Blood of Venom and Tears

02

isdh

As the two young Gryffindor students entered the great hall, the assembled started to clap. Hand in hand they ducked their heads and hurried to the nearest double seat. As they sat, those around them asked them many questions.

While they were asked many questions, they did not hear them, as they were too focused one another. Seeing them bonding as many Gryffindor do, their house mates fell back, knowing that in time they would reach out to those who were just within arms reach...but only in time.

But they were watched by more then their housemates.

Molly was in protective mode. Two conflicting ideas were waging war in her head; 'How dare that boy treat her baby girl like that!' and 'My Baby girl, I am losing my Baby Girl.'

The twins were happy that their little sister was enjoying some time in the spotlight of her crush's attention. They were ready to help the two youngsters, but only after warning the boy about what would happen to him if he hurt their sister.

Percy was on guard, but then he knew that the Potter boy was trouble. Even if the boy had rescued his sister, there was trouble stalking the boy, and now his sister.

Ron frowned at the sight before him, but continued to shoveling food into his mouth.

Hermione frowned. She knew that the redhead girl held some desperate dreams of the boy-who-lived. She also knew that her male friend was a dumb boy of only twelve years of age.

McGonagal knew something was off. She knew that her young lioness had spent most of the past year in pain, but had done nothing to help the poor girl. She had waited for the girl to come to her. It was not until the girl was taken to the chamber below, that she knew that she had failed the girl. She also knew that her Little Lion was at a cross roads in life. She would need to speak to the boy, maybe after lunch...


Fawkes sat perched in the rafters of the great hall, watching the young hatchling. While Phoenixes mated for life, they only flew one or twice every century. And not every flight produced an egg. While it was not impossible to kill a phoenix, it was damn hard.

And now Mister Potter had been infused with the tears of a phoenix, the blood and venom of the Basilisk and the whole rebirth ritual was 'blessed' with the 'death' of the Horcruxes. The only thing he did not know how to respond to was the 'soul bond' between the two children, and how it would affect the girl.


The two were hunched over, whispering to each other. They were in truth hissing at one another, but only Harry was aware of this fact. They were sharing tidbits, favorite colours, sweets, things like that.

Finally harry takes a heavy swig of his juice. "Ginny, what are your feelings on Parseltongue and those who speak it."

"It is considered a sign of a Dark Wizard," Ginny frowned, "but a book at home says it is a blood gift."

Harry smiled. "Only because the last three greatly known users of Parseltongue were dark, is it considered a Dark gift. What if I told you that there are two speakers, right here in the great hall, neither is a dark witch or wizard."

Ginny's eyes widened, before they flickered over the room, before her wits shaded the missing pieces. Her brains were just short of Ron in strategy, the Twins in bold cunning, and Hermione in raw data processing. She heard whispers of Harry being a Parselmouth over the last few months, add in the fact that no one over heard their conversation or added their two knuts...

"Are you saying?"

"Yes, My girl." Harry smiled at her. "Now you not only have something your brothers do not, you also have something that only I have too." he placed his hand on her lower back, "This is for you to reveal, only if and when you want to. Now as we are leaving by next week, I need to see Hagrid before the end of the day."

the redhead just nodded and sipped her juice.

The two of them totally ignoring the two blonds watching them.


Draco could taste the hate he felt for Potter. Not only did he show up over half of Slytherin, but he survived...yet again.

Last week his father had let him in on the basics; big bad snake, kills every dirty little mudblood, and will remove Dumb-dumb from the school.

And to make things even sweeter, the the blame to be placed on Potter and Weasley. But somehow the boy survived, killed the Beast, and covered the old goat's spotted ass.


Luna smiled.

Her best friend finally got her greatest wish. She could actually see the threads binding them together. She has always been able to see things of that nature, ever since her mother's accident. But for some reason, the bonding was incomplete, as if there was room for one more person.

Her smile turned sour, she just needed to find her answer to Harry. Maybe the Longbottom boy. He held some promise...


