possibly highly specialised wand. But even with his newfound control, he couldn't help his hands from shaking as he heard Hermione's gasp of indrawn breath. In spite of himself, he turned around. Hermione had reached the halfway point, her hand shaking. A tear leaked from her eyes. Yet she kept going. Several agonising minutes later, she was done.

"Why, Hermione? Why would you do this to yourself?" He asked, hurrying over. He passed her a potion, which she gulped down. The cuts healed before their eyes, but he could see the memory of pain etched on her face.

"Why do you do it, Harry? Lucius Malfoy set a basilisk on the school, hoping to kill off the muggleborns. Do you think he'll go to prison, or not do anything like it again?" She cried bitterly. "He spent his way out of prison before, and this society is so messed up that he can get away with anything he likes."

"Malfoy will get what's coming to him, I promise that," Harry said grimly. "I've decided that since the wizarding world is so backwards, I'll look backwards in search of a solution. Before governments were powerful enough to enforce the laws, people took the law into their own hands. I'm going to end the Malfoy name. I suppose I'll give Draco a chance to change his name, but Narcissa knew what Lucius planned, and did nothing. I doubt Draco would take that chance - he sounded so gleeful at the thought of a death, I doubt there's any hope for him. I won't make a move any time soon though - it's not something to be done hastily."

"I probably shouldn't have told you all that, Hermione. You just seemed so upset about Malfoy!"

"Oh, I'm not about to tell anybody. I want in! And I'm going to make use of these enhancements you've come up with. Maybe I won't go quite as far as you seem to be planning, but the benefit does seem worth the price. What would I use? I'm thinking that the basilisk blood won't work nearly so well for me as for you."

"Well, my blood seems like it's worked pretty well, and we've got a ready supply on tap. You don't have a familiar, though if you get a cat like you were thinking you might be able to build up a strong enough bond for that to work. Or we could always use generic magical ingredients, but I feel a personal connection to the substance works best."

"If I use some of yours, would you like to use my blood? You said you could understand Hedwig better, and I can't see that us being able to understand each other better could be a bad thing."

"That would be nice, thank you. Lets have dinner, and we can plan what to do."


Tada! I'm posting more rapidly than I would normally be able to because I had already written ~10k words before I started putting up chapters. That should take us through to about chapter 5, with 6 in progress. The story is roughly planned out to the end of fourth year, and tentative ideas for a sequel.