After Lunch, Harry ducked out of the castle trotting to the Gamekeepers cottage. Pounding on the door, Harry tried to calm his breathing. As the door squeaked open to allow a hairy eyeball to peer out, Harry just smiled and waved at the big man. "Open up." he looked about, "Got something to show you." he leaned closer to the door. "Something for those in the Trade."

Hagrid opened the door just enough to allow the boy to slid in. As the door boomed shut behind him, Harry pulled his wand, and magicked the windows closed. His eyes trailed over his oversized friend, and only his deprived eyes noticed the signs of malnutrition.

"Sorry about you being sent away. Met your accuser, nasty piece of work." Harry sat on the bench. "As for the Trade business, got something I need you to watch. If it found, you and I could be in real trouble." Harry pulled the Egg from within his robes. "Care to try to identify this?"

Hagrid dropped into his chair, as he leaned over the table to peer at the egg. As big as the boy's head, a very pale green, with pale blue speckles. He trailed a finger over the shell. "Snake. Big." he picked up the little pink umbrella and waved it over the egg. "Magical...Mystical even." his voice a whisper. Then he froze. His eyes locked on Harry's. "Not possible. How..."

"I must wait until you guess, before I share what I know." Harry smiled up at his friend.

"I would say Basilisk, but this holds none of the magic required for the incubation." Hagrid, hissed.

"Then you are correct. I think Master Slytherin, when he crafted his beasty, he took it a step further." Harry leaned forward, "Not knowing the rituals to incubate a standard basilisk, so I can only speak in theory. I think that he crafted a female, so that she could clutch on her own." he licked his lips, "When I was fighting her, she told me bits of the history. Fifty years ago, Tom used her bond to the school to attack the students. Killing Myrtle, was an accident. She was trying to catch Tom with her unhooded eyes."

"And you want me to watch this?" Hagrid was very quiet in his whispering.

Harry smiled, "I have no idea what is needed, but taking this egg into the muggle world is all kinds of bad. I will pick it up when I get back in September. I think if I give you the gold, you can have a couple sets of goggles made up that would protect the wearer from the gaze." He leaned back, "You are the best option I have at this time."

"Okay" the big man grunted, frowning.

Harry stood, and walked to the door, before stopping and turning to look at his oversized friend. "Also, not a word of this to Dumbledore."

that brought up the half giant's head. "Why?"

"What he does not know, can not be laid at his feet. Seeing as what we have here is a threat to the World at large, in the wrong hands, a weapon unlike any other. She is also a relic and gift from the Founders. She is beyond price to those who are in the Trade, or to those who are into the Founders." then the boy's face grew tight. "She is also classified as a dark creature, just by breathing." he steppe out the door, leaving the older man petting and crooning at the egg.

As the door boomed shut behind him, Harry hissed, "That and I do not completely trust him."


As Harry trotted out the large doors, Hermione scooted closer. "So, what were you two whispering about?"

"Nothing I can talk about right now." Ginny frowned at the girl she saw as an older sister. "Too many ears, too many of the ..." her eyes passed over her brothers who were watching her eat, even as they ate the last of the lunch.

Hermione looked about, and noticed the watching redheaded males. "Oh, what is your plan then?"

Ginny grinned at her sister, "Wash your back, tonight?"

Hermione frowned at the answer, but nodded. "Later then. Now, how are your classes going?"


Griphook led the 'Ancient' up the steps of the great castle. He had offered to carry the chest that the old gob clutched to his chest, but the glare was enough to cause the troop of six walking behind them to drop back two steps.

Just as the newly named Manager, reached for his magic to 'knock' on the door of the Castle, a young voice rang out!

"Oi, Griphook. Greetings. Can I help you with anything?" turning to look the goblins saw Harry climbing the hill as he returned from the Gamekeeper's hut. As one, four of the Guard moved to stand between Griphook and the threat. In truth, they were between the Ancient and the boy-who-lived.

Griphook stepped between two of the guards and met his client two steps from the living steel. "Master Potter. It is good to see you. Our legal section looked into you and what you are owed, by Us and by Society at large, and found you were shorted. We are here to do a full reading on you, before I return with the Fourth column. Do you have a place we can take care of this?"

"I think there is a few empty classrooms at hand." Harry offered his hand to shake with the little humanoid.

Noticing that the young human treated the young gob with respect, almost friendship caused the Ancient to raise an eyebrow. "Mister Potter." causing the non-guard persons to turn to him. "You have begun a bonding. If you would bring the female too, I can begin the paperwork."

"Bonding, Sir?" Harry was polite, but confused. "Female?"

"Any female that you rescued in the last few days. Given your youth, and the strength of the bond... it can not be older then a few days."

"That would be Ginny Weasley." Harry muttered. "Dobby!"

"Master Potter calls Dobby?" the elf popped up behind Harry.

The guards twitched, as Dobby eyed them. Harry put a hand on the small head at his hip. "Yes Dobby, I need you to find Ginny Weasley, and bring her to me. Let her know that I need her, and guide her to me. You may offer to bring her, but she gets to say if you just pop her over." then something perked in Harry's mind. "Oh, and Dobby. Keep this quiet, no need for the Headmaster to get wind of this...just yet."

Dobby nodded so fast that his ears flapped, and popped out. Harry turned led the way in, passing the great hall doors. He paused to look in, noticing that only Flitwick was at the Teacher's table, before turning to look back at the goblin troop. He noticed the old gob struggling with the small chest, so with out asking he drew his wand and with a wave and a flick... "Wingardium Leviosa"

the old goblin snorted at the affront, but then noticed that all the boy did was remove the weight. "What are you playing at, Boy?"

"Nothing, sir. I thought that because you were caring it, not them, that it was important. But I see no reason, that you have to be burdened by the weight." Harry shrugged, "I can just drop it?"

the old gob nodded, "Most would have just ignored me. Let the gob handle gob issues. Others would have taken the chest, thinking they were helping. The best most do is offer or ask before they take. You just remove the weight, but leave the chest in my hands. You have much to learn, Boy, but I think that it would be to our benefit to teach you." he released the chest. "You carry it. Lead on."

A quick lift and twist had the chest riding on the boy's shoulders.

Harry hurried them to the closest empty classroom, and let them in. Standing around a table the ancient one set out a stone slab, a silver bladed knife, a thick tome, and a set of glasses that had colored lenses.

With the glasses preched on his long nose, the old gob cracked his knuckles. Taking the knife, the Ancient motioned for the boy's hand.

"You are going to use that to draw my blood, correct?" Harry asked. At the Ancient's nod Harry frowned. "And then to just wipe it off, and use it on the next wizard or goblin that needs to under go this blood test?" again the old gob nodded, his lips twisted in his sneer. Harry sat on a bench half a step back. "I was bitten. The Basilisk broke a fang off in my arm. The same fang I sent Griphook. I would be dead if not the phoenix tears running threw my veins. I have already burned twice as a phoenix since I killed the beast. I fear my blood will still hold some trace."

"The goblin silver of the knife would keep the poison, and kill the next to take the blood test." the Ancient nodded, "Good call boy." as he set the knife aside.

Harry frowned, then standing up, he slashed his palm on the axeblade of a nearby gob. As he slapped the stone slab, the Ancient raised his bushy brow, and handed the boy a rag to bind the wound. The blood pooled, then was absorbed by the stone. Runes of a complex and twisted nature carved themselves into the slab. The Ancient began writing in the book as quickly as he could. The runes covered every square inch of the Stone.

"Okay, got it." Using a silver knife from his own belt, the Ancient waved it over the Blood-Stone and the stone reset to a blank. "You shall be hearing from Us in a few weeks. Normally it would be a few days at most, but most of your... Blood-Runes are going to take some cross-checking." The gob begain to repack the chest. Something caused him to look up, and spot the axehead that Harry had cut himself on. "Buy the Deep Vaults!"

The axehead had morphed. It was now longer, thinner, and had a green and red tinge running through the silver. The gob holding it grinned, as he stepped away to test the swing of his new ax. "Good. More like what I wanted. It fits my hand, my arm, and my style. My Klan owes you."

Harry grinned. "Treat those in your Debt like Family."

The goblins turned pale when hearing those words. Griphook spoke first, "Where did you hear those words?"